How Much is That Doggie in the Window? [M]

[Zero]

Tobias didn't know whether he should keep searching for the baths or simply freeze and wait for someone to rescue him. Maybe he was being silly, but he really didn't want to stumble into a room that he wasn't supposed to be in.

Just as he was beginning to panic over what to do, he caught a familiar scent and relaxed slightly. Turning, he fixed his brown-gold eyes on Mia. She seemed like a nice girl, and her mother was Della, so she had to be alright. "Hey lass, you're a sight for sore eyes. The little miss told me that the servant's baths were on the other side of the house from the kitchens, but I've gone and got myself all lost. Think you could help a poor man out?"

[DragonSong]

"Sure thing," Mia said with a smile. "You actually got pretty close, it's just down this hall here..." She continued chattering as she led him along down one hall and turning into another, until they wound up in between two rather modest doors. "Gents on the left, ladies on the right," she told him cheerfully. "Now, I don't wanna be rude, but I should be getting back to Miss Tessa. If you get lost again, just holler for me." With another smiled and a wink she skipped back down the hall, taking the quicker route that would bring her to the dining hall.

Tessa looked up questioningly when she entered. Neither of her parents seemed to be awake, so she was eating with Anna and Isaac at the servants' table.

"He got a little turned around, but I got him there," she said, pulling out a chair and plopping herself into it. Tessa smiled and nodded her thanks.

"I really should have done a better job of showing him around yesterday," she muttered, taking a bite of bread.

"Well, the only person who may point him in the wrong direction is Andrew," Anna commented, "and you said you already warned him about that. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Yes, I know. You're right." She finished her food and stood, moving toward the kitchen.

"Seconds?" Mia asked, snatching a bite off of Isaac's plate and sticking her tongue out when he protested.

Tessa shook her head. "I'm not sure what Mother has planned for today, so I thought I'd grab something to make sure he eats," she said, slipping through the doors.

She heard Isaac chuckle and say, "She really is worried about him, like he's a new puppy or something." Tessa smirked behind her hand, though she knew they couldn't see her. They had no idea.

[Zero]

"Thanks, lass." Tobias quietly mumbled as Mia skipped away. As soon as she was gone he stepped into the men's bath and took a few minutes to figure out where everything he needed was, but soon he was in the tub and scrubbing away the lingering unpleasant scents of the market - smells the others probably couldn't even detect, but which bothered him.

Still unsure of what he could and couldn't get away with, the werewolf cleaned himself quickly, dried, and re-dressed. Using his fingers he combed his long brown hair and retied it back into a short ponytail with the little leather strip he always used.

Maybe he'd ask about getting a razor too, his face was a little scruffy. Tobias figured they'd probably prefer if he kept a little cleaner shave. It didn't bother him much either way.

Honestly the werewolf wasn't really sure just how long he'd been with the bath, but his stomach sure knew where they should go next. Finding the kitchen would be much easier, all Tobias had to do was follow his nose and before too long he was pushing open the kitchen door and peeking in tentatively, sniffing the air and being rewarded with the smells of breakfast.

[DragonSong]

"Oh!" Tessa turned around and saw Tobias in the doorway. She put her hand to her heart and laughed at herself. "You startled me," she said, smiling. "I was just asking Della if she wouldn't mind giving me something to bring you, but it looks like you can take care of yourself."

"I should hope so," Della said, suddenly appearing with a plate of food. She gave Tobias a welcoming smile. "Come on in, boy, don't linger like you're begging for scraps." To Tessa she said, "If he can't look after himself how in the world is he supposed to keep track of his Little Terror of a mistress?"

Tessa scrunched her nose at her. "I haven't been Little Terror since I was ten years old!" she protested, laughing. She'd almost forgotten the nickname the staff had given her as a child.

[Zero]

Tobias started when he first saw Tessa in the kitchen. It wasn't that he was really surprised to see her there, he could smell her as he was opening the door, but the way she was all done up nearly had his heart leap into this throat.

The werewolf had known she was a pretty little thing the moment he'd actually looked at her, but this wasn't pretty. His mistress was gorgeous. Indeed, lovely enough that he stood there flabbergasted for several moments, able to do little but stare at her in shock and maybe even a bit of awe. That was until Della appeared with food and chastised him for standing in the doorway.

Embarrassed, Tobias blushed slightly before he stepped into the kitchen almost shyly. "You're looking mighty fancy there, lass. Special occasion?"

[DragonSong]

Tessa flushed slightly at the praise, though she wasn't sure why. "You know, I'm not entirely sure," she said with a nervous laugh. "Mother apparently decided I should be all done up. She probably has something planned, though I don't know what it is." She ducked her head and smoothed a hand across her skirts awkwardly. He'd never looked at her quite like that before- and was he blushing?

"You know, the Endarsens are back from Connlaoth," Della said meaningfully, arching an eyebrow. To Tobias she explained, "Some minor gentry-like folk. Cousins to cousins of some duke or another. They do a lot of business with Mister Erik." She went back to washing dishes and added, too casually, "They've got a son about Miss Tessa's age."

Tessa scrunched up her nose. "Gods, don't remind me," she muttered, sinking onto a stool. She'd forgotten the Endarsens would be back in the city by now. Burying her face in her hands with a groan she mumbled, "I hope you're wrong, Dell."

[Zero]

Tobias frowned softly as he slid onto a stool, pulling the plate of food Della had brought in front of him. Suddenly he wasn't quite as eager for breakfast as he'd been a moment ago. Instead he watched Tessa with an uneasy feeling. She didn't seem happy today. More like worried.

Listening to Della while he ate had the uneasiness increase. Sounded to him like Tessa's mother was trying to set her up. Not that it was any of his business. Upper class people did things differently than commoners like him. From what he understood it wasn't all that weird for parents to interfere heavily with their children's lives even once they were grown, including having a large say in who their children married - if they didn't outright choose for them.

That really didn't sit right with him, but it really wasn't any of his concern, and the werewolf knew his opinion didn't matter in the slightest. Still, he hated to see Tessa looking so gloomy over it.

"Why the long face, lass? This Endarsen boy that bad? Maybe you're just dolled up for company because they're business people with your father and your mother wants to make a good impression." Now he wondered why her father would buy him, or try to make a year-long deal with him to protect Tessa if they were just about to marry her off.

Tobias didn't even realize that he was only picking at his breakfast.

[DragonSong]

Tessa gave him a small smile, grateful that he seemed to be trying to cheer her up. "He's...not terrible. Better than some, I suppose." She shook herself. Moping about wasn't ladylike. "And you might be right. Mother does like to make a spectacle when guests are over." She said it with such conviction that she almost believed it herself.

"He's not good enough for you," Della said bluntly, not even bothering to look up from her dish washing.

Tessa gave a short, unamused laugh. "You say that about ever suitor that trot out in front of me." They'd been having this conversation- or some similar version of it- since she'd turned sixteen and her parents had started talking about marriage. Not wanting to think about it, she turned to Tobias. She frowned slightly when she saw his barely-touched food. "Not hungry?" That didn't seem like him.

[Zero]

Tobias was hardly comforted by Tessa's descriptions of her potential suitor as "not terrible" and "better than some". He wondered how it might have felt to be pressured by his parents to get married to someone that he might feel lukewarm about at best.

The werewolf really couldn't imagine it. Sure, his mother had always encouraged him to be nice to Minnie Marsh, to not let the boys exclude her all the time just because she was a girl, but that wasn't the same. At least as they'd gotten older and his understanding of girls went from "yuck cooties" to "now I get it" he'd actually cared about Minnie.

Della's blunt declaration that this Endarsen man wasn't good enough for Tessa had Tobias nodding his head idly even though he had no idea who the man actually was. Then he had the good sense to blush when he realized what he'd done.

As if he'd know who was or wasn't good enough for anybody. With him being what he was, well, Tobias certainly wasn't good enough for anyone himself. He knew that. Would be irresponsible and selfish for him to ask any woman to shackle herself to a wolf. It was why he'd been able to let Minnie go, at least that's what he told himself.

"Oh, no, it's not that. Just thinking." The werewolf frowned down at his plate, curious about his sudden lack of appetite and wondering why he didn't feel as hungry as he should. Tobias had been famished when he came into the kitchen and now he didn't feel much like eating at all. Shaking his head he redoubled his efforts to clear his plate, whether he felt like food or not.

[DragonSong]

"Hm." Tessa let it drop when he started eating again. She let her elbows rest on the table and propped her chin in her hands; not the most ladylike of postures, but no one was around who really cared. "Well, even if that is what Mother's planning, she won't be expecting them until later, and I for one am not going to dwell on it."

She snatched a biscuit off Tobias's plate, grinning at him and wrinkling her nose before she took a bite. "I don't have my dance lesson until noon- was there anything you needed or wanted to do?"

[Zero]

"Mhm." Tobias hummed with a mouthful of biscuit when it was decided it was best not to dwell on what her mother was planning. It would probably drive them both nuts if they did. Besides, the topic had turned him off his appetite and he would need to eat if he was to keep up his strength for guarding his charge.

Which he really did view her more like someone placed in his care than someone placed in authority over him.

The werewolf gave a soft growl as a biscuit was snatched off his plate, eyeing Tessa as she took a bite of her prize with slight disgruntlement. It didn't last as he looked at her thoughtfully before tilting his head in Della's direction subtly. "Yeah, there's something that needs done, but I want to save the surprises and we should speak to your parents to arrange it."

It would be easier to gather the entire household at once for Tobias to show off his wolf to everyone. After all, if there was danger the wolf was going to come forth to do the defending. Best the residents know that the animal was there to protect them not hurt them.

[DragonSong]

A bit of Tessa's playfulness drained at his serious tone. She thought she had an inkling of what he meant, but she wasn't sure. "Alright. They should be up by now." She stood, dusting off her dress. That was the trouble with such fancy clothing- other than the fact that it was uncomfortable- she always had to be hyper aware of any dirt or dust she might have collected.

She looked to Tobias, tilting her head. "If you haven't finished your breakfast, I could just go fetch them." A smile spread across her face as Della wordlessly dropped another biscuit onto the werewolf's plate to replace the one she'd nabbed, giving her a mock-stern look.

[Zero]

Not that he thought anyone should be fetching anyone or anything for him, but Tobias nodded anyway as the biscuit dropped to his plate, prompting an immediate charming grin for Della. His appetite was slowly returning.

"I wouldn't mind if you let them know that I wanted to speak with them, lass." The werewolf was still wary of Tessa's parents. No matter what tentative truce he'd managed to strike with Erik, he still felt nervous of drawing the man's ire, and Nateri was beautiful and he felt probably also dangerous, in her own way. Erik might have been the master of the house, but he felt that he would likely find himself gone much quicker if he displeased Nateri than Erik.

[DragonSong]

"Will do," Tessa chirped, slipping out of the kitchen and taking the back steps up to the second floor. The master bedroom was on the other end of the hall from hers and she knocked on the door.

"Mother, Father? Are you awake?"

"Come in, sweetheart." She pushed the door open a crack to see her mother sitting at her vanity while Selena worked on her hair. Nateri smiled, beckoning her into the room. "You look beautiful. that is such a nice color on you."

"Mhm." Tessa forced a smile as she walked toward her. "I was just wondering when you two are planning on coming downstairs? Tobias actually has something he wants to discuss with you." She gave the maid a truer smile and mouthed, Morning.

"Oh?" Nateri looked up at her with an arched eyebrow. "Very well then. Your father and I will be down for breakfast in another minute." She gestured toward the door that led to the second room of their shared suite. "You know how he is, already going over numbers. I'll make sure we're down soon."

"Alright." Tessa smiled again and bent to kiss her cheek before leaving.

"Oh, and darling?"

She closed her eyes. Damnit... "Yes, Mother?"

"I've invited the Endarsens to have dinner with us. Your father will be talking business, so it'll be up to you to play hostess for Jarrett."

Of course. "Yes, Mother." She left and closed the door.

[Zero]

Tobias remained seated, pulling apart his biscuit and eating it slowly as his mind began working methodically through some of what he'd learned so far. His mistress was gorgeous, make no mistake about that, Tessa seemed to have a gentle, playful spirit, and she was very kind. The werewolf huffed softly over his breakfast at his reaction to the woman as he came into the kitchen, it had been a stupid way to act.

It wasn't as if he'd not been attracted to a woman since Minnie. He found plenty of women attractive. Hell, Mia was an attractive girl. Mia was also far more in his league. Tessa owned him for gods' sake. She was a fancy rich girl. Probably not at all practical outside of a business household.

Not to mention someone like her wouldn't have anything to do with something like him. Even ignoring the fact that he was considered a slave at the moment and that he was a werewolf. If he was free and human, what would he be? A hunter, a fisherman, maybe even a farmer. Which was to say, in the eyes of people like Tessa and her parents - a nobody.

Why did it still bother him?

Tobias had crumbled his biscuit in frustration and he looked up to Della with a sigh. "Could you do me a favor and tell me I'm an idiot? Don't need to know the reason I'm an idiot, just could use hearing it right now."

[DragonSong]

"You're an idiot," Della replied easily. Then she dried her hands on a towel and took a seat across the table from him, arms crossed and eyes kind. "Now, you gonna cough up what's got you feeling so down, or should I just bake a pie or sommat and hope that gets your spirits up?"

[Zero]

Tobias couldn't stop a soft laugh from escaping as his request was so very easily fulfilled by the ever helpful Della. From the moment he'd seen her the werewolf had been drawn to the older woman. She had this motherly aura around her that made him ache softly, in a way that wasn't all bad. Della reminded him a bit of his own mother.

He sighed heavily as she sat across from him, trying to pry out what was bothering him. Gods, but he wished he really knew that himself.

"I don't know. Everything feels so strange and confusing. When I became a slave again I thought things would be a lot different than this when I was sold." Tobias let out a breath, his head was so wound up he thought it might burst, and for a change it wasn't all jumbled because of the wolf.

He'd been so determined in that cage to hate whoever bought him, but everyone was so nice here. If it weren't for the label of slave hanging heavily on his heart he even thought he could have even been happy here. Being a servant was honest enough work. "Maybe I'm homesick. I miss my family."

But he didn't have a family anymore, and even the wolf felt a great pain at just how alone he felt.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, child." Della reached out to touch him arm, smiling gently. "I wish I could just tell you to buck up, but yours is a hard lot. What I can offer you is a hot meal and a listening ear, whenever you need it."

Tessa, who had taken her time meandering back to the kitchen, paused in the doorway when she saw them. They seemed to be having a relatively deep discussion, and she didn't want to interrupt, so she just hovered awkwardly, trying to decide if she should slip away or- if Tobias already knew she was there- just enter.

[Zero]

Sure, Della said that now. Tobias wondered if any of them would even talk to him after he showed them what he really was. The thought of the woman in front of him, looking at him so kindly now, recoiling from him in horror made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

He pushed his plate away.

"Thank you, Della. For...everything." As much as he wanted to be comforted by the cook, he just felt heavier. Plus he could smell that Tessa had returned.

"So will your parents spare a few minutes for a slave?" The werewolf asked quietly before turning to look at his mistress. He didn't think she'd really heard much. Not that it mattered. He'd been fairly open with her so far, but maybe that was part of the problem. Tobias wasn't acting like she was his owner, or even as if she was an employer. He had been treating her far too familiarly, as if she was just another girl from the village, maybe even one he was friendly with.

Gods, but he needed a friend. He needed Mable. She would have known how to help him.

[DragonSong]

Well, that made her decision for her.

"Yes, Mother says they'll be down in a few minutes for breakfast, they'll then hear whatever you need to say." She looked back and forth between him and the cook, who had stood to start putting dishes away, and stepped hesitantly into the room. "Everything alright?" she asked quietly as she approached Tobias. He seemed a little upset.

She realized her concern may not be exactly welcome- after all, they'd really only known each other a day- but she couldn't seem to help it. And it wasn't as though she could take it back now.