milliways_bar | (no subject)

Given the formality involved in going to an opera, Faith opts for the tie and tails, and if the tailor is left with the impression that Faith is Arithon's date for the event, well, she's not going to complicate things by correcting him.

Which comes to the next fun part of the outing.

Watching the tailor's eyes widen at the sight of all that cash, nicely worn bills, being carefully counted out by someone with limited understanding of American currency.

Funny how all of the confused looks at Arithon's scars stop when the money shows up, isn't it?

Faith pays very close attention - making sure Arithon doesn't overpay the tailor - and tries hard not to laugh at the tailor's reaction.

When the affair is concluded, with an appointment made to return for a final fitting and the offer of accompanying undergarments firmly but politely refused, Faith leads Arithon out of the shop with the air of one about to spring a lovely surprise. "There's something I wanna show you before we go."

He allows himself to be led, looking at her with wide eyes,

"More things? Ath, Jiask, what a world I have already seen."

Faith grins. "Just...trust me. You do trust me, right?"

"With my life, my dignity, and my very sanity."

He could be teasing. But he isn't.

Faith beams at him.

And leads him, as she led the Serenity crew, straight to Central Park.

Green eyes widen with pleasure, and it takes an act of will to keep from digging his fingers into the dirt or taking his shoes off to walk barefoot on the grass.

"How do you keep it green in the midst of all the stone?"

"I...have no idea, actually. Except that it involves a lot of work."

Faith shrugs. "I thought you'd like to see it."

"Yes."

He turns to glance back at her,

"I am fond of growing things. Almost as much as of the ocean. Thank you."

Faith smiles.

"I can show you that, too, on the way back, if you like. Manhattan is an island."

"Please."

He says it politely enough, but with a hunger that bleeds through his pores.

"It has been years since I even saw an ocean...I miss it."

Faith grins. "I can do that, then. There's lakes and stuff in the park here, too...and a zoo. Animals."

He doesn't flash money in Central Park. He's from an underpopulated world, not lacking in survival skills,

"Please? I would like to see...not all of it, but much of it. If not now than at some other time."

"'Course."

Faith grins. "Zoo's that way," she says, and points.

He turns, and then heads that way.

"Zoos hold animals, yes?"

Faith nods. "Yes. This one has a petting zoo, too, so you can touch some of them...and an aviary for the birds, they'll land on you and you can feed them."

"How strange."

He blinks up at her, lips quirked,

"We don't have anything like that at home either."

Which statement probably gets odd looks from passersby.

Oh please. This is New York City. There's a guy who walks around wearing nothing but artfully arranged Saran Wrap. Arithon's nothing that special.

"I'm sure there's a lot you don't have at home. Wait until you see the pandas."

"Panda?"

Point. He looks at the animals with wonder tinged with pain.

Wonder because he's never seen most of these things.

Pain because on his world things run free.

"Panda."

Red panda, actually, the Central Park zoo doesn't have the regular kind.

"It is beautiful."

He ignores the signs saying "don't put hand over railing" and does so. The panda doesn't come close, but the prince can't resist the motion.

"They're an endangered species...that means they're on the verge of dying out completely, due to hunters and deforestation and stuff," Faith says. "A lot of the animals in zoos here are."

"Sithaer."

He looks at her, the pain worse,

"This is why the Fellowship had to limit human development, you know. On Paravia, which is the only continent the Paravians would allow us to settle on."

"I think China used to have laws about that, but they don't anymore? I don't know." Faith shrugs. "People are stupid."