Amused. Fiori was definitely amused. Levi had practically bared his throat to him not a minute earlier, and now he was all calm and cool and unfazed. He could've laughed at the sudden bravery. "Come here," he ordered stiffly, beckoning him forward. "You're new to this aren't you? It's not often you see a proper slave bragging about their former status."
He inwardly winced, feeling like a fool. He couldn’t decide how to act, or even feel with his varying levels of confidence. One second he felt like he was still at the top of the world, and the next he felt like a bug. Now he felt like a bug, and he couldn’t keep his hands from trembling. He reluctantly took only a couple steps forwards, still a comfortable distance away from Fiori.
Fiori repressed another laugh, though his amusement didn't show on his face. How could Levi feel so comfortable talking back to him and yet so intimidated when ordered around? "Closer, Leviticus." He used the longer version of the name out of respect, thinking it dishonorable to put himself on par with Levi's more trusted acquaintances. "If you can speak to me frankly despite your position, you should be able to do as I say without fear."
Despite himself, he dared to take a few more steps forward, “I don’t…” he inhaled and closed his eyes, “I don’t know what to do,” he spoke quieter, under his breath more to himself. He couldn’t think straight, and he blamed it on the long car ride and the warmer weather. Whether that reason was valid or not,
He didn’t know. But he didn’t think using it as an excuse was a very good idea.
"Then do as I tell you." Fiori hooked a finger around Levi's collar and pulled him forward until they were mere inches from one another, gentle despite his outside annoyance. His eyes traced over Levi's face, cataloging every feature with a piercing stare. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again. "You're scared. Why?" It came out more incredulous than Fi had intended, so he softened it with a promise. "I swear I will not hurt you unprovoked."
Levi exhaled through his nose, tense and uncomfortable being so close. “If you want honesty,” he began shakily, “I was just abducted from my home and told that I would be owned by another human. Told that I was nothing. That they could do anything you want with me. If these roles were switched wouldn’t you be a little frightened too?” He pressed his lips tightly together when he finished speaking, forcing himself to make eye contact.
Fiori stared up at him, impassive. Something in his eyes warmed minutely as he started up at Levi and he now looked more thoughtful than angry. "I would not be quite so scared as you," he answered, releasing the collar. "But I understand your fear. I did not know that you were freshly taken, I merely assumed you were an untested slave. I apologize for the lapse in judgment."
(Oh nooo I’m sorry I was trying to mark your post for unread real quick and it accidentally reported your post instead
I tried to stop it from going through but it did)
Levi relaxed, sinking back away from him slightly, “I appreciate your understanding.” He let out a breath of slight relief. He glanced off briefly to the side of his throne in a short examination of the room.
(It's fine, shit happens)
There were long wooden tables on either side of the throne that held a variety of jewelry and body paint, marking this as the room where slaves were prepared to meet their new masters. Fiori gave Levi one last considering look before he stood and marched over to a pile of silks, tossing him a large shirt and an ill-fitting pair of pants. "Your clothes smell foul, change into these."
(Indeed, just wanted to let you know in case you get a weird notification or email)
He caught the pair of clothes, “Thank you..” He glanced around the room for any evidence of a changing screen or any other source of privacy. The shirt wasn’t a big deal, but he’d rather not change his pants in front of someone else. Along with family, his kingdom’s culture very much cherished their privacy.
(Thanks for the heads up!)
Fiori gave him a confused look, not understanding why he hadn't started moving yet. Nudity wasn't something people cared about in his country, especially not in a non-sexual context. He walked closer to Levi, starting to tug up on his shirt. "Do you need help?"
(Yw!)
Levi instinctively wriggled away, “N-no, I can do it.“ He took a couple steps back, relenting to take off his shirt. He quickly replaced the shirt with the new, cleaner one he was given. He was a bit more reluctant to change the rest in front of Fiori. “Do you expect me to change here?”
Fiori leaned casually against the throne, making no move to approach again despite the urge to hurry Levi along. "Yes? I do not know of anywhere else you would change." His eyebrows had started to furrow together in annoyance. "I have things to do, Leviticus. Hurry up."
Levi hesitated again, letting out an exasperated sigh while he changed his pants as quickly as he was able. He draped his old clothes over his arm, which were notably thicker and heavier than what he was dressed in now. “What things do you have to do?”
Fiori pursed his lips, caught between answering the question and giving Levi a sound lecture on what was appropriate for a slave to ask. "Combat training. The festival of feats if nearly upon us and I need to be ready." For some reason, Levi wasn't scared to talk to him anymore, and that was more than Fi could say about anyone in this damn palace except for Dion and his uncle. It was refreshing. "Now set down your rags and we can be on our way."
“Ah..” he looked around for someplace to put his old clothes, eventually finding a somewhat decent ledge to set them on. He remembered his own combat training back at home, more than likely wildly different techniques than Fiori practiced. He was by no means a prodigy in combat, but he was adequately proficient in it thanks to the training.
Fiori nodded once and grabbed Levi's wrist, dragging him out of the dressing room as soon as the clothes had been set down. "Are you good enough to spar with me? Or should I have you hold some blocks for me to punch?" His voice was devoid of any judgment, though the words were rather pointed. He was clearly tense, walking almost too fast for Levi to keep up with.
He just barely managed to keep up with him, “I’m well trained in my combat, but I’m not used to yours,” he answered honestly. “I’ll spar with you,” he decided despite his knowing he wouldn’t be able to work at his pique performance running on little sleep and the bare minimum amount of food.
"Good." His voice was vaguely approving. They turned into a dark hallway and paused in front of a wooden door. Fiori kicked it open, storming through a room full of armor and into one full of weapons. "Your people… what is the style like?"
Levi took a moment to think about how to explain their style of fighting “We rely most heavily on self defense and flexibility, using the opponent’s force against them and channeling it back into an offense. It’s mostly hand to hand combat, but we train with lithe and agile blades as well.”
Fiori nodded in approval. "A good pick for you. You're too tiny for brute force." He released Levi's wrist and turned to the weapons, tracing a hand over a few with a soft smile on his face. "You're comfortable sparring with weapons, yes?"
He glanced over the vast array of weapons, recognizing some but not others. “I’m familiar with a handful of them, but many of these are new to me.” He brushed his hand against one of the hilts, “Are these bound with leather?”
"Hmm?" Fi turned to the weapon, nodding enthusiastically when he realized what Levi was talking about. "Yes! We bind with leather because it makes for an easier grip and lets the weapon wear into the shape of your hand. Means an enemy won't be able to use it as effectively." His voice was slightly more animated than normal, eyes twinkling with childlike excitement. It softened his normally harsh features into something almost sweet.
“Aha,” Levi smiled at Fiori’s reaction, “We do the same thing with our weapons. It’s a lot more comfortable than wood or twine.” He eyed one of the longswords, “I have a personal one of these in my bedroom. A blacksmith friend of my dad’s made it for me when I was younger.” He humored somberly at the sweet memory of his father. He took hold of the hilt, almost as if he was about to pick it up, but he paused at the reminder he could be reprimanded.
Fiori noticed Levi's newfound seriousness, but he couldn't connect it to anything in particular. In Usige, your family wasn't as important as your piuthar. Your brothers and sisters in arms. So instead of comforting Levi, he walked behind him, wrapped his hands over Levi's on the sword, and drew it. "Is it too heavy? This was built for me, it may be a bit… big."
“I don’t know. I didn’t know if I was supposed to hold it or not.” He squinted to think about the weight and feel of the sword, “It’s a little heavy but I can use it.” He rolled his shoulders back a bit. He’d gotten a sliver more comfortable around Fiori. At times he forgot he was a slave, and not a visitor.
"Swing it around a bit. Make sure it's balanced." Fi backed away once Levi seemed to be settled, unable to resist the siren's song of the weaponry. It didn't even occur to him that Levi may attack him or try to escape, too busy trying to figure out what would work best against a longsword to worry. A look of childish determination settled on his face as he traced his fingers over the hilts of various swords and knives.
Levi stepped back a bit to give himself room to swing the long sword. Indeed, it was a bit weighty and put some strain on his arms, but this was the style he was most used to. He should be able to manage enough, he reasoned. He glanced along the edge of the blade, chewing his lip in thought. “Do you have any lighter designs?”
"Next to the axes and below the throwing knives," Fi replied, finally settling on a pair of dual broadswords. He swirled them around with practiced ease as a small smile crept onto his face. The blades were obviously well worn, but they were freshly polished, a clear sign that they were used often. "How proficient are you as a fighter? I do not want to hurt you on accident."
“I’m proficient in the style I learned,” Levi answered, walking the longsword back to where he got it. He located the axes and throwing knives in search of the lighter swords, squinting to examine each and every style. “Impressive…” he murmured to it all.