Into That Wild Blue Yonder

24. In Plain Sight

Colm growled his frustration at the bowtie in the mirror as his fingers fumbled about trying to figure out how to tie it. He knew what it had to look like at the end but for some reason, he couldn't get it there. The few times he did get the knot right, he either had it horribly lopsided or loose enough to fall apart. After twenty minutes of nonsense, he was prepared to give it up and go without it.

"Colm, you almost ready?" Ulan asked as he stepped through the door in a flawless fire dragon tuxedo. When he saw Colm struggling, he chuckled and walked over to sit next to him. "Having trouble?"

"This thing is stupid," Colm growled.

"Reminds me of when I bought Idara her first tie-down dress," Ulan said fondly. "I had to teach her how to tie each point, how to wear it, everything. Which wasn't easy, since I'm kind of, you know, a dragon."

"Sounds tough," Colm said, still looking in the mirror with his hands on the strip of cloth to go around his neck.

"Do you need some help?" Ulan asked, tilting his head sideways. Colm sighed and looked at the dragon in the mirror with a defeat expression.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Alright, to start; draped over your neck, right side slightly longer. Cross it over the other, then loop it back underneath- no, like, up and past your chin- yeah, that's it. Fold the other end at the narrowest and widest point inward. Bring the other end down over it, do another fold, now push it behind the front one. Now pull the folded ends to tighten."

Colm tightened the folds to get a perfectly done bowtie. He wasn't sure what he was screwing up so much before, but it didn't matter now. As long as it didn't come undone, he was good.

"Thanks," he said.

"It's perfect!" Ulan said proudly. Colm looked over himself in the mirror. "Looking spiffy, kiddo."

Colm puffed out his chest and tried to look how he expected some of the other guests to carry themselves at the gala. He couldn't keep it up, though. It looked ridiculous. After shaking himself out and taking a more natural stance, he decided not to worry about his appearance so much and focus on the job at hand. He didn't have a natural sense for his looks like Idara seemed to. At least they would look at the silver chains over his arm before anything else.

"I guess this is it, then?" he asked.

"Pretty much. It's easier for us, since we don't really wear makeup and stuff."

"Does it take long?"

"It does," Ulan said with a slow nod. "When we went out yesterday to get the last few items, she found a dye-remover scroll and some REALLY nice eye shadow she wanted to try. She wants it to be perfect."

"Just because?" Colm asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Pretty much."

"Whatever floats her boat."

"What floats your boat?"

"Whiskey."

"Ha!" Ulan laughed and smacked his clawed hand against the ground. "Your boat's gonna fly tonight, then."

"Shouldn't drink while working," Colm said, thinking back to a time it nearly killed him.

"A couple to blend in is part of this one," Ulan said with a shrug. "And depending on what happens and when, maybe there'll be drinks after."