Ottery St. Catchpole

[G. Novella]

Arthur couldn't understand why the old man wasn't just leaving him alone. He glanced awkwardly at Patricia, who caught his eye and waved at him with a flirty smile. He rolled his eyes at her and she gave a happy pout. Again he shifted uncomfortably. "Probably not too bad when you can wash it down with caviar and scotch." he replied, the anger in him bubbling up.

[Chameleon]

Joshua just chuckled. "I don't like caviar. Scotch is to special occasions, and turning to werewolf isn't one." He knew he probably annoyed the kid, but it was only something to spend the time with. The most people got intimated by his tall and muscular building. He looked a bit between the receptionist and the boy, and shook his head inwardly. Young people ...

[G. Novella]

Arthur couldn't get the rich man's insufferable patience. Weren't werewolves supposed to be angry around the full moon? Probably the money keeps him cool thought Arthur scathingly. "I thought guys like you didn't need a reason to celebrate your wealth."

[Chameleon]

"Some of us don't," he shrugged. He wasn't going in a tale how he was raised by his mother to not flaunt his wealth to obvious. In the werewolf society, just his clothes were a clear sign that he didn't need to work, but he liked his clothes. "And some of us do." The line was obviously getting thinner and thinner. It seemed as all werewolves in England had turned up to this, but Joshua had always been the patient one.

[G. Novella]

"And you like to think you don't?" said Arthur with an eye-roll, glancing around the room. It had thinned considerably, and in just two more ballots, it was his turn.

[Chameleon]

"Yeah," Joshua shrugged. It didn't matter whether the kid believed him or not. Joshua had learned, when he got turned to werewolf, that all that mattered was himself, because people were prejudiced on both sides. Not everyone were as the kid, luckily, but he preferred to keep himself isolated.

[G. Novella]

Arthur found the silence nice, only for it to be interrupted by the familiar grating shriek, "Arthur!"

He left the rich man, feeling staunchly embarrassed, realizing it was just him and the man in the office now. At least others wouldn't care, this man had morals, he had money, he was free to judge. It made him sick. Why did it matter what people thought? He'd gotten over it.

"Hey Patty," he said, approaching the counter.

"Arthur, it's been too long! One cup to go, I bet you're not up for anything right now, what with the transformation tonight," she said with a pout.

"Two actually, I'm getting one for a friend," he said.

"I heard from Mary-Ann, you got yourself a little werewolf cub?" she teased.

"He's just a kid I'm watching," explained Arthur, not wanting to elaborate.

"Well, I'll get you those cups, free of charge of course," said Patricia with a flirty smile, "I'm sure you'll pay me back in other ways."

With that, she moved to get the cups, leaving Arthur in the silence with the rich man. He waited for the insults. He'd taunted the man after all.

[kumainpink]

After getting his glass of water, Timmy went back to the room and dressed in some of the clothes Arthur provided for him. Feeling a little tired, probably due to the transformation coming up, he walked back downstairs and, without thinking, walked to leave through the front door. He stopped when he remembered he wasn't supposed to go that way, but he had entered the living room already.

[G. Novella]

"Arthur! You're awake!" said Grandma. She smiled kindly down at the little boy. He looked different, but he had to be Arthur. "Would you like a glass of milk? I have to go out today, it's Amy and Ali's birthday. Will you be okay on your own? I can always cancel. Your parents would understand."

[Chameleon]

Joshua was quiet during the entire conversation. So he payed the woman by sleeping with her. It wasn't something Joshua approved of, but desperate people would be willing to do anything, especially to get Wolfsbane. Joshua might not understand the willingness to do everything, as he had always had money to it, but he could understand the need to get it.

"Nice lady," Joshua only said and shrugged, as he awaited that this Arthur, as he had heard Patty call him was finished.

[kumainpink]

Timmy froze. This wasn't good. How was he supposed to talk with this woman? "Um, I'm alright, mam'." he said politely. He didn't know if he should let her go out or not. Merlin, what was he supposed to do here? "I don't need anything, thanks."

[G. Novella]

Arthur was surprised at the lack of taunts from the older man, and felt grudging appreciation, which was wiped out with the realization that the man was probably looking down on him anyways. That's what all rich people did.

"Back! I packaged the second cup in here," said Patricia, handing him the cup, "You'll owe me extra for that! A massage maybe. We can work the details out when you're better after tonight."

"Sure Patty," he said, grabbing his own cup and pouring it down his throat. "Thanks."

"You're so unfriendly Arthur," said Patricia with a sigh, "It's a wonder why so many women keep you around with that attitude, how's your grandmother?"

"She's fine," said Arthur with a tight nod, "I'm going."

"Fine, just toss the trash on your way out," she said, "Next!"

With that, Arthur stepped away from the counter and to the trash can, a burning humiliation. Whatever, he just needed to get back to Timmy.

----

"Are you sure Arthur?" asked Grandma, patting the boy's cheek, "You've gotten even thinner from those dreadful transformations. Do you want to give Amy and Ali anything? Weren't you working on a birthday card for them? I'm sure your sisters would like it."

[Chameleon]

Joshua had to raise eyebrow at their conversation. So Arthur slept around. He felt pity for the young man, but knew he couldn't do anything for him. If he tried to give him money, he would probably throw it on his neck. Pride seemed to mean everything for this man.

"Hi," he said to Patty with a gruff tone. "I need a cup of wolfsbane," as he put the money on the counter.

"Sure," Patty said, and left. Joshua noticed that her eyes hang with Arthur for a few seconds before she went to pick his cup. She was back right away, and he drank it quickly, as she took the money.

[G. Novella]

Arthur took off once the trash was dumped, and headed back to the path. To his annoyance, the man was already leaving. He'd hoped to avoid running into him. He kept his eyes on the ground, once again wishing he could apparate away. He just moved passed the rich man's judgement and walked up the path from the shelter.

[Chameleon]

Joshua watched Arthur with slight pity. He couldn't say, that he knew how it felt to whore around, but it must be depressing to do it for money or Wolfsbane. "See you another time, kid," he said, as he walked away to apparate home.

[G. Novella]

Arthur turned when the man said goodbye, a little confused and angry. Was this some new kind of taunt?

"We don't really hang around in the same circle," he snapped, the wolf in him riling for some anger or confrontation, someone to blame for his situation.

[Chameleon]

Joshua turned to the man with raised eyebrow. He knew how it felt to be extremely angry, but he had calmed down and earned something of his earlier patience back, and more too.

"Who do you I'm hanging around with? Here's no class. We're all wolves," he stated calmly. He knew it would perhaps tick the man of, and that was perhaps what he needed right now, a release of his anger. Well, Joshua didn't know.

[G. Novella]

"Yeah, but-but, you and I, we're just different breeds," snapped Arthur, his anger really rising, "Guys like you just look down on guys like me because you've never had-never had any reason to do what's necessary!" Somewhere, a voice was telling him to back down, walk away, and just go back to Timmy, but someone else was just boiling mad. The wolf in him wanted to strike, to howl, to scream in rage and frustration. To release the pent up frustrations he'd never had anyone to yell at before, and this guy seemed to push all the right buttons. Not to mention it felt so good just to rage at someone with wealth, rather than have to kiss up to them all the time.

[Chameleon]

Joshua walked closer, his eyes were ice-cold now. "Don't tell me how I feel, kiddo. I've had just as much pain as you have, when we're transformed. I don't know what kind of life you've had, but I can tell you I've got a bad life too. Money doesn't make everything," he said coolly. "It's always Wolfsbane," he said bitter.

[G. Novella]

Arthur felt his own cold rage, as he glared up at the man. "Sure as hell makes it a lot easier though, don't it? Tell me again how difficult things are," scoffed Arthur, "Not needing to worry how you'll get the Wolfsbane, or where you'll pay for the groceries, from. Just because you feel pain once every few weeks doesn't make us the same, old man!"

[Chameleon]

Joshua's anger drained out suddenly. What was he doing? Fighting a angry kid, because the kid just pushed his buttons.

"Listen to me, kiddo. This bitterness doesn't do any good to you. You're furious on me, because I'm having better clothes, and that I don't worry about it. What's I exactly supposed to do? If I give all my money away, then I'm just like you, huh. But I refuse to apologize for having money to Wolfsbane."

[G. Novella]

Arthur felt deflated. When the man argued with him, he'd been able to get really angry, but this kind of reasoning, it took out the pleasure and rage and intensity of the moment. But a part of him still burned, still yearned to just snap. "Don't tell me about bitterness or what's good for me," he said, his face turning red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment at being told off, "And I don't need your apologies either. Just don't think I don't know when I'm being judged for what I do!"

[Chameleon]

Joshua had never been good at words, when he thought to much about it. "When have I said or done anything that judged you? If anyone is judging here, it's you, kiddo." He sighed for a second, before he added. "I'm not apologizing to you. I've done nothing to cause me to apologize to you."

Joshua watched the kid. He had probably had no supervisor in several years, and had gotten independent and angry. Too young, Joshua thought remorsefully. There seemed to be to many kids who were bitten as children and left alone. He was lucky to be adult, when it happened.

[kumainpink]

"Um, I'm not Arthur." Timmy said, trying not to alarm her. Really, he just wanted to get out of there...Oh man, Arthur was going to kill him!

[G. Novella]

Grandma stopped listening. The memory faded, and she couldn't remember again. Where was she? She needed to find her paper, tear it. Her hands were shaking. She left the boy and grabbed the paper, slowly tearing it up. Whatever had happened wasn't important.

----

"Yeah, well," Arthur's temper had deflated, and he had nothing to say. It was just a bitter anger left, something he couldn't use to rage with, "Whatever old man. I'm not of importance to you anyways, and I'm not apologizing either. I know your kind. Whatever, I'm leaving," And with that he turned to go.

[Chameleon]

Joshua looked at the boy with pity, before he just shrugged with a sigh, as the boy went away. He had to go home. There was a potion waiting for him, he thought, as he apparated home.

[kumainpink]

Timmy slowly went for the back door, feeling that he had done more harm than good. Oh man! Arthur was going to be so furious! And that poor old lady...what did he do? Panicing, Timmy quickly left the house. Maybe he'd have to go back to his hole again...

All the more reason to start working, right?

---

Timmy walked as far as he could, occasionally having to stop for a rest. People in town gave him weird looks, but he ignored them as always. Eventually, he came to Ms. Louis' house. The kindly old lady wasn't even up yet, but she had left a pitcher of lemonade and and a coin sack brimming with shiny galleons. Thirteen, to be exact!

Feeling rather giddy at the prospect of being paid so much, Timmy used a Painting Charm to do the fence, making sure to get every nook and cranny. The fence went around most of the house, though, which meant a lot of work on his part. Because he had to stop and rest, the job took the better part of an hour.

"Well, this is a good start." Timmy said cheerfully, as he pocketed the money and staggered off.

[deathrosehunter]

Isobel let out a sigh of relief as both men went their separate ways. She just finished taking her wolfsbane and decided she would walk around the town before she had to go back home, not like she really want to be there. Her uncle Patrick was really getting on her last nerves. She so badly wanted to tell his aunt Florence that Patrick was cheating on her, but she didn’t know how nor did she had any evidence that he is cheating. Isobel stuffed her hands into her pockets and followed the young man.
Isobel walked for thirty minutes when she saw a little boy staggered. Even though Isobel was extremely shy when it comes to new people, her heart went out to the little boy. He stopped to rest for a while, stuffing what must be money into his pockets. Isobel placed her right hand on his left shoulder, “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”

[kumainpink]

"I'm alright." Timmy said, surprised by the stranger that talked to him. "Just a bit tired." He didn't want to bother her. "Thanks for asking."

[deathrosehunter]

"Are you sure?" Isobel frowned. "You look very ill." She looked around to see if anyone was his parents, but everyone was just looking at the child in disgust. "Do you think you can make it home alright?" She didn't want to leave him all by himself, and she doubt anyone here would do something if he passed out. "Are you hungry?" The question caught her by surprise, she was suppose to be shy, but there was something about this little boy, that she couldn't right away explian.