A Thing For Witches
1 - Drinking with a vampire.
Dean poured a shot glass of blood into her Guinness as she eyed Fairer Than. She hadn't been expecting to see any familiar faces in this backwoods dimension. She and the Faerie had tried to kill each other a couple of times but this far from home even old enemies became drinking buddies. "So tell me about a few of the notches on that belt of yours."
Fairer Than grinned wickedly.
2 - A walk in the woods.
Ginny's rescuer stood over her and eyed the giant rats that surrounded them. "This woman is under my protection, beat it."
There was a moment of stillness as the monsters eyed her up and then a flurry of movement as the eyes surrounding them vanished and there was silence once again.
Ginny eyed the tall woman above her. She was surveying the forest calmly, her stance betraying her strength and confidence. Unlike everything else in the forest she didn't look scary, she looked graceful and soft skinned.
Several creatures like miniature goblins with gossamer wings descended from the trees around and alighted on the woman, whispering things to her in guttural, rhymes.
A couple fluttered down to Ginny peering at her curiously and enjoying their reflection in her head girl badge.
The woman ignored them and instead let her gaze fall on Ginny. A hand reached out and Ginny took it and was hauled to her feet. "The forest is dangerous for a young witch on her own." The woman's voice was low and playful.
Ginny licked her lips unconsciously before answering. "It was stupid of me to come here; the forest is a horrible place."
The woman's eyebrow raised. "On the contrary, it may have some unsavoury inhabitants but the forest itself has a rare beauty."
Ginny blushed as she felt the woman's gaze rake over her unashamedly.
A perfect hand was proffered towards Ginny. "Would you like me to take you on a tour?"
Ginny had no illusions about what was being offered and with nervousness and excitement tugging at her she took the hand.
3 - Not a dream, not an imaginary story.
Fairer Than licked down Scarlet witch's exposed midriff. Wanda's tiny gasps of delight were driving her wild. The superhero pulled Fairer Than up so they could kiss. Hot, desire filled kisses that called for immediate nakedness. They started fumbling at each other's clothes, trying to strip each other without giving up an inch of contact.
There were some heavy footsteps from the hallway leading to Scarlet witch's apartment. Then the door shattered and Wonder Man burst into the room. Bulging muscles, wild eyes and heroic stance. "Don't worry Wanda, we'll save you." His team-mates streamed into the room. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Vision. Legendary names, none of whom were as tall as you would expect.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at? I'm fine. I'm trying to get laid here."
"You may think that's what you want but we know you have been brainwashed by her faerie magic."
"Jesus Christ, you do this every time."
Thor interrupted. "Verily, for have you not been the subject of many an evil plot. Did not the Enchantress trick you with her illusions?"
"It was more her tongue stud, really."
"And didn't we just last week save you from the torturous clutches of Mystique." Iron man added.
"Ok so we got a little kinky there but would you say no to a woman who can change shape?"
"And we even travelled to a different dimension to rescue you from the lair of the Catwoman."
"Yeah, you really fucked up that crossover. You know guys, someday you're going to have to accept that I'm gay."
"Don't listen to her." Wonder Man orated. "She's under a hypnotic spell." They all poised to spring at the assumed villain who had been sitting watching the whole exchange, thoroughly amused.
Fairer Than yawned and gestured with her hand. Wanda's apartment vanished and instead the two were in a wooded glade with no sign of the other Avengers.
"Where are we?" Asked Scarlet witch.
"Still your apartment, I just used a glamour."
"What about the guys?"
"They're still around but they'll be lost in the woods for a while."
"How long will it last?"
"Til the dawn." Fairer Than started kissing down Wanda's belly again. "Long enough."
4 - Comfortador.
Tara put the cardboard box holding her possessions on the motel room's only chair. She looked around at the bare room wondering how things could have come to this. She searched around in the box for a moment before finding a small leather pouch. From it she pulled a squarish coin with runic symbols in it. She held it tightly in hand as she spoke.
"You were right. She can't give up the magic."
"I'm glad you got out, it's dangerous to be around her." Tara had been expecting the voice and didn't turn around. In the previously empty room there was now Fairer Than, lying naked and unselfconscious on the bed.
"Yeah." Tara gazed out of the window, not seeing a thing. "She doesn't even realise how much she hurt me. She'd have hurt me again if I had stayed."
"You're better off away from her."
"I know." The tragedy in her voice made Fairer Than get up off the bed and embrace the now crying woman. It wasn't done from compassion, it was just another method of seduction. She kissed Tara's neck.
Tara let herself give into the touch. Let the sensation of Fairer Than's lips, the heat from her breath wash over her and drown out the pain, the betrayal and loss. She felt skilled hands undressing her and the faerie's lips followed her hands, kissing the skin as it became newly exposed.
A more practical part of her mind was thinking that she might regret doing this in the morning but Fairer Than's tongue became her entire world and the rest of her mind shut down.
5 - Big bad wolf.
"I'm not gonna be able to walk for a week."
Fairer Than smiled seductively. "Only a week? I'm losing my touch."
Rose was about to make a retort when her sparkly wand started flashing. "Damnit."
Fairer Than looked to see the source of Rose's annoyance. "Oh, are you on fairy godmother duty today?"
"Yeah, some princess who thinks she's a scullery maid must need a makeover." She started to get up then collapsed down again languorously.
Fairer Than kissed her affectionately. "I'll do it. You rest."
The suggestion made Rose get up and start searching for clothes. "Oh no, not after last time. I appreciate the help and all but no thanks."
"Why not, I did great last time. Cinderella went to the ball."
"Can't deny that."
"She was the centre of attention."
"Oh god yes."
"She married the Princess."
"Prince, she was supposed to marry the Prince."
"She's much happier with the Princess believe me."
"Just stay here while I take care of things. If my granddaughter turns up then tell her I've gone out." She waved her wand and vanished in a sparkly flash. Fairer Than relaxed back into the bed.
"Granddaughter?" She muttered. "They marry young in these parts."
A little while later the door creaked open and a young girl was standing in the doorway. She was wearing a bright red hood and cloak and carrying a basket full of aromatic food suggesting that her parents were either very stupid or actually wanted every predator in the forest to hunt her down.
The girl had a suspicious look on her face.
"You're not my grandma."
"Clever girl. She's out."
The girl gave Fairer Than a suspicious once over.
"What big eyes you have."
Unlike many other Faerie, Fairer Than didn't really get on with children and didn't know how to talk to them. "Er...all the better to see you with."
"And what big ears you have."
"All the better to hear your strangely personal comments with."
"And what big teeth you have."
Fairer Than touched her teeth self consciously, they felt fine. "What's wrong with my teeth?"
*Gasp* The child backed away. "You must be a wolf."
"Where'd that come from? I'm not a wolf." Fairer Than was starting to see why her parents might have wanted to get rid of her.
"Did you eat my grandma?"
The faerie couldn't help a smile. "Heh."
*Gasp*
"I mean no, of course not!" Fairer Than glanced after the fleeing child debating whether to follow. "I'm sure she'll be safe out there. I think I saw a woodsman nearby, he can protect her."
6 - Time enough.
"So tell me about a few of the notches on that belt of yours."
Fairer Than grinned wickedly but said nothing.
"Fair enough, I suppose I wouldn't want to tell you about any of my relationships either."
"How is Bunny?" She tried to keep her voice level, not give anything away.
Dean's eyes dropped. "I thought you would have heard."
The change in Dean's demeanour told Fairer Than before she even said the words.
"Bunny's dead."
The pain in Dean was almost tangible but it looked to Fairer Than like an old accepted pain. "I'm sorry."
She was almost surprised she didn't take the opportunity to hurt the vampire but somehow she just couldn't capitalise on her love for Bunny. Could she really be dead?
"It's ok. She died about a decade back. Old age."
Fairer Than knew that time between dimensions was different but had she been travelling that long? "You could have saved her from that." It came out more accusatory than she meant, it was really just a question.
"She didn't want that. She wanted natural death. I respected that."
Fairer Than bit back a harsh comment. Both she and Dean were immortals and either could have made Bunny live forever. "You stayed with her to the end?"
"To the end."
"I wonder if I would have had the same devotion?"
Dean sneered. "She was just another conquest to you."
Fairer Than couldn't take offence at that, for anyone but Bunny that would have been true. "Maybe at first..."
7 - Bluffing with a full house
Fairer Than waited for Bunny to speak. The witch was nervous, she didn't know how to ask for what she wanted. The faerie liked that, their relationship was a series of power games, she knew that both wanted the other but Bunny was held back by her tie to the vampire.
"I need your help." Bunny's eyes were serious but Fairer Than couldn't resist the urge to be playful.
"What could you possibly want from me Bunny?"
Bunny ignored the seductive tone. "Dean is in danger. She's trapped beyond the gates of hell."
Fairer Than didn't say a word. As far as she was concerned the vampire would be dead already but it would hardly be a tactful thing to say.
Bunny continued. "I've found a spell to get her out. I am just missing one vital ingredient."
Fairer Than could see where this was going and liked it. "Go on."
"I need the tooth of a dragon."
Fairer Than stroked one of the dragon teeth on her belt. "Really. They're very rare you know."
"I know." There was desperation in Bunny's voice and she didn't look like she was in a gameplaying mood.
"These belonged to my grandmother. They're very valuable to me."
"Please." Heartfelt, full of need.
"What can you offer me in exchange?"
"I don't have anything to offer you."
Fairer Than smiled meaningfully. "Yes you do."
Bunny shook her head wordlessly, horrified.
Fairer Than smiled to hide her confusion. She was certain that Bunny just needed an excuse. She knew that Bunny felt lust for her. This was the perfect excuse for the witch to give in to it.
"You can't ask that of me."
"I have to ask for something, Bunny, those are the rules of the faerie."
"You aren't asking this because of any rules."
Fairer Than advanced on her. "No, I'm asking this because I've wanted you from the moment I saw you and don't deny that you've enjoyed my attention. That you haven't been tempted to give into me."
Bunny locked eyes with the faerie, defiant. "I don't deny it and I freely admit that if circumstances were different I would be in your bed but I love Dean. Do you know what that means?"
"It means you're a fool."
"It means that Dean's happiness means more to me than my own. It means that I can't live without her. It means that I could never betray Dean." She paused and looked at Fairer Than with heartbreaking sadness.
"I'll give you what you want."
Fairer Than was silent for a very long time. Suddenly she wanted to be away from this place. She slipped a dragon tooth from her belt and placed it in Bunny's hand.
She was silent for another moment as Bunny looked at the tooth and up at Fairer Than. The faerie managed to say the words. "I just want you to be happy."
Then she walked away, leaving a confused witch behind her.
It was a long time before Fairer Than even understood her actions herself.
8 - Say you want a revolution.
"Maybe at first but in the end she meant so much more to me. I needed her to be happy to satisfy something deep inside me. Even if that happiness required that you didn't suffer a torturous death."
Dean didn't rise to the comment, she simply regarded Fairer Than with an unreadable expression "I didn't know you felt that strongly."
"I don't think she realised either."
Dean didn't reply, just gazed at Fairer Than for a moment. Their eyes met and there was a second of understanding between them before Dean broke the contact and checked her watch. She got to her feet. "Better make tracks, meeting a girl."
"A new love of your unlife?"
"I've only just met her. She's nice but I'm not sure how honest she's being with me. She says she's the head of the technology department for a law firm. You ever hear of a law firm with a tech department?"
"Not in any normal dimension."
"Well this is a strange place, no question. You staying in this neck of the woods long? Maybe we can chat more."
A raised eyebrow was her only reply.
"See you around then." Dean sauntered out, Fairer Than could see the swagger was gone, replaced with more true confidence. For a moment she was tempted by Dean's charms but the associations of Bunny with the vampire were too painful.
Fairer Than sat, lost in memory. She had given up Bunny a long time ago and to know she was dead hurt her more than she would have believed. But despite cutting deeply it brought a strange sense of closure to her. She thought of what Dean had had, wondering if she could ever have that. To find another girl that she could love rather than conquer .
Her musings were interrupted by a shouting match near the bar between a stubbly Englishman and a woman straight out of a film noir.
One of her goblin familiars fluttered down from the rafters to rest on her shoulder, whispering what it had overheard to her. "Her name's Lilah."
Fairer Than's lips curled into a wolfish smile.