Nocte Yin

Chapter Nine

Nocte had taken quite the chance with her outfit, indulging in her creative curiosity by combining two of her dresses: a traditional Xonese cheongsam with two-third sleeves for the top and a full Zyrish ball gown for the bottom, an ensemble spun of silk and tulle. It was all in a startling white with delicate silver embroidery and trimming, a likeness marked on her white slippers with a faux-diamond bracelet for that extra shine and sparkle every outfit, obviously, needed.

Hair and make-up, on the other hand, had been a whole different matter altogether. Not only did Nocte have an adverse dislike for make-up (in that she had read something somewhere at sometime that cosmetics could burn her eyes out), but she had no idea what to do with the brushes and palettes. And all she knew about hair was that she had to brush it every morning and night. She didn’t know much more than the basics.

But, unfortunately for Nocte, a Yin must keep up appearances!

Thus, after reading several magazines on the subject, Nocte learnt the spell every teenager of the female variety needed to know: the self-fairy-godmother spell. With an incantation, a clockwise spin, and an imagination to rival those of children, Nocte’s hair grew out and was placed in a simple bun, nothing too fancy. Another spin and her make-up was just as simple: a dash of blush, a pinch of eye shadow and a thin layer of gloss. With one final spin, her complexion was rejuvenated and she was ready to go—

Was it just her, or did her eyes suddenly want to melt out of their sockets?

It was not a pretty delusion.

With a sigh, Nocte reached for the final touch: the mask. It was sleek and crisp and only covered the area around her eyes. White and lined with silver, when she put it on, Nocte felt a part of herself burst in happiness. Witley had been right; the white did bring out the darkness of her eyes and the cherry redness of her lips.

Nocte wasn’t as ugly as she thought she was.

“Oh!” Savvy’s cheerful hum was in agreement to Nocte’s observations.

Nocte smiled, her braces winking in the light, and spun around to face Savvy; Savvy giving another delighted squeal at the skirt. Nocte, too, had to smile. The dress felt like velvet against her skin and she liked the swoosh noise they made every time she moved. She looked in the mirror again and admired how small her waist seemed to be.

She felt like a princess (which she technically was since she was Emperor Dire’s sister and all).

“Y-You should be going now,” Savvy interrupted her euphoria.

Turning from the mirror, Nocte gave her a sad smile and said, “I wish you would come with me.”

The blonde visibly stiffened at the idea, absolutely terrified.

“Fine, fine,” Nocte quickly placated, sweeping her skirt up. “I’ll go alone.”

“B-Be careful,” Savvy said with an encouraging smile.

Returning the smile, Nocte adjusted her mask and then strode out the door, preparing for the worst.

#

The Hall was decorated in the familiar black-and-orange motif so customary of All Hallows Eve. There were tables lined along the walls to provide an open floor for dancing. A full band sat at the far corner and a buffet was placed at the other. The centrepieces were creative jack-o-lanterns, the streamers running down the walls were orange and black, and hanging over the ceiling was a giant web with the giant spider, hissing its pincers at the attendees. Ghosts and spirits floated casually through revellers, vampires lurked frighteningly close, and werewolves paced by the windows in that ominous way of theirs. There was excitement and mystery in the air, intensified by the candlelight and the full moon.