That was a good question. But thinking about it was almost a good enough distraction as well. For a moment, Ben was silent as he considered it. Then he gave in with a sigh. “How are the other VKs doing? Showing signs of wanting to leave? Or do they seem happy?” He hadn’t been around them much in the last while. It was too hard. But it was funny that Ben’s mind would go to caring for others in order to get something off his mind. Considering who he was worrying about, it probably wouldn’t help too much. But… if they all seemed okay? Maybe it would?

     “What about you?” The young king added after a quiet moment. “How are you doing with everything? With all the changes happening lately.” This time it really did distract him as he looked at Jane. She was someone he worried about a lot. Always had. She was soft and he had worried about her before the decree to bring VKs off the isle, and he worried about her still. Even as she worried about him.

❝They are all FINE.❞ She didn’t want to be curt, but she also didn’t want him to worry about them too much. The petite girl KNEW how it pained him to think of anyone from the Isle. Even if he did wish them all the best. Jane sighed softly before shooting him a reassuring SMILE. ❝Some don’t quite know what to do with themselves YET, but with all of the safeguards we’ve implemented, someone is always around to HELP should they ask for it.❞ Such programs had basically been organized by her, with the help of a certain blue haired Princess and she found PRIDE to know that they were working. It was kind of like a HOTLINE, and for a while hardly anyone reached out to the AK’s for help, but slowly the tides started to change. Since then things have gotten easier. 

     There was no ‘we’ about it. He was beating the expectations she had had of him. Still, Dizzy smiled, brushed back a bit of pink hair behind her ear with her free hand, and shrugged. “I guess you’re just really, really talented.” She replied, teasing him a little bit. Diz kept eye contact with the king for a beat too long before her cheeks pinned up a little and she looked away. “But I guess if I’m impressed by you having all your teeth, I’ll be in for a lot of good impressions here, huh?”

     She was glad that Evie talked about her. Honestly, when the four had left the isle, she’d thought that her cousin would forget about her. Leave her to the dogs as it were. Sure, she was capable enough, but… the isle was never comfortable to her. “Oh good.” The girl added with a nod. “I don’t have time for isle antics when I’m not there anymore, you know?” Well… not most of them at least. Not the ones that made her feel bad about herself.

With another chuckle at her light teasing, Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes PLAYFULLY. It may have been in good nature, but this was a first impression and all of his parents teachings came rushing back into his head all at once. They might have been from the Isle, but that didn’t mean all of his MANNERS could just fly out the window. Perhaps it could be said that he had loosened up some since the last VK batch came through. But still, he’d remember himself and lt HER make most of the jabs. For now anyways. ❝You should see my DAD, he’s got some pretty wicked canine teeth if you’re into that sort of thing.❞ 

     His words hit her like a punch to the guy. “No. You don’t deserve trust right now!” She cried. “Not after alienating me and ruining that trust I had for you. But… you know what? I hope you’re right. I hope you just made bad decisions and treated me like shit for no reason. Because at least that wouldn’t hurt you as much as the other option.” Swallowing hard, she kept back tears and anger as much as possible. “So don’t you dare tell me I’m not who I always was. Because I’ve always been someone who wanted to look out for you, Ben. You’re the one who’s taking this to a place you’re going to regret eventually.” Whether he was spelled or not, that much she was sure of. “You’re the one who’s proving which side of that line you were on by… by talking to me in a way you never would have a week ago.”

     She wrapped her arms around herself. “But hey. You experienced love at… what… second? Third sight? So who am I to question that. Who am I, who you technically haven’t even broken up with, by the way. You just threw me to the wolves by making a big public scene of asking her to your coronation instead. Who am I to worry or care or hell, try and talk to you at all about anything.” Arms unraveled from around herself and her hands gripped around the bench she sat on. “Who am I to love you and want the best for you?” Fingertips began to spark with golden flecks of magic, but she didn’t notice as the bench turned to pure gold.

     “Nobody important, at least.” She shook her head. “I hope you’re right, Ben. I hope Mal is good and just and kind. I hope she’s not the sort of person who would put a love spell on you. I really do. I just hoped you weren’t a dick, either. But… I guess I’d rather my opinion of you be broken along with my heart, rather than have you be heartbroken.”

Seeing her so UPSET when he did still remember that he had loved her, hurt. No matter how much of it was HIS fault in the moment, and the words that he had JUST said did this to her, he wasn’t heartless. As she ranted, going on about how much she cared for HIM through it all, all he could do was listen. His shoulders slowly relaxed - out of guilt - and his once agitated features softened towards her. What was being said about Mal in a bad light still wasn’t okay, but in the end he DID understand where she was coming form. Because hey, she had a point. He hadn’t even spoken to her about dating someone else yet. It was bound to bring up a few negative feelings even if he WAS right and Mal hadn’t done anything wrong. Ben had just taken a small step towards her, READY to offer up an olive branch, when her fingers sparked. 

Eyes widened at the sight and for a moment, he FROZE in his place. He had seen this before, not nearly on such a LARGE scale but as soon as the faded wooden bench became shiny and much MORE expensive than it was a second ago - he knew what was happening. A frown of worry pulled across his features and for a MOMENT he allowed himself to forget the fight. Allowed himself to FORGET MAL. The Prince took a deep breath before closing the rest of the distance between them and without a word, he fell onto his knees before her. 

ft. Ashley Brown - Until Dawn ft. Marie d'Ancanto - Xmen (movie based Rogue) 

@magicalflow​ wanted fluffy things.

he’s the king of auradon, she’s a princess. not just any princess, he’d fallen for his best friend’s sister of all girls. but then, he couldn’t be happier. penelope charming had captured his heart, and here he was, after a long night spent with princess on his arm at a charity ball. the two were in his room, tired perhaps from hours of socialization with people whose expectations were the polite, responsible, proper young people they were brought up to be. but at the same time, there was nothing he liked more than her company, no matter the occasion. he takes off his suit jacket, looking at penny with a smile on his face. “you know, i’m very excited to finally have you all to myself.” parents wouldn’t be thrilled about the fact of the situation, the two alone together like this, but that was beside the point. “parties like that are important, i’ll never deny that, but i have to say i do prefer your company to that of the rest of ‘society’” 

he finds himself looking away for a moment, like someone could be following after them… but realistically he knows even if they were spotted coming inside, people wouldn’t dare break down the door. there’d be some semblance of privacy for the young royals, for the moment at least. ❝ maybe you did, but okay say this winds up in the papers, it’ll blow over in a little while, it always does. like you say, we can’t cover it up, but we can let it run its course… ❞ things cycled, it was the way of the press, but he knew the pain of bad impressions. his decrees had been despised from the beginning. but right now this wasn’t about him. ❝ auradon is overly riddled with judgment. maybe we go visit the cabin up north for a bit, take some time away to regroup. ❞ even as he says this he knows it won’t fix anything, to run from this. to shelter her is hardly his smartest idea, but he has his mother’s big heart, and it beats for the blonde. fingers brush a strand of hair from the girl’s face as he offers the smallest whisper of a smile. ❝ even if it’s just a day or two and we spend our hours in the bedroom. ❞

     “I could bribe you with a ride.” He smirked, a lopsided, boyish sort of smirk as his eyes held hers. He wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline or something else that was currently contributing to his almost flirty mood, but Ben felt it. Whatever it was. The double entendre in his tone was even clear, if the way that a couple of the girls who had flocked to him were reacting was any indication. The little ‘oooo’ sounds that came from their lips nearly had him snorting.Looking Penelope over, Ben wet his lips. “In fact… you don’t mention it to him and…” Ben spun the keys around his index finger for a moment before he was tossing them over. “I’ll even let you take control.”