Chapter Text
*BANG!* the White knight and the Blue knight clashed, the white knights shield and weapon broke. Everyone went wild again and I put in my ear buds. I hate yelling and I hate people more. There’s so many in this Medieval Times too. Cheering and screaming in the flashing lights sitting in the rows with their hands in the air. The Blue knight turned his horse after their short joust and raised his weapon proud, like Blue is. He made a couple of rounds around the large sand arena. Before the red knight came in with his weapon in the air. My section, the red section, went wild. He flipped his shoulder length perfect black hair. Fluffing it over his shoulder, his perfect pearl skin shined with sweat in the lights. Some group of women dressed up in the front row stood up and yelled even more. He blew them a kiss and prepared his horse for jousting. I rolled my eyes eating more of the chicken they give you at the beginning.
I know it’s a bit weird for a 29 year old to be sitting alone at Medieval Times. Then it is probably even weirder for me to not be enjoying it. Even though I willingly spent good money to come here and watch the show. Well I actually didn't come here to watch the entire show. I came here for one thing and one thing only, the birds. Growing up on a French farm I had a plethora of animals. A couple horses, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, rabbits and more. I had so much and I loved it so much. The animal that stuck with me the most though. After growing up with everything, helping mama with all the animals. Adopting and rescuing, the birds are what stuck with me most. I would stand in the aviary papà built for me, for hours with all my parikeets. I’d raise little birds that fell out of their nest in my yard. With mama always with mama, she loved it here too. Which is why I come here, even though I hate the loud noises and annoying people. Out in the woods there’s not much to do, so one day she took me to the city and let me pick what we got to do. I saw horses outside being rode by knights handing out flyers and was immediately hooked. Not by the stupid knights but the beautiful Clydesdales and Arabians. Their kind eyes and soft noses that nudged me as a knight handed my mama a flyer. We went and ever since then it sort of became our thing. Even though I hate all these loud noisy people it still feels good, like she’s sitting next to me. Even though she’s been dead for about ten years. She loved the birds too and our favorite part was the birds. I took out my ear buds as the trainer came out. Finally the knights finished their jousting and pretended to fight. Now it was time for the birds and horses. They flew out and over everyone, over me. A red tailed hawk and I felt myself grin, such smart birds. Trained to fly in certain spots and always back to their owner always reminded me of mama and made me happy. People reached their hands up to try and touch a barn owl. Which the trainer had also sent out. I smiled at it and came back to her and received its reward. Training animals was another highlight of why I came here. The way they could understand you and what you wanted with a simple word always blew my mind. Even though I’d been training my farm animals since I was little. It’s so complex the way animals understand and I love it. I stood up finally with everyone else as they flew over again and brought out that pearl white horse. The “queen's horse” pranced backwards and side to side. Jumping over the little jumps by itself only being spoken to by the trainer. After it was all over and the knights began to fight again I stood up and took my leave to the main entrance area.
It was quite large, like an old timey circus castle but in one large circular room that had a huge bar in the middle. Red velvet carpet and old looking stone walls with some vendors on the side. An area for the queen and king right across the entrance up some stairs on a platform. As well as another arched way with a beam in the middle going to the more permanent shops. That were a part of the building, with the countertops and shelves attached to or in the walls. Littered with different things like old looking books or goblets, fake swords, real swords. Crowns and capes and unicorns and dragons all in different forms of merch. I walked through the vast archway, after descending the steps from the hall I took. Then made my way to possibly my favorite old man in the entire world, Frank. He was a part of the more permanent shops. He was by all the kids' stuff where he sold real swords and expensive goblets and cutlery. Handmade wooden figures and jewelry that shined in the warm light of the giant chandeliers that decorated this place. He instantly gave me a smile and waved me over talking in his shaky gruff voice.
“Beau! Beau come over here, quick, quick!”
He was probably the only person who didn’t annoy me or make me mad. Him and Mae who is my best friend and roommate. We met in high school freshman year and hit it off instantly.
“How are you, young man?”
He smiled at me as I stood in front of his glass counter.
“Fine Frank, how’s Ned?”
He smiled again and whistled calling over a large white bird with a fan of feathers coming out of its head. A cockatoo, Frank's bird and what got me talking to him first. It was always the birds.
“He’s doing well as you can see, oh! I’ve got something for you!”
Fred handed Ned to me who accepted the head scratches I gave him, perching on my arm.
“Frank you have to stop giving me free stuff, let me get my wall-“
“No no, no! You deserve it! Especially with your situation.”
I swallowed awkwardly, Frank meant well but it was still embarrassing that I could barely afford a quarter of my share of bills. Without Mae I’d be forced to sell the farm and the rest of the animals. I already had to sell all the goats and most of my ducks, all of my parakeets and Guinea fowl and sheep. Not to mention all the horses, well except Céline, I couldn’t get rid of her. The little animals I did have took a lot of my income and all the rest went to bills. Without Mae being my roommate, I’d be starving. I was sort of forced to tell Frank about it after he finally asked why I never buy anything here. He turned around stroking his large grey and white beard. That matched his long grey white hair.
“Here, I made this just yesterday with you in mind.”
It was a little hollowed out sphere of wood with two circular holes on the sides. Perfect for a bird to make a nest in. He clicked his teeth so Ned flew off and onto his perch again. Preening his pearl white feathers.
“This is here so you can hang it up.”
He pointed to a little circle on top. I took it and smiled.
“Mercí Frank.”
I said putting it in my side bag and checking my old watch for the time. The show would be up soon and all those people would be out here.
“Well I’m off then.”
He sighed.
“Already?”
He pushed his half moon spectacles up his crooked broad nose. As Ned flew back down to his arm.
“You know I only come for the birds and horses Frank.”
He chuckled, stroking Ned’s crown of feathers, he closed his eyes lovingly. I turned around and headed out the large doors. The bartender, a Korean looking young woman with black hair that had two pink stripes on the front, did her usual smile and waved goodbye to me. I gave a little wave back before going to my car.
As I pulled into the long twisted driveway. The dogs greeted me, they were one of the animals I knew I couldn’t get rid of. No matter how poor I was. There was Bunny, my Rottweiler who I trained myself mostly for farm protection. Burt, my Bernese who helped with cattle and sheep as well as Loup my Blue Australian Shepherd. Who also helped with cattle and sheep, though I had to sell all of them. They wagged their bushy tails at me, whining and licking while Bunny sat on the porch as I taught her.
“Bunny, viens!”
I also made sure to train her in French so no one else could tell her what to do. She got up and came over gently licking my hand. I pet her and then walked up the large porch steps inside. It was a classic Red farm house with a large living area for a family, and an almost larger kitchen with a dark wooden island and old wooden countertops. That matched the dark wooded floor and walls. There were two floors, a bathroom with two bedrooms on the first floor. Then on the second, two more bedrooms, one with just a normal shower in its personal bathroom and the main one with a large walk-in shower. The upstairs also had a game room, for my American father who helped build the house, loved football. It was very visible as soon as you went up the stairs on the side of the living room. A giant archway separated it right in front of the top. Inside was a pool table, a large couch with an incredibly large T.V and old games hung up on the walls and scattered throughout. There was even a mini bar where I remembered that my father served my mother unique and fruity cocktails. While he just had beer and we all sat down with my mothers family and watched the games. Hockey and football were always big in my house. After putting my things away in the coat room I went to the living room where I was greeted by Duck, my parakeet. He was a Blue budgie and the last out of the about 50 I had in my old aviary. That sat empty now out behind the house in the large usually overgrown backyard. He flew right to my head and I took him from my hair and stroked his head.
“Bonjour Duck.”
He tweeted, dipping his head up and down while I walked upstairs with him in my hand. I tried to give Mae the biggest bedroom because of her paying so much for this house but she refused. She knows it was my mamas and papas. I walked in and heard her in the large shower which I insisted she at least use when she wanted.
“Hey bitch!”
She called from inside, muffled by the insane water pressure of that glorious shower.
“Bonjour brat!”
I called back, that was our thing. Making fun of each other but not letting anyone make fun of us. Calling names and kicking anyone’s ass who called us names. That’s how it’s always been, I grinned, dropping my bag off and walking to the old walk-in closet which we shared. My idea of style wasn’t exactly what you’d expect for a farm raised guy. I like crop tops and baggy jeans and cute bags and tight shirts with holes in them. Mae always says it’s because I’m gay, but if just gay people have good style I think this world is headed downhill fast. I changed in the closet into my papas old sweatshirt and mamas old pajama shorts which had cute flowers on them. Then walked back into my room where Mae was in a towel. She had dark chocolate colored skin with 3c curly hair that currently was in a shower bonnet. Usually though it went just to her shoulders. Her nose was buttoned and her face a slim diamond with pink plump lips. She came up and kissed my cheeks and spoke with her southern accent. She was from America too, she moved after her older brother's hockey career took off. He trained in Canada while she went to school. Originally she’s from Kansas.
“How was the show? See any sexy knights?”
She walked over to the closet and began looking for her new outfit, winking at me. I rolled my eyes as Duck flew out after she moved a shirt hanger. I held out my hand again as he took land.
“You know I don’t care about those stupid frat bros.”
It was true, they all most likely peaked in high school and got those gigs so hot middle aged women could fangirl over them every single day. Mae closed the doors as Duck clicked and tweeted, preening his wings on my hand.
“Oh come on! They're hot, admit it bitch!”
I sighed chuckling.
“Anyways! The show was fine, Frank gave me a new hide for Duck.”
I went to the bed and picked it up, before going to the old drawer I had in my dresser where trash got stuffed. Grabbing a blue string and tiring it through the hole. Mae came out, taking her hair out of the shower bonnet and putting it into a sleeping bonnet. She was wearing one of my bigger shirts with her own flowered shorts.
“Ugh, I love that man so much! He’s such a sweetie!”
She walked back into the bathroom as I hung it up in the corner of my room where I had perches on the wall and hides. As well as Ducks cage under it all, and all his seeds and treats and blankets inside an old drawer I had next to his cage. I tied it to a metal loop I put in a couple weeks ago for a hidey I never bought. Duck immediately flew inside tweeting and ducking his head up and down.
“Do you like that Duck?”
I smiled as he ducked up and down more and all three dogs made their home on my bed.
“He is.”
I responded to Mae stroking Duck more inside his little hide, Mae came out of the bathroom and smiled at him too.
“How was work?”
I asked and she smiled.
“Good… The usual y'know, gave some horses some shots and deflated this one huge liquid filled bubble on this cow's back shoulder.”
Mae was a large animal vet, which is why she was able to help me so much with the house and animals, I always had a free vet.
“Speaking of, I got something I need to talk to you about… It’s about Derik.”
I raised an eyebrow, Derik was Mae’s boyfriend of four years now.
“Did you guys break up?”
She laughed.
“Bitch please! No, he wouldn’t be able to live without me.”
She said sassily, I chuckled going to the bathroom and wiping my eyeliner off In front of the mirror.
“You’re right, he’s obsessed with you. So what is it?”
She was silent for a moment which is very unlike her so I looked and she had a face. A “this news isn’t good face” mixed with a face of pity. I splashed water on my face before I faced her.
“What Mae?”
I said nervous now, she sighed and held up her hand. I was sort of confused at first then noticed it, a beautiful white sparkling ring on her finger, her ring finger. I walked up slowly and took her hand.
“Oh- oh my god Mae!”
She smiled and then I hugged her.
“Oh my god bitch you're getting married!”
She laughed and hugged me back and let me look more at her hand in awe.
“Oh it was so amazing Beau! He took me to this beautiful spot in the woods, then he asked and of course I said yes!”
I smiled, grabbing her hand and bringing her out of the room.
“Hey what are you doing?”
She laughed, I started going down the steps as Duck flew down after me.
“We’re breaking open that fancy wine!”
We sat in the kitchen drinking the wine dad sent me on my last birthday. Talking about how he asked her and what kind of wedding she wanted.
“Well you’d be my best man obviously!”
I shook my head.
“That’s not a thing is it?”
She rolled her eyes, drinking more of her wine as I nudged Duck away from mine.
“It will be at my wedding! You’re my best friend bitch, of course you’re gonna be my best man.”
I grinned, so glad she was my friend. She used to work at a convenience store when we were in high school, which is the place where we met. I had just gotten done fighting some dick at school and Mae helped me fix my nose after she saw how bloody it was at checkout. There was a little science before she sighed rubbing her head.
“Beau there’s uhm- there’s something else.”
I watched her fidget with her glass.
“I really love you, you know that right?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I love you too Mae… What’s wrong?”
She got up and put her hands in her pockets stretching, Duck waddled over and dipped up and down, Mae stroked his head.
“Okay… I’m just gonna come out and say it….”
She stopped and looked at me like she felt bad about something.
“I’m gonna be moving out, Beau.”