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He didn't work Sundays, but he'd been called in late last night for an emergency operation. It had gone well, but it had taken all night, and Yves looked tired as he sat at a table outside a cafe near the hospital.
He had showered and changed into a spare suit he kept in his office, and he sipped his coffee as he tried to decide if he should just go home and sleep the day away, or if he ought to practice a bit of self discipline and find something to keep him alert today.
It was busy though, and the tables around him were all filling up, leaving the next customer to step outside with nowhere to sit- Unless they were bold enough to ask to share his table.
He had showered and changed into a spare suit he kept in his office, and he sipped his coffee as he tried to decide if he should just go home and sleep the day away, or if he ought to practice a bit of self discipline and find something to keep him alert today.
It was busy though, and the tables around him were all filling up, leaving the next customer to step outside with nowhere to sit- Unless they were bold enough to ask to share his table.
Since seeing Winter, Faizel hadn't been sleeping well. As though the pixie's face had opened a Pandora's box of bad memories, all which seemed to take turns haunting his dreams.
Tonight he was grocery shopping, but he was fairly certain he'd been staring at the same bag of crisps for nearly five minutes now. ...And his basket was, well, empty.
Rubbing his face, he sighed, picking up the salt and vinegar variety, then setting off to the fresh fruit and veg- And walking right into someone.
"Sorry, sorry," he said quickly. "My apologies."
Tonight he was grocery shopping, but he was fairly certain he'd been staring at the same bag of crisps for nearly five minutes now. ...And his basket was, well, empty.
Rubbing his face, he sighed, picking up the salt and vinegar variety, then setting off to the fresh fruit and veg- And walking right into someone.
"Sorry, sorry," he said quickly. "My apologies."
Clint would have loved to have a good explanation for why he was there, something about being an Iowa farm boy. To say he'd really grown up on a farm would have been an exaggeration at best. Sure, he'd grown up in a farm house and there'd been some chickens but they'd mostly been pets who happened to leave eggs. He and Barney had had a pair of goats for a while but he had no idea what happened to them after they got put in the system.
Hell, he'd encountered more animals at the circus, but here he was at the National Pet Show.
And he definitely hadn't ever encountered an alpaca before. It was a weird-looking thing, with a mean little face. It glared (?) at Clint as it chewed a mouthful of hay, lower jaw moving in tiny circles.
"What was God thinking when He made an alpaca?" Clint asked, moving a handful of hay closer to it to see what it would do.
Hell, he'd encountered more animals at the circus, but here he was at the National Pet Show.
And he definitely hadn't ever encountered an alpaca before. It was a weird-looking thing, with a mean little face. It glared (?) at Clint as it chewed a mouthful of hay, lower jaw moving in tiny circles.
"What was God thinking when He made an alpaca?" Clint asked, moving a handful of hay closer to it to see what it would do.
Edited 2016-05-08 08:02 (UTC)
Rehearsals had run later than expected, and the rain was still coming down. Not hard, but enough to soak through a light jacket. It would have been nothing to call an Uber, and yet Fin instead bought a decent umbrella from the first shop he passed, opting to simply walk. Lighting a cigarette, Fin seemed to go unnoticed as he strolled along, the gentle tapping of the rain against his umbrella a soothing sound- A sharp contrast the the odd sense of dread that had been following him around all day.
He couldn't explain it really, only that he felt... Off. Had he been human still, he might have assumed he had a cold or something coming on. As it was... Well, he wasn't really sure what it could be. Paranoia, probably, he'd assured himself more than once today.
He was two blocks away from his flat when it happened. His heart fluttered back to life- Something he'd found exciting the first few times it had happened, but now knew to take as a warning. His heart only beat when it was fighting back against the darkness inside him, and this wasn't its usual steady beat. It was rapid, nervous, painful... His vision blurred, and he ducked into a doorway to collect himself as it returned to normal. ...What was that scent though? Sickly sweet and metallic, it filled the air, and it was so familiar.
The caves, that's where he knew it from, the place where he and Will had been lost last Halloween, the night he'd found that book and become whatever he was now.
Willy Silver, Daoine Sidhe, will join his kind in battle before summer comes. He will face me, or I will feast on his heart.
The voice was soft, little more than a whisper- And it felt as though it was in his head. The message repeated twice, and then was followed by a high pitched shriek, a noise so sharp that Fin dropped his umbrella and doubled over as he covered his ears. Though the few others who were out and about didn't seem to hear it, and most seemed to pay him no mind as they carried on with their night.
Had he been the only one to hear it? Or had the message been for Will too? Had anyone with ties to magic been privy to it? Fin didn't know. He only knew that his heart was beating so hard it made his chest ache, and that there was something beneath his skin, slithering and winding around his bones, squeezing until he ached all over.
He'd written off Halloween as a fluke, a blessing with some strings attached- But what if it had all been something more sinister? A dirty tactic to ensure Will didn't stop fighting simply because he was content here.
He couldn't explain it really, only that he felt... Off. Had he been human still, he might have assumed he had a cold or something coming on. As it was... Well, he wasn't really sure what it could be. Paranoia, probably, he'd assured himself more than once today.
He was two blocks away from his flat when it happened. His heart fluttered back to life- Something he'd found exciting the first few times it had happened, but now knew to take as a warning. His heart only beat when it was fighting back against the darkness inside him, and this wasn't its usual steady beat. It was rapid, nervous, painful... His vision blurred, and he ducked into a doorway to collect himself as it returned to normal. ...What was that scent though? Sickly sweet and metallic, it filled the air, and it was so familiar.
The caves, that's where he knew it from, the place where he and Will had been lost last Halloween, the night he'd found that book and become whatever he was now.
Willy Silver, Daoine Sidhe, will join his kind in battle before summer comes. He will face me, or I will feast on his heart.
The voice was soft, little more than a whisper- And it felt as though it was in his head. The message repeated twice, and then was followed by a high pitched shriek, a noise so sharp that Fin dropped his umbrella and doubled over as he covered his ears. Though the few others who were out and about didn't seem to hear it, and most seemed to pay him no mind as they carried on with their night.
Had he been the only one to hear it? Or had the message been for Will too? Had anyone with ties to magic been privy to it? Fin didn't know. He only knew that his heart was beating so hard it made his chest ache, and that there was something beneath his skin, slithering and winding around his bones, squeezing until he ached all over.
He'd written off Halloween as a fluke, a blessing with some strings attached- But what if it had all been something more sinister? A dirty tactic to ensure Will didn't stop fighting simply because he was content here.
Titania, their black, short haired feline, was fairly low maintenance. She kept herself clean, was eager to be brushed, and only very rarely needed any kind of cat shampoo. Oberon, however... His fur was long and white, easily matted and hard to keep tidy. He wasn't much for giving himself a wash, hated being brushed, and was, all around, a bit fussy.
Not that Q really minded. He adored the fluffy beast, and taking him once a month to be groomed was a minor inconvenience in his eyes.
That's what they'd done this morning, and since it was proving to be a beautiful day, Q had decided to stop and have lunch at one of his favourite outdoor bistros. A place that knew both him and Oberon well.
Oberon hated being trapped in his carrier for too long though, and so Q had taken to having him wear a little harness while they were out, something he could easily clip a leash to so the fluffy little prince could be out. Not that Oberon was likely to run off, given how lazy he was, but better safe than sorry.
Currently the pair were seated outside under a white umbrella, Oberon sitting happily on a chair beside Q, lapping at a little dish of cream one of the servers had giddily brought out for him, and occasionally pawing at Q's arm to demand nibbles of the salmon and rice dish he'd selected. The loop of the leash hung loose around the young quartermaster's delicate wrist, and the carrier was tucked away neatly beneath the metal, cafe style table.
"Oberon, you've had nearly as much as I've had now. You'll explode," Q tutted.
Oberon meowed sadly though, and Q sighed as he cut another piece for him.
"Fine, but that's your lot," he insisted for the third time.
Not that Q really minded. He adored the fluffy beast, and taking him once a month to be groomed was a minor inconvenience in his eyes.
That's what they'd done this morning, and since it was proving to be a beautiful day, Q had decided to stop and have lunch at one of his favourite outdoor bistros. A place that knew both him and Oberon well.
Oberon hated being trapped in his carrier for too long though, and so Q had taken to having him wear a little harness while they were out, something he could easily clip a leash to so the fluffy little prince could be out. Not that Oberon was likely to run off, given how lazy he was, but better safe than sorry.
Currently the pair were seated outside under a white umbrella, Oberon sitting happily on a chair beside Q, lapping at a little dish of cream one of the servers had giddily brought out for him, and occasionally pawing at Q's arm to demand nibbles of the salmon and rice dish he'd selected. The loop of the leash hung loose around the young quartermaster's delicate wrist, and the carrier was tucked away neatly beneath the metal, cafe style table.
"Oberon, you've had nearly as much as I've had now. You'll explode," Q tutted.
Oberon meowed sadly though, and Q sighed as he cut another piece for him.
"Fine, but that's your lot," he insisted for the third time.
Anael was walking around the Pet Show because the love people had for animals was just as lovely as any other, really. The question, rhetorical or not, made him stop and smile at the alpaca in question. "Usually, people ask about the platypus."
Sunny usually did her shopping and cooking on the weekend. That was she could have leftovers through the week to heat up and eat during the week when she was going to classes and working. This weekend...
Well. Okay, so she'd gotten a little into potions rather than actual food. So here she was.
Her attention on produce, she nearly waved it off when someone collided with her. These things happened. But she looked up and her face shifted from recognition to delight to concern. "You look awful," she said in place of a more typical greeting.
She usually allowed for lapses in manners around people she knew better, but it just popped out.
Well. Okay, so she'd gotten a little into potions rather than actual food. So here she was.
Her attention on produce, she nearly waved it off when someone collided with her. These things happened. But she looked up and her face shifted from recognition to delight to concern. "You look awful," she said in place of a more typical greeting.
She usually allowed for lapses in manners around people she knew better, but it just popped out.
"Oh, aren't you pretty?" Sunny said in the way people talked to animals, smiling and a little higher pitch than usual.
What, how could she not stop for a cat? In cities, cats came in two extremes--they were either indoor animals that you didn't see, or... feral. This cat was clearly one of the former.
She had the manners not to reach out and pet it without permission, but she couldn't help stopping to look.
What, how could she not stop for a cat? In cities, cats came in two extremes--they were either indoor animals that you didn't see, or... feral. This cat was clearly one of the former.
She had the manners not to reach out and pet it without permission, but she couldn't help stopping to look.
Faizel seemed somewhat startled to see her, offering a dopey little smile that melted into something a bit more confused. That wasn't really the greeting he'd been hoping for when he'd thought about what it might be like to see Sunny again.
"...Oh, um, long week," he replied, picking up a large leek as he spoke.
"...Oh, um, long week," he replied, picking up a large leek as he spoke.
Oberon clearly knew the word 'pretty', as it was enough to distract him (momentarily at least) from attempting to eat the rest of Q's lunch.
Glancing over, Q offered a faint smile. "You can pet him if you like, he's terribly friendly. Though be warned, despite being freshly groomed, he still manages to shed quite a bit."
Glancing over, Q offered a faint smile. "You can pet him if you like, he's terribly friendly. Though be warned, despite being freshly groomed, he still manages to shed quite a bit."
Sunny's voice softened down, a little apologetic for her outburst. "Everything all right?" He looked exhausted. The kind of exhausted she usually saw filling the library during exams.
"Well. Fortunately for me," Sunny answered wryly, "I am also very white." Never mind that all of her clothes were her usual bright colors. And with that she reached out to stroke the cat's fur.
If the cat shed on her, well. Magic was great that way. "What's his name?"
If the cat shed on her, well. Magic was great that way. "What's his name?"
The cat purred, happy to be doted on.
"Oberon," Q supplied with a smile. "Olly, when I adopted him, but I thought Oberon suited him better."
"Oberon," Q supplied with a smile. "Olly, when I adopted him, but I thought Oberon suited him better."
"Like bad dreams not sleeping well or the sun is messing with my internal clock not sleeping well?" It was a question asked out of a combination of concern and almost reflexively going through what magic she had and knew for each case.
Sunny nodded and let it go, letting her hands go back to checking out peppers. "I'm doing fine, by the way. Only over the weekend I got really busy with potions and..." she ducked her head a little, "forgot to do things with actual food."
That only made Sunny grin broadly, continuing to stroke the cat, long strokes from head to tail. "And does my lord also have a proud Titania, or are you just fond of medieval literature?"
"He does, actually," Q chuckled, letting the cat have the last nibble of salmon. "My partner brought her home a few months ago. They make for a lovely pair."
Oberon licked his face clean, then turned his head, rubbing against Sunny in search of more attention.
Oberon licked his face clean, then turned his head, rubbing against Sunny in search of more attention.
Sunny snorted a soft laugh. "I don't have the funds to take that route very often," she said. "And I'm out of leftovers, so if I want to eat tonight and at the same time not hate myself, I need to cook."
"Oh, and you're a greedy little thing, aren't you?" she playfully accused the cat, but she didn't stop. She wasn't sure she'd be forgiven if she did. "I'm Sunny, by the way," she said, almost apologetically.
"I'm Quinton," Q smiled, "Why don't you join us? I'm just about to order some tea before I take Oberon home."
Sunny nodded faintly in sympathy. "I'm debating a few options, but probably groundnut stew just because I can make it in my sleep by now."
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