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 Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:34 am
After a certain point, much of the forest looked the same, and it was easy to see how anyone could have gotten lost here. Along the way, Devyn had pointed out clear markers–most of which were still in place–and it seemed like he was making a very diligent effort to not get lost.
It helped that the old path was still there, albeit currently under up to a foot and a half of sludge.
Devyn had not taken Michael off his back, he’d kept him up for as long as he could. It didn’t matter that at the end of all of this they’d both be on the ground working in it, he wanted to give him what comfort he could provide for as long as he could provide it.
With Michael’s eyes and his own, they navigated all danger, and though Devyn had strayed from the path a few times it was easy enough to find again; the path might have been buried beneath the sludge, but it was a hard surface compared to the mushy mud everywhere else. Even if some of it was faded and worn or swallowed by the ground, it took less than an hour for them to find what Devyn could only assume was the first blockage.
A wall had been around it to make sure any travelers had ample warning that there was a drainage system there, and Devyn could see immediately that there was plenty of debris that had gathered. Half rotted trees, and loose leaves, and weeds, and small brushes and saplings that hadn’t been able to withstand the weather seemed to make up much of it, and though Devyn wouldn’t say it he was glad there hadn’t seemed to be any animals in the area.
“Well, here we are.”
A three-quarter circle wall built five foot high surrounded a small cave, and Devyn could see over the dam of debris well enough to tell that only a thin layer of water was making it down to be drained. The cave, in contrast, had large mushrooms with flower shaped brown petals growing out of it–apparently hungry and desperate for anything they could get. They were withered, probably from the sun and a lack of proper moisture.
There was a clear staircase down but it disappeared in the shadows below.
“If we can move all this gunk,” he nodded to the blockage that had gathered around the cutout of the wall, “It should start flowing here. But there’s so much that I’m worried this might be a long day’s worth of work. If this one’s this bad, I’m supposing the others are as well. Are you ready to go down?”
Two and half, almost three feet of debris might only be fifteen minutes of work or less to clear, depending on how things were stuck together, but there were several other drainage points that were going to need to be checked too–and then, once all the big ones were handled, Devyn had mentioned he might have to check some of the smaller ones and clear out the grating that had been installed like the storm drains in Destiny City. He’d mentioned he wouldn’t even be able to find them until they got the worst of these taken care of, and it would have been easier to clean up the channels if he’d had some sort of shovel, anyway.
Things for another project.
His boots were stained black and his arms were a little sore, but he felt like he had more energy than usual. A gift from Alastor itself, or Villefort begging for help, maybe.
“Last chance to change your mind and head home before this gets messy.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:47 am
While Devyn did the hard work of traversing through the muck, Michael did his best to keep an eye out for obstacles, the landmarks Devyn pointed out, and the general direction of things. He took note of how the water was flowing, if there was growth on certain sides of trees, or if there were any other identifying things that would help them find their way back out without too much difficulty.
He eyed the circle wall with interest, fascinated by the ingenuity of those on Alastor and how they had to overcome various hardships with the limited technology they had, and how much it differed from the solutions those on Earth had put into practice.
“You know I’m not afraid of a little mess,” Michael hummed and kissed the top of Devyn’s head through his mask, then put more weight on Devyn’s shoulders to help ease himself down off his husband’s back.
“I’ll give you a good massage later as thanks,” he promised, being careful as he immediately sunk into the mud up to his ankles. For now. There was no telling what pitfalls they could step into.
“We’ll work quickly. It’ll take no time if we’re both digging into everything. You said you have gloves?” he asked, pulling a pair for himself out of his subspace. “I’ve got some tools in here, but I don’t know how useful they’ll be.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:55 am
“I know you’re not afraid of a mess, I just hate having to subject you to it.” He sighed dramatically, but he was visibly delighted with the kiss, anyway. The promise of a massage helped; he rolled his shoulders to relax them and adjust to the absence of Michael’s weight on his back. He might have been a little sore but he already missed it–partly because he just liked the closeness and partly because now it meant that they had to stick their hands in all this filth and get to work.
“We’ll see how good you’re feeling after all of this, you might not be up to giving me a massage.”
With Michael off his shoulders, he began to dig around in his subspace until he extracted a pair of simple black gloves. It was a bit less flamboyant than his usual fashion sense, but these were practical, and if he’d had anything prettier they’d have just gotten dirty. He rolled up his sleeves and tucked them into themselves to try and keep them out of the way and then tugged the gloves up, and up, and up, because of course he’d have a pair of shoulder length work gloves that could make sure his entire arms–and sleeves–were safely covered.
“One day we should compare what we keep in subspace. I bet you’ve got some interesting things. I’ve got plenty of interesting things.”
With one last heartfelt sigh, he knelt over and gripped the base of one of the smaller trees and began tugging it away from the opening. It bubbled and gurgled, and when he stepped off the path to nudge it out of the way he sank two inches into the mud.
There was, most certainly, a reason why Alastor preferred tall boots–more than just for how good they made his legs look–and he could confidently say that he had never lost his footwear in the mud.
The sludge slowed him down a bit but it didn’t stop him, and he continued tugging the trunk of the tree–easily two and a half feet wide. Though the front of his uniform was rapidly staining from the dirty water and mud, he was at least grateful for the rose water on his mask–and the fact that storm or age had already broken the tree in half to make this a little easier.
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 10:11 am
Michael watched, clearly amused, as Devyn rolled his gloves all the way up his arms. His own work gloves were more for protecting his hands than his whole arms, but they were snug and he doubted they would come off easily, even in the gunk they were trying to pull out.
“I bet you’ve got a lot more rocks in yours than I do,” he teased, good naturedly as he went to grab another large stick that was stuck in the sludge.
“This is nice. I’m serious. I like being able to do something where I feel like I’m being helpful,” Michael admitted even as he grunted and gritted his teeth as he pulled at the branches of what seemed to be an entire tree stuck in the drain.
He was already covered in the mud and black gunk that clogged up the drainage path, but this was important to Devyn, so it was important to Michael.
“I bet Percy wished he could have helped with stuff like this. Probably drove him crazy that he was just small enough to get swept away into a drain if he wasn’t careful. Bet that didn’t stop him from trying, though.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 1:47 pm
“Oh, you’re so strong,” Devyn praised, even if it definitely sounded like he was flirting. The surface of the water bubbled a bit before splattering, and it looked like some water was already trying to push its way through the grime. There were a few more big pieces of wood or debris in the way, but with the first large obstacles displaced it seemed like things were already trying to move.
The weight of the tree he’d been working on was heavy enough that it sank to the ground. It was easy to imagine what sort of wind or water current had been strong enough to carry them before, and Devyn didn’t even seem surprised by the collection. He moved to grip a tangled mess of vine and shrubbery that was latched onto some of the other pieces trying to pass through.
“Are you picking on Percy or did you get a memory?” he asked, because he loved Percy and would never stop loving him, and honestly probably wasn’t even capable of saying anything bad about him.
And, that he asked about a memory probably implied Michael might have been a bit on the nose about some things.
“He never gave himself enough credit.” A bit like Michael in that regard. Who was over there, saying this was nice. Devyn wondered if he had any idea how much he actually helped him or if he was just in perpetual denial. But, if moving big, heavy things made him feel useful, Devyn was all the more glad to have him here.
“Even if he wasn’t doing the heavy lifting, he was always coming up with solutions or paving the way to get things done. He always tried to help, even if it wasn’t his realm of expertise. Physical labor was a bit of a strain on him, he never much liked to do work like this. But he was always trying to help. I think he was more worried about me getting swept away, though. Of course, he also knew of my penchant for carrying around nice rocks, so who can blame him for worrying that I’d sink.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 6:03 pm
Michael snorted softly at the flirting. Especially since they were both covered in muck. Then again, he was happy to flirt with Devyn any time, clean or otherwise.
“No memory this time. I don’t think. More like a feeling,” he admitted, struggling a little with some of the roots that had twisted around everything, making it more difficult for water to get through.
“But I’m not picking on him, I promise,” he quickly added.
It was weird, getting memories and feelings from someone who had died so long ago. But also knowing how important Percy was, then and now, to Devyn.
“It’s like… I was feeling restless before, but now I feel proud of myself for doing something that isn’t any different than what I’d normally do. It’s hard to explain. It’s like getting emotions superimposed over what I already feel.”
He had no idea if that made sense or was even possible. Maybe he was just making it up in his head. But after a moment he paused, looked around, and hoisted up one of the long, sturdy branches that hadn’t decayed as much as the others. He climbed his way up on top of some rocks to get better footing, then dug the branch down into the mess of roots and branches, using it as a lever to help push the gunk out, rather than just pulling.
“Atticus loves that you carry around rocks. Have you seen the way his eyes light up when you show him a new one? He has a whole shelf upstairs of the rocks you’ve given him, and what he’s collected,” Michael sighed, but there was clear fondness for both Atticus and Devyn.
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 6:36 pm
Once more, Devyn laughed. He had plenty of things to mull over, but he nodded when Michael mentioned Atticus. “He’s sweet, I appreciate how much he indulges me. And you too, for that matter.” Like there weren’t rocks in Michael’s bedside table that Devyn had picked out especially for him.
He gave Michael a bit of space as he worked and couldn’t help but comment, “I like that engineering side of you.”
Water sloshed around the clog and quite a bit surged through while Michael was working. More than a few areas around them bubbled, like more than just water was shifting, but Devyn didn’t seem alarmed. The dark liquid began flowing down into the underground chamber; as the water splashed down the stairs inside the cave, it echoed loudly.
Devyn thought that it sounded faintly like applause, and it was good motivation to keep going. He grabbed another armful of loose leaves and bramble, holding it out of the way as water surged between every little gap and hole.
It stayed loud for a moment, but when it quieted down, he trudged a little closer to Michael and deposited the debris he’d been carrying nearby so that when he spoke he knew he would be heard. “I think what you said makes sense. I’m proud of you. This is very helpful, it means a lot to me. And you’re so clever. I would have just kept dragging things around until it moved. Maybe we can install some functioning pulleys here to help clear it out easier the next time it gets clogged.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:20 pm
“Well, I like watching you use your brute strength,” Michael snorted in amusement, although there was nothing but fondness in his voice as he carefully withdrew the branch he’d been using so he could take it with them. The next one might need some help as well.
“I can bring some welding supplies with me next time. I think a way to clear out the debris faster will definitely help. We could do it almost like an additional fence over the opening so if it does get clogged, we can pull everything out so it doesn’t get caught up in the drainage,” he said, mostly to himself but loud enough for Devyn to hear.
The water and mud had splashed around and soaked into his clothes and onto his skin where he wasn’t covered, but being messy didn’t seem to bother him.
“I hope you know I’m proud of you, too. You’ve done so much for this world. I don’t know how you’ve managed it, but I’m happy I get to be here with you. Ready for the next one?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 9:59 pm
Briefly, Devyn looked up at him. Even with half his face covered, it was clear that he was smiling–enough that it reached his eyes. In some ways, Michael was amusing. The teasing, the flirting, those were expected, of course. The praise, for as much as he knew Michael meant it, sometimes still seemed a bit silly to him.
Not in a bad way! Just, he wasn’t used to it. From Michael, yes, but he had spent so many years before now being criticized for everything. Sometimes all of this still felt like a dream.
“I’m ready, I think.”
He lingered for a moment longer, watching as the water drained. There were a few more larger pieces of debris that seemed hell-bent to try and stop up the path again, so he pulled them up and plucked them apart before putting them down so the current down the stairs could suck them away.
The mushrooms and fungus and whatever else was down there should dissolve them, but he supposed they’d only know how effective it was once they gave it some time to drain and let the whole process start moving.
“I think you’ve got some good ideas there. When there’s not so much water here it’ll be easier to get things cleared up. There’s supposed to be some other little drain points, I’m sure the mud has caked over them and blocked them up. But that’s a project for another day. Some additional measure to keep this from clogging would be much appreciated. Hopefully things won’t be as bad now that it’s not storming as much, but I suppose we’ll have to wait.”
He spoke the last word with disdain and exasperation, but he hardly seemed like he was in a bad mood. There was still much work to be done. He held out his hand for Michael; now that they were both filthy, he wasn’t so worried about protecting him from the water like he had been before.
“You’re so sweet, Michael. Maybe I don’t tell you enough. But you say such sweet things to me, it makes my old heart flutter. I’m very proud of you, too. I don’t think I’ll ever stop working on trying to make Alastor better, but I’m so happy to be able to share this with you. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do. When it’s a bit better off, though. I won’t hold it against you if you’re not in love with Villefort yet.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 7:47 am
“It’s got its charm, I think,” Michael said in a way that was meant as a tease, but also there was something very endearing in his voice. He didn’t seem to be put off by the challenges that Villefort was throwing at them. If anything, he was looking forward to cleaning things up.
“But don’t get me started on your old heart,” he huffed, even though he was smiling behind his mask when he said it.
While he knew Devyn was only teasing, there was a momentary flare of anxiety about Devyn actually having an old heart. No one knew the effects of what happened once a Senshi’s world was rid of Chaos and they could live normal lives again, and not just used as an energy siphon to keep their world alive. While the bad dreams were infrequent when he was with Devyn, sometimes he still woke up in a panic, worried that he would turn to see nothing but dust where Devyn was sleeping peacefully.
Maybe he just read too many books or saw too many movies.
With a little pull, he helped Devyn up and away from the first clog, not being shy about wrapping his arm around his waist and pulling him close. He couldn’t kiss him with their masks on, but he pressed his forehead to Devyn’s for a moment, before letting him take a step back.
“We’ll work on it all together,” he promised, because they were going to watch each other’s backs and be there for each other for the rest of their lives.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:00 am
There was a split second when Devyn thought he caught some sort of worry, some sort of tenseness in Michael’s expressions. It might have been the way his brows knit, or maybe it was just a shadow, but when Michael pulled him close, Devyn wrapped his arms around him, too. And, when he stepped away, Devyn just pulled him close again.
“All of it,” he agreed. Alastor, Sessrumnir, even Earth. I hope you don’t get tired of me, we’ve got a lot of work to do. It’ll probably take us a very long time to get through it all. Good thing you’re in it for the long run.”
It didn’t matter if they were both disgusting, this moment with him was important. He rubbed Michael’s back and, mask or not, kissed his cheek anyway.
Only then did he let him go again. He held his hand and began to lead him down the path towards the next one–stepped off the path briefly and had to unstick himself from the mud–and then continued down the solid ground still hidden beneath a good few inches of water.
“I love you. Thank you for doing this with me.”
He was enjoying all of their time together–even if their little lunch outing had turned into a lengthy, all-day project.
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:42 am
Michael felt his face warm a little when Devyn pulled him close again. Was he that easy to read? He knew he shouldn’t be surprised that Devyn knew everything he was thinking, but he also knew he was being silly with his worries. The kiss was a nice reassurance, though.
“You really think I would let you rush into danger by yourself if I knew you were doing it? You could-- careful,” he held tightly to Devyn’s hand when he stepped off the path and sunk into the mud, making sure to offer him the support he needed to get back up. “You could end up biting off more than you can chew, and then what am I supposed to tell Atticus?”
He knew Devyn knew he trusted him. He spoke in a way that despite the quiet caution was more conversational. Devyn had been doing this for hundreds of years longer than they’d even known each other. He knew how to handle himself. He knew how to survive and what to do.
Michael just needed to figure out a way to tell his heart that it needed to calm down.
“I love you, too,” he sighed, but not at Devyn. He was pretty sure he could see where a bunch of branches had piled up. “Even though I can’t wait for this to be cleaned up so I can get a proper tour.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:20 am
The amount of times that Devyn could have laughed at Michael’s worry continued to mount, but he was never put off by the sentiment. Michael hadn’t stopped himself or their conversation to fuss at him, and it seemed like a passive reminder more than anything.
If Devyn had to guess, he was pretty sure it was less an actual instruction to be careful and more just Michael’s way of expressing that he loved and cared for him.
“Michael, you know me better than that. I have never bitten off more than I can chew.” He was back on the solid path quickly enough but he didn’t let go of Michael’s hand. “Don’t worry, Atticus isn’t here right now. We can be a little irresponsible. I’m always extra careful when he’s around, just in case.”
He’d spotted the same cluster of branches that Michael had and worked his way towards them. “I’ve wanted to come to Villefort for a while, I’d have liked to get it cleaned up so it could make a good impression. But if we’re being honest, I try to avoid Villefort when I’m by myself. Even with all the time I’ve spent here, it’s easy to get lost. The forest has some effect on me sometimes.” He shrugged, quick to dismiss it. “Sometimes I see lights and shadows and things. I don’t think it would be good for me to be here for too long by myself. So I hope you like swamps, because I intend to be good and not rush into things here. Well, unless you’re by my side. To keep me safe. And on the right path.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 10:10 am
Michael hummed skeptically in response to Devyn commenting about it being okay to be a little irresponsible, but it was clear that he was in good spirits and probably just teasing.
“Can’t say I’m a fan of swamps, no. Sorry,” he grimaced as he looked around. Sure, he said that it had its charm, but this was just the drainage they were working on. He hadn’t had a chance to see the actual town yet.
“I’ll always be by your side, if I can. Swamps or not. If you start seeing strange things, let me know. It could be an indication that there’s a natural gas leak somewhere nearby. It wouldn’t surprise me with all the stuff you’ve told me about the forest… swamp.”
Not being able to bring flame near it, the explosions, the black tar-like substance. It was more like a bog than a swamp, but he wasn’t going to get into terminology with Devyn, especially when it didn’t matter.
“You’ll definitely need to tell me if you see any giant birds.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 10:40 am
Devyn laughed again. “Don’t tease me like that. Lucinius has been waiting a thousand years to get me. I’m sure he won’t bother us, not while Villefort looks like this. We’ll have to go pay tribute, for Marius’ sake.”
He sighed, rather dramatically. “Scrambled eggs or something, I don’t even know anymore. No, that’s facetious. I’ll apologize for that, on Marius’ behalf. Wherever he is now, I hope he’s doing well. I’m sure Lucinius didn’t actually eat his soul, but.”
Devyn hummed thoughtfully for a few seconds and then shrugged. “No, Marius was a good boy. Well, no. Man. He grew up. Ah,” he sighed and shook his head. “It’s very good that you’re here, my mind is all over the place today. There are probably natural gas leaks here, but the headaches are usually the first sign.”
He squeezed Michael’s hand to reassure him. He wasn’t always the best at being honest about when he wasn’t feeling his best but he could tell that today was a bit of an off day. Sometimes his memory slipped. Sometimes he had old aches. Sometimes the ache of everyone he missed was particularly strong.
But, he had Michael with him, and he was better off for it.
Devyn wasn’t perfect. He had faults and weaknesses, even if he liked to hide them. Being honest with Michael wasn’t always easy, but they’d promised. This wasn’t even anything bad, anyway. If he wanted Michael to be honest with him when he was struggling, Devyn owed him the same.
“If we don’t get it all finished today, that’s okay. Alastor’s not going anywhere any time soon. We’ll just come back next time more prepared. But I’ve got energy left in me, I’m not ready to turn in for the day. Yet. But I know this is still new to you, there’s a lot to get used to. I don’t want you to push yourself too hard on my account. If you start to feel off, let me know and we’ll head back for the day, all right?”
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