"Kor?" Charlie whispered as he started up the steps of the Hazleton Manor. He could feel the demon nearby and his heart nearly beat out of his chest as he looked up at the landing. In his hands, he held the bags he'd gone shopping for, filled with various snacks and items that he picked out for himself, Tempie, and his brother. For some reason, after what he heard from Tempie, Charlie half expected the Hazleton family to be waiting for him with cult masks on and ritual daggers in hand. Of course, they weren't. Everything was just the way it had been when he left in the manor.
Still no sign of the demon in cat form but he knew he was near. Charlie turned as he stepped onto the landing and then nearly stepped backward and tripped down the steps when he saw the shape of a person down the hall. Skulking out of the shadows came Charlie's younger brother.
"Shit, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Charlie hissed, stepping forward in a hurry--and away from the steps. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?"
His brother didn't answer but he did follow Charlie as he made his way towards the bedroom he shared with Tempie. Not that they shared the bed--ever. Just because they got married under the watchful eyes of their fathers didn't mean that they had consummated anything. And Tempie didn't even like him sleeping with her, so he used the little lounging couch in the sitting room. Hurray for big, old fashioned manor bedrooms, he supposed.
Although Tempie was his wife and all, Charlie still felt the urge to knock before he entered the room. He didn't, though, because a man was standing outside the door with a stern expression and it would have been like announcing to the world that he and Tempie weren't the husband and wife everybody in the family thought they were. Instead, he forced a smile, although the man at the door didn't smile back. Then he entered the room with his brother on his heels--almost literally.
"Tempie? Are you ready?" Charlie asked as he placed the bags down on the side table. A splotchy and familiar cat form slunk out with his tail in the air.
"Kor," Charlie said in relief when he saw him. Or Patches, as Tempie had been calling him. "Where's Tempie?"
Still no sign of the demon in cat form but he knew he was near. Charlie turned as he stepped onto the landing and then nearly stepped backward and tripped down the steps when he saw the shape of a person down the hall. Skulking out of the shadows came Charlie's younger brother.
"Shit, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Charlie hissed, stepping forward in a hurry--and away from the steps. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?"
His brother didn't answer but he did follow Charlie as he made his way towards the bedroom he shared with Tempie. Not that they shared the bed--ever. Just because they got married under the watchful eyes of their fathers didn't mean that they had consummated anything. And Tempie didn't even like him sleeping with her, so he used the little lounging couch in the sitting room. Hurray for big, old fashioned manor bedrooms, he supposed.
Although Tempie was his wife and all, Charlie still felt the urge to knock before he entered the room. He didn't, though, because a man was standing outside the door with a stern expression and it would have been like announcing to the world that he and Tempie weren't the husband and wife everybody in the family thought they were. Instead, he forced a smile, although the man at the door didn't smile back. Then he entered the room with his brother on his heels--almost literally.
"Tempie? Are you ready?" Charlie asked as he placed the bags down on the side table. A splotchy and familiar cat form slunk out with his tail in the air.
"Kor," Charlie said in relief when he saw him. Or Patches, as Tempie had been calling him. "Where's Tempie?"