fae royalty

Dom sighed, there were about twenty things he could or should be doing - not limited to reinforcing his protective charms - but he couldn’t be bothered to move from the chair he’d settled in in one of the ranch house’s front rooms. The door creaked quietly as it moved and Dom looked over before he could think better of it. “Just let me know if I’m in the way,” he muttered. 

Bridie had found that she liked the front rooms. There was such a nice few of the ranch grounds, as far as the eye could see. A lot of the time she would just sit in the window sill, her arms crossed and her head pillowed on her arms and enjoy watching the ranch come alive in the mornings. She was on her way to do just that, when she caught a person in the room. In a good mood, she bounced in, setting up on the window sill just as she normally would, only she faced the boy instead of the window. “You’re not in my way,” she said, tilting her head. “You look a bit lost, though, to be truthful.”

Leo smiled innocently but she knew exactly what she had done. While she had a tendency to be clueless, or at least chose to be, she wasn’t unaware of her less than flattering traits. A giant, blunt mouth was one of them. “You’re telling me you don’t have fangs or pointy ears or wings or some weird little tail? ‘cause that target a special group of people. There’s a kink for everything.” She put her elbow on the table, resting her chin against the palm of her hand as she grinned. Her mind had trailed off and now she was busy painting up various editions of the fae, from pointy ears to a pointy nose. Perhaps even a trout. It wasn’t like it’d be so strange in this world. “I think plenty of others, not just you. I doubt I’m the first one, shouldn’t be such a shocker for you.” Her other hand rose, a small rainbow appearing between her fingertips as she moved them around and studied the tiny little thing moving in unison. “I don’t know how to make rainbows.”

Bridie settled her with a look, trying to decide what her best course of action should be. Disrespect wasn’t something she put up with, and she stood to the full height of her glamour. She spoke with all the diplomacy her mother managed to impart her, her royal roots coming out in full force. “You will never know my true appearance, and that’s a promise. Another promise for you: your disrespect will catch up to you one day. The wolves and the humans might find your humor amusing, but you watch not what you say. Have fun with your hang over.” She turned around, and made to walk out the door. Before she did, she pulled some of the water out of the faucet, and hung it over the witch’s head. It would crash down on her eventually, but Bridie wouldn’t hang around to see.

He was smiling briefly as she understood that bit, even seemed to compare it to her own world in the brief snippets that projected from her mind. Then the question came and his smile died. Where did he start? At his brothers, at Brooke, at the fighting and the death, at the explosion that had taken away his ability to think properly? Or would it be at the two years spent locked away in a dark world where only pain existed? He forced an unconvincing smile. “Learned things that mortal minds are not meant to know. The head was broken open and couldn’t contain it. Now he lives in swirls and colors and disaster.”

He had a nice smile, Bridie decided, when it was genuine. It was also quite apparent when it was fake, though she thought he did a pretty good job of existing when he was so broken. Or as broken as he claimed to be. Bridie didn’t like the idea that anyone was broken, just... different. Differences made the world go round, and she enjoyed every minute of it. “Ah, yes,” she said, nodding, all her years catching up to her at once. “Mortal minds are delicate things. Remarkably resilient, but easily taken apart. Swirls and colors aren’t so bad. Could be worse.”

“People suck.” He replied unapologetically. He hadn’t been thinking about other people and he didn’t think that unreasonable. He had held it together for years. He’d been the father his girls deserved, he had watched Holly slip away and then he had done it alone. For all that time he had just kept on going with another joke and a smile because that’s what he’d had to do, and now that he finally broke, he wasn’t about to apologize for it. “Hey, did you forget about the part where I told you to fuck off? Because I remember it very clearly, and yet you’re still here. Being bitchy and judgmental of my pain.”

“I would agree with that sentiment, to an extent,” she said, thinking about it. Some people were definitely less savory than others. Especially humans. Other creatures were marginally better, but humans could be taken or left. She could pick up some really intense vibes from the man, but she wasn’t she liked all of them. “I’m not being bitchy,” she said evenly. “I’m telling the truth. Hard as it might be to accept.” She leaned back on her hands, regarding him again. “I already imparted that I’m here to judge not. But your rudeness is greatly unappreciated. Pain does not excuse action.”

“I haven’t died yet though.” Nico pointed out with a grin. “When are firstborns necessary? Honestly, I think I skipped that day of school.”

“Did you even go to school?” Bridie asked, tilting her head. She wasn’t sure what the life of non-Court fae were like, before the downfall. “They’re a great bargaining tool, though. Usually can get what you actually want when you take those.”

“I’ve found that money and a bit of rum is plenty useful to me. It’s not as though I want a firstborn child or anything like that.” 

Bridie wrinkled her nose. “Alcohol is a poison to humanity and the fae alike. Firstborns are an annoyance, but sometimes the necessary step to take.”

Her enthusiasm was refreshing, it made Ellie relax, just a little, not enough to lower her guard completely. “It’s nice to meet you Bridie.” ‘See Ellie? Not so bad…’ she thought to herself. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find this place?” she had a hard time believing that everyone came here because they were running from something.

“Well, princess, what would you prefer? There’s always pride. Money is just the easiest thing.”

“Ugh, the sins. Far too many of those hanging about, with humans and such. Pride, money, none of it is interesting, least of all useful.” 

“Uh, yea actually, I was told this is a safe place?” she still had no idea who these people were, or how they were going to help her, but it was her last chance. Did she just flat out ask if they were the same as her? This whole supernatural thing was so new to her, she felt very uncomfortable, completely out of her element, but continued on anyway, “I’m Ellie.” 

Ellie walked up to the front door, a million thoughts racing through her head. Who were these people? Why were they so willing to take her in? What would they do when they found out what she’s done? What if she couldn’t control herself? What if she hurt someone else? She couldn’t hurt anyone else. She was about to turn around and walk away, deciding she couldn’t risk it, when the door opened. Ellie stopped in her tracks and turned around and swallowed hard, “Uhm, hi..?”

“Hey, have you ever lost a game of find the lady to a blind man? Because today could be your lucky day. I’m bored, and you seem like you probably have extra money.”

“No, I’ll admit I haven’t, but I’d be willing to try. Is money the only thing you’d be willing to play for? There are much more exciting things, after all.”

Brooke snorted. “Oh I wouldn’t go as far as complacent. Self assured maybe,” she replied as she patted her inner thigh making the outline of the gun she had strapped there hidden behind the fabric of her dress. She also had a knife in her purse which sat upon the table. Brooke hardly went anywhere without a weapon, except for the hospital due to policy and all. “Besides its hard to not be okay in a place like this when you’re raised in this world.”

Having grown up around witches, Brooke felt fairly confident in her ability to spot one even before they told her what they were. It was other supernaturals she had a harder time discerning. However, there were rare occasions when she could just instantly tell. She already knew the woman before her wasn’t human and she highly doubted she was a witch by the way she spoke. Brooke decided to take a guess at what she was based on what she’d been taught all her life and the few clues that’d been dropped so far, “You’re a faerie, aren’t you?” 

“That’s one way of looking at it,” she agreed. Some got confident, some got complacent. She’d met plenty enough of humans, and they all fell into one of the two categories. She watched as the other seemed to transfix on her thigh, and Bridie became aware of the taste of metals in the air. No iron, though, so she was good for the time being. “Oh? Now that’s new. Most humans aren’t,” she said, her mood swinging back to curious. “How did that come about?”

She didn’t care about being rude, or intrusive, or whatnot. She asked the questions she wanted to know the answer to, and she either got her answer or she didn’t. Sometimes she was able to wheedle it out of the more stubborn ones, but not always. “The term is fae, actually,” she corrected, crossing her arms and resting her head on them on the counter. “Is my glamour cracking? Most people can’t tell so quick.”

Brooke had to look away so it wasn’t so obvious when she rolled her eyes. “Well yes, compared to you and just about everyone else in this house I’ll die sooner. And I’m fine with that. I wouldn’t want to live forever. It sounds awfully long and boring and lonely. I just want to live as long as this human life will allow me.” 

Bridie nodded her head. “Yes, it is kind of boring sometimes. Especially when every friend you make ends up dying.” She shook her head then, pursing her lips. She wished she had more fae friends, but she had left them all behind when she left the remnants of the Court after her mother’s passing. It’s not like they were her friends, anyway. They were more like... her watchers. Her subjects. If she had ever been able to rule. “Well, I don’t know hanging around here will help that, but it might! There’s plenty of wolves and such to do the fighting for us.”

“Oh, fuck off.” Kel was usually a nice person, and despite his mood, that showed in his tone. There was no real venom behind the words, only minor annoyance that someone would interrupt his pity party, especially as he was certain they would try to get him to turn the music off. He needed to, he knew. It was only making his mood worse, but he actually had the free time to be pathetic this time around and he had been attempting to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, he did not have the privacy to do so. With a loud, put out sigh, Kel pushed himself up. “It’s also not kind to interrupt someone’s pity party. I am trying to be pathetic right now.” 

“Well that’s rude,” Bridie said, voice hard. She crossed her arms and her legs, having dropped to the floor next to the couch in one fluid motion. At least the person didn’t seem to back up his words, but all she had done is wander in, following the music. If he wanted his own pity party, he should’ve stayed in his room. As it was, he was in a public part of the ranch, and by doing so, invited other people to his pity party. That was his own fault. She watched with a lofty expression as he sat up, still unimpressed with the man. “I don’t think you need to try very hard, to be honest. You’re doing a pretty good job of being pathetic as it is. If you wanted a private party, you should’ve stayed somewhere private, or at least put up a sign.”

She was aware and that made it more tolerable. It was those who didn’t know they had a fog of pride around them that became insufferable, like a cloud of sickly sweet perfume. When they knew, they were able to keep their stench contained, for reasons Alex had yet to figure out. He rarely knew why the things in his head worked the way they did. He nodded in reply, a much calmer picture than her. “Riddles are sense when the world is swirly.”

“Swirly,” she said, turning the word around in her mind. “I like that.” Swirly was pretty apt, with how up and down and all around the world could drag you. She’d certainly seen her fair share of ups and downs, and swirl arounds over the years. The court was still there, lingering in her mind always, but she tried not to let it overtake anything. She didn’t want to become one of those old, sad fae that she remembered, who could do nothing but long for the days of yore, even if she did. “Why is your world swirly?” she asked, not caring if it was a private matter.

Kel hadn’t felt this bad in, well, a year and a half. He thought he had been working through the old feelings, but then Holly had shown up and he found himself right in that same place of hurt all over again. It had taken a day or two to sink in, but he had made the mistake of turning on music. Now he was laying face down on one of the couches listening to Last Kiss on repeat again. He didn’t bother to look up when he heard someone walk in, only raised his hand with a pointed middle finger. “Don’t judge me.” He said, voice muffled through the pillow he was laying on. 

Bridie had enjoyed a lie in, taking her time with waking instead of getting up with the sun as she was so used to doing. As such, the ranch was already well awake, up and moving by the time she was. It was a fascinating sight, so see the place running at full speed, people everywhere. The kitchens were full, preparing for meals and fixing snacks for those who so desired. The common areas were mostly full, people whiling away their days in various activities. Well, save for one. She had followed the sound of music into the room, a repetitive, more recent tune that she neither recognized nor cared to. Not really expecting much, she found a rather rude gesture aimed at her from a faceless wolf, prone on the couch. Tilting her head, she regarded the scene. “Judging not, though curious as I am. You understand that’s not a kind way to introduce oneself, yes?”