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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

(I'll try to remember to use them when things get darker later on! also oh my goodness this is almost 4k messages)

Marsiquia looked uncomfortable at the turn their conversation had taken. She'd been the one to bring up the ghosts and the murder, but still, it wasn't something she liked thinking about. She nodded once, somewhat hesitant, and then nodded again fervently.

"I agree. I think it could help him prove his case. Is… is it bad of me to say that I want him to win and not my mother?" she asked quietly, scrunching her skirt with her hands. She didn't look at Rin, too afraid of the judgment she might find in his gaze. "My mother is fine. I like her well enough, or at least I used to get along with her decently well. But if what you and Quirisa discovered weeks ago is true, then she poisoned Arquis, and now it seems as if she is trying to get rid of him again. I do not know why she is doing it, but what I do know is that I want him to live." She stopped fiddling with her dress, her expression growing gloomy. "I need him to live. It is not an entirely unselfish desire. I need him to live so that I can spend more time with him, and give him more hugs, and have him at my wedding someday. I do not want to live here if he is gone, especially not if Quirisa and I continue to fight."

——

Doctor Lavin and Ophia both looked surprised to hear that Rin had snapped at Quirisa, then frustrated that they'd been barred from seeing Arquis. Ophia traced her finger around the rim of her cup, frowning to herself. "Poor guy. He must be lonely up there. It seems unfair that they won't let him see anyone at all, especially if they're going to drag him through this whole mess, but I guess there's not much that can be done at this point."

"Yeah. The best we can do is, well, what we're already planning to do." Honey pushed himself up, stretched, and offered Ari his hand. "Let's go ahead and see what we can get, yeah?"

Doctor Lavin tipped his head in the direction of the kitchens. "You'll go that way through that big door, down a little bit, and then you'll walk right in. They seem pretty busy getting ready for lunch, but they might be willing to make you something, if you wait a while.”

(yooo congrats us!)

"Wanting someone to live isn't selfish." he replied softly. "And even if it is, well, I also would very much prefer that he lived." their mouth tipped to the side in a faint, crooked little smile. "But yes, it seems strange that the way Aurisi died does not match up with Arquis's ability. It's… suspicious, at the very least." he grimaced faintly, shaking his hea just a little bit. This whole thing was so suspicious and strange, but what could he even do about it? Nothing. There was nothing that he could do about this. "And anyways, I just want him to live. We haven't had time to do all the things we wanted to yet." he thought wistfully of all their little plans and dreams, all the little things that they had talked about that they could do in the future. He still wanted those things.

---

Ari took Honey's hand, lacing their fingers together and giving him a sweet smile. "Yeah. Let's go get, uh, us some food." which, truthfully, he was hungry, so some of the food would be for him. And Honey. And Rinlos. But especially Arquis. He headed over to the kitchen with HOney, opening up the doors and looking around to see who would be best to speak with.

Marsiquia finally looked over at them, watching as he smiled, grimaced, and then got a bit distant, like they were a little lost in thought. She gently nudged him with her shoulder.

"He really likes you, bard." She smiled to herself. "He's never had that many friends. Certainly not many partners. I used to wonder if maybe he just wasn't all that interested in love, but then you came along. That's why—well, I hope you don't take this the wrong way. But that's why I wasn't upset that you aren't a woman. I know that it's supposed to be wrong, and I was a little confused at first, but I don't think that something that makes him so happy could be that bad. Maybe you can't have children, but otherwise, it isn't that different. I'm not sure why everyone built it up as this awful thing."

——

The kitchen was a chaotic nightmare, but it was a chaos that even an outsider like Honey could tell was organized. Everyone seemed to have their own place, even as they rushed back and forth. Watching them dart to and fro was a little bit like watching gears spin in a clock. They'd go around, then come back, then around again. Because they were so busy, however, nobody noticed the two newcomers standing there, at least not immediately. That gave Honey time to eavesdrop. Off to the right, a man and a woman stationed next to each other were arguing loudly, their words as pointed as the blades they were using to slice and dice vegetables.

"I'm not saying we've gotta make him a buffet, I'm just saying it's not fair to starve the guy, you know?"

"No, I don't know," the guy argued back, sweeping some diced onion into a bowl. He grabbed a new onion and got back to work, his knife strokes swift and confident. "He killed a man! Two men! Two people, I mean. You get what I'm saying."

The woman shrugged. "I still think he's been framed. I think someone else did it and the old gal's just pinning it on him."

"Why would she do that? They were married. She had three of his kids."

"Oh! Maybe she met someone new! So, she took out her ex, but maybe someone else found out about it, and so now she's trying to pin the blame on him. I don't know. I just don't think he did it. He's an odd duck, sure, but I don't think he's a murderer."

"Too odd, if you ask me. I think it makes perfect sense." The man paused, his knife faltering. He'd finally locked eyes with Honey. "Uh. Can I help you?"

Rinlos looked at her, listening to what she was telling him, and he smiled softly. "THanks." he replied, returning the easy bump by tapping his own shoulder against Marsi's. "And, well, if he and I ever wanted kids in the future, we could always adopt. There's plenty of kids out there who need parents. Or find a surrogate, or… i don't know. Whatever, really." he shrugged a hsoulder. "Besides, you Anvilleans are, no offense, a little bit more easily offended by this sort of thing. In my home country, being like Arquis and I is not… it is not seen as this bad thing that it is seen as here. So…" he gave another light, easy smile. "Yeah."

---

"Hello." Ari spoke up, flashing a light smile. "Ah… I have some… specific dietary concerns, and I was hoping that you would be able to… accomodate them? If not, i understand and I will find some other things, i was just wondering if I would be able to order some ccertain other things." he didn't mind pretending that it was him that these things were needed for. THe staff had no idea who he was, so they would ahve no reason to suspect anything beyond what he was saying to them.

Marsiquia laughed, startling even herself. She hadn't expected to be happy until this was all over, given the seriousness of the occasion, yet her cheeks already hurt from smiling. She could see why Arquis liked Rin. Almost everyone she met at the events they hosted were formal to the point of stuffiness, and they always desperately tried to impress her family. Rin was different. They spoke badly about Anvillea and the things she'd been raised to believe straight to her face, rather than behind her back.

"Anvillea is messed up in a lot of ways, and that is one of them. I often wish I did not live here at all. It would have been nice to have grown up in a place where there is not so much judgment." Her smile disappeared. She began to toy with her hair, a distracted look taking over her face. "You know, Arquis probably got the worst of the gossip and the judgment after our father's death, but it has not been easy for any of us. I tend to get the pity, which is fine, but sometimes people are still rude. I have overheard people saying that I have let myself go since his death," she crossed her arms over her stomach as she spoke, as if hiding it, "or that I am childish, immature, and fake. I know those comments are made out of jealousy, and I try not to let them affect me, but I understand why my brother is the way that he is."

She glanced over the bed at all the stuff they'd packed for him. "Do you think we should bring this all back to him now that we've waited a little bit? I am sure he is very uncomfortable."

——

The male chef shook his head, returning to his work. "Sorry. We're rushing to get everything together for lunch and dinner. We don't have time to work on special orders right now. You'll have to come back later."

"Hold on, Jacquard. Let's see what they need, first. I might be able to put something together from what we have left from breakfast." The woman turned to Honey and Ari. She stuck out her hand, remembered she was holding a knife, quickly cleaned and sheathed it, and then smiled. She seemed to have forgotten that she'd been trying to shake their hands. "So, dietary concerns, huh? Allergies?"

"Not exactly. My friend here has a diet plan given to him by his doctor. He's got this genetic condition, this blood sugar thing, y'know? And if it gets real bad, it makes him pass out." Honey hadn't really thought about their scheme much beforehand, and now that they were there, he was just making it all up. He hoped he sounded even a little bit like he knew what he was talking about, or else they'd be in hot water. Luckily for him, the woman nodded sympathetically.

"My uncle had something like that. Well, kind of, his was a heart thing. But he had a lot of dietary restrictions." She looked over at Ari. "What do you need? I can try to throw something together really quick."

He smiled gently at her, listening. His mouth pinched at the words about letting herself go. What a cruel thing to say, to someone so young. Marsiquia was so young still. Fifteen? Sixteen? One of those, he couldn't remember her exact age, but it was still true. SHe was still in the middle of the teenage hormone jumps, where it was normal for some weight fluctuation. THere was nothing wrong with it, and it was cruel to say anything about it. "Your brother told me… a little bit about the rumors. And I've heard others in my travels. But it is still…well. I wasn't sure what to believe, and honestly…I'm still not."

At her question, he glanced about to check the time, then looked down at the things that they had gathered. "Ah, most likely. I was just wanting to wait so that hopefully Quirisa will not be there. I… don't want her trying to interfere with this." with what she had already pulled, he wouldn't put it past her to pull more cruelty, more ways to try and keep anything of comfort from Arquis.

---

"Well, i was hoping I would be able to get some oatmeal? WIth fruit and almonds? Or, if not, then an omelette with, ah…" he trailed off, trying to remember what doctor Lavin had said. "Spinach, cheese, chicken? ANd cooked in butter or olive oil?" he tried to list off all the options he could. "And a smoothie, if possible? With some spinach and avocado?" he gave the woman a soft, friendly smile. "Sorry to be picky like this. Believe me, I'd rather not be bothering you about this." She seemed friendly, at least. And, based on what they had overheard, she was on Arquis's side. He still wasn't going to risk telling her about the truth of it, especially with other chefs in the room that clearly were not in favor of feeding Arquis anything. "If you can't do all of it, I understand, I just…foods that are nutrient dense would be preferable, without being too heavy. If that makes sense?"

Marsiquia nodded when they spoke about the rumors. There were a lot of them out there. Most were about what happened the night her father was killed, and they were all awful. Some people said that he hadn't really died and that they were keeping him locked up somewhere as punishment for various crimes. Some said that he'd done it to himself and that they were covering it up. Some said that Arquis had done it. She supposed they'd been right about that one, but still, the rumor mill was horrible.

She cleared those thoughts from her mind and focused on the present. They had to take everything to Arquis. She scooped up the clothes that she'd chosen, being careful not to wrinkle them, since she doubted they'd be willing to let him have an iron, and went to the door. Even though they were going back the way they came, she knew the halls could be confusing, so she took the lead. When they got there, she wasn't surprised to see that Quirisa was gone. She'd probably stormed off not long after they'd left. She was, however, surprised to see a stranger standing there, casually chatting with the guards.

The stranger turned and recognized Rin. Their
expression immediately brightened. It was Ivanaya, the person from the inn who'd come over to talk with and proposition Rin the day Arquis had met with the specialist. They were in dark red, tight fitting robes that had been modified with a low neckline and tied at the waist with a sash. They had on the same big ruby heart necklace that they'd worn that day. Their long brown hair was braided up with a thin gold and ruby chain.

"Ah, my friend! Was waiting to see you!" Their bright smile faded into a gentle, even sad, expression "Am very sorry. Such a sad time, hm?"

Marsiquia squinted at a gold pin on their robes. Her brow creased in confusion. "Are you- I'm sorry, but are you on the Court? Isn't that their badge?"

They nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! Well, sort of yes! I am pay to help. It is like, ah, temporary member. I am there sometimes. That is why I come to this country! They told me, 'Ivanaya, we think we may have tricky case, come out to help. Will pay you very much.' And so I am here!" They frowned over at Rin. "Did not know what case was until few days ago. Did not know it was about your special friend. Very sorry."

——

The guy shook his head adamantly. "Like I said, we're too busy to do all that. Or any of it. You're going to have to see if you can find something that's already being served that'll work and wait until we can cook you something later today."

"I'll do it," the woman said, stepping away from her workstation. Her coworker made an exasperated sound. She rolled her eyes. "Don't throw a fit. It's not gonna take that long, maybe half an hour, at most."

"And who's going to finish what you're doing now?"

"You will! You're always bragging about how you're the fastest one in this kitchen. So, you can surely finish this up for me no problem, while I tend to these paying guests, yeah?"

She didn't wait for him to respond before carrying her work over to him, dumping it in his space, and hurrying off to gather ingredients. He stood there grumbling to himself. She came back with a stack of ingredients, which she efficiently unloaded, and turned to Ari and Honey.

"Either of you know how to cook?"

Honey winced. "Not well. Kinda just, like, pancakes?"

She smiled. "Okay, we can work with that. Go wash your hands and then come on back here." He did so. She glanced at Ari. "How about you? I'm going to need some extra hands, if we want to get through this fast."

Rin helped to gather and carry everything over to Arquis, and his brows jumped in surprise when he spotted Ivanaya. "Oh! Hello again." he said, giving them a quick, slightly uncertain smile. "It is alright, I…" he didn't want to say anything too much and be accused of trying to influence the case. But at the same time… maybe it was a good thing that Ivanaya was on the court? Maybe they would help sway things a little bit in Arquis's favor? Then again… their experience with Arquis had not exactly been the most positive. Gods. He was… worried. And he didn't know if Ivanaya's presence on the court would be a help, or instead would make this all worse?

He looked over at Marsiquia, then at Ivanaya. "Marsiquia, this is Ivanaya, we met at the, ah, hotel." he glanced over at them, then at Marsiquia again, trying to think about how much to say. "I… didn't know that they would be here." he shifted his grip on the stuff in his hands. "Ah…Ivanaya, we brought these in the hopes we could give them to Arquis. It's just a fresh change of clothes and some grooming supplies." he gave them a hopeful look, really hoping that they would let these things be given to Arquis. "You or…or one of the guards can go through them, if need be?"

---

Ari listened to the back and forth, and gave the woman a soft smile. He felt bad about deceiving her, but… well, when this was all over, if Arquis won, then maybe he could speak to Arquis and tell him what this woman had done, knowingly or not. And also point out which cook specifically had not wanted to feed his own boss. "I can do a bit." he said. "I don't cook a lot, but I'm a quick learner and I'll do my best. Thank you so much for helping me." he really did want to make it clear how much he appreciated her help, even if it wasn't actually for him.

Ivanaya smiled at Marsiquia when Rin introduced them. Marsiquia still looked confused. When she thought of judges, she thought of old men in dull robes that sat about all day. She didn't think of people like the individual in front her, who was young, boldly dressed, and chatty. If they noticed her confusion, they didn't say anything about it.

When Rin described his plan, Ivanaya put their hand over their heart and made a soft cooing sound. "Oh, my friend, that is very sweet. Yes, yes, I will look. Bring here."

One by one, Ivanaya went through the items, placing them into the nearest guard's hands when they deemed them safe. They were very careful to pat down every item of clothing, searching every pocket and feeling along the insides for hidden pouches or flaps. After determining that the clothes were safe—except for the tie, which they returned to Marsiquia with an apologetic look—they moved on to the items Rin had packed. They took out a small knife to cut through the soft items, like deodorant and soap, to make sure they weren't hiding contraband, then passed them to the guard. When they reached the shaving kit, they shook their head.

"Cannot, ah, sharp… no sharp things, not good. Too many bad things to happen, hm?" They handed it over to Rin and kept going. After another moment, they paused again. They took out the pencil and gave it to him as well. "Sorry. Too sharp."

"It's a pencil!" Marsiquia cried. "How could he possibly hurt anyone with a pencil?"

"We are not worried about him hurting others," the guard holding the items said. Marsiquia paled, the implication too much for her to handle. To imagine her brother so desperate that he would see a pencil and resort to such a desperate measure—it shook her to her core.

——

The woman nodded enthusiastically and began to tidy her workspace so they could use it. "Yeah, of course! We're busy, but that doesn't mean we can just ignore someone who needs some help."

She said that last part pointedly, her lips twisting to the side with distaste. Then, she stopped, her hand halting on the cloth she'd been using to clean the counter. Something clicked in her head. She looked at Ari curiously, scanning him, really taking him in. Just as she was about to speak, Honey came bouncing back over. He clapped his clean hands together.

"Okay, chef, tell me what to do."

"Right. Um, well, let's have you start washing what needs washing. Spinach for the omelette, berries for the smoothie. Then you can crush the berries up with the mortar and pestle over there, it's pretty easy. After that, you can mix the yogurt I set out in a different bowl with some milk and yogurt, and then add the berry mixture. We'll put it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while cooking everything else."

She turned to Ari as Honey went off, clutching the cases of berries and bundle of spinach to his chest. "Hey. You know, maybe we can help each other with something. A favor for a favor, you know?”

Rin was quite willing to let Ivanaya go through it all, knowing that it would work out well. When they passed back the shaving supplies, he frowned a little, thinking of the stubble that had been on Arquis's chin. "Can I help him shave?" he asked. "I won't let him have the razor, I'll do it for him. So he looks more presentable?" they knew that visitors weren't technically allowed now, but… well, maybe they would let him in just for a few minutes to help Arquis shave?

He didn't love the insinuation that Arquis would hurt himself, but… well, he could understand the concern. Even if he disliked it, he understood it. It was sad, though, that it meant that Arquis could not have a pencil, and thus would not be able to write or draw. UNless…he looked over at Marsiquia. "Do you know if Arquis would have any charcoal sticks?" he asked her. "Those aren't… it's physically impossible to hurt yourself with those, and even if he ate them, since it's just charcoal it's harmless. Not a… it will not act as a toxin. He could use those?" he glanced at Ivanaya, to make sure that they agreed with him.

---

Ari watched as Honey came over, doing his best to try and help the woman out with cleaning up and preparing for this. At her question, he cocked his head very slightly, wondering where this was going. She probably didn't know who he was, so what exactly could she want from him? He paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Maybe, what's the favor that you're wanting?" he asked, washing his hands off and waiting to see what she wanted.

Sadness passed through Ivanaya's eyes as they shook their head. It was clear they genuinely felt bad about the whole thing, but part of being on the Court meant they had to follow the rules. If they didn't, they might get kicked out of Anvillea for good. This temporary gig always paid well, but it had its risks, and even though they truly wanted to help, they just couldn't go through with it. Especially not with all of the guards around.

"Am sorry, my friend. Very tough rules. He is locked down. No one can go in." They fidgeted with their heart pendant. "He is danger. Even though he is no danger, they say he is, yes? No sharp things at all. But the charcoal, is that what you say? Charcoal? Yes?" Marsiquia nodded and they smiled at last. "Yes! Yes, that is soft. Not sharp! No danger."

Marsiquia turned to Rin. "I know where he keeps his art stuff. I'll go find them."

Before waiting for their answer, she hurried off. Ivanaya watched her go before looking back at Rin.

"Is the little sister, yes?" they asked quietly. "Poor girl. He is not the, ah, favor? The favor to win. Am not suppose to say, but it is not look good, my friend."

——

The woman sensed his hesitation and laughed. "Oh, nothing bad! Don't worry, I'm not going to make you peel potatoes for life or anything. But, uh, look." She leaned in closer, pitching her voice down in case Jac, her coworker, or anyone else was listening. "It's been really bothering me that we're not helping out Sir de Vey. I know he's not the most popular person right now, but he is still a person, and he deserves a good meal. From what I’ve heard, they’ve kind of been starving the poor man.”

She didn't add, of course, that what they made might be one of his last meals, but the sentiment was evident in the way she sighed. She drummed her fingers on the counter.

"Maybe if I agree to do this for you, then you could, I don't know, run a little bit up to him in secret? I know you don't know him, but surely you wouldn't object to that, would you? I mean, it's a basic human right, yeah?"

Rin nodded in understanding, though he was still disappointed by the news that he could not help. "The youngest sister, yeah. Quirisa… well." he would keep his thoughts on the older de Vey sister to himself for the moment. "And I…I know it doesn't look good for him." he said softly, not sure what all he could say. He didn't want to affect the case somehow. "And I know that, ah, your encounter with him at the hotel was not the most positive of encounters, but he's not…" he thought for a moment, teeth catching on his lip as he tried to think of how to say what he meant. Anvillean was not his native language, and it was not Ivanaya's either. Ah, the irony of it. "He's not a violent person. I don't know what i can and can't say to you, without… without it affecting the case somehow, but he's a good person. And I know he confessed, and I know that that doesn't really help his case, but I think there's more to it."

He cleared his throat, gaze flickering to the closed door. Hoping he hadn't said too much, or the wrong thing. "And I know that I'm his partner, and I'm biased, and maybe my word about this doesn't mean quite as much, but, uhm, yeah."

---

Ari listened, brows flicking upwards slightly. He thought carefully for a very long moment, gaze moving to the other cook, and then back to her. "Well…I suppose i must make a confession." he said, keeping his voice quiet. "This food isn't quite for me. My, ah, friend and I came here as part of a small group, and we're… friends with Arquis." he took a deep breath. "And they told us today that the kitchen was refusing to cook for him, and… well, Honey– my blond friend, the one that's washing the fruits right now –and I came down here. But… we thought that if we said outright who it was for, that we might not be able to get what we needed." he looked at her, waiting to see her reaction to that reveal. "So, while I am hungry and willl be eating something, most of this stuff is going elsewhere."

(I know this is probably a while off but I'm curious how Rin's going to bring up their frustrations with Arquis after the trial)

Ivanaya placed a comforting hand on their shoulder, then, as his continued, stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. They smelled of cinnamon, and they gave surprisingly good, warm hugs. They pulled back slightly after a moment so they could look at him directly.

"My friend. You can say what you think is good. No worries. I am not bias, yes? Hear both sides say things before, but listen to all the facts tomorrow." They cupped the side of Rin's face. "Let me show what tomorrow is like. If he is good person, I can see. Let me show."

They swiftly moved forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Rin's cheek, then leaned back again. A faint golden glow settled over Rin and then faded. If their ability was working as per usual, then Rin should begin to realize that they could not lie. If he tried to tell a blatant lie, then the words would simply not come out. He could avoid the question or duck around it with vague statements or omissions, but he couldn't tell a direct lie.

"Do you think your special friend will win?" they asked softly, waiting for his answer.

——

The chef looked visibly taken aback, though not necessarily upset. After she got over that initial confusion, she grinned. "Well, that just worked out perfectly, didn't it? I didn't know Sir de Vey had any friends. That's great!" She realized that what she said could be seen as rude and flushed. "I mean, not that he's not a friendly guy, he's just kind of, you know, busy. But I'm so glad that he's got people in his corner! He was always nice to me. I hate to think that he's being treated badly just because everyone thinks he did it. Truth is, we don't know what happened that day! He could be totally innocent, and we'd be starving the poor guy for no reason!"

She glanced over Ari's shoulder, saw Jac was still focused on his work, and let out a relieved sigh. Her focus went back to Ari.

"Okay, tell you what, you can get started on the omelette. Just crack some eggs into a bowl, whisk them with salt, pepper, and a little bit of butter. I'll get the chicken grilling and shred the cheese. After that's all ready, I'll make the omelette, and you can go help your friend cut up and mash avocado for that smoothie. That sound good?"

(honestly I haven't decided/figured that out. i figure either it all comes out in a big rush/almost meltdown from the amount of stress he was under, or they start talking and Rin just blurts it,,, idk yet)

He returned the hug, letting go when they did, and hesitating as the effect of their ability settled over him. His mouth parted as he considered their question, and he looked at them. "I… I don't know." the response made its way out in a soft tone. "I hope that he does, but I don't know the full story. I… he couldn't bring himself to tell me, and I'd rather he be able to tell the… well, you judges. Tomorrow. But i know Arquis, and he's not… he's not a violent person. He doesn't even… he doesn't like confrontation, at all, unless he doesn't have any other choice, and…" he trailed off, remembering what he and Marsiquia had discussed. "His ability doesn't even make sense for how AUrisi died." he looked over at Ivanaya, raising his eyebrows. "Arquis can steal the breath from your lungs, but Aurisi died of stab wounds. Which doesn't… it doesn't even make any sense. If Arquis was going to kill someone, why wouldn't he use his abilities?"

He exhaled, running a hand through their hair and looking at Ivanaya with soft hope in his eyes. "THat's… that's what i mean. There's some other piece in this story, and i don't know it, but I really hope he can win this. I… I know it doesn't look good for him, but I do think he can."

---

Ari gave her a little smile. "Yeah, exactly. Whether he's guilty or not, he still deserves food." he said softly, getting to work on what she had asked him to work on. "THank you for the help, ah… what was your name again?" he couldn't remember if she had introduced herself or not. If she had, then, well, now he felt embarrassed. but if she hadn't, then he wanted to know her name. "We all appreciate it." giving Arquis the foods that Dr Lavin had suggested would help, or at least he hoped so. Getting some food into the man's system would help his brain function better when it came time for the actual trial.

(oh I like that first one! what if Arquis kind of goes into workaholic mode like he did after his dad died, and finally when Rin has that meltdown, it forces Arquis to confront the fact that he's been pushing them away again and they have to actually talk about it?)

Ivanaya looked momentarily confused when they brought up the method of killing, but, after seeing the hope in his eyes, their features softened. They continued to gently cup his face and stroke his cheek. When Rin finished speaking, they tapped his shoulder, and the glow returned. It dissipated slowly into the air like golden smoke. Rin would once again be able to tell lies, if they so desired.

"Mm. Odd, that he would stab, yes. Am sure that will be asked tomorrow, my friend. Maybe to, ah…" Their brow furrowed again, not out of confusion but out of frustration. They could speak this language well enough, but they still struggled with a lot of specific words. "To mix up everything. To mix up detectives, hm? Will ask him in trial. But am glad you have hope, my friend. Am very glad."

At that point, Marsiquia came hurrying down the hall with a pack of charcoal sticks. Some of the black dust from inside the sticks had gotten on the outside, and it left dark smudges on her white sleeves, but she didn't seem to care. She handed the pack to Ivanaya, who examined it, then passed it to the guard. The guard adjusted all of the items before taking them into the room. Several minutes passed before the guard returned, carrying two folded pieces of paper. He handed one to Rin and the other to Marsiquia. Marsiquia quickly opened hers and began to read.

While Marsiquia's note had a couple of short paragraphs, Rin's note only contained a few separated sentences.

'I am so sorry, my heart. I never wanted any of this. Thank you for helping out. You are wonderful.' His name was signed right below that part, but a little further down the page, almost as if an afterthought, he'd added, 'It is lonely in here. I miss you. I love you.' In shakier handwriting, at the very bottom, he'd written, 'I am so scared.'

——

The chef startled. "Oh! Gosh, I really haven't told you my name, have I? It's Katrenne, but you can call me Kate, if you'd like. Almost everyone does."

She went to work grilling some chicken. They'd used a lot of the chicken for lunch yesterday but had some leftover, and since it'd been safely stored but wasn't planned for the rest of the week's menu, she figured it was good for her use. Once that was ready, she prepared her skillet but didn't yet turn the stove on. She shredded a hunk of cheese into a small bowl and set that off to the side, then fetched the washed spinach from Honey. She brought it back and leaned against the counter as she waited for Ari to finish prepping the eggs.

"We should have a lot of pastries left from breakfast. Spinach and feta, bacon and swiss, and more. Some with fruit, I think. Make sure you boys grab some for yourselves, okay? And some juice, too."

(oo yeah i like that! 'n then we get the confrontation of Rinlos being upset and Arquis is like "i,,,, what?")

Rin was still as they let go of him, giving a faint smile. "Yeah. Thank you." he said softly, and then he took the piece of paper when the guard gave it to him. He scanned over the paper pretty quickly, taking a deep breath at that shaky lettering at the bottom. He glanced over at Ivanaya, then at Marsiquia, then down at the paper again. The knowledge that Arquis was so scared… oh, it hurt their heart. But they couldn't do anything. THey couldn't help, because they couldn't go in that room again, and they weren't even sure if he would be allowed to write another note. If they wrote another note, would it even be delivered?

He folded it up again, tucking it in his pocket. "I… would it be permitted for me to write him a note back, or not?" he asked softly, looking at Ivanaya with uncertainty in his expression.

---

"Perfect, thank you Kate." Ari replied, keeping his hands busy with the things she had asked him to do. Once he finished with his prep work, he handed the prepped eggs over to her with another quick little smile. "Here you are. And yeah, we'll grab some food for ourselves. Don't worry about us." he ran his hands through his hair just a little, glad he had washed it the night before. His curls felt so much better clean and free of grease.

(yeah like Arquis is so out of it trying to avoid processing any of it that he doesn't realize he's hurting Rin even more, and so when Rin finally starts falling apart over it he can't avoid it anymore)

Marsiquia was still reading her letter when Rin turned to Ivanaya, so she didn't hear their comment. Ivanaya, on the other hand, let out a soft, sympathetic hum. They glanced around quickly and then turned back to him, shaking their head.

"Took all paper inside. Could get more, if you want?" they offered. It'd take a few minutes to go and grab some, but if Rin really wanted to write that message, then they could go dig some up. They had a notebook in their room that they could tear a couple pages out of.

The guard that had gone into the room cleared his throat. "Hold on. I think he's, uh, going to take a bath. You might want to put that off for a while."

Marsiquia finally looked up from her own note. "Is that safe? Him bathing, I mean. Surely that is all right for him to do on his own."

Ivanaya grimaced. "Ah. No. Water, it, ah, you could hold self under water, yes? Would need guard there."

"He won't do it, then," Marsiquia sighed. "He won't even take his gloves off in front of me. There is no way he'd undress in front of a total stranger."

——

Kate smiled and took the eggs from him. Once the chicken was ready, she began to whip up the omelette. When she was done, she plated it and sprinkled the top with fresh herbs. The omelette was perfectly cooked, with a buttery, golden brown exterior, melted cheese inside, and chicken and spinach spread throughout. She put a cloche over it and passed it to Ari, then went to help Honey finish the smoothie. When they were done, she poured it into a glass, chilled it, and wrapped the top with a clean cloth to keep it cold.

"There you boys go. Come back down for lunch and dinner, and I'll have something prepped for him, okay?"

"For him?" Honey asked, shooting Ari a wide-eyed look. He hadn't overheard Ari and Kate's conversation. "You mean for Ari, yeah?"

(yeah exactly! Arquis is blocking everything out and Rin is hurting and then,,, yess)

Rin winced at the words about Arquis bathing, exhaling. "Can I?" he asked softly. "Please, I won't touch him if i'm not allowed, but he won't… he's not going to undress with anyone else in the room but me. The guard can stand right at the door if need be, but I'm the only person he'd be willing to undress in front of." his voice was soft, almost pleading just a little bit. Arquis needed to take a bath, he needed to be able to wash off and be presentable, but there was no way the nobleman would undress in front of a stranger.

He fidgeted with his hands faintly, eyes flicking from Ivanaya to the guards and back. "Or, uh, I could talk to him through the door? If he's talking he's alive, so… so even if we can't be in the same room, it's still, uh, protection against him hurting himself."

---

Ari looked over at Honey. "I told her." he said softly. "SHe asked if we'd be willing to take something to him, and I said that that's, uh, what this was for to begin with." he kept a careful hold on the food, giving Kate a grateful smile. "Thank you, Kate. We'll, uh, tell him what you did for us all." he glanced at Jac, eyes narrowing for just a moment as he looked over at the man, then looked back at Kate. "Seriously. I appreciate the effort you went to, even before you knew who this was all for."

(haha yeah! also I know I've said it before but I'm so excited for the trial we're soooo close! I'm so eager to see Rin's reactions to everything)

Ivanaya took Rin's hands in their own and entwined their fingers together. "Am sorry. Know you want to help, but cannot let you in. Would be in very big trouble."

It wasn't just that they were worried about being kicked off the Court, though if they were, they wouldn't be able to help Arquis. The punishment for defying the High Court's orders were much worse than that. They'd both be banned from the trial and possibly locked up somewhere for interfering with the judicial system. Or at least Rin would. Ivanaya would likely be forcibly removed and barred from coming back to Anvillea. As much as Ivanaya wanted to help Rin and Arquis, that was just too big a risk for them to take. There were people in Anvillea worth visiting.

"But what about the second thing he said?" Marsiquia asked, almost desperate. She knew how much value Anvilleans placed on appearance and how bad it would be for her brother to show up to the trial without having cleaned himself up. "If he was outside of the bathroom, wouldn't that be fine? It's no different from him being out here while Arquis is in there."

Ivanaya cocked their head to the side. "Would still need guard to watch, but you could sit by bathroom door, my friend. Cannot go in, but could sit outside. Maybe make him calm?"

——

Kate beamed when Ari thanked her. "Oh, don't mention it! We've all got to help each other out, don't we? And that means giving a little extra help to those that need it the most." She caught the quick look he gave Jac and let out a laugh. "I know you're probably not too fond of him. He started working here back when Aurisi was still in charge. A lot of the staff was. It doesn't excuse their behavior, but, well, this whole thing has been kind of a shock. They're just trying to be loyal to their old boss. I'm not saying I get it, but it's been hard on them. Some of them knew him for decades."

Jacquard came up from behind Kate to grab something from her station. "Not sure what you're talking about, but speaking of decades, are you ever going to get back to doing your actual job?"

"Don't be dramatic. That took, like, not even thirty minutes." Kate rolled her eyes and gave an apologetic smile to Honey and Ari. "Like I said, you boys come back later, okay?"

Honey nodded, returning her smile. To Ari, he asked, "Ready to head up?"

(i'm excited for the trial too dfkjbgkjhdbg)

"I understand." Rin replied, though he was a bit disappointed. "And– if I sit outside the door and talk to him, would it be possible to then not have the guard in the room with him? The guard can stand outside with me, and listen, and then as long as Arquis is talking, everything is fine? Because I know him, he won't be able to change if there's someone else in the room." if he couldn't convince Ivanaya to let the guard stay outside of the bathroom, then… well, he would have to hope he could talk Arquis into still washing off. Even if he left his undergarments on while he bathed, he would still need to wash off. Clean his body so that he was more presentable for court the next day.

---

Ari smiled at Kate again, side eyeing Jacquard as he came up. "Yeah, let's go." he said to HOney heading out of the kitchen with the blond man in tow. Once they were out, and no longer in danger of being overheard by anyone that they didn't want overhearing them, he exhaled. "Kate was nice. I'm going to tell Arquis, after the trial, that she wanted to feed him and JAcquard didn't. Maybe she can get a raise or a promotion or something. And he can get fired." he looked down at the food in his hands. "But, let's get this upstairs to Arquis."

(I just really want to see how Rin reacts! I’m so curious, especially since some of this stuff I had planned like three years ago lol—obviously I didn’t plan the trial itself, since we decided on that part not too long ago, but like the details behind everything haha)

Ivanaya considered the idea but ended up shaking their head. They were already bending the rules to allow Rin into the room at all. The Court had explicitly said that high risk prisoners had to be watched when performing certain activities. The only reason Arquis wasn't being watched while he was in the main part of the room was because the guards had already gone through and made sure that space was safe. There was no way to ensure that a bathroom would be safe unless they stopped the flow of water, which would defeat the whole point of using the bath. Even though they could see that Rin had a good point—Arquis would be equally as safe if the guard was outside as he would be if they were inside—they couldn't just disobey the Court's orders. It didn't matter whether the reasoning for disobeying was sound or not.

"Am sorry, my friend. But maybe will still calm him to have you there, hm?"

"This is absurd," Marsiquia said, voice rising to match her temper. She usually wasn't a very angry person, but the past few days had wrecked her nerves, making her quick to react. "Surely he must have some right to privacy."

"Voluntary acts of violence are seen as waiving the rights to visitation, privacy, and non-emergency healthcare," the nearby guard said, though he scoffed at the end of the sentence, clearly finding it as ridiculous as Marsiquia. Nobody there really believed Arquis had attacked Quirisa, especially not after her screaming fight with Rin. But there was nothing they could do about it.

——

Honey followed Ari back out into the hall, heading towards the stairs. He wondered if they should stop to see Ophia and Ambrose again but decided against it. They only had so much time before the omelette would go cold and the smoothie would grow lukewarm, and if they couldn't provide Arquis any other comforts, he at least wanted him to have a decent meal.

"Yeah, she was nice, wasn't she? Good to see he's got someone else on his side, but…" he trailed off, not wanting to address the elephant in the room. After a pause, he sighed. "It doesn't really seem like anyone else is. I know the Court doesn't make their decisions based on public opinion, but it's starting to look really, really bad. If almost everyone that’s worked with him for years believes he's guilty, then that's not great."

(yeah i'm excited!! I want answers too lol)

"That's bullshit." Rin blurted. "We all know Arquis didn't do a damn thing to Quirisa. She just decided to be–" he broke off, not wanting to reignite the anger and argument of earlier. He took a deep breath, but his jaw still clenched a little bit and his eyes tightened. "Anyways. My point is that he didn't do anything to her. Of all people, he wouldn't hurt either of his sisters." he kept his thoughts about Quirisa to himself. She was old enough that, while Arquis might not fight her, Rin certainly would, if it came to it. Marsiquia was a child– and had done nothing wrong –and Rin would never have fought her. But Quirisa? She was an adult, and while Rin was taller than her, it would still be an even enough match that he didn't feel any shame about it. "I'm more likely to hurt Quirisa than he is." he knew that what they were saying was useless. Knew he couldn't really change what the court had already decided, based off of just Quirisa's word alone.

---

Ari winced faintly. "I know. But… I don't want to bring it up around Rin. He's already upset enough, there's no point in bringing his attention to how not many people are, uh, on Arquis's side here. Besides, from everything I've heard, Arquis has always been sort of anti-social, and people always read too much into that sort of thing." he glanced over at Honey. "I'm not… I'm not going to convict him of anything until the court does, y'know? Rin needs the support, and I don't want to be playing devil's advocate on his shoulder right now." he wasn't judging Honey, if Honey thought Arquis was guilty enough to be executed. Truthfully, he wasn't quite sure himself whether or not he believed that Arquis was really innocent in all this or not. But he wasn't going to bring that uncertainty up to Rinlos, not when his best friend was so upset and stressed about this already.

(haha if this was a real book that was being written the answers probably would've been foreshadowed so much better than they actually are, but like it's still going to be fun to finally have everything out in the open)

Ivanaya watched Rin carefully, hiding their expression. Marsiquia, on the other hand, looked distraught. She seemed torn between speaking up to comfort him and defending her sister. She didn't really feel like doing the latter, given when Quirisa had done, but she didn't much like the idea of Rin fighting her, either. She ended up saying nothing at all. It was Ivanaya who finally broke the silence.

"Am sorry, my friend." They leaned over to gently pat Rin's cheek. "But at least will get to talk with him, yes? Talk with him again? That is good."

The female guard from before, the one that had let Rin and Arquis say their goodbyes, opened the door to the room and stepped inside. She was gone for a few moments. When she re-emerged, it was to gesture at Rin, urging them to come forward.

"He's agreed, but he says he wants to bathe now. He's in the bathroom already. I've got to get in there, too. If you want to come and sit outside the door, now's your chance."

——

"Yeah, nah, there's no need to bother them with it. He's got so much to deal with already. No need to freak him out about it more." Honey shifted the smoothie he was holding to his other hand as he climbed the steps, holding onto the railing for support. A very well-dressed couple came down the stairs, eyeing Honey and Ari curiously as they went. Honey ignored them. "I don't know. I think Arquis could've done it. I don't want to believe it, and part of me really doesn't think he actually did, but who knows what he was like before we got here, y'know? Who knows what he was like four years ago? Or, I don't know, maybe it was an accident."

Another couple passed by them as they reached the top of the stairs, this time with a wailing baby. Honey smiled at the couple and the kid. The mother made a flustered noise and tugged her husband the other way.

Honey stopped and looked at Ari. His brown eyes were deathly serious, which was unlike him. "Look, no matter what happens, I'm not gonna ditch you and Rin, okay? I'm going to be there for the both of you. I just need you to know that before we get into this whole mess tomorrow."

(yeah that's understandable, foreshadowing can be tough in RPs lol but yeah! i'm excited for more secrets to be spilled hehe)

"Yeah. Talking is better than nothing." Rin agreed with Ivanaya, then glanced up as the guard spoke. He frowned, and nodded. "Okay. I'll, uh, head in then." he went into the room, coming over to the bathroom door. "Arquis?" he called through it, biting his lip for a moment. "I uh, I can't come in, but they said it's okay if I sit outside the door and talk to you while you bathe." he hesitated for a long moment. "They uh… they said that you have to have a guard in there though. Because of Quirisa, the court thinks youre a danger, so…" he glanced over, waiting for the guard. "YOu need to wash off though, love."

---

Ari nodded a little, listening to everything that Honey was saying. "Yeah, thank you." he replied with a soft smile. "I'd be pretty sad if you just ditched me like that." he leaned over to bump his shoulder against Honey's. "And Rin would be too. And…no matter how this thing ends, I…" he trailed off, letting the silence take over for a little while. "I don't know. I just don't want to lose you just yet. This is going to be stressful, so I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to cut and run, but… I appreciate you for staying. A lot."

The guard followed Rin inside and waited beside them. Right as he finished addressing Arquis, there was a soft shuffling sound from inside the bathroom, then a quiet exhale. Not quite a sigh, more like Arquis had been holding his breath.

"I know," came his faint response, muffled by the door. "I know. I agreed to it. I thought… I just…" He sounded so lost, his voice unsure; hesitant; soft. "I wanted to hear your voice again."

The guard took that as their cue to open the door—not wide enough that Rin would be able to see much—and slip inside. She closed it behind herself. After a moment of hushed discussion, there was the squeak of a handle turning, then the crash of running water into the previously empty bath. The faucet ran for several minutes before it was turned off, and finally the bathroom settled again into quiet. It was so quiet, in fact, that even Rin standing outside would likely hear the very faint rustling fabric as Arquis undressed.

The guard cleared her throat awkwardly. "You don't have to- you don't have to keep undershirt and stuff on. I'm not really going to look, I'll just- I'll keep looking at the wall. I'm only here to make sure you don't drown, I don't have to stare at you the whole time, so if you want to-"

"I prefer it this way."

"Oh. Okay. Uh, even the, uh, the gloves? Isn't that going to ruin them?"

"Even the gloves," Arquis murmured.

"I'm really not going to watch, if that's what you're worried about, I-"

"Perhaps this will not work after all," Arquis responded, not so much resigned as he was panicked. It was obvious in the way his voice pitched up slightly at the start of the reply and the way his words ran together at the end, as if he couldn't hold back the thought.

——

When Ari smiled, Honey did, too. He moved as if he was going to wrap an arm around his shoulders but stopped when he remembered he was carrying a smoothie. He gave him a lopsided grin and continued to the next set of stairs.

"Rin didn't just up and leave me behind when he found out that I was going through shit. It wouldn't be fair of me to leave them or you just 'cause you guys are the ones going through it now." He actually blushed a bit as he looked aside. In a jokingly conspiratorial manner, as if he was sharing a secret, he added, "Besides, I like you, Ari. Of course I'm gonna stick around."

They were now on the floor where Arquis's temporary room was, though they still had a few turns left until they were in the right hall. Honey wondered if they'd bump into Quirisa again, but so far there was no sign of her.