Seelie and Unseemly

7. Hello

Unable to help himself, Jonas lifted a finger to gently putt the top of the fae's tiny head.

So cute.

"How could anyone ever even think of eating something as precious as you?" Jonas wondered aloud.

The feathered creature stirred under Jonas's hand. He withdrew, giving them some space. They rolled over, now facing Jonas as their eyelids fluttered and began to open. Entranced, Jonas failed to move his face from the table before they woke.

When the fae's eyes opened their expression immediately shifted from pained to on alert as their gaze fixed on Jonas's face; which gave him the brief opportunity to appreciate the orange and blue gradient of their irises against the deep black of their pupils and sclera. The fae stumbled up into a defensive crouch with a weak hiss. They tried to lift their wings as best they could –making Jonas wince to think of the way their wounds must sting under his first-aid attempt. 

Worried that they might accidentally hurt themself, Jonas sat up slowly. Unfortunately, his movement only served to scare the creature more.

Well done, Jonas.

Jonas tried raising his hands –fingers relaxed so they might appear nonthreatening– and tried his voice, keeping his tone as low as possible, "Hello there."

Was that really all he could think of to say? Handling his social anxiety had always been a struggle, but now it was the worst time to be experiencing its effects on full blast. 

"You're okay," soothed Jonas, "I found you unconscious in the river. You were wounded so I picked you up and tried my best to patch you up."

Not the most eloquent explanation, but it would have to do.

The fae didn't seem entirely convinced of Jonas's trustworthiness, but began to relax a little when they noticed the makeshift bandage on their wing. As they did, Jonas realized that a light covering of sleek, mist-blue feathers that circled the fae's chest, shoulders, and hips.

Cute.

Both man and fae sat in silence, waiting to see what the other would do. Jonas slowly lowered his hands, leaving them open on the table so they would remain within their line of sight.

Feeling the pressure to say something more, Jonas asked, "What happened? It looked like something big bit you –though, I suppose that most things would be pretty large from your perspective."

Silence. 

Did they not speak English? Or did they just not want to speak with a human?

Just when Jonas had given up on hearing an answer, a small voice replied, "It was a kelpie."

Jonas's eyebrows raised, surprised. When he was slow to respond, the fae shot him a smoldering glare.

Jonas caught their glare, but his curiosity overrode his concern when he said, "Those are aquatic fae, right? If my memory serves, they're fae that hunt people while in the guise of a beautiful horse. They're also known to be quite vicious. How'd you manage to escape?"

The fae continued to glare at Jonas, still cautious of his intentions.

"Lightening..." mumbled the fae, their eyes glued to Jonas even as they relaxed from their crouch into a sitting position on the blanket.

A particular bolt of white lightening flashed across Jonas's memory.

"That was you?!" He exclaimed, his enthusiasm almost startling the creature back to their feet.

Oops. Bit too much excitement there.

Embarrassed, Jonas cleared his throat before letting escape a nervous chuckle. The fae cocked their head, confused.

"Pardon my enthusiasm –and my rudeness," apologized Jonas, "It seems I forgot to introduce myself in my excitement to learn about the gorgeous fae that I stumbled upon in the woods."

For a moment, Jonas swore he saw the fae blush.

"My name is Jonas, by the way. I'm an artist."

Upon hearing Jonas say his name, the fae's countenance changed. Their posture relaxed and their neck straightened as they abandoned their defensive posture. Jonas watched them, astounded, as they responded –this time with confidence.

"Well, you're certainly not a fae hunter. That or a particularly incompetent one," scoffed the fae, "No hunter worth their bounty would be stupid enough to reveal their name to a Seelie fae. Or to any fae from the Faelands for that matter."

The fae cocked their head again, this time with curiosity, "Where are you from, Jonas?"

Jonas felt an odd squeeze in his chest. Weird. For some reason, he felt compelled to respond. 

A memory of Jonas's mother's old bedtime stories nagged at his brain. She used to tell him tales about the faefolk of the Faelands as well as the lost legends of Tír na nÓg. They were the reason he had chosen faefolk to be at the center of his art. But along with the tales of dancing, music, and mischief she had also offered a warning. What was it she had warned him about again?

"No where specific," replied Jonas, "But I was raised in the States –if you're familiar with where that is."

The fae shrugged, "I am, but I've got a few more things to ask you, Jonas. Hush."

Suddenly Jonas felt as though his mouth had been glued shut.

Oh, right.

Now he remembered what it was he had forgotten. Fae from the Seelie and Unseelie courts specialized in deals and tricks. Giving one your name granted the fae some degree of influence over your decisions and actions.

Jonas was a little nervous when he realized that he didn't really mind the idea of this fae having control over him. He should probably be more worried about that.

"Why did you help me?" Asked the fae, brushing a miniature hand gently over the gauze on their wing.

This question surprised Jonas, "Because you needed it...?"

The fae's eyes shot up to meet Jonas's; their expression baffled.

"What?" Jonas felt a nervous sweat begin to bead on his brow. 

Maybe he needed to change the settings on the space heater. Suddenly he felt very hot and uncomfortable.

"You rescued me..." the fae said slowly, as if needing time to wrap their head around Jonas's words, "because you came across me –injured– in the woods and I needed it?"

"Is that odd?"

"Absolutely!" 

Something fluttered behind the fae, drawing Jonas's eye. A tail the length of the fae's torso flicked behind them in their exasperation. 

They had a tail.

A long, feathered tail –like a griffen's– danced behind the fae. It was thin down to the tip where a fan of navigational feathers fluttered delicately as it swayed. Jonas's mouth twitched as he struggled to contain himself. He wanted to hug them –to pet them and snuggle them close! They were so damn cute!

The fae noticed Jonas's change in expression and blushed when they realized what he was so enraptured by. 

A blush crept up Jonas's cheeks in kind. He cleared his throat again.

"Anyway, what should I call you?" He asked in an attempt to play it off casually.

"I'm–" the fae hesitated, "You can call me 'El'. I am a rain sprite of the Seelie court. Nice to meet you, I suppose."