Forging New Paths

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
Evelyn only gave Garrett a teasing little smile when offered his stories, despite thinking the gesture was actually very sweet. "I promise not to mock you too mercilessly."

Luca was petting Watson idly, smiling a little at the way he kneaded at his legs, but after a moment his eyes started following the others around him as he focused in more on the conversation. He couldn't help watching the way Garrett and Anthony interacted, leaning on each other and relaxing, ruffling hair and smiling. Would he ever be like that with anyone, he wondered? He didn't like when his Shadow wasn't around to protect him in public, and while Garrett offered him hugs and held his hand at times he always felt hesitant and awkward, unsure how to move or what to do. No one had touched him kindly in a long, long time. He was still learning to get used to it again.

"Mm," he murmured softly at first, rubbing his eyes for a moment and shaking his head to clear it before looking at Garrett again. "Plans?" Was something happening tonight? Maybe he'd missed something while he napped.

Evelyn stayed quiet, wanting to see what he would do when he was answering for himself. He would, no doubt, look to her for an answer eventually, but perhaps he would make his own decision before he did.
 
"Yeah. Nothing serious or anything. We were all just chatting about we might want to do tonight," Garrett pointed out. "There's a few options we were all thinking of, but it's hard to decide between them. Maybe you could help." He pulled in a breath. "So we were between reading some stories, watching the stars, or having you and Lily join Anthony and I for our patrol walk. It's part of our detective work, but it's very safe, and we get to talk to some very kind people along that route."

Anthony nodded his agreement and smiled. "Or we could do something else, if none of that sounds like what you want to do. Like Garrett said, we've just been talking. And we can all change our minds later if we want to." He lay on the picnic blanket again and sighed happily. "Maybe we could even do all three! Ya know, go for a walk, read some stories, watch the stars . . ."

Garrett laughed. "We'll see, huh? That's a lot to fit into one night. And the walk usually takes a half hour."
 
Garrett and Evelyn were always asking him questions like that, putting multiple things in front of him and letting him choose. Luca wasn't sure what it meant, if they were trying to give him practice making decisions, or if it was normal for people to talk to each other that way. It was still so strange, choosing things that didn't involve just him, like he had any business telling other people what to do. He was so used to being dragged along and commanded that the idea was overwhelming.

Luca was frowning a little, brow slightly furrowed as he looked down at Watson, but Evelyn knew it was his Thinking Face and didn't interrupt, just giving him time to try on his own. ". . . what does . . . patrol walk mean?" He asked finally, quiet and hesitant. His interest had been caught by the idea of Detective Work. Was that something he was allowed to help with? It sounded like something other than just walking, but he wasn't sure what patrol meant. What did someone do, when they were on a patrol walk? Was it just talking to nice people like Garrett had mentioned?
 
Garrett was delighted to explain. "Ah! It's one of my favorite parts of the job. Basically, we walk through a route of the city and look for anything unusual that might be worth looking into. And we talk to people to see how things are going. Very frequently, on the route we take, things go quite smoothly. It's a very quiet route. So although the main purpose is to ensure the city and its inhabitants are at rest, it often ends up turning more into a quiet walk by the end of it."

"Plus we always stop at a few different stores to talk to the store owners, and we sometimes buy snacks while we're there," Anthony added happily. "Oh! And when we stop in Miss Anya's store, she usually gives us these little mint candies. She runs a candy shop!"
 
Evelyn considered the idea of a candy shop with mixed feelings, not wanting Luca to be convinced to eat too many sweets and get a stomach ache, but thinking it might be okay to get him a a couple of treats. When he looked at her, unsure still, she only gave him a little smile and a shrug. "If you want to go, I'll go with you. We can go, or we can stay home if you want to rest."

His frown deepened a little for a moment, a very tough decision in front of him. They had been doing a lot of things lately, and he wasn't used to so much activity, but there were so many new things to experience and he didn't want to miss them. ". . . I can come?" He asked finally, voice soft and eyes worried when he looked at Garrett again. "I won't . . . get in the way?"

Evelyn tried to resist the urge to reassure him, letting he and Garrett have their decisions together without her interference, but it did hurt a little, hearing him ask with such an expectation of denial in his voice. He had been nothing but a tool, discarded and locked up when not in use, for so long. It was going to take a lot of time before they could teach him to feel like he belonged to himself and was worth so much more than he had been told for so long.
 
"Ohhh, Luca," Garrett murmured under his breath. He held out his arms at once. "Do you want a hug? Of course you can come. We'd love to have you with. Now, listen - everybody gets in the way sometimes. Me more than others. It just happens, and it's nothing to worry about. But no, you won't get in the way of our patrol walk. You're more than welcome to be there if you want to come."

Anthony nodded and patted Luca's shoulder. "Yeah! Patrol walls are way more fun with more people. And there are so many cool spots we can show you along the way! Like this one crack in the wall that looks like a face. It's so cool."
 
Luca hesitated, because they were outside with other people around - though no one was close - and because Watson was in his lap. But he wanted the hug. It was okay to have the things he wanted, wasn't it?

After a look towards Anthony at the pat, he carefully picked Watson up out of his lap and set him on the blanket, shifting up to his knees so he could move close enough to all but collapse into Garrett's arms. He was silent for a long pause, until Evelyn reached over to gently nudge his foot with her own.

"Do you want to tell Garrett what you want, Luca?" She urged, smiling a little at the way he seemed content to tuck himself into Garrett's side and stay there.

He turned his head enough to look at her with one eye, then managed a tiny nod. "I want to go with you. . ." He wanted to be part of whatever it was Garrett was doing.
 
Garrett was beyond delighted when Luca mirrored Anthony and flopped against his side. He grinned and ruffled Luca's hair as well, beaming. He all but forgot about the question until Evelyn brought it up again. "All right. I'm glad you want to come with! Now, it is a bit of a long walk. So if at any point you need to stop and go back home, we definitely can. No pressure," he added.

Anthony lay against Garrett's other side and smiled. "Yeah. Especially with how quiet things have been lately. I think the most exciting thing we saw was the new parrot that lives in Tony's shop now."

"Suppose we start with the patrol walk, and see how we're all doing afterwards?" Garrett offered. He would love to watch the stars or read a story afterwards, but it would depend on how much energy everyone else had.
 
"I like walking," Luca mumbled into Garrett's shoulder, face mostly hidden, but knew that he got tired faster than other people. He wanted to make the whole walk, so he just hoped his legs wouldn't get too tired.

Evelyn smiled at the sight of them all together, and for a moment had the wistful thought of drawing them all, if she could get them to sit still for long enough some day. She pulled out her phone to check the weather, and to see if she could possibly sneak a photo. "It looks like it should be a clear night tonight. We might even see the stars while we're walking."
 
"Aw, I'm glad! And don't worry. You can like things and still need a break from them sometimes," Garrett said, wrapping his arm gently around Luca. "Like when I stop reading books for the night. It doesn't mean I don't like reading any more. It just means I need a break to rest."

"Oh! Speaking of resting," Anthony added, "There's plenty of good spots to rest our legs on the way! I can show you all the comfiest ones, okay? Plus we'll have to stop and eat snacks at some point."

Garrett nodded. "Plenty of time for all that. For now, we've got the whole day to relax at the park and lounge around."
 
The park was quiet and calm, and Luca was beginning to forget that he needed to keep himself safe, content and warm in being curled up to Garrett's side. It lasted for longer than it had to date, while outside, until a dog barking in the distance made him think about things he wanted to forget, and he gradually started to pull away.

"Do you want to rest for a little while longer?" Evelyn asked gently, when little brushes of Insight told her he was beginning to feel bad. It happened, sometimes, even without outside stimulus. "Come here, Luca. You can lie down over here, if you'd like."

He was quiet for a moment, then eventually got up enough to crawl over to her and laid down with his head in her lap to close his eyes and try not to think. He just wanted to listen to the rustle of the breeze through the trees, and the voices of his friends, and feel the sun on his skin. It was better than remembering.

"What kind of music do you like, Anthony?" She asked to start any sort of conversation, flipping through her phone. "We can listen to something while we rest."
 
Last edited:
And thanks to Evelyn's notes, Garrett pieced together it was the dog that made Luca want his safety net again. He couldn't blame him. "Yeah. It's a beautiful day for resting. I might take a second nap, myself," he added, laying down where he was with a content yawn.

Anthony blinked when Evelyn asked what sort of music he liked. "Oh! Well . . . carnival music, sometimes. But I also like calm music with like xylophones, and harps, and that kind of stuff. Spa day music, you know?" he asked. "Oh! And windchimes."

"Some quiet music does sound nice right about now," Garrett agreed, already closing his eyes. "Luca? You want some music on?"
 
"Spa day music sounds like something that should exist on YouTube." Evelyn remarked with a little smile, already searching for it.

Luca only gave a soft, affirmative hum, opening his eyes only for a moment to see Garrett lying down and sighing softly. It was okay to relax, wasn't it? Garrett didn't think anything dangerous was happening, and everyone was calm, so it was okay.

"Music, then." She said softly, and once it was playing quietly for them set her phone aside to run her fingers gently through his hair. "What are your favorite kind of wind chimes?" She asked, keeping up a strange little conversation with Anthony just so there were voices to fill the quiet until Luca was calm. "I like the ones made of bamboo best. It's a . . . less sharp sound, is the best way I can think to describe it. But they're very pretty."
 
Last edited:
At first, Anthony raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. Why was Evelyn so deeply interested in what kinds of wind chimes he liked? But then he followed her gaze towards Luca, and he understood. Maybe Luca heading them talk calmly would help him relax. Anthony nodded and smiled. "Boy, I don't know if I have a favorite wind chime. They're all so nice. I do kind of prefer the ones with mid tones, though. Not too high, and not too low."

He leaned back and smiled. "So, uh - if I remember right, you're not much for carnivals. What sorts of hobbies do you have?" he asked.

Garrett was already starting to drift off. It was just as well; extra rest would help him stay more alert during the patrol walk.
 
Evelyn smiled a little at the way Garrett went quiet, both glad and amused he was getting some rest despite worrying that Anthony wouldn't be comfortable with just her awake. "I like to read," she answered, thoughtfully considering what could be considered hobbies, "and I do dabble in sketching portraits and scenery, when I have the time to sit for so long. When I know I'm going to be home for a long time, I like to try my hand at baking bread." The sketching was more of a learned skill than a hobby, she supposed, but she did enjoy it.

"What do you like to do for fun," she asked after a little pause to take in the way Luca's breathing was slowing, not quite sleep but calming down considerably. "Besides making carnivals, of course."
 
Anthony chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Funny you mention that. I'm . . . kind of still learning what I like to do for fun. Before Luca rescued me from the car, I kind of - there wasn't a lot of time for fun. But I love hearing Garrett read stories, so I'd probably like reading. Sketching and drawing sound fun, too! Probably watching movies. Going for walks. Definitely visiting the different shops on our patrol route. All the shop owners are so nice," he added.

Garrett was so deep asleep that he snored a bit.

Watson curled up against Luca, making biscuits on his back and purring.

Anthony snickered. "Aww! That's way too cute. It looks like Watson's giving Luca a back massage."
 
It was strange, thinking that when they had first become aware of each other Evelyn had thought of Anthony as nothing but an enemy, only to now feel a pang of sadness at the idea of the way he had lived until now. He had likely spent most of his time being pulled along by a family full of crime, and later in life juggled that and spying on them. It wasn't much of a life, for such a young man.

"Watson always makes him feel better," she murmured fondly rather than voice any of her thoughts, playing gently with a bit of Luca's hair but not moving her hand much for fear of making him stir. He only sighed quietly at the feeling of Watson's little paws and relaxed even further, finally beginning to drift towards sleep.

"Have you ever thought to try painting?" She asked after a small pause, wanting to keep talking for Luca but also doing her best to find some sort of common ground with Anthony. "Maybe it's something the two of you could try together. Luca seems to like painting." At least, he'd liked painting Watson's house.
 
"Or all four of us," Anthony suggested, brightening at once. "You mentioned sketching, right? Painting's not far off. And I bet Garrett would be willing to try painting! I know he's got like that forensics room, so he's not afraid to get dirty." His eyes sparkled. "We could all paint pictures of Watson, maybe! Cats are pretty good subjects to start with. And he's mostly black, so picking colors won't be hard."

Watson meowed quietly as though to agree with him.

"Oh! And swimming. I forgot about swimming," Anthony went on with a laugh. "That's definitely one of my favorite hobbies. Maybe we could all go again soon?"
 
Evelyn laughed softly at Anthony's enthusiasm, not unkindly. It was cute, she thought, how much they all liked Watson, and how much Anthony always wanted them to do things together. Endearing, perhaps. He was a good boy, she had decided, with good intentions. She would do her best not to scare him anymore.

"That might be nice," she said gently, thinking of different things to try because Watson might actually be harder to paint because he was black, since it made details invisible. "Swimming might be nice too."
 
Anthony nodded and smiled, reaching out a hand to pet Watson, who purred louder and closed his eyes. "Yeah. Too bad there's not a way to paint and swim at the same time." Then he gasped and almost jumped up. "Oh! Those rocks we collected at the lake last time! What if we took those home and painted those?" he offered.

They would be smaller canvases, sure, but that just meant there'd be more chances to try different colors and patterns.

Anthony already had plans to paint several rocks like different circus characters, which he could use for a model circus. There was an empty shelf in the office that was the perfect size, and his Ferris Wheel nightlight could be in it as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back