This pyschopomp takes you down the river, this psychopomp already has a successor in mind, this psychopomp is retiring, and guess who's been signed up for a new job?
First of all, thank you so much @foongle for those questions!!! 💖
How did they met?
To answer the first one, I'll simply post a small drabble of how they have met from my FF! (It's still a WIP, hope you like it anyway!)
(the other questions are under the cut, too!)
This is the scene when they first met (and Olivia isn't even a person of any interest lol)
Uninvited at the Soirée
The grand hall shimmered under gaslights and candles, filled with music as sweet and flowing as the wine itself. Expensive silks rustled, laughter and murmur filled the air, and every dashing smile hid secrets.
All of Veilgarden knew: there were parties, and then there were Mr. Wines’ soirées.
For most, the invitation to one of Mr. Wines’ soirées was a rare honor, many would give their souls—or at least part of them—for such an invitation. It was no surprise that someone as Olivia Hennessy had not been invited.
Not that it stopped her.
Slipping past the doorman had been surprisingly easy. A little charm here, a little misdirection there, and a brief moment of distraction had been all it took. Now she stood in the heart of the soirée, her emerald-green gown shimmering under the gas light, her silver half-mask giving her an air of mystery.
Instead of hiding sheepishly in corners, she threw herself into the festivities. Olivia knew the best way to avoid suspicion was to act like she belonged. She mingled, charmed, and even stole a dance or two with some of Veilgarden’s finest (and drunkest) guests. No one questioned her presence.
No one, that is, except the host.
From its position near the grand staircase, Mr. Wines surveyed the crowd with glowing, golden eyes. It was draped in its usual opulent layers of fabric, jeweled and embroidered in rich reds, purples, and golds. In one clawed hand, it held an ornate goblet, filled with something dark and intoxicating
It had noticed Olivia almost immediately. Not because she stood out—on the contrary, she blended in far too well. And that was precisely what drew its attention.
Mr. Wines knew every name on the guest list. It had personally approved each one. This audacious young woman, with her easy confidence, was most certainly not on that list. It frowned below its hood, but not in malice.
But curiosity outweighed irritation. The Master descended the staircase, moving with a grace that belied its imposing size. The crowd parted instinctively, as it swept past them.
Olivia felt the shift in the room before she saw it. She turned just in time to see the towering figure of Mr. Wines approaching her. For a brief moment, she considered slipping away, but that would have been a confession that she didn’t belong. So she stood, smiling politely at the tall being before her.
After all she was here to meet it, wasn’t she?
The Master stopped before her, looming and oddly quiet for a few moments. Its voice, high yet melodious, cut through the air..
“Ah,” it said, tilting its hooded head as if studying her. “A person as distinctive as this surely graces my guest list. Tell me, who invited you to this exclusive gathering?”
The words were polite yet pointed, but Olivia caught the undercurrent of mild amusement in its tone. It wasn’t angry, not yet.
So her smile didn’t falter and she lifted her chin slightly. But despite everything she didn’t dare to outright lie to a Master of the Bazaar, so Olivia chose the answer that people often surprised the most: Honesty.
“I’m afraid I wasn’t invited, Mr. Wines.”, she chimed with a tone as if they were talking about a rare vintage. Some especially noisy people in the crowd gasped softly, murmurs started rippling around them. Olivia ignored it, keeping her eyes steady on the Master.
Mr. Wines let out a low hum, as if measuring her boldness against its amusement. “Not invited,” it repeated, as though testing the phrase. “Then pray tell, why are you here, delightful creature?”
Olivia tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. “I heard rumors about your soirées, Mr. Wines. How they’re the finest in all of the Fifth City. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see for myself. And, well”—she gestured lightly at the room—“it seems the rumors were true.”
Mr. Wines chuckled, a surprisingly melodic sound. “Flattery, my dear, is an art. And you seem to be able to wield it. But this is a party for invited guests only.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow, her smile unwavering. “Well, if that’s the case, you could always invite me now. That would solve the problem, wouldn’t it?”
The audacity of her words hung in the air, drawing another wave of hushed murmurs from the onlookers around.
Mr. Wines stared at her for a long moment. Then, to everyone’s surprise, it let out another melodic giggle, its golden eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, you are bold, aren’t you?”
“I try,” Olivia replied, a touch too smug.
“And your name, delightful creature? Surely we must know the name of someone so... daring.”
“Olivia Hennessy,” she said, with a slight curtsy.
Mr. Wines tilted its head again. Then, with a flourish of its clawed hands, it waved over a pair of burly Clay Men.
“Interesting to meet you, Ms. Hennessy,” it said, its tone still light and amused. “But rules must be rules. Escort this delightful creature to the door. And see that she does not return. At least... not until invited.”
The crowd buzzed with a craving for sensation as the Clay Men determined moved to Olivia’s side. But she didn’t resist, she simply made a small curtsy, before following the Clay Men to the wide doors of the saloon.Though she couldn’t help but glance back at Mr. Wines, her smile unwavering even as she was led away.
“I’ll take that as a ‘maybe’ on the invitation, Mr. Wines.”, she called out before she disappeared through the doors. Mr. Wines chuckled again, a high, almost soft sound that followed her into the night.
When the heavy doors finally closed behind her, Olivia found herself grinning triumphantly into the darkness of the streets. She hadn’t stayed long, but if she was lucky, she may have left an impression.
Their first impression of each other?
At first, Olivia finds the Masters simply interesting. They are a mystery, something powerful and clearly not humans. She simply wants to know more and also knows that if someone in the Fifth City can get the favor of one of the Masters of the Bazaar, it does have it's perks! And Wines is one of the more social Masters, easy to find if one knows how.
Mr. Wines simply finds her audacity refreshing. It often has itself surrounded with humans (or other beings) that manage to catch its interest... even if it's often short lived. For it, it's nothing out of the ordinary to find a human mildly amusing.
Their favorite activities that they do together?
At first it's very basic: hanging out at his soirees, or even in teahouses of Veilgarden. Later, it sometimes simply appears uninvited at her door if it feels like it (they meet mostly on Mr. Wines terms). They mostly drink, talk, even joke. What is fairly shallow, deepens over time.
Later Olivia reads Wines poetry (sometimes even her own writing) or they sometimes visit the theater.
Also yes, she's clearly a bat fucker, which would count as activity, too
