Crossroads (Private with Squeezebabe)

[SqueezeBabe]

There was a skittering sound in the barn; Stephen gave a small start of fright and peered into the depths of the barn. Had an animal from the forest gotten inside? He approached the corner of the barn where the sound had come from, calling out softly. He heard the rustling in the straw, and as he got closer a small head popped free.

 

Stephen gave a defeated sigh. "I'm not supposed to be able to see you..." It seemed that he wasn't going to be able to feign ignorance for much longer, it seemed that the world was working against him in this regard. He was genuinely upset; he felt the inn ran smoothly the way it was, the wee people going about their business without his interference. Would they all leave if they knew that he could see them? What would happen to the inn? He really wished that he had his parents or grandparents to ask, he had been too young to know how they had interacted with the "helpers".

 

Stephen backed away, leaving the barn entirely. He went around to the front of the inn, and opened the door to the common room itself. "Ah, Damon, um..." The little figure dashed through his legs and into the inn, running up to the seated pair, and the sound of tinkling silver bells filled the room. Stephen stepped inside and closed the door, rubbing his face. He couldn't claim he hadn't heard the silvery sound, he couldn't claim he didn't see the tiny Fae.

 

He let out another sigh and waved a hand at it, "I think there's a problem..." he finished lamely.

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki watches the door practically burst open as Stephen opens it looking frazzled and then the small fae running over to them. He fights to keep a straight face but is slowly losing the battle. The scene is just too amusing! Especially since it would seem his hunch had been right, and he says so. "I thought there might be more to you than you let on. Although, I'm surprised to see it come out in such a manner." He tilts his head to look down at the small fae before them. "What seems to be the problem?" Yuzuki tilts his head as he looks at the fae. Despite the humor the little episode provided, the fae having broken what must have been a contract of sorts upheld for generations with the family living here, the problem must be fairly serious.

 

Glancing at Damon then back at Stephen he looks around the room to make sure they're alone before making a suggestion. "Well, I suppose first it might be prudent to move to an area where we can make sure we won't be overheard by those who might not be... Understanding of what it is we're discussing." His head tilts slightly to make it more of a question than a statement.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen blushed, his face hot. He couldn't even word a response to the strangers comment. So what if he was different? So what if he saw things that other people couldn't? He hurried back to behind the bar, and set about checking the cups and various bottles. "I can handle customers until the evening rush begins. You can go upstairs or even into the kitchen to talk." He rubbed his nose and a stubborn look took over, "Whatever it is, I don't want to know about it. I don't want to be involved in all this... stuff , I just want to run the inn, and not have to... worry about... little people." He felt a bit of an arse for saying what he did, but the prospect of having his delicate balance of belief disrupted terrified him.

 

Damon stood up, clearing the platter as he did so, "C'mon, kitchen it is. The walls are thick and there's no sneaking into it." The rest of the day would be difficult; until he was able to sit with Stephen and have a... serious discussion of his own.

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki just stares at Stephen for a moment, his eyes shimmer unnaturally as his power rises a bit before fading after he speaks. "Whatever the past relationship your family may have had is fading and the powers that have maintained that relationship will not allow you to keep hiding from it for long." He slowly stands up and shaking a little as though shaking off the remnants of what just happened. Giving a small sigh he looks away after Damon before looking back at Stephen. "I am sorry for that but it is what I sense. But change is never easy and is always scary, yet you're not alone. Should you require any assistance or just someone to talk to I would be willing to lend an ear. Sometimes it is easier talking to a stranger than someone close and dear about your fears and worries. And no need to worry, anything you say to me will be kept in the strictest confidence." With a slight tilt of his head and a small smile Yuzuki goes after Damon to go into the kitchen.

 

Sighing as he enters the kitchen he looks for Damon before finding a spot to sit down. "I'm going to take a bit of a guess and say that something major has shifted for you to make yourself visible to Stephen. Am I correct?" He asks looking at the other fae as he sits down. "I don't suppose you would mind telling us what happened?" Sitting he looks over at the fae concerned and curious. A fae revealing itself to a human that supposedly can't see it is a serious matter most of the time.

[SqueezeBabe]

The tiny Fae began to speak, the sound of bells, clear and sweet filled the room. Fae that small and wild didn't speak the human tongue, their interactions so limited they may as well be non existent.

 

"My lady; your mother, sends her apologies" he said, looking directly at Damon. "She bids you to return. It seems that your... brother has gone missing. The Hunt is due to begin, and there is.... no other Stag" the little man glanced warily at the stranger before continuing. "The crossroads agreement is on shaky ground m'lord, there are those who seek control for less than... civil purposes. The Guardian Family will be in danger if those who seek ill have their way..."

 

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his own secrets beginning to slip away. He looked over at the Naga, "...and how much of this has got to do with you? I didn't exactly recognise the thugs that were intent on capturing you..,"

[StainedCrimson]

A sharp intake of breath, much like a hiss, is heard from Yuzuki as the dots connect with who Damon is. Looking at the other he shifts. "Not as much as your involvement. The one seeking me could also be seeking to control the crossroads, but I can't really help with that now can I? As for the one hunting me..." He sighs looking away before locking gazes with Damon again looking frustrated and concerned. "All I know is that he has fae blood in him. A halfling if my senses are right. What bloodline I don't know."

 

Shifting he pauses slightly before asking his question. "How serious is the situation if you cannot take your brother's place?" He waits having posed the question in all seriousness. While he is limited in terms of his magic being hobbled by the same powers that protect him, that doesn't mean he's helpless or without resources. He will repay his personal debt as best he can to the ones who saved him and are giving him refuge along with food and board. What good is being a Naga if he can't even offer these people some protection or help?

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen stared at the glass in his hands. The stranger seemed to have a lot to say about things that were essentially none of his business. Change was coming? What was that supposed to mean? Why didn't Damon say or do anything? Now the two of them had disappeared into the kitchen with the wee man... he could hear the sound of tinkling bells, knowing deep down inside what the liquid melody was. He'd heard it before, many times, just that he was brought up to ignore it, pretend that it was just... bells and not the wee people talking.

 

He chewed his lip. Damon was one of them... even if he wasn't very "wee". He'd heard the same chiming sounds whenever he was around him, noticed the subtle changes around him when it occured. He didn't want Damon to be different, it made him feel unreachable, and it caused his chest to ache in a peculiar way.

 

The door to the inn flew open and a Fae wind filled the room, upsetting the chairs and causing the shutters to bang wildly. A tall and imposing figure strode into the room and a dark and terrible voice uttered, "Where is he?"

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki stiffens and turns to look at the kitchen door, a startled hiss escaping from him as the loud bang echos into the kitchen. He glances at Damon concerned. "That's a fae and Stephen's out there alone. We should hurry." Even though he's sure he doesn't need to say that he gets up to quickly go into the other room to at least distract the fae from Stephen who's already going through a lot of shock and change as it stands. Yuzuki would like to at least spare him the pains of having to deal with courts and higher order fae.

 

Standing slightly in front of Stephen he looks at the newcomer warily. "Greetings. Who might you be and just whom is it you're looking for?" If it's him, which Yuzuki doubts, he plans on doing what he can to help protect the inn as well as Stephen and Damon.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen blinked a few times as the figure strode into the room. The stranger had come out of the kitchen in an instant, positioning himself between Stephen and the newcomer. Damon was still nowhere to be seen; what was he doing? Why wasn't he protecting him?

 

"W-wait! What?" Stephen looked between the two strangers. "This is really a bit much now. This is an Safe Inn, you can't just barge in here demanding people come out!" He was more than a little peeved at this point, stepping out from behind the bar and approaching the newcomer. "Why don't you just take a seat?"

 

At this point, Damon appeared from the kitchen with a huge platter of food. "I thought you might come here. If you don't mind, keep your party tricks to yourself and stop being a bully. Mother has gotten her hose in a twist looking for you..."

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki, not one to normally touch others willingly, puts a restraining hand on Stephen's shoulder in warning while glancing at him. "Careful inn keeper, he's not like the ones you've known until now. Well, most of them." He amends thinking of Damon. With that he lets go of Stephen and goes to sit down at the bar in a spot where he can keep an eye on the new comer as well as hear what's going on. Not that it really mattered since his hearing was exceedingly good, but best to not give too much away.

 

Upon seeing Damon appear and hearing his comment he raises an eyebrow. "I see... So this is the brother the little one spoke of?" He asks seeking confirmation from Damon while lightly running his fingers along the bar as though stroking a pet as he keeps the stranger in view out of the corner of his eye while also trying to keep an eye on Stephen and how he's doing. Stephen being of slightly more concern than the stranger, but keeping an eye on someone unknown and not turning your back to them is always wise.

[SqueezeBabe]

Damon grimaced. "I'll use the term "brother" loosely in this instance," he said, sliding the platter along the table. "Everyone just sit down. I'm sure there's a forthcoming explanation..." He gave a pointed look at his brother who still wearing his cloak, his face hidden from view. "Oi! Don't be rude and take your cloak off!"

 

The newcomer removed his cloak and ran a hand through his hair. The face that stared back at them was identical to Damons.

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki blinks and raises an eyebrow but doesn't probe for further explanation. Seeing the identical face Yuzuki feels his interest growing in finding out just what is going on with Damon and his family. As well as why this man decided to suddenly barge into the other's home all of a sudden. He looks over at Stephen to see how he's taking the shock as well as to make sure he doesn't snap and either breakdown or go into a fit.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephens mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound was coming out. He was genuinely shocked by the revelation that Damon had a brother, a -twin- brother if appearances were anything to go by. "W-why didn't you tell me?" he spluttered. He knew that Damon had secrets, but if something like this was a secret, then what else was he hiding?

 

Damon came up to him, putting his arm around his shoulders and pulled him towards the kitchen, "Just come and help me for a second..." Damon called out over his shoulder as he herded Stephen into the kitchen, "You two play nice for a moment, and whatever you do -brother-, for the love of our mother, don't go anywhere or don't touch anything! I'll be a few minutes."

 

As the kitchen door closed behind them, Stephen rounded on Damon, "Don't you DARE tell me that I need to be elsewhere whilst you have another one of your so called secret discussions!" Stephen was genuinely angry and upset at the thought of being excluded once more, "I know everyone is supposed to have secrets, but just what in the hell have you been hiding from me?!" Damon wrapped his arms around Stephen and pulled him close; the confusion on Stephens face evident. "Awww Steph, I'm sorry if it feels like I've been keeping things from you, but we're going to talk about stuff that you may wish you didn't know... but if you want to stay, then I won't stop you, but please, just promise you won't say anything until we're done, and I promise you that I'll answer every question you have later."

 

Stephen didn't know what to think, Damon was close and that in itself was making him feel slightly strange... not a "bad" strange, but it was putting him off balance. "Uh, um, Ok... I guess?" Was he happy that Damon was including him? There was trepidation; what exactly was he going to be finding out? Damon leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and then released him, "C'mon, we'll get some drinks organised, this may take a while, and talking is always thirsty work" he said with a smile.

 

Stephen was now flustered. Damon had... kissed him? It wasn't unpleasant, and that close, he smelt faintly of something... nice. He blushed slightly and nodded in agreement, the two of them heading back out of the kitchen to the bar, where he organised cups for everyone and a very large jug of wine for them to drink. Once they were all seated, Damon let out a sigh, "God this is messy, where do you want me to start?"

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki watches Stephen being herded into the kitchen with a bemused expression and smiles at the thought of Stephen digging into Damon for keeping so many secrets. Slowly though he turns to look at this 'brother' of Damon's and looks him over contemplatively. He's not sure what to make of the other fae just yet, but maybe he could prove useful or helpful in figuring out his own problem of being hunted if nothing else. Still, that issue can wait until the immediate problem has been addressed at the very least.

 

Seeing the others come back in he shifts and raises an eyebrow at the wine. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but at most I'll only have one cup of wine. Might water or juice be available?" He asks quietly. This is partially due to the fact that he's not much of one for wine, but also because he doesn't care for alcohol. He does love his coffee however. Hearing Damon's question he tilts his head. "Perhaps far back enough to where this..." waving a hand he searches for a word "situation originated and how it came to be here would be a place to start."

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen nodded and got up to get something other than wine for the table. He noticed he was chewing his lip again, the unconscious gesture of uncertainty. It was getting hard to keep thinking of the stranger as "The Stranger", despite not actually being introduced yet. Perhaps identities would be made clear in the coming conversation, the conversation that was beginning to fill him with a dread of sorts. No doubt he would learn something about the history of the inn that he inherited, and perhaps that in itself would not be such a bad thing, but did he want to know what Damons secrets were? What if that knowledge changed things between them?

 

Stephen came back to the table with one of the coloured bottles from the other side of the bar. "Ah, this one seems fairly popular, though i'm not quite sure what it actually is.." he grinned sheepishly as he put it down on the table, "The other side of the bar seems to work on a bit of an honour system, I get told what coloured bottle they want, and they payment in the chest on the counter, and then Damon takes care of..." his voice trailed off slightly as he sat down. Did he just make a fool out of himself by admitting that he didn't know what half those bottles even were? To be honest, he never needed to; the system that was in place seemed to just work.

 

Damon took a healthy swallow from his cup, almost like he was seeking courage at the bottom of it. "This is my brother, Cernunnos" he said, having a hand across the table. "He's what mortals refer to as the "Horned God" or those in more... rustic environments call "The Stag". He is supposed to lead The Hunt; the great mythical chase. Though it's not all that mythical, and what gets chased tends to vary, but the Hunt is supposed to be important, and yet he's here... running away. Somewhat ironic don't you think brother?" Damon picked up a piece of fruit and chewed on it slowly, gathering his thoughts into a more orderly fashion. He was unsure of just how much he was supposed to reveal; how much he wanted to reveal. It was probably best to stick to the more obvious truths...

 

"As for the inn, well, that's complicated in itself. The inn uses magic much older than anything we're familiar with, it was even old when the Fae were new. You can't control the magic, the magic almost has a life of it's own. That is the nature of the Crossroads; it is an old an ancient magic that offers protection; sanctuary to those who ask of it, in return for something they hold dear. It's the magic of exchange, whatever you ask for it, you have to give something of equal or greater value in return to pay your debt as it were. How the inn came to be in Stephens family, I have no idea, but it's been looked after for quite a few generations. The inn protects it's own; what they refer to as the "Guardian Family", so whilst Stephen is under it's protection, nothing can harm him as it were... but the details have been lost in time, and who knows how much of the stories are true..."

 

Damon ran a hand through his hair, the gesture identical to the one that Cernunnos had used earlier. "Um, and well.. If you know who he is," he said, waving a hand in the direction of his twin, "Then you now know who I am..."

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki gives Stephen a small smile and lightly touches the back of his hand to give some comfort. "It's alright if you don't know what they are. I'm sure they're more than suitable and I appreciate you bringing them over." He says gently before inspecting the bottles, sniffing lightly to see what they are before picking one and pouring himself some of the liquid. Taking a sip he lets out a pleased sigh before paying more attention to what Damon is saying. He raises an eyebrow and looks between the two. Well, if this isn't an unexpected surprise. Meeting the infamous Stag of the Hunt. "This is far more excitement than I expected to happen upon receiving sanctuary." He muses more to himself looking Cernunnos over with more curiosity before glancing at Stephen to see how he's handling the revealing so far.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen flushed slightly at the unexpected contact. He was curious about the stranger, but wasn't sure if it really was his place to say anything. So many things seemed to be happening at once, and he was becoming more than a little confused. He sat down to listen to Damon's explanation of events, and then became even more confused. If Cernunnos and Damon were twins, and Cernunnos was the leader of The Hunt... then didn't that make them... Fae royalty? Stephens face became even redder than before. Weren't you supposed to treat royalty differently? You certainly didn't expect them to work in a kitchen and sleep in a barn! All the new information made his head swirl, and he felt slightly faint. "I, uh, I think I might excuse myself for a moment.." he said, getting up from the table. He hurried towards the kitchen where he could at least splash some water on his face...

 

Damon watched Stephen leave, a worried look crossing his face and he sighed, "I really didn't want to tell him this stuff..." he rounded on his brother, "Why did you have to come looking for me? You know I left for a very good reason. YOU were supposed to be the dutiful son, I was the outcast remember?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice and he glared at his brother who offered no comment except to shrug his shoulders. Damon huffed slightly, "They say "bad" things come in threes... First it's you," he indicated towards Yuzuki, "then it's you..." rolling his eyes at his brother, "so what on earth is the third thing going to be?"

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki just pops a piece of food into his mouth and swallows before speaking. "Be careful of what you voice, because you may give what you speak of more power if you do. One of our kind should know that better than most." He cautions setting a level stare at Damon before picking up the now empty bottle and goes back to the kitchen to give it to Stephen as well as to check in on him. While he may not be the person best suited to calm Stephen's concerns and confusion, he's at the very least not the source of them. Not too mention he doesn't care to be around the tension of the two brothers alone.

 

Seeing Stephen splashing water on his face he purposefully makes a noise letting the other know he's entering the kitchen so as to not startle him. "Stephen? Where would you like me to put this bottle?" He asks deciding to start with something mundane so the other can gather himself a little more before asking about his welfare and how he's handling the sudden changes and revelations about his friend.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen was startled as he heard the noise come from behind him, looking around wide-eyed for a moment. "Oh, it's you.." he blushed, "sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound rude, it's just that... I ... uh..." Stephen stared intently at his hands as he dried them on the kitchen towel, without thinking he lifted his shirt to dry his face, exposing the skin underneath. The water had done nothing to cool his burning skin, but at least his shirt was hiding it for the moment. "I think I'm just... really confused" he mumbled into his shirt, before letting it drop back down with a sigh... "I'm sorry, I, uh, don't think we've actually been introduced properly..."

 

X-----X-----X-----X-----X

 

Damon looked over at his brother as Yuzuki followed Stephen into the kitchen. An irritated look crossed his face, "So why are you here? I had one of mothers folk come in here in a panic, upsetting Stephen and blabbering something about you going missing, and yet here you are, the perpetual thorn in my side." Cernunnos smirked slightly before answering, "I came to get you and bring you back. You were supposed to be the brother that took over the family responsibility as it were, but you had to go and get yourself disowned... Father isn't around anymore, the reason for your exile is gone, you can come back..." Damon snorted. "I'm not coming back, I'm actually kinda happy working in a kitchen..."

 

Cernunnos paused for a moment, "You like him, don't you..." A smile played around his lips, "You can't hide it from me, you know I feel what you do... and I know he's the reason why father disowned you... Why don't you come back, I'm sure mother will let you keep him..." Damon narrowed his eyes, "Not happening" he said flatly. He wasn't going to give up Stephen for anyone, least of all the family that cast him out for it in the first place.

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki's gaze drops down to the exposed flesh, his eyes widening in surprise slightly before smiling at Stephen. "Nothing to apologize for. This has to be a lot for you to take in, and it's only natural you'd be confused." He chuckles at the topic change. "Not officially no. I'm Yuzuki. It's a pleasure and an honor." He tilts his head while lifting Stephen's hand to place a light kiss to the inside of his wrist before letting it go.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen stared at his hand were Yuzuki had kissed it for a moment, before his brain caught up with what had just happened. His face instantly reddened once more, nearly matching the colour of his hair. He wasn't used to contact from other men, well, men other than Damon, which just made his face feel as if it was going to catch fire. "Uh, you're not... Royalty too are you?" Stephen was already beginning to chew his bottom lip, white teeth marking the pink skin and making it darker. "I mean, I didn't know about Damon, and well, what are you supposed to..." He stopped talking, realising that he was just blurting out the first thing that came into his head, "sorry" he mumbled, wishing that ground would open up and swallow him whole. Stephen swallowed a few times, his mouth had suddenly become very dry, his tongue coming out to lick his lips a few times, "Uh... maybe we should... go back..."

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki laughs, the sound light a soft breeze on a full moon night near a silver lake in spring. In short it's nothing at all like a human laugh. "I'm not royalty by blood no, but I am a high ranking person in my own right." Higher actually due to the rarity of his coloring signaling him as being special amongst the Nagas, but he's not about to spread that around. "And you're not sure what I'm supposed to be?" He finishes with a small smile not looking offended the least. "If you really want to know you just have to ask, but I'm not sure most humans would be willing to accept one of my kind. We haven't been welcomed or smiled upon by your kind since yours was barely walking." Yuzuki gives a gentle but sad smile. "Perhaps one day you'll be able to handle seeing my other form, but I think for now you have more than enough on your shoulders at the moment."

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen nodded slowly, the redness of his face slowly faded to just a tinge of pink against his cheeks. "I'll... keep that in mind I guess..." he said as he walked to the kitchen door, "I think we should go back out, I-I don't want Damon to... worry or something..." It was a lame excuse, even to his ears, but he wasn't sure how to explain the rising worry that he was some how doing something... "wrong" in Damons eyes. He and Yuzuki were just in the kitchen talking right? Nothing improper going on... so why did he suddenly feel guilty? The door banged open, making him jump. "Steph are you ok?" It was Damon, his dark eyes looking around the kitchen before settling on Yuzuki and narrowing imperceptibly. "Cernunnos has finished talking... but he'll be staying for a few days until we can sort something out... there's other stuff too, but I can talk with you later tonight... when we're alone..."

 

Stephen nodded again, this time at Damon, "Uh, sure.. there will be time after the dinner rush... uh, speaking of which, shouldn't we start preparing for that?" Stephen wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it was definitely late afternoon, and soon patrons would be arriving for an evening meal. He turned to Yuzuki, "Ah, you might want to retire to your room... though you're welcome to stay in the common room, just that it gets really busy around meal times... dinner is worse than lunch" Stephen explained.

[StainedCrimson]

Yuzuki just raises an eyebrow and meets Damon's gaze calmly before giving Stephen a small smile. "If it's that busy I don't mind helping out where I can. It'd be much preferable to staying locked in my room or just sitting at a table and staring at a wall." He says in a light tone. "Even if it's just doing outside work, dishes or cleaning up tables I don't mind. Besides, I'd prefer to be kept busy. Being idle isn't something I'm too fond of." He explains before continuing after a slight pause. "Well, minus when it's really cold or if I find a very interesting book." Chuckling he holds out his hands palms up and looks at Stephen with an expectant but patient look as he waits for the other to tell him what to do.

[SqueezeBabe]

Stephen brightened, "Help? That actually isn't a bad idea..." He smiled at Damon, "don't you think so too?" Damon did have to admit that an extra hand around the the place during dinner rush would be more than helpful... his eyes narrowed again, "I'll get Cernunnos to help too... he can be dish pig whilst I do the food, and Yuzuki can help with the serving..." Damon folded his arms across his chest and nodded, more to himself. "If there are no objections then I suggest we start with food prep, something tells me that it might get a bit busy tonight..."

 

X-----X-----X-----X-----X

 

Stephen sighed to himself as he looked out over the busy common room, nearly all the tables were full, to the point where the definitive line between the two halves of the room had become blurred and people were just sitting where they could find somewhere to sit. Whilst he often dreamed of having the inn full like this, he couldn't help but think that it boded ill. The extra help from Yuzuki and Cernunnos had certainly made a difference; on a normal night just him and Damon would have been able to manage... just. He was lost in his own thoughts, drying glasses when he felt arms go around his waist, and he leaned into them instinctively, his head tilting to the side has he did, still rubbing the glass with the dish towel.