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Aug. 28th, 2020 at 8:30 PM
ZELDA BLAKE + TEODORA RADOSLAVA
a reunion of sorts, with some bribery
a reunion of sorts, with some bribery
AUGUST | Runes & Relics | PG-13
Zelda had errands to finish running; but she couldn’t resist the allure of Runes & Relics and the occult oddities that filled it. She had yet to rebuild her altar - it was the perfect opportunity to get supplies while in town. The new house was enough out of the way that the Blake’s wouldn’t gain much attention, but not so far secluded that it took longer than a half hour to reach shops of any kind.
Her husband, far better at warding than her, was doing wonders at home with trying to ensure their general safety in their new home. Primarily, though, warding against her insidious older sister. Zee wasn’t even sure Yersinia had arrived yet - but it was only a matter of time.
Browsing the neatly arranged selection of crystals, she was more than a little impressed with the supplies the shop carried. Though, not at all surprised at the magic that radiated from it all in general - assuming the blonde behind the counter with the warm and inviting aura was the owner.
Zelda paused when she felt an old, but undeniably familiar, magical presence enter the shop - it sent a chill up her spine.
Moving to this town hadn’t been a plan. Although she understood the importance of the Nexus, the power it may hold, the balance it would disrupt, Teodora had little interest in any of those things herself. But owing favours sometimes assisted her in moving through the Fae realm, even now with her previous positions less held in disregard, she had no interest in mending bridges, thus subterfuge was required.
Allies made it easier.
Which was why, when she’d picked up a familiar sense of magic, Teo had followed the trail, smirking slightly the whole way, blending with shadows at first to avoid detection. The end destination didn’t surprise her, the shop was relatively quiet, one other witch present and Teo knew she could pass as just a witch where needed, dulling her magical aura accordingly.
Entering the shop, like a normal person and using the door, Teo smirked slightly at the witch she trailed. It had been many years since she’d been bargained and bribed into hiding a child for several months, several months longer than she’d expected certainly, but it wasn’t like she’d soon forget the witch in question. “Hello Zelda,” her voice was low, a little rough, but quiet enough to avoid the other witch’s attention. “It’s been a while.”
The familiar voice only confirmed her intuition. Zee turned on her heels to face the Fae she’d summoned all those years ago; and essentially bribed to hide Kal. “Teodora,” she acknowledged in return, a smile gracing her face. Of course Teo hadn’t aged, and wouldn’t for hundreds of years if at all granted glamouring capabilities. Zee had aged barely herself, thanks to the blood magic that had been passed down through generations in her family.
“What a pleasant surprise to find you in Seven Devils,” Zelda said somewhat pointedly, but her tone was still light and airy in order to keep up appearances. Though, she didn’t truly hold any malice for Teodora - it was because of the Fae that her son had made it through infancy. She still couldn't help but be suspicious as to the reasoning behind the Unseelie being present.
Teodora could’ve held a grudge. She disliked, in general, being forced into things. While bribery was somewhat better than blackmail, and she did obtain something of value from the deal, she was less thrilled at the time of being conned into basically playing wetnurse.
Of course, the child had been charming, and Teodora endeavoured to protect it as best she could, the shadow world and fae realm providing something of a barrier against harm that might’ve come to him. “Terribly pleasant, isn’t it.” Granted that she was still unsure if Seven Devils would be worth her time or not, she was curious as to this particular witch’s interest in the area.
“And you, it’s odd to see you out here. Do they have need for a magician of your talents?” She’d seen a few of Zelda’s shows, after all, while she protected the babe and after.
A soft laugh bellowed in the back of her throat as Teodora mentioned her talents. If only because Teo had no way of knowing Zee had otherwise hung up her fishnet stockings and top hat. Mostly - save for the random show she worked with Istvan when she was feeling far too nostalgic.
“Family troubles,” Zee replied. “Again. As Fate would have it.” Her expression became a bit more mischievous, albeit a little darkly so. “You wouldn’t happen to be free next week to keep an eye on Kal, would you?” the witch asked with joking intent.
She paused before grinning faintly; her fun had. “I’m kidding. He’s twenty now and more than capable and… my goodness, has it really been that long?”
For beings with such short lifespans, there was certainly a lot of family troubles. It wasn’t as if she had the perfect relationship, of course, she barely saw her blood kin now, but a choice was made and she would stand by that.
“Are you feeling your age?” Although it was a little surprising that it had been so long. The boy was little more than a newborn when Teo had hid him. Thinking of him as a mostly grown adult human? Well, it didn’t make Teodora feel old, per se, simply a reminder of the passage of time. “You don’t think he’d enjoy a return to the Shadow Realm? See the sights?” Not that there were sights in the Shadow Realm.
Although, there was a reason that Zelda bundled off her son with Teodora all those years ago, and family drama within her group could be troubling. “You have no reason to worry for his or your own safety?” She wasn’t invested, not exactly. The woman bribed her into a working for her basically, it was a transaction.
But Teodora still made something of a human living assisting in matters such as these.
“Incredibly so,” she admitted. It didn’t happen all that often, thankfully. Zee couldn’t help but pause and look at Teo, as if trying to figure out if something more sinister was behind the questioning. Some sort of payback for the bribing, perhaps? “He’s far too curious for his own good,” she said of her son. “Pretty soon I may be asking for you to go and retrieve him from the Shadow Realm,” Zelda teased somewhat.
Her expression faltered though, when the Fae questioned whether or not she had reason to worry for Kal’s safety. Very few got to see Zelda looking anything but graceful and stoic. “I’m always worried for his safety,” she admitted softly to the Fae infront of her. From her family; from Paimon. She wanted Kal to live and practice his craft freely.
“Speaking of, you should see him now,” she insisted with a faint yet proud smirk. Zelda pulled her phone from the pocket of her black slacks and brought up a picture of Kal - and purposely said nothing of just how much influence Teodora had had on him. But she did watch the Fae’s expression closely.
It didn’t shock her to learn that the babe grew into an inquisitive adult, frankly she’d expect little else. He may have only been a babe when she had taken him from realm to realm, hiding him from the potential reveal before his mother had prepared for it, but it left an effect nonetheless.
“Perhaps he would do well there.” It wasn’t really a place to spend a long period of time in though, the Shadow Realm was a stopgap between places, a void of dark energy that absorbed and contained. Hardly a place to stay, but suitable to pass through, to harness. “As a mother should, perhaps.” Although Teodora didn’t know everything about Zelda’s family, and nor was she terribly interested, she could sense the mark, darkness that clung to Zelda, something that she attempted to shield her spawn from. It reminded her that human parents did that, protect their children, rather than blindly follow tradition.
The production of an image of the child in question made Teodora arch an eyebrow, although she’d often had the stray thought of the child she’d tended for seven months, she’d never really pictured him as anything beyond the small child. Although obviously he grew, as all beings did. But she still stepped forward, showing interest.
The image at least sparked a small smirk. Hmm, Shadow Realm would obviously be an interest for the boy then. It hadn’t been conscious, in the strictest sense, but Teodora recognised her own handiwork, even if it was a subconscious effect. “He grew up strong.” Like there had been doubt.
She watched the Fae smirk. Honestly, for a moment, she hated that the idea of hiding her son once more in the Shadow Realm sounded like a good idea. Temporarily, of course, but he would be out of reach of any danger.
He was an adult now, and could make his own decisions and try to stand his own against the family should they turn sour enough -- but her worry was more demonic these days than family. Not to mention she wasn’t sure how Istvan would react to any sort of idea. Obviously her husband shared the same concern, if not more, for their son’s safety - but he liked them sticking together as a family.
“Strong and a lot like his father, thankfully,” Zelda admitted quietly, putting her phone away. She never wanted Kal to have her darkness, even if he was still capable of such things as he explored his craft and experimented.
“You should come to dinner one night,” the witch added with a faint grin of amusement at the idea. It would be interesting to see how Kalman reacted; if he sensed anything, if he was drawn to the Fae who guarded him for the first few months of his life.
It was somewhat interesting, to see the development of the baby into the man. Granted Fae grew in a similar manner, they just stayed younger longer, it was still something to put an adult face to the babe she’d hid.
“I think he’d be lucky to take after his mother,” although Teo had a varied opinion on humans, she was most regularly working for them. In one way or another, and while many begged and pleaded and offered her money, only one had ever bribed her into doing something for her. “There’s something to that deep well of strength after all.” Zelda had either been recklessly stupid or incurably brave when she’d bribed a fae. Teodora was beginning to believe it was a mix of both.
The dinner invitation halted her for a moment, before she recovered, “I--” normally she wouldn’t interact with people after jobs, the potential for whatever she was doing to be traced through her energies was rather high. Although usually she was passing messages or obtaining items, rarely shielding babies from family members. Given the length of time passed and the fact that the family were aware of the boy now, it wasn’t like her work could be further undone. “Very well, I would enjoy that.”
Strangely, she thought she rather would.
She took the compliment gracefully, giving Teo a slow nod of her head. Zee even surprised herself in times of desperation - and the recklessness she had pulled after Kal was born had certainly been reckless. If her son never tried anything like the sort, and avoided deals with demons… Well she would be happy enough.
Zelda smiled widely at the accepted offer to join them for a night. “Good.” She paused a beat before her smile grew a bit more mischievous as she looked over at the fae. “Besides, if you had said no I could always just.. summon you again.” She wouldn’t - especially for something as trivial as family dinner, but, it was fun to tease the idea.
“I’ll leave an offering out for you, though, do be wary of my husband’s wards,” she wiggled her fingers in the air again. “They’re nothing to toy with, even for a sneakily skilled Fae such as yourself.”
Tags: teodora radoslava, zelda blake
