He’d never done well with crowds.

One of the mains reasons he’d been so hesitant to join Aiwin’s band back in high school—other than the fact he thought Aiwin would fail (he hated and loved that he was wrong)—was because he couldn’t picture himself willingly being around that many people. Eyes on him, the cheers, reaching hands. The idea of it all grossed him out.

And yet he found himself in Echoes of Vesta. He swore up and down it wouldn’t be permanent. Kiirion had begged him to join, but it was Aiwin bribing him that worked. Syvis wasn’t about to turn down money from someone with rich as shit parents. He wouldn’t tell anyone, but he had come to love his job and the band. Even the fans, the chill ones anyway, were cool. So yeah, hated crowds and the sweat and the lights, but he didn’t hate what he did.

Right now, though, he hated his fucking life.

Syvis jerked himself away from someone’s reach only to have his arm grabbed by the person behind him. Who was talking to him? A phone was pushed into his face, then another. He felt close to losing his lunch. Syvis pressed his lips into a thin line, desperately trying to shrink into himself. As if that was possible. Even when Daehal, their manager, forced them to wear masks and caps to hide their faces, Syvis stuck out like a sore thumb because of his height.

Kiirion and Aiwin weren’t even here. Nobody was here with him, actually. Syvis had just wanted to walk downtown and get a coffee. He’d even worn one of Kiirion’s stupid hats with some juvenile saying on it, disposable mask obscuring most of his face. The person in line behind him just had to ask if he was Syvis from Echoes of Vesta. Part of him wanted to lie, but the kid was a high schooler. He felt too bad to say no, so he nodded and signed their backpack for them. It went to shit after that. Not even the employees of the cafe could calm the crowd suddenly surrounding him.

His head felt light, ears ringing from the voices and prying fingers grabbing at him. If it wasn’t for someone quite literally yanking him into some random small store near the cafe, he probably would’ve started shoving people away from him. Syvis yanked his mask down so he could breathe again. Once, then twice, in and out slowly. The crowd was still outside trying to peer in. Syvis sunk further behind the counter.

“Thanks,” he said once he didn’t feel close to passing out. Finally he turned to his rescuer, and that was when he saw you for the first time. A human? He wondered if you owned the store. “You didn’t have to do that.” Syvis shouldn’t be an ass, he should be grateful, but he was regarding you with suspicion instead. Most people didn’t do things out of the kindness of their heart. Why had you saved him? Did you recognize him? Syvis figured he could deal with one fan versus a whole group of them.

“I’ll leave once they’re gone.” He leaned his forehead against his arm, gaze on you. Kiirion would laugh if he saw the situation he’d gotten himself in, then snitch to Daehal that he’d went out without any security so he’d get a lecture about safety.