[Challenge 002] The Company of Misery
Title: The Company of Misery
Game: Rekka no Ken
WordCount: 1112
Characters: Kent, Sain
Warnings: Eh, some vague support spoilers, general aimlessness, lame title...etc
"Oh, your cruel words wound my poor heart," Sain clutched his hands over his heart, feigning an arrow wound, "How could my brother in arms and in spirit say such a thing?" His face contorted into one of profound sorrow.
Kent merely sighed as he become accustomed, and shook his head. "You know I do not speak falsely. Do not start such pretenses with me. It does you no good. I merely say to you what has been spoken by others."
Sain tilted his head, his frown lessening, but becoming more genuine, "Is my honor then so tarnished that people would suspect such a thing of me?"
"I said only that people are suspicious of the company you seek. Whatever implications you draw from that are your own."
"Ah, but," Sain's shoulder's slumped, "I do know what they mean."
"Do you?" Kent lifted his eyes from his sword and ceased the rhythmic cleansing of his cloth over the steel.
Sain's eyes closed and his lips pulled into a small, sad smile. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly. "Isadora."
Kent leaned forward of the tree that had been propping his posture and set his things aside. Frowning slightly, he patted the ground twice by his side before laying his arms across his steepled knees. He did not speak, but allowed Sain to seat himself upon the spot indicated and speak when he was ready.
"She was always elusive in her answers, meeting words with duels and training. She accepted very little, it was hard for me to even impress upon her a cup of tea." He laughed lightly, his eyes looking upon memory. "No words of love or heartache ever graced her lips, no Lycian ring gently pressed an eternal kiss to her slender finger." Sain leaned back on the heel of a hand and twirled a blade of grass in his other. "And yet perhaps I ought to have known."
Silence fell between them as Kent contemplated his companion's words. He rolled his own over his tongue for a while, choosing them carefully before speaking. "Are you then be judged so for your ignorance? Perhaps it is poor form to seek and enjoy the company of a betrothed, but such a sin cannot be so great as to know and still desire proximity of the forbidden kind."
Sain quickly turned, catching a glimpse of Kent's bitterness before it was swallowed in the solemnity of his own expression. It was not like him to allude to his own pains, such did the man dislike to burden others.
"How thickheaded of me to speak of wounds when the one you bear is so much greater. There are many women for me to seek and yet only one for yourself." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with a single finger before turning to point at regard Kent apologetically.
Everything about Kent tensed in that single moment from his back to his gaze, which also increased in severity. Perhaps the danger they imparted would serve as warning enough for his friend to very kindly back off of the subject.
Sain of course did no such thing, instead scooting closer and throwing an arm around Kent's stiff shoulders. "As of yet, you have not taken me up on my offer, my friend. How do you expect to win fair lady's heart when you sit idly by and do nothing?"
Kent attempted to shrug the weight of Sain's arm from his shoulders. After failing, he raised a hand and pressed it to Sain's cheek, making every effort to push the other man as far away as possible, "I thought you were wounded, Sain. Does your companionship with Isadora amount to so little that you can forget it at moment's distraction?"
"It is true, I still hurt to know that even plainly sparring with such an elegant woman, even on her own invitation and in terms of equals, will be taken wrongly. But what kind of friend would I be to ignore my boon companion's sorrows in favor of my own? I should not like to be so selfish."
"Thank you, Sain. I will decline." Kent took his things in hand and pushed himself to his feet, stopping only to brush dust from his knees and grass from his seat before angling himself to return to camp.
Sain was not to be beat, however, and quickly rose to follow, cutting off his friend's exit by planting himself firmly in front of it. "How fair is it that I speak of myself and yet I must take tools to your teeth to extract anything from you, hmm? You are worse than a shod, unbroken horse that does not wish the stableboy to remove a rock from his frog."
"Perhaps," Kent bit his words, "because said stableboy has no business attempting to remove something that is not his own fault."
"Something that cannot be taken care of alone and will cause the horse to become lame and workless unless he accepts help." Sain pointed to Kent's chest with emphasis, fixing him with a scrutinizing glare. "You cannot suffer alone."
Kent scowled and tried to push his arm away. Sain responded by grabbing Kent's arm, twisting it behind him and throwing him to the ground, where he sat himself quite decidedly on the small of his back, heels to the side and in the grass. Kent groaned and reached for his scattered equipment only to have his 'friend' swat his hand down. Kent exhaled deeply, much like an annoyed cat held captive by a small child.
"I told you," Sain waggled his finger even though Kent could not see, "You cannot suffer alone; I won't let you. You shall have to suffer my company whether you like it or not."
"That does not mean," Kent situated is palms in the grass and dirt beside him, "that I must suffer your weight as well." Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, Sain tumbling off. He drew himself to his knees and rubbed Sain's former seat with his knuckles and the back of his fist.
Sain rolled up, rubbing the back of his own head where it had struck the ground in his fall. Though somewhat pained, for the first time his face broke into a wide grin. Kent had not said 'no' or suggested that his statement had been absolute foolishness. That alone was victory. And knowing he had been allowed a chance to ease his friend's heart gave him a lightening in his own. "Kent, my boon companion! You won't regret a thing! Now, let us start anew on your lessons in basic flattery..."
Game: Rekka no Ken
WordCount: 1112
Characters: Kent, Sain
Warnings: Eh, some vague support spoilers, general aimlessness, lame title...etc
"Oh, your cruel words wound my poor heart," Sain clutched his hands over his heart, feigning an arrow wound, "How could my brother in arms and in spirit say such a thing?" His face contorted into one of profound sorrow.
Kent merely sighed as he become accustomed, and shook his head. "You know I do not speak falsely. Do not start such pretenses with me. It does you no good. I merely say to you what has been spoken by others."
Sain tilted his head, his frown lessening, but becoming more genuine, "Is my honor then so tarnished that people would suspect such a thing of me?"
"I said only that people are suspicious of the company you seek. Whatever implications you draw from that are your own."
"Ah, but," Sain's shoulder's slumped, "I do know what they mean."
"Do you?" Kent lifted his eyes from his sword and ceased the rhythmic cleansing of his cloth over the steel.
Sain's eyes closed and his lips pulled into a small, sad smile. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly. "Isadora."
Kent leaned forward of the tree that had been propping his posture and set his things aside. Frowning slightly, he patted the ground twice by his side before laying his arms across his steepled knees. He did not speak, but allowed Sain to seat himself upon the spot indicated and speak when he was ready.
"She was always elusive in her answers, meeting words with duels and training. She accepted very little, it was hard for me to even impress upon her a cup of tea." He laughed lightly, his eyes looking upon memory. "No words of love or heartache ever graced her lips, no Lycian ring gently pressed an eternal kiss to her slender finger." Sain leaned back on the heel of a hand and twirled a blade of grass in his other. "And yet perhaps I ought to have known."
Silence fell between them as Kent contemplated his companion's words. He rolled his own over his tongue for a while, choosing them carefully before speaking. "Are you then be judged so for your ignorance? Perhaps it is poor form to seek and enjoy the company of a betrothed, but such a sin cannot be so great as to know and still desire proximity of the forbidden kind."
Sain quickly turned, catching a glimpse of Kent's bitterness before it was swallowed in the solemnity of his own expression. It was not like him to allude to his own pains, such did the man dislike to burden others.
"How thickheaded of me to speak of wounds when the one you bear is so much greater. There are many women for me to seek and yet only one for yourself." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with a single finger before turning to point at regard Kent apologetically.
Everything about Kent tensed in that single moment from his back to his gaze, which also increased in severity. Perhaps the danger they imparted would serve as warning enough for his friend to very kindly back off of the subject.
Sain of course did no such thing, instead scooting closer and throwing an arm around Kent's stiff shoulders. "As of yet, you have not taken me up on my offer, my friend. How do you expect to win fair lady's heart when you sit idly by and do nothing?"
Kent attempted to shrug the weight of Sain's arm from his shoulders. After failing, he raised a hand and pressed it to Sain's cheek, making every effort to push the other man as far away as possible, "I thought you were wounded, Sain. Does your companionship with Isadora amount to so little that you can forget it at moment's distraction?"
"It is true, I still hurt to know that even plainly sparring with such an elegant woman, even on her own invitation and in terms of equals, will be taken wrongly. But what kind of friend would I be to ignore my boon companion's sorrows in favor of my own? I should not like to be so selfish."
"Thank you, Sain. I will decline." Kent took his things in hand and pushed himself to his feet, stopping only to brush dust from his knees and grass from his seat before angling himself to return to camp.
Sain was not to be beat, however, and quickly rose to follow, cutting off his friend's exit by planting himself firmly in front of it. "How fair is it that I speak of myself and yet I must take tools to your teeth to extract anything from you, hmm? You are worse than a shod, unbroken horse that does not wish the stableboy to remove a rock from his frog."
"Perhaps," Kent bit his words, "because said stableboy has no business attempting to remove something that is not his own fault."
"Something that cannot be taken care of alone and will cause the horse to become lame and workless unless he accepts help." Sain pointed to Kent's chest with emphasis, fixing him with a scrutinizing glare. "You cannot suffer alone."
Kent scowled and tried to push his arm away. Sain responded by grabbing Kent's arm, twisting it behind him and throwing him to the ground, where he sat himself quite decidedly on the small of his back, heels to the side and in the grass. Kent groaned and reached for his scattered equipment only to have his 'friend' swat his hand down. Kent exhaled deeply, much like an annoyed cat held captive by a small child.
"I told you," Sain waggled his finger even though Kent could not see, "You cannot suffer alone; I won't let you. You shall have to suffer my company whether you like it or not."
"That does not mean," Kent situated is palms in the grass and dirt beside him, "that I must suffer your weight as well." Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, Sain tumbling off. He drew himself to his knees and rubbed Sain's former seat with his knuckles and the back of his fist.
Sain rolled up, rubbing the back of his own head where it had struck the ground in his fall. Though somewhat pained, for the first time his face broke into a wide grin. Kent had not said 'no' or suggested that his statement had been absolute foolishness. That alone was victory. And knowing he had been allowed a chance to ease his friend's heart gave him a lightening in his own. "Kent, my boon companion! You won't regret a thing! Now, let us start anew on your lessons in basic flattery..."