Toby's cabin side thread

[Sophia D'Vart]

Acutis had done it: he'd called a Family Meeting. There hadn't been one since he walked out to look for Sasha, since that awful day when Sophia had screamed "then don't you bother coming back". Since the divorce papers had been finalized, dealt with via local lawyers and long-distance communication. Since Rich went back to his flat to stay. 

They met at Sophia's house. It's not like anyone was home; Sophia had bargained for more time to sort her stuff out, had been talking with Dixon about what a healthy pack looks like, Mikail was off at college, Jamie was living with his boyfriend, and Sasha was... wherever she'd gone. Sophia made coffee, bringing out steaming mugs to the two men: Rick's favorite mug, and a generic one for Acutis. "I pitched your old mug," she says, without remorse, as she puts the blue ceramic mug down in front of him. 

[Acutis D'Vart]

Yeah, she's still mad.

Not that Acutis had figured she'd be anything less than furious at this point. Despite marrying him, Sophia was a creature of order and sense. He'd know there was a large chance of things not working out, but he had still tried. He still loved her, despite knowing that disaster could come. Still, he hadn't thought they'd gather together like this.

"You hated it anyway." He'd LIKED that mug. It'd had a ferret curled around a die that said 'I am an agent of circumstance' That...weirdly stung more than he'd thought.

"So, everyone up to speed?"

[GamesMaster]

This is going to go great. Rich can already feel the migraine lurking at the edges of his temples, and Acutis isn't even trying to use his power. Being a Sensitive helped his job significantly, but it made it hard to be around Acutis when the man was upset or in any way... 'leaking'. 

"Give me the run-down again? I'm only human, I might have missed something."

[Sophia D'Vart]

Oddly enough, that stung. Because I'm not, anymore, she realizes again, and inwardly curses the asshole she let... violate her, in ways she'd never expected to be vulnerable. If truth be told, that was probably why she was so very angry -- Acutis was a convenient, non-dead target for her rage. The rage that had only intensified once she'd been released from the droning and her full beast had roared to life inside her. 

"Jamie's been turned by the adult man who's been using him for sex, claiming they're 'mates'. As if he could consent. Apparently he's backed by pack law, which has been enshrined under the Endangered Species Act of 2012 into human law as well."

[Acutis D'Vart]

Acutis was...trying, but it was very uphill. He could tell that she COULD kill him in a rage, but that wouldn't be helpfu- He winced and looked over at Rich. Right, migraines and irritability. Probably not good to make that worse.

"He's not using him for sex. IF I thought THAT was a possibility, we'd probably be having a different conversation and I'd possibly be missing an arm..." He thought for a second. "I'd only maybe be dead. Anyway, there's plenty of ways he CAN consent, and I've made sure he knew that there were choices other than staying here before he was almost killed." He had to grit his teeth to clamp down on his anger at that. "And now his Nature is awake early. Which is the reason we're all talking here because he's going to need a LOT of help."

[GamesMaster]

Rich clicks his pen, opening the small notepad he takes everywhere. "Tell me what you can about his Nature. What we'll need to know to help him. You can choose the order of things, but please be as precise as you can."

[Acutis D'Vart]

"Well, first things first, it's NOT that he has another him inside his brain. Spent long enough arguing with a shrink about that and I'd rather not have to burn down ANOTHER asylum over that old conversation." He waves his hand, as if waving off the idea that he might have overreacted. "It's more that his magic is a living thing and part of him, but because it's magic it also has an opinion on how it's used and that can manifest in an array of life-" crushing "-altering ways. It just seems that his is one of the more common ways that happen when trauma causes it. It can also be caused by having a" He pauses as if to think over his words. "Crutial incongruentcy between their estabished world-view and the stark reality of the fantastical." Acutis sighed. "Basically if things got too weird TOO fast it can also cause it."

[Sophia D'Vart]

Sophia lets out a low, bestial growl. "Why didn't you warn us? Mikail could have manifested too!" 

[GamesMaster]

No he couldn't, Rich thinks but doesn't say. He's pretty sure Mikail is his son, not Acutis'. But he's not going to bring that up, not now. 

[Acutis D'Vart]

"Because I didn't know if it COULD!" Acutis glared at Sophia. "It would need to be something extreme and, if you would remember, I also promised to give them as much a chance of a 'normal' life. Which meant not tearing apart causality to make sure if something could or couldn't cause it."

[Sophia D'Vart]

"You still should have--"

[GamesMaster]

Rich clears his throat. "Is there any other remote chance that can harm the kids because of their bloodline?"

[Acutis D'Vart]

Acutis started to reply, but took a breath. And another one. And didn't decide that the nearest freeway didn't need a 6 car pile-up. "He'll probably be more susceptible to iron and we'll have to see how he falls on the whole 'lying' thing but nothing else that could only possibly happen. There's also the small problem that until he can settle and his Nature stops acting out, other people will be able to feel him working."

[GamesMaster]

"Meaning I can't be around him?" sighs Rich. 

[Sophia D'Vart]

"Meaning he's a target for anything that feeds on magic," says Sophia darkly.