A New Devious Chapter

 My birthday also happened last month, and so right after going to Brooklyn, I had a short amount of time to repack, and prepare for Rabbit to come and pick me up for a long visit with him again.  We had made some plans for my birthday, which fell through, but immediately turned into backup plans that we were both excited for. I had sent him with most of my things the week before, which meant that we could finally ride the bike from my place to his, so long as I packed lightly enough to fit everything in the saddlebags.  He wanted me to bring rope, which means we had to fit a second bag, and that just barely managed to fit.  But we got up early and got on the road, with a fantastic ride across the state during the morning sun.  We then got over to his parents' house, where he had some papers to sign, and I made sure he had as much time with the piano and accordion as he wanted.  It was wonderful to see him just decompress and play, and all the joy it brough...

 I'm currently at Lux's, on my first long visit just to see him in about two years.  Between the pandemic, and needing schedules to line up, until his recent visit to me, the only thing we've been able to do are those short little overnights at my place. There's certainly been a bit of adjustment again, as we get used to living around each other.  Things like sharing a bed in an apartment I haven't visited to before, and getting things done in a new office space together.  We adjust quickly though, knowing how to work with the other at this point, for the most part anyway.   It's a good break from some things, and I think a necessary change of pace for us both.  There's been lots of little reassurances for us just being us, and moments of talking about where we want different things to go.  Quiet moments of ambition and desire that make me feel happy and driven to make everything work. We also took a day to see some friends that I hadn't seen in a...

It's the last real block of time I have this summer before Squishy starts school again.  While a few people had taken off time in the window of what summercamp would have been, since I generally can't be at that event, I didn't feel offput by the lack of opening in everyone else's schedules.  However, I did find out that Kitty had a week off during the time that I would be able to adventure. So, I tried for the longest visit yet this year, and Pyre came to pick me up.  I spent the weekend with her, and got to see Lux for a short period, but for the first time since Pax.  I however, got no sleep, because Pyre's kitten somehow got swapped for a shit gremlin, and so she kept us up for two nights.  It meant that shortly after getting unpacked upon getting to Kitty's, I promptly passed out like the dead. And now, we get to enjoy a fairly quiet week with it just being the two of us during the day, even if dealing with some major life things.  It will be ben...

My birthday was the start of an invasion of people while at Kitty's place.  Something that started quiet, and while never got insane, was certainly a pile of people.  During the day, I went about making lots of little things happen, while Pyre worked.  At one point I took a break, and actually spoke with her therapist to help answer questions, and give him a better understanding of how our polycule works.  It was very interesting to see him try to wrap his head around it as a concept, and affirming in many ways, to see him happy with how we work, and the healthy dynamic that Pyre and I have. People started showing, and Kitty got home, and while he didn't have time to let his brain relax, was certainly being more affectionate than he had been some previous days.  We made silly jokes, and the night ended with him bringing me so much laughter that I had to be careful due to having a brownie at the same time. So while Lux wasn't there, this was everything else...

The weekend of my birthday is supposed to be another gathering at Kitty's place.  The one thing I wanted for my birthday, an unofficial thing happening of just that.  While I'm not trying to push my birthday in anything going on, I'm more than a little happy that I'm getting the simple thing I do want, even if all the people I want to spend it with will likely not be present. Squishy left earlier this week though, and that would give me a week and a half of being home without her.  A week and a half that I had hoped initially would be spent with Lux, celebrating both our birthdays together, and finally seeing each other after yet more months of distance.  To help him make this new place into a home. Before I can even consider the risk of seeing him though, he needs more time in quarantine, having just come back from traveling to take care of family matters.  As much as in many ways these things look like selfish acts, we really are all keeping safety in mind...

Today, I should be at camp.  At the end of a week with friends, my polycule, and loved ones. Instead, we are all concerned with safety.  Keeping apart even while our worlds are on fire, trying to stay healthy so we can keep each other healthy. Now, we rewind to a couple of weeks ago.  I'm on a call with Pyre, talking about how Kitty's birthday is soon, and she is planning a trip up, which has changed from just a short trip due to her current situation.  She mentions another one of our friends talking about making a long trek down, because it would be the week of camp, and spending the weekend.  She asks what I'm up to, and I tell her that Squishy will be gone. And so the plotting began.  Trying to make something happen as safely as possible, while taking stress off of Kitty so we would show up with everything taken care of. A fantastic surprise that brings us back to the important people, and creates a positive space for mental health. Which means...

Last camp, I had mentioned how being there made me feel inspired to switch more.  To do more topping, because it is usually what I'm more drawn to. Coming up to camp, I had made plans to top a few people, and only bottom to one friend as well as my partners, because they obviously would get priority.  It had me excited to be embracing my sadist again, though worried about being rusty. And in standard camp fashion, most of those plans didn't happen.  Some did, but several fell to the wayside of either lack of time, or things happening which would not make that play as safe as it should be. With a random free evening due to some rain, I had the chance to play with Lux.  With adjustments we'd talked about previously, and a more serious tone, I got near that floaty spacey state.  We both agreed that with loud scenes going on around us in the dungeon, it became distracting for us, and something to keep in mind for the future.  Almost an hour he hit me thou...

Last year at camp, I met one of Pyre's favorite people in the scene.  A large man, who was incredibly intelligent, peaceful, and talented.  I could tell just in the short time we had together that there would be a solid friendship and that he was good people. A few months ago, I got myself some new boots, and realized I would need someone to tend to those, as well as my older boots which were seeing some wear.  Around the same time, Pyre started a service dynamic with this man, Owl, and said she would have him work on them.  We made up plans to meet at camp, and regardless of boot service, we would chat over coffee and enjoy some time. The week before camp, I got a call from Lux, saying that he heard of Owl's passing.  Before a real friendship could be built, the chance was gone. I was immediately worried about Pyre, more than feeling loss myself. Camp is a strange place this year, shaken and cracked.

About a week and a half ago, Pyre sent me a link.  She said that she went and got pre-approved, and reserved an appointment to look at a new car, which she very badly needed for a while from the sound of things. While talking to her, she mentioned bringing Kitty along with her so he could tall white male privilege to help.  I then started dropping information on the things that need to be included in the sale, for her to look for.  She was surprised with all the knowledge I had on it, and so I offered to write up a list of all the things she needed to stand firm on, what she legally should expect, and the charges to call bullshit on.  Unsurprisingly, she hopped on that offer. So being a good part of this polycule, I wrote up everything, albeit last minute, and hopefully helped her since she did wind up pulling the trigger on the car. While talking about it though, I had mentioned that tall male privilege helps, but it really knocks people on their ass when...

I've been plotting out the next couple months, and while that includes a trip up to see Lux, a wedding we are going to, and a handful of other small things, it also means starting to think about Fusion. It's the same week Squishy finishes school again, but luckily there wasn't any snow days, so we should actually be able to attend the entire event for the most part.  That means more time at camp, and given that Lux and I want to do more with the event this year, that's important. I'm planning on teaching a lot more, and pulling out some interesting performances that I'll be able to tell the story on in the coming week or so.  I also want to play with more people, and really take advantage of the event. My classes are all prepped, luckily.  I just need Pyre to go through and pick what exactly I'm bringing.  This will involve a lot of new things, which I'm excited to teach, as it involves lectures, which is something I haven't done in a long time...

I'm back from my first Fusion, and feeling better about it the longer I look at it.  There was good and bad, and the event was very different for both Lux and I just due to how we kept somewhat different schedules with my having classes to manage and all. Lux came in from Austin where he was training for his new job.  He showed up at my doorstep in a suit, and if we didn't have a two hour drive ahead of us, that suit would have been a mess shortly after seeing him. The ride was fairly uneventful, with the exception of us making the same mistake we always do when we make a trip west.  We will inevitably do the same thing in a month come Pennsic. Getting there, I got a very similar feeling to Pennsic, but on a much smaller scale.  It felt comfortable, and despite everything, I had no problem walking around Fusion by myself at night. Thursday Lux met Pyre for the first time, and I met a bunch of the fire team.  While awkward at first, they let me open up by...