FIC: Out of the Frying Pan
Title: Out of the Frying Pan
Author: twilights_blue
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language
Word Count: 1.757
Summary: “You smell. It makes beasts notice.” Elisa stood and began rummaging through the boxes of tea that lined the wall behind her. “Have a seat, and I’ll see what I can do to help with the problem.”
Author's notes: First entry for the month of July for brigits_flame. I forgot to put fools_song as my writing journal, so these guys will be posted on my personal LJ for now. This can also be considered a study of mainly using dialog for a piece.
“Are you sure about this place?”
Balt shot Lucas a grin, showing off sharp incisors, before turning his attention back to the shop before them. “Heard about it from a mate of mine, and I trust him,” he said. “If he says that this place belongs to one of the strongest Seers out there, then it’s true.”
“Yeah, but,” Lucas gestured vaguely at the shop, “this doesn’t exactly look like somewhere a Seer would hang out, does it?”
They were standing in front of a gaily painted tea shop, which declared its name to be The Tea Cozy in looping, elegant script. From what was visible from the street, the inside was cheerily lit and had an inordinate amount of lace. It didn’t look like a place frequented by users of the Occult.
Balt let out a bark of laughter. “What, were you expecting a dark hole in the wall lit by guttering candles, with a bunch of smoke and incense in the air and possibly a lizard sleeping on the counter?” Smirking, Balt said, “Not everything you humans make up about us is true, you know.”
“I know,” Lucas snapped, not appreciating being teased by his friend. “It’s just easy to forget, sometimes."
“Understandable, seeing as you grew up with such false concepts.” Striding forward, Balt opened the door to the shop and gave Lucas a mocking bow. “Shall we?”
Making a face at Balt, Lucas took the invitation and stepped into the tea shop. It was even cheerier than the front had suggested. The walls were painted in soothing pastel shades, and every flat surface was covered by a delicate stretch of lace. There was an animal dozing next to the cash register, but it was large tabby cat, not a lizard.
“This is altogether disappointing,” Lucas muttered under his breath.
“Be nice,” Balt replied, just as quiet. “This woman may have the answer to your problem, so I would advise against insulting her decorating choices.” Raising his voice, he called out, “Hello! Would Miss Elisabeth be available?”
“That she is. And please, Elisa is fine.”
Lucas turned to find a middle-aged woman sitting at a small, round table he hadn’t noticed earlier. There was an aura of youth to her that her graying hair could not mute. When she saw that she had Lucas and Balt’s attention, she gave them a brilliant smile.
“Seeing as I am much younger than you,” she continued, “a little casual talk won’t hurt, don’t you think?”
“It won’t hurt at all,” Balt agreed with a laugh. He looked impressed. “Not many people can tell what I am at first glance, let alone how old I am.”
“When you have the Sight, not much is hidden from you,” Elisa said with a small smile. “Your friend, for instance…”
She trailed off, gaze drifting over to Lucas’ face. Her gaze sharpened almost immediately, and Lucas couldn’t help the chill that raced up his spine at the way the blue of her eyes seemed to intensify.
“Well,” Elisa said after a minute of tense silence, “you’re a special one, aren’t you? You can see past the glamour most beasts use, yes?”
Lucas was struck dumb by the easy discovery of his affliction, and it took Balt elbowing him sharply in the ribs before he managed a response. “Y-yes, ma’am, I can see monsters. They tend to chase me around a lot, too.”
“Well, of course. What lets you see them makes them notice you more than other humans. It’s your scent, too, I reckon.”
“My scent?”
“You smell. It makes beasts notice.” Elisa stood and began rummaging through the boxes of tea that lined the wall behind her. “Have a seat, and I’ll see what I can do to help with the problem.”
Lucas did as he was told, taking the other seat available at Elisa’s table. Glancing up at Balt, who was standing next to him, he murmured, “I smell?”
Balt shrugged, wrinkling his nose in embarrassment. “I wasn’t going to mention it,” he said. “It’s not noticeable to anyone but monsters. Besides, it’s really not that bad of a smell. It just…happens to be there more than other scents are.”
“Well,” Lucas said dryly. “That makes me feel so much better about it.”
Before Balt could reply, Elisa returned to the table, a pot of tea in her hand. “It should be about ready,” she said. “It doesn’t take long for this one to steep. Go ahead, pour yourself a cup.”
Balt raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t tea reading a bit…inaccurate?”
“It can be to those who are unfamiliar with the craft,” Elisa answered, watching as Lucas obeyed her instructions. “My methods, however, make reading tea leaves as accurate as any of the other forms of prescience. Drink it all down,” she told Lucas. “Leave a little left at the bottom, yes?”
When Lucas was done drinking his tea, he passed it over to Elisa, who swirled the cup around a bit before peering into it. Several minutes of silence passed, and Lucas was just wondering if it would be rude to speak when Elisa finally looked up from her perusal of the tea leaves.
“Siren’s blood,” she said.
Lucas blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“A mixture of siren’s blood and powdered vampire fang shall assist you with your…problem,” Elisa said, squinting into the cup. “Yes. That’s what the leaves say.”
“Easy enough to get,” Balt said. “I’ve already got the vampire fang, and I know where to find a siren that may be willing to help us.”
“There you go,” Elisa said cheerily. “It sounds like you boys should have an easy time of it.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Lucas said with a smile. As he rose to leave, though, a thought made him pause. “Do you need payment for all of this, or something?”
Elisa jumped the slightest bit. “Ah, I nearly forgot. Yes, I require payment for a reading. Hold out your hand, if you please.”
She took the hand Lucas stretched out to her and, without warning, pricked his index finger with a needle. Lucas’ hand flinched, and he attempted to yank it back, but Elisa’s grip was firm. A drop of blood welled up at the puncture site, grew fat.
“I apologize,” she murmured, “but you are a rare specimen, and I couldn’t bear to let you leave without taking a sample.”
Pulling a small vial out of her skirt pocket, she collected a few drops of blood. Once the vial was stoppered and put away, Elisa smiled up at Lucas. “Consider that your payment.”
“Um, okay,” Lucas said. As soon as his hand was released, he stepped back out of Elisa’s reach. “Thank you again.”
“No problem, my boy. Good hunting.”
It wasn’t until they were back on the street that Lucas turned to Balt. “Good hunting?”
“Sirens are aware that their blood has several magical properties,” Balt explained. “They guard it with their life.”
“So when you say you know a siren that’ll give up her blood, you mean-“
“She owes me a rather big favor. Either she respects that debt and gives us what we need quietly, or I take it by force.”
~*
The siren, named Tatiana, instantly refused the request when she heard it. After a little persuasion (and a lot of threats) from Balt, though, she reluctantly changed her mind. Within an hour of finding her, Lucas and Balt had a small bottle of Tatiana’s golden blood and was ushering Lucas back to the car.
“Here,” Balt said, popping the glove compartment open and handing over a small bag full of grey powder. “Powdered vampire fang. Pour it in and mix it up.”
Lucas carefully poured the contents of the bag into the bottle, capped it, and shook it. As he did, he raised a questioning eyebrow at Balt. “Who keeps powdered vampire fang in their glove compartment?”
“I do,” was the easy reply.
“Of course.” Lucas stopped shaking the bottle and brought it up to eye level. The blood had gone from gold to silver, and he couldn’t see any particles floating around. “Looks like it’s mixed.”
“What are you waiting for, kid? Bottoms up.”
Lucas hesitated the slightest bit before uncapping the bottle and chugging down the contents. He gagged at the taste, which was a mix of sulfur and something acidic, but managed to keep it down. Tossing the bottle into the back of the car, he turned to Balt. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Is it working? Can you tell?”
Balt tilted his head. “Nothing’s changed yet. Maybe it takes a couple minutes to… Oh.” He covered his nose and leaned away from Lucas. “Oh.”
Startled, and made a little nervous by Balt’s reaction, Lucas asked, “What? What is it?”
“It got worse, your scent-“ He paused, breathing in through his mouth and out through his nose. “Give me a second, will you? I need to adjust to this or else I’ll end up killing you here and now.”
Swallowing nervously, Lucas settled back in his seat, staying completely still. Balt took a couple more breaths, his shoulders loosening a little with each one. Finally, he looked over at Lucas and gave him a weak smile.
“Sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting it, so it threw me off guard.”
“So you’re saying that my scent didn’t get better, but worse?”
“Smells like it did. It’s a lot stronger. I bet that all the monsters in a ten mile radius know where you are right now.”
“But Elisa said that the mix would improve my condition.”
“That’s where we both made a mistake.” Balt tilted his head up, smiling a little. “When she said your problem would improve she didn’t mean that it would go away. She meant that it would intensify whatever you’ve already got.”
“So now I’m a stronger monster magnet?” Lucas sighed, slumping back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. “Wonderful.”
“You’re telling me. It just got ten times harder to keep you alive.” Glancing in the rearview mirror, Balt turned the car on and put it in gear. “Speaking of which, you may want to buckle up.”
“Why?”
“Because a pack of werewolves just showed up, and they look pretty damn hungry.”
“Great,” Lucas grumbled as Balt peeled out of their parking spot. “Next time a Seer tries to give me advice, remind me to punch her in the face.”
Balt laughed wildly, barreling down the street well beyond the speed limit, werewolves and God knew what else chasing after them.
Author: twilights_blue
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language
Word Count: 1.757
Summary: “You smell. It makes beasts notice.” Elisa stood and began rummaging through the boxes of tea that lined the wall behind her. “Have a seat, and I’ll see what I can do to help with the problem.”
Author's notes: First entry for the month of July for brigits_flame. I forgot to put fools_song as my writing journal, so these guys will be posted on my personal LJ for now. This can also be considered a study of mainly using dialog for a piece.
“Are you sure about this place?”
Balt shot Lucas a grin, showing off sharp incisors, before turning his attention back to the shop before them. “Heard about it from a mate of mine, and I trust him,” he said. “If he says that this place belongs to one of the strongest Seers out there, then it’s true.”
“Yeah, but,” Lucas gestured vaguely at the shop, “this doesn’t exactly look like somewhere a Seer would hang out, does it?”
They were standing in front of a gaily painted tea shop, which declared its name to be The Tea Cozy in looping, elegant script. From what was visible from the street, the inside was cheerily lit and had an inordinate amount of lace. It didn’t look like a place frequented by users of the Occult.
Balt let out a bark of laughter. “What, were you expecting a dark hole in the wall lit by guttering candles, with a bunch of smoke and incense in the air and possibly a lizard sleeping on the counter?” Smirking, Balt said, “Not everything you humans make up about us is true, you know.”
“I know,” Lucas snapped, not appreciating being teased by his friend. “It’s just easy to forget, sometimes."
“Understandable, seeing as you grew up with such false concepts.” Striding forward, Balt opened the door to the shop and gave Lucas a mocking bow. “Shall we?”
Making a face at Balt, Lucas took the invitation and stepped into the tea shop. It was even cheerier than the front had suggested. The walls were painted in soothing pastel shades, and every flat surface was covered by a delicate stretch of lace. There was an animal dozing next to the cash register, but it was large tabby cat, not a lizard.
“This is altogether disappointing,” Lucas muttered under his breath.
“Be nice,” Balt replied, just as quiet. “This woman may have the answer to your problem, so I would advise against insulting her decorating choices.” Raising his voice, he called out, “Hello! Would Miss Elisabeth be available?”
“That she is. And please, Elisa is fine.”
Lucas turned to find a middle-aged woman sitting at a small, round table he hadn’t noticed earlier. There was an aura of youth to her that her graying hair could not mute. When she saw that she had Lucas and Balt’s attention, she gave them a brilliant smile.
“Seeing as I am much younger than you,” she continued, “a little casual talk won’t hurt, don’t you think?”
“It won’t hurt at all,” Balt agreed with a laugh. He looked impressed. “Not many people can tell what I am at first glance, let alone how old I am.”
“When you have the Sight, not much is hidden from you,” Elisa said with a small smile. “Your friend, for instance…”
She trailed off, gaze drifting over to Lucas’ face. Her gaze sharpened almost immediately, and Lucas couldn’t help the chill that raced up his spine at the way the blue of her eyes seemed to intensify.
“Well,” Elisa said after a minute of tense silence, “you’re a special one, aren’t you? You can see past the glamour most beasts use, yes?”
Lucas was struck dumb by the easy discovery of his affliction, and it took Balt elbowing him sharply in the ribs before he managed a response. “Y-yes, ma’am, I can see monsters. They tend to chase me around a lot, too.”
“Well, of course. What lets you see them makes them notice you more than other humans. It’s your scent, too, I reckon.”
“My scent?”
“You smell. It makes beasts notice.” Elisa stood and began rummaging through the boxes of tea that lined the wall behind her. “Have a seat, and I’ll see what I can do to help with the problem.”
Lucas did as he was told, taking the other seat available at Elisa’s table. Glancing up at Balt, who was standing next to him, he murmured, “I smell?”
Balt shrugged, wrinkling his nose in embarrassment. “I wasn’t going to mention it,” he said. “It’s not noticeable to anyone but monsters. Besides, it’s really not that bad of a smell. It just…happens to be there more than other scents are.”
“Well,” Lucas said dryly. “That makes me feel so much better about it.”
Before Balt could reply, Elisa returned to the table, a pot of tea in her hand. “It should be about ready,” she said. “It doesn’t take long for this one to steep. Go ahead, pour yourself a cup.”
Balt raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t tea reading a bit…inaccurate?”
“It can be to those who are unfamiliar with the craft,” Elisa answered, watching as Lucas obeyed her instructions. “My methods, however, make reading tea leaves as accurate as any of the other forms of prescience. Drink it all down,” she told Lucas. “Leave a little left at the bottom, yes?”
When Lucas was done drinking his tea, he passed it over to Elisa, who swirled the cup around a bit before peering into it. Several minutes of silence passed, and Lucas was just wondering if it would be rude to speak when Elisa finally looked up from her perusal of the tea leaves.
“Siren’s blood,” she said.
Lucas blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“A mixture of siren’s blood and powdered vampire fang shall assist you with your…problem,” Elisa said, squinting into the cup. “Yes. That’s what the leaves say.”
“Easy enough to get,” Balt said. “I’ve already got the vampire fang, and I know where to find a siren that may be willing to help us.”
“There you go,” Elisa said cheerily. “It sounds like you boys should have an easy time of it.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Lucas said with a smile. As he rose to leave, though, a thought made him pause. “Do you need payment for all of this, or something?”
Elisa jumped the slightest bit. “Ah, I nearly forgot. Yes, I require payment for a reading. Hold out your hand, if you please.”
She took the hand Lucas stretched out to her and, without warning, pricked his index finger with a needle. Lucas’ hand flinched, and he attempted to yank it back, but Elisa’s grip was firm. A drop of blood welled up at the puncture site, grew fat.
“I apologize,” she murmured, “but you are a rare specimen, and I couldn’t bear to let you leave without taking a sample.”
Pulling a small vial out of her skirt pocket, she collected a few drops of blood. Once the vial was stoppered and put away, Elisa smiled up at Lucas. “Consider that your payment.”
“Um, okay,” Lucas said. As soon as his hand was released, he stepped back out of Elisa’s reach. “Thank you again.”
“No problem, my boy. Good hunting.”
It wasn’t until they were back on the street that Lucas turned to Balt. “Good hunting?”
“Sirens are aware that their blood has several magical properties,” Balt explained. “They guard it with their life.”
“So when you say you know a siren that’ll give up her blood, you mean-“
“She owes me a rather big favor. Either she respects that debt and gives us what we need quietly, or I take it by force.”
~*
The siren, named Tatiana, instantly refused the request when she heard it. After a little persuasion (and a lot of threats) from Balt, though, she reluctantly changed her mind. Within an hour of finding her, Lucas and Balt had a small bottle of Tatiana’s golden blood and was ushering Lucas back to the car.
“Here,” Balt said, popping the glove compartment open and handing over a small bag full of grey powder. “Powdered vampire fang. Pour it in and mix it up.”
Lucas carefully poured the contents of the bag into the bottle, capped it, and shook it. As he did, he raised a questioning eyebrow at Balt. “Who keeps powdered vampire fang in their glove compartment?”
“I do,” was the easy reply.
“Of course.” Lucas stopped shaking the bottle and brought it up to eye level. The blood had gone from gold to silver, and he couldn’t see any particles floating around. “Looks like it’s mixed.”
“What are you waiting for, kid? Bottoms up.”
Lucas hesitated the slightest bit before uncapping the bottle and chugging down the contents. He gagged at the taste, which was a mix of sulfur and something acidic, but managed to keep it down. Tossing the bottle into the back of the car, he turned to Balt. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Is it working? Can you tell?”
Balt tilted his head. “Nothing’s changed yet. Maybe it takes a couple minutes to… Oh.” He covered his nose and leaned away from Lucas. “Oh.”
Startled, and made a little nervous by Balt’s reaction, Lucas asked, “What? What is it?”
“It got worse, your scent-“ He paused, breathing in through his mouth and out through his nose. “Give me a second, will you? I need to adjust to this or else I’ll end up killing you here and now.”
Swallowing nervously, Lucas settled back in his seat, staying completely still. Balt took a couple more breaths, his shoulders loosening a little with each one. Finally, he looked over at Lucas and gave him a weak smile.
“Sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting it, so it threw me off guard.”
“So you’re saying that my scent didn’t get better, but worse?”
“Smells like it did. It’s a lot stronger. I bet that all the monsters in a ten mile radius know where you are right now.”
“But Elisa said that the mix would improve my condition.”
“That’s where we both made a mistake.” Balt tilted his head up, smiling a little. “When she said your problem would improve she didn’t mean that it would go away. She meant that it would intensify whatever you’ve already got.”
“So now I’m a stronger monster magnet?” Lucas sighed, slumping back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. “Wonderful.”
“You’re telling me. It just got ten times harder to keep you alive.” Glancing in the rearview mirror, Balt turned the car on and put it in gear. “Speaking of which, you may want to buckle up.”
“Why?”
“Because a pack of werewolves just showed up, and they look pretty damn hungry.”
“Great,” Lucas grumbled as Balt peeled out of their parking spot. “Next time a Seer tries to give me advice, remind me to punch her in the face.”
Balt laughed wildly, barreling down the street well beyond the speed limit, werewolves and God knew what else chasing after them.