⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Scrapbook Deluxe
Pynca had declared it before breakfast.
"Today is scrapbook day. No one escapes. I have goals."
She stood in the middle of the penthouse in a frilly apron, tiny paper crown on her head, wielding a glitter glue stick like a royal decree.
Cosmostella was already on the floor, surrounded by gel pens and sticker sheets labeled "emotional variety pack."
Selkie sat reluctantly at the table, sleeves rolled up, a stack of printed photos in front of him. "Do I have to cut them out myself?"
"Yes!" Pynca chirped. "We are a handmade family."
Zaroth stood nearby in casualwear. Regular black tee and sweatpants, arms crossed. He had regret in his eyes and a sealed velvet pouch in his pocket. Quark had noped out two hours ago.
———————————
Midway through the chaos, Pynca sat crisscrossed on the carpet, flipping through "Vol. 1" for reference. She paused, holding up the original with pride.
"It needs sparkles! It needs drama!"
"You are drama," Cosmostella muttered, placing a rhinestone on Selkie's forehead.
"Flattery accepted," Pynca nodded, then turned to Zaroth. "Do we have any shiny shiny?"
Zaroth hesitated. Then silently reached into his pocket. He placed the small velvet pouch onto the table with a heavy, reluctant thump.
Pynca blinked. Untied it.
Inside, tiny cut gemstones. Actual sapphires. Small emeralds. Crystals, polished and clear. A few shimmered faintly in the light, like they had residual energy humming inside them.
"These aren't rhinestones," Selkie muttered.
"They’re not." Zaroth said simply.
"Did you just... donate actual valuables to a scrapbook?"
Zaroth shrugged one shoulder, eyes flicking to Pynca. "She said it was important."
Pynca gasped like he'd just handed her the moon. "These are the best sparkles I've ever received. Ever. In all my cycles!"
She immediately began gluing sapphires to the "Zaroth" tab in Volume 2.
Cosmostella wheezed. "You just became the most emotionally supported war crime."
Zaroth grunted. "I don't know what that means."
———————————
Hours passed. Glitter dusted every surface. Selkie had three bandaids on his fingers. Cosmostella was now in charge of captions. Zaroth was pretending he wasn't triple-checking the alignment of every gemstone.
At one point, Pynca declared, "This one will be called Zaroth Sparkles Sometimes, And That’s Okay!"
Zaroth didn't argue. He just placed another tiny ruby at the corner of a Polaroid where all four of them were laughing.
