Work Text:
Templeton sipped his rum and smiled. This was the first time that he had been in the Zodiac Café, and he couldn’t believe his good fortune. The café was really nothing to speak of, slow service, mediocre décor, and filthy restrooms, but a girl named Melody had just taken the stage. She had fair skin, long raven hair, brilliant wide eyes, and wore a short black dress. As she adjusted the microphone, Templeton mused that he found this girl very pretty, if not in a conventional sort of way. 'She’d certainly look out of place in that sorority that Jennifer is in,' thought Templeton, thinking of his banal younger sister. Templeton put away such thoughts as the girl Melody began to sing.
“She’s slightly off-key and her stage presence is entirely too timid. A beautiful if ill-trained voice, though,” cawed the bespectacled raven on Templeton’s shoulder, unseen or heard by the others in the café.
“Hush, Anodos,” whispered Templeton just loudly enough to earn a quizzical look from the nearest patron at the bar.
Melody sat quietly at her back table, sipping her tea and thinking over her earlier performance. Tonight had been especially slow for her, only ten dollars in tips and one purchase of her CD. 'I never should have left the music school,' she thought, 'I need a lot more training and decent connections if I ever want to get out of that cubicle.' Melody looked at her scant tips and basket of unsold CDs again. 'Who am I kidding,' she thought, 'I could never make it as a professional singer. I just don’t have what it takes.'
“You have a beautiful voice.”
Melody had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t seen the man approach. His voice had startled her, making her spill tea all over the table and her dress.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said the man. “Here, let me help you.” He quickly produced some paper napkins and handed them to Melody so she could blot her dress while he wiped down the table. “I’m so sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Melody, feeling a bit flustered. “It’s a good thing this is a black dress. You can’t hardly tell where the spill is.”
“Let me get you another cup of tea.”
“No, don’t bother. I was about to leave anyway.”
“That’s a shame. I was hoping that you would do another set.”
Melody smiled and looked at the man. He looked to be in his early twenties and had long brown hair and well defined cheekbones- but it was his eyes that caught her. They were a clear bluish-green. 'The color of the ocean,' she thought. “Thanks,” she said, looking away from his ocean eyes. “I sing here every Tuesday and Thursday.” Melody looked back up at him, smiled again, and then started walking towards the door.
“I look forward to seeing you again, then,” he called after her as she walked away.
“You call yourself a satyr, much less a member of House Fiona,” said Anodos. “You didn’t even tell her your name, much less get her phone number.”
Templeton looked up from the CD he had bought earlier to face his chimerical friend. “She has a beautiful smile,” he said.
* * *
Templeton had every intent to return to the Zodiac Café that Thursday, but instead, he found himself accompanying the local court in a fruitless search for a suspected Dauntain in the area.
On Tuesday he arrived very early in the evening and was still nursing his first beer when Melody walked in. She did a quick scan of the room, and her eyes met Templeton’s. He gave her a smile and tipped an imaginary hat. She returned the smile, but quickly looked away and started towards the backroom of the café.
“I’m sorry,” came Anodos’ piercing caw, “but am I missing something? She was right there, why didn’t you say something?”
“Not time yet,” mumbled Templeton.
“Well, far be it for me to question the master at work. But you certainly are taking your time with this one.”
Melody was just sitting down after her set when the guy with the long hair and ocean-colored eyes showed up holding a cup and small pot of tea.
“I don’t know if you remember, but I’m the jerk who spilled tea on you last week, and I wanted to make it up to you,” he said with a hesitant smile.
“How could I forget my only fan,” she said. “But you shouldn’t have felt obligated, I’m the one who spilled the tea after all.”
“That’s not true,” he said, and paused, briefly, “I’m sure you have plenty of fans.”
Melody glanced at her meager tips and the same old pile of unsold CDs. “Do tell.”
“Ah. Well, this place doesn’t exactly attract the big spenders does it? But I can tell you that when you’re up there singing, you’ve got the crowd’s attention. They might not show it with their wallets, but there’s hardly a peep out of anyone when you’re on stage.”
Melody looked about the noisy café and thought about how quiet they had seemed while she was performing. 'Maybe I do have some talent,' she thought.
Ocean Eyes continued, “I’m sure that more guys would come tell you how they liked your music, but are too embarrassed to come and talk to such a pretty lady. Or maybe they don’t want to risk making you spill your tea.”
Melody chuckled and the guy held out his hand. “My name is Templeton by the way.”
“Melody,” she said, shaking his hand. “Melody Turner.”
“Well Melody,” Templeton said, “You sing here on Tuesdays and Thursdays right?”
“That’s right,” said Melody. “Pretty much every week.”
“Where do you perform the rest of the week?”
“Oh, this is the only place,” Melody said, looking away with a little embarrassment.
“Does that mean that you’re available on Fridays? Say, this Friday at 7 o’clock?”
'Oh god,' she thought, 'I knew that he was flirting with me.' She was about to make up an excuse when she looked up into his blue-green eyes. “Sure,” she said.
* * *
As Templeton trotted up to Melody’s door, Anodos lightly perched on one of the satyr’s horns, invisible to the unenchanted.
“Do you really think that tulips were the right choice?” Templeton asked the chimerical raven.
Anodos bent his head down, looking over the round wire spectacles that rested on his long beak. “I thought we went over this. Tulips are nice, sort of playful, and not too committal. What’s the worst that could happen anyway? She turns out to be allergic to tulips, breaks out in hives, and never wants to see you again. No big deal, it’s not like it’s Lady Elysania from the Duke’s court. It’s just some mortal girl. You’ve bedded and mused hundreds just like her. Besides, it’s too late to change your mind about the tulips. We’re here.”
'The bird’s got a point,' Templeton thought. 'What is it about this time, this girl, that’s making me so nervous?' Putting his thoughts aside, Templeton stepped up to the door and knocked lightly. A few moments later Melody opened the door. She was wearing a simple red dress and had her long dark hair done up in small curling braids. “I brought you some flowers,” Templeton said, thrusting out a large bouquet of brightly colored tulips. “I wasn’t sure which color to get, so I got a few of each hoping that you’d like at least some of them.”
Melody gave Templeton one of her lovely smiles and took the flowers from him. “They’re beautiful, thank you. Wait here while I go put them in a vase and grab my purse.”
While she was inside Anodos clacked his beak, “She left the door open. Want me to take a quick buzz about inside, make sure the walls aren’t painted with blood, locate the bedroom, and all that good stuff?”
“No.”
“No? Not even to see if she’s got any good lingerie?”
“Knock it off,” Templeton said reaching up to brush the raven off of his horns.
“What was that?” asked Melody as she stepped back outside.
“Oh, nothing,” said Templeton, trying to look as though he was just scratching his head. “Shall we go?”
For dinner they went to a nice Greek restaurant owned by a grump satyr that Templeton knew. The old goat gave Templeton a knowing wink as he and Melody entered. After dinner, they went out swing dancing. By the time the club closed, they were so wound up that they decided to take a long walk around downtown before eventually heading back to the car and Melody’s home.
When they got to Melody’s front door, she awkwardly clutched her purse in one hand and Templeton’s hand in the other. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a date,” she said. “Thanks for showing me a good time, it’s the most fun that I’ve had in ages.” She squeezed his hand.
He returned the squeeze. “Hey, any time. I’ve never had a better dance partner.”
“You’re such a flatterer,” she said looking into his captivating eyes. “I know that it’s really late, but would you like to come in for some coffee before you go?” She gave a slight smile, “or some tea? I’ll try not to spill it this time.”
Templeton felt the lust rising within him, but then he thought of what Anodos had said earlier and that wink the grump had given him. 'No,' he thought, 'I can’t. She doesn’t deserve to just be another notch on my belt. Besides the girl really does have talent, I should take my time musing her. Jumping into a physical relationship is just going to muddle that.' “I’d love to,” he said. “But I really should get home, it’s almost dawn.”
Melody looked away from Templeton and towards the brightening East. “Right, of course.” She kept her face away from Templeton, afraid that it had gone beet red.
“But I would like to see you again,” Templeton said quickly. “Are you free again this weekend?”
Templeton walked into his apartment whistling. He had been up for almost twenty-four hours, but he was still running on adrenaline. He had just had a great night, even without having gotten laid, and would be seeing Melody again that evening.
Anodos flew across his bedroom and landed on his dresser. “All right, off with them,” he announced loudly.
“Excuse me?”
“Your trousers, off with ‘em. I want to make sure that your balls are still there,” the chimera cawed. “The girl that you’ve had a hard-on for two weeks invites you in and you turn her down? I want to make sure that your testicles haven’t shriveled up and fallen off.”
“Maybe I just didn’t want to encourage your voyeuristic tendencies,” Templeton said, jumping into bed still fully clothed.
* * *
Over the next few months Templeton and Melody saw each other a great deal, and despite Templeton’s newfound noble impulses, it was not long before they had consummated their budding relationship. Right from the start, Templeton did what he could to encourage Melody’s music career. He pressed her to practice more, got her to start voice lessons again, and even used his connections with the kithain to get her a gig at the Spinning Wheel, a coffee shop with slightly more affluent customers than the ones at the Zodiac Café.
As Templeton contentedly sat in the Spinning Wheel one Wednesday evening listening to Melody sing a new song that the two of them had just written, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Well met, Sir Templeton. You as well Anodos. It has been some time since we have had the pleasure of your company at court.” The voice was very deep, but gentle as well.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him,” Anodos cawed.
“Have a seat, Sir Mandrake,” said Templeton pulling out a chair, but keeping his eyes on Melody.
A massive troll with short-cropped blond hair sat down next to the satyr. “So that’s the dreamer that you’ve been seeing. She’s pretty. Nice voice, too. How serious are you about her?”
“Much more serious than I would have suspected at first.”
The troll knight shook his head. “If you really care about her, you’ll break it off now before it goes much further.”
Templeton looked at him scowling, “Why? Because she’s mortal?” he hissed under his breath.
“Relationships between our kind never work out well, you know that. She’s not a part of our world and never can be. Not for any length of time leastways.”
“Yeah, I know all that,” he said wistfully. “Sometimes it really gets to me, all of the beauty and splendor that I can’t share with her. She can’t even know about Anodos here.” The satyr turned back to face his lover on the stage. “I think that it will always pain me how much I’ll never be able to tell her to show her, but I’m willing to deal with that to be with her. To hear her singing and see that smile.”
“In any case, I didn’t seek you out to tell you how to lead your life,” Sir Mandrake said, ruefully. “I came to enlist your service as a knight of the realm. Remember those rumors about a Dauntain that we looked into some months ago?”
“I do,” said Templeton smiling to himself. “That was the same week that I met Melody.”
“They weren’t just rumors. A week ago a childling was found dead and last night Sir Lynsel and his squire fought him not three blocks from here. They both escaped, but only just. Sir Lynsel says that the Dauntain wields a vicious black blade that nearly eviscerated his squire. We’re hunting the bastard down tonight. I want you with us.”
Templeton answered without taking his eyes off of Melody, “Of course.” “Well you can count me out,” Anodos said. “I’m not much use in a fight, much less against one of those monsters.”
“Take your lady home, Sir Templeton, and then fetch the sword you seem to have stopped carrying, and meet us at the freehold.” The troll stood and pulled a long chimerical dirk from his belt and handed it to Templeton. “Return it to me after you’ve retrieved your own blade.”
“Hey there, Ocean Eyes,” Melody said as she walked up to their table. “I’m all through for the night. Who’s your friend here?”
Templeton stood up and took Melody’s hand. “This is my old friend Si- uh…Simon, Simon Mandrake. Simon this is Melody. Simon and I um, went to school together.”
“Smooth,” chirped Anodos.
“I need to get going, Templeton, but I’ll see you later,” the large troll said as he headed towards the exit.
“I agreed to meet him and some of the old gang for beers later tonight,” Templeton said. “But I’ve got enough time to walk you home first. Shall we go?”
Melody frowned like something was troubling her, but she took her lover’s arm and walked out of the building with him.
* * *
Melody was surprised by how dark and cold it had gotten outside. 'We must be well into Autumn now,' she thought. 'I had forgotten how early it gets dark. The street lamps are already lit.' She cuddled up closer to Templeton as she felt a chill breeze blow by.
As they made their way home they came across a man leaning against an unlit street light. Melody couldn’t say why, but there something about the man that made her nervous. She felt Templeton grip her tightly. 'He feels it too.'
The man, whose features were obscured under the dark lamp, stepped onto the sidewalk, blocking their path. “Fear not, lady,” he said with an oddly hollow voice. “This perverted creature will not violate you ever again.” He then held up an object. It looked like an umbrella, but he brandished it like a weapon.
“Is this a j-,” she was about to say ‘joke’, but the look of grim seriousness on Templeton’s face stopped her. “What is this? Do you know this guy?” She saw that Templeton had taken out a ball-point pen and was holding it like it was a knife.
“Make your peace with whatever dark gods you worship, perversion,” the man said, looking directly at Templeton. “I have come for you. Your Endless Winter begins now!”
“Do you want something?” Melody asked, feeling cold and confused. “You can have our money. Just take it and leave us alone.” She held her purse out towards the stranger.
“Get out of here, Melody,” Templeton shouted. “Run home and lock the door. This man is dangerous.”
“Liar!” roared the stranger. “I am here to save her from you and the rest of your unnatural kind.” The man then ran at Templeton, swinging his umbrella with both hands. Her lover jumped backwards away from the umbrella and slashed at the man with pen he was holding.
The two of them began circling each other swinging, blocking, and dodging with their strange weapons. Melody would have taken it for some sort of children’s game, if it weren’t for the murderous look in both men’s eyes.
“Stop it! Stop it!” Melody shouted, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, although Melody could see no reason why, the stranger screamed and arched his back as if he had just been struck.
“Thanks Anodos,” Templeton said as he lunged towards the stranger with his pen.
“Anodos?” Melody said, feeling even more frightened and confused.
The stranger parried Templeton’s pen and took a step back. “Here, lady,” he intoned, “let me reveal to you the demonic visage and dark familiar of your companion.”
He then stepped towards Melody and swung his umbrella at her. Melody raised her arm and flinched, anticipating the blow, but no impact came. Instead, she felt an intense warmth, like standing in the Summer sun. Her head swam and she felt disconnected from her surroundings and her own body, like being in a dream. When she opened her eyes, the stranger loomed before her. He seemed like a black hole in human form, draining all of the light from the world. In his hand was a black sword that he used to fend off the furious blows from the silver dagger in Templeton’s hand. Templeton.
Was that Templeton? This thing fighting the dark man had Templeton’s face, but there were horns sprouting from his head and his legs, his whole bottom half, were covered in coarse hair and ending in hooves. Like an animal. Like a demon. It was his eyes, though- there was no mistaking his ocean-colored eyes. Every time this odd goat-demon-Templeton struck at the dark man, it seemed to pain him and his weapon flickered between being a dagger and being a pen, like a flashlight with dying batteries. 'Stop fighting him,' she thought, 'it’s killing you.'
“Anodos!” Templeton called. “Get her out of here before she gets hurt.”
A raven wearing eyeglasses flew out of the sky and landed right in front of her. “You heard him, Melody,” the raven said. “We’re getting you away from this place before either of us is hurt.” The raven took to wing and started flying away from the terrible battle before her. Confused and numb, Melody ran after the raven. She ran as fast as she possibly could and did not look back. Soon, the sounds of grunts and clashing blades died away.
* * *
Templeton tossed the dirk, still sticky with blood, onto his bed and slumped into a chair. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there when Anodos flew in through an open window.
“Thank the fates,” the chimera said with obvious relief. “I thought that I had lost you for certain that time.”
“It’ll take more than that to get rid of me,” Templeton replied with a tired smile. “Do me another favor now though. Take that dirk back to Mandrake. Thank him for me and tell him…tell him that the problem has been taken care of.”
“Sure thing,” the raven said. picking up the dirk in his talons and flying over to the window sill. “I’ll be back in two shakes. You try to get some rest.”
Templeton stood up and walked over to the window. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for taking Melody home.”
“No problem,” Anodos cawed. “I know how much she means to you.”
Templeton watched Anodos fly away until the chimera was out of sight and then he watched a few Autumn leaves fall gently to the ground from a tree outside the window. He walked over to his stereo and put in the CD that he had bought from Melody on that first night in the Zodiac Café. As her voice filled the room, he picked up the CD case with her smiling picture on the cover and went over to his mirror. 'The Dauntain was right,' he thought. 'My Winter has come.' He looked at himself in the mirror, at his curving horns, at his shaggy fur, and at the hooves where a normal man would have feet. 'A normal man.'
Templeton looked at Melody’s picture again, at her smile. Templeton thought about that smile, how he had thought of little else during the first week after he had met her. Then he thought about that night. She hadn’t smiled while they were being attacked because he was fae, and she hadn’t smiled after having been enchanted. 'This was so much easier when I didn’t care,' he thought. 'I could just walk away from her. Then she’d never have to go through that again, wouldn’t have to deal with a lover who wasn’t human.'
He paused. 'I could try to keep her enchanted, bring her into my world, it’s not all like tonight.' He looked over to where the bloody dirk had lain on his bed and down at his own body, bruised, battered, and splattered with chimerical blood. 'But it would always be just that, “my world.” not “our world.”'
'I could go to court. They’d call me a hero. The duke himself would probably raise his glass to me. But then they’d all start looking for the next battle, and another champion to toast.' He looked at her picture yet again and listened to Melody’s gentle voice playing through the speakers. 'Or I can go to a woman who will love me whether or not I can slay dragons.'
He looked back in the mirror. This time, he looked past the horns. He remembered the shoes that he had put on that morning and looked down to see them on his feet.
Templeton Smith yawned, not sure why he felt so exhausted and sore. He laid down on his bed and slept. He slept for a long time, and if he had any dreams while sleeping he did not remember them when he awoke.
* * *
Melody threw herself into Templeton’s arms when she saw him standing on her front stoop. “I missed you so much last night! I had the most horrible nightmare.”
Templeton held her close and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m here now,” he said. “I’ll make you some breakfast and you can tell me all about it.”
As the two of them walked back into Melody’s house, a raven that neither of them could see flew in protective circles overhead.