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“Pleeeeease?” He drew out the word in his most pitiful voice. “I won’t do anything for the party that Ty doesn’t approve. I swear. Just one little adorable cake. For me?”
Randa sighed. “I’ll compromise on penguins.” She still didn’t seem enthusiastic, though. “They’re kind of formal, at least. Does Gion like penguins?”
“Loves ‘em.”
“Alright, well, I’ll need to do some sketches before I bake it. Then, I’ll bring it with me to the Water House for the celebration.”
“Oh, terrific news on that front! Apparently, holding it in the Water Kingdom is a no-go. That girl from the future warned Chason about Gion’s birthday, and it spooked everyone.”
“How is that terrific news? It sounds ominous.”
“It’s going to be terrific for the party.”
“What did the girl from the future say?”
For whatever reason, Daphne, of the Time House kept showing up to meddle in the past. Isaacs wasn’t sure how it worked, since traveling from the future should have killed her. But she seemed intent on preventing some coming danger for the important players. That was probably why she’d never shown up to talk to Isaacs. He wasn’t important. He just worked with those heroic fucks, because…
Huh.
Actually he had no idea why he worked with them. Boredom, maybe?
“I don’t know what she warned Chason about exactly. And she’s never directly talked to the Water House, so I couldn’t eavesdrop.” Isaacs paused. “Well, maybe she’s talked to Tharsis. I can never be sure what he’s up to.”
“Surely he’d mention it if a time traveler had contacted him.”
“Thar never mentions anything except Pokémon and canceled reality shows.” Isaacs shrugged the matter aside, because the future didn’t concern him. He’d probably be dead before it arrived. “Anyway, Ty was worried about all the vague portents of doom, so she moved the birthday to the human realm. She even hired a human party planner. He flaked out on her and isn’t returning calls, so I volunteered to take over. I’ve already found us a new venue.”
“What sickening, repulsive, completely inappropriate locale have you chosen for poor Gion?” Randa asked dryly, because she knew him very, very well. “The closest sewage treatment plant? A funeral home?”
“No, of course not. That wouldn’t be festive, at all.” Isaacs smirked a bit. “Gion deserves a birthday party to remember. So, I reserved…” he held up his palms and spread them in a wide arc, revealing his grand, artistic vision, “Happy Applewhite’s.”
Randa choked on a bite of food.
“Human internet reviews all rave about the place. You can bring the cake there, right? It’ll be perfect.” He ate his pot roast, making an effusive “ummmmm” sound. “God, Panda, no one can cook like you. This is the best meal I’ve ever had.” He paused meaningfully. “And the most amazing part is… I know you made it just for me.”
He swore he could hear Kahn’s blood pressure redlining.
Randa didn’t notice. “I’ve seen the commercials, Isaacs. I’m positive that Gion doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday at Happy Applewhite’s.”
“Relax. He’ll love it! He’s got a great sense of humor. Look at that Darth Vader cape he wears everyplace.”
She rolled her eyes. He could tell. “Just out of curiosity, when he goes whining to the Water Phases, and the Water Phases go whining to Job, and Job Banishes you… where will you be living?”
Isaacs grinned. “Here with you, of course.”
“Of course.”
Isaacs’ powers could compensate for his impaired sight. He knew where everyone was in the small house. He kept the air energy constantly circulating, like a kind of radar, letting him pick up on every minute movement. So he very clearly felt Julius put a hand on Kahn’s shoulder, keeping him from lunging off the couch and going for Isaacs’ throat.
Julius leaned closer to Kahn, lowering his voice. “Randa wants a relationship based on communication and respect. Stay calm and show you can provide that.”
“Isaacs is the one fucking things up, not me.”
“She will not see it that way. At present, he is more welcomed here than we are.”
Isaacs smiled smugly.
They kept speaking in the Light Phase language, which was kind of funny. Isaacs’ great-uncle, Gyvo, had been a Light Phase. He’d been a miserable old bastard, but growing up Isaacs had been forced to spend summers with him.
