TIMING: Current
LOCATION: Mabel’s Maple Shoppe
PARTIES: @chasseurdeloup and @eldritchaccident
SUMMARY: Kaden gets a call about a "rotten egg" at the store Teddy's working at for the moment. There's definitely nothing weird about the egg at all.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
Another day, another strange call to animal control that Kaden was assigned to investigate. This particular call was about an egg and he was tempted to ignore it and do something a little more critical but the owner was insistent and so was Gary. The other officer told Kaden that the owner wouldn’t stop calling and making a stink (or was she saying there was a stench? He didn’t remember) and that he wasn’t going to fill out one damn line of Langley’s paperwork if he didn’t at least go by the place. A threat that the ranger couldn’t ignore. The shop in question was one he hadn’t been to before and one look at it, he could see why. Mabel’s Maple Shoppe. Seemed excessively niche, which wasn’t entirely out of place in Wicked’s Rest. But a place that “caters to all your maple needs” wasn’t going to be on the top of his list to stop by. Kaden didn’t know what maple needs consisted of but he was pretty sure he didn’t have any of those.
The scent hit him as soon as he entered the store, before the bell above the door could finish ringing. It wasn’t the worst odor he’d been up against but it sure wasn’t pleasant. Kaden tugged the collar of his shirt up a little to try and help mask it at least a little. Didn’t help much. There was someone at the counter and he figured it was best to speak to them before rifling through the shop for the creature in question. “Hey, got a call from the owner, Ms. Maple, I’m assuming. Animal control,” he said, holding up his badge to the person at the counter. “Something about a rotten strange egg. She said she saw a strange worm slither away from it I think? Was worried about a nest.” He cleared his throat, trying to mask the slight gagging from the smell, “Pretty sure I can sniff it out but wouldn’t mind being pointed in the right direction.”
—
Mabel’s Maple Shoppe was just another on a long long long long long long list of temporary jobs Teddy found themself enlisted to help with. Well, not so much enlisted by the establishment, but when an establishment found itself in need of a helping hand, the oft bored ex-demon was always just there to help. Just at the right time. It wasn’t spellwork, but it seemed almost magical in a way. Too quick on the draw, smiles too bright to ignore.
Teddy wanted to do everything humanity had to offer. They’d been removed from it for so long that even the simplest things filled them with joy. Time and its monotony were generally the reason for most people’s malaise with the working industry, but Teddy found that hopping from one occupation to the next kept it fresh, kept it fun. It added ever more names to their roster of those that owed favors. Not in the way of the fey, but of jovial connection and well earned gregariousness.
Of course, it was ever useful to have a handful of options to lean towards whenever a sudden task beyond their means reared its head. And Teddy had spent many of those good fortunes in readying the house for Emilio and Wynne. So they were back at it. Trying to find normalcy in their erratic work schedule after that… excursion into their past. In trying new jobs at new places, Ted could pretend they were someone else. A week at Mable’s and they would be off to somewhere else. Only, well, the egg happened.
Teddy hadn’t seen it. Not yet. Mrs Mable was going off about it, and how it was driving away customers. But somewhere along the five hundredth maple flavored item Teds had gone a little noseblind. The animal control officer walked in, and they were more than happy to flip the sign to ‘We’ll be back soon.’ so they could take a moment to direct him. “Did she even actually explain what she saw? She was acting like it was radioactive I swear. Wouldn’t let me leave the counter.” Though, whether that was something due to the egg itself or her desire to keep sales rolling, that was beyond them. Curiosity had been burning, and Teddy wasn’t usually one for self-restraint. But patience won out. Whatever it was, they’d find it together now.
—
Kaden shook his head. “She didn’t say anything specific. Honestly, I was pretty sure this was a job for…” He paused. “I don’t know, anyone else. Not animal control necessarily. But Gar– Officer Miller insisted that we at least check it out. Mostly so he could stop taking her calls.” He probably shouldn’t be so honest with a civilian technically but it was hard to care one way or another. He wasn’t there to be a cop, he was there to get paid to do the shit he was going to do anyway: clean up supernatural messes and help animals.
“I mean, if nothing else, it smells radioactive so good enough to reason to get it out of here. Just be careful,” Kaden warned. “If there’s a nest, the thing that made it could be nearby. And I’ve never encountered an animal that doesn’t protect its nest with everything it’s got.” Same with monsters. Putain, he hoped they weren’t dealing with something supernatural but he had a feeling he wouldn’t get that lucky.
—
Strangers liked to tell Teddy things. Must’ve just had one of those faces. Open and welcoming enough that extra details just slipped through the cracks and filled the ex-demon up with sated wonder, then more questions. They caught the trip in words, and found an opening to slide inside of, stepping in time with the officer’s gait as they rounded the back of the shop. “Is that Gary or Garfeild? I know a couple Millers.” They chimed in, a cheshire smile sprouting upon their lips. “One of them is a doll, the other just loves to try and get everyone else to do his work.” C’mon officer, at least give up the hot goss.
“Don’t actually know if radiation actually has a smell. I think it’d be a lot safer if it did, but I get what you mean. I’ve been dealing with this all morning. Do you want some Vick’s?” The mentholated vapor rub just under the nose was more than enough to block out the worst of it that morning. They didn’t really get much of a chance for an answer though, as the pair exited the old maple wood door and spilled out onto the patio.
—
“You do?” Kaden said, surprised to hear Gary’s name dropped by the employee. “The first one, yeah. Gary.” He sighed at the thought of the other officer. “Look, we have a pretty good set up. I do the field work, he does the office work. It’s a win-win.” The less time Kaden had to spend chained to a desk, the better. And Gary felt the same about getting scratched, bitten, and bruised on the job. Which would be fair enough anywhere but especially in this town. It was more dangerous than most so it was probably for the best that the only one trying to control the animals and monsters around town for the WRPD was a ranger.
—
Truthfully? No. Teddy didn't know the man. But those were the first two names to come to mind with a Gah- at the beginning, and Teds was always looking for a way to push themself into anyone else's life. A messy little habit, but a fun one. “Ahh, so you're more of a man of action then? That's a pretty good foil to old Gary. At least you like what you do.” They offered a smile.
It was overgrown and blushed with flowers just starting to bloom, but beneath one of the larger bushes, sure enough the remains of a messy insectoid infestation littered the mossy stone floor. Teddy’s eyes scanned the debris, excitement growing as they realized this was so much more than mundane. Not enough to recognize the species or anything like that, only that it wasn’t any bug they’d find in a natural history museum.
—
Kaden let the employee lead the way towards the back corner of the store, the musty smell growing more and more potent as they walked. It was almost enough to drown out the smell of maple – almost.
His brows furrowed as he leaned down to examine the source of the stink. “I don’t get it,” he started, “it’s just a damn–”
The words caught in his throat as the world shifted around Kaden, like he was seeing clearly for the first time in his entire life. It was as if he finally understood his purpose, what he was meant to be doing: his duty.
It wasn’t just a damn egg, far from it. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
—
The officer squatted and Teddy alongside him, carefully prying to get a clear look at whatever–Oh. Oh goodness. That same sweep of emotion infected the ex-demon gazed upon what must have been an egg, but, no- no that was– Well, of course it was their child.
—
Out there on the patio, one quick look at the employee next to him and it was clear to Kaden that they both felt the same way. That they were going to protect this egg — no, child — with their lives. Any worry of whatever the nest might belong to had faded away. It didn’t matter who or what made the nest or what made the egg, it didn’t belong to that creature. The egg belonged to them. Kaden reached out and carefully picked it up and cradled the egg in his arms. “We should get him some place safe,” he said to the employee.
Right. He just realized they hadn’t even exchanged names. “Kaden, by the way,” he said, glancing back at thm. “My name, that is. Don’t think I said it before.” His eyes didn’t stay away from the egg for long, practically glued to the miracle he was holding in his arms. “Speaking of, he needs one.” Once again, Kaden realized he wasn’t exactly being clear. “A name, I mean.”
—
The warm fuzzies spread throughout the caster, a total shift from the nosy ruse they had built up before. None of that really mattered anymore now did it? Who had time to poke anyone for information when they had precious cargo to care for. A warm hand came up to the officer– Kaden’s back. Teddy crept in closer, inspecting the egg, carefully reaching out to stroke its surface. Something deeply buried welled up in their chest. Somewhere between pride, determination, and devotion. They knew instantly they'd do anything for their little baby. That they'd make it work with–
Teddy didn't remember having an egg with Kaden.
But it was theirs. There was no doubt. The child was theirs. And they would care for it. “Oh–” a name, of course he needed a name. “What about…” The goat was already Levi jr, so that was out of the way. Maybe name it after Emilio? Shouldn't Teddy have had an egg with Emilio? Maybe Emilio just couldn't have eggs. Maybe that's why they had to have one with Kaden. Kaden was a perfect parent, just like they'd be. “Lio?” Teddy would figure out the mess in their mind later, it didn't matter that much, not compared to taking care of the baby.
The apron was more than enough soft fabric to create a small swaddling sling, one that Teddy carefully hung around Kaden's neck, all the while softly gazing at their dear new addition. “That works if she's a girl too. Or whatever, y’know. It's so hard to tell when they're this young.”
—
Kaden didn’t know how the egg got here or why he knew it was theirs or why— Wait, what was their name? The hunter squinted as he tried to read the name tag the other person was wearing. Telly? He was pretty sure that’s what it said. Anyway, he didn’t know how Telly and he ended up being the two destined to raise this egg and keep it safe but there was no doubt in his mind that it was anything other than a fact.
“Lio?” Kaden repeated, glancing up at them for a second before his eyes zeroed back in on the child in his arms. The sling was a welcome addition, it would help him keep them close, keep them safe, and make it easier to protect them from anything in this fucked up town that so much as looked at them wrong. “That could work…” Something about the name sounded familiar. It did remind him of his home, of Lyon. That was sort of nice. Almost like a family name, then.
Although he felt like Monty should be involved with this somehow. No, that was silly, of course Monty would help raise the egg. Even if he wasn’t the parent, he’d be a great stepdad. Or something like that. Kaden wasn’t sure what the right term for him was. Maybe they should name it after him? “If they’re a girl, we could call her Anya.” It was something like Montaña – close enough, at least. Not that it mattered much one way or another. “I’m sure they’re going to be perfect no matter what,” he practically cooed as he brushed a tender hand along the egg’s surface.
“We should get them home, though.” He looked back at Telly when it struck him that he wasn’t sure what home meant at that point. “I mean, I have a cabin. It’s safe out there. But I’m sure your place is good, too. Wherever that is.”
Hold on, wasn’t Kaden supposed to be on duty? No. He was supposed to take care of the egg. Or something like that. This was part of his job, he was sure of it. At least for now. Being a working parent was going to be difficult. And Telly was on the clock, too, weren’t they? They could both make it work. “I guess we should figure out work schedules, too,” he added. “You can leave the place closed for now, right? We should get supplies on our way. This petit ange deserves the best nest in the world.” If he could look at himself objectively, Kaden would have wondered where the grin spread across his face came from, but in the moment, it felt obvious — correct, even.
—
“Anya and Lio. A shame it’s not twins.” Teddy effused maternal joy, cooing over their shared precious cargo. “Though… I guess you never know with these kinds of things. We could just go with Lianya, sort of a combo.” For the first time in a while, their eyes traveled up from the egg to the man holding it. The slightest touch of confusion wormed in, only at the strangeness of how little they knew him, and how important he obviously had to be. They both belonged to this egg, so in some way, they belonged to each other. Right? Even if just as caretakers.
Home. Right, they should get it home. Needed a nest. Needed to bundle it up with joy and fluff and all the comforts of home. “A cabin? Aren’t the woods kinda…..” Fun to run around with a slayer and take care of the more monstrous mal-doers who would for sure try and hurt the people of Wicked’s Rest, and more than that, would hurt their little baby. “I’ve got a big house on World’s End Isle, lots of empty rooms. You could stay there too. Could bring all your stuff and there’d still be room. It’ll be safe there.”
Teddy had completely forgotten about the maple goods store until Kaden brought it back up, and in all honesty, it was still the furthest thing from their mind right then. “Ah I barely work here.” Noncommittally and disaffected, Teds could not care less about the tiny too sweet smelling store. “Mostly I just temp for fun, don’t really need the money. I’ll close up while you figure out what this lil guy needs.” They curled in close while helping the man to his feet, scritching at the ‘head’ of the egg as if it were an actual humanoid infant. “We’re gonna be the best parents, no matter what.”
—
“Lianya.” Kaden ran the name over his tongue before nodding. It was a solid compromise. “I like it. What about you?” he said, cooing to the egg. “Do you like that name, Lianya?” There was no actual response but he swore the egg grew a little warmer. Or brighter. Something like that, it was a good response. He could tell.
For a moment, Kaden was offended. What was wrong with his cabin? It was perfectly safe out there. All his weapons were out there. How was he going to protect this child if the weapons were in the cabin and he was on World’s End Isle with Telly? He sighed. He couldn’t argue that the island was more secluded and probably had better defenses. “Sure, we can do that. It means we’ll have to baby-proof more rooms, though.” Did he know what that entailed for Lianya specifically? Not really. They could figure it out. “After we pick up supplies in town, we can drop them off at your place and I’ll run to mine to grab what I need there.” And by that he meant weapons.
Kaden followed behind as Telly closed up shop, gently cradling the egg and rocking it ever slightly. Nothing about this made a lot of sense if he paused to think about it but at the same time, it made all the sense in the world. The skies had cleared and his purpose was right there in front of him, right there in his arms. Kaden beamed at Telly’s words. They were going to be the best parents, no matter what. “We will be,” he assured them. “And nothing in the world will stand in our way.”
@eldritchaccident replied to your post “[pm] Hey you're the best. Just so you know.”:
[pm] Pshaww. You don't gotta say stuff back at me. I just told Ariadne that I had to say you were the best. So I did.
Actually, yeah. Still a little sore from everything, but I'm mostly up and about now. Still kicking. A lot more blonde than I was, but that's not exactly from the ritual. Is it [....] time for your thing? Cause you better fuckin believe I'll be there.
[pm] Well, I do think you're the best! So. And that's very cute of you two.
I'm glad to hear that you're alright, but hope the soreness passes soon. What is the blondness from? I like blonde people. [...] Yes, I think everything is ready. We're gathering at the common on the 22nd at 10pm. Then we can all drive up there.
PARTIES: @eldritchaccident, @uncannysam, ft. Scout & Teddy & Sam's son
TIMING: Mid January
SUMMARY: Sam and Teddy are in for a real treat when a recent trade-in comes to life and wreaks havoc on the store!
WARNINGS: None! Just some cuteness!
Something about comic shops always enraptured Teddy. A nostalgia filled promise of a familiar welcoming space. Despite never having been in this one before, they had a few ideas of what they could expect. Rows and rows of the newest covers, the latest stories, and the biggest names. At least a few tables of old comics, worn from love. The lovely glass counters containing trinkets that could transport you across ages of nerdy content. It was one of the things they could always rely on no matter where they moved. The consistency the kid needed as they grew.
The bell chimed nicely as the ex-demon pushed through the entrance, happily holding the door for the stranger who was rushing out. Maybe they had a whole stack of Magic the Gathering cards to unwrap, or just really wanted to dive into the latest Gwenpool. Understandable. Teddy offered them a smile, didn’t even really care that it wasn’t returned because the clerk (and the adorable dog) at the counter both seemed to be sporting a grin.
“Oh man I think this just became my favorite shop, who IS this little guy??” If there was one constant in this crazy world, it’s that Theodore Jones fucking loved dogs. Any kind of dog really. Golden Retriever, Rottweilers, Mutts, Poodles, Schnauzers, Perro specifically, Labs, Cats, Papillions, Spaniels of all sorts, Huskies, Malamutes, Dobermans, Shepherds Australian, German, or otherwise. Didn’t even have to be a real dog, Ted’d probably like it.
—
“Thanks! Come again!” The trade-in value of some of the comic books and things the previous customer had just turned in was going to be enough to help with rent, bills and food for the rest of the month, and Sam wasn’t complaining. In fact, she had promised to take some homemade looking Funko! Pop off of his hands just because he had thrown in so many other good comics, which hadn’t raised any suspicions at all aside from the fact that it had been one of the ugliest looking things she had ever laid eyes on.
“Scout, I think he just bought us a good dinner tonight.” Sam smiled down at the dog as she picked up the box full of back issues of many popular comics off the counter and moved them to a countertop lining the wall behind her. And when she turned around, she noticed another customer had entered the building, and one who was apparently very enthusiastic about dogs.
Grinning and in a rare good mood, Sam walked over to Scout and kneeled down, “This is Scout. My right hand man, and I’m Sam.” She looked up at them and stuck out her hand, “What can I help you with today?”
—
Among Ted's multitude of mixed and matched jobs, walking or grooming dogs (any animals really) was probably the top pick. Any place that let man's best friend ‘work’ alongside the far less impressive and lovely humans, was a winner. A grin split their cheeks wide as they approached, happily taking Sam's hand before offering their own for the pup to sniff.
Admittedly, Teddy had almost forgotten why they came by as soon as they saw Scout. The momentary lapse left them fumbling slightly for the words. The verbal version of opening the refrigerator just to stare into the chilly depths before finally grabbing what you wanted. “Right uh– hey, hi, I'm Teddy. Sorta just– walked by this place a few times and never had a chance to actually come in. Which is a crime, because it's amazing in here.”
Their eyes wandered around for a moment, excitedly soaking in the colorful covers and interesting figurines and decorations, until their eyes fell on a statue of a familiar red demon with a tan trench coat and a big old right hand. “Any chance you guys carry the latest BPRD series?” Hellboy itself was done, the story finished, but the series about all the other folks in that universe? Well it was still going and still amazing.
With all the attention on the dog, the shop owner, and the rest of Escape Your Fate Comics, Teddy didn't even notice the slight shaking of the odd little box off to the side of the counter.
—
Sam gave Teddy a firm handshake, before releasing it and watching as they went to greet Scout. Scout was the star of Escape Your Fate. He usually hung out by the register or in the back, but it never failed that once people laid eyes on him, they had to say hello; which Sam never minded, because he had been a great ice breaker for people who might have been nervous about coming into the shop.
With a warm smile in the direction of her best friend, Sam put her sights back on her potential customer, “I get that a lot, unless comics are your primary goal for leaving the house. She actually came in on a good day. The guy that left as you were coming in just traded in some good books.” Sam didn’t even acknowledge the weird looking Pop that sat in off on its own. If Teddy noticed and wanted it, it was theirs.
“BPRD...Let me check.” Sidestepping, she pulled up the inventory in her computer and found what she was looking for. “So anything I have in stock is going to be over here.” Moving out from behind the counter, she walked over to the shelf that held a few of the volumes and some of the past issues of Hellboy. “I’ve also got back issues over there in the corner, but you’d have to sort through those. All those books are 99 cents. Anything else I can help you with, just let me know. And if I come across anything in that stack on the counter, I’ll let you know.” Sam moved back to her pile of comics to sort through to give Teddy some space.
—
The strange little pop figure in the box didn’t like being overlooked so easily. The human behind the counter gave it sidelong glances like it was ‘homemade’ rather than crafted by the gods themselves (okay, well, the miniature creature didn’t exactly know how it came into being, but it liked to believe that it was a gift to the earth.) Then this caster comes in and doesn’t even spare it a second look! What did a figurine need to do to get some respect around here? Huh? The box began to shimmy and shake as the stone came to life, springing from its trappings and alerting the others in the shop to its presence.
A tiny roar, not quite… small sounding, but almost distant. Teddy heard it, but at first they weren’t looking in the shop to find its source. If it wasn’t for the clarity they would have assumed it was far down the street, but no. It just sounded… tiny. The ex-demon’s attention shifted from the jackpot collection of books (That they were absolutely about to purchase almost all of, and probably then some more from the other displays.) to the minuscule terror throwing a tantrum on the counter.
Magic cards and mystery box figurines were being tossed left and right as the creature raged. It jumped up on the cash register and held aloft a tiny scepter it stole from a very well crafted Skeletor statuette. It cried out again, but Teddy didn’t understand what it was trying to say. “S-Sam??” Was this normal in this shop? Ted looked on in a mix of confusion and a little awe, it was… surprisingly cute, for how filled with anger and fury it seemed to be.
—
Scout immediately stood up and started barking loudly at the tiny creature shaking its small box prison. The dog was curious, but also startled by its actions. He had been around the shop long enough to know that mom’s figurines and stacks of delicious looking paper to tear up was not to play with and never moved on its own unless prompted. But this was completely different, and with his bright colored eyes, he followed the creature’s movement across the counter and over to the computer; tail wagging fiercely as he continued to bark.
It had certainly garnered Sam’s attention. And turning around, she set her eyes on the dog, “Scout! Hush!” It wasn’t until she heard Teddy speak her name that her eyes went from Scout to them to the figurine that was now crying out a tiny war cry and threatening her with its scepter, “What the actual fuck?” She quickly glanced back at Teddy with narrowed eyes, “Well that explains why that guy was in such a hurry to leave…”
Not hesitating any longer, Sam slowly began to approach the animated object that continued to yell at her in its miniscule booming voice, “I can’t…What are you saying?” As she moved in closer, she finally leaned down, not feeling one bit threatened trying to hear what it was saying, until she was whacked fiercely and repeatedly with the end of the tiny toy it was holding, “Ow! You little shitass!” Jumping back, she rubbed her cheek seeing the tiniest bit of blood on her fingers, “Okay, I don’t know what the fuck you are, but we’re not playing this game.” After rubbing her hand on her jeans, Sam moved in and reached out to grab the tiny gargoyle, until she watched it quickly take off towards the ceiling; Scout, still barking excitedly at the moving figurine.
—
Teddy tried to hold in the laugh that burst from their chest in a way that would make Ridley Scott proud. They tried. Even put a hand in front of their mouth to catch the huff of air. It wasn’t funny, it shouldn’t have been funny. Sam got thwacked and the small stone creature was still throwing a tantrum. But the sight of its ‘extremely fierce’ weapon complete with glittery light up resin bauble at the top was a little too much to take seriously.
Which of course, only angered the now flying creature. The gargolito swirled and swooped. Covering the distance of the store like a vulture looking for its next meal. One it found in the mop of Teddy’s peachy pink hair. It dove and grabbed a fistful, and was surprisingly strong enough to carry the cackling caster a few feet before giving up and huffing a loud sigh. Teddy swatted and squirmed but the ‘danger’ was over before they even had a real chance to react.
“Hey!! Rude!! That hurt you little shit.” Their eyes flicked back to Sam, who was clearly just about as stunned and done as they were. “What the hell do you want??”
The grumpy mini-grotesque perched on top of a revolving rack of comics and eyed the trio. Squinting and baring its teeth as Teddy yelled, but then tilting its head when asked. That was more like it. The humans should have been asking that from the beginning. But unfortunately neither seemed to understand its tiny tyrades. So it pointed. Using the scepter to aim at a different glass case. Though Teddy couldn’t quite tell what it was looking for specifically. Maybe Sam would have a better idea, it was her store.
—
Sam followed the little menace with her eyes as it flew around her store, and when it landed in Teddy’s hair, she set her focus on it. What is this little shit up to? However, seeing the person be picked up off the ground and moved a few feet by something so tiny left the woman stunned. How could something so small have so much strength? But before she could make an effort to run over to make sure they were okay, she noticed it had put them back down and now found a spot on a rack, “Are you okay?”
It didn’t seem like the conversation was going so well, until it cocked its head to the side – cute, but something Sam wouldn’t openly admit. She let her eyes follow the scepter to the glass case containing a rare, unopened WWE Sheamus action figure dressed in royal garb, and then it hit her; the little hellion wanted the crown and the cape from the action figure, “Are you fucking kidding me?” She looked back over at the statue and glared, “No. That thing’s worth nearly a hundred dollars. I’m not opening it up, just so you can play dress-up!”
Scout had finally tired himself out barking and laid down on the floor looking between Sam, Teddy, and the tiny demanding toy with his head cocked to the side. It was more excitement than he was used to experiencing in the store.
Sam shook her head no and moved over towards the corner. This TOY wasn’t going to bully her into opening something that would pay a bill. Grabbing a broom, she spun it around with the broom head facing upward prepared to chase the little nuisance out the store if she had to.
—
For the briefest of moments, Teddy thought the tiny stone menace was going to pull a cosmic horror Charlie Brown on the pair. When they saw the broom come out, they could see the arc of where it might land. The creature dodging the bristles just in time for it to come crashing down on their head. But no, the angry little gargoyle was already off terrorizing a different part of the store.
Teddy was just playing catch up. Drifting back from the daydream that unwillingly played out as if it had happened. A fairly common thing for them really. Everything always seemed to feel a bit dreamlike. Sometimes a bit more nightmarish, but you know, kept shit interesting.
The creature was lamenting, pointing at something it wanted and Sam was shouting something about rent. When their head had stopped spinning from the shock of being pulled by their hair and the vision of a broom crashing over their noggin, Teddy snapped back to the present.
“Woah hey, if the little guy wants that, I’ll buy it. I’ll pay double. Maybe it’ll calm him down??” Teddy wasn’t sure, but it was worth a try, wasn’t it? Better to soothe it than anger it more, right?
—
Sam stopped dead in her tracks when Teddy said they’d pay double. If they really wanted to buy the little menace a $100 toy, then that was their business, and she wasn’t going to stop them, “If you really want to pay that much, then fine.” She slowly put the broom back down, keeping her eyes trained on the little stone statue. Sam didn’t trust the thing, and she wasn’t ready to turn her back to it just yet.
Eyes still trained on it, Sam moved over to where she kept the keys to the case full of her most valuable goods, “Are you happy you little, shit ass. You’re getting exactly what you want.” She glared at it while she moved towards the case and when she found the key she needed, she unlocked it and reached up on the top shelf to grab the figure of Sheamus, untouched and still in the original packaging. It was going to pain her to see Teddy open up the box just so some little possessed Funko! Pop Doll could feel like a king.
When Sam got back to the register, after locking up the case again, she put the keys away and rang up the toy, “If you’re sure about this, then the total comes to $100 even. I’m not charging you double. But consider this the most expensive toy you’ve ever bought just to watch it get trashed.” She refused to put it in a bag. What was the point? “And you’re opening it for him, because I can’t bear to see what happens.”
—
There should have been a twinge of guilt. Or perhaps remorse, but Teddy Jones had not been raised to worry about things like giving into temptation. If anything, it was encouraged. If anything, Teddy could understand the small stone creature’s desire a little too well. Back home, there was a litany of expensive toys. Rare collectibles. Mostly paid for. While they may not have been a demon anymore, they were certainly raised by one, though one might have expected a damn dragon with the way Teddy tended to hoard things.
It wasn't always like that. They weren't always as lucky. Teddy had spent the better part of their childhood staying in motels or camping if they were on land, otherwise the child simply slept on their father's monstrous back or belly while floating in the ocean. Like an eldritch otter family. (No wonder they'd taken to Pascal so quickly) It wasn't until much later that Leviathan started using its connections and prowess to collect a much more permanent source of income. A much more vast vault of wealth. Something Teddy could spend frivolously for the rest of their days and still not burn through.
So maybe they should have felt guilt that they were spending a hundred bucks (so incredibly not the most expensive toy they owned) on something just to have it ‘wasted’. Teddy didn't see it like that. They saw a small creature trying to figure out its place in the world. Trying to vye for the respect it wanted, and the care it deserved. Teddy smiled towards Sam, paid in cash, then carefully removed the crown from the packaging.
The creature was delighted. It cooed and crooned, twirling in the air and yelping with joy before landing on a shelf behind the counter and reverting back to its still stony form. A watchful, and very prideful, little guardian gargoyle.
“I think he likes your shop. Just wanted to be a little King.”
—
Sam had worked hard to get where she was. It had taken her years to build up her courage. To tell herself that she was good enough and deserving enough to have her dreams and then some. That just because people in the world saw her as being different didn’t mean she deserved any less. And when she had finally built up enough courage to take her first step forward, she then had to work on gaining the knowledge for pursuing her hopes and goals. Working harder than her fellow classmates and not giving up anytime rejection pushed her back down. And once she had far surpassed those who assumed they were better than her, even if the assumption had been unspoken, Sam had to financially tackle her dreams. Another task that took even more work, time, and energy piled on top of a never-ending uphill battle, and the day she was finally able to flip on the Open sign to Escape Your Fate, was the day she knew she had made it.
But now, Sam stood watching as a possessed little toy was pampered with one of the most expensive things in her shop; bought by someone who threw away money like it was no issue to them. And with it, came an unexpected dig into her heart and all she had worked for and continued to work for. But the money was in her pocket now, and once she had seen the reaction to the toy spinning in joy, before quietly taking its place behind her as if nothing had ever happened, she realized it was probably for the best.
“He’s not going to do this every time he wants something from me is he? I can’t afford to give a toy anything it wants just because he tries to trash my shop. If that’s the case, you might as well take our son home with you.” Their son. So aptly named, because in that moment Sam and Teddy had to calm down a cursed Funko! Pop that was acting like a five year old.
As she looked back one last time at the small statue dressed as a king, Sam couldn’t help but shake her head, before turning back to face Scout and Teddy, “Is that all or were you looking for something else today?”
—
“Who can say? But uhh. How about this, put me down for a subscription of toys and comics and what not. You choose ‘em, just a whole bunch. Whatever you think is fair. And I'll send money every month. If he wrecks something, put less stuff aside. Or nothing at all.” Teddy hummed happily, loving the idea of a little surprise box they'd get to pick up. A good enough reason to come out of the house, an even better reason to come and check in on the store to make sure everything was still okay.
@eldritchaccident
[pm] Hey! Everything okay? [...] Been a while. Think Buddy is starting to miss you, he keeps trying to drag me to the docks when we're out.
Left wrapped in a box outside Arden’s door.“Saw this at the Antiques shop and thought of you. Don’t know if you are a digital or film girlie, but it’s a beautiful camera even if it just sits on your shelf - T. Jones.”
There is also a tin of cookies and cocoa to be shared with Teagan.
[pm] Hey, it's not your fault if something was possessing you. I know it feels like it is, but that's on their decisions not yours. I'm fine now, so it's all good, right? If you need help keeping it gone, you can count on me okay? I don't know what exactly I can do, but an extra set of hands never hurt, yeah?
.
[pm] But it wasn’t just the demon making me do things. I had to prove my loyalty. I wanted to make them happy, so I gave it the minds of my friends. I made the decision to kill the humans so they’d give me prayer marks. I almost killed my love without knowing it was him. It wasn’t just the demon. My hands aren’t clean. Im tired of seeing those I care about hurt.
I appreciate that you’re being kind about this. But if you’re fine now, that means you weren’t before, yes? Please tell me. I want to know.
I’ll admit, I don’t know what to do now. I didn’t grow up being exposed to demons and the like. My friend interrupted the ritual before the demon could fully transform me into… they referred to it as an angel, but I don’t think that’s what was happening. He broke the antlers, which ripped the demon out of me. But I still don’t feel like myself. It feels like there’s… remnants of them. Is there something I should do next? A way to get them out of me for good?
