Noctuary (Part I): A Shoujo Parallels AU Short

“I can’t believe you had this catered,” Isabel remarked as she looked at the long table, “We could have just brought pizza and soda, and we’d be okay.” Beside her, Francine rolled her eyes and smirked, nudging the long-haired girl in the ribs.

“Come on, Bel. It’s free food.”

“Food’s all you care about.”

“Come on, you guys. This is Arzen.” Matia smirked and slung an arm around Arzen’s, who was merely laughing. “She could ask for fireworks later tonight and it would happen.”

Isabel’s eyes widened, “You’re having fireworks?”

“No,” Arzen replied innocently, “You’ll see.” Francine and Isabel exchanged a quick glance before dissolving into speculations, Matia whisking Arzen away from the dessert table. “Christ, dude, you didn’t have to give them clues.”

“Meh – they’ll only figure it out when they get up there.” Matia winked and ate the éclair, “Oh damn it. Are the guys here?”

“Mathias is just with Daniel and Liam.”

“Aha. And I thought that he’d be clinging to you the entire time.”

“What gave you that idea-?”

“Eh…how should I know?”

Giving Matia a weird look, Arzen turned and walked away to chat with Acacia and Pamela. Chuckling, Matia went straight to the trio, who were arguing amongst themselves.

“Okay, break it up. Mathias, when the hell are you going to do it?”

The French gave Matia a defeated look, “Do you think I can do it tonight?”

“You’ve practically been hiding it for the past week,” Matia hissed, “You can’t back down now! Liam’s going to do his later,” she remarked, and the blonde smiled rather nervously. “When Arzen sees what Liam does to Ride later, she’s going to wonder when you’re going to do it.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Do you need proof?” Daniel deadpanned. “Arzen’s nervous too. If you don’t do it soon enough, she’ll just ask someone else and you’ll have to go stag, which can’t happen.”

“Blondie’s right.” Daniel’s eye twitched. “Just gather some guts, Mathias.”

* * * * *

The sound of singing filled the air. The Venura residence was decked green, many girls laughing and eating, others were singing and yet others dancing inside the house. Mathias could only watch Arzen from afar, who was singing with the other girls right by the pond. He felt his palms dampen and wiped them on his jeans, grimacing.

“How exactly are you going to ask Arzen, Mathias?”

He nearly cursed at Liam’s sudden question.

“The game. I forgot what it’s called. Pinoy Henyo, I think.”

“…how exactly?”

Patiently, Mathias explained the mechanics to Liam, whose eyes grew bigger as he realized the structure of the whole thing. At the end of it, he was laughing uncontrollably.

“Freaking Pinoy Henyo! Okay, I’ll commend you for this – it’s not quite something you’ll suspect,” he teased. Mathias reddened slightly and scowled, folding his arms over his chest. “She’ll like it. I just hope Ride likes mine.”

“The lanterns?” he nodded. “I think she will. Just as long as no one burns.”

“I’m hoping the winds are in our favor, ginger.”

It remained quiet for a couple of seconds, both of them listening to the singing that went on. Finally, Mathias spoke once more.

“What about Daniel?”

“What about him?”

“How is he…”

“Knowing him, he won’t pull any punches,” Liam snorted. “I’m trying to convince him to do something nice, but the idiot won’t budge. I keep telling him that girls like elaborate things, but he won’t listen to me at all.”

“He has to pull it off soon,” Mathias pointed out.

“Exactly. And since she’s out, he’s going to lose even more time…when even is she coming back?”

“I have no clue. Arzen’s trying to estimate when she’s coming back, but I don’t think she’s figured out the date yet.”

He looked at Mathias. “You think she’ll tell?”

“Knowing Rivers?” Mathias chuckled. “She’ll surprise us all.”

* * * * *

An hour later, all of them were on the balcony. Arzen’s mother had demonstrated how to set up the paper lanterns, which they would release into the sky. After demonstrating, all of them paired up and immediately started, Liam poking Ride’s shoulder and asking if they could pair up. Slightly flustered, Ride agreed and they took a blue lantern, making their way to a candle.

On the other hand, Matia and Gabrielle were choking with laughter at their failed attempts. Beatrice had paired with Sharmaine, both of them fangirling over the yellow lantern. From the corner of her eye, Cianna spied Mathias and Arzen working on theirs, and smirked internally. Janica asked what was going on, and she slyly pointed to the two couples.

“Let’s hope Liam doesn’t mess this up,” she snickered.

When all of them were ready, Arzen’s mother was the first to release her lantern. All of them cheered instantly at the sight of the red lantern floating up and being whisked by the wind, the flame burning underneath. It floated and glided through the wind, all of them watching with amazement as it eventually drifted away into the city.

Grinning, Liam held onto one side with Ride on the other.

“Riding Hood, I have something to ask of you.”

“What – do you want my cookies again?”

“No, no. This is more serious,” he retorted, looking ‘serious’. Ride had to bite back the urge to laugh. 

“Maxine, if this lantern floats up into the sky and flies away – will you be my prom date?”

The request blew her away. Her face flushed and Liam broke into a sweat, not realizing that everyone was watching them with wide eyes.

“If it flies?”

“If it flies,” he managed.

Nodding, she released it.

Both of them stared as it was carried away by the wind, and Liam let out a massive whoop.

The rest began to laugh and Daniel clasped his younger brother on the back, but Sharmaine’s scream proved otherwise – all of them ran to the edge of the balcony and started to point and yell, seeing the blue lantern stuck in a tree and beginning to burn.

“No, no, no,” Liam moaned. As it burned out within a few minutes, the spectators began to laugh good-naturedly, Mathias shaking his head and Arzen grinning. Maxine could only smile and got on her knee, attempting to console a forlorn Liam. “I screwed it up,” he groaned.

“Well, it did manage to fly,” she hinted.

“A good bloody few feet it did.” The blonde grumbled.

“Come on, Liam. Look up.”

Despite his blushing, he did.

Maxine smirked ever so slightly and punched his arm. “I’ll go to prom with you, you dork.”