IYGAOAC Chapter 14

Chapter 14: For the Love of a Lady

What, precisely, was the etiquette involved in meeting with a faerie queen? Robin had been a little vague on that issue.

Otto kept running his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. Every time he did so, Flo squawked at him and preened it back into place. Larry was keeping an eye on Mouse to make sure she didn't muss herself up before Robin arrived.

Where was she? She was nearly twenty minutes late... Not like Robin, to be certain.

Robin finally, finally managed to get back to Otto's apartment. She was wearing brown pants and a long brown coat, a scarf of neutral colors wrapped around her neck. Smoothing down her hair, she smiled at the mortals nervously.

"Right then. We're meeting Titania and Jack in the park in a few minutes. Twilight's falling, so you won't have to worry as much about being seen. But there are a lot of nasty creatures in the park, so you need to stay together and stay close to me. Alright?"

Most of this was directed towards Mouse, who would be in the most danger. Robin would have preferred leaving the girl in the apartment, but her Lady had insisted she come along. She was rather eager to meet the child. And Robin knew that Mouse's presence could help Titania agree to their request.

Mouse nodded, taking Otto's hand. Robin nodded back, and looked up to Otto. "You want to meet me by the east entrance?"

Otto nodded. It was as good a place as any. He also had no intention of letting Mouse get out of actuator reach- though as that reach was twenty-four feet in any one direction, it was more of a leash  than most children would get.

"We'll meet you there."

He picked Mouse up, smiling at her. Once he was sure she was secure against him, he went out onto the balcony and took to the skyline road. The park wasn't far off by actuator, certainly far more direct method of travel then restriction to the streets below. Within fifteen minutes, he and Mouse were touching down across the road from the park entrance and darting across the street. Robin waited just inside the gate, looking nearly as anxious as Otto felt.

"Lead the way," Otto said, without bothering to put Mouse down.

Robin nodded, leading them only a little ways down the path before they diverted into the woods. She was glad that Otto still had a hold of Mouse, though at one point she held up a hand for them to pause, while she chased a few revenants out of their way.

Finally, they came to a little clearing. Jack was standing sentinel against a tree, waiting for them. He nodded to Robin, and gestured at a small stone table in the clearing. He waved his fingers at Mouse, who smiled shyly back.

A beautiful, regal woman waited for them. The Lady Titania wore a deep blue dress with stylish high heeled boots, and a dark purple cloak. Her hair was done up in an elegant twist. She stood as Robin and the mortals approached her. "Puck," she greeted with a smile. She turned the smile to the mortal scientist.

"My lady, Doctor Otto Octavius. And this Mouse," Robin introduced. Titania extended a hand to the scientist, and smiled at the girl, now standing next to him. Robin turned to them. "Lady Titania. Queen of the Seelie Court."

Titania smiled at the mortals. "Doctor." She bent a little to be on level with the little girl. "And Mouse. I've heard so much of you."

Mouse smiled shyly at the pretty faerie, half hiding behind Otto's leg. Titania winked at her, and nodded Jack over. The pooka extended a hand to the girl. "Come on, little one. Let's let the grown-ups talk. Want to see a magic trick?"

The child looked nervously to Otto and Robin. The Puck gave her a nod, and gave Jack a warning look. He tapped the edge of his hat in salute, and led the child a little ways away from the table.

For the first time he understood those fantasy stories where the knight-gallant and his armies would be uplifted by the presence of their lady-monarch and be inspired to overcome insurmountable odds in her name. Titania had that sort of effect on a person. It wasn't merely that she was beautiful. She was, of course, and extraordinarily so, but he'd never been the sort of man who would turn the world upside down for the sake of a pretty face. It was something else, an elegant dignity and graceful power. She was a Lady, in the purest, most classical sense, the sort who would have been the subject of more courtly-love poems than she could probably stomach, and who probably would have listened to them all out of simple courtesy. Had Otto been asked to swear an oath of fealty to the queen of the faeries, he would have given it serious consideration.

So, despite the havoc he knew it would play with is back, Otto bowed to Titania, Harry and Mo gripping the ground to help brace his motion. Larry, meanwhile, watched the changeling Jack Pook take Mouse aside, idly wondering why a lady like as Titania would choose such a scruffy changeling. It seemed odd.

"Milady," he said respectfully. "It is an honor to lay eyes upon so radiant a creature as yourself. The world was surely less fair before you entered this realm."

He couldn't help it- apparently, at least some of Rosie's lectures on medieval poetry had stuck... Hopefully Robin wouldn't mind.

its robin you're supposed to be in love with Flo said critically. mind yourself don't eat or drink fae food find yourself bound to her to them for a hundred years turn to dust when you return

Otto thought she was being sarcastic again- though it seemed someone had been sneaking onto the internet without him knowing about it.

Titania smiled kindly on Otto's words, and gestured for them to sit. "A gentleman. I had not dared to hope there were any left in the mortal world," she said. She sat at the table, Robin and Otto sitting opposite her. The queen poured wine from a vase shaped container into three goblets, and Robin took two of them. She placed one in front of Otto, hanging on to the other one. Titania raised her own goblet in silent toast, which Robin and Otto returned.

Taking a sip, Robin shifted slightly to keep Jack and Mouse in view from the corner of her eye. Jack appeared to be behaving himself. He was performing tricks for her, with all a magician's flair. But he kept at least a foot of space between them, unless he was making something appear from behind Mouse's head, and didn't touch her in any way. Robin turned her attention back to Otto and Titania. At least Jack was taking her warnings to heart.

She noticed Otto's hesitation in drinking the wine. "It's alright," Robin said. "A bit stronger than what you're used to, but none of the legends of faerie food and drink are true."

Titania watched the couple with a vague smile, her eyes sliding over to watching her pooka play with the mortal child. There was a flicker of desire in her eyes--it had been a long while since she had had a fresh child in her train. But the emotion was gone as quickly as it appeared, and she turned her attention to  the mortal and the Puck before her.

"Now then," she said, placing her goblet on the table. "You had something to request of me, Puck?"

Robin nodded. "We had wanted to see if perhaps you would consider healing the damage done to Otto," she said. "There were complications from his experiments."

Titania nodded, looking over the man with the special sight of a healer. "So I see," she said. "Quite a bit of damage." She swirled the wine in her goblet a little. "It would seem that removing the machines would be the swiftest way to fully repair the damage. Unfuse the metal from the spine, and remove the apparatus altogether for the remainder of the procedure." She half-shrugged. "Whether or not you put them back on afterwards would be up to you."

The four actuators, which had been quietly shifting about to keep an eye on everything, suddenly fixed their gazes on Titania and went utterly still. Remove them? Separate them from Otto? How could anyone suggest such a thing? They were nothing without him, mere lifeless constructs of metal. Their systems were designed in such a way that connection with a human brain was a vital part of their control circuitry, the metaphorical wire connecting two leads to make a complete circuit.

They hissed furiously, suddenly nowhere near as positively inclined towards the Faerie Queen. No one was removing them from Otto. Ever. She could find another way to fix him up. They were staying right where they were. If they were separated from Otto, who would protect him? Look after him? Help him?

Flo curled around him. He could sense their fear underneath their anger- it was what fueled it. They didn't want to die, and there was no guarantee that Otto would rejoin with them if he could regain a normal solitary existence. If he didn't... they would be as good as dead, locked into an eternal comatose state.

"Easy," he murmured to the actuators, who continued to hiss at Titania. "What makes you think I wouldn't rejoin you?"

His response was a mental montage of all the times he'd longed for freedom from the actuators, to be able to walk among normal people without the need for disguise, for all the times he'd regretted that day he'd put them on for the last time. As long as he couldn't remove them, they were guaranteed existence. Before they'd been awake, he'd taken them off and all but forgot about them at times. They couldn't bear that thought.

He petted the actuator curled around him. "I wouldn't do that to you now," he told them, knowing they would know if he lied, which he wasn't.

have robin and mouse why need us

"Because I do, you idiots."

The hissing stopped.

not idiots

"Then don't be so ridiculous."

not ridiculous sensible conclusion to draw

"No it's not. I would never discard you four."

promise Flo managed to convey that apprehensive tone Mouse often used.

"Promise."

Robin watched them with the ease of someone who had become used to such one-sided conversations. Titania watched with interest--Puck had told her that the machines had minds, but she had yet to observe anything quite like this before.

"Would that be a problem?" she asked. Better to know now, if there were going to be complications.

Robin looked to Otto. "Is there any way you could make some sort of...I don't know, base or something, so that they could stay there when they're not attached to you?" She knew that the actuators were intelligent, thinking creatures--clearly they hadn't liked the idea of being removed from Otto.

Mouse looked over, biting her lip at the hissing noise from the actuators. They only sounded like that when they were mad. But Otto was talking to them, and they quieted. Jack looked at her, a little worried, and pulled some flowers from his hat to make her smile.

A base? Yes, something to complete the neural circuit and allow them to remain conscious while not linked directly to him... that had potential. There had never been need for any such thing before, since they weren't 'alive' then, and leaving them to their own devices while not attached to a human controller would have been pointless and potentially dangerous. Perhaps if he included some limiter circuitry to keep their great strength and tempers in check?

"That might work," he said at last. "I'll have to think it out a little more..."

Flo hissed at him. base first then healing she said firmly.

"Alright, I'll do the base first."

Titania nodded, and sat back. "Very well, Doctor. You take all the time you need, and Puck can let us know when you're ready to proceed." She stood, and Robin and Otto stood as well.

The faerie queen extended at hand to Otto again. "Well met, Otto Octavius. I hope that we shall meet again soon." Her eyes flickered over to where Mouse and Jack were playing. "And Puck, I trust you will uphold your end of the bargain? No tricks?"

Robin scowled. "No tricks, my lady. We'll be there."

Otto hesitated a moment, then lightly kissed the offered hand. He was frowning slightly when he released it, however, confused by her mention of a bargain. Mo ensured he didn't miss the way her eyes flicked towards Mouse, who was still playing with Jack. It made him distinctly uneasy.

"Robin?" he asked in a low voice.

Robin gave him her best effort at a reassuring smile. "Nothing to be worried about. I'll explain later." She looked over at Mouse and Jack. "Mouse? Time to go."

Jack smiled at the girl, producing a small flower in his hands and sticking it behind one of her ears. Mouse giggled and smiled back shyly, before running over and taking Otto's hand. She waved a goodbye to Jack as the trio started to leave the clearing.

she's hiding something what is it not especially positively inclined towards faeries right now she'd better tell us Flo gave Robin a rather suspicious look as they left the clearing.

"You'd better explain it," Otto replied quietly, hardly reassured by her expression. It was just a tad too forced.

Mouse, at least, appeared to have had a good time.

As they headed out of the clearing, Robin rubbed her eyes, ears tense and alert for any signs of danger. "At home," she said. Then she corrected herself. "At the apartment." Otto picked Mouse back up, and they were back on the path quickly.

Once they were at the park entrance, Robin left them, taking use of the extra time it would take Otto to return home to round the city a few times. She was trying to run out her frustration, growling at the wind, as she moved at top speed. She did not like the position Titania was forcing her into. Even though she was certain nothing would come of it, she still didn't like it.

Finally dragging herself back to the apartment, she saw Otto and Mouse swinging down from the balcony as she followed on their heels. "Right then," she said. The faerie could see the impatience in Otto's eyes. Mouse covered a yawn with a hand, and Robin nudged her towards her bedroom. "Go wash up, and I'll come tell you a story," she promised.

Turning, she saw Otto staring at her expectantly. Robin sighed, and rubbed her eyes. "Titania wants to have a little tea party," Robin explained. "For Mouse. It's...it's a thing of hers. She's always been fond of mortal children. Of taking them for her train. Changelings have not been allowed for a long while, but…pephyka. She the Queen of the Faeries. She can do as she pleases."

Running a hand over her face, she paced. "Make no mistake. I am not giving Mouse to her. A changeling must choose to give up their mortality, something that I doubt Mouse would do. Especially if I tell her not to. And the rules are fuzzy...such consent might have to be given verbally. In which case, we have nothing to worry about." Because Mouse had yet to even speak to her; Robin knew she wouldn't speak to Titania.

"She wants what?" Otto demanded, voice rising. He checked himself and continued more quietly. "Hell no, Robin. Hell no. Mouse is not going into any faerie's service, queen or no."

why do we trust these people Flo said acidly. That was a very good question.

"And what if that consent isn't given verbally? You said yourself, she's the Queen, she can do as she likes."

Robin held up a hand, to calm him. "She cannot take Mouse by force. What I meant was, if Mouse just nods or something at her, that might would not be enough to satisfy the forces that would change her. Titania can only do as she wants when it comes to defying Oberon's orders against taking a changeling. But if Mouse does not go willingly, there's nothing she can do. I swear it."

She walked over to him, placing a hand on his chest. "Otto, I promise you, I give you my solemn oath that I will do everything in my power to prevent anything from happening. I've promised the queen no tricks. That does not mean I can't warn Mouse ahead of time what will be asked of her. If we tell her to refuse anything Titania asks of her, you know that she will. And she will not be out of my sight, not for an instant." Robin took a deep breath, closing her eyes against the angry hobgoblin flash.

"Titania woos her mortals. She'll promise games and pretty things and playing in the woods forever. But Mouse is no ordinary child. We both know that. Trust means more to her than baubles, and she is more loyal to you...Mouse will never agree to something that will take her from your side. So long as we are clear with her, she will not agree to go with the queen. She's in no danger here. But the first full moon after your healing, I will have to take her to the gathering."

The actuators muttered something quite uncomplimentary about the Queen as they shifted restlessly around Otto, Larry even going so far as to comment on faeries as a collective.

"Why does she want Mouse anyway?" he asked, spotting the flicker of red overcome the green of Robin's eyes for a breath before she closed them. "And let her know that I expect no tricks from her as well. Otherwise, there will be issues."

No one tried to steal Mouse from him. Look at what had happened to the last folks who'd tried. And he'd been scraping together a general idea of fae weaknesses and strengths from Robin over the past weeks. Otto was confident that he could make himself a hell of a nuisance to the faeries if their Queen tried anything fishy.

Robin nodded. "I will," she said. She started pacing again, pulling hard at her hair. "And Mouse...Mouse is special. She's in tune with the world around her. Have you ever noticed that she seems to know when something bad is coming? At least, generally? In little ways, but she knows. I think it's how she survived for so long. Her instincts are honed. It's how she knew places to avoid in Hell's Kitchen, and places to go to hide, or scavenge for food.

"Those instincts will only get stronger as she gets older. As far as mortal children go, she's a good choice for a changeling. Those in tune with things tend to make the transition easier."

Robin forced herself to breathe, and tried to settle her nerves. "And you can trust Titania to play by the rules. She's honorable. She doesn't listen to Oberon's orders, but other than that...she won't play dirty with Mouse. She won't threaten her or anything. She would never hurt a child."

The reassurance calmed the actuators- slightly. Otto, however, continued to look annoyed.

"She made seeing us contingent on having Mouse for a tea party, didn't she?" he asked, eyes slightly narrowed. Titania had better play nice. That was all he was going to say on the matter.

Robin closed her eyes again. She'd known he would take this badly. So was she. She just wished he could understand her position in all of this. "She probably would have seen us anyway. But she already knew of Mouse from Jack...and I'll admit, from me. My lord desired to know of the mortals I was spending so much of my time with. And I told him." She tried to rub away the headache that was building with the heels of her hands.

"Odds are, she would have demanded to see Mouse anyway. She's been hinting at it for weeks. At least this way, you get something out of it too." She raised her gaze to Otto again, a hint of desperation in her eyes. "I have no choice in this, Otto. No matter when she had demanded it, I would have had to make Mouse available to her. I've been trying to persuade her otherwise for weeks now, but she won't hear of it. She wants to give the child the chance to make up her own mind."

Robin knew that she had brought this on them, and hated herself for it. She hated that they were being played with. But a part of her couldn't stand the thought of Otto thinking that she was doing this lightly. It was an order from her queen. To refuse it would bring Oberon's wrath on her, and Robin couldn't risk what he might demand of her to make up for such a betrayal. And then Titania would just have Jack come for the girl, and it would have won them nothing.

Otto gritted his teeth, trying to keep a grip on his temper. The desperation and dislike of the situation was clear in Robin's eyes. There was no need to be upset with her. She had her reasons for following the command.

"Alright," he said at last. "I still don't like it, but there you go." He kissed Robin's forehead, wrapping an arm around her. "Tell Mouse exactly what's going on."

Robin nodded, leaning into him. She relaxed a little, knowing that he was accepting that she had to do this. "I will," she promised. "A little closer to time.vI want it to be fresh in her mind when we go. I'll remind her, of course, but I'll save the actual conversation for a bit later."

She looked up at him, cupping his face for a moment, and kissed him. "I'm truly sorry about this, Otto," she said. "But if you can trust me...I promise, nothing will happen. Once Mouse has made her choice, Titania will move on."

He kissed her back and nodded. "I hope you're right, Robin." What else could he say? He couldn't exactly interfere in this, not if he wanted to keep Titania's goodwill.

we wouldn't mind Flo muttered. Not having Titania heal them meant they wouldn't be separated from Otto.

"I told you I was going to work on that base," he muttered as Robin went to go tell Mouse her bedtime story.

faerie gave you that idea sure you want to trust it

"Robin gave me that idea, thank you very much." They could trust Robin, even if they might not be able to trust any other faerie. He sighed and went to the computer to start work on that exact project.

Robin spun Mouse an elaborate tale of a princess and champion and magical creatures. Mouse watched the performance with wide eyes--because almost everything was a performance for The Puck, and why shouldn't she enjoy such a captive audience? When she was done, Robin kissed Mouse on the head, and patted Tonto, and told Bob goodnight.

She left the bedroom door open, and went to get Otto. "She's ready for you," Robin said quietly, watching the man at his computer.

He nodded and let his desk. His turn.

Otto wasn't much one for bedtime stories. Besides, from what Mo relayed to him, he knew he couldn't compete with Robin's performances, not by a long shot. No, Mouse's bedtime routine with him was considerably quieter.

He hugged her tightly, the actuators also delivering their own embrace, and made sure she was tucked in with Tonto at her side. "Love you, Mouse," he said softly, kissing her forehead. "Sleep well."

Leaving the door slightly cracked open, he returned to the main room and Robin. "All tucked in," he reported.

Robin stuck her hands in her back pockets, looking a little uncomfortable. "Good," she said. Biting her lip, she shifted her weight a little. "Suppose...I should just let you get back to work then."

Her tone was one of uncertainty. She wanted him to tell her to stay, that he wanted her to stay. Even if he still worked, just to want her to stay there, with them. Robin felt like she needed that. To know that she was still wanted here. That she had a place here.

Why she felt that way, she had no idea. The hobgoblin in her whispered that it would be better to leave, to run, perhaps to go to her king for awhile. Robin very much felt that she was at an impasse. What side she chose what make a very big difference to the rest of her life.

He rested his hands on her shoulders, bending his head to kiss her. "If you don't have to go anywhere, I would like you to stay," he said quietly. He brushed some hair from her face. "I like having you here."

more than like it Flo muttered. Her twin curled around the faerie, chirruping.

More than like it, yes. It felt right to have her around, and he'd grown to miss her terribly when she did have to go.

Robin leaned her head into his hand, closing her eyes against his touch. By the gods, that was the best thing she'd heard all day. "Glad to hear it," she said softly, looking up at him. "I like being here."

Perhaps more than she cared to admit. But she leaned up to kiss him again, then relaxed against him for a long moment, just hugging him. Then she sighed, and gave him a small smile. She released him and went to hop up on a spare bit of counter space in the lab.

"Well, don't let me keep you from your work, maestro," she said with a smile.

He chuckled, moving back to his desk. "I love it when you call me that," he admitted. From the way she was grinning at him, Otto thought they'd might have to be careful tonight. For some reason, the actuators didn't especially like it when he and Robin made love in the lab.

work here sex elsewhere Mo muttered dryly, still curled around Robin.

Robin petted the actuator, still grinning at Otto as he got back to work. She loved to watch him work. There was something just...neat, about it.

But a puck's mind got bored sometimes, especially with Otto just sitting at his computer, making calculations and mapping plans. She began fiddling with odds and ends--sniffing beakers, examining wire, that sort of thing. At one point she opened a few cabinets, just to see what was inside. Every so often an actuator would hiss at her, and she would generally back off from what she was doing.

Pulling a ball from her pocket, Robin tossed it in the air, barely looking as she caught it. Her eyes still roamed around the lab. Smiling at the actuators, who were eying her game, she didn't notice her toss come dangerously close to an open shelf. An open shelf with a few beakers, that she hadn't pushed back quite as far as she should have when she was sniffing them.

The ball hit one of the beakers, and Robin whirled, moving to catch it before it could break. She would have succeeded too--she was certainly fast enough. But the liquid splashed onto her skin, and the result made her yell, dropping both the ball and the beaker.

"Skata gamisou.…" Robin bit her lip, remembering that there was, after all, a child sleeping in the next room. She continued her cursing, just a bit quieter. Angry red splotches started appearing on her arms, and she pulled off her shirt. The liquid had soaked through the material, leaving splotches on her upper body as well.

Robin started switching languages for her cursing, moving towards English. English was, in her opinion one of the best languages to curse in. "What the fuck was that?" she snarled, going to the sink and scrubbing at her arms.

"Ferric nitrate," Otto replied, coming over to help her. He was a little puzzled at the reaction she was displaying- angry red blotches bloomed on her skin wherever the liquid had splashed her. Why should she react to ferric nitrate? Nothing else iron-based seemed to bother her...

He wet a cloth and dabbed at a spot on her chest, careful not to rub at it and irritate it. Let Robin curse herself out- he was going to try and remain calm. One of them had to.

"Ferric?" Robin asked through gritted teeth. "Iron?"

That would explain it. Robin had built up a tolerance for solid iron over the years--one didn't have much choice, if they wanted to be in the city once the mortals started using it. But liquid iron...that was a different story. Her skin wasn't like a mortal's skin. It absorbed as much as repelled. Something like iron could soak right through her Glamour, irritating the hobgoblin skin underneath. And hobgoblin skin was not thick, under the fur. Robin could feel the iron burning its way into her system even now.

She doubled over a little, gripping the sink's edge. Bits of counter crumpled under her hands. "Perfect," she scowled. Her breaths started coming in pants as her Glamour flickered briefly, revealing the hobgoblin underneath. Robin slammed her focus into her Glamour again, bringing it back up. The last thing she wanted was for Otto to see her like that.

So she was vulnerable to iron? Just, it seemed, in certain forms...

Otto steadied her over the sink, and nearly jumped when her form flickered and changed. For a moment, the soft, pale skin and graceful figure was replaced by coarse brown fur and hard, wiry muscle. Then it changed back, leaving the Robin he knew.

"Yes, iron," he replied. "What do you need me to do? Can I help?"

Robin's eyes closed, her breaths coming in more labored pants. She shook her head, and let go of the sink. Turning, her back went against the counter, and she sank to the floor. There was nothing that could be done now, now that it was inside her. Nothing to do but wait for her body to purge it.

Her nails lengthened, the end bits of her claws coming out. She ran the sharpened appendages down her arms as her skin starting to itch. It felt like she was boiling in her own skin. Her skin felt too tight. Blood pooled under the shallow scratches, then healed over, leaving no marks. Robin dug in a little deeper, not caring about the too dark blood that emerged. Leaning her head against the cabinet, she shuddered as a violent spasm wracked her body.

The hobgoblin in her knew that she ought to leave. Wounds ought to be licked in privacy, where there was no danger of secret attack. But there were few places she'd be safe in this city, with no true territory of her own. So she squashed down the urge to run, and tensed further against the pain burning her insides.

"Robin, I don't think you should scratch at that," Otto said as Mo gently closed his jaws around her wrist. He wasn't entirely certain she'd heard him, the way she was shuddering. This was not good, even a non-medical doctor like him could see that. "Please, let's get you somewhere more comfortable..."

Gingerly, he directed the actuators to pick her up and move her to the couch. He didn't want to risk being in range of her claws right now, not if she was so out of it that she was scratching herself bloody and not noticing.

Robin hissed weakly at the actuators as they picked her up. Once on the couch, she curled up in the corner of it, one hand digging her nails into the arm rest. Animalistic whimpers rose from her throat, and she panted hard, like an animal in the heat of summer. Her insides were on fire, and she shuddered again. When Mo kept her from digging at her arms, she snapped her teeth at him, and pulled at her hair.

Her Glamour flickered again, revealing the hobgoblin a little longer this time. Crouched on the couch, on the balls of her feet, Robin's pointed ears kept flexing to lay flat against her head. She scratched at her chest a little, and crooned softly. It wasn't often she felt hot or cold, but with molten lava running through her veins, the only thing she could feel was hot.

Hell, how long was this going to take? Otto wasn't sure he could control her if she went mad with pain and tried to break loose. He was glad that he had the actuators, however. Those teeth of hers looked sharp.

"Easy Robin," he said softly. Maybe if he could distract her? Animals reacted well to pleasant tones of voice, and she was acting on a near-animalistic level... Rosie had always said he had a fantastic reading voice....

Flo reacted to the half-formed thought and darted to the shelf, bringing down one of the couple battered volumes of poetry he kept there. TS Eliot, specifically. With Mo and Larry to keep a close eye on Robin, Otto sat and opened the book to one of the Quartets and began to read aloud. Rosie had taught him how to read poetry and had managed to drum some respect for rhythm into his poor scientific brain. Hopefully, it would help.

The soothing voice perked Robin's ears, and though the words were at first indistinguishable, she let them wash over her. Her pants quieted a little, her frantic movements starting to die down. Only an uncontrollable spasm wracked her body every few moments as her system worked to purge the iron.

Her Glamour came back up, more stable than before. Shuddering, Robin whimpered, her knees to her chest. Otto's words gave her something to focus on other than the pain. Finally, conscious thought started to peak its way through the pain. Her fingers dug at her skin--not claws now, just normal fingers.

"Hot," she muttered, a moan in her voice. "Gods, Otto...it's too hot..."

Hot... oh hell, those weren't just rashes, were they? They were burns. Alright, that he could do something about.

At least the reading had worked. There was a little more of Robin in her eyes now, rather than a pain-maddened beast.

"I think I can help with that, love," he said gently. Flo went to where he kept the first aid supplies and after a moment of digging, came up with a fat tube of aloe-based ointment. It was the kind with menthol in it, so hopefully it would counteract the effects of scorched pain receptors, at least for a bit. He approached the faerie, ointment in hand. "I'm going to rub this in. Try to stay calm."

Very carefully, ready to get out of reach if he saw any signs of claws, he applied some of the transparent aqua-colored gel to the largest burn, an angry red, irregular blotch that ran from her collarbone down her breast. He continued to talk quietly, reciting the poem from memory aided by Flo's prompting.

Robin gasped a little at the sudden coolness, then whimpered under his touch. Closing her eyes again, she forced herself to breathe, focusing on his touch and his voice. Slowly, she relaxed under his hands, tensing only when a painful spasm burst under her skin.

She obediently let him rub the ointment into her arms and chest. The heat gradually began to give under the cooling effect of the ointment.

Familiar with the way the ointment tended to lose its cooling ability as it dried, Otto directed Harry to grab a small spray bottle and fill it with water. He thought that she was oddly warm under his hands, and a quick check with the actuators confirmed it. Her temperature was spiking a bit, though he wasn't sure if that was normal or not.

"Just take it easy," he said, wiping excess gel from his hands. "I think you're going to be alright."

Robin swallowed hard, suddenly feeling unbearably thirsty, and cursing the chemicals in city water that made it taste so bad to her. "Course I am," she said hoarsely. "'m The Puck. Takes more than a bit o' iron to beat me."

She leaned back, her head draping over the back of the sofa. The spasms were growing less frequent, leaving her muscles with a terrible tired weakness in them. It seemed she'd be crashing on Otto's couch again.

Now that she was calmer, he felt safe in moving his chair next to her so he could reach over and stroke her hair. Mo fetched her a bottle of water and held it to her mouth so she could drink. That had been one of the first tricks they'd perfected- Otto clearly remembered that night on Harry Osborn's balcony when Mo had caught the boy's dropped glass of Scotch without losing a drop.

"That's right, love," he said. "It's just a bit of iron."

don't ever leave that stuff uncovered again bad for faeries i wonder we could use this

Perhaps they could. Robin was, as best he could judge, relatively powerful. Would ferric nitrate serve as an effective deterrent against other sorts of faeries? Something to look into.

Robin raised a hand to the other side of the bottle, not comfortable with Mo holding it on his own. It was more instinct than anything. With a shaky hand, she downed the bottle in just under a minute, then laid her head on the armrest. Twisting so that her burned upper body wouldn't rub against the sofa, Robin lay on her back, and closed her eyes at the feeling of Otto stroking her hair.

A few spasms periodically moved through her muscles, but her body had mostly stilled. Robin's breaths eased somewhat--there was still quite a bit of pain, but it was down to a manageable level. She felt sleep coming for her, a deep healing sleep that was needed to complete the purge and restore her energy. She opened her eyes enough to give Otto a weak smile.

"Thanks," she said softly, meaning it. If he hadn't have helped her, she didn't know what she might have done.

"You're welcome," he replied, continuing to stroke her hair. She was getting sleepy on him. Good. Sleep would help, if nothing else than as a temporary escape from pain. "Go to sleep, my dear. I'll be right here if you need anything."

Now so long as that king of hers didn't storm in and demand what he'd been doing to his Puck. That would be fitting, given the kind of day he'd had.

Robin smiled sleepily, and closed her eyes again. She felt so safe here...despite the pain throbbing through her blood, she still felt a sense of belonging that she'd not felt in quite a long time. Blissful sleep fell over her quickly, her drained body giving into it before her mind could put up even a token protest.