Hayden Valkyrie's Story

"What can we do?" Mika responded, seeming to try and mask how defeated he was. Of course, there really wasn't anything they could do, was there?

Hayden sighed, letting his shoulders slump, though, at the very least, the slump he allowed in his shoulders now was hardly a defeated slump. In fact, his body seemed to lose whatever tenseness that it had been holding. It was official, he was over it. He would deal. No problem. It wasn't like he would be getting any sleep anyway, so why bother to have a room with someone he'd be comfortable with? He doubted it was going to be very difficult to sneak into his knight's room anyway, if he so desired.

"If it's my bed, I could trade with you," came another voice. It was a girl's voice, but not Mika's new one, and Hayden almost immediately scowled at the sound of it, his head turning sharply towards the brunette in vibrant pink who had approached them. He backed up subconsciously, turning his body so that she was at his front, and in the end of his change of stance, he'd managed to get himself facing the same direction Mika was facing, though he stood one step behind the small blonde, almost as if using him as a shield. Not that it would have been difficult to get through his knight as it was.

"Well, that's very kind of you," Hayden replied, though his words had suddenly become rather dry and distasteful. Instantly, however, he caught himself, and brought back his charming, laid back expression, one which slightly tilted up the edges of his mouth in an almost-smile. It had been coy and sexy and handsome in his old body, but now he wondered if perhaps the expression looked silly with that boyish face and pale, paper-delicate features. Maybe it was cute. He'd have to find a mirror or another reflective surface in order to practice his endearing expressions. One always had to know how to work their face. He put a tattooed hand on his hip before continuing, bringing a much less dreadful tone to his voice and trying to jump past that uncomfortable barrier that stood between him and a normal, non-paranoid conversation. At least he could pretend. "Of course, I barely payed any mind to the name on the bed next to mine, so I have no idea whose it is. You'd have to give the name a look."

He shrugged in the most over-dramatized way that he could, turning his hands upward along with the motion and letting his head go to one side, eyes closing during the action, before letting his limbs and body parts simply drop back down into the most relaxed position they could be in. There didn't seem to be a tense muscle in his entire body. He supposed this was sort of like being kidnapped, which had happened to him so many times when he was young. Staying in a strange place, following orders at the end of a sword, foreign clothes, languages, and being treated like a slave. He hadn't cried then, and he wouldn't so much as scoff, now. Maybe this was a little worse, since he knew that going home after this wasn't an option. There would be no one coming to rescue him. There was no attention to look forward to in the end. He'd have to make due with the situation, and he'd have to make due fast, because unless he could utilize every single person in here to his own devices, he wasn't getting out. Mika wasn't getting out. He wasn't sure if he cared whether the others did or not, yet, though.

"Pardon me, my lord, but did you mention assigned rooms?"

Another girl had approached. This time it was the one with the bright pink hair. Hayden took another few steps backwards towards a place that was slightly more distanced from the girls, instinctively not wanting them close after what had happened in the hallway. He wanted them both in his line of vision at once, and he didn't want any room for anyone to get behind him. In the end, his position was nearing the chair that Mika had been sitting in, and he stood perhaps a foot in front of it, though he was unaware of it's positioning behind him.

"Are there plates of some sort, then?"

Hayden took a bite of the apple that still rested in his right hand, shoving the other in his pocket. So popular he'd become after mentioning it, eh? He decided that, being the holder of the of the information, he could leave the people with questions on edge for as long as he damn well pleased. He swallowed the bite of apple, before giving a slow, relaxed not.

"Yes," He answered plainly. "There are small silver plaques on the headboards. They have just a first name on them, or at least, that is the only thing on mine. I would be more unnerved at their lack of using my proper title, or perhaps unnerved that they placed it so plainly like a name tag for a common dog, but it's only a name now."

He shrugged, this time much less dramatically than before. His name was worth nothing now. It held no power, it held no value. It was simply a name. Like a name of a slave. It was an empty word that meant little anymore. He hardly cared about it, and he hardly cared about his identity. If they were to know who he was, then let them know. He was a king of treaties and agreements, and he was hardly a threat to them. Everyone would automatically look to his name and if they recognized it, see a spineless king who was fearful of war. That was fine. He'd been alright with such a name the minute he'd taken control. But there was simply no reason to put the lives of his subjects on the line with something that could be put to rest with words. When he fought, he fought with them. He died with them. But no one else would see that. They would see a weak king who'd died a young man, and that was fine. Reputations would always get the best of people, especially of people with noble standing.

"Rubbish!" Shouted the boy with fiery hair. The same boy which had previously been having a breakdown? The corner of Hayden's lips turned up, and he raised an amused brow at the boy's feisty outburst. "No one can tell me where to sleep!"

Hayden snorted, an attempt to stop himself from laughing. How pathetic. Wasn't this kid practically sobbing a second ago? Hell, he might have been heaving, but Hayden hadn't been paying attention. This read-haired brat had shouted from the get-go, broken down at the face of something new, and made a big burst of emotion with every single one that seemed to come his way! Now he's shouting that they can't tell him what to do? What a spoiled thing to say! And this was coming from the king of spoiled, himself. Hayden was cared for immensely, spoiled from the moment he'd first opened his eyes. He was an only child to a king for Christ's sake, and there wasn't a thing that he couldn't have, as long as he was absolutely perfect. He had grown up being fussed over, and honestly, all the fuss over his information about assigned beds was absolutely. Fucking. Great. Who could complain when surrounded by attention? Though he still had to wish that the girls would take a couple of giant steps backward.

"Oh yeah?" Hayden retorted to the fire-tempered red-head, smirking coyly. "You aren't going to be told where to sleep? And who exactly is going to stop them from enforcing their rules? I certainly don't see anyone."

He took another bite of the apple in his hand, losing the smile and looking almost as if he were bored and tired. He took a step backwards again, wanting to lean against the wall behind him, but was unaware of the chair that sat behind him instead, blocking the route. Instead of making his way to the wall, where he planned, his moving leg connected with the chair, and his sudden momentum caused him to fall backwards, plopping down into it in possibly the least cool way, and causing the strange white furnishing to... contort? Suddenly the foot of the chair was out, holding up his legs above the ground and he was staring at the ceiling. He thought for a moment that he'd fallen on the ground, but his position was far too comfortable to be the ground. Shifting, he scrambled to sit upright in the seat of the chair, drawing his legs underneath him, though the chair itself remained in it's odd, sprawled position.

"What the hell?" He mused, placing his hands on one arm of the chair while he peered over the side of it to examine the contraption. "Did I break it?"

Tilting his head over to one side as he straightened again, he pressed his weight down with his hand on the outstretched foot of the chair, recoiling as it gave way to a slightly stronger weight. He swung his legs back on top of it, and pushed them downward until he heard a satisfying click, and the back of the chair and the foot of the chair were both secure in place once more, as if he'd never broken it at all. Isn't that peculiar, he mused, standing up and staring at the odd white furnishing, forgetting all together about his desire not to have anyone at his back. Is it supposed to do that?

"Well, this place never ceases to surprise me, I'll give it that much," Hayden mused aloud, though the comment was majorly to himself. "Still, the time in between surprises is rather boring."

Mika Taylor

After a few seconds his Majesty seemed to relax, his shoulders returning to their usual posture. That made Mika loosen up as well. If Hayden could go back to his usual laid-back self then the chances of everything turning out fine were a bit higher, right? There was still the matter of sleeping arrangements, but he could scope out his Majesty's roommate and see what he could do about preventing any dangerous....mishaps. A young woman approached them then, and Mika's eyes landed upon her just as she spoke. He needed to be more attentive, he chastised himself. Hayden's body tensed up again, and the tall male moved away. Mika, on the other hand, moved in front of his King, warning in the way he carried his body. This body might not be very strong, but he still knew how to fight. Though her words were friendly enough, Mika's response was initiated by Hayden's reaction to her presence.

He stared at the girl warily as His Majesty spoke in a disinterested voice. He knew he looked nothing near intimidating with this terrible new body, but at least the nails were sharp and the form was somewhat lithe. He could do some decent scratching without any practice, if need be. Hayden's voice, when he spoke next, had returned to a slightly easier tone, and Mika straightened, folding his arms over his chest. He could only just see the King in his peripherals, made easier by the body's pale pallour. Then the bright-pink haired girl came over too. She seemed more subservient than she had before, when she was standing there staring at him, but he would not question it. Everyone was an equal threat at the moment, now that he had decent control over this body. He did appreciate that his body was a slight bit shorter and stockier than most of the sticks that were standing around, which gave him an advantage: he had more mass and better balance. So long as he didn't end up as an ankle-biter he'd be fine.

The talk of names brought a thought to Mika's head. They knew their names, and his name was most certainly a male name. Michael. So why had they stuck him in a female body? Unless they'd mistaken his nickname. He hadn't gone by that name in such a long time though, and hadn't tolerated it from many, those including His Majesty, his sweetheart, and a handful of others. Then the fire-starter of a boy shouted again, the one who'd shouted earlier. He was a large threat with his temper like that. Mika paid him little attention though, because he wasn't as near as the two other girls. He was coming to think that they had been female in their past lives as well, because they displayed none of the discomfort he was currently experiencing with his body, which included trying to arrange his arms properly so they didn't press painfully against his breasts.

Hayden made an amused response and Mika took a moment to glance back at the pale form, but he did not move, and his eyes turned quickly back to the three others in the room. Well, until the sounds of what seemed to be a scuffle broke out behind him. He turned, ready to do what he could to defend his king, to see the male sprawled out in a chair, his body language surprised. The chair made a sound like a click as it seemed to grow, opening out. Mika didn't know what to do, s he just stood there, staring at the chair and his King in the chair. He kept half an eye on the others as he watched Hayden investigate the chair, ultimately pushing the bottom back into it's place, which put the chair back as it had been before Hayden fell into it.

When the fair male rose, Mika moved slightly nearer to him, still partially turned towards the others in the room, just to keep an eye on them. Hayden spoke, to himself it seemed, and Mika tipped his head slightly. "I much prefer it that way to the alternative." He murmured, forgetting himself for a moment. It was true though, he liked this quiet better than the prospect that every moment was filled with unpleasant new obstacles to cross. He had enough on his plate as it was, in all honesty. More that he could handle in most situations, but he'd have to make do and do his best. He opened his mouth again, pausing for a moment before speaking. "My Lord, may I take leave to investigate the sleeping arrangements?" He asked, his voice measured. It had been a long time since he'd asked anyone permission to do anything, but in this situation it was crucial that he know what his Majesty wished. He didn't want to leave Hayden alone with no notice, but he needed to scope out the rest on the environment. Just in case. And maybe find somewhere he could train and practice with his new body. Perhaps, if he could sum himself up to ask, he might invite Hayden to join him, since he was no longer in any state to wholly protect his Majesty, putting them both in the best possible form would be a wise decision.