That all meant little here though and he swallowed down a set of slight nerves before walking up to the house and knocked on the door. He didn’t have to wait long before the door opened. It was Salai and he was both surprised and happy to see him as the few times he’d returned here it had not been to see Leo, it had been to see him, for his brother.
From within the memory Desmond smiled. He liked the red head. They'd both been through a lot, more than they could explain and more than anyone really wanted to know. Before Salai had ended up in Leo's care he'd been hurt, badly, and traumatized by his previous owner who'd cut his tongue out. The mute was surprisingly easy to relate to and the language barrier had lasted only as long as it took Desmond to pull the knowledge of his sign language out of his head as well as put his own into Salai's, so Desmond had a perfect understanding of the signing and through this sharing with Altair so did he. It had been helpful to talk to someone who wasn't his brothers then, who knew exactly what it was like.
For a moment the memory wavered and seemed to glitch, falling out of sync. Altair could feel what he was thinking and there was guilt. There was always guilt. Desmond smoothed his emotions over as a reminder that everything was all right now and that he’d done what he could. The memory righted itself once more.
“Hello Salai," Altair said not even bothering to speak the nation's tongue, he knew the pet could understand him.
'What are you doing here? Leo is home,' Salai was obviously confused since Altair had always told him he couldn't be here when Leo was, it was safer that way.
"I know."
'Are you here to see him? Why are you here?' Salai’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Salai, who’s at the door?” they both heard Leo from inside and startling the pet.
‘What do you want?” Salai asked confused and didn’t know what to do.
“May I come in? I’m here to see Leo,” he said gently.
Salai blinked before moving out of the way and letting him inside. "Salai!" Leo called again knowing the mute wouldn't actually answer but at least show his face. Salai reached out and grabbed Altair’s hand pulling him towards the living room where he could hear Leo talking as well as another that made him react stiffly. Just who he didn’t want to see. When they entered the living room Altair saw the two there talking to each other and he could imagine their faces. They sat close together, shoulders almost touching and seemed polar opposites of each other despite their apparently closeness. Salai cleared his throat and they turned. Leo fell off the couch with a frightened yelp. Desmond snickered but Altair didn’t even offer a facial twitch.
“By God,” Malik said and distinctly he recognized the change from ‘Father’ to ‘God’, though he didn’t want to think to deeply upon the change.
“Salai, who did you let in?” Leo demanded finally finding his feet under him and standing, he looked warily at Altair, not knowing exactly what to think of the oddly dressed stranger in his house.
It was then that Altair smirked, “Hello Leo, it’s been a long time,” he said in a language they knew, his accent twisting the words roughly, it had been a long time since he’d really needed this language as well.
At those words recognition flashed through the both of them and they wore mirrored expressions of shock. “A-Altair?” Leo croaked, his eyes huge in his head as if a ghost had just appeared in front of him.
“Yes,” he dipped his head as he lowered his hood. The cool air conditioned air made his newly shaved scalp break out into goose flesh and the two Sheep seemed even more shocked than before.
Re: Clipped (21f/21)
From within the memory Desmond smiled. He liked the red head. They'd both been through a lot, more than they could explain and more than anyone really wanted to know. Before Salai had ended up in Leo's care he'd been hurt, badly, and traumatized by his previous owner who'd cut his tongue out. The mute was surprisingly easy to relate to and the language barrier had lasted only as long as it took Desmond to pull the knowledge of his sign language out of his head as well as put his own into Salai's, so Desmond had a perfect understanding of the signing and through this sharing with Altair so did he. It had been helpful to talk to someone who wasn't his brothers then, who knew exactly what it was like.
For a moment the memory wavered and seemed to glitch, falling out of sync. Altair could feel what he was thinking and there was guilt. There was always guilt. Desmond smoothed his emotions over as a reminder that everything was all right now and that he’d done what he could. The memory righted itself once more.
“Hello Salai," Altair said not even bothering to speak the nation's tongue, he knew the pet could understand him.
'What are you doing here? Leo is home,' Salai was obviously confused since Altair had always told him he couldn't be here when Leo was, it was safer that way.
"I know."
'Are you here to see him? Why are you here?' Salai’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Salai, who’s at the door?” they both heard Leo from inside and startling the pet.
‘What do you want?” Salai asked confused and didn’t know what to do.
“May I come in? I’m here to see Leo,” he said gently.
Salai blinked before moving out of the way and letting him inside. "Salai!" Leo called again knowing the mute wouldn't actually answer but at least show his face. Salai reached out and grabbed Altair’s hand pulling him towards the living room where he could hear Leo talking as well as another that made him react stiffly. Just who he didn’t want to see. When they entered the living room Altair saw the two there talking to each other and he could imagine their faces. They sat close together, shoulders almost touching and seemed polar opposites of each other despite their apparently closeness. Salai cleared his throat and they turned. Leo fell off the couch with a frightened yelp. Desmond snickered but Altair didn’t even offer a facial twitch.
“By God,” Malik said and distinctly he recognized the change from ‘Father’ to ‘God’, though he didn’t want to think to deeply upon the change.
“Salai, who did you let in?” Leo demanded finally finding his feet under him and standing, he looked warily at Altair, not knowing exactly what to think of the oddly dressed stranger in his house.
It was then that Altair smirked, “Hello Leo, it’s been a long time,” he said in a language they knew, his accent twisting the words roughly, it had been a long time since he’d really needed this language as well.
At those words recognition flashed through the both of them and they wore mirrored expressions of shock. “A-Altair?” Leo croaked, his eyes huge in his head as if a ghost had just appeared in front of him.
“Yes,” he dipped his head as he lowered his hood. The cool air conditioned air made his newly shaved scalp break out into goose flesh and the two Sheep seemed even more shocked than before.