Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Nov 22, 2020 16:38:27 GMT -5
Bastian spared only a glance for the knock on his door before returning his attention to the snake in his hands. The adder was calm enough but just starting to be active again after digesting. He held her gently, watching her curl around his arm and wrist before threading through his hands so she could do it all over again. It was a little strange, handling the snake that had so recently bit him. He was nearly healed from it now.
"Captain Arcturis. I know you are in there sir."
He continued to ignore the knocking and calls from the guard outside.
His internal clock told him it was noon. Normally he was on patrol. The day had started out like any other. Morning run, morning sparing, breakfast...but he hadn't really been there for any of it. After eating, he found himself back in his room as if by some sort of magic. He sat on his bed for a long moment, not tired but not...anything else. The adder in her terrarium kept winding back and forth so he picked her up gingerly and had been laying on his bed for the past four hours with the snake in his hands.
"Captain…" Baird sounded anxious. Worried. Concerned. Was this about him? Or something else? He should probably get up and go see what was going on and fix it… "Are you alright?" Ah. It was about him. So maybe he wouldn’t go anywhere.
Bastian frowned and continued to watch the snake. Maybe he should name her. Fang or Venom or Striker? Something simple and powerful.
Nothing sounded...necessary at the moment.
"Sebastian!" This was more distressed than worried, accompanied by more knocking. No, more like banging. He sighed heavily and collected the snake into one hand as he stood and unlocked the door.
He glared at Baird who looked relieved and then had the decency to appear sheepish. Overreacting just a little. Baird took a half step back from the snake. "Wanted t'make sure you were alright. Sir."
“You are causing a disturbance, guardsman. Leave me alone.”
Baird half gaped, half frowned. “A disturbance?” He glanced up and down the narrow hallway.
"Captain Arcturis. I know you are in there sir."
He continued to ignore the knocking and calls from the guard outside.
His internal clock told him it was noon. Normally he was on patrol. The day had started out like any other. Morning run, morning sparing, breakfast...but he hadn't really been there for any of it. After eating, he found himself back in his room as if by some sort of magic. He sat on his bed for a long moment, not tired but not...anything else. The adder in her terrarium kept winding back and forth so he picked her up gingerly and had been laying on his bed for the past four hours with the snake in his hands.
"Captain…" Baird sounded anxious. Worried. Concerned. Was this about him? Or something else? He should probably get up and go see what was going on and fix it… "Are you alright?" Ah. It was about him. So maybe he wouldn’t go anywhere.
Bastian frowned and continued to watch the snake. Maybe he should name her. Fang or Venom or Striker? Something simple and powerful.
Nothing sounded...necessary at the moment.
"Sebastian!" This was more distressed than worried, accompanied by more knocking. No, more like banging. He sighed heavily and collected the snake into one hand as he stood and unlocked the door.
He glared at Baird who looked relieved and then had the decency to appear sheepish. Overreacting just a little. Baird took a half step back from the snake. "Wanted t'make sure you were alright. Sir."
“You are causing a disturbance, guardsman. Leave me alone.”
Baird half gaped, half frowned. “A disturbance?” He glanced up and down the narrow hallway.
"I am fine," he said to the guard. That was very much a lie, but he wasn't about to discuss anything with the man, let alone in the public hallway.
The guard tried to force his way into the room casually and then was stopped when Bastian didn't move and the snake coiled around his right hand hissed at him. Baird swallowed and stepped back. "Fergot you kept the snake..." he mumbled under his breath.
The captain didn't quite catch the words and raised an expectant, bored eyebrow for the man to repeat himself.
"I asked if you named the snake, sir," he said quietly, eyeing the reptile. When he'd obeyed the man's order to take it to his room, he had never imagined the captain would keep it as a pet.
"No."
"Oh."
They were both quite for a moment. Sebastian contemplated closing the door again but he was certain Baird wouldn't allow that or would simply start knocking again unless he left willingly. The captain sighed and stepped back from the door, wordless inviting the man in.
Baird stepped inside and stayed at the door. "Can you...put it down?"
"Her."
The guardsman blinked. "Put...her down?"
Sebastian glanced toward the terrarium but didn't make any indication he would do as the man asked, he instead invited the snaked to move over his hands again like before.
"You've been..." Baird hesitated over his words. "Unusually quiet."
The captain almost laughed, but gave no outward indication. He'd been feeling...off for a while. Since before the party. And after the party. Physically, he was fine, but...something was bothering him.
"I slept with her."
Baird had been looking at the terrarium too until Sebastian spoke. His gaze whipped around, mouth half open to ask, a very obvious question on his lips but the captain cut him off. "No, we did not." He meant exactly what he had said, nothing else.
"You don't need to feel obligated..." Baird stumbled through the words awkwardly.
As the last word left his mouth, Sebastian pulled his gaze from the terrarium and the muddle of thoughts the thing seemed to contain about himself and Rosemary and the snake. He didn't mean the one in his hands. "I am not," he said quickly and honestly. Not that the guardsman ever seemed to believe him.
They were quiet again.
"Have you talked to her? Since then?"
Sebastian frowned faintly. That...was probably a good idea. They had kept up the charade before the party for a while but he hadn't spoken to her since then. That...was probably a good idea. At least to make sure she was okay.
"You should talk to her," Baird repeated in a gentle nudge. His eyes kept dropping to the snake distractedly.
The captain nodded after a moment. He agreed with the idea he just...hadn't thought to show as much until Baird said it again.
"Good. Okay, maybe-"
"Get out, Baird."
"Right. Yessir," he said, hesitating a moment and then seeming to decide the nod was enough for right now and let himself out.
Sebastian sighed and sat back down on his bed. People made everything so...difficult.
[End]
The guard tried to force his way into the room casually and then was stopped when Bastian didn't move and the snake coiled around his right hand hissed at him. Baird swallowed and stepped back. "Fergot you kept the snake..." he mumbled under his breath.
The captain didn't quite catch the words and raised an expectant, bored eyebrow for the man to repeat himself.
"I asked if you named the snake, sir," he said quietly, eyeing the reptile. When he'd obeyed the man's order to take it to his room, he had never imagined the captain would keep it as a pet.
"No."
"Oh."
They were both quite for a moment. Sebastian contemplated closing the door again but he was certain Baird wouldn't allow that or would simply start knocking again unless he left willingly. The captain sighed and stepped back from the door, wordless inviting the man in.
Baird stepped inside and stayed at the door. "Can you...put it down?"
"Her."
The guardsman blinked. "Put...her down?"
Sebastian glanced toward the terrarium but didn't make any indication he would do as the man asked, he instead invited the snaked to move over his hands again like before.
"You've been..." Baird hesitated over his words. "Unusually quiet."
The captain almost laughed, but gave no outward indication. He'd been feeling...off for a while. Since before the party. And after the party. Physically, he was fine, but...something was bothering him.
"I slept with her."
Baird had been looking at the terrarium too until Sebastian spoke. His gaze whipped around, mouth half open to ask, a very obvious question on his lips but the captain cut him off. "No, we did not." He meant exactly what he had said, nothing else.
"You don't need to feel obligated..." Baird stumbled through the words awkwardly.
As the last word left his mouth, Sebastian pulled his gaze from the terrarium and the muddle of thoughts the thing seemed to contain about himself and Rosemary and the snake. He didn't mean the one in his hands. "I am not," he said quickly and honestly. Not that the guardsman ever seemed to believe him.
They were quiet again.
"Have you talked to her? Since then?"
Sebastian frowned faintly. That...was probably a good idea. They had kept up the charade before the party for a while but he hadn't spoken to her since then. That...was probably a good idea. At least to make sure she was okay.
"You should talk to her," Baird repeated in a gentle nudge. His eyes kept dropping to the snake distractedly.
The captain nodded after a moment. He agreed with the idea he just...hadn't thought to show as much until Baird said it again.
"Good. Okay, maybe-"
"Get out, Baird."
"Right. Yessir," he said, hesitating a moment and then seeming to decide the nod was enough for right now and let himself out.
Sebastian sighed and sat back down on his bed. People made everything so...difficult.
[End]
