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 Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:46 pm
School was out for the summer, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Peter and Haven had been working on obtaining as much information as they could about youma; how they acted, what prompted them to attack, if there was anything that made them change their mind, or if they were just mindless, starseed loving creatures that may or may not have been senshi or knights or negaverse officers in the past. It was all very interesting stuff.
Peter had his binder of notes and piles of books he’d collected from the library to go through when the doorbell rang. Michael had left that morning, complaining about how Peter had mentioned to Olga how he sailed and now she wanted to learn. So he was gone for the day, apparently teaching none other than the Senshi of Ships how to sail. Talk about irony.
Even so, Peter picked himself up from the ground, brushing off his light brown cargo shorts of any pencil shavings, and shut the binder full of youma sketches. The white words Never Tell Me the Odds were on the front of his red shirt, but only part of the words could be read past the sleeve of his lightweight, navy colored, zip-up hoodie. One sleeve was pulled diagonally across his shoulder, over his chest, and tied in the middle where the other sleeve was pulled up from under his other arm -- almost like a half cape would be worn, except it was just easier to wear this way than having both sleeves over his shoulders or have it tied around his waist.
He wasn’t sure who to expect, but figured it might be someone looking to sell cookies or other products, and they would quickly realize that he was way too young to be a buyer.
What he definitely didn’t expect was to open the door to a college guy with black hair and brightly colored clothing, the same guy who’d been bleeding on the couch not too long ago and Michael had to patch him up.
The same guy who was apparently a lot closer to Michael than Peter realized, especially with the progression of that night where he'd been injured.
“Hey,” he greeted in surprise, although it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was almost good that Caspian had wandered by without Michael being home, because now would be the perfect time to talk to him, one-on-one.
And so, before Caspian could take a step back and run away once he realized Michael wasn’t there, Peter grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him into the house, following through with locking the door behind him.
“Let’s talk.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:52 am
The last time that Caspian had gone to Michael's house had been the night of the attack by that Captain. He only remembered vague details about the location, but a little bit of prying and wheedling had gotten Michael to give him his address, just in case he ever needed anything.
Caspian didn't exactly need anything now, except maybe just to pester him, but he was here, standing on the landing to Michael's house and wondering whether or not he should just leave before the door opened. It wasn't as though he had any particular reason for coming to visit; but visiting had the possibility of talking or just hanging out, maybe, which was appealing in its own way.
His waffling came to an abrupt end when the door swung open and revealed, not Michael, but his mini-me.
Caspian had forgotten about the younger brother.
"Hey," he said, lifting a hand in greeting before tucking it back into the front of his yellow hoodie. "Peter, right? Sorry to barge in, I was looking for - "
Except before he could finish the sentence, Peter had seized him around the wrist and dragged him into the house. Caspian stumbled after him, letting out a squawk of protest, half tripping over his own two shoes in the process of trying not to faceplant onto the floor.
"Talk?" he said suspiciously, glancing over at the kid as he straightened his shirt. "What about?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:38 pm
"Yes, talk," Peter repeated as he turned to face the black haired boy who, Peter was pleased to note, was shorter than his 5'8". His arms lifted to cross over his chest as he looked down his nose at the other much in the way Haven used to do to him when he was shorter than her.
Goldenrod colored eyes narrowed suspiciously when Caspian decided to play innocent, and he lifted a hand from where it was crossed over his chest to wave him off as if it wasn't worth Caspian trying to come up with excuses.
"I know what you are." He didn't. "Michael told me all about you." He hadn't. "So what's your deal? What are your intentions with my brother? I've been around long enough to know that people aren't just nice and friendly to a jerk like him for the hell of it. What is it? Money? Recognition? A good time?"
Sure, it was a little harsh, but he wouldn't have moved in with his oldest brother had he not been concerned for him and his... potentially bad habits that he claimed he never partook in. Peter was inclined to believe him, but how was he supposed to know it wouldn't happen again? Or now that Michael had access to his trust fund, Peter was pretty sure the only reason Michael didn't up and leave to the Bahamas or some other tiny isolated island was because he couldn't leave Peter to live on his own. Or so he told himself.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:21 pm
”What I am?” Caspian repeated lightly. He raised an eyebrow, Caspian ambling over to the living room after Peter. The kid was taller than him by a few inches, which was not exactly a surprise, all things considered; but at the same time it still made him slightly and irrationally annoyed. He tamped down on this, however, and took a seat on the couch, hands still tucked into the pockets of his sweatshirt.
“What exactly am I, then?” he asked, glancing up at Peter. “Are you actually giving me the ‘good intentions’ speech?”
He almost snorted. Almost. Caspian reigned in the desire to roll his eyes and instead made himself comfortable, because if he was going to be interrogated, he might as well make himself at home while he was at it.
“All right, you caught me,” he said in a deadpan. “I plan on having Michael adopt me so I can secretly off him in the middle of the night and run off with whatever money he has and buy a million cats and maybe a plane. Wait, no, a boat, that would be better, right?”
He flashed a grin at Peter. “That answer your question for you?”
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:55 pm
Oh, so this guy was a little s**t, too.
“Alright,” Peter conceded, still watching Caspian as he continued to stand with his arms crossed over his chest. “Alright, have it your way. And maybe I am giving you the ‘good intentions’ speech, which makes sense because you’re not exactly honest. So that’s fault number one,” Peter pointed out, starting to pace slightly as he eyed Caspian.
“As for what you are,” he started and then paused, his eyes narrowed on Caspian as he sat on the couch. “You’re just like me and Michael. Where else would you get those wounds from? Michael told me you’d been attacked.” He hadn’t. “And Michael doesn’t even like kids.” Maybe. “So he definitely wouldn’t adopt you.” Would that even be legal?
“But really,” he started again, frowning but no longer with narrowed eyes and more of a look of confusion and concern, although it wasn’t necessarily concern for Caspian. “I would really like for him not to get hurt. Which sounds stupid because obviously he could probably squash both of us if he wanted, but you’ve got a sister, right? Wouldn’t you do the same?”
Not that he knew anything about Caspian and his sister Cassie, but he’d definitely sent her a text letting her know Caspian was okay. He hoped someone would do that for him, if he was ever in trouble.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:00 pm
Peter was going to be a tough nut to crack; the folded arms and pointed expression were clear enough evidence of that. Caspian had to remind himself several times in the space of a few seconds that this was Michael's brother and he was just looking out for him the way that Cassie would do the same for him.
"Okay, well, first of all," he said slowly, eyebrows still raised. "I'm about ninety-nine percent honest - in fact, too honest most of the time, which I'm sure Michael could attest to, because I never shut up. I was just kidding about that whole..." He waved a hand. "Running off thing."
Which was true. Caspian exhaled a breath and tried not to let the Michael doesn't even like kids comment get to him as much as it did; a part of him - too large a part of him - wondered if he himself fell into that category, but he pushed this hastily aside.
"I'm a senshi," he said, and he wouldn't have said it so blatantly had he not known about the two of them being related. "Sailor Remus of Regolith, if you want specifics. I woke up a few months ago and I'm still getting the hang of things. Michael - Sessrumnir - agreed to guide me since I know jack s**t about what I'm doing."
The expression on his face, which had been startled for a moment about the idea of Michael getting hurt, softened now to something a little more relaxed.
"Look," said Caspian, looking up at Peter. "I'm not just stringing him along pretending to be friends, okay? I pestered him for a while about helping me and he didn't want to at first, and then he finally gave in. If anything, I'm the one that's probably pushing him a little too much, but I dunno."
He gave a shrug of his shoulder. "He's a good guy, better than he thinks. I like hanging out with him."
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:41 pm
He continued to frown as he listened to Caspian explain himself, the tension in his shoulders seeming to fade a little as the other dropped some of the obvious sarcasm. In fact, he became pretty damn interested when Caspian admitted to being a senshi rather quickly.
“Regolith?” Peter chirped curiously. “Like… are we talking Earth, like soil or dirt or volcanic ash, or, like, someplace specific, like lunar soil, or on other planets and asteroids? Dude, that stuff would suck if it got into ventilation. That’s kinda cool.”
He considered Caspian for a few long moments, obviously scrutinizing him a little more than necessary since he was already a pretty accepting guy to begin with. Caspian seemed sincere enough, although Peter was slowly developing trust issues when it came to people, so he could very well end up being wrong.
“Oberon,” he shared first. “Of Adventure. I’ve been doing this since I was ten. Ever met what’s called a chibi senshi? Yeah, our powers get a huge damper until we reach a certain age, apparently. I’m not one any more, but I used to be.” It felt kind of strange sharing that with someone he’d only met once, and the conversation they’d had was drunkenly on Caspian’s side.
“This is probably the part where I’m expected to give brotherly praise, but I can’t,” Peter explained with a small frown, although that didn’t mean he didn’t have his brother’s best interest at heart. “By the time I was old enough to remember anything, he was already gone. It’s only been five years since he’s been a civilian, so that’s not a lot of time to really get to know him.” There was a lot more going on with their family than just Michael being away in the Navy for his whole life. Their father was more or less the same, although he was a little more active in doing what he could to be there for his family.
“He’s been through some s**t, so… just like I don’t want him getting hurt, I don’t want you to get your hopes up,” he concluded, although he let out a small sigh as he did so. Being serious was tough, but it had to be done.
Peter paused, clearly debating on sharing any more he might regret, or maybe would regret not sharing, and then said, “I wasn’t lying when I said I’m the one watching him.”
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:40 am
"Like...moondust," said Caspian, waving a hand. "At least, that's the easiest explanation that I give out, no one knows what the hell you mean when you say regolith, so I say moondust or something. Though admittedly it's kinda funny to see the confused looks on people's faces," he added, tapping his finger thoughtfully against his chin.
If he'd been drinking or eating anything he might have choked on it. Ten? They started this at ten years old? Caspian couldn't quite fathom doing anything of substance at ten, his eyes focused on Peter as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So what you're saying is, you've done this for a while," he said. "I mean, ten to however old you are now, you've seen some s**t."
He was pretty sure Michael had told him he'd been awake at least that long as well, so that meant they'd been in this for a long time. Caspian felt absurdly, oddly out of place; being awake for less than half a year felt like nothing in comparison. Maybe that was why Michael had been so reluctant to help him; after a while, things were just too much or maybe Caspian was just too new, too reckless.
He shifted on the couch, hands still tucked into the front pocket of his sweatshirt. "Get my hopes up for what, exactly?" said Caspian slowly. "I like being friends with the guy, I just think he should smile more. I mean, yeah he's a little grumpy at times and he kept pushing me away for a few weeks, but..." Caspian shrugged. "I know he's not used to...well, me, or just...anything, really, outside of what he knows, but I'm not trying to do mess with him. I mean, I am," Because teasing was an integral part of Caspian's lie, sadly. "But not in like, you know...a shitty way."
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:57 pm
“Oh yeah, like moondust, which is super specific regolith, but okay,” Peter commented casually with a shrug. “I guess that makes sense, being aliens from other planets and all.” All of that studying to one day become an accomplished astronaut, thwarted by the fact that he could literally go to outer space whenever he wanted. Talk about a let down.
“Yeah, I guess. There are some senshi and knights who have been around longer, but it’s not really the most experience that will keep you alive. It’s mostly dumb luck,” he frowned, easily thinking back to everything that happened over the last several years. Peter didn’t seem to think much of it, and moved to sit down on one of the other chairs across from Caspian.
“Get your hopes up for anything,” he clarified, although it wasn’t at all very clear. “In general,” he continued, before his brows furrowed slightly at something Caspian said about Michael being grumpy and needing to smile more. “You should have met him a few years ago, then. He used to smile a lot more. And then things with the stupid war started getting worse. A lot worse. Most of us had weird dreams. People were getting tortured and killed and turned into youma. Identities were compromised and… things had to be done to protect everyone,” Peter said, glancing away from Caspian and down at the books he had stacked on the floor.
There were details that he didn’t know, but he knew enough. If he had to do some of the things Michael did, or been through some of the things Michael had, then he probably wouldn’t smile much any more, either.
“Michael isn’t really the type to have friends. I’ve never asked him why, but if you really are his friend, then you might be the only one,” Peter said with a grimace, trying to ignore his own guilt as he leaned over to pick up one of the books he had on nocturnal animals to flip through. Now that he thought about it, other than Marissa, who was practically family, and maybe Penelope, who hadn’t been around in years, Peter didn’t know anyone Michael would consider his friend. “But, like I said, don’t keep your hopes up that it’ll last long. They never do.”
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:31 pm
"Moondust sounds cooler," said Caspian loftily, just because Peter's comment about being an alien amused him. He did not like the sound of getting through things by sheer dumb luck. Was that how he'd gotten through the Negaspace invasion? Or the other two attacks that had kept him up with nightmares almost every night? Harmotome had let him live, but with a cost - and that other captain with the knives had disappeared, but Caspian doubted he'd seen the last of him.
He squinted now at Peter, a slightly suspicious expression on his face. "I'm not getting my hopes up," he said slowly, not quite getting what he was trying to say. But the rest of Peter's comments made Caspian's face soften a little, and he exhaled a breath, glancing away.
"Yeah, I know," he said, "He told me. I wasn't around for those dreams, but they sounded like they messed him up pretty badly."
It wasn't as hard as he would have cared to admit to see Michael even more closed off than he already was. The man had been almost icy to him during their first few encounters, and even if he knew at least some of the reasoning behind it, Michael was still an intensely private person.
Caspian pushed himself to his feet, padded across the room, and plucked the book out of Peter's fingers.
"Okay, well," he said lightly, flipping through the pages. "Now that you've said your bit, here's my bit: Michael knows what kind of person I am. I don't hang around him for kicks and giggles, I hang around him because I like hanging around him. He's saved my a** twice now." Three times, if he counted the last phone call, though Caspian didn't say this to Peter. "He's a nice guy, and he lets me be myself around him, even if he tried to push me away at first."
Caspian flipped the book shut, put a hand on his hip and reached out with his other, gently tapping the top of Peter's head with the book.
"Maybe it won't last long," he said with a shrug. "Maybe he'll get tired of hanging around someone ten years younger than he is." He did not want to think about that prospect. "But until then, sorry, buddy, you're stuck with me, and so is he."
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:09 pm
“Hey!” Peter nearly sputtered when the book was pulled from his hands, and then was tapped on the head. He lifted his hands to shield himself, reaching for the book to try and grab it back. “I was looking at that, a*****e,” he huffed, and then didn’t bother to hide the fact that he rolled his eyes.
“If you think dreams are what messed him up, then…” Peter began and then immediately stopped and changed his mind about going into details. It was probably better for both Michael and Caspian that way, he figured. If Caspian was pretty sure the dreams were what bothered Michael the most that would keep him away from asking questions, which meant less for Michael to try and explain.
It was bad enough when Peter had cornered him about everything that had been going on.
“There are worse things than dreams that will never come true,” he said matter of factly. There were enough breaks in the present day and what happened in those dreams of the future that, unless they were living in a multi-verse, where it won’t even matter for them anyway, there was no way for those events to come to pass.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:06 pm
"You can finish looking at it after our nice little happy chat," said Caspian airily, pulling the book back and letting it rest in one of his arms. He had to fight back a smile, because in spite of the height difference between them, Peter was still younger in years.
If you think dreams are what messed him up, then -
Then what? Caspian's eyes snapped back to Peter, his expression one of surprise that morphed into wariness a second later. He opened his mouth, intending to ask to know what he was talking about - but a second later closed it again.
No, it wasn't good to pry, however curious he was.
"Skyrocketing gas prices and the fact that we don't have Professor Xavier as our new president?" Caspian suggested, and folded his arms across his chest. "I know things can be s**t; if I didn't, then I wouldn't have stayed powered up."
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:30 pm
Ugh. Peter dramatically dropped his head against the back of the chair to look up at the ceiling, obviously not wanting to put up too much of a fight to get his book back, but now that Caspian was the one standing in front of him, and he was sitting, Peter found himself scowling, although it was a much softer version than what his older brother was known for. It wasn’t that he disliked Caspian. He didn’t like him. But he didn’t dislike him either. It was a weird plateau of not knowing him well enough, but knowing that apparently Michael had agreed to help him.
“Don’t even talk to me about the elections!” he continued to be dramatic, his voice adopting something of a whiney quality. He was clearly upset that he was much too young to partake in the past and upcoming polls, and shot a small glare at Caspian for even joking about it. He didn’t even get on the topic of gas prices.
“Sometimes it’s better to stop while you’re still able to,” Peter said, instead, getting back on topic of their cursed lives of being senshi. “It’s not for everyone, even if they were awakened to their magic. I’ve seen a lot of senshi and knights get burnt out and leave. We have to make a choice between fighting and our families and friends, our jobs, our education. What is your purpose for fighting, Remus?” he asked, purposefully using the senshi name he’d given.
“Is it worth the possibility of losing limbs? Possibly your life? Is it worth the sacrifice of being with your family and friends in order to protect them? Will you ever be able to tell them what you are? Will they accept you? Could they already be apart of the war, but on the other side? Will they ever know the sacrifices you’ve made to protect them, and will you be okay if they never will?”
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:52 pm
It was Caspian that rolled his eyes this time, though there was a faint trace of humor in his voice as he said, "Lighten up, Peter-and-the-wolf, you've gotta learn to take a joke, otherwise you're never gonna grow taller. Take it from someone who knows," he added, waggling his eyebrows.
But it seemed they had not yet gotten past the topic. Caspian sighed, lifting a hand and running it through his hair. The questions being pelted at him were not exactly unwarranted - but it wasn't as though he wanted to answer them either, and frankly, he didn't feel as though he should have to.
What am I fighting for?
"What's the point of interrogating me?" Caspian asked, looking down at Peter with one hand on his hip and the other holding the book loosely at his side. "Really, what's your angle? Are you trying to get me to walk away from your brother and that's what this is about?"
He did not think about Cassie, or about the fact that he deliberately kept people at arm's length for the exact reasons that Peter was talking about. Like hell he wanted anything to happen to his sister or his family - or now, Michael, who he was getting closer to each day and who felt strangely comfortable to be around. Hell, he wouldn't even really want anything happening to Peter, though Caspian thought he could use a good kick in the shins.
"You're awfully pushy for someone your age," he observed, eyes narrowing slightly. "And let's be real - I don't really have to answer anything you've said. I know the risks. I know what life I live, Peter Pan, so let's not make any snap judgements here."
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:56 pm
”You’re awfully avoidant for someone who’s new at this,” he snarked back, crossing his own arms over his chest as he slouched down in the chair. “And fine. Don’t answer. I don’t want to know how you really feel anyway,” he said, not sounding offended but just matter-of-fact. He really didn’t care about Caspian’s answers to the questions he asked, just as long as he heard the questions and knew he should be thinking about things like that.
“I already told you what my angle is. I’m not trying to get you away from my brother, but if you can’t handle this, then maybe you should. Our brother is probably dying because he had his starseed damaged when he was almost corrupted,” he said suddenly, tired of Caspian’s attitude towards everything. He acted as if it was all about him and Michael when it wasn’t. If Caspian was going to be sticking around, then he should at least know a little more about what was going on in their lives.
“I’m an uncle,” he continued, staring up at the young man standing before him. “Michael and I have a nephew and niece. Twins. Their father might be dying and lost a big piece of his memories. Their mother is also involved in the war and will probably always be targeted as a big threat because of her magic. It’s a lot more complicated than knowing what life you live and making snap judgements.”
“This doesn’t involve just you any more, and you have to understand that if you’re going to continue fighting.”
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