Who: Peony & Rhys (+ Zev) What: “Hey, baby, hey~” (no, not like that) Where: A shop in the Bazaar district When: Sometime last week Rating: Disney Status: Complete!
They seemed to have entered another of the quiet lulls that came between times of difficulty. Peony could only be glad that this time, the destruction had been relatively minimal (though that there was something far worse to compare to was an issue in and of itself). The streets were quiet and peaceful this early morning as she went about her marketing.
Already carrying several bags, she entered the last shop she intended to visit to the sound of a child fussing. Her eyes found the unhappy baby, strangely held in the arms of a very unexpected man, who seemed to be having trouble soothing him.
Rhys was confounded as to how Chloe seemed to do it. Sure, sometimes the baby would be fine and he could just carry it around and do whatever, but he didn’t know what was wrong. He’d just fed it and he didn’t think he needed to change its diaper. He’d checked the way he’d seen the ladies do it for the proper signs. He was not opening the thing in case he got peed on in public. He didn’t smell anything, so he knew it wasn’t the latter. He was pretty sure if they put a ring of baby shit around the town, no monsters would ever come in.
“Just calm down,” he hissed hopelessly toward the child. It had been a crazy morning. The baby had been all sorts of crazy and he had decided to try actually taking a day off to spend with the kid. Sure the ladies were doing a fine job with raising him, but it was his kid. He needed to actually try to be around. He’d been scolded for handing Zevran off far too much. “We’re just going to get you some new diapers, some food, and maybe a new toy,” he said to the bundle in the crook of his arm. He was really small, but he was growing pretty fast. He was so focused on the child, he hadn’t even noticed the woman a few feet away from him. “Also, daddy needs some actual food for the house now that he’s not actually leaving it anymore.”
That part was said mostly to himself.
Perhaps she ought to have left him alone, but the cry of the distressed child along with what seemed (to Peony’s eyes) the father’s quickly fraying patience had her approaching instead. “Good morning, Mister Kinlan. Good morning, young man.” She took care to speak to children even when it seemed they were not listening or could not possibly understand. “You appear to have your hands quite full.” And not with purchases. “May I offer some assistance?” She reached her hands out, content to take either the baby or, if he preferred, his basket. The child took a moment to blink at her with water eyes, then reached for her hair. Not quite able to reach, he began to fuss once more.
The voice had caused Rhys’ attention to shift. It was one he hadn’t heard in a while and also one he wasn’t particularly wanting to hear while he was in the middle of what he was doing. There was no shame in domestics, he knew that, but he did not know this particular woman as much as he’d have liked. “Good morning,” he said, shifting his grip on the child as he turned to look at her. “Zevran,” he said with a nod to it, as she addressed it as young man. “And it’s really hard to shop like this,” he agreed. He was just trying to get used to having the baby around during normal things.
When she reached out and the baby did also in tandem, he easily shifted the child into her care. She had a gentle touch and a lot of cats, so he trusted her. “He really does like women more than he likes me,” he said rubbing the back of his head with his newly freed hand. “I know exactly where he gets that from,” he muttered under his breath, before adding, “Thank you.” He did realize this was an opportune time to ask if she’d like to do something, but he had obligations and plans which included him and his son for the day.
“Zevran,” Peony repeated, taking the child expertly in hand. She had none of her own, true enough, and there were no infants in and around the tower, but her weekly visits to the orphanage where she continued to volunteer long after Felicity’s departure from the city meant she was constantly exposed to children of all ages. They tended to like her, perhaps for her soft, soothing voice, or perhaps for her gentle manner. Regardless of the reason for it, once she held the child and bounced him ever so slightly, he began to calm, especially once he had clamped a chubby fist around a lock of her hair (she ignored the tug).
“I am certain that is not so,” she added to the assertion that the child preferred others to the company of his father. It could very well be true, of course, but he was making an effort, however inexpertly, and once the child was older, she was certain he would appreciate it. Babies were not generally rational creatures. “Still, I am happy to assist for a brief time, if it will make your shopping slightly less difficult.” In any case, for the moment the child was calm, and she had a bit of time to spare. Besides, the aisle they were in and the slightly harried state of the father implied, to her, that assistance would be helpful indeed, if not necessarily welcome. “Have you begun introducing solid foods yet?” she asked, looking around at the carefully jarred baby food. This child seemed old enough to slowly move away from these.
"Is it time for that?" Rhys felt like he should've been reading books or something. There was the temptation to pick up single mothers, but he wasn't going to turn his child into a tool. At least, not until the boy was old enough to comply with being used in such a fashion. Also, they might believe he wanted to actually make some sort of family since he was a single father. He was happy with what he had for now and wasn't looking to give Zevran a mother just yet. However, the child was finding mother figures left and right. Peony would be a great influence, he thought.
There was also the idea of securing a tether to a person of station. While he felt it wouldn't have much of an advantage for him, he'd know that the child would have a better chance if someone in a position of power was attached to him. If anything happened to him, he wasn't going to allow the child to get thrown into an orphanage, especially after what had just happened. He'd thought about contacting his actual family in order to secure some sort of pick up system.
"I am not ashamed to say I am really bad at this. I've been either really busy or really in pain lately." Time waited for no man, even if he did have really good hair. “Do you have any suggestions or tips?”
“There is no shame in admitting a lack of skill in something,” Peony responded immediately. That this man had found himself caring for this child without much warning seemed fairly obvious from where she was standing, but that he was making an effort, however unskilled, was also clear to see. She could do nothing but commend him.
“I can make some recommendations,” she said, beginning to walk down the aisle slowly, picking up items here and there as she saw things that might be of use. She kept the child on her hip with surprising ease as she did so, though it was clear that the bags she already carried weighed her down somewhat. “Perhaps if you tell me which items you possess and which you appear to lack, this will be most efficient.”
This must have been the first time they'd crossed paths where he wasn't bathing her in attention and attempting to seduce her out of her robes. The realization hadn't been lost on him. Despite his proclivities, he had priorities. He had responsibilities that demanded more than thinking for himself. Where all the women (and men) in his life were fully grown and could take care of themselves (or were wily enough to think up their own solutions), the baby was pretty much helpless.
"Ah, let me think," he said, looking quite like he'd been put on the spot. He'd only come looking for things he thought he'd might need and didn't make a list of things he thought were missing. He made a list of all the things Chloe had brought into the apartment since the baby had arrived, little things that he'd noted due to eye for detail. "Well, it isn't a lot."
“Not to worry,” Peony said. t had not escaped her notice, either, that he was behaving far more naturally with her than he had in the past -- an indicator that the child was better for him than he realized, in her eyes. “We will simply begin here and work our way around.”
This morning, she would take the time -- because life ought to be lived, even in a city besieged by tragedy.