TGM Snippets

by OpheliaTheDame13

Summary:

As someone who is a fan of the - at current - still updating series, I was shocked- devestated! Shookth to my core-th! that the actual author of “Tiny Giant Monsters” is putting the series on a small hiatus.

Nothing major, no big bad reason. Just life taking priority for the time being.

So - with their blessing - I’m kinda, sorta adding my own scenes to the story to help cope- I mean… wait until it comes back.

If you’re coming here first and are super confused; check out “Tiny Giant Monsters” by ripowal. If you want more content by this wonderful writer, I also recommend checking out “With A Grain of Salt”. It’s the prequel to TGM and serves as a bit of a revamp of the Boss Finn romance route.

Notes:

• For ripowal.

Chapter 1: Late Night for a Victory Lap

Sylvia had gotten home later than she had intended tonight. She had tried to leave early, but a customer had come in to the shop before she could flip the sign, having some kind of crisis. The next ten minutes were spent talking over Sylvia, not letting her get a word in. As she was dealing with him, Oswald got stopped by someone else when he tried to flip the sign. When Sylvia finally got freed up another customer had come in. The nonsense train kept steaming through until they closed on time.

The reason for the rush to get home was simple: Finn got invited out for drinks with one of his clients and their business partner and wouldn’t be home until late. He had texted her this and told her not to wait for him since he didn’t know when he’d be home.

Sylvia, sometimes, was not good at following directions. She was, playfully, disappointed at him for not realizing this; they were former competitors, he should’ve known she wouldn’t listen.

Despite the fatigue and the very, very strong urge to go to bed, she persevered and made dinner for the both of them. She did not, however, have the patience to wait for him and ate in boring, lonely, silence.

Well, maybe not totally lonely.

Sylvia had to stare down Barnacle as he eyed her food. She, in preparation of his shenanigans, had hunched over her plate as if she was protecting some kind of treasure. Thankfully, her foresight had kicked in and she put Finn’s food in the fridge before her’s was ready.

As she cleaned up the mess on the stove and counter, Barnacle helped by eating her scraps and licked her plate ‘clean’. She hand washed it anyway, claiming he missed a few spots. He responded with a wet growl, clearly offended. Sylvia responded, “What? You did! I’d show you, but I’ve already picked up your slack.” She holds the plate up to him. “See?” He responded by thudding on to the floor and left.

Tried to, at least. He wasn’t exactly the fastest thing in the apartment. She giggled as she continued to work with only one distraction: answering Finn’s texts. She was slow to respond, opting to use her nose to push the buttons instead of drying her hands, responding, going back to cleaning, repeat. Laughing to herself, she remembered how Finn called her a water chicken because that’s how she looked. Sylvia explained that they’re called ‘water birds’ and his response was “Not anymore. Vampire rules.”

Finn’s replies slowed until they stopped completely. Sylvia left him be to enjoy his success. Grabbing the remote, she began channel surfing to find something to keep herself entertained. Nothing sounded interesting, so she committed the Cardinal Sin of watching his trashy tv without him.

The new episodes.

Two hours went by without any update, so she reached out first. Thirty minutes later, he responded by, firstly, chiding her for staying up when he said not to. Followed by informing her that they were still at the Heroes Guild, playing a few more games. She responded with that she had to wait for him.

The vampire rules very clearly state that I cannot sleep without you.

Sylvia giggled as she felt him roll his eyes.

We actually keeping track of that nonsense? They written down anywhere?

Don’t worry, I have them saved in my phone.

All of them or only the ones that benefit you?

She didn’t respond to that one.

Sylvia laughed maniacally with Barnacle in her arms, petting him like some kind of super villain as Finn sent a few texts in rapid succession, “demanding” she tell him. After her phone quieted down, Sylvia took a quick shower and changed in her pajamas. Grabbing her phone and Barnacle, she went into the bedroom and got comfortable waiting for him.

The shower was only thirty minutes and she waited another thirty before texting him again. This time he didn’t reply. Sylvia started to worry when another hour went silently by and debated whether or not to call him, but the door opened before she could make up her mind.

Sylvia had a bad habit of leaving the shop unlocked, but she never failed to secure their apartment.

This meant only one thing.

She got up and rushed to the front to greet Finn in her own, special Sylvia way. “Boss Finn!” Having the time of her life being a menace to his society, she continued. “Just where have you been? Do you know what time it is?”

His reply was a groan. “No games, Minnow.” Pinching the space between his eyebrows, hoping that would help the oncoming hangover, he explained “I’m exhausted.”

“I can see that,” she replied toning it down. For tonight. Walking up to him, she gave him a hug. “Welcome home, love.”

He hugged her back with both arms and his tail. Placing a kiss on her head, he murmured “Thanks,” in her hair.

Sylvia pulled back enough to look him in the eyes without letting go. “I made you dinner. It’s in the fridge. You don’t have to eat it all if you can’t stomach it, but I do want you to have something.”

“Will do.”

“And, before you yell at me, yes. I washed all of your stuff and put it away. Properly.” She placed a kiss on his cheek and then took a step back. “I’ll keep Barnacle with me so you can eat in peace.”

He groggily waddled to the kitchen with a stretch. “You’re the best, Minnow. What would I do without ya?”

“Be less stressed. And less entertained, by extension.”

He laughed as she returned to their room. Sylvia laid down on her back and placed Barnacle on her chest, securing the collection of mucus. As she waited for him, Sylvia rummaged through her nightstand drawer. She pulled out a minor health potion and a small water bottle, both of them for him to have. When Finn finally came in, she was surprised that he didn’t change out of his clothes for more bed appropriate wear.

Damn. Must’ve been one hell of a victory lap. “You know,” she stated, wanting to be a menace a little longer. “I’m kind of offended that you had so much fun without me.”

Finn didn’t even look at her. His face was fully in the pillow when he replied with a muffle, “And I’m offended that you’re renting out my favorite spot.”

“Renting out- what are you talking about?”

Finn tilted his head so he could look at her. Without a word, he glanced down to where Barnacle just got comfortable.

Sylvia blushed and argued, “Well, maybe if you came home sooner!”

Placing his hand on his exposed ear, he groaned. “Not so loud.”

“Sorry!” Sylvia waited for him to move his hand. Once he did, she harshly whispered, “You should’ve come home sooner!”

He gave a half-hearted glare and then threw an arm over her stomach. Despite being fatigued, he was still strong enough to pull her close. Reveling in the little yelp, he pulled her in more as she giggled. She rolled to her side and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Barnacle was not happy about losing his spot, but got over it when Sylvia gave him her pillow. Not wanting to deal with a neck cramp in the morning, she invaded Finn’s pillow, pushing him back with quick kisses all over his face. She whispered one final “Welcome home,” before they both drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 2: Recovering In Your Arms

Summary:

A small continuation from last chapter. Not all of these are gonna have a consistent timeline.

The morning sun shone through the window much to Finn’s dismay. His back was facing the window, but the rays still aimed for his closed eyes regardless. Making a displeased groan, he buried his face in his pillow a little more-

And then he felt a shift beside him.

Fragments of last night stitched themselves together until a semi-coherent story unfolded. He remembered going to get drinks, remembered kicking some ass at the games, remembered getting home…

Right. Sylvia encroached on his turf last night. And now she was wiggling out of his grip to reach for something. Which, as it turned out, was her wand. With a few aggressive flicks, she ‘slammed’ the curtains closed to ease the amount of light coming in. She then proceeded to give her wand an unceremonious toss to Finn’s nightstand before burying herself back into him. Unable to help himself, Finn let out a light chuckle.

Despite being in a position that blocked his face, Sylvia still lifted her head up to ask “What’s so funny?”

“You are.” He deliberately flopped his tail on her to stop her from doing something devious. Then, he expertly defused her temper by saying, “Never knew that treasure could bury itself.” His smile deepened as he picked up her increased heart rate and felt her flushed face press into his neck more.

She was so quiet when she replied, “Hate it when you do that.”

Finn knew she was lying. “That why you stopped coming around?”

“Yeah,” she played along. “You’re so obnoxiously good at getting the last word in. I want to leave you speechless, too, dammit.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re real speechless, Minnow. How can I ever get you to talk again?” His smile showed teeth as he felt her glare at his throat.

“You’re real cocky for someone who had a lot of alcohol and is within biting range.”

“Don’t. You. Dare.”

“Oh, but I do dare, Finn. I do.”

Not wanting to risk her fury, he pushed her away by the shoulders. She laughed as she clicked her teeth at him. Turning just his head, Finn glared at the clock like it owed him money. Letting out a groan he pushed himself up from the mattress.

Not liking how he sounded, Sylvia asked, “Where are you going?”

“Got work, Minnow. Need to shower, eat, then head out.” Only one foot hit the floor before Sylvia grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Finn fell back onto the bed. “Hey!”

Sylvia proceeded to wrap her arms and legs around whatever she could. “Stay,” she pleaded. “Just this once.”

“I can’t,” he argued, wrapping his arms around her. “I don’t have a partner like you do. I can’t just abandon-”

“You’re not.” She assured. “It’s just like taking a break, Finn. This one is just longer than usual, is all. It’s not exactly possible to be intimidating if you’re yawning through the whole meeting.”

He laughed at that. “You sure about that, Minnow? You’ve seen my teeth.” To put emphasis on his point, his mouth hovered over her ear. “You’ve felt them before. You have the best idea of how dangerous they can be.”

Sylvia shivered and felt his laugh in her chest. Still, her resolve remained unbroken. She held on tighter and begged one more time. “Stay home. Please. I’ll do what I can to help you make up all the time you missed tomorrow.”

“You sure on that? If you’re gonna work for me, you’re gonna work.”

“I can handle it.”

He didn’t doubt that one bit. “You asked for it.” Finn let her go for a minute to grab the blankets to re-cover the both of them. Once they were safely cocooned he pulled her back into him. “Five minutes,” he murmured.

“Only five?” She doubted.

“I’ve still got a hangover, Minnow. And you anchorin’ me down did no favors.” The wince he felt made him regret his choice of words. He knew she didn’t mean to make it worse, but before he could backtrack she pulled out of his embrace… to grab the bottles on her nightstand. She presented both to him. Finn placed a kiss on the crown of her head and took the bottles. He down the health potion first, turning his hangover into a headache. Then, he chased it down with the water to help rehydrate a little. He’d still need a shower and his fifty step moisturizing program afterward, but this was a good start. “Ten minutes,” he said.

Still not good enough for her, Sylvia stopped him from laying back down. She adjusted her position, lying on her back she held her arms open for him. As he came down, she angled him so his head could rest on her chest.

“…twenty minutes.”

“Can I add all that time up?”

He contemplated for a moment. “No.”

“You’re no fun.”

~~~———~~~

After a very late start to the day, they both finally got up and got started on breakfast. The only way to keep Sylvia from snagging bites that weren’t ready was to keep her engaged with conversation. That was never difficult. Especially with how she kept pressing for details about last night.

“Oh, come on!” Sylvia doubted. “There’s no way it was just drinks and games.”

“Don’t know what else to tell ya, Minnow,” he assured. “It’s the truth. I’m honestly hurt you’re doubtin’ me.”

“Only because you’ve complained about that pair after every interaction you’ve had.” She grabbed two plates from the cabinet. “What do you call them? ‘The Clown and The Fish’? Now spill it.”

“Fine,” Finn relented. “Maybe there was a bit more, but it’s not that interesting.”

“You’re still avoiding the details.”

“Because it’s not that interesting,” he teased as he turned off the burner. “All we talked about was expanding the deal, opening an office on the mainland, and what we do in our spare time.” Finn looked at her. “You were my answer, by the way.”

Sylvia chortled as she blushed. Then the words worded. “Wait, what?”

“What?” He plated the food, not looking at her.

“Go back a sec. What were you talking about?”

Finn couldn’t resist. “Hobbies.”

“No, before that.”

“Expanding the deal?”

“Finn!”

Feigning ignorance, Finn ‘realized’ where she got hung up. “Oh! Opening up shop on the mainland?”

“Yes! That! That’s- that’s huge! What did you say?”

He shrugged. “Wanted to think about it.”

“And? Are you leaning anywhere?”

Finn placed an elbow on the counter, hunching closer. “Towards you.”

Sylvia screamed into her hands. She rubbed them up her face to push her hair back. “Please take this seriously.”

Finn held his hands up. “No worries, I’m done. For now.” He pushed a plate towards her. “Eat if you want to keep talking.”

She rolled her eyes at him and took a bite. “What are your thoughts on going to the mainland?”

He chewed with precision. “Sounds like a chore.”

“In what way?”

“First, I have to pick a place over there. It’ll be hard to get feel for it when I’m not physically there. Then, I get to pay rent when I’m not living there yet or else I lose the spot. Also got to pick out what I can take, what I can’t.”

Sylvia snorted at that. “Oh, no. You can’t take your whole closet with you.”

“I could; I’d just have to haul it all back.” He pointed his fork at her. “You’re not eating.” After she took a few more bites, he continued. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. There’s also the fact that I’d have to build a new client list. From scratch. Sure, Clown and Fish would help, but it’s hard to jump through this hoop,” he gestured to himself.

Sylvia nodded along sympathetically. “Are there any good points to going?”

“Well, sure. Bigger business means more money coming in. This also means I attract bigger fish that are in bigger shit shows. The markets would be nicer, too. I could bring back some souvenirs.”

“Yeah,” she replied with playful doubt. “Not sure I can trust your taste on that one.” Sylvia glanced at Barnacle, who was minding his own business in his box.

“Hey, he followed me, remember? Can’t fault a guy with unflappable conviction.”

Shaking her head, Sylvia held his eyes with her own. “Anything else that makes you want to go?”

Finn took the last bite off of his plate. “Not really.”

“What if… you had my support?”

That took him by surprise. He took a moment to study her, see if there was any doubt in her words. Sylvia stood by her words most of the time; this happened to be one of those times. “You serious?” Not angry, not offended. Just, unsure of how to take that bit of news. Maybe he should-

“Yeah! Finn, this is a wonderful opportunity for you. You shouldn’t let it get away because of a few hang-ups.”

“Those ‘few hang-ups’ are three powerful kaiju, Minnow. It’s like I’m gonna up against Mega Mantis, Quake Tyrant, and…” he rolled his wrist, trying to come up with another kaiju. “And Potionzilla.”

She laughed at that. “Here’s the thing, though: you’ve beaten them before. Plus, you’d have the Depth Guardian on your side to help with the harder hits.”

“Doesn’t count; he’s me.”

“He’s modeled after you. There’s a difference.”

“Not sure it does, considering he’s not an official kaiju that I can wipe out.”

“Then Potionzilla doesn’t either.”

Finn smiled at her. He loved having these verbal sparring matches with her; kept him on the tips of his fins. He made a grab for the plates, but Sylvia caught his wrist. she smiled and said “Go take a shower. I can clean up.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. The water should help wash away the doubt.”

Sometimes he knew better than to argue. He leaned down to give her a ‘thank you’ kiss on the lips and left without another word.

———~~~———

Finn was laying chest down on the bed, enjoying the feeling of Sylvia massaging his moisturizers into him. He was trying so hard to not fall asleep, but there were so many factors working against him: the somewhat dimmed room, the sweet smells of his lotions and moisturizers, and Sylvia applying them all with firm, yet gentle, pressure. She sat on his waist, his tail moved to the side to make room. The only reason why he was still semi-lucid was because she stopped occasionally to ask which one to apply next. Under normal circumstances, he could skip a step or two. However, he went to bed dehydrated from all the booze he drank.

Sylvia whispered softly, “I was thinking about it a little more.” She waited for some kind of response, testing the waters to see if he was still awake. After he made a half-hearted ‘hm?’ at her, she continued. “Maybe what you could do is help a few people here and there and once you have enough popularity, you could host a seminar on how to spot scams. It’ll be a recreation of how you started the business here.”

Not a bad idea. “Small problem; the mainland doesn’t have a Luna.”

“They have other marketers,” she pointed out.

“Nope. I don’t settle for less than the best.” He looked over his shoulder. “You should know that by now.”

Sylvia stilled for a moment, then she put more pressure into the massage. She asked which bottle to apply next and then grabbed after his tail lazily knocked into it. “Then have her make something before you go. It’s not like the scam landscape changes dramatically after a few weeks.”

“True, but if the fliers look sloppy, no one’s gonna be interested. Not unless they’re really stupid.”

“Isn’t that who scammers go for?”

“Touché. Still, I need somethin’ more solid.”

Sylvia leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. “What about my love?” She felt his tail flicker against her side, making her feel giddy. It was never easy pulling a fast one on Finn, but that’s what made it so fun when she did. She kissed his cheek again. “You can have as much as you want before you go,” she promised as delivered another kiss. “And there’ll be plenty more when you get back.” She showered him with kisses, even as he tried to hide his face.

Finn was able to get his arm under her stomach and then over her back. With speed and precision, he was able to get her under him in one move. He flipped her, giving him easier access to her neck to leave a multitude of kiss trails. “You got any free samples?” It didn’t take long for him to lean down and kiss the smile off her lips.

———~~~———

Sylvia slept soundly on Finn’s chest, not a care in the world. Finn, however, was wide awake. He gently caressed her shoulder as he thought about everything they talked about. With a small head nuzzle, Finn realized he made the right choice that night. “Just so you know, Minnow,” he whispered, fully knowing she couldn’t hear him. “You leave me speechless every day.”

 

Finn was nursing his drink while his clients were knocking back. The music was good, the drinks were mixed properly, and the conversation was going smoothly.

Then they dropped the bombshell.

No hesitation from Finn. “Hard pass.”

“What?!” exclaimed the clown.

“Why?!” wondered the fish.

“Simple: There’s no way I could convince Sylvia to come with me.” He sat his empty glass down. “Now, do you have something to actually offer as thanks or can we call it an early night?”

“Hold up!” The clown argued. “Let’s play you for it!”

Finn barked a laugh. “Oh, yeah? How?”

“We’ll play a few bar games. You lose, just once, and you come with us.”

The grin should’ve made him back down. “You’re on. And when you lose, you buy the next round.”

”Deal.”

After a night of drunken slaughter, the fish called it off. Finn, ever the gentlefish, escorted them back to their hotel and then walked home. The cool night air helped sober him up, just a little.

He wondered how Sylvia would react.

Chapter 3: Weathering Your Storm

Summary:

So, this piece was originally supposed to be fluffier and hornier - not to the point where I age restrict this ‘cause that would be totes unfair - but I got hit with anxiety and decided to get my feelings out in the form of wish fulfillment.

Enjoy the angsty hurt/comfort!

The Guild Hall was mostly quiet, consisting of a few patrons in the late afternoon. Heroes waiting for their next jobs or orders was nothing new.

What was new-ish, however, was Finn barging in looking like he was ready to kill. He hadn’t worn this face since his defeat about a year ago.

Finn scanned the room until he found who he was looking for. And she had her head down, buried in her arms. His claws dragged down the door, leaving grooves into the wood as he walked away from the door. There were grand total of three things you did not screw with if you valued your life: his money, his clients, and - most importantly - his girl.

Calling out her actual name as he approached, Sylvia lifted her head. She was stuck in two battles: the first one was her trying to keep calm and the other was her trying not to cry. The poor woman was losing both horribly. Sylvia made a move to get up, but Finn stopped her placing a hand on her back.

He hooked his foot on the back leg of the chair beside her, pulling it out and towards him simultaneously. Taking a seat, he asked “What happened?” While placing his other hand on top of hers.

Sylvia was unable to speak, too ashamed and hurt to admit what happened. Oswald had the exact opposite problem. “Bat-rats,” he replied for his niece. “A whole colony spilled from the south wall an hour into us being open.”

Finn’s body was still except for his tail. It flickered, giving away how truly angry he was as he thought of the worst case scenario. “Sabotage?” His mind immediately went to that pretty boy and gross pet lizard.

Oswald, surprisingly, shook his head no. “Natural degradation of the wall.” With a shrug, he simply explained “Just a stroke of bad luck this time.”

“Oh, yeah,” Finn scoffed. “Real comforting.” His eye roll matched the sarcasm.

“Would you truly prefer-?!”

Baptiste came by with a tall glass at the perfect time. Finn stared at it and then his eyes shot to the guild leader. Sensing the imminent danger, Baptiste explained “It’s just water.”

Good. The last thing Sylvia needed was to get fucked up. Speaking of, the woman of this unfortunate hour has been too quiet. Finn turned his attention to her and gave a simple kiss to her head. “Let’s go home,” he suggested softly. He gently guided her out of the chair, moving the hand on her back to be an arm around her shoulders. His tail curled her waist, offering extra support and protection. They took only a few steps before Finn had the idea to even consider offering help to the old man. With a sigh, he asked over his shoulder “You gonna be okay?”

Oswald waved him off. “I’ll be fine.” A beat. “Take care of her.”

“Alway, old man.” Finn carefully ushered her out of the Guild Hall.

———~~~———

Once they were home, Sylvia finally let down her walls and let her anxiety take over as the tears streamed down. She turned in Finn’s arms to cry against his chest when he gave her a proper hug. Her arms wrapped around his midsection while his hand rubbed loving circles against her back. They stood there for an hour, both trying to calm down in each other.

Sylvia was lying down on the couch with her eyes closed. She hated crying. It made her feel weak and small while also drying her eyes in the worst way possible. The small thud against the table told her Finn put a glass of water on it. “Thanks,” she murmured. Opening her eyes, Sylvia grabbed it and sat up to take a proper sip.

Finn sat on the table and waited for her to put the glass down. “Are you guys sure?”

She didn’t need him to elaborate. “I took a look at the wall and thought a quick fix could last us a few days until Muktuk could fix it.” Her head hung in her hands. “No shortcuts in business, I guess.”

He rubbed his thumb against one of his rings. “Can magic speed up the degradation?”

Sylvia scoffed, but not at him. “Yeah, but you would have to be a powerful magic user to-” She caught on too late. “No! No. Don’t even think about it.”

A bit too late for that.

She sighed. “Finn. Sweetie. No one has heard or seen them since the last competition. Believe me, I keep my ears open for news about those two.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to verify,” he offered.

“Absolutely not, Finn.”

“You act like I’m gonna break down their door,” he feigned. That was either the last resort or when he had evidence.

Sylvia threw her face into her hands. “You would. That’s where my issue lies.”

“Not as a first resort,” he tried to console. He backpedaled when he saw the look on her face. “Fine, no checking on those two. I promise.”

She watched for the signs that told her he was lying: the too casual lean, too sweet smile, tail movements. Nothing. With a sigh, Sylvia held out her arms and asked for a cuddle. She made way for Finn as he sat down. Once he sat down, they rearranged themselves to lie on the couch with her on top.

Finn hated seeing her like this. Hated feeling her aura like this; dwindled down to nothing, quiet, meek. None of those things described Sylvia. She was loud like a volcano, impossible to stop like a tidal wave, and determined like a stampede. He tried offering things that would make her feel better: watching her documentaries - shot down. Playing a few rounds of Isty - not in the mood. Making her favorite food and, to sweeten the deal, have her help - nothing sounded good.

He was running out of ideas when his phone went off. Seeing it was a text, he tossed it to the table without replying.

She had to ask. “Was that work?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“We can’t both be jobless, Finn.”

“You are not jobless. Just put on a…” he rolled his wrist to help come up with something. “A sudden vacation is all.”

“Okay,” she deadpanned. “We both can’t be on a sudden vacation. If you’re needed, you should go.”

“What if I’m already where I’m needed most?” He watched as she took in a breath and felt her heart skip a beat. Finn used his thumb to gently wipe off the dried tears. “I can call it an early day, Minnow. All you have to do is say the word.”

Grabbing his hand, she pulled his palm towards her mouth and gave it a small kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered. “But I’ll be fine.” He was determined to fight her on staying and she was just as determined to get him back out there. She won as usual, but not before Finn made her promise to call him if she changed her mind.

———~~~———

After Finn had put out the - as it turned out - not-fire his client was hounding him for, he dragged a magic user to Sylvia’s shop and asked them to do a check on the hole in the wall. They could confirm that the wall just had a hole.

Finn still couldn’t let it go. “Is it possible to speed up the rotting process, though?”

“Yes, but it’s incredibly difficult to do.”

“How difficult?”

“Maven the Witch Queen is the most powerful witch on record, however, she would also struggle with this kind of magic.”

“Explain it. What makes this stuff so difficult?”

Bopping their staff against their head, they came up with a metaphor. “Imagine this: you want to buy something.” The look Finn gave them was incredulous. “Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. Anyway, you want to buy something, but you don’t have the funds. So what you do is open a bank account and put the money you make in it. Then, once you have enough, you take it out, but the bank immediately collapses afterwards.”

“Still not following.”

They sighed. “The money is magic and the bank is an object that stores said magic. Once the magic is depleted, the object is destroyed.”

“Do you need outside help?”

“Oh, yeah. It would destroy your soul otherwise. That’s the reason why Kronos magic hasn’t advanced all that much, too risky.”

“Is speeding up time more difficult than slowing it down or going back?”

“No one has been able to slow down time and it’s a lot harder to go back than forward, but doing either takes a lot of magic.” They began to get worried when Finn became angry, but he assured them that it wasn’t their fault. Didn’t stop them from almost running when he dismissed them.

———~~~———

Luna opened her door and was pleasantly surprised when she saw Finn on the other side. She quickly ushered him in, practically begging for details on her bestie-client.

“She’s putting on a brave face, like usual, but she’s worried.” Finn rubbed his thumb on his ring, not noticing the glass of water Luna got him.

The moth nodded sympathetically. “Sounds like her. If there’s anything she needs, please tell her not to hesitate. Once the shop opens back up, she’ll be my top priority.”

“Thanks, Luna. I’ll let her know.”

“Of course!” She fidgeted with her skirt, wondering how to broach the subject.

Finn clocked it immediately. “Catfish got your tongue?”

“What? No!” Luna replied a little too hastily. “Why would-?”

He pointed at his head. “Electroreception, remember? Also, you have a shitty poker face.”

She sighed. “I just… how are you doing?”

“Why are you asking about me? I’m not the one with a shutdown store.”

“True, but you are emotionally linked with Sylvia at this point. Plus, you’re overly-protective. Her being down in the dumps is bringing you down too.”

Honestly, he hadn’t thought about it like that. He was also touched that someone had asked about him, as indicated by the small tail swish. Pushing the strands out of his face, he replied, “I’d feel a lot better if I could do something.”

“You’re doing plenty.”

“I wish. All that happened is that Sylvia got hit with was bad luck and I can’t punch that.”

“Finn, not only are you being her, uh, anchor through this hard time, but you’re also protecting her by running leads. Even if they go nowhere, at least you guys know it’s not active sabotage. That’s going to be a huge relief considering she went up against two powerful witches and won.”

Luna had no idea of the half of it. Not everyone knew about Robin and that was for the best. Only reason why he was told was because Sylvia was so scared and out of it, she blabbed to him by accident. For the first time since the news dropped, he genuinely smiled. “Thanks, Luna.”

“Anytime.”

A thought came to him. “That offer about reaching out, does that apply to me as well?”

“Of course! Name it.”

“Would you mind if I borrowed that punching bag of yours?”

“Not at all! Do you need a spotter?”

He laughed low and the look in his eyes suddenly became dangerous. “Yeah,” Finn cracked his knuckles, each singular pop sounding louder than the last. “I wouldn’t recommend that.”

For good reason, as she soon saw. Finn not only punch a hole in her bag, but also knocked it clean off the hook. He forgot to take off his rings, leaving some of them dislocated. Luna would have called a healer, but he popped them back into place. Leaving enough cash to replace the bag - as well as a nice tip - Finn left with ice bags tied around his knuckles. He felt bad about scaring the shit out of Luna.

———~~~———

Finally home, Finn took a deep breath- and smelled dinner. He watched as Sylvia put the final touches on their dinner and noted that she had taken a shower. Her hair was damp, but pulled into a messy up-do. She wore a simple tank top and small shorts with socks. Tossing the keys on to table, Finn walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. He placed a kiss on her head and said “Smells delicious.”

She hummed a small laugh. “Me or the food?”

He lit up at that. “Do I really have to choose?” Finn tightened his grip. “Glad to see you’re feeling a bit better.”

“Key words are ‘a bit’. I just got tired of crying about it, so I threw myself at whatever I could.” She tilted her head back to look at him. “Cleaned the apartment while you were gone.”

“Not that I’m an expert or nothin’, but I’m sure you should let it all out instead of bottlin’ it up like a ship. So…” He pulled a bottle out of bag. “How about we wine about it?”

Sylvia’s eyes flickered between him and the bottle. She couldn’t help but slowly dissolve into a fit of giggles.

Finn’s heart thumped a littler harder than it meant to. Slowly, his girl was coming back and he couldn’t be more relieved.

After dinner, the two of them watched a new show recommended by one of Finn’s clients. It was called ‘Mangled’. The plot was simple, but effective: people would go and get plastic surgery that would then fail after a few months or so. They would then go to some other plastic surgeons to get it corrected.

To say that some of the cases were shocking is an understatement.

Finn slammed down his glass. “The fuck is that?!”

“Holy shit,” Sylvia agreed.

“How could anyone call that good work?!”

“That asshole needs to lose his license.”

Finn shook his head as he took another swig. “Damn. If that lawyer ‘buddy’ of mine stuck around, I’d’ve gotten him some more clients.” He laughed as he took another bite.

She laughed with him until it turned into a yawn. The fatigue finally got up with her and was going to call it an early night. She stretched as she stood, then made a grab for the dishes.

He gently took her wrist. “I got it tonight.”

Not having the strength to argue, she confirmed with an “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I’ll join ya in a sec.”

Sylvia nodded and gave him a kiss. Crawling into bed, she reread the texts between her and Oswald. He checked into a hotel and told her that the shop would be closed for a few days, at most two weeks as they fumigated the place. Once the fumigation stage was over, they would give it a sweep to check for any stragglers and then place traps that would then be checked a week later. Just as she began to overthink again, Sylvia felt Finn wrap his arms around her from behind.

He took her phone and tossed it gently on to the nightstand. “Make it a tomorrow problem, Minnow.”

She turned into him and nodded. “Thank you,” Sylvia whispered.

“Love you, too.” Turning out the light, he reminded her “If you need me, call me.” Sensing her resistance, Finn forced her to look at him. “I’m dead fuckin’ serious. I do not care what’s happening or what I’m doing or who I’m with. I will drop everything, and everyone, to get to you if you need me.”

“But what about your clients?”

“Either they’ll understand and wait for me or they can find another mediator. Either way, fuck ‘em. I can always get other clients, but I can’t get another you.”

Finn felt the shift in her emotions, but didn’t stop it. He didn’t comment further as fresh tears began to swell. All he did was hold her close as the overwhelming love she felt came out. The words were muffled against his chest, but he still knew what she said. Placing another kiss on her head, he repeated “I love you.”

Chapter 4: A Series of Role Reversals

Summary:

Just a few bits and bobs from certain events of the actual story. If I come up with anymore, I may update this chapter specifically instead of doing a whole new one. We’ll have to wait and see first.

The hallway to the apartment was filled with a cheerful conversation. Sylvia and Finn got into a debate, as usual, while walking home from the market. Finn was carrying most of the load leaving Sylvia to get the door. She hated it when he held most of the groceries and tried to snag what she could when he wasn’t looking. Sadly, that damned electroreception snitched on her every time.

“I’m just saying,” she reiterated. Again. “I have a nigh-infinite bag.”

“And I’m just sayin’ I don’t want smushed food for dinner.”

She scoffed. “The food would be fine. I can’t say the same for your shoulders.” Pushing her hip to the side, Sylvia fished the keys from her pocket.

Finn didn’t know if she did that on purpose some days. Honestly, he didn’t care enough to ask; his eyes darted to that gorgeous ass every time.

Then he got an idea.

They entered the apartment when she finally got the door open. Kicking the door closed with his foot, he set the bags in his hand down quietly. Then, with practiced confidence, he stalked towards Sylvia and reeled his hand back.

The resulting snap from the smack had her grabbing her ass and falling to her knees. “You dick!” She cursed as she giggled from the floor. “What was that for?!”

He curled and uncurled his fingers. “Payback.” Then he thought about it. “And this is gonna keep you out of my kitchen while I cook.”

Sylvia was offended when she heard the bags rustling rather than being helped up. “You so owe me one free trip to the bed.” She realized too little too late how dirty that sounded.

Finn was already hovering over her, glint in his eye. “I suppose that’s fair.” He reached down to pick her up, but thought better of it. With a ‘hm’ as her only warning, Sylvia was dragged to the bedroom by her ankles. She tried to kick him off, but it was half-hearted at best. Once in the bedroom, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. A quick kiss to the lips, he told her, “I’m gonna get dinner started.”

As he turned, Sylvia grabbed his arm and gently tugged him back. With his attention on her, she simply said, “Not so hard next time.”

“‘Course.” Finn gave her another kiss, this one carrying his apology. “I’ll give ya massage after dinner.”

The wheels that turned in her head gave away that she was going to milk this for all it was worth. “Can you bring it to me?”

“Didn’t hit that hard.” He got up and smiled at the challenge in her eyes.

“I’m going to hide your binder.”

“Try it and I’ll even ya out, Minnow.” Finn smiled as he noted the skip in her heartbeat. He left her to weigh the pros and cons while he got the prep started, hoping she would rise to the challenge. She usually did, but her self-preservation did kick in sometimes.

—+—+—~~~—+—+—

The Guild Hall was vibrant with energy. All of the patrons were excited and curious about the new addition that Baptiste finally caved on: Pool tables. He tried to not get them because they took up a lot of room so he made a deal: one game had to go. The Guild Leader tried to play it off, but the immediate relief he felt when he saw that his precious badminton was safe was obvious. Even to Corsac.

Speaking of, he eyed the new table cautiously. He rotated the stick in his hands very carefully. “And how does one play this ‘pool’ exactly?” Corsac watched as his friends bounced with anticipation. “I thought pool was a hole in the ground that you swam in?”

“It is,” Finn confirmed. “If it makes it easier on ya, you can also call this ‘billiards’. And the way it works is simple.” He removed the triangle that held the balls in place and then placed a white ball on the green felt. Using a piece of square chalk he readied the tip. “Hit the cue ball - the white one - until the others go into the pockets.” Getting into position, Finn lined up his shot and took it. He watched as a striped ball go into one of the pockets. “If you’re playing against someone, they have to focus on one type of ball to sink in.”

Finn continued his demonstration by knocking the striped balls into the pockets. “Normally, it’s decided by who sinks what ball first. You sink the wrong one, you lose a turn.” He sunk another. “You get the cue ball into the pocket, you lose a turn and they get to place it anywhere they want.” Finally, he lined up his shot for the black eight ball. “To win, you sink this one last. Do it too soon and you lose a turn.” He finished the tutorial then turned to Corsac. “Questions?”

The nomad thought about it. “I think I understand.”

“Try watching a match. Might make more sense that way.”

An excited ‘oo’ got their attention. “I’ll take you on!” Sylvia dared.

Finn’s teeth showed as he grinned dangerously. “You sure?”

She folded her arms defiantly. “Always.”

The shark man shrugged and told her to pull out the balls. Once they were all out, Finn used the triangle to get them into position. He lifted it up and offered Sylvia the first hit. Watching her closely, he noted her awful stance. And the way she held and the stick was atrocious! “Need help?” He offered.

“I got it.” Sylvia hit the cue ball and watched as the other balls bounced against the walls… with none of them going into the pockets. “Are you serious?”

Finn tried to hide his laugh only for his shaking shoulders to give him away. “I’ll let you have one more go.”

“No thanks. I don’t want a pity turn.”

“You sure? That’s the only hit you’re gonna get otherwise.”

“Sure it is,” she challenged. Sylvia watched the calculated approach he took. Twisting and turning the stick in his finger tips, she watched as he debated which perfect little morsel was first. Once he made his choice they went in one by one. Until he decided to show off by doing a trick shot: he leaned his back on the rim of the table and snuck two cue balls into different pockets. Sylvia, completely flabbergasted, scoffed. “Are you serious?”

Just to add insult to injury, he bounced the white cue ball off of one of hers to sink the eight.

“You’re such a showoff!”

He shrugged. “Tried to warn ya, Minnow.”

“Whatever. Best two out of three!”

Finn barked a laugh. “Sure, sure. Tell ya what: if you set up the table, I’ll let ya take all the shots you want while I get somethin’ to drink.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “By the time you hit the bar, I’ll have already won.”

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.” Leaving the stick behind, Finn strolled to the bar. He took his time, trying to make sure she had enough time to make good on that ‘threat’. Not that it mattered. There was no way Sylvia was that fast, no matter how competitive she got.

And he would’ve been right. If someone hadn’t saddled up next to him on the neighboring stool.

This particular someone was a fish that Finn had to be extra careful around. A female dolphin, and she found him to be extremely attractive. He was flattered, no question, but dolphins rubbed him the wrong way. Highly intelligent creatures that were also highly petty, he steered clear of them as much as possible. Finn looked to Baptiste for help, but she brushed the Guild Master off. Glancing around, he saw Sylvia… watching with glee.

Shit.

Finn had put her on the spot all those months ago, so it was only fair that he got it too. If can’t take it, he shouldn’t dish it or whatever… but the conversation was so boring. The playful banter he had was Sylvia wasn’t there: no snips or quips, no dry remark with a side of sly sarcasm, and no competitive baiting. Nothing.

All this woman - Delphine - kept asking was ‘What kind of drinks do you like?’ and ‘You wanna get out of here?’

He looked back to the table and saw that Sylvia was gone. Great. Trying once more, Finn glanced to Corsac… only to realize the guy can’t pick up obvious social cues. There was no way he could pick up subtle ones.

“So,” Delphine started up. Speaking of being unable to take a damned hint… “What’s your sign?”

And that was his limit.

Holding up his hands, Finn began “Look, I appreciate the attention, but-”

Suddenly there was a yelp and a thud from behind Delphine and she cried out. “My dress!” She whipped around and saw-

Sylvia. She had tripped while holding drinks. “Oh, my gosh!” She feigned setting down two empty glasses. From what Finn could tell, they were the most colorful drinks on the menu. “I’m so sorry! Are you all right?!”

“Of course not! You ruined my outfit! Watch where you’re going, you drunk bitch!” Delphine was either unaware or didn’t care that the music stopped and everyone was focusing on them.

Finn’s jaw tightened, but Sylvia still had everything under control. Still, he was surprised when she let the insult pass. “How much do I owe for the dry cleaning?”

“Dry? Cleaning? Are you fucking dumb?! Firstly this is a one of a kind dress from Atlantian! Secondly, no amount of ‘dry cleaning’ could ever get the stain out. This is pure pearl silk!” She scoffed. “Landfolk. Honestly.”

Sylvia was getting ready to drop the façade, but she tried one more time. “At least let me try-”

“Try to what? Make it worse? Hard pass.” Delphine finally left with one last huff. Once she was gone, the music resumed and everyone pretended nothing happened. Mostly to avoid Finn’s ire.

Sylvia wiped her hands against each other. “Good fucking riddance.”

Finn let out a low whistle. “Got you that mad, huh?” Normally, it took a lot to get her to swear. He was kind of impressed that Delphine got to her.

“I get that she’s mad that her ‘one of a kind’ dress was ruined, but still. I was trying to make it right.”

“To her credit, Atlantian is a huge brand. They only use the best. And it was pearl silk? I’d be pissed, too.” He grabbed his bowtie. “That’s what these guys are made of.”

“All right, got to be totally honest, I thought she made that up.” Reaching out, Sylvia gently held his hand. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Finn gave a reassuring squeeze. “Better now, actually.”

She smiled. “Good. I’m ready to call it a night, though.”

With a smile, Finn walked in step with her out of the building. They talked and laughed about the whole thing the whole walk home. As they approached the door, Finn pulled out the keys and Sylvia broached the subject. “Hey,” she said quietly.

“Hm?” He glanced while putting the key in.

Her thumb rubbed against his hand. “I don’t think we should pull that stunt anymore.” She looked into his eyes. “Just a simple ‘back off, I’m taken’ should get the point across.”

The door opened. “And if it doesn’t?”

“Then I guess we throw down.” Sylvia shrugged. She meant it in jest.

Finn didn’t catch that memo. “You’d fight for me?”

No backing down now, especially not after catching his tail sway. “Well, yeah.” She scoffed, but not at him. Not at her ‘declaration’. “But keep in mind that I would probably get my ass kicked.”

“I could help with that. Teach you a thing or two about self-defense.” Leading her inside, his voice dropped low. “But first, I’d help you with your… stamina.”

Sylvia’s face felt hot. “Sounds like a plan. For tomorrow. I’d rather get some actual sleep tonight.”

“Fair enough.” He leaned in to whisper into her ear. “Can I still help you undress?”

She shivered and then playfully glared at him when he laughed. “Only if I can help you.” Sylvia whispered back.

When they looked back at each other, they knew she would get that ‘training’ after all.

—+—+—~~~—+—+—

Sylvia was practically bouncing as she made her way home, excited to give Finn his surprise. He’d have to work for it, but that’s what made it fun for her, too. Once she reached the door, she made no move to grab her keys. Taking a moment to prepare, Sylvia knocked on the door. Keeping her giggles to herself was difficult; she could practically see Finn’s confused face in her mind. When he did open the door, she had to get the first word in.

Or, more accurately, the first move in.

Sylvia threw herself into the doorframe and, with the biggest doe eyes she could, genuinely asked. “Are you Boss Finn?”

Finn betrayed himself with his smile. “Oh, gods dammit,” he muttered. With a sigh, he played along to preserve some of his sanity from whatever she was planning now. “That would depend on who’s askin’?”

“A very distressed damsel.” She gave him a moment to recover an escaped laugh. “You see, I got caught up with a bad crowd and desperately need help. They say you’ve got the magic touch without being magical.”

“Listen, girly,” he feigned indifference with an eye roll. “I’m just about to have dinner and my office is closed.” Finn looked at his non-existent watch. “Plus, my girl’s on her way home. Can’t have some rando over without notice.”

“Please? It’ll only be a minute!”

He sighed dramatically. “That’s what they all say.” After taking a minute to ‘think about it’, he opened the door and invited her in. “Get in, then get out.”

“Oh, thank you!” She caught his shoulders shaking in the corner of her as she walked in. Making herself at home on the couch, Sylvia spun the tale of how she got in trouble. Clearly, there was a lot of thought put into it and he was impressed by the details. He nodded along, sitting on the couch with plenty of space between them.

Finn spoke up only after she finished her dramatic retelling. “That’s some story you got, girly.” Then he shrugged unapologetically. “Can’t do nothin’, sorry.”

“What?!” The surprise was a little more sincere than she meant. Quickly getting back into character, Sylvia asked “Why not?”

“Couple of reasons.” He held up one finger. “Firstly, don’t wanna.” The second one came up as he brushed off her glare. “Secondly, I told you my office was closed for the day.” Then the third finger came up. “Finally, you don’t have anything of value left.” Finn had his hand wave her up and down. “You’re a fish outta water after swimmin’ up the wrong creek. The hell am I gettin’ out of this?”

She contemplated his words. “Well…” Then she had an idea. “This girl of yours.” Sylvia scooted closer to him. “Is she taking care of you?”

“Got no complaints.” He said casually, his intrigue increasing.

“How is she taking care of you?” She slowly went from scooting to crawling towards him.

Finn shrugged. “Keeps me entertained. Does a good job of watching my pet.” He leaned back, giving her the space to crawl on top of him if she desired.

And she absolutely desired. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Sylvia wraps her arms around his neck. “But it sounds like she does the bare minimum. Barely.”

“Suppose it does sound like that.” Finn rested his hand on her waist. “What if that’s all right with me?”

She scoffed. “I doubt that.” Her fingers walked up his chest. “You seem like the kind of guy who wants a partner to swim with him, not sink him.”

“And you think you could do better?”

“Certainly.” Sylvia then ‘got an idea’. “What if that’s my payment? I show you how a real partnership works. If you like it, then we can make it official.”

“Dunno. This deal seems too good to be true, and you know what they say about those. What’s in it for you?”

She smiled sweetly at him. “A very handsome bodyguard.”

He titled his head back and forth. “Still seems a bit fishy to me.” Finn slowly leaned in. “How about a demonstration?”

Sylvia helped close the gap. “How long do I have? Last I checked, your girl was supposed to be home by now.”

Honestly, he had no idea what was going to come first: the kiss or the quip. It didn’t matter anyway. The sound of someone hocking the wettest, slimiest loogie interrupted them. Looking towards the table, they both saw Barnacle giving them the dirtiest look he could give.

Which was impressive because that was usually his default face.

Seriously, though. It was bad enough when Mom and Dad were being gross. But now? They’re being gross before he’s been properly fed! The nerve.

Finn held out his free hand towards the interloper. “‘Scuse you,” he deflected. “Kinda in the middle of something.” He gestured towards himself and the precarious position Sylvia was in.

Sylvia hung her head with a sigh. She looked at Finn and offered a compromise. “Food first.” Then, she sat on his lap as her hands pulled on his bowtie. “Then we can seal the deal in your office.”

He grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

Once everyone had the proper sustenance, Finn and Sylvia made it to the ‘office’. Once inside, he got his surprise: Sylvia in some new underwear. He had to it admit that it looked good on her. Didn’t stop Finn from making the argument that it would look better on the floor, however.

She didn’t disagree.

Chapter 5: An Un(Wanted)Expected Visitor

Summary:

In celebration of the series proper *fingers crossed* coming back tomorrow, I decided to post this chapter early.

Fun fact: This was supposed to be what went up last week, but I thought the role-reversal would be better. Two reasons: first, this one wasn’t ready. Second, ripowal wasn’t feeling well and I thought they would appreciate the rr a little more.

Also, I have their permission to come up with more snippets while the series is on going. If I come up with anything, it’ll definitely be posted.

Sylvia stood in front of the door to the games shop with Barnacle in her arms.

Finally! She can enact her plan. A plan that had taken weeks, subterfuge, and required - gross! - patience. Shaking it off, Sylvia got over it quickly. First reason is because she no longer had to be patient. Second reason, and more importantly, it was for Finn.

The plan was a simple one: Barnacle killed his rarest card, so now he had to replace it. And by ‘he’s replacing it’, she meant ‘he had to pick one and she can kiss her hard earned coins goodbye’ but that wasn’t the point.

She couldn’t get over how downtrodden he was when he lost Pint-Sized Overlord. Finn seemed to have recovered quickly enough, but his depressed face kept popping into her head from time to time. Each time it did, it hurt more. So, with a lot of finagling, consistent lunch dates, and tracing Finn’s routes for the past couple of weeks, Sylvia could finally give him a little closure.

Opening the door to the shop, she walked in. The manager gave her a warm welcome and waved her over to counter. “Hey, you made it! Thought you got cold feet.”

“As if!” Sylvia playfully responded. “Thanks again for being so flexible with the rule.” Her eyes looked to the troublemaker and then back to him. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

He scoffed. “You kidding? This is the least I could do for you guys after you scared Leopold out of my shop.” Pulling out the glass case of cards, he continued. “Seriously, the douche had been a real menace to all my female customers. He almost got my girlfriend to quit the game.” His hands rested on the fabric that covered the contents - Sylvia’s request.

“You’re kidding,” she replied incredulously.

The head shake said otherwise. “Only reason why she didn’t is because we played at home. Exclusively. Now that he’s gone, she’s coming in and wiping the floor with the other regs. And bringing her girl friends to boot.”

“Good for you guys! I’m glad.”

“Thanks. Speaking of wiping the floor, I told her about you guys and the doubles bracket. She wants to take her shot. Honestly, so do I.”

Sylvia laughed heartedly. “Bring it on! Hope you guys borrow something good from here.”

“Psh. That won’t be necessary. Her cards could take down most anything in this whole place.” He grabbed the fabric. “You ready?”

“In a sec.” Sylvia turned Barnacle around and forced him to look her in the eyes. “All right you collection of boogers, it’s time to atone for your sin.” The wet groan he let out old her nothing, but she proceeded on whether he liked it or not. She turned him back to the covered case and, with a nod of her head, held him close to the collection of rare cards.

Barnacle liked the shinies. He really liked how they sparkled so deliciously.

They didn’t have to wait long. Barnacle shot his tongue out at one and growled when he was stopped by the invisible force. The shopkeeper jumped back, three seconds too late. “Holy shit!” He was grateful he didn’t take them out of the case.

Sylvia simply said “Told you.” She looked over Barnacle’s tongue to see what he picked.

What he picked had to be the dumbest card she had ever seen. It was such a stupid concept that you could get her blackout drunk and she still would be unable to come up with such a dumb idea.

The card depicted a hotdog riding a motorcycle. Clearly, it was driving well over the speed limit because it’s pompadour was pushed so far back, it could be easily confused for a receding hairline. Jean pants and black leather jacket also flying in the wind, the only thing that held on was the sunglasses that it wore. Solely because of the duct tape keeping them permanently fixed to it’s face, but whatever.

Sylvia’s soul audibly cringed at the name for this… thing. Cool Dog.

It was ridiculous to look at. It was ridiculous to play, having a high energy cost. So of course it also had to be ridiculously named, too.

Not only that, but it also had an atrocious pun for a name.

This card had to be Finn’s, no question.

Her head hung low as she agreed with Barnacle’s choice. She bribed him with a pastry to get his tongue to let go of the glass, then set him down. Sandwiching him between her ankles, Sylvia got out the bag of coins.

“You know,” the shopkeeper began. “You never told me what card got got.”

“It’s… not something I want spreading all over town.” It was bad enough Finn lost his card to his pet. She couldn’t picture how he would feel if word got out.

“I give you my word. Anything said here will be kept secret, I promise.”

Sylvia’s lips pressed into a thin line. She guessed she owed him for doing such a huge favor. With a wave of her hand, she whispered when he got close enough.

His jaw went slack as his eyes bulged. “No fucking way…”

All she did was nod slowly.

Drumming his fingers on the countertop, the shopkeeper was contemplating. Then, he took out a second card and handed it to Sylvia. “No charge.”

“H-Hold on! You don’t have to do that!”

He was firm. “Yeah, I do.” With the card still held out to her, he continued. “Not only did you guys bring in more revenue from the doubles bracket and get rid of a game killer, Finn’s been one of my best customer’s. The money he spent alone is enough to cover the card.”

She was touched by his generosity. With all of the grace in the world, she delicately took the card from him. “Thank you. When he finds out about this, he’ll be an even better customer.” Once the cards were secured in a special pocket of her satchel, she picked Barnacle back up into her arms.

“I’ll hold you to that. And that game you promised.”

“Deal.” Then she thought about. “Hey, if your girlfriend’s good with crowds, maybe we can turn it into a spectacle.”

He leaned on the counter. “Go on.”

“If you put up a few fliers on the board that state us versus you two, you’d draw in a good sized audience. ’The Runner Ups against The House Advantage.’ Make it a ticketed event and you could get some good money from it. Plus, it would be a good chance to sell some cards that get showcased in the match.”

“Oo! And the snacks and drinks! I’ve got a few that tend to sit on the shelves, but they’re decently priced and taste real good too.”

“Drinks, yes. Food, not so much. Wouldn’t those be greasy?”

“Psh. I wouldn’t push those. I was thinking of pushing the candy.”

“Smart.”

The back and forth continued for the better part of an hour. If Oswald hadn’t called to remind her she had a job she’d’ve been there all day. Giving a quick apology and one last thank you, she booked it out of the store. The high pitched ‘shit’ she kettled out caught the attention of, well, everyone.

Some laughed, others wondered what the hell was going on, and a few miffed parents covered their children’s ears.

Finn joined the laughers until he realized she had Barnacle with her. He was going to call her, but opted to text her instead. Figured it was better to mitigate the risk of her crashing versus getting answers.

Neither realized that she caught the attention of a newcomer.

———~~~———

Sylvia profusely apologized to her Uncle as well as - from what it felt like - half of Rafta. To say she was wildly embarrassed would be an understatement.

Her face was currently being smished into the desk. Oswald had half a mind to laugh, but decided against it. She felt guilty enough for losing her composure, no need to kick her while she was down. He sat down a mug of tea next to her and gently rubbed her back.

Although if it was Boss Finn instead…

The bell to the front door jingled and in walked a man. He watched in slight confusion as Sylvia took a deep breath and put her game face back on.

“Hello!” She greeted with a smile, as if she wasn’t trying to change her face via the desk. “How can I help you today?”

He approached with… familiar swagger. “I was just wondering, were you the woman on the broom earlier?”

Sylvia dug her heel into her foot to stop the oncoming groan. What came out in it’s stead was the perfect response; she had been practicing it all day. “Yes, I am. I would like to apologize for that. I was incredibly crude for no reason-”

Not wanting, or caring, for the speech he waved her off. “That’s not why I’m here.”

That took her by surprise. “Oh, kay?” She and Oswald shared a look. “Then, what can I help you with?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you had a hobblenewt with you. I would like to purchase it.”

No hesitation from Sylvia. “Hard pass.”

“Excuse me?”

“There’s no amount of money that you can promise me. He’s not for sale.”

Time for a change in approach. “Ah, but you see. It’s not for me, but my friend. He has a dying daughter-”

“Name?”

“What?”

“Give me the name.”

“Of whom?”

“Either one. You pick.” When she got her answer, Sylvia became less impressed. “How wildly convenient that both father and daughter have the most commonly used names.”

Oswald also commented. “I applaud the choice of using common names unique to Rafta. Keeps the options open, but not wide open.”

She snorted at the stranger. “Also, ‘pet for a friend’s dying daughter’? Seriously? How long were you going to give her? A couple of months so she can ‘live the dream before she dreams for the rest of eternity’?” Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, dude.”

The stranger scoffed. “Is this how you treat a customer?”

“No,” she answered honestly. With a grin and a lean, Sylvia placed her hands on her hips. “This is how I treat a loiterer who thinks I’m stupid.” Not wanting to deal with him any longer, she gave up the game. “Besides, it’s not even my decision to make; Barnacle’s not my pet.”

Barnacle? “Then who-”

Oswald interjected. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

She only giggled. “Positive.” Wanting him out of the store, Sylvia challenged the stranger. “You gotta talk to Boss Finn.”

Ah. That made sense. The stranger left without another word, but made sure to slam the door.

Pride swelling in her chest, Sylvia took out her phone and noticed the message from Finn. “Oh, dammit.”

“What?”

“The surprise I’ve been working on might have been ruined.” She responded but also made sure to give him the heads up on the creepy guy.

“He saw you…”

“Kinda? I don’t think he knows where I came from, just that I had Barn with me.” She put her phone back under the counter and faced her Uncle. “All right, one more rush or do you want to call it?”

“Let me set up the shelves. You get the brews.”

She nodded. “Deal.”

———~~~———

Sylvia had an… experience getting home. She got a few more people laughing at her, mimicking her, or just plain glares. Honestly, she preferred that last one; those were silent. She touched down on the cobblestone right outside the apartment complex and climbed the stairs. Soon she would be home, get food and a story of how Finn scared the latest punk out Rafta. Unlocking the door to the apartment, she was going to announce she was home, but her eyes fell on an annoyingly familiar stranger.

“YOU!” She pointed. “How the hell did you get in here?!” Sylvia tightened her grip on her broom, getting ready to swing.

Returning the ‘kindness’ he got earlier, he replied “I walked in.”

Just as she got ready to yell, Finn appeared from the back of the apartment. “The hell’s goin’ on?!”

Sylvia yelled first. “That bastard broke in here!” She pointed at him. “He’s the one I was telling you about!”

Finn looked at him then her. “You sure?”

“Yes! Why would I-” It dawned on her. “Where’s Barnacle?” Not waiting for an answer, she looked over to his box by the window.

Empty.

Sylvia briskly walked past Finn calling out for the rock with six useless legs.

He made no move to stop her. Taking one step to the side, Finn let her pass then turned towards the man. “Really?” He asked with a playful tease. “You haven’t used the dyin’ child scam since I was a pup. What, you losin’ your touch?” Finn folded his arms.

“Please,” he responded with an eye roll. “I just didn’t think she’d see through it. That girl is the bleeding heart type through and through.”

Finn simply nodded along. “Sure is.”

“If I had known, I would’ve used my better tactics. She’d have never seen it coming.”

“Don’t underestimate her.” Finn looked at the hallway she disappeared in. “Call it personal experience, but that woman is a force to be reckoned with.”

Sylvia finally went into their bedroom, still calling out for Barnacle. She stopped when she heard his familiar call. Looking under the bed, her heart started to calm down after seeing him. “There you are.” Laying on the floor, she reached under and tried to drag him out.

But he wouldn’t budge.

“Barn?” It took Sylvia a moment to realize what was going on. “Are you… afraid of that guy?” The resulting wet deflation made her worried. “Hey,” she reassuringly brushed her thumb on, what she hoped, was Barnacle’s cheek. “We’re not gonna let him take you. Not without a fight. Promise.”

Barnacle lightened up enough for her to drag him.

She hugged him as best as she could, given where they were. “You’re welcome to stay here if that makes you feel better. I can grab your box and move it under here, if you want.” Sylvia gave him a few head pats to help calm down until she felt something kick her foot. “One sec,” she whispered. Pulling out from under the frame, Sylvia was ready to deny finding Barnacle until she saw Finn.

With his usual grin and folded arms, he teased her. “You wanna explain what that was?” His thumb pointed towards the living room.

Sylvia was not having it. “Do you?” She got up to meet his eye, her anger completely missing the fact he stopped smiling. “What the hell is that creep doing in our home?!”

“Firstly, not a creep. Second, I need you to calm down-”

“Do not tell me to calm down!” She pointed to the living room. “He needs to go!”

Finn’s thumb rubbed on his ring. Taking a deep breath, he tried to not match her energy. He knew that neither of them had the full story. “Can’t do that, Minnow.”

“Oh, no. No, no, no. Do not tell me this is your scheme of scaring him out of Rafta.”

He scoffed. “Trust me, there’s no scarin’ him.”

“Is… is he an old friend of yours?”

“He’s a bit more… familiar than that.”

She was incredulous. “Tell me you’re kidding.” Sylvia interrupted him before he could get a word in. “You know what? Don’t tell me, I’d rather not know.” Side stepping him for the second time, she marched towards the living room. “If you can’t toss him out, I will.”

Finn snatched her hand. “Hold on a sec!”

“Let go of me!”

“Just let me explain!”

“There is no explanation you could give-!”

Finn finally had enough. “Sylvia!” He knew calling her by her actual name always served as so kind of ‘factory reset’. It always made him feel bad when it scared her, but she wasn’t listening! Gods… He loved that she was a firestorm, but hated when he got burned by it. Taking another deep breath, he took both of her hands and placed them on his chest. Freeing one hand, he pulled her close and rested his forehead on hers. “Just breathe and listen.”

Sylvia nodded once. She focused on his breathing and felt how obnoxiously calm his heart rate was. Wonder if he could teach that? she thought.

He pulled back first. “Look, it’s a bit of a complicated matter. Give me your side first.”

She gave him the full rundown. Watching him run the calculations in his head was always fascinating and sometimes a little scary. However, she had full confidence in him.

Although she currently didn’t act like it.

Sylvia placed her head on his chest and muttered “I’m sorry.”

Finn wrapped his arms around her back and waist, pulling her closer. He hated making her feel small, especially when she was, technically, in the right. Some guy tried to rip her off for a pet that she didn’t own and was now suddenly in her house. Not only that, but her partner wasn’t taking her side. He’d be beyond pissed, too. “So am I.” Finn placed a hand on her cheek and had her look at him. “Do you trust me?”

Her hand held his. “Always.”

“Come out to the living room with me, let me make introductions. It’ll all make sense, I swear.”

She swallowed her pride and nodded. “Okay.”

Walking out to the stranger hand in hand, Finn made the first introduction. “Sylvia, this is John.” His hand gestured to the respected individual. “Pops, this is Minnow.”

Both of their faces glowed at the recognition of their respected names.

This was Finn’s father?! No wonder the energy he displayed upon their meeting felt fami- wait. Sylvia looked to the alcove and noticed the statue was gone. When she looked back at him, her anger flared for a different reason.

John noticed it immediately. “What did I do now?”

Before Sylvia could go on a tirade, Finn cupped his hand over her mouth. “Don’t worry about it,” he tried to ease. “It’s not important.”

She stiffened as she looked to Finn. The responding glance told her they’d talk later. Sylvia brushed his hand off and gave their ‘guest’ one last dirty look. “I’m going to bed.” Turning to Finn, she gave the reason to him. “Long day. Save me some food?”

He grinned. “No promises.”

John looked away as they shared a quick kiss. Once she was gone, he said “What a pain in the ass.” He had no qualms if she heard him or not.

Finn had enough issues for the both of them, though. “You watch your mouth.” Stepping up to his father, he made one thing perfectly clear. “Come after me all you want, but you do not get to disrespect her. Especially not in her own home. You hear me, old man?”

In the doorway to the bedroom, Sylvia was shaking as her anxiety suffocated her heart. She appreciated him stepping in for her, she truly did.

But never at the expense of his safety. Sure, it was fun to speculate who would win between him and Corsac, but she would never want to actually test it.

Sylvia only started to ease when no sounds of fighting sparked up. She left the door open just a crack while she went to go lie down. Once Barnacle felt comfortable to come out on his own, she had him on the bed with her, back facing the door. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get your box. We’ll get you a backup one to hide in. Maybe one of those puzzle boxes that need to be solved in a hundred steps or something.”

Barnacle huddled up to her, grateful for the backup.

She spent the next hour or so talking to him. Sylvia whipped around to look at the door as it creaked open. Relief came in waves when it was just Finn. “Is he staying the night?” She asked before she could properly vet the question. That was meant to be a lot more neutral than what came out.

Finn simply glanced at her before smiling. “Nah,” he shrugged. “Breakfast would’ve been way too awkward.” Disappearing into the bathroom, Finn prepared for bed. He came out with a yawn and joined them in bed. It was obvious from her demeanor that she had questions about his father, but wasn’t sure on how to breach the subject. He did it for her. “He ain’t stayin’ long.” Once her eyes were on him, he continued. “He was just lookin’ for gullible fish to hook.” Finn chuckled. “Made the mistake of targeting you and will soon be outta here.”

“How soon is soon?”

“Takin’ the next boat in two days.” He picked up her aura. “What?”

Sylvia steeled herself. “I don’t want him alone with Barnacle.”

“Minnow-”

She pushed herself up on the bed. “Barnacle was hiding, Finn! Under our bed.” Sylvia pulled the hardened clump of moss towards her. “He even solidified.”

That caught his attention. Barnacle only did that to ‘avoid’ punishment when he did something wrong.

Pushing her hair back, Sylvia looked at him properly. “Look, he’s your father and you can have him over if you want-”

“Thanks, Minnow,” he sarcasmed.

“-But he can’t be alone with Barnacle. I will bring him to the shop if I have to. Finally get that new mascot you pushed for a while back.”

Finn chortled. Of course that would come back to bite him, every smart-ass remark usually did. “Fine, Minnow. You win.” He extended his hand to her. “Now get down here and help me sleep.”

She smiled as she laid back down. Their arms rested on each other, forming a solid protective barrier for Barnacle.

———~~~———

In the middle of her shift, Sylvia received a text from Finn. He had sent four random numbers with no context. She tried to ask about it, but only received a ‘You’ll see’ from him.

Once she finally got home, she saw what he had done: he changed the locks. The numbers were the code to to the door-pad. She typed in the code then walked inside. “I see my paranoia is rubbing off on you,” Sylvia called to the kitchen.

“Nah,” Finn responded. “Just trying to make you more at ease.”

Pushing her bangs behind her ear in an attempt to hide her flustered state, she replied. “Sure. That’s what it is.” Sylvia set her bag down as she walked into the kitchen to give Finn a kiss. “I take it there are new keys?”

“There are.” He pulled out the new sets and gave Sylvia hers. One key was a shark and the other was a minnow.

This confused her. “Are they not the same lock?”

“Nope. If pops got a hold of one, then he could open both. Defeats the point.”

“Fair.” She had to ask. “So, are we matching?”

Finn smiled as he held out his keys: a centipus and a manta ray. “Figured we could have piece of each other when we’re out.”

That earned him a few more kisses.

Even though he didn’t want to, Finn did have to put an end to the impromptu make out session. There was one mystery that needed to be solved. “Before I ruin dinner because I got distracted, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask: what were you doing with Barnacle anyway?”

Sylvia totally forgot. Walking back to her bag, she opened it and grabbed the cards. “I took him the game store.” She held the cards to her chest as she walked back to him. “Told the manager that you lost a super rare card and I wanted Barnacle to pick the replacement.” With the back facing up, she handed him Cool Dog.

Finn eyed the card with a straight face. “He picked this?” Once he had the confirmation, he let out a belly laugh. “Oh, gods. I remember the mess this thing made when he first hit the scene.”

“So, I get double the humiliation if I lose to it? Wonderful.” She rolled her eyes. Then came the hard confession. “That’s not all, though.” Once his attention was back on her, she continued. “The manager asked what card got taken out… and I… told him.” Sylvia winced as she came clean, but continued before he could say anything. “I know, I probably shouldn’t have. But he told me he wouldn’t tell and I trust him. Not only did he give me his word, but he gave me another high end card- for free.” She handed it to him.

Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know what he gave her.

Finn took it carefully and his mouth dropped a little when he looked at it. He closed it as he read it intensely.

Sylvia was a little on edge, if she was honest. It was hard to read his face.

Once he was done, Finn looked at her and asked, “Do you know what he gave you?”

She shook her head. Sylvia held it in her hands and looked it over for the first time. She had tried. So hard. To not laugh.

The Crabby Patty

A half-finished hamburger tossed into the garbage that became cursed by an environmental witch, this delicious creature stalks the beach to lay waste to the wasteful.

As described above, it was a damned hamburger. The pickle slices formed a little bow on the top corner of it’s head and it had fries as legs. Leaves of lettuce formed the claws and tomatoes formed the gastric muscles. It’s maw gaped, sesame seeds flew forth like spittle in an angry roar, ready to taste revenge.

Just when she thought it couldn’t be anymore ridiculous, Sylvia looked at the stats.

She almost dropped the card. “What is it with these guys and overpowered food?!”

“The whole collection was for Clowns Week,” Finn explained. He turned off the burner as he leaned on the counter. “Anythin’ else I need to know?”

“The shopkeeper wants a 2-v-2; Us against him and his girlfriend. We’re currently talking about making it a ticketed event.”

His grinned grew wide. “That’s my girl.” He pushed off the counter and pulled her close. Finn pressed kiss after kiss against her lips. “Is there anyway I can thank you?”

Sylvia returned each kiss with the same amount of passion. She hummed a laugh at his question. “This is a good start,” she purred.

He pulled back enough to make a show of popping exactly one (1) button on his shirt.

She bit her lip and began to drag him down the hallway. Then stopped and went back to grab the cards. Sylvia made the “I’m watching you” motion at Barnacle before leading Finn to the bedroom.

His gratitude ended up earning them both an earful from the next door neighbor the following morning, but they both felt it was totally worth it.

Notes:

I have one more that I want to get out of my system. This ‘last’ one is not going to be super fluffy/horny.