A Goblin, a Griffon & Debauchery

by Merallakos

Sandwiches... Cheese Sandwiches...

"Sheila?" Jacko asked.

No response.

"Sheila?" Jacko put a hand on Seraphimus' shoulder. "Sheila?"

A part of Seraphimus wanted to shove Jacko's snot and tear stained hand brusquely off of her shoulder. But for some reason another part of her acknowledged its comforting presence. Somehow, she was actually less tense.

"How in Verlax's sleety nostrils can this be happening to me?" Seraphimus murmured.

"Huh?" Jacko leaned closer to hear.

Seraphimus glanced at Jacko, but turned swiftly back before he could make eye contact. The idea of seeing his face, why was it making her face burn? She'd already felt all these emotions, she thought she was done with them, and yet... Seraphimus didn't know whether to accept or reject these feelings. Instead she focused on the ever incessant, nauseating sound of the Blob.

Eventually, her beak unclenched. "Tell me about this supposed fortune teller."

"Heh," Jacko chuckled, "aint you bein' a little nosey askin' me that? The deal was--"

"Tell me," Seraphimus inhaled and snarled, "Tell me about the fortune teller!"

Jacko took a step back. "Woah theah, what even is it with you? Shouldn't you be flying off to your friends by now?"

Seraphimus' headcrest drooped and her head shortly followed resting on the window's ledge. Quietly, breathilly she said, "Tell me about the fortune teller."

"Sheila, are you okay? You know the deal..."

Seraphimus was silent, then she sighed. "If you reveal what you know about this fortune teller then perhaps, perhaps..." Seraphimus gave one of her signature glares to Jacko, "I may stay here for an hour before I go to prepare to meet Rainbow and her companions."

"Sheila, do you really mean that?"

Silence... Eventually...

"Yes," Seraphimus decided.

Jacko's tear stained mug broke into a wide grin. "Righ, let's seal the deal b'fore you change your mind then!" Jacko spat on his hand, holding it out to Seraphimus.

Seraphimus spat into Jacko's hand as a show of good faith.

"Eh, close enough Oi reckon." Jacko grinned as he hopped up onto the the window seal beside Seraphimus. "Now, wheah do I begin?"

"Preferably as close to the middle as possible," Seraphimus droned.

"Righ," Jacko smiled. "Now, as you know I used to live in Petra. 'Course that didn't last long, but that's besides the point. Point is is that even before my doubtful ears came into this heah world there was gobbos who was questionin' the stories of all the other Gobbos, eh?

"Took me a good long while to find 'em though. Live in a part of Petra that's damn hard to find jest cause it's so far buried under branches an' pipes an' factory lines an' all thet crap. Far hidden from Queen Arvil, I suppose. The say they're Drug Bloodahs, but they aint really, and I guess thet was my first clue somethin' was up.

"I came down one day, and I got a tip that I was lookin' for a certain kind a drink, see? That's when they asked me for the password, but I just knocked the guards around a little and--"

Seraphimus scowled at Jacko.

"Well don't give me that look, love. Thet's what I did!"

Seraphimus continued to scowl. A little rosily now. She scowled harder.

Jacko flinched. "Righ, so maybe I didn't exactly knock 'em up. But the very next burnin--"

"Burning?" Seraphimus asked, trying to distract herself.

"Righ, forgot you don't know anything-- er I mean, lack information on our glorious culture," Jacko cleared his throat. "We gobbos keep track o' the time using the great flames of Petra. Every twelve hours the lights of Petra manifest and go blaze burnin' bright, right? Then the next we turn em' down. After all, how did you think us Gobbos knew when to sleep?"

"...You don't?"

Jacko laughed a great (small) belly laugh. "Good one, love! Hah! True too! Once knew a stock bloodah who had a very erratic sleep schedule. He was the one who was givin' me all the tips, and I owed him somethin' fierce. Probably should've figured--

"The fortune teller?" Seraphimus interrupted.

"Oh of course, righ righ. So I got past the guards on the second try, and I found fortune teller only a little after that. Let me tell ya, never seen anyone so old as she was. Silver hair hangin' out her ears 'till it met the ground beneath the city. Still impressively lively too, claimed to have been an explorer beck a ways ago, and I believed her. Had a collection of skeletons, some of which didn't look too different from you, sheila."

"Right," Seraphimus nodded. "And?"

"Well, ya might've guessed, she wanted to tell my fortune. Now at first I wasn't so up for it, but she told me some stories about some old gobbo or somethin' named Ilirilda or somethin', and there's nothin' I can't resist more than a good creation myth. Then she told me the world was dyin', and not even the flames of Petra could save it.

"Not entirely sure what she meant by that. It's a lot for one gobbo to wrap 'is head around it all, but what she said next really got me. She told me the flames of Petra burn in my head. She told me the world wasn't destined to die, and --she was very specific in this-- told me that I had a big part to play in that.

"Now personally, I think she was just playing to the tune of my ego --and I do like thet-- but it got me thinkin, and well... Maybe I thought a little too hard, all it did was get me here afteh all. But I've got a plans, big plans!"

"Hmm," Seraphimus nodded, "Would you happen to know the name of this fortune teller?"

"Thet's the thing, love, I never got her name."

Seraphimus frowned.

"Sheesh, birdie, I know it's hard to believe, but would you stop givin' me thet look!"

Seraphimus sighed. "Very well, I believe it is time that I uphold my end of the bargain." She cleared her throat, "does this place have anywhere resembling a decent place to rest? I grow weary."

Jacko looked like he was going to oppose such a lackluster option, but he ultimately said, "Well, I know there are some blankets 'round here somewhere. Reckon they're about as dirty or clean as any other blanket in Blobstain; aint many goblins that care about cleanliness heah."

"They'll have to do. I forgot my own accoutrements."

"Righ," Jacko retrieved some blankets and a pillow from a crevice, laying them on the slipshod ground next to the window.

Seraphium grimaced as she lay down upon them, slipping a talon between the pillow and her already snot stained feathers. She had enough time to reminisce on her regrets before Jacko fluffed another stained, rag like blanket over her. Surprisingly, it was just big enough to cover the entirety of Seraphimus' body.

"Will uh," Jacko pressed his sharp fingertips together and apart and together again, "will that keep you warm enough, love?"

"It will suffice," Seraphimus closed her eyes.

For a while, there was only the periodic thrum of the pink ocean, and the presence of two creatures in the rusted room. Seraphimus breathed deliberate, deep breaths, almost as if trying to enter a meditative state. Meanwhile Jacko watched, lost in thought, as he sat on the existing bed which he was now beginning to realize was exceedingly dirty.

Minutes dripped by.

Then, very slowly, very carefully, Jacko slid off the bed, doing his best to wipe the dirt from his clothes and skin. He proceeded to remove the crusts of tears from his snout, the grime from his hand, and did his best to straighten his appearance. He moved to door, hand reaching towards the handle, but then, he paused.

Seraphimus was breathing raggedly now. Her face betrayed no emotion except stoic, moderately annoyedness, but under her covers her talons and claws twitched erradically.

After a moment's contemplation, Jacko slowly walked towards the makeshift bed. A moment's more hesitation, and finally Jacko decided to nestle against Seraphimus' neck over the covers.

The second Jacko's foot touched Seraphimus' cover she awoke. But Jacko didn't seem to notice her sudden lack of dream-movement. A part of her squirmed internally as Jacko slowly, slowly laid himself down against her neck, but after minutes of stillness, she felt peace. Both goblin and griffin entered a calm peace against one another.

Seraphimus did not take Jacko in her arms... But she did not push him away either.

For Seraphimus, there was that same physical comfort she'd felt before... The same one that had been frozen oh so long ago. The one she'd failed to appreciate while she had it.

Jacko was tempted to simply call himself satiated to be so close to the cat bird he'd taken a liking to. But, what gobbo ever took a liking to a beast? No it wasn't mere satiation, there were glowflies slowly twining in his mind.

For a time, the thrum of the blob beat in sync with Seraphimus' heart, with Jacko's breaths. There was a closeness, a connection, a melding of bodies as feathers and skin felt each other in soft embrace.

Peaceful time drifted by, eventually Seraphimus managed to flick a decent chunk of her cover over Jacko's body.

"Soo..." Jacko said quietly, "is this really happening, sheila?"

Seraphimus made a soft, soothing cooing sound. Dreamily, "Please, call me Sera."

Comments

[God Praiser]

THANK YOU, this is brilliant