forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by Deleted user

tune

Edit topic

(yeah i love her)

Ari laughed a little. "I see." he replied, smiling over at Honey. "That's, ah, we can pretend it didn't happen." he laughed again, though, amused by all of this. He loved those little dimples that flashed when Honey smiled. They were adorable, and Ari loved them whenever they appeared. "Either way, I scare her in some way."

Rin released Arquis as soon as the man stepped away, letting Arquis have a moment to breathe and think. "Yes, darling. That's true." he said, giving him a gentle little smile. "I'll help you, darling. Any way that you need me to."

Honey tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it's 'cause she thinks you're gonna steal me away. I am her precious owner, after all. She'd be devastated if I were to disappear. Well, maybe not devastated. Probably kinda upset. I think she likes Lovey more than me. Which is really rude, if you think about it! I treat her equally as well. I feed and walk her more! What a little traitor."

Arquis stumbled forward into the safety of his partner's arms again. Rin felt like the home he'd never known. They were comfort and love and guidance, all wrapped up into one wonderful human being. He smiled as he left quick kisses on his cheeks, then wiggled a little in his embrace.

"If you are sure about that, then could I ask for you to carry me once more? Not for long. You were right earlier when you said that we'll need to get there before it is late. And my legs are still, ah, not the steadiest."

Ari hummed a little bit. "Oh? Shall I steal you away then, to test this theory of yours?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Honey and laughing. "Or is that something that is not alright and I am not allowed to do?" a faint smirk was playing around his mouth, and he seemed very amused.

Rin held him, smiling a little bit. "Ah, my darling." he said softly. "Of course I can carry you." he moved to lift Arquis up, holding onto him and smiling at his partner, now safely secured within his arms. "Let's be off, shall we?" he kissed Arquis's cheek, still smiling as he began to walk towards town.

"Oh, stranger," Honey said, smiling, "you already kinda have. We're out here together, aren't we?"

The blond was normally emotionally guarded. Not around certain people, like Lovey, but around people he wasn't that familiar with. He let them see the sides of himself that he thought they'd want to see, and then he'd block the rest off. It had been different so far with Rin and Arquis, but especially so with Ari. He felt younger and lighter around him in a way that was hard to describe. There was still baggage he had to work through—being with Ari didn't eliminate his troubles—but it wasn't as prominent in his mind.

Arquis let out a surprisingly bubbly, delighted laugh and clung to his partner. "I love it when you do this," he whispered with a grin. His face was pressed into the crook of their neck. "You are so strong, my dear."

Ari laughed again. "That's true." he replied, tucking back a few strands of his hair to keep it out of his face. "I have indeed stolen you away. Far, far from everyone else, so that I can take you to this spot and kiss you." he teased, unable to stop the smile that had taken over his face. He enjoyed being here with Honey. The young man was intelligent and sweet and earnest and Ari dearly wanted to know him better.

Rin smiled, holding Arquis carefully. He knew the main reason it was so easy for him to lift Arquis was because Arquis was so light because he didn't eat enough, but he didn't want to bring that up now, when Arquis was feeling so tired and fragile.

"Well, maybe you should keep doing it, then. While we're here and all," Honey said in as casual a tone as he could manage. In reality, it wasn't that casual at all. He fidgeted with one of the pearls on his dress and cast a shy smile at Ari. "The kissing, I mean. If you wanna. Don't gotta."

Arquis shifted his head so that it was against Rin's chest and listened to their heartbeat. His eyelids fluttered shut. If they were going on a shorter trip, then he'd just fall asleep like that, all bundled up in his lover's arms. But he had promised to walk eventually. About three-fourths of the way through, he followed up on that promise and carefully climbed down. His steps were slow, yet they got him all the way there without incident.

There were actually a couple of dress shops in the village, as it turned out. Two were near where they walked in, and while one looked extremely traditional—even having small paintings of dress-clad women on the outside—the other seemed newer and more accepting. Still, appearances could be deceiving. That was why Arquis nervously squeezed his partner's hand as he stepped inside. Part of him was worried that they'd be kicked out instantly, but when no one yelled at them, he glanced around. It was moderately sized and full of clothing racks with all types of dresses, skirts,and accessories.

"Oh, hey!" someone chirped, and the nobleman resisted the urge to flinch. It was a young woman, probably around Quirisa's age. She hurried up to them. Her hair was thick and black, and she was wearing large glasses. "Here to try stuff on, or are you looking for a friend?"

"Ah… trying on? If that is alright?"

"Yeah, sure! I'm assuming you'll want your own fitting room? There aren't many people here right now—they usually come earlier, but that's okay—so I can give a whole space to just the two of you. Here, come on!"

As soon as she was finished talking, she grabbed Arquis by the hand and basically dragged the two of them across the store. True to her word, they ended up in an isolated room that was a little smaller than a bedroom. There was a bowl of mints on a table in the middle that was ringed by a couple of chairs. Clothing hangers lined the walls, one of which was basically just a large mirror. The nobleman avoided looking at it.

"Okay!" the woman exclaimed. "So, tell me, what're you guys looking for today? Any ideas? Oh, and who's trying on? Both of you?"

Ari hummed a little bit, and leaned forward, sliding his hand through Honey's hair and pressing his mouth to the other man's, his eyes flickering shut. He kept the kiss soft and sweet and gentle, not at all aggressive or anything of that sort. He didn't want Honey to ever feel unsafe around him, and he didn't ever want to make Honey worry that Ari was trying to take more than Honey was willing to give.

Rin smiled, letting the young woman maneuver them around. "My partner is mainly trying them on, though I may try on a few if I see any that I would like to try on." he replied, gently squeezing Arquis's hand in order to try and reassure him that this was alright, that they were going to be fine. "Thank you for your help."

Honey lifted his hand so that his palm cupped the back of Ari's head, then guided him closer. He didn't like hard, bruising kisses, but he didn't mind something a little deeper. His other hand landed gently on the other man's calf. Not his thigh. That might send the wrong signal, and he didn't want to stress his date out.

The woman in the shop grinned and adjusted her glasses. "No need to thank me! It's what I'm here for. Now, normally I'd say you could go out and look around right this instant, but if this is your first time—and maybe it's not, I'm just guessing because he seems nervous—then I'll start by bringing some in. We offer specific tailored measuring sessions, but since we close in about an hour and a half, it'll be a lot quicker if we just use generic sizes. Do you know your dress size?"

Arquis hesitated. "I do not believe that I do. Large, perhaps?"

She blinked, gave him a once over, and then shook her head. "You don't need to adjust for height. We have tall sizes. I'm guessing your tall dress size would probably be a small. Do you have anything in specific you're looking for? Any colors, patterns, or necklines?"

The nobleman desperately wished he'd paid more attention when Marsiquia and Quirisa were choosing dresses. He didn't really know much about them, just that they were pretty. He shrugged, and she turned her attention to Rin.

"What about you? Size? Preferences?"

Ari didn't mind the touch, his hand still in Honey's hair. He very much enjoyed all these kisses, a soft sound escaping his throat as he continued pressing soft kisses to Honey's mouth, eventually deepening it a bit more but still keeping it soft and oh so easy for Honey to pull away from at any time. All Honey had to do was shift backwards and Ari would have released him immediately.

Rin thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Perhaps a medium?" they replied. "And for styling…can we begin with more simple styles? Perhaps like sundresses?" he glanced over at Arquis, then back at the young woman, knowing that simpler styles would be easier for Arquis to deal with, easier for him to process.

Honey eventually pulled away, but not because of anything Ari did. There was a couple walking by with their kids. The youngest giggled as she passed and pointed them out to her mother, who tiredly gave the two men a stern glare. Her husband made a comment under his breath that the children laughed at. And then, just as soon as they'd come, they were gone. The blond sighed and glanced over at his date.

"It's like they've never seen anyone kiss before," he muttered, feeling quite grumpy. First the waiter, and now this judgmental couple. As much as he loved the village, it cleary had its issues. Oh well. His frown transformed into a smile as he patted his date's knee.

The woman beamed. "Sure! We don't have a whole lot of more casual stuff, but I can start you off with what we do have and go from there."

After she had left, Arquis went to sit in one of the chairs. He wasn't as worked up now that they had a room to themselves, but still, he wasn't exactly calm. A bead of cold, nervous sweat slid down the back of his neck. He looked up and found that he was observing himself in the mirror. Instinctively, his eyes darted elsewhere, landing on Rin instead. They were lovely.

"My heart," he said softly, reaching out for him. “Come sit?”

Ari let Honey pull away, though he stayed close, his hand sliding down to rest at the base of Honey's neck, on the slope where it met the blond's shoulders. "Ignore them, Honey." he said softly. "They'll learn. Or they won't. Either way, it doesn't affect us." he gave the blond a soft, sweet, gentle little smile.

Rin smiled, sitting down beside his partner. "How are you feeling, darling?" he asked softly, kissing Arquis's cheek and taking Arquis's hand, lacing their fingers together and just trying to soothe Arquis. "It's alright if you're feeling nervous. I understand."

Honey shivered at the touch on his bare neck. It was amazing. He grinned for a second before remembering that Ari had something, at which point he scrambled for an answer. His brows furrowed, and that smile dropped.

"Yeah. I know it's not, like, our fault. It just makes me mad. We didn't do anything wrong!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "And there they are, scowling like we're scum, like we're beneath them. It pisses me off! Why can't they just mind their own business?"

Arquis seemed to shrink in on himself a bit. "Well, ah, I am not sure. I am nervous, yes, and I feel, um, vulnerable. I believe it might be the mirror?"

It really was bothering him, having it in front of them at all times. Even when he wasn't looking directly at it, he could see his movements reflected in his peripheral vision. When he did accidentally see himself in its shiny surface, he was distressed by what he saw. He didn't exactly look well. Gaunt was a good descriptor. He bit his lip and forced his gaze back to his lover.

"And I worry," he whispered, "that you will not like what you see. Even though you have seen it all before, I still worry."

Ari nodded a little bit. "I know, Honey." he said softly, gently. "I've experienced it before too, in more ways than one." his status as trans made it that much harder to keep it hidden about who he was. Made it harder to keep himself safe while traveling, because he was too much a man to sleep in women's quarters (not that he wanted to) but the mere existence of his body made sleeping in men's quarters dangerous.

Rin cupped Arquis's cheek, smoothing his thumb over his lover's cheekbone. "Darling, I love you." he said softly. "And…I don't think there is anything we can do about the mirror. I'm sorry. And, you are correct. I have seen it before, and I love you, and that will not change. I love you now, and I will love you when you weigh more, too."

When Honey looked at Ari next, his eyes were full of empathy. He shifted so that they were hip-to-hip and, after a moment of hesitation, cupped his cheek. The tip of his thumb brushed away a bit of fountain water that had caught on the young man's skin. It left a damp, glistening patch behind, almost like the trail of a tear.

"I'm sorry about that, Ari. You don't deserve that kinda treatment. And I'm sorry for getting all huffy. I know I shouldn't let stuff like this bother me. That's what they want, after all."

Arquis turned and kissed his partner's palm. "I am trying to believe you, my love. Yet it is hard to fathom. I know that I do not look particularly nice right now, but I am having a hard time accepting that gaining- that changing- that-” He still couldn't really say it. "That, um, growing will make me look any better."

The shop worker entered the room carrying a massive stack of dresses. She was basically bent in half under the weight of it. Arquis stood, about to offer to help, but she efficiently divided and placed all of them on hangers before he could even speak. She pointed out which stack was for Rin and which for Arquis, then left after the nobleman thanked her.

"I suppose we should start," Arquis said faintly, feeling a heavy sensation settle like lead in his stomach.

Ari smiled faintly. "It's alright." he replied softly. "And, yeah. Can we just forget that it happened?" he asked, giving Honey a soft smile. "Move on? Talk about something– anything –else?" he didn't want to talk about hateful people on an evening where they were supposed to be out having fun together.

Rin nodded slightly in acknolwedgement of Arquis's statement, kissing his cheek again, and then stood up. "We should. Would you like to go first, love?" he asked, knowing that Arquis was nervous about all of this.

Honey's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. Ari didn't sound like he was upset, but the blond was worried that he'd brought up some bad memories. He quickly shifted to where he'd been sitting before, then, just for good measure, moved even further. His hand slipped from his cheek and landed in his own lap. He almost started to bite at his nails. Luckily, he caught himself before he did. They'd been sitting on the ground for a while, and he didn't want to pick up any germs or dirt. That would surely gross his date out. It also wasn't sanitary in the slightest.

"Sorry. Yeah. Sorry about that. Yeah, nah, you're right. Bad subject. Uh. Thinking of a new one. Any second now, and I'll just, y'know, come up with a great topic, and then we can discuss it. Anything at all."

There wasn't a single thought in his head besides the incident. It was suddenly all he could imagine. He grabbed and tugged at a curl of his own hair, as if that would somehow help.

Arquis wasn't sure how to answer Rin's question. Part of him wanted to just get it over with, but the majority of his mind really, really didn't want to start changing in front of him. Even though it was nothing new. There was something different about it being out in public, while it was still light outside. He walked to the stack of dresses and stared at them for a long minute, making up his mind. Then, he wordlessly reached for the first, unbuttoned his jacket and shirt, and tossed them to the floor. His skin prickled from the sudden chill. He carefully slipped the thing over his head. Once it was on, he undid his pants from underneath, kicking them out and away.

The dress—a soft, ballet slipper pink number that went to below his knees—was a touch too big. Not big enough to hang off of his frame, but it didn't fit quite right. He turned to look at Rin, not realizing that the zipper was still open. His cheeks were more pink than the dress.

"I have a feeling that this is not my color," he said awkwardly. There was nothing to protect himself from, but he crossed his arms over his chest nonetheless.

(oop i realized that earlier i said he had only a brother and then later i said only a sister so now he has both lol sorry)

Ari reached out to take Honey's hands, wanting to stop him from tearing at his hair. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not upset." he said softly. "We can talk about something else, and it's not a problem." he wasn't quite sure what was going on. "Have I told you anything about my siblings? I have a brother and a sister, and they're both younger than me." he cleared his throat faintly, thinking about what he could say next. "My sister is a menace to society, and my brother is a bit of a pushover. They're twins. Thick as thieves, and they get into trouble all the time."

Rin had turned away to give Arquis some privacy, and when he heard his lover speak, he looked over at him. "Darling, it isn't zipped." he replied softly, coming over and zipping up the back, then stepping back so that Arquis could see himself in the mirror. "And it's alright if you don't like it."

(it's fine!! i'm pretty sure there are also like a bunch of inconsistencies in honey's backstory so it happens haha)

Honey relaxed. He listened to what Ari was saying with a soft yet curious smile. Once he was done, the blond replied, "They sound chaotic. That reminds me of, well, my other sister. I haven't thought about her in a very long time." The way he was speaking showed that whatever he was remembering wasn't bad. He sounded nostalgic. "She passed when I was extremely young. Natural causes. Nothing anyone could have done. But she was always getting into trouble, throwing fits and stealing people's lunch money. She used to braid Lovey's hair, and she would call me Hen. Just Hen, like I was a bird."

Arquis shuddered when he felt them touch the zipper. There was something strangely intimate about having his hand that close to his skin, right between his shoulder blades. He cleared his throat, not quite realizing that he'd begun to smile, and looked at the mirror. His face immediately fell. He'd been right. The dress wasn't his color at all. It made his pale complexion look even more washed-out and accentuted the uneven blotches of his blush. The cut of the skirt was also weird. His legs looked like thin toothpicks coming out of the bottom.

"Oh. I look awful," he whispered, instantly reaching around to fumble with the zipper. The dress came off without much effort. It pooled around his feet. He put it back on the hanger and went for the second option: buttercup yellow with thick shoulder straps. Definitely not. The one behind that was long and dark blue with a halter top. As soon as it was on him, he actually began to laugh. Running up the right side of the fabric was a slit to show off his leg.

"Goodness. Quite breezy.”

(yeah lol I've done my best to keep Rin's backstory consistent, but I'm pretty sure there's at least one or two slip-ups in there. it's fine tho lol)

Ari nodded a little. "She sounds sweet." he didn't ask what she had died of; he didn't want to bring up any painful memories for Honey. "My siblings are hellions, but I love them anyways." it was hard, though, knowing that his parents could well choose his younger brother over him as an heir, and for the simple reason that Ari was trans and his parents didn't like that fact.

Rin let Arquis make his own judgements about the dress, and smiled when this third one was on. "Ah, darling. What do you think of it?" he asked, coming over and looking up and down his partner, taking in the sight of Arquis in that long, lovely blue dress.

(yeah with these sorts of things it's not like we've planned everything out in exact detail, so it's all memory based and it's already been a couple of months since we started)

Honey smiled, mostly to himself. "She was. But like I said, it was forever ago. I'm not torn up over it. Sometimes, I picture her watching over me, and it's, well. It makes me feel better. Even though I don't really believe in any sorta religion or afterlife, it's comforting to think she might be out there somewhere."

Arquis had to admit that he liked the way Rin was looking at him, though he was still feeling somewhat self-conscious. He returned to the same spot as before and looked at his reflection. His lips parted in shock. That first dress had been hideous on him, but this one was gorgeous. The way the fabric was draped over him gave him a svelte figure, and the color of it brought out the blue of his eyes. The slit was also interesting. He'd thought it would've looked silly, but he found it kind of appealing.

"This one is alright," he murmured, then glanced at Rin in the mirror.

(yeah lol)

Ari smiled at that. "Yeah. I mean…Kevran's have our faith and beliefs, and it's comforting. To think of dead loved ones still being out there somewhere, watching and waiting for us." he ran a hand through his hair, letting out a slow, soft breath and keeping his gaze on Honey.

Rin watched him, and smiled. "It looks lovely on you, Arquis." he said softly, glad that after the frustrations of the first two, this one looked so lovely and wonderful. The long skirt helped draw the eyes up and down Arquis's body, making him look taller and accentuating his form.

Honey moved so that he was beside his date again, all of his previous nerves gone. A calm had fallen over him. He gently caught the hand that Ari had been running through his hair, then held it to his lips and pressed a kiss to his wrist. The aroma of the cologne was still strong, even when outside.

A soft rain started. At first, the blond hadn't noticed it because of the mist from the fountain, but eventually full-sized drops began to land on his dress. He laughed, startled, and looked up at the sky. What he saw was breathtaking. The golden-orange hues of afternoon were battling with gray storm clouds, almost like a fire shining through smoke.

Arquis blushed and turned away from the mirror. The dress swished around his ankles as he walked over to his partner, revealing pale flashes of his leg. His heart beat faster in his chest as he approached. Proximity could mean that Rin would see more of his flaws, but, he reminded himself, it also meant they could hold him. He took their hands and placed them on his own waist, smiling shyly.

"You really like it?" he asked, searching his face.

Ari smiled, and looked up when Honey did. "Oh. It's lovely." he commented softly, eyes moving over the clouds and the colors of the sky, taking it all in. "Though, ah, if it gets any heavier we may need to go inside somewhere." he laughed a little, the rain already beginning to lightly dampen his hair, raindrops sticking to his curls in soft, glittering droplets.

Rin smiled, hands settling on Arquis's waist. "I do, my darling. Do you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and still smiling. He really did think that it all looked lovely and wonderful, and he was so glad that Arquis seemed to like it as well.

Honey grinned and turned to look at Ari, already prepared to deliver a cheesy response. The words died in his throat. The young man was gorgeous. Those raindrops looked almost like a crown, and for a moment, he could easily imagine him as the ruler of some mystical, enchanting kingdom. He really did seem like someone from a storybook, way too good to be true. It didn't help that there were small rainbow hues refracted in some of the drops, either. That was an extra nice touch.

"Yeah. Might have to do that," he mumbled, not really sure what he was agreeing to.

"I think so. Yes, I do. I feel strange?" Arquis hummed and leaned in, leaving a series of kisses on their neck. He only drew his head back to finish his thought. "Handsome, in a way. This is a bit, ah, provocative."

Ari smiled over at him, reaching out to gently run a hand through Honey's hair, those blond curls soft beneath his fingers. "Mhm. Where would you like to go?" he asked, still smiling gently at the blond man.

Rin hummed softly, still holding onto his partner's waist. "You look very handsome in it, my love." he said, smiling again. "And yes, it is a little provocative, but it looks amazing."

The light drizzle turned into pouring rain, and Honey, still flustered, rocked forward onto his knees. He lifted his arm over Ari's head to stop him from getting drenched. A bolt of lightning arched across the darkening sky. That storm from earlier was apparently coming back in full force.

"I don't know, but we gotta decide quick!" he shouted, voice barely audible over the sound of distant thunder. He fumbled for the slick edge of the fountain and pushed himself to his feet. Unfortunately, the ground was so slippery that his heels skidded, and he ended up nearly crashing down. He barely managed to right himself in time. He protectively scooped the gift bag up, shielding it with his body—and quite thankful for all the layers of tissue paper inside—before offering his hands to Ari.

Arquis cast a bashful smile at Rin. "Amazing? Thank you, love. I just, ah, well. It is a lot of leg."

His legs he was somewhat alright with, but his hips were always a source of insecurity for him. He tipped his head to look at them in the mirror. The fit of the dress accentuated them. He ran a flat palm over his left hip, as if he could smooth out the curve there, and frowned slightly. Then, just out of habit, he gave it a squeeze. His brows furrowed slightly.

"A lot of hip, too," he said, and it was meant to be joking but wasn't.

Ari fumbled as he reached to support Honey, taking his hands and searching about. His eyes landed on a shop, and he quickly led Honey towards it, laughing as they ran through the rain together. He opened the door and gently pushed Honey inside the shop, closing the door behind them and shaking his head a little bit to help dry his hair, dark curls flicking water about the room.

Rin caught the way Arquis seemed not to like that part, and he reached out to take his partner's hands. "My love, it looks amazing. Your legs and your hips. It gives you curves, and that is the point of the cut of the dress. But if you do not like it, then that is fine too."

Honey burst out laughing once they were inside. His hair and dress were drenched, but the bag thankfully seemed alright. Not caring who saw, the blond lunged towards Ari and swept him into a hug. Adrenaline still thrummed in his veins.

"You're like a wet dog!" he howled, breathless from laughter. His hand tousled Ari's messy, soaked curls, and he grinned.

Arquis grimaced. It wasn't that he thought curves in general were unpleasant. On someone else, he was sure that the fit of the dress would look incredible. The problem wasn't the clothing. It was his body. Everything looked wrong on him, even the most beautiful items. He couldn't believe he'd thought it was handsome before. Now that he was seeing himself—really taking in his reflection—he could easily find all of his flaws.

"I did like it," he said sadly, already starting to reach for the zipper. His hands hovered for a moment. He didn't speak as he switched to gently take Rin's wrists instead and guided their palms back to his hips. His eyelids fluttered shut. Maybe it wouldn't work, but he wanted to try and feel himself like they saw him. He knitted their fingers together and ran their combined hands slowly up his sides. Then, just before his upper chest, he started to trace them back down. The fabric of the dress was soft and sleek.

Ari grinned at him, laughing. "I can't help it! My hair is longer and it catches water!" his curls were already soaking wet, the soft ringlets dripping with water as Honey ran his hands through it. "It'll be wet for hours now." his voice took on a slightly complaining note, and he shrugged his shoulders.

Rin let out a soft, saddened breath at Arquis's comment, and let Arquis hold onto their hands and move them as he wished. "Darling, you look lovely. In this dress and in anything else. Please, please believe me in this. You look fantastic."

Honey stifled another bout of laughter and began to sweep strands of his date's wet hair out of his face. Once he was done, he cupped Ari's cheeks and, as sweetly and softly as possible, planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Aw, stranger, don't get your feathers ruffled. Maybe we can do something about it. You want it braided? I can do that. Or I can put it up. Or I can do none of that, and you can walk around looking like the very handsome, very soggy young man you are."

Arquis opened his eyes, and he honestly just seemed sad. This was a quiet, longing kind of sad, the type that made him feel shaken on the inside. He let their hands go and attempted a smile. It looked like it hurt.

"You say such kind things, my heart," he murmured. "I only wish that I could see myself in the way you describe me. I tried. But all I felt was… was…”