Marcus knelt in front of his son-in-law, taking him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes, drifting back into Kanien'kehaka.
"Talk to me. What's wrong, Sparrow?" Kanatakon:ha. How good it felt to hear his name said this way.
Lex shook his head and lowered his eyes to the turf. "I'm... I don't know what's wrong with me. This guy, he just..." The Sparrow looked up at the Bear helplessly, pleadingly. Marcus nodded, ruffling the back of his hair and kissing his brow.
Wondering what he'd done wrongs, Zane kept a good distance, he wasn't sure what exactly had set Lex off, he was just trying to explain a couple things to him after all. He gave a quiet sigh and shook his head.
Standing, the tall man pressed him gently down into a sit. Lex watched as Marcus walked toward Zane. It wasn't an ungainly walk, all legs like Jameel's and Malik's sometimes were. The stride was confident and strong, as if generation upon generation had been built in such a way and had long ago grown into their height and build. The chief folded his arms across his broad chest and looked down at Zane.
"Talk," he said, voice momentarily a blend of New York brisque and the odd accent Lex had picked up among his husband and their people and many Native speakers he'd heard on shows, a deep timbre that they alone seemed to possess.
Zane forced himself not to flinch, though the confidence that Marcus put off almost scared the guy. He took a deep breath and started to explain what had happened.(Can't remember exactly what Zane said so the explanation'll have to be unwritten..) Once done, he stood there, hoping to god he wasn't gonna get hit.
"Kid, I've heard drunks spout better excuses at me while trying to recite the damn alphabet backwards and spouting 'Please, officers, I didn't do its.' So, let's try again, shall we? And I'll rephrase the question." Marcus began to circle him. "You want to know about the Assassins. Well, here's the father of one, descendant of one, right in front of you." He stopped, grinning in a way that even Lex felt was unnerving. It reminded him a lot of the man Marcus resembled to a T. "Ask."
Unnerved, he shifted a little bit, suddenly uncertain of what to ask, he really, seriously didn't know what the hell to ask, he felt like he was under scrutiny and he hated it, he really did, momentarily, he shifted, trying to think with this guy circling him, feeling like he was going to be attacked at any moment. "Truth is I don't know what to ask." He admitted. "I want to know more, but I don't want to sound stupid when I ask them..I want to know everything I can about them, and the Lanterns but I'm terrible at asking questions"
He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Plus you circling me is rather un-nerving" He added
"I do the same thing with perps. It's usually the height." The Bear was named for good reason. Lex cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled over to Zane, though they were only a few feet away, "Zane! It's a giant angry bear! Maybe it's friendly!" Marcus' lip quirked up in the corner at that.
"Kanatakon:ha!" he groaned, looking at the younger man and giving him the smile he'd hidden from Zane, at once amused and warning.
"Okwari!" Lex returned his smile with one of his own.
Zane relaxed just slightly, "Why're you guys wanting to tell me all of this?" he asked "not that I mind, but I am curious."
"Because now that you know some, you must know all, and become one of us, or die, and so the knowledge will remain hidden." Marcus looked at him, his face once more a slab of stone. Lex looked at him and wondered absently if he could describe the look as flinty to the others when they asked where he'd been. Marcus would probably smack him upside the head for it.
"...Wait..what? WHAT?! I can't become an assassin!! I'm not even a LANTERN YET!" He said in utter shock. "Besides!!! I don't have the heart to kill people!"
"Being an Assassin is not only about killing." This was from Skandar. "An Assassin saves lives as well as takes lives away. Assassins bring new life into the world as well. Or do you think I'm an EMT for no reason?"
"And you'll have to become an Assassin. Should our enemies find you, whatever remains of them, they would torture you for information. They captured my niece once."--Here Lex lifted a brow. Marcus had never referred to Sarah as his niece before.--"Tortured her. She's only twelve."
"B..But...." Zane gripped handfuls of his hair in mild anguish "....I don't' have the skills for it...."
"We will teach you as we have taught many before you," stated Marcus, every inch the leader now.
"Don't I get time to THINK about this?" Zane demanded
(..Sheesh his life is being upended rather quickly o.o)
"I mean..come on!! it's only been a few weeks since I got the ring..." He shook his head and paced.
"Of course. It's not like I wasn't giving you that option, you mook. I thought that was implied by my previous statement," Marcus groused, rolling his eyes at the question.
"...Okay...just...give me a bit.." Zane walked away.
The two men looked at each other before moving to sit beside the tree where Skandar's clothes were drying. Lex reached up and put them back on, curling up on Marcus' lap and resting his head on his shoulder as Charlie trotted after Zane.
Zane shook his head "What'm I gonna do, this makes no sense...this is going way too fast..." He muttered
Charlie tilted his head to one side, wondering how it couldn't make sense. Then again, Zane hadn't asked him. Maybe he would in a minute. And once all this was settled, he could ask Okwari if there were treats in his pockets like always.
Zane, didn't even notice Charlie really, lost in his thoughts "..How can I make this work? Being a Lantern and an Assassin? I've never had so much responsibility over my head..ugh...I'm gonna fail, I just know it..." He flopped down, head in his hands.
"Lex makes it work. And he has littles," said Charlie, wagging his stubby tail, tongue lolling out of his smiling mouth. He cocked his head to the other side, mouth shutting a moment before opening again. "Old dead guy in the fortune cookies says, 'The man who believes himself to have failed from the start will surely not succeed, for he has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.' Or something like that. I usually just eat the cookie. They're tasty."
Zane rose his head up and blinked "You seem to follow me a lot.." He commented, then nodded a little bit "Makes sense, you're a wise dog, y'know that?" he gave a little smile. "I guess I should at least give it a try.."
"But I don't know how I'm gonna focus without worrying about Zach constantly" He frowned.
"You're sad a lot. Petting soft things makes people feel better. I'm a soft thing. Pet me?" Charlie suggested, worming his head under Zane's hand and sitting next to him, looking up at him. "Zach is fine. He has his cousin and everybody, besides being a magician." Charlie put his ears back. "No worries."
Zane blinked as Charlie put his head under his hand, smiling gently, he pet the Corgi "You're rather soft." He commented, scratching behind his ears. "I know he's fine, it's just I feel rather lonely without him."
Charlie grinned and shut his eyes, panting and kicking his little leg. "Why? You'll see him again."
"Because I love him." was Zane's response as he cuddled the canine. "I feel so lost without him. He's my first boyfriend and I'm probably being clingy but I can't help it. No one's ever treated me as well as him."
"Lex has." Charlie wriggled his body. He leaned his head against Zane's chest, looking up at him.
Zane gazed down at Charlie and pet him softly, he thought about it a moment then smiled genuinely which made his face look youthful again "You're right, he's treated me quite well."
The little dog leaned up and licked his nose, huffing and seeming quite satisfied with himself now that Zane had had this realization. He waited to hear more from the human.
"How did you come to talk?" Zane asked "I've never met a canine that could speak so well." He chuckled as his nose was licked and he pet him some more. "You're adorable you know that? I always did like dogs."
"I like dogs too!" Charlie blinked and looked at Zane. "I'm a Hope Corgi. That's why I can talk. Like Dex is a Rage Kitty."
"Dex?" Zane questioned "Who's that? I don't think I've met him yet." he continued to pet Charlie, rather enjoying just being able to talk about whatever.
"He was at the house when you came for food," said Charlie, his ring making an image of the blue cat with the red suit.
Zane looked at it and tilted his head "Ah! right okay." He chuckled "I'm not so good with names"
Charlie yawned and bobbed his head up and down, settling his head on Zane's knee. He huffed again and looked toward the sky, wondering where Jameel was to take him for his walk. Maybe Kase will take me today. I like it when he takes me. He talks to me then, the Corgi thought to himself.
Sam Firewolf says
Zane decided to continue petting the Corgi, just atop his head "You know, I've never had a dog of my own?" He murmured thoughtfully.
Lex M. says
"Why?"
Sam Firewolf says
"I was never allowed to have one." Zane replied
Lex M. says
"Why?"
Sam Firewolf says
Zane gave a sad smile "Because my stepfather was allergic to them and he hated me."
Lex M. says
"That's sad. Ashton is allergic to cats. Lex gives her medicine and she gets better. You should have given him medicine. Then you could have had one." Charlie smiled at him.
Sam Firewolf says
Zane gave a soft smile "I wasn't allowed to talk to him or go near him, I was only a kid and he hurt me a lot." He gazed up at the sky.
Lex M. says
Charlie tilted his head. "He bites?"
Sam Firewolf says
"He hit." Zane responded quietly.
Lex M. says
The dog blinked at him. He whispered then, "Did you pee in the house too?"
Sam Firewolf says
"no, I just existed." Zane closed his eyes.
Lex M. says
The dog blinked at him again, head cocked to one side as far as it would go, ears moving side to side.
Sam Firewolf says
"He hated me, outright hated me, I never knew why, and even today I don't." Zane slowly opened his eyes, gazing down at Charlie.
Lex M. says
The dog continued to blink, ears tucked down against his skull now. He raised them again, sniffing a little. "No," he said simply.
Sam Firewolf says
"What do you mean?" He asked.
Lex M. says
((Masha'allah! Masha'allah! *claps hands*))
Sam Firewolf says
(-confuuuused-)
Lex M. says
((:3 You put asked.))
Sam Firewolf says
(o..kay?)
Lex M. says
"Humans don't work that way." Charlie licked his chops as if wetting them. "Humans have reasons." He looked down at his paws, then up again, wagging his tail slightly. "Lex says...if you hate someone...then you want them to die." He stood up on his haunches and put his paws on Zane's chest. "You're not dead. He didn't hate you."
Sam Firewolf says
Zane gave a slight smile and ruffled the fur between Charlie's ears "I suppose you're right." He pulled him into a hug, burying his face in the canine's fur, closing his eyes, oh how he wished he'd had a dog all those years ago.
Lex M. says
The Corgi set his chin on Zane's shoulder, then pressed his nose against his ear, licking a little. "I like hugs."
Sam Firewolf says
(Charlie is ADORABLE)
Lex M. says
((XD Yes, he is.))
Sam Firewolf says
(I've fallen in love with the doggy )
Zane cuddled Charlie dearly "I like hugs too." His voice was muffled against the fur. "You can never have too many"
Lex M. says
"Yush," agreed the dog, yawning.
Sam Firewolf says
Finally Zane stopped the hugs and grinned "thanks for listening"
Lex M. says
"I like it when people talk to me." Charlie yawned again and climbed down off of him. He looked back over his shoulder. "Marcus has treats. And a nice, warm, big lap. We can nap there with Lex."
Sam Firewolf says
"Alright, lead the way." Zane stood and stretched, feeling a lot better than he had all day.
Lex M. says
The Corgi was already on that job, taking them straight back to the pair of dark skinned men, who lay asleep beside one another, Lex's head resting on Marcus' shoulder, the tall police chief's long, black hair brushing his face as his head leaned down into his own, cheek pressed against the tousseled nest of brown.
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