Was he asking too much of her? Well, if so, he'd make a point of tracking her down later and trying a gentler approach. The kingdom never had enough people that were builders, or even good copiers.
That thought made him want to slap himself in the head. He looked around for a rock, but couldn't find one. Well, later maybe. The idea was so basic, so… easy, that he should have thought of it before. It didn't even take any magic, not on his part.
Testing.
He'd set up a test and anyone that passed would get a full scholarship to Lairdgren. He could afford it. At first the idea was just for kids, but then he shrugged. If a person had talent, why shouldn't they get a shot? Most adults would have other things going on, jobs and families, but if they could work it out, why not? Was that doing too much for them? They had to have the will to try and talent to make it on their own, it was only a chance, if they took it.
Tor tried to hurry, but it took the rest of the afternoon, mainly because he had to go to Debri house to borrow a copying template. He'd stopped using them for the most part and didn't have any with him at all, not even old ones. Well, except the healing device one, but that was just too complicated to use for a test of people that hadn’t done it before.
There had been a couple simpler ones in his gear, but Holly Printer had borrowed those. He wanted to take someone with him, so he searched out Rolph, but he was actually working and being useful, helping load ice for an older woman driving a mule cart. There were a lot of older women in his line, probably because he was working with his shirt off and had a good bit of lean muscle on his giant frame. Who'd blame them for looking? Collette smiled the Prince's way when his back was turned, earning a wink from the woman on her cart. Well, they weren't being subtle, were they? Of course Rolph had a temperature equalizer on and magic clothing, so the lack of shirt was just to give them a show anyway, he realized.
Well then.
Tor grinned but didn't say anything. It never hurt to advertise, did it?
He wasn't always good with awkward social situations, Tor knew that, and even after apologizing to Heather, just showing up was a little nerve wracking. Especially since his little bit of rudeness before had actually ended up with him demanding all his templates back from them, which would have functionally killed their business for about a year or more. Going in asking for one now… awkward.
Changing on the doorstep, trying to be impressive, in green silk and dark brown leather, with soft boots in deep green, he knocked. There was a bell but it was higher than he could reach still. He wondered what they'd think if he came over someday and tied a rope to it? Better, he'd come at night. Even the Wards had a long rope on their doorbell and Count Ward was huge. The Debris didn't have that excuse. Tor glared at the bell, straining to look up when the door opened.
Instead of a doorman or butler, or even one of the people he recognized, it was a blond boy about his own height, if five inches taller counted as that really, who looked fifteen or so, maybe sixteen. When he looked down enough to see Tor, he smiled.
“Hi! I heard a knock. Um, this is Debri house… Is that what you were looking for? I mean the residence, not a shop or anything. But, well, if you need something I'm sure that someone here can find it for you. If we don't have it here, we'll send of it.” The boy sounded charming, rather than professional, as if the offer wasn't what everyone would be getting if they came and knocked on the house door.
“Hello. I'm Tor. Torrance Baker? Anyway, is Heather Debri here or… Kris maybe? I'm coming unannounced, so I can come back if I need to, I just had an idea, and as always, that means running around looking half insane.” Tor shrugged but the boy nodded.
“You're Tor? Sara said you were good looking, but I thought, you know, she was just saying that, because we kind of need you, but if I would have known I would have tried to meet you before. Come in! I'll get people, um… can I get you drunk? Maybe out of those hot looking clothes?”
Tor froze, and thank god, smiled. The rules, he remembered, just in time to not make a fool of himself. It was a proposition and he didn't have to take it, but he couldn't be rude. What was he supposed to do though? He scrambled and his brain worked manically.
A lot of royals had same sex partners. Heck, people probably though he and Rolph were an item, having been roommates, and then together so much after school. And this guy was cute, like a male version of Sara, so he was probably used to people saying yes to him. Gods. What to do? Finally he shrugged and just told the truth.
“Um, I come from a really rural place and men don't do things with other men like that. I'm not judging, or even saying no, but I doubt my backwoods mentality will allow for it any time soon. I don't want to be rude to you though, because it's a very nice offer, and you are very good looking. Unless I missed the meaning, which is possible, I'm new to all this stuff and like I said, the rules where I come from are really different. In that case just hit me a few times and well call it even?” Tor turned away a little and squinted, arms coming up slightly ready for the blow. If it came it would just hit shield, but it was a natural reflex for him.
The boy laughed.
“Yeah, Sara said you'd say about that. Actually she said you'd blush and run away if I tried it, so I think she'll be impressed. Wasn't even a no was it? Well, you should try it some time. With me I mean. I hear that if you score with the Wizard Tor you automatically get a prize? I'd love one of those cooling units, the ones that glow when your mood changes? Anyway, come with me. I know where Sara is and mom's with her. She'll want to see you, you're all she talks about practically. Sara, not mom. All that Heather she talks about is her great disappointment with her youngest child, at least when I'm around.”
The walk was to a different room that Tor had never been to, on the other side of the house, water poured over a false stone wall at the back making the room about twenty degrees cooler than outside Tor bet, if a bit humid. Like how it was always cooler by the river. The case Tor had half forgotten followed him in. It had the look of purple rosewood and light golden pine, purple and gold, but in wood. Festive. Inside he needed to be careful not to take corners too fast or it could get stuck on the other side of the wall. It wasn't really there, a totally magic box, and like all of those it naturally wanted to float at the same height as the amulet, so the box was at his head level, just below really. The boy eyed it speculatively as they walked.
Heather Debri was wearing a shear gown that was nearly see through and Sara was wearing flight leathers and still looked cooler. She had one of the new emotion tracking equalizers out, which Heather had been looking at enviously. The boy cleared his throat and both women looked up, smiles suddenly on their faces.
“Tor!” Sara said, jumping up like someone important had entered the room. He was tackled nearly instantly and kissed more warmly than he was comfortable with in front of her mother. Heather didn't blink, but the boy standing next to him winced.
“Ah, and here I was just asking him to get naked with me and he put me off. Nicely, even complimented my looks, very proper, but still, a bit mean to do that right in front of me, don't you think sis?” The kid shook his head sadly.
It made Tor tense up, since he hadn't intended to be rude at all. God this was all so complicated. What did he have to do, have sex with anyone that was halfway nice to him? He'd only just started doing anything like that at all and now it seemed like he was just walking from one potential disaster into the next.
He bowed to the boy and apologized, trying to be correct and all that. Sara pulled him up after a second and kissed him again. The boy just bowed back and smiled.