i put socks on my feet

[rottings]

[ hades himself isn't much one for social pleasantries, but he there's great importance to dinners like these, and watching their interactions really is fascinating. the meal is already winding down, but the poet who's been declaiming for the better part of an hour is still going strong.

hades is mostly ignoring him and picking at his food, humming occasional acknowledgement to when people talk to him, as head of the house. most of the slaves waiting on them are positioned around the perimeter of the room, while hades has left mitsunari largely to his own devices. ]

Comments

[outforblood]

[as hades reads, he stares at the floor, trying to work out what exactly it is he's supposed to be doing here. at hades' look, his jaw tightens, the uncertainty doubling.]

Have I done something incorrectly?

[rottings]

If I told you to lie down, you would.

[ not exactly a question. he adjusts his weight to lie on his side, head propped up on an elbow. ]

That is an odd trait. But not unappealing, to some.

[outforblood]

[the uncertainty fades a bit, replaced by something like irritation.]

Then it is a strange world you live in, if simple obedience is considered an odd trait. Do you not require it of your other servants?

[he pauses, looking over at hades after a moment.]

Do you find it unappealing?

[rottings]

It is not "simple obedience."

[ but it isn't unappealing. ]

Lie down, then.

[outforblood]

[there's still wariness in his gaze at that lack of answer, and his jaw tightens for a moment as he debates asking for one.

but that only lasts for a breath before he complies. he's still tense, and lying down he's no less awkward than when he was sitting, but he does try to settle himself in a slightly more comfortable position almost as an afterthought.]

It is the obedience required of anyone who serves another. Anything else is negligence.

[rottings]

[ hades doesn't seem to mind the oddness of the situation at all; he stays with his head propped up, gazing at mitsunari with quiet eyes. ]

Why serve? It is your choice, still. Is that not "negligence"?

[outforblood]

[mitsunari meets his gaze once, then looks down, trying to work out an answer.]

I don't see how it could be. It is a duty that cannot be ignored, and to make the decision to not serve to the fullest extent one is capable of deserves death. Provided one serves a worthy master, at least.

[rottings]

Worthiness. [ he pauses, a smile crossing his face. ] And what of your own worth?

[outforblood]

My worth? That is determined by what I do, and if I have done it well enough to deserve being deemed worthy.

[he shifts again, a spark of irritation in his face as he tries to figure out where to move that won't encroach on hades' space.]

Outside of that, such things have no relevance or use.

[rottings]

[ hades makes a neutral noise of acknowledgement, lying still despite the elbow nearing his ribs. ]

"Such things." "Relevance." [ he repeats the words, turning them over in his mouth slowly. after a few more moments, he sits up, not bothering to adjust the fabric of his robes as it slips off his shoulder. it's a warm day. ]

Sleep. Here, in my... realm.

[outforblood]

[it's with a sort of wariness that he watches hades now, eyes fixed on his face, glancing momentarily at the slip of fabric. his jaw works, still wondering if the right answers to these questions are completely out of his reach.]

... if you wish it of me.

[he manages to arrange himself properly and rests his head on his forearm, trying to sleep. it's not going to happen anytime soon, he suspects, but damned if he won't try to force it.]

[rottings]

[ seeing mitsunari trying to force himself to sleep is amusing in its own way. hades doesn't need sleep, either, but humans do, no matter how intently they try to ignore it, especially in this case.

hades sits up on the other side of the bed. he looks for a moment at the scroll again, but his interest disappears as quickly as it came. words are words. he's more interested now in killing time with the one who recorded those words.

speaking of, mitsunari's not going to get much space to lie around in. hades pushes a lock of hair away from hanging directly in front of his face and stays sitting where he is. hope you like having an equally awake bedmate when you're trying to sleep in daylight, mitsunari. on the upside, hades sits ver, very still. ]

[outforblood]

[under normal circumstances, having someone else awake in the room - even this close - would make no difference. but hades is not just someone else, and despite any confusion mitsunari might have about where on the internal respect scale hades may be, he's still the one in charge here.

he lies fairly still on his own, trying to take up as little space as possible, but the feeling of being watched is setting him on edge. he shuts his eyes if they won't close on their own and demands his body shut down. when it doesn't comply, he snarls the demand under his breath, only partly aware of doing it.]

Rest, damn you.

[rottings]

[ ...well, there's definitely something to be said for his force of will. ]

...what keeps you here?

[outforblood]

[there's a moment of annoyance that flickers across his face and vanishes when hades speaks. eyes still shut, body still arguably approaching relaxed, he considers an answer.]

I have nowhere else to go.

[rottings]

You wouldn't run.

[ now, he places a hand on mitsunari's head, and after a pause, begins stroking his hair gently. ]

[outforblood]

I wouldn't -

[he starts at that contact, tensing visibly, as if ready to attack. but when it's not an immediate threat, he slowly tries to relax again, though his tone is more wary than before.]

... I would never commit such a dishonorable act. This may not be the place I have sought, but it is mine until you see fit to determine otherwise.

[rottings]

[ after that, hades goes quiet for a long while, but he keeps his hand on mitsunari's head, resting lightly on his hair without saying a word. he has things he could say, but it isn't time yet.

he can be patient.

also, he's interested to see if the man can fall asleep like this. he'd be impressed. ]

[outforblood]

[it takes a while for the tension to ease out of him again, under hades' touch. he waits to be left alone again, but it doesn't come.

after a while he just tries to sleep once more. while not entirely successful, he manages to doze, though the slightest movement is liable to wake him in an instant.]

[rottings]

[ human will is an amazing thing.

hades lets him doze, and goes very still, himself. not moving isn't very difficult for him. he can just let his mind think instead of moving his body, or let the edges of his consciousness expand beyond the boundaries of his body.

it's quite a while later before he does move, and only to lift his hand. ]

[outforblood]

[at that point, mitsunari's almost asleep enough to miss the movement. he shifts and opens his eyes when the slight weight lifts, glancing at hades.

a question forms, and his jaw tenses as he almost speaks, but for once he keeps his silence. for a moment he watches hades; then he shuts his eyes again, but he's listening, very closely.]

[rottings]

[ he senses rather than sees the shift in mitsunari's body; his gaze is following something moving in the distance. still, hades is aware. he always is, though he might not look it.

after another moment of silence, he reaches towards the side of the bed to take hold of one of the light covers and draws it over mitsunari's body—almost tucking him in, but also covering his face. hades expects him to not protest it, but, well. he's waiting to see. ]

[outforblood]

[briefly, mitsunari does consider a protest. he doesn't like being blind to the world. but here, in this place, there is little likely to attack him, or hades, he figures. and he can still hear.

so after a moment he relaxes again, as much as he can, and despite all his best efforts he drifts off. no matter how much he tries otherwise, he's still human - and it's hades' will that he at least attempts to rest.]

[rottings]

[ he didn't protest, so hades lets him be. without making a sound, he rises from the bed and takes a few steps to look out the window. he spends a while there, but doesn't leave the room.

it's quite a while later—around lunchtime—when he returns to mitsunari on the bed. with light touch he pulls the blanket back to expose his face, then leans down so close that he can feel mitsunari's shallow breathing on his cheek.

he doesn't move as he says, ] Mitsunari.

[outforblood]

[the effect is instantaneous: mitsunari's awake in an instant, eyes snapping open. he jerks away from hades out of instinct and his hand closes around nothing that should be something. for a split second he's confused, completely off-balance, but then he calms, recognizing hades again.]

-- yes? [he looks at the sun falling through the doorway and almost flinches.] I've been asleep far too long. Forgive my negligence.