audio;

[sunsetking]

Type: Voice
Sender ID: sunsetking (Leona Kingscholar)
To: public
Subject: sleep
Warnings: Will update as needed


[There's the sound of a grunt before a long sigh.]

I'm a fan of naps as any other person [Enjoy the deep, groggy-sounding voice.] but I doubt it's normal to just be sent straight into a coma out of nowhere.

[Yeah, guess who's surprisingly not a fan of that?]

Is that a normal thing that happens around here or what?

Comments

[deepstar]

Hey, I was concerned. Knowing you, you'd wake up and just roll back over.

[ Which is probably what Leona did. But since he's asking about his pen, Khalid will dig it out of his sash and hand it over. ]

I figured you wouldn't want it laying around out in the open.

[sunsetking]

[…That’s exactly what he did.

Leona accepts his pen and glances at the stone. Hmm, still dark. So that long sleep didn’t help at all.]

I didn’t. [Pause.] …Thanks.

[deepstar]

Do I get to lecture you a little about your pen at least?

[ He promised he wouldn't nag about the being asleep. No the pen. ]

[sunsetking]

Haven’t you lectured me already when you found out about it?

[His ears fall back.]

[deepstar]

It was just a question. You could say yes or not.

[ Don't get so huffy. ]

[sunsetking]

Another day when I haven’t just woken up.

[No more lectures, please.]

[deepstar]

Sure thing, kitten.

[ More nicknames. Leona asked for this. ]

Go on and get yourself cleaned up.

[sunsetking]

[An ear twitch at the nickname.

But Leona just grunts, forcing himself to get up and walks off to disappear into a washroom or something. He misses…technology. With proper water heating.]

[deepstar]

[ Never stop being precious, Leona.

Khalid will just. Busy himself with a book until the other is cleaned up and in a set of fresh clothes. ]

[sunsetking]

That my book or your book?

[Leona returns after some time, finally looking fresh and clean after taking the closest to a shower in this place. He blinks slowly and tilts his head at the older man.]

[deepstar]

Yes.

[ That’s a very confusing answer isn’t it? He looks up though. Claude closes the book and sets it to the side. Again, he just sort of looks at Leona. Unreadable. ]

It’s nice to see you up and moving again

[sunsetking]

[That answers nothing.

He eyes him for a moment, ears flicking forward.]

It feels better to walk again.

[Though he raises a brow.]

Something on your mind?

[deepstar]

[ He'll be leaving the book here with Leona so... ]

I imagine so. Your body probably feels pretty stiff.

[ Claude then stands and offers a hand. ]

See, you can't ask me questions like that. The default answer is yes, of course. There are a lot of somethings on my mind. At all times, in fact.

[sunsetking]

[More stiff than he likes to admit.

A glance at the book then back at him. At his hand. A slow blink before he does...accept that hand.]

In regards to me since you've been giving me a look a couple of times now.

[deepstar]

Maybe I've just been giving something some serious thought while you've been taking a long nap.

[ A little vague still, but enough that Leona should be able to draw some conclusions. In other words, he has been thinking about that date and why Leona would have asked him on it. Why Khalid would have agreed to it and all of the things between. ]

What are you feeling tonight? my treat.

[sunsetking]

Good thoughts, I hope.

[How vague, Khalid. It makes him wonder what exactly he's missed over the weeks for the older man to finally make him realize what he's feeling or...something like that.]

Anything with lots of meat.

[deepstar]

Where you're concerned? Of course.

[ Look he's even going to twin their fingers together as they walk towards the closest town. ]

[sunsetking]

[...What did he miss?

Leona is surprised when Claude twines their fingers, ears flicking back but that's all that really shows before they start walking to town.]

[deepstar]

[ You could always just come right out and ask him.

Of course he's also happy to just chat about his wyvern and how she's doing. Leona can take his pick! ]

[sunsetking]

[Give him a moment.

Then:]

...What kind of thoughts have you been having while I was asleep?

[A pointed look at their twined hands though he doesn't pull his away.]

[deepstar]

For you, it was probably like just waking up from a nap. It's been a couple of weeks for me so it shouldn't be all that surprising that I had time to really stop and think.

[ Which is something he has time to do here. There's no war to completely occupy his thoughts. No succession for the throne to plot and scheme for. None of his concerns from home apply to this place so his mind is allowed to wander to other things. Things that he hasn't had to consider before.

It's not like Khalid is ignorant of people and their emotions. He can identify someone trying to flirt with him. However the way that Leona's gone about it is... Not entirely conventional? ]

At the time, I wasn't really sure why you asked me out on a date. Well, I mean I knew why people typically ask the question, but you're no blushing maiden nor are you so obvious about your feelings. When I asked you said you wanted to. Simple as that. I agreed to go with because I wanted to. Simple as that.

[ With his free hand he rubs the back of his neck. ]

Now I'm not blind. I know people are objectively attractive. It's just I can't say I've been particularly attracted to someone before so I didn't quite realize that's what had been going on until a little bit after that date. The thing is it's not this swooning feeling, but contentment, I suppose. I enjoy your presence and your company. Now I can't say it will be easy, considering all the barriers I have up but you know that and it doesn't seem like it's discouraged you at all.

[sunsetking]

[Leona definitely didn't do things by conventional means. Though, he's picked up that being a little more straightforward with Khalid reaps more rewards. In the end, they're almost cut from the same cloth.

Contentment.

Knowing that, though...it makes Leona feel something. Warmth? Realizing Khalid has come to think about this and figuring it out slowly...It feels like he's made an effort in all of this. Something that hits Leona a little closer than he'd ever admit.]

If I was discouraged by it, I wouldn't have taken you out the first time.

[Because he sees those barriers and that hadn't stopped him. Didn't even faze him. For once, there was someone he wanted, someone he felt drawn to, and so he put in that first step of making an effort. If it wasn't reciprocated? That's fine.]

[deepstar]

We're the same in that sense, aren't we? It's not like I'm really discouraged by your own barriers either. I've never pretended to not like what I've seen of you, Leona.

[ So yes. He likes you. Claude doesn't necessarily know about love because he hasn't experienced it. But he does like this lion and - ]

Aaaand maybe I don't want anyone else to get any funny ideas first.

[sunsetking]

So you've made that clear.

[Wait--

Slow blink.]

What funny ideas?

[Getting possessive already, Claude?]

[deepstar]

[ A grin. ]

Well if I'm going to seriously consider what's going on between you and me, I can't really let you pick out someone else. I'm not the type that likes to share.