After closing the electrical/magical curtains, Zacharias set down the Holy Grail of his Blue-Ray collection: The Lord of The Rings trilogy, extended edition. Even after watching them several times a year since he had bought them, they never lost their power over him. Fiddling with his titanium replique of the One Ring™ on his right index finger, he sat down on the couch next to Astil. “This is going to take a while, you know.”

She beamed at him after seeing the covers. “We will watch all of them, right?”

“Uh, are you sure? That would take more than eleven hours, not including the bonus content.”

The princess crossed her legs and set her folded hands atop of them, curtly nodding. Very princess. So royal. Wow. “I’m not going anywhere. And since you are my host, neither are you.”

“You sure you’re not the dragon?”

“If that was supposed to be insulting-”

He raised his hands in defense.“No, no. Just...making sure the gold won't wake any slumbering instincts.”

She simply glowered at him, pointing at the screen. “Movie. Now.”

“As you command, princess. Wouldn’t want to get incinerated. Took a while to grow my hair out.”

The menu music started and Zacharias relaxed. This was something he never grew tired of. The amazing soundtrack, the beautiful shots, the well-written dialogue that made even him bawl like a little boy everytime Theoden mourned his son.

This was his world.

----------------------------------------

“You! Shall not! Pass!”

Astil’s eyes were glued to the screen, her mouth hanging open for several minutes before she even realized it. The image of the Balrog’s flaming maw still lingered in her mind. Every hair on her body was electrified. How could she have lived her whole life not knowing these movies? This epicness?

Her thoughts were cut short when Gandalf was pulled down by the flaming shadow’s fiery whip. The princess covered her mouth when he fell, a single tear flowing down her cheek.

“But...he was so powerful...he can’t just be dead!” She looked at Zacharias. “Or can he?”

A part of him wanted to make fun of her, but he remembered his first time seeing that scene. It had left him devastated as a child. Astil was slouched over, mourning the character’s death like she had lost a family member. She wasn’t used to media like that, the influence it could have on people. And she looked so sad.

Sighing, he put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry too much about it. Let’s just continue watching.”

Astil tensed up at first, but relaxed shortly after, nodding. She needed to know how it ended. Noticing the design of the ring on Zacharias’ finger, she looked up at him with red eyes. “At least you’re nicer than Sauron.”

That made him laugh - once again letting Astil appreciate how clear it sounded. Then again, she hadn’t seen an amused Sauron until now. Maybe she’d give him another chance.

When she lay in bed that day, she dreamt of the mighty Aragorn and Arwen, waking up bathed in sweat when the noble human suddenly turned into a grinning goth.

No more movie marathons!

----------------------------------------

“...alright, you want to meet them? You can. But I’m warning you, they’re weird.”

Astil raised one eyebrow, mildly amused. “Weirder than you?”

But he had a point. Barely one week had passed since she entered this world and there was much she still had to learn until she was a somewhat functional member of society. Meeting Zacharias’ friends had been on her to-do list since learning he had any. “I have black clothes, black hair and pale skin. I’m sure they’ll accept me.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not all about looks, you know.”

“...I also like dark stuff.”

“You should try Linkin park for additional edge. Suicide optional.”

Astil flinched. “That was dark, even for you.”

Zacharias cleared his throat, the slightest hint of regret on his face. “Yes, I didn’t really see that one coming, either.” After a few moments of nothing, he sighed. “Do I have to say it? I’m sorry.”

Satisfied, Astil turned to the mirror on the corridor wall, admiring her new clothes. They were nothing special: A black, long-sleeved v-neck with a laced neckline and slightly transparent sleeves with a flower pattern, a simple, black choker around her neck, as well as black pants with laces running down the outside of each leg without exposing any additional skin. She liked them - form-fitting without being to tight, elegant but not too alluring. It was a dark, but neutral look that could be worn to all kinds of clubs while still identifying the princess as someone who was into the more mysterious and dark things. Or so she liked to think.

For her ears, a more complicated solution was needed. “Help me with this, please.”

For all his talk about how he didn’t care what others thought of him, Zacharias Gryphon was quite a bit vain, at least when it came to appearances. His wardrobe of unknown depth contained all sorts of goth clothing for all seasons, ranging from classy and elegant to more punkish looks. Today, he was wearing the former. Black shirt, black vest and (who would have thought) black trousers, leather boots and an assortment of smaller accessories.

Zacharias stepped closer while Astil fiddled with her hair. “Uh, what exactly are you trying to do?”

The tip of her tongue stuck out slightly, face concentrated on her image in the mirror. “I want the sides pulled back so they cover my ears while the foremost bit of hair frames my face. I look ridiculous with a ponytail.”

Pursing his lips and attempting to put that plan into motion, he freed his own hair and tested a few different styles before applying them to her head. While he did, Astil noticed something silvery. “Are you...greying?”

Her host looked up, pausing mid-motion, confused. “What do you mean?”

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“Turn your head to the side. No, the other side. There!” Her hand shot forward, holding a single strand of silvery-white hair that was usually hidden under his thicker, dark-blonde strands.

“Oh, that. Some sort of pigmentation mutation. Happens.” He took it, tying his hair back up, with the white strand on top of the rest. It looked like a silver streak on the side of his head.

“Is that normal?”

He shrugged. “Not normal, but some people have it.”

“It...looks good on you.”

“...thanks. You are not ugly, either.”

Astil frowned. ”Would it hurt you to be nice and honest, for once?”

Zacharias put a hand on his chest. “I have a cold, black heart. That is my nice.”

“Liar! I have seen you cry before. And smile. Why don’t you do it more often?”

“Because,” he said, “crying is a sign of weakness to most people and my smile scares little children.”

“I kind of like it.”

“...let’s just leave already.” The almost invisible bit of pink on his cheeks betrayed him. Still, he acted like nothing happened and grabbed his long coat. Astil smiled behind his back, putting on her jacket and following him outside.

Softie.

----------------------------------------

“Where’ve you been, man?” Zacharias grabbed the hand the young man was offering and smiled, replying in german. “Busy. No time for fun.”

Club Grotesque was a small establishment that offered a safe haven for the weirdos of society - goths, scenes, emos, punks, and everything beyond and in between. The entry area encompassed a coat check and the bouncer’s stand, directly connecting to a large, open area with a bar in one corner, a dance floor with a small stage for bands and the DJ in another as well as a slightly separated area that served as a lounge. It wasn’t a big club and had only about five dozen regular visitors that all knew each other in some way.

“Astil, meet Gregor. Gregor, meet Astil, my...roommate.”

Gregor was a poster boy for goth fashion magazines if there ever was one - long, black hair, white makeup and a face that looked like he came from a long line of noble vampires. Despite his appearance, he was a friendly person and shook her hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Astil. It’s been so long since little Zach brought a girl home!”

“Oh fuck you sideways!”

Gregor laughed and gestured for them to follow him inside after leaving their coat and jacket with a friendly young woman at the entrance. “I like him.” Astil commented, getting a grunt in response.

It was still early, so there were only a few people at the bar, talking about their days over a variety of light drinks. A woman with blonde, short hair and two men, one with a shaved head and the other wearing a simple, white hat looked at them, their faces lighting up when they recognised Zacharias.

The hat man got up, being significantly smaller than anyone else to the point where he reminded Astil of a dwarf. “And there he is!”

Greeting everyone and introducing Astil before anyone else could assume her to be his girlfriend, he talked with them for a bit, making sure to tell them about her troubles with german. To her surprise, they switched to english like changing a pair of socks, some more, others less proficient. The woman behind the bar had a eastern european accent and prepared her various tools for use.

They went on to talk about a few things, Astil trying her best to avoid the topics of where she came from, what she was doing here, why she was so pretty, the list went on. After a few minutes, she grabbed Zacharias’ wrist and pulled him over to a more silent corner. Metal played from the DJ booth in the distance. “Look, I...I think they’re nice, but this is...”

“A bit much?” He offered.

Astil reluctantly nodded. “At least for now. I don’t deal well with new people. I need...time. To adjust.”

He smiled, carefully freeing his wrist of her grip. She blushed, not realizing she had been holding on to him.

“I get it. I’ve been like that, too. Just take your time and listen for now, I’ll make sure they don’t ask too many questions. And...maybe a drink will help.”

Astil nodded, the thought of something to ease her nervousness quite appealing. They returned to the bar.

“One white russian, Kat. And mead for me.”

“Glass or bottle?”

He pursed his lips. “Bottle.”

----------------------------------------

The evening continued and little by little, people poured into the club. The short-haired woman introduced herself as Ashley, the short man’s name was Patrick. Bald guy preferred to be called Tom.

The drink Zacharias had ordered for Astil was suprisingly creamy and tasted a bit like coffee smelled. While she wasn’t eager to drink any more than that, it helped her ease up a little. Shortly after, they left for the dance floor and Zacharias took his bottle and followed, dragging the helpless princess with him. Some were already dancing to the beat of Celldweller, others relaxed and talked in the nearby lounge. Deciding that she really didn’t want to dance with her non-existent club experience, Astil stuck with Zacharias.

Sitting next to him, the bit of alcohol warming her insides, the image of her host on the dance floor crept into her mind. Some part of her really wanted to see that happen.

“Why don’t you dance?” She asked innocently, voice slightly raised because of the music.

“People dance for two reasons: Either they are drunk or they want to get laid. Or both. Most often both. I’m not in the mood to look like an idiot and my last girlfriend left a lasting impression, so no thanks. Also, I can't dance.”

“...your last girlfriend?” Astil was surprised how curious that made her. “What was she like?”

His face darkened and he poured himself another glass of mead, drinking half of it in one swig. “...I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“Why not?”

“I just don’t. Please, just...drop it.”

“...alright.”

Zacharias mood seemed to have darkened significantly, so she decided to change the topic. “This Patrick - is it normal for some humans to be that small?”

“Haven’t you read anything about that?”

Astil put a finger to her lips, thinking. “Maybe. Is he a dwarf like Gimli?”

“Call him a dwarf and he’ll punch you. And then I’ll punch him.”

“Why?”

“The only one who gets to pick on you is me.”

She rolled her eyes. “How nice of you.” She got up and wandered off to find the small man.

Zacharias continued to sip his mead until a ruckus from the other side of the room caght his attention.

Ashley rushed into the room, seeing Patrick hold his nose in pain and grunt away, stumbling and knocking over a few chairs in the process. 

“Oh my god, what happened?” She asked Zacharias, princess Astil standing beside him and curiously watching.

He tried to suppress a laugh while Astil explained. “Do you know the white stuff they put on sour candy that looks like sugar, but isn’t?”

“Yes...”

“I may have suggested he snort it like coke.”

Ashley threw her hands in the air. “Oh my- why would you do that?”

Astil raised her hands in defense. “I didn’t think the madman would actually do it!”

Zacharias doubled over, snorting out a hearty laugh that reeked of Schadenfreude.

Patrick groaned while Ashley sniffed at him and took his arm. “Okay, big guy, you had enough beer for today. Come on...” Watching while she and Tom carried him outside, Astil turned to Zacharias who still had a hard time calming down. “I feel terrible!”

“But...but why?” He managed in between giggles. “That was the best thing I’ve seen today! Oh my god, where did you even learn about coke?”

She sheepishly looked down, clasping her hands together. “...Breaking Bad?”

He doubled over again, laughing hard until suddenly, he straightened up and stared at the dance floor. “Oh. My. God.”

The princess followed his eyes and her mouth dropped open. A group of five men had stormed the dance floor and taken off their shirts, dancing topless to a party song. “What...are those?” She managed, looking at her host.

“BWL students. Business studies. Oh, this is going to be good.”

“Is this...normal?”

He smiled sardonically, patting the space next to him and watching the BWL students...go.