"Wonderful," Will says in his tired, dead tone. His eyes droop. He must've not slept well last night. Odd. He doesn't recall any nightmares, nor any pain keeping him up. He shoots Kazimir a quick side-eye. Did the Snake drug him? It must have been the tea. So lost in his internal questioning, Will hardly even notices when they arrive at the door to the Palace Tailor.
Kaz opened the door to the tailor's rooms, who looked up when the doors opened. "Oh! Ah, good morning, your majesty." the man said, standing and bowing quickly. "How may I serve you today?" his gaze moved from Kaz to Will and back again, quick and nervous. He was of average height, and slim, with long, thin fingers and a rather anxious demeanor.
(sorry I've been kind of spotty! It's finals week a;kdsjf)
"It's for me." Will gestures to himself with the hand not trapped in Kaz's grip. He barely gives the tailor a once-over. He's by no means memorable. Rather plain for somebody living in such a grand castle. "Somebody kidnapped me and wasn't kind enough to let me go back home to retrieve my things," he continues in a deadpan, punctuated by a yawn. Really, how much did he sleep the night before? He can't recall any sort of disturbances. No, he slept well through the night. Didn't he? "I prefer green." His eyes fleet over some of the fabric stocked in the shelves.
(it's fine!! good luck with your finals ajbkgjdbhf)
The tailor nodded a little bit. "I see. Ah, come stand here, would you?" he gestured to a small, raised area. "So I can get your measurements." Kaz let go of Will so that the human could do as the tailor asked. The tailor had dark hair that flopped into his eyes, and his eyes were a warm golden tone. He wasn't ugly, but he was not stunningly handsome, either. A face that was attractive, but unremarkable. "And, what sort of style are you looking to have?" he asked as he got his tape measure.
(aksdl thanks! i finished my last ones up today! got 100%s on all of them except algebra 2 (106%) and biology (86%))
Will does as he's told, joining the tailor in the center of the room. He feels oddly exposed with Kazimir's gaze on his back. "I don't really care all too much," Will says softly. "Just something simple. Nothing with jewels or gold or… whatever." His green eyes watch the tailor as he fetches the tape measure.
(nice!!)
The tailor hummed faintly, carefully taking Will's measurements. He shifted the young man's body about just a little bit, lifting his arms or tapping his legs apart a bit, though none of his touches were in any way inappropriate. "I see, I see. Any colors in specific?" he asked, writing down each measurement as he took it.
"Green," William answers without skipping a beat. "But dark green. Not…" He gestures to the heaping pile of neon green fabric. "Subtle colors. Simple designs." He hopes the request isn't too odd considering the Fae's complex and colorful architecture.
The tailor considered that for a moment. "Less saturated colors, perhaps?" he suggested. "More like emeralds than grass?" he pulled out a small booklet of medium to dark green color swatches, holding it out to William. "These are all labeled, could you give a few suggestions of ones that you like better? That way I can color match so that your wardrobe is made up of similar tones." he finished taking Will's measurements, and pulled out a few more color booklets. "You can look through some of these, as well, and tell me which tones you like best."
(I'm probably going to be spotty over the next couple days bc I am on vacation (currently typing this in line for a roller coaster right now akdjks) so please forgive me 😫🙏 I'll be back to normalish on the 8th but I have online classes starting the 12th and then a couple different camps sprinkled through June and July and August. I got a busy summer my guy. I'll try my hardest to stay up to date and active but I can only do so much I'm sorry man)
Will stares at the color swatches with a hint of boredom on his face. Back home, his mother would make him clothes from what fabric she recycled or bought from a bargain bin. He never asked for much, he never complained with what he had. Being treated like near royalty here (excluding being dragged a mile through the forest) is nothing short of a shock. "These ones," Will eventually decides on, showing the tailor a dull grass green, a very dark shade of forest green and a subtle green that could be mistaken for beige. As he goes to hand back the booklets, one last color catches his eye. It's emerald, bold and saturated. "Maybe that one." He adds quietly.
(it's fine!! I don't mind the wait :) have fun on your vacation!)
The tailor took in the four colors, nodding a little bit. "Is it safe for me to assume you are alright with a few accent tones as well? Blacks, whites, creams, that sort of thing? Or would you prefer I stay to only monochrome green for every piece and stitch that I create?" he wrote down the colors that William had chosen, and then moved over to another area of the room, where he had some mannequins with clothing, along with some other clothes. "And, if you would like, would you mind coming over here to point out the styles that you prefer?"
"No, uh, accent colors are just fine," Will says quickly. He may love the color green, but even he knows when it becomes too much. His eyes sweep the messy room. Spools of fabric line long shelves stacking up towards the ceiling. Mannequins pose in the center of the area donning multiple styles of clothing. Will had seen a few similar shirts in Kaz's closet. They must be the height of current Fae fashion. The tailor moving snaps Wills attention back to him. Slowly, as if one wrong step would send him catapulting through the large window, Will makes his way towards the mannequins.
Some wear complex ruffles, others adorn jewels and lace. The simpler ones lay towards the back on less eloquently posed figures. Will's hand reaches out, fingers brushing over simple high-necked shirts with flared sleeves and slim and subtle trousers. "These ones," Will notes quietly.
The tailor tipped his head faintly. "Nothing more dramatic?" he asked. "These are…forgive me, but these are more peasant style garments. If you are his majesty's, ah, concubine, surely you would like something to denote your status?" he glanced from Will to Kaz, seeming a bit worried about all of this.
Kaz cleared his throat. "His status will be denoted in other ways, if he chooses to wear plain clothing. Though, William, I would suggest choosing at least one sort of flashier style." his gaze flicked to the tailor. "If he does not, please ensure that he has at least two sets of clothing suitable for court appearances, banquets, and balls."
The tailor bowed quickly to Kaz, writing down more things in his little notebook. "Of course, your majesty." he looked to William, giving the human another quick, faintly nervous smile.
Almost like a child presented with a plate of vegetables, William's nose turns up at the thought of anything flashier. The expensive fabrics are already nearly too much for Will to handle, he doesn't know what he'd do if he would have to cram his body into one of the gaudy suits bedazzled with gems and gold. He's about to bite at the tailor, but then Kazimir steps in, making the decision for him. Will's eyes narrow. The tailor's anxious demeanor does nothing to lighten the atmosphere.
"No," Will says, his voice quiet yet firm. "Just the things I ordered will do." He shoots a glare in Kazimir's direction, then one towards the tailor. Will knows it's really not the time to be stubborn, but he's tired, he's in an unfamiliar place, he's back with his loathsome lover that constantly finds him in one way or another. William fully believes he has the right to be stubborn.
Kaz exhaled sharply. "William." he said, then looked to the tailor. "Please just ensure he has something suitable for court. At least two outfits." he repeated, ignoring William's words. And the tailor would listen to Kaz; of course he would. Kaz was his employer, and the emperor, and renowned for punishing those who did not follow his orders. So the tailor would make Will some more court suitable lothing, alongside the clothing Will had requested.
"No, I'm not going to walk around looking like someone that rolled out of goldmine covered in syrup," Will bites, shooting a glare towards Kazimir. "You're not going to catch me dead in something like that." He points to the mannequin closest to the door adorned in a near blinding golden blouse with diamond studs. "It's a migraine embroidered into fashion. I'd much rather wear something sensible, thank you."
"It is not going to look like that, don't be ridiculous, darling." he replied, shaking his head at William. "It will be lovely and sumptuous, without being gaudy." he took a few steps toward the Martyr. "It may be something like what I am wearing now, if you are comfortable showing this much skin." the shirt Kazimir wore draped at his shoulders, with a deep neckline that went past his chest. It looked vrey good on him.
(spotify playlist 👀 feel free to add whatever you want a;sldk)
(Kaz: for the love of god please just pick a fancy outfit
Will, folding his arms and sitting on the floor: i'd rather die)
A mix of a sneer and snarl forms on Will's face. No matter the reassurances that it won't be… that, Will cannot fathom the power to agree. Damn it, it all feels too soon, too quick, too much. He was dragged here - against his will - twelve hours ago and he's still on edge and he's still not completely convinced that Kazimir didn't poison him at breakfast. Call him a stubborn bastard, but Will's not folding. His eyes barely flick up and down Kazimir's figure. "No. I don't want that either. I just want the clothing I asked for. If I'm going to embarrass you so much in front of your colleagues then you can just leave me in the room."
(:D i have. added some)
(aksfdhbdjsbfhg)
Kaz rolled his eyes. "My colleagues, darling?" he snorted. "Dearest William, they are my subjects. Not my colleagues." he sounded vaguely disgusted at the idea. "But you must have good clothing for court. That is a requirement, my little martyr. This is not the hill to die on."
(ayyyy very good song choices a;skldj)
Will can't help but to roll his eyes. "Please, you all are the same to me." Kaz's tone feels completely and utterly condescending and Will would very much like to bury himself deep into the earth at the moment. "This clothing is perfectly alright, I don't see the reason why I need something fancy. If you're so embarrassed to be seen around me, then just go ahead and leave me in the library or something." Kaz may believe this is not a hill for Will to die on, but he'll do whatever the hell he pleases. And if that wish is to be as stubborn as humanly possible, so be it.
(:D thanks)
Kaz sighed. "Fine, then. The tailor has free reign to choose whatever style he wishes, then, and whatever he chooses is what you shall have to wear in court. If you refuse to choose for yourself, then that is fine; the choice can be made for you." he looked over to the tailor, who nodded quickly.
"Of…of course, your majesty." he said quickly.
Will's eyes narrow in the Fae's direction. "Lovely to see you're already undermining my own opinion and will, Snake." He bites the last word as if it's made of venom. He's considerably shorter than the other man, which is infuriating, so Will straightens his spine to glare into Kazimir's scarlet eyes.
Kaz sighed. "As I already stated: this is not your hill to die on, my sweet Martyr." he replied, mouth quirking for just a moment. He seemed totally unconcerned about Will's anger or fury, and totally unconcerned about all of it, really. "They are only clothing, and you have refused to have an opinion."
"I have an opinion, idiot," Will hisses. In all honesty, he should not be getting this worked up about a topic as simple as clothing. If it was his mother who suggested the formal wear, hell even his unfashionable and disastrous father, Will wouldn't hesitate to accept, no matter how unhappy it made him. But here, with the Snake, all Will wants to do is get his way, no matter the price. If he's been thrusted into this new life, he's going to live it the way he wants. "If you're going to force me into something I don't wish to wear, you're going to have to deal with my resistance."
Kaz rolled his eyes. "And your resistance will be dealt with, darling." he said, voice the exasperated tone you might expect of a parent far too used to their child's antics. "If that is the way you wish to live this time, then that is how you can live. I will not stop you from causing fights every step of the way, though it is highly annoying and inconvenient." he kept his gaze resting levelly on WIll.
(i'm so sorry about that wait! i was just swamped with so much stuff :(( hopefully i can be a little more active!)
Will sneers and rolls his eyes, choosing to turn away from Kaz. He drops the conversation. He won't win this one. As painful as it is to admit, the argument isn't going anywhere and all Kaz will do in retaliation is belittle and mock. However, if the Snake ever tries to put Will in a fancy outfit to parade around his ballroom like a piece of arm candy, Will won't hesitate to fight back. "I'm going to burn this place to the ground," Will mutters, just under his breath. Fancy curtains should be flammable, yes?
(it's alright!!)
Kaz caught the muttered words, but didn't say anything in response. He simply shot the tailor a quick, faint nod, then reached out to pull lightly on Will's arm. "Come on, then. We shall leave the tailor to his work." he said, voice almost deceptively calm as he spoke. He wasn't angry, wasn't shouting. Didn't even seem annoyed.
Will huffs as Kaz pulls him along. The nonchalant calmness of his demeanor is slightly infuriating. Will grates his teeth together, keeping his eyes firmly to the side. Of course, just like in every life, Will's being tormented by Fate. She's a cruel muse. God, what Will would give to finally have a little peace in his life. Or, an end to his seemingly never ending life. Where are you taking me now? He wants to ask, but his stubborn nature keeps him quiet.
Kaz was silent, leading Will along. Out of the tailor's room and down the side hallway, still quiet. He eventually paused, turning to look over at Will and study him. "Your clothes should be ready by the end of the day." he said. "In the meantime, I have duties to take care of, and I will show you a few places in the palace."
Will doesn't reply, but a hopeful buzz jolts his heart. Is he finally going to get some alone time? Judging from what he's seen out the enormous windows, the gardens are breathtaking. There has to be some new species Will can add to his sketchbook. Maybe there'll be a willow tree. Those have always been Will's favorites. He keeps his gaze locked on the floor, only really looking up when he sees the tile pattern change.
Kaz led Will through the halls, purposefully taking the most wandering, convoluted route possible. He didn't want Will to have a good sense for the palace's layout; he wanted the young man to be as confused about the layout as possible, since it owuld make running away even more difficult for him to pull off in the future.