An Outdoorsman's Guide To The Calls Of Common Thieves

Complicated families

23/05/2024-25/05/2024
TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter mentions the following: family issues, bipolar disorder, dead relatives and jailed relatives. Reader discretion is advised.

crash!
We all look at one another, startled.
S: "Is that...?"
Ryan and I nod.
A: "Do we go or...?"
R: "Yeah we should go."

Class trial [DAWN] - Masafumi Takada

As we leave my apartment, I grab the chair leg I now keep conveniently by my door. We run around the town, trying to find the source of the crash, and our search leads us to the ice cream parlour. Hiding behind the building next to it, we discuss our next move with hushed voices and limited time.
S: "Should we do something?"
R: "I think so. There are four of us now, we have a perfect chance to catch them."
Z: "What if they have weapons?"
A: "We have to be as careful as possible. Maybe I can use my powers?"
S: "Good idea."
Alex peeks around the corner, presumably looking for the 'auras of emotion' she mentioned. She places her hand out and...

Moments later, we hear rapid footsteps running from the scene of the crime. Alex stumbles backwards and Steph and I rush to support her. Ryan and I decide to walk them back to their place as Alex talks us through what she saw.

A: "It was fear. I felt someone's fear. I couldn't recognise his voice, but it was quite deep and manly."
R: "Did he say anything? Or did you see anything?"
A: "I saw bars. Like from a jail. And the guy said he couldn't go back."
Z: "Jail?"
Assumptions flow into our minds.
S: "It couldn't be Ben, right? He's just some old guy."
Z: "Unfortunately, we can't rule him out yet."
R: "So that really narrows down our suspect list. Two men, one of which has been to jail, one of which is middle age and/or older who says the catchphrase 'Let's get grooving' and has lived here for a while."
S: "It seems like a lot of evidence, but it applies to practically half the town."
A: "I mean at least it's not all the town, right?"
Z: "All I know it that with all of our wits combined, we'll figure it out."
R: "You got that right."
We reach Alex and Steph's place, and exchange goodnights as me and Ryan head off to our street.

Show Me How - Men I Trust

"So is the Five Find Outers an England thing?"
"Yeah. It's a book series by Enid Blyton. My sister loved her. Don't forget the dog though - It's the Five Find Outers and Dog."
"My bad. The Five Find Outers and Dog. So, you have a sister?"
"Yup."
"What about other siblings?"
"Nope. Just us. You?"
"I'm an only child."

He pauses for a moment. "Come to think of it, you haven't said much about your family since you got here."
"I didn't wanna scare anyone away." I say jokingly. It's difficult to explain everything that's 'wrong' with my family. "We're a little... uh..."
Ryan senses my difficulty, and realises he may have been too prying. "No worries. You don't have to say anything if you aren't comfortable. I haven't really said much either."
We arrive at the Lantern, but our conversation continues.
"Well I guess you could say a sort of 'craziness' runs in the family."
"You don't seem crazy."
I sigh, thinking about how I used to be compared to now. "I've been improving myself for a while. So what about your family- if you want to say, that is."

He sits leaning his back against the wall. I sit next to him with my legs to my side, facing him.
"My mom ... died. When I was 19."
"I'm ... so sorry to hear that."
"She was a good person. And a good mother. When I told her I wanted to be a park ranger, she was so supportive of me and ... she was a good mother."
I see the way he looks up at the stars as he talks about her, smiling. It's wholesome. It makes me smile too.
"And my dad, well- you know what happened to him."
"Yeah."
"I hope he's in there, thinking about what he did."
A small tear falls from his eye, and his voice shakes as he looks from the stars to the ground. I move over to kneel beside him and gently wipe the tear from his face. He looks up at me, into my eyes, and I smile reassuringly. Looking at his glassy eyes and wanting to cheer him up, I remember him telling me about how his mum used to take him up to the rooftop garden when she had insomnia. That's sure to remind him of the good memories, right?
"Do you... maybe... wanna go up to the garden?" I ask him softly.
He pauses.
"Yeah."

Those Eyes - New West

We walk up there in silence, together, and as we walk beside the border of flowers, he tells me stories about his mum and about the flowers he planted there.
"...and she had some yellow roses somewhere here for the Spring festival."
"She must have loved the festival."
"By far the best time of the year for her. You said your mom likes flowers too, right?"
"Yeah. She said her and my father would fly out here for the Spring fest. By the way, they wanted to know what exactly people do at the Spring festival. What's it like?"
"People have described it as many things. A concert. A town get-together. Mountain prom."
"Mountain prom?"
"Yeah, believe it or not."
"Am I gonna need a date?"
"I mean, I don't have one either, if you'd wanna... never mind."
"Yes Ryan, I would like to go to mountain prom with you."
He's taken aback slightly, but he gives in to the fact that he was going to ask anyways.
"A-alright. It's a date. Literally, this time." We chuckle.
"You know the day I arrived was actually my sister's birthda..."

There's still 2 more weeks until the famous Spring Festival, but with both my parents coming to visit and going with Ryan, I'm super excited already. Who knows, by then I may have built up the courage to give him a yellow rose.

We sit against the wall again, looking at the flowers and the night sky, and tell more and more stories about our crazy families and laugh more and more at the crazy stories. It's not much, but it's making him smile, and that's all I want to see. So we carry on.
"You bit her? No way!"
"I don't even remember why but yeah. Thinking back I was a pretty violent kid."
"I would have never expected that."
"Really? You don't see my scary face and think 'Wow, she could beat me up'?"
He scoffs. "Scary face? You're joking, right?"
"I have a scary face."
"Yeah. Sure."
"I do!"
"You're face is more adorable than scary."
I blush a little, but disguise it (almost) with a playful remark.
"Be careful, I'll bite you."
"I'd like to see you try."
"Well, lucky for you I've matured."
"Yet somehow your face probably looks the same."
"Watch it."
"Alright, alright. I'll back off." He puts his hands up in mock surrender.

"But you have to admit, you're adorable when you're flustered like this."
"Hey!"