At first, Arthur didn't want to wake up. He was too warm, too comfortable. He hadn't felt like this in weeks. No thanks to the Garden District's lack of beds- or shelter for that matter. But he eventually persuaded himself; that if he didn't get out of bed and keep on the move, he could get tracked.
He shuddered at the thought of those Doctors picking and prodding at him like some sort of lab-rat.
Reluctantly, he swung his legs out of bed. Memory hitting him like a pile of cinderblocks. The Constable's sister would've woken up to the exact same setting, every single day. Arthur stood up a little too quickly.
He shook off his light-headedness, pulling his suit off the violet chair in the corner of the room, he began to get dressed. If he was in the Garden District he could get away with a creased suit- but this wasn't the Garden District. This was the village,although it was no AppleHolm, it was certainly just as strict.
Luckily for him, he could hang his suit on the chair and sleep in his undershirt and pants. Though looking down now, Arthur cringed at how wrinkled his pants were.
If anyone asked, he will just have to say he was playing in the playground or something like that...
God damn it.
Arthur crept out of the guest room, wondering if Constable Hark had woken up yet. He attempted to be subtle when coming down the stairs, mentally preparing himself for the awkward conversation about the Bobby's diary.
Taking one final step, Arthur could confirm that the Constable was veryawake.
The tall man busied himself, running about the kitchen cooking. He also seemed half-dressed in his uniform and half-dressed in his pyjamas. Arthur took a deep breath and instinctually pulled a huge faked smile over his face.
"Good morning Constable!" He greeted enthusiastically, too used to having to hide his identity.
Charleston jumped, having forgotten he had a guest. "Mornin' Arthur.." He greeted, still catching his breath. Arthur was then met with an odd look, feeling self-conscious he reached for his face-
Oh dear, he forgot to put on his mask.
The Constable's face quickly twisted to an apologetic smile. "My apologies, I just haven't.." The man awkwardly coughed, "Haven't seen an actual face in a while."
Arthur shook his head reassuringly, "It's fine, usually people chase after me with broomsticks and rolling pins."
Constable Hark laughed lightly. "Well, I'm cooking breakfast right now. Do you want any?"
Arthur didn't have to ponder for a moment before he blurted out a yes. "I'm going to quickly grab my mask before I forget again." He finished stepping away. Quite ironic. A downer forgetting things? Ha, he laughs at the thought.
On his way up, Arthur briefly pondered on whether he should tell the Constable that he was leaving for the Garden District.
Arthur finished his breakfast, cleaning up his mask politely with a napkin. "Thank you, Constable, that was lovely." Charleston nodded, grinning.
"OH- By the way Constable, I was thinking of leaving for a while." The Bobby in question rose his eyebrow. "You know it's fine to call me Charleston, right?"
Arthur looked slightly uncomfortable, before nodding. "Okay... Charleston." He looked down as he spoke, unsure of the situation. He'd never called a Bobby by their firstname before, he wasn't sure he liked it.
The Constable continued, "Why do you want to leave?" his head tilted slightly in question. Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm worried that I'm going to get caught. And what do you think would happen if me;a Downer- was caught a Constable's house?"
There was a pause.
"You won't just be fired." Charleston was gazing to the side, his face seemed twisted in an odd expression.
"..I know." The Bobby finally spoke, his voice downcast.
The Constable's gaze finally met with Arthur's, "Let me come with you." his eyes held a determined gleam. Arthur thought for a moment. He didn't know if bringing Charleston along would be a good idea. "There's something about the Garden District that interests me..." The tall man persuaded.
Arthur finally nodded after a little longer. "Okay. I do owe you, anyway." He swallowed awkwardly, thinking about the Constable's diary. Should he tell him now?
"Consta- Uhm, Charleston, I mean." Arthur awkwardly started.
"Yes, is there something you need, Arthur?" Hark looked expectantly.
"Um, that is.." Arthur looked to the ground coughing. "Nothing, it's... It's probably nothing." He gave up, dejectedly. He couldn't find the courage to bring it up. He knows it'll only get worse the longer he keeps it from the constable, but he just couldn'tadmit that he had evaded Hark's privacy.
Charleston let it slide, he knew that Arthur was uncomfortable, so he didn't push him. Instead, he politely began to scoop up the empty plates and began to wash them.
Arthur sat at the table for a moment longer. He couldn't stand the awkward silence, deciding to bring up a conversation. "Are you working a shift today, Charleston?" Arthur cringed once-more at the use of the name, gesturing toward the man's uniform.
"Huh- Oh! I don't actually have to. I just wear my uniform sometimes, in case there's an emergency." The Constable explained, still washing the dishes.
"You wear your uniform every day!?" Arthur froze slightly. "Apologies," The lithe man started, "I didn't mean to sound rude- I just thought everywelly wore all sorts of new clothes all the time." The Constable had turned to Arthur and looked like he was trying his best not to blurt out laughing.
He didn't succeed.
Arthur became genuinely worried for a second before he thought 'Oh wait, he's probably doped up on Joy.' The constable finally stopped laughing, "Bloody hell Arthur, being a welly doesn't mean you're rich." He wiped a non-existent tear from his eye, before continuing. "No, I'm afraid I don't have many choices in what I wear. Especially now, since there's been a big outbreak in Downers- Uh- No offence."
Arthur blanked for a moment. He was a welly only a few weeks ago, how could he possibly forget? Maybe being stuck in the Garden District had affected how he viewed the village- Or maybe he didn't have any clear memories of living in the village, since he was always screwed up on drugs.
Either way, he felt like he had become as socially-inept as Percy.