Annorlunda Cat's out of the bag

after closing hours @ariadne @onni
Outfit

---

"Onni! Can you come upstairs super quick," Katya called from the top of the stairs, hand leaning on the railing. She cupped an ear to hear for any type of response in the form of shuffling or a voice before hurrying away, low-key freaking the fuck out as the first phase of her and Ariadne's plan was underway.

Skedaddling back into the sewing room with slightly flailing hands, she managed a, "Okay, okay. I think he's coming." Taking big breaths, she went to rejoin her partner-in-crime, their gifts for him neatly wrapped in purple and green boxes on the nearest work table. "You wanna lead the speech when he busts in?"

HAD THEY EVEN PLANNED A FUCKING SPEECH??!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Outfit

---

Ari would be putting the cufflinks onto the suit and readjusting them a few times as she bit her lip while Katya called for Onni. Oh boy was this going to be good and slightly terrifying since they were gifting him this just because. What would his reaction be? Really she hoped and prayed it was going to go well.

When she returned though, her mouth went dry, "Speach? Oh uhm... alright sure, I can do that. I also have a handkerchief at the ready for him, " she told her as she'd pull out the silken square from a table and showed it to her. Now they just needed the man of the hour- OH first, she pulled a cover over his new suit so that he wouldn't see it before they were ready.

outfit

---

Onni was finishing up closing tasks, cleaning up dressing rooms, counting the till, that sort of stuff when Katya called down to him. There was urgency in her voice that worried him. After the incident with the shifter he couldn't help but be more alert around the store. Surely nothing could have happened considering all the customers were gone. Still he felt some trepidation as he called back to say he was coming.

One last sweep just to make sure everything was in order before he climbed the stairs to the sewing room. Hoping that one of the machines had just jammed. Or maybe Katya just had a question about some fabric. He preferred to think on the brighter possibilities.

He was a bit surprised to find Ariadne in the room as well with some odd boxes, that he knew didn't belong.

"What did you need?"

He said with curious bemusement.

Handkerchief. Fancy. Felt right, given what they were presenting. Katya grinned stressfully at Ariadne's answer, at how she just barely managed to cover the finished suit when Onni's footsteps rounded to just outside the door. Fucking were hearing.

She swung her head back as he entered, looking vividly confused.

"We had something we wanted to talk to you about!" Katya replied positively, uncharacteristically clasping her hands together as she glanced back to Ariadne. Hint hint.

Ariadne was not ready to be the one giving any sort of speech, she just wasn't prepared and so she was pulling out her happy talk from her backside right now because CRAP. This had been something Katya and herself had worked on for weeks and really, it had been great and she loved the bonding time with the other woman but now it was the moment of truth to see if their combined work would be liked.

A smile was on her face at that, "Yes...well, this is something Katya and myself had been working on for some time for you actually, " she told him first, a little smile on her face as she would play with the handkerchief that was in her hands for a moment, nervous habit really.

"Well, we wanted to show our appreciation for you as our boss. For how considerate and kind you are and how understanding you are. From letting us have a dress or outfit to making sure we take care of ourselves; you've been a dream boss and friend so as a way we wanted to thank you, we collaborated together to make something just for you, " she told him with a smile as she looked to Katya and then motioned to the cover over the suit. She could do the unveiling of this beautiful piece.

He looked between the two of them in the few seconds of silence after Katya's words before Ariadne started talking. The air in the room felt jittery and nervous but not so much in a bad way. Then Ari began, with stumbles that made the speech feel less practiced and more improvised on the spot. It was genuine in its clumsy but firm way.

With the way the business had turned out Onni had actually been worried, nervous, and a bit guilty. His image had always been a quaint little store with a warm but soft atmosphere. And yet they were busier then he had ever thought, the masquerade had really kicked things off. While the cloths were popular there prices didn't mean they sold a hefty amount everyday, something he had known going in, but the bakery had really skyrocketed with business. Regulars were coming in the morning for breakfast, and they were usually almost packed during tea time. He had taken it in with as much stride as possible, yet he felt like it was making things more distant between him and Ari, Nicole, Katya, and Ashley.

So there was a some guilt at Ari's words but also warmth that pooled in his stomach and lite his face with a smile.

"Im so happy to just have you guys working with me. I would have never been able keep Annorlunda going without all of your help. Katya you've grown leaps and bounds with sewing and Ari you're jewelry deserves a shop of its own."

Yeah. Ariadne was way better at expressing gratitude than Katya, and she trailblazed through the speech like a pro for the both of them. Then the words were returned by Onni, and naw, shit, they were sweet. Katya pouted to them, and then seconded his compliment for Ariadne. "For real dude," she nodded to her. "As long as it doesn't mean you're gonna leave us." She winked poorly at her co-worker, grinning crookedly at the same time.

Reaching for the cloth over the suit, she tugged it lightly in the direction of Onni. "You wanna pull this down for us?" she asked him.

---

suit is forest green/purple, looks something like the left one, plus coattails

Ariadne gave a smile and nodded and pointed to Katya with that, "Yea, don't be leaving us, alright? " she told him with a playful tone at that. She couldn't imagine leaving this place now, or him leaving. Without this shop and the people here that she had befriended, she most likely would have let the world swallow her whole and she probably wouldn't have made it past the new year.

An encouraging nod would leave her, "Come on, " she told him encouragingly.

---

Cufflinks on the sleeves are made from this lovely stone(with initials engraved and filled with silver to make it stand out) and then the buttons are his birthstone polished and carved.

It was a sweet moment between all of them. He hadn't noticed how close Ari and Katya had gotten but it was pretty clear here. And he was glad for it. Part of him had worried about hiring people, concerned about in fighting. But now he was sure that wouldn't happen.

Egged on by them both he approached the box and lightly lifted the cloth up with a thumb and fore finger, unsure what the present could be. A card? But it was too big for that. The suit that was revealed made since, Katya sewed and Ari made jewelry. It made logical sense and yet his throat tightened up at the sight of it.

Quietly he reached inside and pulled the suit jacket up, marveling in the feeling of the fabric under his skin. A twinkle of reflected light caught his attention and he turned the sleeve to see the cufflink with his initials. The tightness in his throat gained momentum and warmth pooled in his eyes. And he couldn't stop the first tears as they dripped down his face. For a moment the room felt distant, as if it was some other place he didn't inhabit. Instead he was enveloped in the a subtle pine and holy scent and a feminine voice hummed in his mind.

He remembered how his mother's hands had trembled holding the needle, how each stitch had taken more energy then she had. How the fabric had draped over the hospital bed outlining the thinness of her body. And he remembered packing up the half finished jacket along with the rest of her belongings, his last present from his mother even as wore the suit from her funeral.

His cheeks itched from the tears rolling down them and he could barely force the words out.

"Its beautiful."

And he meant it.

Katya loved seeing her own work of art fold open. Like, there was just something else about witnessing the fabric unravel in his hands, how it hung and how it looked there. In that moment, Katya was pretty fucking proud of both herself and Ariadne. This was a next-level collaborative effort and despite any hiccups along the way, they'd managed it.

She only looked at Onni's face when she realised he was lingering. And then when she looked at him, she noticed--was that a tear?

Shit.

Pride drained from her face lightly. "Just like you," Katya reassured smoothly, daring to wrap him in a hug from the side while her eyeballs darted pointedly between Ariadne and the handkerchief. HELP.

Ariadne watched him, biting at her inner cheek as he unwrapped their present to him and he took it all in. She felt herself puffing with pride as he looked over her contribution to the suit, to her it didn't feel like enough but it added the perfect accents to Katya's beautiful seamstressing work.

At his words and the tears; Hey! She called it, he was crying now! She watched as Katya hugged him and she would internally flinch a bit as she wasn't really a hugger but would go over and give him a smile and gently dab at his cheeks with the soft handkerchief.

"This only happened because of you, you are inspiring and a great boss but now you know what this means? You need to try it on, " Ariadne told him with a bit of a playful grin, trying to help stop the tears to help Katya who if she could read minds was probably screaming HALP because she could feel that in her bones right now.

It had been a few years since his mother's death, and in a way he had considered himself past the emotions that accompanied the loss of a loved one. Grieving had been done and Onni had always preferred to think back on the happier times with his mother. Learning to sew at her side, making her his first rather lopsided dress, and twisting wreaths of flowers through her curly hair. The same kind of hair that sat on his own head.

The gift in all its detailed glory was a reminder of that half finished jacket his mother had made while she lay dying in the hospital. Perhaps because this was the first item of clothing he had received since then, but it brought back those memories and the deep sense of loss and with it the tears.

Katya's hug, awkward and loose, pulled him away from remembrances of hospital beds and mourning lilies. Ari's handkerchief brought a smile back to his face.

"Sorry I didn't mean to cry, It just reminded me of my mum."

Not in a boys arent suppose to cry way, but he was sure neither Katya or Ari were good with crying people.

"Its so pretty and I know she would have loved both of you."

His mom. Naw. She wondered why, briefly, because the suit was a men's suit? Unless his mom wore suits a lot.

And then-

Oh. Uh. Past tense.

Katya met Ariadne's big eyes uncertainly, pulling slightly away from Onni so she could give his back a gentle rub. She did not feel qualified to deal with her boss' personal grief, nor did she know he was without his mother any more than he knew she was without her father, but like. Ariadne and her had kinda asked for this by surprising him.

"Well," she inhaled. "Let's hope it fits, 'cause if it doesn't she'll probably love me a little less." Just a joke woven in lightly, intending to lift the mood or earn a dumb laugh. Katya even chuckled at herself.

Ariadne would give him a little smile, her hand moving to gently rub his arm as she did her best to give him the comfort she could since this was more emotional than she had ever anticipated but honestly, it was sweet.

Tears didn't bother her, like she promised Katya, she did her best to help handle it.

"Hey it's ok, I take the tears as a good thing that you like it? " she asked him with a little smile at the question to him. She knew he did but maybe talking about it might help him a bit.

Now that made her eyes go wide; she didn't know a mother who did like her so that was a surprise. Looking to Katya who was also encouraging him to try it on, she would smile and nod, "Well let's see how much more proud we can make her by getting you in this suit, come on! Time to try it on, " she encouraged him, reaching and gently wiping his cheek of a tear. Just a friendly touch to show they cared.

Jokes were a good turn away from the feeling of loss. It had come as a bit of surprise he had thought he was beyond grieving for his moms death. He had thought he had buried everything when he left Sweden. The relationship with his mother had been like a rose, beautiful and lovely, but pathed with thorns. What mishaps there had been was neither her nor his fault and yet he couldn't dismiss the scars of neglect even if they had not been done intentionally. He couldn't blame her either, she had done her best considering their situation.

With a bit of laugh he would nod and find a comfortable place to change into the outfit. And once it was one would return to show off their work.

Katya let Onni drift away from her arms as he headed to change. Once he was out of sight and out of earshot, she raised her brows at Ariadne affirmatively. "Not bad," she said to their job well done.

Once he re-emerged, Katya blew out a wolf whistle. Except she was a shit whistler, so it was pretty weak. Whatever.

"Who's this hottie?" she coooooooed lushly.

Ari gave a bit of a smile and a wink at her after Onni left to get all dapper, "Had some great help but don't let my cohort know, " she told her, a playful little tease in her voice as she spoke while waiting for him to appear again.

Once he did, she let out a whistle of her own and went over and gave a little check of the cufflinks if he let her while nodding and smiling. "You look absolutely handsome Onni, spectacular, " she told him with a nod as she stepped back and then gave a playful elbow bump to Katya in a great job sort of way. That woman was an artist with a sewing machine.

The suit was really something, he could make a rather educated guess on the fabric used but he wasn't whole sure. It was pleasant to the touch soft and light but able to hold its shape as he pulled it on. Maybe a viscose or cotton, possibly even a damask. He didn't take to long pondering on the type of fabric, they were waiting for him. And as soon as everything was settled, buttons, cuff gems, collar, he would step back out.

The wolf whistle made him blush into a smile. He almost felt a bit shy showing off their work.

"Its beautifully put together. The stitches all flow evenly and the gems are wonderfully shaped."

She elbowed Ariadne right back.

"It's meant to be fit for a king. Or... prince!" Katya teased, and then, remembering something, she looked to Ariadne while making a swirl gesture to her own head. "Have we got the crown?" she whispered.

Ariadne smiled at the sight before them, "It's true you do, " she priased as well before looking to Katya and her eyes going wide.

"Yes, one sec, I left it in the box," she whispered as she quickly dashed off from the pair of them to get the crown box she had. Crowns were slowly becoming something she was enjoying making, the detail and designe that went into them was a lot of fun for her to make so making one for Onni was a blast.

Returning with the wooden box, she'd pop right behind Onni and set it down, "Ok, I'm going to need you to just look at the mirror, alright? " she would ask him as she would go and pluck out the Crown that had matching green gemstones that went well with his suit but also had his birthstone inalaid into it as well.

Showing it discretely to Katya first before she would carefully set it on his head now, adjusting it a little, and then letting go for him to take a better look at it.

This was far more then he had ever expected from anyone, and his throat threatened to tighten with tears. All he could really do was smile, body at loss for how to express the depths of his joy. Crown, suit, he really did feel like a magic boy or maybe an elf from the legends. He burst into laughter, maybe a couple tears, and much thanks.

"I can't believe you managed all this. Its amazing. Thank you, Thank you."

Katya's eyes went wide as Ariadne gave her a quick peek at the crown. Wide, like how someone's eyes went wide when they saw a treasure chest full of money and gold. Damn.

"Anytime, Onni," Katya smiled, looking at him meaningfully in the mirror. Gave his shoulders a squeeze as she pulled him into another side hug.

Ari gave her a questioning look that basically asked if she wanted one as well; trust her, she was happy to make Katya the gorgeous queen that she is!

She would move and put a hand on Onni's shoulder and then Katya's as she squeezed them both affectionately, "Anytime, we had a lot of fun doing this for you, " she told him. It was hard to not be smiling from the look on his face at the suit and the sparkles on it. He looked like he walked straight out of a magazine with himself all decked out. Perfect. Handsome- beautiful even.

He didn't what he'd done to deserve such amazing co-workers. It was just amazing, and he couldn't tell if he was going to laugh or cry or maybe both. Because he felt far to happy for even words. Just having them both there and with this new wonderful present. It wasn't going to be something he would ever forget.