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Time Shadow Cookie was back in containment.
One would imagine, he thought to himself with a sigh as he straightened his hat, fixed his watch, and dusted off his coat, that after having done so well on their first mission, the timebreaker trio would have been given a reward of some kind. A spa day, perhaps, or even some unsupervised time with a not-too-important timeline… but no, no, they’d returned, been given a metaphorical pat on the back, and then planted right back in their respective prisons.
Well. TSC didn’t know how the others were feeling about it, but in his opinion, this was completely unacceptable. They really should protest. Unfortunately, he was rather sure that even if all three of them protested as loudly as possible, nothing would be done.
He also reluctantly admitted that what he was most unhappy about was that they’d been split up again.
And then there was the unfortunate matter of the locket Pulpo Cookie had “found” that clearly belonged to a certain square-shaped fellow. Time Shadow Cookie had grown rather fond of said fellow in their last adventure. It was always annoying when Mocchiato Cookie was right, but they really had delivered a brilliant performance as a team, and Ovenhead cookie was good fun to be around. His improvisation skills were powerful, and simultaneously so very unlike TSC’s way of thinking that he opened up possibilities that TSC would never have considered under ordinary circumstances.
Time Shadow Cookie almost didn’t mind sharing the stage with him.
Hm. Well. Anyway. A gesture of good faith now would, hopefully, ensure even better performance in their next mission. For, surely, a success like theirs meant there WOULD be some matter of encore.
At least, he hoped so. He was rather looking forward to it already.
His personal constraints kept him from escaping the safety of his prison, but he doubted his captors had thought to ban him from entering someone /else’s/ prison…
He took a breath, melted into the shadows…
…and unmelted himself exactly where he wanted to be, in Ovenhead Cookie’s cell.
Specifically, into Ovenhead cookie’s shadow. The boxy fellow was so large, Time Shadow Cookie could have fit into his shape at least four times over.
“WHO’S THERE?”
Ovenhead had apparently been sulking with his head in his mitted hands, but now he raised his face, smoke tricking from the sides as he looked around, oven creaking. “I HEARD SOMETHING! Don’t think you can hide from ME-!”
Even flat on the floor, Time Shadow Cookie could feel the heat of Ovenhead Cookie’s temper. He took a deep breath, and materialized out of the darkness.
“Sorry to interrupt your sulking, old sport, but I-”
Ovenhead Cookie flinched with a rattle. “UGH don’t do that! Didn’t I already tell you how creepy you are with the shadow thing?”
Smoke curled from his oven, but he didn’t stand, which Time Shadow Cookie assumed was permission, nay, perhaps even invitation for himself to remain. He stepped clear of Ovenhead’s shadow, swept off his hat, and bowed.
“My dear fellow, there was simply no other way I could pay you a visit. Do you expect me to waltz up to Circuit Cutter Cookie and ask for the keys to your holding cell?” He nestled his hat back on his shadowy head. “Really now, old sport, be reasonable.”
“I’m PLENTY reasonable! It’s everyone else that’s got issues!” Ovenhead Cookie let out a jet of steam. The inside of the cell became notably warmer. “Well, what do you want, Time Shadow Cookie? You can’t pretend you’d come all this way just for a visit, I know you better than that by now.”
Time Shadow Cookie pouted. “Well, why wouldn’t I? It’s terribly boring in my own cell, and I hate not having an audience-”
“HUH! Please! You could listen to the sound of your own voice for hours!” Ovenhead Cookie folded his arms. “Well? What is it?”
Time Shadow Cookie let out a sigh, straightening his pocket watch once more. “You are as shrewd as you are rectangular, my dear fellow…” He drew the locket from his pocket. “Well, unfortunately, Pulpo Cookie happened to find this lying around, and I thought it would be best to return-”
“WHAT!” Ovenhead Cookie leapt at Time Shadow Cookie - he was massive, and very fast, and if TS hadn’t been expecting it and ducked just in time, even /he/ might have been obliterated by the fist that instead connected with the wall. “WHERE DID YOU - HOW- HOW DARE YOU-”
Time Shadow barely managed to choke down a laugh. Dodging and weaving, he didn’t need his shadow powers to avoid Ovenhead’s blows, he was well used to his attack patterns by now. “I can’t give it to you if you keep swinging at me, old chum! Calm down for a moment and-”
“DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! THIEF! I’LL BLAST YOUR BRAINS OUT-”
Ovenhead Cookie sucked in a deep breath, his massive chest expanding. The door of his oven fell open in a white-hot blaze of what was surely utter oblivion-
Time Shadow Cookie reached forward and snapped it shut again, keeping it firmly closed with a hand on the bar. “Now see here, my good fellow- OUCH!”
Ovenhead tried to expel his blast of superheated metal anyway - and then abruptly jerked back, the handle of his door tearing out of Time Shadow Cookie’s hand. “OW OW OW OW OW!” he bellowed, oven-mitt hands both folding over his face. “WHAT DID YOU DO! OUCH! THAT REALLY, REALLY HURTS! OUGH-”
Steam rose from his face, bits of liquid seeping from..somewhere…down the superheated metal of his oven.
Time Shadow Cookie was completely nonplussed. “What did I do? Nothing more than to spare myself from taking a full blast of you right to the face. Can you really blame me for that?”
“OWWWWW, OW…” Ovenhead cookie stamped his foot against the ground. “YOU! YOU! OUGH!” His oven clanged open, and he fruitlessly tried to paw at the inside of his mouth with his mitts. “YOU CLOSED THE DOOR AT THE WRONG TIME! SOMETHING GOT STUCK-”
“Stuck?” Time Shadow Cookie was half tempted to leave the big fool to his misery. That’s what he gets for being reckless! And yet…he couldn’t help but feel a little responsible. After all, he knew from their prior interaction that Ovenhead Cookie had a fiery temper. He had indeed guessed that seeing the locket would set him off. He supposed…he could have just…left it on the floor nearby, instead of making a big show about returning it.
Sigh. But he lived for the show.
Still, he supposed, in the end, it wasn’t very gentlemanly of himself to sacrifice the fragile thread of their collaboration for the sake of a solo spotlight. Especially if, after their last successful mission, they really were going to be working together more.
Sigh…the things he did to keep his scene partners happy.
The persistent sizzle brought his attention back to the present. The strange leak was still occurring down Ovenhead Cookie’s face, poofing into steam. It took Time Shadow Cookie a moment to realize it was-
“Are you crying?”
“N-NO! I’M NOT! AND ANYWAY-” Ovenhead Cookie sniffed, a billow of black smoke joining the steam. “You would be too, if you had a shard of superheated metal lodged in your mouth!”
“Let me look at it,” TS offered, stepping closer. “Perhaps an extra set of hands will be able to tease out the problem.”
“NO! Get out of here!” Ovenhead Cookie tried to shoo him away like a pesky fly.
Time Shadow Cookie could not accept no as an answer. “If I leave, I am taking the locket with me,” he said. “So you must decide what is most important to you: Suffering alone and locketlesss with an extra scrap of your pride, or bending your big metal hand and allowing me to help you. Anyway, as I said before…”
He swung the locket on its chain. Ovenhead Cookie’s neck creaked as he followed its motion, one hand still in his mouth, tears still leaking down his face.
“...I didn’t steal it. I rescued it from Pulpo cookie, and I am returning it to you, as a gesture of good will.”
“HUH! If this is a gesture of goodwill, I’d hate to see what you’d do if I got on your bad side.”
Ovenhead reluctantly sat down again, resting his broad back against the wall of the cell. His mouth still hung open, trickles of smoke and steam jetting with each pained breath.
“That might be a good question to consider if you ever decide to attack me again.” Time Shadow Cookie gave his companion a dry smile. “I doubt you’ve forgotten our first so-called battle.”
Ovenhead Cookie looked away. Of course he hadn’t, but all he said was “HMPH. Well, come on then.”
He removed his hand, and left his oven-mouth hanging open.
Time Shadow Cookie regarded the fiery furnace with deep distrust. “As unique an experience as it might be to stick my head into the inferno, I would rather not take any unnecessary risks in terms of my own skin.”
He did, however, remove his hat and set it neatly to one side.
“Can you…douse your flames, for a few minutes?”
“It’s not so easy, you know!” In fact, more flames flickered up, accompanying Ovenhead’s outrage. “I can’t just control the heat however I want to! It responds to how I’m feeling! And right now I’m feeling really CRUMBLING ANGRY THAT YOU TWO HOOLIGANS SWIPED MY LOCKET!”
Sparks showered out of his mouth onto the floor at Time Shadow Cookie’s feet.
TS barely restrained himself from taking a step back. Instead, he oh-so-politely pointed out “Well, then, old sport, it would seem the key to solving your problem is for you to find some way to calm down.”
“HUH. IMPOSSIBLE.” Ovenhead cookie folded his arms, then winced, once more reaching for his pained face. “Just seeing you standing there all smug really TICKS ME OFF!”
Time Shadow Cookie smoothed his pocket watch. “I don’t suppose that was an intentional pun-”
“NO!”
TS sighed. He looked at the locket. He looked at Ovenhead cookie, still smoking and muttering soft curses around the shard in his mouth.
Unfortunately, the answer was all too clear.
Time Shadow Cookie settled the locket around his own neck, took a deep breath, and shifted - his neat, stylish coat becoming fur, his hands and feet becoming paws, his ears becoming pointed.
Time for a bit of acting.
He looked up at Ovenhead Cookie, who had gone very, very still.
“Well?” Time Shadow Cookie purred, waving his shadowy tail. “Does this way of standing suit you better?”
Ovenhead Cookie took a deep breath and let it out - steam hissing softly from the oven. “You’ve got,” he said, but his voice was much lower, “some nerve, making yourself look like that in front of me.”
He turned his head away, and his voice grew firmer again, clenching his fists so hard his coat creaked in complaint. “You’ve got SOME nerve! I ought to shove you in my oven and slam the door!”
Time Shadow Kitty padded up to him, settled right in front of his legs, and reached out, very gently pawing at Ovenhead Cookie’s pant leg.
“Here,” he said softly. “Your trinket.”
Ovenhead Cookie clearly tried to resist looking, but couldn’t quite manage. He turned his oven with a creak, and stared once more at Time Shadow Kitty. “Outrageous…” he said weakly. “You really look just like m… like an ordinary cat.”
He extended an oven-mitted hand, but rather than take the necklace, he held it in front of Time Shadow Kitty’s face.
TS, repressing a laugh, flicked an ear and daintily bent his head to sniff, committing to the bit. Ovenhead Cookie’s mitt smelled like ash and flame and metal, and a bit like cinnamon.
Before he knew it, Ovenhead was stroking his back.
Okay, well. Uh. This was. Hm. It felt perfectly nice, of course, but this was still his new co-worker. He most certainly would NOT have tried to pet Time Shadow Cookie in his normal shape.
But it seemed to be working. Ovenhead was quite calm, the fires of his oven dormant. So, gritting his teeth and swallowing his pride, Time Shadow Kitty butted his head into Ovenhead’s mitt, and managed a bit of a purr.
Ovenhead gave the softest gasp, and rubbed TSK’s soft cheek. “It’s been,” he said, and there was a slight tremor to his usually brash voice, “...so long, since I saw…”
He broke off, taking the chain from around Time Shadow Kitty’s neck and re-fastening it around his own.
Time Shadow Kitty looked up into the big, square face. “Do you need me to stay in this shape to fix your problem?”
“Er, I…” Ovenhead shook his oven. “No. Uh. I guess as long as we keep the conversation civil, I’ll be able to keep my cool.”
“Wonderful. Open up, if you please, and tilt your head back a little. Probably best if you set your gaze on the ceiling, rather than on me.”
Ovenhead Cookie nodded, and tilted his head back. Time Shadow Cookie wasn’t sure if he actually had /eyes/ to focus on the ceiling but he had something there that saw, and cried.
He also left his oven open. Even without the flames, heat still flowed out.
Time Shadow Cookie took a deep breath. Okay. Time to do this. He always was good at improv.
He stepped closer, awkwardly turned around, and laid his back on the open door of the oven, flattening himself into a shadow and scooching inside to take a look at the damage.
“UGH!” Ovenhead Cookie shuddered, and the heat immediately began to rise. “That feels WEIRD!”
“How can you still talk with your mouth full?” TS asked with a laugh. He immediately regretted it, though, the temperature hiked up at least ten degrees, Ovenhead taking a breath to doubtless say something angry- “Nevermind, nevermind, old sport. Say, let’s keep up that calm spirit, shall we? Since you can talk anyway, tell me something that you enjoy. “
His eyes roved over the inner seams and panels of Ovenhead’s mouth…no, oven. We’re going to call it an oven. Mouth simply summoned too many uncomfortable connotations for being halfway inside it. “Did I remember correctly that I overheard someone mention that you enjoy baking?”
Ah, there’s the problem. A little curl of metal shavings, wedged tightly between pipework on the upper right side. Time Shadow Cookie shifted a bit closer, really getting a look at the damage. It seemed wedged pretty tight, and the piece was sharp, and undoubtedly still hot…
“Enjoy! HUH!”
Sparks flickered in TS’s vision, and he gave the inside of the oven a sharp tap. Calm, please!
Ovenhead seemed to understand, letting out a hot breath that ruffled Time Shadow Cookie’s hair, and managing to keep his temperature low. “It’s not…it’s not that I enjoy baking. I’ve…I’ve actually never been able to do it. But I’ve always wanted to try.”
“Never been able?” Time Shadow Cookie closed his fingers on the metal shard, and gave it an experimental tug. It was still quite hot to the touch, and Ovenhead cookie flinched with a grunt at the contact. TS blew on his fingers a bit, then groped for one of the tails of his coat, wrapping it around his hand. “Your head is an oven, my dear chum, how could you not be able to bake?”
“Well, you’ve SEEN my oven in action.” Was it Time Shadow Cookie’s imagination, or was there real grief in the words echoing around him? “Every time I put anything in my oven, it turns to metal! And even if it didn’t, I don’t have the delicate control or the patience to bake something that takes a long time. I’ve…I’ve actually tried, believe it or not.”
He drew something out of one of the pockets of his coat, and held it up before his face. Time Shadow Cookie paused, his wrapped hand on the metal shard, and looked to see what it was-
A solid metal lump. The edges were ridged, as if it had been meant to be…
He fought down a laugh with all his might.
“A muffin!” his voice cracked from mirth, but he quickly pitched it to sound like sorrow. Oh his acting skills were matched by NONE. “Poor thing. I cannot even begin to imagine your disappointment.”
“Yeah.” Ovenhead put the metal-muffin back in his pocket. “No matter what I do, it’s always the same. No pastry, bread, cake or pie is safe in my mouth.”
Time Shadow Cookie reminded himself that he, too, should not get too comfortable in Ovenhead’s m…oven. Though, he had to confess, with the heat kept low and the softly flowing warm air carrying his coworker’s voice, it was almost cozy.
Ugh. Very foolish thoughts to have.
He steeled his resolve. “I’m going to try to pull the shard out now, okay? Please imagine I am still in the shape of a cat, and control your reaction.”
Ovenhead Cookie immediately stiffened under him. “IT’S NOT SO EASY AS ALL THAT! EVEN YOU TOUCHING IT HURTS-”
The temperature rose again. Thinking quickly, Time Shadow Cookie shifted the other tail of his coat into an actual cat tail, which he swished against Ovenhead’s hands.
“Hold onto this,” he said sternly, “don’t forget. And brace yourself.”
Ovenhead Cookie went very still again. Time Shadow Cookie felt those mitts close on his tail. Okay, time to…
“Brace for three. One…two..three!”
He tugged the shard free and slipped out of the oven as fast as he could. Ovenhead Cookie yelped, a hand going to his face, but miraculously, managed to keep from emitting more than a few sparks. “OW OW OW! Uuugh, please tell me you got it!”
Time Shadow Cookie reappeared in his own shape, victoriously holding the piece of hot metal between his coat-wrapped fingers. “I’m waiting for your applause, old sport~”
“HUH? APPLAUSE! As IF-” Ovenhead closed his mouth with a snap,then shifted it around a bit. Time Shadow cookie wondered if there was some kind of tongue-apparatus in there, testing for damage. “Huh. Well. I guess. You really did get it out.” Ovenhead Cookie looked at him, and maybe it was Time Shadow Cookie’s imagination, but his square face did seem fractionally less grumpy. “Thanks. I guess. It was pretty brave of you to stick your neck out like that. Er. Head. Whatever.”
Time Shadow Cookie struck a bow. “It’s the least I could do, to compensate for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”
“Harumph! Well! I don’t know about THAT!” Ovenhead Cookie folded his arms.
Time Shadow Cookie paused, puzzled. “Oh? Is there something else you want from me? An encore, perhaps? Well, if you insist~ Open wide!”
“NO! NOT THAT!” Ovenhead Cookie’s flames blazed pink behind the glass of his face, but he quickly calmed them, poking the ends of his mitts together. “It’s just…you really look so much like…when you were in that shape…I, uh, I was…thinking maybe...”
Time Shadow Cookie really did laugh that time. It echoed around the containment cell, and Ovenhead Cookie steamed in outrage. “IT’S NOT FUNNY!”
“You know what?” Time Shadow Cookie wiped a tear from his eye. “Mocchiato Cookie was right. You ARE adorable.”
“HOW DARE YOU CALL ME-”
Time Shadow Cookie popped back into cat form before Ovenhead Cookie could work up his temper. The bulky fellow immediately froze, staring at him.
“Hmmm…” Time Shadow Cookie smirked up at the massive figure, making sure to visibly twitch his whiskers. “You asked for this, did you not? Sit down, old sport.”
Ovenhead Cookie sat with a thump that shook the entire cell. “Don’t get cocky,” he snarled, “I still know it’s you! Especially when you’re yammering on like that- a-ah-!”
Time Shadow Cookie rubbed against his legs, purring up a storm. It was well worth the indignity of his form and behavior to see the mighty criminal stammer under his touch. And, after all, it was only acting, and Time Shadow Cookie was nothing if not a fantastic actor.
“You really are…the worst…” once more, Ovenhead cookie couldn’t resist stroking his mitted hand down Time Shadow Kitty’s back. “If you EVER tell ANYONE about this- bythewitchesfingerswhatareyoudoing-"
Emboldened by the game, leaning a little too much into his role (method acting was always so dangerous), Time Shadow Kitty had set first one paw, then the other, onto Ovenhead Cookie’s legs. Before the big fellow could stop him, Time Shadow Kitty curled up right in his lap, still purring.
Ovenhead Cookie let out a shuddering breath. “If you ever tell anyone about this…” His words were much softer now. The locket around his neck shone silver against the black of his coat, all the more visible from Time Shadow Kitty’s lower vantage. Oven mitt hands continued to stroke down his back. “...I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Time Shadow Kitty only purred louder, rubbing his cheek against Ovenhead Cookie’s brawny torso. Okay, he really was having too much fun. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, a smile curling his whiskers, “your secret’s safe with me, old sport.”
Ovenhead Cookie let out a heated breath. “Alright,” he said, and finally relaxed. “Fine. Good.”
And then, to Time Shadow Kitty’s surprise, burly arms wrapped around him, lifting him up, cradling him close to Ovenhead Cookie’s broad chest.
“She always liked being close to the oven,” Ovenhead Cookie whispered. There seemed to be something dripping down his face again, steam rising in puffs. “The warmth. I could never learn to bake, but I could at least keep it cool enough to not burn her.”
Time Shadow Kitty nodded, but didn’t answer. This was…a little closer than he wanted to be, and not just physically. He didn’t want to start wondering how much Ovenhead Cookie had lost, being captured by SCOOP agents and used as a tool. He didn’t want to think about his own losses, far back in time, things he could never retrieve, never tell anyone about.
He didn’t want to think about how nice it felt to be held in big strong arms, against a big burly chest, cradled with warmth and gentleness that he never would have guessed the old grump was capable of.
He should probably say something to stop this, but…
It was easier not to talk. Not to think. To just lean his weight against Ovenhead’s torso and keep purring.
Easier for both of them, probably.
Time Shadow Kitty closed his eyes, allowing himself, for the first time in who knows how long, to actually feel safe and cared for. To bask in the heat, and the pressure, and the gentleness of the hand still stroking down his fur.
They could go back to normal tomorrow. For now, for the rest of the evening, even… they were just fine with how things were.
And it seemed, from the steady rise and fall of Ovenhead Cookie's chest, and the calm beating of his heart right against Time Shadow Cookie's cheek, that he was just fine with it too.