#eddaschild

Before Mid could say anything, Rylan has almost pushed her and is standing on a chair to pick that book for her. "Rylan, I'm not pregnant! Why are you this eager to get it for me ?" She really likes her little adoptive brother, but sometimes, he scares her. He could have easily fallen from this chair.

When he comes back, she takes the book and offers him a smile. "Well, thank you!" Her smile then turns somehow playful. "But... It's rare that you want to help me like this. Do you want something in return ?" She's teasing him, of course.

Enjoy your presents! Happy Birthday!

Inside was a blueprint for a secret room that Mid could build if she wanted, the boy had colored the edges blue to make it official. As for the second gift, it was a few wooden skewers. Nothing remarkable about those but Rylan figured she could use them to hold down any plans or maps on the Enterprise or in her workshop if things ever got too windy.

Mid smiles fondly as she recognizes Rylan's drawing. She can't help but blush slightly, though. Maybe it's a good thing she's on her own. She wonders why made Rylan design some kind of secret room for Joshua and her. And on the drawing... what are they doing, exactly ? It's not something Rylan should have seen... Right ? Well, they already have their secret spot, and he isn't aware of that fact. But it still means he knows they need privacy from time to time, and she doesn't want to have this conversation with her little brother.

She gently puts the blueprint away and looks at the skewers. These are always very practical; she knows she'll use them. But for now, she needs to thank the little boy, so she starts looking for him, and when she does, she gently hugs him.

"Thank you, Rylan. I really appreciate your gifts!" she assures, letting a brief chuckle escape her mouth. When she lets go of him, she's still smiling happily. She hesitates a bit, clearing her throats. "Joshua and I... we're not bothering you, right ?" She still needed to ask. She knows Rylan likes her lover, and she's happy about that. But does blueprint mean ?

He wants to touch everything...

"Rylan stresses me so much. I don't mind him coming in my workshop while I'm working, but he really wants to touch everything. And he can't. I don't want him to hurt himself because he's not careful, and I don't want him to break what I'm working on either. I wish he would just sit. Or maybe I could find him something to play with. Like kid's tools or something. Yeah, I should really start thinking about that!"

He's talking about Phoenix cooties...

"Rylan noticed I spend a lot of time with Joshua. I mean, it's not like I'm hiding that fact, but he's... invading my privacy already. He's warning me that I better not give him Phoenix cooties. I told him Joshua's cough wasn't contagious, but I don't think it helped... On the contrary. It's funny because I'm pretty sure he likes him! Maybe he's scared to lose his big sister, but he won't lose me. Joshua won't isolate me. He's so kind!"

I can't let him leave the Hideaway...

"I'm trying to explain to Rylan that he can't leave the Hideaway on his own. First, with the monsters around, it's not safe for a child. And it's even more dangerous these days with this creepy sky and more monsters, with all this aether. I'll never forgive myself if something happened to him. I know he's not only my responsibility, but I feel like I'm playing an important part in it. Why can't he just be satisfied with playing in the Hideaway ? Oh. He feels so much like me as a child. But I won't tell him that."

He's so curious about my airship prototype...

"I know Rylan doesn't understand my blueprints, but I can tell he's very curious about my airship prototype. He keeps looking at it, and he's already speaking about flying. Well, I'm definitively not ready for this because I didn't even start building it, but it makes me happy to see him this curious. It also distracts him from thinking about leaving the Hideaway or from asking too much questions about anything else."

I wish I could comfort him better than this...

@eddaschild said: "Why's Dad saying we can't date anybody till he's dead? What if I don't want him to die?"

Mid sighs. That's exactly why they shouldn't have had this conversation in front of Rylan. Cid is overprotective, but he means well. It's something Mid gets, but for Rylan, it's a bit more complicated; he's still so young...

@eddaschild said: "Mid! Mid! I need something for Joshua. Can you help me make something?"

Mid chuckles with surprise at the sight of Rylan entering her workshop almost running. And it seems he wants to make something for Joshua. These two really get along now, right ? It's good. Maybe it means Rylan won't ask about Phoenix cooties again. He probably knows she can't refuse him that, though, and it's much better if she helps him than if he tries to make it on his own.

@eddaschild said: Plop. Plop. Plop. There Rylan goes dropping full sized carrots into the water below as he's sitting on the docks. It took him a while to find some but there was more to round up. Bumping into Mid once he'd finished, the boy smiled. "Wanna help me get rid of carrots? Joshua doesn't like them so now I don't either."

Mid tries very hard not to laugh at Rylan's words, but the truth is that she just can't, no matter how hard she's trying. She can't believe he was once scared of Mid bringing him Phoenix cooties. Now, he admires Joshua so damn much. Maybe a bit too much, if he doesn't like carrots anymore just because of Joshua doesn't like them.

@eddaschild

This poor child was going to grow up with the worst view of the world around him and all because people like Dion and his own mother!! could not stop being absolute pests!

He sighed before squatting down to be closer to eye level with Rylan.

It had always been his wont to come and go from Hideaway. Whether it be taking on missions for the Cursebreakers, or leaving for various cities, towns, villages, settlements to render aid to those trying to pick up the pieces of their lives -- he never seemed to stay long. And maybe that was intentional; maybe moving from one place to the next, helping everyone he could along the way, was what he needed in order to move on with his life, too.

It may have been a small thread reconnecting him to his old self, but it was a thread nonetheless: helping people. Because some things just never seemed to change, in the end.

So focused was Miles on keeping track of his surroundings, noting landmarks, and checking points on his map for reference, that he failed to notice the poor boy that had been trailing him ever since his departure. By the time the last light of day was giving way to the dark blues and blacks of night, and he was contemplating stopping for the night at the nearest settlement to his current location, that small -- and familiar -- voice called out to him.

The man froze. For a brief instant, thankfully masked by the shadows of night, the color drained from his face. "Rylan?" He spoke the name even before he turned to face the little boy, and the gesture came just in time to see him burst into tears. At which point the Cursebreaker rushed over to him, dropping to his knees in front of Rylan. Those gloved hands gently grasped the child's shoulders, before he drew him close for an embrace.

"Let it out." The gesture of encouragement was simple, and quietly uttered. All he could do was hug Rylan and patiently let him cry as needed, talk as needed, anything that he needed -- just as he remembered doing so oft with Clive and Joshua when they were Rylan's age and found themselves distraught for one reason or another.

"It's alright. It's alright. Let it out."