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Post by Maleficent on Feb 23, 2011 23:58:20 GMT -5
Maleficent was angry. Not just angry, but enraged. Not only had that nuisance the Puck stolen her personal grimoire, but the Puck had somehow managed to hide it and mask it so that Maleficent could not find it.
Now she was in New York, dressed in the mortal clothing that she had taken to wearing when among humans. Her staff was back in the Forbidden Mountain, and she was not about to turn around to get it back. Not just now.
Growling low in her throat, she looked around, trying to see some sign of the Puck. Some trace of magic...something!
"Where are you, you little pain!?" she shouted.
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Post by Puck on Feb 24, 2011 0:12:03 GMT -5
Dismissed for the evening, Owen had little to do to occupy himself. Xanatos's current truce with the gargoyle clan meant there were fewer plots in the works than usual, and Xanatos himself had taken his family out to see a film.
So, what was there for a faerie masquerading as a very uptight and formal human to do?
Well to start with, there was always a walk. Puck found it interesting to experience things through human senses on occasion, though they were a far cry from the senses of a faerie. The one upside was that as Owen, Puck was less overwhelmed by the sheer sensory stimulation of a bustling human city, which was nice.
He found a small bookstore run by an old Chinese gentleman he knew to be dragonkin and browsed through some dusty old volumes. Stars and stones, books were wonderful things. There was just something about them that no computer display could recreate. As he turned over an old book in his hands, he sensed something, niggling on the edge of his awareness.
Faerie.
There was a faerie nearby. One he knew.
Had anyone who knew Owen Burnett been watching, they would have been shocked to see the slow grin that spread across his face.
Maleficent was nearby.
The Puck now had something to do.
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 24, 2011 0:20:23 GMT -5
Maleficent was starting to come to the end of her tether. All she wanted to know was where in the world that annoying Puck was located. It was almost enough to make her tear out her own hair. And just after she had put it up so nicely as well.
This was getting old very fast. Growling low in her throat again, she turned sharply in her high-heeled shoes to glare around her.
"Oh, I know you're in this city somewhere, Puck," she muttered under her breath. "Now show yourself!"
She was going to get her grimoire back one way or another, even if she had to kill Puck. And she would do it, too, even if it meant the wrath of Oberon.
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Post by Puck on Feb 24, 2011 0:29:03 GMT -5
With a farewell nod to the proprietor, Owen tucked his hand into one pocket and strolled out into the street, moving casually. He tracked Maleficent out of the corner of his eye. Each step he took was deliberately calculated to take him through her line of sight, right up until he oh-so-conveniently turned down a wide alleyway as an apparent 'shortcut' to his eventual destination.
As he walked, he called on his Glamour, that peculiar brand of magic possessed by the Children of Oberon alone. It glittered green around the hand he'd tucked safely into his pocket, shielded against Maleficent's senses. Time to tie up a few loose ends.
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 24, 2011 0:36:19 GMT -5
Wait...She had seen that form before. That was one of Puck's forms, she was certain of it. Turning sharply to follow him into the alleyway. That little troublemaker had played his last trick on her, that was for sure.
Following the blonde man into the dark shadows of the alley, she snarled viciously--an expression that was not as intimidating as when she was in her full regalia--at the man before her.
"You. Where did you take it?" she demanded. Yes, this was most certainly the mortal form that Puck took. She remembered it very clearly now, and Maleficent was very angry as she met his gaze.
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Post by Puck on Feb 24, 2011 0:40:52 GMT -5
Owen turned, drawing his (closed) hand from his pocket with no green gleam to betray his magic. "I beg your pardon, ma'am?" he said in his stiffest, most Owen-like tone. "I believe you have mistaken me for someone else."
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 24, 2011 0:44:17 GMT -5
"Do not try to play the fool with me, Puck," Maleficent snapped. "I know exactly who you are and I want what you stole from me returned. Now...will we do this the easy way or the hard way?"
Her fists were clenched tight, surrounded by the green glow of her magic as she stared at the blonde figure in front of her.
"Give me back the grimoire that you stole from me. Now."
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Post by Puck on Feb 24, 2011 0:47:25 GMT -5
Owen raised one eyebrow, but inclined his head in acquiescence. "Of course," he replied. He moved his closed hand as if to pull the missing grimoire from inside his suit- and then quick as a flash, blew the handful of glittering green dust directly into the dark fae's face. The magical powder hung around her head in a sparkling emerald cloud for a minute or two before fading into nothingness.
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 24, 2011 0:52:31 GMT -5
Blinking rapidly as she felt the magic settling on her, for a moment Maleficent was perfectly aware of what was being done to her. And then...peace. A lovely peace of mind that simply made her feel very...free. Shaking her head to clear it, she arched an eyebrow at the man standing in front of her.
"Who are you?" she demanded sharply.
He looked familiar...but she had no idea why. And she had to admit, that for a mortal, he was rather attractive. Exactly the sort that she would pursue romantically, were he of her kind. Looking around in confusion, she wondered why she was here.
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Post by Puck on Feb 25, 2011 20:16:18 GMT -5
Owen bowed politely. Faeries always did respond better to the so-called 'Old World' and more old-fashioned manners. There were a few schools of thought that claimed such manners were adopted among humans to help avoid accidentally offending a disguised faerie. Puck rather agreed with that thought. He wasn't the only one to mingle with mortals, after all, and in the past it was no uncommon thing for a peeved faerie to curse a mortal who vexed them.
Come to think of it, it was still pretty common.
"Owen Burnett," he said in his politest tone. Good. She didn't recognize him. She shouldn't remember who had stolen her grimoire either. "Are you well, Ma'am?"
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 25, 2011 20:24:31 GMT -5
Arching a dark eyebrow at this show of respect. It was certainly welcome, but there was no possible way that he could know who or what she was. Crossing her arms and staring down at the man, she fought the urge to groan in pain. Her head was throbbing painfully.
"I am...well enough," she said with a slight sneer. "Who are you, and what am I doing here?"
She had no memory of getting into this alley, and that worried her somewhat. Magic must be involved, but why would someone want to alter her memory?
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Post by Puck on Feb 25, 2011 20:47:37 GMT -5
"Owen Burnett," he repeated, in the same polite tone as before. He didn't bat an eye at Maleficent's sneer. As sneering went, it was only middling. He'd been sneered at by real professionals. "I cannot say what you are doing here, I'm afraid. I do not know myself."
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 25, 2011 20:51:37 GMT -5
Frowning a little at this, Maleficent looked around her curiously. This was really starting to get very irritating. If he truly didn't know what had brought her here, then who did know? Sighing heavily, she began tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well, Owen Burnett," she said in a clipped tone. "Do you even know who I am?"
He was treating her with all the politeness that was due to a high lady, certainly, but that did not indicate anything. Growling a little, Maleficent threw her hands up in frustration.
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Post by Puck on Feb 25, 2011 21:01:13 GMT -5
He bowed again. "I regret to say not precisely who, ma'am," he said, this time with a note of apology. "But I know what you are."
In any other shape, Puck would have been hard-pressed to keep from rolling his eyes. Really, Maleficent had no concept of the term 'subtle'. She walked around New York City without even bothering to conceal her peppermint-green complexion. It was kind of hard not to figure out that she was a Fae.
At least she had the sense to wear mortal clothing rather than her horned headdress and elaborate black robes...
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Post by Maleficent on Feb 25, 2011 21:06:12 GMT -5
Maleficent arched an eyebrow at this before nodding. As though it was difficult to guess what she was. She didn't try for subtlety among the mortals. They should know exactly who she was and fear her for it. It hadn't worked on King Stefan, but now she was more powerful than she had been then.
"I am Maleficent. Mistress of all Evil, Owen Burnett. You would do well to remember that for the future."
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