OTA

[faizel]

“It's too hard,” Winter whined, face planting into his notebook dramatically. They were currently sitting at a small table outside a cafe, but it seemed the fresh air wasn't enough to keep the pixie from getting twitchy.

 

This had been going on for the last ten minutes now, and while Faizel knew he was pushing the pixie by asking him to make it through two hours of tutoring, he also knew Winter had to learn to be still and focus for longer than only an hour at a time if he was to survive a mortal school.

 

This was, honestly, the exact opposite of what the wizard usually did, but he understood why he'd been asked. Winter needed a tutor who understood not only what he was, but why he was the way he was. 

 

“It's not hard,” he said calmly. “You're bored, that's not the same as incapable.”

 

The pixie whined again, sitting back up and looking genuinely distraught. “We've been sitting at this table for days. ...Weeks. Definitely weeks,” Winter sulked.

 

Sighing, Faizel glanced at the time. Nearly 120 minutes on the dot. Winter had made it to 110 before his little melt down. That was forty whole minutes longer than last time.

 

“Alright, alright,” the wizard said softly. “No more maths today. How about I get us each another coffee and then I'll walk you home.”

 

Winter huffed, leaning back in his seat. “I don't need walking home,” he sighed. “Fae Finlay says I do, but-”

 

Faizel hushed him, frowning slightly. “Winter, you must stop calling people by what they are. I know it's ingrained, but you can not do that.” Though now really wasn't the time to scold the pixie he supposed, given that Winter looked about ready to explode if he didn't move around a bit. “It's just Willy and Fin, and I am just Faizel. Say it, just our names, and then you can go buy our coffee, and a sweet cake of some sort for having made it through such a long tutoring session.”

 

Winter squirmed, then sighed.

 

“Finlay, Willy, and Faizel,” he said calmly.

 

Faizel smiled and handed over a few notes. “Go on, get us each a coffee and a treat for yourself, then I'll walk you home.

 

Winter nodded, but the moment he was out of earshot, he just had to get it out of his system.

 

“Fae Finlay, Fae Willy, Fae Finlay and Willy,” he whispered to himself before getting on line.

 

(OTA, late tags v. welcome. Tag Faizel outside at the table, or Winter inside. Or, if you'd like them both, tag them both at the table after Winter returns. Though I will eventually send one of them off. XD)

Comments

[akatawitch]

Coming out with iced coffee, Sunny had seen some of the tantrum as it unfolded and just stood there watching with a mild wish in the back of her head that she had some popcorn. She knew full well Winter was a brat, but he was rarely like this with her. She didn't know why, but she took full advantage of it.

So when Faizel was alone at the table she just approached and plopped herself down next to him. "You told him the cake was a lie, didn't you."

[faizel]

Faizel looked puzzled, not understanding the reference, but smiled at the sight of Sunny herself.

"I thought sweets might cheer him. He's worked very hard today, and I know he's not happy about being walked home."

[akatawitch]

Sunny sighed inwardly at the clear lack of understanding, but she supposed she couldn't be surprised at it. And she couldn't resist that smile for long. "Oh yeah? What are you working on?"

[faizel]

"Algebra today- At least that's what Winter believes we were working on, his maths skills are actually quite good. In truth it was an exercise in getting him accustom to being still for extended periods of time," Faizel confessed. "He actually did very well. He nearly made it to two hours."

[akatawitch]

Her eyebrows arched upward, impressed. "Fin may have to worship you as his new god if you got Winter to sit still for two hours."

[faizel]

"Don't offer me too much praise, he was still unbelievably fidgety," Faizel assured her. "...What I'm more worried about is his constant need to speak formally when naming others. It's Fae Will this, Fae Fin that... I didn't even know Finlay was fae, but I do now. ...It's troubling, and I know he can't help it, Aspid no doubt punished him any time he forgot to speak that way, but- It's going to get him into trouble."

[akatawitch]

"Recent development," Sunny said with a shrug. "And yeah, I think everybody's been trying to get him to kick that habit for the past six months at least, but thus far nothing's made it through. Except with me. He just calls me 'miss' for some reason and I let him because that at least passes for normal."

[faizel]

"It's a habit that has to be broken if he's to attend a normal school," Faizel frowned. "It's too dangerous otherwise."

It was about then that Winter reappeared, putting Faizel's coffee in front of him and then sitting down with his own and the slice of cake he'd chosen. He looked startled by Sunny, then slightly upset.

"I didn't know you were here, Sunny. I would have bought another coffee or more cake," Winter said, frowning, then looking at his cake. "We can share mine, if you like."

[akatawitch]

Sunny nodded her agreement, but her attention shifted to Winter when he came back to the table and she smiled at him. "It's all right," she told him. "You enjoy that."

[miss_ives]

As she walked up to the café, Vanessa had seen Winter walk away from the table. She slowed to a stop near it, eyes landing on the textbook left there before they swept over the stranger still seated, taking the measure of him. "You're having Winter study algebra." She did not hide the fact that she was mildly impressed, if he was succeeding, from her tone.

[faizel]

Faizel looked up, studying her for a moment and wondering how she knew the pixie.

"I am," he nodded. "He's preparing to attend school in the fall."

[miss_ives]

"Oh." Vanessa was surprised, but clearly pleasantly so. It was such a rare occurrence; her eyes shone happily with it, and a genuine smile curved her lips. "What sort of school? I'm sorry," she apologised immediately, having let her curiosity take over her manners. "I'm Vanessa Ives," she held her hand out to him. "Winter and I met a few months ago."

[faizel]

He stood to introduce himself, taking the offered hand.

"Faizel," he replied, nodding politely, then offering her a seat by pulling out one of the chairs. "I know Winter from, um-"

He paused, not sure what to say. "We shared a mentor, of sorts," he said quietly, frowning at calling Aspid anything but a monster. Though he'd never share things about Winter's past without his permission.

[miss_ives]

"Thank you," Vanessa told him with a smile, and took a seat, folding her hands on her lap.

The pause was telling, but Vanessa would not pry. "And here you are now, tutoring him."

[faizel]

"Attempting too, yes," Faizel replied with a soft laugh. "He's been very good today though, very ca-"

Just as he was about to praise how calm and well behaved the pixie had been today, he glanced into the shop. ...Winter was bouncing a little, waving both hands at them to get their attention.

"...He's been mostly calm," he sighed.

[miss_ives]

Vanessa chuckled at Faizel's reaction. "Let me go and see what he wants," Vanessa offered, getting to her feet.

[winter_wisp]

Winter continued bouncing and waving until Vanessa reached him, grinning brightly at her. Winter was small, and though usually he was quite fair and ethereal in appearance, in moments like this he was all teeth and pointy ears. A sharp looking creature, full of energy and mischief.

"I'm buying coffee and sweets. Do you want sweets? I have all these notes," he said, fanning out the money Faizel had given him. ...It wasn't much really, but it would buy more than the two coffees and slice of cake he'd intended to buy.

[treasuredtales]

Belinda had noticed the pixie warming up to quite the snit fit on her way into the cafe and kept an ear out for the little one as she ordered. She was just sitting down at a table next to his companion's when dragon-sharp hearing caught the defiant whisper She shook her head, remembering how he'd called her dragon after she told him her true nature.

"You've set yourself quite the challenge, I think, with the little one," she said to the tutor, as she pulled a copy of Ludo's Salvatorul from her bag. "I'm not sure restraint is in his nature."

[faizel]

Faizel glanced over, wondering just how much the stranger had heard as he frowned slightly in concern.

"Pardon?" he replied.

[treasuredtales]

"I don't have much experience with little ones," Belinda didn't stop to consider the phrase usually had a different connotation among humans than the one she meant, but using it twice to refer to the pixie should suggest she knew something of his nature. "But I had the impression sitting still for long periods of time was not in their character. And in my conversation with Winter, I caught more than a glimpse of his willful streak. You have more patience than I."

[faizel]

"Ah, yes, he- Well, he's a handful," Faizel admitted. "I think he wants this though. He wants to fit in here, in London. He wants to go to school and make friends near his, um, emotional age."

[treasuredtales]

"Fitting in does help." Speaking of, introductions were a part of fitting in most worlds. Belinda offered her hand. "Belinda Von Brandt. Winter stopped at my table to ask about a book I was reading, oh, a month or two ago. I like his curiosity."

[faizel]

"Faizel," he smiled, taking the offered hand. "I'm Winter's tutor for the summer."

[treasuredtales]

Belinda's hand was only slightly warmer than a human's would be, many humans thought nothing of it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Faizel. Is tutoring something you do often? Or is Winter a special case?" She laughed lightly. "Here I am asking questions already, but I do like learning more about people, hearing their stories." And Faizel smelt of magic among other things.

[faizel]

"Tutoring is what I do for a living, though Winter is still a special case," Faizel admitted. "It's a bit of a reversal in terms of the work I usually do."