ZP: Event - Friends Again, For Today

    Emmett silently scanned the karaoke room. GGs, Tamed, Harmony members mixed together, all wearing formal attire. On the stage ahead, a young male sang a popular song. Eyes with different tones of green and with no pupils, the weasel infected remembered seeing that anomaly while he was in the Tamed. Wasn't that a cheetah infected? Some people sitting around the tables were eating refined looking dishes. In the same table he was, Anne and Cami enjoyed the other infected's singing and just whispered something one to another once in a while. It was no use, no matter how much the weasel infected tried distracting himself, wearing that suit still bothered him. He was about to unbutton his coat when the sheep infected grabbed his hands.

    "No, you aren't taking it off." Anne smiled.

    "This is too uncomfortable, I've never felt like taking all my clothes off so much before."

    "This is an official party, let's not make ourselves look bad, ok?"

    Just as the brown haired lad finished singing, Lavinia ran to the stage and almost fell over. She grabbed the microphone and faced the people. "Ladiesh! Gentlemen! Hadrea!" The leader's voice came out slurry. "I HAD A DREAM! A dream about a world where MEN would give birf to MY children! And dose children would turn into glorioush gay dragonsh I would ride into da sunset. Aaaand if I can dream of dat world we all can dream of shit like WORLD PEEEAAACE!" The young Tamed, still on the stage, tried hard not to laugh. "I wouldn't be here dis night to tell you guysh those wordsh if my BEAUTIFUL generalsh gave up dressing me up and bringing me here EVEN AFTER my death threatsh, so make sure to thank dem! And now, I dedicate dis song to dose LAZY and HOT fucks who skip training, but I shtill love them anyway!" The wolf infected took a deep breath before starting singing. "I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST, LIKE NONE EVER WAAAS!" Before she could continue, Cabal walked to the stage and carried the drunk female away.
    
    Emmett looked at the sheep infected with an unimpressed expression. "Don't you think it's a little too late for that?"   

    The woman sighed. "I know you don't like it, but don't be so stubborn. Before you know it, you will be used to it."

    "It looks nice on you..." Cami reassured quietly.

    Anne put her hand on the male's shoulder as he still looked annoyed. "Cheer up, this is supposed to be a fun night! I'm helping in the kitchen later, what if I make some strawberry cake?"

    He thought for a while. "Strawberry and chocolate."

    She chuckled. "Alright, but you'll have to behave!"

    The next person singing was a Harmony member. A girl in her late teens, purple eyes with slit pupils, her brown hair covering the right eye. What was her name again? Lyra? Emmett's parasite's illusion appeared in front of him. "Emmett, why don't you sing too?"

    "You know I can't sing."

    "This Christmas party thing is fun! Everyone is dressed funny." Amulet sounded thrilled.

    The host showed a small smile. "I knew you would like those fancy stuff."

    "But you don't seem like you're having fun."

    "I guess I'm just not used to this atmosphere and these formal clothes. But it's nice to have such a peaceful event, being near to GGs and Tameds and not being afraid of having to fight..."

    "Yeah, if we just could have more days like this... Do you think Nat is here?"

    "Maybe." He hadn't seen the falcon infected again after his mission in England, that party could be his last chance to talk to her as a friend again. One of his dear friends who made his days as a stray brighter, now his foe in that war. Was she as loyal to the Tamed as her grandmother had mentioned? He wondered if she could actually try to kill him in a fight, remembering her utilitarian point of view in several matters. But at least for that night, that wasn't important.

    Emmett got up from his sit. "I'm gonna see if I find someone."

    "Fine, but I better not hear you had been wandering around in your underwear!" Anne played.


    In another part of the building, Emmett observed couples dance to live music. In some corners, a few other people talked while eating. A pair of female hands suddenly covered his eyes.

    "Guess who?"

    "So you came too, Nat." He turned to look at the girl, her dark blue eyes with no pupils weren't covered by contact lenses this time.

    Natalie kissed his cheek. "You look so different all dressed up! I like it."

    The weasel infected studied the other from head to toe. Her hair tied in a ponytail with a ribbon matching her eyes, a strapless knee-length white dress with a similar ribbon. Her heels made her about the same height as him. "You look pretty."

    The falcon infected couldn't help but blush, she knew the other wouldn't say that unless he really meant it. "Thank you..."

    "So, how are you doing? Have they been treating you well at the Tamed?"

    "Yes, I've made some friends. How about you? It must be hard in the Harmony."

    "Not really, they're more welcoming than I thought. And I really like that base."

    "Would you show it to me sometime?" She played.

    Emmett chuckled. "What do you think?" 

    The weasel infected looked around, something drew his attention. "What's that line for?"

    "Uh? Let's go take a look."

    They went closer to the line formed mostly by girls, Harmony and Tamed members. In front of it, a girl Natalie recognized as a Tamed member danced with Derek. They stopped when the alarm of the general's phone ringed. "Ok dear, time's up." The girl left fanning herself, her face all red and tears in her eyes. "Next! Trevor, you again?"

    "Two minutes is too little time!"

    The jackal infected sighed. "Go dance with your girlfriend."

    "But-"

    Just as the general said that, Meglin appeared to grab Trevor's arm and drag him away. "Obey him, you dork!"

    "What's the meaning of that?" Emmett just stared. He was used to see the general run away from his fangirls.

    "Anu said it's Anpu's fault. Seems like he lost a bet." Amulet explained. 

    Natalie giggled. "Hey Emmie, would you like to dance?" 

    "Nah, Derek's already got too many people."

    She punched his arm playfully. "With me, silly!"

    "Oh, sure. Why not?"

    He tried to remember all the details Anne had taught him. Standing straight, left hand facing palms with her right hand, his right hand on her shoulder blade. Feet moving as if making a box on the floor, left foot first. Mentally counting to the music, one two three, one two three. It wasn't that difficult. He was just worried about avoiding stepping on her toes.

    "Ow!"

    "Sorry."

    "You're kind of tense, loosen up a little."

    "I'll try, but this still feels weird to me."

    "Emmie... Have you seen Luke and Naomi lately?"

    "I was going to ask you the same. I haven't seen them since the day I got captured by the Tamed."

    "Oh. We fought when I told them I was in the Tamed and I haven't seen them again after that. I wonder how they are doing."

    "It's Luke and Naomi, I'm sure they are ok."

    "Yeah..." She showed a weak smile.

    "I miss them... I still have the harmonica Luke gave me."

    "Oh, you still play? He would be happy to hear that."

    "Yes, the harmonica's sound makes me feel warm inside. Those times we spent together mean a lot to me, I just disappeared because I was afraid of getting you guys involved. And if someone found out a Tamed was hanging out with strays, who knows what could have happened."    

    "We always wondered what had happened to you and really hoped you would be fine. They seemed worried when I told them what happened."

    "Do they still keep moving?"

    "Yes, more than before. I don't know where they could be now."

    The two remained silent for a while, just moving together to the music.

    "Ow!" Her toes got stepped on again.

    "Sorry, I think I wasn't born for this."

    "You're doing fine."

    "You think?"  He turned to a known couple who was also dancing next to them. "Hey Keira, how many times has Tony stepped on your toes so far?"

    Both frowned. "What are you implying?" The spinosaurus infected asked.

    "Nothing, just to compare."

    "He hasn't." The general answered.

    Natalie struggled not to burst into laughter. "Emmie, what are you doing?"

    "What? I don't know what the average is."

    "Oh, come on! I'm happy to be with you today, it doesn't matter."

    "I'm still curious, but if you say so..." 

    "By the way, Emmie, why did you keep coming to us? It wasn't just for the food, was it?"

    "Of course not, it felt good to be around you guys. Everything I did back then was fighting for my survival and running away, I missed something. You guys were the ones who made me see I wanted to be someone else than just a street rat." 

    "We learned a lot from you too."

    "How so? Sometimes I felt stupid listening to you guys talk."

    "You aren't stupid! When you started learning philosophy, you would comment on something at times relating it to some philosopher's theories, remember?"

    "I was surprised you guys didn't know a lot about it, though."

    "Naomi always said it was the subject she hated the most at school."

    "Remember when I tried explaining her metaphysics?" He smiled at the memory.

    Natalie laughed. "I think she couldn't even sleep that night!"

    "Good times..."

    Both spotted nostalgic smiles. The memories of the four strays sharing their stories and talking about hope surrounded them as a warm feeling after a long, cold night.


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Firstly, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

I wanted to write more, but ran out of ideas. Well, I can make a second part later in case I come up with something.

It was fun to write Emmett and Natalie interacting as friends, too bad they will go back to being enemies after the party. XD Hope I got everyone in character. 

Lavvy, Hadrea, Cabal and Z-Parasites belong to HronawmonsTamer 
Anne belongs to haffenhoff27 
Cami belongs to Peppa91 
Fen and Tony belong to birdtier 
Lyra belongs to DraxoTheDragonGirl 
Derek belongs to Thylanos 
Trevor belongs to terceljr 
Meglin belongs to Popokino 
Keira belongs to Truewolfwarriors