Braith grinned wider, enjoying making Neo react as he was to his thoughts. So he showed him a few more prime memories from their previous night.
Maelia considered M for a moment before speaking, her gentle fire magic warming his chilled hand. "Oh dear. Braith does seem to get himself into trouble no matter where he goes. I would blame myself for raising him, but I am a much more proper lady." She and Braith laughed at the casual lie. Most of his traits he gained from her. Although she was the family favorite along with his older brother, Maelia never conformed to their parents rules.
(I can just imagine a small part of M being like “can you two fuckiNG NOT right now?”)
Neo rubbed his nose, an obvious sign of bashfulness. His shy smile grew wider and wider.
M shifted his grip on her hand. He enjoyed the soft warmth of her delicate hands in his cold skeletal one. He smiled ever so faintly.
“I totally understand where you’re coming from. Neo and I were practically raised under bad influence. And we admittedly raised others like that, too.”
(LOOOOOOOL exactly why im doing it.)
Braith was glad he was standing behind his sister, she would have smacked him if she knew what he was doing. He showed Neo a particularly X rated memory of a night where he felt particularly dominant. Looking down so M and his sister wouldn't accidentally see his expression.
Maelia's brows raised, keeping her hand within M's. It felt nice. Nicer than any other hand she had held before. "You have more siblings? Braith did not mention that you came from a big family as well. Aside from the two of us we have four other siblings. As you can imagine it was quite chaotic when were younger…" She paused trailing off, an errant memory of their childhood interrupting her good mood.
Neo rubbed his nose harder, pretending to be rubbing at a zit as his smile grew and grew. He shifted slightly, resisting a giggle.
M, thankfully, was more focused on the woman whose hand he was touching. If not he would’ve slapped the shit out of Braith. He squeezed her hand lightly, smiling for her and stepping out from behind Neo.
“I come from an orphanage with Neo and a lost friend. I understand the big family too much. Would you like to get something to eat? And leave these two?”
Braith finally released his lover from the mental torture and stepped forward. "Actually I was thinking we could all go together. It's Maelia's first time in the city, we could all show her some interesting sights and things to do." He bumped her with a shoulder. "Maybe we can convince her to move down here permanently."
Maelia blushed, tearing her gaze from M's unwillingly. "Oh I don't know about that Braith. You know father would never let me…" As if suddenly remembering her place, she pulled her hand from M's as well, folding them properly at her waist. Braith glanced away from her, jaw working in anger.
M wanted to stumble around drunkely in relief. It took a lot of magical torture to keep his magic away from those memories. Neo looked mildly disappointed.
But before M knew it his hand was cold again. He chewed on his lip and retreated, unsure of what to say. Yet he couldn’t help a “It’s not his choice, is it?” He said this softly, but it was still very audible.
Both Maelia and Braith glanced at M as he spoke, for a moment looking like twins themselves as they made the same expression of pain. But it was Maelia who responded.
"Our family is very traditional. I would have no way to support myself if I left home. Not to mention if I left without my parents permission…I would never be able to return." She straightened her shoulders as she spoke, as stubborn as the sun moving across the sky each day. She refused to look docile and helpless just because her situation made her so.
"Braith was able to leave because…well…" She glanced between her brother and his lover, the damn King. "Ahem…my father did not see him as a worthy heir…" Her heart broke for her little brother, the one she loved more than anything else in the world.
M glanced at Neo, who looked rather confused. M felt distinctly offended. Was First Detective not enough for a picky father? Also, who does heirs anymore? M was ready to voice his thoughts, but he decided not to.
“Oh,” was all he was able to get out.
"Father seems to have warmed up to me since finding out about Neo." Braith said a bit too casually. He hated his backwards, overly traditional family and town where he had grown up.
Maelia snorted delicately. "Any father would warm up to their child once they became a favorite of the King." Her voice was entirely more fierce in defense of her brother. "The lousy oaf keeps trying to pair me off with every well off family in the land." She grumbled, tightening her grip on her hands. "He's a backwards old fool and I am eternally grateful for this invitation to get away and see the city." She bowed her head again to Neo in thanks.
Neo bowed his head back and smiled. “Well, you can tell your father that you’re looking at two of the wealthiest men alive.” He slammed his palm into M’s back, who made a soft noise, something close to a faint grunt.
M cleared his throat hastily, taking the initiative. “So if you wanted to move here, I’d be able to cover for everything.”
“Though he is a bit old,” Neo managed to get out before M stepped down on Neo’s foot.
“You are too you big oaf!” M snapped at his twin angrily.
Maelia tilted her head at M as he spoke. Her eye's cutting to her brother and then back again. "Why, pray tell, would you do that?" She asked delicately, her voice sounding more curious than anything, but her eyes went hard as stone.
Braith knew they'd messed up. He could see it in Maelia's eyes. She'd figured out that he'd asked her here to set her up with M. He glanced at Neo and subtly shook his head. Not good. She would never go with an arranged relationship! Maelia was independent and stubborn, wanting to live her life how she chose. Bowing to the will of anyone but herself was out of the question.
M’s eyes rounded slightly and he glanced at Neo. “I-uh… didn’t mean anything of it.” He scooted behind his twin, who didn’t move despite really wanting to.
Neo grinned nervously. “He really didn’t. He just speaks his mind too easily.”
"So suspicious, sister." Braith said chuckling and looping an around around her shoulders. "Why can you not just accept that I may want you here with me and my new family is willing to help?" He raised a brow at her, daring her to contradict his lie.
Maelia considered for a moment, finding nothing wrong in her brothers logic. She blushed then, feeling shame and guilt soar through her mind. "My apologies, my lords, that was indecently rude of me." She bowed her head, hiding her eyes.
Neo gently took her hands, smiling. “Hey, it is alright. I totally understand why you are so suspicious. We were just offering to help!” He let her hands go again, straightening up. “Anyway, should we head into town?”
M shifted his weight around and glanced at Neo. “I have things to do. I don’t think I’ll be able to go.”
Maelia frowned, her eyes shining with disappointment. "Oh no! You must come." She stepped forward to grasp his hand again. "I insist. What better way to be shown the town than by it's highest officials?"
Braith's brows raised. He'd like to see M refuse his sister when she was using that face.
M set his chin on Neo’s shoulder gently, reaching and grabbing her hand. He looked soft and thoughtful.
“I-I guess I can come if you’d like me to.”
Braith grinned at Neo as if to say, See? I told you.
"I would like that very much." Maelia said, gently but with a firmness that gave M no chance of getting away.
Neo rolled his eyes as M shuffled forward a little. He looked somewhat unsure.
“Okay. I’ll come, then.” He shifted his hand around her hand.
Maelia smiled, keeping M's hand in hers as she turned towards her brother, skirts flaring about her feet. "Well? Where are we off to?"
Braith started, unsure. He hadn't gotten this far in his plan. He looked to Neo for help. Something nice but not overly fancy. Any ideas? He mentally asked his lover.
M scooted forward with her, looking aloof and strange.
Neo shrugged. “We could go to the park. It is quite pleasant at this time of year.”
"Wonderful." Maelia and Braith said simultaneously. They shared a grin as Braith lead the way out of the door. "Come, come. There's plenty of food for us to eat. I'm starved."
Neo smiled brightly and followed his lover intently out of the room, grabbing his hands and pulling him back. “Waaaaiit, I wanna hold your hand!”
M let himself get tugged along behind her, grinning a small grin.
Braith allowed himself to be pulled back, pecking Neo lovingly on the lips. The hand Neo grasped was warmer than Braith's usual firewarmed skin, his excitement was leaking through to his power.
Maelia walked casually beside M, hand still within his. Her eyes were bright at the prospect of new adventure and excitement, but she definitely had better control over her power than her brother.
Neo smiled warmly, not minding the heated hand. After all, he did feel upon many occasions Braith’s heated skin. He pecked back, rubbing his nose on his lover’s cheek.
“You’ll have to calm down, or you’ll catch flame.”
M liked the tingly excitement coming off of the interesting woman next to him. It woke up the long-sleeping sense of adventure in his Soul.
Braith stuck his tongue out at Neo, "I thought you liked it when I did that." He teased, remembering the last time it happened between just the two of them. "Besides, my sister has a way of bringing out the adventure in people. Sop you can blame her." He nodded to where Maelia and M walked a bit ahead of them. "I'm surprised…"
Maelia could not keep her eyes off of the palace as they walked. "Do you like what y brother has done to the palace? He always enjoyed putting color everywhere. I remember we used to get into fights with our paints as children." She laughed, politely covering her mouth with their clasped hands. "It is good to see it everywhere. I am very proud of him…" She finished wistfully to M. Braith had told he he was quiet so she did not expect much of an answer, she just enjoyed the fact that he was listening intently to what she had to say.
Neo glanced up at his twin, whose still tired and haughty profile could still be seen. A slight smile lightened his sharp face into something more familiar.
“I do like it when you do it,” Neo assured softly, smiling down at his lover again. “It’s very nice to sleep with.”
M nodded lightly with a bit of a bigger grin. He looked around. “I do like it. It’s very quaint and pretty. It matches the Palace well.” He rumpled his hair up with a hand, his hair sticking out at the back again. This notion seemed to remind Neo to smooth back his trying hair.
Braith hummed, leaning his head onto Neo's shoulder as they walked. "I shall do it more often then." He didn't want to say it out loud, to jinx it, so he thought to Neo, I think our plan may work.
Maelia hummed, dislodging her hand from M's to smooth his hair down for him before putting it back within his grip. "I'm sure you're used to it my now, my lord. Since you spend most of your days here. What is is that you do? Braith told me vaguely, you know how he can be."
Neo rubbed his thumb on the back of Braith’s hand. I know. It’s wonderful, He commicated in return, smiling. I think it’s farther along than what we first thought.
M set his free hand on his smoothed back hair, smiling bashfully. “What I do? I’m certainly not a lord. I’m just Superintendent of the Detective Agency. And Head PD. It’s fun, but it’s a lot of work.”
I'll say, Braith thought back. He truly loved communicating with Neo this way. It was a lot easier to get his emotions and thoughts in order. I may have finally found the one to tame my stubborn sister. Who would have thought it would be your brother? He snickered.
Maelia tilted her head to the side, dark curls spilling over the skin of her exposed shoulders. She had worn her favorite off the shoulder gown to get some sun, but she was a bit self conscious about the skin she was showing. She did not expect the King's brother to be so handsome. I should have dressed more appropriately. She glanced back at Braith, who wore neat trousers, a nice casual shirt and a blazer. Oh…perhaps I am fine. "But you are the King's brother, doesn't that make you a Lord?" She smiled at M, trying to figure out how this all worked. "I cannot imagine that there is much crime here. The city is wonderful. Or am I just blind to it's underbelly?" She asked conspiratorially, glancing about M in a silly manner as if she would spot a burglar lurking about.
Neo chuckled softly, squeezing his hand. Like I said. M can be very sweet if he wants to be. He’s truly a very kind person.
M smiled a bit and looked around. “There isn’t an underbelly. It’s just the beautiful town of Isla. It’s one of the safest places in town because of Neo, the Department and I. It’s quite nice. And no, I wouldn’t be. I’m a consult. All I am is his twin.” He shrugged, flicking a small curl of hair out of his face. The lock of hair shinmered a gray in the sunlight.