Private Finished Misunderstandings

Giggling with childlike mirth, Julian entering the house after “paying off” the pizza man was pleased that Chester understood his reference to the Lama Emperor. Crouching slightly so as to avoid the door frame as he entered, Julian did so out of hobbit and near gasped looking about with more or less urgency them the previous time he had admired the space. The first thing he noticed about the space was how neat and clean it was… like, he probably should disrobe now and not touch anything kind of clean. The counter tops were marble… with sparkles, the floors were covered in multiple Persian rugs, with one massive one in the living room. All the floors were a polished hard redwood, of all the things Julian was quite impressed with that and of course the amount of flora and fauna that he’d previously been made aware of (like the one hanging in his bathroom).

Of these many beautiful things, he noticed a shoe rack, umbrella stand, coat rack and a woven straw mat… clearly this was the zone that guests shed their undesirable garments before entering the rest of the house. Planting his rear firmly on the woven mat he started pulling off his boots, opening up the laces one at a time instead of tugging it free… that could’ve sent loose dirt or dried mud free into Chester’s home and he didn’t want to be a bad guest.

“You know, over the phone you sounded so exhausted and wet. But now you seem ready to run a marathon! Mind sharing any of that energy with me?”

Resisting the urge to fan out his coat and let his inner coating of dirt fill the air, Julian smiled and retorted mildly embarrassed at having taken his dirt nap earlier.

“I only wish the ladder were true, it’s kind of like I’m a dry seed and currently floating on an updraft… by that I mean beneath the surface layer I’m filthy and this high will eventually have a bad… bad crash to it, but it’s a slow decline so it’s manageable” he tried to reassure the boy, quite frankly there were many cases were it was a slow decline and others were one burned out almost immediately, it was a fifty, fifty shot and as long as you weren’t doing strenuous activates, eating poorly or expected to perform sexual obligation then often times you’d be fine. Swallowing hard, Julian hoped Chester had the honest to goodness intent not to fool around tonight, because if and when they decided to sleep… not even a hurricane was going to be able to wake him more than 20% cooler than freezing cold water splashed in his face.

Placing his shoes on a rack, Julian took off his coat, shaking it outside of the door frame, almost missing what Chester had said.

“I don’t how you do it. Being at 500% all the time. I can barely manage 60 at any given time!”

“Balanced diet, exercise, little to no pop or heavy meals and…” moling over any remaining helpful tips, Julian just looked at Chester thinking… yeah, he’s got most of that down and then some. Perhaps Chester was a caffeine drinker, a lot of his friends that were dependent on the substance really had a hard time keeping up their energy… though rather than give his new friend a lecture on proper body maintenance and poor him to death, Julian went the funny route.

“Oh… and like scar face snort a comically large pile of cocaine… now you got to hit all of those marks every day or it won’t work” he teased, about 65% satisfied with his own grooming, but resigning himself to the fact that unless he jumped in the shower it wasn’t going to get much better than this.

“Alright before we dig in, let’s take a moment to reflect upon this glorious bounty” he said, turning the pizza box so it would open between Chester and Julian. Opening the lid, he took in a whiff of savory aroma that had been percolating inside the box.

“Ah… that smells like heaven and heart disease right there… delicious” he chortled, reaching for a pie serving utensil that Chester had ready and waiting.

“I’ll serve, since you paid… I will be getting you back for that b.t.w.” he reminded the other boy as he passed out the pie and took another deep whiff of his own before nibbling at his own.

Raising a skeptical brow, Julian was unsure if he had heard Chester right… was he actually expending energy like a druid to retain his current form as a human? If so, did that mean he could revert to his dragon form at any moment upon draining himself? That was a dangerous theorem to be certain, making it ill advisable to practice magic for the poor boy all together. It was almost sad Julian thought, having spent a great deal of his own life learning and living with magically inclined people, creatures and nature, he couldn’t imagine a life of trying to avoid his own talents.

Hanging off of the edge of seat nearly, Julian listened with extreme intense focus as the subject was most captivating to him. The more Chester explained Julian began to internally cringe, what kind of family “wrote” off a child for not learning easily? Julian wasn’t exactly the typical learner either, though he took rather scrupulous notes, he’d often needed visualizations to fully understand a math problem or examples of additional ways one might come to a conclusion. Creativity had always been his strong suit, coming to an alternative method to resolve a problem and thereby confusing those that understood the “proper” resolution or the textbook version.

“Just because one person learns differently, doesn’t mean the way they learn is wrong” Julian muttered, half with contempt in his voice at having too been considered “different” by others. Noting Chester’s imbalance issues, Julian wondered in his mind’s eye if any of the symptoms Chester was experiencing could be cured by using all natural remedies. Elders often said, if there is a sickness or virus in man, there is almost always a part of nature that is the cure. Still, he had little to no information on what Chester’s family had tried or what he himself had given attempt at in order to balance himself… and Julian was no doctor, he understood his own body and could compare his own to others but that was why he was here in Manta Carlos to expand his way of thinking and look for alternative learning to better himself as a whole.

Watching Chester start on his third slice of pizza brought Julian’s mind back into the here and now. Part of him was impressed and appreciative that Chester felt comfortable enough to eat honestly around him. Having had little chance to gauge that about him earlier, Julian was unsure if Chester adhered to social or society norms of not “eating” like you want around certain people for fear of it diminishing their outlook on you. Truth be told, Julian hated those types of people, he’d rather a starving person bit fully into a burger as if it was the only thought allowing them to make it through the day versus pulling out a knife and fork in order to eat a slice of pizza, that is as opposed to folding it like a real human being and holding it in either one or two hands depending on the slice size. Deep dish was a little more stable, it was like trying to hold a solid piece of cake in his hands, though a random bit of sausage would fall here and there back towards the box or his napkin, Julian still believed this method was the most honest portrayal of his own personality.

“Sometimes I do stuff by accident, but at some point I think they wrote me off, and that’s why I live here. So if I change it’s not a huge deal and there are people who know how to deal with… uuuhh… people like me.”

“That sucks, I don’t know what I’d do if my magic went wild” sympathy evident in his voice, Julian reached for another slice of pizza stopping short as he withdrew his hand and went for the handle of the pie serving tool. Depositing a second slice onto his napkin, he licked his lips trying to allot more time for Chester to talk. He appreciated the offer of a shower, after beating out his jacket at the door, which embarrassingly he knew Chester would see, Julian certainly didn’t want to venture far before cleaning up.

“I’ll definitely be taking you up on that offer” he agreed, knowing full well what he must smell like… though grass to him was a pleasant aroma, he’d long ago been taught to think of others more than himself. Speaking of others, Julian leaned back upon hearing the altogether pleasing sound of a cat mewing nearby and as it came closer with it’s cute little tail flicking back and forth, Julian planted his hands in firmly on the counter as it was all he could do to not pick up and swaddle the little fur baby and cover her in kisses.

“Awe… Slyvia, she’s beautiful Chester… I mean just look at those eyes, like she’s putting daddy to shame” he teased, wanting but resisting again to pick her up so he returned to scarfing down his second slice of pizza in effort to catch up to Chester. Chest pounding with the feels as Chester explained how he and Sylvia had come to know one another, Julian was just about to let out a man tear, when he finally swallowed a bit of crust hard so that he could ask a question he’d been wanting to really badly.

“Can I, please… pick her up or pet her ears?” he asked politely, knowing there was a good chance of a “no” because some animals needed time to get to know you… and as far as Julian could tell this Cat wasn’t magical, because if she was, “mew” would’ve been words to him.

“Awe, come’ere you sweet pie” With permission came great interest, but slow and steady implementation. Julian slowly lowered his shoulders and then his arms gauging both safety and his minor sense of paranoia. Having been scratched on occasion, Julian was no fool when it came to playing with animals large or small. At first he lowered his hands to be sniffed and familiarized and after several moments of that he began scratching ears until she casually leaned into it and allowed herself to be lifted onto Julian’s lap for more of a personal touch.

Feeling like Craig Fay in Dr. No, but looking like Dr. Evil and Mr. Bigglesworth; Julian scratched behind ears, under the cats chin and patted the ever so soft fur of Sylvia whilst Chester elaborated on his distaste for home schooling. Julian remained quiet throughout the explanation as his was a loving family in all but there regard for moving him all over the world, making it nearly impossible to maintain a single friend outside of the Druid clan. Anthony, he was Julian’s confidant in the way that when Julian wanted to hook up with a random Irish girl or a preppy boy that was likely a future mayoral candidate, that Tony would play cover story for him. Not that they didn’t go and watch movies all the time, eat out and go to… well, movies. Julian was kind of a movie buff, the fact that he spent so much time on his rear, he at that moment found it odd that it wasn’t rounder.

Hearing the passion for which Chester spoke about his family almost made Julian angry, the fact that people could be so insensitive or uncaring really ground his gears. In this day and age many people were coming forward righting social and historical injustices, hell, come this October, Julian full well expected to be back in Canada celebrating Indigenous people’s day because so many Americans had finally come to the realization that Columbus had never set foot in America… that and he was a huge twat. Putting his own interests aside, Julian was almost rocked out of his senses as Chester began raising his voice and Sylvia made a mad dash for literally anywhere safe.

It was like looking into the eyes of a caged animal that had lashed out at a passerby, not out of anger or murderous intent, but fear. Fear of not being understood, fear of captivity and regret, for all those years it ran free that it would no longer. Something was trying to escape Chester, trying to break its way out and much as the poor sunken boy before him sat on his knees trying desperately to clean up mess, so too Julian had wanted to desperately see more of this… this hidden side of Chester, the one that the world had been denied, like a world without the hope diamond, the statue of liberty or without love.

Standing directly affront Chester, perhaps in his way amid the cleaning of the mess upon the floor, Julian reached down for the boys hand and held it gently.

“Never apologize again…” he stated, a low rumble of anger in his voice at the thought of Chester shutting himself in once more, locking the cage willingly so as to spare himself the pain of the world seeing the truly tortured animal under the cover.

“Don’t you dare apologize for who you are!” the rumble grew louder, as if intensified by similar circumstances that built up in Julian. Much as he wanted pull Chester from the ground and scream at him to stand up for who he was and whatever he wanted to be… his voice began to crumble into a soft mush. Kneeling down beside Chester, Julian having grabbed a small rag from the counter began helping Chester clean.

“You aren’t a monster, you are whatever you choose to be…” he muttered, a smile masking inward tears as if he wasn’t speaking to Chester but to himself.

“So, whomever you choose to be from now on… please don’t apologize for being you or whatever you may have done, that’s not who you are now and I should now, because you’re a pretty special guy to me” that last bit sounded more genuine, he had hoped so at least because, if a man willing to risk his own life to save another was considered a monster… what would that make Julian? A man that was constantly running from life and the people that loved him.

Removing his now soaked socks, Julian set them aside and pulled down his empty glass to wring both them and his rag into. Hoping Chester wasn’t so much a bachelor that these were his only two cups, Julian felt a twinge of regret at not asking first before using his own as a mop bucket. Yet he went on, listening to the strangled declarations of this hurt boy next to him.

“I’m such a m-mess. I-I-I’m Dangerous” head hung low as he leaned into every push of the rag and squeezing it extra tight to remove every tiny drop of liquid. Gods, Julian couldn’t believe how similar the two really were behind closed doors or closets as it were… as the boy admitted to liking Julian, he sat up onto his knees and gave Chester his full and undivided attention. It hurt seeing so much of himself in Chester, that frightened boy that wanted nothing more than another person in the entire world to accept him for who he was without condition… Albeit his comparisons were a bit like an upside down roller-coaster, Julian was unsure were to begin and yet as the boy continued about his fears, his desire to be friends and his concerns, Julian really only had one option.

“Friends for now then” he declared in a warm voice, expectations and judgement fully withdrawn from his eyes and tone. Julian then wrapped his arms around Chester and held him tight in silence for several moments before speaking.

“To tell the truth, I’ve been scared for a while too… my parents and my tribe have no idea that I’m a homosexual. I’ve only confided in three people my entire life about that, having dated two of them and well, Anthony, he kept my family blissfully ignorant as best friends often do. I still keep in contact with Jennifer, she’s where I got the blunt side of my personality… she was also my first and last girlfriend. Judas, we’ll let’s just say he was bit much for even me… kind of like staring directly into the sun if you know what I mean or not… heh, though he’s definitely where I got my sunny disposition” Unloading onto Chester, Julian wasn’t sure how to feel, but if Chester really felt like he didn’t know Julian well enough than he deserved to.

“When I gave you those flowers to you, I said it was because you saved my life… in part that was true, but what I hadn’t told you is that this place, this Manta Carlos kind of sped up our growth expectations for the plants and at current bloom, since we didn’t have permits to sell them, plant them or whatever, they would’ve died without being planted in your garden… some of them anyways… but back to the matter at hand” taking a deep breath, he held Chester at arm’s length.

“My name is Julian Iris Harrison, so we are even on middle names now. My birthday is November twentieth. My favorite color is orange…” he went on for several moments sharing minor things about himself, wondering just when to stop and honestly not knowing was rather uncomfortable… though he was an open book, it helped knowing which pages he needed to read from and or which to skip over. Stopping at what his favorite food was… pizza… he let Chester soak it all in.

“I really don’t know what else to say, but I hope that helped you get to know me better?” with an awkward smile, he let Chester go and sat back on his knee’s waiting for a reply.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Taken off guard by the compliment with cheeks a blossom pink with blush, Julian found himself taken back and pleased with the answer. On one hand they had just agreed friends for now and honestly that “your kinda like staring at the sun to me” business really got him flustered and unsure of his own response. An appreciative smile was the best he could muster considering his current predicament, he truthfully didn’t want to press his luck, having so recently this night been confirmed as a friend. Nodding in agreement to his own inner convictions, Julian decided that pursuit of any further titles, obligations of any kind, be them carnal or otherwise would have to wait until the gentleman before him so desired to make a move… that is unless he made none, but time and his conscious would have to tell.

Julian was just about to thank Chester for the compliment when likewise the boy had begun pouring out some of his own secrets. At first Julian wanted to stop him, because he didn’t want to piss Chester off. Now that he knew, he couldn’t unknow… and that was making him fidget. He never knew anyone with a blind side or blindness of any kind, part of him was worried about staring, was it impolite to stare, was it less polite to act disinterested now that he’d been told, should he avoid standing on Chester’s right side or stand exclusively on Chester’s right side in effort to mess with him… no, Chester proved from all events until now that he was a delicate sharer and using information this personnel to play pranks or joke would take months if not years of knowing each other to permit Julian a status worthy of pranking Chester without repercussions.


It was almost like the other information Chester gave had been glossed over in comparison, although the bit about his favorite color “Soulful purple” made sense what with the purple lotus he personally picked out of the liter of other flowers and plants in his room at the hospital. Come to think of it, of all the flowers and plants he’d seen on the way in that one he thought oddly was not among them. Dismissing the thought as he’d had an eventful arrival and it was near impossible for anyone to pick out a specific plant in such a brief amount of time among so many others, he figured it was there all the same.

Immersed in his own thoughts, Julian couldn’t help but stammer and laugh at the mention of Chester’s legs falling asleep. Taking the olive branch extended now before him in the form of Chester’s hand, Julian stood shortly after Chester, shaking his head is disapproval of his own damp pant legs and how without a care in the world he had knelt into the carbonated pool.

“Well… least we mopped most of it up with our clothes…” Shuffling momentarily, he wanted to drop trow and strip to his undergarments to avoid getting any stickier than he currently felt. Yet another action he had to strike from his impulsive mannerisms as for his recent established relationship of “friends for now” with Chester. However, he briefly recalled being granted permission to use the facilities and if memory served it had been sometime since Julian had last bled into Chester’s shower… Gods, he really should have come and helped not only with the plants but with the cleanup of bodily fluids.

“I really am sorry about flaking on you by the way…” his voice trailed off quietly.

“Responsibilities or not, there was so much blood... both of ares, in your house… just thinking about it makes me want to jump in a scolding hot shower and rub my skin raw with soap” Julian wasn’t one for blood, but in some instances like in the Forbidden Forest, Julian was actually more level headed and calm. Suffice it to say, he handled himself better in crisis than in everyday life.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you up on your offer and take a cold shower now” having previously explained his impending crash, he hoped the ‘cold’ part of his request would be overlooked as a simple quirk, but honestly, even at this very moment Julian began feeling the early warning signs of his energy declining into the inevitable fall.