The Otherworld

22.

"WE'RE HAVING A PARTY." Leif says boredly as everyone's sitting down to eat. "As soon as the sun's go down."

There's a collection of groans as chairs scrape the floor, creatures filling the table.

The past few hours have been spent with everyone meeting each other. I got Zane to find me a bedroom, and slept through it all, exhausted.

I was woken up by Arlo, who told me they were eating, and I was glad, because I woke up hungry. So, half asleep, I'm sitting at the table, a little bit surprised to see them all getting along so well.

Almost everyone is here, but Dei isn't. When I ask, Pho tells me he'd show up eventually.

"Do we have to have a party?" Eli asks, whining. "It gets so boring."

"Yes." Rain claps his hands. "We haven't had a party in ages."

"And are you trying to clean up?" Atticus mutters. "No, you'll get drunk and leave it to the rest of us."

"I'll fuck you if you help me." He says sweetly, and Atticus flushes red as the men around the table laugh.

Royal leans towards me, a smile on his lips. "Atticus and Rain sleep together every time we have a party, and Atticus swears he won't, but he will."

My lips twitch up. Felix, who heard, grins. "I'll help you."

There's another burst of laughter, and Rain grins at Felix. Pho's smiling, too, head dipping to murmur something that makes Felix laugh. I notice, but no one else seems to, that Lief slips from the room silently with a plate, disappearing into the hall. I decide not to ask about it, but watch him go, frowning.

All of dinner is like the beginning, constant chatter and laughs, bickering and jokes, but everyone seems happy. The food is amazing--Milo made most of it, apparently, and scowls when he gets praise for it. 

Dei shows up at some point, and, unsurprisingly, flirts shamelessly with all of them, and everyone howls with laughter when he makes Milo red with embarrassment--something hard to do, apparently.

Long after we've finished eating, we all leave the table, and help clean up--Zane directs us, telling us all where to go to.

Rain sneaks off at some point, and Felix goes with him. Royal tells me they're probably going to get the party ready.

The last time I was at a party was...a long time ago. Even when invited, I didn't tend to show up. So this should be interesting. There's enough of us to make it an actually party, too, and I wonder where they'll have it.

We're told the leave the kitchen soon, and to go get changed, to return in an hour.

"Rain takes parties very seriously." Eli tells us. "So it's fancy dress."

I sheepishly admit I have nothing to wear.

"Yes, you do." Archie says with a grin, grabbing my hand to pull me towards the hall. "Auggie brought a whole wardrobe, and it's all really nice stuff. He'll definitely have something for you."

Auggie flushes red when we ask at his door, and leans towards Archie to hiss something, keeping the door closed behind him. Is someone in there? I raise an eyebrow as Archie grins, and murmurs something back before Auggie goes back in.

"He'll bring what he thinks you'll like to your room." He tells me. His eyes take me in for a moment. "Let's do something about your hair."

"My hair?" I reach up to touch it. "What's wrong with it?"