Training room

Raphael frowns, unsure what to say to Anima as she and Stella trade sad backstories.

The vampire feels peculiarly pleased when Stella lets go of his hand, pleased on some subconscious level that she’s observant enough to avoid rubbing salt in the wound.

Spoiler: an aside
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Later, upon reflection, he’d realize that attention to such details and mannerisms would serve her well whenever she had to deal with other vampires… creatures where an errant phrase or gesture could result in posturing…

Posturing that Raphael tended to take as a personal offense.


Raphael meets Stella’s eyes, confused. He gives a slight shake of his head, his eyes asking, “What?”

He shrugs and turns his attention back toward Anima. “I think you’re missing the obvious,” he says with his characteristic smirk.

“Your world changed in a day. This change was not good. But it took a long time for One Bad Day, right? I think that means it can change again, just as fast, and probably for the better.”

Raphael shrugs. “I’m not usually one for optimism, but I don’t think that’s something you can look past”

Garage

“To know John, is to know Worry,” Raphael intones. “To see him, is to see worrying done at the level of a Master.”

Raphael makes an amused noise. “I’d prefer that to some Crazy, Superstitious, Notion that we’re somehow responsible.”

Morning Meeting

Raphael quietly watches Terrence go back and forth with the team over his decision to cut and run. His hand flexes and clenches into a reflexive fist, reliving the ghost of the impact of tearing through a West Side bulkhead.

Raphael’s attitude visibly sours as Seraph details how the demons went after his woman. He speaks up. “This demon nosing around at her apartment, do we think this is a new one, or one we’ve dealt with before?”

If I’ve tangled with it before, I can probably find it….


Raphael stows his temper and rousing bloodlust as Seraph transitions to announcing another new teammate.

“Texas?” Raphael mouths with confusion before training his eyes on their new …..(bong) Mutant.

The vampire blinks a few times at Jake’s ensemble, before a long suppressed memory bubbles up from the darkened crevices of his mind. A trip that he’d stridently protested to, Germany’s Premier Cowpoke attraction…

It’d been a horror.

Raphael’s eye twitches a few times and then tries to cover his reaction by coughing into his fist. “Oh…gawd,” he moans under his breath.

Raphael watches John jump up to greet the new-new-new-new-newbie and deliver his spiel. He tilts his head, side-eying the mage. "Do you get tired of saying that?" He says, his voice colored with genuine (sounding) curiosity.

Spoiler: Notice roll vs. Drake - your human concerns are below my notice
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Die Roll - 2 & 3