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 Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:49 pm
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He hated being emotional. Hated that he was seen as pathetic for crying all the time. He tried to keep a smile on his face, to laugh off any discomfort or embarrassment, but it wasn’t always easy.
Especially when he didn’t have to keep his guard up.
With Devyn, Chad felt incredibly safe. He continued to cry softly as Devyn carried him through the neighborhood to Elliot’s house, but he was able to relax enough to rest his head on Devyn’s shoulder and held onto him in what he hoped was as comforting as a hug.
“Are you okay?” he finally managed to ask. Not because he didn’t care! He cared a lot! But every time he tried opening his mouth before, he would just keep crying. He wanted to ask questions, but he knew that the less he knew the better, probably.
“Thank you for saving me again. I was so scared,” he sniffled, relieved that the sobs had died most of the way down. At least until he could see Elliot again, which would hopefully be soon.
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:03 pm
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“I’m glad I was nearby, that guy was trouble, huh? I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”
He was walking briskly, not because Chad was heavy but because he wanted to make sure he got somewhere safe, and he just wanted to see Elliot. So, he was doing everything in his power to make him comfortable while he navigated the neighborhood to get him there.
He couldn’t help that Chad made him think of Percy. Or, made him think of the type of person Percy would have most wanted to help. It wasn’t just that it was the right thing to do, Devyn wanted to help him.
More than just because Chad knew his secret, too.
“I’m okay, I think. How’s my hair?”
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:46 pm
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It was easy for Chad to settle against Devyn. He was warm. Strong. Incredibly kind and patient.
A little scary too, when he was mad. And yet, Chad still felt more comfortable with him than most other adults.
“It’s okay,” Chad promised as he leaned his head against Devyn’s shoulder, grateful for the chance to rest for a little bit. Even though he had to rub his eyes a few more times because they would tear up every so often.
“I don’t think I got burned…” he said quietly, and while he was trying to keep his questions to himself, he couldn’t help but finally ask. “What was that…? Magic…?” He could only assume. He hadn’t seen where Devyn was during the magic, since Taenite or whatever his name was, was pinning him uncomfortably on the ground. But he felt the heat and had to look away from the brightness.
“Are you okay?” He saw the other man hit and kick Devyn a few times, even though he ran away in the end. Or… disappeared…
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:59 pm
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“I’m fine,” he reassured. “It was a good workout.”
He’d have to double check when he got home, but his face hadn’t melted off so it was a concern he could put off for later. Chad hadn’t burst into more tears while looking at him so he had to assume that whatever injuries he had could be reasonably hidden and, therefore, weren’t anything to worry about.
Oh, but Michael worried about internal injuries. He’d check when he got home.
He probably shouldn't tell Chad too much, he knew this, but at the same time…
He knew what curiosity could do to a person. And, it was better if he got information from someone he could trust and not someone who could lie to him.
“I suppose you don’t get to see a lot of magic around here, but yeah. It was. Only, he’s sold himself to darkness. Doesn’t even know what he’s done. People like me, we get our magic from the worlds we’re supposed to protect. Except, he’s let an evil manipulate him, and instead of using his power to protect people, he’s using it to strengthen that evil.”
It was complicated, he tried to keep it simple. Chad didn’t need to know all the details.
“So if you see someone dressed funny, just be careful. They’re not all bad, there are people trying to do the right thing, too. But if you wind up with the wrong one, they can get you into a lot of trouble. I just don’t want you to get hurt. If you’re not sure who you’re dealing with or if someone feels off, you can always call me. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:26 pm
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“Because they don’t understand,” Devyn shrugged. “I don’t think anyone wants to do evil for evil’s sake. They’re misguided, misinformed, maybe. Selfish. Desperate. But, always dangerous. Sometimes they’re unpredictable, or too stubborn to change their ways. It always leads to conflict. They’re unwilling to adapt, they just want things to be their way and they’ll try to take down anyone standing in their way. It’s called ‘Chaos’. It’s a malignant force, it corrupts wherever it can. I’ll tell you about it some time, but I don’t want you thinking about bad things tonight. The important thing is that you’re safe, and you’re going to see Elliot.”
And, he should probably double check with Michael just how much was safe to say, but.
He wasn’t uncomfortable talking about it. There was a lot he wished he could say. It’s not like it was easy to pretend like you grew up on Earth and that everything here made sense. But, those were things he could carry himself. He didn’t need to weigh anyone else down–especially not Chad. Who probably didn’t need to know about the current state of Alastor, or how long Devyn had been fighting it.
“And, I know you won’t tell anyone. I am a Senshi, yeah. I’m not supposed to tell anyone, if the information got into the wrong hands, they could target everyone I know. I’m supposed to be more careful. You shouldn’t even know. I just didn’t want those youma to get you, so it was worth the risk. Being a Senshi means I’ve got extra strength I can tap into. So don’t ever worry about me getting into fights, all right? I was made for them. I’ve been doing this since I was young.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:42 am
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Chaos. The word sent a chill down his spine, the same way running into that other man did. The same way running into those creatures -- youma -- did.
“Younger than me?” Chad chirped curiously, because if Devyn had been fighting for that long, then of course he was going to be good at protecting people. “You’re very strong and brave. I’m glad I met you and you took a risk. I promise I won’t let you down,” he insisted, because the last thing he wanted was for Devyn to not tell him anything else. He was curious about Devyn, of course. Curious about that man controlled by Chaos. About those creatures, too.
“Can I be a Senshi?” he wondered. “I want to help protect people too. Oh, I mean, I probably wouldn’t be very good at fighting, or… oh, I can’t really do much of anything. So maybe that would be a waste. Oh! But Elliot would make a really good Senshi. Could he be one? He’s strong and brave like you. He saved me before, too.”
Oh, that was probably pretty sad that he kept needing people to save him. He felt rather pathetic for it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:59 am
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Devyn tilted his head. “Younger than you. I didn’t have a choice, though. But no one does, it’s just if you’re born with it or not. It’s a whole complicated thing, being a Senshi, awakening. There are others out there with magic, though. Knights, who are chosen to wield it. I think that’s braver, because you make the choice to help. You know what you’re getting into. I don’t know how it works exactly, these days. They used to have a school for it, but something happened to it. I’ll ask, I have a very good friend who’s a Knight. But, it is dangerous,” he cautioned.
Chad must have already known this, but he’d been attacked by the Negaverse in some capacity twice already and he hadn’t even been powered.
“I think you deserve a bit more credit, though. I saw you get him in the foot, I was very proud of you, you know. I bet, if you had the right training, you could be better at fighting. If you want to learn, I can teach you. But, there’s more to protecting people than just fighting. You don’t have to fight if you don’t want to. Sometimes you can do more good if you’re there with someone when they need support, or first aid. I don’t like to rely on my magic, it’s been a bit erratic lately. But I trust in myself. I know my limits.”
Well, he knew his limits when he was at his best. Now, he was just pushing himself as hard as he could and hoping he wasn’t going too far.
“And, maybe I can ask my friend to help make you some things to keep you safe. I’ve already asked him to help me with something else. I like getting all your notes, they’re very sweet. But I want to be able to write back to you, too. So you know that I hope you’re having a good day, too.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 6:45 am
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“Knights? Like, in shining armor and riding around on horses?” Chad hummed with intrigue. He’d never thought about being a Knight before. The armor was probably too heavy. Then again, he never thought about being a Senshi before, either.
“Elliot would make a good Knight,” he decided, because he knew that Elliot would do anything he could to help others, even if it was dangerous.
He flushed when Devyn said he was proud of him, and quickly ducked his head under Devyn’s chin to hide the color in his cheeks.
“I don’t like being useless,” he mumbled as he turned the pen over in his hands. He’d been holding onto it ever since Devyn picked him up, and he really didn’t want to put it down. Ever.
He also flushed darker when Devyn said that he liked his notes and wanted to write back to him. Oh no, that was so nice, Chad felt himself starting to tear up again.
“I would like that,” he said with a slight wobble to his voice as he held back a sob. “I don’t know if I’d be any good at fighting, but… if I can help at all…” It was certainly better than cowering behind a tree.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:15 am
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Devyn might not have been able to see Chad, but he could feel the way he seemed to curl into himself, or tremble when he was trying to hold back tears. He rested his chin atop his head, still mindful to hurry without jostling him.
“You’re not useless. There’s a lot I’m not good at, but it doesn’t make me useless. And if you’re not good at fighting, we’ll just figure something else out. You don’t have to win a fight, you know. Sometimes it’s enough just to be able to defend yourself until help can show up. Or to be able to create a distraction while everyone else gets out. There are lots of different ways to be useful, but if you only compare yourself to everyone else’s strengths, it can feel a little daunting.”
He suspected that Chad spent a lot of time criticizing himself and comparing him to others and very little time actually thinking about what he was good at–or letting himself admit that he was good at anything.
“Even without magic, there’s a lot that people can do. And Knights–some of them have armor. I don’t think I’ve met one with a horse. But their magic manifests in different ways depending on where their power comes from. My favorite Knight gets his power from Jupiter.”
There was a split second where he questioned if it was fair to call any one his favorite Knight, given that Percy and Michael were both very different. But they were both Sessrumnir, so that had to count. He wasn’t going to make it complicated. He could feel his wedding ring pressed into his chest, almost as much as he could feel the weight of his phone in his pocket. He wanted to pull it out and text Michael again, just to make sure he knew he was fine. He’d text soon. He wasn’t going to put Chad down or jostle him about. Except, now he also felt guilty about not actually calling Michael to tell him he was fine and going to Asher’s place with Chad.
He hoped the steady pulse of his heart through the necklace was enough.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:44 am
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“You are definitely not useless,” Chad huffed softly, because Devyn was the farthest thing from useless he could imagine. “I can’t imagine there being a lot of things you’re not good at. You can fight, you can sew, you’re an artist, you’re good at first aid, you’re patient and kind, you have beautiful hair, you’re good with makeup.” Because Chad had definitely noticed at least the eyeliner.
“And you’re very strong. I’m sorry, I can try to walk,” he offered, feeling guilty that Devyn had been carrying him this whole time. Even though he was very strong.
But he appreciated everything Devyn was trying to do for him, and Chad chewed on his lip as he tried thinking about ways he could be useful. Although it was difficult when he was distracted by Knights and their powers from--
“Jupiter?” Chad asked in surprise, which was followed by some quiet giggles. “The planet? Really?” Well, Devyn did say Senshi got their power from their worlds so…
“Devyn, are you from Earth?” he asked, tilting his head back because, well… there were some things that didn’t really match up. And he was a secret superhero or something.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:06 am
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While Devyn was basking in the praise and kind words, he was absolutely at a loss when Chad asked if he was from Earth. Because–yes! He was! That’s what they were telling everyone!
…Everyone who didn’t know he was a Senshi.
“It’s complicated,” he said, and because of that he specifically did not put Chad down, even if he could walk on his own.
“Most Senshi these days are born on Earth. Because there are issues with their worlds, so it’s safer here. But,” he was slow to answer and took a few extra seconds to mull it all over, “No, I wasn’t born here. I’m from a very far away world called Alastor. It’s much closer to Jupiter than Earth. My husband was a Knight there, so I visited often. Though, he was from Earth originally. We never had the chance to visit together, but I’ve learned that it’s changed quite a bit since he was last here.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought Percy into it; it wasn’t exactly deflection, Percy was just his safe topic. He could talk about him whenever and always feel better. So, maybe he shouldn't be telling a very teenager that he was from another world, but.
Wouldn’t it be different if he was a Knight? Or a Senshi? He was already involved, in one way or another. He’d seen Youma. A Corrupted Senshi. Seen Devyn power up.
As long as the Negaverse didn’t get to Chad, Devyn was confident that his secrets were safe.
“He was actually the artist between us. I’m only interested in art right now to make sure his paintings are taken care of. They’ve never been displayed in a gallery before, so this means a lot to me. I want to do right by him.”
Even if Percy wasn’t here to see it.
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