open post: further up and further in

[magicianking]

Eliot hasn't been depressed, per se, because it's sort of impossible to be depressed in Fillory. There's too much to do, these days: rebuilding Castle Whitespire, helping Josh and Poppy with the baby, and generally trying to run a post-apocalyptic-but-now-pretty-much-fine magical kingdom. Being High King of Fillory is, not to be totally cliche, Eliot's calling, and he's found a peace that he never had before. But it still sucks absolute balls that both Quentin and Janet are gone.

When Janet had first disappeared, Eliot had devoted all of his kingly resources to trying to find her. None of their world-jumping buttons had been missing, so he'd promised a knighthood and a castle to anyone in Fillory who found the missing Queen Janet.

"She won't love being treated like a damsel in distress like this," Poppy had told him.

"Well, if you have a better idea," he'd snapped, and that had been that, until a letter had arrived in the gazing pool. It had been frustratingly contextless, but obviously from Janet.

"Where is she?" Josh asked at the next meeting of the monarchs.

"I don't know. She's trapped, but she seems more annoyed than in danger."

"So she's in another universe? Since she had to use your telegram thing?" Poppy asked.

"Seems likely."

All of them had lapsed into silence.

"Should we call off the Queen hunt? Some of them are getting a little Don Quixote out there," said Poppy.

"No," Eliot had decided. "Just in case." Damsel in distress, Janet was not; but hell if he would ever be the one to give up on finding her.

--

Eliot's on his way to check on the progress of Castle Whitespire, wandering up the path from the comfortable townhouse he's been staying in, when the ground changes abruptly beneath his feet. He stumbles, and when he looks up--Dorothy, he is not in magical Kansas any more. Not in Oz any more? Whatever. The energy of wherever he is is totally different. He doesn't think it's Earth, either, despite the fact that he's in front of a huge Earth-style mansion.

"What the fuck," he mutters, and opens the door.

Comments

[sagramore]

"Don't make him a drink! He's a suspicious person!"

[magicianking]

"Come on now, don't be that way," Eliot tells the dark-haired DILF. "I feel like a drink is a fair trade for seeing my ankles." This is weird, but these guys are hot enough that he feels like playing along. Scandalizing people with his ankles, how retro.

[aflashbastard]

"Look, he wants a drink," Crowley tells Sagramore, persuasively. He could also use a drink himself.

[sagramore]

"I want a drink, but here we are."

[magicianking]

"Listen to your friend," Eliot says. He's having fun. "Assuming he is just your friend? He's a smart guy."

[aflashbastard]

"Then it's settled," Crowley says, even though nothing is close to being settled. "Drinks for everyone."

[sagramore]

"Just coffee for me," Sagramore says grimly, outwardly unmoved by the prospect of banter and drinks with a handsome man.

[magicianking]

"Good man!" Eliot says, clapping Crowley on the back. Jesus, this dude is bony. "Any wine in this dimension? Red, for preference."

[aflashbastard]

"Is there wine in this dimension?" Crowley asks, scoffing slightly. Where's Dionysus now? He ensorcells two glasses of red wine -- and a coffee for Sagramore, of course. "It's a 1980 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion," he says, offering a glass to Eliot.

[sagramore]

Sagramore takes a steeling drink of his coffee, and immediately burns his tongue. "Fuck's sake," he mutters.

[magicianking]

"Oh, this is excellent," Eliot says, gladly accepting the wine. He's much less of a drinker now that he's found his purpose (corny, blech, but true), but he can still appreciate a good vintage like this. He takes a sip, savoring the flavor and the tannins on his tongue. "Thank you. You're sure you don't want any?" he asks the DILF. "As cute as that was, I don't want you to keep burning your tongue."

[aflashbastard]

Crowley looks rather pleased with himself, taking a sip of his own glass of wine. He likes this guy. He likes any guy who compliments his taste in wine. He then looks over at Sagramore with a raised eyebrow; they haven't really discussed it, but he's stopped gifting Sagramore palinka so frequently. It seems to be the right thing to do.

[sagramore]

"I'm perfectly fine, the coffee is lovely." This last is an aside to Crowley, his gruffness softening for just a moment. "Right, you have your wine, let's see the ankles."

[magicianking]

Eliot takes a long drink from his glass, then hands it back to Crowley. He's wearing a tunic and leggings, as befits a High King, but since there's no elastic in Fillory, his cuffs are easy enough to roll up. He tries to make a little bit of a show of it, but there's apparently a reason burlesque dancers don't dress as high-fantasy assholes. He rotates his feet one by one, showing every angle possible.

"How's that? Do I pass your weird test?"

[aflashbastard]

Crowley manages to give him a thumbs up despite holding onto two glasses of wine.

[sagramore]

Sagramore's shoulders drop as he relaxes. "See, that wasn't so hard, and now we can be friendly. There was no need to draw it out."

[magicianking]

"What can I say. I'm a dramatic guy." Eliot takes his wine back. "What was this all about, anyway? Who are you looking for with evil ankles?"

[aflashbastard]

"Count Olaf. He's a man -- I think¹ -- and he's dangerous."

¹Sunny has never mentioned if Olaf is more than human. It sounds like there's the possibility of it, considering how dangerous he is.

[sagramore]

"He wants to harm my daughter."

[magicianking]

"Oh, shit. Well, that's scary," Eliot says, getting a little more serious. The I think puts him in mind of Martin Chatwin, who was not quite a man himself, by the end. "Hell, I should just come patrol with you. I'm pretty fucking good at battle magic." Maybe this is why he's here. To see Janet, of course, but defeating an evil count sounds like a High King type of quest.

[aflashbastard]

"The more the merrier," Crowley offers, with a shrug.<sup>1

1</sup>What're you going to do about that mansion spirits?

[sagramore]

"Really?" Sagramore asks. "I mean, I'd be delighted. Can I convince you to show off?"

[magicianking]

"Oh, baby, you can hardly stop me," Eliot says, grinning. He casts a simple light spell, contorting his fingers and muttering until his wine glass glows.

[aflashbastard]

Looks like Eliot can ensorcell as well! Crowley watches, not entirely surprised, but at least he's entertained as he takes another sip of his wine.

[sagramore]

"Oh! Laertes can do that too!"