Gift story for Allisontowers, featuring their character
SNEAK PEEK
Leem didn't pay much heed to the sound at first - it wasn't super uncommon to hear the subtle roar of a distant airplane or helicopter, and the panda tuned it out as they continued to feverishly peck away at their computer, taking advantage of a very rare burst of inspiration.
But it wasn't going away... Leem couldn't help but notice the sound was getting louder, and closer, quite fast. The sound of something screaming through the sky above, descending rapidly, until....
A plume of atomised drywall and insulation burst downwards into Leem's room, and chunks of wood and plaster rained down onto the floor. As the red panda coughed and spluttered, they could hear someone else coughing... and with it a pained groan. The sound was coming from above, and when Leem looked up, they spied a shape through the gradually clearing dust.
As the figure wafted their paw back and forth in front of their face, it soon came into focus. The raccoon looked like he probably would have only come up to Leem's chest in terms of height, short and squat, the tell-tale build of a toon-anthro.
He also looked like he'd had a rather rough landing. His fur was covered in bits of loose tile and pulverised wood-dust. There was something on his back; it looked a bit like a purple hoover with a pair of car exhausts bolted onto it - very junky and jury-rigged. Those exhaust tubes were flicking out little splatters of flame, but only for a few moments before it died out.
``Curses...'' the raccoon growled, coughing again. ``Where's my hat gone...''
Leem looked down at the floor, just in time to see the black, purple-banded top hat roll like a tin can and rest against their paw.
``Uh, it's down here?'' They called up.
The raccoon was a bit distracted, wriggling himself from side to side as he tried and failed to free himself. A curse of his toon physique - which naturally meant he wasn't going to get loose until a suitably amusing or appropriate moment
His purple eyes focused down on Leem.
``You there!'' He snapped, jutting a finger in the still befuddled panda's direction. ``Give me a hand, would you?''
``How did you even get up there?'' Leem asked as they stood. They picked up the hat and held it gingerly by the brim. It looked very fancy.
``Isn't it-HNGH-obvious?'' The raccoon growled. ``I crashed through your ceiling after this blasted rocket-pack malfunctioned on me - AGAIN! And all those moneybags have gone scattered to the wind, I'm sure of it... another heist foiled!''
``Whoa, slow down,'' Leem said. ``Too much exposition!''
The raccoon gave Leem a withering, gurning glare.
``NO one deigns to tell the great Allison Towers to slow down!'' He snapped. ``Give. Me. My hat.''
``Wouldn't it be easier to get you down... first...?''
Leem trailed off because they noticed something rather strange and fascinating.
Allison's eyes were very purple. Distractingly so. Leem had a few more helpful suggestions to offer, but Allison's eyes were very purple. They forgot those suggestions, or even that they had suggestions to offer. They were more interested in how purple the raccoon's eyes were.
Had the eyes always been that vibrant?
They were rippling, like the ripples from a pebble dropped in a puddle. Deeper violet mixed with lighter lavender.
``My hat, if you please.'' Allison repeated, and his eyes were so purple Leem didn't ask any more questions.
As Leem raised up the hat like an offering to a king, they faintly noticed a little drool sliding down their chin. When had their jaw fallen open like that?
Allison's eyes were very purple.
The raccoon's eyes narrowed as he sneered and chuckled, pouring those hypnotic colours into the befuddled panda's mind.
``Good panda,'' he said, snatching the hat and placing it on his head. Somehow, gravity seemed to have little effect. It just sat on his head, perfectly still, as if glued on.
Leem didn't wonder how that worked. Allison's eyes were very purple, and that was the only thing that really mattered. They liked that Allison's eyes were purple, and that they were rippling. Staring into them felt really nice.
``Now then. Be a good creature and get me down.''
``Yes, Master,'' Leem said, unsure why they said it but deciding that that didn't matter. It made sense to call him Master, because his eyes were purple.
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