Scene: Make-up thoughts

‘Let’s go out tonight,’ a familiar voice blurts out enthusiastically, ‘It’ll be good for you - and God knows I need it!’

‘You always need a night out,’ I answer into my pillow.

Typical of her; Zeldine’s solution to everything is “a night out”. But I need a distraction, and that is her speciality. My body bounces as the mattress reacts to her suddenly dropping down, sitting next to me.

‘I do,’ she says, patting me on the back, before throwing out her hands in a grand gesture. ‘Because the night is calling to me, and this place is dead!’

She’s right. Evergreen Grove is all about joy and togetherness in daytime, but at night it’s dead silent. We’re told it’s for the sake of the other Grove dwellers, but we know it’s more about keeping a calm demeanor and a low profile in the neighborhood. People don’t like when Fey Folk are too loud. Which is actually another reason to go out and remind them that we are here and not going anywhere and that we need to socialize every bit as much as they do.

‘What are you thinking?’ I can taste the resignation on my tongue, and I already regret humoring her.

‘YES! Well, first, we gather some of the others, then go grab some food, go to a bar for warm-up, hit a club - get drunk, get high, get dick from some rando with a fay fetish, wake up and regret all of it tomorrow.’

‘Or get beaten up in a dirty alley by assholes with a hatred, forced to limp to the nearest ER by ourselves, because people are afraid that they’ll get cursed if they touch us.’

‘Oh, come on! It’s been two months, Ritter and Sophie are both fine now, and we don’t even know if that’s why they got jumped. Besides, we’ll bring some more. I’ll go ask around, and you go shine up.’

I groan as she leaves our room, and slowly pull myself up from my bed, noticing the stains my tears and eye shadow have left on the pillow. I must look like shit. Maybe it will do me some good to get out and get my mind off things, I convince myself as I stagger to the bathroom to see the damage. Black striped cheeks, and my hair needs to get straightened out, before I go anywhere. I start working some magic, as I wonder why my mouth had suddenly mentioned the assault on Ritter and Sophie. They had been out alone, on a date, just minding their own business, when somebody had ganged up on them, beaten them up and took off running as fast as they had attacked. We never found out who did it, but we all know there are enough out there, who notice our pointy ears and see red. We all know this was not a random mugging. Still, there were no witnesses, no perpetrator and the Elders hushed it down, too scared of unwanted publicity.

But we had been out since then, where it had weighed less on my mind. I don’t know why I’d even brought it up just now. We had even gone out of our way to be more present out there in the days following the assault, against the Elders’ wishes, but while some cowered in Evergreen Grove - our little sheltered community - we, The Unveiled, had made it our business to be seen, because that’s what we do. We may not have their centuries of memories of keeping hidden in an ignorant world, but we know that the time of invisibility is long gone, and we demand recognition. That’s the whole mantra of being Unveiled: Acceptance and respect - not just tolerance. And that means being seen, being out there with ordinary humans, being ourselves, enjoying ourselves - just like they do. We may seem different, but in most ways we’re not, and they need to see that.

The Elders are scared it brings us too much up in their faces. That daring to be “out and proud” is too political - too aggressive. That we might incite anger. That we will be seen as a dangerous revolutionary movement, but we’re not - there is no organization behind us. Being Unveiled is a lifestyle - a choice to not cower in fear of living in the only world we are a part of.

Today that meant forgetting about hurt feelings and partying like any other girl going through ordinary girl shit, I tell myself as I’m applying the finishing touches on my bop cut, so it looks deliberately messy and not actually messy. I allow myself to fantasize for a moment. I could probably go for an ordinary girl, if I wanted to. My red velvet hair could go for being dyed, and if I put my hair just right, it’d probably cover my pointy ears, if I don’t move around too much. My golden skin could pass off as dark Mediterranean, mixed - or maybe Sri Lankan. Even if it has a warmer hue than most humans, I could make it work. Not draw too much attention. Live a quiet life. But it would feel dishonest, and like too much work just to be constantly anxious about slipping up and being revealed. I tuck one side of my hair behind my ear to draw focus to it - to “represent my kind”. It’s better this way. I lift my chin up, and try to find the right expression. To look dignified. Like someone who’s strong and proud of their Otherworldly heritage.

I glance at the picture of Zeldine and me, taped to the corner of the mirror. It comes so naturally to her. Not looking dignified - Zeldine never looks dignified - But being proud, careless and unapologetic. Acting like she belonged. I envy her in that regard.

Zeldine’s fae heritage is much more obvious than mine: Her skin is sky blue. She could never fit in discretely, but where others might hide away, there was nothing discrete about her - On a good evening she’d talk to everyone, make friends with everybody, drink for free all night, and we’d all have fun. On a bad evening we’d have to drag her off before starting a fight, or getting a little out of hand with the drinking and the drugs. Zeldine “lives for the night” as she’d say. I wonder what kind of night tonight will be.

Structure

Exposition

The girls are in their shared room in Evergreen. Alea has been dumped and is crying on her bed, and Zeldine is trying to find a solution.

Plot type

Scene

Parent Plot

Plot: Setting the Stage

Related Characters

• Alea
• Zeldine

Related Locations

• Evergreen