Going to the party with Carly had been a bad idea. In retrospect, sitting on the couch, abandoned, Yanagi knew exactly when her day had gone wrong: Carly’s text at two in the morning. She had ignored it, which sent her day even more wrong, because Carly had burst into her new dorm and then into her bedroom to wake her up at six. She shrieked something about a party, something about not having clothes, and something about Yanagi needing to help her get ready. Yanagi’s only thoughts had been for the doors (and how much it would cost to fix them) and her poor, new roommate.
Dhivael would probably kill her the next time they saw each other.
The rest of her day had been spent convincing Carly that killing people at parties wasn’t entertaining and that she really couldn’t wear blood-spattered clothes. At all. Ever.
Once Carly was dressed, she managed to find something adequate for herself – a long jean skirt and a loose, multi-colored peasant shirt with sandals. The outfit was comfortable, but she was not. Being surrounded by people was disconcerting, and people kept brushing against her wings. She couldn’t blame them; her wings were a novelty to most people.
Tugging her wings tight against her back, Yanagi glanced around the living room and stood. She was thirsty. There would be water in the kitchen – which she would get herself from the tap because she had promised herself she wouldn’t trust anything in a cup at this party. Carefully, she began to thread her way through the crowd, doing her best not to bump into anyone. Her efforts were mostly in vain. The crowd was oppressive and crushing.
In an effort to avoid a particularly large group of people that might have been dancing, Yanagi took a few too many steps back and knocked into someone. She turned, apologizing profusely, and realized she had made him drop his drink. “I’m so sorry!” Crouching, she scooped the mostly empty cup off the ground and handed it back to him. “I was on my way to get something to drink. Let me get you a r-refill?” It almost pained her to ask it, but not asking would be even more impolite.