fandomtownies | The Magpie Emporium, Monday [12/2]

Which was why Steph had been on the phone all day, trying to cajole someone to come and fix the damn thing, but funny thing about heater repair in winter: it was kind of in high demand, and turned out given the heater here was working they were pretty far down on the priority list.

Eventually she took a break out of frustration, ran over to Chilly Boulder for the biggest thing on the menu that wasn't a Skywalker Special, and just put it on the floor beside Vi along with a thermal bottle full of ice. (And yes, she'd had that bottle for a while, thank you, and it wasn't some damn trendy shit off social media.)

"You're the best." After debating whether not to try and sit up, Vi reached out to try and pull Steph down beside her instead.

Not that Steph had been planning to resist, but even if she had been it was too damn hot for that anyway. Hell, even the gremlins were all just sprawled out on top of their table, fanning each other with their tiny GM screen.

She flopped onto the floor next to Vi and gave her a tired smile. "This shit probably won't get fixed until Wednesday at the earliest, looks like, so clearly? Ice cream. All the ice cream. Chilly Boulder's going to be doing amazing February numbers and it'll all be because of us."

"I'm not going to complain about ice cream," Vi said, taking a long pull of water and fishing out an ice cube for Saffron to bat in a desultory fashion. "Not in this heat."

"Can't just have a normal-ass temperature," Steph grumbled. "Want to do the afternoon post office run? Get away from the dysfunctional heater and into some cooler air for a little bit?"

Vi bumped her shoulder against Steph's. "Guess it's payback for having a slightly normal weekend." Like anyone would've been able to tell with how obnoxiously they normally acted. "Sure."

Sure, they acted like the main characters in a Hallmark rom-com around each other all the time, but they didn't end up in those kinds of situations!

Much.

Steph laughed and bumped Vi's shoulder back. "Yeah, if we'd ended up getting as weird as everyone else did I would say we had to become hermits and hide forever out of shame, and I actually like participating in society, so I guess this is fair payback? I guess?"

It was still deeply unpleasant.

"I'd say we could prop the door open, but Saffron..."

Please, Food Human. As if Saffron wanted to go outside and subject herself to even more people. Ugh.

If you asked her (which they never did) Saffron had had quite enough of outside. Besides she couldn't climb onto Snuggle Human's chest and sprawl herself over her if she went outside.

"Guess that's Saffron's opinion on the matter."

It was bad enough -- no, much worse than bad enough -- that Food Human had the nerve to take her to the vet every now and then.

"Saffron," Steph objected weakly, "you're like a tiny furnace and it's hot enough already. Have mercy."

Not that she was making a move to shoo Saffron away, because she valued her hands and her life.

Saffron was quite comfortable where she was, thank you, she might even have a nap here.

"C'mon, Saff," Vi said, attempting to lift the suddenly much denser cat off. "I can't snuggle if I'm dead of heatstroke."

And then that nap was going to make both Vi and Steph fall asleep too, such was the potency of Saffron's kitty nap field.

"You and I both prefer her alive, Saffron, you know that," Steph tried to persuade said cat. "And you are an amazing space heater, this is just a fact. But Vi really doesn't need extra warmth right now, believe me."

The look of sheer disdain she got in response was so potent she almost winced.

They should feel privileged to be allowed to nap with her!

"I'm plenty hot enough, I promise."

Steph grinned at her. "You really are. And you also have ice cream that's gonna melt if a certain cat doesn't let you up to eat it."

Saffron did not take the bait.

"Orrrrrr I could just feed it to you."

"You could." Vi grinned back. "Can't see a downside."

Saffron could see a downside! How dare they in front of her salad!

Steph pushed herself back up to a sitting position (not without some effort) as if she'd just been waiting for that invitation to go ahead, pulled the spoon out of the mint chip scoop it'd been stuck in, and offered the bite to Vi.

"Especially if you let me steal a bite every now and then."

"My ice cream is your ice cream," Vi said generously, closing her mouth over the spoon.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Steph said as if it was any surprise whatsoever. "Too bad I only got one spoon, though."

Oh no. They'd have to share it.

Oh, no, how terrible.

"Oh, whatever are we going to do?"

"Oh my god, ew, I guess this means we have to use the same one. After you've already drooled on it."

Steph took a spoonful of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream for herself and smirked at Vi as she popped it into her mouth.

"Oh, man, you don't know where my mouth has been."

Steph probably had an idea or two.

Steph waggled her eyebrows. Saffron made a despairing noise.

"I feel good about saying its been some very interesting places. Guess I'll just have to risk it."

Vi sighed. "You're so brave."

Saffron flopped over very dramatically. No one ever told her she was brave.

And she was being so brave about everything! Look what she had to deal with, with these humans of hers!

"Some things are worth the risk," Steph replied solemnly, offering Vi a bite of the fudge brownie ice cream.

She deserved a medal. And all the salmon she could eat.

"That they are," Vi said, taking her time licking the spoon.

Not that she was getting salmon right now, with how hot it was in here. The extent of her suffering!

Steph watched Vi for a moment and rolled her eyes playfully, sighing. "And the wait, I guess."

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