[PRP] Creature comforts (Shiloh & America)

[Melancholies]

There'd been a lot of s**t happening lately. The world was full of mysteries and he was finding himself with more questions than answers, and every time he thought he tied up a loose end he just found himself with several more. It was really ******** frustrating. At first he thought being a noble was stressful, but now as an added principal he felt like he was drowning.

Sometimes, anyway. Most days it was bearable. Having Jamie around helped. He was pained that Oliver was involved with magic now, but having him around helped a lot too. At the end of the day though, it wasn't like they had the same responsibilities he did, Noble or principal or otherwise, and he hated admitting that but... it was the truth. It sucked.

He huffed and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

lizbot

text to: meri
hey
u wanna hang out

He watched the message send before hammering out another.

Quote:

text to: meri
i herd sme stuff abt 1 of the princpls from mercer
said they mite b in a tough spot
jst wanna mke sure it isnt u lol

 

[lizbot]

it was exactly the sort of text she needed at exactly the right time. Homework had her brain stuffed up like a nose full of cheap tissue while magic and family had her heart ready to just crawl out her throat and die on the pavement.

melancholies

text to: shyboy
yeah ofc!!!!!
yeah i heard some stuff too
we need to find them

text to: shyboy
im pretty okay though
no worries
where you wanna meet?

 

[Melancholies]

lizbot
text to: meri
oh awesome
yeah idk who the 3rd 1 is
kinda scary lol

text to: meri
nyway uh
u can come ovr 2 my place??? n see the fish
or the park or smth. or like i could rly go 4 some panera bead lol


He didn't care where really. He just needed to get his mind off of magic s**t for a little while. Or hell, even if it came up at least he could have some solidarity.

 

[lizbot]

Quote:

text to: shyboy

I WANT TO SEE THE FISH!!!

And so there she was, an hour later, standing at Shiloh's doorstep, attention torn between looking curiously around her and petting the two cats that had decided to join her on her walk.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Well then.

Shiloh waited around for about five minutes before deciding he'd go get Panera anyway, and luckily by the time he had gotten home and settled and annihilated his sandwich the door proceeded to demand his attention. He answered it rather calmly.

"Sup." He said before looking down at the cats, eyes suddenly sparkling, "Holy ********, you brought cats?" He stooped down to try and coax one of them closer. His head was missing his usual trademark beanie, and his hair was floofed all over the place as a result. "Oh uh, sorry, you can come in. Take your shoes off or don't; I don't really care." He backed up, eyeing the cats to make sure they weren't about to bolt inside.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The cats got some farewell pats and then America was shooing them back home. "Y'all go home and keep off the street, thanks for coming along and I love you. Hey Shy-hun, Haven't you ever noticed how friendly the animals are around here? Can't seem to go out for more than a few minutes without a cat or dog coming up to say hello. Even the bats are friendly," she exclaimed, taking her shoes off 'cause she had Feelings About Floors and also there was always the chance the ghost of Aunt Prudie would rise up and smack her with a spoon.

Looking around, the place, America bounced a bit on her toes. "I wanna see these fish first before all the Awful gets laid out."

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"All the Awful huh?" He laughed a tired sort of laugh before shutting the door, "Yeah, yeah, I feel you. Fair warning though; they ain't the kinda fish you're prolly used to." He started to make for the stairs.

"Honestly, like," His brow furrowed as he thought, "I never noticed cats 'n s**t being friendly, but I see lots of misplaced turtles around here. It's ********' weird." Even his own turtle, Junior, had a tendency to transport herself around the house like it was no big deal. This wouldn't be questioned if she wasn't in an enclosure or magically making it to the living room downstairs.

The house he had with Jamie and his parents was a pretty nice one, what with his parents being well to do. Granted, they were both never around because of the overtime they worked, but it wasn't so bad having the whole place to the two of them. He quickly led the way to the room he shared with Jamie, of which was absolutely packed. Every space was occupied; a bed smashed in the corner of the room, a desk on the other side with shelves that climbed the wall, a night stand, more shelf space crammed in the closet (of which was full of colorful attire). What was most impressive however was the enormous fish tank in the room. It went from floor to ceiling and took up plenty of space against the wall, and its residents were just as impressive.

Some of the fish had extra mouths, others were dolled out with way too many fins. A plecostomus on the floor was outfitted with human hands and feet (to scale, but no arms and legs, just appendages attacked to its body). it scuttled around with a decent amount of speed. Some fish were smaller than your thumbnail and traveled in massive schools. One of them looked like a normal telescope goldfish until hundreds of tiny eyes peeked open along its body.

Suffice to say, there was a lot of weird s**t going on in this tank.

"They belong to Jamie." He explained. "We came back to this when the world got remade."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"That's fricken cute as heck! Nobody ever expects turtles," America commented sagely.

The girl was about to compliment the huge a** aquarium but then she was practically squealing over the fish. "Oh my god these are so amazing can i take pictures? What are their names?! Is this guy named Handsome because if not he's missing out," America points to the one with hands and feet.

"What a cool place to come back to!"

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Honestly, you'd have to ask Jamie." He scratched the back of his head, "He knows all their names by heart, but also because he can like, talk to them?" He looked at the fish, "I'm pretty sure they understand English." The fish regarded him at this statement.

"Oh, but that one's Glubby." He pointed out the telescope goldfish again. "She'll let you pet her if you stick your hand in the tank." Which wasn't nearly as accessible as it used to be since the tank was now gargantuan and required a step ladder. "Or--"

He dropped to the floor and crawled to the space between the fish tank and the bed. Another tank resided there, albeit much smaller. He opened the lid and gently scooped his turtle out. "--you can pet Junior if you're careful with her shell. It's like their spine y'know?" Junior seemed thrilled about her freedom.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Ohmigosh!" America held out her hands to take the precious shellchild. "I have an uncle named, Junior. He's a deputy." She leaned in locse to make Meaningful Eye Contact with the turtle.

"What sort of things do fish talk about? Are they gossipy?"

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh made an awe-inspired face. "Junior could be a deputy too, I think..." He looked at Junior as he handed her over. Junior was fairly unfazed, her limbs and head still casually extended outward like there was nothing that could get her bothered. "You just gotta be careful. She's real good at wandering away; but I know all her hiding spots." He shot a glance under the bed.

"Anyway, as far as I know, they mostly like stories?" He looked up at the fish, "Jamie tells them about the world and stuff a lot. The school's are kinda gossipy, but only against the other schools." He pointed to the masses of tiny fish. "Glubby is a real sweetheart though. She always tells Jamie that she's proud of us." He smiled, "And then makes Jamie pass it along, 'cause I can't understand her."

Glubby winked with her hundreds of eyes.

"Otherwise they're usually begging for... you know..." The fish all seemed interested in Shiloh at whatever he was implying. "Stuff that pets like. Edible stuff." He was trying his best to keep from saying 'treats'."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America looked almost unreasonably charmed by that, feeling a sort of kinship to those whose conversation mostly consisted of convincing people to give them food. Glubby got a briefly adoring look and wave, "Lookin' out for you two, what a sweetheart."

She spends a bit longer, looking at the fish, captured by the colors and motion and personalities of the fish along with Shiloh's own stories and descriptions of them. But eventually, the girl had to turn away with a sigh.

"The third is messing up with Sunny, messing with her."

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh let that sink in for a moment. He had heard there was something wrong with the third, that it was messing with the trees, that they were missing according to Jeremiah, but...

"Messing... with her?" He said the words back slowly like he was trying to understand the implication of it. "Like, hurting them?" His eyes widened, "Using them?" Sonny did say they had to obey the principals, no matter what. There was a lot of room for abuse there, even though Shiloh had never considered it.

The notion was unthinkable. Should've been, anyway.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Way I figure," America drawled unhappily, "is that they're scared someone might kill them. Like whoever did with Michael. So they told her she couldn't say anything about them to anybody. And I get that, but they're like...I mean Sunny's not unreasonable. Compelling her with magic is taking away her choices, and that's...those're the whole point, far as I'm concerned."

She huffed with irritation, "They summoned her too. When she can get a text even from the Other Ashdown, they used magic to make her appear." Shaking her head, she went on, "I don't think they're serious about this, least not about the right things. And I don't know who of anybody down in that void, bleeding for her and this world, I don't think any of them would do that."

But obviously at least one of them would and has.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh's eyes were wide, "They... they summoned her? That's a thing we can do? I-I mean, I don't want to, I just..." He sighed, "I didn't realize how much control we had over Sonny. It... bugs me a lot. I didn't want all of this to turn into a big ******** mess of free will and s**t."

His toes wiggled a little as he thought about it, as he went through a mental list of everyone in the void. "I really can't think of anybody." He admitted glumly. "I haven't really been looking for them either, though. Life's really ******** when you try to balance school and work and Court and s**t." He looked really tired for it too.

"I guess Son's not taking it that well though, are they?" He frowned, "I mean, I wouldn't. I guess I can understand where the other principal's coming from, but... they gotta know Sonny doesn't like it. They gotta know it isn't ********' right to force someone against their will."

lizbot