Chapter 17: Finding a Home for the Night
1700 Words
Kaelonne was far to fascinated by the moving vehicle to be bothered by the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the trio. He’d always be able to observe the designs from far, covering his ears from their loud horns and constant rumbling, but never from the inside. The young royal could genuinely say that he was not disappointed. Hartley lets out a soft chuckle at the big grin on his face, hiding his face behind his hand when Ford glances at the pair sitting in the back seat.
Hartley and Ford’s humble abode is not far off, leaving Kaelonne slightly disappointed when the car finally came to a stop. With few words and hands gestures, the young royal is ushered inside, and his battered shoes shoved to the side, next to Hartley’s cleaner one.
Ford was not a creature of many words, Kaelonne observed. A few sentences were passed between the man and his son before he gave him a half smile and a reassuring nod at the young royal. Hartley ushered them up the stairs with a hand on his side, and another pointed in the intended direction. Exhaustion was at the fore front of his mind, and as hospitable and familiar Hartley has been in comparison to the last few weeks, Kaelonne could feel something in his hindbrain calling for his bed back at home.
“What are these?” Kaelonne stumbles to a stop at the things hanging on the wall, Hartley takes a couple more steps before understanding what the Mermatian was asking of him. He hums and steps closer with bottom lip between his teeth, a nervous habit of the human Kaelonne had noticed.
“Their printed pictures.”
“Printed… like dyed?”
“Dyed?” Hartley glances at him before frowning, visibly formulating the right way to say his next words, “I guess so, but not exactly?”
“So…”
“You know phones?”
“I think so?”
“The thing in everyone’s hands.”
“Then yes.”
“That can take a picture?”
“Picture?”
“…A snap of a moment in time through electronic advancements.”
“How?” Kaelonne turned entirely to face Hartley, curiosity running through him. There was so much of the human world that he wanted to understand.
“I’ll explain later, hopefully with a powerpoint.” Hartley huffs a laugh at this, “And that picture is carefully printed, kind of like in a controlled way so that it becomes detailed, and you get this.”
“Huh.”
“That wasn’t really helpful, was it.”
“Helpful enough, I am interested in this picture idea though.” Kaelonne lets the human guide them to the original destination, glancing back at the painting one more time. A woman sitting with a bright smile on her face, a child on her lap distractedly playing with something stored away in his memory. From the look on Hartley’s face, it was someone that meant something to him, a look he noticed on the faces of those who lost someone close to them.
“So, you uh, should take a bath, I’ll get a towel.” Hartley walks around the small, homey room. Most likely his sleeping space if the bed and personal trinkets were anything to go by.
“Bath?” Kaelonne raises his eyebrows at the human shuffling around the room.
“Bath…like bathing?” Hartley raises an eyebrow at Kaelonne’s confused look before sighing harshly and face palming, “Right, underwater, fish wouldn’t bathe.”
“I am not a fish!” Kaelonne protests, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
“Fish is an… insult?”
“Fish had a memory span shorter than a crashing wave.”
“Okay, fish is an insult then. What about dolphins?”
“A dolphin’s attitude is an acquired taste, but they’re well enough. Intelligent and a sense of consciousness.” Kaelonne was quite fond of working with dolphins, Eirian always claimed that they were to pompous for his own liking.
“Wow. Turtles?”
“Long life. Strong, brave creatures, quite respected.”
“Never thought I’d be having this conversation.” Hartley shook his head with a sigh, dragging a hand down his face. “Bath, now.”
“What… Am I doing exactly?” The young royal poke his head into the smaller room Hartley walked into, noting the differed things built into the space. He recognised them, but he didn’t like the idea of stepping into the crowded area. Hartley had no qualms, however, walking over to the showerhead and turning it on.
“This is more awkward than it should be, but basically water, soap, lather, scrub.” Hartley demonstrates by sticking his hand in the falling water, scrubbing a small area, and then washing off, “Do that everywhere, try not to get any in the eyes, nose or mouth, because it will burn. You’re smart, you’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks?” Kaelonne stepped into the even smaller space with a frown, accepting the towel and closing the curtain like Hartley motioned. He sighed quietly and followed the instructions, heat might not have been a common aspect to him, but hot water was amazing. Kaelonne was certainly going to mourn the loss of it when he returned home.
“So… this is random but… you mentioned a Call.” The human spoke up from the other side of the glass after a couple minutes of silence, his voice warbled by the falling water. Kaelonne startles slightly, but plays over the words in his head.
“I did, it’s what led me to you.”
“This call, what was it like?”
“A song, I guess?” He shrugged his shoulders despite being aware that Hartley couldn’t see him, “A hum that I couldn’t quite get rid of.”
“Huh.”
“Huh?” The reply was odd, opening a few questions he didn’t even know he had, “Did you feel it to?”
“I think so, but definitely not like what you’re explaining, not as loud at least.”
“So, you felt something like it.”
“Is it possible, that this Viatrix person extended the call to me to find you?”
“It’s possible, kind of makes sense,” Kaelonne hums an uncertain tune, it wasn’t as clear as his whistling but it did the trick more often than not, “Viatrix’s last words were to get the help I needed, I guess in way, it’s possible she meant you, a familiar face. What was the call like for you?”
“A quiet unease I guess.” Hartley’s shadow was moving on the curtain, his back to the shower. Kaelonne frowned as he noted the uncertain shrug of the human’s shoulders. “It was like I was looking for something that wasn’t there. I don’t know how to explain it. Like a restlessness. Honestly, I chalked it up to be the feeling of wanting to well… meet you again.”
“Interesting.”
“Interesting? That’s it?” Hartley turns around, his shadow moving as he takes a step forward. The human was asking the same questions he carried for the last month, he simply just didn’t have the answers right now.
“There is a lot I don’t understand either.” The shower stops and Kaelonne steps out, washed hair pulled over his shoulder and towel held up awkwardly. Hartley turns around so fast, he slams into the half closed door. With a grunt and a curse, he tears the offending piece of wood open and steps out, holding his nose.
“Okay, general human things to know, part one.” Hartley mumbles loud enough for his voice to reach through the door, “You step out of the shower, you dry off with the towel and then wrap it around you. One end pressed to the side and then wrap it around so that you’re covered.”
“Human etiquette, I presume?” Kaelonne opens the door, towel wrapped somewhat clumsily around him, well enough to cover himself. “I apologise.”
“Something like that. Don’t apologise for something you’re learning about.” Hartley states matter-of-factly, “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“Nothing, it’s similar to something my sister always said. Never apologise for something you didn’t know, acknowledge it and change your view to suit.”
“Huh, my dad taught me. I guess teacher figures are a common thing in our life.” Kaelonne huffs with a smile and pulls his hair closer to avoid leaving water on the floor.
“So, my hair… it’s a total mess… it’s never like this back home.” Kaelonne runs his fingers through it and winces as the soft, short claws catch on it. “I don’t understand how you humans are able to take care of it.”
“That’s because we’ve developed ways to deal with it from our perspective.” Hartley gesture to the pile of clothes on the bed, turning around and resting his head on the door this time, assuming that Kaelonne would be able to handle himself and patiently waiting for a signal to turn around. “Recent years, a lot of people keep it short for a number of reasons, but long hair is still pretty common. Not that there’s anything wrong with long hair. Trust me, I mentally praise anyone with long hair, because I personally don’t have the ability to take care of it.”
“I’m good.” Kaelonne tugs slightly at the clothing, the natural scent of Hartley clinging to it. Hartley gives a lopsided smile as he turns around, nodding in approval as he walks over to the bed and takes the towel, tapping on the bed as a gesture for the young royal to sit. “So, you can take care of my hair? It’s definitely a lot longer than I’ve seen most humans carry it.”
“That’s true.” Hartley takes the towel and with exaggerated movements, beings rubbing it gently through Kaelonne’s hair to silently explain what he was doing while drying off the excess water soaked in the locks. “But a good hairdryer, a brushing and some hair cream, and you’ll be good as new.”
“Really?”
“Not as much as I’d like to say unfortunately…” Hartley trails off with a wince, rubbing the rough, broken strands at the end of the long hair in his hands. “Looks like it’s been through hell…”
“I don’t know the translation for that word, but if it means what I think, then yes. I haven’t been able to take care of it for the last month, unfortunately.”
“Well, it’s not all damaged, just the ends. You just need to take off a few inches and you’ll be great.” Hartley bundles the hair and shows it to Kaelonne, a reassuring look on his face. “Lemme get the hair dryer and a brush and we’ll decide after.”
- Writer
