#jazztrolls

[astrumocs]

Finished Giveaway Sketch Sprites for @jazztrolls lovely guy, Noceti ! They were supposed to be set expressions, but I lost control of myself and made it mix n’ match anyway lol,

[fantrollology]

last min ball comm for @jazztrolls !!! so fuckin fun to draw this guy even tho i was RUSHIN!!!!

[sasster]

Can i get many sweeps ago for faxaen <:)

Whoa, your guy is here!

Memories

—

“Dad, take a seat.”

Beloved turns away from the counter, as much as he is used to her playing around with her voice he was entirely unused to her taking on such an all business tone, his brow furrows as he meets her stern gaze. He looks like he might ask her if he’s in trouble for a second, instead he wipes the flour off of his hands and onto an apron as he moves to sit at the table opposite her.

“Faxaen?”

“No, wait. Let me just get this right.” She blurts out, holding both hands up to stop him from interrupting again.

He nods.

The lime blood swallows in an attempt to steel her nerves before she speaks again.

“I am not joining the fleet. I can’t do it! Jody and Twitch.. You.. It doesn’t seem like a happy life.”

Beloved says nothing, brows raising as his expression shifts from one of concern to something much softer.

“I want to go to school.”

“School? What do you want to study?” He asks, he seems genuinely interested.

Faxaen lights up.

“History? Archaeology? Maybe.. Literature? The classics…” As she speaks she starts to lose confidence, fidgeting with her fingers absently.

“We’ll make it happen, Starshine,” he smiles. “Whatever it is, we’ll make it happen.”

[knavestrolls]

I can't sleep so I return to permissions posting! Here's Thersa from @jazztrolls!

[themisfitsedge]

Yule Ball Commissions for Jazztrolls

Here’s the commission that @clown-fuckers-r-us​ and I did for @jazztrolls​! These two were so fun to make and I loved the way that we got to incorporate the chains into these as well as their bodies being featured!

Let’s all have a great time at this years ball!

[ase-trollplays]

Aaand the other half of the dual personalities. He's judgemental, solitary, also hemoist, and represses his emotions. He also wants friends and is accepting of constructive criticism if he respects you, but he isn't desperate for them like his other half.

!!!! grab bag judge meme bandwagon !!!!

I’m late to the party!! But i still wanna play :)

Reblog with 1 troll at a time to be judged!! Multiple reblogs allowed, judgebacks appreciated!! It helps to tell me a lil bit about the character too so i can pick the best one to judge em! :) adult characters only please <3

[homicidalfantrolls]

Past Tense

[Docs link]

As you watch the shuttle doors close, and Dia wave at you from behind them, dread still dug into your chest. 

You didn’t like the thought of Dia lying to you, even if you both knew at this point he had. He wasn’t going to see his friend rollerskate or his moirail fight. He was doing something far more dangerous, far more risky, and far more stupid. 

Your thumb runs over the worn face of a small, circular toy in your pocket. You don’t move from your spot as the shuttle detaches and jettisons towards the direction of Alternia, carrying your medic with it. 

You don’t move even when he’s out of sight, even when the bell rings for dinner. You just open your palm to stare at the faded toy compass in your hand. 

You regret not giving it to Dia. Even if it didn’t work, part of you hoped it could still help him find his way home. 

—

Ever since you had made the decision to transfer one Jodiah Monark onto your ship, life had been…different. Not bad, just…different. In all your sweeps in the fleet, a coffee machine had never exploded on your ship. A member of your crew had not curb stomped your sunglasses in front of recruits, nor had gone out of his way to fix things you had no idea were broken. A medic had never asked you if you wanted pain medication before suturing a stab wound, never decided he was going to stay overday in your block out of concern you wouldn’t let the wound heal.

He’d certainly never climbed into bed with you. Never admitted to being in love with you.

And you’d certainly never admitted to loving him back.

Unfortunately for every fiber of faux moral high ground you possessed, every conviction or concern for your crew or position. You were up shit creek without a paddle. No. No, you were in shit ocean clinging to a piece of driftwood and every second that you spent with him your grip got looser. 

Maybe what you thought was an ocean of shit was just a lake of chocolate. 

Your nose crinkles at the thought. It was no secret why you decided to join the military instead of becoming a poet. Your skill with words was akin to Ship Cat’s knowledge of calculus. Enough to get by, but not enough to go anywhere with.

…Maybe Dia was right about you overworking. The stab wound in your hand hadn’t even completely healed yet, and here you were, typing away and imagining the chief mouser on your ship being a professor at a prestigious university. 

She would make a shit teacher.

Hand rising to pinch the bridge of your nose, you sigh. A brief glance at the clock tells you its just about time to head out. Dia had only given you reluctant permission to return to work if you swore you wouldn’t do any overtime, lest he take away your work privileges entirely. The only one on this ship with any sort of command over you. You knew him well enough at this point to be confident it wasn't an empty threat.

You had just hovered your mouse over “clock out” when your monitor flashed with an alert. A warning about a stolen fleet vessel being reported in your sector and to not engage in any way shape or form. A fleet vessel piloted by a Doctor Hanagi Cheong and…Twitch Monark.

Your eyes widen behind your aviators, shocked that Twitch of all people stole a fleet ship. Twitch had always loved rules to the point of what your younger self considered obsession. Even so, how could someone as high in the ranks as her steal a ship? Surely she didn’t even really need to ask, even if she was more administrative to your recollection. Beyond that…why would she? Why would Twitch Monark steal a fleet ship with a fucking doctor.

It had to be a mistake. You actually chuckle at the thought of this being anything but a hoax. No, Twitch wouldn’t steal from the fleet. You’d sooner believe someone had hacked into the fleet communications arrat as a prank.

You lift up your cell, about to dial Dia. He would get a kick out of this. His younger sister, who you had always joked about having a stick so far up her ass you could see it in when she talked. You couldn’t wait to hear him laugh again.

Ring. 

While you had expected to hear the noise in your ear, it instead came from behind you. The red landline phone behind your desk. Your personal line. You found yourself frequently forgetting such a line existed; the main fleet branches so frequently forgot you existed, after all. The line’s only purpose was really to reach out to you for orders to divert course for something important, or, in exceedingly rare cases, prepare for a space dog fight. Considering that your ship was filled to the brim with trigger happy recruits and was intentionally kept far away from any hostile territories, you had never once received that call.

A soft frown creases your lips.

You answer. 

“Hello! Is this Officer Almiss?”

Your ears twitch curiously at the unfamiliar voice. The rank it addressed you with was wrong as well. Your frown deepens. “Yes? May I ask who’s calling?”

"Oh, great! I was hoping I got the right number,” the voice answers in a sort of forced glee, "This is Palola, you might remember me as Dia's twin. I hope now is not a bad time—I had some pressing matters to bring up.”

Palola? It was mostly via spending so much time with Dia lately that you’d been remembering more about the Monarks, though you’re not sure you ever spent so much time with Palola. He was softer than Dia, who even then was about as firm as cooked pasta. Most of his time had been spent with plants. You had only just opened your mouth to ask how he is when he continues onto business. You had remembered him at least being more sociable, so it was a bit of a surprise. 

"I assure you, you aren't in trouble, I am actually calling about Jodiah. I am...quite relieved you were the one he was transferred to, if I'm honest. I don't believe I could safely make this request with anyone else...This is going to sound odd, but I need you to not let Jodiah leave. Your ship, I mean. Don't accept any transfers or time off requests." He pauses. "...Please."

Your ears flatten against your head as he speaks, gears turning in your pan as you process it. “…Why?” you finally ask after a few moments, a part of you hating yourself for even humoring it. Dia had already made it abundantly clear how he felt about people making decisions for him.

Palola sighs into the receiver. 

"I was sorta hoping you wouldn't ask, if I am honest. But I hate lying more than I hate gossip. I'm sure you know Dia by now, he likes to keep his heart close...and I'm sure you got the notification about Twitch. Dia...doesn't know. About Twitch, I mean. And I'm worried what he'll do when he finds out."

Oh. You sigh as well, crossing your legs as you lean back in your chair. Your mouth feels dry.

“I’m sorry, but I’m sure you can understand why I couldn’t just..forbid him without knowing the reason,” you explain softly, hesitantly. “Why would you be worried…? I saw on the report that she stole the ship but I thought it must have been a mistake. It was that Dr. Cheong, wasn’t it? Twitch would never.”

There’s a long pause, followed by a sigh.

“There’s been...issues…with Twitch lately, to say the least. My concerns don’t stem from Twitch’s behavior as much as they do Dia’s.”

He pauses again, but only for a second, “If I tell you the whole truth, Officer Almiss…and JD finds out…you know he’ll go nuclear on both of us. If that’s a risk you’re willing to take, I can go more in depth. Though I implore you to just…trust me.”

Frown deepening, you place the phone down to lock the doors to your office and shut the blinds. A very rare but very understood sign you couldn’t be disturbed.

“Palola, while I know you care and I know you’re Dia’s brother, I…unfortunately cannot take your word for it in this situation. Dia already recently became very…irate when I second guessed his decision about what he does or doesn’t need to do. To be honest, even if he hadn’t, I’ve made a rule of it myself,” you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“I care about Dia, like my whole crew. I can’t make an unfounded order but I also…don’t want to go behind his back, Palola,” you explain carefully, this whole situation already having your head spin.

Another soft sigh can be heard, one of unmistakable resignation.

“…Alright, I can respect that. I’m glad he has a boss that doesn’t mind just how prickly he can be,” he explains in a way that tells you he didn’t entirely agree.

“I’m worried, once JD finds out Twitch is in trouble, he’s going to try and leave so he can find her. Which wouldn’t be a huge issue, but….I’m sure you know how intense Jodiah can be. JD doesn’t know that she’s gone yet because you beat Annihilation to him. He was on his way but got sidetracked…and you came in just in time…and the last time Dad broke news like this over the phone…it broke him. It was like The JD I grew up with died when Festur did. He just…hasn’t been the same. He doesn’t talk to me anymore. Or anyone, for that matter. He’s reckless and fleeting, he’s…dangerous to himself.” Palola sounded like a man who just got done running a marathon, exhaustion leaking from every word. 

“…I-I’m sorry, Pa- Officer Almiss, I don’t mean to ramble…or put you in a bad situation. I...I don’t want Jodiah to follow her when he finds out. I don’t know what caused him to have a breakdown and steal that ship. I don’t know why you agreed to take him. But he loves Twitch…and she’s gone. I don’t…I can’t lose them both.”

The longer Palola speaks, the further into the ground your pusher sinks. A confirmation you had never hoped to hear.. Festur was dead. You had hoped maybe they’d broken up, fallen out of love…anything but…

You use the remote to dim the lights in your office to remove your sunglasses and set them on your desk. “Paenit is fine, Palola,” you tell him, voice soft as you take in everything. “I’m sorry about all of this. I can’t imagine what you two—all of the Monarks— are going through. But I just…” you sigh again.

“You want me to keep him here? For how long? He has a moirail on planet, I don’t…it’s not fair to restrict that. Shouldn’t his moirail be able to help anyways?”

Palola barely lets you finish. “Don’t.” He says quickly, with a newfound urgency, “Don’t trust him- he--…he has a moirail but don’t trust him. I-I know that sounds horrible but Jodiah- he’s—he’s a liar.”

He laughs softly, sadly, that unmistakable exhaustion still permeating every syllable. “That’s…that’s pretty sad, isn’t it? I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this…uh, I…I’m not sure how long. I can have our lusus try to catch you guys at a fuel dock..? I’ll…have to get back to you on that one…” he murmurs.

“There’s…only so much I can do from where I am. Don’t—don’t like…think you have to do anything different…if you think he might know, or he—he’s acting weird…can you let me know? You can call at any time.”

You frown, sighing as this whole situation just gets more and more convoluted. It’s as if a claw had just descended from the sky and plopped you into a maze. You didn’t know which way was out, what doors had cheese behind them and which ones would electrocute you. You didn’t know if Dia was always like this and you’d just been too angry or apathetic to see it when you were younger, but it was…difficult to hear.

“You don’t have to apologize. If…Annihilation wants to see Dia, talk to him…if you think that’ll help, I’m happy to do whatever I can to make it happen,” you assure him. You would try your damndest to be unavailable to meet him though. 

That was one door you were certain of what lay behind.

“I can try. He’s going to find out sooner or later. He’s already been pilfering my block, I imagine my files are next,” you laugh, though it’s too tired to contain much humor. Your files were at least infinitely more secure than your pants drawer. The fleet had no stake in the latter.

An almost bitter laugh floats through the speaker of the phone.  "I'm not sure what will help at this point...but I don't want to see him just...launch himself towards certain death to try and save someone who's...already lost."

A soft laugh escapes him. "I…he's been stealing from you? Oh, dear...when I said he was a thief, I meant along the lines of his last...outburst, yeah? I hadn't realized he made a habit of it. I've only ever known him to repeatedly borrow from those he likes. Maybe it's a good sign?" He pauses to sigh again. "You've got yourself quite the handful, Of-, er, Paenit. I wish you luck."

Though you had expected him to hang up, he instead just pauses and continues, "...You can also call me if you need help. I...I know he can be a handful...and I don't mean to micromanage...or make you think he isn't independent, messiahs know he likes his independence...I worry about him. Thank you for being understanding."

“I appreciate it, Palola and I’ll…do my best to protect your brother. At this point, I think we’d be lost without him,” you admit with a soft sigh.

You hang up and rub your temples. You open your computer, clicking through to Jodiah’s file. You hesitate for what feels like an hour before you finally mark any time off requests from Dia as needing approval before going through. It felt…wrong. But you had to trust Palola. For now.

—

“What the fuck is this?”

“A compass.”

“I see that, dipshit. It doesn’t even work.”

“Of course it doesn’t work, it’s a toy.”

“Are you that fucking stupid you think I’d want a toy compass that doesn’t even work?”

Jodiah Monark snickered, brandishing a grin missing a tooth or two. He’d always been a late bloomer, still growing teeth back even at this age. He wordlessly held up an empty snack bag which was snatched from his hand with an irritated scowl. 

“Cracker Jacks? This popcorn tastes like shit. And it comes with a toy? What are you, two?” Paenit scoffed, flicking the bag back at the limeblood who scrambled to catch it before it got caught in the wind and blew away. His dad had always told him never to litter. 

“I don’t buy it for the toys or the popcorn, I get it because it reminds me of you.”

The mismatched eyes of the blueblood widened ever so slightly, ears perking with interest. If one didn’t know him, they could guess the emotion on his face was flustered. 

“…What? How the fuck does popcorn remind you of me?” he scoffed, forcing disdain into every word. 

Dia rolled his blinding lime eyes, a playful smile on his face despite the annoyed gesture. Once more, he held up the snack bag to Paenit’s face. 

“It’s not the popcorn, idiot. It’s the peanuts.”

Paenit hissed as his vision turned red, hands lunging like a viper. While Dia was fast, jumping back in case of a hit, Paenit still came out with the empty bag. 

“You fucking little shit I am going to beat the fuck—“

“Almiss!”

The two children stopped dead at the deep, commanding voice. Both their gazes shifted to the shuttle a few dozen yards away. A tall, muscular woman stood in the doorway, a crate of medical supplies held under her arm. 

Her bandanna kept her hair in place, but the wind from the shuttle blades starting up threatened to blow it off. 

“C’mon, Pae. Gotta get back to base,” Daisee Monark told her young charge, voice softer but still holding that same level of authority it always had. 

Paenit growled under his breath. “Yes, Captain,” he called back over the roar of the engine. 

“You too, JD. Nile’s waiting. Gonna be sun up soon and he said he’s making korma,” she informed her brother, smiling softly. 

Dia perked up, a grin that had flashed on his face being shucked away at the impact of a cellophane bag hitting it, courtesy of Paenit. 

“Next time I see you Monark, you’re gonna fucking wish I died in a plane crash,” the recruit hissed, pocketing the compass pendant and marching to his commanding officer, jumping into the open door without the assistance of Daisee’s offered hand. 

Daisee chuckled, flashing a wink and a grin at her brother. Dia smiled. 

“See ya in the stars, JD.”

And then she was gone. 

[astrumocs]

holds out festur to u…what pokemon do u assign him

Based on aesthetic and typing? Hisuian Zorua..

[fantrollology]

❄️ what’s Ceefor doing !!!

"Currently? Trying to find a place to store the Hydra where trolls won't put their grubby mits all over it so I can dance with Niho. Coat check wouldn't take it. Can't imagine why." she jokes.

"How much do you think I'd have to tip the bartender to get them to watch it?"

[ase-trollplays]

0|||0 DAD, STOP!! DA-- Whoa! 0|||0

>> Your pursuit is brought to an immediate halt as you're grabbed and forced into a walking pace. The other blueblood scolds you and tells you what you should have done, and you feel a little silly. That definitely sounds smarter than what you were doing.

0|||0 Haha... Yeah, that makes more sense. I just panicked because I don't want him plowing into anybody or something. 0|||0

>> Your lusus chases the squirrel in an erratic zigzag pattern before it finally runs up a tree and escapes. He stands himself up against the tree and barks his head off before you give a loud whistle. With his prey gone, he comes trotting back to you. However, the stranger grabs his attention, and he sniffs him and looks him over.

0|||0 Dad, no! Stop! STOP!! 0|||0

>> You thought it would be relaxing taking your great dane lusus on a walk in the park rather than just walk the same streets like you usually do. After walking for about thirty minutes, getting lots of pets, and rolling around in the grass, he seemed like he was ready to go back hive.

>> Then he saw a squirrel. He basically drags you behind him, your attempts to skid to a halt proving useless, until you‘re forced to let go of his leash. Now you’re chasing after him in an attempt to get him back under control.

0|||0 Hey! Stop that lusus! 0|||0

[sasster]

🗣 i’d also like to request more aderae soleah content

And every time I will oblige. This one is short and sweet!

Send me a (🗣️) + two muses on my blog, and I’ll make them have a conversation whether they know each other or not!

[Google Docs, y'know for your eyes]

--

“And just where have you been?” The chastising voice that comes from behind is honestly music to Aderaes ears. Oh, but he would never admit that. It’d go straight to her head, how insufferable would she be with that compliment hanging in the air? No, he’s doing her a favor by omitting that bit of knowledge from each and every one of their interactions.

Instead, the purple blood continues on to his desk and sets his bag down at the seat as Soleah taps her foot impatiently behind him. Like a cavern matron reprimanding some very naughty grubs. He smiles to himself as he begins to slowly rummage through his bag and remove all of the supplies he’d need for the evening.

“Well?” She squeaks after what must feel like an eternity of torture to her, to her credit she is being much more patiently than she usually is when given the silent treatment by her professor. “Were you abducted by aliens?”

He laughs quietly at that, finally seating himself at his desk to face her. Soleah is all smiles, two cups of bubble tea in her hand.

“Not quite alien, but perhaps something equally as supernatural in nature.” He starts, humored, inviting her to take one of the seats in front of him by way of gesturing to them.

“How did you get here so quickly with goods in hand? I’ve been on campus, maybe ten minutes, tops.” Aderae questions as she eagerly enters his office.

She prefers the seat closer to the wall, so that she can sit in the seat sideways and press herself up against it. It’s good for her back, she once told him when he questioned her odd perching habits.

“I ran.” She says in a matter of fact manner, as she sets his tea on the desk and assumes her usual seat. “Obviously. So, where have you been?” “Home.” He says simply, reaching for his drink.

Soleah scrunches her face up and closes an eye to engage in what can only be described as the silliest staredown either of the two have ever been involved in.

They stay like that for a moment until she turns to fully press herself into the wall, her attention settling on the accolades that littered the one across from her. All awarded to one His Honorable Reliance, many of them in frames a couple hundred sweeps older than her. The man was a living, breathing, artifact himself, she always made sure to tell him as much when reminded of his age.

“I’ve got some whiteout in my bag, seriously.” She offers, taking a nearly too audible sip of her drink. “Say the word and it’s bye-bye Reliance! There are other, much better titles out there. How’s about…The Guy That Minds his Business?”

Another loud sip of her drink follows.

Aderae laughs a bit to himself, it is low and kind of rumbles out of him lazily.

“Too many words, what typeface will they use?” “Comic sans!”

He pauses to take a sip, he knows well enough that words need not be exchanged. She can feel his eyes burning into her as he fixes her with a disappointed look.

“We’ll workshop it.” She nods.

“Mhm.”

“Sooo, what supernatural experience plagued you so, Double P?” “Daywalkers broke into my hive and stole all of my left socks.” He reports with a face of stone. A beacon of honesty, just as his title suggests. “Can’t work without a matching pair of socks.” “Come on Double P!” Soleah whines, fighting the smile his tale brought to her face. “Can’t you trust me?”

He pauses to consider this. Soleah talks a lot, yes. But never about the things that she shouldn’t talk about. But, on the other hand, this specific set of circumstances might be beyond her scope. Daywalkers stealing socks certainly sounds more realistic than my late kismesis was brought back to life by his mates dead descendant.

Hell, Aderae is living it and it’s a bit of a struggle for him to believe.

But, on yet a third hand, Soleah would be really annoying about it if he doesn’t cough it up.

“It stays in this office, Soleah.” “My lips are sealed.” She beams.

“Very well,” he sighs. “Someone close to me has been returned from the grave.”

It feels so silly to say out loud. 

She turns to stare at him fully, mouth agape. It only takes a second for it to morph into a teeth-baring grin.

“Was it Orfuse? When do I get to meet him?”

[trollsfusion]

PopTrolls X Smooth JazzTrolls Fusion #13

Floyd PopTrolls In Trolls Band Together + Chaz Smooth JazzTrolls in Trollstopia Into Trolls Fusion…Can You Draw Trolls Fusion For Me Please

[contrastparadoxx]

I am perfectly normal about Ark

[faerielandtrolls]

"Yeah okay, I don't need to hear anything from a troll etchasketch. Nice clown pants btw /s" 1/10 "You're wasting my time lmao."

Heiress Judgements

Reblog to get hardcore judged by a bitchy little fish super sweet and kind little seadweller!

[bronze-main]

really appreciating the dash tonight

[homicidalfantrolls]

Things had changed.

Merkii couldn’t quite place when or how, but it was obvious they had. It was difficult to point out with the constant buzzing of his psionics clouding his thoughts, but Merkii was certain all the same they used to see their siblings more than this.

Most sightings now were just in passing, a ruffle of his hair or a disinterested greeting. It didn’t really count as a greeting, though. Dad had always said that a hello was a welcome or sign of recognition. “I see you and I acknowledge you.” But pointedly avoiding Merkii’s multitude of eyes and electing to walk away before they could even say hi back? It wasn’t seeing. And it surely wasn’t acknowledgment.

As he scribbled over pages of a fleet textbook he’d found (in an unlocked bedroom), ripping out pages once they were sufficiently defiled, Merkii couldnt help but feel a deep pit in his stomach. They could recall explaining the sensation to Dia once, mentioning a long defunct amusement park they’d attended and the strong desire to return. “It’s called nostalgia, Kii,” their brother had said.

“Nawtalgia,” the psionic grumbled to themselves, the word muddied by the tongue sticking out between their fangs. This time opting to simply make the book shred itself into pieces, purple electricity singing a couple of pages and psionic dampening headphones singing in warning. A soft melody that they’d grown used to. Dia had learned quickly that a sudden beep would have a very much opposite affect of dampening psionics. If nothing else, cleaning up the remains of his work table had offered the lime some time to think of a solution.

As Merkii flopped back onto their massive bed, they took note of the well loved plush shark nestled in the pile of other plushes from various endeavors.

Reaching over, the Monark took the stuffed animal into his hands. It was almost as big as him and assuredly had a price point to match. It had been intended for his dad. But giving his dad a stuffed shark instead of the real one he’d originally intended on felt underwhelming. Should have just grabbed the stupid thing with my psionics, they’d thought bitterly after Twitch tugged them away from the shark tank towards the gift shop. It would’ve been faster and I could have done it without her seeing. But even if she did see Twitch loved their psionics! Whenever Kii whipped then out, she always got back so she could see better. She loved the sight of them so much she doesn’t even care when he accidentally breaks some of her things; just smiled and cleaned them up, assuring Kii it was fine. Sure, after they got the shark out they would have had to find a place to put it in for the ride home without it suffocating, but that bridge could be crossed later.

By the time they’d reached the ship once more, the plush shark had decided it belonged to Merkii and the chocolate bar they had gotten for Beloved as a consolation prize for a non living present had been half eaten. But Dad wouldn’t mind; he never did.

Even after they had gotten back to the ship, Twitch didn’t leave. They’d watched some movies, Merkii’s sister taking the initiative to explain every fish before eventually the eventful day took a toll on the psionic and they’d fallen asleep sprawled across her lap.

Nothing that fun had happened in awhile, Merkii thought bitterly as they threw the shark against the wall. Watching it fall to the ground on top of the charred pieces of paper that used to be information, however, dug a deep put in his chest.

With a frown, they stood up and knelt down to take the shark in their hands, watching the reflection of their four eyes in the reflection of shark’s own. Ears pinning back, Merkii flopped back into their bed, shark hugged tightly to their chest. Their pan was spinning, struggling to think of any solution.

Suddenly, the psionic lurched back forward, ears perked. The sudden excitement had the headphones beeping rapidly until…nothing.

Frowning, he removed the now smoking dampening headphones. Some of the plastic was melted, one of the small light bulbs having exploded entirely. Shit.

Wait. This could work. Devious grin tugging at their lips, Kii hooked the headphones around their neck, shoved the shark in their backpack and left the block.

—

“They broke,” the psionic explained simply, watching as Dia’s bright eyes examined the device with an emotion completely unreadable. He looked…tired. Even behind the cool glasses he usually wore, Kii could see the dark circles under his eyes.

“They just exploded? All by themselves?”

“Yep,” Kii agreed, trotting passed Dia to hop onto his bed, legs crossed under them as they dug in their bag.

With an unseen roll of his eyes, Jodiah sat at his work table to begin the repairs. If it was anything else, he probably would have just told the troll to fuck off. But Dia knew the importance of the dampeners and, frankly, he was grateful for a distraction.

“You didn’t bring your switch, right?” he asked, beginning the disassembly of the headphones. His ear twitched in wait for a reply that didn’t come. A brief glance over his shoulder answered him. Merkii was already laying entranced on his bed, scribbling away in a coloring book. There had been countless offers of a gift of a blank sketchbook, as the psionic ignored the lines anyways, which had always been vehemently denied.

With another roll of his eyes, Jodiah returned to his work. Shit. Kii had really fucked them up this time. The motherboard was charred, wiring melted.

“You know this isn’t a quick fix, right? You totally fried them. This is gonna take at least a couple hours, Kii,” the limeblood sighed, mentally preparing himself for the tantrum that was as inevitable as the lightning following thunder.

But the boom didn’t come. “Did you hear me? They’re gonna take a few hours, Kii. I dunno how many books you brought.”

Nothing.

“Kii?” Dia repeated, turning his chair to face their sibling, expecting the young psion to be unconscious or completely enveloped in coloring.

Instead, he was neither. Merkii was once more sitting cross legged, but instead of a coloring book, they were instead holding a stuffed shark. Kii had an ungodly amount of plushies, but for some reason that one looked familiar.

Oh.

Fuck.

Before Dia could even open his mouth, Merkii spoke. “I want to go to the aquarium.”

The lime was grateful for the mask to hide his grimace. Of course they’d want to go to the aquarium. Of fucking course.

“Kii—“ he started, but stopped dead when his eyes locked with his siblings’ Normally the multitude of solid colored sclera were cute, but something about this hard stare was…unsettling. It certainly didn’t help that his visor shorted immediately after. A small exclamation point flashed at the corner in warning.

Swallowing, Dia slipped the visor off his mask and set it carefully on his desk. With no headphones to dampen the incredibly powerful psionics of his sibling, the ground had immediately become unsteady.

“Kii, Twitch is—“ he began again, but once more was immediately cut off.

“Twitch doesn’t have to come,” Merkii said, voice icy.

Dia sighed. “Kii…” he began, but this time it was not the other that stopped him, but Dia himself.

Merkii was looking down at the shark, ears pinned flat against his head as he rubbed the left fin. Judging by the wear on that specific fin, it definitely wasn’t the first time they’d done such a thing. The air felt thin with the smell of ozone, like the sparks emitting from the psionic’s eyes, shining ever so slightly, were about to turn the same electricity Dia himself used to get what he wanted.

Fuck.

“Alright,” the lime relented, digging around in a box under his desk to offer a spare pair of headphones to his sibling. There was no way he would be going anywhere with Kii without assistance.

Like a switch being flipped, the air immediately softened with the grin on Merkii’s face. They happily slipped on the headphones and shoved the shark and coloring books into their bag, barely letting Dia put on his shoes before they were rushing out the door.

—

As they headed back, Merkii clinging to his bag and nibbling the chocolate bar Dia had gotten him, the lime couldn’t help but smile softly under his mask.

It was a good distraction. The way Kii got so excited with every fish they’d seen a million times never got old. And while it was certainly an unexpected annoyance having to chuck something called a sarcastic fringehead (he was shocked none of his siblings had given him that nickname). back into its tank after wrestling it away from Merkii, getting soaked in the process, there was no denying it was better than sitting and contemplating the imminent death of an innocent at his sister’s hands.

By the time they’d arrived back at the ship, Kii had long since passed out. It was interesting navigating the sleeping psionic into a piggy back ride without waking him, but Dia managed.

At least for a few steps until there was the telltale sign of glass shattering. Wincing, Dia glanced at the ground to see what happened, only to see the ground sparkling with shattered glass and…water. The destroyed remains of a snow globe.

It was impossible not to smirk. Evidentially, Merkii had been successful in a heist, albeit a much smaller one. Maneuvering his passenger carefully so as not to wake them, Dia crouched down to retrieve the ruined knickknack. The glass orb was completely demolished, but thankfully the inside display remained intact. A deep sea exhibit. Angler fish, a vampire squid…and that damn sarcastic fringehead.

After depositing Kii in their block, Dia began his work.

Later that evening, when a violet returned to her block, a small box awaited in front of the door. A frown on her tired face as she opened it, inside was a snow globe from the aquarium she volunteered at. And next to it was a half eaten chocolate bar.