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 Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:45 am
They’d collected the trackers from Soleiyu, and Michael made sure to pack as much food as he could manage. With two subspaces, it meant bringing supplies was going to be a little easier. But with any trip to Jupiter, it was likely to be unpredictable.
It was barely afternoon by the time Michael was satisfied that they had everything they needed for their visit. They had lunch on Earth to limit the amount of supplies needed, and they traveled almost all the way back to the reservoir in order to power back up safely.
They were greeted by the rumbling of thunder somewhere outside, and the view of a gigantic oak tree, leafless and dull. A skeletal reminder of what Sessrumnir had lost likely a thousand years ago with the passing of their previous Knight.
The atrium itself was an enormous, domed structure with not-quite glass that made up the walls and ceiling. The structure was sturdy enough to withstand the shaking the thunder caused, and let in and amplified whatever light managed to make it that far, but it was almost impossible to see the world outside. Along the walls were the raised garden beds that Sessrumnir had previously fixed the irrigation problem. Both here and in the atrium at Valhalla. Some plants were growing, but it seemed to be mostly weeds. Every so often there were what was likely to be wildflowers sprouting up. The ground of the atrium itself might have one hosted lush grass, but it was all withered and brown.
“Sorry, I never know where I’m going to show up,” Sessrumnir admitted as he lowered the large bag of supplies he was carrying to the ground. He assumed it was because Alastor had mentioned the atrium the night before.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:55 am
To say that Devyn had been excited would have been an understatement, but the enthusiasm was tempered with a sort of nervous dread. He did his best to sit still, to not express too much energy, to not worry or fidget. He’d had a good lunch with Michael and continued to appreciate his thoughtful nature. As such, he didn’t have the heart to tell Michael that his subspace was already full of things he deemed important enough to carry with him, and he worked very hard to make sure everything he’d been given fit into it.
He knew the limits of his subspace, and yet he was always pushing them. He didn’t want to disappoint Michael, and with his renewed energy, he didn’t have any difficulties shoving anything in or moving things around to make room. Although, he really should empty out his subspace; there were some things he didn’t need but had brought with him just to have him.
Michael’s place was safe enough that he could probably store them without worrying.
But, that was another ‘later’ thought; for now, he was on Sessrumnir, and it was nothing like its former glory.
He was quiet for the first moment that he arrived.
The thunder was familiar, at least, and he felt a distant pain in his chest that might not have been from his scar.
He’d known Sessrumnir was going to be lifeless. Michael had said as much. But seeing it was a different story. He heard Sessrumnir’s words, but it seemed like they were echoes in his mind and didn’t have any real meaning at first.
He blinked once, twice. He could have sworn he saw movement in the corners of his eyes. Shadows.
Ghosts.
His skin prickled, not uncomfortably, but maybe because the energy was just different. Everything was different.
Sessrumnir wasn’t supposed to look like this.
“Ah,” there was a lump in his throat and he cleared it quickly. He shook his head and tore his gaze from the leafless tree and the withered grass. He had to look at Sessrumnir just to see something alive. “No, that’s fine. I’d have wanted to see this place, anyway. Saves us the trip. Has your irrigation been helping much?” he asked, and busied himself with setting his bags down next to Sessrumnir’s.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:09 am
Sessrumnir didn’t need to hear Alastor’s voice or see his expression to know that he was in at least some distress. The orb against his chest was enough, although he was kind enough to hide it under his clothes so it wasn’t obvious that he knew when Alastor’s mood shifted.
“It looks like it’s working, but I haven’t planted anything specific. I didn’t want to just put anything in there. I was hoping to research what used to be there, and try to find a seed vault or something. I’ve found some rooms where things have been preserved, but I can’t read any of the labels,” he admitted. Maybe with Alastor there, they could try to restore things to how they once were.
“But we can look at the plants later,” he said, because he knew that Alastor had been waiting to see someone very important to him. To both of them.
He waited until he at least had Alastor’s attention, waited to make sure he was ready. If he wanted to hold off, obviously Sessrumnir would. But after such a lackluster welcome, Sessrumnir thought it was only fair to let his summon meet someone she would have known so many centuries ago.
A gentle swipe of his thumb along the fang on his belt pulled the ethereal wolf into being.
And she lunged. With teeth and -- tongue. Mostly tongue. Okay, just tongue. Her whole back half jerked side to side with the force of her tail wagging. But it was more than just a happy reunion, Sessrumnir could tell. She was thrilled that Alastor was there, but he could tell she was also once more mourning, much like she had been when Ganymede visited Sessrumnir with him when they were looking for answers. When they were looking for help for when the Velencians inevitably betrayed them.
“Easy…” he gently tried to coax her to let up a bit, and she did. But only so she could whimper sadly and tuck her face anywhere she could against Alastor.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:25 am
Alastor would have been easy to read even without the necklace. The second Princess came out, his expression shifted. For a brief moment, his sadness was gone. His face lit up and accepted her–all of her, teeth and tongue and tail.
“Princess!” he’d greeted, with no hesitation in using that name. That was her name, and the only one he’d ever called her. At first, he just buried his face into her fur and wrapped his arms around her; at some point he’d lowered himself to be closer to her.
“I missed you,” he said, and held her like she might disappear, too. But she didn’t, no matter how much she wiggled and wagged.
There was wetness in his eyes, he didn’t even care. If he was supposed to be embarrassed about it, oh well. A thousand years ago, maybe he’d have been able to hold it in. He hadn’t ever been much for displays of emotion but he couldn’t help it, she was here. She remembered him.
But then, he didn’t know how much she remembered. Probably everything.
She didn’t hate him.
His fingers curled around her fur and he just held her close. He was quiet for a moment, maybe trying to compose himself, or to just let it sink in. Maybe for a lot of reasons.
Mostly it was because he had to pull himself together a bit before he could tell her, “I’m sorry.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 1:09 pm
Sessrumnir smiled sadly as he watched the giant wolf practically topple Alastor in her attempt to shower him with affection. He knew it was a very emotional time for both of them, and to give them both some privacy for their reunion, he glanced away and gave his attention to the giant oak instead.
Princess did nothing to try and pull away from Alastor. If anything, she tried to lick at him more, tried to climb into his lap, which was a little ridiculous because she was arguably bigger than him. But there was obviously something there that made it obvious that she understood.
It might have been different without Percy, but Alastor shared her grief in a way no one else could.
Her attention only briefly turned back to Sessrumnir as he carefully made his way across the dead and dried grass, towards the equally sad oak tree. But since there were no threats, she turned her attention back to Alastor to lick at his face a few more times, because that was what she did best.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 1:44 pm
Princess’ size did nothing to deter Alastor; he welcomed her into his lap regardless of weight or shape, and he just held her.
A few seconds passed, or maybe a few minutes. He stroked her fur and alternated between letting her lick at his face and burying his face in her fur. Sometimes to dry off. Sometimes because a part of him wondered if he hugged her enough if he could just go back in time.
In his heart, he knew it was just a dream. But it was a comfortable dream.
He apologized again, quietly and under his breath, often. His heart ached, but he didn’t know what to say except for soft sorries, so when the words burned his tongue and his throat was on fire, he just fell quiet and held her.
The thunder was not comforting, but it reminded him of a distant time, and at least some things on Jupiter didn’t change.
…But a lot had.
He sighed, heavily, and maybe he wasn’t ready to let Princess go, but he couldn’t spend the whole trip buried in her fur. Maybe he could pick her up and carry her on her back for a bit. If they spent the night here, maybe he could convince Sessrumnir to let him just lay on her.
His face felt warm, so he ran his face over her fur once more, and then drew back so he could properly clean himself off on his sleeve.
For a moment, he sat there and just rested against her. He watched Sessrumnir. Watched the poor, old tree.
“This place needs a lot of work, huh?” he asked her, scratching behind her ear. She could answer, in her own way, and he liked to think he could understand her for the most part. But she couldn't speak. So he exhaled, and drew back just a bit so he was facing her. He put one hand on either side of her face and stoked her cheeks with his thumbs, and scratched under her chin.
“You are as beautiful as ever, though. I hope you haven’t been too lonely. I’ve thought about you often. I have a lot of stories to tell you. Michael–” he bit his lip and corrected, “Sessrumnir says I can come visit. He says I can help clean this place up. So I’ll visit you often. And we’ll get this place back to how it used to be.”
Well.
As much as they could, at least. As much as Michael would let him.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:04 pm
Princess seemed completely at ease with Alastor. She didn’t pull away when he held her, she didn’t wiggle around too much when he stroked her fur and scratched behind her ears. She nuzzled him with her face, and put her wet nose against his cheek, before licking him again, of course.
When he took her face between his hands to scratch under her chin and stroke her face, she gave him her full attention. She whined a little in response, and grunted, and she could talk, but it was in deep whine-like noises. Which she very clearly expressed her pleasure in his promise to visit often. She was even wagging her tail again because as sad as she was that Percy wasn’t there, Alastor was there.
And so was the new Sessrumnir, who knew little about being a Knight, but had still managed to find her, despite others before Percy having lost her for centuries.
Sessrumnir, who was trying very hard to give her and Alastor time together. Alone, and away from him.
He stood near the tree, looking up at its branches. He placed a hand against its trunk and closed his eyes for a few moments. The tree was still alive -- he could feel the way the energy pulsed through it. Maybe not as strong as it was once, but still alive. That was a good sign, at least. Maybe their attempt at cleaning the Wonder up and getting it back to how it was before wouldn’t be in vain.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:56 pm
Though he didn’t ask for time alone, he didn’t realize how much he’d appreciated just a moment. Except, there was a strange coldness that settled in, and he became suddenly very acutely aware of how far away Sessrumnir had gotten. Princess was beautiful, and wonderful, and perfect in every way, and he adjusted so he could give her a kiss on her forehead.
Only somewhat reluctantly he pulled away from her, but then he decided that he wasn’t ready to be parted so quickly, and once he was on his feet he maneuvered her into his arms.
She was a big creature, and she looked the size that he remembered but she felt heavier. It took him a few seconds to adjust so that he was holding her how he used to, and he cradled her like the princess she obviously was.
“Princess, I am very out of shape. Can you tell?” Probably. He wasn’t even an Eternal Senshi. But, he didn’t care, he had her, and he kissed her a few times over. He felt both empty and full, and no amount of affection bestowed by Princess changed the fact that his chest still hurt. He looked at Sessrumnir in the distance and paused.
He wasn’t Percy. Alastor knew this. And yet, for a split second, he didn’t see Michael.
He blinked and the illusion was gone, but the shadow lingered in his mind and his heart. He squeezed Princess.
He wondered if she saw ghosts up here. Wondered if she’d missed all of her Knights. He liked to think Percy was special–he was–but he wondered how many people she’d been close to that she had lost.
Alastor had never thought of it before, but it made him press his cheek into her fur once more. He was still here, if that counted for anything. She had a new Knight now. For–what was it, ten years, had he said?
Whatever it was, she deserved more with him. A lot more.
He held her close and couldn’t help but watch Sessrumnir.
“He is very good at looking lonely, don’t you think? Perhaps I’ve been a rude guest, I’ve stolen the prettiest girl here from him. That poor tree. Percy would be scandalized to see the state of this all.” Maybe he was talking to her, maybe himself. Maybe he hadn’t made up his mind.
“I’m almost dreading the tour to see the state of this place. You’ll help us fix it up too, won’t you? I remember that tail of yours. You could probably sweep whole rooms in seconds. But you’ve worked hard enough protecting this place, haven’t you? You should rest. I want to give you nice, healthy grass to lay in. I want to see that tree covered in leaves. Will you help me figure out how to do that?”
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 6:50 pm
Princess, giant as she was, let herself be lifted into Alastor’s arms, her tail swishing happily back and forth as she groaned and whined back in response to him. Like a quiet howl cut short. Whatever she thought of him -- being out of shape or not -- it obviously didn’t matter to her. She was pleased with the attention and flopped her head dramatically back when Alastor mentioned Sessrumnir.
There was no real way of telling if she really understood what was being said, but she rarely gave any indication that she didn’t. And maybe in those moments she was purposefully being obtuse.
Sessrumnir continued his inspection of the tree, and after a few moments of standing there, he quietly circled around behind it, as though inspecting every inch. It was different from the last time he saw. Or maybe he was just imagining things, or maybe he hadn’t paid that close attention before.
Outside had grown quiet. The rumbling thunder had decreased in sound until all that could be heard was the breeze of unknown origin rustling the empty branches of the oak.
It’s so weird. This is the first time I’ve seen all the leaves gone. It happens every… decade? Or so. But, oh, it took forever for the leaves to be raked up. We’ll use them for composting. I’ve been told we still have a storage room filled with the leaves from the last time.
The words were followed by a quiet laugh. Percy had stretched out in the grass to look up at the tree. Beside him was a much younger looking Devyn. They were holding hands, and in Percy’s other hand was the same orb he wore around his neck now.
They’ll come back in a year. Little buds will start to form before they do. I feel bad for the moths, though. They’ll have nowhere to hide.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 7:50 pm
Briefly, Alastor laughed. Princess’ head flopping eased him somewhat, and he rested his head against hers but moved just a bit so he could better see Sessrumnir. Who he owed all of this to. Who was trying to fix this place up, despite not really having any proper guidance.
Who had a mountain of obstacles and hardships and had still brought Alastor here.
He could have been mourning his father. He could have been comforting his brother. He could have been looking for Ganymede.
But, he had brought Alastor here.
After giving him a safe place to sleep. After making sure he was fed. Tracking down a Mauvian to help him.
A long list of things he’d done for Devyn, and the promise of more.
He bounced Princess a bit in his arms, gave her one more kiss, and then gently sat her back down. His arms were almost sore. Almost. He probably could have carried her around for a while, but it was just another reminder of how different things were.
Sessrumnir seemed distracted, and in a way that made Alastor feel strangely on edge. He ran his hand atop Princess’ head briefly before he made his way towards the great tree. He stepped lightly, as though he were afraid of trampling the grass, and avoided what wildflowers he could.
“Michael? Are you all right?”
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 7:59 pm
It was difficult for Sessrumnir to not look away from the memory. He usually tried so hard to give those memories their privacy. After all, it wasn’t him. It was a life that was extinguished too soon a long time ago.
He couldn’t hear whatever Devyn said to Percy in return, but whatever it was made them both laugh like children would, and Percy had rolled over onto his side to be closer to Devyn, bury his face against Devyn’s shoulder while he giggled and whispered back--
“Yeah,” Sessrumnir replied out of habit more than anything. “I’m fine. I just…” Just what? Saw Devyn as he was a thousand years ago? Saw how happy he and Percy were together, even if it was just giggling about silly things and being close to each other?
His heart ached, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of his starseed or because he genuinely felt the pain of losing someone so deeply loved. To even have someone like that? Finding that happiness was probably as unlikely as being awakened into magical powers.
Sessrumnir shook his head and glanced up at the tree again as the memory faded. He took several steps back from the trunk so he could reach up for one of the lower hanging twigs.
All along the branch were buds that would one day grow into leaves. They were small, but they were there. For how long? Had they been there the last time he visited?
“I saw a memory of Percy… and you. Looking at the tree when it didn’t have any leaves,” he explained, thinking it was only fair since it did include Devyn in the memory.
Princess had trotted alongside Alastor as they met up with Sessrumnir, but while they figured things out, she stretched and flopped down onto the ground to roll around a bit. It wasn’t every day she got to use up her energy, after all.
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Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:34 am
Again, Sessrumnir had his full attention. Devyn watched him briefly, not long enough for it to be considered staring, and turned his head away so he could examine the branches. At some point he’d stopped breathing, so that explained the dizziness.
Sort of.
He drew in a great breath, held it, and released it slowly.
It was hard not to talk about Percy. He wanted to, how could he not? Michael had a memory of him. A memory that Devyn and Percy had shared. He had flashes in his own mind, nothing given magically, just things he’d held close to his heart. The memories were still vivid and fresh, but they were treasures that he carried with him.
Things that kept him going for so long.
Of course he wanted to ask questions–which memory? What were they saying, what were they doing? How was Percy, was he happy? Was it a good memory?
He didn’t want to overwhelm Michael, that wasn’t fair.
So, he tried not to focus on that. He focused on the tree, instead.
“Yeah? But that’s okay, it happens sometimes. Mine doesn’t have any leaves right now, either. But,” he’d caught sight of the little buds, “You’ll have some soon enough. I’m no expert, but that looks pretty healthy to me. Have you gotten to see it when it’s full?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 5:47 pm
Sessrumnir shook his head, still staring up at the tree, as though trying to find answers that were just out of reach.
“Never,” he answered as he gently released the branch so he didn’t damage it by accident. “It was like this when I first came here. I thought it was dead. It didn’t have any buds before now. Most of this was dead. Only recently has anything started growing.”
He paused, and then shook his head after a moment so he could correct his statement. “I haven’t seen it full in person.” He had memories, as sporadic as they were. He’d seen the tree full, but hadn’t paid attention to it. He was more interested in the giant wolf that appeared out of nowhere to protect Percy. The same wolf that was grunting and making weird snarly sounds at nothing as she rolled around on her back nearby.
He took a moment to glance at Alastor and let out a quiet sigh. He could tell the Alastor was interested. Even without the way the orb skipped in pulses against his chest.
“I don’t mind you talking about him. I know you like to.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 6:27 pm
Alastor glanced over with an expression of apology and something like guilt. “I do. Quite a bit.” He didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for Michael, but this wasn’t the first time that he’d been assured that it was okay to talk about him.
“I think he made the world a better place. Made me a better person. I wouldn’t be who I am without him.”
Wouldn’t be here today without him either, probably.
It wasn’t a mistake to come here, he knew that. He’d known he’d feel emotions while he was here. Briefly, he distracted himself by watching Princess, and it was enough to bring a smile to his face again. He felt tired.
He felt energized.
He felt all mixed up about all of it. He sort of wanted to lay in the grass and roll around some, too.
He didn’t.
Instead, he smiled a bit and hoped it was enough to chase away the lingering emotions he wasn’t really ready to deal with. He looked back up at the tree and couldn’t help but admire it even in this state. “It’ll be beautiful. I hope it grows quickly so you get to see it soon. Paintings didn’t really do it justice, not even Percy’s. And he’s the best artist I’ve ever known. There might still be some around, unless they were,” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “taken. It’s not just how it looks though, it’s how it feels. Old and ancient and powerful. Timeless. I don’t know, it’s always felt safe. It’s a good place to have a picnic. And take naps. And watch Princess have some fun.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 6:56 pm
“I don’t think I’ve seen any of his paintings. I didn’t even know he painted until you mentioned it,” Sessrumnir admitted, crossing his arms over his chest as he also watched Princess roll around on the ground. He could never imagine being able to take care of a dog of his own, but she was different.
“I knew he liked books and he taught astronomy, but…” he paused and shook his head, feeling a little guilty about not knowing anything about the person his starseed used to belong to. Someone who was incredibly important to Devyn, too.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad I got the chance to meet you,” Sessrumnir said quietly, and then shrugged because it wasn’t that big of a deal, right? Sure, Devyn was easy for him to talk to, but that probably had to do with his starseed, and not anything he felt himself, right? It wouldn’t have been that easy under any other circumstances, surely.
“But you’re right. The tree does feel timeless. I have no idea how long it’s been here, but… thousands of years…? If that is even possible. Probably because it’s so well protected against the storms,” he added. But for now it seemed as though the thunder and lightning had passed. The calm around them was almost strange, if only because Sessrumnir had so rarely experienced Jupiter when it wasn’t storming. But Valhalla did mention being able to go outside at least once.
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