Latent Dream (Summervale) [Cramler] [M]

[GoblinFae]

"I'm sorry," Theo replied looking to Fletcher with genuine sympathy. "It must not be easy to be left with a reminder you're not exactly thrilled to be saddled with. I do not mean to bring up painful memories for you." He sighed in thought. "....Dewey is a faunapath. He may be able to work with her if she is willing to work with him. He doesn't like to force his will on others though."

Theodore glanced at the coat being shaken at him before dragging his eyes up to Fletcher's face. "Put it on yourself, Mr. Daw. If I catch cold they will just assume it was from my outing yestermorn. I know it is your job to be concerned but I assure you I am shockingly an adult male and not the baby the Baroness implies me to be.

"You will quickly find that your job is little more than glorified babysitting of a grown recluse. There are no I'kanans that would ever be interested in me, no murderous highwaymen, no kidnappers expecting ransom, and with your arrival and our agreement, no disfigured heirs escaping out into crowded marketplaces. I would truly congratulate you on securing such a well-paid and simple position if it did not come out sounding so much like an insult."

[Nightcrawler]

For a split second, Fletcher looked like he'd been slapped. He'd run his mouth on numerous occasions already, it was true. But he never expected that his charge was the sort to piece together the clues in between the words and see the truth so quickly. Whether or not Pretty Boy had meant it, that simple, quiet observation was a bullet striking bone. He didn't like that. Not one bit. "Fine," he replied, jaw clenched and lips pursed. "We'll try Dewey."

He donned the coat again as instructed, but not without a dubious glance at his charge. He was quiet as Theo spoke, and then for a while after, with his expression softening over time. The man was so sure that he was trapped. All the money in the world wouldn't change his mind and pull him out of his own arse. Yet his back wasn't broken from years of thankless toil. He had power in being the heir of what appeared to be a healthy family fortune. He had status. Hell, he had friends here, too. Fletcher didn't think that Theo was all that bad, but still: he couldn't quite manage to stand there and listen to this naive man's self-pity without saying something in return. He finished his cigarette and flicked it at the bucket. It barely made it in. "Depth perception's gone to shit," he complained before turning back to Pretty Boy.

"Look," he said, and the way he looked at the man was not unkind, even if his words were harsh. "I'm going to be honest with you, sir, because frankly, anyone who stands up for working folk is alright in my book. We wouldn't be having this conversation at all if I thought for a second that you were a copy of your parents. But...this sort of self-pity won't get you anywhere. You're right. You're a grown man. What's more, you're of means. At the risk of losing my job within a day of getting it — " he paused, shook his head at his own candor, lacked the will to stop himself, and continued anyways — "you decide your circumstances. If you're not what your mother says...prove it. Because from where I'm standing, the only one holding the cage door closed is you."

Without another word or a backwards glance, he headed back towards the house. Either Theo would follow, or he wouldn't.

[GoblinFae]

Theo watched patiently as the other man was extremely candid with him while also placing things as delicately as he probably could for a rogue. He took the words in and not just at face value but deeply to heart. He let them sit there, resonate, sink in, touch the shadowy parts of himself that knew them to be the truth, and then accepted them. For someone who had just met him, Fletcher had either made one very lucky glancing strike into his heart or more likely saw straight through to him.

The nobleman mulled this over as he watched the man's back walk a few paces away from him. "You're right," he called out suddenly. "I do hold my own door closed. Perhaps you'll stick around long enough to find out why." Pushing off the fence and mindful of Aya trotting along beside him, Theodore gained on Fletcher with his longer strides. "And it's Theo, not sir, Mr. Daw." He looked to the other man offering a nod of respectful acknowledgement as he walked back with him towards the house.

[Nightcrawler]

"Oh, he's a fucking poet, too," Fletch muttered. With his back turned, his surprise was hidden. He'd thought for sure that he'd run his mouth for the last time just then, but...somehow, his gruff, worn, half-asleep rambling had gotten through. Miraculous, really, given that he'd just told a nobleman to cut the self-pitying crap to his face. "What am I getting myself into?" he mumbled. He'd been so sure that he could walk into this house and take the job and pretend not to be himself for hours on end, and he'd done a clumsy, piss-poor job of that indeed.

Well. It had worked so far. Hadn't it?

Pretty Boy caught up, and Aya too. "And it's Theo, not sir, Mr. Daw." Fletcher turned to look at him as they walked, suddenly a caricature of seriousness and concern. "Yes, sir," he replied with a sardonic tilt of the head, unable to help himself. Then he was all business again. "It's getting light out. We should head in before your mum has me hanged. Erm...dog shouldn't get close to the kitchen," he advised. "Wouldn't want her knocking one of the girls over." He diverted them back towards the stables, and Aya came willingly enough. Once he'd managed to have her settled into her throne, he marched back towards the servant's entrance and paused to hold open the door. "After you, sir," he said.

[GoblinFae]

Theo tilted his head at him in good-natured resignation before nodding and following obediently. Only once she was on her blanket did he give her praise and headpets before also likewise exiting. Their return however was met with boisterous accolade. The moment they stepped foot into the scullery, Aneisha came zooming up to them.

"Good morning, Pirate Jack!" she chirped offering him a salute while pushing a plate stacked with fresh hot buns, a cooked sausage, and some cooked tomatoes. "Breakfast time!"

The scullery maid signed quickly to Theo something about pirate and surprise causing the nobleman to chuckle and pat her head as he headed for the stairs. "Enjoy your breakfast, Mr. Daw. I'll see you when you come to collect me for breakfast. In the mean time," he plucked at his soiled and rumpled shirt, "I will be needing a bath."

[Nightcrawler]

It was still more food than he knew what to do with, and he eyed it in wonderment before remembering himself. "That's Smuggler Jack to you," he chuckled to Aneisha. "Can't call me Pirate until I earn the hook hand, and I'm still not planning on letting Cook do that to me. Are you trying to fatten me up?" he added. "You'll be rolling me places at this rate." He nodded to Theo in acknowledgement of what he'd said. "I'll have a chat with Dewey today," he added with a mite more formality before finally digging into breakfast.

"So," he started by way of conversation. "What do you all do for fun around here? Any wild parties when the Baron and Baroness go out?"

[GoblinFae]

Aneisha laughed, her whole face lighting up as she helped clear the workbench for everyone to sit at. The few other maids and servants soon gathered, each taking their own plates as they sat down and started the morning gossip. The scullery maid for her part patted the spot beside her on the wooden bench for him to join her.

"We don't have any parties here, although around yule Teddy sneaks us a barrel of mulled wine and we'll drink it while telling ghost stories. On Fridays we all tend to go down to the pub for some fun and on paydays we like to pile into Orz's cart and he takes us to the next town over where they have carnival and performances and things. They even had a real mermaid!"

"Oh come off it Neish, everyone knows it was a lady in a fin skirt holding her breath and flirtin with the lads. When are you gonna grow up? Mermaids ain't real lass. Selkies though, them you gotta watch for," the cook chimed in pointing a knife as she spoke. "Steal your souls they will."

[Nightcrawler]

"Thanks," he said, and plopped down beside the girl. He ate slowly and carefully — strategically, almost. First the tomatoes, then the sausage, then a little bit of one bun. He grinned as he listened to Aneisha, noting again how fond they all were of his charge. She was sweet, the girl. Reminded him a lot of his sisters, though that was half a lifetime ago now. Had the same fire as they did, too. 

The more he learned, though, the more he began to feel on edge. They were all so happy. They weren't at each other's throats or cold and quiet or disingenuous and catty. This was a comfortable life for them. They wanted to be here. They wanted to be around each other. And that was something that he had never known: not as a child, not as a runaway, not on a ship, not with the man he'd loved. He began to wonder what the catch was. When the other shoe would drop. His smile grew just a little strained, and maybe a little sad, too. But he held it up for Aneisha's sake and picked at the bun again.

"No, no, I want to hear this bit about the mermaid. Was she pretty? Can you put in a good word for me? Tell her I'm a pirate? She'll love that."

[GoblinFae]

She laughed again and scooted half a sausage off her plate onto his. "She was very pretty. Her hair was so long! It reached all the way down..." she motioned over her chest with mischievous eyes.

"Yeah and she charges by the quarter hour," Orz muttered under his breath earning a smack from Olivier.

"Will you come with us, Smuggler Jack? They have lots of fun foods too. Meats I've never heard of from far away places and candies shaped like stars! They even have this sweet bread that almost rivals Kenna's." She leaned into him and whispered conspiratorially behind her hand. "Theirs are bigger though."

[Nightcrawler]

Fletch snorted at Orz. "And how would you know that?" he countered before returning his attention to Aneisha. "Erm...maybe once I sort out who'd fill in for me. I can't exactly leave my post until I'm off, love. After that, sure, I'll be your bodyguard in town. Scare away all the boys. I don't come cheap, though," he added. "You've got to show me your favorite food there. Deal?" As he spoke, he quietly moved the sausage back to her plate.

[GoblinFae]

"Because three hours costs a fucking fortune," Orz muttered through gritted teeth, earning him another smack and getting sent away from the table to return to work, a bread roll jammed into his mouth as he hurried out the door.

"Oh but can't we just take Teddy with us? I'm sure he'd love to see the sights. Maybe not the mermaid of course but I don't think he'd mind the fresh air." Aneisha moved the sausage back to his plate in a fluid movement as she reached across it to grab the jar of jam which she applied liberally to her roll. "Even so you can't be working all hours of the night and day. You're still a human after all--" she suddenly gasped eyes alight as she fully turned to face him. "You're not a zombie smuggler are you? Do you turn into a skeleton by the light of the moon?!"

[Nightcrawler]

"Not the mermaid? What, he doesn't fancy seafood?" But then Fletcher quieted a little as, unbeknownst to her, Aneisha put him on the spot. "Well," he said. "Do you want to be the one to ask the Baroness about that? She's a bit too scary for me. Don't think I'd win. Which means I think your Teddy is stuck here for now. Unless you want to dress him up in a horse costume and make him carry you down the road," he added with an impish chuckle before shaking his head at her last question.

"You'll have to sort that one out for yourself. I should be going, though...should clean up so I don't look like absolute shite." With that, he stood, deftly dropped the sausage back on her plate again, grabbed the buns from his own, and gave her a mock salute off his brow. "Thanks for feeding me," he called over his shoulder to the cook, and disappeared up into the house.

He hurried to his quarters, keeping and eye and an ear out for the Baroness. Thankfully, she was nowhere to be seen, and he slipped through his door before anyone would notice what a mess he was. He locked it and turned, meaning to set the buns aside on the dresser, only to stop in his tracks and stare. At first he thought it was a mistake — that someone had delivered a gift to the wrong room. Then he saw the little card with his pseudonym. Then he glanced around the room, thinking that maybe this was a practical joke, but no...it wasn't. He looked back at the basket, piled high with the sort of baked things he used to dream of stealing as a kid, and clenched his teeth against the unexpected tightness in his throat.

"No," he said to himself, shaking off the feeling. "No. You people aren't real. This doesn't happen." He breathed deep, set the buns carefully next to the basket, and resolved to pretend it wasn't there at all. A few minutes later after a hasty washing up, he emerged looking both preoccupied and irritated, strode up to Pretty Boy's door, and knocked. And waited. Then, realizing what he'd just done, he groaned up at the ceiling and opted simply to stand and wait for the man to appear.

[GoblinFae]

Her shoulders slumped though at being reminded of the Baroness. The disappointment did not last long though at the mental image of the Young Master being dressed as a horse. "We could!" she called after Fletcher as he made his exit. There was a soft cry of protest that could be heard as she discovered the returned sausage but otherwise the staff carried on with their talk and their chores, allowing the day to get fully underway.

Theodore for his part had managed to fully bathe and change into fresh clothes. There was no hiding the dark circles under his eyes but perhaps if he kept his head down enough his mother would simply not notice. Then again she likely would notice him ignoring her unending prattling and would like get in trouble for ignoring her. It was ultimately a lose-lose scenario for him.

His thoughts were interrupted though by the feel of the floor beneath his feet vibrating with the footsteps of another nearby. 'Mr. Daw must be finished breakfast,' he mused to himself with a small grin. 'Aneisha must be buzzing over him finding her little surprise. I know she was worried about him liking it but I don't see him as the kind of man to look a gift horse in the mouth.'

More footsteps and then a bigger vibration caused by his door rattling signaled the other man's arrival at his door. He quickly scuttled across the room to open in it, his hazel eyes twinkling with a tiny spot of mischief and amusement. "Did you enjoy your breakfast, Mr. Daw?"

[Nightcrawler]

"Ye—" He stopped mid-word and released the rest of that breath like a kettle with steam. Pretty Boy looked a little too entertained, given how tired they both were. The crease between Fletcher's brows deepened. "You in on this?" he asked bluntly. "If it's a joke, sir, it's not a good one." He jerked his head to his own door. "Knock when you're ready. I'll wait." With that, he spun on heel and disappeared back into his quarters, shutting the door firmly behind him. He glowered at the basket once more before striding to the bed and flopping down on it, pointedly ignoring what he'd been given.

[GoblinFae]

Theo's expression when from pleased to utterly confused by Fletcher's sudden outburst and change of mood. Weren't they getting along almost before they parted ways? Why was he now so fussed and running off? What had happened?

The nobleman stood there in stunned silence for several moments as he attempted desperately to wrack his brain for what he had done wrong to suddenly cause such an offense and yet still came up empty. With his heart hammering against his ribcage he took the leaden steps to the next room over and lightly brushed his knuckles against the door.

"Mr. Daw? Can I speak with you? I'm sorry but I don't know what happened just now and I'm trying to understand."

[Nightcrawler]

Fletch shot daggers at the closed door. He ignored the man for as long as he could comfortably manage, grumbled, rolled back off the bed, stomped up to the door, and opened it again. The look he cast at Pretty Boy was a severe one. "Are you ready for breakfast, sir?" he asked through gritted teeth, ignoring the rest of what Theo had said.

[GoblinFae]

Theodore flinched at the look but held his ground. "I'm sorry I didn't catch that. Please, I thought we were getting along. Have I done something to offend you? Were the staff cruel to you? Did Aneisha cross a boundary? Did my mother find out about this morning? I'll speak with her and smooth things out. It's my fault anyway."

[Nightcrawler]

It just made it worse. The softness. The questions. Fletcher hadn't expected any of this. He hadn't been ready. He scanned the hall, then returned his piercing gaze to Theo, blood pumping furiously and nostrils flared. In spite of it all, his eyes strained to water. "Are you. Ready. For breakfast. Sir?" he repeated, enunciating every word this time.

[GoblinFae]

Fletcher looked like he would explode from the inside at any moment if Theo so much as looked at him the wrong way. He had no idea why everything had suddenly turned on its head but he knew he was part of the problem and he very much wanted not to be. For a moment he was completely silent, taking in the tension of the other man's shoulders, the way his pulse throbbed in the veins of his forehead, and the glassiness of his eye.

Wordlessly he placed a hand on the other man's chest and gently pushed him back into his room, closing the door behind him. "Jack, please. What's going on," he asked softly with genuine concern. "I fear I've done something horrible to hurt you and I don't understand what. What can I do to help you? Please, I want to help. I want to right this wrong."

[Nightcrawler]

Maybe it was the shock at Pretty Boy's sheer fucking audacity. Or maybe it was his own fear that if he let any of this out, he'd break the man's pretty little nose and be out on the street again within the hour. Whatever it was, he allowed himself to be pushed back into his quarters. He backed away another few steps. To his own surprise, he barked an exasperated laugh. "Of course you don't fucking understand," he rasped, straining to keep his voice low. "Why would you understand? The fucking balls on nobility, mate. You think everything is for you. Do you honestly think you can just snap your pretty fingers and somehow understand the people who serve you? What, just because you joke with them a bit and they let you into the bloody kitchen?"

He was fuming and pacing now, hands flailing to enunciate his every point. "You," he continued, jabbing a finger at Theo, "Have never had to worry about where your next meal comes from. You've never had to starve so your siblings could eat. You've never had to scrimp and save just to buy some shitty, moldy little loaf of bread and been fucking thankful to see it. You've never laid awake at night with your stomach hurting so bad that you can't get to sleep. You don't know. It's not for you."

He stood in place now, heaving, but could find nothing more to say. Slowly, he managed to get a grip on himself, and now the rage was tempered with heavy resignation as it settled with him what he'd just done, and to whom. "You know what...I'm sorry. That wasn't...I'll pack my things and go. No need to tell them."