Fantasy Cosmical Glitch ( ellarose & starboob. )

[starboob]

The dopey grin Juno had been wearing as she meandered into camp quickly fades when she catches the tailend of some inane argument between Thaddeus and Melvin—something about chartreuse (obtuse) and angles? Yeah, if she spends too much time thinking about that she’s sure to lose some of her brain cells, so she takes Ainsley’s advice and turns away from the nonsense.

That’s when the two teens run up to join her and start asking about Avangeline with an all too familiar gleam in their eyes. It warns of curiosity and mischief, something that’s sure to get them killed. Especially in a place like Avangeline where demons and angels tower over their peers and make games of who to send to slaughter. (“We’ll be waiting for you, Olette.”) Even before Eliza raises her concerns, Juno’s already on her side. Though for the teens’ sake, she does consider the request before snapping to make any decision. Those kids have certainly proved themselves by virtue of making it to their teen years. (Most of Desdemonia’s dead are buried young.) Even if their survival is partially owed to Eliza, it’s not like she’s been carrying them on her back this entire time. They’ve certainly got the grit. But with everything Juno and Lettie will face once they return to that glamorous world, it’s just not a trip for the kids. Or for anyone in the company. Essentially, they are walking backwards into the wide open maw of a monster and delighting over the fact that they can still see a clear blue sky before they’re swallowed.

It’s going to be dangerous.

It’s a deathtrap that they will only narrowly escape (because they will escape). The teens might be able to handle themselves reasonably well on Desdemonia, they might even keep their promise to listen, but Juno cannot, in good conscience, agree to this. If she comes back to Eliza with Nico and Mauve in body bags, she’ll never fucking forgive herself. She knows Lettie won’t either.

They’re dealing with enough as it is.

“Can’t say I think it’s a good idea.” She shrugs, then shoves her hands into her pockets. “You two punks have done well on Desdemonia, but Avangeline is an entirely different beast.” The world is as beautiful as it is cruel, perhaps even crueler. The sneers. The curses. The world covered in funeral sprays. But mostly she remembers… (“Whoever you are here, on Avangeline, I’m inclined to believe that is who is real and she’s fuckin’ fake.”) Juno bites the corner of her lip as old guilt comes back to the surface. She shakes her head of those thoughts before they can consume her and get in her way. She can’t be thinking of that right now. Not when she’s supposed to be enjoying her last day with Eliza.

With a sigh, she meets the disappointment of the two teens, their shoulders slouched, and tips up their chins so that they’re looking at her. “It’s just not a good time to be traveling with us. We’re walking targets most places we go and I don’t want you two getting caught in this shit. If we manage to not blow the place up after we finish our business there, we’ll take you.”

“Fiiine,” Nico sighs, kicking at the dirt with the tip of his boot. Neither of the teens are pleased with the pirate captain’s decision, but neither do or say anything to protest. Mauve seems to have something on her mind, but she remains quiet and ultimately keeps it to herself. Defeated for the time being, Mauve grabs Nico’s shirt and drags him back towards the tents.

Eliza watches as the kids go, arms crossed over her chest and brow raised in obvious suspicion. When the kids settle down on opposite sides of camp, she relents and cautiously takes the place next to Juno, making sure to keep the kids in sight. She trusts them, but… “I don’t think they’re going to let this go so easily.”

“Nah, they’re for sure fuckin’ scheming.” Nico might be practicing his necromancy with some knuckle bones and Mauve might be letting Marta braid her hair, but she suspects those twerps have a way of speaking without words. Fucking twins. “Better keep an eye on ‘em, ‘Liza.”

Eliza nods. Then, after a few minutes, she halfway peels her attention from the teens and takes in Juno through her periphery. Lipstick is all over her face and yet the kid doesn’t seem to mind or care—like she’s okay with the whole world knowing she’s soft for someone. It still feels like yesterday when Juno would hotly contest ever settling down, but they’re a far cry away from those days aren’t they? They’re a far cry away from who they used to be, too. Standing next to Juno reminds her of that. It’s like standing next to a familiar stranger. And before Eliza can even get to know her again, she’s leaving. Kids.

“Let’s walk?” Juno asks, abruptly interrupting Eliza’s train of thought. The kid smiles at her. It’s a small smile, but still enough that that dimple of hers pokes inward. Yeah. She’s still her kid. Time or distance can’t change that.

The wolf mother takes the kid’s hand, just like how she used to insist back when Juno really was a kid and Juno lets this happen, not protesting like she used to when she was a kid. They don’t wander far from the camp and they don’t say much for a while, just keeping each other company as they always have. Eventually, Juno breaks the silence. “I’m going to come back this time. I promise.”

“I know, kid.” Despite how quick she is to answer, the kid’s words startle her nonetheless. Juno’s cried her heart out over this already. Eliza’s already forgiven her for the past. She already knows it was out of the kid’s hands back then and yet the promise massages over a worry she hadn’t known about until the kid spoke. “I know. You’re not getting rid of me that easy, little punk.”

***​

“Chairs? A Table? An entire dining room set, I see.” The Magistrate figuratively taps her chin as she deliberates this request. (Despite being a cube, she manages to gesticulate well enough without limbs. All powerful and all knowing cube privilege, perhaps?) It should be known that it was Abigail who called upon the Magistrate after the Maestro failed the task by blipping in cheap lawn chairs and a ping pong table. She thought she was being helpful. However, since the Magistrate’s arrival, it’s just been a circus. Well, more of a circus. “And you have called upon my brilliance because you are finally going to acknowledge mermaids as the superior lifeform, hmm?” She directs this at the faerie, even if it was the skeleton who called upon her wisdom and power. “Have I heard that correctly?”

 

[ellarose]

"Oh yes, mermaids. They're positively divine." Lettie lies through her teeth. This is all for her special dinner. Her special dinner which will not be cheapened by lawn chairs and a pingpong table. She knows the Desdemonians won't nitpick or mind all those minuscule details, not at all like her mother would... but she still wants to make this night as spectacular as she can. And Olette Lycoris Radiata can sure as hell do better than the setup that the cube whipped up. If all it takes is a little sweet talking, she'll do it.

"Then will you be changing the theme to 'a night under the sea'?" The Magistrate continues on with her bullshit, perhaps sensing the faerie's bluff.

"No. I didn't say that." Lettie's brow twitches. This fucking cube! "A night under the stars is significant. Changing the theme destroys the purpose of the dinner!"

"Is the purpose of the dinner not to say goodbye? Tomorrow, you and the Captain shall sail off on a new voyage." The Magistrate tries to be crafty, but this angle isn't going to work for even a second. "The sea theme seems much more appropriate to me."

"We're sailing in the sky. My theme is better thematically!" Lettie rolls her eyes. (Did that even make sense? She's too frazzled to process.) "Anyway... it's kinda like tradition on Avangeline to honor a special memory when you're trying to--"

"Miss Lettie!" Marjorie bursts into the room, Phillip's booming footsteps close behind at her heels. "We caught Fred and Inez setting up a zipline. I just thought you should know."

"A... a what?" Lettie wheezes, pressing a hand to her forehead, incredulous. She can already imagine a table set with delicious food... and a skeleton falling from an overhead zipline. Smashing into the cake. And then it'll turn into a massive food-fight like it does in all the movies! (Okay, that part might be a little far-fetched.) Panic creeps up on her. Will their night be fraught with disaster? Is she setting herself up to receive a bad omen from the stars? "Someone go shut their operation down! Tell them they can zipline all they want on Avangeline."

"Miss Lettie, Miss Lettie, Miss Lettie!" This time it's Abigail, running towards her while wildly flailing her arms in pinwheel motions. The little faerie's panic spikes even higher. What is it this time? The skeleton stops, pausing to press her hands to her femurs in a motion that makes it seem like she's trying to catch her breath. (No matter the fact that she is a skeleton who does not need to catch her breath.) "Miss Lettie."

"What? What is it?" Lettie can scarcely hide the anxiousness from her tone. What is it this time? Why is she pausing like that?

"There are two things. If we're doing shades of blue, the Maestro and I just located the banner from one of our previous parties!" Abigail raises her arms and the cube proudly blips in the confusing 'It's a Boy' banner from before.

"Absolutely not." Lettie and the Magistrate chorus after taking one look at it. At least they can agree on one thing.

In response to their rejection, the banner rips itself in half and spontaneously catches fire. Some of the skeletons setting up nearby sign frantically at each other to fetch buckets of water to put the small fire out before it can spread.

"Now, Maestro. There is no need to be so dramatic about it." The Magistrate tuts.

"You said there were two things. What's the second thing?" Lettie asks warily. She never has any idea what to expect when it comes to Abigail and the Maestro.

"It's Wormy! Their casket moves." Abigail whispers cryptically, reaching in her eye socket to retrieve the twitching chrysalis from her skull.

"Wait. Hold up, Juno needs to see this!" Lettie gasps. (If she doesn't, she's not sure if she'll fully believe that Wormy and the butterfly that emerges are one and the same. And this little faerie's got a bet to win!) "Where is she now?" Then she turns her head briefly to address the Magistrate. "Listen. I'm not changing up my theme... but I'll let you do some underwater lighting if you help with the table and chair situation."

With that taken care of (Lettie hopes it's taken care of, anyway) the cube blips the faerie and Abigail over to where Juno and Eliza are spending some quality time with each other. It warms Lettie's heart to see-- she's happy beyond descrption that Juno and Eliza have reconnected. They apologize for interrupting their moment and show them both as Wormy emerges from their chrysalis as a beautiful green butterfly. The looks on both of their faces are both so wonderstruck that the cube delights in taking a photo of them to preserve the moment. Lettie couldn't wipe the smile from her face right now even if she tried. Juno is so amazed and cute right now. Wormy the butterfly is perched on her forefinger-- and the pirate doesn't dare move an inch, as if she doesn't want to startle it.

"Someone owes me a spa day." Lettie teases, playfully poking Juno in the side a few times as Wormy eventually flits over to perch on Abigail's skull instead. (The skeleton erupts into giggles 'because it tickles'.) She kisses her girlfriend on the cheek. "Not today, though. No time. I gotta get back to my preparations!" The faerie claps and nods sagely, remembering everything she'd been trying to do before this moment. (Oof. She hopes everything's not on fire when she gets back.) "I want to coordinate our outfits tonight. I'll pick out some suggestions and lay them on the bed for you."

The cube blips their small group away after that. Eliza tilts her head, somewhat stunned by everything that happened.

"Ainsley and Thad said you got her wings back. You did good, kid. Wish I could've got a better look at them just now." Eliza nods, elbowing Juno affectionately. Something like pride shines in her eyes when she smiles. "That little faerie of yours seems very busy. You have any idea what she planning?"

 

[starboob]

For as much as Juno wants to follow after Lettie and be her distraction, she remains by Eliza’s side, staring at the footprints her girlfriend left behind; the only proof that she really had put a pause to all her planning just to make sure Juno knew that she won their little bet about Wings (formerly known as Wormy). ‘Goddess. I love her.’

“Yeah. Yeah. I’d do anything for my little faerie.” The reverse is just as true and they've both proven this. After all, they've already gone to the ends of the worlds for each other, if the events on Avangeline and Fabel are any proof of their devotion.

Juno idly rubs her shoulder, over the spot where the Guardian of Light’s sword nearly cleaved her in two. “And she’d do anything for the people she loves. It’s why she’s going through all this trouble—all her planning is for you and the company. You kept her safe when I couldn’t,” Juno explains. “Neither of us can thank you enough for that, Eliza. I’d even be up there helping, but she insisted I spend time with you. Make the most of our time together.”

“Ah, kid,” Eliza dramatically claps her hand over her heart, like she’s been wounded. “I thought you were actually delighting in my company.”

“Th–That’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean it like that.” Juno huffs, getting defensive. Even if she knows the other woman is teasing, she feels the guilt all the same. “I want to spend time with you, I do. Things have just been such shit bananas lately.”

Eliza shakes her head with a smile, nudging Juno’s shoulder in a “quit worrying about it” fashion. Though she hasn’t been able to get in much time with the kid, it's not for lack of interest. It’s just not exactly easy to make up for lost time when a fight knocks at the door every other second. That Olette insisted Juno take advantage of their last few hours together warms the older woman’s heart. She’s missed the little rascal. (Though she isn’t so little anymore, is she?) Everything may be different between them and she still wants to know the person Juno became. For as many years as they spent apart, Eliza never stopped thinking about her; she never stopped wondering what happened to her sweet kid. And now she knows and she wants to know more. As much as she can. Juno’s her kid.

Juno digs up a rock wedged in the dirt then kicks it over to Eliza. “Now that you’re here... I don't want to lose you all over again, but..." Her voice lowers just a touch. "I’m scared I might not come back from this one.” Juno tries to not think of that possibility, she tries to tell herself that their future is guaranteed, she even already promised Eliza that she would come back, but with everything waiting for them on Avangeline, there's a real chance they won't be strong enough. Even if they've always made it out before... “Our luck might be running out. This mission has nearly fuckin’ killed us more times than I can count and it hasn’t gotten any easier. Seems like everytime we think we might have a leg up on our enemies, they come at us with endless fuckin’ bullets.”

“Well... I won't bullshit you." Eliza catches the rock when it’s passed to her, rolling it around with the toe of her boot before she kicks it back over to Juno. "I don't fucking know what's going to happen. I want you to come back alive, preferably in one piece, too. But I was there at the tomb. I saw you two fight and you two don't leave anything for the journey home." And that fucking terrifies Eliza. Everytime she thinks of that night, she wonders what's going to happen to her kid once she goes off to save the worlds. But she’s not going to tell Juno to stop being Juno. Especially when it'd be hypocritical. Eliza raised her this way and she's only regretted that twice—when she found out Juno joined the Duchess and just now, realizing what it could mean for her kid. “You might not come back." It pains her to admit this, but they're from Desdemonia. They know death better than anyone and she's not going to shy away from it to soothe Juno. That's never been her style and she knows Juno wouldn't want false comfort. "And if you don’t, I’ll know it’s because you were trying to give every damn person in the worlds a fair chance at a good life. I can’t fault you for that. I'll be damn proud of you and Olette both."

After Eliza finishes, they continue kicking the rock back and forth in silence for a few turns, Juno contemplating what she's just said. It's not comforting and it's honest. Juno needs that right now. “I’m also… What if I come back and you’re gone?”

Eliza blinks, her brow wrinkling together. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

"Sure, but... just because the goddess is with you doesn't mean you're invincible. There are still fuckers sympathetic to the Duchess. How can I not worry? I just got you back, Eliza."

“Shit, it’s possible." Damn. She really is concerned. Eliza's head tilts to the side, brow knitting together as she considers this. (Her kid isn't wrong to be so anxious, but she's never seen her care so much for others before.) After a beat, she breaks into a grin."But I’m the baddest wolf out there.” When that doesn't placate the kid, she drops the act. “Look, if anything happens to either of us, we’ll still be here.” She points between their hearts, then pats over Juno's. “I know you’ve kept me with you, otherwise you wouldn’t be here doing all this shit. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but we're tough as nails. Now, c’mere.”

The second that Juno is within range, Eliza steps up and wraps her arm around the kid's neck, pulling her down so that she can rub her knuckles over Juno's head, just like how she knows she hates. The kid protests, pawing at her arm, and squirming to get free but Eliza refuses to budge. Soon enough, they're both rolling through the dirt, wrestling with each other through fits of laughter.

Juno isn't wrong to worry and they both know that, but at least before they part ways, they'll have this moment to carry with them. And, somewhere, the pirate knows that if they fall, it'll be because Hell itself was summoned to bring them down. They're tough as nails, the baddest wolves out there.

***​

At some point, Abigail came down on her flying cloud to announce that, "Miss Lettie's grand night under the sea stars will commence in exactly threety-three minutes. Get funky fresh!" ending the wrestling match.

When Juno is back on the ship, she doesn't catch a single glimpse of her girlfriend. And considering the amount of dirt covering her, she doesn't try to find her but she does wonder if this is by design or whether the faerie is just that busy putting together this little "shindig." Even while she freshens up, there is no trace of Lettie—well, aside from the scattered beauty supplies on the counter and the outfit options laid out on their bed.

Once she’s out of the shower and free of all grime, Juno slips into the first outfit she reaches for. It's a simple outfit consisting of black trousers, that she tucks into her black boots, and a loose fitting velvet navy button down that she tucks into the trousers as well as leaves most of the buttons undone. (Per the request on the sticky-note.) She slips her locket back around her neck and then selects a mixed assortment of rings. Lastly, knowing how much Lettie likes seeing her girlfriend's face (gay), Juno gathers her hair up into a bun.

When Juno enters the dining hall—one that she has never used in her time on Lady and quite honestly forgot about—she has to blink a few times and rub her eyes, because there is no way this is the same Lady Vengeance as before. "What the fuck."

The entire place shimmers.

 

[ellarose]

"Are you sure you don't want a make-over, too?" Lettie asks Marta, who lingers nearby as she puts a couple of finishing touches on Delaney's look for the evening. Just a little more blush and... done! "I still have time for one more." She's a little late, actually, but she's not about to admit that. This little faerie insists that everyone who wants a make-over today is getting one, damn it! (Part of the fun of hosting a nice dinner is getting ready for the dinner. She doesn't want the Desdemonians to see it as some kind of stuffy, frilly hassle that they've been forced to indulge in. The point is for this to be enjoyable for them!) She's already helped Ainsley, Mauve, Ezra, and several of the others with their hair and make-up for the night-- whether they wanted a natural look, something feminine, or something on the edgier side, she had recommendations and techniques fit for all of them.

"Nah, I'm good." Marta assures her. "I'm just waiting for her." Delaney glows when Lettie prompts her to look at herself in the mirror, beaming when she turns around to face Marta. Lettie clasps her hands together under her chin, unable to stop herself from grinning with giddy satisfaction when the woman's eyes go wide as she takes her in. (Hehe. Seems like Marta doesn't need any kind of blush for her cheeks to turn pink.) "Damn. You look gorgeous, Delaney."

"Do I now?" Delaney asks playfully, elbowing Marta affectionately in the side before ruffling her hair. The other woman turns even redder as a result. "Thank you, Olette. Should we head to the dining hall now?"

"Yup, go ahead! I'll be there shortly." Lettie chimes, waving as they head out hand in hand. The faerie holds her face in her hands and swings her legs happily in her chair, thinking about the way they looked at each other. Ah! It gives her the warm fuzzies, seeing how soft Marta is for Delaney. After everything they've been through, they're long overdue for a nice date night. "They're so heckin' cute."

Lettie swivels around in her chair to look at her own reflection in the mirror. Oh stars. There's still a lot of work to be done... considering she still has yet to do her own make-up and everything. And if she's going to make her vision a reality there's no time to waste. The faerie quickly starts to sort through her supplies.

***​

"Can I offer you any hors d'oeuvres, Captain?" Marjorie asks, sidling up to Juno. She's carrying a wooden tray and wearing a classy black dress. (It's not just her, either. The rest of the skeleton crew is decked out in evening gowns or tuxedos for the evening. Everyone except Fred, that is, who rebelliously wears a t-shirt with a suit and tie graphic on it.) "By that I mean finger foods, Captain." The skeleton supplies a whispered explanation a beat afterwards. (She knows the captain.) "There's a whole assortment to chose from! Deviled eggs, spinach bites, shrimp courtesy of the Magistrate. We're also offering five different types of cheese." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "...But don't ask me which ones. I've already forgotten their names."

Alongside the food there's an assortment of colorful edible flowers. Everything is arranged in such a deliberate way where the dining hall looks like it's been plucked right out of a fairytale. There's fluffy, cottony stuff arranged in the ceiling beams, coated in glitter and sparkly lights to give off the impression of a starry sky above. There're also plants and garlands arranged just so to make it seem like they're standing in a lush forest instead of a dining hall. These too are strung with colorful lights, giving off the illusion that tiny faeries are playing in their branches. (There's also a fountain trickling nearby, courtesy of the Magistrate. Lettie agreed to to the concept of a waterfall in her forest setting-- the closest she could get to a compromise on the 'undersea' theme. There's also dim, underwater lighting that lends to the mystical feel of the dining hall... it also conveniently hides some of the imperfections that show this setup was indeed built in just a day.) The long dining table is woodsy and clunky-- it's imperfect, but it fits the theme Lettie was going for perfectly.

Gradually, the Desdemonians filter into the dining hall. They stare with awe, many having the same 'what the fuck' reaction that Juno had upon her arrival. From a glance, it's clear to see that Lettie's had a hand in everything from the setup to everyone's attire for the evening. The only one missing now is the faerie herself. Gradually, everyone starts breaking into little groups to talk amongst themselves and try the food the skeletons are serving. Mauve and Nico cluster around the elaborate cheese fountain (that was Melvin's idea) and take turns trying to angle their crackers in it to spray Thad. Ainsley watches the teens and their unfolding mischief, fully aware it's happening and saying nothing to warn him.

"Sorry I'm late." Lettie manages to sneak in at Juno's side, for once a bit too shy to give herself a grand entrance in the doorway. (She's admittedly kind of nervous, sharing this much of home with everyone. Considering the last time she tried... didn't go over well. But things are different now.) From head to toe she sparkles in the low lighting of the dining hall. Her white hair is loosely pinned up and adored with butterflies and flowers. Overall, 'wings' seems to be her outfit theme for the night. She drew shimmery black and blue wings with makeup at the corners of her eyes and the skirt of her dress is also patterned to look like delicate butterfly wings. Choosing to go for a traditional fae look, her feet are completely bare.

"...You look like a faerie." Thad points out bluntly. Lettie glares at him, unimpressed by his genius observation, and the necromancer's eyes go wide as he realizes what he's just said. He raises his arms defensively, glancing over at Juno in a panic. "I mean, you were always a faerie. Naturally! But I just mean with the wings and..." He gestures down at her and clears his throat. "Everything. You're a faerie. Of course you're a faerie." Nico finally manages to spray Thad with cheese.

Lettie uses this opportunity to redirect her attention to Juno, smiling up at her to properly appreciate her look for the evening. "You pulled your hair back." She points out affectionately, reaching for her hand. (She does love to look at her girlfriend's face, after all.) "The rings are a nice touch, too." And she took her notes about the buttons! Thank the stars for her handsome girlfriend. It already has her daydreaming about sneaking off to their room together later in the evening. "You look beautiful tonight."

Eventually, they're crowded with questions about how Lettie put all of this together so fast. She smiles and insists it was no big deal (it was a big deal) and that she had plenty of help from the crew. (That's true. They're the best. Even Inez and fucking Fred.) When the faerie notices Eliza nearby, she goes to excuse herself. Subtly, she meets eyes with Marta. They exchange barely-visible nods.

"...Juno. Arm wrestle?" Marta offers when she understands the faerie's signal, rolling up her sleeve to show off her own muscles and holding her arm out to Juno.

"Good luck, baby. I'll be back soon." Lettie encourages Juno to participate, gliding up to give her a proper peck on the cheek. Once she's confident her girlfriend will be occupied with her competition, she rushes over to the other end of the hall to pull Eliza for a word in private.

***​

When they're far enough off to the side that Lettie's confident they won't be overheard, she turns to Eliza. She's a lot more nervous than she thought she'd be.

"I wanted to talk to you before we leave." Lettie says, lacing her nervous fingers together and stretching them back far. "You're the closest Juno has to family here and you've done so much for her... for us. So I wanted to thank you properly." Feeling bashful, her sparkly cheeks redden. "There's something else, too. I wasn't sure when I might get another chance to ask you about this, so..." Out with it, Letts! But her heart is totally gonna pound out of her chest at this rate. Thankfully Eliza is patient with her as she composes herself enough to articulate what it is she wants to say. She bows her head forward and curls her toes against the hard floor, fully aware that they're in plain sight. "I'd really like to ask your daughter to spend the rest of her life with me."

There it is. There it fucking is. Oh stars. Lettie continues to speak after that, her words rushing into an anxious ramble now that it's out there. "I modeled this dinner after a night we spent together under the stars. It's a tradition on my world... commemorating special memories and sharing them with loved ones." She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "I also wanted to know if there were any Desdemonian traditions I should know about?" She pauses, shy once again. "And most importantly... I wanted to see what you think of it. If you're okay with it?" Sure, Juno's her own person who's going to make her own decisions regardless of what anyone says... but it's still important to Lettie that she knows what Eliza thinks. Because Eliza is important to Juno. She's family. "...I was thinking of asking her if we survive everything on Avangeline."

 

[starboob]

When Olette comes over to approach the wolf mother, Eliza is fussing with a tie. She ends up tossing it over her shoulder, rather than bothering to figure it out. It felt too much like a noose anyway and she’s had enough of those around her neck to last her a few lifetimes.

By the time they’re at a more secluded area of the venue—which, what the fuck? How did the faerie even manage to pull this off in less than a day?—she’s adjusted her outfit so that the first couple of buttons on her white shirt are undone. She shoves her hands into the pockets of a leather motorcycle jacket as the faerie clearly worries over what she's about to say. Though she isn’t sure what the faerie has to be nervous about. She tilts her head inquisitively, silently encouraging her to say her piece.

But as Olette gets to talking, intuition tells her this isn’t just about saying thank you. Not really. (Besides, it should be Eliza thanking Olette for putting this together and even offering to do so many makeovers for herself and the company.) Just what is there to be fretting—

Daughter? Now it’s Eliza’s turn to go beet red, from her cheeks all the way down to her shoulders. Flustered, she almost misses what the little faerie is getting at. (Juno? Her daughter? Sure, the vigilante was once a major feature in the kid’s life, but she’s never been so bold to claim Juno as her actual kid. Maybe it’s the vulnerability of it all, but she’s just never even dared to think of herself as a maternal figure. Calling the kids, kids, is just… is just…) Her eyes flicker across the room to find Juno, her tall child, locked in a fierce arm wrestling match with Marta. She doesn’t have Eliza’s eyes, she doesn’t have her face, she doesn’t have anything of hers except for her tough as nails attitude, grit to keep on surviving, and golden heart. She’s got everything that’s important.

When her eyes return to Olette, she nods slowly, still processing the acknowledgement, still trying to catch up to what she’s even asking of her. “Shit.” The word comes in disbelief, entirely caught off guard. (And knowing Juno’s under the impression this entire night is a goodbye celebration…) Once again, she looks over at the kid, then at Olette. An easy warm smile soon stretches across her lips. “You want that little rapscallion with you forever?” She jokes, trying to deflect her own overwhelm—her happiness for the kid, the honor of being approached, all of it. But after a beat, Eliza sobers up, taking this with as much seriousness as it deserves. “She’s lucky to have someone with so much moxie by her side and she knows it. It’s not my decision whether or not you ask her, Olette.” And it’s not common practice on the ground for permission like this to be given. Though the Desdemonian doesn’t fault the Avangelina for this. “That’s all you. You’re her family now.”

Still, sensing that perhaps this sort of ask might be tradition on the faerie’s world, she does place her hand on Olette’s shoulder and looks deeply into her eyes. “But of course I adore you two together. You’re both so damn protective of each other’s happiness.” She hasn't ever seen Juno this genuinely happy before. “As for traditions…” Eliza scratches her chin. “When couples intend to join together, for life, they'll gift each other weapons and swear to use those weapons to protect one another. The ritual traditions are something Juno can fill you in on. I suspect there are some she might not be keen on honoring and others she’ll need to warn you about.” That statement is followed by a mischievous grin, offering a slight hint and warning of what might follow if they choose to honor some of the more rowdy traditions. Like the one that involves their loved ones capturing them, dousing them in muck, parading them through town, and more or less forcing them to drink their weight in liquor. All in good fun, of course.

“But, Olette… Why not ask her now? Life’s short.” Eliza isn’t saying they need to get married right now—she imagines the faerie might have people back on her homeworld that she’d want present, but if the faerie already has these feelings for Juno, is it worth it to risk it and wait? No one in the room knows what’s going to happen next.

***​

While Lettie is probably busy setting up some raver magic lightshow to thank the company for having their backs these past couple of weeks, Juno is hard at work proving that she’s the baddest fucker in this room. It starts with a series of arm wrestling matches against Marta. The women go back and forth with wins, neither one of them willing to quit until there’s definitive proof of who's actually stronger. The last round has them in a draw and while Nico suggests that they throwdown and engage in physical combat Marjorie, Mauve, and the Magistrate all veto that decision, pointing out that they’ll ruin their nice clothes and, “Miss Lettie will not appreciate that.” (Well, Mauve doesn't call her "Miss Lettie," but the point remains.)

So, instead, they decide to give each other sand burns to test who can endure the pain longer. To no one’s surprise, they’re both too stubborn to budge, despite their tears and reddening skin. Delaney has to end that competition before they do actual damage to themselves. (The Medic tuts quietly in the corner.) She also puts a stop to their “punchies” competition before it can even start.

At this point Thad suggests less violent ways to prove their strength. This is met with a collective, “Shut up, Thad.” And Mauve hits him with another spray of cheese just as this happens.

Despite shutting the geek down, they do move on to different sorts of competitions. Everything from a spicy food competition to who can break the strength test the Maestro blips in. (The strength test ends up calling them both teenie weenie wimps so they break it with their fists.) Eventually Ainsley suggests that they, perhaps, call it quits before they start to resent each other and while both are ready to argue, Delaney bats her eyes and Marta crumbles. Juno would tease her, but she can’t say that she wouldn’t have done the same if it had been Lettie to her. Where is her little faerie, anyway?

"Anyone seen my girlfriend?" She kinda wants to sneak off and go make out somewhere...

 

[ellarose]

At the precise moment Juno asks her question, Lettie drops out of the sky to dive-bomb her girlfriend. Around them, everyone stands frozen in shock. What the... that little faerie came out of nowhere!

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." Lettie admits through giggles, wrapping her arms around Juno's shoulders and nuzzling her nose against her collarbone in apology. Her hair might've gotten a little messed up in the process, but it was totally worth it. That knowledge does nothing to dim her bright smile. It's still hitting her that she can fly again. "It's been way too long!" After giving a final squeeze in her apology cuddle, the faerie begins to fix the assortment of flowers and butterfly pins in her hair. As she does so, she looks curiously between the pirate and Marta. "So, who--"

All around her, the others frantically shake their heads. Mauve and Delaney make a sawing motions with their hands in front of their necks, motioning her not to ask. Nico subtly points to the broken strength test machine and it clicks. Ah. So that's how it is. Lettie snorts knowingly.

"Oh Juju. You're so competitive." Lettie tuts, giving her a kiss on the cheek. (Yeah, as if she's not a competitive little faerie herself!) She loves her so damned much. "The skeleton crew keep a scoreboard for all of our competitions so we can keep track of them. Last time I saw it, I was winning." Behind them, Inez and Marjorie exchange a glance.

This turns into a conversation recalling many of their past competitions and, in most cases, arguing over who could be considered the winner of each one. Their night out where they tried to see who could out-drink the other, all the food fights, their day with the water guns, the races and games. All of it. And as they tease and poke at each other, Lettie can't stop thinking about how she wants to keep hanging out with her girlfriend for the rest of her life.

The conversation is lively, with the Desdemonians sharing stories of their own. Delaney recalls a few different bar brawls Marta got into when they were younger. Many of these stories are new to the teens, whose jaws drop and eyes bug out when they hear of some of the reckless stunts Marta pulled off in her youth. (The woman rubs her knuckles against Nico's head at one point, advising him not to get any stupid ideas from her.) The twins contribute to the conversation soon afterwards, recalling some of the little competitions they'd have with each other growing up. Mischievously, they also admit to the one they devised recently to spray Thad with cheese. They're currently tied. Thad inches away from them and the cheese fountain after that. Ainsley taps him on the shoulder and whispers in his ear, informing him that the back of his jacket is currently streaked with it... he hadn't noticed until now. The nerdy necromancer throws his hands up in the air and leaves in a huff to change his clothes. He later returns with an extremely buff spirit that he deems his 'cheese bodyguard'. Everyone has a good laugh at that. It's so overkill and so Thad.

It becomes apparent after this conversation that everyone's itching to play a game and compete with each other for fun. However, it's agreed upon that there will be no food fights tonight after Lettie went to so much trouble to make the dining hall look nice. (Besides, the food smells too delicious to waste.) They decide to change clothes and break out the water guns after dessert. It's also mentioned that they want to see Lettie in action and flying for real now that she has wings again. She grins and does a little twirl to model them for everyone, delighting in their gasps. Her wings glow under their attention, shifting and changing forms to entertain them. Juno's thumped on the back and commended for her handiwork-- as she should be!

Lettie also considers that the fireworks show ought to be timed perfectly with their water gun brawl-- everyone will be on deck outside to see it! It could be a fun surprise... but the more she thinks about it, she realizes it might be better to warn them about it in advance. Knowing the Desdemonians, they might think it's an attack, the same way Juno used to think Lettie's pranks were attempts at murder. Marjorie also steps in to explain her rules to everyone, noting that they don't want Lady facing any extreme damages before their journey to Avangeline.

Everyone moves to their seats at the table after that, engrossed in a discussion about strategy and sorting themselves into teams as dinner is served. Lettie's attention slips away, turning it all into background noise. She lost focus around the time Marjorie mentioned Avangeline. They're really going back...

'Why not ask her now? Life's short.'

But what if Lettie's scared to jinx it? What if... 'I knew I was right to leave your ass behind.'

They've moved forward since then, their wounds are steadily healing. Hell, Lettie even has her wings back thanks to Juno. And now that she knows the truth, the faerie knows she would take back every single word she said to her that night if she could. Knowing how sorry her girlfriend is, she doesn't want to cling to those words. She'd drop all the memories and feelings surrounding them in a heartbeat if it were that easy. But the extremes of fear and stress that'd spiked through her the last time they were on Avangeline still haunt her... it's apparent now that they're going back. The faerie's filled to the brim with nervous, restless energy. She shared her home with Juno and watched within the span of a single day as the pirate closed herself off completely, souring to her and everything about her by association. Until she couldn't stand the sight of her. Until she admitted that she intended leave her behind-- even before that meeting with Crane. It happened so fast. Life and love can be so fucking fragile.

Avangeline has taught Lettie that lesson more times than she can possibly count. It takes everyone she cares about and then convinces her to blame herself for it, hate herself for it.

They're going back to Avangeline... and Lettie can't help feeling scared to death that she's going to lose everything all over again. If they do make it through, she can acknowledge the reassurance and closure it will give her. The ghosts of that pain will be waiting for her there... and she's gonna fight like hell to conquer them. That along with all of the rest of the shit she has to deal with. It's not by any means her feelings for Juno that are complicated. She knows her love, her heart. It's just... Avangeline itself that's complicated. Her home and her deathbed wrapped into one. The beautiful place she grew up. The source of all her insecurities and the embodiment of everything she's ever been afraid of.

If Lettie asks Juno tonight, she worries it'll give Avangeline something tangible to take away from her, the same way it takes everything else. But maybe that's a silly, irrational mindset to have. Even if Lettie asks tonight, it's not going to change a single thing about how much she loves Juno right now. It won't change just how much she's going to lose and hurt should the worst come to pass. She's probably trying to fool herself into thinking this decision will grant her some semblance of control over what happens next when it won't.

Love has Lettie feeling so defenseless. She never thought she'd let herself love again after everything she's been through. But love is also powerful. It's emboldening. It's the fight in her-- the part of her that wants the future she never thought she'd get to have. Maybe it's better if Juno knows before they go into it, just how serious she is about forever.

Someone's asking Lettie about Avangeline, but she's still zoned out. The faerie snaps back into herself when she notices the pairs of eyes on her. There's so much on her mind and she doesn't know what to say. Her gaze flits from Juno to Eliza. 'Why not ask her now?'

"I think I need some air." Lettie admits apologetically, standing and offering them all a reassuring smile. She's fine, really. She's not running away from this or anything. She's just a smidgen overwhelmed. (Forever is a really long time. But she wants it with Juno. More than anything. Can she really bring herself to ask tonight? She doesn't even have a ring.) "Don't worry-- I'll be back soon. I only need a sec."

 

[starboob]

If this is what a normal life looks like, if this is what a peaceful life looks like, then Juno wants this for the rest of her days, for all of her forevers. She wants her future full of it, overflowing with it. Her heart is warm, her cheeks ache from grinning. She can’t remember the last time she ever felt this full—she’s pretty sure she never has—and now that she’s had a taste, she can tell she’s going to become a glutton for this soft kind of life. And it’s going to be theirs. (She hopes.)

The one hurdle that stands in their way, of course, is Avangeline.

Like Lettie, Juno blanks out when Marjorie mentions the faerie’s homeworld. It hits her all over again that the reason for this celebration is because tomorrow they leave for the final part of their mission. Tomorrow. And tonight might be the last time they ever get to see all their friends, family, and Thad. This could be the last time they ever get to share a meal with them, to laugh with them, to have and experience uninhibited joy with them. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. No one knows whether they’ll all be reunited like this again or if, for some, this is their last time seeing each other.

Her gaze lifts, finding Eliza a few seats down from her. (“But I’m the baddest wolf out there . . . we're tough as nails.”) She’s laughing over something Ezra said. Juno watches her for a little longer than necessary, wanting to memorize this moment. Just in case. It’s true, they don’t fucking know what’s going to happen, but everyone at this table knows they’re fighting like hell for the future. For tonight they can just feast and celebrate without a care in the world.

With her insides tingling and warm, Juno reaches for Lettie’s hand, the woman who made this all possible, but as she does so the faerie rises from her seat and excuses herself. Her brows knit together in confusion, watching as Lettie goes. Something’s wrong.

A tug of war starts inside of her—does she stay or follow? She said she just needs some air, but…

Juno finds Eliza’s eyes and Eliza raises her hand, signaling for the pirate to pause before going after her faerie. She sinks further into her seat, staring into her plate like it’s the greatest company there is to offer at this table full of friends. Awkwardly their friends continue to talk in the faerie’s absence, but Juno is noticeably absent from the conversation.

She waits a whole five minutes, then she’s too restless to stay put. Abruptly, without explanation, she bolts from the table and goes after her faerie. If this is about Avangeline, and she suspects that it is, she wants to be there for her. Like she should have been the first time.

The pirate first checks their bedroom and when she finds it empty, she tries the study. The crow’s nest. The gym. She even tries Lettie’s old room, but she is nowhere to be found. No trace or hint of her suggests where she might. And then it hits her.

A few minutes later, Juno is at the engine room and her eyes soften the second they land on Lettie. Quietly, she makes her way over to the faerie and, as she does so, she looks around the place, noting how different it is now that a genius mechanic has taken over operations. She still remembers the first time she ever caught Lettie tinkering with Lady’s engine. (Admittedly because the pose she struck was quite memorable. Very leggy. Very nice.) It had been somewhat of a surprise to find her there, but also not really. Realistically, she always knew it couldn’t have been Marjorie or Philip improving Lady’s performance to such a drastic degree. It couldn’t have been any of her boneheaded crewmembers. It was just stubbornness that denied Lettie her credit. And, admittedly, it was cute whenever Lettie would get quietly miffed over Juno praising the wrong person. Finding Lettie back here now brings all those memories of the beginning back.

She leans against the railing, taking the spot just next to her faerie. “Hey, Lette. You okay?” Ah, that’s probably a stupid question. Of course she’s not okay—she didn’t ditch her own party for fun! Juno clears her throat, rubbing the back of her neck as uncertainty creeps in. “You know… You know you won’t be alone there, right? On Avangeline. You won’t be alone. I’ll be there, too.” She swallows hard. “What happened last time won’t happen again. I’m with you. All the way.”

Except it’s one thing for her to say that here, on Desdemonia or any other world, and it’s an entirely different thing for her to keep her word. She’s already proven she’ll break her vows once. Another wave of shame rolls over her, remembering how, in the span of a day, she went from having her back to turning her back on her.

But that’s in the past. It goes without saying that Juno is loyal to one faerie and that faerie's name is Olette Lycoris Radiata. Neither of them need to worry about a repeat of last time and Juno still wants to say it, so that Lettie knows. Because she knows this won’t be easy regardless. Her homeworld wants to eat her alive. Literally. Juno won’t let that happen.

Juno shuffles closer to Lettie and pulls her into her arms. With one arm wrapped around her shoulders, she uses her other hand to fish through her pockets, pulling something out of it. “Ever since you asked me if you could stay… I’ve only dreamed of our future together.” As she says this, she pulls back a bit and shows Lettie her closed fist which she then opens, revealing the golden pendant, her last wish from Calytrix. It glows faintly with little golden sparkles blinking around it. As it’s held in her palm, it starts to react to the pirate’s desires, morphing from a piece of the Guardian’s crown into a miniature cottage with a wide open garden. “This is what I’m going to wish for when this is all over. A future with you.” It’s so fucking gay to admit that her cheeks blaze red from the queerness of it all. “I love you. I love you so damn much that all my wishes are about you. How fuckin’ gay is that?"

 

[ellarose]

"That is pretty gay." Lettie agrees. Her gaze is soft as she observes the quaint image of a cottage and garden in the palm of Juno's hand. So this is what Juno's ideal home looks like? While they had discussed the idea of growing their own garden, she didn't realize that the pirate had been dreaming up such a peaceful, wholesome place all this time. Not only is it beautiful, it's also so cute. (It's everything.) No one would expect upon first seeing Juno that this is the kind of life she'd want for herself. But it makes perfect sense to the faerie. She knows her. With her determination to try new recipes in the kitchen, her wide-eyed fascination when she learns new facts about insects, and her affectionate nature. Juno is so much more than the pirate she became to survive. She wants to learn new things about her girlfriend while their lives are peaceful, talking for hours as they snuggle in their adorable cottage. It's really gay... and she wants it more than anything.

Seasons will pass. In spring they'll plant their garden and play in the rain. Summer, they'll sit out on their porch to watch sunsets together. Lettie will fan Juno with her wings and Juno will feed her fresh orange slices. In the fall they'll bake together and try new recipes. They'll make a contest to see who can make the biggest pile of leaves like they're a couple of little kids. And in the winter Lettie will finally teach Juno to ice skate. (And she'll teasingly bring up that one time Juno tried to kill her by throwing a bomb in retaliation for her snowball.) It'll be peaceful. Their only enemies will be the geese (long necked chickens) that wander into their garden.

While Lettie daydreams, the vision in Juno's palm reflects the seasons as she thinks about them. She grins with wonder at these intricate, whimsical details... and then she immediately uses her imagination for mischief as she turns their dream cottage pink. Hehe. The faerie proceeds to shrink into her tiny form, landing in Juno's palm to stand among the scene. She twirls around, her skirt swishing around her legs as she pretends that she's there.

"It's perfect. Our wish." Lettie says wistfully. (The only thing that's missing is Juno standing right beside her. Technically she is, but...) She puffs her cheeks childishly and peeks up at her girlfriend. "Juno, I wanna move in right now." But she knows they can't. There's more they need to accomplish before that can happen. With a little sigh, the faerie jumps off her girlfriend's hand and shifts herself back to her normal size. She stares at her feet somberly, not finished complaining quite yet. "I don't want to go back to Avangeline."

Lettie steps forward and wraps her arms around her girlfriend's middle, clinging to the back of her shirt and burying her face against her chest. She pauses to melt against Juno's comforting warmth, just taking in this simple moment together. No explosions, no chaos. Just them and the soft hum of the engine room around them.

"I love you, too. And I want a future with you. I want it more than I've wanted anything in my whole entire life." Lettie says quietly. "I know I won't be alone. I know you've got me. But I'm really scared to go back." Her face scrunches up as she fights to hold back tears. (Not tonight! She worked way too hard on her makeup for this!) "Asmodeus and all those other bastards on Avangeline are gonna try everything they can to steal our future." She takes in a shuddering breath. "Ever since I was a little kid, I worked so damned hard for just the possibility of a future. Time and time again, I'd find some way to fuck everything up." All those odd jobs, all those sleepless nights... all of that work amounted to nothing. She gave them everything she had and they still demanded more from her. On top of that, they stole anyone who tried to support her and also stole her ability to open up about it, ensuring that she wouldn't be able to lean on anyone else. "I couldn't tell you how many times they've made me feel completely powerless. It's... it's all I know, Juno. And I don't want to lose you."

But the fact remains that Lina was only a kid when they sacrificed her to the Reaper. Mother was well-intentioned in trying to right her horrid mistakes, but she was naive to the dangerous world she'd sold her daughter into. Lettie's terrified to lose Juno the same way she lost them. Still, she has to try and comfort herself with the reminder that Juno is a survivor in her own right. She can hold her own in a way that neither Lina or mother could. Between Juno's strength, Lettie's knowledge about Avangeline, and their combined stubbornness... she has to believe that they can stand a chance against those bastards. Juno has partially broken her curse and given her new wings. They've learned they can do all kinds of powerful shit when they combine their magic together. (As in powerful enough to raise a fucking goddess from the grave.) Asmodeus thrives on making her believe she's an insignificant little faerie. But she's the fucking faerie. Juno's always there to remind her when she forgets it herself.

"Sorry. I don't want you seeing me like this." Lettie mumbles softly. All unsure and freaked out. She needs to have more faith in them. "We've grown a lot, haven't we? And we're a force to be reckoned with when we're together. You became a legend on Fabel. We raised a goddess from the dead."

Those bastards bully faeries because they rely on their dust to keep the world healthy and thriving. Without their lifeblood, Avangeline would fall apart. The beauty would wilt away as the demons and angels siphon the magic and life out of everything to fulfill their own selfish ambitions. Calytrix taught her that faeries can be so much more powerful than they ever allowed her to believe. And all that hard work she'd done over the years wasn't entirely useless. Even if she failed to escape in that beat up old ship all those years ago, that knowledge ended up coming in handy when it came to touching up Lady's engine and defense mechanisms. Dealing with so many types of people made her resourceful, a quick thinker and improviser. She survived all the other worlds the cube has thrown at them, learned so many new things about herself and what she's capable of. Juno taught her so much, too. And now she's the strongest she's ever been. Avangeline hasn't met this Lettie yet. Hell, it's probably not ready for this Lettie.

"Juno, I don't just want a future with you." Lettie glides up, holding Juno's cheeks between her hands as she stares into her eyes. She's all seriousness. "I want forever with you." While her resolve doesn't falter, her face and ears turn a soft pink with the admission. "Okay, so... I've got a confession to make. The theme for tonight's dinner was a night under the stars. It was inspired by that night we raised our bug army. It was right after we agreed to be friends. Remember?" She smiles shyly. They were a bit drunk that night. But it's still important to her. "It's tradition on Avangeline to share a special memory with the family of your loved one when you want to bring up the possibility of..." She giggles, nervousness bubbling up under her surface. "Like, marriage and stuff." Her blush deepens. Oh stars. "I brought it up with Eliza, 'cause she's your family and I wasn't sure if I'd have another opportunity to bring it up. I know you're gonna make your own choices regardless of what anybody says, but I know Eliza's important to you... so it felt important to tell her."

"We have her blessing, by the way. In fact, she suggested that I ask you tonight. If you... want to marry me. Um, so I guess I'm asking--" Lettie's asking the question. She's asking and it's glaringly obvious by the clumsy, rambling nature of it that she hasn't rehearsed it at all. Hell, they're standing in the engine room! This is not even remotely stylish or atmospheric. (Geez, she could kick herself. But when it comes down to it, she has everything she could ever need as long as Juno's right there next to her. There's no time like the present, right?) "Do you wanna get married? I... I think it'd be nice to be married." Her blush deepens. Her face is on fire. "I don't have a ring. But... oh!"

The faerie draws her magic circle, reaching inside for the knife Juno gave her the night they met. "Eliza told me about Desdemonian traditions... and she said one involves giving each other weapons to protect each other with." Lettie raises her eyebrows and playfully twirls the knife. "So Juju, be honest. Were you trying to tell me something the night we met?" She grins teasingly. Of course not. But it's still pretty funny to think about now that she considers how things turned out between them. "You gave this to me so I could protect myself." She hands it to Juno. "I'm gonna get you something better later. But for now... I want you to hold onto this one."

 

[starboob]

The only thing that’s gayer than all of Juno’s wishes involving Lettie, is Lettie asking Juno if they should get married. Her. The homicidal pirate. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe everything that tornadoes through her insides, causing them to tingle and melt as she considers, fully, what exactly the fucking faerie is asking. (What she’s proposing.) In all of Juno’s years, never did she think she would settle down. Never did she think she would get married—it’s been such a far off possibility for the pirate that she had somewhat forgotten to consider it altogether. Sure, she’s thought of how much she loves Lettie and how she never wants to be with anyone else—her damn wishes make it obvious that Lettie is the end to all her endings. It’s been the inevitability that’s been staring her in the face since the first day they ever met, hasn’t it? Lettie points this out when she presents her with the now bejeweled dagger (she honestly would not have recognized it had Lettie not mentioned that detail).

Marrying Olette Lycoris Radiata.

Juno’s lips part slightly as the enormity of this slams into her all at once. Her breath catches in her throat and tears well in her eyes. Olette Lycoris Radiata wants to marry Juno. She thinks it’d be nice. (She’s being such a nerd about it right now, but Juno is being such a dweeb, so it’s not like she can talk.) Juno thinks it’d be nice too.

So much is happening that she almost forgets to speak or do anything. Her stomach feels weird. Her knees are all tingly. It’s a good thing she’s near enough to the railing that she can lean on it, because she’s not confident that she can remain upright on her own for much longer. “You–You want to get married? To me?” She has to repeat it out loud to make sure this isn’t a dream. (Or a fucked up nightmare.) Slowly, the pirate nods her head, at a complete loss for words. So she takes the knife, haphazardly sticking it in her belt, and then she’s pulling the faerie forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. Her hands are firm on Lettie’s back, holding her so that they remain flush, then they glide down to her legs, moving them so that they’re wrapped around her middle as she deepens the kiss. “Yes,” she whispers. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

She has to keep saying it, because maybe she’s also afraid it will be taken away from her. Or maybe she’s afraid she somehow imagined it. She leans forward again, deepening their kiss.

At a certain point, she comes up for air, pressing her forehead to Lettie’s. She kisses over her sparkly red cheeks, making sure to get her favorite freckle. “Yes, a thousand times.” With one of her hands, keeping the other wound around Lettie’s waist, she fishes through her bag of bones and molds a shard into a simple throwing knife. “Will you accept this as a placeholder? I want to get you something nicer, too.”

“And, Lette?” She pulls back just a bit, still holding onto the faerie but giving them some space to look at each other in full. “I’m scared to go back, too. But Eliza reminded me that we bring everything to these fights. And now that we’re–now that we’re,” she gestures awkwardly between them, still too stunned to say it. “You know… gonna get married… I know we’re going to bring all of Hell and the stars to Avangeline. I think we’ve got a shot. We just have to be smart.” That means no punching people in the face. No excessive use of magic for sexy costume changes. No blowing out three tiers of power to prove a point or seeking help from shady vengeful spirits. None of that shit. They can’t afford mistakes this time around. And she trusts they both know that. “We’ve made it this far. We can go a little further. We can get forever.” She strokes the pad of her thumb over Lettie's cheek, admiring her betrothed. Then she kisses her again, unable to help herself.

They make out for a little longer after that. Juno keeps repeating to herself that they’re going to get married. That Lettie asked her to marry her. She keeps thinking about how it all happened in the engine room, of all places, and how she wants her own chance to ask Lettie, following Avangeline traditions. They're going to get married.

Her lips find Lettie’s neck, clasping around her pulse…

Their make-out sesh might have lasted more than ‘a little longer.’ Juno isn’t sure how long it lasts (nor does she care), but Marjorie radios in—causing the pirate to jump—and informs them that the water gun fight is about to commence. She offers a vague warning that the pirate and the faerie are expected to be above deck in five seconds. It’s a vague warning, because, before Juno can even comment that that would be impossible, a certain cube intervenes and blip!

Not only are the pirate and faerie duo dumped onto the deck, the cube also takes the liberty of changing them into appropriate attire. That turns out to be a good thing as they aren’t even able to properly sort themselves before a water balloon hits Juno’s back. It’s chaos from there. (It was always destined to be chaos, knowing how these two are. Knowing how their friends and family are.)

While there are teams, it’s mostly a free for all and there are several instances where someone will find themself at the mercy of the rest of the group. This happens to Thaddeus on several occasions. (Not even his cheese bodyguard can help him.) Though Juno, Eliza, and the teens are popular targets as well. (The look of utter betrayal on Juno’s face when Lettie led her right into a trap. Even so, that never stopped Juno from defending her, going to great lengths to keep her from getting hit. Her faerie worked hard on her make-up, after all.)

It’s all in good fun and Juno can’t stop smiling. Her girlfriend wants to marry her. Her friends and family are alive. Her crew is back. It’s a taste of her dream life.

 

[ellarose]

Juno said yes. When Lettie rests her head down on her girlfriend's (her fiancee's!!!) chest to sleep that night she doesn't think about Avangeline. She thinks about Juno saying yes. A thousand times yes. She remembers the way she looked tonight, soaked from head to toe while wearing the biggest, dopiest, most charming smile ever on her face. The way they snuck a short distance away from the group to kiss while the vibrant lights of the fireworks showed over them like a rain of rainbow stars. (Eliza rolled her eyes at first but couldn't hide her knowing grin when she glanced in their direction.) Afterwards, the others informed them that they waited on dessert so they could eat it together in the dining hall. Since Lettie worked so hard to decorate, they wanted to squeeze in just a bit more time together before... 'We’ve made it this far. We can go a little further. We can get forever.' They've got this. They've got this. They've got to got this.

Lettie and Juno agree to wait to tell the others about their plans to get married. It'll be happy news to share when they all meet again. Then they can celebrate and enjoy themselves without all the stress of Avangeline looming on the horizon.

Since the cube intends to set sail early the next morning, they've already exchanged most of their goodbyes. Eliza says she'll rise early enough to see them off. (While Lettie knows the woman wants to give them a proper sendoff, she' sure that part of the reason is that she wants to be certain Nico and Mauve don't try to sneak aboard at the last second. There's no way of knowing what those twins could be scheming. The faerie adores them and understands the thrill of adventures on unfamiliar worlds... but it's Avangeline. It's way too risky.) They have the skeleton crew stand guard and also ask the cube to lock Melvin in his box. It's just like Juno said. They have to be smart about this.

It's still dark in the morning when they wake up. It's a bit chilly-- but Lettie's wearing one of Juno's sweatshirts. (It's like wearing a big hug that smells like her pirate.) Out on deck, she stands back a few paces to give Eliza and Juno the time they need to say their goodbyes. (It won't be for the last time.) After a short while, though, Eliza waves the faerie over and embraces them together. No words are exchanged, but the look on her face manages to say everything. She's happy for them and has faith that they'll keep each other safe. They all might be a bit misty eyed, but they're all too damned stubborn to let their tears fall. (It won't be for the last time.)

"I'll see you two real soon, all right?" Eliza affectionately punches Juno in the arm. "And we'll celebrate the Desdemonian way."

Lettie raises an eyebrow and glances between Juno and Eliza. The Desdemonian way? Eliza doesn't explain it to the faerie, only delighting in her confusion with a mischievous grin.

Marjorie approaches shortly afterwards, nudging two guilty stowaway twins forward by their shoulders. Turns out they were scheming after all. (Yeah, Lettie had a hunch they were scoping out hiding spots yesterday during the water gun fight. She's glad she gave Marjorie the head's up now.)

"Nico. Mauve. We've already talked about this." Eliza says sternly, crossing her arms over her chest. Nico starts to open his mouth to explain, but she raises a hand to stop him. "C'mere. We'll talk about this later. After they've gone."

Nico and Mauve nod begrudgingly before shuffling towards Eliza, unable to come up with a convincing argument now that they've come face to face with her. The woman wraps her arms protectively around the both of them, giving them an affectionate squeeze in spite of everything. Internally, Lettie breathes a silent sigh of relief. It makes her feel better seeing the twins there with Eliza. She doesn't want them getting mixed up in the shit they've got to deal with on Avangeline. She's worried enough about everything as it is without adding the kids to the mix. Lina had been around their age when...

"We'll miss you." Mauve speaks up and everyone melts.

"Aw. We're gonna miss you, too." Lettie steps forward to wrap the rambunctious kids into a hug. They're tough and they've got good intentions... but this is for the best. "Tell you what. I'll give you guys a proper tour if Avangeline's safe enough when our mission's complete. If not, we'll have the cube find a similar world for us to explore. I swear it'll be a lot more fun then. Things are just... super messy right now."

The twins make Lettie and Juno promise-- and they do. After that, their final goodbyes are exchanged and they're off to Avangeline with a blip.

***​

"You'll find help in unexpected places." The cube informs them cryptically as Lady is anchored down in the Forbidden Forest. The twinkling lights dancing in the veins of leaves and tree roots are as beautiful as ever... and most of them are still blue. (Lettie remembers the first time they visited-- the way Juno made it her mission to turn all of the trees blue. This is also the place where Juno kissed her forehead for the first time. They did share a few sweet moments before everything went downhill.) The faerie rubs her wrist anxiously, checking it to ensure the countdown hasn't reappeared. It hasn't. Thank the stars. "Explore the forest and you'll see what I mean."

"Wh--" Lettie doesn't know why she tries to ask for elaboration, because the cube blips off shortly afterwards. The faerie shakes her head and then turns to look up at Juno. (Her insides shiver with restless energy. They're back. After all this time, they're back on Avangeline. They've got to be smart about this.) "You remember the last time we were here, right? We have to be careful around the sprites." She grabs Juno's hand, squeezing tight. "We should try searching the forest. Don't let go of my hand, okay?"

 

[starboob]

Juno can still feel Eliza’s palm against her cheek as she held her face when they said goodbye. She can still feel the ghost of her warmth wrapped around her when they hugged. ‘It wasn’t for the last time.’ She can repeat that like a mantra and it does nothing to stave off her tears. They well in her eyes, but she refuses to let any fall knowing that if she lets the dam break there will be no recovery for her. It will consume and drown her if she lets it and she cannot let it. She sniffles sharply, staring blankly ahead to get the tears to retreat.

It’ll be fine.
She hopes.

When Lettie reaches for her hand, she drops hers from the buttons on her denim jacket and nods. (Juno had asked Lettie earlier for help with her outfit, wanting something more Avangeline so as to blend in. Granted, she is still carrying around her demon sword as the pirate was unwilling to leave it behind. She might have her necromancy, bombs, and the knife Lettie regifted, but the sword is another layer of security she does not want to be without.) While she follows Lettie, she checks that her hair is still tucked under her charcoal gray beanie, covering up her signature white streak. Yeah, they aren’t taking any chances this time around.

“Yeah, I remember. I still think you’re just jealous that they liked me so much.” Her girlfriend (betrothed!!) is anxious. She can feel it and so she tries to tease and joke to lighten their spirits. Keep morale high.

The Forbidden Forest is still as mesmerizing as it was the first time around (and it’s still blue!), but the Desdemonian knows better than to trust it and sticks beside her faerie (who could have made this forest her bitch if she really wanted). As they walk through it, Juno’s mini-skeletons poke their heads out from her jacket pockets, taking in the sights. Their little jaws collectively drop and they crawl out from her pockets to hang off the pirate’s jacket. One of them starts grabbing for a mysterious dot of light that floats towards them and another bats that one’s skull, pointing to the faerie and angrily signing, ‘You dolt!’

Juno, oblivious to the drama unfolding on her jacket, bends over to kiss the top of Lettie's head, rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand as she does so. “We’re stronger this time. Remember that.” This reassurance is for both of them, because they’re both not without worry. Juno is just trying to keep hers in check, knowing how much more this means to Lettie than it does herself. She’ll be the strong one this time. (And her faith is stronger than last time, too.) “I love you.”

While Juno is trying to bring their spirits up, her mini-skellies suddenly hop off from her jacket, tumbling into the grass as they land. Then they scamper off. Juno doesn’t notice with her attention entirely on Lettie. However, one of her minis runs back to the necromancer and tugs on the leg of her pants to get her attention. When she looks down, the mini is pointing insistently towards the other minis who are running in a line towards something. She furrows her brows together and signs, ‘We’re supposed to stick by the fucking faerie.’ The mini signs back, ‘C’mon!’ They offer no explanation and don't wait for the pirate's answer. Instead, they just bolt off with the others.

Juno exchanges a look with Lettie. “I… I guess they want us to follow them?” Juno is obviously dubious. Her skeletons can’t know anything she doesn’t know about this forest, so she’s not sure what’s gotten into them. It occurs to her that the sprites might have gotten into them (literally), but the longer she thinks of it, the less certain she is of that. She would have felt that and they still feel like her skellies. She sighs. “QB did say that help would come from an unexpected place?” Which could literally mean anything. (Fucking cube. Useless piece of shit.) “Doesn’t hurt to follow, eh? We’ll bail the second you sense something’s off, but I don’t think they’re trying to get me to lick any trees.”

The mini-skellies, despite their sense of urgency, are not that fast. It only takes Lettie and Juno a few long steps to catch up and then they continue at a leisurely pace, like they're just taking a stroll through the Forbidden Forest. Juno does offer to carry her minis so that they can make better time to wherever it is they're going, but they are insistent that they lead rather than merely navigate from the pirate's shoulder.

As they walk, the pirate is careful to stick close to her faerie, no matter how enticing or cool particular mushrooms look. No matter the song voice she hears. (Lettie actually glides up to cover Juno’s ears since the pirate has already proven she is highly susceptible to hypnotic songs.) Even when different pathways light up and try to lead them towards mystical looking clearings, Juno keeps her curiosity in check. They have to be smart.

Eventually, they reach a rather unassuming tree. Nothing is particularly special about it. It has glowing veins along the bark and feathery leaves that cling to billowy branches much like the rest of the trees in the forest. As far as Avangeline trees go, this one seems standard. Yet the minis are fascinated with it and are already beating their tiny fists against it, as if that will somehow get it to open up. But the tree remains still a tree. That is until Juno takes a step forward.

As soon as she's a step ahead of Lettie, a seam along the treebark opens into a particularly menacing mouth, not too dissimilar from Ripir. Thick gooey sap drips from the splintery looking teeth, burning holes into the ground. The feathery leaves also stiffen into fine needles, while the billowy branches snake through the air and surround Juno. The glowing veins blare bright red, warning the pirate. She stiffens.

Seconds later a trio of masked faeries fly seemingly from out of nowhere with bomberbugs ready in their palms. "Halt," one orders in a monotone and somewhat familiar tone. Though the order is rather unnecessary since the pirate hasn't moved a single inch since the tree decided to be fucking dangerous. (Fucking trees.) The faerie who spoke and who appears to be the leader of this little trio glides closer to Juno, tilting her head in slight recognition. When she peers around the pirate, taking a look at her faerie behind her, she lifts her mask and zips forward to grab Lettie's shoulders. "Lettie!" Thistle exclaims, an uncharacteristic amount of shock plain on her usually disaffected features. "How?? What? Explain."

 

[ellarose]

"...It's kind of a long story." Lettie admits perplexedly, blinking once. Then twice. She's equally stunned to be finding Thistle smack in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. (What's with the creepy masks? And who are those other faeries? How did the mini skellies know to go this way? What the fuck is going on!?) Her phantom wings shyly dissolve into vague sparkles... from the looks on their faces, she can tell they're recognizing what she's lost and sympathizing with her for it. "And I dunno if I should tell it out here." It's risky, among so many mysterious trees and plants. There's no way of knowing who might be listening in... but among them are absolutely nymphs who would sell intel to their enemies for a steep price. Mother would tell her all sorts of stories about that kind of stuff whenever she had too much to drink, slurring her words as she explained to a five year old Lettie how she had to be clever whenever she wanted to hang with her boyfriends or girlfriends and simultaneously keep it private.

"Then you should come inside." Thistle offers automatically, thrusting her thumb back towards the scary tree. "'Cause I need to know how you're not dust after that massive stunt you pulled." One of the faeries hovering behind her coughs loudly and tugs at her sleeve to get her attention. She looks around reluctantly and then gestures to Lettie's scarred wrist.

"No, she can't. Look at her wrist, Thistle... she's marked. You know the rules." The faerie says quietly enough for their small group to hear. Lettie automatically clasps a hand over her wrist to cover the scar up, her cheeks burning pink with shame. Without her bracelet, it's obvious. (Those with a discerning eye are sometimes able to guess, even when she's wearing the bracelet... but she prefers to keep the mark hidden if she can, to spare herself from the pitying looks from other faeries in the know.) "The second those bastards realize she's here, they'll find her like that." She snaps her fingers. "They'll find our base and take us out. We'll lose everything. We can't risk it."

"Sorry... it's nothing against you! We're not trying to throw you to the wolves." The other faerie speaks in a soft, timid voice. (She has princess-like ringlets of rose pink hair that Lettie can't help feeling a little envious of.) "It's our mission to make things better for all of us... we need to be careful." She kicks at the ground, staring at her feet. "We haven't figured out a way to help our marked sisters yet, but we're working on it. I'm sorry." Lettie can tell from her apologetic tone that she's genuine. "Everyone who tried to shelter marked faeries in the past have..."

"I know." Lettie sighs. She's heard all the horror stories at the estate... those bastards do everything they can to isolate their marked faeries, make them into lost causes. For change to come about, the unmarked faeries have to play it smart. It's shit, but she doesn't hold it against them. "It's okay."

"Well, maybe we should take a chance on her." Thistle retorts, a prickly edge in her voice. "I know it's a risk, but she blasted that huge corp building and lived. She's marked and she's still here to tell the tale. We'd be silly fucking gooses to send her away without hearing how she did it."

"...Not really a fan of that expression." Lettie mumbles, glancing around nervously as if she expects a sinister goose to appear from the shadows now that her paranoid imagination is dreaming it into existence. But her girlfriend (fiancee!) has got stupidly buff arms and a big ass demon sword. And she's vowed to protect her from the long necked chickens. She shuffles a little closer to Juno. 'Take a breath. You're good.' "Anyway... I get why you're concerned." Plenty of reason to be concerned, she won't deny that. "I'm not here to try and fuck up this, uh, top-secret faerie club you've got going on here. I think it's rad!" She nods encouragingly. (Internally she notes that their styling could use some serious work. The only word Lettie could use to describe their masks are 'yikes' and... have they considered matching jackets?) "Still, you should probably know that my curse has been broken." The faeries all snap their attention away from each other to stare at her incredulously. Lettie's blush returns under the combined weight of their stares and quickly holds her hands up before their jaws can hit the forest floor. "Partially broken, anyway? I've got my voice back and the golden tether's been cut. Technically they still own my soul... but they can't do shit about it when I'm not standing right in front of them."

It takes time for the trio of faeries to recover from their shock. It takes time before they decide that, yes, the fact that Lettie is talking about it and also still standing there intact are proof enough that she's telling them the truth about this. It also takes them a hot minute to warm up to Juno. While they are more inclined to trust a human than they would a demon, angel, nymph or mermaid... the demonic energy radiating off her sword does cause for some initial alarm. Once they assure them that Juno stole that energy back from their adversaries and intends to use it to protect the faeries, they allow them into their base.

It's bit unnerving, traveling through the gooey mouth of the tree... but the inside is beautiful. It's much larger within than it appears on the outside. The entire base emits a warm, orange glow from the floating firefly lanterns strung all around. Faeries of all kinds flit busily all around them-- those with earth sources tending to carnivorous plants with sharp teeth (adorable) and various others are tinkering weapons made of icicles, tree branches and vines. A vast majority of them stop what they're doing to stare bewilderedly at Lettie.

"You're kind of a legend around here." Thistle whispers to Lettie. "Fair warning... lots of fans of Titania in here, too."

When the initial shock wears a bit, a few of them openly ogle Juno. Lettie has to resist the temptation to stand in front of her with her arms spread to tell them all she's spoken for.

Soon enough, Lettie and Juno's arrival garners a whole audience. And then it's story time. The faerie ends up giving an incredibly summarized version of their mission and the worlds she and Juno have traveled to. The one she speaks the most about is Fabel as she tells them of Calytrix, of her status and her ability to grant wishes. She proudly shares how Juno saved Fabel from a tyrant, freeing Calytrix and earning three wishes-- how she used one of them to free her (partially) of her curse. She also shares some of the wisdom that Calytrix had shared with her about peering into the future for different outcomes... and also that the other faerie implied that she could someday hone her gift to communicate with the stars to learn such wish-granting magic. However, Lettie makes it clear she doesn't know how to do anything remotely like that yet and doesn't want to get anybody's hopes up.

"I'm curious. Did you use your future sight to find us here in the Forbidden Forest?" The faerie with rose-colored hair, Matilda, speaks up.

"No. It was actually these little guys." Lettie tilts her head towards Juno, squinting at the pockets where the mini skellies are peeking out. Somehow, they seem a little bashful to be gazed at by so many pretty faeries all at once. "Don't be shy!" She shrugs. "...I don't really know what tipped them off, though."

"Hey... they're just like Lestat!" The other faerie who was with Thistle, Anemone, whirls around and gestures to another faerie, who brings out... another mini skellie? (But notably, this one has tiny vampire fangs.) What? "Say hi, Lestat."

"...Lestat?" Lettie asks. (Okay, that's unexpected. She's... confused. Who is Lestat?) She turns to look at Juno, concerned. "Oh no... did one of your little guys get left behind when we escaped?" Meanwhile, the mini skellies burst out of hiding and rush to meet their tiny fanged friend. They sign frantically at each other and embrace like long lost friends.

"We're curious about that, too. How did you escape?" Thistle asks, tilting her head interestedly as she observes the tiny skeletons. "After... well, we heard you got caught and lost your wings. We thought you were dust after that. How the hell did you get away?"

"You'll have to ask Juno. I was out at that point. Thought I'd be a goner, too... then I woke up on our airship." Lettie admits. (The 'our' airship causes a few faeries to raise their brows and glance between the pirate and faerie duo.) "I wouldn't have made it if Juno didn't come for me."

 

[starboob]

It’s an entire tree-fortress full of fucking faeries. Nothing in the worlds could have prepared Juno for this. As they’re led through the operation, her eyes are wide with shock and her lips part just slightly as she tries to take it all in. Juno misses half the conversation that Lettie is having, far too busy swiveling around every time something catches her eye from her periphery.

It's not until the minis move around in her pocket that she somewhat pulls herself back to focus. (Even then, she has to actively remind herself to pay attention.) This is the same moment that she realizes a significant portion of those gathered around them are openly ogling her. Oh. Heat creeps up the side of her neck then floods her cheeks. All this attention at once is just the slightest bit unnerving—it has nothing to do with the objective prettiness of the faeries staring at her. Nope. Her heart only has room for one fucking faerie. And just as her betrothed mentions their airship, Juno slips her arm around Lettie’s shoulder and presses a kiss to her temple. She’s spoken for. (Some of the faeries visibly deflate.)

When it's her turn to speak and as she's thinking over the events of that night, it occurs to Juno that she never told Lettie what happened after they escaped from the corp. It just never came up. Immediately following their fiery escape, Juno had convinced herself that Lettie wouldn't be able to stand the sight of her, following her betrayal of trust, and avoided the faerie at all costs. Then between losing her necromancy and becoming a legend to get it back, she never really had the time. Eventually, she just forgot. Considering this, she knows she'll have to do better than the Juno's Version of events. Lettie should know.

“Ah,” she clears her throat and rubs the back of her neck. She keeps her eyes trained on Lettie, deciding it's easiest to relay this story if she's speaking directly to her faerie. “It was Ravan, really.” Without Ravan, neither of them would have survived that night. Lettie would have been dust and Juno would have been dead. He saved them both. “He found me, then we found you." She gestures between them. "Used our link to figure out where you had been taken and found ourselves at some shipyard.”

“Don’t quite remember how we got around the guards though,” because her strongest memories of that escape sequence start with seeing Lettie chained up and with one less wing. The pirate scowls just thinking about it. Bastards. She collects herself with a breath and rubs Lettie’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “I mostly just remember seeing red after I saw you. It was Ravan who got you out of those chains—he used your blood. Did some raver shit and before I knew it we were back in the Forbidden Forest. Without him, I’m not sure I would have been able to get you out of there.” She sighs. Her gaze flits up briefly, meeting the astonishment of the other faeries. (At least two are obviously envious of Lettie.) Her cheeks color again and she clears her throat. “Anyway, after that he asked me to take you far away from Avangeline, ‘cause you weren’t safe here. So I did. Didn’t even give it a second thought. Just got you onto Lady and the cube took care of the rest.”

“The... cube?” Matilda blinks, tilting her head curiously. (She had been following the story perfectly fine until the cube was mentioned.)

“Uh, yeah.” Not that Juno would have elaborated further, being Juno, but Lestat tugs at her pants and distracts her with his demand to be lifted up. At first, she smiles seeing the little guy, remembering how he insisted on staying behind with Ravan; then she frowns, remembering how she left him behind with Ravan. (Where is that dork?) “Before we left, I left Lestat with Ravan. Gave him little fangs for the aesthetic.” She offers the mini her palm and he happily hops aboard, signing to Juno that he wants to be as tall as possible. She sticks him on top of her beanie. “Guess the little guy bonded with that dork when he went searching for me, before we went to grab you.” Juno scans the tree-fortress, her frown deepening. “Where… Where is Ravan, anyway?" Finally, she turns to the rest of the group (though she mostly looks at Thistle when she asks). "Why do y'all have Lestat?”

“Well, this is starting to make sense,” Thistle notes with a grimace, her tone darkening. “After Lettie’s stunt, Ravan went into hiding. Never explicitly said why. Figured it was just ‘cause he’s your best friend.” She makes eye contact with Lettie, then pauses, scratching her cheek as she deliberates over what she’ll say next. “His sister’s record-flower shop was totally trashed by some pissed off demons. They came here together—well, I don’t think they meant to find us. It was as much a shock as finding you two out here.”

“They only stayed here for a few days,” Anemone adds. “They were concerned about risking the entire operation and… Well, a few of us were unnerved by their presence.”

“Good news is we haven’t heard bad news,” Thistle offers, but it’s evident even she knows this likely not a consolation. “I'm... I'm sorry, Lettie."

 

[ellarose]

"Shit." If Lettie had to summarize the way she feels about everything she's just heard in one word, it's that. "Fuck." That, too. Thinking of Ravan, of Ariel, of all the shit she's put them through... she steps backward on wobbly legs. Damn it. Those assholes! For years she'd tried to keep them out of her mess, knowing she couldn't give them the full story or protect them. (She'd been so obviously distraught that night and ended up involving Ravan... and Ariel too, by association. Stars, she hopes their moms are okay.) While her pirate is there to steady her, one of the garden faeries nearby taps a mushroom, enlarging it into a stool for her to plop down into. She obliges, staring at her feet and winding her arms around herself for comfort. "...No, it's not your fault." It's mine.

Ravan and Ariel are fully capable of making their own choices. Lettie knows they'd help her out when she's in a fix... because they have. Countless times. All those times she'd spend nights over at their place if her water was shut off or it got too cold in the winter. Ariel would give her shifts at her shop whenever she struggled to find work. (And also after that time she got fired for yelling at some asshole for messing with one of her coworkers at the 'Frisky Faerie'.) Ravan would always sweep in and stage elaborate distractions whenever she found herself surrounded with reporters or deter stalkers from getting too close for comfort. Even before that, mother would occasionally leave her with Ravan and Ariel's moms for weeks at a time without a word of explanation. (She didn't mind it much because they always treated her warmly. With them, she got glimpses of what a family could look like... and sometimes imagined herself being in one.) They've done so much for her. And now she's dragged them down with her.

"I'm sure they're okay. They have each other, so at least... at least they're not alone." Lettie mentions, trying to stay hopeful before she can drown herself in worry and doubt. On top of that, they're not faeries. They'll be less susceptible to the demons bullshit. In the silence that follows, she focuses on those affirmations and breathing steadily. Gradually reigning herself back in, reminding herself of the conversations she and Juno had prior to coming here. For her own sanity, she has to change the subject. They need to be smart about their next move... and that means she can't barrel forward, leading with her heart. "So you all thought I was dust. Is that what they're saying on the news?"

"No. They're saying you disappeared. Just like Titania." Anemone shakes her head somberly. "The coverage of your situation enraged a shit ton of her fans, though. They're all pissed that those officials clipped your wings without holding a trial before the Elders first. They tried to frame it like you were a dangerous criminal and needed to be stopped by any means necessary..." She rolls her eyes. "But the idea of one faerie threatening all of those demons to that extent? Like, yeah, we are severely underestimated... but no one believed that shit for a second."

"When we heard about your wings, a lot of us started to suspect you'd been killed that night. We thought they were trying to cover their own asses by saying you disappeared instead." Thistle shrugs. "Guess they really were telling the truth about that part."

"It started a huge conversation about faeries and the way we've been treated. Tons of people are out there trying to puzzle out your motives... it brought the practices of Deimos's corporation into question, too. Investigations have uncovered some fucked up experiments in the lower levels. Couple of employees have gone into hiding since then." Matilda twists a lock of hair around her finger, offering Lettie a shy grin. "You lit a fire before you left, that's for sure. We've been trying to fan those flames ever since."

"...'Course, your dad decided it was the perfect time to come forward and talk about his relationship with Titania. And you. The tabloids are all over it right now." Another faerie near the back speaks up, holding out a magazine. A couple of the faeries are trying to hide the fact that they're excited to be in on the inside gossip.

"I think it's a scheme to bury all our progress with a bunch of noise and gossip." Thistle groans.

"What the fuck?" Lettie's brow furrows as she's handed the magazine. "What the fuck!?" The headline is all about how proud he is of 'his daughter', her penchant for chaos and how she's followed in his footsteps. Underneath is a picture of the asshole himself, sitting cross-legged in a pretentious red velvet chair. Like her, he has a set of sharp, mischievous white eyes and sleek white hair. His smile reveals vampiric fangs. Unlike her,he has coiled black horns adorned with glowing tattoos and bat-like wings. "I only met this bastard once and he called me 'offspring'. Like, who does that?" She shakes her head. "I thought I could turn to him for help and he kicked me out." And now he's out there chasing clout and overshadowing their cause.

"A couple of your brothers have come forward, too. We think this one's pretty cute... is he nice?" A younger faerie waves another magazine towards her, pointing to a picture of her half-brother, Hugo. Another faerie punches her in the side scoldingly, motioning to Lettie's unimpressed expression.

"I dunno. I haven't seen him in years." Lettie sighs, throwing the magazine into the nearby fireplace. It crackles wildly, startling a few of the ember sprites inside it. "It's like Thistle said... I don't want to waste time looking at tabloids. We've got a mission to focus on." She bites her lip. A terrifying mission that fills her up with dread. "I think we're gonna need to explore the city ourselves. We'll need disguises... and damn good ones at that." She glances around the hideout. Luckily, they're in the company of faeries. While she can pull off decent glamours herself, she needs to be careful and conserve her energy. (...And rely on others for help this time around.) "Do any of you specialize in glamours and charms? We both have lockets we could use." Delicately, she reaches for her heart-shaped locket.

"Oh, sure! I can help with that." A tallish faerie wearing round, wire-framed glasses towards the back of the group waves her hand. "You'll have to stay overnight if you want decent glamours, though. They'll be janky otherwise." She weaves her way to the front, looking Juno and Lettie both up and down. Then she takes Juno by the shoulder and motions for her to spin around. "...We'll start with you. What kind of disguise do you want? Angel, demon, faerie?"

 

[starboob]

“Demon.” She says this with a slight quiver, unsure of whether or not this is the best costume for her to wear considering how demons have subjugated faeries. But it is not as though Juno is making this decision hastily as she normally would a decision related to her appearance. (Unlike a certain little faerie with beautifully milky eyes and white silk hair.) She spent several long and agonizingly awkward minutes contemplating what type of Avangelina she should disguise herself as. She even asked if it were possible for her to stay a human, knowing that there are some who live here, but that idea was shut down rather quickly on account of there being so few humans. If the goal is to blend in, she has to get with the dominant culture.

In the end, demon ends up making the most sense. With the sword she insists on carrying around, the one that wafts demonic energy, it’s the practical choice. Still, it’s not her favorite one, knowing that demons are largely responsible for most of the suffering in Lettie's life. She has to remind herself that it’s not all demons who are assholes, most of them just happen to be.

Once her decision is made, the pirate is whisked away to Iris’s workshop—which is really just her corner of this bustling tree fortress. Again, while Juno doesn’t usually have much to say about her appearance—aside from feeling most comfortable in all black—this time around she puts more thought into her responses, wanting to make sure the look is something she'd feel comfortable pulling off. In the end, her glamours will make her appear as a demon with a broken bat wing and a simple set of short horns that stick out from her hairline. She agrees to changing the color of her hair, but when Iris discovers that Juno’s white stripe refuses to change colors even under glamours, they decide to give her a split hair look with half her hair being white and the other half black. She’s allowed to keep most of her usual aesthetic intact, just with an Avangeline upgrade, and then encouraged to practice walking around with the wing glamours to get used to accounting for the extra limbs (or whatever wings are). They’re still glitchy while the charm sets, but it’s better than nothing.

The rest of the evening is spent experimenting with the wings and making sure to adjust to their added size and movements. She also remains close to Lettie while she and Iris work out her glamours, though she doesn't pay much attention to their discussion. Juno's quietly turning over the earlier revelations in her head, especially those related to Lettie's dad and that entire side of her family. The image of him is burned into her mind—him in his fancy clothes, sitting in his fancy chair. Meanwhile, his own daughter struggled just to keep her shitty apartment. For his sake, she hopes they don't run into him because she's not certain she'll be able to keep a level head.

When it’s time for them to turn in, they’re given some accommodations in an open lounge area. Apparently, the fortress was never meant to house so many faeries at once, but after Lettie's actions their numbers have swelled and they've had to make do. Though it doesn't seem all bad. Juno notices several of the faeries gathering in the small garden, shrinking themselves down to sleep on the flowers or on top of the mushrooms. (It's very cute.) While everyone around them seems to find their way to dreamland, Juno does not get much sleep. She's not certain that Lettie does either, though neither of them mention this in the morning. It's obvious why sleep doesn't come so easily to them and not worth mentioning. Still, they communicate through hand-squeezes that they're fine, ready, and they've got each other.

Before they leave the tree fortress, Thistle gives them a breakdown of the city. Namely, she points out areas that they should avoid at all costs. Obviously the Creation Corp is at the top of the list, but the areas that immediately surround the former corp's floating isle and that were most impacted by the explosions are also no-zones. Lots of demonic activity, on top of law enforcement. It might go without saying, but they're also informed that Lettie's apartment has been all but demolished and it's been crawling with demons. (As well as stalkers. Apparently, after Lettie's disappearance, the estate goons who were sent to raid her place were not so discreet about who lived there.) And as tempting as it might be to scope out Bleeding Hearts for clues, Thistle doesn't recommend it. Just to be safe.

In addition to these no-zones, the faerie also highlights areas where they have known allies. Three Wishes Tavern, for example, is safe, along with a smattering of other establishments that are popular among faeries. Lastly, Thistle supplies them both with coin-shaped pendants to add to their necklaces. One side of the coin shows their star signs and the other side reveals a seal resembling a faerie wing cutting through a golden noose. It's the insignia for this entire operation. If they find anyone in the city with one of these pendants, it means they're an ally. Thistle recommends keeping it hidden under their clothes, just to be safe.

With all that taken care of, the two don their disguises and head back to the city that nearly tore them apart. As they walk along a beaten path that'll take them there, Juno looks to Lettie for comfort. But it's not so comforting looking at her without her Lettie-face, even if she knows it's her. The pirate feels along her leg for her hidden bejeweled dagger. "It... It wouldn't be weird for us to hold hands, would it?" She's nervous. Incredibly so. It's not just returning to Avangeline that it's in her head, it's everything they'll have to face when they cross over into that glittery world, so full of death. "I'm just on edge. And I'm worried if we see your dad, I'll just punch him in the face without thinking. I'm worried I'm going to accidentally punch a lot of people in the face and blow this whole thing up."

 

[ellarose]

"Aw, Juju..." Lettie winces after her pirate's nickname slips past her black painted lips. Oops. They should really come up with new names to fit their looks. (...And she knows how Juno can be with names. Although it is worth noting that she's improved at remembering them recently.) "Fuck. We need names... Hey, you were pretty good at coming up with unique 'O' names when we first met. Got any suggestions?" She grins, showing a hint of fang, and playfully elbows her before taking Juno's hand in her own. Gently, she smooths her thumb over her knuckles to reassure her. "'Course we can hold hands, baby. We're gonna get married soon." She winks conspiratorially. No one on Avangeline knows that the real Lettie and Juno are engaged... so it won't raise any flags for their characters to be engaged, right? That way no one will question it if they kiss, or hold hands, give each other moral support or look at each other in a certain type of way.

Lettie's expression softens as she considers about Juno's concerns. While she doesn't want her to worry so much, it's sweet to see how concerned she is about this. Her pirate wants to fight for their future just as much as she does. (In her mind, she pictures the quaint little cottage in the palm of Juno's hand.) They're together in this.

"I seriously doubt we're gonna see my dad. I've only met him once in my life... and he didn't even look at me. Plus, the city is enormous. The chances are miniscule." Lettie pinches her fingers to exemplify how miniscule. And now that she's said this, she may very well have just jinxed them. Fucking great. "He's not worth our time or energy, Ju-- fuck." She tilts her head, studying her girlfriend (fiancee!). "Juliet? Nah...that's not it."

With her free hand, Lettie pats the ends of her fluffy, shoulder-length waves. (She went for a demon disguise as well-- going for a half black, half hot pink coloring of her own hair after seeing Juno's end result. She has a tiny pair of pink horns atop her head and a tail with a cute little heart-shaped tip. Iris suggested she go with an imp inspired look to suit her physique and mannerisms.) Considering her wings were much too stubborn to be changed (or replaced) by glamour, she wears an oversized jacket to cover them up.

It took a hot minute to explain her new wings, too. (While they were shy at first, they grew to love the attention they received as they changed shape to match the other faeries wings. They changed from the teardrop wings of water faeries to the petal-shaped wings of garden faeries.) Given their nature, it's for the best that she's keeping them hidden for now. A secret weapon, just like the dress she has carefully packed in her magic circle.

"Wren... Sybil... Twila?" Lettie taps her chin as she considers different names. If anything, it keeps her mind off of everything she's afraid of. Crinkles form beneath her black eyes as she smiles, considering their early adventures again. Her tail flicks playfully behind her. "Olivia, Olympia, Ophelia... Orla." She snorts at that last one, pressing her head against Juno's shoulder. "Do you wanna be Orla?" After a moment, she pulls her mouth to the side. "...I was thinking Clover or Dahlia for me. Or maybe Drusilla. That one sounds spooky. What do you think?"

"Yoohoo, down here!" A voice calls from below. Lettie snaps upright, alert. They're crossing the bridge from the forest going in towards the city... and a few mermaids gathered on rocks by the water peer up at them with smug looks on their faces. (Ugh.) "What do we have here?"

"A faerie and her human, that's what." Another hums in a smooth, deep voice. "What... did you think you'd fool us?"

The mermaids giggle and flip their obnoxiously long, obnoxiously beautiful hair. They flip their tails, splashing water up towards the bridge. Lettie bites her lip. (Juno's concerns are valid. They both need to refrain from punching faces. They're not even in the city yet!) Her heart pounds. They can't let these fish bitches fuck this up for them!

"Your disguises are real cute. Who're you hiding from?" Another mermaid leans forward. Her sharp teeth flash when she smiles. "How about this... if you surrender your delicious smelling human to us, we won't tell on you."

"Not a fucking chance." Lettie snaps back, moving to stand in front of her pirate.

"Oh Lyra, they're clearly in love. And since I'm such a romantic, I think we should go easy on them." A blonde mermaid tuts. "If you won't give us your human, then surely there must be something else you can buy our silence with?"

 

[starboob]

Oh great, fucking fish bitches. Of all the people who would be first to test Juno's resolve to not punch people in their faces, it has to be fucking mermaids. The pirate sneers, placing her hands on her faerie's shoulders, and changing their position so that she's standing in front of her. Even if she's susceptible to their magic, Lettie's face is the one that's been plastered all over Avangeline. Lettie is the one who has a higher chance of being identified first. Especially since Juno has only ever been addressed as, "human," whenever she's interacted with those who are not Lettie's friends. As much of a risk as this is, she'll take the chance, trusting in her faerie. Trusting in the fish bitches' own knowledge that they'll have an upset faerie to deal with if they try anything. (She suspects this might be why they haven't tried anything yet, though she doesn't know how long anyone's resolve is going to last.)

“How about a kiss, human?” The one call Lyra suggests, grinning wryly up at the pair. “Oh, it’s been ages since I’ve had an honest kiss. Make it worth our while and we’ll let you and the little faerie go, lips sealed.”

“Yeah, we won’t kiss and tell,” another snickers, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

Juno wrinkles her nose over the idea, twisting her features in disgust. (“We’re gonna get married soon.”) It goes without saying that she doesn't even consider this. Lettie is her last kiss. Though it doesn't seem like the mermaids actually expected her to take the bait. They cackle from their rock, relishing in how much power they hold over the duo. Some mimic Juno's expression, others pretend gagging over the prospect. (Apparently, humans are only food to these half-cannibals.) "Isn't this just so darling! The faerie has this one wrapped around her little finger."

“No doubt because of those glamours."

"Faeries are flighty and fake. I bet she doesn’t even know what she really looks like!”

The group erupts into laughter once more. One even rolls off the rock in a fit. Meanwhile, Juno simmers from the bridge, fingers twitching towards one of her bombs. (Actually, her belt feels suspiciously light right now...)

“We're kidding! We don’t want the faerie’s sloppy seconds.”

“But we do require a fee if you wish to keep us quiet.”

‘How about letting you swim away with your fucking lives?’ Juno bites her tongue before that can slip out of her mouth, though the temptation is burning within her. The heat creeps up into her throat, lighting a fire on her tongue. As good as it would feel to threaten them or, better yet, explode their skulls, they’re supposed to be keeping a low profile. Yet this whole non-violent approach is proving to be a challenge for Juno. Her vision is starting to spot with red. Can they trust the mermaids to keep mum?

Juno doesn't think so. She reaches for Lettie's hand and, without much warning, she runs.

***​

“What were we talking about before?” Juno asks between gulps of air. Since abandoning the mermaids, they've squeezed themselves into an over-cramped and rickety train car, settling in towards the back with their backs facing the wall. (Lettie has to tug on Juno's arm to keep her from leaning fully back, reminding her that she has wings to consider now.) The entire interaction with the mermaids could have gone better and it could have gone a lot worse, but nothing can be done about it now. Juno made sure of that she second she chose to bolt. She just has to keep reminding herself that those manipulators cannot be trusted. Neither of them had the leverage anyway—not unless they wanted to start an early fire. “Oh, right. Names."

"You liked Ollie. You tolerated that one.” Back then she genuinely hadn't known the faerie's name and made a game of being wrong, especially once she figured out that the more outlandish the O-name, the more irritated the faerie became. Though nothing would ever top Lettie's offense when she truly realized that Juno never bothered to learn her name despite the month they had spent together at that point. She can't help but to grin over the memory. Now her name is her favorite to say. It'll take some effort to remember Lettie's chosen code name, but she's determined.

“Drusilla…” The pirate hums, carefully looking over Lettie’s disguise. (It hits several aesthetics that the pirate enjoys and, at the same time, she misses her faerie. Her sparkly pink faerie.) “Drusilla, Drusilla, Drusilla.” She repeats the name several more times, determined to commit it to memory. “Yeah, that one’s nice. Spooky. You might have to go with it now, ‘cause otherwise I'll probably just start going for random names." There's also still the risk she'll slip and call her Lettie or Lette, so she keeps mentally repeating the new name to the image of Lettie's disguise. "Renn is nice, I guess. I could be Renn?” She shrugs. As far as choosing a name for herself, it just needs to be easy. Nothing over-complicated or too fancy. “I think I could also be an Ollie… Or maybe I should be Renn Olevender?” Lettie had been especially offended when she threw that one out. Heh. She scratches her chin. “Maybe you should just call me ‘baby.’ I like that one.”

As the vertical train car rockets through the tiers, the city doesn't seem much different. Of course, it's difficult to tell between neon-electric blurs, but even the other passengers seem unbothered by the apparent unrest Thistle and the other faeries were describing. However, as their car starts to clear out, the graffiti within the car does hint at a shift. 'From the flowers, we rise,' has been scratched into one of the windows, for example. 'Fuck Deimos!' is another. A flyer has been haphazardly glued over another advertisement, trying to rally Titania's fans to action. Then at one of the newstands within one of the stations, someone has scratched out the eyes of Lettie's father on an advertisement for a television special. The headline that reads, "The Bitter Truths Revealed."

Not all of the graffiti and advertisements are positive, however. As they get into the lower-middle tiers, more show photos of Lettie from what appears to be a more wild time in her life and are clearly trying to deflect her disappearance, claiming she is just like her mother. (It's similar to what the tabloids had been spewing after Lettie's initial disappearance.) When they exit their car, a star-shaped television is loudly blasting network news propaganda. "Please! That is no excuse to cause such devastating damage to one of our most prestigious institutions. Sure, she exposed some outlier bad apples, but Ms. Lycoris Radiata should have contacted the proper authorities and followed due process."

"I agree. We also cannot ignore that she has the same issues as Titania—I have it on good authority she was having issues with her dealer that night—"

"C'mon, Le—love." Juno puts her arm around Lettie's shoulder. "We should see if we can figure out where your friends are."

 

[ellarose]

Lettie clenches her jaw so hard it aches. A wildfire heat cascades over her, blazing bright and hot as she throws the television screen one of her dirtiest looks. They have her all wrong. They've always had her all wrong. While she finally has the voice to tell her own side of the story... the faerie has to bite her tongue. The impulse to use this newfound freedom to shout it from the fucking rooftops is strong, but Juno's arm wraps around her before she can. With a single touch her love reminds her of everything she's fighting for. Everything they're fighting for. Not yet. Revealing herself because she's pissed and wants to set the record straight is a dumb move. (It's a Lettie versus the world move. That's not how she rolls these days.) She's Drusilla now and they've already had one seriously close call with the fish bitches. They haven't even begun to explore the city yet. She needs to prioritize the mission, her friends, and her future. Deep breaths, Lette. Deep breaths. Ignore them.

Ravan and Ariel are her priority right now. As she think about them she exhales slowly. Relaxes her jaw and her fists. When Lettie looks up at Juno, she's even able to muster a little smile. "Right. We need to tell them the good news." She laces her fingers with Juno's, offering her hand an appreciative squeeze. There's more out there for her than Avangeline. There are places she can hide when they're finished here... they'll retire to their sweet cottage in the forest and she'll never have to deal with the tabloids, the stalkers and the bullshit again. As for their happy news, Lettie has no idea how Ravan and Ariel are gonna react when she tells them she's getting married. She imagines a shock similar to Eliza's. The faerie's dated around, sure, but to their knowledge she's never been this serious about someone. On top of that she doesn't have a pricey diamond ring on her finger. Stars, she's so serious about Juno that she'd marry her with paper rings.

Lettie guides them down the street, pointedly ignoring the news, graffiti and flyers. Eventually they find what she's searching for. A block filled with colorful neon clubs that demons frequent. Lilith's Lounge, Hellfire, The Labyrinth. It takes herculean strength not to openly recoil when she sees the sign for The Frisky Faerie. (Ugh. Trash.) Most of them have just opened their doors for the evening and in a couple of hours it'll be a bustling nightlife scene. Booming music pumps out the doors whenever they swing open. These are the sorts of places she hadn't intended to introduce Juno to... like, ever.

"Lina and I used to frequent this place to, uh... get intel. For our situation." Lettie explains nervously. There aren't a ton of people out and about at this hour, but she's vague about it just in case. 'Get intel' is a pretty tame way of explaining it, too. Shit. Now that she thinks about it, it's gonna be difficult to employ her usual tactics standing next to Juno. (It was weird with Lina, too. But they knew it never meant anything. It had to be done to get where they needed to go.) "Um, Ju--" She catches herself, covering with a cough. "Cupcake. You remember how I acted with Carpet?" She bats her eyelashes in an overly theatrical way. "I'm just saying... I might have to flirt a little bit. Just to loosen some lips."

Ugh. Lettie cringes, squeezing Juno's hand once more before letting go. She hates this. She hates this so fucking much. A mix of shame and guilt roils in her gut. It's the same as seeing those photos everywhere. That's what survival looked like for her. She doesn't have muscle or tons of scars to show for her fight like Juno does... just a bunch of drama and trauma. "These guys are pretty slimy. So, naturally, it's the most effective method there is." She rolls her eyes, attempting to hide her nerves. This is gonna be the last time. "We're kinda pressed for time right now and don't have much to use as leverage. These guys are gonna be just like those fish bitches... they'll want something in return."

It feels gross. Lettie hasn't even gotten started and she already wants a shower to wash this feeling away, to scrub her association with all of these buildings and demons off her skin. (Unfortunately, no amount of soap can make the memories go away.) She doesn't want to do this shit now that she's with Juno. She doesn't want to smile sweetly or bat her eyes at anyone else in the worlds. The mermaids had asked for a kiss and Juno refused without hesitation. And now, here she is... suggesting this. But that's how this works. It's the only card she's got at her disposal.

"I'm sorry... I know it's shit. You wanna wait outside?" Lettie taps her temple to indicate their connection. "I can give you a signal lickety split if I need any help."

Latching onto the tail end of her sentence, a scraggly demon in a hood stops short and turns to look at them. He smiles creepily, his yellow-green eyes lighting up with interest through the shadow their oversized hood casts. He's all weirdly hunched over, carrying something beneath his cloak. Lettie gets instant bad vibes from him and from whatever it is he's carrying around. Call it intuition, call it...

"...Worried the faeries will bite back? They've been pests lately." There it is. His smile stretches wider as he lifts a case out, clicking it open to reveal an assortment of preserved flowers. The smell wafts towards Lettie and nausea hits her instantly. "The pollen from these flowers'll keep 'em in line. You interested?"

"What the fuck? You can't sell that shit!" Lettie can't stop herself from snapping. Her eyes are watering. The urge to throw up rises in her throat. She's tempted to cover her nose and mouth but doesn't want to give herself away. A few passersby look over at them and the seller shoots her a glare. Shit. "It's illegal, sir." She hisses back. Not to mention completely unethical. The faerie's barely holding herself together... she's got to get out of here. Away from those flowers. "I'm gonna go inside. I'll be back soon."

Lettie offers Juno a hurriedly little nod, hoping that she understands, holding her breath until she slips into Lilith's Lounge.

The demon turns his attention to Juno. "...How about you? Faeries are a legitimate concern these days. If you want to keep your little law abiding friend safe, I'd suggest you stock up now. They're plotting something, those tricky minxes. I just know it."

 

[starboob]

As the streets they turn through become grimier, grittier, and altogether more unpleasant—raising alarm bell after alarm bell—the pirate has to squint through a mental fog to figure out why these streets look so familiar when she knows for a fact that Lettie’s never taken her here before. (She can't even fathom why the faerie is leading them this way, but her trust in her future wife keeps her quiet.) It’s not until Lettie starts explaining that Juno’s nightmare memories rise to the surface, reminding her of those red lit nights and what she did just to have a chance at owning her own soul. Dread and understanding both knot in her stomach. Even with all the trust in the worlds, it doesn’t make the possibility of seeing Lettie flirt with others any less revolting. But like hell if Juno is going to wait outside and let her walk in there alone. Connection or not, she’s not taking any risks. She's not abandoning Lettie.

Juno releases a breath she hadn't realized she's been holding and nods in understanding. At that same moment a creep approaches them, slinging what Juno can only assume is Avangeline's equivalent to carb, dust, and other drugs. At least, that's what she first assumes, but one look at Lettie is all it takes for her to know something is off with this particular batch of flower. The faerie even bolts a second later, leaving Juno with the creep and without an explanation. Though she trusts and understands that she has a reason, she still hates the idea of being separated, even for a second. Nothing good ever happens when they're separated. It's why she doesn't bother with the creep when he tries his sales pitch on her. She practically hisses, “I’m not fuckin’ scared of faeries,” as she throws open the door to the club and marches after her faerie.

‘Fucking asshole.’ Juno throws a scowl over her shoulder once she's safely through the door. Her hands ball up into tight fists, following the single path down a stretch of hallway that leads into the club’s main floor. Music bounces off of the walls and hits Juno from all sides, completely overwhelming her and inhibiting her ability to focus or think. It's only louder and more bone shattering by the time she actually reaches the main floor, which is generously populated for the relatively early hour.

If it's not the music that's a distraction, then it's the laser lights and entertainment. Faeries of all varieties flit through the club, ensuring every patron's needs are met. Some languidly lounge across chaises, waiting to be approached, while those who are bold curl their fingers to entice demons their way, grinning as they're meant to when one happily falls into place next to them. On the main stage, a faerie arouses the audience with the sway of her hips. Few of the faeries are left unattended or unbothered and though Juno cannot confirm how many are here on their own volition, a familiar heat flares through her veins as those nightmare memories come flooding back. She'd punch every last one of these assholes if she could.

Ordinarily, finding her faerie would be the perfect balm to her anger, a reminder of why she needs to keep her calm, but her mind only rages when her eyes land on her. 'Hands off.' Even in a disguise, it doesn’t make it any easier to see her betrothed flirting with another. Her trust, of course, doesn’t waver and it still doesn’t sting any less. The pirate tears her eyes away before she can upset herself further, instantly regretting her resolve to come into the club with Lettie. Yet no part of her wants to leave. She's not abandoning Lettie.

“Hey there, hotshot.” A needed, though not necessarily welcome, distraction comes in the form of a blonde faerie gliding up to the pirate. When Juno meets the other's gaze, the faerie simpers and reaches for the pirate's arm. “You look like you could use some company.”

“Uh, no. I’m goo...” Before the pirate can finish, she catches a group of demons just behind the faerie. They eye her like a piece of meat, grinning between themselves and nudging each other as it becomes more evident that Juno's likely going to reject these advances. Shit. "Actually, on second thought," she reaches back out for the blonde before she can go, "is there anywhere more private?"

“Just this way.” She nods, keeping her easy smile as she takes Juno’s hand and leads them towards the booths in the back. The booth they arrive at, while small, does have enough space to fit a velvet cushioned bench and a miniature stage at the center. When they're both inside, the faerie reaches to release the curtain for privacy, but Juno stops her, placing her hand on her arm. “No need for that. I’m not here for anything. I just needed a place to, uh, chill.”

“Oh.” She tilts her head, frowning. “Are you—”

“I’m fine.” Juno assures, taking a seat on the red velvet bench. At first, she's careful to make sure her wings don't clip through anything, but when she realizes she can't quite get an angle on Lettie, she presses herself as far back as she can manage until she's assured her faerie is still safe. Without taking her eyes off of Lettie, she asks, “Is it cool if I just hang back here for a bit?”

"Uhh..."

"I've got money." Money that she's stolen, but it all spends the same so she doesn't see why the faerie wouldn't take it. But when the other woman doesn't respond, she finally looks up. Her eyes are bugged out, wider than saucers, and it takes Juno a second to realize why. 'Shit.' Though she leans forward the second she realizes her mistake, the faerie has obviously caught her and looks genuinely concerned. Juno can practically see her trying to piece together what she's just gotten herself into. "I've got a fuck ton of money if you keep your mouth shut."

"Who...? What...?" Slowly, the blonde starts to back away from her and she doesn't dare move an inch closer to stop her. She hardly moves at all, in fact. 'Fuckfuckfuck!' An uneasy chill spreads from the top of her head down the rest of her body. As calmly as she can manage, she stares into those dark eyes with her own mismatched blue and yellow ones. "Please don't go. Please don't say anything. I promise. I'm..." What? On her side? Can she even trust this faerie? Is it safe to assume that they're all on the same side? "I'm Ju—ust Renn and I have money. That's all you need to know. You can trust me. All I want is to chill in this booth and for you to not ask questions."

She seems to consider her options for a second, glancing between a crowd that would be happy to devour her and Juno, who has accidentally outed herself as not demon. Skeptically, she lifts a brow. "How much you got?"

"However much this is worth." As she says this, Juno shoves her fists into her pockets and fishes for the jewelry and loose cash she lifted from patrons of Lilith's Lounge. (These demons are fucking rich and that alone is enough to give Juno a bad feeling about this place.) She tosses the haul messily onto the stage for the blonde to inspect. Again, her eyes widen in surprise and grow even larger when she plucks a large diamond ring from the top. "Woah this rock is huge."

"And it's yours if you just keep your mouth closed about what you saw."

"What I saw?" She asks, smiling in a knowing way before she pockets the ring in her bra. "I didn't see anything. But if you want to look out for your friend over there—I saw you staring—then I'd suggest keeping the curtain closed." Before Juno can protest or point out how pointless that would be, the blonde closes then traces a glyph over them. The curtains take on a white sparkling glow before becoming transparent. "It's one-way. Some of the patrons here are, you know." She waves her hand through the air by way of explanation. "You can call me Crissy."

The pirate deflates with relief, weakly lifting her hand in greeting as she slumps against the seat. With that disaster narrowly avoided, she takes to finding Lettie, for the most part ignoring Crissy. Once she's found her, she tugs on their link. "In the back. Booth thirteen. Be there in a lickety split, if you need me. I love you."

 

[ellarose]

Seth is nine feet of demonic muscle with black spikes dotting his upper back and forearms. His aura is murky and it floats all around him in clouds of smog. (It's so extra.) The wide blue eye on the back of his neck shifts from side to side, watching everyone behind him carefully as he leans over the counter and whispers to the bartender at the back of the lounge. Of everyone present in Lilith's Lounge, the faerie pegs him as the one most likely to have seen something. Like, dude's got a literal eye in the back of his head and everything! The shiftiness, the hush-hush of his mannerisms... for now, he's the best lead she's got. (She's seriously dreading this. Again, she has to remind herself that this time is the last time.) Lettie attempts to revive her shriveled desire to do this with a deep breath, flicking her fake tail behind her as she approaches.

Standing at a closer proximity, the faerie gets a whiff of smoke and rotten fish. Ugh. Gag! Lettie holds onto her breath, shakily swallowing down her urge to cough and retch. (As if those cursed fucking flowers weren't bad enough.) Does she really have to do this? Looking him up and down, she notices strands of seaweed stuck to his muddy boots. Images of this creep hanging around with those nasty fish bitches float through her mind and alarms start blaring... but Lettie's got to play it confident and cool if she's going to pull this off. There's a hell of a lot she can get away with so long as she looks like she knows what she's doing.

Lettie plunks herself down into a seat that's not too close but not too far away from Seth. Let him come to you. Idly tracing the edge of one of the lounge's signature napkins, she pretends to survey her options on the menu hanging above the bartender's head. Only once does she look the demon's way, smiling kittenishly and fluffing her hair to express interest before turning away again. Like clockwork, there's the 'clink' of a glass hitting the table in front of her before she can decide. It's tall, pink and bubbly. There it is.

"For me?" Lettie asks, feigning surprise as she brushes the stem of the glass with her fingertips.

The bartender points and Lettie follows the direction of their finger to someone who distinctly isn't Seth. Because Seth is hurrying off in the other direction and someone else has taken his seat since. Someone strikingly familiar. He grins like a sleaze and salutes her with two fingers when she catches his eye. Fuck. It's Moneybags. What's his name... she can't even remember it. All she can remember are his hands exploring her waist, the scrape of his golden fangs against her throat. And, naturally, the fact that he's fucking loaded. It's the only reason she ever gave him the time of day.

"It's called 'Love Potion'." Moneybags says, flashing those golden fangs when he grins. "Thought you might like it because of the pink in your hair. You know?" He invites himself to the barstool next to her, tipping his champagne towards her with an encouraging nod. "Go ahead. Give it a try."

"If you insist." Lettie forces a smile and obliges, taking a sip. Peach with a hint of grapefruit. The sweetness of the fruit disguises the taste of alcohol, but she senses it's pretty strong. This bastard definitely wants to loosen her up. With that in mind, she reminds herself to sip slowly on this one. (Even if she could really use a drink to tolerate this guy -- it doesn't mean this is the time or place to get drunk.) She and Juno are getting married, so they're gonna bring all of Hell and the stars to Avangeline. 'I think we’ve got a shot. We just have to be smart.'

"Good, isn't it?" Moneybag's golden fangs blind her as they reflect the bouncing laser lights. The music gets louder and he takes that an excuse to scooch in closer to her, leaning in near enough that she can feel his arm pressed against hers. She stiffens, pushing down on her urge to push him away. "I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name, beautiful?"

"Drusilla." Lettie tilts her head slightly away from him in attempt to play it cool, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She debates playing along or giving him the bird. What can she get out of this guy? It's not money she's after right now. If she wanted money, she'd just pull a heist with Juno. "My friends call me Dru."

"Drusilla." Moneybags tests the name on his tongue. Then he smirks and raises his eyebrows. Creep. "And what should I call you if I want to be more than friends?"

"In the back. Booth thirteen. Be there in a lickety split, if you need me. I love you."

"I love you, too." Lettie glances away from Moneybags, checking over her shoulder for Juno. "This guy's a creep... but nothing I can't handle. I'll try to be quick about it." She doesn't see her, but that curtain is... hm. While she wants to run to Juno and get as far away from this bastard as she can... she can't let this be a waste of time. Surely she's capable of squeezing something worthwhile out of this guy. (The fangs glint again, in her peripheral, and that's when it hits her. His fangs.) "There's this other guy in here who smells like fish. He seems kinda suspicious. Be careful, Juju."

"Feeling shy, Drusilla?" Moneybags interrupts, sliding her drink closer to her. "Here, drink up. It'll help you relax."

Lettie closes her eyes and takes another drink, grappling with the urge to punch Moneybags in the face when he wraps an arm around her shoulders. (Yeah, maybe she's spent too much time with a certain face-punching pirate. The love of her life and the only person she'd ever want touching her like this.) Her phantom wings shiver under her coat and she tries to press them flat against her back before he can feel them.

"Yeah! That's the way." Moneybags laughs and hoots, the champagne on his breath strong. When he cheers he shakes her, making her next sip go down the wrong way. Her nose burns.

Lettie slowly sets her glass back down and endures, halfheartedly chatting with Moneybags. Or Fortune, as he introduces himself properly. (...Seems like she wasn't that far off with her guess.) She struggles to flirt back in a way that doesn't feel obviously forced or awkward. (It kind of works in her favor that this asshole is too dense to notice her discomfort.) Knowing Juno's near makes it even more difficult to rely on her usual tactics-- returning smiles and touches and whatnot. She tries to focus more on the conversation, faking a genuine interest in his life, in his fancy boat and fancy clothes that he can't stop bragging about.

"Those are some quality fangs. Where'd you get your work done?" Lettie asks at last. "I don't need any myself," She flashes her sharp canines. "But my friend has an interest. Got any recommendations?" Checking the obvious places like Ariel's shop is absolutely out of the question. The subject of fangs touches on Ravan's niche of vampire wannabe-- if she finds a shop he would frequent, it might be worth a try.

On the other side of the bar Seth pushes his way through the curtain for some privacy with absolutely no regard for whoever might be behind it. He seems to think he's alone as he talks to someone on the phone. "I saw a little one matching your description. Tall one's nowhere to be seen. I don't think it's them." There's input from the person on the other side of the line and Seth sighs. "It'll get awkward if I try to start a fight in here, babe. 'Sides, she's so fucking tiny--"

"Sir, this booth has been reserved. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." Crissy pipes up, flitting away from Juno and towards the demon. Noticing the way she's sitting back, the blonde faerie tries to block her so the demon doesn't see what she just saw. "Sir?"

"I swear, I checked the place thoroughly--" Seth ignores the faerie, but the eye on the back of his neck widens and flickers over to Juno regardless. This catches his attention. "Hang on." He turns around to check with his other eyes. At the same time, his third eye notices the transparent curtain and Juno's view of Lettie from where she's sitting. He hangs up the phone without another word, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "...You. You're a human, aren't you?"

 

[starboob]

Lettie’s warning comes a second too late. The fish demon’s shadow is already eclipsing Juno. He crosses the bar in a few steps and slips past the curtain, inviting himself in. (Just her luck.) Juno tilts forward, removing her wing from the seat cushion. She keeps her eyes downcast, not trying to cause any trouble. ‘Keep it cool.’ The tips of her fingers burrow into her knees and it’s like breaking ice to release her own grip, tense as she is.

She fights against every instinct that screams at her to hit this bastard square in the face and run, but she’s not trying to cause any trouble and, evidently, neither is he. He throws an accusation at her, sure, but he’s not threatening the pirate. Yet. ‘Keep it cool.’ The Lettie voice that now exists in her head reminds her, ‘Not everything needs to be solved with a face-punch, Juju.’

As cooly as she can manage, she tilts her chin up, meeting the demon’s gaze. She doesn’t stand or really move, but she does concentrate on the weight of her weapons—the bones in her pockets, the sword that’s been transformed into an enchanted patch on her jacket, the dagger Lettie gave (back) to her, the hard case with vials full of faerie blood. Though she doesn’t reach for them, she takes comfort in knowing they’re with her. That she’s not entirely defenseless. She also reminds herself of the foes she’s felled, some larger and more fearsome than even this guy. (Some with fucking tentacles.) She’s got this.

“No.” She bites off the word as she imagines an offended demon would, recalling the disdain angels and demons both have for humans. “Didn’t you hear the faerie? We’re busy.” Deflect. Just get the asshole out of this booth. Every second she focuses on him is a second stolen from making sure her faerie, her future wife, is still safe. “Get the fuck out.”

All three of his eyes narrow, two on Juno and the other connecting the dots between Juno and Lettie, not convinced. Crissy opens her mouth to intervene, but the demon merely bats her away with the back of his hand, smacking her down onto the bench opposite to Juno. Heat flares in everyone’s veins. The demon smirks, his piercing blue eyes lighting up. “Come with me, human.” He holds his palm up and a bright orb forms at the center, though he points it at Crissy, picking up on the pirate’s protective nature. “Or she gets hurt. Let’s be civil, yeah?”

Don’t start a fight. Don’t start a fight. Don’tstartafightDon’tstartafightDon’tstartafight.

Wordless, she nods and rises from her seat. Juno throws an apologetic glance towards Crissy while she rubs her shoulder from the rough landing. Just before they exit the booth, the demon throws magicked zip-ties at Crissy that clasp around her wrists and latch onto the pole on the stage, keeping her in place. Again, Juno’s pulse throbs against her neck and she imagines what it’ll be like when she curbstomps this asshole. For now, she offers another quiet apology and follows the demon.

As she’s led towards the back exit, she looks over at Lettie, offering her reassurance. “There’s a faerie trapped in the booth. Her name’s Crissy.” She wants to tell Lettie to not worry, but she knows that’s an impossible ask, especially when worry and anger both are mixed in her blood. “I can hold my own for a bit.” Again, she wants to tell Lettie to finish gathering intel on her friends, but she knows her betrothed and knows it would be an insult to ask. In a way, it’s a comfort to know she’s got her.

When she’s taken out to the neon-lit alley behind Lilith’s Lounge, Juno is immediately slammed against a grimy brick wall, pinned in place by a large palm on her back. “I’m going to ask you one more time,” the demon hisses in her ear. She can smell the fish bitch perfume all over him. “Are you human?”

“Yes.” The answer is as pointless as the question, but Juno plays along with whatever power trip this guy is getting off on. Again, she’s reminding herself to play it cool, even if this is as uncool as it gets, because there’s still a chance—a chance—she won’t have to raise her fists. “Yes, I’m fuckin’ human. You win. What prize do y’want? Your ass handed to you?”

The demon chuckles, leaning back and giving Juno enough give to turn herself around so she can face the asshole and stare directly at this smug mug. He leans his spiked forearm over her collarbone, not enough to cut into her, but the warning is there. “Love to see you try, human.” He whips out his cellphone again, flipping it open. “But that’s not why I'm here.”

Whoever he’s calling picks up immediately. “Hey, babe. Got one of ‘em. Pink one is due any second. How should we celebrate?” There’s a pause as the person on the other end gives their input, drawing a hint of a smile to the demon’s face. “Alright, you got it. Anything for my princess.” He hangs up the line, turning his attention back to the pirate a second too late.

Juno swings her leg between his and uses his surprise (and pain) to slip from his arm before he can skewer her. In the next breath, she throws her weight against the bent over man so that his back hits the wall, some of his spikes chipping into the brick. And once he’s pressed into place, she draws her sword from its magicked patch, just like she practiced, and holds it to his throat. The blade pulses in her hand, dark energy wafting from it, stilling the demon down to his spirit. “Who the fuck do you work for and what the fuck do you want?”

“I’m not squealing,” he spits, growling at the pirate. She can feel him struggle to move against the demonic sword, see the fear building in his eyes when he realizes he can’t. Still, his tune doesn’t change. “What’s the plan now, huh? Gonna kill me?”

She adds pressure against his throat, drawing blood. Hungry as ever, the blade drinks and the more it does, the brighter the fuller grows. “I just fuckin’ might.” Her glamoured eyes bore into his, neither of them willing to budge. “But I’d rather not draw anymore attention to myself and I’m guessing you have someone waiting for you. So let’s not do this the hard way, eh?”

“You and your girl pissed off some mermaids.” The demon relents. Juno keeps her sword firm, however, knowing better than to give up her advantage. Though she can feel the power her sword holds over this demon waning, even if the blade is still eager for blood. “They want what they're owed and if they don't get it, they'll let assholes worse than me know who you're traveling with. So I suggest you come with me if you want to settle things peacefully."

Juno doesn't say anything to the asshole, nor does she let her features betray her alarm. But she can't hide anything from her faerie. "Lette, remember those fish bitches from earlier? I think they know who you are."

 

[ellarose]

Lettie has her intel. Now she's got to get rid of Moneyba-- Fortune. The alcohol is already starting to hit, humming in her with vibrations she suspects are part music, part nerves. Nerves which only intensify when she hears Juno's message. Trapped faerie. Can hold her own. Without saying it outright, it's code for trouble. The words echo in her skull, rattling her. Fuck. Although she trusts her pirate more than anyone else in the worlds, it doesn't stop worry for her from strangling her heart. "Be careful. I'll be there soon. As always, code red is shit bananas." It becomes a physical effort to hold her head perfectly in place, to out their connection by frantically searching for her. Not an easy feat by any means. Be safe, Juno. Please be safe or so help me--

Groups of demons filter into Lilith's Lounge with every passing minute, quickly accumulating into a crowd. Every faerie is occupied with someone and seeing it nauseates her. The overhead lights dim, the music pumps louder, the violet laser lights go wild. She picks out another familiar face among the bodies on the dance floor... Jax. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Panic sets in as the sight of his unruly blonde hair and ruby red eyes take her back to that night. The last time she saw him, she was passing out against his chest as the smoke rolled into that shitty club and Lina-- 'Focus, Letts. One thing at a time.' Fortune openly eyes the hem of her skirt when he realizes she's distracted. When he touches her thigh her attention snaps up to him. He grins at her startled reaction and when his thumb brushes over Juno's favorite freckle, she's had enough. That's Juno's favorite fucking freckle, bitch. You have no right to touch it!

"I gotta admit, I approached you because you remind me of someone I used to know. But just between you and me..." Fortune leans in, grinning. "You're a whole lot cuter than she was."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Lettie encourages, putting on a docile facade as she peers up at him through her long eyelashes. The bastard takes the bait, leaning in... and with all her might, Lettie throws her fist into his gut. He falls off his barstool. "Comparing me with other women isn't gonna do you any favors." This feels fucking fantastic. It also feels like a colossal mistake. Adrenaline mashed with her newfound freedom is a powerful recipe for disaster. (She wants to punch more demons in the face. She totally gets why it's Juno's go-to in a pinch.) "I'm also gay, you entitled piece of shit."

Lettie leaves Moneybags writhing on the floor like the worm he is, clenching his stomach. Short as she is, the faerie quickly disappears in the sea of tall demons on the dance floor before he can even attempt to clap back. In this way, the crowd works to her advantage. Small fights break out all the time, don't they? She-- she hasn't damned them. Overwhelmed, tears burn at the corners of her eyes and she frantically blinks down on them as she focuses on finding booth thirteen. Booth thirteen, booth thirteen... booth thirteen. There it is.

"Crissy, right?" Lettie kneels at the other faerie's side, raising one of her butterfly knives from the inside of her coat to cut through the zip tie around her wrist. Crissy visibly relaxes when she notices the butterfly motif, understanding lighting up in her eyes. (The knife's not doing shit... because these ties are magicked. Fuck.) "It's gonna be okay. I'll get you out of this."

"How did you-- no. It's fine. I'll be fine. Really, you should find your friend." Crissy offers, but Lettie shakes her head firmly 'no'. Who knows what those demon assholes will try and do to her if they find her like this, tied up with no means of escaping their advances? She had enough experience with this kind of shit that she can imagine quite clearly the situations she could find herself in. She shudders at the thought. "That demon knew she was human."

"Lette, remember those fish bitches from earlier? I think they know who you are."

"She's tough as nails is what she is. She can hold her own." Lettie says. It's the truth. She believes it because she believes in Juno. Still doesn't do much to hide the fact that she's terrified for her. There's very little that will stop her from worrying about her future wife so long as they're on Avangeline. Her heart whacks her ribcage like a sledgehammer. "I'm not leaving you here. I know she doesn't want you getting caught up in this shit, either." Her hand shakes as she takes Crissy's hand in her own. She squints, surveying the area to make sure nobody's paying attention to them when she glitches Crissy out of her bindings. The other faerie blinks up at her bewilderedly. "Someone's bound to come looking for me soon. Get out while you can. It's only a matter of time before they'll be questioning every faerie on this street."

"Wh--" Crissy presses a hand to her forehead, trying to sort through everything that's just been revealed to her. "Who? What?"

"I'm on your side. The less you know the better. Trust me, you don't want to get involved." Lettie assures her. "Tell your friends, too. Lay low, stick together and avoid the clubs tonight. Keep each other safe."

Crissy rubs her sore wrists and sighs. Slowly, she shakes her head. "I don't..." She trails off. When she looks up, she realizes the other faerie is already gone.

All Lettie can think about as she's leaving the club is Juno. There's been no shit bananas signal from her end yet... but there are plenty of reasons why Juno might not have given a signal yet. If she gets knocked unconscious, for instance, she wouldn't be able to let her know what's going on. It reminds her all too much of splitting up on Fabel-- that moment when Juno stopped answering altogether. Not too long afterwards, she found her encased in crystal, with a sword through her chest. "I'm almost there." She weaves through the demons who tower over her on the dance floor like she's traversing a haunted forest. (Who knows what they'd do to her if they knew who she was?) She ducks down when she notices Fortune glaring at her from afar and rushes out the side door.

Dude's probably too rich to fight his own battles. Right? It's... fine. Everything's fine.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Olette Lycoris Radiata." Seth taunts as the faerie's silhouette appears in the mouth of the alleyway.

"Yeah?" Lettie lifts a brow, unimpressed as she gets a look at what's going on. Juno's fine, thank the stars. And... is this guy seriously taunting them? 'Cause to her, it looks like he's the one standing at sword point right now. (Hehe. That's her Juju.) "Says who?"

"Says me." Seth fires back, his lip curling at the little faerie's attitude. "My girl saw you sneaking in across the bridge. And if you two don't come with me, she's gonna tell--"

Lettie snorts, cutting him off. He glares at her and she shrugs nonchalantly. "...Sorry. Don't you know that Olette is marked? Those bastards would've gotten a signal long before your girl did if she showed her face around here." She tilts her head and averts her gaze. (And if they believe the fish bitches? Well, she'd like to see them try and catch her in this big city without the help of their fancy curses and cheats.) "I mean, she can try. But if she goes to them, chances are they'll call her a liar. Those guys aren't particularly kind to those who waste their time."

Those demons are arrogant as anything. Lettie's willing to bet they won't believe her curse is partially broken... at least not at first. Not until she and Juno start making waves large enough to get their attention. Anyway, they've got shit to do. No time for playing by someone else's rules. Sure, picking a fight with this guy and the fish bitches is risky... but Ravan risked everything for her. If they handle everything too precariously, they might be too late.

"If you want something from us," Lettie twirls her butterfly knife before throwing it at the wall. It lodges into the wall just inches away from Seth's head. "You're gonna have to play by our rules. Isn't that right, babe?" The faerie looks properly at Juno. Though she's playing it cool she can't help giving her a once over to make sure she's all good. "I got the intel we need. We're good to go." She bites her lip and winces. "...And I might have punched someone in there? We should probably scram."

 

[starboob]

Juno doesn’t need to turn around to know that it’s her girl who’s skirting to a stop at the end of the alley. Even without their connection, she’d know Lettie anywhere—from her footfalls to her wingbeats, to the way she breathes, she knows her better than she knows the grooves of her own knuckles.

The demon confirms what the pirate already knows, but aside from an internal wash of relief, Juno’s expression remains impassive. And when Lettie refuses to give up her identity, Juno presses against her blade, knowing this means they aren't going to go peacefully. You pissed off the wrong duo. She can’t help her smirk when the butterfly knife lodges itself into the brick that could have just as easily been this bastard’s head. He gulps, knowing this as well, realizing his mistake. (At the same time, he steals another look at the butterfly blade while the duo are distracted looking over each other.)

“Hey, baby.” For just a second, she takes her eyes off the demon and, keeping the sword at his throat, leans over to kiss Lettie’s temple. “I’m okay. Just got a scratch is all.” Right on her cheek from when she was slammed against the brick.

However, before anything can happen to the demon in retaliation, before Juno can even ask questions about what happened, Fortune comes tumbling out the backdoor of Lilith’s Lounge, along with a few other demons. (He might not fight his own battles, but he certainly knows the right price to rally a group of demons on short notice.) His eyes are wild with fury and when they land on Lettie, his golden fangs gleam like flames under the neon red lights behind the club. “You,” he hisses, the single syllable dripping with venom that promises more than just revenge. “I’m going to ruin your fucking life.”

The “Oh, shit” doesn’t even fully leave Juno’s lips before a slew of faeries rush out immediately afterwards—led by none other than Crissy. She pretends to not notice them, that they’re all just fleeing from the club, but Juno knows she's come for them, knowing they’ve made themselves at least one more ally to the twenty or so enemies they’ve collected. (You win some, you lose some, she supposes.) The faeries knock into the group of Fortune and his demons, fluttering around them, and glitching in a way that creates a confusing strobe-like effect in the alley way, the perfect distraction.

Juno and Lettie don’t need to be told what to do next. In a smooth series of motions, Juno lets her sword magic back into the patch, grabs Lettie’s hand, salutes the demon, flashes a smug grin, and bolts down the alley. (As relieving as it is to be out of that situation, Juno can’t help the guilt that forms in the pit of her stomach. What’s going to happen to those faeries?)

Though she doesn’t know these streets at all, she knows how to get away. She pumps her legs, pushing them through thick crowds, twisting and turning through the streets, ensuring that they aren’t followed. Once she’s sure they’re in the clear, she slows down and looks bewilderedly at her future wife, finally able to appreciate her. Then she laughs, pulling her faerie into her side as they continue along the street. (It’s just like in those nightmares where they were kids growing up together on the mean streets of Avangeline and Desdemonia.)

“You really punched that guy?” Juno automatically assumes it’s Gold Fangs, the one she remembers getting a little too handsy with her girlfriend (future wife!) at the bar; the same one who just found them in the alley with Bastard Face. “Nice.” She kisses the top of her head, her favorite freckle, then her lips. After that, she takes a look at her hand, kissing each knuckle then her palm. “Wish I could have seen it.”

As their nerves settle from the excitement, heartbeats calming down, Juno has to resists the urge to rile them up again by pulling Lettie into an alley to makeout. Lettie, at least, has her eyes on the mission and navigates them to the nearest train platform going up and, from over her shoulder, catches Juno up on what she got out of “Moneybags” before she punched him in the gut. (That’s her girl.) Conveniently, a few of the places are located in what the faerie describes as a “swanky mall” a couple of tiers above them.

Juno has no idea what “swanky” means and regrets not asking, because the palace that she’s staring at would fill the Duchess with envy. The Desdemonian almost falls onto her ass trying to take it all in. Though it’s dark out, this “swanky mall” shines like a beacon in the dark, bathed in soft yellow light that catches off the brass accents on the building’s outer plates. She almost trips staring at a fountain. “What the fuck…”

The inside is worse. Not only because the lights are brighter, but because every store gives the impression that there’s a wrong way to look at the merchandise. Snooty sales people stand guard at the entrances, shooing away the plebeians with as if stares. A few of the employees stationed at kiosks try to lure them in with fancy gadgets or samples, but they breeze through the mall, ignoring all the noise. (Although, Juno would have liked to try that french fry sample…)

Lettie beelines for some edgelord looking store called Carmilla’s Revenge. She imagines this place is like heaven for Ravan and she imagines that that is precisely why they are here. But the store is a bust and they’re already moving towards the next one before Juno can even get a good look at the rings. They go onto Bitemark and then Twilight with no luck.

“I dunno, love.” Juno runs her hands through her hair, spinning around on her heel. “What were the other—oh.” Explaining nothing, as per usual, she points to the store across from them. Unlike the previous three stores, this one does not sell accessories for edgelord vampires and appears to be a supply store… for vampire shit. (Goddess, what the fuck is wrong with Ravan?) “I know that place.” Without breaking eye contact with the store, she feels around her pockets for her hardcase and snaps it open, comparing the logo on the vial lids with the one from the store. Both show a solid droplet with a plus sign at the center. “This must be where he gets his potion.”

Upon entry, the sales woman does try to wow them with a demonstration of some new mixes of “potion” and also encourages them to check out the fridge in the back with their new flavors. (How many vampire wannabes have to exist for this store to be a thing?) “Cherry Bomb is our most popular flavor." She pauses, looking between the duo. "Is there anything in particular I can help you with? We do have special mixes for couples."

 

[ellarose]

Ever since they were little kids Ravan was a shameless vampire wannabe. Whenever they had sleepovers, his movie picks always consisted of old vampire flicks. Her mom even scored them tickets to see 'The Sparkly Vampires' in concert once in exchange for a guest appearance on stage. Ravan got her to binge the entirety of some vampire costuming show while they both were sick and delirious for a week. Through all of that, she never really got it. (When Ravan started meeting guys who actually shared his interest, she was happy for him. If things ever fell off with those guys she'd be there with ice cream fully prepared to watch anything his strange, vampire-craving heart desired.) But as the sales woman pitches the concept of a couples potion to them, she can't stop her imagination from going off the fucking rails. Apparently that Lettie hadn't met Juno yet.

Imagining Juno in one of her white blouses opened up in the way they often are on romance novel vampires with fangs and just a hint of blood splatter near her mouth and neck... it does things to her, okay? Like legs jellied, butterflies stirring, heart-racing kinds of things. Especially when her sexy pirate turned vampire fantasy ventures into feeling Juno's warm breath over her pulse, hearing her voice taunting low and soft--

Ahem. So Lettie kinda gets it now? Ravan's vampires were all hunky dudes, after all, and clearly she hadn't discovered her preferred genre of vampire yet. Though she's fairly confident it wouldn't have worked with anyone other than Juno. That is to say she can't imagine this fantasy snapping into place the same way with any of her exes. (Juno's got muscles, finesse, badassery, muscles, and the fact that she's captain fucking Juno going for her. It's a feat not everyone could pull it off. Though honestly, Juno could easily make any role look sexy. Let her reiterate once more that she is the captain fucking Juno and her future wife!) All the faerie can think now is that she's got to tell Ravan-- Ravan. Right, focus! Focus!

"No!" Lettie smacks her cheeks with both her hands in effort to snap herself out of it, making the shop keeper jump. She stares at her bewilderedly and the faerie blushes at her own outburst. (All that passion had to go somewhere.) She manages a polite smile that's a bit wobbly at the corners. "I mean no, we're good. Thanks. Thank youuuu..." The faerie drags her pirate deeper into the store by the hand, tiptoeing past the sales woman in a cartoonishly cat-burglar way that could easily be construed as suspicious. That drink was strong, but she's not drunk. At least she doesn't think so. It's probably just the gay panic at work. "This is all your fault, Juju! You'd make a very sexy vampire."

Lettie shuffles through the store's aisles, guiding them towards a display of bottles that resembles the one Juno showed her. Her brow furrows as she studies them carefully. There are an assortment of red potions with names that remind the faerie of nail polishes like Poisoned Apple, Bleeding Heart, and Dracula's Fang. Ravan knew that Juno had that specific vial... might be sad, but it's the best lead they've got. "I'm gonna look for clues. Was the flavor written anywhere on the vial?"

When Juno tells her it was Maroon, Lettie hunts for that flavor specifically. When she the row of Maroon, she studies the liquid in each glass carefully. (She and Ravan have come up with all kinds of sneaky maneuvers for dealing with stalkers and a number of other fantasy scenarios. This approach is a smidgen convoluted, but maybe...) Sweat beads at her brow as she takes her time. The sales lady's eyes are following their every movement.

That's when she notices it. A Maroon bottle tucked towards the back. She can make out the outline of a tiny, rolled-up note stuffed inside. There! "Found it!" She shifts the color of her eyes just slightly to match her narrative. "Isn't this the one you liked? The one that brings out my eyes." She tips the bottle at an angle so Juno can see the little note tucked inside, her expression slightly bewildered. 'That sneaky vampire wannabe.' When she shuffles in closer to her, she also gets a look at Juno's belt (where the bombs she steals normally are) and notices something there. Upon closer inspection...

It's a tiny rainbow scale, which can only mean one thing. Fish bitches. "Shit. We're being tracked."

Lettie swipes it quickly and crushes it in the palm of her hand, brushing the grainy dust off her hands and onto the floor. "Okay. It's okay, we got this." She meets Juno's eyes determinedly. Pulling off a fast-paced heist in a mall with the love of her life has always been one of her lifelong dreams. When she looks at it that way... it's not really so bad. "We can hit up another store and change into new disguises before we leave. If we're careful we should be able to shake that bastard. I say we buy the potion so we don't draw any attention to ourselves too soon. By the way, how much did you get from Lilith's Lounge?" She smirks and shows off the wad of cash she swiped off Moneybags. "Y'know, just trying to gauge how much we should treat ourselves here."

With their plan set, Lettie instructs Juno to buy the potion while she goes to check on the situation outside the store. (Between them, she's the one who can glamour herself a whole new disguise on short notice should she notice Seth.) For now, she doesn't see any sign of him. But that doesn't mean he's not on their trail. In the meantime, she pays the french fry stand another visit and circles back to the potion shop just as Juno's leaving.

"Hungry?" Lettie smiles brightly, playfully wagging the bag of fries. (Juju loves her fries.) They exchange bags-- Juno gets the fries and Lettie gets the potion. She slips it into her magic circle for safe keeping and then, from the corner of her eye... Seth. She can see him through the glass balcony, charging confusedly past stores that obviously don't suit his demographic.

"I see him. Lower level... hasn't noticed us yet, but he's headed for the escalators." Lettie takes Juno's hand, guiding her at a swift walk in the opposite direction. Their trail ends at the potion shop. If they shake him now, they should be able to shake him for good. "Let's skedaddle!"

 

[starboob]

The saleswoman may or may not have talked Juno into purchasing one of those special elixirs for couples. After detailing the effects of these “love potions,” that may or may not have sent the pirate into a spiral imagining what might occur if they were to take a potion that amplifies their carnal desires. (Not that these two lesbians really need the help. Lettie full on zoned out earlier imagining Juno as a fucking vampire. ...Who knew she was engaged to a closeted vampire wannabe.) Once the saleswoman realized she had Juno hooked, she went in for the “two for one special” and even threw in a free pair of vampire fangs. It's for practical reasons, of course. Morale boosting reasons, obviously.

Needless to say, it’s a miracle Juno even remembered to purchase Ravan’s message. The two special elixirs and the fangs are tucked safely in Juno’s pockets (though, knowing her faerie, she’ll swipe them before the pirate even has a chance to tell her about them) and promptly forgets about them when presented with the grease dotted bag that smells like—

“Oh, sweet. French fries.” They exchange bags and Juno all but tears into hers. She shoves three fries into her mouth and immediately burns her tongue. Does this stop the pirate from trying to eat the rest? Obviously not. Her appetite for fries is insatiable and she muscles through the discomfort for the salty, crispy, greasy goodness. All the while, her heart fills with warmth, the simple gesture tacking on a world of meaning for the pirate who’s never known something as soft as what she has with her faerie. ‘She loves me.’

But peace never lasts where the disaster magnetics are concerned and before she knows it, they’re speed walking through the mall. Juno barely registers what’s going on, so consumed by her snack, that she panics, shovels too many fries into her mouth at once, and accidentally bites her finger trying to fit them all in. (Lettie never expressly said that her snack is in danger, but Juno will never risk even a single french fry going uneaten.)

While Juno’s eyes water as she concentrates on swallowing what is absolutely too many french fries, Lettie navigates them to the escalator at the center of this level and takes them one level up. The first store that comes into view just so happens to fit Juno’s preferred aesthetics—Straight From Hell. Still trying to keep away from Seth, they beeline towards the racks in the back and start sifting through a collection of jackets. Unsurprisingly, this gets Lettie circling back to her idea that they should get matching jackets. This also starts her on a tirade about those masks Thistle’s group was donning. She continues to go on about those masks while passing Juno clothes to try on in the dressing room. The pirate is happy to listen, only commenting one or two times to point out how functional they were, considering mermaids can see through faerie glamours.

In the end, they don’t purchase anything and move onto the next shop. (Seth is still make his way through the third level, the one they’d just been on.) This one happens to sell lingerie and while this won’t help them craft new disguises, they’re both gay nerds and decide it won’t hurt to have some fun looking. (Seth walks right by the lingerie store.) They’re not even in there for a full five minutes and Juno has a nosebleed looking at Lettie’s reflection in the magic “preview” mirror. They're asked to leave a minute later when the sales associate catches them making out.

“That was totally your fault. You’re irresistible. It’s not fair.” They laugh it off and carry that memory into another store. Taking their mission more seriously this time, Juno tries on a few more options for her disguise and ends up purchasing a yellow canvas over-shirt and a hat with a funny inscription on it. (Women want me. Fish fear me.) She tucks her split hair underneath her new cap, grinning to herself. “Does this hat make me look like a father?” She had noticed others calling them ‘dad hats,’ though the people inquiring about them did not seem like they were fathers. She assumes it’s figurative and still can’t help to see if she can get a smile out of her faerie.

Except that Seth is now marching down the walkway toward them before she can even see if she's earned a smile or not. “Shit. We gotta jet.” He doesn’t seem to have noticed them just yet, probably thanks to Juno’s “swanky” new over-shirt, and that gives them enough time to dart into the mall’s arcade. Lettie seems hesitant about staying in here longer than they need and, remembering what happened last time, Juno pulls her towards the skee-ball machines in the back. Time to make new memories. “C’mon. We have time for me to kick your ass at this.”