#this is your food before I disappear back under my rock to hibernate for a year

[a-sentient-slime01]

Anyway have some gods.

Food for whoever finds this account.

[ubemango]

delicacies of the season (m)

part 3: days apart

note: hey!! What’s up!! first, I officially have named this series!! it’s right up there for ur viewing glory! ok anyway here’s something before I disappear for the next four weeks because I am drowning in school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also just a side thingie for this story: I’ve already established that oc isn’t on birth control but here I’m implying that they’re doing natural planning (i.e. fertility awareness where the person who menstruates keeps up with their cycle and thus only has sex when their cycles allows for it). PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW THE RISKS!!!!!!!! Oh Lord putting your impregnation chances up to God?! I couldn’t do it. But also this is fanfiction and nothing bad will happen to this couple so let’s all just... suspend disbelief for a second ok

PAIRING. taehyung/reader GENRE. romance, farmer au RATED. M WORD COUNT. 2.5k WARNINGS. kitchen sex, unprotected sex, dirty talk, a good ol’ creampie bc wot is the ubemango experience without one :/ SUMMARY. Taehyung missed you.

Auntie Gaeul comes over when the rooster crows to tell you to check out the passion fruits today. They’re ripe not because she’s seen them but because she just knows. Call it the Elder Instinct for Ripened Foods. You tell her you’ll give her half the harvest, and she swats at you before she leaves.

“Stop being so polite, I’m not that old,” she spits in jest. “And make some of that honey iced tea your grandma makes. If there’s extra, then I’ll have some.”

Taehyung would probably like some, too; he chugs down anything with passion fruit like he’s about to go into hibernation. And when you come back home from the fields with a basket-full perched heavy on your back, you resolve to make some tea right away to bring over to his house to see if he’s there. You haven’t seen him in five days—his cousin had the stomach flu, and his aunt needed the extra help with tending to the livestock. Being the eldest nephew (and the only one who can drive a motorcycle) had him obligated right from the get-go.

“Grandma! Can you show me where you put the honey jars, I can’t remember where they are. And can you help me peel these—um. You’re not Grandma,” you stop.

Taehyung looks up from where he’s perched on the stairs of your awning, flicking bits of strawberries to the ground for Danbi to eat. Your little puppy scrounges it up so fast she nearly falls over on her fluffy bum.

“I told her to go play bingo with the rest of the granny crew, someone’s betting chicken feet,” he says. You smile wide when he trods over to you for a short kiss, slipping the strap of the basket off your shoulder to put on his. The hand he keeps low on your back is as warm as the ten AM sun. “Hi. I missed you.”

“I was just gonna go see if you were home,” you say. He smells like the wind. Something you’d scrunch your nose at but he makes it work. “When d’you come back? How’s Daeshim now?”

“An hour ago. And he’s better. He ate up all your ice cream, only thing he could keep down.”

You frown. “Poor baby.”

“I know. You gonna clean these now?” He nods his head toward the water basin, carved rock he’d installed for you on your third anniversary.

“Yeah. Can you start? I’ll just wash up quick,” you offer. Suddenly you’re aware you’ve got an ugly shirt with oil stains and holes in random places—nothing Taehyung minds, but the occasion probably deserves better.

“Got it, boss,” Taehyung says. He slaps your ass before you run to the bathroom. A familiar signal of his intentions but he’s too polite to bring it up so quickly.

“Hey!”

“Hurry up,” he calls. As if you’re going to take another five days to get back to him but you get it. You missed him, too; a little more than you’d like to let on. Your grandma is great company but she watches her TV too loud and she hates when you’re not there to sit with her because she might need your help switching channels. It’s a miracle you didn’t jump Taehyung the second your eyes landed on him.

You change into whatever shirt you’ve tossed on the floor that looks semi-presentable. It’s too early for your sweat to reek like it does under the afternoon heat, but you spritz some perfume on your neck anyway. Just for upkeep, because you’d be lying if you said you weren’t anticipating sex, a sloppy makeout session at the least. Danbi’s too hyper to be left alone, plus your grandma likes making surprise visits at your house because she’s a forgetful woman.

By the time you’ve come back from scrubbing the dirt and dead ant bits caked under your nails, Taehyung’s a third of the way through the basket, tossing the clean passion fruit into a bucket Danbi is trying so hard to climb into. She yelps when her fat paws slip at the edges.

“Danbi! Mama’s gonna be mad if you get hurt. I’ll give you some later.”

“Go play with your toy,” you call out to her. “Danbi! Go!”

Her ears perk up at your command, and she pants and pants till she decides to go in the complete opposite direction of the ball and into the patch where all the potatoes are. She hasn’t hit her teething phase so you’re safe from her snuffing anything out with her mouth. It’s her fur you worry about. She’s such a nice shade of white amongst the semi-wet dirt, it almost hurts seeing her get soiled.

“Like a little cotton ball,” Taehyung says. He points to the bucket. “This good?”

You nod—it’s enough to have extra for Auntie Gaeul. “Yeah. Wanna carry it to the kitchen like a good man?”

“As if I’m not one already,” he snorts, grabbing the handle. “Danbi, come!”

This is how it always goes. Taehyung ogles from over your shoulder (usually he’s off to the side but he’s a lot clingier, not that you mind) while you do your business because you don’t trust him with a knife. Not since the time you’d tasked him with chopping garlic and he’d nearly sliced his palm open when he tried crushing them first.

And now you’ve got a new addition to the routine: Danbi sniffs around the dried leaves for the fire, sneezing when she breathes the ash in too hard. You hear her collar jiggle as she explores the earthenware stacked on the side. You made sure Taehyung left the door open because she gets antsy fast.

“Can I just say that I have a thing for seeing you use a knife,” Taehyung says, hands stroking your tummy because he’s got nothing better to do.

“You’re really bad at hiding how turned on you are.”

“Who said I was trying to hide?”

You laugh. “What are you trying to get at, mister?”

“I’m saying I missed you,” he says simply.

“So that’s why you kicked Grandma out the house,” you tease. Taehyung splutters in your ear.

“No! They really are betting chicken feet. What do you think I am?”

“Horny.”

“Ugh.”

You turn your focus back to the chopping board. Taehyung lets the sound of the knife smooth down the goop of the insides fill the space.

“...Are you mad if I am?” He whispers tentatively.

“Oh my god. It’s ten in the morning.”

“You think my dick cares?”

“You think I care?” you joke.

Taehyung gasps. Like his heart just shattered from your vitriol, but all you want is to finish cutting up these damn fruits before you’ll allow his hands to touch you. “Wow. You—? Okay, fine.”

“Wha—”

“I appreciate your hard work,” he coos. He wraps himself around you even tighter, traces a slow kiss on your neck. “Really. But don’t pretend you didn’t miss me too.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

“You’ve got a fucking mouth on you.”

And that gets you to shut up. Taehyung only swears when he wants you to stop talking. Not for the sake of real anger but to show you he’s got something brewing, and you’re here to take whatever it is he’s about to give you.

“I just wanted to be a good fiance and visit the one I love the most after five days because I missed them so much.”

His teeth catch the lobe of your ear. Biting down softly because he’s still aware you’ve got the knife in your hand, but you’ve lost all motor skills the second he started his little bit. You drop the handle slowly. At the last second you push all the shit you’ve laid out on the counter to the farthest corner. Something tells you this space is being defiled this morning.

“Good. Are you wet?”

“N-No.”

“Then we’ll have to do something about that, huh.”

You watch his hands glide up, and you’re half-expecting him to fondle you gently, the way he teases you when you think he’s taking it slow. But instead he goes right for the kill: using those long fingers to pinch right at your tits just to get you to gasp into the feeling. You roll your eyes shut, let your head fall back on his shoulder.

“You like that?”

“Mhm,” you whine.

“Take your shirt off for me.”

You’ve never exposed yourself to kitchen utensils and rice wine on the pantry shelves before but Taehyung makes you want it. He shows his appreciation for your compliance with another hard grope of his hands, this time with his mouth sucking on your neck too. Craving your skin like he’s been absolutely deprived. The calluses on his fingertips rub your nipples raw.

“You smell good,” he croons. “Come here.”

You nearly tip over from how fast he spins you around, but he catches you easy, tongue on yours in the next second. The desperate tug of his lips on yours, the smack of your spit when he pulls you in deeper, all the intricacies of needing someone else to save your own sanity—it culminates here, and now your ass is up on the cold of the counter, Taehyung pulling back from one last kiss to drag that same heat down your body.

“Please let me eat you out here, holy shit.” He tugs at your pants, slides your underwear down with it. Mouthing hungry at your mound because you haven’t answered him yet, so you just groan a quick please, yes and he doesn’t even look at you before he presses his tongue inside you.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, the guilt of ruining this space with your (embarrassingly) uncontrolled libido is raging. But you could care less with the way Taehyung swipes his tongue around your clit, gets you clawing at his hair for brief respite. You’ve most definitely exceeded wet boundaries. His chin practically shines.

And he knows it’s because of him. Not just from his mouth but the knowledge that he wants you trembling towards a heady orgasm, the kind that consumes you whole. His laving gets bolder with every stroke, every moan you try to keep stifled but it’s useless. “Taehyung. Oh my g-od, fuck—no d-don’t use your fingers, I’ll come.”

He laughs, adjusts your thighs so you’re not cramping. “Think you’ll tap out?”

“I wanna come on your dick,” you pants.

“Oh my god,” he groans. “You’re perfect. Oh my god. I’m so fucking hard. Can I come inside you?”

“Yes yes yes yes, just get inside me already.”

Taehyung’s foot gets caught on his pants when he shoves them off, nearly crashing face first into your pussy again. And he laughs and you snort and when he’s naked waist-down he kisses you again, a little slower this time, a breather for just a moment.

“I know it’s only been five days but I missed you. A lot.”

You trap his hips with locked ankles on his back. “I know.”

“It’s just—I had to shovel so much horse shit—”

“Oh don’t say that!” You bat at his chest.

Taehyung snickers. “Sorry. Ahh, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“You can stick your dick inside me and we can go from there,” you suggest.

“I like the way you think, missus.”

It’s almost laughable when he sinks right in. No resistance, just the slick of your arousal and his spit, an unholy mixture for this thick sacrilege. Taehyung’s eyes stay locked on the sight.

“Fuck yeah. Oh baby…”

If it’s got him uttering curses this early in the round then you’re definitely worse off. You’ve got one profanity for every inch he’s claimed inside you, all lined up behind your teeth but you don’t have the brain capacity to get them out. He fucks you straight to incoherence.

Your delirium keeps you mum. Taehyung will make up for it. He slots his hand up the back of your thighs, hits deeper when you arch through the pleasure. “Holy fuck that’s so good,” you whine. “Taehyung—oh god.”

He doesn’t say anything. Just pants hard with every moan you’ll give him, and you watch the sweat glow on his collarbone, the thick of his neck. Places you claim with your mouth when you lean forward because it’s too hard to keep balance without his gravity.

Taehyung breaks when you bite. “Sh-it. Oh fuck you’re so hot. ‘M not gonna last, shit.”

“You’ll fuck me when you come?” you plead, hold his gaze. He’s just as gone as you are. “You’ll fuck your cum inside me?”

“Yeah baby. I’ll give it to you. So fuckin’ good.”

He never lets up. Just keeps that steady fucking, stiff with every drive into your slick till he adjusts your knees with one push. Pussy open to the angle that gets you begging for his thumb on your clit because it’s right there. You fall back on your hands, no steady grip because Taehyung’s faltering too.

“Oh—!” You flutter your eyes shut to pending ecstasy. “Tae—please—harder—right there right there don’t stop!”

“You gonna come for me?”

It’s a rhetorical question. You know he sees the way your chest collapses, the rub of your clit in quick gestures for your high. He’s got you right in his hand.

“Fuck—ohhh yes!”

“Ugh,” he whines. It’s nearly lost to the ringing in your ears, the clench of your pussy from his pounding. You cream him so good when the orgasm’s strong enough, pulsing hot, the rough intensity. And that’s not lost on him when he cries: “God your pussy’s so wet. Holy shit.”

Usually you’re spent by the time your vision’s cleared to the sight of Taehyung fucking you through it. But he’s promised you something, and you’re greedy for it.

“Come inside me,” you urge, guiding a hand through his hair, pulling hard at his nape. He keeps his eyes on his dick priming you for those final strokes.

“I’ll fucking come,” he snaps. “You ready? I’ll come so good for you baby. Come so fucking—good—!”

He stiffens with a shout, grinds his teeth, lets his orgasm splash inside with so much heat you mewl. And he keeps minimal movement, thrust for soft thrust because it’s too much with the squeezing you tease him with.

“I.” Taehyung clears his throat, panting to a stop. “I… wow.”

Your ass is rubbed raw against the counter. But you’ll risk it again to see the glint in his eye when he pulls out and watches his cum drip down your hole, onto the floor for you to clean when your legs aren’t jelly.

“Wow,” you repeat.

“Do… Am I… Am I ovulating?” He looks genuinely confused. “I don’t… I’ve never been that horny before.”

You snort. “Five days felt like forever, huh.”

Taehyung kisses you slow. “If it means we get to fuck like that again then I’m going to the city for a month.”

“Hey!” You pinch his arm, using his bicep to stand up, tiptoeing around the mess on the floor. “God. Help me clean up here, please. And where’s the dog?”

(Danbi sleeps peacefully in the wicker basket, head lolled on one of the passion fruits. You make sure to bring her over to Auntie Gaeul’s for extra snacks.)

[dragonindigo245]

The Coldest of Hearts

Tags: N/A

Warnings: Death, angst, sympathetic Dark Sides, Unsympathetic Light Sides, cursing

Summary is this post I based the whole story off of.

——————

Gone. Gone. GONE. GONE.

No... nonono...

Why? How? It can't be.

Dee was here the whole time.

Please no... not my only friend. Please.

Dee was gone from his spot on the "bed". He couldn't have gotten up and left. He was hibernating. Snakes do that.

No! Please! I'll do anything!

He wouldn't have been taken. The Light Sides didn't want him. This only means he... he...

He can't be dead. I tried so hard! He seemed fine last night!

No. Nononono... My fault... it's my fault... I can't...

"Dee! Dee please... no... you can't be gone. You're all I had left... have left."

Finally the tears started sliding down my face. The wind picking up didn't help their freezing touch.

He CANNOT be dead!

No. He isn't dead. He's... he must be somewhere out in the storm. Has to be. That's it.

I picked myself up, feeling the weight of grief try and push me down. No. He's out in the storm. He will be there. I rushed outside of our broken down tower and into the snow.

Has to be. Has to be. Has to be. He has to be.

~~~

The Dark Sides never lived in a fancy place. They always lived on the opposite side of the imagination, miles upon miles away from their light counterparts. It was always dark and cold. It was 'fitting' for them according to Roman. It was so cold Deceit's snake tendencies kept him asleep most of the time. The others never blamed Deceit for it though, he had no control over it. Remus tried to build the others buildings and such, but they never seemed to stand. Only half of creativity Remus got from Roman was the bad stuff. The others lived in the ruins of the castle Remus so desperately tried to create. They lived in awful conditions, often hungry. They relied on the Duke to conjure food but because of the limits he had, it took so much energy to create a single crumb that wasn't poisonous, coming to life, or something far worse.

Then in the harsh winter Virgil left. Offered a place among the light and took it up without batting an eye. Remus had to tell Deceit what happened once the spring allowed Deceit to stay awake enough. In a fit of rage Deceit revealed himself to Thomas. He even let Remus make an appearance. It was futile though, for it simply blew over in a few weeks. Remus and Deceit went back to solitude. They tried to ask for access into the castle but they were rejected. Fall came around and Deceit was near hibernation. He tried to keep himself awake, mostly out of fear Remus would leave. Eventually he passed out.

Remus didn't though. He only left to gather recourses because he couldn't make them. He stayed with Deceit all the way until Christmas, huddled under animal furs and dead leaves he collected.

~~~

I ran as fast as he could, covering the entire forest screaming out Deceits name. I went to every hiding place he knew, I scanned every treetop. Nothing.

He's dead.

No. I can't think like that. Maybe... maybe I missed him somewhere. I started walking towards 'home'. Maybe Dee found his way back.

Thud.

I tripped over a rock hidden in the snow. The white fluff thankfully cushioned me enough I hadn't even felt it. The snow was... quite comfortable. I was exhausted after running everywhere.

STOP! GET UP!

I wanted to. I would most certainly die if I slept out here. My body would not abide however. The snow had already started weighing me down like a weighted blanket.

NO! I HAVE TO FIND DEE!

Dee... I have to find him. I have to. He...

He's dead. My best friend is dead.

I closed my eyes and sobbed in agony. My best friend... my only friend... was dead. Gone. I have nothing... no one left.

"I'm... so sorry... D-Dee..."

~~~

Christmas Eve was spent like any other day. Remus hummed Christmas music while Deceit slept. It was an alright day... for their circumstances anyways. What Remus didn't expect was to get to the chorus of "Silent Night" and have Virgil enter their doorway. He was buried in warm clothing... gosh Remus felt jealous of that. Remus simply smiled and waved in place of this though. "Virgil! Hey buddy! Fancy a visit?" Virgil laughed and sat down in front of Remus. "You could say that. Merry Christmas Dukey. I have a gift for ya." Remus grin grew, this time along with his spirits. "Ooo a gift? What is it?!? What is it??? Tell meeeeee!" Virgil shook his head. "Calm down. Anyways... I convinced the Sides to let you stay with us. Despite how demented you are, you are honest and could be of use." Remus sat as if he had been struck by something. "W-What? We... we could really... we could seriously stay with you guys?" Virgil held up a hand. "Yeah sure you can. Deceit can't though. It's not like he's anything but evil ya know? Besides, he's using you and sleeps to much to do any good. Anyways there's plenty of food so you won't go hungry and I'm sure everyone will love ya, especially Patton. Oh and-" "No." Virgil stopped confused. "No what? I mean it's fine if you don't want affection. We won't judge ya." Remus held Deceit closer to him. "No I won't be going without Deceit. He would never use me. You should've seen how heartbroken he was when you left. You... he is my best friend. He's family. Either we both go or none of us do." Virgil glared at Remus. "He's DECEPTION! He doesn't care about anyone!" "He cares about me and I sure as hell care about him. If you came here to insult Deceit and tempt me like an actual snake then I suggest you leave. N o w."

Virgil left and Roman came in his place a few hours later. Roman yelled at Remus for being a failure. He couldn't do anything to help anyone, he leaves Deceit to die and freeze alone, he can't even help himself. Even after Remus chased Roman off, he couldn't chase off the words that stuck with him. He fell asleep that night with the guilt clouding his mind. It didn't help he woke up with Deceits' disappearance.

~~~

I opened my eyes to find myself on a couch. Panic flared in me. Light sides... their home... Remus... what the hell happened when I was asleep? Roman was at the other end and looked up. "Crap. Remus still isn't here and you're awake already." He sighed and held a hand out. "I'm gonna need you to do something right for once in your life and stay on the couch." I pulled my cape tighter around myself and glared at Roman. "Why? I totally trust you. Why am I here and where's Remus?" Roman shrugged. "I dono. Virge and I brought you here so Remus would come to us. It's been around a day though so maybe Remus didn't bother or something." I immediately flung up from the couch and bust through the front entrance despite the protests being thrown at me.

Crap. Remus must be terrified.

I ran trough the cold despite its whispers to go back to sleep. I could NOT rest now. If there was any time to not sleep, this was it. I almost got back to the house before I tripped over a lump in the snow. It wasn't hard like a rock however, more of an animal. I brushed the top layer of snow off and found something black. No... oh no. This wasn't a good sign. Adrenaline filled my veins as I quickly brushed Remus off. He wasn't moving. He wasn't moving! His face was full of tears and distraught. That idiot ran out to find me. Why? Why would he...

My thoughts cut off. I was unable to think besides repeating pleas internally for Remus to get up. I wrapped my arms around him and cradled him. His pulse was non existent. His heart wasn't pumping. He wasn't alive anymore, he hadn't been for hours. All I could do was sob loudly and scream. He deserved so much better.

I only stopped crying once my body remembered I couldn't live if I stayed huddled in the middle of the frozen forest. I stood up with Remus head close to my chest and turned to head back home but immediately walked the opposite direction. No. They were going to see what they had done. Nobody deserved this, especially Remus. I didn't bother knocking when I arrived. I kicked down the door so it fell over. Good, all the sides and... Oh god. Thomas.

Roman immediately stood up and drew his sword while the rest tensed up. "DECEIT! What is the-" I cut him off quickly. "REMUS IS DEAD AND ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO ANSWER FOR IT! WE LIVED OUR ENTIRE LIVES, BARELY SCRAPING BY AND LIKE HELL I'M GOING TO LET YOU PARTY IT UP WHILE I BURY HIM!!! WE SHOULD HAVE STOOD UP TO YOU WHILE WE STILL HAD THE CHANCE!"

Thomas immediately flew over the back of the couch and rushed to my side in shock. The sides were pale in the face. Good. Thomas sputtered for a second and turned around to the others. "What... What's going on? I don't... I don't understand." Thomas turned around to my likely pathetic figure. "Deceit. What happened? Is Remus really... you know?" I just nodded out of the fear that if I did speak, it would lead to me being a sobbing mess.

Thomas looked down at The Duke. Something in Thomas seemed to jerk when he saw Remus face of anguish. Thomas was finally listening to me. I would have leapt for joy if the circumstances were better. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Thomas placed a hand against the snake half of my face.  He flashed a smile and whipped away the stream of tears. "It'll be okay... I promise." In that moment I didn't bother to check if that was a lie or not. All I needed was that reassurance for now. Thomas turned around enraged. Finally. "Any one of you four care to explain?"

[butterflyinthewell]

Old fanfic: Get Off My Island!

Era: Heisei era

- Written in 2006, so my writing skills were less polished then. -

Characters: Shezilla, Godzilla and Zilla (GINO to some!).

Summary: An unwelcome guest takes up residence on the island Godzilla and Shezilla call home. With Godzilla off foraging for food, Shezilla has to fight for her territory alone. 

* * * TW: Violence, blood and a bit of poop. * * *

The dialogue in italics are noises and gestures translated into words. Translations would appear in subtitles if this was a real movie. I'm pretending all monsters have a "common language" so they can always communicate with each other regardless of species.

I love this piece. It showcases Shezilla’s personality so well. She doesn’t take kindly to invaders of her space and neither do I! ;)

GFW Goji gif is appropriate because Shezilla has the same build and moves the same way. Just paint the suit granite gray, toss on a Heisei era head and (slightly smaller) dorsal spines and you’ll have a girl with attitude.

Fanfic beyond the cut.

---

---

o

Get Off My Island!

o

Shezilla stirred to awareness in the deep blue of the calm ocean. It was the first time she'd opened her eyes after hibernating the winter's coldest months away. She found a gleaming reactor core waiting for her - clearly a gift left by Godzilla. He always woke up first and left her a little present before taking off to find himself a meal. Shezilla drew the reactor to herself and felt the familiar prickle as her body absorbed the radiation. Her small, silvery dorsal plates flickered, the heat in them causing the water in her vicinity to boil. After she drained the reactor, she cast it aside and pushed up with her whole body. The powerful movements of her body and tail dislodged various barnacles, remoras and even bits of coral that took root on her hide while she slept. What didn't come off on its own got scraped off when Shezilla paused to groom herself with her long claws.

Finally, after nearly an hour of swimming off her stiffness, Shezilla surfaced near the island her and Godzilla called 'home'. The familiar rocky shores, white sand, brown mountains and a lush green jungle growing in a huge gorge were a welcome sight. It was mid-day, muggy and clear, the sun a brilliant white flare in the blue sky. For a moment Shezilla just enjoyed the sparkles on the water. She even grunted and rolled over on her back to let the sun bake her belly.

The kaiju female may have remained on her back all day. But something captured her attention. Shezilla rolled over and swam slowly towards the beach. Her eyes were drawn to a large pile of black feces on the the sand. Wastes told her a lot about her mate's health, like how much he ate and whether or not he was in season. Shezilla had taught her mate how to dig a hole in the sand and bury his business afterward - and he did, most of the time, so it really irritated her to find his nasty black filth just sitting in the sun to stink up the island.

Wait...black? Godzilla produced many interesting colors, but black was not among them. Shezilla moved closer. The sand had no drag marks from his tail. The footprints were narrow with less toes. Shezilla could not count, but she could tell the difference between more and less. She bent to sniff the feces and smelled fish. It definitely was not her mate's doing. Godzilla liked to eat whales, not fish. Shezilla growled low in her throat and stepped around the mess, her nostrils flaring at the unfamiliar scent hanging around the footprints. Her gold eyes narrowed, snarl lines appearing on her nose and cheeks. Her lips pulled away to bare one fang.

Intruder, Shezilla thought, now very wary and alert to every sound. She cautiously followed the footprints until they vanished into the jungle. The fishy, leathery scent was strongest there, so she knew she found the intruder's hiding place. Shezilla felt small prickles of fear rise up her spine. Charging into the jungle wasn't a wise idea - for all she knew the intruder could be stronger than her.

Shezilla opened her mouth and roared. "I know you're in there!"

Trees rustled, then stilled. Whoever hid there did not come out.

"Come out!" Shezilla howled again.

When that failed to get a decent response, Shezilla hauled off and kicked one of the boulders near her feet. It flew up into the air and disappeared into the trees with a loud crash.

"Owww!" cried the intruder, its roar hoarse and screechy. "This is my island! Go away!"

"YOUR island?!" Shezilla's gold eyes widened. Her fear became anger. This was HER island, her home! How dare this fool come here and invade it! She snarled, "You must be mistaken. This is MY island."

"It was empty when I came here." hissed the hidden creature.

"Because I was enjoying my winter's sleep," Shezilla replied coarsely. "You're not welcome here. Leave!"

She heard a low growling sound. Then, suddenly, a silver-gray form emerged from the trees. The creature had a large, flat head with glowing golden eyes and triangular gray spines running down its back. Its body was muscular while its arms and legs were very lean, and its posture was decidedly horizontal. Long black talons tipped its fingers and toes. Yet despite its menacing face and gleaming claws, the creature only came to Shezilla's throat.

Zilla regarded this unfamiliar female curiously. He knew she was female by her scent. Her wet hide was granite gray, bright and glistening against the sky. She glared at him through narrowed light gold eyes. Her fangs were bared, gleaming in the light, and she had bone white claws that rivaled his own in length. She stood upright on muscular legs and flat feet. He could see a hint of her dorsal plates glittering over her shoulder. Her arms were shorter than his, but also viciously muscular.

"Well?" Shezilla puffed out her chest and shook her shoulders. This caused her dorsal plates to slam together, creating a deafening clang. "Are you going to leave?"

Zilla hunched himself down until only his head was visible above the jungle foliage. "What if I don't feel like leaving?"

Shezilla's lips twitched into a half smile. "You want to leave."

"You know..." his glowing eyes arched in a grin, "you are quite lovely."

"You're not my type," Shezilla clenched her fists, "I'm taken anyway."

"Pity. You're probably wasting your time with him, whoever he may be." Zilla huffed and stood up again.

"Wasting my time?" Shezilla growled deep in her chest. Not only did this creature invade her territory, he also insulted her mate! She closed her fingers and her knuckles all cracked one after the other. The rumbling crackles rebounded off the mountainsides. "Now listen here, you pathetic, fish-eating excuse of an iguana! You invaded my island, you insulted my mate and your ugly presence offends me. Now for the last time—" she roared and ignited her dorsal plates, "LEAVE!"

Zilla wasn't about to let a mere female push him around. He hissed and snapped his jaws. "Make me!"

"Very well, then." Shezilla's plates brightened and crackled. A blue-white glow formed in her throat. She reared back and spat her atomic ray into the trees.

But Zilla proved as quick as his wit and leapt clear of Shezilla's ray. The blue-white beam vaporized trees and dug a molten trench in the ground. Steam that smelled like ozone rose from superheated water in the soil. Shezilla hissed. Zilla had jumped against the sun. She cursed its glare...where did he go?!

"You're mine!" Zilla crashed down on Shezilla's back. He was heavier than he looked and Shezilla tumbled with the impact. He locked his jaws around her largest dorsal plate and yanked backwards. Sharp shooting agony raced down Shezilla's back. Shezilla felt her lips pull back in a rictus of pain. A startled cry wrenched itself from her throat. Zilla grabbed her shoulders and shook his head like a dog with a toy, trying to rip the plate off her spine. She bucked beneath him, but he had such a good grip that he wouldn't be shaken off.

"Get off me!" Shezilla's spines glowed again. They heated so fast that the spit in Zilla's mouth boiled. His eyes widened. He screamed bloody murder and rolled off her back. She stared down at him, twitching her fingers, "Feel like leaving yet?"

"Gimme a kiss and I might consider it." Zilla grinned. Some of his jagged teeth were singed black. He dragged himself back to his feet and sand clung to his lean body.

Once again, Shezilla rattled her spines in warning and wrinkled her nose. She kept tabs on Zilla's feet, noticing they were moving."You're disgusting!"

Shezilla saw Zilla's clawed toes dig into sand and rocks. His body angled itself more forward. He was going to charge. The female widened her stance in the same instant her opponent raced forward. Sand and rocks were thrown aside by his huge toe claws. He came closer and closer. He was almost upon her. At the very last second she sidestepped. She caught his head under her arm and fell backwards, driving his face into the sand. Too hard, it seemed, for he couldn't easily free himself! Shezilla grabbed the struggling Zilla's tail.

"Here, I'll help you out." she snickered. Then her muscles bulged as she yanked Zilla up by the tail. Only, she didn't let go. She swung him above her head and slammed him against the rocky ground. Then she lifted him up and did it again. Once. Twice. Three times. Each slam shook the beach. All Zilla could do was protect his head with his hands and arms until Shezilla flung him aside like a worthless toy.

Zilla smashed back-first into the rocky cliff. Pieces of it crashed down with him when he slid to the ground. He shook the sand and dirt off his face, coughing on the grit stuck in his throat. His body ached from the slamming. Dark red blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He heard Shezilla coming and jerked himself aside. Her claws smashed the boulder his head occupied a second previous. The boulder broke into several jagged pieces...that could've been his skull!

They froze that way - Shezilla with her fist to the ground and Zilla arching his back. Their eyes were locked, glowing in anguish and determination. The only sounds were the ocean lapping the shore, their heavy breathing and the occasional low growl. Shezilla's lips twitched away from her fangs.

Suddenly, Zilla dashed down the beach at seventy miles an hour. He was heading for the lowest cliff that jutted over the jungle's edge.

"Oh, no you don't!" Shezilla took off after him, angling her body forward and lifting her tail off the ground. She ran like an olympic sprinter, her feet smashing everything she stepped on. Zilla glanced over his shoulder. He was shocked to find her almost right beside him. Looking back also slowed him down. Shezilla passed Zilla. She ramped off a slanted boulder and leapt at the cliff. Then she threw her feet forward and kicked off the cliffside, gaining even more height. In one graceful motion, she twisted around in the air like a feline and dropped across Zilla's back. Zilla couldn't handle Shezilla's weight and his legs collapsed. They both rolled across the sand, dazed by the impact. Shezilla recovered first, her heart fluttering from the effort of running. She began to pummel the mutated iguana's head and ribs, each impact echoing across the island. Zilla shrieked as each blow jarred his bones. He snapped until he caught her fist in his teeth and squeezed, dragging her off his back. He did a standing leap onto the cliff, which was as high as Shezilla's chin. Shezilla lost sight of him.

"This isn't over!" she screeched, digging her claws into the cliff and using sheer upper body strength to haul herself up. Her bitten hand ached, angering her even more. Zilla was waiting for her. She snarled up at him. "Coward!"

The air cracked like a whip and Zilla's tail became a blur. Searing pain struck Shezilla's face. Her head jerked sideways and her blood splattered on the rocks. A thin red wound opened up near her left eye. She touched her cheek and blinked at the crimson streaks on her claws. He...he cut her face! Even if it healed in a minute...he still cut her beautiful face.

That really pissed her off.

"You are DEAD for that!" Shezilla screamed. She saw Zilla sprint up the jagged, rocky path leading into the mountains. He was leading her away from the solid, flat ground to a place where her footing wasn't always assured. Shezilla heaved herself onto her feet. A being like her looked utterly out of place on top of the cliff she stood on. She was covered in dust that fell off her in wispy clouds.

You're not getting away that easily! Shezilla snarled silently, watching him. She followed her opponent at a slower pace, studying how he jumped and wove around the sunbaked rocks. The sound of a roaring waterfall echoed up from the gorge. It fed a deep lake attached to a river that lead into the sea on the opposite side of the island. Shezilla's lips twitched...so that was where he headed. She wasn't much a fan of breathing freshwater, it smelled terrible, but it did taste nice and do wonderful things to her skin.

Zilla was almost in a panic - he hadn't expected Shezilla to follow him up the cliff! She proved more agile than she looked. He needed a hiding place she couldn't get into, and fast! She wasn't able to jump like he did and only ran in short bursts...if he could just exploit that weakness, he might be able to—

He smelled ozone. Shezilla's ray rushed towards him. He ducked it. The mountain top above him exploded in a shower of rocks.

Shezilla rushed Zilla when he crouched. She waded through the rock slide like it was nothing. Zilla screeched and did something unexpected - he lunged! Unprepared, Shezilla halted her advance. He kicked his foot out and scraped his huge toe talons across her chest. Sparks flew. Pain made Shezilla see stars and she smelled her own blood. Three diagonal red gashes marked her torso like war stripes. Zilla's claws were covered in it, too, like some kind of morbid nail polish. She blindly flailed her arms, catching the side of his head with her claws. His darker blood splattered all over her arm and flowed freely from the four slashes she opened on his cheek. He wrapped his jaws around her throat and began to squeeze.

"I hate to damage such a lovely face," growled Zilla, his glowing eyes narrowing, "but I've had enough of your attitude."

"So says the one who invades territory that isn't even his." Shezilla panted back just as Zilla's powerful jaws cut off her air. Her chest heaved uselessly, burning from the wounds, and she once more called upon the nuclear engine that powered her life.

Zilla's eyes widened. Shezilla's body got a lot warmer all of a sudden. Before he could disengage his teeth, the sledgehammer force of a shockwave slammed him into the mountainside. The whole cliff shook and more rocks rained down on them both.

Shezilla got up and shook the dirt off her body. Then she reached down to lift the largest boulder from the rock slide, a big, jagged boulder as large as her torso. Her chest, leg and arm muscles bulged with the effort and she bore her teeth at the pain it caused her wounds. The spines on her back flickered bright blue.

Blinking, Zilla stared at her. There was no way Shezilla could throw that at him! It took everything she had just to lift it!

Suddenly, Shezilla spun around like a shot putter. When she released the boulder, she fired her atomic ray on it. The concussive force of her breath sent the rock flying at Zilla. Just before it hit, the boulder glowed and shattered into thousands of molten shards that sandblasted the hapless creature. He wailed and writhed in white hot agony. It was in his nose and mouth, steaming, burning, boiling. Some of the pieces stuck to his skin and kept on scalding him. Parts of his gray hide smoked and bubbled. The air smelled like burnt flesh. Black burns created cheetah spots all over his body.

"Damn you!" spat Zilla.

Shezilla snorted at him. "It's your own fault."

Still screaming, Zilla broke away from Shezilla and raced down the incline leading towards the jungle lake. It was a one hundred foot plunge, but the water was almost as deep as Lake Michigan. Zilla threw himself headfirst off the cliff and splashed hard into the cold water. His body sent displaced water surging into the jungle.

"Stupid move!" Shezilla sprinted down the sharp incline after him. She leapt into the air, did a forward flip for more airtime and landed feet first in the lake. The resulting tidal wave flooded the jungle a second time. Her world turned blue as her body sank like a stone in a flurry of bubbles.

Now Zilla REALLY started to panic. Shezilla could swim, too? He saw her as a dark shape drifting between the shafts of moving sunlight. She cut through the water without hardly moving her body...how did she do that? Then he caught sight of her gold eyes boring into his skull. In the time it took him to blink she was on him. They both slammed against the bottom of the lake. Great sediment clouds rose up as they grappled. Then Zilla wormed away and took off for the surface. But Shezilla swam faster. She came up beneath Zilla so fast that both of them rose completely out of the water. Shezilla snapped her jaws shut around Zilla's fleshy throat and dragged him back into the depths with her. As they fell, dark blackish-red blood mixed into the frothy white splash.

After a moment of quiet, Zilla stumbled out of the lake. He moaned from his wounds. Chunks of his soft throat had been torn away. He was missing a few teeth. His sides were covered in burns and slashes. All of his wounds bled freely all over the jungle greenery.

Shezilla emerged as well, her eyes full of malice. She limped slightly from a deep slash in her lower calf, but her speed was not reduced at all. Her throat was covered in teeth marks that hadn't healed yet. The front of her chest still bore diagonal stripes. Bloodstains turned her teeth from white to red.

Growling, Shezilla leaned forward and bum rushed Zilla. Their bodies crashed together with a deafening thud and they tumbled through the mud. Zilla shrieked, trying to roll her off, but she wouldn't let him go. He ended up on his back with her on top of him. Shezilla pinned him with her weight and slapped him on either side of his flat face, snarling viciously, "How dare you taint my jungle with your blood! You disgusting beast!"

"Finders keepers," Zilla grimaced. The heavy blows stopped coming. He managed to grin, eyeing her. Her posture gave him a complete view of something people weren't supposed to see.

Shezilla followed her foe's leering gaze. Her eyes widened. If she could blush, she would have. She slammed her fist into his windpipe."Pervert!"

Zilla coughed from the surprise attack. He caught her head with his whip-like tail. Shezilla wailed at the blow and fell over sideways, clutching her ear. Then she got a face full of mud when he sprinted away. He cleared the gorge to see a rather pretty orange and yellow sunset. The sun was a red half circle sitting right on the water.

Yes! The ocean was right there! Zilla paused to look back at Shezilla. The surf crashed around his feet, stinging some of the burns around his claws. He saw her grin wickedly at him...and that was when he realized that he couldn't win against her. Best to run while he still had legs. Zilla shuddered and turned to run for the ocean.

And he slammed right into something so solid that he recoiled and lost his footing. He blinked up. A charcoal black leg, bulging with muscles, filled his vision. It moved aside and a face even meaner than Shezilla's peered down at him.

Godzilla grinned down at Zilla. "Boo."

Zilla squealed like a hatchling. "Don't hurt me anymore!"

"That's the invader!" Shezilla howled.

"This scrawny excuse of an iguana?" Godzilla rumbled, slapping his fist into his palm. His golden brown eyes narrowed contemptuously and his lips pulled away from his jagged teeth. A low growl rattled in his chest.

Gulping, Zilla stumbled back a few steps. He looked backwards at Shezilla. Her dorsal plates were glowing. He glanced forward at Godzilla. His spines also glowed. Whimpering, he covered his face in the same instant he heard their atomic rays discharge.

But they didn't hit him. Instead, the heat beams smashed into the sand right next to him. The shockwave flung him face first into the sand. Before Zilla could figure out what the heck just happened, Godzilla grabbed the back of his neck.

"Seeing as you're not even worth killing, I'm going to let you go. But if I ever so much as glimpse you near this island again..."Godzilla growled so low that it vibrated Zilla's bones, "...there won't be enough of you left to be dust on the ground. Am I clear?"

"O-okay. Yes! Uh-huh." Zilla squeaked.

Godzilla adjusted his hold on the back of Zilla's neck. He turned him towards Shezilla. "Now apologize to my mate."

The mutated iguana blinked when the claws on his neck tightened. "I'm sorry!"

Shezilla snorted. "You better be. If I ever see you again anywhere..." her lips curled into that wicked smile, "...your day will end most unpleasantly."

"You'll never see me again! I swear!" Zilla cried, flailing in Godzilla's grasp.

The idiot iguana's whining wore on Godzilla's nerves. He snatched Zilla's tail with his other hand, faced the water and punted Zilla with all his might. Zilla sailed through the air and landed with a tremendous splash over fifty yards away. He vanished under the sapphire sparkles without a sound.

Godzilla gave Zilla no more thought. Turning now to Shezilla, he studied her. She was bedraggled, blood-splattered, soaking wet, covered in mud and she gave off the most delicious musk. Godzilla thought she looked gorgeous like that. He decided not to mention that he was hiding just off shore, watching the entire fight. Sure, he would've jumped in if Shezilla required help, but she didn't need him. He loved it when she did things that showed off her muscles. The sight of her savagely beating up that iguana was...it was the hottest thing Godzilla had ever seen in his life. It took all of his willpower to not tackle her in the middle of the fight.

"My love?"

She grunted as her breathing regulated. "Yes?"

He approached her, grinning, and swished his tail. "Lay down."

"But I'm a mess!" Shezilla protested, gesturing to herself.

"I know." he purred, nuzzling her and licking the ticklish spot behind her ear. "But I like it when you get all dirty, because I get to clean you up."

"Oh, you!" Shezilla slapped her mate's chest, giggling at the hidden meaning in his statement. "You're terrible!" Then she caught his scent and sighed, curling into him. How could she resist a big lug like Godzilla? He began to lap at her face and throat, his sandpaper tongue cleaning away the dirt and dried blood clinging to her hide. She nuzzled him affectionately. "I'm going to be so sore later, thanks to that stupid iguana."

Godzilla just snickered against her ear. His gaze softened when he saw how the sunset sparkled in her gold eyes. He bent to clean the wounds still present on her chest. They were almost healed, but he wanted to tend to them anyway. As he did so, he purred, "You'll forget all about it in a few minutes, my love."

His gentleness was getting to her. It always did. She looked down at him, though all she saw was the top of his head. "Ooh, promise?"

He paused to look at her. His amused brownish-gold eyes sparkled and the setting sun outlined his face. "Do ugly, oversized iguanas fly?"

Shezilla stared at him. Godzilla grinned back. They both burst out laughing.

o

Somewhere far away, Zilla stirred from his tormented slumber. His wounds were all healed and his strength had returned, but he couldn't shake the memory of his humiliating defeat. He needed a place to nest. It had to be an island with an ample food supply and plenty of places to hide. The island he chose before was perfect, but its current residents weren't very welcoming. So once again he found himself searching for a nesting site.

Finally a day came where he encountered floating beasts that captured fish in gigantic brown membranes. He surfaced into a torrential rainstorm to see where these creatures came from.

Bingo, he thought.

Godzilla and Shezilla might have beaten him...but they didn't know they just showed him to spot of land even better than theirs. Right in front of him was a massive island covered in weird silver boxes. The tallest two pierced the clouds. He could hide in there for months and nobody would ever find him. It was beyond perfect.

Zilla closed his glowing eyes and submerged with a smile.

[happybeeme0514]

Irreversible Ch. 7

Eden POV

Chapter 7- Novus

Zyglavis stares at the ceiling for a while, his eyes moving every now and then, watching the dust mites float about in the air. I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it. Best not to startle him.

A plan shot down when my fingers twitch against his hand.

Zyglavis’ lips pull back from his teeth, revealing his new fangs, as air swirls up his throat and out his mouth in a low, menacing sound like a swarm of bees. Before the sound comes out, his muscles bunch and arch, his hand ripping out of mine as he flips off his back to the other side of his bed, crouched defensively, his hair swirling gracefully around his shoulders and back as he glares at me.

A sixteenth of a second passed.

I hold my hands up.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper gently. “I know it’s disorienting. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Zyglavis’ eyes, now a bright, blazing scarlet red, dart around the room, searching for a threat, but find none, and slowly, he straightens out of his defensive crouch, his expression still rigid.

I slowly pull myself to my feet, keeping my face a mask of calm.

“You’re okay,” I tell him softly. “Everything’s okay now.”

He stares at me for a long time, then looks around the quiet room. One can’t tell that, up until just one day ago, this room was basically a hospice. Everything is gone. No more IVs, no anxious gods, no syringes filled with venom…it’s just a normal bedroom now. He turns his eyes back to me.

“They’re safe?”

His eyes widen at the sound of his own voice, ringing, the sound as soft and smooth as velvet. I smile.

“Yes. They’re all safe. They’re down on Earth right now.”

Once I tell him that, Zyglavis visibly relaxes and nods, that simple motion as fluid as water. I approach him calmly, and placidly offer my hand to him.

He eyes it for a moment, hesitant, but reaches his hand out, brushing his fingers against mine. His skin, no longer hot like an open flame or soft like cotton, brushes against mine, the feeling going beyond skin. It sinks down to my bones and charges through my bones, twirling down my spine and around the pit of my stomach, singing desire. I swallow thickly.

Lightly pulling on his hand, I take him to the mirror by the armoire a few feet from the doors leading to the hall so he can see himself. At first, he looks confused.

His eyes flicker down to me for a moment, then back up to his own reflection, his confused expression shifting to one of awe, his eyes widening the slightest bit like he’s surprised at the face looking back at him.

But that’s no shock, at least, not to me.

He’s the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen. His skin, no longer grey as the shadow of death, is white like freshly fallen snow, his lips just a hint of the color pink, his entire face healthy and perfected. The deep, nearly black circles that had once lined his eyes are all but gone. His dark, purplish black hair is loose down his back, shiny and vibrant, soft like silk.

His arms and legs are much more toned now, muscular under the clothing he’s wearing, and fluid even though he’s standing perfectly still. My eyes trail down toward his chest, visible to me through the thin fabric of the white button-up shirt he’s wearing. I can see visibly defined pecs and abs.

My teeth come down in the inside of my lip.

However, what Zyglavis seems to be focused on, is his eyes.

As the light of the sun hits them, they seem to glow even brighter, glinting like rubies.

“And the eyes?” He murmurs, purposely avoiding the word ‘my’. My hand twitches, wanting to take his hand, but instead I curl my fingers into my palm.

“They’ll turn grey again in several months, once the remaining blood cells in your body die.”

He turns away from his reflection, looking down at me, his expression suddenly changing, looking irate. I frown.

“Diefropos.”

“Oh…Zyglavis, let’s not worry about that now—”

“No. He’s surely realized that he can’t kill me now. There’s no telling what he’ll do. He could turn to the other gods…” He trails off, and a look of sheer panic flickers in his eyes. “Or you.”

This time when I feel the need to comfort him, I allow my body to do so, reaching my hands out. I take his face into my palms, taking a step closer to him.

“Shh. He more likely than not doesn’t know what happened. He’s probably disoriented and confused, and will need some time to think. And we will need time to come up with a strategy on how to deal with him, okay, you can’t just rip him apart, no matter how badly you want to.” Zyglavis stares down at me, clearly unhappy with me. I feel the corners of my mouth turn up. “And before all of that, you need to get your thirst under control.”

Those words are all it takes to completely distract him. His expression changes, a look of discomfort taking his features as a hand moves to his throat.

“You ready for your first hunt?”

…

In the weeks between meeting Zyglavis and this day, early winter has set in in the Northern Hemisphere on Earth. The bears are in hibernation, but wolves and lynxes aren’t.

I teach Zyglavis how to expand his senses, how to pick through the insignificant sounds of the wilderness, and with his new instincts, it doesn’t take long for him to get the hang of it.

He caught the scent of a lynx about three miles from where we started, and now, he stalks the beast as it circles around its own prey.

I kneel on the shale rock beside him, carefully watching him study his prey.

The lynx’s jowls are pulled back from his teeth, snarling at the cowering elk, his tail twitching periodically.

Zyglavis turns his head to look at me, his eyes wild, but still hesitant. I nod once in encouragement. Once he sees it’s okay for him to attack, any and all hesitation disappears from him. His head jerks back to the lynx, his lips parted, and he slowly recoils back, ready to lunge.

However, right as he’s about to bound from the small overhang we’re on, a sound reaches my ears—the crunching of shoes, followed by loud, raucous laughter. Humans.

The second I make the realization, a snarl escapes Zyglavis’ lips, and he shifts his target to the humans to the west, bounding left and away from me.

“Zyglavis, no!” I scream.

I understand how compulsory it is, especially to a novus. There’s nothing more promising to a thirsty vampire than the call of human blood, even with potential prey right in front of you. Point three seconds after he takes off after the humans, I take off after him, yelling for him again.

Zyglavis is stronger than me—one stride of his equals three of mine—but I’m smaller and more agile. I come up on him quickly, my plan being to try and get in front of him, cut him off, make him realize what he’s doing.

But in the next second, I see a flurry of snow fly up into the air as Zyglavis whirls around, his body stopping for a split second as he turns on me. His body crouches, then springs, a feral snarl escaping his lips.

Our bodies slam together, the sound as loud as cracking thunder, sending us both flying several yards backward. We roll several times before he throws me onto my back, holding me down by my neck with crushing force and baring his fangs at me in warning.

Disoriented, my mind flips some switch that puts my body in submissive mode. I lay obediently still under him, my hands resting by my head. I don’t want to fight against him. The fact that I at least distracted him from hunting humans is enough.

His eyes, clouded with thirst, begin to clear when he realizes who he has pinned down by her neck. His hand loosens and I draw in a breath, even though I don’t need to breathe. His expression shifts dramatically, changing to one of horror.

“Eden…” He breathes. “I…I’m so…”

I cover his lips with my fingertips.

“We need to get you out of here.” I tell him softly.

…

“I attacked you,”

Zyglavis doesn’t even entertain the idea of hunting after that. After we got him away from the humans, he just grumbles to himself, darting away from me and climbing trees to get away from me any time I try to get near him.

“Zyglavis, it was your natural reaction,” I say for umpteenth time, looking up into a tall pine tree where he sulks, visibly seething. “You thought I was going to try and steal your hunt.”

“I was going to kill you.” He spits the word ‘kill’ as if it tastes disgusting on his tongue.

“But you didn’t.” I point out.

“That’s not the point!”

Zyglavis’ hand whips out, slamming into the top of the tree; it comes crashing down to the ground a few feet away from me.

“Zyglavis. Will you at least come down here and finish hunting?”

“What if I catch their scent again?”

“We ran nearly twenty miles away from them, and it’s been…forty-five minutes. I don’t think they’re around anymore.”

“Well what if I catch another human’s scent?”

I sigh.

“Zyglavis, it was my fault. I didn’t realize we had been so close to a trail. But that’s all a part of learning, right? At first you don’t succeed, try again. Try again, Zyglavis.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then jumps down silently, his back to me.

He lifts his face and takes a deep breath, taking a little longer than last time to catch a scent—most likely hesitant in case he were to catch a human’s scent.

But then he ghosts north, me following silently behind him, this time nearly a mile behind him.

A few miles away, a herd of elk drink lazily at a river, seven male, three female. I hover in the background as Zyglavis wastes no time taking down one of the males, causing the entire herd to scatter in all directions.

He holds the animal down by its head, his full lips parting, a silvery substance dripping from one of his fangs. Quick as lightning, those fangs sink into the elk’s thick neck, a thin line of blood squirting from it.

There’s something oddly sensual about watching Zyglavis hunt. Watching him take down animals twice his size, animals that normally are on top of the food chain. Easily held down by just one of his hands. After the second elk, he gained more confidence and began hunting with less restraint, which was when he found a lynx.

He actually snarled back at it when it screamed at him.

When he pulls away from the now drained cat and turns his bright eyes to me, a thin ribbon of red drips from his chin, making my stomach throb with desire.

He’s just so impossibly sexy…

He licks his lips, dyed a deep red, and moves a thumb to wipe the stray blood from his chin as he slowly pulls himself to his feet. I move a hand to my stomach.

“Well?” I say, not surprised to find myself breathless. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Zyglavis looks down at me, his answering smirk bewitching.

“Not at all,” He seems to have completely forgotten of his rage toward himself as he reaches out and tilts my chin up with his index finger. “But next time, let’s start off away from the trail.”

[silverfootstepswrites]

title Nesting (2/2) summary I like my men how I like my coffee. On fire. Hot. pairing itasaku

Part 1/2 (here)

Winter seeped into every crevice and under every door. Icicles hung from the bottoms of tree branches. Twinkling lovely and sharp in the morning sun.

Itachi exhaled. Steam puffing from his nostrils. He felt Sakura shift against him. His chin resting against the soft spot on her throat. Where he cold feel the heat swell and fade with each of her deep breaths.

Deep inside the cave, winter's cruelty barely touched them. The entrance to the outside world was well-insulated. And as a gesture of goodwill, Naruto had cast a cloaking charm over it on his way out. It had been a month since the departure of the human visitors. And while they had been loud, the joy lighting up Sakura's eyes had kept him from complaining.

But now that they were gone, there were no distractions. As a dragon, Itachi was supremely good at hoarding gold. The only thing he was better at guarding jealousy was his mate's attention.

In the first spring of their courtship, he had spent the entire season razing the valleys to scare off any potential rivals.

"Which is stupid, Itachi. Who else would I look at?" she drawled. All while lounging on a sun-warmed rock, making it clear that she had absolutely no intention of stopping him.

And then he spent the summer attacking the hoards of any rivals who were still foolish enough to stick around. It was an unorthodox approach. But it was fine with Sakura, who hated the idea of him pillaging human settlements. Those poor, soft little things who couldn't defend themselves against a single of his talons, much less his molten breath. She watched him take off into the skies in the early morning, only returning late and night with his jaws filled with gold and silver. Then the nights he spent burrowing into the side of a mountain, widening the caves water had long ago carved into the stone until they had a cozy little nest.

In her human form, Sakura watched him piling up the gold to fill one of the huge chambers. Her chin in her hands as he swept the goblets and coins together.

"What's up with dragons and hoards anyway?" she wondered out loud. Her bare feet swinging back and forth.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at her. Puffs of smoke leaking out of his nostrils.

"I'm not sure. It just feels right," he answered.

Sakura tilted her head. "Maybe you just like pretty things," she suggested.

He eyed her for a little while longer. His pupils dilating. "Clearly," he huffed before turning back to his task. The skin around his throat flushed red as she laughed.

And now, about a year later, Itachi coiled around Sakura a little tighter. He felt her tail wind around his, squeezing just a little. The rumbles of his breaths came out almost as a purr. Although their cozy home stayed warm, the cool weather outside made them lethargic. In fact, they likely would have been in full hibernation if not for something new. More accurately, three new somethings.

"Mama! Papa!"

A shriek pierced the quiet. As if on cue, two other squeals filled the air.

"Papa! Mama! Hungryyy!"

"Hungry, Papa! Food!"

Itachi sighed. He flexed his wing to cover his head as the three whelps wandered into the inner chamber. They clambered up onto their joined tails. Little teeth nipping and nudging.

"Papa! Food!" they wailed.

Itachi wondered if this was worse than being sealed underground for hundreds of years in hot magma. And for a brief moment, he couldn't really decide which he preferred. The magma was quiet, at least.

A growl rolled up Sakura's throat as she sat up. Her gaze flickered around the cave. She counted to make sure that all three were there. And then she gathered them in front of her with a sweep of her clawed hand. They sat obediently, still whining and flicking their skinny little tails. She shook her head, her iridescent scales glittering in the torch light.

"I guess it's time to go hunting," she muttered. Itachi grunted in response. He had gone the last time. He wasn't going to protest.

"I wanted to stretch my legs anyway," she added. And then she began to shimmer with a soft red light. With a flash, her huge body condensed. Scales receding, turning to smooth flesh. The horns on her head shrunk, disappearing into the hair that sprouted from her scalp. She stood in front of the three whelps, who were now the same size as their mother. They sniffed cautiously at her, as if to check that this strange creature was still their mother. Sakura moved around Itachi to the other end of the chamber. Where there sat actual pieces of human furniture. A grand armoire with gilded handles. A big mirror. Even a chair and matching ottoman. It had taken them a while to gather the furniture just to Sakura's liking, But she had insisted because she liked to be comfortable when in this smaller form too.

As Sakura opened up the armoire, the whelps trailed after her. They sniffed at the different dresses and cloaks hanging inside. There was also a chest plate propped up in the corner of the armoire, along with a battered helmet.

"I guess I'll head into town too while I'm out. Do you need anything, Itachi?" Sakura called, pulling on her warmest clothes. As she buttoned up her fur-lined cloak, one of the whelps poked his head underneath, nudging her.

"Mama, you're all little now," he observed. His brothers nodded. Laughing, Sakura smoothed her hands down the sides of his neck. Tickling his little chin. He purred, wiggling his tail.

"Yes, baby. And one day you'll be able to do this too," Sakura cooed in return.

"Me too! Me too!" his siblings chorused. Sakura smiled as she indulged them. When she pulled on her boots, three pairs of eyes stared in wonder at her wiggling fingers as she patted each of them again.

"Alright, darlings. Be very good for Papa," Sakura said. She didn't move until all three of the dragon young nodded at her. She then walked up to Itachi, who absolutely towered over her in this form. She wrapped her arms around his snout. He nuzzled against her. Then, very slowly, one of his eyes cracked open. The iris brilliant and sharp like a polished ruby. She watched the way his slit-shaped pupil dilated as he stared right back at her.

"Be right back," she whispered. When she kissed his scales, his eye drifted shut again.

As Sakura climbed up the piles of gold, up toward the surface, the whelps began trailing after her. Their dull claws scrabbled against the treasure, sending goblets and trophies clattering onto the stone. Eyes still closed, Itachi reached out. He swept his arm around the young, squishing them against his chest.

"Go back to sleep. Mama will come back faster if you do," he ordered, ignoring their squirming. It didn't take long for them to give up. They wouldn't have the strength to beat him for at least a few decades. They balled up against his chest, dozing off. Their little snouts twitching as they dreamt. And Itachi wrapped his tail around them, forming a protective circle. Black scales glittering in the dim cave as he let out another steaming breath.

Sakura returned a little before sundown. She pried the wooden door open. One hand cupped around her mouth as she called down the tunnel. A deep grumble answered her. And in the darkness, two crimson eyes glowed. The ground trembled a little as Itachi crawled out to meet her. There was a pouch sitting at her feet. Sakura untied it to reveal a huge amount of gold coins. It would be a nice addition to their ever-expanding hoard. But it certainly wasn't big enough to hold enough food for their little brood. 

Itachi's eyes narrowed when he smelled something. And when he stuck his head out into the cold, he saw the carcass of an enormous moose. Blood pooling into the snow. She hefted her axe over her shoulder, the blade shining wetly.

"Found him right by that ravine!" Sakura told him, grinning proudly. "Took him down in three chops!"

Itachi closed his teeth around the fallen beast. He took careful steps backwards, dragging the moose underground. Sakura followed after him, taking care to conceal and seal the entrance to their home.

The smell of fresh blood drew the whelps. They clambered over one another, whining. Smoke huffed out of Itachi's nostrils as he snapped his jaws at them. Teeth gleaming red. The whelps fell silent.

"Your mama worked hard to bring you this meal. You don't eat until she has the first bite," he growled. And they bent their contrite little heads, eyes averted. Sakura stroked their snouts as she walked past. Further down the tunnels, there was a burst of red light. The flutter of her wings blowing warm air back toward them. And Sakura returned, black talons digging into the packed earth. She bent her neck to tear into the belly of the moose. Guts steaming as they spilled onto the tunnel floor. She ripped off a leg. And only when she took a step back did Itachi nudge their children forward. They pounced on the beast, little teeth digging into the warm flesh.

"You know," Sakura remarked as she lowered the leg to the ground. She rubbed at her mouth with a talon. "I'm not actually hungry."

Itachi leaned in. His forked tongue darted out. Licked the remaining blood from her mouth. "I know. But they have to learn their manners," he answered. Smiling, Sakura nuzzled against the underside of his throat. She could feel the soft heat of his breaths through the plate-like scales, woven together like armor. He nudged her back.

"I suppose you're right, Papa," she purred in return.

[shantalangel]

Stories written on the wall of one of the rooms in the game Armikrog.

It’s about everything happened before the game, P’s parents life, how they met and how she appeared.

Reading sequence:

The Blank Miner. Part 1

The Blank Miner. Part 2

Tools, Weapons, Food, Plants, Medicine, Magic and Pets

A Meeting in the Woods

Punishment and Crime. Part 1

Punishment and Crime. Part 2

Punishment and Crime. Part 3

Desperation

Punishment and Crime. Part 3

Meva and I spent many weeks trying to come up with an experiment that would give us clear results to our hypothesis.

Many other experiments were conducted, most of them mundane. I will not bore you with the details, but I will bore you with the results. We found that most living bodies could go without a soul for some amount of time. It may only be a few seconds, but none of the bodies could survive without a soul for longer than two minutes under normal room conditions. We tried a soul transfer in the winter on a hibernating hamstel, and its body survived after four minutes without a soul, but most did not survive that long of an ordeal. There were problems with the bodies we were using in that the stopped heart removed the ability to deliver oxygen to the subject’s brain. So some soul transfers were successful, but the brain damage of the body was often so great that the spird was incapable of flight, had no memory, or died some time later. We hated being the cause of these spird’s deaths, so we tried to return their souls to their bodies within two minutes.

The Disintegration of Specimen X

Specimen X was lost when we unhooked the claw from the spird’s body midway through a transfer. The body went transparent, then vanished completely. It was unclear what happened to the spird’s soul, but we could hear it chirping in the air around us even after the body was disposed. This was strange, since the spird’s soul was not attached to a body��s vocal chords, and yet both Meva and I could hear it. Specimen X’s chirping went more and more distant before it went silent, never to be heard again. It was unclear to us if the body was disintegrated by choice of the purple fuzz-ball, or because of the disconnect of the soul transfer machine. This brings us to Specimen Y.

The Disintegration of Specimen Y

During the soul transfer of Specimen Y, I prodded the purple fuzz-ball with a stick, and everything in the room came to a stop. The lamp in the room remained lit, but it went dim. For a moment, I experienced what Specimen Y was feeling, and at the same time I could see his body splitting from his soul. I felt my heart beating in my chest, then saw my body from Specimen Y’s point of view. I felt terrified. My body looked like a giant, poking the purple fuzz-ball with a stick and standing across from my little spird’s body. The room went bright white, and I was slammed back into my Tzurk body. Meva and I were flung across the room, our bodies pressed against the wall by an unseen force. When the room went back to normal, Specimen Y’s body was gone, as was the rock his soul was supposed to be cast into. The stick was still in my hand, but it made chirping sounds. The stick chirped for several days, but faded as the days went on, until the voice died entirely.

The Visit

We were eating breakfast when the cabin was shaken. It stopped. An intermittent hum came from the backyard. We rushed out to find a space ship covered in stars floating just above the ground.

It was half the size of our cabin. We walked around it. I put my hand on the hull. It was cool to the touch, and the ship moved even under the slightest pressure of my hand like a balloon.

"I wonder if it has a door?" I said.

Just then, as if by coincidence, the edge of a door appeared, then it disappeared again. Meva saw it too.

We tried to find the edge of the door with our fingers, but the remained smooth aside from two large gashes to the left of where the door was.

"I wonder if someone is inside."

Again the edge of the door appeared, opening only slightly, but enough to allow sound to escape from the ship’s interior.

"WAAAaaahhH!" a cry came from inside. Not the cry of something big but of something small.

"That sounded like a child!" Meva gasped. "We have to get in!"

As if moved by her demand, the hatch opened wide, a small set of stairs extending to the ground. The cry came louder now that the hatch was open. We couldn't see inside because white lights flooded from inside. Meva was halfway up the stairs before I grabbed her arm.

"Meva! We don't know if it's safe!"

"WaaaaahhhhH!" came the baby cry again.

There was fire in Meva's eyes. "Someone needs us! We'll find out if it's safe later!"

She pulled me up into the bright light. I stumbled on the steps, and then we were inside. Meva tripped over something beyond the door, and she gasped. We stood there for a moment, waiting for our eyes to adjust to the light. From inside the craft, it was hard to make out any sounds beyond the hum of engines and the crying.

Finally, through squinted eyes we saw what Meva had tripped on. Two beings lay on the floor together, arm in arm. I would have thought they were asleep, but their faces were gaunt, their skin already stretching around the shape of their skulls, eyeballs dried and sunken. Meva covered her face.

I knew what had killed them. I had seen it before in the mines. When a miner was being punished for something particularly terrible, he would have his rations taken away. These were the effects of starvation.

Again, the crying. This time Meva stepped over the corpses and went in search of the source.

"What if it is a trap? That cry could be a universal distress signal to attract victims! Maybe this is not a ship! Maybe it is a living entity and it hopes to kill and eat us?!"

"You have a great imagination, Tzurk." Meva called over her shoulder.

I followed.

We passed a small room that caught my attention. Wires traced their way around the ceiling, walls, and floor. They came together at a power grid covered in little crystals inserted into gaps. The crystals were a dull greenish color.

In a small chamber, Meva found a baby in a padded pod, chained to a console. The room was filled with the stench of feces. When Meva lifted the child from her bed, it was easy to see that the smell was coming from her overflowing diaper. Even its pod was smeared with it.

"Tzurk, quickly, give me your robe!" Meva said.

Meva removed the dirty wrapping and tossed them back into the pod. Taking my robe, she gently wrapped the child. Though sullied, the child seemed comforted by its new found freedom from the soggy diaper. Her cries sputtered to a stop.

Meva rocked the girl in her arms, singing softly. The baby watched her with wide eyes. The little thing spoke, "P." She burped a green bubble. I popped the bubble, and a small crystal fell from it, landing on the floor. It looked just like the crystals I had seen inserted into the grid, except this one was bright green.

The baby nuzzled her head into Meva's arms, her eyes closing in exhaustion. Meva looked around the room.

"She hasn’t been changed her for days." Meva observed.

It didn't make sense that the two beings on the stairs starved to death while the child seemed to be so well fed. I turned the crystal over in my hand, trying to understand. Then it came to me.

"They starved themselves to feed the child!" I said, "The crystals come from her! They power the ship. She was their only chance for their survival. After they died, the ship ran out of power, and drifted into our backyard."

Meva smiled, “She found us, Tzurk! We could not ... she found us. You did see where the ship landed, right?"

I shook my head.

"... on the female baby garden. She will be OUR child!"

I saw the look of renewed hope in Meva's eyes. Though I doubted any cosmic will was bent on bringing us this female child, I did not want to hurt Meva’s feelings. Whatever the cause of this coincidence, it was a good thing for Meva's heart to have a child in her arms… a child that needed her.

We took P off the ship and brought her into the house. That night, she slept between us, and we could hear her breathing. I put my hand on Meva’s hip, and she put her hand on the baby’s back. Just before we drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep, I heard Meva say, "You're safe now, P. I love you." A giggle. A burp. POP! A crystal clatters on the floor.

The Signal

There were several mornings that Meva dreamt the same thing. She saw P being born in the center of a planet, hundreds of thousands of years ago. The dream was strange enough, but its recurrence was troubling.

Another oddity was P's diet. It was non-existent. Again and again, Meva tried to get P to eat something, but she would just laugh until she burped up a green bubble. In the corner of the cabin lay a burlap sack half full of green crystals.

"She is not eating, Tzurk. And she doesn't even seem hungry!" Meva said.

It was quite the puzzle. We had both seen her waste inside the ship, so she had to eat something, or at least be capable of it. Meva held P close, and the little green baby smiled, wrinkled her nose, then burped until a huge green bubble formed in the air! I popped it, and it revealed a slightly larger green crystal, about the size of an egg. I picked up the crystal and examined it.

It reminded me of something we had once found in the mine. We had found a crystal similar in shape and size, but it was blue. After discovering it, Jockson Reckson was noticeably excited. He ripped it from my hands and examined it in the light of one of our headlamps. He said it was K-tonium. He said something about selling it and buying a new house. He slipped it into his pocket, and we never saw it again.

Could these little green crystals be similar?

That evening, we were sitting on the front porch, enjoying the cool mountain air. Meva was teasing P with a little straw doll she'd made, and P was giggling, as usual. I examined the crystal. Where was a low hum, not from the crystal, but from beyond the trees, from the valley road. What I saw was like a boot to the stomach.

Three military hover pods stopped on the road. Scores of soldiers poured from them and disappearing into the trees between us.

"How did they find us?" Meva cried.

I looked down at the green crystal in my hand. P was emitting a source of power that would show up on the radar of every military vehicle across the country. How could I be so stupid? They were not coming for us. They were coming for her!

We ran back into the cabin. I dug out the sock with The Abominate's finger. Even if I managed to kill some of the soldiers, I would never stop all of them. Escape was our only option.

"Quick, Meva. To the ship!"

We ran out the back door, just as soldiers reached the front of the cabin.

"Open the hatch!" I yelled at the ship, and it obeyed.

Meva scrambled in with P, but then I remembered something. The soul transfer device was still inside the cabin. I nodded to send Meva into the ship as I ran back to the cabin.

"Close hatch!" I yelled over my shoulder, and the ship obeyed.

Inside the cabin, the front door groaned against its rusty hinges as the soldiers pounded the other side. I saw shadows pass the side windows. They’re going around the back! I fell onto my belly in front of the bed, and pulled the device out. I was nearly back outside when the front door gave, bursting inwards. Darts bit into the doorframe around me, and I slammed the back door closed on them.

Soldiers came around the sides of the cabin.

"Open!" I screamed at the ship as darts pinged off the ship’s doorframe.

I dove inside before the stairs even had time to extend. I shouted for the hatch to close, and not a moment too soon. BOOM! A concussion bomb made the ship reel.

Meva was thrown against the wall, her arms shielding P. I held up the device for her to see, and she nodded. Another concussion hit the ship, throwing me to the floor.

"They're shelling us!" she yelled.

We ran into the control room together, but none of the controls made any sense.

Meva was in despair, "How do we take off?"

Suddenly I remembered the green crystal in my pocket. It was a bright green, like the sun casting through a new spring leaf. Power! The ship needed power. I raced down the hall and into the room with the grid. I tore out a dull green crystal and threw it aside. I inserted the new bright green crystal in its place. A voice from overhead said, "P-tonium accepted. 12 percent charge."

Instantly the ship turned on an unseen pivot and shot upwards, pressing us into the floor. The whole room rumbled and shook as we gained speed.

From where I lay on the floor, I could see Meva, but I could not get up to be with her. She was pinned to the wall, clutching little P in her hands, straining against the pressure. She tried to hide the fear on her face.

All went silent. We had pierced the atmosphere. The resistance was gone, and the vacuum of space enveloped us.

Meva and I scrambled into the control room. The knobs, levers and buttons were a complete cipher.

"Does anything look familiar to you?" said Meva.

"I'm a miner, Meva. Not an astronaut."

"Don't worry, Tzurk." Meva said, "We are a family now. I would rather be here with you and P than back in my father's palace. Though hurling through space, I can say that in this moment, I am complete."

I laughed and my heart great stronger.

I said, "You are Armikrog! That is what I shall call you from now on."

Meva's face contorted, "That's a horrible sounding word! What does it mean?"

"A wrinkled man of the Wanati desert tribe was sold into slavery, and worked with our mining crew. Whenever his hammer fell on walls that were too hard to be chipped, he would shout 'ARMIKROG' at the rock. That's you. The immovable rock!"

Meva shook her head and laughed. "Never call me that ugly name!"

"Okay" I said, then mumbled under my breath, "... Armikrog."

"I heard that!"

[sending-the-message]

I Have the Worst Fucking Roommate in the World by AsDeathBeckons

I know, I know. A lot of you will say I’m being sensational or I’m using hyperbole. But I’m not. I’m really not. This guy is literally going to drive me insane. Allow me to explain.

I met Gordon back when we were kids in elementary school. He was even weird back then. He was small and thin, with big, gray eyes and hair that was never combed. He didn’t have any friends and he always smelled like cheese.

No, he and I didn’t grow closer together over the years; This isn’t one of those stories. I graduated high school and went to a prodigious university for a few semesters before the stress got to me and I dropped out. I returned to town and, because my folks wouldn’t take me back, I had to find a roommate. Well, unfortunately for me, Gordon was looking for one as well. He was living in a two-bedroom house with an attic and a basement, and I figured I wouldn’t have to deal with him much given how much space we both would have in the house.

Everything was okay the first few months, aside from a few things. One, Gordon was the type to use ten different dishes in a single day and never wash them. Like, ever. So I found myself scrubbing ceramic way more often than I should have. Another thing was the fact that Gordon, although private, seemed to take certain liberties just because we were living in “his house.” I once walked into the livingroom, a girl accompanying me, and saw Gordon beating his meat to anime characters. Gordon looked at me, literally made eye contact, and then glanced back at the television, continuing his session. The girl went home in quite a hurry, and I was forced to follow Gordon’s example that night. Gordon also walked around in his underwear, sometimes wearing the same pair three days in a row. I never saw him leave the house, so I had no idea how the hell he was paying his half of the rent. But the worst part? Gordon was a hoarder.

The guy hated to throw anything away. I would come home and find empty McDonald’s cups or UPS boxes that had already been emptied of their contents and left haphazardly on the coffee table. After throwing them out, I would wake up the next day and find the trash can tipped over, with the cups either back on the table, stuffed in the closet, or put in the back of the refrigerator, even though they were empty. This was the case for practically everything Gordon owned; Clothes too small to fit him protruded from under the couch or the closet in the hallway; old papers and binders from as far back as his middle school days were up in the attic, along with who knows what else; broken foosball tables and empty potato chip bags had been tossed into the basement. And, speaking of the basement, the place was so stuffed with random shit that I avoided it altogether. Going down there, or even to the attic, was a health risk.

One day, Gordon and I got into it. I had had a long day at work, and I was looking forward to going home and eating my leftover pulled pork sandwich and drinking a couple beers. I walked into the house to find Gordon sitting on the couch, his hairy feet resting on the coffee table, with my whole six pack of Shiner (he doesn’t even drink) empty next to them, and the leftovers of my pulled pork sandwich on a plate next to him on the couch. I lost it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, man? We have all that food in there and you decided to eat my shit?”

Gordon looked at me as though I was the one who had offended him. “I didn’t see your name on it. You should leave a note if you don’t want other people eating your food.”

“I have! This isn’t the first time, Gordon! I had a terrible day today-“

“Oh, you didn’t enjoy work? Boohoo, that’s why it’s called work!” Gordon muttered, turning back to the T.V. I was angry, and wasn’t holding back any longer.

“At least I have a job. How the hell do you pay for anything anyway?”

“My mother helps me out, actually, asshole. I find such things as ‘work’ undesirable. Clearly ‘work’ can make people act irrational and childish.”

I would’ve kicked his ass, but a voice in my head told me that it wasn’t the right thing to do. This was his house, after all. I wasn’t trying to get kicked out. I swallowed my curses, stormed to my bedroom, and slammed the door behind me. I went to bed hungry and angry that night.

A few days later, I was doing the dishes and Gordon was holed up in his room. There was a knock on the door, and I turned off the sink, wondering what the hell Gordon had ordered this time. You can imagine my surprise when I found a gorgeous blonde woman standing in the doorway, her gray eyes full of joy and excitement.

“Hi!” she said, and, still dumbfounded, I only stared at her for a few seconds. Those beautiful eyes of hers narrowed and she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Uhh, yeah, of course. Are you looking for someone?”

“Yes, I am. Don’t you remember me? I’m Gordon’s sister, Serena.”

“Serena?” I said aloud, and then it came back to me. Gordon did have a little sister that I remembered distinctly. But she definitely didn’t look like this back then.

“Yeah…can I come in?”

“Sure, yeah, come in.”

Serena went to Gordon’s door and knocked. When there was no response, she returned to the livingroom.

“He must be asleep.”

“No, I doubt it. I think he goes into legit hibernation sometimes. He can go for days in there.”

“Right. He’s been that way ever since our mom died. He’s been so withdrawn emotionally, but the Gordon I know is still in there.”

I would’ve told her that Gordon had been weird his entire life, but decided against it. If I was ever going to have a chance with this beautiful woman, insulting her brother wasn’t the way to go.

“Tell him I came by, will you? I may be able to stop by again on Friday.”

“Yeah, of course. It was good seeing you again, Serena!”

Serena smiled and left the house. I watched her go from the window, then went back to my show. A couple of days later, I found myself dogsitting a friend’s Poodle named Nancy. Nancy was more trouble than she was worth. She shit on the floor less than ten minutes after I brought her back inside from her walk, she chewed a hole through my shoe, and she managed to unplug the microwave and nearly crushed herself with it before I dived down to save for her. My own head aching and stars swimming in my vision, I heard, somewhere far off in the distance, the sound of the basement door creaking. I sat up just in time to see Nancy vanish through a crack in the door.

“No! Nancy, come back, dammit!”

I chased after her, flinging the door open. The Poodle was gone; She had managed to disappear into the sea of shit that didn’t belong that Gordon had accrued. I cursed again and promised Nancy that this might be her last day if she didn’t come back from down there. The little shit ignored me and I was forced to make my way down the rickety flight of stairs. “Nancy! Nancy come here, damn it!”

It really was a maze down there. I could see old toys, rocking chairs, broken dressers, tennis tables, furniture, rusted kitchen appliances, coat racks, and all manners of things down there. The only thing I couldn’t see was Nancy. I stumbled around for a bit before the inevitable happened. I stepped on a rubber duck and slipped, landing flat on my back. Groaning and promising myself that Gordon was going to be paying my hospital bill, I turned over and finally noticed Nancy. She was in a dark corner, beside a broken canoe, chewing on a bone. “There you are, you little shit.”

I stood back up and walked, a little more carefully now, towards the dog.

“Where’d you get that bone Nan…” I trailed off as I caught sight of what was in the canoe. It was a corpse, dressed in a purple dress, white pearls around her neck. She still had hair, though it was all gray now. I was going to scream, but I covered my mouth with my hand. I shouldn’t have been surprised, honestly. Gordon never could get rid of things.