Immaculate
Copyright© 2025 by Daelyx Len Auphydas
Chapter 17: Discomfort
Alunya looks around, confused. Somehow in the jostle of the crowd, he’d lost track of both Antares and Reia while getting seconds from the buffet line. Before he can find any trace of either of them, he feels someone else’s hand on his shoulder, hot to the touch.
“That’s a pretty head you’ve got on your shoulders there. You’re Alunya, right? Reia’s kid?” The slurred voice is asking him. Alunya whirls around to see who it is- A man Alunya doesn’t recognize, middle aged, a tad portly with a slouched posture, looking at him with an odd, uncomfortable intensity. Alunya just nods in reply, not knowing how to take it.
The man took in a sharp breath. “Mhm, and what a pretty little thing you are, too. Such a shame you’re a boy, with looks like that.” Alunya shivers uncomfortably. There was something altogether wrong with how the man was looking at him; He couldn’t help but notice his eyes were not meeting his own, instead looking him up and down with interest. There’s a distinct smell of alcohol on his breath; Though, granted, to Alunya’s sensitive nose, everyone in the vicinity had that same unpleasantly acrid smell. “I’m Tanith, I run the mill. I’m friends with your mother.”
Alunya jerks backwards, removing Tanith’s hand from his shoulder. “I’m sorry, mister, is there something you want?” Alunya asks, eyes darting side to side looking for an escape. It was harder to run away when surrounded by people like this, and he’d rather not start a scene and get another scolding from his mother.
The man leans forwards, hiccuping. “It’s so noisy out here, isn’t it? You look overwhelmed, why don’t I show you a nice quiet spot where no-one will bother us?” Tanith tries to lift a lock of Alunya’s hair, but Alunya feels a sudden burst of anger at the attempt and bats his hands away, falling back on one foot in a defensive posture.
For a fraction of a second, Tanith’s flushed face contorts in anger. “How dare you treat your elders this way? Kids these days don’t know how good they’ve got it.” He growls out before remembering himself. “Hey, I’m sure the crowd is just getting to you. Come on, I’ll help you find your mother.” He offers.
Though he can’t explain why, every fiber of Alunya’s being wants to be anywhere other than where he is right now. He glances at the table, pondering his chances of getting a knife through the man’s throat before he can react. The drunk didn’t seem the most coordinated, he probably wouldn’t be able to stop him...
But before Alunya can do anything of the sort, his brother appears from the side. “May I ask why you’re bugging my brother?” Antares asks brusquely.
The man staggers back and looks at the new arrival surprised. “C’mon, I just wanna show him something.” He insists, holding his hands up disarmingly.
Antares suddenly stomps forward and barks- like a wolf, teeth bared. ““Alunya’s mine, you got it?” He snarls. People were starting to stare at the interaction. Seemingly, Tanith didn’t like that- As soon as he gets his bearings from being startled by the boy’s sudden aggression, he looks around and groans.
“Alright, alright, I guess I’ll just show you sometime later.” He mutters darkly. “Dumb kid, he’s practically begging for attention looking like that ... Would be such a waste...” He mumbles sourly as he stalks off, glancing around.
Alunya frowns and looks at Antares. “U-um ... Ari, what did you mean by that...?” he asks, wincing as he recognizes a now unfortunately familiar scent ... The usual, distinctive smell of Antares, like fresh rain, was now tainted by the smell of alcohol on his breath.
Antares seemingly didn’t notice Alunya’s concern, as he grabs Alunya around the neck and gives him a nuggie, eliciting a protest from the younger boy. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, follow me.” Antares drags Alunya through the crowd back to their table. As soon as Alunya is seated, Antares shoves a mug into his hand. “Here, try this!” Antares prods, grinning mischievously
Alunya takes a single whiff and pokes the surface of the liquid with his tongue before recoiling, coughing and sputtering.
Alunya looks at Antares with a betrayed expression. “Blech! Where’d you get that?” Alunya asks, pawing at his tongue and spitting, while Antares just sniggers at him.
“Vekt gave me some and showed me where to find more! He said I could hold my drink well!” Antares boasts. “I downed a whole cup in one big gulp! Here, you try!” He pushes the cup back into Alunya’s hand, who knocks it over, spilling it onto the ground and shaking his head.
“Nu-uh, it tastes gross!” Alunya protests. Antares puts on a smug smile. “Well this is what all the grown-ups drink so I guess it’s only fitting that your big brother would be more grown up!” Even though he didn’t particularly like the taste, he takes another swig to prove it.
Alunya crosses his arms, scowling. “Well, I never said I wanted to be a grown up, anyways.” he puffs out his cheek.
Antares crossed his arms smugly as he took another swig. At least he had finally found something he was definitively better than Alunya at.
“Oh, don’t be like that. There’s plenty of boozehounds around already, your brother will make a better husband than most if he keeps himself sober.” Interjects a lady across the table from them.
Alunya looks disconcerted and mumbles “I don’t wanna get married, though...”, prompting Antares to throw his arm around Alunya and drag him over against his shoulder, smirking. “Yeah, Alunya needs someone mature to watch over him, so he’s stuck with me!” Antares teases, snickering.
Alunya wrinkles his nose in protest. “Ari, your breath stinks!”
Antares looks up at Alunya sardonically before purposefully breathing in his face, making the younger boy gag and cover his mouth. “Aww, does my baby brother not want to be near me?”
Alunya averts his gaze uncomfortably. “I didn’t say that...” He mumbles.
Antares grins widely, perhaps amused at Alunya’s discomfort. “You know, you’re right. You’re too immature to handle this, you’d better leave the drinking to your big brother.” He proclaims boisterously. “Here, you need me to feed you too? Say ‘ahhh’.”
Alunya perks up, and does exactly as Antares said, completely oblivious to the fact that Antares was making fun of him. “Ahhhh...” he holds his mouth open while Antares blinks in some surprise, giggles, then places the bite squarely in his mouth.
The mood is ruined by the sniggering of a youth sitting nearby- Alunya recognized him as one of the boys introduced by Rallic to get married earlier. Kuzir, Alunya thought his name was. His new wife was sitting beside him, looking down with an expression somewhere between shame and discomfort.
“Now that’s a sight. A virgin snot-nosed brat here thinks he’s a real man.” The youth sneers, looking awfully confident for some reason Alunya couldn’t fathom. “You call that drinking? I’d drink you under the table in two mugs flat, you’re just a boy.”
Alunya opens his mouth, wanting to argue, then second guesses himself. On one hand, Kuzir was being incredibly rude to his brother ... But on the other hand, he didn’t actually like Antares drinking, so he wasn’t about to start defending his ability to stomach the bitter beverage.
Antares was looking shocked, maybe a bit ashamed, and stood up- He was tall enough that he was eye level with the older boy despite the difference in age. “I’m mature for my age! I have to be, since I’m the man of my house!” Antares protests.
This only triggers more laughing, and Kuzir grabs Antares in a headlock. “Oh, that’s real sad. You’ve never even felt the touch of a woman, how can you call yourself a man, unless you mean to say you’re a mother fucker! Hylicia, you whiteheads are pathetic.” He sneers. Antares yelps and struggles but can’t get free until Alunya leaps up and rips Kuzir’s arm away.
“Leave my brother alone!” Alunya shouts, standing by him protectively as Antares staggers back.
Kuzir rolls his eyes dramatically and crosses his arms. “Relax you brat, I’m just having some fun. What would a virgin like you be able to do about it anyways?”
Alunya glares at Kuzir, standing in front of Antares with his fists balled up. “Why do you keep calling us that? What even is a virgin?” He asks defensively. He couldn’t exactly protect Antares if he didn’t even know what he was being accused of.