Charles Roberts

Lily arched her eyebrow in her brother’s direction. Mischief? Her?! Hardly. “Me? Mischievous? Whoever gave you the idea? I have never done anything wrong in my entire life, ever.” She pouted, an insulted frown marring her feature, though she was hardly insulted. She knew her brother was only teasing, but if any Roberts’ sibling took to mischief, then it was certainly Rose, and she had had a thought Charlie wasn’t exactly saint, either. But, she’d never let him know that, neither the fact she was 100% okay with him not being the thing he wants her to believe he is. “Lucky for both of us that I can hold my liquor, then.” She added.

“It’s always the best at home, isn’t it? It’s a shame you’re not here more often.” Lily said, refraining form commenting about the politics - she knew very little of it, and she wasn’t the type of person to talk about something she doesn’t know just so she can talk or seem more educated than she is. She saw no shortcomings in her education, as simple as it was, and she wasn’t ashamed of it either. She was smart in all the things that mattered. “How long are you staying here, brother? I hope you don’t have to go just yet. I was hoping to spend some more quality time with you.”

Charles mimicked her expression, his own eyebrow raised. “You think I don’t know you can tease a soul mercilessly if you decide to? Love, I know you too well. You’re like me, you got that sarcastic streak.” Outright mischief, he knew was the domain of the other twin, and that was what he shared with Rose. Charles loved a good joke, and after Henry died, he’d taken to treating everything like a joke. “You can hold your liquor, can you now?” He was going to have to do something about that, somehow. It was going to be a puzzle to solve, making sure she was left alone without anyone realising she mattered to him. 

Home was something Charles had never really understood. Their childhood home had been more of a prison, and as soon as he could, he’d started sailing. Atlantis was the twins home, but he didn’t really count it as such. It was more a sanctuary. “Actually, looks like we might be hanging around a while. Guess the treaty’s important enough to make us stay.” He wasn’t convinced it was the best idea, but Silas was making noises about staying, which took him by surprise. Silas usually hated to come ashore. 

Delight.

Rose was delighted, and happy, and almost ecstatic to see her brother back on mainland. SO happy, in fact, that she didn’t mind his occasional patronising of her and lack of recollection that she is now of legal drinking age in every kingdom in the world. But, as he pouted and called her a five year old, Rose feigned being insulted, and light heartedly smacked his shoulder. “Five? Charles. I didn’t come all the way down here just to have you insult me that way!” She pouted in return, even if she wasn’t really insulted. “Serves you right for not bein around for so long. Not seein your sisters turn the old age of ten, eleven years ago.” She teased.

Her smile widened as he promised to walk her home,  and she let it show. “Great! You have to stop by and say hi to Lily. If I tell her I’ve seen you here, and you didn’t come upstairs to greet you, she will take her vengeance on us, mainly by smothering me, and then you’ll only have the less fun sister to contend with.” Rose wasn’t really keen on guilt-tripping anyone, but Charles can consider this a swift payback for calling her a five year old. She was more mature than that!

Charles rubbed his shoulder where she smacked him as though it had hurt. “Well, look who’s being mean now.” He knew exactly how old they were, having been there the day they were born, but it didn’t mean he’d ever stop worrying about them, no matter how old they got. It was his job to look after them. But they were grown up now, men were going to come sniffing around after them, and he wasn’t here all the time. Maybe he should teach them how to fight, just in case. “No, it was only yesterday I was carrying you everywhere. You can’t be that old.” 

He could imagine Lily’s reaction if only one twin got to see him, so he chuckled despite the guilt he felt. “I fear both your vengeful states, don’t you fret.” He slid an arm around her shoulder and started to guide her outside. “For things so sweet and innocent, you’re both fearful beings. Make a grown man tremble in his boots if you want to.” He smiled over at her affectionately. “I remember when you and Lil still shared a cot, and I’d jump every time one of you squeaked. Because if one of you started screaming, the other wasn’t far off.” Of course, the fear hadn’t been of them, but of their father, but that part of the memory was one he’d rather forget. 

Two can play this game, and if Charles was counting on her to back down, then he is going to begravely mistaken. As he lifted her hand to his lips, she battled her lashes in her best attempt to play dazed. She was certain he’d see the amusement in her eyes, but everyone else would see a woman succumbing to his charms. And if it ends badly for her, there were some people in town who would be quick to run to her defense. And she doesn’t even have to sing to them, to achieve it. “If you think I’m the kind of woman who backs away from a challenge, then you don’t know me, either.” Her voice was sweet, but it wasn’t a melody, not yet. And why would she sing to him, since he already proved adept in resisting it. But, past has proved that men can only resist so much, before they fall under her spell.

“Is it preying if they come to you? I don’t walk around town spying on people. They come to me, asking for this or that, for help and comfort. I provide it, to some. The others, I drag deep under the murky waters of madness. I don’t prey on the innocent, but I doubt anyone truly ever is.” She’s met only a small handful of innocent ones. Lucy. And his sister, the one who’s friends with Bella, her selkie friend. She laughed, her smile wide, playing to his charm. “Oh, I doubt anyoneever fights fair.”

Nerissa’s smile widened as he agreed to a secret, and she slid her hand from under his, placing her palm atop his thigh, leaning forward. Her words came out as a quiet breath, making sure no one but him could catch the meaning of them. “Very well, I’ll start us off.” The siren tilted her head to the side, the smile turning into an entertained smirk. “Long ago, I was a mermaid. Now, I’m something else. A siren.” Her voice was a soft whisper, and with the same smile she leaned an inch backwards, her eyes fixing on his. “Your turn.”

Although much about her reminded him of Tashi, he couldn't ever imagine his murderous friend responding to a little bit of his charm by pretending to go along with it. He knew it was stupid to think she could ever like him, but he started to wonder. Perhaps it'd turn into something like that friendship, if it could be called that. He didn't mind trading barbs, not when the rules were clear. Don't hurt his family. He was fair game, but he would never let others be hurt if he could help it. "No, I don't think you'd back away. Not your style. Not mine either. Guess we do have things in common." 

When she said people came to her for help, he shook his head at her. "And people call me a criminal. You keep telling yourself no one is innocent, and you're right, they're not. Everyone's guilty of something. Don't mean they deserve to be punished. Would you blame a starving child for stealing food? Theft is a crime." He knew Henry had stolen to feed the twins, and he still felt guilty for not being there, not that he'd known. "Some people have nothing but honour. Believe me, it's overrated." 

He listened to her secret, the practical part of him wanting to deny it despite knowing that magic existed, especially on Atlantis. But sirens were a sailors superstition he'd never wanted to believe. Men blamed shipwrecks on sirens, and not just the misfortunes of nature, more capricious and cruel than any person he'd met. "Everyone in here, they think I am a traitor to my country." He decided to be completely honest, just to throw her off guard, as he'd been planning of talking his way out with a harmless secret. "But I'm not. I took the blame for my brother, who had money troubles. So I lost my job, my friends, my lover - who was my captain, mind you - and my honour. And even though my brother's gone now, I'm not going to correct anyone. I'll let them think the worst."

Clara nodded with a smirk. “Aye, this is decent enough. Though, I found that Statue Tavern was okay enough, if you ignore drunken men. But, everyone’s drunk after a few drinks, so I don’t think I should judge too much. Hell, I believe I’ve been drunk more than enough times.” It wasn’t entirely true, but it wasn’t an outward lie. She never got blackout drunk, her Sight didn’t allow her that, but she knew how to drown her demons.

“You always say that your nose is big. Keep that up and I’ll be the one to punch you in the face. Swelling might enlarge in.” She added with a chuckle. She’d never punch any of her pirate mates, not unless they were on their worst behaviour. That usually meant they were one drink away from sleeping like logs, and she’d normally provide them with the drink. “Aye. I tend to make good deals every once in a while.” Clara chuckled. “So, how’s it goin Charles?”

Charles wrinkled his nose instinctively at the mention of the Statue Tavern. "I'm a drunken man, thank you, but at least I'm not a cheat." Henry had gotten into trouble there, so Charles had shared the blame with that place, at least until he could find out the name of the person who was really to blame. Edmund and Charles already bore some, but as far as he was concerned, there was more to share. "There's nothing wrong with being drunk. It's fun." There had been a time when Charles had refused to touch even one cup of wine, and now it took a lot to make him drunk. 

Feigning fear, Charles put his hands over his face. "Not my beautiful nose. I beg you. I'm too pretty for a broken nose." Vanity was a joke to him. He knew he wasn't exactly ugly, but compared to others, he could never be called handsome. He didn't mind, his personality more than made up for it. "Ah, it's going alright. Can't complain. Nice to have some time ashore, until Silas gets a bee in his bonnet and wants to set sail again." Their captain could be a little odd when it came to the sea. Although Charles liked sailing, it wasn't to that extent.

Nerissa’s slips stretched into a smirk. She could, ask around, but where was the fun in that? She didn’t trust what everyone else said, and she knew better than to walk around, asking people about him. They would take it the wrong way, and quite literally; they’d think she fancied him, or worse. She didn’t need that kind of gossip following her, not while she has work to do. While she still wants to eradicate good amount of humanity, she realised that killing all of then would be bad for business. “You seem to be oblivious to the consequences that kind of innocent inquiry would have on me. And on you.” She said in a quiet, deeply entertained voice, placing her hand close to where his was. It wasn’t an intimate gesture, but to drunken men their closeness would seem as such, and drunken men enjoyed gossip even more than women; and it will end up serving her point.

As he leaned forwards, so did she, the most innocent smirk dancing on the corners of her lips. The siren missed this kind of fun; preying upon men in a less maddening way. It amused her to no end to see then succumb under her charm, and she wondered if Charles would resist this type of spell as well as he resisted her song. “People seem to enjoy preying upon each other, so do forgive me if I’m overly cautious.” She tilted her head with the same smile dancing on her lips. She understood loyalty, and for that alone she respected him.

His words made her chuckle and Nerissa fixed her eyes on his. “I suppose you’ll just have to trust me. But, since you don’t trust me, then trust on the fact that I despise being in someone’s debt, and if I lie, it’ll make me indebted to you.” She offered.

Charles laughed, taking her hand when she set it near his, fully aware of how it’d look to anyone who saw it. “Just sitting with me gets people thinking the wrong idea.” He flirted with countless people, men and women, all without any shame. “If you think I care what anyone might say about me, you don’t know me at all.” Just to add to the rumours, he lifted her hand to his lips before letting it go. It was an intimate gesture, but the smirk on his face was a challenge, nothing more. 

This was a dangerous game to play, but then, he had made something of a friend out of one mysterious beautiful woman that wanted to kill him. If Tashi ever met Nerissa, he was sure they’d get along. Like with Tashi, Charles wasn’t afraid of what Nerissa might do to him. “Cautious, huh? Not what I’d call ya. I’ll admit, I like a good fight, and I don’t always fight fair, but that’s not the same as preying on people.” 

Charles was once a careful man, cautious, as Nerissa called herself. In grief and guilt, that had been eroded in so many ways. No longer was he careful with his life, only with the truth. For all that he seemed like an open book, he held so many secrets. “Alright. A secret for a secret.” He agreed to her terms before falling into thought once more as he decided on what to tell her. The truth about his actions, Henry’s actions, that was out of the question. 

Lily smiled to her brother, hopping into the seat next to him. She smiled to the bartender, remembering his name for the next time she comes visiting. “There’ll be no need for that, Char. We agreed on one drink, so one drink it is.” She accepted the drink that was placed in front of her, smiling to Benny politely. He must be a friend of Charles’, if he’s on a first name basis with him. She should come by the inn more often, maybe he could give her more insight on what’s her brother really up to.

Lily took a sip of the ale, for a moment wrinkling her nose in distaste, before she got used to the particular bland of taste. She frowned as he spoke. “Well, that was rude.” She couldn’t fathom why people were so rude to each other, all the time. “How did you like Roanoke? Did you get to see anything?” She asked, curiously. At his latter words, Lily threw a glance at Benny, and offered him another smile. “That’s great, I’ll surely do that next time I write a letter.”

Charles reached over, tugging lightly on a loose strand of her vibrant red hair. “That’s right, mischief, just the one drink.” While he liked Benny, he still gave him a warning look when Benny walked over. Fortunately, the innkeeper did nothing more than smile back at both of them before leaving, knowing Charles would settle his tab at the end of the night. “You’re so little, more than one drink will have you snoring on the ground.” He’d been a lightweight once, but he’d built up a tolerance. 

He snorted in amusement at the look on her face, glad she didn’t seem to like ale too much. “Ah, they’re afraid that if Albion helps them, that they’ll lose their freedom. They don’t need trouble on two fronts.” While his story was a lie, the reasoning behind it was solid and he knew it. If she asked anyone from Albion, it’d seem perfectly feasible to them. As long as she didn’t speak to someone like Edmund, he should be fine. “Didn’t get to go ashore this time, but they had some real pretty beaches. Nowhere is as good as here though, take my word for it.” 

Fun.

Charles always knew how to entertain her, in every occasion. She missed him terribly, when he was away, and he always seemed to be away. “I’ll let you know I’m legal enough to drink all around the world. It’s only fortunate that I’m not too fond of drinking, otherwise I might get offended that you offered me a glass of milk.” She pouted, but it was in the same teasing manner that her brother teased her. She knew he wasn’t happy when she would drink, and she had a fair guess that was because of their father, and how alcohol influenced him. She didn’t remember too much of it, the flow of time dimming her memories, but she could still recall some of it.

Rose laughed at his words, after a moment her laughter ebbing into a steady chuckle. “I’m keepin out of it as much as I can. Lil is the more reasonable one, as you already know, but we’re never in any sort of trouble. At least she isn’t, sometimes I tend to run late for lunch, or the chores, but she sometimes covers for me. Of course, afterwards, I can’t hear the end of her lectures.” She chatted, and then chuckled again. “I’m sure you’re keppin out of it as well. Us Robertses are all the pictures of sainthood.” She commented, then offered; “Will you walk me home? I’m sure Lil will be happy to see you, too.”

Charles rolled his eyes at her affectionately. “You’re still a babe as far as I’m concerned. Could pick you up easily.” While Charles might be thin, he was used to a life of hard work, so there were muscles clinging to his bones. But the point still stood even without that fact. He would always see the twins as young, having always taken responsibility for them. “You’re only five, I should hope you’re only drinking milk or water.” He could feel his smile spreading as she pretended to pout. 

“Good. I knew leaving you with the Donaldsons was a good thing for you.” He knew exactly what the girls were like, despite how much time he spent away from them. Henry and Rose had always been inclined to relax while Charles and Lily had been the more focused two, but Rose didn’t seem to be following in Henry’s footsteps, much to Charles’ relief. He couldn’t lose the girls, not after everything that happened with Henry. That image of sainthood was so incorrect where it came to the Roberts brothers, but Charles wouldn’t be the one to let the girls know about Henry’s bad choices and what Charles had done to hide the truth. “’Course I’ll work you home. What a silly question.” 

Clara tolerated most of the crew, but she was really fond of their captain and Charles. They were the only ones who had enough fate in her to lead them places without having fits about how ‘havin a woman up aboard is bad luck’ every time they sailed into a storm, and in return she didn’t give a rat’s arse he used to be in the Navy. Hell, if the Navy had wanted her and if they haven’t been so cold about the deaths of their crew mates, she might’ve been one of them. “I hate when plans do that. At least the drinks are good here.”

“Only if someone tries to provoke me.” She chuckled. It was nice to learn that at least one person gave her enough credit to admit she could win in a fight, even if the fight breaks out in a drunken stupor. His offer was met with a nod, and a counter. “Aye, but the next one’s on me then.” She offered him a crooked smile.

Plans were always falling through, so Charles shrugged it off. He'd made plans for his life once, and it'd all fallen apart. His choices, other people's choices, it all made life unpredictable, so he only ever focused on the next step to take. Tonight, that step was to drink. "Aye, this is a good place. Better than some others." 

He chuckled when she said a fight would only break out if someone provoked her. Charles was often the instigator in fights, despite promising the twins to try be careful. The careful control he used to seem like he was a dishonourable man didn't extend to his attempts to distract his mind from his life. Besides, getting into fights did suit his poor reputation. "I'll try be on my best behaviour then, otherwise my big mouth will provoke someone else into aiming for my big nose." Jokingly, Charles scrunched up his face. He knew he wasn't a conventionally attractive man, but he didn't really care. He could be charming enough to make up for that. "Sounds like a good deal to me." He waved over to the bar, there often enough that he knew his request would be understood even without words.

Lily’s smile widened when her brother recognised her, stretching even more when he wrapped an arm around her. His offer of walking her home was tempting, and had it been any other night she would’ve accepted without a thought. But, he did mention a drink and she wasn’t going to deny him that. “I heard you said something about a drink. It’s been a good few months since I’ve tasted alcohol, and it’s been a good harvest today so I thought I could celebrate with a drink. And since you’ve already technically asked me to join you, I don’t see why rushing home now. You can walk me to the farm after we’ve had that drink.” She diplomatically offered, flashing her brother another smile.

“In the meantime, tell me how you’ve been. Where were you? I wanted to write to you, but I can’t exactly label it to ‘somewhere in the vast ocean’.” Lily chuckled as she spoke.

The last thing he wanted was to sit there and let people see him with Lily. He had enemies, and he didn’t trust anyone not to use her against him. But she didn’t know any of that, and he wasn’t about to admit to all the lies he’d told. “Alright, one drink. And then I’m taking you home, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder.” He warned, gently nudging her towards the seat next to his. “Benny, two drinks for me and the lady.” He called out, knowing Benny wouldn’t pose any trouble. It was everyone else he had to worry about. 

The lies of where he’d been came easily enough. “Been stationed out near Roanoke. Apparently there’s some kinda trouble going on over there, and the Queen thought maybe they wanted Albion’s help. Told us where we could shove that help.” He patted her hand as the drinks were brought over. “I guess you could leave the letters here, Benny’s got some contacts in the Navy still, he’ll get the letters to me if he can. But no promises, it’s not like a lowly gunner is high on mail priority.” 

Ah. The pirate with a conscience. Nerissa’s smile turned into a smirk as she recognised the man, who smirked in greeting. Their last encounter flashed before her eyes, and the smirk widened just a little. This pirate managed to do the unimaginable, evading her maddening song, and for that thing alone she had the miniature dose of respect for him. “Hello, Charles. Still trying hard to keep all your secrets?” She questioned, sliding onto the seat beside him, while he ordered them a drink. His question brought a snort, and she shrugged. “Oh, you’re hardly the fool here. But, yes. Things are almost boringly same.” Though, she can’t say they were. For one, she hasn’t killed anyone in a while now. She can’t, not yet.

The Siren flashed a smile to the owner of the inn, before turning the smile to Charles, her slim fingers wrapping around the glass. The question brought a chuckle, and Nerissa tilted her head backwards as she laughed ( her tone was soft, as usual, but there was a hint of true amusement in it - and she was rarely truly amused. ) “Oh, come now, Charles. And make this easy for you? To give you information on how to destroy me?” She spoke with an arch of her eyebrow, but then a thought crossed her mind. A game? Why not? “You know, I’m almost tempted to tell you. But, then you’ll have to tell me something in return. A deep, dark secret, to parallel mine.”

Charles lifted the cup to his lips, not worried about losing control of his emotions or his sense. Not from drink, anyway. He wasn’t too sure what affect she’d have on him this time. “Eh, everyone knows who I am, just ask ‘round. There’s no need to go prying in with magic or what have you.” What people knew about him was a lie, a lie he would forever proclaim was the truth. Better he was tainted rather than the memory of Henry. “Boring, huh? Poor thing, my heart aches for ya.” 

He leaned forward when she spoke again. “You seem to have it in your brain that I’m out to get ya. I don’t give two hoots about you, so long as you stay away from what’s mine.” By that, he meant his sisters, whom he’d mentioned under her spell before. But he wasn’t going to offer more information on that, she already knew too much. “I might be a drunken stealing degenerate, but even I don’t go hurting people without good reason.” Her offer of a trade caught his attention. “Well now, how would I know you’d be sharing a true secret? You ain’t exactly come across as the paragon of honesty.” Knowledge was something he admittedly did like, even if he came across as an idiot from the way he spoke. But other than his sisters existence, which she already knew of, the only secrets he had were not really his own, or at least not just his own. Henry’s, he’d always keep. Perhaps he could share Edmund’s, that wouldn’t bother him too much. 

Clara was normally a smart drinker. She never drank while she sailed, but it’s been days since they harboured and the time was high for a celebratory drink. What she was celebrating, she didn’t really know but she thought she needed a valid reason if anyone asked. Not that she thought anyone would ask, but she liked being prepared for all the outcomes. The dead taught her that, especially those that took her brothers’ forms. She had half a mind to ignore them as tricks, but they knew stuff about her that only they had known, so she’s decided to trust that they really are her dead brothers.

Clara found herself in the inn, spotting a familiar face when he spoke. “Oi, Roberts. Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight.” She said in a surprised tone, and smiled after a second. “Sure, I’m celebrating my one day of successfully ignoring everyone without a violent incident. We gotta drink to that.”

Charles winked over at his crew mate. She was one of the few who didn’t treat him with open suspicion, although he never let the behaviour of the rest of the crew that still saw him as the Navy man chasing after them affect his own behaviour. “My plans fell through.” He shrugged, not seeing it as a huge issue. “And I like a good drink.” Of course, he could have been sensible and gone to stay with the twins, but he wasn’t always sensible. 

He chuckled when she declared her reason for celebrating. “Celebrate too much, and tomorrow you’ll have to celebrate winning a fight.” He was never going to turn down a reason to wet his lips though, he’d become too reliant on alcohol to get him through his life. Not while working, never while working, but the rest of the time, it was safe to say he’d probably had something to drink. “I’l buy the first round, eh?” He offered, although he didn’t have much in the way of coins. His money went to the girls. 

Surprise.

Somehow, when it came to her brother, that was the most prominent sentiment. She didn’t really frequent the inn, only choosing to go there is she’d be accompanied by Bella or her twin, but she felt as if something was simply pushing her in the inn’s direction. As she entered, and immediately spotted her elder brother, she knew why.

Rose all but skipped towards him, and as he smiled her own lips widened in response, and without further thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “If that means I get to spend some time with you, then yes! Absolutely!” She said with such delight. “Oh, brother, I have missed you so!”

The familiar voice brought two thoughts. Home. And. Shit. While he would always be happy to see either twin, he wasn't particularly glad this reunion was in public. But to admit that would to raise questions he couldn't answer, not without disappointing Rose. Hoping no one had heard her call him brother, he took some comfort in the fact he was known to be a friendly man, his arms settling around Rose. "Ah, now that I know it's you, my little flower, I'm certainly not buying you a drink. Unless it's milk." He teased, glancing around once more. No one from the crew, no one who knew his less than legal lifestyle - except Benny, and he could trust the innkeeper and his wife to keep their mouths shut. 

"This ain't the best place for a reunion love, why don't we head out? You can catch me up on everything. You haven't been getting mixed up with any trouble, have ya? All these new people around, you gotta watch out for them." Nobility couldn't be trusted, money just corrupted people. The twins, as the official sweetest girls to ever walk the earth as far as Charles was concerned, were at great risk, and he was of half a mind to pack them up and smuggle them on the first ship out. But Atlantis was supposed to be safe, and he needed them safe. "You are a Roberts, even if you don't have the nose, and us Robertses, we know trouble. Not that I'm ever in trouble, I'm a right saint, hey?"

Nerissa was in a dire need of a drink. The people were going in and out of her cottage, asking for this or that explanation of their dreams when she, frankly, did not ever care. They should be happy enough that her mood was rather neutral so she’s only planted one tiny seed of madness for the day. Gods above and below, she needed a drink. The Inn was close to where she lived, so she stretched her legs as she walked towards it, laughter reaching her ears as she neared it.

Urgh, the joy.

The Siren entered, deciding it’d be the perfect time to find herself a distraction. Not necessarily someone to destroy, but a distraction to pass her time. She spotted a man, someone she’s noticed around the Atlantis for a while now, and decided she should make herself noticed. She just came from behind him when he called out for her. Fixing a smile on her face, Nerissa nodded. “I would, thank you. Drinks are the reason why most people are here after all, isn’t it?”

He twisted just enough to see who it was, face tightening for a second at the reminder of their first meeting. She wasn’t human, he’d figured that out fast enough when she made him say so many things that normally he left unspoken. But just as fast as that anger crossed his face, it was replaced with a smirk. 

“Take a seat then, Nerissa.” He lifted a hand to Benny for two drinks, knowing that if Nerissa wanted trouble, she’d have to wait until he left the Inn. No one dared break the rules in here, it was too nice a place, and everyone said Anna was a witch. “Been a while. Still the same? Playing the pretty girl to draw the fools like me in?” 

When Benny set the drinks down, Charles flashed a more geniune smile at his friend before returning his attention to the dark haired woman, leaning forward. “You know, you never actually told me what you are. Other than a bitter bitch, but then, I’m a bitter bitch, so that don’t help me figure you out.” 

Lily wasn’t one for drinking. Sure, she enjoyed an occasional pint, but it was rarely and only if she’d be in a need of it, like after a really long day of work. There was a little Inn, more respectable than other places in Atlantis, that she frequented, something with the company of her sister, but mostly on her own. If she happened to run into Vic Andrews, all the better - she just loved to annoy him to death with her warm smiles and eternally good mood; whether or not the mood was feigned was another thing entirely.

Pushing the door of the Inn open, Lily smiled to the owner, having half a mind to walk over to him and engage in a small chat, when the faintest red tint in a seemingly dark hair, captured her attention and her eyebrows rose is surprise. She squinted, her gaze sharp as she made sure the patch of hair by the bar belonged to her brother, she began to sneak towards him, wondering if he’d notice her. While Charles certainly turned to glance around, Lily stalked closer, arriving to stand right behind him.

He turned and spoke, and a chuckle left her lips in reply. “Has it been so long, Char, that you no longer recognise your little sister?” She questioned, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Charles jolted upright the second he heard the voice answering him. That was a voice he knew very well, and he felt that usual flood of guilt added in with something new. Panic. What was she doing here? The sins of their father had been handed down to Henry, and Charles himself drank too much - thankfully, he wasn’t too drunk yet - but he couldn’t bear the thought of either twin drinking. 

“Lil.” He twisted around in the chair, as if to confirm it was her. That red hair was just as unmistakable as her voice, at least to him, but it also worried him. He didn’t want anyone connecting the Roberts twins to Charles Roberts. While only the Wife’s crew knew he was a pirate, his reputation was still bad enough that he didn’t want the girls tainted with that.

“Of course I recognise ya.” He stood up, an arm settling around her shoulders out of habit. “Come on, I’ll walk you home. We’ll catch up.” 

He had made his way to the Inn, deciding he needed a quick drink before he did anything else. There was a time he wouldn’t have touched a drink ever, but now he knew he drank too much. He couldn’t seem to stop when it came to that particular vice, even if he had no interest in any of the others. Deep in the third cup, he felt eyes watching him, but he wasn’t sure if that was real or paranoia. Looking relaxed, he twisted to look around the room, as if searching for someone, but really, his sharp blue eyes were looking for someone watching him. 

Paranoid enough to see a connection between that feeling of being watched and the new presence of someone standing behind him, he smiled. “Would you like a drink, my friend?”