Chapter Text
The District.
That was what it had come to be called in your city.
A sprawling series of streets and alleys decorated in plants and ancient carvings. The buildings were old and unusual, seemingly cobbled together over time from various types of architecture.
This was where the Hidden Folk lived.
It wasn't known if the District had been magically transported to the town or if it had always been there, magically hidden in plain sight. But it was here now. Large, beautiful, otherworldly and intimidating.
You'd been psyching yourself up to enter for weeks.
You were dying of curiosity.
Like most people, you had grown up with tales of fairies and monsters. Stories for children with morals and lessons meant to keep you safe.
But yours was the first generation to find out that the stories had been true.
The Unveiling.
The event that changed life forever.
When the Hidden Folk stepped forward to prevent mankind's destruction, saving them from themselves. Exchanging certain magics and spells for strict eco-friendly guidelines and huge reductions in pollution.
But once the Hidden Folk had stepped into the light, there was no going back to how it had been before.
Places like the District had popped up all over. Secret cities belonging to the Hidden Folk. For a long time, you'd avoided the place. Your family had been wary… as most humans were.
You hadn't stayed away out of fear of its inhabitants, but more of caution. Humans and the folk were still learning about one another. Still learning how to be around one another.
But you were curious.
Many people you knew had gone into the District, telling you of the interesting sights they'd seen.
So, this year you had decided.
You were going to visit the District.
Standing at the entrance you took a breath and stepped inside.
You weren't sure what you expected.
Some sensation, some change in the air, something…
But there was nothing.
Just the usual milling about of people on the street and in a market. Stalls sold herbs and wares right along the sidewalk. It felt like some sort of large farmer's market.
You began to wander, taking in the sights.
Some people looked like… well… people. Humans. Others… not so much. Satyrs, centaurs, werewolves, sylphs, fae, fauns, and so many more you didn't have names for.
And then there were the creatures whose shape you couldn't discern even when looking at them…
You couldn't help but stare.
And you received stares in kind.
Angry ones.
It was enough to set you on edge.
You were in a place not your own and you were just now realizing…
You had no idea how to act.
You'd never looked into fae customs.
You knew nothing of their ways.
What if you offended somebody?
Made a deal with someone?
What if you hurt somebody somehow? After all, they weren't humans. Who knew what could cause issues…
You had managed to lose yourself in the crush of the crowd and your anxiety spiked.
You were packed in tight, rubbing elbows with satyrs and faeries. The scent of fur and flesh, of flowers and fog overwhelmed your senses.
The crush of the people, the new sights and smells, it was too much. Carefully, you made your way out of the group, trying to catch your breath.
You wanted somewhere to hide out for a moment so you didn't get swept up in the tide again. You pressed yourself into an alcove between two buildings, taking a moment to collect your thoughts.
That's when you felt a warmth on your hand, a little tug. As if someone were trying to get your attention. When you looked down you expected to find a child…
Instead, you saw nothing.
Well…. Not quite nothing.
A sort of shimmering red aurora drifted from you, a sparkling trail of crimson, weaving its way down a side street.
In some way, you couldn't understand you knew you were meant to follow this.
The logical part of your brain screamed no. Told you it was unwise.
But another part of you… something deeper and more instinctual told you this was safety.
So follow it, you did.
The side street was cobbled and largely overtaken by moss and vine. An amalgam of nature and architecture. It transformed the narrow alley into a sort of artificial bower. A love letter to tunnels through underbrush and secret gardens.
Finally, you emerged into a tiny courtyard surrounded on all sides by a mismatch of buildings. All apartments in clashing styles. Tudor here, Soviet there, 50s suburb…
All seemed empty. Not uninhabited, simply empty at the moment… as if all the residents had merely stepped away.
Clothes still hung on lines, toys were still scattered about, plants grew hanging from balconies…
It felt homey, lived in…
And unbearably lonely.
Then your eyes finally settled on a building in front of you.
The building the aurora was leading you to.
A shop. A tiny place crammed in an alcove with a bright green door. You wouldn't have thought it was a shop if it weren't for the modest sign posted on the door.
"Curios for Sale. Inquire Within."
Curios for sale…
You were intrigued but also wary. The longer you stood in this silent courtyard, the greater your unease grew.
Finally, you touched the doorknob.
Comfort.
This was what you were meant to do.
You opened the door.
There was a bright tinkling of bells as the door swung inward. The shop was small and tidy, but also cramped. It could perhaps fit five to six people at max. The walls from floor to ceiling were covered in shelves. To your left a narrow showroom with a singular shelf in the middle of the room leaving barely any space to squeeze around it to look at what was on display.
Curiously, there was a window…
A window that should have been facing the courtyard you'd entered from…
But, there had been no window outside.
There was a slight sound of someone clearing their throat, making you spin around.
And there was the proprietor of the shop.
He stood behind a wooden counter with two wire racks to either side hung with baubles. To his right was a section of counter that might be lifted so that he could leave.
Funnily enough, the whole thing made you think of some ren faire recreation of a kiosk at a gas station.
But more interesting was the man behind the counter.
He was slender, which made him seem tall. However, from what you could tell, he was only slightly taller than you. His skin was a sort of dark ashen brown like wood left to dry for winter kindling. It was marked like wood too with darker swirls and patterns like wood grain. Natural or unnatural markings, you could not tell.
His eyes were a brilliant mix of green and yellow that made you think of a forest canopy. Sunlight on leaves.
On his head was a rich brown cap with a long trailing end that dragged the floor. A short cape of dark mustard yellow with a high, loose collar adorned his shoulders. Beneath? A green tunic, its short sleeves exposing longer dark brown sleeves beneath. Then, from wrist to elbow, he was wrapped in bindings, like something one might see martial artists wear. Below it all you could catch a glimpse of brown pants.
It was then you realized you were staring.
"I suppose you haven't seen the likes of me before." He said wryly, taking a long draw from a pipe nearly the length of his forearm.
"No, I haven't." You agreed, "I'm sorry to barge in here…"
"It is an open shop." He gestured to the room to illustrate.
The pair of you were the only ones here.
"Would you tell me your name?" He asked, tipping his head to one side, "So that I might know who has come to peruse my wares?"
You noticed his emphasis on tell .
Fae deals, as you had read, were quite real. That he said tell and not give was… well, either indicative of his character or his wariness around humans.
"My name is Reader."
He smiled, "A pleasure. I'm Kerswin."
Kerswin…
An interesting name.
"Feel free to browse. If you'd like to know the price of an item, simply ask."
You nodded dumbly and moved to look around the store to stop your staring.
Despite the strangeness of it all, this place felt comfortable. You felt like you could breathe.
It was akin to the scent of thrift stores. The scent of age, of history, clung to these things.
And there were a great many things.
If someone had told you that this shop's inventory was managed by magpies, you would have believed it. So many items of all sorts. Like someone dumped the odds and ends of many thrift stores into one basket.
A cameo ring of a girl with curls piled high on her head. A porcelain cat figurine with one ear broken. A pocket watch set two hours behind. A marble with a bright flash of gold through it.
So many just… things . All were arranged on the shelves in clusters. Smaller items sat in baskets or tiny boxes.
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their order. They weren't sorted by usefulness or worth it seemed. A pair of glasses with missing lenses was displayed proudly next to a Rolex watch and what you were certain was some sort of ancient currency, for instance.
You could easily spend hours here and not see everything on these shelves…
You paused by the window, looking out to where the courtyard should be…
Instead, you saw a forest. A forest in high summer with beautiful greenery out in force and a trail of flowers along the window.
You wanted to ask.
You longed to ask.
But… well… that would be rude, wouldn't it?
Maybe you shouldn't make a fool of yourself by showcasing your ignorance to the nice fae.
You'd been drawn into this shop… but why?
That had to have been some form of magic.
Maybe it was magical advertising. The thought made you stifle a chuckle.
As you passed around the shelf you paused, something catching your eye.
A necklace. A simple thing all told. A black cord with a heavy metallic disc hanging from it. The disc was rimmed in gold and silver and it looked battered and old.
You weren't sure what it was about it. Something about the heft of it in your hands was comforting.
Perhaps you should make a purchase… or at least ask about one.
You approached the counter, holding up the necklace carefully.
"Um, how much is this?"
"Hm…" he reached across the counter and lifted it from your hands, appraising this fairly mundane thing as if it were an item of high value.
Would he have done the same with the glasses frames?
He cast a smile at you, a sly, knowing smile, "You could give me an eye, some teeth, or perhaps," he leaned on the counter, looking at you from under his lashes, "You’d like to give me your heart."
The sudden flirting took you off guard.
What-
It took you a moment to process that what he was saying was actually a price.
On one hand, that was very smooth. On the other hand, that was mildly terrifying.
"Really?"
He nodded, "Yes. I'm always interested in adding more to my collections."
He was so casual about it. He didn't look like someone that might-
He leaned across the counter and a necklace obscured by his cloak swung into view.
A golden planchet with a brilliant blue eye set like a jewel within it. It trained its gaze on you and you took a step back, "I'd rather not part with my body parts, thank you."
"Suit yourself." He chuckled, straightening, "Perhaps you'd rather pay with something more insubstantial…"
Insubstantial?
"... Like what?"
My soul?
"A memory. The memory of your first kiss, perhaps? I'm certain we can come to some agreement."
You'd heard of this, fey making deals for memories and such. This was the first time you'd ever been given such an offer.
And, of course, the price had to be something you didn't have.
"I haven't been kissed before." You shrugged, a little embarrassed.
You knew it was silly to be embarrassed about, but society was a hell of a thing in that regard.
His eyes widened slightly and his smile grew just a touch, "You do have a bargain. Consider this, give me your first kiss as payment for the necklace."
He said it not in a flirting way but in a matter-of-fact salesman sort of way.
"Give you my first kiss?" You asked.
"It's not as if you're using it." He chuckled, leaning on the counter.
Hm…
On one hand, this was exceptionally weird…
On the other hand, how many people could say their first kiss was with a fae?
And well… he was right… It wasn't like you were using it.
You gave a decisive nod, "Deal."
"A word of warning." He tapped a sign above his head that read No Refunds.
You nodded in agreement.
He beckoned you closer. Long thin fingers gently tipped your chin up. His lips sealed yours and you felt a small shiver run through you.
There was a strangeness. A change. But you couldn't quite explain it…
After a soft moment, he pulled away. The taste of a strange sweet smoke on your lips.
"There. Paid in full."
"Are you sure?"
He chuckled, a hand brushing past his own lips as if he were taking something from his mouth. Carefully, he held up what looked like a pale pink pearl to the light, "Yes."
He secreted the pearl away into a pocket before gathering the necklace up and placing it gently in your hands.
"Enjoy your purchase. I hope you find it useful."
"Thank you."
And with that you quickly exited the shop, your heart pounding in your chest.
That was weird. Super weird.
What the fuck were you doing?
Was that pearl thing really your kiss? Was that a thing fae could just do?
Okay, no, you needed to get home and do research. Clearly, you were out of your element.