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Not about a person collecting Fae, no. But a Fae that's doing the collecting. In this case, Derrick seems to have been adopted by one Fae prince by the name of Leif!

Sometime in May, 2017
Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, Spring Teas - Beacon Hills


Golden Gate Park[]

The western side of the park features a number of athletic fields, open meadows, and lakes. Also located here are the Golden Gate Park Stadium in the center of the area and Murphy's Windmill near the southwest corner. By contrast, the northwest corner features the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden and the Dutch Windmill. This area also features a dog training field, senior center, model yacht racing area, bison paddock, and equestrian center. For fishermen there are the fly casting pools and Anglers Lodge, and of course the park has its own golf course. Amidst the more grown-up diversions, a playground can be found along the south side of the park. The western edge of the park stands atop the cliffs of the coast, overlooking the shimmering Pacific Ocean.

The eastern entrance to the long stretch of Golden Gate Park is preceded by a block-wide strip of parkland extending eight blocks towards down. Here, a gate offers one of the many access points to the park itself. Major features in this area are the children's playgrounds and carousel, tennis courts, several sports fields, and the large Sharon Meadow. A bit farther in one can find the Conservatory of Flowers, the oldest glass-and-wood Victorian greenhouse in the Western Hemisphere and home to more than 10,000 plants from around the globe. Several buildings, such as the California Academy of Sciences and a few museums, are housed in the center beyond the Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers, and near the western edge of this area of the park is the Japanese Tea Garden.

The park is a world away from the city, with enough trees to feel like a forest broken up by cobbled paths and dirt trails in between broad lawns and playgrounds. There are several large ponds or small lakes, and even a waterfall or two. It is cool and peaceful here, and it's large enough that even though the park is very popular there always seems to be room for everyone.

The evening's stars are mostly hidden by dark clouds above. In spring, nighttime temperatures do not generally reach above 45?F. The plants are budding and blooming with new life with the spring thaw and warming temperatures. It's fair and mild, with a few clouds in the sky.




Leif wandered through the park at night. Normally he'd be at a nigh club with 2 to 4 19 years olds all over him. But he was getting bored of that. Okay maybe not bored... But he needs a night of something different. He hadn't been around nature in a while. And he was actually a little lonely, the company he was keeping lately were usually hot. And willing. But.... He didn't think he had gotten one of their names in weeks and couldn't even remember that much. So maybe he should try something at least a little more intimate. Like atleast get the next one's name first. Goals!


Is that singing? Sure is. It's an older song, but maybe not completely out of fashion. Or maybe it is, who knows? There's a man in the park, sitting on a bench, playing a guitar. He's got his guitar case sitting on the ground, and he's got one foot on the case.

It's Derrick! Derrick is a pretty ordinary-looking one. Short black hair, pale skin, black eyes. Wearing a very typical t-shirt, jeans, and combat boots combo. But the astute might be able to see when he opens his mouth that his teeth seem abnormally sharp. Or that his fingernails seem abnormally long. That aside, pretty typical.

His voice might be the most atypical thing about him at first look. His voice is higher-pitched, but it lacks the 'edge' that higher-pitched singers tend to have, one that usually lends their voices a sharpness as well. This leaves his voice soft and almost quiet-sounding.


Lief is perceptive he picked up the not human vibe as soon as he got close and narrowed it down to vampire as soon as he came in sight. But he had other senses and could tell almost at once that Derrick wasn't a threat to those nearby. Which was good because Lief really didn't want a fight. He takes the singer in for a few moments looking at him from every angle. Cute, not the usual type he got in the clubs, but that could be a plesant change. Now one would normally come off as a stalker or at least strange staring at someone you don't know, but not Lief. Mainly because he wasn't visible or even entirely on this earth. He had the power to use nature to blend himself between this world and the way and being invisible and insubstantial. He takes a few more minutes to listen to the song then decides to be slightly impish. He waits until he's certain that there are no mortals nearby and he just, appears. Sitting on the table right next to Derrick with a smile on his face, and dressed like a lord of the rings extra, he didn't enven bother to hide his ears. Yep visit from the fae. And if one happened to know anyhing about the far one might recognize the ring on his finger as indicating he was one of the 'royals' of the spring court. Though just a minor princeling.


And of course, what's the response from a more-or-less normal guy, when a very much not-normal person appears out of nowhere, sitting on the bench next to him? Probably a typical one, at least, if one is more-or-less normal.

"Aah!"

A loud twang from the string of his guitar. Derrick moves quickly, more quickly than a normal mortal usually can, jumping over his guitar case and ending up on the other side of the path. He pauses, looking at Leif with wide eyes.

He takes in the clothes the other man's wearing... then immediately looks at the ears. Yup. S'what he thought. "...Um, hi?"


Leif grins softly, "Sorry I couldn't resist." He says simply and gives a charming smile that often lwoers people's guards. Well that and the completely open innocent and faintly confused look that he usually has on his face. "I was just taking an evening walk and... heard you singing. Not bad." The fae hears mortals approaching most likely not close enough to see but just in case, he touches his finger to his ring and suddenly is wearing much more modern clothes and his ears appear normal. And he seems to be a perfectly normal 20somethign human hanging out on the bench.


Well, Derrick does smile back, so there's that. He nods at the mention of hearing him singing. "Thanks. I busk out here most nights," he replies. Derrick notes the sudden change and looks up -- yes, it is indeed in the direction that the people are. No, maybe they're not close enough, but a mortal wouldn't be able to have known which way they were approaching from, either! But then, Derrick isn't normal.


Leif closes his eyes for a moment and listens to be sure that no one is coming close, using senses other than just vision, and relaxes as the sounds fade away. "Well I'd be happy to pay for a song. Though I don't have any money on me..." He thinks for a minute then really Looks at Derrick. And he's able to tell... somehow that the kid, (Granted that Derrick might actually look older than Leif.) was probably starving. Again his fingers went to his ring and Derrick suddenly has a mug in his hand. A mug full of a certain warm red liquid.


"It's OK, I don't ask for payment every time," Derrick replies, with a smile. "I like just entertaining people, too." Also yes, he has a southern accent! It's not super-thick or anything, and he doesn't sound like a redneck, not at all. But it's enough to notice.

And then suddenly Derrick has a mug in his hand. "What the...?" He pauses. Yes, he can smell it. It's blood. But he can't tell anything else about it than that. So of course he asks. Politely, mind. "Um... not to seem rude, but, where did this come from?"


Leif smiles, "Don't you know its rude to ask where gifts come from?" Its also really smart to question gifts from fae but Derrick might not know that. "Magic. Don't worry I didn't hurt anyone. And it won't... make you crazy for human blood or anything." He smiles again, "Just have a sip. Then pay me by playing a song. Or taking off your shirt or something." He gives a playful wink, "Whatever you want." Did he just make it creepy? Maybe but his smile was still genuine and there was a certain air of innocence about him. A touch of lingering spring even as the seasons march on to summer.


"That's what I'm worried about, yeah," Derrick replies, almost meekly. "I've been trying to avoid taking blood from people. I don't wanna develop a taste for it." He looks into the mug, listening to Leif...

And then that comment. Wait what?

At this he looks up, blinking. "Uh... what?" Blink.

Derrick's actually kind of confused. he's not taking his shirt off, no. But hey, what's the harm in drinking the contents of the mug, right? So long as he didn't actually hurt anybody to get the blood, right? And it did just sort of poof in out of nowhere. Would have been hard for him to have drained someone that fast, most likely. So... he brings the mug up to his mouth, and takes a cautious sip.

Derrick shudders. Though not in disgust. Quite the opposite, in fact. That... is not rat blood. Whatever it is, it seems to suffuse his insides in warmth, in a way that he's actually never quite experienced before. He can't help but take a second drink from the mug, a deeper one. It's all he can do, but he does manage to pull the mug away before he devours the contents.

He's confused! "That's... really good." What? Ugh, quit being stupid, Derrick! Well, the other man did ask for a song. So, he sits back down on the bench, and places the mug between them -- yes, he's leaving enough space! -- and thinks about a song.

What's the prettiest one he knows? Obviously it's a love song.


Lief blinks as he's sung a love song. And he doesn't know how to react. First of all he doesn't know if the vampire meant to sing him a love song, or just as a pretty son. Secondly he doesn't know how to react anyway. If Derrick had started stripping he knew how to react to that. Or had done something else physical. But a love song? Leif just stares confused, and engrossed. Its a pretty song, that a cute guy is singing to him. Sure he'd been sernaded before, but that was usually at parties and everyone knew the rules. Now? He just stares confounded.


Derrick is as ever, quite professional about all this. If he notices Leif's discomfiture, he doesn't react to it. Not 'till the end of the song, anyway. Apparently he seems to understand that Leif is confused, because he explains, "I'm... well, I live on rats." A look at the mug. "That is not rat blood. Whatever it is, I... don't think I've ever drank anything like it. So... I figured I should play the prettiest song I knew." He seems pretty sheepish about it, actually!


When Derrick looked back at the Mug it would be full again. It might not be much but Derrick would probably feel full for the first time since he turned. Leif flushes, " No its not. I could get you some I guess. Or some human blood, freely given of course. Though I'd be careful about singing love song to people who are hitting on you. They might get the wrong idea. Or maybe the right one." Okay he's harmless and incorgiable. But fae can be like that at times. Only take things seriously if they are life and death, and maybe not even then. And play as hard as they work if not harder.


Derrick shakes his head. "No, that's all right." He smiles, the gesture kind of lopsided. "I'm... trying not to get started on human blood." He explained why. Though when Leif explains about the singing of the love song, Derrick looks embarassed! He doesn't have a heartbeat anymore, so he can't really blush. But aside from the sheepish look, there's no reddening of his face. "Uh... s-sorry about that." Awkwaaaaard!


Leif shrugs, he was being turned down? Well it happens, not that often, but it happens. Especially when he tries outside of the clubs. Silly humans and their resistance to just liking what they like, and instance on sticking to titles. He shrugs, "Wish I could help more... But we're not really supposed to break the natural order than much. Bend it perhaps but not break it... Though if you came home with me. I could do a little more." Does Leif realize how that sounds... probably not, and if he does he doesn't seem the least bit embarrassed by it.


Derrick's eyes go a bit wide. "Come home with you?" he echoes. "I don't even know your name." Though he does offer, with a bit of a smirk, "Mine's Derrick, by the way. And I do appreciate that." Tilting his head to indicate the mug. "Though I'm... not quite sure I'd be a decent roommate. I don't really have a job, and busking doesn't pay very well. I mean, it gets me by because I don't have to buy food, but... that's about all."


Leif chuckles at that. "I am Leif Alfsson, minor prince of the Spring court of the Fae. I have my own little business, but I don't really care about money. " He moves his hand in a simple gesture and the ground near the bench suddenly erupts into flowers, " If you wanted to stay for a while until you figured out what you wanted you'd be welcome. If you wanted to pay me back you could work at my shop. Or just keep me company... however you wanted." He shrugs again. " If you want my help, you can have it." Then remembering the reputation his kind have, "No strings attached. Well only strings you want anyway."


"Good to meet you, Leif," Derrick replies. "If it's OK to call you that?" Since he doesn't know about the rules of address. Even if he's a vampire, he's... basically human where it comes to knowing about the Fae. And then suddenly flowers! Derrick chuckles at that. Though the offer? That gets a tilt of his head. It isn't as if he's going to improve his lot on his own, Derrick realizes. Sure, things can always get worse... but out here, nothing is going to change. So, he tilts his head, first one way and then the other, in a gesture that says 'why not?'. "If you're sure. I mean, I'll need a place to hide from the sun in the daytime." Leif clearly knows he's a vampire, hence the mug of blood!


Leif grins, "Leif. Please." He says simple and offers his hand to Derrick, "If you're sure pick up your stuff and take my hand. I promise that no harm shall come to you while you're in my Holdfast." And Leif waits for his hand to be taken clearly its some sort of ritual or ceremony. Maybe meaningful maybe not.


Derrick nods to the permission to use Leif's first name, offering a smile. Though the instructions get a blink. "OK. Just a sec." He stands, putting his guitar in its case and closing it. It's obviously got a handle on it, so he uses that to pick it up. A look at the mug. "Should that be left behind?" he asks. Because magic and letting people get hold of it, right? Honetheless, he'll offer to Leif the hand that isn't holding the guitar case.


Leif concentrates for a moment his fingers going over his ring yet again, and the mug vanishes. Then their hands touch and Leif leads him into the nearest tree... But instead as they touch it they appear to be in an odd and mysterious forest and a brisk walk later they're in a small shop that smells of Tea. And out a window the small Marina at Beacon Lake is visible. "My home is down stairs. Which you are more than welcome to. I'll add a room later." He says quite simply as if its perfectly normal to make rooms appear. Okay so he didn't go a whole night without bringing a guy home. But he did learn this ones name first! That's progress right?


Faerie forests? Definitely not good. Derrick is careful to stay very close to Leif here, since he doesn't want to get separated and lost forever or something like that. Whatever happens to people who get lost in faerie forests. He doesn't realize he's only in Beacon Hills. Not until they're in the shop. And hey, for all Derrick knows, it IS perfectly normal for Leif to just make rooms appear. He looks around the place, almost shyly.



Spring Teas - Tea Shoppe[]

The lights are on, illuminating the area.

This little shop is a bizarre mixture of many things. To one side is what looks like a herbalist, or alchemist, where one can buy various herbs and such that make exotic teas as well as pre-blended teas to make at home. The other side is a small restaurant, complete with seating, that serves primarily teas and other vegetarian fare but occasionally interesting dishes of wild game will be offered. And like many small establishments there are various trinkets all over the shop that to the eyes of the uninitiated would look like cheap movie props but to those in the know are various minor enchanted artifacts and authentic trinkets from various times and worlds.

Outside, it's clear, cool, and breezy.





Leif keeps a very firm grip on Derrick's hand. His way of travel is pretty unique, and wandering away could have someone end up anywhere in any number of worlds. Which likely wouldn't end well. "Soo. Here is my humble abode. A couple house rules? Be polite to the guests or customers. Hrm... I'd stay downstairs until I can work something So the Sun doesn't hurt you." He shrugs, "There are probably more but I'll tell you them when I think of them? I've never really had a long term guest. Most guys only stay a night. Oh yeah. I entertain guests often. You're more than welcome to join in if you want." Shame? What is shame. It must be some human thing.


Derrick is so glad he doesn't blush anymore. Otherwise his face would be a very interesting shade of red by the time Leif gets done explaining things. "Oh, right. Um. I'll try to stay out of the way," he assures Leif. But he does offer honestly, "Thank you. It's... it's been a while since I've not slept in a drainpipe somewhere..."

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