Hidden City

It was always funny how cautious Theo always seemed to be, even confined safely in the walls of the City. The entire space was in its own little pocket of the universe, a literal middle-of-nowhere if there ever was such a thing. But still he had magic protection over his own home as well, a three story building that was crumbling on the outside and was very much liable to collapse in the next gentle breeze. But still he lived there and worked out of it, and anyone who needed his help just had to deal with the sloppy exterior.

The remainder of the city was beautiful in comparison, filled with Gothic-style architecture and modern buildings alike. It worked in a strange way, just like the people that filled them. There was a gargoyle on almost every street corner, every lamp was lit with gas. It was almost a pity how few could actually see the beauty of the area, but whatever. Everyone that could seemed to enjoy it, at least.

The warlock sure didn't seem to mind much though as he walked into his home through an equally broken down door. The inside was much homier and cozy than the outside, filled to the brim with antiques and other various objects taken from his travels. The most interesting things were saved for the third floor though, the first completely medical, the second business and guests, the third Theo's personal space.

Now was no time to admire his collection though, not when there were patients to attend to and business to discuss. At the very least, he was occupied. He was quick to shrug off his coat and head to the back room where the few patients he currently had resided, humming some unrecognizable tune the entire way. Having this job, he rarely got out much, but at least the others he assisted could tell him whatever gossip and important events he'd missed. Hopefully, someone he had now would be that helpful.

Angel:

I looked at Alfonso with teary eyes, I was not going to let myself cry, hell, I haven't cried since last year, I try to keep myself strong, but in a moment like this, where you have to let a person you care about go, is hard. When my mother was brutally killed by the filthy vampires, her best friend Alfonso whom she knew since her childhood, couldn't let me be adopted by strangers, knowing I had powers like my mother but also that he knew me since birth.

"Why can't you come too? Por favore!" I pleaded, since he was a healer, couldn't he come too? Oh yeah about this place, so two months ago, Alfonso's friend, who was a werewolf, got killed by hunters, and many others we didn't know too, he decided it wasn't safe enough so he wanted to send me to this "Hidden City" that only supernatural creatures could see. Alfonso is kind of a supernatural creature, but he has his own family, and coming from me it sounds selfish when I ask him to stay with me in this place, knowing he his own kids, my step brother and sister, they're lovely, but younger and more at risk, their mother isn't supernatural, so she can't defend herself nor the kids, so Alfonso has to. Before I left, I casted a spell, that all creatures had to be invited, even humans, I know it's only for vampires, but it was possible.

"You know I can't, but I'll check up on you, and call you!" he said, hugging me.

"Promettere?" I ask sadly.

"I promise" he responds. I nod and take the only bag I had, a backpack, I don't need too many clothes, I can buy new ones later, I didn't look forwards to go anywhere anyways. I hear Alfonso's car leave as I stand there alone, in the dark street.

I was about to go in when I realized I didn't know how.

"Hello?" I yelled on the top of my lungs, but the quiet street didn't even budge, I sighed, Oh lord, this is not a good start.

Theo made his way to the small infirmary in the back of his home on autopilot, his mind in other places. He really only had one patient at the moment, a faerie that had been blinded by iron, and she was easy enough to check up on. After checking her vitals and helping her take some medicine, he opened up a window to let some fresh air into the stuffy room.

He'd barely stepped away when he heard something, no, someone outside. He frowned slightly and turned back, only to hear the sound again. Well, there went his few minutes of free time. With a sigh, he shook his head and headed towards the back door, hoping that whoever called out hadn't gone too far.

Theo was sure to leave the door unlocked as he headed out into the street, knowing perfectly well that no one would sneak inside. Everyone in that city learned to know everybody quick enough, it always seemed, and he knew who to trust. He glanced around with a small frown, making his way towards the sound. The heels of his boots clicked against the sidewalk as he walked, practically echoing in the quiet.

"Okay, where are ya?" He mumbled to no one in particular before finally laying eyes on the stranger. Ah, a newbie. Sure explained a lot.

Angel:

I heard footsteps and desperately turned around to see a man, at first I couldn't really see him, only his frame, but as he got closer, the first thing I noticed is that he had a loads of tattoos and outstanding blue hair. He kind of looked scary and I didn't know if I should run or stay and prepare myself for any defend spell I knew.

But when he was nearly right in front of me, my heart started banging against my chest, I couldn't seem weak, so I furrowed my eyebrows to look tough as the boy stopped right in front of me, he was tall, well at least much taller than me, but nearly everyone I met was taller than me.

The guy hovered over me and I could feel an energy from him, and it was weird, the energy was warm, but I felt evil too.

"I'm looking for an entrance." I said, with a poker face. I didn't want to seem rude, but I didn't want to seem weak neither.

Theo couldn't help it, he laughed a little. It wasn't a cruel laugh, more of a soft one with a bit of amusement mixed in. "I take it you're new here?" He said with a smile, really trying his best to not be...too much. "I don't blame ya for being lost, it's hard to navigate around here. As for the entrance..." He gestured around them with a grin. "You're already here."

He finally noticed the bewildered look on her face, but he didn't take offense to it. Sure, he wasn't the friendliest face to see upon arrival, but hey, at least he wasn't a hungry vampire. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm not the best welcoming committee. I'm Theo." He held out a hand to shake, not really sure if she'd take it or not. "Welcome to Hidden City, I swear everyone else here is slightly less odd-looking than me."

With his blue hair, tattoos, and mildly flamboyant outfit, even he stood out a bit on the streets of the still-odd city. Not that blending in anywhere was really possible for him, but it wasn't like he really cared. Here he was comfortable, and here there were friends. Hopefully this girl would find it as safe as he did, but then again, he was a bit biased.

Angel:

His little laugh made me soften up, but I still kept my face straight, not showing any emotion.

"Um, yeah, I am new here." I said and looked him dead in the eye, but broke the contact to mumble "unfortunately" quietly.

Something about his tattoos and hair made me stare at him in awe, if you stared long enough, he seemed to look like a less
punk-y Luke Hemmings.

""I don't blame ya for being lost, it's hard to navigate around here. As for the entrance..." he stopped. "You're already here."

Wait so this creepy place is already "inside"? I was hoping it would be more, cozier inside, of course I didn't expect any gardens with tulips and roses or apple trees, but I was hoping for something little friendlier.

I decided not to judge from the cover and wait until I'm actually "Inside".

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm not the best welcoming committee. I'm Theo." He said and held out a hand to shake as I snapped back to reality.

I thought about it for a second but if I'll be stuck in here with him I might as well get to know him. I took his hand and said a simple "Angelina", I only let close people actually call me by my last name or Angel, maybe because I'm used to only have family around me, not too many friends.

"Welcome to Hidden City, I swear everyone else here is slightly less odd-looking than me." he said and I cracked my shell, letting out a chuckle, shaking my head. He didn't look that odd, just some tattoos and blue hair, but I'll ask him about those later.

"You're fine." I said. "So can you show me the "real" inside"?"I asked with thin line on my lips.

So Angelina was her name then. He took that piece of information and tucked it away in his mind. Hopefully he'd remember it for later, he never had been good with names since the...let's call it an accident. He couldn't focus on that right now though, not when he got to play tour guide for a little bit.

Theo's smile grew a little bigger at the question and he couldn't help but grin. "I'd love to," he said, motioning for her to follow. "But first let's drop off your things, no need to lug those all around town." He really wasn't too sure where there were empty apartments in the city itself, but hey, they could figure that out later. He had a guest room, she could stay there for the night if she wished.

It didn't take long to find his dilapidated home that was much more stable on the inside than the out. Sure, he knew that it was easily the least pretty place in town, but it was still a home. He could explain later, for now he was just grabbing a muffin and letting her drop off any luggage in the foyer before they were on their way again. First stop could be the park, at least that was pretty.

Angel:

"I'd love to" he said, motioning for me to follow. He said something about dropping my stuff off when I realized I didn't know where to actually drop it off, I guess you had to buy an apartment? I was quiet, he was leading me somewhere at least so I just followed. We neared a house, it wasn't brand new, kinda the opposite, but I've learned by now to to judge a book by its cover.

I stepped into the dilapidated home of his and my eyes started flying around the room, the house didn't seem different from any other, actually it seemed pretty cozy. He grabbed a muffin and watched me drop the heavy backpack from my back to the ground with a sound of relief. He started walking so I trailed behind him like a tail.

"I think its easy enough to guess that's my home," he said between bites of muffin. "It's also the infirmary though, which is tucked towards the back. Hopefully you'll never need to visit there, but just in case." He glanced back every now and again to make sure she was still following and hadn't gotten lost or been jumped by a vamp. Not that anyone here would do that, but vampires tended to be the butt of his jokes for some reason, despite the fact that his best friend was a bloodsucker.

The park wasn't too much farther away, set smack in the middle of everything. It was lovely during the day, and it wasn't too far fetched to see a good handful of people taking a walk right about then. "Fey Park. Harmless during the day, just don't come at night." He finished up his muffin about then, frowned at the empty wrapper, and then proceeded to conjure up another baked good in its place. The perks of being a warlock, apparently.

Angel:

So he lived in a hospital? Was he a healer? Why did he turn around every now and then? I had so many questions for him, but I realized he just took me into his arms of protection, call it dramatic but I would be homeless if he didn't show up and was kind enough to let me drop my stuff off at his house, but I'll thank him later.

As we walked for a while with him munching on the muffin I noticed there was indeed a garden here, or well more of a park, it was pretty cozy and I noticed sparks flying, fairies?

"Fey Park. Harmless during the day, just don't come at night" he said answering my question and finishing his muffin, frowning, but then conjuring another one, so he knew some magic?

The day would start to set any minute now. And one thing was stuck in my head

"Why can't you come here at night?" I asked.

He anticipated the question, but still an explanation was difficult to think of. "The park was named after the faeries, of course, who practically call it home. At night they hold revels, sort-of parties where they dance the night away and partake in their magicked foods." Theo turned around and began to walk backwards while he spoke, so familiar with the layout of everything that he was confident in not tripping. Besides, it was just easier to look at Angelina while he spoke and know she could hear.

"If you ever find yourself inside this park after sunset, cover your ears and run for the nearest exit. Their music is addictive, and they won't hesitate to lure in a new face that doesn't mean a thing to them." He was slowly taking her away from the area, having noticed the sky beginning to turn pink and not wanting to risk anything. "The fair folk are beautiful but equally cruel and cunning. Whatever you do, don't invite them inside a home and don't be rude. They can't lie, but they will manipulate whatever words they can."

Angel:

I noticed he started taking me away from the park, but I wouldn't even think twice about running after hearing his answer. He seemed like a good guy.

"So, Theo." I said, I realized I hadn't talked much, only questions here and there, but not real conversations. He was already walking backwards so I knew I had his full attention.

"When did you come to this place?" I asked, hoping I didn't say something that would make it awkward. I'm starting to befriend him, and you know what happens when you're friends, you get to eat their food without being too embarrassed about it.

Theo honestly had to think about that for a moment, quietly munching on his muffin while he pondered. "I guess it would be about a century now since I settled here. And yes, I am an old fart, but I think I look good for my age." He laughed lightly and leaned back his head to take in the skyline. He'd worked so hard to make everything there what it was, lost so many people in the process. It was beautiful, not that he'd ever begin to admit credit for a bit of it.

"It wasn't much more than a ghost town when I came, just a few outcasted wolves and vamps trying to survive away from humanity. I think you can see what came after, though." It saddened him to think that the original werewolves that helped him build the city were long dead now, but at least their grandchildren could enjoy it all. He'd watched generations of the outcasted be born and die, and he planned on continuing that for a long while more.

Angel:

Wait so he is a part of this town/city? How long did it take to build all this? Seeing his sad face, made me kinda sad, he seemed like a light, person but of course I can't let it show.

"Not to be rude but, how old are you?" I asked, he didn't look older than 22 maybe 25. This city is actually beautiful, if the fairies weren't as evil as Theo said the are, the park would be my hangout place at night easily, some hot chocolate or tea and some electronic book or some music and I'm in heaven.

I remembered that when we came to the house, he seemed to be there alone, doesn't he have family? From experience I know that it's better to ask about someone's family when they're at least familiar with each other, so I'll be saving that one for another time.

Theo didn't take offense to the question, instead he just chuckled. He was used to it by now, honestly. "Let's see...I was born somewhere in the 1840s..." He drew a finger through the air, pretending to do math. "I'd say that makes me around...170? Holy shit I'm old." He shook his head, not able to believe it had been that long. Being immortal was weird.

His life so far had been full of adventures, that much was for certain. Even if he couldn't remember a good portion out of it all, he still knew what he'd been through. He had stories to tell, but only if she asked or the time was right. Some of them still left scars that would never heal, even a century after the story ended.

"-170? Holy shit I'm old" he said and the realization hit himself in the face. My mouth fell in shook, I swear he didn't look a day over 22. He wasn't a vampire, I've learned to sense the bastards.

"What are you?" I said but it sounded a bit rude after it came out and I bit my lip, blaming my face. "sorry" I apologized, something about this guy made me soften up, I didn't need to hide my emotions and put on a straight face.

We continued walking and I recognized the house we've been to earlier, his home, but we went right past it, maybe there was something else he could show me? The sun is setting and the sky was a beautiful pinkish colour, I liked it.

He was able to snap out of his daze once her "What are you?" reached his ears. Theo was able to shake himself out of the daze before she apologized though. "Don't be, and it's complicated," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his blue hair. It would be easier to explain sitting down, he figured, if he even could.

He led her past his house and towards a quaint little cafe not much farther. There was usually live music there on weeknights, and it was just a nice place to calm down and recollect. At least there they could talk without much distraction.

They walked up to the door of the small building practically swathed in vines, and somehow the small smile made it back to his face. He opened the door for her, soft guitar music greeting them. A fallen angel sat on the little stage at the back, his broken grey wings wrapped around his shoulders like a cape as he played away. Ah yes, this was nice.

Angel:

Theo held the door for me as I entered the small building, warm air hitting me instantly. As I stepped a little further into the cafe I noticed a little stage in the back with a man playing a soft melody on his simple brown guitar, but when I looked into it, I realized he had wings, but they didn't seem to be strong enough to fly with, I felt bad for the man, I looked down with sorrow in my eyes before I realized I couldn't let a stranger get to me, I had to be strong and independent.

I followed Theo as he walked us to a table with soft couches, there were normal chairs too, but I was happy it was a couch, my back was hurting from traveling today.

"So tell me your "complicated" story?" I asked with a little smile, hoping he wouldn't be to annoyed by my straight face.

He sighed as he sat down, leaning back in his seat and biting down on his lip ring for a moment while he thought about where to begin. "Well, I guess it starts with a girl and a demon..." He went on to tell her what little he knew about his parents, the rebellious daughter of a pastor and a demon out for a little fun. It was the demon blood in his veins that gave him his powers, though he hated to admit what his father really was.

He told her about how he found that he could raise the dead, how he and the two siblings he had trained themselves while humans tried to harm them at every turn. His childhood hadn't been pretty, and the fifty years after hadn't either, but he stopped his stories before he got to what made him settle down in that town and what made him half blind in the first place. Those could be saved for a different day, for now he'd just tell her the mildly less depressing stuff.

Angel:

I now understood why I felt evil on this boy, man, guy, whatever, he is part demon, but he didn't act like one at all.

"I've never met a demon before" I said, nodding my head. But when he mentioned the part about raising the dead my heart stopped.

"Wait, did you say raise the d-dead?" I stuttered, my eyes tearing up, and the sorrow threatening to fall to my cheeks, I tried to hold a straight face but I just couldn't anymore. I broke down crying, right there, I have these break downs once a year where I just feel bad for myself, for missing my mother, not knowing my father, it all saves up and all of a sudden crashes down. i couldn't care less where I was, I started bawling, quietly, I was never the "loud" crier.

He fell silent at her crying, unsure of what to do. He'd never been the best at comforting people, and he was certain that he couldn't comfort anyone like he'd once comforted his daughter all those years ago whenever she had a nightmare. He regretted losing her, but he never brought her up for that reason. Raise the dead, sure, but it was never the right people. Never the ones he needed most.

So he just let her cry it out, conjuring up a box of tissues when the time felt right and gingerly setting them on the table near her. Sometimes it was just best to not say a word, especially when he was the one that caused the tears. He'd done that enough in his life, he hated that he could still do so now.

Angel:

After the little fit I threw, I finally breathed out and took the tissues he conjured from the table to blow my stuffed nose and another to wipe my tearful cheeks.

"My mother, she" I hiccuped "died, of a vampire attack" I breathed though my nose, trying to calm myself, I missed her hugs, her laugh, her smell. her bad jokes and burnt cooking. I sighed at the memories.

"I'm sorry, I'm usually not like this." I promised, still hiccuping a bit, I finally looked him in the eyes, cracking a little smile. He didn't seem to have a perfect life either, but he was so positive, guess I have to live 170 years to get over some things.

"It's fine, take what time you need," he said softly, his one good eye filled with compassion and empathy. He'd never known his mother, but he'd had a family that he missed just the same. It had been decades since he lost them, and he still refused to believe that they were truly dead. Once again, he cursed the fact that he couldn't use his power when he really needed it. Maybe his husband would still be with him if he could.

In reality, most of Theo's positivity was either forced or fake. After a while, he became an expert at forcing smiles and insisting that he wasn't damaged in some way. He'd lived a long life already, but some wounds could never heal.

Angel:

Theo's voice sounded soft, but with every softness was something broken, I know he has some depressing stories over all of the long 170 years of his life, but as for now, we're two broken people.

"You wouldn't mind if we went home?" I asked, I pronounces home a bit different, careful not to overstep any boundaries. I was so tired and emotionally exhausted that I could fall asleep on the soft couch, with the guitar playing me a lullaby.

He nodded, the day finally seeming to catch up with him. "Of course." It was getting late, and the sun had set farther in the sky, revealing a multitude of stars in the dark sky. The revels were probably starting soon, he figured. Good thing they didn't have to go near the park again.

He led her back to his home, taking her up a spiral staircase once they got there. "Bathroom's the first door on the right, kitchen across on the left. And you can sleep here." He opened up a door and switched on a light, the soft glow of a small chandelier lighting up the room. There was a canopy bed covered in dark green sheets, a small nightstand beside, and a wardrobe across. There was a picture frame on the table that wasn't standing up, and he even refused to acknowledge its existence while he was in the doorway. "If you need anything, I'll be upstairs, just yell."