A King Off Balance

[unbreakable_king]

Who;Rhy Maresh, Open
What; Tailor Work, A Minor robbery, A Disney Princess Moment
Where; The Tailor Shop, The Markets, The Park
When; Early August
Warnings; None Yet

1. A Stitch In Time... | A Seamstress's Shop
The young woman who watched the counter was sick this morning. It was something Rhy had been informed of when he had first entered and, of course, the other ladies that worked in the shop had a very reasonable expectation of that. There were dresses to be made, suits to be prepared, shirts and blouses and vests. So many different things hat needed finished or prepared or repaired. All in all it meant that the newest hire who was still working on some of the easier skills was watching the counter. So he sat there behind the counter, working on repairing a vest.

Until, that was, the door opened. He looked up with a bright smile at the individual entering.

"Good morning. How might we serve you? Something new to wear? Repairs? Perhaps some lovely embroidery to enhance what you already own?"


2. Light Fingers Cause Problems | The Open Air Markets
Lunch, or nearly that. Rhy had been given leave a bit early from his job to go collect lunch, given he was intending to bring it back to the small tables near his place of work to have lunch with his husband and their lovely pup. Today it was his turn to buy their lunch, and so he had, a basket of small pastries, sweet and savory, a small wedge of cheese, and a small bunch of grapes. This last item was in the hands of the vendor, about to go into Rhy's basket as he took the small purse with the last of the money for lunch in hand as a child ran by.

One second there was a small pouch in his hand. The next just empty air as the child bolted off through the market, with the vendor cursing as the child ran off. And Rhy stood there, shocked.

"Did... Was I just stolen from?"

What a strange and interesting thing!


3. Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear | The Park
A day off. They were not the most common for Rhy, but he did so enjoy when they came. With Llewellyn busy at work Rhy had set himself into the park, another trip to allow their sweet basset hound pup get used to the plant and animal life. The dog was currently napping at the end of his leash, tuckered out from some vigorous sniffing action. Rhy, meanwhile, had settled on a bench with a book in his lap, enjoying the slow progression of a book he had bought.

He didn't even notice the little song birds growing interested until one landed on the top of his book, tweeting at him in curiosity. The man went very still and stared at the little finch, which seemed to have no problem with his presence.

What did he do now? He didn't want to scare the thing. Oh dear.

Comments

2. Light Fingers Cause Problems - Sorry but this amuses me

[monochromatically]

Mono was a very observant child, even if he didn’t need to be quite so vigilant anymore. Still, it was a habit, and it hadn’t been hard to notice the man getting his money stolen just as he was about to pay the vendor he was on his way to see if he had anything that wasn’t as fresh that he might not mind letting the kid take for less.

He had seen Rhy around a little, but he was often with that tall man who wore a hat... And Mono felt a little wary of that guy.

But Rhy looked pretty confused by the whole thing, and the kid really liked finding opportunities where he could help someone. “Yeah, I think that’s exactly what happened, sir.”

He was wearing his postman hat today, brim pulled low over his eyes. “And they’re going kinda fast. You want me to help? I’m pretty fast.” Mono liked to think he was pretty good at running, was either running or sneaking in his world.

[unbreakable_king]

The child draws his attention and Rhy looks toward the boy, only to find... Well, he couldn't even see the boy's eyes. Strange.

"Uh, yes, that would be helpful. I will share the grapes with you if you're able to get the funds back?"

Seemed the best thing he could do. The money was meant for the grapes.

[monochromatically]

That was the point, Rhy. Aerith had finally gotten through to him on the matter of the paper bag, and he tried to go without it more often these days… But it was still kind of weird to know people could look you in the eye, and being looked at was still something that made him more than a little uncomfortable. So, hat’s with brims were great.

Plus, he was pretty proud of the postman hat; he found it in a post office, and even delivered a package to…

Well, he wasn’t sure who or what had been on the other side of the door. But the point stood, he’d fulfilled the duty required to wear it! 

The offer gets a small, obvious reaction, though. Perking up a bit, because fresh grapes did sound pretty good. He had been offering for free, but Mono wasn’t stupid. If people offered you free food in this world, they generally meant it. “It’s a deal, Mr. I’ll be right back!”

And he was off with a quick dash, definitely faster than the first child, but perhaps slightly clumsy as he skidded or stumbled once or twice. He wasn’t nearly as stable as Six had been back in the pale city, but he also was pretty good at spotting openings and shortcuts to make up the distance.

Rhy could either follow along or wait. Either way, the kid was clearly serious about his offer.

[unbreakable_king]

Waiting seemed like the best choice. Rhy took a deep, sad breath. Somehow he doubted the child would be back. So he turned a sad look back to the vendor and apologized for everything. There was a quiet conversation before he moved away, sans grapes.

He'd really wanted those too, but it wasn't like he was going to give up the more substantive parts of the meal.

[monochromatically]

It was a slightly longer wait than Mono had anticipated himself. The other kid had been kinda upset about being caught, and actually getting the money back from them hadn’t been easy. It involved an unfortunate argument, and eventually a promise to show the kid where they could find some things they needed around the city later that weren’t easy to afford without money or stealing if you weren’t as used to figuring stuff out as he was.

So perhaps it wasn’t so strange that Rhy had moved away from the stand by the time he got back. Still, the kid frowned a bit. He had said he’d get it. Where did the guy go?

Slipping in and out of crowds, moving around stalls, and avoiding a couple chocobo drawn carriages, he finally spotted a familiar figure moving away. “Oi! Hey!!” He called out, one of the rare times he actually yelled. Usually raising his voice was reserved for trying to get Six’s attention, or distracting a monster, and he hadn’t really had much need to in this world since she wasn’t here and he hadn’t really needed to get someone’s attention much yet. “Mr!! Don’t you want your money?”

[unbreakable_king]

OH, a voice calling for money. A familiar voice. Rhy looked back over his shoulder and saw the young man. He paused and turned around to return to the boy's side.

"You came back?"

Frankly he was shocked.

[monochromatically]

Mono tilted his head up slightly, some of his face finally visible as he couldn't quite help the reaction. This guy was kind of funny, he had seemed so confused earlier... And weirdly shocked now. Did this happen to him a lot? Did people say they'd help him and then just not? That was awful...

He finally nodded, holding the money up for him to take. "Well, yeah...? I said I was gonna get your money for you. Can't give it to you unless I come back, right?"

[unbreakable_king]

"I thought perhaps you might keep it," Rhy admitted with a shrug. Now though he smiles and takes the money. "Come on, let's go back to the vendor and get some grapes. Then you'll get your part of the bunch."

He was going ot keep his word.

[monochromatically]

“Nah, that’s stealing, Mr. I only did that before I found out people weren’t as scary as I thought they might be.” Besides, he had a hard time finding money, so he understood that it was probably the same for other people.

The offer gets a serious nod from the kid, though. “Yeah? Thanks, I’m kinda hungry. I wasn’t sure if the shopkeeper had anything I could afford.” But he liked fruit a lot. Fresh fruit was still as much of a novelty as everything else.

Stitch

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis had promised Llewellyn that he would go and meet this husband of his. But he decided that he wouldn't tell the man himself that he knew Llewellyn and so he would go from there. So after having downed some fresh coffee and a fresh cinnamon bun at home, the advisor decided to go in and take a look around.

So he now walked in the shop he hadn't been in since Namine had gone and was greeted by the man behind the counter. Almost immediately his eyes spied some material that would look perfect fashioned as a waistcoat and he nodded.

"Good morning. I've actually come to find some material that would look perfect as a waistcoat if you'd be so kind."

[unbreakable_king]

Rhy smiles and he rises from his work, setting it aside. Once his hands were free he offered Ignis a wide, charming smile. Warm and gracious too.

"That would be something I'm quite happy to help with. Do you have an idea for color?"

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis thought a moment. "Something like a gray paisley if you have such a thing." He saw something akin to it on his way in, but he knew how to embellish it on his own if he had to. He really wanted to look sharp for Nida, and that was what he was going for.

[unbreakable_king]

Gray and paisley. An interesting request. Rhy moved to some rolls of fabric on the side of the room, trying to select a few options.

"A gray with more blue or more ivory to it?"

[faithfulsupport]

Slowly Ignis followed, putting a polite distance between them as he didn't wish to crowd the man. But as he watched Rhy he nodded to the question and surprised himself with his answer. "More ivory would be wonderful."

[unbreakable_king]

"I think I have the thing," he said. But he did pull out a few options. Once he had the three rolls in his arms he carried them to the show table and rolled them out just a bit next to each other.

"So, part of the question, if you don't have an immediate color preference, is weight of material. Is this to be an every day waistcoat, a seasonal one, for a special occassion...?"

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis smiled, reminded of the time he came here with Namine and how helpful they had been. Rhy was very much the same and seemed interested in why he was there. So he just smiled when asked what the occasion was. "It's a special occasion as it were. I am getting married in October."

And even though he wore the ring and necklace that Nida had gifted him with every day, it still was something to try and believe. Marriage was just one of those things he never saw himself ever being lucky enough to participate in and be a part of.

[unbreakable_king]

A marriage. In October. That sounded familiar. And Rhy was intrigued.

"Well, we must make you look your best for the lucky partner," Rhy said. He definitely shuffled the more blue one aside, even if he thought it might suit the man's eyes just a little.

Biiiiiird!!!!

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn also didn’t have a lot of days off between both jobs, and it was sadly rare that they overlapped with his husband’s. That said, the detective also detested being indoors for too long (it was why Aerith’s shop was lovely with its very open concept). So even his time at the Gullwing’s office was peppered with trips out to run leads or just to clear his head when he was working on a particular problem. He was more used to thinking on the go, after all, ever since the first place he’d worked had often enough put the run to him or made him feel uncomfortable. Going out was a natural instinct, and one that he’d never quite shake.

Plus, a man needed to eat lunch… Right?

Right.

So he might have purchased a few things from the market, and upon discovering Rhy was out and about when he looked in on the apartment, had gone on to the park because that was his second favourite place to be. The first being at his husband’s side, of course.

Perhaps he should have expected to run into Rhy there, considering the man had their pup that day… But it was a pleasant surprise, made only more pleasant as his steps slowed when he noticed Rhy staring very intently at something over the top of his book. “What is he doing…” He said quietly, before he realized that it was a small finch that had landed on the book the other was reading.

Oh… Oh no… That was adorable. Llewellyn couldn’t help the small, awed smile that crossed his face as he resisted the temptation to say something and break the moment. What does he do? He takes out the tell-phone and uses it to snap a picture of the moment. Sorry, Rhy. If you happen to see him there, your husband is no help at the moment. He will assist once he’s got evidence of this saved for future reference. “Oh… Oh please don’t fly anywhere.” He murmured to himself as he tried to catch a shot before it flew away.

[unbreakable_king]

The bird didn't fly, and Rhy didn't flinch. The two were almost staring each other down. The finch offered a little peep and then started to hop along the top of the page.

"You know, I'm done with these," he conversationally told the bird. "I want to turn the page."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was quite pleased by the fact that the bird wasn’t moving. Clearly, the little finch was comfortable where it was. With the moment captured, he tucked his phone away with a satisfied little smile and continued to observe for a moment or two.

A small chuckle escaping as he watched Rhy speaking to the bird, and it clearly didn’t seem to care that he wanted to turn the page. Llewellyn really didn’t want to interrupt this moment, but he finally started to move closer to make his presence known. He still doesn’t get too close, but close enough to let his husband know he was there as he sat down in the grass. “Maybe you are, but perhaps they’re not done with them.” He grinned, his tone teasing lightly. The detective was slightly amused by both that and the fact that Pretzel seemed quite content to sleep through all this. “It would seem you’ve made a new friend, dear.”

[unbreakable_king]

Llewellyn's voice, the sound of his joy, Rhy smiled at. He didn't flinch though. But Pretzel? The dog heard his father and wuffed happily, getting to his feet. And that, that's what scared the bird off. Oh dear.

"Seems my friend had appointments elsewhere."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn himself did wince when Pretzel roused himself to greet him, and the darling little bird flew off. Well, darn. “Or perhaps they aren’t fond of rude little canines disturbing the peace.” He commented, but reached out to give Pretzel some fond little scratches behind the ear and pats to greet him. It wasn’t like the pup knew any better, after all. “Not all little creatures are like that little bunny you befriended, I’m afraid.” He commented gently to the pup. Now that he thought about it, poor Pretzel could probably use a friend or two here…

“I’m sorry to have disturbed you both. It was quite a sweet sight, I must admit.” He added to his husband a moment later with a little grin. “I can’t say I blame the little one for being so charmed by you, though.”

[unbreakable_king]

"It was a cute bunny," Rhy laughed as he put his bookmark in place and set the book down in his lap to smile at his lover. His beloved. His heart of hearts.

"I'm glad I amused," he noted as he gestured for his partner to join him. "I don't think they were charmed so much as resting."

[gadaboutdetective]

“It was a very cute bunny, I like to think the two of them bonded well over both having such long ears.” Llewellyn commented with one of his attempts at humour, a small grin on his face as he took the invitation from his husband. Sitting down in the grass, he stretched a little and leaned in close to press a little kiss to his dear heart’s cheek in greeting.

“I don’t know, I find most birds tend to rest on the branches of trees than so close to people.” And the bird had seemed quite happy on Rhy’s book, “So I believe that the little finch rather liked your company, or at least your choice in reading material.” He tugged out his phone. “See?” The detective turned the screen to show a rather nice shot of the whole scene.

[unbreakable_king]

"It might be," Rhy agreed. He was frankly shocked that Pretzel hadn't tried to eat the thing. The kiss was lovely, though, and he moved to lean against llewellyn.

What he hadn't expected was the picture. Truly that made him smile.

"YOu are kind to capture my moment."