Halloween I.F. – “Something Rich and Strange” – Day 14

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Star stepped aside into the men’s room so that he wouldn’t risk anyone running into him, pulling himself up on the sink counter to sit. He swallowed, feeling too emotionally raw, too honest. He wanted to call Dom or Dandelion, hear their voice, but he also didn’t want to be speaking and add one more element that could break his glamour.

He texted Dom back first: I’m really worried, Dom. These people are willing to kill, and if you’re not a benefit, you’re a loose end. It sounds like Viv has gotten hold of a guy with some kind of protection magic, so meet me at the Twilight Council Community Association building? My heart says you should be going into hiding, but if nothing else, we’re gonna get some kind of protection against mind control on you, k?

Thumb hovering over the send icon, Star hesitated a few moments, then just tapped it. There was nothing that expunging his fears could gain here. He shook himself, then just sent Viv a quick text as well: Ok, on my way.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he began to briskly walk down the hall, sticking to the walls as much as he could, peeking into rooms. It was quickly apparent there wasn’t much he could do here, not without being willing to take risks while everyone was running around. He saw Heronika dashing past on her way outside and let her go, hoping that Georgio was able to talk to her, like they’d discussed.

Ugh, maybe he should talk to Georgio about getting some kind of headset or other hands-free phone. But if he’d wanted one, he’d already have one. Most of those still needed buttons pressed, or had systems like Alexa, Siri, or Lilith in them, and Star didn’t trust any of those eavesdropping digital sneaks. Whatever, he’d mention it to Vayne if and when he called.

That same sulphurous tang of magic tickled his nostrils as he passed the offices, and he gave a quick jiggle of a doorknob, but it was locked up tight. A peek in the window didn’t show anyone inside, either. Not necessarily something too suspicious—there were certainly a few witches who worked here as well; how else would they have any magical protection against cheating or things like that? But he didn’t love it. He certainly couldn’t break in right now, not with the building so active. Maybe he should come back here later once the activity had died down, he thought, then remembered the flooded track out back; if the other nix was using it as a base, he probably shouldn’t come alone if so. 

Regardless, no point thinking too much about that now. When nothing else turned up on a quick scan, Star headed back outside, fetching his phone again. Every step was exhausting, and he didn’t dare transform to his other self to go faster, not when he needed to rest up. Instead he trudged toward the TCCA building on foot, letting the glamour fade once he was a few blocks away.

Once the glamour had faded entirely, Star auto-dialed Dandelion, waiting a ring and a half until Dandelion picked up. “Are you okay?” Dandelion asked. His voice sounded odd, which was normal; phones didn’t like to carry a sidhe lord’s voice and tried to shake the timbre of them as the signals traveled.

“I guess,” Star said, a bit strained. He felt a hitch in his voice as he inhaled and tried to ignore it. “I’m just worried. A bunch of people almost died and they were—the other nixie was specifically trying to drown someone in particular. Can you and your friend meet me and Dom at the TC? I’m gonna try to talk him into whatever safety measures he needs.”

A sigh that glitched out slightly. “Sorry. My friend doesn’t leave his home. He’s tentatively willing to host your friend, though, so if you can talk him into coming, I’ll give his address to you at that time.”

That was understandable. Without details, Star had to assume that Dandelion’s ‘friend’ was a fairly powerful monster. He wondered what Dandelion was offering to make this deal, but wasn’t going to ask, not when Dandelion was clearly still in the guy’s home and could be overheard. “Okay. I’ll see what he thinks.” He should probably say his farewells now, then, and get his ass over to the Twilight Council a bit more quickly. “I miss you,” Star blurted out instead.

A long pause, enough that he thought the phone might have given up entirely. Then, “Oh, my darling, my sweet Schaum, my perfect vassal,” Dandelion said, pained. “If he says no, I’ll come to you right away. You shan’t be without me much longer.”

Schaum was the name that Star had been giving out to people in lieu of his real name, back when he and Dandelion had first met. It meant foam, because Star had felt fragile then, ephemeral, ready to dissolve. He didn’t feel that far from it now, and he imagined Dandelion could tell. “Bye,” Star choked out, and hung up.

He put his head down, wiping tears from his eyes, and hurried onward.

The Twilight Council Community Association was an old building in a central location, with a big lobby that had pamphlets about What to do when you discover you’re a witch and So you’re magic! and that kind of thing. There was a big board where people could sign up for various apprenticeships or lessons, and a bunch of rooms for practice and council meetings in the back, though it also hosted community events like teaching different forms of spellcraft to see what was suited to a person, or old spellbook reading days, things like that. There was a receptionist, presumably who could help look people up or get them in touch; they were a demon, with black-flame eyes and curling red hair. They gave Star a cheerful wave when they entered. “Hi, can I help you today?”

“I’m meeting her,” Star said, pointing to Viv, who was sitting on a chair playing a mobile game while she waited. The receptionist nodded, and Viv looked up as Star slid in. 

“You good?” Viv asked. “Your message was …uhh, alarming?”

“Yeah, it was pretty fucking alarming at the time,” Star said. “I got bit. Your guy isn’t here?”

“Naw, he has a bakery nearby,” Viv said. “Loaf Portions, he’s a kitchen witch. He can do some brief protection spells and has a whole thing for protecting from mind-affecting magic specifically. Let me see your arm.”

Star showed her. She hissed. “Oh, that looks nasty,” she said.

“So you can’t do anything about it?”

“No, but I bet the baker has a bunch of stuff on hand. Small healing is probably a common need.” 

The door jingled, and the receptionist asked Dom the same question as he entered. He kind of waved and stammered a no thanks as he looked them over; right, even if he was down here a bunch now, he still didn’t interact with demons often. “Hey,” Dom said, taking Star’s hand, and looking at the bite mark. He seemed a bit queasy. “I’m …worried.”

“Yeah, me too,” Star said. He got up jerkily. “Show the way, Viv. The witch has a shop nearby,” he added to Dom, taking Dom’s hand with the injured arm.

It truly wasn’t a long trip, and they entered Loaf Portions to the smell of fresh-baked bread and cookies. The proprietor looked up; he was a Black man in his late twenties with braided hair over an undercut, the long parts pulled up into a high bun. “Hey, you must be Vivian and her friends?”

“That’s me,” Viv said. “Antoine Durand?”

“In the flesh,” he said. He called back over his shoulder, “Babe, are the Mind Macarons ready?”

“Yup, here!” A tray was passed forward from the back, a mid-20s white man with brown hair leaning over the kitchen counter to hand it off. 

Star couldn’t help but snort incredulously. “Mind Macarons?”

“I mean, it’s a catchy name that makes it easy to see what they do,” Antoine said cheerily. “Eat this, nobody will be able to read your mind or alter the contents for the next twelve hours. It’ll be $60 for the lot of 6, though. $120 for 12. I’ll toss in a slice of protection pie. It won’t actually stop any magic, but it’ll help make people a bit less likely to attack you if they aren’t specifically planning to. It’s a deterrent, not a shield, but can’t hurt, right?”

Dom winced, but dug out his wallet. “For sure. I appreciate it. And I’ll get all twelve. Ten dollars a pop isn’t so bad for magic, right? Thanks for the rush order.”

“No worries. Don’t like to hear about some witch in our community using that kind of magic anyway,” Antoine said. “Anything else while you’re here?”

Star showed his arm. “I got bit by a nixie. Shouldn’t be too bad, but do you have anything to prevent infection?”

“I got Feelgood Flatbreads,” Antoine said. “It’s not a full healing or anything, that’s not my specialty, but it’ll boost your healing and should act as a natural antibiotic. You might want to see a doctor, though.”

“Everyone keeps saying that,” Star said. “I’m fine, I’m a fairy.”

“You’ll be fine with just a bit of magic intention, then,” Antoine said. He bagged the bread. “Twenty for the loaf, and eat a slice every few hours until it’s healed enough you wouldn’t be applying topical creams normally.”

Dom butted in. “I’ll get that too,” he said, “add it in.”

Star was about to protest, but let it go. There was nothing worse than being ungenerous with a gift. “I appreciate it,” he said as Dom paid. Viv moved in to talk more to Antoine, trying to figure out if there was anything else they might need, and Star drew Dom to the side. “Dom… listen, I’m really, really worried.”

Taking a bite of a Mind Macaron—it was pink and Star’s nose told him it was rose, not strawberry—Dom made a bit of an unhappy face.  “I know. I am too. This is my track too, and my livelihood, and … I mean, it was already really personal to me before this. They dicked around in my mind. I want to help, Star. I want to help investigate this and see if I can help figure things out. But… I’ll go into hiding if you think it’s best.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to, though, I want to keep living my life. But I wasn’t at the track to see it attacked, and you were. So… whatever you think is best, I’ll go along with it.”

Star swallowed. Now he didn’t know which to do: rely on these macarons to take care of things and work together with Dom, or tuck him away safely with Dandelion’s friend… 

“I just want to keep you safe,” Star said, taking Dom’s hand between both of his own. 

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