audio:

[charring]

[Since Charlie doesn't actually want to show her face today. She's outside, though, based on the sounds around her. And she has Phantom with her who is busy running around and yipping at people, again, based on the sounds of his collar jangling and four feet thudding as they run past. There are also faint snuffling sounds and the occasional pop/hiss. This would be Sonic. Yes, Howard. Charlie took the baby out. There's a particularly loud pop from Sonic and noise of surprise from Phantom and Charlie laughs slightly.]

I warned you he wouldn't let you get close. He's irritable today.

[And once she notices the device is on;]

Swear to God, this thing has the most sensitive on/off switch ever. [She pauses.] That curse the other day? That was fun, wasn't it? Makes me miss a horse I had when I was a kid. Well, not 'had' as in I owned him but, he was pretty important to me during a very rough time in my life.

[More silence and it probably sounds like Charlie is standing, calling for Phantom who hurries over and speaking to Sonic as she picks him up.]

Actually, if I'm gonna be honest, he was the only genuinely positive thing I had at the time. [More silence.] Oh, well.

[And she shuts the feed off.]

Comments

[candothat]

A horse would be a good friend, I think, but I wish you might have had other friends at the time.

[charring]

Not a one. Not an honest one, anyway. Just a whole bunch of dishonest people trying to get me to do something I didn't feel comfortable with doing.

[candothat]

I know something about what that is like. Maybe not the best way to grow up.

[charring]

Not really, no. The horse made it better, though.

[candothat]

I wish that I would have had a horse. [Or a dog, or a cat, or a tribble... hell, even a hamster or a mouse might've been nice.]

What was this horse like?

[charring]

Well, the most important thing to remember about Necromancer was I didn't scare him. The other horses, I guess my scent was wrong. Necromancer didn't mind it at all. And he was huge. Then again, I was small when I saw him and everything looked huge.

And he was black. Solid black.

[candothat]

That must be whatever it is that allows you to make fire--something biological, animals are very sensitive to that.

Necromancer... do you think he would still seem large today, or was he only big because you were small?

[charring]

Probably not as big.

[candothat]

No, maybe not.

Did you have a horse, in the last curse? One of your own?

[charring]

I don't remember if I did. I don't think so. I just had a saloon to run with Rapunzel and things to throw at people's heads if they got too rowdy. And really good aim, surprisingly.

[candothat]

That does not surprise me at all.

[charring]

Why not?

[candothat]

You seem like you would be the owner of a saloon and throw things at people. That you were doesn't surprise me.

[charring]

So I guess you'd believe me when I say I was a bouncer in a bar at one point.

[candothat]

I would, yes. [pause] Unless you are trying to fool me now.

[charring]

Nope. I spent a month as a bouncer in a bar in Philadelphia. And then left to work in a library. It was just way too tempting to set the truly horrible bar customers on fire. Not that I would have. Too big a risk.

[candothat]

And not so good for the bar's reputation.

[In all seriousness:] Maybe this will come as a surprise, but I have never been hired to remove troublesome patrons from bars.

[charring]

It's a bit surprising, honestly.

[candothat]

You are joking with me.

[charring]

Not really. People can be surprising. For all I know, you'd rock as a bouncer.

[candothat]

Not so much. I think I would be better at being in fights than stopping them, and even then I am not very good in a bar fight.