[PRP] not quite familiars (nathaniel & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

The world that had gone by, the one they were no longer part of, had had a K9 unit. It was not, however, the same dogs. They had actually been an older pair that no one was particularly fond of sans their keepers.

This was not the case with the new world they were in. Waffles and Habanero were well loved by everyone it seemed. Including, it appeared, Hellbine. The Chief of Police did not expect to be pulled aside and told that his familiar (though the office said cat, Jeremiah knew otherwise what Hellbine was) was playing with the dogs.

People were worried, the cat was quite small and the dogs quite large. Also it was time for them to go for a walk (never a problem to find someone who wanted to walk them). Which was why Jeremiah was heading to where they were kept during the hours their caretakers were working but not using them.

kuropeco

cue finding nathaniel with doggos and a hellbine???

 

[kuropeco]

The dogs were a delight.

If Nathaniel could have taken them home, he would have. He almost did, if only because he simply walked that way, and if only because it was just a habit to walk down that street as it was.

When Jeremiah found them, it would be to see Nathaniel crouched on the sidewalk, a leash in each hand, an all-too-familiar looking cat in front of him, the dogs rolling enthusiastically, sniffing eagerly.

Nathaniel's gaze flicked up, caught sight of the Chief of Police and beamed, waving a hand.

"Jeremiah! Hey!"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"'lo, Nathaniel." Jeremiah flicked a hand in greeting, a truer smile on his face than when he greeted most. He approached and crouched down, fingers going to the scruff of Hellbine's neck and plucking him up.

"So you're the one walking this troublesome pair today?" he inquired, amusement clear. "Hellbine probably thought he could." Judging by the way he was getting a lick to the side of his face (right at the scruff) he was right.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Nathaniel was smiling brightly as he gently but firmly pushed Waffles' head - and his tongue - away from his face and pushed himself to his feet. Gathering the leashes together in one hand, he held out his other to Jeremiah.

"I volunteered," said Nathaniel, sounding vaguely sheepish about it, even as he glanced over at Hellbine. "I thought maybe I could help out a li'l bit, and also get to spend time with the dogs, y'know."

Waffles was leaning comfortably against his leg,beaming up at him. Nathaniel glanced back at Jeremiah.

"How're you today, Chief? I haven't seen y'in a while."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"We never really have to worry about them getting walks or exercise with all the people who want to help out." Jeremiah was chuckling a little, mostly because of Waffles and the very serious but still pouty look he had on his face at being denied face licks.

Hellbine was settled onto his shoulders, a few scratches given to under his chin, before Jeremiah was gesturing for Nathaniel to go ahead and start walking. He'd go along with.

"I've been busy," he had a wry look on his face, "between what happens in Ashdown proper and over on the other side. There's always something going on and still have a few moments of ... having to adjust all over again." Since sometimes the changes to this reality snuck back up on him. Speaking of ...

"How have you been doing? Everything going alright?"

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

"I won't lie," said Nathaniel, glancing at the two canines now milling eagerly around his legs. "I've volunteered several times now, n'I think I'll keep volunteerin'." A hand drifted low to scratch the top of Habanero's head, Waffles attempting to nudge his way into the show of affection.

One leash was transferred back to Nathaniel's other hand and he set off, letting the dogs lead - which they did, very enthusiastically.

"Ah...yeah." Nathaniel made a little face. "It's...been a bit weird, learnin' everythin' new all over again. I kinda feel like I've been thrown off kilter more than I usually am."

One of the dogs veered left to sniff at a lamp post; Nathaniel tugged gently on the leash.

"Oh, I've been all righ'." Mostly. He glanced over at Jeremiah and gave a rueful shrug of his shoulders, lips quirking slightly. "Nothin' really excitin' has been happenin' to me or anythin'. I've just been sorta goin' about my own business."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"It's good to have repeat volunteers. Though it's good for the dogs to be used to multiple people, them having someone reliably helping is also good." Animals, of all kids, benefited from stability in their lives. It would certainly improve the demeanor. Waffles and Habanero's behavior around Nathaniel certainly spoke volumes about the young man and their trust of him.

Hellbine was still, rather lazily, grooming his owner's beard. Jeremiah was completely not bothered by it.

"It's been," he let out a breath, "different. Algie and myself have been married longer, as well as both of us having dual citizenship since he's also been in the States with me for more years." It was still something that bothered him: that a different version of him had made a better choice when it came to Algie. Had been able to speak up when he had not been able to do so.

"Nothing new or exciting?" Jeremiah asked with a raised eyebrow. "Not even normal life?" ... and not necessarily magic related.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

He gave a nod of understanding, Nathaniel casting an affectionate look down at the dogs. A part of him was still inevitably vaguely wistful of the lack of animals in his own life, but at least now, with all of the changes, it was...different. It wasn't as hard as it had been.

Nathaniel was resisting the urge to reach out and pat Hellbine's head while he lay coiled around Jeremiah's neck.

"More years?" he asked, a little taken aback. "That's gotta be a little...disconcertin', I think. Especially if you don' remember any of those years, or anythin' like that. Or I mean, tryin' to figure out all of that; suddenly you just got extra things."

He couldn't imagine how it would have been like; being married, and having that abrupt change. Nathaniel's lips quirked up into a little smile.

"Well, I got a bit more money now," he said with a laugh. "I mean...all these changes. Found a letter from my dad and it led to some money, so I'm not...y'know." Jeremiah had been involved in everything, after all.

Nathaniel gave a shrug of his shoulders. "And I can grow vines n' stuff."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Very much so," Jeremiah replied. "No memory of them and while things are mostly the same, Algie's entire book collection is here now." Which meant that there were even more book shelves in his home.

"Ah, and something - when we got back home - had torn up the garden though it was wildly in bloom. I've still got some pictures of it, if you'd like to see, it was something else." His head tilted as Nathaniel explained what had happened with him, lips pressing together before he nodded.

"I suppose that's a bit more fortunate then. Money towards your own nursery someday?" Then he was chuckling. "... and maybe I should have you come by to look at the garden if you can grow vines." Jeremiah went quiet a moment before he looked at Nathaniel seriously.

"Do people know you are capable of magic, Nathaniel?" He, himself, had little to no choice in the matter. His eyes had taken on a near perpetual reflective quality and there was no way around his status as being capable of magic not being known considering his job.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Nathaniel looked visibly entranced by the idea of more books. Very carefully, he said, in a deliberately casual tone of voice, "Well, if y'need anyone to come take care of your plants anytime soon, just lemme know and I'll drop by again - "

His expression turned outraged.

"Your garden's messed up?" Nathaniel sounded horrified. "I mean, now I've really gotta come over, that's terrible."

He gave a nod in answer to the question about his funds, because, well...it was true. Nathaniel let a smile spread across his face, though it faded a second later, replaced by something rueful.

"I...I'm not sure," he said, after a second. "I think maybe my father, but, I haven't really...gone around announcin' it or anythin'."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"It's in recovery but I've not been able to put in as much time as I would like to putting things to rights," said Jeremiah, looking a bit rueful himself. It was not something he was happy about but with his job and with things within other ashdown constantly on the move he had not nearly enough time for his garden.

"Let me know if you're free some weekend and we'll have you over." Then, of course, he was nodding. "It's ... best you don't. The freedom of the world knowing about magic is an illusion. It's more restrictive in the long run."

His fingers brushed along Hellbine's fur, almost as if it was to make himself remember that magic was a boon and not a bane.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Nathaniel made a noise of exasperation, not at Jeremiah, but at the situation in general and the idea that a garden had been destroyed. Habanero twisted around and pushed his cold, wet nose into Nathaniel's hand eagerly before bounding ahead again.

"I'd be glad to," he said, flashing a smile at Jeremiah. It would be good work, likely, not to mention something that would hopefully make both of the men happy. He let out a small huff of a breath, Nathaniel's gaze flicking skyward.

"It's still a li'l bit unreal to me," he admitted, after a moment. "It's...I mean, I still feel like I don' belong, not really. So even...lettin' myself know is kind of a new thing altogether."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah had made a similar noise, though it had gone on longer in frustration because it had not been what he wanted to find upon returning home from the void.

Nathaniel was given a smile and a polite nod, meaning Jeremiah would definitely give him a call to have him come by.

"None of us do, in a way. Not those of us who remember the world that was." Fingers continued to smooth against Hellbine's fur. "... but I am certain it's more disconcerting for magic to be a known quantity and for yourself to discover more abilities you did not know you had."

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Nathaniel's fingers slid idly along the leash, considering, though his gaze had flicked back to Jeremiah and Hellbine once more.

"I know you said anyone could be magical," he said, a little ruefully, "but sometimes I still think that this is all jus' a big mistake somehow, and that I wasn' meant to be able to do much at all. And I keep thinkin' I..."

But he trailed off, Nathaniel's expression a little frown instead.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah nodded, understanding a little bit what Nathaniel meant. "That perhaps you're just someone who is on the outside looking in? Though the magic seems to have a mind of it's own and prefers those kind of people to pull in ...

"However," he let out a breath, "for some this is because they've been part of this all before. People saw other times within the void and, more so, they saw other versions of people who live and breathe now."

kuropeco