Mia hummed to herself as she paced her home, considering. Carlos was supposed to have a visitation with Angie soon, and she knew her human friend was….forgetful, sometimes. Surely he wouldn’t forget about the chance to spend time with his own daughter though, would he?
……Yeah, no. She’d better call.
Picking up the phone and punching in the number out of quick habit, she waited for an answer, on foot tapping against the hardwood floor.
Something changed in Carlos. Not physically… no, not yet, but it was familiar. Familiar and pretty damn unsettling.
Yeah, he remembered it: the heightened senses, the cravings, the ‘instincts’, the feeling that his skin was going to just peel away at any minute to give way for fur… He wasn’t looking forward to it.
His cellphone rang with the funky beats of a Classic IV song to draw his attention– a little reminder that despite his own issues, the world was marching forward around him and he had to either participate in it, or tell it to leave him alone for a little bit. Carlos answered it, noting the caller before he did.
“Hello?” he said into the receiver.
“Carlos, hi!” she chirped as her friend picked up the phone. Well, at least he’d not gotten so caught up in his science he’d let his phone die! That certainly would have been awkward.
“I was just calling to make sure you were still good for Angie to come over tomorrow? She’s been looking forward to spending the night with you again.”
If the fae woman had any inkling on what her usually human co-parent was going through at the moment, she certainly made no mention of it.
Carlos’ gut twisted at Mia’s words. That’s right… Angie was supposed to come over. Dammit he’d completely forgotten. Between his usual work and the sudden change and time just not really existing in Night Vale… yeah, he’d forgotten.
Carlos couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him, and it was clearly very audible through the phone.
“Mia,” he said softly. “I… I’m not sure it’s a good idea anymore. I mean, at least this time. I’m, um… “ He hesitated for a moment, trying to think of how to put it. But, he reasoned, with Mia bluntness was probably the best policy. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to turn into a werewolf again. I’m concerned that it’s not safe for her to be near me right now.”
“You’ve been a werewolf before with no issues?” Obviously, Mia wasn’t understanding the problem. “In fact, you control yourself remadkably well. I wish all fresh pups had half your self control.”
She let out a small humming noise, thinking for a moment. “What if I was there for part of the visit? Just long enough for you to prove to yourself that you aren’t a danger to her.”
Damn – Mia was determined, wasn’t she? “Well, I only handled myself because I guess the wolf part recognized you as someone of higher rank?” Carlos suggested. “Though, you being there with Angie and me… it might work. But… Mia, I honestly don’t know much about werewolves. How do they act around people, usually? Especially young children?”
The Perfect Scientist 