[Thancred bows to Lira before picking up the bucket. He's known a testy chocobo or two in his time that would only accept the attentions of specific people, and he'll have no one on any shard daring to think he doesn't know how to treat a lady.]
Now then, milady, would you kindly acquiesce to your afternoon meal? I hear 'tis only the finest mix from the Crystarium gardens.
[Not for the first time, he catches himself making a silly show of it for naught but the pure pleasure of doing so. Of making Ryne smile, and himself besides. As with the other times, he holds his breath a moment (fortuitously, as he empties part of the bucket into Lira's feed trough, so no one is like to take notice) and releases both air and observation together.
He can do this. One day at a time.
As Thancred sets the bucket down and steps back from the fence, they are rewarded with Lira hesitantly bowing her head - with a glance at Ryne first, as if to be sure - and eating.]
I understand the crops have flourished now that proper night has returned. [He keeps his voice down.] The amaro notice it more acutely than their riders, I suspect.
[It's a side of him that she would like to see more often, always a treat when it does show itself— more, now, than in the days before the Warrior of Darkness came to this place and brought back the night sky. Back then, the old Thancred was only a rumor, someone she'd heard about in the occasional story that Urianger would offer about the lives they lived before, but she has long since decided that she much prefers seeing glimpses of that Thancred for herself, wherever they happen to make themselves known.
She leans back as her grip on the rail holds fast, smiling as she watches him engage with the the amaro in question, who does, before long, respond to his efforts. He really does have a way with the ladies, and when Lira looks to her for confirmation, she nods.]
That's right, eat up! You need your strength.
[She rights herself again, leaning forward against the top rung of the fence with her arms folded.]
They have done well, I think. They are able to grow much more now than they could before; too much light meant that what did grow was often malnourished or discolored. Worse in some places than others, but there are gardens right here in the Crystarium that are now growing quite well without the aid of magic! It's been quite something to see.
[Well, well. Ryne has done her research, or at least kept up conversations with the botanists beneath their feet and over in the gardens nearer the gate. He has had several chances now to treat himself to a walk about the city, take in the sights of a cobbled-together people who spent a century becoming far more than the sum of their parts. Innovation peeks from every spare corner, in crop arrangement and crafter's workstation and carefully arrayed curtain and shutter.
He does not doubt that more than the vegetables will flourish in the new and star-strewn darkness.
Thancred turns around, using one foot and a little hop to seat himself atop the fence, angled to the side so his back is not exposed to the amaro all the way. Who knows? They might take offense.]
All good news, from the sound of it. [Such a rare occasion is "all good news" that he pauses a moment to savor the truth of it.] How have you been, otherwise?
[It does seem an awfully rare thing to be able to offer him nothing but good news, and she, too, takes a moment to enjoy it, her smile pulling just a bit wider. She's quite enjoyed the day-to-day tasks she's busied herself with here in the Crystarium, the odd jobs she's taken on to try and find her place among its industrious citizens, though she hasn't forgotten the task she's given herself with regards to the Empty. It will take more time and research before she resumes her efforts there, but during this time in between, she's finding that she quite enjoys the things many people would write off as 'mundane.' To her, they are novel and fascinating, a delight to be able to participate in unhindered.]
I've been well. I've been trying to learn some new skills here and there so that I can make myself useful to the people here in the city— I have been trying to convince Gaia to do the same, but she runs out of patience very quickly.
[Assisting the Facet of Nourishing as a team had been... incredibly short-lived.]
I'd like to find something I'm good at— a way I can continue to help people once...
[Her face falls. Once Thancred and the others are gone. She knows it's only a matter of time.]
[Thancred's smile fades slightly, too. He knows very well what she had been about to say. The imminent possibility of his departure is one of the things that brought him here today.
Not that he can say that in so many words.]
Well. I'm one to talk, as any of the others will be more than glad to tell you, but try not to take on so many duties you have no time for simply enjoying a good day.
[He hopes, through his tone and the relaxed set of his shoulders and the way he looks at her, that she can tell he wants her to know everything will be all right. That she can do this. Whatever "this" turns out to be.]
We saw a lot of the world together, but there is much more to it left for exploration. [He makes a show of shading his eyes with one hand, looking left and right, concentrating deeply.] Ah, wait - I can smell it. A forthcoming discovery. One cannot help but notice it.
[The smell of discovery is fresh baked bread on the air, with possibly a hint of cinnamon. Thancred is not a relentless lover of sweets, but Ryne is.]
[It wasn't the sort of exploration she had thought he would suggest, but once he mentions the smell, it hits her as well— bread fresh from the oven, the scent meandering towards them from the direction of the markets. Her expression brightens, and she hops down from the rung on the fence to land firmly on both feet.]
Let us venture forth together, then! We would not want your brow to crease before we discover the source, so we must make haste!
[Furrow your brow in concentration like that for too long and you'll get wrinkles, Thancred— not to mention, she's hungry. Without ceremony, she takes his hand and prepares to lead him towards the source of that heavenly smell, rather than the other way around.]
[From anyone else, he would offer sharp protest to the thought that his brow would crease over such endeavors. Ryne he allows to take him by the hand and lead him onward, though the obvious surprise and warmth in his expression does not go unnoticed by the Crystarium regulars.
Mayhap, one day to come, things such as this will not also ache so.
It steadies him, as he lets Ryne direct their course, that so many of the people they pass have a friendly smile or hello for them. For her. One day soon, they may not have one another for company, but she will not spend her days lost and alone if this city can help it. And they are remarkably persistent folk.
When they reach the section of the market defined by its freshly baked goods, the smell is all but overpowering, and mixed in with other, similarly enticing scents. Were he alone, Thancred would struggle to choose just one to visit.]
Our expedition has yielded favorable results. [He releases Ryne's hand only so that she can answer:] Which corner of the map shall we plot first?
[Even as single-minded in her pursuit as she is, Ryne still takes the time to spare a smile and a hello to any who would greet them as they pass. Many of the greetings are rushed, with getting herself and Thancred to their goal the first and foremost thing on her mind, but it's clear enough that she has made herself quite at home here— a friendly and welcome face among the markets, having endeared herself to the locals through both friendly chatter and odd jobs.
Her efforts to make a home for herself here have clearly paid off. One less thing for Thancred to worry about, or so she's told herself before now, but she's certain he'll worry anyway, just as she'll worry after him when they're not together anymore.
The smells of the bakery stalls is near overwhelming, and Ryne is reminded not for the first time that this is one of her very favorite places in all the Crystarium. As he releases her hand, she pauses to tap her chin with one finger, thoughtful.]
Hmm. We must approach this methodically, yes? We need a strategy.
[She points, decisively, towards one of the nearer stalls.]
I say we start there and work our way in, slow but steady! Our prey will never suspect us, and we might find something else along the way.
[Translation: cinnamon bread is definitely further down the row, but there are also doughnuts and coffee biscuits and corn muffins on the way. They ought to investigate.]
[For her sake, Thancred smiles broadly when she points at a stall definitely not featuring cinnamon bread; privately he hopes his stomach can take the sugary beating it is about to receive.]
Approach unfamiliar territory with a strategy whenever possible. [Never mind that he knows most of the bakers and vendors by name. This is an expedition. He doesn't often have the chance to be so fanciful these days.] Good to know you find some lessons useful.
[This first vendor is looking at them both expectantly. Thancred nods to Ryne. She's in charge of this adventure, for now.]
[This will be a test of your true strength, Thancred— though you can always forfeit should it become too great a challenge along the way.]
Of course! I've made sure to pay mind to all your lessons.
[That may be more confidence-inspiring now than it was when she was running off unannounced in the past. She smiles openly, gesturing for him to follow as she approaches the first stall. Fall in line!]
[If she's leading with pixieberry tarts, he's not sure he will be able to stay ready for what follows. Nevertheless, he smiles and accepts his tart once it is offered.]
One obstacle so easily conquered can but give way to a half dozen more. [So long as she has the coin to spare, or the favor of the vendors to offset it - and he imagines the latter holds true for all of them regardless - Thancred will let her keep the lead.] Where does the map lead us next?
[And he grins and downs a significant portion of his tart in a single bite.]
[Gladly paying the vendor for their treats, she watches him with a broad smile of approval before she follows suit, taking a too-large bite of her own tart to try and match him. She lets out a thoughtful hum while chewing, turning towards the next stall in the marketplace.]
The map says there are candied apple slices over that way— an important stop on the road to cinnamon bread.
[The latter isn't far, she knows; they won't have to go through the whole marketplace, but she intends to enjoy what time with Thancred she can while he's in the Crystarium. An afternoon of breezing through the market together will do them both some good.]
Oh! And we have to get coffee biscuits, of course!
Ah, yes, the famous coffee biscuits. We wouldn't dare exclude such a marvel from our travels.
[Despite himself, he can't help keeping up his smile, even when it aches as Ryne's antics remind him of a different, distant young girl, picking at all his flaws with some affection in a faraway market. To hide any other emotion, he finishes off his tart, turning toward the candied apple stall and brushing his hands together.
When Ryne is ready, he'll follow her there, too, and he has a mind to pay for her purchase graciously, but something overtakes him as they wait in the short line.]
Ah- if you don't mind, Ryne, I think...I shall go and wait for you over there. [He nods to a nearby bench, only a little hasty in taking her wrist so he can turn her hand over and drop some gil into it.] Choose a good one for me, would you?
[He keeps his composure until he is actually sitting down - he knows he's bound to worry her, here, it can't be helped, it feels as though all of him is suddenly made of iron and he'll sink to the bottom of the lake - and if Ryne looks over he'll simply smile and wave her on. He's fine. Just tired. He did only just get in, after all, not that many minutes ago.]
[A flicker of worry does cross her face, concerned as he catches her wrist and drops gil into her open hand, but the fact that he’s remaining composed inspires her to do the same. Though slightly more somber than before, she smiles at him and offers a nod of confirmation.]
Of course. I’ll meet you there.
[She does glance his way periodically while waiting her turn, his smile and wave helping to gently ease her worried heart, but she opts to be quick about her business. She visits the next few stalls in rapid succession, no longer making a grand journey of it, but quickly acquiring candied apple slices, coffee biscuits and cinnamon bread for the both of them— they won’t need to eat it all now, of course, it would be a prime recipe for a stomachache if they did, but it’s important to her that she follow through on her promises.
She joins him several minutes later with a little basket full of her findings, a veritable feast of sweets for the both of them, and she smiles warmly as she sets it down on the bench he’s chosen so that it’s between them as she sits beside him.]
[Oh, how he hates to worry her. But it can't be helped. Time spent on the bench has, at least, taken away some of the leaden feeling in his limbs.]
Perfectly all right, Ryne. [He even smiles, taking one of the candied apple slices from her basket and examining it in the light a moment.] Merely a little worn. Nothing a bit of good food and company can't help.
[There is a tiny, quickly buried part of him that suggests he knows he's lying to her. That something is indeed very wrong. But it isn't, he suspects, something he can do aught about, nor will he worry Ryne further with baseless speculation. Such matters are better left to his colleagues, whether here or in the Source.]
I dare not suggest I might be feeling my age, of course, but there is a chance I am feeling the fatigue of long days walking and flying all about. Only a chance, mind. [He summons up a grin and points at her with the apple slice.] We have had more than enough of busy days, have we not?
[And he eats it. The sweetness is just right for this sort of thing, and the apple has a fresh taste that he thinks might settle his stomach.]
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[Thancred bows to Lira before picking up the bucket. He's known a testy chocobo or two in his time that would only accept the attentions of specific people, and he'll have no one on any shard daring to think he doesn't know how to treat a lady.]
Now then, milady, would you kindly acquiesce to your afternoon meal? I hear 'tis only the finest mix from the Crystarium gardens.
[Not for the first time, he catches himself making a silly show of it for naught but the pure pleasure of doing so. Of making Ryne smile, and himself besides. As with the other times, he holds his breath a moment (fortuitously, as he empties part of the bucket into Lira's feed trough, so no one is like to take notice) and releases both air and observation together.
He can do this. One day at a time.
As Thancred sets the bucket down and steps back from the fence, they are rewarded with Lira hesitantly bowing her head - with a glance at Ryne first, as if to be sure - and eating.]
I understand the crops have flourished now that proper night has returned. [He keeps his voice down.] The amaro notice it more acutely than their riders, I suspect.
no subject
She leans back as her grip on the rail holds fast, smiling as she watches him engage with the the amaro in question, who does, before long, respond to his efforts. He really does have a way with the ladies, and when Lira looks to her for confirmation, she nods.]
That's right, eat up! You need your strength.
[She rights herself again, leaning forward against the top rung of the fence with her arms folded.]
They have done well, I think. They are able to grow much more now than they could before; too much light meant that what did grow was often malnourished or discolored. Worse in some places than others, but there are gardens right here in the Crystarium that are now growing quite well without the aid of magic! It's been quite something to see.
no subject
He does not doubt that more than the vegetables will flourish in the new and star-strewn darkness.
Thancred turns around, using one foot and a little hop to seat himself atop the fence, angled to the side so his back is not exposed to the amaro all the way. Who knows? They might take offense.]
All good news, from the sound of it. [Such a rare occasion is "all good news" that he pauses a moment to savor the truth of it.] How have you been, otherwise?
no subject
I've been well. I've been trying to learn some new skills here and there so that I can make myself useful to the people here in the city— I have been trying to convince Gaia to do the same, but she runs out of patience very quickly.
[Assisting the Facet of Nourishing as a team had been... incredibly short-lived.]
I'd like to find something I'm good at— a way I can continue to help people once...
[Her face falls. Once Thancred and the others are gone. She knows it's only a matter of time.]
no subject
Not that he can say that in so many words.]
Well. I'm one to talk, as any of the others will be more than glad to tell you, but try not to take on so many duties you have no time for simply enjoying a good day.
[He hopes, through his tone and the relaxed set of his shoulders and the way he looks at her, that she can tell he wants her to know everything will be all right. That she can do this. Whatever "this" turns out to be.]
We saw a lot of the world together, but there is much more to it left for exploration. [He makes a show of shading his eyes with one hand, looking left and right, concentrating deeply.] Ah, wait - I can smell it. A forthcoming discovery. One cannot help but notice it.
[The smell of discovery is fresh baked bread on the air, with possibly a hint of cinnamon. Thancred is not a relentless lover of sweets, but Ryne is.]
What say you to a bit of exploration right now?
no subject
[It wasn't the sort of exploration she had thought he would suggest, but once he mentions the smell, it hits her as well— bread fresh from the oven, the scent meandering towards them from the direction of the markets. Her expression brightens, and she hops down from the rung on the fence to land firmly on both feet.]
Let us venture forth together, then! We would not want your brow to crease before we discover the source, so we must make haste!
[Furrow your brow in concentration like that for too long and you'll get wrinkles, Thancred— not to mention, she's hungry. Without ceremony, she takes his hand and prepares to lead him towards the source of that heavenly smell, rather than the other way around.]
no subject
Mayhap, one day to come, things such as this will not also ache so.
It steadies him, as he lets Ryne direct their course, that so many of the people they pass have a friendly smile or hello for them. For her. One day soon, they may not have one another for company, but she will not spend her days lost and alone if this city can help it. And they are remarkably persistent folk.
When they reach the section of the market defined by its freshly baked goods, the smell is all but overpowering, and mixed in with other, similarly enticing scents. Were he alone, Thancred would struggle to choose just one to visit.]
Our expedition has yielded favorable results. [He releases Ryne's hand only so that she can answer:] Which corner of the map shall we plot first?
no subject
Her efforts to make a home for herself here have clearly paid off. One less thing for Thancred to worry about, or so she's told herself before now, but she's certain he'll worry anyway, just as she'll worry after him when they're not together anymore.
The smells of the bakery stalls is near overwhelming, and Ryne is reminded not for the first time that this is one of her very favorite places in all the Crystarium. As he releases her hand, she pauses to tap her chin with one finger, thoughtful.]
Hmm. We must approach this methodically, yes? We need a strategy.
[She points, decisively, towards one of the nearer stalls.]
I say we start there and work our way in, slow but steady! Our prey will never suspect us, and we might find something else along the way.
[Translation: cinnamon bread is definitely further down the row, but there are also doughnuts and coffee biscuits and corn muffins on the way. They ought to investigate.]
no subject
Approach unfamiliar territory with a strategy whenever possible. [Never mind that he knows most of the bakers and vendors by name. This is an expedition. He doesn't often have the chance to be so fanciful these days.] Good to know you find some lessons useful.
[This first vendor is looking at them both expectantly. Thancred nods to Ryne. She's in charge of this adventure, for now.]
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Of course! I've made sure to pay mind to all your lessons.
[That may be more confidence-inspiring now than it was when she was running off unannounced in the past. She smiles openly, gesturing for him to follow as she approaches the first stall. Fall in line!]
Oh! Two pixieberry tarts, please!
[Ready your stomach, Thancred.]
no subject
One obstacle so easily conquered can but give way to a half dozen more. [So long as she has the coin to spare, or the favor of the vendors to offset it - and he imagines the latter holds true for all of them regardless - Thancred will let her keep the lead.] Where does the map lead us next?
[And he grins and downs a significant portion of his tart in a single bite.]
no subject
The map says there are candied apple slices over that way— an important stop on the road to cinnamon bread.
[The latter isn't far, she knows; they won't have to go through the whole marketplace, but she intends to enjoy what time with Thancred she can while he's in the Crystarium. An afternoon of breezing through the market together will do them both some good.]
Oh! And we have to get coffee biscuits, of course!
no subject
[Despite himself, he can't help keeping up his smile, even when it aches as Ryne's antics remind him of a different, distant young girl, picking at all his flaws with some affection in a faraway market. To hide any other emotion, he finishes off his tart, turning toward the candied apple stall and brushing his hands together.
When Ryne is ready, he'll follow her there, too, and he has a mind to pay for her purchase graciously, but something overtakes him as they wait in the short line.]
Ah- if you don't mind, Ryne, I think...I shall go and wait for you over there. [He nods to a nearby bench, only a little hasty in taking her wrist so he can turn her hand over and drop some gil into it.] Choose a good one for me, would you?
[He keeps his composure until he is actually sitting down - he knows he's bound to worry her, here, it can't be helped, it feels as though all of him is suddenly made of iron and he'll sink to the bottom of the lake - and if Ryne looks over he'll simply smile and wave her on. He's fine. Just tired. He did only just get in, after all, not that many minutes ago.]
no subject
Of course. I’ll meet you there.
[She does glance his way periodically while waiting her turn, his smile and wave helping to gently ease her worried heart, but she opts to be quick about her business. She visits the next few stalls in rapid succession, no longer making a grand journey of it, but quickly acquiring candied apple slices, coffee biscuits and cinnamon bread for the both of them— they won’t need to eat it all now, of course, it would be a prime recipe for a stomachache if they did, but it’s important to her that she follow through on her promises.
She joins him several minutes later with a little basket full of her findings, a veritable feast of sweets for the both of them, and she smiles warmly as she sets it down on the bench he’s chosen so that it’s between them as she sits beside him.]
Are you alright, Thancred?
[He’d had to know she was going to ask.]
no subject
Perfectly all right, Ryne. [He even smiles, taking one of the candied apple slices from her basket and examining it in the light a moment.] Merely a little worn. Nothing a bit of good food and company can't help.
[There is a tiny, quickly buried part of him that suggests he knows he's lying to her. That something is indeed very wrong. But it isn't, he suspects, something he can do aught about, nor will he worry Ryne further with baseless speculation. Such matters are better left to his colleagues, whether here or in the Source.]
I dare not suggest I might be feeling my age, of course, but there is a chance I am feeling the fatigue of long days walking and flying all about. Only a chance, mind. [He summons up a grin and points at her with the apple slice.] We have had more than enough of busy days, have we not?
[And he eats it. The sweetness is just right for this sort of thing, and the apple has a fresh taste that he thinks might settle his stomach.]