[ the kiss does draw him out from his own thoughts for a second, and he returns it by pressing his nose against tobari's cheek and just giving him the smallest peck back. ]
Thanks. I'll come find you, so you should make your location obvious, okay?
[ almost like his own personal lighthouse. he says this even while having full confidence he could find tobari in any crowd. he supposes the thing is... would be seek him out directly after his crimes? it's a tough one to say. regardless, once they're done eating, he will start getting ready.
though, not without occasionally checking in on tobari and helping him also get dressed.
by the time the late afternoon hits, he's been a little all over the place. sometimes he's incredibly focused, and other times, he's almost like in a trance as he just focuses on some of the old works he's already packed away in boxes.
when they're ready to go, he's already holding the gift, which is a bottle of wine which he sets in its decorative box. he grabs tobari's hand and places it on his arm, and as they are finally ready to enter the venue, he finally asks: ] You were curious about why we came all the way here, right?
[ it's a question, he might not get to answer right away though as they're immediately surrounded by by guests. ]
[ tobari watches rafayel but doesn't say much. there's an urge to draw him into his arms, to comfort him against whatever oddities he's wrestling with, but he refrains if only to let him process and take his own time. even still, every time rafayel does wander back over to him, tobari will meet him with the same usual banter even if it's peppered in with a few extra kisses to try to soothe him.
he lets rafayel help him into the white clothes picked out—even though he's also extra careful to avoid paint as a result. tobari puts his hair up with a combination of different hair ornaments, though the centerpiece is one that rafayel made for him.
the opulence of the place is already putting him in a bad mood, so he focuses on rafayel. he'll take his arm easily, looking up at him and just nodding. he is curious. he's openly curious even now. ]
Mm. I've been wondering.
[ even as they suddenly are entering the proverbial battlefield and tobari frowns as he just looks at all the other guests... though he'll school his expression into something intentionally polite, if distant. ]
[ it's strange to him how just a simple kiss could alleviate years worth of tension. while his emotions still remain intense and volatile, it's also true that he finds solace in how steady tobari remains.
maybe he really is his lifeline and anchor...
regardless, as they walk through the venue, rafayel keeps a courteous smile on his lips. there's a certain polite friendliness that he maintains to each person they encounter. this seems especially the case when he greets the owner, alden, with a perfectly manufactured smile. ] Thank you again for your kind invitation. It's an honor to be able to celebrate such a momentous moment together. While it's a modest gift, I brought you this bottle of wine today. [ he hands it over to one of the staff beside him, whose eyes seem to widen at the bottle.
"wait— that label? isn't that dionysus wine?" "aren't there only five in the entire world?"
the man seems incredibly pleased with the gift, showering them both with compliments on their effort. "you and your partner have such excellent tastes, but considering the cost of this wine, are you sure you're willing to part with it?" ] I don't have much of a taste of wine, and my partner— [ he steps just slightly in front of tobari— ] doesn't drink alcohol, so it would simply be wasted. On the other hand, a professional such as yourself... [ it's rare for rafayel to flatter anyone, but he remains perfectly composed as he does something so out of character.
he knows tobari is probably inwardly trying not to think of the price of the gift, or maybe he's wondering why he's acting so different... and the idea does make him laugh internally, even when he feels anything but humor inside. once the exchange is done, the man seems to make a big show of displaying the gift, even claiming to say he would take a taste as part of the main event, but rafayel is already moving out from the crowd. ]
Sorry. [ he isn't sure why he feels the need to apologize, but he does... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Thanks. I'll come find you, so you should make your location obvious, okay?
[ almost like his own personal lighthouse. he says this even while having full confidence he could find tobari in any crowd. he supposes the thing is... would be seek him out directly after his crimes? it's a tough one to say. regardless, once they're done eating, he will start getting ready.
though, not without occasionally checking in on tobari and helping him also get dressed.
by the time the late afternoon hits, he's been a little all over the place. sometimes he's incredibly focused, and other times, he's almost like in a trance as he just focuses on some of the old works he's already packed away in boxes.
when they're ready to go, he's already holding the gift, which is a bottle of wine which he sets in its decorative box. he grabs tobari's hand and places it on his arm, and as they are finally ready to enter the venue, he finally asks: ] You were curious about why we came all the way here, right?
[ it's a question, he might not get to answer right away though as they're immediately surrounded by by guests. ]
no subject
he lets rafayel help him into the white clothes picked out—even though he's also extra careful to avoid paint as a result. tobari puts his hair up with a combination of different hair ornaments, though the centerpiece is one that rafayel made for him.
the opulence of the place is already putting him in a bad mood, so he focuses on rafayel. he'll take his arm easily, looking up at him and just nodding. he is curious. he's openly curious even now. ]
Mm. I've been wondering.
[ even as they suddenly are entering the proverbial battlefield and tobari frowns as he just looks at all the other guests... though he'll school his expression into something intentionally polite, if distant. ]
deletes myself for writing such a long tag
maybe he really is his lifeline and anchor...
regardless, as they walk through the venue, rafayel keeps a courteous smile on his lips. there's a certain polite friendliness that he maintains to each person they encounter. this seems especially the case when he greets the owner, alden, with a perfectly manufactured smile. ] Thank you again for your kind invitation. It's an honor to be able to celebrate such a momentous moment together. While it's a modest gift, I brought you this bottle of wine today. [ he hands it over to one of the staff beside him, whose eyes seem to widen at the bottle.
"wait— that label? isn't that dionysus wine?"
"aren't there only five in the entire world?"
the man seems incredibly pleased with the gift, showering them both with compliments on their effort. "you and your partner have such excellent tastes, but considering the cost of this wine, are you sure you're willing to part with it?" ] I don't have much of a taste of wine, and my partner— [ he steps just slightly in front of tobari— ] doesn't drink alcohol, so it would simply be wasted. On the other hand, a professional such as yourself... [ it's rare for rafayel to flatter anyone, but he remains perfectly composed as he does something so out of character.
he knows tobari is probably inwardly trying not to think of the price of the gift, or maybe he's wondering why he's acting so different... and the idea does make him laugh internally, even when he feels anything but humor inside. once the exchange is done, the man seems to make a big show of displaying the gift, even claiming to say he would take a taste as part of the main event, but rafayel is already moving out from the crowd. ]
Sorry. [ he isn't sure why he feels the need to apologize, but he does... ]