The morning started with a coffeepot's death. Or, well, the sound it was making certainly gave that impression. I groaned audibly and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and hopefully my mind. I stretched upwards and looked around, finding that Brie was gone. Which would, of course, explain the coffeepot's dying screams. I shook my head at her, expecting a few curses to come my way, but the faint smile was wiped away after I saw the white fabric draped over a nearby chair. Of course. It was judgement day.
I showered slowly and walked into the kitchen in a towel, since I knew it would only be Brie. She raised a hand in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to the stove. I frowned, really not wanting to walk over and find out what she was doing. At the same time, this wasn't a good time to burn down the house.
"Sit," she said sternly. I eyed her for a second before cautiously sitting down at the table, pulling the towel tighter.
"Um." She didn't even turn around. Considering the weapons lining the walls, I got the feeling I really needed I figure out what she was doing before it killed me.
"You... Need any help?" I asked lamely. She didn't even answer, which made me more worried. And then, to my horror, I noticed the smoke.
"Brie!" I yelled reflexively, but it didn't matter much. She pulled whatever it was away and dropped something in front of me seconds later.
Pancakes and toast.
Oh. Okay. She sat opposite me, a smug smile on her face.
"And you were all worried I was going to kill you," she said, sticking out her tongue. I laughed and tried to stab her with the fork, but she dodged easily. We ate in relative silence, save for the occasional jab. It seemed like I wasn't the only one to have tonight weighing on them. I would have tried to lighten the mood but eventually decided against it, opting to wash the dishes we'd dirtied. It gave me time to think, which was a bad thing, but it also saved both Brie and I from having to find things to say.
She was on the phone most of the day, and while I had no idea who she was calling I caught general snippets of conversation. By the sounds of it she really did have something resembling an army, although most of them wouldn't be fighting where we were. I never heard the address and I wasn't even sure she said it. After all, there was the possibility we were being watched. She grew increasingly irritable as the day wore on, and by two when Rina showed up she was even starting to snap at me.
She arrived in usual Rina style, a bundle of pink and blue exploding into the room. Except instead of the usual elaborate hair she looked like she'd left it, and it hung loose and straight around her shoulders. Even the dress seemed simpler, which didn't quite make sense given where we were going.
"Don't worry about her," Rina tried to calm me down. "She has your best interests in mind." It was a nice way of saying that everything was going wrong and it had nothing to do with me. I never took her temper personally though, because by now I'd learned it really wasn't about me. Rina looked at me sadly, and I was happy at least she wasn't trying to hide everything from me. I'd migrated into the living room since I'd discovered it, and Rina and I were now sitting opposite to each other. Well, technically I was lying down.
"Well, we should get going," she said, clapping her hands. I looked up in alarm. My hair was in a messy bun, I'd stolen sweatpants from Brie, and I wasn't wearing any makeup.
"N-now?" I stuttered out, and she just laughed. I was half standing up by the time she stopped
"I mean go get ready," she clarified, and I sighed in relief.
"Oh, okay. Yeah we should do that," I laughed, still standing up but doing it much slower. I hesitating, standing somewhat near the door but still being totally unsure. "Um, where are we doing that exactly?" She laughed again, gently pulling me into Brie's room. She lead me towards the bed and had me sit down while she rummaged around for I while. I realized belatedly she was about to do either my hair or makeup for me, and that was enough to make me nervous.
"Rina, you don't have to-" I started, but she shook her head.
"Trust me," she sang, which meant that was the last thin I wanted to do. But I sat sill anyways, because I figured Brie would at least eventually come to my rescue. Probably. Rina pressed something on a stereo system hidden somewhere in the room and peppy music filled the air, even though the girl was singing in a language I didn't understand.
She sat behind me, and I felt her hands start threading through my hair. I had to admit it felt nice, but that didn't mean I wasn't still worried about what it meant. She could be doing anything, an I didn't really want to end up with some frilly, curly mess. Cool air hit my neck and I knew she was moving my hair up, I just didn't know into what. Then a faint heat reached the side of my neck, and I was scared of what would happen next. But she was done quickly, and when she pulled away I tried to move to a place I was able to catch my reflection. But she pushed me down, and I frowned.
"You have to let me see!" I whined, but she shook her head.
"I have to do mine," she winked, and I sighed. Every time I tried to reach up and feel my hair she glared me down until I stopped. But I was certainly entertained enough, since watching her curl her hair was an art form in itself. It was a constant flow of twirling hair around the iron and holding it precisely. She didn't even use a mirror, and within half an hour nearly all her hair was curled. I couldn't deny how impressive it was. When she was done her hair hung just below her shoulders, curled perfectly and gently. But she left it there, no pigtails or buns. She looked older this way, and I almost didn't like it.
"And now it's your turn again!" She announced, bounding over to where she'd gotten the curling iron and getting out another bag. I stared at the floral pattern for a while before registering it was a makeup bag.
"Are you sure?" I said slowly. I still had no idea what I looked like.
"Of course! We can't get it all over your dress!" I sighed in defeat, crossing my legs in front of me and resting my hands in my lap. She plopped herself down in front if me excitedly, wielding brushes. I winced but closed my eyes and tried to relax my face, an effort that ended up wasted every time she touched my eyes.
"Cammie!" She scolded. "You're going to crease everything!"
"Well then give me some warning!" I grumbled back. She bopped me on the nose before shushing my protests. Thankfully the assault didn't last much longer, and I was finally free. Well, free to watch her do her own makeup.
Again I had to wonder if she looked this graceful doing my makeup. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she did in a way that you didn't even notice she was wearing makeup. I sat back and watched, careful to stay off my hair.
"Can I get up yet?" Was a question I asked every few minutes. She always answered no or just shushed me, and I was getting impatient. A few minutes after she'd just resorted to glaring at me, she was finished.
"Now!" She announced happily, clapping her hands together. "The dress." The grin she was wearing was actually a bit frightening. Reluctantly I stood up, staring down the fabric draped ominously over the table. She caught my look and just sighed, carefully picking it up and holding it out for me. "Here," the smile had turned a little more encouraging, which was nice. I took it carefully and laid it out on the bed, starting to shrug out of the sweater. It was fair to say I'd never seen anyone move as quickly as Rina did to turn around, and I stopped. It only took a second to realize how stupid that was of me. This wasn't a sleepover, and considering how proper she seemed to be this must have been really awkward.
"Oh, wow I'm so sorry-" I stuttered out but she just shook her head. She turned around quickly, obviously relieved I was still clothed.
"No I'll just go," she rushed out, her face starting to turn pink as she literally ran out of the room. I frowned, because I couldn't figure out why she was acting so strangely. I changed quickly, stepping into the dress and trying to zip it up on my own. I hardly wanted to ask her for help, considering how uncomfortable she'd been. She'd looked embarrassed, so I figured it must have been a cultural thing. Or maybe she was just really innocent, although the fact she was at least a hundred years old made me doubt-
Oh.
I smiled a little, shaking my head. I didn't know how I didn't notice it earlier, really. The story about the two living in London had obviously left parts out. And it was obvious now why she'd be so embarrassed around someone who didn't know. She obviously had a bit of a crush on Brie. But maybe it was really just residue from something much stronger. Even with that realization, I didn't know how to let her know I was done and that it was safe to come in. Luckily, it didn't take long.
"I'm sorry about that-" she started, but I was grinning so much that I just held up my hands. It was just like her, really, to not want to make things awkward by mentioning it.
"Rina, it's fine," I laughed. "Seriously, I get it." She sighed in relief, taking a second before smiling again. She'd changed herself, and I could see that apparently what she was wearing before was her version of sweats. It was all off white and light pink, the skirt tiered layers of ruffles that were only slightly less poofy that what she usually wore. The sleeves were long and ended in lace, while the neckline went straight across and also was coated in lace. She had a train that reached almost to the floor, made out of a sheer white fabric that flowed behind her when she walked. She looked stunning and still like the same cute Rina all together, and I was thoroughly impressed.
"You look..." I wasn't sure what exactly to say, but she looked very good. She smiled modestly, shaking it off.
"Your turn." I hesitated, because I'd suddenly forgotten my intense need to see myself. Now I was a little nervous, because I knew I'd never look like she did. But she didn't seem to care about that, and led me into the living room. Brie had set up a floor length mirror, probably for this exact purpose.
When I saw myself, it felt like looking at someone else. I was still me, my face and my eyes were all the same. But somehow Rina had managed to make me look like I belonged with the supernatural creatures I'd be among tonight. My hair was set at the back of my head in an elaborate braid, wrapping around itself and glimmering with a few multicoloured crystals. Two pieces hung curled around my face at the front, and my eyes were coated in thin black lines. The only makeup I really wore was eyeshadow, and even that glimmered and shone in a way it looked like I was wearing a powdered rainbow. I looked over at Rina, unsure what to say. I looked like some sort of spectral being, make of fractured light. She just smiled, taking my hand and squeezing it.
"Remember how you feel right now," she said, looking into the mirror with me. She was shorter than me, but the two of us were framed together. "Remember that this is you, this is your humanity." I nodded, but her tone was somehow far away. Like she was remembering her own version of this moment, her own humanity. And then her voice got colder than I had ever imagined it could become.
"Because tonight it's going to be torn apart."