#pairings:

 Ravi woke to the chime of his phone. He rolled, confused, out of dreams of Jaehwan sitting on a rock and singing at him, to grope for his phone. He found Butt, a roll of papers, and eventually- finally- his phone.

 “What?” He groaned at the phone. “I was asleep.”

 “My friend said yes.” N’s chirp was far too cheerful for, Ravi squinted at his clock, two in the afternoon. He flopped back in bed, groaning again.

 “He does? That’s nice.”

 “That’s all you’ve got to say? How late were you up last night? Or was it this morning?”

 “Late. Now drop it, mother Cha. What does your friend want to do?”

 “I suggested we meet at the club.” N sounded unsure, which was new to Ravi.

 “The Reef?”

 “Yes. He knows it, and he can do work in the back while we continue on… Though, it has to be in the back. He can be sensitive to sounds and stuff.” Ravi couldn’t help the questions that started to creep into his mind. N was probably the most secretive of them all, and this sudden piece of his life had Ravi fascinated. Why a friend of his appearing so suddenly? How did he know N? Were they truly friends, or friends like Ravi and N were friends? How long have they known each other? Would N ever tell Ravi how they knew each other? Was this the start of N telling people things? He’d gotten lost in his thoughts and had missed N’s last comment.

 “Sorry, what?”

 “Sorry snooze boy, I was saying: Did. Hyuuuuuuuuuuuk. Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiive. Yoooooooou. The. Gemssssssssssssss?” N exaggerated.

 “Yes, thank you. Now, what time does your friend want to meet?”

 “What time do you think you’ll be ready? Got enough time to buff your tattoos for Ken?”

 “Ha, ha, Tinkerbell.” Ravi knew N hated the comparison to cartoon fairies. “Remind me to shake your wings on my tits when I’m done. Body glitter never quite shimmers the same way as fairy dust.”

 “Fine, no Ken talk. But Ravi…” N’ pause was long. “Look, I know I don’t talk about my life much, but my friend… He’s important to me, so handle him with kid gloves- he comes off cold, but he’s just shy. We’ve been friends since we were teenagers.”

 “Alright,” Ravi’s gut swirled at the omission. “I’ll ease him into things.”

 “Show him videos of Butt. He loves animals, so that’ll warm him right up to you.”

 “Gotta love a man who warms up to a man showing him videos of his Butt.” Ravi snorted.

 “Oh, that too- he’s been on about some tall hot blonde guy he sees around. I’m pretty sure he wants to bang Hyuk.”

 “Wait,” Ravi sat up, accidentally rolling Butt over. “Is this friend tall, dark and mysterious? Possibly looks like he was commissioned by Cartier? May or may not buy six cakes in one sitting?”

 “Sounds like him.”

 “Well Hyuk’s going to try and work his awkward fuck game on him the second he walks in.”

 “I hope we remember to film it. And I’ll meet you and my friend at 10, let’s say?” Alarms went off in Ravi’s mind.

 “Won’t that cross over with our meeting?”

 “Yes.” He could practically hear N’s feral grin. “So, he can help translate any conversation he hears, if you get me. I’ve got to run, later!” He hung up without waiting for a reply. Ravi let the phone drop to his lap as he sat up, knowing he should get up, but going to sleep at 11 am had left him exhausted. He knew he needed to stop pulling these kind of nights, but he was so close to a breakthrough- he had the gems. Writing the spell would be easier now. The gems meant the spell he was attempting to construct just lost 12 possible outcomes, and potentially made it stable enough to forgo several of the charms. It would make it lighter to carry, therefore easier to control.

 “Finally up?” Hyuk had let himself in at some point, and was standing in the doorway eating cereal straight from the box.

 “Yes. And we have work tonight. N’s friend agreed to meet us.”

 “Want me to come?”

 “Yes. N thinks we should have him around for the talks. He can eavesdrop on any… Personal conversations he just happens to be near.” Hyuk nodded his agreement as he shovelled another handful of cereal into his mouth. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

 “Payments came in. I put them on the counter in the boxes, cash in the drawer.” Hyuk nodded out the door. “Want me to meet you here or the club?”

 “The club, let’s say nine-ish?” Hyuk nodded and wandered away, Butt leaving Ravi to chase the possibility of dropped cereal. Ravi was tempted to check the cereal to see if Hyuk was leaving with it (he probably would), but the shower beckoned. He barely opened his eyes until he was under the hot spray. It finally woke him up completely, and allowed him a moment to wake up completely.

 It seemed like his plan was progressing smoothly, so he let thoughts of it slip and drift around him.

 He pulled up the dream of Ken and blushed despite being alone. He’d had a couple of similar dreams recently; and all of them were about Ken. The first, he had been walking along a beach, when a pile of nets and driftwood caught his eye. It shifted, as he watched it, and a pale hand flopped onto the sand. Ravi rushed to it, and his heart caught in his throat. Tangled in a net among the driftwood, was a mermaid. Unlike real mermaids, which were more like goblin sharks with arms, this mermaid was… A fantasy. Pouty lips, wide terrified eyes, and glorious scales leaped up at him from between the coarse lines of netting. The mermaid was staring at him in equal surprise.

 “Will you free me?” It asked, and he realised the mermaid was Ken. The playful tone was unmistakable.

 “Um. Sure?” Ravi found a knife at his belt, and began to saw at the ropes. Since when did he carry a knife?

 “When I’m free I shall give you a kiss.” Ken declared, his hands clutching at the netting. The statement startled Ravi so much he’d woken up. The dreams were all like that- always Ken, always around water, always that damned pouting! He had half a mind to bite that bottom lip if Ken pouted at him again.

 This latest dream was no different, he was on the deck of a ship, sailing past a rocky reef. On the rocks lay Ken and several others that he hadn’t really noticed because Ken was there. He was having trouble noticing KEN because Ken was there. He lay, draped in thin, nearly translucent cloth, staring out at Ravi’s ship with desperate hope. He called out to Ravi, promising to tell Ravi all kinds of things, sweet things, whispered suggestions of passion, and more. If only Ravi would come closer, so Ken could whisper in his ear.

 As his ship neared the rocky shores, Ravi felt hands pulling at his clothes, voices begging him not to go, but his mind was filled with Ken. He wanted to hear those secrets, to feel them slip from those pouty lips onto his own. He wanted to rip away the flimsy gauze and expose Ken to him, to get on his knees and-

 Hyuk slamming something in another room brought Ravi out of his reverie, and he immediately attacked his hair with some shampoo, as if he could wash the thoughts from his head. He was NOT going to fantasize about that peacocking menace. He wouldn’t give Ken the satisfaction of knowing all that flirting was getting to him, even if he never told Ken about any of it.

                                *                    *                         *

 Taekwoon was seated at the bar, sipping a drink as slowly as he could, hoping Hakyeon would finally show up. The club was always too much for him, the lights too bright, the smells too much. He knew it came from spending more time around animals- he had taken on enough qualities that his world was more sensitive than that of the average humanoid. It was starting to get to him.

 If Hakyeon was late, that meant Taekwoon would have to endure this club for even longer, and he knew he was going to get a headache. He sighed, and decided he was going to try dancing, if only to tell Hakyeon that he missed seeing it. He turned, intending to get up, when a newcomer caught his eye. Taekwoon recognised the man instantly. It was the Blonde Corner Store Man. Unusually tall, and blonde, possessing a boyish smile he often graced Taekwoon with whenever they passed each other, he’d been a fixture of many shopping trips for the last few months. Taekwoon couldn’t help but feel a little weak at the knees upon seeing the man again- something about him drew Taekwoon in. He was like an asteroid, being pulled into the gravitational field of a planet. He was ready to crash on the planet, to talk to this man without fear.

 “Hey!” Hakyeon’s voice behind him nearly sent Taekwoon jumping into the writhing crowd below. “Miss me?” Taekwoon shot his friend a look. “Sorry I was late, everyone decided it was Talk to Hakyeon day. Took me forever just to get out the door.”

 “It’s fine, just… You know. The sensory overload.” He scanned the crowd, looking for the blonde. Hakyeon would understand if they waited a minute, so Taekwoon could at least ask the guy for his number. His heart jumped when he realised the blonde was nowhere to be seen, He couldn’t have left! Taekwoon wasn’t ready for him to leave! He felt a little hollow as Hakyeon gripped his arm and steered him away from the bar, down towards the bathrooms and long dark hallways Taekwoon was sure led to something shady and possibly illegal.

 “Don’t worry, we’re headed somewhere quieter. Ravi doesn’t like noise much either, aside from Jaehwan, but even then, we’re all putting bets on how long it takes Ravi to hex him.” Hakyeon grinned as the aforementioned man came gliding over. Taekwoon was once again impressed by Jaehwan. He made his skin-tight pants look effortlessly flexible as he slid to Hakyeon’s side.

 “N! How is my butterfly prince this evening?” Charm practically oozed off of him as he leaned forward and grinned at Hakyeon, who ignored the greeting.

 “This is the guy Ravi wanted to see.” He started.

 “Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Broody here?” Jaehwan eyed him up and grinned before recognition sparked. “Woonie! You’re an Omnilingual? Can you talk to snakes?“

 “Yes, but he doesn’t want to talk to yours. Just let Ravi know we’re here, please?” Hakyeon sighed. Jaehwan pouted in return.

 “Fine, mother Cha. You’re no fun.” Said Jaehwan. “Now, come on, Ravi’s in a mood today.” Taekwoon followed the pair, who continued to chat in a friendly manner, to the back of the club. Walking into the back halls was even more surreal in its underwater quality than the club itself. These halls were filled with the deep, slow darkness at the bottom of ocean trenches, with only the echoes of music crawling in as if from another universe. It even seemed to muffle Jaehwan and Hakyeon’s chattering to damp whispers. Taekwoon enjoyed it immensely. After threading through several tight hallways and going up several flights of stairs they reached a doorway, in which stood the blonde man.  “Hyukkie!” Jaehwan greeted him with a wave. “Is everyone else here?”

 “Hongbin’s on his way. Apparently he needed to have the last word and got chased a few blocks out of his way.” The blonde’s smirk nearly set Taekwoon’s hair on fire. He looked up, saw Taekwoon, and a look of electrified shock zapped through his features. “Who’s this?”

 “My friend. The one Ravi needs to see.” Hakyeon waggled his eyebrows as he pulled Taekwoon’s arm meaningfully. “You can talk to him in a minute.”

 Taekwoon dug his heels in, but Hakyeon was on a mission. He waved shyly at the other man as he was dragged into the dim room. It was lit mostly by the same blueish light as the club, but this room felt calmer and more serene than even the hallways had. In the center of it, standing in front of a low-backed leather chair, was a purple-haired man. He had his arms extended, one hand carrying a closed fan, the other was palm-down above a wispy symbol chalked on the floor. As Taekwoon watched, he opened his fan and began to scythe it through the air between the symbol and his other hand. Leo could feel the air pressure of the room change, while the man’s voice, deep and soft, began to weave a song even Taekwoon’s considerable language skills was having trouble following. The man was seeking something- searching for… A person? A book? Looking for their hiding place? He repeated the phrases over and over as he began to glide around the symbol on the floor. It was a foreign dance Taekwoon had never seen before. The grace and swiftness of it astounded him, and belatedly he realised this was a spell. This was magic. Before Taekwoon could sink deeper into amazement the man opened his eyes and noticed them. He stopped, closing his fan and free hand with a snap that left green spots dancing through the air.

 “Oh, N, you’re here?” The deep voice said as Taekwoon blinked the spots out of his eyes, amazed. “I’m sorry, I was working on… My search.”

 “It’s fine,” Hakyeon seemed unaffected by the display, but Taekwoon was enthralled. He’d never seen a spell cast before! Hakyeon had given him charms and spelled trinkets, but it was nowhere near as interesting as the song and the lights! “Sorry we’re late. I couldn’t get two feet without someone wanting to chat, it was a nightmare.”

 The purple-haired man gestured dismissively, before turning an uncomfortably intense stare on Taekwoon. Without the theatrical spell, he looked like someone’s fantasy professor, complete with gold-rimmed glasses. He gestured, and Taekwoon heard several others moving around behind him.

 “It’s fine. Once Hongbin said he’d be late I knew the rest of you would drag on too.” His tone turned friendly once he’d chided Hakyeon. “I’m Ravi.”

 “I’m… Leo.” Taekwoon had to remember to call himself that. And Hakyeon was N now.

 “I’m sorry for the group meeting, but we’re a small organization, so I like everyone to know who’s around.” Leo nodded. “As N explained- the nicknames are more for my sake than anyone else’s. As a wizard, I get into it with others who can cast spells. The last thing I need is someone pulling your full name or more out of me in a duel.” Leo nodded along- N had explained it all to him on the way. “And you know N already. The other members of the crew are Ken, who owns this club, Hongbin, who isn’t here yet, and Hyuk,” Ravi gestured behind Leo. Leo turned, and saw the blonde man again. They exchanged a small smile before Leo returned his attention to Ravi. “It’s nice to finally meet face to face. N has told me… Well he’s told me next to nothing about you, but that’s more than he generally tells me.” The man’s eyes never left Leo’s, but he continued. “And no amount of N making faces will change what I said, N.”

 “Get to the point before Ken gets here. It’ll be embarrassing for everyone watching you two.” N replied, sinking into a chair near Ravi.

 “Right. Mostly, I want you here for this,” He produced a slim folder from the chair behind him. “N says you can read any language-“

 “Read, listen to, and speak it.” Leo felt the need to clarify things. Ravi’s expression brightened.

 “Well, I’ll get you set up here. Though, I will have to take a meeting at one point. Would that… Bother you?”

 “No,” Leo felt nervousness twist in his stomach, but he ignored it. Ravi grinned, and turned back to the symbols on the floor. Somehow, if he was being honest with himself, Leo had expected something more dramatic or clandestine in nature. So Ravi being so casual and at ease had tilted everything a little, and Leo was unsure of his footing. It would be like any other job, he reminded himself, that’s what N said. So this kind of informality would be expected. The spell was interesting, though. He enjoyed that.

 “Oh, and Ken’s got your money, someone remind me to give it to you when he gets in here.” Leo nodded mutely as he watched Ravi carefully erase the symbol on the floor and move a chair over the space.

 “No need!” Ken’s trilling excitement poured into the room as the man himself strutted in. “Ravi, don’t you look Ravishing this evening. Looks like you’re still taking your handsome pills.” Leo had seen Ken flirt, but the terrible greeting could have won a prize. Tonight, Ken was dressed in something dark and tight, with a purple streak edging the low neckline. It was almost demure compared to some of the outfits Leo had seen.

 “They make them in chewables now.” Ravi returned. “Now give Leo his money.”

 “Leo like a lion?” Ken turned a big grin on Leo, who nodded slowly. “Is it because you’re a beast in-“ Hyuk’s hand hit Ken’s shoulder, and Leo heard a faint crackling sound, and Ken was leaping away towards Ravi.

 “Ignore Ken. He was born without manners.” Hyuk came to stand near Leo, leaning against the wall.

 “I’ve met him before.” Leo mumbled. He’d been so ready to plunge into a conversation earlier, but disorientation and anxiety had clouded him over once again. He was nervous of trying to start a conversation with Hyuk now.

 “That’s good. And, since Ravi was a little… Tactful about it. He wants you to listen in on his meeting. Some of the people invited have been shifty lately. If they’re whispering anything weird or not related to the meeting, you tell him about it, right?”

 “Um. Sure. I’m… I’m not sure what to listen for?”

 “Just anything that doesn’t sound like it’s about that contract.”

 “Okay.”

 “And… Um… Do you want any food or something?” Even in the blue wash of the lights, Hyuk’s cheeks were pink.

 “If it wouldn’t be a problem? Where do I get some?”

 “No, sit,” Hyuk put a hand on Leo’s shoulder, pushing him towards the table they’d set up for him. Hyuk’s hand was hot. It was extremely hot- the heat of it radiated several inches across Leo’s skin, and he almost thought his clothes would catch fire from the scalding sensation. “I’ll see what’s being served upstairs tonight.” It took Leo a moment to remember the restaurant Ken owned, which was several floors above this one in the next building.

 “Thank you.” He sat, and watched Hyuk leave, which took some time, as Hyuk had paused mid-way through the room. He watched Hyuk carefully remove his shoes and rub his socked feet on the carpet for a moment, before leaning over and giving Ken a static zap that sent the other man leaping out of his conversation with N into the slender form of a newcomer.

 “No matter how many times guys have poked Ken, the big ones are still a surprise, huh?” The newcomer laughed at Ken, giving Hyuk a wide smile that had to have at least 56 extra teeth in it as Hyuk grabbed his shoes and escaped Ken’s angry muttering.

 “Shut up,” Ken sniped, giving the newcomer a dirty look. It was ignored in favour of Leo. The smiling man made a beeline for him, grinning the whole way.

 “Hongbin!” He announced, once he was close. “And you’re…” He paused, appearing to listen to something. “Leo.” Leo nodded. “You…” He paused again, and looked surprised. “You know N and… And someone thinks you might like Ravi’s butt?” Hongbin frowned. “I thought he might like Ravi’s dog Butt. Not Ravi’s butt. We all know that butt is reserved for Ken’s hands.”

 Ravi, Leo noted, appeared to have gone suddenly deaf for this conversation. The dynamics of this little group were confusing, to say the least. “And Leo, Hongbin is a psychic. You’ll get used to this kind of thing,” N waved at Hongbin, who was staring at him with a curious smile.

 “Hyuk’s touch is warm, isn’t it?” He said softly. “He’s a fire elemental. He can’t help it.” Leo had an image of curling up against Hyuk for warmth, as a cat would, and Hongbin’s eyes widened. Embarrassed, Leo turned back to the document. “I won’t tell.” Hongbin whispered, and turned back to the rest of the group.

 Leo worked without interruption after that. Some waiters pushing large carts filed in soon after Hongbin, and Ken directed them on where to put giant dishes on the tables around the room. Leo was dutifully ignored by the staff as he worked, one only coming close to put a glass of water beside him. The contract seemed fairly standard, all jargon and long-winded sentences, and Leo carefully typed it all out exactly as he read it. He’d let Ravi decide on whether he wanted clarification later. He was actually enjoying himself, he found. He listened to the others chat, and as the room began to fill with others- most of whom were humans as far as Leo could see- the chatter became more interesting. Two of the humans had noted Hyuk’s current absence, causing Leo to realize he’d been gone for well over two hours. Neither Hyuk, nor the promised food had joined him, and it hurt a little to realize it. Leo wanted both of them to get back to him now. Two others kept checking the time, and they seemed to be expecting a third person, even after everyone had taken a chair. With no empty chairs, Leo couldn’t help but spare a thought to puzzle over who they might be waiting for.

 He continued translating, though, and kept his curious ear on the conversation. Most of it was Ravi and a dark-haired white man whose name Leo hadn’t caught. His two associates were still periodically checking their watches and whispering to each other. Most of the phrases included the very popular “Is it time yet? They said he’d be here?”, and the equally repeated “No you idiot.”, followed by, interestingly, “But we need him for this to be absolute-“ which was quickly muffled or cut off. After the sixth muffled comment Hyuk strolled in. He looked calm, but Leo could see the bags in his hands looked scorched, and his previously styled hair was wild. He moved in and whispered something to Ravi, who nodded but continued a conversation with the white man. Hyuk, on the other hand, was moving towards Leo, but his eyes were fixed on the two whisperers while his expression was an ugly, twisted thing.

 “Those two!” He hissed as he sat down beside Leo, carefully setting the bag between them. “Why are they here?”

 “I think they came with the white guy Ravi’s talking to. I’m not sure what they’re here for though.” Leo whispered back. “They keep waiting for someone, according to their whispering.” Leo relayed the whispered comments to Hyuk, whose frown soured into a deep scowl. “Why?”

 “They’re my brothers. They said they’d gotten out of… Out of their previous line of work, but if they’re thugging for hire now… I need you to tell Ravi what you heard.”

 Leo carefully stood, feeling awkward as hell as he approached the crowd of leather chairs. Fortunately, most of the chairs’ occupants ignored him, though one or two spared him a bored glance. When he came up behind Ravi’s chair he leaned down, like he had seen Hyuk do, and whispered:

 “The two in the dark suits, to your left. They’re Hyuk’s brothers, according to him, and they’ve been whispering back and forth a few times about someone arriving? And needing them for something.” Leo repeated the phrases again, and Ravi nodded, much like he had with Hyuk.

 There are times, and places, beyond our knowing. One such place, Hybras, was a place of magic and wonder. At least, to those who did not live there. The city lived in two- a world like ours, of 9-5 human bustle and activity, and a world filled with fae and elementals, and humans who had the sight. Humans are distrustful at the best of times, so the two sides have always stood apart, but with the rise of new leaders and politicians, the divide is sharper than ever, and consequences begin to pile up on both sides. Humans driven into stupid animal fear, and the Folk, as the media termed them, were driven into the shadows, living on the fringe, and in resentful silence.

                                           *     *      *

Taekwoon sat down heavily on his friend Hakyeon’s couch and sighed. It had happened again. He’d lost another job. He’d been so good- he’d minded his own business, been friendly enough, and always done all the work assigned to him. He’d agreed to lunch with some coworkers, and they’d walked past the pet store. Until he passed, the animals had been playful and sweet; but his presence had made them all sit or stand at attention, eyes on him, before the howling and screaming had begun. The news that day had played over the office, letting them know the signs of the Folk, including ones like Taekwoon.

He’d been fired for ‘showing up late too often’ by 5pm.

He wasn’t even going to fight this one. He was done with it all.

“Rough one?” Hakyeon’s voice floated in from his room.

“Worse. I got fired again,” “How’d it happen this time?”

“The pet place on 191st.” Taekwoon rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in a couch cushion. He was sure his landlord would want him out after this, too. He hadn’t even taken anything out of his storage locker this time, so at least he was already packed.

“I hate pet stores.” Hakyeon’s voice let Taekwoon know his friend had returned. “I don’t know why you bother trying to fit in anymore. Things are getting worse everywhere, honestly. I mean, look at the city- east and west are now an absolute divide in species. Stay here on this side with me, stop trying to fit in with the humans.”

“I AM a human.”

“True, but one who is capable of interspecies communication, and mastery of beasts, and that makes the rest of them nervous.” Hakyeon sat down on a sliver of couch and put a soft hand on Taekwoon’s shoulder. “I could get you a job with my people. I’m sure Ravi would love to have you in the crew. And you won’t even have to move!”

“I’m sure my boss already called my landlord about me.” Taekwoon moaned. “I’ll be out by the end of the week!”

“Lee Jaehwan owns the club under your building, not just the apartments, you know.”

“So?”

“So, if he’s got real estate in the middle of Hybras West that caters to the Folk, I doubt your dumb boss is going to bother him, and even if he does, why would a man with a Folk-friendly club not rent to Folk too?” Leo nodded, but privately stuck to his original opinion. Hakyeon squeezed his shoulder gently and got up. “Now, I’m making myself some dinner. Do you want to stay, or is it still time for you to moan all the way home?”

“Can I stay? I don’t think being alone right now is a good idea.” “And you’re scared of Jaehwan talking to you.” Maybe Taekwoon would go home, if Hakyeon was going to insist on acting like this instead of joining Taekwoon’s pity party.

“I don’t even want to talk to you right now.” Taekwoon sniped, still face-down in the cushion.

“If you’re going to be this broody, at least make yourself useful and go sit on some eggs.” Hakyeon’s voice got fainter, and Taekwoon tried to stifle his laugh. Hakyeon really was good at ruining a good sulk. “Now, I’m just heating up leftovers, so don’t expect anything fancy.”

Taekwoon never minded the state of the food, as long as he got to eat it, he would be fine. He sat and listened to Hakyeon chatter on about a new crush of his- name currently redacted- and how Ravi was thinking of expanding the Fae exports (mostly drugs, various potions, elixirs, and charmed items) to include things Extrasensory Humans, like Taekwoon, could use. He let all the information wash over him, concentrating more on the taste of the dumplings. Hakyeon probably knew he did it, but it was a routine of theirs, so he’d let it be.

“Ravi is looking for an Omnilingual, if you’re interested?” The question shook Taekwoon from a fantasy of never-ending dumplings.

“What?” “My boss, Ravi. He needs an Omnilingual. And since your calendar is free… Do you want to join us?”

“You know I don’t want to do that.” Taekwoon sighed. They’d had this fight one hundred times. Hakyeon would suggest working with other… Folk. Other people like himself and Taekwoon. Then Taekwoon would reply he didn’t want to be a criminal. Hakyeon would insist it was legit. Taekwoon would stare him down. Hakyeon would pout. Taekwoon would not get dessert.

“I know. Is it because you think we’re all criminals, or because you don’t want to admit you’re like me?” Taekwoon’s argument was stopped cold.

“What?” “You sound like your parents- all Folk are criminals, I don’t want to associate with the Folk publicly, I refuse to change my views.” Hakyeon mimicked.

“No, it’s not-“ “Look, I’m actually getting sick of this. I know you still want to be accepted by normal humans, but you just aren’t one. And if I keep getting this attitude from you, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Hakyeon’s normally cheerful expression was icy. “It’s like skin colour- we can’t change it, but we can stop being dicks about it.” He held Taekwoon’s gaze for an uncomfortable minute. “Now, I’m saying it one last time: Ravi needs an Omnilingual. The pay will be a lump sum of seven thousand dollars. Paid half on the first day, half on the last. It’s legal- he wants to make a deal with some elves. Metalwork exports, if I remember correctly. The job is yours if you want it. Seven thousand dollars. I’ll give you two days to think about it.”

Leo had agreed to think about it, and eventually Hakyeon had talked him into facing Jaehwan and sent him home with extra dessert. Now he stood in his kitchen, dessert still in his hand, staring at his phone. He knew putting off calling Jaehwan would just make it worse, in the end. That thought didn’t make it any easier for him, though. Eventually he sighed, and put the dessert in the fridge. He was going to go down to the shelter first, and then call Jaehwan in the morning and get it over with. It didn’t take long for him to get ready and begin the short trip to his favourite place. The shelter was friendly to him, the discovery of his skills made him an asset as a volunteer, not an object of fear there. It also meant he could pet as many dogs and as he wanted without getting looks from others. He had never felt more at home anywhere else.

“Taekwoonie!” A familiar chirp interrupted him on the third floor. Jaehwan, wearing what Taekwoon guessed was a shirt that had undergone the world’s most invasive threadectomy. Or some netting-turned-lingerie from Victoria Secret’s “Fishing for Dicks” nautical-themed line. It was hard to tell with Jaehwan sometimes.

“Hello,” Taekwoon smiled, allowing Jaehwan to join him on the stairs.

“You look tense. Is everything okay, Woonie?” Taekwoon didn’t particularly like the nickname, but somehow he’d never gotten around to telling Jaehwan that.

“Um… I wanted to talk to you, actually.”

“Did something happen? Are you okay?” Jaehwan had a way of making Taekwoon feel warm that he couldn’t figure out. Moments ago he’d been terrified of seeing the man, but now, with Jaehwan’s hand on his arm, he felt silly. He knew he couldn’t be scared of Jaehwan- the man was too pleasant to be terrible. He wouldn’t harm Taekwoon.

“I… Lost my job. I might not be able to make rent on time this month.”

“Oh, Taekwoon, that’s fine. You’ve been a good tenant so far, I don’t mind if you-“

“I… Don’t know how long it could take me to get another one.”

“Sweetie-“

“I got… I’m a… I’m of the Folk and I got found out. My boss will probably call you and tell you. And I might not have that job for a long time, if he calls anyone else.” The words tumbled out, leaving Taekwoon feeling exposed and scared, but the warmth of Jaehwan’s hand cut through it like a watery sun through the rain clouds. Jaehwan was a nice man, the warmth reminded him. He wouldn’t- he COULDN’T be like the others.

Jaehwan’s expression rippled with surprise, then suddenly Taekwoon was enveloped in a warm embrace. The warmth of his hand was nothing compared to the calm the brief hug Jaehwan bestowed on him. Taekwoon felt as if he’d been emptied of all his fear and was being filled with champagne. Bubbly warmth and giddiness buzzed right up his spine to his hair, bypassing his brain and spreading through every cell as Jaehwan stepped back and grinned.

“You take all the time you need, don’t worry about it for a second. And, if your boss calls, I’ll just hang up on him.”

“You don’t-“

“Us folk have to stick together.” Jaehwan’s grin grew by several teeth. “And if you need help looking for work, just let me know. I always know a guy who knows a guy.” It must have been the giddiness at work, Taekwoon thought later, as he hugged Jaehwan and gave him cheerful and sincere thanks for his understanding, and the offer. Jaehwan, looking a little confused as well, waved Taekwoon off, saying he would always be in the club if Taekwoon needed to find him.

Taekwoon nearly ran all the way to the shelter, where he smiled at everyone widely, before settling in to bathe some of the dogs. The odd warmth Jaehwan had inspired stuck around, and it had Taekwoon thinking as he scrubbed and brushed a very affectionate puppy’s fur. He knew Hakyeon’s offer was solid- and with seven thousand dollars he could shop around for more work with a bit of a safety net- and whatever he ended up not using could go to the shelter! They always needed donations. As he unsuccessfully tried to wrangle the puppy into a position to wash its back legs, he realised that it hadn’t even entered his mind to turn down the offer. Everything had been such a whirlwind, he hadn’t had time to settle on a feeling, and now that he had to land somewhere, he felt like a snow globe after a massive shake. He wanted to claim he was sad or angry, but both Hakyeon’s offer and Jaehwan’s little confession had sapped that. Hakyeon was nicer to him that he deserved, sometimes. And Jaehwan… The man so boldly admitted he was of the Folk too. With a smile and pride, he’d just accepted Taekwoon’s admission. That was a heady feeling that was hard to put a dent in.

A small, niggling part of him still craved approval from his family- still screamed that if only he tried hard enough he could be like them. It was screaming quieter and quieter now, with Hakyeon’s observations still fresh in his mind. He wasn’t welcome with his family much, but the shelter, and Hakyeon, and now Jaehwan… They all accepted him just fine. Maybe, if he took the work for Ravi, he’d look into what Jaehwan had in mind, and just disappear into this side of the city. He had occasional lunches with his fellow shelter volunteers, and he could always take up his favourite hobby (pretending tonight would be the night he’d finally talk to the tall, exquisite blonde man he often passed in the street and in the corner store some nights. The one who always smiled at him) full-time.

“Stop squirming, little missy,” He paused his thoughts to softly scold his squirming bath buddy. “I just want to clean your feet.” She turned and stared at him, and Taekwoon realised he must have surprised her. A lot of animals were surprised when a human talked to them for the first time. “Yes you,” he tickled her ears a little. “I just need to do your feet and you can go back to the play area.” Obedient instantly at the mention of the play area, the little dog allowed him to finish washing her, then shift her to another volunteer.

“You’re in a good mood today,” he realised the other volunteer was Arzu, one of the elves. Generally, she was only here during the day- elves preferring to be out at night and indoors during the sunny hours.

“I lost my job, but I didn’t get evicted.” He realised too late how strange it sounded.

“I know that feeling.” She nodded. “Any plans yet?”

“My friend has a job I’m considering. I’ll even have enough left over to give to the shelter!”

“What, not going to buy a hundred cakes first?” She teased. Taekwoon’s cheeks burned a little as he turned to accept his next puppy. “And don’t look sour- I remember watching you at lunch last week. I’ve never seen anyone eat like that. I was impressed.” She smiled, revealing her unusually long teeth. Taekwoon liked her smile- elves looked almost cat-like, with their long teeth, slit pupils, and pointed ears- and that set him at ease compared to other humanoids. They were cat-like in other ways too- people thought of them as graceful, serene, and elegant creatures despite the thousands of videos of them doing ridiculous things. He’d seen Arzu get her foot stuck in a bucket, swear a blue streak across the whole compound, then snobbishly insist everyone had hallucinated it once she was freed. Definitely catlike, and very easy to get along with.

“I like cake.” He defended weakly.

“I know.”

                                             *          *           *

Ravi was seated in his usual back room angrily tapping various words into a translator that, in his opinion, only translated things into bullshit. He was struggling with this- the deal with the elves for metalworks like cauldrons and their charmable jewellery was going to make it so much easier to deal with the other wizards. But this damn contract… He could read elvish well enough to order food or cast a hex, but he was nowhere near the level he needed to figure out if there were any loopholes or sub-clauses snuck in.

“Hey boss!” The yell both startled Ravi, and let him know his Fae friend N was in an unusually chipper state. “Guess what I’ve got?” N threw himself into a chair near Ravi and grinned. Ravi was never sure about that grin, it was more of a predatory teeth-baring than a grin. It usually heralded an adventure, though, so Ravi nodded at N as he tapped away. “I found us a translator.”

“Really, who? I thought your last contact was-“

“Oh, not her. A friend of mine. He’s recently been outed, needs some money and a nice place indoors to sit for a while.”

“He’s a human? What languages did he study?” Ravi paused in his tapping to watch N.

“He’s an Omnilingual, not a translator. I’ve even seen him talk to animals like dogs, so I will personally vouch for him.”

“On your wings?” Fae had wings, though Ravi had rarely seen them, and swearing on them was serious business.

“On my mother’s wings.” N put a hand on his chest. “He’s a nice kid too. He’s had a rough go of it, but I know he’ll take the offer I made for you. I’ll bring him in once I get a formal yes out of him.” Ravi nodded at this. N wasn’t one to fuss around when business was running. Ravi admired that- he found himself staying up late and wanting to hex his more irritating coworkers when business took off. While N seemed to jump right in and swim through everything without a care.

“Good. That cuts out one worry of mine. The other though- I need a crew for the retrieval you suggested. I still need an animal specialist, a siren, and Hongbin if I can wrangle him out of his latest psychic drama.”

“Well, my friend might do that if you mention the animals… After we do this job first, though. He’s skittish about the whole thing. But if he likes us, he’ll be in. And, based on what he tells me, he’s seen Hyuk around town, so I’m sure he’d stay just to moon over Hyuk forever…” N’s laughter was full of fondness for this friend, Ravi noted. That was interesting, as N rarely mentioned having a personal life, let alone any of the persons in it. “The siren though- aren’t we in a club full of them?”

“Would you trust any of them to work with us on something this delicate?” “Well, Xiumin is good for-“

“Without seducing anyone and without taking off his shirt at any point?” Ravi peered over his glasses a N.

“In Xiumin’s defense, he pulls off Baekhyun’s shirt more than his own these days.” N pointed out.

“Not exactly a point in his favour,” Ravi rolled his eyes. “I’ll just ask Ken. Sometimes I feel like he knows everyone in this city, so he’ll be able to find me someone.” Ravi pushed his glasses up his face and rubbed his eyes.

“Look, until my friend agrees, we’re sitting on this, so just pack up and go home. You’ll have a nice day off, maybe you’ll finally call Ken daddy, and then we’ll pull a heist just like in the movies.”

“I do not want to call Ken daddy.”

“Or mommy. I don’t know what you two skeezes are into.” N grinned again, and stood. “Where’s Hyuk? Normally he’s got something rude to add by now.”

“I had to send him after someone. They didn’t want to pay up, so right now he’s probably explaining very nicely to them that they’re paying up in twenty-four hours, or he breaks their other arm too.”

“Well, I do not envy them.” N started towards the door. “Jokes aside, please at least take the night off. You look like you’re about to drop.”

Ravi waved him off, but as he stood to stretch, he realised he felt exhausted. Checking his watch, he’d been working for the last 5 hours without stopping. It was nearly 1am, and he hadn’t realised it. He gathered up his things and crammed them into his bag, and with a last glance around, he started out into the hallway. It didn’t take him long to attract Ken, who always seemed to know when Ravi surfaced from the back Ravi!” Ken appeared from the sea of moving bodies. “You finally up for a drink with me?”

“It’s late, Jaehwan,” Ravi scolded Ken, using his real name as emphasis, but made no move to stop the other man’s approach. “I do have a job, you know. I don’t party all night like you.”

“But you know you want to.” Jaehwan said, and shimmied a little in emphasis.

“You know I’d love to dress like a seaside hooker and shake it with the rest of the girls, but I don’t have your flair. Or Xiumin’s shirt allergy.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Jaehwan pouted solemnly. “The poor boy just can’t handle his shirts.”

“Neither can you by the look of this.” Ravi plucked at the mesh on Ken’s chest, a little thrill of heat racing up his arm when his finger brushed Jaehwan’s collarbone. “It must be contagious.”

“Here’s hoping it’s catching. I’d love to see what that tattoo of yours says.” Jaehwan pressed suggestively against Ravi for a moment, before slipping off into the crowd. Ravi wanted to make a clever comment, or say something back, but the heat burning in him made it come out as an awkward grunt.

His thoughts of Jaehwan were cut short by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He strode out of the club and answered it. “Ravi speaking.”

“It’s me. Hyuk. I got the artifact, what do you want me to do with it?”

“Bring it to my place. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Will do.” He wasn’t much one to chat today, that boy, Ravi thought as he pocketed his phone. That meant Hyuk had probably encountered his family again. As an elemental, Hyuk was sought after by many people- they were used for industrial work of all kinds, magic, even entertainment- but like many of his kind, he was not often paid well for it, and abused without a second thought. He’d followed in the footsteps of his family, and ended up as a fighter in some less respectable parts of the circuits. He was a fire elemental, and therefore prized even above his siblings, so when Ravi first met him, he had actually been chained with water cuffs and locked up when he wasn’t fighting. Ravi had freed him on a whim, and accidentally earned himself a constant companion. This was somehow viewed as a betrayal of Family Tradition, and Hyuk had several encounters with his siblings over the years that had led to bloodshed and possibly death. Ravi hadn’t asked, and he knew Hyuk would likely not elaborate if confronted. Despite his past (of which Ravi admittedly knew little), Hyuk maintained an easygoing demeanour, except when members of his family popped up. Then he was sullen for days, and even seeing the serious dark-haired man from the corner store would not cheer him up.

His thoughts still full of his giant protector, Ravi let himself into his apartment. He could hear his dog’s little paws scrabbling across the floor as he kicked his shoes off and abandoned his bag next to the couch. His dog, Butt, came charging into the room and made a beeline for his shins, yapping the whole way. It cheered Ravi immensely, and the weight of the contract seemed to lift. He scooped Butt up under one arm and kissed the top of his head.

“Daddy missed you.” He cooed. “Yes, I did.” Butt wiggled happily, and Ravi slumped down on the couch, still muttering to Butt. “Daddy’s finally got the gems he needs for his big heist. Aren’t you proud of me?”

Any response Butt might have had was cut short by the sound of a key in the lock.

“Wonsik?” Only Hyuk knew his actual name.

“Over here.” He let Butt down on the floor, and the little dog took off, happily cannoning into Hyuk’s shins.

“Butt!” Hyuk’s child-like glee nearly matched Butt’s enthusiasm. “How are you?”

“He’s probably mad I didn’t get home earlier.” Ravi answered. “But good news, N found us a translator.”

“I thought Hwasa was out of town with her wife?” Hyuk came into Ravi’s line of vision.

“She is. Apparently N has a friend who’s an Omnilingual- says he can even talk to animals.” Ravi didn’t bother sitting up, only shifting his feet as Hyuk sat down at the other end of the couch. “He’s going to find out from his friend in the next day or two what the guy thinks of the job.”

“Good.” Hyuk nodded seriously, even as his fingers twirled over Butt, creating a small wispy tendril of smoke where Butt’s tail should be. Butt took off chasing it in a wide circle while Hyuk smiled. “I got the gems.” He stuck a hand into his pockets, and withdrew a velvet sack. “What do we need them for anyway?” “If we want to get into… Into the compound, I need to do some spell work, and the gems are involved. Mostly so I don’t have to use you as a makeshift amplifier again. I don’t think either of us enjoyed that much.”

“No, we did not.” Hyuk shook his head vigorously.

“Speaking of enjoying things- where’s the static prince Hyuk gone? You haven’t zapped a single person today. Even Ken has noticed.”

“I hadn’t realised it was that obvious.”

“What’s up? Was it your family again?”

“No. I just… You’ll think I’m silly.” Hyuk was keeping his eyes firmly on the dog, resolutely avoiding Ravi’s gaze.

“I once watched you shuffle across a professional setting in your socks so you could zap Hongbin while he was flirting with a girl. And you did that because he didn’t think your singing the food song was a masterpiece. There is not ‘too silly’ with us.”

“Well, you know the guy from the corner store? The really serious and mysterious one? I want to talk to him, but I don’t know what to do! It’s driving me crazy!”

“Dress up like a dessert? I remember his basket had 6 cakes in it when you pointed him out to me.” That got a laugh out of Hyuk.

“What I mean is, he looks human- what if he’s not one of us?” “I look human. In fact, I am one.” Ravi pointed out. “And there’s tons of humans with extra talents. He clearly lives around here, and it’s a high-Folk area. That means he’s probably at least friendly to the Folk.”

“But still…”

“Just march up to him and ask him out. Worst happens, he says no, then you can start getting over him. Best case, I hope I’m the best man at your wedding.” “So… Just march up and ask him out?” “It’s not that hard.”

“Just like you and Ken?”

Ravi jolted upright and stared at Hyuk. “That’s completely different!” Shame flushed his cheeks red.

“How?”

“I work with Ken, for starters.” He defended, though Hyuk’s expression said he wasn’t buying it. “And he’s… Ken! He flirts with the world! How am I supposed to know if he’s flirting with me or flirting with me?”

“Just march up and ask him?” Hyuk’s expression was innocent as he parroted Ravi’s advice back at him.