Stone's Throw

[GamesMaster]

Pip nods. "Come try his stuff, you'll be blown away."

[Andreas Amell]

"Even the most basic of morsels would taste finer than kraken meat in company such as this," Andreas says whimsically but also very, very sincerely. "I almost fear what 'great' will become."

[GamesMaster]

"Kraken isn't bad, actually, if you barbeque it," laughs Pip. "Anyway, come, try this salami."

And the salami turns out to be very, very good -- as does the wine it's paired with. It's with heavy regrets that Andreas heads out from the party, his head still back on the roof with them as he walks home. He's so distracted, in fact, he doesn't notice the catfolk bumping into him until it's too late and his pocket's been picked. 

And then the theif, rather than running, pauses, looking him dead in the eye-- in the identical eye. With an identical face. What. The fuck. 

[Andreas Amell]

"Doppelganger," Andreas hisses, eyes narrowed into slits. "Shift off my face immediately!" he demands, hands flexing as if to unsheathe the claws he doesn't really have. "It's a felony to impersonate the family of a Light."

[Charon Tethras]

Charon, meanwhile, hisses, dropping into a crouch, ready to scrap with the claws he very much does have. And there are other differences, now that Andreas is looking more closely. Charon has a notch in one ear, a bandage on his tail, scruffier hair which clearly hasn't seen conditioner in its life. He's skinnier and dressed in cheaper fabric. And he's hissing like a cat, something Andreas usually thinks of as beneath him.

[Andreas Amell]

"Answer me," Andreas demands, drawing himself up to his full height.

[Charon Tethras]

"Why? So you can feel justified beating me and throwing me out of the city? You're the one with my fucking face, I didn't do a damn thing wrong, but you Lights are always shitting on us."

[Andreas Amell]

"Your face?" Andreas snaps out. "Your face? This has been my face since birth, thank you very much."

[Charon Tethras]

"As if it wasn't mine! I don't know who you are, but all I want is to get home and have a shower."

[Andreas Amell]

Andreas stares a moment, posture slowly relaxing. "You're not... That's your real face? You swear to Alydra?"

[Charon Tethras]

"It's usually got less dirt on it, but yes." Heart rate slowing, Charon takes a deep breath, suddenly struck by the oddness of the situation now that he's not worried about attack. As his claws sheath themselves, he adds, "maybe your dad has by-blows you don't know about? I was adopted."

[Andreas Amell]

"I don't have a dad," Andreas replies automatically, then flinches as guilt surges through him. "I mean..." A beat. "Wait, you think you're my half-brother?" he asks, tone stunned.

[Charon Tethras]

"...you look just like me. Either Bharnerol's having a laugh or we're related."

[Andreas Amell]

"Okay, fair," Andreas replies after a moment. "I mean, it could just be magic," he counters. "Though..." He squints at the other merikos catfolk. "I don't see any of the tell-tale signs of minor magicks and it's not really close enough for it to be a greater working."

[Charon Tethras]

"Well like I said, I ain't got no parents so we'll never know I guess."