Chapter Text
It wasn’t every day they had visitors, let alone anyone psychically inclined, nor additions for the gulch, but Ford and Otto both had been scouting for new additions to the team. They had been going out into cities in between grant proposals and meeting with venture capitalists to find new members to their so-called research group. Bob was one of the later additions, apparently causing a psychic induced plant revolution at the local garden store was enough to draw the attention of Ford, Otto, and the rest of their group. Bob wasn’t certain about joining at first, but it was that, or go back to the empty home, reminders of an unhappy and lonely childhood, or a chance of a new start, with people who might understand him. The odd parts of him being gay, and the mundane, at least to Ford and Otto’s group, a psychic.
Bob initially met Ford, shortly after Otto and Ford’s girlfriend, Lucrecia, or Lucy, as she preferred. The drive from where Bob lived, to where Ford’s group lived was cross country, which gave the four of them time to chat and get to know each other well enough. Ford seemed nice, Otto a bit too full of himself for Bob’s taste, but Lucy was a breath of fresh air. Bob knew he wasn’t much of a lady’s man in more than one way, but the two became close, especially when the subject of Bob’s parents and older sibling.
Bob didn’t really like to talk about the neglect or the loss of his mother, the early death of his father, nor the older sister who left just when Bob was old enough to remember things. Those memories were sparse, and hurt almost as much as they soothed, that he might not be the only odd one out in his family. However, when Lucy explained how she ended up joining Ford and Otto, partly due to her hydrokinesis, but more so because she was fleeing the war in Grulovia, Bob felt heard and seen for the first time in a long time. Sure he had never step foot in a combat zone, but talking with someone who had experienced great loss of a loved one was a rare exchange that Bob had to truly struggle to find back at his town.
After arriving, Bob met with the famed author, Cassie O’Pia. Bob was floored, having read Mindswarm cover to cover several times, and using it to further expand his capabilities with plants, and expand out to other matters, even properly focusing on other powers like levitation. It was only a few months after that, that Ford had brought Compton Boole to the team, a short man that was timid at first, but quite the wordsmith and punmaster, especially when around Cassie.
The team had rounded out quite nicely, but between the six of them, there was something missing. They had great minds, engineering, writing, great understanding of the elements, plants and animals, but they were missing something to the team, at least, Bob thought so, but couldn't put his finger on exactly what was missing.
Months went by, and Ford had left on a proposal meeting for further funding for a psychoisolation chamber that Otto was almost finished blueprinting to help with Compton’s sensory overload with all of the animals in the gulch and surrounding woods. They all had proper control over their powers, but after Compton’s retelling of how he came to the attention of Ford, no one blamed him for the request for alone time every so often, lest he disrupt the ecosystem more than the researchers were already doing.
However, on the return trip, and their newest visitor, the car was a technicolor flowery van that raised some eyebrows. Out of the driver’s side was a rather large man, wearing an equally colorful sweater, with long red-orange hair, and a large moustache. Ford came around and put his hand on the big guy’s shoulder. Ford had sent a letter that he had found another member to the team, and gave a quick summary: the guy was a traveling psychic musician, and also sought to expand his perception of the world around himself, and his own mind, same as everyone else that had joined.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Helmut Fullbear, famed musician and psychic.”
Helmut laughed, “well, if I was so famed, I don’t think Ford here would easily buy up the theater seats for my last performance.”
Ford went down the line, introducing Helmut to everyone, putting faces to names. When it came to Bob, he stepped forward and shook Helmut’s hand, and he felt his face heat up. Bob never really got anxious around people, especially anyone in the research group, but there was something about Helmut that got Bob uneasy.
“So, Ford said you’d all like a show at least.” Helmut suggested, “the least I can do. Might not be the grandest entrance to do an encore performance for the whole group, but it’s a sight to behold.” Helmut closed his eyes and rocked to the front of his feet, then back, to put an emphasis on the spectacular that was his Psychodyssey. “But, perhaps later tonight? I need to set up everything, but after sundown I should be ready.”
“It’s settled, dinner and then a show after.” Otto clapped his hands together, and the group dismissed. Cassie and Compton left to go tend to the bees again. They had informed the group they were on the cusp of properly communicating with a local hive in order to get honey in exchange for protection and adequate flowers. Bob offered his services for assisting with the flower requirements, but Cassie and Compton hadn’t taken him up on the suggestion just yet, as the queen of the hive had yet to decide. Otto and Ford were talking about budgeting from the recent grant they were given and started walking towards Ford’s tree house office, with Helmut close behind, yet to take a proper look at the makeshift theater the group had made.
Bob started to go back to his greenhouse, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and who else but Lucy was there.
“See? I told you he’d be cute.” She grinned, a glint of mischief in her eye as always.
“I mean, he’s not bad to look at.” Bob responded.”Besides, I thought we agreed to not read each other’s minds?” Bob wasn’t one to get his hopes up. Bob had his trysts, yes, but nothing beyond foolish hook-ups. When he came to the gulch, he found that the group was rather open minded, and almost every member had good relationships and experience with gay and or trans people. The only member who had yet to, albeit unknowingly, have that sort of relationship, was the resident semi-shut-in engineer, Otto Mentalis. At least, as far as Bob knew, Otto was straight, but who knows. Otto is so busy in the lab most of the time, and he never really mentioned any past lovers. Mostly colleagues, invention ideas, and scientific theories more so than his life before the gulch. So Bob felt safe with everyone,, but hadn’t really brought it up, except with Lucy during their late night chats, and during their psychic check-ins.
“Well, I saw the way you looked at him during the handshake. Hardly a mind reading matter if you telegraph your emotions that easily. But still, even if he isn’t, I’m sure you can at least pick up the guitar again if he’ll teach you.” She suggested. “You did mention you used to have lessons and did a few recitals back in the day.”
Bob chuckled, “I don’t think I can recall even how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, let alone anything on the radio nowadays. But, I appreciate the sentiment.”
“So...maybe he can teach you how to finger a few chords, eh?” She elbowed his side playfully.
“Maybe, Lucy.” Bob gave her a quick hug. “I gotta go take a breather for tonight. If this is like any of the theatre productions I’ve seen, I’ll need a good nap before I try and stay up.” Bob yawned. His sleep schedule was a lot more lax with life in the gulch. Sure, there were always experiments and trials, and there were deadlines, but so long as it got done, it didn’t really matter what time of day it was. This was helped especially by the psitanium powered lighting that could be turned on and off by a simple thought, courtesy of Otto Mentalis himself.
That night was easily one of the nights Bob wouldn’t soon forget. He was a fan of the theatre, sure. Not a raving fan, but he had gone to a few plays, a few musicals, and had a good respect for the art of the stage, but Helmut brought that meaning to a whole new level. Bob, nor anyone else in the group for that matter, had seen someone easily manifest figments outside of their subconscious at the rate and size Helmut was able to, let alone animate them along with belting out rock ballads with half as much ease as Helmut.
Bob sat there in awe, the story unfolding in front of him of a great adventurer, going about the cosmos, experiencing the galaxy in its full all within his own mind and projecting himself through the stars. It was truly a sight to behold and Bob was a bit sad that it had ended seemingly so soon after a short two and a half hours. He found himself standing up, grinning from ear to ear, clapping vigorously along with everyone else.
“Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.” Helmut bowed, taking his adorable knitted hat off
“Oh, Helmut, that was truly a feast for the senses.” Cassie said as the applause was dying down.
“Agreed! And the way you summoned those figments with such ease, it’s a sight to behold!” Compton added.
Helmut put his cap back on and his cheeks turned the same shade as his hair. “Aw, that means a lot. Surprisingly, I don’t get a fairly large audience with my shows, so that means a lot.”
“Ah well, screw ‘em. Consider us your loyal fanbase.” Lucy responded, pointing finger guns and winking at Helmut.
Ford stood up and stretched, and put a hand over his mouth to yawn. “That was a hell of a show, even the second time around, but I need to turn in.”
The rest of the team went off on their separate ways, but Bob felt his legs turn to jelly when he got up. He stepped down the rows of the theater onto the ground. “That was amazing! I mean I have little music experience myself, but still! That was astounding!”
“Oh, well, thanks.” Helmut’s face lit up, seemingly more than before. “Oh, you’re Bob, right? You specialize in plants?”
“Yeah! I mean, yes.” Bob cleared his throat, realizing his volume and the fact it was night. He had to compose himself, the gulch was mostly asleep, and he wasn’t quite sure why he was acting or feeling the way he was. He made sure he was well-rested, he had a fairly decent meal before the show.
Helmut offered a hand to shake again, and Bob kindly extended his own to shake. “You know we did this earlier today, right?” Bob asked, after the fourth time their hands had gone up and down.
“Oh, right, sorry, today’s been a blur.” Helmut slapped his hand to his forehead. “I promise I’m not this airheaded.”
“No, I get it, long day in the car, then all of a sudden you’re performing a no doubt exhausting musical act that requires a lot of focus between music and psychic abilities.”
“Ha, yeah, thanks. So…”
“So….since I have a good knowledge of plants, would you want me to take you on a hike tomorrow maybe?” Bob swallowed hard. “I mean, there’s some poison oak and sumac, and if you don’t know how to look out for them, the rash is kind of gross.”
“I mean, I’d love that. The tutorial, not the rash.” Helmut chuckled, “I don’t want my first week here to be mired by having to feel irritated.”
“Great. So, We’ll meet up tomorrow at say mid morning, while there’s decent light out?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Helmut winked and Bob’s stomach did a flip. “Yeah, sounds great, well I gotta go, bye!” Bob smiled and waved and briskly made his way back.
“Smooth,” Lucy responded, just as Bob passed her. Bob almost didn’t realize it was her and nearly jumped out of his skin since he was stuck in his head so much after that interaction with Helmut.
Bob slowed down and let himself catch his breath, and let Lucy catch up to him. “How much did you hear?”
“Just about enough. So..., do guys who are not bad to look at get you to act like that?” Lucy chuckled, “or are you feeling something different after the performance?”
“Well, it’s not gas, that’s for sure.” Bob shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “I think I’m just antsy around a new member. What if he finds out and he’s a jerk about it? I mean, about me being gay?”
“Well, to be fair, he has at least two technicolor sweaters with colors of the rainbow on them. The one from earlier today, and his stage outfit. Also, I swear he looked at you when he said the line ‘baby, I’m a full spectrum lover’.”
“Maybe. Maybe. He was also talking about trying to make love to an alien of an indeterminate gender. Also we were all sitting fairly close together. I appreciate the vote of confidence, though.” Bob chuckled, “but you’re not going to set me up with a date, will you Yente?”
“Jerk.” Lucy nudged him again, a bit harder than earlier that day. “Not unless you want me to, but we’re all adults here. You did also ask him out yourself already. However, if he kicks your heart in the ass for whatever reason, don’t be surprised if the river gets him a bit wet.”
“You’re horrible.” Bob nudged Lucy back. “Thanks, though. I’ll figure this out on my own, I just….need to sort some things out first.” Bob stopped, Lucy’s hug impeded him from walking any further.
“Just remember, I’m always here. I gotta go, Crully’s waiting. Sleep well, and let me know how that nature walk goes.” She winked before turning around and heading back towards her place on the lake.
“I will,” Bob called back after her. He stood there in silence for a good few minutes. His life had changed so much in the past months since Ford found him from those news articles of him causing mayhem at a floral shop. He looked up at the crescent moon and the stars, taking in the moment, his mind wandering back to the psychodyssey and how the figments danced to the music Helmut made.
Bob could have sworn that as he walked up to the path to his place, the flowers seemed to turn towards him to watch him, as if they knew something was different and wanted info on the newest member to the gulch. Bob was welcomed home to his greenhouse by a few pats on the head from the vines he kept near the entryway, which turned into a hug. “I have to go to bed, I already fed you guys.” However, after the vines let Bob go, they didn’t nudge him on for food like usual, as if catching onto his mood as well. He sighed, patting one of the vines. “Maybe something is changing, perhaps for the best.”