Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Jul 18, 2007 14:51:28 GMT
Beth paid for the food, talking to the delivery woman as she did; the woman was the one who usually brought the food by when Beth ordered in to the shop, so they often talked for a couple of moments. She noticed that the delivery woman’s eyes kept roaming to Tobin and honestly, Beth really couldn’t blame her. After all, Tobin was very handsome and the woman wasn’t blind. Married, yes, but not blind.
After a few moments, the woman left and Beth finished up with the flowers quickly before offering Tobin a little smile. Had she known that he was ready to protect her if she needed it- even if he wasn’t really aware of doing that- she probably would have gone extremely red in the face. As it was, she didn’t have to explain a sudden blush. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ravenous. Why don’t we go into the back room, settle at the table and have some breakfast?”
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Jul 20, 2007 14:36:07 GMT
His attention had moved away from Beth once the other woman had left, returning to some of the flowers on display. Tobin watched them carefully, marvelling at the beauty in the blooms and how far removed they seemed from the pain of the world. They didn’t seem to belong and he half felt neither did Bethany – the world was far too cruel for people and she didn’t deserve that.
Tobin looked down at the ground and nodded as Bethany spoke. This at least he knew, even if he didn’t recognize any of the smells coming from the breakfast. The young werewolf followed her into the back, remaining upright and keeping his attention fixed on the ground in the hope that she wouldn’t see the hunger in his eyes.
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Jul 21, 2007 0:30:04 GMT
As soon as they got into the back room, Beth put the bags on the table and began pulling out cartons, opening them to see what was in them as she went, her stomach rumbling rather loudly as she went through them all. She went slightly pink at that, but didn’t address it. Instead, she pulled out the plastic forks in their little wrappers and held on out to Tobin as she sat down and motioned to the food. “Help yourself. There’s plenty.”
She was going to need something to drink before it was over and couldn’t help the little smile that came to her face when she heard the coffee pot start up. She really did love that she had managed to set the timer to start it up and what was usually the absolute perfect time for her.
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Jul 25, 2007 15:36:37 GMT
Just when he had thought everything had settled down into something familiar, Miss. Bethany said or did something that threw everything back up in the air and shifted the focus of the world all over again. Tobin was sure that his face betrayed his surprise as he looked at her and then at the tempting containers that held all manner of strange things.
“But you’ve not had your fill yet,” he told her simply, stating it more as a fact than as a question. Tobin didn’t eat before others, it was wrong and disrespectful. This was Beth’s territory and that meant that she got first pick of the food. He got whatever she didn’t want. It was simply the way that the world worked.
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Jul 25, 2007 17:47:47 GMT
Beth did indeed see the surprise on his face and that was something that she had never seen when saying that before. She was used to perhaps a polite ‘Thanks’ and then the other person digging in happily, so when he looked the way he looked and said what he did, it was her turned to be surprised again.
She opened her mouth and was about to address him by name, but very quickly realized that she still didn’t know whether Doyle or Tobin was his first name. Because of that, she quickly dropped the name thing and said, “These things are packed with more than enough. Believe me, there’s plenty of everything. Besides, I don’t like eating by myself when there’s someone else with me. It makes me feel rude. Please, go ahead and take as much as you want. I’ll get my share.”
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Jul 26, 2007 20:27:03 GMT
His confusion changed to panic at Beth’s words, Tobin shaking his head. “No, no, no, I couldn’t do that,” he stammered, his repeated denials stumbling over each other as he tried his best to word his confusion and fear, even going so far as to take a lumbering step backwards – his walk still hampered by his broken leg and splint. “It’s not my place Miss. Beth,” Tobin added, an earnest look on his face.
The fear of taking food before others was too engrained in him, the young werewolf remembering the harsh penalties for disobedience only too well. It didn’t matter that this place was different, he was still lower than her, than anyone. Food was never meant for him in a pristine state and certainly not as warm or delicious smelling as some of the offerings on the table were.
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Jul 26, 2007 22:20:32 GMT
“Okay, okay,” Beth said, holding her hands up, palms facing him in what she hoped was a calming gesture. “You don’t have to eat right now if you don’t want to. I’m not going to make you.” She felt a twist of guilt, knowing that something she had said had caused him yet more upset. She wasn’t used to people acting this way and therefore wasn’t really sure as to how she should act.
“Please, at least sit down so you can get off your leg.” She was going to feel odd eating while he simply sat there, but since he was apparently only going to eat after she had finished, she would do it for no other reason so that she could get done and he would take some of the food for himself. “Do you mind if ask why it isn’t your place? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to- I won’t bother you about it- but I’ve never had someone say that before and I can’t help but be curious as to why you’d think that.”
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Aug 9, 2007 16:12:32 GMT
Tobin gave her a jerky nod, fighting to even his breathing out again and allow it to return to the normal state. He was painfully aware that by his age he should have been able to keep his panic attacks under control and not let his breath become as shallow and erratic as it had. It was simply yet another example of his stupidity, of his inability to be trained and to learn even the most basic of tasks. No wonder he had been discarded as he had – even the great couldn’t help a hopeless case.
Carefully, as though expecting some attack, Tobin moved forward again and settled himself on the very edge of the seat opposite Beth with his eyes downcast. “Hierarchy Miss. Beth,” he explained softly, voice becoming thicker with his Irish twang. “The more important you are, the better your treatment and you have to work to rise up through the ranks. I never managed to.”
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Aug 14, 2007 20:09:29 GMT
As she watched him, Beth was unable to stop herself from wondering just what Tobin’s story was. She knew that she would never be able to get it out of her mind until she had learned just what he had been through to make him the way he was, but that was a question best left for another time, she decided, if there even was another time. This could very well be the first and only time she would ever see him and that rather upset her when she thought about it. It was obvious- to her, at least- that he needed help, even if it was just someone he could talk to and Beth badly wanted to give him that help. She just wasn’t sure if he would appreciate it or not.
She had always been a sucker for a man with an accent- they were intriguing to her for whatever reason. For this occasion though, she pushed the thoughts about just how cute the Irish accent was on men and focused on Tobin, which, in all actuality, was an easy thing to do, especially considering what he had just said to her. “There’s no hierarchy here, though,” she told him gently. She was trying hard to keep from saying anything that would make him panic again. “Everyone is equal with me- I’m no better than anyone else.”
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Aug 15, 2007 15:04:27 GMT
He looked down at the table as she spoke, unable to meet her gaze. That too was a mistake however, because looking down meant looking at the wide array of food spread out, all across the table, all manner of delicious things. With an obvious effort he looked up again, expression showing that he was clearly troubled by her words. “You own this,” Tobin pointed out, gesturing first to the food and then to the room they were sitting in. “That gives you power and places you up high in the hierarchy, wither you accept that or not.”
Tobin hadn’t wanted to accept his place but he had quickly been shown that he had little choice in the matter. They were tied to the role chosen for them and all that was left was to decide how to best deal with it. The young wolf shifted nervously in his chair, flushing slightly as he mentally went over his last sentence to realise that he had done more than just act submissive, he had actually argued with her. He had deified someone.
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Aug 21, 2007 18:48:54 GMT
Beth again found herself wishing that she knew his story so that maybe, just maybe, she could figure out what she was supposed to do around him. He was just so very different from anyone that she had ever had any experience was and right now she was simply confused. Admittedly not as confused as she had been since she had gotten the opportunity to speak with him a little, but still confused. Power, high in the hierarchy… what? She understood what he was saying, but she didn’t understand why he was saying it. What was it about her owning the shop and having bought the food that gave her any sort of power? It certainly never had before.
“Maybe I own the store and maybe I bought the food, but I bought at least half of it for you. Part of all this-” she motioned to the food “is yours.” She paused for a moment. “It’s a gift just because I can and because I want to help.”
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Aug 24, 2007 22:30:10 GMT
Nothing had ever been Tobin’s before, at least not anything he could remember. Even his name was not truly his own, a half stolen thing he kept in the dark, shamefully hidden from the rest of the world in the fear that it would be taken from him as everything else had been taken from him, everything now forgotten and lost. As for gift… “I don’t understand,” he mumbled, lifting a hand and running his finger along the edge of the table. “What’s a gift?” Tobin couldn’t bare to look up at the human female and see the no doubt disapproving scowl as he showed yet again his ignorance.
It just wasn’t right. Nothing he had been told and taught made sense away from the pack and nothing worked the way he had been told it would. It did seem to prove the lesson that with the pack things were right – but things were less painful now he was away from the rest of the pack and as selfish and as cowardly as that may be, Tobin didn’t like pain.
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Sept 2, 2007 19:23:35 GMT
Had he looked at her, Tobin wouldn’t have seen any signs of disapproval, but rather confusion mixed with sadness. He didn’t know what a gift was? Beth had never met anyone who didn’t know that and she found it extremely sad that he had so apparently led a life in which he had never experienced being given a gift before. “A gift is something that someone gives you without really expecting anything in return for it. Like the clothes. They’re a gift, just like the food. I want you to have them, so I’m giving them to you.”
As she spent more time with him, Beth found it harder and harder to deny the urge to just take him home with her and teach him about anything and everything he didn’t already know. It was just so hard to believe that he had known which bone he had broken and yet didn’t know what a gift was.
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Tobin
Omega Werewolf
Sheppard's Pack
Posts: 95
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Post by Tobin on Sept 5, 2007 19:29:44 GMT
The young wolf – older than he appeared, but far younger in his attitudes and behaviour – listened as she explained what so clearly was supposed to be a basic and obvious fact about life. The wolf in him perked up as she spoke and somehow was soothed by her voice and the words even if they scared him. Even if they didn’t make a whole world of sense.
“Take something without having to give something back?” Tobin said quietly, eyes still fixed on the table and the random design his finger seemed to be drawing independently of his mind. There was still one thing he had to know, even if it angered her in the asking. “Why? Why would you do that for me?”
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Beth
Human
Flower Shop Owner
Posts: 98
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Post by Beth on Sept 9, 2007 23:05:54 GMT
“Why wouldn’t I?” She thought that it was a perfectly reasonable response to the question that he had asked her. There was no reason for her not to do something like that. He needed clothes, he needed food and she was able to offer him both at the moment so why wouldn’t she do what she could for him.? Not only did she want to help if she could, but she liked to help. She always had, just as she had always done whatever she could to help.
She glanced over her shoulder and, seeing that the coffee was ready, stood and moved over, taking out one of the coffee mugs that she kept there. “Are you ready for something to drink now? I’ve got all sorts of stuff in the fridge if you want to look and pick something out.”
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