Anthology of Graybles

by Str8aura

Thing (OC; Slice Of Life)

"I just don't think there's any reason for someone in this day and age to learn fire magic."

"You live in one of the most frequently attacked and invaded towns in Equestria, it just feels like free insurance at this point."

Cran Cherry rolled her eyes and stirred her tea absentmindedly. Ocean Spray sipped his own and patiently waited for Cherry to retort sarcastically for lack of an actual argument.

It was every bit as lovely a day as the weather schedule had promised, and seeing as these were becoming a rarity the closer December drew, Ocean had gladly taken up his friends offer to come over, have some tea, and enjoy themselves before the holiday season became too hectic. It had been a pleasant visit so far, although Ocean was beginning to wonder if Cherry had a dog of some sort she had never mentioned, as the heavily chewed pillows on the couches seemed to imply.

As he pondered how to politely bring it up, he thought he noticed a reflection of light from inside a vent under the ceiling, and was about to dismiss it as a trick of the light until he adjusted his glasses and realized what was hidden in it. A pair of large, amber eyes were peering out through the metal bars, with what looked like a third farther back in the shadows.

"Um... Cherry, dear, may I ask what-?"

The vent cover fell to the ground with a clatter, and a mass of fur was flying out before Ocean could scream. Just as soon as he was beginning to register the shifting shape, it quickly fell into the solid form of a beaver colored pony a few inches shorter than him with a darker shade of hair, smiling up. It's ears rotated around and it perked up when Cherry called him,

"Thing! There you are, I haven't seen you all day!"

Thing whipped around and gasped happily upon seeing her. Ocean's brain's gears were finally starting to become ungummed when the pony-shaped creature suddenly opened it's mouth unnaturally wide, to the lengths that it's lower jaw seemed to be hanging by two strings of flesh, and uncurled a long, roughly textured tongue, holding out a single daisy to Cherry, thoroughly soaked but otherwise unharmed. She covered her mouth in excited surprise.

"Did you get that for me? Thing, that's so sweet of you!"

Thing happily gave up the daisy, and Cherry took a long sniff before putting it behind her ear. Ocean could smell the foul liquid coating it from the other side of the table, but figured he had bigger concerns at the moment.

"Cherry, dear friend, with all due respect, what the hell is that?"

"Have I never told you about Thing?"

"I think I would remember."

"I'm so sorry! I would've introduced you sooner!"

"Believe me, it's not a problem."

The aptly named creature happily trotted over to Ocean and nuzzled it's head into his leg. He noticed an impressive set of fangs visible through a few small holes along her muzzle and throat, strangely enough.

" I found her scavenging for food on an abandoned train platform after I mistook it for the platform I take to work. He seemed so friendly, I figured I'd offer her a place to stay! I'm still not entirely sure whether it's more ethical to treat him as a very intelligent dog or a simpler minded adult Mare."

"And the... body horror?"

"I'm not too sure what's up with that, honestly. But he's never tried to hurt me, although she enjoys trying to give me a scare every once in a while, so I've never questioned it!"

"Wait, what gender is Thing?"

"Who knows, honestly. I'm certainly not going to check."

Ocean Spray hesitantly looked down at Thing again, only to find the creature had somehow disappeared in the five seconds Ocean hadn't been watching it. He sat straight up and turned around to a gaping maw, filled with asymmetrically placed fangs. Before he could react, it had snapped shut, and the inside rapidly tightened, shoving Ocean downwards to fall in an enclosed, foul-smelling sac. He heard faint shouting outside, and began frantically shoving against the fleshy rings surrounding him before being unceremoniously pushed up again and falling back onto his chair in a heap. As he began coughing, he looked up to see Thing's sheepish grin, which would've resembled cuteness had it not still been overflowing with teeth. Cherry ran to her guest's side and helped him up.

"Sorry about that! Thing does that sometimes, it just means he likes you!"

He glared at the creature, and it grabbed his glasses of the table and offered them to him, seemingly trying to apologize.

Author's Note:

The picture that prompted it

Comments

[Sir Starshine]

Aww, who knew an eldritch abomination could be so sweet!

[Green-Venom]

Picture no longer exists. Now I’m REALLY curious…

[Str8aura]

11608866
time's arrow leaves no survivors man