demetrius mulciber is coming apart at the seams (scrubbedraw) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2009-04-18 21:07:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! [1980-04] april, ! npc, demetrius mulciber |
Who: Demetrius Mulciber and NPC!Danae Aesalon (mad props to Aliiii)
When: 18th April, 1980.
Where: A guest bedroom in Mulciber Manor
What: Demetrius has to console his cousin about being stuck in England. And talk about some stuff...
Rating: PG.
Status: Complete.
Demetrius was entirely unsure of what to say to his cousin, approaching the room where she was currently staying. With the borders closed, she was really trapped here for the time being. He knew she was miserable, but as he went out of his way to avoid the extreme emotions of women, he wasn't really...sure how to react. She hadn't met or socialized with anyone within society, she had practically locked herself away for nearly a month. He felt a pang of pity at why he was coming to talk to her. Her father was agreeable- more accurately, enthused- at the thought of her being pursued by a wealthy Englishman with a good job. Even if he was lowly. Even if Demetrius hated him, he had already discussed it with Adonis and it was a little late to change his mind. There was a chance that Danae would hate Ferdinand as much as Demetrius did and say no, and then she could go back to being a hermit in Mulciber Manor until there was a way to get her home. But there was a chance that Danae would like him. Demetrius knocked gently and pushed the unlatched door open, leaning on the door frame and crossing his arms over his chest. "I need to talk to you about something important," he said coolly, a bit uncomfortable, but his face remaining impassive. The normally cheerful and bubbly Danae had been uncharacteristically sedate ever since she learned that she would not be returning to Greece. She hadn't really thought that she would be stuck in this place, after all! Of course she had heard that the borders were closing but surely they hadn't meant really closed... Except clearly they had and now she was basically a prisoner in this dreary, miserable country. She missed her family and friends desperately. Almost as much as she missed the sun. Her petite figure was curled in an oversized armchair with her knees tucked up to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she stared out the window at the rain (again) in a way that made her look almost absurdly young. Although she was not crying at the moment, it was clear from her still-pink face and puffy eyes that it had not been long since she had last succumbed to one of the fits of emotion that were all but consuming her these days. She just did not know what to do. Weren't her uncle and cousin influential enough to get her home? Iago Mulciber clearly was not very fond of having her in the house in the first place, yet another thing that was making her miserable. She was used to being well-liked! Everyone loved her at home! But clearly that was not the case in this wretched country with these wretched people and their wretched rules and... and... She was distracted from her thoughts by Demetrius's knock and she tilted her head towards the door. "Hi Demetrius," she said weakly as she managed a rather pathetic attempt at a smile for her cousin. Ordinarily she would have rushed to him and thrown her arms around him in a tight embrace but she just could not summon the energy. Two seconds later and his words clicked in her head, turning her expression to one of wide-eyed hope as she picked her head up from where it had been resting on her knees. "You found a way for me to return home?" she asked in her thick accent as thoughts of afternoons at her favourite café and lying on the beach ran through her mind. It was almost enough to make her downright perky. Demetrius felt a pang of guilt, conjuring up his own chair to sit down across from her. England was definitely not Greece. The sun. The sea. He could understand how she missed it. He almost missed it a little, even if England was his true home. It wasn't hers, though. It wasn't her home. "I'm sorry you've been stuck here," he started off, crumpling her father's letter in his hands and leaning forward, her arms resting on his knees. "I haven't found a way to get you back to Greece-" though he could probably ask Minister Nott or Mister Avery and have her gone within the week, really. But that's not what today was about. "This may sound really odd, Danae," he said. "But your father would like you to consider." He paused to skim the letter. "Maybe finding a husband while you're up here and just staying," Demetrius continued, wincing slightly. "Which sounds awful, I know. But I think you'd make friends really easily here," he added. Danae's face fell as Demetrius quickly crushed her hopes of returning to Greece and started to tune out the rest of what he was saying - nothing mattered after that part - until she heard the words finding a husband. Her feet slipped off the edge of the chair to the floor as her arms fell limply to her sides and she stared at her cousin, utterly dumbfounded. "What?" she asked softly, the word catching in her throat. She couldn't even begin to process this. Of course she knew she needed to marry and have sons, but that was part of why she needed to return home. She would marry someone in Greece - not that she had any prospects, although she had begun to consider that Theseus boy... but an Englishman? And her father wanted this? She tried to think of something else to say, some sort of more appropriate response but all she could manage was another "WHAT?" this time far more loudly (and shrilly) as she sat completely frozen in her chair. "Your options for returning home right now are sort of...few and far between," he said. "I haven't had my job within the Ministry for very long and I'm not-" highly ranked enough. "Really sure if I can call in too many favors and arrange getting you home." Pushing the letter into a pocket, he tensed up slightly. "If you're going to stay here, which it looks like you will, you may as well settle in. Mother is happy to have you for as long as necessary but I'd expect your father doesn't wish for you to put your adult life on pause just because you're in a different country," Demetrius said reasonably. He didn't know how to deal with extreme bursts of emotions, and hoped she understood his perspective. "I just want to introduce you to one person and if you find him entirely loathsome, you can return to hiding in your room for as long as it takes to get you home." His face didn't give away anything, he was impassive and neutral. Not a single indication that he loathed the person he was introducing his cousin to. Reason was not something Danae was particularly inclined to accept at the moment and while what Demetrius was saying was all true enough, all she heard was an entirely unsympathetic message of you're stuck here, so deal with it. That did not help matters. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes began to water yet again. Settle in. With these people who never seemed willing to display any sort of emotion at all. Where laughter was nothing but restrained chuckles and light, gentle sounds. Where crying was clearly not acceptable, at least if her uncle was any indication. Danae was a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve and every emotion on her face and she just did not understand these Brits and their 'still-upper lip' business. It was one of the reasons she had sequestered herself in her room and now Demetrius was pushing her to not only go out and make friends, but marry one of them? She opened her mouth to reply but what came out instead was a choked sob and it was another moment or two before she was able to speak. "Who... who is he?" she asked through her tears. Despite the temptation to stubbornly refuse, curiosity won out. "You... already have someone in mind? When did my father send his letter?" There was a hint of betrayal in her voice as she began to piece things together. Demetrius picked at his sleeves. "I didn't have anything in mind," he said. Truthfully, up until last Thursday he had been half-convinced she was back in Greece. "My acq- friend and I were discussing and he feels a foreign witch would make a more agreeable wife for him than an English one. I mentioned you and said I would ask you about it. I'm just asking you to meet him, not make any big decisions yet," he said casually. Then he hesitated, pulled something else out of his pocket and toyed with it. "I wrote to your father asking him if it were agreeable to him that you perhaps enter a courtship or something of the nature while you were here and he responded today. He expressed his thought that it may be good for you." Passing over a sort of small picture of Ferdinand, which he felt uncomfortable owning, he bit his lip slightly. "His name is Ferdinand. He works at the Ministry with me. He's a bit older than we are," he explained briefly. "But don't worry about that. You don't have to meet him until you want to. How about, since you're going to be staying here for a while, I talk to Mother and see if we can't redecorate your room. I'll escort you out on a shopping trip, perhaps?" Demetrius didn't like the idea, but maybe it would cheer her up a little. Danae's face scrunched up in confusion when Demetrius admitted that he had written to her father. Why would he do something like that? She thought he liked her! He was family! Wouldn't he want to help her return home? Although... well maybe he was so fond of her that he just wanted her to stay... That was at least a more pleasant thought than the alternative. Yes, she would go with that. She sniffed and nodded as she took the picture from him. At first she did not give it any more than a passing glance, only to look back more closely a second later. Oh. Well he was rather handsome, wasn't he? Stuffy and British, but still... She held the picture up and tilted her head to study it curiously for a moment. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready to meet him - actually she was certain she was not, but perhaps he would not be entirely intolerable. At the mention of shopping, Danae brightened, giving her cousin the first genuine smile she had displayed in some time. The idea of redecorating wasn't quite as appealing as it implied a certain permanence to this arrangement that she still was not comfortable with, but shopping, that was always cheering. "Really? Oh I haven't been shopping in so long!" she replied almost excitedly as she wiped her hand across her cheeks to brush away her tears. "And... maybe you could tell me a little more about your friend? How old is he? What is he like? Is he nice? What does he do for the Ministry?" She was still hesitant, but this Ferdinand man did take a nice picture and if Demetrius was going to be nice enough to take her shopping, she figured she could at least meet his friend. Maybe. Demetrius didn't dislike Danae, really. She was the only relative he had that he could actually consider a peer (well, her brother as well), and she was nice, despite being a bit too energetic for him. But he understood the cultural difference between British and Greek society, and got that she was used to doing things different. He could only hope that the women of society were so understand. "I'll take you soon, then," he said. "Or see if Mother would like to come too, and she and you can pick out horrible frilly female things that I can't be a good judge on," he joked, cracking a bit of a grin. "But I can tell you a bit about Ferdinand, I suppose." It couldn't hurt, really? Unless she picked up on the fact that he actually found Ferdinand a bit on the grating side. "He's about twenty-four now. He was a few years ahead of me at school," he explained. "He works as the undersecretary for..." he paused, racking his brain a little. "International magical law, I think it is?" The he thought of a way to describe Ferdinand that was flattering and not an out-right lie. "He's rather clever, I think. I've never known him to be anything but polite and generally very nice." Demetrius almost wanted to wince at the compliments. He would have to take an extra shower. This was such an odd conversation to be having, but it was too late to go back. Truthfully Danae would much rather spend an afternoon with just her cousin rather than have her aunt tag along as well, but either way it would at least get her out of the house. And maybe that would not be such a terrible thing after all, as long as she had the two of them with her. Otherwise she was likely to do something terribly embarrassing, or from some of the stories her aunt and uncle told, perhaps even harmed. "You had better! I need warmer clothes! And something to cover how pale I am turning here!" she complained, holding out a bare arm as she gave Demetrius a playful little pout. There was some of the spirit and cheer she usually displayed and really her mood was already improving, if slowly. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and listened attentively as Demetrius described Ferdinand for her. Well that really wasn't much to go on, now was it? But then, what could she expect? Boys were never very good at these things. "Clever is good," she said, nodding slightly. "And nice, that is important. I wouldn't want to be with someone..." like your father was the thought that went unsaid, but despite her general tendency towards complete openness, even Danae knew better than to insult someone's father. "...who was unkind. Do you really think we would be well suited for each other?" That was the important question, after all. Surely Demetrius would not attempt to pair her with someone she would not like, but she was still too nervous and overwhelmed by this entire prospect to not ask. "You do need warmer clothes. And you won't become too pale, Mother isn't and she's lived here for over twenty years," he pointed out. "Though perhaps a woman closer to your age would be better suited to help you with clothing." Though he'd rather die than ask Corbina to do it. Perhaps Astra or even Mrs. Burke would be willing. Demetrius silently mulled over her question. "I wouldn't want you to be with anyone unkind either," he said. Which was true, if anyone mistreated his cousin he felt that he would be forced to tear them limb from limb. Not that he was so deeply attached to her, they didn't even know each other that well. It was more the principle of the thing. "I think he would treat you very well, and the two of you would get along swimmingly," he said after a moment. Maybe. Hopefully? Ferdinand knew his place in life, at least. And if his place was going to be with Demetrius's cousin, he'd have to be nothing but perfect to her at all times, as far as Demetrius was concerned. Yes, Danae was definitely feeling quite cheered by her cousin's visit. She was still overwhelmed and nervous and lonely and a whole host of other unpleasant emotions that swirled just beneath the surface, but at least for the moment they were subdued enough that she stood and moved towards Demetrius, throwing her arms around him in a tight, if awkwardly positioned, hug. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "For coming to see me, I mean. I'm still not sure about being courted by your friend, but... I'll meet him at least? For you, not for my father," she said firmly. No, she was still feeling quite put out towards him at the moment, but Demetrius's assurances were enough that she was willing to at least give Ferdinand a chance. "After we go shopping. And... well maybe you could introduce me to another girl my age? Someone you think I'd get along with." As reluctant as she was, it probably would do her some good to at least try and make friends. She still had every intention of returning home at the earliest possible opportunity, but even Demetrius's brief visit was enough to convince her that getting out of the house would at least do some good for her mood. Just for as long as she was stuck here. Patting her awkwardly on the back, he sat there tense as she hugged him. "It's up to you, if you really dislike him, you can always say no and that would be the end of it. But you have to at least meet him. Of course, I can't deny you the pleasure of new clothes or whatever amuses girls your age before you have to do that." He would have to put it off as long as possible, he decided. Ugh. "I know quite a few girls your age, and I'm sure they would be happy to help you settle in and become your friends," he said. Demetrius wasn't actually sure how Corbina would react to Danae. Astra may like her, Astra was generally agreeable. Julianne may enjoy her as well, Seraphina not as much, but perhaps Mrs. Burke or Mrs. Malfoy would be willing to "take her under their wing" so to speak and help her make friends. "I'll speak with a few people and schedule a shopping trip for you one weekend very soon," he told her calmly. "And you'll make friends in no time," he added. Though he doubted it. She was different. He wasn't sure how receptive to different the women would even be. But if an older woman perhaps helped her understand how England worked, maybe it would be easier. He certainly hoped so, he didn't feel the urge to be responsible for her for the next year so however long this took. |