Kuno eventually managed to get his painting materials set up and started on it. It was about halfway done when he started, and by the time the sun had almost risen to its peak, he had almost finished it. The style was messy and it definitely didn't look perfect, but Kuno liked it. The messiness made the water lilies look ethereal. Maybe he could give it to Elia. Or he could put it up in the library to add some color in there. After it was done, of course.
He glanced up at the sun and winced. It was almost noon– he probably only had a few minutes until the ceremony started. Kuno quickly gathered up his painting and supplies and ran back to his room. After a 30-second stop to make sure none of his flowers had fallen out of his hair, he ran to the front of the palace. The huge square in front of it was full of people, most decorated in solar qbi-kiqei. Kuno took a deep breath and started down the stairs towards the queens. Thankfully people were mostly occupied with talking amongst themselves, so he was able make it to their side without too much trouble.
"Are you okay?" Elia asked quietly, looking up at him with concern in her eyes. The soft Opreian words did wonders for Kuno's nerves, and the smile he gave her was mostly genuine.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Are we starting soon?"
"Yeah, we were just waiting for you." Lainei smiled at him, her face very gentle.
They talked for a while longer, but as they did, Theo noticed his mind drifting. Back to his dream. To Isla, to mother. He remembered only small instances if the dream now. Isla wanted him to find something. Mother wanted to talk. Isla… they were starting to miss Isla a lot. Probably because of this darn Opreian holiday. It would be so much easier if she was here. Memories came, worming their way back into his mind.
Theo remembered that rainy day at the lake, before the war. It was like the world was made of water, and only them and Isla who inhabited it. She stood beside them with that wide, joyful smile on her face, holding her hands out to catch the rain. Laughter rang out, but Theo wasn’t sure if it was his, hers, or both.
Theo remembered the soldiers. Only two or three of them, but their mere presence made world of water come crashing down. Guilt and shame pressing heavy on their chest. Isla had held his hand, a look of defiance replacing the smile. Another hand pressing on his shoulders, forcing the two of them apart.
Walking. A lot of walking. Up the fields and into the palace walls, stone and wood replacing the water. Isla went one went way, Theo went another. Her voice cried out, “Io! Io!” but was only met with quiet sobs.
They slowly became conscious to the fact that they were now sitting on the bed, tears rolling down his face. A snake rested in his lap, its head lifting up to him with concern. It took a moment for him to realize it was Vivi.
Theo took a shuddering breath, quickly wiping at their eyes. “Sorry, I… There’s something I need to do,” he murmured.
The snake stared with her dark, unblinking eyes. Prince, is there something wrong?
He merely shook his head, gathering Vivi around his arm and standing. After a quick assessment of their surroundings, Theo left the room.
~
Once they realized it was nearly noon, Theo made his way to the palace square, a cloud over his mind. He could almost see Isla dancing around him, excitedly urging him onward. At the same time it was like Mother’s eyes were burning into him, staring them down with an iron gaze.
It was easier to focus on Vivi wrapped around his neck than the ghosts that seemed to be haunting him, at least. The black mamba was more pleasant company than Ko sometimes was, and she hissed random things she observed around her with that dignified air Theo could appreciate as if she were also of royal blood.
They came outside, the large staircase spread out before them. He easily spotted Kuno and the queens, his breath hitching slightly when he first caught sight of Kuno’s flowery, braided hair. Hesitating at first, Theo stepped down the stairs and stopped a few feet away from the group, not wanting to interrupt.
"Friends, family, those who have lost loved ones." Lainei started speaking, the Opreian words carrying loud over the crowd. Everyone went quiet at once, turning to face her. "Thank you for being here." She inclined her head at the crowd, then turned to Elia.
"Those who are gone will never be truly gone. They are the ones who provide the light we live by. The gold rays that keep us warm are their love, the light their wisdom. As long as the sun shines, they will never be forgotten." Elia closed her eyes, hands cupping the pendent hanging around her neck. Lainei, Kuno, and the rest of the crowd copied her movements. "Sol's tears can finally stop falling. The blood of their children no longer paints the ground red." Kuno repeated the words, his voice lost in the shouts of the crowd. Many of them had tears in their eyes, though he didn't know whether they were from the relief of it being over or the pain of remembering those they'd lost. Maybe it was a little of both.
"Well, I think we could all do with a little june-uwen, what do you say?" Lainei clapped her hands, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
The speed at which everyone managed to get a cup of the rose-colored drink was quite impressive, and Kuno wondered where they all got it. Lainei and Elia had prepared glasses for the three of them in advance, at least. He carefully held the cup, the coldness of the drink feeling very nice in his hands.
"To those we've lost, and to those still living," Elia held her glass up, her second sentence in Neza. Probably so the dead queen and king could hear it from the afterlife. "We've won!" The crowd roared back the same two words in Oprei, 'ele-deli zynaen' probably echoing throughout the city. Kuno carefully focused on those words, pushing the people he'd lost to the back of his mind. They wouldn't like him grieving for them for so long. They'd want him to enjoy his life. He tilted his head back, a rare genuine smile lighting up his face.
"Alright. Just this once," he whispered, raising his glass towards the sun. "Flying through the sky together. Hands clasped, fingers intertwined. Looking down at those we love. We watch over them as one." The last part of his parent's favorite song. A fitting toast for them. Kuno downed the entire glass in one go. The crowd was already starting the celebrations. Someone must have brought their instruments from home, the clear sounds of flutes and a guitar rising above the chatter of voices.
(So sorry for my absence! I got a little intimidated haha. Hopefully I can get smth up today or tomorrow, but there’s a chance I won’t be able to until next week)
(Alright, you're good! :)
(So sorry for the wait!)
When Lainei began speaking, Theo quickly moved away from them and off to the side. She was addressing the crowd; it would be strange to be seen near them.
After getting over an initial burst of embarrassment, he watched the ceremony with both cold fascination and… well, it was a strange mix of emotions. It was as if he could feel Mother’s scorn, or Isla’s wonder. As if his emotions were not his own.
For a moment they zoned out, absentmindedly stroking Vivi’s scales. They snapped back to attention upon hearing their native language though, and quietly rolled his eyes at the words. Then his gaze drifted to Kuno and stayed there, watching the man drink his glass from afar. Another, more unfamiliar emotion rose up in him. They felt like they could stare at him forever. Of course, it was just as well, right? Better to watch him and make sure there is no funny business.
You know, he’s quite a pretty human, isn’t he? Vivi’s hiss startled Theo out of his reverie. Apparently she had noticed who he was looking at. They gave her a look; it was such a strange thing to say.
(It's cool! I wrote a little too much before, probably… :)
The june-uwen was cool and sweet. Kuno wished he hadn't downed the entire thing. Though… he could always get another one. It was a day to celebrate. He could relax a little. No one would be coming to kill him. A little smile crept onto his lips and he quickly acquired another cup of the wine.
"Hey! Hey! Resti! My dear res-Kuno!" Kuno turned towards the shouts to see Ry, a young woman with bright eyes and a huge smile, burst out of the crowd. She had a cup in both hands for some reason, though he should have expected this. She'd been looking forward to this for a while. "How are you? Doing alright?" She glanced around for somewhere to place her second cup, didn't find one, and handed it to the nearest person instead.
"Yeah. I guess." Kuno shrugged. "As good as I can be, I suppose."
"Aww…" Ry sighed. "Here. Take two of them. You're going to need it." She laughed and pulled two flowers from somewhere in her tunic. Kuno accepted the flowers with a little laugh.
"Ry… you'll need those for other people." Kuno sighed and tucked the flowers behind his ear. In the same motion, he pulled one of his own flowers from his hair and handed it to her.
"I'll get plenty others." Ry waved the comment away, then reached out and grabbed the flower with a thankful smile. "See! Well, anyway… I gotta go. People to talk to. Food to eat. You know. I'll see you later, though!" Kuno watched her disappear into the crowd with a shake of her head. She was a little crazy sometimes. Well, he should probably go find some of his other acquaintances. He scanned the crowd, eyes locking on Theo. There was someone he knew. He should go see how he was liking the party so far. Kuno took a long sip of the june-uwen and started towards them.
(Just a little hehe)
For moment, Theo didn’t know how to reply. The snake said it so abruptly.
“… And what do you know about human standards of beauty?” He meant to say it teasingly, but it may have come off as more harsh than he meant.
Not much, but you humans seem to like it when other humans put flowers in their hair. Vivi’s tongue flickered before quickly vanishing.
“Well, that’s true, but a lot of people here have flowers in their hair…” their voice had a bit of an edge to it now, their gaze flitted to the side.
But you’ve been staring at him a long time, haven’t you, my prince?
“No, I-“ they stopped themself and sighed. “That doesn’t mean I think he’s pretty. Well, he is,” he added more quietly, “but that’s not why I was staring.”
Really? Alright then. Vivi’s head turned ahead of them. Oh look, he’s coming this way.
“What?” Theo’s gaze snapped the direction he last saw Kuno, and indeed, there he was. Their limbs stiffened, but they weren’t sure why. It’s not like they hadn’t discussed the ceremony beforehand. He should’ve expected this. And yet, he still found themself rather nervous, seeing Kuno moving in their direction.
(Yeah… I apologize. :)
Kuno navigated around a group of people, then stopped and backtracked. It had sounded like they were talking about starting up one of the cooking competitions that were common during the celebrations.
"Do you want to join?" One of the people asked, glancing at Kuno.
"Ah, no thanks." He shook his head. "You're doing the competitions, right?"
"Yep!" The person grinned and nodded. "Oh, here, yuq." They pulled a flower from their pocket and handed it to Kuno.
"You can just call me qle." Kuno felt his face heat up slightly at the honorific– the person had basically just called him 'lord', and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was embarrassing, that much he knew. "Or Kuno."
"Nonsense! The saya deserves more respect than that." They laughed.
"A-alright. Selija." Kuno accepted the flower, giving the person one of his.
"Solunei!" The person gave Kuno a wave, then turned back to the rest of the group. Kuno gave them a slightly awkward smile in return. After taking another long sip of wine, he continued towards Theo. At least they wouldn't call him 'lord' and 'hero' and make him feel embarrassed.
"Theo. I'm glad you're here." Kuno stopped in front of Theo with a real smile. "How are you liking it so far?"
(It’s alright, sometimes I write a bit too much too)
He watched Kuno’s exchange with the stranger, and remembered the flowers Kuno had given him. Were they supposed to have them with them? Was it strange that he didn’t have any flowers?
Then they saw Kuno coming towards them again and immediately switched to wondering and rehearsing what he would say once the gap between them closed.
His smile looked so genuine, Theo almost felt bad. “K-Kuno,” they stuttered. “Ah, good to see you. It’s… I like it. It’s good to see… all these smiling faces.” He cringed inwardly. “Um, I just remembered I left the flowers you have me in my room. Should I go and get them?”
(btw, I won't be able to respond as often, as school is starting up again. :)
"The flowers?" Kuno frowned slightly. Theo must have really been nervous about this celebration if he'd forgotten his flowers. They were a very important, old tradition of taveni-jolu. Passing around flowers was something that many people thought was the most important part of the celebration. As the flowers traded hands, they became full of more love and blessings. Each person added a little onto it. Kuno liked that part. It was nice to think of a flower being in so many people's possessions that it gained a bit of its own magic. "I mean, you should probably have them. I imagine people would be a little sad if they couldn't trade flowers with you. But if you don't want to run back to your room… I could probably find some for you." Kuno knew there had to be some flowers around this area that he could give to Theo, and if they weren't enough, he could always throw in a few of his own.
(Sijskjskjsijs I literally thought I responded to this already)
Theo got a little nervous when Kuno frowned, but he shook his head. “No, it’s alright, I can go get them.” They stood up. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
It was strange to think that people would be sad about not giving them anything, but they figured it must be just the culture or something. Or maybe Kuno was just trying to get him to participate.
“Thanks anyway,” he murmured awkwardly, then made his way up the stairs and returned inside. They petted Vivi’s scales as they walked.
(Ah, you're fine!)
"You wouldn't be troubling me," Kuno reassured Theo, giving him a small smile as well. "I'll be around here somewhere when you get back if you need some company." He gave Theo a nod as they walked off, then turned towards the crowd. While he waited for them to get back, he could probably see if there were any of the competitions going on. The cooks always created really wonderful dishes– after all, adding a few twists always turned the tide in their favor. After wandering around a little, he heard the tell-tale sounds of a cooking competition. You could always tell if one was going on because of the friendly insults getting thrown back and forth at lightning speeds. And the wonderful smells. Kuno drained the last of his drink and set it down on a nearby table before making his way towards the area.
Speaking with Kuno had simultaneously made Theo’s mind both cleared and muddled. He felt more like himself, less dissociated than before, but also unsure how to act. Their feet seemed to bring them to his room instead of the other way around. Theo took the bouquet of white and blue flowers, but paused as they turned to go back out.
My prince? Is there something wrong? Vivi hissed.
“Nothing, nothing,” they muttered. “But something is making me freeze up.”
Is it the human with flowers in his hair? You looked quite nervous around him.
His brow furrowed. “Vivi, just what are you implying? And besides, I’m an Indrian in a sea of Opreians, who wouldn’t be nervous? I need… to stay focused.” They covered their eyes with a hand, sighed, then dropped it to his side. At least the growing anxiety was keeping the the ghosts at bay.
They pulled the door opened and went back out to look for Kuno, now holding the flowers tightly in one hand.
Kuno was at the front of a large crowd– they had insisted, even though he would have been able to see just fine from the back. In front of him was a basic outdoor kitchen with a fire for cooking and a couple of tables. Two people were standing at one of the tables, both chopping something furiously. They could have each gotten their own table, but being at one made criticizing each other easier, Kuno guessed. The person on the left glanced from their own work for a second to peer at their competition's work and snorted.
"You're using that stuff? Don't you know it tastes terrible?"
"Pfft, only if you use it wrong. Which you've obviously been doing." The other competitor countered, snorting. "If you're truly skilled, you can make this thing taste divine."
"Or your standards are so low that you think garbage tastes good." The crowd gasped in unison, prompting a laugh from both the cooks. Alongside being a cooking competition, it was also a contest to see who could say the best insults. If you got offended easily, a taveni-jolu cooking contest wasn't for you. Kuno snickered, wondering which person was correct. He guessed he would just have to taste the dish and find out. It smelled good, at least.
Theo froze up again, staring at the large crowd in front of them. The amount of people was rather overwhelming, making it difficult to discern Kuno from the crowd. Heads and faces seemed to blur together as his eyes scanned the crowd. His brain kinda had to ignore the cooking contest because there was already a lot of information going into it.
Eventually he spotted someone near the front that looked like the back of Kuno’s head. Slowly, cautiously, they began to weave through the crowd and making their way toward him, trying to block out all the sounds and smells that threatened to overwhelm him. Their movements were stiff and he held his limbs and the flowers close to his body. It was almost like his joints were locked in place and his ribs had completely closed in on his lungs. The pressure of bodies on all sides was not something he was familiar with, but they tried to breathe deeply and keep their eyes on Kuno.
(Sorry this is so late, school has been… a thing.)
The competitors had almost finished making their dishes when he was suddenly hit by a weird feeling. It wasn't a bad feeling, he just hadn't ever felt it before. Kuno turned around to see Theo walking towards him. They didn't look very comfortable. Before he knew what he was doing, Kuno was walking towards him. "Zena mi," he muttered, carefully moving people out of the way to give Theo some space. "Are you…" Kuno paused. "Do you want to go to the garden?" He pressed his lips together, instantly regretting saying anything. "Um, sorry. I just thought… that it would be more comfortable. We, uh… don't have to if you don't want to." Kuno trailed off, feeling as though he had said too much. He didn't know why he had even said anything, but he wanted Theo to feel okay.
(Same for me haha)
Theo relaxed a bit once he was given room, able to breath easier. Facing Kuno, their chest tightened, but not in an anxious way. Vivi’s head rested against his collarbone comfortingly, but their grip tightened on the flowers. Theo wasn’t nervous or anxious anymore, that much he knew, but he didn’t know what he was feeling now.
They blinked at the suggestion, then shifted their weight. “No, it’s alright. If your— if these people won’t miss you.” His voice sounded more bitter than he thought it would, surprising himself. They shook their head. “I mean, the garden is better than here.”
After a moment they awkwardly looked around, then turned and made their way to the garden.
"They probably won't." Kuno let out a small sigh of relief. "And if they do, that's their problem." He had no idea why Theo sounded so bitter about that, but he quickly dismissed the thought. "Alright." Kuno spared one last glance at the cooking competition, then followed after Theo. Although he had been looking forward to tasting the dishes the competitors had made, he cared more about Theo's well-being. That… that was an unexpected development and he didn't really know what to feel about it. So he did the sensible thing and tried to ignore it. Besides, it was much nicer in the gardens. Cooler thanks to the shade of the trees, and much quieter. It had been nice to listen to all the chatter, all the music, stories, and laughter. But here he could breathe and here, his thoughts were clear. Kuno's gaze shifted from the trees to Theo and his heart did a little skip. They really looked beautiful today… oh, Sol, why had he noticed that? Kuno dropped his eyes to the ground, his face feeling a bit too warm. "Um… how are you feeling now? Is this better?" He peeked back up at Theo, trying only to focus on their answer and not the strands of raven hair framing their face. Sol, what was wrong with him?
It was only then, when they made it to the gardens, that Theo realized that Mother and Isla were no where to be found. The ghosts of the past did not haunt him now, and there was only himself, Kuno, and Vivi. Immediately he was more relaxed than he had ever been that day, and he let out a sigh.
They nodded in reply. “Yeah. Better.” They reached up to stroke Vivi’s scales. Due to the snake’s length and the way she wrapped herself around Theo, it was almost like she was a long rope necklace hanging from their neck. She was silent, which annoyed Theo a little, since that strange feeling was rising up in his chest again. If she would say something, he wouldn’t have to deal with that feeling. Or Kuno. They could feel his eyes on him, and it seemed to be contributing to that weird feeling they were getting.
Reluctantly, they met his gaze. Why did he have to do this? Why did he care that he was okay? It was so much harder to be angry at him and think of him as the man who killed his parents this way. He would be so much harder to….
Kuno blinked slowly, taking in a deep breath of the fresh garden air. He smelled warm earth and sun-drenched leaves. The sounds of the celebration were still present, but so faint he could hardly hear them. It felt a bit like they were in their own world… which didn't help with the strange nervous feeling he'd suddenly started having. "I'm glad," Kuno murmured, a relieved smile rising to his lips. "We can stay here as long as you want. Is there anything you'd like me to do? Or, uh, would you like me to go?" He added, suddenly realizing that he had brought Theo away from all the people just to crowd him all over again.
They couldn’t hold his gaze for long. Soon it became easier to stare at flora around them instead of directly at the other man, the memory of his smile still lingering in Theo’s mind.
“You can stay, you can go,” he replied. “Do what you like. It doesn’t matter.” Right? Well it did, he admitted to himself, but either way mattered in different ways. There was a voice, maybe Mother’s, inside him that said Kuno leaving would be better, that somehow it would make the weird feeling go away. But there was another, smaller voice, maybe Isla’s, that wanted him to stay. For whatever reason. Theo let out a sigh, folding his hands in front of them.
Kuno's heart did a leap at Theo's words. What did they really want? He would have preferred if they'd just told him to go because now… he had to decide himself. On one hand, he wanted to stay. The gardens were his favorite place in the entire palace. Even though today was taveni-jolu, the entire day was taveni-jolu. He didn't have to do the whole thing. And besides, the part that began after the sun went down was one of his favorite parts. Especially since Elia and Lainei had asked him to help with the lights. But… on the other hand, Theo didn't really seem like he wanted to be among a lot of people. And they weren't even really friends, were they? Just two people who'd started working together. He should really go. At the very least, find another part of the garden to stand in. But Kuno's mind was darting back and forth that he couldn't make himself move anywhere. So he just stayed standing there, staring at Theo like an absolute idiot.
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