group
Levi replies with a sloppy thank you in his own language, taking the towel. He wiped it down his face and chin, and even the parts of his hair that got wet. The braids in his hair were atrociously mussed and practically unrecognizable as braids. He would be able to redo it in the morning, though.
Fiori frowned softly as he tried to puzzle out the muffled thank you. It was hard to speak Levi's language when he was sober, let alone half-drunk and tired. Eventually, he gave up, eyes drawn to Levi's ruined braids. "Leviticus… could I fix your hair?"
group
“Uhm…” he lifted his hand to feel the back of his hair. “I was just gonna…” he trailed off in indecisive thought. “Yes.” He finally nodded. “For the evenings I leave it…” he searched for the word, how to say what he meant, “braided but, more simple? I dunno how to say it. Not like this,” he gestured. “Just fixed.”
Fiori smiled and nodded. "I'll figure that part out later, come sit on the bed with me." He grabbed Levi's hand and pulled him back into the bedroom, getting him settled while he grabbed a ribbon to keep Levi's hair tied back and a brush. "Is it just in one braid?"
group
Levi trailed behind him, his arm scraping weakly like a hammock as he was pulled. He didn’t seem to care, just tired. He sank down onto the bed and watched him, barely moving his head. “Hm, yeah, prob’ly. My home has a specific evening braid, but I’m too tired to explain. Too drunk.”
Fi laughed, undoing his ruined braids and then carefully starting to brush them into some sort of order. "I told you you were a lightweight," he teased, separating Levi's hair into four different clumps so he could get to work. "You can just doze off, if you want. I'll lay you down when I'm done."
group
His hair was still pretty soft and bushy from when he washed it in the baths earlier in the day, or was it yesterday? But it was still soft, however, and undone the ends almost reached to the middle of his back, just past his shoulder blades. “M’kay, if I must, I will,” he let his eyelids relax. The alcohol made it feel like there was a heavy weight on his chest, just not as painful. He swayed a little bit.
Fiori laughed and smoothed his hands through Levi's hair, admiring it quietly as he began braiding. It was a simple task, your normal five strand braid, and he set to work quickly. He was careful not to pull too hard as he got going, not wanting to hurt Levi in any way even though he kept a firm hand.
group
Levi twirled his silver ring around his finger. It was the easiest piece of jewelry that he could keep with him; he had left the rest of his jewelry (his earrings and the like) in the bathing room.
At last, Levi closed his eyes, and as he began to doze off he imagined his family: his brother, Mordecai, his father and mother, the servants and everyone at home who had helped him with his hair. He had done it himself several times, but it was sort of a platonic yet intimate, bonding experience to do someone’s hair, especially if they were in a noble or royal family.
Fi was humming quietly under his breath, an old folk song some of the kitchen girls had gotten him to sing at the party, but his attention was on Levi. He'd done his mother's hair when she was still alive, and when he was away he would help the women braid their hair out of their face before battles, so he'd always found something comforting about the quiet intimacy of it. It took trust, to let someone do this for you. He was honored that Leviticus was willing to let him do it.
group
The last thing Levi heard before he fell asleep was his friend’s humming the drinking tunes. His sleep was light enough so he could stay upright, but his head nodded foreword.
Fiori took a few minutes to realize Levi was nodding off but he finished quickly one he did, tying the ribbon hurridly in Levi's hair and then poking his cheek lightly to get his attention. "Not yet, Leviticus. You need to get to bed, help me get you under the covers."
group
Levi stirred awake quickly, “You said I could…” he weakly laughed to show him amusement. He managed to stand up, but stayed close to the edge of the bed as he fumbled for the covers.
"I didn't realize you'd actually take me up on the offer." Fiori gave him a playful smile, pushing away Levi's hands gently and pulling up the covers himself. "Here, now you can fall asleep."
group
“You…you’ve no idea how tired I am,” Levi chuckled, his Widonian accent slurred heavily in his words. He crawled back into the bed, under the covers now. They felt different from his own blankets from home, but they were comfortable enough.
Fi laughed. "I guess I don't, Iceblood." He set the covers down, tucking Levi in amongst the sheets so he'sd be comfortable. "Now go to sleep, your accent's getting so thick I could use it as a blanket."
group
He pulled the covers over his shoulder, settling down into the mattress. “Hah..!” He burst into tired laughter, “Use it as a blanket…,” he echoed with humor. He would have a headache in the morning, but he would be sober.
Fi snickered, clambering over Levi and settling under the covers on his side of the bed. "I wouldn't, it's so hot in here. We're only under one blanket and I'm still gonna wake up in a pool of my own sweat."
group
Levi smiled and laughed through his nose at that. Me too, probably, he thought instead of replying out loud. He would have reacted more, but his eyes were already closed, and he was dozing off again.
Fi took a few more minutes to nod off, getting settled with his back against the wall and a pillow held close to his chest, but soon he too was slipping away into dreamland.
group
Levi stirred in his sleep, taking a long inhale, and then exhaling into the pillow. He slept with his fist under his chin, almost as if he were thinking in his sleep.
(Time skip?)
(Sure, when to?)
group
(Hm, maybe the next day when Levi shows Fiori the paper he wrote about what happened to him?)
(Sure, sounds good. Want me to start?)
group
(yes please!)
Fi padded back to his room knocking gently to let Levi know he was coming back in before he wrangled the plates of food he's grabbed from the kitchen into one of his arms and got the door open. It was well past lunch, but neither of them had worked up much of an appetite until now, too hungover to even think about food.
"It's fried again, Cads says they've got too much flour." He set the plate by Levi on the desk, not looking at the paper he had in his hands. "You had something to show me when I got back, right?"
group
“Oh, yum,” Levi looked over at the plate and licked his lips. The slight remainder of his headache syill bother him, but he was well ready to eat now. “And yes, this is the paper I wrote last night. About what I remember since I was taken?” He handed over the paper, which was folded into neat thirds.
Fi nodded, taking it carefully. He didn't unfold it yet, choosing instead to set down two cups and a pitcher of water. "Cads also says we're idiots and we need to drink lots of water. He made me bring cups up." He set out silverware and then retreated to the bed with his own plate. "You don't mind if I read this in here, do you?"
group
“Smart man,” Levi chuckled at what Cadmus had said, pouring himself a cup of water first before he would begin eating. “And go ahead, I don’t mind in the least.” He took a long drink of water, then set it back down on the desk, taking his plate to sit in front of himself.
Fiori smiled when Levi complimented Cadmus, starting to dig into his food as he unwrapped the letter. "I'll tell him you think so," he said, schooling his face into a more serious expression as he started reading. "Thank you for writing this out for me, I imagine it was not a pleasant task."
