Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!
"Blunt Spell Trauma"
5. Pull Back
He doubted he had ever agonized over the actual meal as much as he had with this one. It was his 'grand return'… and there was Blaine… but mostly his return… he'd say. Eventually he had to force himself to stop making changes. He had prepared it all, though Rachel would finish it, and now as they sat at the table, he thought he had done very well after all.
Kurt sat at one end of the table. To his left were Blaine, Puck, Mercedes, Lauren, Finn, and Brittany, leading to Artie at the other end. To Kurt's right sat Rachel, Tina, Mike, Sam, Quinn, and Santana, who was on Artie's other side.
"Thank you for being here once again tonight," Kurt raised his glass. "And a welcome to Blaine among us," he bowed his head to him, and the boy gave a semi-shy smile. "Now eat up, we have a game to get back to." That gave the cue as they got to eating. A few of them would trip the lights at their wrists as they ate, so they would take them off.
"You've put a lot of thought into this one," Tina commented, which made Kurt smile.
"Been waiting to do it for a while, so there's been time to develop it, I… Brittany…" he paused when the light caught his eyes. She had snatched up Artie's wrist light and put it to her own arm before making it blink on and off. When her name was called, she looked up, turning the light off.
"What, I didn't get one," she shrugged.
"Fine, just watch where you point that thing," he told her.
"So what's the big mystery here?" Santana spoke up. When he gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. "Relax, not digging for spoilers or anything. In the envelope, you said we had to… pay close attention to everyone else. So what's that about?"
"You'll find out soon enough," was all Kurt would volunteer, though the thinly-veiled amusement it brought him was getting him the stink-eye from Santana. He didn't pay attention to it so much, instead sneaking off looks to Blaine at his left. "How do you like it so far? Are you unsure about anything, do you have any questions?" he eventually asked.
"No, I'm good, really," he nodded. "I'm still finding my way, but I think I'm getting the hang of it," he promised.
"Good," he told him before reaching in his jacket pocket for three thin envelopes. "Guys, if I can get your attention for a second?" he raised his voice. When they turned, he showed them the envelopes. "So you all know who's coming, these are the new characters for those who died. When you get your envelope, please don't open them yet, wait until you're changing, there are clothes waiting in the choir room." When he got three nods, he handed two of the envelopes to Blaine and indicated for him to pass it down. The envelopes travelled down until they reached Brittany and Artie, while Kurt handed the third one to Rachel on his right. "Rachel, you'll become Katherine Connolly, one of the troublemakers, and Victor's sister."
"Got it," she nodded.
"Brittany, you'll be Cassandra Martin, a good witch, and mine and Lauren's sister." The blonde grinned, gripping the light at her wrist: now she'd get one. "And Artie, you'll be David Jansen, one of the townspeople, the mayor's nephew." Artie looked to Sam, nodding to him.
With the dinner progressing, names would get tossed around as they tried to figure out who the guilty one would be. It got to the point of wagers being tossed around as well. When a 'magic bomb' entered the mix and spilled confetti over a series of plates, Kurt had called the meal done, telling everyone to get back into the gym and wait for him, and for the three who had to change to get on that.
Rachel, Brittany, and Artie went into the choir room, clutching their envelopes with curiosity and some giddiness. They were like the special ones. They'd get to know something the others didn't, if Kurt's instructions to wait were any indication.
"Come on, hurry," Brittany laughed, taking the handles on Artie's chair to push him and get to the choir room faster. Rachel hurried to keep up with them. When they reached the room they found clothes, and make up. They looked to one another, and they silently agreed: envelopes first. They each tore theirs open and pulled out what they found to be a single sheet inside. They paused, then read the small amount of text on their sheet. They hesitated, looking back up.
"Can I see yours?" Rachel asked the other two. Brittany gave hers up.
"Might as well," Artie gave his too. Rachel looked to all three sheets, and after a moment she gasped.
"Oh, I see…" she showed to the other two, and they smirked. "Come on, let's get changed." They moved to do this. It wouldn't be a drastic transformation, especially for Brittany, going from mayor's daughter to good witch, though it would involve Artie toning down and Rachel toning… well, up. Once they were ready, they headed to the gym.
There they found the group waiting, while Kurt was setting up the lights previously set as the trail, into a circle in the middle, wide enough to hold several people. Right now what it held were three long shapes under a white sheet.
"Is that supposed to be us?" Rachel whispered to the others.
"We're right here," Brittany frowned.
"I mean Sarah and Serena and Victor…"
"Okay," Kurt's voice drew their attention. "We pick up shortly after. The bodies have been moved, ready for what will come next."
"Which is what exactly?" Lauren asked.
"It's not an exact science here. We're not witches or warlocks… Just follow my lead."
TO BE CONTINUED (TUESDAY)