A draft filtered into the room as the curtains swayed en rhythm. Hakk turned over on his side. Before his eyes rose steam from the platter of food, beyond it, Glei rustled in his space as he pulled the blanket near his feet up around his waist. Blinking several times Hakk shifted himself to a sitting position his eyes drooped to mere slivers of openings as his head dipped beneath his shoulders.
"Void calling?" The voice came from the hallway off to his left.
In the frame stood the elder man, his eyes held a long drawn look as he took a deep breath his eyes equally as distant as the others.
Hakk raised a brow to the other as he turned his head to meet him.
"You are welcome to continue using the room once you recover, though I'll be charging you for food."
Hakk snorted slightly under his breath as glanced about the room.
The elder walked into the room as he picked up one of the bowls and the roti and began to eat from it.
"I'll charge you for wasting it." His brow furrowed as he ate some of it his eyes closed as a smile settled on his face. "Where is your springboard friend?"
"Out where's-"
"Closet." The elder pointed to a small doorway tucked in the corner beside him. "Should be whatever you had with you." Picking up two more bowls he made his way to the window and sat on Ayumi's bed. Laying back slightly with his head slouched against the wall under the window. "Can this day be done." The words strangled out of his slightly crushed windpipe.
"It's mid-morning." Hakk made his way to the closet and began digging through a pile of belongings and clothes pulling out his wooden box trapped under them.
"My body begs to differ." The elder began slowly feeding the food to himself in small finger fulls.
"You'll gag," Hakk uttered with nonexistent interest as he took the wooden box back to the bed and began sorting the contents out neatly on the sheets.
"I'll take my chances," The other looked with one eye open as he watched Hakk hunched over the bed sort each one. "and don't get those dirty with, well dirt…"
Hakk looked over to the other briefly with disconcerted expression and continued with the placements. Finishing his inventorying his eyes trailed to the open door as a shadow crossed over it, and moments later again, the quick loud paced steps echoed along the wooden corridors.
The elder sat up as the figure crossed once more.
"Melern what is the matter."
From the doorway a figure backtracked out of breath, the women stood in before them, her short hair pulled to a loose bun strayed around its edges.
"Sir Althea, there has been a bit of an incident, one of the residents, patients-- the one you had trouble with, they, well he is gone, sir." The women took deep breaths as she held her hand against her chest.
Hakk raised an eyebrow. "Still tried to escape."
Althea half nodded to Hakk before sitting up and turning his attention to Melern. "None of the usual places then?"
"Well, sir…When I went to check on him, he was awake, so I was going to see if he'd eat anything. I went to get some and I thought, well something happened before I could get back to him." Tears held at the corner of her eyes as her lip quivered.
The elder sighed, his shoulders sinking as he stood up, his form wavered slightly.
"I'm sure we can find him, you sh-"
Althea held his hand up. "It is alright, I'll sleep when I collapse." Walking to the door he stood then turned his head back to Hakk. "Save some sleep for me?" Taking a deep breath he stepped out, following behind the women who began commenting on the situation at hand in fragmented sentences.
Looking over his pile of possessions Hakks eyes caught his pipe, plucking it up he perched it on his lips and continued out the door.
Away from him, the conversation of the two trailed forward as distance silenced their words. Hakk trailed behind them but paused, his sights shifted to watch the water washing world. Closing his eyes the sounds droned on in a static buzz. The echo's fazed in and out; the steps of feet, the creaking of a house against the outside world, the opening and closing of doors, the muttered words spoken in rooms, the breath of the living, and the flow of air through it all. Each one sailed about as strings to cords of the invisible sheet music of the cosmos.
Continuing to drift about they all clamored in their calling of attention growing in measure until silence…
mmm
mm-mm
mm------m
mmm mm-mm---
The sing-song rhyme in a slightly offbeat registered in his ears as it lingered through his senses. Hakk's eyes opened, shifting his head from side to side he walked down the hallways pausing at each junction. He stopped closing his eyes briefly than down the ramp he descended, he walked continuing the ritual.
Down an ill-lit pathway that branched off from the main sprawling network sat Ayumi. The low hum of old cords escaping from her throat as her feet danced back and forth. At her side, the orange-haired frame leaned against her shoulder in dazed attention as his eyes rocked in time with her feets motion.
Hakk retreated from the hallway as the noise of the world filled his ears once more. Down a few more corridors he trailed to meet a group of people gathered, inbetween them Althea stood speaking and point to each one.
He approached the group and placed his hand on Althea's shoulder."He's down by your garden," As the other turned to face him.
"What?" His eyes squinted as they took in the other.
"Ayumi's with him, down by your outdoor garden place, arbor?" Hakk began dragging the coat sleeve of the other as he back-tracked his steps.
"Arboretum is-, are, wait what are we talking about?" Althea tripped slightly as he pulled on Hakk's shoulder regaining balance.
Ayumi was now chattering with her eyes closed with body swaying back and forth gently as the other was now dozed off on her lap.
The elder one approached the two, his steps unbraking the echos. Stopping an extra-long hands width away from the two, he kneeled down.
Ayumi continued uninterpreted as she spoke of the deserted village, the boat ride to town...
"I think Glei yelled at Hakk a lot in the boat, and then we lost the umbrella, well the wind broke it, but I saved the top until I fell asleep and then the ocean ate it an-"Ayumi opened her eyes to see the two figures to her about her. Raising her hand she gave a small wave to them both.
"Little miss, might we be able to barrow your conversing partner for some care?" Althea spoke with a soft tone as he looked to her and then the other.
"No, he doesn't like you." Ayumi's head turned from Hakk to the other.
Althea's eyes sank as his form dipped to the ground where he took a seat, his face turning slightly awash. "He's said this?" He ran his hair back as a deep breath escaped his lungs.
"Nope, but you locked him in a closet, I'm not giving him to you." Ayumi turned her gaze from him to Hakk while eyeing the other.
"Reasonable, however, for his own safety it was necessary, with his condition it is not safe for him to be attempting to leave."Using his hand he scratched the top of his hair as he glanced at Hakk who was now leaning against a wall with arms folded and eyes closed as his head nodded off.
"He won't leave." Ayumi glared to Althea.
Mirth escaped from the elders face as a chuckle choked in his lungs. "Oh? He said this?"
"Stick him in our room, I'll keep an eye on him," Hakk interjected as he approached the three.
"Honestly I don't care at this point." Althea looked to him and back at the others, his head slouched over. "I'll send a few people over to help you get him up there safely."
Ayumi smiled, "Thank you."
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