Ghost Bird

32: Academy-Con, The Fanfiction Expo

A/N: The next update will be on December 15th as part of the TAFF Update Day. 

Nighttime brought dinner catered by Bob's Diner, some very sleepy boys, and a bag full of disguises courtesy of Gabriel. After we all finished eating, Gabriel pulled a brown wig and a change of clothes out of the bag and tossed them to me. Everyone else got a change of clothes too, except for Owen and Sean. Owen was too busy glaring at the bag and Sean was curled up in his doctor's coat like a burrito, on the verge of sleep.

My heart thudded in my chest. Kota had explained to me what would happen earlier in the day. Tonight was the fanfiction expo when all the fanfic writers could make displays to promote their stories. The guys had a tradition of remaining separate from the fanfiction so that the writers didn't feel any pressure of having them read it. That was their official position, at least. Each year, the guys would disguise themselves and explore the expo undercover.

"It's too dangerous for Owen and Sean to go, though," Kota had explained to me. "Somehow, the Sowen writers can sense when they're in a room together. It doesn't matter how disguised the two of them are—they'll be mobbed by fangirls in seconds."

It was probably for the best that they wouldn't be attending anyway. Rumor had it that a new fanfiction was set to be unveiled at the start of the fanfic expo, and it featured Owen as a Roman emperor and Sean as his top advisor. Hormones were sure to go through the roof.

Gabriel helped me put on the wig after everyone had changed. I was so busy trying not to laugh at North's hot pink shirt that Gabriel had to remind me not to wiggle.

In an effort to remain hidden, the guys wore clothes that they normally wouldn't be caught dead in. For North, that was a pink shirt and sparkly sneakers. "I feel like this is just going to draw more attention to me," he muttered darkly.

Gabriel paused in pinning my wig to spare a glance at him. "It's called hiding in plain sight, North. Nobody will think it's actually you because the real North only ever wears black."

"But I am the real North!" The indignation lacing North's words made me want to laugh, but I clamped my lips shut to hold it in. North was already having a hard enough time without me making it worse by laughing at him.

"See, you've got it." Gabriel nodded in satisfaction before returning his attention to me. A few bobby pins later, we were all good to go. We left the room in twos and threes to further reduce suspicion. The guys radiated so much hotness that the seven of them together could quite literally blind any poor unsuspecting girl who made eye contact with them.

By a non-unanimous decision, it had been decided that Victor would be my partner for the night. He took my hand in his and confidently led me to the fanfic expo. At first, it was hard to relax as every glance our way sent a bolt of fear down my spine. What if someone recognized us? They would mob us for sure. Or Victor, really. He was so short that he would quickly get swallowed in a crowd.

As we got closer and nobody made the connection, I finally started to relax. Victor squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Having fun, princess?" he asked.

"I am, actually. The fans can be a bit crazy, but that just makes it more interesting. Did you know that someone started a website dedicated to tracking the intensity of your fire eyes throughout the first two seasons?"

Victor's eyes blazed as he recoiled a bit. "I hadn't heard that."

I nodded. "Apparently your eye intensity is directly correlated to the phase of the moon. That started quite a few conspiracy theories." I dropped my voice down to a stage whisper. "I heard that Victor Morgan is a werewolf. The fire in his eyes is the power of the moon trying to escape out of him."