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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Arquis's lips wobbled, and he forced his gaze to the floor. Rin knew him too well. If he kept looking at them, they'd see the regret in his face, and he couldn't let that happen.

"That is always the question," he spat. "How are you feeling, Arquis? How sick are you? Are you about to break? I am very tired of it. I am not a child, or a little glass figurine you have to carry around in your pocket. I am a grown adult!"

"You're certainly not acting like one," the doctor muttered. The nobleman's eyes widened, and felt genuine anger rush through him. That wasn't good. If he stayed calm, he could refrain from saying anything truly harmful, but if he lost his head then he could really hurt someone's feelings. He wanted to create a distance between himself and Rin, but he didn't want to devastate them.

"How dare you," he snarled, straightening up to his full height. He was the tallest one in the room, though he was admittedly not very frightening in his fluffy bathrobe. "This is my room, and I will not be insulted in such a manner."

"Your room?" The older man stepped forward. Angrily, he repeated, "Your room? This room belongs to the both of you. Look, I don't know what happened between when I saw you earlier and now, but you're being extremely unfair to your partner. All he has done is support you, and this is how you repay them? How about a little gratitude?"

"I do not have to stand here and listen to this!" Arquis wanted to curl up somewhere dark and stay there forever. This wasn't what he wanted at all, but it was what needed to happen. It was what was best for Rin. "If you do not leave me be, then I will go, and I will find somewhere else to stay. And you two can continue to have your little discussion about me."

——

Honey grinned and wiggled his brows at Ari. "Oh yeah? Cooking together, huh? What're we gonna make? Something steamy?" He let out a laugh to show he was joking and nuzzled into Ari's chest. It was painfully obvious that he liked being the little spoon. "It'll probably have to be pretty basic, 'cause stranger, I can't stay focused when I'm around you. Or in general. Focusing isn't one of my strong suits."

Which, like he'd said, was frustrating. He had a really hard time sitting still, with rare exceptions. His mind was always going. That was one of the reasons he'd had to switch jobs so many times that one time he'd taken a break from his usual gig. He just didn't think like other people did. It made everything more difficult, but he didn't want to think about that anymore. He wanted to think about Ari and how nice it was that they were cuddling.

Rin drew into himself a little bit, eyes flickering from Arquis to the doctor and back, studying his partner. "Arquis, would you just tell me what's wrong?" he asked. "We weren't…we were just talking. We're both worried about you, love." he didn't know what was wrong, or why Arquis was behaving like this. What had happened, for his partner to be saying and doing these things? "I was asking if you were okay because you were so upset earlier. Is it a bad thing now for me to check in with you?" he couldn't help the little bit of hurt and anger that had leaked into his voice as he spoke. He just didn't understand why Arquis was behaving like this. Why he was antagonizing both them and the doctor in this manner.

"Hmm, I'm sure we could find something easy to do." he replied with a smile. "And something relatively quick, too. Maybe cinnamon rolls? Those are not too hard, and they are delicious, too." he had made cinnamon rolls a few times. Always while following a recipe, and under the watchful eye of a friend who enjoyed baking. But he was sure he would be just fine with just the recipe. He knew enough about it to do so now. "Or even just bread." he shrugged a shoulder, gathering Honey closer and curling around him a little bit. He enjoyed being both big spoon or little, and so he had absolutely no problem with cradling Honey like this.

"Perhaps it is a bad thing, seeing it is all that you do. You are not my partner, you are my caretaker," Arquis snapped, and then, after realizing what he'd said, froze. His eyes widened. He clasped a hand over his mouth, feeling guilt stab at his heart. That was too far. He'd wanted to put some distance between himself and Rin so that it'd hurt less for them later, but he didn't want to break up with him. He couldn't possibly go through that.

"You didn't really mean that," Doctor Lavin said softly. He didn't want to intrude, but this was going downhill fast, and he could tell there was something larger at play.

"I- Rinlos, listen, I-" Arquis felt like he was choking. He couldn't meet their eyes. The room seemed like it was getting smaller and smaller, and it spun as if he'd gone on a wild carriage ride. He realized that he was about to have one of his episodes. That wouldn't do at all; he couldn't faint in front of them again. But he wasn't sure where else to go. He needed space and privacy to collect himself, and there wasn't anywhere in the inn he could think of on the spot that would grant him either of those things.

——

Honey considered the options presented. Bread seemed as if it'd be easy, but he knew there were some complicated steps involved, like using yeast and letting the loaf prove. As for cinnamon rolls, he had no clue what steps went into making those. They were delicious, but he'd never even thought about making them before. He knew pastries were hard to bake, but did cinnamon rolls count as pastries? He wasn't sure what qualified an item as an official pastry, versus what was just a dessert. Maybe the amount of butter?

What he ended up saying had nothing to do with baking. In fact, it wasn't really words at all. When Ari drew him closer, he breathed out a sigh of contentment. There was something about being held like this that just made everything better. He felt loved.

"Hey, handsome," he began hesitantly, "I know you can't stay here forever. At the inn, I mean. And if all goes well with that deal on the house Lovey got, then I won't be staying here for much longer. But if you wanna come back and visit me sometimes at the new house, well, I- I think that'd make me pretty happy."

Rin blinked at Arquis a few times, mouth parting as he processed their partner's words. "What are you talking about?" they said, slowly, staring at the nobleman with confusion in his gaze. What was happening? Their hands started to fidget together faintly as he studied Arquis, lost and unsure what to say in response to Arquis's words. "I don't…I don't understand what you're talking about, darling." he cleared his throat faintly, brows furrowing as he frowned at his partner. He didn't understand what Arquis was talking about. Was the nobleman truly that upset that Rinlos had discussed everything with the doctor? But…no, that could not be it. That could not be the entire reason that Arquis was upset, that was simply…it could not be true. Arquis was not like that.

Ari listened to Honey's words, humming faintly. "I can't stay here forever, you're right." he would have to return home at some point, though that did not necessarily have to be soon. He had plenty of time before he had to return home. For now, though, he could stay for a while. He smiled a little, though, at Honey's invitation. "I…I think I would like to come and visit, when I can." he replied. "But Kevra is…pretty far from here, so visits aren't exactly something I would be able to do spontaneously." especially if his father did end up letting him be his heir. That would certainly complicate things. For now, Ari was relatively free to travel, but that could all change easily if his father changed his mind.

Arquis winced at the word 'darling,' a term of endearment he'd come to love, and turned away. He wrapped his arms about himself as if that would stop him from shivering, but it didn't work. He wasn't cold, just miserable and frightened. His plan felt right, yet also terribly wrong. If he could, he'd abandon it completely, but he knew this was for the best.

"I need some privacy," he said, his voice almost breaking but not quite. "Can you give me that?"

The doctor stepped closer to Rin and, after hesitating for a moment, placed his hand on their shoulder. He gave it a soft squeeze. "Do you have anywhere to go? Someone else you can hang around for a bit?"

——

Honey tried not to frown. What had he been expecting, for Ari to move in next door? His life was back in Kevra. The blond didn't know much about that life, but maybe that was on purpose. Maybe there wasn't a whole lot of room in his everyday routine for young, flirtatious men from a less than socially acceptable background. Would Ari be like one of his clients, then? Only visiting when it was convenient for him, making Honey fall for him repeatedly and then leaving him behind? He wasn't sure if he could take that kind of constant heartbreak, not after all that he'd been through already.

"Oh. Yeah. That's okay. That makes sense," he murmured back. Despite his efforts, disappointment had seeped into his tone. He attempted a smile. "It's just, uh, I'm gonna miss you around here. And Rin, and even Arquis. All of you guys. I know I haven't been around you for very long, but it's been nice."

Rin hesitated for a long moment, then nodded. "I can…I can go to Ari's room." he replied slowly, swallowing and running his hands through his hair. "If…" he trailed off, looking over at Arquis for a long moment, lips parting. But he didn't know what to say. Arquis was upset, and unwilling to accept any kind of comfort from Rinlos, and they didn't know what to do. "I'll…" he paused for another long, long moment, exhaling shakily, and then he slid on his shoes and moved towards the door. He cast another glance back at his partner, still trying to figure out what he could do. Nothing. Nothing, apparently. Arquis didn't even want them near. So he left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Ari nodded a little. "I know. I'm sorry. But it's not like we're leaving tomorrow. We still have some time before any of us need to leave." he replied softly, beginning to stroke Honey's hair again, nails scratching lightly against the young man's scalp. "I'm sorry, though. That we'll have to leave eventually. I…I'm sorry. I just hope we get to enjoy the time we do have left here."

The doctor watched as Rin left, then turned on Arquis. His glasses flashed in the faint light from the window. He yanked them off and began to polish them with his shirt, swiping in short, angry circles.

"Listen, young man, I'm going to give you some advice that I wish I'd had when I was your age. Never, ever take your anger out on your partner like that. Have a conversation with them, tell them what's wrong, work it out together, and then move on. That is what he," he pointed at the door, "deserves. Because he is a good partner to you."

"I know," Arquis admitted. Now that Rin wasn't in the room, there was no reason to keep up his act. The fake fury in his face faded, and he sagged against the nearest wall, exhausted. "That is precisely the point."

"The point?"

"Yes. Doctor, would you mind?" He gestured half heartedly in the direction Rin had gone. "I truly would like some space."

Dazed by the sudden switch in attitude, the doctor did as he asked. Once he was gone, the nobleman went to his desk, pulled out a clean sheet of paper, and began to write.

——

"It's okay. Really, Ari, it's not your fault. Your life isn't here. I know that." Honey lifted his own hand, but rather than messing with Ari's hair, he cupped his cheek. He brushed his thumb over his temple and smiled a little sadly. "I just like being around you, that's all. You're a good guy."

He took a deep breath. Things were getting a bit too depressing. Ari was right; it wasn't like he'd be leaving tomorrow. They should enjoy however much time they had left.

"Hey," he said a few seconds later, his smile growing, "maybe I'll start a garden here. That way you'll have to visit."

(I am, yet again, very very sorry. I've got a lot going on rn but I'm still sorry for leaving you hanging like this)

Rin hesitated for a long moment, then headed for Ari's room, walking through the hallways with his arms wrapped loosely around his stomach. He didn't know how to process this. What was going on with Arquis? What…what was happening, that their partner had behaved like this towards them? They paused outside of Ari's door for a long moment. He could hear, faintly, the sound of Ari and Honey talking together, and he was loathe to interrupt them.

Ari smiled a little, leaning into Honey's palm, and nodded a little. "Mm, yes. I'll visit to take care of your garden, make sure you're keeping it pruned and nice." he replied, laughing a little bit. "Maybe make some changes to it to make it even better." he liked flowers. Liked digging in the earth and feeling cool dirt on his palms, and then, later, watching things bloom from where he had planted them. It was a feeling he loved.

Rin knocked on the door, finally, waiting for one of them to open it. He hated to interrupt, but he did not want to linger here awkwardly, either. And he could not go back to his and Arquis's room. Arquis…Arquis did not want him there any more, and while they did not understand why, if the nobleman wanted space then he would have it.

(oh no you're good! there's no rush! is everything okay??)

When Ari said that thing about visiting, Honey beamed. He didn't know the first thing about how to maintain a garden. Sure, he knew about fertilizer, watering, and basic lawn work. But growing flowers and herbs was a different story. Some plants were delicate. He'd heard people talk about roses before, and they sounded like a nightmare. If Ari wanted to do the work for him—growing all of those picky plants—then he'd gladly let him.

He started to reply, but the knock made him lose his train of thought. His brows pinched together. They hadn't asked anyone to come by, had they? He didn't think so. That meant that anybody could be at the door. More confidently than he truly felt, he rolled off the bed and onto his feet, then strode across the room. He twisted the knob and yanked it open. His expression grew even more confused. Rin looked to be alone in the hallway, and they seemed upset, with their arms wrapped around his midsection. Where, he wondered, was his partner? Had something happened?

"Hey, hot stuff," he said, but it was lacking his usual teasing tone. Softly, he added, "What's the matter? Where's your boy toy?"

(Yeah, everything's fine, I just have a lot going on with work and classes rn)

Rin paused for a long moment, trying to think what to say. "He's in our room. I…" he trailed off, brows gathering together and his shoulders pulling in a faint shrug. "He…"

Ari sat up, looking over. "Rin?" he asked softly. He got up from the bed, coming over to stand beside Honey. "Come in. You don't need to talk out here." he reached out to gently pull Rinlos into the room, leading him over to sit down on the bed. He studied his friend's face for a long moment, then pulled them in for a hug, rubbing their shoulders gently. "It'll be alright, Rin. I promise." his voice was gentle and quiet; clearly he had been able to read something in Rin's expression, the kind of easy reading that came from years and years of close friendship.

Rin relaxed when Ari's arms wrapped around them, leaning into the other man and holding onto him. "I don't know what's going on." they admitted in a faint tone. "But he won't talk to me."

(oh okay! that's understandable, life can get pretty busy sometimes)

Honey followed Rin and Ari to the bed, but he didn't join them; he wasn't sure that he was welcome. They seemed to be sharing some sort of moment, the kind that resulted from years of friendship. The last thing he wanted was to intrude, so he stood there silently for a bit, his gaze darting between the two of them. Eventually he sat on the edge of the mattress, careful not to move the comforter too much. He didn't want to take attention away from Rin.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, words slow and hesitant. "Did you get in a fight?"

He hadn't known Arquis for long, but the nobleman didn't seem like the type to give his partner the silent treatment. He'd talked about them so fondly when they'd hung out alone the other day. Had he been faking that affection? The blond couldn't think of a good reason as to why he might have done so.

Rin looked over at Honey, shrugging faintly. "I don't…I don't know." he replied, brows gathering together for a moment. "He…he just…I was talking to the doctor about everything that's been going on, and he overheard, and he got…I don't know. He was so upset and I…I don't know why." they stayed pressed close to Ari, who continued to hold onto his friend.

Ari looked over at Honey, a soft note of worry in his eyes as he gently rubbed Rin's shoulders, trying to soothe his friend's pain and upset.

Honey frowned. "You were talking to a doctor? Ophia?" He shook his head, then smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. The specifics didn't really matter. What was important was making sure that Rin was alright. "I'm sure he's just working through something. Not right of him to take it out on you, but, well, hey. Nobody's perfect. He'll come around, I'm sure of it. And if he doesn't, then you've got Ari and I here for you, and maybe we could go talk some sense into him."

He moved closer to Rin and Ari on the bed. He considered wrapping them in a hug, but he wasn't sure that'd be very comfortable. Instead, he placed his hand on Rin's arm and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“Just give it time,” he said. “It’ll all be okay, I promise.”

(I'm so, so sorry, and I know I keep saying that, but I really am)

"Not Ophia." Rin replied, shaking his head a little and staying close to Ari. "I just…I don't know." their brows pulled together in a faint little frown, and he exhaled, resting his forehead on Ari's shoulder. "I wish I knew what was going on." because he didn't. Not really. All they knew was that Arquis had been so upset with them and they were not really sure that they deserved that. He had not meant to hurt Arquis, if indeed he had done so in discussing everything with Doctor Lavin. It was just that everything was so stressful, and they were struggling to process it all, struggling to know what to do with it all, nd the doctor had been there, and willing to listen, and…oh, they just wished they knew what to do to fix this. Was there any way that they could fix it?

Ari rubbed Rin's back gently, looking between Honey and their friend for a moment, then refocusing on Rin again. "I know, but…it's Arquis's own falt for treating you like that, and it's up to him to make peace with you now. You've done nothing wrong, Rinlos."

(oh hey! no worries! hope you've been doing alright!)

"Yeah. He's right, Rin. You and Arquis have had to deal with a lot, and it's not fair that he got upset when you decided to talk to someone about it. You need support, too," Honey argued. When he realized that he was getting a little too heated, he took a deep breath. The color in his cheeks started to fade. "Sorry. It just doesn't sound like he's being very good to you right now. I know he's got a lot on his plate, but he can't just act like this and expect everything to be fine. You've taken such good care of him."

He was beginning to think that his anger at Arquis reached deeper than he'd previously suspected. He wasn't just mad at him because he'd messed up and hurt Rin, though that wasn't great. Truthfully, he was mad because it was very possible that Arquis was discarding them. Maybe he'd gotten what he'd wanted from them—a fun fling, a couple nights in bed—and this was his way of cutting him loose. It was cruel and twisted, and if it was the truth, then Honey loathed him for it.

(I'm okay, just really busy with irl stuff. I'm sorry I keep vanishing on you)

Rin nodded a little. "I know. I just…" he still wished there was something he could do or say to fix this. Surely, if Arquis's behavior was caused by his own actions, then he could fix it. He just needed to find the right thing to say, the right thing to do, and everything would be smoothed over and fine again. Right? "I should be able to fix this. If I hadn't…"

Ari exhaled faintly, shaking his head just a little bit and pulling Rin closer. "Rin, he is not Lysander." his voice was quiet, meant for Rin's ears, though Honey could likely hear. "And his reaction is not your responsibility nor your fault. If he has a problem, he needs to communicate it with you."

When Rin had been with Lysander, so much of the time when Lysander was angry, it fell to Rin to pacify the older man. To apologize and grovel and promise to fix things, promise he wouldn't do it again, promise he was sorry. And he was used to that and this was that same old behavior resurfacing. That same lean towards taking the blame onto himself, to think he could make everything right again even when it wasn't his fault.

(that's okay! you don't have to worry about that, I know life gets busy and this is just for fun, it's not a top priority or anything)

Honey felt a shiver run down his spine, and he rubbed his right arm with his free hand in an attempt to ward off the sudden chill creeping over his body. Maybe Arquis wasn't trying to cut Rin off, but that didn't mean that what he was doing was right, either. He'd really shaken them. He needed to realize that his actions had deeper consequences.

The blond wasn't sure where he fit into this conversation. He wanted to reassure Rin, but they already had Ari for that. Ari knew more about his life than Honey probably ever would, which was both a good and bad thing. There were some things that Rin just didn't need to dig up for him. That meant, however, that he didn't feel like he had a place in this scene. He didn't really know who Lysander was, even if he could make a guess. He wasn't sure how to make him feel better. So he just stayed quiet. He lifted his hand from Rin's arm and slowly shifted away on the bed. Eventually, he figured Ari would signal for him to leave, and he'd give them some privacy.

(Thank you <3)
(also uh. trying to type up a response is a Trip with the friends active lol)

Rin nodded again, taking another deep breath. "I know he isn't. I'm only…I don't know. I just wish I could fix it somehow." he wrinkled his nose faintly, shaking his head and trying to chase away the lingering thoughts, the worrying about what had happened. Why was Arquis being like this? Why was his lover pushing them away like this? He just didn't understand, and perhaps that was one of the worst parts. That he didn't know what he had done wrong. Had he done anything wrong? Was it better or worse if he hadn't?

(the what? omg wait I forgot about the April Fool's thing that's so funny, bee syrup is making me laugh)

"I think," Honey began hesitantly, "that maybe what you need right now is a good distraction. This whole thing with Arquis doesn't seem like it's gonna away, at least not for a while. And since there's nothing you can do to, uh, fix it, I feel like focusing on it is only gonna lead you in circles. 'Cause you'll wanna do something, but there's nothing to do, y'know?" He felt his cheeks go hot and cleared his throat. "Or, uh, if you wanna keep talking about it, you can. I don't wanna, like, cut you off."

He hadn't meant to make Rin feel like they were annoying him and Ari by talking about the situation; really, he just wanted to help get his mind off the whole ordeal. The more he thought about Arquis, the more he'd worry that he'd messed up, and the more he worried about that, the more he'd want to make it up to Arquis. The cycle wouldn't end until Arquis came around and apologized, and who knew how long that'd take.

(kghsbkdjh I love April Fool's on here, andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) is the best)
(also not me having a similar situation to Rin, where someone close to me (tho not an S/O) is being an ass for no reason, oof–)

Rin took a deep breath, nodding faintly. "A distraction might help." he agreed, looking over at Honey and exhaling, trying to push away the worry and concern for Arquis. Arquis was an adult, who could and should communicate his own problems. It was not Rinlos's job to baby Arquis and force the other man to communicate with him. If Arquis had a problem, Arquis should be the one to communicate it. "I'm sorry for interrupting your time together, too."

Ari shook his head a little bit. "It's alright, Rin. We don't mind." he replied softly, rubbing Rin's back gently.

(oof indeed, that's the worst! also, do we wanna do a time skip to night soon, maybe while they're playing cards or something? I'm not sure what else there is to do with this situation without it getting repetitive haha)

"Yeah, it's all good. Not your fault he's being a di- well, uh. The way he's being," Honey concluded, a little sheepish. He rubbed his knuckles against his jaw as he pondered over what they could do as a distraction. He and Ari had just been struggling to find something to keep themselves busy with. Surely there was something that would work.

"We could play cards for a bit?" he suggested after a moment of thinking. "I'd have to run and get some, but that'd only take a second. I think Pretty might have some stashed away in her room."

(yeah, a timeskip would be good lmao, I'm getting kinda stuck with how to move it forward. Do you want to do the timeskip, or do you want me to?)

"It's alright, you can say he's being a dick." Rin replied with a quiet laugh, still leaning into Ari and seeking that physical comfort. His love language was physical touch, and they tended to seek it out a lot, but especially when they needed some comfort or help. Ari knew that, and sat with his arms gently wrapped around Rinlos.

"Cards sounds fun." Ari said, giving Honey a grateful smile. "A good distraction. Would you mind grabbing some, then?" sitting around and talking in circles about this would help no one, and playing a game would help distract Rinlos. It would probably help, anyways. He hoped it would. If Rin just sat and dwelled on what had happened, nothing would change beyond how much stress the bard was feeling.