[Bu he's not actually complaining, either. He runs his hands through his curls, and pulls him for another kiss. Hello. Don't fucking go anywhere, Nick doesn't want you to yet. He tangles his hands in Reggie's hair, and it's perfect, for a moment.]
You're going to regret it tomorrow.
[Probably more like fifteen minutes, but Nick, again, isn't really complaining.]
[ His tone is slightly defensive, as if saying that now might retroactively make it so, but mostly matter-of-fact; what's done is done, and Reggie would rather focus on enjoying the afterglow for now. There'll be time for regret later, but he assumes as long as they stay attached the longer he can postpone the inevitable.
Plus, he doesn't want to go anywhere. Not that he has many other places to go, but-- that isn't the point.
He wrinkles his nose a little, exhaling and moving his shoulders in a lazy shrug. ]
Well, what do you wanna know? She and I aren't exactly close-- like, I'm pretty sure she doesn't even like me. Which I don't really care about, but it just makes things kinda awkward now. She's more like a friend of my friends.
[He's trying to figure out these Riverdale kids and their weird relationships. He rocks his fingers through Reggie's hair, making it clear that he doesn't want him going anywhere. This is better when they're curled up like this, almost cuddling. Almost.
He is closing his eyes, as if he can wind the threads of who is who like that.]
I want to know the dynamics. I went to a private religious boarding school. Everything at the academy is political.
Me and Jughead aren't friends. I mean we're okay now, I guess, but we've never really liked each other. Betty still doesn't buy he's not secretly locked up here somewhere. [ He adjusts himself slightly, so he can see Nick's face without contorting too much. ] Archie and Veronica. Uh... Betty's best friend, Archie's girlfriend.
[ He exhales slowly, eyebrows furrowing. It should still be "ex"-girlfriend, maybe, but he doesn't bother correcting himself. Talking about Veronica is iffy territory. ]
But I think all high school is political. Is boarding school that strict?
[ Reggie was a little annoyed when he found out too, considering he'd been tasked with keeping an eye out-- he's just glad he didn't waste too much time looking. Not that he brought it up right now to make Nick annoyed, exactly, but he gets it. ]
Don't take it too personally. [ He kisses Nick's neck, then listens as he goes on. ] Centuries? Wait, how old are you?
[He doesn't say anything about the first part. Mortals don't understand magic - so Betty is skeptical. It's not exactly flattering, when it's not like she can do any spellcasting of her own. But still.
He turns to the second part.]
Why, would you leave if I told you I was an old man?
[ Reggie smirks back, a bit relieved nonetheless; fooling around with guys his own age was enough of a mental hurdle to let himself vault, not that some subconscious part of him clearly hadn't been waiting to do so. Nick doesn't really act like most of the teenage boys Reggie knows, but he kind of likes that-- not like being with an old man, but maybe a college student. ]
But you have to go to school for centuries? Dude, that's rough.
[ Oh. Yeah. Even without being sure he fully understands, Reggie definitely gets what Nick means by that-- at least the general point he's making, if not the finer details. ]
What do you in a coven?
[ He can't picture it, except to think black robes and animal sacrifice; the typical cult-adjacent stuff one might get from media. Then he goes a quiet a moment, but nods. ]
Yeah. Or they leave and then come back for some reason, but I think most of us are stuck there. I'm supposed to take over my dad's dealership eventually, so the only time away I'll probably get is college. And I guess this place.
We do everything with our covens. Magic, and companionship. We don't really go into the mortal world. We don't date mortals, or marry mortals. A strong coven means you're protected.
[These aren't secrets, and Reggie might be mortal but he's Nick's mortal, and that is-
[ It's not good or bad, that "oh," but definitely a bit uncertain. It really sort of drives home the specific context of their situation, about how living across the river from each other really doesn't actually mean a damn thing. They're strangers, and in another world probably will always be. ]
We'd probably never even meet back home, huh. But I guess that might be a good thing, anyway. It'd be completely different.
Trust me, it'd still be different. Riverdale can be weird enough even without magic-- let 'em know that's an option and I don't even know what would happen.
[ A cult? An angry mob? Magic-assisted murders? Mass incarceration in Hiram Lodge's new prison? Reggie can at least guess that it might be one or more of those; almost definitely not a reaction that would be conducive to them ever getting along.
He strokes fingers through Nick's hair a little lazily, kissing him on the neck. ]
[ "She." That could be nothing, or something, but Reggie reminds himself it's stupid to be jealous of a girl, and especially one who isn't even here. It's different than Betty, though; someone from home can change things, threaten things. If Veronica were here, had no stripe and decided she wanted Reggie, what would he do?
It's pointless to think about. He puts his palm against Nick's cheek to turn his head slightly, closer, kissing along his jaw. ]
Then how'd you guys meet? [ He nips Nick's ear. ] Would you ever wanna do that?
Marry a mortal, or be hight priest? Or go to mortal school?
[Maybe he wants all three, although being high priest isn't exactly something he's chasing. There are a lot of reasons, even though he's a better conjurer and a better binder than Father Blackwood, and he thinks that he's more interested in real theology, but that's not here, nor there.]
Go to mortal school. [ Reggie looks back at him, then away as he shrugs. ] Or marry one. I dunno.
[ He doesn't know why he cares, really, except maybe to give himself a bit more context as to how Nick sees him. Sees... this, whatever it is. Reggie doesn't particularly have any complaints about their dynamic at present, but this conversation is reminding him there's still so much he doesn't really know or understand about Nick. ]
I don't know. Maybe for a day, or two. Yeah, that might be interesting. See what mortals learn.
[He leans back a bit.]
The mortal girls in Greendale have pretty smiles.
[Nick is used to mortal girls smiling at him, blushing at him. He doesn't go into town often - almost at all - but when he does, he notices them. He can't help it.
Mortal boys, too, he thinks, and runs a hand over Reggie's hip.]
It's not social suicide. [Not for Nick, anyway.] Marrying one, even. Edward Spellman was doing pretty well. But I guess when you're the high priest, everyone puts up with it.
They do in Riverdale, too. If you think Betty's pretty, you should see Josie or Veronica.
[ Pretty smiles, pretty... everything. At least the girls Reggie always likes, to him. They smile more for themselves, their own ambitions, and for the people they really love than for Reggie, but that doesn't mean they aren't still beautiful to him when they do.
It's not social suicide. Reggie can compare it somewhat to the Northside and the Southside, maybe; far more of a class divide than a racial(?) one, but still a divide. It's not social suicide to mingle across lines, exactly, but most people still didn't, openly, until very recently. ]
Yeah, I guess. I'm not that religious, but it seems like a dumb thing to care about. Except who people date is always like, a big deal anyway.
[Mean, Nick, but he's being honest. The girls at the Academy - Prudence, with her sharp eyes and her long legs, for instance - blow Betty out of the water.]
There is something inside of her that's building. Something dark. That's what I'm attracted to.
[Physically, Nick thinks that Reggie is far better looking, conventionally and unconventionally. He's more interesting to look at.
But Betty's darkness is interesting. It's common in witches, but in mortals? He's never seen it.]
[ That gets a bit of a laugh from Reggie at first, overall more lazy than snide, but it's still a little implicitly mean-spirited. He doesn't hate Betty or anything -- thinks of her as somewhat uptight, self-righteous, and maybe a little disturbed, but doesn't hate her -- but that doesn't mean a vaguely biting comment like that won't still amuse him.
He also doesn't find that darkness attractive, what of it he's heard about or seen for himself. It unsettles him a bit, frankly, but he won't say that. ]
[He takes Reggie's hands and puts them on his chest, just for a moment. This is intimate in a way Nick isn't, usually, with his lovers. This is pillow talk. This is something mortals do.]
It's just that it's interesting in a mortal girl. Especially one like Betty.
[ It's intimate in a way Reggie is used to, yet not like this. Reggie's pillow talk is rarely about getting to know each other -- he either already does know his partner, or isn't especially pressed to get to know them any more than he already does -- and more just casually talking, often about mutually relevant situations.
And Reggie doesn't really talk deeply with his guy friends at all. At least, very rarely.
He imagines Nick would probably enjoy the darkness of Riverdale, though, even if the two of them might still never meet if he visited. Or more likely, they would meet and not get along. ]
Well, it's your funeral. She can be kinda scary when she goes all intense. [ To say the least; aReggie doesn't even know the half of it, either. ] I think I'm pretty normal, though. Definitely above average, but normal.
[He laughs again. He thinks of Betty, and then he thinks of the girls at the Academy, of Prudence, Agatha, and Dorcas, of the witches he knows. Betty might be dark, but he's not afraid of mortal girls.]
I'll keep that in mind.
[He looks at Reggie again.]
You don't bother me, Reggie. You're the best decision I've made in this place.
[That's true. It's not quite romantic, even though the words are tender.]
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[Bu he's not actually complaining, either. He runs his hands through his curls, and pulls him for another kiss. Hello. Don't fucking go anywhere, Nick doesn't want you to yet. He tangles his hands in Reggie's hair, and it's perfect, for a moment.]
You're going to regret it tomorrow.
[Probably more like fifteen minutes, but Nick, again, isn't really complaining.]
So tell me about Betty.
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[ His tone is slightly defensive, as if saying that now might retroactively make it so, but mostly matter-of-fact; what's done is done, and Reggie would rather focus on enjoying the afterglow for now. There'll be time for regret later, but he assumes as long as they stay attached the longer he can postpone the inevitable.
Plus, he doesn't want to go anywhere. Not that he has many other places to go, but-- that isn't the point.
He wrinkles his nose a little, exhaling and moving his shoulders in a lazy shrug. ]
Well, what do you wanna know? She and I aren't exactly close-- like, I'm pretty sure she doesn't even like me. Which I don't really care about, but it just makes things kinda awkward now. She's more like a friend of my friends.
[ And that still seems to be the pattern... ]
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Do you mean Jughead, or Archie?
[He's trying to figure out these Riverdale kids and their weird relationships. He rocks his fingers through Reggie's hair, making it clear that he doesn't want him going anywhere. This is better when they're curled up like this, almost cuddling. Almost.
He is closing his eyes, as if he can wind the threads of who is who like that.]
I want to know the dynamics. I went to a private religious boarding school. Everything at the academy is political.
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Me and Jughead aren't friends. I mean we're okay now, I guess, but we've never really liked each other. Betty still doesn't buy he's not secretly locked up here somewhere. [ He adjusts himself slightly, so he can see Nick's face without contorting too much. ] Archie and Veronica. Uh... Betty's best friend, Archie's girlfriend.
[ He exhales slowly, eyebrows furrowing. It should still be "ex"-girlfriend, maybe, but he doesn't bother correcting himself. Talking about Veronica is iffy territory. ]
But I think all high school is political. Is boarding school that strict?
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I cast a spell for that.
[He doesn't appreciate that she evidently didn't believe him, or in his magic. His lips press together slightly, but okay.]
Mortals.
[Said with the same tone of voice some women use when they say men.]
The academy isn't...strict, not exactly. But it's ruthless. We all know we'll be stuck together for centuries, so we have to get our footing early.
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[ Reggie was a little annoyed when he found out too, considering he'd been tasked with keeping an eye out-- he's just glad he didn't waste too much time looking. Not that he brought it up right now to make Nick annoyed, exactly, but he gets it. ]
Don't take it too personally. [ He kisses Nick's neck, then listens as he goes on. ] Centuries? Wait, how old are you?
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He turns to the second part.]
Why, would you leave if I told you I was an old man?
[His smile is charming, and pleased.]
I'm eighteen.
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[ Reggie smirks back, a bit relieved nonetheless; fooling around with guys his own age was enough of a mental hurdle to let himself vault, not that some subconscious part of him clearly hadn't been waiting to do so. Nick doesn't really act like most of the teenage boys Reggie knows, but he kind of likes that-- not like being with an old man, but maybe a college student. ]
But you have to go to school for centuries? Dude, that's rough.
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[Okay, even he can see how that might be confusing.]
We almost never really leave our covens. It's like-
Well. You live in Riverdale. I bet a lot of people never leave. You just stay with the same group your entire life.
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What do you in a coven?
[ He can't picture it, except to think black robes and animal sacrifice; the typical cult-adjacent stuff one might get from media. Then he goes a quiet a moment, but nods. ]
Yeah. Or they leave and then come back for some reason, but I think most of us are stuck there. I'm supposed to take over my dad's dealership eventually, so the only time away I'll probably get is college. And I guess this place.
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We-
We do everything with our covens. Magic, and companionship. We don't really go into the mortal world. We don't date mortals, or marry mortals. A strong coven means you're protected.
[These aren't secrets, and Reggie might be mortal but he's Nick's mortal, and that is-
Something.]
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[ It's not good or bad, that "oh," but definitely a bit uncertain. It really sort of drives home the specific context of their situation, about how living across the river from each other really doesn't actually mean a damn thing. They're strangers, and in another world probably will always be. ]
We'd probably never even meet back home, huh. But I guess that might be a good thing, anyway. It'd be completely different.
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[He shrugs a little.]
I've been getting out more. One of my friends is half-mortal. Before you ask - it was kind of a special case.
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[ A cult? An angry mob? Magic-assisted murders? Mass incarceration in Hiram Lodge's new prison? Reggie can at least guess that it might be one or more of those; almost definitely not a reaction that would be conducive to them ever getting along.
He strokes fingers through Nick's hair a little lazily, kissing him on the neck. ]
Special case how?
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[He eases when Reggie kisses him, soothed by Reggie's touch.]
She was raised going to mortal school.
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It's pointless to think about. He puts his palm against Nick's cheek to turn his head slightly, closer, kissing along his jaw. ]
Then how'd you guys meet? [ He nips Nick's ear. ] Would you ever wanna do that?
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[He tips his head a little to look at Reggie.]
Do what?
Marry a mortal, or be hight priest? Or go to mortal school?
[Maybe he wants all three, although being high priest isn't exactly something he's chasing. There are a lot of reasons, even though he's a better conjurer and a better binder than Father Blackwood, and he thinks that he's more interested in real theology, but that's not here, nor there.]
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[ He doesn't know why he cares, really, except maybe to give himself a bit more context as to how Nick sees him. Sees... this, whatever it is. Reggie doesn't particularly have any complaints about their dynamic at present, but this conversation is reminding him there's still so much he doesn't really know or understand about Nick. ]
Is that like witch social suicide?
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[He leans back a bit.]
The mortal girls in Greendale have pretty smiles.
[Nick is used to mortal girls smiling at him, blushing at him. He doesn't go into town often - almost at all - but when he does, he notices them. He can't help it.
Mortal boys, too, he thinks, and runs a hand over Reggie's hip.]
It's not social suicide. [Not for Nick, anyway.] Marrying one, even. Edward Spellman was doing pretty well. But I guess when you're the high priest, everyone puts up with it.
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[ Pretty smiles, pretty... everything. At least the girls Reggie always likes, to him. They smile more for themselves, their own ambitions, and for the people they really love than for Reggie, but that doesn't mean they aren't still beautiful to him when they do.
It's not social suicide. Reggie can compare it somewhat to the Northside and the Southside, maybe; far more of a class divide than a racial(?) one, but still a divide. It's not social suicide to mingle across lines, exactly, but most people still didn't, openly, until very recently. ]
Yeah, I guess. I'm not that religious, but it seems like a dumb thing to care about. Except who people date is always like, a big deal anyway.
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She's pretty enough.
[Mean, Nick, but he's being honest. The girls at the Academy - Prudence, with her sharp eyes and her long legs, for instance - blow Betty out of the water.]
There is something inside of her that's building. Something dark. That's what I'm attracted to.
[Physically, Nick thinks that Reggie is far better looking, conventionally and unconventionally. He's more interesting to look at.
But Betty's darkness is interesting. It's common in witches, but in mortals? He's never seen it.]
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He also doesn't find that darkness attractive, what of it he's heard about or seen for himself. It unsettles him a bit, frankly, but he won't say that. ]
Why? Are you some kind of masochist or something?
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[He takes Reggie's hands and puts them on his chest, just for a moment. This is intimate in a way Nick isn't, usually, with his lovers. This is pillow talk. This is something mortals do.]
It's just that it's interesting in a mortal girl. Especially one like Betty.
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And Reggie doesn't really talk deeply with his guy friends at all. At least, very rarely.
He imagines Nick would probably enjoy the darkness of Riverdale, though, even if the two of them might still never meet if he visited. Or more likely, they would meet and not get along. ]
Well, it's your funeral. She can be kinda scary when she goes all intense. [ To say the least; aReggie doesn't even know the half of it, either. ] I think I'm pretty normal, though. Definitely above average, but normal.
[ By his own standards of the term, at least. ]
That doesn't bother you, does it?
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I'll keep that in mind.
[He looks at Reggie again.]
You don't bother me, Reggie. You're the best decision I've made in this place.
[That's true. It's not quite romantic, even though the words are tender.]