Facade

Chapter One: An Overdue Welcome

Oliver Chadwick

"You are cordially invited to a dinner party hosted by River and Nikolai Molchalin! Please join us on December 15th at 7:00 p.m. at 1814 Creekside ave. Crooked Creek, Oregon. Come hungry and dress to impress!"

Repeating the address under his breath once more, Oliver pocketed the invitation card. He smoothed out his red and gold suit for the hundredth time that hour and sauntered forth down the frosted over sidewalk as if it were a red carpet. Occasionally he'd catch a glimpse of passersby staring at him— a common occurrence with how often he dolled himself up— and relished the attention that came with it. Snow flurried overhead, nipping at his skin and threatening to tamper with his black, gelled back hair, so he moved quickly.

Upon arriving at the Molchalin's household, he knocked twice. Then, impatient as he was, he gave some more swift knocks to the dark oak door and rang the doorbell. His hand stopped short of reaching for it again as a tall, blond man opened the door. Freckles scattered across his face like glitter, and he donned a silky, purple suit accompanied by a rubber duck tie. The ducks themselves appeared to enjoy Oliver's presence as well. Oliver could've sworn his smile alone melted the snowflakes clinging to his outfit and hair. The pair tightly embraced each other, with River nearly lifting Oliver off the ground.

"Oli! Didn't think you'd make it here!" River put him down and grinned, bouncing on his toes. "Not that we didn't want you or anything. We just thought you'd be busy and—"

"Nonsense, River. I always make sure I can attend important events such as your own."

"Well, come on in!"

River turned on his heel, gesturing for Oliver to follow. Although the interior wasn't as spacious as his own house, the candlelit dining space made him quite at home. Neatly lined up silverware, plates, and name cards stretched down the table, illuminated just enough to see them properly. At the center of the table sat an array of sunflowers and roses clustered around a flickering glass candle. The pair came to a halt as River pulled out one of the chairs, gesturing with his free hand for Oliver to sit.

"And here you are! We'll serve everyone's food once they all arrive."

"You both have put in a lot of work, haven't you?"

River nodded, softly laughing to himself.

"Sure have. We've had this planned since... Since..." River's brows furrowed as he thought of a precise date. He gave up after a few seconds, shrugging in defeat. "For a while now, actually."

The man looked over his shoulder at Nikolai, his husband, who also wore a suit and tie. A delayed response came from him as he noticed Oliver and River staring at him, and he gave a small wave, promptly resuming what he was doing before.

"This is the hardest I've ever seen him work— and he's always working. Knowing him, he'll take on more than he can handle, even after the party ends..."

He shook his head, voice trailing off. Taking one last look at Oliver, he patted his shoulder and started to walk away.

"Just sit tight and relax!"

Oliver glanced at the black and gold name card, then to the other cards next to him. A few guests were already seated, looking around just as he had moments before at the decor. 

Eva Roux; A redhead woman in a suit with curly hair, freckles, and a sharp face, who had shown up several minutes before him. Her posture remained fixed, with her hands laced together to support her chin, yet her eyes shifted around the room.

Kiara Fawns; A smaller woman with a tanned, rounder face, violet hair, and a cheery smile that matched River's. She wasn't present at her seat, and instead took off to poke around at the sunflower display.

Amanda Moore; Who hadn't arrived yet, but sat next to Eva.

Charlie Roux; Oliver could only assume Charlie was the large guy sitting next to Kiara. Like Eva, he had darker ginger hair and narrow, blue-green eyes, along with a scarf covering the bottom half of his face. He tugged at the collar of his shirt.

Oliver didn't bother looking at the other names, most of which he didn't recognize— nor care to stop and think about. He did a double-take of the name card next to his own.

Syxein Caper

Oliver's smug smile faltered. He plucked the card from the table and reread the name several times, as if hoping the card would disappear altogether if he wished it to be.

The front door opened, letting in the harsher light from outside. River rushed over to greet the man at the door, then led him over to the table. Once the door closed, Oliver could see him better. Dark circles hung under his blue-grey eyes, and his fluffy, white hair, as usual, stood up, untamed. An attempt had been made to brush away his bangs from his eyes, which immediately went back to its place. Raising his head slightly, he and Oliver locked eyes. He froze, hesitated, then reluctantly sat down next to him, unblinking.

"Long time no see, huh?" Oliver feigned amusement. Syx pressed his lips into a thin line, not responding.

A long night awaited them both.