Rosa Meets Goopy 10
When Frederik announced he would be coming with me, I was… somewhat surprised. Not very, it happened from time to time. But still. He had made clear that he was against Goops, so I didn’t exactly expect him to be… willing to come with me?
But here he was, bag hanging from his shoulder, bored expression in place and dressed in something that was not a sheet. Also a bit impatient, next to the standard of bored.
“So you’re really coming with me?”, I was still somewhat suspicious, “Without any of your pets?”
They were in a corner of the room, shapeshifting without realising what it meant. Mindless beings, really. Barely capable of gauging the reactions. But trainable. He had proven that.
Not very nice. But then again, we weren’t known for that.
“… my lack of answer meant that it was obvious, looking at my attire. Not that I was unsure. Go already”, he sounded annoyed.
And I snapped out of looking at the critters: “Oh? Alright then!”
I shrugged and lead the way outside.
“Be careful, though. Goops tried to bite you last time. He might try again. And he’s bigger, now. The little mongrel”, he ate proper chickens, now. Bigger ones. And looked very, very fluffy when done. Felt like it, too.
He fell silent again and looked at me. I looked back at him, unassuming and friendly.
And so he sighed and said, shaking his head: “Rosa… your little hellbeast-knockoff is still far from able to harm me. Maybe one day, but… it’s a little laughable right now”
I laughed: “Don’t tell him that!”
And, with a little grumble, he followed me. On foot. Because I liked walking.
… teleportation couldn’t be all that healthy, really.
When I opened the door, a little ball of fluff came running up to me. Not making any noises, just ran up and placed his front paws on my belly, hopping a little. A lot like a dog, really.
The usual greeting. Looked really trusting, too. It was adorable. And I knelt down and hugged the little bugger, petting it’s feathers and cooing some nonsense about him being a good boy. He slumped against me, then, always.
“Goops, sweetie? We have a visitor today. Be nice. You know him already, he’s fine. You’ll be nice, right?”, I looked at him and… he had already noticed Frederik.
And now had a few more teeth and mouthes than was… strictly necessary.
Also eyes. I still wasn’t sure about the eyes, especially since he narrowed them.
When Frederik walked in with a smirk, Goopy’s feathers raised. And it started growling. Vibrate-growling, really. The growl made it vibrate. And it was so cute, I just wanted to cuddle him. And so I did, picking him up and holding him in both my arms. The little critter, squeezing him against me.
“It’s just Frederik, Goops. He’s fine. Really”, I said and nosed his head.
It helped. He calmed down a little and only… glowered.
Frederik snorted, then walked further into my home and sat down at the table: “Thanks for the invite and all that, I… would like to feed your little ball of,” now he narrowed his eyes on Goopy (I held him closer, protectively), “… of feathers? Really? Why feathers?!”
I sat dow at the opposite end of the table and held Goopy closer again. He didn’t seem to think kindly of Rik’s tone, judging by its growl.
“Don’t insult him, he’s precious and soft!”, not that it actually was an insult, but it offended Goopy, so…
“… it’s more about you, you are aware that it most likely copies what you show him, right?”, he frowned at me.
“Uh… maybe?”, I hadn’t given it much thought.
“Roro… you know that animals look like they do because it’s practical, right? Because it works for the particular being? There is a reason that dogs don’t have feathers”
“… so? He’s just fine that way!”, if Goops wanted feathers, he can have feathers, “He could have taken fur from the rats!”, I petted my poor assaulted Goopy.
“… how often do you pet rats?”, he said with a flat voice.
“… not? I can’t get attached. They will feel betrayed”, they probably already did…
“And the chickens?”, this resembled more a sigh.
“Well… they hold still better and I carry them here while petting them, why?”, I was confused.
“… so you pet feathers more than fur?”, I asked, looking at me flatly.
“Yes?”, because of the circumstance?
“… and this is why I don’t involve you in my experiments”, he threw his hands up in resignation.
I frowned. But well, he did that sometimes. I kissed Goopy’s head. He hadn’t calmed down that much yet.
“Anyway. I actually just wanted to feed your goop-critter. And so that’s what I’ll do”, he opened the messenger bag, took out a flat beholder made of glass. Inside, was a red ball. He placed it on the table.
“Be my guest, ‘Goopy’, I think you’ll like it”, he removed the lid out of its ground joint and… suddenly I had no Goops in my hands anymore.
He was in the beholder, lid barely lifter, and looked decidedly less fluffy, too. A little feral, really, eyes looking all over the place.
“Ah, I thought so,” Frederik nodded.
And Goopy fell over with a whine.
I stood: “WHAT did you DO to him?!”
Not sure if I should touch lil’ Goops yet, I just stood and glanced from him to Frederik and back. He didn’t look happy.
At least Frederik had the decency to look apologetic: “I… also guessed this would happen. He… overate himself a little. Nothing too bad, but… he never had such a big meal, so…”
“It was just a ball!”, not even a really big one, just… twice a fist, maybe?
“Ah, but not everything is as it seems. I know he’ll be fine, so don’t worry. Maybe he’ll even grow a lot stronger. Because he needs to, you know? He’s still pretty week, after a year…”
I carefully took him in my hands, his shape wasn’t all too defined, twitched from time to time.
I frowned at Frederik: “Yu shouldn’t do things like this!”
“Mh. Maybe. But you do have a pretty dangerous little friend there, and I have to look out for order, too… so… sorry, Roro”, he stood and turned to the exit. I didn’t stop him.
“Tell me when he feels better. I promise I’ll not give him anything he isn’t perfectly capable of dealing with”, he waved goodbye.
I just frowned at him and put my poor Goopy in his little bed while Frederik closed the door.
H really shouldn’t do things like that.