There were many things that Julian wanted to know about Leonel.
He had the habit of dissecting people he found interesting, in part from curiosity and in part from distrust. After all, the more he knew about a person, the less likely he was going to be betrayed when he wasn't looking, right?
Julian decided to start with the basics, "What was your hometown like?"
Leonel found himself tongue-tied. When Julian barked about answering a question of his, the Inquisitor had expected something more prying.
Perhaps this question was prying in its own way, but Leonel couldn't fathom what interest Julian might hold toward it. "What…" He ended up saying stupidly.
Julian rolled his eyes, "What? You can't even remember your hometown? It's not like it's a difficult question! Come on, Inquisitor Leonel. You're surely smarter than this!"
Leonel scowled, bristling at the provocation, "You…! Shut up. I haven't been there in years! How am I supposed to remember much about it…"
But he had spoken out of spite, and his words were a lie.
It was true that much had been forgotten through the sands of time. Slipped through the grasps of his mind; mangled by the blinding hate that obscured happier days.
To say that he remembered little was not true either because there was much that still flickered vividly in the back of Leonel's mind.
Julian's smile turned gentle. He removed his glasses and rubbed it with the edge of his sleeves. "Just tell me what you remember. Any things or places you were fond of. People even. Personally, I was fond of the stars that I could see from my hometown, but I suppose that's not too interesting. And ah, I wish to talk about you, not myself." With a chuckle, the Doctor settled back in his seat and waited patiently.
"..." Leonel said nothing at first, but Julian was patient with waiting, saying nothing until Leonel was comfortable to open his mouth. "I hail from Ravienne. Perhaps you heard of it."
Julian's eyes lit up, his mouth curving upward, "Of course I have! Who do you take me for? Not only is Ravienne's port a cornerstone to trade in the East, but its seaside views and temples are matched by not many in the world! Ah even though I've only been there a few times, the memory of its beauty still remains fresh in my mind."
Leonel perked up, and for a moment a boyish joy flicked across his countenance before it settled back into a mask of disinterest. "So you've been there before. Then you already know about it. There's not much more for me to say."
"What? You can't just get out of it like that!" Julian barked with laughter, "What was your favorite place? How about some recommendations for the next time I visit! If there should ever be a time."
Leonel's heart twisted. He wondered if Ravienne still beheld any resemblance to the gem in his memories; the thriving markets and the cheeriness that the city folk greeted the royal family with. Deciding to ignore the thought, he only focused on retelling the bits from a faraway memory as though that time was unchanged.
"I liked the markets the most. As you know, Ombrelle does a lot of trade with the East, and much of it comes in through Ravienne. There are so many strange and exotic things that could be found in the markets. The food as well was different from what I usually had."
Julian raised a brow at that, "Different from what you usually had?"
Leonel stuttered, realizing his blunder. "I lived in the castle. My family served the royal family, so what we ate was different," he explained. Technically he hadn't lied, but the words were a little far from the reality of things. Alas, Julian hadn't asked about the details of Leonel's family life and had inquired about his hometown. So the Inquisitor scowled, "Anyway it's not so important. I just preferred the city more than the stiff summer castle."
"I see," Julian replied with a smirk, "Next time you return, you should bring me along with you."
For a moment that didn't seem like a bad idea. Leonel must have been exhausted because after a moment, he realized all the fallacies that lay within that thought. The scowl deepened on his features as he rose from his seat. "That's enough. We're going to bed. Now."
"Oh? Did I strike a nerve? Oh great Inquisitor Leonel, please have mercy on this old man!"
"As if! You don't deserve such a thing." Leonel's voice was full of venom when he forcefully pulled the Doctor to his feet by his upper arm.
"Ow! You damned ruffian. Is there any reason to be so rough with me?" Julian rolled his eyes as he reached for the stick he'd been using as a cane.
He did except to stay unmoved from the spot, a strong arm circled around his waist and kept him in place.
"Uhh…Leonel? Inquisitor Leonel? Good sir?" Julian tried, his voice meek and pleading.
None of his fluttering lashes or pouting lips seemed to work to any effect. Because again he was being picked up and carried upstairs like a pampered maiden.
Julian let out a long sigh of disbelief, "This is becoming a habit of yours. Perhaps you are becoming addicted to being my personal vehicle, method of transport or whatnot but I must let you know, I do not impart any joy from this manhandling!"
"Quiet," Leonel hissed, "the others are sleeping."
Julian eyed the corpse they passed to reach the staircase. "Yes," he singsonged stubbornly, "and I don't think out little friend there is going to wake up anytime soon!"
"Just shut up. You walk too slow on your own."
Julian sighed deeply, only partially agreeing with Leonel's observation of his disability. After all, the Doctor had the ability to move quite agilely if one took his lame leg out of the equation! And even with that, he had ways to increase his physical strengths and agility at least momentarily.
Well, that also had costs but he could just ignore that for now in order to properly mope in annoyance.
Leonel unceremoniously kicked the door open. The room they came into was dark, faced away from the rising sun. The darkness was welcome, but the corpse's stench that seeped through the house's structure along with the mold was not so pleasant. Julian itched to cast a spell, but he supposed that would counterproductive, with Leonel trying to disperse any trance of magic around them.
"This is abuse," Julian complained as he was sat down on the bed, "Elderly abuse. It amazes me how nothing I do or say seems to deter your misbehavior. Tell me who raised you so I may file a complaint, and perhaps a request for a refund as well."
As per usual, Leonel did understand Julian's rambling. "You're not even that old," he pointed out with a growl before retreating to close the door. He took a moment to walk out into the hall and disperse any excess mana that might have escaped from Illysa before returning to join Julian on the bed, sitting down on the old creaking mattress.
"What happened to keeping watch?" The Doctor asked with a teasing voice.
"I'll go back downstairs after you've fallen asleep."
"Oh my, so the Lord Inquisitor is going to watch little old me sleep? That sounds a little creepy, I won't lie."
"Shut it," Leonel growled, going as far as pushing Julian down.
A thud. The mattress was hard, and Julian's head hurt a little. A whine of annoyance escaped his lips, but when he opened his eyes, he found the swirling blues of Leonel's eyes to be infinitely alluring. The words that came out from his chest were like a purr, "I'll let you know, I don't mind doing it rough."
A sharp heat traveled down Leonel's body. With fatigue mixed with the aftermath of adrenaline and stress, he moved without thinking. A hand reached out, the span of his fingers over the jut of Julian's throat. His voice was low and sultry, "You're going to regret saying that."