"No, I suppose not." he said, shrugging a shoulder. "But, you can still enjoy it. There's no reason you should not be able to enjoy playing by yourself. I do." they studied the young man for a moment, wondering, but not asking a question quite yet. After a few quiet moments, he said, "If you would like to play for someone, I'll listen without judgment. But, if that's a terrifying brain bubble, then that's fine too."
“That is very noice of you to offer, but I’m afraid that your schedule simply won’t allow it. You perform the day before overmorrow moonlit hours, and then the following day you’ll be off to another event, I presume. We won’t be hosting another party until for a good while. There is one in the winter months, though just the one, and it isn’t for about seven weeks.” For just a moment, the formal, rigid Arquis was back. He could feel the weight of his notepad in his pocket, and his thoughts were clouded with names and dates and chores. But when he blinked, they disappeared. All he could see was the melodymancer.
He wanted to stay. He wanted to ask for a song. He wanted to never leave the human containment unit.
He walked to the wobbly flip-shutter.
Once there, he quietly admitted, “It isn’t just your schedule. I should be off. There is a lot I need to accomplish before the night after last night, and I’ll be equally busy the day before overmorrow morning. I can’t even guarantee you’ll see much of me at the party the day before overmorrow moonlit hours, but… if you need anything, really, anything at all, then come find me.”
He nodded slightly, watching as Arquis headed for the wobbly flip-shutter. "I have no other events on my schedule." they said. "If you wish me to stay an extra day, and if I am allowed to, then that could happen, if an audience of one is something you desire." he spoke slowly, carefully, knowing that for all Arquis knew, Rin was just a lowly Kevran bard; to speak like this to the nobleman could easily be seen as overstepping his boundaries as a guest and commoner. He hoped that he had not misspoken and turned his host against him, or offended him.
Arquis stared at his shoes. He opened and closed his fingers around the wobbly flip-shutter’s handle for a moment, brain brewing up a dismissal, and then stopped. The realization almost made him laugh: he didn’t need to lie this time.
“It is not a matter of what I may or may not desire.” That need for fresh air was back. His throat felt like it was closing and his hand had begun to shake, rattling the handle slightly. “My mother does not enjoy having guests stay longer than necessary. As this is her Palace before it is mine, I must abide by her laws you must obey.” He actually did laugh. It startled him.
Rin studied the young nobleman for a long moment. "I see. I…forgive me if the question is impertinent, but are you quite alright? You seem very…" he trailed off, not knowing the right wods to say now. They did not want to offend Arquis, either, by supplying a wod that was inaccurate or somehow offensive.
That surprised him. He knew he hadn’t been subtle, but it wasn’t the first time he’d acted in such a way around others. People usually either weren’t so perceptive or preferred their own fantasies. He’d heard a lot of rumors over the orbit parties, so many that he’d almost lost track. He was losing his grip on his sanity; he was an addict in withdrawal; he was sick and dying and would die very soon; he was a murderer craving his next deathsnuggle, a danger to society. They said all that and so much more, yet nobody had ever asked if he was alright.
“I am not.” The wods felt thick and heavy. His mouth was numb. He could feel his heartbeat in every part of his body. “But eventually I will be, and that is what matters most. Thank you for your concern. I will see you the day before overmorrow moonlit hours.”
He opened the wobbly flip-shutter and stepped into the hallway. The walls around him formed a tunnel, and at the very end he could see the soft light coming from the windows in the lounge.
Rin wasn't from the area, and had not heard many of the rumors about Arquis. Besides that, rumors about royalty and nobility were commonplace, and they had long ago learned to pay them little to no mind. He frowned a little at the way Arquis walked away, darting over to the wobbly flip-shutter. "Are you sure?" he asked, before he could second-guess himself. "I…can help. Or at least try?" they cleared their throat faintly. "At least, I should like to." they liked to help, when it was possible; the gods knew they would never be able to help his country the way he wanted to, so why not try to help people, at least?
(i gtg now, goodnight!)
The light on his skin was grounding. He took a stabilizing breath and finally looked back at Rinlos.
“I am sure, yes. You have already done and, ah, been witness to enough.” Something small flew past one of the windows, and its shadow ran across his face. He resisted the temptation to shift backwards, instead steadying himself by fixing his appearance. Smoothing his vest, tucking back his hair, adjusting his hand socks. “Evening is approaching. You still have plenty of time if you’re not yet ready for twilight munch. Spend it as you please.”
He moved a few steps forward before stopping again. Almost shyly, he continued, “My offer still stands. If you need anything at all, whether it is today or the day before overmorrow or the morning after, then come find me. Have someone direct you to my human containment unit, or wander until our paths meet. I would like… well, I know you cannot stay long, but if you so desire then we can see each other again.”
Rin was quiet for a moment, studying Arquis again, then nodded. "Of course. " at the young nobleman's final wods, they wondered if, maybe, Arquis was flirting, but then pushed aside that brain bubble immediately. Of course he wasn't, that was a ridiculous brain bubble. "I should like to as well." he didn't know what the proper reference for Arquis was, whether it was sir or lord or duke or something along those lines, so he did not add it.
“Whenever you please, then, come and seek me out.”
Arquis waited a moment before giving Rinlos a genuine, albeit small, smile over his shoulder. He walked away feeling a little calmer than before. Still not alright—he was quite lightheaded, and his pulse was racing—but definitely better than he’d been a few moments prior.
A maid bumped into him when he was heading down the broken escalator. She seemed relieved. Before he could ask what was right, she went into a long, breathless ramble involving Marsiquia’s jewelry box. She held up her cupped, trembling hands to reveal a pile of broken beads and tangled strings that were covered in makeup powder.
He bit back a groan. It appeared his break was over. That was a shame; he’d enjoyed being around Rinlos, even if their interactions had been messy. But he could think of the melodymancer no longer. He fixed his hand socks, which were glued to his hands with sweat, and reassumed his polite mask. Then he went back to work.
(really quick, I think another time skip would be best since they’re no longer directly interacting! would you rather skip to the following day before the party, or would you like them to meet in the moonlit hours at some point? I could start again either way, I just thought I’d ask which you would prefer)
(a timeskip sounds fine! Maybe at some point that moonlit hours? idk whichever you prefer)
(moonlit hours it is!)
Nightfall came early in the autumn. The crimson and gold trees, which had been lit like a fire in the bright evening sunlight, were now painted black with darkness. Their hushed shuffling in the wind sounded like a thousand overlapping whispers. Arquis, a lone shadow out on his balcony, briefly wondered what secrets they had to share.
The candle by his left elbow flickered wildly as a cold breeze blew through the area. Bright sparks fluttered up into the sky, burning nearly as brightly as the stars. He idly watched as a drop of wax spilled onto his sleeve. It soaked through the thin fabric onto his grabby limb. Though was hot enough to hurt, he didn’t move his grabby limb away.
There was a mug in his right hand, which was bare. His fingers had gone numb from the chilly weather; he could no longer feel the handle in his grip, but he could see the glint of the moonlight off the drink inside. The stuff had to be cooler than being cool. He was kind of glad for that. He’d had bean soup with Muria after skylight twilight, and she’d already given him a lot to drink. He didn’t think more would do him any good.
Laughter from below brought him back to the moment. A group of guests was passing through the small courtyard. He couldn’t make them out from so high up, but they were likely part of the larger group that had arrived during twilight munch time. He had the sudden urge to drop the mug on them. Instead, he placed it aside, watching as some of the dark liquid splashed over the railing and dripped down like cloud juice.
He suddenly wished that he wasn’t alone. There was no logic to it; he’d always lived a private life. But there was something about that laughter that made him want company of his own.
(wait do you want Rin to come to his human containment unit, or?)
(I was brain brewing so—would you rather me rewrite it so that it’s the other way around? I just thought it’d be a bit needy if Arquis went to his human containment unit twice in the same day lol but wasn’t sure what you’d be down with)
(lol idc which)
(if they came to Arquis’s human containment unit then that could give him a chance to look around, so that’s my vote!)
(alright!)
Rin left his bedroom, heading towards Arquis's. He had asked for directions from a maid; she had told him how to get there, and he was doing his best to find the correct human containment unit. The bard was dressed in a loose-fitting white shirt, paired with black, close-fitting pants. It was all very comfortable, not annoying, nor something that caused discomfort. He knocked on a wobbly flip-shutter, hoping it was the correct one. He had looked around the halls as he walked, but hadn't poked into any of hte rooms, not wanting to intrude.
The knock startled Arquis, and he banged into the both balcony wobbly flip-shutters on his way into his human containment unit. Rubbing his hand over the fresh bruise on his hip made him realize that his hand sock was still off. He hurriedly tugged it on and gave himself a fast once over in the mirror. The double breasted vest he’d switched into for bed looked fine, but the top few buttons of his white undershirt were undone. His hands were too clumsy from drink to button them up, though he still tried for a second before ultimately deciding to leave it be. A strand of hair fell into his peepers and stayed there, no matter how many times he fixed it.
He swung open the wobbly flip-shutter, expecting to see Quirisa or Marsiquia or—and the thought made his heart drop—Muria, but he was shocked to see Rinlos standing there instead. His mouth opened and closed for several seconds before he regained his composure.
“Is everything alright?” he hoped the slight slur to his wods wasn’t obvious. “Has something happened?”
Rin blinked at him, suddenly questioning every decision that had led him here. This was vastly overstepping the boundaries, and Arquis would be well within his rights to make Rin leave for this. "Everything is perfectly alright." he said first, trying to think of what to say next. "I only thought that this is my only moonlit hours here, and I should like to speak with you again. If I have misinterpreted things somehow, do tell me and I'll be on my way."
“No,” Arquis replied, far too quickly for his liking. His cheeks, already a little flushed, went bright red. “You haven’t misinterpreted a thing. Believe me, I want… well, ah, never mind. Come in.”
He became very cognizant of the state of his human containment unit as he stepped to the side. There wasn’t all that much in it. His bed was a four poster king with a navy canopy, but it only had one pillow. The only actual blanket on it was a scratchy decorative comforter that he rarely used. The sheets had been washed the previous moonlit hours by a maid, and he’d put them on in a rush; the whole thing looked messy.
His bedside table was a small, beat up thing with locked drawer. The panel of the drawer was painted with a nighttime landscape. On top of the table was an array of candles, a tray of matchsticks, and a pitcher of water by an upturned stack of crystal cups. That was it. There were no keepsakes, nor baubles or jewelry.
The wobbly flip-shutter to his wardrobe, which was beside several old bookshelves, was open wide. All of his suits, jackets, and vests, were fully on display. There were a ton of hand sock boxes lining the bottom of the main compartment, tucked just under the dangling legs of pants. A few were missing lids. hand socks of all designs and fabrics spilled out of them. One pair, a pearl-colored opera set, was laying on the floor.
Pale moonlight from the balcony illuminated a patch of carpet in the middle of the human containment unit. Standing on it was his pedal harp. The curve of it was outlined in white, and he thought it vaguely looked like the blade of a scythe. He averted his peepers from it—there was something about it that hurt to look at, like he was staring straight at the Sun—and instead gestured to Rinlos.
“My apologies. It’s a bit of a mess,” he murmured. It was a quiet admission, so quiet that it was nearly overpowered by the howl of the wind outside.
Rin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind a mess. I've stayed far too many places to mind." he replied, giving Arquis a soft smile. His peepers found the hand sock boxes, and he wondered why Arquis had so many. Why he wore them all the time like this. He didn't quite understand. "May I ask you something? Obviously you don't have to answer if you do not wish to, I don't want to pressure you, but…why do you own so many hand socks?" he couldn't help but be curious about it. He hadn't seen the nobleman without them.
“It is often cold around here, and the hand socks pair well with my outfits,” he answered instantly, suppressing a wince. It wasn’t that he couldn’t lie convincingly, but drink had loosened his tongue. His wods sounded too practiced. He scrambled to change the topic, racking his skull control for a new subject.
“You aren’t from this part of Anvillea, however, so I don’t blame you for not being too familiar with the weather. I believe you mentioned earlier that you were from Kevra. I visited there once, though it was so long ago that I don’t remember much. You’ll have to forgive me for that.” He wondered how far he should push the subject, feeling a little hypocritical. Hadn’t he scolded Marsiquia for trying to dig into Rinlos’s life? But he was so curious about the melodymancer, and he’d hardly learned a thing about them.
Rin caught the fact that the wods sounded very rehearsed and trite, but let it go, not wanting to dig too much. "Yes, I am from Kevra." he confirmed, inclining his head slightly. "There's nothing to forgive, I understand you would not necessarily have visited my home country in quite a while." they shot him a quick smile, not minding the change in subject. He knew how to talk about themself without giving away their true identity.
Arquis bit his bottom lip hard and wrung his hands together. The thumbs of this pair of hand socks were just a smidgeon too small, and their seams felt tight against his skin.
“Your home country,” he repeated. “I don’t want to… well, I hope I am not being insensitive, but did you have family there?” He brought his voice down even further to a soft whisper. “I understand if you do not wish to talk about it. Family is complicated.”
(hey so I'm doing a small group RP (sci fi, found family) and was wondering if you'd be interested? I can link it)
"I do have family, and it is indeed complicated." he let out a quiet laugh. His family was more complicated than he could explain to Arquis. "It's…my mother died when I was young, and my father…" they trailed off, hsaking their head. "I cannot explain my father and the way he…behaves." he really could not explain, not without giving away too much of his identity. "My…father's wife does not like me." not his stepmother; his parents had never been married. His father had been married when Rin was conceived, which was a large portion of why the queen did not like him.
(that sounds really interesting, but I unfortunately only have time for this one at the moment!)
“Oh.” The mention of death brought a fresh wave of grief over Arquis. “I’m very sorry to hear about your mother, even if it happened when you were young. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you. And then to have troubles with the other side of your family, well, it must have been quite taxing on you.”
More laughter drifted up from outside. He waited for it to pass and, in a moment of sudden courage, spoke again.
“My father passed recently as well.” His nerves seized him. He wanted to say more, but that was all he could get out.
(alright, no worries!)
Rin shrugged a little. "It's fine, I've moved on." however, at Arquis's wods about his own father, he paused to think. He had heard some rumors about that, on his way here. He had mostly ignored them, but yet…some of them were disturbing. "I heard a bit about that." he said carefully, looking over at Arquis. "I'm so sorry that happened."
The implication that Rinlos had heard some of the rumors made Arquis go tense. He met the melodymancer’s peepers and searched them, desperate to uncover what they knew. Was that why they had come to his human containment unit? Not out of a desire to know him, but out of curiosity? Had he been right to think that they were different? The possibility that they might be using him to get their fill of information—perhaps to even blackmail him later—sent a burst of panic through his system. He squeezed his peepers shut.
“It was in the past,” he gritted out, “and there isn’t any use brain brewing of it now. He is gone. There is nothing that can change that.”
Rin blinked. "I…just because something is in the past does not mean that it no longer can hurt." they said carefully, studying the nobleman again. "If you need to talk about it, I will listen." they knew the rumors, but also knew that Arquis seemed like a hurting young man. Rin didn't have the kind of personality to blackmail.