Thar Shaddin

Tanya set about writing an explanation about how she had reacted to Shade, hoping that it would help put things to rights between them. Carefully, the doll takes up the pencil in her hands and begins to write.

'I am deeply sorry for offending you, Shade. I have nothing against shifters or others that are not like my parents. Can't really say others that are not like myself since I am a porcelain doll. I wasn't mad or upset that you are a shifter. I was upset that you hadn't told me sooner when I had told you so much about myself. I was wrong and I am sorry.'

She sets the pencil down and walks over to the tired looking Shade holding the paper above her head. If she had a heart, it would have been beating fast. The last thing she wanted was to have him mad at her.

At first he wanted to ignore her, to keep reading. Yet, he found that he couldn't. He found himself glance up at the determined doll and take note of the note that she held so boldly above her head. At first, he'd thought she was protesting something, like cleaning or treatment. He snorted but took it anyway, curious and irked as he started to read the letter.

As he read though, he felt that angry slip away. She'd wronged him? Well, this made things awkward. He felt himself huff a little, irritated at his own spontaneous stupidity to think past instinctive suspicion. Of course, why wouldn't he? Shifters weren't liked around here and that was well known. He sighed wearily.

"...I guess I owe you an apology too." Shade grumbled as he crumpled the paper up and tossed it in a random corner. "Didn't really think much about telling you about me. Sorry. Didn't mean offense."

Well, he felt sheepish.

When Shade took the paper from her, she thought for a moment that he was going to become more angry with her. After what felt like eternity he read it all and looked down at her. Tanya couldn't help but fidget but when he apologized to her, it had taken her by surprise. The doll watched the crumpled ball land in a corner and instead of scolding him - she had learned her lesson - Tanya walked over, picked it up, and dropped it on the rubbish pile.

When she returned to her place in front of Shade, she absently picked at the dust on her black velvet apron while being careful of the elaborate bead work. The antique doll touched his knee briefly before raising her clasped hands to her left cheek and leaned her hands on the China painted cheek like one in sleep. The doll was trying to ask if he was sleepy and if he was going to bed. He truly did look tired and it worried her, knowing most of his weariness was because of her made her feel guilty.

'Why do I have to be such a burden to him?' She thought to herself.

"Your tired?" Shade guessed with a slight yawn himself. "Yeah, I guess it has been quite the day....."

He vaguely wondered how late it was. The run from the school here had been short but the day for him started early. He winced a little as he felt his shoulders drop and he let out a low sigh. No, the day was done. He was tired. Rubbing his aching eyes he let out a sigh of defeat.

"Alright, I'll grab ya a box and we'll head to bed."

She nodded her head in agreement and walked over to stand by her bag of gifts Shade had bought her earlier. Tanya slipped her bonnet off and then untied her apron before slipping it off as well. Taking out her new brush, the porcelain doll did her best at brushing the dust and tangles from her thigh length hair. When she was satisfied enough with the results, she used a ribbon to tie her hair back loosely at the nape of her neck. Next, Tanya unbuckled her black leather shoes clumsily and took them off before drawing up her dress and underskirt high enough to roll down her stockings and add them to the dirty bonnet and apron. When all done, she stood in her white silk dress with the blue floral design and her bare feet, looking around to see if Shade had come back with the box for her to sleep in.

Shade frowned as he pulled out a small wooden box then another one not far behind. What ever he had in these things was long gone, and he doubted he'd ever remember what was in 'em. Still, none were big enough. He growled in irritation as he tossed them on the bed, pausing only when he noticed something peaking innocently underneath his bed.

It was an apple basket big enough to hold a large dog and circular. This he used when he was in wolf form, too tired or pained to try and shift back into human. Still, change the insides of it and Tanya could use it, right? He hummed with inspiration as he pulled free the haired blanket, sneezing as dust hit his nose, before tossing the dirty thing in a pile. Then, he rummaged through his dresser and pulled out what appeared to be a couple of shirts. Stuffing the bottom in a make-shift bed with one shirt and tossing the other half assed on top, he went back and pulled out a pair of pants, folding in a rectangle as he put it at the edge of the circle. There, pillow and blanket.

"All done!" He announced turning to look at the doll. Seeing her already undressed he blinked, unsure how he'd not noticed that before. "Ah... Well. You lay and bed and cover your eyes. No peekin' either cause I'm sure no young lady is suppose to get an eye of men goods until their married."

Tanya nodded her head quickly and sprinted for the makeshift bed he had made with his clothes. The doll then climbed inside, made herself comfortable, and hid her head under her shirt-blanket. She more than agreed with what Shade had said and was glad yet again that she couldn't blush. Snuggling down into the bed, she folded herself up so that she was curled up in the center with her hands over her eyes. The smell of Shade around her made Tanya feel more relaxed again. She waited and kept still until she was told that it was safe.

"Finished." Shade announced as he flung his socks in the same corner he'd tossed his dog blanket. Clad in only a pair of wool pants, he grunted a little as he stretched. Seeing the little doll hiding underneath the blanket he blinked before letting loose a rumbling chuckle. "It's alright now. I'm done."

Yawning he walked to the lantern and with a glance at her, blew out the wick. Then, carefully shuffling in the dark he made his way back to his own bed. He groaned as he crawled onto the bed and flopped down on the hay mattress with a weary sigh.

"G'night. Sleep tight.... don't........let the.......Zzzzz."

Shade was out like a light, snoring louder then a bear and just as gruff. A quirk of his of course, sleeping so quick and that loud, but nobody argued. At least, nobody that was still living had anyway.

The doll came out of hiding when she was told it was safe, rearranging her limbs in the pose of sleep. She had folded the blanket down at the top enough to free her arms but cover her body, her hands overlapping atop the blanket. Shade's loud snoring made her want to laugh as the sound reverberated through her spring joints, setting them to hum. Finally she pulled her soul back from the limbs of the antique porcelain doll to conserve energy causing the doll to settle more heavily in the bed.

Tanya thought over the day's events and was amazed how drastically her life had changed so quickly since Shade met her gaze in the shop window. Ten years of solitude inside of her mother's doll watching the life of others happening all around her while she was separate from it all. Years spent away from her father and the farm where she grew up. Tanya wondered if her father was able to overcome the loss of his wife and daughter, if the crop was flourishing again, or if he was even still alive? She also wondered if the brothers in the next farm over were okay and if they were married yet, raising little ones of their own.

The last thought that drifted through her mind before the darkness of sleep took her was, where was her human body now? Was it buried somewhere with the worms and insects making it there home or was it used in some nefarious dealings thanks to that old hag? Would she ever be fully human again?

When Shade woke up the next morning, it was to the smell of egg and warm bread. He growled sleepily as he shifted in his bed, wanting the food but not wanting to get out of bed for it. He complained so loudly, sleepily demanding somebody bring him food so he could remain lazy. The exact response for Lucy downstairs was 'Move it or I'll eat it for you.' accompanied by Rebbecca's 'Swade is wazy!' singing. His own groan of protested added to the music and together they made the daily morning song.

Slowly he dragged his sorry butt out of bed, slumping onto all fours and crawling to the door. Grumbling he slowly pulled himself up using the doorhandle as a prop. Without so much as a glance back he staggered out into the hall, down the stairs and to the kitchen table. Flopping on the nearest chair he groaned and grumbled, glancing groggily at Lucy's cooking hiney.

Odd, he felt like he was forgetting something....

With a silent yawn, Tanya's soul stretches back into the fragile limbs and sits up slowly, checking her joints and limbs over to make sure all was in working order. The morning ruckus made her want to laugh and seeing the grown man's antics at the door made her feeling of good nature humor shimmer around her. After Shade made his way down stairs, the doll climbed out of her bed, tidied it up, and went to the bag of things to get ready for the day as best she could.

She pulls the ribbon free of her mussed hair to brush it glossy before braiding it down her back, doing her best to braid the ribbon into it and tying it off with the ribbon's end. Next she pulls out on of the two dresses Shade bought her and fumbles at the button at the back of the neck before she could slip out of her dress. Now only in her underskirt, the doll quickly stepped into the new one. After a few minutes of trying to button the dress, Tanya is finally able to and then rolls her stockings up her legs to mid thigh, and buckle her leather shoes into place on her little feet. When she had finished getting ready for the day, the doll perched herself on the side of her new bed to wait for Shade to come back.

Shade doesn't scream like a woman but that morning he came pretty close. Of course, he had known he was forgetting something but coming upstairs to realize just what/who it was he couldn't help but shriek a little. Well, a lot.

"Sholy thesh Huck!" he yelled as he jumped a good foot, his words mixing 'holy shit' and 'what the fuck' while his brain tried to sort out too many things so early in the morning. What was her name? What was the damn doll's name?! "T-Tanya?"

Below he heard ruckas below as Lucy and Rebbecca came running, alarmed by his yelling. Mentally still frozen he didn't even try to block the door or even close it, realizing now he was sitting on the floor with wide wild eyes. Lucy came running in, eyes wide as she searched for the shocked shifter and what caused his yelling. Seeing nothing she looked at the paled man.

"Shade?" She whispered shaking his shoulder roughly causing him to jump. She frowned but kept her hand on his shoulder, meeting his wide eyes with growing uncertainty. "Shade what's wrong?"

"I... Tanya. I forgot she was there." he shuddered as he rubbed his temple. "Its... the doll."

"The doll?" She blinked as she peered over at Tanya with a frown. "What of it? Did you sleep with it or something?"

"No... No it.... she, she's haunted." he answered rubbing his eyes. "The doll carries the soul of a little girl... named Tanya."

"I...Shade, perhaps you should go lay down."

"..." Shade looked up at her and the concerned disbelief in her eyes. Realizing she didn't believe him he felt a little relieved but a bit frustrated. Still, he played along and simply nodded and allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet and lead from the room.

"Perhaps you've been outside too much yesterday." Lucy said holding him firmly underneath the armpit.

"Yeah. That must be it." He answered grimly. "Too much damned sun."

Tanya was a little hurt by what had transpired but she understood. Yesterday's events certainly were a lot to take in first thing in the morning. Unlike her, Shade didn't have time to go over the events before sleeping. He had been so worn out that as soon as his head had hit the pillow, he was conked out. Remembering his rules, she held perfectly motionless and cleared her mind of thought so none of her emotions could be felt.

After Lucy and Shade left the room, the doll still didn't move in case one of them came back and catch her in a different position. What had started out as a good morning for her had suddenly turned into a possibly dangerous situation for her if Shade was being serious and thought Tanya was a product of his sun adled mind. The porcelain doll mentally shook herself to clear her mind once more. The last thing anyone needed was to feel her gloominess. Then they would really think her a haunted doll.

Two cups of coffee and a concerned Lucy later, Shade was coherent enough to realize what had happened. Hiding his head in his hands, he inwardly cursed his stupidity as Rebbecca patted his knee and told him that it was alright, he was just getting old. His lip twitched.

"I'm not old Rebbecca." he grumbled without even looking up.

"Ywes you awe." came the snorting response. "Ywo wazy an' owd. Dwayel said so."

"..." Shade looked up at her with a clearly irked expression before standing up and walking stiffly to the stairs. "I'm going back to bed. Too much excercise is making me hear things as well. For a moment, I thought Rebbecca said I was old and that Drayel said I was lazy."

"You are." Lucy answered with a snort. "Lazy I mean."

"See? Too much excercise. Now I heard you say something too." with that Shade went up the stairs and to his room where he promptly closed the door, slid onto the floor, and stared tiredly at the doll who sat upon his bed. "Well, guess that was quite the mornin'. Sorry Tanya, don't wake up well somedays."

Tanya nods her head and slides down the side of the bed to land on her small feet, her hands smoothing out the dress. The doll approaches Shade a bit hesitantly, not wanting to startle him or anything else like that. She stops about a foot away from him and sits on the floor, smoothing her dress again as she sits to make sure nothing showed. Her face upturns to meet his gaze and concern for her newest friend wafted from her small form. Shade may have woken from a full night's rest but you wouldn't had known it by looking at him.

The antique doll wanted to voice her concerns for Shade's well being but couldn't. What if he had worn himself sick from being out so much yesterday and all the stress she had brought about? Whatever the case may have been, he needed more rest it looked like to her.