Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2022 0:17:08 GMT -5
[for @temperance , @thom , @warren - bones, marrow, tendons]
Even though he’d checked on Temperance’s ability to defend herself from any untoward visitors and received some reassurance as to her safety, Ber had still made an effort to visit her a little more often. Just to be sure. Rewarded with good food, good company, and, of course, Artos, he hardly found it a troublesome task, but given that he was still another mouth to feed and ultimately another guest to entertain, he had tried to temper his presence by helping out in the greenhouse or around the house. By the time he and Woodwick had neutralized Whitby, the young man’s more frequent visits had simply become a habit. In the absence of any protests from Temperance and Thom – and because it got him out of the military wing and therefore away from a certain Lieutenant – he had simply carried on with this new routine.
Today, Melody had roped the soldier into assisting her with some heavy lifting and other chores scattered around the little cottage and the back yard, and he’d more than willingly obliged her. Now, however, the work that Ber could do for the stern woman, whom he was fairly confident secretly nursed a soft spot for abandoned puppies, had ended, leaving him to find the aforementioned puppy who was probably due for a walk. But it had been a while since the black bundle of fur had stopped following him around, so now the soldier set off to find him.
When it appeared that Artos had not fallen asleep in any of his favorite places around the house, Ber paused and scratched his head. Last he’d checked, both Temperance and Thom, who had also started spending more time around the house for reasons unknown to Ber, were home. Chances were the former was working in the greenhouse, whil he could probably find the latter pouring over a thick ledger or ridiculous number of papers at the workspace he’d claimed for his own. But when he looked toward the makeshift office space, Artos wasn’t there – and neither was Thom, for that matter. Perhaps he was in the greenhouse with Temperance? Or perhaps he had decided to go into the city after all and taken the puppy with him? Only one way to find out.
Finally, the soldier wandered out front to the greenhouse. As usual, the door was open, but now that the implications of potentially interrupting some alone time between Thom and Temperance had struck him, he couldn’t get the possibility of stumbling upon some rather unfortunate sights out of his mind. Ber paused. Then, just in case they were both there and engaging in activities he’d rather not see, he called out before he even reached the door. “Hey, Temperance, have you seen Thom?” With a knock on the door frame, he rounded the corner and continued with a quick glance around the greenhouse, “I’m wondering if he took—“
And then Ber registered what he saw. He had found Temperance, and he had even found Thom, both sitting there with one Warren Woodwick.
What the fuck.
Suddenly suspicious, his gaze flicked downward. Sure enough, there lay Artos, as content as ever, at Woodwick’s feet. The traitor.
After a moment of staring, Ber turned his mind back on. When he had imagined unfortunate scenes to stumble upon, this had not been among them, but in hindsight, it was definitely worse. “Ah, nevermind. Don’t let me interrupt you.” When one was faced with Woodwick, a tactical retreat made with the utmost haste while one still could was the only option. “I was about to head out anyway. I’ll see you later, Temperance, Thom.” There was a slight hesitation, as if he still couldn’t fully comprehend the sight of the Lieutenant in the greenhouse. “… Sir.” Time to go.