"Yeah, we had a ton of fun in the epsilon district. By the way, sorry we watched Cartel without you. Nothing else seemed interesting. It's a great movie though. I'll get you a physical copy when it's available," Novalie reads Adalia's texts from Kaiden's phone. She's sitting on a messy workbench, with a large cigar in her mouth and a cup of coffee beside her, fixing a jackhammer. "Aww, poor Kaiden," she adds.
Kaiden is all inside the engine of an excavator, fixing it, just beside the same bench. "Tell her it's fine, I'll watch it when I can. How was the surgery?" His voice reverbs and breaks from inside the engine.
Novalie types Kaiden's reply before taking her cigar to drop the ashes. About a minute later Adalia sends her response. Novalie recites, "Could've been worse but could be better. Just kinda weird and hurts a lot. But hey, now we're both mutants. I guess we are Destined Beasts by The Dusk."
A ringing sound, like a bell, comes from where Kaiden is. The family has been listening to a lot of songs by The Dusk. Destined Beasts is an old song, but they still listen to it sometimes. Kaiden laughs while rubbing the part of his head that hurts from bumping with the engine.
"Dude, you're ok in there?" Novalie asks.
"Fuck you Adalia," Kaiden says under his laughter. "Send her we will join the pack."
"What? What's that supposed to mean?"
"She'll get it."
Novalie types it and sends what Kaiden asks her to. It really doesn't take long for Adalia to reply. "We'll never go back." Novalie is even more confused, then it hit her. "Is this a song?"
"It is," Kaiden says, still laughing. "Send to her because strength we no longer lack."
Novalie sends Adalia the next line. Instant reply. "She just says L-O-L." A few moments later Adalia sends another text. "How is the preparation going? We're on the bus going there." Novalie puts everything back together. The jackhammer works good as new.
"Everything's well and prepared, we're just waiting for the champagne and the cake."
"Thank you so much. I promise we'll treat you later." Novalie walks to the opening into the engine. She can only see Kaiden's boots just barely poking out of the darkness. "You guys are really sweet with one another. If any of y'all get a kid can mine marry them?" Novalie pulls on Kaiden's leg. He gently kicks back.
"I have no idea how to respond to that."
"That was a joke, laugh."
"No funny, no laugh."
"Fuck off."
"Back at you," Kaiden fastens the last few screws and finishes the repair. "Ok, I'm done. Help me out."
Novalie holds both his legs and pulls him out. Kaiden is dark from oil and dust. He goes to a tap outside the workshop and washes himself. Novalie hands him his phone back.
Kaiden Wipes his hands on a cloth that's on the workbench. "Alright, let's go check on everything. Make sure there's no trouble."
Novalie puts out her cigar and finishes her coffee. "Sure, let's go."
Most people in The Grand Metropolis can't drive. Vehicles are given to an individual, along with the lessons to drive, as part of a job that requires it. As expected, plenty of construction workers can. Novalie is one of them. She has a dark gray truck with all sorts of tools, gadgets, and gizmos on the back.
Kaiden and Novalie's shift is over about an hour ago, but they stay to watch over the surprise. Some of their friends also choose to stay because Kaiden asked them to take care of different parts of the surprise.
One of them is Raymond who's in charge of the lights. He's eating a hotdog up high on the unfinished wall and near the edge where the lights are arranged and hung. Kaiden asks about the lights. Raymond turns them on to show the lights are fine. However, some of the middle ones flicker and go off. He apologizes to Kaiden. Kaiden tells Raymond it is fine and they all fix it with the spare lights Novalie has on her truck.
Another person who stays is Sam. He, and a few other people, is in charge of pyrotechnics. He's making barbeque with his friends. They're all sitting around a pile of burning coal. There's also Chuck, the stray dog that the workers decided to adopt. It's waiting to get a bite wagging its tail. Kaiden asks about the fireworks. Sam tells him everything is ready. They're all packed in cardboard boxes just behind them.
One of Sam's friends blows on his barbeque and gives it to the dog. It's still too hot. Chuck starts jumping, kicking, and running around. He kicks some lumps of burning coal into the boxes.
One box burns and hisses. Everyone panics and runs away. Some hide behind the various things in the location, some throw themselves prone, and Novalie hides behind her truck with Sam. Kaiden...
Kaiden rushes to the burning box. Picks it up. He carries it away from the other boxes and throws it just in time as it explodes into a loud and colorful sparkling light show that whistles and crackles. Kaiden drops to his knees, catching his breath. Sam apologizes. Kaiden says it's fine, but asks him to put out the coals and set the fireworks in place.
There are other people in charge of other things too. Thankfully, none are as eventful. The tables and chairs are fine, the music is fine, the other decor is fine, champagne and other drinks are here, and other choreographed things are fine. Now they only have to wait for the cake and his family.
"Alright, everything is ready. Now, we just need to wait." Kaiden leans his seat back and opens his phone.
Novalie turns on the radio and opens the door on her side. "Hey, Kaiden. I know they're your family and all, but don't you think it's a little much?"
"What do you mean?"
"All this preparation for their anniversary thing. The decor, fireworks, making it grand. They ask you to do all this instead of planning it themselves?"
"They didn't," says Kaiden without looking away from his phone.
"So, all this is you?"
"Well, Adalia only asks for the lights, music, and the cake. Everything else, yeah it's me."
"Why?"
"Why not? I love them. They're more than just my family, they're my only family. I mean, of course, there's you guys, my friends. That's why I go to you guys to help me with this. I know you guys are going to help me, and don't worry, I'm not asking you to do this for free. Like, the cables and lights that we use, I know their price. They're 460 muryis total. I even have the money on me." Kaiden leans his body a bit to give space for himself to be able to take his wallet out of his back pocket.
Novalie smiles and stops Kaiden from pulling out his wallet. "No, don't bother. It's on the house. Think of it as my way to repay you for fixing this baby of mine every time."
Kaiden stares at her. The confusion is clear on his face. "But I was just doing my job."
"Yes, your job that you're supposed to charge people for. Other than your regular salary by the association you never take any money from anyone. Giving you some of my cables is nothing much in comparison."
"Well, I don't know..."
"Alright, dude, look. If you wanna repay me, get me one of my usual cigars," she holds up the one unused cigar she has left. It is rectangular, as thick as her thumb, and a little shorter than her open palm. "This type, this size, just one, got it?"
"Alright, I'll do that. You don't want me to pay you, fine."
They spend the next few minutes mumbling the lyrics of the songs playing on the radio. Kaiden looks at his watch. They're late. His family and the cake are late. He understands Adalia and Catrina might just be hunting a werewolf, but the cake. Matthew should be back around this time with the cake, it shouldn't take this long. So, he decides to make a call.
"Hey, Matt," says Kaiden on the phone.
"Yo, Kai. Look man, I'm so, so sorry. I look everywhere, but nobody got no red velvets."
"You sure?"
"Yeah man, I look everywhere. This is even the second district I look in. What do I do, man? They're all gonna close soon."
Indeed. Most stores close at 7 or 8, and all that aren't open 24 hours will close at 9. The choices are either risking another hour of nothing or perhaps he can bake it on his own. He can wait a few more minutes, but if there's still nothing those minutes are wasted. However, if Matt does find one, he's going to save a ton of time.
"Hey, isn't that your sister?" Novalie points at Catrina carrying Adalia in the distance.
Now, he doesn't have a choice. He has to take the most reliable option of the two. Make the cake himself, the oven included.
"Alright, Matt, change of plan. Just get the ingredients for the cake, I'll make it myself. I'll text you the list in a bit.
"Got it," Matt responds before Kaiden cuts the line.
"Can I borrow your pen, please? The one with the laser," Kaiden asks Novalie.
"Sure, what do you wanna do with it?"
"Getting her attention." He goes out of the truck without closing the door.