olden times for Tommy

[oohforeshadowing]

The great country pile isn't their speed, really.

Double had their lovely house in London, bought and paid for by their adoptive father - a High Fae of some high regard, who'd been fretting about their lands and accounts falling into strangers' hands when he passed on. It was a heartrending story, of course, and Double was...well, positively delighted to be anything the old man wanted them to be. For the right price.

Shapeshifters have long since had a bad reputation for sliding into the upper echelons this way. They hadn't been in penury to begin with, by any means, but 'lovely house in London' money and 'vast estates with mining wealth and hundreds of rate-paying tenants' money is not the same by some order of magnitude.

The old man died peacefully in his bed, well over a century old, and left the manor house and everything that went with it to their sole heir. Who is going to sell it all, eventually, but it feels tasteless not to even let their 'father's' body grow cold.

They move in after the last of their furniture has been transported, and lets the housekeeper give them the tour. They cut quite the figure: long blond hair pinned up in curls, a jacket and blouse tailored tightly to a corseted waist, the snug high-waisted breeches favoured by most males. Their tail is the most exposed part of them and the woman they're following keeps eyeing it like she's not sure if it's obscene or not.

"...show you the stables, your grace," she says, as she walks ahead to the outbuildings.

"Ah. I suppose we ought."

Comments

[bleak_midwinter]

He looks at them as they do that, enjoying the sight. Their hair color goes so beautifully with their skin color, it fascinates him.

"Very productive indeed. I've laid your purchases out on the dresser."

All in a row, on the other side of this door. "I ought to freshen up for dinner, after the journey."

[oohforeshadowing]

"An excellent idea, darling. Ah - there'll be glyphs for hot and cold water. The glyph for heat is rounded, the cold is more angular."

But they'll let him discover the rest for himself while they take a seat and start unfastening their boots.

[bleak_midwinter]

He's no valet, so he leaves them to their clothing even though he'd quite like to look at them undress. Hot water - god, when does he ever bathe with hot water?

Even better: there's hot water coming out of pipes, through a spray in the wall. He loses himself in there for a good ten minutes before apparently realizing how long he's been gone for, and only then reluctantly turns the water off and gets out to let them have a turn. He's warm all over, his skin a little red from the heat, his hair slicked back out of his face. It's glorious.

[oohforeshadowing]

Double has barely undressed - shoes, stockings, jacket - but they look up to admire him when he emerges.

"Enjoy the facilities? You look like you had a nice time in there."

Honestly they just want to push him down and start testing out their new tools.

[bleak_midwinter]

"I've never had a bath like this. Have you? I feel reborn."

He still sounds a little stunned, which is a new look for him. What's also new is the towel that he has wrapped around his hips. What they felt before becomes evident now: his strong legs, his broad shoulders, his strong waist. His work is all physical, and he spends most days hauling, carrying, lifting, riding.

[oohforeshadowing]

"On occasion, at places like this," they murmur, coming a little closer for further inspection. "I can spend hours in water that warm. It's wonderful. Maybe I'll make those changes to the house that Papa never got around to?"

They delicately trace the shape of his bicep with a fingernail, following a drop of water as it trails over his skin.

[bleak_midwinter]

He shivers, looking at their sharp nail, enjoying the timbre of their voice.

"You ought to - if it's possible, why not?"

[oohforeshadowing]

"Why not indeed."

They withdraw their hand with a reluctant sigh.

"I'm going to wash up myself. Please put some clothes on or I won't be held responsible for the consequences."

[bleak_midwinter]

"Flattering." He steps away to let them through, and puts on something simpler and lighter from his day attire. A linen shirt, high-waisted trousers, his regular boots instead of his riding ones. When they come out he'll be sitting at the table, reading from a small book he'd brought.

[oohforeshadowing]

Double emerges a little while later wearing much the same, although they're still barefoot. Their hair is a little damp and tied up away from their face.

"Very nice," they agree. "I don't always enjoy the company of the Fae but they have their uses, haven't they?"

[bleak_midwinter]

"I'd still like for humans to invent something similar, but until then I can indulge every now and then," he agrees, putting his book down. He has principles, but apparently some things trump principles. Like showers.

And the sight of them, too. They look so good in trousers, slender and a little masculine in a way that greatly appeals to him. He doesn't pretend he isn't looking.

[oohforeshadowing]

And Double preens under the attention, a little sway in their hips as they move toward him, tail moving in counterpoint.

"What are you reading, darling?"

[bleak_midwinter]

"Candide," he says, holding the book up. "It's funny, and thought-provoking, and easy to pick up between work."

[oohforeshadowing]

"Candide! I love Voltaire," they chirp, genuinely pleased to learn this about him. "I have a number of his works, if you'd ever care to sneak into my library."

[bleak_midwinter]

"Oh - do you?" He perks up. "I've read a few of his works, but not everything. Have you moved your library to the estate yet?"

He also likes Voltaire, on account of his thoughts on equality between men and women, Fae and human, ruling class and lower class. He doesn't think he has to say so.

[oohforeshadowing]

He does not. Double is fond of his work on religion, and his defences of worldly pleasures, but his more revolutionary notions sit quite comfortably with them as well.

"I've just about finished," they tell him. "There's just a few pieces of art left that I'd like to move from the London house."

There's a gentle knock at the door, and their ears perk up briefly.

"Ah. That must be dinner."

[bleak_midwinter]

Here he does get up, out of courtesy. He opens the door, lets the bellhop in, and stands back while their dinner is being laid out.

"Quite the feast," he remarks when he's left. It smells great, and he finds he's starving.

[oohforeshadowing]

"Their chef is very good here," Trouble agrees, and takes a seat. Smoked fish to begin, and a main course of roast lamb and vegetables. It's all very well cooked, prettily presented and delicious.

"I did ask for sweets," they tell him, as they finish up, "But we can save them for later, I think."

That sugar might be more needed after their other plans today.

[bleak_midwinter]

That they've taken care to plan that far away interests him as much as he finds it attentive. It prompts a question, too:

"Before we move on from dinner... you seem to know things about what we'll be doing that I hadn't expected you to know. If you're that experienced, you must have - ideas? Preferences?"

[oohforeshadowing]

They take a shallow sip of water.

"I wouldn't say I'm expert in these games," they concede. "But I've played, yes. Enough to know that I'm not using that whip on you today, for example. I'd be as likely to break a window and take my own eye out."

[bleak_midwinter]

"I admit I suggested with the hopes you'd visit me in the stables some night," he says, with a smile. He shifts so he can press the toes of his shoes against their ankle.

[oohforeshadowing]

They chuckle softly.

"Good. I'll have the opportunity to practice, that way."

But then they sober a little, thinking, as their tail lightly touches his calf.

"It's....difficult to talk about my predilections, I'm sure you can guess. One can find oneself being quite harshly judged if they say things like, yes, it arouses me to beat handsome men until they weep."

[bleak_midwinter]

"I understand," he says, calmly. Really, he does.

"You don't have to talk about it, but as someone who's been on either end of this scenario I do find it best to be honest about some of it. It arouses me to be treated a certain way in these games, as you call them." And he likes that term, it's exactly what it is.

"Speaking about it beforehand not only makes it more arousing, it also prevents me from feeling strange about it afterwards. If I tell you I like something here, I don't have to worry you'll treat me that way out in the world."

Or, at least, he'd have to worry less.

[oohforeshadowing]

Double's pupils noticeably dilate at the mention of either end, which may be something to explore at a later date.

"...I think of it like the stage," they say. "We both have our roles to play, and in the playing we satisfy ourselves and one another, but at any time either of us can also say - no, this feels wrong, I need a new direction. And we can resume the scene or move onto another, as we need. And off the stage, I will still respect you."

[bleak_midwinter]

He smiles, a little wistful but happy, as he reaches to brush his fingers over their tail.

"You speak of it exactly in the manner I think of it. To think, I really did think you were a silly aristocrat when I met you."