This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/ragnarocknroll on 2026-02-06 13:14:53+00:00.
Chapter 22: New Horizons
Jan 13, 2025: Desdemona Giannopoulou
Demon
The receptionist has a very smooth voice as she answers, “Excellent Employment Agency, this is Trish, how may I assist you today?”
“Yes, good day. I was given this card and told to contact you about temporary employment. How do I go about applying?”
“If you have a card from our agency, would you do me a favor and flip it around. Hold it in front of a light.”
That is really weird. I do as I’m told and see a watermark on the card. “Oh, a watermark. It has a 35 on it.”
“Alright, let me see. Ah, reference is… oh, her.” That surprise on the “her” is scaring me a little. Well, it is Mab, so that tracks.
“For Desdemona Gianno. Got it.” The woman’s voice sounds impressed by something. “When would you be able to come in? We are open weekdays from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.”
“Tomorrow’s available to me.”
I can hear her typing. “Do you have a preferred time, or should we have someone meet you when available?”
I guess I need to confess at this point. “I don’t exactly know what this appointment entails. I’ve never worked for a temp agency before. Most of my employment has been contract work as a consultant or in the service industry.” No lies here.
“Of course. I should have led with that. We will need two hours. A small interview where we confirm the capability of our staff along with a few tests to see your aptitude towards specific tasks is needed.”
I nod. Not that she can see it. “I understand. I can be in at 10 a.m.”
“Excellent, we will have Kay do your in-processing. We will see you then, Miss Gianno.”
She hangs up and I’m left wondering how she knew my legal name. The only thing I can think of is Fae shenanigans.
Jan 13, 2025: Laoch
Tuatha De Danaan
I walk into the CaFae and the theme plays for me. A few faces look up and some of them wave while smiling. I smile and wave back.
The person looking at me is none other than the Queen. She serves people here?!
She smiles at me and asks, “Grande Royal English Breakfast Tea?” My bewilderment must be apparent. How does she know? “You had one when we first met.”
As if that explains things. “My Lady, that explains nothing. And yes, please.”
She gets the drink ready while the next person is helped. She hands me it and a well-endowed woman I knew was there presses up against my back. About 167.5 cm tall. Both arms wrap around my waist. I know who it is. “Good morning, Jacqueline.” I hear an amused chuckle.
“You knew I was behind you.” She is not wrong. I am a little surprised I didn’t know that until she was about a meter away from me.
I half turn and look at her. “Should the consort of the Queen be doing this in front of her?”
“You planning on stealing me from her?” Her blue eyes show some small worry buried behind the mirth and flirtation.
I feel a tension in the air that sets my combat instincts to their maximum. I turn back and see Patricia. Her face is a mask. But the emotions are roiling like the North Sea in a storm. If I say yes, I may well wish I had used Bane…
“Never would I be so bold as to try.” It is not a lie. While this mortal is attractive to a fault, she is absolutely smitten with her lover. I would never interfere with love like this. The danger of the act isn’t even a factor. Jacqueline lets go of the mischief in her eyes as the emotional storm behind Patricia’s mask subsides.
I see they have something in common with this. They can share. But they will not give the other up, nor give up their place as the other’s primary lover. Others may come and go, but these two will always be entwined.
“Penny for your thoughts?” She is looking at me intently.
“I think I will have this drink, sit with some people that are rapidly becoming friends, perhaps read some of this latest packet explaining this current era, and then head to my home.”
Jacqueline looks very sad at this. I pat her arm. “I must deal with some matters there for a few days. I plan on visiting here again within the next week.
“Awesome. Want to have a young lady guide you around the city when you come back and show you the best places for fun, food, and fucking?”
“That’s called a date, Jackie.” Patricia’s thoughts come clearly and loudly to us.
“That is a bit quicker of a finish than I am used to, young one. Perhaps frolicking would be better?”
She nods. “Had to shoot my shot. I’m fine with frolicking. Especially nude.” She winks and laughs at my facial reaction.
As we sit next to Connie, the wood nymph says, “Don’t mind her, she’s a flirt and does this to everyone she finds attractive. Once she feels close to them. Me included.”
I nod, “I am familiar with the Sidhe mindset. This is not new to me.” We spend a short while speaking and then Jacqueline stands up. “Gotta go. Got what I needed from Pat like 20 minutes ago and Jason is gonna think I’m slacking if I don’t get some numbers going on this fever dream idea for maintenance Pat has.” She kisses me on the cheek and then Connie on the lips. Connie smiles and sighs.
“Date night tonight darling. Wear a real red dress. I wanna take it off with my teeth. Rrrrowwwr.” She heads out the door and the nymph is looking like she may explode from happiness.
“I was not under the impression that you were dating her when we first met.”
Connie laughs. “A lot has happened. It’s been busier around here than a pickle in a woman’s prison. My Lady has accepted my love for her. She and her consort are now in a relationship with me. And then there’s Mona…”
She sighs and I see she has fallen for another person as well. Sidhe are strange. They feel everything to a degree that is almost unhealthy. Including love. I guess sharing it with multiple people doesn’t allow it to become dark with them?
“So who is this Mona?”
She takes out her cell phone, thank you packet for telling me about them, and shows me a picture of her with a beautiful woman. I see the woman is wearing a short shirt that shows off her belly tattoo. Oh no.
“Connie, not to alarm you…”
“She’s an incubus. And boy she is a good one at that.”
I laugh. Of course she knows. “Where did you meet?”
“She works here. Prior to that she had a run in with my Lady and her Consort…”
Jan 13, 2025: Robert Flynn
Enlightened Human
My phone rings, it’s Jackie. I pick up and smile as I do. “Hey Firecracker. What’s going on over there?”
My sweet gal chuckles. Oh, this is going to be good… “Okay dad, so quite a bit. We had a little gang war between the werewolves and the Fae. It’s done now. Remember Connie from the CaFae?”
I nod, not that she can see it. “Yeah, pretty dryad girl. Sweet on Pat like you are.”
She laughs, “You noticed it just from seeing her one day? Of course you did, you have some weird sixth sense for that stuff. Well, she kinda started dating us…”
“Yeah, I’m not super surprised by this. You told us you were dating someone and it turned out to be that wonderful Cindy girl. And when you talked about Pat or her you were pretty obviously in love and you never seemed jealous of Ricardo. And then there’s the third grade where you were dating both those boys at once…”
“Daaaaaad.”
“Sorry sweetie. You can’t really break me with ‘I’m dating a nymph’ now.”
I can hear her smile… uh-oh.
“So um, Dad, you know how your Irish ancestors go way back? Well, I found out I have blood from the Tuatha De Danaan and Fomorians from the myths. I met one. And…”
“You’re dating one too?”
“DAMMIT DAD QUIT BEING NONPLUSSED ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!”
“Darling, I have had 3 heart attacks. I had to start being non-plussed about everything. You should start thinking about being that way too. Help your ticker. So, is this a guy or gal? I know you are a switch hitter still.”
I hear Patricia lose her mind in the background along with at least one other person, probably Connie. They begin laughing so loudly that I’m wondering if my little girl’s about to commit a double homicide.
“Guy, he’s really fucking cute and well, you aren’t upset?”
I laugh. “Darling, my Uncle and Aunt were hippies. The stories they told us about communes and how loving people isn’t always just traditional marriage didn’t change me, but did you notice we never told you that you were supposed to date boys, or that you couldn’t date more than one person at a time?”
“Wait, you guys were okay with me being polyam and bi before I knew I was?”
“Dear child, your mom went to college, she isn’t going to say anything about you being with a woman.”
“BOB!!!” and “DAAAAAD!” war in my ears. I smile and I hear the other two women hurting themselves laughing.
“Tell Patricia to take a breath. Remember to keep true to yourselves and we’ll see you on either your birthday or Patricia’s.”
I hear Patricia pipe up. “Please come on mine. I have had some bad ones and want another great one. You missed the last one and Jackie kept chickening out on confessing even after taking me to the Manhatta…”
“You called me your friend…”
“I WAS A MORON, JACKIE!!!”
Young love. “We’ll be over for that birthday. April 29. And do me a favor, sweetie, let...
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