- Which is to say, Angel sticks her head in around the door to Charles part of the shared corner when the others are out with a wrap of her knuckles on the door.
It's not that she doesn't think they're not capable. But Connor - Connor could be so absolute. Especially when it came to protecting her. Too clear his words in her mind when it came to Jack. How am I supposed to let him live?
Fair question, even now.
And Jacob - Jacob only ever came down with his whole fist at the best of times. She didn't want to make this a thing but she didn't want to be an idiot either.
Angel steps in and does the only fair thing for the wolf, since she interrupted getting pats, and leaned over to give him another one in replacement. At least she had it on good authority from how much Charles' wagged his tails that she knew the good spots and she could scratch pretty damn well with her claws. Keeping her eyes down on the activity in front of her. That removed way she had to talking when it was something important.
"Might take a minute. Have you met a guy yet, called Kabal?"
And doesn't it just say everything? Charles was a man of brevity at the best of times, but that was particularly damning, even for him. Good, they were on the same page.
"He... said a couple of things. I am not worried too much. He seems like someone who is and likes violence for its own sake and those are... easy for me to deal with. If I didn't know any better I'd call him Pandoran."
She breathes out slowly, running her fingers still carefully over the wolf's head.
He knows Kabal has at least a passing interest in Angel, at least from how he'd spoken about her. Yet another reason Charles isn't too fond of the man.
"He doesn't care about anything but killing. He talked a lot of, well if we were Pandoran, I'd say a lot of Bandit garbage. Getting his own personal army of people to throw away. Getting paid for bounties, trading off whoever for it, the thrill of the kill, that sort of thing."
She clears her throat. It was a sore topic, for both of them, for obvious reasons.
"He said monster hunters sound fun and that he'd be happy to sell me out for something fun to do. I've already had people buy and sell me enough in my life, and the monster hunters in Ryslig were no joke. I didn't let on very much about how I felt one or another except I'd rather die than let someone do that to me, and make a point to him that I am completely worthless, and I said nothing about you. Better you stay hidden if you can." but they've talked about it before - she is stuck like this, no hiding it. So let her be obvious and draw the attention, so he can slip by unnoticed.
"I'm not bringing it up to Connor and Jacob, not yet anyway. Connor won't take a threat even idly like that well, I spent hours talking him down from Jack, and... Well, Jacob. He'll..." yeah. yeah.
"He'll have words for him. And fists. Mostly fists, if I know Jacob at all."
Charles takes a deep breath, shaking his head. Some days, he hates being right. What this place didn't need was another scumbag like Micah but. There's always someone who's willing to be that person, to take advantage of those who won't take advantage first.
"Guy like that in our old gang. Used to think he was mostly talk and bluster. Then he got a lot of folks killed." He pauses, hands squeezing together quietly in his lap for a moment, a rush of emotion threatening to well up in his throat and then pressed gently, firmly back down into his chest where it belonged.
"Got a good friend of mine killed. Don't want to see that happen again."
"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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knock knock
It's not that she doesn't think they're not capable. But Connor - Connor could be so absolute. Especially when it came to protecting her. Too clear his words in her mind when it came to Jack. How am I supposed to let him live?
Fair question, even now.
And Jacob - Jacob only ever came down with his whole fist at the best of times. She didn't want to make this a thing but she didn't want to be an idiot either.
So, Charles then.
"Got a second, Charles?"
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As if he wouldn't make the time, if she asked.
He shifts around to face her, and the wolf settles on the floor, head resting on its paws and gold eyes watching Angel just the same.
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"Might take a minute. Have you met a guy yet, called Kabal?"
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And if the brevity of his response doesn't say what he thinks about Kabal, the way his expression goes flat certainly would. Oh, he's met the guy.
Would probably be happier if they didn't have reason to meet again, but in enclosed quarters he knew he wouldn't be that lucky.
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"He... said a couple of things. I am not worried too much. He seems like someone who is and likes violence for its own sake and those are... easy for me to deal with. If I didn't know any better I'd call him Pandoran."
She breathes out slowly, running her fingers still carefully over the wolf's head.
"But..."
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He knows Kabal has at least a passing interest in Angel, at least from how he'd spoken about her. Yet another reason Charles isn't too fond of the man.
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She clears her throat. It was a sore topic, for both of them, for obvious reasons.
"He said monster hunters sound fun and that he'd be happy to sell me out for something fun to do. I've already had people buy and sell me enough in my life, and the monster hunters in Ryslig were no joke. I didn't let on very much about how I felt one or another except I'd rather die than let someone do that to me, and make a point to him that I am completely worthless, and I said nothing about you. Better you stay hidden if you can." but they've talked about it before - she is stuck like this, no hiding it. So let her be obvious and draw the attention, so he can slip by unnoticed.
"I'm not bringing it up to Connor and Jacob, not yet anyway. Connor won't take a threat even idly like that well, I spent hours talking him down from Jack, and... Well, Jacob. He'll..." yeah. yeah.
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Charles takes a deep breath, shaking his head. Some days, he hates being right. What this place didn't need was another scumbag like Micah but. There's always someone who's willing to be that person, to take advantage of those who won't take advantage first.
"Guy like that in our old gang. Used to think he was mostly talk and bluster. Then he got a lot of folks killed." He pauses, hands squeezing together quietly in his lap for a moment, a rush of emotion threatening to well up in his throat and then pressed gently, firmly back down into his chest where it belonged.
"Got a good friend of mine killed. Don't want to see that happen again."
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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."
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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...?"
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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.