InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Wanna put your hand there?"

Daniel Christopher Morgan ☀ Morgaine Le Fay (tothenunnery) wrote in thereincarnates,
@ 2016-11-03 10:22:00

Entry tags:

!au, !fairytale, alexander yates, alexandra turner, andy lang, beckett samuels, bren gallagher, catalina reyes, daniel morgan, david ryan, eligio serafini, ellie morgan, etienne norbert, finley melville, freddie morgan, garrett landry, hannah ryan, irving midgley, juno melville, krista landry, liam walker, raegan mallory, sabrina shipton, scott morgan, sean riesling, shannon andrews, vincent dilaurentis, zane rosen

Who: ANYONE AND EVERYONE; people of royal, noble, and poor birth alike. Only known villains weren’t expressly invited, otherwise the ball is open for everyone to attend, or attempt to crash
What: A royal ball
Where: The kingdom of Camelot, in the land of Fairytales
When: Early to late evening, feel free to time jump around in your own subthreads
Warnings: Let’s keep it to PG-13, for the sake of fairytale fluff

Camelot had always been the largest kingdom in any land, both in its sheer size and its many riches. Since it’s inception, the land of Camelot had always thrived, as if the very ground it covered had been blessed by magic. Most people in Camelot believed that it actually was, since everything that ever grew out of the ground only flourished, and most stories and legends originally came out of their kingdom. They never had droughts or famines, the people of Camelot never went hungry, even those of common birth. The ruling monarch always managed to find a way to send aid to those in need, including to many outside of Camelot’s borders, when they had the extra resources, and they often did. The kingdom was a happy one, for the most part, though no kingdom was perfect, even a great one like Camelot. Of course there were still always some problems, no matter how plentiful the land was or how generous your king, but the generosity and near mythical quality of the kingdom helped to set it apart from the rest.

Among the believers of magic in the land, there were also people in Camelot who thought that there was some kind of mysterious, mystical force that protected the kingdom's land and the lake that ran through it, as well as Camelot castle itself. What some people didn’t know was that it was actually true, to some extent, and that in the middle of the lake was a veiled island called Avalon, a place of great power that was also tied directly to the Morgan family’s long and legendary history. Ages ago, there had been a sword in a stone, and the once future king of Camelot had pulled the sword out of its resting place. Since then, the royal line had always been of Morgan blood; a family of knights, heroes, and kings of legend. The sword itself was passed down through the men in the family, each having to pass the test of pulling it back out of the stone, in order to prove their worth to rule the kingdom of Camelot, and then that sword was theirs throughout their (hopefully) long and happy reign until it was time to return it to its resting place. For as long as there had been magic in these lands, there had been Camelot, and for as long as there had been Camelot, there had been the Morgans.

Everyone knew the stories of the Morgan family, the sword in the stone, and King Daniel's story in particular. How Daniel had been placed under a sleeping curse by a powerful sorceress before he could pull the sword from the stone and take his rightful place as king. Years had passed before he was finally woken up by true love's kiss, and it had been the kiss of a commoner that had done it, not from a princess or another prince, or even a noble, as most people had expected. Zane Rosen had woken Daniel from his curse and just like every other Morgan king before him, he fulfilled the prophecy he and every Morgan male was born into and pulled the sword from the stone, taking his rightful place as king once the dragon was slain and the kingdom was secure again. Since then, his rule had been as happy and as fruitful as all the others, made all the more so by the fact that he had Zane at his side, and all of Daniel's years as king had been filled with immense joy and happiness that seemed to touch the entire kingdom, and not just the happy two.

Camelot castle in itself was a thing to behold. Of course it was exceptionally grand just in size, with countless rooms to wander through and decadent furniture and trimmings throughout the interior and exterior of the palace. There was a vast courtyard outside of it with a large stone fountain, numerous stables for the horses, and many high turrets from which to look out of for a spectacular view of the kingdom. The ballroom itself where the party was being held was one of the biggest rooms in the castle, lit by chandeliers and candlelight, banquet tables of food and wine, as well as a group of hired musicians in the corner to play music for the people who wished to dance all night. There was also a pair of double doors that led out to a balcony, and a throne positioned at the other end of the ballroom for when King Daniel and Zane wished to sit and observe the festivities, as well as comfortable sofas and cushioned chairs for any guests who might wish to sit and rest their feet for awhile.

Unlike balls held by Camelot in the past, this one was unique, for one reason in particular. It was an open invitation to everyone, both of royal and noble birth and commoner alike, and that invitation extended beyond Camelot’s borders to other lands. That idea had technically been Freddie’s, who had seemed suspiciously eager when he’d asked Daniel about it, but Daniel had welcomed the idea wholeheartedly. It was the perfect way to celebrate Camelot this year, as well as the anniversary of his and Zane’s love, by opening up the celebrations to anyone who wished to attend. Camelot was about extending the hand of friendship, after all, and what better way to do that then to have a ball where any and all could attend if they wanted. It wouldn’t be the end of everyone’s problems, of course, especially for those who were still in the midst of wars, but maybe it was a start. Something that could even help bring people together. Daniel could hope that it might still be the start of something. Tonight, as the gates of Camelot opened for the first of its arrivals, that’s what this all felt like. The start of something great.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

Re: Finley/David/OPEN to Hannah/Bren

lovesomepie
2016-11-05 02:23 pm UTC (link)

David was no more comfortable here than he probably would have been anywhere else, but it wasn't because it was Camelot, a place filled with heroes and good intention, or because the king of Camelot and his husband were clearly brimming over with happiness in their little bubble across the room. It was more because this was his first ball, since as a peasant, he hadn't exactly been invited to any before this. Technically this ball in particular would have been open to peasants even if they weren't currently attached to demonlords, but call David a little biased, he was glad that he was coming here tonight with Finley.

It had been a long, hard road for them, and sometimes David still couldn't believe they'd gotten here, but he was happy. Happier than he thought he'd ever been, and a few months ago David never would have thought that it was possible to be this happy with Finley, of all people. After all that time spent fighting and refusing to see things eye to eye, they'd finally found a way to meet each other halfway. It had started with Finley saving his life in the woods, before escalating to a nice dinner, their first dance, and Finley giving him a surprisingly generous gift that had taken David's breath away.

That particular night had ended with them in bed together, and Finley allowing David to go home to see his family, as long as he promised to return. All David had wanted for months was to go home, but when he had, things were not as he thought they'd be. He'd come home to a sick father and no sister, discovering then that even after David had consented to going to Melville Manor instead of Hannah, their father had still decided to ship her off to someone else anyway. David had returned to Melville Manor, vowing to himself that he would find her, hopefully with Finley's help, but when he'd gotten there David had suddenly found himself in a situation where he'd nearly lost Finley for good.

It was only then that he'd been able to truly admit his feelings for the demonlord, in probably the most dramatic way anyone could ever tell someone else that they loved them, but David didn't care. He hadn't lost Finley, and now things were finally good between them. That didn't mean they never still fought, but it was different, now. And more often than not, instead of getting frustrated with him, David found a way to understand him. Like right now, even in the wake of Finley's biting remarks about the king and his party, David just smiled fondly over at him. Where before that kind of shallow behavior had just made him angry, now David accepted that part of Finley, like he accepted every other.

"You would think in a land rumored to be built on magic, they'd have a more magical castle," David offered, by this point well practiced at soothing Finley's edges instead of aggravating them. With Finley's spell broken, the magic of the manor wasn't quite the same, but he could still tell when Finley wanted to hear that what he had was better. Despite David's discomfort in this formal setting, he was at least more comfortable in the suit the second time around, and Finley's hand on his back was a constant source of comfort. As they stopped near the drinks, David turned into him to slide a hand up Finley's chest and speak in a low voice near his ear, unaware that they might look just as sickeningly happy as King Daniel and Zane in that moment. "They don't even have a phantom band. That must be embarrassing for them."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/OPEN to Hannah/Bren

swelltricks
2016-11-05 11:08 pm UTC (link)

It was undignified to shiver at the way that David's breath tickled against his ear, but Finley couldn't quite hold the reaction back. The words themselves, though, they were exactly right. David was exactly right. You really would think that Camelot would be far more impressive, since the entire kingdom was meant to be magical. Once and future king, had to pull a sword out of a stone (and what a cheap trick that was, Finley could fake that in an instant if he really wanted to), they could at least have some magical servants, something that would fill their glasses whenever they were empty, just as Finley's manor had. Still did, though not quite as effectively, now.

He'd have to sort out how to fix that. Finley had gotten a bit spoiled, he thought, with not having to rely on the unreliability of human service. There'd been meant to be some sort of lesson in there, too, he thought, about not disrespecting his servants, those that he considered less than himself, in his employ. He hadn't learned it near as well as he'd learned the lesson of loving David, of being willing to sacrifice for David. There'd never been anyone in Finley's life that he'd been willing to give anything up for, before David. There was no one else in the world besides David that he'd give anything for, outside of a deal, but it was apparently good enough for the curse. Finley didn't make the rules, he was just glad that he'd been able to wiggle his way around these as easily as he had everything else. He was still a demon, after all. He was simply a demon that happened to be in love with a human man.

A smile spread across his face as he twisted to look into David's eyes. Finley had never bothered smiling like that for anyone else, either. That was David's smile, entirely. Part of him even disliked the idea of anyone else catching a glimpse of it, but David would make him smile while they were in a public place. "Exactly. They really ought to have looked into that, for a part of this size." Finley's magical musicians would have provided far better, more appropriate music for a fête of this size. Ah, well. Couldn't have everything. "I'll admit, I am missing all the comforts of home." He'd thought he wouldn't be able to get far enough away, once he could leave, but now home meant David there with him. It was far better.

"We'll have to have our own ball, once we've gotten home," he declared, decision already made. "You'll arrange the music, of course. Word will get back here, I'm certain, so they'll know how ashamed they ought to be." Perhaps after they'd found David's sister. Finley didn't really care about that, of course, or her... but he did care about David, and it was something that David wanted. Love ought to have been entirely inconvenient. If David hadn't happened to feel the same way, Finley thought, it wouldn't have been worth his time and effort in the least. Since David did... well, it did work out a bit more evenly, at that.

Of course, it might have been more polite if he'd asked David about it, instead of telling him. Really, Finley could only change so much, even with the power of true love to spur him on. Moving from caring only about himself to caring about himself and one other person, that was the sort of progress that no one would ever have looked for, in Finley. It wasn't very demonic of him, of course. Demons really didn't do true love, or all the trappings that came with it. Finley was beginning to think that they were really going about things all wrong. He'd never been happier.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/OPEN to Hannah/Bren

lovesomepie
2016-11-06 05:10 pm UTC (link)

Despite Finley's protests at the sort of gross, public displays of affection the king and his husband were making, it was impossible for David not to behave like he was in the company of someone he was in love with. Not that he had anything to compare it to. David knew now that he'd never been in love before, because the way he felt about Finley wasn't how he'd ever felt about anyone else. Almost losing Finley had been enough of a wake up call to David, to finally acknowledge how he felt about him, their connection so deeply rooted in the younger man that if Finely had died, a part of David would have died with him.

But he hadn't died. They were both very much alive, and very much together, which is all that David could have asked for, out of their situation. The fact that he actually probably could ask for whatever he wanted, now, didn't even cross his mind. Finley had already given him a room all to himself for his music, the most thoughtful gift anyone ever could have given him, and David didn't actually want for very much at all. You could make fun of him and say it was because he'd come from a simple life, but David didn't need much, as long as he got to spend his days with the person he loved. Before, he never would have guessed that person would be Finley, but now he accepted that truth entirely.

The smile Finley graced him with took David's breath away a little, feeling warm all over as he smiled back, pleased that he'd managed to say something that made Finley smile at him like that. That wasn't a smile David had ever seen Finley wear except when looking at him, which just made David's heart ache more strongly. He liked the idea that the way Finley was smiling at him was only a smile for him, even if that wasn't true, but David thought it might be. Just like he'd only ever seen Finley laugh like he had when they'd first danced together, this smile felt special. Private, between just the two of them, even if they were currently in public surrounded by a lot of people. Honestly, David barely noticed anyone else, with Finley smiling at him like that.

He'd caught the way Finley had shivered when David had spoken low in his ear too, which made David less breathless and more just a little smug. He took that as a real accomplishment, choosing to let himself believe that not just any human, man or woman, would have necessarily been able to coax that kind of genuine reaction from someone like the lord of Melville Manor. David didn't bother pretending like he wasn't entirely pleased with himself, fingers curling lightly into the buttons on Finley's nice dress shirt and David's eyes still locked on his. They might as well have been the only two people in the room, which was probably just as sickening as the public display of affection Finley had just been criticizing, but David was kind enough to let him keep up the pretense of being superior to other couples in that regard.

"Home?" David echoed the sentiment, like he still couldn't quite believe that Finley's home was his now, too. It was still new enough that he sometimes remembered it with a start, but the reminder always made him happy. He liked that Finley already referred to it as his home too, and in some ways it already felt like one, if only... Unwillingly, David's thoughts turned again to his sister, and the fact that David still had no idea where she was, or if she was even okay. He missed Hannah desperately. Once upon a time, she had been the only home he'd ever known. David was intensely happy with Finley, but that didn't change the fact that he missed his sister, and he was worried about her. Still, David's smile hardly wavered, despite his thoughts turning to Hannah and the fact that he wasn't entirely certain how he would be received by anyone who came to one of Finley's balls, as Finley's entirely human companion. He didn't think many demons would be all that enthused. "That sounds nice. Of course I'd be happy to arrange the music."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/OPEN to Hannah/Bren

lostmyshoe
2016-11-06 07:22 pm UTC (link)

Hannah was the epitome of uncomfortable. Despite spending as much time as she had been with Bren, she couldn't erase the fact that she had grown up a peasant girl who should have been ignored by anybody of even slight nobility. A life of fancy dresses, and servants, and giant balls just wasn't something that should have fit in her life. She much preferred her books, and the quiet woods where she would hide so she could lose herself in the stories they told. She'd never been in a place with so many people before, especially not people who'd probably never had to do anything for themselves in their lives.

For a moment, she actually thought that she would prefer fighting the trolls again to braving the sea of faces in that room. Not a single one looked familiar to her as she looked at them all, women in elaborate gowns and men in their formal wear. She couldn't remember her father ever owning anything half as nice as what some of the men in the hall were wearing, and that thought alone made her feel a pang of sadness. It had been a long time since she'd been home, which in and of itself didn't bother her. She didn't miss her father. No, the only person she missed was her brother, and he hadn't been home since their father had given him away in her place.

Hannah tugged at the sleeve of her dress as she continued to take everything in. She'd always been observant, taking in whatever she could and compartmentalizing it for later in case she needed it. It was because of this that her eyes fell upon the two men across the room near the drinks, one of which looked eerily familiar even though she currently could only see the back of his head. When he turned it, however, there was no denying it. Her brother was here, at the last place she ever expected to see him.

She didn't mean to move away from Bren, to push through the throng of people in a manner that was very obviously rude. She had tunnel vision, and couldn't slow down just in case slowing down made her miss him. He didn't seem to be going anywhere in any kind of hurry, but it didn't matter. She only stopped when a larger man got in her way, yelling as loud as she could to get his attention. "David!"

And then she was pushing past the man and clearing the remaining distance to pounce on her brother with as tight a hug as she could muster. She probably should have said something to the man David was with, introduced herself or at least said excuse me, but right then she didn't care about societal pleasantries. Her brother was there.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

apostolos
2016-11-11 09:13 pm UTC (link)

Going to the ball probably wasn't the best idea that Bren had ever had. He hadn't liked tham all that much even when he'd been more comfortable being a prince than being a bear, but now? Now that he'd been roaming around on four legs most of the time for years, there were way too many people crammed into way too small a space, even with the huge ballroom. Not that Camelot would do anything less than its best for this. He'd remembered Camelot from before, though he hadn't been there since he was a little boy, tagging along behind his father with solemn eyes and a halfhearted wish that he wasn't too big to hold his mother's hand. He wished that he had held it, now, held it every chance he'd gotten before he'd lost her, but he hadn't known that, the last time he'd been at Camelot. He'd wanted to look like a big, strong boy in front of King Matthew.

Now? Now he was sort of thinking that he should suggest to Hannah that they just give it up and go home. Sure, Bren needed to make some alliances, if he wanted to reclaim his father's kingdom from the regents and get it back on track to be the sort of kingdom that Bren wanted to rule, but he probably could have done that in better ways than to show up at a big ball, especially when he wasn't even sure what any of the people he needed to talk to looked like, anyway.

And then Hannah was taking off, and it was a little late to suggest that they leave. He didn't know what it was that she was seeing, but he completely forgot any ideas he had about being dignified and chased after her, dark hair slipping out of the short tail that he'd done his best to tie it into before they'd left for the ball that night. "Hannah! Where are you..." Okay. She was hugging someone. Bren couldn't see her face, but he had a pretty good idea who it was, anyway. After all, Hannah wasn't the kind of girl who went around hugging strange men, so that really only left one person as an option. "Heh. Who'd have thought?" He guessed that David's demon must have been the partying type.

Finley's first reaction, of course, was to snarl and peel the girl off of his consort. It didn't matter who she was, she was touching David, and that was not acceptable. Finley was a demon, and that meant he was selfish, and jealous, and not at all interested in sharing his consort with anyone who happened along to put her hands on them. It had been so pleasant, too, that interlude. The moment between them that had him feeling warm and happy. He hadn't removed his hand from David's back, of course, but now he was sharing space with this girl, and he was not happy about it.

Though he'd never admit it, the only reason Finley figured out that it must have been David's sister was the fact that the man following her said her name. He knew her name, after all. She'd originally been meant to be his consort, instead of David, a mixup that he'd never been happier about than he was at the moment. Clearly she didn't respect a moment. Nevermind that she hadn't seen her brother in a very long time, and must have been concerned that the cruel demon might not even have left him alive. Finley was not inclined to be fair about it. Nor was he inclined to back up and give the siblings the space for their reunion until he'd been acknowledged.

"Care to introduce me, darling?" The endearment was just as possessive as the hand still lingering on David's back. Really, he supposed he ought to have been more concerned with making a good impression on David's sister. She was clearly important to him, after all, important enough that he'd given up his freedom for her sake. It would be best, really, if he made certain that she liked him, particularly when she'd likely be underfoot far more than he'd like, if they were truly as devoted to one another as had been implied. Honestly? He didn't care. David could entertain her, if he wanted to, so long as Finley got his consort to himself again, after.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

lovesomepie
2016-11-17 02:35 pm UTC (link)

One minute, David was still looking at Finley with that same, private smile, fully immersed in the intimate moment that no one else was a part of, despite being in the middle of a crowded room. David and Finley clearly already had a unique ability to completely forget about the rest of the world, content to exist in their own little bubble where no one else could penetrate that warm, happy glow. No one but a girl with dark hair like David's who was suddenly flinging herself onto David and blocking his view of Finley entirely, his view now compromised by a flurry of dark hair attached to a warm body.

David was so surprised that at first, he didn't react at all. His hand was still flat against Finley's chest with his fingers curled into the front of his collar so he found himself awkwardly trapped between the demon and the girl who'd shouted his name, clinging to him. David blinked, in shock and unaware that he actually knew anyone here, and entirely aware of Finley's hand still resting on his back, until it fully sank in. “... Hannah?”

He could hardly believe it, but the girl who was currently clinging to him was without a doubt his sister. With hair as dark as his, the same skin complexion, shorter than David by at least a few feet. He should have realized instantly who it was, but he hadn't exactly been expecting to see her here and he hadn't seen his sister in months. David was in shock, temporarily frozen in place, but he quickly snapped out of it after those first few seconds, extracting his other hand from Finley and wrapping both arms around her in a fierce hug. She even still smelled the way he remembered.

“Hannah! I can't believe you're here, how did you-” David pulled back to take her by the shoulders and look at her at the same time as Finley spoke up, and David realized that he should probably introduce them, though he was still a little in shock from his sister showing up out of nowhere, and he could practically feel the tips of his ears turning a little pink. The shine of his and Finley's new relationship hadn't even begun to wear off and David often found himself pleasantly flustered still when Finley addressed him that way.

"Ahhh, sorry. This is Hannah, my sister," David smiled at Hannah before glancing back at Finley. "Hannah, this is Fin- er..." David wasn't actually sure if he should be addressing Finley so informally in introductions at something like this, so he back tracked. "Lord Melville." He wasn't actually sure if he'd ever even called Finley that before out loud, it felt strange to say after how familiar they'd gotten. David looked past Hannah, then, and finally noticed the man accompanying her with a slight frown. "And who is this?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

lostmyshoe
2016-11-17 09:44 pm UTC (link)

Hannah was elated to see her brother, so much so that the earlier feeling of awkwardness over being at a ball in the first place was completely forgotten. As much as she was determined to find him, determined to see him again, there was a part of her who knew how impossible a feat that was going to be. She’d had no idea where the mysterious man who’d taken him at their father’s acquiescence was taking him, and she hadn’t been able to ask when it’d happened. And when their father gave her off to Bren, she couldn’t even count on him returning home for her to see him. To find him here, of all places… It seemed more like fate than coincidence.

Of course, ‘Lord Melville’ was there, and despite the way David introduced him with a touch of fondness, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at him slightly. There was a vibe that he was giving off that she didn’t like, especially with how protective she’d always been of her brother (something that was clearly mutual, and probably unhealthy for both of them). He seemed more possessive of David than he should have been. Or, well, technically she supposed he had a right to be possessive considering their dad had sold David to him, but that didn’t make her immediately like him any better. If anything, it made her more weary of him.

“Hi…” She replied hesitantly, before immediately turning her attention back to David. Her eyes were scanning for any sign of abuse, for any inkling that this ‘person’ had hurt her brother in any way. She wasn’t sure what she would do if there was; despite a victory over troll royalty, she couldn’t take this Finley guy on and live to talk about it. Even she was aware of that, even if every fiber in her was convinced that it would be worth it anyway. She frowned when she chanced another look at Finley, clearly looking him over for some nefarious purpose. Maybe to find a weak point should she need to use it.

Then David was asking a question, and she was immediately distracted from her temporary mission to glance back at Bren. There was a smile, and then Hannah was clearing her throat and looking down in hopes David wouldn’t notice the pink tinge to her cheeks. “This is Bren. He was a bear, now he’s not, it’s a long story…that you probably didn’t need to know about. Right.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

swelltricks
2016-11-19 01:02 am UTC (link)

...honestly, that was the best introduction that Bren could have thought of for himself, too, so he just shrugged and grinned, and didn't offer any more explanation than that. They'd probably have plenty of time for trading that kind of story later. And Bren was going to insist on a lot more to drink before he got into the details of it. Look, sometimes being a prince actually was hard, but usually just when it involved trolls. He was kind of hoping that his days that involved trolls were over for good, thanks to Hannah, but he wasn't going to count out the possibility that there'd be someone else coming looking for revenge, eventually. There was always someone looking for revenge.

At least they knew how to take care of that, now, him and Hannah. They wouldn't really have to worry about trolls again, as long as they had plenty of soapy water to throw at them. Which wasn't even the weirdest thing that Bren had thought that night. "Nice to meet you, David. Sorry about the demon thing." Or maybe not so sorry, since the demon happened to be standing pretty close to him, and David didn't exactly look unhappy about it. Hey, to each their own. Some people probably wanted to marry a troll, too. There'd been a reason that one had been Bren's stepmom, after all. "Lord Melville..." He should probably have said something there, too, but honestly? Bren had nothing. He'd never met a demon before.

He just shrugged, and then stepped up behind Hannah, close enough that he could grab her back if the demon looked like he was going to get pissy about. Not that he didn't look a little pissy already, but Bren thought that might have just been his face.

Really? Really? This idiot boy was 'sorry about the demon thing'? Finley would have made him very sorry about the demon thing, if he hadn't been far more concerned with the way that David's darling little sister was looking at him. Clearly she wasn't at all impressed with him, not that Finley cared. Clearly it wasn't any of her business, was it? David was his consort, even if he had defaulted to calling him Lord Melville as if they hadn't been on the verge of sneaking off somewhere to make a mess of one of the good king's closets (or wherever else they could find, Finley wasn't picky). He could have at least referenced who Finley was to him.

Finley would most certainly be addressing this with David later, and whether he was embarrassed to tell his sister that he happened to be in love with a demon. He imagined that David would make it up to him quite thoroughly, and he would certainly be magnanimous enough to let David apologize in any way that he happened to see fit.

Somewhat content with that, he returned the greetings from Hannah and her once-bear. "Hannah. Bren." And wasn't that a wholesome little blush. Looked like someone had enjoyed a bit of bestiality, since she'd last been with brother dear. If she kept giving him those looks, like she thought he was going to do something horrible to David right then and there when David was his consort, and Finley treated him very well, thank you, he'd have to bring it up and ask her all sorts of awkward questions about it. David would be angry, of course, but he'd be less angry than if Finley accidentally squashed her in a fit of irritation.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

lovesomepie
2016-11-29 03:54 am UTC (link)

David could be pretty oblivious about some things. Clearly, since he'd spent months living in Finley's manor and only in the last few weeks actually realized what was between them. When it came to things like love, David had always been a little bit dumb on the subject. He'd never been in love before, never knew what it even meant, and he still wouldn't call himself an expert on love no matter how much he felt for Finley, but even he wasn't oblivious to what was going on right now. He knew his sister well enough to know that look in her eyes, and he could practically feel the tension radiating off the demon at his side, and not just because they were practically sandwiched together.

"It's not like that," David said instantly, feeling compelled to come to Finley's defense after Bren's remark, and not just because David already didn't think he liked his sister's... friend very much. It wasn't that David felt any kind of shame about what he and Finley were, he just wasn't sure what to call it. 'Lovers' sounded too cheesy, and there wasn't really an equivalent to 'consort' that would apply to Finley, was there? If there was, David didn't know it, and he still wasn't a huge fan of the term 'consort' anyway, but he tolerated it, because he was crazy about the man saying it. Love was about sacrifice, he guessed.

He glanced warily at Bren before his gaze shifted from Hannah back to Finley, trying to read his face and being largely unsuccessful at it. David still wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to act with Finley in public, though he guessed from the way they'd just been carrying on before like no one else was even in the room, that anything less than that would be acceptable. David took a step closer to Finley, so there was no denying what it was like between them. He wasn't being held against his will, he wasn't Finley's 'captive', not anymore. He was with Finley because he wanted to be, and if that needed to be said, David wasn't going to shy away from it. "We're together."

So much had changed in the last year that sometimes David still couldn't completely wrap his head around it. That at the end of it all he was here, with Finley, and that Hannah was here. David had been afraid he'd never be able to find her, after he'd gone back home only to discover she was no longer there. Finley had promised to help him find her, of course, but David had still been sick with worry that he'd never actually see her again. To find out that she'd been with this 'Bren', who may or may not have at one point been a bear, didn't exactly make David feel any better about not finding her before she found him. He fixed his eyes on his sister, concerned. "I went back home. Dad couldn't even tell me where you were. You've been with him this whole time?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

lostmyshoe
2016-12-02 11:48 pm UTC (link)

“…ho…ow?” Hannah realized halfway through the word that it probably wasn’t the best question to be asking her brother out loud after he’d just admitted to being in a relationship with the demon who’d bought him. Of course, the other phrases of ‘why?’ and ‘are you sure?’ were even worse, and standing in silence would be seen as rude. She supposed ‘how?’ could pass for genuine curiosity rather than the shocked word vomit that it was. This Lord Melville, she knew little about him, except that he seemed really cranky and was accustomed to buying poor peasant boys. And also that he hadn’t appreciated Hannah hugging David at first, which had been obvious when he’d pulled her off of him.

Maybe she was being unfair, though. She’d worried about David from the moment he was gone that he would be tortured and treated horribly, hadn’t she? And as miraculous as it was that they’d both ended up at the same ball when neither of them had any business being any place so fancy, she had to admit that he wasn’t harmed, no matter what her fears and nightmares had cooked up. David didn’t look to have a scratch on him. In fact, he looked…happy. That was all she really wanted for him, wasn’t it? That he be happy, even if their dad was too consumed with himself to want happiness for his children.

“Sorry, that’s not what I meant,” She shook her head. If David was happy, she could give this demon a chance. She’d still keep her eye on him just to be sure, but she could give him the benefit of the doubt. He wasn’t, at least, a troll. That had to count for something. “That’s great. I was worried that—but you’re happy? You look happy.” She was stammering now, trying to keep her gaze entirely on David and not on the cranky demon next to him, even if it felt impossible not to keep looking at him.

Ah. Right. The inevitable question. Hannah frowned when she thought about her dad not knowing exactly where she’d gone. He hadn’t known where David was either, having been content to sell them both off without keeping tabs on where he was selling them to. Weirdly, it had seemed to work out for both of them, something that should have been statistically impossible. David was happy, and she was, too. She slipped her hand into Bren’s, recognizing the protective look in David’s eyes. “Dad figured out if he sold both of us he got even more money,” She cringed at the explanation. It was how it started, sure, she’d been sold to Bren, but things had gotten a lot more complicated from there. “He needed my help.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

apostolos
2016-12-09 09:39 pm UTC (link)

That kind of made it sound a little like she'd stuck around because she felt sorry for him, which Bren hoped wasn't true, but hey. It was the truth, he had needed her help. There was no one but Hannah who he might have married that would have gone all the way east of the sun and west of the moon to rescue him from his stepmother, after all. No one else that would've been stubborn enough to do it, to stick it out until they got there, and then to figure out a way to save him, on top of that? That was all Hannah. "Your sister is a badass," he told David, enthusiastic. It wasn't very princely language, sure, but Bren had been a bear. He wasn't far enough out of bearness to stop using it as an excuse for everything he did that wasn't appropriate for someone who was supposed to take over a kingdom. He'd miss it, when he was. Somehow, Bren thought that even thought the bear thing, he'd never have been great at being a really princely prince.

Hannah probably wouldn't have liked a princely prince as much as she seemed to like Bren, anyway. Some guy that got offended because the girl had come and saved the day, because he thought he should've been the one to rescue her instead? Nope, that wasn't the kind of prince that Hannah would've come to rescue. Or... well, she probably would've, because she was Hannah, and he couldn't see her leaving anyone to suffer, which was another awesome thing about her, but she wouldn't have come with them to the ball, right? Bren didn't think so. He also thought it'd be stupid to be offended about it in the first place, though, because this story? This was a lot better. This was the kind of story that you told your kids. Someday. If Hannah wanted kids. Bren liked them, he wouldn't mind having a couple running around. Maybe a daughter to raise on stories of how clever and strong her mother was, and grow up to be just like her.

Really, Finley couldn't care less what David's sister's boytoy had to say about her. He was barely even listening, to be perfectly honest, because David had told his sister that they were together. It wasn't the most poetic of declarations of feelings, but Finley didn't expect that from David, regardless. Not that David wasn't capable of beautiful expressions. His just seemed to be restricted to his violin, instead of words. It seemed that Finley's gift of a music room ought to have been selfish, after all. Oh, he pretended that he was just in there to keep David company while he played, that he was preoccupied with something else, but inevitably, by the time David was halfway through the first song, he'd have laid down his book, or parchment and quill, to listen, instead. Apparently, the music room was good for far more than inspiring David to initiate their first kiss, the first step to Finley's curse finally being broken... and now, he rather liked staying right in their home.

They would most definitely not be engaged in awkward, boring conversation with David's sister when they could be off somewhere, alone together. Now, Finley highly doubted that was going to happen any time soon, if he even had a chance to drag David off on his own at all that night. Especially if the girl decided that she really did need that explanation of how he and David had happened to worth through their less than stellar start to David coming back to him voluntarily, after all, even if she'd awkwardly fumbled around her conclusion that David seemed to be happy. Damned right David was happy, and Finley fully intended to keep him that way. It worked out far better for him, if his consort was happy. And, apparently, he really enjoyed seeing David happy for its own sake, something that Finley wasn't entirely certain how to explain quite yet, as it was almost entirely outside his own realm of experience with the world.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Finley/David/Hannah/Bren

lovesomepie
2017-01-07 09:05 pm UTC (link)

David didn't blame his sister for being a little surprised, or a lot surprise by him and Finley. So much had changed in just the handful of months since they'd last seen each other, since he went to live at Melville Manor and she... apparently hadn't even stayed at their family's home. David could have chosen in that moment to be angry, mostly at their father for betraying him twice. First for trying to sell his sister to a demon lord before David volunteered himself in her place, and then apparently selling her to the highest bidder anyway, for all David knew as soon as he was out of the house. As far as fathers went, theirs had turned out to be complete garbage.

He could have chosen that moment to be angry about it, but he didn't, at least not openly. What their father had done to them both was horrible and unforgivable, but David was tired of being angry. At Finley, at their father. He wasn't angry with Finley and hadn't been for weeks now, and now that he could see for himself that Hannah was safe and in one piece, David felt like he could already start letting go of some of that anger. It was wrong, what their father had done to them, to her, but they were both free of him now, weren't they? They were both free, and... happy. They both seemed pretty happy.

That was all David could really ask for, out of this strangely bizarre and completely unexpected situation. Never in a million years would he have imagined that their lives would turn out this way, but now that he and Finley were together, David had trouble picturing his life ending up any different. He was happy. And if Hannah was as happy as she looked, then that was good enough for David, as long as this Bren guy treated his sister with the care and respect she deserved. Maybe, despite the way this had all started, this was exactly how things were meant to be. David was pretty okay with that.

"I am happy," David answered, smiling briefly up at Finley with a tenderness and warmth that he hadn't ever thought himself capable of when it came to the demon beside him, but that's how it was between them now, and things were never better. Finley made him happier than he ever thought possible, which wasn't something David really knew how to put into words yet, but he didn't think he needed to. Slipping his arm through Finley's, David acknowledged his sister and Bren with a knowing look, noticing the way they were holding hands now. Whatever he thought of Bren, and he wasn't sure what to make of him just yet, David was grateful that he'd brought Hannah here, so they could have an unexpected reunion and David could see for himself that she was okay. "Thank you for bringing my sister here tonight. It seems to me that things worked out for all of us, in the end."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -