Chapter 57
“This place needs better literature, I fucking swear,” I muttered as I laid propped up in Floria’s bed as I read one of her super hero comics. It was the same shit I read at the hotel, which is making me think this is all this world has to offer.
“Could be worse,” Domitor commented as he lay on the couch, drawing away at his notepad.
I just shrugged, tossing the comic book aside and laid back on the bed. I was enjoying being completely out of my armor and clothes again.
“You finished with that page?” I asked as I turned the page of the propped up comic book, looking at the Watcher as he seemed to be kind of reading the comic.
“I really don’t get why you’re being nice to him all of a sudden,” Domitor said without looking at me.
“Because just maybe he isn’t as bad as people say he is,” I replied as I turned the page again.
“Do we need to go over his list of crimes and bad deeds again?” He asked, a small smirk on his face.
“Nope, five times is enough,” I said, looking over at him. “So what are you drawing this time?”
He looked a bit sheepish as he turned the pad away from me, “just stupid doodles.”
“Yeah right, show me,” I held out my hand expectantly.
“You’re going to think I’m weird and make fun of me,” he said as he continued to draw.
“Bro, you are weird,” I countered with a grin. “So just let me see it.”
He did a few finishing touches and sighed as he flipped it around to hand it to me.
Taking the notepad I turned it over to see a picture of me in all my glory, standing like I was about to fight God himself with my two swords. “Fuck me this is fucking epic.”
“Yeah?” He asked, his ears perked up.
“Fuck yeah,” I replied with a smirk. I looked the image over, appreciating how well he drew my muscles and facial expression. Very masculine and imposing.
But as I looked at the picture, a weird feeling came over me. I just wasn’t sure how to explain it or where it came from.
After a few moments he sighed, getting my attention. “Can we… be open with each other for a moment?”
I frowned at him as I handed him his notepad back, “I guess.”
“Last night,” he began, causing me to tense up a bit at the memory, “you said all of your confidence was fake, and that you hate yourself… why?”
A groan escaped my lips as I had the urge to start yelling and insulting him, but looking at his stupid caring face prevented me from lashing out like that.
“I just…” I started, working my jaw, “my mother has always wanted me to succeed at everything I do, and it’s just so fucking hard to keep up sometimes. So I don’t know, I’ve had to just keep pushing myself to stay on top, no matter how I felt about it.
“I just hate that I’ve always had to do what my mother wanted me to do,” I admitted for the first time, even to myself. “I don’t hate or resent her, but I do hate myself for never speaking up. Because I fucking KNOW she would’ve accepted me and loved me no matter what I did. But I wasn’t strong enough to voice those opinions. She was just so happy watching me succeed at all of her hobbies. I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint her like that.”
Domitor just listened, which is all I needed right now. “What did you want to do instead?” he asked in such a way that I felt a little flutter in my gut.
“You’ll laugh and lose all respect for me,” I muttered, my face starting to feel hot.
“I promise I won’t,” he assured me calmly.
My face got hotter as I stared at him, “I uh… I wanted to be a ballerina…”
This caught him off guard, but he didn’t laugh, “that’s not what I’d expected. Why didn’t you try and do it?”
“I mentioned it to my mother, but she thought I was joking, so I dropped it,” I answered, rubbing my arm nervously. “Besides, I’m too… ugly and masculine to be a ballerina.”
“Well, you’re not ugly,” he stated as he began to draw, “and you being masculine is not a negative. I like you just the way you are. All faults included.”
A little smile tugged at my face as I stared at him, a mix of emotions running through me.
“Domitor,” I said after a few moments, getting him to look up at me, “I’m sorry for… all the shit I’ve put you through.”
He just smiled at me as he kept drawing, “I’m sorry too. Neither of us are very good at expressing emotions, so we’re both at fault. Besides, I’ve always kinda liked you.”
“I don’t fucking know how, I’ve always been a major asshole and a mess,” I chuckled, unable to tear my eyes from him. “But really?”
“Yeah, really,” he replied, looking me right in the eyes, “always have, I’m just dumb and didn’t know how to express it. So I let my anger take over.”
“Well,” I began, rubbing the back of my neck, “I’ve, eh… kinda always liked you too… just when I felt any affection towards you I’d lash out.”
He just snickered at this, “so we’re both just idiots then, letting our parents dictate too much of our lives.”
“Seems that way,” I sighed, a dumb smile on my face as I sat there watching him draw.
After a few minutes of silence he finished and handed it to me, “here, it’s just a sketch, but you’ll get the idea.”
I flipped it over to reveal an image of me in a ballerina’s outfit, looking very proud and confident. I’ve never worn a dress of any kind, so seeing this really caught me off guard.
“I know it’s shittly drawn, but I tried to get it just right for you,” he said a bit nervously, seeing my black expression. “Too far?”
“No…” I muttered, eyes glued to the page. “Thank you, Domitor.”
Just seeing myself like this, even as just a sketch, was hitting me with emotions I had no way of processing. I’m not a ‘girly’ kinda mare, never have been. But seeing myself dressed like this made me not resent the idea as much as I used to.
Of course I’m not going to start dressing up now, but the thought feels nice.
“You’re welcome, Shayla,” he said with a small smile.
I put the notepad to the side and looked at him a bit nervously. “Don’t make any jokes or comments, but I… I want to be held again.”
He smiled warmly at me as he stood up and came over to the bed, plopping down on one side as he used his wing to lift the Watcher’s vial and put him on the nightstand.
I wasn’t used to shit like this, but I remembered how nice it felt the night before to just be held, and that’s just what I wanted right now. So I carefully crawled up and laid next to him, placing my head on his chest as he wrapped his legs around me. He pulled me in close and began to stroke my mane, bringing a sense of peace to my racing mind.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Floria smirked as they turned the corner, seeing the desired location right down the street.
“Okay, Vanilly, I’m going to do this for you, and you’re going to like it,” she said firmly as she continued to pull her friend down the sidewalk “I don’t have the money to buy a ‘proper’ one like you’d probably prefer, so we’re settling with cheap.”
Vanilla just stared ahead, not quite sure where they were going, as this part of town was a bit seeder than she’d like. But she just kept up the same static smile she’d had beaten into her over the years.
The short Kejtdra lead them into a run down looking building, with no indicators on what it could possibly be. But upon stepping inside it was clear it was an animal shelter of some kind.
“Stay,” Floria demanded as she left her friend by the door so she could talk with the single employee that inhabited the building.
They talked for a few moments, which turned into a small argument. But before Vanilla could really start to worry she saw her short friend give the man a small item from her pocket.
“Okay, we’re free to pick whatever we want,” Floria said as she walked back over to her friend. She looked mildly upset, but she didn’t say why as she waved for them to walk through some double doors.
Upon walking through them and down a short hallway, they found themselves in a very dirty kennel with animals all around them.
“All on you, Vanchilla,” Floria said with a smile as she pushed her friend into the room.
Vanilla looked around in awe, as she was surrounded by mostly Reng’s of all kinds.
“Oh my Gosh…” she muttered as she swayed and collapsed onto the ground, her emotions running to high for her to handle.
“Really?” Floria sighed, a smile on her face.
She stepped over and knelt down, poking at the Halwen’s face, “come on, wake up, dum dum.”
It took her a bit, but eventually Vanilla came to and sat up, looking confused, “what happened?”
“This,” Floria laughed as she cast her hand over the room. Luckily this time she didn’t pass out as she stood up and stared at all the Reng’s that sat in the cages.
“There’s so many little babies…” she muttered as she put a hand over her heart.
“Yep, now pick out one,” Floria said as she leaned against a table, watching the reactions of her friend happily.
“Pick one?” Vanilla asked in a surprised voice. “What do you mean?”
“It means I paid the asshole up front to let us pick a Reng out, so go for it. My gift to you,” Floria said as the other woman’s face went through a mix of emotions.
“But, my sister said I wasn’t allowed-“
“Screw your sister,” Floria declared roughly. “If she’s as bad as I think she is, she can go fuck herself. Now pick the one that speaks to you.”
This seemed to cause Vanilla a great deal of torment within herself, but eventually her heart won out as she began to run to each cage, smiling in at each Reng.
“Oh all you wonderful little gifts from above! I just want to take you all home with me!”
“Just one,” Floria said from across the room.
Carefully, the now excited Halwen moved past each cage, saying cute things to each Reng she saw. She was like a kid in a candy shop, just with spider cats instead of candy.
As she passed by one she stopped, taking a step back and peering into the cage, “oh no! What’s happened to you?!”
Within the cage sat a very dirty Reng, with its left side a bit damaged, missing a limb and even some of its eyes were a bit cloudy.
There was a sign on the cage that read ‘Danger: vicious. Biter.’ But she ignored the sign as she reached in, “who would do such a thing to such a small baby?!”
The Reng hissed and then bite her hand, drawing blood.
“Owww,” she whimpered but didn’t retract her bleeding hand, “it’s okay, I know you’re frightened. People can be so cruel, hurting those they don’t understand. But I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
The Reng seemed to narrow its eyes at her as it leaned forward and sniffed her hand, then it began to lick at the wound it had inflicted on her.
“I don’t blame you, sweetie,” she said in a soft voice as the Reng began to rub its head against her hand.
Floria watched on, the scene a bit to emotional for her as she tried to remain stoic.
“I’ll get the guy to open the-“ Floria began, but the sight of Vanilla using her Thorn to deconstruct the lock caused her to laugh. “Well never mind then.”
“Your name is Creampuff and I will love you forever,” Vanilla cooed as she held the dirty Reng in her arms, a massive smile on her face as she stared lovingly down at the little creature as it relaxed into her embrace.
Floria approached carefully, causing the Reng to start to hiss at her.
“It’s okay, Creampuff, Floria is a good person,” Vanilla said with the sweetest smile as she looked at Floria.
“Eh I try,” she mumbled as she held her hand out to Reng, waiting to get bit. But it just sniffed her hand then gave it a bump with its head. Relieved she reached out and began to scratch its head, “good, boy. No need to be a prick and bite people.”
“He’s a wonderfully behaved baby to those who are nice,” Vanilla stated as she hugged the purring Reng to herself. “Thank you, Floria.”
“No problem, you done acting like a robot?” Floria asked, giving her a worried look, “because I want your preppy ass to be happy and shit.”
The question seemed to make Vanill uncomfortable, but Creampuff nuzzled her neck, calming her down. “I will try.”
“That’s all I ask,” Floria said with a sigh of relief as she switched moods into her normally bubbly one, “now come on! Let’s pick up some food for everyone and head back to my place.”
Vanilla smiled as she gave a nod, letting Creampuff crawl out of her arms and climb up onto her head, laying on top of her hat.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Now fair warning, my apartment is a bit messy,” Floria cheerfully said as she lead them down the hallway to her room.
“A little messy is bearable for myself and Creampuff,” Vanilla said as she walked behind her shorter companion, her hands behind her back as Creampuff napped on her hea head.
Floria chuckled as she swung the bags of food around, ready to eat and just relax for the first time in days.
Once she reached her apartment she used her spare key, as she’d given the other two her main key, and unlocked the door.
“Welcome to Casa La Floria!” She announced as she strolled in, kicking trash out of her way as she went.
Vanilla took a single step into the apartment before coming to a dead stop, eyes so wide in shock that her goggles fell down a bit.
Creampuff woke up instantly and began to hiss as he looked in and saw the piles upon piles of trash and junk.
“Sweet merciful…” she muttered, not able to comprehend what she was seeing.
“Is it bad?” Floria asked sheepishly as she stood in the kitchen facing her friend.
“Is it bad?” Vanilla parroted back. “This… is so far beyond bad that… I just don’t understand it.”
Creampuff, having had enough of this, jumped off of Vanilla’s head and landed outside the door, planting his butt right right on the floor as he stared in at them.
Panicking a bit, Vanilla spun around and began to try and coax the Reng back in. “Oh baby I know it’s bad, but please come inside.”
He just stared at her defiantly.
“Please, don’t make me endure this alone, my little Creampuff,” she begged, but it did no good.
With this she stood up and whipped her head around to face Floria, giving her a very stern look.
“Erm, what?” She asked nervously.
“We’re cleaning,” Vanilla stated in a voice that left no room for discussion.
“What?!” Floria yelped, eyes going wide. “No it’s fine as is!”
“Cleaning, now,” Vanilla said in a even sterner voice, fully turning to face the short Kejtdra. “My darling Creampuff refuses to enter till this unholy mess has been dealt with.”
“But,” Floria whined, pointing past her at the Reng, “he’s so dirty! Why would he care about this mess?!”
“He is not dirty by choice,” Vanilla stated as she put her hands on her hips. “Now are we cleaning, or are we arguing?”
Floria blinked at her for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh and throwing her hands up. “Fineeeee, we’ll clean so the apparently very pampered Reng feels comfortable enough to enter my crappy apartment.”
“Thank you,” Vanilla said simply as she walked past her and began to look the room over. “This will take a bit, so I suggest making sure you grab what you want to keep. Otherwise it’s getting tossed.”
“Yes mom,” Floria mumbled as Vanilla opened the bedroom door. Inside were even more piles of trash. It took her a moment to realize Shayla and Domitor were passed out together on the bed, tangled up with each other.
She closed the door slowly and looked at Floria, “we shall do this room last, they both need some rest.”
“Geez, they sleep while we work, that’s not fair,” Floria mumbled as she began to absently mindly pull trash into her Vacuole so she could dump it at the trash later.
This was going to take a while.