Multiple Settings Mass Clans: Beyond

[Moonsound]

“Noted. She won’t sleep here with us then. She’ll stay with Luther.” Trin said in response to Hal with a curt nod. The demon in question glared back at Hal with an annoyed tint over her eyes.

The red eyed tom turned his attention to Filament, who was quickly joined by PIM.

“Look, I know you two like each other. And that’s fine, but it can’t get in the way of what we’re doing. PIM.” Trin meowed, finishing by looking at PIM.

“What do you mean?” The A.I asked cocking her head.

“You were supposed to wipe the footage of us ever being on the Barnabas as soon as we got back. And you didn’t. Because you got distracted when he came back shot.” Trin meowed unamused.

“Well I changed the footage later.” PIM defended.

“That’s not good enough! I need you to do what only you can do when you say you’re going to do something. That goes for both of you. This slip up just so happened to work out. Mess up again and animals could die.” Trin said in a tone just above a growl. PIM looked at the ground in shame.

“Sorry Trin. I was just worried.“ She said, rubbing one leg against the other.

“I don’t care. Don’t mess up like that again.” Trin meowed cooly before turning away and taking a step in the direction of Crimson and Thrush.

—

“Didn’t I ask you to watch what Purple was eating?-“ Crimson followed Thrush’s gaze down to her bloody paw, “-What happened to you?” The red she-cat asked with a apathetic expression.

—

“Thank you. Both of you. It will taste even better than it looks.” L’Anne purred, her gaze jumping between Luther and Thistle. She dipped her head to the crater cat and gestured for him to enjoy his meal.

“Madame Speed. Do you need any help?” The bovine lion asked innocently, glancing over her shoulder at the sheline in question.

“Nooope. I don’t want you lecturing me.” Speed meowed as she slid a pan into the oven.

“I have no intention of lecturing you.” L’Anne replied with a smirk.

—

Bailey continually glanced at Purple from the corners of his eyes. He would then switch to doing the same at Trin after a short while, steal a rapid glance at Holly, feign interest in the news or what Rum and her sisters were doing, and then repeat the whole routine again.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

"Ripped out a demon's trachea with my teeth." Thrush answers, not caring that the demon outsider or young ears can probably hear her. She looks down at herself and the blood on her chest. "Got messy." She gives a small shrug, letting her body relax into a comfortable slouch. "I'm sorry if Purple got sick but a terrorist attack kinda interrupted my duty of monitoring what she eats. Please understand that there were other things that had to be my priority at the time."


"With demons being welcome this year, it would be amazing to get the full World's Symphony experience." Nyx sighs. "Alas, for evil does not sleep and our work is never finished."

Thistle digs in to the meal L'Anne made with gusto.

 

[Filament]

Luther let out a suppressed groan before remembering he still had his gun. If she tried anything, it wouldn't mean much to him to put her down. Demon scum. "You're the boss." The tom mews, enjoying the food too much to really give too much of a shit.
____________________________________________________________________________________

"Thank you, Trin." Hal responded gratefully, moving over to the kitchen to see what Speed was cooking up. Trin's Haven agent kind of creeped him out to be completely honest. He trusted the gray-ish sheline more than some random worker bee.

Exhaustion from the whole incident seemed to pile up on him all at once and pretty soon he was asleep beside a cupboard.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Filament is taken aback by Trin's outburst. He doesn't like the way Trin talks to her, not at all. "It was a mistake and you're right that animals could've been hurt, but..." The tom trails off, looking uncertain of where to go from there.

"It's not polite to talk to her like that." He manages to say, surprising himself a bit.

"It won't happen again though."
__________________________________________________________________________________

Holly catches Bailey's side-eye and makes her way over to him. "Doin' alright?" The she-cat would ask, being extremely careful to not be condescending with her tone of voice.

It didn't seem right but something about him made her gut stir.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Flame wants to offer to help Speed with cooking but doesn't want to make Aceline jealous and instead leans against her slightly, trying to absorb everything that had happened today.
_________________________________________________________________________________

 

[Moonsound]

Trin stopped and looked over his shoulder at Filament in silence for a couple seconds.

“No it isn’t.” The tom stated neutrally before continuing his stride over to Crimson. He came to a stop one pace behind and to the side of the red sheline, not catching what Thrush said to Crimson.

—

Crimson started nodding her head, tilting it to the left then to the right as she did so.

“Mhm, I understand—“ Crimson eyes turned to slits and her shoulders rose while her head tilted down two degrees.

“Don’t look me in my f***ing eyes and lie to my face b***h.” The red pelted sheline said in a low, venomous tone.

“Hey. Crimson.” Trin growled, taking a step forward. The she-cat in question pressed a sheathed rear-paw against his chest and lightly pushed him back. Trin looked down at the spot where he was pushed then back to Crimson with an offended chuff.

“She clearly had the time to eat enough to make her cover the floor in puke. Don’t give me that dung. I asked you very simply to watch her! She’s a hybrid species; she can’t ingest large quantities of sugar safely yet but she has the tastebuds for it. Too much and it’s practically a poison for her. And you want to sit there and lie to me because you couldn’t be responsible for a single animal?” Crimson hissed. She glared at Thrush with such ferocity, a cornered tiger would seem meek in comparison. Her chest heaved, her ears were titled 45 degrees, and her entire attention was fixated on Thrush.

—

Lexi nodded and hummed her agreement with Nyx as she plopped dow

“I feel ya! First time I get to see The Symphony live and in Starworld...and I have to work security and hope the place doesn’t get nuked or some other catastrophe. Should be good music though. And maybe evil will give us a long enough break for lunch.” Lexi meowed, playfully bumping her shoulder against Nyx.


—

Bailey looked at Holly with big innocent eyes and a half gaping mouth for a brief moment before his expression closed up. The innocent look made way for a tense frustrated expression complete with furrowed brows and averted eyes.

“I’m fine.” Bailey said in that common contrary tone of voice unbefitting of someone who was truly “fine.”

—

L’Anne noticed Hal fall asleep as soon as he drifted off. Without even thinking about it she slid a clean towel between his head and the kitchen floor.

“Madame Speed, you are nearly finished yes?”

“Uh, yeah nearly. I’ve only got seven more thing to prepare.” Speed replied, putting on a mouth guard and pulling a large pan out of the oven.

—

Hunter and Stalker were chatting against the window with smiles on their faces.


Callista was meditating on the balcony while Milky was floating in the pool that was now full of jacuzzi jets and bubbles.
Keesipip was practicing how to hold her new gun. And Penny was absentmindedly watching Streak.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

"They better. If I have to miss out on the food as well..." Nyx chuckles and nods with Lexi, at least someone here can relate. "After watching the Symphony on TV for all my life, just being in that megastadium is going to be a dream of mine come true."


Thistle watches Holly join Bailey and smiles around his bite of food. Before he turns back to his meal, he notices Crimson talking to his sister. The red cat has an aggressive posture so he watches the encounter. He cocks his head to one side when he sees Crimson physically holding Trin back while she continues with her thought. He can't hear what is being said but he waits in case he needs to intervene.


"Oh, so I'm the b*tch?" She remarks, locking eyes with the other cat, unfazed by Big Bad Crimson's glare. "Hey, maybe you should've warned me that sugar could kill her in high enough doses before we left. I'm-" Thrush grimaces with a soft noise of pain. She is quiet for a moment as she takes a slow, calming breath. "I'm gonna leave before claws are thrown. When you're ready to calmly talk things over, I will be upstairs taking a bath."

Sapphire eyes shift to gaze over Crimson's shoulder, locating the cat in question across the room. Bracing for oncoming pain, Thrush raises her voice to call out to her. "Purple, I'm sorry you got sick, I hope you feel better."

As she stands, Thrush finally acknowledges Trin. A soft smile tugs at her lips but there is an exhausted and pleading look in her eyes.

 

[Filament]

Filament pads over to PIM, still slightly surprised from Trin's outburst. He didn't think they'd done anything wrong but he supposed that if he hadn't distracted her than this investigator would never have gotten this close.

"How do you feel about this?" He asks her, taking a seat beside her.
_________________________________________________________________________

Holly doesn't really want to insert herself into the growing argument while she is trying to talk to bailey even if she is trying to be Thrush's friend.

"Remember when we used talk?" She asks, having trouble keeping eye contact.

 

[Moonsound]

“Feel about what? Trin scolding me, our relationship, or the fact that those two blonde kits just tried to get on an adult site?” PIM asked, looking at Filament with a quizzical expression.

—

“Hmph. Aren’t we talking now?” Bailey answered Holly’s question with a question. His tone was snarky and he purposefully looked away from his sister’s eyes whenever she tried to make contact.

—

Purple waved her paw at Thrush with a smile to show she heard her.

Trin’s eyes reflected the emotion in Thrush's expression, mixed with a sympathetic smile and an impotent grimace. The tom gave a couple subtle nods before flicking his eyes upwards to indicate that Thrush should go, as well as telling that she could go without worry of Crimson pursuing her.

“You shouldn’t need life or death circumstances to be bothered to watch an adolescent hillbilly. ” Crimson growled under her breath, glowering at the back of Thrush’s head.

“Crimson what the hell?” Trin asked, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to face him.

“Don’t ‘what the hell’ me. Your stupid little backwater bumpkin let Purple eat too many sweets after she said she would watch her.“ Crimson hissed, shaking her head at the ground wile kneading her paws.

“Well then that’s my fau-“

“Shut up Trin. It was one of your friend’s funeral for crying out loud. You were grieving and you’re not the one I told to watch Purple. You taking responsibility is very respectable and all but I’m not buying and she’s not off the hook.” Crimson cut Trin off by physically putting her paw on his muzzle. Trin shook the appendage off and opened his mouth to talk but Crimson spoke first.

“And then she lied about it? Instead of just saying that she messed up she tried to weasel her way out like a a weasel. Kaliope jazeeb parzu’quozca. Who does that? And then threaten me that claws are gonna fly?” Crimson growled, snorting air out of her nose.

“You gonna let me talk now?” Trin asked, earning an eye roll from Crimson. The sheline took a deep breath and nodded her head.

“Purple’s okay, she learned her lesson and so have I. I’ll be sure to watch my own daughter from now on. No harm no foul.” Trin meowed calmly.

“That’s not what I’m angry about. Or at least not the whole reason. She lied Trin. She said she’d do something and then lied about why she didn’t do it. And then made a threat.-“

“She didn’t make a threat.”

“Yeah well I wasn’t about to physically assault her so I’m pretty sure I know where she got the idea of claws flying. Maybe you should put a leash and muzzle on your savage girlfriend before she bites someone’s neck for encroaching on her territory or pisses on you for dominance.” Crimson steamed. She started towards the balcony after kneading her paws a bit.

“Maybe the feral girl doesn’t comprehend empathy or caring for another animal.” Crimson said over her shoulder as she went to the balcony. Crimson walked past Milky and Callista and leaned against the far most railing.

Trin watched Crimson leave with an annoyed expression that faded into a stressed visage. The tom let out a soft groan and rubbed his right temple.

“Usually some disaster happens right about now so that we don’t have to digest any of this.” Trin meowed in a low voice underneath his breath. The tom rubbed his temple a bit more before heading up and the stairs and knocking on the bathroom door.

“Thrush, mind if I come in?” Trin asked, awaiting an answer patiently.

—

“Can’t wait. Though I think I can wait before I ask Trin for the luxury bag I want.” Lexi meowed half humorously as her eyes followed Crimson out the room and then Trin up the stairs.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Having caught Trin's subtle signal, Thrush promptly left and went upstairs.


From the other side of the door, Trin hears a muffled "Come in". When he walks in, he sees Thrush lying in the bathtub with her chin resting on the brim. Her face is clean of blood and there is just enough slightly steaming water to cover her body. The weapons she picked up before their trip to the Crush Depths have been carelessly abandoned on the floor. "Hey." She greets, "How's your head?"


Glancing around, Thistle wonders if anyone else caught that confrontation. He shrugs and takes another bite of the meal L'Anne made for him.

Nyx leans in toward Lexi a little as she watches Trin and Crimson. "Yikes..." She mutters.

 

[Filament]

"Well I mean are you okay?" the tom would ask, snickering slightly about the twins. "I hope you blocked that site." He adds, trying to force a serious look onto his muzzle.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Holly feels a bit frazzled. "Well yes, technically we are talking. I mean like really talking, like when we were younger and we'd share everything. When you liked to talk to me." She adds wistfully.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Pestilence and Flame both gave Purple a dirty look when she called Thrush a backwater bumpkin. If she was backwater, so were they.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Luther finishes his plate and looks at the room. "It's amazing any of you get stuff done with how much time you spend fighting amongst yourselves."

 

[Moonsound]

Lexi’s ear flicked and the sabertoothed she-cat thought for a moment.

“Yikes? Hmm, I like it.” Lexi murmured, storing the word away into her encyclopedia of alien words and phrases.

—

“I’m not quite sure how we’ve gotten this far. The squabbling has actually gone down if you can believe it.” Speed replied to Luther, taking a momentary break from cooking. Multiple pots, pans, and cutting boards of prepared food laid out across the kitchen counter and stovetop. Only one last dish was being cooked in the oven.

—

Trin smiled at Thrush as he lightly kicked the door closed behind him.

“Hey. My headache’s pretty much gone.” Trin meowed, sitting down beside the tub and mirroring Thrush by resting his on the brim as well.

“How are you? Crimson’s words didn’t get to you did they? You know that Purple getting sick isn’t your fault?” Trin asked, wearing a casual smile while letting his ears droop limply.

—

Bailey looked at Holly with the facial expression equivalent of a soft gasp, wide eyes once again on display. Guilt tugged at the outer edges of the tom’s eyes.

“I...I don’t dislike talking to you. I just don’t wa—I just don’t have anything to say. When you say something.” Bailey meowed in a stifled voice, his eyes switching from looking past Holly on her left and looking past Holly on her right. Only making eye contact accidentally when moving between the two.

Yuripi, Jezebel, and Milky all quietly vacated the area on the couch where Bailey and Holly were talking.

—

“Luther, if you’re going to stay for dinner. Help me set out these plates. Just put them in a big circle on the carpet.” Speed meowed to the investigator, carefully taking plates out of cupboards and setting them on the bar counter. She mumbled something to herself about Milky and being grateful for the plates.

—

PIM smirked and let out a single snicker.

“Yeah I blocked it. And I am okay. Not the first time Trin’s scolded me and he’s not just rude to me for no reason.” The A.I. said, waving her paw dismissively.

“Thank you for standing up for me again.” PIM added, pressing her cheek against Fil’s.

—

“Speed, the dinner’s ready?” Triss asked as the gray she-cat pulled out more plates.

“Almost yeah.” Speed answered.

“Perfect. I’ve got some uh, “entertainment” planned. But I’m not sure if it should happen before dinner or after.” Triss meowed coyly.

“Then just ask everyone when they’d prefer their “entertainment?” Speed responded in a humored toned as though the answer was obvious.

“Right.” Triss answered, bitting her cheek to try and disguise her inaction. Speed’s curiosity got the better of her within seconds however as she pulled the last plates out of a cupboard. Or at least the last plates she could get to without disturbing Hal.

“Hey Vasteye? What’s Triss planni–“ Speed started to call from the kitchen.

“Nooooope! Not saying.” Vasteye responded.

“Urgh! Really dude? This the one time you won’t rat someone out?” Speed asked with lighthearted annoyance.

“You know it.” Vasteye responded, hopping down off the couch and padding over to help lay out the many plates. Speed studied his face as he came over and the tom revealed nothing. He only smirked when Speed thought about how much she wanted to know.

 

[Filament]

"If that's true, then I'd have to agree. Says something about your collective stubborness." The tom mews, licking his lips and pawing at his coat for a cigarette. He's out though and he sets the empty pack of Angel Wings on the counter.

In one smooth movement he slips off his coat and sets it under him, revealing his gun harness and fashion sense. "Hey Dream, this might be where our road together ends. What they've been doing is some real heavy shit and to be straight with you... I don't think a rep- I don't want you to get hurt chasing a story." The tom offers.
____________________________________________________________________________

Flame Pestilence looks over at the food. "Looks delicious, Speed." He mews pleasantly, enjoying the various scents wafting through the apartment.
____________________________________________________________________________

Holly lets out a small breath she'd been holding, keeping her somber expression. "So you don't hate me?" She asks in a small voice that seems to come from deep within her being.
___________________________________________________________________________

"Sure thing." Luther mews, getting off of his ass and grabbing two sets, balancing them on his back as though he'd done it before.
___________________________________________________________________________

Filament feels warmth at her touch and smiles a bit. "Of course." The tom mews genuinely, still kinda lovestruck to say anything deep or meaningful in this moment.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Thrush snorts. "Gods no. I'm honestly surprised she even had the guts to stand up to me and say that." Moments pass, a comfortable silence settling in the room. "Purple is fine, right?" She asks suddenly, her tone empty of what little humor it held before, "Because Crimson told me to watch what she ate but mentioned nothing about sugar being potentially dangerous for your daughter."


"Oh, yeah," Nyx chuckles, "I've picked up plenty of Earthling lingo from spending time with Thrush. Now that I know she's from Earth."

Thistle looks up when he hears Flame's comment, suspiciously eyeing the various pans of hot food on the counters. The tom keeps his head down and finishes his food.

 

[Moonsound]

Trin smiled with relief and relished the silence, resting his gaze on Thrush. When she broke the silence his brows popped up and came down a moment later, his attention to Thrush increased.

“Mhmm. She’s fine, nothing to worry about. If she weren’t her condition would be worse...Hybrid kids are unique, getting DNA from two separate species. Most of the time it’s a benefit but they require some special attention to raise. My species has always been able to eat sugar, Red’s species–Azure’s species can’t without implants. They started as omnivores and became carnivores after their planet’s vegetation started producing a deadly poison: sugar. Fast forward to first contact with the multiverse and surprise their poison is one of the most popular ingredients. Purple’s the middle ground of both. Meat provides all the nutrients she needs buuuut she loves the taste of junk food. Fruits, vegetables, grains, all that. Something like oatmeal raisin cookies are the most dangerous for her and also her favorite type of cookie. She’ll grow to be able to eat as much as she wants but for now it’s like. Hmm. It’s like if you enjoyed the taste of insect venom. A little bit is okay but too much and there’s a problem.“ Trin explained casually, giving Thrush several smiles that were at first reassuring but then went on to convey how pleased he was with her company. He gave Thrush a lick on the cheek and nuzzled her. Letting the silence return while he enjoyed being close to her.

—

“Interesting. Their planet sounds very interesting. Before the–you know.” Lexi mused, waving her paw around when she referenced the obvious event.

—

“I’d be obliged to agree with you Luther. But I can’t leave without something. I at least want an interview or something. With the old A.I? Maybe with this Undertaker guy?” Dreamdrop replied with a shrug, watching the mammals set out the plates.

“That should launch my career.” Dream added on with a nod to himself.

—

Bailey lightly shook his head, still avoiding direct eye contact.

“No. I don’t hate you.” The light caramel pelted tom said softly but without hesitation.

—

Triss tiptoed over time Milky, threw a leg over his neck and whispered into his ear.

“Hmm?...Yeah a bunch...Oh okay. Sure.” The black tom replied in a normal speaking voice. He gave the she-cat an agreeable nod and went upstairs to his room.

Next Triss tiptoed over to PIM and Filament, walking up to them and stopping beside the tom.

“Mind if I borrow this one?” Triss asked with a suppressed grin, placing her paw on Fil’s shoulder.

“I don’t knooow. That one’s pretty special. Promise you’ll give it back?” PIM asked cheekily.

“Promise.” Triss answered with a lighthearted roll of her eyes.

“Alright.” PIM chirped with a single nod, giving Filament a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Triss grinned and gently pulled Filament a couple paces away.

“So! Do you remember when we first got here and I went out to do something? Well I went out and bought an in-atmosphere ship, you know not too big. And it just happens to be a little bit dirty. And remember how you said you used to do sexy ship washes? Well I was thinking you and the other boys could give us a demonstration into the finer intricacies of provocative vehicular laving before dinner. I’ve actually never seen it before—and it’ll help set the mood for the dinner. Keep everyone care free so we don’t argue and stuff. Oh my god I sound like Speed......So will you do it?” Triss finished with a hopeful, tooth filled smile at Filament complete with raised brows, perked ears, and her entire body raising up onto the tips of her paws.

—

“Thank you! And I didn’t even spike it this time. Progress.” Speed said to Pest and Flame with half serious excitement and pride, stealing a glance at Thistle while she held in a snicker.

—

“Achoo!” Lulalissa sneezed.

“One.” Jassiveepee, Rum, and Italia all said in unison.

“Achoo!” Lula sneezed again right as she sucked in air after the previous sneeze.

“Two.” The ashlander kits said.

“AHchoo!” Lula sneezed a bit harder.

“Threeeeee.” The kits dragged out.

“Ah-Ah-CHOO! Whew.” Lula sneezed one last time, sniffing and shaking her head with a relief.

“Four.“ The three youths said in unison.

“Awwwww.” Rum audibly whined with her mouth agape while Italia kicked the ground.

“WOO! Who got four? I got four. Who got four? I got four. Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!“ Jass celebrated in a sing-song tone, strutting in place while her sisters watched. Lula looked on at the siblings with a warm smile, rolling her eyes lightly.

 

[Filament]

"Well we have PIM right here. SO if she wants to, knock yourself out." The tom would huff. "After that, you're on your own. I'll get back in touch with you after and give you an interview if it'll keep you happy." The tom offers, giving the tom a bit of a somber glance. As much as Dream irritated him, he would definitely miss having somebody to pick on constantly.
____________________________________________________________________________

Holly didn't say anything for a moment, tears welling in her eyes. "Okay." Was all she managed to get out, before she abruptly turned to leave up the stairs. She wasn't hungry anymore.
___________________________________________________________________________

Pestilence hangs his head in mock disappointment. "Aw, was kinda hoping you might." The tom laughs, beaming at the gray she-cat.
__________________________________________________________________________

Filament was kind of taken aback at the prospect but it made him grin a little. "I'd have to teach them how, I mean it'd be easy but it's an art." He laughs out-loud unable to stifle it. "Of course I'll do it." The tom mrrows in amusement, giving her a nod. He really hoped PIM would appreciate how good he looked all suds'd-up and in a safety harness.

"It'll be fun. You got a couple gallons of water and skin-safe soap, yeah?"
________________________________________________________________________

Streak watched the other kittens curiously before turning his attention to the sniffling she-cat. "Are you gonna be sick for a long time?" The kit would ask her, focusing his eyes directly on her own.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

"From what I heard, that planet was incredibly dangerous as well." Nyx muses. She watches the new tom start arranging plates on the floor. "Looks like the food is almost ready. Shall we sit together?"

Lethe moseys over to the kitchen and looks through the fridge for a drink.

Thistle is busy licking the sauce off his plate.


Thrush's content purring can be heard in the quiet room. Beneath the surface of the water, her tail slowly swishes back and forth but does not cause any ripples. "You know...." she drawls, "The water's still hot. Care to join me?"

 

[Moonsound]

Bailey watched Holly suddenly leave with a guilty look on his face, kneading the couch anxiously. He didn’t think what he said would make her cry.

—

“Nah. Not too long. I’m starting to feel better already.” Lulalissa said to Streak warmly, shaking her head.

“You’re a very nice, caring young tom.“ Lula praised with grin.


—

“For sure. And yeah. I wouldn’t have expected one of the species to survive a planet like that to look as cute and cuddly. No huge fangs or spikes or even venom.” Lexi said to Nyx with a nod.

—

Triss pumped her paw with a triumphant, “Yesss.” She listened to what Filament said was needed and nodded her head.

“I....can go get some-Yeah.” Triss said, nodding her head again and taking off towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Speed called after the she-cat.

“Getting surprise stuff. Be back soon. Get all the adults to the parking lot! Bring snacks and drinks bye!” Triss warbled over her shoulder right before closing the door.

“Oh...okay.” Speed said, standing there in silence awkwardly for several seconds. She looked back at the others and nearly bust out laughing.

“What did you guys do with the real Triss?” Speed asked rhetorically. She rolled her eyes and then looked over at the plates.

“I’d hate for all of your hard work to go to waaaaste...” Speed meowed to those that put them out, “Lexi! How good are you with portals?” she asked, getting Lexi’s attention.

“Very. That’s not even a question.” Lexi responded confidently.

“If I lay out the food onto these plates you can open a portal to the parking lot beneath them without spilling anything?” Speed queried the sabertooth.

“Affirmative.” Lexi said seriously.

“Perfect!” Speed chirped.

—

Trin listened to Thrush purr with a smirk on his face. When she spoke Trin listened and smiled.

“I’d love to.” He purred in response to her proposition. He stood up and slowly stepped into the tub as not to disturb the water too much. Trin stepped close to Thrush and lowered down into the water where their pelts mixed. His tail half twined with hers and he rested his head on the lip of the tub beside her, a blushing smile impossible to suppress taking over his muzzle.

“...Love you Thrush.” Trin purred, looking at the sheline in question with calm eyes swirling with adoration.

—

L’Anne and Speed laid out a myriad of dishes onto the plates. Each plate didn’t have a different dish but there were still a lot of choices. Some looked familiar like fish and ground meat while others were fried balls and sauces. If you were to go around the circle each thing would only repeat two or three times.

“And that’s the last one-“ Speed pointed to the last plate as L’Anne poured a dark maroon sauce onto it, “so we’ve got the grilled kalectarian fish, ground sausage, soft tortillas in three different flavors made from my family’s secret ingredient, my species’ fried tofu balls, my planet’s native fruit grilled with cinnamon, 33 cheese and sauce lasagna made with gourmet meat based pasta, soft bread, paw-rice that I’ll explain how to use later, and just a bunch of more sauces to dip with from my home planet and elsewhere. Also my famous freshly made juice and a mondo stack of napkins. Alright. We’re good to go to the parking lot.” Speed named off everything as she circled the circle of plates making sure everything was laid out. There were empty plates within the circle for personal use as well as a big container of lavender colored juice.

“Oh wow.” Aceline guffawed at the spread of food.

“Let’s go find out what Triss’ surprise is. I wonder what it could be.” Vasteye meowed cheekily.

“Crimson! Watch the young ones!” Milky yelled as he came down the steps, only getting a grunt of acknowledgement.

_________________________________________________Minor Timeskip...

Out in the parking lot Triss was pulling a bucket larger than she was out of the back of a yellow ship when the group showed up. The ship wasn’t very big, only about 11 feet tall 20 feet long. It had seats in the leather interior with glass sweeping around the entire cockpit. Along with trunk space underneath the tail with a small ramp Triss was using to pull the bucket of supplies down. No engine was visible yet the ship hovered a foot off the ground like magic. The ship clearly had a brand new paint job and just happened to be covered in a perfect film of dust and water stains almost as if someone flew it low over a beach again and again as soon as it hovered off dealership lot.

The bucket Triss pulled onto the immaculate parking lot pavement was filled with bottles of skin safe soap, harnesses, synthetic fiber rope, a rig to suspend animals over the ship, water hosing, a water pump, sponges, and towels of varying sizes.

“Hah! Hah! Got everything-” Triss panted happily, “-whe-where are the snacks?” Triss asked.

“Lexi’s going to bring the food down.-“ Speed nodded to the sabertooth sheline who was already sitting down and closing her eyes to focus, “-You explain...all of this.” The acrobat said gesturing to Triss, the ship, and the bucket overflowing with washing supplies.

“Filament can explain while I set all this up. The girl at the store said the rigging should assemble itself. And Milky you were supposed to bring swim trunks!” Triss said, pointing o Filament before turning around and pulling the box with the suspension rig out of the bucket. Then she pointed to Milky.

“I forgot. Almost all of us are from clothing optional species.” Milky answered with a shrug and a snicker.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

"They are the cutest. It's like a hidden power; the ability mollify adversaries or de-escalate a situation with just their adorable little faces." Nyx gushes. When they gather in the parking lot, the wolf looks around, quickly putting the pieces together. Triss bringing out the soap and harnesses instills a giddiness in the even-tempered demon. She sits near Lexi, giving the Huntress some space to work as she watches the white sheline scurry about preparing things. Her tail wags, sweeping lightly against the pavement.


Thistle picks up his plate and drops it off in the sink. He stands in the living room, looking about the space for someone. When he doesn't find Holly, he follows his friends outside. While he won't join everyone in the meal, he is curious about why they're out here.

Lethe is more interested in the ship than what Triss has planned for them.


Thrush returns Trin's smile, watching him as he steps into the bath. He settles down next to her and when she feels his tail curl around hers she reciprocates the gesture. She turns and looks into his eyes. Every time, without fail, his sweet words cause her ears to grow warm. "I love you too." She responds, leaning in to kiss him. Thrush pulls away and snuggles against Trin's side, letting her eyes close. Under Trin's purring a soft humming can be heard. It is a slow tune the portal jumper doesn't recognize.

 

[Filament]

Streak isn't sure how to properly respond to her praise. "Thank you!" The tom responds, perhaps a bit over-enthusiastically. "When you feel better you should play a game with us." The tom mews, gesturing to the other kittens.
_______________________________________________________________________

While Triss was doing the shopping and talking with Lexi, Filament had wondered into one of Milky's walk-in closets and found some appropriately slutty cut off jeans and donned them.

"No, it's okay I got these, and look it's important that we have something to wear that will get wet and stick to our forms." The tom mews with a small pretend pout.

"So here's what's gonna happen, we're going to wash this ship and we're going to do it sexily, okay?" The tom would mew to Speed, giving her a quick once over. "I'm thinking we'll need you, Lexi, Thistle, and ehhhhh. Spikey-leg guy to make things exotic. You all have nice athletic forms that will really help make this fun."

The tom definitely seems like he's done this before.

"Oh and Triss, I'd offer you too but you planned it so you're going to be in charge of the rigging and spotting." The tom explained, figuring that just the sight of harnesses might be amusing or enticing enough for some animals alone.
_____________________________________________________________________

Pestilence follows into the garage, amusement dancing maliciously in his eyes as they land on Filament. "The barnabas wasn't the first time you've put on makeup and heels was it?" The tom would ask humorously, chuckling.

The tom in question only gave a mischevious shrug in response.
_____________________________________________________________________

Hal's ears perk at the suggestion of Lexi's participation but he quickly flattens them and tries to be as subtle as possible.

 

[Moonsound]

As Filament explained about the necessity of clothing Triss gave Milky a wide-eyed, expectant look as she pulled the metal rig out of it’s box.

“Alriiight, alriiight I’ll go get something.” Milky said with a chuckle at how serious Triss was.


Lexi crouched down onto the pavement, her gaze parallel to the ground. A second later a large black portal opened just two inches above the concrete. With it came all the plates and containers that had been laid out in the apartment. They all clinked lightly onto the ground in sync with not a drop or crumb of food being spilt from their fall, if you could call it that.

Lexi’s ear perked when her name was spoken. She looked to Filament and then pursed her lips.

“Okay...fine.” Lexi agreed, walking over to the tom.

—

“I’m not doing that.” Dream said, shaking his head.

“You want that interview you will.” PIM responded without missing a beat nor even looking at the alien. She was busy watching Triss and Filament.

“You’re going to blackmail me into doing something I don’t want to do?” Dream asked with an indignant tone.

“Yup! Besides, it’ll be fun! You want an exposé on what the animals who killed a demon general do, here you go. The covert clandestine operatives of the God-Ring have picnic dinners in parking lots while doing sexy ship washes in their free time. What a story.” PIM meowed humorously. Dream was still not completely on board but PIM did successfully convince him of the personal benefits to going along.

“Alright. I’ll do it.” The owl alien said.

—

“Me? Oh, for sure!” Speed said excitedly, not expecting to be picked. As she bounded the single time required to get to Filament Milky returned with some shorts and t-shirts.

“Thank...you...Milky.” Triss meowed between cranks of the automatically assembled rig. She just had to crank it to the desired height above the ship. The dutiful sheline had already attached the ropes to the rig.

Speed gasped in remembrance and looked back at the rest of the group.

“The meal is a traditional style dinner meant for family and intimate guest parties. My culture didn’t invent utensils for a really long time so instead we used sticky rice. Put a good amount of rice onto your own plate and then dip a paw into it so that it’s covering at least your pads. Or more if you like. Then you fill the tortillas with whatever meat and stuff you want, close it, and dip it into whatever sauce you want. If ya’ do it right you’ll get the sauce only on the rice and tortilla and not your paw. Stick it in your mouth and repeat...I shouldn’t have to explain lasagna. Since the World’s Symphony is tomorrow I figured I’d do something from my race. The idea behind the circle is that my species don’t like to sit still so you have to journey around the circle to get what you want thus forcing you to mingle with all the other guests.” Speed warbled out as quickly as she could without all her words bluring together. With the instructions on how to eat complete she turned back to Filament with a smile.

“OKAY! It’s set up.” Triss shouted with a pant. She gestured up to the black rig. It was a simple design; a thick column with a pole extended from the top over the ship where the ropes hung from. Just a big upside down ‘L.’

“Alright Fil. How do we do this?” Speed asked, as she wiggled into a mint t-shirt.

—

Lula smiled down at Streak and nodded her head.

“Sure! You bet.” She said enthusiastically.

—

Trin listened to Thrush hum in silence for a time. Relishing her company and the bath. Muscles he didn’t even know were tensed relaxed as his ears took in the familiar voice humming an unfamiliar song.

“What song is that?” Trin asked in a whisper after a while. He had nearly drifted off moments prior and figured it was now or never to learn what the tune turned lullaby was. His voice was soft, not daring to be any louder than Thrush’s humming or harsh enough to disrupt the serene atmosphere.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Thistle makes a face when Filament mentions the necessity of clothes for the purpose of getting wet and clinging to their bodies. "No thank you." the tom mews, subtly kneading his front paws. "While it seems like fun, I'm just fine here on the sidelines. I have had enough of others leering at me..." He looks away from the ship and various washing supplies, ears falling back slightly.

Nyx turns her attention from the ship to the neatly arranged dishes of food. Mealtime etiquette for her race is interesting and everything smells delicious. Mouth-watering, actually. It would be rude to turn her nose up at the meal Speed worked so hard to make.


The melodious sound has a sudden rise in inflection as Thrush wordlessly poses a question. "Oh..." Thrush feels her ears flush with heat again. "I didn't even realize I was- Um, it doesn't have a name, actually..." she stutters out with a soft chuckle.

 

[Filament]

Filament gave Lexi an appreciative nod. "I'm sure you'll do great, you have excellent balance and concentration from what I've seen. Plus you're nice and athletic. Animals like other animals that stay fit." The tom explains, wanting to make sure that she felt comfortable and encouraged.
_____________________________________________________________________

Filament makes a small irritated noise at Dream's refusal. "You should make it seem like you wanna be up there, even if you don't. You've got a reporter's sense of when to play along right? Use that, look like you want to be up there, or be pouty in a sultry way."
_____________________________________________________________________

"I knew you wouldn't pass up the chance to show off your agility and keen sense of balance. Food smells great by the way." The tom mews, giving her a large smile.
_____________________________________________________________________

Filament looks over at Speed, "step into the harness and I'll buckle it for you." The tom instructs, watching as she does and then buckling the two parts together. At the top was a u-shaped handle for the the rig to attach to. "Triss, can you connect one of the rigging set ups to her harness?" The tom would call over to the white she-cat.

"So it's just gonna be like this for everyone, I'll help you if you need it, but really just step into the harness and have someone clip the front and back together."
___________________________________________________________________

"Don't sweat it kid, honest. It's not for everyone." The tom feels guilty for making Thistle feel that way but at the same time acknowledges that not everyone is as comfortable doing this kind of work as he is. He purses his lips and looks around the gathered crowd. Where were the mia'moray and Holly? This was gonna be a bit of a sausage fest as it was.

 

[Moonsound]

“Thank you Filamnet. And Thistle It’s because you’re so leer-able—ooo!” Speed quipped to Thistle just before Triss clipped a carabiner onto her back and whisked her off the ground.

—

Lexi shrugged her shoulders but nodded her head at what Filament had to say about her.

“So how does this woooork!” Lexi asked. Triss was not wasting any time however and clipped a carabiner onto her harness and yanked her up onto the roof of the ship.

“Come here often?” Speed joked with a smirk while Lexi found her balance.

—

“How am I supposed to balance up there?” Dream asked, gulping nervously as he looked at Speed playfully push Lexi who in turn pushed Speed back hard enough for for her to slip off the roof and onto the side of the ship. Speed carefully walked up the side of the ship back onto the roof with a snicker.

“Put these onto your feet.” Triss said, tossing Dreamdrop four sponge blocks. He looked at them hesitantly before stepping into them. And as soon as he did Triss clipped his harness onto a rope and pulled him up onto the nose of the ship.

—

“And last one is Filament.” Triss purred mischievously as she hooked the tom’s harness and pulled him up onto the ship’s wing.

“Where’s the water?!” Lexi yowled.

“Gimme a second. Don’t make me open a portal at the bottom of some ocean.” Triss meowed as she secured each rope. The white sheline side stepped to water pump, checked that the hose was connected properly then turned it on. In an instant water started shooting up and over the ship in an arc.

“Oh okay, I see the reason for clothes now.” Speed stated, looked herself over as she was drenched in the water.

“Now the soa-“ before Lexi could even finish her sentence Triss was throwing a sponge and a bottle of soap at them.

“Wait!” Dreamdrop shrieked, as a bottle of soap hit him, making him slid off the ship. The rig caught him and Triss subsequently began to pull his rope to raise him up onto the roof while Speed cackled.

“Funny?” Dream asked as he hung limply from his harness.

“Hilarious—oop!” Speed laughed only to get hit with a splash of water. The acrobat turned her head to the culprit, Lexi. But the sabertooth sheline looked busy trying to moonwalk in the water. So Speed took that as a sign that the only animal who could have doused her was Filament. With her sponge soaked, Speed stepped off the roof of the ship and squeezed all the water out onto Filament with a laugh.

—

With everything finally set up Triss walked over to the food with a pant and sat down.

“Whew. Took longer than I thought.” She said to no one in particular.

“The food is good.” Aceline complimented, with a mini taco between her rice covered paws.

“So is the entertainment.” Saraphina chimed in, watching the animals on the ship with the first smile she’d had in a long tine

—

Trin laughed lightly along with Thrush.

“Well it sounds nice. Nearly put me to sleep. Hmm...do you want to give it a name?” Trin asked, cocking his head ever so slightly.

 

[Filament]

Luther watched humorously as Dream struggled to stand on the roof. "You're doing great, Dream!" The tom called up as enthusiastically as he could, though his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
____________________________________________________________________

Filament didn't seem to struggle or be surprised when the cable pulled him up. Your movements should be loose and your clothes should be tight. The tom reminds himself as he catches a sponge and clips it over one of his paws.

He narrowly caught the bottle of soap but he did. "I said sexy!" the tom called as he watched Dream fall of the ship. His yowl was less angry and more amused than anything though.

Soapy water doused him, making his shorts stick to him just as he'd hoped. "Hey, no fair!" The tom called poutily up at her.
__________________________________________________________________

Pestilence took a bite of some rice. It was sticky but it was good, he'd never had anything like it before. Where was Lula though? The tom wondered.
__________________________________________________________________

Flame didn't remember the last time that himself, Pest and Aceline had a meal together. It was nostalgic in a solemn way and for a moment he almost felt bummed out. He quickly brushed the feeling away and took another bite, savoring the moment.
__________________________________________________________________

Holly collapsed into the bed, unsure of why she felt emotions always as strongly as she did but never the ones everyone else thought she should feel.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

While the Cleaning Crew works, precariously hanging above the filthy ship, Lethe joins the circle and begins grabbing food that interests him. He makes sure to coat his pads in sticky rice and fills a tortilla with grilled fish. The tom keeps moving so he doesn't hold up the line and dips one end of his paw-held meal in a spicy smelling sauce. Lethe rejoins the spectators and starts eating, humming his ascent to Aceline's compliment.

Nyx watches the provided entertainment but also subtly keeps an eye on whoever grabs food.

Thistle snickers at Speed and Filament's playful splashing and squabbling.


Thrush gives a small noncommittal shrug of her shoulders. "I'm glad you like it, though. Thistle told me my singing always made him sleepy."

 

[Moonsound]

“What’s wrong daughter of Eve?” A soft voice asked Holly. Sitting on the other end of the bed was a light brown she-cat with a sword holstered on her side. Mother looked at Holly with an innocuous gaze, her head barely cocked to the right.

—

“Your voice is certainly-“ Trin yawned, “-lullaby worthy.” The tom finished. Setting his head back down he closed his eyes again.

—Back outside...

Speed looked down at Filament while snickering. She swung herself back onto the roof before putting up a paw.

“Haha okay, okay. How’s this for sexy?” Speed meowed before placing both of her forepaws onto her sponge and slowly pushed it across the surface of the ship by stretching forward into a long plank. Speed held the position without even a hint of shaking or muscle strain for a couple seconds. Then she just as slowly slid back while pushing her butt into the air and dragging her shirt along the slippery surface. When she finally got her forepaws back underneath her she flicked her head back and shook her fur out sensually.

“Sexy enough?” Speed asked with a suppressed giggle.

—

Lexi was busy genuinely trying to wash the roof of the ship with large circular swishes of her sponge until Filament reminded her that they were supposed to be sexy. The realization of which made her ears warm and a flustered looked to sneak onto her features.

—

L’Anne watched Nyx with a smirk.

Jezebel on the other hand was patting a spot next to her as though to usher someone to sit, but no one was there nor was she looking at anyone else.

“Doesn't that look fun?” Hunter asked his sister, looking over at her with a smile.

“Huh? Oh yeah! So much!” Stalker’s initial tone was of indifference before instantly crescendoing into excitement. Hunter gave his sisters a weird look before turning his attention back to the ship.

—

“This is really good.” The demon captive said after she swallowed a tortilla packed with fish and sauce.