—
Multi celled organisms were a things now. They were common and varied. So many weird looking creatures were swimming around in the oceans. Some were starting to head on land. Plants were growing across the surface of the planet. It was wonderful to see how the Earth managed to bounce back in such a powerful way.
This was a hardy planet. Or rather, life finds a way.
It really helped me calm down, watching these things run around and LIVE. I stared at one creature and found myself questioning "Which end is your head and which end is your butt?!" There were some truly freaky looking creatures here. I didn't go too deep underwater. Deep sea creatures are scary as fuck.
Would this be the so called Cambrian explosion? That was the period where life diversified like fuck as evolution went absolutely ADD and just gave creatures all sorts of weird-ass traits and body types right? Looking at the armored multi-segment bug thing swimming past me in the water I couldn't help but think that evolution was weird.
I think I can see some fish...or rather, something that looked like fish.
Man, look at them all. Such a wonderful planet. Even better than those sandwich planets I created in that dimension where gravity literally did not work the same as it did here or in most other dimensions and allowed for planets shaped like all sorts of weird things. I was kicking myself for not finding that place sooner for making my Penis Planet. Still, I spent a few hundred million years playing with the mass in that dimension to form bread planets, tomato planets and other such planets before cutting them up and slapping them together to make sandwiches.
It amused me greatly but sadly I had to hold back on eating them when I realized the 'sauces' from the tomato slice had mixed with the lettuce and turkey segments to create life. Don't you just hate it when your sandwich begins supporting life and you can't eat it? Well, I decided to leave them alone. It's not like anyone would be dumb enough to eat a planet.
Having my metaphysical heart settled from reminiscing while watching these happy little creatures swim around eating each other put me in a better mood. Now that I was calm I could try to think clearly about why I had been feeling so…off. Pyronica's probably pregnant now. Despite the fact that this was HER child and not mine, I was already going nuts about it. She's gonna be creating LIFE. I know I told her I would help her raise the kid…but I'm so not prepared for this. Sure I raised Ammy but it wasn't the same. He was capable of talking and reasoning. A baby, a real baby, was incredibly different.
Real babies need a clean environment. I guess I went nuts because 8-Ball was dirtying the house. Was my over-protective instincts simply going into overdrive before the kid was even born?! Maybe. I nod to myself. Yeah, that's probably it.
I was going to head home but I felt my bowtie buzz with a summoning. God fucking dammit. Lets hope this one is quick. I know my friends asked to come with me but I'm not some child who needs someone to hold my hand while I do my job. I create a note telling them I was going to a summoning and that I would be careful. Teleporting the note to the kitchen table, I check for any binding circles and upon finding none, I Blinked away.
---
Luckily for me it was one of those nice summonings from someone in dire straits who was simply going for me out of desperation. I get them sometimes. A creature so beaten down that they call on me because they have nothing left to lose.
There's always something left to lose but I kindly don't tell them so.
In this case it's a Tabashai man with a son and daughter fleeing from blood purists. He pleads with me to protect his children, offering me his life in exchange. My summoning circle is crudely scratched into the ground of the small cave formed under the dirt and tree roots that he and his children are huddled in.
"Sure thing bucko. Your life will be mine and your children will be safe."
"No papa!" The daughter cries as she clings to him.
"My little sandstorm, it will be alright. He may be a demon but a demon must keep his word. I love you both so much. Never forget that." He hugs them tightly and I feel like 'Aww-ing' and 'Gagging' at the same time.
"Do we have a Deal?"
He stares straight into my eye with a resigned determination and takes my hand. His children watch in horror while he begins to scream in agony as my symbol burns itself into his skin. I vanish from sight and the two rush to their father's side as he collapses and falls still. They cry loudly as they cling to him.
The body shifts and the son asks "Papa?" through teary eyes.
"Not quite. Whoa, first time in one of these bodies." I grin and the two jump back in horror as they see the glowing yellow eyes.
"Demon!"
"Noo! Give us back our father!"
"Tough luck kids. He willingly gave himself to me. Now come on, lets get outta here." I straighten up and arch my back, stumbling slightly as I got used to this body. Good thing this wasn't taking place in the 3rd dimension, possessing someone on earth limits my power to my host. Here though, I hold out a hand and blue flame flickers to life, I still have access to a small fraction of my powers.
It would be enough for me to protect the children and get them away from here.
Hopefully.
It would be easier if I just teleported them all to safety. But he offered his life to me as part of the Deal and I'll need to work within the parameters of the agreement. If I simply snapped my fingers and teleported his children to safety, I will need to kill him in exchange. But this interpretation lets him LIVE. The father was still alive, his consciousness sealed away inside his mind as I took over his body, I have 'taken' his life. He is asleep and I will free him once the children have been brought to somewhere safe so I can 'call off' the Deal. Loopholes are great.
For now though, I have two angry children to deal with. Ugh.
---
"Hurry up. If we keep this pace we'll make it to the escape ships in a few days." Then I can send them to Chavos-6, a peaceful planet under rule by a loving and kind king who accepts any and all misplaced creatures who wish to start a new life.
Tabashai are a 'tuar-like race that resemble cats. Their lower body is like that of lion while the upper body is humanoid in shape but covered in fur. Torso, two arms with a head and shoulders. The head shape is like a mix of feline features with a snake-like nose and jaw. The ears were pretty cute, large, fluffy and capable of swiveling around to hear around me.
The body I'm in isn't that bad looking if I really think about it. He has some nice muscle definition and despite being on the run, his fur is untangled and meticulously cleaned. I couldn't help petting myself in wonder. Physical bodies are great~
The children are sullen and angry as they follow me. We've run into a few Purist hunters which I fought off with maniacal laughing and searing blue fire. My Triangle symbol is displayed proudly where I burned it onto my host's forehead and I hear the Purists scream in fear that Quafa (the man who's body I'm in) has sold his soul to the One Eyed Beast.
They're not wrong. Still a rude thing to call me though.
The survivors would spread word to avoid fighting me and I'll be able to move more easily.
The children flinch in fear at the dead bodies burnt to a crisp around them. I pay them no mind. After all the dead bodies I've seen it just loses its shock value. I scanned their minds to find out what kind of food they need and hunt down prey accordingly. If I am to keep the children safe I can't let them starve after all.
As we sit around a fire and munch on some bird-like creatures I caught, I can see the son sneaking glances at me. His older sister outright refuses to look at me. "What's up kid?"
He flinched but continues to glare at me. "Why are you helping us Demon?"
"Your dear old papa made me a deal. I have to fulfill my end of the bargain. It's how this works." I tear off another piece of the food and chew. Hm...not bad. Will see about grabbing a few more to bring home after all this is over.
"Why? You are a Demon! A demon lies!"
"Sure I am and sure I do. But a Deal is a Deal. I'm bound to my word as long as my summoner keeps up their end of the bargain. Your dad offered his life. I have taken it. So now I have to keep you two safe. Simple." I shift my legs to try and get more comfortable. This species is pretty cool, maybe I'll craft my own Tabashai form after this is all over. Something cute I can mess around with.
Is it fucked up if I want to see how this species masturbates? I may be asexual but it doesn't mean I don't get curious. Mmm...being able to shapeshift is amazing. So many fun ways to pleasure myself to discover and play with.
"And how long are you gonna be here?" The son demands to know.
"So long as your father's life belongs to me, I am required to keep you safe."
"But what does that MEAN?" He whines.
I shrug and eat, not really up to explaining how Deals work right now. I yawn. One of the perks of possessing someone else body is that I can almost sleep (that might have been part of the reason I chose this interpretation of his side of the Deal…I just wanted an excuse to be in a REAL body again). It's quite pleasant since I haven't slept in...a long time.
I set up a shield around the three of us, they twitch as the shimmer of my power goes up. "Just go to sleep, we've got more walking tomorrow." I curl up and hum appreciatively at how soft my fur is. Talk about a deluxe model. Inhabiting a body was wonderful~
I feel the kids shift around me uncomfortably before settling down.
---
I wake from blissful oblivion to the sound of quiet crying. Blinking my eyes open I see the children wrapped around each other in their sleep. The daughter is half awake and sobbing quietly. Instinctively scanning her mind to find the problem, I get up to lay down next to them and wrap my larger body around them. They fit snugly into the curve of my lower body and I purr soothingly. The girl's crying quiets and soon she was lulled back to sleep.
I'm unsure at what I'm feeling right now. Paternal? Maternal? Probably getting this feeling from my host, it can't be from ME right?! Watching the kids sleep I feel...content? Weird. Ugh…why am I feeling like this?! Am I just going nuts with parental affection due to my host's body or because I'm still thinking about Pyronica's future baby?
I find my thoughts drifting to my real sisters, specifically, my youngest one. Zyun-Kei was 12 years younger than me. With my parents constantly working it fell to me and Zeon to take care of her. Kei would cling to my side constantly. It annoyed me when I was younger but we became incredibly close. I pretty much raised her. Zeon moved out of our parent's house the first chance she got. I stayed behind despite being older. I didn't want to leave Kei alone with our parents. I also couldn't afford to get my own place, and with my parents already helping Zeon pay her rent I didn't want to burden them with mine too.
I'm glad I stayed. Kei needed me, especially as she went into her teen years. How is she doing? What happened after I died? I know it's been years and years but I can't help but wonder. Did she do ok without me? She was my sister, not my child but I watched her grow up. I loved her so much…
I look at the children pressed against my belly. This fondness I feel cannot be my own. I barely know these kids. I'm probably just projecting. Kei, Zeon...Will...the siblings I loved more than anything in the world. I miss them all. I was practically a third parent seeing how I raised them. Ammy, my…son…ugh, maternal instincts huh?
I sigh and settle down to go back to sleep. I need to stop reminiscing like this. It just makes my heart ache. Especially now that I actually HAD one. Sometimes a real body wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
---
The escape ships are just up ahead. I can already see other refugees filing in. The ships were hidden, the Purists don't know about it. None of them have set off yet, they wanted to get as many people out as they can. Once the ships blast off, they wouldn't be hidden anymore.
I hold my hands out. "Grab onto me so we don't get separated." The children reluctantly do so. They've been quiet ever since they woke up to find me wrapped around them. I pay it no mind, as long as they follow my orders...
As we walk up to the ships I hear someone call out the name of my host. A brown Tabashai runs up with a large grin. "Quafa! You and your children made it! I was worried when we lost contact with yo-" he trails off as he sees the symbol burned into my host's forehead. A pitch black triangle with a single eye.
He stumbled backward in horror.
"Oh Quafa...you didn't..."
I do not respond, simply continued forward, pulling the kids with me. We enter one of the ships and lay down. The kids are exhausted from walking all day. We've only stopped for food and water. I'm startled when the children curl up on me.
We laid there, pressed against each other. I relax a little and start purring. By my calculations the ships should be setting off in a few hours. Then I can break off the deal and give Quafa his 'Life' back. I considered sleeping but the Tabashai from earlier was walking up to us.
"What have you done Quafa? You know how dangerous the demon is. How could you sell your soul like this?"
I stay quiet. What can I even say? They haven't noticed my eyes yet and I keep my head down to hide them. Just a few more hours. Long term Deals are annoying.
"Papa wanted to protect us." The son spoke up, clearly angry that this man didn't understand the noble sacrifice his father had made. I resist the urge to groan in annoyance. Dammit kid, I did not want to talk to this guy.
"We were found by the hunters at least 4 times. The demon protected us. It kept us safe and it found us food." The boy continued. What's with the It? At least say He. Or She? Whatever.
The girl was silent but she pressed a little closer to me. I felt irritation and anxiety from her. The brown Tabashai (scan mind, get name, Serval) bristles. "Even so! The demon is much more dangerous than any hunter! What if the demon decides to betray you? What if it decides to attack us? Have you not heard all the stories?! It will twist your words and force you to pay more than you bargained for!"
I couldn't help my snort of amusement. Pay more? This desperate son of a gun literally offered me his LIFE. It's way more than I generally take. Serval looks offended by my dismissal of his worries.
"It's fine Serval. The terms of the Deal were clear. The...'demon' won't harm anyone here so long as the children are safe. So just make sure no one panics and does something stupid." I said with my head still bowed. It wasn't all that difficult to mimic Quafa's speech pattern.
The children glance at me quickly before looking away. The daughter is frowning and the son glares at Serval. Finally the other man leaves and we are left alone. The other refugees stay a good distance away from us upon seeing the symbol on my head.
"Get back here and sleep kid." I mutter to the son as I settled back down to prepare for rest. This body was exhausted. Even with my powers (or perhaps because of them) Quafa's form was tired from traveling, catching food and fighting off the hunters.
I formed another translucent dome around us, not trusting these people to not do something stupid despite my warning. It'd be a shame if I had to kill anyone here because someone was dumb enough to start trouble with me.
I just want to get this Deal over and done with. Though...
I felt the children nuzzled along my side. It was warm and soft. I don't know why but I felt a lot better than I've been since the…incident. Maybe it's because I 'slept' for the first time in a long while, maybe it's because a Deal to protect people made me feel like I was doing some good for once. Either way, this wasn't too bad.
"Can you tell us a story?" The son asked timidly.
I purred quietly. "Hm...have you heard of Green Eggs and Ham?" Their confused faces made me laugh quietly. "Well you're in for a treat..." I hold out my hands and make my fingers open and close like mouths.
"I am Sam. I am Sam. Sam I am." Says my left hand with a light friendly tone.
"That Sam I am, that Sam I am! I do not like that Sam I am!" My right hand 'says' in a grumpy voice.
The son giggles. I continue making funny voices as I go through the rest of the story. Eventually the kids drifted off to sleep and I closed my eyes as well.
---
The ships blasted off with no issue. I was hoping I could finally relax. Unfortunately the universe conspires against me. When it came time to pass out food rations they specifically passed over us. I growled lowly and I could feel the kids tense up in worry.
"Hey. The kids need food." I snapped at the woman deliberately skipping us.
The female Tabashai scoffed and turned her nose up at me. "We need to give the food to those who need it. You can ask your demon to feed your children."
"Lady, trust me on this. You do NOT want me to do that..." I barely held back from making my voice rumble demonically.
"I-it's alright! We're not hungry yet!" The son says quickly. He's thinking about all the hunters I killed and is worrying that the Deal to protect them would have me kill the other refugees as well. He's not entirely wrong. I can feel my Deal burning inside me, a reminder of the terms I must follow.
I let it go, for now at least. It's so HARD to do good things sometimes. Why do people have to be such assholes? If they were just better people I wouldn't have to fuck with them. Once again I'm struck with the thought that if I just...took over and put myself in charge, I can fix things. I can make the world better. I can FORCE people to be nicer to each other. I could make the universe a better place. A place where people wouldn't have to flee their home planet because of racist blood purists. A place where people could be happy and free to do whatever they wanted.
I want it so bad. I just want to make everything BETTER. I have the power to do so now. I couldn't do anything back in the 2nd dimension. I couldn't do anything back in my 1st life. I was powerless. The world was terrible and full of terrible people. Children shot in their schools, Nazis walking around as if it was perfectly normal. People hating others for wanting to be themselves. The poor continue to suffer under stupid laws that make life harder for them. The planet dying around me. And there was nothing I could do. But it's different now.
I can actually do something now. I could get rid of the bad people. I can make the world safe for those who are oppressed. I can change things. I can make things better! I can make a new world. A better world!
But I can't. I can't go down that path. If I just start systematically killing off ALL the corrupt leaders and politicians in the universe it wouldn't help anyone. It'll just cause chaos and bloodshed. I KNOW this. But I'm just so tempted. So very tempted to just...force my way into power and just DEMAND people to stop being mean to each other.
I know I can't let myself do that. Because power corrupts and I am one of the most powerful things in all the multi-verse.
Is this why Ax never interferes in anything?
The sudden epiphany stuns me.
If Ax just went out and used his power and authority...I shivered. It was a scary thought. The most powerful creature in all creation. It was hard to remember sometimes just how immensely grand the AXOLOTL really was. He is just so laid back but he can LITERALLY breathe entire dimensions into existence. All this time, he's just been purposely holding himself back. If he wanted to make the multiverse a place where everyone was happy, he would have to get rid of Free Will. Ax could easily do that, if he really wanted to…but he doesn't. He holds himself back and stays neutral.
I mean, look at Time Baby for example. The brat is a dictator. He frequently throws tantrums or has petty needs that he forces others to do for him. And they can't refuse. Because he's Time Baby. His men must always do what he says or he'll just vaporize then. Hell that damn BRAT even orders ME around. He has control over all of Time. And what does he do with that power? He enforces a rigid timeline, sends his men to ensure things happen the way he wants it to (getting rid of anyone who doesn't conform to what he wants), frequently hosts gladiatorial matches that usually end in deaths and throws a cosmic fit if he doesn't get what he wants.
Yeah no. Fuck no. I refuse to end up like Time Baby. I'm not going to abuse my power like that. No matter how tempting it is. I just have to keep telling myself 'do you REALLY want to be like Time Baby?' And my disgust at the idea should be enough to stop me.
My host's tail has been twitching furiously this entire time and I was quite bemused to realize the son had been instinctively playing with it. I watch the son pounce at my tail and it was just such a cute image I couldn't help but laugh. I twitched my tail deliberately this time and he made an adorable growling sound as he batted at it with his paws.
I can feel the weight of the daughter's stare. "Are you really a demon?" She asks quietly.
"It's what people refer to me as. And it's not incorrect." I say simply as I flicked my tail back and forth.
"Why are you...so kind to us?"
"I told you. It's part of the Deal."
"The Deal only said you had to keep us safe. But you're doing more than that. You comforted me when I was crying. You are playing with my brother. Why?"
"Why does it matter?"
"You are putting in effort to make us happy. The Deal was not to make us happy, just to keep us unharmed. Why are you going out of your way to help us? Why are you being so kind?" She demands.
"Is it really so hard to believe that maybe a demon can be nice?" I look at the ground, a strange tight feeling in my chest.
She squinted suspiciously at me. "Demons aren't supposed to be nice."
"That is incredibly true. I'm NOT a nice guy." I grin at her but she doesn't back down. "Then why are you being so nice to us?"
"Geez, you're not gonna let this go are ya kid?"
She twitches her ears in stubborn irritation. I sigh. "Look, I don't know what to tell ya kid. I just felt like it ok?"
Her ears perk up as she seems to realize something. "Papa is still alive! He's still there and he's fighting you for dominance! Because he loves us! And a demon like you cannot handle the depth of his love!"
I stare at her incredulously.
Wut.
Seriously, is she really spouting this bullshit feel good nonsense right now? I do a mental check on my host, nope, he's still deep asleep. So deep he's not even dreaming, much less 'fighting me for dominance of the body using the power of LOVE'.
It was so stupid I can't even laugh about it. Instead I just deadpan "Sure kid. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"And that is why you keep making those strange faces! Papa is fighting and he is going to win!" She grins triumphantly.
Fuck, I keep forgetting I have a face now. If I'm in the mindset to play a part or hold a poker face I can do it just fine, but whenever I'm not purposely trying to control my expression I keep letting my thoughts slip through. What kind of dumb faces have I been making this whole time?
"You can do it papa! I know you can defeat the demon!"
"Kid, please keep it down. If you want to cheer your dad on, be my guest, but we don't really want the rest of the ship to know that this body is currently housing two."
The girl settles down and whisper cheers "Go papa!" She hisses gleefully.
This is my life now. I groan and face palm as the son bites my tail while the daughter keeps whispering about love and friendship. Oh my god the cringe. When is this ship going to land?!
---
We've somehow miraculously made it to the safe world. I think I was more relieved to get here than any of the refugees. The daughter has been giving me 'encouraging' words for the entire trip. It was HORRIBLE~
As soon as we got off the ship I slipped out from Quafa's body and let it slump over in an undignified heap. "Oh no~" I say sarcastically. "Your father's intense LOVE for you is too much for me to handle~ The Deal is off, he can have his Life back and I no longer have to protect you two~"
The children cheer as Quafa begins to wake up. He looks incredibly confused.
"Curses. The power of LOVE has defeated me on this day~ but know THIS children..." I raise my voice so everyone here could hear me. I rumbled and turned pitch black, glowering down at all the refugees present, many of whom were huddled in fear. I make sure they are all paying attention to my words.
"If ever a time comes when the lot of you no longer hold LOVE in your hearts, I shall return. For LOVE and KINDNESS towards others will HURT me and I will not be able to harm those who are pure and good!"
After my cringe-worthy speech I flashed a bright light and vanished from sight.
Hopefully at least SOME of the refugees would take my words to heart. It's not much. But it's a start. Just a small step towards making the universe a better place.
A place where children didn't have to fear. A place where children could grow up safe and happy. Dear god I really was going maternally nuts.
---
"I'm back~ugh you won't believe the Deal I had to suffer through~" I complain as I float wearily into the Death Star. Being gone for over a week for a Deal, geez. With the time difference…it's been a few weeks from their point of view. Shit, I hope they didn't get too worried.
There was a high pitched squeak and a lot of shuffling noises. I frown as I float into the main living room and see the whole gang blocking the doorway. "Oh hey Bill. We...weren't expecting you back so soon." Hectorgon says as he nervously fiddles with his tie.
"Ah huh? Well I've been gone for a few weeks so I'm not sure what you mean by soon." I narrow my eye suspiciously at their guilty faces. "Ok. What did you do? You might as well tell me before I 'see' for myself."
"Please don't get mad?" 8-Ball whimpers.
"...I'll give you a chance to explain it first." I cross my arms, feeling very much like a parent who came home to find their kids broke something expensive. Knowing my friends, the chances of something being broken was high.
"Ok so you know how Teeth and I have been making bets on who can eat the most food in one sitting?" PaciFire starts. It was a weird thing those two started up because Teeth wanted to prove he was 'cool' to the demon. I don't really get it myself.
"Hmm?" I say as I stare unblinkingly at them.
"Well there's never been a clear winner because we eat different things and it wasn't something we could really measure..."
"Go on."
"So we decided we should get an amount of food that we could count..."
"And?"
"So we thought we could make a count of bags of popcorn..."
I stared at them deadpan. "The house is filled with popcorn isn't it?"
They all cowered nervously. I sighed. "I'm too tired to deal with this shit. I'm going to leave for a while. You better clean it up before I get back." I turn and float away, I'm just gonna go watch plants grow on Earth or something. I hear them sigh in relief. "Also, I'm revoking your unsupervised rampage privileges for the next century."
"""Noooo!""" I hear them cry as I essentially grounded them and I grin wickedly to myself. Proper discipline. They're my responsibility after all. I need to raise them right.
I stop suddenly and slap my face. God dammit, this was getting ridiculous. This required professional help.
—
"Jessie! What do I do to stop feeling maternal?"
She blinks at me. "What?" I had Blinked right into her bedroom in the middle of the night. I tend to do that when I want to have private conversations. Jessie sits up in her bed, rubbing her eyes.
"Pyronica's pregnant and I'm going nuts."
Jheselbraum gives me a horrified look, suddenly wide awake. "You and she-"
"No!!!! The kid's not mine!!!" I wailed. "She found a mate and now she's gonna have a baby and I'm freaking out! What do I do?!"
"Are you…upset that she's going to have a child?"
"No that's not it. I'm happy for her. But now I'm all anxious and protective and…and…RESPONSIBLE! And it's awful!!!" I flop onto her bed. She actually groans. "Miz, there's nothing wrong with being…responsible. It's a good thing."
"Why am I feeling like this is MY baby even though it's not?" I whimpered as I clutched at her blankets.
Jessie rolls her eyes at me, too tired to keep up her stoic demeanor. "Perhaps you, yourself, wish to bear a child?"
"Ew~no way~" I shuddered. Jessie actually laughs. "You are still very much a child Miz." I pout at her. She pets my head. "Give it a few weeks, you'll calm down once the knowledge of your friend's pregnancy is no longer so new."
"So there's nothing I can do?" I whined. She sighs. "These feelings of yours are not a problem. It simply means you care. That is good. It means you will be able to care for the child once it's born."
"Ugh…I never felt like this over Ammy!"
"Your son yes?" I've talked often about my friends with her, I'm delighted that Jessie paid attention "From what you've said, you did not directly birth him, nor was he ever a true child. This and that are two different situations."
"So I'm just gonna have to live with these feelings?"
"Yes. I for one, believe you feeling 'responsible' is a good thing." She sounded so incredibly smug.
I groaned but she's right. I'm just gonna have to wait for my feelings to level out. I should just stop worrying about it. Find something fun to do, take my mind off it. Like I always do. "Ok, thanks for the talk Jessie. Sorry for waking you in the middle of the night."
"Indeed." She yawns and pushes me off her bed. "Now kindly leave so I may rest." I sheepishly Blinked out of there.
—
"Hey guys. We're gonna have a movie night."
I flew around setting up soft pillows, bottled drinks and sandwiches. We were all out of popcorn after the stunt Paci and Teeth pulled. Pyronica was already eagerly flopping onto a pile of soft cushions made just for her. She always looked forward to movie nights. I had been waiting on her hand and foot recently and she found it incredibly amusing. "I don't need THIS many pillows Bill. I'm pregnant, not glass." She was only a month into her pregnancy, I even checked her belly and confirmed that there was something developing in there. I was 'Squeeing' for hours after feeling the little spark of Life inside her.
"Movie night?" 8-Ball scratched his head. Amorphous Shape decided to explain it to him. "Since we're all being punished with no rampaging and are essentially, grounded, Bill sometimes lightens our punishment by holding small parties. Movie nights included."
Keyhole sat down and pulled a plate of sandwiches closer to him. "I don't mind personally. I like movie nights. It's always fascinating the kind of entertainment Bill shows us."
"According to Bill, these are things that 'Humans' will create in the far, FAR future." Pyronica remarks, already starting to snack on the food. To my relief, her species didn't do the weird cravings thing. All pregnancy does is shut off her flames. This generally means a pregnant Cyclopian is weakened, unable to defend themselves (and sometimes emotionally unstable). It's part of the reason why I grounded everyone. I was too worried that she could get hurt. She puts up with my overprotective fussing with more grace than I thought she would.
"What's a Human?" 8-Ball wonders.
"A weird primitive species that Bill is fascinated by for some reason." PaciFire grumbles as he lowers himself onto a particularly big pillow. He grabbed more and built a fort around himself made entirely of colorful, fluffy poofs.
"I love their potential! If they're allowed to grow and prosper they create the most WONDERFUL things!" I squealed happily. "Sure they may not live all that long, and don't really exist yet, but I've SEEN what they can become. Besides, you guys like their movies right?"
Pyronica cackles. "Of course Bill."
"I would like to see these creatures you speak so highly of…" Hectorgon muses as he rubs his chin. "Not just those weird pornos on that planet you made."
"Well…they're kind of delicate. That's the only problem with them. They break so easily. So if you really plan to go and see them, you'll have to be REALLY careful. I'll bring you guys to see them once they finally come to be." I warn him mildly. "Also, the Federation's got their home planet Earth under a protected-species lock and observation. The instant anyone tries to step an Angle in that dimension, they will have all of the Federation up in arms."
"Wait, then how come YOU can…" 8-Ball starts to question.
"Because I'm Bill FREAKIN' Cipher and I do what I want. Also, I know how to sneak past Federation detection." The upside of having no corporeal form. I'm undetectable in the Mindscape. I'm undetectable when inside Dreams. In your FACE Feds!
Also, Time Baby knows well how much the 3rd Dimension means to me. One of the very few kind things he's ever done for me is put Earth and humanity on the protected species list. At least I'm reassured that those idiotic Planet-Jackers won't touch the planet. Of course, half the reason Time-Baby put Federation protection on Earth is because I have told him, in no uncertain terms that if the Earth and humanity is harmed or destroyed, I WILL do everything in my power to make the universe SUFFER.
"So what movie are we watching tonight?" Keyhole asks eagerly. Xanthar settles down in the back of the room with Kryptos held in one of his hands. The Compass's flat, angular shape reminds Xan-Xan of me and he sometimes cuddles with Kryptos when I'm not around (to Kryptos's annoyance).
"Well, I've decided to introduce you all to the wonderful world of BOLLYWOOD!" I cackled insanely as I put on Om Shanti Om. For a second everyone looked worried.
Over 3 hours later~
"….I don't get it…" 8-Ball says with his mouth stuffed with sandwiches. I narrow my eye at him and he quickly claps a hand over his mouth so none of the food falls out.
"Isn't it obvious?" Pyronica gushed. "He got his REVENGE! And everything got set on FIRE! A final confrontation in the burning room full of tragic memories?! This was great Bill."
"I knew you'd appreciate it." I preened happily.
"Her dresses were GORGEOUS! Bill! I want that black one she had. Can you make me one?" Ronica flutters her eyelashes at me and I laughed before flicking my fingers and she gasps in delight at the flowing black dress she was now adorned with. Keyhole blushes madly as he stares at her. He's been taking the news of her pregnancy pretty well. It was probably helped by the fact that the father was long dead and devoured.
"I…still don't get it." 8-Ball says sadly.
"What's there not to get?! Romance! Tragedy! A betrayal and murder most foul! Death and rebirth! A revenge 30 years in the making! Karma delivers punishment!" I wave my arms around wildly. Unfortunately it looks like 8-Ball just wasn't the type who understood this sort of thing. That was fine, it wasn't for everyone.
"I liked the dancing and the pretty colors." Amorphous Shape remarked.
"Not enough deaths." PaciFire grumbled, but I had caught him clutching his pillows during the climax so I know he enjoyed it more than he said he did. I also caught him wiping some tears during the desperate 'Door' scene. Despite all his posturing, Paci's a sensitive guy.
"The music was fun. I liked the song where they just said the name of the movie over and over again." Teeth chatters.
"That's like, HALF the songs in the movie!" Kryptos elbows Teeth while rolling his eyes. I had replaced him in cuddling Xanthar during the movie, to his relief. Despite some confusion and protests, I could tell everyone still enjoyed their evening.
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