John + Q

[petty_dabbler]

Q was quite talented and continued to impress John at every turn. It was a good thing, because there were days when John felt he could have chucked the boy back in the ocean. Some days everything was a fight. Some days, Q didn't stop eating. Some days John peeked in at him to see him sleeping simply to remember he loved the little shit.

After breakfast, John told Q to get ready for a trip and to bring his warm robes. He gave Q a few minutes before he opened a portal. He brushed off his questions, even when they stepped into a strange land.

The sky was bright blue, the grass ripe and green. A road rolled on before them and a small village was nestled in a valley. Beautiful, but wind tore down from the high, snowy peaks and cut through even the warm robes.

"Let's get to town," he said, patting Q on the back with a cheerful smile in place.

Comments

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

At 13 Q was perpetually in a mood, and today wasn't any sort of exception to the rule. He'd pulled a face at John when the man had said they were heading out, skulking off to get dressed and finally reappearing looking not that different than when he'd left.

"What do you want in town anyway?" he asked. "There's nothing ever new there. Same shit as always."

At some point he'd bent his glasses, and they sat slightly crooked on his face, looking worse when he pushed them back up his nose.

[petty_dabbler]

"They had a banshee move into town when a cairn was disturbed," he said. "I'd been hoping to teach you how to deal with one before now, but this is how it's going to be."

Banshees were always the worst for teenage boys.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"Sounds boring," Q said, lighting one of those new fae cigarettes, the ones rolled in dry leaves.

[petty_dabbler]

"You think everything sounds boring," John said. "Perhaps you'll be surprised."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"Why do we always have to work?" Q asked. "Why do we never go on vacations? I hate working. Why can't I just stay home on my own this time?"

[petty_dabbler]

"We haven't had a job in three weeks!" John said. "Always working. Bah. You'll never be great if you don't practice. Come along," he grumbled.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"God I hate you," Q snipped, grabbing his bag and dragging it behind him as they headed out.

[petty_dabbler]

"I don't know why you need to be so dramatic. Hate me," he chuckled, taking Q's sour mood in stride as they made their way into the sleepy village.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q huffed, but followed. It was a coastal down, and his gaze was immediately drawn to the water, looking out at the ships as they bobbed on the waves. Just the sight of them made his pulse flutter a litt, and it had nothing to do with a desire to sail.

He realized John was speaking again, and forced himself to look away from the sea.

"Huh? I didn't hear you," he said, somehow making it sound like that was John's fault. "Why'd they need us to do this anyhow, 'snot hellspawn. Couldn't a wizard do it?" Q asked.

[petty_dabbler]

John stopped abruptly and looked at him.

"Yes. A wizard," he nodded, then poked him in the chest. "You."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q rolled his eyes.

"I told you, I'm not a wizard," he said. "I don't want to be a wizard. Just learning magic until Captain Bond comes to fetch me. He said he would when I was old enough. Plenty old now. He'll be by any day now."

[petty_dabbler]

"Ah, yeah. The notorious punctuality of pirates," he said, the word dripping off his tongue bitterly.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"Yeah, well... He's probably just busy is all," Q muttered. "Point is, I'm not a wizard. I don't even like it."

Except they both knew that wasn't true. Q loved magic. More importantly, he was a natural.

[petty_dabbler]

"I know. That's why I make you do it. To torture you," John said, chuckling a little to himself.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q huffed, then did something he'd never done before - He saw a bench and just sat down. Just... Sat. A silent, angsty protest.

[petty_dabbler]

John walked a few steps, noticed, and stopped to turn and look at him.

"Rock in your shoe?" he asked, knowing that wasn't it.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q didn't answer though, instead pulling out one of his books and picking it up where he'd left off.

After all, what would John do? Ground him? They lived alone on an island, it wasn't as though he had any fun to miss

[petty_dabbler]

John watched him for a moment, took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Alright. If you think you're ready for that," he said, pulling a talisman that would call the banshee out of his pocket and dropping it in Q's lap.

"I'm going to go get some cake. If you need me...scream," he smiled, turned, and walked into the pub the next door down.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q looked at the talisman and scowled at it, brushing it off and letting it hit the ground.

He made no move to get to work, and the banshee made no appearance. In fact, the next time Q looked up from his book it was getting dark, and there was still no sign of anything.

He looked towards the pub where John no doubt was, then up the path- Where he could see a shadow of a man. Tall, trim... Just a shadow at first- But then it seemed to take form.

"Captain Bond," Q said quietly, his excitement so great it overrode his common sense. Of course it wasn't Bond. Why would he be here of all places, today of all days? Q wasn't thinking though, he was moody, and hungry and tired of being told what to do- So when he saw the temptation, he quickly followed after it.

[petty_dabbler]

John had been sitting so he could see Q through the window- as long as the people at the table by the glass weren't in his way- and he saw when Q rose. John left his coin on the table and dashed out to follow.

His hope was for Q to do this himself, but John could never leave the lad entirely on his own. Not yet.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q followed the man along the path, but everytime he got near enough to get a good look, the being seemed to fade slightly.Not the captain then, but interesting... Not a banshee either it seemed. Was this unrelated?

It led him all the way to an old shack, vanishing through the door rather than opening it. Q glanced around to be sure no one was watching, then followed inside.

"Hello?" he called out. It was a rickety old place, and every creak and crack of the wood it was built from sent shivers down the young wizard's spine. He nearly turned to leave when the being appeared again. It really did look like Bond- At least how Q thought he remembered him. Every day that passed left the memory of the man who'd dragged him from the sea fainter and fainter.

The being, whatever it was, smiled and began to move closer. However, with each step the illusion surrounding the spectral being began to waver, slowly revealing its true, malevolent nature. A sinister grin twisted its features, and its eyes gleamed with a dark, otherworldly energy. Q's instincts once again screamed at him to turn back, but he just couldn't bring himself to run. Instead he raised his hands, ready to cast.

[petty_dabbler]

John had seen Q disappear inside from some distance and had tried to hurry, but by the time he arrived, the door was shut.

He tried to pull it open, only to find it stuck shut.

It was not yet time to panic, so John pressed his ear to the door to listen. If he wasn't needed, he certainly wasn't going to barge in.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

The first few spells Q tried didn't seem to do anything, and in an act of desperation he tried fire next.

It worked, but it was a dry old shack, and the embers quickly caught. Not that Q noticed, he was too busy finishing the creature off.

[petty_dabbler]

Near the shack was the stump of a tree and John sat down to make himself comfortable.

He lit his pipe as he heard the fight inside and when he saw the smoke, he made ready to put the flames out. He didn't, though. Not just yet. Q knew the spell, too.

John blew a perfect ring that drifted higher and higher.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q knew the spell, but when he emerged the shack was still on fire.

When he spotted John, he glared.