Page 1 of Fritillaria

Chapter 1

Ivy

Flirty giggling reaches me through the door again.

These fucking fated mates. I thought the studio spaces were supposed to be sound proofed?

This is why I’ve been stuck here until late in the night recently, it’s the only time that I can get any peace. I don’t even know why I bother coming in early anymore, I might as well become nocturnal.

When Fortune Records first opened this groundbreaking studio that would facilitate both their Human and Monster artists, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to learn. And it was, at first. I even got to work with an Electro Witch on an album. She used her powers to literally create magic, it was a sound that I never would have gotten working with a Human producer.

But even then, Addison came with her sound technician. Hyacinth is fun, and I do find her adorable. The problem was that Addison and Hyacinth had recently become mates. They were so annoying to work with, always sharing secretive, flirty smiles. I’m pretty sure I almost walked in on them getting down to something dirty in the studio one day. But one thing is for sure in this new shared world, mates are sacred above all else.

I still don’t really understand fully what it means, being mated, but from what I can see it’s just a whole bunch of horny Humans and Monsters getting it on at work.

Listen, I don’t want to begrudge anyone their happiness. I just don’t think that the studio is the right place for it. Especially when their insufferable giggles are all up in my business. Also, I can’t imagine how they all have fun livingandworking together. I feel like I’d get so sick of someone if I spent that much time with them.

Unfortunately, I very much need to be in the studio right now. I’m trying to conceptualize a new album to pitch to the label, and the equipment here is so good that I never bothered building a studio in my apartment. A huge mistake, I’ve grown to realize.

While I’m here to write this album, the inspiration isn’t flowing. I’ve written two great records, and I’m worried that the third will escape me or just not live up to the others.

This isn’t like me. I have worked so hard to get where I am, and I’m not going to let anything get in the way of my continued growth in the music industry.

Singing and music were the only things I was ever good at. When everyone else in my run-down suburb started to get into manual labor at best, or drug dealing at worst, I knew that I needed to get out.

Finishing high school was a pipe dream, so instead I started to sneak into college classes at the city university. I sang at a shitty bar on the weekends and used my tips to pay for the tiniest room in a house share. The college classes taught me what I needed to know to start writing my own music. I know for sure that some of the professors noticed that I wasn’t really a student, but none of them ever said a word.

After that is when I started trying to get gigs in much cooler bars and venues. I made sure that my life was consumed by my goals and it paid off. A scout from the label spotted me and I got picked up. I thought I had it made then, but it turned out that it was a whole lot more work, just in a different way.

That’s why it’s so frustrating now to be at the bottom of my creative well and struggling to climb out. Tugging on my hair, I drop the pencil for my tablet on the desk and push out from my seat. More coffee might be the answer.

I gather up the three mugs that I have collected today and bring them with me as I head to the break room. Maybe I’ll have a heart attack from all this coffee before I finish the album anyway.

“Hey, Ivy!” A chirp voice calls out. Ah, so it was Hyacinth that I heard giggling in the hallway.

Lifting my hand in a wave, I dump my mugs in the dishwasher and reach up to grab a fresh one from the cupboard.

“Ivy!” Now that’s a voice I don’t mind hearing.

Matilda, the beautiful Satyr who works on the label’s social media accounts pulls me into a side hug. Which means that she needs something from me.

She takes total advantage of me at times, but I just can’t seem to resist those bright golden eyes.

There are a plethora of different kinds of Monsters working for the label, but Matilda looks the coolest by far. I can’t decide if I just admire her ram-like horns, or if I want a pair myself. Her hair falls down her back in auburn waves, and sometimes I miss her fluffy ears poking out. I haven’t had the courage yet to ask if she hears things differently with those.

Even with her hooves, she’s a petite female for a Monster and I’m taller than her. But that doesn’t stop her cheeriness from brightening up a room. I mean, I’ve got to admit she’s good if even my grumpy self is susceptible.

“Hey, Tilly.” I breathe in her fresh and comforting smell as she hugs me. “I can tell you’re looking for something.”

“Well, yeah…” she pulls back, brushing her hair over her shoulder and looking up at me with those bright eyes. “Can you help me with a campaign? I just need to shoot some clips of you working in the studio.”

Well, it’s not like I’m getting any real work done anyway. This will be good for publicity too. People will see me working and hype up a possible new album, which will make selling it to the label a whole lot easier.

“Just let me grab a fresh cup of coffee.”

Chapter 2

Matilda

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