petty_dabbler

The little trip to the fae lands had been a success. He'd retrieved the stone, saved the girl, and gotten out without even having to make a deal with Fin. What an idiot. John was so judgmental. He knew in his heart it wasn't fair, and Danny warming to Fin did influence his opinion, but, still. What an idiot.

He'd had a late night at the pub, shaking away the shadow of this last demon. He was walking home, staggering a bit, when something hit him hard. It raced through him lightnign fast, yet he could feel it in every single cell.

"Oh, holy shit," he said, instantly sober. It didn't feel bad, but John had been between worlds enough to know when the fabric of reality shifted.

And the aftertaste on his tongue was Fae.

"Wonder who fucked up," he said to himself, lit a fag, and walked on home.

In the morning he could still feel a residual tingle in his limbs and he didn't like it. He was sure it'd go away, and he'd gotten online and as far as he could tell nothing was different. Politics, music, magic, wars, and whatever the fuck was going on across the pond. Same shit, different day.

And the Next day when he woke up and he still had that bloody taste on his tongue he decided he'd probably better investigate.

He knew two fae in the city. One...he wasn't talking to. Bloody dangerous and John was reckless sometimes but he wasn't a fool.

That left the actor. He still had his number so sent him a quick text.

Beans by St. Bart's 2pm today r u available xxJohn

He figured Fin likely didn't keep his number so he should sign it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

prince_of_nymphs

Fin had never seen this man before in his life, but he offered a polite smile and a wave before heading over.

"Hey," he smiled as he approched- Though the smile faded slightly as he felt- Power. Magic.

Ew. Holy stuff.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, whoever you are and whatever you want- Nope. Not happening."

From:

petty_dabbler

"Oh, just sit down," he said. "The itch goes away and I won't keep you long. I brought you something...but I get the feeling it's not going to mean much to you."

From:

prince_of_nymphs

Fin eyed him with suspicion, then reluctantly sat.

"If it's a cross I'm leaving."

From:

petty_dabbler

John pulled a school photo of a little girl with freckles and braces. She looked maybe 8 or 10.

"Before whatever just happened the other day happened to make you this, you took me to the crystal lakes. Because you helped, she's alive," he said, passing the photo.

From:

prince_of_nymphs

Fin hesitated, then took the photo.

"I took you to the lakes?" he asked. "We're friends or something? Sorry, uh, as you likely suspected, I'm not exactly me anymore."

From:

petty_dabbler

"Oh, we are definitely not friends," he assured him.

This wasnt his first go round with people from other times, worlds, dimensions...the quantum realm. He'd gotten over the shock the first time.

"And I can tell you've got a better handle on what you can do. Is that something that needs to be my business? Or are you all Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather?"

$prince_of_nymphs: (:\)$

From:

prince_of_nymphs

Fin leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"If you're asking if I can remove your flesh with a snap of my fingers, the answer is yes," Fin said, voice soft and soothing. "If you're asking if that's what I intend to do, the answer is no. Whether it is or isn't your business is up to you, but if you think you're going to intimidate me with holy water and hell fire, I suggest you try harder."

Leaning back in his seat, he offered a shrug. "I think it would be a lot nicer for us both if we were friends, don't you?"

From:

petty_dabbler

"I try not to have friends. It keeps the body count down," he replied.

John took a drag and gave him a deeply critical once over.

"Does anyone else know you're different?"

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"Yes," Fin replied simply and plainly, starting to get up.

If they weren't friends, he wasn't going to waste his time hanging out.

From:

petty_dabbler

"And when can I expect the aftershock?" he asked, making no move to stop him. "It was the summer king thing, right? A world shift like this is going to have an aftershock."

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"There's no aftershock," Fin sighed. "No big cosmic changes, nothing most people would even feel. It happens all the time, every day. The Mandela effect, as mortals like to call it. It's done. It's over darling. If you weren't even friends with the other me, you shouldn't have even noticed. ...So either you cared more than you want to say, or you were having wet dreams about the poor fucker. There are no battles here, holy man. Just heartache and slightly altered facts."

From:

petty_dabbler

"That's bollocks," he said as he artfully flicked the butt in the gutter.

"One more thing before I go...do you want me to come take the wards down now that it's done?" John asked. He wiggled his fingers.

"Kept the fae out since he couldn't manage to do it himself."

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"They're your wards. That makes sense, they didn't feel fae. ...No, leave them. I'll take them down when I'm ready. I don't need fae shit while I'm adjusting to my new life," Fin decided.

From:

petty_dabbler

"Fair enough," he said. John pulled out another cig and lit it, then took his coffee and rose.

"Do you know Danny?" he asked since Fin clearly didn't know him. "If you do, maybe text him. He's been sick. Ta."

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"Danny's dating Greg. ...I don't, uh- I don't know him. He's not in the picture in my world."

He bit his lip then.

He'd looked up Danny, and though he hadn't known the name, he'd known the face. ...He might not read the papers but he was on Twitter all the time.

"In my timeline he's dead. ...Killed himself after being accused of murder."

From:

petty_dabbler

John sucked the insides of his cheeks and slowly nodded.

"He didn't do it," he said. "It's his story to tell, but I can assure you he absolutely did not kill Alex."

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"I didn't think Greg would be dating him if he had," Fin assured him.

From:

petty_dabbler

John gave that a think, looked up and off, and finally nodded.

"Fair point," he said.

He tilted his head back down and looked at Fin.

"You're really different," he said. Definitely more dangerous and John was the kind of fucking idiot who couldn't leave danger alone.

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"So I've been told," Fin replied. "Get used to shiny new me, I guess."

From:

petty_dabbler

"I don't suppose I have any choice," he smirked. His eyes glittered with mirth, but the lines on his face, especially the tired cuts around his mouth and eyes, they only served to make him look a bit...mean.

"You want to actually get a drink with me?" he asked, jerking his head to the coffee shop, then looking across the street and nodding to a little pub jammed between a book shop and a real estate office.

From:

prince_of_nymphs

Fin considered him a beat, then checked the time on his phone. He didn't have anything planned today, but John didn't need to know that.

"Yeah, okay, I've got some time, I guess."

If the man got unpleasant, he'd just go.

From:

petty_dabbler

"I think this particular conversation is going to need some beer," he said, gesturing to him and striking out straight into traffic to cross the road. To get to the pub on the other side.

The jokes write themselves, John.

"Fuck off Chas," he muttered to himself.

From:

prince_of_nymphs

"Didn't we just have the conversation?" Fin asked, following along. "What else is there to talk about?"

From:

petty_dabbler

"I want to know a few things about you, mate, and I doubt you want to chat about magic and faeries and Hell on the street, so come on. You said you got a tick," he replied.