“Quit messing with your cloak! You keep adjusting the hood and people are going to know you’re a weeb, Otherworlder’s don’t worry about their hoods being perfectly in place covering everything. Are you trying to look super suspicious or what?” Kae reprimanded Sebastian for the hundredth time.
“Sorry, I just don’t want it to show my hair. I’m not sure most people, even Other’s, have neon green stripes in their hair like this!” There was a panicked edge in the undertone of his voice as she watched his fingers run along the edge of his hood again.
For the party Kae had cut Sebastian’s hair in an angled bob to make his thin face seem more elvish than usual, using gel to leave the back a spiky mess. Then to top it all, she had bleached his naturally black hair almost white. This helped the acid green dye show up as bright as natural streaks would, and she thought it would help him feel like he fit in better. Sebastian just wouldn’t stop fussing over every little piece. It’s like he thinks he has to be perfect to be like rest of the Otherworlder’s. Maybe I should show him some more excitement, make it seem like it’s not such a big deal? Maybe he just needs to learn what a rave was in order to calm down and have a good time, after all it couldn’t be much different from a convention for him.
“So are you ready to party? We’ve got to get there early if we don’t want to be caught in the crush.” Kae was certain Sebastian knew what a crush was, but he must not have been partying much judging by the look on his face. “You know all the people trying to get in at the same time because the party’s already started? Oh never mind we’ll get there in plenty of time. Are you ready or what!?”
Sebastian wasn’t feeling her excitement, that was obvious but he was warming up to it, his face less wrinkled with worry. Maybe it wasn’t going to be so hard to get him to chill after all.
“Oh, hell yeah. Totally ready, this will be the party of a lifetime, why wouldn’t I be ready.” It was a question formed in a statement, but Kae was willing to ignore it. Instead acting like she believed he was as confident as he wanted to sound, she’d just help him fake it till he made it.
“Sweet! Then let’s get movin’ or you won’t like the way we’ll have to get there.” Her voice sing song as she giggled to the memory made emotions crossing over his face like an actual movie flashback. Sebastian did not like using Kae’s method of getting places, it had frightened him so badly the first (and last) time he ever did. It was still priceless to remember the look on his face though.
She didn’t like to, it felt uncomfortable even for her, but she had used what was called 'The Veil' in Otherworld. To use it you simply said the invocation to open the passage and you would step through to your destination. There was no poof you’re here; you just walked through a black hole of some kind to wherever you were going.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“No! No, no, let’s just get going I’d rather drive. So come on, who’s driving? You or me?”
‚óƒ
“Ok, I give. What’s wrong? You haven’t talked to me the whole drive so far, is it what I said about getting here?” Concerned she had ruined the night’s fun, Kae knew she had to ask the obvious, “Are you just mad at me or are you totally pissed now?”
Like someone had slapped him across the face Sebastian’s head snapped towards her and he muttered, “What…”
“You haven’t talked at all the whole ride, your sulking over there like a kicked puppy, are you mad at me or what?” She didn’t like it when he did this. He’d slip into some kind of pissy, sulky demeanor and then act like he was pulled back from worlds away when spoken to or touched. It was so much like the psychics from Valeria it wasn’t funny.
“…I’m not mad… I was just thinking…” He sounded so dreamy, like he’d just woken up; she wasn’t sure what his deal was. She would find out why he had these little moments but not right now.
“Well snap out of it! We’re almost there ok, look, that’s the road. Now we just drive out to the place, park in the trees and head for the doors.” She was excited, but the closer she got the sooner she would probably get let down. ‘No! No thinking like that, this is why I didn’t think about who might be here. I’ll be fine and regardless of who is or isn’t here I’ll have the best time ever, no matter what…’
“Ok, I just didn’t realize how far we had already driven.” Sebastian sounded more alert but still distant as she pointed out the road.
‚óƒ
They parked under a huge maple tree that was probably as ancient as the town building was, and headed round the back to find the ‘bouncers’ that would let them in. Easy enough to find, she could feel the music pounding out its bass line in the ground beneath her feet. It was hard to tell if Sebastian could feel it as well or if like most people he was desensitized to those things.
The sight that met them at the door was almost breathe taking; if Kae hadn’t seen it plenty of times before she might have gasped. Ivy leaves and vines had climbed up the molding of the doorway and created an intricate fall patterned archway. Having a brawny looking bouncer outside of the archway killed some of its beauty but not enough to keep Sebastian from gawking at it. Seeing the look on his face, she almost laughed, ‘he looks like a kid in the world’s largest candy store.’
“Are you gonna make it there, Sebastian?” she asked, hoping the guard wouldn’t notice that he was staring so intensely.
“Yeah, I’m fine Kae, it’s just so beautiful, it’s just like it was grown this way…” He sighed with such artistic envy, just like him to wilt over trained ivy .
“Come on, you can stop and draw it some other time.” Kae whispered close to his ear teasing, “If you keep gawking, I won’t be able to stop anyone from thinking you might not be OW…”
Suddenly stiffening he remembered where he was, I hoped beyond all hope that no one had noticed, maybe no one else heard my whisper but there was no telling with all the different clans that most likely showed up.