The Monster & the Maiden Fair

[wine_sock]

the monster & the maiden fair meme



There's a long precedent in folklore and myth of beautiful young people - both men and women - being kidnapped by monsters: dragons, beasts, goblins, demons, elves, vampires, wolves, or even evil humans. In the end, however, these prisoners are almost always rescued and brought back to civilization to live a normal and happy life.

But what if they didn't want to leave their jailor?

They've seen behind the surface and have begun to sympathize with this "monster;" no, more than that, they've fallen for them. Will this story have a happy ending? Will the monster believe that anyone could love them? Most importantly, though, can the two of them be left alone without any attempts at a "rescue?"

how to play

• Comment with your character, your preference, and what role they'll play. Feel free to AU characters to your desire role.
• Reply to others.
• Thread anything that could remotely fit under the umbrella theme. Was the kidnapping just that, or did both parties know (and care) for each other before, making it a collaborative, mutual effort? Perhaps you'd prefer to play the actual Beauty and The Beast-style getting to know each other or seeing behind the grizzly facade. What about an attempted "rescue?" Or maybe you could thread out a scene where the prisoner runs away from the society they were forced back into and returns to their beloved beast! It's all up to you. You could even do smut if you wanted to, but this isn't a smut meme.

Meme was last posted (as far as this mun is aware) by processions, awesome artwork is by chewy

Comments

[reincarnivorous]

[She and Palm are good friends now. Absolutely everything about this conversation makes her want to twitch, which she... definitely does. That this sort of personality is disproportionate among Hunters is no comfort. Pitou taking this as well as it is is no help.

With some tension,] I remember everything. In fact, we've met once before. It's even likely in part thanks to you that I'm alive again. You'll recognize me, I think.

My name is Kite.

[royalmeow]

[Thanks to it? Pitou doesn't recall many, if any of the many humans it toyed with. It didn't even gather them for the Queen--that was for the soldiers. Pitou was strong, so it spent most of its time learning, guarding and regulating training, or puppeting humans. It feels it's unfortunate it will have to tell its King that it doesn't remember her.

Or so it thinks. The name rings an immediate bell, if only because of how Gon said it over and over--to bring Kite back. It killed Kite. Kite, Kite, Kite. The human it killed, strong but not strong enough--and of course it fed the brain to the Queen, since it was dead anyway and would make a nice treat.]

...Kite? [The familiarity makes sense now. How did it not realize it sooner? Pitou continues to smile, somehow more awkward than before. Did Gon know? What was going to happen now? There's no way it could defeat that human boy if he did that again.] You were the human that I killed, what an unusual turn of events. But this means you have even greater potential! A strong human will make a strong King, you know.

[reincarnivorous]

I hope so. [If only to keep Pitou in line! Pitou, who isn't as fazed by the news as Kite had imagined. Nevermind 5000 kidnapped Nen-using Chimera Ants they probably don't even know about. Also awkwardly,] I have every intention of becoming stronger.

[Abruptly, she begins walking. They're going to take the scenic route back so she can plan how to handle this. There's no need to look if Pitou follows when she can feel it.] Dumb creatures taste perfectly fine. Some magical creatures will also be off limits. I can get you a list if you want to hunt for yourself, but someone on my team usually handles it. I'll have to introduce you to the others...

[Kite never took her death personally. Life or death is expected for a Hunter, and she underestimated the risk. But if Gon doesn't explode, Kite suspects Killua will, even if she breaks the news first.] If you have any concerns, please ask. I don't have anything to teach you, but I suppose you're mine now.

(oh no your edit note! this is such a good and awful canon. i sort of regret these two aren't suited for live vivisection or other pitou-based medical science horror. i'm also totally charmed by pitou's single-mindedness.)

[royalmeow]

[Pitou follows without question, but it's not quite as carefree as it seems. The revelation definitely nags at it. There's a lot of connections now between it, the new King, and Gon that it doesn't like.

At the same time, it's earnestly excited to see how strong its new King will become, and it sees no reason for Kite to hold anything against it. After all, this life is much better than the one Kite had before.] I go wherever you go, King.

[So Pitou doesn't plan to wander far unless specifically told to do so.] ...I do have one question.

(rip pokkle... i love it. and worry not i'm sure pitou will find something to vivisect at some point, even if its not human.)

[reincarnivorous]

[Absolutely no one is happy or will be happy about this turn of events, but also... all three of them are alive. For now. Kite finds she can't bring her mind to bear on more than the most immediate of plans, so preoccupied is she is with measuring Pitou's presence, with scanning and rescanning its aura for threat. She's just going to need to wing it. "I'm home, Meleoron, and you're not going to believe who I ran into..." No.]

Ask.

(then at least they won't get bored... >_>)

[royalmeow]

[Pitou's aura is starting to spread now, En stretching outwards and almost stifling in its power. It wanted to sense what was in the mansion before they actually got inside.]

Does Gon know that you have the human Kite's memories?

[reincarnivorous]

He does. [Short and clipped.

It... it doesn't know how closely it had coming to killing him, does it. It died and it thought... She's going to have to-]

I should explain. After your fight, Gon was near death. He had burned away so much of his life- well, you were there. At least he should never have been able to use Nen again. He remained in critical condition... It was in that time that my memories, my identity, became known. Only recently, through particular means I can't disclose, he was restored entirely.

He came to see me then. Only a few days ago, actually. So he knows. [THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD MEMORY. Now it's super awks and migraine fodder. Lamely,] I'll explain your situation to him. I don't expect he'll be happy but... [Ultimately, she's the one who actually died of the two of them, so like. She pushes her hair back restlessly, pensive in the enormous shadow of Pitou's admittedly less murderous En.]

[royalmeow]

[That's a lot to take in, so Pitou doesn't speak right away. Instead it thinks, and it thinks that it doesn't really remember much about their fight because it was so swiftly beaten to death. Pitou does know that what Gon did was something it's never seen before, and that it was terrifying, it sends chills down its spine even now.

Pitou even pauses following when it's told that Gon was here a few days ago. Torn between its duty and how truly frightened it was of the prospect that it might see that human boy again. Of course it would do anything for its King, so that pause only last a few seconds before it starts to walk again.]

I won't need to protect you from him. [That's all it can think to say. Gon obviously would not attack Kite, and it was thankful for that because it didn't want to fail again.] ...You Majesty, I have another question.

[reincarnivorous]

[ No, in fact, I'll probably have to protect you from him. Fffffffff. She pinches the bridge of her nose and nods. ]

Please. Ask.

[royalmeow]

[Unless Gon pulls that stunt again, at least Pitou will still far outclass him.]

Do you know what happened to the late King? I...want to know. [It feels it would give it some sort of peace, maybe.]

[reincarnivorous]

[That didn't stop him from trying the last time. Really, though, it's more his feelings she's worried about than anything. Once upon a time, she would have said he was the rare kind of person who didn't hold grudges, but continued living happily. This news will definitely hurt him. It will do a lot of things, but hurt is certain.]

Oh. Of course. Mmm, I'll try to answer, although certain things are humanity's secrets. [And I'm committed now, not stupid; I know plenty about your inquisitive mind.] Let's see.

The King fought against one of the strongest humans. We don't who won, but that human is certainly dead. To ensure humanity's survival, in that fight he used a terrible weapon we had once developed to use against one another. I believe we were underestimated. Although he didn't die immediately, the King was infected by a poison which is both incurable and contagious. He became aware of this and, in his remaining time, his personality appeared to change drastically. At least he was less inclined to kill, and he took great care of a human girl. He died as he requested, peacefully in her company. She and the other Royal Guards died as well from their proximity to the King.

[Always 'we'; humanity's crimes are hers also. How does Pitou's aura feel after this? Not exactly to soften it, but, a little more gently,] I was told all of these things after they had passed. If they're willing to speak with you, there are people who were present and might be able to tell you more if you still want to know.

Oh, and there's something else.

[royalmeow]

[Painful is the only way to describe the feeling in its chest right now. That the King was so great, and Pitou is sure he won that fight, but still fell to something like that. Just a simple poison, like the ones Pitou had curiously read about in its books. Even if it had been there, there would have been nothing for it to do, and yet it's positive dying with the others would be better than feeling like this.

The King died peacefully with that human he cared about. It's still the only strange comfort Pitou can find, but also a reminder that it was unable to fully witness or understand the changes King was going through until it was too late. Its aura seems to grow heavier, almost suffocating and yet still lacking in any of the usual maliciousness--because Pitou is crying. It's not making any noise, but there are tears running down its cheeks.

Pitou doesn't really know what to say, so it just refocuses its eyes on Kite and uncertainly urges her on.] There's more?

[reincarnivorous]

[Kite pauses, pivots, and looks up very up very seriously at Pitou's streaming face. The fear is still there, but it's soothed by the ant, and the assurance that humanity really is safe at least from this threat.]

Before he died, the King learned the name he was given by the Queen. He told it to the girl, Komugi. It was Meruem. ["The light that shines on everything", she doesn't add. Maybe the meaning is apparent in the name.]

[royalmeow]

Meru...em. [It blinks a few times, then looks up, over Kite's head at the mansion.]

The name suits him. [Too bad it never had the chance to use it, but Pitou won't forget it.] He should have had a kingdom to match.

[reincarnivorous]

[Conspicuously not replying to that. She wouldn't say a kingdom is the kind of thing a person could deserve, but it's natural Pitou would feel differently.

If it has no more questions, she'll begin them walking again, leaving it to process its thoughts. As they approach their destination,] Have you ever used Ken? [We're going to try not to spook the other residents.]

[royalmeow]

[Well, Pitou will make sure Kite understands later! After all, she deserves a kingdom as well. This small mansion is too modest of a start...but it's something.

For now, it'll follow until spoken to again.] Ken? Nya, I haven't heard of that before.

[reincarnivorous]

[Oh boy, they are in for some frustrating conversations in the future.]

Oh? Maybe there are still things I can teach you. [But is that really a good idea? She can justify this to herself, since it would certainly learn these techniques itself, given time or example. She may have heard the abbreviated version of where Pitou learned its basics from Colt, but it wouldn't have been relevant at the time.]

Then for now, please use Ten. I don't want to the alarm the others before I can explain, and your En is [threatening by virtue of sheer power alone] distinctive. [The idea of Pitou wandering around using Zetsu is also too... much.]

[royalmeow]

[Frustrating likely for only one of them...]

I would be honored. [It was used to learning on its own, but being taught--that sounds like a fun experience!]

As you wish, King. [Pitou draws its aura in, surrounding its body and using a perfect Ten.] But if I may suggest, it's safer if I use my En.

[reincarnivorous]

[She'll be frustrated enough for two!! Also, nice technique, A+.]

I'm using mine, and none of my people would harm me. [...Hmmm...] We don't harm one another. [...Ummmmm...] Don't harm anyone. [That should do it.]

If you have to defend yourself, you should, but I don't think it will come to that. [No one thinks they can take Pitou; hopefully no one home would try (because they definitely can't). There are a lot of variables.]

[royalmeow]

[Blink blink! Wow, the King sure is particular. Pitou looks a little disappointed by the news, still smiling but with a knit brow.]

Nyaa... That's no fun. [What about when it wants to play and kill things?] But if that's what you want, I will oblige.

[reincarnivorous]

Good. [Pitou really would fit in well with a lot of the people in the Association, people Kite worked with in some professional capacity. But they aren't exactly the ones Kite enjoys being in the company of. Just thinking about it makes her feel sticky.

Not playing and killing things people is the important concession, so the next request is a request as they come into clear view of the main entrance.] Would you wait outside for a little while?

[royalmeow]

[Pitou's tail swishes, seeming a little unsure.]

Right here, without my En? [It's not used to this. It's always used its En when separated from the King.]

[reincarnivorous]

You really use it all the time?

[Who maintains En all the time? A normal user would definitely not be able to do something like that indefinitely. Even those who could choose to save their energy. Kite isn't even a little bit worried about its safety.]

[royalmeow]

It's my duty to protect the King.

[So it uses it when it feels it must, which is...often.]

[reincarnivorous]

. . .

[ . . . ]

The others won't feel safe around you. In fact, they'll likely want to protect me from you. Just use Ten for now and... after I've explained... your aura as it is now... well, we'll see.

[I'm never going to get to freely risk my life for fun and profit again, am I.]