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 Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 12:00 pm
They had a lot to do, and the sooner they got it done, the sooner they could rest and enjoy the rest of what was supposed to be a romantic getaway of sorts. At least Devyn had definitely surprised Michael with romantic gestures. Michael was still a little flustered by it all.
They worked on the second drain, which was much like the first. It was the third drain that they really started noticing a difference. The water level had obviously lowered by about an inch, and removing the debris from the other drains meant soon everything was finally getting to where it was supposed to be.
Michael was tired, but not too surprised about it. He was getting older, and the atmosphere was probably different than on Earth. And whatever allergens in the air probably made it harder for him to breathe, too. Nothing to worry Devyn about, but he would be happy to get out of the swamp.
“Let’s do this again sometime. Maybe in a few years,” he said a bit breathlessly as he sat down on a fallen log to catch his breath. He still had his mask on, and was grateful for the gloves. The branches had scratched him in a few places, but nothing to be concerned about.
“How are you doing? Need some water?” Michael offered, taking a moment to pull a bottle from subspace so he could offer it to Devyn.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 1:16 pm
Devyn laughed but shook his head. He was tired, but not so much that he felt the need to stop. He was used to pushing himself until he was spent, and now that there wasn’t the looming threat of Chaos on his world, he didn’t even have to worry about what happened if he fell asleep for a good few hours after working so hard.
Michael being here meant he was a little more aware of the strain he was putting on himself, though. “A water break sounds good, actually. Yes, please.”
Better to take care of himself now so Michael couldn’t have the chance to say ‘I told you so’ when he was sore and whining and dehydrated.
Devyn sat down next to Michael on the log and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He almost reached to take the mask off but thought better of it. They’d just finished unclogging the last of the drains and he was sure they deserved a few minutes to sit down before they started on the trek back out. It shouldn’t be long, ten minutes or so, and they’d probably even be able to see the ship when they broke through the tree line.
“Ideally I’d like to never have to do this again,” he sighed, and rolled his shoulders. “Maybe we can work up some plans to improve on the design here. I’d much rather walk through and pull a few levers than have to move trees and muck around in this filth.” He sighed heavily and decided that if he was going to rest here, he was going to rest against Michael; he leaned over so their shoulders were touching.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:03 pm
“I’m sure we can figure out a way to keep the debris from getting so backed up. Given that it was… how long since you’ve last been here…? The buildup wasn’t so terrible. Definitely could have been worse. Everything could have collapsed in on itself, so at least that wasn’t an issue,” Michael hummed as he shifted to be able to place his arm around Devyn’s back when he leaned close so their shoulders touched. He didn’t move so much that he would shake Devyn off, but just enough so he could give his back a little rub of appreciation and encouragement.
“It’ll be nice to be in some clean clothes, though,” he made a face and looked down at his glove that looked like it was covered in tar now. There was black muck all over the both of them from splashing around in the probably polluted water, but the whole area was at least looking a lot better now. They could actually see the ground.
“I think you deserve a big dinner after all of this. What do you prefer? We can go out somewhere, or I can order food and we can hang out on the couch, or we can pick something up from the store to cook, but that’ll take the longest,” he said with a smile, already looking forward to relaxing for a bit. The boys were with the Reids and would be fine, and he was sure Oliver and Asher wouldn’t mind watching them even longer than originally planned.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:25 pm
It wasn’t uncommon for Devyn to vocalize when he liked something, but when Michael rubbed his back he just sighed contentedly instead. The low rumble as he did so was reminiscent of a purr but he didn’t let himself get too comfortable. He didn’t want to fall asleep out here.
“We’ve had a long day, I think we should let someone else cook. It’ll be nice to head home and get washed off, I think that’s my preference. I know there’s magic and all, but a hot shower just sounds good. Maybe we can order delivery and soak in the bath until it gets in.”
He hummed again and seemed to favor that idea.
“Should be much better than soaking in this.” Devyn dug his toe into the mud just to hear it squelch and made a face afterwards. “Don’t tease about everything collapsing in on itself, I might have nightmares now.” He was teasing now, obviously, but the idea of some hole opening up and swallowing him down into the darkness was not something he wanted to think about.
“I suppose one of these days we’ll have to do a structural assessment. Especially if anyone ever wants to come live here. I don’t think I can convince Soleiyu to come help while Villefort looks like this. Can you imagine?” He looked at his gloves, and stretched out his legs to look at his boots. Thankfully, both were already black, but his uniform was stained all over. “All over his fur? We’d never hear the end of it.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:31 pm
“Hot shower sounds nice, but only if you’re with me,” Michael hummed in response, although he laughed when warned not to joke about things falling apart. “I’ll keep you safe,” he promised and tilted his head to press against Devyn’s for a moment, before making an effort to stand up from the log.
Maybe he was just tired, but it took a lot more energy for him to get up. He wasn’t concerned, especially with how much they’d been working, but it was annoying to be out of breath when they had the rest of the day to look forward to.
“I think Soleiyu would absolutely refuse,” he laughed and made a face at the thought of him covered in black muck. “And then ignore us, or outright refuse to help us with anything else. We’d have to find another Mauvian to pick up the tasks, but I doubt Lucasta would be very open to getting her fur covered in this stuff, either.”
Michael waited for Devyn to take another moment to rest, before holding out his hand to help him up.
“Shower, bath, getting delivery for dinner. Sounds like a good night to me. Want to wash up a bit and then bring the boat back to Arista before heading out?” He would hate having to navigate trying to find where it was if they didn’t return it to where it should be before leaving.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:39 pm
Though the mask covered Devyn’s smile, he wasn’t making any effort to hide it. After all these years of taking care of himself–of doing everything by himself–he was still sometimes taken aback by the idea of someone else taking care of him.
Of someone keeping him safe.
Michael was sweet, he was too weak for him.
Devyn was sore from today but not winded, and if they’d had to, he probably could have kept going for a while longer. He took Michael’s hand and pulled himself up. “That sounds like a good idea. A little dip in the water sounds nice, too. I’m a bit hot.”
From the effort, probably, and the stillness of the forest. It was strange how things could feel so stagnant, but now that the water was draining he was certain he could feel a bit of a breeze. It just wasn’t enough. It would be nice to get the fabric off of his face, too.
The faster they were out of the forest, the better. He was even looking forward to some time on the boat. “It should be faster to get to Arista than it was to get here. We’ll be home in no time.”
Which meant they had to start their trip out of the forest. Even though he was already a bit achey, he asked, “Do you want another ride out? You could sit on my shoulders and keep an eye out for anything interesting.” He doubted Michael would take him up on the offer, so he swung their hands as he began to lead Michael out of the forest. Or, at least, where he was pretty sure the edge of the forest was. There were still a few signs marking the exit so he wasn’t worried about getting lost. Yet.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:46 pm
“And risk getting mud in your hair? The only thing interesting that I would keep an eye out for is you. I can walk,” he said, but his voice was appreciative. He always appreciated Devyn and what he did for him, and while he would have liked to indulge him some more, he was also aware that it would be a pain for him to have to carry him while they were both covered.
Luckily for Devyn, Michael had an impeccable sense of direction. He’d also been paying attention on their way in, and he could see where the ground had been disturbed from when they were trekking in, so it didn’t take too long for them to navigate through the forest and back out to the river.
And by then, Michael was breathing a bit heavier. It wasn’t too hot, but he could feel sweat beading along his brow. He didn’t make much of a fuss about it, though. He was just tired. Devyn was probably tired too, but Devyn also had infinite energy.
As soon as they were close to the river though, Michael tugged off the mask over his mouth and nose, and used the silky fabric to wipe at his face.
“Want to jump in the water before we head back?” he asked, because Devyn had suggested taking a dip before.
Had they talked at all during their trip out of the forest? He couldn’t remember. His head was starting to swim a little.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 5:56 pm
Somehow, it seemed quieter out of the forest. Devyn wasn’t focused on the sound of wind in the boughs, or creaking wood, or their sloshing as they worked through the waterlogged forest.
He’d glanced at Michael a few times while they walked. He’d offered a few stories, not so different from usual, but Michael was quiet. Focused. Devyn didn’t blame him. He could see the sweat, and once they broke the tree line he was surprised to see how hard Michael was breathing. This was the easy part of the trip, wasn’t it?
He mimicked Michael’s actions; when they were back by the river he removed the fabric and dipped it in the water. It was cleaner down where they’d stopped; higher up, the river was still dark with Villefort’s runoff. He expected it would get worse before it got better, but the sludge hadn’t made its way through the underground systems enough to muddy the rest of the river.
At first, he just dabbed at his face and neck but that wasn’t enough. He didn’t even bother to peel off his gloves before he stepped into the river. It was a bit steep; his first step had him knee deep, and the step after that he was only a foot and a half from shore but was already almost waist deep.
Immediately, he sighed as the cold water rushed over him but it was hard to focus on how nice it felt when something still seemed off. “Michael, are you okay?”
He held out a hand to help him in. “You look a little pale.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 6:04 pm
It was weird, getting suddenly fatigued like this. It almost felt like a heatstroke, but it wasn’t nearly hot enough for that. But just to be on the safe side, he reached out his hand to take Devyn’s and let him help him into the water.
“Yeah I--” he started, and then slipped down the bank as he walked into the water to stand with Devyn. But once he regained his footing he was standing again, waist deep in the water. “I guess the heat has gotten to me a bit. Or I overworked myself. I’m getting old,” he grunted in mock disgust, but it was probably obvious that he was trying to keep Devyn from worrying.
Ah… but that would do nothing. If Devyn was already commenting that he was looking a little pale and asking if he was okay, then there was something that Devyn could see that he couldn’t.
“Just really tired all of a sudden. I think the water will help,” he said, and then powered down, because it was the fastest way to get out of the mud-covered clothes. He just needed to scrub everything else off his skin where it had caked on and left stains, which he hoped would just wash off with a good scrub.
Except powering down meant losing the extra boost of energy he got from being a Knight, and his legs almost immediately collapsed from under him and he went into the water with a splash.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 6:16 pm
Devyn’s brows had already knit with worry well before Michael’s legs were giving out and it was probably because he was paying such close attention that he was able to pull him back up out of the water quickly.
Michael could try to brush it off as much as he wanted to–Devyn knew those tricks. Devyn had perfected those tricks.
“Michael.” Devyn didn’t power down. He wasn’t going to let Michael be swept down the river, and even if he lost his footing briefly while making sure that neither of them went down river, he caught himself quickly. There wasn’t enough of a current here to worry about being swept downstream as long as he stayed on his feet, but he was already moving a bit closer to shore. He could see a part of the bank that would have let Michael sit down and still be mostly submerged in the water, so he guided him there but didn’t let go. Balled in one hand, he still had the torn fabric he’d been using as a mask so he dipped it in the river once more, wrung it out with one hand, and then began to dab at Michael’s face.
His neck, under his chin, his ears. Anywhere to cool him off.
“I’ve got you,” he said. If Michael was awake and aware, he’d know that. If he was too tired to think clearly or know what was going on, he didn’t want him to think he was being swept off in the water. “You’re okay. Tell me what’s going on, did you slip?”
He knew he hadn’t, he’d known something was off before they’d gotten to the water. He shouldn’t have taken Michael to Villefort, they shouldn’t have stayed for so long. It was hot. The air was too thick. The fumes could have gotten to him. It could have been any number of things.
Naturally, Devyn was already expecting the worst.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 6:35 pm
Everything was swimming suddenly. The fatigue, the dizziness. It crept up on him, and he didn’t understand how he didn’t really notice until just then. He thought he’d have enough time to at least get on the boat before telling Devyn that he wasn’t feeling well, but it seemed his body had other plans.
But there was no fear of being swept down the river. Devyn was right there with him. He wouldn’t let that happen, even if his mind had broken down most of his coherent thoughts. He could feel the cool cloth on his face, which seemed to snap him out of his daze for a few moments.
“Thanks. Sorry. Really dizzy suddenly,” he admitted somewhat guiltily, shaking his head in response to if he slipped. He didn’t intend on lying to Devyn. He didn’t want to worry him further. “Probably the heat. Or shock,” he mumbled somewhat off handed as he let himself be guided by Devyn. It was clear that he trusted him fully, and when he’d been ushered to sit down in the water, he did.
He held up his arm to try and explain his last comment, but with the black dirt on his arm, he had to lower it back under and try to scrub it all off.
“It’s stupid. I scraped my arm on a stick when we were pulling things out. I think everything is just catching up to that.”
Once he said it, he knew it wasn’t a really good explanation. He would have likely passed out long before if it was in response to being accidentally injured -- even if the injury wasn’t that bad.
But when he pulled his arm back out of the water, while the dirt was gone, the black still remained. He’d been wearing heavy gloves the entire time, but the tips of his fingers were blackened, and around the scrape he’d gotten from the branch was dark with the veins that were now more visible under Michael’s skin around it had darkened as well.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 6:52 pm
“Oh, probably,” Devyn answered, if only to humor Michael. He knelt in the water so they were eye level; he planted one foot against the mud but he sank his knee into it to keep steady. He took Michael’s arm in his hands and gently turned it over as he examined the skin.
He was still wearing his gloves, so after a moment he decided he wanted them off if he was going to be checking over Michael. It took him as much time to peel off as it had to pull them up, but they were wet and sticky and he tossed them to the grassy riverbank before dunking his hands in the water and scrubbing quickly.
When he withdrew them, they were still a bit dark–much less so than Michael’s skin was. It looked like he’d spilled ink on himself days ago instead of just now. Devyn pressed his lips together and exhaled; he didn’t need more time to examine himself. He was fine.
Michael, however, was clearly not.
“Love of my Lives,” he said, leaning forward to better see the cut. It in itself wasn’t bad, he was just worried about everything Villefort had dumped into it. “This would have been the sort of thing I meant when I said to let me know if anything happened. But it’s fine.”
He didn’t sound mad, hardly even exasperated.
He dipped the scarf once more to clean it and then dabbed at Michael’s face again. “I’ve got some ointment. And a very full first aid kit. Let me get you back on the boat, we’ll get this cleaned up. The water should help cool you off. I’ll carry you so you can relax for a minute. Does it hurt?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 6:59 pm
Michael managed to focus enough so that when he looked up at Devyn again, the guilt was clear in his eyes. He didn’t apologize again, because Devyn had already said it was fine, but that didn’t stop him from feeling like he’d done something wrong. Obviously something that Devyn was considering very important to take care of as soon as possible.
He hadn’t even thought about it when it happened. It was just a scratch. Having been injured worse throughout his life, saying anything about it felt more like a complaint than giving Devyn a heads up.
Obviously, he understood now why Devyn was concerned.
“It stings a bit. Nothing horrible,” he assured him, doing his best to keep his breathing even and normal. It already felt shallower than usual, and it was harder to keep himself focused on things. His eyes kept wanting to close.
He was probably just tired.
He couldn’t even fully appreciate the way Devyn was taking care of him. Although he didn’t think Devyn should have to.
Michael wanted to apologize again. Wanted to promise Devyn that he didn’t mean to hide anything from him. He just hadn’t thought about it. It should have been nothing. It was nothing. He was just overheated and a little rest would be fine.
Devyn wanted him to get back to the boat, so he nodded in agreement, and made every attempt to push himself up again. And he did manage to stand, but not without now panting for breath.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 7:04 pm
“You can take it easy,” Devyn reassured. His tone was gentle but had an underlying sternness to it. Michael was stubborn, but Devyn loved him for that and all things. He was used to Michael pushing himself harder than he needed to, and it wasn’t like he couldn't understand it; he did the same thing to himself without even thinking about it.
He knew it wasn’t anything personal, it was just habit. A bad habit, but instinctive none the less. He wasn’t going to chastise Michael for what was just in his nature. It didn’t matter if he was soaking wet and weighed down by the heaviness of his clothes; he grabbed his gloves and threw them over one arm, and then scooped Michael, waterlogged as he was, into his arms.
Devyn huffed briefly, because it was setting in that he was a little tired, but Michael wasn’t feeling good and he’d rather a sore back than a sick husband.
Although, he might have both on his hands.
“You look tired. Villefort weighs on you, but we’re in fresh air now. It creeps up on you, doesn’t it?” He didn’t want Michael to look so guilty, it wasn’t like he’d knowingly done anything wrong. He just didn’t take care of himself as well as Devyn wanted to take care of him.
“But that’s okay. We’ve got everything we need. I’ve got some gum for you to chew on, it’ll help with the dizziness. And we have water. Ointment to help soothe this. We’re in good shape, don’t you worry.”
He wasn’t worrying. Much. Maybe a little. But, he kissed Michael’s forehead as he carried him to the boat as if everything were fine.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 7:24 pm
Probably very obviously, Michael didn’t like taking it easy. He felt useless when he wasn’t doing something, and when Devyn lifted him into his arms, he groaned and let his head tip over to rest heavily against Devyn’s shoulder.
“I feel like I got hit with a bag of bricks,” he mumbled, sounding almost lethargic as he did his best to make it easier for Devyn to carry him. He didn’t know how to make it easier, but with each passing minute, he was feeling worse and worse.
“Sorry,” he caved and apologized anyway. “This wasn’t what I had in mind for today.”
He’d been looking forward to everything they had planned for when they got home. Now he just wanted to make sure he didn’t pass out in Devyn’s arms and make it even more difficult to be carried.
“I can probably walk,” he lied, then groaned again because he knew Devyn knew it was a lie. He could barely keep his eyes open, but he could see where the inky black had soaked into his skin on his fingers and hand. He didn’t think he got any of the black mud onto his arm where it was scraped -- and that was all it was! Just a scrape! -- but the black seemed to be creeping from it along his skin like tendrils.
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