trailsablaise

And then it isn’t long before his attention is diverted entirely, having noticed a new addition to the beach. Lolling his head to one side, he squinted and peered into the distance to see someone traipsing about in the water. He recognized the form even at such a distance, provoking a slow grin to form on his lips.

Of course, the mermaids soon popped up out of the water at the new arrival, and Daire was momentarily surprised to note their friendliness. He observed the group conversing with one another, figuring that he’d be noticed eventually. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long for such a thing, for Blaise’s eyes soon met his own.

Resisting the urge to giggle gleefully, his grin widened in size and he lifted a hand to beckon the other over.

'

Oh how terrible! The look of irritation soon melts away when he sighs, turning to his mermaid companions with a slight smile. "Yes, I know him and he's...well, a charmer of sorts. Not exactly someone I am on good terms." Is it because he smells like a human? Faes like that are so hard to come across! But hee hee! He's asking for your company! We'll leave you be Blaise. Come back next time when you're not busy.

The mermaids swim off before Blaise could utter a complaint and turns to where Daire sat. Blaise scratches his cheek and walks over to the other but refuses to sit. 

Oh, how frustrating it was to get out of Caelan’s castle! 

Constantly, constantly Daire had to weasel his way out, had to work his “charms” in order to convince the king that there was nothing wrong with him leaving… yet he knew he’d get an earful upon returning. Acknowledging this, it just made the faerie all the more inclined to stay out of the forest longer. He’d enjoy his time in Sleepy Hollow, letting himself get acquainted with the ever-constant stream of new arrivals, and having some fun with the locals.

"Fun" was one way to put it, of course.

Dressed in his typical slacks and tunic, vest lazily thrown on top, Daire strolled through the village in the direction of the cathedral. He took the long way there, golden hues observing those that fluttered and gushed around him, many excited about the week’s festivities. It brought an amused smile to his face, taking his time in flirting with random girls and jeering at the men that glared from afar.

After awhile, he finally saw the cathedral coming into view, but instead of heading straight for it, he skirted towards the beach that he knew lay beyond the building. Upon reaching the sand, he nudged off his shoes and crouched down, resting his elbows on his knees and observing the sea. 

He arrives at the beach on the opposite end of where Daire was with a bucket at hand. He removes his shoes before stepping in the water to fill it up. Ah, what was that? He heard the faint sound of giggling but not from behind and instead, before him, were two mermaids.

While he usually kept up a stubborn front, these two ladies happened to be somewhat of acquaintances of his. (He'd love to become friends with them but that requires going under the sea and he isn't quite fond of deep waters.) "Ladies, good morning to you both." Good morning Blaise! Is the other land dweller over there your friend? He's rather good looking. "...huh?"

He squats down and turns to where they pointed.

He went quiet after that, looking about the grove and admiring its peaceful atmosphere. His golden eyes darted after Blaise when he saw the other move to the deer, lips curling. It was peculiar how seeing the other smile around the creatures made Daire feel a little… lighter. He couldn’t place it, but the zips was quite the oddity that made the gancanagh a bit more genuine in his words and actions. Few people were capable of such a thing, and for that, he considered Blaise unique.

At Daire's compliment, he smiles to himself a bit. Such a minuscule compliment made him feel a bit relaxed. He was glad to know that his food was indeed good to consume. "Ah, that's a relief. I wouldn't want you to bear a grudge against me if it wasn't good even if I had told you in advance it wasn't the best." 

Watching the other shrink, he tilted his head and crouched down to watch the little man get to work. He reached his hand out and ran his fingers through the water close to where Blaise cleaned off the plants, eyes on the ripples of the clear surface. It wasn’t long before the brunet shifted back into his humanesque size, and he flashed another cheeky smile before continuing to follow him. 

"Well I feed him all the edible things in the forest. I try not to spoil him with too much sweets, let alone anything humans drop like their chocolates." He focuses on the cauldron-like pot before him. He stirs and stirs, adding in the herbs and mushrooms he's gotten and scratches his cheek a bit. "But he is a child so anything I make must be good to him. My cooking's the only one he's had in a while." 

The silence between them now is much more comfortable seeing as Blaise is hard at work. While he lets the soup sit, he goes to make his rounds with the deer and stag, feeding them or giving them water if needed. They all seemed to enjoy his presence and rub against him, prompting a soft laugh from the zips. When he returns, he hands the other a small slice of bread he's made and soon after that, the meals' are done and he serves the other a pipping hot bowl of soup.

If mentioning the faerie king made Blaise nervous, he’d be shocked to know Daire’s thoughts on the matter. For a moment, all the blond could do was tune the other faerie out, not wanting to think about the subject at hand and clenching his fists at his sides. He had mixed feelings about the king —being his little pet did that to a faerie. However, he didn’t have much choice. He came when called, and luckily, the king hadn’t called for him in awhile. 

After a long moment, Daire made himself calm down and that same lazy smile from before formed on his lips. “Of course. Perhaps I will be more careful,” he murmured, tone not at all convincing. He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, tilting his head to the side and absently studying Blaise’s movements. His little habits as he gathered herbs were beginning to imprint themselves in the blond’s memory.

Being small like this allowed him to thoroughly clean the plants and with his powers--although not as potent as they used to be--made things go smoothly. He glances up to where Daire was and felt even more intimidated by the other for being so big. When he's done, he reverts back to human-size, softly exhaling as he leads the other back into the protection of the grove. 

When they're in again, he goes off to the makeshift kitchen near the base of his home and begins to make his meal. Little balls of lights light up at each tree, one by one, giving a beautifully illuminated area. "You can watch if you'd like. My soups and meals aren't all that great I don't think. Felix enjoys them but I doubt my cooking abilities are that great since I am the only faerie who eats my own cooking." Blaise mumbles out a reply before turning his back to the other a bit, fixated on making a good enough meal for his new guest. 

Rising to his feet, he deftly leapt down after Blaise and reached the ground in no time, watching flowers appear at the brunet’s touch. Mildly impressed, he studied the little blossoms and hummed to himself. They were quite lovely, and he knew that Blaise used them for their utility more than their appearance. Regardless, it was fitting for a grove such as this to have something pretty.

"Well, perhaps you know of the consequences. The fae closer to His Majesty, and His Majesty himself, are not to be toyed with." 

He rises to gather herbs now, going to a different patch, carefully pulling them from the Earth and when he has enough, he places them carefully into a sack he brought along to carry them back. It makes him nervous mentioning the king in the middle of the forest. No matter where any faerie goes, the king and queen would reign over the faerie world and all those tied to the land were bound to them. 

Blaise's worries over this strange faerie entering his life don't seem to cease. At least by now he was comfortable enough to let him tag along but what if he were to come again and again? How much longer could he keep his defensive stance? But the other's words of wanting some company crossed his mind again. He would have to give Daire the benefit of a doubt.

Immediately, Blaise climbs down from his home up in the treetops and grows some flowers from the tips of his fingers. He'd be using the nectar for later--it was always good sweetener for tea. He'd have to go find some herbs and mushrooms...and some vegetables too. He motions out of the safety of his grove and back into the forest, glancing back to see if the other was still there. 

"Okay! Let’s make it after we come home. Together, of course!" Felix claps his hands softly, looking back to the patch of wildflowers Blaise had conjured for him. Aside from the few spots where Felix had taken blossoms from, it is lush and fragrant, rich with color.

Mother’s flower crowns were always made from a flower carefully picked.

"I wonder what flower mother would like this time. I made her one with daisies last time." Resting his palms on his hocks, Felix leans forward slightly and hums with thought. Quickly, he turns his head and beams up at the faerie beside him, eyes bright with a solution.

The faerie recalls the last crown the other made and nods absently before turning to the other, eyebrow arched with slight disbelief. "Oh? Well, if that's what you'd like then certainly." He agrees again and averts his gaze elsewhere. Felix's mother...what sort of a woman was she? Wonderful most likely. Felix had always been so gentle and earnest. As lonely as he might've been if the faun boy never entered his life, it must've been even harder to be separated from family.

The harsh words that left the other’s mouth somewhat surprised Daire, but he only showed it slightly but briefly raising his brows. “They’ve been built up into proud beings,” he returned softly, closing his eyes as a humorless smile curled on his lips. “Taught all their lives that they are on top of the food chain. Funny —they’re so weak, you would’ve thought someone like us could’ve taught them a lesson already.”

Although Daire spent most of his time around humans, he really looked down upon them. He found them weak, sniveling, irritating things that let themselves be controlled by their emotions. Yet this is what made them so interesting, and really, he had nothing better to do. Sure, most of the time he’d simply snag a girl (and the occasional guy) for a fun night, but other than that, he didn’t hold long conversations with them. It was the fae that nabbed his attention for longer periods of time, but they didn’t fancy him too much. Pity.

Daire’s eyes flickered to Blaise at his snort, looking at him curiously but biting his tongue. He wouldn’t call him out on his obvious distaste just yet —he could joke about it later. “You suppose so,” he mocked quietly, sipping from his mug and smirking around the rim. “Oh, how cruel! The townspeople never did anything to you~” The coo left his lips with ease, and a little snicker escaped him a moment later. Shaking his head, he sighed and set the mug down carefully before folding his arms across his chest with a lazy smile.

"Humans are filth." He states rather boldly, rubbing the scar gently. "They take more than they need and do things for the sport of it. If the spirits of the woods would allow me more than I am--the humans wouldn't be at such mercy." Blaise turns to the other and pours himself some more tea. "They just don't understand...the kind of destruction they inflict." 

Felix wants to turn his head upward when Blaise places a soft burden atop his wavy locks and instead keeps his chin level. The soft scent of flowers wafts from the gift to his flat nose and Felix takes a moment to breathe it in. Hands relaxing, the deer boy looks over and smiles ever wider at Blaise once he is sitting.

"Okay, I promise," he says in a pure voice, almost like the honey that pours from a freshly broken bee’s nest.

Though the exchange lasts but a moment before Felix is back to work on his own crown. Weaving the stems and placing the blossoms delicately, the faun works away with a soft hum of expectation. The chain is almost complete and when he tucks that last stem away into a knot, he excitedly ties the two ends.

"Do you really think so?" Felix asks, holding his work up for inspection. Slowly, he turns it, taking in every angle of it. It must be perfect… Absolutely so!

"We'll be having your favorite. I've already gathered the ingredients so now all there's left to do is make it. You can help if you'd like." Blaise chuckles but lowers his voice once the other concentrates once again. He watches the other's nimble fingers fit stems through hoops and lines. The other showed a talent! In this, the faerie felt proud in a way. 

Upon seeing the other move about, Daire started and continued to follow him. He accepted the offered hand and climbed up into the tree with him, impressed by the work done to make it livable. The fae were all exceptional when it came to living in the wild —they only ever casually enjoyed the comforts of human life inside. Deep down, they were meant to roam the wild and care for nature. Even Daire, whose habits were clearly unsavory, always came back to the forest. 

Pulled from his reverie at the smell of tea, the blond cracked a grin and chuckled.

Humans appearing out of nowhere? Well seeing as Avalon was a world shrouded in mysteries, it didn't seem hard to question why. Even the humans that came from all around, not just Sleepy Hollow, were strange. They felt faceless although it was far from the truth and their actions were strange, even as strange as humans were. He dare not question such things though. Faes knew better than to always wonder. They were granted powers and certain tasks--that was all. Humans who wondered, who questioned too much, would see truth in such a terrible way.

At the mention of humans being amusing, Blaise couldn't help but snort a bit. Certainly--as well as disgusting. He wouldn't dare say such a thing aloud. "I suppose so." Was all Blaise could mutter before sipping himself some tea. "I don't particularly care what happens to the townspeople. So long as they stay away from the forest or any of our kind, there isn't much for me to be concerned about. I'll keep in mind that they're odd. Always have." He mutters that last bit, sitting at the edge of his makeshift room, gazing down at the animals. 

In the center of all of this, Felix felt at peace.

The faun was braiding together the stems of flowers, neatly and expertly creating a chain that he would eventually connect at both ends to form a necklace or crown. This was one of his favorite pass-times, especially on such a nice day. No other fae were in sight and certainly no humans either. His secret meadow was alive with solely the sounds of nature.

Felix lowered his busy hands for a moment, resting incomplete chain on his lower leg as he reached into his satchel. From within, he produced a small hide wrap, moving it to the grass between his legs and pulling the flaps away from one another. The hide revealed a handful of berries and nuts he’d gathered this morning.

It was snack-time, but as Felix popped some berries into his mouth and chewed, his gaze flicked up and around.

Blaise felt the need to bring more for the other to eat but decided that perhaps what the boy needed was someone to talk to. It could get lonely out in these woods and even though the fae and other magical creatures were abundant, they all had their own lives to pursue. 

He finds the young faun sitting in the very center of the meadow. It made him smile a bit at such a scene--as though the other were truly one of nature's gentlest treasures. Blaise walks over towards the other and plants a small crown of flowers he made himself onto the other, sitting down beside him.

Upon entering the grove, Daire tilted his head back to gaze at the overhanging trees, flashing a grin at the quaintness of the space. He then lowered his eyes only to lock them with one of the curious deer.

He nodded slowly to the group of peaceful creatures, holding his hands behind his back and smiling thoughtfully. It was good know they weren’t going to up and run.

Having the other over, he might as well fix him up something to eat and to drink. After he quickly looks over every deer and stag that's gotten close to him, he climbs onto a tree branch and with Daire lowered, he offers his hand to lift him up where Blaise made his home in the trees. A mirror, makeshift bed--even some trinkets hung on vines to give it a more roomy feel. Of course, every tree had something different but here was his room of sorts. He pulled out cups and cleaned them before pouring them both a drink.

"It's just tea--surely nothing like humans though. This is the least I could do." 

It seemed that if Daire was going to remain entertained, he’d have to try a little harder with this one. He could feel the hatred rolling off the other in waves, and while he found it amusing, it could be a turn off. He didn’t want to deal with someone who was so uptight about things. He’d have to make him unwind a little.

Whirling around as the other walked past, he began to trail behind with a faint smile. He managed to stifle a chuckle at the words that left Blaise’s lips, rolling his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. It couldn’t be helped —he was obviously too stubborn. Though, Daire was feeling particularly intrusive today.

Before them was seemingly a whole wide area, trees proudly overhead that leaked in some sunlight, and deer and stags in abundance. They turned to him but Blaise knew their focus was on their new companion. 

He poured the water into a small pond for them to drink. This place that Blaise had watched over for a long time was truly a sanctuary for the animals. 

Taking a laborious step closer to the zips, he leered a bit and let his lids fall to half mast. “That’s rude,” he murmured silkily, moving to hold his arms behind his back. “Don’t turn me away so coldly, I haven’t even gotten to chat with you for very long. You see, humans are all good fun, but few fae really sit and keep me company… I’m sure the deer can wait a little while.”

He held in another laugh, this time sweeping an arm forward and bowing in front of the other dramatically. There was nothing like putting on a good show, even if a fellow faerie wasn’t going to be easily charmed by his…. lovely self.

Such flashy antics don't work on him. In fact, it furthers the annoyance he holds towards the other. "All in good reason. You've seem to have forgotten that human-likeness isn't much appreciated in our kind." Nor especially with Blaise. He wouldn't blame his fae brethren for leaving this guy where he stood. 

The thought of not being able to keep his unspoken promise with the deer grows more animosity towards Daire. They would have to deal with such an intrusive faerie so that Blaise can keep his pride. He inhales and takes the bucket before walking to the thicket where the deer rested in hiding.