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Post by Akari on Dec 6, 2022 19:45:13 GMT -5
“A-Ah! No, no, forgive me, there is nothing wrong with the accommodations I can assure you. You would be staying in my own home, in fact. Except… This is a small village, and we very rarely see travelers. Of course, you have done us a great favor, so we would be more than happy to host both of you,” The village leader smiles a bit nervously as he explains, “However, you may find that the room I have ready for you is a bit… Small for two men.”
He wrings his hands together, hoping that neither man before him were angered by the situation at hand. Though they had both been kind and cordial, this was no village of warriors, they were hardly even hunters. They made their living through farming here, with most families helping in the fields near by or searching the forest for food and supplies during the day. They would not be able to fight back if either man demanded more than they could offer them…
The village leader would even give up his own bedroom to prevent this from happening, but even then, his room was hardly large enough for two, and he was not in possession of a third bed.
“I-If you would like, I could offer both rooms in my home to you. That way you will n-”
Quickly holding up a hand, Akari stops him before the elderly man can continue.
‘That will not be necessary, we will not evict you from your own home, even for an evening. My… companion and I will be more than happy to share whatever accommodations you and your village can provide. We are grateful for your hospitality.’
At least… Akari is very, very hopeful that they are. He hoped that, even if Seiya did not know exactly what he said, he would go along with his response. He seemed the type of man who was kind and considerate, at least, and Akari would very much like to think he would not turn to anger or frustration over such a small inconvenience.
If anything, Akari could find a barn to sleep in, if he were really so against sharing for the night.
“W-Well.. In that case, if you are sure that you two will be comfortable sharing, we can attempt to make your stay as pleasant as possible.”
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Post by Seiya on Dec 7, 2022 1:12:14 GMT -5
A look of uncomfortable concern flashes across Seiya's face when the village leader starts lapsing into such visible worry, already ready to offer up his own home, as if he expects the two of them to get angry over free accommodations-- Gods above, they ain't that scary lookin', are they? Luckily, Akari wastes no time in signin' some kind of answer to him, and he just hopes it's discouragin' the man's anxieties.
"Uh, yea, whatever he's tellin' you, sir, that ain't necessary," Seiya says, eyes flitting between the swift movements of Akari's hands and the village leader, unable to tell what, exactly, is being communicated, but hoping they're on the same page. Based on the way Akari had cut in, it was pretty easy to guess that they agreed that the village leader was makin' quite the unnecessary offer. "Sharin' is no big deal. Thanks for givin' us somethin' like this to begin with."
He flashes a bright smile at the man, hoping it comes across as comforting more than anything, but he pauses, realizing he's almost definitely missing something before it clicks, his mama's lessons jolting into his mind quickly and suddenly.
"...oh, uh, thank you for your hospitality."
Seiya is quick to deliver a grateful bow to the village leader, his posture not quite right and his form a little off, but it's earnest, and earnestness always counted for somethin'. Besides, it was genuine, too-- the thought of havin' a good place to sleep for the night sounded great to him. Sleepin' beneath the stars was a privilege of its own out in the Moonglade, but it... certainly had its downsides. Lots of 'em. A proper bed for a change sounded like heaven, even if he would be sleepin' curled up to a stranger.
Uh... unless Akari made him take the floor, that is. He wasn't sure what the man's response would be to this kind of predicament.
What exactly does one do when there's only one bed?
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Post by Akari on Dec 7, 2022 1:38:33 GMT -5
Akari is immediately relieved when Seiya easily agrees to share. It brings a small smile to his face, one barely noticeable, to see Seiya do his best to reassure the village leader. Good, so he had not misjudged Seiya’s kind demeanor. That was… good.
After their easy agreement, they are both shuffled along inside to get cleaned up and unpack what is needed for their night’s stay. The displacer beast is taken away by some of the villagers to be processed for Seiya before they are led inside. The home of the village leader is small and clearly hand made, though there is a charm and coziness in it’s rustic qualities. The room that they are led to to rest in is indeed… small. With a futon already laid out and a small brazier in the middle for warmth.
Akari sets down his things in the corner before he taps on Seiya’s shoulder and hands him a quickly written note.
‘I will be taking the floor. Would you like to wash up before me? You were the one who was in a fight today, not I.’
He looks up at Seiya curiously, waiting for his answer.
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Post by Seiya on Dec 7, 2022 22:26:00 GMT -5
Oh, the light of excitement that kindles in Seiya's eyes when they step foot into the room is bright.
This ain't all that different from his room growin' up; it's cozy, all nice and close to the heat source, and it's clean, too. It's got everythin' someone could want from a room! This certainly hadn't been what Seiya had been expecting when accommodations had been mentioned, but oh, it's so nice...
It doesn't take long for the smile to drop from his face, however, as he glances over the words Akari has written in his notebook.
"Whoa, whoa, wait," he says quickly, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly at Akari-- there's no malice, no malevolence, but that little flicker of rose blossoms at the base of his eyes, prominent against violet beside the firelight, brighter with surprise and suspicion. He can't be serious, can he? Already offerin' to take the floor when there's a perfectly good futon right there, and he'd been the one lookin' for the accommodations to begin with? "I'm sorry, did I miss somethin'? Who said anything about you takin' the floor?"
He folds his arms, glancing Akari up and down a few times in silent observation-- he doesn't even take up that much space! Seiya's well aware of the area he occupies, and he's careful to keep it in mind, too; it'd be unfair to expect Akari to automatically take the floor when Seiya's just fine with it.
"Listen, I'm fine goin' for the first bath-- I'd love to get some of this blood off'a me," he says easily, rather eager to get any lingering traces of sand and blood off of his skin. "But... You ain't sleepin' on the floor. That's not even up for debate."
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Post by Akari on Dec 9, 2022 0:34:00 GMT -5
That was… not the reaction that Akari had been expecting from his companion when he stated he’d be taking the floor. Perhaps he had expected some minor pushback, but Seiya seemed dead set on the idea that Akari would take the futon.
‘I do not see why the notion of me taking the floor is so upsetting, we are only able to use this room because of your efforts, therefore you should take the bed. I will be quite fine on the floor, as long as I have a blanket.’ He quickly scribbled out for Seiya in response.
It was becoming clear that despite Seiya’s rough speech, he was the polite, almost gentlemanly type. But there was no need to show Akari such courtesy and consideration. He had certainly slept in less comfortable places before and no doubt would do so again. The bed was Seiya’s by right, and Akari would hear no arguments otherwise.
If Seiya continued to push the matter, he’d just have to pretend he was deaf as well as mute.
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Post by Seiya on Dec 9, 2022 21:01:50 GMT -5
"You're a real stubborn guy, ain't ya?"
A loud sigh, only gently dipped in frustration, spills from Seiya's lips; Akari can't really be so insistent about sleepin' on the floor, can he? The bed ain't that small, and he clearly looks exhausted-- though some of that might be the pretty dark powder he wears 'round his eyes, hard to say--, and the floor's gonna be hell on his back, so he really doesn't get why he's so insistent on refusing. But he's got one of those serious looks on his face, the kind that says "I've made up my mind and I don't want to hear any argument," and all Seiya can do is sigh.
He gently tugs at the hemming lining the shoulder of Akari's shirt, nudging him toward the futon just slightly, a bit of a pleading edge to those thin purple eyes.
"...C'mon, Akari," he begins, tilting his head, pursing his lips as he looks down at him. "Please? Take the futon? It'd make me happy?"
It's a bit of a strange choice to use that pleading expression with a stranger; it's something he's only really ever used with his mama, and even then, she got tired of it pretty easily-- and here, with Akari's kind of expression, Seiya can't really tell if it's workin'. He pauses after a minute passes, letting out a displeased huff and stepping back toward the door.
"...well, I'mma go clean up. You'd better not be on the floor when I get back!"
And with that, he slips out the door, ready to go wash the sand and blood-- both beast's and his own-- off of his skin.
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Post by Akari on Dec 9, 2022 23:01:11 GMT -5
By the time Seiya returns to their room, it seems as if Akari has also managed to get himself ready for bed. There is a small wash basin sitting emptied in the corner with a rag hanging off the side, stained with a bit of black pigment. Akari’s outer robes are neatly folded near his traveling gear, leaving him in his undershirt and trousers. A pair of dusty and worn boots are set neatly outside the door to their room where they cannot make a mess.
Oddly, despite his makeup being gone, those purple marks on Akari’s face remain where his head is pillowed against one of his hands. It’s easier to see with his makeup wiped away that those marks have a strange sheen to them, almost as if they are faintly metallic. There even seems to be a fine spread of freckles across his cheekbones, though they are paler and brighter than the rest of his already pallid skin. A bit of exposed arm reveals more of the same sort of shimmering purple marks curving over his skin before it disappears under more clothing and blanket.
He seems comfortable despite being curled up on the floor beside the futon. His eyes are already closed and his breathing is shallow but even. It isn’t likely that he’s already asleep, but he’s probably well on his way to dozing off. Perhaps he’s tired from his journey before now, as it seems he’s ready for bed without even having eaten dinner yet…
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Post by Seiya on Dec 10, 2022 2:16:58 GMT -5
The only feeling that comes close to beatin' the kind of triumph that comes from draping yourself over a recent kill with a good glass of wine is the feeling of joyous cleanliness-- in all the ways that bloodstains and dirt purify the heart, purify his mind, the way water washes over his skin and chases it all away helps the feelings settle in just right. A bath's a good time to think, too; somethin' about warm water and the tranquility does a lot for ya, makes it easy to sit and wonder over everything on your mind.
Naturally, all Seiya's mind had been able to focus on was Akari-- strange, selfless, stubborn Akari, with his night-dark eyes and moon-pale hair and his confusin' attitude. He can't say he's ever met a guy quite like him before; one of those types who clearly values his own survival and ideals, but will still toss comfort out the window to hand it to a stranger. It's odd. Seiya just hopes that maybe Akari considered what he'd told him.
That hope goes out the window as soon as Seiya returns to the room.
"...Gods above," he mumbles, shaking his head to himself.
Well, this just leaves one option.
"Alright, c'mon," Seiya says softly, leaning by Akari's side, not even waiting for a sign of response before scooping him up in his arms, blanket still carefully kept in place wrapped around him. He walks the short distance over to the futon and quickly settles atop it, gently laying the smaller man down against the soft surface. Before Akari has a chance to even consider moving, Seiya is quick to lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around Akari and pulling him in just close enough that they're comfortably nestled together on the futon, the small space working for them.
If Akari's going to be so stubborn and refuse to yield, then this'll have to work as a compromise.
"There we go. Better? Good to go t' bed now?"
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Post by Akari on Dec 10, 2022 11:59:59 GMT -5
"...Gods above."
Akari hears it when Seiya returns to their room, but he does his best to not visibly react in any way. Surely, at this point, he has won the argument over who would get the bed. He was already clearly half asleep in his preferred spot on the floor, there was no need for further discusSION–
“A-Ah…!” A strangled sort of squeaking noise makes it’s way out of Akari’s throat, though the noise is rough and garbled by the usual state of his voice. His dark eyes are open and wide at this point, but his perspective is much closer to the ceiling than it had been when he first laid his head down to rest-
His perspective is much closer to Seiya’s grinning face now, too.
He squirms in Seiya’s arms, but it seems his own clever scheming has doomed him. The blanket he had grabbed earlier now keeps him trapped and unable to move his limbs. Not that being able to move them would likely help much when he was trapped in the cage of Seiya’s arms.
Seiya was… strong. Very strong. Of course, Akari already knew this. He had seen the way that Seiya had managed to carry that beast earlier with just a single arm. But being the one held like this now and settled into bed–
There is a flash of a memory that runs through him. Of giggling laughter and warm hands hauling him to bed when he and his other half refused–
Akari shakes his head, and the memory is gone. Though it likely looks as if he is shaking his head at Seiya’s question. His eyes when he peers up at Seiya from his cocoon of blankets and strong arms are soft and a bit bewildered.
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Post by Seiya on Dec 12, 2022 16:04:17 GMT -5
Someone really should give Seiya some kinda medal or title or somethin' for managin' not to chuckle at the honest to Gods squeak Akari makes when he scoops him up.
It's so, so different from the usual composed attitude Akari puts up, his fancy words and his stern face, and it's equal parts amusing and endearing; something like that had been the last thing Seiya had been expecting when he moved in to pick him up. Hell, he'd figured he might get swatted at or somethin', maybe a few aggressive signs of protest, but instead, he winds up with an armful of strangely placid boy.
Seiya remains very fixated on this fact, fixated on how easily Akari fits into his arms until he's shaking his head in silent protest, clearly displeased with somethin' in this arrangement, and... all Seiya can do is frown.
"So... not better? Not good to sleep?" He asks, tilting his head. Damn, he ain't all too sure about what could be the issue, though-- maybe Akari's not all that big on physical contact? Well, shit. He probably should've asked first. "Ah, uh, sorry, I just... didn't want ya t' sleep on the floor. Not tryin' to make you uncomfortable."
He awkwardly scratches at the back of his neck, sheepishness plastered all over his face.
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Post by Akari on Dec 12, 2022 23:06:19 GMT -5
"So... not better? Not good to sleep?" Akari blinks at that, a bit bewildered by Seiya’s sudden change in attitude. He had seemed so confident when carrying Akari into bed, why did he seem unsure now…? "Ah, uh, sorry, I just... didn't want ya t' sleep on the floor. Not tryin' to make you uncomfortable."
..Ah, wait, was this about Akari shaking his head…? But that was not because of Seiya at all. He must not have realized, but without his hands, without a voice, Akari was not sure how to explain the lingering memory in the back of his mind. In fact, he likely would not be able to explain it, even if he had all of the words in the world to explain the sweet ache sharing such an intimate space with someone else brought forth in his chest.
But he also did not want Seiya to think he had done something wrong. He was perhaps a bit overzealous, but truly, sharing the futon was likely the best solution when they were both being stubborn.
So Akari does the only thing he can. He wiggles a bit, squirming in the blankets and in Seiya’s arms. But he does not squirm away from the other man, instead he frees one of his arms and does the first thing he can think of to set Seiya at ease.
He reaches up and pats at Seiya’s head, between his fluffy ears, in an attempt to soothe and comfort.
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Post by Seiya on Dec 13, 2022 14:02:26 GMT -5
Oh. Well. That answers that question.
All the worry that had so quickly written its way across Seiya's face melts away in an instant as Akari wriggles in his arms, wrenching one of his own hands free and lifting it up so it can come to rest between Seiya's ears, fingertips gently smoothing over his hair, over the bases of his ears. Shock lights up those violet eyes for the briefest moment before contentment rushes in to replace it, the uneasy stiffness in his shoulders flying out the window in an instant at how much comfort the gesture brings. It strikes all the worry out of him like a harsh blow might, delivered through a gentle touch instead.
It's a lot like what Mama used to do for him when he was little, when he was upset-- she'd run her fingers through his long, unruly hair, weaving little braids into it and petting his ears, just trying to soothe him enough so he could talk his feelings through instead of whinin' about 'em like a dumb puppy.
"Even the strongest warriors learn to use their hearts, my little star," she'd always say, her too-slender fingers always so tender as they'd trace circles behind his ears. "Never forget the importance of your words. Of your heart."
The nostalgia alone is enough on its own.
"...alright," Seiya says quietly, nodding to himself. "Then... this is fine. Good. I'm... glad."
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Post by Akari on Dec 15, 2022 20:49:40 GMT -5
Akari is glad when the petting seems to work. He had panicked in the moment, unsure of how to express himself to Seiya, so he had taken a page from his sister’s book. She had patted him on the head in such a way often when they were children.
He had always been hiding behind her then, seeking out her comfort and her light. Her warmth.
…Returning the same comfort to someone else feels warm, too.
There’s a soft nod when Seiya seems to put together his meaning and asserts that this is okay. It really was, truth be told. He hadn’t expected to be picked up like that and forced to share the bed, but it wasn’t uncomfortable by any means. He wouldn’t mind sharing for a night, even if he was essentially sharing with a stranger.
Seiya was kind, and gentle despite his obvious insane strength. And Akari could defend himself if need be, though he did not expect such a thing to be needed in his present company.
No, this was… Fine. Unexpected, but fine.
After a few more moments, Akari pulls his arm away and tucks it back into the mess of blankets around him while he lays his head down on one half of the pillow left for them.
Maybe he could even say that this current arrangement was comfortable.
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Post by Seiya on Dec 16, 2022 14:15:25 GMT -5
For the touch of a stranger, Seiya can't help but be awfully sad when Akari pulls his hand away.
He's always been a pretty affectionate guy; he ain't shy about it, not the kind of person to think twice about a hand on the shoulder or a nudge to the side or any of those other playful gestures. The one mortal language everyone seems to speak is with the body, after all-- if you ain't got a voice, you've still got your skin and someone else's, and those are words enough, sometimes. There ain't much a poem can say that an arm over the shoulder can't. Not that Seiya's sayin' all those fancy, pretty words don't have meaning and all, but they've always kind of flown over his head, the kind of stars he's never been able to touch, stardust he's never cared much to dance beneath.
Nah, words don't matter much, not when you've got your hands or shoulders or anything else in your arsenal. Fists deliver a message of hate, a hug delivers a message of love, so on, so forth-- and he's already startin' to miss whatever message Akari had been sendin' when he'd started pattin' his head like that.
Seiya pauses, then, weighing on his thoughts for a minute or so before tapping on Akari's shoulder.
"...hey, 'kari," he mumbles through a yawn, sleep already threatening to wash over him, pulling steadily at his consciousness like the tide. "At some point... you should teach me your hand signals. Wanna know what they mean. So we can talk without the book."
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Post by Akari on Dec 18, 2022 21:45:21 GMT -5
Akari pauses.
Oh… Oh.
Oh, no one had ever asked him to teach them how to communicate with him before. No one had ever… Even when he was a child and his voice was still his own, but was simply too quiet to be heard. No one besides his sister and mother had taken the time to really try when it came to him.
It was his mother who had taught him sign language to begin with long before he completely lost his ability to speak. So he could communicate even on days when talking to someone else was simply too large a task for his small heart to handle. It was Hizuki who learned by his side, just so he wouldn’t be alone, even though she never had trouble speaking and shining to all those around her.
He wasn’t sure why Seiya was asking to learn now. They hardly knew each other. And yet, there was something so honest in his voice that Akari had a hard time believing he was simply trying to be polite.
Teaching someone else was a nice thought. It was sweet that Seiya wished to learn for him. But it likely would not be feasible. Akari doubted they would see each other after this brief encounter. Akari traveled too much and often haphazardly, searching for–
As he searched for something that no one else needs to be involved in.
But even still…
It was a nice thought to fall asleep to. One that pushed him a little closer to Seiya’s side, just a little. Just for tonight.
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