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Arturo informed him of the date. "Is it close? Hope it hasn't passed. We should celebrate!" Part of him was brimming with excitement that they might start traveling sometime soon. |
"Mm, it's today, in fact." He gave a laugh, patting Arturo's shoulder softly. "I'm 20 now...I suppose this does require some celebration, why don't we go get a drink? If you're still able to, we can leave for our trip soon too."
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"What a coincidence that you should wake on your birthday," Arturo said with a smile. "Yes, let's hit the tavern. I'm ready to travel when you are." He dismissed the children who eagerly took off in a fit of giggles. Danny watched before getting up and running after them. |
"Well! Let's hit the tavern for a while, and in a few days, we'll head out on our trip." He said with a smile, heading out with him to the pub--he'd visit Danielle later when he returned from his visit with Arturo.
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"Sounds like a good plan, if I say so myself." Arturo led the way to the pub they had gone to before. It was almost a repeat, but instead of a blond, he was going with a redhead. "What happened to your hair and eyes?" |
Theodore chuckled a little and shrugged a bit. "I'm not really sure. I think... Adrien cast a charm on me. He never really wanted to force me into the Tribe, so he figured I'd try to get away eventually--if I recall correctly, the charm was set to trigger when I came near death by the hands of those from the Tribe." He explained, though he wasn't sure. Everything that had happened over the years had made some of his memories from back then fade.
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"Well...that was quite nice of him. I wouldn't have thought he'd have a soft spot for you after seeing how...cold he was." Arturo did wonder if Theodore regretted what had happened. Considering he had killed Tobias, perhaps eliminating Adrien was no difficult task. He had a seat and ordered his usual. In the furthest corner, a man with an eyepatch sat, petting a cat. It mewed and purred at him, its tail flowing. |
Theodore ordered a heavier drink this time, getting something light to eat since it hadn't been long since he'd had food at all.
As he drank, the familiar mewl of a cat caught his sharp hearing and he turned is head in the direction of it, gasping as he saw the two. He set his drink down and stood up quickly, approaching the table. "Denzell? Sloane? Oh my god, is it really you?" He asked as he got closer. He'd thought they'd died back then... he was so sure when they never returned that they'd perished--how had they survived these years? Denzell had been in such poor condition. |
Denzell looked up and was unable to remember the boy. His features had changed. He wasn't as thin, pale, blond... "Do I know you?" he asked, with some surprise. "M'memories...might be a little lacking." Sloane hopped off his lap to rub against Theodore's legs, recognizing him easily. |
"It's Theodore! I've uh... changed a lot because of some magic... but it's still me. Do you remember?" He asked, smiling as he picked Sloane up to cuddle the little beast, happy to see him.
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Denzell's once large eye - it appeared smaller now that he had flesh upon his once skeletal face - widened greatly. "No way...m'Theodore?" He rose and touched the youth's cheeks. "Wow, would've never guessed!" |
Theodore smiled and set Sloane down so he could hug onto Denzell, not afraid that he would break him anymore. "I thought for sure you guys had died... So much has happened since then. How did you survive? When we were attacked, you were already near death!"
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Denzell, still very much scattered from his experiences in the dungeon and from the shock of seeing Theodore alive and well, recounted his tale of dashing away with the guards he was with. Sloane was safe against his chest as he rushed through brush and down a hill to hide in a valley. One of the guards had died from the onslaught. He had figured out the path down the hill too late. Denzell had chosen to just roll down. The kitten wasn't fond of the rough travel down, but they were alive and that was all that mattered. Luckily, there had been fruits in the brush where he hid. As he waited alone, he fed himself and the kitten with whatever he could find and catch. The ripe fruits had lured in small prey in large numbers. It wasn't long before the shock of the escape had waned before he learned of a wound he gained over the now covered eye. It was scarred. Before he was done with his tale, he mentioned quite briefly about how he had resorted to stealing to survive. Now, that he was well off, he could travel around to explore the world. |
THeodore listened with obvious interest, amazed with how Denzell had managed to survive. He didn't scold him for stealing at all--he understood that if he hadn't, he probably wouldn't have lasted as long as he had so far. "I'm so glad you're okay. I've lost... so many people."
He turned and called Arturo over--smiling back at Denzell again. "It's my birthday... I just woke up from a coma too." He told Denzell, shifting to raise his shirt to show him his heavily scarred body. That was something the magic didn't make go away--he'd have to keep covered up outside should he want to hide from them. They probably wouldn't bother him anymore however. He paused and went back over to where Arturo and he had been sitting to grab up is drink. "Come sit with us, Arturo." He said with a soft pat to the man's back before he headed back over to the table, making sure there was a seat for the both of them with Denzell and the feline, sitting down to take a drink. "It's been a hellish few years. I can't help but wonder if I should just become a woman!" He laughed, leaning forward on the table as Sloane head butted him. |
Arturo had a seat, surprised by how much Denzell had changed himself. Only in appearance though, his speech was still quite odd. Chuckling at the woman comment, he nudged Theodore. "Don't say that unless you'd really like to find out!" |
Theodore laughed again as he was nudged, smirking a bit. "Perhaps I should!" Of course, becoming a woman would rather halt any further hopes of being with Danielle for him, but he remembered how what Percy had done to her had changed her.
That made him recall the 'visit' he owed the man... It was long overdue now. A brief frown crossed his face at the thought of it all but he shook it off and smiled at them again. |
Arturo was rather humored by the idea of Theodore becoming female. Perhaps that would help at his disguise. Perhaps fewer people would hurt him. He ordered some food to accompany the drinks he downed. "So, think Denzell would like to come along with us?" "Hm?" the former prisoner asked. |
"Ah! Yes, would you like to come with us, Denzell? Arturo and I are going to be traveling down south for a while. You could join us if you'd like." Theodore said with a warmer smile, petting over the feline slowly before taking another drink, finishing his off and ordering another one.
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Denzell smiled. "Sure, it sounds like fun...doesn't it Sloane?" He joined Theodore in giving the cat as much attention as it yearned for. |
Theodore smiled and continued to chat and drink with them, and he was easily quite drunk before they deemed it time to leave, laughing as he had trouble standing up on his own, stumbling a bit and having to grab onto one of them before he could fall.
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Denzell provided Theodore with the support he needed to leave the pub. Little Sloane trotted ahead of them, looking back often and mewing at Theodore to hurry up. He had missed the warmth of sleeping in the beds of the castle. Arturo kept his eyes peeled for the maid he had left so abruptly earlier. Assuming the now redhead would be safe with Denzell, he departed from them and strutted over when he spotted her. |
"Mmhmhm..." Theodore chuckled a little as he walked with Denzell, watching Arturo go over to that maid with a smirk. "It's funny... how strong you are now, Denzelllll..." He mumbled, resting his head in against the man's shoulder a moment as he almost lost his footing as they walked. He'd never drank so much in his life, it made him feel strange. He supposed he'd have to see Danielle later when he sobered up, he didn't really want her to see him so drunk! "To be able.. to hold me up now... I'm still... in the same room as before- do you remember it?"
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Denzell laughed some. "M'suppose I am!" He rubbed the youth's shoulder as he took him to the room, the hallways oddly familiar after years of being away from it all. He laid him down and tucked him under the covers. Sloane took position by curling up on Theodore's chest. Unsure of where to go, Denzell laid upon a mat on the floor to sleep off his drinks too. |
Theodore laid down with the kitten, passing out in no time as he lay there, and he'd later regret drinking so much.
When the alcohol finally wore off, Theodore slowly began to wake up, a pain becoming evident in his head. He sat up and rubbed his face with a groan, sighing out. "Mnhg..." He felt like he'd been hit by something, hungover from drinking far too much. |
Denzell, who was uncertain of what to do when he woke up, slept more, waiting for Theodore to awaken. Sloane stretched and meowed at him as if to say he wasn't quite ready to awaken yet. Hearing this, Denzell sat up and looked on the bed. "Awake, hm?" |
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