Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 1, 2022 12:20:38 GMT -5
Nothin' in the world beats the taste of alcohol after a good fight.
He's not all too sure what kind of wine this is-- not too sweet, but it's something fruity, maybe one of those faux high-end things people like to buy to feel a little bit more sure of 'emselves, to feel like they're one of those elite types--, and it sits well with the coppery echo of blood on his tongue. This must be what victory tastes like-- a little bitter, a little sweet, a little metallic, all the flavors slipping down into insignificance beneath the sweet, fuzzy feeling they stir up in his head, a delicious mix of blood loss and tipsiness.
Yea, Seiya muses, nodding to himself, taking another sip from the shallow bowl he's using for the wine, sighing contentedly at the slide of bittersweetness down his throat, drumming his fingers against the still body beneath him. This is victory.
The sand is pleasantly cool against his skin where he lays against the beach, leaning back against the perfectly-stationary corpse of the displacer beast beneath him. It ain't the best recliner, to be sure, but it really makes him feel like some kind of war god; draped leisurely over a kill as if he didn't sustain a myriad of injuries himself, sipping some kind of seemingly fancy beverage, all relaxed like this is something he does every day and could continue to do every day. It's enough to make him ignore the pain still freshly burning through his skin, the open wounds still littered over his body-- which the sand is admittedly not helping--, and the fact that he just burned anywhere from around an hour to three hours of his life trying to beat down a glorified spiky cat with his bare hands. Heh, who's counting?
He takes another sip from his wine, blindly patting the sand for the pile of small stones he'd hauled out here with him, taking one of them between his bloodied fingers. He stares out at the calm surface of the water, pursing his lips as he tosses the stone out with remarkable precision, watching it bounce across the tranquil sea before disappearing beneath. Hell yea, another stellar throw; they'll have to crown him Stone Skippin' Champ one of these days.
Seiya takes a minute to drink in his newest victory before pausing, white ears twitching as they pick up on the faintest sound of footsteps against the sand. Huh. He'd figured he'd be alone out here all night, but who knows? Maybe whoever this is'll be down for some wine and a chat. Sparrin' match, if he's lucky.
"Oh?" Seiya cracks an eye open, not quite bothering to look back. Wouldn't wanna shatter the illusion, after all. "Someone there? Y' wanna skip a stone or somethin'?"
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 1, 2022 20:59:53 GMT -5
Akari had not expected to find anyone else on this remote beachside. At least not anyone alive. He had heard tale from a local village of a strange, panther like creature stalking the bamboo forests near by. Though from the descriptions from the villagers claiming it had glowing, evil eyes and anywhere from 4 to 15 legs and tails, he had a feeling perhaps it was not a panther and may have been a displacer beast. Nonetheless, Akari had agreed to try and slay the creature in exchange for some coin, food, and a place to rest for a day or two. All in all, a fair trade. Though the village folk were not rich, taking care of such a creature would make the area safer and settle their uneasy minds. In return, Akari would not go hungry, for once.
As he pads through the sands following tracks of feline paws and bloods, he vaguely feels a presence in the back of his mind, something like admonishment. Hizuki. Upset at his eating habits, as usual then. He almost smiles. Even from a different plane of existence, she found a way to scold him.
But he does not have long to ponder his sister, not when he finally gets to the end of the trail he had been following. His suspicions about the creature are proven correct when he finds its corpse, currently being used as a lounge chair by a man much larger than Akari himself. The man looked more than a little bloodied, but he did not seem to be concerned by his state on injury, judging from his relaxed pose.
A rock skips across the water.
And then the man speaks.
"Someone there? Y' wanna skip a stone or somethin'?"
Akari stares back at the man and does not take another step, choosing to stay a few feet away from the stranger and the corpse of his would-be prey. This was.. An inconvenient situation. He had not killed the beast, so he could not claim the reward, but perhaps he could tell this strange man about the villager’s offer.
Except, he had not even bothered to look back at Akari.
Ah.
He had no way to communicate, then, if the man would not look at him, and he was not sure stepping closer to a man drenched in blood who had seemingly fought a great beast barehanded would be a good idea.
His only response is silence, then, as he stares a little longer with dark eyes.
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 1, 2022 22:50:23 GMT -5
Huh.
Usually, when he talks to someone like that, they're quick to give some kind of answer-- if it ain't verbal, usually they'll at least chuckle at him, some kind of snort or tsk tsk or other audible indicator that they've heard him, whether it's laced with amusement or not. It's strange for there to just be this empty stretch of silence, especially when he knows someone is there-- his old man never gave him anything in his life, but the half-demon blood did come with some pretty damn sharp hearing. Seiya trusts his ears, always has; he's pretty confident he knows the sound of footsteps against the sand when he hears them.
"Huh, not the chatty type?" he says, voice light and easy. He shrugs, figuring that's fine, finally glancing over his shoulder, and--
Whoaaaa.
Damn.
He's hardly expecting the vision he sees before him-- some ethereal-lookin' guy, with stark white hair and eyes as dark as the space between the stars or some poetic nonsense like that, all slender and pretty and dressed in the kind of clothes to match it. He ain't too tall, but that assessment doesn't mean much comin' from a guy like Seiya; he's probably got almost a foot over him on his own. All in all, he's more pretty than handsome-- and it's awfully distracting, too. He's probably staring. He's definitely staring, and it's definitely rude. Mama would've shaken her head at him awful hard for this one.
"...well, hey there, stranger," he starts, awkwardly lifting his bowl of wine. "You, uh... want somethin' to drink? I've got enough wine to go 'round. I'd be happy to share."
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 1, 2022 23:25:47 GMT -5
"Huh, not the chatty type?"
That was an understatement.
Akari’s gaze is steady when the other man finally looks at him. He notices an odd look flash across the other man’s face as he seems to lose whatever his train of thought was and simply stares in silence equal to Akari’s own.
There wasn’t anything on his face, was there? Perhaps this man was just as surprised to see another person out here. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Akari had been told sometimes his silent demeanor and features tend to make people mistake him as a ghost. He could simply be frightened.
But the long moment of silent passes, and once again the man is speaking to him. Akari pauses and shakes his head after being offered a drink. Alcohol hardly did anything to him to begin with, so he rarely indulged. There was not much he was still able to taste, anyway, and he would prefer to always have his senses as sharpened as possible. It was dangerous to be dulled in the middle of no where.
Clearly this stranger did not feel the same wariness.
Raising his hands, Akari attempts to speak in his own way, though he does not expect to be understood by the stranger. The language of signs was, unfortunately, not a universal one. A frustrating fact but one he has learned to accept.
‘I did not mean to disturb you. I had been looking for that displacer beast, but I can see that it has already been dealt with.’
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 1, 2022 23:45:24 GMT -5
Oh. Well. Uh-oh.
There's this clear look of confusion that splits across Seiya's face as he watches the stranger's hands move in quick, fluid gestures, each of them distinct and practiced, meaning packed into each one-- meaning that Seiya doesn't understand a lick of. He's hardly got the best grasp of the common language to begin with, the syllables all rough as they leap off his tongue, lacking that pretty cadence that so many of the people around these parts seem to carry when they speak. Lot of things his mama could teach him, and that was never one of 'em; ain't like she ever got around to somethin' like other languages, either. Not that he thinks she even knows sign language to begin with.
"Oh," he says, voice softening around the syllable, all the easy bravado slipping away. "You-- you can't talk, can you? Well, shit, uh... I'm sorry, I ain't got a clue what you're tryin' to say to me. Uh..."
Seiya glances around, suddenly fretting a bit, at a loss for words. It's a strange position to be in, to be understood and not able to understand in turn; the last thing he wants is to chase this guy off, though, so he's gotta find a solution real fast. He pauses when he glances at the sand, at the water creeping back and forth up and down the shoal, and he's quick to scoop up a wad of wet sand, dragging it over his bare forearm to scrawl out a basic two letter message: H-I, just a demonstration.
"Uh... you can use sand to write on my arm, if y' like," he suggests awkwardly, managing a weak but shiny smile. Gods, this feels stupid. This is so stupid. This guy totally thinks he's a moron. But it's an attempt at some kind of peace offering, so...?
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 2, 2022 0:20:18 GMT -5
Akari merely nods when the stranger deduces that he can’t speak and lets his hands fall back to the side for the moment. The awkwardness in realization was something that he was used to. Most people had no idea how to communicate with him, and found themselves floundering around him. It was an unpleasant situation to be in, but not one he wasn’t expecting.
What he is not expecting is for the stranger to scoop wet sand onto his fingers so he can use his own body as a message board.
Akari’s eyes as he goes wide for a second. Confusion and surprise mix openly on his face, but not judgement. He simply.. Was not expecting that. Usually, if people were made uncomfortable by his muteness, they would not seek a solution like… that.
Though he didn’t quite understand why the man would not just drag out his words through the sand. Actually, upon thinking of it some more, why would the man seek out a way to write to him in the first place? Clearly he was not the mute one.
A flicker of amusement lights Akari’s face as he shakes his head a bit.
Reaching into his bag, he pulls out his pad of paper and pencil, jotting down a note to this stranger as he walks closer before he hands it over to the other man.
‘This may be a cleaner option for both of us.’
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 2, 2022 2:01:41 GMT -5
Oh.
Ohhh.
That is a, uh, significantly easier solution.
Beneath the violet markings that span his face, Seiya's cheeks burn bright pink with embarrassment, vivid violet eyes bright with a sense of shame. It made plenty of sense that a mute guy would have some alternate form of communication on hand on the chance that he ran into someone who didn't understand sign language-- he figures a lot of people probably don't, whether it's from lack of availability or just a lack of willingness. Admittedly, the thought has just never really crossed his mind; this is his first encounter with someone who's lacked the capacity to use their own voice, and... there's a kind of shame in that, too, the fact that he's just hardly ever really thought much of it.
Hoo, boy, he ain't makin' much of a good first impression. Seiya's quick to brush the sand off of his arm, wincing at the sting of saltwater and sand as it washes down his scabbed knuckles, but the pain'll pass quickly enough. Doesn't hurt as much as his wounded pride, anyway.
"Yea, uh, this makes way more sense," he says as he scans over the words scrawled across the man's notes, glancing back up at him a second later. "Shoulda figured you'd have somethin' of the sort on hand. Uh, anyway, I get that you're gonna pass on the wine, but... can I at least get your name?"
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 2, 2022 21:24:41 GMT -5
Akari watches several emotions pass over the stranger’s face. Surprise, embarrassment, a small wince of pain. He was a rather open individual, wasn’t it? Not that Akari truly felt that was a bad thing. Though he was not very outwardly emotive himself, Akari had grown up alongside someone who was- Who had been incredibly emotional and expressive.
Perhaps it is the sting of nostalgia that draws Akari a bit closer to the other man. He sits down in the sand next to him, not caring for how it may dirty his clothes though he will regret the sand in his shoes later.
Looking down he scribbles a long message.
‘My name is Akari. I have come here in search of that displacer beast, but I see that I have been beaten to it. There is a nearby village that has offered some coin and a place to sleep in return for the slaying of the beast. I can direct you to the village so that you may claim the reward, since you have slain the creature. I do not know if they want the body, but I would recommend bringing it with you. Someone there may be able to skin and butcher it for you, if you do not feel like doing that messy work yourself.’
He nearly needs a second page of his small notebook to fit all his words, and he waits patiently for the man to read it and respond after he is done writing.
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 3, 2022 0:01:31 GMT -5
There's a sort of restlessness that sparks up Seiya's back while he watches the strange, pretty man write in that notebook of his, the only sounds breaking the silence being the gentle scratch of a pencil-point against paper and the soft crash of waves against the sand. Damn, he's got an awful lot to say, doesn't he? Seems like he's writin' some kind of essay on that thing-- not that he minds, really. Gives him a chance just to look him over, to watch the way he sits-- he ain't anywhere near as relaxed as Seiya, but that's to be expected. They are strangers to each other, after all.
Besides, it ain't like he's given this guy much reason to have a shinin' opinion of him just yet. Half-drunk, bleeding stranger draped over a dead beast, out here making moronic suggestions and just generally makin' a fool of himself.
Ugh.
Seiya's ears perk as the stranger tilts the notebook toward him, allowing him to read the message he's scrawled; Akari, huh? It's a pretty name for a pretty guy-- he probably shouldn't say that aloud, lest he scare him off, but he doesn't get much time to contemplate that as he reads the next part. Huh. He hadn't even realized that this displacer beast was worth some kind of bounty; he'd just been wanting a nice challenge. Somethin' to test himself, and test himself he had. Man, he feels a little bad about robbin' this poor guy of a reward he'd been chasin'-- that hadn't been intentional...
"Oh, uh," he starts, not quite sure where to begin. "Well... the name's Seiya. It's nice to meet ya, Akari. And... really, I ain't lookin' for any reward. I was just hungry for a good fight. If you're in need of the bed and the coin, I'd be happy just to haul this back for you so you can claim it yourself."
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 3, 2022 0:23:40 GMT -5
Akari shakes his head in response to the stranger’s offer, Seiya’s offer that is. With gentle hands he takes his notepad back and flips to a new page. He writes for a shorter amount of time, but his writing is no less precise and elegant than it was the first time.
‘I cannot accept such an offer, though I do appreciate it, Seiya. I may have come here searching for the beast to claim the reward, but I am not the one who slayed it. The reward is yours to claim by right.’
He hands the notepad back to Seiya once more, but before Seiya can respond to his words- Or even read them in full most likely, he takes the notepad back to add on something else.
‘If you do not wish to claim the reward, I would still recommend bringing the beast to the village anyway, so that they might know it is taken care of. It has been attacking the villagers and their livestock, and terrorizing them in the forest. I could perhaps help you bring it back, if you need me to.’ He finishes his explanation before letting Seiya read once more.
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 3, 2022 1:38:27 GMT -5
Just as Seiya is about to take the time to read the words Akari has written, the other man is quick to take it back before his eyes manage to process the first "I"-- he raises an eyebrow, watching patiently as he scribbles an addendum, before curiously reading the entirety of the message once it's within his sight.
Huh, this guy sure is the modest type, isn't he? Seiya knows a lot of people out there would jump at the chance to claim a reward like this; displacer beasts ain't easy prey, after all, even if this isn't a particularly big one, and rewards are rewards. All Seiya really cares for is the challenge, the adrenaline, the little extra burst of strength he gets in the wake of a good fight; maybe even the new knowledge that comes with a new opponent. Coin ain't really of too much concern-- he's the type to catch his own food, and he doesn't need any weapons beside hand number one and hand number two.
"Alright, how 'bout this, Akari," he begins, eyeing him carefully. He figures Akari's the noble type-- not in terms of blood, but in terms of virtue, where he's all about the truth and fairness and that kinda thing. Which he respects; Seiya's a man of his word, too. "You wanted the reward, I got the kill; what'd'ya say to just... splittin' the reward? We can carry this thing back to the village together, and then take 'em up on the offer, both of us. That ain't a bad deal, yea?"
He offers Akari a bright smile and a thumbs-up, hoping to ease the air a bit.
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 3, 2022 1:48:07 GMT -5
Akari thinks about Seiya’s offer carefully. It does not feel right to take a reward that does not rightfully belong to him. He did nothing to catch and kill the displacer beast after all, and that was the condition for the reward from the villagers…
But Seiya was offering quite kindly, and it would be rude for Akari to completely turn him down.
So…
He takes his notepad back after finally settling on a compromise.
‘I will not take the coin for your kill, so do not even attempt to persuade me on that front.’ The message begins. ‘However, I am in need of a place to stay, and would not turn down a meal. If you take the accommodations from the villagers, I would not be opposed to sharing that part with you.’ He finishes and hands the message over to Akari.
It seemed like a fair compromise to him. He had his pride and principals, but would not prioritize them over his ability to meet his basic needs. He would be willing to share a space with Seiya for the night at the very least. The other man seemed kind, if perhaps a touch deranged for going out and killing a displacer beast barehanded.
Not like Akari had any room to judge on that front.
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 3, 2022 15:11:39 GMT -5
Gods above, this guy was kinda stubborn, wasn't he?
Not in a frustratin' way, to be sure, though; it was in that admirable kind of way, where someone's just so dedicated to some sort of fairness that they'll fight for that sort of angle, even if it would serve 'em better to just take the victory bein' tossed at their feet. But no, Akari ain't that sort of guy-- refusing to take even a Solar of the financial reward, and still willing to split accommodations. It's respectable. The kind of attitude you want to see in someone you meet spontaneously beneath the dusk-light, two strangers drawn together by a stranger situation.
Seiya nods to himself, setting his bowl down and intertwining his fingers, stretching his arms forward just to hear his knuckles crack. Tension ripples through his muscles, his expression pinching as he starts to stand up, waiting for it all to pass-- damn, how long has he been sitting out here? Longer than he thought, if he's already gotten all stiff like this. Even so, he turns his gaze down to focus on Akari, still settled against the sand, violet eyes sparkling beneath the chromatic tango of lights in the sky.
"Alright, then, Akari," he says with another smile. "You've got yourself a deal."
He leans down to claim his bottle of mystery wine, clipping it to his sash and tucking the bowl in one of his smaller bags, before appraising the displacer beast. He's pretty sure he can haul this thing to a village-- corpses ain't easy to carry, but when has he ever turned down a challenge? He kneels down, trying to find the right angle to wrap an arm around the damned thing before hauling it over one shoulder [1], his arm draped over it to keep it in place.
"Lead the way, then?"
[1] Bull's Strength Tattoo
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
1
Renown
Crescent Isles
Dangerous Horticulture Enthusiast
65 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Akari on Dec 6, 2022 0:00:52 GMT -5
There’s a hint of a smile in Akari’s eyes when Seiya agrees to his plan of action. Good. He did greatly appreciate the other man’s generosity, after all. Having a safe, dry, warm place to sleep for the night and a bit of food before he continued his journey would be deeply appreciated. He had a long way to go, after all.
Not that he really knew where he was going. Chasing threads through the wind as they rippled and escaped his grasping fingers.
But those were thoughts for… Later. Later, after he had parted from this new companion and was once again on his own.
He stands himself and brushes away some of the sand from his clothes, and then moves to put his notepad and pencil back in his bag so that he can help haul Seiya’s beat back to the village but it-
He-
…
He doesn’t need to help at all?
Akari most certainly does not gape at the way Seiya single-handedly hauls the displacer beast over his shoulder like a sack of so much rice, but it is a near thing. Instead he simply stares for a long moment before he is able to shake himself out of his shock.
Well then.
As requested, he leads the way, though his first few steps are slow as the glances over his shoulder to judge out quickly Seiya can walk with his burden. He then matches his pace to that, making sure to carefully lead Seiya over the clearest path back to the village.
When they make their way away from the sands and ocean, through the forest of bamboo back to the small village, they are greeted warmly by the locals. An older gentleman with a wizened face and kind eyes in particular comes to greet them, a man Akari knows to be the leader of this small enclave. Of course, the villagers are surprised to see Seiya carrying such a massive beast on his own, but the thing of their nightmares being dead seems to be more important to them in the moment than asking any questions.
“You’ve made it back, young warrior! You have our gratitude for slaying that foul thing. Please, we will do all we can to repay you for this service. But who is this with you?”
Akari smiles faintly, and with his hands begins to flash symbols that the elderly village leader seems to understand, if the way he nods while Akari speaks means anything.
‘This warrior is named Seiya, he is the one who slew the beast, not I. As such, I request that the reward for killing it goes to him. Though he has agreed to share the accommodations and food you offered if that is something your village can provide us both.’
“I see, I see… Well. We can certainly reward our new friend, however, there may be a small issue with the accommodations that were promised to you if you intend to share…”
|
|
Adventurer
IS OFFLINE
3
Renown
Crescent Isles
ready to kick my dad's ass and drink wine. And I am ALL out of wine.
107 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Seiya on Dec 6, 2022 12:20:26 GMT -5
It takes every ounce of self-control Seiya has to not burst out laughing at the way Akari looks at him when he lifts up the displacer beast, and no one's ever complimented him on his self-control.
A bit of a prideful smirk pulls at the corners of his lips, violet eyes twinkling with equal parts amusement and delight at the way Akari's dark eyes linger maybe sort of kind of a bit too long, but he's not gonna say anythin' about it; ain't too many folks in the world who can haul a monster one-armed like this, so it's quite the spectacle. He bites back a "like what y' see?" and just hopes he can keep it up the whole time without his arm gettin' too sore or too stiff-- last thing he wants to do is see that look of controlled surprise Akari had worn so briefly shift into something unimpressed. Seiya ain't the kind of man who likes to leave others unimpressed, after all.
For such a silent journey, the walk doesn't feel especially long; in fact, it's pretty tranquil, with all the sounds of nature at full volume all around them, uninterrupted by anything more than the sounds of their footsteps. It reminds him a bit of home, of the creek behind Mama's house where he used to play with frogs when he was little, of the sounds of chirping crickets and all the other little creatures that made their home around the area. It's serene, nostalgic, and it makes the travel by Akari's side feel all the more pleasant for it.
Of course, the earlier surge of pride floods back over him at the way the villagers gawk at him as they step foot into the settlement, the feeling of all these eyes on him a right delight-- it's nice to see the admiration there, to soak up the surprise, to be the subject of shock and awe. Seiya's always been the kind of man to eat up every bit of attention he can get, and in the moment, he's dinin' well.
"Heya," he says unhelpfully as Akari starts signing to the man, throwing his hand up in a wave. "Nice t' meet ya."
He falls silent beyond that, not wishing to interrupt, though he does... pause at the man's final comment, brow furrowing with clear confusion.
"Eh? What's the issue with the accommodations?" he can't help asking, tilting his head, one of those fluffy white ears flopping to the side with him. "It can't be that bad, can it?"
|
|