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 Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 5:11 pm
He wasn't very difficult to notice in a crowd, and it had nothing to do with his height. He always looked sad, Chris had decided after the first few times he had crossed the young man's path. He looked as though he had a lot of weight on his shoulders with no way to relieve the burden. Maybe he was thinking too far in to things, but after the first week, whenever he thought that he caught the young man's glance, Chris had tried to offer him a smile, as if that little thing could cheer him up. He didn't expect such a small gesture to help with everything that was probably going on in his life, but Chris hoped that it might lift his spirits, if only for a few minutes. A lot of good can happen in just a few minutes for someone. Or at least that was how Chris saw it.
He always saw the young man in the park, almost always going in the opposite direction he was, walking by himself. Slowly. As though deep in thought, or maybe just trying not to think of anything at all. Chris had noticed him glance Annabel Lee's way a couple times, but didn't seem to have much interest in wanting to pet her, so Chris always continued walking along, minding his own business. Besides... he didn't know the other young man, so why bother him when he might not want to be bothered?
Had he thought about talking to him before? Of course. Christopher's curiosity and concern for people always made him want to go up to strangers and talk to them, ask now their day was... but that was kind of creepy, and he would really like to not be known as the creeper with the hair with the dog. Dog on a pink leopard print leash. Yeah, that was probably doing wonders for his non-creeper image. Not.
Over the past couple weeks, though, he'd started seeing the young man even more frequently, and each time he seemed to be under different states of distress. He was so young, though! Chris couldn't imagine what he could be going through. And it wasn't always his expression, since his face was usually veiled under the hood of his hoodie, but rather the way he carried himself...
Although he knew he should mind his own business, when Chris saw the same young man sitting alone on a bench in the park that day, he couldn't help but approach him. He did so cautiously, not wanting to startle him by the sudden presence of a stranger, but he did want to get his attention, at least.
"Anna, heel," he told his dog, and she obediently moved to his side as he made his way over to the bench, casually sitting on the far end, away from the other boy.
"Are you alright...?" he asked after a few moments, biting a little nervously at his lip since he didn't know if he should expect the young man to snap at him or tell him to leave him alone, but he did want him to at least know that someone was worried about him. Granted, a complete stranger worrying about another complete stranger probably didn't have any merit, but he wanted to at least try.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 6:45 pm
As Ladon started to recover, he spent most of his time in his apartment, resting, dozing on the couch or curled in bed, and being tended to by Billy. Medication put him on a sluggish pace and sleeping all the time kept him on a irregular sleeping schedule. As time progressed, he was awake more often but not able to do anything to keep him occupied. Chores and meals were taken care of by the insistence of his boyfriend, and any of the hobbies he had involved his hands, one of which was still bandaged up. Bored out of his mind lead to being cranky and he was started to lash back at Billy more often than not. This is when he decided to go for walks.
While he usually ran when he went outside, he still wasn’t up for it, and just taking thing slow and easy actually felt nice. Without school or a job, he had ample time – which probably was the problem. Still, his mind wasn’t set on other ideas to make his life anything more than the calling that was a Negaverse agent. A protector of a planet made all other jobs seem very bland and pointless. It was why leaving school had been easy. Though now, when he had nothing to do or pass the time, he wished for a distraction.
Since he wasn’t exactly pleasing to the eye and a burn mark was sure to get the attention of authorities who might think he had a temperamental parent or lover, he wore a thin hoodie. It was lovely out now, warm even, and he could go out in a thin shirt, hoodie, and long, khaki shorts and feel comfortable. Being locked in a cell made him appreciate things much more than before, especially fresh air and the freedom of being outside. He would walk a few blocks at first, but started to make them longer, and then he made it a point to always spend time in the park.
Here, in broad daylight, he felt relatively safe that no youma, no agent, and no senshi would come to find him. Here, he could pretend to be a normal teenager, just Ladon, a boy who lived with his parents, had a curfew at 10, and complained about homework. He could sit on a bench and listen to birds and close his eyes and smile as some people passed by and thought nothing or him. There were others who saw a boy in a hoodie and, thinking anyone hiding their face was shady, would call him a punk under his breath. There really made him smile. A punk. A boy who listened to his ipod too loudly on the bus, rode a skateboard, and probably smoked and haggled adults for beer. Even a punk sounded so innocent in comparison to what he had done. Would do. Continue doing. A punk was even normal.
Still, as he sat and slipped into these other lives or lives that would have been if he hadn’t met Charonite that one fateful day, the Ladon of the present would call back to him with his current problems.
Are you alright?
Ladon opened his eyes, staring up at a green, spring canopy as he rested his head back against the bench and looked up. It had been warm and he had sat down, mildly groggy from heat, a long walk, and medication. His head was heavy and his brain had been cycling in exhausting circles without end. The voice wasn’t familiar, and he turned his head. It wasn’t the first time anyone asked him if he was alright, which mean he looked as if he wasn’t. He didn’t look fine. He didn’t look normal. Billy asked him this a few times.
What he saw was something he saw a few times before, but didn’t know. He was some jogger or some such thing with a little dog. The guy would pass by, smile, and wave, and for the first few times, Ladon wondered if he was someone he had a class with when he had still been in school. When he realized that he wasn’t, he just assumed he was some friendly guy, and not in that creepy sort of way. Or at least he hoped not. Despite his hoodie hiding his face, being short and slender still meant some pervs could find him pleasing. Just because it was daylight didn’t mean that people would be discrete about it either. Living in a bad area of town, he had gotten a unwanted glances a few times already.
This boy didn’t seem to be, and he looked up at him, groggy but slowly waking up. “I’m fine.” He said, checking himself. He hoped he didn’t look strange. Ladon adjusted his hoodie to make sure his hair and ear were covered, and then looked down at the dog. It was quiet, which was a good thing.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 7:34 pm
He didn't look fine... But Chris kept his mouth shut for the time being, although he did smile lightly instead. He looked exhausted, and just... worn down. Was he still in high school? Maybe he was just having a really bad semester? No, that didn't sound like it would fit... But obviously, he had no idea what was going on in this other boy's life. For all he knew, he could be just like him — a person with strange clothing who ran around fighting monsters, or whatever it was he was supposed to be doing.
Someone should probably educate him a bit better on the differences between the 'terrorists' that ran around...
Taking a few moments, he leaned down and give Anna a scratch behind her ears, before she yawned and laid down by his feet. Apparently she'd been sufficiently worn out for the afternoon. Thank goodness...
"You're not allergic to dogs, are you?" he asked, momentarily changing the subject, "I can move if you don't want her near." Might as well make sure. He didn't seem to be inching away from the dog, but who knew. He'd rather ask than be ignorantly inconsiderate to someone he was concerned about. Of course, he also didn't want to come off as too strong. He knew he had a problem with asking too many questions way too quickly, so keeping that in mind he tried figuring out just how he could ask the young man, again, if he was okay.
"We're lucky we got good weather today, huh?" he said with a smile, staring up at the trees above them. "I thought it was going to rain all week, but this is nice... It's like summer is finally here." Chris loved summer. Much better than winter, at least. It helped that he could play baseball during the summer, too.
Hmm... Small talk... He wasn't sure if it was entirely unwanted by the young man sitting on the far end of the bench, or if it would somehow distract him enough from whatever seemed to be bringing him down. If it ended up being that he was just being obnoxious, then Chris would apologize and leave him alone, but for now...
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 11:02 am
He sat up a little straighter now that he was talking to someone, and set his hands in his lap, pulling on the cuff of one sleeve to cover up his bandaged hand as best and as discretely as he could. While he said he was fine, any injury or sign of one would catch someone’s attention and he didn’t want the sympathy or pity of a stranger or to lie to one. He lied far too often in life and he was thinking he wanted to try his best to minimize it as best as he could. However, the only way he saw how was to keep such questions he would have to avoid from happening.
While small talk was boring to him, it was actually welcomed today. It was normal to talk about the weather, and it helped him escape and return to some person he might have once been. Leaning back, he looked up. “I’m glad it’s sunny. I hated being cooped up inside. I like the rain, but it’s been dismal for a while.” It felt like there had been a storm cloud following him around for a while, growing thicker and darker as it crackled – waiting to explode.
He glanced back down to the dog. Anna was it? “I don’t mind dogs. I’m only allergic to cats.” He watched her drowsy expression. “She seems like a good dog. Quiet.” No barking. Barking made him nervous.
It had been a while since he talked to anyone that he wasn’t either going to steal energy from or worked in the Negaverse with. He had few friends, and was starting to feel a sort of separation from the norm. I’m Ladon. Teenager. Human. I can handle a simple conversation.
He looked back up at the boy. “I’ve seen you around. You walk your dog a lot.” He licked his lips a moment, mouth dry. “My name’s..Ladon.” He was hesitant to use his real name. For some reason, even stating who he really was made him nervous and paranoid.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 11:34 am
The bandages had already been noticed in the few weeks they'd crossed paths. Sometimes the young man didn't have his hood pulled entirely over his face, especially if the wind was blowing, and sometimes the bandages around his arm and hand weren't entirely concealed inside his pocket or sleeve. Although Chris had been concerned at first, he realized that he had only ever seen the other boy with the bandages and hood. Maybe they were old? A car accident, maybe? Either way, he wasn't going to bring it up unless he got the impression that he was in pain because of it.
Chris was used to seeing amputees and others with painful wounds — his father knew a lot of people who had served in wars and other combat situations. They'd gone through some pretty horrible things, and everyone took their own hardships differently, so until he knew what had happened to the boy and his comfort level with it, he'd leave him be.
No, he'd just been worried about the general state in which the boy held himself... always seeming so sad or distracted or just weary.
Chris smiled, leaning over the bench to see what Annabel was doing, rubbing at her head when she looked up at him. "She is a good dog... She came from a bad home, but she's adapted well," he said, though he didn't go into the whole story. That might be just... too much information in one go.
"It's nice to meet you, Ladon. I'm Chris," he greeted with a smile, before looking down at his dog again, "And this is Annabel Lee." He paused, letting out an awkward laugh, "My mom is a literature fanatic, Poe especially. She convinced my dad to name his boat 'Lenore,'" he said with a roll of his eyes, but nothing about his expression would make anyone think that he had anything but good thoughts for his parents and all their quirks. Hmm... maybe too much personal information...?
"Did you want to pet her?" he asked with another grin, indicating the dog, of course, "She doesn't bite. She might lick you, though."
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 9:12 pm
It was hardly too much information. Ladon was usually not a big talker and usually listened. What few friends he had were more of the lead conversationalist type while he commented and just took things in. Compared to others, he knew he wasn't that great of a speaker, which was why he envied those who could. Aree being the biggest. It was also good because, looking at Ladon's own life, he felt he had little he could talk about or feel he could give up freely without lying. His life was more and more about the Negaverse with each passing day, and he was now in a situation where it was harder to just do normal things and have a normal life. He had nearly dropped that part of him entirely and he was hesitant to meet anyone and start that whole life up again. Maybe it was foolish.
Maybe it was not, and it would keep him from going insane.
He didn't know.
"Sorry. I don't know a lot about Poe aside from The Raven, but I think everyone knows that." He should at least hope so. As a dropout, he really couldn't say he was the biggest kid, but he knew enough.
Smiling to the dog, he offered up his good hand. "If it's okay.." He asked, offering his hand out to the dog to sniff and, if she was okay with him, would then pet her. "I was never allowed pets before. I bet it's nice to have a dog."
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 7:32 pm
"'Prophet,' said I, 'thing of evil, - prophet still, if bird or devil. By that Heaven that bends above us — by that God we both adore — tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore — clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?' Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore,'" Chris easily recalled with an amused grin, before quickly shaking his head in apology. "Had to memorize a poem in sixth grade. I still remember... uh... most of it," he admitted with a small frown that probably looked more like a pout. Sure, he'd only been required to memorize something about a fourth of "The Raven"'s length, but he'd always been a bit of an overachiever when it came to school.
"I'm sure you'll remember some stories if they were described to you... maybe...? It's a lot of grade school stuff, though. At least when I had to read them," he explained with a small shrug. "And it's okay. Dark Victorian romance isn't for everyone..." he said, then paused to correct himself, "Gothic American romance? I think Poe was a little before Victoria..."
Annabel's head and ears perked up at the sight of the offered hand, wiggling her way on the ground until she was out from under the bench and standing, sniffing and then licking Ladon's hand, her curled fluffy tail wagging from the always wanted attention. Chris just grimaced and shook his head at his dog. "Of course it's okay... and I'm sorry... I knew she'd lick you... Anna, stop that," he told her, but since he wasn't the one giving her the attention, she was fine with ignoring him for the moment.
Chris nodded lightly in what he hoped was understanding of Ladon not being able to have a pet. Maybe there were family allergies? Or the home was too small. Or maybe it was just a cost and time and energy issue? Who knew, but he wasn't going to assume out loud. "I live by myself, so yeah... she's definitely good for company. She's got a lot of energy, so she's always needing to go on walks, but I don't mind that, either," he said watching to make sure the knee heigh dog behaved herself. "Do you want a pet?" he wondered, always interested in talking about animals.
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:32 am
Ladon didn’t mind the licking. In fact, he actually smiled a bit, watching the dog playfully lick his fingers and seem unafraid. I’m not a monster. Don’t movies always show that dogs bark at bad people? See. I’m good. His smile faltered soon after. …I’m being a moron. Still, he turned his hand slowly over and started to pet the pooches head, scratching behind it’s ears.
“I’d like a pet, but I’m….rather busy. I think it would be unhappy. I never know when I’ll be away for a day…” Or captured for 2 weeks. “…..that it would hurt me to think of some creature sitting around for me to feed and walk it. It would be miserable trapped in my little apartment.” He smiled at Annabel, continuing to pet her slowly and softly. Her fur was war and soft, and he was amused by her shaking rear as she wagged her tail.
“I’d get a cat and leave the window open, but even with medication and a air filter, I might just end up sneezing all the time. I had a gold fish once, but ….it’s not the same. I don’t like rats or mice either.” Especially now. The city was filled with rodents that he had a dislike for them, not to mention he saw enough of them in the cell he was kept in. He’d seen the damage they caused to poor Uranophane in that time. It still sent shivers down his spine.
In a bit of a daze, he thought about what animal would even work in his apartment. “I guess I’d have to ask my boyfriend about it.” To which he stopped and flushed a bit. He……..he never once told anyone out loud and in public about a boyfriend. This was the first time he ever did so. It came out so casually that he didn’t even think to stop it.
He removed his hand. “Sorry. You’re probably busy.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:08 am
"Pets can be a handful," Chris agreed, nodding his head lightly as Annabel continued to try and get attention from the person petting her. He was tempted to try and get her to stop again, but when he noticed how Ladon was smiling... well, he changed his mind. He couldn't remember seeing him smile all that often in the times he'd passed him in the park. Or at all, even. So a small smile was better than nothing, right? That was the reason he was talking to him, wasn't it? To try and cheer him up a little?
"That might be difficult, if you're not sure you have time for one," he said, trying to think of a pet that might suit him. Dogs usually needed to be walked daily, and let out, of course. If it was a small dog, maybe he could just take it with him? But that might not work for whatever he had to run out and do. Cats are usually self sufficient, but the allergy thing was a problem. Rodents were out. Maybe a bird would work? It obviously would depend on the patience of the person who owned one, but other than cleaning their cage and making sure they had food and water and exercise every now and then... Er, well, that also depended on the bird, too...
Chris curiously glanced over at Ladon when he mentioned asking his boyfriend, immediately relieved that he wasn't alone, at least. That was definitely better than him being in an unhappy or stressful situation all by himself.
He blinked curiously, about to shake his head and tell him that, no, he wasn't busy, but then noticed the way the other young man seemed to tense up and stopped petting Annabel. Er, maybe that was his cue to leave him alone?
"No need to apologize," he quickly reassured him, moving to stand from where he was seated on the bench. "I should probably get some homework done, anyway. But, after you talk to your boyfriend about it, maybe the two of you could come by the D.C. Animal Shelter? I'm usually there on the weekends if you wanted a chance to see some of the animals. I'll make sure to keep the cats far away, too," he half-joked, before continuing. "I'm not saying you should adopt right away, but maybe you could see what the different dogs are like? If you have time, that is..."
Chris leaned down to gather up the end of the pink leash and taking a couple steps away from the bench, smiling at the boy he'd been speaking to. "It was nice to meet you, Ladon. I hope to see you around."
Maybe he'd run into him again, or maybe Ladon would start avoiding the area completely to prevent more strangers from randomly going up and talking to him. Who knew. Either way, Chris was glad he could see him smile, at the very least.
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