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 Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 12:46 pm
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Lucien survived the night.
It must have seemed like such a mundane thing for everyone who would have expected he’d wake up just fine, but Devyn woke up every few minutes just to make sure he was still breathing. A few times he’d noticed Lucien wriggling between him and Michael in the bed, so he had politely adjusted to put Lucien back on his chest where he could feel him breathing.
Devyn slept better in the early hours of the morning, and when he’d awakened it was the smell of pancakes. Blueberry pancakes. Atticus and Elliot had been up early texting, so Elliot found a way to task himself with coming over to visit.
Oliver had already apologized profusely for the blueberries last night when they’d been over, but everything he made was good--it was just a lot of blueberries. He’d promised that he was almost done with them and insisted he would never make the mistake of being suckered into buying so many of them. Asher seemed to enjoy having a blue tongue so never complained–not that he would have when he knew how much Oliver would worry about this or that, anyway.
They had been excited to meet Lucien, more so because they knew that meant there must be plenty of stories about everything that Michael had gotten up to on Alastor. They hadn’t pried too much–fussed, sure, but that was in their nature. They made sure that Michael was okay, that he didn’t need anything, they filled him in on everything he missed.
Elliot didn’t eat breakfast with them, but he did linger for long enough to help Atticus prepare plates. He’d come over in his pajamas and promised to be back later.
So, they’d had blueberry and cream cheese pancakes for breakfast and planned for an easy day.
Sort of.
They were going to get Lucien a check up, because Devyn just needed to make sure. He was feeling better today–a bit tired, but that was to be expected after the night he’d had. Coffee had helped wake him up, and he’d made sure that there wasn’t a single blueberry gone to waste. If nothing else, his appetite had returned. He felt at least partially revitalized, and though there was still the daunting task of navigating Lucien’s memories, his health came first.
They were waiting for Soleiyu to come by to help them. In the meantime, they’d been doing their best to keep Lucien comfortable and give him access to information about Earth. Filling him in was easier when Elliot and Atticus had been enthusiastic to share their versions of things, and Michael was there to smooth things over with his experienced, educated view of things. Devyn listened, for most of it, and chimed in when he could. His expertise in information was restricted mostly to Alastor, and it was a slightly sensitive topic, for now.
Devyn was sitting on the couch with Lucien, combing through his fur with one of his smaller brushes. It wasn’t just about making sure he wasn’t shedding all over, he couldn’t help but want Lucien to look his best. As a Mauvian meeting another Mauvian, and as a representative of Alastor, it was important.
“Roll over, I need to get your other side,” he hummed, clearing out the fur he’d collected in his brush already as he worked down the Mauvian’s side again. “We’ll have to get you a better brush.” He was being careful with this one, but he knew something more specific to cat fur would probably be a better experience. “And a lot of things, I suppose. How is your list of necessities coming along?”
It was something he’d asked Lucien to think about–things he’d need to feel comfortable and safe and happy here. It was an ongoing list, a perpetual work in progress, but Devyn was eager to get him settled in as quickly as possible.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 12:50 pm
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“Perhaps surprisingly short,” Lucien said in response to the list he was supposed to be making. On one hand, not remembering things meant he wasn’t missing anything as much as he might have been otherwise. On the other hand, he felt a little lost and restless.
But he stretched and rolled over onto his other side as instructed, draped somewhat comically over Devyn’s lap because he was such a large cat to begin with. Stretched out, Lucien wouldn’t be surprised if he was about as tall as Atticus. Maybe not quite.
“I will have to see what tools are available before I can make a proper list. I would like to get to work on some things that could help deter those foul youma creatures from this place of residence. Surely there can be something done about the infestation,” he mused, but it hurt his head a bit to think about what could be done about their Chaos problem.
It made his skin crawl to think about those creatures getting too close to the house. Perhaps this other Mauvian would have a suggestion.
Atticus was trying not to pace. He was usually pretty good at standing still, but it didn’t stop him from staring longingly towards the back door every now and then.
It was probably silly, but being separated from Elliot after spending so long together felt torturous. He missed him and wanted to see his smile and hear his voice. A text every couple minutes wasn’t enough, but he was also very aware that he probably seemed desperate.
So he tried to keep himself distracted with Lucien. It helped that the idea of keeping youma away from the house was nice to think about. Especially after the incident with the Reids’ old house.
Not that Atticus was complaining that they were closer now.
“You could do that? Make it so youma stay away?”
Michael was nearby, sitting on the couch with his laptop as he went through any emails he might have missed. As well as catching up on any important news.
“Kind of like a bug repellent?” he asked, interested as well, but not sure how likely it would work, especially if nothing like that had been created before now. Keeping youma, and Chaos in general, away from where they lived would at least add an extra layer of protection.
But that was something to think about later. For now he was just waiting for Soleiyu to say he arrived, and while he was waiting, he had his arm over the back of the couch so he could absently play with Devyn’s hair that spilled over the back as he used his other hand to delete spam emails.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 1:35 pm
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Devyn tilted his head back just slightly, letting his hair shift a bit so he could give Michael access to more of it. He was enjoying his hair being played with as much as he assumed Lucien was enjoying being brushed. Although, grooming such a large, furry Mauvian would be a necessity if he wanted to keep everything clean. Michael’s house had been so spotless when he showed up, he wanted to help keep it that way.
“Do you think that would be possible? I mean, I’m certain you could do it. I’d only worry that someone in the Negaverse might realize there’s artificial interference and keep an eye on the area to see who is installing it.”
He considered this for a moment as he combed his brush through Lucien’s fur.
“The more powerful ones might be difficult to chase off, but there are far more weaker ones lurking around. And they can’t communicate the same, so if something was displeasing to them, I suppose it might be impossible for them to even say what.”
If there was a way to do it, he was certain that Lucien could. Especially if Soleiyu was there to help guide him.
“I would rest a bit easier knowing that the neighborhood was safe, at least. We try not to change into our other forms close to home to avoid attention and suspicion, but they still come too close for comfort. Michael can feel when there’s something odd in the area, so I know we’ll have the advantage if something gets too close, but we have friends here who don’t have the magic we do. The Fischers, but you haven’t met them yet. And the Reids, they already lost their house to a youma attack once. But I think they’re much better closer. Is Elliot coming over again soon?” he asked, trying not to smile at Atticus’ obvious pining.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 1:42 pm
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“Further research will be required,” he admitted, seeming somewhat dejected by the idea. “I am relying mostly on instinct, and I can not prove anything with a hunch. Although I like to believe my hunches are usually accurate.”
As if waiting for confirmation, Lucien glanced up at Devyn, before going limp again in his lap as he was brushed.
“I feel like there are things I need to be doing.” Hopefully this Mauvian he was supposed to be meeting could help clue him in on some things. Like if there was a reason why pheromone barriers hadn’t been created to keep youma away. He was too new to Earth to understand how it worked. Too new to this kind of Chaos as well.
“Yeah, he said he’ll be coming back soon. I was going to let him know when Soleiyu got here,” Atticus said as he tried not to once again look anxiously towards their back door. “Maybe later we can go to the store and get a better brush?” he suggested, but he would also have been happy just sitting with Elliot and talking about nothing in particular.
Oh, but Lucien and Soleiyu would be interesting to listen to when they met.
Atticus caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror, and quickly fussed with his hair. Just in case Elliot got back soon. Not that he hadn’t already seen him that day, but he still wanted to look nice.
Michael’s lip twitched when he felt Devyn tilting his head. He took advantage of the additional access and made sure to massage the back of his neck in between twisting his silky black hair around his fingers.
Ten years ago he would have never expected his life to be as it was now. Nor had he expected to actually feel truly happy. Sure, they still had the Negaverse to deal with, and he was missing people in his life, but there was a lot of good, too.
“Maybe a scratching post, too,” Michael half teased with his suggestion as he eyed the way Lucien was kneading the air with his unclipped claws while being brushed.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 1:49 pm
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Devyn had no reason to doubt Lucien’s instinct, even if it might have been dulled. He nodded approvingly, but the action was somewhat concealed given the way he’d shivered underneath Michael’s touch and tipped his head back just slightly to really enjoy the massage.
He laughed softly, and tilted his head just slightly so he could watch Lucien kneading the air. A scratching post might have been good for him, Devyn would have to see what his pride allowed.
“We all feel the same,” he assured gently. “We’ll do what we can to get you started up with everything. Thank you for being so patient. And for already trying to start projects to keep us safe. I’ve no doubt you’ll accomplish great things while you’re here. Maybe great things on Alastor, too. I’m not very good at being patient, either. I like to hit the ground running. But we’ll get you all caught up.”
There was a sudden rapping at the back door, but Elliot didn’t need any help to let himself in. He had made an effort to announce himself, and as such he entered through the back door.
He wasn’t alone.
In his arms, Soleiyu, who looked a bit disgruntled.
“Hello, I’m home! I brought a friend!” Who he’d spotted coming down the road–not that he’d been looking–and hurried over to meet him. He’d carried Soleiyu because the Mauvian had protested that he didn’t want to take the shortcut between their houses only because he was concerned about the dew messing up his fur.
Once all four paws were on the ground, Soleiyu huffed and shook to recalibrate. He didn’t appear to have come with anything, but his subspace was always well packed.
“Sorry, I tried to get here as soon as I could. I haven’t seen you two in a while, I wondered if you were getting up to trouble.” He knew he was here to see Lucien, to give him a check up, but he was still getting settled so didn’t rush to introduce himself. Especially because it seemed like an indecent moment to interrupt.
Elliot was less shy; he already knew Lucien. “I didn’t bring blueberries this time. I think my parents miss you, Atticus, they invited you and everyone over for lunch, too. We’re having hot dogs.”
He paused, briefly. “Did you do something with your hair while I was gone? It looks nice.” He hadn’t done much with his hair; he’d smoothed it over a bit so he didn’t have fluffy bedhead but he seemed comfortable around all of them. He didn’t want to look like some wild child, so he’d given a quick brush so no one would fuss. It probably helped that his hair seemed to fall in a way that nicely framed his face, so keeping up with appearances wasn't too hard.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 1:55 pm
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Atticus practically ran to the back door when he heard Elliot arrive, but he leaned down to give Soleiyu a quick scratch behind his ears and chin before giving his attention to Elliot again.
“Oh, thanks,” Atticus blushed but wasn’t able to stop himself from smiling when Elliot commented on his hair. He reached up to fuss with it some more. “I just brushed it a little.” And put some styling product that Claire picked out for him that would give his curls and waves a bit more volume.
Atticus always liked Elliot’s hair, no matter how fluffy or bedhead it looked. He thought it was actually a bit cuter when Elliot rolled out of bed with it matted to the side of his face.
But they were supposed to be letting Soleiyu give Lucien a checkup, so they should definitely not be distracted with each other. Even so, Atticus reached for Elliot’s hand and gave him a quick kiss while the adults were distracted.
“I miss your parents, too,” he smiled, but the squeeze of his hand indicated that he missed Elliot most of all. “That’s sweet of them to invite us for lunch.”
“You must be confusing us with some other Knights or Senshi,” Michael frowned when it was suggested that they might have been getting into trouble. He wasn’t upset about the comment, but he also didn’t mind giving Soleiyu a bit of a hard time. Just as he hadn’t minded harassing him about getting Devyn back to being Super, then Eternal.
He closed his laptop and set it aside, and when he stood, he held out his hand for Devyn once he was cat-free.
“I don’t think we can resist an offer for lunch,” Michael admitted. “We’ll have to do some shopping later. Want to help me figure out what new things you’d like to try?” he asked Devyn, because there were still so many things he had yet to try. And he could use some help picking out things for Lucien, too.
Lucien didn’t rush to get off of Devyn’s lap. It wasn’t as though he was embarrassed by anything they were doing. Being groomed felt nice and being able to stretch out was even better.
But still, he didn’t want to be rude to a Mauvian who was there to help him, so he got up and stretched, before jumping down from the couch.
“I am sure you were already told of my name, as I was yours, but it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Soleiyu,” Lucien said as he sat and made himself comfortable by wrapping his tail around himself.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 2:08 pm
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Soleiyu was already sizing Lucien up. It wasn’t like he was trying to be aggressive or anything, he just couldn’t help it. It wasn’t often that he found another Mauvian rough his size, and he liked to have a lot of presence. He mimicked Lucien’s position, though when his tail curled around himself it twitched a few times.
He was curious. Mysteries excited him.
Admittedly, he’d huffed at Michael, but it was all goodnaturedly.
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine. I got bits and pieces of what was going on, so it’s nice to actually meet you. I brought everything for a checkup but it won’t be too invasive. We should check your vitals, take a blood test, maybe a scan. I’m healthy, I did the same for myself this morning so you’d have a baseline to compare it to.”
And not just because he liked to show off how healthy he was.
“There’s a Mauvian Database here on Earth, also. I’d like to take you to it later just so you know where it is and how to find it. We can get you set up down there so you have access to all the servers and information.”
Elliot tilted his head as the Mauvians spoke, partly because–even if he knew they were hyper intelligent aliens–it still looked like a little cat party. Atticus’ hair was too nice not to admire, and he squeezed his hand in lieu of the kiss he wanted to give him in return.
“I would never say no to lunch,” Devyn agreed. “Nor anything involving food. I’d love to go shopping with you.” Alastorian food was nice! But also a bit more work than just walking into the grocery store, and it would be nice to have fresh things again, not just a mishmash of that and preserved foods.
Alastor still had a ways to go, but it was leagues ahead of where it had been not so very long ago. And, maybe it would give he and Michael some time to catch up, and Elliot and Atticus could help out the Reids, and Soleiyu could show Lucien the ropes, and–
There was a long list of things that Devyn was thinking of, he knew he needed to slow down before he worked himself up again. When things got a little more settled down here, he was going to have to make a plan to head back up to Alastor.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 3:27 pm
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Lucien made a bit of a face when Soleiyu told him about this supposed not too invasive checkup, but he didn’t otherwise complain about it. He knew this was the purpose of the visit. He just wasn’t looking forward to it.
“It’s a shame I didn’t have the forethought to bring my medical records with me. My doctor keeps meticulous records,” Lucien shared with a proud puff of his chest but--
“... Kept.”
That was right. This was a thousand years from when he actually lived. And the exact reason why he needed a checkup.
He pressed his lips together in thought, but nodded to let Soleiyu know he was listening. A Database run by Mauvians would definitely be useful. It was good to know his people were so resilient.
“I appreciate any assistance you care to offer,” he nodded again, even if he couldn’t help but notice the twitch of Soleiyu’s tail.
“That’s really neat that you have so much information available,” Atticus chirped with intrigue, still standing as close to Elliot as he could manage without crowding him. He couldn’t help but wonder what was in this special place for Mauvians. Were there cat trees? Heat lamps? Scratching posts? He wondered if it was rude to ask. Probably. He would just imagine it for now.
Maybe Michael could sense that Devyn was getting a little in over his head with his thoughts. Maybe it was the necklace. Maybe he just knew Devyn well enough by now to pick up on subtle changes in his expression and posture.
Michael took a step closer to him and wrapped an arm over his shoulders so he could pull him close enough to press a kiss to his cheek.
“How do you feel about seafood? I could get us some sushi. Cats like sushi, right?” he shrugged, knowing he was purposefully generalizing.
But he also kept his eye on Devyn, especially after Lucien’s comment about his doctor. He couldn’t tell if it was a memory or something he was just making up.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 3:43 pm
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Devyn tilted his head just slightly when Lucien mentioned his doctor, because that almost sounded like he knew something. He held his breath for a moment and then had to force a calming exhale. Michael had moved closer, he could feel his eyes on him.
His concern from last night still spilled over, and Devyn was putting in a little extra effort to reassure him without being too obvious about it. When it seemed like Lucien had no more threads of information to slip, he nodded and turned to the man next to him. “I think that’s a good choice. A welcome reprieve from the greasiness of pizza.” That he also loved. “And a different flavor entirely from whatever the Reids are making, I think.”
Given Asher’s affinity for using the grill, hot dogs were unsurprising; Elliot loved them, and they were quick enough that Devyn was never done with his plate before there were more.
“We can see if we can find any of those records the next time I head back up to Alastor,” he suggested, because it wasn’t really something to look forward to, but maybe it was at least a concrete goal.
“I don’t need them,” Soleiyu assured. “I’m not a doctor, it won’t mean much to me. I can just compare you to our baseline and see if there’s anything we need to be concerned with.” He looked up at Atticus fondly, because he was always such a sweet boy. “Haven’t I told you all about our database? I’ll have to fill you in later, it might have slipped my mind. But even if we Mauvians don’t always work together often, we at least do our best to share information so others might benefit as well.”
He could talk about that for any lengthy amount of time, but he supposed they would all feel better if they knew that Lucien was well. He returned his attention to the other Mauvian. “Do you want to do this out here? I suppose we could go on the kitchen table. Or we could borrow a bedroom.” Which he would insist upon, at the very least for the blood draw, because he didn’t want Atticus to pass out.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 3:59 pm
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If there was blood, Atticus would absolutely feel queasy, and at the very least cry. He knew it was important for Lucien to have his blood drawn, but even thinking about it made him want to bury his face against Elliot’s shoulder and hide until it was over.
“It’s okay, I might have just forgotten,” Atticus admitted, embarrassed and a bit sheepish and trying to remember if Soleiyu had told them before. If he had… Atticus felt like so much had happened in the past year that it was impossible to keep everything straight.
Michael laughed softly and kept his arm around Devyn’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Any food would be good, he knew. Variety just made things more interesting.
“If you need to use a bedroom, would you be okay if they used ours?” Michael asked Devyn, because he didn’t want to just let them use it when they could use another room in the house.
Lucien puffed out his chest a little at the suggestion of doing anything on the kitchen table, but was grateful when a bedroom was being offered.
“Might as well stay out of the way for this,” he agreed, and stood to start moving towards the aforementioned bedroom.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 4:07 pm
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Devyn seemed a bit surprised when Michael even asked if he was okay with it; he nodded instinctively. There was very little that Michael could suggest that he wouldn’t be comfortable with, and he knew both Lucien and Soleiyu were very responsible. Mauvians were probably more prone to snooping than he was, but what were they going to find? A music box? Some books? Half finished embroidery projects he’d tucked away to finish, and a drawer full of–well, the drawer might be a problem if they decided to investigate, he’d filled his bedside table with little treasures he’d collected and needed to sort through. Bits and pieces of jewelry, or trinkets, or little boxes he was fiddling with.
“The bathroom has good lighting,” he suggested, if only because he’d spent plenty of time appreciating how bright everything was while doing his makeup. He watched as the Mauvians started to head out, and if his eyes lingered on Lucien, it was only because he was hoping that the checkup would yield nothing troubling.
He wanted the reassurance that his friend was healthy and had the same chance to continue his life as Devyn had.
Soleiyu followed after him, pleased with this invitation into Michael’s room. He was here for business, though. Not snooping. And, for as curious as he was about the nature of Lucien’s existence, he did actually want to make sure he was healthy.
“It won’t take long,” he promised, maybe for everyone else’s sake more than Lucien’s. “We Mauvians are very efficient.”
Elliot seemed relieved, and squeezed Atticus a little closer. “Good! We look forward to hearing about his clean bill of health!”
He was optimistic, or at least didn’t think it would do anyone any good to be too worried about it. He kissed Atticus’ cheek instinctively and then said, softer, “You didn’t forget anything. Soleiyu likes to talk more about what he’s working on than the rest of them, but I want to know all about this little cat place, too.”
He turned to Michael. “Do you two need to get a check up, too? I know you weren’t feeling so well on Alastor. And I know you both kinda push yourself pretty hard.” Not that he was criticizing! He just wanted to make sure they remembered to take care of themselves, too.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 4:17 pm
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“I’ll give you a full report, myself, on how the efficiency holds up between then and now,” Lucien tried to hide the hint of a smirk as he swished his tail on the way towards the bedroom. That Soleiyu was so confident was reassuring, at least.
Atticus lifted a hand to give the two Mauvians a little wave as they made their way out of the room, and while he was still not sure if his memory was that great, he was reassured by Elliot’s words and kiss.
He very much looked forward to just sitting with Elliot again for a bit. Or watching him run around and have fun. Atticus didn’t mind sitting with Oliver while the others ran out their energy.
Michael snorted softly in amusement at Elliot’s suggestion as he rubbed Devyn’s back in response to his mild surprise.
“I think we’re okay for now, thanks,” he promised, and looked down at his free hand, just in case. His skin had turned back to its normal color, at least. And Devyn didn’t seem to have any issues with his own sickness he’d contracted on Alastor. Whatever had been in the water, Michael was just glad it hadn’t been the Blackrot of local legend around Villefort.
Although if they hadn’t gone there, Devyn might have never discovered the new magic that he had, even if they weren’t entirely sure what it did yet.
“While they’re getting everything set up and figured out, let’s head over to your house and see if your parents need any help with the grill,” Michael suggested. They would still be close enough if they needed any help, but far enough away to give them some privacy.
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