Go Big or Go Home

Darrin wore glasses because he liked them, not because he needed them. They made him look smart, approachable, he had long ago decided. Either way, they were now fogging up from the air conditioning as he leaned over the counter in Verbatim Comics. For a while, he had been flipping through some graphic novel with a Nosferatu-looking vampire on the front, menacing a pair of teenagers in a dark, winding forest. “Don’t you think this is completely unrealistic?” He asked at last, turning it over to show a page to whoever happened to be perusing his wares. “Like, he can’t cross running water, but they spent a whole chapter on him riding a boat over to New York from…some nondescript European country. It just feels like a plot hole. Like, does he take baths? Can he get into the tub if the faucet is on?” He trailed off, furrowing his brow. “I’m sorry. Can I help you find something today?” @mysticstart​

Seir had been wandering through the racks and shelves of Verbatim Comics, enjoying the different but still familiar atmosphere of the place. It was a little like Lovecraft’s Books, but brighter and more...pop culture-y. Not a word, but it fit his needs none-the-less. Though as he heard Darrin starting to go off on a rant about something, he made his way closer to the counter to see what was making the vampire so huffy. Taking a glance at the page the other was showing, he snorted out a laugh of amusement as he shook his head.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t. She’s working right now and I’d rather she wasn’t distracted.” He took Nova out without her vest all the time but going out late at night he needed her to be alert. “It’s after midnight. Interesting that you talk like time isn’t something that has been observed for thousands of years and it’s current interpretation is an inconvenience to you.” Marcus adjusted the positioning of his telescope before checking the time again. Catching planets was a game of patience and correct timing after all. 

He glanced at the sky, a glittering blanket compared to those he saw in cities. Hazelgrove really was a beautiful place, so hidden away from the harsh lights. “Or is it that you’ve had a few to drink and so can’t tell what time it is.”

“Oooooh, I see. A working pup, okay, got it! Apology still accepted,” he said, holding his hands up a bit to show he wouldn’t pet the pup. Though, if she got close to him to check him out more...Well, how can he keep himself from petting something so fluffy and pretty? He moved his attention from the working dog and instead focused on the man sitting there with his telescope.

“Interesting that you talk like time, just like many other concepts, isn’t just made up mumbo jumbo,” he said with a lazy shrug, moving a bit closer to the other as he looked up to the sky. If there was one thing he did love about this town was how the sky looked in the dead of night. “And by drink, you mean...? Alcohol?” he asked, laughing as he looked back to the other. “Nah, I don’t drink that much at all. Unless it’s in coffee. Or Absinthe...But I would say that’s a hybrid of drug and alcohol, but that’s just my humble opinion.”

“Yeah, a few. But you don’t consider yourself as one of them, as you said. What kind of events do you like?” She casually asked as she observed him. She nodded with a thoughtful expression as he spoke. She wondered what he was. He wasn’t a human, something about him could scream ‘supernatural’, but not everyone knew that. Supernatural beings had an accurate perception of each other, even when they acted like normal humans, like the two of them at that moment. But she wouldn’t just ask him what he was, not there, at least, with some hunters around. “Well, I’d better not be your partner on the dance floor. What if you decided to embarass me?” She playfully commented after taking another sip of her drink. “I do know, yeah. I’ve learned how to dance a long time ago. I used to attend some balls at home but our dance was quite different.” She told him.

“I’m quite certain I wouldn’t fit into a dress unless it was made specifically for me. I’m far too tall and too broad.” He mentioned, taking Sinclair’s comment a little too literally. He looked out across the room again. “It’s difficult coming into a small town like this where everyone seems to know each other. I’ve been here a few months and while some faces are familiar I don’t really know anyone. I could maybe point out where a few people worked.” 

He’d never considered himself at a disadvantage not really knowing a lot of people but he could see how it would help. He’d lived in multiple places with varying levels of population and even though he sometimes became overwhelmed with how many people were around that didn’t mean he wanted to be alone. 

He looked to Marcus, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought as he heard the literal answer. Well, that wouldn’t be the first time one of his sarcastic comments or jokes went over someone’s head. “There’s people out there that make it happen. Drag queens have dresses and shoes that fit them, so why not be able to make a dress for you?” he asked rhetorically, shrugging lazily as he took another drink. At least Marcus would help him pass the time, even if he took Sinclair’s jokes too seriously.

Belvar’s face lit up when his brother noticed his magnificent outfit. He knew he could be his true self around him. Seir and Raine were the only two in town who knew he actually was. Belvar didn’t have to pretend around them.“Don’t you love it!” He laughed, giving Seir a little show. He wanted to go all out tonight. He loved it and he knew it was going to get a lot of attention. “It’s a fancy ball, why wouldn’t I get the best suit out there. And you know the best part?” Belvar grinned leaning in closer to his brother. “I didn’t even get any blood on it from the old bastard I stole it from.” He gleamed with pride. That smile soon vanished as Sier trying grabbing for his top hat. “Don’t you dare.” As the youngest of four, Belvar was always the victim of his siblings. He wasn’t going to take that bull tonight. “You didn’t have to slit a man’s throat for it. Ergo you can’t have it.”

He looked the outfit over with a grin as his brother showed it off to him, nodding a few times since the other seemed over the moon about it. “I would have loved to see Raine’s face when he first saw you. I think he was going to rip his hair out again when he saw me with no tie,” he said with a laugh, leaning against the bar after ordering himself a drink. Raising a brow at how Belvar had gotten it, he snorted once in amusement. “Did you pick it up on the way here? You and your last minute shopping, Charlie. You’re lucky it didn’t get messed up while you were shopping,” he said, not feeling bothered at all by how Bel had gotten his clothes. Sometimes a human had something you wanted. And sometimes the best way to get it was to just take it. Scowling as the hat was pulled from his reach, he rolled his eyes heavily. “Oh, come on! Look, I can slit your throat if that’ll make you happy. Just let me see if for five minutes.”

“Men usually don’t like attending events like this. Only a few look happy to be here.” The mermaid nodded and took a sip of her drink, taking a look at anyone who passed by them. She loved checking out the dresses and tuxes. “Yeah, I assume you’re gonna have a lot of drinks before getting to the dancefloor, right?” She asked the demon, looking back at him with a playful smile. “Do you know how to dance?”

“There are a few oddballs around who do like it,” he agreed, thinking of his brothers. Though, to be fair, Raine was probably the only one who was genuinely enjoying the ball for what it was; a social event. Belvar was most likely in the same ball park as Sinclair, looking for some pots to stir just for the Hell of it.

“I wouldn’t say I either look or seem the partying type. Most of the people attending seem to have gotten a different invite than me. I assumed black tie meant black tie formal not uh…” He looked as someone in a flamboyant ensemble passed by, a small smile on his lips as he looked at his own simple attire. “Clearly i’m too boring for this town.” The town was full of wonderful and odd people. It was quite unlike any other place he had ever lived before in his life. 

“Even though I’m not really the partying type I am hoping I can use tonight as something of a social introduction. I’ve been in the town for a few months now but I haven’t really gotten out much so most of the faces here tonight are strangers to me.” He realised he might be talking a little too much. “Sorry. Little nervous being in a crowd this big. I’m Marcus.”

He looked to the other, his gaze moving up and down along the man’s form before finally nodding a few times in agreement. “Yeah, you don’t seem the party type. Neither am I, but here we are,” he said, gesturing towards the crowd in front of him. Though, to be fair, Sinclair liked parties. Just not parties where he had to dress up and act fancy. His gaze followed along with the other’s, watching as more flamboyantly dressed people walked by. And both of his brothers were part of that classification, though at different spots on that spectrum. “Eh, a fancy smancy ball isn’t how you judge if someone is boring or not,” he said with a shrug, waving the hand holding his glass gently in the air in a dismissive gesture. 

“Ooh, a debutante ball sort of thing going on for you, hm? Complete with Southern drawl, poofy skirts, and ‘Bless your hearts’?” he asked teasingly, chuckling as he took a drink from his glass. But he shook his head at the other’s apology, snorting softly in amusement. “What’re you sorry about? You blessed me with an image of those muscles of your’s in a Southern Belle dress. It’s perfect. I should be thanking you,” he told him with a friendly smile. “But I’m Sinclair. Nice to meet you, new person Marcus.”

“At least I’ve done it.” He said, pointing the glass at his brother before taking another sip from it. Raine couldn’t help but think of how his brothers were so different. How they were all different. Their outfits tonight definitely expressed that and he actually enjoyed it. Sure, he wished Seir would’ve gone a bit harder on his outfit but it did reflect him. He was apathetic, just like how he felt about most things besides books and learning. So, he couldn’t fault the other with being himself. It seemed almost human in a way for Seir to be the way he was. “Fine, just try and keep your hair in place. It took forever to get your hair the way it was, I’m sure.”

Finishing off his own glass, he placed it on a nearby tray while grabbing two more for Seir and himself. Handing one over, he nodded to it as if to tell him to keep drinking. Though, when he mentioned Belvar’s outfit, Raine couldn’t help but snort at his comment. “I tried and he screamed about getting something better and more suited to his Princely taste. Now he looks like the fucking Mayor of the Emerald City. But, at least he’s in a suit and that’s what matters. He just better not pull any stupid bullshit tonight. There are hunters and Light Witches here so we can’t let our guards down.”

“Yeah, ages ago. You need to step it up a bit, Raine. You’re getting boring. And a little, what is it...? Oh yeah, basic. Ya basic,” he smirked, laughing aloud again at his own joke. At least there could be some entertainment for him here, even if it was harassing his own brothers. “Not really, no. Just brushed it and tied it back. Don’t tell me you spent hours on all that,” he said, reaching out with his free hand to try to touch Raine’s hair. He highly doubted he’d be able to do it, though. The First Prince put a lot of stock into his appearances. Too much in Sinclair’s opinion, but what could he do? Even powerful demons were bound to have their own eccentricities. 

One of the things that Raine had to do was keep track of his brothers. Sure, he could trust them to be on their own in their respected circles and jobs, but this was a different situation. This was a fucking Ball with hunters and humans alike. He couldn’t give two shits about the vampires and whatever but hunters. And Light Witches. Groaning as he thought of Gabriel, he saw Seir standing off to the side like a pouty wallflower.

Seeing he had no tie and the Second Prince becoming defensive over not wearing it, Raine just held up a hand to shut him up. “I’m already pissed that you won’t keep it on, so don’t show me wrinkled silk or I might have to break your skull open.” He said, raising a brow at him and handing him another glass of champagne. “Besides, you’re already inside. No one’s going to bitch about your tie besides me and maybe Charlie.”

“You know, I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve threatened me with that. And yet, you’ve done it once. Maybe twice,” he said with a smirk, letting the crumpled tie dangle from his hand for another moment so he could continue showing it off. Finally stuffing it back into his pocket, he looked back to Raine as he took the second glass from him. “Wasn’t it even wearing the damned thing when I came inside anyways,” he pointed out, downing the glass he already had and then doing the same to the glass Raine had given him. But his mood perked up when he heard about Belvar. “What the Hell is he even wearing? Maybe you should have focused your energy on him and not me,” he said, laughing aloud as he grinned at the thought of their brother’s outfit.

A drink tray passed by and Sinclair exchanged his empty glass for a full one, his gaze moving across the people mingling and dancing in front of him. Feeling a presence coming up to him, he didn’t bother to look over at first. “Before you ask, yes, I do have a tie. Somewhere,” he said, starting to pat his pockets down with his free hand before pulling out a rumpled tie from an inside pocket.

The Prince strutted into the main hall of the Bloodmoon. This dark green suit with top hat and his gentlemen’s cane made a statement as he arrived. To his delight, everyone in town was here. From humans to faes. This was the perfect time to keep an eye on so many people. He already knew which people he was going to be trailing most of the night. And the best part of tonight, he didn’t have to pretend as much tonight. He was growing tired of being a quiet human. After tonight, this town will know the new Charlie the demon has made. Belvar made his way into the crowd. He had a champagne flute in his hand and the handle of his cane in the other. He missed parties like this back home. Those weren’t usually as peaceful for every long and he was treated like royalty. He was willing to let one of those happen tonight. Belvar walked up to the nearest person, taking a fast swig of his drink. “Woo. I haven’t been to something this formal since senior prom.” The demon spoke in his most ‘almost drunk Charlie’ voice. “Do you know if these are unlimited?” @mysticstart​

“You know what you need right now? Alcohol,” he muttered to himself under his breath, starting to make a beeline for the bar. He knew he had to go to this ball to keep up pretenses around the humans and hunters and anyone else who could be dangerous to them, but it didn’t mean he’d have to like it. Wasn’t owning a human shop and interacting with humans enough? Rolling his eyes, he reached the bar and ordered a drink for himself. But his thoughts were immediately derailed when he heard Belvar’s voice coming up from behind him. “Prom? Pretty sure not even the-What the Hell are you wearing?” he asked, interrupting his own sentence as he caught sight of his brother’s outfit. 

“I’ve been attending a lot of balls for a while.” Sirenia told a random person as she took a sip of her champagne. Her white dress swayed around her feet as she moved slowly across the ballroom.“But you know what’s the best part of a ball? Dancing. I intend to do it all night”