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Sirius Black has the best kids ([info]doggingdoes) wrote in [info]flippedrpg,
@ 2012-08-24 16:56:00

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Entry tags:ch: div: remus lupin, ch: squib: sirius black, p: lisa ii, p: silyara

Who: Sirius Black17-baby & Remus Lupin21-div
What: Running times.
When: Friday afternoon
Where: Hogwarts Grounds
Warnings: IDK... lack of personal bubble?
Status: Threaded; complete.

Ravenclaw, like Gryffindor, lived up in a tower. His steps had taken him up and down stairs many times, as he made sure to spend time with Gamma, but Sirius remembered that Remus had been assigned to Hufflepuff, down near the kitchens, down near the exit to the grounds. His feet barely kept up with his legs as Sirius clutched his journal close to him, dictating a question to his quill. The quill, though not one of his experienced from the shop, managed to keep up in his handwriting, hardly messier than usual. Sirius closed the journal tight around the quill, not caring if there was ink left to smear. There was catch up to do.

Miraculously, his way to the pitch involved no faceplants or major stumbles of any kind. His lungs were at full capacity, and something was burning in his thighs, but Sirius saw someone in the middle of the pitch as he whipped around the corner. Someone male. Not Olivia Wood then. It wasn't any of the quidditch players. Remus. All shiny with sweat but standing there, first. Sirius grinned, slowing down as he opened his journal again. A tattoo then? He'd been thinking about getting one. His lungs still grabbing for air, Sirius waved with his free hand as he came to a general stop a few feet away.


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[info]crescered
2012-08-24 11:07 pm UTC (link)
Remus had been getting ready for several minutes, planning on going for a run whether or not Sirius said yes or no. So when he asked, in not as many words, if Sirius wanted to race down to the Quidditch pitch as at least a start to their run. He didn't expect a question that required him to respond. Yet, he took the time to answer and then sprinted off because clearly he was in.

When he got to the middle of the pitch, he turned around, grinning at this win. Years of training for Dauntless and becoming an Auror kept him fit but his chest still rose and fell with heavy breaths. Hands on his hips, he walked the last few steps to meet up with him. "You stuck to two legs?" He teased as if that was the reason he lost. Padfoot may have done better.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-24 11:14 pm UTC (link)
Even in shape as he was, Sirius breathed hard. His exercise was mostly related to being a dad and self-chosen. His work didn't involve running around, and time spent working on Philip was as often spent on his back or crouched down. So he could be in better shape, he supposed, but hitting thirty, he was doing good. Leaning over a little, to make it easier to breath, Sirius laughed a little. It was a good sign that he had enough air to laugh. Remus made a good point. Padfoot ran a lot faster than Sirius did, and he exercised at least as much as Pads as on two feet.

"My mistake," Sirius replied, grinning. Losing wasn't so bad. No it wasn't bad at all. His eyes dropped, for a moment, to the spot where Remus's tattoo was going to go - his initials, his name. Sirius loved it. "Next time you'll have Padfoot to contend with," he added. His breath was coming back though, his lungs. Yes, Sirius wasn't winded for the day, so long as they weren't running that pace from here on out.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-24 11:27 pm UTC (link)
Just the sight of Sirius bending over in order to catch his breath made Remus laugh strongly. He thought about making an old dad joke but kept it to himself with a small smile. "He's definitely fast," Remus pointed out with a nod, having played with Padfeet plenty of times. Which now included this version.

His eyes followed Sirius' down and he remembered the bare spot where the wolf print wasn't and that that's where the new tattoo was going to go. But when he glanced up, he only laughed at having to run against Padfoot. That he was likely to lose. This one, though, he'd already won. "So you're getting one too, now. I already know what it's going to be." And he already had a plan.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-24 11:50 pm UTC (link)
His eyes stayed on Moony generally. He typically felt safe anywhere, and here they were at school, at Hogwarts, again. Getting pranked was about as much fun as pranking, so he never watched his back too hard. Eye contact, generally, wasn't something he was so shy about, which made him stand apart from most people. "Mmm, built for speed," Sirius loved being a dog, loved the feeling of it too, "And power." And incredible cuddles, when human company just wasn't the right thing. Admittedly, dog ears made most types of music sound somewhat strange.

The excitement showed in many parts of his body. Settling down on one image or set of words was a difficult task, but Sirius had meant to get a tattoo ever since their first race, back in Ancient Greece. The bounce came back, even though he wasn't moving. His tongue flicked across his lips, and his eyes lit up, growing a little wider as well. "What am I getting?" Sirius asked, almost like it was a Christmas present and not something getting inked permanently on his skin.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-24 11:58 pm UTC (link)
Sometimes Remus felt jealous of his friends. They were able to experience being another animal in the good ways while he never remembered anything, even though he was sure it wasn't any good. Though he wondered that if he had never been bitten whether or not anyone would have thought to become an animagus. It played into the whole fate thing. Still, he grinned approvingly.

"Do you want it now?" It would have been more amusing to drag it out, or perhaps describe it without actually giving it, but Remus had the means to do it, so why not? "I received a tattooing kit from my scientist around Christmas. They're permanent but don't require a needle, so you still should get it done that way. Otherwise I will proceed to mock for the rest of forever." Remus gave a serious expression, though it was clearly humorous. "And it's a surprise."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 12:27 am UTC (link)
Padfoot spent every night with Moony, whenever the moon was full. Sirius didn't miss those nights ever because they were a high priority. But there was a lot of fun involved in being an animagus at other times. Like being the family dog. And tennis balls. They were a joy Sirius couldn't quite explain in words. Ears flapping, tongue out happiness on Pads's face was the best way anyone could see it. Hell, he was happy to go running with Remus as Padfoot, run circles around him but being careful not to make him trip. It was hard to tire Padfoot out.

His grin grew wider as Sirius's hands came up to his clothes. Not knowing whether to pull off his shirt, unbutton his trousers or what, it was a little hard to react properly that way. But his hands were clearly itching to do something. "Hell yea," Sirius replied enthusiastically, "I love surprises, but I hate waiting for them." They were usually worth it, but that was besides the point. When something was ready, he wanted it right away. "Just tell me how you want me."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 12:34 am UTC (link)
Remus' eyes widened with some excitement when Sirius appeared antsy and ready. He let out a small laugh, glad that he was willing to do it right now. Not that any of his behavior was surprising. All Siriuses seemed easily excited. They were the types of people who wanted instant gratification and would pout if they didn't get their way.

"Take off your shirt and lie down," he instructed as he bent down on a knee and lifted one of the legs of his pants. It was hard to keep a wand on you when you were running and he didn't want to be without it, so his was secured to his leg with two thin straps. It wasn't even the worst of what he could hide. Pulling the wand out, he silently accio'd a small box that came flying to him as he smirked.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 01:05 am UTC (link)
Energy was an easy quality to build off of, so that everything became more interesting, more awesome, and just more. Given the level Sirius operated at standardly, anything bringing him above that baseline had an effect on most people. Those who stayed immune... that was impressive. And so his mind was dashing with possibilities and rather liking most of them. As interesting as the tattoo itself was the idea of what would Moony choose, what would this Moony so much more familiar with tattoos than Sirius had been in his life in his world would choose.

The sound to Remus's voice was just so alpha that it commanded obedience, at least when it sounded like that. Most people and most alpha people had little effect on Sirius or else he would have been utter shite in politics. His imagination squirreled into the smaller category Remus had limited the ideas too, while Sirius, having been dressed casually, pulled his shirt off in one move. Holding it, inside out, as he sat then laid back, Sirius let the anticipation keep him thrilled. Looking over at Remus, Sirius motioned Remus an open invitation.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 01:17 am UTC (link)
By the time Remus glanced up, he saw that Sirius was already done and in position, gesturing him to do anything. A smirk tucked in the corner of his mouth and he turned back to draw something so it was out of view. This process was much easier than an actual tattoo, and honestly much safer. Also less room for error. When he finished, as quickly as possible, he walked over.

"Don't look," Remus' eyes narrowed suspiciously. He stepped over Sirius, planting his feet around the man's hips and lowered onto his waist, everything fluid and natural. With one last glance, full of a reasurring grin, he started putting the tattoo in place on Sirius' torso. "Don't," he reminded.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 01:36 am UTC (link)
Though the energy was easily enough to make a grown man squirm, Sirius held himself still. Though this tattoo was going to need to be done again, by someone who did real tattoos (they would have to find someone), Sirius wanted this one to look awesome. He trusted Moony's skills enough, as hey they had made that map together. It was on Remus to do it right. Sirius wasn't messing it up one bit. Even though he was still a tad impatient to know already.

He bit his lower lip just watching Remus come over. His eyes had already glanced up to see if there was any flash of anything to give him an idea. There wasn't. And it had taken less time to find out nothing that it had for the words to register. His eyes were staying on Remus through it all though, and he swallowed back, with six choice phrases on the tip of his tongue about the way Remus moved. With a slow eye roll, Sirius didn't look, not at what Remus was doing on his chest anyway. "I know how to behave," he replied with a smirk. At first, he was just watching Remus straddling him and so focused on his chest, but with time Sirius closed his eyes and focused on the sensations, the points of contact.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 01:43 am UTC (link)
"Are you sure about that?" Remus questioned, raising an eyebrow up at Sirius, a little challenge present. "Then again, I did always figure you knew how to behave, you just refused to." He shrugged with his gaze back on the work he was doing a little to the right. The consequences never mattered, were hardly even considered. That was Moony's job, to be the voice of reason. In no time at all he'd finished and leaned back.

Remus dragged his fingers over the letters that wrapped along the inside of Sirius' ribs, curving up to the middle of his chest in partially curled typography. It read Moony and made him grin when he looked up at Sirius' face. "So you can breathe." After a moment, he popped off and started putting everything back into the box.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 02:03 am UTC (link)
The smirk stayed on Sirius's face. There had even been lessons in how to behave. Contrary to his mother's opinion at the time, he had learned them very well. Sirius was able to schmooze as good as the next pureblood, and he played a political game as need be. So yes, he knew how to behave, and sometimes he even did so. Sometimes. They were not the times he was better known for. "Gotta live," Sirius replied, opening his eyes to look at Remus's because he felt the glance. "Sometimes that means scribbling outside the lines," he concluded. As a father, he was very aware of such scribbling and still proudly kept artwork that was essentially impossible to decipher.

His eyes opened again when Remus finished. Besides the lack of movement on his chest, Sirius felt the shift in Remus's weight as he sat back up. It was a nice view and a complimentary angle. But his focus quickly moved to the tattoo that was not exactly the easiest thing to read for him. His neck curled up a moment, and he focused on the movement of Remus's fingers. The grin on his face was huge, and Sirius kept the look between them as long as Remus did. Seeing as this sort of tattoo hadn't hurt or anything, he was quickly able to curl up into a seated position and roll on through to stand up. Running his own finger along it, Sirius was practically beaming. "Brilliant," Sirius didn't move to cover it up immediately. "You'll always be here," his voice was light and teasing.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 02:16 am UTC (link)
"Oh, yes, of course," Remus nodded knowingly as if it all made perfect sense, though of course it didn't because it was Sirius logic and that functioned outside of normal boundaries. Not that he didn't understand. First, he knew how people like James and Sirius worked after so many years of being close to them. He didn't exactly have a clean slate, though, and his sort of started before he even arrived at Hogwarts the first time.

At first he kept his eyes on the few items that had come out of the box as he put them away. The movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention anyway, and he looked up with a grin. "It was only fair," he explained, shaking his head when he returned to staring straight-ahead. Then everything was done and he stood up. "But I want you to realize that you were branded first."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 03:04 am UTC (link)
Sirius knew that tone, when Remus Lupin accepted something he said, in that indulgent sort of way. But it did make sense, and he wasn't the only one. Of course, Astro lived just like that in many ways, even more than him due to her greater freedom. It was freedom Sirius was happy to see her have. She was being able to grow up at a normal rate, for the most part. That's what he wanted for his kids. But Sirius hadn't lost his ability to have fun. He stretched as he waited, watching Remus get ready to run again, pack up the tattoo kit. Sirius's tattoo was even in Moony's handwriting, which made it more authentic, better.

"Oh yes, perfectly fair," Sirius agreed with a straight face, "I wouldn't ever wish to treat you unfairly." He kept the face, longer than he would have been able to when he was a teenager. But it shifted into mock shock at Remus's declaration about Sirius being branded first. Branded. He pressed his finger and ran it along the point his name would go. "I didn't know you cared so much, Moony," Sirius teased back, "I like being branded."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 03:54 am UTC (link)
"No, Sirius Black would never be unfair." Unless you were a Slytherin, or really anyone he didn't care for. In some ways he was the worst of their group growing up, but that hardly ever swayed Remus' overall opinion of him. Remus looked down at his own chest and grinned for Sirius. "It was only your first time," he reminded, and it wasn't the real thing so he would need to wait before declaring something like that.

Yet Remus still gained an idea from it. "I can't really say it'll be mine." He turned around to show his back, where the line of paws went down his spine and an M sat in the middle just below the rat's foot print. Remus rarely acted like a child, even when he was a child, but now he looked excitedly proud when he turned to look over his shoulder to see Sirius' reaction. It wasn't every day back home when he got to show something off, something that was different.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 04:09 am UTC (link)
"I'm practically a Hufflepuff," Sirius joked back. He knew he wasn't. He was a Gryffindor, and being honest, he knew what his next house after that was likely to be. And the one after that. Hufflepuff was probably the last house he would be placed in, which reflected possibly worse on him than the house itself. There were some differences between them, some ways in which this Remus stood out. Simply put, Remus was a badass. As much confidence and strength as Sirius had, he knew he hadn't done everything, and he tried to be honest with himself. And this Moony had influenced him in a way that meant he did wish to get a permanent tattoo, not something he'd thought about in his world.

"You popped my cherry," Sirius replied nonchalantly, though he did mean to get it permanently done, whether the bet had called for it or not. Known for rash action and not always thinking, Sirius knew himself very well. And he knew when he was willing to take the consequences of losing, in a very short period of time. This here was one of them. But he ate up Moony's skin, looking at the tattoos, seeing his paw print, seeing the M. Remus made a wonderful argument for inking oneself. Sirius glanced up from the skin to Remus's eyes, just eating it up, "Perfection." It summarized everything in one word.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 04:22 am UTC (link)
"As much as I'm a Slytherin." That would be his last house, he knew that much. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both good contenders, though. He was never an ambitious sort of person out to get whatever he wants. Hardwork, loyalty, social conscience, intelligence. Those were qualities he had instead.

Remus only laughed quietly at Sirius' words. Sometimes he didn't know what to say, if he wasn't being witty and sarcastic in return. A soft smile spread his lips. Well, he certainly didn't think it was perfect, especially with the scars between and around the ink. He didn't have enough to cover those up yet. "Or something," he shrugged, immediately finding his humble nature again as he glanced down and moved to put his wand on his leg.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 04:28 am UTC (link)
Oh Merlin, Sirius almost howled at the thought of Remus Lupin in Slytherin. He had hardly heard such an unlikely tale. Which made it perfectly appropriate. Everything he loved about Remus Lupins. Pluralizing wasn't really fair to any of them. Sirius had gotten to know them, some better than others, while here, and while they were all comfortably familiar, they were each something of their own. And it wasn't just the ink.

It was likely the shrug that really showed it, the way that Remus didn't see himself the way Sirius did. It was a pity because, really, it was hard to explain to a person. His feet brought him closer without active thought, and Sirius's hand reached out, Padfoot reaching down, to run his hands along some of the scars, not to the ink but the scars. "It's perfect," Sirius repeated, meaning the scars as much as the tattoos. They gave a depth to the tattoos. And they were every one kissable, in Sirius's opinion. But he kept his mouth to himself.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 04:39 am UTC (link)
Remus tilted his head back in order to look up, focusing on some point in the sky that didn't hold as much interest as he pretended it had. His eyes closed as soon as he felt the hand on his skin, tracing the scars that lined his back and he let out a long breath. They were ugly, that's how he saw them because he didn't lie to himself when it came to that, but it no longer stemmed from any fear. Now it was simple. Almost technical. 

"We're forgetting why we came out here." Which meant there was reason to forget. Remus could already feel himself growing attached to this Sirius. He was easily filling the void of his own Padfoot, offering the comfort of his now somewhat lost friend. Remus knew he was only continuing to break some rules but this wasn't even the first step. Still, he gave Sirius a smile. "Let's run."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 04:48 am UTC (link)
His eyes watched the man in front of him, the way Remus didn't turn back and look at him while his fingers touched that raised scar tissue that said so much in its silence. He supposed they never saw eye to eye exactly on what it was like, on how it looked and how Remus looked. But Sirius didn't expect anything like that in response. No, Sirius only wished to set in the groundwork and confirm how beautiful they were, that Remus was. They were the farthest thing from ugly, so Sirius saw it. His hand was slow to pull away from the skin.

Not forgetting, Sirius commented mentally, Just don't care. Remus was more important than running. Of course, it had been Remus's reason to come out here, when Sirius didn't care nearly so much for the sport when there weren't tennis balls involved. But he nodded in response, a small smile on his face. "Alright then," Sirius replied back and setting into a jog for starters. He wasn't sure how quickly Remus planned on going, but Sirius still wanted to be able to talk. "Move that arse."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 05:01 am UTC (link)
Remus had always been good at deflection. He was used to it from childhood, telling small lies to explain the scars and why he disappeared once a month, sometimes for several days. It was the full moon followed by a recovery when the damage was worse. So when topics came up that he wished to avoid, or if he thought that things should move on quickly, he was fine with a simple segue.

He took off only a moment after Sirius started, laughing quietly at those last words. He listened, though, and went faster until he'd caught up. "You're the one that needs to get back in shape," he teased, going at the pace Sirius set. It was easy to figure that this Pads didn't have the reason or time to train the way he had and he never minded a light jog.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 05:10 am UTC (link)
His smile was genuine as they passed from the shirtless, straddling, writing on his skin stage of their time together to the actual running bit. Perhaps running was something worth getting a habit in, for exercise's sake, but Sirius wasn't much for running away from something. But he was far more patient than he - and his alternate selves - were known for. Seven children, mates, his brother, his nieces and nephews, so many people to be responsible for gave him a careful confidence that made him patient about things that mattered.

Jogging was a good steady pace Sirius could hold a long time and still appreciate the burn. As much as Remus's words were teasing, they were also true in many regards. "This isn't how I usually use my muscles," Sirius replied lightly. For all he had in his life, Sirius didn't mind if his body had paid a small price for it, but his vanity did make him want to put in the effort to get it back, if it were possible. And some men really did like to go running. "But I can do what I put my mind to," Sirius pointed out. His stubbornness was well known and accomplished a great deal.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-25 05:34 am UTC (link)
"How do you usually use them?" It was the best way to carry on the conversation but Remus didn't think about that question before he asked it. Sirius' tone had been so light that he never expected what the worst sorts of answers could be, and he wouldn't be surprised to receive them bluntly. Though he couldn't imagine anything too terrible.

"That I know well," Remus smirked for a brief moment. "It's always been a good quality in Siriuses, I think." Sometimes it meant a disaster, a reckless hurricane with metaphorical death totals. Usually it meant you could count on him to get something done, no matter how difficult or ridiculous, silly or serious. If Sirius wanted it accomplished, Remus would bet any amount of money that he would figure out a way.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-25 07:27 am UTC (link)
Remus's question was so innocent and yet invited so many answers, from the mundane to the ridiculous. Some were more common answers, though admittedly this place changed everything up, as regards to what happened more often. "Human airplanes, fine work on Philip's innards, directing tiny swarms of flying kiddos," Sirius laughed as he thought about the little league coaching he did with James. Merlin there was so much he did, but it usually revolved around someone else. Including his sex life. His eyes showed it, though, as he glanced over at Remus. Sirius was no playboy any more, but he knew how to have fun.

"I couldn't let you be alone," Sirius's voice sounded a little like a song. He meant, of course, becoming an animagus back at school and spending every moon with Remus. But he also meant the run today and any of the other athletic times they'd had fun so far. But he was easing into the speaking without thinking again, just reacting to what Remus said with little regard to how it sounded. It wasn't the safest choice, but when he worked on something that took effort, his tongue got a bit looser.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-26 03:21 am UTC (link)
"Human airplanes?" Airplanes were created by humans, yes, but he couldn't figure out what exactly that entailed. The rest of it made sense and he could imagine that having one kid would be work enough, let alone four. That would keep anyone busy and Remus didn't even know that this Sirius did much more than that. In fact, he realized he really didn't know much. "What do you do in your world?" Asking always was the best way to find out.

"I know," Remus huffed out a breath that wasn't from the running, his lips curling into a smile. It was still difficult for him to think in terms of alternate versions. How was he supposed to address one that wasn't someone he actually knew but he more or less knew anyway? It was all rather confusing and of course he thought about it in the way he over thought most things. "It looks nice," he nodded as he glanced down Sirius' torso.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-26 04:30 am UTC (link)
Remus's confusion made Sirius laugh. Zooming kids around was one thing, but Sirius knew better than to think he could do such a feat with Remus or James or Peter of adult ages without a dare. "Hold a kid up so they're pretending to be an airplane," Sirius explained. Sure a wave of magic with his wand could also do the trick, but it was more fun to be involved and also not to remind anyone about magic, which could be so separating. Most of the time Astro seemed okay here, but Sirius knew this place had to be more challenging. Almost everyone here had magic. And as to the world, many of their classes required magic. Sirius took a mental note to check in with her again.

"In my time, I have a shop," Sirius replied, "Primarily I work with clock-based systems, but I modify them so they do so many other things beside tell the time, depending. But anything I can take apart and put back together again. It actually makes money is the amazing thing. I don't really need it to, but it does." Sirius loved his work, which would have been called a hobby had it not made money. "But in the future," his eyes lit up, eager and proud, "I become Minister of Magic." Oh that just felt remarkable to know for all the right reasons and a few more.

Even as he talked though, Sirius was shifting to properly show off both the tattoo and his chest in Remus's general direction, a result of the compliment. "Your handiwork," Sirius complimented back. He meant it too. He wanted the permanent one to be in Moony's handwriting. More authentic that way.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-26 04:45 am UTC (link)
"Oh," Remus nodded lightly, picturing it. That wasn't something he remembered ever having done with his parents and no one in his world had children, not from the time he came from, and so his experience with them was rather small. In fact, he couldn't think of ever having spent much time with any kids at all. That's why it was even more shocking for him to find out that alternate versions of him had kids, ones that were also present; ones that he wanted to know because they were inevitably connected.

Remus couldn't control the corner of his mouth once it wanted to twitch upward. He couldn't see Sirius Black calming down and working with something so...serious. He always imagined Pads doing something crazy and dangerous. Not clock work. And he never ever expected to hear that following phrase. "Minister of Magic? Really?" The shock was apparent, but he couldn't say that he didn't like the thought. "What's the best non-time related clock you've ever made?" The word best could be interpreted many different ways, but he liked to leave that up to the answerer.

"I've never tattooed anyone, so I wouldn't exactly trust me if I were you." But it did look nice, not even considering that it was his nickname so readily displayed.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-26 04:57 am UTC (link)
Inevitably when hanging out with versions of people his generation from other worlds, Sirius had to remind himself that they weren't all parents. There were a million little things one experienced as a parent that was easy to communicate with other parents. But with someone who didn't have kids, they were easily lost. Remus had kids of his own in Sirius's world, twins. But Inked Moony hadn't had kids. Even the other Moony's that had kids had usually had them a lot later in life than the Marauders he grew up with. That's why they were baby world: all the babies.

So much of his life accomplishments were not shared with his other selves that Sirius knew to watch for Remus's reactions and eat them up. Yes, Sirius Black, father of seven, head of the Black family, assistant coach to little league quidditch worked on clocks and shit. The second reaction was as good as the first. "By the honor of my children and my nieces," Sirius swore in return. "Hmm, best one," Sirius never had any one best clock story, "There was the pregnancy clock. Custom order, and it let her know what stage of her cycle she was in. Best part was that it lit up when she got pregnant." The charms work connecting to a person's body (a specific person's body) was complicated, and something like that, rather than just where a whole person was (in mortal peril, traveling, at work, etc) was especially complicated. "But I also like the quidditch clocks, which keep track of how the teams are doing. They're mostly British and Irish League, you know. But that good ol' Chudley hand never moves. Once someone asked me if it were broken."

"Already did trust you," Sirius replied, "But we'll have to find someone else to use a needle on it. I wouldn't want you stabbing me in the lung or anything. I need these puppies." His hands came up to cover his lungs for a moment. But it was a nice feeling to get looked at.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-26 05:10 am UTC (link)
"Moving up in the world, are we?" Despite the teasing nature of his words, Remus couldn't hide the proud expression on his face. How exactly this Sirius got himself that position was a mystery, but he expected a lot of things to differ. Just having a child so young would require a tremendous amount of responsibility, something he figured would even Sirius out and calm him down. Yes, he could see the domino effect in play when it came to other worlds, this one in particular since it was the one he was currently thinking about.

He laughed openly at the idea of a pregnancy clock. "That could be useful," if not downright weird, and he half-shrugged at the thought. Remus wasn't a big fan of quidditch either, though he could understand the excitement behind the creation. "And what sort of fancy clock would you make for me? If I asked for a surprise and all." The first idea Remus had was obvious, one that tracked the lunar cycle, but he already paid far too much attention to that. Besides, a constant reminder that he wore at all times would only add to the stress.

"I don't think getting stabbed in the lung is a legitimate concern," Remus grinned anyway. "Magic can fix most things, regardless."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-26 05:59 am UTC (link)
"Oh yes," Sirius replied, "This large head had to carry me somewhere. i just floated up." Sure Sirius hadn't given a damn about comments about his ego, but he was certainly capable of making jokes about them. He was aware of his self-confidence and believed in it (that was why it was called self-confidence). But that awareness changed things. Sirius had to be more aware about everything because he had children, because he had responsibilities. And as unlikely as it had been for Arthur to have been murdered and leave a widow with children behind, Sirius never forgot and had sworn to himself not to do that to Molly and the kids.

"Not too many people are interested in them actually," Sirius replied, "Even with all the babies we're having." That was also a reason not to be interested. There was enough sex and being pregnant as it were. Many women were pregnant for years and not necessarily in a hurry to return there immediately. But Remus's question really pushed for something more creative than his most popular sort of clock, the type with the people one cared about on it. His mind bounced around between what he knew about Remus, what he knew about this Remus, and what it actually made sense in any sort of way, by his logic, on a clock.

"Books," Sirius grinned, "It'd keep track of the books you're reading and where you are in them and such. And when you finish one, it'd suggest another one." That was a bit tricky to keep accurate to a person, as it would only be able to track so many books at once and would have to prioritize those Remus picked up on a regular basis. And there was the matter of taking into account what Sirius knew about Remus's book tastes while keeping it open ended enough to incorporate whatever books Remus read, as well as access to a source of books and their descriptions... It wasn't something he could just hand over next week. But Sirius never was the unambitious sort.

"No, and I know you wouldn't do that to me, not to my lungs," Sirius joked in a relaxed matter. "Some things magic shouldn't have to fix."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-26 06:20 am UTC (link)
"With all of that air in there, hm?" Remus couldn't even pretend that was a serious statement, his composure breaking immediately into a laugh. Sure, the Sirius he was used to didn't always think much, but he always knew there was a lot going on up there. He was terribly clever, which was both good and bad, depending on the day and which side you were on.

"Too many babies to notice." It made sense that if everyone focused on having children in their world that no one would be too interested in a clock that told them they were pregnant; knowing which part of the 'cycle' a woman was in, well, he wasn't sure how helpful that would be. Remus never studied much about pregnancy for a lack of reason and interest.

His running slowed for only a couple of steps, his expression slacked before it picked up in wonder and something like excitement. "That would be useful," Remus nodded. He liked useful. The amount of books he went through, multiples at a time, they were hard to keep track of and lists only made it more frustrating if he tried keeping them as well. And if it could suggest suitable books for next time...Yes, it would definitely be perfect, so much so that he couldn't even find the words.

"Of course, I would never hurt you." And that was completely true.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-26 04:43 pm UTC (link)
His nod practically gave him away, had Remus not known better. Occasionally it was fun to pretend his head was full of fluff and pranks and nothing serious at all. But even those were small moments most of the time. The genius of the fun he had left few doubts, in his opinion, to the stuff his mind was made of. Sure Remus usually had 'better' focus on tangible subjects, such as school assignments, back in the day. But Sirius had done well enough, and given that he and James and Peter had become animagi, clearly they had learned their lessons from McGonagall.

Generationally, they were in the middle of an ongoing baby boom in his world. There had been a push for more children some time before, and it was still going to this day. Yes, at seven, the Black family was on the further side of things, but only children were a rare breed. It made for a strong economy for everything from baby clothes up through teenage fads and more now. That was only going to keep going for some time. But those were thinky thoughts for another time, such as when the events of his world affected what happened here.

It took half a moment for Sirius to notice Remus's reaction included slowing, and he shook his head in complete amusement. The main library they had the use of consistently was on the compound. If Sirius managed to build this watch, it'd have to be tied to that. Hogwarts was going to be gone sometime soon. It was how the worlds went. "Naturally you'd love it," Sirius laughed a little, "It's an ambitious project. There's no other worthwhile kind." That only made him want to accomplish it though. He'd thought of it. He just had to get the charms work and such to make it work.

"I know," Sirius added softly, not so much to the conversation as to himself. He trusted Remus with his life, and he trusted this Remus with his life.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 12:54 am UTC (link)
Even if it appeared that Sirius understood, Remus always wanted to make himself absolutely clear. Unless he was purposefully avoiding that which was handy in the right situation. Now, however, he put on a light grin. "You must have done something right. Certainly had the cleverness thing down all those years." Remus was better with logic and reason; his attempts at coming up with good pranks usually fell short, though.

"You know me well, not that I'm surprised," he laughed easily. Of course Sirius would pick something so fitting. "Hmm, maybe, but it suits you." He learned a long time ago to never present Sirius with something difficult. The higher the difficulty, the more he wanted to complete it, no matter the consequences or amount of time it would take. This idea was a nice one but he didn't expect Sirius to actually try making it.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 01:03 am UTC (link)
"That must be what they're doing here," Sirius smiled back. He never doubted Remus's opinion of him. Had Moony thought so poorly of him, they would have stopped being friends ages ago. But Sirius and James were both more than full of hot air. And Remus was more than he sometimes thought himself to be. "Getting me in touch with my inner claw," he added as an explanation, "And you know I've done a lot of things right." It fell out of his mouth without much thought, but Sirius had a confident look on his face. And there was more to it than that, and it hung on for a moment, but Sirius let it go. For the moment.

"If I don't know you well enough, I can work hard to get to know you better," Sirius replied, half-joking. There were differences, beyond the tattoos. And Pads wanted to get to know them because each Moony was a joy in and of himself. "We'll see," Sirius still had one track on the book clock, "We do have Charms class here." He honestly was curious to see if he could do it. The actually having done it and giving it to Remus wasn't necessarily even the focus. The project motivated itself.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 01:24 am UTC (link)
"Well if that's why you're here, I have no idea what I'm doing here. Except that Lily asked for me." He could understand why she would, and he would have probably done the same thing if he had been the one to show up first. In fact, he would have done anything at all to try to get all of his friends there.

At first, Remus didn't really give that last statement a second thought; of course everyone did some, even a lot, of things right. It was the look that caught him off guard. "Oh? Like what?" While it would have been easy to make his own assumptions and opinions about that, it was far more telling for Sirius to answer it himself. Moony had a feeling that there was definitely more to that statement.

"There's always more to know, isn't there?" Even in a normal situation with two people it seemed that way, now there was loads more to add on top of that. But the idea was one he liked and he wouldn't mind getting to know this Sirius or telling him more about himself. He'd already said much more than he ever intended to. "Oh, I almost forgot about Charms class," he all but smirked.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 02:26 am UTC (link)
"Overall no," Sirius corrected, though he saw why it was easy to take what he said that way. "I meant in this flip, I'm a Ravenclaw," Sirius explained. As to their overall being in this place, it had to do with that saving the scientists' world thing that Gamma had mentioned. "I don't know why they go for the individuals they do, like why there are so many of us," Sirius replied more seriously, "But I know they are trying to save their world, somehow. Studying us and getting us to work together is a part of that. At least the latter part is my scientist's philosophy. I don't know about yours." He had a feeling Gamma didn't always agree with the others. Gamma block wasn't going anywhere, and Sirius liked it that way.

There was just a momentary pause before Sirius answered because his initial response had to do with matters he chose not to do unless it meant something. His eyes even closed for a second, as he smiled. But the words out of his mouth were on something else. "I maintain and upkeep Philip in perfect condition," Sirius was still playful, not holding everything in check, "Smooth and gleaming, best ride on or off the road." Or in the sky, as was often fun with his bike. Sirius was glad to have him back here, and he was treating him right. The bike was also the easiest substitute for talking dirty, which made him wonder if he were like that in Remus's world too. Well, a little sexual innuendo never killed anyone.

"That's one of the most exciting parts of any relationship," Sirius reasoned, "You can know someone better than they know the back of their hand, and they can still surprise you. It makes me want to just keep getting to know you." He really did like that, in all of his relationships. There was the comfort of knowing someone so well and the fun of surprise. Even as settled down as he was, Sirius needed an element of adventure. "Don't tell me I've become more studious than Remus Lupin!" he exclaimed, looking over.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 02:56 am UTC (link)
"Do you think they put us in specific houses for a reason?" Remus raised a brow at the thought. "Because I doubt I've changed enough to be a Hufflepuff." No, that didn't make any sense at all. While some of the qualities fit him, he'd been in Gryffindor and then Dauntless, the ultimate life-version of Gryffindor. What wouldn't surprise him is if it were based on who the scientists really wanted to see mixed up in close quarters. A perfect experiment. "My scientist...seems to take everything as a joke. It's impossible to get a straight answer from her." Remus was already toying around with the possibility of them trying to save their world - was that true? Why did it need saving? And how exactly was their current tactic supposed to help the residents help the scientists?

"A flying motorbike," he mused aloud, actually tilting his head back to look up as he thought of other, some more suitable, answers. Most things would have worked, however. "The best?" It was a challenge the way he questioned it, glancing over like he couldn't believe this - as well as anything - without proof. "I'm sure there's always better." He wasn't entirely thinking of anything sexual, though he couldn't help with the way that Sirius said certain things. Even so, he did his best to avoid anything less than subtle.

"I agree completely." For all the time Remus seemed to enjoy being alone, he couldn't deny that other people offered much more than just himself and the books he surrounded himself with. They were always changing. "I'm sure there are much more interesting people to get to know here. Wouldn't want to bore you, after all." That would just make him feel guilty. "Ha ha. In all honesty, it is really strange being back here."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 03:10 am UTC (link)
Remus's question made Sirius think. He would have preferred to be in Gryffindor. He still remembered the Marauder dorm that Kappa had made for them, which had been amazing, increased in size as it was for all the versions of the marauders that had been on the compound at the time. But here it was a bit different. And when he thought about how many versions of them there were, it probably skewed the balance of houses. "I think they had too many Gryffindors, to do it the old fashioned way," Sirius replied, "So a lot of us had to go somewhere else. And they probably decided to mix it up for a lot people, just to make it more interesting to study. We're all more comfortable in our own houses, and being comfortable probably doesn't make for the best data or whatnot." He looked over at Remus, "No, I don't think you are a Hufflepuff, but there's some badger in you. I wouldn't have been surprised to see you in Ravenclaw, though I have a different Moony roommate." That Moony was from one of the newer worlds. And he was the newest Remus to show up. Sirius hadn't gotten to know him well, though the same couldn't be said about his Sirius.

"I made Philip fly," Sirius pointed out. He'd undone and reworked all of Philip's systems to the point it would have been hard for the manufacturer to recognize him. He had a great amount of pride in Philip, not to mention his use to sometimes pick up or treat a bloke. "I think you need another ride, Moony," Sirius replied, "So I can show you the error of your ways. There is no better." Take or leave the innuendo in that, it was true. Of course anyone for whom the innuendo was true had another reason to believe it. Sirius was in no position to deny Remus's appeal. A single glance over, seeing it all again, just confirmed many of the thoughts he was keeping to himself. Some things weren't worth denying. Of course, that wasn't enough to make Sirius do something, not on its own.

"I don't do boring people," Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes. He really hated the way both Remus and Peter could think so little of themselves sometimes. "I think you've already proven you're not boring a few times over," Sirius pointed out, his hand running along the letters on his chest. "You know my attention span," he remarked at his own expense, "And I still want to get to know you more. So you're stuck with me." And Sirius was oh so stubborn. He didn't even address anything else at the end. It just amazed him that with all the tattoos and the craziness of what he had heard of Dauntless that Remus still thought he was boring.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 04:05 am UTC (link)
Given the amount of Marauders running around, Remus knew that they couldn't be equally divided into the four houses they had. He was used to having a fifth, so it was weird to see one house completely disappear, but he still realized that there far less Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. "But merely putting us in a different house wouldn't change too much besides who we're with. Of course, there were some rather loud reactions to the new sorting, too." Some weren't pleased one bit. "Yes, I've been told that Ravenclaw would have suited me well. At least you have another Marauder around." That would make things more interesting.

"Well no one ever said you weren't smart or creative," Remus noted with a brief nod. He would have never thought of trying something like that, mostly because he never had the reason to. A chuckle forced his lips apart in a wide smile. Sirius was just so cocky. "Well, until then, I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it."

That wasn't surprising in the least, though the implication that he wasn't boring didn't do much. "Maybe not to you," he shrugged. The tattoos, the daring nature, the fearlessness - that was something Remus was just used to. It was commonplace in his world where he ended up fitting in and getting lost even there. He felt more exposed in the compound since he was so different, but he couldn't see how others found it that interesting. "Either way, I'm certainly not stuck. You're welcome to get to know me if you really want."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 04:23 am UTC (link)
The whole thing was a large social experiment morphing from one form to another. They all had to live together, to a degree. And they had to work together, often in blocks. The dorms mixed it up again because the living arrangements were different, and it was different people, and as houses it mixed up whole blocks. Sirius liked keeping things fresh, so he really did well in this place. "The reactions were probably part of it," Sirius replied, not caring most of the time to try to analyze every move the scientists made, "You don't have any of us? Who are you living with then?" Trying to find everyone had been a hassle, not one Sirius had entirely memorized either. Again, multiple copies made it harder. And even his definition of family was rather large to track in this place.

"You're just doubting my word about the best ride ever," Sirius replied back, smiling at the slight innuendo there and just not caring. He'd always flirted with all of them to an extent. Sometimes he even flirted with women just because he flirted without noticing. But most of the time it didn't mean anything. Most of the time. "Until such time as I blow your mind, yes," Sirius smirked, "Then you'll be telling it right back to me."

The smile faded to a more serious expression. Remus Lupins had a dangerous tendency to be extremely difficult to convince their imaginary flaws were just that - unreal. Words rarely did the trick by themselves, and Sirius didn't see an easy way to go about showing it while they were running. "Anyone who misses how interesting you are suffers a great loss on their part," Sirius replied in a steady tone. He could have joked it, but Sirius meant it. It wasn't just about him, though Sirius knew some things biased his judgment. Remus was amazingly interesting, in ways tattoos barely scratched the surface of. "I do want to get to know you, and you'll get to know me."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 01:35 pm UTC (link)
The flips so far were so dramatically different that Remus wasn't even used to his block or the compound at all. He wasn't exactly against change, but things were definitely more comfortable if he were given the time to acclimate. "Not in my dorm, no. There's...a Kirley, a Justin, a Filius, and two Harrys. I saw a James that's supposed to be in Hufflepuff, as well as my girl version." That would be interesting, at least, and he really wanted to talk with her if he had the chance. It probably wouldn't be too difficult.

"Maybe," Remus angled his head, his tone teasing further. No matter how much he avoided sticky situations with other people, the metaphorical kind, he wasn't stupid. And it was too hard not to keep up with a fellow Marauder in those terms, no matter who it was. "Oh, we'll see." Then, as if it to test it out, he added, "Tell you you have the best ride ever," in a quiet voice, laughing immediately after he said it.

This time when Remus slowed down, he meant to walk, taking in a deep breath of air that was delicious in his lungs. But then his expression scrunched at Sirius. "You don't have to do that, you know." He didn't need someone to tell him he was better than he thought; he'd heard it enough and wasn't interested in listening to how good or not-boring he was. There was no reason for it. For the last bit, he merely nodded several times in agreement.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 02:25 pm UTC (link)
A weekly cycle or so took time to get used to, when one week it was Christmas and the next it was Ancient Greece and the next a playground and the next it was Hogwarts. And so on and so forth as far back as Sirius had been here. But the grounding in it wasn't so much the place as much as having people. That was up for change as well, as Sirius had seen happen time and again with his children. But the people were still what was able to help through it all. Those who didn't have people had it harder for the most part. "I believe Justin is a Hufflepuff originally," Sirius replied with only a moment to check his memory, "Aren't most of the games world people in your house? It seemed like almost all of them were going to Hufflepuff during the sorting." James and Jane were easy enough to socialize with. There were more people in Ravenclaw too, than just his dorm.

There had better not be any solid posts or trees the direction they were running because Sirius's attention was called back to look at Remus again and again. That voice just made him want to take Remus on Philip right then and there, which after he thought about the phrasing was almost enough to make him laugh. But those words were like a tingling traveling up his spine, of a good sort. "Just like that," Sirius added. Merlin, he thought, let it sound like that.

There it was again though, and Sirius slowed to a walk with Remus, a bit frustrated. The words weren't the point. They weren't meant to be some ego boost, to inflate Remus's head. They were true, completely and utterly true. And Moony made it incredibly difficult to communicate just that. Sirius didn't know how to get it through to Remus, to this Remus, that he - specifically - was an incredible unique individual that Sirius would be happy to have as company if locked in a small room together for all eternity. His hands came up to his face, just covering it for a moment before pushing up and off through his hair. "I wish you could see yourself how I do," Sirius half-muttered quietly. There weren't proper words to tell him because telling never did it, and Sirius wasn't entirely sure how to show him all of it.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 05:01 pm UTC (link)
"I'm not sure." There were so many people at the compound, so many versions of one person, all from a number of worlds and Remus found it hard to keep track of them all. He was nearly about to start making a list for himself to go along with the pamphlet about the worlds just to attempt to keep it straight in his head. "I - really don't know that many people here, and it's impossible to know where someone is from just by looking at them." As usual, he still spent far too much time by himself, especially when he had no reason to go out (like he used to for work, etc.) and thus didn't have much time to meet new people. Besides, his friends - the ones from his world and others, - versions of his child, or children, and the scientists were easily enough to occupy him. 

Remus only laughed again at Sirius' response. But until that ride came and he had the opportunity to judge for himself then that statement would remain his, a secret in his mind that would catch in his throat. There was always some desire for him to please others, in all types of ways, and that meant he often played into both James' and Sirius' egos. Sometimes he countered it just for fun, but he liked making them happy, getting a laugh or a smile, no matter what it took. It was partially a matter of being close friends because that's what friends did for each other. 

He watched Sirius stop and cover his face with some intensity that came from his need to study everything. Remus was certainly very observant and curious, but he glanced down at where his feet were going for some moments. "I'm sorry." He was sure that wouldn't help the matter much, apologizing for something so stupid and, from his point of view, insignificant. "Does it really matter all that much? I prefer not talking about it anyway." In fact, he didn't care to talk about himself at all, though he could when prompted. In the case of getting to know someone new, there was at least reason enough. 

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 05:19 pm UTC (link)
Keeping track of people got a bit easier over time, for Sirius. At first, family had been enough, and it had expanded to alternate versions instantly. Then, with the teamwork activities, Sirius had gotten to know Gamma Block very well. He found this whole thing fascinating, and so in the few moments that shot up now and again about trying to look at what the scientists were doing (it never stuck around forever long), Sirius learned a lot more about everything and everyone else too. There wasn't much of a system when it came to remembering people. Sirius just did. And it likely made no sense to someone who wasn't another version of him, if it made sense to anyone at all. But his social nature helped, and Sirius knew he was much more of an extrovert than Remus. "Unless you're seeing yourself with boobs, I agree," Sirius didn't expect everyone else to keep track of people who didn't matter to them. It was, in some ways, a politician's way, to keep track of the masses.

But he cared deeply about Remus, and Sirius had never been able to understand how such doubt and self-derision was healthy or good for a person. Such negativity seeped into other things and held them back. If nothing else, it affected their happiness, to think less of themselves. It wasn't just some extension of his ego that wished to force Remus to accept that he was awesome. Sirius knew that. He didn't need people to feed his ego either, though he certainly didn't object. But he saw the good when so many people only saw bad (that wasn't universally true, as Remus certainly would be able to testify to). But it remained a recurring problem, when spending time with some of his friends (and his brother).

Sirius sighed because he wasn't trying to make Remus feel worse - guilting him about not liking himself enough or something like that. "Yes, no, I don't know," Sirius stopped walking because walking and thinking and talking and explaining was getting to be too many things at the same time, and he was trying to focus, purely, on Remus. "I feel like you limit your own happiness sometimes, like your opinion of yourself hurts you," Sirius tried to explain, "And I hate seeing anything hurt you, even yourself. And I don't know how to make you see it because you're one of the most incredible people I've ever met. I could never get bored of you, of talking with you, of hearing about you and how you think and what you think. It's almost like you don't entirely know yourself, at least not how I do, because you should be in love with yourself." He stopped, not having meant to put it that way. Now wasn't the time to deal with any possible connotations of what he said meant about him. It was about Remus. "It's not like I want to spend twenty minutes a day every day preaching the wonders of Remus Lupin, but when it gets mentioned, it saddens me when you shoot it down."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 09:13 pm UTC (link)
"Even then," Remus trailed off with a shrug, deeming it unnecessary to finish the thought. Who was to say you could really recognize yourself as the opposite gender? The scars might give Renee away, or the glasses for Jane, but otherwise he didn't expect they would look too similar - or else one of them wouldn't be very convincing. Time, he figured, was the only true way to get to know them all and as he didn't expect to go anywhere anytime soon, Remus made a mental note about this. Meet more people. Get to know at least a little about them. 

The way Sirius seemed to confuse himself, or just couldn't find a way to put his thoughts, all bothered Remus on some level. He stopped walking and faced Sirius, listening with his head tilted just slightly. There was a lot to digest, but he said nothing until the other man was silent, and even then he didn't answer right away. The speech - and he did view it as a speech, fitting for a future politician - got to him more than anything else had thus far. It stirred something real within him. And of course he couldn't ignore the way he said he should be in love with himself. That was too vain for any Remus Lupin, but he honestly never thought of someone really loving him. Even this he was taking as a friendship type of love, not that he needed more. 

"Hey," Remus finally spoke up, moving to stand only a foot or two in front of Sirius. "I'm not hurting myself, I've done enough unintentional damage to myself by now." All those full moons, all those scars. "It's difficult for me to take anything like that to heart, it's not easy to change, but - I do honestly appreciate it. I can't see myself the way you do, I may never." He placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder, just to have some contact with him, to get his full attention if there was even a sliver of a chance that he didn't already have it. "But thank you. For everything. For not abandoning a werewolf, for helping instead, for accepting everything I thought of as horrible about myself."

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 09:41 pm UTC (link)
The words hadn't come out exactly right. They only showed a portion or what he meant, and even then it was like that phrase in that one muggle book he had half-read as a joke, that talked about something else that compared words and meaning to finger and the moon. It hadn't made any sense at the time, but Sirius felt it was appropriate here. The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. What he was saying wasn't what he meant. It only helped point Remus in the direction of what he meant. Sirius had to hope that Remus would be able to follow it and see what he meant. And so he waited, feeling that he had reached the balance of having said enough, where saying more would just confuse things or veer them off course.

Sirius wasn't convinced either way, about Remus hurting himself. He was certain at least some did, but he had to get to know this one better to know if it were true or not, what he said. Padfoot planned to do just that, for many reasons, that included. And he listened in return. Sirius was amazingly good at listening, now that he was older. And he used it a lot. "I hope you can see yourself like I do someday," Sirius replied quietly with a small smile. "You're welcome," Sirius meant it, though he didn't think he'd done anything of particular merit by doing so. It was the right thing to do. "You're no more horrible than anyone else and possibly less horrible than some of us," Sirius spoke, something he's said many times in jest to his Remus back home. But it was a serious sentiment, and Sirius was sure about it with this Remus. His hand reached for his shoulder, lacing his fingers through Remus's.

"I am and always will be here for you," Sirius added, "For anything." His love for his people wasn't conditional, not in the way many people were about things. Yes, there were unforgivable possibilities, and apparently in some worlds one of his friends had done such things. But of those he had here, Sirius trusted them with his life and more. And his love showed like it. Anything more complicated was, well, not something he was looking into analyzing in the moment. These feelings and thoughts Sirius had had for years, and with the time he'd gotten with this Remus in this place, he knew they were still true. There were minor differences in the feelings because of it, but overall, he knew how he felt enough to act on them. Feelings had to have enough time to be sure of.

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[info]crescered
2012-08-27 11:26 pm UTC (link)
While this Remus was admittedly bad at loving himself, he was good about not hating himself to the point of self-destruction. Most of the time he was too distracted to really think about and since it was too pitiful to focus on, he preferred to ignore it instead. He had work, his friends around at all times, and books upon books to occupy his mind during his free time. Honestly, he was rarely unhappy, especially from what other people could see. The most down he ever looked was when he contemplated something; that, however, was just thinking, not sadness. Only if someone else brought it up, or he randomly thought of it, was he reminded of the bad parts.

"That would be nice." The laugh that followed was full of breath and hardly any sound. It didn't bother him to think that might not happen, but he supposed it would be nice. He even wondered if it would change him dramatically, though he doubted that. Maybe he would simply feel wholly satisfied. "Well, that is true," Remus acted like he was thinking it over. Yes, plenty of people were a lot more horrible than he was on his worst days. And he tried to accept everyone, treat them nicely, with respect. Most people liked him because of that and his calming nature - they never had to know he turned into a monster once a month.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Pulling their hands down, he used his free hand to pat the other side of Sirius', holding on for a few seconds. "But that goes for you as well." A breath brought a big smile to his face and Remus pulled both of his hands back, letting his arms swing at his sides several times. It was a wonderful sentiment that he could continue with forever, but it was time to change the subject for more than one reason. Grinning, he glanced Sirius over and asked, "So, have I worn you out yet? It's okay, really, you can tell me the truth...if you can't keep up." Moony raised an eyebrow; Sirius could decide if he wanted to find any innuendo in that.

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[info]doggingdoes
2012-08-27 11:47 pm UTC (link)
There were so many times Sirius wished he could see what another person was thinking and feeling because, as well as he knew many people, there was almost always that barrier between two people of the minds. Sirius was fortunate to have twin mind moments more often than many people, but overall Sirius was okay with not knowing what was in Remus's mind, now or in any other moment. That provided all the more incentive to get to know a person on their terms, over time, and gain a deep understanding because they wanted him to know them that well. That feeling of being opened up to was not unlike some more physical activities, on an emotional level.

"I do mean me," Sirius pointed out, just to clobber Remus over the head with the obvious. There were few people who would argue Sirius Black hated himself in any way because he really didn't. He loved himself and, possibly, was in love with himself. It was just to let Remus know how good a person he was. Comparing oneself with some of the villains in people's worlds (or Barty Crouch Sr) just wasn't a high enough standard.

Still, as much as the moment had ostensibly been about Remus, Sirius liked having those moments of connection. The reciprocity had been felt before the words, but words had a need to be said sometimes, and they were nice to hear. Then Sirius laughed, his tongue slipping out to lick his lower lip for a moment. A smile lingered on his face afterward. "Physically, yes, you've worn me out," Sirius admitted honestly, "It's not my sport. But if you still want to run, Padfoot will be up for a lot more." He wore out people's wrists faster than he did Pads when it came to tennis balls. "Emotionally," Sirius relaxed a little, "We're both here for you, not worn out."

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[info]crescered
2012-08-28 04:40 am UTC (link)
Remus gasped dramatically, his reaction overtly fake. When he composed himself with a straight face, besides a tiny smile, he explained, a jesting tone still present. "Well, I didn't want to say it." Anyone could tell that Sirius had done some bad things in his life, at least in comparison to Remus, but he continued to see him as a wonderful person anyway. The good definitely outweighed anything bad and that's what mattered most to him.

"Eh, I think I'm good for today." The training for the games in Greece did him good. He didn't particularly like the thought of falling behind while here, even if it was something of a vacation, but he was actually feeling worn out from the short jog. It was a jog, that was all they had done, but his body wasn't reacting in a normal way. Reflexively, he looked back up at the sky. "I'm good on the emotions, too," he shrugged, running a hand over his stomach with a sigh.

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