OTA

[phouka]

The first day of Spring had come and gone. The prince had left to the Seelie lands, but only for battle preparations. He was back with the full moon. Phouka had remained behind to see after Winter and Fin, though for them the days were much the same. In truth, Phouka was a bit bored. He longed for court intrigues and gossip. As a guard he'd never been a part of things, always on the outside, but he'd heard and he'd seen. Now he got his entertainment from the telly. He found it to be so contrived. It lacked fire. Passion.

And so with the prince back he had been given leave for the day. He immediately set out to find intrigues. He wandered the park, found a market, sat outside in the chilly air to sip a coffee and watch. Watch and see. Everywhere he looked he saw people with lovers, with friends. He didn't know their lives so some of the drama was lost. But at the cafe he found hope. On one side of him sat two women chatting incessantly about the one's disasterous love life. The friend concurred with the righteous anger over many, many men. On the other side sat a couple who, at first, were the picture of romance. But then he checked a text and the woman...well, she became a bit mad. Angry, yes, but Phouka thought she was absolutely nutters as she questioned him on who he was talking to, grilling him with such jealous fury the Phouka kept waiting for the man to leave. Watching them he saw what others might not see. The man was positively eating up her jealous outburst. It stroked his ego, clearly.

"Hmm." Just that. One small sound. And he sipped his coffee.

[Find him at the cafe or in the park, market, or on the street, wherever works best!]

Comments

[akatawitch]

Usually for Sunny, coffee was a treat just to bribe herself to keep herself dealing with the bullshit of university. Right now? She was close to needing it to stay awake. Sunny was short on sleep and very much looking forward to Good Friday. Not because of church or anything, but because there wouldn't be any classes and she could do some catching up. Two days sometimes were just not enough to recover from the week.

When she stepped out of the cafe with coffee in hand, her attention was captured by the fight as well, wondering which of these people was the more insecure and making a bet with herself who would break if off and when. She didn't notice Phouka, not at first.

That was when she knew someone up there was laughing at her, and she wondered if she could still get away with... well, fleeing really.

[phouka]

But Phouka spotted her right away and stood up with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Sunny, my most loveliest of lovelies," he said happily, his smile broad and bright. "Come. Join me. Please."

[akatawitch]

Ah, shit.

But Sunny did approach, and without blushing. She even smiled, wry and a little tired. "I don't feel lovely right now, but thank you."

[phouka]

"You do look a bit weary. What has you thus?" he asked, tilting his head and looking at her with gentle eyes full of concern.

[akatawitch]

"Regularly staying up too late to meet all my deadlines," Sunny explained with a one-shouldered shrug. "I'll be fine with a little sleep, and Easter's coming up soon, so I'll get a long weekend to catch up."

[phouka]

"What is Easter?" he asked, pulling out a chair for her. His manners and etiquette were ingrained, servant that he was.

[akatawitch]

Almost as automatically as Phouka pulled out a chair for her--and she accepted, because tempted as she was to look for an out she kind of couldn't--she started reciting a bit of the credo, "Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas..." She bit her lip thoughtfully. "So answering this the right way kinda depends on how much you know about Christianity."

[phouka]

"I know they came to our lands and drove us beyond the veil with their God," he said. "They hate us because we haven't got mortal souls. But I quite liked Christmas. And no one has swords and few mortals even believe in the fae anymore. Other than that? I know the Christian God made a son named Jesus by a virgin and he died to take sin from the world. I do not think it worked," he added thoughtfully, as though he knew quite a lot.

[winter_wisp]

Winter hadn't been looking for Phouka, but he'd felt him nearby and had instantly set off in that direction- Or, rather, sprinted in that direction.

Winter could be a bit of a troublemaker, but usually he didn't run through the city like a menace. However, given that he was currently being chased by two very large and angry men, he was sure he could be forgiven for being just a little bit naughty.

Zipping through the cafe door, he glanced around and then quickly darted over to Phouka's table, sitting down and then turning himself invisible before he could even offer a proper hello. A little pixie magic, and no one around them seemed to even notice him- Though many heads did turn towards the door when his two hulking pursuers came crashing through.

With any luck they'd simply decide they'd lost him in the crowd outside.

[phouka]

Phouka was a bit surprised but the only way it registered was with raised brows. He sipped his coffee and watched as the two brutes came in, one going to the back to check the loo.

"You seen a snot nosed little brat run in here?" one asked the man who was eating up his girlfriend's jealousy. He looked shocked and shook his head.

He moved to Phouka.

"Did you see him?" he asked.

"I think I'm looking at him," the Phouka replied.

[winter_wisp]

Winter giggled, the wound like tinkling bells, and the hulking man looked around, growing more and more annoyed.

"Where is the little shit? He scammed me out of twenty quid! That stupid shell game of his was rigged!" the man snarled.

[phouka]

"Why were you playing a shell game? They're all rigged. Shame on you, sir," Phouka replied. That only angered the bloke and he grabbed the front of the Phouka's silk shirt and brocade waistcoat to pull him up.

"Look, wanker..." he said. But that was all he said. The Phouka was a guard for the Queen herself, and now to the prince. He was far from helpless, possessing the speed and ferocity of a beast. He bent the man's wrist and kneed him in the groin, then when he doubled over he slammed the man's head into the table. His friend came out and the Phouka dispatched him similarly. He was incredibly fast, too fast to be human, and both men lay bleeding and moaning on the floor.

And that was when the police came in, called by the server when the men first came in. They found the blokes on the floor and the Phouka smoothing his waistcoat.

"What happened?" one copper asked.

"They attacked me and I defended myself," Phouka answered. He thought of the telly and the movie he had seen. "Like Bruce Lee," he added.

"All right, go on. Get out of here. We'll take it from here."

Phouka looked at the blank space where Winter was sitting and subtly nodded his head for the pixie to join him.

[winter_wisp]

Winter giggled again, and one of the officers looked around in confusion, but the pixie slipped out of his seat and followed the Phouka. He didn't appear until they were outside, and he covered his mouth as he smiled brightly.

"You were fierce, Phouka. You moved like the wind through the trees!" he peeped.

[phouka]

The Phouka smiled with pride.

"Yes," he said. "And they deserved it. Were you up to mischief, little one?" he asked, wholly pleased with the turn of events.

[winter_wisp]

"I was selling fantasy... Then I snatched it away," Winter replied with an impish little grin. They got very cross though. Crosser than people usually get."

[phouka]

He chuckled and slipped his arm around the pixie's narrow shoulders.

"Very good," Phouka said. "There's no harm in that. But you must be careful who you trick."

[miss_ives]

Vanessa had been immersed in the novel she had been reading, and it was only as she put the book away and finished her tea that she noticed the Fae a couple of tables over. "Phouka," she whispered, more than she called out, unsure whether she wanted to slip away quietly or not.

[phouka]

The Phouka had quite keen ears and even over the sounds of gossip and squabble he heard his name. He saw Vanessa and smiled. When he caught her eye he stood and waved her over.

"Vanessa," he said warmly. "Come and join me. It is such a lovely day for a visit!"

[miss_ives]

His smile hadn't changed, the warmth of sunshine and things she could never have. Vanessa frowned, then stood and gathered her coat and her mug to go and join him.

"Phouka," she greeted him, the impossibility of calling him anything more formal (Mr Phouka sounded ludicrous) cutting short all temptation to ask him to address her differently. "I was not sure that you would remember me."

Their encounter had been brief, after all, if horridly memorable in some aspects. Thinking of that spirit inside her never failed to make her feel dirty, soiled.

[phouka]

"Of course I remember you, my friend," he said merrily. His eyes sparkled with humour and joy at the very sight of her. There were far too many mortals he did not know and so he treasured the ones he did.

"How have you been? Here, let me hold the chair for you..." he said, springing to his feet to pull the chair at his table out for her.

[miss_ives]

Friend. Vanessa was quite certain that she had not earned that title, but when he moved to pull her chair for her, she held her peace, appreciating the gesture. She set her cup down, then sat down, and put her coat on the back of the chair. "Thank you. I've been..." Just fine, she had meant to say, but she found herself loathe to lie to the Phouka. He was a fantastical creature, and as such, was one of a few that might understand. Still, her natural reserve had her equivocate. "I've had better days," she admitted, with a brief, brittle sort of smile.

[phouka]

"Ah, this is a tragedy," he said gently. "Do you wish to tell me or would you prefer to keep your secrets close to your heart?"

He put no pressure on her, it was a truly genuine question.

[miss_ives]

"If only I knew what they were to disclose," Vanessa answered, just as honestly. Then she might make an informed decision. "And how have you been?"

[phouka]

"Ah, I have been very well, though I grow weary with the world as it is. I miss the court. I do not have leave to go, though, so I remain with my favourite and my prince," he replied.

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique slipped her phone back into the oversized handbag on her shoulder. "I knew he was married when he gave me his cell number," she commented dryly, dangling an iced coffee in her other slim hand. She touched the second chair at the handsome man's table. It was perfectly placed with an unobstructed view of the arguing couple, yet the man with the cell phone wouldn't be able to see her. "Do you mind?"

Today, she had fast-forwarded her usual wardrobe by a few decades. Her flared trousers were authentic vintage, though her platform heels were knock-offs and the low-cut wrapped top was handmade from a vintage pattern bought off eBay. Her long, dark brown hair was fluffed and feathered in a more modern interpretation of Seventies style.