Unexpected Consequences (Peregrine & Kaisaan)

[Kaisaan]

Gabrielle felt like she'd been waiting on pins and needles as the silence stretched on, but upon hearing David's answer, she felt her lungs flood with oxygen as if feeling her body from a great distance. It was only then that the Banshee understood just how much tension she'd been holding on to and how much she'd desperately needed this to work, for her brothers to accept David and for the skittish, distrustful young man to understand they meant no harm to him.

She let the long-drawn breath out slowly and smiled as David did, the expression on his face more than enough to send a flood of warmth through her chest. It was rare she got to see a smile like that on him, got to see him relax and her power uncoiled even as he did, so closely linked to the male now that anything that agitated him, did the same for her.

And her power was not lenient in its judgement upon those it deemed harmful to the people Gabrielle cared about.

David certainly ranked high on that list, despite how new he was to her life. Why that was, even she wasn't sure, but it was fact nonetheless and she wasn't about to fight it. Gabrielle had fought far too many things in her life to want to go against something she knew she couldn't defeat...and really didn't want to. It was more than relieving that her brothers were not going to be one more obstacle she wasn't up for dealing with right now.

--

Gabrielle had suggested a shower to David, for his sake as she could more than sense he needed some breathing room, and for her brothers who needed some time with her. Talking to them about what had been going on in her life was not going to be easy and they weren't going to take it without some blow-up. All things Gabrielle could handle and would not get upset over, but David wouldn't take it as well and she knew that, and anything he felt a threat, she immediately responded to, whether it was one or not.

Better to do this part on her own and get it out of the way.

As she'd anticipated, the twins were not overly gracious in their reactions, Coinn especially, but having the memory of David's reaction, his reassurance and strength helped and feeling pieces of his power curled up with her own, protective, strong and ready to act should she need it...that was helpful, too. David might not have been in the room, but he was there with her all the same. It helped more than she could ever express in words. And eventually all words died down, both angry and sympathetic as her brothers finally found some stability with the information, let it sink in and let their emotions settle. It didn't surprise the Banshee that David made himself scarce during all this, probably long done with his shower and staying in his room or on the stairs, merely waiting. She was grateful for that right now, but as things began to settle, aqua eyes strayed more and more to the stairs, half-distracted for want of seeing the male again.

"'Oy long 'av yer cared for 'im?"

The question jerked the Banshee's attention back to her siblings and it was in time to see Alex hiding a smirk rather unsuccessfully and Coinn with a raised brow, having asked the question itself. His brow rose even higher when her eyes met his and Gabrielle really couldn't remember the last time she'd blushed so red, but she knew she did now.

"I...I've been looking out for..for him for a while."

The stuttered response only made Alex smile more and he leaned forward from where he sat on the couch, all three siblings having migrated to the living room after breakfast was finished. The younger of the two brothers settled his arms on his knees and put his hands together, giving his sister a knowing look. "That's not waaat he asked, Riel, an' yer nu it. 'Oy long 'av yer been sweet on 'im, wee sister?"

Gabrielle felt her face grow redder, nearly burning and her throat closed, the words refusing to come, nothing coming to her at all for several moments and it was only with great effort that she managed to choke out anything at all.

"I..I need to... I have ch-chores to do. And you both should unpack." The words rushed from her mouth just as Gabrielle rushed from her seat, disappearing from the living room with the sound of Alex's laughter and Coinn's weighty eyes at her back.

--

That's not what he asked, Riel, and you know it. How long have you been sweet on him, little sister?

 

[Peregrine]

The next several days were hard for David. Coinn and Alex became a constant presence in the house, something that was heard and seen just as often as it was unconsciously felt, but unlike the members of Haven or the little group of people that had lived in Serge's house, Gabrielle's brothers did not maintain a comfortable distance from David at all times. No, consciously or unconsciously they pushed against him, power, eyes, and bodies alike. If it wasn't for Gabrielle's equally constant presence David knew he would have been driven insane, fleeing from the house or locking himself up in the little room he had taken to be his own before the brothers had arrived.

Even with her help, it was still hard. Over their time spent together, David and Gabrielle had found a comfortable, communicative silence, something that worked as an agreeable middle ground between socialization and the isolation to which David was so used. That kind of silence was no longer possible now that Coinn and Alex were here, not just because they didn't understand it and seemed to find it somewhat uncomfortable, but because, at least in David's eyes, the twins loved to talk. Their voices demanded to be a part of everything, to be included in the little world that David and Gabrielle had managed, however briefly, to create.

Even the little walks that Gabrielle and David had taken were no longer there. They had tried that very first day, but it was ruined even before they made it off the porch and Coinn tried to follow. Alex halted his brother, raising significant brows in their direction, but Coinn might as well have come along as much as he lingered within David's thoughts. He had stuck around in Gabrielle's as well, it looked like, because before they had even made it to the beginnings of the little creek that ran through the middle of the property Gabrielle had turned them around, heading back towards the house with some vague comment about how they shouldn't stay gone for too long. They didn't leave the house again after that.

The siblings ended up spending a lot of time talking and David didn't want to, and honestly couldn't, participate in their familiar, if not exactly comfortable, chatter. Towards the end of the first day David grabbed one of the chairs in the living room, moving it right over towards the window and settling it so that he could stare out the window while still somewhat looking like he was involved with whatever was going on in the room. He let his mind drift, entering the familiar but casual form of waiting he had last exhibited in the Haven safe house above ground, waiting for things to change and life to move on. All three of the other people in the room would try and involve him in the conversation, and as much as he appreciated their efforts David would have preferred it if they simply hadn't. It always ended the same way. David would try and come up with something to say as they probed with gentle questions or prompts, but eventually one silence would stretch on too long until one of the brothers shifted uncomfortably, and someone would change the subject to something one of the others could easily pick up on.

Eventually, though, even that conversation would run dry, and the three would scatter to various tasks. Gabrielle would start cleaning, someone would turn the TV on, and meals grew steadily more and more elaborate as more time and energy was put into their preparation. David, for the most part, simply remained in his chair, marking the progress of the clouds as they rolled across the sky, and studying the weave of the dome that protected this house and the small valley around it.

He knew this would have to change eventually, none of them could maintain this awkward, uncertain separation for long. Until then he would simply wait and watch.

 

[Kaisaan]

One would have thought Alex had won the lottery he was so enthusiastic when he made the suggestion to the occupants of the living room. Gabrielle couldn't help but raise a brow when he appeared looking as if he'd solved all the problems of the world, smiling widely and announcing that they were going hiking, but more than that still, they were going camping. There was no small amount of cajoling on her brother's part and when his twin joined, Gabrielle knew there wasn't much hope of refusing the two. Fighting them would be futile, completely so and instead she had looked over to David, silently asking him what he thought. Of course he hadn't answered in words, but she'd felt that maybe he might be amenable to this - so long as she was happy with the idea.

And the Banshee wasn't unhappy with it....only a bit nervous, but even that slowly started to leave her as she and her siblings rushed about the house getting everything ready for their 'adventure' as her brothers kept calling it. Her mind recalled trips of the past with her family, the excitement and hectic nature of the few hours right before leaving and soon enough the woman was laughing and joking along with the twins, gently trying to draw David into the lightening mood with her.

Gabrielle wasn't entirely sure she'd succeeded by the time they were set to go, but she could see that getting out of the house and truly into the mountains that made up their valley was good for everyone.

They started off on a familiar trail, one she and David had taken often while on their own in the valley, but a few hours into their trek, the surrounding mountains started to show new landmarks, paths not taken and though Gabrielle knew she'd been on them before, many, many years ago, the terrain was almost alien to her memory now and she followed behind Coinn and Alex as they knew the way. The twins were already in better spirits, bickering loudly with each other about the techniques of hunting wild boar and the Banshee couldn't help but shake her head at their backs before she glanced over her shoulder at her shadow.

David was last in line, but that wasn't surprising, nor did it strike anyone - least of all Gabrielle - strange that he stayed so close to her, enough that he was constantly right there if she dared to turn around. The first time it had startled her a bit, but no more and her aqua eyes met his darker set with a tilt of her head. Questioning and her mind reached for his for the first time in hours, relaxed and in no need of reassurance or soothing, but simply to acknowledge him; a cat rubbing an arched back against his side, friendly and seeking, but languid. Calm.

Are you happier out here?

He'd been so still in the house, so afraid of getting in anyone's way, perhaps feeling crowded as well and Gabrielle sincerely hoped he might feel more at ease now. When they'd gone out before, it had put him in a far more tranquil state, even a confident one and she'd been glad to see it. For someone who had been so unsure of the great openness of the world when they'd first met, he'd quickly come to hate being confined in any way again. The soldier couldn't blame him, didn't and she understood. Hence the agreement to her brothers' suggestion. It wasn't for her sake that she'd said yes, but his.

Gabrielle gave the male a smile nearly as bright as the sunlight glinting off her blond hair and held out her hand for him with a raised brow, words only meant for him. "Want to beat those two to the top of the hill?"

 

[Peregrine]

It was a good thing to get out of the house. David was able to feel it as soon as the white siding of the safe house vanished behind the first emerald green hill, and suddenly the four of them were surrounded by nothing but nature. It was as though someone had removed a too-tight vest from around his chest, and he was suddenly able to breathe properly. Indeed, David heaved a breath of the crisp Irish air and rolled his shoulders back, even as he tipped his head backwards to feel the heat of the sun against his forehead. It didn't even matter that Gabrielle's brothers were still taking. He ignored them, listening instead to the echo of the wind inside his ears, that also toyed with strands of his dark hair and sent them across his forehead and the top of his eyes.

He needed a haircut. It had never really been something he'd worried about in the Facility. Keeping himself clean, shaved, and trimmed had simply been a part of the ritual. He had kept himself clean-shaven as they had slowly crossed the continent, but he had not had the time or inclination to cut his hair during that time. Maybe he would do that when they got back.

Distracted by these idle thoughts, David hardly noticed as they walked beyond the edge of the route he and Gabrielle usually followed, heading for the edge of the barrier that protected the safe house, and the foothills beyond it. He settled into a comfortable rhythm about three paces behind the brothers, which was only about a pace behind Gabrielle, and then they walked. The path quickly spooled out behind them, and on the few occasions he glanced behind him it seemed as though it was playing hide and seek in the hills. Even if he tried to follow it backwards it quickly vanished from sight. The little valley that contained the house had vanished entirely, almost as though it had never even been there. There was simply the four of them, the trail, and the empty world.

As the trail began to get steeper, the casual conversation that had been carried on in front of him slowly petered out to be replaced by rhythmic, gasping breaths. David reveled in the relative silence, his eyes moving away from the path to roam out across the hills, walking forward with as much instinct as memory to avoid tripping himself up on the occasional rock or root that emerged from the path. His eyes traced along the horizon, and for one moment the world felt completely empty. A faint smile flickered across his face.

A moment later he was drawn back towards the group by the feel of Gabrielle's mind brushing up against him. He glanced back towards her causally, and his smile stabilized into something a bit more confident. He was happier. It was more comfortable out here, with the wide open bounds of space that could casually swallow the uncomfortable closeness that had become so stifling within the house. The gentle taste of breeze that blew across the back of his neck seemed to casually carry him forward, meaning it took hardly any effort at all for him to work his way up the hill. He would have had no objection to moving faster, chasing after the breeze that casually rolled its way over the hill, but he also had no desire to push his way in front of the brothers. Especially not when he didn't even know where exactly they were going.

Gabrielle's words, then, came as a relief. He wasn't thinking about the teasing sibling competitiveness that was implicit in her words, or what kind of reaction it might spawn in Coinn and Alex. All he wanted to do was chase the wind.

So he did just that. In an instant David was moving, gracefully darting around the two brothers to dash up the hill, his fingers slipping from Gabrielle's hand. Indeed, watching him from behind, it did almost seem as though the wind nipped playfully at his heels before pushing him on up the mountain. He neither slowed nor glanced back until he reached the top of the hill, only then did he turn around to check whether or not Gabrielle and her brothers had kept up with him. The wind tugged at the hem of his shirt, urging him to race on down the other side of the hill too and all the way across the Irish countryside, but he ignored it aside from pushing his hair back out of his eyes and laughing slightly. He wasn't even out of breath.

 

[Kaisaan]

He was a completely different creature out here and Gabrielle found that she loved it far more than she could have ever expected to. As he dashed ahead, seemingly entirely oblivious to Coinn and Alex's sounds of startled protests, she couldn't help but let out a startled laugh of her own and then she was racing after him, up the trail, only a few paces behind. Such was a bit odd seeing as out of the two of them, she was actually the one in better shape in terms of physical endurance - being a soldier had drilled such into her - but it seemed to her as if David's feet barely made contact with the ground, the mountain wind urging him on like a bit of feather it wished to carry off into the sky.

It was fascinating to watch, but meant he did arrive at the top before her and while she wasn't panting for breath, her intake of air and exhales were certainly more forceful than his own and Gabrielle gave the man a side-long look, head tilted before she shook her head with a snort of amusement.

"Energy manipulation. I should have known better. You're not even tired, are you?" The words were playful as she straightened a bit more and nudged him in the shoulder before looking back at her brothers, both nearly to where they were. She flashed David another grin and inclined her head toward the trail again. "Well, come on."

She didn't wait for him to comply this time, simply falling into a run again, down the hill this time and while the wind didn't push her like it had David, it seemed to follow her anyway, encouraging the man to do the same. Gabrielle's silent words were further urging. Better hurry up, slowpoke. First one Coinn and Alex catch up to gets a noogie.

She wasn't kidding, either.

Gabrielle was rather determined not to be on the receiving end of such an action, though, she couldn't in good conscience let David by the recipient of such either. Not if it would make him uncomfortable and withdrawn again. She was going to do whatever she could to make sure that didn't happen - that he enjoyed being out here, with all of them, as much as she'd always loved being with her family. So while she didn't want the noogie...she'd take it. For David. Besides, with his little cheat going on he was likely to win any race anyway....but she could make him work for it at least. With that in mind, the Banshee grinned and sped up, pushing her lean body into a work-out, dirty blond hair flying out behind her like a banner.

She'd forgotten just how good running for the simple pleasure of running could feel.

 

[Peregrine]

In the end, neither David nor Gabrielle earned a noogie, despite the seriousness with which she had proposed the challenge. The reason for that was quite simple. Neither Coinn nor Alex were able to catch the two. The closest thing they came to catching was the sound of David's airy laugh, which lingered at the top of the hill for several seconds before he took off after Gabrielle again. After that point, the two young men never caught more than the dust they had left in their wake.

David had never run like this before. The ground seemed to fly by under his feet, and everything was swallowed up by the echoing roar of wind in his ear. He caught up with Gabrielle at the crest of the next hill, and when she began to slow down behind him, gasping for air, David reached out to her, surrounding her in his own energy. And then they ran. In that moment he felt completely free, and David would have sworn that he could have continued like that forever, until the world ran out from under his feet and he flew right off the edge.

Or until Alex finally surrendered, collapsing to the ground and shouting after them that he gave up.

Gabrielle stopped immediately turning around and laughing, and David slowed only a few steps after her. For a moment he looked longingly towards the horizon, but then he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly to himself and turned around. Both Alex and Coinn were heaving for breath, Alex sprawled out on the ground and Coinn bent double with his head between his knees. They had sprinted up and down almost 8 sets of hills, and the fact that the two brothers had made it this far showed exactly how fit they both were. They were simply no competition for David.

Briefly, the young man considered doing the same for them as he had for Gabrielle, swirling his own energy with theirs to help their heart rate slow and their body recover. He was, in fact, only a split second away from doing exactly that when he suddenly recoiled, the freedom of the sprint being replaced by the practicality that had been drummed into his head at the Facility. He might have relaxed about sharing his gift with Gabrielle, but her brothers were not his family. They'd simply have to make do.

So instead he sat on the side of the hill, watching them recover as a small smile formed on his face as Gabrielle returned to their sides, laughing at their pitiful state.

Coinn got her back for that several hours later, after they had walked deeper into the wilderness and picked out a location to set up camp. They had just finished setting up the tents and Coinn had entered the forest to gather firewood while Alex and Gabrielle began to prepare dinner. A few moments later Coinn returned with a small bundle of wood in his arm and a strange smile on his face. He moved over to the fire, carefully set the bundle of wood down, and then lunged at Gabrielle. It was only at that point that David spotted the tegenaria that had spread itself across three of his fingers. Coinn proceeded to chase Gabrielle all the way around camp, seeming completely oblivious to her shouts of protest.

In the end, both Alex and David intervened at about the same time. Alex set down the poker he'd been using to flip the slowly toasting sausages, and called his brother's name, gaze reproving. David's intervention proved much more effective. He walked over to the tents, which Gabrielle had used as a barrier to separate herself from the spider in Coinn's hand, moved up right behind Coinn, and then gently plucked the spider off his fingertips in one fluid motion. He cradled it gently in both hands for a moment, before walking over to the forest and gently placing the petrified spider back down on the leafy forest floor. For a moment it stood there, before racing back off into the forest as fast as its spindly legs could carry it.

In the perfect silence, David moved back over to the fire and sat back down next to Alex, returning his gaze to the crackling fire.

 

[Kaisaan]

That night had changed the atmosphere of their four-member group in a way that Gabrielle could not quite accurately pinpoint, but she felt it. The tension was nearly gone, not banished, but certainly different now and she observed it in the way Coinn teased David far more freely, seeming to understand the limit, the boundary the other male still wouldn't lower fully, but he wasn't stepping on eggshells anymore. There was an ease about her eldest brother that had not been seen until now and while Coinn's intensity did not lessen, it was not so directed in studying David, in categorizing him into parts the elder twin could understand, weighing the new person in his sister's life. No, his focus showed up in his pranks, in his mischief and competitiveness, but such things were harmless and Gabrielle easily noted that because Coinn was fine, now so was Alex.

The younger twin had always been the voice of reason, the conscience between the two and there was no doubt that between the twins he was the more considerate, the better listening and more even tempered. Anyone who knew Alex, though, understood that it was Coinn who dictated both brother's state of mind. Alex might calm his elder sibling, keep Coinn from doing something stupid, but such was for the simple fact that Alex was so closely linked with his twin, able to read his brother's emotions as if they were his own...and if a situation went on long enough, both brothers started taking on the same demeanor - albeit one more even-keeled about it than the other.

Now that Coinn was happy, Alex had relaxed and Gabrielle was pleased to see it, and grateful to them for it as she could see the way it affected David, too. Saying he was as at ease as she was with the twins or that all trust issues had been resolved would be an overstretch of the situation, but she could say with a great deal of confidence that the dark-haired male was no longer scared of them and by all observation seemed to even being getting used to their presence.

It was a good sign.

Still, after three days in camp with her siblings, Gabrielle was in dire need of a break from their voices and she announced such early the fourth morning, much to the mock-wounded words of protest from Coinn and even Alex. Ignoring them with a roll of her eyes, the Banshee had approached David where he sat on a log next to the cold ashes of the fire. Her fingers had been possessed with a mind of their own, weaving softly through his hair before she placed a quick kiss against his forehead, pulling back with a smile and practically able to hear her brother's jaw drop a bit at the unexpected display. Of course, she'd done the same thing to them at times, especially if they were sick or saddened, but to see her do it to another...well, it struck them as something worthy of thought. Still ignoring them, however, Gabrielle didn't look back to see if her theory was correct, rather smiling at David.

"I'll be back in an hour or two. Don't hesitate to hang those two from a tree if they become annoying, all right?" It was playful, of course, and for the first time in a while she didn't feel nervous about leaving the young man for a time. Her brothers would take care of him and David could now trust them enough to know that. It was a good thing. Just as some separation might be. Like it or not, David couldn't rely solely on her his whole life....or at least that was what everyone would tell her as soon as they were back in any kind of society.

Maybe they'd be right. She could at least test the theory in a safe environment. Coinn and Alex were hardly an untrustworthy pair to leave David with for a little while.

Her mind made up, the Banshee shouldered her pack and waved to the twins before striding out of camp and on to a familiar trail. She didn't intend to go far, perhaps an hour and a half out, just to stretch her legs and be alone with her thoughts and then she'd turn around and come back. Three hours gone at most. It was a good day for a morning hike, white, thick clouds in the sky to keep the rising sun at bay and a cool breeze coming in from the north sweeping across her face, playing with her hair. It brought to mind her run with David four days prior and Gabrielle had to smile even as she broke into a light jog herself. It was not nearly as exhilarating as the run she'd shared with the young man, but it was nice nonetheless and the Banshee had gotten an hour out into her solo venture before coming across a small pool fed by one of the mountain's many waterfalls. It didn't take much for Gabrielle to decide to abandon her shoes and pack in favor of wading in the water and she let herself relax, let her mind release the thoughts she'd been contemplating - mostly where next to take David as they could not stay in the valley forever, much as the two might have liked it.

No closer to a solution just yet, the blond let the ideas go and focused instead on the sounds around her, the waterfall in particular creating a nice cascade of background noise. It relaxed her further until the Banshee grew content enough to sit on the stones beside the pool, her arms wrapped loosely around her knees and eyes closed as she rested her chin on her knees.

It turned out to be a mistake.

The arms that wrapped around her were so sudden that she attempted a scream, fear and adrenaline racing through her body in an instant, sparking her power, but even that noise was lost as something covered her mouth and Gabrielle tried to struggle. Panic shot through her as her mind started to grow fuzzy, something on the cloth pressed to her mouth and nose, being inhaled with each desperate breath she tried to get past the material. Her fighting was becoming weaker, uncoordinated and even as she started to grow truly sluggish, more then one set of hands were on her body, lifting her and the Banshee thought she recognized one of the faces that came into her line of sight.

It flooded her with terror, that flicker of recognition and even in her last moments of consciousness, she reached for David, frantic to find his mind, her own chaotic with fear before everything went black.