pyrighteous | [OOC] Folkmore IC Inbox

[It's a huge relief, truly. Casey wants nothing more than for Hunter to feel safe and secure with them- because they love him, and not even a quasi-identical twin can undo that.]

It feels like forever at this point. [Some of the excited adrenaline of finishing it is wearing off, and Casey leans back, sinking deeper into the couch cushion.] Once this is all done I wanna take a nap for three days straight. And not even look at another robot for a week!

[Uuugh but he'll have to play catch-up with his schoolwork, which means going back to the robot cat... the wheel truly never stops turning.]

[ Hunter gets up then - leaving Flapjack to peep and peer at the blue jay when he sets it back down - and moves to settle in next to Casey. ]

I mean, I bet Rue can write a note for school. Give you permission and stuff.

[ Hunter was THRILLED to find out that parents can write RULE BREAKING NOTES!! ]

[Casey wastes no time tilting sideways a bit to lean against Hunter. He's trusting Flapjack to be gentle with the robot.]

I could try that... though, I don't want to push my luck. The teacher's been really understanding so far, but I kinda told them it'd only be a few weeks. Think if I show them the bird it'd count for extra credit?

[Even if it's not a functional robot, it's still pretty cool, construction-wise.]

[ Flapjack is VERY respectful. And nosy! But respecful.

Meanwhile, Hunter leans back contentedly, reaching for Casey's hand. ]

Uh, yeah? Like - it's kind of a project all on its own, right?

[Happily, Casey twines their fingers, though he keeps his grip gentle. After so much fine-tuning with the project, working with all those little pieces and weaving in what feels like a thousand feathers, his hands are so sore and sensitive. Hunter is on jar-opening duty for a while!]

It kinda is, yeah. They seemed impressed by the scope at least- and skeptical of the timeline. ...They sure nailed that part.

[It took so much longer than he'd estimated. Good thing both Hunter and the Golden Guard are patient with him.]

[ Oh poor Casey. Hunter looks down at that, then sends over a bit of comfort and pride. Casey's been working SO hard. ]

You - you really have been overdoing it. Haven't you.

[ He's seen those long hours. And those eyebags rival his own. ]

[Casey feels that, instinctively sending back a weird mixture of embarrassment (it's nothing!) a teensy bit of guilt (he doesn't mean to make Hunter worry for him) but mostly relief (that after all that hard work, it's going to be great, and that makes it worthwhile).]

Maybe a little... but if it were me, I'd want the person making my body to really put the work in, and make it perfect. After everything he's gone through, he deserves it. [He smiles again, more relaxed and calming this time, and lifts Hunter's hand to kiss the back of it. See? His grip's just fine, and he's feeling good.] And you deserve it, too.

[ Oh gosh. Hunter DID have something to say to that, but all thought leaves his brain as Casey kisses his hand. There's a glyph on the back of it; it lights up faintly but fizzles. ]

I - that's - I-I agree! I just.

[ Hunter swallows. ]

You put in so much work so fast. I'm grateful.

[Casey's eyes widen at that, thoroughly distracted by the glyph. He almost lets go, though he manages to catch himself in time.]

Ah- sorry! I should be more careful...

[Now that glyphs work for him, he needs to be mindful of where he makes contact, huh...]

Um. You're welcome, though. I'm happy I was able to do something to help.

[He'd have felt pretty helpless if he couldn't do anything to contribute, truth be told. Moral support counts, sure, but still. Building the body really gave him a sense that he was actively working towards fix things.]

N-no! It's okay! That one's just a light glyph anyway but -

[ Well Casey should be careful when kissing parts of Hunter's body if they ever get that far!! Hunter goes rather red at the thought. ]

Casey, you've done everything. Like - way more than I have.

[Memo to future Casey: do not accidentally set couches or beds on fire with smooches-

That comment has Casey blinking in surprise.]

Not that it's a contest, but... you know I'd do anything for you, right?

[Or maybe he doesn't. Maybe it's good he's being told now, so he knows. Casey would build him a hundred birds if Hunter needed it. If they end up freeing the other brothers from their portraits, he'd definitely build a dozen more. All this work is nothing compared to Hunter's peace of mind.]

[ Hunter ducks his head a litte, tips of his ears burning. ]

I - I know. Of course I do. But ... it's been a lot seeing how much you're doing.

[ In a good way! He's just overwhelmed. ]

...Ah... yeah.

[Casey's quiet for a moment at that, letting it stew. He can see that sort of thing being overwhelming, all things considered. Belos wouldn't have done this. Belos is the reason they're having to deal with this in the first place. Everything they've been doing to help Hunter and the Guard are pretty explicitly labours of love.

He tilts his head, looking up at Hunter's expression, smiling fondly at the blush and the pink on his ears.]

Well, I won't be overwhelming you for a while. I'm gonna sit around and be as useless as possible for the rest of the day! And that's just to start.

[Probably a false assumption; he'll be back to the grind by tomorrow morning most likely. But tonight he really will try to relax.]

[ That breaks Hunter's tension a bit; he winds up laughing. Good! Casey deserves a break!! Casey has done SO much. ]

Exactly. I'll go grab your dinner -

[ He says, just as a cloud of smoke starts coming out of the kitchen. ]

-- uh.

[ Someone forgot about the eggs! ]

Oh- shit-

[Oh no they both did. Casey scrambles forward, practically falling off the couch - angling himself at the last second to avoid hitting the coffee table, if he broke the bird right after finishing it he would die on the spot - and running towards the kitchen to dig out the fire extinguisher. This poor apartment's really going through it, there was a fire just last month...]

[ THANKFULLY for both of them, the eggs are just blackened and smoking rather than actively on fire; a fire extinguisher quickly puts out the smoldering bits just barely threatening to turn into a problem.

Meanwhile, Hunter also yelps - teleports forward - and slaps the off button on the stove. Problem solved!! Mostly. ]

I-I forgot! I was so excited about the robot I forgot your dinner...

[Casey blinks at the mess for a long moment, his heart in his throat, foam and burnt eggs on the stove and smoke in the air. It's a big mess, and very obviously inedible now.

....

Then his legs turn to jelly and he laughs, dropping to the floor, shoulders shaking with it.]

Ha... hahaha... oops.

[Okay, since they're not actually on fire, that is pretty funny. His poor eggs.]

[ your POOR EGGS. Casey laughing takes the edge off here, but Hunter still looks wildly apologetic. ]

Sorry, I - I really did mean to make you dinner.

[ Does the thought count here?? ]

I'll clean up and get us some takeout instead.

[The thought absolutely counts. Casey twists the knob to seal the extinguisher so it doesn't leak all over the kitchen floor, sliding it out of the way, and reaches out towards Hunter. Help, please, his limbs are a bit too noodly for him to get up on his own.]

It's okay, don't worry about it. I was gonna do it tomorrow, but how about if you clean up and I'll try making one of Uncle Mikey's recipes tonight instead? I'll just pick something that doesn't need the stovetop.

[Plenty of oven recipes to choose from, which means after the prep work is done he just needs to shove it in there and sit around until it's cooked.]

[ Hunter takes his hand, then, and hauls him to his feet. Embarrassed, sheepish, but relieved that this seems to be something they can laugh about instead of stressing over. ]

Uncle Mikey's recipes? Where did you get those?

[ He's heard a lot about them but. ]

Oh, right! I was going to surprise you. Hang on.

[He hurries to his room for a moment, returning shortly with a small, transparent index card box, green and covered in old, faded stickers.]

You know those sharks on Never Fade last month? One of them brought me this: Master Michelangelo's own recipes.

[It's a bittersweet kind of gift, but for him, anything from home would be. He's happy it's something they might all enjoy, though. Eventually. If he can cook them correctly.]

[ Whoa. Hunter reaches out for the mysterious human artifact like it's made of delicate porcelain. ]

I didn't realize they could bring us things...

[It's very subtle, but Casey hesitates to let him touch it, withdrawing just a bit before he catches himself and offers it out. It's a very clear indication of just how precious it is to him.]

I was surprised, too. It didn't even have to give me anything... I'd already healed all of its cracks. Maybe it was the shark's way of saying thank you.

[ Hunter hesitates too, then, before touching it with the utmost care. What a precious object. He carefully lifts the lid just to peek, then closes it again, holding it back out to Casey. ]

It's a good thank you present. Having a piece of your family here with you.

[Casey draws it back gratefully - it's so silly, Hunter would never break it, but it feels so fragile in his hands and the wound of loss has been made fresh again through its presence - and opens it up, beginning to flip through the recipes to find the one he'd intended to make tomorrow.]

Yeah... I was really touched. Master Michelangelo used to say that after we saved the world and we could make real food again, he'd make them all for me, and teach me how to cook.

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