Like Your Old Man
This is a sequal to Birthday Boy! please go read that before this. Thank you.
Alastor took a deep breath, holding Felix's hands in his own.
The Imp's hands were so small.
Delicate compared to his own.
"Just trust me, alright Cheshire?"
He asked, Felix taking a deep breath, clearly fearful, but looking up at him hed nod, trusting his father.
Theyd stand in the centre of the sitting room, Alastor holding the boys hands.
It'd been a week since his birthday, Rosie having gifted the boy his own abilities, seemingly an exact copy of the man's own abilities, from his own sentient shadow to slipping through shadows.
And after the incident on his birthday, the boy accidentally falling into darkness, hed fearfully clung to the man since, refusing to be alone, especially in the dark.
Alastor deciding the best way to beat the boys newfound fear was to teach the boy to embrace his powers.
And so, with the young Imp clinging to his larger hands, the man taking the time to appreciate just how small the boy was.
Felix would stare up at him as Alastor explained how to navigate the shadowy subspace.
Taking a deep breath he'd tell him.
"Alright now listen up dear, take a breath than sink. Just fall and dont worry. I'll be there right after you, alright?"
Felix stared up at him, the young Imp clearly fearful, bit talking a deep breath, hed nod.
"Alright. Um, give me a moment."
Alastor just nodded, Felix breathing deep, cheeks puffing out as he focused hard.
A long moment would pass before, with a jolt he'd slip through the ground, falling into the shadow.
Alastor would follow immediately after.
This time Felix had been prepared for the void, inky blackness swirling around them, Alastor stood there, watching with his staff in hand, watching the young Imp as he floated in the abyss.
Unlike last time, he'd prepared Felix for this, assuring him hed be right by him.
And sure enough, Felix floated there, balled up as he floated through the dark space, Alastor watching as he eventually opened his eyes, looking around the space, the Imp visibly relaxing upon seeing the man.
Alastor took his hands as the boy sunk to the sediment.
The boy would go to speak, smiling up at him, Alastor pressing a finger to his lips.
"Best not to make sound here my boy." He spoke softly, leaning in close. "Need to stay focused."
"Now focus." He began, the boy standing on shifting ground, staring up at him. "Think of your room. The features. Cupboards. Walls. Details. Focus now."
Felix wouldnt speak, but clenching his eyes closed Alastor would watch as the darkness that surrounded them took shape.
Darkness swirled into shapes. Angles, cupboards. Windows and walls.
They'd solidify as Felix breathed deep.
Alastor grinning as a familiar setting surrounded him, his sons room came to life, even if it was consumed by darkness.
Alastor released him, watching as the boy manifested back in the real world, Alastor following not a moment after.
Alastor utterly beamed.
Grabbing the boy he held him in the air, spinning and laughing, the boy squealing, giggling as the man held the boy boy up in the air, Felix grinning, seemingly overcoming his fear of the dark 'in between'.
"I did it daddy! I didn't it!" The boy cheered, arms up in the air, utterly beaming.
"That you did my boy! I'm so very proud. You are a natural!" He laughed back, radio static filling the air.
And he was, the boy had done it in record time, even Alastor had struggled to comprehend all of his abilities upon his arrival.
"Can I go anywhere?" He asked the man, Alstor chuckling, wanting to support him as he told him boldly.
"My boy, be bold, never fear the darkness and you may go wherever you may wish."
It was mostly fluff, Alastor wanting to support his son, even if he didnt like the idea of him just zipping off on his own.
"However I do expect you to be smart. No running off to dangerous areas without forethought, always be wary of strangers and never tell others who your father is."
He was serious now, gazing down at his son, showing off that imposing height difference.
"B-But why?" He asked, confused and a little sad.
He loved his father, why couldnt he tell others who his father was?
The man sighed, squatting down to talk on his level.
"My boy... your father, myself, am a powerful man. I have people who dont like me. And I can't have them hurting you because you're my child. Now, promise me you'll keep quiet."
Felix would fiddle with his hands, shifting as he was clearly reluctant.
"If you must say who cares for you, tell them you stay with Rosie, alright?"
It was a reluctant compromise, but Felix needed a public figure to care for him, itd been years since he disappeared from public view and bringing Rosie up in conversation would give some pause to a potential threat.
The boy seemed more willing now, nodding as he spoke up.
"Alright daddy, I promise."
Alastor just smiled, leaning down and kissing the boys forehead.
"Good, now go, have fun." The boy would disolve into shadows, Alastor staying there for a moment before disappearing himself.
Appearing in the shadowy space, Alastor would watch the boy look around, Felix clearly confident now in the datkness, the boy getting his footing, Alastor smiling wide as the little boy puffed up, surrounding shifting as the boy walked away, disappearing in the ever swirling darkness.
Taking a deep breath he'd glance at his shadow, the shadow nodding once before zipped after him, the man trusting his son, but that didnt mean hed leave him to his own devices, not without keeping his eye on him.
Felix wandered through the darkness, focusing hard and stopping in place, fists clenched and closing his eyes, hed materialise before Rosie's Emporium, and touching the door, hed emerge, the form taking on colour as the little Imp giggled madly, looking around to find Cannibal Cove.
The boy jumping in place as he clapped, proud of himself for travelling all on his own.
Turning to the door he'd go to open it, only to realise he isnt tall enough to reach the doorknob.
And after attempting to reach it for several moments he perked up, remembering his shadow.
His grinning shadow quickly zipping up the wall and opening the door for him.
The boy waltzed in like hed won at life, strolling in the shop, the place filled with a few dozen Sinners, perusing her wares.
With a mess of people between him and the register the boy would pause, thinking for a moment before with a wicked grin, the boy sank into the darkness, his shadow zipping through the crowd before the boy popped up by the register.
Climbing onto the counter was easy for the boy by this point, he'd done it plenty of times, it getting easier the bigger he got.
So, climbing up onto the counter, Felix dusted himself off, looking around as to locate Rosie.
The woman was behind the counter, bent over as she grabbed something beneath the counter.
"Hey Rosie!" He greeted her, the woman jumping a little.
Standing up and turning to him, she looked shocked.
"Felix? What are you doin' here?" She looked around him, searching for any signs of Alastor, it wasnt like him to drop Felix off unannounced.
"Now how did you get here?" She asked, hands on her hips as she started to smile.
"I travelled here. On my own~" he told her proudly.
"On your own? You got here all on your own?" She asked, a little surprised but a smile quickly crossing her face.
"Well I'll be, does your father know your here?" She asked playfully.
Felix would pause, realising he hadn't actually told his father where he was going. The boy starting to panic, Rosie just rolling her inky black eyes.
"Dont worry Sweetie, I'm sure your father will figure it out." Shed glance at the far wall, knowing Alastor's shadow hiding in some nook.
Rolling her eyes, not that they could tell, she'd scoop Felix up, nuzzling him.
"I'm so glad to see your enjoying your powers, I thought after your uh, birthday..."
A moment would pass before he'd hug her, Rosie freezing before she let out a soft 'oooooh' squeezing him close as she enjoyed his little form.
"Alright now." She'd pull back, placing the little Imp on the counter. "Now show me what you can do with these new powers. Come on dear."
