how do I get closer to you/when you keep it all on mute

[schrien_die_raben]

Characters: Rue and Fakir
Open? possibly?
Where: Some castle balcony
When: midnight
Warnings: bitching/emotionality, Rue and Fakir interacting

For the first few weeks, Rue had tried to ignore it, tried to just be happy that Mytho was here with her, safe, and not infected with the Raven's blood. But it was so, so much harder than she'd thought. When he stayed with her, he would look on, blankly and helplessly as she methodically dressed him for bed, trying to banish all thoughts of her last night with him from her mind. When they went to bed, she had to take his arms and wrap them around herself, just so she could  feel his warmth.

Tonight had been the last straw. On the way upstairs, she had tripped and fallen, gracelessly stumbling onto the steps before he caught her with his soft, gentle hands. She looked up at him, ready to smile and thank him, but she caught the look on his face,  that utterly empty look that let her know, for all he caught her when she fell, she meant nothing to him. So she had waited for him to fall asleep, and then, putting on an ornate robe, stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the wind flutter gently against her stinging eyes.

Comments

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir came and went as he pleased in the castle, and more often than not what pleased him (or at least assuaged his nerves) was peering into whichever room Mytho had wound up in to check on him. When he popped his head in this time, he found the doors to the balcony open, and Rue missing. He frowned and quietly crossed the room, peering out onto the balcony.

[schrien_die_raben]

Hearing footsteps behind her, Rue wiped at her face and turned around, trying to arrange her expression into something more friendly. Upon seeing it was Fakir, however, she let herself slide into a more sullen stare.

"You're up late," she said.

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"And you're crying," Fakir observed, though his voice didn't carry any concern.

[schrien_die_raben]

"That's no business of yours," Rue said, keeping her voice distant and (she hoped) uncaring.

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir wrinkled his nose and stepped up to the balcony railing. "Considering who you've insisted on sleeping with, I think it is."

[schrien_die_raben]

"It isn't like he knows the difference," she said, not disguising her bitter tone. "To him, it's just water."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"That isn't his fault," Fakir said, a defensive tone edging into his voice. "And it's best if you're in a good state of mind if you'll be spending so much time with him."

[schrien_die_raben]

"Like I said, it doesn't matter to him," Rue said, turning away. "I could hit him and he wouldn't care."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"Whether he cared or not wouldn't matter!" Fakir snapped. "He can be hurt and not realize it, it isn't as if his ignorance makes him invulnerable."

[schrien_die_raben]

"It was an example," she said irritably. "Just what are you here for? Were you going to try and lure Mytho away in the dead of night?"

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Fakir said, his voice dropping to a hissing whisper.

[schrien_die_raben]

"You don't want him with me," she said, her voice low. "That's what this whole thing is about. You just want him back in your room so you can have your precious charge safe and 'protected'."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"If I wanted him in my room that badly, he would be there," Fakir said flatly. Inside, though, his heart twisted in selfish discontent, a feeling that made it all too easy to speak the next words. "And you're being very catty for a princess."

[schrien_die_raben]

"And you're being overprotective for a knight," Rue said huffily. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir shrugged. "I wanted to check on you two. You weren't in bed. The balcony was open. I thought something might have happened."

[schrien_die_raben]

"Well, nothing did, alright?" she lied. "I just couldn't sleep, that's all."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"Well, as long as you weren't kidnapped," Fakir said. "To tell the truth, I couldn't sleep either."

[schrien_die_raben]

"It's not easy here," Rue admitted. "I keep on feeling this strange dread at night. As if there's something here we can't see..."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir nodded. Even if he'd slept better here than he had in the City, the dread remained. Ben's presence abated it somewhat, but never entirely.

"It's a more dangerous place than it looks to be."

[schrien_die_raben]

Rue nodded.

"...There's ravens here," she said hesitantly. "They've told me people have been going missing lately."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

The mention of ravens caused Fakir to shudder, just a bit. At least these ones seemed helpful.

"That's not surprising," he said. "What kind of people, though?"

[schrien_die_raben]

"All sorts, it seems," Rue said, relieved that he hadn't commented on her speaking to those awful birds. "A whole village, according to one."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir shot her an incredulous glance, but said nothing to that effect. There was no reason to suspect that was untrue, or even unlikely.

"I didn't know there were more villages than just the one," he said. "Where's this one?"

[schrien_die_raben]

"Somewhere east, I think," Rue said. "Ravens aren't good at details."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"Well, I doubt too many roads lead out of here," Fakir reasoned. "I hope you know not to tell Mytho about this."

[schrien_die_raben]

"Of course," she said. "And we probably shouldn't say anything to Duck either. She's always rushing off into trouble."

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"That's true, but she can at least take care of herself," Fakir said, his reluctance to admit that clear in his tone. "I'm sure you know that better than I do."

[schrien_die_raben]

"I suppose," she admitted, grudgingly. "Compared to Mytho, most certainly."