Marquise stood as still as possible, but things were getting a tad ridiculous. He'd been woken up at the ungodly hour of seven A.M., but he couldn't just get up and get dressed, then grab a bite to eat before leaving. Nope, they were still stuck on the getting dressed part. Evidently Taru had bought him quite a lot of new clothing yesterday, and the two big bags that he'd brought into the meeting room the other evening had been just a sample of what was waiting for Marquise back in his room.

He'd glanced through them briefly last night, but the need for sleep easily won out, which left him with his current dilemma.

"He should wear dark colors, I don't want people thinking that they can pick on him because he's a werewolf," Vrasje said as he held up a black silk shirt.

Taru, on the other hand, didn't look impressed in the least.

"No one is going to make fun of my heir. He's handsome and smart. How can anyone not like him?" Taru said as he picked up the discarded pink shirt he'd tried on ten minutes ago.

He honestly wanted to make Taru happy and just put the pink one on, but at the same time, he could understand what Vrasje was saying. There was no way people weren't going to try and take a swing at him... or worse. He'd already had two servants go for his throat, so to speak, and Taru's peacock hadn't been very happy with him, either, though he hadn't had the balls to do much more than squawk about it.

Glancing at the growing stack of clothing on his now-cluttered bed, Marquise sifted through the items for a minute before pulling out one of the first things he'd tried on.

"I want to wear this one. Is it okay, master Taru?" he asked as he held up a navy blue long-sleeved dress shirt.

Vrasje quickly nodded his agreement as Taru pursed his lips, but then seemed to give in with a quiet sigh.

"Alright, that one did look really good on you, so that's fine," he said with a small smile.

Marquise quickly pulled the shirt on, then grabbed one of the three long-coats Taru had gotten him earlier. They were the one thing he'd hung up immediately before bed.

Now, he slipped his arms through the soft black leather and tugged the coat satisfyingly over his shoulders. It fit perfectly and hung down to just below his knees.

"Um... I got a few other things that you might be interested in. If not, I'll just return them, but I wanted to give you the option to at least check them out," Taru said as he reached into the last bag, which was much smaller than the rest.

When he pulled out a black eyepatch and matching leather gloves, Marquise couldn't help smiling widely. He quickly stepped forward and took the eyepatch. Since Taru had redone his bandages before he'd gone to sleep, he simply lifted the item up and settled the band around his head before pulling the patch into place.

Once that was done, he accepted the gloves and eagerly pulled the right one on first. He wasn't embarrassed by the rot covering parts of his body, but he knew that it would already be a main focus, so he didn't want to give anyone too much to look at.

My face is already bad enough. That's plenty to look at, he thought to himself as he flexed his fingers in his new pair of gloves. Even with his minimal sense of feeling in his right hand, they still moved relatively well. There was no stiffness in the materials.

"They're perfect. Thank you for the gifts, master," he said as he reached over and tugged Taru into his arms for a hug.

Taru returned it with a big smile that showed some adorable dimples.

"You look fantastic, and you'll do very well today, I promise. The signing is nothing big, and then we'll head back home for a welcoming party and introduction get-together," Taru said as he took Marquise's hand and finally began leading him out of his bedroom.

Vrasje followed silently, but then blurred ahead and disappeared. Marquise ignored him since Taru didn't seem worried. They took their time walking arm in arm while Marquise used his cane to practice balancing. He had made Taru agree to let him walk on his own for the paperwork signing and afterparty, though he had also promised that he would rest if he began to have trouble.  

When they finally got to the front door Vrasje was there waiting for them, standing next to a chair that had clearly been moved there recently.

Marquise stared at the setup for a moment before realizing what was going on.

He's got a box in his hands.

It clicked pretty quickly now. Marquise hurried forward, only limping a little before dropping down into the waiting chair. Vrasje knelt down immediately once he was settled and set the box on the floor before opening the lid.

Oh, hell yes!

The pitch black boots were absolutely gorgeous! The leatherwork was fantastic and they gleamed with polish as they were removed from the box. Vrasje set them aside once they were both out and retrieved a pair of black socks that must have been nestled beneath the footwear.

Marquise didn't move an inch as he watched the elder vampire delicately slide each sock onto his feet, being extra careful with his left one since the skin there was still purple from rot damage, but thankfully healing well.

The socks felt amazing on his cool skin, but Marquise didn't focus too long on them when Vrasje finished his task, then reached for those beautiful boots again.

The man was extremely careful as he undid each buckle hiding the laces running all the way up the tall boots, then undid the ties. Once that was done he tugged the tongue open and, with Taru's help, guided Marquise's right foot into the first boot.

"They might feel a little snug, but I didn't want them to be loose and risk tripping you. The store owner said that they should loosen up a bit while you walk, too. Just let me know if we need to exchange them or have them altered a bit," Vrasje said, making Marquise quickly nod his agreement.

He couldn't hold back his giddy smile as he flexed his toes in the right boot, loving the feeling of it. His left foot took a little longer to get situated in the footwear, but when it was finally settled and the ties and buckles were fastened, Marquise didn't hesitate to stand up... then fall right into Vrasje's arms as he tripped on his own darn feet!

"Sorry," he mumbled awkwardly against the man's fancy shirt.

"It's alright," Vrasje said as he helped Marquise steady himself with his hands on his shoulders and a warm smile on his face.

"I figured that you wouldn't want to continue walking around barefoot. At least, not during your introduction party," he said, making Marquise nod in agreement. 

"Thank you, I love them," he said as he carefully straightened up, then looked down at his new shoes.

They matched his outfit perfectly, and were also high enough to help him with his mobility a little. They wouldn't let his left leg buckle as easily if it began to get tired. Of course, he didn't intend to wear it out so badly, but it was nice to know that the high boot would act as an impromptu brace, too.

"I think we're all set now?" Taru asked as Vrasje nudged the empty shoebox aside with a foot, then nodded.

The walk down to the courthouse was surprisingly lively. Perhaps word had gotten around already, because there were quite a few groups of people lining the road to get a good look at the new heir... and werewolf.

Marquise walked on his own with his cane, but he had to focus the majority of his attention on his footsteps so that he didn't trip too often. Thankfully, the few times that he was about to fall Taru on his right, or Vrasje on his left, managed to catch him by the shoulder each time, easily averting embarrassment.

By the time they finally got the courthouse stairs Marquise was pretty winded from having walked nearly two miles on his own.

"Want some help for the steps?" Taru asked as he held a hand out to him.

He really didn't want to be seen needing assistance so soon, but he couldn't really ignore the fact that he needed help, either.

Oh well, if people want to think that I'm weak, they can go right ahead. Garlic could probably beat up any of these people, and he's scared of his own shadow, he thought as he gratefully accepted his master's assistance and began ascending the stairs.

Halfway up the steps, however, he noticed that Vrasje had slowed his pace a little, then slipped behind him a few steps down.

What are doing? he asked as he kept his attention focused on going forward.

They're staring at you, Vrasje replied immediately, seemingly frustrated about it.

Of course they're staring at me. I'm a werewolf, a new heir, and still a bit rotten, Marquise replied with a hint of humor to his words.

Vrasje didn't seem interested in laughing at the situation, however, so Marquise just dismissed his strange behavior and continued until they were finally at the top of the stairs.

None of the townsfolk were allowed in the courthouse without an appointment, so they were thankfully able to leave the mass of people behind. They were escorted to a large room in the back that was actually pretty nice.

The magistrate from the previous day was sitting behind a large desk with a stack of paperwork in front of him.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm so glad that you guys were able to make it so soon. Please, have a seat," he said as he gestured to the three chairs across from his desk.

They calmly took their seats with Marquise in the middle and a vampire to either side, then got down to business. The paperwork was actually surprisingly easy, as it was basically just a contract about how one should conduct themselves as a vampire living within society. It was actually quite similar to the one from where he used to live in London, except theirs also pertained to werewolves.

He actually finished it pretty quickly with Taru's help, but when they returned it to the magistrate, expecting to do the little fang measuring thing Taru had mentioned before, then head back home, another packet was handed to them, making Marquise frown in confusion.

Taking the papers, he set them down on their side of the desk and began looking through the documents. He didn't even manage to get through the second page before Vrasje grabbed the papers and slammed them down on the desk in front of the magistrate, a ferociously-loud warning growl emanating from between his bared fangs.

"L-lord Vrasje, you have to understand that this situation is extremely delicate. The governor, as well as almost every single noble in town, demanded that I draw up extra documentation restricting him to the highest of my ability..." the magistrate said, his words dying off into silence as he looked everywhere but at Vrasje.

Marquise was worried that Vrasje might actually begin attacking the man, but when he reached over and took his hand, Vrasje slowly managed to calm himself down.

"I am one of the head nobles in this city, so creating documentation without at least sending me a copy to review and approve first is against the rules established by all of the council members, thereby voiding everything within that second packet of papers."

The magistrate's face was so pale that he looked like he was about to pass out.

"B-but lord Vra—" Vrasje slammed his palm down on the desk, easily splintering the heavy wood.

"Am. I. Wrong?" he hissed, pronouncing each word with a hostile growl.

The magistrate quickly gathered the papers back up with shaky hands.

"N-no sir, you are absolutely correct. It was my mistake for allowing them to coerce me into drafting these documents. I have seen his shift and I do not believe that he is a risk to the public," the magistrate said, seemingly trying to salvage the situation.

Luckily for him, Vrasje was able to calm down again, then sat. The magistrate quickly followed suit, though it looked as if he collapsed into his chair instead of just simply sat. His legs must have been on the verge of giving out.

"The heir paperwork has been signed and I am sure that a council meeting will be called for the other set, correctly, and then we will discuss possible further stipulations due to the odd circumstances of the situation," Vrasje said, quickly earning an agreeing nod from the magistrate before he stood back up on less shaky legs and reached across the desk.

Vrasje moved to stand for the handshake, but to everyone's surprise, Marquise was on his feet first and, after releasing Vrasje's left hand, reached across the large desk with his right one. The man seemed startled for a second, but then managed to calm his nerves and reciprocate the handshake.

"It is nice to meet you, Marquise. I must say that I never thought I'd see the day that I would be shaking hands with a werewolf, let alone speaking to one, but I can humbly say that I am very impressed with your behavior. I also would like to apologize for presenting those papers to you. It was very poor judgement on my part and I hope that we can put that behind us and work towards helping you settle here with as little obstacles as possible," he said, making Marquise give an honest smile.

"I appreciate your words, sir, and I will do my best to exceed your expectations," Marquise replied in a sincere tone that brought a smile to the other man's stressed expression.

"Very good, young man. Enjoy your eve—oh wait! Hang on just a second. Let me measure your fangs," the magistrate said before releasing Marquise's hand and grabbing a measuring stick from the drawer in his desk.

Marquise pursed his lips and glanced sideways at his master, raising an eyebrow.

Taru returned his look with a smirk.

Marquise read the man's expression loud and clear. When he turned his attention back to the magistrate, he waited until the man lifted his measuring stick up before lifting his lips away from his teeth and allowing his wolf's fangs to extend.

The man gave a startled yelp... and Vrasje gave a stifled chuckle.

Taru didn't bother hiding his own laughter as the magistrate marked his stick the highest it had ever been.

"A-almost one and a half inches long. H-how?"

Vrasje reached over and mussed up Marquise's hair before giving a slight nod to the magistrate.

"Good luck to anyone who tries to beat that record," he said before grabbing Marquise's hand and turning.

He slowly lead them out of the courthouse, refusing to release his hand even though it forced him to walk much slower than he had clearly intended to. Right before they got to the large exit doors Vrasje finally released him, but then turned and met his eye with his own narrowed ones.

"There are far more people out there now, waiting to see the first werewolf allowed to step foot in Bastion. Are you ready?" he asked as Taru stopped beside him, drawing Marquise's attention.

His master was smiling with excitement, both with his mouth and his eyes. He was ready to show off his heir to everyone...

Returning his attention to Vrasje, Marquise gave a stern nod and allowed a smirk to slip onto his lips.

"An alpha is always ready," he said before tightening his hold on his cane and stepping forward.

Taru slipped to his right while Vrasje stepped up to the door on his left.

Straightening his posture as best he could while still using his cane to balance, Marquise held his head high and took one final deep breath.

"Let's go home. I have a party to attend soon and I have no interest in being late."