agoge | >>@ENTERTHEDRAGON

[ Achilles is already loitering around the poorer districts north of where Ryuji currently is. The sun is starting to set at this time in the evening, and the impressive, tall buildings of Paris cast long shadows over the dingier, rundown shacks that made up the residential area. Labourers are starting to pack up their belongings to turn in for the night, retreating back into the safety of their homes, however small.

In an hour or two, the streets will be dead quiet, aside from the drunkards who will inevitably be roaming around. Achilles has to bide his time until then, so he taps at the bead at his shoulder, activating the network.

He grins when he sees the last message left for him from Ryuji. He seems awfully naive, so Achilles isn't quite sure what to expect when they meet.

Moving up to his feet, he leads the horse he'd been given by COST down the dimly lit road. ]

[He's not sure what he's supposed to be doing here, honestly. He knows he signed up to do all these great things- protect the world, make a difference... it was all fine and dandy until he actually got here and felt like he wasn't doing a damn thing important or meaningful to the cause. He hates it. He wants to prove something, even if he doesn't really know what that something is just yet. So when Achilles provokes him into heading out at night, Ryuji finishes up his shift at the bar. It's a hellish night, as they always are, furnished with backbreaking labor of washing down tables, cleaning up, taking orders and commands, but honestly? Even this sort of thing is nice enough to stop making him think of things like value or worth.

It's not like he's taken a certain trepidation to leaving the tavern past midnight. He was already asked to help a drunk blue collar worker home, and it wasn't nearly as dodgy as he thought it would be. He's mostly stayed around the rich area, feeling a certain pang of guilt as he passes by the luxury that surrounds them in all directions. Corrupt system, people who starve, and people who flourish off the hard work of others for no reason other than a fucking birthright? It's ridiculous.

Bbut tonight he's going to take a trip farther out than he's ever been. He's ready to get himself a little dirty, to see some action taking place. Not exactly expecting a murder, but maybe a good fight. If anything, the idea of a blade of justice never sat very well with him after the whole... issues that went down in Tokyo leading up to him joining COST, but he wants to experience the world that Achilles is living in, nonetheless.

So he finds himself in the seediest part of Paris, shoulders hunched downward and gaze set toward the floor. It's not before long that he comes across someone asking for directions. Not like he knew. But he's weary- he knows any contact with these sort of people is asking for trouble. This guy was definitely looking for something more from him.]

[ Poor Ryuji.

Achilles isn't around to come to his aid just yet. He's probably about a few blocks away from this scene, whistling to himself as he strolls past closed doors and curtained windows.

The poor boy has probably signed up for more than he bargained for. Because he's going to be... straight up knocked the fuck out by the seemingly kind stranger, given the chance.

I mean, he's an "exotic" person, wandering around alone, with no one around to actually help him. He's an easy target for "recruiters" hoping to score something unique to present to their boss. ]

[Ryuji tries to walk away from the situation as the man starts getting more aggressive. His fists clench up into balls, and he tries to smack his hand away. He's not into being touched by a stranger, and he's certainly not okay with how far this conversation is going.

He digs into his pocket to finger around for the feeling of his mask.

Oh. Shit.

How could he be so stupid? He left it back in the storeroom.]

Yo, creep, I don't know what you're tryin' to do, but get your fucking hands offa me!

[It's a gut punch that gets him- cheap, easy. He reels forward, grabbing his stomach before the next thing he feels is something bludgeoning, sharply against the back of his head.]

Edited 2017-11-14 06:35 (UTC)

[ This probably isn't the first time this man has ever kidnapped anyone, so let's not discredit Ryuji's skill. He caught him off-guard, and now he's being hoisted up onto the back of the Frenchman, who mumbles something about having to cart his ass all the way back to his place.

Which happens to be in the direction Achilles is coming from. They cross paths soon after the whole ordeal, and it's the striking sight of Ryuji's blond hair that grabs his attention.

With his spear, he blocks his path and questions him.

"Put the boy down," he demands, but he's met with a lie about how the boy was a ward of his and had too much to drink that night.

Things get more tense as Achilles persists, basically cornering the man up until he relents and starts putting Ryuji down --

Achilles isn't dumb. He can put two and two together, and noting his ethnicity and hair colour, he knows the kidnapper is full of shit.

And that's all the reason he needs to thrust the point of his spear right into his face. ]

[ It's like killing two birds with one stone. He's found the person he'd been talking to on the network, and he's also extracted the mana he needs to maintain his strength a day longer.

The corpse is left on the road, surrounded by a pool of blood that drains from the cavity in its face. Achilles picks Ryuji up from the ground and heaves him over the saddle of his horse.

When Ryuji wakes up, he'll be safe and sound inside a small hotel room that looks as cheap as it had been for Achilles to pay for. The bed is small, just big enough for one person to lay in, and the windows are open, letting the chill of the night are drift in, as well as leaving room for Achilles' horse to poke its head into. The sound of its snorts are probably what roused the boy in the first place.

Achilles is nowhere to be seen for now. So Ryuji can get his bearings as he regains consciousness without having to deal with the shock of dealing with a stranger invading his space. ]

[Current HP: eh, somewhere just above the point of blacking out again.

It's several hours that he's lost consciousness for, but it feels like everything had just happened, and it's by the grace of a horse's labored sounds that he eventually comes to again. He sits up, looking around immediately. Ryuji doesn't know that he's been saved, only that he's in a room he doesn't recognize, surrounded by unfamiliar walls that feel out of place from the warehouse attic he'd been renting.

Ryuji's breathing starts picking up, almost at an alarmingly quick rate. Had he just been shoved into this room, awaiting whatever was in store for him after being kidnapped?

No, that... that doesn't seem right. Wouldn't his hands be bound or something? This isn't the Four Seasons, but the hotel room looks vividly enough like a temporary stay type of facility that he knows it's not someone's dingy maison. He stretches forward, sighing as his throat tightens up. There's pain, all around his stomach and his head, emanating from both sources until he feels sick to his stomach. And as much as a tough boy that Ryuji keeps up the pretense of being, he feels like crying. How could he be so dumbly naive, to just let this sort of thing happen to him?]

[ Achilles returns with a bucket of warm water tucked underneath his arm.

It'll probably be alarming for Ryuji to see a man suddenly open the door and emerge, clad in a ratty tunic. He isn't the same man that had attacked him, but he doesn't offer any immediate reassurance when their eyes meet.

But, after a drawn-out moment: ]

So you shined a bit brighter than for your own good.

[The door opens.

He narrowly avoids a heart attack. Immediately, his fist clenches into a ball in his sheets. If he needs something to soften the blow against his knuckles as he comes out swinging, might as well be a shitty old bed sheet.

And then, like a weight lifting right up from his shoulders, he lets out an exhale of oxygen that he had kept furled up into his chest- something he learned to do while sprinting so that it would give him an extra stamina boost.]

Rider?

[Well, no shit.

He looks over at the other, confused. How the hell did he get here?]

[ The confusion is plain on his face and it's almost amusing. He offers a quirked brow when he says his name, actually impressed that he managed to recollect and put two and two together so quickly. ]

You picked a fight and lost before I could even find you. Guess you were eager.

[ He moves over to the bed, setting the bucket down on the nightstand beside where Ryuji is sitting. ]

Here. Wash your face. [ He produces the cloth that had been draped over his shoulder, dangling it over Ryuji's head. ]

[How in the world that it's amusing to Achilles is completely lost on Ryuji, since he's still trying to gain some semblance of chill enough to let his heart rate drop back down to normal.]

I got... cheap shotted... [He turns his head away from the other, looking at the wall next to his bed. Ryuji can take care of himself, he's been a loner for most of his adolescent life, this was just a hiccup in the grander scale of things.

Except, it's not.

That was terrifying. He's never been so utterly scared that something was going to happen to him. In Tokyo, there's tons of side streets to avoid if you know where they are. It's a big enough city that nothing goes unnoticed- someone corners you, you make enough noise and the scene is enough to drag people to come see it (even if they don't participate, the social pressure is enough to be a shield of sorts).

But the important thing here is that Ryuji's confidence has been attacked, more than anything else. He doesn't need to be saved! Even though he just... clearly was.]

Thanks... [Taking the towel, he dips it into the bucket and wrings it out so that it's just damp and not sodding wet.] Sorry, this isn't how I wanted to meet ya. [He takes a moment, washing his face with it. The tactile feeling of the scratchy cloth against his face actually feels really good.] I... uh. Wow... I can't believe how useless I am.

[ Achilles watches him silently, dropping onto the edge of the bed and allowing the mattress to sink beneath his weight. He pushes back his hair, having just washed it moments ago, himself. He regards him with a thoughtful expression, noting the drained look on his face and his disheveled appearance as he proceeds to wash his face.

He knew the name sounded Japanese, and luckily for Ryuji, he stands out. Though, standing out can be a double-edged sword for people who aren't prepared for the attention they end up drawing to themselves. Achilles knows this well. ]

You're fairly young and different than what these people are used to. You're bound to run into those who'd want to profit on that.

Maybe it'd be best for you to be wary when you meet new people. Don't trust anyone until they earn it.

[For a moment, he just sits there, the cloth burrowed against his eyes to wipe off the shame of the day. He knows that, Achilles. He's met so many in his life that ended up being complete and utter assholes, and yet, here he was- sitting in bed with his thoughts pointed straightly at himself. He draws the rag downward, eventually blotting down skin against his neck and v-line of his chest.

He doesn't really want to talk about tonight, even when provoked to do so. He notes, mentally, that he needs to be way more careful. Those words aren't lost against him. He just never thought he'd be in this sort of situation, where all the things that made him unique would stand out in a way that could make him the prime candidate for a person to get taken advantage of. Pulling the cloth down, he looks up at Achilles.]

I uh... I don't really... feel comfortable goin' back. [It's a rare moment to see Ryuji struck to the core like this.] Is it. Is it okay if I spend the night here? I don't mind takin' the floor or anything.

[ Okay... Achilles isn't THAT much of a pervert, so he doesn't stare as Ryuji starts dragging that cloth everywhere and getting the front of his shirt all damp. He abashedly looks towards the wooden ceiling above, idly counting the webs stringed to the corners of the beams. ]

Hah? Do as you please. This is your room for tonight. Heroic Spirits don't need sleep. [ But sleep would actually help him conserve the mana he just extracted from killing that sorry sack earlier. ]

[He may be a vulgar boy, considered by society to not have a lick of manners inside him, relegated to the type of person that does whatever the fuck he wants to do, but he feels compelled to make up for the idiocy that he's proven himself to be. It's enough to be close to someone who knows that won't screw him over, and as he shifts, he feels the knot in his stomach tighten. With some labored movement, he stands up, holding his hand against his stomach, and points to the bed.]

Take it. I can... I can manage by myself. You've already done enough.

[He doesn't have a clue what the hell a Heroic Spirit is, but he knows that no one in their right mind would turn down a comfortable bed for the night. He breathes in, feeling rather dejected for the time being, and again, showcases his intent. He's a stubborn little asshole when he wants to be.]

You're.. uh. You're not gonna leave me here alone tonight, right? So take it.

[ Achilles is a hero with a great amount of good will, but he's also ... a guy from Ancient Greece. He's not as considerate as he should be. So when Ryuji moves up to stand on shaky legs, he doesn't do anything to reach out to him or force him back on the bed. Instead, he just stares at him, as if challenging him to keep this up or gauge his will. ]

Are you so foolish? [ He lets out a bullish snort. ] I'm a Heroic Spirit. What part of that don't you understand?

You need the rest. If you want to repay me, then offer your body instead.

[Of course he's this foolish. Rider, meet Ryuji. At least, the real Ryuji.

He stands on his own, no matter what sort of infliction threatens to break him. That's who he is. He's the chariot arcana, after all. His will is to power through anything that comes his way. That said, he grimaces and admits to his lack of understanding... until Achilles clearly comes onto him.

Wow. Okay. That's not... okay. He throws the wet rag at Achilles' face.]

Don't be weird.

[ Whap.

The rag hits his face and it ... slowly falls off and into his lap. He just stares over at Ryuji, unimpressed and mildly agitated.

This is an act of disrespect, you punk.

He picks up the rag... and throws it back, though he's careful not to use too much strength. Ryuji will just get hit in the face with the rag. He's petty, alright? ]

I don't want anything from you, especially if it's meaningless. Now, get back into bed.

[ The horse snorts from the window, since no one is paying attention to her. ]

Edited 2017-11-15 06:49 (UTC)

[Ryuji just... stands there, with the wet rag against his face. It still feels nice, okay? He's not meaning to be disrespectful, it's just how guys his age tease each other and play around back home.

It's kind of nice, actually.]

I wouldn't say it's meaningless.

[He pulls the rag down and drops it into the bucket. He can tell when he's met his match in stubbornness, and winds up sitting back down. The sound of the horse startles him, though, and he looks over to her. Even with all the amounts of restlessness in Ryuji, even with all the amounts of extreme fatigue, he's not settling in until he feels comfortable knowing that everyone else is okay, too.

So much for resting off his injuries. He walks up to the horse, and, for the most part, ignoring Achilles' demand for him to go back to sleep, pets her with the grain of her mane, eventually flitting a few fingers down the the front of her forehead and down towards her nose- carefully avoiding actually touching the sensitive parts there.]

Is this guy creepin' you out too? It's okay. Ryuji's here.

[ He grins slightly as Ryuji ignores him for the nickering horse. So much for reasoning with him... He didn't even take the bait of his teasing. ]

Ah... She's just hungry. You think she wanted only your attention? [ He's partly correct, since the horse has been pretty spoiled up until now. ]

So, Ryuji, are you here to fight a battle that isn't yours? [ Let's talk about it. He's interested in hearing what he has to say, since Achilles knows the people of his era are rather avoidant when it comes to violent confrontation. What sets this guy apart? Is he a mage? ]

Well... yeah, that's okay too. Horses gotta eat. Sorry, I ain't got nothin' for ya.

[A few more dotes of attention, and he backs away from her. He can't tell if she's annoyed that he didn't have some snacks to tote along with him, but Ryuji reminds himself 'next time'- he'll come with something more than just an open hand. The blond is far from spoiled, but he knows what it's like to be hungry and that fucking sucks.]

Kinda. [Crossing his arms, he gives Achilles a proper look over. Not checking him out, just... trying to get a feel for what type of person he is. This stranger saved his life once already, so it's only right that he gets to at least know his face.

But it's tiring to stand up when he feels this utterly drained. Back to sitting on the bed he goes.]

In my world, I was a thief. [He stretches his legs out forward, always unable to sit still. His right one still feels stiff, and it strains when he does it. But it still felt good. Moving his attention from his feet back to Achilles, he watches for an expression.] I stole hearts.

[ Ryuji turning around stops Achilles from ... admiring the view, so to speak. He hadn't even realized he'd been looking at his backside and noting his physique.

Maybe he's just tired. Or maybe he's just feeling a little greedy (in more ways than one). Their gazes meet briefly, and if Ryuji were receptive, he might've caught the fleeting interest that had the older man's pupils dilating. But he isn't, and Achilles is more subtle than others may give him credit for.

Either way, he's letting his eyes shift modestly as Ryuji makes his way back over to the bed to sit beside him. ]

The hearts of many maidens? [ A bit cheeky, but his tone takes an immediate drop into something more sinister. ] Or maybe I was wrong about you, and your youthful, innocent looks belie your true nature...

If you're in fact a demon, I'll have to kill you right now, you know.

[Well.

This went from 0 to 100mph real fast. Ryuji's eyebrows quirk downward. Man, he was supposed to sound cool saying that line. He had been waiting to use it for almost an entire year. It was the only good one he had. And it's not like he can show off either- he left his persona mask back at the inn (he doesn't know yet that no one else can see Seiten Teisei in this world, but hell, what a fireworks show that would be). WHICH IS... in retrospect, probably for the better. Achilles looks actually murderous like this. He doesn't need to know he can summon.]

Tch, yeah right. The only devilish thing I got goin' for me is my good looks.

[He pushes Achilles at the shoulder.

He's kidding.

Please don't kill him.]

[ Oh, so he is... a Casanova.

Achilles almost laughs out right, but the push comes as a shock.

Oh. Oh.

He lets out a noise, pleased but not quite jovial and returns the push. Which should send Ryuji rolling back onto his side on the bed. Sorry this guy is so extra. ]

Devilish isn't the word I'd use to describe you, kid. [ His long arm easily stretches over to allow him to reach for his cheek and pinch it. ] You look more like a harmless little rabbit with this baby face. Maybe that's why it seems like you'd make easy prey.

[ Achilles, you're being so creepy. ]

Edited 2017-11-16 02:42 (UTC)

[Definitely not a casanova. Barely functional, to be honest.

He feels the abrupt shove against him, and it's way stronger than he would've thought it should be. What the hell?]

... dude, you're really weird.

[Rubbing his cheek, he looks at Achilles dejectedly.]

I ain't some piece of meat that you can just go 'n tenderize, y'know.

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