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Johnny had noticed Shadow and that long pause of his. It wasn't hard to tell what the man was trying to do, buying time like that for him to stay a lot longer than he should be with them. "I'm sure Gian and Alfie can take care of that." He didn't even bother looking at Blake when he'd repeated what he'd just called him and retorted words he noted had entered one ear and out the other.
"There's no need to be so mean, Johnny," Gian started and stopped the moment Johnny had given him a look. He knew that look very well and the boy returned back to his pancakes. "I'm quite simmered down, Mr. Alfie. Perhaps you should be directing those words to this brat here who thinks he's an adult. I'm not quite sure it's adult-like to be avoiding such a simple question of what your power is." Uncrossing his arms, he put his hand on the table and tapped the surface with his index finger. Gian turned to look at Blake and reached out to tug a little at Blake's hand. "There's no need to be so angry, Blake. You really don't have to tell us if you don't want to. Come on. The pancakes are delicious. You should eat and get better." |
Blake ignored them all, and his shoulders raised up to his chin. He didn't like being cornered like he was now...not in the least. There was a chance if he was pestered more he could quite possibly snap. He had a delicate temper, sharpened into a brutal point by the bad home life he'd escaped from. Considering no one but Shadow knew what his power was yet, that could get dangerous.
Alfie leaned away from Blake in his chair, looking intimidated. He had decided as well that he did not care much for this Johnny, either. He tended not to get along with people who were brutally blunt or deliberately mean--his encounters with their dear Life Man and siren were enough to support that theory. Shadow, though his eyes were still fixed on the papers, did not miss a single thing that just happened at the table. "Ah, but my friend...if my memory serves me correct, you reacted in much the same way when I questioned you about your powers, denying it at first and being oh-so-unsociable," he reminded him, in a pleasant sort of voice. "Alfie, relax. I will not let either of them harm you." |
Johnny grunted. "Unlike him, I have an image to put up with." He was a lawyer and people did not fare well with lawyers who had powers, which was why he had to keep quiet about it. He'd be putting his job on the line. Blake, on the other hand, was what he'd assumed as unemployed, quite a young brat compared to him. If he went to school, then he could jump to another school.
Them lawyers, on the other hand, couldn't jump from one school to the other and change their identities. And, it'd be big news if anyone found out about what he could truly do. Big news enough for his license to be revoked. "Now, if you're finished, I'd like to get back to work. I have much more important matters to attend to than be as curious as the people around the table are with this boy's power." |
"I'm still reading," Shadow chimed, sounding perfectly cheerful. He had a way sometimes of working at people's nerves in all the right ways. "Alfie, Gian. Why don't you try to coax things out of Blake, still? If he's going to be adamant about not telling, then surely there is a reason why he doesn't want this information public..."
Blake flinched, obviously thinking that the Ringleader was implying something...which he most certainly was. Blake was a runaway. He was among people who also had strange abilities, or strange looks. Why was he so intent on hiding his power, when it could garner him acceptance among these people? Alfie seemed to catch onto that as well, and he glanced at Gian nervously. |
Johnny knew he couldn't leave with Shadow keeping him where he was. He remained standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes on the paper and his lips pursing just a bit into a straight line. Hebs looked amused and he moved his gaze from Johnny to Blake to catch him flinching in time just after the Ringleader's words about him having a reason not to tell them.
"Maybe he's just been betrayed once and is still trying to get used to us." Hebs smiled gently at Blake's way as he put down his fork on his empty plate. "There's no need to force Blake if he doesn't want to tell but I do suggest you stay here until you get better. If you have no place to go, you're very welcome here." Gian turned to look at Alfie and reached out to take his hand into his own. The teen gave it a little squeeze and gave Johnny a rather disappointed look. "Yeah, and there's really no need for you to be so mean to Blake, Johnny." Johnny didn't even flinch. He just turned to look at Gian who, in turn, pouted. It had Johnny sighing and lifting his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "All right. Sorry, Blake." It was all Johnny said, giving the boy a glance, before moving his gaze back at Shadow. |
Shadow chuckled softly. "We already have two sourpusses in this family--I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it three," he hinted, looking wickedly amused. "We're fine with the two we have, mostly because they're together...but three will incite a war, I think. Four is even worse," he added, glancing in Blake's direction.
The lithe teen huffed slightly, looking mildly annoyed. He only grunted in Johnny's direction. "If you really want to know why I don't want to tell anyone, I hurt someone in the past because I didn't know how to control my powers, and I really don't want to use them again unless I absolutely have to," Blake muttered, forcing it out before he lost his nerve. So...he needed someone to train him? Alfie rested his head on Gian's shoulder, watching everything that was going on contently. "...Maybe a tutor's in order?" he commented, curiously. |
Johnny raised his eyebrows a little. "I'm sorry, I'd have to say I'm not a sourpuss." His lawyer side did often make him a tightwad. Like you, Mister Shadow, I'm quite an enjoyable partner on bed. Uncrossing his arms and sliding his hands into his pockets, he turned to look at Johnny while Gian and Hebs did the same.
"Unless someone does train him," Hebs agreed with a nod, "Johnny, would you want to do the honors?" The lawyer was stunned. Gian was snickering as he rested his cheek on Alfie's head. He had missed the naga's and his close proximity. His thumb had mindlessly rubbed against the back of Alfie's hand. "I don't see how his power and mine matches. I don't bode well, either, with hard-headed boys like him." |
"Just because you have skill dans la chambre does not mean you don't act like a sourpuss on occasion..." Shadow hummed, slipping back into his habit of using a bit of French when not fully paying attention to someone. "But I would have to decline to having him teach Blake. I would rather have someone with similar powers teach him. Based on what I know...the person here who has the most similar power to Blake is Kratos."
Alfie arched an eyebrow. Kratos had a strange ability that he'd never even heard of before...was it possible that Blake had the same ability, or a very similar one? Alfie cuddled closely with Gian while he thought, his eyebrows scrunched together. Blake stared at Hebs profusely when he suggested that Johnny train him, seeming just as stunned, but he just frowned even more and glowered off into the distance after a few seconds. |
Johnny was very glad he wasn't going to have to teach or spend any more time with Blake. He didn't think he'd do well with brats, really. That, and he disliked the way Shadow was labeling him as a sourpuss. He wasn't a sourpuss. He was much like Blake; he disliked being pried upon and thought of as different since it'd cost him his job.
And, well, his family should they find out about what he can do. Gian noticed the way Johnny was annoyed with those arms of his defensively crossing over his chest. He'd also noticed the naga's eyebrows scrunched together. He reached up to press his index finger against the center of Alfie's brows before he'd tilted his head a little. Honestly, the naga was just too cute. Gian wasn't able to stop himself from smiling slightly in amusement. "Then, that's settled." It was all Johnny said as he tapped his index finger on his arm while waiting for Shadow to finish signing the papers. Hebs, on the other hand, only finished his pancakes and pushed his chair back to start collecting the plates that had been cleared off. "How's work in the office, Johnny?" Hebs asked as soon as he'd come back, wiping his hands with a towel. "Busy," he said with a slight frown. He was disliking it every minute as he spent his time in that cubicle of his and being rambunctiously told off by that noisy and nosy man about his merman. |
Alfie blinked when Gian pressed his finger against his forehead, where his eyebrows were. He chuckled and cuddled closely against Gian, smiling widely. He was totally content with displaying affection in front of other people, much like Shadow was.
Shadow finished penning his signature on the last place it was needed and then took his time skimming through the mass of papers once more to make sure he hadn't missed anything. "We will be having a show here in a week's time, at the earliest. Call in the next three days so we can give you a final date. But try to keep your schedule open just in case..." he hummed, quietly. It would be a big fiasco introducing two new members--maybe one, if Blake wasn't ready or willing yet. Blake had his arms folded across his chest in a fashion that eerily resembled the older lawyer's arms around his chest. He looked like a more annoyed, more pouty version of Johnny. Alfie caught onto that at once, nudging Gian and glancing back and forth between the two with a naughty sort of glint in his eyes. |
Gian liked the way Alfie was cuddling close to him. It had him nuzzling the top of the naga's head just a tad before he'd turned to look at the two when Alfie had nudged him. Somehow, someway, he had noticed what Alfie had noticed and he found himself snickering quietly as he tilted his head a bit to press a light kiss onto the others' lips. "You're naughty," was all he'd said with a little chuckle, his voice quiet as he grinned at Alfie.
Johnny had noticed the two in their own world and he uncrossed his arms as he took the papers. Skimming through it as well and double checking on Shadow's signatures if they were at the right places, the lawyer shook his head and raised the papers a bit. "It might take me about a month at most to finish this case," he told him, "But I will keep in touch. You have my number." Sliding the papers back into the brown envelope, he gave each freak a glance before he'd settled his gaze back again at Shadow. "I'll see you then." With that said, he turned on his heels and left. Hebs only smiled rather sadly. "It'd have been nicer if our new members were much like Gian." They all seemed pretty content pushing themselves from everyone else. |
"What we need is to get everyone here together more often...and try to make everyone open up to each other. Even though we have been with each other for a long time, we aren't all friendly towards each other. Newer members seeing that won't be as comfortable around us..." Shadow reminded Hebs, gently.
The four of them--Gian, Hebs, Shadow, and Alfie--were all quite close with each other--Gian considerably so. But it was different, for example, for Kratos and Léan. The two of them were distant, antisocial...in fact, the only person they seemed to respect, besides each other, was Shadow. And it was doubtful that either of them considered Shadow a close friend. Léan looked up to Shadow as a father-figure, but not as a friend, and for Kratos, he was even more distant. The two of them were very close to each other...but to the rest of the family, it was like the two of them didn't even want to make an effort to get along with everyone else. Alfie bristled a little, understanding that much. If they were going to call themselves a family, well...they would have to be close-knit, like a real family, before it would get any easier to welcome in new members. Their family couldn't seem weak or broken. Perhaps seeing this wasn't doing Blake or Johnny any favors. Blake looked like he felt intimidated, for some reason, by Shadow's words. "...Can someone take me back to that room I was in? I'm still tired..." He still sounded a bit congested, a bit sick. |
"I suppose," Hebs said with a small smile before he'd sighed quietly. It'd be easier, though, if Kratos and Léan with Johnny and Blake would open up themselves to them. At least, they wouldn't be second-guessing about how one or the other feels. Shadow, on the other hand, is lucky because of his mind-reading abilities.
Hebs turned to look back up at Blake and his small smile turned a little bigger. "I'll get you to the room." Pushing back his chair, he walked around Shadow just after giving him a light pat on the shoulder and stood by Blake's side. "Do you need help walking? I can carry you if you'd want." Hebs wouldn't mind carrying Blake at all bridal style. Gian clasped both his and Alfie's fingers together as he watched the three. What Shadow said was true. But, to open up to each other would mean having to reveal all of their weaknesses. Ones with strong pride unlike he and Hebs would definitely keep to theirselves. |
Shadow quite agreed with Gian about the pride issue. Léan in particular possessed an outrageous amount of pride, strengthened even more so by the horrific past he had had. Kratos had pride, as well...at the very least, it wasn't magnified to the extent that Léan's was...
Blake stood up at once, once Hebs offered to take him back. He too had a fair amount of pride in him, but he was also wary of everyone else...so that made things worse. "I can walk," he muttered, looking offended, as he strolled over towards the doorway. Yes, prideful, indeed... Once Blake was out of the room, Shadow turned his almost hypnotizing eyes on Alfie and Gian. "...I feel obligated to make us more closely knit before Johnny and Blake formally join us," he stated, feeling a bit embarrassed. He knew from experience it was not a good idea to push Léan or Kratos, but...if there was any hope of comfortably integrating two new members into their family, it was likely that they were going to have to become closer in some way. "Do you have any ideas as to how we should go about doing this?" Alfie looked taken aback, and a little clueless. He gave a great sniff and began to think. |
Hebs gave a short, "All right," as he smiled at Blake and followed after him. He had only thought Blake was still being overprotective of himself, which was why he wasn't fussing over the boy's reaction. If it were Gian, though, he was sure he'd be grabbing the boy's wrist and probably scooping him up and telling him to stay still. Gian may be forceful but he meant no harm and he cares a lot about the people around him, especially Alfie.
Gian was mesmerized by those eyes of Shadow's, of course, and he pursed his lips a little as he continued staring and listening to him. "I wish I do," the boy said as he sighed and rested his cheek on Alfie's head, "But isn't this as close-knit as we can get?" While he asked this question, he continued gazing at Shadow's golden hues and idly wondered how the thought of a kangaroo popped into his mind. "What about a trip to your villa?" he started before he'd raised his eyebrows a little, "Wouldn't it be nice to have a change of view for Kratos and the others? Maybe Blake would find it easier, too, to train there with Kratos." |
Blake tagged after Hebs once he remembered that he didn't know where to go, though he did so grudgingly. He didn't seem to be the type to want to be led by the hand, literal or not, anywhere. He looked a little nervous and self-conscious, for some reason. Maybe being around the other freaks was unnerving him a little bit...
"...We could play a game. But, it would be a serious game...and one that our dear siren, especially, wouldn't enjoy..." Shadow murmured, thoughtfully. "We could talk to each other about our pasts. Just us, without Blake or Johnny present. It would be pretty much a free-for-all, or we could choose someone to speak to first. I'm thinking that...well...that both Kratos and Léan won't like the game very much. But it would bring us all closer..." Alfie smiled, cheerily. He had nothing to hide about his past--his past had been remarkably calm and peaceful. So, the idea of the game wasn't stressful to him in the least. |
Hebs gave Blake another one of those gentle smile as he led him back to his room. "There really is no reason for you to be afraid of us; we mean no harm," he told him as he stopped in front of Blake's room. He opened it and held it out for him. "We do everything to protect each other, even if it means having to risk our lives."
Gian didn't exactly like the idea of sharing his past but if it would help the family be closer to one another, to sympathize with one another, he was all for it. "Sounds like a good idea," he said with a nod before he'd turned to look at Alfie who was smiling rather cheerfully. He supposed there were just those who were lucky to have their lives be calm and peaceful. It had him nipping lightly at Alfie's ear just to tease him. "So, Shadow... will you be talking to them to join us?" |
"I can't tell you how many times I've heard that people aren't going to harm me, and lied about it..." Blake muttered sourly, folding his arms around his thin frame and shuffling through the door that Hebs was holding open, immediately moving to lay down and rest on the available bed. He was still exhausted and ill from having stood out in the rain for so long, chilled to the bone.
Shadow looked mock-frightened. "Oh, must I? I don't particularly feel like getting berated...why don't we all go together and fetch them?" He had a feeling that even if they didn't want to participate, Kratos and Léan--maybe the siren, especially, considering he knew how dangerous it was to tell the Ringleader 'no' right to his face--would feel pressured to if they all went to get them. |
Hebs blinked at what Blake had muttered and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Was that real? Then, was he similar to Léan then? Thinking about it for a few seconds as he held the door and watched Blake, he stepped into the room and pulled up the covers to tuck the boy in. "Well," he started as he brushed off a couple of strands from the boy's face, "I meant what I said and I speak in behalf of my fellow freaks... and a human boy." By 'human boy', he meant Gian of course.
"I'll have myself or someone come in to check in on you once in a while. Get some needed rest." Gian made a face at that mock-fright on the ringleader's face. "I don't see how pressure will make them say yes." He grunted a bit and continued tracing the back of Alfie's hand with his thumb. "And, you get berated? Really?" Why couldn't he make himself come to believe such a thing? |
Blake grunted softly in response to what Hebs had to say, quite obviously not really believing what the other male had to say. He decided it wasn't wise to argue when he wasn't feeling his best, however, and simply rolled over in bed, curling up and preparing for a long, much-needed sleep.
"Pressure from all of us will be re deciding factor for Léan...mainly, getting Kratos on our side, as well. Personally, I think it would be beneficial for him to talk about his past for once. It's...it's been hard for him, keeping everything all cooped up...and for so long, too. I happen to be nervous about confronting him with the idea. I'd like some backup." It seemed like Shadow was being honest... |
Hebs couldn't blame Blake if he didn't believe him. After all, he might've had a bad past like their merman. The snake man - though he hadn't experienced much like it - could understand and imagine just how bad it must've been. It'd be nice, though, if the boy could open up to them so he could share that burden with them and not have him carry them all alone. Especially, if he decides to join them.
Moving to the door and shutting it quietly behind him, he went back to the dining room, where everyone still seemed to be minus their life man and their merman, to take the towel from the table and return it into the kitchen. "Oh," was all Gian could bring himself to say before he'd nodded and looked back down at his and Alfie's hands clasped together. "Sure. I'll go. I'm just not so sure how to start all these." Hebs blinked as he returned to his seat. "Start with what?" |
Shadow took a few minutes' time to quietly explain to Hebs what they were all planning to do. He was indeed nervous about approaching Léan in particular about his past. Kratos he had a feeling wouldn't be too enthusiastic about it all...but if he knew that talking would help his beloved siren to cope with all that had happened to him, that might change his mind about it.
Alfie leaned against Gian pointedly, squeezing his hand. "...Who d'you think's the least threatening out of all of us? That person should lead the way into Kratos' room, I think." |
Hebs listened quietly and nodded at times. When he found out about what they were going to do, he looked hesitant, almost worried. Would the two be all right with what they were planning? Alfie's question made him turn to look at the two and he raised his eyebrows a little before he'd pursed his lips. Gian only blinked. "Shouldn't it be the one who can protect himself the most?" he asked before he'd crossed his arms over the table and rubbed his arm lightly with his thumb.
Gian glanced at Hebs and then at Shadow before he'd felt the others' reassuring squeeze to his hand. "I agree with Alfie," he started as he'd looked down. "I don't want to die yet." Not when he already found what he was happy about and was happy with. |
"...Well. Who out of our group do you think is the least threatening to both Kratos and Léan?" Shadow asked, glancing around the table curiously. He wanted everyone's opinion, but in his opinion, he had a feeling that the pair of lovebirds would feel the least threatened by either Hebs or Gian. Léan already wasn't too comfortable with Gian, so that was why the young man wasn't automatically Shadow's first choice.
Alfie seemed to be having similar thoughts to Shadow, but he included himself in the mix. "...Maybe me, Gian, or Hebs," he muttered, looking sheepish. "We can send two of us." |
If Alfie and Gian were going to go, Gian was very sure that it wouldn't end too well. Didn't Léan hate them? Well, disliked them? Gian turned to look to Hebs who looked like he was deep in thought. "I wouldn't mind going," he told Shadow as he shook his head, "But I don't want to go alone." At least, he needed someone with him and if he were going to choose between the three, it had to be Shadow. Shadow was, perhaps, the only other person whom their two lovebirds respect or had respect for.
"With Shadow then?" Gian suggested as he glanced at Alfie and raised his eyebrows when he'd moved his gaze again to Shadow. |
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