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poisonousdelights · 3 months ago

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PARTIES: Isa (@poisonousdelights) and Kieran (@debauchfairy) TIME: The weekend before Kieran's birthday bash WHERE: The Mushroom Circle SUMMARY: Isa and Kieran play a different kind of drinking game that takes a slightly uncomfortable turn. WARNINGS: Drug tw, Drug manipulation tw (attempted)

Isa knew all the tricks for having a good night out. It was fortunate that she loved to dance and could do so without any of the liquid courage that a lot of people needed to shake their hips in front of a crowd because the girl was broke. But she’d learned over the past couple of years that it was very easy to get drunk without spending a dime. The aforementioned hip shaking helped so much. All she had to do was wiggle in front of a guy who thought he was going to get lucky and the alcohol came pouring in.

She didn’t know why but her favorite place was an Irish pub known as the circle. It wasn’t the best bar in the world by any means but she always seemed to have such a good time. The good attitudes were infectious, the regular staff always so friendly, and some even knew her by name at this point. She always made a point to have a chat with Zachary who sometimes joined her on the dance floor but that night she skipped out on the interaction in favor of her mission.

Isa was two drinks in, both bought for her by different guys who liked to watch her move. The second guy was still next to her as the last of her cocktail was drained, the girl twirling the straw while she looked up at him. Her hand dragged through her thick hair, running down to push the wavy strands behind her shoulder and bring attention to the skin that her low cut tank top showed. His eyes trailed down, blatantly appreciative, but before he could say anything Isa dismissed him with her next words. “That really hit the spot, I appreciate you so much. I think I’m just about ready to head back to the dance floor though. It was so nice meeting you.” The guy looked dejected but respected her enough to just nod curtly and walk away. A soft laugh left her lips, the girl shaking her head while she pushed the glass to the other side of the bar. “Too easy.”

—-

Somewhere overrun by fae wasn’t exactly Kieran’s ideal place for a night out but it came with some perks, perhaps the most important being a sense of safety. Aside from the rather strict ban on violence, The Mushroom Circle had a decent track record for keeping out wardens. Not that he was scared, anyone sensible would see the logic behind giving his nose more than a couple of weeks to heal before risking another blow to it. Not that Kieran was usually sensible but… well, he liked the shape of his nose. To a lesser extent, getting punched fucking sucked and he wanted to avoid it if possible.

Kieran wasn’t here to feed, not tonight, just looking for a distraction and some fun. The black, sheer shirt he had on was a lot but it had taken way too long for the last of the bruises to fade so it was about time he got to look good, even be a lot. Another perk, he didn’t even need to bother exerting his abilities, that part usually taken care of by some other faun. All he had to do was find the least boring people here and enjoy himself for the evening. A drink was a solid place to start and as he waited for the bartender, Kieran took notice of a pair a stone’s throw down the bar. He especially took notice of how completely out of the man’s league the woman was, and it seemed Kieran wasn’t the only one who knew it. She was playing him like a fiddle and might as well have had the poor guy on a leash with how obediently he tracked her movements. Impressive.

And then the blow. Kieran’s lips turned into a grin at her expert play, leaving no room for argument as he slunk off. Her laugh was the cherry on top - she wasn’t just doing this because she needed free drinks but because she enjoyed it. “You know, I thought the hair flip might have been a bit too much but he was all for it,” Kieran commented, closing the distance between them, amusement clear on his features. “Not that I know much about what works on the straights.”

—

Her body tensed at the voice, for a split second thinking it was another man trying to hit on her without Isa being clued in to their intentions beforehand. Jumpscare tactics were not her favorite. It usually indicated that the guy was too aggressive for her liking and things would go very poorly. But he soon rolled into the ‘straights’ comment and she could feel herself relaxing under his gaze. She playfully let out a relieved sigh, bringing her hand over her heart. “Next time warn a girl. I thought you were going in a completely different direction with that.”

A grin pulled at her lips, the girl shrugging as she went back to his previous comment. “Hair flipping gets them every time. Especially when you add in a little show of skin. Most of them are pretty simple creatures.” She didn’t feel right lumping every straight guy together but she’d never met one that didn’t enjoy that little move of hers, she would say that much. Though Isa did have the advantage with most of the locals thinking she was ‘dangerous’ or something. For some reason men loved to go for that so she wasn’t sure if the hair toss alone would work.

It didn’t matter, did it? “You probably think I’m an asshole, right?” Guilt was starting to tug at her, something that usually wasn’t a problem until she got caught. Even with the amusement on his face she still felt bad now that someone else had witnessed what she was doing. “It’s harmless. Most of their egos could use a little blow anyway.”

—-

It never failed to amuse, the very obvious shift in women once they realized they weren’t about to have the most annoying five minutes of their lives trying to fend off a straight man who couldn’t flirt to save his life. Kieran truly hoped this stranger would have gotten there on her own even without the blatant exposition and if she wouldn’t have, perhaps she was less intuitive than she seemed. “Please, you think a smarmy straight man has the ability to look this good?” Kieran huffed, finally garnering the bartender’s attention and ordering two tequila sunrises - her performance deserved a drink.

Humming appreciatively at her explanation, Kieran settled onto the bar stool next to her, intrigued enough to let this stranger be the entertaining company for now. He was curious as to whether she needed strangers to buy her drinks or, as in Kieran’s case when he just didn’t feel like paying for his own things, simply did it because she could. And a bonus, she wasn’t fae. “Simple or not, always fun to see them get played.”

Her attitude changed all of a sudden and Kieran arched an eyebrow, slightly disappointed by her question. Why the hell care what some stranger thought of you? Not that he did think she was an asshole. Manipulative, maybe, perhaps a bit self-centered but neither of those were necessarily negative traits in the faun’s eyes. If people didn’t want to get duped into buying drinks without a reward, they should be harder to manipulate. “Does it matter what I think?” Kieran asked instead of sharing his actual thoughts on whether or not a pretty, young woman was a bad person for cheating the system, so to speak. “And even if I did think you were an asshole, that would be an astounding display of hypocrisy since I am also very averse to buying my own drinks a lot of the time.”

Sliding one of the cocktails over to her as they arrived, Kieran raised his own with a wink. “To blowing egos.”

—

“You do have a very good point.” Isa nodded, looking his outfit up and down with a sheepish grin. He was right. No straight man would wear anything so daring or fabulous. “Ashamed that I ever thought for a second you were straight.” She laughed softly, turning back to the bar only to remember that her glass was now empty. Did she try to pay for one herself or did she go for a third gentleman? Well, that was a simple answer. She didn’t really have eight dollars to waste on a single beverage.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t judging her at all if the comment about how fun it was to see them get played was any indication. He then followed it up by stating he liked to play this game too and suddenly the lamia felt a million times better about it all. “I guess you have a point.” She was right before anyway, it was harmless and now she knew she wasn’t the only one who liked to do this. “So, you enjoy the game too, huh?”

Eyeing the drink that he slid over to her, Isa raised a brow but her smile never faltered. He didn’t like paying for his drinks but then went and bought her one? He must have really appreciated the little show. She raised the glass to mimic his movements before taking a sip, humming appreciatively. “This was nice of you, thank you.” Another sip and then she was backtracking on what he’d said, her eyes glinting with mischief. “So, wait, what works on gay men then? Obviously they don’t like my normal tricks…unless we count you.” Pointing down to the drink on the bar to make a point, her smile morphed into a smirk.

—---

Actually caring about other people’s opinions felt like a genuinely foreign concept to Kieran as he hadn’t taken stock in an opinion that didn’t align with his own since… well, maybe never. She seemed relieved to not be judged by the faun, maybe partly because of the sense of camaraderie but the worry had been there. Kieran thought his opinion and judgment was quite valuable, obviously, but she had no reason to know that and therefore care. Humans were strange. “I definitely have a point,” he insisted with a smile, relieved that there wasn’t a follow up discussion on morality and whatnot.

His smile only grew at her question even as he gave a coy shrug, his expression enough of an answer. Yes, Kieran did indeed enjoy this game and most games, for that matter. The ones he could win, anyway. As the tangy sweetness of the drink hit him, he physically waved off the notion of kindness - the drink was simply acknowledgement of a job well done - and with it, the thank you. A thought occurred to warn her, seeing how she was surrounded by fae and clearly not careful with her words but that discussion would replace their current one, which was a bad trade. She’d probably be fine.

“Trying to steal my moves, are you?” he teased, twirling the straw around the glass. “I could share but… that would make the fun little competition I wanted to propose a bit unfair.” Seeing as this bar was mostly crawling with fae, Kieran was expecting neither a meal nor company to bring home from here, which was fine. Monotony was the antithesis of everything Kieran stood for and he didn’t mind having to come up with new and creative ways to entertain himself.

—------

“Oh, I don’t need to steal moves. I have enough that work very nicely for myself.” Squeezing the straw of the drink between her teeth, she continued to smile up at him even as she was taken aback by the competition he had in mind. Not in a bad way. No, Isa was instantly curious as to what he would suggest for them even though she had a feeling about what was coming. She mostly wanted to know if there was a bet coming with this competition or if he thought their free drinks while playing was enough of a win. “A competition, huh? I think that could make for a fun time.”

It was no secret that she could be competitive. Camaraderie and sportsmanship had been her thing when she’d been playing basketball back in high school, she’d even gotten acknowledgements in the form of plaques that used to live on her parents walls, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try her best to win either. Isa could get really into things like this, something that was proven as she started to prepare already. Her jacket was coming off, the girl slinging it on the back of the chair next to her so she could get another leg up with the shirt underneath. Men loved a nice low cut top.

“Alright, what are the guidelines? I can’t break any rules, that would defeat the spirit of the game.” She’d always been a fair one too. “And do the two I’ve already gotten count or are you afraid you can’t catch up?” Isa bit the inside of her bottom lip to try and stifle a smirk, the lamia raising a brow in challenge. She didn’t care either way, she just wanted to goad him a little.

—-

Grinning, he finished off a bit more of the drink - couldn’t be holding one for the venture they were about to embark on - appreciating the attitude. “I don’t doubt it. Not as good as mine, I reckon but I’m sure they do,” Kieran taunted back playfully, seeing the glint in her eyes that matched his own at the prospect of a good (mostly honest) competition.

His look of amusement only widened as she shrugged off her jacket, proving that she knew her stuff as more skin was bared. Simple but effective. Along with the first inkling of fruity alcohol blanketing his senses, Kieran could sense her joyous excitement as it lingered between them. Feeding on her would put her at a disadvantage and he didn’t want to win by cheating. Not this time, at least, he liked her. “A drink gets bought without directly asking for it. Any sort of alcoholic beverage counts. Up to you whether you finish it or not before moving on. First to five takes the prize.” Not that there was a prize - they were playing for free drinks and the honor of it. “If you think you need the head start, you can have it,” Kieran goaded right back, smirking before finishing off the rest of his drink and dragging a hand through the previously stylized hair.

“Kieran,” he offered her as he stood up, waiting for her name in turn and then shrugging off his jacket. Even if he didn’t have the cleavage to work with like his new friend, the sleeveless top had perks of its own. “May the best seductress win.”

—-

“I can’t wait to prove you wrong.” Isa followed suit with her own drink, realizing it was a good idea to get it down. Not only did leaving it behind get dangerous but it also seemed rude when he had so kindly gotten it for her. She stood, pretending to shake out any nerves that might have set in with a grin, glad that she could be playful with him even as they were gearing up for a competition against each other. Those were the best interactions.

She stopped at his conditions, meeting his eyes with mock confusion. “What’s the point in having a drink given to you if you’re not going to finish it? I would like to make an amendment that everything needs to be finished as you talk to the person…within reason, of course.” She lifted her chin, trying to stifle the grin threatening to pull at her lips. “Fine, a fresh start it is.” Narrowing those playful eyes at him, Isa shook her head as he raked his hands through his hair. The man knew what he was doing. Bedhead looked good on him, not that he needed any help looking handsome.

“I’m Isa.” And he had muscles to boot. Hmm, maybe she should have seen the whole package before accepting this challenge but she wasn’t too worried about it. It just meant she had to up her game. “Oh, I will.” The lamia gave him a wink before she turned in search of her first target.

The prospects looked too easy. A man who was clearly getting over a break up if his sullen look and the way he twirled a ring around the bar was any indication. No, he would be a last resort. The over enthusiastic dancer in the middle of the floor trying to dance with whatever woman would give him the time of day. Too desperate for her taste. She liked a little challenge in her men, it made the victory that much sweeter. Finally, she settled on one who had a confident air to himself but had yet to go after any of the women he’d been eyeing. A little challenge but not enough to make it impossible. He was perfect.

And it only took five minutes before she had a drink set in front of her.

He was boring though and she was rushing her way through this first drink. Most of the talk was about him and how awesome his life was so Isa allowed her gaze to free roam around the bar. Her attention was caught by Kieran and his first…or maybe second target, her eyes landing on the way the man was crowding the other. It wasn’t too out of the ordinary but the way the stranger slipped something into Kieran’s drink when he was distracted was. Isa was out of her seat before her challenge could finish his sentence, his protest following her but she was too focused on getting to that table before Kieran could fall victim to something sinister. “Hey!” Her loud voice drew attention from most of the people in her path while she stormed over there, knocking the drink into the lap of the man who was now glaring up at her. “I saw that, you bastard. Do you always get your kicks drugging random people in bars or is he special?”

—-

With the terms of their little game decided, Kieran left his new friend behind with a wink. Isa had plenty of advantages, not just that straight men were generally easier to fool but also the fact of her not sharing his problem of being fae. Sure, not all of them shared Kieran’s extravagant dislike for his kin but they could be very peculiar and he didn’t feel like chatting up someone whose first question might be on what he was. Still, having way less targets to choose from than his ‘competition’ would only make the victory that much sweeter.

Finding a human - or at the very least, a non fae - luckily hadn’t taken too long. The flexibility of what constituted a drink also came in handy as he gladly split a tray of shots with the first target - price and volume-wise, four shots weren’t that far off from a full sized drink. As an added bonus, his theatrics with the shots (letting a person lick their own hand for the salt was just bad manners) had caught the attention of the second mark. Which was fine enough, he was far from Kieran’s type but for a drink and more importantly, a point, anything goes. If the guy took notice of the way Kieran was subtly scanning for his third drink of the night, he didn’t comment on it.

It seemed Isa had something to comment on, though. For the briefest of moments, Kieran wondered whether she was here to argue on whether shots counted but as she drew closer, it became clear she was much angrier than anything their game could incite. Which begged the question of why Kieran’s drink was paying the price of her wrath, an explanation arriving in the form of her berating the stranger with the now wet pants. Oh. Oh. The irony of trying to mess with a faun’s free will wasn’t lost on Kieran but Isa’s interference was welcome - his immunity to being influenced only applied to the effects of other fae, not whatever the stranger had tried to spike him with.

“The hell are you on about, you bitch?” the man argued, defensive as he wiped at the remnants of the drink. Kieran’s eyes narrowed and despite the unease that had settled in his chest, he had no trouble letting his influence wash over the bastard. Even the brief taste of the man’s euphoria tasted wrong and Kieran wanted this over with, quick.

“I think you want to apologize to her,” Kieran demanded, voice threatening despite the sickly sweet tone. “And then take whatever you put in my drink and have a taste of it yourself.” There were plenty of people watching, Isa’s reaction having drawn enough attention but the words were spoken low enough for only the three of them to hear. The man’s voice was far off when he apologized to Isa, the faintest glimmer of hesitation visible as he dropped something inconspicuous into his own drink and proceeded to down the whole thing.

—-

For a brief, anger fueled moment, Isa considered pulling her sunglasses down to let stone take over every inch of this creep but she stopped when she remembered that Kieran could get caught up in that as well. Not to mention the other bar patrons staring in their direction. She didn’t need any audience for her ability and had somehow managed to avoid that happening to this day. Besides, it wasn’t the first time she’d been called a bitch and it wouldn’t be the last, her anger mostly fueled by the man’s audacity in trying to get away with the sleaziest of moves he could.

But then she watched as the man’s anger seemed to melt into a look of pure…elation? Kieran’s words drifted over the chatter of the crowd to her, the lamia letting her bewildered gaze settle on her new friend when the asshole followed the instructions that had been given. What the hell had just happened? How could Kieran turn this around on the other so easily?

Who cared as long as the creep was subdued?

Isa felt her lips lift, the shock wearing down into amusement. Was it a little terrifying knowing he could have that control over someone, over her? Yea, it was, but if he hadn’t used it on her yet she was pretty sure he wasn’t going to. “That was a fun trick.” Her low voice mixed in with the music but it was enough for him to hear. She held a hand out for him to take, wanting to get him away from the shit stain next to him as quickly as possible even when he’d already taken care of it. “I think me and you have some things to talk about. Have you been cheating this whole time?”

—-

It wasn’t until the empty glass landed back on the table that Kieran detached himself from the man, the taste that wasn’t really a taste still managing to linger on the back of his tongue, stronger still than the aftertaste of tequila and salt. Turning his gaze away from the disoriented figure, he seemed to remember suddenly that he had company who had watched the whole thing transpire. Isa’s expression had just morphed from confusion to enjoyment and Kieran didn’t really care what she thought but he appreciated that she seemed to share his morals on this, too. Even if she didn’t understand it.

So he accepted the offered hand, not even wasting a glance back at the man still trying to get his bearings. The commotion that started around him did indicate that his antics might be getting him thrown out though, which was a relief. Maybe he’d think twice before attempting shit like that again - not that it was Kieran’s problem and he certainly wouldn’t be worrying about strangers.

Sure, maybe forcing the man to literally have a taste of his own medicine would prove some sort of deterrent but that hadn’t been why he’d done it. Just revenge, pure and simple. And Kieran certainly wasn’t drawing any parallels between himself and the creep because there was no need - he’d never used his abilities for that purpose. The unease from before was still present so he was more than grateful for the topic change Isa was providing, an easy smile sliding onto Kieran’s lips.

“I didn’t break any of our rules,” Kieran assured her, letting himself be led to a more quiet corner of the bar, at the same time wishing he had a drink in hand while also unsure he could stomach one with the taste of… wrong still in his mouth. “Where would be the fun in playing if I cheated, anyway?” His smile grew and it helped, distracted him, so he continued. “Alright then, ask away. Only fair that you get answers in return for your heroics.”

—-

She wouldn’t let go of his hand. At first, it was more subconscious than anything but as they sat down in a quieter area she still held on to it even after the realization. Despite his smile and the way he seemed to slip back into their teasing banter, Isa knew that something like that could shake the most sturdy of people out there and she wanted him to know that she was there. She wasn’t going anywhere so long as he wanted to still be in that bar. “I guess my first question is…are you okay?” She wouldn’t have been. She would still be trying to find a way to hurt that guy if it had happened to her and she was a little impressed that Kieran had shown some control in only making him drink what had been intended for her friend. “We can talk about it if you need to.”

Heroics. She frowned at that word, not liking that something that should be classified as human decency was called heroic. It was sad that they needed to watch each other's backs like this anyway but getting praised for the help felt wrong somehow. “It was what anyone would do, no need to reward me for it.” Something she hoped was true. Had others seen the man doing what he was doing and turned a blind eye? Because that was screwed up in so many ways.

Regardless, she did have other questions for him, Isa glad that he wasn’t refusing to answer even if the reason he was doing so wasn’t the easiest to swallow down. “So, you…have some sort of mind control? What are you, an X-men?” A dumb joke, the lamia realizing that she wasn’t sure how to go about the questioning. It wasn’t usually her asking the questions but the other way around. “How long have you been able to do that?” Someone had to curse him as well, right? “And why? What did you do to be cursed?”

—--

Well, that wasn’t the sort of questioning he’d been opening himself up for. “Why wouldn’t I be? You stepped in before I had a drink and he got what he deserved,” Kieran replied nonchalantly, letting his hand slip from Isa’s under the guise of readjusting his rings, a stray lock of hair, anything that needed fixing to complete this very believable picture of composure. He didn’t mind the physical contact, that was hardly ever something he shied from but the implication that he needed his hand held was simply inaccurate. Aside from wishing that maybe he’d done more to exact a just revenge, Kieran was fine and not plagued by thoughts or doubts of any kind.

For a woman who had jumped at the chance to play a game involving toying with other people, she seemed rather convinced that kindness was an inherent thing rather than selfishness. People, humans or otherwise, were self-serving at their very core. Not to say they couldn’t be kind if they chose to but rarely to their own detriment. Isa had nothing to lose from helping him, she was trying to form a new connection, something useful and that would have been hard to do if the creep had been left unchecked. “Think of it as evening the score, then,” Kieran insisted, unwilling to simply accept it as an ‘anyone would have helped’ kind of situation. And he could tell she was dying to ask her questions, anyway.

Huffing a laugh at her joke, Kieran leaned back with a raised eyebrow. “Oh no, you’re a geek?” he asked in mock disappointment, letting her ask the actual questions before providing any real answers, even if the part about being cursed gave him pause. “Not cursed,” he started slowly, brows furrowed in slight confusion. “Just born like this. Although it took a bit of time to refine the so called ‘mind control’. It’s more of a… power of suggestion type of deal. With quite a lot of power.”

—--

Isa bit into her bottom lip to refrain from saying anything stupid. Obviously Kieran didn’t want to talk about it and she would respect that but the concern was clear. She would still be there if he ever did. “Right, I’m just glad I saw it before you drank anything.” He was fidgeting with his appearance but she still stayed quiet, not sure if he was uncomfortable because of her asking when he really was okay or if he did need to talk but didn’t know how. “Do you want a drink? This ones on me and will not be out of my sight for a second.”

She still didn’t like what he was implying. She wasn’t the best person in the world, Ruth’s death proved that, and she could be selfish when it came to having fun but she never expected payment of any kind for keeping someone safe. Isa liked to think she learned something on top of that water tower six years ago…inside that prison for the years that she was behind bars…but his words made it feel like she couldn’t look out for someone else without expecting a transaction of some sort. It made her wonder if she’d learned anything at all. “If that’s what you want.” Because ultimately his feelings did matter here and she would do what made him comfortable no matter how conflicted she was about it.

Mouth opening to convey false shock, she raised a hand to her chest as if she were ‘clutching pearls’ as they say. “Um, that’s queen geek to you. I may read a few comic books here and there but I’m still cool enough to hang out with you, right?” Her hand fell slowly, confusion seeping back in. If he wasn’t cursed then he wasn’t a lamia like herself. She knew there were other things out there, she’d fought a giant ugly bird with a zombie after all, but she didn’t know what else there was. “Born, not cursed.” Which…could happen to lamia too but she’d already established that wasn’t what he was. “Not lamia but a…” She trailed off, allowing him to finish the sentence.

—--

It didn’t quite seem like Isa believed him, not that there was anything to believe except for the truth but she stopped pushing. Good. Kieran enjoyed her company, however briefly they’d known one another, but not enough for him to suffer through more questions about his emotional state. Her puppy dog gaze was pushing it, though. “You’re broke,” he answered simply, hoping the slightly clipped tone would be enough of a hint for her to drop the ‘caring friend’ act. It was entirely unnecessary.

Luckily, she seemed capable of leaving the doom and gloom of whatever she thought Kieran was supposed to be feeling behind, falling back into the joking atmosphere more fitting for two people who were basically strangers. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty and sly or the comic book thing would have been a real setback,” he told her with a wink. As Isa mulled his words, Kieran risked a glance over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of an eerily familiar face being led through a door to one of the backrooms. He’d heard stories of humans that got brought through there, most importantly that they rarely came back out. The smile on his face turned a touch more genuine as the attention turned back to Isa.

“Lamia?” he parrotted with a scoff of disbelief, shaking his head. If there were lamia out there capable of anything even remotely close to what Kieran could do then a certain shifter had been holding out on him, which he doubted was the case. The bit about curses was new information, though. “Why would you think lamia? No, I’m fae. Think less reptiles, more magical.” No reason to tell her about the deer part - this information was being provided on a need to know basis.

—-

“Ouch.” It was the truth but damn that had been blunt. Isa wasn’t hurt though, couldn’t be hurt by something that she’d come to terms with a long time ago. This was how her life was going to be as an ex con. Jobs were scarce and they used her record as an excuse to not pay her as much…not that Alistair ever did that but the ones before had. “I think I can afford ten dollars for a drink but fine. Nothing for you.” She lifted her chin, nose stuck in the air before he was moving on again, choosing to concentrate on the more playful topic.

Rolling her eyes at his words, she sat back in the booth, relinquishing any thoughts of taking his hand again. It was clear he didn’t want the comfort so she would fully let it go. “For some reason I feel like that’s high praise coming from you. I’ll take it.” Glancing his way, she noticed his gaze was elsewhere, but he was grinning like before. Turning her head, Isa just missed the door to the back room closing. Whatever it had been made him happy and that was good in her book.

Oh, was he offended by that? The few other lamia she had met were proud to be what they were so she couldn’t fathom him not declaring it just like they had. But apparently he was something else entirely. “What is fae? I don’t know what that is.” More magical? Isn’t that what her own ability was? Isn’t that what all lamia were due to a spell? “Sorry, I thought…” She knew what he was and despite not wanting to spread her own abilities around maybe she needed to explain why she was so confused. Fair was fair? She just couldn’t bring herself to say it was her specifically so she compromised. “I just know a lamia who…has a rare ability too. I thought maybe that was what was going on with you.”

—-----

Kieran gave a shrug - hurting her hadn’t been the purpose of the blunt statement, merely a casualty of the mission of getting her to back off. He wouldn’t apologize, worse things had obviously happened to Isa than someone pointing out her financial status and it was reassuring that she didn’t let a single (albeit slightly bitchy) comment get to her. Plus, he had started the night off by buying her a drink. “I’ll get someone I like less with more money to buy me one later,” he said offhandedly, even if he was still unsure another drink was on the menu for tonight. It wasn’t late but it also wasn’t so early that leaving now would be unusual. Maybe checking in on some familiar company tonight was the way to go.

But Isa could have his attention for a little while longer.

It wasn’t too much of a surprise when the word ‘fae’ made people blink dumbly at him, the secret keeping part of their culture quite a big one. Kieran didn’t take it as seriously as many others but it still didn’t benefit him to advertise it. “It’s fine,” he said with a wave of his hand, wondering if he even had the energy to explain fae lore. “Pretty broad subject. Didn’t really dress up like this to sit around teaching, though,” Kieran added with a halfhearted gesture at himself, humming a distracted sound of agreement at her words, the buzzing of his phone snatching his attention. The text was neither urgent nor very important but it was exactly the kind of familiar company he had let his mind wander to. Isa had her perks but he didn’t like the idea of feeding on her and since she couldn’t provide quite the same kind of distraction, Kieran jumped at the opportunity. “Ah, that’s my cue.” He managed to sound at least somewhat apologetic as he stood, offering her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind a rematch. On the off chance you win that one, maybe I answer a few more of your fae questions,” Kieran told her, ready to hurriedly follow the promise that text held before pausing, as if remembering something. “Oh, and this is a fae bar, just so you’re aware. So no saying thank you to anyone, sweetheart.”

#Threads #Thread: Kieran #Games People Play #drug tw #drug manipulation tw

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