Fashionably Early

“You could help,” Velveteen grumbled, shooting Yoshino a dark look after several minutes of struggling to put up a particularly uncooperative streamer. They’d finally succeeded, but only after a prolonged fight with the ribbon and tacks.

“I’m supervising,” Yoshino replied loftily, taking a drag from their pipe and leaning further back in the armchair where they’d been sprawled since arriving. Honestly, whose idea was it that they turn up early to help set up the party? It hadn’t been Yoshino’s. 

Okay, the real truth was that this was half a work party. Velveteen and Peter were buns that Yoshino rubbed elbows with on occasion thanks to various connections that you could have generously called “high society,” so they’d been coerced into coming out ahead of time by some acquaintances that were more interested in earning brownie points with the fashion industry’s darlings. Yoshino was there for the free food and drinks. Except, Peter and the rest had gone out to actually get most of the food and drinks, so right now they were just left with a couple of bottles of champagne sitting in a bucket of ice, a half-decorated room in someone’s penthouse, and Velveteen’s vague aura of chilly superiority.

They were used to the last one, at least; Yoshino could match their demeanor on most days.

In response to Yoshino’s lack of initiative in the face of their prodding, Velveteen picked up a roll of ribbon and tossed it at them. Yoshino wasn’t fast enough to put up an arm to block it, so it hit them in the forehead and bounced away, unraveling as it rolled across the floor. “Hey!” They coughed, a puff of smoke escaping their mouth with the exclamation.

It hadn’t hurt, being nothing more than a roll of cardboard wrapped in soft ribbon. Only Yoshino’s pride was wounded, but that was more than enough.

Setting their pipe down on the side table, they got up out of the armchair and picked up the half-unraveled ribbon. In a fluid motion that belied their usual sedate pace of doing things, they turned and chucked the roll of ribbon back at Velveteen. Evidently not expecting that, Velveteen didn’t dodge out of the way in time, and they too took a direct hit to the forehead. The roll bounced up and continued over their head, leaving a pink string of ribbon draped over one of their horns and ears; when they hissed in aggravation and tried to swipe it off, Yoshino could see the rest of the roll dangling behind them and swinging as they moved.

“Oh, is that funny?” Velveteen snapped. “You think you’re funny?”

“No,” Yoshino said, not even bothering to try sounding unconvincing.

Expression stony, Velveteen picked up a throw pillow off the nearby sofa and launched it at Yoshino with force.

“H-” Yoshino wasn’t able to even get a word out before the pillow hit them squarely in the face. Velveteen was stronger than they looked; the force of their throw made Yoshino stumble back a step or two, and their back collided with one of the lantern stands in the corner of the room. As the pillow fell to the floor and Yoshino turned to try and grab the lantern to steady it, they had just a moment to see Velveteen’s expression morph from exasperation to alarm, before they too rushed over to keep the lit lantern from toppling and following the pillow to the floor.

Fortunately, Velveteen was also faster than one might have given them credit for, considering their usual controlled grace. Between the two of them, they managed to keep the lantern upright, though it continued to swing menacingly for a few moments before finally settling. Almost in unison, they both let out a sigh of relief at the averted disaster.

“...That was almost bad,” Yoshino said once they’d had a moment to relax. Thank goodness all the candles around the room were safely enclosed, or else they probably would have had a much bigger problem much sooner.

“Yeah,” Velveteen agreed.

Neither of them apologized for the small scuffle that had almost led to catastrophe, but after another moment, Yoshino did reach up to pluck off the ribbon that was still clinging to Velveteen’s horn. Velveteen looked back at the trail they’d left across the room and huffed.

“I think that counts as decorated,” Yoshino said.

Velveteen looked at them askance, but Yoshino was already heading back to the table where the bucket of champagne sat chilling. They retrieved one of the bottles and picked up one of the champagne flutes waiting on the table next to the bucket. They glanced back at Velveteen and raised an eyebrow - inviting, rather than questioning.

“Seriously?” Velveteen asked with a sigh, joining them at the tableside regardless. “The party hasn’t even started yet.”

“Pregaming is partying too,” Yoshino argued. “There’s a second bottle for the stragglers.”

“You mean the people who are actually making an effort to set up this party,” Velveteen deadpanned.

“To-may-to, to-mah-to.” Yoshino shook the champagne bottle until the cork popped out with a satisfying noise. Thankfully, it just plinked off the sofa and rolled away much like the ribbon, instead of hitting one of the lanterns.

For all their irritable huffing and puffing, Velveteen did take a champagne flute for themselves and hold it out so that Yoshino could pour for them. They did so, filling Velveteen’s glass and then their own before settling the bottle aside. They picked up their glass and went to take a drink, but before the glass touched their mouth, Velveteen cleared their throat.

“How about a toast?”

Yoshino raised their eyebrows in surprise, but said, “Sure. What are we toasting?”

Velveteen sniffed. “Success. Making it another year to All Sinners’ Day. Whatever you like.”

“Our treasured friendship?” Yoshino snarked. Velveteen matched their expression, but did hold out the champagne flute. Yoshino clinked their glass against Velveteen’s, and then they both took a swig.

“To our treasured friendship and your glowing personality,” Velveteen said once they lowered their glass, voice positively dripping with sarcasm.

“Same to you,” Yoshino replied, returning to the armchair they’d previously vacated and settling back in. Velveteen snorted softly and poured themselves more champagne before making themselves comfortable on the sofa to await the return of the other partygoers. It was a good enough job setting up. Yoshino planned to be drunk enough by the end of the night that they wouldn’t care what the room looked like, anyway.