metalogs | [ closed ] i'm getting too old to be the hero

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marvel comics: david alleyne

[ closed ] i'm getting too old to be the hero

Who: Balthier

portolan
What: September Confluence Events
When: early September
Where: Balthier and David's house, Excelsior
Content Warnings: possible discussions of past trauma, genocide, death, abusive parent

Closed to David

The power is out. Everywhere. Has been for long enough Balthier doesn't think it's coming back. The worst of it, really, was the refrigerator, but he was able to put a slow spell on it to keep the insides cold. If that fails, he has something at the store that might work.

Otherwise, though, things could be worse. The old house was built without AC in mind, and Balthier already had a number of candles. He's picked up a few magical lights from work, which he's just finished placing around the house.

"You know, I think this might be the most benignly homesick I've been since getting here; my mind keeps thinking I'm back in Ivalice." Not that anywhere lacked proper lighting, but, still. It's the closest he's felt in so long he'd stopped thinking about it.

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The comment makes David, who was currently working on setting vital systems up into his backup solar generator and battery, smiled. There wasn't much he wanted to leave running, but he was going to do what he could. Which included the kettle. They needed hot water for tea and coffee.

"It's less like that for me. Blackouts back home tended to go with really bad things happening. Hopefully we can break that record here," he notes. "Though I imagine that with the power out we'd have a better view of the stars here than normal. That might be more homelike for you."

There were certainly things he didn't want to be without, and he was glad for David's skillset.

"The cities had magical lighting and appliances since well before my time, but some of the small outposts still ran without it, and there were mixed spaces. It's quieter, though, and a different quality of light; maybe that's what's reminding me."

He smiles at the suggestion of stars. "More homelike to my ship, certainly. And the weather shouldn't be a problem. We're past the worst of the summer heat." The water heater was gas, too, so no problems with the tub.

"Magical lighting? How did you power it all?" he wonders. It sounds so intriguing.

He returns to Balthier's side, a small kitten of golden light made from his powers was perched on his shoulder. The constructs didn't make too much light, but he is making use where he can.

"Firelight does have a whole different quality to it. Romantic and cozy. But I still wish we didn't have to live with this. I don't even understand what's going on with it."

But the heat, David sighs. He doesn't want to think about the heat.

“That was one of the growing problems,” he sighs. “Over usage of the Mist, increasing use of manufacted nethicite, over harvest of sky stone. Not wildly different from this world’s fuel issues.”

He glanced back at David and grins, in part at the choice of light and in part because that yellow glow always makes him think of that night he was in a migraine haze and was convinced David had looked like a mythical hero. “Thinking of getting us a pet?” He teases.

He rises from what he was doing, loosely draping his arms around David’s shoulders. “I don’t particularly like it being forced on us, but things around here have a way of shifting, and as far as disruptions go, this one isn’t so terrible. Maybe I’ll bring an instrument home and entertain you.”

Ah, human expansion outpacing reasonable growth expectations and overusing natural resources to the point of hurting their world. Yeah. That sounds about right.

"A pet? Oh god, I don't know that I'd be a good pet dad. It was just the first form that came to mind. I can change it if you want."

Was it silly to do this? Probably. But the little creature made it all feel... warmer to him. Sunnier even.

"It's not my favorite though. I'm a guy all about my tech. Guess living without it wasn't something I anticipated. Though if you're musically inclined I would love that."

Not as much as he would love investigating what is going on.

"Is it just me, or have things seemed... more unstable since Chaos Gate disappeared?"

"No, don't change it," Balthier laughs. "You look sweet. And whimsical. I'm not railroading you into a real cat, I promise. They'd ruin my furniture anyway."

He turns to kiss David on the forehead, hand finding the other's.

"I know, love. I'm sorry it has you out of your element. I do think it will come back eventually, and anything I can help with for your generators, I'm happy to."

They'll be fine; he knows that. His bigger concern is for the larger structure of the city. It had already taken a hit with the loss of tech and support of unknown metas in the last few months. His pirate heart couldn't help but worry about those with less resources; but he also knew one man could do little in the face of something like that, not unless he had the power of government or money.

"And I am passable at several instruments. I prefer professional, but, when a man only has silence or his own music--" He kisses David again. It's terribly romantic and he'll take it.

His expression turns to a frown at the last question. "It had crossed my mind. I don't like gods, especially not ones with that much power."

Sweet and whimsical was it? That sounds about right to him. But he's also glad that Balthier isn't really going to argue for the acquisition of a feline. They need more time to settle into each other before they come up with something like a pet.

The being out of his element has him on edge though. There was something absolutely wrong about not having access to his background tech powers. The alerts, his security cameras, all the things that make his paranoia seem less intense to him, and probably more intense to others.

"I can play a few things if I have sheet music in front of me, so we could enjoy that together if it comes to it."

As for gods, it gets complicated. Really complicated. There were those he liked and those he didn't. Tended to be dependent upon whether or not said god was out to kill him.

Balthier knows it has David on edge. Some of it's the body language, some of it's just knowing the other finds comfort in these systems. So he's glad his suggestion of a diversion is being taken up.

"I think that would be fun regardless of whether it comes to it. I'll bring something home next time I'm at the shop. Normal antiques."

Because that's also easier to talk about than the growing issue regarding Chaos Gate.

Normal antiques. An important statement for them. Because there had been so many instances of not-normal antiques. Worst of course being the pot/urn thing. Though that's a thing to think about later.

"Alright then, I'll look forward to it. In the mean time, well, I guess since I can't work I should be trying to do something productive. See if there are any local charities that could use help."

Or maybe he could just take a vacation. He needed one pretty bad.

"What if we did that...tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe next week?" Balthier says gently, holding David where they are. They'd already spoken of this, a little, after he'd resurfaced from being de-aged, and he knew it was eating at David. These sorts of existential shifts always did, for anyone.

"We're adjusting to our lives too. It's alright to focus on that and not keep busy with everyone else right away."

And it speaks to his growth that he doesn't feel a twinge of frustration or pain, like David wants to be somewhere else. He knows full well this isn't about them or their relationship; it's about David feeling untethered.

There's that. The rationality of the statement helps given the fact that David was not very good at figuring out what he wanted for himself. Having someone say to take it easy mattered.

"Alright," he says, taking a deep breath. "Guess I'm just going to sit back and do a bit calligraphy piece. Something beautiful."

Was that a fair use of rest time?

Balthier had been braced to need to gently argue. He's surprised and touched even that David is so willing to try.

"I think that sounds like a lovely meditative activity. My desk up in the loft space is yours if you'd like to use it. And with the light pollution down, maybe we can do some stargazing. We should get my bike out at least one night."

"Those both sound like good plans. Especially the star gazing. There have been a few things that my scope hasn't been able to pick up and I'm eager for the chance to see them."

Though he's actually more excited about the bike.

"Will you have the strength for the bike, with all of the energy down?"

He doesn't even know how it works, really. Just that it's magic.

He's thrilled to hear David genuinely excited for some piece of this, and it makes him smile affectionately.

"It runs on my magical stamina, so the power doesn't really make any difference." Not always ideal in combat, but, it also couldn't be stolen and used by anyone, so it had its perks.

"Alright then. And you're sure this strange drain isn't affecting you as well?"

Because crashing would not be romantic.

"So far, no, but maybe we'll do that tomorrow so I can keep an eye on it." He wouldn't put it past this place, but, in his gut he felt like it was alright. Still, the point was to relax David, and Balthier knew how he felt about the potential of falling.

That sounds like a good plan. And, at last, he takes off his glasses. And then his watch.

"You know what? Tech free night. If you see me reach for any of my smaller tech, smack me, okay?"

Balthier raises a brow, maybe more dramatically than he really feels, but he's still touched.

"I don't know about smacking you, but I am happy to keep you on a tech free evening." He plants a kiss on the side of David's face. "You always look fetching but it is a treat to see you without your glasses knowing I'm the only thing you're looking at." Not in bed, anyway.

Alright, no smacking. He can deal with that. Even prefer it he thinks.

"I want to be looking at only you," he says with a smile. Though he doesn't both wearing the glasses in bed. Otherwise... Well, he does actually try to keep focused only on his partner when it comes down to it.

"I'm not used to having them off. I mean, my vision started going when I was younger, but then Josh just... Sorta wrote that out of my genetics? But I was So used to them by then."

"You don't actually need them for vision?" Balthier asks, incredulous look turning into a laugh. "I suppose it's still the easiest way to interact with a display, I just --" he laughs again. "That sounds more like something I would do."

He gathers David in his arms, grinning. "You pay plenty of attention to me, for the record, I am just greedy and always want more."

"Josh fixed my eyes for me as his first step after he gained his medical knowledge," he says with a shrug. "And it lets me see my displays without people noticing."

Which is why he hasn't given them up. He shakes his head.

"When I was young, when the school put us into teams, I didn't have the ability to retain my knowledge. I crafted the first set of the glasses to interface with the school systems so I could access knowledge faster, so I could be the best battlefield strategist I could be."

So yeah, there had been a reason, and turning away from them would mean he could lose valuable knowledge. So he just... never had. It had become part of who he was.

"Oh, I want to give you more. More and more, love."

"I wasn't criticizing, love."

The ease of hiding displays along was reasonable.

"Though I do like learning more about you. Still, I'm not surprised I wasn't the first rogue you dated. You might have been a pirate younger than I was."

It had never been Balthier's first choice, and he'd struggled, initially, with breaking rules that weren't in place by people who had harmed him. That and he wasn't a great liar by nature, nor was he good at anticipating foul play. It had been quite the learning curve.

To the latter, though, he smiles. "I know. You always spoil me. My finest treasure." One that he's willing to fight to keep, as many times as it takes. But, it's nice to not have to right now. A power outage isn't so bad, all things they've dealt with considered.

"I suppose, in a way, everyone I've dated has been a bit of a rogue. You're just one of the most overt ones. The ones more open with who they are."

His finest treasure? David feels his face heating and he smiles.

"Just remember that some treasures are meant to be displayed."

"Clearly you've just grown more confident in your tastes."

But he's beaming, because he likes when David gets a little pleased and bashful.

"Have I not been showing you off enough lately? That's an easy fix." He pulls David in close, hand roving over the other's ass.

Has he? Perhaps he has. And he smiles at the man for the suggestion that he was. Truth was he was just growing up and realizing that the world was a wealth of shades of gray.

"We haven't really had a chance darling," he laughs, and he's definitely delighted at the hand on his rear. "Too much chaos for us to enjoy showing off."

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