homebound. (earinor & akira)

Logan and the man that introduced himself as Rhys where bickering about, it was clear they knew each other, yet Logan seemed a bit uneasy for some reason. Edward didn't know him for very long, but he behaved differently. Was he trying to protect them from prying eyes? That sounded like nothing Logan would do, but Edward could be wrong. Rhys on the other hand almost sounded like he already knew who they were, or was it a coincidence he talked about serving a prince right now? Cecil was right, Edward didn't trust this man, he even trusted him less than Logan and that said a lot. A pocket thief too no less, which meant he probably was after big money and the king had more to offer than them. "The point is, I serve who I want, when I want and for as long as I want to.", Logan answered grumbling, unable to move this guy away from them. Logan probably knew many people and most of them were probably not the best company for the prince. Edward kept a good eye on the guy that squinted and tried to see their faces.

"Truth? What truth?", Logan sighed letting his shoulders hang low. "What glory? you're a thief now, aren't you? And when we met, you had almost starved to death." Usually Logan would find all that funny, but he too had a sense of duty and besides, he wanted to reach Thria and not be caught shortly before their goal. He didn't exactly trust Rhys to keep his mouth shut. "I broke his hand because he tried to steal my money!", Logan defended himself, then shook his head. "Wait! I didn't even do that, you broke your own hand!" Edward meanwhile grabbed the princes hand to hold him back a bit and to tame his excitement. Rhys however refused the offer anyway. Eventually he agreed to leave with Logan, though before the blonde could say anything, he found a fish stuck in his mouth. The other one was unrightfully stolen from him as he got dragged away. As long as Rhys kept away from them, good. He only turned around the throw the bag of coins Edward had given him back in his direction. Edward caught it midair, then turned to his prince. "N-No... let Logan handle that. The less people know who we are, the better. When we're in Thria we can start talking to people, okay? Given that we understand them." Edward looked after the two and once they were out of sight he mustered a smile and looked at the prince. "Eat up, then we'll get you desert."

Rhys rolled his eyes at Logan and ate from the fish he’d paid for - all of this was rightfully his and yet, Logan didn’t even thank him for being a good samaritan; what an asshole. Then again, he had practically forced himself upon his old friend and it had worked - he squeezed Logans hand and held it, invoking the illusion that they were definitely in love or something quirky like that. “As long as they pay good? Ever fucked up?”, he asked, interested, now that they were away from prying eyes and disappearing into the crowd of idiots that surrounded them. There was no chance in hell someone would mind if he stole their bags, but even then, his hand was busted and Logan was equally at fault as he was. “I’m not a thief now and I’ll never be, you got your things messed up. I borrow from those who don’t know they have something to borrow, and all that stuff aside, I have neither pride nor glory or know the truth. But who cares? You?”, he teased Logan and pulled him with him, to the stall that offered more than enough opportunities to amuse oneself - he snuck through the disorganized line and yelled his order; four shots of some local liquor, all of which were poured right then and there and paid with Rhys “own” money. “Seems like I broke my hand, would you be so kind and grab some of those?”, he inquired, nibbling on the fish in his mouth and ignoring the pulsating pain. “How’s life been treating you anyway? You don’t look that bad.” He’d gotten hotter, possibly.

“Oh, okay! I just thought maybe Logan needed help. I don’t know what to think of that guy.”, the prince sighed. That gold armlet he wore, alongside the many rings and earrings didn’t paint the picture of a thief - his clothes were top-notch, too; at least from Cecils perspective, who unknowingly might as well be as blind as their thief prince or whoever he truly was. Was he a prince at all? The name seemed legit and he somewhat looked like someone from Fye anyway, at least judging by the crude outlines that he’d seen - had Logan been there or had the prince be traveling for long? He could barely contain his excitement. “Thria will have lots of different people but … you’ll still like me more than any of them, right?”, he chuckled. As a friend, of course, but he didn’t quite mention that just yet. Instead, he wanted to enjoy his fish and dangle his feet down the crate - Cecil leaned a bit against Eddies shoulder and sighed deeply. This was enjoyable to say the least, but even better than that, he had his knight all to himself and someone to confide in - and tasty fish to eat. “I wish we could travel without having to hide ourselves.”, he blamed himself for that one, but merely pointed aimlessly at the sky. “Where’s the north star?”, he wanted to know, unable to see it himself - it had faded from his eyes years ago, swallowed by its somewhat colorful surroundings and Cecil wished it would change back. “Dessert? You don’t have to say that twice!”, he excitedly motioned and dug in - he was kind of hungry, actually.

"Fucked up? There were injuries, but my clients never died if that's what you're asking.", Logan answered. Rhys was confusing him, but hadn't he always been rather... strange? Yet he changed a lot and Logan not only meant the hair. By the way, what was up with that? "Though that one time I was supposed to escort this girl to her lover - they wanted to get married, but their parents were against it. Anyway... she fell for me, which... wasn't my intention and I guess I wasn't paid at the end. Does that count as a fuck up?" That had been a trip of two weeks. She had been clumsy, though Logan wasn't sure if she intentionally stumbled sometimes, only so Logan could catch her. She was nice, but not really his type, but in the end he only slept with her once she broke up with her fiancé, not before that. "Borrowing means you'll give that money back at some point. Have you ever?", Logan asked the thief. He was one, nothing more, nothing less. "I... what? I don't really care, no, as long as you don't steal my money." Rhys pulled Logan to a stall he had motioned to before. There was some alcohol offered there and Rhys slipped past the line to place his order. Logan already finished his fish and quickly threw the stick aside to have his hands free. He grabbed the drinks, looking at his second fish that stuck in Rhys mouth. He was still hungry. "Pff. I'm always good, you know that.", Logan grinned and followed his old friend to wherever he wanted to go with these. "Anyway, I thought you were mad? Now you're buying me dinner and drinks? Feel sorry for almost robbing me? Also, what happened to your hair?"

"I think he can handle a guy like that. It's better we don't draw any attention to us.", Edward smiled and ate his own fish too. It was crispy and well seasoned. There was a sour note that emerged from the skin and the fishbones had been carefully removed, yet it looked almost whole like this. It tasted pretty good and Edward tried to figure out what spices were used so he may be able to recreate it if the prince liked it. "I'll always like you the most.", he answered the prince who seemed to be in a good mood, despite that little strange encounter. "Once we're past the border, I think hiding won't be necessary anymore. No one will know us and even if they do, following the trail of a pair of strangers from the south won't be difficult, with or without hoods. Just a bit more." Logan said it would be about three or four days from now. They were so close, Cecil just needed to hide a while longer and then... well, he still needed to keep his face in the shade. Edward looked up when Cecil pointed at something in the sky. He took his hand and lead it to point at what he had searched for. "There.", he explained, unsure if Cecil was able to see anything, especially since it was so far away. He soon was occupied with something else though and ate away on his fish. Edward did the same and once they were done, he took the remaining wooden stick from the prince to throw it away at his earliest convenience. "Did you like it?"

"I'm good at what I'm doing, okay?", Logan laughed as if it was odd Rhys forgot that. Maybe he had been a bit rash back than and he probably would have taken any job, especially ones with a lot of fighting involved. He wasn't very different now, but he knew his limits and he had acquired some morals. Helping a bandits camp to rob a town? Nope, he wouldn't do that. Get rid of a bandit camp? Yep. "Her fiancé didn't pay me, because when we arrived she didn't want to marry him anymore. Said something about he should have gotten and protected her himself, something like that... I didn't pay much attention to it.", Logan explained. Apparently she had wanted someone strong, like Logan and once he slept with her, he left, telling her she should rather find someone else brining her home. It felt wrong to do that and exhausting too. "You did? Why are you stealing in the first place?", Logan asked. Sure Rhys was never a fighter, the life of a mercenary were nothing for him and after all those years he still was rather slim, but he always had been too smart for his own good. Logan followed him to a free table and got his fish back, nibbling on it while he put down the shots. "So when did you leave that guy I left you with?", Logan eventually asked and once Rhys took a shot to his lips, Logan chimed in and downed one too. It was a bit sweet for his taste, but not that bad and very strong. His cheeks already felt warmer. "Hey, that kind of sounds like an insult.", he complained soon after, but he didn't feel offended. Was it? He didn't know. "So why exactly are you mad? I never meant ill with you.", Logan inquired and took another look at Rhys. "I dunno, you looked cute with brown hair and those big glasses that were as big as half your face.", he smiled.

"He is also a thief, which means he is probably short on money. Logan is not in for that I believe, but he might be. However much money we offer, your father will always offer more." Did this guy also run from home? Maybe, but whether he was a prince or not, it didn't mean he'd have any compassion. Not everyone was as nice and forthcoming as the prince, who would have probably gifted all he had to this guy, if he told him he needed it. It was sweet, but also dangerous. "Let's talk about keeping pets when we actually find one, okay?", Edward then asked with somewhat of a smile. He wasn't sure about any of that, but why argue about something that might never happen. The crown prince and Francis had searched for mythical beast for years and never found anything. All they came home with were deers and one time a crocodile. Edward looked at the excited prince, he always was excited and it was sweet, although he sometimes went a bit too far. Much as he exagarated, like right now. "Oh I... thank you. You know, we could... no nevermind." Edward had searched for things he could teach the prince, things that weren't dangerous, but asking him to spot spices and fruits while they were traveling, when he could barely see was stupid and insensitive, so he stopped himself. Once Cecil got off the crate, Edward got off too and smiled at him. "Sure. Do you want to get on my shoulders now?", he offered.

"I wouldn't dare to say that you aren't. Maybe a bit clumsy sometimes, yes, but not much else.", he quickly told his former friend. Was he even a friend? Rhys couldn't quite say, but he knew that he not only liked Logan before, he also was aware that those odd feelings he always harbored for him were still persistent and wouldn't just disappear because he had changed over the years. No, there was nothing that could change how he felt, but on the other hand, he also didn't feel like telling Logan just how much he missed him and how hard he searched for him back that - that sounded cursed. "Oh hell, that doesn't sound like fun at all. Did you try to extort him for the money he rightfully owes you?", Rhys asked, as if it were quite the normal and sane behavior when it came to the specifics of a case like that. Well, in his opinion it hardly was and the more he thought about it, the more apparent it became that he rather took from others than admit to his own wrongdoings - and the more stupid it seemed for him to talk about the truth and righteous glory. "I have to feed myself and it's pretty easy by now. I wouldn't say second nature, but something along those lines at least.", he claimed. Survival was never pretty or build on something other than ones selfish needs - it only served him right that he'd eventually fall and break all of his bones while he was at it, having to realize that no matter what, he too wasn't free of sin and he, too, was going to have to admit to his shortcomings one day. "Hm, close to two years ago at this point.", he took the other shot, grinned at Logan and downed it, feeling its warmth spread from within before he sat the glass aside. "It was.", Rhys then claimed and looked at the big, hungry guy devour his fish. If that mouth of his was useful for other things? Possibly. "I'm mad because that dude swindled us both, and we both fell for it. He was looking for someone to taste test his food for poison and made me sign some fucked up contract. Logan, do you know how often he almost killed me?", Rhys sighed and got up from where he sat, only to hassle a stranger for more alcohol - and promise them coin. "Those big ... oh god. Ew. They are smaller now, but at least you found me cute. I looked like a goblin."

"But if he's a prince, why is he also a thief? That sounds weird, he probably has more than enough ... oh, do you think his family excommunicated him or something? Maybe that would explain why he is like that. Probably. Or something. Uhh, he looked mean one second and friendly the next, I really can't read him.", Cecil admitted defeat. This Rhys person was someone he wasn't sure of encountering again, but he wanted to say that he had quite the nice voice and overall, he probably didn't look so bad. Or maybe that was his thief gimmick? Whatever the case, Cecil didn't loathe him and jumped once, holding his hood in place, to see if he was truly as light as he still believed himself to be and if the ground below him, too, was as sturdy as he wanted it to be. Nothing changed overall, which simply meant that he had gotten better at nothing and was, without a doubt, still very much alive and thus inclined to keep it that way. "Okay, big if. Maybe it doesn't even like me, then we can't bank on some cute bunny anyway and we'll have to settle for whatever likes us.", Cecil giggled and nodded all the while, having affirmed to himself that he was doing his best, his utmost, to not only keep himself but also Eddie as happy as they possibly could be. There was nothing wrong with loving and cherishing his best of friends, but there also was nothing wrong with overdoing it, or was there? Truly, no matter what any of them wound up being, they had always gladly made the best choices they possibly could have and that was way too much of a sob story right now - one he didn't bother analyzing or thinking about just the tiniest bit too much. "Hm? Yes, I'm listening?", he blurted out, confused about Eddies subsequent refusal. "Yes! Please!", he giggled, distracted by being allowed on his knights shoulders - and thus, he came closer to him once more.

"Rhys you confuse me. Not that I don't like receiving compliments, but you hated me just fifteen minutes ago", Logan answered to that, because he simply didn't understand what was going on. If he had remained angry, that would have been fine, if he would have talked to him like he had missed him from the start and would have continued to do so, that would have been fine too, but switching from one to the other was odd and Logan didn't know how to deal with it. "Eh? No, I just left. But I started to ask for payment upfront, at least half of it." What would he have given for a mug of beer additional to those shots of alcohol? Well, it didn't matter much, he eyed Rhys though, now that he also ate the second fish by himself. "Aren't you hungry? And maybe we should find a doctor for you.", Logan proposed. There surely was one somewhere. There were probably a lot of potential customers during an event like this. Rhys probably needed at least a splint. "And how do you give the money back you stole then if that's all you do?", Logan inquired further. Rhys changed a lot hasn't he? Logan pretty much stayed the same. "Two years? That means you worked for him... six, seven years?", Logan asked after doing some simple math. When Rhys drank his second shot, Logan poured his down too, without thinking about it twice. "And you're calling me a puppy...", he sighed, now that he was stranded on dry land. "Contract? Is that why you stayed for so long? Ugh... I'm sorry about that. I just knew him because I did a job for him once, one of my earliest and then he begged me to join his army, but I had no interest in that. I thought he could need a young guy who wanted to learn how to fight.", Logan sighed once Rhys came back from whatever he just did. Now he felt bad, he probably deserved Rhys hate at least a little bit. "Smaller? Naw... didn't your head grow anyway? Why didn't you bring them by the way?"

"Well... should we stay out here a long time, you'd run out of money too, right?", Edward proposed a solution to the princes question. Only because someone was a prince, didn't mean they were rich, especially not when they left home and abandoned their family. Cecil couldn't just go home, get some more money and then go on the next journey. Sometimes Edward wasn't sure if he realized that. "I don't trust him. if we're lucky, we'll never see him again.", Edward mumbled. maybe he shouldn't talk like that, but he gave off pretty weird vibes. "I'm sure you'll find something, but don't forget that you already have a pet... kind of. Your horse?", Edward smiled, trying to get Cecil to think about something else. Even more so when he was urged to finish his thought. He just shook his head once more and got down on one knee, with his back facing the prince, so he could hop on. Sweets and games, that would probably let him forget Edward even started to talk about some nonesense. "Hop on.", he smiled, waiting for the prince to climb on his shoulders and once he seemed to have some balance, Edward held on to his thighs and stood up with Cecil being much higher up than usual. "Where to?"

"When you hated me or when you gave me a compliment?", Logan asked. What was up with Rhys? He was acting strange and as if he wore a mask of some sorts. And then there was another compliment... or something like that. Logan simply nodded in agreement. "Your own? if you worry about money, I'll pay for that. Even if you know what you're doing, it might be hard with only one hand." Logan unprompted fished for Rhys hand to take a look himself. He too needed to patch himself up every once in a while, though broken bones were nothing common for him. At least he could check how bad it was and he saw that it was starting to swell. "You should at least cool it.", he said letting go again. They had been friends a long time ago after all. Logan had seen Rhys in a much worse condition and that was probably why he wasn't even complaining, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. "What jobs?", Logan inquired next, after all there was much more to ask about Rhys than about himself. He was still the same old. "Hm, well if it's fine to you.", Logan nodded eagerly. So that was settled? Good. Rhys was right, they'd both been children back then. "My armor back then wasn't even that shiny.", he thought out loud, but he wouldn't get his current one tonight. "A puppy? What makes you think that? I'm caring for myself for ten years now.", he told Rhys and then shoved one of the mugs over to Rhys. "It's cool enough.", he told him to take it for his wrist, then he took the other mug and took some big gulps out of it, ending it with a pleased sigh. "What do your pants have to do with your glasses? Anyway... you have a room? Can I crash?", he asked with a big expecting smile.

"Logan said they barter and I guess we can hunt our own food. If we need something, maybe we can exchange some fur or leather. Or I'll work for them in exchange for whatever we need.", Edward smiled confidently. They'd survive somehow, he'd do everything for it and he didn't mind some labor anyway. He himself hoped that it would get easier once they were over the border, but he also knew that that was probably not the case, yet he would never sabotage his princes journey and bring him wherever he wanted to go. Except to this supposed other prince. "I'm sure she doesn't mind. But we should also keep you warm.", Edward answered. he remembered that one time in the stables, it had been rather warm and Edward made a huge bed out of hay for the prince to sleep in. In the end there was not much sleep to be had and Edward needed to realize, that he was much more fun to be around when he was younger. He'd grown up... maybe a bit too much. "Yes I also brought a big blanket. William was still dissatisfied.", he agreed, finally lifting the prince up and letting him watch over all those peoples heads. he was already starting to walk south, when Cecil apparently changed his mind, or wasn't quite sure at least. "Where to first?"

"When I hated you.", he chortled. There was nothing to lie about with Logan, or at least he wanted to invoke that kind of feeling, when in reality, he was nothing more than an actor playing a role and definitely not well-equipped to care for himself or the blonde in any capacity. "No, that's not the problem. You learn a few things if you constantly get poisoned and you also get to know a bunch of different people if you live in a nobles estate. I was taught well, but I'll show you later. I just might need someone to occasionally carry something for me?", he popped in and undermined with a grin, but as Logan grabbed his hand, he let him, without flinching - he could feel the bones that had fallen apart and he could still hear the bones splinter, and yet, it wasn't even that bad - he had had worse. "The usual. Helping with the harvest, waiting tables, digging graves. Whatever it is, wherever I am, as long as I can be as free as a bird, long free from its cage." Rhys took the mugh and pressed it against his hand, considering if he should dip it in there, but it was a waste of booze and all he could think about was the bottle of red wine he sporadically nipped on. Was Logan enjoying himself? It seemed that way. "You have those big, naive eyes that don't fit you. They make you look like a puppy ... without shining armor.", he elaborated and, as all of this had taken some sort of toll on him; at least he thought of it that way. "You can get into my room if you want to get in my pants, but asking for my glasses to do that isn't exactly my prefered hook-up method. Whatever the case, if you don't mind sharing a large bed, sure. How come you show up here without a plan?", he sighed, looking at Logans smile that made him laugh. Puppy. Another shot for that.

"Did you want me to break your arm?", Logan asked raising an eyebrow. "If you wanted to drink with me, you could have just told me so." Logan grinned suddenly. Maybe he had misunderstood and this situation had been Rhys wish all along. He never had been very good at expressing his feelings, had he? Though he seemed less shy than he was as a young teenager. "You're stubborn, but you can do whatever you want.", Logan finalized this conversation, glazing over the fact, or rather not noticing that Rhys was making a point there, saying he needed someone to carry his stuff, until his bones have healed and that he probably meant Logan with that. "That's what you do to earn money? You've always been too smart for that kind of work, how do you end up with jobs like that?", Logan asked shaking his head and sighing. He still needed someone to take care of him, didn't he? Logan even crossed his arms in front of his chest. Rhys had always been very smart and he was able to remember everything he saw or read and yet, he was digging graves? What a waste. "Big eyes? Maybe you'd find me more impressive in my armor, but... that's stored away for now.", he chuckled. Rhys would probably not get to see it. "I never said I wanted in your pants, I just didn't get a room, everything is booked out.", he explained. "Since when do I need a plan?", he nonchalantly added with a laugh and took another sip of beer afterwards.

"I don't want you chopping wood or something like that though...", Edward mumbled, looking up at the guy on his shoulders, but from here he couldn't really see him. Fieldwork was also nothing for a prince, but Edward would have to let him do something somewhen, he knew that. he just didn't want him to do any hard labor, that was not worthy of a prince and he had his knight to do it for him. Cecil however didn't want him to do everything all the time. "When it gets colder, in Thria, maybe that isn't even a bad idea. I don't know how cold it gets there, but there is said to be lots of snow.", Edward mumbled. Both of them never had seen snow before, in Ylisse there barely was some, maybe on a mountains peak, but that was it and even there, it was rare. Edward had packed warm clothes too, but they would probably need to get more than that. Some fur and thick boots maybe, eventually. "William is... uhm... he is behaving like a prince himself, I know. But I think he deeply cares about your brother and only wants the best for him.", Edward smiled and then started to walk into the direction the prince wanted to go, to the games apparently. "Thank you. But right now I should keep my hood on.", he smiled, even though the prince couldn't see it.

“No, but I was going to see if you had the balls to do it. Apparently not.”, Rhys laughed. Logan had tried his best and yet, he was still bested by someone that, for better or for worse, was apparently capable of breaking his own bones, just like that. He rook another swig from his wine bottle, which be finally relinquished and offered to Logan, who’d probably give it back if he didn’t want any. “You just said it yourself. I’m stubborn. There’s no way in hell that I’ll actually admit to something and just do stuff with you like that.”, he laughed, sounding wholly amused about the statement that had just been flung against his head. If anything, all of this was stupid to consider and he, of all people, should know that well enough. “Nobody is looking for someone to do their finances or for someone to do transcripts. Sure, they might share some information with you if you’re lucky, but mostly, they’re incredibly secretive and to be honest, I didn’t mind them that much. Sometimes they were annoying, sure, but it could have been worse - like being someones cleaning maid in a large estate.” If this old geezer would have had him cleaning instead of eating literal poison, maybe he would have gotten rid of him earlier - that would have served him right and Rhys himself could only imagine the expression on his stunned, ugly rat face. But was that really worth it? Possibly. “Oh, don’t worry. I find you quite impressive already and let me tell you, I might even like you more without your armor.”, he confessed in quite the sing-song voice and as he did, he pressed his hand against the mug some more and grabbed another shot with his other hand, merely to down it in one go and feel satisfied with himself for thinking about something ridiculous like that. Logan liked him, he’d always had, and now he had fallen right into his trap - if one could call it that. “I know, I was joking.”, he called his bluff. He probably wasn’t, but he wouldn’t mind Logan in his pants regardless. “Fair. You never needed one before, why would you need one now, hm?” Rhys shoved a shot his way. “But just to be clear, I don’t have a bed to spare for a fair maiden if you want to invite one back to my room.” Or would he mind? He didn’t quite want a piece of the pie - if anything, he’d much rather have a piece of Logan.

“Is it because I could hurt myself? Or because those duties aren’t meant for someone like me?”, Cecil asked, his voice sickened with curiosity. Whatever the case, he knew that Eddie didn’t mean any harm upon him and he was genuinely scared for him and his life often enough; more than once at that. Being mad at him wasn’t something he’d do, and yet, he couldn’t help but ask himself if he’d always be stuck in a role like that - as the prince that couldn’t do anything to save his life and had to rely on someone else to do his bidding. Was that were his problems lay? His feeling of inferiority? “Oh, oh! We could build a snowman and make snow angels then! And cuddle with our horses. I don’t know if Logan is up for that, but I know that both of ours are rather soft-tempered. But … hm, do you think they even want to lie down on the snow?” That was another problem they most likely should be getting rid of, and yet, Cecil didn’t know how. A fire wouldn’t melt however many months of snow in seconds, especially if the rumors were true and Thria consisted of nothing but cold temperatures and ice - it was a mystery to him, not exactly a well-guarded one, but a mystery regardless. “I know, sometimes he just has an odd way of acting, I think. At the very least, Xander doesn’t take any offense in his behavior and that’s the one that needs to give him his approval.” Cecil thought of his brother as a sleepyhead, and yet he knew that he just liked to stay awake for hours on end - often times most of the night - under his blankets and read books or conduct silly research that he himself would never come up with. As Eddie trudged closer to the stall, Cecil recognized it as what it was - or at least thought he did. There were a bunch of supposedly empty cans aligned and balls were offered to paying customers - and there were prizes, huh? “Oh, right! Also you may let me down if you’d like.”

"You're trying to be smug, but you really aren't.", Logan stated with a sigh. Rhys looked like he tried to be someone that didn't fit him. Why would Logan be proud of breaking his arm? If it had been any thief and he wouldn't give back what he had stolen, he probably would have done it. But he knew Rhys, for a long time actually and when they both only just started and adjusted to a new life. It had never been particularly hard on Logan and he probably would have managed the same without Rhys around, but still, even if he was a thief, he didn't want to hurt an old friend who's life he apparently made worse for seven years without even knowing about it. Logan looked at the golden liquid in his mug and drank from it a bit more. "Well maybe I'm just gonna start doing only things you explicitly tell me." That would teach Rhys maybe, but they'd only be together for tonight as it seemed and since nobody wanted to get into each others pants, Logan didn't know how long he'd stay. Seeing Rhys having changed so much was not the best of evenings, even though he at least managed to fend for himself after all those years... somehow. "Maybe you just asked the wrong people. You could have worked a shop or something. Become a traveling salesman, I dunno. I'm a mercenary because that is what I do best and I like doing it. It's that simple." Logan looked at Rhys with a slight grin. "That's because you haven't seen it yet." The armor he had now was custom made. It had been quite expensive, but Logan liked it very much and he paid for it with his own, well earned money. He emptied his mug, then looked at the shot and downed it too, before standing up and putting a hand on Rhys shoulder. "Well thanks for the drinks and the backup sleeping plan. Where are you staying? I need to find you in case my fair maiden doesn't want me to spend the night.", he grinned, ready to invite someone to a drink or something.

"Both.", Edward answered making his way though the crowd. He held on to the prince tightly and balanced him on his shoulders where he pretty much was save from all those people. Edward wasn't as tall as his brother, but he was at least as tall as most of the people around them. "They are horses, albeit not knowing snow as well, I am sure they'll be fine.", Edward answered with a smile, spotting the booth Cecil wanted to get to. "We can do all that." He himself wondered how snow was, except being cold, he knew that. He was a bit curious, but he probably would have preferred to stay in the castle, where it was safe for the prince. William would have never gone on this journey, even if his prince had begged him to. He probably would have let him go alone, or would he? Edwards father was a nice man and so was the king, but maybe he would have been scared of what they'd done about it. Edward sure was, he was sure that even his father would behead him for the offense he committed. "Mhm... they fit eachother too, in the end.", Edward answered the prince when they reached the booth. Upon receiving Cecils request, Edward carefully lifted him off his shoulders and let the prince back on the ground.

“Why would I be? Being smug never fit me really well, we both know that and also, we both know that I’m in need of some assistance from the great mercenary, now that my hand is busted.” He’d pay him handsomely, with stolen money, but Rhys wasn’t sure if Logan would whore himself out like that - not only did it not work in his favor before, he also had to admit that he probably was better off with those two kids he strung along and then ignored, likewise. Hopefully, his current predicament was a temporary one - Rhys would like to see him again, and as he drank from his mug, he decided to ignore it further afterwards; he’d never been one for beer, much more for wine, but then, what choice did he have years ago? Not a single one. “Things I, of all people, explicitly tell you? And what if I use that good will of yours to my advantage?”, he joked. Rhys had few ideas about what he truly wanted to do, or how many hours he could spare Logan, but he knew that he could get himself into quite the lucrative business if his little puppy would be willing to take him for a spin. He stretched and heard some bones crack, for not particular reason, and then got up - he was feeling fine, just rather rusty, and the swelling wrist irritated him. “But is it? If you’d be shit at what you do and you’d still love being a mercenary, who would hire you?”, he laughed and got up, alongside Logan, who already had other plans as it seemed. A fair maiden, huh? Rhys could fill that role exceptionally well, though, he wasn’t all that fair if he thought about it. When would he ever be? “If you put it on, I’ll make sure to enjoy it and then take it off of you.” Rhys tugged on Logans shirt as he came closer. “And everything else alongside it.”, he whispered. There was no need for clothing if one got frisky with the other - and no need for fair maidens either. Satisfied, he put his arms around Logan and buried his face in the blondes chest - he wasn’t drunk, just feeling cuddly, and in need of a good pillow. “Leaving me so soon already? I thought you wanted to have fun? And I wouldn’t mind being the fair maiden in question, you know?”, Rhys laughed and then looked up, raising his hand to Logans face - it was beautiful, especially like this. Almost immediately, he let go and grabbed Logans hand instead. “Besides, you have to show me your armor.”

“I could herd their sheep! I’d blend right in and I’d get to cuddle with something fluffy … Wait, do you think I’m tiny enough to ride a sheep? That’d be fun!”, he laughed. Cecil imagined it to be much more fun than it was - and much more fun than it probably had to be. Not only were his thoughts fixated on the matter, he also couldn’t help himself when it came to cute stuff - like Eddie, who paraded him around, all the while he was busy hiding his hair beneath a hood that he called his disguise. “But they deserve some blankets! And we deserve some snow … I wish it would snow in Azenad, but it never does. I mean, I get why, but it’s still kind of sad. I bet we’d have had lots of fun.” None of them were children anymore and this type of carnival, while not conceptualized for them, was something to enjoy while they were here - as long as they could and it was feasible, even if it often enough wasn’t and he struggled with the simplest of things. Now that he had the ground below his feet again, he grabbed Eddies hand and looked at the booth - those were wooden boxes, well, they were rather round and their edges seemed to be coated in something glittering. The clerk at the stall was yelling at the top of his lungs and people were hassling him for some balls all while they paid - Cecil looked upwards, at Eddie. “Do you want to play for me? I’d just like to watch … and now I sound like Xander, don’t I? We should play together!”

"It feels like you wanted me to break your hand as an excuse to make me do your bidding.", Logan speculated and tried to get a good look at Rhys face, framed by those unfamiliar red hair. "I can help you out tonight, but I'm currently on a job, so that's really all I can do for you, sorry.", he explained. It was actually more than that. Even if that little prince had enough of Thria soon, Logan would probably stay there a while longer, to explore the foreign land, every little corner of it. Rhys would not go there by chance and he probably wouldn't know where to look for Logan. "But I'm, not. Which makes it very simple.", Logan answered. He always found a job when he needed one and he even established somewhat of an reputation, but he tried to keep that low on purpose. Once Logan got up, Rhys did the same, coming closer and tugging on his shirt. "Sorry, my armor is kind of unavailable for tonight.", Logan told him and looked down at the small figure hugging him tightly. In fact, Rhys flirted with him, didn't he? "Are you drunk already? Back then a glass of wine had been enough after all...", Logan chuckled, grabbing Rhys chin to pull it up. He wanted to look at him, but his eyes were unfocused either way. That blind little guy was probably unable to see Logans face even now. "So in fact, you wanted to get into my pants all along? For old times sake?", Logan questioned with a laugh. All that dancing around the topic, why didn't Rhys just tell him what he wanted straight away? "No armor. Sorry.", he reiterated as his hand got grabbed. He looked at their table and the mug that was almost untouched. Logan hated if things went to waste, so he quickly grabbed it to down it, leaving nothing behind. Then he got rid of that hand holding his own, they weren't children. Instead he placed his hand on the lower back of Rhys, as was his right if the now redhead was his date for tonight. Was it smart to reinvoke something from almost ten years ago? Who knew, Logan didn't care and even if he never had been as attached to Rhys as it probably was the other way around, the time with him had been somewhat special.

"Sheep can be feisty and I think you might be too big for one to carry you.", Edward smiled as something caught his eye while passing another booth on the way. he looked at it for a bit, until he head to turn his head up front again, but he didn't mention it. Instead he was bringing the prince to his desired destination as if he was his horse tonight. "They actually might need blankets if it gets much colder. They are not used to cold wheather, but more for their backs, not to lie on.", Edward smiled, having another idea. "I could show you how to sew. You could find different fabrics everywhere we pass through and put them together to a blanket. As a memory of sorts. Would you like that? But we will get you a thimble first. Just in case, I don't want you to start bleeding.", he suggested. It would be a great memory, wouldn't it? And Cecil would have something to do, which he always wanted. Now that they stood in front of the booth, the prince seemed a bit unsure what to do next. In the end he was rather shy too, much like Edward, but his knight was able to put that past him if it was for his prince. "We'll do it how you want.", Edward smiled, taking his hand and walking closer to buy a round of balls for them, offering them to the prince.

“Maybe it was? Actually, it wasn’t. But now that you mention it, that does sound like something I’d do and you know what’s worse? I might want to do that in the future.”, he laughed. Rhys wasn’t easily amused anymore, and yet, Logan managed to drag out the best - or the worst - in him and open him up like a corpse, ready for examination, pulled apart at the seams, with its chest split wide open and its deep black organs oozing tar. And yet, wouldn’t it be so romantic if Logan took his bleeding, rotting heart out of his chest and kept it for himself? Rhys thought so, very much in fact. “I know, I know. I won’t interfere with that, but I’d like to have you to myself tonight?”, Rhys chirped, like a little songbird, excited for what tonight had in store - and how thrilling it would be to have the blonde back at his side. His heart was beating the slightest bit faster, and while he would have loved to take in Logans beauty, he needed some glasses for that - and maybe no red hair, that made it much more apparent when it hung into his face. “That’s very true … what a shame, if I had the resources I might have sponsored your adventures to nowhere and anywhere.” Rhys would have, if that meant he could come with Logan - and if they never parted again. The thoughts themselves were silly, if not hypocritical and absurd - what else did he want to force himself through? He’d already suffered enough and he wanted some silence for himself; wanted to settle somewhere. “I’ll get a chance to see it eventually. But that doesn’t mean you’re unavailable tonight.”, he teased. Logan looked rather uptight in that outfit of his, and if Rhys had less self-control, he’d probably have stood there indefinitely and declared the mercenaries tits his new pillow - he wasn’t that indecent, though. What a shame that was, but even then, what was he to do? Hate himself for human decency? “I’m not drunk. I’m just enjoying gods gifts … well, your chest. It’d make a great pillow, let me tell you that.” He was stopped in his tracks and made to look at the blonde - no dice, he was still blurry as fuck and Rhys would never not be blind as fuck - the day he didn’t need to use glasses anymore, he’d probably have perfected his magical studies. However, the hand on his chin was quite the tease and he tried biting it, to no avail. “Old times sake? Sure. But also, you’re fucking hot even when you’re blurry as shit, so you can’t blame me.”, he replied. As Logan reached for his rather warmed up beer, he watched him and then, became the center of attention once more. Rhys liked that and glued himself to Logans now-free side; he even cuddled up to him. “Now, do you want to go look at your room for tonight? No, it’s probably to early. You probably would like more booze, don’t you?”

“But what if they have gigantic balls of floof? I could try to fight them! But they’re probably stronger than me. Eddie, why is literally everyone and everything better at fighting for themselves than meeeee?”, he complained, letting his shoulders slouch theatrically. Cecil regained his composure soon enough and straightened his back, looking at the booth or rather stall they had picked - Eddie had brought them here and Cecil was the unfortunate soul that had the worst of luck when it came to these types of things. “Hm, so they just need something to cuddle with? Just like me!”, Cecil laughed, but then shook his head. They just needed to stay warm since they couldn’t lay on their backs, wasn’t it that? It didn’t seem any different from him when he lost his blanket during the night and woke up with a cold back, scrambling for it once it had fallen out of his bed. “That … I’d like that. It sounds a lot like you, to offer something like that I mean, and I can learn how to sew, too. And we can collect stuff! It’s actually a lovely idea, thank you, Eddie!”, he giggled and hugged his knight tightly, only to let go again soon thereafter. As he was offered a ball, he took it and nodded - he wanted to try at least once. But even then … “Can you show me how you’d throw it?”

Rhys really changed. He never was particularly whiny about pain, about broken bones or cuts on his body, but he also had preferred to stay away from anything that was able to harm him. Shortly after Logan had saved him, he had hid behind him by the slightest noise, one time he hid from a mere cat hissing at him. He seemed happier now though, more brave and maybe a bit too cocky, but Logan was one to talk. "No need to break anything, you can ask for things.", Logan smiled shaking his head. Also, if he had broken his leg, Logan would have carried him around, so he hadn't even been that smart. "You seemed to have forgotten your anger. Well then, I'm not against spending the night with you, it's been pretty long since we last saw each other.", Logan generously offered up his night with another smile. "Ah... don't sweat it. I'm not doing the jobs for the money mostly. It's fun to fight and protect." Logan didn't need Rhys money, if he wanted to be rich, he could have had that easily, but instead, he liked to work for his money. Even if he wanted to travel somewhere, paying for it himself, working for it a few months to be able to afford it felt great. "I'm not." No, Logan wasn't unavailable. Edward and Cecil were very capable to look after themselves tonight. Albeit them being a bit lost sometimes, Edward was protecting the prince and he'd make sure nobody recognized them. Logan meanwhile would make sure Rhys didn't recognize them, he hadn't planned on spending the whole evening with them anyway. "Have you missed me so much?", Logan started laughing amused. Gods gifts, huh? Well actually that was something the old Rhys would have said too. "Well thanks. Don't curse so much though, that doesn't suit you.", he answered, booping his nose to make him stop spouting profanities. Maybe finally not being at a high court made him want to abuse that fact. "More alcohol sound good! What do you want? Wine, probably. The next round is on me!", Logan laughed and started moving. He wanted to try somewhere else, they had the whole night to taste-test everything here.

Edward looked at the prince, he wanted to cheer him up, so he smiled. "Strength is not all that matters and besides, there are lots of animals that aren't very strong and instead are fast or smart. Humans are the same.", he answered, hoping to make Cecil feel better about himself. There was no need to beat himself up all the time. He seemed to like his knights idea and Edward smiled happily. "No problem. So maybe we can find our first piece of fabric in this town.", he suggested. They had some time to spare. They could walk around the stalls and maybe they found something, or at least a souvenir for the prince. Once Edward was hugged, he softly patted the princes head, until he was let go of again. He was glad Cecil had a great time. He seemed a bit unsure about the ball though. Edward was a bit nervous, for no reason really, he knew that too, but if the princes eyes and possibly others lay on him, he always felt a bit anxious, but he swallowed that down and took a ball of his own. He wielded his sword in the right hand, because that was how they all were taught to do it, but he did everything else with his left. For his explanation though, he took the right hand, so the prince could better imagine it and in the end softly grabbed Cecils hand with the ball to show him how to use his wrist and arm. "The shot doesn't have to be hard, it's more important to hit the right spot. You'll do just fine."

"Depends on what you want and if I have the time, but we are old friends and I feel like I owe you. If it's just drinking and having fun, why would I say no in teh first place?", Logan asked genuinely. He did owe him for leaving him with that guy as it seemed. Maybe he should inquire more about that, but Rhys didn't seem to want to talk extensively about it. That was alright, even though this would be their only night together for a while. "I know, now you made it clear!", Logan asked while he continued to softly push Rhys through the crowd, with his hand still on his lower back. He searched for another stall that sold some liquor. "It actually does sound like something I'd enjoy. I might do that free of charge, because you're an old friend.", he nodded. "You know what? You should provide me a way to reach you. I know you travel too, but maybe you can think of something." Maybe a friend he visited every once in a while or some place Logan could wait or at the very least leave a message at. "Naww. You know, I actually thought about you just a few hours ago. What a coincidence!", he laughed, walking past some people with drinks in their hands, only to suddenly stop and extend his head to check the insides of one persons mug. He turned back to Rhys with a grin. "Hmmm, you know what they have? Absinth. Remember that one night...?", he asked, his mouth curling into a mischevious and also remenecent smile. The squeeze of his butt made him pull Rhys closer, while he also searched for the place those people got that drink from. He found it soon enough, not a stall, but a tavern, though many people were standing and drinking outside too, probably because there was no free table inside. "Don't flatter me so much! You switched personality too fast!", Logan laughed. "What do you think, two drinks, or a whole bottle?"

"I want you to know that... you are good at many things too. You are excellent at braiding hair, you have an eye for color, you're reading voice is soothing and you are very good at coming up with stories. I bet with a bit of your fantasy, you could make this trip into a grand story.", Edward smiled, dishing out comliments, now that he for once seemed to have found the right words to appriciate all that the prince had to offer. When talking about the fabric they would buy, Edward had another suggestion. "With colored thread, you could add your own fish." He wasn't sure if they'd find a fabric representing all that they experienced today, but that didn't mean they couldn't make one themselves. Then Edward took a little step back, so Cecil had some space to throw the ball. The prince was happy about the result and so was Edward, but soon enough he got a ball shoved into his hands to try it himself. Edward didn't like the attention suddenly falling upon him, but he wouldn't say no either. He took the ball with his left hand this time and threw it at the wooden targets that were left after the princes shot. He wasn't sure if he should try his best, or it would discourage the prince, but then again, Edward never wanted to lie and so he put his mind to that shot.