let me go, let me lie low

[light_of_the_world]

The few days that had passed since Valentine's Day had been horrendous for Hild. No one had made her to feel uncomfortable. Krem and Gannicus, of course, had laughed, but their fondness and love outweighed any embarrassment she might have felt from them. Things with Ellie were more complicated, but as Hild had no true intention of disturbing her relationship, and Ellie had no desire to do so either, they had tacitly agreed not to speak of the thing again. The rest had not been so terrible; overwrought though she had been, nothing said had been truly embarrassing, only wrapped up in overdramatic sensibility and phrasing.

All the same, it grated on her. Yes, the magic of the city did this to people, at times, but this had not been city magic. This had been the magic of one man, one man who decided his enjoyment ranked above others. She had escaped all the previous attempts by him and by Darrow magic to manipulate her personality and person. It felt no less unfair that she should be swept up in such a thing now.

Beneath all this, too, lurked the anger at herself for having drunk the wine in the first place. She had faltered; she had let her vigilance slip. She knew better than to drink freely at such a party, knew better than to dive in without observing its effects. She felt herself to blame as much as Magnus Bane, and that frustrated her to no end.

The only thing she could do, however, short of making her apologies and putting a knife somewhere in the vicinity of Magnus Bane's testicles, which she could not do, was carry on. And so she did, stopping by the same coffee shop that had now become her favorite, ordering her usual latte and going to her work. She tried to sidestep another man in the moderately crowded cafe, murmuring a pardon as she did. But when she lifted her gaze to look at him, she stopped still.

"Oh, no."

Comments

[thisfaceismine]

Caught up as he in his anger toward Magnus, in the idea that the only reason Magnus has stayed in his flat is to cause as much irritation as possible, Freddie nearly misses Hild's next comment. He doesn't know whether to essentially let Magnus win and just pack up his shit or if he wants to find someone to bring back to his place right now and fuck them against the adjoining wall for hours.

He glances up finally, her voice registering through the muddle of his own thoughts, brow furrowed.

"You weren't like this on the wine," he says bluntly, noting the mischievous little smirk to her lips. He can't entirely tell if she's any interest in him or if she's only poking fun, but he's suddenly got a thought. "D'you want to help me get back at him?"

[light_of_the_world]

"Well, I was on the wine," Hild countered, reasonably but again teasingly. How she had been was the opposite of how she usually was, how she wanted to be -- controlled and steady versus mindless and racing. This was mostly the reason why she had hated the trick so much. If she had kept her mind but been in a compromising position, she would have been irritated but not so angry.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. He could not be foolish enough to try a trick that Magnus could easily counter with his magic. It had to be something sly.

[thisfaceismine]

With or without wine, she's still pleasant and still undoubtedly attractive, of course. Her manner of speech isn't the type Freddie's used to, but that's hardly a strike against her. If nothing else, he's relieved to have found they've suffered together, for whatever definition of suffering. In truth, there are far worse people for whom Freddie could have professed his undying love.

His lips tug into a slow grin then and he offers a shrug, glancing down at the coffee she's still holding. "Nothing too out there, honestly," he admits. "But I do enjoy irritating the fuck out of him. What d'you say you come back to mine for a bit. We can share some wine -- not roofied, of course -- maybe have a chat and then bang loudly against the wall while making the loudest, most raucous sort of sex noises as we can possibly manage."

[light_of_the_world]

It wasn't the cleverest trick that Hild had ever heard, but she laughed nonetheless, high and bright, before covering her hand with her mouth and subduing some of her amusement. It wasn't what she had expected, but it sounded as if it would do the job well. Freddie didn't want Magnus living next door to him, at the least, and this would certainly subtract from his desirability as a neighbor.

"That sounds like a good method to get someone back to yours," she pointed out, but that was said lightly, without incrimination. Hild did not doubt that he would be respectful of her and keep a distance unless she invited him. Gut instinct led her in this. "But also delightful. I'm in."

[thisfaceismine]

Her smile is bright and encouraging and Freddie grins in response, offering a shrug at her statement as he gives a tip of his head, just a little more flirtatious.

"I'd not be averse to those noises being a bit more real," he admits, though it's clear by his tone that he's not keen on pushing the issue too hard at all. Instead, he nods back toward the door before heading that way, pausing to see if she'll follow. "If you've got any other ideas, I'm open," he adds. "Short of actual murder, I'm all ears."

[light_of_the_world]

The idea did have its appeal, but as of late, Hild tended to keep to Krem and Gannicus for whatever needs she had. It was her choice, nothing that they would have expected or required of her, but it felt right to her all the same. Freddie was attractive and appealing, and she felt sure that she would enjoy his company as well as his bed, but the desire was missing from these thoughts.

"Let's start with wine and fake fucking," Hild answered cheerfully. "Maybe inspiration will take us, but for now I like the idea of just making him a little miserable." It was a start towards soothing her ego.