Case Docket 7 - Daily Life Under Introspection
Satsuke woke up slightly groggy, but otherwise none the worse for wear. He was woken up out of a deep sleep by a phone call from Zombina informing him of an urgent special case that needed his immediate attention. He was simultaneously annoyed and excited, and deep down, grateful that he was called in at this hour, especially after what happened the night before. After showering and putting on his uniform, he stepped into the hallway and enjoyed the moment of relative silence. The girls were still asleep, so all that could be heard was snoring, with the occasional rattle of Piper's tail. After saying good-bye to Guu, who didn't need to sleep, he left the house as quietly as he could.
The first to awaken was Vera. Like Satsuke, she was keenly aware of how quiet it was in the house. However, the silence concerned her gravely. I must check on Keeper, she thought to herself as she got dressed. She then walked up the stairs as quickly as she could to Piper's room and knocked on the door. The door opened slowly after the second set of knocks to reveal a bleary-eyed echidna in an oversized t-shirt. "What?" she groaned. "This better be good."
"Where's Keeper?" the wyvern asked, worry in her voice.
Piper turned and looked at her clock. "It's six a.m., Vera," she whined. "Go back to bed."
"Please," she said, "I am worried about Keeper."
"He's probably at work," Piper grumbled. "Now go away."
With that, the echidna slammed the door in Vera's face, leaving her feeling more than a little perturbed. "Now that was uncalled for."
"Top o' th' mornin' t' ye, Vera," the mermaid's voice greeted her. "What're ye doin' up so early?"
"I was worried for Keeper," Vera replied. "My hearing is very keen, and I can discern the way each of you breathe. I could not hear Keeper."
"Aye," Mala said. "Mus' be an early shift. So why bother Pipes 'bout it? Why not come t' me? Consider me too beneath ye to talk t' me?"
Vera hung her head. "I apologize for my conduct when we first met, Mako," she said. "I was told by Piper that my behavior has been unbecoming of one of my breeding, and that I was alienating you and Tara."
The mermaid rolled her eyes. "Listen, Vera," she said, "yer breedin' an' a couple o' quid'll get ye a pint o' ale, an' not even th' good stuff. 'Round here, nobody cares. All's what we care 'bout is 'ow much of a pain in the arse ye are an' how ye treat Chum. Ye treat Chum all right by me reckonin', so ye're all right by me, e'en though ye're a real pain in the arse."
"What about Tara?" Vera asked.
"Why do ye think she ain't killed ye, yet?" Mala replied with a wry grin. "She's real protective o' him, an' she'd tear someone apart if she e'en suspected them o' mistreatin' Chum, or any o' us fer that matter."
"Then why is she so abusive towards Piper?" the wyvern asked. "She has treated Keeper honorably, from what I have been able to tell."
The mermaid laughed boisterously. "I'm thinkin' if Pipes really dinna want Legs t' throw 'er 'round like she does, she'd say so," she replied. "Believe it or not, she used t' get it lots worse. These days, it's more of a game than anythin'. Make no mistakin', Pipes is made o' tough stuff an' some real nasty venom. If she e'er got wind o' ye hurtin' Chum, ye better pray that me 'r Legs gets t' ye first."
Vera gulped audibly. "Why is that?" she dared to ask.
"We'd kill ye quick," Mala said gravely. "Pipes's venom won't."
It dawned on the wyvern that she had forgotten that the good-natured Piper was one of the deadlier echidnae, and how she may have been testing her patience a little too much. She had been terrified of Tara right away because she had her size, strength, and her quick temper. She feared Mala the least, simply because she knew that the mermaid was out of her element, and that land-bound, she had the advantage. Her contemplations made her understand that her avoidance of the peculiar mermaid was because she was the kind that others looked down upon. Still, she thought to herself, there's something about her that I can't put my claw on.
However, she realized it was the lamia that she had to watch herself around the most. She knew enough about her kind of echidna that they were the quickest to anger, and was amazed that there hadn't been any fatal incidents with her. "Ye okay, Vera?" Mala asked, snapping Vera out of her contemplations. "Ye look a tad pale."
"What do you really know about Piper?" the wyvern asked.
"Her heart's in th' right place," the mermaid said with a smile, "e'en if 'er 'ead ain't."
"Where else would it be?" the wyvern asked.
Mala cocked her head to the side. "What're ye on about?"
"All the times I have seen of the bloody fool, her head is always where it should be," the wyvern huffed. "Now, if she were a dullahan, I can see her head not being where it should be, but-"
"No, no, no, ye daft dragon," the mermaid interrupted with a wave of a webbed hand. "I'm sayin' 'er intentions are good, but 'er mind sometimes ain't, if ye unnerstan' me."
"I do," Vera said with a nod, "thank you."
"Well, good morning, darlings," a sultry voice said from the cellar door. "It's always nice to see a pair of beautiful ladies first thing in the morning."
Vera's eyes glazed over as blood trickled down her nose. Oh bloody 'ell, Mala grumbled mentally, not again. "Top o' th' mornin' t' you, too, Gooey," she responded, trying to calm herself. "Ye seem cheerful."
Guu winked and said, "Of course I am, Mako. Things tend to be lovely when you don't have toxic waste clouding your mind."
The mermaid sighed. "Aye, I s'pose they do" she said. "Sorry, lass. Still gettin' used t' th' new Gooey."
The pink slime turned serious. "I understand, Mako," she said. "You've become so used to the monster that you don't know how to... deal with me anymore. To be honest, I don't know either, because this feeling is very new to me. I meant it last night when I said that I didn't realize how beautiful you all are, inside and out.
"After all," she said, her head hung low, "you all put up with the monster for this long."
"Ain't nothin', Gooey," Mala said, smiling warmly. "Ye go wait in th' kitchen while I get Legs t' make breakfast." She then looked at the still-dazed Vera and tugged on her wing. "Wake up, Vera, an' wheel me t' th' lift. I dunno 'bout you, but I'm starvin'."
Vera shook the haze out of her brain and wiped her nose. "Yes," she slurred. "Yes, of course." When she could clear her mind, she said, "Did Guu just-"
"Aye, lass," she said, "I'm guessin' she'll be doin' it t' ev'rybody."
Soon, the pair were under the hatch to the attic, which Mala slapped a few times with the flat of her cutlass. "Oy," she called, "wakey wakey. Some o' us wanna eat, ye know."
"Fuck off," came the response. "Have Fuzz do it."
"Listen, Tara," the wyvern called, "if Keeper were here, we would not be asking you, now would we?"
The hatch flew open and Tara was on Vera in seconds. "What do you mean he's not here?" she growled.
"She's sayin' Fuzz ain't here, ye crazy bint," Mala said. "Pro'lly got called t' work early. Now calm yer arse down an' feed us."
With a glance to the mermaid, Tara backed down. "I see," she said. "Sorry, Reptile. I'll see you two in the kitchen."
"Be on yer guard," Mala warned as the arachne scuttled towards the stairs. "Gooey's downstairs an' she's feelin' frisky. She got t' Vera earlier."
Tara looked at the wyvern sympathetically. "I think we're all gonna be riled up until we get used to her," she said softly. "Is Knucklehead awake?"
"No," Vera replied, "and she was most unpleasant when I woke her up earlier."
"I'll go warm up the sauna for her," the arachne responded evenly. "An hour or so in there might do you some good, too."
"Oh, that sounds heavenly, Tara," the dragonewt said with a smile. "Thank you."
"I'm doing it for her, Reptile," Tara muttered, "but you're welcome. I'll let you two know when breakfast is ready."
The arachne walked down to the newly-installed sauna, poured some water onto the rocks, and turned on the heat, then breathed deep, savoring the smell of cedar. This was one of the few times she envied her two reptilian housemates. Due to her physiology, she had to be particularly careful about the humidity. Even at this moment, it was becoming hard for her to breathe and see straight. Soon, she became aware of distant voices echoing in her brain, then was shocked to her senses by the shock of cold water being thrown in her face. Reflexively, she grabbed what felt like a neck and threw it, hearing the satisfying sound of something colliding with a nearby wall. "Now that was most uncalled for, Tara," another voice pierced through her brain.
"What happened?" Tara groaned as her vision focused on the perturbed dragonewt.
"You fainted from being in the sauna too long," Vera replied as she helped the arachne stand. "You're lucky Piper and I got to you in time.
"Are you well?" the wyvern asked.
"Yeah, thanks" the arachne responded with a smile. "I owe you one, Vera." She then looked down the hall to see Piper lying face down on the floor in a cloud of plaster dust. "Sorry, Knucklehead."
"It's okay, Tara," the echidna said as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm going into the sauna now."
"May I ask you something?" Vera queried when the sauna door closed. "Why must you throw that one all the time?"
"She can take it," Tara replied evenly, "and can dish it out."
The wyvern stood there for a moment with a stone-faced expression. "Hey moron," the arachne growled, "I meant that she'd probably kick my ass if she had a problem with it."
"How can she without feet?" the dragonewt retorted.
"Never mind. Get in there while I make breakfast. It might jumpstart your brain." Tara grumbled while she scuttled towards the kitchen.
Vera shrugged and stepped inside the sauna and disrobed, still wondering how Piper can kick anything as well as wondering where Tara may be keeping any donkeys for such purposes. "Oh hey, Vera!" the reclining lamia greeted. "Oh, this feels wonderful first thing in the morning."
"Indeed," the wyvern replied as she sat down. "Tell me, where does Tara store her donkeys? Also, Tara said that being in here would jumpstart my brain, or some such nonsense. This is far too pleasant to do something so painful."
Piper roared with uncontrollable laughter. "I fail to see what is so humorous about my questions," Vera huffed.
"First of all," Piper said, still fighting giggles, "Tara meant that this might make you... more astute. Secondly, why are you asking about donkeys?"
"She told me you would kick one of them if you had a problem with her abuse," she said. "You don't strike as being so cruel to do that, even if you had feet for such purposes."
Piper started laughing again to the point where she was having trouble breathing. "You mean 'kick her ass?' Oh my god, she meant that I'd beat her up!" she said. "Tara and I are like sisters. Some sisters can be like that. She's said a few times that she's the only one allowed to beat me up, and even then, she's really not that rough with me.
"Trust me," she continued, "if someone else were to lay a finger or claw on me, she'd rip them apart. She feels the same way about all of us."
"Mako told me something to that effect," the wyvern said. "She also said that, should you learn of any who would harm Keeper, they-"
"-would suffer, and suffer greatly," Piper finished the sentence in frighteningly cheerful tone, "and I don't care who it is." The echidna opened her mouth and revealed her fangs as if to accentuate her point. "I know Mako and Tara would be far more merciful than me." She then looked down at the wyvern's wickedly sharp talons. "From the looks of it, those talons of yours could cause some damage, I'm sure."
"You can be sure of it," Vera said evenly. "If harm should come to Keeper, I will find them, and I will kill them."
Piper smiled sincerely. "I'm glad you feel that way, Vera," she said. She then winked and said, "I knew you'd come to love him."
"It's nothing like that, despite my admitted attraction to him," the wyvern said simply. "He is my Keeper. An honorable man such as he deserves to be avenged if something awful were to happen to him.
"Actually, I wish to make a request of you," Vera said sheepishly. "As I have said before, my choice of wardrobe is unfortunately limited due to my wings, and I would like your help with my attire."
Piper's face lit up. "I thought you'd never ask!" the echidna gleefully squealed, throwing her arms around the bewildered wyvern. "Don't worry, I'll totally make you super cute. You oughta ask Mako about when I worked on Coach for his date with Tara. Oh my god, he was so gorgeous.
"You have no idea how much I've been waiting for someone to be girly with," Piper gushed.
"Girly?" Vera asked with a puzzled expression. "Do you mean that you have wanted to have someone to be feminine with?" After a pause, she said, "I suppose Mako would be difficult at best, and Tara is, well, Tara."
"You'd be surprised with Tara," the lamia said. "I saw how she dressed for her date with Coach. I have to admit that, when she chooses to," Piper chose her words carefully, "be more feminine, she looks really good. You're right about Mako, though. I don't know if she has it in her."
"Oy!" the two heard Mala shout as she pounded on the door. "Are th' two o' ye done makin' out in there? Come an' eat!"
Vera looked puzzled. "Making out?"
"Don't ask," Piper responded as she got dressed.
The dragonewt shrugged, making it a point to look up the term as she put on her overalls. The two then walked in and saw their plates. Piper had a large platter with a mound of scrambled eggs on it, while Vera's had a pair of breakfast wraps. "Nice to see you two finally decided to join us," Tara grumbled. "Now sit down and eat."
"How is Piper going to sit when she is physically unable to do so?" Vera asked.
The arachne began pounding her head against the refrigerator, while Mala and Piper snickered. "Oh, Vera," Guu purred with a lustful look on her face, "she was talking to you."
"Can't believe that Sludge has more brains than Reptile," the arachne said.
The wyvern made like she was about to say something, but Mala silenced her with a look, then shook her head. Vera simply shrugged and started eating, glad that her breakfast was prepared in a way that she could grasp it easily. "Thank you, Tara, for making this a wrap," she said.
The arachne raised the eyebrows on the left side. "Whatever," she said.
"I simply wished to express my appreciation," the wyvern said with a smile. "Thank you."
Tara nodded. "You're welcome," she mumbled.
"So Mako," Vera began, "I was told by Piper that Keeper was especially handsome when he took Tara on her date."
"Yar," the mermaid said with a lecherous grin. "Found meself quite jealous o' Legs, despite 'im givin' me a special time before 'er. Treated us like we were both princesses, 'e did. He took Pipes t' a history tour, an' ye already know 'bout Gooey's nature walk." Mala sniffed the air, then looked at Guu. "Gonna have t' get used t' ye smellin' so pretty."
Vera became very envious of her housemates. "Would he be willing to take me on a date?" she asked sheepishly. "I am unfamiliar with modern courtship, and would like to learn as much as I can before I go back to my kingdom."
The smell of cherry blossoms became more intense. "Just ask him," Tara replied, her tone unusually subdued.
"Oh, lovely," Vera said. "Then I do hope Piper can make me especially lovely for him."
Tara found herself unsteady on her eight feet. "I'll be upstairs. Excuse me."
"Are you all right?" Vera asked.
"Please," the arachne said, holding up a hand, "just... don't." With that, she left the kitchen.
"Did I say something wrong?" the wyvern asked.
"No," Mala replied, her voice also subdued, "no, ye didn't." She then rubbed her eyes. "I'll be goin' fer a swim."
Guu watched the entire exchange with a thoughtful expression on her face, then left the room. "Come on, Vera," Piper said, giving Vera's shoulder a gentle, affectionate shake, "let's go make you pretty."
Unbeknownst to the group of friends, in a soundproofed room, were the screams of tearful rage. Those screams came from the mermaid named Mala O'Porbeagle, known to most as Mako the Merciless. On most days, this mermaid was able to hold back her tears and her anger, but not this day. Am I me mother's daughter? Mala asked herself. Are me an' Chum a bloody tragedy waitin' t' happen?
Unlike her ancestral cousins, those whom she had scornfully called the "Beautiful Ones," she had no desire for tragic romance. Instead, she yearned for a life of freedom and adventure, and for someone to share that life with. She had sworn a blood oath to Satsuke that she would care for him and be his friend, regardless of whom he chose, and she meant it with all her heart.
Mala wheeled herself to one of her cabinets and opened it, revealing her last bottle of rum. As she had done so many times in her life, she opened the bottle and took a long pull, feeling that all too familiar burn in her throat and in her belly. However, unlike all of those times in the past that it brought her pleasure, this time it sickened her, and failed to keep her long-held feelings of self-loathing at bay.
Thanks to her long-lost cousin, she finally understood why she never truly felt like she belonged among other shark merfolk, and why she was the target of both desire and ridicule. With this came the understanding that she was the product of two worlds, not belonging to either one. Mala closed her black eyes and wheeled herself around aimlessly, occasionally sipping from her bottle in hopes that it would ease her pain. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in front of the mirror on top of her dressing table, and saw the long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair and the sad eyes of her true mother staring back at her. "I'll not make th' same mistakes ye made, Mum" she whispered to her mother's ghost. She then looked at the half-full rum bottle in her webbed hand. "Same goes fer you, too, Dad," she said, then hurled the bottle at the wall, causing shards of glass to fly everywhere. "I'll make me own path, thank ye very much."
She turned her chair and faced her pool, feeling the call of the salted water. A faint smile crossed her lips before she leapt from her chair, reveling in the sensation of the water in her gills as she sped down to the bottom. While she felt that this was a poor substitute for the ocean which she felt only days before, it still helped clear her mind of the wreckage. In that moment, she vowed that, while she would still accept it if Satsuke chose someone else, she would do her best to see that he chose her. I'll make me own path, she reiterated silently, this time with a smile, an' I'll do me best t' see t' it that ye share it with me, Satsuke.
In those same moments, the arachne simply known as Tara laid face down on her hammock in the attic soaking her pillow with tears while music blared in her headphones. Like her dearest friend, Tara put up a front to hide her pain. However, instead of the mermaid's joviality, the arachne used violence and anger. Like her friend, the thought of not being able to be with Satsuke was a pain that she never felt before, and one that finally came to a head.
"I'm not worthless," Tara whispered to herself. "I'm not weak."
Tara was one of two hatchlings from a relatively small clutch. Her sister, older than she by mere hours, was the larger of the two girls, and meaner than most of the other large breed arachnae native to her region. Of the two girls, the younger arachne was quicker and more intelligent, which had saved her life on more than a few occasions. Still, it was clear which sibling her mother preferred. Growing up, Tara endured harsh neglect, often going entire days without meals, forcing her to scrounge up what she could from the desert. The only relative she could turn to was an aunt who, like her, was the smartest of she and her mother's clutch. Her aunt taught her how to hunt, and how to make what she found more palatable.
Then one day, barely an adolescent, she was ambushed by her sister while hunting for food. Most of the time, Tara was able to evade her sister's claws. Unfortunately, since she was caught off-guard, she was barely able to avoid being fatally wounded. She wasn't sure how far she crawled until she met her first human, a wandering Navajo. This man healed her wounds, and, in so doing, completely changed her life. After three years of living among the Navajo, she was enrolled into the Interspecies Exchange with the help of her aunt. Before long, Tara set her eight feet onto Japanese soil. After years of feeling worthless, it was Satsuke who treated her like she really mattered. It was at times of sadness that she would lose herself to her music, but those times were becoming more frequent.
"Satsuke," she whispered. "Let me love you."
Tara willed herself off the hammock and walked up to her dressing table. She stared into the mirror and wiped her eyes. Put into the frame of her mirror was a photograph taken of she and Satsuke by the oni she met at the concert. She promised him that she wouldn't show it to anyone, but she said nothing about printing it out. For seemingly the first time, she scrutinized what she looked like in the picture, remembering what Satsuke said when he first saw her that night. She noticed how her hair framed her face, her full lips, how the dimples on her cheeks showed when she was smiling, and the shape of her six eyes. Was that really me? she asked of her own mind. I was so happy. Finally, she smiled.
"I'm beautiful," she said for the first time in her life.
Downstairs, in Piper's room, the echidna was combing the wyvern's hair. She had already polished the dragonewt's horns to a mirror sheen. "I've always wanted horns," the lamia said, "and yours are gorgeous."
"Trust me, Piper," Vera said, "they are often more trouble than they are worth."
There was only one of Piper's old outfits that could fit her, specifically a form-fitting, open-backed black dress. The only real alteration that needed to be made was an opening for her tail. "God, that is so cute on you," she said. "Goes great with your scales."
"It is rather flattering, is it not?" Vera said as she looked herself over.
"I just wish I could've gotten the matching shoes," she pouted as she applied eyeshadow to Vera's eyes.
The wyvern raised a foot and wiggled her talons. "As you see, my options for footwear are also extremely limited."
"Oh, please," Piper said with a playful rattle, "at least you have feet."
Vera sat back and chuckled good-naturedly. As Piper put lip-gloss on her friend's lips, the echidna wondered if she should really be helping another possible rival. However, unlike the other girls, she almost hoped that Satsuke wouldn't choose her. She remembered her last homestay as she applied a light rouge to Vera's cheek. She had been taking a shower when the host-mother came into the bathroom. So relaxed was the echidna that she didn't notice the woman coming in, so when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she became startled and reflexively bit the human's arm, sending her to the hospital in almost critical condition. The woman recovered, and much to Piper's relief, chose not to press charges since it wasn't the lamia's fault. Still, she was forced to leave that house. I'm so glad I ended up here, she thought to herself. Not only have I met a great guy, but I actually made friends.
"Are you all right?" Vera asked.
"It's nothing," Piper replied, smiling weakly. "So, let's get a look at you."
Vera looked in the full-body mirror and barely recognized herself. "I look like a harlot," she said. She then turned to the echidna and said, "I love it!"
"I'll admit I did go a little overboard," Piper responded with a chuckle. "I'm glad you like it, though. I can get more outfits like that, if you'd like."
"I would certainly appreciate that," the wyvern said as she changed back into her overalls and removed some of the makeup. "I will bring this into my chambers. I will still need your assistance with cosmetics, though. What I have for hands are not terribly effective."
"You got it, Vera," the echidna said with a grin as she opened the door.
It was at that moment that the pair heard singing. "Where is that coming from?" Vera asked. "Is this normal while Keeper is away?"
"This is a first," Piper replied. "It seems to be coming from upstairs. Did Coach get a siren or something?"
The pair ran upstairs, since they both knew that sirens, while they may not be nearly as dangerous as their reputation suggests, are still not to be taken lightly. The wyvern and echidna searched through every room and came up empty. Piper then looked up. "It can't be Tara," she said.
Vera looked at the echidna incredulously, then let down the ladder that led into the attic. She then climbed the ladder and knocked on the inner hatch. Getting no answer, she asked, "Do you think a siren might be attacking Tara?"
Piper shrugged. "I will check," the wyvern said, concern etched upon her face.
"It's your funeral," the echidna said as Vera opened the hatched.
The sight that greeted her took her completely by surprise. She saw the arachne dancing gracefully while wearing a set of earphones, explaining why she didn't hear Vera knock. The melody and lyrics pierced the wyvern's heart, and she couldn't help but weep a little. So entranced was she that she wasn't aware that Tara had noticed her. Before she knew it, the arachne was upon her. Tara was so enraged from embarrassment that she was barely aware that she had Vera by the throat, and was pounding the wall with the wyvern's head. Suddenly, the arachne felt something wrap around her waist and hurl her into the wall.
"Are you all right, Vera?" Piper asked as Vera caught her breath and dusted herself.
"I am well," the wyvern replied, "thank you, Piper."
"Good," she said as she gave her reptilian friend a hug. She then turned to Tara and asked, "What the fuck, Tara?! She was worried when you didn't answer her knock."
The arachne simply shook her head while clutching her temples. She then looked at the echidna incredulously. "You just threw me into the wall!" she said.
"Yeah, I did!" Piper retorted angrily. She then started giggling. "I did, didn't I?"
Vera then walked up to Tara and asked, "Are you unhurt?"
"Yeah, fine," she replied.
"I thought maybe a siren was in your room," the wyvern said as she helped the arachne up. "I grew concerned.
"Your singing is beautiful," she concluded with a smile, "and you are a wonderful dancer."
"Wait a minute," the echidna said, "that was Tara singing? And did you say she was dancing?"
"What of it, Worm?" Tara growled.
"Well," Piper replied, "considering how many times you've thrown me into a wall, you can imagine that I'd be a little surprised. I think it's really cool, though! You've got a seriously amazing voice."
"Do you really mean that?" Tara whispered. "You don't think I'm pathetic?"
"We would never think that," Vera said firmly, "and anyone who thinks that would have to answer to me."
"Oy," they heard Mala call from the elevator, "who's singin' an' dancin'?"
When Tara put her palm over her face, Mala laughed from her belly and said, "Knew ye had it in ye, Legs. No one's that rough an' tumble without a soft side."
Tara crouched down and began weeping. "Look, Tara," the mermaid continued, "ye're one o' me best mates. Best second-in-command a pirate can ask fer. I'm 'ere fer ye if ye need t' talk."
"Are all of you still sad?" a voice said meekly. "Can you stop being sad?"
The group turned and saw Guu with a despondent look on her face. She clearly hadn't hydrated for a while, for she bore the appearance of a girl no older than eight. "Nah, no one's sad no more, Gooey," Mala said. "We jus' needed a moment. Folks get sad, sometimes."
The slime nodded, accepting the answer. "It's about Sweetheart, isn't it, " she said, her face starting to twitch. "You all love him, and now you have another rival."
"I promise you all," Vera said, holding up her wings in protest, "I have no romantic interest at all in Keeper."
"So why the Hell did you want a date with him?" Tara snarled.
"I am here to learn about modern society," the wyvern replied, "all aspects of it. I am attracted to Keeper, of course, but my heart belongs to another. I am to be married upon my return to my people."
"Wait, seriously?" Piper asked. "So, what was with the other day when you intended to 'sully' him?"
"What?!" Tara roared.
"Chill out, Tara," the echidna said. "Don't get your spinnerets in a twist."
"I was given no expectations of chastity," Vera replied plainly, "and I am free to do as I wish before the day of the ceremony."
"Aye," Mala said, "th' Beautiful Ones can be like that, too." She then turned to Vera and said, "That's what me people call th' mermaids like Princess Mero. So damned pretty, folks fawn all over 'em."
"Was that the mermaid you talked to before you went fishing with Coach?" Piper asked. "She was very pretty."
"Aye," she said with a sigh. "Now if ye'd please drop th' topic, I'd appreciate it."
Tara stood up above the other three housemates and snarled, "Fuck off."
Piper nodded, then turned to Guu. "Come on, Guu," she said. "Me and Vera will get you something to drink."
Soon, the arachne and the mermaid were alone. "Okay, Mala," Tara said softly, "level with me here. You say I'm one of your best friends, so what's got you down? I heard you wailing when that other mermaid left, then you got mopey the next morning. What aren't you telling me?"
"Mero's me cousin," Mala said. "Me real mum died some time after I was spawned." The mermaid chuckled darkly. "I s'pose that makes me royalty now, eh?"
The arachne snorted. "Whatever," she said. "You're still a goddamned Fish Face."
Mala looked up at Tara and smiled, putting a webbed hand on her friend's furred arm. "Thank ye, Legs," she said, wiping away a tear. "I needed t' hear that ye dinna see me any different."
"Look," the arachne said, getting up close, "you're one of my best friends, too, okay? You know I've got your back, and I know you've got mine. I never imagined that the sister I've always wanted would be some weird Irish mermaid, but you know what? I'm glad I met you."
The mermaid wiped away a tear. "An' I ne'er thought me best mate'd be some hairy landlubber with eight legs" she said.
"Umm, girls," Piper said, "I'd hate to interrupt your moment, but we have a problem."
Tara whirled around angrily, but calmed down when she saw her housemates, each with a look of sheer terror. "What's going on, Knucklehead?" she asked.
"I found this on the doorstep," the echidna said, her voice shaking.
Her clawed hand shook as she handed Tara a photograph bearing a pair of cocoons stuck to a web. In the background was what seemed like rotted wood, dust and torn paper doors, like no one had been in that room for a long time. On the floor under one of the cocoons was the hat belonging to Satsuke Nakamura, along with his MON-issue sidearm. The arachne's face went pale as she examined the picture closely. "What is going on, Tara?" Vera asked, her voice bearing a keen edge.
"I recognize the pattern on that web," Tara replied. "I'd know it anywhere, but I haven't seen it since I left for Japan. I can't believe she would do this."
"Who?" Piper asked, her voice shrill. "Who did this to Coach?!"
"My mother," she said in a trembling voice.
Piper hissed and lunged at Tara, only to have Guu stop her by engulfing her and sticking to a nearby wall. Suddenly, the echidna started feeling strange. "I'm sorry, Piper," the slime said.
"Don't," Piper panted, "don't stop. Oh, my God, this is good..."
The echidna began moaning while Guu throbbed around her body, her color darkening with each pulsation. "Ummm," Vera said, feeling very awkward, "should we be watching this?"
"I am shocked and somewhat repulsed," Tara replied, "and yet I can't look away."
Before long, Guu removed herself from Piper, leaving the lamia collapsed in a heap, covered in slime. "Are you unharmed, Piper?" Vera asked as she squeamishly helped the echidna up.
"Never better," she replied with a smile. "Anyone got a cigarette?"
"Ye folks better get a look at Gooey," Mala said, her voice shaking.
The group saw that the slime had taken on a distinctly gray hue. "Are ye okay there?" the mermaid asked.
"Never better, Mako," Guu replied, her tone sinister. She then approached the nervous mermaid and said, "I'm ready to go again if you're up for a little fun."
"Enough of this!" Tara roared, punching a hole in the wall. "This isn't getting Fuzz back! Knucklehead, clean up and call the corpse. Reptile, is your sense of smell as good as your vision?"
"It is," she said.
"Sniff around," she said. "Mom smells kinda like me, only worse." She then ran into Satsuke's bathroom and came back with one of his dirty socks and handed it to the wyvern. "I know it's disgusting, but please smell this. Come back when you find either my mother or Fuzz."
Vera took the sock without hesitation and sniffed it deeply. "I gladly do this for Keeper," she said. "Wish me luck, friends."
When the wyvern ran to the door and took flight, Tara turned to Mala and asked, "How much damage can those replica swords do?"
"Not much, t' be honest. Besides, I ain't much good on land at all," Mala sighed. "I'll jus' hold ye back."
"I'll throw you at her if it comes to that," Tara said.
"Always with th' throwin', eh?" the mermaid chuckle. "So what about Gooey?"
The pair turned and saw Guu draining a container of paint thinner while consuming a large quantity of arsenic, turning herself a dark shade of gray. "Lock and load, my lovelies," she replied with a sadistic grin. "Lock and load. Where does Sweetheart keep the bleach now?"
"Ye're doin' it fer Chum, right?" Mala asked.
"Do you want my help or not, fish fucker?" the slime snarled.
"I'll go get it," Tara said as she grasped the handlebars of Mala's chair. "We'll worry about cleaning you up when we get Fuzz back."
Guu started bubbling inside as she watched her two housemates leave. She felt a strange mix of shame and elation inside as she dissolved the last of the arsenic, which only served to anger her further. Still, even with her toxins, she felt the same way as she did for the others, especially Satsuke. Sweetheart better appreciate what I did for him, she seethed.
"I just got off the phone with Zombina," she heard Piper say from the stairs. "She said-," then stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, shit."
Guu turned around and started slinking towards the terrified echidna. "Well, hello, Piper," she purred. "Ready for Round 2?"
"TARA!" Piper cried. "HELP!"
The arachne rushed over to see the echidna cowering against the wall, the slime approaching her ominously. "Get away from her, Sludge," she shouted, "or you'll get the hose."
"Back to yer old tricks, eh, Gooey?" Mala grumbled as joined the others, clutching a bottle of chlorine bleach in her webbed hand.
"I just can't help myself," she retorted softly. "She's just so yummy."
Before the arachne could say anything more, they heard Vera run up the stairs struggling for breath. "Forgive me, Tara," the wyvern panted, "but I couldn't find him. There were just too many scents to discern either your mother's or Keeper's."
"Shoulda known," the mermaid sighed as she gave Guu the bleach. "Ye did yer best, Vera."
"Of course you couldn't find them," a voice purred from Satsuke's room. Soon the group were joined by the arachne known as Rachnera Arachnera. "What you need is another arachne."
Tara whirled around and faced the other arachne. "I'm not in the mood for your shit, puta," she snarled.
"What if I told you that I knew where they were?" Rachnera asked with a coy smile, putting a clawed finger to her chin. "After all, who do you think took the picture?"
"Then ye better be talkin', ye pain in th' tail fins," Mala growled, "or I'll run ye through."
"And how do you think you'll do that with a fake sword?" Rachnera retorted, laughing mockingly. "Oh, but this is too precious. You all remind me of the other girls I live with. Now all you need is a centaur then your pet human will have the whole set."
"If you took the photograph, then why did you not help him?" Vera asked as she approached Rachnera menacingly.
"He's not my problem," Rachnera replied casually.
"Where is he, you eight-legged bitch?!" Piper screamed.
She then bared her fangs and went to strike the smaller arachne, only to have Tara grab her by the tail and hurl her into the wall. "Start talking," she said, "or I won't stop her next time."
"Ooh, your pet human has a lamia with a worse temper than Honey's," Rachnera said with a mocking chuckle.
Tara bared her own fangs, and grinned wickedly. "Do you how fast a Western diamondback rattlesnake can strike?" she asked, getting up close. "Pray that you don't, because Knucklehead is even quicker."
Rachnera chuckled cruelly. "You caught her easily enough," she said.
The larger arachne chuckled back. "Not really," Tara said. "I was going for her neck." She then grabbed Rachnera and lifted her by the throat. "Now talk," she said casually as she squeezed Rachnera's throat, "or we'll end you."
Rachnera's eyes went wide as she looked at Tara and her friends. The mermaid was licking her sharp teeth, and eying the smaller arachne as if she were a seal. Rachnera could see a cool, detached look on the dragonewt's face, not unlike what one would see on a serial killer. The lamia was seconds away from berserk fury. However, none of them frightened her as much as the slime. The fact that its expression matched Suu's when she was about to attack didn't bother her. It was the way the floor sizzled when she dripped on it. It was when the slime winked and made a kissing gesture that she decided to talk. "Your mother has him in an abandoned house at the far end of town," Rachnera rasped. "Please let me go."
"How do we get there?" Mako growled.
"Can't... breathe..."
Tara put Rachnera down gently and released her. "Awww," Guu whined as the smaller arachne coughed. "She's just so cute, and I was hoping for a little action."
"We need her, Sludge," Tara said. "You touch her and you get the hose."
Rachnera barely heard as she struggled to catch her breath. "You all care about him this much?" she asked.
Tara's expression softened somewhat. "We do," she replied. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to us."
"Then I'll show you the way," Rachnera said with a smile. "Let's hurry, though. She scares me."
The larger arachne nodded. "Yeah," Tara said, "she scares me, too."
She lives with these psychopaths and her mother is the one who scares her? Rachnera thought with a shudder. She was startled when Tara addressed her housemates, saying, "Come on, let's go." When all except the dragonewt started moving, Tara smacked her in the back of the head. "Snap out of it, Reptile," she said. "We're heading out."
"Yes," Vera said as she shook her head, "yes of course."
After preliminary introductions, the group were able to travel rapidly and discreetly thanks to Rachnera's directions. The smaller arachne noticed that, while still suspicious, Tara and her housemates seemed to relax around her. Vera took to the skies as the rest traveled on the ground. Rachnera carried Mala while Tara carried the mermaid's wheelchair. The smaller arachne was surprised at how dry and light the mermaid was. Before long, the group were outside of a house surrounded by overgrown weeds, made eerie by the dying sunlight.
"Coach better be in there, bitch," Piper hissed.
"Chill out, Knucklehead," Tara said. "As much as I don't like her, she's not a liar." She then turned to Rachnera and said, "Thank you. I'll never forget this."
"Of course you won't, Tara-chan," the other arachne said with a three-eyed wink. She then turned serious and said, "Good luck. If he's as good to you as you say he is, you girls deserve to have a guy like him. We need more humans like that."
When the smaller arachne left, Tara addressed the group, saying, "Be careful around my mother. She's even bigger and meaner than I am. Just pray that my sister's not there. She's worse than the two of us combined."
The only one of the group that didn't turn pale was Guu. Instead, the slime smiled wickedly. "Mmm, more fun," she said. "Are they as hot as you?"
Tara glared at the slime, then cringed. "Okay," she said to the girls, "let's go."
Please be alive, Satsuke, Tara pleaded silently. Please be alive.
At that moment, Satsuke woke up to find himself wrapped head to toe in a sticky cocoon, not knowing that the girls were coming to his rescue. With difficulty, he was able to move the silk enough to see the shape of a very large arachne looming over him. He tried to scream, but his voice was muffled by the threads covering his mouth. "I see you've woken up," the arachne purred in heavily accented English. "How precious."
The arachne extended a claw and cut the threads that were covering his face. "Why are you doing this?" the young agent shouted back. "Who are you?"
"Ah, you speak English. Splendid," she responded. "Did you know you talk in your sleep, ape-kin? It turns out that you have something of mine, ape, and I want it back."
"I assure you, ma'am," Satsuke said, his voice shaking, "that I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It's no matter," the arachne said as if the young man never said anything. "If you won't tell me where she is, I'm sure she will try to find you."
She? Satsuke's blood went cold. "Are you talking about Tara?"
"Is that what she's calling herself these days?" the large arachne chuckled cruelly. "How cute."
"What do you want with her?" the agent yelled.
"What is she to you, ape?" the unknown arachne hissed.
"What is she to you?" Satsuke retorted. "Until you tell me, I won't say a thing."
"Oh, how brave of the little ape," she mocked. She then dragged a claw down his torso, then poked his groin, making him groan in pain. "I have ways of making you talk."
The young agent examined his captor as well as he could in his current state. She was the largest arachne he had ever seen, easily over seven feet tall. Her fur and hair color were the same color as Tara's, but with traces of gray. Her only garments were a series of leather straps to preserve what little modesty she seemed to have, including a pair of straps adorning her face. "Who are you?" he asked again.
"I am Arani, if you must know," she said. She then poked his groin again, this time harder. "I will ask again," she growled, "where is she?!"
It was then that the young agent heard the loud crash of a door being forcibly opened, with his homestays rushing into the room, each with expression of a mix of fear and rage on their faces. "Mother, stop this!" Tara shouted. "Let him go!"
Mother? Satsuke silently said to himself.
"What is this ape to you?" Arani asked. "Is he your mate?"
"He is my friend, Mother," the younger arachne responded. "Now let him go!"
"Very well," her mother said, then snapped the threads that were holding him to her web.
"How could you do this?!" Tara screamed.
"I knew you wouldn't come to me of your own volition, Daughter," the elder arachne replied evenly. "Honestly, I thought you were dead after what Chula did to you."
"What do you care?!" her daughter screamed again. "All I've ever heard from you was that I was weak, and not good enough for you!"
"It is a pity that you would feel as such for your own daughter," Vera said evenly. "To the contrary, she is one of the strongest, most passionate people I have ever encountered."
"Indeed," Arani said with a smile. "One would need to be to have such a will to live after such an attack. Rest assured, your sister has been punished accordingly. I am sorry for having said such things to you. I was wrong.
"Now please," she continued, "come home."
"I am home, Mother," Tara responded. "These people are my family."
"Aww, how touching," Guu giggled. "Excuse me while I puke."
"Believe me, Arani," Satsuke said, "if you had told me you were her mother, I would have gladly told you.
"Now," he continued, "would someone please cut me loose?"
The young arachne gently sliced open the cocoon that encased Satsuke, then held him close. Seeing the young agent in such a weakened state tugged at her heart. What if next time, I'm too late? she thought to herself. She resolved to show him, whenever she could, how much she loved him and wanted to be with him. I might not get another chance. "Did she hurt you?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"I can't feel my arms and legs," he replied. "I'm fine, though." He then smiled. "I've been through worse."
"Don't worry, my love," she whispered, kissing his forehead. "The venom will wear off soon."
"Is the girl all right?" Nakamura asked.
"Girl?" Tara asked. "What girl?"
She looked and noticed the other cocoon held fast to her mother's web, then cut it down and sliced it open with a claw. In the cocoon was what seemed to be an unconscious preadolescent girl dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion. Her eyes went wide when she saw the girl's face. "Only one eye," she said.
"Curious," Vera said as she examined the small monoeye closely. She then put her ear to the girl's lips, not knowing that she had woken up and screamed in terror. "She still lives," she said, then looked at the girl. "You did not have to scream like that, little one."
"Who're you calling 'little,' Smaug?" the diminutive monoeye retorted.
"Well, I never!" the wyvern huffed, then stormed away. "Ungrateful whelp!"
"Well, other than your bad attitude," Piper said, rolling her eyes, "are you okay, Blinky?"
"The name's 'Iris,' Coily," the monoeye replied, "and other than being sticky, numb, and like I'm gonna puke, I feel like shit."
"I like her!" Guu said with a giggle.
"That feeling will go away eventually," Tara said. "Unfortunately."
"Any chance ye can wrap 'er back up there, Big Legs?" Mala asked.
"At least her mouth," Tara added.
"Wanna place bets on how long it's gonna be 'til Tara throws her into a wall?" Piper asked.
"Try it, Lolth," Iris taunted.
"Well, I was gonna wait 'til you felt better, but if you insist," Tara said before picking up the small monoeye from the back of her blouse and threw her into the wall.
Suddenly, Zombina burst into the room brandishing a pair of AK-47s. "FREEZE!" she shouted, a little too enthusiastically. She then saw the monoeye embedded in the wall. "Dammit, Spider," she said, "couldn't you have at least waited?"
Tara only shrugged. "She asked me to," she replied simply.
"Is this a habit for you, Daughter?" the elder arachne asked.
"Aye," Mala replied. "'Tis how she says 'hello.'"
"That's my girl," Arani said, beaming with pride.
"Wait a sec," Zombina said to Tara, "that's your mom?"
"Yeah," the younger arachne said, her tone betraying her annoyance. "Can't you see the resemblance?"
The undead woman looked over the pair. "Yeah, kinda," she said. "You've got her eyes. You seem to have bigger boobs, though." She then looked at Arani. "No offense."
The elder arachne simply laughed. "None taken," she said.
"Anyways," Zombina said as she pried the diminutive monoeye from the wall and blindfolded her, "I gotta get the pipsqueak into custody." She then helped Satsuke stand. "I'll call for a ride home for you all. See ya tomorrow, Fresh Meat."
Satsuke nodded as he clutched his temples. The feeling began to come back in his limbs, only to be replaced with a pain comparable to being stung by a hundred bees. Despite this, he was able to hold himself up by leaning against the wall. After the undead agent left with Iris in tow, Piper looked at the elder arachne and said, "I was expecting you to be a lot scarier, but you seem pretty chill."
"It was my intent to see that she could survive without me," Arani replied, "but she left before I could tell her. In truth, I knew in my heart that she was stronger than her sister. I simply needed to see this for myself." She then turned to her daughter and said, "You are a very strong, smart, and resourceful arachne, and I'm very proud of you," she concluded. "I am also pleased that you have surrounded yourself with such good friends."
"Then why did you say those horrible things to me?" the younger arachne asked with tears in her eyes.
Arani lifted her daughter's chin with her finger. "I didn't want you to have to depend on me," she said softly, "and the only way I could think of was to make you hate me. Believe me, Daughter, it broke my heart to say those things to you."
"What about Chula?"
"I did have her ambush you," the elder arachne admitted. "I wished to see how you'd react in the event you're caught off-guard. I didn't anticipate that she was even stupider than I thought."
"So, let me ask you this," Tara began. "Why did you hurt Fuzz and the maggot?"
"The girl was used to lure your friend," she replied sternly. "I needed to paralyze him so I could find out where you were. I apologize for doing something so extreme, but it was the most effective way we could think of."
"Wait a minute," Tara interjected. "'We?' Is my sister here?"
"No," a male voice said from the next room.
Everyone gasped when the source of that voice, a tall, middle-aged human, came into the room. He was tall, with tan skin and long gray hair. His eyes were kind, and his smiling face was marred by lines created by years of worry. "Hello, Tara," he said. "It pleases me to see that you are well."
"Mr. Blackfeather!" the young arachne cried with elation as she ran to him and gave him a warm hug. "It's wonderful to see you again!" She then turned serious and asked, "Why did you do all of this? It's not like you to be this cruel."
"The method, as much as I disapproved," he replied, glaring at Arani, "was her idea. I went with it only because I simply couldn't think of a better way. I tried reaching out to the Agency, but they said that they wouldn't tell me where you were unless I was family. They wouldn't believe me when I said that I was. So, your mother felt it necessary to find you by abducting that strange girl to lure that kind man to get information from him. We had no idea that he was your friend.
"It pained me to do it," he concluded, "but we agreed that it would be the most effective. Forgive me, my daughter."
Tara was struck dumb. "Daughter?"
Tears rimmed the man's eyes. "Yes," Blackfeather said. "I regret not telling you. If there was one thing your mother and I agreed on, it was that we wanted you to be a strong, independent woman. Apparently, it is the arachne way for hatchlings to be separated from their mothers at an early age." He then chuckled. "I guess you take more after me."
"Don't hate him, Daughter... Tara," Arani said, smiling warmly.
"I can't," the young arachne said, smiling despite her tears. "Deep down, I knew when he healed me and cared for me." She then crouched her eight legs so she could be at eye level with Blackfeather. "I love you, Daddy."
Her father began crying and embraced Tara. "I love you, too, my little girl."
There was a moment of silence, which was broken by the loud wail of an emotionally moved echidna. "That's so beautiful," she sobbed into Vera's shoulder.
"Aye," Mala added as she wiped away a tear.
Addressing the girls, the older man said, "I am Juan Blackfeather. Apparently, my little girl still needs to learn her manners, because I don't know who any of you are."
After Tara formally introduced her friends, Piper began looking over the arachne's father with interest. "So, this silver fox is your dad?" she asked.
"Piper," Vera said, "I was of the understanding that your eyesight is better than this because her father is neither silver, nor a fox."
"Um, Vera," Piper said, "come here a minute."
The lamia whispered in the wyvern's ear, periodically pointing to Blackfeather. "Oh, I understand," the dragonewt said. "I agree, he is quite attractive."
"Are you two done ogling my father?!" Tara growled. She then looked at Guu and said, "If you so much as look at him funny, I will drop you in the Marianas Trench. Got it, Sludge?"
Guu simply shrank back and nodded. "Forgive me, Tara," Vera said after clearing her throat. "My behavior regarding your handsome father was most improper."
When Juan saw Tara's reaction, he put his hand on her arm gently to calm her. "It's all right, Tara," he said with a smile. "It does an old man good to hear that he can still turn the heads of such lovely young women."
Piper giggled, then turned pale. "Umm, Tara's Mom," she said, shaking her tail in fear. "Please don't kill me for checking your man out."
"He is not my 'man,' as you put it," Arani said. "I do care for him, yes, and he cares for me, but we are not, as humans say, a couple.
"I do agree that he is still quite attractive, though," she continued lecherously. "After all, I did conceive two daughters with him."
"I'd really appreciate it," Tara said, "if you'd all stop talking about my dad like that. I don't need to be hearing that shit."
"Well, he is a rather handsome devil, Legs," Mala said with a wink.
"By the Grandmother, you girls are good for an old man's ego," he laughed.
"Bah," the mermaid said, "ye're only as old as ye feel, Handsome." She then looked at Tara and said, "I actually see th' family resemblance. Ye've got his smile, an' a little bit o' th' face."
Blackfeather then looked up at Tara and said, "Well, your mother and I must be going. I'm so glad you made such good friends."
"Yeah, me too, Dad," the young arachne said.
"I am glad we were able to mend our differences, Tara," Arani said as she embraced her daughter.
"I am, too," the younger arachne said. "Love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, my daughter. I will pass along your greetings to Chula... by throwing her into a wall."
The entire room erupted into laughter. "And that's where Tara takes after her mother," Piper said.
Tara replied by picking the echidna up by the neck, only to be stopped by Satsuke. "Wait until we get home," he said.
"Okay, Fuzz," the younger arachne said, playfully pouting. She then crouched and hugged her father, saying, "It was wonderful to see you again."
"For me, too," he responded, returning the embrace, "and don't forget to call a worried old man."
"I won't," Tara said, kissing his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too, my little girl," Blackfeather responded. "Now, I need to speak with this young man alone."
After the girls left, Blackfeather said, "You're a strong, compassionate man to take in such dangerous, yet troubled girls so bravely."
"Many of them simply need a friend," the young agent responded with a smile.
The older man smiled. "I want to thank you taking such good care of my little girl."
"It's been my pleasure," Satsuke said with a smile. "Tara has become one of my dearest, most treasured friends. They all have, in their own way."
Blackfeather turned serious. "What are your feelings toward my daughter?"
"I care about her a lot," Satsuke said, "and, I trust her implicitly."
"But...?" the Native American said, his voice devoid of any judgment.
"Deep down, I'm still frightened of her," he replied. "She's attacked me twice already, and I'm scared that she would have killed me on the night of the last full moon."
"I had similar fears regarding her mother," Blackfeather said with a sigh, putting a comforting hand on Satsuke's shoulder. "Your fears are understandable. Tara has a very gentle and loving soul. Still. I can sense deep aggression and ferocity in her." The older man looked him in the eye. "You're a good man, Satsuke Nakamura, and I have no doubt that you would be a good husband to her, should you choose to be. Regardless of what you choose, do right by her, and be a good friend to her." He then chuckled. "I don't suppose I need to ask you to do that. You've done a great job so far."
"You honor me, Blackfeather-san," the agent responded with a smile.
Tara's father gently shook Nakamura's hand, then said, "Now, I must be going, and I'm sure you would like to get some rest after what you've been through."
"I'm sure you do, too," Satsuke chuckled. "Good night."
The two parted company after he helped the young man walk outside, where he was met by the girls. He saw Tara tearfully embrace her father one more time before they made their way to the waiting vehicle, with Piper carrying Guu's container. Vera was lost in thought as she walked to the truck. Was it a mistake for me to request to stay with Keeper? she mentally asked herself. What are these feelings I am having for him? This is not supposed to happen. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt herself being lifted roughly by the straps of her overalls and brought into the truck. She looked and saw Tara glaring at her.
The wyvern stared through the window as the vehicle sped off. "Was this all a mistake?" she whispered.
"Was what a mistake?" Satsuke asked.
Vera looked at the young man. "Nothing, Keeper," she replied softly. "Nothing at all." The wyvern sighed. Marduk, help me, she prayed silently.
The group arrived at the house before long. Despite Arani's venom wearing off, Satsuke still felt as if his legs were about to give out, so he pushed Mala's wheelchair to keep himself steady. "So, that went a lot smoother than expected," Piper said to Tara. "Your mom actually seems kinda cool. You gonna forgive her? I mean, yeah, she did treat you like shit, but she seems to feel bad about it."
Tara looked at the echidna. "She does," the arachne replied. "It's like I told you: arachnae are many things, but we're not liars." Tara thought for a moment, then continued, "I do. I'm still pissed that she hurt Satsuke, but I get why she did it." She then grinned and said, "You of all people should know that we can be quite rough with others.
"Most of all, though," the arachne concluded, smiling wistfully, "I'm glad to finally know my father."
"Your dad is hot, you know," Piper said with a smile.
"Keep that shit up," Tara snarled, "and I'll throw you so hard you won't be able slither straight for a week."
"Calm yer hairy arse down, Legs," Mala said with a smile. "Yer dad is a handsome devil, sure, but ye take after 'im."
Satsuke stumbled, causing the wheelchair to lurch. "Sorry," he said.
"Aye, don't ye worry about it, Chum," the mermaid responded. "Ye had a rough night."
To put it mildly, Satsuke thought to himself through the haze in his brain. I know Tara's breed's venom isn't lethal, but I never want to go through that again. "I'll help you get to bed," Tara said after the group stepped inside, "and get you some painkillers so you can sleep. If you need anything, just let us know."
"Thank you, Tara," the young man said, smiling weakly.
Meanwhile, Guu watched quietly as the others bade Satsuke good night. Like Satsuke, the slime was having trouble concentrating through her conflicted thoughts. I should never have let him clean me up, she seethed internally. It was so much easier when I didn't care.
It was so much easier when I didn't know.
Like most slimes, Guu was a very simple creature before she gained a modicum of sentience. Unfortunately, that moment happened shortly before the Fukushima disaster. The side effect was that her intelligence quickly escalated, as did her anger. Still, her main drive was the same as all slimes: seeking moisture. So, she set out through the sewers, becoming more polluted as she went forth. With the added pollution came the desire for revenge on those who destroyed her home.
She didn't become fully sentient until she met her first human, a young policeman named Satsuke Nakamura. She didn't reach any higher level of awareness until she first experienced kindness from this human.
She never had a sense of self until a human gave her a name.
"Oy, Gooey," Mala shouted. "Ye goin' t' bed or what?"
"I'm coming, Fish Fucker," the slime snarled half-heartedly.
The mermaid raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. The pair were met downstairs by Vera, and soon they were in their respective bedrooms. The toxins in the slime's body boiled with rage. I was doing just fine until you made me clean, you fucking pig, she fumed. She then screamed as she shot several jets of acid at the steel walls. "You bastard!" Guu shrieked through the darkness. "Why did you make me fall in love with you?"
