|
|
Post by Narye Matsuya on Aug 10, 2012 9:18:51 GMT -5
The walk home was quiet, wobbly, and a little slow-going. No doubt the pair of them looked like the worst kind of drunkards to be walking down the sidewalk at that time of night, possibly only second to the violent kind of drunkards. There were times when they had to stop and readjust lest they risk fully falling over, usually Narye falling on top of Saaga due to the size difference between them.
Nearly the entire time that they were staggering towards his home, Narye was running through what had happened that night in his head, or as best as he could through all the alcohol. The night had started to fun and light-hearted, even a little randy. But the he had said so many other things, so many true things. As they neared his front door, he also realized that were other true things he could say, that he wanted to say to this young woman, but they hadn't come out. Why hadn't those come out?
It took a couple of tries for Narye to get his key in the door and successfully remember how to open it. When he did, he pretty much fell inside. The memory that he had to escort Saaga to his, or rather her, bed was what kept him on his feet. It was a familiar route to the bedroom, and he helped her down onto it, and even spent some time trying to help her get her shoes off.
"Alright... You know where the bathroom is... Right?"
He flipped his towards it general direction while standing back up. In a lapse of memory, Narye began to undo his pants but he quickly remembered what was happening and stopped himself. There was an urge to lean-in and give her a goodnight kiss, but that seemed out of the question as well. He had to settle for a longing look instead.
"Okay... G'night, Saaga... I guess we'll talk tomorrow..."
Without really thinking about it, Narye silently mouthed the words he really wanted to say to her, drunken or sober. The three that would have summed up everything he wanted to say, and at least somewhat explained his actions. Then he shakily turned and headed for the door.
|
|
|
|
Post by Saaga Sun on Aug 10, 2012 11:16:27 GMT -5
By the time they got over to Narye’s flat, Saaga was certain she’d be recovering from major bruising as well as the head-splitting hangover that was sure to follow a night of drinking. The walk from the bar had been a nightmare; two drunken people tangled on each other for support and trying desperately to figure out the logistics behind moving one foot ahead of the other. Suffice to say they’d managed to kick and scrape each other by accident enough to last Saaga a lifetime.
While they had been walking, she’d tried her best not to think about his married status but now that she was back in his apartment, she started unconsciously looking for some signs of a female presence there. It was silly of her to think that he’d have kept anything after three years considering how painful the loss of his family was to him, but she could not help herself. She thought maybe it would be easier for her to accept if she saw some concrete proof, something she could judge and evaluate based on what she saw and not on what he chose to tell her.
She let him lead her to the bedroom, even though she knew the route perfectly well and once there she slipped out of her sandals and started unfastening the buttons of her vest, which was still wet with sake and stank like it too.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just down there. I’ll be fine,” she answered and waved her hand lazily to the general direction of the bathroom.
She took off her vest and let it drop to the floor and continued with the rest of her garments until she was wearing only her undershorts and a short sleeveless under tunic. When she turned to look at him, he was in the process of mouthing some words, but she could only catch the last of it. Knowing not what to make of it, she decided it was just him being confused and drunk, so she paid it no mind and crawled under the covers.
“Good night…Narye,” she called to him, before rolling over on her belly and burying her head in the pillows.
It was hard to go to sleep at first. All she could think was that she was most likely lying on a bed that he’d shared with his wife at some point. A wife that could well be alive somewhere. She wanted to ask him about it, but didn’t know if she actually could.
Eventually sleep did come to her, but it was not sound or peaceful. She was running through dreams filled with ghosts, trying desperately to find something real to touch, but there was nothing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Narye Matsuya on Aug 10, 2012 12:07:42 GMT -5
Narye did not sleep well in the sense that he was actually getting a good night's rest. It was more like he had managed to find the couch before losing conciousness and he was basically nonfunctional for the night. In a weird kind of way, it was peaceful. In the same sense that being dead was peaceful.
In the morning, everything was... slow. Narye felt like he was crawling out of deep dark hole into the light, struggling to find fresh air again lest he fall to his death. He couldn't remember why he was in that hole, or how he got there, or what the hell he was, or really anything. But slowly, very slowly, his brain began to spark back to life, one tiny thought at a time.
He was waking up. That was the first thought.
Second though: Oh god, why was the light so bad?! Why does breathing hurt his head so bad?! Why does his head feel like it was exploding?! What did he do to deserve this?!
Narye groaned and lulled his head from side to side as he gradually picked up on the details. He was on the couch of his own home. His pants were off. He had been drinking the night before. This was a hangover.
As he closed his eyes tight to stop the light from stabbing into his head, and gripped his head to keep his brains in his skull, Narye rolled off the couch. Everything hurt. The light was too bright. The sound of the couch somehow grated on his eardrums. Everything was out to make him feel like shit and if he wanted to not totally lose it, he needed to regroup, and fast.
His first priority was to dash for the bathroom as fast as he could without killing his own head too much more. He made it and didn't even bother to close the door as he emptied his bladder for about two minutes straight. As disgusting as it might sound, it gave him time to recollect what had happened. There was a twenty year old girl in his bed right that moment, and he had told her everything. This morning was not going to be great, and not because of the hangover.
Narye finished up and flushed the toilet, lamenting how loud it was, and went back to the kitchen. If he was going to combat his and Saaga's hangover, it was going to start with the right kind of food and lots of water.
|
|
|
|
Post by Saaga Sun on Aug 10, 2012 13:31:32 GMT -5
The night had seemed like it would never end. If she wasn’t trapped in restless nightmares running after ghostly memories, she was waking up and running to the bathroom to vomit. When daylight finally started creeping into the apartment she was already half awake and wrapped inside a blanket like a larva going into a cocoon. Only her feet were visible and a little tuft of reddish hair.
She felt absolutely revolting. There was a bitter taste of acid in her mouth and her throat felt sore. She had a splitting headache, like a group of badgermoles had decided to use her head as a nesting ground and were now moving about furiously. Her stomach felt empty and sick at the same time, even though by now there should not have been anything there to make her feel nauseous.
She rolled over to her side and settled into a fetal position for a while, listening to the sounds of morning. She heard Narye getting up and going to the bathroom, noting that she should probably do the same. Getting up wasn’t so easy though and after a few minutes she was still lying there and feeling like she was in some kind of hell.
Why was it that whenever she was lying on this particular bed, some part of her or other was hurting?
She would have laughed at the thought, except right at that moment she found it sad rather than amusing. There was nothing amusing in the world right now.
She heard noises coming in from the direction of the kitchen and decided that now was as good a time as any to crawl out of bed. She rose to sit, rubbing her temples in an attempt to reconfigure her brain to some level of human thought. Then she rolled off the bed and trudged to the bathroom to relieve herself and wash up.
While she was washing her hands, she rinsed her mouth hoping the horrid taste of acid and dead rats would go away. She thought it would have been practical if she’d had her own toothbrush there, but that would imply a closer relationship than what they had.
Rubbing her eyes to ward off the light, Saaga walked into the kitchen area and leaned against the wall in case her feet would give out. Her hair was curly and standing up in every direction, looking like a windswept bird’s nest.
“Morning…” she said to him, though it sounded more like a painful moan than an actual greeting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Narye Matsuya on Aug 10, 2012 15:06:06 GMT -5
Narye thought he said "Mornin'" back to Saaga when she came into the kitchen, he hadn't noticed any of the other sounds she made while washing up, but all that managed to come out was a grunt/moan. Thinking that sounded a little too gruff for that morning, Narye still turned around to face Saaga with a very pained smile. It was an actual good morning smile, it was just that the rest of him still hurt like hell.
His stove was already on, a pan was heating up on it, and a small bowl of eggs was already on the counter. He knew that is what he wanted for breakfast, but he didn't know what Saaga would have preferred. Narye had already done a preliminary look-through of the icebox and found enough ingredients to make a substantial morning meal.
"Um... You can go ahead and sit down if you want. I'll make us some food. Anythin' in particular you want?"
Somehow this felt like a strangely intimate situation. They were both severely hungover from the night before and, while they did not engage in any physical intimacy, they were both now standing in the kitchen in their underthings while Narye made them breakfast. Well, Narye was still wearing his shirt from the night before, but no pants. Either they were just that comfortable with each other, or the hangovers were overriding their usual sensibilities.
"Maybe some coffee?"
The voice he spoke in was a little strained and only just loud enough for her to hear him because he knew all too well how much louder noises were when hungover. The sizzling eggs he was putting on the pan were already starting to grate on him.
There would definitely have to be some talking between the two of them, but nursing their hangovers was taking priority. Besides, what they needed to talk about was pretty damn sensitive and would be better served when neither were in pain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Saaga Sun on Aug 10, 2012 18:06:34 GMT -5
The smell of eggs frying on the pan felt irritating to her nose and she had to cover her mouth for fear of gagging. Luckily nothing came up and out except that horrible taste of acid, back to haunt her again. She went over to the dining table, slowly and legs a little shaky, and sat down on a chair. She leaned over the table and pressed her cheek against the wooden surface, much like she had done the previous night when she’d first arrived at the bar. Oh, how much her head ached.
“No…anything’s fine,” she moaned in reply and scratched the back of her head a while, until she came to the conclusion the feel of her fingers against her scalp was not making her feel any better. In fact it made her feel actively a lot worse.
The thought of food and eating was stomach turning and delightful, all at the same time. Saaga knew she had to eat something, but she was skeptical whether she’d be actually able to hold anything in. Every smell and sound seemed amplified to a hundred fold and she felt awful just sitting there, much less if she had to consume something.
“I’m never drinking again…ever. I feel like the person who managed to kick himself in the gut…surprised and pained at the same time,” she said in a tired little voice and slid her hand down to rub her stomach. At least soft circular motion offered some form of minor relief to her pains.
“Aah, coffee sounds great. You know what else sounds great? A hug,” she smiled a little when she said it, lifting her head up just enough so she could use her arm as a pillow.
Usually after a drunken night out she would have gone home to sleep and suffer the consequences. And because she did not live alone, she had no shortage of people who felt sorry for her and kept her company during the most trying time. That’s why she was used to certain kind of attention and acted even a little clingy when she felt sick.
|
|
|
|
Post by Narye Matsuya on Aug 10, 2012 19:15:01 GMT -5
"Anything, comin' right up."
The eggs cooked fast enough and they were out of the pan and onto a plate in no time. After a quick trip back to the icebox for some cured meats and to the cupboard for some bread, Narye was back to sizzling the meat on the pan. Eggs may have made Saaga feel a little sick to her stomach, but the smell of sizzling cured meats was mouth watering. It was a simple breakfast, heavy on the stuff that cured hangovers faster.
He could leave that stuff cooking for a little while he went and prepared some coffee. Cooking was keeping Narye's mind off the fact that his head seemed to hate him at the moment. But he still moved slowly and methodically to lessen the pain of moving his head around to do things and look at things.
"How do you kick yourself in... Nevermind..."
Narye was in no mood to do some thinking and he let Saaga's comparison just go without ever really considering it. When she asked for coffee and a hug, however, Narye smiled happily while he poured them some hot coffee. Carrying a pair of mugs to the table, he set one on one side of the table for himself, and another next to Saaga's head, gently of course.
"One coffee... and one..."
From behind, Narye bent over, hesitantly at first because the bending seemed to shift the fluids in his head painfully. But he did it and gently pressed his chest against Saaga's back while wrapping his arms around her in a very gentle hug. He planted tiny kisses on the back of her head and spoke just above a whisper.
"Poor girl... Poor girl..."
Hearing the meat sizzle, Narye straightened back up and very lightly patted her on the back while he went back to the food. Everything was plated, the eggs and the meat and the bread, then served to Saaga and himself.
"Need salt or somethin', hon?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Saaga Sun on Aug 11, 2012 6:10:11 GMT -5
”I don’t know…It was just something my father used to say,” Saaga said, her words came out a little muffled because her arm covered most of her face.
She had never really thought about the physical attributes required for the feat of kicking oneself in the gut, but she had surmised that it was very challenging. And most likely the person had to be agile and very nimble. She groaned quietly. There was no way she was going to be putting anymore thought to figuring out what was essentially just a stupid saying.
She could vaguely hear the soft sound of his feet as he came closer, but bothered to raise her head from the nook of her arm only when she heard the quiet tap of the coffee mug being settled on the table. She looked at it and pushed herself up, shifting her weight to rest on her elbows. Narye’s hug was a welcome gesture and she closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth and the moment, but his soft kisses brought something else to mind as well. Like the fact that she was basically intruding on some other woman’s property so to speak. Her hangover felt that much worse after that thought.
“Yes…I am,” she moaned back and as he pulled away and went back to his cooking she thought: “In every sense of the word. Also a naïve idiot.”
She grabbed the coffee mug in both hands and took a little sip. It was strong and tasted like what she imagined tar would taste like, but it did shake her into the state of being fully awake. If only because it tasted so bad. Saaga had always been more of a tea person and she could never fully understand why people would voluntarily drink something so foul as coffee. Now she was beginning to get the gist of it.
She observed Narye as he set the table and felt this was the closest thing she’d ever come to being treated like a princess or something. She would probably have felt more giddy about it, if not for the fact that she was still roiling from the after effects of the night before.
“No, not really. I’m good. Honestly I feel bad just looking at food right now,” she replied with a little chuckle, followed by a quiet wince. Her body was not ready to go through any form of positive reaction.
“I’m amazed you found the energy to actually cook. If it were me, I’d still be lying in bed waiting for the world to decide not to try and kill me,” she commented, managing a faint smile. Indeed, if she had not heard Narye waking up, she’d have most likely stayed in bed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Narye Matsuya on Aug 11, 2012 8:34:49 GMT -5
"Despite what your body feels, it'll be good for you to eat some."
Though it originally had nothing to do with curing a hangover, that bit of advice from his grandmother still kind of worked. That was her solution to everything though. There wasn't a thing that a good meal couldn't cure apparently, especially if you weren't feeling up to eating at all. Somehow, it worked most of the time.
Taking the seat opposite Saaga on the table, Narye also kind of hesitated to eat at first too. But he powered through the nausea and started eating little bits of food at a time, slowly getting used to having something in his stomach, along with occasional sips of coffee. The stuff wasn't perfect but it was great as a wake-me-up.
"Yeah... I took quite a bit of willpower to pull myself off the couch. But I just can't lay there and wallow in the pain. I gotta get up and do something' about it eventually."
He smiled at Saaga over his mug as he drank his coffee. Narye had never been a metaphor person, especially if it wasn't immediately obvious what it meant. So he would be quite surprised to learn that he had just made an especially apt metaphor without meaning to or realizing it.
"Because it can't last forever, right?
The meaningfulness of what he had just said sailed right over his own head as he focused entirely on eating the good food he had cooked up for the morning. His head still hurt and the nausea had only calmed down slightly, but the food in his stomach was distracting his body and would eventually go towards making the rest of the pain go away. He had dealt with hangovers before and they were all regretful to some degree, and he had even made the "I'll never drink again" declaration before too. Having someone else to talk to while he recovered was a nice change.
|
|
|
|
Post by Saaga Sun on Aug 11, 2012 13:40:51 GMT -5
Of course she knew that not eating wasn’t going to help her feel any better, but for a while she was content just sipping on her coffee and grimacing from time to time to signal her dislike for the taste. But watching him eat for a time made her stomach object in a different way, namely by growling disapprovingly. She cleared her throat a little and placed the coffee mug on the table, the sight of eggs and meat still giving her the bad kind of goosebumps.
There was no other way but to soldier on, so she started eating little by little. At first every bite seemed like a punishment for some heinous crime, even though the food in itself did not taste bad. After a few mouthfuls though it started to feel like life was slowly winning over and even her awful headache did not feel half as bad as it had even though it was still lurking in the back of her head.
Narye’s statement made Saaga lift her gaze from her food to stare at him. She smiled at him, a kind of twisted little smirk. His words seemed fitting for all sorts of occasions and were very appropriate at present. He had done quite a bit of wallowing the previous night.
“Hmm…Funny you should put it like that,” she said and focused on finishing her set of eggs and meat.
The more she thought about it the more she felt like what he’d said to her at the bar had cut her deeper than she’d realized at first and she could not help but feel a little bitter when she recalled his exact words.
The massive elephant koi that was the subject of his missing wife was hanging in the room and weighing down the atmosphere. At least it was so for her.
She crossed her legs carefully, trying not to upset her stomach and took a sip from her coffee. It had started to cool down a bit.
“So…Your wife…What was she like?”
She supposed the subject was perhaps deserving of a more delicate approach, but Saaga had never been a delicate person. She was blunt even at the best of times and practically incapable of polite courtesies when she was irritated.
|
|
