A Scáthach story, set after the last book
"Annual Elder and Next Generation Ball" Scathach groaned as she picked up the envelope. Really, her grandmother was so annoying at times like these. The witch of Endor's year consisted of planning her annual ball. It was a privilege in the Elder world to be invited, meant you were important, or dangerous, or both. But attendance was and always had been compulsory for the witch's grand-daughters, as much as they loathed it. Much of the night involved Scathach's family arguing, her brother getting so drunk that he can hardly stand, and her mother and grandmother trying to marry her off to some warlord.
"Curse Aoife anyways" she said outloud. Aoife was happily married, with a baby on the way meaning that this year ball might be more unbearable then previous ones. With Aoife married and out of the way, all focus would be on single Scáthach.
Scáthach flung the envelope on the ground of her tiny pristine apartment and stomped upstairs.
"Nothing to wear!" Clothes were flung on her bed (never slept in), on the floor (pristine Canadian oak) and some on the landing. Ball gowns from almost every century, but nothing that she liked anymore. Just as she was about to delve deeper into her wardrobe, she heard a knock and a clatter downstairs. Scáthach pursing her lips, cast her gaze down the stairs.
"Who's there?" her voice rang out in the little apartment.
"Just me", the southern drawl was enough of an indication. Billy the Kid. Scáthach heard him step over the threshold, his boots clicking on her oak floor. There was a shuffling noise, and taking the stairs two at a time, he bounded into her room.
"Hello there" was his chipper greeting. His face was lit up with a boyish grin, in stark contrast to the frown Scáthach shot at him.
"Well what's up with you doll?" He always called her doll, even though she hated it. He plonked down on her bed, among the dresses, he asked again.
"Well?" Blue eyes unblinking.
Scáthach signed, and pushed an errant red lock out of her face.
"Annual Elder and Next Gen ball, thats what," she finished. Billy perked up at that.
"You got an invitation too?" he asked, incredulously.
"Well yes, it's my granny who holds it Billy," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She gave him her famous you-really-don't-know-anything look, and proceeded to shovel dresses back into her wardrobe.
Billy's face fell, and made an "Oh" remark.
"I got an invitation" he said quietly. "Might be fun" he mused.
She grabbed a green satin dress that Billy was lying on, and yanked it from under him.
"Trust me, it won't be." She turned, and proceeded to wedge the last remaining clothes into the wardrobe, in vain.
"But you'll be there," he finished, and winked. She rolled her eyes. There was no way she was going to be drawn into a flirtation with Billy the Kid, no matter how dashing he was sitting on top of her immaculate bed.
"Go with the green satin, I like it," was his last comment. Scáthach cleared her throat and ushered him downstairs, complaining that he hadn't done enough practise with his double tonfa's.
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"Just the way I imagined it, I knew it would be painful," Scathach moaned. Aoife took no noticed, only stoked her swollen stomach.
The ballroom of Fairmont hotel was packed with Elders and next generation and a handful of immortal humani, and unfortunately most of Scáthachs family. The witch of Endor had already tried to pawn her off on three men, all hideous. She looked around, seeing her brother chatting up some brunette, her mother and father at the bar, and her disgusting feathered serpent of a cousin, Quetzalcoatl, and his right-hand man, Billy the Kid.
She turned her attention back to her sister.
"It's alright for you, you've got Niten, and she won't be annoying you" she added. Aoife frowned and looked at her twin sister.
"Well maybe if you got yourself your *own* boyfriend, grandma wouldn't insist on finding one for you," Aoife smiled triumphantly at her own logic. Scathach just sulked some more.
"What about that cute blonde," Aoife piped up, just as Niten crossed the hall.
"What cute blonde?" he asked, placing a chaste kiss on Aoife's lips. Scathach grimaced.
"The one that you're always training with," and Aoife nudged her foot for obvious effect. Scathach turned to look at the couple.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Scathach exclaimed. Aoife blushed. Scathach continued, "You were the one that invited Billy?"
Niten frown, "Billy? Billy the Kid?"
"Grandma made me Scáth, honest" Aoife pleaded. Scáthach threw her eyes up to heaven.
"Oh come on, Scath" Aoife sighed. "He's cute, and been staring at you all night," At that exact moment, Scathach and Niten turned to look at the corner where Quetelcoatl and Billy had been all night. Billy was sitting, nursing a whiskey, staring right at them. Scáthach caught his eye; he blushed and averted his gaze.
"Told you" Aoife chipped in.
"So not helping Aoife" Scáthach added. She strode away before anything else could be said.
"He is kinda cute, I suppose" Niten added, and Aoife nodded in agreement.