Alternative Dimension A/C
Goob tore through the front door of his best friend’s dimension. “I need your help, now.”
Strax was floating by a pool of stars and didn’t even glance at their friend. They simply cocked one eyebrow, twirling the multicolour glass in between their pointy, black fingers. “What have I said about knocking before you teleport?”
“Forget knocking.” Goob half-floated, half-hopped over to where his friend was. He waved his hand in front of the eldritch being’s face, earning its curiosity. “This started happening when I was messing with some guy’s settings for heating and cooling. Malvern, Pinton Street, 34. Know of any portal rifts near there?”
Strax grabbed Goob’s hand. It sent a shiver down his body. No one should have been able to touch his ghostly form, not even an eldritch horror. After you pass away, the only thing that is left behind is your soul. He didn’t have a reflection, just a shimmery outline of a body like the rainbow film you see after washing your plate with soap.
“Portal rifts don’t cause damage like this,” Strax mused. It was the first time Goob had ever heard their normally nonchalant tone sound… concerned. He yanked his hand out of their grasp. “When did this start?”
“My hand started tingling yesterday after I convinced one of my favourites to book for AC repair. Hampton was only a suburb over, so I didn’t think about it really,” Goob said. “I just wanted to get to my next favourite person’s air conditioner to begin another prank.”
“Hampton… that’s the place where the grumpy man who plays solitaire when he’s really angry lives?”
Goob nodded. He felt a small smile form despite the pit of anxiety in his stomach. It always felt nice when Strax remembered details about his pranks. It was one of the few times he felt seen without resorting to making people believe their heater or aircon was broken. “So… can you fix it?”
Strax stroked their massive horns whilst murmuring to themselves. If it wasn’t for their friendship, Goob would have found the movement of their hands frightening. Strax was as tall as a house, with a body that shifted like smoke as they moved. Goob only recognised the stroking as a sign that his friend was deep in thought – which was never good.