First Sight

Drav swirled his wine around its goblet. Another one of these high-end parties he keeps being invited to. Admittedly it’s not out of care, or love, or even interest. He had very little people in zyr life that cared about zem. No family, few friends…

Jamal wasn’t even here this time, and he’s the social one from the duo.

The High Court like to throw these parties to splurge themselves and to show their appreciation for the soldiers, and all things considered it helps to mingle the upper and lower classes together. Shockingly, the veterans were spoiled and offered fruitful luxuries because of their service. While they weren’t given the life they were promised, there were some perks. The places where they threw parties like this were open invitation, free drinks for those who served in The War. One could suppose that success, and the Republic being able to maintain all of its assets and riches, might be a cause for celebration. They really seemed to go all out, but with all of the free wine flowing, who knows if the rich even pay attention to what’s around them?

Drav, on the other hand, couldn’t do anything but look around at zyr surroundings. It was something to do to pass the time. Count the number of cherub models on the walls. Remember the names of the stories on the walls. Figure out what’s new.

The room was dome-shaped, curved in order to prevent anyone hiding in any corners. Marble pillars were spread to the edges, with one large glass pillar in the middle of the dance floor, stretching right up to the painted ceiling. Historical tapestries stretched the length of the wall, tassels brushing the floor. It was a little amusing to see the pattern of decay that began at the head of the tallest party-goer. The rich are messier than the poor. Wine stains and mud kicked up towards the bottom of the fabric. Drav smiled to zemself, taking a sip.

Food was strung around the room also, grapes and cheeses and golden loafs of bread, along with delicacies unimaginable to Drav. The string was manoeuvred by a pulley system that was rotated every 15 minutes or so. Right on time, the clock struck 11pm and the string flew delicately around the room. Drav leaned upwards and took some handfuls, pocketing others in the wax squares that were set up on each table. At least there’s breakfast for tomorrow. Ze reached out for something, something he didn’t recognise but wanted to try. It spun out of his hand, just out of reach. Right as ze sat back down, mildly disappointed, a flying pebble knocked it onto zyr table. He looked around, searching for the helpful hand, but the party swelled around him as people cheered and kept reaching for the food and refilled their drinks.

He looked down at the treat. It was bright green, and glowing. It was wrapped in coloured plastic, and when he removed the wrapping ze saw that it wasn’t green at all, but instead a pure white that gave out a pulsing warmth. He put it in his mouth and it fell apart, melting into a sweet, comforting taste that had the consistency of sand. It held hints of spices that were farmed out in the far countryside. It made Drav feel just a little drunk. More so than the wine had.

Ze looked at the clock. 11:05.

Just a little while longer. Like I promised.

The time ticked a minute away.

Snack. Drink wine. Nod at whoever made eye contact. Try not to look scary.

Occasionally a noble would stride past and nod at him respectfully, assuming zem to be a noble as well, and ze felt slightly less nervous about being here at all. Even though I don’t belong here, he thought, they look at me like I do. At the very least, some of them did.

He looked around zemself, bored with the festivities. Ze only really comes here for Jamal, the sociable bastard. He loves to interact with everyone possible, make as many friends as he can, get contacts and crash at people’s places. Hyrven only knows what he does inbetween, but at least he’s there to walk Drav into the party.

Here, there are no familiar faces. Drav sighed. Rubbed his temple. This felt like too much of a slog. It felt too long, too dragged out…

11:17p.m. Could the time go any fucking slower?

A pebble hit his goblet, making a small ding sound. Drav jumped, heart pounding, as though this was an attack on zyr life. He looked around frantically. This is it. They don’t want me here anymore. I have to go.

“Hey. Sorry. Missed my throw.”

Drav looked up from where he was sat. “Oh. Um... Don’t worry about it.”

A tall blonde man with a bright smile stood in front of him. He had symmetrical face markings, inked on with a steady hand, and his eyelashes curled just enough to see the vibrant green eyes he had. Even in the bright light, where everything was visible, his eyes looked easy to get lost in. Like they held every treasure in the world and were begging to be discovered. Looking more carefully, his whole appearance seemed like the height of prosperity – golden hair, bronze skin, emerald eyes. The mystery man seemed like he was the type to be savoured.

While thinking all of this, the man took a seat beside Drav. Leaning his head on his hand, tilted slightly, in a way that made Drav blush and slide his eyes away from looking down his shirt.

“I knocked down the melanaar for you earlier, too.” Ah. The pebble. Makes sense.

“Oh. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Did you like it?”

“Yes. It was. Very comforting.” Drav takes another sip of wine, uncomfortably sweating through his one nice shirt. Why is this pretty man talking to me. What does he want that I have?

“I’m glad. Although you should try the tomir, as well. It’s divine.” The way he said “divine”, his accent dragged out the i’s, as though he was stretching the word out to emphasise his point.

“Ah, uhm. Which one is that?”

The pretty man pointed upwards, right above them. “You see that one up there? Bright pink, round fruit. A little bit of gold brushed on to it, too.”

“Mhm. That’s new?”

“As new as you can get. They farm them in from the countryside, like everything else. But this is my new favourite. Here. Watch your head.” He pulled out a tiny V-shaped piece of stone, held it up, squinting one eye to aim. He held out his hand and motioned with his fingers, summoning a small pebble, just like the one that hit Drav on the head only a few moments ago. Then, he pulled back as though an invisible rope was connecting the stone and the pebble together. Upon release, the pebble arched through the air, severing the tomir from the rope it hung on, and landing it in Drav’s outstretched hand.

The man giggled at Drav’s surprised face. “There’s only one right way to eat this,” He said, taking a silver knife from the platter of one of the passing waiters, “Just watch.”

He carefully peeled back the skin of the fruit, then cut the fruit up into cubes. As Drav reached for a piece, he lightly smacked his hand away. “Not yet” he winked, teasingly, as Drav’s face heated up and his hand shrunk backwards.

“You have a really good hand.”

The man smirked. “Maybe I’m just good with a knife.”

“No, not just that… but the pebbles, too. It’s impressive.”

“Well, aren’t you quite the flirt?” He teased back.

Drav looked away. “Who are you?”

“I’m Vyctor. And you?”

“Drav. …Is that all you are? Just ‘Vyctor’?”

“Well, I’m many other things too. Privileged. Rich. Skilled. Talented.” Vyctor winked. “A gambler. But it can all be summed up with ‘Vyctor’, I think.”

“It’s a lovely name.”

“Thank you. I picked it myself.”

Gradually, the little cubes of fruit turned heart shaped, which only made Drav more intrigued in the stranger.

“And you?”

“Hm?”

“Are you just ‘Drav’?”

“Mm. I think so.”

“There’s nothing more to you?”

“Nothing interesting.”

“Surely that’s not true.”

“Well. Nobody’s ever been, uh. Interested in me, before.”

Vyctor smiled. Drav might even think he was blushing. “I’m certainly interested.”

His heart beat a little faster. “Well, what do you want to know?”

“Anything.”

“Uhm. I’m a veteran of The War. They almost didn’t take me as a soldier because of my…” Ze gestures towards the side of zyr head. “Missing ear. And I get frequent nosebleeds. But when they realised they didn’t wanna get desperate, they took me in. Figured I might as well put this body to good use.”

Vyctor frowns. Drav carries on. “I was one of four brothers, but they all died. I didn’t know them very well, so I’m not sad about it. I have no one in life except my friend Jamal, who usually drags me to these parties, and as you can see, Jamal isn’t here this time.”

“So what made you come here alone?”

“He made me come alone just once, just to try it. I promised him I’d stay for two hours, max. I couldn’t stand being here for longer.”

“When did you get here?”

“Nine thirty.”

They both swivel their heads to the clock. 11:34p.m.

“Seems like you’re faring just fine!” Vyctor smiles radiantly at Drav, and it makes his heart flutter. There is no way a man can be this pretty and be interested in zem.

“Ah, yeah. I suppose I am.”

Vyctor pierces one of the fruit hearts with the knife, ignoring his juice-covered hands. He holds it out to Drav, who, without thinking, leans in and eats the fruit off the knife’s point.

Vyctor blushes furiously, dropping the knife on the table with a clatter. Drav jumps back, panicking. “I’m sorry- I didn’t wan-”

“It’s okay! It’s okay. Don’t worry. I need- ” Vyctor stands up and stumbles, catching himself on Drav’s arm and staining zyr white shirt with pink juice. “Oh, Hyrven, I’m so sorry. Your shirt- It was so pretty”

“Oh.” Drav reached out to help stabilise Vyctor, a gentle hand on his arm and one on his waist. “Don’t worry. I like the pink. It adds colour.”

“But it’s- it’s-”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just-” Vyctor takes a breath. “I’m gonna go wash my hands.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you around, Drav? Next party?”

“Yeah. Next time, Vyctor.”

Vyctor ran off, leaving Drav with an ache in his heart. Ze sighed and looked down at the table, and saw the V-shaped stone that Vyctor had used as a catapult. He must have left it behind.

Drav pocketed the stone. This’ll be my ticket to see him next time. Then, carefully, he began wrapping up the fruit in wax and pocketing it, gathering his jacket and walking out the gates into the chill air right as the clock behind zem struck midnight.