Post by Wildmagesapprentice on May 26, 2013 2:02:35 GMT 10
Title: I'll protect you from the monsters
Rating: PG
Word Count: 618
Pairing: Buri/Raoul
Round/Fight: 2B
Summary: A midnight discussion of fears and friends
He finds her out on the balcony, perched on the wall that surrounds it, staring out at the city.
'Up a little late, aren't we?' Raoul walks forward until he stands beside her, and rests his forearms against the wall.
She scowls at him. 'Aren't you?'
'Perhaps, but I'm a grown man. You're still a lass- what are you, fourteen?'
'Almost fifteen, actually. And I'm not a child.'
'Of course not. All the same, I think you should probably get down from there. Her highness wouldn't thank me if you fell and broke your neck.'
She shrugs off his concern. 'I can look after myself.'
'I don't doubt it. But it's a thin wall you're sat on, and it's rather windy. You're a small girl. I'd hate for you to get blown off.'
Buri turns to look at him incredulously. He winks, and then smiles as she grins.
'At last, a smile. So young, yet so serious. You should laugh more. I'm told it's good for you.' Raoul nods.
She shakes her head at him. 'We K'miri have words for people like you. But it's not polite to use them.'
He laughs, then, a sound that comes from deep in his chest. 'So why are you out here?'
She shuffles, and for a minute he really does think she'll fall off. Her smile is gone.
'Is it a secret? Buri?'
'It's none of your business!' She snaps.
'Woah there. I meant no offence.' It's silent for a moment, and she's not looking at him, she's staring out at the city again. 'I just... I remembered that sometimes, when something troubles me, I find it easier to bear when I've shared it with someone else.' There's silence again, and he sighs. 'Perhaps it's not the same for you. Never mind.'
She looks at him. 'You'd laugh. It's silly.'
'I won't, I promise. It can't be so silly, if its bothering a brave girl like you.'
Buri looks away, twisting her hands in her lap, and he thinks that she's reconsidered, and is not going to tell him after all, when she speaks. 'I... I'm afraid of the dark.' She scowls down at her hands, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
He considers this, lips pursed together as he thinks. 'That's understandable.'
'It's foolish. Only babies are afraid of the dark.'
'There you're wrong. I know plenty of brave knights who sleep with lights on.' He meets her eyes, and holds them. 'It's what war does to you, isn't it?' He reaches out and takes her hand. She stiffens for a moment, but doesn't pull away. 'Do you know what I'm afraid of?'
'You? Afraid? No...' She raises her eyebrows.
'Oh yes. I'm going to tell you, but you have to keep it secret.'
'Alright. I will.'
He looks from side to side, as though he's checking to see if anyone is watching, then bends so that his mouth is close to her ear. 'I,' he whispers, 'am afraid... of monsters.'
She snorts, and grins. 'Seriously?'
'It's no joke, Buri! At any time, one could sneak up on me, and eat me for its dinner!'
She laughs. 'Of course. It's a very serious matter.'
'Exactly. So, now you know what I'm afraid of, and I know what you're afraid of, does that make us friends?'
Buri smiles at him. 'I suppose it does.' A bell sounds somewhere in the city, marking midnight. 'And I suppose that makes it time to sleep.' She climbs down from the wall and turns to go back inside. 'Oh, and Raoul?'
'Yes?'
She rests a hand on his shoulder, her face and voice serious. 'I will protect you from the monsters.'
Rating: PG
Word Count: 618
Pairing: Buri/Raoul
Round/Fight: 2B
Summary: A midnight discussion of fears and friends
He finds her out on the balcony, perched on the wall that surrounds it, staring out at the city.
'Up a little late, aren't we?' Raoul walks forward until he stands beside her, and rests his forearms against the wall.
She scowls at him. 'Aren't you?'
'Perhaps, but I'm a grown man. You're still a lass- what are you, fourteen?'
'Almost fifteen, actually. And I'm not a child.'
'Of course not. All the same, I think you should probably get down from there. Her highness wouldn't thank me if you fell and broke your neck.'
She shrugs off his concern. 'I can look after myself.'
'I don't doubt it. But it's a thin wall you're sat on, and it's rather windy. You're a small girl. I'd hate for you to get blown off.'
Buri turns to look at him incredulously. He winks, and then smiles as she grins.
'At last, a smile. So young, yet so serious. You should laugh more. I'm told it's good for you.' Raoul nods.
She shakes her head at him. 'We K'miri have words for people like you. But it's not polite to use them.'
He laughs, then, a sound that comes from deep in his chest. 'So why are you out here?'
She shuffles, and for a minute he really does think she'll fall off. Her smile is gone.
'Is it a secret? Buri?'
'It's none of your business!' She snaps.
'Woah there. I meant no offence.' It's silent for a moment, and she's not looking at him, she's staring out at the city again. 'I just... I remembered that sometimes, when something troubles me, I find it easier to bear when I've shared it with someone else.' There's silence again, and he sighs. 'Perhaps it's not the same for you. Never mind.'
She looks at him. 'You'd laugh. It's silly.'
'I won't, I promise. It can't be so silly, if its bothering a brave girl like you.'
Buri looks away, twisting her hands in her lap, and he thinks that she's reconsidered, and is not going to tell him after all, when she speaks. 'I... I'm afraid of the dark.' She scowls down at her hands, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
He considers this, lips pursed together as he thinks. 'That's understandable.'
'It's foolish. Only babies are afraid of the dark.'
'There you're wrong. I know plenty of brave knights who sleep with lights on.' He meets her eyes, and holds them. 'It's what war does to you, isn't it?' He reaches out and takes her hand. She stiffens for a moment, but doesn't pull away. 'Do you know what I'm afraid of?'
'You? Afraid? No...' She raises her eyebrows.
'Oh yes. I'm going to tell you, but you have to keep it secret.'
'Alright. I will.'
He looks from side to side, as though he's checking to see if anyone is watching, then bends so that his mouth is close to her ear. 'I,' he whispers, 'am afraid... of monsters.'
She snorts, and grins. 'Seriously?'
'It's no joke, Buri! At any time, one could sneak up on me, and eat me for its dinner!'
She laughs. 'Of course. It's a very serious matter.'
'Exactly. So, now you know what I'm afraid of, and I know what you're afraid of, does that make us friends?'
Buri smiles at him. 'I suppose it does.' A bell sounds somewhere in the city, marking midnight. 'And I suppose that makes it time to sleep.' She climbs down from the wall and turns to go back inside. 'Oh, and Raoul?'
'Yes?'
She rests a hand on his shoulder, her face and voice serious. 'I will protect you from the monsters.'