Possibly because of this jerk and his extremely complicated order... he in fact has a list with the exact specifications and is holding up two baristas.

...that's a rather long and specific list of things. Huh.

If it helps anything. It doesn't look like the guy is happy about it. Even when he sends one of the drinks back because the strawberry syrup was supposed to be added after the caramel syrup. He looks at his wristwatch a lot.

But after an eternity he finally pays and leaves in a hurry. He drops the list, well within Kaede's reach.

Curiouser and curiouser. She grabs the list.

It is really a rather long and specific list of things, isn't it.

She leaves the queue and steps outside and looks around to make sure no one's looking then raises her eyepatch so it's not covering her eye anymore and the world gets a blue tint and she looks—

There he is. He isn't a fae, but there are signs of fae magic on him.

Curiouser and curiouser.

She lowers her eyepatch again and the blue tint is drained from the world, everything looks normal again. She finds a hidden enough spot and blends into it—not invisible, merely hard to notice—and starts following him.

He goes to a park and starts walking around a tall oak in a wide spiral. So wide that people that aren't paying attention wouldn't notice the behavior. After he has circled around the tree a third time he... she is not exactly sure what happened, but he isn't there anymore.

Look around again, lift the eyepatch—

There is a trail of magic folding upon itself in a weird way, probably a portal of some kind.

Hmm... She's not about to walk in uninvited, nope. She grabs a pair of shades from her bag and puts them on in lieu of the eyepatch and waits.

Starbucks boy is out again. Before he was walking quickly, now he is just a tad away from running.

Following again!

Subway run! The order is about the same level of complicated! At some point they have to figure out how to fit that many pickles in a single sandwich.

She walks up to him, lets the glamour fade, and taps him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I know, but my bo-" He looks her up and down. "Can I help you?"

"No, can I help you? You seem like you'll have trouble with all that."

"Me? Don't worry. I have been doing this my entire life."

"Your entire life, really. Well, let me help lift your burden for just today. Don't worry, I don't want anything in exchange for the favour."

"Don't you now?" he says a bit skeptically.

"No I don't. And let's not leave them waiting," she says, nodding towards the clerk, "you have quite an order."

"Indeed I have." And he turns back to pay attention to it. "Call me Peter Darling, by the way. What should I call you?"

"I am Kaede. A pleasure to meet you."

"I would say likewise, if I wasn't in so much of a hurry," Peter says paying for his purchases and not taking a beat before walking briskly out of the door.

She follows him.

"All your life? Really? That can't be healthy."

"Not literally, just since I was like... maybe ten? In many ways it was a very healthy life. A lot of time spent outdoors and full of physical activities like running."

"Hmm. Why?"

"It is only fair," Peter says bitterly.

"Fair to whom?"

"Good question! I am certain I don't remember signing any agreement. Not that I'd expect anything better if I had. I sure hope my hometown is prospering because of the little trade."

"Prospering? ...are you part of some changeling agreement or something?"

"Yup. Granted, I actually don't think the place got the privilege of raising a fairy child of their own."

"Fairy? Of course it's fairies, couldn't be anything else," she sighs. "—you're also awfully trusting of a one-eyed stranger."

"I'm kinda curious what your deal is and it's not like I have many mostly-human folks I can talk about it with."

She laughs. "What my deal is? I like helping people, that's my deal."

"Yeah. With fair folk things are never just something."

"Says Peter Darling. Met many flying boys lately?"

"Oh, you caught the reference. Well, for certain definitions of 'boys', the answer is yes. But how about you? Do you have a story?"

"Perhaps, but that I'm not sure I should share."

"Whatever." They have reached the park and Peter starts circling around. "Are you planning on following me? I wouldn't recommend it."

"Yeah, not without an invitation. Do you only leave for errands?"

"No, as long I don't, like, try to run away or stay too late."

"How late is too late?"

"It used to be 'when the last rays of sunlight touch the leaves of the mighty oak' but I talked them up to midnight like fucking Cinderella. It did wonders for my social life."

She looks at the sun. "When are you free today?"

"Possibly in about... thirty minutes maybe one hour."

"I'll be sitting on that bench over there," she says, pointing.

"Cool, see you later then." He winks.

She grins but doesn't wink because honestly with the eyepatch that's the same as blinking.

Half an hour later she's there, waiting.

And forty four minutes later here is a sudden not-so-lost-boy! ...In a very nice tuxedo and holding a large bouquet. "Hi, the suit wasn't my idea."

"—whose idea was it?"

"Dear Kind Sweetness. My adoptive sort-of-mother."

"Did you imply this was a date, then?"

"Actually, yes. So she wouldn't keep me in for the night or something."

"You still do have to return by midnight, though, I presume?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this outfit turned into a pumpkin then. Granted, that would be the least concerning thing about the situation."

"Let's be sure to deliver you back here before midnight, then. Is there anywhere to eat you don't have work associations with?"

"Sure. And I usually tip folks well enough that they don't mind me. And there is nothing more sympathetic than 'my boss is really picky'."

"Then I'm sure you'll be better than me at finding a place where we can talk undisturbed."

"Of course." He leads them to a technically-not-a-hole-in-the-wall that smells delicious. He orders two of "the usual #3" which is literally the official name in the menu.

She raises an eyebrow at the choice.

"Trust me, it's pretty good. So, do you plan to share more about your mysterious self?"

"Perhaps, but knowledge is power, and so far all I know is that you were kidnapped by fairies, which is not a whole lot more than you know about me."

"What else do you want to know?"

"I'm not sure what to ask, you seem to be a bit off-script from most people I talk to."

Shrug. "I pride myself in being interesting. What makes me so off-script?"

"The fact that you were raised in a fairy court and are, nonetheless, all human."

"Yeah, most humans don't have that privilege, who knew? And you look mostly-human and I assume you started completely human?"

"Yes. The, ah," and she taps her eyepatch, "came from a favour." She turns her right palm up, showing a white and black oval scar in the middle of it plus some vein-like scars coming from it up her arm.

"Cool, if I wasn't in this tuxedo I would show the cross I have on my chest - grants protection."

"I'm sure I'll have other opportunities to see you strip."

"Oh, are you now?"

"Yes. But let's not change the subject. What do you do there?"

"Basically, do errands that involve the human world. Which mostly means buying stuff."

"And when you're not doing that...?"

"Well, see at that point I feel it would only be fair if you started sharing things for once."

She smiles. "I go to Law school. One day I found a weird turtle trying to cross the street to a stream. I helped it." She taps her eyepatch again. "It wasn't a turtle."

"Ah, a rather nice introduction to the supernatural as far those go. And then you started being helpful?"

"Yes. I can't say I've had much chance—there are a couple of brownies living in my dorm and I got a little something from a little something else—but that's the general idea."

Nod. "I had a greater number of opportunities to help, but only for small stuff - a lot of one-time boons and the like. Do you have," he waves, "a goal with all this helping?"

"Now that would be telling."

"It's like I'm trying to figure you out or something."

"Sure but there are things you tell the cute boy you met today and things you don't. That falls squarely in the latter category."

"Fine. Keep your mysterious air."

"It's not about mystery, I just don't trust you," she says matter-of-factly.

Shrug.

"Honestly, though, maybe I just want to help people."

"I think I am not the best person to use that line of argument. Just so you know."

The Usual #3 arrives. It does smell quite delicious.

She pokes it with a fork.

"Isn't it? Why is that?"

"Survival tactic," Peter says with a shrug.

"—well that's depressing," she comments, starting to eat the Usual #3.

It tastes good.

Peter shrugs. "Well, what I can do about it?"

"By yourself, perhaps nothing, but maybe you'll have the good luck of meeting someone who likes being helpful."

"That would be a lucky day, wouldn't it?"

"It would! But this helpful person would need some of your help, too. They'd likely need an invitation into the court, to understand the situation better, and perhaps architect events that would cause this court to be indebted to them. And then they could, oh, perhaps demand they free that human as payment."

"That would in fact be great for the human. And the human might even guess that he might as well take the opportunity, even if it fails it can be valuable practice."

"Smart human, that one."

"So, an invitation, do you have a specific date in mind or any time shall do?"

"Any time, I can skip class if I need to."

"Cool, would it be inconvenient if I sent a message bird telling you when to come?"

"...it would be terribly Disney princessly of you, but I do not object."

"I did voice a fear of this getup turning into a pumpkin, didn't I?"

"That's true, you did. Would it actually...?"

"It will not be shaped like this when midnight hits. And I will take it off and run naked if I have to instead of waiting and seeing what it turns into."

She giggles. "What a pleasant mental image."

"Who am I to disagree with that wise and very correct assertion?"

"Narcissistic much?"

"It's never narcissistic to know the truth."

"I'm sure you must seduce lots of girls with such self-confidence."

"I take offense. Who said it's only girls?"

"Is that right."

"Of course. I am very right and proper about things."

"As you've repeatedly demonstrated tonight. With such rightness and propriety, what else could a genderfluid person need?"

"That their beloved, right and proper boyfriend is freed from the very kind fairies. Wink-wink."

"Such genderfluid person has however only just met him so boyfriendhood might need to wait a while."

"Boyfriend-to-be or the-next-mistake-I-am-glad-to-have-made."

"Really confident," she laughs. "What if your date can't deal with so much confidence? You might intimidate her away."

She does not look intimidated.

"I am certain that I can think of a way to deal with that when that time comes. If that time comes."

She grins and continues eating.

So does Peter. "So, Law school?"

"Surprising, isn't it, that someone who loves helping people and sometimes messes with fae would go to Law school."

"Maybe if you see it as dealing with courts with complicated laws."

"I was thinking more along the lines of having to deal with people that use very precise wordings and often cannot lie."

"Well, yes, that too."

"How about yourself?"

"What about me?"

"What I asked before. What do you do? Go to school at all? Clubs, dates, skinny dipping in that one stream hidden about thirty minutes southeast of here?"

"I went to high school, it was an atypical experience. I do go out but my schedule can get complicated. Back home there is a stream that is closer, warmer and full of nymphs."

"Of course, how silly of me to expect mundane things to hold you. Why was it atypical?"

"To put it in context, I said I went to high school. I didn't say I went to middle school or anything before. I almost got held back in freshman year but Dear Kind Sweetness did something that gave me a more consistent education."

"—what did she do?"

"Well, after I came back home with the bad news she asked me to collect dew from the school's yard, along with a leaf. Then she asked if I liked the Peter Darling pseudonym and I said 'yes'. Then she wrote the name on the leaf and told me to use it and the dew to make some tea. Which I did. Next day I woke up knowing everything you'd know if you had a regular education and everyone recognized me as Peter Darling, their dear old friend." Pause. "I didn't know that would happen, but I was at a point where I would just go with the flow."

"...that last part is kinda creepy. Did they have extra memories and everything to go with it or just a vague sense that they knew you?"

"Vague memories? Like, if I asked them for the specifics they would get... this moment of clarity, but overall they just had the sense that I was there for anything where I could be somehow added without disrupting their memory too much."

"Yyyeah, creepy. Did you keep in touch?"

"Kinda? I couldn't exactly bring anyone home."

"Well, no, but I suppose you could visit them or just hang out together or something."

Shrug. "Sometimes I do that, just not very frequently. Plenty of people have lives that take them elsewhere one way or another. I am the one that is very stuck."

"For now."

"Hopefully. Do you have a plan?"

"A plan seedling, but I do need to understand the situation better and visit your court before having anything more solid than that."

"Good, you're not too cocky."

"I'm exactly the right amount of cocky, I feel."

Peter is about to reply, but a squirrel climbs up the table and deposits a single acorn in his left hand before leaving.

Sigh. "I have to leave." He pulls out some money from his wallet and puts it on the table, "For the food."

Blink. "Okay—how do we get in touch—?"

"I have an email address. I can usually check it every day if I have reason to."

He writes it down.

"Okay, I'll email you."

"Nice meeting you," he says while leaving at a hurried pace.

Well then.

After she gets home she emails him:

So, when do I get to see you again?

Well, are you in the mood for ice cream later?

Ice cream sounds lovely, the weather notwithstanding.

He sends her a time and a place. Both convenient.

He will be there definitely not wearing a tuxedo.

"Oh good you're wearing less fancy clothes if this trend continues I'll have you naked in no time."

Peter snorts. "How are you doing?"

"Splendidly, how about yourself?"

"I met the most charming girl the other day."

"Is that so? Do tell me about her."

"She is a helpful Law student with an interest in obscure things."

"Obscure? Like what?"

"Fairfolk myths of all things."

"How curious. How did you meet this girl?"

"We ran into each other while I was on an errand. It was cute."

"Should I feel jealous?"

"Something tells me that you shouldn't, despite how charming she was."

"Is that so? I'm reassured."

"Good, how have you been? Skip any boys that you have met recently, no matter how irresistible they were."

"I don't think I've met any irresistible boys lately, but some very handsome and charming ones, sure."

Peter snorts. Ice cream?

Ice cream!

Yeah, delicious. Does Kaede want a taste of Peter's?

Oh he wants a taste of something of Peter's alright, but they can start with ice cream.

Well, they can start with ice cream alright. Peter wants to proceed to do something else.

Is that so. Kaede wonders what that could be.

Well, it does involve some tasting.

He might need to be told more explicitly, he's not sure he understands.

Is pulling Kaede into a kiss direct enough?

Oooh yes! But then he pulls away, grinning, and says, "Straightforward, aren't you?"

"Who? Me? No way."

"Oh, my bad, please continue."

"Sure!" Peter continues kissing.

This is some A+ quality kissing right here.

"Our ice creams are going to melt," he says eventually.

"Good point! Can't have melted ice cream like a savage."

"Exactly!"

Lick. Kiss. Cold kiss.

Lick. Delicious cold kiss.

Eventually: "So why did you get a squirrel the other day?"

"Would you be surprised if the answer was 'nuts'?"

"—only a bit. What?"

"There was a dispute between two fair folk. One that claimed lordship over the trees and another that claimed lordship over the small mammals. They were disputing who gets ownership of nuts, since squirrels do the thing where they bury them and the ones they forget turn into trees. When I got there, someone was proposing that they'd cut all trees and all squirrels in half and tree lord was arguing that the cut should be vertical while the mammal one was arguing to cut the limbs or branches."

"How ridiculously petty. Are they gonna start arguing about it with all other tree and mammal fairies in the UK, too?—they are fairies, right? You mentioned you lived in a single-species court..."

"Their claim of lordship is only in the court's area. But I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to pick a fight with anyone. They are both fairies, yes. We have others but they are like, sort of not-actually-part of the court."

"Oh? What do they do there?"

"It varies? A lot? I think most are artists, entertainers, or sex workers. Fairies have this beehive-like structure and everyone has a job and other kinds of fair folk are sort of... bells and whistles."

"Bells and whistles. How quaint. So they're just decoration?"

"I mean, these are fair folk. To them bells and whistles are like the most important part of life. But I don't think the Queen needs four different musicians for each time of the day, she has a music player. But decoration is properly descriptive."

"And what do they get out of it?"

"You say that like fair folk have the habit of being sensibly focused?"

"Well they're usually focused even if not sensibly."

"Fair enough. But again, it varies. Food and shelter and a measure of safety? Wouldn't be surprised if some kink on doing the Queen's whims."

Snort. "Makes sense."

"I would complain that all we talk about are the fair folk in my life, but they do take a good chunk of it."

"Feel free to suggest a different topic."

"Dunno, talk about yourself?"

"Suspiciously helpful Law student is not enough for you?"

"Yes. Unless you lived your whole life with fair folk, there is likely more to it than the supernatural. One hopes."

"I'm a normal boy. Have friends, date people, go to school, want to take over the world..."

"Yes, I got distracted and didn't hear that last item. But everything else on the list sounded normal so I am not going to ask clarifying questions."

He giggles. "I go to Law school because I want to get into politics and try to effect some change. Or, well, that was the plan, before—" He taps his eyepatch.

"And now you are planning to take over the world."

"I'm planning to leverage it as much and as far as I can."

"To become the world's one true tyrannical despot."

"I never said anything about tyranny."

"No, but it fits the aesthetic. Now we just need to combine the concept of a death ray with faeries and be good to go."

"It doesn't fit my aesthetic!"

"How untraditional of you."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Kiss.

"Other than that I like long walks anywhere, talking to people and getting to know them, reading books on physics, behavioural economics, psychology, maths, stuff like that, sometimes jogging, and pulling pranks."

"See, well-rounded pastimes!"

"I'm not in fact limited to my dealings with the fae, no."

"Yeah, color me jealous."

"You're not dealing with fae right now," he points out.

"Also color me grateful."

"You," Kaede accuses, "are adorable." And he kisses Peter.

Peter kisses back. "So, uh, if you don't mind asking. What are your feelings on exclusivity?"

"I have vaguely positive feelings the opposite way, but they're only very vague."

"Really? That is good. Because I know plenty of fair folk that would get so disappointed if I got in a more serious relationship. Not that I would brag or anything."

Blink. "You... had sex with faerie?"

"Don't worry. I always have protection."

"And you managed to never owe anyone a favour or become beholden to someone or anything like that?"

"Can't say that it never happened, but the deal that binds me to the court is stronger and as a trade-off my protection under it is law. I've never experienced something that I wasn't rescued from a couple of hours later and whoever did it never tried a second time."

"Huh. Okay. ...so what's it like?"

"Oh, some are really great. The ones with glamour who can change shape are the best."

"Did you ever do it with one of the weirder ones?"

"Hm, I feel that isn't first date talking."

"You brought it up."

"Fair enough. Let's say that glamour makes for some very interesting things."

"Oh, I know."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, I guess I am not surprised you would be the adventurous sort."

"I'm not adventurous enough to have had sex with fae."

"Good thing fae aren't the only option on the menu."

"They are indeed not."

"And some of the non-fae options are pretty great." Kiss.

Kiss! And laughter. "I'm still unconvinced that any fae options are actually very good. Most fae are—bizarre."

Shrug. "I can't disagree about the bizarre part."

"Perhaps you'll introduce me to some fae and I'll make sure not to... eat anything they give me," he says, smirking.

"You won't see me advising against caution."

"Won't I? What a shame. Here I was hoping you were adventurous."

"Yes, but a kind pure-hearted individual like myself would never risk an innocent life."

"Very noble of you. I'll keep that in mind."

"I feel so appreciated." Kiss.

"And it seems like we're all out of ice cream."

"Gosh, we are. What else is there to do?"

"...me?" he suggests innocently.

"That is a great suggestion." Kiss. "We probably should go somewhere more private first."

"What do you know, my place happens to be fairly private."

"Oh, would you mind taking me there then?"

"Absolutely."

He can lead the way.

Peter is glad to be led.

Kaede turns out to live on campus, so his place is in the students' lodging.

Cool. Peter is hardly surprised.

He's DA, so his room is larger and nicer. He has a double bed and his own bathroom.

Wow, nice and what a nice bed. The main attribute of niceness is that Peter can throw Kaede at it.

Is that so. Kaede is so surprised by this.

(Perhaps Peter should lock the door, though.)

(He does that.)

And now they can focus on more interesting things.

Kaede is a more interesting thing!

Downright fascinating! And Peter wants to explore every inch...

Oh he has several of those for Peter to explore.

Peter is deeply enthusiastic about this.

Kaede would love to explore this depth.

Peter is also deeply appreciative.

That's the goal, here.

Well, actually the goal is somewhat more than just appreciation...

Believe it or not, Kaede can easily get Peter to show way more than just appreciation. Peter is very vocal about it too.

And Kaede covers Peters mouth, leaning reeeeeal close to his ear and whispering, "Sshhh, the neighbours mustn't hear you."

Peter shivers and whimpers delightedly. "Yes, sir."

"Good," he says, nibbling on Peter's neck and resuming what he'd been doing.

Peter will bravely resist the urge to make too much noise. What a good boy he is.

Such a good boy. Kaede will tell him how much of a good boy he is and make it very hard for him to remain quiet.

By the kindly ones! Kaede is so great.

He tries.

He succeeds!

Oh good!

Cuddling?

Cuddling!

"And we didn't even use any glamour to spice things up," he says, nuzzling the back of Peter's head.

"Aw, true. Maybe next time."

"Promising."

"Very promising."

Kiss!

Kiss! Snuggly kiss!

Eventually Peter looks at the time and sighs. "This is lovely, but I should go." Kiss.

Kiss. "I'll see you another day, then."

"Can't wait." Kiss.

Then he leaves.

Peter's tree is just where he left it.

Peter likes it when trees do that.

(There have been moments in his life where, in fact, that wasn't always the case and it mattered.)

Inside he goes.

His vision swims, as it always does when he walks the spiral, but he has enough practice he doesn't trip. The grass slowly changes before his eyes, there's a soft breeze, the light shifts—

—and he's somewhere else altogether. Thick trees and their roots cover almost all available space, and the pink and blue moonlights filter through the canopies, intermingling with the greens and yellows of the grass and small flowers on the ground. There is a soft rustling, and he can see the top of large antlers sticking out of the bushes over there, walking away from him. Tinkling laughter echoes from nowhere, and bioluminescent insects flit this way and that.

Peter is going to talk to antlers some other day. He absently checks his surroundings for traps while walking down the path home.

As long as he walks the usual path there shouldn't be any traps.

He passes by a small pond where four women are playing naked. Their faces are long and angular, and they have pointy ears and short, vibrantly colourful hair. They're also two feet tall each. They giggle when they see him and wave in his direction, calling for him to join them.

"Maybe tomorrow girls!" he says waving.

They pout exaggerated pouts and ignore him.

Honey Moondew, a five-foot-tall fairy with sky blue skin and a dress woven of starlight and spring breeze, flies over to him with her dragonfly wings. Her jeweled compound eyes look up at him and she grins a very sharp grin. "Hello dear. How'd your date go?"

    "A date?" another voice asks, coming from the form of an equally short fairy with skin as black as midnight and soft moth wings, naked as in his nameday. He laughs. "I wasn't aware our Human was getting dates."

"Well, you'd know if you paid any attention to anything, Dark Light of Sky," chides Honey Moondew. "This was his second date."

    "Second? Oh my, he sure should tell us all about it," the black-skinned fairy smirks.

"Hey, now. Do you think I am the type to kiss and tell?"

"Yes," shrugs Dark Light of Sky as if it was obvious. "Why not?"

"'Do you think I am the type to kiss and tell?' is a human idiom, darkie," Peter says playing with Dark Light of Sky's hair.

He bats Peter's hand away, grumbling. "Still want an answer."

Another fairy, with orange skin and black stripes like a tiger, jumps from a tree branch and lands in front of him, also naked. "Does that mean you won't have more time for us?" she purrs, pouting and running a finger along Peter's chest.

"Gosh, Tiger, who knows? Who knows what the future holds?"

"Old Crone Miriam, probably," shrugs Tiger In The Shade. "You should stop playing games with us," she whines, bapping him on the nose with a hand as soft as a cat's paw.

"Aw, I mean no offense. I just don't know where the situation is going yet. But you know you guys always will have a special place in my heart, right?"

She purrs happily at that, and flies away. Dark Light of Sky gets bored with this and pulls some other fairy with him.

"So who is it?" Honey Moondew asks.

    "Another human, one who knows of us," Dear Kind Sweetness says. She is very tall for a fairy, at almost five foot six, and has gold skin and eyes, and wings made of shimmering light. She has a kind, motherly expression, betraying many years on this Earth, even though she looks as young as anyone. "A chance encounter, as it was."

"Ooooh," Honey Moondew coos. "So lucky, our Human!"

"Hello, Dear Kind Sweetness. And yes, I am very lucky."

Honey Moondew peers at him. "Perhaps too lucky, is he? Is our Human too lucky?"

Shrug. "I just feel very lucky."

"You haven't been doing anyone favours, have you?" Honey Moondew asks suspiciously.

"Who? Me? Do you think I would stoop so low?"

"Yes," Honey Moondew says, simply. Dear Kind Sweetness laughs a laughter that sounds like a dozen bells chiming at the same time.

"You wound me, Honey."

    "No, I don't," she sighs.

"I trust you had a good day, then?" asks Dear Kind Sweetness.

"Yes, Dear."

"Good," she says, stepping closer to Peter and wrapping her arms around him—more like someone'd hug a dog than a child, but still. "I am happy."

"Thank you, Dear Kind Sweetness."

She lets him go. "Now, we have a party tonight! Wanna come?"

"Of course, Dear."

"Great!" she laughs, and flies up into the canopy again. Honey Moondew's already distracted with something else.

Peter relaxes a bit when Dear Kind Sweetness flies away. He goes home to freshen up a bit before the party.

No fairies interrupt him.

And on the way to the party?

Fairies! So many of them. With various jewelry and glittery things and paint, giggling and joking and flirting and roughhousing each other.

So is Peter. Fairy parties are fun if intense.

And one fairy heard that tonight they have a special guest~

What sort of special guest?

It's a surpriiiiiise!

(Sigh.)

Peter continues to party, just enough so as to not be suspicious.

There is music, a cacophony of it, and dancing, in the air and upside down and there are water tanks for those who prefer it. The Queen is sitting in her throne, behind curtains, visible as a shadow even taller than Dear Kind Sweetness.

And then the guest surprise arrives: a girl, looking absolutely entranced and giggling and blushing as a very attractive male fairy leads her and flirts with her.

Fuck.

Peter observes what they are doing to her... sometimes they don't do permanent damage.

They're playing and partying and she's getting more male attention. She blushes even more furiously when one of her suitors is wearing only body paint and jewellery. The others get jealous and start stripping naked, too.

They start inviting her to dance with them, but she seems way too embarrassed to do it, and then mesmerised by the fairies who're already doing it.

Peter takes a deep breath and turns the charm up and invites her to dance.

The fairies around her (and around them) look at him, ranging between confused and affronted.

"Ermmm," she says, still blushing violently and grinning. "...are you a fairy? Where are your wings?" she asks. The only person she can look in the face seems to be him.

"No and I don't have them. Come on, let's dance, it's going to be fun."

She looks at all the intimidatingly attractive and intimidatingly intimidating fairies... and nods, taking his hand.

They dance. "So, how did you come to... meet this interesting social group?"

Everyone else continues dancing... but they're watching Peter, and the music grows a bit quieter. The Queen is—as much as can be identified through the veil—looking at them intently.

The girl doesn't notice any of this, though. "Oh, I just—tripped and fell? And ended up here, and everyone was so helpful. And, um, pretty." Blush. "I'm Cindy, by the way."

"Call me Peter," he says, ignoring all this staring. "First time meeting fairies?" That she knows of.

"Well, fairies don't exist, right? Just like Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or whatever. Except then they do and there are so many and they're all so different and so pretty..."

"Yeah, so very pretty," like poisonous animals that announce it by being brightly colored. "You sure must have heard things about the fair folk."

"Sure, everyone knows stories, but which of them are true? They're not even consistent."

"Gosh, there are so many stories even when you exclude Disney and - ironically - fairy tales. Which stories have you heard?"

Peter is leading her while they dance.

"I don't think I remember any particular stories. Fairies, you know, like nature, and fly, and live forever, and like playing games..."

Peter makes a so-so gesture. "They are really hedonistic and can be quite intense about it. I would recommend starting... slow."

"I am dancing with you, aren't I?" she says archly. "Yeah, I got that, they were very..." She blushes again. "Um, pretty. It was a bit overwhelming."

"Yeah, and you need someone that knows how to be just right, so you can enjoy yourself."

She giggles. "Oh, and you're that someone?"

"Maaaybe," Peter says innocently.

"Well, make your argument, then," she says, smirking.

"Well, did I say that I learned things with the fae? The thing is that they are not human and... let's say I know how to bridge the gap between their skills and human needs."

"All talk," she says, raising an eyebrow.

"I am more than glad to give you a practical demonstration," Peter says leaning closer.

"Are you?" she wonders, looking up at him.

"Of course! It's the most hospitable thing I could do."

"Hospitable, is that what you are?"

"That is certainly a word for it."

"I shall take it, I suppose," she sighs.

Well, no reason not to kiss her then.

Ooooooh!

...okay she'll tentatively believe him.

She should! He is a very good kisser.

(Even when he is nervous for her safety.)

Yep, she's getting that, but no need to inflate his ego even more, is there?

Yeah, Peter doesn't need an ego boost.

(He does need to get her somewhere with privacy.)

After enough flirting and token coyness she's glad to be led somewhere. The other fairies have long since shifted from affront to cheering, which causes her to blush again every now and then. A couple of the fairies who got naked to flirt with her are making out and that is too much for her poor brain—she very resolutely only peeks at them a little when she thinks no one will notice.