Would You Rather

(Prompt: Susie confesses to an anxious Kris)

…how many spikes did her bracers have?

The tip of the pencil taps along the page, leaving barely visible traces of grey behind.

There were at least three on each side. So…six? But if you were to draw the bands from the front, then you would only be able to see a few anyway.

You gently bite the bottom of your lip, dragging the pencil away from the sketch's hands and towards the imposing axe resting upon her shoulder. Maybe you would start with the weapon first. That was more fun to draw anyway. You just needed to make sure the handle was curved enough and-

"So?"

You blink, "Huh?"

"Which one?"

"Uh…Werewires, I guess."

You hear a chuckle from above, the bedsheet crinkling and pulling at the back of your sweater.

"Seriously? Come on, the Maus weirdos would be way easier to deal with. Even if they're giant."

You sigh, allowing the pencil to fall between the journal's crease, "Yeah, but there'd be three of them."

A dull talon pokes the top of your head, the scaled hand drifting over the edge of the bed, "But the ten Maus-sized Werewires? Got no problem with that?"

"…easier to dodge." You grumble, settling back against the side of the bed. Fumbling in place, you drag a bit of crumpled blanket out from underneath you, tossing the loose cover off and away. You watch the quilted gray material settle in a heap below the bed itself, burning orange light illuminating the cavernous space, highlighting a number of dust bunnies lurking below. You grimace. Keeping your room clean was hard enough with a monster constantly twisting the sheets of your bed into a pile, much less having to sweep underneath the bed itself.

"Guess that's fair. You kinda suck at keeping up with those things." The bed creaks as the dragoness flips over, beginning to punch the soft white pillow back into form, "Still-" She grunts, dropping back down with a soft thump, "…remember when one slammed into you face first? You were picking fuzz out of your teeth for a while."

You roll your eyes, "Uh-huh."

Pinching the pencil between two fingers, you return to the task at hand. Soft grey lines begin to form, a razor-sharp blade manifesting with each stroke, the hulking weapon effortlessly carried upon the sketched girl's shoulder. You firmly press against the looseleaf paper, ensuring harsher black lines make up the cruel edge. The pencil's tip drifts away as you examine the drawing thus far.

Your eyes narrow. The axe was…okay. Even the jacket hanging off her shoulders was pretty accurate. But her expression…

You sniff, brushing a sleeve across your nose before poking at the beaming smile etched onto the page. Her teeth were way sharper than that. Especially when she smiled at you. There was a way her fangs turned inwards ever so slightly that you found yourself noticing more and more by the day. Her smile was…intimidating? At least at first. But after enough time spent in the Dark World, watching her lips curl into a wild grin following another victory at the dojo, or finding a moment to relax in the café together, the look was less intimidating and more-

"Wait, I got it!"

The pencil digs into the page, nearly penetrating the thin paper. A shuffling sound builds from above as locks of dark brown hair drift over the side of the bed. You turn, finding yourself face to face with an upside-down Susie, her amber eyes burning into you. Her white t-shirt billows around her neckline, the once bulky purple coat long since discarded off into the corner of your room. Excitement creases along her lips as she smiles back at you, scales glimmering amidst the light pouring in through your bedroom window.

You shrink away, turning back to the journal in your hands.

"Okay, let's say you're alone. Ralsei's out cold and I'm…" She pauses, dropping her arms limply off the side, picking at the carpet below, "I dunno, I'm fighting something else."

You raise an eyebrow, allowing the notebook to fall into your lap, "Sure."

"Anyway! Who would you rather fight: King or Queen?"

"…can I use items?"

The scaled girl grumbles, sweeping her claws back and forth along the floor, "Nah, just you and your sword."

"King."

Susie snorts, a gust of air blowing a few strands out and away from your vision, "Even with all his chain junk? You remember how he threw that stupid thing out of his stomach at us, right? Guy messed us up the first time."

"He doesn't have acid in a cup." You mutter, brushing away the hair in your eyes.

"Eh, acid's not a big deal."

"Says the person with scales." You lean your head back against the exposed mattress, staring at the dragoness with a bemused look, "Queen also has those wires. And if it's just me, and I get caught by one of them…"

Susie's smile drops away, her tongue slipping between her lips, limply hanging as she ponders the scenario, "…right. Yeah, those things mind control you and stuff. Eugh. Alright, King it is."

You silently nod, cracking the journal back open, "Besides, the King has it coming. Guy's a jerk."

Susie chuckles, stretching her arms in front of her with a quiet pop, "Damn dude, he still pisses you off?"

You stare down at the half-finished duo etched into the lined page, a rough semblance of you and Susie, her arm on your shoulder, a subtle smile on your penciled features.

"…don't like what he did to you."

The words hang in the air for a moment, a fist gently colliding with your shoulder soon after, "Dweeb." Susie snorts once more, dagger-like teeth on full display, "Appreciate it."

You grumble, stifling the grin blooming on your lips.

"Hey, so…think your Mom is cool with me spending the night again?"

You tap the page, staring up past the scaled girl and towards the dim afternoon light peeking through the curtains, "Probably. It's the weekend; not like we have school tomorrow or anything. We can probably just watch movies all night." The bed quietly creaks as you lean against the plush side, "And she likes having you over I think."

"Psh, sure." Susie scratches her neck, scales bending and weaving as her claws drag along, "I mean, I guess. Your mom's pretty cool, for a teacher. Thought she'd have a problem with the school bully hanging around her precious kid."

"Uh-huh."

"…maybe she thinks I'm a good influence or something." A dopey grin forms on her face.

You quietly eye her, shooting a wry look back.

"What? Come on, you actually do stuff now. Not just stuck in your room all day."

You roll your head from side to side, "Don't think she was happy about us staying out all night last week."

"Eh, you're mom was cool about it. Besides, you were the one who wanted to see if the ICE-E's mascot came alive at midnight." She snorts, "…probably just needed to wait another hour or two, might've seen it hunting."

You sigh longingly, a distant look in your eyes, "Yeah…"

The dragoness grumbles as she pulls herself back up atop the bed, blowing strands of wild mane off her maw, "But your mom's pretty alright. Wish she'd let us close the door when we're hanging out in here though."

You grip the pencil tightly.

"Like, we could blast music or…or do other shit. I don't know."

You swallow sharply, "Y-Yeah…could uh…do that."

"Eh, probably thinks we'll tear the place apart or something." She chuckles, "Don't get why she's so worried, but whatever."

A dull cracking sound emanates from the pencil in your hand, "I-I'm sure she just…wants to make sure we're safe? N-Not safe, but, uh…"

You cut the words short, releasing your grip on the journal, deep imprints fading with time. Air flows out from your lips as you refocus on the sketch, reveling in the momentary silence holding throughout the room. Staring back down to the pages below, a knot forms back in your chest as an intricately sketched dragoness matches your gaze, the lines forming a gleaming smile.

Just draw the axe. Do the rest later. Just the axe, nothing else. Not right now.

"Okay, how about this…"

You choke at the sound, struggling for breath.

"Would you rather be stabbed or shot?"

Seemingly oblivious to your fight for survival, Susie hums in thought, bouncing atop the bed in an effort to turn back your way. You clear your throat, forcing yourself back to reality in a shuddering effort.

"…s-sorry, what?"

"Stabbed or shot? Like, you'll survive it, but which sucks less?"

"Susie, that-" You toss the journal off to the side, your features twisting into a grimace, "Really?"

Patchwork jeans fall into view as Susie throws her legs off the edge of the bed, "What?"

"That's…" You glance up, tension melting at the sight of the girl's curious look, "I don't know. A little…intense?"

She shrugs, "Fine, fine."

The bedsheet curls into a bundle on the floor as Susie hops off the bed, settling down close by. The dragoness pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping an arm around the bundle of limbs, shuffling closer, barely an inch away. She drags a claw along the neck of her loose t-shirt, shining purple scales meeting at the collar.

"Something 'nicer' then." Susie raises her fingers up to mockingly form air quotes, eyeing you with a self-satisfied grin.

You pinch the bridge of your nose, "It's not that. We just always talk about-"

"Who would you rather take to the festival: Ralsei or Noelle?"

The words die away, leaving an exhausted, but familiar, tightness in your chest, "…already answered that."

Susie ponderously lays her head atop her knees, her wild mane forming round, "Yeah, and you gave me a weak answer. Come on, who would you bring?"

"Susie, do we have to-"

"Cough it up Dreemurr!" The dragoness bumps against you, "Who ya bringin'? Like, if we could get Ralsei out of the Dark World, and Noelle isn't busy with her family stuff, who're you taking?"

You close your eyes, dropping your head back along the edge of the mattress. You take a deep breath, fighting down the all-too-familiar knot in your throat.

"…you."

Looking out from half-lidded eyes, you glance at Susie, scanning her buried features, a curtain of messy hair hiding her away. She twists from sight, resting her maw along the crease atop her knees. You continue to stare at her in silence, eyes widening.

Beneath the mane, beneath the fangs and fearsome looks, there was…a smile?

"Ugh, you're no fun. Already said I'd be there anyway. Gonna drag you all over the place, whether you like it or not." Susie mutters quietly.

Your eyes linger just for a moment, soon turning away, burying yourself deep into the neck of your sweater.

That was…something. There was something.

Right?

"But, like, if you're gonna go with someone, that's cool too. Just, let me know, or whatever."

You groan, "I already said-" Anxiety and frustration begin to bubble in your mind, the words thoughtlessly leaving your lips, "What about you?!"

"What?" Susie mumbles.

"Well, you always ask me! What about you? Who are you going to ask?"

The dragoness continues to calmly rest atop her knees, staring off into the distance, "I dunno. Shit like that is for couples, right?" A claw taps along her thigh, "Like, I know friends go, but…"

Your eyes narrow, nerves steeled, "And? You asked me! What about you? Who would you rather bring? Ralsei? Noelle?" The questions pour forth as your cheeks redden, "You're always asking me, but-"

"You."

Your breath hitches, "W-What-"

Susie sniffs quietly, "I'd bring you. It'd be nice going, just the two of us."

The previous thought melts away, taking what little confidence you once had with it.

"Been saving up some money lately. Could actually pay for the food there. Or…well, some of it." Susie happily grunts, a single fang peeking out over her lip, "You barely eat anything, so we'd just share some popcorn or whatever. Have to see what they have, I guess."

"Th-That's not-" You struggle to form words.

"Think they have candy apples there? That sounds sick. Bet they're expensive though."

A creeping inferno builds further and further along your cheeks, threatening to consume you entirely, "Susie…come on."

The girl shoots you a quizzical look, resting the side of her face on her knees as she stares at you silently, curiously.

"I thought we were talking about…y-you know. People we'd ask as a-" You shrink down further against the bed, sheets falling across your shoulders, "C-Come on, be serious."

Amber eyes narrow playfully in the edges of your vision.

"B-Besides!" You clear your throat, trying, and failing, to form coherent thought, "Of course I'd go with you. As…f-friends."

"Hm." Susie chirps, gently dragging a claw through her hair and away from her maw, "Nah."

Your fingers curl into the legs of your pants, frustration building once more, "W-Wha-" You stutter, "But you just said-"

"Wouldn't want to go as friends."

Dim light pours through the window, tracing flickering shadows across the bedroom. You stare at the meandering shapes of the forest outside casting their dancing forms throughout, barely able to register much more as your head spins. You continue searching the floor, struggling to find a thought in the whirlwind of your mind.

"…only person that makes me feel all this junk."

A rumbling voice pierces the silence.

"Feel safe with you. I know that's weird, or whatever. But I don't feel like I have to be anything when I'm with you. If I'm having a shit day, or school sucks, or I'm…freaked out about stuff…you're there." Susie chuckles quietly, "You're always there. You're weird, sleep all day in class, pretty much never talk to anyone but me, hug people in the Dark World way too much, always want to borrow my jacket-"

You grumble, settling further into the mattress behind you.

The dragoness eyes you, a wistful sigh escaping her lips, "But then, you protected me. In the Dark World. Even when I was an ass. Just…stood in front of the King when I was hurt, when it felt like we had made a mistake even trying to take him on, and…"

She pauses, "Ugh…twisted me up, ya know? You were supposed to be this freak or whatever. Not supposed to be…that. And then we kept hanging out, you were always around when I needed you, kept sneaking out in the middle of the night when I was pissed and wanted to talk…"

Susie continues to mutter softly, the inches between you and her closing.

"Like you Kris. More than all…this. Mean a lot to me, especially after everything we've been through." A sly smile creases along her lips, "…kinda cute too. Especially when you're fighting. Get this face when you're all determined, and the way your armor wraps around-"

Your eyes go wide as you whip back towards the dragoness. You freeze, realizing just how close she is, staring you in the eyes, having snuck closer and closer until her warm breaths paint your features.

"I-I…"

Your lungs burn, scales almost brushing against your lips.

"…not saying much, Dreemurr." Susie whispers, "Can tell me to back off."

The journal scatters off underneath your bed, your hands scrambling to brace yourself.

"I…if y-you…Susie, I-I like-" You swallow painfully.

"…cheeks're red dude."

The words cut through, causing you to wince, to pull away just for a moment. Just long enough for claws to dance through your hair, woven patterns of rough scales pulling you closer, a burning sensation pressing against your lips. The meeting is light, careful, testing at first before falling in further. You reach out, shakily, fingers dancing along her hide. Your hand falls against her maw, an inferno of violet heat blooming, threatening to sear your touch, fleeting as it may be. You melt into the embrace, pushing for more, vicious fangs grazing your lips in each moment. A danger you were willing to brave, one you had considered, and dreamt of, more times than you could count.

A hum draws back into your drifting mind, a rumbling purr flowing from the girl. Something safe, something comforting. A sound that brought you back into reality long enough to realize the feelings weren't fleeting, even if the moment itself would end.

You blink, senses slowly returning as the warmth drifts away, the world coming back into view.

"There." The dragoness chirps, "That answer your question?"

A shuddering breath escapes your lips as you stare into the girl's amber eyes, the once burning afternoon light having faded into dusk. You brush a bit of hair out of your eyes, a dopey smile barely hidden away. Before you can shrink back against the bed's surface once more, the girl leans forward, pressing her forehead to your own, eyes half-lidded.

A wry smile pulls on her lips, "So, still rather go with me?"

You match her gaze, a newfound confidence blooming in your chest, "…still would."

"Heh." Her arms curl around you, dragging you tightly to her chest, "Freak."

Heady breaths flutter through your hair as she nuzzles closer, falling once more into the moment. Your eyes begin to close, the fading light illuminating the darkness underneath your bed for just a moment, the splayed pages of your journal visible even through her mane closing you in. You nestle into the crook of her neck, the quiet of the room interrupted only by the sound of her heartbeat, and rumbling purrs, breaking through.

You close your eyes.

Maybe you would draw something a bit different next time.

Something that got her smile just right.

[Author's Note]

Yo.

Posting these three chapters real quick. They're super old and I totally forgot to actually put them here. I'd post other ones but they're either a dumpster fire in terms of quality or...well, a bit spicy for my usual fare. Regardless, maybe you'll enjoy these additions. Thanks for reading, and take care out there.