Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 24, 2021 20:22:02 GMT -5
( Good. xD )
Sol was sitting behind his desk, head in his hands as he massaged his temples and muttered to himself, when Parker barged in. Taken by surprise, Sol sat bolt upright, one hand automatically falling to the small dagger sitting on his desk. It was in his grip and ready to fly before he realized the intruder was Parker. He relaxed, marginally. Releasing the dagger, Sol sat back in his chair and frowned at him. "Have you been drinking?"
☆~☆~☆ Seth glanced down at the spot on her neck that he had kissed, then met her gaze again. He held her stare, not looking away as he raised one hand fir her to see, making his intention clean before lightly tracing his finger over the spot. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly, gently.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 24, 2021 20:57:23 GMT -5
"An explanation would be nice," Parker started. "Something I was asking for this morning and should have gotten because I was f- ing worried about you! If you really think I'm that far beneath you to have the courtesy to find a better way to tell me you don't want me to know, than say so. By all means, if I'm that unimportant that you can't be bothered to deal with my concern, I'll stop wasting your precious time with it!"
~•~•~
"It's not your fault," Anya told him again, leaning her cheek into his hand. "I-I just.... I just... f-feel him..." It was a poor explanation, even to her, but she didn't know how else to say it. All she wanted to do was curl up and hide now, ashamed for having such a reaction to such a small touch.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 24, 2021 21:07:20 GMT -5
Sol sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, his headache threatening to become a migraine thanks to Parker’s yelling. But he couldn't bring himself to be mad at him for it, because he was right. However, he did not want to have this conversation now. "I know, and I'm sorry. But now is really not a good time for this conversation."
☆~☆~☆ Seth didn't like it, but he got it. He nodded, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "It's okay. You're in charge here, darlin'," he promised.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 24, 2021 21:34:50 GMT -5
The suddenness of the sound of his hand slamming the bench caused him to flinch, but Parker was not backing down. He had hyped himself up for a fight, and godsdamn it he wasn't going to lose it. "I would if you just told me, but, oh yeah, that's right, I'm just an incompetent lubber. Couldn't understand a single thing, could I?"
~•~•~
Anya nodded, but the guilt was still there. And the mention of all they have to do tomorrow wasn't helping. "Yeah, I'm ready," she answered, though not very enthusiastically.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 24, 2021 22:34:43 GMT -5
Sol lost the fight. He whirled around, one hand slashing through the air. "Enough! Stop talking! Just... stop." He put one hand over his eyes, blocking the low light that was suddenly too bright. The hand that was still on the window was now the only thing keeping him upright. Sensing this, Artemis moved from the corner where she'd been laying, watching, and pressed herself against his side. Keeping his eyes closed, he dropped his hand to her head.
"No," he said after a minute, very quietly. "I am not talking to you about this while you're drunk and my head is trying to kill me. So please... stop... yelling."
☆~☆~☆ Seth was back within minutes. He was glad to see Anya still on his bed. Good fit or not, he slept better with her in his arms. "Don't move," he told her. He shut off the lights, then sat at the front of his bed, back against the headboard. "Okay, now come here," he said, patting the spot beside him. "I'm going to help you sleep," he added in explanation.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 25, 2021 7:01:02 GMT -5
Sol's actions had Parker taking a step back. Even drink, he knew that if the fight became physical, there was nothing he could do to win. But the moment gave him the opportunity to pause and take in the captain's current state. He wasn't fully aware of what it meant, but he did know that something was wrong and continuing would have been stupid. Still, he wasn't ready to just leave it where it lied. His mouth opened as if to reply. Then closed once more. Turning and leaving felt like losing, but that's what he did. He couldn't be there and just act normal, or less than normal to spare Sol's headache. So he left. Where he was going to go was still in the progress of being figured out.
~•~•~
She was glad Seth made the choice for her. Even without his explanation, Anya would have still moved to the spot he indicated, snuggling up close to his side.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 25, 2021 9:23:44 GMT -5
When nothing but silence answered him, Sol warily opened his eyes. The light, dim as it was, blinded him for a moment, but he was in time to see Parker turning to walk away. "Damn it," he muttered. He wanted to call him back but knew he couldn't, not with his head like this. He hadn't had a migraine this bad in years; he had to get it under control before it got worse.
Still, as Parker reached the door, Sol called after him, even though it hurt to do so. "Parker. Go to bed." He pointed in the direction of the bedroom next door. "I still want you there. That hasn't changed."
☆~☆~☆ Seth smiled and made room for her, lifting his arm and wrapping it around her. He'd known that, if she came, she would come all the way like this, which was why he'd put her on his left. With his right hand, he grabbed his sketchbook and pencil and placed them on his knee. "Pick something," he said, while forming a little ball of light to see by. He let it float up to hover over his book as he flipped to a blank page. "Anything, and I'll draw for you until you fall asleep."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 25, 2021 10:12:38 GMT -5
His parting shot had Sol closing his eyes again, his regret stabbing him in the chest in much the same way invisible needles of pain were stabbing into his brain. He didn't say anything else, knew now wasn't the time to bridge this gap that had opened up between them. He opened his eyes again and looked around for Apollo. The dog was standing by the door, looking at him in question. Sol nodded and gestured with one hand after Parker. Apollo lowered his head in what could have been a nod and hurried after Parker.
As soon as he was gone, Sol fell back against the wall of windows and let himself slide to the floor. Artemis climbed into his lap, and Sol let her because her body blocked the light. He closed his eyes, and together they waited out the pain.
☆~☆~☆ That drew Seth up short. He froze, staring blankly at the blank page in front of him. Then he blinked, and looked at her, expression pained. "I don't... think I can," he admitted softly.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 25, 2021 19:44:58 GMT -5
Parker had no idea where he was going. All he wanted was to get away from the ship as fast as he could. There was no rhyme or reason to the path he took. The logical thing would have been to go back to the inn the rest of the crew had sought out. However, he couldn't remember the exact direction they had gone to get there. Not that he even really bothered to look. Caught up in his anger, he just... walked.
For a good thirty minutes he walked before finally stopping and coming to a sober enough state to realize he was lost. The young man looked around himself in the darkness, questioning his actions and what he should do. His sensible side said to just go back to the ship and find his hammock, for he was dead set on not returning to Sol's bed for the moment. But he wasn't even sure which way would lead him back to the ship. There had to be an in somewhere around here, right? Clinging to that small hope, Parker started down the street again, tryingvto pay more attention to the signs and buildings. It took another ten minutes before he managed to find an inn. So with Sol's money, he bought a room and led Apollo up to their temporary lodging.
He never remembered falling asleep that night. He would recall falling onto the bed, as well as the torent of angry tears that finally showed themselves. But when he actually fell asleep would remain a mystery. When he opened his eyes the next morning, they were dry, red, and puffy from the mix of hangover and crying he had done. He wasn't sure what was worse, the small dull headache from the alcohol or the miserable mood brought on from his tears. Either way, the young man wasn't about to get up anytime soon. He was more than willing to lay in bed as long as he could.
~•~•~
Anya was ready to approach the request from another angle and fully prepared to switch the subject matter altogether when Seth agreed. She smiled slightly and snuggled in closer to watch his process.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 25, 2021 20:31:27 GMT -5
Sol's night wasn't any better. He woke up with the dawn. He was still sitting on the floor of his study. He hadn't moved much after Parker left, other than to drawn his knees up so he could rest his head and hide from the light. He only intended to do so for a few minutes, until the worst of his migraine faded, but he must have fallen asleep the moment the pain faded enough to do so.
He stood up stiffly. His head still hurt, but it was a typical headache now, probably caused by a lack of food yesterday, as his stomach was equally unhappy with him. Sol ignored both as he left his office.
He looked into his bedroom, though he already knew it would be empty. Faint hope squashed, he continued on to the bathroom.
After a brief shower, he dressed in clean clothes and headed down to the galley for food. Cillian was already up, of course, and was all too willing to feed his captain.
By the time Sol returned to the deck, he was feeling much better. His hunger and thirst had been sated, and his headache was a thing of the past. The crew members who had spent their night in town weren't expected back until noon at the earliest. There was only one freed slave who would be disembarking at this port, but Sol hadn't seen him in the crew's quarters so he must have spent the night elsewhere. Perfect.
Sol looked down at Artemis. "Find Apollo," he told her.
Artemis didn't hesitate. She set off, and took a winding path through the port town of Aroughs as she followed Apollo's trail. Eventually, she stopped and sat in front of one of the smaller inns on the south side of town. Sol praised her, then went in and asked after Parker. The innkeeper hesitated only a moment before telling him which room was Parker’s. With a nod of thanks, Sol headed up and knocked on the door.
☆~☆~☆ Seth drew hesitantly at first, his hand stalling often as he tried to keep the image of what he wanted in his mind. His pencil strokes started off feather light, the marks on paper hardly visible as he vaguely sketched out the skeleton of the drawing. Slowly, steadily, his hand moved with more confidence as the "drawing thrall" pulled him in. His strokes became more definitive, the marks the left behind more visible as a drawing began to take shape.
Drawing was not typically a fast process, but Seth was certainly swifter than most. His hand and mind were perfectly in sync, plotting, outlining, shaping, and shading in rapid order. Before long, what had started off as little more than random lines all across the page began to transform into what was no doubt a familiar scene: the bathroom. Specifically, the sink counter and mirror. And in the mirror, Seth drew himself, as he had last glimpsed himself while leaving the bathroom.
It was clear he had been avoiding looking directly into the mirror. The glance he cast it was furtive, his expression displeased with what he found. The look he gave his own reflection bordered on mistrust, yet a hint of thoughtfulness could be seen there as well, as if he had been caught in the middle of a deep thought.
Seth didn't know how much time had passed by the time he finished, though the soreness of his hand and wrist suggested it had been a while. He stuck the pencil above his ear and sat back, moving his hand about to ease the mild pain as he stared, a little stunned, at the completed sketch of himself.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 25, 2021 20:49:00 GMT -5
The sound of the knock was unwelcomed. Parker was in no mood to talk to anyone, and he was tempted to just ignore whoever was out there. Yet his mother would have scolded him for not answering the door to be polite. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of the warm blankets and went to open the door.
And then he was standing in front of Sol. He was equal parts surprised and expecting it to be him, which helped him maintain a slight glare at the captain. The petty side of him wanted to slam the door in his face. But he really didn't have a reason to do that. So, instead, he just crossed his arms over his chest. "Sol," He stated, and offered no more than that. As far as he was concerned, he wasn't the one that had been to talk.
~•~•~
Seth might have been a fast drawer, but the time it took him to finish was still long in Anya's terms. Like always, she watched as random lines and shapes began to transform in front if her eyes, slowly becoming an image she could recognize. So far, Seth wasn't hesitating, wasn't asking for any sort of help, so she let him be. Why break his concentration? However, that just meant that as she sat in silence, the harder it was to stay awake. She tried, she really did, but at the halfway point in the drawing, Anya had finally given up and and sunk into a restful sleep.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 25, 2021 21:00:26 GMT -5
Sol arched one brow. "Parker," he returned. He started to say more, but Apollo came bundling out, overly happy to see him, so he took a moment to give the dog some pets and scratches. Then, with one last pat, he straightened and met Parker’s angry stare again. "May I come in?"
☆~☆~☆ It took Seth a few minutes to realize Anya was asleep. He looked away from the drawing and glanced down at her, wondering why she hadn't commented yet. Her sleeping face answered that question. He smiled a little, and got a little caught up watching her sleep. Eventually, he roused himself enough to move the sketchbook and pencil to the bedside table. He doused the magic light, then carefully shifted both of them so they were laying down. He closed his eyes, breathed in her scent, and drifted off to sleep.
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