[open] serve me the sky tonight

[alphaophiuchi]

WHO Draco Malfoy and OPEN.
WHAT Fantasy week takes its toll.
WHERE Hell House, the hostel, the streets...wherever, really.
WHEN Wednesday through Sunday. Please specify if you want a certain day.
WARNINGS Deathly Hallows spoilers? I'll edit as necessary

Comments

[how_i_tease]

Sadly for Draco, there were worse things than vengeful Death Eaters in this world, however little inclination he might have to believe such a thing.

One of those things was now smiling benignly at the the wary youth, a gloved hand stiffly plucking the cigarette free of his lips. The black butterfly at the man's shoulder stiffened and went still as the wand fell into Draco's hand, and for a moment it seemed that the creature might in fact be looking precisely in that direction. Not necessarily the sort of thing that might soothe the nervous lad's paranoia.

Of course, Tyki was nothing if not to the point. That grin crooked a little higher, as he looked no more concerned with Draco's thinly veiled hostility than he had two seconds ago. "...so who's errands are you running, that have you looking like you might wind yourself tight enough to snap? I'm guessing it's not something that requires a great deal of subtlety," he continued, in a tone that better fit asking how his mother was this fine afternoon. "City work? Something for the Chosen? Or is Satan sticking his fingers back in the cookie jar these days...so hard keeping track of the politics."

He let out a wistful sort of sigh. "You don't have to answer, it was a rhetorical question. It doesn't really matter whose side you're on."

[alphaophiuchi]

It was difficult to believe that there was much worse than vengeful Death Eaters, in this world or his own; in the latter, however, he sincerely doubted the truth of the notion. The former couldn't be spoken for.

Grey eyes had found the butterfly odd from the first moment it arrived; they tried now not to widen when it seemed as though he'd been caught in the act, merely darting away from the creature and back to Tyki himself. Of course, doubtless that it was obvious just how on-edge Draco was. The fact that his glowers and body language were doing nothing to keep strangers at bay wasn't good in the slightest - whether it was just this one being an exception, or if Draco was to expect more calls from the unknown was up in the air.

"I- I really don't see how that's any of your business, rh-rhetorical question or otherwise," he snapped, hating himself for stuttering in a moment when he had to play alpha male. As if he could pull that off in any situation.

[how_i_tease]

"It's not. That doesn't usually stop people, though, does it? At least not in my experience."

There was no contest as to who had control of this interaction, the stammering boy or the man coolly staring him down with a smile that might have contained a tinge of pity. He could, after all, remember a time when he might have been such a spiteful little youth himself. There was something else too, an air about Draco, a hum in his veins. Too weak to be Innocence, not the same feel, instead something more fluid. Shifting.

...magic?

"Though if you want people not to comment, the easiest way would be to not skulk around like you expect to be jumped for some reason or another. Gives people ideas, and the ones who choose not to ask are usually the ones who've already decided what you are on their own."

[alphaophiuchi]

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Draco hissed, straightening. It was true, there was nothing quite like an accusation like that to clear his mind at least for the moment; he remained a boy in most senses of the word, but he was now a boy who stood at attention, ready to defend himself with snarled words.

And possibly a well-placed hex or two.

Of course, that would answer the unspoken question as to whether or not he was a magical being far too easily, and Draco hated to be predictable or easy to read. It took away far too much of his free will.

[how_i_tease]

"You really are new to this..."

His fingers tapped the end of his cigarette, a small shower of ash drifting towards the sidewalk. "For example, if I meant to take advantage of the fact that you're rather obviously hiding something, I wouldn't have spoken up. Loses the element of surprise. I'd just have followed at a distance or...I don't know, something else relatively sneaky to find out what it was exactly that you were hiding. Or taken a stronger measure, if I thought I knew you were on the 'opposing team' as it were. Obviously I don't care either way, so I've nothing to lose by bringing it up."

[alphaophiuchi]

"So why in the world are you bringing it up in the first place?" He demanded then, unimpressed with this man's attempt at justifying jumping out at him and taking him so off-guard. "How does this actually affect you? Impact your daily life? Or-" And here Draco paused, furrowing his brow.

"Or is it simply that you mean to confuse and addle me because you felt like it?

[how_i_tease]

"Is there ever any other reason?"

There was something almost lupine in that smile, a little dangerous under all that friendly banter. Not that he meant the lad any harm, no profit in it for him, and it seemed he had enough to worried about.

He hadn't forgotten what getting mixed up in Bete Noire's politics meant. He need only return to the grave on the Overlook to remind himself.

"You stood out, that's all. Unless that's your aim..." Here he shrugged, the cigarette in his hand dropped to the ground and crushed carefully under his heel. "They do that, back home, to keep innocent casualties to a minimum. You just don't strike me as that sort, though."

[alphaophiuchi]

Even though Draco's attentions were torn between the man before him and everything else around him, it was oddly easy for him to notice that bizarre smile; figuring out that it was either hiding something Tyki knew or that he planned on doing wasn't that hard either, but distinguishing between the two was proving nearly impossible. Draco's mind was prone, in that moment, to leaping to ridiculous conclusions: it probably showed on his face that he believed Tyki was sure to kidnap him at any moment now, or take him aside and plunge a knife between his ribs. Something unpleasant, at the very least.

Fingers twitching and words suddenly stumbling from his mouth, Draco forced himself to keep the conversation at hand going. As if it would magically save his life. "Who does that 'back home'?"

[how_i_tease]

"Now that's a tricky one to explain, if you're not familiar with the war. And you wouldn't be. There's got to be a simple way to..."

His lips creased in a sudden frown, one hand lifting to scratch the back of his head as he searched for a nice, neutral way to explain. "If we're classifying in 'us' and 'them' terms, on opposing sides, they'd be 'them', I guess. Since most of our forces tend to be very good at hiding, there's no way to engage us other than to stand out. Basically wear a sign that says 'I'm on the other team, please come attack me'. Or else they'd never have a chance, you see."

There, that seemed to summarize things nicely. He was actually fairly proud of himself for that one. Too bad that Draco didn't seem to share in his satisfaction. If anything the lad looked more twitchy than ever.

[alphaophiuchi]

That he looked twitchier than ever was a fair assessment: Draco really was flinching more, pulling into himself as if he could shrink his six foot form into a tiny one-foot ball without being noticed and still remaining upright.

To say he was entirely unfamiliar with war would be a lie, but to say that the Second Wizarding War had been entirely divided into 'us' and 'them' would be a bit of an iffy statement. Draco himself was in very much a grey area, as was the rest of his family. But this war really did sound different from his own, though in detail and not big picture.

"Well, I'm not from your world; why are you applying your ridiculous philosophies to me?" He finally snapped, responding with anger to hide the growing fear inside him.