Demon Marcus, Monday Morning

[myownface]

Okay. The island was doing... something.

Sooomething.

Something weird.

And Sparkle was... dubious about going in to work today given the weird thing had literal raptors pulling rickshaws in the street, but he had finally arranged for his order to come in today, and someone needed to be in the shop to sign for it.

But when he got there, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside, the items on the racks were, uh... Bedrock Chic? And Sparkle knew he hadn't stocked the shop with mumus made out of brightly-coloured animal pelts, thanks.

"Nope."

He called his supplier, cancelled his order, demanded a damn refund, and locked up the shop. Possibly for the whole week. Maybe forever. What were you doing to him, Fandom? Why?

[OOC: ... I just kinda had to. Open if you can catch Sparkle doing his about-face.]

Comments

[sharp_man]

Hannibal showed up early, in his best lizard-skin suit. It was charming, he supposed, if you didn't mind being clothed entirely in skins.

He sighed when he saw Sparkle closing up. "I'm guessing your clothes aren't any better than mine, then?"

[myownface]

Sparkle took one look at Hannibal, and promptly bit the inside of his cheek to keep from barking out a startled laugh.

"Oh, trust me, what you're wearing is way better than what's in there today," he shared. "But I guess at least the stuff in my wardrobe didn't actually change. Holy shit, your suit has scales."

Which was hi-lar-i-ous.

[hernando_fuentes]

The tea store was the tea store but you know what fits perfectly fine through a quokka door?

Compies. Compsognathus. Chicken-and-turkey sized carnivores. Hernando had come out to find the quokka, headed by Dave, facing down a small pack in what looked like the Jets and Sharks showdown in West Side Story. He watched it for a moment and took a picture because of course. He offered the dinos a dish of mixed greens. They weren't interested. Hernando moved the quokka's food and water to the far side of the store. He wondered if there would be trouble between the obvious carnivores and the obvious herbivores.

That was answered when a meter-long centipede scurried in through the door, promptly pounced on by the chirping group of compies.

Hernando was on the counter. He wasn't certain exactly how he'd got there but he was not staying on the same level as meter-long bugs. Not happening.

He sent Sparkle a text.

BABY THERE ARE DINOSAURS AND GIANT BUGS! THERE. ARE. GIANT. BUGS!

This was not a happy exclamation, no.

[myownface]

Sparkle got the text just as he was locking up. And squinted at it for a long moment.

"... Oh god."

How giant are we talking, babe?

Because if they were talking about eight foot scorpions or something, he'd need backup...

[hernando_fuentes]

'Nando sent a picture of the remains of the meter-long centipede in all its red and purple glory as the compies tore its legs off and spat them to the side so they could get to the creamy center. One of these writ large.

BIG!

[myownface]

Sparkle would not admit, in a million years, to the ungodly whimpering sound he made at that photo. Ever.

I... am gonna come over with a blaster and hopefully about thirty more of those little dino guys holy shit what the fuck who let this happen

[hernando_fuentes]

NO! Stay inside!

Next text, With a blaster and maybe invite some of the little dinosaurs in with you but stay indoors away from the giant bugs!

[myownface]

In reply, Sparkle sent a photo of the outside of his shop. He was already outside.

There was a moment's pause, and then he sent a follow-up photo, of a raptor pulling a rickshaw.

Island's doing something funky, but I was already outside anyway, babe.

[hernando_fuentes]

Good yes ok take the rickshaw where you are not walking at bug level. Hernando replied.

[myownface]

Was now a bad time for Sparkle to send a photo of the giant dragonfly that had just parked itself on the back of the rickshaw seat?

[hernando_fuentes]

Dragonflies were fine. Dragonflies weren't venomous or poisonous so far as 'Nando knew.

Maybe it will eat other giant bugs?

Beat.

BABY THERE ARE GIANT BUGS!

Someone was not having the best of days.

[myownface]

And dinosaurs. There are also dinosaurs. Are the fish okay?

... Sparkle was keeping his fingers crossed hoping for like a giant tank full of coelacanth and ammonites or something, now.

[hernando_fuentes]

Oh god! I haven't looked at the fish yet!

So.. there could be.

[myownface]

Hold on, babe, I'm almost there.

On foot, even.

I'm gonna have to invest in a really big flyswatter.

He was playing it cool, but giant bugs?

Absolutely screaming on the inside.

[hernando_fuentes]

Be careful!

Admittedly he would feel better if Sparkle were here.

He was not ok with meter long bugs.

If the fish have become carnivorous I am not feeding them GIANT BUGS!

He had some opinions.

[myownface]

If the fish are carnivorous we'll give them hamburger it's fine.

A few more steps and Sparkle skipped over some... remains... of some... insectoid... thing... just outside before skipping in through the door.

"Baaaabe the bugs are really really big and I hate it."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando was still on the counter, carefully watching the ground outside the store. He was a little pale, yes.

"We have hamburger," he agreed verbally, "Also pulled pork." To his credit, he said full human words and not the generalized shrieking he felt like articulating.

"I think perhaps we, and the quokka, should make a strategic retreat and leave our small scaly friends to feast on any intruders," he suggested.

[myownface]

"I don't think fish eat pulled pork," Sparkle noted. But he smiled crookedly and held out his arms to Hernando. "C'mon, babe. I'll carry you over the threshhold ."

[hernando_fuentes]

Was Hernando going to take him up on that offer? Absolutely. Hi, Sparkle, have an armful of boyfriend and a somewhat frantic kiss hello at the same time. "Hi baby," Hernando murmured, "I'm glad you're here."

Giant bugs were easier to cope with when Hernando could see Sparkle was right here and that he was alright.

[myownface]

Sparkle laughed and leaned in for that kiss.

"Hi, babe," he murmured. "I'm gonna need you to get the door when we get there, though. My hands are full."

[hernando_fuentes]

"I can get the door," Hernando agreed. He looked over at Dave and quokka crew, "You're coming with us, right?"

Dave was giving the compies some serious stink-eye for being in his turf but he grudgingly hopped toward Sparkle and the other quokka followed.

[myownface]

"It's fine, Dave," Sparkle offered, carrying Hernando toward the door to the house. "I'm sure I have some laundry you can steal."

He was never seeing those shirts again.

[hernando_fuentes]

"No," Hernando murmured, kissing him again, "I put it in the hamper this morning." Just because clothes ended up on the floor didn't mean they stayed there.

He reached to open the supply room door, holding it for the quokka parade and keeping an eye on the compies to keep them out.

And any giant bugs that may try to invade. There weren't any others so far but YOU NEVER KNEW.

[myownface]

"My hero," Sparkle laughed, slipping through the door and waiting there, just inside, for the last of the quokka to come through. "And does mommy sign have all the little baby signs somewhere safe? I can head back out there for Operation: Chalkboard Rescue if need be."

[sharp_man]

"It does indeed." Hannibal sighed. "All of them do. Scales, or fur. One of my coats has feathers on the shoulders. If nothing else, it is rather warm for the current weather. I was hoping that you might have better."