Dorm Lobby, Sunday Afternoon

[napking]

Gray had, after much consideration and attempts to fit them on his bed, come to the conclusion that it was possible he had looted too many Squishmallows from the Walmart in the woods. But if he'd left them behind they all would have burned or melted or whatever it was that Squishmallows did, so really he'd been rescuing them. He'd been providing a service.

And now he needed to rehome them so he didn't wake up in weird contortions in his own bed. He was used to it in whatever other random location he fell asleep, but his bed? No thank you. So he'd selected his favorites (and held back a few bird-themed ones for Arden to pick from), and now he'd set up the rest in the lobby of the dorm with a sign that read, Free to a Good Home!

Squishmallows for all!

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"There is an axolotl," she informed him, in case maybe he'd missed that. Even though he'd been the one to grab them all. And, it's true, axolotls weren't birds, but they were still fucking adorable. "I'm going to have to ask Midnight to make me some shelves," she predicted, snagging the raven and a flamingo and Gray had been right, the purple owl was the absolute cutest. "Because I'm starting to get concerned how many I can fit on my bed."

She was starting to understand why Gray was having this giveaway. But also, what was she supposed to do? Not bring the adorable Squishmallows home? Did she look like some kind of monster?

[napking]

"It's a spare axolotl," he assured her. "There's another one upstairs on my bed. And a sloth, of course." Because of course.

"Who's Midnight?" Did he know anyone named Midnight? "I thought the guy who did woodwork was named Dwight? Oh, and I got you some earbuds!" he remembered, digging in his pockets. "They're around here somewhere..."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Oh good. That meant she could snag her axolotl friend without worrying she was going to deprive Gray of it. "You have excellent Squishmallow taste," she informed him, deliberately not looking at any more because ye gods five was more than enough. She was starting to feel guilty about taking so many, especially since he'd also remembered her earbuds.

"Uh, Midnight is the house I live in," she explained. "The boarding house? It's alive, so I can ask Marc or Stephen to ask it to make changes to features for me. Like I asked for a screen door for my balcony so I could leave the door open and not worry about bugs getting in and now maybe few shelves so I don't lose my whole bed to the Squish."

[napking]

They were so cute. And so squishy. It was dangerous.

"Oh, right," Gray said. "I didn't know the house was like, alive 'we call it by its name and talk to it' alive...that's sort of a new one for me." Houses that were alive were something they didn't have where he was from, and he was pretty okay with that, all things considered.

Speaking of..."Uhhhh you do know about the thing where that house...uh, Midnight...I guess kidnapped people, right?" Someone had surely given her a head's up about that before she moved in, he reasoned, but it never hurt to check.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden nodded. "Yeah," she assured him, giving him an appreciative smile for checking in and looking out, presumably for free. "I guess it needs emotions to survive and was hungry enough to go for fear before? But now it's better and Steven and Detective Watts' relationship is plenty to keep it going, and Illyana is there like a parole officer to make sure it behaves so now Midnight's happy and chill and just wants to be a good house."

She couldn't communicate with the house like Steven and Marc could, but she still chatted at it and that seemed pretty okay.

[napking]

'The house feeds on emotions' didn't actually sound all that terrific to Gray, as someone related to a guy who had to feed on a particular emotion and definitely sometimes struggled with it, but he said, "Okay, if you're sure that's what you want to do then that's your business. Uh, and if the house doesn't let anyone leave for like two weeks again I guess at least we know where to start looking now." Except for the part where the house could move around and change its appearance. That could throw a wrench in a rescue plan, he guessed.

Oh, well, no point in borrowing trouble before it decided to show up on its own, so he just wasn't gonna worry about it right now.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

It didn't feed on hers! That was part of the contract, in fact, and one of the parts Arden and Marc had gone over several times. Arden and her emotions were very much off-limits.

Which, sure, only held as long as the house was willing to abide by the agreement, but that was true for any sentient being.

"If Midnight eats me and y'all have to come to my rescue, you absolutely get to say 'I told you so' for the rest of our natural lives," she promised, having no idea how much longer that would be for the both of them. "And also to shrug and not rescue me, because you did warn me and I didn't listen."

It was weird, though. Talking to people who legitimately might try to rescue her? And who might not consider her in their debt afterwards? Mind boggling.

[napking]

"Of course I'd rescue you! Or, I mean, Raiden might have to do the actual rescuing if Sloth got me at the wrong time, but I'd totally make him do it." A beat. "Also he would totally do it on his own, duh." Because Raiden.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden was pretty sure that Raiden was equal parts golden retriever and carbs by volume.

"I--" Arden had to look down a minute and swallow hard, willing her stupid eyes to stop stinging. It had apparently only been mind boggling when thinking about it in the abstract. Hearing it said out loud made her heart hurt.

Was this what normal people were like? Just...giving enough of a damn that going into danger to rescue someone was a given? That it rated an 'of course' because to do otherwise was absurd?

And expecting nothing in return for it?

"Thanks," she said, a little thickly, then coughed and cleared her throat. "Ugh, I think I inhaled too many melted plastic fumes at the Walmart. But thanks. That's really cool of you. And Raiden. I mean, hopefully it'll never come to that, obviously, but still. Thanks."

[napking]

She was definitely not wrong about Raiden.

Gray thought about telling Arden that rescuing humans from bad situations they'd gotten themselves into because they didn't know any better was sort of what he and his brothers did, and not worth the emotions--and hey, maybe she'd never need rescuing!--but he thought that might be devalidating or something like that. "Uh, any time," he said awkwardly. "...are you sure you don't want another Squishmallow?" She probably couldn't carry any more, buddy.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

It would make it make even less explicable, because supernatural folks just didn't do do that.

Trust her. She wouldn't be here if that were true.

"I think five and ear pods are pretty much my limit," she said, pulling herself back together. "I ditched my Walmart cart, so I'm already gonna be juggling what I've got. Thanks, Gray."