Hello there, mates! I was writing this a bit and wasn't expecting to actually get it done, but I did lol I hope you enjoy this! :D
Also, tiny gush about my girlfriend joining the community by proxy lol They're great and they wrote a one-shot about Raz and Lili just today, and yeah lol They're a great writer so I take a look at it if you're enjoying my writings so far! They're Bryar6 on here and they're a much better writer than me lol
Anyway! Hope you all enjoy!
It wasn't very often growing up that we were invited to Green Needle Gulch. A lot of times, as Ford put it, the elders and finding members of the psychonauts were always exploring the most sensitive parts of their minds in their little safe haven. Something that wasn't meant to be messed with. Even by loved ones visiting.
But when we were invited out, it was always one hell of a learning experience.
I blushed heavily as I watched my uncles acting so lovingly together not too far from where Raz and I appeared from the Otto-BON.
One that usually consisted of me being teased silently by my great uncles while also being pushed to my limits power-wise. Always an experience for sure.
"Oh! Our little ones!" I smiled toward my uncle Helmet as he walked over toward Raz and me. "My favorite fire hazard and her partner in crime!" The big man laughed proudly as he and his husband came closer to us. "You two arrive fast. We thought it would be a little longer till you both got back from camp." I gave him a wide smile as I nudged Raz in the bicep.
"Well, you know Raz. Always rushing to see his heroes." I heard Raz give a short laugh before nudging me right back.
"Weren't you the one that dragged us toward the Otto-BON before anyone could-?"
"Shush." I reached over and pinched him this time as the boy just laughed proudly.
"Aw~. Is Lilypad embarrassed?"
"I said shush." I blushed heavily at his teasing as I went for the sensitive muscle on his tricep this time.
"OUCH! Lil!"
"I told you to shush!" My blushing only deepened as my uncle Bob gave a small laugh.
"You two are always a hoot, that's for sure." He smiled at me as he pointed a thumb over toward the plants nearby the major dome area of the gulch. "But be sure to keep a cool head, alright? Don't need the little ones catching on fire."
"Sorry." The word came out as a mumble as tried my best to cool down my cheeks with even breaths.
"For a little one that used to be so fierce, you've calmed down some, Lili." I heard Bob's voice easily fill my head. "You've blossomed beautifully." From anyone else, those words would have felt weird to hear from, but Bob was someone who understood me on a level no one else could. He was a fellow herbaphony specialist. It gave us a connection so few could share. One that let me know that he meant his words truthfully. In a way no one else could.
"Thanks, Bob." I smiled softly toward him as it was obvious Helmet and Raz were having a spoken conversation of their own. "Been trying my best to be less... Aggressive."
"You've matured well, little one." He smiled right back toward me as he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Now, how was camp? The both of you?"
"It was alright," I spoke calmly as I looked over toward Raz with a smirk. "We had our normal shenanigans."
"Like making Bobby Zilch lose his shit over a plant." Raz chuckled with a bright gleam in his green eyes that made a small fire burn within my stomach. The same one that has been burning because of him for nearly six years now. "But yeah, it was alright. Kinda~ wish there was more to do there though. Gets boring when you've learned everything there is to learn and explored everywhere there is to explore." Raz put his arms behind his head in a nonchalant manner as he gave me a soft but sweet smile. "Lili always has a way of keeping things lively though."
"I'm not always the brains of the operations though." I tried my best to stay calm as Raz just gave me wide smile.
"Are you kidding? You're the one that thought of how cool it would be to find connections between our specialist abilities. Like using my clairvoyance with your herbaphony." He looked toward Bob specifically as he continued. "It was honestly really cool to see the world from a plant's point of view. Lili had to explain a lot of why it was like that, but it was still really cool."
"Sounds like the both of you, honestly." Helmet chuckled as he placed a loving hand on my uncle's shoulder. "Always finding a way to make everything just a bit more interesting for one another."
"It's what partners in crime are for." Raz gave him a wide and prideful smile that made my heart skip a beat.
Partners in crime. Yeah. Totally.
The thought made my heart sink a little, but I tried my best to not let it affect me as Raz looked toward me once more.
"But you've always been the smart one. No fight or battle with that one." I smirked at my chance to have some playful banter in my favor while I crossed my arms over my chest.
"You finally admit it, huh?" I saw a slight pigment change in Raze's cheeks as I knew I got him going.
"Well, I can't be letting you get a big head."
"Of course. Younger you had a big enough one for the both of us." Raz's cheeks flushed as I knew I struck a nerve.
"I grew into it!" It was true, he did, but I always knew that it was a part of him that he was always protective of. Even after puberty hit him with a truck.
"I know you did." I gave him a small smile as I reached out and patted his shoulder. "I'm just teasing anyway." He sizzled down rather quickly as I gave him a comforting squeeze to his shoulder which acted like a silent 'I'm sorry if I went too far'.
"Yeah." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. A soft look took over his face as the heat in his cheeks went down. "Just classic Lils being classic Lils." A lopsided grin took over his face and he placed a gloved hand over mine.
What was it that younger me thought consistently? Shut up and kiss me? Yeah, that. That would be great.
I looked over toward my uncles. Bob now had a knowing grin as it was obvious we never severed the connection of thoughts we had earlier.
"You did not just hear that."
"I believe I did." I blushed heavily as I grabbed Raz's hand and started pulling him away from my uncles toward the dome in the center of the multiple paths.
"Let's see if your aunt and Ford are in the dome, huh? It feels like forever since we last saw them! We can check the dome first and then make our way around. Ford never did like staying in one place."
"But I wasn't-! Bye Bob! Bye Helmet!" A booming duet of laughter came from my uncles as I pulled Raz away from them. The taller boy gave them a proper wave goodbye as I refused to look back.
"Stay out of trouble you too!" Uncle Bob yelled as we neared the dome.
"Or at least don't get caught!" Helmet yelled out cheerfully as it was the last thing we were able to hear from them coherently as we entered the dome structure.
Note to self: Don't be having thoughts around Uncle Bob. Or have burial plans made due to me dying from embarrassment.
"Ah! Our future agents! How are the both of ya?" I smiled at Ford as I dropped Raz's hand as we entered his and Lucy's little area to the gulch.
"Hi, Agent Cruller. You asked for us?" Raz spoke respectfully as I saw him put his arms behind his back as if he was a cadet in an army. His chest puffed out and his legs spread ever so slightly. I couldn't help but giggle about it honestly.
Always so serious.
"Hi, Ford." I smiled at the old man as I noticed I was in a much more nonchalant manner than Raz. My hands were in my leather jacket as I leaned a lot of my weight onto my left leg. This caused me to lean a bit of myself to the side as the older psychic gave us a happy smile.
"Camp treat you two well?"
"It was alright." I spoke smoothly as Raz gave a nod in response.
"Not as exciting without you around, Agent Cruller." I rolled my eyes at Raz's obvious admiration for the older man.
"At ease, Private Aquato." I teased toward the fellow teenager as I noticed it broke through his head of steel.
"Just... Trying to be polite." I saw a nervous smile appear on his face just by the little bit I could see of it from being beside him.
"Just relax. You already proved yourself, Raz. He already thinks highly of you." I looked toward Ford as it was obvious he was speaking to us, but no one else was listening. Not even Lucrecia not too far away from him. "Even then, no one else's opinion matters. Just your own, okay?"
"Yeah." I watched him nod a little as the corner of his smile became a bit more solid. His shoulders eased as he responded gently. "Going soft on me, Zanotto?" I scuffed audibly at his statement as I responded smoothly.
"You fucking wish, Aquato."
"Love you too, Lilypad." I heard his chuckle in my head, but the words made my heart skip a beat all the same. I tried my best to be nonchalant as I replied.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Are you two listening?" I snapped my attention out of our communication as I gave Ford a shrug.
"Sorry, lost me mentally there. I'll be blunt." I smiled at Ford as Lucrecia joined his side.
"What he means, sweeties, is that we have a slight issue at hand. One we can trust the two of you with." I gave Lucrecia a curious look as Raz's voice joined the conversation. The serious tone of it would have been rather startling to anyone that has never seen this side of the acrobat.
"What's the issue, Nona?" He stepped forward as it was obvious he was going into his agent mode. "What can we do?"
"We have reasons to think there is a new mole within the Motherlobe." Lucy was rather serious as she placed a shaken hand on Ford's shoulder. "Where exactly, we don't know. We can tell who they're from and why though."
"What are we dealing with then?" I pulled my hands out of my jacket so I could cross my arms over my chest.
"Deluginaries."
"Really? Didn't we get rid of the fucking head of those guys?" I gave Lucy a curious look as she nodded.
"Gristol Malik was the leader. But he was the only one that we came across."
"That's true." I looked over toward Raz as he placed a hand on his chin. "For as far as he got and as quickly get there, you would think there would have been more than just him and Dr. Loboto." Raz rubbed his thumb on his jaw for a moment as he continued in his thoughts. "Then who was close to Nick? Who was someone he confided in? Who would a former czar trust like that?"
"We could go into his old office. See what we can sniff out." I heard Lucy give a sound of approval which caused Raz and I to give her our full attention once more.
"I knew we could have faith in the both of you." The older woman gave us both a proud smile as she patted on Ford's shoulder. "You two are the only ones we can trust. You've saved the world from this before. I know you have it in you to do it again." I gave her a reassuring smile as I added a small nod to it.
"You can count on Raz and me." I reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. Much like Lucy was doing to Ford. "We got this handled. If anyone is snooping around, we'll find them."
"Right!" Raz smiled proudly as he placed a hand over his heart. "You can count on us!"
"Then prove me right, my children." Lucy smiled wide as she gestured back toward the gulch. "Go forth, young Psychonauts." Raz and I nodded in synch as we both decided to jump to the mission together as fast as possible. A single thought shared within our minds as we made our way back to the Otto-BON.
Time to save the day and together like always.