(One Shot inspired by the following: the eponymous movie ‘Labyrinth’ starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, Master Tyler’s slough of Twilight Fanfics, and for Dawn Shadow aka J.H.D.S. )
~~~
“Give me the child.”
“No,” he replied, smiling in that way of his, with a twinkle in those eyes that suggested a private joke she was meant to understand, but didn’t. At least, not right now.
“Give me the child… please,” she repeated, simply, directly, but not forcefully. There was no need to be, after all… the man who held the little one in his arms was not a stranger, or someone sent here to kidnap her baby nephew Peregrin. Nor was he someone she felt wary of, despite how little she knew of him, stories and hearsay notwithstanding. It was odd, for the last time they had parted was some 3 years ago, which left a lot unexplained, but here he was, back again, looking the same as he always had: playful, mysterious, and weirdly charming, while being as conscientious as ever.
That was why he was here, to help her babysit her nephews, Arthur and Peregrin, after their parents had been called to a sudden last-minute dinner with friends who absolutely required their presence for some reason! Which meant that she had to care for the little ones in lieu of Siobhan [and Siobhan’s husband]. On a Friday night too, one that she had meant to spend with the person who was now refusing to hand over her nephew.
It wasn’t such a bad situation: Siobhan and Wallace didn’t really get much of a chance to go out, so being a good sister/housemate, she readily agreed. Initially, she regretted having to reschedule with her guest, but to her surprise he offered to come by and help, and so far she could see that he was rather good with kids, especially for a guy who seemed so much larger than life, so very ethereal- it was almost dulcetly down to earth! Relenting, he gently passed over the baby, who was just shy of a year old, before turning his attentions to Arthur, the toddler who was playing with the bubble wand her impromptu babysitting assistant had brought over. Seeing as he had complied with her direction, she tried to sound light-hearted as she remarked,
“You actually seem like you’re having fun. I wouldn’t have figured you out as a guy who likes playing with children… Why’d you bring the bubbles though?” He laughed, and remarked,
“My mentor used to say that all children love bubbles, though he often referred to them as ‘lil goblins’. The children, not the bubbles. And he actually used to do tricks with these glass balls that resembled bubbles, which was fascinating to watch. But aren’t you glad I brought them? Arthur seems to like it!”
It was true, as her nephew raced around the carpeted living room, chasing after the bubbles that her guest had brought over. Meanwhile, she was trying to feed baby Peregrin, and all the while still a little anxious that she was lacking in hospitality; so far she hadn’t offered her guest a drink, and she hadn’t even though about dinner yet, but she should do so soon, as Siobhan and Wallace wouldn’t be back until later and by that time it’d be too late to go to any restaurant that wasn’t fast food- she wanted to appear mature and sophisticated in front of him, and take-away would send the opposite message! But there was no helping that now, seeing as she was in full babysitter mode, and her attention was primarily on the kids (which normally made her great at her job). Watching at how he was playing and cooing with little Arthur, and appeared to be genuinely engrossed in the moment, she was grateful that Peregrin was cooperating with her, calmly continuing to drink from the bottle she had prepared. This was the reason why she had handed him over in the first place, so she could prepare the formula and ensure it wasn’t too hot. As if he was thinking along the same lines as her regarding dinner plans, Sol asked in a melodious, almost kaleidoscopic tone,
“Dawn Shadow, wanna have pizza tonight? I’ll put in an order and get it delivered here.”
Yummy, she thought. Pizza sounded nice, very low effort, and although not as good as the ones she made herself, there was a lovely Italian place around the corner that did good woodfired pizzas. Nodding, Sol then asked,
“What flavour would you like?” With a shrug, she told him that it didn’t matter, so he ordered 2, both half and half to maximise the variety, and when she commented that it was too much he shrugged, mirroring her, and said with a smile that whatever they didn’t finish could be for tomorrow’s lunch.
“Maybe your sister and Wallace would like some too, did you ever think about that, hmm?”, he teased, as she raised a brow, before trying to sort out how much she owed him, to which he did what he had always done in the past,
“Don’t worry about it, I got it.” Darn! He was so practiced at doing that, not letting her pay for stuff that is, and she was a person who embodied the same personality traits- she liked to be generous with others, but Sol never let anyone pay when he was around, unless they really, really, insisted. It was usually not worth the effort. He continued,
“Plus, I owe you for letting me hang out here, so it’s the least I can do.” Bah! There he went again, with his absurd logic, but he said it with such a diplomatic conviction that very few people ever argued with him.
While waiting for their pizzas the two put the children to bed, and Sol recited a bedtime story to Arthur while she rocked Peregrin, listening to him in the same room. Sol was a natural storyteller, and he finished his tale with,
“And then the brave girl said to the Goblin King, ‘You have no power over me’, and with that, his spell was broken, and she was transported back home. She ran upstairs, and saw that her adversary had kept his word, and her baby brother Toby was sleeping soundly in his cot. Then she went to her room, where to her delight she discovered that all her friends, the ones who had been a part of her journey, were waiting for her… oh, he’s asleep… Dawn Shadow, we’d better get out of here,” Sol whispered, as she put Peregrin in his cot, in the same room as the sleeping Arthur, and both crept out as quietly as they could, though Sol accidently bumped in her as they exited, causing her to rattle the doorknob, but fortunately both kids stayed sound asleep.
“Phew, that was close, despite that near miss!”, he teased, as they made their way to the living room. Sol checked his phone, and saw that the pizza guy had already dropped off their dinner, while also following the instructions left that explicitly told him to not ring the doorbell! This was service worthy of a tip. He went outside to take in the boxes, along with a complimentary garlic bread that the restaurant had apparently thrown in, causing Sol to beam with delight upon discovering.
They plonked on the couch in the living room to eat, where she had already gotten them glasses of water, and Sol tore off a piece of the garlic bread before proceeding to savour as he chewed. She thought it was cute, how he was so excited over the garlic bread, before remarking,
“Hey, I thought vampires didn’t like garlic?”
Or maybe that was just a myth? Verily, Sol clearly didn’t mind the taste of garlic. It was funny, because she had always had such a definite impression of what a vampire should be like, but upon meeting Sol all those years ago, she was forced to readjust her perspective…he definitely had vampire traits, but then again, he wasn’t a cold and gothic introvert- quite the opposite! He was a warm, funny, quirky kinda vampire, doing things such as constantly calling her ‘Dawn Shadow’ instead of using her real name. A Nightstalker who didn’t mind sunlight, and enjoyed social interactions. A friend with an infectious charisma that could only belong to the Fae kind. He still needed to be invited into certain places, like this house, and she heard that he did practice dark magic, but aside from not knowing an awful lot about him directly, he had always treated her, and all their friends, quite well, but an enigma all the same. She had always kept stock of every rumour and gossip the others in their group had occasionally relayed to her, things such as,
‘Sol is a literary genius, a celebrated poet whose works were considered profound’
‘Sol has superhuman strength and could snap bones like twigs’
‘Sol is a Vampire Knight who secretly works for various governments, some that weren’t supposed to exist.’
‘Sol is over 100 years old, despite looking like he was in his mid-late 20’s’
‘Sol was chivalrous, but also an infamous playboy who constantly had many admirers/paramours.’
‘Sol’s true form was some sort of ravenous, abominable horror that could devour mountains of food!’
And so on and so on… things she didn’t really pay much attention to, because it wasn’t the Sol that she had known, who enjoyed talking about all sorts of things with her, who was thoughtful and kind and teasing, though never in a cruel way. Even though she didn’t know a lot about him, and he made it difficult to have a conversation about topics that he didn’t wish to discuss, especially about himself, she had never felt that he considered her as unworthy of his time. Especially as they had spent the last couple of hours minding her nephews, which she couldn’t imagine to be very interesting for most guys, particularly those around her age. Seeing that they had eaten their fill, saving plenty for her sister and her sister’s husband, she offered to make him a cup of tea, which he was eager to accept. Stirring what she hoped was a passable beverage, her face showed bafflement as to why Siobhan kept so many different varieties, boxes upon boxes of teas.
“Ugh, I still don’t get how you can drink this stuff, it just seems so off putting to me,” she said to him, as she passed him the cup. With an exaggerated inhale and a sip of relish, he smiled at her as he said,
“Siobhan and I have discussed your aversion to tea. It seems like you are still developing your palette to the point where you can appreciate refined flavours. And to think, you consider yourself so adulterous, don’t you, Dawn Shadow?”
“Adulterous means something quite different, mister! I keep telling you that the word you’re meant to use is mature! Which drinking tea doesn’t seem to be helping you with.” She knew he was simply baiting her, and she knew how to bite back. Playfully, of course. In a mock-conceding manner, Sol dipped his head and acquiesced to her reprimand, saying,
“Ah, yes, of course, that is the word I meant. I hope to be as mature you, one day, Dawn Shadow, even if you once almost destroyed the world with your reckless application of number magic.” Her face flushed slightly, as she recalled that incident, which technically never happened! The genie’s wish held a Reset Clause, in events where the world was unwittingly destroyed, but how did Sol know about it?! Besides, as part of the clause, while the timeline couldn’t be outright erased (complex space/time laws or something), the events involved would simply be turned into a mere story, a discrete blip in the history of the universe.
“Hey, that wasn’t my fault, I meant well! But wait- how could you know about it? The genie told me that it would simply get turned into a story, so it never happened! He said even he would forget about it…”
Sol, sipped his tea, amused at how flustered she had become, before telling her,
“Yes, but your reasonably attractive genie (that phrase caused her to groan) happens to be something like a colleague of mine, and in the Fae World, time doesn’t get recorded concretely, or even flow as it does here, in the Mortal Realm.”
“Is that why you’ve never revealed your real age to us?”, she shot back, trying to keep up the momentum; being very competitive, she nonetheless enjoyed bantering with Sol as she always found out something new about his life. He pretended to be hurt by her remark, telling her,
“What? Nay, I’m sure I have told you all how old I am… I think… I mean, my biological age is probably around 26-29, which is when I started practicing dark magic, but my real age, in human years? Hmm, let’s see… I believe that in human years I am turning approximately 73 soon… though I should note that the Fae do not age as Humans do: it is a case of aging not in a straight line, but in zig zags and spirals and even in reverse, as in my case… that should be enough information for you, right?”
“Uhuh.” She didn’t understand completely, but it was the most direct answer he had ever given her… 26-29 biologically? She wasn’t even 24, but regardless he had never seemed to act anywhere close to 73! Except when he would talk about very brainy and esoteric subjects that she was never quite sure were real or just made up. Still, that was an occupational hazard of being friends with a Fae- a cultural difference, and criticising that would be a kind of social faux pas. Deciding to push her luck, she pressed him for more information, asking
“Well, what about how you knew about the whole Incident with the genie? From what I remember that very average looking genie told me (at this Sol chuckled, nearly spilling his tea from the gold rimmed cup that Siobhan had designated for him) that it would become a type of dream memory, and as such all my wishes would have their effects nullified. Even the genie himself wouldn’t really remember it except as a fable… so tell me, how could you even know about it?” His soulful eyes, which always disarmed her whenever she grew frustrated with his roundabout mannerisms, grew thoughtful, almost becoming more vivid and real than the room around her, as he slowly said, to no one in particular as much as to her,
“All stories are connected, and they exist across multiple worlds, telling a variation of the same innumerable narratives. Maybe a version of you told a version of me, which is why I know about it… Right now, someone could be reading our story, this very moment, and think it’s about them. That would make it somewhat real, at the very least, no? Are stories real: only as real as what the people who have read them decide they are… Are memories real? Are we real? Stories, history, memories, and moments we share, it is all part of a greater tapestry. Remember that movie, ‘The Last Unicorn’?” Sol closed his eyes and recited,
“I have been mortal, and some part of me is mortal yet. I am full of tears and hunger and the fear of death, although I cannot weep, and I want nothing, and I cannot die. I am not like the others now, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but I do. I regret.”
A temporary quiet filled the room, before he opened his eyes to look into hers, and softly he said,
“Since we are in the mood for asking questions, you also wanted to know about the garlic and vampires thing, right? Well, Count Dracula may have hated garlic, but that was a Dracula thing. Kinda like how not liking tea is a Dawn Shadow thing, and not a universal weakness to all humans. In fact, most of us don’t even need blood, which is similar to how mosquitoes get misrepresented… we actually prefer to feed on spiritual or emotional energy.” Matching his reduced tones, she asked him,
“What does that taste like?” He grinned as he said,
“It varies from person to person. Sometimes the flavours get mixed, as these energies spill out into the ambient environment, but I can usually distinguish even trace energy signatures, and they tell me a lot about a person.” Feeling emboldened, which was not quite like her when she was around Sol, she turned her gaze away and asked,
“So then, what do I taste like?” When she didn’t get a response, she looked back at him, still on the couch, pondering over his tea, seemingly in deep concentration, before he blinked twice, and told her,
“I do not feed directly off people I know, as a rule- let me make that clear. It is a violation of privacy otherwise. But just being in this room with you… it’s both familiar, and like nothing I have had before.” Both avoided each other’s gaze, and said nothing. Perhaps that would have continued to be the case for a while longer while these two worked up the nerve to move the plot along, but then a cry was heard- the babe! Both dashed off the couch and made their way to Arthur and Peregrin’s room, where the former was still asleep, but Peregrin had awoken, so she picked him up, cradled him in her arms, trying to console him. It wasn’t too effective even after she tried to rock more vigorously, at which point Sol began to softly sing a slow and hauntingly beautiful tune,
There’s such a sad love
Deep in your eyes
A kind of pale jewel
Open and closed
Within your eyes…
I’ll place the sky
Within your eyes
There’s such a fooled heart
Beatin’ so fast
In search of new dreams
A love that will last
Within your heart
I’ll place the moon
Within your heart
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all
But I’ll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down
She slowed her swinging cadence, drawn in by his ephemeral rhythm, and even Peregrin was also becoming mollified as Sol continued,
I’ll paint you mornings of gold
I’ll spin you Valentine evenings though we’re strangers ’til now
We’re choosing the path
Between the stars
I’ll leave my love
Between the stars
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all
But I’ll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down…
Falling in Lo-
As Peregrin had finally drifted off to a peaceful sleep, Sol ceased singing. Looking over at the baby’s aunt, he smiled and gestured for her to return him to the cot. She was so mesmerised by the song, that she had almost lost herself within her mind, and his voice- was this some kind of Fae ability? With a deep breath she regained her composure and returned little Peregrin to his peaceful slumber in the cot. Unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, Arthur was also sleeping imperceptibly more soundly in his bed. The two made their way out of the room without bumping into each other or the door this time, and when they were back in the living room, Sol flashed a grin, and said,
“That was close, Dawn Shadow, but luckily the two top babysitters in town are here tonght!” She smiled, as a thought crossed over her mind, before saying,
“Yeah, I am glad you’re here too, Sol. What was that song you sang just now?”
“Oh, that? It is a classic from my mentor, he once sang it for someone who beat his labyrinth challenge, and now as a tradition he sings it at every Solstice Court Ball. That answer your question, Dawn Shadow?” Nodding, she then asked something that she had never understood,
“Hey, Sol, how come you never call me by my name? Why always ‘Dawn Shadow’ and not (Y/N)*?”
*Hi there, Author here! In a lot of fanfiction and fantasy romance communities, (Y/N) denotes ‘Your Name’, which allows for readers to self-insert within the story, thus not breaking the immersion by using another’s name. For some reason, girls get so temperamental when you call them by another girl’s name, so perhaps this is a consideration that appeals to those communities and their fan bases. I learned this from Master Tyler, who told me that the Twilight Franchise is essential a giant (Y/N) pump due to the main character being so bland that anyone could replace her. However, the Dawn Shadow in this story draws heavily from her real life inspiration; despite this, as always, I _never_ write about real people, and any coincidences are purely coincidental etc etc you know the drill by now. Anyway, enjoy continuing to read!
A moment passed as Sol looked somewhat uncomfortable, a rare sight, before he explained,
“To know someone’s true name is to have power over them- this is a custom of the Fae. Which is why we always deal in riddles and shades of meaning, and why humans came to see us as tricksters, simply because this is our nature. I have spent a lot of time with you all in the Mortal Realm, so I better understand how our perspectives clash, leading to many misunderstandings. If possible, I would aim to address it, to improving cross-culture relations… I call you ‘Dawn Shadow’ partly because I do not wish to invoke any power over you, and also because, as a vampire, I should not be able to face the morning sun; but you are very much like the sun, except you are not so harsh nor glaring, as if a cool and gentle shadow makes palpable the glorious dawn.” As she processed this, she decided not to get bogged into the details, and told him, plainly,
“I appreciate what you do, Sol, but feel free to call me by my real name if you want to. I don’t see you as the kind of person who wants to control me, so I trust you to use it in the right way.” A strange expression overcame Sol for a brief moment, as the weight of her gesture impacted him differently than it did to her. Much like how removing shoes in certain cultures was a sign of respect, she had no understanding of how powerfully intimate sharing permission to use her true name meant to the Fae folk. Sol picked up his half a cup of now cold tea, barely gracing the rim with his lips, before he placed it back down and then said to her,
“Well, then you should know that ‘Sol’ isn’t my real name.”
“What!? Really? I mean, I always just thought it was short for something…” She felt that despite how much time she had spent with Sol over the years, she still didn’t even know his name. With a laugh, he explained,
“It is! But ‘Sol’o’Mourne’ is more of a nickname. It means ‘The Winter Sun’: hidden behind clouds lest my full lustre overwhelms. In that sense, are we not similar, in that we are so mindful of others? Why we choose to take a babysitting quest, so others can have some time to decompress?” He was his normal jovial self again, that playful enigma she had never been able to figure out, but now felt as if she could understand him a little better. That was progress!
“I guess we are similar in that regards, hey?”, she said as he focused on finishing the tea she made for him ages ago. If Sol was only his nickname, then what was he really called? Would it be rude to ask? She was never sure when it came to the Fae… With a more serious tone, he said,
“You know, I thought that having to cancel was a sign that you didn’t want to see me, after how I left things three years ago, but we probably spoke a lot more here than we would have at the restaurant. A blessing in disguise, wouldn’t you agree?”
There it was; the source of that uneasy feeling she had been grappling with wasn’t because she didn’t want to hang out with Sol again, but because there were unspoken things left between them that had never been addressed, things that neither of them had been ready to face before. Tactfully, with as much poise as she could muster, she sipped her glass of water, and swallowed hard, before saying in an ever so slightly strained voice,
“Did you read the message I sent you, about the letter you left me?” With a shake of his head, Sol apologised, and explained that he had completely faded away from the Mortal World for the last three years, and as such, any message from the cusp of his sabbatical had since expired- even his details had changed since then. She took a moment to process this before saying,
“Oh… well, it was just to thank you, for that medallion you gifted me.” She wasn’t being entirely honest in saying that, for there were some other things, things he had not seen but might have been able to guess: still, if Sol wasn’t so forthcoming with her, why should she have to be, right?
A vivid memory flashed before her mind as she recalled how a younger self had received a letter from Sol and a wrapped gift- she was going away for a while, and he told her not to open it until she was about to leave. It seemed strange, but she discovered later, when she read his notes, that he was going away as well, and would not be back for at least 2 years. Maybe more. It was more- he had only recently returned to town, received with much mirth and celebration from all their mutual friends, after a 3-year absence. But for her, his return was not just a cause for joy, as she did miss his company, but it was also a source of ambiguity. Dawn Shadow tried to recall the contents of that letter, which she wasn’t completely able to understand as Sol spoke in typical Fae fashion, and masked a lot of his meaning, but essentially he had told her that while he cared about her, he was someone who practiced some of the darkest magics, which meant that he had since removed his heart and sealed it in an impenetrable crystal cage, thus freeing himself from certain limitations caused by that impractical organ. He expressed how, in his chosen path, he feared how dangerous he was to anyone who would try to get close to him, and that the best he could do for now was his enclosed gift- a silver medallion with mother of pearl overtures, inscribed with many protection charms and potent wards that he said would help her on her journey. But she hadn’t taken it with her- it still remained in the box in which he had given unto her, because it was somewhat painful to keep a reminder of him, even one so auspicious and beautifully crafted. Perhaps he was right in saying that he was a dangerous person to get to know…
And here he was again, back in her life, for the time being, and she knew that it was only temporary as Sol was only visiting town, not staying permanently. Nonetheless, when he had requested to see her, she could have refused, yet she also wished to see him and speak to him once more, and maybe even reach a new level of understanding about him. He still looked the same, felt the same, in every sense she possessed and applied, this was him, but yet, something was different… maybe, it was in how he was trying to be more direct with her?
Sol finished the tea, at last, and then brought out a pack of chocolate treats from his bag. If there was something Dawn Shadow had a weakness for, it was sweet treats, especially chocolate, and she felt that now was an especially good time for some. He had even gotten her favourite kind!
“Here,” he offered her the box, after taking a piece for himself. Trying to restrain herself, or rather her urges, she accepted the box.
“Thanks. You got my favourite, you know?”
“Yeah, I remembered,” he said, quietly. The sugar energised her, so she felt confident enough to say, pointedly,
“I bet you say that to all the girls you get chocolate for.” She glanced at him from the side. He glanced back at her. Both maintained the glance as they munched on the chocolate pieces. The he suddenly burst out in uproarious laughter!
“Hahaha, sorry, but you just look so funny, trying to be serious, while reaching for a new piece [of chocolate] every couple of seconds, it’s adorable!” She flushed pink, not sure how to feel at his reaction, but ultimately decided to remain dignified as he recovered himself, before clearing his throat, and telling her,
“I get a lot of people chocolate- it’s my whole thing, getting gifts for people. For girls, and guys, and all the rest- it only has meaning beyond a gift if the recipient gives it such. Oh, except when it’s for young Master Kyler- he tells me to stop, bless him, but how can I visit him of all people and not bring a gift?! He’s the reason you and I met, after all.” She thought about it, and couldn’t argue otherwise: Kyler had once invited her along to a gaming event, years ago, and despite not being a gamer, Sol was also present, which is how the two of them met. All because Kyler had somehow made a vampire friend, despite almost never leaving his room, let alone house! Still, Dawn Shadow didn’t let Sol lead her away from her original question, and as he had been so accommodating this evening, she outright asked him,
“Sol, why did you invite me out tonight? What do you want from me? I thought, from your letter three years ago, that we were just…” she went quiet before finishing her sentence, as did he. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, without any sardonicism or playfulness, but in a stolid tone that conveyed his attempts to match her directness,
“Dawn Shadow, what do you want from me?” She didn’t respond. She couldn’t, and merely looked anywhere but his eyes… He continued, softly,
“Until you know that, and convey it to me, I am bound by the Etiquette of the Fae. I cannot say for certain, what the future holds, and I can see many factors that could help or hinder us with equal potency, so many possibilities… but just know, even if we exist in a bubble world that could pop at any second, I can offer a timeless moment. A faint, split second, of infinity, and while it is not forever, despite never ending, it might be enough… Look, all you have to do is… is… simply- fear me, love me, do what I say, and I would be your slave!” She stared at him, heart aflutter, unsure of what to make of his words. Without skipping a beat, he continued, in an embarrassed tone,
“Sorry, I kinda panicked… My mentor used to tell me about the times he used that line, he said it worked almost everytime.”
Dawn Shadow couldn’t imagine what kind of women would fall for such a line, but maybe his mentor was super attractive or something? In fact, it could be downright off-putting if a random guy said it to her! Fortunately though, for Sol, this vampire wasn’t so bad looking himself, and he was willing to become her slave? She briefly envisioned the notion… Suddenly, it was her turn to burst out in laughter, a refreshing peal of giggles and fits that wasn’t so much directed at her vampire friend as it was for herself: it was a laughter of catharsis, an untying of a knot in her heart, and a realisation that the avenues she had closed herself off to weren’t so impassable after all. After a moment of confusion, Sol joined in, adding his hearty laughter to the mix, and that was the state that Siobhan and Wallace found them in as they returned home, walking through the door, which immediately muffled the mood. That was probably for the best, as Sol and Dawn Shadow quickly regained their composure, and welcomed the couple back from dinner. Sol applied his usual charm and patter, saying,
“Goodness, is it that time already? Well, I’d better head off too, I’m sure that if I stay any longer we’re going to wake the kids. Wallace, Siobhan, we have generously left you two some pizza! Please enjoy.” Wallace immediately began gnawing at a slice while Siobhan said,
“Thanks, Sol, we would love to have you over for as long as you like, but Wallace and I are just exhausted! Come by next time for some te- hey, I see that your tea cup has been used! Did <Y/N> make it for you?” Siobhan had noticed the empty teacup on the counter, in the cup she had specifically gotten for Sol in case he ever visited. With a smirk, Sol replied,
“Yeah, the concoction was about 50% milk and 4 spoons of sugar- you could barely taste any of the herbal tea she used. Lukewarm too. But hey, baby steps, right? I’m just happy she’s trying her best!” Siobhan laughed as she joined in the teasing, and even Wallace made a comment, betwen munches, about how that simply didn’t sound like something that counted as tea, but Sol then said, as he looked over to Dawn Shadow, smiling,
“Actually, all jokes aside, I think I could really get used to her unique way of making tea.” Embarrassed enough by all the heckling, yet somewhat mollified by his words, Dawn Shadow decided to cut the conversation short by saying that she would help him leave, as he made his way to the front to put on his shoes. As she walked him to his car, his tone became serious again as he stated,
“Before I go, there is something I wanted to ask you, before we got interrupted… my mentor, the Goblin King Jareth, is holding an Autumn Court Ball in a month. It would be delightfully, wonderfully, magical, if you accompanied me. What do you think, <Y/N>?”
Indeed, what does she say?
I guess we’ll find out, another time, in another story, that may or may not have already happened.
Le Fin~
I wonder often how successful Jareth’s line to Sarah would be in real life, but that defeats the purpose of fanatsy, especially fantasy romance…
Solosopher & Solosophy 