"Are you sure it's not gonna be a whole thing?" It's Saturday night and Asha and I are outside a tall apartment building not far from where the Lunchroom is, and I'm hesitating.
"Of course it is! What's the worst that could happen?"
"I get my throat slit?" Asha rolls her eyes at me and grabs my arm, practically dragging me along. She's dressed in a cute, casual yet stylish way with a long hoodie over a pair of leggings and her hair up in a loose bun. She makes even my magically-induced curls look boring with the way she's framed her face with her own gorgeous counterparts. She's only wearing some very light makeup, too. By contrast, I feel overdressed to a ridiculous degree. I'm wearing one of my own dresses, the one I had originally intended to wear on my first date after coming out. It's a sundress, of sorts, which goes down to just above my knees and exposes my shoulders and arms. Primarily black with a blue satin ribbon around the mid-section and a floral pattern, I would have looked cute in it back when I made it, but now that the ribbon matches my hair, it's giving a much more coordinated vibe. Underneath I've got sheer leggings and a black pair of heeled ankle boots that make me even taller than I already am, which I don't really think I need, but they're cute. My makeup is a little too fancy for today's event with winged eyeliner, blush and everything, and my hair's been done up in a sort of side-swept, loose braid secured by a couple of flower-shaped clips that also match the dress. To ward off the early spring cold, I'm of course wearing a light jacket over it all.
Far too fancy for a movie night. But come on, what would you do in my situation?
"No, the worst that's gonna happen is Ayame scowling at you and Ida asking a couple of pointed questions you never thought about before." The names are still somewhat unrecognizable to me, having only just recently learned about each of the Celestial Knights' civilian identities in preparation for tonight, and I still don't have any faces to pair them with, but I remind myself: Ayame is Kaida, and Ida is Aria. We're outside Faye's, Vida's, apartment building. She's the only Knight who lives on her own and won't have nosy parents or room mates, thus making her place the default hangout spot.
"Is Faye even going to let me in?"
"Of course! She likes you almost as much as I do, thinks it was her destiny to save you from that bus so you could join us." I smirk a little to myself and nod before I follow Asha inside and onto the elevator.
"She's not even wrong about that first part," I whisper to myself, momentarily wondering how much I could change about the coming months if I had full control over my powers and more experience. How much is 'some wriggle room' exactly? In the past weeks, Asha and I have been on four more patrols, each going better than the last and I've learned a lot more about being Destiny's chosen in that time. Two days ago I managed to feel the flow of fate around both Asha and I, as well as the monster, allowing me to fight with her like we were dancing. It was the shortest fight we've had yet. Chibi Destiny said I would soon start brushing up against the limits of the stealthier transformation if I keep going at this pace, which did make me feel a little proud.
"Oh my, you're a little too early," Faye exclaims even before the door is open enough for her to see me by Asha's side. Her voice is as soft and soothing as I remember it, though as she sees me, there's an unexpected edge of teasing to her next words. "Dear stars, Destiny? It's been too long, but don't you just look amazing~ Kept the blue hair, I see?"
"Y-Yeah, I did. A bit of a story that one," I chuckle nervously. Being three years my senior at twenty-one, she's the oldest of the Knights, and also the most physically mature, and I can't help but fluster a little bit when she compliments me. Unlike in her Knightly form, her hair is brown, matching her copper skin, and the same is true for her eyes. Just like Asha, she's dressed casually, in just a pair of sweat pants and a spaghetti strap top, with her almost excessively long hair pulled back into a ponytail.
"I'm always a little early," Asha comments and pushes the bag of snacks she brought into Faye's hands before giving her a hug and slipping past the other woman.
"Yes, but this time you brought a surprise!" She winks at me and then gestures for me to come inside, her other arm reaching out to wrap around my shoulders as she guides me. Inside, the apartment turns out to be barely larger than my room at home, and that only because there's a separate bathroom and a small entrance-hallway combo. I suppose that makes sense, given what I've heard from Shawn about the rent prices in Westview, where he goes to college. There should be plenty of space for us girls anyway. The main room is a cute little space with a tea kitchen, and Faye has made good use of the space. Her bed is hidden behind a wood-paneled room divider, which is squished in behind her couch. She's got a desk with various textbooks and a laptop on it, a TV and a book shelf and everything, too, and it's all in a rustic, antique style she's somehow managed to make seem coherent despite probably getting most of it second-hand.
Syd, Faye's rabbit Squire, is resting in the windowsill, keeping a more attentive eye on us, and especially me, than I assume any normal rabbit would. In this more casual setting, I notice there's a slight green tinge to his otherwise mottled grey fur. After taking a look around and complimenting Faye on her decoration sense, I remember something and quickly open my purse and get out the bag of snacks I brought, handing it over to the older Knight. She thanks me and puts it together with Asha's bag in the kitchen. While she does that, I take a couple of steps closer to Syd, hoping to be able to sit down next to him and maybe even pet the small, cute familiar, but before I get too close he sits back up and turns so he's only half-facing me. For such a small action it feels pretty hostile. "Uh, okay. Not fond of strangers, little guy?"
"Don't mind him, he doesn't even like most of us Knights," Asha remarks from the place she took on the couch almost the moment she walked through the door. Faye chimes in with a soft chuckle on her voice.
"Yeah, he only really trusts me and doesn't speak much when we're not alone either. Don't take it personally." When she walks past me, heading toward her Squire, I notice Faye's put on a large, black hoodie since I last saw her. Along with the sweat pants, it makes her otherwise prominent curves almost disappear. "Don't be such a grumpy boy. Come say hi to Destiny, she's nice," the healer says as she bends over and picks the rabbit up, hugging him tight as he presses himself close against her arm. When he's brought over to me, I can't help but feel like he's scowling, but at least he's acknowledging my presence and sniffs at my hand when I hold it up to him. "See, she's not that bad."
Unfortunately, we don't get to go through our introductions much further before there's a knock at the door. Whoever it is this time doesn't bother waiting for Faye to open up before they come inside, and I don't even have to turn around to know who it is when I practically the scowl accompanying her words. "What the fuck's
"H-Hey Ayame, I-"
"And you told her our names too?" This time, the barbed words are aimed at Asha, who barely even bothering to look up from her phone. "This some kind of ambush or something?"
"You're gonna have to hang out with her eventually to get to know her, A. Would you have ever agreed to that willingly?" The second-in-command proves her fiery temper in battle isn't restrained to those strained situations alone. The way she looks between Asha and I makes a chill run down my spine, but eventually she just grunts at my friend and puts her own bag of treats on the kitchen table next to the others.
"Well, Eden isn't gonna like it either," she mumbles and goes over to sit down on a chair on the opposite side of the room from where I'm standing, pretending to only keep half an eye on me.
"Tough shit. Eden can sit on it and spin." That finally shuts Ayame up. Maybe her bite isn't as scary as her bark after all. Or maybe she just knows Asha isn't the kind of girl to back down when she's made up her mind. She's great to have on your side. Another awkward moment passes, but determined to make a good first impression on this group I'm supposed to be a part of, I look over at Ayame and smile awkwardly anyway.
"Sooo... Which part of the city do you live in? I'm out in the suburbs." In return the Knights' second-in-command scowls at me a little again, but eventually gives a little sigh and relents, giving Asha a bit of side-eye.
"Oceanview. Folks both work in finance." The antagonistic edge to her tone is already lessening as we start talking. Maybe she's just not great with strangers?
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"Oh really? My dad does accounting in the city, too. Maybe they know each other. Wouldn't that be a fun coincidence?"
"Uh, maybe. I don't really know any of my parents' colleagues or any of that. Too busy with school, sports and Knight shit to really pay attention."
We get to small-talking a little bit, and through it I learn that Ayame's the same age as Asha and I, she just goes to a fancy, private all-girls school where she's on the soccer team and does fencing on the side. She's not really asking many questions back, but I think I'm slowly getting her to open up. Syd has found his way back onto the windowsill, and Faye and Asha are idly chatting as my best friend tries to get our host to divulge what kind of movie we're watching tonight, but without any luck. The conversation goes for a few minutes more before there's another knock at the door, and Faye is quick to open, letting in the two final guests, Eden and Ida.
Both the shortest and the youngest Knight, Ida's outfit makes me feel a little less overdressed. Her bob as sharp as ever, she's the only Knight whose hair doesn't change color when she transforms, remaining the same near-platinum blonde in both forms. Today her outfit is a freshly pressed blazer, dress shirt underneath and a knee-length pleated skirt. It looks a lot like a school uniform, but with the lack of any logos or other identifiers, I wouldn't know which school she goes to if the first meeting between myself and the Knights hadn't happened on the Somerset Conservatory's rooftop. Her makeup is light, but draws attention to her startlingly blue eyes, and her only accessory is a simple chain stretching between the lobe and the top of her right ear, lending a bit of edge to her otherwise very proper appearance. She smiles gently at me and waves before putting a bag of what looks like licorice on the counter next to all the other snacks.
Next to her, almost as tall as myself, is Eden, the leader. Onyxia. In her civilian form, her long, straight, blonde hair has a more natural color and glow than Ida's, and her eyes are a steely grey. Her bangs are just past her eyebrows and cut very precisely to match the line of her hair below her shoulders, making her look rather stylish even in the somewhat casual outfit she's got on. A pair of low-waisted skinny jeans with an asymmetrical grey and black checkered pattern, and a loose tank top that shows just a little bit of her bellybutton as well as some honestly impressive musculature I wouldn't have guessed at in her Knightly vestige. All of this was hidden beneath a varsity jacket to keep her warm. Her makeup is subtle, yet noticeable. All at once, I realize why she is so familiar too. "Holy fucking stars, you're Eden Sinclaire!" I exclaim and already know I'm gawking at her, pointing even! I hurry to stop myself and pull my hand down by my side. She gives me an oddly quizzical glance like she's not quite sure what the big deal is. "Right, sorry. I'm just a random person to you and you're here to hang out with your friends. Uh. I've got a bunch of your magazines?" One of her immaculate eyebrows lifts even higher at me. "N-Not in a creepy way! I- I design clothes- I make them. I've sort of been dreaming about designing something for you to wear."
"Aaaah, of course. Well, maybe you can show me some another time, Destiny." The otherwise somewhat hostile air I felt from her diminishes as she realizes we share some common interests and she grows mostly indifferent to my presence for now. I'm just happy it seems like I managed to not look like I have a huge crush on her. Which I do.
"Well, I mean made this dress," I whisper, blushing a little at the realization that both of my celebrity crushes are in fact the same person. She leans in and gives Faye a hug and a brief kiss on the cheek as she hands over her own bag of snacks.
"And as you said, I'm here to have a good time with my friends tonight. Maybe even get to know you a little, right?"
As Faye finishes putting the snacks in various bowls, everyone settles in. Ayame stays in her spot on the other side of the table. Asha, Eden and Faye take up the couch, and Ida sits down on the floor, where her fox-shaped Squire, Eo, manifests and cuddles up in her lap, leaving the second recliner closest to the window to me. I also notice Kareh has appeared near Asha, now laying on the couch's arm rest where she can pet him, and it doesn't take long before Syd hops into Faye's lap to cuddle with her. Maybe I should bring Chibi Destiny next time. The movie turns out to be a romantic comedy set in a fantasy world where a young woman falls in love with a boy who turns out to be a ghoul, and so in order for them to kiss, they have to obtain a potion from a witch in the woods. Not quite my kind of thing, but the other girls seem pretty into it, and some of the jokes are rather funny. The snacks disappear a lot faster than I would've guessed looking at this collection of girls, and by that point, Faye pauses the movie to get up and refill the bowls from her own stash.
"Don't like any of the snacks we brought?" Ida, sitting on the floor in front of me just tips herself back and looks up at me as she asks the question.
"Oh, no, they're fine. I just try not to eat so much. Weight was an issue for me not too long ago, you see."
"You haven't noticed? How you're always hungry after a transformation?" The other Knights study me for a moment. I think, even though it hasn't been discussed at least while I was around, we all know my powers and transformation work slightly differently from theirs. They must be curious about me in that respect, too.
"Not the first time, but now that you mention it, yeah. After my first patrol with Asha I made the biggest sandwich I've had in recent memory, and I've been a lot more snacky lately."
"That's because the transformation drains you as much as the fight itself does, and your body likely feels an increased need for calories," Ida explains. Eo has come over to sniff at my legs while we talk. "It may be magical in nature, but at least our theory is it's still somewhat bound by the laws for conservation of energy. You can eat pretty much what you want and won't gain any significant weight."
"That's the secret to staying thin I allude to in so many interviews," Eden breaks in with a wink. "Plus, enjoying life while you have the chance should be your top priority!" That statement makes me quirk my head in puzzlement, but I don't have the chance to ask about it before Asha chimes in.
"And I keep tellin' you, you'd look so cute with a few extra pounds on your bones, Des. Make that white girl booty pop!" That makes everyone giggle and look at me again, which in turn makes me shrink a little into the chair, blushing. Eden's appraising gaze is somewhat appreciated, and I can't help but notice Ayame's silent chuckling.
"She's right though, you know," this time it's Faye's deeper voice, obviously teasing in a kindhearted way. "A little bit of extra Destiny to love would be good!" Eden nods in agreement.
As the movie resumes, everyone seems a little more relaxed, and there's even hushed conversations between the Knights; Asha and Faye basically don't shut up, and Ida scoots a little closer to me, though she stays as silent as her fox, who also seems to approve more of me. I feel like I'm barely contributing to the movie night, but Ida seems to be fine with silence, as is befitting of her and her Squire I suppose, and despite the rocky start, everything's on rails. I even get a little invested in the movie when there's a moment teasing that the heroine and the witch could get together instead. That'd be much more interesting than this ghoul guy, who honestly seems pretty boring.
The movie ends somewhat predictably, though, with the guy's ghoulhood being cured, the girl kissing him and them living happily ever after. Somewhat quickly after that, the group breaks down into pairs to chat and talk casually. Asha and Faye, of course, keep going as they have been all night, while Ida and Ayame move to the balcony for some fresh air, and that, of course, lets me have some alone time with the woman I had never even dared dreaming of catching on a one-on-one basis: Eden Sinclaire. "So. What'd you think?" she asks and I feel my mouth go dry for a moment.
"It was fine, I guess. I liked the practical effects."
"Yeah, I getcha. Faye's really into romcoms like this and somehow always manages to find one that's older and more obscure than the last, but they get a little weird sometimes," the model explains, pulling her legs up beneath her and hugging a pillow as we talk in somewhat hushed tones.
"Oh, no, yeah, I just- The guy was kinda boring, right? Like, I get that the whole ghoul thing was supposed to make his emotions muted or whatever, but I just didn't see the chemistry." At that, Eden smiles softly, an expression I've never seen on her face either in a magazine or on TV before. It fills my stomach with butterflies.
"You'd rather have seen her get with the witch, I guess. Me too. Still not enough sapphic romance movies out there."
"Wait, hold up. Are you... You know?"
"Into girls? Big time. I'm guessing you are too?" I feel my face go bright red, my cheeks heating up like they haven't in quite a while.
"Uhhhh, well, yeah. I kinda just like people. Gender doesn't super matter to me." She nods and that soft, approving smile creeps into a smirk. The twinkle in her eyes reveals her teasing flirting before it even happens.
"So those magazines aren't entirely because you're into fashion, huh?"
"I, uh, well-" Eden giggles a little and shakes her head, grinning again.
"It's okay, I figured it out that day on the rooftop. You're really easy to read. Most people I meet feel the same way, and I don't mind when it's cute girls." I silently marvel a little at how easily she talks about this when I'm practically biting my tongue with every word, but on the other hand I suppose she deal with this often in her modeling career.
"A-Alright," I mumble with a soft sound, meeting her eyes. "I promise not to be weird about it. We're colleagues, of a sort, after all."
Eventually the party breaks up and we all go home to our own places. Despite my anxiety about basically ambushing the Knights like Asha wanted, the night went surprisingly well, and I even got all of their phone numbers so we can start texting each other. Still not part of Ida's telepathic network, but that makes sense, since I bet a lot of information and unintended comments and feelings are communicated in ways that require a lot of trust. And I'm not even sure she's got it active outside of combat anyways. When I get home, mom and dad are sleeping on the couch, cuddled up as a rerun of a TV show I know they watched a lot when I was a kid plays on the screen in front of them. I silently creep past them and fetch a few pickles from the fridge, snacking on them as I go up the stairs, where Chibi Destiny greets me in my room. In the time I've been gone, she's moved a few more boxes and chairs around, pushing everything into positions that allow her to move about easily, and I see she's started basically claiming a couple of shelves as her own, with small pillows and an old phone set up as her own TV of sorts. We chat a little before bed time. I'm definitely bringing her to the next movie night so she can get to know the other Squires as well.
A little bit on the... Algorithmic side of things? I've noticed that posting at noon my time results in basically being pushed to page 3 or 4 of "recently updated" the very instant I post, so I'm changing the schedule a little bit in hopes of giving more people a chance to stumble upon my stuff before it gets buried. In a similar vein, I'm also going to try posting the next four chapters at a higher pace and see if that does anything for exposure. I'm far enough ahead in chapters written on my end that I don't feel like the published ones will catch up any time soon if I do that for a while.
