animatedsmoke | (no subject)

In his many travels over the years, Reinhardt has been to many countries and seen many painful and unforgivable acts. He fashioned himself the hero he had been once, 30 years ago. He still wore his old armor, acted as if he was still a Crusader. Acted like he was not just an older man reliving his glory years because he couldn't let himself let go. Not when there were still so many people he could help.

He travels from place to place with nothing to his name but his armor, his hammer and his honor. He makes his money doing odd jobs or lives off the kindness of others. He keeps what little pocket money he has, not for himself, but for those poor and down trodden that he passes by. Alms for the poor, medicine for the sick, food for the hungry. He does what he can and feels richer for it.

In this town though, in this place, he encounters the most vile and painful sight he has seen to date. His heart goes out to the poor wretch. Not just for his plight. Reinhardt understand. He too is gigantic. He too could be seen as more mountain than man. But he has his armor and the name of the Crusaders behind him still, even in this day in time. This poor boy...

Reinhardt doesn't know what he can do for the young man. For now, he approaches, his last loaf of bread in his hand. He comes to this youth as if he has no fear and holds the bread out to him. "Keep up your strength and keep your hope alive. Justice will find a way to see you free of this."

Potemkin had to consciously look up to the man talking to him, not because he's taller than him, but because it was habit ground into him to keep his neck bent and to always face the ground. Eye contact was never something demanded from him, and the heavy weight of what's around his neck went along with encouraging that anyway. With one's eyes it looks like the man only has solid brutish hunk of metal as a collar, but up close the collar is lined with joints and seems over mechanisms unseen, suggesting the going on of something unsavory.

Potemkin's eyes have to refocus, as if he was snapped out of something else and he needs to check and double-check what he's really seeing. He actually really does, because for a while Potemkin blinks in confusion at why this stranger is giving anything to him, that he's been handed anything from anyone other than whoever remembered to feed him this time. It would have brought to mind approaching a wary animal, except that Potemkin doesn't seem to even have the experience to be truly cautious.

It's heartbreaking to see such a thing. To see a man so skittish of something as simple as eye contact. He tries to keep his face neutral. He knows that pity is not something many like to be faced with, even if he does feel it towards this young man. Pity and the deep desire to right this wrong. To fix this somehow. He just isn't quite sure as to how.

He notes the wariness and just keeps holding the bread out with a small warm smile. "I know it's not much. But you look like you've been working very hard and I thought you might like to take a small break to eat. If I must, I will take over for you while you sit and eat. But it would make me happy if you were to take a break." He pauses and considers. "And tell me who I would see about buying you..." He hates the idea of purchasing anyone, but he has to do this the legal way.

Most of Reinhardt's words go over Potemkin's head, especially the suggestion of helping him out discretely. But Potemkin does start to get the point that the loaf of bread this man is sticking out is meant to be...his. Potemkin reaches out with his hand to take it from Reinhardt's, and in the process shows its enormous size, practically a bulldozer shovel by itself. His fingers go over Reinhardt's hand briefly, before he pulls the loaf back toward him efficiently but not hastily despite the way he had looked at Reinhardt earlier. This situation is already too strange for Potemkin to just brush it from his mind, and it brings up too much of Potemkin's curiosity to want to rush it and make it end sooner.

Potemkin did all of that without saying a word, but now the man just asked him a direct order, which means he has to speak up. Potemkin does so before starting to eat, holding the piece of bread to his chest in the mean time.

"If you want to talk, go to the one who's here at night. The man who always comes to the tavern with a group," Potemkin says like forwarding a message, with no reaction to the contents.

Edited (typo) 2017-08-06 08:04 (UTC)

He just keeps smiling at the man. He isn't afraid of that large hand over his. If anything, it's a bit shocking to see someone who is even larger than he is. He understands how hard it must be for this man. He really want to help such a young man. He steps back to make certain that he's not being threatening. He's had a feeling that the young man has suffered enough.

"I will do that then. I will wait and I will talk to him. I would see you free of this. You have my word of honor as a knight. I will not leave this place until I can see you free of it." He pauses and then adds. "For I am Reinhardt Wilhelm of the Crusaders and my word is my bond. So for now, enjoy the bread and decide what you want to do with your freedom."

Potemkin stared speechlessly in the direction of the old Crusader, long after he had left and daylight started to leave, the meeting time Potemkin had set with his own words approaching.

That time was not spent just in shock (and lunch) however. Reinhardt's parting lines became a question that haunted Potemkin's mind, and occupied his thoughts as he munched on his donated meal on what was the true answer. The curious Knight was like unlike anything else Potemkin had ever experienced, and the more Potemkin thought about it, the more he knew.

When the sun had set, Potemkin had decided to attend himself, in a strike of assertiveness. He has no knowledge on how to politely call someone's attention, so he awkwardly moves until he's close enough for notice for Reinhardt. His collar still hangs active and waiting on his neck, Potemkin having no idea what was the result of the discussion, but he is driven to talk to the man regardless of anything else.

"Sir Wilhelm, if you wish to know what would be my choice, I would want to follow you. I want to see what you see in the world."

Edited (typo) 2017-08-08 05:32 (UTC)

He had seen the large man but he has his business to attend to. He might be old, but he's still a lion. He can still roar with the best of them. He will get this man's freedom, even if he must toil instead of him. He just hopes his name and his clout might at least make things easier. He doesn't wish to have to fight when he can just easily pay everything in his pocket for the man.

He smiles so warmly when the man approaches and speaks to him. He turns from his current conversation towards the taller, younger man. That is a smile only for him. "I agree to this. You will go where you please and do as you will. So if you wish to stay with me, you can. I would enjoy the company. Traveling alone can be a burden. Now, please be patient with me. I will get that collar off you soon."

He lightly claps the man on the back before turning back to the men who had taken Potemkin's freedom. "Now, as I was saying...as you can see, I'm a Crusader. And I wish your laborer. I will pay any price for him."

There is worlds to take from that, and Potemkin wants to pick at and unravel every truth laid within those words (like every thing Reinhardt says to him). But he stops and doesn't allow himself to think further just yet. Potemkin cannot feel happiness at Reinhardt's acceptance, when the deal is not done. Potemkin keeps to just a nod, before stepping back to wait.

"What do you think he's worth?" the leader of the bunch sounds entertained when he asks, along with his entourage that seems to find something about the whole thing funny. "Truthfully we never got around to pricing the ugly oddity that he is. We're the ones to make him useful and wrangle him into contributing something with his life."

No, the deal is not done. But Reinhardt isn't going to give up until he can walk out of this town with the young man. He squares his broad shoulders and stares down at the leader with that single intense eye. "Worth? To you, I would say you think he is worthless. I see how he toils. How you make him slave for you as if he is nothing. I could just take him from you. But I am no thief. And so I will make you this offer." He puts a huge hand into his pocket and pulls out a handful of coins. "You will take this for him and you will let us both walk out of here. You will unlock his collar and you will live to see another day."

He has to keep himself firm. He doesn't like making threats, but he has to keep up his show of strength and power. Sometimes, justice and doing the right thing means making a few threats to bad people. And being willing to go through with them. "So...take it and me and my new squire will be out of this village."

There are no more jokes and taunts coming out from the man now, as if he's coincidentally hit the bottom of them just as Reinhardt said his half. For one brief moment the leader's face puff up as in the very start of gaping, gaping out of shock that someone would actually go to that level of stakes for a slave, before his eyes are drawn to the money. Coins from a crusader would not go ignored by anyone. As the man counts the care about his surroundings lessens, though it seems there was little care given to Potemkin to begin with.

Suddenly he's back, looking up at Reinhardt as if including him in his calculations, which are mostly about how likely he could haggle, but Reinhardt seems not entertained.

He has no more words to say to Reinhardt directly, but as he tries to take the money in his hand and take it away he hushes one of the men standing by to go fetch something. With clumsy heavy steps, like he's confused on what is going on, the carrier walks up to Potemkin's neck with a key. Potemkin said nothing for the exchange, and there is almost no indication he had listened to anything at all, except for how his gaze at Reinhardt remains unbroken.

There was no level that Reinhardt isn't willing to go for this poor young slave. He would fight every single person here if he had to in order to see the other free. But it looks like it's not going to come to that. Instead, his money is taken. It's a lot. He knows he's going to struggle for a little to take care of the both of them, but no price could be put on freedom.

Reinhardt lets the money be taken and waits patiently for the moment the key unlocks the collar from the larger man. "Thank you." he states, almost coldly. It's not weakness to thank someone. Not when it means everyone gets to live a little while longer. He turns his back to the man in charge to focus fully on Potempkin.

"Let's go. There is a whole wide world out there." He wants to get out of there quickly. Before those men decided to try and jump him to see what other sort of money he might have. And while he doesn't want to push this man around like he's still a slave, he has to keep up some sort of act at least until they got out of town.

He reaches to snag the man's ragged clothing. "Come on." He will drag the larger man away if he has to. And then he'll have to really think about how to continue on. He's going to have to find a way to feed this man and get him some better clothing if he chooses to stay with him.

Potemkin's response to the collar being removed is not a thanks or good bye, but the overwhelming reaction to how the thing around his neck is gone. He doesn't feel it anymore, the constant pressure that was light enough to get used to but not truly ignore, never interfering but always reminding him of what he is. Who he is.

He would have spent moments devoted to savoring this feeling alone, if Reinhardt didn't already start pulling him, directing him to move his feet. Potemkin gives no resistance, and to Reinhardt's arm the massive man feels indistinguishable from a light weight.

The villagers almost can't be blamed for Potemkin being in rags, because finding clothes that can fit him is a hard task and a hefty effort even for people who would actually have his best interests in mind. The challenge faces both of them soon since Potemkin hardly has a catalogue to choose from, but the thoughts of how to practically live out his dream are far from his mind.

Because of how immediate the need is, the next stop was chosen for closeness and speed. With a remote starting point, a beeline to the nearest city didn't take them exactly to a bustling metropolis, but it's a town with selection of stores and plenty of places to find people who know their craft. Food is an obvious thing to replenish, but as for another item, the opportunity is in the shopping section along a street of boutiques.

Reinhardt tries to be warm and kind to the young man along the way. He knows that this must all be very overwhelming for him. He knows this young man must have gone through a lot and he doesn't want him to think that this is just more of the same, but with no collar. So as they make for the closes town, he tries to make conversation, just filling the empty air with his deep and resonating voice. He is just trying to make now former slave more comfortable with him. So he tells tales of his travels. Where he has been. What he has seen. What Potemkin has to look forward to. It's sounds more like a series of misadventures. An old knight that refuses to believe that his time has come and gone and jumps in where he doesn't belong to help the helpless, even at the cost of his own health. But it fills the time with that story telling.

At least until they can make it into the town. He doesn't have much left after buying the young man, but he still will rent a room for them. So that Potemkin can have a hot bath and a hot meal when they get back and the rest of his meager coins will go to for clothing that isn't rags.

"Potemkin, you know that anything you don't want or like, you can tell me no. You are a free man now and you can refuse anything you don't like. That said, I really think you need new clothing for your new life." He'll then lead into the shop where men's cloths are and head straight to where the tailor is. He knows without a doubt that this large youngster is going to be like him, needing custom clothing.

The entire way Potemkin never spoke up or questioned during any of the stories, out of either extreme politeness or timidness that masqueraded as such. It spoke to Reinhardt's patience and desire to reach the man no one else in the world had bothered to acknowledge that he continued, despite Potemkin having the reactiveness of a large rock. Still, a rock can be a pleasant listener, and this time you could believe it was going to someone paying attention.

Potemkin strictly followed Reinhardt on the way to the shop as if on a leash, but the experience of simply being in another place than the one he was born already was indulgent to Potemkin. Potemkin was constantly turning his head to look at a different direction or a new angle, because each one greeted him with more new things. He saw everything like it was new and strange, even though Potemkin made for a rare sight himself. Inevitably some passerby paid attention to the pair, especially since Potemkin was still in torn clothes he came with, but for now Potemkin was too entranced to notice other people still. When self-consciousness starts to return to him Potemkin will feel shyness, but his total focus motivated by curiosity was enough to overcome that.

Stepping foot in the store, Potemkin's listening is well practiced, but it may be a very long time before what Reinhardt describes is not awkward to him.

"I... do not disagree with that," Potemkin starts off.

Reinhardt grins warmly when Potemkin agrees with him. It makes his aged face lighten up even more. He carefully puts a huge hand on the man's back to give him a little support while he has to deal with this new place with so many choices before him.

"Good. We'll do this then. I'll have the shop keep bring out different styles for you. Once you pick which ones you like, we'll have the tailor get your measurements so we can get them customed to your sizing." As he speaks, he just lightly strokes the younger man's back to try and convey safety and calm.

"So, will you be all right if I collect some things for you to look at and try? You'll be alone for a little bit. But I promise I'll be just a call away."

Potemkin is having a hard time focusing on what Reinhardt is actually saying compared to all the attention that's being drawn to home in on the hand on his back. Although Reinhardt lightly handles him like a puppy, Potemkin's back is in actuality massive, with Reinhardt's hand passing over a crest of muscle in particular. But it turns out to be appropriate how gentle Reinhardt is going about this, with how sensitive Potemkin seems to be to Reinhardt's touch. Potemkin is surprised at himself, because he feels his body shivering.

When Reinhardt asks him something, Potemkin has to remember to respond. He gives a firm nod. "Yes. I can stay here."

He doesn't know what he is doing to the young man in that gentle touch. All Reinhardt knows is that Potemkin has not had kindness in a very long time. The poor man has known only hardness and suffering. The knight had made it a point to make certain that at least one person could show some human decency and handle Potemkin with tender care.

Tender care and warm smiles. "Sehr Gut. I'll be right back. Remember, I'm still here. And I'll come to you the second you call for me. You aren't alone. I'm not abandoning you here. And I won't let anyone hurt you." It's his promise. He will fight to ensure that the former Slave knows he is safe and cared for.

That said, he reaches out and gives one huge shoulder a soft squeeze before he's walking off into the displays of clothing to pick up this and that. He knows what works with large men and what doesn't and a part of him is a little embarrassed that he keeps getting drawn towards the things that would showcase the larger man's body and strength. He has to remind himself that Potemkin is his squire, not some bawdy trollop.

He gathers up a mountain of items that he hopes will fit, even remotely, and keeps an ear out for the young man. And because he doesn't want him to stand there out of place, he tries to get Potemkin in on this. "What's your favorite color? How do you feel about deer skin? Do you get really cold easily?" And so on.

With the size of the muscle on it Potemkin's shoulder doesn't give much to Reinhardt's squeeze, but he feels it long after Reinhardt stopped touching him. Potemkin regrets losing that touch, for what turns out to be completely different reasons than what Reinhardt was preparing for, but he's already turned away to look at the items. Even Potemkin has difficulty looking around his frame at what he's going, so he stops trying to peek at the actual clothes early on.

Instead he faces a barrage of questions. Compared to how talkative he usually is this is practically like if Potemkin was a new star rocketed to fame and dragged into an interview, so keeping up with Reinhardt leads to a lot of "Uh, alright," and "I think so?" He doesn't have enough background to be able to find if he really has a preference between a square cut or a tapered one, or decide if he truly could go without a coat liner, so after a certain point Potemkin makes a softly voiced interjection.

"Sir, I think all of these are pretty."

He supposes this is a lot for the younger man to take in. Potemkin likely has never gotten to have choices and opinions before. And here, Reinhardt is asking him to make so many, left right and center. He wants to engage the large man. He doesn't want to be just another in a long line of me that did whatever they pleased to him. So even dressing him is something he wants Potempin to feel he has the freedom of.

He keeps going until he hears the man's voice. Unlike those former owners, he won't punish Potemkin for speaking out. He'll quiet and then smile brilliantly, the grin lighting up his whole face with pride. Already speaking out and being bold! He approves.

"All of them. Well then, you have good tastes. But right now I can't afford to get you all of them. How about you try them all on and I'll get you two or three that you like most." More than that is too much since his is a life of travel.

"How about blue?" He comes over to hold a shirt up to the man's body. It's the largest they have in stock and Reinhardt is already aware that the lacing that ties the front shut will have to stay wide open. And if it matches the color of Reinhardt's single eye, that's just a coincidence. Reinhardt just likes blue.

"And some trousers. And we'll go to a cobbler for new shoes." He reaches up a little to lightly brush some of the man's hair with his fingers. Potemkin really does need a bath. Soon. After this. "I can also give you a trim if you'd like. Just say the word. I want my squire to be happy."

One act of boldness seems to hold out to a pattern, because Potemkin looks straight into Reinhardt's eye, managing to keep eye contact even though the greatest challenge to being steady is that he's shivering again. Or there is at least something that's causing to his whole world to wobble, affecting his concentration despite everything that's going on being very simple. Separately from his gaze, Potemkin's head cooperates with every stroke Reinhardt makes with his hand. He's not threatened by Reinhardt's contact, having already treating him with familiarity. It's the type of hair that would have grown out straight and stiff, if it wasn't weighed down by its length.

"Hmmm, it's not bothering me," Potemkin thinking if his hair ever got in his eyes. It's the only thing that comes to mind for why Reinhardt would ask. Potemkin takes the first shirt from his hands, looking it over in his hands briefly while "Blue is fine too," passes from him. He turns, looking for a polite place to change.

The older man smiles warmer. He really is proud of the young man. In such a short time, he's able to meet his eye. He gives a nod. "If that is your decision." He won't insist. He'll let his squire make his own decisions as much as possible.

Reinhardt then points to a small changing room. "It's over there. Just step inside and try them. If you need help, you can call me." He doesn't think the younger will. That and it would be very difficult to fit one huge man in that tiny changing room, two would be way too tight. But if the younger man needs him, he will be there. That's his promise.

"When you're done, if you feel up to it, I'd like to see it myself. Come out so I can see how you look."

Potemkin turned behind him one last time, before ducking into the changing stall. Potemkin doesn't have a lot of need for changing because he didn't have much of anything to take off, and it's so cumbersome it warrants questioning if it was really worth it. But it just felt rude to put on a shirt in the middle of the tailor's store.

Potemkin did develop ways and methods of getting around with the body he's always had, and it's thanks to a few of those that he achieves putting something over his head while crouching. Miraculously it does fit over his shoulders. Potemkin is so surprised, he's still patting down front when he steps out.

He's so fixated on the facts like that, he doesn't think of what he looks like. Just from one new item Potemkin already looks like another man from the meek slave Reinhardt picked up from the side of the street. The collar opening is made completely square from being pulled from shoulder to shoulder, but the rest of the shirt's tightness gives him a much needed neatness.

Edited (missing verb) 2017-10-29 07:38 (UTC)

Reinhardt hadn't really expected much, if he was being honest. Not because it isn't certain that Potemkin could pull an outfit off. No. He had doubted anything would fit the poor man. He was prepared to have everything tailored. But then the young man steps from the changing room and Reinhardt's jaw drops.

The shoddy slave he had plucked from chains was indeed very handsome. That shirt looks wonderful on him. Reinhardt forgets to speak for a long moment, just letting his single eye travel over the taunt pull of shoulders and the daring bit of flesh he sees in the opening of the shirt collar. It takes a moment for him to realize that he is oogling the man. And when he does, he mentally kicks himself. He hadn't freed Potemkin for that. The younger deserves better than to be quietly mentally undressed by one old and lonely knight.

He swallows a lump in his throat and comes over to smile up at the man. It's still strange, looking upwards at someone. He sort of likes it. "That looks very good on you. I know your sizing now. So if you like this style, I will get you three, in whatever colors you wish. Now all we have to worry about is breeches." Breeches and Reinhardt's ability to control himself!

Potemkin is practically a living spotlight for Reinhardt for how much he's looking down to watch his every move. He tries to stay withdrawn and reactive to only Reinhardt's questions, because it seems like the only way he could express all the respect Reinhardt deserved, yet his face shows a happiness barely concealed. The man who Potemkin sees as exceptional and incomparable anything else in his life staring at him is impossible to ignore for Potemkin. He doesn't have any idea however of the effect he has from his looks and some cleavage. Potemkin can simply tell that there was some kind of unmistakable attention pulled from Reinhardt.

"Mmmmmh, thank you Sir." Potemkin stays by Reinhardt, not turning back again into the changing room and instead choosing to keep the shirt on. If it's already as good as sold, it's better to browse the rest of the store this way than change back pointlessly into rags.