[Closed] Alone, awake and thinking of...the weekend we were in love.

[pactfulfilled]

[It's been a festive night to say the least. The loud congratulations still ring in his mind, the hearty laughter and the cheers as drinks were passed around, the bits and pieces of "manly advice", the well-wishes and the somewhat perverted jokes. A bachelor party, his bachelor party... all winding down to the big event - the wedding - not two afternoons away now.]

[The quiet halls of the Lhant manor seem almost suffocating by comparison as he half-coaxes, half-drags his little brother into his old bed. How he'd gotten this wasted, Asbel can only guess - Hubert's never made his distaste for drunken merriment a secret, after all.]

[Thankfully, he's not alone, though. He's really not sure if he'd want to be tonight, Hubert non-withstanding. Asbel tries his best to smooth the sheets out a little, his mismatched gaze finally rising to meet that of his best friend.]

I don't know how it happened, but I'm pretty confident he's out...

Comments

[pactfulfilled]

Richard...

[A mild, helpless little groan escapes him in response to the verbal teasing. Just what is he making you imagine, Richard?? It's not unexpected, if he's honest, but it doesn't really help him feel any less embarrassed about all this either, even though he knows it's all in good fun.]

[But, well, the way Richard effortlessly shifts from gently ribbing him to setting the conversation back where it was a moment ago just might.]

I don't know if I'd call that a hidden talent, but I think it turned out pretty well. Maybe if we go swimming or something I can bring it along.

[Since Richard's so curious to lay his eyes on the thing.]

[windork]

[ What can he say? Asbel's reactions make him too easy to tease. Not much unlike his brother, in fact.

But even he has a heart- he isn't going to make his poor friend flounder without handing him a life raft to get back to the point at hand. Or, perhaps, Richard is beginning to find himself in planning mode- tucking away the resort as a definite yes in the back of his mind. ]

Then, we just might have to. [ This legendary swimsuit has been mentioned enough to truly make it a point of interest, after all...! ]

It'll be important to pack enough kinds of clothing for a variety of occasions. Let's be certain that we aren't unprepared- between Windor, Strahta and Fendel, we'll certainly need it.

[ It might become easier to pick up on the undercurrent of excitement in his tone. He isn't jumping off the walls or anything, but it's clear that the stresses of the night, and perhaps even the stresses of the past weeks, months, are temporarily ebbing away. Even if he knows he's going to have to pull through mountains of paperwork in advance to be even remotely prepared to take on this trip. ]

[pactfulfilled]

I guess we will. Which means you'd better pack a swimsuit yourself, Richard. I can't imagine it'd be an easy thing to do in your usual get-up.

[In fact he'd probably look like an oversized jellyfish trying to float around with his cape and all those ruffles. The thought has him smiling, despite himself. Richard in casual attire, though - now that's something you don't see every day! And it might make him feel just a bit better about this whole fashion contest business, too.]

But, you're right! We'll have to be prepared for anything. Which...means we're going to have a lot of luggage with us, huh? I wonder if we'll need to book a transport.

[And, maybe the more important question, being:]

How long do you think this journey will take us?

[Not to be the adult here, but they've already thrown a ton of ideas around, and anything less than a week would be over before it started. Which means he's also got to cram a whole week (or more?) of extra work into however many days he has left before Richard sends him a summons. And then there's the wedding preparations and everything to consider... This'll involve more tactical work than he needed back when they were trying to sneak up on the Fendelians' encampment.]

[windork]

Hm... I suppose you're right. [ A swimsuit, eh. While he has to agree that Asbel has a point, there's both his public image as well as a simple fact at stake: he's not used to wearing such... casual, revealing clothing at all.

The Lambda form doesn't count, does it?

So that slight tease might fluster him just the slightest- a slight chuckle as he finally breaks eye contact with Asbel, the starry sky much less prone to making him blush. ]

Perhaps we can plan for a transport for our luggage between countries, and store them securely... that way, we can travel light on a day-to-day basis. Or, we can have our things sent to specific locations beforehand, so we can ensure they've arrived safely before we even depart.

[ Of course, all the planning in the world doesn't make this any more convenient for them, really. While the finer points can be handled smoothly, that doesn't change the fact that their absences would be nonetheless felt even if they made up for all of their paperwork. So Richard has to make sure to be reasonable- while Asbel might want to do this, he doesn't want to put him through an excessive amount of trouble. Thoughtfully, he considers- reining in that excitement comes with a painfully practiced ease. ]

I don't want to pull you away from your duties for too long. [ He'll glance back to Asbel. While he trusts him to be honest, Richard also doesn't want him to feel pressured or worried about cutting their time short. ] If we plan our travels efficiently, we should be able to see a lot in a week.

[ A week is reasonable enough, he tells himself.

Never mind that that's definitely honeymoon length. ]

[pactfulfilled]

That sounds like a great idea! Takes a lot of the hassle out of it, too.

[It's almost as if Richard's been planning this trip for ages. He never considered delivering stuff around the world in advance.]

But a week, huh? I'm pretty sure I can swing that. I may not be the fastest when it comes to paperwork, but I don't think it'll be too hard to keep up. Besides, the weather's nice, and a lot of people are on the road this time of year.

[As for the swimsuit, maybe he'll just have to go incognito; in disguise! (That could be fun, right?) Besides, Asbel never said it had to be anything revealing - just functional in the water.]

[But Asbel won't pressure him about it, instead seemingly content to sit like this looking up at the stars, until he blinks suddenly and leans forward. In that moment, he probably looks about 11, like he's seeing something cool for the first time in a while.]

Hey, look, Richard! A shooting star. Better make a wish.

[windork]

[ For someone like Richard, that much is probably true. While he hadn't imagined this trip would become something tangible after all this time, he'd thought about it subconsciously enough for lots of ideas to emerge.

Maybe not ideas of disguises, but... he has considered that travelling around recognizably might put a bit of a damper on things. Maybe something to consider, so their trip isn't bogged down by the world's watchful eye. ​]

Then, a week it is. I'll be sure to afford you enough time to prepare everything.

[ From paperwork to packing, this is a bit of an undertaking- but one that Richard seems genuinely happy about.

When Asbel suddenly leans forward, their shoulders brush- Richard following his line of sight in his urgency to catch the streak of a star, winking brightly into existence, and fading nearly just as fast. The childlike notion of making a wish, though- he can't help but crack a smile at that.

Still, he supposes he should. Not much could stand above a moment like this, but... he could certainly wish for more of them. Even if Asbel had already promised them, earlier. ​]

If I'm remembering right, sharing the wishes out loud means they don't come true, right? [ Does that count if he'd already vocalized his wish earlier, before making it here? Although in some ways, wishing something to Asbel almost feels stronger than the cosmic power of a star. He'll turn his head slightly, catching Asbel in his periphery. ]

[pactfulfilled]

I don't think it'll take that long to pack a few bags. Just give me a week's notice to get everything else squared away and I promise I'll be ready to hit the road.

[That's long enough to placate everyone and convince Bailey to look over things in his stead, he thinks. It's an undertaking that is almost forgotten in the moment, his collar tickling the back of his neck as he cranes his head to see, his mouth slightly open as he follows the fleetingly bright trail, and then watches that now empty space, almost as if maybe it'll decide to turn around and come streaking by one more time.]

Yeah, something like that. Though, to be honest I was never any good at keeping them to myself. Cheria used to always scold me about that. Told me I was "un-believable" and didn't I want them to come true? [He laughs softly.] She and Hubert would never tell me what they wished for no matter how many times I bugged them about it.

[Sorry, Richard. He was kind of a terrible kid back then. It's a long moment later when he notices Richard watching him instead of the sky, and he smiles apologetically.]

[windork]

[ The slightly slack-jawed look of wonder is difficult not to smile at, even if Asbel catches him staring.

Hearing those childhood stories makes Richard nostalgic for such a narrow window of his life. The younger Cheria's annoyance, paired with gentle Hubert's unassuming nature were part of some of his fondest memories, after all, making it easy to picture their reactions to Asbel's insistence. ]

Do I have to worry about you doing the same now? [ Asbel's given him a prime opening to tease, of course, so he has to take it! ] Try as you might, you won't be able to wrest my wish from my lips.

[ There are probably... less dramatic ways of phrasing that, but far be it from Richard to be anything but. His free hand hovers very earnestly over his heart, as though trying to emphasize this. ]

[pactfulfilled]

[There are way less dramatic ways to put it! And somehow wording it like that, with his hand against his chest, has Asbel feeling some kind of way startling like a deer caught on the highroad in front of a rampaging Turtlez. Sometimes... sometimes Richard's so charming even Asbel barely knows what to do with himself.]

--what? No way! I--I wouldn't do that now!

[Richard, why do you keep teasing him like this? Asbel rubs nervously at the back of his neck.]

Not unless you wanted to tell me, anyway. No... no "wresting" involved.

[Just don't ask him what he's imagining - it's way too embarrassing. He's blaming the party for putting such weird ideas in his head. And maybe a lack of sleep, too.]

[windork]

[ Of course, Richard keeps teasing Asbel because he has such cute priceless reactions...!

It's too easy to laugh- maybe if he were any less tired, he would have withheld it in favor of keeping Asbel on the line for a moment longer. As the night draws on, though, he can feel the lack of sleep catching up to him- dulling those cunning instincts. ]

There's no need for any propriety on your part. After all, before any other titles we may bear, we're friends. [ That's... not the issue, Richard!

All joking aside, he hums. Ignoring the fact that his wish is simply a reiteration of his current promise with Asbel, it's not, at least, something he's unwilling to share. ]

Still, I suppose I could tell you when my wish comes true. At that point, I imagine speaking it aloud would be safe.

[ He wonders what Asbel wished for... ]