The detective gives that trip 0/10. Would not visit again

[gadaboutdetective]

Who; Llewellyn and people
What; 2 Open logs and 1 closed
Where; Assorted
When; All through May
Warnings; Alcohol for a start. I will update accordingly depending on what gets discussed. Update: Brief mention of homophobia and unfair laws of the era in Ignis' thread, discussion of a murder case in thread with Ivy.

( 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!)



Finding his way home. - Closed to Rhy

It was late in the evening and footsteps were echoing through the sewers of of the city. Steps unsteady and a little staggered as the man exited the tunnels with a distracted look on his face.

He doesn’t really look particularly different how how he did a week ago when he disappeared. His gaze lightly unfocused as he walked almost on autopilot, his mind a whirl. Less a flock of starlings as he was prone to describing it and more of a tornado, and his emotions running rampant.

There was so much in his head now, too much. It was scrambling to sort what seemed like two very different lives. Almost two years away from home, between the Sphere and this world… And nearly that long suddenly stuffed in his head from his own world, much of it far less pleasant in some ways than the two years he’d come to know away from it.

Leaning against a lamppost, Llewellyn took a deep breath and then another as his eyes finally focused on the world around him. He was back, back in the world he’d come to think of as his home… And after having been back in his world? It had only cemented that feeling, regardless of how powerless and ill prepared he felt when it came to some of the things that happened here… It was better than the gnawing pain and repeated cycle of loss that he felt trapped in.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry in frustration or relief as he stared at the quiet evening around him. Frustration for what he’d gone back to with no memories of this place, or in pure relief for being here again. Regardless, a few stray tears escaped anyway, though he’d deny it if asked.

… He’d deny a few things if asked, honestly.

“I need a drink…” He muttered, wishing to quiet his over-loud, racing thoughts just a little. It had practically been a part of his schedule over the last few months… Drink to quiet the thoughts, drink to numb the feelings that you wish you didn’t have, drink to forget how once again you were alone.

Then, absently, a particular thought rattled into place. Here he wasn’t alone. He had someone waiting for him.

Rhy.

The name comes to the forefront of his mind, and his heart suddenly ached for a different reason. How long had he been gone for? He’d promised not to leave the man, promised to stay by his husband’s side and not leave him to feel so very alone again…

The drink is forgotten for now, and Llewellyn turns in another direction, the correct direction. He wavers on his path once in a while, if only because worry had begun worming its way into his head. Worries of what to say to his husband, worries about what the man would think if he heard some of the last two years. Fear of disappointment, or judgement, or...

Llewellyn squinted at the door before him, the stained glass rose window glowing lightly with light from within. He had made it back without realizing it, so caught up in his own head again.

At first, he almost does the absurd thing, and knocks. Instead, having a small sensible thought break through the confusion, he pulls out his key and lets himself in.

It's an odd feeling as he wandered into the entry hall. Relief sinking in, the wonder of 'this is my home, it's safe here' catches a hold of him lightly. It's not the slightly lonely boarding house room, dim and empty aside from a few personal belongings, wine, and case notes. It's warm, bright, inviting, vibrantly full of life.

There's just one thing left... He wants- needs to see Rhy. Despite the vague anxiety of what on earth he might say, and the fear of how long he might have been gone lingering... He needs to see him. "Rhy?" He spoke as he began moving from one room to another in hopes of searching.

His voice doesn't sound as strong or confident as he'd like, he notes. He needs to fix that when does see his husband.

But it's a start.


Business as usual. - Gullwings or Aerith's shop ~ OTA if anyone wants to try to catch his attention when he's hiding in his work

If there was anything that would never change about Llewellyn, it was his proclivity for choosing avoidance of issues in favor of work. Why dwell and talk about the things in your head when you could be focusing on being productive and useful.

There were plenty of things that needed his attention, after all. There was work to be done at the Gullwings offices. He was a week behind on the smaller cases he'd taken on around the city, and hey- wouldn't it be nice if he tidied his desk a little? Adjust the tornado so it looked a little more...

Well, not better, but as though it had moved around a bit? Maybe a little more centralized on his desk instead of overflowing onto other people's spaces?

Plus, he noted with some confusion, he needed to tidy up the many odd little flowers that had been left on his desk. Llewellyn certainly didn't remember putting them there, and their presence puzzled him some...

Yes, anyone who walked in on seeing him organizing was probably going to wonder if they were hallucinating.


Then there was the flower shop. The detective knew he had time to make up for there, having left Aerith to take care of things by herself so rudely.

They were into the time of year where flowers were blooming and just waiting to be gathered to arrange in vases or baskets. So it wouldn't hurt to give the plants a little extra attention, would it? Especially since she'd allowed him to leave some of his starters to transfer at a later date.

Really, between arrangements waiting to be put together and flowers needing care, there was plenty for him to help with to make up for his absence!

Whether it was the office or the garden shop, there was nothing wrong with putting in a little more time here and there! And it gave him time to catch up with and check on people, which was still a priority at the end of the day.


I'll have that drink now. - The Tavern ~ OTA But warning for excessive drinking

Llewellyn was... adjusting.

Yeah, let's go with that. It sounded better than anything he could come up with. He really just needed time, he was sure. Time to finish sorting all the new thoughts and experiences into their little boxes on a shelf in his mind. Once that was done, he would lose the vague amounts of distraction and the questions of if he was listening or if something was off would stop.

He could do without those, really. He was fine. One hundred percent okay. Just adjusting. Just processing almost two years' worth of information.

Just trying to shake off the paranoia and anxiety that's still lingering from being in my own world. He let out a long breath while he waited for the tavern-keeper to bring him another drink.

Since it was just him and his thoughts? He could admit to himself that... There were some things that were less than fine.

He was tired of looking over his shoulder every time he was with Rhy, worried about some unknown seeing them and bringing danger down on their heads for just walking.

Tired of wondering when he was going to mess things up here, too. Both his personal life and professional life had... developed quite a track record. An annoying voice in the back of his mind kept musing that it might only be a matter of time before the rug got pulled out from under him.

And he was damn tired of the vague, lowered faith in the people around him. Expecting someone to spout some idiocy or opinion that would hurt someone who didn't deserve to be hurt, or even some slight against him when he didn't agree with them.

What happened to the progress he'd made? What happened to the glass being half full instead of half empty?

Another glass of something amber in colour was set in front of him, and idly he mused, 'There's a full glass.' As he pulled it towards him, hoping it might quiet his mind some while he passed some time before going home.

Comments

[unbreakable_king]

Sleep has been impossible to find intentionally. Work had been next to impossible to achieve so he'd been given time off. Eating properly had come about because others had insisted on it, the ladies at the shop taking time to come over and give him things to make sure he didn't waste away in his grief. The truest comfort, of course, has been Pretzel. They had grieved together, wrapped up in each other because who else did they have?

The impossibility of it all was why he had been unable to face their bedroom. He'd been sleeping on the couch, or at the kitchen table, once even on the floor. Tonight it was on the couch, Pretzel wrapped up in his arms. He'd fallen asleep weeping, with Pretzel licking at his tears. For comfort, he hoped, and not the salt.

But then there was a change. The sound of a door opening. A door he knew he had locked to keep the world away from them. Could be someone breaking in. Rhy didn't know. Isn't sure as he wakes up slowly and then his name is being called.

Pretzel wiggles out of his grip and jumps to the floor and Rhy is on his feet quickly moving tto the entry hall. And the second he sees Llewellyn there, sees his husband, Rhy's running to him, Running to catch him up in his arms, sobbing.

"Don't be a dream. You are not allowed to be a dream."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn wasn’t sure what he expected to find, not sure what his reception would be like. His eyes traced the details of the house, trying to focus on them. Trying to just… Soak in the space and grasp onto something more solid than what was flitting about in his head. It seemed, though, that his search was to be a short one as he heard movement from the sitting room and the sound of feet scampering across the floor in a mad dash to get to him. His eyes darting to the next room, something indescribable welling up in him as he spotted Rhy and Pretzel.

His mind, for all that it had been running down a track at full steam with faulty breaks, ground to a halt as he felt Rhy wrapping his arms around him and Pretzel pawing at his pant leg. Anything he might have managed to think to say is lost for the moment, as instead he found himself focused entirely on his husband. Llewellyn’s own arms moved to return the gesture, wrapping solidly around the other man in an attempt to comfort as the sobs escaping him finally registered as his mind started to move forward again, something aching in him to hear the sound. To know he was the cause of the distress…

He needed to make it better, somehow. Needed to fix it, needed to… Not mess this up. Not let it turn out like things were back in his… other life.

Opening his mouth to finally speak, Rhy’s words beat him instead. And such words they were, such a request, a command that he was only too glad to follow. How could he be a dream when he felt like there was a nightmare still clinging to the back of his own mind? “I’m not. I’m here. I promise you I’m here, love. I’m home.” He murmured quietly in return as he drew Rhy closer and tucked his head against the other’s shoulder. It seemed finally speaking had broken the dam. Relief to have Rhy close and in his arms taking over. His shoulders began to shake lightly as he felt tears he’d refused to let fall before escaping him.

[unbreakable_king]

Home. That was all he could ever want to hear.

"You stay," he says, his voice soft, embracing the man tightly. "I love you so much and you have to stay."

[gadaboutdetective]

It was what this place, what Rhy was to him. Llewellyn had already felt that strongly before, but now… Now he desperately wished that it would remain so. It was like any lingering thoughts that maybe things back in his world wouldn’t be so bad, that they’d get better than they had been, had been dashed upon the rocks.

Here he had love; free and full and accepting from Rhy. A place he belonged… He never wanted to lose that again.

But this world had just reinforced the fact that it could be lost at any moment. Without warning.

Llewellyn shoved that thought aside for the moment, though, refusing to let go of Rhy. The other man’s words, his expression of love, were soothing and a hushed I love you too. was returned, repeated more than once as he returned the hug tightly. It was almost desperate and clinging, like his husband was a lifeline. “I never want to go anywhere else again, my love.” Escaped him, his own voice barely a whisper as he admitted it. He couldn’t stand the thought of it right now. “My heart belongs with you.” Where it was safe.

Business

[areasontohope]

Yuki was bringing some of the flowers he'd grown from the rooftop to Aerith. It was a beautiful day and he needed to ask her advice on a few different things now that he was sort of the owner of a home with Jacob.

Today was a day off from work so he thought there probably wasn't a better time to just go on and do such a thing so here he was. He'd been looking around the new house and had already moved his meager possessions in. And one of the first things he'd done was spoken to the chocobo stable master to get just the right conditions to have a makeshift pen for Haru at the new place. Fortunately what was there already was leakproof so it hadn't taken a lot of work to get it all set up. A garden was next.

But as he was shifting his flowers from one arm to another, Yuki thought he spied a very familiar hat. That was when he started running, trying to keep that hat within his vision, hoping he wasn't just seeing things. A few flower petals had drifted off of their original flowers, but at the moment he didn't care.

He stopped just a few paces before the man and called. "Detective Watts?"

Business

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was absorbed in trying to get an arrangement just right. The customer had ordered something for their spouse’s birthday. He kept fussing with some daffodils that had been requested for it specifically. Frowning lightly as he tried to get them to sit in a pleasing manner, perhaps more fussy than was strictly necessary...

Definitely more fussy than necessary, they looked great.

But he’d been like this since he got back, saying it was nothing more than being professional about his job and holding things to high standards. He had a week of lost time to make up for, after all! Really, it was just him trying to find a semblance of control and normality when everything had felt very much the opposite before his return.

His head shot up in some alarm that he’d write off as surprise as he heard someone calling out to him. His shoulders tensing slightly, before he spotted a familiar face heading towards him. “Ah- Yuki, good afternoon.” He offered in greeting, finally turning his attention away from the display properly other than his hand still messing with the greenery lightly.

[areasontohope]

He couldn't believe his eyes that the detective was actually here and had returned. That absolutely made his entire day. "Good afternoon!" he called back, probably a little more enthusiastically than he'd intended. Surely he didn't want to overwhelm the man, even if there was so much he wanted to talk about.

"When did you get back?" This was asked in a lower tone, just in case the older man didn't want anyone to know he'd left and returned. And then he spotted the daffodils Llewellyn was holding, and they were looking absolutely lovely. "Are you buying those?"

Because if he was, Yuki had a million questions.

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was somewhat grateful for Yuki’s lowered tone. The few people who didn’t realize he’d gone should stay that way, in his opinion. Even talking about it with someone who did get an awkward hum from him as he lowered his hands from the flowers and leaned on the counter instead. “A couple days. I’m just uh- getting to play catch up now.” He responded, gesturing around the shop a bit. He’d been busy, trying to fill the empty spaces that had stayed empty while Aerith was looking for him or spending time in her garden instead of at the shop.

He hadn’t returned to work immediately upon returning, either… He’d taken a couple days to spend with his husband, who hadn’t wanted to let him out of his sight. Which was understandable, really, and… Llewellyn hadn’t wanted to part either, really. The fact that this world could send you home whenever it wanted felt far more real than it had before. The only reason he had gone back to work at all yet was largely due to the fact that his mind desperately needed the distraction. He wanted to forget he’d gone at all, wanted to pretend things were normal and that he felt fine.

Yuki’s next question had him shaking his head lightly. “Oh, no. I, um- I’m working on an order for a customer.” His brow scrunched lightly as he realized belatedly that he might never have mentioned to Yuki he had been working for Aerith part-time for as long as he’d been in this world. “I work here a few days a week, just on a part-time basis.”

Drink

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis had gone out for the night. He was bothered by more than a few thoughts and had kept mum with Nida. Not that it was habit, but there were just some things he kept to himself that he didn't want to burden his mate with.

And so he set to walking.

Deliberate steps were made to turn away from the Lodge because he didn't want to go to work. There were nights he had to kick himself out because there was always 'just one more thing' to do and that would snowball into more things. So he took a breath and decided to go get something to eat at the tavern and maybe bring Nida back a snack or something.

Entering into the tavern, he stopped in his tracks and leaned against the wall to observe a man who looked exactly like Llewellyn. And after some minutes of careful observation, he was convinced the man was lost because he should be home with his husband if he'd returned.

And it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, because the man was proof people could return if they'd left. That had been silently weighting him down too, worried if he or his own beloved disappeared.

Well now.

So Ignis moved towards the bar and while he didn't really drink especially due to Nida's situation, he knew they had other options. However, he asked the barkeep what the man in the hat was having and carried his Apple Cider and the drink in his hand. He then sat down next to the detective and placed the shot upon the counter.

Ignis smiled and kept his tone conversational, as if Llewellyn had never been missing. "So this is where you've been hiding all this time."

Drink

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn hadn’t really expected to run into people he knew at the tavern, at least not unless he’d asked them to join him there. Given his preference to share a glass of wine with Rhy at home, he tended to only spend time in this establishment for the odd quick drink and sandwich between points in his day.

Until now, of course. Now he was edging towards being considered a ‘regular.’ Usually in the evenings while Rhy was working, always displaying a rather concerning tolerance for alcohol. If the detective could say anything about his drinking, it was that he was an extremely functional drunk. Sharp, coherent (usually), and... Prone to odd musings and a vagueness that was unsettling.

Ignis was actually one of the last people he expected to see. Almost amusingly, his thoughts mirrored the other man. Why wasn’t he home with his husband? Instead, taking a long drink from his current glass and eyeing the shot that was set down next to him, he considered his friend carefully. It was, after all, a weird moment. To everyone, he’d been gone a week. To him? He’d been gone just over two years. Trying to grasp that in his mind was difficult enough when sober. “Hiding... Mm... Yes. I suppose I have been doing that for a while.” Llewellyn squinted slightly. “Not here, of course. But the point stands.” He responded in a vague tone.

A hand gestured lightly, “And, uh- clearly not a good hiding place, been found already.”

[faithfulsupport]

The advisor wasn't sure what to think of his friend sitting here drinking alone. And just in case he needed a lift home, Ignis decided he'd keep an eye on the man. People usually drank to hide something and here Llewellyn had admitted to such. But questions might get the man up and running to who knew where, so he decided that simply sitting together and not inquiring would be the way to go.

He had to smile at hearing the part about a good hiding place, so he decided to try and ease the man with a true story. "This tavern brings back memories. I found Nida outside after we'd recently met and he didn't want to come inside. I was hungry and offered to have him have dinner with me, yet he refused. So I bought him the dinner he requested of me and he'd given me some coin. Well I refused to let him pay for it since I had offered. So once I delivered his food, I tucked it into his package wrappings and we played a game of cleverly hiding the money for awhile."

[gadaboutdetective]

Questions would likely have been met with more vague responses and an overall annoying tendency to change the subject. For someone as nosey as the detective was, Llewellyn was quite difficult when the table was turned. Especially when he wasn’t in the best frame of mind, which he wasn’t given, he was at the tavern to let the mask of ‘fine’ slip a little.

But Ignis’s story gave Llewellyn something to focus on, and it was interesting to hear a little more about the other two’s history. So he picked up his glass again for another long sip as he turned the story over in his head. “He didn’t want to come in here?” Interesting, he mused, the tavern wasn’t as fancy as some establishments… But he liked the atmosphere alright. Of course, the detective didn’t really know about Nida not drinking. He would have understood better if he did. “Funny how food can bring people together… Who ended up uh- winning the little game?”

Both, he’d wager- well… not wager. He didn’t gamble anymore and even with recent developments in his life, he hadn’t been about to let himself fall that far. But Llewellyn was reasonably certain they both would consider themselves the victor, considering their relationship.

I'll have that drink now

[neurotoxicity]

They'd spent enough time together at this point for Ivy to have a good feel for the traces of him he left behind. Her work had always made her conscientious of attempting to catalogue the particular scents and feelings that coworkers left in an area. After all, if she couldn't distinguish a coworkers trail from the potential suspects then it'd just lead to a completely contaminated case. The end result was that she'd developed a habit of doing her best to pinpoint the differences between people here. At least the people she particularly cared about.

A part of her almost considered not following and for a short time she simply watched him inside the tavern. Rachel would have told her she was being creepy and that she should just go say something. The voice echoed in the back of her head and she walked up juts as he pulled up another amber glass.

"This seat taken?" she didn't wait for an answer before she took the seat, folding one leg over the other as she ordered a drink for herself. Her mannerisms were fluid, indicating that she was prepared to get comfortable here. In a strange way, it almost perfectly mimicked how he often approached her to talk.

I'll have that drink now

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn should have probably expected to at least run into Ivy here, considering they’d met at this tavern a few times. Yet, in his distraction, he’d neglected to consider the possibility. Not that he was avoiding people he knew, of course. It was just… A default location for him to seek out when he wasn’t at his best, when there was too much on his mind and pretending there wasn’t was difficult. The fact that this had been happening about once every day or so would be denied if asked, but it was a pattern.

Lowering the glass after he took a long sip, he leaned on the counter slightly awkwardly and tilted his head at Ivy. “Mm… I don’t believe seats in public spaces can truly be taken unless someone is sitting in them.” He waved a hand around vaguely, eyes turning back to his glass a moment later. “If it was taken once, it isn’t theirs now. They gave it up when they moved, and so now it’s uh- temporarily yours at this point in time.” He spun the half empty glass carefully between his fingers. “Until the point in time you decide you no longer wish to remain in that spot, then it’s potentially someone else’s.”

Drunk Llewellyn Watts-Maresh was chatty, but… odd. His words were more to fill space while he wondered what had brought Ivy here tonight. Her posture and drink ordered suggested she’d be there for a time, if anything. His mind absently wondered if she had an update about Harry. Either investigation related or their awkward personal issue. He hadn’t considered at all that she might actually be there specifically because of him.

[neurotoxicity]

He was rambling enough to make her wonder just how many drinks he'd had. It was definitely strange seeing him like this. Not just strange, but worrisome. Too bad she was pretty horrible at handling situations like this. "So I guess I won't be bothering anyone by taking it. Unless it bothers you." It wasn't a question and she wouldn't be going anywhere even if he did object.

The bartender dropped her own drink off, something that was a rich burgundy in color, and she smiled politely. "Thank you." Her tone was slightly dismissive, letting him know they wouldn't need him for a bit. After taking a quick sip she looked over at him.

"We've been looking for you. What happened?" Did he return to his home? She'd have expected some sort of update, but there hadn't been anything that she'd seen.

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn looks up from his glass and over at her again for a moment, before shrugging and turning his attention back to the drink. “No, your presence doesn’t bother me.” He responded after a moment, seeming to have decided that much. It was that questions might bother, more than anything, considering he had come here to not have to pretend for a bit. He supposed that was silly of him, to not considering that certain people would find him and he’d have to do so while less than sober.

He took another sip, consciously slower and smaller than the last, as he waited to see where this would go. If she was simply there for a drink and company or if conversation would be made.

Which, of course, there would be. He knew at least from Rhy that people had been looking for him… And part of him knew he should have done a network post or something of that nature like others who had left and come back had… But he hadn’t been sure he wanted to deal with the sudden influx of messages and questions. So between that and the fact that he’d rather pretend nothing had happened or changed? He had bypassed the option entirely.

“It seems something decided I needed to go back to my world for a time.” He finally responded with a frown crossing his face. “So, uh- my apologies. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted anyone to worry about or waste their time with looking for me, since I wasn’t here.”

Flower shop!

[cetrary]

Llewellyn might have found himself a bit disappointed by the state of the shop when he came back. There should have been a lot more displays up showing off all the new flowers that were in bloom in her garden, but there weren't. A few cuttings and a few unfinished displays were up in the back, but it wasn't anywhere near what there should be. Luckily, she'd gotten some help from a few others around, so orders were still being filled while he was gone. But, things had clearly been left a bit unattended, even the counters looked a bit more messy than they usually may have.

The easy explanation for why it was like that was pretty simple: she hadn't been there too much. Instead, she'd spent the majority of the time he'd been in her garden alone. Some of her time had been spent trying to figure out if any of the people that had offered to look for him had found anything. Disappointingly she'd come up with a no from pretty much everyone. Even her own searching had left her confused. All things considered, the timing was what made everything so tense. He'd disappeared right when the new Academy place had appeared and when someone had already seemingly died due to those toneberry like things.

The most difficult thing seemed to be not thinking the worst.

Today though she'd committed to bringing in a few clippings from her favorite flowers (the large white lilies) to try to make some sort spring display. That was when she saw him there, back to work like he'd been so many other times. She blinked and a wide smile spread on her face.

"You're okay!"

Flower shop!

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn had at least heard about the fact that Aerith and been looking for him. That, and the fact that more people than just his husband had actually pitched in to look for him, left him feeling… Complicated. He’d never really known what to make it people noticing his absence in his own world the odd time someone did, and it felt just as strange here. Though, if being honest, at least he could admit that he felt a stronger connection and a certain stability in his place among people here compared to there sometimes.

All of that aside, the Detective felt rather badly for having worried anyone… And as he entered the shop and took in the rather sparse displays and unusually messy counters waiting to be tidied, he felt a different sort of guilt set in. He’d left his friend short-handed here, and it had clearly taken its toll. No, Llewellyn had no control over his disappearance, but it was hard to not feel like he should have been here. Especially knowing how Aerith had admitted already to spending a lot of time alone or working on her own before…

So when she noticed him, he gave her an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his neck lightly. “I am- er… My apologies for worrying you, and for leaving you short handed? It would seem that this world has a… abrupt way of deciding when and where we should all be.” His tone was apologetic as he spoke, setting his bag down in its usual spot as he moved to the counter to immediately dive into tidying things up to make space to help with making new arrangements.

[cetrary]

"You should be sorry, mister! We were all worried," she said with a little pouty looking frown that fell off quickly as she noticed how apologetic he seemed. Now she just felt kind of bad for teasing him, it wasn't his fault. That didn't change how worried she'd been though, especially once they'd found a trail. Honestly, it would have been a lot less worrisome if they hadn't found a trail at all. That'd just left her feeling like they'd somehow failed him.

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't that short-handed. Yuki was nice enough to come help out a bit," she said with a little smile that she hoped was reassuring in some way. "You don't have to immediately start working, you know." But he probably did feel that way and she knew better than to try to force him to stop or anything like that.

"What happened?"

Business as usual ~ Gullwings Office

[silent_beauty]

Luna hadn't been able to spend a lot of time looking for Llewellyn. She had wanted to and at times she tried to search the side streets and alleyways but she was so small and the city was so big. It felt like an impossible task. In the end, she went between his home, where Pretzel was sometimes playing in the yard, the flower shop, and the office where he worked. She didn't know what he did at the Gullwing's office but his desk looked like it was simultaneously busy and empty.

After the third day, Luna remembered a fairytale her mother had told her when she had been too scared to sleep. It was about a lost bird and the little bird had found its way back home by following a trail of blue flowers. She didn't know if there were such flowers in the city but maybe she could help Llewellyn find his way home too.

Over the next few days, Luna spent all of her allowance on flowers and occasionally picked the bright-colored buds she found while wandering around the park. She didn't know if Llewellyn would be able to see her trail but maybe the flowers would call him home. She was sure that was how the little bird had found its way home.

Bit by bit, the desk at the Gullwings office was covered in flowers. It wasn't only the desk but the front entranceway and either side of the door before entering the building. It wasn't practical to put the flowers on the ground because they'd be taken away by the wind but Luna still tried her best to show Llewellyn how to find his way home.

On the last day, Luna arrived with an armful of daisies she'd picked along the sides of the streets but to her surprise, Llewellyn was there! The flowers dropped to her feet as she ran forward and wrapped his legs in the tightest hug possible.

He had found his way home.

Business as usual ~ Gullwings Office

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was increasingly confused as he discovered flower upon flower nestled amongst his flowers. It wasn’t that finding flowers among his things was odd; he did tend to press small blooms he liked between notebook pages quite regularly… But to have them laying across his desk and along the floor was a curious thing. Jagger and Yuki hadn’t really had answers for him, but the detective had a feeling that it might be because they had been distracted in his absence… Understandable, and he still felt a bit awkward to know that people had been worried enough to look for him… So he hadn’t asked them further.

If anything, the detective was just happier to focus on sorting his desk out and organizing what case files needed his priority now that he was back… It was easier than talking about where he’d been and what had happened while he’d been there.

So he’d gotten quite absorbed in picking through papers, carefully setting flowers aside as he came across them. Many seem to have started to wilt or dry out, so it was clear that they’d been there longer than the fresher ones… So someone had been leaving flowers on his desk for more than a few days… Perhaps the entire week he’d been away? Had they thought he died or was there something else to it?

His thoughts were interrupted quite suddenly though, as the man wobbled slightly under the force of the very fast and very tight hug around his legs. “Huh??” the detective murmured, tilting his head down to see Luna hugging him. A small, surprised but warm feeling tugged at his heart to see her there. Pretzel had left his little pillow behind to trot over and greet his friend with a light wuff sound and a thump of his tail as he sat down next to them. “Luna?” He questioned, managing a small smile in her direction before reaching down to pat her head lightly, since he couldn’t quite return the hug with her arms wrapped around his legs. “It’s good to see you, I didn’t hear you coming.” He commented, absently wondering if… perhaps the girl had been the source of the flowers…?

That suspicion was only strengthened as he noticed a collection of fresh daisies scattered across the office floor. “Those flowers are lovely. Did you bring all these for me?” He continued, though, just to confirm the hypothesis.

Business as usual ~ Gullwings Office

[silent_beauty]

The lack of awareness within the Gullwings office wasn't due to any neglect. It was all because of Luna's faithful knight and crafty stealth teacher Mono. Since their lessons Luna has taken every opportunity to attempt to sneak around while performing innocent tasks. It rarely mattered if she got caught and her general avoidance of adults meant that she ran away whenever confused stares were cast in her direction.

Now that Llewellyn was back, Luna had no desire to hide. She needed to see him and to know that he was okay. There wasn't any other adult aside from Lleweylln's husband Rhy that Luna trusted and relied on so implicitly.

A soft mewling noise choked into a discordant squeak as tears began to fall freely down Luna's cheeks. She had been so scared and so worried but hadn't been able to do anything.

Luna pulled back and began to wipe at her cheeks, smiling as she sobbed and nodded her head. She had left the flowers and they'd worked. They helped him find his way back home. At least, that was what the young princess believed. She tried to find her notepad to write out an explanation but her relief flowed out in the form of tears and there was no stopping it.

I'll have that drink now. - The Tavern

[blindpuppet]

She had felt the soft ping of the tracking single enter the back of her mind the instant that Llewellyn had returned to the city. It had vanished for a time and Enis had worried that he'd truly been lost but she knew without a doubt that Llewellyn was back. Her only friend.

A war raged within her when she thought about seeing him. She had been hiding for over a month and a half but he hadn't come looking for her or he hadn't found her. Then he'd disappeared. She'd wanted to find him and talk to him but couldn't. She was finally ready to tell him and he was gone. Now he was back and anger bubbled deep within her chest. A logical part of Enis's mind told her that it wasn't his fault but she couldn't stop the feelings that threatened to spill onto the concrete. Enis screamed and punched the wall of the warehouse. The entire structure shook and she had to remind herself to hold back.

She didn't move immediately but when Enis was sure she was in control she followed the signal to find Llewellyn.

The path was seamless and without a sound, Enis dropped from the roof next to the tavern. She peeked inside and groaned at the crowd of people but she'd already made her decision and she wasn't going to waste time by heading back now.

With eerily silent steps she walked into the bar and beelined to where her friend was sitting. She couldn't hit him without possibly breaking something so she did the next best thing. Enis waited until Llewellyn had put his drink back down on the bar and with a swift kick, kicked the barstool out from under him with a loud crash.

I'll have that drink now. - The Tavern

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn certainly had tried to find her, but he also knew Enis well enough to know that when she didn’t want to be found? If she didn’t want to talk? You wouldn’t find her. She would startle him whenever she decided to. It hadn’t helped either, that things had gotten rather busy between the storm and chasing Pretzel to help save a small child who’d wandered out into it. This was soon followed by an expedition with Drizzt out of the city to investigate the road that lead to the supposed ‘magic academy’ everyone was talking about, which had taken more than a few days… Then, of course, whatever fates that hold power over this world decided (very cruelly) that he should go back to his world for a week to play ‘catch up’ on everything he’d missed in the two years since he was pulled from there to the Sphere and then here.

He was currently occupied with his drink, uncertain what number he was on as he just tried to quiet the very cluttered thoughts in his head and let the mask of ‘doing great’ slip in a setting where he didn’t expect to be looked for or run into people he knew.

It seemed that it wasn’t meant to be, though, as he set his drink down to signal the tavern keeper to bring another round, when suddenly he was no longer sitting on a barstool. Instead, he was falling on his ass from the height of the barstool with a loud exclamation. Eyes wide as they fell on the (now broken) bar stool and then frantically searching for whoever did it.

Part of him (the part still having a hard time sorting between the ‘here in this world’ and the ‘there in his world’) had slipped into a small panic that someone else had come to do him in. He had almost died several times now, once quite recently, and between people he’d crossed because of work and having to fear being found out by the wrong person in his world? It was hard to keep those instincts from kicking in, even if he wasn’t there anymore.

His expression only shifted, relaxing a fraction, when he spotted Enis. Suddenly, things made a lot of sense, and no sense. “Enis??? Uh- you…” He gestured at the chair awkwardly, trying to pick himself up off the floor with a wince. “I’m… Sorry…?” He finally let slip out, unsure what had caused her to kick his chair out from under him… But he did have a vague idea that this had to do with his disappearance, especially after she’d reacted similarly to his accident at the Sphere… Even if she didn’t remember it? It seemed some things didn’t change.

Well… They changed a little. She hadn’t slapped him, he supposed.

[blindpuppet]

Llewellyn's heart was racing and a little sympathetic part of Enis felt guilty for kicking his chair. She didn't remember him being this freaked out by her forceful appearances in the past but then she hadn't noticed the internal affects. She inhaled slowly and steadied her annoyance before holding out a hand to help him to his feet. "Sorry." She mumbled, nearly inaudible over the rising buzz of conversation around them.

Enis grabbed another chair and pulled it up for Llewellyn to sit. She then took the seat next to him. The bar tender gave her an annoyed glare but one harsh glance from Enis caused him to retreat. Any animal knew not to fuck with a predator and Enis had found herself at the top of the food chain.

"I was pissed." She waved for a drink and to refill Llewellyn's. She couldn't get drunk but if she drank fast enough she'd feel a little something. "I went looking for you and couldn't find you." It really wasn't his fault but Enis had a problem with misdirected rage. "Will you calm down for Christ's sake!"

It was so loud but she was trying her best.