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 Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:58 pm
For a moment, Reims had tensed, expecting to be teased. But Cassidy was quick to explain that he wasn’t, and was complimenting him instead.
It was… weird. And enough to make his ears burn. He shrugged a bit and mumbled about playing sports and stuff. Even being flustered, he was almost clearly smitten with the compliment. And maybe -- maybe -- he flexed a little. Just to get comfortable! Definitely not to show off. It was Cassidy, after all. He would just be back to teasing him as Riker once they were back in school.
“No idea why they can talk. And yeah, just cats that I’m aware of. I mean, I think they’re aliens, too. And depending on which one, they talk a lot about technology. I should throw in a disclaimer that I haven’t had very in-depth conversations with them, but I have a couple friends who live with some. Or know them personally.”
He was already walking as briskly as possible. He was never part of band, but he’d heard from others that rolling their step from heel to toe made movements smoother, so he did his best to emulate that as he hurried down the sidewalk. All the while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
“Online videos makes sense. We’ve got some pretty weird looking aliens coming to Earth now. Apparently they’ve been chilling out on their planets -- supposedly the only survivor -- for hundreds of years. And then magically were brought to Earth and integrated with humans. A friend’s dad is actually one of those aliens. Oh, I mean, they were adopted after he came to Earth. But still.”
If Reims seemed like he was in a good mood, it was because he was. Maybe he liked showing off a little. Even if Cassidy didn’t really know who he was, well… he would have liked to do the same with Énna. Maybe then he could tell him the truth without him hating him too much.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:59 pm
Cassidy had to bite his tongue not to say ‘I felt that’ when Reims flex. It was very difficult to keep his face from breaking into a smile or laughing. He suspected Reims would take it the wrong way completely so he kept it to himself.
Besides, it was easy to be a little taken aback with what Reims had to say about aliens.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “First of all, that’s kind of cool. I was thinking like, little green aliens, not–you know, people. Crazy that they could just be walking out among us like that? Like? Well wait, I’m not like, trying to be like, anti-alien or whatever, it’s just–you know? You’d better not just be a really good conspiracy theorist. Like, you’ve definitely recruited me but I can’t go to school crazy. Are you sure we can’t meet up again some time? Because I’m going to lose my mind if I can’t talk about this with someone.”
He looked up at Reims with his best, most pleading look. “I really want it to be you.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:04 pm
Oh no. It was almost as bad as tears. Reims could feel his cheeks burning along with his ears, and while he’d glanced down at Cassidy to make sure he was doing okay, he wasn’t sure he could look into his eyes when he was staring up at him like that.
“I- I mean, I guess we’ll see. I’ve still got to get my friends to check on you, so. I mean. It’s, uh… I guess I could come with them when you all meet up. But. I mean. I could uh. I could send you a message about where I could meet you. It’s another magic thing. But yeah, that friend of mine with the alien dad? Don’t question him too hard about it, otherwise he might start crying. Oh. He’s the one with the healing magic. Ephesus. I mean, there’s another friend of mine with healing magic too -- Cynthus -- so I’m sure they’d both try it out if I asked. But she’s kinda a brat, so probably stick with Effie.”
Probably. He knew Ephesus was pretty sensitive about things, but he was also really willing to help out. And he was sure he’d like a chance to help a friend, even if that friend wouldn’t be told it was him.
“He’s the one who helped with my arm,” he added, just to increase his credibility. “I’m probably a really bad conspiracy theorist. Well, I don’t know. I don’t trust most adults, so… oh, but be careful who you talk to since you never know if you’re talking to a Negaverse agent or not.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:07 pm
Hehe.
Cassidy loved when a plan came together. He loved, even more, how Reims’ walls seemed to come down. He was talking more now than before, and while Cassidy couldn’t quite put together all of the puzzle, some of it was starting to make sense.
He hadn’t even needed to break out the tears.
“Well, if I can talk to you, I won’t make the mistake of talking to the wrong person. I know I can trust you. And if you say I can trust your friends, well, then I’ll trust them too. But I’d definitely feel more comfortable if you were there, since I already know you.”
He didn’t think he had to keep up with the pleading eyes but he was ready to drop them again at a moment’s notice.
It was surprisingly easy to relax in Reims’ arms. He was walking quickly but each step was so smooth. Cassidy wondered how much effort he had to be putting into things to carry him so gently.
“Maybe you can give me a secret code or something if I’m close to saying something that might make your friend cry. Especially if he’s the one that can heal. I want to stay on his good side. If you give me a heads up, I could bring like, a snack or something. A ‘thank you’ for meeting up with me. But you’d have to tell me what they like. And you, too.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:08 pm
Reims clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, but it might have also been because he had to pause and backtrack a little since there were more cars than he would have liked for a particular area of the city they had to pass through. He couldn’t sense anything in the small park near them, so he ducked into the shadows of the trees.
“How could you possibly trust me? You just met me! That’s ridiculous. You shouldn’t just trust anyone--”
Wait. He supposed it was better that Cassidy trusted him, and it wasn’t like he wanted to do anything that would upset him or whatever.
“I mean-- look. Not everyone is like me okay? And I’m not even that great. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and -- I don’t know, I felt guilty not answering your questions I guess!”
He was rambling, he knew. But Cassidy looked so content and comfortable and--!! That was a bad thing! What if the Negaverse swooped in and did the same! Did he just jump into the arms of anyone who offered??
“I don’t need anything!” he said in his building panic. He was still fine! He wasn’t going to just drop Cassidy or anything like that, but he wanted to make sure he knew that it wasn’t just a fun little game of magic! He knew this was a horrible idea. How did he end up getting pulled into this?? Wait, he’d pulled Cassidy into this -- it was different!!
“I’ll just tell you to stop doing what you’re doing! He cries for everything so it’s fine, probably.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:08 pm
The detours weren’t unpleasant. Cassidy didn’t even know if Reims was actually going to take him home or if he’d get tired of carrying him, or if a monster would show up and he’d have to run off to fight it.
He was willing to roll with the punches and see where it got him.
So far, it was in Reims’ arms, learning about a magical world all around them. This part wasn’t so bad.
“What do you mean ‘how could I possibly trust you? I’ve got great intuition, I’m very good at telling who’s a good person. You’ve got that,” he gestured with his arm despite not knowing if Reims would even look to see it, “aura.”
He was in a much better mood than before but it wasn’t like he wasn’t taking this seriously. It was just hard to hear ‘oh yeah, monsters and soul snatchers and magic are real,’ so yeah, he was going to try and make the best of it. What else was he supposed to do?
“You were in the right place at the right time, and you care about me getting home safe and you care about your friends and you cared enough to give me the chance to meet them, right? Don’t sell yourself short. ‘I’m not even that great’, well you know? You don’t have to be so humble. I don’t have magic. And if I did, I don’t know if I’d be able to sweep strangers off their feet to rescue them. You don’t think that’s amazing? I don’t know, I’ll have to meet the others if you don’t think that’s enough to make you special. But I think you’ll be my favorite, anyway.”
He watched Reims, appreciating this angle, but he didn’t want to actually stress him out. He didn’t want to give the impression that he was going to be reckless or get into more trouble so he assured, “It’s not like I’m going to be running around trying to meet more knights. You said it’s dangerous, so I’m going to be careful. But since I already met you, I wish you’d let me do something nice for you, too! Whether or not you ‘need’ anything. Doesn’t Superman accept the pies from little old ladies he’s saved? He doesn’t need those. You want a pie?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:09 pm
Reims clicked his tongue again, muttering something about how Cassidy was being ridiculous. But he was also trying to keep his face away from easy view since he was sure it was flushed significantly.
He wasn’t sure how to take compliments. He was so used to fake compliments, where people were making fun of him instead. Usually his brother, or the rest of his family. Not that any of them even accepted him as their family. He was just a b*****d who ruined his mother and brother’s lives by existing.
“What, you gonna make it yourself?” he huffed, although there was no heat in his words. He sounded like he was struggling to come up with something to say in response. There was just… a lot that Cassidy tossed at him. He would be his favorite? He wanted to do something nice for him? He had the aura of a good person?
It was enough to make him feel a little light headed. But he knew where they were, and it wouldn’t be long until they reached the gated community where Cassidy lived.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:09 pm
“I could try. I haven’t spent much time in a kitchen but I would for you. What’s your favorite flavor? Wait, let me guess. Apple. If it’s not apple, pecan. No, chicken pot pie.”
He felt weightless in Reims’ arms. It didn’t even look like Reims was straining in the slightest to carry him, and when Cassidy managed to pick his head up enough to glance around their surroundings he found that they were actually making very good time.
Too bad, he didn’t want this trip to end.
His heart was fluttering in his chest and his stomach churned, which was a bit of a weird feeling but he pushed it down effortlessly. The emotions never reflected on his face. He was used to bottling things up but he didn’t really want tonight to end even if Reims had promised to meet up with him again.
“Baking can’t be that hard. And even if it is, one of the teachers at my school does this life-skills class after school. I could ask him to teach me how.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:10 pm
“Wait, really?” he frowned, both impressed and not sure if Cassidy was just teasing. But… of all the things he could have teased him about, Cassidy had been very reassuring and encouraging.
“I mean… I’ve helped bake a little but nothing fancy. And, I mean, yeah, who doesn’t like those kinds of pies?”
Why didn’t he ever get to have conversations like this with Cassidy? Although, it wouldn’t be fair to say it was Cassidy’s fault. Riker was usually the one running off or hiding whenever Cassidy came around.
But he was surprised by how enjoyable talking to him was. Even if he was a bit exasperating.
A part of him wanted to confess. To tell him who he was and get it over with. But another part -- and the part that won out -- warned him it would just put Cassidy in danger.
“I mean… what about you? Chocolate pie? Tomato pie? I’ve had one recently. With melted cream cheese. I wasn’t expecting to like it, but the crust was nice and flakey. Well… now I’m hungry.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:12 pm
“Tomato pie? You’re not making a pizza joke, right? Because,” Cassidy squirmed just slightly, like he was trying to sit up so he could make sure Reims heard what he was saying, “I love tomato pie. I mean yeah, that other stuff too, but I have the best tomato pie recipe. It’s my grandmother’s. And it’s authentic Italian, you can’t beat it. You have to try it.”
Forget apple pie. Even though he’d already been drafting an email for Mr. Reid in his head to ask if he could get a crash course on baking. He was pretty sure he could butter him up enough to get an invite over to Elliot’s house for a more in-depth lesson. And he could make a whole day out of it, especially because he needed to catch up with Atticus, too.
But a tomato pie, he–
Well, he could still get the recipe from Nonna, she’d love a call from him. Especially if he told her that he was typing to impress his crush. Of course, she’d probably start daydreaming about great-grandbabies again but she didn’t need all the details.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:12 pm
“Wait, really?” Reims repeated, and felt ridiculous for doing so, but he hadn’t expected Cassidy to say he actually did love tomato pie. And other stuff too, but still. There were a lot of pies in the world, and a lot of people had very strong feelings about them.
“I mean, I don’t mind uh--” How did Evan describe different foods as…? “Sweet things, but I think savory tastes better. Uh, for me. Not that there’s anything wrong with sweet, but.”
He was rambling again, so he cleared his throat.
“Sorry, I wasn’t joking about being hungry. It’s okay! I have food with me. Or, uh… I know where to get food. No, it’s okay, you can keep your apple,” he promised, not wanting Cassidy to worry about digging it out of his bag once they stopped moving.
“But… I mean, if you made one, I wouldn’t say no to trying it. Maybe I’ll make you some food instead, but I’m not too great with baking. You’re not lactose intolerant are you?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:15 pm
“What? No, I can eat anything. Are you lactose intolerant? I love cheese. I prefer savory to sweet, too. But I like light meals the most. I snack a lot, but I’ll eat just about anything. You’d have to work really hard to bring me food I don’t like. Oh, but I will judge the Italian food. It’s just, I’m spoiled. My grandmother makes the best so if it’s not authentic Italian–you know, if you’re hungry, I guess I shouldn’t keep talking to you about this. But make time later, I’ve got a lot of thoughts on it.”
They were getting close, and Reims was over here talking about being hungry? No, Cassidy couldn’t have that.
“My dad might be home by now, or else I’d invite you in. After you drop me off, would you wait out here for like, five minutes max? I can heat you up something to go. Do you like chili? It doesn’t have much of a kick, my dad can’t handle it. And I’ve got some sausage rolls. All fresh. I mean, the sausage rolls we bought from this restaurant–Marco’s–yesterday. And the chili is just crock-pot leftovers from last night. I know you said you’ve got food, but. I’ve got Pop Tarts, too. Not savory but easy to carry, I guess. If you say no, no pressure, but like. I need you to keep up your energy in case I need a rescue again. You promise you’ll write so we can meet up again? I’ll keep my schedule free for you.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:16 pm
Reims wasn’t sure how to feel about everything. He was actually looking forward to meeting up with Cassidy again. And he felt guilty for keeping secrets from him like he was with Énna.
But why would he want to ruin-- whatever this was.
“I like chili,” he nodded, straightening up a bit more with interest as he carried Cassidy quickly through the shadows to his neighborhood. “I mean, I’ll eat just about anything.”
He’d know if there was any coconut. He didn’t want to mention it because he was pretty sure most of the team already knew about his allergy. But he did shake his head about being lactose intolerant, and had to clamp his mouth shut about helping out with a cheese themed food truck.
“Uh… okay,” he heard himself saying. “I can wait a bit. And yeah, I’ll figure out when to meet up with you again.”
His chest felt tight, but he wasn’t sure if it was a bad thing. Just like how he wanted to see Cassidy again.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:17 pm
“Chili it is,” Cassidy said proudly, practically beaming. He was so giddy that he could have kicked his feet as Reims carried him. Containing himself seemed like an impossible task but he managed. And yet, despite his obvious excitement, he wasn’t able to escape his relaxed, complacent expression. There was an inescapable smugness about him, but in a moment of pure joy it was easier to tell that his face sometimes just looked like that, whether or not he was feeling cocky.
Cassidy had time to recuperate while in Reims’ arms, and he had enough adrenaline that he was ready to sprint to his house and pack up something to send off with him.
“I won’t keep you waiting for long. I’m sure you’re busy and have other people to save tonight. Is there some way for me to contact you? I can wait. Patience isn’t exactly my strong suit, but I’ll do my best. How do your magic messages work?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:21 pm
“I’ll write the message on a piece of paper or something, and address it to you, and when I stamp it with my ring it should be sent to you,” he roughly explained, not really sure how it works, but knew what he’d done before to make it work.
“I don’t think there’s a way to contact me, but… I guess you could leave a note somewhere that I’ll know to look?”
He was at the gates before slowing down, although he didn’t bother letting something like that stop him. Mostly because he kind of liked the opportunity to show off. Reims made sure he held on tight to Cassidy, and that Cassidy didn’t seem like would flail out of his arms, before taking a few quick strides before leaping over the fence completely.
“Need me to take you anywhere in particular, or would you rather me not know exactly where you live?” he hummed, glancing around like he was unfamiliar with where everything was.
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