Ruin Maketh Me

19 - Oh, my fur and whiskers! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look like a goddamn idol.
"Set, what was it that you said about not drawing attention to myself?"
Set sizes me up from head to toe as if she's checking a bottle of wine.
"Human, you have too much confidence in your appearance."
A humourless smile carves itself into my face, "I hope you're right, because this," My eyes travel from the midnight blue silk shirt with ruffled cuffs to the slim, classy black pants, "does not fit my definition of not drawing attention."
Set's expression becomes of of earnest seriousness, "Trust my sense, you'll blend in perfectly."
The corners of my lips deepen like maturing wine, "I'm assuming this is upon the Master's orders?"
"Yes, of course." She replies shortly.
I adjust the extravagant collar studded with what suspiciously looks like two substantial diamonds, "And the Master gave you these clothes?"
A show of almost amusement passes across her face. "No, I handpicked those for you Human."
Oh shit. My eyes travel from her ruby red shirt to flared trousers. I see what's going on here... My eyes go back to the reflection in the mirror. Her sense of fashion isn't bad at all, the clothes show off my thin frame, and the colours contrast the lightness of my hair and eyes perfectly. But I am in no way inconspicuous.
She passes me a small round bottle, "Smear some on."
Twisting open the lid, a wave of fresh lavender hits my nose. It's some kind of white cream with a texture similar to moisturiser. I scoop a dollop and dab it across my skin. Almost immediately my skin sheds its cracked dryness and gains as smooth, elastic shine.
I almost look good.
Which is not good.
I turn to Set, and she's already fished out another box from out of nowhere. A hopeless uneasiness shakes my heart.
"What's that?"
She cracks open the lid with a hint of a smile, "Some accessories."
Again, a pair of piercings looking suspiciously like sapphire crystals appear from beneath the lid, nestled within black velvet.
"Set, I don't need accessories."
Her half moon hint of a smile disappears and is replaced by rigid control, "Any less would be an insult to the Kade house. Put them on."
Having no other choice, I take the piercings and slide them into my earlobes. To think that now I don't even have the choice to look bad.
Before I can even take another look at my appearance, Set holds out another box in front of me.
"I'm not going to a party Set. I'm sure the Master will forgive you for not dolling me up to the fullest." I fill my voice with calm assertion.
She just snaps the lid open, and a delicate collar made up of minuscule blue and white crystals comes onto brilliant light. Holy crap, I have to do something.
"Set, I understand that demon standards may be different to human ones, but wearing that will do the very opposite of what we intend to do, and that is making me discreet."
Her blue eyes cast me a needlessly frigid glance, "You have not seen true finery human. This is nothing." She leaves the hard rectangular box in my hands, "Put it on before I have to ask you twice."
A deep breaths whistles through my nose, and I fasten the necklace around the middle of my neck. The heaviness upon my chest increases, and the beat of my heart thunders again and agin. A familiar and infinitely uncomfortable weight accumulates in that place around my throat.
     He pulls back on my hair, and the movement is too quick. My head snaps backwards, bearing my neck, and on it, that detestable leather thing I can't remove no matter how many times I scrabble and scratch my neck bloody.
     "See?" He tickles my was with his breath, "That's proof that you're mine. Forever."
     No. I snap my eyes back to the razor sharp mouth of Set.
She gives me a faint nod of approval, "That will have to do."
     With the addition of the collar, my features gain a more tender, androgynous feel. The air around me however, seems to sharpen and reflect a familiar wildness.
     There, there's the wild cat Cynder Delphus again. That's the way I should be.
     "Come."
     A take a step towards the door, and the ache's still there. There's a faint quiver in the back of my knee all along to my calf, and although it's barely discernible now I know it will grow. I shouldn't walk for prolonged periods. I can't unless I want to collapse before the end of the day.
     "Are we going by portal?"
     Set's piercing eyes sweep from my stance to my legs, "We can go some distance by portal."
     Relief takes some of the burden off my chest, and I take Set's cool hand. The white blindness of the bathroom disappears from sight like a vanishing hologram and vivid colour I can't seem to get used to bubbles up from empty space. Spinning, twisting, spaceless, weightlessness, then stability.
     My eyes blink open: yellow paving, the green sway of trees, elegant stone buildings in some distance, but I'm not on the ground. I'm in Set's arms.
Her arms are wrapped firmly under my knees and arms bridal style, but with the way she's holding me, anyone looking on would think I'm just a piece of luggage.
Julius's words ring back to me.
     "Be more careful with him, Set."
     A wry smile flickers into light upon my lips, but before I get to say anything, she sets me down on my feet with a prominent jolt, sending pinpricks of lightning pain through my bones.
     "Wait here." And there's a whistle of wind, and she's gone.
     Momentary disbelief freezes the flow of time. Where the fuck did she go? But there's a twist of air, and Set steps out from a gap in space.
     She has a scooter type vehicle in hand and sets it down at my feet, "Get on."
     Some doubt must've shown on my face for she continues, "It'll make the whole journey quicker. No one is allowed to open a portal in the lecture halls."
     A lemon scented warmth cradles the pit inside me, and I step onto the disc shaped scooter without hesitation.
     The vehicle goes at a moderate pace, but definitely faster than if I was to walk. It seems to be powered by some sort of magic which works similar to a battery because I saw no wheels on the thing. There's also some sort of invisible barrier around the scooter that shields the wind, which all in all, makes it a very enjoyable ride. Much better than opening a portal.
     "Where did you find this?"
     Set ignores my question and simply says, "We're approaching the main school buildings for fledglings."
     An image of a fluffy chick pops into mind, "Fledglings?"
     "First years."
     The image is replaced by Julius's dark face, and I almost burst out laughing.
     I look over the surroundings. The wide main road we're on branch off into many different narrower paths leading into archways and the celestial, stone buildings looming either side. Beautiful. A feeling of belonging settles over me. I've never been somewhere so majestic, somewhere that exudes a sense of being grander than the rest of the world. Somehow, it's truly otherworldly.
     "You said that portals are not allowed in this site?"
     "Yes." Set answers in a bored manner.
     My eyes flutter around the scenery, and a sense of unease greater than this morning shoots up through my stomach into my throat with a burning urgency.
     "Set, are we early?"
     She lifts up a sleeve and takes a glance at the same digital watch like mechanism Hoplin had.
"We're right on time."
Silence rings eerily around us, and my vision sweeps across the empty paths, "Right on time for what?"
"Lectures start promptly at Punta, we're right in time."
My body stiffens, "What did you say?"
"Three minutes is ample time enough to get you to the lecture." Set replies, voice still disinterested as if she's talking to a fool.
Curses threaten to burst from my lips.
Can I beat some sense into this demon?