Natalie Grayswift wasn’t sure why she was here.

“Here” held a lot of gravity, in that sense. She sat in Ms. Hendrix’s High School History class, in her assigned seat. Not because class was in session; it was ten o’clock at night, far past when anyone would’ve been on school grounds. For that matter, it wasn’t clear class would ever be back in session, at least not here- between the constant need for repairs elsewhere in town, and the fact that there hadn’t been enough kids to justify separate schools for many years now, the current plan was to keep all the high schoolers and grade schoolers together. That change was, it seemed, likely permanent.

There were a lot of changes that had been temporary at first, but came to be permanent. As she looked down at her prosthetic arms, she wondered. It had been a month since she’d lost her arms- sacrificed them without a thought, to save another- and at the time she’d figured they would grow back. But the days turned to weeks, and not one inch did her arms regenerate; the prosthetics her mother had designed for her fit exactly as well today as they had the day she’d made them. An after-effect of the very dangerous stuff she’d tapped into for her hail mary play, perhaps? She didn’t exactly regret it... but she did wonder if she’d have been so fearless if she’d known they might not come back. There was no point in vacillating over the decision, of course- the choice had been made, the damage done.

Damage. Natalie looked around at the room. Broken glass from a nearby window littered the head of the classroom. Tablets and books were strewn all over the floor, their precious pages bent from panicked, careless throws. Electric pens, novelty charms and stickers laid half-spilled from a glittery backpack, all forgotten by their owner. Desks and chairs had been thrown and tumbled over, big claw-pattern gashes in their surfaces. The door remained open since the day it had been forced, by inhumanly strong hands. 

She stood up. Cocked her head. Pointed a finger. “... Flood Fill.”

Black and red ink fell over everything, tracing every inch of the classroom and all the objects in it. Everything and everyone she wanted to protect, guarded by an exertion of her own flesh and spirit.

“If I’d known this back then...” ... What? She lingered on the thought. Would things have been different? Her mind fixated on that day, on herself. She’d been so confused, so afraid and unsure. But was the Natalie Grayswift of today really that much stronger than the one from back then? 

Well... no. Not really. It was only a few months ago.

And yet, she thought as she exited the room, that felt absurd. In a few short months, Natalie had gone from the girl who’d run scared from a solitary cat-sized monster, to the singular person the people of her town longed for when the world looked ready to fall to pieces. But knowledge really was power, and she hadn’t known back then. In the principal's office, she hadn’t known she had the courage to stand up to anyone, regardless of their authority. In the lunch line, she hadn’t known she had an alien symbiote inside her, backing up her decisions with might. In class, she hadn’t known her favorite superhero was just underneath her own hometown, and she would someday earn his trust and respect.

She hadn’t known that what she felt back then was a silly, self-centered fantasy meant to make her feel important- one which had spurred her to wish every day something exciting would happen. That wish had been well and truly granted, and it had matured into a deep and real desire to protect this same town she had once bemoaned.

Echelon leaned against Natalie’s locker, waiting for her as she walked down the hall. “How goes the war against the Past?”

“Yeah, I guess you must think I’m silly, re-fighting all these old battles in my head,” Natalie admitted.

The inkling’s face was measured as she considered her host. “Actually, I was going to say that you’ve really grown. Into a leader, I mean.”

She stopped and turned to face her. “... Then why does it feel like I have less idea what I’m doing than ever before?”

Echelon smiled impishly. “It was always this hard. All you lost was ignorance.”

Natalie laughed despite herself. “Maaaaan.” She shook her head. “Alright. I guess I can’t put it off any longer. Let’s go home.”

The blackberry inkling grinned and matched her pace, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Yeah! And don’t worry, I picked up a present for Mom!”

Natalie grinned back. “You are so gassed that she let you call her that.”

“Yeah! And you better watch out, or I’m gonna be her favorite!”

“Ah?! We’ll see about that!”

Their giggles and banter echoed throughout the school, and for a moment, it felt like its former self.

 -
- -
 -

The next morning was a busy one at Penceworth Estates, by the efforts of one young man.

“Thanks for the food~!” Amanda Lee chirped over the warm din of her packmates all playing video games while sharing a blanket together. With all the fuzzy blue and white decorations, snowflake decals and the warm glow of a holographic fire, the mood of Bo’s room was ‘cozy.’ 

“You’re welcome!” Jacent responded cheerfully, hefting his duffel bag and waving farewell to his downstairs neighbors. 

Widget shut the door behind them, smirking and adjusting her jacket. She chose to present with her holographic pre-splice look these days. “Well they’re a fun bunch.”

Jasmine floated in midair, hands behind her head. “You nerds have been busy all morning! Are we done running this reverse soup kitchen yet??”

“Almost!” Jacent stepped into the elevator. “Just one more left to go.”

The knock at the door was met with a distracted “Coming!” Before too long, Alliston Madriccie opened the door and looked up in surprise at the three pre-splicers crowding her porch. “Begad! Are they diggin’ up more of you??”

Widget grinned ear to ear, laughing quietly. “Nice dress.” The fox had put one on in a style common to the season- apparently something about the fluff-trimmed velvet ‘Santa’ fashion had filtered down through the ages. Allie’s in particular was a strapless blue dress with a white anchor embroidered on it. “Didn’t take you for the festive type.”

Jasmine scoffed. “Duhhh, ice powers! She’s contractually obligated.”

“... Ahaha, well, y’know, trying new things and all that,” Alliston laughed awkwardly. “Ah... uh... oh! Right, yeah, dooo you want to come in...?” she asked, knowing that was the thing to do, but being unsure why either she or they would want that. 

“No need, my friend,” Jacent assuaged her worries, reaching into his bag and producing a waxed-paper take out box stuffed with his own still-hot cooking. 

If she was trying to hide her reaction, she failed miserably; one snout-twitching sniff of the stuff and the fox swallowed hard, her stomach growling audibly. “B-Blow me down, I forgot to eat dinner last night...” She took it, looking for all the world like she wanted to eviscerate the contents right in front of this gaggle of weirdos. 

Jacent laughed richly. “Fortuitous timing, then! Take it in good health.”

She blushed, tail flicking this way and that as she sniffed at the box intently. “Mmm... uh, m-my thanks to ye. Happy Homeshare!” she called as they left, waving a cutely mittened hand.

Jasmine elbowed the elevator button. “Ah, Jie Xian. Able to be nice to even people who’ve tried to kill you. It makes me sick,” she razzed him flatly.

“You’re just jealous you can’t have any pot stickers.”

“Of course I’m jealous, aaargh!!” Jazz throttled an imaginary person in frustration as they entered Jacent’s apartment. “I want one so god damn bad!”

“How about some sugar instead!” Widget leapt and tackled Jasmine to the couch, pinning the ghost under herself and squeezing her, looking like she’d just hugged her favorite teddy bear.

“Mmngh! Nnh... Widge! C-C’mon...!” Jazz squirmed, in a rare moment of someone having gotten the better of her for a change.

Samantha came into the living room from the hallway, wearing a fabulous Homeshare dress of her own, along with a hat and lots of little accouterments. “Ohohoho, that’s adorable. Welcome back, Sweetest.”

Jacent’s eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you here!” He grabbed her immediately, pulling her up to his level.

Samantha had never had a complex about her height, but if she held any reservations about it, they melted away every time he picked her up. His big strong arms lifted her with ease, and he tended to hold her by crossing his muscular forearms under her butt. She had every excuse to put her hands all over his chest and shoulders in the name of supporting herself, and she took advantage of it fully. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Jacent anticipated her big, soft, glossy pink lips and shivered as they met his own. For how small she was, it always surprised him how she could be so warm. The chill of the morning evaporated when her hot little body met with his. “That is a nice surprise. I didn’t think I’d get to see you today.”

“Mm. Well, Papa didn’t need any help at the office, so I was free to roam. Everyone is visiting or out of town doing the same, so I thought I’d harass you for a while.” She smiled wryly and ran her fingers through his long red mane.

“Oh, no.” He frowned.

“... What?”

“Now I have bats in my hair.”

Sam grinned, baring her fangs. “And now they’re going to bite you!”	

He feigned shock and began ‘wrestling’ with her. “No! She was right all along! My hubris!”

Jasmine, meanwhile, was similarly dealing with a beetle infestation. 

“Ngah, agh, stoppit!” Widget grunted during their wrestling match.

Jazz insistently tugged on Widget’s sidetail. “You need a second one.”

“Huh?? A second ponytail, why??”

“One for each hand!” she said as if it were obvious. “When I’m hitting it from the back.”

Widget rolled her eyes into the back of her head before grabbing a couch pillow and jumping onto Jasmine with it. The girl honked in surprise and squealed with laughter as Widget attempted to crush her. “I can’t believe I fell in love with you.”

“I can’t either!” she wheezed. “How embarrassing!”

Sam stopped nuzzling Jacent’s nose with her own in a disgustingly cute display of affection long enough to look over. “Oh! It’s well into the morning, we should get going.” Jacent hugged her tighter before letting her go, then gave her a little smack on the rump. Samantha giggled and sashayed over to the coffee table, picking up her thermal clothes with an exaggerated motion back at him, which had him grinning like a big dork.

“Oooh,” Jazz gawped sideways from under Widget’s butt. “Better watch out, Jie Xian’s gonna give you his ‘Christmas Package’ tonight!”

“Jasmine!” Jacent chastised her to absolutely no avail. “That is not what’s going to happen!”

Samantha looked up at him with big doe eyes. “It isn’t??”

He blinked, stunned and stuttering as the three girls laughed uproariously. He had, once again, been boondoggled.

 -
- -
 -

Snow fell with steady insistence on the city of Locksmouth. The tech wizards at the Climate Control Center had finally seen to repairing the thing for good, and just in time to grant everybody a cold and snowy Homeshare. It was a picturesque snow fall, the kind of event that gave one a sense of excitement to get indoors and spend time with loved ones. Natalie had a ways to go to reach Carrie’s house, however, and having set out early, she didn’t have to hurry to get to it. She enjoyed the crunch of the snow between her toes too much to want to rush anywhere.

That wasn’t to say she was barefoot, of course. Natalie- and everyone else- walked through town in something called a Thermal Undersuit, a very snug thermal bodysuit that was insulated from moisture and powered with heat. Hers was primarily black, patterned with faded pink paw prints, terminating in pink-palmed hand and foot gloves. Over it, she wore a matching strapless top and short shorts that would’ve left little to the imagination on a normal person- on her they were practically a thong. If it wasn’t for the tasseled skullcap, she’d have almost looked dressed for the beach. But that was the appeal, to her at least. Sand and snow were difficult to encounter outside of specific areas of the Ring, but her earliest happy memories of Locksmouth were walking on the beach, and then later in the snow, feeling them underneath her feet.

She looked up in the snowy gray sky and saw a hint of the Ring’s double band of light from above. “Glad I’m not up there anymore.” Her attention, then, fell to herself. Or rather, a small version of herself, standing in the window display of Jolene’s Toys with a fighting pose and a defiant expression. 

‘Take home the hero of Locksmouth!’ it proclaimed as she crouched down for a better look. ‘Now with goo shooting action!’ the box added, calling attention to its included vat of blackberry slime, made to look like Echelon. She’d signed the papers to let her likeness be sold, same as the others, not that it was anything more than a formality; everyone knew that disallowing legitimate interests to make things of you just meant that the only merchandise available would be made by people who didn’t ask in the first place. People with... different priorities. And being honest, the extra money was nice.

“Wow, Mommy, her butt’s even bigger than yours!”

Natalie shot up in surprise, turning around to see a mortified Officer Murphy holding her child’s hand. “C-... Christopher!”

Natalie couldn’t help but laugh. “Chris, are you giving your mom a hard time again??”

The adorable sprat just blushed and giggled, hiding into his hands. Being a troublemaker didn’t come naturally to the sweet boy, and now he was embarrassed. For all her hard-nosed police work, Murphy clearly had a gentle hand with the kid.

“Gonna go spend Homeshare with your pack?” Natalie asked.

Murphy nodded, only slightly beleaguered by her silly son. “Same as you, I imagine. They gave me the holiday off while they sort out all this stuff with the ‘bots. This year’s been... hard,” she admitted.

The wolf nodded sympathetically, thinking but not speaking of all that had transpired in the intervening months. Osoth, Authoritus, Emnas, Animis, Eos, Vor, Epheral, Mixer, and Grendel- each enough trouble all by themselves, one after the other, to say nothing of other, smaller threats they’d faced. Add to that, the number of inklings integrating into their town- and now, Automa were walking around too, not to mention the rumors of the odd Psyco here and there. “It’s hard to believe everything that’s happened.” Or that we still have a town at all after it, she thought, looking around.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Murphy regarded her with amusement. “’Why would anyone live here?’”

Natalie laughed. caught off guard. “Ah... uh... well.”

It was then that Old Man Murcbee walked by, his withered face crinkling with a grin. “Why would anyone live anywhere else???” He let out a sharp, staccato goat laugh as he left to go beat Arbitrator Ginsmen at cards.

Murphy smirked. “There’s your answer: they believe in you.” She picked up her son and walked down the road once more. “Happy Homeshare, Grayswift.”

 -
- -
 -

“Hey dude, you done painting the eyes yet??” asked Max, hanging in a hammock just a few feet beneath the ceiling in a corner of a guest bedroom in Carrie’s house. The thing was full of craft supplies, which he was busy manipulating to make strange creations, such as construction paper finger puppets with three or one or twelve eyes. 

Beneath him, Erwin was hard at work carefully applying color to a very articulated doll. “Almost! The face is the hardest part... I don’t know how you draw so many so fast.”

“It’s because he draws exclusively silly monster faces, I’m guessing,” Kei responded, wrapping up gifts with an amused face and enjoying his renewed flexibility, having healed his injuries. “Honestly I had no idea Max was so creative; I really feel at home in this pack.”

“That’s wonderful to hear,” said Animis as she came into the room carrying a tray replete with mugs of hot chocolate. “You boys are working so hard, I got you something nice to warm yourselves up.”

“Thanks watermelon lady!” Max acknowledged, holding the drink upside-down while upside-down. Gropey blorped in agreement.

“Thanksssanimis...” Kei self-consciously trailed off.

Erwin looked up and smiled. “It’s okay, nobody’s gonna judge. You can say it.”

Buoyed, Kei looked up at Animis and smiled. “Thanks, Mom.” The inkling hugged his upper body and nuzzled his cheek lovingly, making the boy blush just a little. With time, and peace, the healing had begun for them. Many terrible things had happened in a short time, but with it, also some of the best developments in both of their lives. Fate was whimsical, it seemed, but they were determined to ride out the bad to enjoy the good.

 -
- -
 -

Grendolyn Murcbee walked into the apartment like she owned the place. Bits of snow clung to the skin-tight black fabric undersuit she wore, along with a pair of yellow boots, gloves and a hoodie style halter top, the chest’s lightning bolt logo framed by drawstrings. “Aren, are you up??” she called from the entryway, kicking the door shut.

“Yeah!” he answered distantly from another room. The automaid rolled up and brushed the snow off of Gren’s boots.

“Are you ready then??” She paced inward, making her way to his room. “Today’s the big day you know! They’ve got the bonfire going and everything!”

“Just a minute~!”

Gren peered curiously at Aren’s bedroom door, putting her ear up to it.

“There!” When Aren opened the door, he too was wearing a thermal undersuit. And unlike Gren’s bottomless ensemble sans her studded belt to match her wristbands, his outfit favored yellow sneakers, mittens, and no top. The brief-style bottoms he wore, however, were quite attention-grabbing; his maleness bulged through the front of them, covered by a pleated sweater fabric pattern that looked fetchingly soft... and the backs of them were practically nonexistent, what remained of the jock strap esque elastics framing his undersuited buns with a heart pattern. He twisted and posed for her, grinning bashfully despite his clear flirtation.

“O-...” Gren’s face got pink and hot. “O-Oh. H-Hey. You look...” She swallowed, realized she’d been staring at his lower half for uncountable seconds, and looked up. “N-Nice.”

“Thanks~” Aren shyly extended a hand. She took it in hers, and they both avoided eye contact despite the smiles they couldn’t wipe off their faces. “Um... your make-up looks nice,” he stole a glance long enough to enjoy the fact that she’d put on heavy black eyeshadow and lipstick today.

Gren laughed nervously, scratching her cheek. “Eheheheh... w-whatever, let’s go! Carrie’s waiting!”

“To Carrie’s house!” He agreed, and the two of them hurried off, their footsteps echoing down the stairs.

 -
- -
 -

The inside of Oakenfield Manor seemed almost bigger than the outside. Marble floors, stone pillars, platinum trim- the whole place was an obscene show of wealth in a time and place where that meant almost nothing. Every addition was not made to pad the owners’ egos, but to keep them under the wealth cap, spending what they could so as not to waste effort- thus was the logic of Hugh Oakenfield. It wasn’t that his work as an Economist made him rich beyond measure. Certainly he did quite well, but the main earner was Margaret Oakenfield, whose fashion designs were incredibly successful.

“Now hold still, sweetie, I have to see what adjustments I need to make,” Margie said patiently as her statuesque daughter stood there, looking bored as she puffed a medstick in her workout clothes. “I thought I’d had your wardrobe settled, but these days it’s like you’re back to being a powerlifter again.”

“A few more centimeters around the biceps and bust oughta do it, Mom,” Carrie said casually. “It’s where I always get my biggest gains.”

“You’re probably right, dear- I don’t need the tape to tell you’ve packed on even more layers than before. If you didn’t have so much muscle I’d fear for your back!” she joked.

“Uh, should we be here for this?” Wade asked, laughing.

Carrie grinned, posed and flexed, looking down at him like a goddess observing a village peasant. “Drink it in, short stuff!” She exhaled medicinal vapor through her nose. “You and the rest of the ‘Rent Squad’ve been spending more time at our house than your own lately, so if you and the other fossils don’t want to catch me looking like an absolute dream, you’re sh-” she caught herself, “-sure outta luck.”

“What she means to say,” Margaret finished taking measurements, “Is that you’re always welcome here. It just makes sense for everyone to spend Homeshare in our house- it’s big enough for everyone, nice and cozy, and my little kitten isn’t shy in the least.”

“Speaking of shy, has anyone seen Lorna?” Dr. Masterson asked.

“That’s a good question,” Carrie concurred, slipping into her sweater dress beach-bum outfit. “I haven’t seen Dr. Natalie’s Mom in a while, even when I come over. It’s just Nat lately.”

Wade nodded sympathetically. “I’m afraid she’s been working at this secret project of hers day and night. The longer it goes on, the more frantically she’s been trying to finish it.”

“Awww, well can’t she take a day off?” Hugh asked, wearing an apron covered in flour. Penelope Goldstein put her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind, her own hands dusted with the stuff as well. He paused and smiled back at her. “This is our first Homeshare together, it should be special.”

Margaret shared a conspiratorial smile with Diane Masterson and squeezed the smaller woman to her by the waist. “I don’t think you’ll find anyone who disagrees, dear, but you know how Grayswifts are.”

Just then, Natalie made her way into the house proper, tossing off her hat. “Driven? Determined?? Unstoppable???”

Carrie put a hand on her hip and smirked. “Pushy? Bossy?? Feared by barstools???”

Natalie gritted her teeth at the challenge, marched over and punched Carrie square in the boob. Her knuckles didn’t even reach halfway to ribcage but the cat’s impish grin told her she’d scored a direct hit. Carrie put her in a headlock, which blinded the wolf in a mountain of sideboob she wasn’t wont to try to leave- at which point she looked over her other shoulder and SMACKed her girlfriend’s big helpless butt so loudly everyone’s ears winced. “Ngyaahh!” Natalie wriggled out of the hold and pushed her chest up against Carrie’s. “I’ll get you next time, bitch,” she whispered with a grin.

Carrie responded by kissing her on the lips with an audibly pleasing ~POP~ “Good to see you too~”

“I missed you last night,” Natalie responded with a smile, then looked over. “Oh hey Uncle Wade! Did the kids get here yet??”

“Hey kiddo!” The mouse man responded cheerfully. “Gren and Aren, you mean? No, haven’t seen them.”

“Oh, perfect! I can’t wait to see their faces!”

“Well then you’re in luck!” Widget announced, walking in with her gang in tow, as well as the two youngest pack members. “Hey everybody! We picked them up on the way over,” she supplied cheerfully. 

“Hey guys!” Natalie greeted the rest. “You ready for a nice night together??”

“Yeah!” Gren and Aren cheered in unison, shepherding the older pack members toward the upstairs recreation room.

 -
- -
 - 

Jacent had never been a group activity kind of person. Back in the orphanage, he’d sat by himself reading books. After turning to a life of crime fighting, he kept to himself to protect others. The only exception had always been hanging out with Widget and Jasmine; being in the company of his little gang helped him feel safe, relaxed. Strangely enough, he’d found that Natalie’s company- her own and that which she kept- did the same. The many anxieties of life that he’d built up over the years, like stacks of debt tallied on thick, heavy stone tablets... slowly faded as he heard the festive music. Worries melted away as he watched the snow fall outside of the wall-sized, one-way patio window while the holographic fireplace crackled. A sense of belonging warmed him as he observed his friends- having shed their outer layers in favor of the now heavily vented pajama-like thermal suits- all enjoying each other’s company.

Samantha shared Jacent’s bean bag, laying on it like a slope, her teased and wavy hair trailing upward. She enjoyed her position like some manner of ancient empress, surveying the good vibes and occasionally turning over to Jacent for a contented gaze and a kiss or two. “Mmmm... is everyone quite comfortable?”

“I’m warm now!” Aren announced. “Can we do the Gift Share??”

“Oh shit, we get presents??” Jazz joked, grinning knowingly.

“Yeah!” Natalie responded to her earnestly, disarming her with that guileless smile.

“O-... Oh.” She looked around, laughing nervously. “Uh I hope you didn’t expect one from me, being a ghost is pretty lousy money.”

Nat shook her head. “On Homeshare, everyone in your pack works together to get each packmate one gift from all of us. Nobody’s left out, and you don’t have to panic about getting a ton of gifts. Plus, it’s just more thoughtful that way, you know?”

“That’s pretty cool!” said Widget. “I can’t wait to help out in the future!” 

Natalie nodded and clapped her hands. “Alright, everyone, Team Reactor is getting antsy- you guys down for the Gift Share??”

“Yeah yeah yeah!!” Gren and Aren bounced up and down excitedly.

Carrie raised her head up. “Alright, Jeeves, bring the first present.”

A very expensive and kitted-out automaid with an honest to goodness bowtie on its chassis floated over to a pile of gifts and levitated one out from behind the small fuzzy blanket that hid the tantalizing heap of swag. It ferried the present over on top of it and stopped in front of Widget, to whom the gift was addressed.

“Oh, me??” The robot girl lifted the rectangular box and tugged the paper off, then pulled from it a device that looked like a very radical folder binder. “What? A Trapper-Keeper??” she asked, confused but not displeased.

“It’s an Art Book!” Erwin clarified. “Like the one I have, but this one’s modeled after the school supplies Jacent said you guys loved in your time. You’re always talking about drawing, but I never see you get to do any.”

Widget’s expression was one of surprise. “Aww, dude?? That’s so nice!” She examined the colorful star patterns on the outer cover. “Thank you, everybody! I... was just thinking it might be time to get back into that.”

“Ooh I’m next! And it’s a big one!” Max eagerly tore into a large box, both his eyes and Gropey’s wide with interest. “Aw cool it’s a snowboard!!” he held it above his head like the spoils of conquest. “I can’t wait to tear it up!”

“We can’t wait to see it, Max,” Natalie chuckled. “Maybe we could go to Snowden soon and shred down the mountain together. Speaking of which...”

“Oh?? Ah!” Jacent bent down to retrieve his gift. “Thank you little friend. Now what could this be...?” He pulled out a pair of shoes in his size, orange, with a familiar blue fist symbol. “Ah... what?? That old shirt design...?”

“They’re grav-skiffs, dork!” Carrie sassed him. “Like we have.”

Natalie grinned ear to ear. “Since you’re not using Jasmine’s powers anymore- unless you Mindshare of course, which is totally cool-” she realized she was fangirling and screeched to a halt. “A-Anyway, we thought you might enjoy having your ‘skates’ back!”

Jacent smiled. “That’s very thoughtful, I look forward to you showing me how to use them.” He stepped forward and ruffled Natalie’s hair, which she relished, eyes shut and tail wagging. Despite the conceit, it was clear that this was a present more from her than anyone else, but nobody seemed to mind.

The giving continued. Kei received a stack of very high quality patterned origami paper as well as a pretty floral dress for Animis. “There! See? Now they’ll know you’re one of the good ones,” he said to her, before giving his inkling a big hug.

Erwin got a pair of 3D sculpting gloves, which he immediately put on and made a crude but cute holographic snowman with. “This is great! Now Widget and I can do collaborations on Automa frames!” The beetle bot, in turn, grinned at the idea of working together with him.

Carrie was gifted a Portable Resistance Gym, which amounted to a number of pegs corresponding to a powered backpack, offering resistance via force fields. “Nice! Now I won’t chunk a hole outta the floor when I drop my weights. Thanks guys.”

Shelly was given a pair of sunglasses- stylish, yes, but also a convenient way to read prompts from her PET’s app. “Ooh, like, trés cool, right~??” She gazed from above the tilted shades. “Eheheh, I love them!”

Sam, too, was subjected to a fashionable gift, having received a tactical sneaking suit specially made to dampen footfalls and baffle detection. “Oooh, it’s just like in my novels~!” she raved, hugging it to herself.

Natalie received a large, long, ornate hair braid extension- one featuring the hair, fur and/or plumage of every ally her friends could convince to part with it. This enormous tress represented the largest variety of superpowers Echelon had ever had access to at once... and served as a symbol of all of the friends they’d made and helped along the way. “You guys... this is so great! I’m gonna master Echelon’s powers and get stronger than ever!” she promised. In truth, she’d been practicing with them every day since returning to her own world, but this was sure to push her even further along.

“Yaaaay Natalie!” Gren and Aren cheered for her, absolutely taking her victory as their own. So distracted were they, in fact, that Jeeves tired of being ignored and drove into Aren’s butt, thumping the boy. “Waah!!” He jostled before looking back at two identical gifts sitting on the automaid’s chassis. “Oh! Are! Are those for us???”

“You know it, kiddo!” Carrie encouraged. “G’wan, open ‘em!”

“Awright!!!”

Nobody in the room was old by any stretch of the imagination. Most of them couldn’t even be argued to be adults, especially when measured by the extended lifespan of post-splicers. But as they knelt on the floor, Aren and Grendolyn had the exuberance of youth to a degree that put all others present to shame- their sheer excitement and anticipation was palpable as they tore into the wrapping, opened up the boxes, and pulled out two very high quality, articulated dolls in the likeness of Carrie and Natalie.

“Whooooaaa!!” Gren marveled.
“They look so good!” Aren raved. 
“The arms and legs and the hands move-”
“-And they stand up by themselves-”
“-And they’re so much better than the ones we saw at the store!”

“I know you said you wanted some of those dolls they’re making,” Natalie said, “And I know I said it would be creepy, and you both got really bummed out about that... but I changed my mind,” she gestured in a conciliatory fashion. “Honestly though, those dolls they sold aren’t all that great! Not compared to what our boys can do! So I got Erwin to draw up some designs, Max to do the modeling, and the final touch... Kei, would you please?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Kei smiled and walked over as the other boys beamed at a job well done. The fox bent down, stuck his pointer fingers out, and touched the dolls’ heads. “Boop!”

With that, they both sprung to life! To the kids’ amazement, they walked, then ran around one another. The dolls of Nat & Cat made strange unintelligible mouth noises somewhat akin to speech as they sparred with each other, then grabbed one another’s hands. The Carrie doll swung the Natalie doll around, set her down and they both bent forward to give each other some approximation of a kiss.

“AWWWWW!” Gren & Ten squealed.
“This is the best Homeshare ever, Nyatalie!!”
“Thanks so much you guys, these are awesome!!”
“Wait how alive are they?”
“Oh my gosh do we have to feed them??”
“Are they gonna miss each other when one’s not around???”

Kei laughed and assuaged their fears. “Animis’ powers don’t work that way; they aren’t alive, just animated. Like a cartoon.”

“Oh okay!” They brightened up immediately and began enthusiastically playing with their new toys and rough-housing with one another.

 -
- -
 -

In the living room, their parents were playing a very large word-based board game. Vincent had just made a very shrewd move and seemed uncharacteristically pleased with himself when they heard a loud thump and the sound of echoing laughter.

“Wow, they’re really having a blast up there, aren’t they?” Wade noticed. 

“Should I tell them to keep it down?” Hugh asked.

Terra laughed, clearly unbothered by the noise or her lack of points in the game. “Nooo, let ‘em party hard! It’s been a tough year.”

Vincent nodded. “Besides, better they get it all out of their system early rather than late.”

Wade grunted. “Speaking of systems, could somebody cut Vince down to size already?? He’s making off with the whole board!”

Diane’s eyes narrowed as she made a move that undid his.

“What!” Vincent exclaimed. “My own wife!”

She smiled thinly. “Sorry, dear. It’s everyone for themselves.”

“Woooo, yeah!” Wade cried. “Now we’re playing Gabber! Nice one, Diane!”

She shot the mouse man a knowing look. “I think you’ll find that I can make all kinds of wishes come true.”

Terra whooped and laughed. “She got the greedy eyes, little man, watch yourself!”

 -
- -
 -

The din had grown since they’d opened their respective gifts. Gren and Aren were excitedly watching the dolls get up to all kinds of antics. Shelly was holo-calling Kenny and Simon, who were enjoying Homeshare with their own packs and would be joining her later. Carrie and Natalie were casually sitting with each other and flirting.

And Jasmine... was trying to decide how to raise an issue. “Uh... hey!” She waved. “Not that I’m not having a good time here, but... did you forget something?”

Carrie turned her head. “I don’t think so?”

Jazz blinked. “... I mean like... when I asked about presents... and you said yes, I sorta... you know, figured maybe...”

Carrie snrrrrked and broke out in laughter. “Ah I’m just busting your tits, of course we got you a present!”

Jasmine wheeze-laughed. “You dick! You made me look like an asshole!”

Natalie laughed, then sighed, shaking her head. “I didn’t want to, but Carrie insisted.”

Carrie grinned and pulled out a long, thin box from behind a beanbag in the corner. “I couldn’t resist. Happy Homeshare ya lil’ goblin.” She tossed it to Jazz, who caught it.

“Aw man, a real present!” Jazz couldn’t disguise her excitement; this truly was a rarity for her. She knelt down on the floor, pulled the wrapping off, opened up the box, and... “Whoa... no way...”

~(_)~

“So whaddya wanna do before we get kicked out??” Jasmine asked as she traipsed along the store.

“I want to see the Super Nintendo,” Jacent’s small voice piped up.

“The display again??” Jazz snickered. “Alright, go on then. Play it ‘til your hands fall off.” With that, she watched the boy make his way toward his prize. “What about you?”

Widget shrugged with a smile. “Wherever you wanna go, you’re the boss.”

“Alright, what’s doooown... here?” She made her way to the sports section, looking around at helmets and gloves. “Man, it smells like boot leather in here. How many cows did it take to make all this?”

“I dunno, but if you fart in here I’m gonna break your legs,” Widget threatened.

“That was one time!” Jasmine cackled. Her attention was grabbed, however, by one of the bats on display. “Oh wow...” The metallic pink finish and holographic dragon sticker enraptured her like nothing else.

Widget noticed Jazz wasn’t walking with her anymore, and turned around to see what she was looking at. “... That’s pretty fancy.”

“Aw shit, I want that so bad...” She looked around. “You think they’d notice if I shoved it up my butt?”

“I think you’d notice. Look, if you want it so bad, just get it.”

“Uh yeah, would love to, genius, but I don’t have any money- and I’d have to swallow this thing to make it out of here with it.”

Widget looked at her with a smirk, pulling out her mom’s credit card. “You need money? Cha-ching?”

Jasmine’s face cycled through confusion, surprise, then elation. “No way!”

“Yes way.”

She hugged Widget around the middle. “Dude, yes! You’re awesome!”

Widget’s face flushed. “Uh... y-... yeah! Y- uh... You’re welcome.”

~(_)~

The gift she’d opened was not the ghostly memory of a child-size slugger her powers conjured- but a full sized pink stained metal baseball bat with an iridescent dragon inlay spiraling almost the entire way up. It was every bit Widget’s thoughtful gift but grown up. She hefted it in her hands and admired the holographic glittering sparkles through the whole thing. “Th-... This is fucking awesome!” she declared, hefting it into the air. 

~THUNK!~

Jasmine’s eyes widened in panic as she dropped it to the floor. “Ah! Wha?! S-Shit!” Her hands grasped for it. “God damn powers on the fritz again...”

“Oh! I’ll get it!” Gren walked over. 

“No no it’s fine just gimme a-” Jasmine summoned her powers in earnest, summoning blackness and wind around her. 

“Brrrr! Oh! G-G-Gosh you’re so cold!” Gren bleated, shivering.

Jasmine looked to the girl, whose teeth were chattering, then down at herself, having manifested blue ectoplasmic glow and grave mist, all just so she could pick up an object more carefully. “... Sorry, kid. When I don’t concentrate, I can’t touch anything, and... well. Anyway. ” She looked down sadly at the bat.

Gren detected Jazz’s sad tone and tilted her head. “Um, I like your spooky powers though! Normally.”

She didn’t meet her gaze. “Yeah. Thanks. Um... and thanks for the present, guys. Widge, can you... take it for me? We’ll put it up somewhere I can see it, at home.”

Natalie’s PET suddenly lit up. “Huh? Who’s calli-... Mom??”

Sure enough, a very distracted Dr. Grayswift lit up on the holographic display, dressed in full lab gear and clearly having been at it a while already. “Hey sweetheart, it’s me- listen can I talk to Jasmine for a second? Oh good she’s there with you.”

Jasmine looked up from the bat. “Huh? What’s up, doc?”

Bright diagnostic lights reflected in Lorna’s glasses, making it harder to see her expression- which only accentuated how distracted she seemed. “Yeah, could I get you down here to do another test? It’ll be quick, I think.”

“Ugh!” Natalie groaned loudly. “Mom! It’s bad enough you’ve been cooped up in that place when you should be having Homeshare with Wade and the rest of your pack, but do you have to drag Jazz into it too??”

“Oh, is it Homeshare already...?” The doctor marveled absently, staring at some figures on her tablet. “Guess I lost track of time...”

“Oh my god you’re impossible when you get like this,” Natalie rolled her eyes.

“Hey, you know what, it’s fine,” Jasmine said. “I was honestly getting a little stir crazy anyway, I’ll just go help out with whatever it is she wants and come back when it’s done.”

“... Aw.” Natalie looked at her with concern. “Are you sure?”

“I-I’ll go with you!” Widget offered, getting up.

“No, no.” She put her hands up. “It’s cool, really! I think I could use a little time to myself,” she said more plainly.

Widget drooped visibly and fidgeted with her fingers. “Oh, uh yeah, sure. Um. See you when you get back.” She picked up the bat and held it close to her.

Jazz turned and floated through the wall, her surroundings changing instantly from the cozy, warm room full of people to the serene, if desolate snowy outside.

 -
- -
 -

Jasmine floated silently above the snow with aimless indifference. To see her now, those who were used to her cheeky, grinning mischief might not even recognize her. The truth of that wasn’t that something bad had happened to her... it was that something good was constantly happening to somebody else.

She’d tried so hard to seem grateful. To be satisfied that Natalie had saved her life. To be content that people could see her. But she was rotten inside- she saw that now. Every attempt to be happy for other people filled her with envy. Every day she lived with everyone else, it reminded her how incomplete her existence was. At the end of the day, was she really more alive than those damned dolls?

Jasmine understood now why ghosts were such massive bummers in stories. They couldn’t do anything. They envied the living, and regretted their own loss, and it defined them. It defined her. She could fight it as hard as she liked and it would never abate. Every hug they got made her ache to be able to feel the ones she received. Every new outfit they wore made her wish she could change hers. Every plush, warm body reminded her that she was stuck as a cold, dead child- a buried seed that would never bloom. She hated that it mattered to her so much. She wished she could just keep laughing forever. But nobody was laughing now. It wasn’t funny.

She momentarily wondered about leaving. Finding the limits of her tether and just letting everyone else be happy without her. At least then she wouldn’t be bothering them with her own pitiful problems. After a few minutes, she decided that at the very least it would be rude to leave Dr. Grayswift hanging with no explanation, and followed the path of least resistance.

The Ink Well was no longer a flying fortress. Not that it couldn’t be, but rather that it simply had no reason to be, anymore. Jazz had had no issue getting to it, and soon the winding hallway she found herself in opened into a room completely unlike all the others. Grease-stained concrete flooring, littered with high-gauge braided electric cabling. Walls obscured entirely behind shelves, hooks and tools of such wildly specific application it was impossible at a glance to glean their function. A high ceiling with strong ventilation meant to carry away smoke, chemical fumes and ambient heat. This wasn’t a room so much as a garage, and a weird one at that. Unidentifiable materials made of complex polymers were coated in multifarious primers, curing agents and lubricants. Specialty bonding implements littered table space. The place was big, and yet the available room was so comparatively tiny.

“Geez, Doc, you opening a chop shop?” Jazz asked.

“Ah. You’re here.” Dr. Grayswift stood up without turning around. She had an air of seriousness about her that was rarely seen. “... Tell me something, Jasmine. Do you hate doctors?” 

She paused, a little stunned. “I mean the ones that lack a big ol’ butt, at least. That makes anyone more likable,” she joked.

“It’s understandable, you know,” she said, ignoring her obvious attempt to lighten the mood. “Given the circumstances. I don’t blame you for having that reaction. Nor would I blame you for not trusting one, not totally.”

Jasmine’s eyebrows slowly fell, concern growing on her face. “... What’s this all about...? Wait.” She looked at a prototype on the table. “That’s... it looks like...”

~(_)~

“Easy, now,” Nhilus helped Jasmine walk down the hall, then into the laboratory. Cables were everywhere. It stunk of grease. “Are you ready?”

“R-” Jasmine coughed, in the grips of her illness. Her head was spinning until she sat down. “Ready for what?”

“Your new brain,” he said, patting a box on the table.

“That’s a brain...?” she asked, looking at it inquisitively.

~(_)~

“B-...” Jazz furrowed her brows. “But why a sandbox? That has nothing to do with you! You’re all about AI, right?”

“Yes.” Dr. Grayswift nodded. “And when I want to get back into AI research, that’s the road I’ll be walking down.”

“So why are you-” Jasmine gasped.

~(_)~

“Your new brain!” Nhilus repeated with enthusiasm. “And your new body.”

He pulled the sheet off of a doll-like replica of herself, hair cut neatly, metal skin white as snow, digital eye sockets black as night.

Jasmine’s eyes widened. “... What...?”

“Isn’t she elegant?” he asked, rubbing some of the artificial hair between his fingers.

“It’s horrible,” Jasmine whispered.

“What??” He frowned. “Mm. Unfortunate. But the appearance can be altered, it shouldn’t be-”

“No!”

“Jasmine-”

“NO!!” She bolted up from the chair and ran out into the hallway, hitting the wall and cringing. The image of the thing lingered in her head, that corpse-like metal monster. “No...” she wept angrily. “I won’t...”

~(_)~

In the present, an eerily familiar shape bulged underneath a sheet. “Oh god...”

“Do you know what Mad Science is?” Lorna walked away to inspect her tools. 

Jasmine said nothing. 

“It’s when you become undisciplined.” 

Jasmine’s hand slowly reached toward the sheet.

“When you throw away your impartiality and pursue an end in your research for an emotional reason. “

Her fingers tightened around it, her grip shaking.

“You’re in its grasp, driven. And it won’t let you go until you finally satisfy it, that emotion.”

Gritting her teeth, Jasmine ripped the sheet off.

“...”

Shock played on her face, but a different kind. What laid in front of her was not Grendel..... but Jasmine. An older Jasmine. Her height was tall, as tall as Jie Xian maybe. She’d filled out in appreciable ways- the fruit she’d never lived to bear. The face she’d been given, eyes closed and peaceful... it was pretty. Not the chubby-cheeked face of childhood, but her, re-imagined as a young woman. Long raven hair, a matured body, but still with a hint of that impish mischief about her. 

“I-...” Jazz’s voice was uneasy. “It’s beautiful...” She turned toward Lorna. “What is this...?”

“The idea of a little girl, someone’s daughter, being taken and tricked and sacrificed... being forced to live half of a life clinging to her brother...” Lorna turned, finally, toward Jasmine, eyes glistening with tears that wouldn’t fall. “It... broke me. Overcame me. The longer I thought about it...” She sighed and knit her brows, eyes closed. “It’s selfish, but... I couldn’t risk anyone trying to stop me.”

“Then...” Jazz turned her gaze to the box on the table. “It’s not-”

“Grendel’s? No. This sandbox isn’t anyone’s. It’s new. A blank page.”

“A blank page...” She looked back to the robot.

She’d been given a dress to wear. A cheongsam made of shiny black silk, with jade trim. On the front was embroidered a yin-yang, and on the back a highly stylized and simplified depiction of a dragon. It was split on both sides, high on the legs, and terminated in matching short socks and flat sneakers. 

“Carrie’s mom made the dress,” Lorna commented with a smile. “Or at least, she made the design, then didn’t go through with it when the kids told her you have to concentrate to carry things.”

In any other context she’d have derided it for being a stereotypical Chinatown tourist souvenir, the kind of thing she and Jie Xian would laugh at people for wearing. But the idea of someone so far removed from the world she was from, trying so hard to capture her own culture, and putting it on a very pretty dress was... oddly touching. The gravity of the gesture transformed it into something truly beautiful. It looked nice on her perfect skin. Her... skin. “... The skin’s just a hologram, isn’t it.” She turned to Lorna. “Like Widget’s.”

Dr. Grayswift nodded. “Let me show you what’s underneath.”

When the hologram fell, her skin was replaced with not metal, but layer after layer of fabric-covered gel. There was nary a rough angle in sight, and every bit of it had give. Her face was a light-neutral display, not dark like Widget’s typical Automa face, but also not Grendel’s offputting Nixie Tube eyes. It was a compromise that softened her features into something expressive, but not threatening.

“The fabric is threadlinked, so it gives the sensation of skin to anyone who touches it,” Lorna supplied. “Each fabric section is filled with a gel that simulates flesh for those who need more forgiving prosthetics.”

Jasmine’s gaze fell down the neckline, and onto the unmistakable seams tracing around the borders of her individual breasts. “Um.”

“I extrapolated out what you’d look like when you got older, but... if you disagree, the amount of gel in various parts is... adjustable,” she said diplomatically.

Jazz blinked, flustered. This was too good to be true. It just was. This was a reward befitting someone who wasn’t a selfish brat. That’s what she was, after all. Selfish. For wanting something like this. “What, so... just because you put in a ton of work, and gave me a sympathetic story, I have to take it, then?” She looked at it, then, realizing she couldn’t hide her desire, turned away, arms folded.

“No.”

Jazz opened her eyes. “... What?”

Lorna walked over to her slowly. “Kiddo, I did this all in secret precisely because you’ve been dragged around by the nose your whole life. I didn’t want you to feel pressure from your friends to accept, or pressure from cowardly bureaucrats to refuse.” She crouched down, looking Jasmine in the face with a soft, warm, motherly smile. “I want you to take it because that’s what you want... or leave it, because it isn’t.”

Jazz looked at her with eyes that couldn’t trust. Betrayed eyes, that had seen so many monstrous things done. A face that laughed, perhaps, to stop from crying.

“Take your time,” Dr. Grayswift assured her. “I’m going to start cleaning up.” And with that, she stood and did exactly that.

The garage stretched out before Jasmine. Doubt plagued her. It’s a trick. And even if it wasn’t a trick, you don’t deserve it. Stop hoping, dammit! It’s not real!

Jazz’s hands shook as she looked back toward the simulacrum made to look like her. Intense feelings she had long buried came now to the surface. Feelings of longing.  Feelings she had to swallow lest they bury her brother in guilt when he already had the weight of the world on his shoulders. As she overlaid her hand onto the frame’s hand... it just reiterated how much larger she was. More full of potential. Not stuck as someone’s last memory... 

It... can’t be real... can it?

Lorna felt a tug on her back pocket. Jasmine’s inscrutable expression beckoned. “I’m ready.”

She smiled. “Then come with me.”

The procedure was one out of a monster movie. Her robot body lay on its charging bay, and another, smaller metal bed slid out next to it. 

“Now remember,” Lorna instructed, grabbing a knife switch that could just as easily have been a simple button if not for her flair for the dramatic. “Concentrate on being here and now, as hard as you can!”

~K-CHUNK, vvvVVVVVMMMMM~

Jazz looked down at her hands. She had once more begun to disintegrate and be pulled inexorably in one direction, just like on that fateful day. In this context, it was just as scary as it was then, and the anxiety played out on her face. She willed herself to materialize as much as possible as her hands, then arms pulled toward the inert form on the wall. Jasmine looked up, out into space. Are you gonna punish me one more time for hoping? Don’t. Come on, just... just let me have this. 

The machine grew louder.

She closed her eyes and whispered, “Come on, c’mon, c’mon... come onnn...!” until she could voice the words no more. She turned to dust in the wind, and as the last of her floated away, she said one final plea... before disappearing entirely.

Consciousness faded away.

All that was left was blackness.

An empty, vacuous void.

Dr. Grayswift held her breath. Stared. Estimates and figured double-and-triple-checked went through her head as the seconds ticked on. She swallowed.

 -
- -
 -

“Jacent?”

“...”

Carrie finally got his attention. “Hey! Dork!” She shook him out of the trance he’d entered. “What happened??”

He stared, perplexed. “I...”

“What? What is it??” Gren goaded.

“I don’t feel her anymore.”

 -
- -
 -

And then... letters.

A pixelated image of digitized dolphins, swimming in an iridescent pool.

[ Bootloading...
Writing backlogged engrams...
...
.....
....... Good Morning! ]

Jazz opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the pink skull from Natalie’s hoodie, emblazoned across a sleeveless t-shirt Lorna had taken to wearing under her labcoat. A show of solidarity with her daughter, no doubt. Jazz raised her hands in front of her, staring at them. They were mechanical, but elegantly so, responding to her intuitive movements. 

Jasmine felt a rush of sensations surge toward her all at once. The warmth of the room she was in; the prickle of air passing over her skin; the smell of industrial lubricants and cheap microwave food; the brightness of the warm lights; the buzzing sound of electric appliances drawing power. Not the ghostly after images of a faint idea, not a memory in Jie Xian’s dreams- it was all real and it was hers. The sheer overwhelming ability to take in all of these things at once again was like being dropped in the deep end. She gasped to draw breaths she didn’t need. She shivered at the draft let in, and warmed up as if because of it. She felt bleary, lazy tears pool in the corners of her eyes and fall down her cheeks; when she touched the holographic illusions, incredibly, she could feel their warmth and wetness. It was really as if she’d woken up after near death. Near... but nonetheless, well and truly, alive. 

A-... Alive??

A growing excitement built.

“D-... Did we do it??”

She gasped, shocked at the sound of her own voice. No longer the squeaky rasp of a little girl, nor was it cold and predatory; it was... her.  Incredibly, the sound of a voice she never had but always felt was coming. 

“So?” Lorna relaxed visibly. “How’s it feel?”

“... Like a body...” Jasmine marveled, flexing and moving and feeling her own flesh with itself. “A real... actual body...” She grabbed her thighs and squeezed. “I’m so soft... and alive!”

“Then my work here is done.” Dr. Grayswift smiled and turned to leave, flipping off switches as she went. “I left a bunch of instructional videos if you need help doing this or that, it’s all in the Readme file.”

“Hey.” Jazz whispered, making Lorna stop and turn back. “Fuck that,” she said with a wavering voice. “Come here.”

Lorna’s inquisitive glance turned to a warm smile. She accepted Jasmine into her arms as the girl marched up and hugged her tightly.

Jasmine held onto her, feeling the warm softness of the woman’s generous figure pressed against her in a gesture of maternal comfort. It felt so good she ached. It was strange to share this moment with someone she didn’t know that well... but she felt so vulnerable, and Natalie’s mom was a port in this maelstrom of emotions. Something about the way Lorna held her felt unfamiliar to the orphan girl... in a really good way. She forced herself to calm down. “... Thanks, Doc...”

Lorna gave her a wry smile. “Well now that doesn’t sound like the punkass I invited over here.”

Jazz let out a laugh, the startled wheeze-honk she was known for. “Ugh, I’m so glad you didn’t do this in front of people, what a fucking basket case...” She wiped her eyes, and the sensation of them evaporating came off of her cheeks. “Hah, okay, alright, I’m cool, I’m cool. Man, though... you really are nothing like him.” She was at a loss. “I don’t know how to pay you back for this.” 

Dr. Grayswift patted her on the back. “If you really want to pay me back? Think hard about what kind of person you want to be.”

Jazz stopped and considered that for a moment. “... Yeah.” She nodded. “Alright! I... I will!” Then she stood straight, took a deep breath, straightened her dress, stopped to admire her own breasts for a moment, and headed for the door. “Weird Furry Blanket Christmas, Take Two!”

 -
- -
 -

Jasmine took her first few steps into the snow outside and felt a chill run up her legs. The shivering was half from the cold, half the excitement of feeling the nip of the air and the freezing surface of the powdery stuff blanketing the ground. The obscured sun gave the blanket of snow a bright halo, counteracting the indirect light; the effect took away all shadow, a perfect barometer for the cheerful mood the winter imagery gave off. It was strange. Nothing had happened- this was the same snow she’d wandered through on the way here- but somehow it was completely different now.

[ Normalizing Temperature: Foot Units ]

Jazz heard a barely-audible, cute little high-pitched whirr in her chest, and her feet and calves filled with the relief of warmth. She marveled as the snow melted off of her ankles as she walked. It was in this moment she realized with excitement that she’d seen an actual Heads Up Display element in front of her eyes just like in the Terminator, and was desperate to see more.

[ Engram Stability: 100%
Neuronet Connection Established
Browser Type: Manual
Frame Locomotor: AUTO
Locomotor Body Plan: Biped 
Actuator Sensitivity Calibration: AUTO
Actuation Force Limiters: Enabled [ / / / Authorities will be notified if disabled / / / ]
/-/ Plug & Play Tail Option Available /-/
Holo: JazzSkin.wrap ]

She was fascinated by the fact that the HUD was in front of her eyes, but unlike what she’d always wondered watching the movies, it didn’t block her vision. Almost like a magic eye illusion, the HUD element was there and also not, existing in her mind but never truly blocking out visual information. It was really clever, actually. She also would have normally been overwhelmed by how many options she didn’t recognize, but these miniature mysteries felt more like a cross between a new electronic toy’s hidden functions and discovering her own grown-up body for the first time.

[ Power Load 16% ]

Now that was a weird one. Load? Was that the amount of battery left, like she’d seen on Jie Xian’s PET? Wait, no, that wouldn’t make sense, Automa didn’t use batteries. Suddenly she remembered the whirring sound. “Can I turn the heated feet off...?”

[ Foot Heat Units OFF ]
[ Power Load 8% ]

Ah-ha! Sure enough, it wasn’t about draining from a battery- it was how much power the reactor could produce at once, and apparently making heat took a significant amount. The chill returned in a hurry. “Oh, shit, back on please.” It immediately warmed her, a shamelessly stupid look on her face from the creature comfort of it. “Ahhh...” 

It was then that Jazz realized something: Lorna was long gone.

“Ah! Shit! Wait for me, doc!!”

 -
- -
 -

“I’m sorry to have dragged you all away from the warmth,” Jacent apologized as he anxiously paced away from Carrie’s house with his friends in tow.

“It’s okay!” Natalie assuaged him. “I’m just sorry we can’t be more help. I’d track her down myself, but... she doesn’t smell like anything... and my mom isn’t answering her PET.”

Jacent took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. “I can’t seem to use my Psycodrive to find her, because I’m too afraid of the possibility that-... t-that...” he turned his head, frustrated at his lack of self-control. 

“Then it’s clear what we gotta do.” Max said. “Enter GhostSpace using wire frame goggles!”

“I wanna go to GhostSpace!” Gren volunteered.

Max pointed to the Erwin. “Jack in and run a back-hack on her!” 

Erwin sighed and sunk into his scarf. “I wish I was jacking into backs right now.”

“Yeah so go back inside and get to it, kid,” joked Lorna as she climbed over the hill. 

“Mom!” Natalie exclaimed. “You’re here! Are you actually done working now?? W-Where’s Jasmine???”

Lorna didn’t even stop, thumbing behind her. “I dunno, ask that lady.”

From over the hill, a tall figure with long raven hair walked through the snow in nothing but a dress and sneakers.

“Wait... Jasmine?!” Jacent cried. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“You’re so big!” Widget stated, confused. “Did Jacent’s imagination get better or-”

“Wait a minnit!” Aren experimentally poked her leg. “You’re not a ghost!”
“Ooh, you’re warm!” Gren noticed, hugging her leg. 

“Congrats! You sleuthed it out,” Jazz teased, then came over and hugged her brother around the shoulders. “Turns out Dr. Natalie’s Mom was working on a present for me this whole time.”

“I can’t believe it!” Jacent marveled. “Now I know why you felt so faint... you... you really did it.”

“Oh I’m so jealous, dear,” Sam smiled. “You look gorgeous.”

“JAAAAZZ!!” Widget charged for her and squeezed her tight. “But-... I would’ve never imagined you’d agree to-... I thought you hated the idea...” 

“Well... to be honest, all that time riding shotgun with Jie Xian...” She looked a little ashamed. “I didn’t really care about living, or being seen. Everything kind of sucked. Bunch of assholes hurting each other for a chance to be rich and famous. Who wants to race back to life for that?” Jasmine paused a moment. She held Widget in her arms for the first time in an eternity. She pulled in close, feeling the softness of her hair. The smell of jacket leather and blue raspberry shampoo. The warmth. It was all artificial, to be sure, but it looked, felt, smelled real to her. She shuddered at how good it felt. “But you people...” She looked up at Natalie. “You people and your hugs, and your presents, and your being... fucking... nice to each other...” 

Widget had been unintentionally pushed face-first into Jasmine’s breasts for this entire exchange, and she looked both bashful and very very grateful.

“And you.” She shot her a glare. “Who said you could give me feelings, huh?? I didn’t allow that shit. I ought to kick your ass.” She glanced aside. “But... I don’t want to. So I guess we should probably figure out why that is. Together.”

Her flush freckled face grinned and looked up at her with guileless affection. “I’d like that.”

“Oooooh~!” Gren and Ten goaded, wiggling their dolls together in a smooching motion.

“You little shits!” Jazz laughed and kicked snow their way.

The kids gasped and looked up at her with gravity.

Carrie stared impassively, a purple healthbar floating menacingly above her head. “You started it. Now it begins. Snowball Deathmatch.”

Jazz blinked. “What.”

Healthbars began appearing over others’ heads. “Snowball Deathmatch!” Max cried, jumping behind a snow bank.

Erwin clenched his fists under his face, looked up and cried a voice-cracking “Noooo meeercyyyy!!” Everyone in the pack scrambled to gather up munitions, and soon enough the entire  area was chaos. Fluffy white projectiles flew with wanton abandon. Out of this snowy crucible would emerge only one victor.

 -
- -
 -

A big bad wolf stomped into the Oakenfield residence, kicked snow off her boots and roared her arrival. “Home for Homeshare at last!” Dr. Grayswift announced loudly. 

“Lorrie?! Oh, finally! Get your big butt in here~!” Wade called joyously from another room.

Lorna found Wade, the Mastersons, the Goldsteins and the Oakenfields were all floating in an extra large circular jacuzzi set in the tile floor of the exercise room. “What the hell, this isn’t a blanket!” She laughed.

Diane, who was currently feeling up Wade under the water while Terra nibbled her ear, giggled. “It’s better! Good for your joints, too~”

Dr. Grayswift snickered. “Good thing you’ve got all those drinks with how thirsty you are.” Being this horny about their first Homeshare was a bit immature, but only in the sense that it was what a pack did when it was new. Their little group hadn’t made the decision to come together until after the Invasion, so everyone was experiencing each other and the delights of partner sharing. For all the fun she made, it was exciting, and felt more appropriate for their age group.

“Don’t worry, just mixers yet!” Hugh supplied, an arm around Penny and Vincent’s shoulders. “We’re holding off on the booze until later tonight, after we’ve had dinner. It won’t be for a while. Um, by the way, did you happen to see the kids on the way here? They were looking for someone.”

“See for yourself.” Dr. Grayswift untinted the window and revealed their various progeny were viciously assaulting each other with powdered projectiles. Of note, Jacent and Jasmine were being targeted unfairly often, mostly for the fact that they were incredibly good at dodging them.

Terra let out a belly laugh. “Aww, that’s great! Look at ‘em!”

“Ohhhh,” Wade intuited. “I see now what your special project was. Nice, Lorrie. You’re all heart.” He smiled up at her.

Dr. Grayswift grinned. “Thanks for putting up with me.” She set her coat on a hook. “I... didn’t bring any swimwear, though.”

“Oh. Lorna.” Diane seemed incredulous. “We’re all naked.”

She grinned and began rapidly stripping. “You asked for it then!” The wolf began running.

“Lorna??”
“Lorrie!”
“What are you-”
“No no no no no-”

“CANNONBAAAALLLL!!!”

 -
- -
 -

“Did you guys hear screaming??” Jacent asked between volleys, still holding three quarters of his healthbar.

“No, but I’m about to!” Carrie said with extreme menace, holding a massive snow boulder over her head. 

Jazz turned around just a moment too late. “Aaaa SHIT-” ~PLOPF!!~ 

Everyone present saw her buried in the snow like an ostrich and laughed long and hard. Carrie’s very stupid attack had worked. “Hell yeah,” she congratulated herself smugly despite having a sliver of health left.

“Bwahhh!” Jazz emerged, having had half her health depleted in one shot. “Oh, okay, is that how this is gonna go?!” She stood up and began gesturing, her hair and dress levitating. Bits of snow around the front yard started flowing upward through the air. “Hnnnnng...”

Widget blinked. “Wait, Jazz!”

“Get ready for the ultimate motherfucking snow hell, PSYCODRI-” 
Jasmine was ejected from her own body like the cassette from a tape deck, landing face down in the snow.
The shocked girl, a ghost once more, looked up at her robot body, which was frozen in her menacing pose, face entirely dark, powered off.

A hologram of Lorna eating a poor quality instant dinner popped up. “Hello! If you’re seeing this, it means you tried to use your powers and your prosthetic body at once. Which is to say, you can’t. Sorry kiddo! Life is full of compromises.”

“Crap crap crap did I break it???” Jazz fretted. She saw her body jerk very slightly, heard a familiar reboot chime, then noticed her hair was doing the ‘pulling’ particle effect toward it. “... Okay so I can just-...” ~ZOOP!~ Her body’s face lit up once more, and she moved it around with “Ah HA! Back in business baby! The snowpocalypse can go on!!”

Natalie laughed tiredly. “Glad things are okay, but I’m kind of snowed out. And hungry. I’m going back inside.”

“Yeah, me too.”
“I’m tired!”
“It’s cold out here.”
“That was so fun!”

Just then, two small silhouettes made their way over the hill. Simon waved, and Kenny said, “Hey guys.”

“My boys!” Shelly cried joyfully, shaking the impacted snow off of her chest in a distracting manner and then running over to them. “You’re here! Oh you’re just in time, we were going inside for food and cuddles!”

“Good, I was hoping for a lot of both,” Kenny answered simply, and Simon silently hugged her sidelong.

And so it was, that Natalie Grayswift’s pack had themselves a warm and happy Homeshare after all. Much delicious food was eaten, many movies were watched, and many souls grew closer to one another in the inviting warmth of House Oakenfield. 

 -
- -
 -

The next day was a whole lot of cleaning up and getting back to normal. Amidst it all, someone had made a special request.

The Remedial Drama room looked much as it always did: Stacks of chairs leaned up against the walls, odds and ends for Band Class... but the odd one out today was that the meeting table in the center had been replaced with floor pads. 

“You sure we shouldn’t use the gym for this?” Natalie asked, putting her bag down. 

Jasmine stood in the center of the mat with her arms folded, shaking her head and looking imperious in her element. “You’re too popular- I don’t want anyone who stayed after school chatting you up and distracting us.”

The wolf seemed puzzled. “Who the heck’s still at school by eight at night?”

Jazz’s expression was one of contempt. “I don’t know, you future people are such lame dweebs I’d half expect you to never leave! Now hurry up, we’ve got a lot to cover.”

Natalie acquiesced apologetically, tossing off her trademark hoodie and big puffy sweatpants to reveal white handwraps down her forearms, a tight sports-bra style top and a pair of track shorts. Lacking all else in the way of clothing, they showed off her musculature, renewed as it was by all the fighting, running and gymnastics of the past few months... and that somehow, paradoxically, her rump had grown even bigger than before, cheeks bulging obscenely beneath the completely insufficient shorts. “Right! You’re finally gonna teach me some advanced fighting lessons! What kind of kung fu am I gonna learn??” Her tail wagged eagerly, her face alight with excitement in a way that seemed completely untouched by all that had happened.

“I’m not teaching you kung fu.” She said flatly.

“W-... aww!” Natalie complained. “But that’s what you and Jacent-”

“NO KUNG FU!” She said loudly and far too quickly, then calmed down just as fast, folding her arms again. “Jie Xian and I use a heavily modified fighting style. We were taught kung fu first, and then we got better and adapted it to different situations. There’s also a lot of bad habits and crap that we threw away because it was useless.” Her frankness was a stark contrast to Jacent’s romantic view on all things having to do with their culture, something that Natalie noted with some interest. “It’s pointless for you to walk the same journey as us and make all the same mistakes we did, when you should be walking your own path.”

“Ah,” she considered thoughtfully. “I have relied on Jacent in a lot of ways...” She thought back to the aftermath of the victory party following the defeat of Grendel. Jacent had been happy to have everyone back, but there was a look in his eyes, a... tiredness that went far beyond fatigue which she intuitively understood. “Alright, then what are you going to teach me?”

Jasmine grinned. “Tch. With your ham-hocks? The choice was obvious. The king of kickboxing: Muay Thai!”

Natalie’s ears pricked up. “Oh, that sounds kind of familiar.”

“It should! Jie Xian fought a number of guys who used it. It’s based off Muay Boran, which was an older style.”

"The old one wasn’t as good?”

“No it was too good- they just straight up killed muddafukkas with it,” she said straightforwardly, her accent mangling the swear in a way that was at once arresting and endearing. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah, badass, right? Now put your hands up like this, and get your leg out, whichever one you lead with. Yeah just like that! Okay, now.” She did a side snap kick that connected with Natalie’s leg, impacting with minimal force as she slowed it down to show the motion. “Like that! Hard as you can!”

“Are you sure??”

Jasmine crouched, then spread her impact padded arms with the expectation of an impatient monarch. “Come on Ham-Hocks, KICK. ME.”

~THWACK!~ went the side snap kick, colliding with Jasmine’s head and flipping her over bodily, end over end, landing flat on her back.

Natalie stared down silently with wide eyes.

Jasmine looked up with a judicious expression. “... That was okay I guess.”