[OPEN] painting the white roses red

[moonshined]

Who: Remus and you!
What: Doing his chores like a nice, obedient Apprentice ought to.
When: Saturday, 1/6, all day
Where: In the castle
Warnings: Likely to be NSFW!


A. THEY CALL IT A MESS HALL FOR A REASON.

After breakfast this morning, Remus finds himself tasked with the arduous job of cleaning up after everyone, apprentices, guards, and visiting nobility alike. It's his turn on the rota, and he's not complaining when there are certainly worse jobs, but it does have its downsides. Like mopping up puddles of porridge and egg splatter and bacon grease.

Like slipping in a puddle of someone's cold, spilt coffee and landing flat on his back.

"Merlin's—!" Remus cuts off with a low groan, swearing under his breath, and pushes himself up to a sitting position. Glancing around to see if anyone was around to bear witness to his struggle, he gives you a half-grin.

"Mind pretending you didn't see that?"


B. COCK DEFROSTING: DOES NOT INVOLVE BUTTERCREAM

When the Mistress tasked him with 'defrosting her cocks,' Remus had been skeptical, to say the least; admittedly, he wasn't quite sure what it entailed, but it couldn't be any more embarrassing than any of the other chores he's been dealt, so he agrees readily.

As it turns out, some of the door knobs in the upper levels of the castle, where it's more drafty and susceptible to cold, have more or less frozen over, to the point of making the rooms behind those doors inaccessible. It falls to Remus, armed with a mop, bucket, rags, and a magical self-heating kettle, to gently and oh-so-tenderly pour warm water over them and massage some life back into them, and then mop up afterwards. Which, alright. He can manage that.

Glancing up at passersby, he grins and chuckles. "Seems these things require a little more care than I thought."

C. WILDCARD

[feel free to reply with any prompt your heart desires!!]

Comments

A

[ignisvulpes]

Okay, so Kaph should technically be doing laundry, buuuut... he just finished breakfast, right? Like, just now! He's not slacking off or anything. He swears.

He's only leaning on a table so he can be comfortable for the obviously very brief time before he gets to work.

"Nope, too late!" He smirks, amused. "Consider yourself reported for your deplorable clumsiness."

[moonshined]

Remus's mouth turns markedly downward, and he pushes himself to his feet, rubbing at his behind, which has begun to rather smart where it hit the hard stone floor.

"I don't think that's a punishable offense, exactly."

[ignisvulpes]

"Hey, I don't know about that." He shrugs, an exaggeratedly analytical look on his face. "Don't you ever feel like the Mistress is just looking for excuses to fuck with us?"

[moonshined]

"Er—" Remus hesitates, because that hasn't been his personal experience, but he also knows it can certainly be the case.

"Not to me, personally. I generally do what she asks of me, and it's been fine thus far."

[ignisvulpes]

"Oh, there's your problem." He points. "You're lacking in the rebelliousness department! Doesn't that ever get boring?"

On one hand, it's evident that Kaph is just kidding around. On the other hand... There's still something oddly condescending to his tone.

[moonshined]

"Oh, see, if you'd known me in school, you'd know that to be patently untrue."

Remus's grin is surprisingly mischievous.

"I just don't fancy having my bits erased or something equally gruesome."

[ignisvulpes]

Kaph raises an eyebrow.

"What are you, some kind of ex-class clown? Mellowed with age?"

Also, he doubts the Mistress would erase anybody's bits. Swap them around, maybe.

A

[shieldofrohan]

"I will breathe no word of it," Éowyn promises gravely, and there's only a little laughter in her eyes as she strides over to offer him a hand up. The thought does cross her mind that, after what happened the other night, touching hands might be a little fraught, but by the time she thinks of that, it feels a bit late to withdraw the offer. "Are you hurt?"

[moonshined]

Remus is glad to at least see a friendly face, even if the last time he saw that face was very up-close, and he feels his face grow a little warm at her solemn promise.

"Thanks. No, I think it's just my pride that's wounded," he admits, and when he's back on his feet, he very pointedly pulls his hand away from hers.

"—look at that! None of that nonsense from the other night."

[shieldofrohan]

That he's joking about it allows her to relax a little - makes it less of a concern. She laughs, letting her hand fall back to her side.

"A relief indeed! As for pride..." Her smile a little rueful, she leans in conspiratorially. "I fell so many times the last few weeks, the colour has yet to fade. Ill should I judge another."

[moonshined]

Remus chews his lip, not wanting her to think he's mocking her, and nods. "That does make me feel a little bit better."

He regards her for a moment, taking his mop back up and leaning on its handle. "Things alright in the barracks?"

[shieldofrohan]

She snorts, waving a hand dismissively. "As ever they are. The guards of this land remain careless and idolent, their behaviour a shame to anyone in this place, but it is no worse than it has been. What of your studies?"

[moonshined]

"That's a shame. It seems that they're very good at making messes, at least."

He waves a hand around them, which will make it apparent exactly how true that statement is.

"Studies have been fine. A bit frustrating when I can do much more complicated magic back home, but I'd never complain to the Mistress's face about it."

C

[braveatheart]

If you asked him what had led him up here-- well, he'd probably lie about it. Never you mind why he's up here, and while his friends seem to have shed most of their reservations about the place James still far too often finds himself mortified at the things that are demanded of him.

Which is not to say that he doesn't do them, because he knows that not doing them would be worse.

When he comes across Remus, he's carrying what appears to be a thick, rolled up carpet over one shoulder and a bucket in one hand, and he smirks down at the other young man as he comes to a stop near to him.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself."

I ASSUME YOU MEANT PROMPT B

[moonshined]

[Of course, James would come across Remus as he's doing this. Just...of course. It only stands to reason that his best mate would be in the vicinity and make an already embarrassing chore even more so. He sits back on his heels, levels an eyeroll at James, and shakes his head.]

Not remotely. These things are so damn finicky. [Remus's brow wrinkles, and he nods toward the thing James is holding over his shoulder.]

What's that?

UGH YES IDK HOW THAT HAPPENED

[braveatheart]

[Of course. When else would he come across Remus? Definitely not when he's doing something entirely innocent-looking, like reading a book. That just isn't how this kind of thing works.

James lightly hefts the thing on his shoulder. It makes a muffled noise. He smirks.]

... Just a carpet.

[(It is not just a carpet.)]

[moonshined]

[One eyebrow raises, and then Remus's eyes narrow. James is acting far too casual about this.]

I call bullshit.

[braveatheart]

[The smirk breaks into a full grin. The carpet makes another noise, and he pats it with his free hand.]

Call it what you like, Moony. I'm not the one on the floor polishing frozen dicks.

[moonshined]

[Remus wrinkles his nose, and then glances to the side, using one foot to shove the bucket of hot water out of the way.

And then he just, sort of, throws himself at James's knees to try and knock him over.]

B

[blackdogstar]

Sirius has no such excuse for being in this part of the castle. He has decided to be a Good Boy for awhile and try to stop being on the Mistress' shit list, so he finished his first chores a little early, immediately asking where Remus was so he could go locate his.... friend. Boyfriend?????? Friend.

He's been on magical No Orgasm time out and he's finally free and look he just really wants to see Remus okay? Okay. So he finds him polishing Knobs. Carefully and delicately. It's almost adorable how particular he is.

"Getting quite good at that, are you?"

[moonshined]

At this point, Remus basically expects someone else he knows to come along. That it happens to be Sirius this time almost seems inevitable; Remus sighs, leans back on his heels, and musters up his most mischievous grin so he can level it at Sirius, who is his Friend and Possibly Something Else???

"Don't see you complaining, though."

[blackdogstar]

Sorry, pal. It really was inevitable.

Merlin that smirk though. Sirius feels his neck heat up. He loves what this place has done for Remus' shyness. And, you know, their recent activities. Wow that was the dorkiest most awful way of phrasing that fuck his life.

"I'm not. I do have a suggestion for something better you could be polishing, though."

Subtle? Not remotely. Charming? Nope. Effective? Hopefully.

[moonshined]

Remus lets out a nervous laugh, despite his show of bravado; he's glad it worked, sure, but now he has to square up and put his money where his mouth is.

Or, well, maybe the other way around.

He drops his rag back in the water bucket and then reaches his other hand up to shove his hair out of his face.

"Yeah? Right. 'Course. I'm listening."

Even though he most certainly doesn't need it spelled out for him. He kind of just wants to make Sirius say it.

[blackdogstar]

"You gonna play coy with me now, Moony? After you gave me the smirk and everything? So cruel."

He's grinning, though, and crouches down on the floor with him, smoothing down a bit of hair that got stuck up when Remus touched it with his wet hands.

"Damnit, mate, I've been in time out for like a month and I'm bloody desperate, you want to help or not?"

He's assuming Remus knows what 'time out' means.

[moonshined]

"I'd say sorry, but..."

Remus's gaze follows Sirius as he moves down to his level, and he feels his own neck heat up when Pads touches his hair like that.

He huffs out a laugh, reaching out to brush his fingers across Sirius's knee.

"Yeah. 'Course. But...her?"