"I've thought about that too, but unfortunately there's magic on the Galleons; the cost of melting them would turn the profit into -20 times the amount." Timothy tossed his backpack onto the sofa and took out 100 flavors of Bertie Crocks, coaxing his siblings to try the booger flavor, the mud flavor, the troll flavor.
The door was kicked open with a "bang."
Damian strode in with Birdie, lifting his chin: "So you were all hiding in.."
The voice caught in his throat.
Damian saw Radar.
Birdie also saw the dog and rushed toward Colt, who was grooming the dog.
"Wait!" Colt grabbed Radar's muzzle with one hand while throwing a net woven from Spiritual Power toward Birdie with the other, attempting to stop the bird-dog war.
"Baby, I told you that I would bring a new friend home today, you agreed. He is just a weak little puppy, while you are a powerful super bird; please treat him gently, okay? Radar, this is Robin Bird, he is two years younger than you. You are the big brother, so please be patient with his clumsiness, okay? You are both my favorites, so you must get along well.." Colt held them both close, kissing the bird and then kissing the dog's head.
"Scum," someone remarked.
"How pitiful, Timmy, your status in the family is even lower than the birds and dogs." Someone pitied Timothy.
Timothy put down the Bertie Crocks and pulled a palm-sized Christmas snow globe toy out of his bag, bringing it close to Birdie. "Look what we brought you!"
Inside the glass sphere was a Mini Bird Manor, containing toys like swings, wheels, rings, windmills, as well as little brooms flying around.
"Once we get home and the shrinking spell is lifted, you can play in there as much as you want, you can even fly on a broomstick." Timothy showed off the toys, then peeled some sunflower seeds for Birdie.
In a two-child family, making the eldest child feel loved helps maintain family harmony.
Birdie accepted the sunflower seeds and landed on Radar's head.
Radar had likely smelled Birdie's scent on Colt long ago; he sat very steadily, showing no stress at Birdie's behavior of treating him like a slide by sliding from his head down to his back, instead looked at Damian with a kind expression.
You went to US Magic Street." Damian's eyes lit up with incredible excitement. "Radar is a magic dog, right? Can he breathe fire? Or can he fly?
I'm sorry, he can't breathe fire, he can't fly either." Colt let Radar sniff Damian. "He just has a very strong bite force and a very tough stomach; he's a bit of a scavenger.
His diet even includes tires and goblins; he can double as a trash can.
Clap, clap." Alfred stood at the doorway and clapped his hands. "Master Damian, I am glad you have made new friends, I hope you haven't forgotten your purpose.
Damian withdrew his hand from the dog and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, Father wants us downstairs. Drake, Little Reed, you'd better change your clothes quickly."
Alfred walked up to the wardrobe and opened the doors. "Master Timothy, Master Colt, your clothes are here."
Wearing formal attire in July was nothing short of torture.
Colt looked at the people around him; some in the Wayne family were rinsing their mouths, while others were straightening their clothes. Their clothes were also very formal; the girls wore evening gowns, the boys all wore jackets.
Well, it was probably for the sake of a uniform dress code.
The two of them quickly took showers, changed into formal attire, put on holographic glasses, along with bow ties, brooches, cufflinks, earrings.. They prepared snacks for the dog and the bird, instructed them to stay in their rooms and not run around, only then headed downstairs.
The live broadcast had already begun.
In such formal occasions where humanity steps into the interstellar age, the speakers are all heads of state; it is not the turn for them to appear. The two of them quietly stood in the back rows, with only the media's cameras recording their arrival at the scene.
Timothy's fingers danced through the void, simulating playing the piano.
Colt gently tapped him.
Timothy pushed up his glasses, a string of characters appeared before Colt's Holographic Glasses.
I'm going to perform a piano program later. Do you like Schumann's Carnival or Pachelbel's Canon?
I think both are fine.
Colt's fingers were also dancing in the void, gradually falling into rhythm with Timothy's.
They looked at each other.
Timothy opened the virtual music room and used the online function; a piano projection that only they could see appeared before their eyes.
Timothy struck the first note.
Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers" piano duet was something they had practiced many times back in their third year. Although many years had passed and much was forgotten, their muscles seemed to retain the memory; as soon as they heard the melody, they couldn't help but play along.
The first time was a bit clumsy, with a few places where the rhythm faltered. By the second time, the melody became fluid. By the third time, they had already regained their unspoken rapport..
Dick poked his head between the two of them. "Hey, is it over? What are you guys playing?"
Timothy pressed Dick's head down and smiled at Colt with anticipation in his eyes, inviting him, "Want to join us?"
Go on stage together and complete the performance that couldn't be finished ten years ago.
Dick broke free from Timothy's grasp and stubbornly poked his head out again: "What do you mean, together?"
He was pressed down again, this time it was Colt who did it.
"Okay," Colt replied.
Dick wanted to ask more, but he was dragged away by Jason.
Jason rolled his eyes: Dick clearly has the most colorful romantic life in the family, yet sometimes he's as obtuse as a Bat-Signal! Of course, it's also possible that Dick just ate some mud-flavored Bertie Crocks and is intentionally acting like a third wheel!
..
By the time the banquet began, it was already dark. Thousands of drones soared into the sky in the distance, like moving stars, creating a grand spectacle of humanity's journey toward the stars.
Colt was unexpectedly popular; even though he stood in a corner, superheroes and their families flocked to him to talk and wish him happiness.
"Hey, Colt, do you know what's going to happen tonight?" Tony leaned in toward Colt.
Colt tilted his head. "Someone's surprise."
It looks like you guessed it." Tony shrugged, reminding him seriously, "Listen, kid, if you haven't decided yet, then don't give anyone any face.
Tony was pulled away by Maria, but he still pumped his fist toward Colt and cheered loudly, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Ke'er! You have the right to say no to the whole world! No one can use moral kidnapping against you!"
Howard turned his back in anger, looking as if he very much wanted to sever his relationship with Tony.
As it approached 7:00 PM, after Bruce finished his speech, the guest host announced the program.
My child has a gift to present to everyone. Come on, Tim. Oh, Colt, would you like to join him? That would be even better!" Bruce applauded, "Let us set down our glasses and welcome the children onto the stage.
Timothy gripped Colt's hand, his palm slightly damp and trembling with a hint of nervousness.
Colt took a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous as well.
“If you're nervous, just treat the audience like potatoes,” Timothy whispered, just as he had ten years ago.
Colt would never answer that "the President doesn't know what nervousness is." He gave Timothy a roll of his eyes, then couldn't help but laugh. It was as if he had truly returned to those hot-blooded days when he feared nothing and his head was filled with nothing but the thought that he could save the world.
The staff had already replaced the two-person piano stools, they walked onto the stage hand-in-hand to bow.
Timothy said to the conductor, "Waltz of the Flowers, thank you."
"Waltz of the Flowers" is the final piece in Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite," and it is the most *** part of the entire suite, being incredibly lively and passionate. As the lively notes flowed from the piano keys, Colt felt as if he could see a scene of bats and birds leaping about in Gotham. They were kind, righteous, brave; they loved life, finally, they had found happiness.
The entire performance lasted less than seven minutes.
Colt played the final note, only to find that the surrounding lights had gone out at some unknown time, leaving only the spotlight above their heads. His friends and family stood around them holding candles, while the audience members held glow sticks, drones in the distance formed the shape of a ring.
Timothy is very good at keeping secrets, but he has alerted too many people, someone always lets it slip.
Colt had known long ago what would happen tonight.
He thought he was prepared, but as Timothy circled in front of him, dropped to one knee, opened the ring, he saw Timothy's mouth moving, yet all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat.
It was fine; Colt was an expert at lip reading.
Timothy is proposing.
He wasn't asking Colt to marry him, but rather asking to let their surnames become each other's middle names.
Colt stood up, reached out his hand, struggled to turn his wide, silly grin into a composed smile: "I do."
As the ring was slipped onto his middle finger and the crowd was about to cheer, Colt's expression suddenly changed. He dropped to one knee before Timothy and pulled a similar ring box from his pocket.
Someone informed me of your plan, so I contacted the master jeweler who made the ring and had this created." Colt opened the ring box and looked up at Timothy. "The position only represents the different roles we play in love; our love for each other is equally sincere. Tim, I am so happy that we will become each other's responsibility, I hope we can become each other's happiness.
Timothy reached out his hand. "Of course, I do."
Colt slipped the ring onto Timothy's left middle finger.
The next second, Colt was pulled up forcefully, crashing into Timothy's embrace.
They kissed each other in front of everyone's eyes.
Applause, cheers, strange cries erupted all at once, as camera flashes turned the night into day, drones in the distance set off fireworks.
..
While the guests were still reveling in the front hall, the protagonists of the banquet had successfully escaped under the cover of friends and family. Colt and Timothy, carrying bags, holding dogs, clutching birds, used the Quantum Teleportation Channel that Bruce had hidden in the secret room to return to Gotham.
【Call duck Drake: Intertwined fingers, rings shining in unison. JPG, @Call duck Call, I love you. 】
【Call duck Call: Fingers interlaced, the rings shimmer together. JPG, @Call duck Drake is deeply honored to be a part of your happiness. 】
They couldn't wait to announce to the whole world that they were bound together by rings, then they embraced and kissed passionately.
The dog was busy marking its territory, while the bird was busy feeding the dog bird droppings, sunflower seed shells, fruit pits, chopsticks, socks, chocolate..
"Wait, no chocolate." Timothy fished a piece of chocolate out of the dog's mouth.
"Poodles can eat goblins, so they shouldn't be afraid of chocolate," Colt said, even as his hands deftly cleared away all the chocolate-containing snacks, while he taught Birdie how to feed the dogs correctly.
They took out the Mini Bird Manor and the Doggy Playground, releasing them onto the empty lawn, then filled their respective feeders with dog food and birdseed. After returning to the room, they locked the bedroom doors and windows, drew the curtains tight, searched and dealt with the surveillance, finally, they held each other.
No one came to disturb them this time.
..
By the time Colt woke up again, it was already noon.
Timothy was not there.
Colt let go of the Cole Duck plushie in his arms and stretched, looking at the platinum ring on his left middle finger. He gazed at it with a smile for a moment, then pressed his lips against the slightly cool metal, letting out a satisfied sigh.
There were voices in the backyard, more than one person. There were people from the Wayne family, as well as those from the Armory, Spider-Man.. Damian was petting a dog, the purring sound coming from the dog's throat drew an angry chirp from Birdie.
That's not right!
Colt sat up abruptly and looked toward the tightly closed curtains of the bedroom. The room's soundproofing had always been excellent; even if someone were setting off firecrackers outside, he could only hear them faintly. Although Colt's five senses were becoming increasingly sharp as his power recovered, they were not yet strong enough to rival the intensity of wearing a hearing aid.
Last night's proposal was broadcast live by the media throughout the entire process, the massive amount of attention brought a surge in power.. Everything that was lost will return, but will the Dream Station return as well?
Colt's heart pounded like a drum as he nervously looked inward at his Spiritual Sea.
There's a change!