📜🎩 T H E ☆ M A G I C I A N - Act 48 (Patreon)

Content possibilities: original content, w/w(?) or overall queerness, fluff, angst, hurt & comfort, asexuality/demisexuality, cryptid (?) pregnancy, nb(?)preg, sexual & kink awakening, stuffing, nausea, gender ambiguity, partially male presenting pregnancy, transphobia, dysphoria, depression & suicidal thoughts, parental conflicts, use of alcohol and other drugs, birth, demons, religions & mythology (diverse), cursing, belly focus

▶ Read all from the start
Part I Acts: 1-3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 l 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
Part II Acts: 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28½ | 29 | 30 | 30½ | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41½ | 42 | 43
Part III Acts: 44 | 45 | 46 | 47

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T H E  ☆  M A G I C I A N

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Act 48

Mel

Rosemary mentioned that they were almost there and asked if it was okay to devoid Mel of her presence for a moment in order to prepare something. Of course, Mel had obliged; now, still in front of the entry to the delightful courtyard store, they waited.

“You like bein’ a woman ta her, huh?”, the cane under their hand said as it turned its head to face Mel directly.

“Hush,” Mel muttered in return, not looking at the grinning serpent.

“No use in hidin’ it. I can see you blushin’, Schat.”

“I could do without the commentary, thank you.”

Completely solid a moment before, the upper part of the cane stretched and wound itself around Mel’s hand, demanding their attention.

“Don’ be cruel, my sweet princess. Y’know I’m excited, too. I’ve really held back almost the whole date to not disturb ya.”

“That’s true,” Mel admitted, “thank you for that.”

“How about’cha give me to her in return? Let her hold and pet me again?”

“No.”

“Awww, c’mon, kind human. I deserve it. I’ve been such a good lil’ snake.”

“No, Lusje. It’s inappropriate.”

“Why, you rimjob? She likes me.”

Mel creased their face. “She likes my cane as a cane. She hasn’t consented to caressing an actual living being, never mind one that’s also a demonic deity.”

“Animal Protection Agency! PETA! Help me, my owner’s cutting me off from basic social needs! Abuse!”

“Stop it. You are not an animal.”

“And you’re not my owner. If anythin’, I own you. So, treat me the way I deserve and know your place, piss wizard.”

“Nincompoop.”

Lusje let out a shocked laugh, “Excuse me!? Nincom-what!?”

“Silence,” Mel whispered pressingly, “she’s coming back.”

Thankfully, the demon reverted back to its stationary state in an instant, though it made certain that Mel could still hear it laughing in their mind.

“You’re good to come now,” Rosemary said as she got close to Mel, linking her arm into theirs, “if you’re okay with this stroll coming to an end.”

“I’m eager to see what you have prepared, my little dove.”

Smiling, their host led Mel a little further, little picturesque stone houses with beautiful, petite lawns to their right, and an old graveyard to their left. It was looking just as enchanting in its own way, with moss-covered gravestones, denoting the village’s ancestors from possibly hundreds of years ago.

Only when the road narrowed and it seemed like they were about to leave the hamlet did Rosemary come to a halt, right in front of the last house on the street: an adorable, tiny thatched cottage. Its veneer was made of raw brick stones, with a plump roof bigger than the rest, and the little structure rested behind a white painted board fence. Neatly snuggled between well trimmed hedges, it looked as if it just nestled itself in there, ready to be captured by Helen Allingham or maybe even Claude Monet.

"We're here. I hope you like rural houses,” Rosemary announced shyly.

“Remarkable,” was all Mel managed to put into words.

Of course, it wasn’t the first cottage of its kind Mel had seen; Even on their way here, there had been several that crossed their paths. But this was the one Rosemary found and chose, and it therefore made  such a perfect representation of herself and her aesthetic.

Gifting Mel a soft, but also proud laugh, Rosemary walked through the open wicket gate, unlocked the door, and held it open for Mel.

“Shall I give you the tour?”

Mel was more than happy to oblige.

Their little dove made an inviting gesture inside while holding the door, one of the kind Mel often performed as a chaperone, especially for ladies. They were not used to receiving them instead, but it felt nice.

They nodded as thanks and entered the little cottage.

It was just as timeless, cozy, and tasteful on the inside, even though it really was small and contorted. One would even have to bend and twist to enter some of the rooms, because of the pitch of the roof. All these nooks and crannies made it even more charming.

Inspecting the building revealed what Mary did while she was away: big candles sat in some of the rooms, and a small fire crackled happily in an old cast iron chimney, making the small living room even more inviting.

Despite space being so apparently limited, the cottage featured a variety of rooms. Next to the living room, there was also a guest room; two bathrooms, one displaying a free-standing bath tub; and a bedroom, which Rosemary almost forgot to show. When Mel asked her about it, she showed the room for just a brief moment before quickly proceeding with the tour while hiding her face.

She led Mel into the kitchen, which was in a slightly more modern annex. She also previously prepared something here: soft folk music resounded from a speaker, and a couple of shopping bags stood on the kitchen counter. The smell of the burning wood from the living space intermingled with that of freshly baked cookies, and Mel noticed that the oven was already preparing the same delicious treats.

“My sweet, sweet Rozemarijntje, did you prepare everything here by yourself? In just the few minutes you’d been gone?” Mel asked in sheer awe.

Their date lifted her finger up to her lips, making the universal gesture for reticence, and replied, “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

Mel couldn’t help but laugh in delight. “You’re absolutely right. Thank you for gifting me this mystery; I shall treasure it.”

The cute, raw joy on Rosemary’s face dosed Mel’s stomach with a flock of tiny birds. It truly was addicting.

“Well then, what’s next?” They asked while they rolled up their sleeves and looked at the paper bags, which clearly contained groceries. “Do you need help?”

Rosemary quickly shook her head, making her strawberry blonde curls dance. “No, please. I would love to cook for you while you relax. There are some books in the living room, or, if you want, you can take in some of the evening sunbeams in the garden. There’s a pear tree with ripe fruits if you’d like an appetizer.”

Marry her, now, the demon's thoughts bid. Or were they Mel’s own?

They wouldn’t even have dreamed about Rosemary cooking for them. All in all, while being so sweet and considerate, it was almost unbearable.

“Those are all endearing proposals, but I would love the most to stay here with you, if it’s okay? I promise not to get in your way.”

For some reason, this made Rosemary laugh. She agreed with the sweetest smile, and Mel seated themself at the table, pulling their sleeves back down again. They then drew a deck of cards from their pocket and practiced some shuffles, all while taking a look around and watching as Rosemary unpacked the groceries and started to cook.

The evening sun donated warm light through the spacious gallery window of the annex, companioned perfectly with the soft guitar. For a while, nobody talked. Unspoken words consumed the space between whom once used to be strangers. They really had come a long way, hadn’t they?

They both took in the moment, appreciating each other's company, silently proving again to themselves that words weren’t necessary for comfort. This was one of the moments, Mel thought, that would stay forever, one that they would never forget.

Though, when Rosemary broke the silence, Mel welcomed it all the same.

“Would you like to play a game in the meantime?” she asked while looking over her shoulder, since she stood with her back to Mel.

“With pleasure. What kind of game?”

“I tell you a hopefully interesting fact about myself, and then you tell me one about yourself?”

Mel smiled. “Of course.”

“Okay, uhm… let’s see… Ah, I know. I play a couple of instruments.”

Elation spread the grin on Mel’s face even wider. “Ah! That’s beautiful. How many are we talking?”

Rosemary made a gesture of appeasement. “Many as a beginner, but almost none in a presentable way. I… shouldn’t have phrased it like that to begin with, sorry.”

“Nee, lieverd, if you play something, you play something, no matter how long or skilled. The only important part is that you like it and that you can identify with it. Which are your favorites?”

Her date turned around, focusing on her task again, though not quickly enough for Mel to miss the flustered look of blushing cheeks on her face.

“I, uh… It’s the guitar… and dulcimer… and ukulele.”

“How very interesting, indeed! A good combination of well-rounded, traditional and fun. Sounds like you are a pizzicato kind of person? I’m more of a staccato one myself.”

This caught Rosemary’s interest. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, “You play, too?”

Mel nodded. “Yes, albeit not as much by choice. I had to learn it when I was younger.”

The lovely girl now turned around completely, paying Mel her full attention. “Which one?”

“The classic string trio: violin, cello, double bass,” Mel commented as they made another audible shuffle, spreading the cards on the table.

“That’s… that’s strangely fitting, for some reason?” Rosemary noted, then pointed at a card. “This one.”

She most likely meant to banter, as Mel hadn’t offered any tricks to begin with. The magician wasn’t known for missing opportunities though; thus, they said, “My queen of hearts likes picking her cards well,” before revealing the card to be, indeed, the queen of hearts.

The red on Rosemary’s cheeks turned a brighter hue, and her adorable lips formed the cutest little smile.

“Though I wouldn’t consider them as my instruments. I haven’t played them in ages. As soon as I didn’t have to anymore, I stopped, barring a few times when an orchestra or a band were missing a player.”

“That’s too bad,” she declared while showing a genuine look of regret on her face, “I’m sure you’d look and sound amazing with any of those instruments. Oh, by the way, I can play a little bit of double bass, too. I really loved it when I was younger.”

Mel looked at her, so surprised that they were unable to answer right away.

“You truly know how to astonish. I never would have guessed. Is there a reason you stopped liking it?”

“Ah, no. I mean, I actually still love it, now that I think about it. But my father told me that it’s a very masculine instrument, and that I’m way too petite for it… that it’s unflattering. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything unwell of it, but it was very important to me to make him as happy as I could when I was that age. Or, at least, not unhappy.”

Feeling that there were some tough and complicated family matters and emotions behind her words, Mel was careful not to pry and resurface hurt memories. Though, they did wonder.

“You know, it’s never too late to pick up something again, love. For what it’s worth, I think double bass would fit you perfectly, and, in general, I’d love to hear you play, my sweet little dove.”

“Oh, I… I don’t know,” Rosemary faltered, “I… I shouldn’t have said it. I never play or sing in front of others–”

“Sing?” Mel interrupted.

Quickly, Rosemary turned back to washing salad again, mumbling curse words only she understood.

“Ah, please excuse,” Mel apologized with regret, “Of course you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I just… I just thought that it must be the most enchanting thing to hear you sing.”

Unlike before, this time when her host stood silent Mel started to feel a little anxious, as if they  overstepped. Just when they were about to check in and offer comfort, Rosemary said, “Let’s make a deal.”

Oh.
A deal.

Mel heard the demon snicker.

These stupid deals really did seem to follow Mel everywhere, and they always tended to be the first unsuspecting domino of a gigantic construct which they couldn’t possibly grasp in the moment.

“What kind of deal?” they asked, a little more suspiciously than they intended.

“You… you play for me, and then - when I am ready - I’ll play for you one day.”

Mel smiled.

Now, that was a comprehensible, fair and promising deal.

▶️ NEXT CHAPTER 

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Story written by RoseVirage
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