"Oh, you're being bullied? Why don't you go see the counselor." The exact words Veronica didn't want to hear. She didn't find school staff very helpful at the best of times, the fact that the school counselor was her older sibling made things especially awkward. There was another tiny complicating factor in her situation: said older sibling was a merciless, cannibalistic monster.
She gently placed her trembling hand on the door handle, wondering if she should endure the abuse of her fellow students rather than risking a violent encounter. She opened the door to see Gavrill sitting at their desk, looking through a stack of papers while blasting "Immortal Corruptor" as loud as school policy would allow. They sniffed the air, not even looking up. "The fuck do you want, pissbag?"
The ex-assassin tensed herself, ready to unsheath her blades if anything happened. "I was being bullied, and Ms. Tsukuda told me to come to you."
Gavrill finally looked up at their little sister. "Hmph. On any other day I'd kick you out, but I need a break from all this bullshit paperwork. I got nothing interesting to do, so I guess I'll listen."
Still uneasy, Veronica sat at the other side of the desk. "Ever since I started here, I've been treated badly. It started with small stuff but it got worse. I lost the only two friends I had. And then everyone found out I was gay..." She began recounting her worst experiences at the hands of her schoolmates, feeling tears well up at the corners of her eyes.
"And why am I only hearing about this now?"
Shakily, Veronica pulled back the sleeve of her school uniform to reveal "DYKE" scrawled on her forearm in black marker. For a mere fraction of a second, she thought she saw a look of genuine concern on Gavrill's face.
There was a long pause. Veronica could see the gears turning behind her sibling's eyes."Tell ya what, kiddo. I'll give you the day off so you can clear that little head of yours. You don't have to go to any of your classes today. I'll write a note excusing you. How's that sound?"
Veronica managed a smile, not noticing as Gavrill undid the lower buttons on their jacket. Sure, it wasn't much of a solution, but it was a welcome respite nonetheless. "Thank you, Gavrill. I really appreciate it." Veronica got up to walk towards the door, only for Gavrill to grab her by the collar.
"Hold up. I never said you could leave." they snarled. "You and I are gonna be enjoying some 'sibling bonding time' today." They lifted their sister up, bringing them face to face.
Veronica cursed herself. She should have known better than to let her guard down around her older sibling, and now she was paying the price for it. She tried to wrench herself free from their grasp, to no avail.
"You wanna know why they call me 'The Wolf'?"
"B-because you're a savage killer?" Veronica guessed, hoping that a correct answer would save her life.
"Yeah, that and another thing."
"What?"
"Because I eat stupid little kids like you!"
Without warning, Veronica was shoved headfirst into Gavrill's maw, cringing as she was soaked in saliva. Her arms were pinned to her sides, preventing her from struggling. She waited for the killing bite, but it never came. Instead, she was pushed further and further into a tight tunnel of flesh. She was being swallowed alive!
"Gavrill! Please, stop!" Veronica pleaded. In response, Gavrill bit down on her legs just hard enough to be painful, and a sadistic chuckle resonated around her. The combination of peristalsis and her sibling's powerful clawed hands were pushing her down at a steady pace. Ever impatient, Gavrill sharply tilted their head back and let gravity do the rest of the work, plunging Veronica face-first into the pit of their stomach with a soft "splat." Their jaws snapped shut audibly, signifying the end of her journey.
Thinking quickly, Veronica righted herself, unsheathed one of her blades and stabbed into the stomach wall with all her might. Of course, what would be a grievous wound for any normal human was only a minor annoyance to the near-indestructible Gavrill. Almost effortlessly, they manifested bony spikes that dug into Veronica painfully from every angle, like an organic iron maiden. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Veronica sheathed her blade, and the spikes retracted. The young girl's mind was racing No matter what she did, Gavrill was stronger than her in every way. She'd lost this fight. This was the end. Curtains. She wasn't going to die protecting Fran. She was going to die because of her own stupidity and trust. What about Fran? Would she know what had happened? Would Gavrill eat her too? If they did, she wouldn't be there to protect her. Her whole body shook, and tears began to stream from her eyes.
She curled up and sobbed for what felt like an hour, only to be startled when Gavrill spoke to her.
"Calm your tits, kid. I'm gonna spit you out. Eventually."
"Wh-what?"
"You heard me."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Veronica questioned, rightfully suspicious of her older sibling.
"Well for starters, you're still alive." Gavrill patted their stomach. "Usually when I eat someone whole, they only last about ten minutes, tops."
"Then why did you eat me in the first place? What was the point?"
"Because I- It's none of your business." Gavrill replied defensively.
"Yes it is! It's my life your playing with!"
"Shut the fuck up, or I'll change my mind about letting you live."
Veronica tensed again. "Sorry! I was just curious, that's all!"
"I ATE YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO PROTECT YOU!" Gavrill roared without warning.
There was another, more awkward pause. Veronica was taken aback by her sibling's sudden outburst. "Protect me? You tried to kill me! And how is eating me gonna protect me!?"
"Working here must have done something to me, because for some reason, I actually give a fuck about you. You told me what was happening, and I… wanted to keep you close to me."
Wondering if she was in the Twilight Zone, the ex-assassin prodded for more information. "Why didn't you just say so? Instead of you know, eating me and scaring me half to death."
"Because I… didn't want you to know." The flesh surrounding Veronica turned noticeably redder as Gavrill spoke. "I didn't want you to know that I care. It took me a while to realize it, but you, me and Fran, we're all the same. The doc abandoned each of us when he didn't need us anymore. We're in this together. We're a family whether I like it or not." They sighed reluctantly. "Well, the secret's out now. Guess I gotta be nice to you. Here, lemme make it a little comfier in there."
The stomach wall around Veronica rippled and shifted, becoming softer and squishier. She sank into it a bit as though she were sitting on a beanbag. Gavrill was certainly creative with their shapeshifting abilities, she thought to herself.
At this point, all Veronica could do was stay calm and hope that her older sibling was being serious. "Thank you, Gavrill. I never thought I'd hear that from you. I, uh, really appreciate you being this nice to me." She said, snuggling into her older sibling. "If you really want us to be a family… I'm sure it'll work out somehow. If you want to come by the mansion sometime-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll think about it." Gavrill said dismissively. "By the way, would you be upset if anything were to happen to those cunts giving you a hard time?"