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 Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 9:19 pm
“That’s true. I suppose I could have been a bit more cautious. But you Gallo are trustworthy folk.”
The pizza was warm but not hot, so when he took a bite it was easy to appreciate the flavors and not worry about getting burned. “When I think back on it, I can’t even say I knew what I was doing. It’s not like me to trust so easily. But I had a good feeling about you.”
Another bite, but then he said, “I don’t think it was just because I was lonely. I mean, I was. Looking back now, I see it. But that was just my normal for so long that I forgot how to be happy. I didn’t think about how much I was missing out on until I met you.”
He missed Percy. He would always miss Percy.
There was a loneliness in him that might never completely go away.
But, he wasn’t alone anymore.
The weight of a dying world was heavy on his shoulders, but there was little he could do for now. He survived. Tried to train his starseed like Soleiyu had told him to. Tried not to let failure eat him alive.
“For what it’s worth, I really would have walked across Jupiter to get to Sessrumnir. But I’m glad you didn’t make me.”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 4:49 pm
“I know you would have,” Michael said after swallowing another bite of the pizza. “I guess it really is cheating, but I could feel how sincere you were.”
He took a moment to make sure there was no pizza grease on his fingers when he lifted his hand up to touch the orb hanging around his neck.
“I didn’t know for sure what this was -- that it was connected to you like it is. But-- Dev…”
He sighed, almost matching the dramatic way that Devyn sighed sometimes.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of s**t people in my life. I like to think that I’m pretty good at being able to tell when someone is trustworthy, or at least being honest in the moment.” He turned to Devyn then with a frown, taking a few moments to look him over.
“You’re a good man. I’m glad we found you first, and you were willing to trust us. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if the Negaverse found you instead.”
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 9:41 am
Devyn didn’t want to think about it either. Honestly, he was pretty sure that if he’d been exposed to Chaos, he’d have mustered up enough strength to kill himself. He wasn’t going to become a part of Chaos. He wasn’t going to be Chaos.
That wasn’t an option.
He was halfway through another bite of pizza when he thought about the way Michael was so gentle with the necklace. The way he sighed dramatically, the way he called him Dev.
Those things endeared him to Michael even more than the kind words about being trustworthy, about being a good man.
“I’d have given them hell,” he promised. “And if anything ever does happen, I promise I will. I’m not going to make it easy for them. But, you’re a good man, too, Michael. I’m not used to people worrying about me. You make me remember to take care of myself. I won’t put you through anything. I won’t give in to Chaos. And I haven’t ever lost a fight, I’m not going to start now. I’m just a little rusty. Maybe I should take some fighting lessons, too. See how they do it here on Earth so I can be better prepared.”
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 5:04 pm
“That’s not a bad idea,” Michael agreed before taking another bite so he could mull it over for a bit. “We should both look into lessons. If you’re okay with me joining you,” he added, because he didn’t want to crowd Devyn if he wanted to do something on his own.
“I hope you do give them hell, but Dev… when it comes to the Negaverse, you might not be able to remember that you didn’t want to join them,” he warned. He knew they talked about it before, but not in much detail. “Same goes from being saved from the Negaverse… when they’ve been corrupted, I mean. It’s such a strain on your starseed that people forget… a lot of memories. Ganymede tries to make sure they’re prepared for that loss, but…”
He paused to shake his head, not wanting to think about anyone being corrupted, much less having to fight them.
“If anything did happen to you, I’ll get you out,” he said with probably more determination than was necessary for sitting on the couch with pizza when neither of them were in any immediate danger. “You didn’t live this long to be pulled into their web of lies and bullshit.”
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 9:52 am
Devyn grinned just a bit and nodded. “Well, you’re right about that. I didn’t live this long to be pulled into their web of lies and bullshit. I've got more important things to handle. I believe you, though. If anything happened to me, I know you’d be the one to get me out. But I’m not going to put you through that. I don’t have to remember to know how to do the right thing.”
He’d made himself forget more than the Negaverse ever could. He wasn’t going to let them take his memories. Not the important ones. He had a thousand years for them to try and unravel in his mind.
“I think after a while the memories aren’t just up here,” he said, and tapped at his temple. “Pretty sure they’ve burned into my starseed. No one’s going to burn them out. But, I’m not going to humor the idea that they’ll take me. The only time I’ll ever be in the Negaverse is if I’m ripping the Chaos out of their chest.”
He paused, held the thought for a second, and then shook his head. “Come to lessons with me, I want you there. I’m always happy to have you around. And, you won’t have to worry about what that necklace is doing.”
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 10:21 am
It wasn’t the first time that someone tried to convince Michael that he had nothing to worry about, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. He knew he tended to worry over more things than he probably should. It likely stressed him out more than was normal. He knew he needed to let things be and try not to let it bother him.
But there was something about Devyn’s confidence that made it a little more convincing than previous times. He might have been inexperienced with the Negaverse and what they were capable of doing, but Devyn knew himself. Especially after a thousand years.
“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” he decided, and then took another bite of his pizza. Because while it was in his nature to worry, he knew it would do no one any good if he ended up pushing Devyn away because of it--
Was this the first time he was actively not trying to push someone who had grown close to him away? Maybe he was the problem after all.
“This necklace always behaves, what are you talking about?” he teased gently, but nodded. “It would be nice knowing how to fight alongside you. I don’t want to get in your way.”
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:30 am
“You think you’d get in my way?” He turned to look at him. “I don’t know, I think we’ve got the makings of a good team. I mean, minus me getting dropped off a building and you getting stabbed. But those are little things, completely inconsequential.”
The storm didn’t even seem like it was bothering him that much, and he wondered–not for the first time–why it was so easy to relax around him.
He didn’t feel like the storm was swallowing him up, didn’t feel like water was going to rush him down the road. Didn’t feel like shadows or Chaos were going to slip in and tear him apart.
He felt good.
They had plans, always things to look forward to.
Things to keep him sane while he tried to figure out how to fix his world. Although, maybe he was getting too comfortable. Maybe he should have been out, working harder. He’d promised to take care of himself, though–he was resting, eating healthy foods. He wasn’t as malnourished as he had been when he’d arrived. He was sleeping.
He was working his way back to his full power.
It was foolish to try and fix his world when he wasn’t at his best.
“We should find a schedule that works for you and just try different styles together until we learn them all. We should go dancing, too. That’s good for learning how to anticipate your partner’s moves, isn’t it?”
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:56 am
“Completely inconsequential,” Michael agreed with a small grin of amusement, but then he laughed in surprise when Devyn suggested dancing!
“You think so?” he looked over at Devyn, turning a bit on the couch so he could face him easier, wanting to make sure he could see his expression. “You’re not teasing me, are you?” Just to make sure, Michael reached up to hold the orb in his palm. He would know if Devyn was just messing with him but--
No, he was serious.
“You really want to go dancing?” he asked, still a bit incredulous, but convinced that Devyn at least knew what he wanted. “What kind of dancing? Ballroom? You know it probably won’t be the same as what you’re used to-- Wait, do you know how to dance already?”
Well, that was kind of adorable. He supposed there were still a lot of things he didn’t know about Devyn, but someone who was really into fighting -- and fashion, and makeup, and tinkering with things, and eating... Okay, dancing wasn’t all that surprising.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 1:25 pm
Devyn laughed when Michael asked him. “Is that surprising? I’m a very good dancer. Incredibly limber and incredibly strong. Quick on my feet, good coordination. A lot of stamina. Dressing up and showing off were important on Alastor. A lot of parading around, very performative. Very pompous. But, I enjoyed it. We had big parties all the time. I only know ballroom dancing. Mostly from Alastor, but I used to go to big, political parties, too. I can’t say that I know what dances you’ve got here on Earth now but I understand you don’t really have masquerades or balls. Which is a shame, I miss those.”
He sighed contentedly and leaned back into the couch, but half turned so he was facing Michael as he did so.
It wasn’t just the food, or the expectation of a nice night, or the music, or the clothes, or the people. It was everything. It was an old normal that he’d lost a long time ago.
“So, yeah. I’d like to go dancing. Do you know how to? I can teach you how we did things on Alastor if you ever want to try. But I can learn how you do it here on Earth, that could be fun.”
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 5:37 pm
“There are themed parties every now and then. Ah, but several years back we had a masquerade ball to celebrate our New Year. Turned out to be an ambush by the Negaverse. Ganymede and Valhalla were taken with several others. Tortured for information… That scar on Chris’ eyebrow? From then. Paris has more scars that are usually covered.”
Michael paused and made a face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to change the mood. I don’t trust big parties any more. I try to avoid them unless I personally know everyone, and even then…” Sometimes you just didn’t know what would happen.
But dancing?
“Back in grade school mom had me learn things like dining etiquette and ballroom dances, but I was in a room with a bunch of other preteens. I can’t say I remember much,” he admitted. “But if you would like the challenge of teaching me to dance. Sure,” Michael agreed with a grin, already amused by the suggestion. “If you think it’ll help us when we’re fighting the Negaverse and Chaos and everything else, I’m willing to try.”
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 1:08 pm
At first, Devyn listened with solemn focus. It sounded as though Michael had a very good reason for not wanting to be stuck in a trap like that. Around people in masks? Yeah, he could see how that could be a risk. Especially when you couldn’t just power up to stop a problem. Michael had mentioned not always feeling comfortable around a lot of people, anyway, so that made sense.
“You think you’ll be a challenge?”
He couldn’t imagine it, so he already knew he’d have to see this.
“I think you’re too clever to give me any difficulties. I’ve seen you on your feet, I know you’ll manage. At least we won’t have to worry about anyone else, it’ll be just us. All we need is some open space. I’d take you up to Alastor if I thought it was safe enough. There are a few places on Sessrumnir with enough room. Oh, but then we’d have to dance with Princess, too. Well, we’ll figure it out. Maybe there’s a nice place for it somewhere here on Earth. I might have some music boxes back home, but that’s the best I can do for any music. I suppose I could just hum for us if we were desperate,” he laughed. “I don’t know if Earth has anything comparable to what I’m used to dancing to. I’ll look. I’ve got time. For now. I’m trying to cram in as much as I can as quickly as I can.”
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 5:19 pm
“Maybe I’ll give you a hard time just for the fun of it,” he teased, but he wasn’t serious. He wasn’t going to put Devyn through a hard time just because he thought it was amusing. Anything that Devyn put effort into was worth giving his full attention.
“How much room do you need?” he laughed, because the way Devyn was describing it, they would need a full ballroom to try anything. “If you really wanted to, we could move the couch and coffee table out of the way. But if you need more room than that… I don’t know. Paris is the dancer. She’d be able to give us some recommendations, probably.”
Not that he wanted to ask Paris about places for him and Devyn to practice dancing because that was just… a little too much maybe. Especially if Devyn planned on humming.
“All of the lecture halls at Sessrumnir have a decent amount of space. I think I found a stage of some kind once,” he recalled, and then took the last few bites of his slice of pizza.
The storm outside… he hadn’t noticed it in a few minutes. Talking to Devyn was calming, and if he wasn’t quickly getting used to it, he would have been surprised.
“You’re doing a good job, Dev. Don’t push yourself too much or you’ll burn out.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:20 am
He hummed thoughtfully as he finished off his pizza, but in the end he just shook his head. “I don’t know what to do if I’m not pushing myself. Kept me alive for this long. I feel better now than I have in a long time, though, I know that. I don’t want to relax too much. I don’t want to get distracted.”
Earth was full of distractions, though. He could justify a lot of the time he’d spent, though. He wasn’t physically in shape. He’d had his run in with the Negaverse and understood that they had honed their Chaos in a way he wasn’t used to.
He wasn’t afraid to take on an enemy he didn’t know, but he’d promised Michael he was going to be careful.
If anything happened to him here, Alastor didn’t have any future. Or–maybe, it did. Maybe he’d be reborn on Earth and it would be someone else’s problem.
But he said he was going to leave the world better than he’d gotten it, and he hadn’t been clinging to that promise for so long just to abandon it now. He didn’t know how many people needed him, he didn't know if they could afford to wait for him to be reborn. And, given what he already knew, he suspected he wasn’t going to get the training that he needed. Earth was different from Alastor. He needed to get this taken care of in this lifetime.
“We could probably get away with moving the couch and coffee table. Love Sessrumnir, but it gets a little distracting when it’s storming so badly. I think we could manage it in here. Get a workout in moving furniture while we’re at it. You’re a good sport, Michael. I’m glad you put up with me. Can’t imagine you giving me a hard time, though,” he laughed. “We’ll see. If you need to have some fun I’m sure there’s something we can get into.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 7:42 pm
“I’ll keep you on track so you can relax,” Michael offered as he picked up his second piece of pizza to chew on the edge. “No point in living if you don’t get to live,” he reminded him, making himself comfortable against the back of the couch as he watched Devyn.
“We’ll schedule it if we have to. Time for relaxing and time to focus on doing everything. Like learning how to dance. And trust me, I can give you a hard time if I want to,” he warned, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
Although he wasn’t too sure about Devyn’s last comment. It was just a friendly remark. He was just talking about dancing or making pizza or things like that. It wasn’t worth worrying about. Right?
“You did a good job with this pizza, by the way,” he said after a moment, because he thought Devyn should know things like that. It wouldn’t help him to learn if he didn’t know when he did something good.
“Thank you for dinner. And for waiting for me. That was really kind of you. Storms like this usually get me frazzled,” he admitted. “Not really becoming for a Jupiter Knight to get hypersensitive about storms. I almost passed up on this necklace for something to keep the rain off, you know. I’m glad I was convinced not to. It didn’t even start raining until I got home!”
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 2:21 pm
Michael had such a nice smile. He’d probably thought it before, but he noticed it now with enough clarity that the thought was still striking.
He laughed and shook his head. “I’m glad you took the necklace. And that you didn’t get caught in the rain. But mostly, I’m glad it found its way to you.” Not unlike he had, himself. He smiled and leaned back into the couch, tipping his head back just a bit, because he was relaxing, on Michael’s luxurious couch, in his nice home, with all the resources he needed to be okay.
No point in living if he didn’t get to live, maybe. But he wondered how many years someone could eke out before there just wasn’t anything left.
The pizza might not have been a particularly impressive attempt at the culinary arts but Devyn was happy enough that it was edible. His taste buds weren’t the most reliable but Michael didn’t look like he was in pain eating it so Devyn was visibly proud of this accomplishment. He liked being able to help, even if it was only in little ways. For as much as he liked to eat, he liked the idea of having a time set aside to eat with Michael.
“I wondered if the storm would give you a hard time. I started feeling prickly about it early afternoon. I’d like to sleep in your room tonight, unless it’s going to give you any grief. I have a hard time coming down from bad weather and I guess this might be on and off all night. So if it doesn’t, I’ll be in to bother you, anyway.”
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