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"Excuse me... Is... is Lord Raymond here?"
The whole training room paused as the sound of a young voice echoed throughout its walls. The difference between that soft timbre contrasted harshly with the battle cries that previously occupied the room and a wave of heads turned towards the entrance, making their newest visitor shrink in response. Young Lucius's form was utterly enveloped by the shadows of battle-hardened war veterans. While his strength with just a staff earned even the respect of the more skeptical of them, none of them could imagine that he — a young child for all intents and purposes — would want to try training himself physically in any capacity.
He probably couldn't even pick up the lightest of the weights on the rack.
"Raymond? Can't remember if we have anyone by that name here," one of the men in the back — a scarred shirtless man with greenish hair — piped up. He gave a lazy grin and sauntered towards the kid, doing his best to look as non-threatening as possible. "You lookin' for someone? Just give ol' Dieck a price and I'll find this 'Raymond' fellow before your bedtime!" The man — Dieck — gave a thumbs up as his smile grew.
Lucius's eyes widened and he shrunk back beyond the doorway. "U-um, I was just—"
"Don't bother with this guy, he's not worth the trouble," a gruff voice interrupted. Before Dieck could even turn around, a large hand pushed him to the side — " Hey! " — and Raven's annoyed visage came into view.
Despite the way his shadow loomed ominously over the child — combined with the scowl on his face, Lucius brightened considerably, a stark contrast to his reaction to Dieck just a few moments ago. "Lord Raymond!"
" Lord Raymond? You're a lord? And your name is Raymond!? That's certainly news to me," Dieck commented, letting out an inelegant snort.
Raven pointedly ignored him and looked down at the miniature version of his retainer. "What do you need, kiddo? You hungry? Tired? Dinnertime isn't for a few more hours."
Lucius shook his head, "Oh... no, I was just... I was wondering if..."
"...Yes?"
"If... you could help me with something..."
A long pause arose as Raven tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. Thankfully, the others in the training room seemed uninterested in snooping, and even Dieck wandered off to continue his training with the rest of them. Lucius fiddled with his sleeves and didn't seem to want to elaborate, instead waiting for permission to ask rather than just ask outright. The mercenary sighed as he remembered that this version of his retainer was still actively in service to the Cornwells, and adhered to his role much more stringently than his older self, who had become much more stubborn and assertive with age. He suppressed an annoyed groan.
"Okay? What do you need?" Raven repeated.
The young monk-in-training winced and looked down, face reddening in embarrassment. "Um, my hair... I... could you... help me comb it out... please?"
Raven put a hand on his hip and let out a deep sigh. He looked up and down at the kid with a more critical eye. Lucius's hair didn't look that messed up, perhaps a little ruffled from normal day-to-day activities, but the redhead didn't understand why the kid version of his retainer would reach out to him over something like this .
"Can't you ask Lu-err, the older version of you for help? He's probably much more well versed in this issue," Raven asked. He still wasn't used to the idea of multiple versions of the same person wandering around — even after all these years, since he didn't have one himself. "Or anyone else? I'm not exactly the most experienced in this aspect of... hair care."
Lucius's face crumpled and he bowed his head, "I beg your pardon, my Lord. I went to him first, but... He, um, seems busy with helping clean the orphanage with Lugh and the others today. I didn't wish to bother him, and I still don't know everyone else that well yet, so... If you're busy too, then... I—"
Raven let out a loud huff and the kid gave a small jump, eyes wide at the older version of his liege. "It's fine. You have a comb in your room, right?"
"Yes..."
"Good, take me there. We'll be done before dinner."
Lucius gave a surprised smile, his small hands clasped at his chest. "Oh! Okay!" He looked down again and fiddled with the blue ribbon on his front. "Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble..."
"It's nothing. One second."
With a quick turn, Raven turned back and grabbed his sword from the far wall. While he didn't use said sword when he fought for the summoner — it wasn't part of his contract here — he always kept up with his training. He didn't want to get rusty with it, after all. Lucius watched Raven with his hands clasped to his front and gave a small smile when he returned.
"Let's go. Lead the way," Raven said, hand hovering above the child's head to guide him out of the training hall. Lucius complied easily and trotted out of the hallway towards the sleeping quarters.
Now that Lucius was in front of him, Raven could more easily see the issue of his hair troubles. The fineness of his strands made it somewhat difficult to see from afar, but the kid's locks more resembled a yellow bird's nest from the neck down his back. Tightly wound balls of hair knitted in and out of each other and gave the blond sheen a fairly dull luster in comparison to what the mercenary was used to. Raven raised an eyebrow.
With a finger, he poked the top of the kid's crown. "What happened here?"
Lucius bowed his head and even when turned away from his lord, Raven could easily sense his embarrassment from here.
"Um... It's a bit shameful, my Lord. I was suddenly called by the Summoner to help with one of their events early this morning... I didn't have time to comb my hair. The event went on much longer than any of us thought, and before I knew it, it was already noon. When I went back to my room, it... was like this."
Raven paused. "You haven't had lunch yet? Or breakfast? It's almost dinner."
The kid remained silent.
With a huff, Raven put his hand back on Lucius's head and redirected him to the opposite direction. "Not the happinest to hear that, we're going to the dining hall."
"No!"
Lucius ducked out from Raven's hand and took a few steps backwards. "I-I'm sorry! Please, it's fine. I... I had a small snack from my room. I just want to get my hair fixed, please... It's been like this all day... The knots won't come out, I've been trying for hours..."
Raven tilted his head at Lucius's protest as the kid locked his eyes on the floor. Was he truly so embarrassed to be seen with one bad hair day? He'd seen actual royalty and gods around here with even worse. Hell, even the adult Lucius was alright — if not a bit flustered — with forgetting to comb after a day or two. If anything, someone here would probably offer to help within a few minutes if he kept walking around like he was.
"Please..."
Raven gave another harsh sigh and Lucius flinched once more, his face crumpled downwards. "Fine. We go to the dining hall right after, got it?"
"Y-yes..."
With a nod, Lucius turned back around and guided them towards his room again once more. The silence was a bit uncomfortable, as Raven's stare — while not exactly angry — was notably boring holes into Lucius's back. The young monk-in-training wrung his hands as he continued forwards, already thinking of ways he could make up to his lord. To burden him like this when he was in the middle of training... Lucius bit his lip in shame.
In what felt like no time at all, the two stopped in front of Lucius's room. Like the rest of the rooms in the sleeping quarters, his was bare and decorated with the sparcest of patterns from the Askr royal family. Since this version of Lucius was new and had few belongings, there was not much to distinguish it as his room, but Raven was sure that would change as time went by. The mercenary was fairly barebones himself and he still managed to gather an array of useless nicknacks and accessories during his years here.
Upon entering, Lucius immediately went over to the small vanity that every room had and opened one of the side drawers.
"...Here you go, Lord Raymond," the kid said, offering up a small comb with a pleading look.
Raven let out a slow exhale and pointed to the small seat in front of the mirror. "Right. Sit there and give me a moment. Let me get something."
"Huh?" Lucius did as asked and then twisted around to watch as Raven quickly left the room. He put his hands in his lap and swung his feet off the adult-sized stool, and turned back towards the large mirror.
While he waited, he scrutinized his appearance once more, learning closely to its edge. Ever since he was accepted into House Cornwell as a retainer, he had always tried to pay special attention to his looks. It was important for someone who was serving nobility to maintain proper hygiene and aesthetics at all times, so as to not bring shame upon his employer's family or reputation, and Lucius even more so ever since little Lord Raymond had permitted him to grow his hair out.
" Huh? You wanna have long hair? I dunno why you need to ask me for that. Just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, I don't care." Even now, his lord's words echoed within Lucius's mind.
They contrasted heavily with the punishments at the orphanage for his hair. The garden shears used to humiliate him in front of his peers and the slight breeze on the back of his neck... they were all ugly reminders of a past he so desperately tried to suppress. Having long hair wasn't just about his desire to display his fealty to Saint Elimine, he also just... didn't want to be reminded of a time where having little to no hair was the culmination of perceived wrongdoings, deserved or otherwise.
After a moment, Lucius's eyes widened. Was Raven going to cut his hair if he couldn't remove the tangles?
No! He can't do that! I don't want him to do that!
...But Raven was his lord, was he not? If he wanted to, then Lucius would have no choice but to comply. That was what it meant to be a servant. With an increased breath and pounding heart, the young monk grabbed at the biggest ball of hair once more, yanking on the length of it with renewed vigor. But no matter which way he pulled, the hair ball only increased the abuse to his scalp and more chunks of hair ripped off his head. A whine of frustration grew in the back of his throat. His head began to pound from the pain.
"Stop that, you're just making it worse," Raven's voice snapped, kicking the door behind him.
Lucius's eyes widened and he quickly tried to pull his hands back into his lap, wincing as his hair got caught on the way down. Raven gave a rough sigh and grabbed one of the side chairs, dragging it to Lucius's stool and flopping down on it. Lucius looked down at his lap.
"Hmph, still just as stubborn. Hold still. Let's get this over with," The older man grumbled. Lucius felt massive hands redirect his head back towards the mirror and watched as Raven straightened up behind him. After a moment, the kid took a deep breath.
"W-where did you go, my Lord?" Lucius asked. He didn't see scissors anywhere. Unless Raven was planning to cut it off with his sword instead? Surely not.
Raven shrugged. "Needed to go get something. Should help make this go quicker."
That didn't exactly answer Lucius's question, but before he could inquire further, a cold chill spilled onto his crown and dripped down the sides of his head. He gave a sharp yelp and flinched forwards. "What was that!? Lord Raymond!"
Raven grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him back up. "I just told you to hold still, didn't I? Stop moving."
"What was that?" Lucius repeated, whining through the mirror and up at his lord. His cheeks puffed up into a small pout.
Raven raised his left hand and in it was a small glass bottle with a clear blue liquid in it. He gave it a small wiggle. "Just some stuff I swiped from your older self. Apparently, it should help with the tangles."
"...You could've warned me, Lord Raymond... that's cold," he gave a full body shiver as the liquid seeped through his hair.
"Oh, don't be such a baby. It'll warm up."
Lucius gave what could be best described as a small bratty glare at Raven, who either ignored it or didn't see it entirely. The contrast between the mercenary's large, calloused hands and the cold liquid being rubbed into his hair was unsettling to the child's scalp. He wasn't used to other people touching his head in general, as people would only ever do so to pull on it or hurt him.
On the contrary, even with the annoyed twist of Raven's lip, the hands fiddling with the tangles were startlingly gentle. Lucius instinctively tensed up with every movement, but no pain came when Raven would wrestle with a blond clump or pull the comb through a section of hair.
Slowly and gradually, Lucius began to relax under Raven's impromptu barber session. He couldn't tell exactly what his lord was doing behind his head, but he could feel hands, and then a comb, going through each section, one by one. He felt a bit restless and useless, his fists tangled into the clothes at his lap, when Raven would struggle with a particularly difficult clump of hair. But whenever he asked if perhaps he could help, Raven would just reply with a curt, "Be quiet ."
The silence that followed wasn't as uncomfortable as the young monk would've envisioned. Lucius could sense no trace of animosity in Raven's actions, and only the faint echoes of the hairbrush's bristles sounded throughout the room. He gave a deep breath as the feeling of the brush or hands through his hair slowly drifted his eyelids to a deeper state of exhaustion. Even with his best efforts, the heaviness of his eyelids felt impossible to overcome and both his and Raven's reflections in the mirror gradually fuzzed out of view.
...
"...Alright, I'm done. Get up," Raven's voice tore through the prior ambiance and Lucius snapped his head up and made eye contact with his own wide-eyed expression, his head somewhat hazy with sleep. Did he doze off? His head felt strangely fuzzy. A strange, uncomfortable limbo between consciousnesses.
He stood up and shut his eyes tightly as the world gave a deep lurch, gripping the edges of the vanity for stability. After a moment, he slowly reopened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. While his head braced for the earlier pains of knotted tangles, instead Lucius only found a slightly damp smoothness, as his fingers glided freely from top to bottom.
"You... you didn't cut anything off...!" Lucius exclaimed, eyes wide. With a turn he faced his lord with a bright smile, "And the tangles are gone as well! Oh, thank you so much, Lord Raymond!"
Raven tilted his head, "You thought I was gonna cut it off? When did I say that?"
"Well... You didn't, but it was so messy I didn't think you'd want to try and fix it, since it'd be too much effort," Lucius started. "That was what normally... I mean... that's what they usually..." The child trailed off and looked to the side, unsure of how to continue.
Raven gave an ambiguous expression that Lucius didn't know how to decipher and then crouched down so that they were at eye level, "Look, it doesn't matter, alright? Don't think about that anymore, let's just get you to the dining hall and we can all eat."
Lucius shook his head rapidly, "You don't need to worry about that, my Lord... I already told you that I had a snack earlier today." A deep breath. "I... I think I might just head to bed earl— wah! "
The world lurched upwards as Raven grabbed the kid by the back of his collar and tossed him into the air, catching him so that he was seated on the crook of the mercenary's forearm. In his panic, Lucius held tightly to his lord's hair to keep from falling off, and once he was stabilized, he gave a petulant pout and whined, "Lord Raymond!"
"And I already told you that this isn't up for debate. We're going," Raven snapped. He ignored the small hands pulling at his hair and straightened back up.
Lucius gave a long sigh and slowly removed his death grip, giving the red top a small pat in apology. Try as he might, his Lord — adult or no — was still just as abrasive as Lucius remembered of his own version at home. It was somewhat comfortable in its familiarity. Raven gave a short grunt in response and headed out the door, with Lucius doing his best to close the door behind them from his precarious position — the door slapped closed with a thunk.
The trip to the dining hall was fairly awkward and the faint sounds of Raven's boots on the marble floor was their only company from total silence. The young monk-in-training gave a deep sigh as he settled into his strange position perched on Raven's arm, letting his mind wander back to how exactly he could make it up for all this trouble. A part of him wanted to protest being carried around like a sack of flour — it wasn't like he was injured — but he could already imagine Raven would find some plausible excuse to why Lucius needed to be carried and then tell him to be quiet once more.
"Oh, there he is," Raven mumbled. He stopped so suddenly that Lucius almost fell off his perch on his arm, and then looked forwards in confusion once he restabilized.
Standing at the doorway to the dining hall — a set of two large wooden doors — was Lucius, the older one. He had his hands folded at his front and was minutely looking back and forth across the entranceway with a blank but pleasantly neutral expression. Upon spotting the two of them, said face morphed into a gentle smile and he quickly trotted over to the duo. As soon as the older and younger versions of each other locked eyes, they simultaneously averted their gaze to opposite ends of the hall.
"Hello, you two. I didn't know you would be accompanying each other today," the older monk greeted, his gaze refocused onto his lord. The younger version hopped off his seat from Raven's arm and looked to the ground demurely. "What were you both up to? I was looking for you, Lord Raymond. Were you not going to spend the day at the training hall?"
"Yeah, that was the plan. But the kid here needed some help with his hair, so he dragged me away to be his hairdresser," Raven replied, stretching his arm out with a sigh.
The older version looked at his counterpart with a half smile and a tilt of the head. "Is that so? Had a bad hair day? I've certainly had my fair share of those." He crouched down to the child's height and folded his hands together. "Well, it looks like Lord Raymond did a fine job. Did you say thank you?"
The younger Lucius kept his stare to the floor and gave a tiny nod. He was still uncomfortable with the idea of another version of himself. Increasingly so when that version was older than him and a strange indicator of what he might be like in the future. It was an odd feeling, and he could sense that his older self seemed to share that sentiment, even if only a little. The sheer similarities between them felt uncanny. Of course, that was to be expected since they were technically the same person, but still...
Raven sighed roughly, oblivious to the subtle tension. "It was nothing. Let's just get something to eat. The kid here hasn't had anything all day, so he needs to eat before he keels over. Same with you, Lucius."
With that, the grumpy mercenary shouldered past both versions of his retainer and disappeared through the large doors with a hastiness that belied his demeanor. The two monks shared an awkward look with one another as the silence once again rejoined the hallway.
"Well... shall we go? We shouldn't keep Lord Raymond waiting..." The older Lucius tried, looking down at the child with a shaky smile. His counterpart gave a minute nod and trailed after his other self as said adult entered the dining hall.
The cafeteria was sometimes said to be one of the biggest notable "attractions" of the castle. With its massive area combined with its high walls, even the peak of dinnertime didn't feel crowded. Large vertical windows lined each side and rows upon rows of benches with tables lined a good two-thirds of the area, with the remaining space used for the food and employees.
Askr employed a large buffet-style system for all of its meals to try and account for all of the heroes. Of course, there were those who couldn't be fed within the castle or didn't need to eat at all; those heroes were often not found in the hall or only visited for socialization. The buffet area itself was sectioned into a large variety of different meal types, from meat-based, vegetarian, specific preferences, and more. It was also common for the more picky or dietarily restricted heroes to request a specific dish from one of the many royal chefs on duty. Additionally, it was not uncommon for the more culinarily-inclined heroes to contribute their own dishes — sometimes to a questionably satisfactory (or lethal) result.
Heroes who already knew each other were most likely to stay seated together when dining. There were always the more adventurous and social types who could be found at any table in the hall, but often the more introverted or isolated of the heroes — or the generally disliked ones — would take their meals elsewhere or avoid sitting with anyone else.
Raven was one of those people who preferred staying by himself when it came to eating, but it was almost impossible to achieve total isolation when the food he wanted to eat — the meat was pretty good here — was in the same place as rambunctious and obnoxious souls such as Rebecca or Bartre. It was also equally infeasible to avoid the more pathetic levels of pleading when it came to his actual family's — Priscilla or Lucius's — bids to have him accompany them for food. Priscilla was easier to avoid or distract if need be, but his retainer knew him too well and was too stubborn to give up on ensuring he had a healthy meal at least once a day. The nagging knew no bounds, and no matter how many times Raven tried to protest, he could never win this battle.
Raven made a beeline for the meat section of the buffet and the young retainer watched as his lord piled a variety of different dishes high onto his tray, only to be told off by his own older self — "Will you quit your jabbering, Lucius? I'm getting a salad too, so be quiet!" Their bickering felt surprisingly and strangely similar, and a part of the younger Lucius was grateful that his relationship with Raven — Raymond — did not seem to change even with the large age gap between him and his future self. It made him feel more comfortable regarding his employment to his own Lord Raymond, who was not able to follow after him, much to the Summoner's regret.
"Kiddo, I want you to finish all your food, okay? Don't want to find you passed out tomorrow morning," Raven said, once they were all sat down. He pointed his fork at the child's tray with a stern scowl.
Lucius bit back a pouty retort, but already knew how Raven would respond if he uttered anything aloud, so instead he gave a timid nod. He looked down at his own meal — a pile of vegetables, chicken soup, a slice of buttered bread, and a cup of apple juice on the side. Raven had given him a sour face when he saw how much — or how little — food he had, but didn't try to force any more onto him. As such, he let himself indulge in his dinner at a relaxed pace, his stomach letting out a loud grumble as he took his first bite. As he ate, he let his mind wander throughout the large crowd, Raven and his older self's conversation faded into background noise.
He was still not the most familiar with the others around Askr, and had not made any significant acquaintances or people he could really call friends. He had met with fellow children Lyn, Mark, Hector, Eliwood, and Rebecca, who were apparently summoned at the same time as him — but that was only through cursory introductions and surface conversations. He did not recognize anyone else here like his older self did. As a result, he had no other meal partners that he could accompany outside of the one person he recognized. Even then, Lucius had not immediately recognized the adult version of Raymond upon their first meeting — how could he? Never in his life had he ever imagined meeting older versions of himself and his lord. Plus, Raven's subtle change in hair color from red to brown and his rougher outfit made things even more confusing.
It was daunting and scary, but his initial introductions to the prince and princess of Askr — as well as the kindness of many other unknown heroes — reassured him that his time here wouldn't be that disagreeable. A strange guilt accompanied this feeling. He wasn't used to being away from House Cornwell for so long, ever since he was taken in by them. How were the marquess and his wife doing? Did Lord Raymond miss him? The prince, Alphonse, said that they'd be fine on their own, but he still wished they could've come here as well. Lucius would've loved to see how his lord would react to an older version of himself.
His reflection on the bottom of his plate looked back up at him with wide eyes, and the monk-in-training looked agape at his finished meal. Both his plate and his soup bowl, along with his cup were all empty and meticulously cleaned out. He hadn't even realized he finished everything so soon! It wasn't like him, but perhaps Raven was correct in him needing to eat more...
"Lord Raymond?" Lucius said. Both his older self and Raven paused their conversation to look at him. It seemed they both finished their dinners much faster than him and were having a small chat as the younger version finished his own meal. Ah... I made them wait for me...
"Oh, you're done? That's wonderful!" The older monk interjected, clapping his hands with a smile. "Would you like some dessert as well? I think they have ice cream, cake, or pastries for today... It's not the best to have sugar daily, but there's no harm in indulging every once in a while."
The child paused, wide eyed, at his older self and then looked off to the side. The offer was tempting. But before he could say yes, a large yawn ripped through his small body and tears slipped unbidden from his eyes. Raven stood up with his tray in one hand and his other at his hip.
"Don't be stupid, Lucius. Can't you see the kid's face? It's time for him to sleep. I don't want to have to carry him to the med bay just because he cracked his head open on the floor after passing out."
"Lord Raymond! Must you be so callous!?"
"What? I'm being serious here!"
"That doesn't mean you should be so graphic! He is just a chi-"
"U-um..." The youngest voice interjected. Both adults snapped their heads downwards. Young Lucius bowed his head, "My apologies... I... Perhaps Lord Raymond is right. I am quite tired..."
Raven gestured towards the child and raised an eyebrow at his own retainer, "See? No use dawdling. Let's go."
The three of them carried their trays and deposited them at the washing area before finally leaving the dining hall. Relatively speaking, it wasn't that late out, and most of the Heroes were still meandering in or around the general area, but Young Lucius couldn't help but try to blink the heaviness out of his eyes with every step back towards the sleeping quarters; the backs of his adult self and liege slowly increasing in distance. Would it be shameful to ask Raven to pick him up again?
No, I've already imposed enough upon him today. I need to show him I can handle myself! With a deep breath, Lucius squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head violently before quickly catching up with their retreating forms.
The trip back from the dining hall felt much quicker than the journey to it, even with Lucius traveling on his own feet. Before long, all three of them stood in front of Young Lucius's bedroom in a strange limbo of waiting to see who'd speak up first.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Do you need something else from us?" Raven asked, tapping a toe on the floor.
Young Lucius widened his eyes and shook his head rapidly, "Oh! No. I just... Th-thank you very much... for today, my Lord. I apologize for all the trouble." A deep bow at the waist. Before Raven could respond, he faced his bedroom once more and made to step inside hastily, eager to collapse on his bed.
"Oh, one more thing. Before I forget," Raven started.
Lucius almost face planted into his door and quickly turned back towards his liege, pushing his hair out of his face. "Y-yes, Lord Raymond?"
"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to pick you up for breakfast. Be up and ready by then."
"What!? Why? You don't need to do that... I-I don't need to be coddled like a child..." Lucius whined, childishly. This was just one day! Why was Raven so concerned all of a sudden?
"You need to eat. I don't like the idea of you skipping meals. The adult version of you has this same problem," Raven replied, crossing his arms across his chest. Said 'adult version' gave a deep sigh from behind his partner.
"But... but...!"
"You're already scrawny enough as it is. I'm not gonna force you to eat a full meal, but you should at least eat something to start the day. This is non-negotiable. Get to bed." And with that, Raven spun on his heel and stalked off, leaving the remaining two to stare at his back owlishly.
After a moment, the older version of the monk turned towards his smaller self and gave an apologetic smile, "I... I'm sorry about Lord Raymond's attitude. It sometimes feels impossible to reason with him when he has his mind set, no? If... you'll excuse me, I pray to Saint Elimine that your rest is peaceful. Have a good night," a gentle bow at the waist, and then the older acolyte was gone. His younger self hadn't even the chance to respond.
Once they were out of view, Young Lucius slowly entered his sleeping quarters once more and let out a long sigh. What a day... With the door closed behind himself, he lethargically made his way over to his bed, his suppressed exhaustion rearing back up with a vengeance. The day felt way too long... To cause such worry and imposition upon his lord like this... some retainer he was.
With a combination of regret, shame, and embarrassment, the child changed into his sleepwear and hobbled over to his bed. There was a guilty warmth that came with being worried over and cared for like this. A feeling so similar to the day when he was first taken in by the Marquess and his wife, the strange pangs in his chest whenever someone would show concern towards him. It was both soothing and confusing, and that strange mixture — combined with his exhaustion — was more than enough to make him succumb to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It was no use thinking about the what-ifs and whys when Raven had already made his intentions clear for tomorrow. Better to just go with the flow, lest he agitate his lord's ire further...
—
Back outside the hallways of the sleeping quarters, the two remaining figures leisurely made their way to the other side of the corridor towards their room. It was technically Raven's room, but they quickly deemed it more convenient and economical to share a room. They had already always met up with each other every morning, so this way eased the travel time of their schedules. Obviously.
"I was surprised, my Lord," Lucius started, giving a sly smile as he eyed his companion from his peripheral.
"Huh? At what?" A grumpy timbre that contrasted greatly to his tone a few moments ago.
"At how kind and patient you were to my younger self. I never imagined you to be good with children," the monk continued. "You avoided the young Rebecca and all the others ever since they started appearing. Is it because it's me?"
Raven scoffed and turned his head away. "Don't be stupid. He's just a kid, what reason would he have to deserve being yelled at just because he can't do his hair? Plus," he paused a spell and looked to the ground. "...He doesn't need to know what happened to my parents. Not yet. It's too soon for him. With all he's gone through — with what you've gone through — this is just the bare minimum."
Lucius gave a smile that could warm the hearts of angels, and gently snaked his hand into his lord's. "You're a good man, Lord Raymond. Thank you..."