[For Anthony]An unlikely place to find a like-minded individual.

[poetic_apostle]

In past years, the last two days would have been an amusing distraction, fun, even. Julian would have enjoyed watching the secret and not-so-secret deliveries of love declarations, and would have even thought today's chaos of magically-induced infatuation was entertaining, if a bit disruptive in some cases, and rather sad in a few others

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[alittleofboth]

Anthony had not particularly enjoyed himself over the last few days, either.While not precisely Valentine's Day's biggest fan, he held no particular malice towards the holiday - or at least had not before the island. Let people do what they liked, so long as they stayed out of his way.

But here, they never stayed out of his way.

Irritable and frustrated after two days of the madness, he came into the kitchen seeking tea and sanity. When he saw Julian, he still couldn't be sure that he had found either. "Please tell me that you are your usual self today." The poet's 'usual self' might have been a bit disturbing of late, but not half so disturbing as a lovesick Guy or a swooning Russian. Frankly, the current company sounded downright enjoyable in comparison.

[poetic_apostle]

Julian exhaled heavily at the familiar voice and turned to confront Anthony with a faint twist to his lips that wasn't quite a smile, not quite a grimace. "I've thankfully not been affected by the island's latest ridiculous trick, if that's what you're asking," he assured him, moving to the cupboard to get down a teacup and saucer. "Tea?"

[alittleofboth]

"Please." Anthony sank wearily into a chair and twisted around to at Julian. "It's the sort of thing you would have appreciated once upon a time," he observed with a raised eyebrow. Baffled by the poet's sudden change in behavior, Anthony was still half convinced that Julian would shed this newfound cynicism eventually, though with each passing day, this seemed less and less likely.

[poetic_apostle]

"Yes, well." Julian got a teapot ready, then added the steaming water from the kettle, ferrying pot, cups, spoons, and sugar and milk to the table in several trips as he spoke, "I was a different person, once upon a time. Naïf and idealistic." He made the final trip, settling into a chair across from Anthony and looking directly at him, lips twisted into a wry smile. "I'm not now."

[patriotqueen]

So in love, so in love, so in love with you am I. The words didn’t leave Guy’s mind, since the moment he had laid eyes on Cole that morning. They were beautiful words, but filled him with sadness today. Once they might have been directed to him, sang softly from behind a piano, with a wicked grin or with a soft smile, but now they were for someone else.

He needed something stronger than what he could find in the kitchen, but as he passed it saw his two friends there. He entered and dramatically let himself fall on a chair, folding his arms on the table and resting his head there.

“He doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. No eyes, no eyes at all,” he whined. The world would know his mourning.

[poetic_apostle]

Julian looked over at Guy in surprise as he joined them, then at Anthony, his expression disbelieving and confused. "What is he on about?" he murmured, shaking his head.

[alittleofboth]

Anthony grimaced. He had already seen Guy floating about in his lovesick cloud, and had been quite happy to avoid him until the entire absurd business was through. But he was not so lucky, it seemed. He rolled his eyes faintly at Julian. "Don't ask. You don't want to know, believe me."

[patriotqueen]

These were his friends and so they would offer comfort. Or at least they bloody well should. Anthony was - as ever - skeptical, but always willing to hear his woes. Or at least, never being able to run away from his woes. It didn't really matter. They would hear him.

"Cole, of course," he said, lifting his head only to respond. "I'm in love and he doesn't even see it."

This wasn't entirely true. Cole did see him and did acknowledge his presence. Events might have been altered for dramatic effect; it shouldn't come to anyone's surprise.

[loveintriangles]

She worries. She smiles and she laughs, but when the doors are closed, the smile vanished from her lips and she worries. She doesn't want Julian to see it, though she knows that he knows. She can't bring herself to letting him see her. He doesn't hide, as she has always taught him to, but she can't give him that same honesty

[poetic_apostle]

"It's utter nonsense, and they're all making fools of themselves. God, I do hope I was never that bad," Julian replied, automatically getting second cup down for his mother before crossing to the table to lean in and kiss her cheek. "Thankfully we've both been spared the personal indignity."

[loveintriangles]

"To be afflicted would be the lesser of evils, I think," Nessa replied. "I don't think I would have minded seeing you in love," she ventured.

[poetic_apostle]

Julian snorted softly and went back to see to the tea, shaking his head. "You've seen more than enough of that, I think," he said in an almost chiding voice. "I've made a fool of myself plenty without the island's interference, after all."