Clever subject line goes here

[gadaboutdetective]

Who; OTA
What; Pupper Shenanigans, Moving Day/Anniversary, Investigations
Where; All over
When; Early to mid-April
Warnings; None as yet! I will update if they come up and add the warning to the header of the tag

( I can also do personalized starters if you want! just let me know either on Discord: WhimsicalSpook#8219 or Plurk: whimsicalspook You are also welcome to throw a starter at me if you want, I don't bite!)

A wrinkle in plans... - Open to all

A. Network Assistance Request?

[ Llewellyn wasn’t much for using the network, really. Tell-phones were something he tended to be more than a little clumsy with. It did help, though, that Enis had put his on a chain so he wouldn’t lose the darn thing so much. So there’s a light metallic rattle as he adjusted the phone and peered into the camera. ]

Er... Hello everyone. I hope you’re all... well?

[ That seemed polite, and he was trying to work up to asking for a favour. Somehow delivering news on a case was easier than this. Why was work always easier? ]

I’m just uh- looking to see if anyone would be interested in helping me out with a little project I’ve been working on. Some of you already know about it, since you mm... were around in the last world I was, as well. Pretzel’s particularly good at following scent trails, and we had thought he would be helpful in the event that people went missing back then. Seems as important here as it was there. Especially since this world has a lot more potentially confusing places to get lost, like the forest.

But! Anyway, I um... I’ve been spending the better part of the last year and a half training him in scent tracking. Rhy and I have mostly been working with items and making trails like that... But I think it would be beneficial for the little fellow to get experience looking for real people now.

Also... He’s very sociable, and because the last world we were in had very... few animals... [ Complicated in ways Llewellyn didn’t know how to explain, really. ] He doesn’t quite know what everything here is. He keeps trying to make friends with creatures that aren’t fond of dogs. [ A small amused huff. Pretzel really was as awkward as he could be sometimes. ] So if anyone has a particularly social pet that he might get along with, it might be nice for him to get to know them?

[ An awkward pause, then a nod. That was about it. ]

Uh- anyway, I’ll be going then. Thank you for your time!

[ The feed closes. ]

B. Open Log

Pretzel was a very energetic, growing wrinkle hound. It was important to get him out for walks so he didn’t get too housebound, and while the move was going to give the little guy more room to run around? It was going to be an adjustment, and Llewellyn was hoping to keep his routine as close to normal in all the excitement.

Especially since Pretzel had somehow gotten very good at slipping out without their notice to explore the city in search of friends. Neither he nor Rhy could figure out how the dog kept doing it, it was a mystery.

Llewellyn had decided it was just that the dog was rather intelligent, and he wasn’t being challenged or engaged enough. So the best answer he could come up with was to increase training and give him something a little more difficult. Challenge the clever little hound’s mind while they were out and about.

Afternoons where he wasn’t at the Gullwings office, Aerith’s garden shop, or with his husband were spent on very long walks around the market... Or running around the park with fake scent trails and dog toys as he tried to keep up with Pretzel’s training and exercise.

ooc: People could either run into them at the park (especially if you want to handwave them arranging to help with training) or bump into them around the market! Both Llewellyn and Pretzel are very awkward social!



Helping out a friend in need. - Closed to Lauri-Ell

Llewellyn adjusted his hat slightly, moving down a side street with Pretzel trotting dutifully at his heels. The detective had a somewhat concerned and definitely curious expression on his face as he took a shortcut to the forge where his friend worked.

Lauri-Ell didn’t tend to ask for assistance or favours much, in his experience. They had their weekly lessons for writing and sharing books... But this was a little different from that. She had sounded a bit frustrated and troubled, explaining that something rather important was missing...

It hadn’t taken more than a half second of thought to agree. He wasn’t fond of friends being troubled by things, especially if he could help.

So off he went with a quick note for his husband where he was going for the day in case he didn’t make it home till later in the evening, getting Pretzel’s leash on and making his way to their destination.


I know exactly what I want, and it's this life that we've created, inundated with the fated thought of you. - Closed to Rhy

This was it. This was moving day. Well... Moving week, really. They had been working for the last week or so to get their belongings moved from the red and blue building to the stonework house that was situated in a small neighborhood near the market.

But today, in particular, was special. It was moving in day. It was also, amusingly, their wedding anniversary. Which had felt rather fitting for their next step together.

There were other things, of course, that needed doing. The house was in livable conditions, but it did still need a little work here and there. Some painting needed to be done to freshen things, some small repairs here and there, and perhaps a little more cleaning where it had been vacant for so long...

But they were both rather eager lovebirds, after having been searching for the right house for a few months now. Especially since this one had been perfect, hitting most of the marks that they had agreed on for a home, which felt rather lucky.

Llewellyn had been... Well, he was up to something. Rhy would be able to tell that much as they got ready for the day. The detective had never been good at hiding things unless someone’s life depended on it (and if it was his life, then less so). So it was clear enough that he was keeping something to himself while they went over last-minute plans.

It was their wedding anniversary though, so what on earth did the man have up his sleeve today?

“So uh- we need to stop off at the shop to get the um...” He gestured at the windows lightly from where he was standing next to the closet, trying to button his shirt and get dressed for the day. “The materials you picked out for the curtains and your projects? And I have to get some paint to work in the kitchen in the next few weeks...” He tapped off the list on his finger, forgetting his task of getting dressed for a moment. “Should probably see if the carpentry shop has some of the things we commissioned finished, too. I think the note I received from the messenger said they had Pretzel’s bed and a few other things ready.” He added, piling a few more things onto the list while he tried to decide on a green waistcoat or a blue one.

Comments

@audio;

[usestwohands]

[He notes the fondness in Watts' voice when he speaks of his Pretzel. He understands that affection well, and while he's not particularly keen on the network himself, he has at least mastered the basics.]

Greetings. I would be willing to provide a suitable challenge for your dog.

@audio;

[gadaboutdetective]

[ That’s an unfamiliar voice, so Llewellyn’s curiosity was piqued. ]

Hello, that’s very kind of you to offer. Mm… But I confess, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance?

@audio;

[usestwohands]

[He chuckles slightly, a self-deprecating tone.] Forgive me. My name is Drizzt. I am a Ranger of Mielikki and know something of animals.

@audio;

[gadaboutdetective]

No need to apologize. [ Llewellyn responded rather quickly. He really wasn’t fond of being apologized to… Always made him a little uncomfortable. ] But it’s a pleasure to meet you, Drizzt.

[ He didn’t know of Mielikki- Well, he vaguely remembered a figure in Finnish folklore by that name. But otherwise, it didn’t ring any bells. ]

I’d be happy for, uh- your assistance, if you know about training. I’ve mostly been going off of what I’ve read in books and trying out what works with him.

Video;

[unknownmoirai]

[Unlike her life in the Sphere, the young eager angel had decided to work at the tailor shop part time. She loves designing new attire and making people feel more at home but there were more than enough people to handle the work and she was no longer in charge of the shop as a whole. As such, she took another part time job at the stables and met two unlikely friends in the process.

The phones video focuses on Inesa sitting in the middle of the fields that the chocobo's called home. Her skirt was longer than usual, fanning like a picnic blanket around her knees. In her lap is a familiar napping white bunny as well as two feathery puffs: one pink and one white. The feather puffs grew and shrank as the napping chocobo chicks clung to their new mother.]

Hello Mr. Llewellyn. [Her voice is soft, as to not wake the sleeping cherubs.] I know that Pretzel is acquainted with Lancelot but I have made two more friends. Perhaps Pretzel would like to meet them too. [She giggles softly.] I have a feeling they will be following me around until they get bigger.

Video;

[gadaboutdetective]

[ Llewellyn was pleased to hear from his friend. Admittedly, he’d hoped to set up a few meetings for Pretzel and Lancelot since they had gotten along so well at the sphere. Though he couldn’t help the curious tilt of his head as he noticed her current company… It looked as though she had, indeed, made a few new little friends herself. ]

Those are mm… chocobos, yes? [ He asked, also keeping his voice down for the sake of not waking the birds. ] Rhy and I have actually been thinking it would be good for him to get to know some chocobos in case we need to help the guards with anything. And, uh- starting off with the smaller chicks would be a good idea.

[ Especially since Llewellyn could be a bit awkward around the larger ones, he startled them sometimes. ]

Video;

[unknownmoirai]

Yes. That is right.

[She slowly moves the camera to look at the two little puff balls, making the small heads and beaks of the young chocobo's visible before turning the video back on herself. They were all sleeping so soundly after running around the fields together.]

I think Lancelot was adopted by these two or we both were. They have been following me around all morning.

Maybe they will see how Lancelot and Pretzel are and act the same. Do dogs often like birds? [She isn't sure.]

[gadaboutdetective]

[ They were really pretty cute, which was an interesting thing to realize given how intimidating the larger adult chocobos could be. Though at her question, he offered her a small smile. ]

I confess, I'm not entirely sure... But I also don't think Pretzel knows what dogs are often fond of or not. He's been very eager to meet and befriend all the animals that exist in this place, even those who find dogs a bit off-putting. So I expect he'll be eager to meet them, especially if they don't mind him once they see him with Lancelot?

Network Audio

[doubled_speed]

Yo dude. Had a thought. Like, with my powers, I could be a decent training partner for the little guy. Can lay pretty good distraction trails too, to train him to stay focused. Can I can prepare it all pretty quickly, so to speak.

What do you think?

Audio;

[gadaboutdetective]

Oh, hello Tommy!

I hadn’t considered that… [ He hummed thoughtfully, eyes darting thoughtfully to Pretzel. At the comment about preparing it quickly, Llewellyn had to smile to himself. Of course, given the man’s ability, he could do anything quickly. ] I certainly would be glad for the help, and keeping him focused is something I’ve been trying to improve upon. He still uh- gets a bit distracted sometimes.

When do you think you’d be free?

[doubled_speed]

I'm usually free in the early morning, before the markets get too busy.

[gadaboutdetective]

Ah, yes, I suppose that makes sense before too many deliveries come in.

[ Llewellyn wouldn’t want to get in the way of business, after all. ]

Then we’ll meet in the next morning that you haven’t got anything going on. Do you want to meet at the park?

You know what this is

[unbreakable_king]

For Rhy this was all so very new and so very strange. Never before had he had a home that was, for lack of a better term, his. The palace was that of the Maresh family but if they had stepped down, they would not have lived there. The Sphere had the dorm dome and then the private domes after that, but even those were of the Sphere, unchanging, and he accepted them as that.

This? This was THEIR home. They had bought it. They would be the ones to improve and repair it, or find people to do so for them. This was something so very different and his heart fluttered at it. And perhaps he was a bit scared as well.

Of course, there was Llewellyn, full of energy for the day. Rhy, though, nervous about the whole thing going on, didn't notice that his husband was trying to hide something.

"I knew I was forgetting something when I came home from work last night," Rhy said mournfully. With today being the real first day living there, he'd been too nervous last night to think straight.

"I can go by the shop for the material if you handle the paint. And when I see that delivery service man, I can talk to him about the furniture. Does that sound good?"

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn finally settled for the blue waistcoat, pulling it on and fastening buttons carefully before moving to the dresser to pick up the gold pocket watch Rhy had given him to fasten in place and slip in a pocket. Hearing his husband’s rather mournful tone, though, for having left the material at the store, he tilted his head slightly and moved across the room to the man’s side. “You can’t remember everything, dear. You took care of so much already yesterday, you know. Especially getting the clothes sorted away for us and making sure we didn’t miss anything to pack.” He reached out to gently take Rhy’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

“And I believe that sounds like a good plan, my love. I think I had the numbers right when I gave him the advance on the delivery fees… But best to double check when you’re talking to him.” He was good enough with numbers, but it wouldn’t do for them to not get the delivery sorted away. Well… Other than the couple things he’d had arranged to be snuck in ahead of time.

“I’ll see to the paint, and mm… stop by the carpentry shop, since it’s not far from where where the paint shop is. I’ll bring Pretzel with me, too. That way, he’ll be properly tired out from the walk before we meet at the house?” He smiled, tilting his head slightly. No need for Rhy to have to fuss with keeping track of Pretzel when he had other things on his mind.

He knew Rhy was nervous, after all, and it wasn’t as though Llewellyn wasn’t nervous either. This was a large deal. Neither of them had ever had anything like this in very different ways. This would be a home, a place for them, to share their lives and build new, good memories…

But… he wanted to keep his mood positive and brighter for Rhy. To help soothe the stress and concern if he could. The man had always helped him to feel more hopeful, and daring to look forward to better things, and so Llewellyn wanted to do the same for him.

[unbreakable_king]

Yes, perhaps Llewellyn was right. It was all so much, a lot more than it had been at the Sphere. There one had merely requested a transfer of housing and your things just APPEARED in the new location. It had all been so much easier.

As for Rhy, he finished pulling on his own soft gold waistcoat, and then moved about to make sure the rest of the items were carefully put into a bag for carrying. He would be responsible for the final items coming out of the Red Dorm and over to the house.

"I expect I shall get there before you. I'm just glad I asked for today off, to be ready for it all. There's still so much cleaning to do. I'll have to learn how to clean a window and polish furniture. How strange and new."

[gadaboutdetective]

“You just might be, yes. But I’ll try to not be too long so we can tackle things together, hm?” He responded, finally moving away to gather up his satchel so he could grab the last stack of notebooks and files from the blue building before he went to the house. The detective hoped to beat Rhy there, if only so he could see his husband when he discovered surprise that he had already arranged to be set up for them.

But if not, it would give Rhy a chance to wander the house to take it all in. To see that even if there was much to do, that some things were already taken care of so they could spend their first night comfortably.

He chuckled lightly at the comment about cleaning, though. “Luckily, Mrs. Young was very mm… serious about chores when she took me in. I know how to clean and polish well enough. I can show you, love.” Llewellyn was happy to help with cleaning, which was funny to realize, given how cluttered and disorganized he could be. Cleaning and organizing were very different things to him, so even if his papers got out of hand sometimes? He never let things get actually dirty.

[kree_soldieress]

She awaited her friend and the scentbeast (dog) nervously, pacing just outside of the forge. Outside being because Gili was done with Lauri-Ell pacing inside the forge. Still, the apprentice blacksmith was clearly agitated, and when she saw her friend approaching, she quickly turned to regard him.

"Friend Llewellyn. Thank you so much for your haste."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn shook his head, “Think nothing of it, Lauri. I’m happy to help, you know. I’m just sorry that it happened at all.” He responded with a small frown. He didn’t like for someone he cared about to be troubled like this. Clearly, whatever was missing was important to her, and the sooner he helped, the better in his opinion.

Plus, haste was usually how he worked. Letting trails go cold could mean turning up empty-handed. “Tell me what happened? And uh- what’s missing?” He asked carefully, giving Pretzel the signal to sit and wait. The little hound wasn’t really sure what was going on, of course, he just knew he was getting a surprise walk and that his friend Lauri-Ell was here. Though the pup seemed to sense that someone was upset, tilting his head with a small whine in greeting at the woman, choosing to sit at her feet instead of Llewellyn’s. Pretzel had been good at knowing when people were distraught, all the way back to when Llewellyn had got him at the Sphere.

Which was, of course, part of why the basset hound had been given to him. Something to help settle his nerves and help him deal with some upsetting things that had happened.

[kree_soldieress]

What happened. What's missing. Yes, these are good questions. If only her Universal Weapon would allow her to see so small a crime. Well, it had, but not enough to follow a trail.

"Gili has rivals, other smiths. They do not like her much. This was not a fact I was aware of, for it has been 'calm as tits' lately. These are her words. However it is no longer calm. Last night, after we closed down the forge for the night, people came into the forge. She believes it is people under the employ of these other smiths. Many things were tossed and made messy. Gili will be spending the day righting things and restoring what is damaged. Or working to replace it. Even those commissions we had finished or nearly so will need made anew. But..."

And this was the sad part. It hurt her deeply, even though it should not.

"My touchmark stamp is gone. It was stolen from the forge. My tools as well, I can forge new ones. All smiths forge their own tools from the tools of first their master, then from old tools. I can and will work to replace those, but my touchmark stamp is more important."

All smiths marked their work, and while Gili felt that an apprentice needed to work up to the point where they would be allowed to make and use a mark, Lauri had attained that level. And she'd only just attained hers.

"We keep the touchmarks in a safe, well, Gili keeps hers there, different sizes depending on what piece she is finishing, and other ones for stamping numbers or dates onto things for commissions if requested. Or names. But mine? We had just finished it last night. It is a delicate process, made harder for me because of the size of my hands compared to the stamp head. I can make another of course, but..."

But it was a symbol. A mark that she was finally considered worthy of marking her own pieces for sale, rather than just imprinting her letters on smaller works she made for friends.

"They stole my touchmark. And I hoped you could help me find it. I know it won't be easy, because a scentbeast could not track the scent of metal alone. Or even metal and soot. But I found something dropped by one of the thieves. Could that be enough?"

B

[areasontohope]

Yuki was looking at some potted plants. He needed to make sure he had enough to get through the Spring season, and with Jacob cooking for him, he wanted to at least help somehow.

Sure he had groceries and all of that, and would get more whenever his boyfriend was coming to cook, always happy go get more of whatever was needed in advance. But here he was looking at cooking herbs specifically. He had an array of Basil, Oregano, Parsley and decided on 2 containers of garlic as the final purchase. Yuki knew he'd need mulch, but he'd get there.

And no sooner did he had about five containers, when he heard a dog barking. The sound wasn't menacing but more like a happy bark, even if he couldn't 'speak' dog like Shigure could. Turning around he saw Pretzel coming towards him with the detective in tow.

Smiling at the two of them, he crouched down for Pretzel after setting his containers aside. He then briefly caught Llewellyn's gaze and nodded. "Good afternoon."

:D <3

[gadaboutdetective]

It was a very good thing that Llewellyn was used to walking or running around, because otherwise Pretzel would have left him out of breath from the mad dash he’d made when he spotted Yuki across the market. The less good thing was, Pretzel was starting to get strong, and (as Yuki had probably observed) he was pretty clumsy on his feet sometimes. Some had seen him trip over his own feet and air. So the sudden tug on the leash in a direction they hadn’t been going had sent him stumbling a bit as he tried to catch his balance while being towed along by the eager hound.

“Pretzel what on earth-” He started to say, when he spotted a familiar figured that the dog was bounding towards. Ah. That made sense, then. Pretzel was getting a lot better at not taking off after all the new and exciting sights and smells in this world, but seeing someone he liked still got this sort of reaction. Yuki was definitely someone familiar, and someone the young basset liked considering he saw him at the Gullwings office enough. “Afternoon, Yuki. I’m uh- sorry to interrupt, but I think someone was eager to see you.” He commented with a little rise of his brow and an awkward smile.

Pretzel was, of course, eating up the attention. Wiggling a bit and pressing his nose against Yuki’s hand in greeting with a happy whine.

[areasontohope]

"It's alright." Yuki smiled, getting licked in the face. He immediately winced and went to wipe the dog slobber away, but he realized the dog was just being friendly. "I'm happy to see him too. I can't believe how big he seems now."

Shigure however would've gotten a punch in the face for such a thing.

Obviously the dog was more than pleased to see him and they weren't sequestered away in the office at the moment so it was nice to be able to see how much the pup had grown. Seeing him in the office often didn't give a complete picture such as this regarding being able to notice the growth.

"I was just on my way to see what plants might need to be grown, even if it does seem a little early for garlic. But with how much Jacob has been trying to improve on his cooking, more herbs seemed to be the right idea." Yuki briefly looked over at his plants and back at the detective. "It's still nice to be able to see you two outside of the office."

video

[king_inthenorth]

Ghost knows how to track. He and Pretzel could practice together.

video

[gadaboutdetective]

Oh? I didn’t know that. I’m sure Pretzel would benefit from having a practice companion.

[ And Pretzel was quite fond of Ghost. It would be good socializing. ]

Perhaps we could take them out near the forest. Seems like an uh- decent challenge, and I at least know my way around some of the less dense parts from past investigations.

[king_inthenorth]

He's lived on his own sometimes and had to find food himself. I made sure it was a skill he knew.

[Life is rough in Westeros.]

It's also a natural skill in direwolves. That should help.