From [here]

–

2. It only has one use.

The requirements were vague, just perfect for finding the solution easily.  Once his supplies came in next week he planned to fix it using the correct materials, yet for a quick test all he needed was for it to work for a few minutes, nothing more.  Yet after digging through his drawers, the catfolk failed to find anything that could fit.  With a rumbling tummy, he chose to think it over a fresh sandwich.

Humming a jolly tune, Quinn strode into the kitchen to fetch his lunch, his mind stuck on the snag of how to replicate the 16 gauge wire he needed to complete his latest masterpiece.  Gathering the supplies for the sandwich, he barely noticed Karreo at the dining room table.  The demonkin hunched over a pile of papers, concentrating hard on whatever he must be working on.

“Greetings!” Quinn announced with a toothy smile, loudly banging the cupboards open and closed as he picked out his bread, ham, lettuce, tomato, ranch, and sunflower seeds.

Without glancing up, Karreo responded with a tired groan.  “Can you please stop slamming everything?  I’m trying to concentrate…”

“Certainly!  I shall be quick,” the catfolk beamed, dropping the ingredients with a clatter on the island counter.  His companion winced at the noise.  “Whatcha doing?” he asked curiously, cutting the bread with a knife.

“Finding holes in the security routes at the McDonnel residence,” Karreo replied with a sigh.  Leaning back in his chair, he tapped his pen against the multitude of maps and lists before him.  “They recently doubled the guard, and I don’t know any of the new recruits.  Can’t count on bribing my way in, so have to find a weak point.”

Nodding casually, Quinn thought a moment as he finished cutting the pieces of bread and finally asked, “What about a distraction?  Even new guards get distracted!”

“No happening,” Karreo frowned.  “Protocol dictates all guards must lock down their current positions rather than run to help.  It’d just tip them off rather than opening anything up.”

“Sounds like a tough nut to crack,” the catfolk conceded with a frown of his own.  “I’m sure you’ll think of som—”  

The blade of the knife he held shimmered in the light, catching his eye.  ‘Maybe this could work?!’  Holding it up before him, he closed one eye to better concentrate on the curve, measuring the thickness and width in his head.  ‘Hmm…certainly would hold a charge, easy enough to rig into the device…’

“…what’re you doing?” Karreo questioned, raising his eyebrow.

“Just maybe…”  Slipping a caliper from his back pocket, the catfolk measured the thickest part of the blade.  “Drats!  Off by half a millimeter!”

“Nevermind,” he said, blinking slowly and shaking his head.  The demonkin went back to his papers, continuing to tap his pen slowly.

“I need a strip of metal to connect the resistors in order to test the electro-magnetic stabilizing device,” Quinn replied anyway, frowning at the knife.  “I was hoping this would work, yet it will not fit through the couplings.  I was hoping to not take apart your alarm clock…”

“Don’t touch it!” Karreo warned, pointing his pen at him.  “The last time you messed with any of my electronics my laptop was sending E.M.P. bursts…”

Quinn chuckled, remembering how easy the laptop had taken to his experiment.  In only a matter of minutes and a mini generator attached, it did wonders on the lighting of the whole city block!  It worked splendidly!

Karreo looked less than amused, a sideways frown covering his features.

“Fine, fine…” Quinn surrendered, grinning.  “I only need one little part from it, I promise to put it back!”

“No.  That’s final.  What even happened to your own alarm clock, anyway?” Karreo wondered aloud.

“Well…”  Quinn looked to the ceiling, recalling where each piece had gone.  “The cord was used for my waffle machine, the circuit board worked well as the timer for the automatic opening window blinds upstairs, the faceplate fit on my—”

Karreo shook his head dismissively.  “I should not have asked…  Anyway, please don’t touch it.  Can’t you take Rorrik’s or something?”

The catfolk laughed.  “I would, were it still…in one piece.  The other night, Valen and him—”

“Stop.  I’ve heard enough.”  The demonkin waved his hand in front of him as if the mental images were smoke he could so easily dissipate.  Tossing his pen on the maps, he leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“That’s it!” Quinn nearly shouted, his eyes dilating as he focused on his prize.  Pouncing at Karreo’s workspace, he grabbed the thin, metal pen.

“Hey, wait!  I need that!” came the protest, to no avail.

“Perfect!”  Whipping out his caliper, he measured the width, a wonderful 6.35mm!  “Oh, this is great!  Thank you!”

“No,” Karreo continued to protest.  “It only has one use, and that’s for my writing!  Give it back!”

Quinn bounded out of the dining room, a wide grin on his face.  “I’ll buy you a new pack once I’m done, I promise!” he called over his shoulder, rushing to place it within his new machine.  How could he not have seen it sooner?!  

From [here]

–

1. They are the only ones who can help.

“Never!”

Dirt covered arms slowly crossed over her chest, the freshly dug hole laid before them.  Once again, Karreo was acting foolish.  She did not like the idea any more than he, yet sometimes you just had to—

“The last they ‘helped’,” Karreo emphasized with sarcastic air quotes. “I was stuck cleaning up the truckload of rubber duckies they spilled all over the road.  No!  I will not ask!”

A low hiss escaped Aylee’s lips and her tail flicked, his stubbornness the source of annoyance.  She yanked a shovel out of the ground.  “They are the only ones who can help.  Who else do you know that can get this job done well?  I don’t like—”

“’Well’ with a side of nonsense…” Karreo huffed, tossing a shovelful of dirt into the hole to cover the newly cut wires.  His tail thrashed at the thought.

“Fine.  If you don’t want any help, then so be it.”  Aylee drove her shovel deep within the loose earth and began to march off.  “You can apparently handle this on your own…”

The demonkin quit shoveling and sighed loudly.  “Aylee, c’mon.  Don’t walk out on me like this.”  

She stopped walking, her tail continuing to swish as she kept her back to him.

“Do you want to complete the job or not?” Aylee questioned sternly over her shoulder.

A moment of silence broke with a heavy sigh.  “Do I have a choice?”

“Either getting it done or not.  You pick.”  The catfolk turned to face him, crossing her arms yet again.  Studying his face, she watched his eyes dart away, a grimace blanketing his features.

“What do you think they’ll do this time?”  Karreo frowned, defeated, as he gazed at the partial covered severed cables in the hole.  They sliced them to cut power to the mansion’s back patio and pool area for easier access.  Both knew tonight was the only option to get in, with the pool party scheduled for the evening, which was why they had to call upon her brothers to help out on such short notice.  Even if they hired someone else it was not as if they could be fully trusted.

Aylee’s ears perked up with a sudden thought.  Perhaps getting in would be easier than expected.  Plus, it would keep her troublesome brothers away from Karreo…

Slipping her corresponder from her pocket, she hit the speed dial.

“You won’t even know they were there, anyway,” she shrugged, lifting the device to her ear as she heard the other line pick up with an overly excited ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Ayyyleeeeee!’

From [here]

—

1. You have no sympathy for him?

The door slammed shut as he stomped across the rooftop.  Swinging his legs over the raised edge of theroof, he angrily plopped down.  His legshung hundreds of feet up above the alley and…catfolk below?

Glaring, Karreo couldn’t believe his eyes.  Not more than ten feet below him, Gavin laid lazilyon a window sill sunbathing, legs and arms stretched in silent comfort.  “What the hell are you doing there?” thedemonkin demanded.  ‘How in the hell does he not fall?’

The catfolk perked his ears and slowly opened his eyes, adreamy sleep still within.  “Hmm?”

“How in the—“ Karreo paused, realizing more and more eachday he spent here that oddities like this were actually…the norm.  Only a month had passed since he finallyfound his brother, and he already figured out his brother’s new ‘family’ wasfar from normal, but this?  No, he wasnot going to ask.

Gavin gazed up at him, head slightly titled in curiosity,yet he remained silent.  Karreo could nothandle the silence.

“What?” Karreo questioned, glaring.

“You seem out of sorts. Something wrong?” the catfolk asked innocently, his tail ticking overthe open air below the sill.

“…no,” Karreo lied, his face reddening.  ‘Great.  Now I’m going to get interrogated… By one of them nonetheless…’

“It’s about Valen, isn’t it?”

For a moment, Karreo’s eyes went wide in disbelief.  How could he have possibly known?!  All of them seemed to have this ungodlyability to just…know things.  It was so infuriating!

“What’s it to you?” the demonkin retorted with a scoff.  No use in hiding it if he apparently knew…

“You have no sympathyfor him?” Gavin questioned, his ears lowering with a frown.

Anger flared within Karreo. “What the hell is thatsupposed to mean?”

The dark catfolk shrugged. “You have to realize that what he went through was no walk in the park,eith—“

“’No sympathy’?!”the demonkin yelled, aghast at the catfolk’s accusation.  “Where was his sympathy for the past two decadesas I rotted out in the streets looking for him? When did he even lift a fucking finger to find me?  And you say I am the one who needs sympathy?  Sympathy for what?  How he had a roof and ‘family’ to take himin?  How he lived the fluffy life wherethe major worry was whether or not his eggs for breakfast should be sunny sideup or scrambled?!  Yeah!  Realfucking sympathetic.  Glad to know itgoes both ways…”

From [here]

—

4. They don’t pay.

The jangle of coins clinking together aroused the attentionof the demonkin.  Having searched thepredetermined location and failing to find the man, he guessed right that hewould be in a nearby alley.  Even thoughhe finally found him, it did nothing to help his annoyance of being told thewrong spot.

“Finally found me. Quick work, I like that,” the middle-aged human quipped, a wry smirkplastered on his less than appealing mug. His pockmarked face was sloppily hidden underneath a royal blue hood,failing to conceal him underneath.  “Lookslike I hired the right kid.”

“I can see why you needed to hire an informant,” Karreogrunted dismissively.  “Can’t even getthe name of the meeting place correct.”

The man responded with a careless shrug.  “Had to test your mettle.  Aren’t you a bit young for this kind ofthing?”

He was used to hearing this sort of talk.  ‘Too young’ and ‘shouldn’t you be homegetting ready for school’ were the typical comments.  Being only twelve, he knew many would notfully trust his information gathering abilities, yet he was struggling to shiftinto a form which looked ‘old enough’. If he did, he could not figure out how to get his height to change, somany mistook him for a halfling or someone his own age, anyway.  This guy was no different.  

“I don’t like to be tested,” Karreo snapped, narrowing hiseyes.  “If you felt I was too young, thendon’t hire me next time.”  Shaking hishead in irritation, he reached into his cloak, he pulled out a plump envelope.  “It’s all here.  Now your end.”

His client waved his hand dismissively, ignoring theindignation he caused.  Dropping thecoins back into his pocket, he unbuckled a pouch to reveal a hotel keycard.  Swapping possessions, the man shook his headchuckling.  

“I don’t know why you’d need something like this, but Iprogrammed it for room 522,” the man remarked, scratching his head.  “I would’ve thought you’d need to get a cardfor someone’s actual room, not an empty one.”

Karreo remained silent.

“Suit yourself, kid.” The man shrugged and squished the envelope into a pants pocket one sizetoo small.  “By the way, if this is allof the tax fraud reports, why don’t you work for the mob or something?  I’m sure you could get a lot more than asmall hotel room for a night.”

“They don’t pay.”  ‘Atleast not in what I’m looking for…’

“Don’t pay!  Ha!  I’m sure you’d be swimming up to youreyeballs in money before you know it!”  Pattingthe plump envelope half sticking out of his visible pocket, the humansmiled.  “Anywho, nice work, kid.  Just remember to keep the key on thenightstand when you’re done, I’ll pick it up tomorrow while the cleaners gothrough.”  With that, the man trotted offout of the alleyway.

Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, feathercatch!

This is her character Aylee (right) spending some quality time with loreoverseer‘s character Karreo. :3 I was inspired by a recent drabble of hers. These two characters were fishing together, & I originally planned on trying to draw an entire scenery... but I figured I should get at least one part of her birthday present to her on time. ;] even if I got Aylee’s coloring all wrong whoops

From [here]

—

8. I really went there.

“Come oooooooooon,”loudly whined Saul as he arched backwards, sliding over the desk.  Whatever had been in his way was no longer asit all crashed to the floor, pushed by the dejected angelborn.  “It’s not like it’d take long…”

Karreo felt the annoyance nearly boil over, yet kept himselfin check.  Sternly picking his scattered,unfinished paperwork off the floor, he tried his best not to shove the problem off his desk.  Today was different.  Normally he would be more than willing.

“But it’s my birthday,Karreo!  It only happens once a year…”  Saul rolled on top of the newly replantedpapers, blocking his view and pinning his hands underneath.  “And you wouldn’t make me wait a whole year, would you?!”

A tired growl escaped the demonkin’s lips.  He had been at the whining for over half anhour, attempting to get him to come along on a pointless little adventure.  ‘Awaste of time…’

“Even if we did go, everyone knows pet shops do not carry dragons,” Karreo protested, annoyed athis persistence.  “Have you consideredthat the owner lied about the eggsjust to draw in a crowd?  Why else wouldhe squander the profit by raffling them all off?”

“But it could be true!” Saul insisted eagerly.  “What if we had a pet dragon?  How cool would that be?!  Arraelius would have a friend!  Pleeeeeease?!”

“No.”

Saul’s face drooped, the corners of his mouth falling into acomical display of sadness.  His eyesbegan to well with tears, pupils dilating. All too familiar.

“No, Saul.  That’s final.”

“But—“

“No.”

“It’s my birth—“

“They are not real dragons.”

“Yes they are!”

“No.  They are not.”

“How do you know if you don’t go check, huh?!”

“For the last time.  No.” Karreo lurched his arms out from underneath the angelborn, causing himto roll across the desk, arms flailing pathetically.  ‘Whydoes he even think this works…?’

“Karri, what if I give you peaches?”  Saul’s smile beamed, happy with himself forcoming up with such an amazing bribe.  “I really went there.”

Karreo’s unimpressed gaze slowly fell onto his childishfriend.  He just stared.

“Is that a ‘yes’?!” the angelborn excitedly asked, proppinghimself up on his elbows.

“That’s a definite no.” Karreo went back to his paperwork, ignoring Saul’s exasperated anddramatic flop onto his back.  Happily,the room fell into silence.

“You’re no fun…” Silence broken.  “I’m going to goask Valen.  He will get a dragon with me, and we won’t let you play with her!”  Crawling off the disheveled desk, Saul sulkedout of the room.

From [here]

---

2. I never could resistyou.

Saul’s upper body hunglimp as he lay draped over the back of the couch, belly to the sky.  Time ticked on, each second the weight of athousand oceans.  Every second felt likean eternity—was an eternity!  His heart ached for the chance to once againfeel the cool caresses of bliss.  Mixedwith the oozing, warm sweetness on top, he could never have enough.  Each second of time which ticked by withoutsatisfaction drove a stake through his heart.

Life was hopeless.  No end in sight for his heartbroken plight.

Is this what life hasbecome?  Endless days of torture?  No relief from the sadness gripping hisbody.  When will the suffering cease?

“Hey, buddy!”  Garen’s voice bellowed from down the hall, thesound of the door crashing open and close awoke Saul’s broken spirit.  “I hope you like nuts—“

“I love nuts!” Saul cried with glee, rolling onto the floor in atangled heap.  

Scrambling to pickhimself up, he watched as Garen trod into the room with a dopey smile on hisface holding the prize.  Leaping towardshim, Garen jumped back instinctively with a surprised ‘Whoa!’.  Wrapping his thin fingers around the coolnessof the cone, Saul yanked it from his friend’s grasp.

“I never could resist you…” Saul cooed, nuzzling the chocolate icecream cone.  A haphazard drizzle of hotfudge oozed all over the delicious treat, dotted with bits of crushed nuts likeicebergs in a sea of chocolate.  “Oh, mylove, how I love thee!”

Garen guffawed loudly,nearly dropping his own vanilla cone in the process.  “You crack me up, buddy!  Did you give ‘em a name?  Gotta be polite, right?  Ha!”

Saul gazed into the peanuteyes of his precious dessert.  ‘What name could behold such beauty…?’

From [here]

—–

9. We can make ita contest.

Clouds of white flourfilled the air, hanging desperately on the cool breeze which flowed in from theopen window.  Blobs of uncooked dough laysplattered upon the counters, floor, walls, and even ceiling.  Piles of fresh sugar and flour were scatteredevery which way.  Chocolate chip streakswere left on the cupboards where they had struck with force.

The kitchen looked likea warzone.  

…which was accurate. Garen had started it by tossing a hand full of chocolate chips at Saul fromacross the island counter as he stirred the cookie dough.  Before he could react, a cup of flour blindedhim as it splattered into his face.  Withlaughter, they both upped the anti until…

“They’re going to kill us…” the angelborn lamented, droopinghis head at the sight before them.  Bothwere covered in ingredients, with Saul’s normally dark blue hair a starkwhite.  “Weren’t they supposed to be homesoon?!”

“No, they said closer to six o’clock, I thought,” Garen insistedwith a grin, hoping to take the fear out of his little buddy.  Stepping through layers of vegetable oil andsalt, he found the buried clock on the wall and wiped the face to clear thebrown sugar.  Through the streaked glass,the clock read 5:27.

A loud, defeated wail suddenly rose from his friend as hespotted the time as well.

“We’ll never clean this in time!  They will be so mad!”  Overcome with despair, Saul slumped to thefloor, tears beginning to turn the flour on his face into a paste.

He had to do something! Karreo and Aylee were due back from their daily fishing trip any minute,and if they were to find the kitchen such a mess…

“Hey, buddy, don’t worry!” Garen assured with a chuckle.  “We can get it all cleaned up—“

“NO WE CAN’T!” cried Saul.

“Yes, we can!” Garen insisted, walking over and picking himup by the shoulders.  It took a momentfor Saul to put in enough effort to find his feet, but when he did Garenexplained his plan.  “We can make it acontest!”

Saul squinted at him incredulously through caked eyes.  Wiping the paste from his eye lashes, hemuttered unimpressed, “What do you mean? A contest to see who gets killed first?”

“No, silly!  A contestof who can clean up fastest!”  Garen’ssmiled beamed, confidence that they could accomplish the task oozing fromhim.  “You have magic, right?”

“…yeah,” Saul conceded with a shrug.

“I can throw water everywhere and start scrubbing so you cansweep and blow everything out the window…” The gears were churning in Garen’s head, the plan forming in realtime.  “..and once all the flour iswashed up we can just throw the dishes in the dishwasher quick and get thatstarted so they’ll think we’re responsible!”

While the steps were being discussed, Saul slowly seemed tobe getting onboard.  A few nods later, asmile crept onto his features.

“Yeah, that sounds great!” Saul exclaimed excitedly.  “But…what would I get if I win?”

Garen thought for a moment. What would make a good prize?  “Uh…Idon’t know.  How about…  Hmm…” He scratched his chin in thought, ideas swirling around his head yetnone staying still long enough to grasp. “How about…the winner gets to choose one thing the other person has todo!  No matter what!”

“Yeah!  You’re on!”Saul cheered, holding up his hand for a high five which Garen obliged.  “I got this!”

Glancing at the clock, Garen read 5:53.