Act IV: Friendship!? Love!? Where are we, in a Shojo manga?? (yes)

Carleen didn't dwell too much on the 'bag' subject, for she had already other things in mind. She smiled at Michela when she sat down, and thanked her. "I've never managed to catch you in between classes, but I've been meaning to tell you that I love your style." Alright, she might have taken a bit after her father on that topic. She couldn't just keep it to herself!

Anthony scoffed and pet Aziraphale's head. Oh god he was so soft-
"So... looks like you and I share the same- ability, or curse, depending on how you like to call it." He smiled. "I have to admit - had I known, I would have told you you'd be fetching me up at the airport. That would have saved you a lot of troubles with the room you got ready for me."

Michela blinked at Carleen. She threw a look at the other girl's clothes, then glanced down at her own - then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you for real or", she asked warily. Yes, I'm using wary a lot, but that's just how Michela is around literally everyone. Hyper wary and super suspicious. If wariness was a superpower, she'd be WaryWoman. "I mean, no offense, but you don't seem like the type who'd appreciate something on the lines of. Goth fashion", she added then, maybe catching on the fact that she had answered a little rudely.

Aziraphale waited patiently for Anthony's hand to be away from his head before turning back to his human form. "Yes, well", he started, clearing his throat. "You'll agree with me that it's... not really something you discuss first thing first with a friend." He threw him a glance. "Or a potential future date."

Carleen was a bit startled by Michela's first answer, but she soon brightened up once more. "I know. But I'm fond of any kinds of fashion, really. The goth style is just something that doesn't suit me. But I've been doing some research on it, lately!" She looked into her bag and took her sketchbook out, to show Michela some of the goth outfits she had sketched - alright, one of them was probably Michela she had seen one day at a bus stop.

Anthony scoffed. "Well- I'll grant you that." He paused for a bit. "I've met some people like us over time, but you're actually the first- shifter." He threw a glance at Aziraphale. He usually wasn't the 'open your heart' type, but they seemed to share something so personal that he couldn't help but want to talk about it.

Michela did want to keep being offstandish and difficult - she really did. People like Carleen didn't interact with her on a daily basis, and certainly not out of their own choice. But her eye did fall on those sketches and, well. She was impressed, and it flashed on her face. "You draw those?", she asked, peeking a little more. "They... look good", she added on a second thought, looking a little uncertain.

Aziraphale smiled. "One of my brothers is a shifter too", he explained with a small smile. That had been one of the reasons for which he had been able not to freak out about Anthony being one, let's be honest. "But I can't say I've met other... special people. This is a first."

Carleen smiled proudly. "Thank you! To be fair, my dad's been tutoring me since I was a kid. He's sketching a lot when he's home. I've been studying various fashion styles for a while now, and I have to admit that goth is one of my favourites. Too bad it doesn't look good on me," she sighed.

Anthony shrugged, and rested an arm behind Arizaphale, on the couch's back. "There are quite a few, you just need to know where to find them. My brother's found quite a few so far," he commented, lost in his thoughts. Aside from those 'gentlemen thieves' he had heard of, Fergus did seem to attract people with abilities around him.

Michela shrugged. "Just like pastel doesn't look good on me", she replied before she could help herself. "It's mostly a matter of attitude to be honest. If you're like me and look like you could be hiding a corpse in your wardrobe, you don't wear light pink and cutesy ribbons. That'd look weird", she muttered, cutting another piece of her meat and squinting at it before putting in in her mouth.

Aziraphale hummed thoughtfully. "I'd be curious to know what other kind of powers there are in the world", he reflected out loud, settling himself a little better, closer to Anthony. "But I can't say I've ever been out there actually researching it. I'm quite content like this." He tilted his head. "What kind of power does your brother have?"

Carleen chuckled, but then she assumed a scary pokerface. "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Who would be a scarier killer- one who'd look like one, or one you wouldn't even dare to suspect because they look like a cute pastel princess?"

"I'm pretty sure these abilities must be quite diverse," Anthony mused out loud. "My brother? The fucker fucking teleports. He can pop up anywhere he's already been to in his life. He usually makes sure to give me a heart attack everytime he feels like talking to me."

Michela raised a brow at Carleen - but snorted. "Well. Joke's on you, pastel princess - blood is easy to spot on anything that's not dark", she observed with a small grin. "I see where you're coming from, though. Well played I guess."

Aziraphale let out a laugh. "Oh - oh, no, that sounds terrible", he commented - even though he was smiling. That kind of power seemed like it was just perfect for mischief, and all he could think of was poor Anthony just getting startled constantly by his terrible brother. "I guess he has a lot of fun with that. I'm sorry", he added, patting his shoulder gently.

Carleen chuckled kindly and winked at Michela. "You're right, though, usually people show their personality through their fashion choices!" She went on into details about people they knew on campus who had a very specific clothing style, or celebrities.
"I wonder what it means for the vigilantes we've been seeing in the news recently", Castiel mused out loud, catching up on the conversation suddenly. "That they like comic books, maybe?" He had no idea he was bringing the conversation down a slippery slope.

Anthony rolled his eyes. "You'll be more sorry on the day I introduce him to you." He held back a smile. "But we're quite far from that. We haven't been on a date, after all. Speaking of which- How about tomorrow, once I'm done with unpacking? I should probably head home soon, I'm starving. They don't exactly come with lunch trays in the baggage hold."

Michela didn't know a good half of the people Carleen mentioned - but she didn't want to be rude right now, and since the discussion didn't require her to actually answer or anything, she decided it was alright. She did snort when Castiel mentioned the vigilantes, though. "Yeah - more like mangas, probably. They're pretty flashy for being vigilantes." Usually when she thought 'vigilante' she thought Batman. Sailor Moon was another thing. "But I could say the same for the masked thieves - how are they called again? Gentlemen Burglars?" Cas had opened a can of worms there.
Horknath almost choked on his cola, but thankfully it could pass as just an accident.

Aziraphale blinked. "Oh - that's, that's right, you were supposed to get your things and bring them to your place", he murmured, a little embarrassed. "Tomorrow evening is fine by me. But it's a little late right now - if you'd rather eat something in my kitchen and sleep in the guest room, I'd understand. You were supposed to arrive tomorrow, after all", he lightly chastised Anthony.

Castiel didn't notice that his face became quite stern when his and Horknath's secret identities were mentioned. Carleen didn't notice their fluster either, since she was too busy trying to hide hers.
"They're the 'gentlemen thieves'," she said a little awkwardly. "It's- I don't know if their outfit tell much about their personality, though." She smiled a little. She didn't know much about them either, in the end; she couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy with them, and on the other side they had almost robbed her house.

Anthony scoffed. "Well- I wouldn't want to to overstay my welcome but- you did have a room snake-proofed just for me", he slightly teased Aziraphale, with a playful grin. "I'd love to stay for the night - the bed in the guest room sure seemed more comfortable than the box I traveled in anyway."

Michela rolled her eyes. Gentlemen thieves? God, that was such a cheesy name. "Well, from the little I know, they're like. Dressed in a suit, right? Even though it doesn't seem super comfortable to wear for what they do."
Horknath inwardly nodded. It was true. It wasn't very comfortable.
"I guess that the vigilantes' outfits look more specifically designed for the purpose of jumping around and fighting", Michela added, slouching on her chair. "I'll tell you that, though - if I had to go around at night to kick villains and stuff, I would want to look scary. I'm talking Batman-scary."

Aziraphale scoffed. "I did what I could", he protested when he was addressed about the snake-proofed room. "You can stay the night, though. Just - for the future, and i didn't think I'd have to say that, please don't send yourself via airmail again."

Carleen was torn, and so interested in Michela's words - alright, and secretely preening with pride - that she didn't notice Horknath's and Castiel's genuine awkwardness upon mentioning the topic. So Michela thought her outfits were very practical, uh? And she had some ideas of her own?
She opened up her sketchbook again, and started sketching - with Michela in mind as a model because. Why not. "Batman-scary, uh? So not an outfit resembling Robin's or Batgirl's at all? How about Catwoman's?" She couldn't be stopped now. Inspiration was striking!

Anthony laughed. "Don't worry, angel. I'm definitely never sending myself over airmail ever again." He tapped his shoulder and got up from the couch. "So- I'm not difficult with food, and if you have just bread or ham lying around that'll do."

Horknath threw a wide-eyed glance at Castiel, as if to silently ask why he had brought that topic on the table, but he was generally more relaxed now that Carleen's attention was somewhere else rather than their secret identity.
Michela snorted. "Robin's outfit is a joke. Who even wants to run around at night in that super-colorful, ridiculous tight suit? Not me, that's for sure." Then she visibly flinched. "Batgirl... I don't know. I guess her outfit is... okay, but. It's the whole, you know. Girl thing that doesn't convince me, it's like everything she is is 'Hey I'm Batman but, y'know. Girl Batman, so instead of armor I wear a skintight suit'. I don't want to jump around while being overly conscious of my breasts - and don't get me started on Catwoman! It's not like I want a tank-like outfit either, I guess a more stealth based thing is more to my liking, but c'mon, lady, zip that suit up!" It was stronger than her - she just had very strong opinions over comicbooks.

Aziraphale scoffed even harder. "That won't do at all!", he protested even harder, getting up from the couch. He walked off to the kitchen wearing half a scoff on his face. "Bread and ham - what am I, some sort of savage?", he murmured to himself, opening his fridge and unpacking his roastbeef leftovers, along with some vegetables. "There's a pan in the sink, it's washed - you can use that to reheat everything", he said, supposing that Anthony had followed him.

Carleen chuckled to Michela's comments, and she was sketching in the meantime. "You've got a point, but I also think these kinds of outfits need to underline a nice physique. Sadly, batgirl and catwoman were definitely designed by a man, but we all like a little treat to the eye. Take the gentlemen thieves for example - their suits might not be comfortable for their activity, but they sure look dashing."
"It's- not like you can really see their faces either," Castiel protested lightly, mildly embarrassed that they had gone back on that topic. He saw Horknath's glance in his direction, and wished he could just dive under the table.

Anthony clearly hesitated. "I'm- I don't know, angel. Really, some bread and ham would do." He'd rather not admit it as long as they hadn't gone on a date yet, but he was simply terrible in the kitchen. Whenever he was eating, it was either some kind of homemade sandwich, or he would take the trouble of going to a restaurant.

Horknath wished he could be swallowed by the floor and just never re-emerge. "Y-yeah, aren't they wearing a mask or something?", he commented, trying hard not to show how nervous he felt. Hiding himself away behind his dessert.
Michela grimaced. "I don't want to look attractive while I go around with the purpose to kick ass. I don't want to look attractive period. I don't care", she muttered, getting her attention back to her plate and starting to gorge down her food like she was starved.

Aziraphale threw him a reproachful glance. "Not when you're in my house", he commented. "Sit down - I'll just microwave it for you", he added, shushing any eventual protest and kindly gesturing Anthony to take a seat. And Anthony'd better not protest any more indeed - he should've known how Aziraphale was all fussed about food!

Carleen was about to reply to Horknath, but Michela's outburst made her really self-conscious all of a sudden. "I- I'm sorry," she said a little awkwardly. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, or targeted in any way." For once that she had found someone who was as passionate as she was about comic book outfits, and there, she had to blow it all up. Great job, Carleen.
Sensing that Carleen was suddenly depressed - and confused about it, to be honest, Castiel looked at Horknath, at loss.

Anthony did sit down like he was told. He felt a little sorry that Aziraphale had to get food ready for him when he probably had other plans, but he wouldn't complain about it out loud. In fact, he was starving, and couldn't wait to eat something for once. And, well. His pride prevented him from admitting that he was totally helpless in a kitchen anyway.

Horknath looked back at Castiel and simply raised his shoulders, confused as well. Maybe he had lost a passage there or something?
"It's fine", Michela replied, a little dryly. "We weren't talking about me anyway. I probably took it a little too personally." Yeah, probably. She took a deep breath and tried to straighten up a bit. "Don't let it kill the mood. It was just - I just made a personal observation. You said nothing wrong." Yeah, Carleen hadn't really said anything. She was just touchy when it came down to certain things, and it wasn't anybody's fault.

Aziraphale, on the contrary, seemed particularly at ease in the kitchen. He hummed a little tune as he waited for the dish to heat up in the microwave - turning to throw a little smile at Anthony while he was at it - and in the meantime he retrieved clean cutlery and a napkin. "There you go", he said then, merrily pushing the plate in front of the other man. "Help yourself."

Carleen curled a strand of hair around her index finger, and forced a smile. "No, that's alright." Her father was always thrilled about designing outfits that complimented anyone's looks, no matter their physique. She got that habit from him, but felt really self-conscious about it. It's true that some people didn't feel comfortable about they looked like, but she always thought that the right outfit would be enough to boost their confidence.
Guess she was wrong, then. She sighed and closed her notebook. "... I should get myself something to eat! I've come without anything, silly me," she said with still that smile plastered on her face. "I'll be right back. While I'm at it, would anyone need anything?"

"Thanks, angel. Knowing you is a blessing," Anthony replied with a smile, before he finally dug into his dish like an elegant yet starved man. He really, really needed this. "... Did you prepare this yourself?"

Horknath could tell that Carleen's smile had something off, and he didn't like it. He frowned a little. "I think I'll get something else to drink", he just said, but he raised from his chair too. "I'll come with you, though! I want to stretch a little bit." He might not be the smartest when it came down to human interactions, but he could tell when someone was upset.
"I'm good, thanks", Michela simply answered a little awkwardly. Now that she had clearly absorbed the fact that yes, she had killed the mood, she was probably going to just cluster up for the next minutes.

Aziraphale chuckled, and sat down in front of Anthony. "I know", he answered with a slight smile. "Ah - yes, I did. But it's a very simple recipe, really. I'm not quite good with complicated dishes."

Carleen patiently waited for Horknath to go fetch herself a lunch tray and something to eat - although that slightly forced smile didn't leave her lips in the meantime. She didn't want him to worry.

Meanwhile, Castiel looked at Michela and told her, in a soft voice, "It happens to me a lot."

"Still, I'd have paid good money in a restaurant for such a dish. Must have been even better when you made it the first time," Anthony commented. Well, granted, it was way better than anything he'd manage to do himself.

Horknath waited for them to be a little further away before he gently rested a hand on Carleen's shoulder. "Hey", he murmured kindly. "You know you can tell me if you're upset, right?" He'd hate for his girlfriend to think she couldn't open up to him about something. He couldn't always be the insecure one, right?

Michela grunted. "What happens?", she asked, a bit moodily. "To kill the conversation because you're too touchy or just to make everyone uneasy because you can't keep your issues to yourself?" She stabbed the hard parts of her meat that she hadn't managed to eat. See, Michela, this is why you don't have friends.

"Oh, now you're just flattering me", Aziraphale said, politely deflecting the compliment with a smile. "It's nothing exceptional. "But I'll admit it is better when it's just out of the oven, yes. It's an old recipe I got from my mother, so it's... basically bound to always work", he joked a little.

Carleen paused a bit, and turned slightly towards Horknath. She kept her eyes low, however. "Would you believe me if I told you I've always been bad at making friends? Approaching people, that I can do. But understanding which lines not to cross?" She crossed her arms, and sighed. "I'm sorry, in the end I made lunch with you and your friends quite awkward."

Castiel tilted his head. "I meant- when social interactions don't go the way you meant for them to." Hey, aside from Horknath, her, and Balthazar, he didn't have actual friends. And Balthazar didn't even count - he mostly was Gabriel's friend, and they had ended up meeting once in a while. "You can't kill a conversation, either. It's an abstract concept. It can't die."

"I'd love to try it fresh from the oven, one day," Anthony said with a smirk. He had been so hungry he finished his plate quite quickly, and sighed with relief once he rested in his chair for a bit. "That was delicious, thank you."

"You didn't, don't worry. Michela is... a little difficult to bond with, honestly." Horknath pressed his lips in a tight line. "Well - I struggle to understand that point", he admitted. It was fair, he was on the exact opposite of that spectrum - overly cautious about people's boundaries, to the point he almost never managed to get close to someone that way. "But I think your approach isn't wrong", he added on an afterthought. "If you never try, you can't know what another person will or will not allow. It's a brave kind of approach." He smiled down at her. "I like that about you."

Michela snorted, even though she hadn't really meant to. "You're so literal all the time", she muttered. "Yeah. Social interactions." She threw a glance towards Carleen. She looked a little sad - and she felt kind of bad now. "It never went well in the past for me, and I don't come from a nice... 'social situation'. I still feel attacked when certain topics are brought in. But it's not, I mean. It sure wasn't her fault. I am just really bad at this."

"You're welcome", Aziraphale chirped as he quickly cleaned off the table. "You really were hungry, weren't you. What would you have done if you had to stay a snake for the whole evening? I'm just curious."

Carleen let out a shy smile, and hesitated before she stepped closer to Horknath to lay her forehead against his torso. "I'll still apologize to her. I probably didn't have a very mature attitude back there."

"So are we all, if I got it right." Castiel let out a small, kind smile. "I clung to my siblings my whole life, you know. Until Horknath and you, I didn't have any friends. But it made me feel... better to know that there were people out there who could relate to me, to some extend."

Anthony shrugged, with a smug smile. "Guess that both you and I would have discovered whether a snake's stomach can growl or not."