trans_9 | Deadlines [Open---see note]

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Deadlines [Open---see note]

Miraculously, happily, Billy had finally set foot on Transmigration Nine once more. It wasn't the cleanest or happiest of reunions on-board the ship, but what mattered most to him was that he had survived. His task now was to return to the routine as much as possible and assist with the Melting Clock situation.

Unaware of how much the situation had deteriorated during his capture, he first set out for sanctuary from the wider world. Home, the house of the Sun and Moon twins, where he could retreat to safety and recover before returning to work. Ronnae would be there, wouldn't she? Some of the lingering guilt and pain would heal after speaking with her, right?

He'd make a beeline for the bathroom, of course. There was no doubt in his mind that the clothes he'd worn on the mission would have to be burned, and there was something he was required to apply to his back to aid the healing there. After that, his odor would be safe enough to expose the rest of the crew to.

---

By the time he 'recovered' and returned to work in the Engineering department, Billy was in a notably sour mood. His best friends and his girlfriend, he'd been informed and seen, were children. Children who didn't have much longer to live if a solution couldn't be found quickly.

His priorities were simple: the Clock and any work that had been left behind. With the Engineering team noticeably smaller than it had been before, and several members of it having taken an involuntary leave of absence at the same time he did, there was undoubtedly much to catch up on.

The race against the clock continued. Billy took his seat at his desk, ready to plow through paperwork and status updates more quickly than ever before.

((ooc: This takes place between the Oryan and Time Dragon missions. It's split into two sections so I don't spam the comm even more than I already have---the subthread at his home is open to people who would reasonably be there, like Ronnae, Nokosi, and maybe Kaya. The section in Engineering is open for anyone who wants to catch up with him//update on the situation//beg him for treats and toys. A separate post for Romeo and Juliet will go up tomorrow or Tuesday.))

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"N-nuh uh~" she replied in a defiant albeit sleepy voice.

"I dun need nap times, I need more B B times~ I dun want to lose B B too..." her eyes getting a bit glossy as she glomped Billy, her head on his chest as her small frame squeezed as best as she could.

"You're not going to," Billy whispered back, carefully brushing the shorter pigtails back. "I'm staying. Come on...how about you get ready for bed and I'll tell you a bedtime story?"

That then raised the question of where he was going to sleep. The couches on the ground floor were too far away, but maybe a room next door would work.

"Please?"

Ronnae nodded against his chest, but that doesn't mean she let go. I guess he'll have to carry his new attached kidlet to the room for bedtimes.

"All right, but I suggest you remember this," Billy told her gently, securing her in his arms before carrying her upstairs. He'd see to it that the little princess safely reached her bed.

She didn't seem ready to brush her teeth or change clothes, so he instead pulled down the covers and laid her to rest. Now...how did she like it? A big bundle of blankets? Something smaller?

"Nokosi told me that you like stories about Thrall and Saurfang, but he never did get to tell me about them. Do you want to hear about a princess who saved the day?"

That was what little girls enjoyed, right? Princesses? Not one of the passive, stuffy characters, but someone more active. One that would suit Ronnie's style.

She liked cuddling, cuddling as much as she could. No amount of plushies, covers, or pillows could comfort her as much as a warm body with whom she'd feel safe.

She looked up at Billy curiously before nodding. "A pwincess is otay B B. As long as yew are tellin' the stowy."

For such a little one, Ronnae sure had a powerful grip. He soon got the impression that she would remain latched onto him until lulled to sleep. Well...all for Ronnie, he supposed. Billy climbed into the bed with her on his hip, propping a pillow behind her and pulling the covers over their legs.

"This story is about the most beautiful princess in the entire kingdom. It was difficult to line up all the princesses and compare, but...she was. She had beautiful sweeping long hair, an adorable smile," here he tapped the little girl's cheek, "and the biggest heart of all. Her name was Lady Ronnae, and most everyone strived to be like her."

He paused then, reaching for the nightstand. Where---there! Picking up the stray brush, he couldn't stop himself from gently brushing the girl's hair. As if she really was a little princess.

"But it had to get boring always living in a stuffy old castle, right? She'd want to go out and play?"

Ronnae gasped and looked up at Billy, "The pwincess has the same name as me! She must be cool." she nodded with an obvious tone of voice.

She settled next to Billy, snuggling up to him and resting her head on his chest, she nodded at the question.

"Yup, I can't stand being in one place all the time. It gets sooooooo bowing~"

"She is, she's very cool," Billy laughed lightly, winding his arms around her when he was done playing.

"Then she certainly wasn't doing that! She grabbed her sword, her books, and her tools and slipped out of the castle into the middle of the night. It was dark, but she met small fireflies just outside the gate. They loved Ronnae so much that they formed a lantern for her, guiding her through the forest all night long. Unfortunately they're difficult to see during the day, so as the sun rose they departed and promised to return the next night."

Billy was really starting to sweat here. What could he say? Oh---that's right! "That day, Ronnae was hungry. She looked everywhere for food. Under the rocks, around the trees...she kept going and going until she saw a delicious red fruit. It looked so good that she climbed the tree after it, all the way up. It was so high, but Ronnae was a brave princess. Nothing like that could scare her.

At the top of the tree, though, she found out that she wasn't alone. An elf lived up there, juggling more of the fruits in his hand. He juggled on and on and on, never dropping a piece to the grounds below. Ronnae tossed her fruit pieces back and forth with him, laughing until they shared names. He was called Nokosi, he told her, and he was looking for an adventure too. What do you think he'd like to find?"

Billy would let her influence the story here and there. The creativity would help him along, he secretly hoped.

"Aminals!" She said excitedly! "Kosi wants to find ware aminals! Lots and lots and lots of them!" Almost bouncing off the bed, she nuzzled up to Billy again, looking at him with an eager glee, even if another small yawn escaped her small mouth just as she rubbed her little, bright teal eyes.

Billy couldn't help himself. She was so goshdarn cute. He ruffled Ronnie's hair as he nodded, setting off to continue the story.

"When they were done eating their fruits, Ronnae and Nokosi jumped back down the tree in search of the animals. There were all kinds in that forest...butterflies, anteaters, monkeys, giraffes, pandas, horses...the legends even stated that it was possible to find a unicorn if you were very lucky."

Not that all of those creatures could logically live in the same climate, of course, but this was a fairy tale. Simple considerations such as logic didn't belong.

"It was tricky to find the unicorns, though. They tried and tried and tried. Kosi tried signaling to the resident monkeys for directions, but their guidance instead led the pair of adventurers to a banana tree. While they enjoyed the bananas, they weren't quite what they were looking for. That was when Ronnae took over. She tried following the moss, checking the sticks, and finally...one night, just before dusk, she sang. Her voice was so beautiful that creatures from across the forest came to see her, including one that didn't quite fit."

...would she like this part? Was it weird? Billy blushed, waving off his concerns before continuing. "There was a human boy tending to one of the horses, you see. Everyone in the kingdom thought he was too strange to be of any use, so he was left to care for the animals alone. Ronnae and Nokosi were the first beings he could communicate with in a long time, and he envied their strength.

In exchange for a day of their company, the human boy offered to help them catch an animal. They designed an elaborate trap, one that they were sure wouldn't hurt the poor unicorn. As they were building, they all shared stories and enjoyed themselves, until they realized that they didn't know each other's names. I've already told you about Ronnae and Nokosi, but the other boy..."

"Was B B! Cause B B is cool and cute and awesomes! Right B B?!" she said excitedly as she looked at the man with adoration. Of course it'd be him. Who else was missing from this story other than her little crush?

Relaxing down again as her little eyelids threatened to close, she snuggled once more, looking up at her crush with sleepy eyes. "B B.... The bananers made me want bananer splits. Can we get sum tomowhoa?" she asked in a sleepy voice as she waited for the story to continue.

"Definitely. I'll do whatever is in my power to locate a banana split for my dear Ronnae," he promised, cuddling her close.

"He'd be called William if he was a man of any note, but in this tale his name was destined to be Billy. Anyway, Billy had learned quite a bit about the forest through observation. He showed them the homes of all the animals, but they were always sure not to disturb them. All was quiet, save for the rabbits scurrying about."

There was a pause for dramatic effect.

"Then, as day turned to night, a faint blue light started to wash over their area of the forest. Their lure was working, because that mist always heralded the arrival of a unicorn! Princess Ronnae was very ready to greet the beautiful creature and play with her, but suddenly the light stopped!"

Billy swooshed a blanket overhead to simulate this effect. What? He could be a little silly if they wanted to.

"Knowing that something had to have gone wrong, the fireflies came to the aid of the princess again. They crept along the trail to find poachers, who had captured the unicorn and tied her down. They were going to cut off her horn for its healing properties, but the wounded unicorn would die if that happened! Their magic is in the horn, you see, and without magic they cannot thrive."

Billy. Talking all about magic. It was ridiculous but oddly enjoyable.

"When the princess and her friends saw the poachers brandishing their knives, they were furious. They wouldn't allow their unicorn-luring to be used this way! So they came up with a plan: because Billy knew the forest the best, he would rig a trap to lure the poachers away from the area and ensnare them. Ronnae and Nokosi would free the unicorn. It was dangerous, and they all worried about each other, but something had to be done. After they hugged each other goodbye, the plan went into motion.

"At first, it went really well. Nokosi managed to keep the unicorn calm and treat her injuries, while Ronnae used her dagger to cut her free. She tried her best to untangle the mane, because it was a beautiful translucent color that couldn't be seen anywhere else. They bid the unicorn goodbye, about to go to Billy when they heard a loud bang from his direction."

He'd mimic the bang sound as well, but he didn't want to make her story too scary. Just so she knew she was safe, he tucked his body around hers and kissed the top of her head.

Ronnae flinched a bit at the turn the story took, her small hands grasping onto Billy's clothing, a means to make sure she was not alone. His cuddle and kiss sealed her safety and she relaxed... a little. She was still well pressed against Billy for safety and comfort as she eagerly awaited the results of the 'bang' sound.

"B B.... is Billy otay?" she asked with her concerned little voice, a bit shaky as she feared the worst.

"Shh. It's going to be all right, you'll see," Billy promised, tucking her against his chest.

"When they heard that, they rushed to the noise! The nasty poachers were all tied up, but one of their traps had snagged Billy---he'd been hit on the head and knocked out. It didn't look too severe, but there was a worry he might not wake up.

Together they tried to make him comfortable, but he didn't make a move---not until the unicorn returned. She sensed that all of them had wanted to see her, so she came back to their clearing. When the unicorn saw the princess and Billy's hands joined, she knew they would be together for a long time if he woke up.

Using her own special magic, the unicorn nudged Ronnae to sing a song with her. It was a sad but hopeful song, wishing for everyone in the forest to live peacefully and stay well. When it was done, the notes echoed in the unicorn's throat, and she let out a healing breath."

A healing breath. Really. This was getting sillier and sillier.

"So Billy was going to be okay, as long as the others were there with him. What did the fair princess do then?"

Ronnae looked down in thought, wondering what would be the best course of action for the beautiful, brave, awesome and cool princess that had her same name.

She came to the most obvious solution, "Kiss him~" she said in a sleepy sing-songy voice, looking at her B B with hopeful dreamy eyes that made the little tyke blush a little. She nuzzled her face against his chest to brush away the warmth that made its way to her cheeks.

"All right," Billy promised, giving little Ronnae another warm squeeze. "While the unicorn looked on and Nokosi continued to tend to her, the princess gently kissed Billy. He was silent and unmoving for a moment or so, but when he began to kiss her back, everyone knew all was well again.

Before she left, though, the unicorn made sure Billy had a chance to see her too. She wished them luck on their travels before leaving, and the three were left in the woods. Nokosi waited through Ronnae and Billy's awkward laughing for a few minutes, but after observing them for a while, he eventually grew bored and had one suggestion: Just be together already, because there's no point in avoiding it when you're obviously both interested.

When Billy and Ronnae looked at each other, they realized he was right. They talked and talked about everything, but they soon decided that they would stay together and protect each other for a long, long time. And so they fell in love, the three setting off for a life of adventure that never ended."

That was...probably the worst story ever, but he did try.

Ronnae's small frame now lay silent on his chest, a pleased smile clear on the little face that now rested in her favorite spot. Her dreams were now easily filled with the amazing story that was told by her one and only crush.

Her small hand gripped the cloth around his heart lightly from when she was nervous about the outcome of Billy's fate.

The adorable sight squeezed his heart nearly as tightly as her hand was knotted in his shirt. Little Ronnae was so innocent and vulnerable. Her adult self had the same traits to a lesser degree, but this meant something entirely different. Her time was running out, and come morning, there might be a whole chunk of it missing.

But what was he to do? Ever-so-carefully, he sank back under the covers and tried to pick a comfortable spot for Ronnie. He wouldn't try to detach her from him, not yet, but he should get back to work on a solution.

Before he tried to leave, though, he leaned down to leave a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, princess."

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Deadlines [Open---see note]

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