once upon a dream

Location: Corona Castle Ballroom

Confusion was not part of the musician’s primary characteristics, scowling and narrowing his eyes as if that would offer an answer to calm that knot that threatened to crush the lungs. Oh rather, to make the air return to them. “Do I know you? You have a face that certainly doesn’t fit with the others.” Of course there were better ways to star a conversation, but Nathan been Nathan, that was an option that flew out of the window a s soon he opened the mouth to speak. Kinda weird, but the feeling of having coincided with that man did not stop pestering and creating doubts. What a mess, if he wasn’t someone from the present then there was an option that was better to avoid. Past. Those years were like looking at an old scar, a horrible event that you can cover up but not erase. Not having too many good things except one. The hand tightened around the glass, blinking as if a ghost appeared in the room. “Don’t tell me … You’re that kid that always come to the orphanage on Christmas with that kind woman?” He probably won’t recognize him, several years had passed and Nathan didn’t look like that lonely kid he was. “I was one of those boys who used to live there, just wanted to say thank you for that, but never had the chance.” @theswordoftruth​

glass of champagne in hand, phil looks up when he realizes the young man next to him is addressing him. recognition passes over him briefly, though not as intently as it seems to touch the blonde. it only takes a moment for Phil to place it though, pretty certain he’s in that band everyone seems to like. easy enough solution. “i dont think so?” phil answers, though it comes out as more of a question than anything. “i mean...maybe you’ve seen me on tv or at events?” he is a public figure, but he’s not necessarily sure if recognizing a politician would warrant the way the boy’s staring at him right now. but the boy comes to a conclusion all on his own, and unfortunately it’s one that makes him frown for a second before plastering the bright smile back on his face. “oh, yeah. my mom would take us down to the orphanage often.” he nods, trying his best to hide the tension that overcomes him at having to talk about his mom at all — or, remember anything of the way life robbed them both. it’s nice though, to see one of those kids all grown up and by the looks of it doing better than phil had last seen him. “a thank you isn’t needed honestly.” they helped not for the recognition but because they had the means to, because they wanted to. what was the point of excessive wealth if you didn’t help others when you could? “but you seem to be doing well for yourself — you’re in a band, right?”

It was supposed to be a quiet night, Kitty prepared to spend the entire evening with Phil and her closest friends by her side. But seeing Aurora so early on in the night threw was enough to throw her off, Kitty finding herself reaching for drink after drink as the rest of the evening got away from her. It was an innocent conversation, Aurora doing her best to comfort Kitty and yet the thought of their pending engagement was enough to send her spiraling, not prepared to confront the thought tonight. No matter what she’s doing she always finds herself gravitating back towards Phil, wanting to spend as much time with him as he possibly can. But sooner or later something catches the corner of her eye, distracting her as she runs off to say hi to another friend, to grab another drink. She simply has too much love to give, unable to contain it as she bounces from friend to friend complimenting their outfits and pulling them out onto the floor to dance. “Hi baby!” Kitty squeals as Phil spins her around, her whole face lighting up the second she hears her voice. “I missed you so much!” Arms draped loosely around his neck she leans up on her toes to press a soft kiss against his lips. Too many drinks in to notice the humour in his voice she pouts, feeling a small pang of guilt for leaving him alone for so much of the evening. “Nooooo it’s okay. I’m all yours for the rest of the night,” she assures him, chin resting on his chest as she looks up at him. “I promise.”

phil can’t stop the bright, happy smile that touches his face when he sees how happy she is to see him. the light fluttering feeling that fills him is no stranger, just being near her always enough to lift his mood, seeing her smile enough to make time slow as if it were the first time all over again. “hi.” he chuckles. “i missed you too.” he leans down, meeting her half way to press a kiss to her lips when he notices her standing on the tips of her toes. and instinctively, the second their lips seperate he presses a kiss to her forehead too. “sounds unlikely but I’ll take what scraps you can give me.” phil has never been one that can resist teasing someone he’s close with, smallest hints of an actual personality coming out around those he’s comfortable with. “did you at least have fun tonight?”

Elsa had been expecting to be interacting with some council members while she was at the masquerade, though she expected the conversations to be forced and out of obligation. She was instead surprised, however, to be approached by Phillip, the one council member she actually enjoyed talking to. They weren’t friends, per say, but they definitely had a closer connection than she had with any other council member. His initial enthusiasm was a little surprising, but she also found it strangely welcoming. She greeted him with a genuine smile. “Nice to see you, Philip.” For once, she wasn’t just saying that to seem friendly — she truly meant it. “I am.. I guess I’m full of surprises tonight.” It was true, between bringing a date to the masquerade and staying longer than anticipated, it was surprising for herself and others that knew her. “It’s going well, how about yours?”

“it’s nice to see you too.” he returns with a smile. for as long as he’d been on the council being around elsa had always managed to put him a little more at ease, finding it easier to navigate a stressful situation when at least one other person in the room understands. “you are,” phil nods, quiet chuckle leaving his lips as he thinks about it — of course elsa still being here was a bit of a shock, but a welcome one. “perhaps i should take a page out of your book.” would certainly make the night less dull, but what kind of surprise would he even be capable of? that was always the hard part. “that’s good. it’s been alright, I lost track of kitty and somehow mason as well, so i’ve been wandering around for the most part.” losing kitty early in the night wasn’t all that surprising to him, his girlfriend known to make the best of a social gathering. it’s losing his best friend that throws him for a complete loop — cause how does one even manage to lose mason king of all people.

After a long day of work Kitty finds herself at her favourite place to be, curled up on the couch next to Phil with a tv show neither of them are really watching playing softly in the background. She rambles on about every unimportant aspect of her day from the new candy that came in to the unusual customers, the absentminded dismissal to her question finally making her realize that he isn’t responding with the same enthusiasm he typically does. If it was anyone else, Kitty would likely find herself starting to get angry, rage bubbling up inside of her at the thought of being ignored, but when it comes to Phil she knows better. Almost two years of being the most attentive boyfriend she could possible ask for, it would be impossible not to tell that something’s wrong now, that while he might be here physically his mind is somewhere far off. “Hey,” she says softly, fingers resting under his chin so she can turn his face towards her. “What’s wrong?”  She’s noticed it for the past few days, the way he seems distant, has less to say, but she chalked it up to stress at work, sure he would come to her whenever he was ready. Now she’s not so sure. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me.”

it’s no surprise to him when kitty immediately pieces together that something’s off. he’d been so consumed with his own problems the past few days, of course kitty would notice. he just hoped he had more time -- time to resolve the issue without ever having to bring it to her attention, time to think of some sort of lie to keep her bated until he could handle it. but lying in his personal life had never been something he was any good at, and he doesn’t think for one moment that he can get away with it when it came to kitty. not because she would call him on it (which she probably would) but because he simply wouldn’t be able to commit to it, guilt eating him alive mid sentence once he looks into those warm brown eyes. “it’s...” nothing, he begins to say it’s nothing. but even that;s a lie that feels dangerous. “complicated.” and with a heavy sigh, he chooses to leave it all out there, no use in hiding it any longer. “remember when i went to vardaros for business? well...i found aurora, the girl i told you my parents wanted me to marry when i was younger.” 

.

Hearing a familiar voice among the crowded castle, Aurora turned to Phil with a wide smile. Her metaphorical, and one time literal, knight in shining armor. “Hi,” she replied, “it hasn’t been too bad, actually. There were a couple of questions I didn’t know how to answer but my father swooped in - as per usual.” She knew she still had a lot to learn so Aurora appreciated those moments, taking mental notes on how to properly handle these things when they came up. But for now, she needed a reprieve from political schmoozing. “Happy to be done for now with it though. Some of the council members are insistent on me coming to more meetings and, quite honestly, I’m not sure what that means.” It was kind of a joke, Aurora had felt a little lost in every situation ever since coming to Corona.

“that’s good,” phil nods. he remembers the first few times he sat in on a few council meetings. he’d been preparing his entire life to take his family’s seat on the council, and even he found himself overwhelmed and a little lost in the beginning. he can only imagine how much worse it must be for aurora. “you’ll get the hang of it soon, i promise. and as always, if you ever need anything i’m happy to help.” it’s something phil would offer to just about anyone, never one to watch on as someone else struggled if he had the capacity to help. but with aurora he puts just a little more effort into it, aware that he unintentionally opened her life up to a world of chaos with his well intent. he can’t help but feel a little bad about it. “they probably just want to do their best to make sure you’re up to speed,” that part he’s not too sure about. when he’d first joined the council he’d always gotten the impression that some of the older seat holders were watching closely, waiting for an opportunity for him to slip up and prove he was unfit. he never took it personally -- it’d be hard to take anything related to politics to heart considering how much of it relied on posturing. but he wasn’t going to share those feelings with aurora and potentially scare her off. he’d been alone in his shift, but thankfully she wouldn’t have to be. “I think it could do you some good to come to more meetings. perhaps not now though, given well..everything.” things with the council seemed to be more tense than ever before, the fall and winter festivals ending in such strange circumstances that left everyone looking to the council for answers they didn’t have (as they should). “but for now, you don’t have to worry about any of that. just enjoy the party.”

it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that mason would just be standing off on his own - flora was off saying hello to a few friends and he’d yet to find gen or elsa - and without spades around there wasn’t really much else mason had to do or say to anyone. or at least that’s what he thought until a man comes over to him singing. it takes him a moment to realize it’s phil - mostly out of confusion as to why he decided that the champagne needed to be introduced with a song rather than the fact that half his face was hidden behind a mask. “that was... something,” he answers as he takes the glass out of his friend’s hand and lifts to his lips for a sip. “i didn’t realize you were going into music now.”

“a bad something?” phil asks, a mix of amusement and concern taking over him. he’d always considered himself a decent singer but if mason told him right now he was terrible he’d have to re-evaluate some things. definitely start with singing a lot less. “politics isn’t working for me, so figured I’d try my hand at something new. the arts always seemed the best choice.” though he (and anyone really) would argue that painting would be what suited him better. “surprised to see you all by yourself. care for some company?”

phil had always been a man who was present, eyes never straying from kitty, thoughts never wandering to anything else when they were together. though, to be fair, in his eyes there was never anything more important to entertain, nothing worth neglecting her for. on any other day he listens to every word she has to say, holding her thoughts close to his heart like it was gospel. but today, he’s worlds away from her, eyes never really meeting hers and mind at war with his heart as he tries to process what exactly he’s supposed to be doing here. logically, this has to be where they end, right? knowing full and well that he’s supposedly expected to marry aurora when the time comes. but, he’s foolish and hopeful that he can find his way out of this, find a way out for them. so, instead of telling kitty -- just coming right our and ripping off the band-aid, he sits here in silence, her words falling on unlistening ears. “yeah, that sounds great love.” he nods, offering a non committal response to her question. @cuckockitty​

“okay,” phil sighs, looking down at the mugs of hot chocolate in his hands with a small frown. “probably the worst hot chocolate you’ve ever had, but in my defense i have never actually made hot chocolate so....” he shrugs, setting them down in front of kitty before taking a seat next to her in front of the fireplace. the instructions on the box had been rather self explanatory so he can’t imagine it’s too bad, but he’s almost certain he didn’t put as much sugar as kitty would normally have. “are you feeling any better now at least?” he asks, lifting the red blanket he’d brought down earlier so he could drape it over both of them. @cuckockitty

brows furrowed and amusement playing on his lips, phil shrugs. he hadn’t realized questioning the care she takes into wrapping gifts would lead to this, but he can’t necessarily say he’s bothered by it, finding the passion she holds on the subject to be funny. “i wouldn’t call myself a heathen,” he chuckles. “but i just don’t see what’s the point in being so meticulous about it when you’re just going to rip it off. it seems like a waste of energy.” @slccpingbeauty