Feral [Ganymedes]

The shop had an incredibly quiet closing hour. May was that one transitory month that caused the greatest turning point in what people wore. He could see it all around as everyone was confused if they still needed their heavier jackets. Shorts were dotting up as they braved a less predictable climate for the day. It wasn’t quite hot but it still wasn’t cold and no one had braved their summer wardrobes yet. Once the heat waves come in all the summer suits will roll under the tailor’s sewing machine, light weight dresses will be in demand, and straw hats (Elias’ favorite) will be picked up with new bursts of colors adorning wardrobes.

Of course the majority of his work will be centered around the Peacekeepers and Victors, but the wealth of the district have a craving for more reasonable fashion and the tailor was quite the resource for those considering some changes to their closet. Elias was happy to feel the time for light colored pants were in order and pulled out a nice pair of copper colored paints to wear with a tan blazer. He liked the strict formality the shop dress code upheld in the winter, but during the warm months it was relaxed as they allow more playful personal styles to come out.

Due to the fact that the shop was a wasteland and his manager wanted to enjoy the fresh warm air, Elias was let out right at closing time. He was incredibly pleased with his luck today and even went to the corner shop for a treat of shaved ice despite it was still before dinner. Now Elias was stealing the chance of stretch his legs and enjoyed a more scenic walk home, lapping right through the heart of town. His home still wasn’t too far off, just a block or two at this point, all depending on which street you turned down. The sun was starting to get low but he did not fret about the light in his eyes. Even if it was shining in his face the warmth and comfort it loaned was too great to pass up.

His shaved ice was dripping out the cone and down his hand. Damn him for not eating quickly enough! Elias pulled a napkin from his pocket and stopped for a second to make sure he got all the drippings off his fingers before they had the chance to reach his watch. There is nothing worse than a sticky—WHAM!

Before he could say ‘taffeta’ Elias found himself flat on his ass. He had no idea what just happened but he definitely had the air punched out of him and a previously enjoyable syrup-based dessert covering him. It took him a moment, but when his wits came back to him he realized he was currently under another man undergoing a terrible bout of mania. Elias was a bit shaken but clearly was not the mess the other was. When done gaping, he grabbed the man by the shoulders to keep him still.

“Sir are you okay?” He said, trying to be loud enough to be heard but not too loud to scare. Now that he was able to get a good view of the man’s face he was able to recognize him. The Corporal O’Rourke was a client of Elias’ shop and someone he knew fairly well in a complete business sense. “Corporal, can you hear me?” Of course he probably couldn’t hear anything in his fit, but Elias grabbed Brody’s face and tried to steady him into make eye contact. He had no idea how to get someone so disconnected from the world to realize where they were, but this seemed to be the best thing he could think of besides giving the Peacekeeper a slap which would probably be far more dangerous thing to do to a trained warrior.

Elias saw a change in Brody’s eyes that wasn’t completely realization but he did seem to return to the real world. At soon as his fit was over he was scrambling off the tailor, a quick motion that scared Elias at first and caused his body to seize up. Now with the Corporal off him Elias could suddenly feel the tenseness between the two, a surprise collision would normally do this. But the degree of distress from Brody and, more surprisingly, Elias was higher than expected. Elias wondered what happened to make the Peacekeeper so unstable.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?"

Elias gaped for a second trying to figure out how to react. He always assumed Brody knew who he was since they see each other quasi-regularly. At least he knew the Peacekeeper well enough, doing his fittings and usually being the one to charge him for the work done. Was it possible he wasn’t recognized just because of the elated state he was in or what Elias truly not someone Brody never thought about? He didn’t want to give thought to that idea.

“Elias, I work at the tailoring shop,” he replied, his voice was as stressed as Brody looked. The tailor slowly came to his feet, holding his hand out in an attempt to not startle the Peacekeeper any more. The cone from his shaved ice tumbled to the ground and he finally realized the entire front of his shirt and pants were wet, damn his sweet tooth. “Sir, are you okay? Do you need help?” If Brody had no idea who Elias is there would be no reason for him to trust the civilian but offering help seemed like a smarter thing to do rather than holding a conversation of who-what-when.

If he had been running from something the best thing would to offer save haven. Elias’ home is not too far off, perhaps the Corporal needed that more than anything. He had no way how to word the question and before he could think of an appropriate wording his mouth already blurted what he was thinking: “Do you need my house?” Elias, the incredibly smooth and tactful man, was nowhere to be seen.

Well, Brody definitely seemed to have completely come down at this point. That’s especially good for Elias since he had no idea how to handle a hysterical Peacekeeper. At that point it would probably put the both of them into danger since a Peacekeeper would be trained to protect themselves and someone who didn’t have a grip on reality would be reckless. Brody was certainly aware enough of his surroundings and in control enough to get to his feet.

Obviously he was still a little skittish. Elias watched him with a tad of worry as he looked about, trying to figure out where he ended up. Brody was evasive for physical contact and the tailor did not push him. He started to lead the Peacekeeper down the street, slowly at first to make sure he was actually following. He was aware that they were now going in the opposite direction Brody was running, but he probably isn’t even aware of directions still.

Regardless, Elias’ little abode was just across the street and a few doors down. It was nothing big or boastful, but he took pride in the care he put into his house. Like with everything else he was meticulous in presentation, so this two story house squashed by a many other copies definitely stood out. The soft blue color, the perennials lining the walk, hydrangeas blossoming right outside the windows. This was definitely not the time to be admiring his own green thumb, so Elias quickly lead his companion up to the door and opened it.

The inside was far less decorated, some would call it bare and sterile. Elias called it clean. The entrance hall just had a small desk with a vase of daisies. The kitchen to the immediate right just had a small breakfast table and two chairs. The next room over was the living room with a coach, a coffee table, a round woven rug, a mostly empty bookcase, and of course the mandatory television. The end of a hall held a thin circular staircase leading upstairs. It was a small house and Elias loved it.

He lead Brody to the couch without the slightest idea of what to really do with him. “Do you want water? Food?” It was later in the day, about five, so Elias was feeling quite peckish. He didn’t know if he had enough of anything for a guest to eat or what Brody would even want to eat. After the ordeal he might not even have an appetite or one so ravenous to eat a feast. If that was the case Elias would need to go grocery shopping to replenish whatever his surprise house guest would eat. That raised the next question on how late Brody would be there. The tailor hoped he would take enough time he needed, but he still had to work tomorrow and felt leaving a dazed and confused Peacekeeper in his house unattended might bring some trouble.

Although Brody rejected the offers, Elias did not feel completely comfortable to just stand in the same room as the Peacekeeper. He couldn’t really tell if it was a breach of privacy or not. He hesitated in the doorway for a moment before deciding to get the water anyways. He took his time and made enough noise so Brody could hear what he was doing. Finding the only few plastic cups he owned, Elias filled two with a little ice and a lot of cold water. Before taking them out he checked to see what he could possibly make for dinner. He had a lot of rice and not a whole lot of much else. He’d have to get creative.

Returning to the living room, Elias found Brody had fallen asleep on the couch. He seemed awfully peaceful but still rather uncomfortable curled up on the couch. Pausing for a moment, Elias considered waking him to offer a bed to sleep in. Figuring that was weird, he placed the cups on the table and picked up a throw pillow. Elias took the time to fluff it and sneak it under Brody’s neck so he didn’t wake up with any kinks. He had a blanket somewhere but couldn’t remember where he had put it once the cold months were over.

Again, hesitating in the doorway, the tailor returned to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. He was not all that hungry anymore but there was no way he was going to fully forgo a meal. He prepared a pot to boil and pulled out some frozen chicken strips he forgot he had. Somewhere he had white pepper oil and some lemons recently bought from the market.

Cooking for Elias was always a meditative experience. He could easily reflect on his day and the stresses he had to endure while flames flashed and oil splashed. It was a far more involved skill for him than sewing where he could just turn off his mind and pass the time. Before he knew it the rice was done and the chicken was perfectly browned and seasoned. He took off the heat and chopped the chicken to manageable slices. Elias had no idea if he should expect the Peacekeeper to wake up and eat at the table or just leave his plate next to the cups.

Oh dear the water! One of those was for Elias. He poked his head in the room with Brody. “You awake? Dinner is ready,” He tentatively called in, unsure of what kind of response he would get.

Brody had just began to stir when there was a knock at the door. Unsure of who could possibly be knocking at this hour, Elias made headway to the front only for the door to open itself to two Peacekeepers. The first of the two sized him up quickly and passed him into the house. The second, a man Elias’ own age, stopped in front of him eyed him just to show he wasn’t afraid of the homeowner. Elias couldn’t help but push his shoulders back and straighten his back.

He could hear the other Peacekeeper make a call from the other room and her partner pushed past the tailor, his shoulder deliberately shoved Elias. With strong curiosity he watched them look over Brody and hoist him up. It took him a moment to clear his head and ask where they were taking him. Without even a glance the three Peacekeepers were gone from his house. Elias was left there, chicken for two and a front door that wouldn’t close properly.

Three days had passed and Elias had no idea what happened to Brody. There was an expectation of polite thanks. A call, a card. Anything that would tell him the Peacekeeper was in sound mind and doing better. Perhaps Brody wasn’t raised in a family were thankfulness was an important trait. No matter, it did not offend Elias. He was worried about the broken and confused man that slept on his couch. Certainly the doctors the Peacekeepers employed were top notch, but a kind soul will always quiver when terrible circumstances meet good people.

He definitely broke about seven rules, but Brody was a client of Elias’. He’s worked on different suits and outfits for the man for the past few years and was always a pleasure to work with. The tailor gave up most of his lunch at work to jump through hoops and make a few promises to get proper access to client files. Everything they had on Brody O’Rourke was right there: his measurements, his colors, past designs (failures and final products). Elias wondered for a moment if he was doing the right thing. At what point does this become stalking?

Hesitantly, he pulled out the information sheet that held all of Brody’s personal information. His orders, how he pays, his ID number from the Peacekeepers. It was all a lot of useless information to someone who just cuts cloth and pulls thread. Thankfully, his address was written out. Dear, his handwriting was atrocious. Elias pulled out his business card and copied the address on the back. He’ll have to make sure he didn’t accidently hand this card to anyone.

That night Elias wasted no time meandering through town. He went straight home and whipped up a casserole in his largest pan and spent the time it took baking in the oven to find anything else he could wrap up. With the card in his hand and a basket of food, Elias started the trail to grandma Brody’s house. It wasn’t too far, he lived in a complex they put all the other fancy ranking Peacekeepers. It was quite the place, the barracks much more sleek and intimidating than Elias’ own townhouse. He asked a few other guards for the correct direction towards the address on the card, they suspected him as a strange man carrying a basket like a weirdo. He played it off and thanked them for their time.

Approaching the door, Elias wiped his brow on his sleeve and tried to stop the churning in his stomach. Reaching up to knock was one of the most nerve-racking things he’s ever done. He paused with his knuckles on the door, considering if he should just back out now. Taking the moment to breathe and straighten his clothes, Elias steeled himself and rapped the door.

Elias wasn’t completely sure if he heard anything on the other side of the door. If he did it was certainly swearing. He hoped he wasn’t a nuisance to Brody. Nothing would be worse than for the Peacekeeper to open the door and cuss him out for just trying to be a good person. Had he crossed some unspoken boundary? It was entirely possible that coming around to his house broke many regulations that he was aware of. There’s also the chance that his arrival could be misconstrued into something else. Did he perhaps think Elias was coming as a suitor after caring for him? All puns aside his decisions finally were placed into a different light and Elias finally understood how Brody might be seeing it.

Just as he was turning to make a break for it he unmistakably heard Brody’s voice coming from the door. It felt like a cold bucket of water was dumped straight down his spine. Elias turned on his heel trying as hard as possibly from keeping his cheeks and ears from turning red in embarrassment as he gave the toothiest smile he could muster.

“Good evening! I wanted to see how you are holding up!” Elias definitely was overly pushing his friendly side but deep down he was panicking and didn’t want the Peacekeeper to pick up on it. He took a quick breath to calm down and finally met Brody’s eyes, his earnestly naturally rose up just then.

Even if he wasn’t good at reading faces he could tell the cocktail of emotions Brody was feeling was nothing compared to his own. Mostly he just looked scared, afraid of what was going to happen between the two. It was late, not unreasonably so for a surprise visit, but it probably was perfectly framing this as a rough-em-up kind of visit.

He sighed through his nose and a truly friendly smile formed. “They broke my door frame but two days later the Private, ah, Cheung came by and paid for the repairs. He was kind enough to remember me from his first fitting. Nice man.” He felt like he was rambling. Elias mentally told himself to focus on the task at hand. This wasn’t a social visit. Well, it was but he was here first and foremost as someone who cared. Peacekeeper Brody has undoubtedly undergone a lot of stress and needlessly keeping him up with chatter wasn’t helpful.

Elias unhooked the basket from his elbow and held it out for Brody to see. He pulled back part of the fabric cover to reveal the tightly packed food, still steaming from the oven. “I had hoped to make sure you are being taken care of. I also had a lot of extra food so I figured I would offer some proper comfort food. ‘Nourishment is the best bandage’ as my mother always says.” He kept rambling on, he knew he was only doing it because of his nerves. But still, being stared at through a crack in the door was doing nothing to calm him. Elias suddenly remembered he was still clutching his business card with Brody’s address on it and tried to crumple it without the Peacekeeper noticing. He’ll have to destroy the evidence quickly and slyly (two things Elias was never good at when he wanted to be).