Chapter Text
“Look at all these common people Kyle” Marko murmured, leaned up against the fountain in the main square, his eyes scanning over the busy market.
“Yeah I’m looking…” Kyle sighed, the boredom in his tone present as he stood next to his mentor.
“Yeah but you’re not seeing what I’m seeing- Look at that guy over there” Marko pointed to a man with blonde hair who was handing a balloon from his stand to a child.
“Joost Klein? The carnival man?” Kyle responded, tilting his head.
“Yes, him. You’ve been to his shows right? Flashy lights, puppetry…” Marko trailed off.
“…Magic tricks” Kyle finished the sentence for him.
“Yes! Exactly! Magic tricks…you know who else do magic tricks? Witches!” Marko exclaimed, his eyes glinting with both excitement and malice.
Kyle rolled his eyes, trying not to sigh too loudly. “But Sir, we’ve checked him out before. He’s just a street performer.”
“Never underestimate the power of the mundane, Kyle. Sometimes the most dangerous creatures are those that hide in plain sight.” Marko said, his gaze lingering on Joost.
Kyle’s gaze wondered around the area as Marko continued yapping, his eyes eventually landing on JJ who was across the street serving customers at his stand. JJ noticed his gaze and gave him a smile and a wave, Kyle blushed and shyly waved back.
“I think you should go talk to him.” Marko’s voice broke through Kyle’s daydreaming, his eyes still on JJ.
He turned to Marko, his blush deepening. “Oh what- JJ? No he’s- working right now and I don’t wanna bother him” He said quickly.
Marko raised an unimpressed eyebrow as he responded. “I meant Joost, go speak to Joost Klein and see if you can find out what this witch is hiding”
Kyle nodded, trying to wipe the redness from his face. “Yes, Sir Marko.” He said, straightening up his posture before he turned and made his way over to Joost’s stand.
Marko watched him go, his eyes never leaving the blond performer. He had a feeling about Joost, something that tickled the back of his neck and made him want to dig deeper. He had always been suspicious of those who could pull a rabbit out of a hat without explanation.
Meanwhile, his gaze wandered to the new shop across the square. Nemo's Herbary and Apothecary, with its freshly painted sign and the faint scent of unfamiliar herbs wafting through the air. A couple of townsfolk were leaving with small bundles, chatting happily. His interest was piqued, he strutted over with purpose.
As he approached Nemo looked up from their work, their heart skipping a beat as they saw Marko striding towards them. They straightened their posture when he entered, “Welcome…” They said less confidently than usual.
Marko’s eyes scanned the shop, looking at every jar and bottle with a hint of suspicion. "Nemo, isn’t it?" he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I've heard quite the commotion about your opening. How delightful to finally meet you."
Nemo forced a smile, trying not to let their anxiety show. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sir Marko," they said, hoping their voice didn't betray their fear.
Silvester, who had been in the back room, slipped in quietly and took his place beside Nemo, his hand brushing against theirs. Nemo felt a spark of comfort, and they squeezed his hand in return.
Marko leaned on the counter, his eyes scanning Nemo and Silvester’s faces. “So you know who I am?”
Silvester nodded, his grip on Nemo’s hand tightening. “Everyone in town does, Sir Marko. You’re quite the... character around here.”
The knight’s smile grew a tad colder at the choice of words, but he ignored it. “And what brings you two to our lovely town of Balcarin?”
Nemo's voice was a little shakier than they would have liked. “We’re just looking for a quiet place to set up our business. The city was too much for us, too noisy, too crowded. We heard about Balcarin’s natural beauty and thought it would be perfect for our herb shop.”
Marko’s gaze lingered on Silvester for a moment longer before he nodded. “Ah, yes, the simple life. It does have its charms. Tell me, do you stock any herbs for... let’s say, unique ailments?”
Nemo’s heart raced as they tried to read the underlying meaning behind his question. They swallowed hard, their hand still clutching Silvester’s. “Well, we have a variety of herbs for all sorts of conditions, but if there’s something specific you’re looking for, we’d be happy to help you find it, Sir Marko.”
Marko stood up straight, exerting some sort of dominant pose. “Silverthistle, that’s what I’m looking for”
Nemo’s heart dropped, Silverthistle was poisonous to werewolves. "I'm afraid we don’t have any Silverthistle in stock, Sir Marko," they replied, trying to keep their voice steady.
Marko's smile never wavered. "Ah, what a shame," he said, his eyes lingering on Silvester a moment longer than necessary. "We do have a little werewolf problem around these parts, but by the looks of you” Marko motioned to the piece of silver attatched to Silvester’s nose. “You’ll be safe”
Silvester’s eyes narrowed, but he kept his mouth shut. Nemo felt like they were walking on eggshells around the knight.
“But if you ever come across any, do let me know, won’t you?” Marko added, his gaze flicking to Silvester’s nose piece before leaving the shop.
Nemo and Silvester shared a worried look as the door closed behind him. Nemo felt their heart racing in their chest. They gently brought their hand up to rest on Silvester’s arm, feeling the muscles tense beneath their touch.
"It's okay," Nemo whispered. "We're safe for now."
“I know.” Silvester responded. “He’s probably looking for Go-Jo”
Nemo nodded, feeling a knot in their stomach. Their eyes lingered on his nose piece, it was surgically attatched by hunters so whenever he shifted the bridge of his nose would he constantly in pain because of the silver.
"We need to keep an eye on him," Silvester murmured, his voice low and serious. "And maybe find out more about Go-Jo."
“I never thought we’d actually meet another werewolf” Nemo said as they finished up with the last customer. The sun had set, leaving a warm glow outside their windows. “How come you guys can’t get along?”
Silvester sighed. “Werewolves can be territorial, especially when it’s just us two.” He explained, his hand resting on the counter. “I get along with humans better than I get along with other werewolves”
Nemo nodded thoughtfully. “Well, maybe we should talk to Go-Jo, clear the air? Come on this may be the only chance we get to meet another person of your kind”
Silvester looked at them with a mix of surprise and concern. "You don't know what you're asking Nemo, it's not as simple as that. Werewolf politics are...complicated."
Nemo nodded, understanding his hesitation but still determined. "I know it's not easy, but we can't just ignore the tension between you two, especially not with Marko sniffing around."
Silvester sighed, knowing Nemo was right. They had to be careful. "Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But let's not make it a habit.”
“Oh! We should bring a peace offering! Bambie gave me a map that highlights all the places in the forest where we can find Wrymsfur” Nemo said, already starting to plan ahead.
Silvester nodded in agreement, though his mind was still racing with thoughts of Marko. The knight’s interest in their shop was more than just curiosity. “Well we should also pick up Silverthistle just to keep Marko off of our back”
Nemo’s eyes widened at the suggestion, “But it’s dangerous for you!”
“I know but- why don’t we just get it and warn Go-jo about it. It’s a common plant he’ll just find it himself if we don’t give it to him” Silvester suggested, his mind racing through various scenarios of how this encounter could play out.
Nemo bit their lip, considering it. “What if…we give him a fake version” Nemo’s expression lit up as they got out their grand book of all herbs, flipping through the pages. “There’s this one, copperroot, it looks the same but contains copper instead of silver”
Silvester’s eyes brightened, the idea had merit. “But how do we convince him it’s Silverthistle?”
Nemo’s mind was already racing. “Leave that to me,” they said with a sly smile, grabbing a handful of copperroot and a vial of tarnish spray they had for aging metals. “I’ll give it a silver coating, and we’ll say it’s a rare variant that only blooms under a certain moon cycle. Besides, Marko is a knight and i’m the herbalist, what’s he gonna know about herbs?”
Silvester couldn’t help but chuckle, his tension easing slightly. “You’re a sneaky one, aren’t you?” He said, ruffling Nemo’s hair.
Nemo grinned, feeling a sense of excitement at the challenge ahead. “Alright lets head out into the forest before the moon rises so we can find the other herbs. We are pretty low on stock after today”
Just as Nemo was about to turn away they felt Silvester gently grab ahold of their chin, turning their face to look at them. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Nemo’s cheeks grew warm, “Oh, right!” They leaned in and kissed their boyfriend. Silvester’s eyes closed briefly, after they parted he pressed a couple more shorter kisses to their lips before he turned away to grab his cloak.
•
“You’re stereotyping me!” Joost accused, pointing fingers and Kyle.
“I’m not…I’m really not” The exhaustion in Kyle’s voice was ever so present as he attempted to carry out what Marko had instructed of him, questioning Joost about his supposed ‘witchcraft’.
“Look, I know your type, you’re like a dog with a bone aren’t you? Just can’t let it go?” Joost said, his voice carrying the hint of amusement.
“Look I don’t want to be doing this either but Marko told me to investigate and- it’s not me whose stereotyping you” Kyle said, his voice strained.
Joost grunted before taking a moment to think, eventually he reached into his stand and pulled out two decorated tickets. “Why don’t you come to my show, then afterwards you can go back to Marko and tell him you investigated and there’s nothing wrong”
Kyle’s eyes lit up at the idea of getting out of the situation without upsetting the performer. “Alright, deal. I’ll come to your show tomorrow night…you’ve given me two tickets by the way.”
“Yes, I know” Joost replied, standing proud. “It would be very sad if you went alone”
Kyle’s cheeks flushed at the thought, but before he could respond Joost had already handed him the tickets with a knowing smirk. “Thank you, I’ll make sure to use them wisely.” He pocketed the tickets quickly and took a step back, feeling a sudden urge to escape the awkwardness.
He sheepishly trotted down to the docks, staring at the two tickets in his hands. The sun had set and the moon was rising high, casting a soft glow over the water. JJ was currently doing maintenance on his boat, singing an operatic tune to himself.
Kyle felt his muscles and nerves relax as he heard the song wafting through the air. The sound of JJ's voice was like a warm embrace, and he couldn't help but smile as he approached the docks. The sight of JJ, his black hair shimmering in the moonlight as he worked on his boat, filled Kyle with a warmth that seemed to chase away the fear of his earlier encounter with Joost. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do.
"Hey, JJ," Kyle called out, trying to keep his voice steady as he stepped onto the wooden planks.
JJ looked up, his eyes lighting up when he saw Kyle. He wiped his hands on a rag and walked over, his gait easy and casual. "Kyle! What brings you down to the docks?"
Kyle's cheeks grew a shade redder as he held out the second ticket to JJ. "Well, I was wondering if... you'd like to come to Joost's show tomorrow night?" He held his breath, hoping his voice didn't wobble.
JJ paused in his work, his eyes widening in surprise. "Me?" He took the ticket, his fingers brushing against Kyle's in the exchange. "Why me?"
Kyle's heart felt like it was trying to escape his chest. "Well, I-I just thought it might be fun, you know, to go together?" He stumbled over his words, his voice barely above a whisper.
JJ studied the ticket in his hand, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Are you asking me out on a date, Kyle?"
Kyle's face went up in flames. "N-no, I just- I mean, I got an extra ticket and thought you might be interested. I know how much you love... the carnival," he stuttered, hoping his embarrassment wasn't too obvious.
JJ's smile grew, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Oh, I see," he said, his tone teasing. "Just an innocent invitation to a magical performance?"
Kyle nodded, hoping he wasn't giving too much away. "Yeah, exactly," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
JJ looked at Kyle for a moment, his gaze searching. Then he chuckled, the sound warm and inviting. "Alright, you've got yourself a date," he said, tucking the ticket into his pocket.
Kyle felt his heart soar, the nervousness in his chest giving way to excitement. "Great!" He said, trying to sound casual. "I'll, uh, see you there then? Tomorrow night?"
JJ nodded, his smile not fading. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said, turning back to his boat with a wink.
The rest of the night, Kyle couldn't focus on anything but the upcoming date. His mind swirled with thoughts of what to wear, what to say, and how to act around JJ without making a fool of himself. He had always admired JJ from afar, but never had the courage to get close. The tension between them had always been palpable, like a coil ready to spring. And now, thanks to a simple trick of fate and a couple of carnival tickets, he had his chance.