Prologue
*Huff* A girl breathed out a cloud of smoke as she lounged lazily among the tree branches that surrounded him. Watching the smoke curl it's way towards the sky she reached towards it, gesturing quickly with her fingers, leaving another trail of smoke as her cigarette got waved around. The smoke slowed before all flowing together into the shape of a bird. It beat it wings and flew around the tree a few times before diving the the branches and leaves.
"*Cough, Cough*, Really Teagan, a smoke bird?" An accusing voice called up.
"Oh don't get your panties in a twist Elliot, s'all in good fun." Came a thick irish voice from the tree dwelling Teagan as she rolled over in the branches, her grin full of mirth. Looking at the teen leaning against the tree below. She chuckled at Eliot's miffed look though she could tell it lacked any real anger, and rested her head on her arms, emulating a certain vanishing cat. "You know what they say, it's all fun and games until someone gets turned inside out."
"You know as well as I do that that isn't how it goes." Eliot sighed taking a drag from his own cigarette.
"Yeah but if we stopped at an eye no one would accomplish anything."
"Fair enough, you freaking psycho." Eliot puffed out a smoke ring.
"HEY!" A voice called from across the field.
It was a tall boy with brown hair and blue eyes that seemed to be taking everything in as if it would disappear any moment.
-~LINE BREAK~-
The anticipation that everything around him would vanish had Quentin holding his breath as he tried to take in everything around him. He marvelled at the large house absolutely bursting with towers, chimneys and gables, roofs and sub-roofs, that main section of the building with its tall clock tower, marked with twenty-four hours in roman numerals. It seemed odd to Quentin that what seemed to be a private home would have a clock tower, let alone need one. Over one of the wings rose what he thought was an observatory was an observatory, it's copper dome having turned green years ago. On the walk up to the house from the lawn were a series or landscaped terraces surrounded by spinery and hedges, and dotted by fountains.
As he looked around Quentin could feel the anxiety grow within him. Was it all going to disappear? Was any of it real to begin with? Looking behind him he couldn't find any sign of where he'd entered, only old, leafy oak trees and an intense forest. A trickle of sweat ran down his back and Quentin noticed something important. It was hot.
Abandoning his bag and heavy overcoat on the grass Quentin took some time to appreciate the weather before noticing another teen not to far from him, lazily smoking and staring into the tree branches.
He seemed about Quentin's age, dressed in a button down, sharp collared shirt. He didn't seem to notice him, just smoking before muttering something to the branches.
"HEY," Quentin Called to the teen, who just looked over to him and raised his chin in acknowledgement. Walking over as casually as he could manage Quentin almost jumped out of his skin when another teen dropped from above the first.
IIt was a pale, athletic girl, with long hair like blood, done in some messy scene style he remembered Julia trying out, and startling green eyes. She was wearing a pair of loose jeans, a grey-green shirt, and, seemingly immune to the heat, a long, black, fur trimmed coat. What caught Quentin's interest, more than her barefootedness, was the cross she wore around her neck, something about it peaked his curiosity.
When he finally reached the pair, Quentin couldn't help but ask the first thing that came to mind.
"So, this is Fillory?" The boy looked at Quentin seriously, before looking over to who Quentin thought was his friend and taking a drag from her cigarette and blowing a smoke ring lazily into the sky.
"Nope," He popped his P. "Upstate New York."
A million questions rushed into Quentin's head in that moment.
"Upstate?"He inquired. "What like Vassar?"
The redhead snorted, almost inhaling her cigarette,smoke puffing out his nose.
"Easy there Teagan," Mocked the boy. "Don't go swallowing that on me."
"Oh Eliot," The now named Teagan smirked. "I'll leave the swallowing to you."
Quentin would have thought they'd forgotten him if the pair hadn't turned back right after their exchange.
"Anyway, now that you're through you need to get up to the House." Eliot took off towards the large building across the lawn, dragging Quentin along with him. Teagan on the chose to stay behind, looking up into the sky, exhaling more smoke.
-~LINE BREAK~-
Teagan sighed as she watched Quentin and Eliot leave. Fillory, that's what Quentin hadn't wanted to know about, his first question, was this Fillory. Teagan cringed at the thought before dropping her cigarette and stamping it out.
"Fuckin' Fillory." She sighed out. Most of the students, and even staff, had read Fillory and The Further, there was something about those books that seemed to draw magicians to them. Even she'd owned a set when she was a kid, alway throwing open closet doors hoping it would lead to a forest instead of just clothes.
Soon enough Eliot was back, making his way across the lawn
A/N
Thoughts? This is my first fic, I can't make many promises because schools crazy but I'll try to stick to it if people like it.