|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:29 am
Elliot almost breathed another sigh of relief, but he knew that Atticus must have been paying attention so he couldn't help but smile and give his leg a gentle squeeze. The change in position moved a lot of the pressure and he was certain he could make it back to the house without any issue now.
“You do?” Myles asked, and glanced down at his wrist before smiling up at Atticus. “Thank you, I got a lot of these from the craft fair. Oh, and the farmer’s market, it’s where I sell my candles. Does Jeremy have a way to contact you? I can just give him your phone number when I get home, though. He’ll be happy to hear from you, I know he worries so much about all of this magical stuff. I know a part of it is because he’s a police officer, and a part of it is because I am what I am, but. Sometimes I can’t help but think the universe got it wrong when they made me a Senshi. I think he’d have done a much better job.”
He sighed, but it sounded more wistful than disparaging. “But, I really am glad for the opportunity. I don’t know that I would have been able to help at all if I hadn’t been given this job. So I’m really happy for it. And I’m happy with a lot of things. And I’m really excited to move here, this seems like a really nice place. I’m glad I got to meet you two, and I’m sure Jeremy will be glad to hear that you’re doing okay, too, Atticus. Oh–but I won’t tell him about any of this Knight stuff, not if you don’t want me to. I don’t know how much he knows about anything else.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:52 am
“You sell candles?” Atticus chirped, obviously interested in any and all kinds of crafts. “That sounds really neat. I’d love to see the candles you make. My dad makes candles too. Or, I mean, he did when he needed to use them for light, but he’s made some really fancy ones too.”
Oh, he wasn’t trying to brag. Did it sound like he was bragging? He was just very proud of everything Devyn managed to accomplish, especially while he was stuck on his own for so long. But Atticus was very much interested in what Myles made too!
“Maybe we’ve seen you before and didn’t realize it. We’ve been to the farmer’s market a handful of times,” he hummed, still careful about how he was distributing his weight as they got closer to the street with Michael’s house.
“Um, I’m not sure. You could give him my number, yeah,” he nodded, because he didn’t mind if Jeremy called or texted him. Usually it was only Elliot or any of their dads and sometimes Claire… which, he supposed would be his grandmother soon.
“I think you’re a wonderful senshi. It’s not all about knowing how to fight,” Atticus insisted, feeling better now that Devyn had talked to him before he’d even become a knight about different ways to help. “You’re fun to talk to. That’s important, especially with how sad and stressful things can get sometimes. I’m excited for you to move here, too. Oh, there’s my house. Well, my dad’s house,” he pointed out to the nice house with a front porch and garage and big tree out front and recently raked lawn.
“Would you like a snack or something to drink? Unless you have to go home right away, but I want to thank you for helping us, and I know my dads will feel better knowing there’s another Senshi we’re hanging out with.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 4:40 pm
“Oh, you’re so sweet, Atticus. I don’t want to intrude. Although, I forgot my water bottle at home, so if you wouldn’t mind a glass of water–I mean, if I’m not going to be in the way! I should have stopped at one of the water fountains at the park, I wasn’t even thinking. But it’ll be okay,” he insisted quickly.
Elliot didn’t say anything, but he’d kept his silence–not because he didn’t have things to say, but because he was glad to hear Atticus being so conversational and friendly and social. Also, because he didn’t want him to hear that he was a bit out of breath. Atticus was asking all the right questions and saying all the right things, so Elliot was already proud of him and didn’t feel the need to interject. Although, if a stranger came in, he was sure that Michael would see it and ask them what was going on.
Which was probably fine!
Elliot was pretty sure they could take Myles in a fight if they had to, although he really didn’t seem very threatening at all.
“But I don’t need any thanks,” Myles insisted. “It was just the right thing to do. I think I’m a better healer than fighter. I just need to make sure I can fight well enough to keep everyone alive until I can heal them! You have a really nice house, it’s so clean. Oh! Oh, I hope this means we get a yard! We haven’t had a yard in so long. I haven’t jumped in a pile of leaves in so long. ”
He looked at their yard for a second and then quickly shook his head.
“Oh, sorry. I have a lot of thoughts going on in my head. Sometimes it’s hard to stay a little focused. I think it’s neat that your dad makes candles. I make mine for smells more than light, but I’d love to see his! I’ll bring you some the next time I see you, you’ll have to tell me what smells you like. I think the strawberry is my favorite, but I really like the ones that smell like cookies, too. And the buttered popcorn, but that one always makes me so hungry.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:15 pm
“You won’t get in the way, I promise,” Atticus smiled to try and reassure Myles. A glass of water was the least he could offer him after his help.
“I know how you feel about being a better healer than fighter,” he sighed wistfully. “I feel like whenever I do try to help fight, I end up causing more problems.” And poor Elliot was stuck carrying him because of his ankle. It was probably fine to walk on, but… he would be lying if he didn’t enjoy Elliot taking care of him. It was so different than what he’d been used to. He would also make sure Elliot knew how much he appreciated him, later.
“It’s okay if you can’t stay focused on things. Thank you. I only moved in recently, but I really like it here.” Especially since Elliot lived just across the backyard.
“Elliot’s dad mades these really good apple cream cupcakes that smell like pie. Oh, but all his cupcakes are really good. Maybe I’m just always hungry, but you can tell how much work he puts into them. Um, but I think I like the smell of flowers and honey the most. Strawberries and buttered popcorn smells delicious though!”
It was just a little farther to get into the house, and then Elliot would be able to rest.
“Hi, our friend is coming in for water and to rest a bit. I’m okay! Just hurt my ankle a little,” Atticus smiled at the front door and lifted a hand to give the camera a small wave. Michael and Devyn didn’t seem to be home yet, but Atticus didn’t want them to worry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2022 1:09 pm
“Hi, other dads!” Elliot said, more enthusiastically than he needed to, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe he meant to be just a little annoying, but he was smiling and in a good mood, and maybe a little performative, if not just to make sure that nobody was worrying about them.
“Oh–is that okay? Hi,” Myles said, and waved to the camera, too. “I’m sorry, I hope I’m not intruding! I also don’t have to come in if that’s not okay, sorry! I won’t take any offense!”
Could the camera hear them? He had no idea, but the boys were talking to it, and Myles was gullible enough to believe just about anything most of the time. A smart camera wasn’t that impossible, especially if they knew Soleiyu. Or, had money.
He felt a little awkward, and realized he wasn’t at all prepared to make a good impression, so he stood a little straighter, smoothed out his closed, fixed his hair, and tried not to look too jittery as he rocked on his heels a bit behind the boys.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:08 pm
The camera could hear them, probably because Michael was a bit paranoid and had his phone set to alert him whenever the cameras within a certain range of the house picked up any movement.
Sometimes he sent the video of a curious squirrel to Devyn.
‘Make yourself at home,’ Michael’s voice came through the speaker at the front door. ‘There’s leftovers from last night still in the fridge. Steak and grilled chicken. And that cornbread Mom made.’
While it was true that Devyn ate an incredible amount, Atticus was always relieved to find actual food still available for him to eat in case he was hungry. He had a feeling that even though both Michael and Devyn could make it that there weren’t ever any leftovers, that they did it for his benefit.
The front door clicked, indicating it was unlocked, although Atticus and Elliot could have unlocked it themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
