The wide smile plastered across her face should have made Tiffany uncomfortable. As much as she was at ease with the werewolf Tiffany knew that kind of smile always meant something else. Though she only knew Yuri a couple of weeks she had grown to like the friendly woman, not to the point of trusting her completely but just enough to be comfortable with her hovering beside her. So, she knew Yuri wasn’t one to take any of the available seats of the café, always opting to stand by the coffee machine and chat with the cute night barista. But that evening she found Yuri happily waving her to a table down the front.

The café was unusually packed and noisy. She looked between the two conversing quietly at the table closest to the door. As if they could feel her inquisitive eyes they fell silent, collectively turning their heads to meet her stare dead on. Tiffany managed a small smile, pretending that she wasn’t trying to pry in on their conversation as she hastily moved away from their table.

“Hey there, pretty girl.” Yuri grinned, rushing to pull the empty chair across her. Tiffany nodded her head in greeting as she slipped into the seat.

“Looks like a busy night.” Tiffany commented, turning to look around the full café. Somehow the air smelled just a bit like over ripped fruits and the atmosphere nearly suffocating the closer she was to the front. With the dark crackling energy making the hairs on the back of her neck stand Tiffany could already guess what they were even when they wore their glamour. It helped that they all had an almost identical swallow face, with just a few additional minor features to tell them apart.

Goblins, a horde of them.

A shiver ran down her spine as tightened and she had to ball up her fists to stop the almost overwhelming urge to hide in the bathroom. She forced a deep inhale, ordering her body to relax. It does, somewhat.

“Normally, I’d say don’t mind them, but to be honest, I always get the creeps when they gather. Usually means something’s going on underground, you know? Another sacrifice? Or they managed to fool some unfortunate sap.” Yuri shrugged, leaning back into her chair. “They’re just..” she waves a hand in front of her face, discontinuing the rest as she hears a rumbling chortle behind her.

“Hm..” Tiffany continued her silent scrutiny, careful not to look too long in one spot. The goblins had a knack of knowing when someone was staring. Their soulless stares were always unnerving. “Yeah, that could be… Why are we sitting here?”

Yuri grinned. “Oh, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere close to the counter right now.”

“Why not?”

Yuri leaned in conspiratorially, motioning for Tiffany to do the same. When Tiffany was close enough Yuri chuckled. “The ice princess is working the counter. And she absolutely despises goblins.”

“What?” Sure enough, when Tiffany set her sight to the front counter a peeved Jessica stood at the other end, her face nearly red from holding in her displeasure. “What is she doing there?”

“She knows the owner.” Yuri started, making sure her voice would only carry over to Tiffany. “And well… the owner couldn’t be here and she couldn’t leave her favourite barista to work the night by herself with all of this” she motioned with her hand the congregation of goblins with a little grim look “happening. So, she called her iciness. As displeased as she is, they’ve already made a contract so she can’t let her anger get the better of her.”

Tiffany raised an inquisitive brow. “And how did the owner manage to get Je- her to agree?”

Yuri gives her signature smirk, the one that always accompanied trouble. She drummed the table with her fingers, turning to check on Jessica. “Let’s just say the owner snuck a friendly puppy some treats she couldn’t resist in exchanged for information, like, say an ingredient our evil witch needs that only a fairy could provide.”

Tiffany pushes a short chuckle, keeping in mind to turn away from Yuri. “She could have asked me for that.”

“Oh, she could.” Yuri leaned back to her seat, lifting one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “But I know for a fact that the ice princess is too proud to simply ask.”

Tiffany gave her an impressed look. “You sound so sure.”

“Well, I’ve known her longer than anyone else I know off in this city. You could say we have a- ah special connection that no one else can have with us.” She throws a smirk over to the fuming witch. A second later the witch’s head snaps over to them, the frustration in her countenance turning into exasperation. As the customer turns to leave, Jessica sends them the middle finger before her expression drops as she faces the next customer.

Yuri grins broadly at their silent exchange, drowning her chuckles with her cup of coffee, leaving Tiffany to curiously look between them.

Yuri gave her a wink and lifted her index finger to her lips. “Don’t tell her. It’s our little secret. Okay?”

Tiffany looked to the fuming witch, then to the focused barista scuttling to and fro, not even once giving her a glance. She sighs as her sights move across the café, shoulders culling towards the front as her head fell to her chin, slightly in distress. “M’kay.”

“Through here, your highness.” Tiffany smiled uncomfortably, her eyes roaming the claustrophobic palace.

She winced at the snarling-yelps coming from the cage-like room that held a number of short, grotesque formed beings fighting over a piece of overly ripped fruit. When one of the beings stopped and turned to look her in the eyes Tiffany swallowed a gasp as she snapped her sights elsewhere.

She shivered at the pair of all-black, soulless eyes looking back at her and sight of sharp teeth grinning up at her, some sort of yellowish substance dripping down its ugly face. “Your highness, is something the matter?” The goblin asked, its teeth gleaming in the mute yellowish lights coming from the floating orbs above them. A bit of drool was slowly dribbling down the side of its lips and Tiffany tried to ignore it as best she could.

“I’m fine.” She congratulated herself for not stuttering. Squaring her shoulders a bit straighter and lifting chest a bit higher she nodded towards the end of the hallway to which she hoped was not another length of corridor behind the doors.

“Beg your Highness pardon, but me thinks, your highness is not suitable for the Goblin King. Your Highness is too thin, unlike the plump woman before.”

Tiffany swallowed the icy lump forming in . God, did she despise goblins. “I am not here to be wed to your king.” Thank God for that. But still, “What happened to the previous woman?”

“Mayhaps your Highness is best to not know. But the Madam did lose the pounds.” The goblin grins up at her, black soulless eyes throwing Tiffany’s perception off. She never was able to read goblins. Could never figure out if they were telling the truth or playing with her.

Its twig like hands extended to touch the doors and a loud clunk reverberates through the hall before the door swings violently open to reveal what Tiffany had dreaded.

“How many more corridors are there?” Tiffany grumbles irately as she steps into the hall. She squints her eyes, just then realising the hall was a little darker than the one they were just in. The hairs on the back of her neck rose in panic. Her hands began to sweat, but the heavy barrier around them cancelled any form of magik rendering Tiffany completely defenceless and out of options. There was a reason no one willingly volunteered to meet with goblins. Foul, vile creatures were never to be trusted.

“Not far now.”

“You said that two doors ago.”

Its dark eyes meet Tiffany’s and she could have sworn the grin it was wearing was just a tad bit more sinister. “Mayhaps I did. The tunnels, they play tricks. Keeps the enemies at bay.”

“I come here not as an enemy.” Tiffany spat.

“No, your Highness did not. Mayhaps when your highness leaves.”

“What is that supposed to mean.” Tiffany shrills, feeling her blood turn cold.

It shrugs its shoulder. “Your highness is too loud. Hurts poor Retcher’s ears.”

“It’s your fault, saying things like that.” She grumbles through a lowered tone. Her sights move up and she gasps as she puts her legs to a halt. The door was now directly in front of her, barely a foot away. The goblin makes a noise, what could have been a distorted chuckle, snapping Tiffany back to reality. She takes a step back, feeling her cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

“We are here.” The goblin moves and trails its long, knobby, disfigured finger along a pattern, leaving a trail of red as his finger went. Tiffany didn’t want to think about the possibilities of what the red trail could be composed off. Retcher lets its hand fall as it took a step back.

The door creaked open slowly as if it hadn’t been opened for so long, and knowing goblins and their affinity to magik, that was very much a possibility. Inside was pitched black. Not a source of light anywhere her eyes could see. Her gut was flopping wildly in her stomach as her thoughts screamed at her to turn back and run.

“Through the door the King waits. Must not keep the King waiting.” Retcher says, ushering Tiffany into the door hastily, going far as to shove her by her waist.

“W-wait! I-I- I can’t see anything!” she cried as she catches herself before toppling ungracefully on her face.

She hears the same distorted crackle and turns just in time to see Retcher’s teeth glinting as it began to pull the door close.

“Wait!” She screams, too late. The door closes with a click, the lock coming into place, bathing her in the darkness. Her eyes strain as her bones shake and when she takes a breath, though she doesn’t see a thing and it’s not even that cold, she swears a puff of condensed mist floats from her parted lips.

A second later the whole room is bathed in a white flash, causing Tiffany to flinch back and squeeze her eyes shut.

“My lady.” A voice rings in her ears. Unlike the scratchy or high pitched ones she’s heard since she’s stepped foot underground, this particular voice sounds normal. Almost tantalisingly smouldering even.

When she opens her eyes she’s taken aback by the figure sitting languidly at the throne. A tall, slim man with pale skin, deep-black, shoulder length hair, long nose, sharp cheekbones and a swallow face was looking coyly back at her. Unlike the rest of the lowly goblin’s this man did possess white sclera, if somewhat bloodshot, and a pair of golden-amber iris that seemed to glow under whatever mystical light surrounded them.

Tiffany did a small curtsy, for courtesy’s sake, though she kept her stinging eyes halfway shut. The white light was unbearably bright and it felt as if she was staring point blank at fluorescent lights. “You’re the Goblin King, I presume.”

“That, I am. To what do I owe the pleasure of having one of the royals in my chambers? The last I met someone from your bloodline had been… ah… far too long. I can’t even seem to remember it anymore.” He muses, one side of his lips quirking up into a smirk. When Tiffany looks into his eyes she quickly averts them as despite how enchantingly beautiful his eyes are they were the emptiest looking one’s she’s ever seen, even more so than the rest of his black-eyed underlings. It unnerved her in the deepest parts, and she couldn’t help the thoughts of wanting to finish their business quickly and get out of there.

‘And I realise exactly why we draw lots.’ Tiffany drily thought. She tries to survey the space around them, hoping to find the exit. Her heart plunges when she finds the empty, white space seemingly stretching as far as she could see. She officially hated goblin magik.

“You look beautiful, Princess Tiffany, more enchanting than even your mother I’d say.”

“Er… thank you?”

“Ah, you do not deny that you’re beauty surpasses your mother.”

“No, I-“ Tiffany sighs. She also hated the way that preternaturals liked to play with words, never quite laying everything straight to the point. Always a loophole somewhere to be taken advantage off, twisting words beyond belief. Why couldn’t they just get to the point and get it over with?

“I don’t mean to be rude and rush things, but I’d like to get our business settled as quickly as I can. I must report back to the King and Queen before sundown and I feel as if I’ve already used up half the day finding my way here.” No thanks to the confusing labyrinth you called home, she wanted to add but bit her tongue at the last second.

The Goblin King’s magik was not something anyone would want to be subjected to. She has heard of tales told by the elderlies around the villages she visited and though they may be exaggerated her family’s unwillingness to face the Goblin King greatly concerns her. She keeps her eyes trained on the white floor, refusing to meet the Goblin King’s eyes in case her distress shows in her own.

“And what business do the fairies want to have with us?”

“It is regarding the treaty… and your subjects’ blatant disregard for it.” Goblins were nothing but trouble. Tiffany had wondered about the treaty herself. It wasn’t like goblins had any sense of orderliness. It was all fun and games with them, the darker kind. Impossible to control. But they do respect the goblin king’s decision. They just do as they please when he isn’t watching.

“Is that so? Sound very troublesome. My apologies for that, they're just too much of a handful most of the days.” Tiffany held in the scoff. She doubts the king really cares what the goblins do. She could clearly imagine the man lazing around his maze of a palace, without a care for anything else. He is the king after all, he makes the rules and he bows to no one. In front of other royals and high rank it’s all just pretence, a mask to please and worm his way into an agreement he doesn’t really care for.

“Ah, but you don’t really believe me, do you?”

“Um..” He was definitely perceptive, but Tiffany already knew that. What was a naïve king but food for the strong? No doubt the man knew to play his cards, thinking ahead for the possible consequences among other things.

“Please, I would like to apologise on behalf of my subjects.”

“That isn’t necessary. I’m only here to make sure our treaty still stands. But we will not be as lenient the next time. We will serve punishment when it is due.”

“I understand, and I will not fault your kind for any action you deem… ah.. fit for any… rule breakers.” He stands, his movement sounding so loud in the closed off room. Tiffany instinctively takes a step back, cursing her thoughts a second later for showing her fear. She gritted her teeth, mustering up the mental strength to raise her head to meet the goblin king’s eyes.

Golden-amber twinkled with mirth as the goblin king swiftly rounded her, looking her from top to toe, making Tiffany shiver at the way she was being stalked like a prey. “My, my… you really are pretty. But that cold face you’re putting on.. might frighten potential suitors away.”

That was the point, she wanted to sneer. She pressed her lips together, she had spoken her part and anything else aside from asking for the direction to the exit she didn’t need to convey.

“If you’ll-”

“I have just the thing for that.” She was interrupted. She looked warily at the insane smirk on the king’s face, the small hairs on her back standing straight.

It’s about an hour and a half later when the witch unceremoniously drops to one of the empty chairs, head automatically falling to the table as she muffles a groan of displeasure. Taeyeon gingerly trails after her, tiredly dragging her feet, and she gently places a new pot of earl grey tea in front of an unresponsive Tiffany. The barista musters up a tired grin for the happily waving werewolf, exhaustedly melting onto the remaining chair. She gives a sigh of relief at finally being able to rest her lead legs.

“I thought they’d never leave.” Jessica groans, lifting her head up to pull the ponytail that held her hair back and combs her fingers through the knots. “One of my two-day breaks wasted working here.”

“Aw, you did great Sica.” Yuri said, dragging her chair closer to the witch so she could freely run her hand down her back. “I mean, I didn’t even think you could last this long.” Yuri flinched back when Jessica’s hand rose to clobber her at her head, but then, as if Jessica couldn’t even muster enough effort to follow through, let her hand fall to her side and let out a deep groan of her frustration. Yuri snickered, shuffling even closer to sling an arm around her deflated shoulder, pulling the witch onto her shoulder for a better resting position. Jessica sighs and falls into the rather intimate position, too tired to give much of a care for appearances.

“You really did do well. Thanks for coming in to help. I couldn’t have done so well without you.” Taeyeon praises, still with the small tired smile stuck on her face. Her eyes shift over to Tiffany, finally noticing the way her shoulders seem to eat the rest of her body with her eyes staring vacantly into space.

“Hey,” she starts, her smile falling and brows furrowing, reaching halfway across the table. Tiffany, distractedly, looks up from staring at her tea, eyes still glassed over. “you don’t look so good.”

“Me?” Tiffany questions, blinking back the haze. She straightens up on her seat, subtly checking their environment, finally noticing the silence. Her shoulders fall back into a relaxed state, a carefully crafted smile ready to pull up her expression. “I’m fine. Just… I was remembering something.. not so nice.”

“It’s fine.” She says quickly, noting the worried looks going around the table. “I just remembered a stupid mistake.”

Jessica's eyes flutter to a close, satisfied at the reason, and possibly too tired to really care about anything else. Yuri and Taeyeon look on, both sporting concerned expression. At least, Tiffany likes to think the slight furrow on Taeyeon's otherwise blank expression was of concern.

“I am-”

“You know you can tell us stuff.” Yuri offers, her expression lightening to an easy smile.

Taeyeon reaches over the short distance between their hands, her smaller hands gently ghosting over Tiffany’s own. The furrow of her brows had relaxed in time with her lips quirking into something more like a crooked grin. “Yeah. We’re friends, right?”

Tiffany blinks, just then noticing the small dip on the tiny beings chin. She thinks of how cute it would look on smaller children, and how much of a danger it is for her sanity to see such a cute flaw on the insanely cute barista. She doesn’t notice her lips quirking up to huge gummy smile or the werewolf’s sudden tensing and avoidance looking her way. All she sees is the rising of Taeyeon’s brows and the subtle softening of her expression.

“Friends.” She copies, liking the way the small human looked at her then.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad curse after all.