The unfortunate incident at the art exhibit hosted by the woman and the helper dog.
Rael never saw the point of clothes that existed just to be seen in. Nevertheless, he pretty much *had* to wear his dressiest JOAT coat and neatest clothing for this. Shayde, on the other hand, took to Show like a duck to water.
He knew for a fact that she had spent most of the day in a salon getting her hair turned into the fabulously interesting gordian knot with some decorative bells for the courtesy of the visiting Meeyahndans also visiting the exhibit. Therefore, how she got into the black glittery dress with no visible means of support was a mystery.
Black did not blend in, tonight. It showed up her obsidian flesh to its best. Rael suspected some of her scientifically un-refutable ‘magic’ was involved.
The exhibit was entitled simply Julie. It was a Julie in rainbows, with a heart on one side and a dog’s paw-print on the other.
“This is th’ kid wi the doggy helper, yeah?” she murmured.
Once again, Shayde had managed to grasp all of the less-than-politically-correct key elements and mash them into one sentence. “Julie is the same physical age as yourself,” said Rael, diplomatically keeping his observations about mental/psychological age to himself. “She had an erratic reaction that left her… developmentally trapped. Her parents still have to work, and where they work is inherently dangerous for someone like Julie. Nanny the dog is an Augment who is also a full-time companion. Together, they make one functional being.”
“We’re still goin’ tae a gallery hosted by a girl and her dog.”
Rael winced. “Please don’t say that out loud again…”
The doors finally opened, allowing guests to enter with the faintly melodious chiming of bells. Even Rael had chosen to wear a bell-anklet for the occasion.
Meeyahndans did not like people sneaking up on them.
For five minutes, Shayde had no other comment but, “Aaaahhh…” or “Wow…” and all was at peace.
Rael should have known it would never last.
He heard Julie’s rapid-fire monotone. “I don’t want him in here. He makes me feel bad.”
Nanny’s quieter rote phrases, “We must be polite. We have guests. We keep our voices down.”
“Na-neee… he’s nasty.”
Shayde got involved, as she always did, by following the conversation to its source and sticking her metaphorical nose right in it.
“What’s goin’ on then?”
Julie, resplendent in rainbows and frills, pointed to an otherwise staid looking gentlemen bearing chocolates and flowers. “I don’t like him, he’s not really nice. And he won’t go away.”
Rael arrived just in time to see Shayde’s bioluminescent eyes flare red. He didn’t know what she saw with her 'true lights’, but he knew it angered her.
Shayde put on a smile that could shame a shark. “Let me guess. Ye’ve come here tae declare yuir love fer Julie where everyone can see and hear, yeah?”
“Shaydethere'snoneedforthissecurity'sonitsway,” Rael managed.
But she was currently ignoring him. She was holding the gaze of the staid man in the nice suit.
“I do love Julie,” he said. “With a power beyond the stars.”
“And ye cannae ken tha’ no means no.”
“My love will not be denied. Her lips say 'no’, but I know her heart says 'yes’.”
Julie found solace in Nanny’s arms. Nanny, confused by it all, had reverted to repeating, “Good-girl. Good-girl,” over and over again.
“That’s funny, I’ve never heard a heart talk. What do they sound like?”
“Pleasedon'taskhimifhismothercansew…” begged Rael.
“George Takei,” said the man.
“Yer hilarious,” Shayde deadpanned. “And I understand gettin’ physical aboot all this is vastly inappropriate. It’ll spook th’ Meeyahndans.”
Okay. This was new.
“But I don’t have tae touch ye t’ teach you a lesson.” She theatrically gestured with one manicured hand.
The man, chocolates, flowers and all, vanished into his own shadow with a faint tingling of his own bells.
“Shayde…” Rael warned. “Security would like to have someone to arrest…”
Julie, meanwhile, was cheering, applauding and jumping up and down.
Shayde curtsied with a, “M'lady. If ye’ll excuse me, I have some trash to throw out.”
Rael followed her as she sauntered towards the doors. Watched in fascination as she put her hand in to her own shadow and pulled the man out.
He was now visibly distressed, and looked like he’d been dragged backwards through a hedge. The flowers and chocolates dropped from his nerveless fingers and shattered on the floor.
“…they wanted to eat me…”
“You’ve just met the things from yer own darkness,” said Shayde. “The best way to get rid of them is start with a confession. Get treatment. And if ye cannae completely get rid of 'em, at least make 'em do somethin’ constructive. An’ no more botherin’ little girls, ye got it?”
“…they wanted to eat me…”
“He’ll get it.”
Rael boggled. All things considered, a punch in the face might have been kinder.
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