Mogtober 2022

Day 26: Wunsoc Patrons

"Hello, Baz." Jupiter said, acknowledging his fellow Patron only because politeness demanded it. 

"North." The other man replied, with even less enthusiasm. "Still raising that Candidate of yours?" 

"She has a name, you know." Jupiter muttered, glancing at his watch. Hopefully, he lay some groundwork for an excuse to leave and then make his escape in about-

"You surely aren't looking at your watch right now to lay some groundwork for an excuse to leave in about ten minutes, are you North?" 

Blast. Jupiter must have used that one a little too often. He'll have to table it for a while.

"N-no, of course not. I... I have a curfew. Yeah, that's right. Don't you have someone else to bother, Baz? I certainly can't be the only one unlucky enough to have you around tonight."

Baz snorted. His wine sloshed in its glass. "A curfew? You let that child have far too much freedom, North. Especially for an illegal."

Jupiter's hand tightened on his glass of grape juice. "Her name is Morrigan." He gritted out. "Morrigan Crow. And she has just as much right to be here as you or I." 

Baz whacked him on the back and Jupiter choked. Ow. "I still think you cheated to get her into the Society."

"Baz, have you ever considered that your words could be construed as rude and very unkind?"

"I also think that you are a devious little ferret for getting your candidate to befriend one of mine. Awfully insolent of you, I must say."

Jupiter's glass cracked. "First off Baz," He whirled on the other man, suddenly incensed. "Mog and 'Your Candidate' became friends on their own terms, I had nothing to do with it. Secondly, your candidate has a name and it is Cadence Blackburn. And you would do well to learn it!" 

"Are you threatening me, Jupiter?" Baz Charlton's voice got low and angry. His hand closed around a bottle on a nearby side table. Jupiter didn't notice. 

"Maybe I am, Charlton. What are you gonna do about it?" 

Baz swung, cracking Jupiter upside the head and shattering the bottle. Several other partygoers screamed. Jupiter was dazed for a moment, then shook his head and narrowed his eyes. So it was a fight Baz wanted? Then it was a fight he was going to get. Jupiter stood up straight, neatly stripped off his gloves, and began cuffing his shirtsleeves. 

"Oh," Baz jeered. "Too much of a gentleman to come at me, are you? So you're just going to go home with your reputation at stake?" 

Jupiter's eye twitched. Baz had gone too far this time. Staking a man's honor on a fight was no laughing matter. Now the entire room was watching. 

Jupiter socked him in the jaw.

Baz went down like a ton of bricks, grabbing the tablecloth as he went, shattering several priceless antiques as they hit the tile. Jupiter was on him again in a moment, managing to get in a few more punches before the Stink appeared and separated the two men. 

**

"....And that, Mog, is why I was late picking you up from Hawthorne's house this morning. Clearly, it was all Baz's fault." Jupiter finished.

"Mhm." Morrigan nodded absently and turned the page in her book. 

"I mean, I couldn't let him get away with insulting us like that."

"Of course not, Jupiter." She agreed.

"So you believe me?"

"Naturally." She said, picking up her book and heading up to bed. "And you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because," She gave her patron a knowing smirk. "You are Jupiter North, and you somehow always manage to get yourself into the strangest predicaments. Goodnight, Jupiter."

"Goodnight, Mog."