OTA

[prince_of_nymphs]

 The hardest part was keeping the lies straight.

"I thought you were only having one of your eyes done?"

"I did, the other I had done abroad- It was a spur of the moment choice..."

"Your so pale now..."

"The medication, it doesn't sit well with me."

"You're so thin!"

"No appetite. It'll get better though, I'm sure."

He'd anticipated that though. He'd known he'd need to lie and fib left and right, until people just accepted he could see again- And that perhaps he was still a touch unwell. What he hadn't anticipated, however, was the resentment that many of his old friends seemed to  suddenly feel towards him. It was one thing when Fin was a rising star- But pitiable because of his disability. Now, however... Now he was already receiving television and film offers left and right, and that... That apparently upset a few people.

He'd been leaving one of his favourite coffee shops when he nearly walked right into Phil. A man he'd worked with many times in small productions. A good actor, but older- Perhaps past his prime in the eyes of many.

"Oh! Phil, how brilliant to see you," Fin had smiled, offering his hand, and looking puzzled when it wasn't taken.

"Brilliant is it?" Phil replied, raising a brow and ignoring the offered hand. "So posh sounding these days, Fin. I don't remember you being posh- Not when you were sleeping on the streets, begging for parts. ...Wouldn't know you were dragged up in Manchester with that posh voice you put on."

Fin's smile faded slightly, and he forced an uncomfortable laugh. "Bad habit, I suppose," he said awkwardly.

"Not a habit," Phil assured him. "Just as fake as the rest of you, that's all."

Fin's smile faded completely then, aware that people were staring now. "Right," he said awkwardly. "Well, I should... I should be off."

Phil smiled then, a vicious smile. "I suppose so. That casting couch wont get warmed without you. ...Catch something, have you?" he added, looking Fin over with a sneer. "Should be a bit more cautious, Fin. ...Or is it Finlay now?"

Fin didn't answer that, he simply turned away trying to hide the embarrassment he felt as he started walking and brushed off a young woman who tried to stop him for a selfie.

Comments

[whispersoflove]

Anael was just walking down the street, in his usual just-another-London-youth get-up, when he saw Fin a little way off. Fin, without a cane or a guide dog or even sunglasses, but a different Fin. He felt... lifeless, and Anael was frowning by the time their paths crossed. "Has he done this to you?" he had to ask, worry strong in his voice, in his eyes.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin had been lost in thought, still unsettled by Phil's cruel words, and he seemed somewhat startled when Anael approached.

"What? Oh. Oh! No, no it's... It's not like that," he said quietly. "This isn't Willy's doing."

[whispersoflove]

Anael looked no less troubled for the reassurance. "What's happened, then?" This wasn't right.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Um..." Fin looked around, holding his coffee a bit tighter. "I'm not sure the street is the place to talk about this," he said quietly.

[whispersoflove]

Anael looked around, as if only just realising, and relaxed slightly. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry."

[akatawitch]

Sunny hadn't caught all of that discussion and didn't have the context, but she had a nose for bullies that was second to none. It was pretty clear that whoever this guy was, he was being a dick to Fin just for the sake of being a dick.

Had she been there, she would have asked the guy what his deal was, but she wasn't involved. So she just used a little twist of magic to make him trip over his own feet.

Not staying or turning around to watch the results, she trotted to catch up to Fin. Lost in academia, she hadn't heard any of the news flying about regarding his eyes. "Fin? You all right?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin knew the voice, but as he turned to look at her he realized he'd never actually laid eyes on Sunny. He'd been frowning to himself, troubled by Phil's words, but as he laid eyes on her that frown faded, and he found himself smiling.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head once and coming to a stop. "Oh, Sunny- How lovely to see your face. To really see it," he said, his voice soft and low, but full of the passion that tended to be reserved for the stage and the words he wrote.

"You're beautiful. Not that it matters, not that- Not that it changes anything, but- You're lovely. As lovely as I already knew your soul to be."

[akatawitch]

It was quite a lot to take in at once, actually. Just as Fin was not used to seeing her, Sunny was not used to Fin seeing her. She couldn't recall if she'd ever told him about her condition, as it wasn't like she'd had to explain it. At least not in the same way as she'd had to explain to others. To a blind person her albinism wouldn't be hazel eyes and blond cornrows, it would be the reactions of others to those things.

But his eyes had been wrecked for a long time now, and yet they seemed to be tracking her without any difficulty. Why? How/

Questions that would have to wait a moment. Her skin could not even pretend to hide a flush. Even the slightest shift to pink showed. But now she blushed bright red. "Thank you?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

"You're welcome," Fin laughed softly, taking her in with pale but curious eyes, then smiling.

"It's very nice to finally put a face to that voice. ...I'm just off to the studio, I've got some time to kill before they need me on set though. Would you like to join me?" he offered.

[sunsongs]

Coby'd been on his way to get some groceries when he passed by the little whatever it was between the two men, and he rolled his eyes. "Seriously, dude?" he directed toward the one who seemed to have the problem. "If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard some jealous Hollywood wanna-be throw that insult around, I could start my own studio. Guess you need somebody else writing your lines, huh?"

The guy glared, but didn't say anything as he moved on.

Then Coby grinned at the - whoa, seriously pale, like even for a British guy - pale guy. "Don't let guys like that get to you. The people worth knowing won't put you through that kind of shit."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin knew he must look wounded, but a beat later and he was easily faking a smile. As though Phil's words hadn't stung him deeply.

"It's fine, we're old friends- He was just having a go," in lied, shrugging one shoulder and starting to fidget a little as he patted himself down in search of his cigarettes.

[sunsongs]

Yeah, Coby believed that all right. But he recognized the gesture and the need to seem okay. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin looked up, then nodded and smiled a touch more genuinely.

"Cheers," he nodded reaching to take one. "I must have left mine home."

[just_hex]

Spencer had gone back to America but she and Hex had worked out a deal where Hex got to keep the posh address and his modest rent and she had a place in London anytime she wanted to come back. He missed her sorely and he missed the posh life, but he'd started to make more money himself beyond nursing. He was starting to bring in revenue from his YouTube series and Stanley was getting him work on chat shows. And on top of all that he'd been tapped after his last competition to be a model for a line of bodybuilding supplements.

And the calendar was already in stores for 2016.

Hex's life was all sorts of good.

Stanley had called him and told him where he could find Fin and he'd gone to meet him to see if the man wanted to do a sex toy special for Christmas. Stanley'd also told him Fin's eye surgery had gone better than expected so rather than call him he just turned up just as the bitter words were tossed out and the girl rushed up to get a picture.

"Fin, mate," Hex smiled. "Your eyes! Look at you!"

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin was walking away quickly, but stopped at the sound of Hex's voice.

"Hex," he said. "I-"

He'd forgotten what Hex looked like, if he was honest. The picture in his mind faded and skewed. ...It was wonderful to see him again, and he found himself smiling despite the miserable confrontation he'd just had.

"...I didn't expect to run into you today."

[just_hex]

"I sought you out. Asked Stanley where to find you, yeah? Hope that's not off. I wanted to see if you'd do an episode with me. And I just wanted to see you. Phone's not the same. Want to grab some tea?" he asked, in good cheer as he always was.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Oh, right, the- The web thing," Fin replied, remembering now that Stanley had mentioned it. "I've actually been at the studio all day filming- Would it be alright if we just went back to one of ours? I don't think I can face a crowd right now, but it would be lovely to have a chat."

[kersen]

The selfie-seeking woman, phone still brandished in the air like a weapon, stumbled at the brush off and slammed right into Kersen as he was walking by. It was enough to draw his attention (which as usual lately was not on much of anything), and that was when he saw Fin.

He hadn't seen the young man in... a year, perhaps? Though he'd heard about the accident, and lately seen that he'd made some sort of comeback perhaps. It wasn't as if they'd ever been close, but on the other hand, Fin did know that Kersen was a vampire.

"... Finlay," he said, when the woman finally stumbled away.

He also realized, suddenly, that Fin looked very different than the last time he'd seen him. He felt different, too. There was a stillness about him. And that pale skin... For a brief moment, Kersen thought he'd been turned. But no, he didn't smell like a vampire at all. In fact, he didn't smell like anything. Which was... unsettling.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Still mulling over Phil's words, Fin looked startled by the sound of his name.

"Oh, Kersen- Hello," he sad awkwardly, pushing his long drak hair out of his face as he forced a smile. "How have you been? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

[kersen]

"Oh, I've been... fine." Lie. But that was the sort of thing you were supposed to say. "I suppose it has been a while. I hope you're well. But Fin, you..." There wasn't really any polite way to go around it, so Kerson gave up. "You're different."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Different?" Fin asked, looking puzzled as he used his talent as an actor as a crutch. "I suppose my hair is quite a bit longer, and I'm a bit fuzzy at the moment for the part I'm playing," he added, scratching at the beard he was sporting this week.

He paused then, pretending to think. "The medication I'm on does leave me a bit pale as well. I had an operation, you see. I lost my vision for a while."

[jageskro]

"Fin?" Jag asked with a happy chuckle, as he spotted the young man on the street. "Are you...? Did the surgery work?" He looked like he could see, and this month was officially a great month.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin looked up, and it took his mind a moment to connect the voice to a name- And now a name to a face.

"Oh, Jag... Hello," he smiled, forgetting about Phil's unkind words for a moment. "I- Yes, I can see. Quite well, actually."

[jageskro]

"That's great news, mate," Jag told him with a grin, definitely happy for him. He clapped him on the shoulder. "Worked even better than planned, did it?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

"It was a different procedure than originally planned," Fin replied, not wanting to lie completely if he could avoid it.

"I saw your face so briefly before I lost my eyes, I have to admit, I'd forgotten what you looked like," he confessed, pulling out his cigarettes, then offing one to Jag. "It's an odd process, connecting names and faces again."