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

Started October 31, 2021 by Deleted user

tune

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Rin followed her into Arquis's bedroom, giving her another faint, soft little smile. "A bathrobe is a good idea." he agreed, going over to the bags that they had brought back from the hotel. He sat down on the floor and started pulling clothes out of it, squinting at it carefully until he found a nice, soft, comfortable pair of pajamas, which thankfully were also clean. He folded them up, and set them on the bed. "There's pajamas. I'm going to grab him some soap, deodorant, shaving supplies, and a bit of cologne. And some hair gel and a comb." he thought for a moment. "Can you find a nice suit for him to wear tomorrow, and some gloves that match? He… he'll feel more confident on the stand if he has his gloves."

He went into the bathroom, searching through the cupboards until he found what he had been looking for, along with a small bag to put everything in. For the shaving suplies, though, he hesitated. The razor could technically be a weapon. WOuld the guards allow it to be given to Arquis? He frowned in thought. Maybe he could talk to them. Arquis needed to shave, he was pretty stubbly. Maybe one of the guards could stand and watch Arquis use the razor, and then take it? MAybe that would work. It remained to be seen.

---

Ari frowned. He didn't want to wander and hope they found the doctors… so he turned his head and coughed into his elbow. It was… surprisingly realistic sounding. He looked over at Quirisa, clearing his throat. "I know you probably don't exactly like any of us right now. But would you mind telling me how to find Dr Lavin and Dr Ophia? I've been feeling a little off for the last few days, and I wanted to speak with them about it." somehow, in the pitch of his voice, he really did sound a little bit off. Like he really was catching ill.

(oh darn if I hadn't made Quirisa intervene then Rin could've helped Arquis shave which would've been kind of a sweet moment, ah darn)

Marsiquia gave the folded clothes on the bed a little pat, then turned to go look in the wardrobe again. Before she got there, however, she stopped. A thought crossed her mind. Arquis typically wore a lot of layers. Should she get him an extra blanket, just in case the pajama weren't enough? Or maybe a coat of some sort? She poked her head into the bathroom and smiled at Rin in the mirror.

"Hi! Sorry, I know you're getting everything together, but I was just thinking—do you maybe have another sweater that you could put in with the pajamas? I think he gets cold rather easily, and they probably won't let him go sit by a fireplace if he does. You don't have to get the sweater right now, of course! You can finish packing. I'll, um, I'll get back to what I was supposed to be doing."

She scurried back into the main room and began to sort through his suits. Most of them were pretty similar. They were almost all some shade of black, gray, or blue. Most were plain, though some had pretty detailing or elegant patterns on them. She picked a black suit that had silver patterns on the shoulders and a dark gray undershirt. It took her a minute to decide what tie would work best. In the end, she chose a simple black tie with a silver clip. For his gloves, she chose a dark pair that matched his tie. She also got him a couple of silver rings. He didn't always wear rings over his gloves, but she'd seen him do it a couple of times in the past, and she thought it was kind of a cool look. For shoes, she went with the first black pair she saw, neatly placing them on the bed beside the rest of his outfit. She then stood back and admired her handiwork.

——

Quirisa snorted and, in a rather crude display, flipped him off. She didn't answer his question. Honey rolled his eyes. She was acting like an angry toddler.

"Y'know, we're not the ones you're mad at," he called to her. She sneered. He sighed. "Believe it or not, we really have nothing to do with all of this. We just got dragged into this whole mess. We, like, barely know Arquis. So, if you could please just help us out, we'd be glad to get outta your way."

She flipped Honey off, too, without even looking at him. "Don't care. Find them yourselves.”

(i knowwww i'm kinda bummed too :( )

"I'll grab a sweater when I'm done!" he called back, finishing putting everything together, packing it neatly into a small bag so that it would all be easy to access and easy to carry. He carried it back out, setting it next to the folded pajamas, and then he went back to his own traveling bag. He searched through it until he found a soft, cozy sweater. It wasn't exactly the prettiest thing to look at; it was older, and had a few small stains on it. It was obviously well-worn though in good condition, but it would serve the purpose that they needed it for. He thought for a moment, then grabbed his small bottle of cologne. He used it just enough that the smell would be familiar for Arquis, and he spritzed it very lightly on the sweater. Maybe it could bring some comfort? He hoped so. He tucked his cologne away again, and gathered a pencil and paper, setting that with everything.

He exhaled, standing back and studying everything that they had grabbed. "Alright. I think we should wait a few minutes before we go back. So that Quirisa is gone. THe less we have to deal with her in all of this, the better. I have a feeling she would do her best to keep as much of this from Arquis as possible." he wouldn't put it past her to interfere and try and take away as much as posisble, just to rob Arquis of any comfort or assistance.

---

Rin's mouth pinched, and very calmly returned her gesture. "Well, I guess we can see which de Vey is the least equipped for polite company." he remarked, taking Honey's arm. "For all that Arquis might be a murderer, at least he was always kind." he led Honey out of the room though, not wanting to hang around and argue with Quirisa. It would just be a pointless fight, again. Once they were a bit away, though, he paused, letting out a frustrated huff. "What a bitch." he glanced around the hallway, wondering if they could find someone who could guide them. Because, honestly, he wasn't sure where Ophia and LAvin's room was, or the kitchens.

Marsiquia watched as Rin picked out a sweater and put their cologne on it, a soft smile forming on her lips. She couldn't help it. Her brother had been kind of a loner for a while. He wasn't really the sort to get involved in flings or romances. He didn't have very many friends at all. But he'd managed to find someone who seemed to really care for him, and it made Marsiquia genuinely happy.

"Sure, we can wait for a bit," she said, still smiling. She sat on the bed and smoothed her skirt out, so that it wouldn't fluff up too much. "I'm sorry that this happened. You seem like a really nice person." Mostly teasing, but also a hint sad, she added, "You would have made for a very good older brother. Don't tell Arquis I said that. He'll never… well. I was going to say that he'd never talk to me again, but… but I guess that's a poor choice of words, isn't it?"

——

Once they were out of Quirisa's line of sight, Honey sighed deeply. Confrontation was always hard for him to handle. He hated when people screamed at each other like that, but he didn't blame Rin for yelling at Quirisa. They had every right to be pissed off, after the stunt that she pulled. He supposed she also might've had a reason to be upset, but that didn't justify the extent of her cruelty.

"Yeah. Huh. I wish she would've just told us where we're going, 'cause this place is giant." He tried to think back to when they'd been guided through the halls to Arquis's room. He didn't think they'd gone by a kitchen, but his best guess was that it'd be somewhere on the bottom floor. That would make it easily accessible for guests. He started looking around for stairs, and when he found some, he tugged Ari towards them.

"I say we keep going downstairs until we hear a crowd. I'm sure there'll be a bunch of people in the dining room. We can just follow their voices."

Rin looked over at her, sitting down as well. He smiled a little bit at her words, looking down at his hands for a moment, then back over at her. "Yeah, I'm sorry too." he replied softly. "And thank you, I… have a younger half sister, but she… her mother does not like me." the king's wife had never liked Rinlos's existence, and had always done her best to keep her darling daughter away from her older half sibling. "And don't… don't act like Arquis doesn't have a chance. I'd rather keep some hope." he gave her another little smile, running a hand through his hair. "When this is all over, you can lecture him, okay?" he'd rather have some little kernel of hope and be wrong, then assume the worst and be wrong.

"And– hey, I have an idea." he reached out to pick up the pencil and notebook that he had set with the stuff for Arquis, and held it out to her. "Write him a note. Even if you can't talk to him before the trial, that way you can at least give him a message?"

---

Ari nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess we'll just have to wander for a bit. MAybe we can find a servant who can show us the way?" he shook his head just a little. As they walked, he was quiet for a few long moments, before he finally spoke again. "I haven't seen Rin that angry in… a long time. Maybe ever." his friend usually was far more controlled then that, usually far better at channeling his anger out in healthy ways.

Marsiquia leaned over so that her cheek was pressed against their shoulder. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Rin really would've been a good older sibling, and she didn't want to be a downer, but she couldn't imagine a world where Arquis won the trial. She wanted to believe in it so badly, but she knew how persistent their mother could be when she wanted something. Once, when Marsiquia was much younger, Quirisa had tried to convince their mother that she should be allowed to take up fencing. Their mother had scolded her, saying that she needed to focus on her etiquette classes. When Quirisa had snuck into one of their father's lessons, Muria had grounded her for two months. Even after that, she'd refused to let her daughter see her friends until she promised she'd never go back. Now that she was an adult, Quirisa didn't listen to their mother nearly as much, but the whole situation had stuck itself in Marsiquia's mind. Muria had a way of getting what she wanted, and now she wanted Arquis dead.

"Arquis isn't very tough," she said softly. "I love him, but he doesn't have much of a backbone. He lets people walk all over him. I'm a bit like that, too. We have a hard time sticking up for ourselves." She sighed as she took the pencil and paper from him. "I'm really worried that he's going to give up tomorrow, just to make it easier for everyone else."

She stared down at the blank paper, trying to think of what she should write. She had so many things to say to her brother, but she couldn't think of a way to phrase any of them.

——

Honey kept an eye out for any servants as they walked, but besides the occasional passerby, the halls were relatively empty. He wondered if all of the servants were downstairs getting ready for the trial, or if maybe they were tidying up after breakfast. He couldn't imagine how different his life would've turned out if he'd lived in a place like the Palace, with all of its many rooms and grandeur. As cruel as an environment it seemed like it was turning out to be, it was undeniably breathtaking.

He frowned when Ari spoke about Rin. "Yeah. That was a lot. I mean, I get it, I can totally see why he was mad. She pissed me off, too. But that was maybe too far." He looked down at the lush carpeting beneath him. "I just kinda feel bad for that girl, honestly. Marsiquia. She's gotta be, like, what, fifteen or sixteen? And she's already lost her dad and her aunt, and tomorrow she's gonna lose her mom or brother. That's really tough. I can't imagine what I'd do if Lovey was on trial."

Rin let her rest her head on their shoulder, biting his lip faintly as she spoke. "I know." he said softly. "But… I don't konw. I told him he wasn't allowed to give up during the trial, and… he shrugged faintly. "Maybe you can write that to him too. I don't know. I know we can't make him try, but I really hope he does. I… don't want to lose him without a fight." he didn't know what he was going to do if Arquis lost the trial. Certainly they couldn't remain at the palace long; but where would he go? Back to his wandering again, back to being just a bard? Back home, to Kevra? Where would Ari go? The young man wouldn't want to accompany Rinlos on his travels, unless RIn was going home, and Rin had a feeling that Ari wouldn't want to leave Honey anyways.

---

"My siblings are pretty close in age to her." Ari replied, thinking of Marsiquia and then of his twin siblings back home. "It's… i feel sorry for her too. No matter who she loses at the trial tomorrow, it's… it will either leave her orphaned, or without a brother. And based on what she said to Quirisa, I don't think that that relationship is going to be mended anytime soon, no matter what the outcome of the trial is." he shook his head, reaching out to lace his fingers through Honey's. "I don't know. It's just all so much. Rin isn't… he's too tired and stressed for all of this, and Quirisa pushed him to his breaking point. I think maybe doing it in front of Marsiquia was bad, but… honestly, I don't disagree with the things he said. I don't know. It just sucks."

Marsiquia nodded and picked up the pencil. After studying it for a moment, she finally lowered it to the paper, determined to get at least something written down. Anything would be better than leaving it blank.

Her message ended up being shorter than she would've liked. In loopy cursive, she'd written, 'Arquis, while Quirisa may not be on your side, know that I am. Your partner is as well. There are still people who care about you. Please do not give in at the trial tomorrow. Try to win. If not for yourself, then for us.' As an afterthought, she'd hastily scribbled in, 'I hope you like your lollipops,' at the end, followed by, 'Sincerely, Marsiquia.'

She sketched a very rough, cute picture of three lollipops at the bottom of the note. It wasn't her best work, but her handwriting was kind of big, meaning that the drawing had to be squished into the bottom corner. She added a smiling little Sun, hoping that it'd cheer him up, then folded the note in half and wrote his name on top. She doodled a little kitten with a paintbrush beside his name.

"There we go. Maybe this will make him a little less sad." She held it up, her blue eyes bright as she beamed at Rin.

——

Honey lifted Ari's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles one by one. He seemed a bit distracted as he did it. Not by the lavish interior surrounding them or the elegant woodworking of the hallway walls, but rather by the conversation at hand.

"Yeah. It really does suck. If only Arquis hadn't turned himself in." Of course, that probably wouldn't honestly change that much. The High Court would've found him eventually. But maybe if he'd given himself a bit more time, he would've confessed the story to Rin, and they would've been able to come up with a defensive position to take together. This system of keeping things secret wasn't working for them, and Honey should know, given how many secrets he'd kept over his life that had really hurt him.

"I wonder what the actual trial's gonna be like. It seems scary." A dark thought crossed his mind, and he shuddered. "You don't think Muria's been able to buy off the Court, do you? Skew the decision in her favor? They're supposed to be impartial, but they haven't really been all that fair so far, it seems."

Rin watched her write her note for a moment, then looked away, gaze moving around the room. He looked over at her again when she spoke, returning that little smile with one of his own. "I bet it will. He… seemed sad that he wasn't going to be able to talk to you." he replied in a soft voice. "Even though that was his own choice." he looked at Marsiquia. "i'm sorry that he wouldn't let you in, and I'm sorry that Quirisa made it impossible for him to change his mind. It's not fair of him to do that. There's… a lot of things about this that aren't fair." he went quiet again, thinking about all of this. Everything that had already happened in the last few hours, everything that would happen tomorrow… there was so much.

---

Ari considered the words, biting his lip faintly. "I… really hope she hasn't. Surely she hasn't, that…" he grimaced, shaking his head. "I hope not. That would be no good, and it's going to be hard enough for Arquis to win this as is…" he looked over at Honey for a moment, then back at the hallway around them. They still eneded to find the doctors, or the kitchen. Preferably both. "I don't know, relaly, but I hope that she hasn't tried to bribe the court. Maybe she has enough trust in her case that she doesn't see the need to."

Marsiquia's smile faltered, and she lowered the drawing with a sigh. "It's fine. I mean, it's not fine, because it truly is not fair. I really am very mad at Quirisa and my mom for everything they're doing, even though I know that Quirisa is only doing it out of hurt." She nudged the carpet with one of her shoes, making a mark that she slowly erased when she brought her leg back the other way. "Quirisa can be like that. It doesn't mean she's right, and I still hate her for it, but I have to remember why she's doing it. She and my aunt had a very messy relationship, so it must be hard for her to accept that she's been dead all along, after blaming her for all of these years. That doesn't excuse her behavior, like I said, but, well, I just can't imagine how she must have felt when she found out that…"

She trailed off as she realized she'd accidentally revealed a bit too much. She'd said that she couldn't imagine what it was like to find out after all of these years. That would've been a shock to Quirisa, sure. Quirisa hadn't known that Sirisa was dead.

Quirisa seemed to be the only one that hadn't known that Sirisa was dead.

Marsiquia looked at Rin, wide-eyed, trying to read their expression. What she'd said was neutral enough that he may not have caught it, but if he did, then she had some explaining to do. She waited to see if they'd ask about it.

——

Honey shrugged, still maintaining that steady pace forward. There was a faint humming in the distance that could've been voices, so he started steering them that way.

"Well, who knows. Maybe they can't be bribed. Maybe their salaries are just that good, or they're just really, really into justice." Given the upbringing he'd had, and all of the things he'd seen, he couldn't imagine that anyone in Anvillea was that committed to what was just. But maybe that was because the High Court only dealt with rare cases that presented a threat to all of Anvillean society, and the things he'd suffered through had been localized issues dangerous to a small number of people. Perhaps he just hadn't had the chance yet to see true justice.

"It'd sure look bad if Muria tried to bribe them and then found out they couldn't be bribed. She could be too smart to have even tried it—like you said, maybe she thinks her case is just that good."

The hallway they were in opened up not into the kitchens but into a very large dining hall. There were a ton of people still in there from breakfast, chatting and laughing over freshly baked croissants, poached eggs and thick strips of bacon, mixed fruit, and strong coffee. Servants were going around, offering food off of trays. Honey scanned the room and found Ophia and Doctor Lavin sitting at a small table close to the leftmost wall. They were sitting an awkward distance away from each other, sipping coffee and avoiding eye contact. When Honey started to pull Ari closer, he discovered that what he'd initially read as exhaustion on their faces was actually something else entirely. They were both really hungover. He shot Ari a smirk as they neared the table.

Rin might not have caught on, if Marsiquia had not immediately made that panicked expression, which made him rethink what she had just said. He cocked his head very faintly, lips parting as he considered her words. "What do you mean?" he replied, carefully. "Did you… already know?" if so, how? And more importantly… how much of the rest of this had Marsiquia already had some clue of? Was QUirisa the only one who had been completely in the dark this whole time? The bard had no love in his heart for the older de Vey sister, after what she had done, but it was still odd that she may be the only one that didn't know about the aunt's death.

How much, then, did Marsiquia know? Had Arquis told her some things, in the years that had passed? Or had Muria told her earlier? Either way, it was… odd. To be fair, Rinlos was an outsider here, not even from the country to begin with, but it was strange. THis whole situation was strange. He still felt like he was missing something.

---

"I hope there's been no attempts at bribery. or if there were, i hope it backfired on her." Ari agreed, eyes finding Lavin and Ophia and raising his eyebrows faintly, returning Honey's smirk with a small smile of his own. "Doctors." he greeted, voice not too loud so as not to disturb their hangovers too much. "How are the two of you…feeling?" he glanced between the two of them, suppressing an amused smile. UP close, the two really did look tired, and hungover, and he felt a little bit guilty about bothering them. But, well, they wouldn't be bothering the two for long, to be fair.

Marsiquia began to nervously toy with the skirt of her dress, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. "Oh. It is a bit of a secret. I'm not really supposed to tell anybody. Even Arquis does not know. So, you have to promise not to talk about it."

"The murders happened when I was about eleven. What happened that day, and the days after, is all a blur. I vaguely remember there being investigators coming in to search the property. They all came to the same conclusion, which was that my aunt attacked and killed my father with a knife. Then, they left. We had a funeral." The funeral itself was a long story, but she was determined to stay on topic, so she kept going. "You know, I used to wonder why Arquis was so determined to throw himself into himself into his new duties right after my father died. He even planned the funeral. I thought it was because he was trying to ignore his grief, but now I am beginning to wonder if he was attempting to push aside his guilt instead. Perhaps it was a mix of both."

"He began working such long hours that I rarely saw him. Quirisa began sneaking out more and more. I still had my lectures and lessons to do, so I attended those, but I started to get quite lonely. This was before I had met my boyfriend or most of my other friends, so I really was on my own. I had a hard time sleeping, since I had nightmares about Sirisa coming back. I spent a lot of nights wandering around the halls or reading. One night, I read a book about ghosts. I was still young enough that ghost stories scared me. I started to have nightmares about the ghost of my father haunting the Palace. They were very silly, I know that now, but at the time I was terrified. At this point, Arquis was even working through nights, so I did not want to bother him with my nightmares. As a result, my fear continued to grow. Until one day, I woke up and realized that I actually could see them. I could see ghosts."

She smiled, embarrassed, over at Rin. "It is not as exciting as it sounds. I cannot talk to them, and they do not do much other than, well, wander or stand in place. But that's how I knew that Sirisa was dead. I saw her ghost. I assumed that perhaps she had died after she had run from the Palace, and I went to tell my mother of my theory. But, ah, she said that I was just making things up. She warned me that if I continued to say such crazy things, then she would have to send me away."

——

Even though Ari was talking somewhat softly, Ophia groaned and put her head in her hands. "I'm feeling I never want to have wine again," she mumbled, voice muffled. "Never, ever again."

Ambrose stood and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She lifted her head and looked up, surprised but not displeased. He smiled kindly. They both blushed, and he pulled his hand away, like she'd shocked him.

"Would you like some more water? I can get some."

"Yes, I would. Thank you," she replied, something shy about her tone. As he walked away, she turned back to Honey. Her eyes narrowed. Honey was wearing a big grin. "What's that look for?"

"You like him," he singsonged. She went an even deeper shade of pink. He leaned over the table to poke her in the shoulder. "You like-like him."

"Look, it's not- it's not like that, we just- um, had some wine to cool off, since we were both so angry, and then one thing led to another- but it's not- it wasn't like that. It just happened."

Honey looked like he was about to explode from holding in his laughter. "You guys hooked up?"

"I wouldn't call it that!"

"Fine. You guys," he put on the most pretentious voice he could manage, "made love?"

Ophia sighed and put her head back in her hands. "Maybe."

Ambrose made his way back with four empty cups and one pitcher of water. He filled the glasses with mildly unsteady hands, then passed them out. When he looked at Honey, who was practically choking from still trying not to laugh, he raised a brow but didn't comment.

“Did you two need something? I think there are still leftovers from breakfast, if you’re hungry.”

RIn listened, taking in the teen's words as she spoke. "Ghosts?" he replied softly, absorbing the news. "That… makes sense." he tipped his head to one side slightly, lips parting for a moment as he tried to think about what to say as he processed what she had told him. It was…intriguing, the way her fear had manifested into seeing ghosts. He knew, sure, that that was how magic worked, but it was always interesting the specific ways that it came about. "Do you see your father, too? Or is his ghost not here?" he didn't want to press too many questions on her, but he was intrigued by this ability of hers, and everything that had happened because of it.

---

Ari grinned at Honey's teasing of Ophia, smiling happily as he listened to the conversation. "Good for you." he told the older woman before Lavin came back, giving Honey a soft, mischevious smile. At Lavin's question, though, he sobered up a little bit, a faint frown tugging at his mouth now. "Well…" he leaned forward, lowering his voice so the staff wouldn't hear. "It turns out the kitchen is refusing to make food for Arquis. So Honey and I are here to get food for, ah, ourselves," he winked, and also put airquotes around "ourselves", to make it abundantly clear who he really meant, "and we were wondering if there's anything specific that ah, "we" need. Y'know. For our health." he hoped that he was being very very clear about who he was really asking about.

(obligatory I am not a medical doctor warning, this is probably not accurate, I did research it a little bit but who knows if that's right—also this is like somewhat violent, I know you said you don’t really need warnings but a while ago someone said that they were reading this? I don’t know if they still are, but just to be safe I’m going to leave a general warning again that from here until the end of the trial it’s definitely going to be more on the mature/serious/tough to read side of things)

"His is here, too," Marsiquia responded. The question seemed to rattle her. She shivered and braced herself by putting her hands on her knees, scrunching the fabric of her dress. "I don't like looking at his ghost. It's really scary. Ghosts keep the injuries they had when they died. He was, um. He was really hurt. His clothes are all bloody."

The memory of his ghost made her feel nauseous. She tried to put it out of her mind, but she couldn't stop remembering the first time she'd seen him aimlessly wandering the halls, his torn clothes dyed a dark red. She'd been so excited to see him that she hadn't realized he was a ghost until after she'd tried to hug him. When she'd gotten armfuls of air, she'd looked up at him to find that his eyes, which had been so authoritative, so commanding, in life, were now absent. They lacked any sort of spark. Whatever he was, whether it was really him or just a leftover image that she could see, he was no longer the father she’d known.

"I don't think Arquis could've done that to him. Just on a physical level, even. Arquis has never been particularly strong. Am I supposed to believe that he won against my father in a fight? That he somehow overpowered him?" Aurisi had been a stocky, strong man, even as he got older. Arquis had been on the slim side for years before Aurisi's death. Not quite as bad as he was now, but still thin. Marsiquia shook her head. "There is something else going on here."

——

Ambrose gritted his teeth as hot anger swelled up inside him. His head ached from his hangover as his jaw grew tight, but he leaned into the pain, letting it add to his ire.

"They haven't fed him? It's been at least three days. And they haven't fed him?" Arquis would've been too knocked out on the tranquilizer to eat along the way, but the doctor had assumed the staff would've started delivering meals early that morning. His condition was evident. It took one careful look at him to know that he was sick. Why did no one in the Palace seem to care about it? Why was no one taking his health seriously? Weren't they supposed to serve the de Vey family? Ambrose found that he was squeezing the handle of his coffee mug so tightly that his whole hand was going white. He relaxed his muscles and let out a sigh.

"I am not his-" He paused. "I mean, I am not your specialist. This isn't really my field. I diagnosed, uh, you, but… let me think."

"Something plain," Ophia piped up, taking a sip of her water.

Ambrose nodded. "Plain, yes. Some fats and oils, but not too many, or else he's- you're not going to eat it. Let's see. How about some oatmeal for breakfast with fruit and almonds? Or an omelette with spinach, cheese, chicken, and a little bit of butter or olive oil? Either would work, and if you can get a smoothie to him, or, uh, to you as well, that would be even better. Get fruit in there, spinach, yogurt if you can. And avocado, for some healthy fats. He- you won't taste it."

"Remind yourselves to eat slowly. Make it last for a bit," Ophia said. "If you go too fast, you're going to accidentally make yourselves sick, and you really can't afford to lose any fluids or nutrients."

(i appreciate the warning either way dkfkjb)

At her description of Aurisi's ghost, he frowned again, brows pulling together and eyes narrowing as he considered that. He knew Arquis's ability. It wouldn't make sense for him to kill Aurisi in a way that left him bloodied. "That…doesn't make sense." he replied slowly. "You're right. Arquis is not super strong. ANd his…ability… lends itself well to killing someone, but not like that. I assumed… I assumed that if Arquis had killed Aurisi and Sirisa, that it would be through suffocation. That's his, uh, ability. SO for Aurisi to be…" he trailed off, clearly in thought about what this was, what it all meant. It took him a few more long moments to speak again, and when they did, it was slow and measured.

"It doesn't make any sense. I hope that Arquis…I hope that that gets brought up tomorrow. Because why in the world would Arquis try to physically overpower Aurisi, when his ability means he could do it from across the room?" he rubbed his hand over his chin, gaze flickering about as he shuffled around what little information that he had, really trying to figure out what had happened.

---

"They haven't fed him." Ari confirmed softly. "Trust me, ah…RInlos and QUirisa already had a screaming match. They called each other some rather choice names. Quirisa and Arquis had a fight, she ran and tattled to the court, and now no one is allowed in to see Arquis. They kicked Rin out before they could finish talking, and… well. I haven't seen him angrier than that in… maybe ever, honestly." he cleared his throat, and nodded as Lavin spoke. "And thank you for the advice on…our diet. I appreciate it, and i'm sure that it will help. For my breakfast." was this charade the most believable? No, but it didn't have to be. Just believable enough that no one passing by would question it too much.

(I'll try to remember to use them when things get darker later on! also oh my goodness this is almost 4k messages)

Marsiquia looked uncomfortable at the turn their conversation had taken. She'd been the one to bring up the ghosts and the murder, but still, it wasn't something she liked thinking about. She nodded once, somewhat hesitant, and then nodded again fervently.

"I agree. I think it could help him prove his case. Is… is it bad of me to say that I want him to win and not my mother?" she asked quietly, scrunching her skirt with her hands. She didn't look at Rin, too afraid of the judgment she might find in his gaze. "My mother is fine. I like her well enough, or at least I used to get along with her decently well. But if what you and Quirisa discovered weeks ago is true, then she poisoned Arquis, and now it seems as if she is trying to get rid of him again. I do not know why she is doing it, but what I do know is that I want him to live." She stopped fiddling with her dress, her expression growing gloomy. "I need him to live. It is not an entirely unselfish desire. I need him to live so that I can spend more time with him, and give him more hugs, and have him at my wedding someday. I do not want to live here if he is gone, especially not if Quirisa and I continue to fight."

——

Doctor Lavin and Ophia both looked surprised to hear that Rin had snapped at Quirisa, then frustrated that they'd been barred from seeing Arquis. Ophia traced her finger around the rim of her cup, frowning to herself. "Poor guy. He must be lonely up there. It seems unfair that they won't let him see anyone at all, especially if they're going to drag him through this whole mess, but I guess there's not much that can be done at this point."

"Yeah. The best we can do is, well, what we're already planning to do." Honey pushed himself up, stretched, and offered Ari his hand. "Let's go ahead and see what we can get, yeah?"

Doctor Lavin tipped his head in the direction of the kitchens. "You'll go that way through that big door, down a little bit, and then you'll walk right in. They seem pretty busy getting ready for lunch, but they might be willing to make you something, if you wait a while.”

(yooo congrats us!)

"Wanting someone to live isn't selfish." he replied softly. "And even if it is, well, I also would very much prefer that he lived." their mouth tipped to the side in a faint, crooked little smile. "But yes, it seems strange that the way Aurisi died does not match up with Arquis's ability. It's… suspicious, at the very least." he grimaced faintly, shaking his hea just a little bit. This whole thing was so suspicious and strange, but what could he even do about it? Nothing. There was nothing that he could do about this. "And anyways, I just want him to live. We haven't had time to do all the things we wanted to yet." he thought wistfully of all their little plans and dreams, all the little things that they had talked about that they could do in the future. He still wanted those things.

---

Ari took Honey's hand, lacing their fingers together and giving him a sweet smile. "Yeah. Let's go get, uh, us some food." which, truthfully, he was hungry, so some of the food would be for him. And Honey. And Rinlos. But especially Arquis. He headed over to the kitchen with HOney, opening up the doors and looking around to see who would be best to speak with.

Marsiquia finally looked over at them, watching as he smiled, grimaced, and then got a bit distant, like they were a little lost in thought. She gently nudged him with her shoulder.

"He really likes you, bard." She smiled to herself. "He's never had that many friends. Certainly not many partners. I used to wonder if maybe he just wasn't all that interested in love, but then you came along. That's why—well, I hope you don't take this the wrong way. But that's why I wasn't upset that you aren't a woman. I know that it's supposed to be wrong, and I was a little confused at first, but I don't think that something that makes him so happy could be that bad. Maybe you can't have children, but otherwise, it isn't that different. I'm not sure why everyone built it up as this awful thing."

——

The kitchen was a chaotic nightmare, but it was a chaos that even an outsider like Honey could tell was organized. Everyone seemed to have their own place, even as they rushed back and forth. Watching them dart to and fro was a little bit like watching gears spin in a clock. They'd go around, then come back, then around again. Because they were so busy, however, nobody noticed the two newcomers standing there, at least not immediately. That gave Honey time to eavesdrop. Off to the right, a man and a woman stationed next to each other were arguing loudly, their words as pointed as the blades they were using to slice and dice vegetables.

"I'm not saying we've gotta make him a buffet, I'm just saying it's not fair to starve the guy, you know?"

"No, I don't know," the guy argued back, sweeping some diced onion into a bowl. He grabbed a new onion and got back to work, his knife strokes swift and confident. "He killed a man! Two men! Two people, I mean. You get what I'm saying."

The woman shrugged. "I still think he's been framed. I think someone else did it and the old gal's just pinning it on him."

"Why would she do that? They were married. She had three of his kids."

"Oh! Maybe she met someone new! So, she took out her ex, but maybe someone else found out about it, and so now she's trying to pin the blame on him. I don't know. I just don't think he did it. He's an odd duck, sure, but I don't think he's a murderer."

"Too odd, if you ask me. I think it makes perfect sense." The man paused, his knife faltering. He'd finally locked eyes with Honey. "Uh. Can I help you?"

Rinlos looked at her, listening to what she was telling him, and he smiled softly. "THanks." he replied, returning the easy bump by tapping his own shoulder against Marsi's. "And, well, if he and I ever wanted kids in the future, we could always adopt. There's plenty of kids out there who need parents. Or find a surrogate, or… i don't know. Whatever, really." he shrugged a hsoulder. "Besides, you Anvilleans are, no offense, a little bit more easily offended by this sort of thing. In my home country, being like Arquis and I is not… it is not seen as this bad thing that it is seen as here. So…" he gave another light, easy smile. "Yeah."

---

"Hello." Ari spoke up, flashing a light smile. "Ah… I have some… specific dietary concerns, and I was hoping that you would be able to… accomodate them? If not, i understand and I will find some other things, i was just wondering if I would be able to order some ccertain other things." he didn't mind pretending that it was him that these things were needed for. THe staff had no idea who he was, so they would ahve no reason to suspect anything beyond what he was saying to them.

Marsiquia laughed, startling even herself. She hadn't expected to be happy until this was all over, given the seriousness of the occasion, yet her cheeks already hurt from smiling. She could see why Arquis liked Rin. Almost everyone she met at the events they hosted were formal to the point of stuffiness, and they always desperately tried to impress her family. Rin was different. They spoke badly about Anvillea and the things she'd been raised to believe straight to her face, rather than behind her back.

"Anvillea is messed up in a lot of ways, and that is one of them. I often wish I did not live here at all. It would have been nice to have grown up in a place where there is not so much judgment." Her smile disappeared. She began to toy with her hair, a distracted look taking over her face. "You know, Arquis probably got the worst of the gossip and the judgment after our father's death, but it has not been easy for any of us. I tend to get the pity, which is fine, but sometimes people are still rude. I have overheard people saying that I have let myself go since his death," she crossed her arms over her stomach as she spoke, as if hiding it, "or that I am childish, immature, and fake. I know those comments are made out of jealousy, and I try not to let them affect me, but I understand why my brother is the way that he is."

She glanced over the bed at all the stuff they'd packed for him. "Do you think we should bring this all back to him now that we've waited a little bit? I am sure he is very uncomfortable."

——

The male chef shook his head, returning to his work. "Sorry. We're rushing to get everything together for lunch and dinner. We don't have time to work on special orders right now. You'll have to come back later."

"Hold on, Jacquard. Let's see what they need, first. I might be able to put something together from what we have left from breakfast." The woman turned to Honey and Ari. She stuck out her hand, remembered she was holding a knife, quickly cleaned and sheathed it, and then smiled. She seemed to have forgotten that she'd been trying to shake their hands. "So, dietary concerns, huh? Allergies?"

"Not exactly. My friend here has a diet plan given to him by his doctor. He's got this genetic condition, this blood sugar thing, y'know? And if it gets real bad, it makes him pass out." Honey hadn't really thought about their scheme much beforehand, and now that they were there, he was just making it all up. He hoped he sounded even a little bit like he knew what he was talking about, or else they'd be in hot water. Luckily for him, the woman nodded sympathetically.

"My uncle had something like that. Well, kind of, his was a heart thing. But he had a lot of dietary restrictions." She looked over at Ari. "What do you need? I can try to throw something together really quick."

He smiled gently at her, listening. His mouth pinched at the words about letting herself go. What a cruel thing to say, to someone so young. Marsiquia was so young still. Fifteen? Sixteen? One of those, he couldn't remember her exact age, but it was still true. SHe was still in the middle of the teenage hormone jumps, where it was normal for some weight fluctuation. THere was nothing wrong with it, and it was cruel to say anything about it. "Your brother told me… a little bit about the rumors. And I've heard others in my travels. But it is still…well. I wasn't sure what to believe, and honestly…I'm still not."

At her question, he glanced about to check the time, then looked down at the things that they had gathered. "Ah, most likely. I was just wanting to wait so that hopefully Quirisa will not be there. I… don't want her trying to interfere with this." with what she had already pulled, he wouldn't put it past her to pull more cruelty, more ways to try and keep anything of comfort from Arquis.

---

"Well, i was hoping I would be able to get some oatmeal? WIth fruit and almonds? Or, if not, then an omelette with, ah…" he trailed off, trying to remember what doctor Lavin had said. "Spinach, cheese, chicken? ANd cooked in butter or olive oil?" he tried to list off all the options he could. "And a smoothie, if possible? With some spinach and avocado?" he gave the woman a soft, friendly smile. "Sorry to be picky like this. Believe me, I'd rather not be bothering you about this." She seemed friendly, at least. And, based on what they had overheard, she was on Arquis's side. He still wasn't going to risk telling her about the truth of it, especially with other chefs in the room that clearly were not in favor of feeding Arquis anything. "If you can't do all of it, I understand, I just…foods that are nutrient dense would be preferable, without being too heavy. If that makes sense?"

Marsiquia nodded when they spoke about the rumors. There were a lot of them out there. Most were about what happened the night her father was killed, and they were all awful. Some people said that he hadn't really died and that they were keeping him locked up somewhere as punishment for various crimes. Some said that he'd done it to himself and that they were covering it up. Some said that Arquis had done it. She supposed they'd been right about that one, but still, the rumor mill was horrible.

She cleared those thoughts from her mind and focused on the present. They had to take everything to Arquis. She scooped up the clothes that she'd chosen, being careful not to wrinkle them, since she doubted they'd be willing to let him have an iron, and went to the door. Even though they were going back the way they came, she knew the halls could be confusing, so she took the lead. When they got there, she wasn't surprised to see that Quirisa was gone. She'd probably stormed off not long after they'd left. She was, however, surprised to see a stranger standing there, casually chatting with the guards.

The stranger turned and recognized Rin. Their
expression immediately brightened. It was Ivanaya, the person from the inn who'd come over to talk with and proposition Rin the day Arquis had met with the specialist. They were in dark red, tight fitting robes that had been modified with a low neckline and tied at the waist with a sash. They had on the same big ruby heart necklace that they'd worn that day. Their long brown hair was braided up with a thin gold and ruby chain.

"Ah, my friend! Was waiting to see you!" Their bright smile faded into a gentle, even sad, expression "Am very sorry. Such a sad time, hm?"

Marsiquia squinted at a gold pin on their robes. Her brow creased in confusion. "Are you- I'm sorry, but are you on the Court? Isn't that their badge?"

They nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! Well, sort of yes! I am pay to help. It is like, ah, temporary member. I am there sometimes. That is why I come to this country! They told me, 'Ivanaya, we think we may have tricky case, come out to help. Will pay you very much.' And so I am here!" They frowned over at Rin. "Did not know what case was until few days ago. Did not know it was about your special friend. Very sorry."

——

The guy shook his head adamantly. "Like I said, we're too busy to do all that. Or any of it. You're going to have to see if you can find something that's already being served that'll work and wait until we can cook you something later today."

"I'll do it," the woman said, stepping away from her workstation. Her coworker made an exasperated sound. She rolled her eyes. "Don't throw a fit. It's not gonna take that long, maybe half an hour, at most."

"And who's going to finish what you're doing now?"

"You will! You're always bragging about how you're the fastest one in this kitchen. So, you can surely finish this up for me no problem, while I tend to these paying guests, yeah?"

She didn't wait for him to respond before carrying her work over to him, dumping it in his space, and hurrying off to gather ingredients. He stood there grumbling to himself. She came back with a stack of ingredients, which she efficiently unloaded, and turned to Ari and Honey.

"Either of you know how to cook?"

Honey winced. "Not well. Kinda just, like, pancakes?"

She smiled. "Okay, we can work with that. Go wash your hands and then come on back here." He did so. She glanced at Ari. "How about you? I'm going to need some extra hands, if we want to get through this fast."

Rin helped to gather and carry everything over to Arquis, and his brows jumped in surprise when he spotted Ivanaya. "Oh! Hello again." he said, giving them a quick, slightly uncertain smile. "It is alright, I…" he didn't want to say anything too much and be accused of trying to influence the case. But at the same time… maybe it was a good thing that Ivanaya was on the court? Maybe they would help sway things a little bit in Arquis's favor? Then again… their experience with Arquis had not exactly been the most positive. Gods. He was… worried. And he didn't know if Ivanaya's presence on the court would be a help, or instead would make this all worse?

He looked over at Marsiquia, then at Ivanaya. "Marsiquia, this is Ivanaya, we met at the, ah, hotel." he glanced over at them, then at Marsiquia again, trying to think about how much to say. "I… didn't know that they would be here." he shifted his grip on the stuff in his hands. "Ah…Ivanaya, we brought these in the hopes we could give them to Arquis. It's just a fresh change of clothes and some grooming supplies." he gave them a hopeful look, really hoping that they would let these things be given to Arquis. "You or…or one of the guards can go through them, if need be?"

---

Ari listened to the back and forth, and gave the woman a soft smile. He felt bad about deceiving her, but… well, when this was all over, if Arquis won, then maybe he could speak to Arquis and tell him what this woman had done, knowingly or not. And also point out which cook specifically had not wanted to feed his own boss. "I can do a bit." he said. "I don't cook a lot, but I'm a quick learner and I'll do my best. Thank you so much for helping me." he really did want to make it clear how much he appreciated her help, even if it wasn't actually for him.

Ivanaya smiled at Marsiquia when Rin introduced them. Marsiquia still looked confused. When she thought of judges, she thought of old men in dull robes that sat about all day. She didn't think of people like the individual in front her, who was young, boldly dressed, and chatty. If they noticed her confusion, they didn't say anything about it.

When Rin described his plan, Ivanaya put their hand over their heart and made a soft cooing sound. "Oh, my friend, that is very sweet. Yes, yes, I will look. Bring here."

One by one, Ivanaya went through the items, placing them into the nearest guard's hands when they deemed them safe. They were very careful to pat down every item of clothing, searching every pocket and feeling along the insides for hidden pouches or flaps. After determining that the clothes were safe—except for the tie, which they returned to Marsiquia with an apologetic look—they moved on to the items Rin had packed. They took out a small knife to cut through the soft items, like deodorant and soap, to make sure they weren't hiding contraband, then passed them to the guard. When they reached the shaving kit, they shook their head.

"Cannot, ah, sharp… no sharp things, not good. Too many bad things to happen, hm?" They handed it over to Rin and kept going. After another moment, they paused again. They took out the pencil and gave it to him as well. "Sorry. Too sharp."

"It's a pencil!" Marsiquia cried. "How could he possibly hurt anyone with a pencil?"

"We are not worried about him hurting others," the guard holding the items said. Marsiquia paled, the implication too much for her to handle. To imagine her brother so desperate that he would see a pencil and resort to such a desperate measure—it shook her to her core.

——

The woman nodded enthusiastically and began to tidy her workspace so they could use it. "Yeah, of course! We're busy, but that doesn't mean we can just ignore someone who needs some help."

She said that last part pointedly, her lips twisting to the side with distaste. Then, she stopped, her hand halting on the cloth she'd been using to clean the counter. Something clicked in her head. She looked at Ari curiously, scanning him, really taking him in. Just as she was about to speak, Honey came bouncing back over. He clapped his clean hands together.

"Okay, chef, tell me what to do."

"Right. Um, well, let's have you start washing what needs washing. Spinach for the omelette, berries for the smoothie. Then you can crush the berries up with the mortar and pestle over there, it's pretty easy. After that, you can mix the yogurt I set out in a different bowl with some milk and yogurt, and then add the berry mixture. We'll put it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while cooking everything else."

She turned to Ari as Honey went off, clutching the cases of berries and bundle of spinach to his chest. "Hey. You know, maybe we can help each other with something. A favor for a favor, you know?”

Rin was quite willing to let Ivanaya go through it all, knowing that it would work out well. When they passed back the shaving supplies, he frowned a little, thinking of the stubble that had been on Arquis's chin. "Can I help him shave?" he asked. "I won't let him have the razor, I'll do it for him. So he looks more presentable?" they knew that visitors weren't technically allowed now, but… well, maybe they would let him in just for a few minutes to help Arquis shave?

He didn't love the insinuation that Arquis would hurt himself, but… well, he could understand the concern. Even if he disliked it, he understood it. It was sad, though, that it meant that Arquis could not have a pencil, and thus would not be able to write or draw. UNless…he looked over at Marsiquia. "Do you know if Arquis would have any charcoal sticks?" he asked her. "Those aren't… it's physically impossible to hurt yourself with those, and even if he ate them, since it's just charcoal it's harmless. Not a… it will not act as a toxin. He could use those?" he glanced at Ivanaya, to make sure that they agreed with him.

---

Ari watched as Honey came over, doing his best to try and help the woman out with cleaning up and preparing for this. At her question, he cocked his head very slightly, wondering where this was going. She probably didn't know who he was, so what exactly could she want from him? He paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Maybe, what's the favor that you're wanting?" he asked, washing his hands off and waiting to see what she wanted.

Sadness passed through Ivanaya's eyes as they shook their head. It was clear they genuinely felt bad about the whole thing, but part of being on the Court meant they had to follow the rules. If they didn't, they might get kicked out of Anvillea for good. This temporary gig always paid well, but it had its risks, and even though they truly wanted to help, they just couldn't go through with it. Especially not with all of the guards around.

"Am sorry, my friend. Very tough rules. He is locked down. No one can go in." They fidgeted with their heart pendant. "He is danger. Even though he is no danger, they say he is, yes? No sharp things at all. But the charcoal, is that what you say? Charcoal? Yes?" Marsiquia nodded and they smiled at last. "Yes! Yes, that is soft. Not sharp! No danger."

Marsiquia turned to Rin. "I know where he keeps his art stuff. I'll go find them."

Before waiting for their answer, she hurried off. Ivanaya watched her go before looking back at Rin.

"Is the little sister, yes?" they asked quietly. "Poor girl. He is not the, ah, favor? The favor to win. Am not suppose to say, but it is not look good, my friend."

——

The woman sensed his hesitation and laughed. "Oh, nothing bad! Don't worry, I'm not going to make you peel potatoes for life or anything. But, uh, look." She leaned in closer, pitching her voice down in case Jac, her coworker, or anyone else was listening. "It's been really bothering me that we're not helping out Sir de Vey. I know he's not the most popular person right now, but he is still a person, and he deserves a good meal. From what I’ve heard, they’ve kind of been starving the poor man.”

She didn't add, of course, that what they made might be one of his last meals, but the sentiment was evident in the way she sighed. She drummed her fingers on the counter.

"Maybe if I agree to do this for you, then you could, I don't know, run a little bit up to him in secret? I know you don't know him, but surely you wouldn't object to that, would you? I mean, it's a basic human right, yeah?"

Rin nodded in understanding, though he was still disappointed by the news that he could not help. "The youngest sister, yeah. Quirisa… well." he would keep his thoughts on the older de Vey sister to himself for the moment. "And I…I know it doesn't look good for him." he said softly, not sure what all he could say. He didn't want to affect the case somehow. "And I know that, ah, your encounter with him at the hotel was not the most positive of encounters, but he's not…" he thought for a moment, teeth catching on his lip as he tried to think of how to say what he meant. Anvillean was not his native language, and it was not Ivanaya's either. Ah, the irony of it. "He's not a violent person. I don't know what i can and can't say to you, without… without it affecting the case somehow, but he's a good person. And I know he confessed, and I know that that doesn't really help his case, but I think there's more to it."

He cleared his throat, gaze flickering to the closed door. Hoping he hadn't said too much, or the wrong thing. "And I know that I'm his partner, and I'm biased, and maybe my word about this doesn't mean quite as much, but, uhm, yeah."

---

Ari listened, brows flicking upwards slightly. He thought carefully for a very long moment, gaze moving to the other cook, and then back to her. "Well…I suppose i must make a confession." he said, keeping his voice quiet. "This food isn't quite for me. My, ah, friend and I came here as part of a small group, and we're… friends with Arquis." he took a deep breath. "And they told us today that the kitchen was refusing to cook for him, and… well, Honey– my blond friend, the one that's washing the fruits right now –and I came down here. But… we thought that if we said outright who it was for, that we might not be able to get what we needed." he looked at her, waiting to see her reaction to that reveal. "So, while I am hungry and willl be eating something, most of this stuff is going elsewhere."

(I know this is probably a while off but I'm curious how Rin's going to bring up their frustrations with Arquis after the trial)

Ivanaya placed a comforting hand on their shoulder, then, as his continued, stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. They smelled of cinnamon, and they gave surprisingly good, warm hugs. They pulled back slightly after a moment so they could look at him directly.

"My friend. You can say what you think is good. No worries. I am not bias, yes? Hear both sides say things before, but listen to all the facts tomorrow." They cupped the side of Rin's face. "Let me show what tomorrow is like. If he is good person, I can see. Let me show."

They swiftly moved forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Rin's cheek, then leaned back again. A faint golden glow settled over Rin and then faded. If their ability was working as per usual, then Rin should begin to realize that they could not lie. If he tried to tell a blatant lie, then the words would simply not come out. He could avoid the question or duck around it with vague statements or omissions, but he couldn't tell a direct lie.

"Do you think your special friend will win?" they asked softly, waiting for his answer.

——

The chef looked visibly taken aback, though not necessarily upset. After she got over that initial confusion, she grinned. "Well, that just worked out perfectly, didn't it? I didn't know Sir de Vey had any friends. That's great!" She realized that what she said could be seen as rude and flushed. "I mean, not that he's not a friendly guy, he's just kind of, you know, busy. But I'm so glad that he's got people in his corner! He was always nice to me. I hate to think that he's being treated badly just because everyone thinks he did it. Truth is, we don't know what happened that day! He could be totally innocent, and we'd be starving the poor guy for no reason!"

She glanced over Ari's shoulder, saw Jac was still focused on his work, and let out a relieved sigh. Her focus went back to Ari.

"Okay, tell you what, you can get started on the omelette. Just crack some eggs into a bowl, whisk them with salt, pepper, and a little bit of butter. I'll get the chicken grilling and shred the cheese. After that's all ready, I'll make the omelette, and you can go help your friend cut up and mash avocado for that smoothie. That sound good?"

(honestly I haven't decided/figured that out. i figure either it all comes out in a big rush/almost meltdown from the amount of stress he was under, or they start talking and Rin just blurts it,,, idk yet)

He returned the hug, letting go when they did, and hesitating as the effect of their ability settled over him. His mouth parted as he considered their question, and he looked at them. "I… I don't know." the response made its way out in a soft tone. "I hope that he does, but I don't know the full story. I… he couldn't bring himself to tell me, and I'd rather he be able to tell the… well, you judges. Tomorrow. But i know Arquis, and he's not… he's not a violent person. He doesn't even… he doesn't like confrontation, at all, unless he doesn't have any other choice, and…" he trailed off, remembering what he and Marsiquia had discussed. "His ability doesn't even make sense for how AUrisi died." he looked over at Ivanaya, raising his eyebrows. "Arquis can steal the breath from your lungs, but Aurisi died of stab wounds. Which doesn't… it doesn't even make any sense. If Arquis was going to kill someone, why wouldn't he use his abilities?"

He exhaled, running a hand through their hair and looking at Ivanaya with soft hope in his eyes. "THat's… that's what i mean. There's some other piece in this story, and i don't know it, but I really hope he can win this. I… I know it doesn't look good for him, but I do think he can."

---

Ari gave her a little smile. "Yeah, exactly. Whether he's guilty or not, he still deserves food." he said softly, getting to work on what she had asked him to work on. "THank you for the help, ah… what was your name again?" he couldn't remember if she had introduced herself or not. If she had, then, well, now he felt embarrassed. but if she hadn't, then he wanted to know her name. "We all appreciate it." giving Arquis the foods that Dr Lavin had suggested would help, or at least he hoped so. Getting some food into the man's system would help his brain function better when it came time for the actual trial.

(oh I like that first one! what if Arquis kind of goes into workaholic mode like he did after his dad died, and finally when Rin has that meltdown, it forces Arquis to confront the fact that he's been pushing them away again and they have to actually talk about it?)

Ivanaya looked momentarily confused when they brought up the method of killing, but, after seeing the hope in his eyes, their features softened. They continued to gently cup his face and stroke his cheek. When Rin finished speaking, they tapped his shoulder, and the glow returned. It dissipated slowly into the air like golden smoke. Rin would once again be able to tell lies, if they so desired.

"Mm. Odd, that he would stab, yes. Am sure that will be asked tomorrow, my friend. Maybe to, ah…" Their brow furrowed again, not out of confusion but out of frustration. They could speak this language well enough, but they still struggled with a lot of specific words. "To mix up everything. To mix up detectives, hm? Will ask him in trial. But am glad you have hope, my friend. Am very glad."

At that point, Marsiquia came hurrying down the hall with a pack of charcoal sticks. Some of the black dust from inside the sticks had gotten on the outside, and it left dark smudges on her white sleeves, but she didn't seem to care. She handed the pack to Ivanaya, who examined it, then passed it to the guard. The guard adjusted all of the items before taking them into the room. Several minutes passed before the guard returned, carrying two folded pieces of paper. He handed one to Rin and the other to Marsiquia. Marsiquia quickly opened hers and began to read.

While Marsiquia's note had a couple of short paragraphs, Rin's note only contained a few separated sentences.

'I am so sorry, my heart. I never wanted any of this. Thank you for helping out. You are wonderful.' His name was signed right below that part, but a little further down the page, almost as if an afterthought, he'd added, 'It is lonely in here. I miss you. I love you.' In shakier handwriting, at the very bottom, he'd written, 'I am so scared.'

——

The chef startled. "Oh! Gosh, I really haven't told you my name, have I? It's Katrenne, but you can call me Kate, if you'd like. Almost everyone does."

She went to work grilling some chicken. They'd used a lot of the chicken for lunch yesterday but had some leftover, and since it'd been safely stored but wasn't planned for the rest of the week's menu, she figured it was good for her use. Once that was ready, she prepared her skillet but didn't yet turn the stove on. She shredded a hunk of cheese into a small bowl and set that off to the side, then fetched the washed spinach from Honey. She brought it back and leaned against the counter as she waited for Ari to finish prepping the eggs.

"We should have a lot of pastries left from breakfast. Spinach and feta, bacon and swiss, and more. Some with fruit, I think. Make sure you boys grab some for yourselves, okay? And some juice, too."