Wednesday March 18th 2009
Who: Darwin and Blake (and Wes) Where: the BGH When: afternoon of the Wednesday What: The prodigal cousin shows up.
The house that Darwin stood infront of was a little startling. When he’d heard his dear Cousin was in America he hadn’t expected him to be residing at yet another supernatural school let alone to have a house as grand as this. It was a little impressive, almost, that Blake had done so well for himself. He’d half anticipated an apartment, or a bungalow. Maybe a small townhouse with enchanted gnomes in the front garden. Little did he know that the house did not just shelter Blake but his other half, his other half’s childe, six Finnish children, their brother, Godric’s honorary brother, and the occasional daughter or friend.
He would soon be introduced to a shadow this, for when he knocked on the door he heard several voices, some speaking a language he’d last heard and understood many years ago. Eventually a familiar English voice greeted his ears asking someone to ‘go upstairs, please!’ and he steeled himself for what might be an awkward reunion.
Blake opened the door, dishevelled but smiling, then as he realised who his visitor was he stared at the man standing in front of him. It had been years since he'd seen him, but naturally he hadn't aged a day. Blake blinked just to make sure he wasn't a mirage, then believed it.
“Darwin?”
“The very same!” the other Elliot beamed, doing a grand gesture. Blake noticed a bag at his cousin’s side, his brown eyes travelling up towards his face. The last time he had seen his cousin was a few years back now, and while he’d heard rumours Darwin was doing very well for himself he hadn’t expected to be sought out. The bag indicated backpacking but the demon's instincts told him otherwise.
“I didn’t... I mean what are you doing here?”
Darwin put on one of his cocky grins as he picked up his rucksack and Blake suddenly remembered why he had grown to be irritated by him. “I was in the area, thought I’d stop by...” Darwin didn’t wait for an invitation and walked straight past him into the living room, giving a low whistle as he looked around. As the shock subsided Blake murmured a soft growl before he closed the door and followed him inside.
“I thought you were travelling?”
“I was. I did. Then I came to Boston and I heard a certain Professor Elliot resided in a lovely little house and... Lord, man, is this your Tits Galore collection?”
Darwin held up a few editions of Wesley’s porn magazines to which Blake’s eyebrows shot up. “NO! Put that – away somewhere, under the sofa or something there are children in the house...”
“Children?!” Surely Blake hadn’t gotten hitched with the 2.4 children already... as Blake hurried to do what he’d actually asked already, Darwin grinned at him. “Come on tell me their names! Introduce them to Uncle Darwin.”
After the last magazine was stuffed under the sofa Blake stood. “They are not my children, they’re temporarily staying here while we help them climatise to a new country... that’s all. And before you ask no it’s not trafficking and I’d rather you not terrorize them with tales of Venga the witch...”
Darwin wasn’t listening. He was more looking around at the various pictures that were on display and moving ornaments by a fraction of an inch so that they were straight. Details mattered. “It’s a lovely place. Homely. The school must pay you a lot...”
When Darwin turned Blake was right behind him, giving him one of those Looks that he remembered from childhood. True to form Blake was blunt. “Why are you really here? Nobody’s heard from you in years. Again. Are you married? Are you in trouble?”
Chuckling Darwin dumped his bag and shook his head. He could be honest and tell Blake the truth but then he wouldn’t have a place to stay, so he would keep that to himself. He knew when not to put the noose around his own neck. “Blake... America is large. It is vast. It is also very lonely to travel by yourself. I just wanted to see a familiar face after so long without seeing anybody I know.”
There was a pause as Blake considered this, Darwin’s puppy eyes shining at him. Now Blake almost understood Godric’s thoughts on when the demon shone his own pathetic look towards him. It really was annoyingly good. He knew the solitary nature of travelling without a solid companion, the emptiness just listening to your own thoughts could create. Despite his best efforts Blake frowned and sighed in defeat. “Fine. You can stay here a few days, I suppose, until you move on..”
“Actually,” Darwin said in a rather tentative voice, “I was hoping to make Boston a sticking place for me. Sort of stay here for longer than five minutes...” He saw Blake start to roll his eyes and stepped forward. “I heard about the school and you know I could be useful, I do chi and science and I could help with cleaning...”
“That’d be the day.”
“I’m serious! I want to be stable, Blake, this is my life. .. all I own is in that bag, there’s nothing left for me to see and I don’t want to go back to England, it just makes me think of – her.”
Blake took a deep breath which he huffed out of his nose, then shrugged. “I will... ask around for you,” he conceded finally, to which Darwin clapped his hands, bounced forwards and hugged his cousin tightly.
“Am I high?”
Watching the two men hugging Wesley stood in the doorway of the kitchen, forced to double take as he stared in amazement at Blake embracing what looked to be a duplicate of himself. It fulfilled every fantasy possible to the healer and that made it too good to be true, and so obviously Wesley assumed that he had accidentally snorted or inhaled something that wasn’t meant to be taken. As the cousins parted to look at the staring healer, Blake stepped back.
“Darwin, Wesley, Wesley, Darwin... Wesley is a healer at the school, and he’s also... he's - just living here in general... Darwin is my cousin...” Blake added to the hopeful look Wesley had in his eyes. Darwin meanwhile was beaming.
“I presume you’re the one who has the collection of naked lady magazines?”
Wesley glanced to Blake, then back at the visitor. “Yeah...”
“Good man. I may have to borrow a few in a bit...”
Blake leapt between them almost immediately. “OK, much to do, very little time, Darwin let me give you a tour...”
As Blake ushered Darwin away the younger man shot the healer a brow-wiggle and obediently followed, leaving a very stunned Wesley in his wake. It was best if Darwin was not left to influence Wesley as much as he possibly already had. The man was a good fellow at heart, but Blake knew all too well the pitfalls and headaches that came with him.
The house was met with several mumurs of curiosity, two of the children were greeted with a friendly wave, and although Blake attempted to steer him clear of the third floor Darwin noticed the other level and was sworn never to go up there. Naturally, Darwin's interest grew.
"Why, do you have a monster in the attic?"
"Something like that."
Though he wanted to ask more he knew, miraculously, when to be quiet. Mysteries could be solved later. A possible-perhaps-maybe room for Darwin to stay in was shown briefly before Blake heard movement and directed the tour to end. Once Darwin was back downstairs, watched by a highly fascinated and somewhat suspicious Wesley who was hiding in the kitchen, and after writing a note to Godric Blake hastily ushered the visitor out of the house and towards the direction of his car. It was only when they were setting off that Darwin noticed something.
"Here - I presume a girl must have that car, why can't I meet her?" Darwin asked, glancing to the pink Prius at which Blake merely smiled.