FAIRBURN

She was far too sugary sweet to be serious and Gale had to control himself not to roll his eyes. Whenever she got like this it was usually because she wanted something, not because she was in a delightful mood. Gale was almost too afraid to ask what had gotten her so pleasant for it was surely something he was better off not knowing about. “Dynamic duo? Is that what you’re calling yourselves these days?” Frost would knock his head in if he joked about such a title. “I’ve found it helps to have no expectations with you…that way you’re always a surprise.” 

“I like you, Gale. You’re smart.” She commended him with a simple head nod and a smirk of a smile. “I mean, I like you as much as I can like someone who is as closely involved with the Queen as you are.” Her dislike fo the Queen wasn’t private knowledge. Anyone who had eyes and ears knew about it. She didn;t exactly try to hide it. “But I’m far too exhausted to get into politics and the like.” She quickly dismissed the topic with a gentle handwave before she continued. “Anyways, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Meetings like these had always been crucial to Lacha - elixirs weren’t just some petty source of income, they served as a type of doorway from the human world to their own. With recent events picking at her brain, she’d arrived earlier than usual, hoping for good news to ease her mind. It was one thing to observe from afar - to look at sales, to see the steady coming and going of customers - and another thing entirely to hear it from the mouths of the runners. Despite the fact that her dynamic with Peridot had unravelled over time, there was no denying her reliability when it came to business.

“You’re on time,” was the observation that met Peridot’s arrival, voiced more out of jest than any actual surveillance. It wasn’t as though the runner was known for her adherence to etiquette. Placing her crossed hands upon the table in front of her, she leaned forward. “Anything you need to run by me, first and foremost?”

She offered Lacha thin-lipped smile, brows raising at what she thought was a jab from the Queen herself. “Have you ever known me to be anything else, Lacha?” Oh, she looked forward to these meetings sooo much. Nothing better than having to look the leader you are trying to overthrow straight in the eyes and tell her the elixirs are doing great but, hey! Your whole entire court is about to fall into a pile of shit in a few months. She practically counted down the days every week for it. 

“Hmmm. Nothing off of the top of my head. Actually, any news on #99? Customers still complain’ about the cost increase.” Which was true, though the consumers of #99 were in their own element, it still never stopped them from complaining. From models to actors and even an occasional youtuber, #99 was incredibly important to them. Sad lives they lived. “That’s all, your highness.” Spoken with an ever so slight tone of snark, which she delivered with hearty smile. 

At the extended glass, Adare merely raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should have paced yourself better one hundred seventy-eight years ago. Questions aren’t offers, darling.” Eyes glittering with mischief, Adare set the champagne bottle back into its chilled bucket for the time being. “You should know me better than that, Peri.”

                                                CONSTELLATIONS.

Someone peridot could talk to for hours and never stop?  Before, it would have been her mother. For hours she would listen to the stories her mother would tell her about the short lived affair with her father, stories from Amaranth’s youth and so on. Just as easily, Peridot would reply with how her day had been, what she had learnt and how she was coming along with her fire breathing abilities.

Though nowadays, she struggles to find anyone who she can have such long winded and meaningful conversations with. Malachite would have to be the closest, though that was back when they were younger. Now they were older and wiser, different. With life having dragged them down different tumultuous paths. Jasper could almost come under the category, though certainly not 100%, Frost would have to be in that same category.

                                                         SOOTHE.

What’s one thing that always makes her feel better when she is upset? Shitty horror movies, a bucket load of fried chicken and her pyjamas. Despite her extroverted behaviour, there are many times when Peridot wants to be alone and away from everyone else. Specifically when she is sad (though this is a very uncommon thing). Before Lacha took over, she could aide her sadness with some light torturing of the players or some freaky kind of magic to take her mind off of whatever was causing her those emotions. But now all she had was fried chicken and every sharknado in existence.

                                                         WAXING.

What is her proudest accomplishment? Should the rebellion be successful, that will definitely become the very top of her list, however her current placeholder would have to be how she has helped the elixirs take off and prosper. Before perhaps or on the side betting rink, though the elixirs definitely trumped that. An accomplishment that she wouldn’t really consider an accomplishment would be finally coming to terms with her mother’s death. It was an enormous milestone in her life, but not one she would like to reflect upon.

                                                 CONTEMPLATION.

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Willow leaned into the conversaton. They were a stranger, an outside here, but that didn’t mean they were about to allow elixirs pushed into their grasp. Keeping cool, Willow remained perfectly still. “Interesting sales technique.”

Willow wasn’t budging, but neither would Peridot. The vile now twirling around her fingers effortlessly, as though she had been doing this for years, which she had. “It’s a good technique.” Words were delivered firmly, gaze locking onto Willow’s as Peridot popped the lid of the bottle and took a whiff from it. The unique smell of elixir filling her senses. “Don’t be boring. I know you’re a seelie and that can be a little hard for you but... c’mon.” She put the open bottle right in front of them now, a raised brow gesturing. Daring. “Live a little.”

Gale had spent just about all morning going over the inventory and making sure everything was taken care of along with all of their orders. It was stressful and not something he would entrust so lightly to anyone else so he remained a bit worn out and just craving his bed. Luckily for him, he spotted Peridot at just the time she saw him and he had to internalize the groan that he felt at her absolute delight. While he enjoyed her company for the most part, seeing something so ancient play with everyone like she was plucking at strings unseen, he couldn’t help but be wary of her. Even more so now that his status as father to the heir was made aware to everyone. Instead he forced himself to roll back his shoulders and give her a casual smile, nodding. “Might help me out a bit. I was meaning to hunt you and Frost down today.”

She was moderately intrigued, her brow lightly wafting skyward at Gale’s comment. “Oh, is that so?” Her head tilted then, leftward, as she offered him a smile. disingenuine, but a smile nonetheless. “Aaaaaaand why exactly are you after the dynamic duo?”  Her tone was almost that of a sing-song style, light and airy. A tone that wouldn’t commonly be associated with Peridot, but she had been in a good mood that day. Though her mood didn’t correlate at all with Gale’s impending news or whatever it was. But for the plots that were forever unfolding within her mind, how she can perpetually fuck with people. Fuck with Gale. But for now, she’d bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity. Nothing screamed more fun than feeding Gale false information on the rebellion. Never a lie, just a bunch of misdirection. She couldn’t wait. “Is it because we’re working too hard? Exceeding expectations?”

The words pricked at his ears like static electricity—elixir number ten. He’d heard those words before. Her huge eyes and wispy voice flash across his senses, almost assaulted by the memory of her unusual, alluring presence. 

Benji looks over at the woman who’d spoken—and it isn’t his place to eavesdrop, or intrude, but it’s in his instinct to investigate. He still doesn’t quite understand what elixirs are, or that they even existed in the first place. It’d been hard to be sure sure that Lark hadn’t simply been a bit mad—as she seemed. 

“Elixir 49?” A vague question—but prompts were often the safer option when one didn’t know enough about the subject. 

Her excitement seemed to diminish at the question of the elixir. At this point, Peridot was considering having flashcards at the ready to hand out to the humans. Giving them a detailed dot-point explanation about them so she didn’t have to. “Yeah baby face. Number 49. Hey, are you like even old enough to be here?” He looked like a child. His face so young and precious. LIke her’s had been once. Too bad life is fucking cruel, right? 

“Look, Kid. I’m not about to be checkin’ people’s IDs cause I don’t care. So, you can either sit there and listen to me teach you about everything to do with elixirs, orrrr...” She trailed off, picking up the shimmery green vile and waving it right in front of his eyes. “You just down this bad boy and live a little.”

“Oookay,” Nickel said. “Dunno what that’s supposed to do for me at a rave, but–” 

He shrugged, and held up one hand, fingers beckoning in a well, give it over gesture. The great tragedy of his life was that molly did nothing for him; even sadder was the fact that over ten years ago, he had paid for the opportunity to find this fact out personally. He figured that #10 was close enough and was likely safer than a pill that could literally be anything, but a part of him would always kinda wonder. 

She gave a pathetic excuse for a laugh, eyes rolling while she handed over the vile to Nickel. “You’re meaning to tell me that lowered inhibitions and heightened ambitions aren’t good for a rave?” But the thought was soon replaced with a new one, one that seemed a lot more fun than what she was doing now. “Also, what rave?” Damn. It had been so fucking long since she had been to a rave. Peridot considered them stupid, pointless and a perfect excuse for her to get high off of elixirs and let loose for a few hours. 

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Willow leaned into the conversaton. They were a stranger, an outside here, but that didn’t mean they were about to allow elixirs pushed into their grasp. Keeping cool, Willow remained perfectly still. “Interesting sales technique.”

“Do you want the damn elixir or not?” Her words were not hostile despite their nature, in fact, they were more tired. Tired in the way that she had been doing this for far too long. “You know what, Willow? Maybe you do need a #10. Cheer your ass up a little bit.” Maybe she needed one, too. It certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea she would have ever had, though she generally tried to stay away from falsely created happiness. She’d forever remain a miserable bitch, she supposed. 

Tyler had been trying to track down whatever he’d tried at Luna Park for awhile, and now that he finally had, he was being told he shouldn’t get it? That there were others? But of course there were others, you didn’t call something number 10 unless there were more. “Uh, I’ve only had 10. What exactly is the difference?”

Yet another unimpressed sigh left her mouth, this time it was accompanied by a very loose eye roll before she would continue. She didn’t have time to give them the proper rundown... that’s not true, she just couldn’t be bothered. “I could tell you... or you can just trust my expert knowledge? Live life on the edge.I know I would trust me if I were you.”

“Pleasure,” she replied, the word simple because it was true. “I like the ambiance.” Perhaps she shouldn’t, as a Seelie, and an Archfey at that, but then Oleander had always been a peculiar sort; the kind that walked a fine line because she herself willed it so. History knew no bounds, after all, and neither did knowledge. She coveted both.

“–– And the drinks,” she amended, nails tapping thrice against her glass, ringing out like a bell.

“How’s your shift been, besides these two charmers?” With a subtle tilt of her head, she gestured to the two in need of a good glassing. “I take it the Rookery is rarely quiet, though I suppose daytime doesn’t bring too much revenue for anyone in the business.”

"Thank god.” Peridot exhaled, grateful that she need not have to deal with any formal business with the Seelie. There was always a degree of difficulty when it came to the Seelie, so Peridot was more than elated that Oleander wanted nothing more than the ambiance and the alcohol. She couldn’t blame her, the rookery certainly did carry that emotion within the confines of its walls. 

“It depends, some days are busier than others, like any business. The barside is always manageable, it’s when you get people demanding elixirs. Humans, specifically. Even worse when they lie about having the cash. But so far, today’s been fine...” She paused then, glancing at Oleander’s drink then back to her. “Speaking of, can I interest you in one of our fine elixirs? Spice things up a little.”