thehauntedfrequency | fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

[New day, new town, and hopefully new opportunities. Specifically opportunities to make some money because Zel and Emery’s funds have been running kind of low after their most recent misadventure. This has meant a temporary separation while Zelgadis goes to look for merc-type work and potential cure leads and Emery goes around chatting up the locals without terrifying them.

Or at least that was the plan, until Calanthe showed up.

By the time Zel gets back to the inn, Emery’s still busy talking to Calanthe in their inn room, although the conversation’s just about wrapping up. If he’s perceptive he might even catch a bit of Emery’s words.

“...some funds this time? ...Seriously, is that it? He’s always such a cheapskate. …Okay I got it. I’ll see you later.”

A few moments later a woman wearing a green cloak exits their inn room. Her hood is up, partly obscuring a pale face and hair, and she barely spares anyone a passing glance as she drifts down the hallway.

Emery is still standing inside the inn room looking pensive, but when Zel enters he’ll give him a bright smile.]

Oh! Hey, Zel. Did you manage to find anything?

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[matter-of-factly:] You don't have the core strength to drag me anywhere.

[he knows that's not what Emery means, but the point still stands, and it stands while he starts to move to wipe at that dirt, double-taking at the blood smears on his cape, and sighs.]

And in any case, there was no way I was letting you come alone. Wherever it is...we go together, right?

[his eyes stay downcast in saying that, a bit hesitant to look up and perhaps see regret in that expression Emery's wrestling with.]

[Emery scoffs a little at that remark. He gets what Zel is driving at but still! Still.

It's the next bit that's tricky. Wherever, together... it sounds kind of serious, doesn't it? Emery swallows. He still feels like he screwed up, but he can't bring himself to properly deny what Zelgadis is saying.

Emery's already said something similar himself, after all.]

...Right. We're a team. Ev- even if the situation's ridiculous.

[Although as far as Emery's concerned, he prefers the maid outfit sort of ridiculous over the ridiculousness of getting jumped by a violent water fairy that looks like a horrible frog gibbon thing.]

[to be fair, Zel prefers those outfits, too.

he makes himself look back at Emery's face, trying to discern his expression without succumbing to the little doubts and fears that he's prone to in assuming the worst at his own expense.]

Having second thoughts?

[is this the point where it's not worth toting a chimera around?]

[And Emery in turn stares at Zel, brow furrowed as he tries to figure out if there's any subtext there he needs to pick up on.]

Are you?

[Apart from the scrutiny, Emery's expression is still kind of. Wibbly, overall, though he's holding it together. He can't deny that he's worried, however. Worried that Zel's hurt more than he already appears, that they might run into something even more dangerous later down the line that Emery hasn't anticipated, that Zel's going to hate the fae realm from now on and will only tolerate it out of chivalry towards Emery.

Zel doesn't have to love the fae realm or prefer it to the human one or anything like that, but if he decides he hates it, what will that mean for the two of them?]

No. [he says so quickly, without a flicker in his expression; that comes belatedly.] But I asked you.

[Emery shakes his head, agitated.]

I'm not the one who got attacked!

And you're the one more upset about it. [clearly!] I'm used to being attacked - I'm not happy about it, but it's not life-ruining. [his life is already ruined! by his grandpa!]

[Upon Zel pointing out Emery's response, Emery promptly turns red and looks away. Ugh! Damn it, he's not supposed to be the emotional one. There's a beat or two where Emery struggles to talk while he's trying to tamp down the agitation. Even though Zel's already acknowledged it.]

Well- Well, I'm sorry for freaking out. But I'm not going to be happy about you getting hurt either!

I-- [huh??? whuh--

blinkblink.]

I'm...I didn't expect you to be happy about it. [and it's weirdly nice that he cares that much to be upset about it, but that'd be weird to say. weirder. say weird one more time.]

Emery, it's... [his hands move with half a mind to reach for him, hesitating and lingering in place. very statue of him.] There's nothing you need to hold yourself accountable for. And I'm alright.

[It's a bit of a relief to hear Zel directly say it, though not enough to entirely keep Emery feeling like a heel.

Hesitant, but unable to completely resist the desire for closeness, Emery reaches out and grabs Zel's sleeve.]

...So. You're not sick of this place yet?

[Zel tilts his hand to support the forearm in reach, less a hold and more a careful placement - like pieces of cut stone or wood fitting into place.]

Not yet. And even if I was, that wouldn't matter as much. [he's been sick of a lot of places and still endured. it just takes the right cause - the right company.]

[It might not be a proper hold but it's enough encouragement for Emery to step forward and wrap a tentative arm around Zel's waist, disregarding that his clothes are soaked with water and blood.

Emery nearly says "sorry" again but manages to hold his tongue. He's already said it and he's not sure Zel would appreciate him belaboring the matter. Though all Emery's worries are still whirling around in his head.

Emery tucks his head into Zel's neck and closes his eyes.]

I don't know how you manage to be so calm about this sort of thing.

[Zel had been injured, for the first time that Emery had seen. It's making him think about how much worse it could be, that Zel could have died. And yet Zel doesn't seem all that phased. Isn't hesitating to go with Emery into potential further danger. Maybe he's just keeping it together for Emery's sake, but it still bewilders him.

It actually reminds him of those bandits they'd fought, shortly after their first time having sex. Emery had seen Zel break a man's neck right in front of him and then carry Emery off, with barely any acknowledgement of what he'd done to protect Emery.

Obviously Emery can't condemn Zel for it, he'd never think of Zel as a monster, but it gives Emery this sinking feeling, a dreadful reminder of how far out of his depth he is.]

[Zel holds his latest breath until Emery's moved in as much as he means to. Emery remarks about calm, but his fast-beating heart might give him away.

gingerly, he rests a hand on Emery's back - a gesture that in turn needs a moment to settle in, to become less a brush and more a bracing hold.]

I wouldn't be doing you any favors if I was completely panicked about things. Outwardly, anyway.

[Some of the tension in Emery's body melts away at Zel's touch. It's hard to feel a heartbeat through stone skin, but Emery certainly feels a fluttering sensation... Perhaps that's his own heartbeat, though.

Emery smiles slightly.]

What, are you panicking on the inside right now?

Just the normal amount. [whatever that is.

Zel tilts his head slightly aside and down in order to go graze Emery's cheek with his unaffected one while also avoiding scraping at his face with wiry strands. at a side angle they're not the abrasive net of porcupine spines, but even so - hugging a rock with wire strands can't be cozy.]

...You didn't answer the question, though. You just made me answer it.

...I'm not having second thoughts. I really want you to stay with me.

[This is about half true. Emery is having second thoughts, but they're entirely to do with not wanting Zel to get potentially killed for his sake and realizing that that may be an actual possibility.

But he still doesn't want Zel to leave.

Whether Zel manages to glean that level of insight into Emery's words or not, they don't have any further time for angsty conversation as it's at that point that there's a resonant click sound and a rectangle in the ceiling opens up again.

"You alright in there? ...Not interrupting anything am I?"

It seems Tantabel has returned with some things for them.]

[of course Zel gets no time to relish the nice little feelings that Emery's word bring on; he bristles, withdrawing a little so he can turn at the waist and lift his head to peer up at the uncomfortably large face looming above them.]

What's happened?

[A touch of pink colors Emery's cheeks as he's also flustered by being caught in such an emotionally intimate moment.

"The villagers stopped by to ask if we'd seen you. They're gone now but we'd best be quiet, and you two'll be staying in there overnight."

In other words, they're going to be smuggled out. At least this is comfier than a normal trunk would be.]

Thank you.

["I've brought you a change of clothes and some linens so you don't catch your deaths. Hob says that'll be an extra silver for the laundry service, but you can pay the extra later."

So saying she hoists up a bundle of fabric and passes it down. Emery reluctantly lets go of Zel in order to reach up and take it, and with the spatial oddities of this little astral pocket he barely has to raise his arms to grab what she passes over.]

[Zel's mouth twitches. just a silver? pretty cheap, considering the trouble. he moves out of Emery's way to collect the offerings, looking himself down again. yep. still a mess.

to the goblin:] How long are we going to be in here?

["We'll be on the road tomorrow morning after breakfast. Once we're a safe distance from here, I'll let you know."

Emery unfolds a shirt, bemused by the proportions. It's evident that 1) Tantabel has brought the largest sets of spare clothes the caravan had, and 2) those clothes were still sized for goblins. Emery can just shapeshift to fit whatever he wears, but Zel...

"Pass over your clothes when you're done changing. The sooner we get those into the wash the less likely they are to stain. I swear I don't know why a bodyguard would opt to wear lights..."]

[Zel is going to pretend he didn't hear that plain as day and just mutely accept whatever Emery hands him. he stands still with it in-hand before lifting his head once more, squinting.]

...Five minutes, then? [PRIVACY PLEASE???]

[Tantabel squints back. "I have thirteen children. I doubt you have any bits and bobs I haven't seen before. But if it troubles you-" A moment later her head withdraws from the ceiling. Emery giggles, as much at the overall absurdity of the situation as at her comment.

And maybe to release some of the tension that's built up since the attack.]

Right. Let's get on with it, then. Or, um, try to.

[Before he starts undressing Emery takes a minute to just scrub as much of the dirt off as he can with a spare towel. Then it's off with his boots, scarf, vest, etcetera, gradually revealing more fair, damp skin.

As soon as Zel starts changing Emery begins casting surreptitious glances his way. For once, Emery's not ogling- he's keeping an eye out for any signs of injury that they might have missed.]

[all of Zel's clapbacks to the goblin's remarks come rather late, so he can only just grumble and stew on them in his own head. i'm not a child! or a goblin! 'bits and bobs'...eugh...

for his own part, Zel is distracted by Emery's own efforts to clean up before he unfolds one of the button-up shirts they were given.]

...

[...right...

yeah, no. this won't do. he sets it somewhere out of his way so he can unbutton his mantle - the thing that got the bulk of the carnage - and set that aside, giving the rest of himself a glance-down. sure, his trousers are damp, but there's no blood...

and his sleeves are...mmh...]

...It's not really that big of a deal. I can't really catch cold from wet clothes, anyway.

[Emery pauses with his hands set on the waistband of his pants when Zel speaks up.

(Emery's pants are actually pretty dry but they are streaked with dirt.)]

Still, your clothes should probably dry off somewhere that isn't the caravan's food stores. Can you just bear with wrapping a towel around your waist for a while?

[Emery's already seen Zel's everything, and as for Tantabel- well, maybe Zel can scooch into a corner away from the hole in the ceiling until she's gone?]

I suppose. [so long as that lady stops being the ceiling!

he removes his boots and belts (sword gets propped somewhere out of the way), slipping out of the trousers--

well, peeling; it's wet cloth off stone, after all.

for his dignity's sake, his tunic is long enough to cover if he just thinks about this perhaps being an unconventional bathhouse changing room full of beets and potatoes while he does as Emery suggests, toweling up before pulling the rest of his clothes off.]

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