Richard glanced at the rear passenger seat and tried to stifle a grin as Angelmaris glared at him in the reflection. Due to the fae's diminutive height, barely over four feet, and his child-like appearance (not to mention the confrontation with the Karen), Richard had done some quick research during their shopping trip and discovered a few details that had put the faerie lord into an extremely grumpy mood. Angelmaris was small and light enough to require a booster seat by state law and was not allowed to sit on the front. Instead, he sat buckled into the back passenger seat atop his padded plastic booster, infuriated but helpless to disobey Richard's explicit command to use it without complaint. It kept them from getting in trouble in case they got pulled over and the cops refused to believe that Angelmaris was an adult. Besides, the fae looked cute even when grumpy. Or at least, he was cute now that the shifter knew he was magically neutered and essentially impotent against his current liege lord. Which was, in fact, Richard himself. It was starting to seem like a good thing after all.


The fae turned to stare out the window, still glaring, and the human turned his attention back to the road as they neared their destination. They were outside the campus area after their shopping spree, heading towards Cyrllion's place to drop off his loaned bank card. They'd also be handling paperwork to get both Angelmaris and Crimson started with the enrollment process and shop for some furniture that would make their stay with Richard more comfortable (and also wouldn't completely eliminate all floor space in his small apartment). He gave the former harpy a quick glance and saw that she was still quite excitedly bouncing in her seat and staring all around as they drove down the residential street. It was lined with wide sidewalks and old trees in front of tall fences and hedges to keep the estates beyond them hidden from view. Yes, estates.


As in any college town, the residences near the campus that weren't crappy apartment buildings were large, expensive estates that were owned by the very well-to-do, mostly alumni of the school who continued to be involved in its events, management, and fundraising. The Bastions happened to have one such, and Richard pulled into the drive so that he could buzz the visitor box and puttered forward when the gate opened, feeling very out of place in his second-hand used car. He felt a slight tingle on his skin as they passed the gate, the edge of a barrier ward the same as was on his own home but far larger and more powerful, and there was a slight change in the nature of the world. Not that they weren't on the mortal plane of existence any longer, but some of the rules that generally governed it were... set aside.


The lawn to either side of the drive that trailed up to the house was lush and green with bright flowers dotting it here and there, there were clusters of tall trees with wide branches shading spots, and a pond that was very nearly a small lake took up most of one side. That was all normal and to be expected for a place that was easily as large as a two or three football fields. What was not normal were the creatures that ran, flew, slithered, and swam on the grounds of the estate. Crimson let out a happy squawk at seeing a flock of harpies fluttering through the air around one of the small groves and immediately reached to unbuckle her seatbelt before pausing long enough to give Richard a hopeful look.


"May I please go to speak with my sisters?" she asked, and the shifter could only smile and nod, though he expected her to be rather disappointed.


She was a shifter as well, now, which meant she had a human form and a hawk form. He wasn't certain if the half-bird creatures would be quite as welcoming now that she wasn't technically one of them any longer. He eased the car to a stop so that she could exit the vehicle and got his first surprise of the visit. He had half expected her to shuck her clothing so that she could change, but she left it on and instead began running across the lawn towards the small flock. As she did, he saw her legs and arms began to alter. Scales crept up the former and feathers along the later, her shoes left behind as feet became avian claws. Her shorts soon followed as her height diminished and her hips slimmed, and she struggled free of the shirt so that she could launch herself into the air. As a harpy.


The shifter blinked as he watched her flap her way towards the flock, which rose up to meet her, then leaned across the front seat to close the passenger door. There was, he supposed, no real reason that a shifter couldn't do something like that if they had enough control and concentration. He had certainly never tried it himself, but there were old myths of half-forms, werewolves and the like, scattered all throughout history. He had always considered them to be misunderstandings and exaggerations from regular humans coming across shifters mid-change, but maybe they had just been hints at possibilities that he had never considered. Then again, it could also be the fact that Crimson's original form had been a harpy to begin with. Maybe he'd give it a try some time, just to see if he could. Putting it out of his mind for the time being, he continued down the drive at a pace just faster than walking until they finally reached the roundabout in front of the large main house.


Agelmaris continued to sit grumpily in the back seat as he exited the car and came around to open the rear passenger door. Despite the fact that the faerie had gotten some elbow-length imitation silk gloves, he was still furious at being mistaken for a child in the first place then forced to use a booster seat, and Richard had decided to play nice. He undid the seatbelt (the buckle and latch were made of steel), then offered a helpful hand to help the fae lord out onto the ground. Angelmaris glared at him for a moment before taking it and prissily stepping down. He was wearing the gothic faux-velvet dress that he had found along with knee-high faux-leather boots with a slight heel and laces that went all up the front. With his shoulder-length white-blonde hair, he looked like a rather adorable little girl, though Richard felt it was better not to make such comments aloud and kept such thoughts tightly directed inwards.


Of course, when the fae let out a sudden, high-pitched squeal, the illusion was only reinforced. Richard's second surprise came when the faerie suddenly darted away from him to race across the yard towards an absolutely massive pitch-black hound. It was big enough that it probably could have looked the shifter in the eye without taking its front paws off the ground, and it was trucking towards them with a determined stride, head low and fluffy tail streaming behind it. Or rather, it was chugging towards Angelmaris. If he hadn't known that nothing here would dare break to purposefully break Cyrillion's peace, he might have been worried; the thing looked far more like a wolf than a dog, with sharp golden eyes and a thick shaggy coat. But he needn't have bothered to concern himself. As the two drew close to one another, the canine dropped its hind quarters and dug in its paws to skid to a stop. Angelmaris flung himself at it, arms wrapping around its neck in a hug that was probably strangling the massive dog, though it snuffled and licked at the fae while its tail wagged fast enough to tear up tufts of grass and send them flying.


"Hemlock," came a sudden voice at Richard's elbow, and he glanced down to find Bastion standing at his side, peering off towards the happy reunion. "He lost the poor thing in a stupid bet, which was rather irresponsible of him, but I managed to purchase him. Hemlock's one of only a few dozen dire wolves left in the world. I'm trying to get a female for him to breed in the hopes of restoring the species, but you know how those things can go. Or, well, you probably don't. Suffice it to say that such a rare breed is rather difficult to come by, and those who have one are extremely loathe to part with their prize."


Richard grunted his understanding of the issue, but couldn't help a snort of laughter when the dire wolf suddenly flopped over onto its back and Angelmaris began vigorously rubbing at its stomach. The shifter couldn't hear what the fae was saying over the intervening distance, but the face that the faerie was making indicated it was probably the same kind of silly baby-talk that nearly anyone made when greeting and praising a beloved pet.


"Y'know, I've never seen him look like this before," Richard commented. "I've never seen him look... happy. Pleased with himself, satisfied at an outcome, smug, and all that, but not happy. I guess I didn't think he could feel something so simple."


The half-dragon dug a gentle elbow into his thigh. "Hey, everyone's happy to see their dog after a long separation, right? I know..." Cyrillion paused to glance around before continuing. "I know I'm always happy to come home to my bitch."


The shifter snorted and covered his mouth. Then he quickly wiped the smirk from his face as he turned his attention back to Angelmaris and saw the girlish faerie riding towards them atop the wolf's back, looking as solemn and regal as a princess about to pronounce that it was time for the royal tea party. Richard ducked his head and fought off the giggles as hard as he could, and he was glad to manage a straight face before the fae lord reached him. But Angelmaris's attention was solely on Bastion as he bowed over the wolf's back.


"I am in your debt, half-dragon," the fae stated, and his solemnity was no facade. "I had never thought to meet Hemlock again in this life or any other, and this chance meeting brings me joy greater than I have ability to express. Had I anything to offer save service that is already owed you as the lord of my sanctuary, I would give all that I have to... I..."


Richard was surprised yet again to hear the fae's voice hitch and the glimmer of tears in his eyes, but they were hastily wiped away. Yet before he could continue, Cyrillion spoke up.


"He's yours. I'd never keep you apart, though I doubt that Richard will be able to keep him in such a confined space. He's been quite happy here, and I'll be just as happy to care for him until such time as you are able to manage living arrangements that can provide for his needs. You would be welcome to visit him at any time, night or day, with my blessing."


Angelmaris tried to get something else out but ended up just leaning forward to bury his face against Hemlock's ruff and hug the wolf's neck tightly once more as he cried. Richard turned away to allow him what privacy was possible in such an open environment, utterly amazed. It was just barely possible that there was actually a person under all the snark and smug superiority and conniving manipulation that Angelmaris fronted. But the dog was definitely not coming home with them.





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