Wisp hated the damn beach. The sand was always so coarse and rough and it always got everywhere. The water was always so cold and salty and splashed him in the face and he never had any friends to go there with. Until today, obviously.
“Snake? Why do you wear your lab coat to the beach?”
“It’s waterproof.”
He came only because the weather was nice and everyone wanted to go. Vola built a whole ass sand tower, and Mei was trying to knock it down like usual, and Acid was helping, and Vola yelled at them to get a room, and dodged a switchblade to the face. Den sat under the umbrella, unable to enter the water, watching. Dave swam through the water, floating across the bay in the picture-esque image of relaxation, as Dust walked across the water and summoned fish of solid gold to populate the waters.
Kyki fed the robo husky metal scraps, watching him scarf down the bits and bobs and absorbing it for use in his hull. Rico was getting a sweet tan on the sand, because there’s always “that guy”. And Wisp sat on the towel under the umbrella, because he didn’t have anything else to do. What he would do for a good book or a handful of magnets.
Rico stood over him with one of those containers of sunscreen, blocking out the sun.
“Why’re you just lying on the towel? What kind of killjoy sits on their ass all day when they’re at the beach?”
“Cause the sand sucks cock and balls. And the sun’s too hot and I don’t like going outside.”
“You need your vitamin D. All you do is work and sit in your room on the top floor.”
“It’s comfortable. The temperature is just right, I’ve got all my drinks and foods and games and books. It’s heavenly.”
“And interact with no one? Weather forecasters think a Dust Storm is going to happen soon. Why stay cooped up inside when you can enjoy the outdoors for the last time in a while?”
Wisp chucked a mound of wet sand at him out of spite.
“Screw weather forecasters. They said it’d be sunny last week, and it rained like it was monsoon season!”
“That was only localized. Over our building. You pissed off the weatherworker in room 497.”
“Potatoes, tomatoes. Same shit. News guy didn’t predict the weatherworker dude, clearly an incompetent.”
Rico sat down on the towel with him, casting his gaze past the glistening ocean waters to the horizon.
“I know you hate outside. I’m not the biggest fan of it either: bugs are annoying and allergies can be a bitch. But you’re not out here by yourself. You’ve got friends here. They’re here for you.”
“I don’t really feel like anyone is my friend. Or that they truly do care about me. I doubt anyone would shed a single tear if I died.”
“I’ve known you for a while now! I would definitely cry if you were dead! That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“But would you? Would you really care? Don’t lie to me.”
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And Rico could not open his mouth to say yes, and he was not sure why. He was convinced by a little voice in his head to say only what he knew was true, affixed wholly by Wisp’s burning gaze. So he could only hand Wisp the sunscreen, give him the signature sad look, and walk away.
That was a few days ago. Now he was back to standing in front of a desk to slave away as a job he was slowly tiring of. The feeling of being watched attached itself to his psyche, and he could no longer sleep very well, plagued by feelings of guilt and insecurity for no reason.
Dave tapped on the bell on the desk to grab his attention.
“Hello? Earth to Wisp? Signal disrupted?”
“Oh. Sorry. What did you need?”
“I was just gonna ask if you’re coming to the house party. Acid’s having a fiesta or something in her apartment, and we’re all going to go.”
Ordinarily he would say no, but he remembered what Rico asked of him. To merely enjoy himself in the company of others. There was no point in feeling like a sad sack, if he had really been invited to go somewhere with some people.
“You know what? I’ll do it. I’ll go. Just gimme a moment to grab some stuff.”
“Can’t believe you said yes that fast. I figured you would say no like you usually do.”
“I have changed my mind, I guess. Always be proactive is what those self-improvers say. I’ll bite. I’ll take the plunge. What could go wrong?”
So he showed up at the door with a cooler of beer, one of the few in his suite. Because obviously he had prepared them months ago in case anyone wanted one from him, since he did not like to disappoint.
Opening the door, he was greeted with a cacophony of sight and sound, filling his senses. There was definitely a fog machine, maybe a disco ball, and the sound of singing. What fun! It all sounded very exciting, which he hadn’t felt in ages. Uncertainty and liveliness he could really use in his life, he thought, stepping through the doorway.
Immediately a preconstructed device clamped down on his head, applying a woven blindfold of significant strength which blocked his sight completely. He almost stumbled as a pair of hands snatched the cooler from him right after, followed by the sounds of hurried steps away from him.
“Thanks for bringing drinks!” said Acid, tossing them to the partygoers. Mei was absolutely smashed by now, doing karaoke in a frilly, overdone cat maid outfit, trying to duet with Acid. Vola instantly tried to challenge them to a rap battle while Dave messed with the DJ’s booth, because no one else knew how to use it. Kyki and Rico were attempting to beat each other in a game of beer pong (and failing to land any shots) with Unze messing with Den on the balcony. He’d throw a ball and watch the metal dog leap all the way down to the ground a fair distance down, grab the ball, and scale the whole ass wall no problem to give it back to Mr. Femboy Gaming.
Of course, Wisp saw none of this, with the blindfold over his head. He had to resort to feeling around for the walls so he could get around the apartment, running into chairs, nearly tripping over the carpet, and finding a braille sign that read “sorry, wisp” and nothing else.
He wanted to ask Acid about the strange circumstances he was now placed in, but could not hear her over the music, and he felt awkward about speaking up.
“Uh guys? What’s going on? I can’t really see where I’m going…”
Wisp nearly tripped over Dust trying to get help. He could tell, since a coin hit him in the forehead and stuck itself there, increasing the gravity on his person, and straining his muscles a bit more just to stay upright. Eventually he just collapsed on the couch, a little worse for wear and thirsty.
The noise was starting to get to him. Already he was beginning to have a headache, and fatigue gripped his bones, keeping him where he sat. So he slumped down on the couch to try and maybe, maybe get some rest. Which was a stupid idea during the middle of a party.
And he began to regret coming, until he heard the familiar creak of a metal vent being opened, right below his feet.
“Hello, Wisp.”
“Oh. It’s you. Hi Chasma.”
“What are you doing at a party? I thought you disliked parties.”
“I wanted to try something new. Maybe it would have been different than the others.”
“A shame. You have my condolences.”
“How awfully nice of you. You are not mad that I stopped you from… suggesting?”
“Oh, I am fine. I’ve thought it over, and I am ok with it now. It will no longer be a problem for me. I just came to see what was happening, and because I felt you.”
“You… felt me? Very vague. Not terribly specific.”
“You have the aura of suggestion around your body. Strange to think someone besides me could do that. A very interesting specimen indeed. Perhaps we could get to know each other more?”
“So like friends? You would do friend things? Like have my back?”
“That is only par for the course. It is all I am intending. To you, I will extend my hand.”
And Wisp could not see anything, but he had the distinct feeling, the sense of Chasma’s skinny pale arm reaching from the floorboards up to his level, presenting its palm to him. Chasma was weird, and he hesitated. But he did some thinking. About who he was and what he was doing here, as well as who he was speaking to. It was very lonely being alive, and really could use a friend.
“Deal. I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best to make sure you have lots of fun.”
Wisp took the hand and shook it vigorously, before feeling it slip from his grasp and down into the vents below. Yes, this would be a new start of something great! And Chasma left, good deed done for the day, a gleeful grin on its face and the memory of Wisp’s burning gaze, even through that blindfold on his face.