Charles Fiable: The Danger To Jasmin And That Grotty Shirt

Rabe Behinderung drove the truck. It was a military transport thing, and Charles, Perseus, Scarlett and Wilhelm, plus a few complete strangers to the German girl, were piled into the back. There was a nasty thump as the suspension rattled out a beg for mercy. "Speed bump." Perseus groaned, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. The vehicle began to slow, Rabe wound down the window, exchanged a few words with someone and then they lurched off again. Wilhelm looked carsick. The vehicle slowed again and crawled through a highway traffic jam at a snail's pace. Scarlett gave an impatient sigh. "Rabe, hurry up, I really need to pee!"
"I don't control the traffic, Scar."
"Learn to. I'm desperate!"
"You should have gone before we left."
"How the hell was I supposed to-"
"Kidding!"
Finally they sped up again, went over a few more hills and bumps, passed several types of running water and pulled into a fancy driveway. Rabe opened her door and got out, then came round the back to tell everyone they were 'home', and Scarlett went flying out. One of the strangers laughed and one by one everyone got out. They went towards the door and there was an old man cradling an infant.
"Narcissus!" Rabe greeted fondly, giving the old man a kiss, one on each cheek, and then casually taking the infant from his grasp and bringing it over to Wilhelm. Narcissus gestured for everyone else to follow him. Charles and Perseus exchanged looks and followed the man gingerly into a large, cushy living room. A blond man, balding, beamed at all of them from the sofa. He was sat beside a rather depressed-looking man. Perseus recognised both of them. Arthritis and Thrax. Thrax looked up and gave both him and Charles a solid glare. As if it was their fault his son was dead. In all seriousness, it was Esra Sunshine who had gotten him involved in this whole mess. Perseus looked to his boyfriend, making sure he was unfazed. He seemed bothered by something. His eyes were unfocused and he was frowning, chewing his lip uncertainly.
"Charles?"
He frowned a little more, blinking as he focussed back on the outside world. Slowly, he turned his head up to meet Perseus' eyes and squinted. "I think I'm going completely blind in one eye."
The Cuban Mage frowned in concern. "Oh?"
"It's going fuzzier and it's going dim." He shook his head, cursing in French, and rubbed his palm roughly against his chest.
Frivolidad arched an eyebrow. "Can you breathe okay?"
"Huh?"
He mimicked the rubbing motion. "I do that when I choke or have an asthma attack. It helps me a little. I'm just concerned. Can you breathe okay?"
"I can breathe fine, Percy...You have asthma?"
He nodded, wrapping an arm around the French Mage's shoulders. "Haven't had anything clinical to help with it for a few years now."
Charles smirked and rested his head against his boyfriend's broad shoulders, then addressed the two men on the sofa. He couldn't recognise them from the other side of the room with his worsening eyesight. "I need to use a phone and call my friend."
Thrax spoke in a very cold tone. "Is it a local call?"
Charles hesitated. That was all the answer Thrax needed and he turned away again. "My friend is my Grand Mage. He needs to know I am all right. He might do something drastic if he still believes I am imprisoned."
Thrax stood. "Your Grand Mage is an impulsive idiot and a manchild on his best days. He is an incompetent and the sooner he's abdicated, the better!"
Arthritis grinned. "Besides, it's France. Who needs France?"
"Nobody likes France." Thrax agreed.
The pale Frenchman shrugged and went to the front door. He bashed his left hip rather hard on the corner of a table on his way out and gave a cry of pain. The two men on the sofa and some of the strangers from the cells began laughing. Looking at the men around him, Perseus found he recognised Narcissus, but that the rest he had never before met.

-----

Scaramouch was carrying the toddler and the girls were carrying the supplies as they chatted away happily amongst themselves. Scaramouch wasn't happy. Junior kept trying to poke him in the eye. Ekaterina sighed morosely. "Is there any point in even looking? The chances we'll find Harrison...what even are they?"
"Not good." Scaramouch confirmed.
Ekaterina sighed again. "He's my fiancée...he can't just murder a hospital full of people and disappear..."
"He's done a pretty good job of it so far...but if he's learnt his true name..." Hibernia bit her lip. "He was sighted in America. We should go there. We won't get anywhere being here."
Scaramouch shook his head. "We'd need plane tickets or boat tickets or some other way over there, and we can't afford that."
Kat nodded. "And you've got a kid now, and I think he comes first."
Scaramouch looked at his son and got poked in the eye again. "Ow...you have a point there, I guess."

-----

Jasmin looked up as Lionel and Monotone entered the room, holding hands. Jasmin arched an eyebrow. "I assume Montangeux is dead?"
Lionel shrugged. "Bleeding heavily at least."
"He told me not to trust you."
Monotone smiled. "Lionel isn't all that in there any more, I'm afraid."
"I was afraid something like this would happen."
"Really?"
"No."
Monotone laughed. "Lionel came to visit me in the Gaol. I used my magic on him before that, you know. He was giving me gooey eyes. He fancied me rotten. Now he's a pawn in my game of chess. And so shall you be."
Jasmin sighed and got to his feet. "Do as you must." He was going to say more, but his phone went off. As casually as he would if Ame and Monotone weren't blocking his escape, he answered. "Hallo?"
"Jasmin! It's Charles!"
"Ah, yes, hello! Where are you?"
"I am in Ireland still, but Mevolent doesn't have me any more. I will try and get to France as soon as possible."
"Hang on. Don't make a move for anywhere until you hear from me again. Stay back! Don't you dare-" He broke off with a strangled gurgle and there was a crash.

Charles winced at the sounds. "Jasmin? Jasmin! Jasmin, what's going on!" The connection was cut off and he lowered the phone, shocked. "I think he's in danger." He wrinkled his nose as a smell of homeless people and rotting fish invaded his senses. He looked over his shoulder and found Perseus had come outside for a smoke. "Jasmin once said you smelled of rotting fish and vagrants. He missed cigarettes."
Perseus arched an eyebrow. He came closer and Wilhelm and Rabe pulled faces, the latter taking her phone as thy both walked off, conversing casually in their birth tongue before the sister finally did as she'd promised and hit her younger brother. Charles smirked as he heard Wilhelm's complaints and smiled up at his boyfriend. "You shouldn't smoke if you have asthma."
"I do anyway." he paused and sniffed his shirt, then gave a disgusted cough. "I haven't changed this shirt in eight years...no wonder it smells."
Charles pulled a face. "Ugh. Wash it! Sacre bleu, for the love of all that is holy, wash your clothes!" He backed up and Perseus laughed, enjoying the smaller man's reaction.
"But it's so comfy."
"And crusty."
"...that's it's way of hugging me..."
"It's disgusting! I was too polite to say anything about the smell before, but it's barely tolerable."
Perseus sighed. "Fine. My birthday is in two months. Buy me some deodorant."
"You're disgusting..."
The Cuban Mage sighed and finished his cigarette. "I want a hug..."
Charles shuddered but gave him a hug anyway. Perseus frowned when he felt a wet patch on his shirt and realised his boyfriend was in tears.

((Charles likes hugs, and he's upset...I want to give them babies, they both like children and they're in love...))