Who: Dev & Rost What: Psychic stuffs Where: Rost's trailer, cemetery When: Monday, Oct 23rd, evening Warning: Sads
Dev knew how bad it would look if a random stranger showed up at the police station, offering to help find a missing little girl. He wanted to though, wanted to take something of hers and see if he could see who took her. At this point everyone was convinced someone had taken her and given the time frame time was running out. He was usually carefree with his gift but it was hard to convince people that he could help, especially people who might just see him as a likely suspect. He was paying attention to the case though, had watched the mother throw a tantrum at one of the police officers and decided she might not be the right person to approach either. It was hard when all he wanted to do was fix things but in trying to do so he might ruin everything.
He might have been more down about it all if he hadn't learned a long time ago to distance himself from other people's suffering. There was so much of it and he'd seen and felt so much of it first hand through his gift. Still, it was hard not to pick up on all the tension in town and he'd heard some people muttering about how 'it was starting again'. Curious he went to find the person he knew he could ask questions of without judgment. Rost had lived there for a while and he might know what that 'again' was all about.
Rost had of course heard about the missing girl. He felt awful for the family, nine was so young, and he fervently hoped they found her, but ... he didn’t hold out a lot of hope for that. There was just so much precedence for them not coming back. As the resident Weird Guy In The Cemetery in the minds of a lot of the town, Rost fully expected one of the officers to come around and talk to him about it. He wasn’t offended, they were just doing their jobs, and they knew him better than that. It was just sad it had to happen at all.
He’d finished work for the day, but he hadn’t locked the gates yet, since the sun wasn’t quite down. Instead he was sitting out in front of his trailer, perched on the back of a folding chair, his boots on the seat of it. Rost was leaned forward, elbows on his knees, gazing out toward the older part of the cemetery. Things hadn’t felt right since Reagan had come and dug up one of the graves. It felt too hot, an unnatural warmth to the air that increased as you approached that particular grave. She’d assured him they would put wards up, would put everything back as it had been, that the cemetery would be protected ... but Rost wasn’t so sure that had all been successful. He was lost enough in thought that he didn’t notice someone approaching.
Dev picked up on that weirdness in the garden as soon as he entered. It was a little unnerving and while he might have appreciated the warmth under different circumstances, there was just something wrong about it. When he spotted Rost by the trailer the man looked deep in thought, too distracted to notice him. That much was obvious as so far Rost always had an easy smile for him whenever they met but now he looked a little grim. There was plenty to feel grim about so Dev didn't question it, just whistled a little tune as he got closer, a small effort on his part not to startle Rost. "Hey lover," he said when he got Rost's attention, a little grin curling his lips. "Caught you at a bad time, have I?"
The whistle gave Rost a little start, but it was mostly internal. He looked over and felt more relief than he would have anticipated, seeing it was just Dev. Rost wasn’t sure what his subconscious was expecting, but it obviously wasn’t a friendly face. It took him an extra second to focus, but when he did, he smiled. It didn’t come out as cheerful as he would’ve liked, worry still lingering in his eyes. “I hope not,” he answered. It had been an uneasy couple of days. “But I am not busy. Hello.” Rost slipped off the chair to stand, moving in to hug Dev when he got close enough.
Dev gave him a tight, warm hug both because that was his favorite kind of hugging and also because Rost really seemed to need it. "What's eating at you, brother?" he murmured when he eased up though he didn't fully let go of Rost, letting his hand linger on his side. "Does it have something to do with how strange the garden feels today?" He didn't think it was just him, he never had any psychic visions without touching things and today he had on a pair of fingerless leather gloves that kept him from touching anything by accident.
The strength of the hug was definitely appreciated on Rost’s end. He held tight to Dev while he was there, breathing in the scent of him that was becoming happily familiar. He turned and hooked an arm around Dev’s shoulders to escort him to the trailer so they could go inside. It felt safer in there, and Rost wanted to feel safer while he had company. “Yes,” he answered slowly. At least it wasn’t just him who was feeling it. “I allowed someone to do something here that I am now thinking I should not have.” Once they were in his trailer, Rost kicked his boots off and headed for the tiny kitchen. “Get you anything?” he offered, glancing back.
"Some tea, maybe?" Dev suggested as he kicked his own boots off and shrugged off his jacket. He had brought some weed in case Rost was feeling up to smoking but it was still early and Dev wasn't in any rush to get his hedonism on. Especially with everything else that was going on. "So what did they do? Some ritual or something?" He had to ask, the air felt unnatural but he had a hard time picturing Rost allowing something bad to take place in the cemetery. He looked after the dead, was very adamant about doing them right.
Tea sounded good to Rost too. He moved to fill up the electric kettle and plugged it in. “It was a person I trust,” he started telling Dev as his hands worked. “She was in need. Told me there was a curse put on her family long ago, and she must dig up old grave to help break it. She has done me many favors in the past ... she is a talented witch. But I am not sure what they disturbed has quieted down yet.” He pulled down two mugs and the teabags, then turned to lean against the edge of the counter. “It has seemed quiet so far, simply ... off.”
Digging up old graves was a bad idea no matter how you looked at it. Even skeptics cringed at the thought so Dev thought the need must have been very dire for a witch to do such a thing. "Bring her back, clearly something needs soothing." He stepped up next to Rost, resting his hand lightly against the small of his back. "It may be quiet but it still feels wrong out there, too warm, too... something. Like the quiet before a storm."
If Reagan hadn’t seemed in such a bind, Rost might not have given his blessing. She’d made it clear that they were going to do it anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered in the end, but still. It had been a matter of life and death, and as much as Rost valued the dead, the living held more sway. “I know,” he agreed softly, glancing out the window over the sink. “I plan to.” There might not be anything Reagan could do beyond what she’d already done, but Rost thought it was pertinent to let her know what he was feeling. He leaned into Dev a bit and gave him a wan little smile. “It is good to see you,” he murmured.
"It's good to see you," Dev echoed as he smiled warmly up at him. "Though I'd prefer to see you happier than this. Is there anything I can do?" He knew some tricks here and there but certainly nothing a proper witch wouldn't think of. Whatever ailed the cemetery felt beyond him in scope and power. It would be like fighting the weather. The only gift he had here was to read an object related to the incident and he was fairly sure that could have devastating consequences. Did he want to rile up some ancient ghost? One connected to a curse? He thought not.
Rost shook his head. This was Reagan’s mess, he didn’t want to involve anyone else in fixing it. If it even needed to be fixed. Perhaps the bad vibe would just fade away and the extra warmth would dissipate, and everything would be fine. That was probably a vain hope, but he still had it nonetheless. “Just some pleasant company is enough,” Rost told Dev with an easier smile. He leaned in to kiss Dev’s forehead just as the kettle made itself known again. Rost turned to pour the hot water and plopped the tea bags in to steep. “How is Greer? Is all well with you both?”
Dev nodded, idly stroking Rost's back while he waited on the tea. "Sad about that little girl, we both are, feeling like we should be able to do something about it, like everyone, I reckon. I flirted with the idea of using my abilities but I think the cops might just side-eye me as a suspect if I offer up that kinda help." He also did not need to draw attention from the authorities since his stay in the States was well past legal.
Rost made a noncommittal sound and tilted his head back and forth a bit. He’d had plenty of contact with the cops in Point Pleasant, and he had a lot of respect for Sheriff Barrett. He wasn’t sure just how much the man believed about the supernatural though. “Probably risky,” he said, leaning over to kiss Dev’s temple. “You are a newcomer, after all. But yes, it is sad, I agree. Hopefully they will find her soon.” Rost couldn’t sound terribly optimistic about that though. A lot of people went missing around this town and never returned. It just hurt the soul even more when it was an innocent child.
Dev wasn't terribly optimistic. He couldn't remember the exact timeframe but he knew that the more time passed since a child went missing, the lesser the chances were of finding it alive. With this child it had been a day and a night already, it didn't look good. He leaned in against Rost, watching the tea slowly coloring the water in his cup. "It's been a while since I read anything, I thought maybe you'd let me take a peek at your past." It felt right to him. They had been intimate and Dev would rather get a glimpse of Rost's hidden skeletons on purpose than by accident.
He looked at Dev’s face again with an arched eyebrow, a little surprised by that. It had seemed like something to avoid, to the point that Rost had taken to removing his usual jewelry whenever he knew Dev was coming over. He still had his necklaces on under his shirt and his earring in at the moment, since this one had been a surprise, but Rost would’ve happily shed them along with clothes if needed. He had to admit he was beyond curious to see Dev work though. Rost wanted to know what he could see. “Oh yes? Are you certain? Is it difficult?”
"The opposite, really," Dev replied with a smile. "Too easy, s'why I wear the gloves." He murmured. "I don't like doing it unless I have to or unless... I really want to know someone. We've been pretty intimate." He smiled because that was an understatement though sex and emotional intimacy did not always go hand in hand so he would understand if Rost didn't want to do that. The experience itself varied. Most people didn't have mind-blowing horrors lying in wait or ghosts attached waiting for someone to talk to however briefly. Usually it was just a glimpse and that was what he was hoping for with Rost.
Rost had more meant ‘difficult’ in the sense of the toll it took on Dev, but he kind of answered that too. There must have been a reason he didn’t like doing it, and Rost knew not everything in his past was pretty. Far from it. He had some incredible memories, but also some very dark ones. Rost gave a faint smile back, because they had indeed been very intimate, and he wanted to be known ... he just didn’t want Dev to suffer for it. “You are welcome to touch all you like,” he told him. “There are unhappy things to see, I will warn you now.” He supposed that was true of anyone, but Rost felt like he’d had a bigger dose of tragedy than a lot of folks.
Maybe it was a little crazy to want to do this. Dev had certainly been told he was crazy a few times in his life so that was fitting. It wasn't often that he actually wanted to but with people he felt this close to it almost felt like a compulsion. He had to know, had to see what he was in for. He had seen some truly horrible things in the past so he knew what he could be in for and yes it could be emotionally draining but it would be more so if whoever he was reading could see it too. Dev definitely didn't want to drag bad memories up for people. "We all have some sadness," he murmured warmly. "And I do appreciate that I can touch all I want." Of course he had to pick up on the potential innuendo there and he made a point of touching Rost's arm and chest - since he had permission.
Rost gave him a more playful little grin, not minding that interpretation at all. He had dark spots in his past, yes, but he’d more or less come to terms with those bad memories. They were all just parts of his history, what had made him who he was, and he was grateful for the good times that had made them worthwhile. Everything was balance. “Then come and sit,” he said. Once they’d loaded up their tea with their preferred additives, Rost led the way to the couch and plopped down on it, sitting mostly sideways with one leg pulled up on the couch so he could face Dev. “Does it matter what the object is?” he asked, his gaze curious for now as he lifted his mug for the first sip of tea.
"You know, I've tried to find rhyme and reason in it all," Dev replied once he was comfortably seated, one arm resting against the back of the couch, the other on his lap holding the hot cup of tea. "I thought maybe metal is better, maybe old is better, but it feels chaotic. Some items absorb, others don't. Sometimes it fades after I see it for the first time, sometimes it doesn't." He ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling the curls a little. "So I guess I get to just feel around," he said jovially because that really didn't sound bad - at least until he found what he was looking for.
He chuckled at that, waggling one flirtatious eyebrow at Dev over his mug. “That does not sound too bad,” Rost told him. He gestured around them at the inside of the trailer, and then at himself. “There is plenty to feel.” He gave Dev a little half-grin. Rost knew his skin was useless to this power, but he did wear a few pieces of jewelry that had been with him through all kinds of shit, and he hadn’t taken off for years before Dev came along and needed the courtesy. If anything of his would show anything, it was probably that. Or his guitar, which had also traveled far and wide with him.
Sometimes different things showed different stories but it was rare that a person had more than a few of those things. Dev was just careful with every little object because he never knew what might trigger his abilities and not because they were so plentiful. He didn't want to be exposed to people's secrets all the time, that was for sure. Dev chuckled at Rost's reaction and squinted at him in a brief playful way. Another benefit to doing this was that he'd know Rost was safe and he could touch him all he wanted without worrying about removing jewelry or wearing gloves. "And you don't mind?" he asked just to make sure, sipping his tea carefully as it was still very hot.
Rost shrugged and shook his head a little. What was there to mind? He trusted Dev, he was coming to love Dev, so why not share as much as possible, right? Rost’s life was an open book to those he cared about, and the man had a unique ability, so why not get uniquely acquainted? The idea didn’t scare him, and it wasn’t like he didn’t already dwell in unpleasant memories a lot on his own. Maybe sharing them in a more vivid way than was normally possible would help unburden some of that pain. “I do not mind,” he said softly. It might make for an emotional afternoon, but Rost was willing to see.
Being willing to show Dev was a sign of a good person, or else someone who had nothing to hide. With anyone else Dev might have left it at that but he was curious about what he might see with Rost, if anything. He sipped his tea before setting the cup down on the table, then removed his gloves and leaned over to Rost, cupping his face with both hands and smiling warmly. "This could open up a door to a simple memory but I've had ghosts yell at me too. You ready to deal with chatty relatives if it comes to it?" It was rare, but it happened and it wasn't always pleasant or easy to relay the messages he was bombarded with.
Rost felt a little melty inside at Dev’s hands on his face, like he was precious somehow. It was a sweet feeling that he hadn’t realized he’d missed so much. He gave the other man a crooked grin and set his own tea aside. Rost ran his hands up Dev’s arms and made an amused little sound. “They will be chatting in Romani, if they find you,” he pointed out. Unless language ceased to be an issue on the other side, Rost didn’t really know. He gave Dev’s biceps a squeeze. “I am ready if you are. I am not afraid of my past or my ancestors.” He dipped his head a little to kiss one of Dev’s wrists. “Open all the doors you like.”
"At least it'll sound lovely then," Dev chuckled because he wouldn't understand a word so he might as well enjoy it. He leaned in closer to press a kiss on Rost's lips, then ran his hands down his neck and to his shoulders. He studied him for a second, trying to guess which of his jewelry was most likely to yield results. It never took very long but he still had the amusing mental image of himself feeling every single object in Rost's trailer in some fit of desperation. He ran his fingers lightly over the golden chains around his neck then let the anchor charm slip into his palm. There was a feeling there but nothing that wanted to come out at that moment so he let go and took the gold coin charm instead, closing his eyes and let the energy from it rush through him. There was chaos at first, faces of people he'd never seen before, Rost playing guitar and laughing with someone Dev was willing to bet was family.
There was a lot to see, a blur of music and laughter and more languages than could be properly identified. Scenery too, green rolling hills and mountains and tiny villages and oceans and then the big city, towering metal and glass and the strange intimacy of dirty streets. The visuals seemed to slow, coming into focus on a bed, bathed in sunlight, with sheets that had tiny yellow flowers on them. Rost was in it, along with a girl who was lovely in an elfin, big-eyed way, both of them fully under the top sheet, facing each other and giggling about something. Then it shifted and she was dancing, tassels swaying around her hips, while Rost played guitar and watched with love in his eyes. Another shift and she was sitting in his lap while they drank and laughed with several other people on the roof of a building, skyline all around them.
Then Rost was alone. It was night again, but he was on the ground, looking up at the unnatural orange glow across the street and in the sky. It was his building, his home, and it was burning. He was paralyzed with more pain than he’d ever felt in his life. His love, his friends, all gone, like they were just kindling. He didn’t even have any tears, just shock and a hollowness in his chest that would eventually shrink but never fully leave him.
Dev felt all those emotions rush through him as if they were his own, from the love and joy to the pain and emptiness that followed. He furrowed his brows and even if Rost hadn't cried, Dev felt his own eyes sting with unshed tears. It wasn't unusual, every living being had some hurt in their life and most of them left deep scars. It affected Dev more than usual because this was someone he cared about. As the images faded to darkness he opened his eyes and gave Rost a sad little smile. "You've lost so much."
Rost had held still while Dev found the necklace that was apparently effective, fascinated by watching his face. He didn’t know for sure what Dev was seeing, of course, but by the end of it, Rost could guess well enough. The greatest tragedy of his life. Dev had warned him it would likely be something like that, some emotionally powerful memory. When Dev seemed to come back to him, Rost had his own softly sad smile ready for him. “It just means I once had a lot to lose,” he murmured back. “It makes me lucky.” He reached up to brush his fingers against one of Dev’s arms. “Did you see the fire?”
That was such a beautiful way to look at it, Dev was moved and he smiled in a way that showed as much. "I did," he replied then. "But I also saw her smile." Out of all the things he'd seen in that short time he only wanted to remember Rost's happiness. He let go of the necklace and wound his arms around Rost's shoulders, pressing a lingering kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for letting me see that." He opened his eyes again and looking past Rost he frowned softly. "Oh," he said quietly. "There's someone here." It wasn't the same woman, this one was old and a little bit shy, fiddling with her hands and giving him an apologetic smile. She wasn't speaking, not really, but Dev picked up on what she wanted to say, like whispers in his mind. "She says she's sorry she frightened you and that she feels bad that you're upset because of her. I don't know... Mrs. Mercer?"
Rost hugged Dev back tightly, a lump in his throat for a moment. He could remember Delle’s smile vividly, and it was so strangely beautiful to know that someone else he cared about had seen it too. He didn’t have any pictures of her, no momentos, nothing but what had stuck in his mind, all of it had been lost in the fire. But now Dev had seen her too, and Rost was happy for that. He didn’t have much time to bask in that feeling though, and he automatically looked around behind him when Dev said someone was there. There was nothing to see, of course. Rost felt a little charge of electricity run through him, because that was kind of amazing. His brows rose when Dev got the name, and Rost glanced in that direction again. “Mrs. Mercer? ... does she know what happened to her?” he asked, intrigued. “Who did this thing?”
Dev never worried about people not believing him, except when it really mattered and he had a moment where he sincerely hoped Rost wouldn't get skeptical on him now. He could see Mrs. Mercer clear as day there in the trailer, flickering a little in a way that told him she wasn't there to stay. "She doesn't know," he said softly. "She only came back because you were upset by it, she feels... Like she inconvenienced you." He had to laugh at that, a sympathetic and adoring laughter. Oh he liked this little lady and whoever had dug up her body deserved to suffer some for it. "She says she has no ties to her body but... Well, it's embarrassing, innit."
Rost put a hand over his heart, feeling much the same about that as Dev did. He hadn’t known Mrs. Mercer in life, but that was just damned endearing, wasn’t it? Rost turned his face toward where Dev was looking, even if he couldn’t see the spirit there, and gave the ghost a warm smile. “It was not your fault, dear lady,” he told her sincerely. “But I appreciate the words. I am so sorry some bastard desecrated your remains in such a way. I hope you are resting well. Your husband misses you.” Mr. Mercer had been beside himself with anger and renewed grief, and Rost knew all of that had come out of the love he still felt.
Some ghosts were really loud to the point where Dev felt like he could physically hear them and it hurt his ears, but Mrs. Mercer was anything but, her voice was a soothing little tickle if anything, hesitant and apologetic. She was fading already but Dev could still hear her. "She likes you," he murmured with a warm smile at the spirit. "You take good care of things, but don't tell her husband. He's a skeptic, he'll just be irritated, she says. I promise I won't, Mrs. Mercer." Smile fading he clutched Rost's arm. "Do you know where the little girl is?" he whispered and Mrs. Mercer shook her head. Not here was all she said before she started fading. "Not here," Dev repeated with some confusion and that could mean many things. Not dead, not alive, not in town anymore. She didn't like the question though so he didn't push, glancing at Rost with a fretful expression. "Thank you for not thinking I'm full of shit right now."
He felt positively moved to hear that, and Rost felt that lump in his throat again at the compliment. Sometimes he heard things like that from the living, but to have the message relayed from one of the deceased he watched over meant so much more. He looked more alert as Dev asked about the little girl, because that was pretty ingenious, but he wasn’t too surprised that Mrs. Mercer didn’t know. Rost didn’t know a lot about how the other side and mediumship worked, but he did know it wasn’t always effective. “I have seen too much to think that,” he murmured to Dev with a faint smile. “Is she gone?” He glanced over at the empty air again. He couldn’t help but be mildly disappointed that the only one who’d shown up was Mrs. Mercer. Rost didn’t expect to talk to his favorite relatives or anything, but someone personal to him would’ve been nice.
For a second or two Mrs. Mercer looked like she wanted to tell him something more but then she just smiled at him and started fading. Dev watched her, belatedly nodding to Rost's question. He turned his attention to the living again and cupped Rost's face. "It's like a message in a bottle," he said softly. "You don't always get your messages to where you want them to go." He couldn't be sure if that was what Rost was thinking but most people lamented that fact, wishing those they'd lost would use the chance to come talk to them. It wouldn't be the last time Dev touched something of Rost's so there was still hope for that connection Rost might want to make but Dev knew better than to try to force it.
He seemed to instinctively address what Rost had been thinking -- or maybe Dev just knew how these things went -- and Rost gave him a grateful little smile. “I like to think she is somewhere enjoying herself and not waiting for messages from me,” he murmured, and it was pretty obvious who he was talking about. There weren’t many people who had left Rost’s life who he felt he had unfinished business with, but he thought about Delle more than anyone. Rost took one of Dev’s hands and pressed a kiss to the palm of it. “Will it be easier now? Without the gloves?”
"You don't have any lingering presence so that guess is good," Dev told him and it was a good sign that most of Rost's departed had moved on. "I tend to see the worst the first time around so if you had some terrible skeletons in your closet they'd have come straight at me now so yeah, should be easier from now on." He might see the same thing if he touched the necklace again but it wouldn't be quite so powerful and eventually it would fade. It was both good and bad because sometimes he wanted to see it the way he had that first time around. His grandfather's journal didn't yield any visions anymore and it was frustrating when Dev wasn't sure where to go next.
Rost didn’t have any skeletons like that. He’d done plenty wrong in his life, he’d lied and stolen to survive, but there was nothing in his past he was intensely ashamed of, or could come back to really haunt him. He’d tried to do right by most people he came across, and put more love into the universe. That was what they were all here to do, right? Ideally speaking. “Good,” he murmured with a faint smile, scooting in a bit closer to Dev. Rost gave his face a soft nuzzle. “I like it when you can touch.” He didn’t want Dev to have to see his tragedy every time he forgot to take his gold coin off.
"And I like it when I can touch," Dev agreed and ran his hands over Rost's chest as if to demonstrate just how much he enjoyed touching. He loved touching different bodies, finding the similarities and the differences, all lovely in their own way. Rost's was so different from Greer's but he liked them all the same - but different. "It's a bit of a curse for someone so addicted to touching but at least skin doesn't carry the kind of secrets I can read."
“Thank goodness for small blessings,” Rost murmured warmly. People handled so many things throughout a day, he thought it must be a giant pain in the ass to have to be so careful. He wondered idly how many unwanted visions Dev had been drawn into, just out at a supermarket or something. How long it had taken him to learn to take the precaution of the gloves. But Rost wasn’t much in the mood to quiz him right then. Instead he just wanted to enjoy his company. It felt like they’d shared something intimate. “You are amazing, I hope that you know.”
Dev made a pleased, wordless sound, preening a little at the compliment. "I do love spending time with people who think so," he then said happily because there were plenty of people who thought the opposite. He didn't mind them, they were just deprived of his company that was all. "Birds of a feather," he added affectionately because Rost was amazing too and officially His People now.
Rost had to laugh, because the ego on Dev was adorable. And well-earned, in Rost’s opinion. He was completely smitten with both Dev and Greer, and every time he thought about how lucky he’d suddenly gotten, he felt all giddy. Maybe age should have made him more cynical and cautious about it, but Rost preferred to ride the happiness while it lasted. “Come here,” he murmured, slipping one hand up to hook around the back of Dev’s neck. He pulled him into a kiss, lingering in it for a moment, then added a soft, “Thank you.”
Dev wouldn't have called it ego. Some people thought he was the shit, others thought he was shit. He liked the former better. He would agree there was no use wasting time disliking himself though, he was stuck with himself until the day he died so he might as well have a nice and narcissistic love affair with himself while he was at it. He closed his eyes when Rost kissed him, a small smile curling his lips even as their lips pressed together. "Thank you," he replied quietly and god he loved the feel of Rost's hand on his neck.
There was far more to thank the both of them for than the other way around, Rost felt, but it was nice to hear anyway, after he’d shared a piece of his soul with Dev. It was all history, but it was such a part of his life and what made him his current self. He very much enjoyed that someone in his life had seen it now. Understood him a little better. Rost just gave a happy hum and went back to kissing Dev, letting the warmth from that connection seep down deeper into his body.