This is a challange fic from the BMT forums. Basically we had to write a non-canon pairing fic :D I decided to do two, one to post around Halloween, (Hence the theme for this fic :P) and the second for the original post date. That fic will be one of my SOK fics, so look out for that!
Please tell me what you think of the story, and what pairings you would like to see me do in the future! This one is Akkarin/Lord Finnegan ^_^
Happy Halloween!
Akkarin entered the bright room. This was to be his home for the months to come, whilst he conducted his research into ancient magic. His gaze slid over the furniture. A few candles were positioned around the room on various tables, while comfortable chairs made a good space for entertaining guests. The floor was covered in an exquisitely designed carpet, so soft that when you stood upon it, you felt as if you were falling through the floor. Out of the sunny window, he could see the streets of Capia. People were constantly moving and chatting as they walked along, accompanied by the occasional carriage, each with a different symbol painted carefully onto the side. He smiled softly. No more guild obligations. No more family duties. He was free. The smile grew, and he gave a small laugh. Then he jumped, as a knock at the door broke the serene atmosphere. No matter where he travelled, there was always someone who knew him. He strode over to the door, and turned the handle.
"Hello!" A salesman was standing at the door, one hand on a trolley full of all sorts of strange objects and contraptions.
"I'm sorry, I don't really need anything thanks." Akkarin replied, slowly closing the door in the hope that the man would go away. He absolutely hated door-to-door salesmen.
"But I see you haven't got any Halloween decorations!" The man objected, holding out an odd orange thing, with what seemed to be some sort of face drawn on it. Akkarin stopped for a second. Whilst doing the research for his travels, he had come across the strange tradition of Halloween. From what he had heard, people go around dressed up as scarily as possible, and ask random strangers to give them stuff. Although, he had also heard that if you gave them anything horrid, they sometimes threw eggs at your house. Seeing his hesitation, the salesman launched into full pitch mode. Since Akkarin didn't really want his house to be covered in egg, and the idea of scaring people for fun intrigued him, he soon retreated back inside, with a handful of goodies, and a long list of things to buy in readiness for tonight. He put his equipment down on a nearby table, and started looking through it. His face grew into an impish grin. He was actually starting to look forward to it!
The smell from the store was overpowering as he stepped over the threshold. In front of him, stood a wall of orange... things. Some were oval, some were round, some were weirder then he had ever seen a fruity, vegetable like thing look like before. He strolled up to them to try and catch snippets of conversation from the other customers. At least then, when he tried to purchase one of the things he wouldn't look like a complete idiot.
"What are you going to put on it?" One woman asked her small daughter.
"I'm going to have triangle eyes, a little square nose, and a jagged mouth!" She replied, smiling with pure delight. Akkarin gave a sigh. This wasn't helping at all.
"Can I help you at all sir?" One of the assistants asked him. He knew that there was nothing else for it.
"Yes, I've just come to Capia, and I'm not entirely sure about what to do with pumpkins." There, he'd said it.
"Well sir, first choose a pumpkin. The bigger ones take more time to clean out, but they're easier to carve, and vice versa for the small ones." He could see that Akkarin hadn't got a clue as to what was going on. "Traditionally pumpkins are made to look scary by carving faces in them. You take off the top, scoop out the insides, and then cut out bits to make your face. Then you put candles in the bottom, light them, and put it outside for everyone to see!" The man smiled. "Would you like to see some ones that we made earlier?" Akkarin just nodded, and walked over. The designs seemed to be simple enough, and the scooping would be no problem with a bit of magic...
"I'd like to take these two please." Akkarin used magic to pick up the two biggest pumpkins in the room. The assistant's eyes widened.
"Why certainly sir, let me help you get them in your carriage..."
Akkarin wiped a slimy hand over his forehead, and looked again at the huge pile of stringy orange webbing, full of disgusting seeds that were like wet soap to try and keep a hold of. He looked inside the cavernous hole he had created, and groaned. There was still another pumpkin and a half left to go. He had been at it for at least an hour, his hands hurt, the whole house stank, and he was on his fifth spoon. He had tried to use magic, in the beginning, but he nearly gouged a big hole in the side when he first tried, so he had resorted to using his power only to lift out the gunk once it had been loosed from its holdings on the vegetable's flesh. Then he heard a knocking sound, before running feet and giggling. He sighed, then wiped his hands and face on a cloth.
Reaching the door, he opened it slightly. As he'd expected, there was no one there, and a letter lay on the ground. On the front, it said...
"New person!" Akkarin exclaimed, he once again cast around for the joker, but saw nothing to help him. He closed the door as he headed inside, before ripping open the letter.
Dear the new guy living next door to me
I am very, very good at making my house scary for Halloween. I heard that you are trying to make yours look scary too. I am here to tell you that you can't win. If you do, I'll give you a prize! But you will never beat me! Mwa ha ha!
- LF
P.S. Get off the table
Akkarin set down the letter cautiously, and wondered at the madness of his neighbour. But it was in his nature not to be outdone. With a new determination, he strode into the kitchen, and set to work.
Half an hour later, he dumped the orange stuff in the bin, and started sketching faces onto the skin of his vegetables. When he was satisfied, he quickly and magically cut out the shapes he had drawn, set a few candles into the bottom, and guided them outside. Immediately he spotted his mad neighbours house. It was covered with a huge cloth! Obviously he wanted to hide his secrets for a while longer.
Akkarin chuckled, and went inside to fetch his other decorations. When he came back outside, he heard an odd noise. He turned towards its source.
"Why, hello my dear rival!" The voice was coming from next door; but something wasn't right... "I trust you had my letter?" Akkarin nodded. "Well?" The voice came again, but with a hint of frustration.
"I nodded!" Akkarin protested.
"And you really think that I can see you through this?" The voice had lost its edge, and was rather exasperated. "Why did you nod?" Akkarin chose to ignore that question. The man (he assumed it was a man) sighed. "Well anyway," He continued, "You know of our arrangement."
"Yes," Akkarin replied.
"Well, whoever's house makes people either cross the road to avoid it, or run away the most, wins the prize, okay?" He said, having regained his composure slightly. Akkarin still couldn't work out what was troubling him.
"Okay, but this year, you won't win!" Akkarin stated defiantly.
"They all say that..." The man replied, and Akkarin heard the click of a door shutting. Suddenly, Akkarin realised. The man's voice had been coming from the floor! He chuckled quietly at the images that this revelation conjured up before he turned, and made a start on the witch.
Akkarin was pacing his living room, waiting for the right moment. Looking out of the window, he saw what a difference one celebration can make. Nearly every house was decorated with skeletons, spiders and pumpkins galore. He, not wanting his neighbour to see his work, had covered everything with a cloth. Now, all that was left to do was wait for it to get dark enough, light the candles, and unveil his creation. Then he noticed the old woman across the road lighting the candles in her pumpkin. He rubbed his hands together, and took a deep breath.
"It is time..." He muttered, and strode outside. He willed his mind to find the candles, and lit them one by one, before he whipped off the covers, and threw them inside. He beamed at his efforts. The house truly looked terrifying. Realistic looking heads dripped with fake blood, and spiders contained by invisible barriers, scuttled through the bones of skeletons. He was smiling, up until the point when he saw the mysterious Mr LF's house.
Two screaming men in individual cages dangled from posts in the wall. Fire surrounded the house, but the whole building seamed darker than the rest of the world, as if some black fog had been drawn towards it. Eerie noises came from everywhere, and Akkarin felt himself backing away, not wanting to be near the building that seemed so other worldly. Then a clap of thunder came, at the same time as the sky was lit brilliantly by lightning, illuminating the figure of his neighbour. His hair was set into spikes that were gelled upwards down the middle of his head of an almost luminescent green. He wore a jumper, on which was written the phrase, "Go Team Finnegan!" However, the strangest thing about him by far, was the fact that he was standing on his head. The man cart wheeled over to him.
"So, I think I've won!" The man told him, a triumphant grin on his face. Akkarin gulped.
"I don't even know your name!" Akkarin stood up taller in defiance.
"Lord Finnegan." The man replied, going to hold out his hand then obviously thinking better of it.
"Lord Akkarin" He coughed out, suppressing his laughter at the absurdity of the situation. "How did you decide on the decorations for your house?"
"Decorations?" Lord Finnegan asked, obviously confused. "This is how my house normally looks!" Akkarin blinked a few times in disbelief.
"Can you explain the men in cages?" He asked, trying to regain his composure.
"They committed serious crimes against tables!" Lord Finnegan cried. Akkarin thought it best not to push the issue, never mind being egged, he didn't want to be in a cage.
"The fire?" Akkarin asked, wondering how this could work.
"I get cold." Lord Finnegan replied, shrugging, as if this was normal.
"The general darkness?"
"I like the dark!"
"The eerie noises?" Akkarin was getting quite frustrated with the Magician for having such good excuses.
"Oh, that must be my new pet. She's a mountain lion, but sweet as a kitten really!" He smiled.
"Why did you not do anything special to your house for Halloween?" Akkarin asked. Lord Finnegan shrugged.
"I just like winning, and everyone's so scared of my house anyway..." He trailed off, grinning like a madman.
"Well," Akkarin had to fight to stop himself bursting out into fits of laughter. "I think you win this one!" He then ran inside, before he completely lost his self-control.
"Get off the table!" He heard Lord Finnegan cry after him, just before he collapsed on the floor, howling with laughter.
