#tqlance

"I feel no anger," Shiromori replied, the forest spirit's gentle, creaking fingers plucking a few small, dead petals from the branches of her beloved trees, tending to them as she did every day."Revenge is a desire for justice, warped by personal emotion. I have little interest in it." She continued on, gently brushing away debris from the branches of her fellow plants, continuing to muse as she worked: "Losing one's anger means nothing, only justice, righteous and pure, does. The wicked are to be punished. The pure are to be rewarded. That is the order of things."With that, she turned her words and attention away from the anon: there was much work to be done, and many souls in need of her help. There would be no rest for her, not for a long time.~~~"An interesting question," Lance grumbled, annoyed at the weird creature's presence in his home at this late hour, but knowing from experience now that he couldn't just kick them out.Best to be polite, if only to maintain some warped sense of hospitality."I don't have anyone I'm out to get: I've left that kind of baggage long behind me. Didn't have much to begin with, anyway. As for someone havin' it out for me though, well, if they do come'n get me..." He was silent for a second, his expression hard to read in the dim light of his bedroom, lit by a dull, weathered old reading lamp. He was standing beside his bed, fingers dusting off some grime from what appeared to be, at first glance, a cluttered sidetable, stacked high with books, spare parts for various machines, and half-sketched blueprints, but, as Lance brushed away some of the objects, replacing the books onto a nearby bookshelf with a heavy thunk, it became clear what the "table" actually was.Under several years of withered and dried flowers, beneath layers of sawdust, discarded pencils, and the clutter of the mechanic's day-to-day life, there was a small shrine of some sort.It was cluttered and dusty, with half-burnt candles, odd little trinkets scattered about, some of religious nature, and, at its center there was a picture frame, wrapped in red velvet cloth, the image within hidden from sight...The shrine was quickly covered up, however, concealed again as Lance moved some of his newest blueprints and heavily bookmarked manuscripts up onto the table, continuing his previous point as if no time had passed at all: "...I hope they at least let me say sorry." ~~~"Anger begets anger," Mystery stated, his canine form silhouetted against the living room window of the apartment, the rainy night outside casting the kitsune in a dark, cloudy sort of light."I've no vengeance of my own I seek. My only enemy is myself, it seems." His ruby eyes locked with the floor, dogtag rattling on his collar, clinking in the silence of the peaceful home."I know of many spirits that haunt me, if not in reality, then at least in my mind, on my conscience."He pawed at the carpeted floor, pawpads scuffing against it, as if he could bury his thoughts like an old bone."There are many people from whom I have taken much, and from a few I have taken all." His ears pressed back against his head."I would wish that they would forget their anger, find peace, but I know it wouldn't be just. Murderers are supposed to face justice, but I know well that I haven't, and that, given the choice, I, with hesitation, would rather choose to live than let them rest." He chuckled, a hollow, painful noise."I suppose that I why they call my kind 'tricksters,' no? Always cruel, coniving, and sneaky. Never truly living up to the horrors we've made, only laughing it off and disappearing into the night, into some odd new form, some strange new disguise, always shifting like a shadow, unable to be caught..."He lowered his head to the floor, lying his small, doggy body down, ashamed that he couldn't even bring himself to cry." 私は怪物です"

Oh, some cake? There will certainly be some takers...~~~Mallew's had enough sweets as of late, but a couple of his underlings will gladly have a bit of it. They appreciate it! ~~~Mystery spots the cake appearing, the kitsune in disguise casually hopping up onto the kitchen counter without much hesitation and certainly no propriety as he scarfs the whole thing down. No need to worry about sharing with the others if there's nothing there to share: what they don't know won't hurt them.~~~Lance wasn't expecting the sudden treat to appear on his kitchen counter, but it wasn't unwelcome.Picking up the plate and taking it back with him to his tinkering bench, he alternates between taking bites and working away at a few small projects of his.~~~Is that Duet taking it into their office?Yep. And is that them pouring about half a bottle of hot sauce onto it? Double yep.

"..."Lance sat there for a time after patting the cheese, watching the creature with a sort of unblinking gaze as it continued to stay nearby...And then he casually returned to his work.Call him a fool, but he had met beings far scarier and far more violent than this (including some customers), and, if he were honest, he couldn't see a sentient wheel of cheese causing much damage or being much of a threat.As long as it stayed out of trouble and didn't like, melt or get cheese shavings on anything, he was fine.He gave the cheese wheel a small, affirmative nod, waving the wrench in his hand around at the shop a bit, calmly stating:"Mi casa es su casa...just don't break anythin'. Thanks."And with that he turned his attention back towards the engine in front of him, biting down on his tongue a little as he continued his work, sharply focused on the task at hand.

“How are ya’, kiddo? It’s been a while.”

Kiddo gets a hug from the stout mechanic, no questions asked...although you might want to get your ribs x-rayed, just to be safe. His hugs are powerful enough to fracture bones if he’s not paying attention...just saying. Lewis can attest to this.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a little quieter.

This place could use a little more color, couldn’t it?

He would have invited them to come with him, but he wanted the socks he picked out to be at least a tiny bit of a surprise to them: it would ruin the Christmas magic, otherwise. Probably a silly thought, but still: had to keep up the spirit of the season somehow.