stop – Aryeh holds Christopher back during a moment of tension (its not his fight to help with- pick your battles lesson)
Aryeh puts a hand on Christopher’s shoulder as he moves toward the guy currently mocking their mutual friend. With all her quirks, Anise has managed to attract the attention of some rather unkind people. Aryeh knows Anise can handle herself, and would probably rather do so than be protected by her friends. Still, Aryeh feels Christopher’s rage at the guy like it’s their own.
Eventually, the guy says something terribly cruel, something that makes Aryeh take their hand from Christopher’s shoulder. They’re done waiting for Anise to handle this herself. With just a few brisk paces, Aryeh is standing nearly between Anise and the guy, who is looking very confused now since he knows Aryeh to be rather timid, and Aryeh has a flash in their mind of the scene in Harry Potter when Hermoine punches Draco in the nose as they lift their own arm and land one good hit directly in the guy’s face. His nose is soon bleeding unrelentingly, and Anise is staring with enormous moon-like eyes at the unusual display of violence from Aryeh.
“Sorry,” Aryeh breathes, turning back to Anise and pulling the girl by the arm back over toward Christopher so they can leave before anyone comes to try and get them in trouble, “I have a l-lot of pent up...feelings. Lately.”