> Daily life with Monsters > by mrmidnight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Pilot > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mac wasn't having a good day. Not at all, walking down the street, passing everyone walking passing him while he wasn't paying attention, finding him lost in his head. This isn't good; I can't believe they fired me; I spent the last five years, and they just… why? I’m one of the best applecorers around! Mac felt angry, his head hurting as he felt his blood boiling; his boss had come into his office and told him they were making cuts and changes around, and Mac didn't make the cut. Claiming it was nothing personal. But Mac wasn't sure about it. They handed him a month's severance, but he spat at that, Yeah, cause that will help me out when the money runs out. Fuck, I've got to find another job and quick. Sure, Mac had some savings, but even he knew it wouldn't last him forever; Mac continued walking when, without warning, he dragged him back into the world when he found himself walking into someone. "Hey, watch it, bub!" Mac looked up, and standing there, nearly eight feet tall, was none other than a strong hairy man, well, a man who wasn't a man. The man was a minotaur. Mac looked at him, almost shocked and confused by such a thing. It was the first time he'd ever seen an actual minotaur in person. Mac shook his head and muttered, "Sorry, I didn't see you." He tried his best not to stare at the bull-headed man, wearing a black t-shirt and shorts. But just looking at the man, Mac could imagine that he could tear him apart without effort. "Didn't see me? How? I'm like Eight feet tall. Are you trying to be a funny pal?" The Bullman growled, clearly ready to tear Mac a new one. Mac raised his hands, clearly trying not to look aggressive, "Look, man; it was an accident; I don't want any trouble, alright? I'm just having a bad day, that's all." Mac imagined he would need to start running and maybe find himself in the running of the bulls without even having to go to Spain. "Iron will! what are you doing?!" A woman's voice quickly rose, loud and demanding, as The Bullman seemed to freeze right up upon hearing her; Mac looked around at the big guy seeing a black woman walking up, clearly annoyed, as she looked over at the minotaur named Ash. "Oh, Sorry, Miss Love, This punk here bumped into me, and I-" "No excuses, Iron, you know the law; you're not allowed out of my sight; what if the cops came by? Now get your butt over here." She spoke, clearly showing the large man bull who's boss. "Sorry, Miss Love." Iron will, the minotaur, spoke, his shoulders slumping as the woman sighed. "I'm sorry, sir; Ironwill here is still new and learning the laws. Including the rule's about how monsters are not allowed to harm humans. Now apologize." "But he bumped into me," iron will replied, but Miss. Love spoke up. "It doesn't matter. I saw how you were acting. Now tell the man you're sorry. We don't have all day. We have to speak to Ms. Sunborn." The bull-man looked back at Mac, staring at him for a minute as if contemplating something but giving a heavy huff. "Sorry. Have a good day, sir." He spoke before turning away. Miss. Love looked back at Mac. For a second, as she headed over, "Listen, it would be nice if you didn't report this. Iron will is new to our society; he was hanging in a labyrinth before he came to America, so he's not used to being around humans. If word got out, they might deport him back to Greece." If on cue, Miss. Love pulled out a twenty and shoved it into his hand almost forcefully. She turned around and kept her eyes on the minotaur, ensuring he didn't run off somewhere. Looking at the twenty, Mac sighed and muttered to himself. "I need a drink." Mac's head filled with worry. He walked off, going towards the nearest bar. He wasn't sure what to do, Walking past the sounds of heavy traffic. The bar, better known as Jack's Bar, can be found between jacks Pizza and Jack's Tattoo Parlor. (None of them were the same Jack, strange enough) Mac walked into the bar. The soft bell rang, telling everyone Mac had arrived. The bar was filled with The sounds of Hard Rock music while the few patrons hanging around drank away their sorrows as they talked to each other. "It's five o'clock somewhere," Mac muttered while he headed to the counter. Mac looked around, getting a better look at the jukebox off to the corner with its neon colors going off. At the same time, he turned back, seeing the bartender standing there with a grim expression. Mac stated, "Just get me a beer." The bartender nodded, reaching down and grabbing the long-neck bottle from under the table. The bartender didn't need to be told twice. He looked at the beer as he undid the top and took a long swig, The bitter taste washed down his mouth as he sat there for a good minute. "Fucking greedy dick heads." Mac's head shook, thinking the day couldn't get worse. He grunted, thinking about how he lost his job. "What am I going to do for work?" He grumbled, thinking he'd have to get on his computer and send applications. Hopefully, someone would take him. Heck, if he was desperate, he'll have to go into fast food. Still, he found himself shuddering, imagining dealing with customers, as he knew that would most likely be the last resort. "Something wrong, buddy." A voice spoke, calm and relaxing, while Mac looked over; a man wearing a white button-up t-shirt and a smile that seemed off from the rest of the place stood there. "Rough day, man; what do you need?" Mac responded something about the man seemed completely off. "Just saw you and thought you'd like to talk, pal." He moved over, sitting right next to Mac, while he rolled around, "Names Featherweather, so what's got you down." "Just got fired from my job, Featherweather. Shouldn't you be in Sunday school?" Mac didn't want to be rude, but his mood was shot down, and He wasn't feeling like being the nicest guy. "Hey, not the only one, pal; a few of us are going through hard times!" One of the patrons called out a slight slur as he returned to his drink. However, this seemed to get the other patrons going as well. In comparison, the rest started to grieve their frustrations. "Those monsters took my job, Fucking nightmare worked construction for ten years, then the boss said They had to let me go, Replaced me with a damn cyclops! I put the best years of my life for the company, and they let someone eye bastard take my job 'cause he's stronger and gets the job done faster." The man spat on the ground while taking another drink of whiskey. "You think it's bad? One of those integrated Monsters now a part of our society is dating my daughter, Fucking hell. Why couldn't my daughter marry some nice human? I don't want grandkids to have goat legs!" He grunted, taking a drink while the others consoled each other for a time. Then a black man in the group raised his head, "I'll be honest, and I'm fine with monsters coming around; cops, leave me and my kin alone more often. Who'd have thought bringing in actual monsters would bring us all together under a single idea." There the people raised their drinks in solace agreement. At the same time, Mac nodded, somewhat agreeing, a part of him wondering if that would happen if he were replaced with a monster. No couldn't have been. I've seen others leaving. Also, It had to have been a screw-up. He looked back at the others, who went back to drinking quietly. He saw himself in them, each having a rough time, as he grunted. Mac moved over, taking another drink while Featherweather stared at him even more; Mac found that this freaked him out. "What do you want? You're starting to freak me out." Mac spoke with an unfiltered truth while Featherweather smiled, "I think I know of a way to help; here, please take my card." He reached over, handing him a plain white card. Written in black ink reading, The Helsing chapter. With a number scrawled over it. Mac found he wasn't interested in this man's offer, as he shoved the card in his pocket, trying not to be rude. While shaking his head, "Well, thanks; I Appreciate it, man." Featherweather gave that long smile while he adjusted his sleeves, "Call me anytime; you can join our meetings; I know it can help you." Featherweather moved on, walking off, while Mac sat there, a long sigh as he returned to his beer. Luke tried not to think about it, wanting to push his sorrows away. A good beer or two could take it all away. -000- After a bit, Mac shook his head as he paid his tab and began to leave. Walking out of the bar, he hadn't realized it was already dark as he sighed. "Going to be a long night." He grunted while he began heading off down the streets. As he stumbled off, the roads were empty, leading to his apartment. He was sure this was the right direction in many ways as he grunted more. He imagined he had too much to drink while he stumbled around. "Hey, buddy, are you looking for a good time." A sultry feminine voice spoke. Mac looked over seeing the woman standing there, and now he had to admit she looked like a cool drink of water. Tall, with slender legs that seemed to go high. She's wearing a short leather skirt with a top that barely hides anything. In his drunken state, Heck Mac imagined that if it was any smaller, it might have busted off, revealing her breasts. "I'm sorry, what?" He said while he leaned against the wall, though the woman didn't seem to mind. "I said, Buddy, do you wanna have a good time? Fifty bucks, and I'm your's for an hour." She spoke with a smirk, her hand reaching over and playing with her breasts. "Make it a hundred, and I'll even let you do anal." She chuckled while looking towards him. Mac then noticed that she had a pair of horns on her head. "Are you a monster?" He grunted while keeping his head from spinning. The woman, clearly annoyed by such a remark, let out a long grunt. "I prefer succubus; we don't like being categorized under a single banner. Now do you want to fuck or what?" The succubus said, tapping her foot, annoyed by Mac, who just side, "No thanks, no offense, but I don't have much money even if I wanted to. I just lost my job today," Mac grunted, feeling his stomach turn as the realization hit him harder. "Damn, that sucks. Well, hope you get on your feet, pal." The succubus said as she began walking off, figuring there might be a chance to find a client on a different corner. Mac sat there for a minute, his heart racing fast, wondering what he would do. Mac continued sitting there for the rest of the night, trying to sober up. Mac would eventually get up from where he was sitting. Soon stumbling away, as he imagined he could make it home safer now. The streets are empty, with not a soul in sight. The whistling wind passed by as he went home. The home was not home anymore as he looked up at the two-story building. The place somewhat beats up, though it was built in the nineteen-hundreds and managed to get through two world wars, the Vietnam war, and a good couple of recessions while still holding out. The house was cold, with a cool breeze as he moved around, grabbing a plate while cooking tacos from the other night. Mac sat alone while he waited patiently. The kitchen was big enough to fit a few people; as he looked over at the sink filled with dishes, Mac knew he would need to get to those when he could. He walked inside, putting in the code, and the door unlocking sound. His laptop is over by the fridge while charging. The light blinked, gently annoying Mac, as he returned to his phone. "I'm going to need to find a job soon." He grumbled, knowing he would have to update his resume. He looked down at his phone when he noticed something. Do you want to earn extra cash? Do you have room in your home for another person? If you join this government program, you may receive thirty-five hundred dollars a month. "That sounds good, and I wonder how?" A part of him wondered if this was going to be a scam. But looking at the empty kitchen with just a stove, a microwave, and a fridge, he knew he didn't have much choice. He didn't want to lose this house, the only thing his parents had left him: a place that still had to be paid off and a bunch of bills. "I've got to try something." So Mac sat there, pulling his computer. Mac logged in while he typed away and started filling out a form. "I mean, they most likely would reject me… But why not." He bit his lips as he spent time filling out the application. When all was said and done, Mac took his tacos and ate them alone in the dark before going to bed; His bedroom was simple, with white blankets and a mattress. The tv off the other side mounted to the way while he looked around. He stared at the blank wall, not bothering to turn the television on. Mac didn’t keep much on him. It reminded him too much of the past. He took the time to eat his tacos and worried about the future. -000- Morning came by faster than Mac was ready, the feeling of the sun entering his eyes from the exposed window. Mac groaned, feeling the pounding in his head. He was dealing with a hangover. Mac lamented, using every ounce of strength and willpower to drag himself out of bed. Mac walked to the bathroom, looking at himself in that disheveled five o'clock shadow. His hair was a complete mess, with that cowlick showing off on his right side as he looked at the mirror and rolled his head. "I look like shit." He grumbled as he looked over at his razor. He reached out to it, his fingers mere inches from it before pulling back. "Screw it; not like I've nowhere else to go." He reached over, taking his toothbrush while brushing his teeth, when Mac heard a ringing from his room. He rolled his eyes. Mac had a funny thought about phones. They were some of the most valuable things in the world, but at the same time, they were annoying. You always found yourself getting a call when you didn't want them, and if you were using them, you might not be paying attention to where you're going and smack your head into something. Mac grabbed his bed off the nightstand; as he answered it, "Hello?" He asked, momentarily pausing while trying to wake up, rubbing his head while he prepared for whoever might have called him. "Hello, Celestia Sunborn; I'm a part of the Monster Of National, safety, tolerance, and effective relocation." Mac found himself pausing there, realizing this woman claimed she was a part of… MONSTER. He quickly responded. "Could you please repeat that…" Celestia Sunborn did so, and he was right; the acronym is monster. A fact he wondered might have gone over her head, or she was playing this straight for a joke. "Alright, so you're a part of monster…. What do you need?" Mac almost forgot about what happened last night. He remained calm, trying not to let his finger slip as he sat on the bed. “Yes, now I’d like you to come in today; we received your file and would like to discuss your interest in helping out by hosting a nonhuman in your home.” “A nonhuman?” He asked though he figured he knew what she meant. “A monster, we prefer to call them nonhumans, they don’t like being referred to as monsters, now please, Come in at one o’clock, don’t be late. I have a busy schedule.” She spoke rapidly while Mac found himself unsure how to respond, looking at the clock and realizing it was nearly noon. “Alright, um, can I get the address?” He asked while he reached over, finding some paper and a pen; he had to ask her twice as she handed over the address and motioned over, putting it on his desk. “I’ll see you then, Mr. Apple.” She said Mac was about to say something, but the sound of clicking hit, and he was disconnected. Mac sighed, rubbing his temple; somehow, he imagined today would be an even bigger headache even when the hangover left him. Mac moved over and looked down, seeing the card lying on the floor; Mac looked towards it, wondering, before shaking his head and tossing it on his counter. Mac went to get ready. He would be in for an interview faster than he expected. -000- The address wasn’t far; he ran up after Mac jumped into the shower and got him cleaned up, wearing his best button-up shirt and blue jeans. Mac then had to deal with his head; it hurt like someone had just put a spike through it. Mac reached over, grabbing a pair of sunglasses. He imagined it would do for now as he ran out of his apartment, heading to the address. Mac walked down the street, and it was a cold, cloudy day. Mac listened to the sounds of the traffic passing by them. The heat beat down on him. Mac ignored this, trying to focus on this meeting going well as he continued jogging. He wasn’t sure when he would get there. Mac didn’t need to be late. If it came down to it, he would be in big trouble. He ran past some of the buildings as he slowed his breathing. After a few minutes, Mac stopped, as he found himself standing in front of a large building it looked around twenty stories tall. He gulped, looking at the size of the building as he imagined being on the very top. “Why does it have to be so high.” He grumbled to himself, imagining the worst of it. Yet Mac took a deep breath getting his nerves. He hadn’t even gotten inside the building, yet somehow a part of him chickened out; he hated himself for that. Don’t be a coward, bud. Mac heard the familiar voice as he turned around and saw no one, well, nobody he recognized walking down the streets. Mac walked into the building, the lobby was something, and Mac took a deep gulp as he walked through it. There were many kinds of monsters roaming around. A sight to be seen as he passed by a large, diverse group of creatures, from minotaurs to even women with snakes for hair, wearing blindfolds as men in black led them off. He tried not to stare as he headed to the back of the room to the receptionist's table. The woman standing behind the desk was a heck of a sight. The top half was human, with short brown hair, and dark crimson eyes, all be it six of them going up her forehead, while she wore a delicate white top, though she was more flat chested, when he looked down at those parts. But the one thing that kept her from being fully human was that she had a set of large long legs, eight of them to be exact, as it reminded Mac of a wolf spider. His heart pounded as he wanted to say something, but instead gave her a wide smile trying to seem more polite. Her name tag read Mommy longleg, as Mac saw her giving him a sensual smile, showing off her white teeth and fangs that reminded him of the kind you’d see on vampires in the movies. They glistened in the light. “Hello there, do you have an appointment?” she asked, her calm voice said, as she brushed some of the hair out of one of her eyes. Mac smiled, took a deep breath, and nodded, “Yeah, I’m supposed to meet Miss. Sunborn, she wanted to meet me about hosting.” He tried keeping the conversation quick while looking at the clock on the table reading half past ten, meaning he was still early. Soon Mommy longleg, the spider woman, moved over to her computer, clicking on the keys as she typed away. Mac stood there feeling awkward as the seconds ticked away. Mac watched, her taking long deep breaths as his spider legs twitched like she wanted to do something else. She pulled away from the computer and nodded, “Yeap, you’re in our system; Miss Sunborn will see you in her office.” She said with that smile. She pointed to the elevator, “Her office is on the fifteenth floor, go left and three doors down.” She reached down, grabbing the key card. As she quickly typed onto the computer as handed it over. “Please follow me.” She walked over to the elevator and scanned the card, Mac following behind her while watching her walk around. Mac couldn’t help noticing how the hair on her body swished around. Such a sight as her back end wiggled. It somehow made him feel uncomfortable. But he held on as he followed on as they made it to the elevator. “I think we might exceed the weight limit.” Mac joked while looking at the spider woman. “No, it’s more of a precaution that we set up these key systems so someone doesn’t break into the building’s other floors. It’s required that I or Someone else help you get on the elevator Since only workers can access the other floors.” She slipped the key card over, and there was a long pause before the doors opened. “Walk in and hit floor fifteen, and it’ll take you straight up there,” Mommy longleg said, giving him a nod before turning around. Mac nodded as he stepped into the elevator, and the doors slowly closed. Her Spider rear almost brushed against his nose as he watched her leave. “Hopefully, this isn’t some trap, and I’m just going to fall into some spider web.” He shuddered, imagining that, with just a press of a button, he’d fall through the floor and into the spider’s web—a meal for Mommy longleg and another Spider woman or monsters that ate humans. That didn’t happen; in fact, Mac was going right up. The sounds of elevator music played as a sinking feeling in his stomach as he continued taking a long deep breath watching the doors, waiting for them to open. Then the doors opened with a light ding; he sighed in relief as he stepped off the elevator and began to walk down the hallways. Following Mommy longleg’s instructions, it didn’t take long for him to find Miss. Sunborn’s office. Her door was a frost-covered glass, with her name written in jet-black lettering. Mac watched for a minute as he stepped over, giving it a light knock. When the door suddenly swung open. “That goddamn bitch, why the fuck would she reject me? I would have been able to do the job perfectly fine, fuck!” A fat man stepped out, and Mac took a quick look, the anger on his face as he looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, as he nearly pushed Mac out of the way. Mac was about to ask the man what was wrong but heard a voice after him calling out, “Next, please.” He looked around to see if there was someone else, but it was only him, while the voice spoke up, “Yes, you; now come on, I don’t have all day.” Mac did so walking into the office; the place was spacious. The person sitting behind the desk, A woman with short red hair wearing a fine suit, as she adjusted her tie; at that point as she grabbed a cup of coffee that sat on the desk, steaming away. “Please sit down. Would you like some coffee or a drink before we begin?” She spoke in a polite voice, and It was the kind some people put on when they were in a lousy mood to try and not cause trouble for others; Mac shook his head, soon taking a seat. “Um, I’m Mac; you called me over the phone this morning.” “Ah yes, I’m glad you could make it on such short notice; we’ve been trying to get as many people as possible to help us.” “Um, what about the last guy? He seemed pretty angry?” Mac added, glancing behind him to the door, as he could almost imagine the man somehow coming back with a gun ready to shoot someone. The woman smiled as she tilted her head, “Him, don’t worry about him; he was rejected cause, well, simply, some of the clients think that we are providing a dating service. We have to be careful with who we trust hosting the nonhumans; with how the current laws are going, the hosts can take advantage of them, and that would harm relationships.” She reached down under her desk, pulling out a file. “You’re Mac Apple, right?” She looked over the file she looked around. Celestia Sunborn moved around the papers as she looked at him, “Yes, and I take it you’re Miss. Sunborn?” He asked though she nodded, “Yes, Now, You’re wishing to be a host; mind if you tell me why?” She looked at him while she put the file down, watching his movement. “Well, honestly, I can use the extra money and help these… Nonhumans.” Mac responded, choosing his words carefully. Miss. Sunborn nodded, “I figured, though, from the quick background check, you lost your job the other day.” “I mean, yeah, but how did you know that?” “We did a quick background check, simply checking your Facebook and social media, and contacted your last employer. It was a quick search. Though we’ll conduct a deeper background check if you hired on.” “If?” Mac asked, finding himself more curious, “Yeah, this is just the interview, though I have some questions from your file. It looks like you were at one point in the army?” “Um, yes, I was, though it was a few years before I was discharged.” “With Honors?” Miss. Sunborn asked while Mac nodded, “Well, that’ll be good to know, especially when we go into the background. Now, what are your thoughts on Nonhuman? I need you to be honest cause this will be a part of the check.” Miss. Sunborn watched him like a hawk while Mac shook his head, “I mean, they haven’t done anything to me. I’ve never really met with any to get a real impression.” Mac said though he found his eyes drawn over as he couldn’t help but notice how her suit clung to her. For a minute, he thought he could see her black bra if he could believe the dark fabric exposed to him while she adjusted herself. “Well, good, 'cause one of the issues we’ve run into is some nonhuman supremacist trying to get ahold of one of the nonhumans to try and harm them.” She moved around as she put his fire away. She seemed to turn her attention somewhere else as she brought out a few papers. “Well, I wouldn’t want to hurt them, besides I could imagine that they could tear me apart.” Mac chuckled though it was clear he was nervous. At the same time, Mac found himself fidgeting in his seat. A habit he’d had since Mac was a kid, as he discovered his but swaying back and forth in the chair and hoping that Miss Sunborn didn’t notice the habit. “Yes, Well, we can’t be too careful. While some nonhumans can tear you apart like tissue paper, others are far more sensitive. Once, one of the Melonheads was given a host family off in Florida, and well, it didn’t end well for the Melonhead. We had to take him back to Ohio in an ambulance. The host family was arrested, and children were taken away.” Miss. Sunborn looked at him intensely, clearly meaning business when it came down to that; Mac gulped but tried to return a smile. “Well, I can promise you that I wouldn’t do that to anyone, human or m—Nonhuman; that just wouldn’t be right.” “That’s good; now, I will tell you this. Normally you’d be disqualified because you didn’t have a job,” Miss Sunborn spoke while Mac found his head slouching at that before Celestia Sunborn spoke up. “Yet, I will be making an exception, thanks to your military experience. I will stick my neck out for you, but you must do something.” “What's that? I’m all game to do anything,” Mac spoke up a bit more, the excitement escaping his voice as Miss. Sunborn reached down, writing something down. “You’ll need to pack up when you can; next week after the paperwork is done and if the background check passes, and I expect you will be. You’re to move to this address, where you’ll stay.” Mac watched as she handed him over a piece of paper with the address written there. “This was a house that we had recently acquired, it was a meth lab at one point, but we’ve cleaned it up, but the place needs to be repaired.” “Alright, that will help, but why send me there.” “Well, while you are there, we’ll slash your payment from three thousand to two thousand a month. The deduction will go to help pay for housing there. While there, you’ll have to repair whatever you need to make it homely for the Nonhumans. Yourself, heck, we’ll refund you if you have to go over budget,” Miss Sunborn smirked, leaning forward and watching him. Mac felt himself sweating at this but nodded. “I mean, that’s fair, plus a place for me to stay.” However, he couldn’t help but find it annoying that he was hoping for the entire three thousand, which was still far more than he had expected. “Yes, but with some bonuses, The simple things are compensation for whatever food you might have to buy for you and the girls. So we are giving you a deal, free housing, two thousand dollars, and some food expenses. I don’t think you’ll find a better deal anywhere.” Celestia Sunborn smirked as she put the pen down before him. The ballpoint pen just wiggled as he watched it. “I mean, it’s that, or you could flip burgers, you wouldn’t get such a good deal as this, and Heck, I can imagine you can find a side job while you’re working on the house and helping them adjust to human life.” Mac watched the pen and the contract that Miss. Sunborn slipped over, and he let out a long sigh. Did he have much of a choice? The deal was too good to pass up. He grabbed the pen, and without hesitation, he signed the contract. “I have to ask, why are you doing this? I mean, you said with me not having a job, I should have been disqualified. So why give me a chance?” Miss Sunborn smiled as she leaned back on her desk, a foot on the desk while watching him like she’d been waiting for him to ask this question. “Everyone needs a second chance and a break. I figured I’d do my good deed of the day and give you yours, So pray that the background check doesn’t screw you over.” There was a smile on her face while Mac nodded, and she would put her feet back down on the floor as she grabbed his contract. “Please have a good day, Mac Apple; expect my call.” She muttered as Mac stood up and walked out of the door. He had some packing and, hopefully, a bright new future. > What do you mean there's no plumbing! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mac would pack, and unpack, many times throughout the week, filling his bags. He was putting his stuff away, as he felt nervous. How could he since there was a chance that he might not even get the job? If something in his background check came up that they didn’t like, Mac would be fucked. He barely slept as he was imagining that if Mac got the job, he would be repairing a house. Sure, Mac knew a few things but wasn’t good with electricity. He went to his computer and looked up a few things, working with electric circuits. He sighed, knowing this was going to be a big job. But he had to sink or swim. Mac would not drop not again as he heard his phone ringing. He looked over, seeing it was Sunborn's number; answering it, “Hello, it’s Mac?” He felt hesitant, his heart pounding as he prepared for the worst. When Celestia Sunborn responded, “Great News, Mac, You passed the background check. Some wild things, but I think it’ll work. So, congratulations.” Mac could feel her smirk. Mac didn’t know what to say, his mouth dropping at such a thing while he shook his head. “That’s great; um, I’ll start now; let me grab the rest of my stuff, and I’ll head right over there.” “You do that; get some fresh clothes as you meet us at the barn. You still have the address?” Celestia said while Mac reached over to his fridge, grabbing the sticky note. The address is written on it while he spoke back, “Yeah, got it, just got to put it on my GPS, and I’ll be right over.” He bit his teeth while he made a quick turn as he grabbed some of his bags. He’d leave the rest. “I’ll get going then; come back for the rest of my stuff.” He said to Celestia. “Sounds like a plan; I’ll communicate with our moving team to grab whatever is left. So get going there, buddy.” She said that confidence before hanging up. Mac looked around the house. He hated to admit it, but he imagined leaving this place hurt. But he also knew that staying here would hurt him just as much. “I might be able to rent it out, at least for a while.” This house had so many memories, both the good and the bad. He imagined someone taking care of the place, someone who could afford all the trouble he couldn’t. “Yeah, might be a good idea… At least do something for someone else.” He mumbled while he turned around, walking out the door, never looking back. He moved over, got into Sharron, and looked over, seeing he was almost empty. But it didn’t matter; he’d take care of it after getting the first check and driving off. He listened to the radio as he pulled out of the graveled driveway. The song playing was the times they are a-changing by Bob Dylan. It seemed pretty fair. He would drive off while listening to the songs; music helped pass the time, especially with a troubled mind. -000- Mac drove on for a half hour, but by the time he arrived there. His gas tank was nearly empty. He was tempted to go by the gas station, but the gas prices were so high he shuddered, thinking about how much he could put in there. I should get a horse and buggy at this point. It’s cheaper, maybe walking. Mac found himself laughing at that while shaking his head. That gut feeling as he turned into the grass field. The house was a ramshackle place. Mac thought an excellent wind would cause the home to fall over, at least at first. But he thought back to what his dad used to say. “This ain’t nothing; just some duct tape, a bit of wood, and love will bring the old place alive.” He heard the gruff voice speaking while Mac groaned, “Yeah, pops, though it's ducktape that got us into this mess.” He mumbled, depressed thinking of the older man but putting himself back up as he popped his neck. “I better check the place out before they get here.” He chuckled. It always seemed that the boss was always late. Still, people like Mac needed to be early. Otherwise, it's considered unprofessional if the workers are late. That was fine, and It allowed him to take in the scenery. At the same time, the house was a crap shoot. The area around it was gorgeous, with fields of wheat off to the side, while on the other end was a large pasture; he thought he saw a cow walking off in the distance. Behind the house, there’s a shed big enough for tools. He checked it out, looking through the window. While he imagined he might be able to find something. He moved over, whipping the windows, but they were covered with so much grime on both sides that there was no point as he groaned, “Have to get the key when I get a chance.” He grumbled while he popped his neck. The place was quiet, and he felt the breeze hitting his face when he looked off, seeing a large van coming right up. “Must be them.” He gave a soft grunt walking back to his truck while the van pulled right up. Celestia was behind the wheel and wasn’t wearing her suit. Instead, she was decked out in a short sleeve flannel shirt, with a white t-shirt right under it as she rolled down the window. “Well, good to see you here; I figured we would have gotten here before you.” She spoke up, her voice seeming more cheerful as she parked the van getting right out while she stretched out. “Woah baby, now that’s a stink I haven’t smelled in a long time.” “What's that?” Mac found himself asking, somewhat surprised at how relaxed she was. “Cow shit, I’ll tell you what; I used to be a farmer's daughter back in the day before I joined the organization.” Celestia chuckled while she stretched out, “Tell you one thing, nothing beats the smell of manure in the morning.” She giggled while she stood tall. She walked around while Mac found himself getting a better look at her, and she was tall, not something you would notice from sitting down in a chair all day. “Heh, well, I lived in a city for a good portion of my life, So not sure I’ve ever really smelled manure.” “You’ll get used to it, Though you’ve missed a lot; it took me forever to get used to living in a city. I think my first month, I just got these huge headaches Like. I think it’s the smell. Too much smog.” “Not sure if that’s the case, really,” Mac muttered, finding it strange but nodding with her. “Well, it’s something; I always notice a vast difference between city living and Country living. So what do you think of the place?” “Well, I’ll be honest, the place will need a lot of work. I hope it's better on the inside than how it looks out here.” He shook his head, imagining this would take much work. “Oh, trust me not, as pretty it’s livable, trust me when we first found it, the place didn’t even have a roof, somehow the idiots managed to blow it off the place,” Celestia said. At the same time, he leaned against the van door. “How did they… Mac wanted to know, especially since this place was in the middle of nowhere. Meth lab, my bad. So out of curiosity, how did you catch them?” Celestia smirked like she was itching to tell this story. “Well, you might not believe me, but these two are the dumbest Meth heads you’d find; they wanted to sell the stuff pretty fast, so what did they do? Did they take out an ad in the local paper that said, Hey, wanna buy Meth? Come down to the Meth-making brothers, down towards Wooly’s Farm. They put the actual address and the times they would be home. I swear this is something you’d imagine would happen in Florida.” “Eh, Probably not. It needs more alligators, Though I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix it if there are any electrical problems,” Mac said. However, he wasn’t sure how that did happen but decided to go with the flow. He eyed the house briefly, imagining this becoming a money pit. If things go wrong, they are royally screwed. “You're probably right about that, though I hate to break it to you; you’ll have to wait till tomorrow before you’ll have electricity. A team is coming in to get the power going.” “What! What do you mean by that.” He looked back at the house; mouth gaped at such a thing. “Yeap, sadly, the place didn’t have electricity, the place was built around a hundred years ago, and I guess it was used as a hunting lodge for the most part. Before those methods got their hands on it. Heck, there isn’t even indoor plumbing that we’re still working on.” “How in the world am I supposed to use the bathroom? Take a shower!” Mac found himself stunned by the mention of something as important as that.” Celestia found herself fighting off the amused smile on her face. “No worry, the place has an outhouse, and if you are desperate, you can go over and use a shove and shit in that. It’ll be like camping. Don’t worry; we’ve got plumbers to fix that; it might be a bit like a week or two. So that they can make sure everything's correct.” Mac found his eye twitching at such a thing. Not sure what he was going to say at that point when they heard a pounding on the back of the van. “Oh right, almost forgot. Come over here; I’ll need your help with this.” They moved around, heading to the back of the van, where Mac saw a dark figure. The tinting of the van made it harder for him to see much as he helped Celestia open the backup. They pulled the van’s doors opened, and Mac watched and saw her. The van was stripped apart on the inside to have the woman inside the back of the van, and it was quite something as she sat there for a moment, looking fidgeted as she muttered, “Couldn’t you guys have let me out before that?” she muttered, clearly trying to reach out. Mac grabbed her hand, along with Miss. Sunborn, “Sorry, I just got distracted; let's grr. Get you out of here.” The two of them pulled as they helped get the more prominent woman out of the back of the van. A loud pop came out as the woman came out. She stumbled over, landing on the two as she sighed in annoyance. “Sorry guy’s,” she muttered, her voice sounding soft while she got off them. Mac hadn’t gotten a good look at her as he grunted, pulling himself up from the ground. But when he saw her, his mouth dropped. She was tall, nearly seven feet tall, and hung over Mac like it was nothing. Her short hair swirled out at the end as she had a pair of horns, one on each side that curved up. The soft expression on her face, delicate lips, and smooth tan skin were like she’d been kissed by the sun. Then there were her eyes; they were pale green grass. Such a thing was breath taken. Then her body. Mac had to do everything he could not to stare, though it was troubling as she had a rack that anyone would have seen and went damn. If this horned woman had been average size, he imagined she might have looked funny, like a pair of beach balls strapped to her chest. But with her standing nearly seven feet and built like a train. They looked as those perfect on her. She wore a pair of suspenders, with a white T-shirt. Her hips were thick and wide, as it looked like she had an hourglass frame. She didn’t wear shoes, no, couldn’t as it looked like instead of feet, she had hooves and slightly hairy ankles. But Mac found himself shaking, stunned, as she looked like a ten. She started moving her mouth while Mac had a thought. I really should be listening to what she is saying. She stopped talking, and Mac shook his head. “Wait, what was that?” He spoke with a momentary pause. “It’s nice to meet you, Mac. My name’s Rarity Bello’s.” She spoke, though she stared at him more confused, wondering if he was just a little slow or hard at hearing. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you also. “ Mac raised a hand out to shake hers. Rarity looked at him briefly before taking his hand and squeezing it. Mac, eyes widened while he felt her crushing his hand like it was play dough. He groaned, trying to repress a scream as they shook hands. “I hope I’m not rude, but could I ask what you are? Minotaur?” Mac guessed for a second while Rarity smiled lightly, though her face blushed. “Oh, you fool, Minotaurs are cousins to my species; we’re Buffataurs. While Minotaurs usually mimic more, the bull mine is more related to the Buffalo.” She pulled back, rubbing her cheek for a second. Mac shook his hand, getting a feeling back into it. Mac nodded but wasn’t sure if he could tell the difference between the two. But she was much cuter than the minotaur, that’s for sure. “So, do you two think you’ll be alright?” Celestia asked, looking over at Mac, staring at him for a second as she noticed how he checked the buffalo woman out. But she let it slide. “Yeah, I think it should be ok,” Mac said, though he wasn’t too happy about it. On the one hand, there was no electricity, no hot water, and no toilet on the inside till who knows when… On the other hand, Rarity was a good-looking woman, and he wouldn’t mind talking to her. Plus, the pay was good. “Fine then, here’s your first check; you know where the town is?” Mac nodded, remembering how he passed by it to get over here; Celestia nodded for a hot second as she reached over, handing him the check. “Good, I’ve got to get going. Here are the keys. Also, you guys aren’t the only ones I have to work with today. Rarity, if Mac causes any trouble, you’ve got my card. I’ll be here with a taser if it comes down to it.” She spoke up, though, at the same time, glanced at Mac, pointing out he shouldn’t be doing any funny business. She left, leaving Mac and Rarity standing there. He had the check in his hand, looking over it as he found himself biting his bottom lip. “Hey, we might have to get this cashed out. Are you fine on your own?” He muttered, looking at the place though Rarity shook her head. “Not allowed to. It’s against the rules, Can’t just leave me alone. You did look over the rule books, right?” Rarity said while Mac mentally slapped himself. He was reminding himself that he didn’t read those rules. “Right, well… We better get to town than might want to hop into my truck, and we can drive off to town.” He looked over briefly, wondering if she could fit in it. Rarity nodded while she moved over, bouncing into the bed of his pickup. Mac looked at her for a second. “Um, I don’t think you’re supposed to be doing that.” “Well, how else am I supposed to ride on the hood? I won’t fit in the front like that without causing some damage.” She explained while Mac noticed his back tired sinking but nodded, “Fine, just… I’ll have to be careful. Fuck Is this even legal?” He questioned it as he pulled his keys out and jumped back into his truck. He turned the key as he thought with the car for a minute, thinking about how his life was going. “First thing I’m doing is getting us a tank full of gas.” He shouted out the window, his driver-side mirror adjusting to keep an eye on her. Somehow with how the sun hit her, she looked even more attractive. Biting his lips, he knew there would be some self-restraint. -000- They drove to the closes, bank cashing the check. A good bit of cash in Mac’s hand as he shoved it into his pocket. People walking past his truck seemed to stare at Rarity sitting in the truck bed. Rarity just sat there while some of the people gawked at her. Rarity watched them, giving a light wave. But Mac found himself watching, more curious. It’s weird. He thought as he headed over to her. “Alright, I’ve got the money; we’ll get some gas and food that can last until tomorrow.” He shuddered, hoping they would get something put into the house. “Sounds like a plan. Is there anything else we should get?” Rarity said, sounding so sweet he wasn’t sure how to react. “Not sure, but I’m sure we can come up with something.” In all honesty, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to waste anything until he knew the place's damage. He moved, bouncing to the pickup truck. He turned the engine but found he was fighting it. He desperately needed it; at this point, he was running on fumes as he saw the needle on E. They pulled off to the closes Gas station, a ma and pa shop type deal, as he moved in and headed inside to pay the pump. A quick minute as he walked through the door, the sound of the bell ringing while he looked about. The place was relatively quiet. While the customers went on doing their usual things. Mac went straight to the counter, where they saw an older man standing on the other side; he looked over at Mac with a pretty nasty scar over his face. “Something I can get you, pal?” His voice seemed gruff but friendly enough while Mac looked over, “Yeah, just need to put twenty on the tank.” He reached out, bringing out a twenty while the older man nodded. “Sounds good, though you’re not going to get much might went to put in forty.” He said while eying out the window in front of him. “Sadly can’t get to save my money. Just moved in today,” Mac said while he handed the man a twenty. The scare-covered man nodded. “No problem, I get it, Though since you’re new in town, might I suggest some pamphlets about our small town? Check out some of the old legends of the place.” He smiled, nudging his head over where Mac saw one of them reading, “Beware the beast of Ponyville.” In big scrawling letters, Mac found himself tilting. “Beast of Ponyville?” “Yeah, check it out. The town has its resident monster, some bowling creature untamed by man, that runs through the forest at night, a real killer. I remember I ran into it. How I got this scar.” He moved over, showing the marks running down his face, which were white as a ghost. “Huh, seems weird now that you know nonhumans are common.” “Bah, those things, nothing compared to our town’s beast. No one has been able to find that beast.” He muttered, rolling his hand. The old man looked over, “Names Flash sentry by the way; I know this town like the back of my hand; been here since I was a boy.” “Well, Flash sentry, it’s nice to meet you. Curious, do you know where the nearest grocery store is?” “That’s no problem; there’s a Kroger’s down the other side of town, just past the local library, and head right. You should see it. But if you ask me, you should come by on Sunday and check out the town’s community market. Get some of the fresh stuff.” Flash sentry said, almost proud of it. “My Derpy brings in the best watermelons you’ve ever tasted; I tell you what.” “I’ll have to see. We’re just getting electricity set up at my new place. So it might take a bit, especially cause we need to get some plumbing.” “Woah, boy, sounds like you’re in shit creek without a paddle. So where are you staying?” “Just that farm outside of town, nothing too big.” “Ah, you mean the methhouse, where the Flim Flam brothers had the brilliant idea of starting a meth business.” “Yeah, well, not sure I knew that fully, but that's the place.” “Well, I wish you the best of luck. The place was a shit show if I remember; those boys thought themselves being the Dukes of Hazzard, but they were more so the son of the village idiot. Which is strange since we all take turns doing that.” He chuckled while handing over his receipt. Mac found himself taking it in return. “Well, that’s something; um, any other advice about the town?” “Eh, I shouldn’t keep you waiting, but I guess one thing I should say is that girl in your truck’s bed might want to make sure she’s not in town after sundown. Don’t want the beast getting after her.” He seemed to watch him, looking dead set in his eyes like it was a warning. But Mac nodded. “I guess so. Well, have a good day Flash sentry.” Mac said while he got out of there, heading to his car. Rarity sits there, still relaxing and enjoying the sun against her face. “Took a while, didn’t it, Mac?” Rarity asked while Mac nodded, “Yeah, got talking to the old man in the place.” He filled the tank as they stood there in silence. He wasn’t sure what they could talk to. Yet He imagined they would have to find some connections. “So, where you from?” She looked at him as she rolled her shoulders, “I mean, I was born in the south. I think it was around Georgia; family hid out and wore hats over our horns while we stayed on the farm.” She muttered while she shuffled around the truck bed while looking around. “Huh, that’s neat. I lived in Ohio most of my life; is there anything you like to do?” Before Rarity could answer, the gas handle clicked, letting Mac know it was finished pouring gas. “Yeah, we can discuss this more when we return to the house.” He said, scratching the back of his head. “Might be a good idea; people have been staring at me too much. It’s weird.” They drove off, heading to Krogers, where Flash sentry said it would be. They went in, picking up some food. Mac found himself moving over, imagining he could grab some meat, though he looked back at Rarity. “You’re fine eating meat; it’s not like cannibalism, right?” He muttered, looking at the beef patties. Rarity watched him for a second. “I mean, I’m not an animal; it’s not a buffalo woman, right?” Rarity asked, the stern look on her face, as she barely gave any emotion to that. Mac found himself feeling more intimidated by that, as he shook his head. “No, just cow meat; I don’t want to do something you might not like.” “Well then, we’re good; besides, I can’t eat meat. I’m a vegetarian.” She said, the somewhat cold term seeming to wash off as Mac nodded, “Got it; well, we’ll grab whatever we can. Should lay off the frozen stuff till we get the electricity on.” He put the beef packets away as they made their way shopping. Mac had managed to grab a few things. They’d pick a few canned meals with fruits and vegetables. They might need a flashlight with batteries and even a set of tools he imagined he might need when he started working on the house more. An employee came up looking towards Rarity, and gave an over smile. “Hello, Miss. Is there anything I can do for you?” He spoke, hands clasping while Rarity looked at him. “No, thank you. We’ve got this taken care of.” Rarity said though Mac watched, finding it strange, while he watched them.” “Are you sure? Cause I know I could help you; maybe you’d like to check out the Rural King next door?” He clapped his hand, giving a smile, somehow Mac found himself more annoyed, while Rarity seemed to turn away, trying to ignore the man. “I’m fine, I just got to get a few more things, and we’ll be out,” Rarity muttered while she moved, grabbing the cart. Mac, though, looked at the guy, “Dude, what’s your problem?” Mac asked, finding the guy was pissing him off as he moved over, standing between them. The employee just raised his hand, “Listen, I’m just trying to help out, that’s all; not implying anything.” He said while he looked at Mac, but somehow he felt like he was looking past him and right towards the buffalo woman. Mac shook his head and moved over. “I think we’ve got what we need.” He muttered while they went and paid for their supplies; while they headed out of the store. “Didn’t need to do that; I’m fine,” Rarity said while they put the bags in the truck bed before she hopped into the back, “Hey now, the guy’s being an ass and going to call us the manager about his actions there. Dude trying to cause trouble.” Mac said while he got into the driver's side, looking back. “You acted pretty calmly there. Does that happen often?” “There are times, though it’s fine, it’s something I’m used to.” She muttered while she leaned back, listening to the rustle of the engine roaring as he drove off. Careful not to have her fall off. -000- They returned to the house, though it was getting dark by the time that happened, while Mac popped out of the truck. Mac found himself looking off into the distance; one thing he could say for sure was this. The scenery was spectacular, something you wouldn’t find in the city, as he watched the sunset, and the colors in the sky looked vibrant, not blocked by the large buildings. He found himself taking in a deep breath admiring the view. Not something you’d see every day, he had to admit. “Um, Mac, mind giving me a hand,” Rarity said as she grabbed some of the bags. Mac would nod, pulled away from the moment as he headed over to help her get the groceries inside. The first thing Mac saw about the house was how bare it was. Nothing in there, however, that was something he had suspected, though it wasn’t as bad as he imagined; a black stain was going up one of the walls. Mac prayed it wasn’t blood or, worst, mold. It was hard to tell as the sun slowly set, as he reached over, pulled his phone out, and pointed it off. “Yeah, hopefully, they get the electricity in soon.” He muttered as they moved through the quiet house. They managed to find the kitchen. It was decent enough though there wasn’t a fridge or stove. He hoped the movers would bring him in soon, Though Hell, he could probably have Rarity come with him. He imagined they could stick it in his truck and drive back here. “Well, this place is just great,” Mac said while he thought he saw something crawling across the counter while they put stuff away. “A lot nicer than some places I’ve had to stay,” Rarity said, her voice keeping a soft tone while she looked over. “Should we pick out our rooms?” She said, her soft expression turning back into a wide smile. “Sure, thing, just get some of this stuff put up.” He didn’t mind it but preferred Rarity smiling more than looking down. They moved over and put away some of the stuff in the cabinets before they headed upstairs. Now the stairs were very much old. However, it wasn’t the weirdest part, looking over it. Mac saw was they were right behind a door, a door with an inverse lock. Instead of it being on the inside, it instead hung outside. That’s weird. It’s like they were trying to keep something in. He imagined what it might have been but shook his head; There was no time to let his mind misbehave. It reminded him of his favorite lines from a Stephen King novel, A writer is a person who’s trained their mind to misbehave. As they moved up, the creaking steps reminded him of the cries of children in the basement. Rarity is trying to be extra careful as she heads up there. She imagined they might break underneath her if she wasn’t careful. Rarity might have fallen through the floor. They managed to make it up the stairs, and stood there for a second; Now it looked far more dilapidated; it seemed to hold pretty well as they looked over a couple of the rooms. They weren’t the most pretty sight; one room was going to need a firm scrubbing in the morning. In the other room, there looked to be a small leak. Going down the ceiling, the fourth was the bathroom, which had an iron tub. Mac couldn’t resist turning the tub’s faucet but found nothing coming out. The third room was just right. Mac imagined this must have been the master bedroom, as it was the biggest of the three bedrooms. “Well, I guess this one just right, Goldilocks?” Mac found himself chuckling while he looked around the empty room. The side of the room had a firm window, and when he went over to look out it found himself seeing the field off to the side. It was quite the sight. “It’s nice, um do you want this room, or should I…” Rarity seemed to stutter some while Mac looked over, she had just offered him the room; there was a second he felt tempted to take it but shook his head. “Nah, It’s a bit big for me; how about you take the room, I can sleep down theirs till we get the others fixed up.” He imagined it would take a bit, but he didn’t mind. Rarity looked back at him, giving a light nod, “If you insist, I don’t mind,” Rarity said as she moved over, looking around the room. “Did you bring any blankets?” She asked while looking at the bare floor. Mac’s eyes widened as he thought about it. “Um, let me go and check real quick.” He found himself running out of the room and right down the stairs. He looked over, as he realized he hadn’t grabbed any sheets. “Mac, you idiot.” He muttered to himself realizing he screwed the pooch there, when he looked over, and saw off in the corner of the room was a set of blankets. A note over it as he quickly read. Left this in case you guy’s needed some extra blankets. -Celestia Sunborn. Mac felt a sigh of relief as the calvery came, as he reached over, seeing a few blankets though no pillows, actually he realized that there was only one blanket. Mac heard the stairs creaking. “Did you get the blankets?” Rarity asked as she walked through the door. “Um yeah, though it looks like we’ve only got a single blanket.” He grumbled looking at the overly large blanket, Imagining that he should have been more prepared than this, while he looked over smiling at her. “Here you take it alright. I can handle a little cold.” He spoke careful, knowing that it would be rough, but it was the right thing to do. “Oh heck no, I’m not letting you sleep in the cold… How about we share? Just for tonight.” Rarity spoke, her voice sounding low just mentioning it. Mac looked over for a second his eyes nearly turning into dinner plates at her suggestions. “Isn’t that kind of against the rules.” He spoke up though he wasn’t sure himself. Since he forgot to read that, it was still in his truck as he knew he was going to need a crash course and reading up the manual. “I’ll tell you what, it’ll be just one night and no one has to know. It’s— it’s just between us got it.” She spoke up though the nervous look on her face as she moved around, heading back up the stairs. “Besides, with a lack of power, the place might get cold so we could share the body heat.” Mac found himself thinking about it, but she had a point. So he decided to take it. “Alright, well, it’s your idea.” He nodded, and Rarity headed right up. Mac followed her without much of a question as they headed back into the room. She moved in, getting comfortable as she sat there. Somewhere between leaving his sight and getting into the room, she pulled her top off, revealing herself in a bright red Bra, as she sat there looking at Mac. “So, are you coming?” She asked, patting the ground next to her. Mac nodded, imagining he would need some severe self-control watching how she sat there, her legs crossed. It was a sight as he moved in. “I think I should leave my top on.” He muttered while Rarity shook her head, “Best to share body heat; just take off your shirt if you want; it’ll be better that way.” Mac did as he was told, somehow finding himself at her mercy as he tried not to ogle the buffalo woman. He sat down next to her as she wrapped the blanket around them.she moved in close as she spoke up. “We can talk about this more in the morning if you want, but I wouldn’t mind getting some sleep.” She muttered as Mac agreed, it was getting late, and he wasn’t feeling really hungry. The two began to lie down as he listened to the silence, Rarity’s breathing as she laid there, for a good minute. Mac was resting there when he felt her scooting in closer, an arm wrapping around him. As she began spooning him. It felt nice, being the small spoon. He barely remembered a time when he was in a position like this. Actually, him working so much he hadn’t had time to date. Or see someone, so feeling a woman pressing against his body. He felt his head pulled back as they rested against something nice and soft. It took a good minute for him to realize that his head was pressing against her breasts. They felt like soft pillows as he could feel himself growing aroused. Keep it cool Mac, just think of baseball or something else. He imagined, though before long the two would fall asleep in each others arms not knowing what would happen next.