Reward ficlet for the Piig♥.
Follows after the events chronicled in 'There Are Three I's In Individual'. 1.6k
Higgs and Higgs was a chaotic and eclectically-stocked department store out in Buttfuck Mountain, BC. It was run by Doctor Higgs, odd as ever, and his brother, whose hairline had steadily receded and now surpassed the Doctor's own to form a prim little half-moon on the crown of his head. They bickered more but fought less and Mr. Higgs had even brought Dr. Higgs on as a partner in the business. The range of stock had increased drastically in scope and variety since then, and the subjects of the now-defunct Experiment 15 were kept busy dusting things and moving things and stocking things and playing with the money in the till under the guise of serving customers.
Est was Fore. He'd never quite stopped being weird, exactly, but he hadn't shown any further signs of wanting to evict Ffrier or Geoffrey. They'd turned nineteen lately and now lived across from the department store in the cramped little apartments above the pizza place. The smells of rising dough and mushrooms permeated the building, and every time Ffrier or one of the girls had a long shower they emerged smelling ever so faintly of mozzarella.
Est wasn't exactly the king of customer service. He didn't swear at them-out loud, at least-and if he didn't go through the usual spiel he would at least nod at them. Group Geoffrey were all three enrolled in correspondence classes, like most of the rest of the subjects but, unlike the rest of the subjects, none of them were worried about school. There were other sources of conflict. Or rather, one source, and Group Geoffrey had three separate opinions on said source. And when the source came in out of the rain, shaking raindrops out of his dreadlocks, Ffrier immediately elbowed her way into Fore. Sorry, Est! she trilled over her mental shoulder at him. Geoffrey coughed at the sudden, sharp smell of spraypaint and metal. Est snorted. He didn't even pitch a fit over it any more; Ffrier had instituted what they now called a Hayden clause three weeks ago and negotiated snatching rights for all three of them 'in case of hunk'. And only then did she mention that she had already found a hunk, thankyouverymuch, and his name was Hayden and he was studying psychotherapy as well and weren't his cheekbones simply divine?
Eeuurgh, Est said. Goddammit Ffrier.
Geoffrey pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't missed the counselors back at the lab this intensely since he was 15. Certainly the situation was all-but inevitable. But how the hell were they supposed to deal with it?
Est was due off…oh, five minutes ago. It wasn't that Est had a poor sense of time-though he did-mostly it was that he didn't care. Geoffrey's turn at Fore wasn't for two hours yet so he hadn't been paying attention. Hayden walked weird, light on his feet, and even with the weight of the backpack his shoulders didn't bob like most people's did; he moved like he had a cup of water balanced on top of his head. He leaned on the counter and brushed his knuckles along the rim of Ffrier's ear. She still hadn't been able to convince Geoffrey and Est to let her grow the body's hair long: it was cropped close to the skull. Hayden played with it anyway, mostly, Geoffrey though, for the way it made Ffrier giggle.
"Ready to go?" Hayden said. "I've got picnic stuff and juicy stuff and fruity stuff and sandwiches, too."
Ffrier slapped a 'This Till Closed' sign onto the conveyer belt and eeled 'round her booth, brushing against Hayden's side like a cat. "I'll change up and meet you by the front," Ffrier trilled. It'd gotten harder for her to croon, trill, chirp, or warble, let alone sing, since their voice had dropped so drastically, but she managed. Est had long since stopped rolling his eyes and started sighing tiredly instead. He even called Ffrier a Ffaggot, now and again, but only on special occasions.
Um, Geoffrey said. Don't forget to punch out this time. And. Make sure he minds his manners.
I don't need a chaperone, Ffrier said. I'm tired of telling you. You boys and your over-protective caveman urges!
What about Hayden's caveman 'urges'? Est said snidely.
Ffrier swayed the body's hips when she walked, and held the shoulders low and easy where Est slouched and Geoffrey was a bundle of knots. I don't see how those concern you. She slipped into the back room, punched out, and snagged her bag from the pile. She slipped into the washroom to change, a denim skirt that fell to the floor and an ocean-blue vee-cut shirt with tiny bubbles all over it. She even put a necklace on.
All this looks nice, Geoffrey told her doubtfully.
But what? she said absently, smearing strawberry lipgloss on. She swiped one hand across their cheek and grumbled mentally at Est. He hadn't shaved close enough for her liking.
But, just, Doctor Higgs said we weren't to tell anyone-- Geoffrey said, meaning, What if he thinks we're crazy or disgusting or what if he turns out to be a jerk or something, what if he hurts you, Ffrier, what if he breaks your heart?
Est rummaged around in his corner of headspace. If Geoffrey didn't know better he'd say Est was drumming. He seemed to have withdrawn as far as possible, though whether he was cross with Ffrier for snatching, disgusted by the forthcoming flirtery, by the fact that Ffrier had gotten their body a boyfriend, or something so weirdly Est that nobody else would ever understand ever--
Goeffrey? Ffrier said, quietly, so Est wouldn't hear.
Um. Yes?
You have to tell me when to tell him. Ffrier was leaning over the sink, pulling sideways at the skin beside their left eye so she could rim it with gunk.
Um? Geoffrey said.
Ffrier pulled back from the mirror, checked her makeup, and smiled. Geoffrey swore his own smiles weren't so shiny. Est's certainly weren't. Though he didn't smile because he wanted to make people feel better or because he was pretty and happy, he smiled because somebody was getting hurt and he knew he'd get to watch.
I want to tell him now but I know that's just because I'm infatuated, Ffrier said. She slung their bag over their shoulder and washed their hands before leaving the washroom. I need you to figure when it's safe to trust him.
Geoffrey swallowed. On the other side of the heaspace wall, Est drummed something in 5/8 time. Geoffrey said, Ffrier, don't make me-- Don't make me let you get hurt. Don't make me ruin it. Are you sure I should pick? I mean, he's your--
Yes, Ffrier said, her mental voice unusually sober. And everything I do with him affects all three of us. Doctor Higgs is always saying we should live as normally as we can, but we can't, not really. We can't get away from each other and that means consequences are that much bigger.
Yeah, but-- Geoffrey said. I don't think-- In headspace, where nobody could see, he covered his face with both hands. Then he went over to the headspace wall, while Ffrier wove the body between shelves and shoppers, and the heart beat more quickly than usual. Est? Geoffrey shouted over the drumming. Est!
What! Est yelled back.
Geoffrey didn't quite know what to say. Our third has a boyfriend who thinks she's a gay man instead of a straight girl in a body with two guys and there's a strict schedual-which you shall please be respecting-and oh yeah, we're part of an illegal and possibly immoral experiment by a slightly nutty Doctor. And also we're allergic to strong perfumes, they give us headaches, please don't give Ffrier any?
Um, Geoffrey said.
I want you and Geoffrey to help me figure when to tell Hayden about us, Ffrier said.
Whatever, Est said. Geoffrey felt his stomach cramp. Oh god, why did everyone always expect him to know what was going on? Then, unexpectedly, Est said, Give him the lab write-up. If he's too dumb to figure it out you shouldn't be dating him anyway.
Est, Geoffrey said, startled.
Fuck off, Est said.
Hmm… Ffrier said, and hooked her elbow with Hayden's. His skin was somewhere between light brown and olive and he wore glasses, narrow green-rimmed rectangles perched low on his nose. He was shorter, but not by much, and he leaned in to rub his cheek along theirs. Ffrier let out a light hum and nuzzled him. Est groaned. Oh fuck, here we go. he said, meaning, I'm going as far back into headspace as I possibly can and hiding behind that memory of the time Doctor Higgs passed out in the shower and Geoffrey made us go help.
"Ooh, necklace," Hayden said, and kissed it, kissing the edge of their collarbone in the process. Before Est or Geoffrey could react, Hayden said, "Geoffrey, you're just the darlingest thing. I can't get over it."
Darling-EST? Est shouted, and stomped around his corner of headspace with his hands fisted in his own hair. Ffrier!
Ffrier giggled. "Aww, Hayden. C'mon, let's go have our picnic before it gets dark." Suck it, Est.
Geoffrey pinched the bridge of his nose.
END
Higgs and Higgs was a chaotic and eclectically-stocked department store out in Buttfuck Mountain, BC. It was run by Doctor Higgs, odd as ever, and his brother, whose hairline had steadily receded and now surpassed the Doctor's own to form a prim little half-moon on the crown of his head. They bickered more but fought less and Mr. Higgs had even brought Dr. Higgs on as a partner in the business. The range of stock had increased drastically in scope and variety since then, and the subjects of the now-defunct Experiment 15 were kept busy dusting things and moving things and stocking things and playing with the money in the till under the guise of serving customers.
Est was Fore. He'd never quite stopped being weird, exactly, but he hadn't shown any further signs of wanting to evict Ffrier or Geoffrey. They'd turned nineteen lately and now lived across from the department store in the cramped little apartments above the pizza place. The smells of rising dough and mushrooms permeated the building, and every time Ffrier or one of the girls had a long shower they emerged smelling ever so faintly of mozzarella.
Est wasn't exactly the king of customer service. He didn't swear at them-out loud, at least-and if he didn't go through the usual spiel he would at least nod at them. Group Geoffrey were all three enrolled in correspondence classes, like most of the rest of the subjects but, unlike the rest of the subjects, none of them were worried about school. There were other sources of conflict. Or rather, one source, and Group Geoffrey had three separate opinions on said source. And when the source came in out of the rain, shaking raindrops out of his dreadlocks, Ffrier immediately elbowed her way into Fore. Sorry, Est! she trilled over her mental shoulder at him. Geoffrey coughed at the sudden, sharp smell of spraypaint and metal. Est snorted. He didn't even pitch a fit over it any more; Ffrier had instituted what they now called a Hayden clause three weeks ago and negotiated snatching rights for all three of them 'in case of hunk'. And only then did she mention that she had already found a hunk, thankyouverymuch, and his name was Hayden and he was studying psychotherapy as well and weren't his cheekbones simply divine?
Eeuurgh, Est said. Goddammit Ffrier.
Geoffrey pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't missed the counselors back at the lab this intensely since he was 15. Certainly the situation was all-but inevitable. But how the hell were they supposed to deal with it?
Est was due off…oh, five minutes ago. It wasn't that Est had a poor sense of time-though he did-mostly it was that he didn't care. Geoffrey's turn at Fore wasn't for two hours yet so he hadn't been paying attention. Hayden walked weird, light on his feet, and even with the weight of the backpack his shoulders didn't bob like most people's did; he moved like he had a cup of water balanced on top of his head. He leaned on the counter and brushed his knuckles along the rim of Ffrier's ear. She still hadn't been able to convince Geoffrey and Est to let her grow the body's hair long: it was cropped close to the skull. Hayden played with it anyway, mostly, Geoffrey though, for the way it made Ffrier giggle.
"Ready to go?" Hayden said. "I've got picnic stuff and juicy stuff and fruity stuff and sandwiches, too."
Ffrier slapped a 'This Till Closed' sign onto the conveyer belt and eeled 'round her booth, brushing against Hayden's side like a cat. "I'll change up and meet you by the front," Ffrier trilled. It'd gotten harder for her to croon, trill, chirp, or warble, let alone sing, since their voice had dropped so drastically, but she managed. Est had long since stopped rolling his eyes and started sighing tiredly instead. He even called Ffrier a Ffaggot, now and again, but only on special occasions.
Um, Geoffrey said. Don't forget to punch out this time. And. Make sure he minds his manners.
I don't need a chaperone, Ffrier said. I'm tired of telling you. You boys and your over-protective caveman urges!
What about Hayden's caveman 'urges'? Est said snidely.
Ffrier swayed the body's hips when she walked, and held the shoulders low and easy where Est slouched and Geoffrey was a bundle of knots. I don't see how those concern you. She slipped into the back room, punched out, and snagged her bag from the pile. She slipped into the washroom to change, a denim skirt that fell to the floor and an ocean-blue vee-cut shirt with tiny bubbles all over it. She even put a necklace on.
All this looks nice, Geoffrey told her doubtfully.
But what? she said absently, smearing strawberry lipgloss on. She swiped one hand across their cheek and grumbled mentally at Est. He hadn't shaved close enough for her liking.
But, just, Doctor Higgs said we weren't to tell anyone-- Geoffrey said, meaning, What if he thinks we're crazy or disgusting or what if he turns out to be a jerk or something, what if he hurts you, Ffrier, what if he breaks your heart?
Est rummaged around in his corner of headspace. If Geoffrey didn't know better he'd say Est was drumming. He seemed to have withdrawn as far as possible, though whether he was cross with Ffrier for snatching, disgusted by the forthcoming flirtery, by the fact that Ffrier had gotten their body a boyfriend, or something so weirdly Est that nobody else would ever understand ever--
Goeffrey? Ffrier said, quietly, so Est wouldn't hear.
Um. Yes?
You have to tell me when to tell him. Ffrier was leaning over the sink, pulling sideways at the skin beside their left eye so she could rim it with gunk.
Um? Geoffrey said.
Ffrier pulled back from the mirror, checked her makeup, and smiled. Geoffrey swore his own smiles weren't so shiny. Est's certainly weren't. Though he didn't smile because he wanted to make people feel better or because he was pretty and happy, he smiled because somebody was getting hurt and he knew he'd get to watch.
I want to tell him now but I know that's just because I'm infatuated, Ffrier said. She slung their bag over their shoulder and washed their hands before leaving the washroom. I need you to figure when it's safe to trust him.
Geoffrey swallowed. On the other side of the heaspace wall, Est drummed something in 5/8 time. Geoffrey said, Ffrier, don't make me-- Don't make me let you get hurt. Don't make me ruin it. Are you sure I should pick? I mean, he's your--
Yes, Ffrier said, her mental voice unusually sober. And everything I do with him affects all three of us. Doctor Higgs is always saying we should live as normally as we can, but we can't, not really. We can't get away from each other and that means consequences are that much bigger.
Yeah, but-- Geoffrey said. I don't think-- In headspace, where nobody could see, he covered his face with both hands. Then he went over to the headspace wall, while Ffrier wove the body between shelves and shoppers, and the heart beat more quickly than usual. Est? Geoffrey shouted over the drumming. Est!
What! Est yelled back.
Geoffrey didn't quite know what to say. Our third has a boyfriend who thinks she's a gay man instead of a straight girl in a body with two guys and there's a strict schedual-which you shall please be respecting-and oh yeah, we're part of an illegal and possibly immoral experiment by a slightly nutty Doctor. And also we're allergic to strong perfumes, they give us headaches, please don't give Ffrier any?
Um, Geoffrey said.
I want you and Geoffrey to help me figure when to tell Hayden about us, Ffrier said.
Whatever, Est said. Geoffrey felt his stomach cramp. Oh god, why did everyone always expect him to know what was going on? Then, unexpectedly, Est said, Give him the lab write-up. If he's too dumb to figure it out you shouldn't be dating him anyway.
Est, Geoffrey said, startled.
Fuck off, Est said.
Hmm… Ffrier said, and hooked her elbow with Hayden's. His skin was somewhere between light brown and olive and he wore glasses, narrow green-rimmed rectangles perched low on his nose. He was shorter, but not by much, and he leaned in to rub his cheek along theirs. Ffrier let out a light hum and nuzzled him. Est groaned. Oh fuck, here we go. he said, meaning, I'm going as far back into headspace as I possibly can and hiding behind that memory of the time Doctor Higgs passed out in the shower and Geoffrey made us go help.
"Ooh, necklace," Hayden said, and kissed it, kissing the edge of their collarbone in the process. Before Est or Geoffrey could react, Hayden said, "Geoffrey, you're just the darlingest thing. I can't get over it."
Darling-EST? Est shouted, and stomped around his corner of headspace with his hands fisted in his own hair. Ffrier!
Ffrier giggled. "Aww, Hayden. C'mon, let's go have our picnic before it gets dark." Suck it, Est.
Geoffrey pinched the bridge of his nose.
END