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 Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:19 pm
The sun was high in the sky as Niamh wrapped the leather cord of his folio around the ledger. Finally, the last of his work was completed, and not a moment too soon, it would be just a short while longer before they arrived in Edrao. There were a few discrepancies in the ledger which would be simple enough to clear up since he was in town. Business was on the back burner for at least a couple days, for he had one thing on his mind that had kept him from slumber; Leukos. Niamh could hardly believe his fortune, to receive a letter with the location of the one man who could quite literally make all of his dreams come true; it was almost too good to be true.
Slipping the folio into his shoulder bag, Niamh grabbed hold of the poetry book, Leukos had taken an interest in. In his spare time, he had been attempting to verse himself in Leu's interest. opening to where the marker had been, Niamh decided it was as good a way to spend the rest of his trek as any. Making it no more than a few pages into the piece the carriage slowed to a halt, jostling the luggage above; they had arrived~ "Well, Mr. Lorcan, we're here, but I warn you..." The carriage driver called out as he stepped onto the earth and opened the door, "That Zanteer just wouldn't give up... That pesky bugger jumped right on the back and rode with us the whole way."
Niamh scowled as "Mr. ScruffScruff" circled around the carriage and plopped down next to the driver, eagerly awaiting Niamh's presence. Collecting his bag, and double checking to make sure nothing had been left behind, Niamh stepped out of the carriage cabin and into the streets of Edrao. Receiving his leather weekender bag from the driver he slung the strap across his chest and paid his fare."A pleasure to serve, sir." The driver tipped his hat as he slipped the coin in his pocket, closed up the cab, and pulled away. Looking down at the zanteer at his side, gently thwapping its tail against the earth, "C'mon you~" He groaned while making his way through the crowded capital streets, "We need to get to the vault, get some coin, and then find Leukos." scanning the letter one more time to commit the name to memory, "Dullaney... Reevus Dullaney."
Emitting a series of playful clicks the Zanteer trotted along, content to keep pace alongside Niamh.
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:51 pm
“No, but look: if you try to use the same technique on Snapptrotters as you do with Xaaran, it won’t work. They’ve got necks that are way shorter, and their shoulders are set up differently, because they walk on four legs. See how the elbows stick out?”
A stocky man sporting a turquoise beard sat atop a large purple Snapptrotter, walking the reptile through a small obstacle course set up in the pen. He handled the thing like he knew what he was doing, enough so that a conversation with Leukos on the side didn’t even phase his concentration. “Your whole center of gravity needs to shift, respond differently. They have surprisingly flexible spines, which makes them such good climbers. It's more of a lumbering gait, so you'll find that you're going to have to work harder to really keep your posture on point at all times.”
Leukos leaned up against the outside of the corral, nodding his head to show he was listening. He was still rather inexperienced when it came to the ins and outs of working with these particular creatures, so any advice people felt inclined to share with him was appreciated. He'd been able to work hands on with them a few times already, each an opportunity for improvement. It felt like he WAS getting more confident commanding the long snouted beasts; the last few days spent working from sunup till sundown at the facility outside the main borders of the city had been fruitful ones. Every step forward his charges took was a reflection of his own improvement. And that was a pretty cool feeling.
The purple Snapptrotter lumbered towards the next obstacle, only to stop in place as it gurgled deep in its throat. The man tapped it's sides with his heels, but the thing didn't budge, hunkering down lower to the ground. He muttered under his breath, shaking his head. “Dammit. Now you give me attitude? Like hell you're gonna get away with that.” He looked up at the sun, cursing again. “Is it that late already?”
Leukos tipped his head, speaking up for the first time in a while. “What's wrong?” The other man looked his way, rolling his shoulders as he pulled up on the reigns to keep the Trotter's head up. “Ah, I just want to keep working with him, but I said to Faro I'd help him organize the tack shed. Some idiot got the lines all mixed up.”
Leukos’ ears practically perked up, hopping down off the fence. “I could do it? I'm not assigned anything at the moment, since I just got off lunch. You keep at it, he needs some more attention.”
The man covered his eyes from the sun, squinting over at Leukos. “You sure? It's probably gonna be a hell of a lot of work, and you don't really know the ropes yet. No pun intended.”
Leukos was already walking away, waving in an effort to dismiss his concerns. “It's alright, I need to learn eventually. You take care of this, I'll stop distracting you!” The man hollered a thank you, then set about working through the stubborn phase of the reptile under his thighs.
Trusting his memory to guide him there, Leukos made his way to the tack shed on the other side of the facility. The large wooden door was already propped open, piles of line and leather dotting the outside of the building. As Leukos came to the entrance, he could hear another body busy inside, the familiar blue mop of curls bobbing behind a large crate. Catching the sound of his approach, Faro called out from his position. “Oh great, you're here Carlyle! I've already started some piles outside, can you take a look at what I've got so fa-”
As he emerged from behind the crate with hands laden in tack, his words caught in his throat, recognition coloring his face pale. Leukos stepped inside and closed the large door behind him, the open skylights illuminating the small space.
“Hello Faro: we need to talk.”
[1/10]
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:11 pm
Dropping his bags at the door he pointed to then while looking down at Mr. ScruffScruff, "Stay. Watch These and for the love of Nassat, Do NOT rummage through my bag. I will not understand..." The zanteer thwapped his tail anxiously promptly plopping beside the bags and stepping a webbed paw over them. Niamh eyeballed the familiar suspiciously before entering the building containing the vault.
Making his way down to the proper region, Niamh sat in a chair on the opposite end of the attendant who was busy sifting through withdrawal papers. "How can I help..." she asked without glancing up from her work. "I was hoping I could leave this with you; when you get a moment." barely taking notice of her arched brow as he slid the folio over to her he continued, "I would also like to make a withdrawal-"
Breaking from her work she looked up at Niamh and smiled, "Your father has cut off your funding for "personal endeavors" outside of your monthl-"
Knowing this would come up he handed over the second folio with a cocky grin, "My father has signed a document for me to withdraw funds for an upcoming business trip; in order to procure supplies - I need funds."
Her lips replaced with a fine line, the woman snatched the folio and eyed the papers inside, shooting a glance at Niamh, she returned the folio and stepped to the vault behind her with a bag, "Very well, Mr. Lorcan, but if your father asks questions... It's your a**." she half spat while stepping inside to gather his coin.
Moments later, Niamh emerged, his shoulderbag concealing the plundered coin. Looking to where he had left the Zanteer he found Mr. Scruffscruff sprawled out on its back receiving a thorough belly scratching from a complete stranger. "You filthy whor-" Niamh paused mid-sentence as he noticed how young the kid was, "I see you... met M-"
"She's a sweetheart~ You're very lucky, She seems quite fond of you!" The young boy said while looking up at Niamh with a toothy grin.
"Is that what you consider it..." He sneered while lookin at the pathetic excuse of a fierce protector. "A girl, huh... Well, that complicates things..." He chuckled, realizing he never bothered to sex the creature, "What would you name her?" He asked entirely unsure as to what to call her, considering Mr. Scruffscruff no longer seemed appropriate.
"Sasha."
Niamh blinked a moment and laughed, "Ha! No. Another?"
"Nashka?"
Shaking his head he pressed his lips together, "There are too many 'n' names in our family already, something else?"
The kid furrowed his brow as he pondered another name, "Raziya?"
"Hmm," He shrugged, "Suppose that's good. Raziya, huh..." The zanteer wiggled to his feet and clicked a squeak to the little boy. Niamh gave a chuckle as he watched Raziya circle the child nudging and licking him. scooping up his bag, Nimah flagged down a carriage, "I need to get to Mr. Dellaney's Training Facility."
The driver stepped down and opened the door, "Want your bag's - "
Niamh stopped him, "My bags are fine in the cabin, but that thing can ride on the luggage rack..." He wrinkled his nose at the zanteer while setting his bags inside, "Smelly little vermin needs a bath~" before he could get another word in Raziya charged inside and curled up on the seat, clicked at Niamh, then laid her head down, "Oh, Is that so..." He pursed his lips and hummed, "Guess... I'm riding with the windows cracked then."
"Well, on the bright side, They should have someone who can bathe your zanteer at Dullaney's." The driver assured as he shut the pair in the cabin, and departed for the Facility.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:28 pm
Columns of light from the ceiling bounced off the dust in the air, giving the whole room a soft glow. The other Matoran glanced at the closed door, shuffling his feet nervously. “Could you open the door? Carlyle is supposed to be here soon, and I don't want him thinking I left or anyth-”
“He's not coming. No one is. It's just you and me.” Leukos took a step closer, approaching the way one might a skittish animal.
His step forward was met with Faro’s step back, putting more space between them. Leukos stopped moving, leaving his hands open at his sides unthreateningly. “Look, I'm not mad; you don't have to worry about anything. I just want to talk. We work together, you can't keep avoiding me forever.”
Faro bit his lip, sawing at it with his teeth. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here, looking past Leukos, not at him, when he spoke again. “I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't been avoid-”
“Please don't. Let's handle this like adults, not school children.”
Faro winced, lips closed like he had a frog in his mouth. He knew he'd been called out, that he was being immature. “I…” he looked pained, turning his face aside as he blushed. “I'm sorry. You're right. It's not fair to act like this.” Twisting nervously around the reigns in his fists, he swallowed, squeezing his eyes shut. “I'm so sorry. I've made you uncomfortable, and none of it's your fault. I'm just...so embarrassed. I was just saying whatever came to my head, because, well...you caught me off guard. Because you're...and I'm…”
Leukos tried coming a bit closer again, shaking his head. “Really, I'm not offended; I'm flattered. You don't need to feel so bad, it's not a big deal-”
“I LIKE GUYS!”
Faro was staring at him now, visibly shaking as his cheeks grew darker. “I’m VERY attracted to you, and I'm sorry if that's weird, but I can't help it! It's hard enough working here with everyone else, and then you show up, exactly how I imagine the perfect man should look! And you're so nice, and talented, and I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO-”
Closing the distance between them in a few long strides, Leukos leaned down and planted his lips firmly against the shorter man’s, ending his little meltdown. His eyes grew wide, trembling against him as he dropped the reigns in his hands. Leukos pulled away, still holding Faro in case he tried to bolt again. “See, it's like I said, you don't have anything to worry about; I’m attracted to men too. Okay?”
Okay was about the last thing Faro might be, frazzled about a whole new slew of emotions now. He glanced down, painfully aware of how his body was reacting to Leukos kissing him so suddenly. And today just HAD to be the day he'd decided to wear tight pants.
His breathing was sharp and hollow, crimping his fingers against the abs he was so fond of. “O-oh. Okay. Sorry about the misunderstanding...” He tried to take a step away, inhaling as his back bumped up against the crate behind him. His whole body shuddered, flushed head to toe now as he gasped, “A-ah! I’m s-sorry! OH GODS, this is so embarrassing...I'm sure you’ve got s-someone amazing already, I'm such an idiot, just ignore me…”
DID he have someone already? He'd sent that letter to Niamh days ago, but there was no sign of the boy. There was nothing to say he'd even appear at all; maybe Leukos had overreacted, seen something in his eyes that hadn't actually been there. Maybe it was just what he'd WANTED to see. Maybe the boy was happily sitting in his home, content with his brief fling and new experience under his belt, already courting someone else? Maybe Leukos was the one that got attached.
There were too many maybes to consider. What he DID know was that there was someone that was VERY clearly excited to be near him, right here, right now. His breath was hot against his chest, small frame already shivering. And as logical a man he liked to consider himself, Leukos was still just that: a man. And sometimes, even smart men are stupid.
“Faro,” he murmured, making the other Matoran look up at him. “Just shut up and take off your shirt.”
[2/10]
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:19 pm
Niamh watched out the window as the landscape shifted from city to forest, to plains skirted by the shoreline. It was a beautiful piece of real estate and actually quite far from the Edrao. He was definitely relieved to be in a carriage... His twill loafers would have never survived~ As they approached he realized he was actually nervous, and not in a good way. It was that same fluttering feeling, but with a gut-wrenching twist, his palms were drenched in sweat as he flexed and fanned his hands. Why this all of a sudden? Raz had passed out within seconds of their journey and was softly whistling next to the luggage across from him. As much as he detested the clinginess of the critter; he couldn't help but smirk at the cuteness.
Seeing his destination just ahead Niamh tugged his plumed bishop cuffs, straightened the overlapping hem of his pale cyan tunic, adjusted the braided leather cord cinching his top. crossing one leg over the other he adjusted the rolled cuff of his pants, uncrossed, and recrossed to do the same on the opposite side. It wasn't his usual taste in clothes - ordinarily, he wouldn't wear pants nearly so tight, but he was well aware of how fantastic his a** looked and he aimed to make an impression.
The carriage driver urged his mount to slow as they made their way up the path to the facility. Niamh gathered his bags and gave Raziya a gentle nudge, rousing her from slumber. As the door opened, Raziya bolted out and promptly rounded the carriage, nose to the ground as she assessed their surroundings. As her nose went, so did she. with so many things to investigate it would be hours before the zanteer would resurface; and Niamh wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. Paying his fare, Niamh had his bags unloaded in the shade of a nearby building.
As the Carriage pulled away a man approached, "How can I help you today, sir?" he barely got a word out before he was assaulted by the nose of Raziya, who quickly determined he wasn't a threat and moved on, "Woah, Friendly little Zanteer you have there..."
Niamh scowled, "Isn't she though..." at least it wasn't just him she was insane around. With a warm smile he greeted the ranch hand, "Hello, My name is Niamh Lorcan, and I was made aware that you have an employee by the name of Leukos... I wish to speak with him if there is time."
"Niamh, Huh..." The man repeated while offering a hand, "I'm Carlyle. We have a man by that name here." He confirmed, "Sent him out back to help Faro straighten out the tack shed." he shifted on his feet, "I could take you out there."
"That would be appreciated~" Niamh mused, eager to follow the man. Pausing a moment he pointed to his bags, "Is... it alright if those stay there?" In his excitement to meet up with Leukos he had failed to make prior arrangements to have a room reserved to leave his luggage. As long as someone didn't get too nosey everything should be fine.
"Don't see why not... Won't be here long?" Carlyle asked as they made their way to the back.
Niamh shrugged, "I just wanted to touch base...I would hate to disrupt his work; being as he just started."
"Hmm, Well," Carlyle pointed a few yards ahead to a closed shed, "The Tack shed is just there. Not sure why the door's closed unless they've finished already." He scratched his head a moment, "Well, I'll leave you to it. Got a snaptrotter I've been working with this morning, and I think it's about time for round 2." with a friendly wave, his guide departed to continue his work.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:29 pm
“A-are you sure? We're at work, what if someo-”
Faro’s protesting was prematurely cut off as Leukos pressed closer, hiking the smaller man up against the wall of the crate. He wrapped his strong legs around Leukos’ waist, gasping again. “Oh merciful Nessat!”
Leukos in the meantime made short work of his shirt, unhooking all the buttons to expose Faro’s -as he had suspected-nicely formed chest. He pulled the hems aside, kissing along the column of his neck as his hands explored. The muscles he found were small and lean, born of working hard, not working out. So while he may not have been as sculpted as Leukos, there was still plenty of strength there, evident by how tightly he was able to cling with just his legs alone. Leukos ran a hand through the curls atop his head, pulling the young man's head back. Faro keened into his finned ear, gripping his broad shoulders with shaking hands. “Gods Leukos, you're so hot...”
It was a whole new level of stupid to try this in the middle of the day, when the whole place was still crawling with people. Anyone could walk in; they hadn't locked the door. But that seemed of little concern, not when hormones were hanging thick around them like a cloud, muddling any logical thinking that might've tried to rear its ugly head. They were in too deep now.
[3/10]
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:01 pm
Niamh could hear muffled noises as he neared the shed. His brow furrowed as he slowed his pace. Raziya swooped by and circled the shed, moving slower and slower as she worked her nose along the perimeter. Hand hovering over the latch to the shed, Niamh had already heard all he needed to know what was happening... and under ordinary circumstances, this would be the point where he awkwardly swiveled on his heels and muttered to himself, 'Wow, Misread that one...' Then go home and burn every poetry book in the library, but that just wasn't what he was feeling today... Burning rage built in his stomach as his hand slammed down onto the latch, the door's flung open and thousands of figurative blades drove through his chest as he found he was nowhere near as prepared as he had thought he was to handle the treachery of this situation. His face blanched as he quickly slammed the shed closed and pressed his back to the door. Heart pounding, he felt the blood rushing through his head, eyes blurring - from tears or nausea... What the hell was he thinking!?
'Just walk away, Niamh. Go home, take a bath, get a massage, and drink... a lot.' he told himself as he began walking away but just as he got a few paces away the fire returned and he turned, "No! No, This is f--ked... This is so beyond unbelievable f--ked that-" His eyes suddenly widened as he came to a horrific realization, 'Where's Raziya...'
Moments later the door to the tack shed bust open as a man with curled hair fled Raziya, who launched off of Leukos's chest and gave chase. Niamh watched as the zanteer purposely adjusted her pace, keeping her prey just out of reach. She was toying with him, and as mortified as Niamh was about the situation; everything about this was just so amazing. Hiding his stupid grin behind his hand, Niamh took a moment to compose himself before he attempted to call off the unintentional attack, "Raz! Raziya! That's enough!" His commands held enough weight, but they were nowhere near genuine, "Raziya, ENOUGH!"
The Zanteer, nipping the ankles of her prey, halted - head snapped to attention. The smile on Niamh's face was gone, and his eyes cold. Here it was... all out in the open. Raz had done her best to "Protect" him as his mother had commanded, but nothing could save him from confronting this. Breathing heavily as his chest felt gripped in a vice, Niamh's eyes were drawn to Leukos, but he couldn't look at him, "I-" his breath froze face burning red with anger, "What the f--- is going on here." he snapped eyes darting over to the curly haired man whom he could only imagine was Faro.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:25 am
Shirt now fully discarded, Faro was panting heavily as his pants were the next thing to be unbuttoned and pulled aside, his own fingers occupying themselves in peeling open the top of Leukos’ shirt as well. Some sudden stimulation caused him to lose focus, gasping as he pressed his chin against the side of Leukos’ head. This angle afforded him an unobstructed line of sight as suddenly the door to the shed was flung open, revealing for a moment the face of a VERY horrified Matoran, before it was slammed shut once again. Faro’s own face was a mirror of that same emotion, suddenly struck with just how badly they’d messed up. “SOMEONE SAW US!”
Leukos’ hands were rather occupied at the moment, but they were easily stalled as he recoiled away from the unexpected yelling right next to his ear, hardly registering what Faro had even said. And before he could even ask, he suddenly felt something cold and wet rub against his forearm, startling him into letting go of the other man. “WHAT IN THE-“ Turning to see what it was, the spot against his chest an earthling had been occupying just moments before was suddenly replaced by a large purple zanteer, tackling him to the ground as it shoved its violently enthusiastic sniffer in his face. “
Too much craziness was happening way too suddenly for any of it to make sense, but what Faro knew was that he needed to just get outside so he could breathe again. He hiked his pants back up and grabbed his shirt off the ground, stumbling to get to the door. Apparently this looked like too much fun to ignore, the purple mammal losing interest in accosting Leukos’ personal space to give chase to the fleeing man, both disappearing as the door was flung open again. He was left lying on the floor as his brain tried to catch up with what had just happened, rolling his head to look out the exit. Who he saw hollering orders at the animal on the other side of the doorway made his eyes go wide, heart doing a flip in his chest.
“Niamh?”
He actually came. There the boy was, looking just as radiant as he remembered him in his stylish threads. At first something akin to joy flared up in his chest; he hadn’t been mistaken, Niamh HAD felt something for him after all. That was quickly quelled though as the severity of his misjudgment settled in.
What did this look like? Exactly what it SHOULD look like; he’d just been trying to get intimate with another man at work, and Niamh had caught him in the act.
Oh Gods, he was SO STUPID.
He pushed himself off the ground to rush to the door, coming out into the light of day where the chaos was just ending. The zanteer was no longer at Faro’s heels, who was now sitting in a crumpled heap on the dirt. Niamh looked beyond angry, and rightly so, his question snapping like a whip across Leukos’ face. He winced as if physically struck, completely aware of how bad this must look.
“Niamh…”
Faro blanched, looking from Leukos’ pained face to the other young man. He sharply inhaled, clutching his crumpled shirt in a ball at his chest. “IS HE YOUR BOYFRIEND?”
Well that was a good question. In a sense, no, they weren’t. So Leukos really shouldn’t feel so bad about the whole situation, aside from the obvious embarrassment of acting so lewdly at work: it wasn’t like he was cheating on him or anything. All his letter had said was where he was working, an explanation why he had left. That’s it. He hadn’t begged him to come after him, or promised to wait for his arrival. Niamh had made the choice all on his own.
But despite that, it didn’t stop him from feeling like he HAD betrayed the other boy, who very clearly had expected a certain level of commitment from Leukos. The whole thing was just…such a mess. He padded over to where Faro sat, helping him back up. “Well, no, not exactly. Maybe? It’s kinda complicated.”
Faro shakily got to his feet with Leukos’ assistance, staring panickingly at Niamh now. “Oh Gods, no wonder he’s so mad! I should have thought to ask!”
Leukos tried to keep his voice even, not wanting to escalate the situation any further. “Faro, calm down, it’s not your fault, you had no idea. This is on me; I didn’t know he was comi-”
But his words were apparently falling on deaf ears, as Faro had detached himself from his grip, overcome with guilt as he addressed Niamh. “I didn’t mean to steal him from anyone! But I SWEAR, this is the first time, and all we did was kiss! I mean...there was a bit more to it than JUST THAT. But only MY pants came off, so nothing happened! Honestly...I don’t know if he would have even FIT, but I’m sure you get that, you’ve actually seen it.”
[4/10]
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:20 pm
Raking his hand through his hair, Niamh paced back and forth trying to talk himself down from the adrenaline-fueled rage, 'Okay, you stayed. Everything is out in the open, now what...'
"Now what?!" He whimpered in response to his thoughts. Halting his pacing he turned to see the pair next to each other. Words were exchanged, though the throbbing in his head combined with all levels of overreaction kept him from understanding what they were saying.
'Leave, Get out of there... Go home and- Wait, Is he walking over here? Is he really-'
"No,no,no,no,no..." Niamh murmured while looking over in his direction and taking a few steps back, "Don't, just- " his hands curled into fists as the burning in his face returned, "Stay away~" He pleaded through clenched teeth. He wasn't a hostile man, he had never been in an actual fight; only sparring with his father, and only once, because he had little to no interest, but in this moment one particular memory replayed clear in his head:
'Niamh, you're not strong in a physical sense by any means, and that's okay, but if you ever get into a fight go for the nose or the side of the head... getting hit in the nose makes your eyes water and it hurts like hell - Side of the head, will knock them out.'
Shifting his feet into a wider stance, Niamh snarled, "I warned you-" extending the knuckles of his index and middle fingers, he pulled back and punched Faro, "Stay the F--- away from me," he spat as his fist connected with the side of his face; just above the jaw joint. Pain jolted up his arm as he followed through, watching as his opponent dropped to the earth; momentarily stunned. Niamh lingered a moment in disbelief, 'Did I actually just do that...' Staggering backwards, his brow furrowed in distress, he opened his hand to cover his slightly agape mouth only to feel that same jolt of pain, "Dammit, what the-" he hissed turning his attention to his hand.
Realizing this was no longer a game, Raziya sprinted to Niamh's side and put herself between him and the other strangers. A line of fur along her spine rose as she hunkered down defensively and snarled. Niamh pressed his thumb to the palm of his hand, flexing and clutching his right hand perplexed by the consistent throbbing pain. while he had been analyzing his hand, a couple people came over and scooped Faro up followed up by Carlyle with a frazzled look on his face, "What's going on here?! Wha-"
Niamh interruped, "What's going on here is I need a ride back to town and a double shot of ANY alcohol you have on hand." He snapped, "Turns out there was a grave misunderstanding on my part and I will be sure to write a formal apology to Mr. Dullaney for such an unexpected intrusion on his... business." Reaching down with his right hand he hoisted his bag only to drop it instantly and spew a string of prophanity. Biting his lower lip, Niamh dropped to his knees and clutched his hand trying very very hard not to burst into tears, "Okay, scratch that. I'm going to need a flask, and someone to load my luggage and take me back to town..." He whimpered, gently palpating his right forearm, wrist and palm. Raziya kept close to Niamh, laying beside him on the ground, she rested her head gently on his lap. And he here he had such high hopes this day would have gone better. What a mess...
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:32 pm
Like watching two trains barrelling towards each other, Leukos felt like he was seeing the world through a lake of syrup, unable to move in time to stop the impending trainwreck. Niamh looked like a cornered snake, and Faro, like a foolish dog, just kept getting closer, oblivious to the signs of danger.
This didn’t need to happen. It was already bad enough.
“No, Niamh, STOP!” He moved to get between the two Matorans, but it was too late; punches had already been thrown. Faro was out like a light and Niamh was staring at his hand, which Leukos suspected -from his experience getting into fights- was sprained. And now there was an angry zanteer hissing at him and people coming out of the woodworks, drawn by the sound of the confrontation. This was getting out of hand. It was ALREADY out of hand.
Situations like this we're the reason he’d learned to never let it get complicated. But he'd messed up and people had gotten hurt in the process. He was being an inconvenience. Leukos balled his fists and did the mature thing, owning up to the problem. “He's here because of me: this is my fault. I'll get him back to the city, but I'm going to need to borrow one of the carts. You can just take it out of my pay.” He bowed low, long hair brushing against the dirt. “I'm so sorry this had to happen today; it's inexcusable. Please give Faro my apologies when he wakes up.”
Someone had already run off to find the liquor Niamh had demanded, others remained, unsure how to proceed. Carlyle stared at Leukos, as if trying to judge just from his appearance alone what might have transpired earlier. Then he sighed, silence broken. “Alright, fine. But when you get back, I'm going to need an explanation. Dullaney deserves to know what happened.”
Leukos nodded, dipping into a bow again. “Thank you. I'll try to take care of this as soon as possible.” Then he took a deep breath, stealing himself for the hardest part yet.
Crouching down slowly, he knelt in front of Niamh, speaking soft as a feather's whisper. “Niamh...I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now. I understand. But you're hurt...and we need to take care of getting you somewhere else. Would you…” He glanced at the zanteer in his lap, careful to keep his distance until invited. “Would you please let me see your hand? We might need to reset the fingers if they popped out of place, or make a splint if it's broken.” He extended his own palm, offering it as gently as a dove’s wing. “I promise...I won't touch you any more than that. Please...let me try to make it better.”
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 3:18 pm
Niamh eyed Leukos a moment, then looked back to his hand, "It's my wrist... There is nothing that can be done about it here. I'll seek out a healer once I'm town." Using his left hand, Niamh reached for his shoulder bag, grabbed the large black velvet pouch with the vault symbol- opening it revealed a few dozen smaller silken bags. As the cart pulled up and the young man behind the reins stepped down, Niamh tossed him a sack of coin to him, "That should be more than enough to cover the damages and the use of this vessel for an hour or two." His voice lacked emotion as he spoke. Making his way to the back of the cart, there was a ladder extension with only a few rungs hanging down. Using his left hand for support, he crawled in back with Raziya who had jumped up alongside him, circled around and laid down beside him.
As the young prentice loaded the bags onto the back of the cart he went back to the front and grabbed a bottle to hand over to Niamh, "We... Didn't have a flask so they gave me a bottle." Retrieving the small silken pouch from his pocket the boy continued, "I'll be sure Carlyle gets this."
Snatching the bottle from the boy he bit onto the cork and spat it out, "Please do." He grumbled while taking a sip of the amber fluid, "Also-" He shouted before the Prentice was too far away, "see to it that Faro is at least seen by a healer." At the moment the thought sickened him, but he knew that in an hour or so he would feel absolutely horrible; hopefully this small reassurance would help to clear his conscience. With a nod the boy departed to find Carlyle and Niamh rested against the side of the cart, keeping his right hand guarded and his left on the bottle he looked to Leu, "In town, I believe there was an inn near the vault... Drop me off there."
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:18 pm
Leukos couldn’t say he was surprised that Niamh was still being so cold―all things considered―but it still stung, like rubbing salt into an open wound. But he was lucky that Niamh had at least simmered down into a silent rage and wasn’t punching people anymore, so Leukos figured it’d be best to just avoid triggering him in any way. He opened his mouth to argue when Niamh started pulling out coins, but reminded himself to hold his tongue, despite wanting to protest. Let the boy call the shots. He probably needed to feel some control right now.
He could relate to the feeling.
So he silently hovered nearby in case Niamh needed his help getting up the ladder, and then assisted in loading up his bags. It was odd to see them looking so heavily laden: exactly how log of a trip had Niamh been planning on? If he had just wanted to reconnect with Leukos, then why had he packed so much? He’d have to ask about it later, maybe on the ride back to the city. It’d surely be a long and awkward one.
He finally closed up the top of his shirt again, forgetting about it during all the excitement. As Niamh addressed him again, he nodded, taking on a more formal tone than before. “Alright, I think I know where that is. You might want some padding under your rear; it’s a rather bumpy ride.” He then hoisted himself up onto the driver’s seat, shifting around on the wood until he was comfortable. “We’re heading out now, let me know if it’s going too fast,” he said over his shoulder, clicking the reigns and his tongue to encourage the snapptrotter drawing the cart into a brisk pace. The boy probably wanted to get out of Leukos’ presence as soon as possible, but if that meant jostling him around too much, Leukos’d prefer to take it slower. He was already uncomfortable enough.
The cart rolled along past dots of people working as they traversed the facility, until they passed down the long road at the front and out the gates. It felt odd to be leaving work before the sun was setting. Usually the colors of the sunset would be painting the bumpy dirt road in warm hues, but no, not today. It was just clear and bright, the sun still high in its arc across the sky.
Yep, it was going to be a rough ride back.
[6/10]
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:51 pm
As they distanced themselves from the Facility, Niamh couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; the worst was over with and as much as he would love to never visit it again, he knew before he returned to Nated he would have to speak with Mr. Dellaney. Shifting to sit on one of his legs, Niamh ran his fingers through his hair and groaned, "...What have I done." None of this should have happened. He knew full well what was happening in that shed and yet he proceeded to rock the boat anyway. Resting his head in his hands he continued to travel down the road of self-loathing and guilt. Lifting the bottle to his lips he could see himself rereading the letter over and over on the way to Edrao and nowhere in there did it even hint to Leukos having feelings for him; for all he knew he just wanted to hook up again, and Niamh went ahead and read into it. Making the assumption there was more going on... When he was wrong.
The silence lingered as he continued to mentally chip away at himself. Niamh looked back on every little thing he thought was a sign; Leukos returning for breakfast and staying despite his absence - Well, clearly his mother kept him there... Hatald knows she's got so much pride for her little boy that if he made the mistake of taking her up on a cup of tea, there was no escaping her clutches. After being smothered by his mother all morning, and dealing with his rambling all afternoon he deserved something for the polite demeanor he held so well. That night was nothing more than Niamh's deepest desires... and probably the only thing Leukos had returned for. The letter was nothing more than an invitation to continue on a physical level... There was no emotional attachment - Case in point: Leukos gave his place of employment, not where he was staying. He didn't want Niamh knowing where he'd be, only the city and a very public place where they could arrange something-
"Gods mercy you must think I am positively daft..." He murmured through gritted teeth, "Leukos, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have even come to the Facility; Let alone open the shed... I shouldn't-" He paused, biting his lip to keep his tears at bay, "I have never done anything like this! Never been this upset- to physically assault someone!" He extended his arm, mouth hanging open in disbelief as he searched for the right words to say, "I have no idea what came over me... I just-" Shaking his head Niamh gripped his face, covering his mouth as he slowly exhaled through his nose. 'got jealous~ Became so unbelievably enraged that some other man would dare to take his love. That he, himself had been so uninteresting, so inexperienced, so pathetic that-' "I completely misread the situation, and I-" He swallowed hard, swallowed his pride and pushed aside everything he thought he felt with another swig of liquor.
A sudden bump in the road that caused him choke. Pulling the bottle from his lips, he used his injured hand to wipe his chin. Through the coughing, he turned to laughter, "You could have at least warned me, you know~" His demeanor had completely shifted. Niamh wasn't so rigid; nearly his bubbly self - with a snide edge, "Given me a location to meet you," He was trying, trying to be what Leu wanted "Your letter mentioned that you got a job, but if you wanted to hook up I could have waited in town or-" If there was going to be anything after this he had to push aside any illusion of the relationship he thought he could have, "I'm fine with this-" Niamh hummed while trying to come up with the right word, "Tryst?" Was that all he was? A one-off? Another notch on his belt? Was he okay with that, being as only days ago he was considering a future with him-
"Oh s**t..." A knot formed in Niamh's stomach as he had considered the trip he had planned, the initial purpose for coming to Edrao. He would have to reassess, given the newly acquired information. He would have to reassess and reevaluate everything! Was it even possible? Would he even agree to go!? Damn his luck....
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Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:43 pm
Holding the reigns more out of posturing than necessity for the well trained snapptrotter, Leukos listened to the boy’s distressed ramblings and apologies, tongue sitting in his closed mouth like a lump of lead.
This was hell. He was being punished.
There was no way to escape listening to Niamh’s self-doubting, his misplaced guilt: he couldn’t just run and abandon him on the road. He’d offered to drive him back to the city; it was the least he could do. Once again he’d gotten some poor heart tangled up in his s**t-storm of a life, dragged them down into the squall with him. And now Niamh was drowning right alongside him.
As his tone changed, Leukos winced; somehow this felt worse than when he had at least sounded genuinely sad. He forced his mouth open, pushing some words out. “I wasn’t…that isn’t why I sent you the letter, Niamh. I…”
What?
What had he wanted? What did he ever really want?
What was even the point every time he hooked up with someone?
They’d have fun, take chances, be risky…connect carnally. And after that, it was over. He’d end it. He always did.
But why keep going through the cycle, when he always knew how the story would end?
Because…
Because…
Maybe he wanted to feel wanted.
Maybe he wanted to know what it felt like, to taste the happiness other couples carried so easily on their faces, if just for a while. To feel the touch of someone who cared, to be looked at like he was the only one who mattered in the world. Like something that was precious, something desired.
Something loved.
But it was dangerous―he didn’t know what to look for. What it looked like. So long ago, he thought he knew, loving too deeply. Starving for it. Bleeding for it. Dying for it.
But he’d been wrong. He’d been used.
He didn’t ever want to feel that kind of betrayal again.
So it was easier to just assume that no one ever really cared, didn’t want the same things he did. That way, he couldn’t build up his expectations. And that way, they couldn’t be broken. If he didn’t want them, then it wouldn’t hurt if they didn’t want him back. Because why would someone? He was damaged goods. A pretty disaster. A lie.
So why had he sent that letter to Niamh? It had been a mistake, a moment of weakness. He’d thought…maybe just this once…
Maybe…
He really cared too?
And when he hadn’t shown up immediately at Leukos’ doorstep, he’d gotten worried. And every day after had felt like a mockery, like the universe was laughing in his face: ‘why would he ever want anything to do with you?’
‘You don’t deserve him.’
And it was right: he didn’t deserve him.
So when Faro had grown so infatuated, it had felt like enough. Even if it was only in the physical sense…he had wanted him. And he was desperate for that, needed to hold tight to that feeling before it was gone, acting foolishly without reason. He didn’t want to linger in his fears, hope for something that might not be true: that Niamh would come for him.
And yet he had.
But of course, things had gone wrong. It was his fault. It was always his fault. And now here they were, in this heap of s**t. Niamh had gotten hurt. He’d been the one to hurt him.
But maybe…this was for the best. The illusion had been broken, so Niamh could move on now. He’d been tricked. He’d fallen for a mask, a lie: a charming, confident, perfect man. But that wasn’t really who Leukos was. He didn’t know who he was. After all this time, he was still too afraid to find out.
And dragging along some poor boy for the ride wasn’t fair. He’d just get hurt even more.
Glad in his cowardice that his back stood like a barrier between Niamh and the despondent look on Leukos’ face, he gripped the reigns tighter, knuckles going white. But he kept his tone polite and even, staring at the road ahead. “I’m sorry you had to see that; it was in very poor taste. But you have nothing to apologize for; I should not have been as vague in my message, left so many things unclear. I simply wanted to give you an explanation…why I left so suddenly; it only seemed fair. My deepest apologies.”
[7/10]
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Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:13 pm
Mid-sip, Niamh arched a brow as he lowered the bottle and turned to look at the back of Leu's head. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the fact that despite all the bullshit he's been drug through today; he still wanted him. Sure, it probably wasn't going to be in the way he had initially planned because clearly, that didn't work, but somehow a future without him in it just... Seemed a little too bland~ So he was determined to make it work... Somehow, some way... By the divine grace of Ome Essd herself... He would have him.
Pushing Raziya's slobbering head off his lap, Niamh pushed up onto his knees, using the bottle as leverage to keep his balance, he wobbled over to the back of the bench seat, grabbing with his right hand and hissing as his fingers curled around the wood. Knowing he couldn't pull himself up, he flung the bottle still grasped firmly in his left hand over the backside of the seat and pulled up. Now standing he hopped a bit and waited for his balance to reassert itself before commenting, "Y'know, the breeze is quite lovely up here..." Shaking his hair in the slight breeze in a futile attempt to get the few pieces stuck to the side of his face loose. Finally, he worked up enough courage to pick one foot off the cart, wobbled a bit, but stepped over and rolled laughing the whole way as he eventually made it into the seat alongside Leukos; his head was essentially in his lap at the moment, making the situation all the funnier.
In a momentary lapse in judgment and a lacking of equilibrium, Niamh grasped the bench firmly with his right hand and pulled the full weight of his body upright, hearing an audible pop as he pulled, "AAAAH SUNOVA-" He snarled while biting his lower lip -hard- to keep from further cursing. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes as he squinted through the pain. Giving his hand a good shake he took another swig of the bottle and passed it to Leukos, "Gods know I probably don't need any more of this - lest my hand be any more damaged." He huffed while relinquishing the bottle to a flat space between Leukos's feet, "Though I'll have you know... All things considered, I paid A LOT for that damn bottle so don't you dare spill it! And it doesn't have a top anymore, because... I spat it out... somewhere, so we should probably finish it..." Niamh stared at his cheek while Leu did his best to maintain control of the reins, "By we-I most definitely mean you." Niamh poked his cheek gently hoping to spur that sour look of his face. Crossing one leg over the other, he rested his right arm on the back of the bench and let out a heavy sigh, "So, My dear... You were just sending a letter to my residence to inform me that you had moved from one city to another... Just. To let. Me know?", He snorted and rolled his eyes, "Now, I may be fairly new to all of this, but to me, it sounds like you did it wrong." Turning his gaze back on Leukos he continued with a cocky grin, "So where does this leave us?"
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