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The Case of the Bloody Hand: Part 1
It was only on his evening off that Auxin got the chance to revisit the idea of his date. Now that the war was over, it made sense to grasp the opportunity not just of peace time but also of being in the good books of the Klatchan population.
The neighbours had hinted that he had their blessing to go after Sara. He pondered this as he climbed across the roof to the adjacent skylight, peeping cautiously through the window to check who was in the upstairs bedroom before lightly tapping on the window, which opens.
"Hey. I was wondering if you want to, well, go to Harga's House of Ribs?" he blurts out.
Alik blinks at him. Then shrugs.
"Sure, it's been ages since I had a meat meal. Why are you on the roof though?"
"I wasn't sure your parents would approve." Auxin says.
"Klatchans are allowed to eat meat." Alik says with a grin. "We're just poor, like you."
"Are they allowed to, well, er, go out with another guy?" Auxin asks.
There is a pause. Then Alik shrugs again.
"Like a date? I don't think it's forbidden. But I agree we should see how we feel before we tell our parents, you're right."
They leave their respective houses separately, meeting up a few streets away.
"So... you like me?" Alik asks, after a few minutes. "As in like me, like me?"
"I like you like I don't like anyone else." Auxin says, running a hand through his own hair. "When you come into the shop each day, I feel happy, it's like a spark. But I was never sure if you want to be with me like that."
"I'm not sure." Alik says honestly. "Doesn't mean I won't accept eating ribs while we work it out."
They head up to Harga's House of Ribs, getting a table together casually. Auxin wonders if anyone there suspects that they might be more than friends. It doesn't seem to have deterred the staff, who entice them to share a bottle of wine. They share a glance of hesitation - neither of them has really had much alcohol before - but a bottle between them, that can't be too bad can it?
***
By the third glass, both of the boys are giggling hopelessly. Perhaps that was how the waiter manages to get them to buy the bottle of expensive wine too. Which turns out to be quite pleasant, and the waiter is very helpful to them when it comes to paying the bill.
Later, Auxin will be glad he puts his 'moving out' savings in the bank.
The rest of the evening turns out a bit of a blur.
***
When he wakes up, Auxin finds he's wrapped around something warm. It's a pleasant surprise to find it's Alik, but less pleasant to find that they're both having a kip in a flower bed. This can't be good, it must belong to someone, and they won't be pleased to see their flowers all squashed.
He sits up, and the world sways. So this is drunk. Well, it felt fun earlier, he thinks, but it doesn't feel so great now, and the wine has worn off just enough to know his parents will kill him if he comes home like this.
After throwing up in the gutter he feels a little better, and wobbles back to the flower bed to work out where he and Alik are going to go until morning. He picks up the bottle of expensive wine and swears. Fancy falling for that trick! That waiter must have seen them both coming and...
There are bloody fingerprints on the bottle.
Why are there a bloody fingerprints on the bottle?
He checks his own hands, then Alik's. There's no blood on either. The fingerprints are visible, and they don't match his or Alik's. He breathes. At least that doesn't mean that either of them are injured or as likely that they injured someone else. But he's pretty sure this bottle is evidence.
He tries to wake Alik, who murmurs 'gerroff' and goes back to sleep. So he ends up picking up Alik in a fireman's lift over his shoulder, and the wine bottle carefully with his other hand, and heading for the nearest watch house.
The neighbours had hinted that he had their blessing to go after Sara. He pondered this as he climbed across the roof to the adjacent skylight, peeping cautiously through the window to check who was in the upstairs bedroom before lightly tapping on the window, which opens.
"Hey. I was wondering if you want to, well, go to Harga's House of Ribs?" he blurts out.
Alik blinks at him. Then shrugs.
"Sure, it's been ages since I had a meat meal. Why are you on the roof though?"
"I wasn't sure your parents would approve." Auxin says.
"Klatchans are allowed to eat meat." Alik says with a grin. "We're just poor, like you."
"Are they allowed to, well, er, go out with another guy?" Auxin asks.
There is a pause. Then Alik shrugs again.
"Like a date? I don't think it's forbidden. But I agree we should see how we feel before we tell our parents, you're right."
They leave their respective houses separately, meeting up a few streets away.
"So... you like me?" Alik asks, after a few minutes. "As in like me, like me?"
"I like you like I don't like anyone else." Auxin says, running a hand through his own hair. "When you come into the shop each day, I feel happy, it's like a spark. But I was never sure if you want to be with me like that."
"I'm not sure." Alik says honestly. "Doesn't mean I won't accept eating ribs while we work it out."
They head up to Harga's House of Ribs, getting a table together casually. Auxin wonders if anyone there suspects that they might be more than friends. It doesn't seem to have deterred the staff, who entice them to share a bottle of wine. They share a glance of hesitation - neither of them has really had much alcohol before - but a bottle between them, that can't be too bad can it?
***
By the third glass, both of the boys are giggling hopelessly. Perhaps that was how the waiter manages to get them to buy the bottle of expensive wine too. Which turns out to be quite pleasant, and the waiter is very helpful to them when it comes to paying the bill.
Later, Auxin will be glad he puts his 'moving out' savings in the bank.
The rest of the evening turns out a bit of a blur.
***
When he wakes up, Auxin finds he's wrapped around something warm. It's a pleasant surprise to find it's Alik, but less pleasant to find that they're both having a kip in a flower bed. This can't be good, it must belong to someone, and they won't be pleased to see their flowers all squashed.
He sits up, and the world sways. So this is drunk. Well, it felt fun earlier, he thinks, but it doesn't feel so great now, and the wine has worn off just enough to know his parents will kill him if he comes home like this.
After throwing up in the gutter he feels a little better, and wobbles back to the flower bed to work out where he and Alik are going to go until morning. He picks up the bottle of expensive wine and swears. Fancy falling for that trick! That waiter must have seen them both coming and...
There are bloody fingerprints on the bottle.
Why are there a bloody fingerprints on the bottle?
He checks his own hands, then Alik's. There's no blood on either. The fingerprints are visible, and they don't match his or Alik's. He breathes. At least that doesn't mean that either of them are injured or as likely that they injured someone else. But he's pretty sure this bottle is evidence.
He tries to wake Alik, who murmurs 'gerroff' and goes back to sleep. So he ends up picking up Alik in a fireman's lift over his shoulder, and the wine bottle carefully with his other hand, and heading for the nearest watch house.