Scout of Enchantra Forest

"I wasn't sure how you liked it, so I brought some options," she says when she returns. "Now, you said sleep deprived. Is there a particular reason, dear?"

He really had been out of the Hollow too long...

When she returned, Steve gave her a grateful smile. "You're the best, thank you," he said as he motioned for her to join him. There was another plush chair on his right with a coffee table between the two, and it was the least he could do.

Iris's question, though, made him internally wince. Pits, he really had said that out loud, hadn't he? By now, the whole Hollow probably knew the Princess was living with him, and the last thing he wanted was to start a rumor that Atta was an ungrateful guest for 'kicking him out of his room'. He'd been the one to insist that she take it, after all!

Not that he didn't trust Iris, it's just that he knew how gossip grew wings out in Enchantra.

His expression didn't show any of that distress, though, and he grinned at her ruefully. "Just insomnia! I'm still not quite used to the sounds of town at night. Plus," he wiggled in his seat, trying to stretch his spine out, "I think I slept in a weird position. My back is killing me." There, not technically a lie!

"But I'm sure you didn't come all the way to Hatters to hear me complain! How are you, Iris?"

Oh she was chatty this morning.

Steve let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a moan as she bit down on his ear, his teeth bared in a curling smirk as he adjusted his hold on her hips. "For such a pretty face, you have a filthy fucking mouth," he said, voice rough, as he pulled his hips back. "Let's see how quick you can go speechless."

He thrust forward again, bottoming out in one smooth glide that nearly made his eyes cross. He didn't take time to appreciate it, though, instead picking up a fast, brutal rhythm that made his legs burn and his wings twitch.

Boo not only had a filthy mouth, but she gave just as good as she got. Already he could feel the lines her nails carved into his back, throbbing with each beat of his racing heart, and he knew there would be marks on his ear -- probably his whole upper body. It made his blood boil, the hotter, feral parts of him rising up to the challenge.

"You take me so fucking easy," Steve bit out, adjusting his hold so he could bring one hand up to fist into her hair. He yanked her head back, drawing his teeth down the line of her throat and sucking a mark at the base. He left a smudged trail of blood wherever his mouth went, and he could see the bite on her collarbone sluggishly bleeding. "Come on, pretty toy. You want to cum? Earn it."

He yanked on her hair again, forcing her into an arch that let him bite down on her bouncing tits through his shirt. He made a mental note to fuck them later after they ate and he got his third wind. He bet she'd let him cum all over her face with the way she was talking.

Her voice rose and rung through the apartment and Steve felt the sound sink down into his bones. They had done this enough times that they moved together easily, dancing without moving an inch, giving and taking and giving again.

He could chase this high forever.

Boo's cunt was squeezing him relentlessly, to the point where pulling out almost took some effort, but he kept her just off balance enough that he was in control. Her orgasm threatened to drag him down after her, but he'd had one eye on the clock.

He still had five minutes, and she was still talking.

Growling low in his chest, Steve held his own release back and instead grabbed her legs and pulled them from around his waist. He shoved them up so her knees were hooked over his shoulders, and placing a hand behind her head this time, Steve pressed into her until she was nearly folded in half. He fucked her hard through her orgasm, panting with exertion as he kept up his brutal rhythm.

He even put his wings into it, flapping with each thrust to give himself the extra momentum. Steve could feel his own orgasm threatening to crash down on him and take him out at the knees, but he could make it another couple of minutes.

"You can do better than that," Steve snarled, a manic, pointed grin on his face. "Give me one more, toy." His other hand, which by now had probably left a bruise on her thigh, moved to find her clit and tug at it with two fingers. Not hard, but with sensitive she probably was, did it need to be?

(Titan, neither of them were going to make it to the door for their food, were they?)

A fairy, Scout Talent, named Steve. They've met a time or two, and Iris couldn't say they were friends but they were friendly.

It just so happened, also, that he seemed to want something very badly that he wasn't saying. That he was lying to himself about.

Now, that could be as simple as denying a craving, or rejecting your own dream. The magnitude of the want didn't matter in this instance, the only thing Iris cared was that Steve wasn't following or even acknowledging his heart.

For some reason.

So, circling back, she supposes she's being nosy as she's sitting at Hatter's with him in close proximity.

"You feeling alright, buttercup?" Iris asks, trying not to startle him. "It's Iris Faye, dear. Can I get you a coffee?"

Matt had been struggling with some video game in the living room all day and was yelling and cursing at the screen. Princess Atta had been able to lock herself in her room -- lucky -- but Steve didn't have that luxury. So after letting Atta know that he would be away from the apartment for a few hours, and having his invitation to join him politely rejected, Steve fled.

He didn't want to go too far without another royal scout around, so he ended up at Hatters, taking up one of the comfier chairs and resisting the urge to take a nap right there. His back was already fucked up from sleeping on his couch for a few months now.

He had his head tilted back and his eyes closed when he was addressed by someone close by. Steve peeked one eye open and the tension left his body when he realized it was another fairy. She helpfully reintroduced herself and Steve opened both eyes and sat up straight to pay proper attention to the conversation.

"I mean, I won't say no to some coffee," he admitted, giving her a smile. "I'm breezy, though. Just a little sleep deprived."

He loved his job. He took pride in being the one to house and protect the princess while she was sick. He loved living with his younger sibling. But fuck did he miss the Hollow sometimes.

Steve pulled most of his hair back from his face, tying it off with a piece of cord, before grinning over at Dot with his fangs on full display. “Pick your weapon, Dippin’ Dot.”

That was her favorite part of these moments, really. Getting to feel that warmth again. She had long forgotten what it felt like to be warm, to feel her cheeks heat in moments of pleasure. But feeling it from others was a decent reminder.

Gabby's lips met his, soft for now. Her hands trailed over his torso as she pulled him nearer. She started unbuttoning his shirt--the buttons that were still done, at least.

His lips were warm and soft, in a way that was very distracting. She got lost in the kiss for a moment, perhaps longer than she had intended.

"I hope you know," she pulled back, lips trailing up his cheek to his ear. "As much as I loved how gentlemanly you were to me tonight, I'm no longer expecting you to keep that up."

Her nose trailed down the side of his neck, inhaling the scent of him. His blood. He smelled amazing.

Gabby placed a few kisses down the side of his neck, a rather dangerous game. She finished with his shirt, pulling it down his shoulder, her lips following the fabric from the slope of his neck, down across his shoulder. She moved around to his collarbone, then back up his neck, and kissed him properly. Her fingers got lost in his curls as she deepened the kiss more.

Steve easily let himself be turned into the kiss, pressing his lips against hers and feeling a shiver run down his spine. Her lips and her fingertips were both cold, leaving trails of frost against his skin, but they were starting to warm up. His hands came up to grip her hips and he pulled her body flush against his.

Her words made him chuckle, the sound low and broken by a shivery moan. "Gabby, you better quantify how much of a gentleman I'm not allowed to be," he answered, pressing his nose against her temple as her lips trailed down his neck. His shirt was pulled out of the way and under his skin, his wings seemed to twitch and flitter. "Because if it's up to me, you'll be up against that door with your feet in the air before you have time to blink."

A bold claim? Maybe. But hey, she was slight and he was much stronger than he looked. He could pull it off.

Her lips captured his again and this time his hand came up to curl around her neck, holding her in place as he kissed her back. This time he could taste the wine on her lips and tongue, and he chased the sting of it past her lips. His other hand curled further down, wrapping around the curve of her ass and pressing her closer.

Oh she was chatty this morning.

Steve let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a moan as she bit down on his ear, his teeth bared in a curling smirk as he adjusted his hold on her hips. "For such a pretty face, you have a filthy fucking mouth," he said, voice rough, as he pulled his hips back. "Let's see how quick you can go speechless."

He thrust forward again, bottoming out in one smooth glide that nearly made his eyes cross. He didn't take time to appreciate it, though, instead picking up a fast, brutal rhythm that made his legs burn and his wings twitch.

Boo not only had a filthy mouth, but she gave just as good as she got. Already he could feel the lines her nails carved into his back, throbbing with each beat of his racing heart, and he knew there would be marks on his ear -- probably his whole upper body. It made his blood boil, the hotter, feral parts of him rising up to the challenge.

"You take me so fucking easy," Steve bit out, adjusting his hold so he could bring one hand up to fist into her hair. He yanked her head back, drawing his teeth down the line of her throat and sucking a mark at the base. He left a smudged trail of blood wherever his mouth went, and he could see the bite on her collarbone sluggishly bleeding. "Come on, pretty toy. You want to cum? Earn it."

He yanked on her hair again, forcing her into an arch that let him bite down on her bouncing tits through his shirt. He made a mental note to fuck them later after they ate and he got his third wind. He bet she'd let him cum all over her face with the way she was talking.

The flower growled at the sparrowman. Actually growled.

Now, see, Winston was fairly used to odd things occurring in and around this town. He'd been experiencing them since he was a lad, so not much phased him anymore. But even this was a bit off.

Steve growls back, making Winston arch a brow, but he also moves away from the Wolfshowl until it stops showing thorn-teeth.

"Didn't know they had pack leaders," he observes, curiosity on his face as he tilts his head, watching the funny little flower. "Willow just told me the basics. I've kept them well up, but I thought this one was sick. Acts differently than the others, different coloring, all that."

Or maybe it was just the scent of Isles muck that was so thick in the greenhouse.

"They pop up when there's enough Wolfhowls in an area, and since most people growing them in captivity don't have that many, they don't show up often." You couldn't breed pack-leaders, after all. It was one of those funny tricks of the Titan. "If you move it closer to the center, it'll be a lot happier," Steve offered. "May have to bribe it, though, so it doesn't bite off your hand if you get too close. Got any raw meat?"

He'd been to The Woods for enough parties over the years that he wasn't too intimidated, but it was a surprise.

"Hey, no worries," Steve said with an easy grin. "Nothing beats a long walk in the moonlight with a beautiful woman. And don't even worry about the drinks; I invited you out, it's only right I pay." Though as they walked towards one of the towering manor homes, Steve thought to himself that the next date would be her turn to pay for their drinks.

Clearly though, she should have paid. And she would have. Happily. Since he'd already be providing her with such a meal...

Maybe. If things went right. She would make a meal of him one way or another, though.

As they reached her door, Gabby was quick to get out her key and unlock the it, bringing Steve inside her home.

"There's a vase over here," she motioned, guiding him toward a buffet cabinet against the wall. It had some roses from her garden that would look just lovely with the lilies, their colors contrasting wonderfully. "There should be room in there--I was just thinking I needed to go pick something else to add to it. Those will do nicely."

While he dealt with that, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, her heels making them practically the same height. She pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck, the warmth of his skin already getting her excited for what was to come.

"You've been so good to me," she whispered, "Let me return the favor?"

It was the thing he missed the most about living in the Perch full time, but he was slowly adjusting.

The flowers in the entryway helped, and Steve gladly went to add his lilies to the vase. His ears twitched back when he heard her making her way up behind him, but he stayed relaxed and calm as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cool lips to his neck. The walk through the chilly night air had made her even colder to the touch, and it sent a shiver down his spine that was chased by hot desire.

He rested a warm hand over hers and turned his head so his nose bumped against hers, their lips closer than ever. "If you insist," he teased, voice soft and low in the more intimate moment. He would gladly let her take the lead.

Winston waits for Steve to either come inside or say, for some inexplicable reason, that he couldn't come into the buikding because yet another plant was going to attack them.

He'd been careful, made sure not to crossbreed anything Isles with anything non-Isles. He'd kept them separate, and even gotten a hold of Willow to ask for some fertilizer for the Boiling Isles plants so they'd stop chewing through all the supplies they had.

"Mmhm, well halfway on my request, but yes," Winston murmurs, chuckling a bit as the sparrowman came into the greenhouse. The Wolfahowls immediately started, well, howling, and he reaches toward one to scratch beneath its flowery chin. The other, blue and gold flower he kept away from; in fact, he'd intended to cull them soon, but Steve's behavior made him feel less poorly about that decision.

His Knightley roses bloomed - healthy and strong - a few rows down. They intermingled well with the Isle plants, which is why he'd transplanted them here.

On instinct, Steve pinned his ears back and snarled in return. It was a sound that not many Enchantra fairies could make, but almost every fairy on the Boiling Isles did intuitively. It had really freaked the other fledglings out when Steve had first moved to Enchantra, that was for sure. It made the flower back down, at least, though it still seemed to be watching Steve closely.

"Hmm." Steve took a step closer to the other, smaller Wolfshowls and the bulbous flower bared its teeth again, but when he stepped away it relaxed minutely. "Oh, okay. It's a pack-leader," he told Winston, taking a few longer steps away from the Wolfhowls until the bigger flower was nearly calm.

If she repeated it enough times to herself perhaps it would feel a little more true.

"Hello, I was hoping I would be able to speak to Atta. I wanted to see how she was doing. Is she available for company?" The words sounded a little overly formal, but she hoped that was put dow to Steve not knowing her well instead of nerves.

"Let me check. One moment, please."

He made sure not to slam the door in her face, closing it gently before turning to face Atta.

"It's Marian," he said softly, quiet enough that their potential guest wouldn't be able to hear them from the hallway. "Do you want to see her right now? Say the word and I tell her you're too busy for guests."

That was one nice thing about Clumsy habitation; they treasured their privacy enough that they (usually) didn't push too hard when someone wanted some privacy of their own.

When he revealed their guest, her ears pinned back and her heart leaped in her throat. She hadn't seen or spoken to Marian since their time in the hospital. Instead, she'd been spoken to about Marian and her connections to the anti-Magick Order. How she was a suspect in the case, though there wasn't enough evidence to actually convict her on anything.

She didn't want to believe it. Marian had been the one to save her after all. Hadn't she? They were friends.

But Atta had accidentally revealed the truth to her brother, a half-fairy. He would be in need of dust. And if anyone had the power to steal magic, would it not be an organization such as the Order?

She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't.

"I-I can't--" She whispered, her breath hitching. Despite it all, she couldn't bring herself to see her.

He could at least protect her from an unwelcome guest.

He nodded once, before stomping away from the door and towards the hallway, loud enough that he could be heard but not so loud it was obvious he wanted to be. After a moment, he walked back and finally opened the door again, leaning against the door frame casually and blocking the view of the interior.

He gave Marian a small, shake of his head. "Sorry, she's resting right now," he said, keeping his voice lower as if he was scared to wake the princess. "I can tell her you swung by if you want."

And while this was very nice, the drinks were enjoyable, the company even better, Gabby was ready for this night to advance.

So when the check came--he paid, which was sweet and completely unnecessary-- she was ready to slide out of the booth.

"We absolutely should," she smiled in return, taking his arm. "I would be honored if you did, Steve."

She did take him the shortest route back to the Woods, making her way with him down the path. It was a nice walk, not too long, but she was certainly itching to get inside her house.

"Sorry, I should have said how far a walk it was," Gabby apologized as they got nearer. "Also, I should say that you really didn't have to pay for drinks, so I definitely owe you for being so chivalrous."

He'd been to The Woods for enough parties over the years that he wasn't too intimidated, but it was a surprise.

"Hey, no worries," Steve said with an easy grin. "Nothing beats a long walk in the moonlight with a beautiful woman. And don't even worry about the drinks; I invited you out, it's only right I pay." Though as they walked towards one of the towering manor homes, Steve thought to himself that the next date would be her turn to pay for their drinks.

From the corner of his eye, Winston sees Steve's grimace. He laughs, quietly, nodding because while the Scout hadn't been there for the incident, Winston was sure he'd heard of it.

That plant had been...something. Winston had never seen anything like it. And, as much as he was curious about it's makeup, even he had known to bury and burn what was left.

"Willow an' I have similar gifs with plants," Winston comments, shrugging his shoulders, "and even I hadn't seen all of it. I figured it was just odd, but wanted tah be safe. Wasn't a plant I recognized, and not one I've bred."

Contrary to the sparrowman beside him, Winston's body is loose, relaxed. He didn't have the same weird feelings he had last time, seeing those twining vines and the way they'd swallowed Willow up, controll ed her.

They stepped into the greenhouse, and Steve immediately felt a pang of homesickness in his chest. You could tell Willow had been here, as the whole greenhouse had that muck and acid rain smell. The plants were a combination of ones he recognized from Enchantra and from the Titan, and they seemed to be getting on remarkably well all things considered. There was that hint of demonic magic that made the base of his hidden wings twitch, and Steve noticed a bag of fertilizer that was a deep shade of blue.

"I see Willow is spoiling you guys," he joked, gesturing to the bag before looking at the rows of plants. The tiny Wolfshowls stretched out for pets, which Steve happily provided, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some Gazing Narcissuses cycling between various shades of blue and gold to try and catch his attention. He knew better though, and kept his eyes averted.

"So where's our mystery plant?" he asked, looking over to Winston as the flowers he was petting playfully nipped at his fingertips.

"We may just have," she laughed a little, looking at his smile. "I'm glad for this chance as well."

The fangs were very intriguing. She knew he wasn't a vampire, so it would be no trouble having a little after dinner snack with him, but... there was a part of her that was curious what they would feel like in the side of her neck.

Gabby raised her glass to him. "To second chances, I suppose," she smiled. "You know, it's been some time since I've been out on what feels like a proper date. And I'm so glad that I'm here with you for that."

The night passed quickly, the music and muted chatter of the Court a curtain between them and the rest of the world. Gabby was a wonderful conversationalist, and Steve hung on to every word she said. Willow swept in and out of their tiny world a few more times, barely intruding as she refilled their glasses before disappearing again. Steve felt a little bad for ignoring her, but he doubted she wanted to be a third-wheel on his date.

By the time they finally asked for their check, Steve could feel his blood boiling under his skin. He and Gabby had been close the whole night, leaning in close to chat as if they wouldn't be able to hear each other otherwise. The flirtatious comments hadn't stopped, and Steve felt pretty confident as he took the check book off of the table and slid some cash inside -- enough for both of their drinks and a good tip for Willow for Being A Bro.

"We should probably get those flowers into some water," he said, a grin curling on his lips. "May I walk you home, Gabby?"

He could feel it all the way from his toes to the tips of his horns -- an electric current that burned through his blood like a forest fire. The magic from the Titan wasn’t something to be ignored, that was for sure! It jolted him awake after his long flight, and he was practically buzzing as he went through the tiny terminal that was the Boiling Isles’ only airport. His passport got him through security easily, with no second glance at the concealment stone hanging around his wrist, and soon he was outside in the thin, steaming air.

It hadn’t been too long since his last visit, so the scenery hadn’t changed much. Strange, red-barked trees still lined the cobbled streets and the ivory ribs of the Titan still curved overhead like crooked monoliths. The people passing in the streets all moved like they had somewhere important to be, dressed in that dark, gothic style that was so typical of the Isles. Steve had made sure to dress to match -- it felt odd to move in, especially now that he was a royal guard back in Enchantra and spent most of his time in armor made from bark and other natural materials. 

His concealment stone hid his ears and sharp teeth, leaving only his horns visible. It was easier to conceal things that wouldn’t be at risk of interacting with the wider world, so his actual Titan Gift was hidden while his fairy traits were on display. It amused him in a dark sort of way -- looking more fairy to appear more like a sorcerer. 

It was the kind of joke his dad would be likely to laugh at, while his mother would get that quiet, pinched look that meant he should change the topic.

Speaking of Callum, Steve looked around for his father’s figure in the crowd milling around. He’d promised to be waiting outside the airport when Steve landed, and had confirmed as much when Steve had messaged him on his scroll after he landed. Callum was a hair shorter than he was, so Steve wasn’t sure how long it would take to spot him. 

Then a familiar, breaking voice called out his name instead, and Steve smiled wide as he spun to find his sibling. “Matty!” he answered, pushing through the crowd and running towards where Callum and Matt were waiting. He didn’t hesitate to scoop Matt up into his arms, swinging the teenager around heedless of the people around them. “Oof- I wasn’t gone that long, how do you keep getting bigger!?” Steve teased, bouncing Matt in his arms.