Night 61: M-A Block Hallway

[thesadist]

[Coming from here.]

Daemon stepped out of the long hall of doors and into the corridor that connected the male hallways. It was quiet yet, so maybe he hadn't taken as long as he'd thought. Figuring this was as good a place to any to wait for Renji, he settled back against the far wall, slouching slightly as he settled in to wait. Hands tucked casually into his pockets, he couldn't quite stifle the amused smile that kept threatening to resurface.

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[kings_thief]

As Locke made his way down the hall to the larger hall, his mind went over the map he'd been creating in the journal. He knew those routes well enough but the lack of anything but those few halls was bothering him a bit. It made him a bit nervous to not know everything about the areas he could get to and what areas there may still be that he didn't know. Maybe the rooms they found tonight would shed some light on that empty space in his map.

At the very least, they could give him some details.

Looking around the hall, he spotted a few other people but smiled when his eyes landed on Tolten and he made his way to his friend.

"Hey, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."


[From here]

[age_of_kings]

Tolten was already angling himself forward to greet Locke as the other man approached. He knew they were on a dangerous outing, but...he was still quite glad to spend time with his friend.

"No, not at all," the young king exclaimed, quite honestly. "I hope the trip here was smooth. Ah...here." Reaching into the pocket of his military coat, Tolten withdrew one of the suckers he'd gotten with his meals. "I..I have a bit of privilege, now, and...well, I have two..."

Goodness, there was no need to feel so silly! But he almost felt like a child, offering a hoarded sweet to a friend. Perhaps he shouldn't give Locke the card...

[kings_thief]

"It was uneventful." He shrugged but then his attention went to the offered sweet and he gave it a perplexed look. It looked like a small lollipop...he hadn't seen one of those in years, since before the world went crazy, and certainly not one so small. "Is this...candy?" The smile he gave made him feel a bit like a child, but he didn't pay the thought much attention.

"Thank you. These are kinda rare back home. Even before people stopped making them, they weren't exactly easy to come by."

He almost didn't know if he should eat it now or wait..but it was here...besides, who knew if it would end up disappearing by morning, might as well enjoy it now.

[age_of_kings]

"I get one with lunch and dinner," Tolten explained. "We have something similar, but not quite like this. And I haven't had candy in...a long time." He didn't keep any in the castle, and he didn't exactly wander the streets buying himself anything. He ate whatever the cook made and that was that. Well, he supposed he'd had some in Samhan, come to think about it. But it had been some sort of nut paste confection.

Well, it was now or never.

"I...ah...also have this for you." He cleared his throat, flushing, and pulled out the golden glitter-covered card. Inside it simply said 'I'm truly sorry for last night, and thank you from the depths of my heart for your friendship'.

And it was too late to take it back now.

[kings_thief]

"Strange thing to get for lunch and dinner." Weren't they usually things for special occasions? Well, it could be different in this world, who knew. Maybe candies were more accessible here, perhaps more in demand. It certainly made sense for the daytime staff to hand things like that out, considering how much the 'patients' here were treated like children.

He was about to comment on it when he got distracted by the card. The very glittery card. He took a moment to read it and couldn't help the amusement he had from it.

"Thank you." Closing the distance between them, Locke pulled the taller man into a hug; it made him feel extremely happy to know Tolten valued their friendship as much as the treasure hunter did. Not that he had really doubted, but it was still something to see it written out. "Though, you know I don't blame you for that at all, right?"

[age_of_kings]

The hug both startled and touched Tolten. Being embraced...it wasn't something normal to him, not really. Gongora had done so, often, but the memories of those touches were tainted and sickening now. A demon had held him close and whispered kind and sweet words into his ear.

And Sed had embraced him, once, in the cage of light. But they had been near death and certain there was no escape.

Tolten honestly couldn't remember ever being hugged simply out of joy and fondness. He found himself returning it, earnestly if awkwardly, and trembling some as he felt Locke's hair against his cheek.

"I know. ...But I still feel badly."

[kings_thief]

"Don't. There are more important things to worry about, after all; besides, didn't even get a scratch out of it, I've been through worse." The scars on his arms, hands, and hidden under his clothing were testament enough to that, a run in with a virgin-eating bird that had only affected his energy was hardly anything to worry over.

"Come on, we've got more danger to get into." He smirked and pulled away, hoping the card would be safe in his pocket till he could get back to his room, then took one of Tolten's hands and headed to the main hall where the stairs were.

Perhaps it was a little mean to fluster Totlen like that, but he found it a bit amusing and, besides, it was a nice sort of contact that reminded him , yes, the other man was still there with him; something he knew he'd always be a little paranoid about in a place like this.

[age_of_kings]

"I worry about everything," Tolten sheepishly admitted. He didn't pull his hand away, when Locke took it. He wasn't entirely sure what - if anything - Locke was trying to say with the gesture, but... it was nice. It was so nice to feel accepted and thought of kindly and well. And without having had to go through hell to prove himself first.

Or because something was wanted of him.

It was something entirely new and delighting. And perhaps he kept feeling as a child in Locke's presence, but wasn't that normal? He'd never had a proper childhood with friends or fun or anything like that. He'd been wielding a sword since he was six, for goodness sakes! He supposed Tristan had been a friend, but the man had been his bodyguard. And Tolten hadn't even realized how much the man cared until it was far too late to matter.

"You don't need to sound so excited about it!" the young king teased, swinging his pipe at his side as he laughed. "Ah...now let me see if I can remember which stairs it was...."

[kings_thief]

Locke Laughed. "Fair enough. Try worrying less about it." There was no point trying to get him to stop worrying about something if that was just how Tolten was; he wasn't the first person like that Locke had met. Besides, if Locke just showed Tolten it wasn't that big of a deal, then maybe that would help.

[To here]