Special Delivery [Moonie]

[Alegretto]

Viatrus put on his most winning smile for Sorela as Toby turned away. "Ah, look at the big lug. Don't mind him Sorela he's kinda shy."

She smiled back at the pair. "That's just fine with me." She raised her voice a little, clearly directing her words at Toby. "I like shy. You know Tobias, my shift ends in another half of an hourglass. Come talk to me then." She winked at the big man, and then she started walking off, weaving her way through the crowd with an easy grace.

The halfling whistled slow and long. "Well there you go Tobias. You know, Sorela's really a looker... huh, never noticed that before. I mean a bit tall for my tastes, but you think I woulda noticed that..." Viatrus stopped for a moment, before continuing. "Well anyway, I'm gonna go ask the innkeeper for another room. Be right back." He hopped off his chair and began moving back towards the owner.

[Zero]

Tobias nearly choked on his ale, but he turned to watch the woman as she walked away, admiring her form with almost predatory eyes. Well that had been pretty easy. Speaking of easy, he shot Viatrus another glare. "I don't need help picking up women! I could have gotten her all on my own."

The werewolf snorted and rolled his eyes when the halfling talked about Sorela, a bit tall for his tastes, yeah...he supposed that made sense. Still, hadn't Viatrus said he was pretty young? Brown-gold eyes blinked lazily as his companion got up, informing that he was going to ask for another room for them. Why would he - oh. Right.

Blushing and grumbling he took another long drink of ale before reaching for one of the pot pies. They smelled delicious. Of course he was famished enough to eat slop, but taking a bite was all he needed to taste before digging in heartily. Whoever was in the kitchen was fantastic, and it was much better than raw flesh, at least his human self thought so.

As soon as Viatrus would return Tobias would pause long enough in his eating to pose a question with a wry grin. "So Viatrus, have you ever even been with a woman before?"

[Alegretto]

The halfling came back to the table. "'Nother room ordered Tobias. He winked at the man, you owe me." He was about to dig into his meal when the other man posed his question. He paused momentarily, unable to think.

Tobias' question threw Viatrus for a loop and the halfling actually blushed, surprised by the sudden reversal. He was pretty sure that this was the first time the other man had asked him a question about himself. "No. Never. Haven't found the right one, you know." The short halfling blustered. "There aren't a lot of halflings in Adela and human women are too big or my tastes." he told the other man, justifying his lack of experience. "I'm still young. I'm just saving for the right person, you know?" Viatris was pretty sure the other man was laughing at him and he huffed resentfully. He turned on his own pot pie and started eating it, avoiding looking at Tobias.

[Zero]

His new little companion had about talked his ear off coming into town, so Tobias really didn't think much about asking him a personal question. Besides, it was kind of relevant to what was happening. After all, it was Viatrus that had more or less landed him some company for the night. The answer actually had him blinking in surprise, and frowning slightly as he poked at his food for a moment, trying to decide how best to continue with the topic since he was pretty sure he'd just made the little guy upset with him.

"That sounds real nice, actually." His voice was soft and musing. "I wanted to save myself for someone special...once. That was a long, long time ago though. Turning into what I've become kind of ruined a lot of things for me. I had plans once." Tobias was supposed to live a simple life, never leaving his home village, finding a cute girl, marrying her, fishing and hunting to support a family. It would have been wonderful, but how could he do those things now?

Tobias sighed softly and shook his head, before smiling ruefully at Viatrus. "You save yourself for that special girl, and when you find her, make sure she knows just how special she is, eh? Remind her every day." He forced himself to resume eating his pie, though his appetite seemed to have vanished despite how voracious it had been a few minutes before.

[Alegretto]

Viatrus took a break from his meal and looked up, realizing that the other man wasn't actually laughing. He should have known. Toby was a better guy than that. The halfling had a sudden flash of guilt over the way he'd been making fun of the bigger man. Bigger both literally and figuratively!

He felt even worse when Tobias took what he said seriously. He'd was just making excuses, he hadn't meant any of those words. Hearing how the other man felt about it though, it made Viatrus reconsider. Suddenly his own words sounded less cheesy and a lot more romantic than he thought they did when he said them.

"Yeah," Viatrus responded to Toby's last couple of sentences. "Yeah I'll do that." Tears threatened to well up in the halflings eyes again and he shook his head furiously. No, no he was not going to cry in front of Tobias again. What was it about the man! Talking to him almost felt like talking to his father. That guy had been such a romantic...

That thought made Viatrus stop cold. Was he, projecting..? He tried to push the thought away but it kept coming back. He couldn't banish it. The tears welled even more fiercely. He hopped out of his chair and picked up his pack. "I'm... I'm going up to my room. You can ask the innkeeper where yours is" He told the other man. The halfling almost ran up the steps and practically slammed the door. He threw down his pack and then jumped on the bed, crying in earnest now as memories of his deceased parents he thought long since banished ran through his head.

[Zero]

Things just seemed to go from bad to worse. Tobias watched with troubled eyes as Viatrus excused himself and disappeared. The thought to go find his young friend and comfort the kid did cross his mind, but he figured he would just make things worse...again. Maybe he should have just kept his big mouth shut from the beginning. The question had been a dumb one to ask. What did it even matter? It didn't.

Signing he resigned himself to finishing his food and drink while waiting on the lovely Sorela to finish her work. As soon as she was free to do as she pleased, he bought her a drink, and another for himself, inviting her to sit and talk with him for a while. She was a really nice girl, and when their drinks were finished and she asked about keeping him company for the rest of the night he almost turned her down.

His primal desires won out, in the end, and Sorela showed him to his room. Early the next morning he was seated at the same table he had been the night before, appearance even more disheveled than it had been before going to bed; he was nursing a hot cup of tea, holding his head with one hand and looking rather bleary-eyed.

[Alegretto]

Viatrus came down the stairs, his belongings packed up and in hand. The common room was less busy than it had been last night, and the smell of cooking eggs permeated the room. The scent of smoke had faded somewhat, but it still sat in some corners of the room. The conversation was subdued and nowhere near the volume from it had been when Viatrus had turned in.

The halfling hunted down the innkeeper and asked for a plate of eggs with a glass of milk. He then scanned the common room, and saw that Tobias had already woken up and claimed the table they'd sat at last night. He walked over to the man, set his stuff down, and hopped into a chair.

"Good morning Mr. Tobias." Viatrus started the conversation. "How was your evening, less sleep and more fun maybe?" The halfling was trying to affect his normal glib cheerfulness, but careful observation would reveal the facade. His voice was still a little hoarse and his eyes were slightly red. "I for one, slept like a baby." He grinned, but it looked strained. "Can you be ready to set out soon? We still have a letter to deliver."

[Zero]

Tobias could smell the smoke from the previous evening, and the scent of alcohol, sweat, the scent of blood and death that still clung to his clothing, and the sweet perfume that was unique to Sorela, which hung about him like a guilty reminder of what he'd spent the night doing. Of course no human would have been able to pick up and filter through those scents, but that was just another "fun" part of being what he was.

When Viatrus sat down he had the good sense to scrub his face and eyes, looking more than a little sheepish. "I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but we can leave whenever you want." He could tell that his friend was upset, and something told him it was his fault. He just wasn't sure what it was that he had done wrong, and he certainly didn't know how to fix it.

"Mr. Tobias is it? What happened to Toby?" He asked quietly. Tobias knew that his friend was lying and upset about something. He could smell it on him, and hear it in his voice, looking up at him it was even obvious on the halflings face. "Whatever I did or said, I'm sorry."

[Alegretto]

Viatus thought he was putting up a good front, so when Toby apologized he was surprised, to say the least. The man had good instincts about peop... Oh. Right.

The halfling slapped his fist down on the table in frustration. Here he was wallowing in self-pity, and look at Tobias. He had problems Viatrus couldn't even begin to imagine and here the halfling was worrying him even more with his own petty issues.

He shook his head as he replied to the other man. "No, no don't apologize. It's not your fault. It's my own blasted problem and I'm sorry for worrying you about it." The halfling barked a bitter laugh. "Guess I'm kind of a crappy friend. I can't help you like you helped me, I make fun of you, and I even add to your worries." He smiled sadly. "Sorry for being so much trouble Toby." The halfling stood and picked up his stuff, as if readying to leave.

[Zero]

When Viatrus slapped his fist down on the table Tobias actually jumped, blinking wide-eyed in surprise. Now what had he done? The werewolf's slightly shaggy face twisted slightly in an expression of confusion and worry as he could feel the frustration just rolling off his friend in waves.

Tobias' scowled as the halfling said it wasn't what he'd done or said. It wasn't that that really got to the large man, though. When Viatrus got up to leave, apologizing for being trouble, a feral growl emanated from Tobias and his long arm shot out to gently grab hold of the boy. In that moment all he could think of Viatrus was just that - a boy.

"Don't you dare call yourself a crappy friend." He growled, brown eyes laced with quivering golden threads. The sound of his chair scrapping across the wooden floor sounded as Tobias came out of the chair, dropping to his knees and hugging Viatrus gently. "You know what I am, you were afraid of me, but you didn't run. You've been nicer to me than I probably deserve, and that's more help than I think you realize. So don't you dare even think you've been a bad friend to me."

[Alegretto]

The big man's embrace shocked Viatrus. He'd never expected this reaction, and Toby's words meant more to the halfling then the big man could know. He hadn't had a real friend in three years, and now that he did have one he felt completely insecure. He was worried that he would offend the man somehow and drive him away.

Viatrus returned his friend's hug. Tears threatened his eyes again for what must have been the hundredth time. He forced them back, and laughed. "Look at us two, causing a scene. We're a real couple of softies you and me.

He released Tobias and extricated himself from his grasp. His negative emotions were gone, and the halfling looked lighter, happier, less downtrodden. "Thanks partner. I... I needed that. I just, I'm always worried that I'm offending you, that you're gonna go away and we'll part on bad terms. When my parents passed away, I never had the chance to say good-bye and it didn't end well between us. I just really don't want that happenin' again." He laughed. "And here I was, settin' out to leave and do exactly that to myself. I must seem a right fool to ya Toby."

[Zero]

The werewolf gave a lop-sided grin when Viatrus hugged him back and then started laughing. It was a good sound, and a good feeling. Sometimes you just needed a hug, and apparently his small friend had benefited from the action and his words. "I don't care who thinks I'm soft."

Tobias did't stop smiling as his friend went on talking, though the expression softened considerably. It was actually a fear he could relate to completely. Considering his nature, it was always hard for him to try to form bonds with people. Actually, forming close bonds was something he actively tried to avoid. That thought saddened him, but he reminded himself that it was for everyone's protection that he had to keep in mind, not his own selfish desire for acceptance.

"I don't think you're a fool, Viatrus. I think you're lonely, and have been hurt, and that you need a friend now more than ever - and you know what? So do I. You aren't going to offend me, and I won't leave without saying goodbye. I swear. Now why don't you eat some breakfast before we head out, you'll need to keep up your strength for the road." Tobias said nothing about his own strength, though his blood-shot eyes might hint at the weariness that gnawed at him as he climbed back into his chair.

[Alegretto]

Viatrus smiled. "Thanks Toby, I'm really glad that I met you, you know?" So saying, the halfling hopped back into his chair, before launching into one of his trademark chattering-monologues. "Eating sounds like a good idea to me, I'm famished? What'd you order Toby? I got the eggs myself, they've got some really great stuffed eggs here. The innkeepers wife is magic in the kitchen you know? This one time..." He kept talking on and on, freed from the concern that his conversation would drive the other man away.

He was still talking when Sorela came up to the pair laden with Viatrus' meal and drink. She gave Tobias a radiant smile and barely looked at Viatrus as she set down his eggs and drink. She kept looking at the big man even as she turned around and started walking back to the kitchen. Viatrus whistled long and slow for the second time in ten hours. "I don't think I've ever seen Sorela that smitten. You must really be something special if you know what I mean."

[Zero]

"Likewise." Tobias grinned, glad that he'd met the energetic young halfling. It really was nice to have someone that knew his secret and still didn't mind hanging around him. Of course there was a certain degree of wariness in his heart. The thought of accidentally hurting Viatrus would be an ever-present worry, but he couldn't just get rid of him. It wouldn't be fair to slip away now, and frankly, he didn't have the willpower. He was too tired of being alone.

Sorela came by their table to bring Viatrus his breakfast, and Tobias returned the brilliant smile she gave him with a bit of a shy one, watching her just as much as she watched him. He arched a brow at Viatrus' whistle, and actually hunched his shoulders and blushed at what he said. "It's not me. It's the wolf, there's something about my curse that just...I don't know. Mable called it animal magnetism. Even she struggled not to...uh..." He grinned sheepishly.

"Anyway, it might seem like a nice perk, but it is really kind of awful. I like her, she's a nice girl, but you realize I'll probably never see or talk to her again once we leave here..." Tobias looked down at the table with a soft frown and picked at the wood idly with a fingernail.

[Alegretto]

Viatrus arched an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised that Tobias was volunteering information about himself. He considered prying further, but decided that his attempt would be more likely to backfire. Better to let him open up on his own.

He nodded sagely when Toby revealed the problem of his 'gift.' "That actually does sound pretty awful. Frankly, I don't know if I could form the kind of connection with someone and then never see them again." The halfling had just finished speaking when he realized that he might actually be saying something pretty terrible. Maybe he had accidentally picked at one of Toby's insecurities.

There was an awkward silence for a bit, which Viatrus took advantage of to tuck into his eggs. He was about half way through his meal when he noticed that noting had come for the other man. "Did you eat already?" He asked. He didn't follow up his question with a stream of words, so he clearly wanted an answer to this question as opposed to his normal rhetorical queries.

[Zero]

Tobias only hunched his shoulders further, looking ridiculously as if he wished to shrink and disappear. For such a large man it was kind of a comical act, except for his expression, which looked about as forlorn as a person could. He knew he was an awful person for doing what he did, but he couldn't help himself. It was like an itch that just had to be scratched or it would drive him mad. Mable had warned him about trying to curb the wolf's primal desires too sharply. It didn't mean he didn't feel horrible afterwards each time.

"Don't you think I know that?" He mumbled miserably. "It's not like I wanted to be this way." He thought about Minnie Marsh, she'd had skin like caramel and eyes the color of dark chocolate, back home, so long ago, he remembered dancing with her on holidays, of the smile that had shined brighter than the sun. If he could have married someone, it would have probably been her, if those damned wolves had never come he would have had her, and they would have lived happily in a little house and...it was no use dreaming about things that could never be.

Sighing he ran his fingers through his hair, glancing over at Viatrus who was eating and had asked him a question. "I had some bacon earlier. Like I said before, I didn't get much sleep..."

[Alegretto]

Viatrus picked up on the misery he inspired in the other man with his statement and immediately felt horrible. Man this friendship thing was tough. It had the halfling feeling ups and downs like he never had before, elated at any happiness he instigated in his friend and distraught at any distress he caused. Still, bad with the good, Viatrus far preferred the good.

His question answered, Viatrus returned to eating his eggs. It didn't take long for the halfling to finish up his meal. Now the pair could leave the inn, but something held him back. He didn't want them to set out with unclear air between them. He had to get the conversation moving again, way from more sensitive topics. Unfortunately he was at a loss. Or at least, he was until he noticed the status of Tobias' shirt. The garment was still torn and ripped from yesterday's exertions. Some of the large tears showed through his vest.

He smiled up at the man. "Hey Toby, why don't you come up to my room, just for a bit before we set out? I betcha' I can sew up your shirt good as new. I must have told you at some point that I'm a wizard with a needle and thread."

((OOC: Lol, totally forgot about this part of his character. Oh well, better late than never. :P))

[Zero]

It wasn't Viatrus' fault, really. Tobias' misery stemmed from what he was, and that was all there really was to it. If he hadn't been bitten by that foul beast, none of this would have ever happened. The only fault lay with the one that had made him this way. How he wished he knew the identity of the one that had cursed him to such a life. All his life he'd been a fairly peaceful sort, but he thought that if he ever did get his hands on the wolf that created him, well, he wasn't sure he would be able to contain his rage. Revenge didn't solve anything, though. Best maybe to never know.

Brown eyes blinked as he looked up, realizing that he'd been lost in his thoughts the entire time the halfling had been finishing his breakfast. Shaking his head Tobias reminded himself that he really need to learn to keep his head on straight and pay attention rather than let his mind wander all the bloody time. Of course, it wasn't likely to happen, a wandering mind was just something he had always had.

"My shirt?" Looking down he remembered the damage that had been done. When had that happened? Oh right, right...The bolt in his stomach and a little damage in his rush to get undressed when the change was coming on the night before. How could he have put something like that out of his mind? "Um, sure, I guess..."

He stood and followed Viatrus quietly.

[Alegretto]

Viatrus led the way up the stairs to the room he had vacated. It was quieter up here, in the small, narrow room with only a bed, a thin table, and a narrow chair. He set down his pack on the bed, and from it pulled a small box. Inside were several pieces of wood that were notched and had thread wrapped around them, few iron needles, a very small knife, and a number of extra tiny thimbles.

He selected the thread closest to the color of Tobias' shirt and carefully put the end of it through the eye of one of the needles. He took one of the thimbles and placed in on his middle finger. Toby's shirt looked rugged and he didn't want to stab himself. Preparations complete, he turned to Toby and held out a hand expectantly. "Shirt?."

[Zero]

Tobias followed Viatrus up the stairs and into a room that more or less looked just like the one he'd spent the night with Sorela with. Thinking of that caused him to blush slightly, what a night it had been though. Dragging his mind away from his night, he watched intently as the halfling prepared for sewing, it seemed like a bother for a dirty shirt, but if the little guy wanted to.

Brown-gold eyes blinked when Viatrus held out his hand expectantly asking for his shirt. "Oh right." Laughing slightly he shrugged out of his leather vest before pulling his shirt over his head and handing it over. It was a little strange to have someone interested in mending his clothing, or doing anything for him at all, for that matter. "You really don't have to, you know. I'm used to having dirty and damaged clothes, kind of a fact of life for a werewolf that you're going to mess up your shirts."