LOYALTY

Faolan stares. It isn’t the first time someone’s regarded his work with something like this, he hasn’t been a blacksmith for this long with mastering the trade, but it’s the first time someone’s remembered him from the Otherlands. He left the accomplishments behind a long time ago, but it doesn’t stop the pleased smile from crossing his lips. “I have not had an article used in front of my name in some centuries. Some people still remember my name then?” he wonders, a little surprised his mother didn’t try to erase that from history. It’s good to know there’s limits to even her power. Faolan grasps his hand, shaking it firmly. “Pleasure, Marek. Faolan is fine, I am not the type of person to stand on ceremony. I have to admit, I did not know they still made blades like this in the Otherlands, I always thought someone would take my work and run with it.” He studies the hilt only a moment longer. “Not my finest work, but one of my favorites. I can calibrate it for you at my shop whenever you are free, it is down the road from here,” he says, gesturing in the vague direction of Heat of the Moment. It isn’t far from them, but he won’t assume Marek has the time to handle it now, not when Faolan has clearly interrupted some sort of training. A familiar sort of training, too, but it takes him a moment of thoughtfully studying Marek before it clicks. “You are a guard? I did not work with them much, they had their own blacksmiths and I was not much of a name still, but you stand the way I imagined they did. Are you fresh from the Otherlands then?” Faolan hasn’t thought of the Otherlands as his home since… probably since the mid 1300′s, but he’s still got a curiosity for it. “Have they still got the uhh… mad man from Barstew trying to start a new religion? I have not heard about home since the 1900s, I am not sure what has changed.”

“Of course” he replied with hesitation. Faolan wasn’t as much of an obscure figure as he seemed to think he was, at least amongst the regiment of guards Marek had served with, the other fae was still remembered for his brilliant invention. He shook the man’s hand, so pleased to be meeting someone he’d admired and respected for a good portion of his life. “Fortunately for us, no, your work remained. I wouldn’t say it became standard amongst royal guards, but a great majority of us used them”. He couldn’t help but laugh a little when Faolan said the electrokinetic blade wasn’t his best work. Gods, if this wasn’t the best thing he’d created then what could be? Then when the offer was made to recalibrate his blade, Marek didn’t hesitate to answer “Yes, that would be great! Thank you. It’ll be wonderful to have it restored to its former glory”. When Faolan asked whether he was a guard he smiled and shook his head. “Not anymore, no”. His title was stripped in a way that some might deem dishonorable, but Marek had left his post in order to keep one of the most sacred vows he’d ever sworn. So to him, it wasn’t dishonorable in the least that he found himself in this realm now and that he’d chosen to build the kind of life he wanted for himself. “Not quite, I first came here a little over two years ago for what I thought might be only a temporary period of time, and I officially settled here last June. So Lethe is home now” he said with a proud smile, very much content with the choice to stay in this world, even more so because he had someone who was home to him. “Gods, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never heard of him” Marek admitted, scratching the back of his head. “I’m only seventy-four, so” he added with a laugh. He was a very young fae for the standards of their race. “Though I suppose some things never change because every few years some new faith sprouts out of nowhere. Last one I recall had something to do with worshipping an immortal firebird that inhabited a volcano south of the capital”. It sounded a bit ridiculous to him, but then again, maybe those firebird worshippers thought the religion of the Gods of the Forest was the one that made no sense. So to each their own, believing what brought them serenity or hope. “You’ve been here long, then” he stated more than asked, though he was admittedly curious to know what the great Faolan had been doing in this world for such a long time. Part of him also wondered why he left the Otherlands in the first place but he didn’t even consider asking that, considering it might be too personal.

Uh oh, not the person Luke is hoping would be standing there when he turns around. The two of them aren’t friends, though Marek doesn’t seem likely to jump on him for the events of– Wow, was it almost a year ago? His ribs are aching in protest, recalling the abuse they endeared from Katia’s lover, and he’s still waiting for Marek’s revenge. “I don’t dismiss anyone as a possible heavy hitter, anyone can do it if they are desperate enough. Fire not your style, is it?” he questions, turning slightly to keep Marek in his peripheral. Better, if he decides a year is long enough to prompt an answer. No matter how justified it was, he’ll look over his shoulder about shooting Katia for the rest of his life, if only because she’s clearly a fae turned werewolf with connections. “Fire is good for disposal and I have certainly used it to my advantage,” he corrects. “But, you’re right, my favorite plans don’t include fire. Too messy, too likely to burn you alongside everyone else, and werewolves burn as easily as fae do as it turns out.” Marek is surprisingly calm for the history between them. Sure, they don’t talk much, an acquaintanceship on the peripheral, drowned out by the loudness of the people they know. “What brings you out here? Exploring, or keeping an eye out? You’re dating the council lady… Nymph, I forget her name, Yasemin?”

The fae pursed his lips and shook his head. As reckless as he may be at times, there was certainly an order to ‘his style’. He wasn’t messy and bloody, he wasn’t chaotic in any way as he was very much marked by the rigorous lifestyle he’d had as a royal guard who also happened to belong to an aristocratic family. “Electricity is more my style” he stated simply. Electrokinesis was clean and precise, and with the aid of his blades, he could literally wield it with all the finesse and deadly accuracy he desired. In spite of how much he condemned the way Luke had acted back when he fired that bullet to his princess, Marek had no intention of being antagonistic towards the wolf. They had bigger problems looming around than an endless debate of whether or not he’d been justified in pulling the trigger. “Yasemin Asli, yes” he said with a calm nod. “I think we both know trouble is to be expected tonight” he began, as his eyes continued to travel over the are they were in “I know I can make myself useful to the people when that happens”. He could aid the townspeople in evacuating, he could engage in battle against the arsonists if it was necessary. Once a soldier, always a soldier, it seemed. And the arsonist group of people that had been terrorizing Lethe for fart too long had declared war to this new home he loved, so of course he was going to get involved. “What about you? By your earlier warning, I take it you won’t just stand and watch with arms crossed”.

“Can’t have that. I don’t know how it is in this world entirely, but I can only imagine what they to do inept political leaders,” she states, drawing her finger across her throat, a twinkle in her eyes betraying her humor. It’s hard to take some of this world seriously, some of it is just… silly. Like the money. Lily accepts the next one and guffaws at the similar old looking man on it from the last one. “Have they all got this strange hair? It’s quite fetching, how do you suppose I would look with one? Or… perhaps your lover would like you in one!” She holds it up to his face in contemplation, still laughing. It’s his talking that tames her amusement, even if her lips are curled up an amused grin as she listens patiently to his words. It explains a great deal about the humor world that she didn’t quite consider, and she supposes they have a valid reason for using strange pieces of paper in lieu of real coin, even if it’s confusing. “Ah, so this money can still be exchanged for goods and services, it still has value, it’s just… a different form of it. This is a great deal easier to carry around than silver or gold and I suppose… Well, less need to haggle over things if there’s a set price, yes?” She wonders aloud, tugging the money gently in her hands. It’s so flimsy, but oh well.

Her brows raise and she draws her knees up, chin settling on them. Talk of the human world is fun and all, but she’s always been drawn to the people and emotions of this world. How very fae of her. “She is quite lovely, I can see what you like about her. Very stunning eyes, too,” she muses. “Not what I imagined when you spoke about her, I thought she would be more… angelic. You spoke of her like someone would speak of an experience with the Gods.” The Otherlands religions are as diverse as the human world, some more popular than others, but Lily’s always ascribed to the belief that there’s a deity in every aspect of nature. Marek’s love for this woman seemed like something of dreams. “Do you like it in Lethe then? Beyond just your love for her which, by the way, perhaps it is best I haven’t met you both together, if the love rolls off her the way it does you, I might need to see a healer for death by sweetness,” she teases.

“These days some can be quite forgiving, for what I’ve read” he said with a shrug. His experience in the human world was narrowed solely to Lethe, so outside of this bubble he really hadn’t seen much of what was out there, but he had read a thing or two about mediocre leaders in recent times. “Don’t take this in any way as an invitation to become an inept leader, Lily” he said if only to tease her a little, playing into some of the humor she’d brought to their conversation. Lily was far from inept, of course, in the time he’d known her he’d been able to see clear as day that she knew when and how to play her cards, a rare skill that most people would desire to execute as well as she did. When she spoke of the peculiar hairstyles of the men from the bills, Marek just made a face and shook his head. He didn’t think it was fetching in any way. All he saw was big foreheads exposed in all their glory and curiously crafted white curls. “Exactly” Marek said with a smile, knowing that his friend would pick up on the idea behind the paper money as quickly as she did. “Be gentle with it” he said as she tugged on it “The drawback, of course, is that it’s more delicate than coins. Broken bills are no good and some people won’t even accept one that has even a little tear”.

Marek couldn’t help but smile as Lily spoke of Yasemin. It was nice to hear that his friend had gotten a good impression of his girlfriend. They were both important people to him and he liked to think that they might get along. Marek wasn’t a particularly pious fae, though he did grow up with the faith of the Old Gods, his life experiences had made him believe less and less in the divine. He’d never felt any religious faith be as strong and as fulfilling as what he felt in his bond with Yasemin. So perhaps it wasn’t that inaccurate for Lily to compare his devotion to his beloved to an experience worthy of the touch of gods and goddesses. “If the more religious folk feel anything remotely close to what it feels to love her and be loved by her, then I can understand why they keep praying”. He’d never found that willingness to try to be better and do better in religion, but to him, it was no less sacred that he’d found that in a woman. “Laugh all you want, Lily, but you’ll be the luckiest person alive when you find something like what I found with her” he told her even as he laughed along with her teasing. “But yes, I do like this place. It might not be perfect but it’s the home I was looking for. I cannot say I disliked my old realm, but too much had turned bitter for me there and I was blindly following a path that was set before me”. Marek took pride in having served the royal family, having served Katia most of all, and he’d done with genuine loyalty. It didn’t change the fact he hadn’t really chosen to become a guard, it was just what was expected of him because of his family’s history and legacy. In Lethe, he’d found his blank slate to do with it what he pleased. “Here I’m getting to make my own path. I may not always know where I want it to lead, but it feels... empowering, in a way, to know I’m the one choosing what to make of it”. Marek nodded a little, more to himself than to Lily, content about his current state in life. “It’s the first time I’ve had that”.

Brown hues glanced up as if she was searching for some sort of truth in Marek’s eyes. “You know, it’s okay right? You can definitely have an opinion on us even if I am a part of it.” She didn’t want him to lie or hold back just cause they were in a relationship. The town had their strong opinions about them already that her boyfriend’s wouldn’t even make a dent to what’s being said. Yasemin remained silent throughout the duration Marek spoke, his words were not only insightful, but comforting. Further, it was advice that she seriously needed to take, especially since she felt that she was on the verge of a burn out. Being overwhelmed was a bad habit that she became used to, but it was also something that she was able to control. Now this, this was a whole other level of stress. “Thank you.” she sincerely said at first. “I know…I really should re-evaluate and prioritize what, let alone who matters more…” She already informed Ele that she’d be every step of the way during the pregnancy, as for Seiha she did encourage her to meet with Imani, but she knew she’d need to check in on her after and so she made a mental note about that for next time. “You’re really good at making me feel better love. I also appreciate you taking the time to listen to me…You didn’t deserve to be burdened with that.” 

Yasemin did her best to refrain from rolling her eyes at Marek’s response, but her mood lightened up once she kissed the too of her head and after calming down, she leaned against him to enjoy the rest of the meal and wine. “And what have you been doing with said time and energy hm?” she curiously inquired arching a brow. The nymph took a long sip of her cherry wine and wore a devious smirk as she beamed with pride, “Exactly babe…Which is why for next time, the more…the merrier.” She the jokingly winked before reaching up to pat the sides of his face gently. “Besides you are an absolute charmer and I doubt anyone would suspect you either. Look at us, perfect match!” 

The fae smiled at her words and gave a slow nod. Of course he did have an opinion and he didn’t feel the need to censor himself with her only because she worked with the Council. “What I meant to say is that I’m only looking at things from the outside. The inner dealings of it all, the complexities of the work of the Council, trying to get the individual wills of the many work in some democratic manner- It’s not fair for me to pass judgment from the comfort of my position” he simply said. After all, he wasn’t the one trying to figure out how to solve the town’s social and political problems or terminate a community threat. He could agree or disagree with the Council’s general consensus on certain matters, but at the end of the day, he couldn’t presume to be wiser of more knowledgable than any of its members or to have any skill in the art of leadership. “One task at a time, my love” he told her with a grin, before leaning close to capture her lips for a soft, lasting kiss. He was there for her, supporting her and offering whatever encouragement he could give so she didn’t feel so defeated by her tasks and other concerns. “I’ll always make time to listen to you. Always” he said with emphasis, placing two fingers under her chin “And it is no burden in any way. How could it be? You’re sharing your life with me, Yasemin. Your joys, your doubts, your worries- I’m in for all of it” the fae told her with determination as a small smile appeared on his lips, eyes filled with adoration as their eyes locked. The good times were lovely and he adored them, of course, but he was there also for everything else that was less than ideal. Ups and downs, the good and the bad- he’d pledged his love to her so they could navigate all of it together. 

Marek scratched the back of his neck and grinned at his beautiful nymph. “I did some training” he admitted with a chuckle before taking another sip of his cherry wine. “Some sparring. Some archery. Old habits die hard”. He may no longer be part of the regiment of royal guards of his old realm, but it was still very much ingrained into him, dedicating time to the mastery of his skills as rigorously -if not even a bit more- than when he served in the Otherlands. And as he was cooking this meal for her he had also entertained some ideas about his future but he decided to share them with Yasemin some other time. Today was about her. He ended up laughing a little when she said the cherry wine could have used bite more kick to it. It was definitely noted for next time. “Am I really a charmer?” he said in a mock thoughtful fashion “I don’t know if my charm works on others, I only ever used it on you” Marek said with a bit of a suggestive smile before laughing heartily. 

Date: 30 May 2021 Location: the gardens @ the gala Time: 3:55PM Status: open!

He’s not lost, but it’s the first thing he’ll say if anyone asks him why he’s wandering around. Mostly he’s trying to get a scope of the manor, trying to find  a place easiest to watch people and parking himself there when the inevitable madness starts later. “Did you know there’s a maze? Do you want to bet money on it that someone lights it on fire before the night is over?” he questions the first person he spots. Getting the first punch in is very important, but mostly Luke is bored of listening to the mindless prattle of people preparing for the evening to come. “If you light it yourself, or encourage it, you forfeit. Then I will forget my loose regard for the law and tell the nearest person of authority. Hopefully that isn’t you, if so this a hypothetical conversation.”

Marek was less than enthusiastic about the gala. The last one he attended had been memorable, so to speak, and for all the wrong reasons. Yasemin had told him about the fact that this whole thing had been orchestrated as a way to lure in the arsonists, effectively making everyone here bait, so the fae couldn’t help but feel it was just a matter of time before chaos erupted. A usual, he carried his concealed electrokinetic blade hilt and he’d even smuggled into shiv blades strapped to his back, skillfully hidden beneath his shirt. The fae may not be anyone’s guard now, but he knew himself well enough to know he’d jump in when things got ugly, whether it was because old habits died hard or because it was just who he was and not a consequence of what he’d been. “I don’t think you have to worry about me setting anything on fire” he countered as she came to a halt, standing a few feet away from the Sokolov werewolf. He looked around, admiring the Antrim’s manor, less for aesthetic pleasure and more to better get acquainted with his surroundings, locating vantage points, possible quick exits. "And I suppose we can all count ourselves lucky that your bright ideas have never included fire" he said as he glanced in Luke's direction. The fae didn't dislike him even though there had been enough reasons for Marek to. He didn't attribute the sins of his mother to him, even though that connection had been enough to make Marek wary at first, and he would of course never look past the fact that he'd once shot Katia. Ultimately he did think Luke's heart was in the right place despite the mistakes from his past. Marek wasn't clean of those either so he was in no position to judge others harshly because of them.

Date: 11 May 2021 Time: mid-morning Location: Lily’s living room Status: closed with @andre-marek​

Her wallet is upended on the table, the various coins, bits of paper, and random cards handed to her from others are spread across it in small piles. Lily lays on the ground next to it, holding a five dollar bill up to the light with a scrunch on her face. “If you pretend to understand money, none of them question you on it, but I am still confused. You are telling me this… this paper is worth more than the coins? I miss trading with things that make sense,” she tells Marek with a frown. It’s the first time they’ve had a chance to meet in several weeks, the council dragging her one direction and then the other in preparations for the gala. Lily doesn’t mind the work, even if it feels a bit like holding back a tide and far harder to make a difference as she could in the Otheralands. There’s some cultural gaps to fill, but she’s made do the last few months since Javier Morales allowed her to take over for him temporarily. Well, less temporary now that the council has no one else to do it. She sits up to grin at him, a teasing lilt to her voice. “So… you said you had someone in Lethe. I didn’t realize the Yasemin I work with and the one you moon over are the same person.” 

“Yes, you’ll get a few funny looks from others if you express your confusion out loud” Marek told her with a nod. He was speaking from experience on this particular matter, as currency in this world had been one of the strangest things for him at first. “Though I recommend you actually study it to understand it rather than simply pretend” he said to Lily as he handed over a ten dollar bill for her to inspect, so she could learn to differentiate each of the bills. The fact that they all were some variation of a shade of green and had the faces of old-looking men on them made it a bit tricky to tell apart, but at least people had the common sense to add the numbers of their respective values. “It is a peculiar system, but I’ve found there’s some sense to accepting rectangular pieces of paper as something of value”. Marek had gone into the library in his early days in Lethe to understand how that came to be and as a result, he ended up learning about the history of trade, the so-called ‘coincidence of wants’, how the introduction of money -be it in the form of coins or the myriad of other odd things people had used over time- became an acceptable unit of exchange until that system began to show some of its limits when the economy grew. “The very scarcity that made money valuable in the first place -such as gold and silver- became an obstacle when the economy of this world’s countries grew”. That growth had posed the question of what would happen when the economy’s growth didn’t match with how much gold or silver could be obtained. “Eventually some people began issuing promissory notes to exchange for coin and it worked with a banking system. People ended up trading on those notes and receipts, which ended up becoming a form of currency. And here we are: convenient paper money” he said with a smile as he tapped the bills on the table.

The fae inevitably smiled as Lily mentioned Yasemin. The change of topic caught him a bit off guard but he should have known his friend would bring it up eventually. He had spoken plenty about his beautiful nymph in the days he spent imprisoned in his homeland awaiting his trial. The thought of Yasemin had kept him strong, had kept him hopeful. “Yes, the Yasemin that presides over the nymph faction in the Council. That’s the one” he added with a soft chuckle.

Yasemin pouted again, especially since her boyfriend was too kind for offering to hear her out. She didn’t want to bore him, let alone make him too worried of the struggles she faced. However, she wasn’t so sure how long she could hold onto things. “I don’t know where to begin even if I try…” She paused and thought of where to start, nibbling on the pastry, she got distracted midway, but eventually snapped out of it. “Well for starters our Council is in shambles, but that’s nothing new. There’s those shades…And then the wolves…” Just listing them off made her realize that it was just the tip of the iceberg. “My best friend is pregnant and the man that knocked her up has the freakin’ audacity to leave town!!!! And I think my daughter is having girl trouble with a werewolf! My workload is just…UGH!”  

She stuffed her face with the rest of the baked good and chewed angrily. However, her gaze softened when Marek reassured her beauty. “Mmm, babe…” she whispered as she tackled him for a hug. “You always know the right things to say. Thank you!” Being in the presence of her boyfriend surely lightened things up for Yasemin as she outweighed the good in her life. At the end of the day, she was grateful to have a roof over her head, a job, and loved ones by her side. “Now tell me about you? I want to know about your day and how things are with you…” Digging into the rest of the food and enjoying a glass of cherry wine for herself, she shook her head and said, “It’ll be our little secret! No one has to know! Besides look at me Marek. Would they suspect anything mischievous from this face?” 

The fae waited for Yasemin to sort her thoughts and start anywhere she saw fit. He simply leaned closer, tenderly brushing some hair aside -not because her hair needed to be brushed aside but simply because it was a tender gesture he liked doing-, and he met her eyes, willing to listen. “I know I have no opinion regarding the Council,” he mentioned, because he couldn’t even begin to fully comprehend everything the Council was facing and he didn’t have the audacity to pretend he did “but those are mostly issues that you cannot solve on your own, my love”. There were plenty of people involved there, and as frustrating as it was, it wasn’t up to Yasemin. She had her vote and her voice amongst them but at the end of the day, the success or failure of the Council resided in many other voices too. “It might help to lessen some of the stress if you channel some of that energy into what is in your hands. Be there for Ele. Be there for Seiha. Both of them value your advice and your support” he told her as his hand went from where he’d tucked some hair behind her ear to caress her cheek. “I don’t know if that would help you, but it’s what helps me. I’m too bloody restless at times and tackling small objectives eases me somewhat”.

Marek chuckled softly when his girlfriend attacked him with a hug, a sort of attack that was always most welcomed. It was somewhat amusing too, that Yasemin was probably the first person to ever think he had the ability to say ‘the right thing’. His tongue had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count, though perhaps he was finally growing out of his recklessness of old. “Well, I don’t know about that” the fae admitted with a laugh. “I’m just telling the truth” he told her as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He leaned back against the couch with an arm still draped over his girlfriend’s shoulders. “Well, you know me, I had time on my hands and plenty of energy”. That always meant going for an archery practice. These days he practiced in safer areas near the woods and not in vacant, grassy lots that he turned into training grounds like the one she’d found him in when he was still pretty new to Lethe. Marek took a sip of his cherry wine and couldn’t help but chuckle at what his girlfriend said next. “No, of course no one would suspect a thing. You have the most innocent face in all of Lethe, Yasemin. You could do anything and get away with it, which frankly, is so unfair for the rest of us” he replied in a teasing manner.

Its been a few centuries since he’s laid hands on a blade like the one Marek holds. The ores in the human world are much too unusual to be a conduit of the same caliber as Otherlander ones, but he likes to think the memory of handling them is still there in his head. “Unless creating these has changed in the last few centuries since I have visited the Otherlands, yes,” he says rather than laugh at the notion. Faolan can still remember the burns when the weapon didn’t hold the electricity well, and the feeling of triumphant the first time he got it to work. “I left my own back home a long time ago, I try not to think of what’s become of it since then. Something decent, if they have other people imitating the style, I’m pleased to have made an impression there.” He laughs, coming closer now that Marek was aware of his presence and less likely to skewer him in surprise. Ah, that explains it then, he didn’t think many blacksmiths wandered from the Otherlands, there’s always a demand of them back home when fae wage war for the smallest of slights. “Calibrating is an easy fix, we could handle it in my shop and be done in half an hour. No balance issues when you use it? No back firing? Afraid my original one grew snippy if we used it too long, many an eyebrow lost in the process of making it.” Remembering it amuses him, but he blinks, realizing he’s chatting without displaying one ounce of social politeness. It isn’t usually important, but curiosity wins out and he raises a brow in question. “I’m Faolan, who might you be?”

Marek offered an easy smile, content to run into not only a fellow fae, but one who seemed to appreciate this particular kind of fae weaponry as much as he did. “They’ve become somewhat of a lost art, I’m afraid. Few blacksmiths still know how to make them” he said as he spun the blade with ease in his hand and then let the energy blade fade, keeping only the metallic hilt in his hand. Marek had been about to say that it was like his blade had simply stayed in their former realm, collecting dust, as it was near impossible to get another fae to wield someone else’s electrokinetic blade. But he said nothing, processing what the man said about others imitating the style and about having made an impression in the Otherlands. His eyes widened a little and a smile gradually spread across his lips. “Wait. Did you-?” he began, glancing down at the hilt of his blade. Any remaining doubt Marek might have had about Faolan being the genius creator of the very blade he so cherished, was swiftly dissipated as the man spoke with such ease about the special calibration of the blade. The young fae only shook his head in response, letting the man know there were no other issues with his blade other than the need for recalibration. “Gods, I can’t believe it. You’re Faolan, the Faolan” he said with evident admiration. He was standing before the man who crafted one of the single best inventions their realm had to offer. And it wasn’t an opinion that stemmed from his years as a royal guard, having made ample use of that special weapon. Objectively, it took a lot of skill and a touch of genius to merge fae power with a blacksmith’s craft. Marek slipped his blade’s hilt back into the leather sheath attached to his belt and held out his hand “It’s a great honor to meet you, sir” he said with a nod, a polite gesture that gave away in some slight way his old courtly mannerisms. “My name is Marek” he said, not bothering to use the human name he’d adopted. Everyone in town called him that, anyway, believing it to be his last name, not always privy to the fact that it was his true fae name.

Date: 28 April 2021 Location: Park @ Irving Plaza Time: mid-afternoon

@andre-marek​

Blacksmith work is necessary anywhere, but he admits to missing the Otherlands for their creative and often insatiable need for weaponry. Less thrilled when they use it in wars or slights – of which the fae seemed to have many. Faolan doesn’t expect to see some of those weapons again, swift as he left the Otherlands centuries prior. He’s less than eloquent at the sight of one, eyes blinking in surprise as he watches the other fae. “I am impressed with the condition of that blade considering how old it is,” he announces, staying several feet back, in case this fae happens to be an easily startled sort. He has no wishes to be skewered. “Electricity on it is a little dull, but I cannot imagine they learned the trick of fixing that too well over the centuries. Is this yours?”

Even to this day Marek still carried his electrokinetic blade with him everywhere. Old habits die hard, he supposed. The small metallic object, merely the size of its hilt when it was deactivated, was easy to conceal, strapped to his waist in the leather holder Yasemin got for him for Christmas. The park at Irving Plaza was spacious enough for him to train, keeping a safe distance from anyone around him. Holding the hilt in his hand and letting his electrokinetic power flow to it, the bright blade of pure energy appeared and the fae began his drill. Swift and graceful, he moved with all the technique of a man that was groomed from childhood to serve as a royal guard but with sparks of an audacious inner flame that couldn’t be taught, an element of creativity in his movements that allowed him to deliver unexpected blows. Marek spun the sword with ease, clearly accustomed to feeling such a weapon at the end of his hand, and he turned to face Faolan after he spoke. “You’re familiar with this kind of blades? Not many people are” he said, pleasantly surprised. Even in his old realm, they were somewhat of a rarity since fewer and fewer blacksmiths knew how to craft them. The fae electrokinetic blades were somewhat of an art that would be lost eventually, even more so because they couldn’t be inherited since each magical hilt was only used by a single fae, calibrated to match the electrokinetic power of its user. “Yes, I’ve owned it for quite a while. It hasn’t been calibrated in a long time” he said as he glanced down at the energy blade. It was still bright, but nowhere near as bright as it had been when it was first given to him. “It gets the job done, though” he said with a smile and shrug. Having it restored to its former glory would mean going back to his old realm and get a fae blacksmith to recalibrate it, which would be quite a bothersome process. He’d made his peace with leaving that old world behind and returning just for that would be odd.

On cue, Yasemin did her infamous pout as she nodded in response to Marek’s question. “Days? Weeks? Months even?…I don’t know, with each passing day that goes by this job becomes more problematic.” Looking up she was trying to see something as she blurted out, “Do you see any grey hairs? You think I’m finally getting the elderly look? Wrinkles too?” She was being dramatic, but in her opinion she had every right to with the struggles that she’d been facing as a Council member. “Well I love you whole heartedly for doing this.” And with that she pulled him for another kiss, this one lingered a little bit longer than the last, but she soon pushed him away slightly as she didn’t want to get too carried away just yet. “This is a nice surprise.” she says to him with a gentle smile. Taking his hand she led him to her office couch and pulled the coffee table a little closer to them so they could lay the food on there. “There’s a lot happening as you know. Changes again and more…trouble…But this is a really nice and much needed break from from it all.” Something that Yasemin’s been improving on was not talking about work whenever she’s with him. It’s the least she could do as a workaholic, although she wasn’t sure how today would work out since he’s…well at her work. 

Yasemin went straight for the freshly baked leafed bread as it was her favourite and partially one of the reason why she fell for Marek. “Mmmm…” she hums in satisfaction while she eats it. “You know I wouldn’t have mind if the cherry wine was strong—I have a lot going on and that would have definitely done the trick.” 

His hands rested on her upper arms and moved up and down in a soothing manner as she spoke about the increasingly problematic nature of her work. The fae didn’t need to rely on his Empathy to tangibly know how Yasemin was feeling, her body language and her voice did more than enough to convey it. Besides, he wasn’t ignorant of the constantly chaotic nature of Lethe or the fact that the Council struggled to maintain the town’s peace. He knew they were trying, or at the very least that Yasemin was trying, but success was difficult to attain when all the representatives didn’t see eye to eye and when others abandoned their post. It was impossible for just a few to hold the fort, after all. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked as he cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb against her skin. The fae knew that she tried not to bring talk of work to their home but he wasn’t against it at all, even less so if it took some weight off her shoulders to discuss matters that were concerning her. “And don’t worry, I see no signs of an elderly look just yet” he told her with a smile as he leaned close to give her a quick kiss. “And even if the signs were there it would make no difference to me. You only grow more beautiful in my eyes each day, my love”.

The two of them settled comfortably on her office couch and the food he brought was unpacked and placed before them for his girlfriend to dig in. He couldn’t help but grin when she went straight for the leafed bread. While it was a fairly common meal in the Fae Realm, his nymph adored it like the greatest of delicacies and that only made Marek bake it with diligence and enthusiasm every time he made it for her. “Noted. Stronger cherry wine for next time” he grinned as he poured some for himself and took a sip. “I don’t think I’d like to be responsible for getting a Councilwoman drunk during work, though”.

Yasemin thinks she’s losing it. 

Currently, the Councilwoman was spinning in her ergonomic chair and humming to herself as a coping mechanism. To what though? Probably stress, but when was she ever not stressed? This was a nice distraction, especially with how dizzy she was getting. Maybe she can bring herself to become fake sick. Who’s going to get upset with her anyways? Then she thought of the citizens and how they might need her help. Guilt didn’t sit well with her as she furrowed her brows and pouted while she twirled. “Gah!!!” she exclaimed before burying her face into her hands. It wasn’t until she heard Marek’s voice that she stopped spinning and immediately sprung out of her seat. “Babe!!” Forgetting the fact that she was dizzy, Yasemin clumsily tripped over her own feet, before floating over to Marek and stumbling into his arms. “My hero!” she whined as she buried her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around him for a tight embrace. It was mostly for support, but his hugs always made everything better. Evidently, she was so glad to see him and hearing what he had made for her caused her gaze to soften as she looked up at him. “Marek! I am way too lucky…You spoil me too much!” She then leaned up to kiss him, but pulled away briefly to ask, “—Wait what’s the occassion?” 

The fae grinned as she floated over to him, quickly setting aside the to-go bag he’d gotten for her and wrapping his arms around her. Marek smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Rough day?” he asked with a soft chuckle as she buried her face into his chest. He didn’t really think that making a nice meal for his girlfriend meant he was spoiling her since he enjoyed cooking and baking, but what he enjoyed the most was seeing Yasemin being content because of it. “Well, this is clearly a win-win scenario because I love doing it” he told her before they kissed, a soft smile spreading across his lips as they pulled away. “There’s no special occasion” the fae admitted with a shrug. “It’s my day off work and I thought you’d like the surprise. I know work has been stressful for you and a nice meal might distract you from that for a little while”. What was a tasty lunch compared to a whole lot of workload and all of the town’s issues? Probably not much. But if he could help give a few minutes of relaxation to his girlfriend, he sure as hell would do it.

@yasemin-asli​

It was his day off at the diner but that had in no way kept the fae from being quite active. He’d never been good at sitting still, so Marek had spent most of the morning making good use of the bow Yasemin had given him for Christmas, as well as performing some training exercises with his electrokinetic blades. He may no longer be a royal guard but that didn’t keep him from continuing to pursue the mastery of his combat skills. After a shower he’d gone to that part of the house that was his pride and joy: the kitchen. The fae lost himself in there for some good two hours before he packed everything neatly to-go and headed towards Lethe’s City Hall. “I have a delivery for one Ms. Asli” he said after knocking on Yasemin’s office door, a smile quickly appearing on his lips. “I have a berry salad, roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce, some cherry wine- don’t worry, it’s not strong. I made sure to make it extra light” he was quick to say, so she wouldn’t think he’d brewed her a strong alcoholic drink to work. “And of course, I have some freshly baked leafed bread for you”. Ever since he’d first made those little bread buns wrapped in lotus leaves, Yasemin had loved that fae food and Marek was always delighted to make some for her every now and then. Given the coming and going waves of stress from work, he thought it’d be nice to surprise her and treat her to some good homemade food.

Dominique had a slight twinkle in her eye when he responded to her compliment. Either the guy was being too modest or there was a whole other side to what she had just met. Either way she understood both options. It was always hard to get a full grasp of who people were on first meeting ,even if the Lamia believed herself to be a good study. “ He did, didn’t he? Who is really so bold to try to pull anything off in a town like this?” She asked noting those who would try anything in a town of supernaturals were playing with fire. “ Oh man I just got my nails done. I would have punched him if he didn’t let up,  but that’s always so inconvenient to fix. “ She chuckled, letting the joke fall out naturally. “ Dominique Demoriane, but Dom is fine. Nice to have a name  to go with the face. Better way to make friends with the right information”

“People can be surprising” he mentioned with a rise of his eyebrows. And not necessarily be surprising in a positive way. It did seem stupid to try to snatch a wallet in a place like Lethe, where repercussions from the victim could involve magical powers. But then again, living in a community of supernaturals meant some could try to use those powers unjustly or negatively. Marek gave a good-natured laugh as she mentioned her nails. It was always nice running into someone who could make light of even bad situations. It was an enviable skill, really. “Dom it is” the fae said with a nod as she allowed him to call her by her nickname. “And you can call me Marek, no one really calls me Andre” he admitted with a friendly smile. It had worked well for the fae to integrate his real name into the ‘normal’ name he’d picked for this world. For everyone it was like calling him by his surname when it was actually his given name in the Fae Realm. “I couldn’t agree more” the fae said with a nod before he finished his meal. Then he went to stand on the other side of the counter and grabbed his folded apron from he’d left it before his lunch break. “Dom, would you like something to drink? Or a dessert? It’s on the house. We wouldn’t want to lose customers because they might start thinking they could get robbed here”.

“Ah, thank you very much!” Yasemin happily exclaimed as she smiled into Marek’s kiss. Things were definitely different now. It was not just her and Snow, but her, Snow and Marek. To have that change up in her life was not only rewarding, but worth having the extra company. She could definitely get used to this that was for sure. The puzzled look on her boyfriend’s face caused her to shake her head in disagreement as she still felt bad. It felt like she didn’t provide as much effort as that was the day he was brought into this universe. “I felt like I could have done more.” she admitted as she leaned against him. “But I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She appreciated him wholeheartedly and she felt lucky to be in a relationship with someone who worked so well with her and vice versa. 

Watching Marek unravel his gifts, the air nymph bit the insides of her cheek as she braced herself for his reaction. She wasn’t sure if he had already these upgrades in mind, but she hoped that wasn’t the case and that she beat him to it. Seeing him caught off guard was a good sign as her lips widened into a bright smile. “So I take it you love it?” she teased as the fae approached her. Leaning into his kiss, she truly didn’t want to pull away, but as Marek did to express his gratitude, Yasemin chuckled softly and whispered, “Anytime.” She kissed him once more, before cupping a hand on his face and caressing his cheeks gently. “Oh in the bedroom?” she mused as she looked over in that direction. “You sure you want to give it today? I’m patient, I can wait till Christmas if that was what you were planning to do.” 

“What you did was more than enough. It was perfect, and I loved every second of it, my love” he assured her, leaning close to brush his nose lightly against hers before he pulled away slightly, smiling happily at her. Yasemin had a way of making every moment feel so undeniably special, so filled with genuine care and thoughtfulness. Besides, she also happened to know him exceptionally well, well enough to know what he liked and so Marek constantly felt appreciated, understood, loved. Her gifts for him were extraordinary too! “I love it” the fae nodded with excitement, feeling a bit like a delighted boy who’d gotten his favorite toy as a present.

They kissed once, twice, and Marek was still smiling all throughout. “I was keeping it hidden to surprise you” he admitted as he glanced at their bedroom, where his gift for her was carefully tucked in his socks drawer. He looked back at Yasemin, chuckling softly. “I’ve never been too good at sticking to plans” he said with a playful smile. Then he let go of her only to go fetch her gift. Tradition might dictate that presents were supposed to be given on Christmas day, but today happened to turn into a loving moment, a nice occasion for them to do so and that mattered more to Marek than tradition. In less than a minute he was back, hiding something behind his back. Then he planted himself before his beautiful nymph and held out a small box in his hand. He was excited for her to open it and find the ring he’d gotten for her, one with a small inscription: I love you today. Their little reminder that they shouldn’t get overwhelmed by future uncertainties and simply embrace what they felt for each other in the present.