Recyclable Ranting:
One of Elaine's suitors was soon introduced to Konstantin by Wyatt when he rudely entered. His hardy attire and dismissive way he treated his servant. Didn't sit right with anyone as a stranger from the closed door.
"Get lost. Carlock," Wyatt spoke with a twitchy eyebrow, "Father broke off the engagement after the way you treated my sister.
"Like I care," He threw his outer wear at his servant, "Where is she? I have news to inform her."
When he saw the famed detective and doctor at the end of the bar sharing drinks in a casual manner. He smirked to himself thinking his title and weight came with it. Would surely scare off Konstantin and Dr. Faust after introducing himself.
"He's done." Goleon whispered.
"20 Konstantin or Dr. Faust scare him off." Dera whispered to Goleon.
Wyatt was glad his niece and nephew took the hounds dog park then around this snob right now. Who didn't catch either of their eyes of Konstantin or Dr. Faust when he approached them. Even when he coughed to gain their attention failed him. Left him to notice what they were drinking with a side glass.
"So, How can I get you three tosses to the wind to share a bed with me?" He aimed his question at Serenity, "Your clothes would look lovely on the floor of my bedroom."
She had to put her glass down when she tried to not choke laughing at his line as Konstantin sips his. Down went his glass on the bartop when he felt a heated breath on him. Making him feel like he was in the presence of arrogance and ignorance.
"I don't think you can handle what we're drinking." Serenity turned attention to the bottle.
Labeled on a green frost- looking bottle read Rebel's Rum with a pirate flag slapped on the front. Cork had long since been removed by Wyatt to share with Konstantin and Dr. Faust.
"I am the son of a council member and soon to be appointed Duke to house of Moonsail," He harsher tapped the bartop, "I don't need to be told by a woman what not to do."
Wyatt barely poured him a glass agreeing with Dr. Faust that only a chosen few can drink this rum. Got him the middle finger from being snatched up and gulped down. Followed by him struggling to catch his breath as he set glass down.
"Told you." Serenity and Wyatt informed him.
"Whatever business you have with Miss. Elaine," Konstantin finally spoke, "Ends. Your disrespectful manner and way you treat people gives me indigestion of the worst kind. Leave."
Person struggled to talk when his throat burned and swore he saw Konstantin's eyes shift. Color and shape of his eyes become inhuman, scaring him. Followed by disembodied voices that sounded like torturing souls. Had his screaming at his servant as he left shouting his time with Elaine were done. Leaving the same way he entered with door slamming behind him. Locks sliding into place by themselves as Wyatt laughed.
"Remember me," Wyatt poured himself a glass, "Next time serve up a rum with a choosy effect."
"I regret to apologize," Konstantin couldn't finish his drink, "I wasn't lying about the indigestion."
"One cup of ginger tea." Dera joined them.
He was warned about the blend still brewing while reminding to not burn his tongue. Had his noticing Elaine currently was since he hadn't seen her since their arrival. Wyatt pulled an opened envelope with a broken wax seal before him. Symbol on the seal has Konstantin forgetting about his tea.
"How did she get involved with Witch of Chances?" Konstantin asked not to like the sight shown to him.
"A deal our great-mother started," Wywatt explained, "Female heirs must adhere to her summons when she looks for a candidate."
"For What?" Serenity asked not like how the mood shifts.
"Her successor." Wyatt and Konstantin answered.
"Witch of Chances or Splinters is a role granted to a selected few with powers and abilities …that rival the old gods ..." Konstantin reached toward the envelope.
He would have gone on if Elaine didn't come through the back door with a covered basket. Everyone was staring at her as she closed the backdoor.
"Is everyone ok?" She stood in place.
"They know." Wyatt answered her.
"Oh," Elaine was relieved, "I told her no and looked somewhere else."
"There is always a but." Serenity guessed.
"I still had to participate in this year's competition with a friend for the door prize of my choosing." She added.
"Being?" Konstantin asked.
"In her competion," She looked up, "I set my terms."
Her owl came flying to her shoulder with one of her father's encyclopedias on magical artifacts. She strokes his feathers as she walks over to them at the bar. Her brother accepted the basket as she set the book down. She whispered to the tome's spine before pages flipped open and turned themselves. Stopping at a page that spoke of two keys with special effect.
"Heavenly Dawn and Hellish Night?" Wyatt and Serenity read the names.
That's when the miniature carasuol started to come to life from its new resting spot.
8*8
Konstantin never thought in the living world he would meet a woman like Elaine. She reminded him of both his sister and mother in ways he never seen. Adventurous and stubborn with a mixture of graceful lady- like qualities. Her use of magic from a mixed heritage was almost like his own. How he found himself sitting beside her at the dog park. He came with her when she needed to bring Awara out for a few hours.
"I've only ever had Dr. Fruast to share this secret," He tried to explain, "Never thought of having someone else to speak with on the topic …"
He calmly breathed when Elaine just quietly waited for him to gather himself with no hurry. Way she patiently showed him to open up was quite remarkable. She was always interested in what he had to say with so many questions. Way her eyes sparkled when they spoke about the same subject. Becoming one of his favorite features of her, he liked about her.
"Take your time," She assured him, "Ok?"
Her gloved hand was taken up by his own gloved one in careful manner to draw upward. Finding himself kissing the back of her gloved hand without a care. What made her owl start to seek affect from him. By crawling onto his clothed shoulder with a head nuzzling his bond ponytail.
"Hello to you as well." He welcomed the affectionate feathered friend.
"He's never done with anyone outside the family," Elaine watched, "He's always screeching at men that try to court me."
"Have we forgotten I am not normal?" He reminded her.
"I adore that." She moved closer to him.
Awara soon whined loudly to get them to give him some kind of attention. Would take place with his leach being reattached to his harness by Elaine. They didn't return to Konstantin's apartment or her family's bar. He took her through a series of public transportation and a taxi ride. To a church that held a carved stone statue of archangel Micheal holding a lamb.
"Most hurt when he had to do the impossible," Elaine spoke of a moment Konstantin knew, "Fight his own brother while watching him be cast out."
"Something along those lines." Konstantin's face went blank.
He ended up telling her what his father told him about the event in detail with Awara listening. Detail alone made Elaine quietly look at the statue. Her owl now perched on his shoulder didn't seem bothered about the tale.
"Still," Elaine said with a single thought, "Makes me think, does he miss them?"
He ended up drawing her close to him since she was allowed to hold his offered arm, and stand next to him. Kissing the side of her head when reminded him more of home.
"You're so warm
And soft
And beautiful
I do not understand
How the world
Is not in love with you." His way of sharing how he was coming to view her.
"Between seas, galaxies, and moons
I am lucky
I stepped on the same land
I dreamed under the same stars as you." She answered back.
Awara happily wagged his tail while Elaine's owl took on a droopy look with his top eyelids slightly lowered. How the rest of the day was already swr for them as they stood there before the statue. Since he didn't see this happening when asked by her to come run errands with her. He was finding quite a change from being in his apartment just researching.
"Can you take more than one person with you?" He brought up a subject she was still sorting.
"Yes," She knew where he was going, "Why are you asking? I don't want to inconvenience you any further."
"I am flattered you want to return me home," He recalled her excused for set to keys to the afterlife, "I was never one to sit on the sidelines."
The rest of their time before they returned to Bloodsaw Bar to find Fenrir snuggled up to Vones. He looked a lot happier to be reunited with her after some time. Awara was released from his leash to be allowed to cuddle with the rest of the pack.
"He's fitting in quite well," Corbeau spoke from his place on the ground, "Welcome back."
"Still drugging the Hodag." Konstantin noticed the grogginess of the hound.
"Magebane poison." Corbeau stated.
Elaine ended up having Corbeau help her with her basket since Hepzibah was helping Dera and Goleon. Konstantin busied himself with a wooden box of bottled poisons. Each one had a handwritten label pasted to the front or tag tied to the neck. Carefully sat out of reach of the hounds and were packed away to keep from cracking.
"Something interesting about my collection?" Wyatt's voice turned his head.
"These are yours?" Konstantin was shocked.
"Each one I collected from apothecaries, troll market, and an odd stall or two," Wyatt asked him, "Why?"
"Does Dr. Faust know?" Konstantin asked, getting defensive.
"We've shared each other's pasts in full detail," Wyatt revealed, "Doesn't change how I see her or feel about her."
Wyatt's point waved at Konstantin from the stairs behind him fixing her tie. She wore a slight blush on her face with her hair slightly moist and trench coat missing.
"Am I missing something?" Serenity noticed a tension between Wyatt and Konstantin.
"Someone discovered the poison collection's actual owner?" Elaine walked by.
"I'll see you later?" She asked Wyatt.
"Hmm." Wyatt reached out.
He was careful in pushing a standard loose piece of her hair out of her face. They looked at each other for a second before he pulled away demanding inventory lists, and latest cleaning duties. Leaving Serenity to join Konstantin when his attention was still taking in the poisons before him.
"Just … so you know," She addressed her conversation with Wyatt, "He spent the better part of the day talking me out of 'visiting' Carlock."
"Having myself agreeing with him isn't what worries me." Konstantin slammed the box that held poison shut.
"Didn't we cover the hodag being drugged?" Hepzibah asked Corbeau.
"I think teens have access to them." Corbeau pointed out.
"Are we or our uncle in trouble?" Hepzibah asked Konstantin.
Elaine defuses the situation by having her teens take hounds up stairs to be groomed. Up she picked the wooden box she handed to Goleon to put away in the basement.
"My brother keeps them since traditional sedatives and other drugs are too expensive to buy, on the black market. When used at the RIGHT dosage when treating patients without overdosage," She pointed out, "You already know he only kills unless the right circumstance calls for it."
Serenity quietly stared at Konstantin with her eyes widened at him from the bartop.
8*8
Quiet treatment Wyatt started giving Konstantin got botnersome after a few days. Way he was left to pour his own drinks to being sat away from the bartop.
"Did Serenity tell you how I met her?" Konstantin's voice made Wyatt freeze.
"Yes," Wyatt whispered, "Quite a tale."
Two were found by Serenity laughing much later in the day being friendly to each other. Elaine passed her inviting her to join in and share a drink.