Nocte Yin

Chapter Nine

She was speechless.

“Pick one,” Witley said, as if she hadn’t a care of how expensive and valuable they were.

Nocte narrowed her eyes. She didn’t understand how Witley had known about her predicament.

“It’s my job to know these things,” the auburn said with a toss of her hair. “You need a mask, and I have several.”

“Oh,” Nocte managed. She couldn’t read any deceit coming from Witley’s movements, but that did not necessary mean that the girl wasn’t up to no good.

“I think this one will go well with your Xonese hanfu,” Witley said. She held up a red mask with her perfectly manicured fingers. “Or maybe this one.”

Several masks were shoved into Nocte’s face as Witley went on and on about colour schemes, styles and various other things that didn’t quite matter with Nocte as long as it matched one of her costumes.

“This one, definitely this one. It speaks grace and power. Perfect for your black dress,” the Witley said with a superficial smile.

Nocte paused. Witley was standing awfully close.

“I want to work for you.”

She took a step back from the auburn, wiping the smile from Witley’s face.

“You’re still not used to me,” Witley observed, not in the least perturbed by Nocte’s shirking.

“I’m sorry,” Nocte apologized habitually. Shouldn’t Witley be the one to apologize for scaring the crap out of her? “I have to go.”

“You can’t,” Witley reasoned. “You can’t go to the dance without a mask.”

She knew Witley was right (Halloween was in three days!), and she had never seen masks like Witley’s (not even from Ebony’s “borrowed” collection). She was fascinated with the sequence of beads and fastened embroidery, the textures of the silks and felts. One mask caught her particular interest and she gently picked it up without thought.

“Good choice,” Witley agreed with an honest nod. “Brings out your eyes, which are your best features. And your mouth too. I envy your mouth.”

Suppressed by rude comments for so long, Nocte welcomed the compliments with a genuine smile. Witley retuned it thoughtfully and then traced the edges of an aquamarine mask that shimmered like the insides of a shell. It reminded Nocte of the ocean, or the luring, seductive mermaids.

“I’m thinking of this one,” the auburn confessed.

Nocte didn’t know what came over her next, but something definitely girly.

“Maybe this one,” Nocte recommended and gestured toward a green one with a leaf embroidered on the cheek. “Blue clashes with your hair.” She froze soon after voicing her opinion, confused as to her sudden openness. What was she doing? And did she really just use the word “clash?” Oh Hera, she was turning into Ebony!

She nearly gulped.

“I-I mean,” Nocte hastened to recover. “I got to go.”

“Ciao,” the auburn said, smiling as Nocte all but ran out of the room.

She hadn’t even said goodbye.

#

Savvy stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. She couldn’t believe just how perfectly the costume fit together, and in such short notice too! She especially admired how the sun highlighted the shine in the silk and the sparkles in the glitter, and she even gave a delighted squeal when Nocte took a twirl in it, the fluffy skirt picking an inch up from the floor like a cotton candy cloud. It was simply marvellous!