Just a nice Sunday in the park... [OPEN]

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

WHO: Rue, and OPEN.
WHERE: The Park
WHEN: 8/23, late afternoon-ish
WARNINGS: Um, none.
SUMMARY: After failing to find Mytho, Rue goes to the park and sulks rests.
FORMAT: Paragraph.



She couldn't find him. She had gone to the place Duck had told her about, only to find an empty, albeit suspiciously lived in apartment. She had gone everywhere after that, looking for him in every place she could think of, even going so far as to ride in one of those ugly yellow taxi things.

Now, exhausted and frustrated, she sat down under a tree in the park, to rest until she felt like searching again. One by one, a group of crows begins to join, settling into the tree above her head, beady yellow eyes watching her as if waiting for something. She wasn't too happy about their presence, but made no move to shoo them off.

Rue knew that Fakir was with him, that he had hidden him somewhere. Even after being proven time and time again to be useless, the foolish knight still thought he could just take Mytho. No matter, she would find him, and Mytho would return to her of his own free will.

After all, with the Raven's blood, he was hers now.

Comments

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

The prince stopped, turning at his name. "Rue..."

The emotions he felt on seeing the girl were a turbulent mix of things that were hard to pin down.

It was Rue. Not Kraehe, but Rue. Maybe she was from another time in the story like Ahiru was...

Fakir would want him to stay away. But Fakir also would not have wanted him to be out on his own to start with.

Unable to figure what to do, Mytho just stood there, looking at the raven haired girl.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

He was hesitating. Was he afraid of her, of the crows? His face was impossible to read, he was simply staring at her, unmoving. Perhaps he didn't know what she wanted from him.

"Come here, Mytho," she said, giving him a gentle smile.

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

There was a moment of unsure hesitation before Mytho approached, a hand over his heart, almost as if trying to protect it.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She frowned at his hesitation. Something was wrong. Rue carefully arranged her face into another smile, gesturing for him to sit next to her.

"I missed you," she said.

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

Mytho sat down, looking over at her. "You did...?" he asked softly.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She leaned against his shoulder slightly, closing her eyes.

"I did," she said. "I was so lonely without you."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

Like the old Rue, not Kraehe. Mytho gave a very soft, faint smile. "I wanted to see you too, Rue..."

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She hesitated, staring into his eyes. He was acting like the old prince, he looked like the old prince. What had happened to shake the blood's hold on him?

She shook the thought from her head. It didn't matter. He was here now. He was with her. Nothing else mattered.

"Has Fakir been hiding you?"

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

"He thought you were Kraehe... but you're just Rue, aren't you?" Mytho asked, looking over at her.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

For a long moment, Rue was silent. He wanted her to be Rue, not Kraehe. But that was impossible, there was no going back to the way things were, not now. Not with Father still around.

But Father wasn't here. And Mytho might leave if she told him she was Kraehe. So, she settled for a half-truth.

"For now."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

"For now...?" Mytho echoed.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

Rue sighed.

"I am not Kraehe." If that wasn't who he wanted her to be, then she would stay as Rue around him.

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

Mytho gave a very soft smile. If Rue was just Rue and not Kraehe.. then the Raven's Blood would be quiet around her... right?

As if thinking of it triggered it, there was a flair up in the Blood staining his heart and Mytho tensed slightly, hand going over his heart.

No.. no he wasn't going to...

Think of Fakir. And Ahiru, and Tutu. Believe in that protection, in that feeling, whatever it was... the faces of the people who kept him himself...

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She looked over at him worriedly. Was it the blood again? That heart shard?

"Mytho?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

The prince looked over at her, expression tensed and almost pained. "I don't want him to hurt you again, Rue... Don't make him come out..."

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

So it was the Raven's blood. Her expression changed to something serious and distant, her hand going to touch his shoulder lightly.

"I'm not making you do anything."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

"You're not...?" Mytho asked, trying to concentrate on her and keep the Raven's blood down at the same time.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She rubbed his shoulder slightly to comfort him, face unchanging.

"I'm not."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

"Why not?"

His voice held an odd edge to it as his eyes briefly flashed red before he tensed further, turning his attention inward to fight off the Raven Prince best he could.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She flinched slightly at his voice. It was taking him over. He wouldn't win against it, and if he continued to fight it would only make it worse. Hesitantly, she reached over and put her arms around him, murmuring softly in his ear.

"Stop fighting, prince. It will only make you suffer more."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

The torn prince looked over at her, golden eyes looking almost afraid and betrayed before he clutched at his heart, giving a strangled cry.

He couldn't-- couldn't--

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She held onto him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder. He was suffering so much because of her, because he wouldn't stop fighting this, even though it was pointless not to.

"Please." she said, emotion filling her voice. "Please stop this."

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

There was a dark chuckle as Mytho looked over at her, eyes deep red once more. "Stop what, Kraehe?" he asked, tone mocking.

[easyopentabs.livejournal.com]

She looked up at him, arms falling to her sides. Her expression turned to relief as she saw the red in his eyes. Her Raven Prince had returned to her.

"You've stopped fighting, then?" she asked.

[lovemedangit.livejournal.com]

He gave a small snort, getting to his feet and dusting himself up. "No. But he has. For now."

He looked over at Rue with a smirk. "So nice of you to finally show up, by the way. A little late to the party, are we?"