forum secrets only the sun knows // O/O // Closed

Started April 23, 2021 by @MarDeColores this is not it kids

tune

Kuno carefully tucked his pendant back under his shirt and leaned back slightly. It seemed like a good idea to rest a little like Theo was doing. He hadn't gotten much sleep on account of the terrible dreams. It would be nice to just lay back and close his eyes… but he couldn't. He didn't want to have more dreams, especially with Theo by him. And they were out in the open, too. He couldn't relax all the way, he had to watch over Theo. He could rest later.

It was almost too good to be true. Theo hadn’t felt this calm in so long… but of course, letting his guard down came with a price. Soon, dread replaced calm, keeping them stiff and still on the ground, unable to move. The grass shifted beneath him, but his mind told them it was footsteps, that someone was coming. Someone was coming, someone was coming, and it would be bad if they found him here, it would be bad. But Theo couldn’t move, even though they wanted to. It was like his arms were made of metal. Someone was coming, someone was coming.
Theo.
A spasm of fear coursed through him, and they awoke and sat up, breathing heavily. Then he realized that no one else was there, that it was all an illusion, and began to calm themself.

Kuno had been watching the flowers nearby sway in the slight breeze when Theo shot into a sitting position. It was just Theo sitting up, but the sudden moment started him more than he liked. Kuno's hand flew to the place where he usually kept his sword. It was a habit from the war, and it seemed as though he hadn't gotten rid of it just yet. His fingers closed around thin air, causing a flash of panic to rush through him before he remembered that he didn't carry his sword anymore. Kuno let out a breath, turning his attention to Theo as soon as he could.
"Are you okay?" He asked, slowly setting his hand into his lap. It was better to focus on Theo than whatever was happening with him.

It took them a moment before they could speak. “Sorry,” he breathed. “I thought…” they trailed off, shaking his head. “Sorry.”
He kept taking rhythmic breaths, in and out, in and out. They blinked rapidly and clenched their fists, and soon enough the shock wore off. No one was coming, no one was coming.
Maybe the sea really had become a painful place to go. Thought weighed down on Theo’s heart; he didn’t really want to fully admit it. It was one of the few places he felt… safe.
“Do you want— do you want to go now?” they found themselves asking. “And… can I hold your hand again?”
They weren’t sure what they were thinking. Maybe human contact will give him some reassurance? Was it possible he actually… liked it? Either way, their heart was pounding in his chest as they awaited an answer.

"You're okay, Theo. There's no need to apologize," Kuno said softly. It seemed to him like Theo had had a bad dream or recalled an uncomfortable memory. That was nothing to apologize for. Kuno didn't have any particular preference about whether they stayed or went somewhere else, but it seemed as though Theo didn't want to stay around the ocean any longer. "Sure, where would you–" Kuno cut himself off as Theo's second question finally registered. "I… of course!" Sol, he'd said that too quickly. Kuno quickly got to his feet, hoping Theo wouldn't notice the eagerness in his voice. Or maybe he was hoping they would. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go in particular, or would you like to keep walking around the garden?" He asked, holding his hand out to Theo to help them up as he did.

“Oh… r— right.” The words lingered in his mind. You’re okay, Theo.
He had always felt the need to apologize for things like that, but they weren’t sure why. It always felt like they were doing something wrong. After all, it wasn’t real, right? It shouldn’t matter that much.
They did notice. His head snapped in Kuno’s direction, eyes widening slightly. “Really?” For a moment they expected that… well, he wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. It was a strange thing to ask, wasn’t it? They would’ve understood if Kuno had declined. And now, Theo felt hesitant for some reason. After a moment they took the other man’s hand, squeezing it a bit too tight as he stood. Using his free hand to brush off grass in their clothes and hair, they said, “Um… we can keep walking around in the garden. Maybe Vivi’s waiting for us there.”
His fingers tingled. They felt the need to cry again at the feeling of Kuno’s hand clasped in theirs. Instead he sighed, and shivered from the leftover adrenaline the dream from earlier gave them.

"Really," Kuno repeated, nodding. He didn't know why he was so sure. Maybe it was because it seemed like Theo had just experienced a nightmare and might need something to ground him. Maybe it was because he himself wanted that warmth of connection. Whatever it was, Kuno was glad when Theo took his hand. He didn't mind if their grip was tight–to be honest, he hardly noticed. "Alright, then. To the garden." There was still a fair amount Theo hadn't seen. And they should probably find their snake, just in case it scared one of the gardeners. Kuno led Theo back towards the gardens, wondering idly where they should go next. Most of his attention, however, was focused on Theo's hand in his. It should not feel as natural as it did, and yet…

(“Ah yes, let’s go find my emotional support snake”)

Theo’s grip gradually loosened as they walked, and their mood improved. At the same time though, he almost wanted to go back to the sea at some point. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad the second time.
He glanced around, looking for a sign of Vivi. Her species lived both on the ground and in trees, which increased the amount of places she could be. But then again, it wasn’t urgent that they find her. If she decided to stay on her own, Theo wasn’t particularly worried.
“Vivi, we’re back,” they called out. Then he chuckled softly. “She likes you now, so maybe she won’t be so skittish.”
The snake still didn’t appear. Theo couldn’t ignore the handholding much longer. Kuno’s hand was just so soft, which didn’t make sense seeing as how he had fought in the war. Shouldn’t they be more rough? Without thinking, their thumb rubbed against his skin in fascination.

(The best quest. Also, happy late thanksgiving! :)
It was nice walking through the gardens with Theo. Kuno wasn't really looking for the snake, though he should probably be. He didn't really know what to look for, so he just glanced around for anything unusual. The path took them through low-growing, dark-colored bushes decorated with small, white, star-shaped flowers. Kuno slowed down, taking a deep breath of the light, floral scent. The flowers could be used to make a very tasty tea, one that he enjoyed a lot. He didn't see a snake in the flowers, though that might have just been because he wasn't familiar with searching for snakes. "Any luck finding your snake?" Kuno asked softly, glancing from the flowers to Theo. At that moment, Theo's thumb rubbed against his skin. The motion sent a shiver down Kuno's back, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Still, it did make him stare stupidly at Theo with a look of mild surprise.

“No, but it’s alright. She’ll turn up,” Theo responded absentmindedly. For a moment his gaze drifted to the flowers, but then he caught Kuno’s surprised look. They panicked for a second.
“Um— sorry, I uh… I didn’t mean to— your hand is just really soft. And, uh, I… just…”
They could not conjure the words to explain themself properly, and trailed off awkwardly. He looked away, half-pretending to be looking for Vivi to avoid facing the other man. Perhaps he could have let go of his hand, but for some reason they didn’t want to.

"Ilah, that's good." Kuno nodded slowly, still staring at Theo. Oh Sol, they thought he was surprised in a bad way. "I–no, it's fine. I was just surprised. In a good way," Kuno said quickly, his expression quickly turning into a reassuring one. Almost unconsciously, he glanced down at their intertwined hands. It was probably his imagination, but they looked like they were made to fit together. Sol, he was losing it again. Kuno's eyes drifted to his last two fingers–or rather, the missing parts of them. He was glad Theo didn't mind or give them any extra attention. Lainei and Elia didn't either, but some people gave him pitying looks whenever they noticed. Same with his missing eye. He hated it.

He hesitantly looked back, relaxing when they found Kuno’s more reassuring look on his face. “Um, alright. As long as you don’t mind.” Their gaze flickered downward. He almost didn’t even notice the missing fingers at first, but once they did, it didn’t really matter that much. He was afraid to admit it, but they made holding hands with Kuno more natural, somehow. They couldn’t help but rub his thumb against it again.
Your Highness, why are you interlocking those strange appendages of yours with the pretty human?
Theo blinked and shifted their gaze back to the flower bushes. “Oh, there you are Vivi.” Holding out his free hand, they let her slither up his sleeve.
Yes, I have returned. Did you miss me?
“Not particularly,” they replied without skipping a beat.
Her tongue flickered. I’m offended.
“And I’m just kidding.”
Sure you are.

"I assure you, I don't." Kuno tore his gaze away from their hands to look into Theo's face. Just in time for them to rub their thumb against their hand again. Kuno wasn't so surprised this time, a small smile pulling his lips up instead. Kuno hadn't felt this kind of contact–just pure, innocent human contact–in ages. His family had died so long ago, and then there'd been the war. He hadn't allowed himself to get close to anyone during that time because he was so scared of losing them. And he had lost people, over and over and over again. By the end of it, he'd been so tired of losing people that he'd decided it was better to give his own life instead of having to see someone else he cared for die. After that… no, he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about Theo's hand in his, and how it was okay to let himself enjoy it because the war was over. Theo's voice thankfully pulled him back to the present. He watched as the snake appeared from within the flowers and smiled. The war was behind him. He had to remember that. The present was safe. The present had Theo and their strange snake and a taveni-jolu celebration he could enjoy without fear. "Are you hungry? I'm sure there's plenty of food by now. I could go get us some so you don't have to go back into the crowd."

Theo caught the man’s smile, and they felt their cheeks grow warm. Why were his smiles so adorable?
He seemed to forget who Kuno is. Or at least, who he was. The one that took them away. The man that stood before him now, holding their hand, was so far removed from the man he’d pictured at first. How could Theo reconcile the two? How could he hate one and be… mildly interested in the other when they were same man?
But he didn’t want to think about that right now. For some reason they were actually enjoying this. Was that… okay?
He used his free hand to rub Vivi’s scales as she slithered around his neck. He’d honestly forgotten to eat anything since breakfast. “Ah, yes. I haven’t eaten in a while…” After a moment of thought, they said, “Alright, thank you. Vivi will keep me company.”

"Perfect. I'll be right back." Kuno smiled, reluctantly letting go of Theo's hand. He gave them one last smile before hurrying back out of the garden. He wanted to get the food as fast as possible so Theo wasn't waiting too long. The sounds of people talking and music slowly got louder as he neared the celebration. The cooking contests had really taken off, but Kuno decided not to get food from there. Although it was usually quite good, sometimes people really didn't know what they were doing. There was no way he was giving Theo bad food. Kuno carefully made his way over to the food stations. It took longer than he thought, given that every few feet someone was stopping him and offering him a flower. But he couldn't be mad. It was so nice to see everyone so happy. Eventually, Kuno managed to get a plate of yula-ofe, as well as a jug of cold tea to go with it. He snagged two empty cups and hurried back towards the gardens. Hopefully, Theo would like the food he'd chosen.

After wandering around a bit more, Theo managed to find the small table that outlooked the lily pond where they have sat before, figuring it would be better than just standing and eating. He sat down, setting the flowers on the table.
My, my, the pretty human is getting you food now? How generous. Vivi flickered her tongue as they stroked her scales.
“Yes, yes, he’s very kind.” Theo couldn’t help but roll their eyes a little. “I don’t know why he is being so nice, but I’m sure that’s all it is.”
But if he’s so nice, why do you want to kill him?
He frowned. He didn’t want to admit that they were starting to ask the same question. “I have to. I just have to.”
What will happen if you don’t?
Snakes were so strange sometimes. “Look, I just have to, Vivi. Okay? It’s my duty.”
Vivi didn’t seem to understand what that meant, and they fell into silence. Theo was troubled by their exchange, but for once he didn’t let it take over his mind. They really wanted to enjoy themselves for once, forget the war for a while. He watched the the trees sway and the water ripple, hoping Kuno would find them and not mind their change in location.

(So I lied about the slow reply. Sorry again for the very late reply. :)
Theo wasn’t where Kuno had left him. He panicked for a second, convinced someone had grabbed them or taken them. But the war was over, it was over, there was no reason someone would take him. He’d probably just wandered off to find a better place to eat. After all, it wouldn’t be all that comfortable to eat standing up. Kuno took a few deep breaths, then started to look for Theo. After only a minute or so, Kuno found Theo sitting at the table by the lily pond.
“I brought yula-ofe and some tea,” Kuno said, setting the plate of corn-based dumplings full of beef, beans, and peppers on the table. “I like the spot you picked,” he continued, placing the glasses on the table and carefully pouring some tea into both of them. Kuno carefully sat down, picking up his glass and taking a long sip of the sweet, cool tea. “I’m, uh, sorry I couldn't get another plate. You can eat first.” He reached out and gently pushed the plate towards Theo.

They raised his head when Kuno arrived, eyes immediately eyeing the tea. “Thank you,” he murmured, taking the glass and inspecting it before sipping the tea. It was good, better than the tea made in Indri. It had a citrusy flavor Theo liked. Immediately they felt the urge to know how it was made so they could make it himself.
Turning his attention to the dish, he replied, “It’s fine,” and examined the dumplings. ”Yula-ofe?” They were more scrutinizing of these, eyeing them for any flaws that could possibly be there. Glancing at Kuno, they then almost felt guilty. He shouldn’t let his picky eating habits keep him from eating it, even if it was an Opreian dish that they’d never eaten before. Besides, Kuno had been kind enough to get the food for them to eat together.
They took one of the dumplings and bit into it. It was okay, but he could do without the pepper. He sipped the tea again to wash it down, pushing the plate back toward Kuno.