Arthur walked with Benji and Simon in content silence, absorbed in this separate realm of existence the three of them had formed. Birds had become the topic of conversation, it seemed, and he was continually taken aback by just how gentle this man seemed in comparison to the widely-circulated opinion that all Revenants were nothing but cold-hearted brutes. His brain worked hard to conjure up the image of Benji standing with his hands cupped together, cooing at a Blue Jay, and unknowingly smiled as it formed inside his mind. Part of him hoped that picture would stick with him for a while. It would make a decent sketch for his journal, he thought.
For just a single moment, Arthur was hit with an abrupt and unwanted feeling of dreadā¦ or perhaps it was sadness. A sudden remembrance of his first and only rule: never get attached to people. This man had captured his attention to such an extent that heād momentarily forgotten himself. It was a rule Arthur had first made for the pair after Harlanās brilliant idea to travel with his old crew, a mismatch of hunters and outlaws; and one by one theyād either been killed, succumbed to illness, or outright disappeared. People heād considered family for many yearsā¦ just gone. He was never quite able to get over the heartbreak each time, but fought like hell to make sure it didnāt turn him into the same cynical asshole his father had become. Still, he had his own walls to maintain, and for good reason.
It wasnāt long before Arthur was being led in the direction of a young blonde-haired woman, a stunning beauty in her own right, and someone that Benji seemed to know quite well. This must have been the sister heād heard about earlier, during the brief conversation with those men he didnāt recognise, but that Benji also seemed to know. Arthur hadnāt said a word then, nor after the fact, and he only continued to maintain his silence. His eyes glanced between the two siblings as they exchanged concern for one anotherās wellbeing. Simon had also been introduced by Benji, who had seemingly now taken responsibility for the boy, much to Arthurās relief. Even keeping his rule in mind, he wasnāt one to abandon a child, especially after the life heād led to that point. It was just nice to know that Simon had people who could protect him, and give him a better life than he'd find in the orphanage.
Arthurās mind wandered to the whereabouts of his own father, and scanned the rooftops in search of him. Strangely, he was nowhere to be seen, but Arthur merely figured that he was making his way down. When the womanās voice called attention to him, he felt compelled to extend his free hand towards her; a polite gesture that he accompanied with a well-meaning smile. āIām Arthur,ā he answered. āA pleasure to meet you, miss, in spite of the circumstances.ā