Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Whatchu talkin bout Willis?"

Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me
  • Create Account
  • IJ Login
  • OpenID Login
Search by : 
  • View
    • Create Account
    • IJ Login
    • OpenID Login
  • Journal
    • Post
    • Edit Entries
    • Customize Journal
    • Comment Settings
    • Recent Comments
    • Manage Tags
  • Account
    • Manage Account
    • Viewing Options
    • Manage Profile
    • Manage Notifications
    • Manage Pictures
    • Manage Schools
    • Account Status
  • Friends
    • Edit Friends
    • Edit Custom Groups
    • Friends Filter
    • Nudge Friends
    • Invite
    • Create RSS Feed
  • Asylums
    • Post
    • Asylum Invitations
    • Manage Asylums
    • Create Asylum
  • Site
    • Support
    • Upgrade Account
    • FAQs
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Interest
    • Search Randomly

Angela Petrelli ([info]reapwhatwesow) wrote in [info]colligo_threads,
@ 2010-01-04 00:40:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!closed, angela petrelli, arthur petrelli

WHO: Angela & Arthur Petrelli
WHAT: Arthur is done bidding his time and decides to take what he wants most
WHERE: Dreamland
WHEN: Night
RATING: PG-13
STATUS: In Progress

Brief naps, nodding off in the corner of the room only to wake in fifteen minutes, was how Angela had been sleeping since her deceased husband had arrived in the city. She hadn't dared allow herself to fall under deeper than that, but eventually, exhaustion won out. Collapsed at the desk in her bedroom, Angela found herself slipping into one of her vivid dreams. But, unlike the ones that she'd had since she had arrived here mostly involving the immediate city, she found herself back home, safe, in the middle of the mansion. She wasn't about to allow herself to hope that perhaps, perhaps this meant that they would be going home soon, but instead, she turned towards the living room, pausing on the threshold at the sight in front of her eyes.

It was that second that she knew that everything was wrong. She dreamed of the future, what was to come, but what was before her was the past. Nathan swaddled in a blanket, barely a few days old, Arthur holding him with the awkwardness that comes with every new father, both of them looking amazingly content and innocent for the future that was laid before them.

A wistful sadness gripped her gut at the scene as it faded before her eyes, leaving her standing alone in the midst of the illusion. Exhaling slowly, Angela turned her vision around herself before stepping into the room, sighing as she flopped down on the couch, leaning back and tipping her eyes to the ceiling.

"At least I'm not cuffed to the chair this time."


(Post a new comment)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 07:05 am UTC (link)
While it appeared that Claire had gotten quite startled at his appearance at her video store some weeks earlier and had, as such, taken some rather extreme precautions to avoid him, Arthur had truly not been paying nearly as much attention to his granddaughter as he had simply been biding his time. Oh, he still intended on approaching her eventually, but that was some time away still and in the meantime he had other plans to attend to. Namely, having an uninterrupted discussion with his wife.

Of course, for Arthur, simply having a talk wouldn't do. No, he had to ensure that not only did he speak with Angela, he ensured she was incapable of speaking with anyone else. So while he would readily admit that his measures might be a little extreme, he also knew they were necessary. She was quite stubborn, in her own way, and he knew it would take some time before she was willing to see things from his perspective. However, courtesy of Adam's ability, time was one thing he had plenty of.

So he devised a plan and waited. The moment Angela fell asleep, as he knew she was wont to do eventually, he made his move. It was too easy, really, and all too soon she was trapped within her dreams. Dreams that he now controlled, down to the most finite detail.

Hearing her comment as she gazed up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but smile a bit. "Don't be silly, my dear," he finally spoke from his spot near the doorway. Stepping into the all too familiar room, he glanced around casually before his gaze finally landed back on the woman he had gone to such great lengths simply to speak with.

"There's no reason to take such dramatic measures. It isn't as though any attempt you make to leave will be successful."

By the time he'd finished speaking he had made his way closer - merely a few feet away - then paused. The same smile was still on his face as he eyed her. "Then again," he added mildly, "you're already well aware of that fact, now aren't you?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 07:28 am UTC (link)
"I'm hardly the moron that you took me to be, Arthur," Angela said, looking up at Arthur with none of the affection that she once held towards him. She had loved Arthur for forty years, but this was not the man that she had spent most of her life with. They had done a lot of bad things together over the years, perhaps, but he had changed in her eyes the second that she learned that he was willing to kill her baby in order to save his own skin.

"And I don't see any reason for me to make such a fuss when it's clear that I'm here until you decide otherwise," Angela said as she stood, glancing over her shoulder at him as she crossed the room to the small liquor cabinet. Even if it was simply an illusion, she knew all too well how solid telepathic illusions could be. At least she could make herself comfortable. Pulling out two glasses, Angela poured out some of the fine malt scotch before capping the bottle. She turned back to him, extending the glass with a vaguely taunting smile. "No poison. I promise."

Not that she needed to say it. He was the one in control of this illusion, after all.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 01:21 pm UTC (link)
Arthur's smile was very nearly a fond one as he took the offered drink. Theirs truly was a strange, unique relationship when such reminders as the fact that his wife had once very nearly killed him was said with merely a touch of taunting and met with what could almost pass as a reminiscent look. Of course, it was the fact that they were both capable of such things that made them work so very well together, as far as he was concerned at least.

"I've considered you many things over the years, Angela," he commented idly as he swirled the liquid around in his glass. "A moron was never one of them. A bit naive at times and certainly overly emotional, but scarcely a moron." After all, he never would have loved someone with not just as much intelligence as he had. Nor would he have had to go to such great lengths to keep her in her proper place if she had truly been lacking that intelligence in any way.

Tipping his glass toward hers - a toast would be a bit over dramatic, he could admit that much - he took a sip of the scotch. Savoring the flavor as it slid down his throat, even if it was nothing more than an illusion, he spoke again after a pause.

"You are mistaken however. You do have a say in precisely how long you remain here," he pointed out casually. The corners of his mouth curved upward into a vaguely amused expression. "It simply depends on just how long it takes you to agree to put this whole petty squabbling between us, behind you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 01:43 pm UTC (link)
"Petty squabbling," Angela repeated, lifting an eyebrow at the semantics of it all as she swirled the liquid in her glass, frowning down at it in over to keep from looking at him. It at least gave her something to focus on that wasn't him or the bits of nostalgia that surrounded her. Taking a long sip of the drink, Angela sighed in vague frustration.

"You call attempting to kill our oldest son and his wife 'petty squabbling'? You call trapping me in a coma only to steal our youngest son's abilities when he attempts to save me in order to use him for a lab experiment 'petty squabbling'? You call ruining a perfectly good plan to put an end to a cold blooded killer that was working simply because you wanted the upperhand 'petty squabbling'? Arthur, that is not petty squabbling. The arguments that we used to have over the color of the drapery in the bedroom. That is petty squabbling."

Knocking back the rest of her drink, more than sure that she couldn't conceal her agitation at the moment, Angela crossed away from Arthur, towards the mantel, setting the glass down with a loud clink before turning back to him.

"I hope you're happy, Arthur," Angela drawled. "Thanks to you, the whole plan fell apart. Nathan set the ball rolling on the one thing that we always wanted to prevent. And the murderer that I was trying to put a leash on ended up killing him because of it."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 02:20 pm UTC (link)
Honestly, did she have to make everything into an argument? They were having a perfectly fine conversation until she managed to latch on to one single word and turn the entire situation back around on him. It was both a trait he admired about his wife and one that frustrated him to no end.

Still, Arthur hadn't gone to all this trouble to allow his temper or frustration to get the better of him. He was the one in control and it would remain that way, no matter what sorts of things she might want to harp upon or complain about. Besides, he had missed this. The biting sting of her words. The fact that she knew she was clearly outmatched yet refused to back down. It likely made little sense to others who knew him, who knew how he didn't appreciate being challenged, but if anyone was capable of doing so in a way that he appreciated it was his Angela.

Still. For as much as he could admire her for her spunk, the last bit she said was enough to make the smile temporarily leave his face. She had a point, with that one. Sylar had killed Nathan. For that matter, Sylar had killed him. The man had turned out to be far more trouble than he was worth and Arthur fully intended on dealing with him soon enough.

Not that he intended to make such statements to Angela right now. Not in so many words, at least. So instead he took another thoughtful sip of his drink before drawling out a mere, "If I were happy, Angela, you wouldn't be here right now."

Her glass flew from the mantel with a twitch of his fingers, into his waiting hand. Crossing to the liquor cabinet, he set his own glass down and poured her another. Picking up his glass, as well as hers, he turned back to face his wife. "Besides, Nathan is alive now. I'm certain he's also learned from his mistakes," he pointed out. Crossing to where she stood, he simply set the drink at the mantel in front of her before taking another small, thoughtful sip of his own.

"I also have every intention of dealing with the man who took his life. Eventually."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 02:41 pm UTC (link)
"Don't," Angela bit, the edge in her voice clear as she looked up at Arthur, ignoring the drink. "Gabriel has solved his own demons here, and the last thing he needs is anymore interference in his life...from either of us."

Not that she was completely all right with him, but she had come to respect him and understand him far more than she had before with an honest and open sincerity this time rather than the deception that her affection had been based on before. He had surprised her when she was deceiving him with how committed he had been to change, to putting his best foot forward to make himself better in not only his eyes but in the eyes of everyone, and while she hadn't been completely surprised when the plan had fallen through, she had to wonder if it even had if Arthur hadn't given him a reason to question.

"He's harmless," Angela said with far more conviction in her voice than she felt in her heart. If his family was threatened, he was hardly going to be. "And Nathan seems to be learning now," She said, finally turning back to the mantel and picking up her drink. "Now that he's not spending most of the day drowning his sorrows in cheap booze."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 03:10 pm UTC (link)
Although he had no intention of truly leaving alone the man who had murdered him - or at the very least had ensured that Peter wasn't the only one responsible - Arthur did have to admit if only to himself that Angela's first statement made him take pause. He'd never been one to rush into things without thinking them through first, without weighing every option and considering every angle. And while he was a prideful man, and certainly didn't appreciate anyone attempting to tell him what to do, he also knew that there were simply some things that he didn't have the insight into whereas others might. Especially his wife.

So he had every intention of taking her words to heart. Possibly even leaving Gabriel alone as she'd stated he should. That is, until she said Gabriel was harmless... and the lie detection ability he'd recently picked up from the very man in question caused the world around him to vibrate in place.

"Harmless, hmm?" he simple drawled. The tone in his voice, the smirk that adorned his features, were both signs that he clearly didn't believe her. He also wasn't going to press the issue, though, but instead allowed the not so very subtle shift in the conversation to their eldest son.

"Nathan always was stubborn, Angela, but there should never have been any doubt that he'd come around. He always does, eventually," he remarked casually. Unlike Peter was, of course, the unspoken bit of that statement. As far as Arthur was concerned, their youngest son had always been, and would always be, a mistake that he couldn't quite seem to fully sever himself from no matter how hard he might try.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 03:22 pm UTC (link)
"Because he so desperately wants to make you proud," Angela said, a vague disgusting in her voice. There had been enough years between them that picking up the vague implied statements left unsaid had been simple, and Angela was hardly one to let things that she knew needed to be addressed let lie. And this was something that she had been trying to convince Arthur of for years. As much as it was a dead end, it was a far more familiar argument than anything else that they might end up discussing like this. "Peter realized that he was never going to be able to do that a long time ago," She said, taking another sip of her drink before crossing over to the couch.

She was quite tired of this pacing, and if she was going to be here awhile, she might as well save her energy. Otherwise, she'd wake up just as exhausted as she was when she fell asleep. Sitting down, crossing her ankles and tucking them under the edge of the couch as she leaned her elbow against the arm and propped up her head, Angela sighed, frowning down into her glass.

"Kaito learned to appreciate Hiro in the end, Arthur. I don't see why you couldn't give Peter the same opportunity."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 03:38 pm UTC (link)
It really was an old, familiar argument between the two of them. The beginning of the end, in a way, for their marriage. Where Arthur saw absolutely nothing wrong with having a son who would do whatever it took to earn his respect and affection, Angela meanwhile believed in giving hers freely. And while Nathan had risen to the challenges Arthur had placed in front of him throughout his life, Peter simply... hadn't. It really was quite a disappointment.

Still, there wasn't anything to be done about it and Arthur refused to be swayed by any lingering emotions or reservations that he might still possess. So instead he merely crossed the room and sat down beside Angela on the couch. Not too close, of course, but he was hardly going to keep too much of a distance. She was his wife.

"Kaito became far too sentimental for his own good," he said rather flippantly, finishing his drink and studying the bottom of the glass for a moment before glancing at her. While his tone remained light, a slight frown of displeasure twisted his features. "As for Peter, he made his decision at quite a young age to rebel against every luxury his position in life afforded him. I can hardly condone rebellion, Angela, and had you simply not been so soft on the boy he likely would have come around just as Nathan did, given enough time."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 03:58 pm UTC (link)
"Hardly condone rebellion? Now, Arthur, I do believe those words reek of hypocrisy considering Peter nor Nathan would even exist if it hadn't been for your own act of rebellion," Angela said, turning and looking over at him with a vaguely amused expression. She almost looked content, even if she was a prisoner here. It was familiar, this verbal sparring, and had been something that she had missed sorely. Granted, there had been much that she had missed, but everything was tainted now. Even those things that she remembered fondly.

"And I was only soft on him because I had allowed you to be far too harsh on Nathan when he was young," Angela said. "I was trying to make up for my own failings when it came to protecting him from the sour attitude that you brought home from 'Nam."

He'd been a changed man when he had come back: distant, detached, solemn, and he had refused to talk about any of it, couldn't talk about some of it, and it had taken years for her to even see any semblance of the man that she had married shine through again. It was that blasted war that she had blamed for so much of the things that had left them all so embittered and changed, but it had taken her decades to find out exactly how much it had taken away from her.

She wanted her Arthur back. But she knew that there was nothing that would do that. Time destroyed the distant memories and left things irrevocably changed.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 08:49 pm UTC (link)
She had a very valid point of course. His decision to be with her, to marry her, had certainly been an act of rebellion in its own right. Granted he'd loved her - he still did and doubted that would ever change - but she hadn't been someone his parents had approved of in the slightest. His mother had thought her nice enough, a 'very sweet girl', as she had put it. Yet she had said it in a tone that clearly indicated she wasn't good enough for him. His father... well, needless to say he hadn't been very pleased at all with his choice. They'd argued, his father had threatened to toss him right out on his ear if he went through with it, but ultimately the man had come around.

Of course, Angela was special. Different. Caring and kind yet with a backbone made of pure steel and willful determination. She was precisely the sort of woman deserving of becoming a Petrelli and had fallen into the role rather seamlessly. Once his parents had recognized that fact their opinions had changed and what had begun as an act of rebellion had turned into quite a wonderful match that others probably had assumed had been his mother's doing all along.

Shaking himself out of his memories, he re-focused on the woman seated beside him now. His smile was a content one, thin but no less sincere. His eyes shone with amusement. "Angela," he drawled her name out slowly, for a moment all but appearing to be the same youthful man he'd once been, so filled with life and optimism. "I was scarcely too harsh on Nathan. Boys require discipline and a firm hand. Otherwise they grow up to be," his lip curled, ever so slightly, "hospice nurses."

Yet another dig at Peter - it really was too easy, and then he was moving on. Not dropping the subject necessarily but shifting it a bit to suit his own purposes.

"You should also be careful in your judgment of me when it comes to my decisions regarding the children," he murmured, his tone taking on a decidedly falsely pleasant edge. "Your own hands are hardly clean from questionable choices yourself."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 09:05 pm UTC (link)
"At least I admit to my mistakes," Angela said, sighing in exasperation as she leaned back on the couch, tipping his eyes to the heavens as she collected her temper at the crack towards Peter. He was her baby, her obvious favorite among the two of them, and even if she didn't agree with all of the decisions that he had made in his life, she still loved him with all of her heart. It was the same way with Nathan. There were more than a few times that she wanted to strangle him for just being himself in the worst possible ways, but that never lessened her love to any degree.

"And whatever mistakes that I make may change my boys' opinions of me, but my love for them will never wane, no matter what. No matter how much that we disagree with. No matter how much I think they might be making the wrong decision. No matter how much I think that they are being conned and manipulated. No matter how much I think they are pushing away the wrong people in order to absolve their guilt. No matter what, I still love them," She said, turning and glaring daggers at Arthur. "I don't go out and ask my long time business partner to send someone to murder them in the middle of the night."

Exhaling, Angela's expression dropped, a heavy sadness replacing the anger, "Daniel was willing to take whatever the consequences were in order to keep Nathan alive, Arthur. Why weren't you?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 09:21 pm UTC (link)
It really was the same old argument, one that neither of them would ever truly win. Arthur knew that the odds of Angela suddenly changing her mind after all of these years when it came to their children was all but moot. He could literally keep her here until the end of time and she would remain convinced her position was the correct one and his was not. It both infuriated and amused him, and reminded him precisely why he'd fallen in love with her all those years ago.

Fortunately, their children - while certainly a sore spot for both of them - wasn't his primary concern at the moment. The rehashing of an old argument was more an act of familiarity. A way to ease her, as ironic as such a concept might be. It was something she was accustomed to when it came to them, as was he, and nostalgia was certainly a good way to keep her defenses lowered at least somewhat. Provided it wasn't pushed too far.

Which, in his opinion, she very nearly did with the mention of Daniel.

His entire expression darkened at the last comment, the illusion around them rippling slightly at the edges as his control waned for a brief instant. "Daniel was a fool," he stated sharply. "And you really should stop comparing me to other men, Angela. Especially ones like Kaito Nakamura and Daniel Linderman. Both became sentimental and far too forgiving in their age."

Realizing that the loss of his temper equaled his loss of control over the situation, he took a brief moment to compose himself. His attention fell to his glass and he sat it down on the nearby table with a muffled sigh born of weariness and frustration. By the time he'd looked back to Angela, however, he was once again fully in control.

"I love both of my sons," he stated simply, knowing she likely wouldn't believe it but also knowing it to be true. He loved them, as much as he was capable of loving them, mistakes and all. "However," he added, "life is filled with difficult decisions and, sometimes, sacrifices must be made. Nathan's decision to implicate me was not something that could go unchallenged, nor was Peter's decision to toss away a perfectly respectable future to follow some... pipe dream of saving the world one person at a time."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 09:42 pm UTC (link)
"Sacrifices must be made," Angela echoed, frowning to herself. "And when it comes down to it, Arthur, a mother will always choose her sons over her husband if she is forced to that choice," She said quietly, turning her gaze away from him. "And it is the one deepest desire in her soul that she never be put in that position."

It had killed her to make that decision, but in the end, it had been the only option that she had had in that situation. And it was ironic, in the end, when she hadn't even been able to go through with that.

"You do realize that the only reason you're still alive is because Nathan came home before René could finish the job, yes? He insisted that we take care of you immediately," Angela said, looking sideways at Arthur with a heavy expression. "And they were both devastated when we thought you had died. And yet you treat them as though they're nothing. You know as well as I thought you could have gotten out of any charges that were brought against you, Arthur. A few well placed thoughts in the right heads, and nobody would have thought anything of it."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 10:03 pm UTC (link)
She had a very valid point and Arthur knew it. Just as he had known that getting out of potential charges would have been quite simplistic. However, that hadn't been the point, at the time. Now, perhaps, enough time had passed that he could admit if only to himself that it would have been a better solution. Then, though, he had simply been too angry at the thought of his own son betraying him that he had wanted to ensure Nathan learned his lesson. Even if it had meant killing him.

It was all moot now, though, and Arthur knew that Angela realized that as much as he did. Yet it didn't stop him from arching a brow slightly as he glanced at her. "Perhaps, but the damage would have been done. Besides which, there isn't anything to be done about it now. Nathan also didn't die, so it's really a rather pointless discussion we're engaging in, my dear."

Ah, the patented Arthur Petrelli way of ending an argument he knew he stood no chance of winning. Simply point out how utterly pointless it all was.

"In regards to your decision," he continued as he gave a very small shake of his head. "While I certainly didn't appreciate it, I can hardly fault you for it. You did what you must, just as I will now do as I must in order to regain that which I've lost as well as what was taken from me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 10:19 pm UTC (link)
"Arthur," Angela said in a quietly exasperated tone. She had heard him say that hundreds of times now. If she had a nickle for every time that she had, Arthur could have retired from law and taken up gardening as a full-time activity. And she had been trying, in vain, for nearly forty years to convince him that he hadn't lost anything, nothing had been taken from him. And well he might have some point in this this time, she fell easily into her usual tendencies as she reached out, settling a delicate hand on his arm. Her gaze was soft, sad, and quiet concerned as she repeated the same thing that she had always said. "You are every bit the man that you ever were, and there is no need to pull ridiculous stunts like this to try and regain things that haven't been taken away."

Granted, their family had been whole and intact that last time that she had said that, though, so it hardly held as much weight. But her gaze was still just as soft, just as concerned, as it always had been.

"I wish you would have just talked to me," Angela said quietly, frowning at him. "Instead of doing what you had. I know we had our difficulties agreeing at times, but stealing my opinion from me, Arthur? Whatever made you think that was a good idea?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 10:43 pm UTC (link)
Somewhere, deeply buried beneath the devastation of war and hardships of life in general, was the man that Angela spoke of. He was hidden carefully underneath various masks, shoved into the deepest and darkest recesses of the mind that belonged to the man now seated beside her. Every so often, Arthur could feel him in his subconscious. Tugging at him, poking around, screaming in horror at the things he'd done and even the things he had considered doing over the years. Yet too much time, and far too many outside forces, had changed him. He was no longer that man. That Arthur was weak. Idealistic and pathetic. He couldn't - wouldn't - allow the world to walk over him as he once had.

Still, even with all of his certainty that he had long since made the right decision, he was just a man and if there was anyone capable of making him second guess his choices it was the woman beside him. She had always been his weakness. His Achilles heel, no matter how hard he might try to convince himself otherwise. Now he was facing immortality with the knowledge that he would someday lose her, and the tiny part of him that still desperately yearned for the days of his youth wanted nothing more than to simply enjoy whatever remaining years they might have together.

So it was with a somewhat softened expression that he glanced at her. He considered her question, as he had considered it long before he had actually taken steps to actively remove her ability to argue with him over certain points. Finally he simply sighed and drew his arm away from her gentle touch.

"Just what would we have discussed, Angela?" he asked as he rose to his feet and crossed back to the liquor cabinet. He made no move to pour another drink. He simply placed his hands upon the smooth surface and stared at the bottle as though it might actually have an answer written upon it. After a pause, he glanced back at her.

"You would have steadfastly refused to hear my side and I would have refused to let your interference deter me." He shook his head, the sorrow slowly slipping away and in its place an expression of stubborn determination. "I made the only decision available to me at the time. Perhaps it wasn't the ideal one but it was the only one that could be made. Any regrets I may harbor for it certainly won't change that fact."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-04 10:59 pm UTC (link)
"No more than regret will change my own," Angela said as she peered up at him, standing slowly as she crossed over to Arthur, watching the honesty that she had seen for a moment slip behind one of his masks as she stepped in behind him, settling her hands on his shoulders as she frowned. "But charging headlong with my own determination has only ultimately lead to more problems in the end, Arthur, and I'm sure that it would simply enough up the same for you. And you may be right. We might have buttered heads without coming to any solution. But at least we would have talked about it, even if you did ultimately decide to go with your own idea no matter what I said or thought. Which, honestly, wouldn't be surprised me at all. But it would have given me a voice in the process and perhaps, perhaps provided you with a point of view that you hadn't considered before."

That was what they were for, after all. What it had always been about.

"All I ever wanted was an equal say, Arthur," Angela said quietly. "For us to understand and listen to each other, even if we didn't agree. When did you forget that?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-04 11:29 pm UTC (link)
It was a fair question and, for once, Arthur didn't have a ready made answer. When had he forgotten that their marriage was meant to be an equal partnership? Once upon a time it had been precisely that. More than, really, considering how much he adored her. Anything she had said, anything she had wanted, he would have done for her back then. He would have moved Heaven and Earth alike if it would have made her happy. And somehow, along the way, while his love hadn't diminished his actions had.

He couldn't honestly say at this point why he had believed forcing her to be docile was a good idea. Yes, he was a very controlling man, but that really wasn't it. Not entirely.

With a stifled sigh he turned, hands gently grasping her upper arms as he peered down at her with a look of open, honest affection. One hand trailed up, cupping her cheek.

"I don't know," he said simply. For once it was honesty. Not a fallacy dressed up as such. Not a means of manipulation. She had asked a question and he merely answered. And it felt... surprisingly good.

Yet it also felt odd. Strange. Something he was wholly unaccustomed to, and no sooner had the words left his mouth did he release his hold on her and step away. By the time his attention had re-focused on her, the affection was buried yet again. "It hardly matters now, regardless," he stated in a firm tone. He wasn't sure who he trying to convince more. Her, or himself.

With a mild shake of his head to dispel the thought, Arthur said, "Now the question becomes how to best proceed. A decision I can only assume you'd prefer a say in as well." Which, to be fair, was something he was giving her an opinion on. He was simply doing so in a controlled environment where well intentioned others couldn't interfere.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-05 10:41 am UTC (link)
For a moment, a brief glimmering moment, Angela had hope that she had made enough of an impact to right the muddled thought processes that Arthur had been working with recently. The touch, the look, the honest in his voice that wasn't masked by any other excuse or cover, all of it was familiar in the right way, and Angela found herself leaning into the touch on her cheek for a moment before it was all buried back down again.

The lurch her heart gave as it disappeared very nearly brought tears to her eyes, but Angela hadn't cried over Arthur yet, even after she thought that he had been dead, and she wasn't about to allow herself to cry over the man that he insisted on being that was standing in front of her.

"The way to best proceed, Arthur, is to alter your strategy. There is no Company here. There is nothing that gives us the authority and control that we might have once had. There are people here that could squash us -- yes, even you -- like a bug and move on as though we were nothing more than a insignificant pest to them," Angela said softly, reaching up and gently adjusting his tie, smoothing out the lapels of his suitjacket. "The best thing we can do here, Arthur, is just try to live. And be grateful for each other."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-05 12:55 pm UTC (link)
He had expected everything she had said. He knew she was right. There was no Company, there were people within the city who were extremely powerful in ways that even he couldn't hope to compete with, and the power that he had grown accustomed to having over the years was gone now. So he had really expected everything she'd said... except for the last part. The gentle adjusting of his tie, the straightening of his lapels, those were things that he used to barely notice her doing. Now they caused a mild furrowing of his brow. And her softly spoken words there at the end made him take pause in a way that he hadn't in years.

He hated feeling vulnerable. Loathed the weakness that the woman before him brought out every time she was near. He could have killed her, should have killed her, before. She had certainly done her best to end his life. He couldn't blame her for that fact. He had been attempting to kill one of their children, after all. But turnabout was fair play and he should have done more than merely place her temporarily out of the way when he'd set his plans in motion following his return.

Yet he hadn't. He knew he couldn't now, either. Yes, she was by far his biggest weakness but he could no sooner end her life than he could intentionally end his own. He may not love others in the same way that most viewed and understood love, but he did love Angela with all of what remained of his heart.

Still, she was a weakness of his and one that he had to watch closely. She was, after all, hardly an idiot and while he did want to believe she meant what she said, he also knew she could easily be manipulating him in an attempt to regain her freedom. He didn't want to think that's what she was doing, of course, but who ever wanted to believe that those they cared for were using them in some capacity? Therefore he'd be an idiot not to consider it to some degree.

So while his answer wasn't a gruff one, and was quite honest, there was still an air of detachment present as he stared down at her. The longing he felt for the days of old, the desire he felt to simply change if it ensured her place at his side yet again, was ignored for the time being. His voice was soft, but firm, as he replied simply, "I certainly have no intention of making a play for any type of power, Angela. However I highly doubt I'll be given the option of simply living."

There was a brief flash of tenderness in his eyes as he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "If Peter doesn't make a move against me as a matter of principle, it's only a matter of time before Gabriel views me as a large enough threat to do so himself."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-05 01:30 pm UTC (link)
"Peter only went after you the first time because I sent him, Arthur," Angela said, frowning softly as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to indulge in the sensation of his hand on her cheek, sighing. "Either way, I could speak to them, make them understand." Noah was the biggest threat, anyways. Gabriel and Peter could always be dissuaded given the proper time and arguments, but she was sure that he wouldn't budge on the belief that Arthur was a danger, no matter what. "You know that Peter listens to me when he knows that it's important, and Gabriel is far more understanding now than he was before."

Opening her eyes slowly, Angela looked back up at Arthur, a softness in her eyes as she looked at him, almost pleadingly. Perhaps part of this was because she knew that if she could change his mind, she could get out of here. Perhaps part of it was her wanting to make sure that her family was safe from the sort of threats that Arthur could offer up if he was of the mood. But more than anything, it was because she truly did want him to just give up on all of this and learn how to stay here without everything else.

"Let me try? Please?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-05 02:16 pm UTC (link)
Arthur was many things but an idiot wasn't one of them. While part of him wanted to believe Angela was making such an offer and saying these things because she truly meant them, another part of him knew that it would be foolish of him not to acknowledge that she also wanted to leave. Since the only way to do that was to get him to let her go, obviously she would volunteer to speak to people on his behalf so he would do precisely that.

Stiffening a bit at the thought of her trying to manipulate him, wary that was all it was, he eyed her for a long moment. To his credit, Arthur didn't immediately deny her request. Part of him wanted to, but he wasn't going to make the same mistake of rushing head-long into a situation without giving it careful thought first. So he simply studied her, weighing his options.

Finally, he gave a barely audible sigh. "I'll consider it," he agreed. The tone of his voice made it clear he would do no more than that, for the time being. But it was better than nothing, and Arthur highly doubted Angela would object too much.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-05 02:30 pm UTC (link)
Angela had expected that. She hadn't expected that Arthur would just let her go. He was more strategic than that. But the relenting sigh was enough to provoke a smile smile on Angela's face as she leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before allowing her hand to settle lightly on his arm, "That's all I can ask," She said, a hint of amusement tugging her her lips. "It isn't as though I'm in much of of a position to do anything else."

Stepping back slowly, Angela allowed her eyes to move around the room, her hands running slowly over the table with a sigh, registering the sensations of the wood under her fingertips even if she knew it was nothing more than a dream.

"It is good to be back home, though," She said softly. "Even if it isn't real."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-06 03:02 am UTC (link)
His own smile was one of vague amusement and a touch of tenderness at the kiss and touch against his arm. There was still the feeling that he was being manipulated but it wasn't quite as strong as before. More of a sort of wariness that was primarily born from knowing precisely what sort of things his wife was capable of. He had told her, once, that he knew her as well as he knew his own heart. It was a true statement, even now, but the only catch was Arthur wasn't sure just how much of his own heart he really knew anymore. And when it came to Angela, it was just the same. He knew her, thought he knew her well, and wanted to think he could predict most of her actions before she'd even decided to make them. However, she had nearly killed him once, apparently orchestrated (or at the very least had a hand in) his death, and he would be a fool if he underestimated her the third time around.

Still, her admission that it felt good to be back home managed to put most of his suspicion at rest. There was nothing to be gained by her making such a statement. He was no more inclined to change their surroundings than he was to set her free at the moment. Which meant she truly did appreciate the location he'd chosen. He had thought she might, or at the very least hoped for as much, and was pleased to see he had been right in that regard at the very least.

"Reality is little more than what we perceive it to be," he murmured as he stepped away from the bar and glanced around. "For all we know, the city in which we're being held is nothing more than an illusion as well."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-06 07:27 pm UTC (link)
"Perhaps," Angela said softly, a thoughtful expression on her face as she kept her back turned to him, eyes unfocused, not really taking in the surroundings of the room until she managed to pull herself back into herself and stepped back towards the couch, sitting down and turning back to look up at Arthur, a soft smile on her face as she propped her head up.

"At least it isn't another nightmare," Angela said, running her hand over the arm of the chair. "Even if it is a prison, it's better than so much of the things that I've seen lately," She said quietly, a heavy frown on her face as she tipped her gaze back up to Arthur, a soft expression gracing her features as she whispered. "But you knew that already."

Arthur had suffered through almost as many of her nightmares as Angela had. He knew all too well exactly how bad they could be, exactly what sort of things she was subjected to night after night. This was much preferable in the end.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-06 10:38 pm UTC (link)
Arthur didn't join her on the couch. He merely stayed where he was, keeping his distance for the time being. Things were going well - almost too well - and while he was a self-assured man he wasn't going to allow his own arrogance to cost him the pseudo peace that was currently existing between them by pushing his luck a little too far.

"I do," he merely replied softly. It had, and still was in many ways, something that had never sat well with him. He could never truly help her with her dreams. He couldn't simply make better with power or money or even by offering support. He was her husband. If there was one thing he should be able to do it was ease her suffering.

"They won't disturb you here. That much I can guarantee," he spoke again. His voice was quiet but filled with determination. Yes, this place was a prison, but at least here he could help her. Protect her, in a way, from something he never really could before. The corners of his lips curved upward ever so slightly. "You really shouldn't think of this place as a prison, Angela. It will only serve to frustrate you, in the end. Consider it... a reprieve."

There was an edge of teasing there. Faint, barely noticeable, but clearly he wasn't going to fault her for calling a spade a spade. Simply put his own spin on it as he was wont to do.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-06 10:52 pm UTC (link)
"You always did have a way with words," Angela said, chuckling to herself as she peered up at her husband, catching the edge of teasing in his voice. She knew that he didn't truly believe that was what it was. No, he was simply trying to make her consider things differently, in a way that put her in a more favorable light. And even as much as she knew that sparing her from her dreams likely was not his initial thought, it was a favorable side-effect. "Especially when it came to semantic differences," Angela continued, smiling up at him before leaning back and examining him with a critical eye.

"You realize that Noah or Peter have likely found me by now, right?" Angela asked, looking up at him. "They will be out for blood as soon as they realize that I'm not going to wake up."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-07 06:01 pm UTC (link)
For a brief moment, Arthur had thought she was talking about Bennet. He felt a spike of annoyance, almost as much as he felt whenever René came up in a conversation. Neither man was his favorite person and both had an unwavering loyalty to his wife that would be more than enough to cause any other husband to consider them a true threat to a marriage. However, Arthur wasn't just any man and knew that he needn't worry himself over things such as that. Still, he couldn't understand why Bennet of all people would be in Angela's apartment in order to discover that she wouldn't wake in the first place.

And then it hit him. The teenager, the one that he could get such very little information on. That was who she was speaking of. It had to be. The boy had barely left her side, the best he could tell, and between both him and Peter had ensured Arthur wouldn't be able to get close to her without having to attend to them as well.

"So that's his name," he finally murmured as the pieces began to fall into place. "I had wondered just who the boy was. He's quite adept at keeping to himself. There aren't many who are even aware of him." Arthur idly wondered if that was done on purpose or if the boy simply lacked the proper social skills to interact with others outside of a select few. He promptly decided it didn't matter either way.

Moving to the couch, he sat down beside her and gave her a sideways glance. "Now my question becomes, of course," he stated, "just who is he? I've certainly never met him before and yet he's taken quite a shine to you, my dear."

He didn't comment on the fact that the teen or Peter would be out for his blood. That wasn't something new nor was it anything he was going to worry himself over for the time being. He would deal with it, when the time came, but still held out the however vague hope that Angela would be firmly on his side by that point in time and therefore render the entire threat a moot one.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-08 02:12 am UTC (link)
"He's my grandson," Angela said, returning Arthur's sideways glance along with a quirked smile at the whole confusing situation, "in a sense. He's the son that Gabriel would have had if you hadn't felt the need to interfere and make him doubt that story that I had fed him." Because that was what it was, wasn't it? Still... From the sound of it, if Gabriel had never doubted being a Petrelli, Arthur would have ultimately won out. It was hard to determine exactly which situation would have been better in the end because... Well, just because you prevented one way that a situation could come into being didn't mean that you stopped that situation entirely.

"He grew up knowing Gabriel, Peter, and I as his family," She said, glancing sideways at Arthur. "And you as the enemy. So I would be cautious if I were you, Arthur. He will hardly be in an understanding mood if he has found me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]athornyissue
2010-01-08 03:47 am UTC (link)
Well. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. For a moment Arthur went still and simply listened. Turned her words over in his mind, weighing them out. Considering whether she was being sincere or simply trying to convince him to release her before this supposed threat in the form of a teenager managed to discover her predicament.

He wasn't a fool. He knew that the age of someone didn't necessarily make them any less dangerous. He also knew that, if this boy was Gabriel's son, he likely had a far more skewed moral compass than most. However, nothing that Arthur had managed to dig up on the boy - which, admittedly, hadn't been much - indicated he was a threat.

Of course, the only person who likely knew if he truly was a threat or not was sitting right beside him. And she certainly seemed to think he was. Which meant she knew something. Something that she wasn't coming right out and saying. The question was whether she would simply tell him, if asked. It was a gamble he was willing to take.

Glancing back at Angela, Arthur gave her a speculative once over. "I wonder," he mused idly, "what is it that makes you so very certain he poses such a threat to me?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]reapwhatwesow
2010-01-08 04:06 pm UTC (link)
Angela just smiled over at Arthur, a hint of teasing in the edge of her smile, "What is it that makes you so certain that he isn't?" She asked before leaning fully back on the couch, inclining herself towards Arthur until her chin was almost fully resting on his shoulder. "He is Gabriel's son, after all. Gabriel and Elle's. And you know as well as I what so many generations and such a legacy of power equate to," She said, reaching up and brushing a loose strand of hair back off his forehead. "Peter. Or Gabriel. Or worse."

"I think you'd be better off just giving up, Arthur," Angela said, smiling at him before leaning back and away. "Unless, of course, you have a death wish. Which, sometimes, I think that you might."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Home | Site Map | Manage Account | TOS | Privacy | Support | FAQs