Rats in the Walls {Pop}

Amphy was in this labs hunched over a computer, slaving over a hot video editing software to fix and blend some terrible piece of cinematography and make it look at least somewhat passable. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he desperately wanted to be asleep just then, but what had to be done had to be done.

He stretched his arms over his head and put his head down--for just a moment, he promised himself-- and the next thing he knew it was the sound of his phone vibrating visciously on the table that woke him up.

The clock read almost an hour after he started to rest his eyes. Great.

Yawning and stretching, he barely missed the call, but he reached for the phone all the same. He checked the caller id.

Ardos....

He pressed the phone to his ear and--

Oh geez.

Amphios saved his work and logged off the computer, putting all his stuff into his bag. Surely it couldn't be that bad, he thought as he made his way to the apartment, sending Ardos a quick text to say that he was 'on his way'.

Ardos paced around the room with his phone in his hand, waiting for Amphy to arrive. Zen, meanwhile, has resigned to the fate that her brother was a troublesome goodie two-shoes. Soft. That was what he was. Getting restricted by the law and having some semblance of safety made him soft.

As they waited for Amphy to arrive, Ardos undid Ravi's knots and placed him on the couch. He was still unconscious, but Ardos made sure all the exits save for the front door were sealed. He turned on the lights.

@"King"

Amphy knew the way to Ardos' apartment pretty well. He very pointedly ignored the creepy guy who was sitting in the gutter leering at him and he didn't even scream when a rat the size of a dog tackled a trashcan, even if his heart was pounding so hard it felt like his ribs would break.

The faun knocked pointedly on the door, and stepped in once it was opened for him.

When he walked in and took in the scene all he could say was--

"Wow, uhm."

Setting down his backpack, he gave Ardos a somewhat shy smile, and a friendly wave to Zen before walking slowly towards the tied up boy.

"Everything is going to be fine," He said, both to Ardos and to the rat child that looked about thirty seconds from peeing all over himself.

Ardos had a brief moment of fluttering chest when he saw Amphy and smiled back and then, he remembered: Right. Amphy was here for more than just making his heart do somersaults. He nodded at his assurance.

"I just wanted to know why this rat boy had the audacity to break into my home, but I don't want to deal with..." He gestured vaguely at the rat boy. "I know you're good with animals. Please... communicate."

Amphy walked a bit closer to the rat child, kneeling so that he was crouching slightly below Ravi's eye-level. It was harder to feel threatened by something if it made itself smaller than you. Largeness was a threat, while smallness was pathetic.

The faun's voice was soft, and he held out his hands, palm up, then down. He couldn't harm an animal with his palms down if the animal was above him, and in general they understood this.

All of this made for a rather strange sight, but it was all there to make him look as perfectly unassuming and harmless as possible. "Everything will be okay." His voice was laced with the magic of Pan's Gift, seeming to radiate an aura that created a sense of security and safety in those who heard it. "No one wants to hurt you."

Amphy glanced to Zen. Yeah, that sounded like something she would threaten to do. But he smiled softly and said. "Don't worry. Do you see that man there?" Amphy gestured to Ardos. "He's very nice and he won't let anything bad happen to you."

Having said that, Amphy moved slightly closer, hands still in plain site for the boy, his voice rich with his family magic. "Why did you break into their apartment?"