Aidan William Stark ♚ Menelaus (avaliantman) wrote in mythologs, @ 2012-07-30 03:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | !zurvan, menelaus, raven |
[completed/closed]
Characters: Raven (goquothyourself) & Menelaus (avaliantman)
Date/Time: Sometime after July 20th (to be defined later)
Location: Camelot, Menelaus' stables
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none.
Summary: Raven approaches his beloved's father. Said father is so much fail.
Nervous was not a good look on Raven, especially not first thing in the morning, but as he attempted to smooth down his unruly curls for the thousandth time he knew that he was doing the right thing. If only the right thing wasn't so scary...
Approaching the stables, he knocked once to make sure Menelaus was aware of his presence before he started to speak. Clearing his throat, reminding himself that he was doing this for Hebe, he pushed up the sleeves of his formal shirt and just went for it. "Sir, I apologize if I'm bothering you, but I wanted to speak with you. About Hebe. And myself." He paused. "If you've got a moment."
Betsy was one of his more energetic horses and, not wanting someone to get kicked or tossed, he'd taken her out to work with her himself. There was a buyer keen on taking her but only if she could be calmed into being usable. By the time Raven would show, he had returned with a horse that was learning things over again and had, thankfully, become more tired. He himself was feeling a tad dirty but that came with the job and rarely bothered him.
Turning at the sound of the knock, he became a bit curious. The boy was sure formal, Menelaus decided, tipping back his hat to study him a bit. With incredibly red hair to boot. And he wanted to talk about Hebe...
Hebe. Boy. Hebe and boy. Something paternal leapt up and he crooked a finger at the redhead to lure-- ah, invite him further into the stables. "I've got the time now. Let's hear what you've got to say about my little girl."
Unaware that Menelaus had spent his morning attempting to teach one of his horses, Raven was taking it on faith that his intendeds' father would be in a good mood and willing to listen. He was aware, dimly, that perhaps this wasn't the best time to be bringing up the subject of wanting to marry what with talk of war coming out of a few of the other kingdoms, but in his mind this was something that needed to be approached sooner rather than later. Considering how earnest Hebe seemed, Raven wanted to get everything out in the open as soon as he could.
Taking a few steps closer to where Menelaus stood, Raven forced himself to appear relaxed. This would be a simple conversation, nothing more and nothing less. While the subject matter itself was a little worrisome, Raven knew he'd be speaking from the heart.
"Alright, well, I'm sure you know that Hebe and I've known each other for a while, and we care a lot about each other," Wait, did he know that? Well, if he didn't before then he did now. "The thing is, sir, I love your daughter. I've loved her ever since we were little. And, I'd like to be with her, forever." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "So, I'm here to ask your permission to marry your daughter. Someday. If you don't mind."
That was...unexpected. Menelaus' brain had been running along the idea of the boy asking his permission to court his daughter. Or maybe even confessing a fierce liking of her. And who wouldn't want to, seeing as she was prettier than the moon, stars and sun combined?
But love. And marriage. That certainly knocked him back. Now, with the kid closer, he thought he recognized him as being one of Hebe's friends. At least he was sure this was the same friend of hers (maybe he should have paid more attention). But what he was asking...
"What in God's name has been going on under my own nose?" Menelaus blurted out and there was a chance, an itty-bitty chance, he might have pulled himself up to his full height of six-foot-four to tower over the fellow asking for his daughter's hand. He didn't mean to come off intimidating but the surprise was still gnawing away at him. "Whatever happened to asking a man to first court his daughter? God, she's not pregnant, is she? You didn't..." No, he didn't want to go there, didn't want to think that. A hand went through his sweat-soaked hair.
"And, hell, what's your name?"
In response to Menelaus' sudden word explosion, Raven seemed to deflate, as though all the wind had been knocked from his system. He opened his mouth, intending to answer, blinked, then shut his mouth again as a look of pure consternation crossed his face.
His forehead furrowed, one hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck as he stared up at the taller man before him. Taking a step back -- the only sign that he was at all intimidated -- Raven sighed softly and decided to try starting over instead of addressing Menelaus' concerns.
"I love Hebe, and she loves me. We've declared our love for each other. I haven't... nothing has happened between us, but we want to be together. To live together. And I'm Raven. I..." at this, he paused again, dropping his head to study his feet as he continued quietly. "thought you knew. About me. About my feelings for your daughter. She's my life, and I've been working so hard to prove myself to you..."
The sheer disbelief on Raven's face was possibly priceless. "Do you seriously not know who I am?"
Menelaus was definitely not Father of the Year. In no way or shape. He tried, he really did, but he could be a fairly self-absorbed man. "I sure as hell don't. At least not your name. I know you're one of her friends but..." Again, that hand went through his hair. "I haven't really paid that much attention, apparently." For years. Really, he was not going to win points here for that.
Then another thought occurred to him. Did Demeter know about this? That woman knew everything. He'd have to ask after this little meeting was over. "When did all this damn well start? And how old are you? What do you do? Have you even got your own place? Or is this all feelings and hope you two are running on?"
Not that he had yet even decided if he liked any of this. Hebe was still, in his mind, his baby girl.
Raven, now feeling for certain he was fighting a losing battle, tried desperately to rally in the face of Menelaus' latest round of questions, his reasoning being that if he was able to get through this meeting with Hebe's father with his dignity in tact then he could face most anything. A tart observation was stifled, and instead a slight nod was given as he stepped forward again, holding out one hand for Menelaus to shake.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself, then. I'm Raven, brother to Hyacinth and Percival. I'm nineteen, and I'm the assistant to the local blacksmith. I rent a room at his house." Smiling proudly, he took a deep breath. "I've loved Hebe since I first saw her; I thought she was an angel then, and I still do now. I love her enough to come to you -- a man who scares the piss out of me -- because she's that important to me. That has to mean something."
And if it didn't mean anything to the man standing before him, well Raven would eat his hat.
Some sauce might help as the face Menelaus was not holding back said he was feeling skeptical of all this. He didn't dislike the kid or even mistrust him. It was hard to with that earnestness and boldness to come and spill all this out without feeling. It was more of a matter of being completely taken back with the wealth of new information about his daughter and how he was pretty damn blind. Not the kid's fault but his own.
So even as he took that hand into his, shaking it, Menelaus kept a hold on it afterward.
"Look, I'm sure you mean well and that you have a promising career ahead of you as a blacksmith one day. But I was about your age when my first wife gave me Hebe and went ahead and died on me. I was married, a father and a widower pretty damn quick all before I was twenty."
Meeting Raven's eyes, he gruffly added. "I'm not saying no but I need time. And I need to see you two together. And talk to her. And my wife. And make sense of this before I come and settle on anything. You both are so damn young right now. I'm not hearing wedding bells for my baby girl, not for a couple of years until I feel like you can take care of her." And when he was ready to let her go.
In the back of his mind Raven was wondering where he might be able to find some barbecue sauce, since his hat was starting to look mighty tasty right around now. Careful not to divert his gaze from Menelaus' eyes, Raven caught a glimpse that there was more going on in the other mans' head than the disbelief and judgment that he'd encountered at the beginning of the conversation. He was finally starting to get somewhere, possibly even getting through to Hebe's father on some level.
That didn't change the fact that the longer Menelaus held on, the more Raven worried his hand might get crushed.
What could he really say to the wealth of information that Menelaus had just revealed without it sounding trite or overly optimistic? Nothing, that was what. That didn't mean he was going to stay silent. "I get that you need time, but what if time isn't something we have, sir?" Raven was unaware of how much Menelaus might know of the war situation developing outside their doors.
"My oldest brother, Percival, is in Niflheim going off to war. He couldn't tell Hyacinth or I who he was fighting, or why, but just knowing that he's out there risking his life has made both Hebe and I realize how short life is. Age is nothing but a number, and people younger than us marry every day." He stopped short of pointing out that Menelaus had just said that he had. "Don't take too long, is all I ask."
Raven was eyeballed for that last statement. "If I need to take a while, it's because that's my little girl and I only have one of her. I won't take years if that helps but she's not someone I can comfortably give away within a few days."
Considering the point about life, he could grudgingly see the boy's point he knew how to counter it as well. It took him a moment longer of clutching that hand before he released it. "I am sorry about your brother being put in great danger. Trust me, we'll be thinking and hoping the best for him. And, sure, life can be very short but it can be very long as well. And rushing headfirst into a marriage isn't the way to go in tackling things, even if everyone else your age or younger are doing it. Don't be so keen on hurrying to all the big events in life. If you tackle them all within the next few years, what'll be left for you?"
Plus, Menelaus was not all that sure he wanted to a grandfather too fast. "If you prove yourself to be good enough for my Hebe, that you would sacrifice anything for her and protect her with all you have, then I'm sure we'll be calling you 'son' a lot sooner than you think. You just need to get a little more stable in life. I know that girl, she doesn't want for much at all in life. Should have seen her asking for a kitten but Demeter's raised her really well. But I still want to be sure when she goes home with you as your wife that she is comfortable. It's a father's wish, you understand?"
Menelaus might have been expecting some impassioned plea to come from Raven's lips, but all he got was an almost sad look emanating from the younger mans' eyes. "Were I in your position I'm sure I would feel the same," he conceded, the conversation he so recently had with Hebe still ringing in his ears.
It was that discussion, and the things the love of his life had said, which influenced the words which Raven spoke next. "I would never consider marrying your daughter without giving it a lot of thought, sir, and if you knew anything about her you'd know she's not the type to give anyone her love on a whim. She's a smart girl, you raised her well, but just because you still see her as little that don't mean she sees herself the same way. I don't mean to sound smart, but if you're not careful she might end up making certain decisions for yourself before you're ready for her to." He sighed softly, realizing that he was treading into dangerous territory.
Awkwardly, Raven began to back away from Menelaus, clearly intent on leaving. "Thank you sir, for having this conversation with me and hearing me out. I hope you take the time to talk to Hebe and let her know that I came to see you, I told her that I would but I'm not sure if she believed me. And please know that with everything I've said I've meant no disrespect. I care about your girl far too much to want to disrespect you." He swallowed heavily. "And I apologize for taking up your time and then leaving so suddenly, but I can see you've got lots to think about. So, I'll leave you to that."