Chapter Text
" The toons are doing so well. "
" I'm sure there's nothing to worry about! "
"Go Shrimpo, go!" Goob cheered, the crustacean shooting a scowl at the craft.
"SHUT UP!" Shrimpo snapped.
"I HATE FIRE! I HATE JUGGLING! AND I HATE THIS!" Shrimpo shouts, despite hating everything skillfully tossed fire sticks into the air. The flames making his eyes sparkle in a way. Goob sat on the floor, cheering him on, while Poppy and Tisha were practicing their hoop act.
Some of the others who weren't doing their practice acts, like Goob, Razzle & Dazzle, Teagan, Toodles, and Glisten, watched from the ground in a pile of pillows and cushions while snacking or drinking from a large cooler.
The duo were in matching full body jumpsuits. Poppy pulled herself up on the metal ring, gaining her balance as Tisha pushed the ring around in a circle once, before she hopped up onto the ring with Poppy. The bubble helps the tissue box up. "Ready?" Poppy asked, Tisha nods with a confident smile. The bubble gives a thumbs up to Boxten in the sound booth. Boxten gives a thumbs up in response to that and leans over to his left.
His rest on a blue button which he clicks, there is a soft humming whirring as the ring gets lifted into the air. The two held on tight to rope, occasionally looking down at the ground as they got further and further away from the ground. Poppy is the first one to make her move. She carefully sets herself down on her butt and leans back on the slowly spinning ring. Now upside down, keeping herself up with her calf muscles. Feeling both the blood rushing to her head and the cold metal pressing against her neck. Tisha then makes her move, Tisha settles herself down on the ring, holding the metal tightly as she suspends herself upside down, facing Poppy's way, wrapping her feet around the rope holding the ring, bring her hands down to the area Poppy was.
Poppy brings her feet up, holding onto the ring. She puts her feet under Tisha's armpits, facing out at everyone else down on the ground.
"Ohhh!" Toodles looked up with wonder, clapping her hands together. Glisten rolling his eyes.
"This is so boring." He groaned. "I could be doing my makeup right now." He said.
"Glisten, you're lucky you don't have to spin in a circle while in the air!" Tisha said. Settling herself on the ring, Poppy sitting down next to her. "Yeah!" Poppy responded.
"Weeeeeell. I'm glad I'm not!"
Poppy rolled her eyes. "Anywayssss, who's next?" She asked. One of Goob's hands shot up along with Toddles. "Me! Me!" Toddles shouted with excitement. "Oh.... dear. We need Arthur or Deliah to come and help us set our tight rope up." Toddle excited expression flicked to a frown. "Awwww! We have to wait??" The eight ball whined, Teagan nodding. "Buuuuuut. We can play hide and seek with Goob until he's done." The tea cup suggested. "YIPPEE!" Toodles stood up, running over and tackled Goob. Goob wrapped his arms around the young 8 ball, giggling and laughing.
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Scraps lay curled on a bean bag, alongside a layout of soft blankets, her tail curled around her leg as her head rests on a baby blue pillow. A gentle purring emitting from her body--Pebble at her side watching the others talk.
"Already. Let's do it from the top again!" Delilah said, Shelly who was curled up on a podium with her knees to her chest and clothing torn as she shivered at the thought. Her tail laid over her feet. "But.... we just--" She protested but Dandy interrupted her. "Oh Shelly! You'll be fine!" Dandy said with a cheerful tone. He was sitting on the ground next to Delilah who sat in a metal folding chair.
Shelly sighed deeply, looking down at the floor. "Okay..." She lifted herself up, legs wobbling her face scrunching up. Her body ached everywhere, but she had to please Delilah. She stood straight. Taking in a deep breath and shut her eyes. "Remember what I said, Shelly. Think about something other than your friends." Delilah lowered her voice to a softer tone. The ammonite kept her eyes closed
Think about something else..... think about something else.... think about...... something...?
She inhaled slowly. She could see the faint glow of the other through her closed lids. Mint green, brown, gray and salmon. She glances down and she sees the outline of her clothing. Looking back up in the black void she saw the same colors for Scraps and Pebble. Some sort of wolf dog creature for Pebble and a Tiger for Scraps. The duo spirits slowly walked towards her at a welcoming and curious pace. Causing the ammonite's breath to catch in her throat. Suddenly Shelly's eyes fly open, yelping as she falls off the podium with a loud thud. Scraps springing up from her napping state, her plastic cup wiggling back and forth with sleepy agitation. Shelly shakes her head, gathering her thoughts. "Oooooh!" Dandy winced, slumping a little from where he sat. "That's gotta hurt!" The flower looks up at Delilah.
Delilah smiled. "Perfect." She said, arms crossed over her chest. Shelly sat up, looking down at herself. But. Her body wasn't the same, she had claws, she had fur, and feathers. She look down at herself for what Delilah felt like was forever as Raptor Shelly let what's happening sink in. With realization, she squawked loudly, quickening standing to her two feet. Spinning and curls frantically, looking at her body with big beady eyes. Pebble barked, looking at the raptor in the room, Scraps taking a while to realize what happened. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, blinking a few times before looking at the podium and at the medium sized raptor standing there. The craft's eyes widened, the fur on her neck standing on end.
"Uh." She said idly, mouth agape.
Raptor Shelly looking around, her head moving this way and that. Everything was in..... oh dear what is it called? Oh! Thermal imaging! Her hearing, scent and sight was different! She could hear her own and others pulse, her smell was more finer than in her normal form, and she felt like looking around in her vision state and working out her sore muscles. Like a newly hatched raptor!
Delilah stands to her feet, Dandy not leaving her spot on the ground next to the chair. The human walks up to Shelly. Shelly cowards down, her furry belly touching the fold able pad under her. "It's okay Shelly." Delilah comforted, crouching down in front of the raptor. Holding her hand out.
Wh-what is she doing?
Shelly thought to herself, hissing lightly and squeaking. Delilah slowly but delicately scooped Shelly up in her arms. Scratching the side of her cheek. Man, but it did feel good though. Shelly’s body vibrates with a low but audible cooing. She really couldn’t control it, it was just on reflex! Dandy smiled as he watched, climbing into the metal chair. Sitting on his knees with his tail tucked neatly at his side.
”Perfect.” He repeated.
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Ding!
The oven’s built in timer chimes. Cosmo practically pranced over to the double oven—they had at least two batches of molten lava cakes in there. Enough to get everyone’s options! And to sample some themselves! “Come oooon Sprout! Help me take them out!” The cake roll chirped, putting on some oven mitts and opening the top oven. Flinching a little at the sudden gush of radiating heat, causing the icing along his head and star sprinkles to droop a little.
Sprout comes over, pulling on some oven mitts himself and grips the handle of the bottom oven. Opening it once Cosmo got the first tray of deserts out. “Mhm…” Sprout hummed. “Everyone’s gonna love these. I just know it!” The strawberry closed the oven, stand to his feet and walking over the counter Cosmo picked. “Let’s see. We still have to make the icing. We have raspberries, chocolate….” Cosmo mumbled to himself.
Sprout double checks to make sure that they have everything ready before nodding. ”Yup! We have everything!” He declared. Crouching next to the counter and draws out a glass bowl. “I’ll start on the icing!”
The cake roll’s tail wiggles once again, smiling wide at his baking partner. “Alrighty!”
.
.
With powdered sugar staining his fingers, Cosmo placed some raspberries on a small plate with their molten lava cakes. Looking down at him and Sprout’s work with a proud smile. "They look...." Sprout began, look down at the deserts before back up at the cake roll. "Perfect." Replied Cosmo. The strawberry chuckled, picking up a spatula and stirring the lemon icing around in the bowl. "The icing should be good, I'm really hoping that I didn't use too many lemons or make it too runny or thick..." Sprout said. "But for now, we can quickly try them before we icing the others for everyone else!" The strawberry lifted the spatula and let the icing dribble onto the cakes, Cosmo grabs the two other trays of cakes and sets them aside, tearing some parchment paper and placing it on top of them. "What you should be worried about is if the chocolate inside is how the recipe states it should be!" Cosmo said from the other side of the counter, coming around the corner to Sprout’s side. Opening one of the drawers and snags a butter knife from the drawer.
"And if it tastes good!" Cosmo grabs the plate and slowly cuts the desert. Watching in wonder as the warm chocoltly goodness comes flowing out like magma out of a volcano. "Oooh..." Sprout's eyes sparkle with wonder as Cosmo opens the drawer again. But this time gets two forks. One for him and the other for his partner.
Cosmo hands Sprout the other fork. The strawberry breaks away some of the treat and brings the fork full towards the cake roll's mouth. Sprout’s smile deepened, a little flash of deep red spreading along his cheeks making them appear more red than his skin was to begin with. "Come on! Open up you silly billy!" Cosmo blushed, his tail wiggling quickly. "Shut it!" He giggled, opening his mouth and closing it around the fork. Pulling away, he begins to chews, blinking twice before swallowing shortly after. "Soooo? How is it?" Sprout asked. His leafy tail thumping nervously against the floor.
Cosmo takes a second to process the flavor before looking up at his partner while licking his lips. "Good! But... it could use some ice cream. Since the recipe really didn’t call for it.” He suggested, the strawberry nodding in approval. "I think I remember seeing some vanilla ice cream in the freezer while we were looking around. I'll quickly go ask Arthur where it is." Sprout turns his head to look at the rest of the cakes. "You can start on the others and I'll come with the ice cream, mkay?" Sprout raised a brow, the cake roll nodding. "Will do!"