Magic Hands
Xy’s fingers danced frantically over the console as she took in the flashing lights, the ever-shifting emotions, and the cacophony of sounds from the big screen. Today was a big day. Riley's Firehawks team was in the middle of an intense hockey game, and every single second of it demanded Xy’s full attention.
“Stay sharp, everyone!” Xy called, her voice buzzing with nervous energy.
“We need to keep Riley focused, engaged, and in control. The stakes are high and the competition’s tough!”
Joy stood beside her, radiating excitement.
“Yes, look at her go!” She pointed at the screen, where Riley had just stolen the puck, skating swiftly down the ice with determination.
The console lit up with bright yellow and orange lights, with memory orbs rolling rapidly into the shelves. The moment was exhilarating, Riley was feeling confident, the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the roar of the crowd fueling her movements.
But Xy barely had time to appreciate it before something changed.
A defender from the opposing team rushed in, blocking Riley’s path. She tried to maneuver around her, but she was fast. She swiped at the puck, knocking it away just as Riley lost her footing.
She hit the ice.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no!” Xy shrieked, zipping around the console as red warning lights flared.
“That’s bad! That’s really really bad!”
Fear jumped up beside her, his hands gripping his face.
“Panic! We should panic, right? This is a panic situation!”
“No panicking!” Xy snapped, even though she was panicking herself.
She frantically smashed buttons, trying to stabilise Riley’s response.
“We need to bounce back, and fast! Joy, help me out!”
Joy was already on it, flipping levers to keep Riley optimistic.
“C’mon, Riley, shake it off! You’re not done just yet!”
The screen showed Riley pushing herself up, shaking her head as her teammates helped her to her feet. The referee blew the whistle, the play would resume in seconds. A breath of relief swept through headquarters, but Xy barely felt it. She was too wired, too focused. This game was by no means over. Disgust crossed her arms, watching Xy dart back and forth.
“Y’know, you could slow down before you explode.” she suggested.
“I can’t slow down!” Xy shot back, her voice nearly cracking.
“This is the most important game of Riley’s life, at least until the next one! And the next one! And the one after that! Do you see the pattern here?!”
Anger, standing at his station, grunted.
“She’s got a point. Losing sucks and Riley ain’t a loser!”
He took control of the console with a slam of his fist. On the big screen, Riley executed a perfectly timed tackle to win the puck back from an opposing player.
“AND THAT’S HOW YOU AVOID LOSING!” he roared in celebration of his contribution.
Sadness sighed.
“But it’s okay to lose sometimes…”
Xy whirled around, eyes wild.
“Not today it’s not!”
More orange memory orbs clattered onto the shelves. Riley was skating hard again, determined, fueled by the pressure of making up for the lost play. The scoreboard showed a tied game. Five minutes left in the final period.
Xy’s breathing quickened.
From the stands, Riley’s parents were watching intently, their expressions tense.
“Okay, okay, we can do this.” Xy muttered, her hands flying over the controls.
“She needs to anticipate those passes, keep the energy up, focus, focus, focus…”
“Xy.” A low, calm voice from the sidelines interrupted her rambling.
It was Ennui.
She was sprawled on the couch lazily as always, watching Xy with half-lidded eyes.
“Breathe.” she said.
“I AM BREATHING!” Xy snapped, orange flames bursting from her head
“WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK I’M NOT BREATHING?!”
Envy, standing nearby, smirked.
“Probably because you look like you’re about to combust.”
“I AM NOT!” Xy shouted, though her twitching fingers, darting eyes and blazing orange fire said otherwise.
Embarrassment was already preparing a fire extinguisher. He aimed it at Xy just as her flames were beginning to cool down on their own, though her panic still wasn’t going anywhere.
Xy groaned, gripping the console so hard her knuckles turned white. The stress was climbing. The memory shelves were packed with glowing orange spheres. Riley’s heart was pounding, her movements quick and precise.
She was in the zone.
Then,
A whistle.
A penalty against Riley’s team.
“NO, NO, NO, NO!” Xy howled, frantically slamming buttons as Riley skated toward the bench, frustration evident on her face.
“Two minutes left and we’re a player down! How do we recover?! HOW DO WE RECOVER?!”
She was spiraling now, pacing back and forth, hands yanking at her messy hair. This was the most panicked Xy had been in a very long time.
Joy, still trying to maintain the balance, smiled nervously.
“Hey, hey! Xy, it’s okay! We’ve made plenty of comebacks before!”
“But THIS is DIFFERENT!” Xy wailed.
“This is the FINAL PERIOD! We’re TOO CLOSE to LOSING!”
Fear shrieked.
“WE’RE GONNA LOSE?!”
“No, we’re not gonna lose!” Xy snapped, her hands now shaking.
“We’re gonna WIN! We HAVE to win!”
The emotions exchanged glances, concern growing. Then, Anger slammed his fist down on the console.
“Enough!” he barked, making everyone freeze.
“This is stupid! We’re playing scared! That’s not how we win.”
Xy spun around.
“I am NOT scared, I am…”
“You’re terrified,” Ennui cut in bluntly.
“You’re like a deer in the headlights.”
Xy opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She looked at the console. The screen. The memory shelves overflowing with anxiety-fueled, orange orbs.
Then she looked at the others.
Joy, still smiling but worried. Fear, clutching his chest. Sadness, quiet and concerned. Disgust, watching with narrowed eyes. Envy, leaning forward. Embarrassment, standing there awkwardly with his fire extinguisher. Ennui, unreadable but unwavering. Anger, arms crossed.
They were right.
She was losing control.
Xy swallowed hard, pressing a hand to her chest as she sucked in a shaky breath.
“Okay…okay…I just…” She trailed off, pressing a few buttons with more control now.
“We need to get her head back in the game. We need her thinking clearly, not drowning in stress.”
The others nodded.
Joy stepped in beside Xy.
“Let’s dial it down for her, okay babe?”
Xy nodded weakly, taking another breath. Together, they adjusted the console, smoothing out Riley’s emotions. On the screen, Riley’s eyes steadied. Her posture straightened.
The penalty ended.
Final minute of play.
Riley skated hard, her teammates with her.
A pass, she caught it.
The crowd roared.
She saw the opening.
She seized the opportunity.
GOAL!
Headquarters erupted in cheers. The console flooded with yellow and orange. The memory shelves shimmered. On the screen, Riley’s teammates swarmed her in celebration. Her parents cheered from the stands.
Xy exhaled, her entire body sagging with relief.
Joy laughed, hugging her.
“YOU DID IT, ANXIETY! WOOHOO!”
Xy, exhausted but smiling, chuckled weakly.
“Barely.”
Anger patted her back.
“Well, ya did!” he said with a smirk.
Xy looked at them all, her family that had caught her before she truly fell apart.
She smiled.
Finally, she let herself breathe.
As the celebration continued, the emotions turned their attention to Xy, showering her with well-earned praise. Joy was the first to throw her arms around Xy, practically bouncing with excitement.
“Oh, you little Xylophone, you were amazing! You kept Riley sharp, you made the right calls, you carried that game on your back!”
Fear, still recovering from his own stress, nodded rapidly.
“Yeah! I mean, I thought we were gonna die several times, but you saved us!”
Disgust smirked.
“You looked like a total mess doing it, but props where they’re due.”
Envy leapt into Xy’s arms, giving her thin body a surprisingly strong squeeze.
“HOCKEY HERO! AGHH!!!” She howled, throttling Xy like a ragdoll.
She erupted into a fit of giggles.
When the giggles died down, she put her hands around Envy and placed her gently down on the ground. A sheepish grin started to creep its way onto her face.
“You guys… I mean, I just did what I had to do…”
Before she could finish, though, a strange sensation settled over her. A lightheadedness, creeping in from the edges of her awareness. She blinked, shaking her head slightly.
“Hey, Xy, you okay?” Sadness asked from the side.
“Y-yeah, I just…” Xy trailed off.
The dizziness deepened into something worse, a wave of nausea.
Something wasn’t right.
Xy staggered away from the console, her legs wobbling beneath her as a deep, unsettling nausea twisted in her stomach. Her mind buzzed like static, and she could practically smell the smoke curling from her wild orange hair. A creeping suspicion slithered into her thoughts. She’d overworked herself.
Again.
Her eyes locked onto her special chair. It was her sanctuary, her personal recovery station when things got overwhelming. She half-stumbled, half-crawled toward it, desperate for some relief. As soon as she reached it, she jabbed the power button, setting it to her favorite massage setting.
Nothing happened.
Xy blinked. Pressed it again. And again. And again.
The chair remained stubbornly unresponsive.
Frustration surged through her already-frazzled nerves.
“Oh, c’mon, don’t do this to me,” she muttered under her breath, voice edged with desperation.
She smacked the side of the chair and tried different settings, her fingers feverishly mashing buttons. Still nothing. Her breath hitched as another wave of nausea swelled inside her. With a distressed whimper, she practically threw herself into the chair anyway, curling up into it like a lifeline. Shakily, she grabbed the backup remote, a small, clunky device she kept just in case the chair ever acted up. Her hands fumbled as she mashed random buttons, hoping for something to work. Her breathing quickened. Her heart pounded. The nausea wasn’t going away.
Xy’s fingers trembled as she clutched the remote, her breathing growing more erratic by the second. The nausea clawed at her insides, and the buzzing static in her brain drowned out everything else. Riley was still socialising with her teammates. The console still needed her. The memories were still rolling in, fast and urgent. She was slipping. Spiraling.
Then, warmth.
A gentle touch on her shoulder.
“Hey, my lovely,” came a soft, soothing voice.
Xy flinched slightly at first, her body still caught in the whirlwind of her own making. But then she turned and found herself looking into familiar bright blue eyes. Joy stood beside the chair, her expression full of tenderness. Xy blinked up at her, lips slightly parted, her expression a mixture of flustered and utterly overwhelmed. She could feel her chest rising and falling too fast, her breaths short and uneven.
Joy gave her a reassuring smile.
“Calm, at peace.” she murmured.
“Remember?”
Their eyes locked, and Joy inhaled deeply, slow and steady, demonstrating for Xy to follow.
“Breathe with me.” she whispered.
Xy swallowed, still dazed, but instinctively did as she was told, mirroring Joy’s movements.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Her first attempt was shaky, uneven.
Again.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
A little smoother this time.
Joy’s hand slid from Xy’s shoulder down to her wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t say anything, just continued the slow rhythm, making sure Xy was right there with her. The world was still spinning, but at least now, Xy had something to focus on, the presence of the girl she loved, her warmth, her voice guiding her through the storm.
Another deep breath.
The nausea wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t getting worse anymore.
Xy clung to that small victory.
As she focused on the rhythm of their breathing, the tension in her body slowly began to ease. Each inhale was steadier, each exhale smoother. The swirling chaos in her head, though not completely gone, was at least settling. She wasn’t spinning out anymore. Joy smiled, still holding onto Xy’s wrist, her thumb rubbing soothing circles against her skin.
“You’ve gotten so good at this, Anxiety.” she murmured.
“And you’ll always get better and better.”
Xy let out a shaky breath, then gave a small, grateful smile.
“Thank you so much…” she said softly.
Joy tilted her head, scanning Xy’s face.
“You gonna be okay?”
Xy nodded, though her posture remained slumped.
“I think so. Just… wow…what a win.”
Joy chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
“Mmm-hmm. And you nearly burned the whole place down for it, didn’t you?”
Xy shot her a cheeky smirk and shook her head.
“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, fixing her wild orange curls.
Then, her hand suddenly reached for her back.
“Owww…my back is killing me. And of course, my special chair just had to break down right when I need it. Why does everything I own keep breaking?” She sighed, rubbing her temples.
“Ohh, I need to get my laptop fixed too.”
Joy hummed in thought, tapping her chin as if contemplating a deep mystery. Then, after a moment, her face lit up.
“Oh! I know exactly what you need.”
Joy leaned forward with a playful glint in her eye, wrapping her arms around Xy and effortlessly lifting her out of the chair. Xy immediately burst into giggles, squirming in her grasp.
“Wha-hey! Joy! Put me down!” she protested between fits of laughter, her arms instinctively wrapping around Joy’s neck.
“Patience!” Joy chirped, adjusting her grip as she carried Xy toward a stool nearby.
“You’ve been running yourself into the ground all day, so I will personally make sure you get exactly what you deserve.”
Xy, still giggling, sighed dramatically.
“Oh, so I’m being punished now?”
“Call it what you will.” Joy countered with a wink.
As they reached the stool, Joy noticed little Envy perched on it, swinging her feet idly as she watched the screen. Without missing a beat, Joy gently shooed her off.
“Scoot, squirt. Emergency relaxation session in progress.”
Envy huffed, but with a quick glance at Xy, who was still draped over Joy’s shoulder and giggling helplessly, she figured it was best not to argue. Rolling her eyes, she hopped off the stool and wandered off.
Joy set Xy down carefully, placing her hands on her shoulders with a teasing smirk.
“Now, sit still, my lovely, and let me work my magic hands.”
Xy was still trying to shake off the giggles, but she barely had time to compose herself before Joy’s hands got to work. The moment Joy’s fingers pressed into her tense shoulders, kneading with a perfect balance of firmness and care, Xy’s expression shifted almost immediately. The tension in her body all but melted away, and her eyes fluttered half-shut in pure relief.
“Oooh…wow…” she muttered, exhaling slowly.
Joy chuckled.
“Now this is what I call a big win.”
As Joy continued her massage, Xy glanced toward the console where the rest of their family stood, all of them watching the big screen with smiles of victory. Riley was leaving the hockey rink with her team, excitement buzzing in the air as they celebrated their incredible win.
Anger was grinning proudly, arms crossed as he nodded in satisfaction.
“To a job well done, ladies and gentlemen.”
Disgust flipped her hair.
“Guess they couldn’t take what we were dishing out, huh?”
Fear, still trembling slightly from the game’s intense final moments, took Disgust’s hand for comfort.
“Here’s to hoping the next game isn’t as intense.”
Sadness, though always the quietest in these moments, was smiling warmly. She didn’t say anything, only glancing back to Joy who was engrossed in her therapeutic treatment of her girlfriend.
Even Ennui, ever the unbothered one, gave a small nod of approval.
“Oui. That was… not bad.”
Xy watched them all, her heart swelling with affection despite her exhaustion. Even after all this time, she still wasn’t used to how much they trusted her. She had taken the reins during this game, navigating every high and low with all the precision and instinct she could muster, and they trusted her to do it. She sighed deeply, feeling Joy’s fingers work their way down to her upper back, kneading away another layer of stress. The relief was so intense that a soft sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.
“Aaohh..”
Joy paused for half a second before grinning widely.
“Ohhh, was that a little happy noise I just heard?”
Xy’s eyes shot open as her cheeks immediately flushed.
“Shut up…” she mumbled, closing her eyes and enjoying every ounce of comfort from Joy’s magic hands.
Joy giggled, pressing her thumbs into a particularly sore spot.
“Sorry, it’s just…you’re powerfully adorable.” said Joy.
Despite herself, Xy felt another pleased hum slip past her lips. She groaned dramatically, dragging her hands down her face.
“Aww, your endless fluffiness is killing me more than my aches!”
“Oh, is that my cue to stop?” Joy teased, her hands coming to an abrupt stop.
Xy stiffened.
“No!” She protested quickly.
“Relax, I was kidding!”
When Xy heard those words, she was relieved. She exhaled, her entire body limp with relaxation again as Joy continued.
And just like that, the chaos of the day faded into the background, replaced by warmth, comfort, and the quiet certainty that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Joy’s massage was nothing short of heavenly. The moment her skilled fingers pressed into Xy’s tense shoulders, a wave of relief coursed through her entire body. Joy knew exactly what she was doing, her touch was both firm and gentle, effortlessly finding the knots of stress buried deep within Xy’s muscles. She kneaded them with the perfect amount of pressure, enough to soothe without overwhelming, enough to release tension without causing discomfort. It was as if Joy had memorized every stress point in Xy’s body and was now expertly unwinding each and every one of them.
Xy could feel the difference with each movement of Joy’s hands. The ache in her shoulders melted away, replaced by a warmth that spread down her arms, making them feel lighter than they had in hours. Joy’s thumbs pressed along her spine, tracing slow, deliberate circles that sent tingling relief through her back. It was intoxicating.
Joy worked her way down to the area just beneath Xy’s shoulder blades, her fingers gliding with precision, smoothing out every last bit of tension. A deep, satisfied sigh escaped Xy’s lips as Joy’s palms flattened against her back, applying a slow, rhythmic pressure that sent shivers down her spine, not from cold, but from sheer bliss. Her muscles, once stiff and overworked, now felt as soft as clouds, as if they had never carried an ounce of tension in their existence.
As Joy’s hands moved to her neck, gently massaging the base of her skull, Xy felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. It was that kind of exhaustion that didn’t come from stress or worry, but from being too comfortable. Her eyelids drooped, and her body swayed slightly before Joy steadied her with a soft chuckle.
“There we go,” Joy murmured, her voice like honey.
“Calm, at peace…right, Xy?”
“Calm….at peace…” Xy repeated.
She was in absolute bliss, her body melting under the careful and expert touch of Joy’s massage. The tension that had coiled itself so tightly around her muscles all day was unwinding bit by bit, leaving her feeling lighter, looser, happier. It was almost enough to lull her into sleep.
She was just about to let her eyes close when a small, familiar figure wandered up to her.
Envy.
The little emotion looked as mischievous as ever, but what caught Xy’s eye immediately was the oversized, shiny screwdriver she was holding. It was teal and purple, strangely sleek and well-made, unlike any tool Xy had ever seen before. Envy spun it lazily against the floor, watching the way the light reflected off its surface with quiet amusement.
“So uh, Anxiety.” Envy piped up, still watching the screwdriver twirl.
“That massage looks reeeaaally nice.”
Xy smirked, already seeing through Envy’s little act. She was trying to get Joy’s attention with the hopes of acquiring her services.
“It is super nice,” she said, stretching her arms slightly as Joy’s hands continued to work their magic.
“Jealous?”
Envy grinned but didn’t answer directly. Instead, she casually rocked back and forth on her heels, still spinning the screwdriver like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Xy chuckled, shaking her head.
“If you wanna have a massage, you’re gonna have to ask Joy nicely. Also, she’s gonna have to shrink her hands first, unless you want to get flattened.”
At that, Envy immediately dropped the screwdriver with a loud clunk and grabbed Xy’s knees, looking up at her with wide, eager eyes.
“I WANT to be flattened!” she declared enthusiastically.
Xy burst out laughing, and even Joy let out a delighted giggle.
“You’ll have your turn soon, ya little rascal.” Joy teased, keeping her focus on Xy.
“I gotta be careful though. Something tells me being flattened by my giant hand isn’t the service you think you want.”
Envy pouted but didn’t argue. Instead, she let go of Xy’s knees and plopped onto the floor, crossing her arms.
It was then that Xy’s gaze drifted back to the mysterious screwdriver lying on the ground. Now that it wasn’t moving, she could get a better look at it. It didn’t look like anything from headquarters. It was too refined, too deliberate. A little too well-made.
Curiosity sparked in her chest.
“Envy,” she said, nodding toward the tool,
“where’d you get that?”
Envy’s eyes flickered to the screwdriver, then back to Xy. In an instant, she snatched it up and clutched it against her chest, her little teal hands wrapped tightly around it.
“It’s mine! You can’t have it!” she announced, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Xy chuckled.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!”
“You better be.” Envy hissed, before flashing a mischievous grin and scurrying off, screwdriver in her arms.
Joy and Xy exchanged glances before both breaking into laughter again.
“She’s such a little gremlin,” Xy remarked fondly, shaking her head.
Joy smiled.
“Yeah, but you love her.”
“Of course I do,” Xy said, stretching out again as Joy resumed the massage.
Joy chuckled and leaned down, whispering near Xy’s ear.
“And I love you.”
Xy smirked but didn’t argue. It was impossible not to love everyone in this little family.