forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Despite the chill in the air, Arquis stayed put on the old, askew tree stump. Tall grass swished around his legs, and a bird chirped somewhere off in the distance. He took a deep breath in. No matter how horrible things were for him, life went on. When he'd first found that out, it'd been a tremendous shock. How, he'd wondered, could there possibly be sunshine outside when he felt trapped in the darkness of his room? How could a stranger laugh when he was aching inside? It'd seemed like everything should've stopped, maybe given him some time to catch up. But nothing had. His sense of normalcy had been completely thrown off balance, yet he'd been expected to recover swiftly; to rejoin public life; to gladly assume the duties of his household. And he had, but at the expense of his mental and physical health.

The crunching of dry grass nearby alerted him to someone's presence. He jolted and spun, preparing to face either Rin or Cearan. Instead, he found himself facing Doctor Lavin. The middle aged man offered him a startled smile and a little wave. Beside him was his daughter, who, with her kohl-lined, dark eyes and stylish black trench coat, seemed quite intimidating.

"Why, hello there!" the doctor said kindly. He cast a glance around. "Where's that partner of yours? Is he about?"

——

Honey had finished his entire breakfast sandwich before Ari came closer, and he'd begun to drift off. His eyelashes fluttered as he forced himself to wake. It wasn't time for sleeping. Ari needed some comfort, and he was going to provide it to the best of his ability.

"Mm, handsome, it's okay. It's alright. I'm here." His accent was really thick. That happened sometimes when he was worried; he had no control over it. In an attempt to soothe him further, he repeated, "I'm here, Ari. Just listen to my voice. Okay? And focus on your breathing."

He was tempted to throw a joke somewhere in there, but there was a time and place for everything. What the other man needed wasn't for him to break the tension with a wisecrack. He needed someone to support him by providing reassurance.

Rin kept walking, though he walked slowly so that ARquis would have time alone before they found him. If they did. They were a touch concerned about what would happen if they did not. If they failed to find Arquis…what should htey do? Head back to the hotel and wait? Keep looking? He wasn't sure what the best option was, what he should do if he just couldn't find Arquis. Probably heading back to the hotel would be their best bet, but at the same time, what if Arquis didn't come back?

He did his best to follow Honey's instructions, trying to steady himself a bit. "Sorry." he mumbled, face still pressed into Honey's shoulder, seeking that soft, physical comfort of touch. He almost didn't know how to deal with Honey being so kind about this. Most prior men he had been in relationships with had been, at best, awkward in their comforting, unsure how to make him feel better. Thinking they could, when there wasn't anything that could really be done beyond just waiting it out.

Arquis struggled to speak for a long moment. It felt like his lips had been frozen shut. Eventually, however, he managed to stutter something out about needing some fresh air. The doctor's brows raised, but if he was actually suspicious, he did a pretty good job of hiding it. He seemed more concerned than anything.

"That's actually what we were doing, too. Oh, hold on, now. I haven't introduced you to my kid. This is Hayli." Doctor Lavin smiled over at his daughter. Her expression stayed the same, somewhere between blank and mildly exasperated. He ruffled her hair, and when she scowled, he grinned at the nobleman. "We go on daily walks. It's good exercise. Really helps out my joints and back. I'm not as young as I once was, and it's nice to stretch my old legs."

"You're not that old," Hayli mumbled. Her father looked positively pleased, though his smile dimmed when he saw the look on Arquis's face.

"Are you staying out for much longer?" His tone was gentle. Extremely gentle, and for some reason that hurt. "We're heading in soon. You should walk with us."

Arquis nodded. Hayli took a few steps to the side, giving him some room to stand. After he got up, the doctor hummed, the sound deep yet soft. He shrugged off his thick coat and wrapped it around the nobleman's thin shoulders. It was so big that it looked like he was wearing a comforter. He tried to give it back, but the older man shook his head adamantly. The gesture was kind, and it made him teary-eyed. It was just so fatherly. Not authoritative and braggingly masculine in the way Aurisi had been, but truly good and kind.

Doctor Lavin saw the tears gathering and frowned. "Life has not been kind to you, has it?"

Arquis didn’t answer that. He couldn’t. He didn't want to think about all of the things life had done to him. He just wanted to be back at the inn, safe in his lover's embrace, pretending like none of this had ever happened.

——

"Aw, it's okay," Honey replied, and he meant it. There was nowhere else he'd rather be at that moment than with Ari. Sure, maybe the situation was less than ideal, but that didn't matter. He wanted to be there for him in the same way that the Kevran had supported him.

"It's just a bad day. This ain't gonna last forever, handsome. You're gonna get through it." He kissed the top of Ari's head and smiled, even though he couldn’t see him. "And I'm gonna be right here with you, okay? For as long as you want me here, at least.”

Rin hesitated for a long, long moment, then turned to head inside. Arquis clearly needed some time, and the nobleman would come back when he was ready. Rin would give him a little while. If Arquis was not back in a few hours, Rin would go looking for him again, and perhaps recruit Honey and Ari to help, but for now, they knew it would be better for Arquis to have some time to himself. The nobleman needed it, after the appointment that morning and everything that had happened at the appointment, and then what had happened with Cearan.

He nodded very faintly, taking a deep breath and leaning his head into Honey's shoulder. "I…alright." he said faintly. "Thank you." he stayed snuggled close, not letting go. He knew that, come tomorrow, he would be fine. Knew he would look back on today and sigh and shake his head and wish this hadn't happened, but that didn't make it any better in the moment. Not when he was still in that moment, feeling like this.

(missed it by a couple days but this role play is officially one year old!)

When Doctor Lavin realized that Arquis wasn't going to respond to his question, he patted the nobleman on the shoulder. It was obvious that he was overwhelmed, and his excuse about getting fresh air had been pretty unconvincing. Clearly, there was something deeper going on here, and the doctor didn't want to send him spiraling even harder.

"Does your partner know that you're out here?" the older man asked, adopting that gentle tone once more. Arquis shrugged in response. "I hope I don't sound too nosy, but are you two doing alright?"

Ah. The doctor thought he and Rin had argued, which was why he was out on the hill alone. Maybe he pictured something dramatic, all sharp gestures and heated words, a falling out of epic proportions. Maybe he thought Arquis had stormed out, which was why he hadn't brought a jacket. Or maybe was just asking to be polite, and he really wasn't thinking about it at all. He could just feel obligated to help the strange man who'd been his patient.

"We are fine. It was not his fault. My being out here, I- that was- I should not have come."

They started walking towards the inn. Arquis drew the borrowed coat tighter around himself. It felt colder now that the initial panic had faded. Hayli, the doctor's daughter, gave him a strange look. He raised his brows curiously. Her gaze darted away.

"You look really familiar," she muttered. He stopped, digging his heels into the dirt, nearly toppling over. Unless she'd come with her father to one of his family's events, which was unlikely, she'd probably never seen him before. So, how could he possibly look familiar to her? What was it that Honey had said? That there'd been rumors of a reward for finding him? What if someone had started to put up pictures of him, to show the townspeople what he looked like? To give them a better idea of who to hunt? What if Hayli remembered where she knew him from and told her father? What would he do to Arquis? Turn him in? Would he act like Cearan had, or would he be worse?

"I have forgotten something. My apologies, I must go, I must- I-" Arquis shook off the coat and handed it over quickly, like it was too hot to hold. "I need to go. Excuse me."

Doctor Lavin turned to him, surprise and concern flickering across his face, but he couldn't get a word out before the nobleman hurried away. He called out his name, but the younger man didn't turn around. The doctor sighed. It didn't look like Arquis was headed back to the inn, which meant his partner would worry about him. They'd seemed plenty worried the day prior, at least. He made up his mind to take Hayli to go pay Rin a visit. They set off in that direction together, neither saying much about what had just happened.

——

Honey hummed but stayed quiet otherwise. If Ari needed more reassurances, then he'd provide them gladly, but he didn't want to overdo it. Showering him with too many compliments might make them seem forced or fake. He wanted his words to matter; he wanted them to ring true.

He wondered how often Ari had days like these. Were they less common after his surgery? Did they get less severe with age and time, or were they always this bad? It wasn't like he minded taking care of Ari, but it made him sad to know that the other man's mind was so cruel to him.

(ayyy, awesome!!)

Rin headed back into the hotel, and went back to his and Arquis's room. It was the most likely place for Arquis to head to, should the nobleman return. They sighed very faintly, opening the door and settling down on the bed. He hesitated for a long moment. What could he do now? He cleared his throat faintly, and finally pulled out his book, paging through it. He could at elast read, they supposed. Arquis would come back when he was ready, and Rin would be waiting when he did. They cared for him deeply, and hoped that ARquis was not too upset by what had happened.

Ari curled up a little bit more, still snuggled close to Honey. Honey was warm and strong, and Ari couldn't help feeling like he was not. Not strong, anyway. He knew that he was warm. He exhaled softly, closing his eyes and holding tighter to Honey. "I am sorry for destroying any plans that you had for the day." he said in a quiet tone. "I…I know that this is not anyone's ideal."

It took Doctor Lavin a good few minutes to remember the way to the couple's hotel room. He'd only been there once, after all, but the fact that he'd gone the day prior made the trip easier. Hayli stayed quiet as she walked beside him. He never knew what she was thinking. Her expressions were hard to read, and trying to get her to open up could sometimes be like pulling teeth. She was as stubborn as her mother had been. He pushed that thought out of his mind as soon as it came up. It would do him no good to think of his wife. She'd been gone for a long time. He was just feeling sentimental because he was around two young lovebirds.

Once he reached the suite, he hesitated for a moment, then knocked twice. He wasn't sure if Rin would be inside, but he hoped they would at least be around. They deserved to know what he'd witnessed.

——

Honey poked Ari in the cheek. He was wearing a frown, but when he spoke, he clearly wasn't mad. Just concerned. "Hey, don't say that. Yeah, okay, maybe this isn't ideal, but it's not 'cause I don't wanna spend time with you. It's 'cause you're hurting, and that really, really sucks."

He kissed the other man's shoulder once he was done talking. Or, rather, he tried to. The hoodie was so thick that he wasn't sure Ari would feel the kiss. He hoped the sentiment mattered more than the execution.

"Really, Ari. I like this. Not the stuff you're going through, of course, but the other stuff. Staying here, cozied up next to you. Holding you. Having breakfast in bed. It's nice."

Rin blinked at the knock, hopping off the bed and coming over to the door and opening it. "I– oh. Hello, Doctor Lavin. I…wasn't expecting you." he said slowly, studying the doctor uncertainly. "Is…what are you here for?" they really had no idea what Doctor Lavin was here for. Had something happened? Why was the doctor here? He ran a hand through their hair, stepping back a little bit and studying the doctor, a faint frown still tugging at his mouth.

He nodded faintly, staying pressed close to Honey. "Okay." he said softly. "Thank you." he still didn't like the fact that he seemed to need so much reassurance right now, especially when it was over something so…something that he normally wouldn't have cared about. Something that normally wouldn't have mattered and yet, here he was, worrying about it.

Doctor Lavin smiled when he saw Rin, glad to see that, while they looked confused, he didn't seem heartbroken. He hadn't wanted to intrude if they and their partner had split. That sort of thing was hard enough to deal with alone, and he would've hated to make him feel like they had to postpone their suffering just to talk to him.

"Hello again. I'm very sorry to interrupt your morning. Or afternoon, rather. I suppose it's a little later than I thought, isn't it?" Hayli cleared her throat behind him, a clear warning for him to hurry up. He pushed aside his urge to further indulge in polite small talk. The situation wasn't dire, but the longer he ducked around the subject, the more worried Rin would get.

"Yes, well, my daughter and I happened to bump into your partner on our daily walk." He lowered his voice just a touch, and in a soft tone, went on. "He seemed rather distressed, and I noticed he hadn't brought a coat. I thought something was the matter and offered to walk back with him, just to make sure he'd get here safely. He agreed at first, but something must have startled him because he left in a rush. Given how worried you were yesterday for his safety, I thought you might want to know about this. He truly didn't seem well. I am concerned about his state of mind."

——

Honey gently kissed Ari's cheek. The other man had seemed so steady up until this point. To see him so out of sorts and miserable was almost jarring. It felt wrong, though the blond didn't say that out loud. The last thing the Kevran needed was to feel guilty about anything else.

"Any time, handsome. Really." He smiled, his dimples showing, and tapped him on the nose. "You're kinda stuck with me now. Hope that’s okay.”

Rin listened, brows gathering for a moment, then his expression cleared as the doctor went on. "Yes. He…the specialist was here earlier, and it put him off-balance. And…someone made a comment to him in the dining hall that was not kind, and he took off." they said. "He…I followed him outside, but lost him, and I decided to come back here rather than wander." they ran a hand through their hair. "Thank you, by the wya. For…for arranging for the specialist to come here. He ate more this morning then I've been able to get him to eat previously." and that was still an accomplishment, even if what Arquis was doing now was…not. He gave the doctor a faint, quick smile, shifting a little bitl.

Ari hummed a little bit, looking over at the blond with the faintest smile. "Mm. Well, I don't think I mind being stuck with you." he responded with a quiet laugh, though his laughter was soft and weak and not very strong. Just a quiet little thing, really. But at least he had laughed, right? At least he was a little less stuck in his head, at least enough to find something amusing in Honey's words.

"Oh, good! I'm glad to hear that I helped. I know," he stepped a little closer so Hayli wouldn't hear, "what it's like to have a sick partner. How hard it is to see them going through something like that, how you'd give everything just to see them get better. I know how it feels to be alone in that struggle, and I didn't want you to have to feel that yourself."

There he was, thinking about her again. It'd been so many years since he'd lost her. He didn't like to think about what had happened, so why was he talking about it? He glanced at the floor, a muscle working in his jaw, and tried to push the thoughts of her out of his mind. It didn't work, of course. He remembered it all, as if she'd passed just the day before. The crow's feet around her eyes from laughter, the smell of her coconut conditioner, the way she'd sang his name. Her favorite pair of overalls, which she'd embroidered with little sunflowers. The smile she'd given Hayli when seeing her for the very first time. The night she'd told him she was sick. He'd known she'd been suffering, that something had been off, but he hadn't known what. When she'd told him her disorder had relapsed, crying, he'd hugged her tightly and said he'd help her get through it.

She hadn't.

She'd started to hide it from him, more so than ever before. He didn't know how to help her. Elsie hadn't been around at that point, and psychiatrists in Anvillea were rare. Eventually, the years of her disorder had caught up to her. One day in winter, he'd walked into the kitchen, and she'd been gone. Cardiac arrest caused by an electrolyte imbalance. That was her official cause of death. To him, though, it'd been his fault. Maybe if he'd loved her harder, maybe if he'd told her more often, maybe if he'd done just a little more research. Maybe she'd have been okay. Maybe she'd have gotten to see her daughter grow up.

He lifted his head to look at Rin and tried for a smile. "Well, I suppose I should leave you be, now, shouldn't I? He'll come back eventually. He will."

——

"You don't think?" Honey wailed, flailing for a moment. His hand almost whacked Ari in the cheek, and he kissed him as an apology. Then, in as close a tone as he could get to an actor performing a soliloquy in a play, he crowed, "Oh, how cruel you are, sir! So rude to your darling Honey, who procured for you the excellent bounty of, uh, one breakfast sandwich. Hm. You know, maybe you're right after all. Well, that only means that I must do better in the future! And bring you, um, a trove of gold? I don't know. A dragon? Jewels of the finest sort, luxurious furs, and, y'know. Stuff."

"I'm sorry." Rin said softly, reading the sorrow in the doctor's features. "And…yes. I hope he will." he replied, shifting faintly. "I just hope he is feeling a bit better than he was earlier." he ran a hand through their hair again, finding themself feeling a touch fidgety for some reason. Perhaps it was because he knew that Arquis was still out there, likely still upset and stressed, and they weren't with him. Had they made the right choice, in coming back here without him? Or should they have continued to look? If Doctor Lavin had seen him, surely Arquis had not been far?

Ari laughed a little bit, listening to Honey's rambling with a soft smile pulling at his mouth. "Ah, of course. But, Honey, darling, I don't need gold or dragons or jewels. I would be quite content with flowers." his voice was soft, turning more sincere at the end of his words. "That is all I would need. Pretty flowers, as a bounty."

Doctor Lavin nodded. When he saw their fidgeting, his expression softened. "I am sure he just needs some time to calm down. There's nothing better for that than a walk and some fresh air. It sure is lovely out."

As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance. The doctor frowned, glancing at the ceiling. It hadn't been raining when he and Hayli had made their way to the inn. He couldn't hear any raindrops on the roof, so he assumed the storm hadn't started yet. Soon, then. That didn't bode well. He hoped Arquis wasn't still outside. Getting soaked to the bone would undeniably be bad for the nobleman's health, even more so given the health issues he was experiencing. If his clothes were drenched, then he could tire quickly and faint. He'd once had a patient that'd gone out drunk in a rainstorm, slipped, hit his head, and nearly drowned in a puddle. Of course, he didn't mention any of that to Rin, as it would only make them more anxious.

"Well. It was lovely, when we were out and about earlier. But that does not matter. He has probably found his way inside by now."

——

"Aw. That's cute. And an awfully bad business plan, Ari. You could've made me get you anything. A million coins, three dozen prize-winning geese, a treasure map, a box stuffed full of four hundred ancient artifacts—flowers are tame in comparison. But very sweet. You're sweet." Honey grinned and tapped Ari on the nose. His words had began to run together; he couldn't help it. Being in bed usually made him feel one of two ways, and currently, he was feeling sleepy. He yawned and was surprised to find that it lined up with a clap of thunder outside. Was it going to rain again?

"Huh. Looks like you really are stuck with me. Literally. Sounds like there's another storm coming. I don’t think we should leave the inn.”

(sorry for the wait!!)

Rin grimaced at the sound of the thunder, nodding a little bit. "He'll be back soon." they agreed quietly, doing their best to calm their fidgeting. He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair and giving Doctor Lavin a quick smile. "Sorry. I'm…a bit scattered today, I suppose." all this stress about Arquis…it was a lot. He loved their partner, and he was willing to undergo the stress and worry, but that didn't make it easy, by any stretch of the imagination.

"Who said it had to be a business plan? And I don't see the problem with flowers." he retorted, giving Honey a faint smile. "And as for leaving…I was not planning on leaving the inn in the first place." not when he was feeling like this, and getting out of bed would be hard enough in itself. If he got up, he would have to contend with his body and he didn't want to do that. So, staying in bed had been his plan for the day.

(you're good!)

Doctor Lavin nodded, offering them a kind smile. "That's reasonable. You two seem like you've been going through a lot, and I'm sure this hasn't helped. But I am sure that he is fine. Really, there's not much trouble you can get into around here. He's probably found his way inside some shop by now to wait out the storm, if he's not already on his way back. He'll be just fine."

Hayli shifted from foot to foot behind her daughter. Though her expression was as stony and unreadable as ever, her movements betrayed her boredom. Standing around and talking to some stranger hadn't been on her agenda today. If only she had a fraction of her father's patience. She couldn't fathom how he stood around all day, talking to patients about minor concerns. At least if he did emergency medicine, then that was exciting, but no. He preferred the boring stuff. The mild concussions, slight fevers, scrapes, and stomach bugs, not the heart surgeries or burn treatments. He could do some of the more intense procedures if necessary—she'd seen him do them occasionally, when the other doctors in the village were busy with more major cases—but he didn't like them. He'd told her that they made his hands shake.

"Waiting for him won't be any fun, though. Tell you what, why don't we stick around for a bit and keep you company?" The doctor glanced down the hall, then sighed softly. "If I'm being completely honest, I'm a little worried about him, too. He's my patient now. Well. Was, I suppose. And it would feel wrong of me to leave without knowing that he's safe."

——

Honey reached up, cupped Ari's face, and kissed him on the chin. He nuzzled against his jaw for a second before pulling away. Maybe it was the cologne on the hoodie, but he smelled really nice.

"Mm. Yeah. There's lots to do here, like puzzles, and cards, and, uh. I could find some way to play music, maybe. Or we could share scary stories. I know some good ones." He yawned and gave him a lopsided grin. "Any of that sound good to you?"

(sorry! I was pretty busy with the end of the quarter and just. wasn't online for a while haha)

Rin nodded slightly at the doctor's words, exhaling quietly at Doctor Lavin's offer. "I…yes. That…sounds nice, actually." he replied in a soft tone, stepping back a bit so that the doctor and Hayli could come in. "Our room is…a bit messy, my apologies for that." he quickly straightened a few things, pulling the blankets on the bed so that they were a little less messy and a little more tidy. "I, ah, well. We weren't expecting visitors." they said, a touch awkwardly. THey had been drilled from a young age that a messy room was unacceptable, even though as royalty he usually was not the one cleaning it.

"Mm, well, I'm afraid that I don't know very many scary stories, but…if you would want to tell them, I will listen." he responded, leaning over to press a soft kiss to Honey's cheek, a tiny smile pulling at his mouth. "And cards sounds like fun as well. What games do you know?" unlike Rin, who knew pretty much every card game under the sun due to his travels, Ari only really knew the ones that were seen as fit for nobility. Fancier, more ornate games, more complicated. More chances for gambling. But he was perfectly willing to learn more, if Honey wanted to teach him one.

(that's alright!)

Doctor Lavin smiled warmly at Rin as he stepped into the room. "There's no need to apologize. My house isn't the cleanest, either. It just happens, when you're busy. Cleaning tends to slip your mind. Though picking up after yourself is important, of course," he added hastily, turning to look at his daughter. She quirked a brow, unimpressed. He sighed. "I'm getting better at it. Really. I-"

He drew in a sharp, sudden intake of breath, leaned over, and grabbed at his leg. Whatever he was going to say trailed off. He hissed out a groan through his gritted teeth.

"Dad?" Hayli asked, concern bleeding into her usually flat tone. She touched his shoulder, but he waved her away, straightening up with a wince.

"It's okay. It's just my knee." His daughter pulled the desk chair out for him. He sat and gave her a grateful nod. Then, he glanced at Rin, his expression somewhere between apologetic and humorous. "You young people and your healthy joints. Wait until you're both my age."

"He has arthritis," Hayli explained dryly. "Probably overdid it on our hike."

"I'm really okay, though. I'm used to it. Now, come on, I don't want to be the only one sitting down. Sit, sit."

——

"Uh, well. Hm. I've played strip poker a couple times," Honey said, his face going hot. "Not sure if that's really a card game, though. More of an activity. An experience, I guess. Let me think. I play a mean game of go fish. And war. Though I'm not sure my sister really taught me to play that one right, and it's not much fun to do with just two people. Two sober people. It's more fun with a crowd."

That list included pretty much all of the card games he'd ever played. There were some others he'd learned that he didn't know the names of, and a few he couldn't remember the rules to. It wouldn't do any good to mention any of those. He smiled sheepishly at the other man, feeling kind of silly for bringing it up.

Rin smiled a little at the Doctor's words, reaching for a chair when the older man doubled over, relaxing a little once Doctor Lavin was seated. "I see." he replied, shrugging a shoulder and pulling over another chair for Hayli, settling it near her father's. After that, though, he realized that there was not a third seat, and pulled over an ottoman for himself. He didn't mind that it didn't have a back. They didn't need one. "Better?" he asked the doctor, raising an eyebrow as a smile pulled at his mouth.

"I, ah, don't think strip poker is a good idea right now." he replied. Even in the best of times, he would have been hesitant, but now? Now, when he was feeling so badly about his body? No. "I have not played go fish in a while. Ah…what about Hearts?" he asked. "Have you ever played that? Or Spades, perhaps?" he tried to think what else he knew that didn't require more players.

"Much. It pains me when I'm the only one seated at a gathering. Makes me feel absolutely ancient." The doctor sighed dramatically and ran a hand through his hair. His daughter rolled her eyes as he gave her a pitiful look. "I know I'm going gray, but I've got life in me, yet."

"You're not even sixty," Hayli grumbled.

"Practically one foot in the grave," he wailed in response, then beamed when he received a sharp glare. "I know, I know. I'm just teasing. But it's nice of you to worry about your old man."

"I'll leave you here to walk back by yourself," she threatened. "I will. I swear. You'll have to hobble."

Doctor Lavin laughed so hard that he almost fell from his chair. His daughter, who'd adopted an exasperated expression, glanced over at Rin. She wondered what he thought of the whole encounter. They'd met very briefly the other day, just exchanging a few words before he hurriedly went to find her father, so she didn't know much about them. They clearly had an unwell partner. Other than that, they seemed friendly enough.

——

Honey frowned and patted his arm. "Aw, Ari, wait. Strip poker wasn't a real suggestion. I know you're not feeling good right now, handsome. I just brought it up 'cause you asked what I'd played before, and that's one of the ones I know. That's all. As for the rest of what you said, uh, I don't know either of those. Maybe we should skip the whole card game idea. Just move on. Don't know what to, but, uh, surely there's something else we can do. Something that's not ghost stories or games. Anything come to mind?"

(sorry!!!)

Rin laughed a little bit at the teasing that the two exchanged, a soft smile pulling faintly at his mouth. He cast a quick glance towards the door, though, still waiting for Arquis to come back. He hoped his partner was doing alright, that Arquis had come inside before the rain got too hard. It wouldn't do the nobleman any good to be caught out in the wet, cold rain that was falling. He shook his head faintly, returning his attention to the doctor and Hayli.

Ari hummed a little. "I could teach them to you." he replied softly. "I don't mind teaching you." he gave Honey a faint little smile. "But, if you don't want to, that's okay too." he snuggled closer to the blond with a soft little sigh, leaning his head against Honey's shoulder and shifting in order to be able to still look at his face.

(you're good!)

Doctor Lavin caught Rin glancing at the door, and his grin dimmed. He could practically feel their nerves from across the room. Hayli must've noticed it, too, because she started to pick at her sleeves. She only did that when she was uncomfortable. When she was young, she'd completely shredded the seams of her shirts and sweaters, and he'd had to sew them all back up. She didn't do that as often anymore, but every now and then he'd find the tear that needed fixing.

"Tell me a little bit about you and your partner," he offered, hoping that talking might lessen their stress. "I know a few things about him, but it's all just medical stuff. I'd like to know more about the two of you."

——

"Mm. Yeah. I don't know. My brain's kinda dumb right now. I mean, it's usually pretty dumb, so I guess that doesn't mean all that much." Honey laughed, mostly to himself, and let his head thump onto the pillow behind him. He shot Ari a playful smile. "Puzzle's still on the table. The metaphorical table, I mean. We don't have a literal table. There's a desk, but that's not- you know what? Never mind. The logistics of the nonexistent table don't matter. It's the thought that counts."

Wow, maybe he hadn't been kidding about the whole brain thing. Nothing he was saying was making any sense. He hoped Ari could comprehend it, because he couldn't, and he was the one who'd said it in the first place.

Rin looked over at the docotr and Hayli again, clearing his throat quietly. "Oh. Rught. Uhm." he thought for a moment. "What…sort of things do you want to know?" they knew better than to mention Arquis's family, or their own, but what sort of things did the Doctor want to know? "I'm from Kevra, originally, if you could not tell by the accent." he gestured vaguely to his mouth, shrugging his shoulders and thinking of what else he could say.

Ari laughed a little bit. "Table doesn't matter." he replied. "And I'm not…too good at puzzles." he admitted with a faint laugh. "So I would prefer we didn't do a puzzle." he returned Honey's smile faintly, closing his eyes again after a moment. "Uhm…" he didn't know what else to say. What could they do, really? If he couldn't even get out of bed, what could they do to take up their time?

"I figured, yes. Your accent is a clear giveaway. I don't mean that negatively. I'm not from Anvillea, either. I've just lived here for a long time. Long enough that my own accent's faded, though I've been told you can still hear it in certain words." The doctor shifted in his chair, which made him wince. His knee was being such a nuisance. He rubbed it with the heel of his hand, but that dull, persistent ache didn't go away.

"Hm, let's see. What do I want to know? How about how you two met? I generally find those stories quite sweet." Before Rin could say a word, he added, "I know he's royalty. Or, well, the closest thing to royalty in these parts. He's very wealthy. Arquis de Vey, son of Muria and the late Aurisi de Vey, brother to Quirisa and Marsiquia. I've visited their Palace before. It's gorgeous. Though I have some stern words for Muria. What kind of mother doesn't schedule her son for regular checkups during his childhood? It would be one thing if she didn't have the funds to do so, but, as I said, they're very well off. It was terribly irresponsible of her."

——

Honey hummed lazily. He dropped the puzzle box he's brought off the edge of the bed and stretched. "Huh. Well. We've burnt through a lot of options, stranger. Guess we could always gossip for a while, but maybe you aren't the gossiping sort. Are you? I kinda am. As long as it's harmless, of course. I don't just go around spreading secrets or, like, personal stuff or anything, that's just mean."

He had a lot of good stories from his past that he could share, if Ari was willing. But he understood if he wasn't into that sort of thing. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone to take a nap. That was okay, too.