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 Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 6:44 pm
Like before, Cassidy took Reims’ hand. He laced fingers with him and held on tightly.
This time, he knew what to expect. The shift from Ganymede to Earth was still incredibly jarring but he had Reims there to keep him grounded. He felt the warm summer night even before the rest of him had caught up to where they were.
Right where they left.
The area was still a bit unnerving, but Cassidy supposed that had more to do with what was here rather than what might still be here. And the fact that it was still going to be a bit of a trip home. He could suck it up and call an Uber if he had to.
His face settled into a bit of a frown but they were far enough from any lights that it didn’t have much of an effect on his expression.
There wasn’t much point to trying to scan the area; he could see very little even with the light of the moon above them. The streetlamps were too far away from the treeline to make much of a difference.
He looked anyway, but there wasn’t much to see.
Cassidy still hadn’t dropped Reims’ hand. In a whisper, “Is it safe?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:29 pm
Cassidy hadn’t let go of his hand. Reims didn’t make any effort to pull his away.
He nodded, not having to even look around to know that the youma was gone.
“Yeah, when we’re like this -- other knights or whatever -- we can kinda sense, uh… Chaotic energy. It’s gone, but… I’d feel better knowing you got home safe. Or…”
Maybe Cassidy was just done with him. He might not want to have anything to do with him after that. And he hadn’t even seen the youma, so for all he knew, he was lying or…
Maybe Reims was just overthinking things. He kept his head down, his heart still heavy from everything he’d learned. And everything he’d said or did or didn’t do in return.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:36 pm
“You still want to escort me home? Oh, I was worried you were getting tired of me and all my questions,” Cassidy laughed. “It’s a little out of the way.”
He might not be able to see much in this light, but he could see how his head hung.
Cassidy squeezed his hand. “Why so down? I thought you’d be happy that the youma was gone. You can come with me, I was trying to get to the bus station but it’s not where I remember it. I don’t suppose you’ve got magic that can sense that out, do you? I’m kidding, I’m just giving my phone a minute to get cell service again.”
One handedly, he retrieved his phone. It took him a few seconds to unlock it but his muscles were agreeing with him so he didn’t have to switch hands. It let him keep his fingers locked with Reims’, so he swung their hands just slightly as he tried to pull the app up on his phone.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:37 pm
“I’m not down,” he protested, immediately straightening up. He couldn’t get a good read on Cassidy. Most of the time he just assumed he was trying to be annoying and obnoxious on purpose. He didn’t want to cause waves, but he also teased and joked relentlessly.
Or maybe that was just how Reims saw it. Maybe he was a little sensitive to things like that. How pathetic.
“Oh… no, sorry,” he shook his head about not having magic to sense things like bus stations, but felt weird about commenting on something that was probably meant as rhetorical.
“I hope it’s not past your curfew. I’d feel bad if you got in trouble because of me,” he admitted, still not making any effort to pull his hand away.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:37 pm
Cassidy just shrugged as he navigated the app. “If I get in trouble, I’ll just start crying. It’s fine, I’m not worried about it. I’ll just tell them I got lost and missed my bus. And if they decide to ground me or whatever, oh well. I’m already not supposed to be out this late with all those youma and Negaverse goons prowling around, right? It’s fine. I’m fresh back in town anyway. I’ll just text them so they don’t worry.”
He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he scrutinized the information in front of him. It didn’t make much sense. He could see where there was supposed to be a bus stop a few streets away, but with the cluster of buildings back here it was hard to see where to get back to the main road.
He tilted his phone so Reims could see.
“And look! I don’t even have any new messages. They probably won’t even notice that I’m running late. So don’t worry about any of that. I’m trying to get to Ridgewood. So if I can get to the bus stop it looks like the one I need will be there in half an hour. But if I miss that I have to call a car because I am not walking there.”
He didn’t sound thrilled by the idea but his hip was already protesting and he wasn’t going to push himself so hard he had to spend tomorrow in bed. He’d done enough damage. He wanted to get home, soak in the bath, sleep in, and see where he was at when he woke up tomorrow.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:38 pm
Reims knew he should just nod along and let Cassidy figure out his bus stuff. He should suggest that he go ahead and call for a car to pick him up. It would be less of a hassle, or whatever.
And yet…
There was something still eating at him. The youma had sucked just by existing, but he’d learned more about Cassidy than he thought he ever would have otherwise.
“I could carry you,” he offered before he could convince himself of the horrible idea. He shrugged before explaining. “Uh, I can run pretty fast like this. And am stronger, so you’d weigh nothing. Not that… not that I think you’d weigh a lot anyway. You look like you’ve lost weight so it should be fine,” he quickly rambled.
“And I know where Ridgewood is. So… really? You live there?” he asked, glancing over at the phone when it was offered to let him see.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:39 pm
Cassidy tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the side of his phone. He was contemplating something but his eyes were locked on the screen.
“You know where Ridgewood is? It’s not that far from here. I think. I used to live further north so I keep trying to head that way instead of the new address. But I don’t know, you really think you could carry me from here to there? I’m not asking because I doubt you because yeah, I’d be down for that. It’s a nice night, anyway. As long as you don’t mind my company.”
He laughed and gently elbowed Reims. “I like your company. And your confidence! You think I’d weigh nothing? Please, I’ve got some metal in me so I’m heavier than I look. And I’ve got my backpack.” It clearly wasn’t very heavy, though. “You know, I thought I saw some muscle under that shirt of yours back on Ganymede. Your coat does a good job of hiding it. How fast can you run? Are you like, ‘I jog in the morning’ fast or ‘I do cross country’ fast? There’s a difference!”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:39 pm
“Cross country, I guess. I mean… I haven’t really timed myself like this, but,” he paused and shrugged, not really knowing what else to say on the topic. He often ran, but that was for school. He certainly wasn’t the worst when it came to stamina and speed, but he wasn’t usually carrying someone else.
He ignored the heat that colored his ears when Cassidy had to tease him about seeing muscle under his shirt. Cassidy said he liked his confidence, but Reims didn’t feel very confident around Cassidy. It always felt like he was missing something, or maybe that he didn’t quite understand what Cassidy’s intentions were. Maybe Reims was the problem, and not Cassidy.
Reims took off his hat and stored it away in his subspace pocket, and then offered Cassidy an awkward grin before explaining. “One of the perks. Invisible locker, I guess. Want to hang onto your bag? Or I can keep it safe for you until I put you down again,” he offered, putting his jacket inside as well.
“Yeah I know where Ridgewood is. I kind of just wander around a lot, so I’ve gotten used to a lot of the city.” He really doubted Cassidy weighed more with metal, but he didn’t comment on it.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:40 pm
“Sounds like a magic trick.” Cassidy half circled Reims but his hat was really just gone. He held out his bag. “If you’re going to carry me, I don’t want to make it harder on you. But you’re really not beating those magician allegations right now.”
Reims seemed a little more comfortable now, so maybe it was just the chill of Ganymede getting to him.
“So like, maybe this is going to be a weird question, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since you said there were people who control the youma. It’s cool that you can sense when there’s something evil around, but how do you know the Negaverse isn’t going to attack you while you’re at school or something? What stops them from being able to figure out who you are and find you and attack while your guard is down?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:41 pm
Reims let out a small, exasperated sigh, but he couldn’t quite stop himself from grinning in amusement at how, well, yeah it was kind of something a magician would do. Okay, maybe Cassidy had a point about that.
As for everything else, he frowned a bit as he tried thinking about how to best describe it. The fact that the Negaverse didn’t just attack everyone meant they likely didn’t want to reveal themselves like that. But why wouldn’t they if they were really that powerful? Or maybe it was their way of trying to lure out Senshi and Knights.
“I don’t know if the Negaverse is or isn’t going to attack us while we’re at school or wherever. I haven’t met any, but I’ve heard that some Negaverse people are, like… our age. Teenagers they convinced to join them. Or force them into it. There was a General who offered it to me, once,” he shared, his frown deepening as he reflected on that confrontation.
“I’d considered it for a little while. A friend’s friend had her starseed taken -- we got it back in time but… not everyone is as lucky.” Like Énna’s dad.
“Anyway, I thought -- naively -- that if I joined them I could keep everyone safe. Like a double agent, you know? Not really working for them, but making sure others aren’t getting hurt. I didn’t know then that my memories could have been wiped. Or that they could control me with other means. They could turn me -- or anyone, really -- into a youma. I have a friend who used to be one. A youma. But he had people who were able to save him. Oh, but, uh… I guess it’s like Superman and Clark Kent. You’re the same person but no one can see through the disguise unless they know.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:46 pm
Cassidy stood by Reims; he didn’t leap into his arms but he didn’t stand so far away that he seemed like he was putting off Reims’ offer. He cupped his chin and leaned back thoughtfully as he examined Reims.
“So you mean that your disguise is so good that I wouldn’t recognize you like this even if you were my best friend? Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t be focused on that. But I do want to know. I’m just still kind of thinking about the rest of what you said. It’s a lot.”
He wanted to focus on the easier things. But he also wanted to get as many answers as possible while Reims was handing them out.
Mentally, he was trying to sort his thoughts into neat little boxes to unpack later.
Teenagers could be in the Negaverse. Reims had almost been recruited.
The Negaverse could kill you, or steal your memories, or turn you into a monster.
You could get your soul back. The monsters were humans and could be healed.
It was a lot. Cassidy didn’t think he could get all his questions in now, and he’d definitely have more later. He was on a time crunch, there was no way to get all the answers he wanted.
Unless he could figure out how to find Reims again.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:47 pm
“Yeah, it is a lot. And I haven’t even started telling you about the aliens or talking cats.”
He tried to hide an amused grin, but likely wasn’t very successful. He felt bad for overwhelming Cassidy! But maybe that was what he deserved after overwhelming him all the time!! Wait, no, he wasn’t trying to be mean. And he hadn’t brought up the aliens or talking cats.
Reims still had every intention of carrying Cassidy, but he wanted to make sure he was comfortable while running, so he was quickly unclasping the cufflinks so he could roll up his sleeves to his elbows, and then loosened the tie around his neck enough to pull it up over his head. That was stored in his subspace as well. Next he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt for more airflow.
And then finally he pulled the thin ribbon that held his hair in a loose ponytail so he could gather it all up higher so his neck wouldn’t get too overheated. He hoped.
From his subspace he pulled a hair elastic that he’d borrowed from Julian. Well, he supposed it wasn’t really borrowed anymore, since he probably wasn’t expected to give it back. But he absolutely would if Julian needed it.
“Alright, Cas. Do you want piggyback or princess? I guess I could throw you over my shoulder, too.” He was teasing! His mood had shifted to something much lighter than before, thanks to Cassidy’s lightheartedness.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:49 pm
The corner of Cassidy’s lip twitched but he didn’t stay silent for long. “Princess,” he decided quickly. “It’s more comfortable. Well, for me. But if it’s too much, I can do piggyback. I don’t want to be a potato sack, I want to still be able to talk to you.”
There was a small part of him that still thought this could have been a trick.
It was growing smaller by the minute.
He doubted any of his friends would put this effort into playing such an elaborate prank on him.
“But you know, you’ve said aliens and talking cats now. Am I going to get the crash course on them, too? I knew aliens were real. But talking cats? You’re teasing me. Do they all talk?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:53 pm
“Yeah I thought you might,” Reims snorted and double checked that everything he needed to store away was, including Cassidy’s bag, which he would give back once they got there of course.
He held out his arms, wrapping one around Cassidy’s back, and he leaned down to scoop him up from behind his legs.
“I’ll walk fast for now, but if you get too jostled I can slow down,” he explained. Since Cassidy seemed still in the mood to talk, running would only make it more difficult.
“But you knew aliens were real? Yeah, but have you ever met one? But cats definitely talk. Not all of them. But they can also turn into furries -- I mean, you know. With the ears and tail. I bet they’d blend in pretty well, but they give off a strong aura so it’s probably dangerous. You comfortable?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:56 pm
Though Cassidy expected to be picked up and carried, the actual gesture was enough to stun him into temporary silence. He hardly even had to shift positions to get comfortable. There was no tension in Cassidy’s body; he seemed like he relaxed completely. From where he was, he could just comfortably lay in Reims’ arms and look up at him. Although, he’d at least had the decency to gather up his hair so there wasn’t any chance Reims might trip over it.
“Very,” he said. “I can feel your muscles through your shirt, you know. You are strong. I’m not teasing you, it’s a compliment.”
He had that smug expression again but there was something kind in it, something giddy. He didn’t want to give Reims the chance to get flustered and drop him to the ground or cancel on him so he quickly added, “I’ve never met an alien, but I’ve been online. I’ve seen plenty of weird videos.
“Why can cats talk? Is it just cats, or like, dogs too? How do I find one that can talk. I want to chat with a cat, what do they talk about?”
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