bakerstreet | Monster and the Maiden Fair

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Monster and the Maiden Fair

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.

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LeFou reached out and touched the twisting path of a branch on the tattoo without thinking. He looked up in horror when he realised he was touching the stranger, and found himself distracted by the scars on the man's face.
"Did she attack you?" LeFou hadn't even been sure if witches existed until a minute earlier, but now resolved never to make one angry. Those scars looked like they would have been painful wounds when fresh.

Hunter stilled slightly at the sensation of Lefou's fingers tracing over the tattoo. He honestly couldn't remember such a gentle touch.

"Not physically. But when she cast her spell, the change had hurt for a brief moment." Hunter touched one of the scars on his face, a little nervous for how closely LeFou was studying him.

"It doesn't hurt to touch them now."

LeFou reached up as if to touch Hunter's face, too, then falters and draws his hand back as if it's been burned.
"Sorry, you probably don't want to talk about it. I'll just stop talking now, that's probably best. I- just, er, feel free to leave me to my sadness."

Hunter reaches out to take LeFou's hands in his. The brief touch has flicked some hope in his heart. And he didn't want to go.

"If you truly want me to leave. I will. But I would like to stay."

LeFou looked down at their hands, then up at Hunter's face again, a sort of terror rising up inside him - not at Hunter's appearance but at the hints of attraction making themselves felt. Hunter was a man, and unlike the only other man LeFou has ever really been attracted to, he seemed... interested. That was scary. And confusing. People weren't generally interested in LeFou.
"You would?"

Edited (Tenses again!) 2017-03-20 16:27 (UTC)

Hunter gently let go of LeFou's hand, so he could reach up and touch the other man's face. He could sense that LeFou was scared of something... but still grasped onto the hope that it was not because of Hunter's appearance.

"I would."

LeFou couldn't help it; he leaned into the other man's touch like a cat.
"I, er, maybe we should go someplace... else?"
He was afraid of being seen, and any journey might give him a chance to catch his breath and work out what was going on and how he felt about it. Only once he'd said it, he realised how suggestive it might have sounded. That wasn't his intention, but he resisted the urge to babble on and correct himself.

Hunter accepted the suggestion with good spirits. "How about joining me for a walk? The midnight moon will provide enough light."

He didn't dwell on worrying if LeFou just didn't want to be seen in public with Hunter. Instead, he just kept his spirits hopeful that the walk would help both of them gain some more insight about each other.

"That sounds good."
He waited for Hunter to stand first, then followed him outside. He felt a little awkward about asking to leave, especially since Hunter had just said he wanted to stay. He tried to explain himself as they walked.
"I, er, sorry about that. I don't... I don't want people seeing me holding hands with a man." He didn't think they'd understand. He wasn't ready, even if they did. He just hoped the stranger would understand his fears.

Hunter guided LeFou away from the bar, down a path that would keep them out of site. The moonlight gave them enough light to see where they were going, even when they passed trees that cast shadows onto the path.

"You are not ready for people to know that you are attracted to men?" Hunter questioned softly. He had been there before. So he wasn't judging LeFou.

LeFou was embarrassed, though. He didn't know which he found most embarrassing: that he was attracted to men, that he was only just coming to understand that, or that he wasn't ready to admit it to anyone else yet. He'd only told this stranger because he'd taken his hands the way... well, the way LeFou had often wished Gaston would.
"...No," he admitted quietly. "I've only just worked it out myself."

"It can be a difficult journey of accepting your attraction as natural." Hunter spoke from experience. "And there will be people who will tell you otherwise... or who might judge you. Or scorn you for feeling the way you do."

"But you have to try to put those people out of your life."

"Even if one of them might be someone you are attracted to."

If LeFou looked alarmed before, it was nothing to his current expression. How could this man know? And if he knew LeFou felt that way about Gaston, did everyone else?
"If I did that, I wouldn't have anyone."

Hunter stopped to turn and look at LeFou when he raised his concern of not having anyone. He placed his hands on top of LeFou's shoulders, and gently corrected him.

"I accept you."

"I wish I could change things for you. That I could make that idiot realize how stupid he is... being blind to you."

"But I can't. All I can do is be here for you. If you want me here."

LeFou stared at him for a moment. Then his lower lip began to tremble a little. And then he threw himself at Hunter, wrapping his arms around him in a grateful hug.
"Thank you." The words were muffled, given that LeFou's face was sort of smushed against Hunter's body. He realised, suddenly, that he didn't know the other man anywhere near well enough to take such liberties, but he didn't want to move away, so he settled for introducing himself. "Er... I'm LeFou, by the way."

Hunter wrapped his arms around LeFou, as the other man hugged him. He smiled softly at the muffled thanks. Then again for the introduction.

"I'm Hunter." He trailed his fingers up LeFou's back, aiming to keep him calm and comforted.

LeFou tensed, his body becoming rigid, but only because he wasn't expecting the gentle touch. Hunter had been so gentle with him all night, and LeFou was beginning to realise how rare that was. He didn't think anyone had been so considerate of him in... well, as long as he could remember, really.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" He's trying not to be suspicious, but he's a little overwhelmed.

Hunter shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I have been in your shoes before. Lost. Uncertain. The overwhelming feeling of not having anyone to talk about."

"It is not a good time to feel alone."

"Oh. Right." LeFou stepped back, trying not to look too disappointed. For a moment, it had felt as if Hunter had actually liked him, was being nice because of LeFou himself. But it seemed like Hunter was just a kind, sympathetic person. Maybe he'd be LeFou's friend anyway?

"You are worrying about something..." Hunter noted softly, when LeFou stepped away from him.

"I- no! No, I just, uh, I-"
LeFou never was much good at lying; he gave up.
"I just thought you liked me."

Hunter chuckled softly. "I do like you."

"But I am not going to try anything, if your heart is still hurting. It is best that if you are still confused and need time for me to wait."

"You... do?" But what Hunter said sounded like more than liking, to LeFou. Only that couldn't be right. Who would ever be attracted to LeFou?
"Why? I mean, I- You just met me, and it's not like I'm handsome-" And whatever Hunter may think, he certainly was. "And I'm a bit pathetic, really."

Hunter shook his head slightly, tsk-ing lightly just under his breath. He was very tempted to have 'words' with Gaston, if the other man's treatment of LeFou had reduced him to feeling so inferior and undesirable.

He reached out to tilt LeFou's chin slightly, and leaned close, so that there was very little room between his lips and LeFou's lips. He did not kiss LeFou yet. Simply because he didn't want LeFou to get startled again.

"Don't say things like that."

"Why not? They're true."
At least, that's what LeFou meant to say. It came out as more of a whisper, or a whimper - because Hunter was so close, and it was almost as if he was going to kiss LeFou, and LeFou thought he probably shouldn't want that to happen because he wanted Gaston, didn't he? He just wanted Gaston, and other men were nothing to him, and this remarkably kind stranger - Hunter - Hunter was probably right, he was probably just confused. But that didn't stop him hoping, his breath catching in his throat as he tried to imagine the press of lips against his own.
"I am," he managed, slightly louder.

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Oops, totally mixed my tenses up in that last message

we don't need any silly tenses

damn right

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