New fic idea again because god forbid I actually work on my current wips:
You get summoned by the mirror, per usual, despite being from another world and having no magic. However, somehow either the mirror or the magic or a mysterious third thing messes up and instead of being summoned at NRC during orientation as you were meant to, a few locals find a you passed out in the town. Disoriented, scared, and alone, you somehow convince one of them to believe you when you say you're from another world, this person being the owner of the local used bookstore.
They offer you a lodging and food, after all they can't just leave you out to dry! But in return you have to work at the store. They try to sweeten the deal by mentioning that they sometimes get books from the local magic academies, and if anything has information on how to get you home, then they would.
It's not ideal but it's better than being homeless, so you work, often by yourself as the owner is old and could really use the rest. During your down time you browse the books for hints to get you home. You occasionally see the students from the schools they mentioned, a short redheaded one and a guy with lion ears and tail in dark uniforms visit the most, as well as a handful of pretty boys in white and blue uniforms from the other school. As often as they, especially the first two, stop by you hardly speak outside of "Welcome!" and "Thank you, come again!"
For a few weeks it's the same mundane routine, same few faces, and the occasional donates book that has nothing helpful for you.
Until you notice an old tome with an almost holographic look to it, like a mirror, had mysteriously popped up on one of the shelves. The spine reads: Between Worlds: magical liminal spaces and portals
It HAD to have something on getting you home! You rush from behind the counter to grab the book, brushing it for just a moment until it was suddenly snatched by a pale hand. Right from your fingertips. Rude.
You looked up to see a terrifyingly beautiful, tall, pale man with pointed ears, dark shimmering black horns, and piercing chartreuse eyes. He wasn't even looking at you, like you barely existed, giving a slight intrigue look to the book.
"Ahem."
Sharp eyes darted down to your fuming face, as he raises a brow at you tapping your foot in irritation, hands on your hips.
"...Hello human."
You squinted your eyes at him, as if his entire existence offended you.
"Excuse me? Human? I have a name. It's on my name tag."
You emphasized the last part, tapping at the plastic badge pinned to your shirt.
The horned man simply nodded, giving you a disinterested look down.
"Noted."
He tried turning away to continue browsing, only to be stopped by an aggressive, forceful tug at his tie. A look mixed of utter shock, confusion, and offense graced his features as you grabbed the book out of his hand and pushed him back. Now he looked even more baffled, eyes darting back between his hand, to you, to the book, as if he was confused that you were even able (or perhaps had the audacity) to take it from him.
You tucked the book under your arm and turned on your heel, huffing as you walked back to the counter. Outside, you noted that it suddenly started thundering, dark clouds foreboding a harsh downpour.
"Hmm, didn't think it was gonna rain."
Turning back around at the sound of slow, heavy footsteps, you glared at the horned man towering over you as he glared back.
"What do you want—
"You'd dare take something away from me? Me? Are you simply a fool or—
"Fuck off. Who are you to talk to me like that? Are all the students from your school like this?"
"Excuse me?"
He stared at you with an incredulous look as you snarled back.
"Assholes? Entitled? How are you going to see someone reaching for something and just decide: 'Oh, I want that! Let me grab it and go without acknowledging the other person who was just about to grab it!'"
You slammed the book on the counter behind you, letting out an exhausted sigh as you turned to see the man still staring at you, though he didn't seem upset. Rather, he was looking at you with the most baffled, curious gaze you've ever seen. Like a toddler seeing bubbles for the first time.
Awkwardly, you fidgeted where you stood, noticing that the sudden clouds and thundering had cleared to show the bright blue sky again.
"Huh, that's weird—"
"Do you not know who I am?"
You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you looked back to lock on to those wide, piercing eyes.
"Don't know. Don't want to know. Couldn't care less. You could be Prince Hornton of some far off kingdom, and it wouldn't matter to me."
The man's lips quirked ever so slightly as he tilted his head.
"Prince Hornton? Is that what you've dubbed me then?"
"Sure, yeah. Prince Hornton, his Royal Highness of the Kingdom of Horntons." You held your hand to your forehead as if about to faint and cooed, voice dripping in sarcasm. "Oh have mercy on me, Prince Hornton! Don't smite me for my insolence! I'm so sorry and blah blah blah."
Snorting, you laughed to yourself, shaking your head.
"Ha! You, a prince? Imagine that! You should thank me for making you one, ought to get you a little plastic crown and everything!"
When you looked back up at the man, you were surprised to find him looking down at you with an unsettling grin, looking positively tickled at your snide jokes.
"Oh? Perhaps you should, I would be most interested to see what sort of crown you'd think fit a fae of my stature, Child of Man."
And from then on, you found yourself a regular in the form of the fae known to you as Hornton. You weren't happy, as he never even came in to purchase or donate books.
Rather, he spent the entire time trailing after you as you tended to the store. Dusting the shelves? He was there behind you, mentioning how much easier it would be if you just used magic to clear the store of dust. Sorting books onto the shelves? He would offer you help with the higher shelves, noting that your small human stature could never do so on your own. He was incredibly amused at watching you drag a chair and boxes to reach the shelves that were well within his own reach. Why, once he stayed your entire shift, delighted at finding a new book about gargoyles of all things and talking your ear off the whole 6 hour shift.
As much as you complained to Hornton that he was bothering you and being a menace, you found yourself lonely the days he wasn't in. In fact, you looked forward to seeing him. Ugh. You guess strange company in a world you didn't know was better than no company.
For his end, Malleus was finding himself entranced by this strange magicless human who apparently had no clue about the world you resided in, let alone who he was and the power he held in the palm of his hand. Malleus should have put you in your place all those weeks ago, speaking to him in such way. And yet, he was delighted for some reason. Delighted at watching the way you shuffled around the bookstore, almost floating when a song came on the small old radio that you liked. Delighted at the way you scrunched your nose at him when he teased you, answering back with biting remarks and jokes of your own. Delighted at how intently you listened to him speak, though you claimed to never care or remember anything, you'd always have new book recommendations for him based on his ramblings. Delighted at the way your lips moved when you called him by that silly name. Though, he would like to see the way your lips shaped his real name, perhaps your tongue would peak out and tempt him into claiming that rude mouth of yours as his own—
Ah. Well then, this was rather unexpected. Though Malleus is far from displeased at the realization, humans have such strange ways of courtship. He's unsure of how to proceed.
Perhaps when he next comes in, he will ask for your assistance in finding materials on human courtship.
