In the end they signed. All of them getting upgraded shock gloves, stun charges, smoke bombs, the usual tech ninja kit. Fuck, I only went and did that, didn’t I. I armed three furries like you’d arm a tech ninja. And with the pay out I had a small nest egg to sit on. Of course the contract included advertising, so I just had to sit back, and wait. 

And wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

 

“Not getting contracts suuuuucks, we finished up editing a bunch of project videos for youtube and patreon that are now scheduled so there’s nothing to do. Should I build an Alphonse Elric for fun, Dare?” I looked towards the adorable fox dragon, who was currently in the process of… playing with legos. Building a little castle. 

 

“Wouldn’t that be an Iron Man Suit? Just, Anime styled and with a Boy inside the suit without a body?” She clicked down a minifig and smiled, clapping to herself. “Now I get to be the big scary dragon and smash it!” She giggled, and I giggled back.

 

“Okay maybe we shouldn’t have watched Lilo and Stitch earlier, you massive dork. But yeah, you’re right, Alphonse is just a self piloted Iron Man suit. I don’t even have a forge to make the armor for it. Why didn’t I make a forge yet?” 

 

“Dysphoria over muscle building from smithing?” Dare shrugged her shoulders before she spread her wings and began pretend stomping. Tearing into her creation, trying to roar, giggling. Why did I have to make her so cute?!?! 

 

“Shit you’re right. What do you want to do tonight, Dare?” I looked towards her as she pretend chomped on a minifig, making sure not to actually bite it.

 

“I’d say Take over the World but the only Pinkie I feel like is a small pink horse, not a mouse. Also the logistics of taking care of everyone. Making sure people have food and a place to stay. The amount of monitoring equipment you’d need for it.” She put down the fig and jumped on my lap curling up. I petted her head before a notification rang on my phone. An email, simply titled Consultation, asking me to open the window slightly. I shrugged and turned to it, letting it ajar ever so slightly. A shadow passed underneath it. I gave it no mind, thinking it was a cloud or a bird or something.

 

“Thank you, More Than Computer Mouse.” The voice that came from behind me was a quiet whisper, raspy, like something you’d expect out of a horror movie before being jumpscared. 

 

“How close are you to my head right now because I don’t want to punch you when I turn to face you.” I was definitely ready to throw fists at them but fucking hell I do not want a jumpscare. 

 

“I am outside your punching range. And look like a teenager right now, like...me. I don’t intend to jumpscare you, Bridget, but I apologise in case I do.” The voice had shifted, sounding more nervous and androgynous, undeveloped. Sighing, I turned to face my would be intruder. As promised, a couple steps away stood a teenager, looking about 14, black dress and converse sneakers, pink hair slightly past ears, eyes darting around nervously. 

 

“How does the whole shifting power work?” I stretched and Dare jumped off my lap, skipping over to the individual before me.

 

“I can… meld into shadows or become like a shadow puddle for sneaking around, but shifting wise I can only become versions of me I’d have been able to reach through current means. Me in a dress. Me with pink hair. Me on puberty blockers. Me ten years on HRT and post op having started blockers at 10…” They held their shoulder, awkwardly, before Dare got close and raised her hands to be picked up and cuddled. 

 

“Why Dare, you little traitor. Cuddling up with a potential intruder. Alright sweetheart what do I call you?” They nervously picked Dare up, their expression brightening up immediately as they cuddled the robot, giggling from her nuzzling.

 

“Š...Šárka. My name is Šárka.” The giggling broke to a shy smile, Dare climbing on her shoulders to pat Šárka’s head. I only just noticed her eyes were a vibrant white in her iris, almost like some edgy contact lenses. 

 

“Okay, Šárka, so, how can I help?” Dare hopped off her shoulders and ran off, coming back swiftly with a stool for my guest to sit on. 

 

“I, uhm, I need something to open up gaps with, so that I can sneak in. I tried keyholes but I need openings my width, turns out.” She sat down on the stool and Dare jumped on her lap, sticking her tongue out at me. 

 

“Alright, that sounds easy enough, a sneaky crowbar thing. Could have that in like a day. Whyyyy do you want such a tool, though?” I looked her in the eyes and she closed them shut, turning her head away.

 

“S-so that I can… rob rich people… to live.” My eyebrows rose up, my eyes widened in surprise, my ears shot up and Dare looked at Šárka’s face. 

 

“Okay, wait, you said that what I’m looking at is you, correct? As in, this is the version of you you’d effectively be if you hadn’t emerged? How… how old are you?” 

 

“...Fourteen.” I slapped my thighs and stood up, pacing around the room. 

 

“Why the fuck would a fourteen year old be stealing to live, Šárka where are your parents? Why aren’t you living with them?” I stopped for a second to see her starting to sob. “Oh fuck. Oh no oh dear oh no.” I quickly made my way over to her, kneeling down and putting my hands on her shoulders. “Hey, hey, Šárka, it’ll be okay, sweetie, alright? Come on, it’ll be fine, tell me what happened.”

 

“M-mom’s dead she-she died in in a car accident during… during the emergence a-and when dad found out a-and he saw me l-looking like a… like a ghost a-and then I shifted to… to this form he… he freaked out and and… he… he kicked me out. And the shelter wouldn’t-wouldn’t take me because… because…” I hugged her tight at this moment, as she buried her head in my shoulders and cried. Dare squeezed out in between us, climbing on her shoulders to comfort her with head pats.

 

“It’s okay hun. I get it. You don’t have to say anything more. Come on, let it out. Dare get the E.E.P.S.” I kept hugging her, switching to patting her head as well as soon as Dare hopped off.

 

“You could have just said Get me the snacks I prepped for when the inevitable happens. Trying to sound all cool and stuff with shortening Emergency Expected Period Supplies.” Dare shook her head and made her way out of the room and to the kitchen. I shot her a quick glare before continuing my focus on Šárka. 

 

“Alright hun, considering your situation, you can stay here if you’d like. For as long as you need, or want to. I insist.” I pulled away a bit, seeing her eyes red from crying. 

 

“A-are you sure?” She fidgeted with her thumbs, and I nodded. 

 

“Yes. I’m deadly sure. I’ll just need to prepare a room for you. I got more than enough space to house a teenaged girl in need.” I stood up as Dare entered the room holding a cookie tin. “I don’t know when you last ate but munch on these for now to at least relax a bit.” I quickly shot Petr a text, asking if he knew if anyone in town had a spare bed to sell me. He shot back he’d check. Šárka was awkwardly nibbling on a cookie as she sat there, I squatted in front of her again. “Okay, looking for a bed for you, you can use mine for now I’ll take the couch. You need something to de-stress after the whole ordeal. Come to the living room, sit down on the couch, I’ll prep more snacks and lets have a movie night, alright?” I patted her head again and she nodded, following me as I lead her there.

 

Winter Wundermouse @mtcmouse - 2 hours ago

I… think I just adopted a trans girl? Like her dad kicked her out, the shelter refused her

I

Winter Wundermouse @mtcmouse - 2 hours ago

And now she’s sitting on my couch watching movies and munching on snacks?

I

Winter Wundermouse @mtcmouse - 2 hours ago

And I just want to hug her and assure her everything will work out? Like, she’s 14! 14 years old and kicked out for being trans and emerged!

 

Motherly Mouse @mtcmouse - Just now

She fell asleep. I mean, look at her sleeping. How could anyone think of hurting such a sweet girl?

 

My last tweet of the day was accompanied by a picture of Šárka. Her eyes closed, leaning on the armrest, snoring extremely gently. I picked her up as softly as I could and carried her to my bed, tucking her in as soon as her shoes were off, before I sat down on my computer chair and sighed, a gentle smile on my face. As quietly as I could, I giggled to myself. “Take that Bruce, my adoptive kid is way cuter and sweeter than any of the Robins. and I’m going to keep her out of danger.” 

What awoke me the next morning was the doorbell going off. I had fallen asleep on the desk chair, and Šárka rubbed her eyes as she woke up. “I got this hun, you just sit there and take a breather.” Making my way down, Petr was chilling at the door. “Oh hey, you got one for me?” 

 

“Yeah I got one you farm mouse. Why do you need a spare… bed… though.” He looked behind me, as I turned and saw Šárka standing there awkwardly. He narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you doing anything shady with that little girl?” I could feel the radiance coming off of Šárka from being called a little girl. 

 

“Petr. Petr Petr Petr. Her dad kicked her out for stuff out of her control, the shelter refused her, how could I have not helped her when she came to me last night, asking for it? Hell I’m gonna look into legally becoming her foster parent.” I turned to look at Šárka, whose whole expression lit up. “So I need the bed for her because I only got the one for me.” He huffed and carted over the pieces, putting them in the entry room. 

 

“This one’s for free from me. I was planning to charge you, but… what the hell. Could use a good deed.” He waved and walked off as I closed the door. I turned to her again, as she was looking at me, a big smile on her face. 

 

“Yeah I, uhm, I meant the part about becoming your foster parent. I’m not going to let a girl like you be on the streets. Alright, want to help me build your bed?” She quickly nodded at me, before she grabbed the pieces and turned into a shadow puddle, the pieces joining her. I watched the puddle climb up the wall, completely ignoring the elevator, to make her way to the second floor. “My daughter is so talented.” I wiped a fake tear from my eye as I followed her up.