Lessons In the Arcane; Chapter One : The Fool
Title: Lessons In The Arcane
Chapter: I (The Fool)
WC: ~3100
Rating: NC-17 for later chapters.
Main Pairing: Brittana
Additional Pairings: Sugtana, Quinntana, Faberry, Pezberry, Kum Harmony/Rachel with more to be added later.
Summary: Lost Girl AU; There is a prophecy unfolding in the fae world based on the belief of an interfae secret society. An agent of the dark fae Santana has stumbled upon the girl meant to be the sacrifice. There is a prophecy unfolding in the fae world based on the belief of an interfae secret society. An agent of the dark fae Santana has stumbled upon a human girl meant to be on of twenty-two sacrifices killed to unleash a dark power.
“So the dark fae only go out at night?”
“No, they’re just like the light fae, they just serve the Morrigan instead of the Ash.”
“Okay so, that’s confusing because if they’re the same why are they fighting?”
Sugar sighed.
“That’s just how it is, okay? Can we move on from this, explaining it over and over is starting to get me confused too.”
Brittany smiled, “Yeah, okay, so you all have powers like the X-men right?”
“Right, but no spandex.”
For a moment Brittany mused on this with a forlorn look then dove back into the explanation.
“I’m a succubus, so I feed off of sexual energy.”
“And you can give it back to people, that’s what you did when you brought Santana back to life.”
Sugar nodded.
From outside the context of the two of them the intensity of there focus was intimidating. They were hunched amid the scattered furniture, their heads bowed as if in prayer or consideration of some long sought reward. In their isolation they shared the tradition of secrets, though the things they spoke were not always of that nature, to Brittany it was the initiation into a secret society and Sugar played along whether she knew it was a game or not. In the kitchen Quinn rolled her eyes, it was like watching children gossip.
“And Santana?”
“Uh, it can be kind of impolite to just tell random people without her permission.”
“She’s a Mephis.”
The pair of them jumped, the illusion of isolation had so ensnared them that they had begun to believe Quinn wasn’t able to hear.
“So she’s from Tenessee?”
Sugar stared at her.
“No, she’s a type of fae that tricks humans into contracts with her and then feeds off of their suffering.”
“Oh.”
Brittany looked at her feet; disappointed perhaps with the nature of a girl she’d only begun to know. Quinn realized her disclosure; Santana and this girl had met whilst Santana was attempting to form a contract and now Brittany knew the real nature of that encounter. The girls dejection seemed to conduct to her and she thought for a second she might apologize, or explain that Santana, as vicious as she may try to appear, only ever made such deals with those she had an interest in but figuring the amendment would be of little comfort continued to peck at the keys in search of new information.
“How about you?”
“I’m an As’bel,” before she could ask Quinn continued, “It’s like a guardian angel.”
“That doesn’t seem dark.”
“I don’t really have the time or desire to explain the cultural context of my kind to a human.”
She said human like it was a dirty word and Brittany was back to looking at her feet and while she was never one to dare to speak up, behind the barrier of the couch she slipped her hand over Brittany’s and tried to absorb some of the insult. Sugar had already begun to like this girl, her eyes got bright over the smallest of gestures and compared to the sour company of Quinn or Santana she was a welcome relief from brooding. Even Puck, who normally took time to flirt or smile, had been haunted by a particular spirit of malcontent and in the spirit of taking away the sting of Quinn’s insult she let just a bit of her chi slip through her fingertips. Brittany flushed immediately and Sugar took a sudden notice of how hungry she’d been. Her youth had been impeding her and while the Morrigan had placed her under Santana’s watch for the sake of training but her mentor didn’t seem too excited about the whole idea.
Brittany had a light energy, lighter even than her complexion, which was painted now with a blush and the desire that sat easy in her eyes now seemed natural to her, as if lust was a state she enjoyed especially. As her mentor Santana had taken on the role of her feeding ground but she thought she might enjoy the taste of human, assuring herself that she would be careful. Leaning in for the kiss she saw the smattering of freckles around Brittany’s nose and couldn’t help but smile.
It was a smile torn from her face in the moment of pain that was Santana grabbing her by the back of her neck like a kitten.
“Ow, owowowowow.”
“Keep it in your pants kid-wonder, I don’t want to be wiping human off the walls.”
The word ‘human’ fit in her mouth the same way it had fit in Quinn’s but as she said it, and Brittany smiled at her as if the trance invoked by Sugar had just been undone by something of more power, there was a flicker of something with a bit more faith.
“Sorry, I’m hungry.”
“We’ll try and find you a snack.”
Santana’s face seemed only to have two settings a sort of default scowl and a self-satisfied smirk; it was occupying the latter currently and switched to the prior as business began to be discussed.
“I asked around the way-station but nobody knows anything about new redcap turf. You have any better luck back here?”
Quinn didn’t take her eyes off of the computer screen, “I’m sorry darling, I was so preoccupied in my caring for the children I just didn’t have time to do the housework!”
“Super funny Fabray.”
Here she finally let her eyes away from the screen and for the first time that Brittany had seen, smiled. She understood then that while she may not understand fae, their powers or their insistence upon dividing themselves, but knew that they still made friends with one another and that Quinn and Santana had one of those friendships that is often neglected by any attempt to explain it. It was in equal parts loving and fearing but it would not apologize and it would continue despite everything.
“Your Redcap friends were named Joseph and Greyson, the latter was found at the bottom of a sixty foot cliff earlier today. The police think suicide but that’s a human take on it. We both know there’s a thousand kinds of ways a man can jump off a cliff without it being his choice.”
Quinn said everything matter-of-factly in her high-toned voice, the whole thing read like a lunch menu. Santana just crossed her arms over her chest and listened. Her hair was up today, when Brittany had met her she’d worn it down, she liked it better down; she liked the way the light got trapped in it.
“Come on Sugar.”
Sugar looked between them, surprised at her inclusion.
“S-She hasn’t even told you where the murder took place.”
“How many places around here have sixty foot cliffs?” Santana’s mouth was in a sneer, one eyebrow raised as if in disbelief of her charge’s cluelessness
“Oh, right.”
The thought that she might be allowed time alone with her mentor made her giddy until-
“You’re coming too.”
Brittany skipped the custom of shock and passed immediately into delight.
“What?” Sugar sounded ruder than she meant to.
“If I leave the two of you here you’ll probably just end up screwing her in my bed, which will be a shock considering that for a succubus you have about as much sex appeal as a baby penguin and if I leave her here alone Quinn might feed her to something so we’re taking a field trip.”
-----
“Thanks again for this Mike.”
“No problem.”
Mike Chang smiled one of his honest smiles and continued leading the way.
“No really, I mean, not that I’m afraid of being on dark fae territory or anything. I’m sure Tina’s told you I’ve had my place in a few dark fae territorial disputes but it is always comforting to have someone along with me, the siren abilities only come into so much use if things break down into some sort of physical altercation.”
“Really Rachel, it’s not a problem at all.”
His putting up with her several long-winded gratifications only made her want to thank him again but she but her tongue and settled for a quiet ‘okay’ as they slid past a couple walking in the opposite direction. Mike hardly seemed to take a step at all but instead floated. Movement was in his nature and he was as good in a fight as he was in a dance performance. The district they’d followed Sam’s directions too was run-down and nearly in the jurisdiction of another way station, Rachel had checked the directions four times, she had insisted on writing them down herself as to make sure they were exactly as she wanted them.
They weren’t really necessary; Mike knew the way.
It was a boxing gym down one of those streets that had at one point been destined for economic activity but as new businesses opened the corporate machine moved on. It stood between a drug store and an abandoned lot, a squat grey building with a few glass windows in the front. Inside she could see a boxing ring set up along with a bunch of fitness equipment. Before the even opened the door someone blocked their path.
Rachel knew his name was Azimio from the research, one of Karofsky’s bruisers.
“Nuh-uh, where do you think you is going fancy-feet.”
Rachel cleared her throat, “Let me take care of this Mike.”
Mike stepped aside, expecting, as was to be expected, a somewhat long-winded explanation of their goings on, various offers of peace and perhaps a reproachful remark or too and instead Rachel hummed a low note and the mans eyes drooped.
He slumped against the building and slid down, fast asleep.
“Wow.”
“With some people its not worth the breath to try to reason.”
Satisfied with herself Rachel held open the door for her companion, “After you.”
The facility smelled like sweat and as they entered the incessant slapping of skin on the soft shells of their punching bags stopped and the five or six patrons stared directly at them.
More than one of them moved to stop them and she saw Mike’s shoulders tense, before the first one was within three feet he was suddenly behind him, bending his arm to the point of submission with only a look of focus on his face. He had always seemed to her, incapable of malice, and seeing him hold his victim in a kind of pain until he was subdued was something strange. Before he could undo another one there was a voice from the ring.
“Stop.”
Karofsky’s voice had a boom too it, it had a kind of vicious mocking tone that could be used to harm and yet he did not employ it. The word instead had a kind of begging tone; he was hoping that there might not be any more violence than there need be. He had been fighting and when he hoped out of the ring Rachel was a bit disgusted by the many dark spots that splotched his clothing, she could smell it as he walked over, not entirely unpleasant in an independent sense, but not something she enjoyed.
“Everybody stand back okay?”
As soon as he was sure his companions meant nothing rash he turned back to his visitors, a troubled look on his face.
“Sorry, you’re Rachel right?”
She was shocked by his willingness to converse, from what Kurt had warned her had hadn’t seemed the type.
“Y-yes, and you’re Karofsky? We’ve met once or twice.”
“At the way-station probably, you’re one of Kurt’s friends.”
“We’re not going to talk about Kurt.”
Karofsky shut his mouth and nodded his head, Rachel had never been given details on what it was he had done but as their conversation continued she thought it more and more terrible, he repentance had him submissive.
“Can I help you with anything?”
She could tell he wasn’t used to being helpful and it cast the entire conversation in an awkward tone, as if they weren’t really having it at all, as if it were too ridiculous that he would be so good about it.
“Yes, actually, we were wondering about two of the people in your….association.” Here she pulled out photographs from a neatly kept folio, “One Joseph Haines and one Gregory Greyson as shown here, both of them were-“
“This is about Santana?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could provide any insight as to why-“
“Why are you worried about it if it had to do with Santana?”
Mike looked at her, just as interested in the answer.
“There’s some suspicious light fae involvement as well, that is my point of interest now if you would be so kind.”
She tapped the photos impatiently.
“Uh right, I hadn’t seen either of them for a week or two.”
“Hadn’t as in you have more recently?”
“Sort of? Greyson jumped off a cliff.”
“What?”
Karofsky shrugged his broad shoulders, looking mostly indifferent.
“I guess we all have our demons.”
That was an excuse if she’d ever heard one.
“Do you know where?”
“Yeah, down by the quarry, they found him this morning. I’ve been trying to get in contact with Joseph but he hasn’t been picking up his phone how about I tell you if I find him?”
More kindness, it was a surprise every time, it seemed incongruent with him.
“That would be good, thank you.”
“And uh,” he rubbed the back of his head with his hand, she knew what was coming, “If you could just let Kurt know I’m still sorry, I mean, I’m sorry again? That’d be cool or whatever.”
“I’ll let him know.”
------
They hadn’t found anything, the body had been removed some hours before, or pieces of it had. He hadn’t so much fallen as rolled the length of the fall and in doing so had been scattered all down the slope in a manner so sickening it even made Santana’s stomach turn. There was an eyewitness or two to the clean up but both of them just made the same disgusted face at being asked to recount the scene. Sugar has spent the whole trip nearly falling to her own death over every other stone; Brittany on the other hand, hadn’t stumbled once. She functioned with a grace Santana had never witnessed and had she not been so well acquainted with things labeled supernatural she might have called her ethereal. Now and then she would find herself hypnotized by the way she handled a loose patch of land and need to remind herself that there was no power there she couldn’t understand. Making the steep walk back up to her car Sugar made a misstep, falling backwards only to be grabbed by Brittany. The brief exchange of a glance, Sugar’s apology against Brittany’s smile made her angry. That wasn’t particularly new, there were any number of things that made her angry and she didn’t want to think on how this girl smiling at anybody else was one of them.
Distraction from feeling came in the form of Rachel Berry.
As they climbed the crest of the hill there she was, sitting on the hood of a black sports car with a guy whose name Santana couldn’t remember trying out his dance moves in the sand of the quarry parking lot.
“See Mike! I told you this was her car.”
Her rage found a new conduit but as she started towards her the man stepped between them, if you could call it stepping. He seemed to move without moving.
“You better have a good explanation for why you’re here you little hobgoblin.”
“I’m a siren and I’m here for the same reason you are.”
“Not a good answer Medusa, it means you’re meddling again.”
No matter the number of exchanges Santana always managed to get Rachel indignant.
“She was a gorgon, I’m a siren Santana, a siren. It’s not meddling, the girl that attacked you, she was light fae and she was working with the dark fae who through themselves off this cliff. I have more information than that but unlike you dark fae I’d rather not air out all my dirty laundry. I don’t know who might be listening.”
“With that voice of yours? Probably anybody in a square mile.”
“At least you got the siren part right that time.”
Santana measured up the man standing between her and Rachel, she didn’t know exactly what he was but she knew that he could beat her in a fight. Then again she had Sugar, not that that would be worth much if Rachel started her singing. At that point strength would be surrendered to whatever hypnosis she could stir up. Even as all of this sense formed and processed in her head she wanted nothing more than to try it, to punch him in the gut and make for Berry, to try and get that smile off her face.
It was as if Brittany knew.
She had her hand on Santana’s shoulder just a second before she meant to move and instead of violence she offered her hand to the man, smiling.
“Hi, I’m Brittany Pierce, are you a fae thing too?”
Mike, in his good-nature was disarmed by the sign of peace and offered his hand just as readily, “Mike Chang, and yes, you’re a human?”
“What are you doing with a human?”
Rachel looked between the two of them as Mike and Brittany continued their hellos, Sugar had walked up with a loud declaration of her own name not wanting to be left out.
“It’s a long story.”
“You can tell it to me later, I have some other information to give you, you can come by my house or we can meet at the way station, its up to you.”
“Can I bring Puck?”
“Only if I can have protection too.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Deal.”
In the short duration of the exchange the pair of their counterparts had already begun teaching one another dance steps. Brittany picked them up wonderfully as Sugar struggled along beside her.
Santana rolled her eyes.
“Come on children, trips over.”
They said good-bye the way children say good-bye a wave and a smile and a promise to play again some other time, though she couldn’t think of a time permitting, and for a moment she almost envied that kind of simple farewell not laced with political implications or long buried rancor. Clueless to any of that Brittany hopped into the passengers seat.
“I still don’t get it.”
Santana revved the engine.
“What?”
“He was nice, he liked dancing, he said we could teach one another some moves.”
“So?”
“So why is it you have to fight him?”
Chapter: I (The Fool)
WC: ~3100
Rating: NC-17 for later chapters.
Main Pairing: Brittana
Additional Pairings: Sugtana, Quinntana, Faberry, Pezberry, Kum Harmony/Rachel with more to be added later.
Summary: Lost Girl AU; There is a prophecy unfolding in the fae world based on the belief of an interfae secret society. An agent of the dark fae Santana has stumbled upon the girl meant to be the sacrifice. There is a prophecy unfolding in the fae world based on the belief of an interfae secret society. An agent of the dark fae Santana has stumbled upon a human girl meant to be on of twenty-two sacrifices killed to unleash a dark power.
“So the dark fae only go out at night?”
“No, they’re just like the light fae, they just serve the Morrigan instead of the Ash.”
“Okay so, that’s confusing because if they’re the same why are they fighting?”
Sugar sighed.
“That’s just how it is, okay? Can we move on from this, explaining it over and over is starting to get me confused too.”
Brittany smiled, “Yeah, okay, so you all have powers like the X-men right?”
“Right, but no spandex.”
For a moment Brittany mused on this with a forlorn look then dove back into the explanation.
“I’m a succubus, so I feed off of sexual energy.”
“And you can give it back to people, that’s what you did when you brought Santana back to life.”
Sugar nodded.
From outside the context of the two of them the intensity of there focus was intimidating. They were hunched amid the scattered furniture, their heads bowed as if in prayer or consideration of some long sought reward. In their isolation they shared the tradition of secrets, though the things they spoke were not always of that nature, to Brittany it was the initiation into a secret society and Sugar played along whether she knew it was a game or not. In the kitchen Quinn rolled her eyes, it was like watching children gossip.
“And Santana?”
“Uh, it can be kind of impolite to just tell random people without her permission.”
“She’s a Mephis.”
The pair of them jumped, the illusion of isolation had so ensnared them that they had begun to believe Quinn wasn’t able to hear.
“So she’s from Tenessee?”
Sugar stared at her.
“No, she’s a type of fae that tricks humans into contracts with her and then feeds off of their suffering.”
“Oh.”
Brittany looked at her feet; disappointed perhaps with the nature of a girl she’d only begun to know. Quinn realized her disclosure; Santana and this girl had met whilst Santana was attempting to form a contract and now Brittany knew the real nature of that encounter. The girls dejection seemed to conduct to her and she thought for a second she might apologize, or explain that Santana, as vicious as she may try to appear, only ever made such deals with those she had an interest in but figuring the amendment would be of little comfort continued to peck at the keys in search of new information.
“How about you?”
“I’m an As’bel,” before she could ask Quinn continued, “It’s like a guardian angel.”
“That doesn’t seem dark.”
“I don’t really have the time or desire to explain the cultural context of my kind to a human.”
She said human like it was a dirty word and Brittany was back to looking at her feet and while she was never one to dare to speak up, behind the barrier of the couch she slipped her hand over Brittany’s and tried to absorb some of the insult. Sugar had already begun to like this girl, her eyes got bright over the smallest of gestures and compared to the sour company of Quinn or Santana she was a welcome relief from brooding. Even Puck, who normally took time to flirt or smile, had been haunted by a particular spirit of malcontent and in the spirit of taking away the sting of Quinn’s insult she let just a bit of her chi slip through her fingertips. Brittany flushed immediately and Sugar took a sudden notice of how hungry she’d been. Her youth had been impeding her and while the Morrigan had placed her under Santana’s watch for the sake of training but her mentor didn’t seem too excited about the whole idea.
Brittany had a light energy, lighter even than her complexion, which was painted now with a blush and the desire that sat easy in her eyes now seemed natural to her, as if lust was a state she enjoyed especially. As her mentor Santana had taken on the role of her feeding ground but she thought she might enjoy the taste of human, assuring herself that she would be careful. Leaning in for the kiss she saw the smattering of freckles around Brittany’s nose and couldn’t help but smile.
It was a smile torn from her face in the moment of pain that was Santana grabbing her by the back of her neck like a kitten.
“Ow, owowowowow.”
“Keep it in your pants kid-wonder, I don’t want to be wiping human off the walls.”
The word ‘human’ fit in her mouth the same way it had fit in Quinn’s but as she said it, and Brittany smiled at her as if the trance invoked by Sugar had just been undone by something of more power, there was a flicker of something with a bit more faith.
“Sorry, I’m hungry.”
“We’ll try and find you a snack.”
Santana’s face seemed only to have two settings a sort of default scowl and a self-satisfied smirk; it was occupying the latter currently and switched to the prior as business began to be discussed.
“I asked around the way-station but nobody knows anything about new redcap turf. You have any better luck back here?”
Quinn didn’t take her eyes off of the computer screen, “I’m sorry darling, I was so preoccupied in my caring for the children I just didn’t have time to do the housework!”
“Super funny Fabray.”
Here she finally let her eyes away from the screen and for the first time that Brittany had seen, smiled. She understood then that while she may not understand fae, their powers or their insistence upon dividing themselves, but knew that they still made friends with one another and that Quinn and Santana had one of those friendships that is often neglected by any attempt to explain it. It was in equal parts loving and fearing but it would not apologize and it would continue despite everything.
“Your Redcap friends were named Joseph and Greyson, the latter was found at the bottom of a sixty foot cliff earlier today. The police think suicide but that’s a human take on it. We both know there’s a thousand kinds of ways a man can jump off a cliff without it being his choice.”
Quinn said everything matter-of-factly in her high-toned voice, the whole thing read like a lunch menu. Santana just crossed her arms over her chest and listened. Her hair was up today, when Brittany had met her she’d worn it down, she liked it better down; she liked the way the light got trapped in it.
“Come on Sugar.”
Sugar looked between them, surprised at her inclusion.
“S-She hasn’t even told you where the murder took place.”
“How many places around here have sixty foot cliffs?” Santana’s mouth was in a sneer, one eyebrow raised as if in disbelief of her charge’s cluelessness
“Oh, right.”
The thought that she might be allowed time alone with her mentor made her giddy until-
“You’re coming too.”
Brittany skipped the custom of shock and passed immediately into delight.
“What?” Sugar sounded ruder than she meant to.
“If I leave the two of you here you’ll probably just end up screwing her in my bed, which will be a shock considering that for a succubus you have about as much sex appeal as a baby penguin and if I leave her here alone Quinn might feed her to something so we’re taking a field trip.”
-----
“Thanks again for this Mike.”
“No problem.”
Mike Chang smiled one of his honest smiles and continued leading the way.
“No really, I mean, not that I’m afraid of being on dark fae territory or anything. I’m sure Tina’s told you I’ve had my place in a few dark fae territorial disputes but it is always comforting to have someone along with me, the siren abilities only come into so much use if things break down into some sort of physical altercation.”
“Really Rachel, it’s not a problem at all.”
His putting up with her several long-winded gratifications only made her want to thank him again but she but her tongue and settled for a quiet ‘okay’ as they slid past a couple walking in the opposite direction. Mike hardly seemed to take a step at all but instead floated. Movement was in his nature and he was as good in a fight as he was in a dance performance. The district they’d followed Sam’s directions too was run-down and nearly in the jurisdiction of another way station, Rachel had checked the directions four times, she had insisted on writing them down herself as to make sure they were exactly as she wanted them.
They weren’t really necessary; Mike knew the way.
It was a boxing gym down one of those streets that had at one point been destined for economic activity but as new businesses opened the corporate machine moved on. It stood between a drug store and an abandoned lot, a squat grey building with a few glass windows in the front. Inside she could see a boxing ring set up along with a bunch of fitness equipment. Before the even opened the door someone blocked their path.
Rachel knew his name was Azimio from the research, one of Karofsky’s bruisers.
“Nuh-uh, where do you think you is going fancy-feet.”
Rachel cleared her throat, “Let me take care of this Mike.”
Mike stepped aside, expecting, as was to be expected, a somewhat long-winded explanation of their goings on, various offers of peace and perhaps a reproachful remark or too and instead Rachel hummed a low note and the mans eyes drooped.
He slumped against the building and slid down, fast asleep.
“Wow.”
“With some people its not worth the breath to try to reason.”
Satisfied with herself Rachel held open the door for her companion, “After you.”
The facility smelled like sweat and as they entered the incessant slapping of skin on the soft shells of their punching bags stopped and the five or six patrons stared directly at them.
More than one of them moved to stop them and she saw Mike’s shoulders tense, before the first one was within three feet he was suddenly behind him, bending his arm to the point of submission with only a look of focus on his face. He had always seemed to her, incapable of malice, and seeing him hold his victim in a kind of pain until he was subdued was something strange. Before he could undo another one there was a voice from the ring.
“Stop.”
Karofsky’s voice had a boom too it, it had a kind of vicious mocking tone that could be used to harm and yet he did not employ it. The word instead had a kind of begging tone; he was hoping that there might not be any more violence than there need be. He had been fighting and when he hoped out of the ring Rachel was a bit disgusted by the many dark spots that splotched his clothing, she could smell it as he walked over, not entirely unpleasant in an independent sense, but not something she enjoyed.
“Everybody stand back okay?”
As soon as he was sure his companions meant nothing rash he turned back to his visitors, a troubled look on his face.
“Sorry, you’re Rachel right?”
She was shocked by his willingness to converse, from what Kurt had warned her had hadn’t seemed the type.
“Y-yes, and you’re Karofsky? We’ve met once or twice.”
“At the way-station probably, you’re one of Kurt’s friends.”
“We’re not going to talk about Kurt.”
Karofsky shut his mouth and nodded his head, Rachel had never been given details on what it was he had done but as their conversation continued she thought it more and more terrible, he repentance had him submissive.
“Can I help you with anything?”
She could tell he wasn’t used to being helpful and it cast the entire conversation in an awkward tone, as if they weren’t really having it at all, as if it were too ridiculous that he would be so good about it.
“Yes, actually, we were wondering about two of the people in your….association.” Here she pulled out photographs from a neatly kept folio, “One Joseph Haines and one Gregory Greyson as shown here, both of them were-“
“This is about Santana?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could provide any insight as to why-“
“Why are you worried about it if it had to do with Santana?”
Mike looked at her, just as interested in the answer.
“There’s some suspicious light fae involvement as well, that is my point of interest now if you would be so kind.”
She tapped the photos impatiently.
“Uh right, I hadn’t seen either of them for a week or two.”
“Hadn’t as in you have more recently?”
“Sort of? Greyson jumped off a cliff.”
“What?”
Karofsky shrugged his broad shoulders, looking mostly indifferent.
“I guess we all have our demons.”
That was an excuse if she’d ever heard one.
“Do you know where?”
“Yeah, down by the quarry, they found him this morning. I’ve been trying to get in contact with Joseph but he hasn’t been picking up his phone how about I tell you if I find him?”
More kindness, it was a surprise every time, it seemed incongruent with him.
“That would be good, thank you.”
“And uh,” he rubbed the back of his head with his hand, she knew what was coming, “If you could just let Kurt know I’m still sorry, I mean, I’m sorry again? That’d be cool or whatever.”
“I’ll let him know.”
------
They hadn’t found anything, the body had been removed some hours before, or pieces of it had. He hadn’t so much fallen as rolled the length of the fall and in doing so had been scattered all down the slope in a manner so sickening it even made Santana’s stomach turn. There was an eyewitness or two to the clean up but both of them just made the same disgusted face at being asked to recount the scene. Sugar has spent the whole trip nearly falling to her own death over every other stone; Brittany on the other hand, hadn’t stumbled once. She functioned with a grace Santana had never witnessed and had she not been so well acquainted with things labeled supernatural she might have called her ethereal. Now and then she would find herself hypnotized by the way she handled a loose patch of land and need to remind herself that there was no power there she couldn’t understand. Making the steep walk back up to her car Sugar made a misstep, falling backwards only to be grabbed by Brittany. The brief exchange of a glance, Sugar’s apology against Brittany’s smile made her angry. That wasn’t particularly new, there were any number of things that made her angry and she didn’t want to think on how this girl smiling at anybody else was one of them.
Distraction from feeling came in the form of Rachel Berry.
As they climbed the crest of the hill there she was, sitting on the hood of a black sports car with a guy whose name Santana couldn’t remember trying out his dance moves in the sand of the quarry parking lot.
“See Mike! I told you this was her car.”
Her rage found a new conduit but as she started towards her the man stepped between them, if you could call it stepping. He seemed to move without moving.
“You better have a good explanation for why you’re here you little hobgoblin.”
“I’m a siren and I’m here for the same reason you are.”
“Not a good answer Medusa, it means you’re meddling again.”
No matter the number of exchanges Santana always managed to get Rachel indignant.
“She was a gorgon, I’m a siren Santana, a siren. It’s not meddling, the girl that attacked you, she was light fae and she was working with the dark fae who through themselves off this cliff. I have more information than that but unlike you dark fae I’d rather not air out all my dirty laundry. I don’t know who might be listening.”
“With that voice of yours? Probably anybody in a square mile.”
“At least you got the siren part right that time.”
Santana measured up the man standing between her and Rachel, she didn’t know exactly what he was but she knew that he could beat her in a fight. Then again she had Sugar, not that that would be worth much if Rachel started her singing. At that point strength would be surrendered to whatever hypnosis she could stir up. Even as all of this sense formed and processed in her head she wanted nothing more than to try it, to punch him in the gut and make for Berry, to try and get that smile off her face.
It was as if Brittany knew.
She had her hand on Santana’s shoulder just a second before she meant to move and instead of violence she offered her hand to the man, smiling.
“Hi, I’m Brittany Pierce, are you a fae thing too?”
Mike, in his good-nature was disarmed by the sign of peace and offered his hand just as readily, “Mike Chang, and yes, you’re a human?”
“What are you doing with a human?”
Rachel looked between the two of them as Mike and Brittany continued their hellos, Sugar had walked up with a loud declaration of her own name not wanting to be left out.
“It’s a long story.”
“You can tell it to me later, I have some other information to give you, you can come by my house or we can meet at the way station, its up to you.”
“Can I bring Puck?”
“Only if I can have protection too.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Deal.”
In the short duration of the exchange the pair of their counterparts had already begun teaching one another dance steps. Brittany picked them up wonderfully as Sugar struggled along beside her.
Santana rolled her eyes.
“Come on children, trips over.”
They said good-bye the way children say good-bye a wave and a smile and a promise to play again some other time, though she couldn’t think of a time permitting, and for a moment she almost envied that kind of simple farewell not laced with political implications or long buried rancor. Clueless to any of that Brittany hopped into the passengers seat.
“I still don’t get it.”
Santana revved the engine.
“What?”
“He was nice, he liked dancing, he said we could teach one another some moves.”
“So?”
“So why is it you have to fight him?”