The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

“You don’t gotta explain yourself. It’s whatever,” Honey muttered. His arms were crossed defensively, and his eyes wouldn’t leave the ground. He didn’t believe Ari. The stranger was likely just trying to cushion the blow. It was his own fault that he’d taken it so hard. He should’ve played it off as a joke or left when he’d originally said he would. Maybe then that hollow ache in his chest wouldn’t be so strong.

Arquis caved and joined them under the blankets. So much for his nice, clean suit and professional first impression. Ari likely had a very low opinion of him. It didn’t bother him as much as it had before. All he felt instead was an overwhelming sense of adoration for his lover, who he held tightly.

“I know. Close your eyes, my dear, and rest. I will stay right here with you.”

Ari sighed faintly. "Rin told me a bit about you." he said after a moment. "That you were cute, and sweet, and that there was maybe some…shit going on." he frowned faintly, gaze flickering away from Honey for a moment. "So it's really not personal at all."

Rin pressed closer to Arquis, nuzzling his throat softly. "Thank you, darling." he whispered. They closed their eyes and, within minutes, was already beginning to drift off to sleep.

Honey went extremely still and even more pale. Then, without saying another word, he left. Arquis heard the door slam and looked up in curiosity. He hadn’t even heard the blond say goodbye, though perhaps it had indeed happened. He’d been quite out of it due to the cuddling and exhaustion. His mind took a second to reboot.

He looked over at Ari in hopes of finding some clarity. His eyes were half-lidded from drowsiness, but he managed to stay awake. “Did something happen? Where did he say he was going? If he mentioned someone named Lovey, then he is likely going to see his sister. If he mentioned Sugar, then he will be returning with his dog.”

Goodness, he hoped it was the former and not the latter. He’d definitely rather see Lovey’s flashy jewelry than the dog’s fangs. In his mind, each dog tooth was a spear ready to run him through. What a childish image.

Ari blinked, watching Honey leave. "Uhm…I don't know." he looked over at Arquis. "He said he was going to leave, and then we were talking. I told him Rin told me a bit about him, and he…got pale and left. I'm not sure what happened." he frowned faintly, running a hand through his hair.

Arquis let out a quiet sigh. “Oh. Yes, right, about that. Honey is going through something very difficult at the moment. It is not my place to talk about it, but it has left him with some very skewed ideas of self-worth. If he left after hearing that, there is a chance it could have been an emotional response to having his trauma unwillingly exposed.” He was speaking in a whisper so as to not disturb Rin. “It is not your fault, of course. You could not have known that bringing up your prior knowledge would upset him. I do hope that he did not say anything unkind to you—he likely was not thinking straight.”

Poor Honey. Arquis had heard the starting flirtation, but it must have gone downhill from there. Otherwise, the blond would still be in the room, making quips and quick, witty jokes. He wished he’d at least gotten to say farewell to him before he’d left.

"He did not. I did not mean to bring up anything upsetting." he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed and making a face. "He's cute, but it is only that I'm not interested in sexual…" he thought for a moment. "In sex. With casual…" he sighed faintly. "Sorry. I don't know quite the words?" his Kevran accent was stronger than Rin's, and he spoke slower, since he didn't know Anvillean as well as the bard did. "I prefer sex with people that I know and care about romantically, not casual, ah…meetings? No, that is not right."

Arquis bit his lip. He still wasn’t sure what to do with the fact that Honey had been so openly asking for sex. It didn’t seem like a good sign. There was a chance that he’d been joking, but something about the way Ari was speaking made it feel like that wasn’t the case. Which was upsetting, to say the least. The blond was in no condition for that. His mind and body were both clearly wounded, and he needed time for recovery. The nobleman really hoped that Ari was the only person he’d asked. The thought of him already attempting to go back to work with strangers made him feel faint.

He grounded himself by taking his partner’s hand. To Ari, he said, “I do not know that there is a word for that, but there very well could be. My knowledge on these sorts of subjects is a bit lacking.” He blushed and rubbed his thumb over Rin’s knuckles. “I have never… participated. In activities related to, um, well.”

Making out with Rin was the furthest he’d ever gone, if memory served. Arquis wondered if Ari would find that ridiculous. He wasn’t a child any longer. He should’ve had more experience.

Ari only nodded. "Of course." He replied. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, Arquis." He rubbed his hand over his face. "In any case, I did not mean to upset Honey." He really had not. He had only been trying to express his personal feelings about sex, and it really hadn't been anything personal or specific about Honey himself.

Arquis buried his face in Rin’s shirt. This had not been how he’d thought the day would go. He hadn’t expected to be talking about sex with Ari, certainly not less than an hour after they’d met. His cheeks were burning. The stranger had been quite nice about it, but that didn’t make him any less embarrassed.

After a bit, he looked up again. The blush had faded to a rosy pink hue. “I know. As I said, Honey is going through a rough patch. He is rather sensitive. You did nothing wrong. I imagine that he knows that as well. He should calm down with time, but I believe at the moment he does need some space.”

He wondered how much Ari had been told about Honey. It didn’t seem as if he knew the full story, though Arquis wasn’t going to be the one to fill him in. That task went to the blond. If he ever did feel comfortable enough around him to share it, of course. Ari didn’t have to know about his past if Honey didn’t want him to, even if he did know a little of it already. Either way, it was time for a change of subject.

“I do not believe I ever thanked you for making the trip out here. I know that it has been odd, but I wanted to let you know that I appreciate it.” He turned his gaze on his lover and lightly cupped their chin. Then, he looked back to Ari. “You traveled quite a bit, did you not? Do you need anything? Rest? Something to eat?”

Ari let out a faint, tired breath. "I don't know. Food, probably. And a bath, at some point, though I'll do that later, in my room. And of course I made the trip. Rin is my best friend." His gaze flicked to the sleeping bard, then back to Arquis, flashing the nobleman another quick smile. "And it gives me a chance to meet you and make sure you're taking good care of him." His tone was half teasing, half serious.

Arquis detangled himself from his lover and rearranged the blankets so that they were snug. He moved to the edge of the bed, joining Ari, and let his legs hang off the side. This was closer to what he’d been expecting.

“I try my best,” he said in a soft, uncertain voice. His eyes remained on Rin, though his words were clearly directed to Ari. “I often feel that he deserves more than I can give them. But I still try.”

It was an oddly vulnerable admission to make to someone he’d just met, and it made his throat feel tight. He didn’t want to kill the mood, so he smiled. His gaze finally drifted to the young man beside him.

“I do not suppose you have any tips? Knowing them for so long and all, I imagine you know a lot about them.”

Ari listened quietly. "Just…treat them with respect. He's not breakable, but he's been through trauma, and sometimes that's going to rear it's head in ways you might not be expecting." He said slowly. "He's very touch oriented, but sometimes touch can be really hard, too. He's good at communicating when something is too much, but…" He trailed off, shrugging a little bit. "And, Arquis…Rin keeps a lot of secrets. And he doesn't keep them to hurt you." He looked over at Arquis.

Arquis nodded, looking back at his partner while Ari spoke. When he was done, he turned and stared at his lap. He fidgeted with his gloves as he thought of how to respond. It had been a while since he’d pressed and pinched the scars underneath. The mild pain was familiar. Relaxing, almost. He wrung his hands together and sighed.

“I understand. I have my secrets as well.” He winced ever so slightly as he twisted a fresher scar, one of the few that had reopened on their walk from the Palace. “I will continue to listen and respect them. There are times in which I wish I could do more, but I know that I cannot bear his burden. All I can do is be there for him in whatever way they need.”

He nodded a little bit, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and letting out a soft breath. "Of course." he said, studying Arquis for a moment. "As long as everything is alright, and you're taking care of each other, I do not think he will mind secrets." he shrugged his shoulders.

Arquis nodded again and shifted nervously. He still felt that there was a weird tension in the room, though it could’ve been his imagination. Ari didn’t seem upset with him. Yet there was still a weird feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, urging him to fill the silence in the room.

“Alright. Any tips for what we discussed earlier?” He immediately blanched, went crimson, and sputtered, “That- I did not mean to say that. I am not- I do not- that was inappropriate of me to ask. I apologize. I was simply trying to- it was quiet, and I just said the first thing that came to mind.”

He wanted to die, right then and there. Had he seriously just asked Ari, someone he’d just met, for tips on coupling? He covered his face with his hands and let out a mortified groan.

“Please forget everything I just said,” he begged.

"For…sex?" Ari asked, laughing quietly. "I mean…you don't need my advice. If you don't want sex, don't have it. Rin won't be mad at you for it. If you do want it, talk to them about it. Not me." he was still laughing a little bit as he looked over at Arquis, smiling at him. "If you're asking what he likes in bed, again, that's a conversation to have with him. I've never…he and I have always just been friends."

Arquis’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as well. When he lifted his head, he was grinning. “We almost had that conversation once. Almost. It is a work in progress.”

Deep down, he was very glad that Ari and Rin had stayed platonic. He wasn’t the jealous type, but it would’ve been awkward to be around them if there’d been some bad blood or a rough breakup. That did make him wonder if Ari was interested in men. Had either him or Rin said something about that at one point? Maybe or maybe not. He genuinely couldn’t remember. The past week or so had been so long and complicated—and he was so exhausted—that it sometimes felt hard to remember much of anything.

Ari nodded slightly. "Yeah. And that's a conversation you don't necessarily need to have just yet. When you do, though, I do not need any details. Thanks." he laughed a little bit, tucking his knees to his chest and leaning his chin on them. He did like men; he and Rin had just never seen each other that way. Not at the same time, anyways. They had both had crushes on each other at one point or another. It was inevitable. But it had never turned into anything, which was probably a good thing.

Arquis went even pinker, but his grin widened. “If and when we ever do have that talk, I will make sure to keep the details to myself. Though I cannot promise the same for Rin. If they decide to share, then, well, I suppose you might get an earful.”

It was nice to joke around. The air felt less restrictive, and smiling came more naturally. He could see why his partner liked him so much. Ari wasn’t like any of the diplomats or aristocrats that Arquis had grown up around. There were no stiff formalities or rigid etiquette code with him. He wouldn’t frown at the nobleman for fumbling his words or subject him to cruel pranks. He wouldn’t laugh at him for his insecurities, at least not directly in front of him like other adults he’d known.

Ari laughed a little bit. "Of course." he replied, smiling over at Arquis. "I know how they function, it's fine. I just don't need to know." he closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them up again. "I'm hungry, though, and I need to eat. Where is the kitchen?" he uncurled his legs, sitting up in preparation to leave.

(question: are we gonna do the honey/ari thing? and if so how’s that gonna happen like in terms of sending messages and stuff?)

Arquis smiled and got off the bed, offering his arm to help him up. It was a typical gentlemanly gesture, but in this instance it felt oddly funny. He couldn’t act serious after a conversation like that. There was no way. He stifled another laugh as he waited for Ari to stand.

“It is near the front desk. If you head in that direction, someone will inevitably find and take you to your destination. You might actually run into Lovey. She is Honey’s sister. They have the same blonde curls.” He yawned. It had been a while since he’d had any coffee, and he could feel the beginnings of caffeine withdrawal coming on.

“Would you feel more comfortable if I walked you there? This place is not easy to navigate. Though perhaps either you or I should stay with Rin.”

(I still would like to, if you're up for it! And I figure RP wise, we have two options: keep them in the same thread and just use a dividing line to keep the scenes separate when they're in different rooms (if you don't know what a dividing line is, I'll put one after this note), or make a separate thread for Ari/Honey and just do our best to keep the timelines running at about the same speed)

Ari took Arquis's arm, releasing it once he was standing upright again. "I'm sure I can find my way there on my own." he replied with a quick smile. "You can stay here, with Rinlos. Just in case he wakes up. The medicines might make him a bit disoriented, though it shouldn't impair him in any way." he tugged on his shirt to straighten it, then adjusted the tie in his hair keeping it back.

(I am! I think making another thread might be easier for keeping the length of it all in check? otherwise, replies might get a bit messy and long. if we keep dividing things by days and one thread finishes a day before the other then we can briefly pause that one so that the other can catch up?)

Arquis had been calling his lover by their nickname for so long that he sometimes forgot his full name. Rinlos. It was gorgeous. He wondered if it would be weird for him to start using it again. Possibly so; it might seem as if he were angry with his partner, which certainly wasn’t the case.

“Of course,” he said in response to Ari. “Though I sort of hope that they do not wake. He has not had much to eat or drink other than the tea. Sleeping will allow them to recover some of the energy lost in fighting the infection.” He frowned and settled back on the bed, reaching over to carefully take his partner’s hand. “They had a horrid fever dream the other day. It was hard for him. I do not know if they will have another.”

(yeah, that sounds good!)

Ari nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. I'll bring back some food for them, then." he said. "And as for the fever dream…yeah. There is a small possibility that the medication will make any dreams worse or more intense. Even though none of them relate to sleeping or resting…there is still that possibility."

Arquis swallowed and transitioned onto his side. Rin’s flushed face was just visible over the blanket. He reached over to place the back of his hand on their forehead. Still hot. The medicine wouldn’t fully kick in for a while. He hoped that they’d stay asleep for the time it took Ari to fetch food, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he awoke at some point. There was no way that they were comfortable.

“Yes, well, we will be here to comfort them if they do have another,” he finally responded. He smiled softly at Ari before moving to rest his chin on his partner’s chest.

Rin kept sleeping, still curled beneath the blankets. His cheeks were still flushed, and a bit sweaty too. He was still feverish, though perhaps not as badly as he had been earlier.

Ari nodded slightly. "Of course." he flashed a quick smile, heading towards the door. "I'll be back soon, then." he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

(really quick do we wanna make the separate thread now and have Ari bump into Honey in the hallways again or would it be better to do that later?)

(I think it would be better to wait to do the separate thread, bc right now everything is taking place in the same area and all that)

(alright!)

While Ari was gone, Arquis nestled against Rin. He let his eyelids fall, though he didn’t sleep. His mind was buzzing with strange energy. Not physical energy—he doubted he had the strength to lift a chair—but the kind that made his thoughts race. He was glad that Rin’s closest friend seemed to like him. Their interactions had been mostly smooth. Ari’s situation with Honey, however, was a bit worrying. The blond wasn’t in a good headspace, and Arquis was really concerned that he might relapse into his old ways. The fact that he’d come on to a stranger seemed proof of that. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as the nobleman thought, but instinct told him he was at least somewhat right.

He decided he wouldn’t tell Rin about the Honey situation unless they asked. His lover was so empathetic that it would likely only bring him stress. Their body was under enough pressure as it was; it didn’t need to be put through more, not until he was recovered. Arquis grazed his chin with a super light kiss and sighed.

Ari headed through the halls, going down to the front desk so that he could get some food from the kitchens.

Rin sighed faintly, shaking his head for a moment and snuggling deeper into his blankets. He was so tired, and the medicine was working its way through his system.

(sorry for short reply, there just isn't much to describe/say right now)