"Something like that." It allows her to laugh briefly, some levity for the knot of concern in her chest, letting out the breath that she was holding to straighten up from where she was patting his wolf. Coming closer to Charles, settling in front of him in turn as she curls her fingers over his, holding his hands with her own. The reassurance like he had once given her that it wouldn't come to that.
"Knowing is half the battle. We won't let it happen. It might come to nothing, but we will have our eye on him. Both of us."
He nods, and his broad fingers squeeze down around hers a little tighter. If they're prepared, if they stand together, it won't happen again. That, he has faith in.
Some of the tension in his face eases after a moment. "He's here. That friend of mine." He doesn't know if he's told her or not. Proper introductions should be made, at some point, lest Arthur stumble across Angel unaware and not know what to make of her.
"He is?" Angel holds as fast. Leaning in to smile, big and wide. What made Charles happy - it would always make her happy. For once, maybe, something from any of their pasts wouldn't be bad. Not her father, or Connor's but someone that made them smile.
Then he hesitates briefly, a familiar crease in his brow. One of worry.
"But he doesn't know about what I am. And I'm not sure he's seen someone that isn't human before now. So there's a lot I need to tell him first, but...I'd like you to meet him."
"Of course, Charles. He won't learn it from me either. You take your time and let me know when you're ready." It hurts in a way - not in anything that Charles has done or said. But this was an old feeling. She has to hide for people to learn to adjust to her. Everything, time, place, space, her entire body, had changed, but that was... the same.
But Charles wasn't asking her to lie, just to get an old friend ready to learn something strange and new about the world that wasn't like where he came from. Which as far as she understood it, was a lot. There she pauses, frowning a little bit, as she remembered the details. "... Charles... It's not my business, I know. But... Jacob said where you guys come from, people don't accept men having relationships together? Is he going to be okay with you two...?"
Here, it doesn't seem to matter much at all. The same way his blood doesn't matter. Their world isn't so forgiving, ready to turn on anyone who is 'different' in a way that could be seen as dangerous.
Arthur grew up in that time and place, same as him. But Charles didn't have that hate in him, and there was no reason to believe Arthur would. He saw people for who they were, in their hearts, first and foremost.
"But he accepted me for who I was when few others would. That might still be true. I think it would be," he says at last, slowly. "He's a good man.
Angel nods slowly, just trusting Charles was hard, if only because it was her terrible way to just make things the way they needed to be without asking. Could find this 'Arthur' and run him hell for leather in questions until she was satisfied.
But hard as it was against her nature, that wasn't her place. If Charles said it was fine - then it would be fine. Easing her breath out.
"Okay. If you're sure. But if he makes you guys sad... I'll bite him."
He half-chuckles, knowing full well that with Angel? That's no idle threat.
"Please don't bite him," he requests solemnly instead, before clasping her hand tightly once more. "Then I'll be sad all over again. And I can't recommend biting yourself."
As light as he's making of in the moment, there is still that heavy sense of uncertainty. Probably better to tell Arthur about everything sooner rather than later. But for a time, it had been nice to just remember how things had been. How simple.
Angel settles with him, a comfortable tactiliness she found easy with him, even now. Perhaps because he was the first person to do so when arriving in a new place, for once Jack free. The first person she had been able to open up to. But she didn't question either way now: just draped against his side, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"Alright, no biting. As long as you promise to let me know if it's getting hard with his adjusting." Because to say she didn't trust people at face value was something of an understatement.
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"Knowing is half the battle. We won't let it happen. It might come to nothing, but we will have our eye on him. Both of us."
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He nods, and his broad fingers squeeze down around hers a little tighter. If they're prepared, if they stand together, it won't happen again. That, he has faith in.
Some of the tension in his face eases after a moment. "He's here. That friend of mine." He doesn't know if he's told her or not. Proper introductions should be made, at some point, lest Arthur stumble across Angel unaware and not know what to make of her.
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"Who is he? Can I meet him?"
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Then he hesitates briefly, a familiar crease in his brow. One of worry.
"But he doesn't know about what I am. And I'm not sure he's seen someone that isn't human before now. So there's a lot I need to tell him first, but...I'd like you to meet him."
no subject
But Charles wasn't asking her to lie, just to get an old friend ready to learn something strange and new about the world that wasn't like where he came from. Which as far as she understood it, was a lot. There she pauses, frowning a little bit, as she remembered the details. "... Charles... It's not my business, I know. But... Jacob said where you guys come from, people don't accept men having relationships together? Is he going to be okay with you two...?"
no subject
Here, it doesn't seem to matter much at all. The same way his blood doesn't matter. Their world isn't so forgiving, ready to turn on anyone who is 'different' in a way that could be seen as dangerous.
Arthur grew up in that time and place, same as him. But Charles didn't have that hate in him, and there was no reason to believe Arthur would. He saw people for who they were, in their hearts, first and foremost.
"But he accepted me for who I was when few others would. That might still be true. I think it would be," he says at last, slowly. "He's a good man.
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But hard as it was against her nature, that wasn't her place. If Charles said it was fine - then it would be fine. Easing her breath out.
"Okay. If you're sure. But if he makes you guys sad... I'll bite him."
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"Please don't bite him," he requests solemnly instead, before clasping her hand tightly once more. "Then I'll be sad all over again. And I can't recommend biting yourself."
As light as he's making of in the moment, there is still that heavy sense of uncertainty. Probably better to tell Arthur about everything sooner rather than later. But for a time, it had been nice to just remember how things had been. How simple.
He doesn't miss that life, necessarily. But.
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"Alright, no biting. As long as you promise to let me know if it's getting hard with his adjusting." Because to say she didn't trust people at face value was something of an understatement.