[SIDESTORY] Morbit Oneshots

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

The Morning Roost
B.Comorant
Projects: N/A
CW: None
Perspective Character: Romero
Waking up after date night with a entity..

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 You’ve been pretending to sleep for the past hour. You can’t manage to get much more rest in despite your best efforts.

The early sun cracking through your curtains doesn’t do much to encourage you.

You sit up, taking the time to shake the tired off your eyes and muscles.

A lot quiet, you look over and see Roost’s tiny smile, a sharp contrast from the smug grins of a conman you spent most of the night with.

Were you really doing this?

You gently move the hair out of his face, immediately getting a sneeze out of him.

Cute…

It didn’t last for long.

The entity seems to immediately hone in on you as soon as he’s awake, burying his face into the side of your chest.

Romero: H-hey! Morning.

Roost: Morning..

Roost: Seems you’re still here..

Romero: …This is my apartment?

Roost: What’s your point?

Romero: …alright. You sleep okay?

Roost: As much as I can. Bit of a night owl personally so…

Romero: Trouble sleeping?

Roost: People like me don’t need to..

Roost: And depending on how your contract works out, you won’t eventually.

Romero: Ah.. 

Is that a thing? You should ask about that..

Roost: Still, rest is rest… 

Roost: Breakfast?

Romero: Yeah! Said I would. What’s a place with good bang for our buck…

Roost: I told you I’d cover this time.

Romero: You really don’t gotta-

Roost: You’re broke, I can tell. And if you’re really worried about it on a business perspective…

Roost: Consider it my investment in you..

Romero: Weird way to put it..

You weirdly don’t really mind it though…

Roost: Isn’t that what any entity does when they find someone to make a long term agreement with?

Roost: What made you call in your guy in the first place?

Romero: Me? I was just a bit down on my luck, usual stuff.

Roost: It doesn’t seem like he does all that much..

Romero: Don’t need him to.

Roost: Did he hook you up with anything nice at least?

Romero: Uh…

Romero: Yeah just..

You reach into your pocket and pull out a tiny proxy.

Romero: This.

Roost: That’s.. Pathetic.

Romero: You don’t like it?

Roost: For you? No. Wasting your potential.

Roost: Has to be insanely stingy to give you something so small…

Romero: I mean it does the job-

Roost: Does it? I can smell his magic on you, it’s so… minimal.

Roost: Is he really that weak? Feels like he’s begging to get replaced. Perhaps…

Romero:  Nah.

Romero: Bit much for my brain to figure out, I’m good with what we’ve got.

Roost: Still.. Sooo…

He picks up the proxy by the wing, it dangling down stoically. It doesn’t seem to be bothered at all surprisingly.

Romero: Hey, be nice.

Roost: Just a weird mannequin bug creature..

Romero: Yeah well..

Roost: I can do one better.

Romero: Hey don’t pull anything funny-

He boops you right on the nose.

Roost: I can’t do much without asking.

Roost: So I’m gonna do you a favor and offer you a second gear.

Romero: A what?

Roost: A proxy made by dual contract can have a second form, one that flips around based on your affinity.

Roost: Promise you that you’ll like it..

Romero: Yeah I don’t know, sounds kinda asking for trouble?

Romero: One contract’s already kind of a hazard.

Roost: I can have it written as a disposable contract, something hassle free and you can break off without consequences.

Roost: At least consider a trial period…

He places the proxy back into your palm and gives it a little pat.

You tuck it away in your jacket’s pocket once more.

The fact that your proxy seems completely okay around him.

Romero: A week?

Roost: I can do that.

Roost holds out his pinky.

You reach your hand out part way.
Romero: Don’t you guys usually shake for these?

Roost: A pinky promise is sweet and juvenile, lower stakes when my magic operates more of a business sense.

Romero: I guess..

Roost: Not feeling it?

Romero: A way to think about it I guess.

Roost: Being dishonest when offered anything you could ask for, Typical for contractors like yourself-

Romero: Yeah, gonna stop you there a sec.

Roost: What?

Romero: You’re doing the thing.

Roost: What thing?

Romero: He uh… he had a word for it. Said it was like a dance?

Roost: What are you talking about?

Romero: “Are you really who you claim to be?””As much as you are-” it’s that thing. My guy said entities are pretty big into that sort.

Romero: Way to pry for information, gauge a situation without having to commit to a risk. Intimidate, see how easy you can press.

Romero: Play along, give them just a little shit cause it makes you “interesting”, and let them talk away a bit. Bam, negotiate a few extra terms cause you fluffed them up just right.

Roost’s ears flopped down, he made a sad little noise.

Romero:... You okay?

Roost: You for real right now?

Romero: Hey, I didn’t mean it like-

Roost: I’m not something out of one of your cheap bestiaries, you can’t solve me.

Romero: Wasn’t trying to like-

Romero: I’m sorry..

Roost: Are you?

Romero: Yeah, if you want me to back off-

Roost: Stop.

The entity smirked.

Roost: You lose.

Romero: …What?

Roost: The “dance” is something you can’t point out. If you don’t go with the flow you’re going to incur a worse wrath. And you cracked under the first fallback plan.

Romero:... So you’re not mad? I mean I’m glad but-

Roost: No, but this is a first for me..

Roost: You’re too nice for your own good, and you’re lucky I like that about you. I won’t do that again, for your sake.

There’s a slight shift in his voice, softer.

Roost: Though… maybe don’t do that too much yourself? Would hate for this to be a daily thing.

Romero: Yeah, yeah I can do that. Scared the shit out of my honest just uh…

A tiny smirk. His eye sparkles with anticipation. You try to play into the moment.

You snag his hand.

Roost: O-Oh?!

Romero: You still up to sign?

Roost: Yes!

He locks pinkies with yours, a flicker of warmth mutually sparking between the two of you.

He takes an opportunity to turn things into a hug, burying his muzzle into your jacket.
Romero: You really like doing that, yeah?

He makes a muffled excited murmur

Romero: Guess that’s a yes-

The proxy suddenly starts rustling, crawling out of your pocket and flopping onto the floor.

There’s a red fluid seeping from within the joints.

Romero: H-Hey, are you okay?!

Roost: It’ll be fine, it’s just.. Taking it in.

After a bit of wriggling around it seemed to mellow out, as if nothing ever happened.

There’s a residual sensation seeping from it, like laying down after a hot bath.

Roost: Hammerspace.. Your guy really did just give you the bare minimum.

Roost: Does that really count as a power? Every entity I’ve met can do that.. Either he’s secretly really weak or he’s really holding out.

Romero: If it works, it works.

You scoop up your proxy. Are you really being kept in the dark? It’s not like it’s ever not been enough though…

Roost: You know you can just like… poof your little guy away though.

Roost: You don’t have to keep it on you like that.

Romero: It likes it, gets to join in all day.

Roost: I guess..

Romero: Whatcha think by the way?.

Roost: Your entity? Hmm…

Roost: Latter.

Romero: The latter..