Give Me Something New

chapter 8

"Shut up." The faerie ordered, pointed his box of ribbons at him, which only made Louis laughed even louder. Pedestrians looked their way in an interested gaze. Wayne frowned and pouted, crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry." Louis said shortly after he could temporarily gather himself, "it's just that... A whole pound..."

He started laughing again. Wayne was blushing and he stomped alone down the street, only to have Louis catch up with him after a moment, sooner than later.

"Stop laughing at me." Wayne snapped angrily, "It's annoying and you are childish."

Louis put a hand to his chest, slightly shocked. "What, the age now?"

Wayne realised that he could extend his insult further. "Yes, the age. Someone your age has no right to laugh over someone like me."

The warlock frowned as he considered the authenticity of this, then shrugged and walked along. Just their luck, they ran into Seth, who was out taking a stroll.

"Would you mind to join us?" Louis gestured loosely to the boxes they were both holding and the watery scarf around his neck, "We're shopping."

Part of the reason why Seth didn't want to go shopping today was that he didn't know how. Sure, go into a shop and buy stuff sounded easy, but when you tried to picture it... Well, lack of experience had something to do with it. But now here they were, two experts bickering each other. Maybe that would make a better day.

"Why not?" Seth smiled. He turned around and found James further down the street and instructed him to get the carriage to the end of the street, and if James saw him coming out he had to come over to put their victory away so that none of them were carrying too much.

"You are very considerate." Louis commented as they kept on walking, discarding the women shops – which were quite a lot. "I usually carry too much stuff in my hand."

"And have to find some corner to..." Wayne continued, oblivious until the shorter blond shot him a warning look and stopped. "Gather them in your arms?"

Of course, none of these had escaped Seth. He wondered if the two of them – or Wayne, at least – leaked the sentence out on purpose as a puzzle for Seth to figure out. The right question to ask wasn't why, though, but what. What were they talking about? Maybe this had something to do with the magic Louis practiced.

Being smarter than his mouth, Seth kept his kisser shut. They entered a hat shop.

"How delightful!" Wayne exclaimed as he entered when he saw the shop-owner, "A hat shop! The irony!"

The owner was a pale and thin man with rather heavy colours under his eyes and a sickly pallor complexion – but rather beautiful, too, if you were into that sort of thing, dark and smooth hair. Seth eyed him curiously, hiding behind Louis's and Wayne's backs. He had an aura of this new group of friends, these curious people – Curious People, Seth decided. It was time that he named the new social group he discovered.

"Yes, yes." The man nodded and spoke, swiftly moving his feet, almost like a ghost. "I've heard them all. My name is Gregory Vincent. Now, are the good sirs entertained enough just by looking at the hats?"

Wayne smiled a little as Louis nodded. Seth was sure that he was sensing some social pattern that he hadn't yet encountered – which was rare, and definitely curious enough to keep him watching. The shop-owner went next door into another section of his shop as Wayne followed behind, not quite quickly and browsed some hats on his way.

After the two of them left, Louis turned around and whispered to Seth urgently.

"I know you are kind of good friends with Wayne, but don't ever trust him and don't ever fall for him." Louis held his face – inexplicably – and murmured very fast, "Now, don't scream or anything, but I'll show you something. Close your eyes."