Echoes: A Lostgirl Fanfic
Chapter 2: Fruit of the Fae
I lay on my bed, and stared up at the ceiling. My breaths were short, goosebumps rising and falling on my skin. My body was eating itself again, my muscles gnawing at me. It was a state I was used to by now. The hunger gave me an edge. I could hear Kenzi's socked feet tip toeing towards the door, and threw my arm over my face.
"Don't jump on me."
"Or what?!" She did it anyway and I rolled over just in time. Bouncing onto my sheets with a growl she pawed at my back and I let myself fall off the bed.
"Seriously Kenzi." Closing my eyes I tried to control my breathing.
"Calm down succubeast, you told me to remind you that you have that thing today."
"What thing?" She climbed down and sauntered over to the doorway.
"You know, that magical fairy dress you need for that Fuck Festival full of the most powerful fae in all of faedom that can zap you dead if they don't like the way you look, or if you talk-"
"I got this Kenzi. I'm not gunna fuck it up." I was on my feet in seconds.
"...you know who's really stylish and should come along for this adventure?"
"If you say Dyson, I'll kill you. Painfully."
"No! I was talking about moi! When was the last time we did something fun together huh? Also, enchanted fae dresses? I'm so down."
I opened my mouth to say no, and then I rethought my position. I would enjoy her company, and we'd just be going to visit a garment fae, a friend of Tricks. What could possibly go wrong?
"Alright. But at the first sign of weirdness you're outta there, no questions asked. K?"
"Yes ma'am! Weee!" She hugged me and then took off, no doubt to put some sort of crazy outfit together. I opted for a t-shirt and jeans, easy to take off, just in case.
"So where we goin'?" Kenzi leaned out of her bedroom door in just her skivvies as I grabbed my favorite sword. Disguised as a walking stick, it was a birthday gift from my favorite blood sage. I kept my eyes on it instead of her.
"The meat-packing district." Swinging the sword around I enjoyed the killer music of its blade through the air.
"Haha very funny."
"What were you expecting?" I sheathed it and slid the stick across my back, then did my stretches.
"Oookay, machete purse it is."
"Let's go."
It was cold, and my chi did not like it one bit . Watching my breath billowing out in front of me I could almost feel my strength drain away, floating off into the ether. Hopefully this fae wouldn't want any trouble.
"Smells like we're here." Kenzi turned her nose up as we slid out of the car, stepping onto the wet sidewalk. Just ahead of us trucks were docking, and burly men in plastic aprons threw carcasses back and forth to each other.
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"Trick said to find a dusty door..." I looked around, realizing that we were surrounded by less-than-pristine entrance ways.
"Well then we're in luck aren't we? Which one do we get chopped up in first?"
"Just keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual, and keep it down." We didn't exactly have a chance at espionage being two hot girls in a street that could double as a sauna with all the repressed sexual energy. I stopped abruptly and Kenz ran into me.
"Oof!" I caught her before she hit the ground and stood her right side up.
"Stay close." Grabbing her hand I headed for the part of the street that wasn't running at a 10 on the randy scale.
"I can still taste your jacket. I think I'm good."
"Check it out." I jerked my head in the direction of an ancient shop front with no name, just a rotting metal ball of yarn and a pair of scissors as a logo.
"Hey ladies!" The beefy butchers noticed us all at once and I tried to set my face to 'ultra bitch', but it didn't seem to work very well.
"Yes! Yes! Very good! No english!" Kenzi whisked us through and we dove for the safety of the awning.
"In!"
Panting, we stood in a dimly lit lobby, where a girl with a lot of ink and a rather awesome updo manned a puke-green desk.
"Do you have an appointment?" She didn't look up from her phone, and I really hated when people did that.
"Yes. I'm Bo." I ran my fingertips across the back of her hand just because I could, then texting was the last thing on her mind.
"Oh yeah, you're the succubus right?" Her face melted into a sultry smile and I bit down involuntarily.
"Mama's in the back...but you should stay here for a little while." The slim ring that curled around her lip moved up and down as she spoke, sending me into a trance.
"We're kind of in a hurry." Kenzi hit me, and dragged me through a set of plastic drapes and into a sewing room straight out of the 1800's. Everything was pastel and gold-trimmed, and my gag reflex was just not prepared to handle it.
"Excuse me, do you ladies have an appointment?" An old crone wrapped from head to toe in a cream-colored muu muu appeared from behind the couch. As she got closer I saw that her eyes were the same shade of beige. No pupil, no iris, lots of creepy.
"Uhm yes, I'm Bo, Trick's friend." I tried to smile. "And this is Kenzi, my human."
"You may call me Uttu." Wringing her papery hands she advanced on me. "Fitzpatrick...how is he nowadays?"
"Good! Verrry excited for the Festival."
"Hmm." Uttu folded her hands behind her back, and got extremely close to my face. I forced myself not to recoil. In the milky pits of her eyes I saw more and more eyes reflected back at me, stacked on top of each other. I swallowed a gasp. After a minute she stepped away, giving me a glance-over from a far more comfortable distance.
"You're tough, and foolish. I like you." Uttu announced and I grinned. "However, I cannot make you a garment. Not for free anyway."
"Ohhh of course not." Kenzi piped up and I stepped in front of her, ready to take a hit. Instead the old lady just clucked at Kenz and shook her head at me.
"I will prepare all of your garments for the Festival, I will make you a dress that will force the very Ancients to snap their necks to catch a glimpse of you, but in return I need you to find something for me. A most precious item of mine, it has been stolen."
Putting my hands on my hips I got ready for the same old song and dance routine.
"Alright, tell me more about this precious item." Now her hands went into overtime, moving so fast they were a blur.
"...one of my needles was taken from me, by a slave boy no less. He can't be trusted to care for it, and it will be broken under his boorish control. They are the source of my power, and irreplaceable. You must save it from that fool!" The muu muu suddenly blazed blood red for a sec and Kenzi whistled.
"Memaw is not happy." She whispered and the garment fae seemed to calm herself, dialing back on the terror alert level.
"Why can't you just...get it back yourself?" There was always a reason. They just could never ever get their 'precious' whatever themselves.
"His owner is of the Order, and it would not be looked upon well if I were to say, dismember the boy in my search for the needle."
"Oh yeah, I worry about that all the time." I replied but she didn't even twitch.
"They will be here only until the end of the Festival, and then my needle will be lost forever. You must help me succubus."
"I might look into it. Got any more info for me on this 'slave boy' who took your stuff?"
"I only know that to have snuck into my home and taken one out from right underneath my nose...he must be a very talented boy indeed."
"Or just really lucky." Kenzi announced and I coughed. Great. I always picked the best ones.
"Okay, I will do my best to return what was stolen to you." Uttu's hands came to an abrupt stop.
"Then it is a deal. Do I have your word?" She offered one up and I shook it.
"Quite a...grip you got...there." I bit out, feeling the bones in my fingers turn to dust thanks to grandma's iron grasp.
"Now come with me. It is time to dress that sinful body of yours."
"Blech." Kenzi feigned vomming while I followed Uttu through the room. She stopped in front of a beautiful partition, gleaming turqoise and silver fabric stretched between dark wood.
"Face me, and off with those abominations on your feet."
"Hey! I picked those out for her."
Uttu glared at me, her infinite eyeballs narrowing.
"Is your human always this out of control?"
"I don't believe in domestication." I replied, unzipping my boots and putting them aside.
"Hmph." As she stopped in front of me she put her hands on my shoulders, and then ever so casually reached for the gold-rimmed glasses around her neck with a third fucking arm.
"Whoa!" I almost jumped back.
"Relax child, I am a seamstress after all." Then right before my very eyes her muu muu started expanding like someone was pumping her full of helium. Whipping my sword out at light speed I snatched Kenzi and took an offensive stance.
"No harm will come to you from me or mine." Uttu's voice was high and squeaky now, ratcheting up like a broken cassette while more and more arms popped out her back. Then her head split in half, and her eyes within eyes took over her face as fangs popped out.
"Oh...my...motherfuck!" Kenzi's breath was hot and panicked in my ear but I put my sword away, and gently pushed her to the side.
The giant off-white spider that had been Uttu rolled happily on its bottom, chortling.
"Exquisite work requires an exquisite form." Now her voice was even eerier, echoing in several pitches, but I didn't sense any true danger.
"Alright, lets get started then." I took my spot in front of the partition and struggled not to shudder as several spider arms came at me, measuring my shoulders and bust with disgusting precision.
"You will be the belle of this fae ball my dear."
"Looks like my clothes will have to do the talking for me." I grumbled just a little bit, but Kenzi still hadn't recovered enough from the whole old lady doubling as an arachnid thing to offer up any lucid thoughts. As Uttu did the rest of my measurements I stood stock still, wondering how this was all gunna go down. Was I scared? Maybe. But no one seemed to be very forthcoming with the details about these 'ancient' fae. Granted, there was still a lot I didn't know about my world, but this seemed important. Sensing my unease, the spider spoke up.
"They're a stuffy bunch, but they mean well. Most of them. You know how us old people get."
Hearing a spider giggle was mentally added to my list of Things to Never Experience Again(tm) as I stood there. Kenz was turning as green as the front desk as she sat on the floor, rocking back and forth.
"One as lovely as you has nothing to fear. For all their faults, the Order does appreciate its fine art."
"If I click my heels together three times will your magic hoo-ha also save me from this nightmare?" Kenzi came back to in the rudest possible way and Uttu clucked again, inspiring the human to scream as one of eight bony legs moved her out of my space.
"You should really keep better company dearie." She stated, and then webbing shot out from her face and promptly turned me into a succu-pillar, wrapping me up all the way to my throat in heavy gooey-ness.
"I'll keep that...in mind." I choked out.
"Hmm, yes. No. Not that color." She was poking my cocoon and following each of the nearly invisible threads, reading me like a book of braile.
"That'll do nicely." A pair of purple scissors so big they looked fake came zooming at me. It cut me loose on its own while Uttu shuffled off to the other end of the room, pulling a few long lengths of ribbon out of thin air. The piles of webbing at my feet jumped up next, molding themselves into pants, a shirt, a beautiful pair of leather boots, and other items.
"Ack! No peeking!" A spider claw whacked me in the hand and I pulled it away, watching blood roll down my fingers.
"My apologies. I just hate it when surprises are ruined." A thick shiny glob of spider spit landed on my new wound, closing it right up as Uttu packaged all my things together at the same time.
"Its all good." I managed, trying to keep my tone even. That hurt.
"Take these, and remember your promise to me Bo." I accepted an expertly gift-wrapped bundle from her, and watched her revert back to her more wrinkly self.
"Thank you." I said, looking into her eyes. "I won't forget our arrangement."
"I will see you soon enough then succubus. And next time, leave the human in its crate please." I pinched Kenzi as her 'oh no you didn't' switch flipped and she turned her glare on me.
"Yup. See ya! Thank you!" I bid her adieu, pushing my bestie back into the lobby before she could sucker punch an old lady. The front counter girl stared at us and suddenly there was only one thing on my mind.
"Can you hold this for me?"
"No! Bo-"
"Just a sec..."
Kenzi growled but looked away anyway.
"So do you get a lunch break?" I asked as I casually approached the back of the counter.
"Not usually..." Her voice trailed off at my touch and though I would have loved to have stayed and had some fun Kenz was definitely reaching her maximum stress limit. I was gunna have to make it short and sweet.
"Aww, that's too bad." Taking her lips in mine I tasted fae. I wasn't sure what kind, but I got a distinct flowery sensation.
"Mmmm."
"You're now crossing into sit-down restaurant territory, come on Bo."
"See you later cutie." I gave her a quick kiss and we were off again.
"How could you do this to me?! You KNOW how I feel about spiders!" Kenzi wigged out as soon as we got back outside.
"Look I didn't know she was gunna go all Peter Parker on us alright? And you asked to come along, by the way."
"Yeah but..." She did the ultimate creep-out dance and then she was good. Or at least I thought she was until she grabbed my arm.
"Bo, have you thought this out? What if that needle is with one of these higher ups? How the hell are you supposed to get anything out of them?"
"Well actually I think I know who might have been able to pull it off." Unlocking my phone I headed for my contacts, where of course he'd put his name in followed by a broad smiley and a heart. Hitting dial I waited.
"Stay away from gingers Bo. Gingers are bad news bears." Kenzi leaned against a wall while the phone rang. He didn't pick up and I chose not to leave a message. He wouldn't be able to avoid me at the Festival for long. It wasn't like he blended in well. The question was what the hell a fortune spirit wanted with a sewing needle.
"We'll drop these off and then we should pay Trick a visit."
"Hooooooch!" Kenz went into her zombie strut and managed to keep it up all the way up to the car. Now that I was satiated my bitch face worked just fine.
The Dal was nearly empty when we strolled in, save for Dyson. It seemed like he was always here.
"Hey there." Trick greeted us, his face set into serious lines.
"Whats up? Wanna hook us up with a couple brewskies?"
I downed half my glass while he tapped his fingers against the bar.
"So, are you...ready for the festival?"
"Mmm," Pausing, I swallowed another huge gulp before I put my beer down. "If by that you mean did I meet with your friend with the arms, then the answer is yes.
"How did it go?" He leaned towards me,
"Oh you know, she took my measurements, we had some girl talk..."
"Bo."
"She also made me promise to get one of her needles back. Apparently they're pretty important to her." Trick slammed his palm down, then rubbed what was left of his hair.
"I knew this would happen. You can't get involved."
"Well I've got a bag full of enchanted clothes that say otherwise."
"But-" He sputtered, reaching out to clean a glass aggressively. "...I just don't think its a good idea Bo."
"Too late now, I've got to at least see if I can do anything for her." Draining the rest of my beer I got started on another one immediately, then sighed.
"I should probably get back and check out my new duds like a responsible succubus, but I just don't wanna." Melting into the counter top I left my cheek on it for awhile, until Trick hit me with a cold towel to the face.
"What?!"
"You're to meet me here on the day of the festival, bright and early, before sunrise." He leaned toward me. "Wear your riding gear, but pack the rest. And please don't, how shall I say, 'do your thing', with any of Uttu's designs. She takes that very very personally."
"Alright, I'll try to keep Kenzi's paws off." I whispered, looking right at my bff and smiling.
"...you might want to find Vahn one more time before the festival." Trick looked down at the ground while he mumbled that out and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm already working on that, but thanks for the reminder." Taking a final sip of delicious alcohol I got to my feet.
"Come on Kenzi, its closing time for us."
"You got it sister." She pounded a final shot and then we were on our way.
"Bo," She started as we got into the car. "...what's your real motivation for doing this?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's no way you'd promise some crazy old spider-lady you'd get her shit back from a compound full'a super super humans just for some new evening wear."
"I think I've done crazier for less."
"Bo, BoBo, come on, its me. Gimme the goods babe."
"I don't know...I just want to show them that there are no "lesser" fae in our world. They may be older than me, but that doesn't mean they're better than me. I should still be respected, and I deserve to speak damnit."
"There's my girl." Kenzi patted my back as we pulled into the driveway and I stared at her.
"...so you think I'm right?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh yes. You're definitely right. But right and breathing are two different things."
I groaned at her response, throwing my purse down in the kitchen.
"Let's just get a look at this 'evening wear' I'm putting my neck on the line for."
"Ooh! Ooh! Am I allowed to touch it?!"
"Hold on, the fae are insane and we know this. Let me open it first." Grabbing the thick yellow ribbon Uttu had settled on I gently worked it loose, and as the wrapping fabric fell away I gaped at the contents.
"Oh my holy spiders." Kenzi held her hands over her mouth as I picked up a blue shirt that was cut perfectly, the sleeves flaring a bit at the wrist.
"Well well well, maybe it'll be worth it?"
"Oh yesss." She reached out for the shirt and I handed it over.
"I sure hope so."
a/n: