DISCLAIMER APPLIES:

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE INCLUDING JULIAN CLARY OR AND LABYRINTHINE CHARACTERS. ALL FLASHBACKS ARE IN ITALICS AND THE LYRICS ARE CHANGED SLIGHTLY TO DIALOUGE FROM THE SONG 'UNCANNY AND UNNATURAL'

Julian

There was once a boy named Julian Star. Julian lived on the edge of the forest. He lived in a small cottage surrounded by flowers and trees. If you followed the trees behind Julian's home that made up the forest, you would see endless trails and exotic flowers. If you followed the path a little farther, you might not notice the dark creeping up or the mist that slowly starts to surround your ankles as you take in all of the fresh, moist, green moss. If you travel a little bit farther, you may or may not notice the thickness in the air or the blackness that engulfs the canopies of the trees. Julian never noticed such things, though. He was to blind to the things around him. One day, Julian didn't notice these things, and something happened. No one saw Julian again, but was it such a bad thing? Before we get ahead of ourselves, let me tell you a bit about Julian and how we got here.

Julian didn't always live on the edge of the forest. At one time, he lived right on the inner streets of the village. He lived with a young man named Jimmy. Jimmy was from Amsterdam. Jimmy and Julian met in the local market one day while shopping for food for their dinners.

FLASHBACK

Two young men walked through the open, airy aisles of the Douta Market in the center of their small English village.

OOF!

Both boys mumbled as they picked themselves up off the ground.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" said Julian.

"No, not at all. Did I hurt you?" replied Jimmy.

"No, I'm alright I think."

"Who are you?" asked Jimmy as he looked at the most beautiful boy he had ever seen across from him.

"I'm Julian, who are you?"

"I'm Jimmy. Pleasure to meet you, Julian…- ?"

"Julian Star, and the pleasures all mine Jimmy…-?"

"Jimmy Clary."

The two young men, barely of age, started to walk down the aisles. Julian turned to face Jimmy.

"So what is a handsome boy like your self doing shopping in a camp little market on this lovely day?"

"Handsome? Thank you. Camp? Agreed. I'm picking up some things for my mother. I am visiting her at home tonight, I'm picking up the eggs and stuff. How about your self?"

"Oh, um, I'm picking up some vegetables for some Karelian Stew."

"Wow, your mother must be a good cook. That is some hard stuff to make."

"Not really. I need a bit more parsley and oregano, but I can get that in the forest. Maybe some mint leaves for the power mincing."

"Hmm, you seem to know a lot about cooking, your mum teach you?"

"Um, I don't have a mother, actually. I live alone."

"How old are you?" Jimmy could tell he was young.

"17," Jimmy stared at Julian in disbelief.

"And you live on your own?" Jimmy watched as Julian started to tear up, "I'm sorry, Julian. Please don't cry."

"I'm fine," Julian replied, drying his eyes, "I just have no one to talk to. You are the first person I've talked to in months."

"Well, where do you live?"

"I have a small cottage on the edge of the forest surrounding town."

"Maybe I could stop by? Or you could stop by my home, I live alone as well."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 19, no where near as young as you."

"Why do you want to visit?" Julian was suddenly nervous, maybe this Jimmy was just like all the other punters in town who didn't like Julian.

"Sometimes it's nice to have some one to talk to."

Julian smiled, "Yes, Jimmy, I think I would like that…"

END FLASHBACK

Julian and Jimmy spent almost everyday together. For months they visited back and forth. After a few weeks of traveling the long distance between their houses, Jimmy grew a bit confident and asked Julian to move in with him. Julian was thrilled and accepted immediately. They had many good laughs together. One night, as Julian cooked dinner for them, Jimmy started a kind sort of banter between the two. This banter would be the start of the rest of their lives.

FLASHBACK

"Julian?"

"Yes, Jimmy?" replied Julian as he stirred the stew that was brewing over the stove.

"What would you do if I call you affectionate?"

"I'll kiss you on the cheek," Julian laughed and Jimmy continued his banter.

"If I call you electric?"

"I'll give you quite a shock."

"If I call you subservient?"

"I'll be right down on my knees."

"If I call you unhygienic?"

"And I'll give you VD…" Jimmy looked shocked until Julian started to laugh.

"Hmm, If I call you merciful?"

"I'll give you one more chance."

"If I call you hypnotic?"

"I'll swing from side to side."

"If I call you well developed?" Jimmy stood up and slowly started to move towards Julian, who was facing the stove.

"And I'll let you feel my muscle," Julian's sentence came out a bit breathless as Jimmy pulled his lithe body into Julian's body. Julian told Jimmy when they first moved in that he was gay, but Jimmy didn't seem the type. Jimmy whispered in Julian's ear from behind him, now –

"Something strange was noticed as I peered into your prime…"

A breathless Julian replied:

"Uncanny and unnatural, that's what I am."

"I know, my Julian, you are, and that is what I love about you…"

"Jimmy, I – "

"Don't, just let me love you…"

END FLASHBACK

And he did. Julian Star was loved by Jimmy Clary, and that was that. No one said a word when the two men were around, but they all started to talk once they left the market or the local shops.