Now we get to them actually tolerating each other. Can you feel the love tonight folks? All I feel is my phantom arm ever since Corbin ripped it off. I'll be fine though! Oh and I own none of this, except the story and Corbin. Now excuse me, Imma get me a Winter Soldier arm.

If there's one thing Corbin loves about the modern age, it is indoor plumbing, which was the biggest game changer since medicine, in the inhuman woman's opinion. Sure, the shower she found in the decrepit bathroom that was once the factory workers' was covered in corrosion and looked like it came from the darkest recess of the human psyche; however, the floor filled with scattering roaches and rats was on par for the course for the rest of the old building. Corbin has seen worse conditions and wants to get rid of the blood splattered all over her before it completely dries.

Despite the lack of warm water, the inhuman woman walks out feeling fresher than she has been the last few days. She changed out of her bloodied shirt and jeans, donning a green, yellow, and red plaided ankle-length dress with ruffled short sleeves that hands off her shoulders and a light blue sash around the waist. Corbin allows herself a twirl in the dress for the sheer pleasure of watching the colors swirl around before settling in place. She's left with a small smile as she walks into the same area as the Creeper, having left one of the many bags of supplies near her alcove.

The Creeper stops while carving his unfinished dagger at the sound of Corbin's light steps. He glances over his shoulder, the darker woman's colorful dress catching his eye, which may be the most colorful thing in this building. Corbin gives a returning glance as she pulls out one of the many hairbrushes she scavenged before settling on the edge of her designated nook. Her attention then turns to use the blue plastic brush to smooth out her thick dark locks, carefully untangling the many knots the brush couldn't straighten or removing any leaves and twigs she couldn't wash out. Without knowing it, the dark female begins to hum an upbeat tune that she faintly remembers hearing in the French Quarter.

Her male counterpart stops in his work, his ears pricking up at a sound he hasn't heard in person for a long time. The Creeper turns in his seat to be presented with the serene sight of his mate brushing her tresses while humming what he recognizes as jazz. He is captivated by her voice as his mate opens her mouth and sings. Granted, it's more like vocalizing vowels as Corbin has forgotten the exact lyrics, yet it didn't matter to either maneater. Not when the melody echoes and bounces off the walls before it hangs in the air long enough to give the illusion of a long-dead chorus repeating after the lead singer.

'What beautiful music.'

The Creeper couldn't help but think. No sooner did he form that thought that Corbin stopped, remembering she has an audience. The female furrows her brows at the Creeper, who gives his head an inquisitive tilt. She opens her mouth to respond, only to be stopped by the male's intrigued tone.

'Do ya know more music?'

Corbin nods in response. She raises a brow at the male before shrugging, deciding she doesn't want to be mad or bothered by the Creeper hearing her songs.

"Plenty more. Have any specific requests?"

The larger male taps a finger to his chin in thought before shaking his head.

'I wanna hear yer voice. It's one of ta best things I ever 'eard.'

Comes the Creeper's genuine response, which causes the darker female's cheeks to heat up. She then places her left hand on her cheek to cover how her eyes seem slightly light up in the dim room. The male gives a slight tilt of his head at Corbin but doesn't appear to notice, or at least chooses not to comment on it overall. Instead, he turns his old wooden chair around to face her fully. The dark female sets her hairbrush down and taps her foot in thought. Eventually, she starts to tap her foot to a rhythm paired with her voice. That voice sang a jolly tune, but it comes back as unintentionally haunting after bouncing through the decrepit and vacant halls.

"Children, have you ever met the boogeyman before?

No, of course, you haven't, for you're much too good, I'm sure.

Don't you be afraid of him if he should visit youuu,

He's a great big coward, so I'll tell you what to do.

Hush, hush, hush

Here comes the Boogey Man..."

The Creeper's pale blue eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on Corbin with an intensity similar to when he stalked prey. Disturbingly following their every movement with blank expression but with eager eyes. He didn't break his line of sight when reaching for his dagger to continue sharpening it to a fine point. While normal humans would be understandably unnerved by this unwavering attention from such a monstrous creature, Corbin couldn't find it in herself to care, given how much she's currently enjoying herself.

"Say shoo shoo and stick him with a pin

Boogeyman will very nearly jump out of his skin...

The inhuman woman trails off as she then squints at her male counterpart. The Creeper slightly raises a brow at the song's ending, not knowing why.

'Did I tick 'er off again?'

The ancient beast ponders as his mate gets up from her perch and walks towards him with her brows still furrowed. The Creeper could sense no irritation or anger from the female, but then again, Corbin has a knack for keeping herself mentally shut off from him.

He gets his answer when his mate stops in front of him and reaches out with long slender fingers to pluck out a twig in his long white mane. She then drops it to the ground and places her hand on his left shoulder in junction with his neck, lightly trailing them down as she moves behind him. The Creeper gives a soft rumble from his chest as he leans eagerly into her feather-light touches. He turns his head to follow Corbin's free hand as she raises the brush she was using earlier. He cocks his head inquisitively as his mate then uses it on his wiry hair. He attempts to pull away and lets out a low growl when Corbin tugs against a knot in his locks.

"When's the last time you took the time to groom yourself? Do you even know how to do so?"

The Creeper lets out a huff through his nose.

'Why would I? I never had ta bother with it before.'

"So that would be a no."

Corbin grumbles before raising the blue brush again and using her other hand to separate a lock of the male's stark white hair from the rest of his rat nest style. The Creeper tenses and attempts to pull away until his mate uses her tail to push him back into his seat.

"Oh hush, it's not that bad, I promise."

He grunts as if to say "doubt it" but leans back into Corbin's touch. He isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all. The Creeper decides to focus back on his craft, flinching now and then as his female counterpart tugs at a knot. Eventually, though, he finds himself shivering in pleasure which causes his shoulders to shake softly. He practically melts into Corbin's gentle caresses, his dagger now forgotten. The mentioned female couldn't help but let out an amused huff. They remain in companionable silence for a long while as Corbin works on grooming the Creeper's bushel of white hair, only stopping briefly when he moves to set down his dagger on his workbench.

For her part, the inhuman woman doesn't quite know what came over her or why she's putting much effort into a trivial matter with this frustrating male. That still doesn't stop her from running her careful fingers through his coarse-looking mane and letting the surprisingly somewhat soft strands run between her fingers. During so, she gives the dedication to pluck out any leaf or other debris she spots with delicate claws before picking up where she left off in her earlier song, all the while feeling like this is the most natural thing on earth for her to do.

"Say "buzz buzz" just like the wasp that stings

Boogeyman will think you are an elephant with wings

Hush, hush, hush, here comes the Bogeyman

Tell him you've got soldiers in your bed

For he will never guess that they are only made of lead,"

Corbin continues the song softly under her breath. She stops once again when the Creeper catches her eye. This time, she felt frozen in place, as if caught in the middle of something private, unlike earlier when she sang. Corbin lowers her hands from the Creeper's bushel of hair, still holding his soft gaze that flickers with amusement and something else she dares not name, lest she causes her own eyes to glow again. Eventually, Corbin can't hold it anymore and breaks from his stare to start moving past him.

"That should be good enough."

The Creeper lets out a confused churr as something akin to disappointment twists in his chest. He rises out of his seat and reaches out with an arm to encase Corbin's forearm with no force behind it. She barely manages not to flinch at the contact before turning her head towards the male, furrowing her brows at him. The Creeper answers her silent inquiry.

'How are ya feeling there?'

His eyes fall on the barely perceptible lighter-colored skin from where she recently healed from the boy's axe. Corbin follows his line of sight to her revealed skin the dress didn't cover. She drags a finger over the healed skin, recalling the white-hot burst of the pain of having an axe embedded there.

"A bit sore, but I've had worse."

Corbin answers truthfully. The Creeper raises a finger.

'I have somethin' fer that.'

He then opens his jacket to pull out a blood-stained bundle wrapped in torn fabric, dripping with still-warm blood, which he holds out to Corbin.

'It ain't chocolate or roses, but I wanna give ya my heart.'

Corbin raises a hand to her face, shutting her eyes tightly as she attempts to quell her laughter. It's not so successful, as the Creeper can hear barely restrained chuckles that cause her shoulders to shake from the effort. His mate could feel him grinning in shared amusement.

"That was so terrible."

'Then why are ya laughin', darlin'?'

"I'm not!"

Corbin tries to protest, to which the Creeper replies by giving disbelieving grumbles. Nonetheless, the inhuman woman accepts her counterpart's gift and takes the still-bleeding gift from his hand. Corbin carefully unwraps her gift to reveal it to be a heart. The inhuman woman feels the inside of her mouth water at the still-fresh smell permeating the air, the organ fairly warm and filled with juicy blood. The Creeper watches intently as his mate opens her mouth wide, like a snake, as she scarves down the large organ. His captivated gaze trails down her throat as it widens considerably to accommodate such a large morsel before it descends completely into her stomach. Corbin then lifts her fingers to her mouth to start delicately licking at each one for leftover blood.

"Mmmhh, delicious."

The inhuman woman hums in satisfaction. The Creeper's fixated eyes follow the small twin trails of blood that flows down the corners of his mate's mouth and then her exposed collarbone.

'Ya gotta bit of somethin' on yerself.'

"Mmmh?"

Without a second thought, he moves close to Corbin's personal space to run his hot, warm, and wet tongue from her collarbone and slowly up her neck. The aforementioned female lets out a barely perceptible gasp at the new sensation and raises her head to give the male better access to her neck before she can perceive it. Corbin raises her hands to place them on the larger male's shoulders but doesn't push him away. This gives the older creature confidence to place his hands on either side of her waist. She can feel the Creeper's tongue running along her jaw before licking up the last drop of blood that escaped the corner of her mouth. He grins as he spots how his mate's honey-colored eyes illuminate her cheeks in a soft shade of yellow, similar to dusk.

Corbin lets out a slow sigh through her slightly opened mouth, displaying her lethal pearls, only to intake a sharp inhale when the Creeper repeats the process on the other side of her face. She flexes her fingers, slightly digging her claws into the Creeper as a purr builds deep within her chest.

He pauses briefly when coming across the area where Corbin was struck by an axe, taking the time to nuzzle against the patch of skin with his nose before continuing his strange "grooming."The Creeper licks up the thin line of blood trailing down her neck, slowly and purposefully sensuously to send heat to build within his mate's core. Corbin's gaze flickers over to Creeper, who she swears is lingering longer than necessary at her jawline.

With one last lick at the corner of the female's lips, the Creeper gives a pleased and amused grin. A grin that exposes his rows of needle-like teeth would've given full-grown man nightmares for the rest of his days. Corbin hears her male counterpart's deep warbled chuckle in her ear, which she's barely able to repress a shiver at. The Creeper pulls back from his mate to look into his mate's eyes, entertained by her flustered expression. Without another word, he then walks away from the darker female to situate himself back at his workbench.

Corbin's mouth is agape at whatever transpired between her and the Creeper. She raises a hand to the corner of her lips, finding the area still damp from the male's saliva. Corbin couldn't begin to say what that was about before her eyes widened as another realization dawned on her.

'Did he see my eyes as well!'

She then raises both hands to her face, covering her eyes and cheeks before dragging them down. Corbin sits on an abandoned crate that groans under her weight but is still held. Right next to her is a small side table holding her counterpart's prized phonograph. The Creeper paused briefly in his work, another shuriken, to glance over at Corbin, whose embarrassment radiated off of her in waves; he couldn't help but give another low chuckle. This, in turn, made said waves intensify as the darker female picks up the sound.

'Ghede, take me now!'

"Who's heart did that belong to, really?"

Corbin eventually speaks up, hoping to distract herself from the emotions brewing in her, keeping her tone guarded so as not to give away any of her inner turmoil.

'Does it matter? Meat is meat.'

The Creeper gives a perfectly nonchalant tone, not looking up from his work.

"It matters to me."

Corbin crosses her arms as she gives a persistent hard glare at the male across from her. A glare that the Creeper burned into the back of his head and deeper into his subconscious. His mate then repeats her question in a slow and deliberate tone.

"Did it come from a young child?"

The Creeper turns his head from his work toward his mate with a stoney face. Corbin holds eye contact with him, already knowing that the boy is perfectly fine but playing ignorant to see how the older maneater reacts to her line of questioning.

'No, it came from his mother's sister.'

"Would you have taken a heart from a young child if they had anything you wanted?"

Without missing a beat, the Creeper responds with complete honesty,

'No, they're too young, not quite ripe ta eat yet. It would be senseless to hunt the meat's youngins or any meat if they got nothin' worth eatin'. '

Corbin doesn't reply in any way. She gives a slow serpentine blink at the Creeper, who cannot identify what she's thinking or feeling. Both matched in stoic expression, putting them both at an unofficial standstill until the Creeper is the first to say something with a raised brow.

'What, don't believe me?'

Corbin shakes her head before leaning her arm against the side table next to her.

"I'm a bit taken aback that a sadistic human eater has some honor. Don't get cocky. You've only reached the bare minimum."

The Creeper snorts in amusement as he raises a brow at her.

'And meats reach a higher bar? Believe it or not, I never killed a meat over somethin' so petty as color, wealth, idols, rankings, or even just fer ta helluva it. I'm merely huntin' to live.'

"I never claimed that humans were better. I will say, however, the humans I knew reached a higher bar than most,"

Corbin locks gaze with the male across from her to add pointedly.

"including you."

The Creeper lets out a huff as he slightly tilts his head, his gaze fixated on his mate. Corbin swears that the older male definitely hasn't blinked at all in their latest staring contest.

'What would make ya say that?'

"Because they raised me."

A soft look fills her eyes with a warm adoration and a deep indescribable feeling that the older creature in front of her has only ever seen from afar over his many, many, many years of existence and never directed towards him. Yet, he's left deeply furrowing his brows and widening his eyes, jaw-dropping open in disbelief.

'How? How? Just how ?'

"My mother found me in an abandoned foxhole during a winter storm as a baby. From then, I was raised by a tribe of Gitans, or Romas as some may know them."

'No! I meant,'

The Creeper shakes his head as he raises a hand to his forehead.

'How does a group of prey just take in what is obviously a predator that hunts and feeds on them?'

He gestures with a hand toward his mate, whose face remains even in contrast.

'Unless didja use yer camouflage to trick'em?'

"Na, I initially appeared as I am now."

'They're human. How would they have fed you?'

The Creeper tilts his head to the side as he gives an inquisitive hum. Corbin could feel the pit of her stomach roiling in frustration at his questioning before sensing it is not out of disdain but simple bemusement. She figures that to the other male, her being raised by prey is the same as a wolf cub raised by deer. To be fair, it's a fair question for anyone to ask.

"Initially, my mother would use milk and yolk from eggs to feed me; then I would go after small animals, such as rodents or birds, never my ravens, though. Later, it was bigger animals, but those weren't so filling, I found. Eventually, I found out through my mother-"

Corbin stops in her sentence before looking down at her palms with a deep frown. The Creeper raises a brow at the abrupt stop but decides, after looking at her sullen expression, it's best to change the subject.

'What was yer life with the Gitans then?'

He seems to have made the right choice as the sullen expression on his mate's face is replaced by a more wistful one.

"To start, it wasn't always easy, whether inside or outside the camp. Outside, we had to deal with prejudice from people outside the tribe, treating us like mud under their boots or driving us out of their cities and villages, leaving us to starve and freeze. No matter where we went, we were outsiders to them. Yet, we found solace in one another; no one belonging to the tribe didn't know about hardships and fighting to survive. We shared the struggles, starvation, and fears, but we also shared joy, love, music, and art..."

A loving smile spreads across Corbin's face as memories of more innocent times echos in her mind.

Simpler ones where Melophia would chase after her and the rest of their cousins for their game; the tall grass was brushing against their knees as they struggled to breathe from how much they were laughing and running simultaneously. Dancing in the streets with her mother and sister, twirling their colorful skirts as music rang through the air in tempo with how their feet thumped against the stage. Flying through the crisp cold air, for once, she is not alone as she's carrying the beautiful star that is her niece...

"They were my reason and my life."

Corbin reaches to grasp the pendant around her neck and looks down at it with a bittersweet expression that wasn't quite a frown or smile. She rubs a thumb over the well-worn metal surface, tracing the familiar carved-out image of a man's featureless head. The Creeper takes notice of this small but sentimental action.

'Did that necklace belong to someone of yer tribe?'

The inhuman woman nods. She gives the pendant a tap with her claw, letting out a barely audible clink.

"My mother's."

Corbin pauses to glance briefly toward the Creeper. She opens her mouth before closing it several times; ultimately, she chooses to speak.

"My people have a tradition to burn or bury the deceased's worldly possessions to ensure their spirits have no reason to wander the earth and can move on."

'Then by that logic, are ya still haunted by yer mother?'

The inhuman woman doesn't answer. She looks down at the ground before her while tightening her grip around the necklace to the point her claws dig into her palm. Her male counterpart catches a whiff of a familiar coppery smell from Corbin. While her response to the question isn't a surprise to the Creeper, it's more puzzling to him that her obvious distress isn't pouring out from her and overwhelming his mind from its intensity. The most he could sense of these negative feelings is equivalent to small tremors in the earth before a dormant volcano erupts. He's familiar enough with his mate by now to know that means she doesn't want him to know about anything happening within her. Yet, what could she possibly have to hide when it's obvious she strongly cares for her humans despite her nature? Unless...

"Did you have a tribe or family?"

The Creeper blinks in response to his mate's sudden question. He gives a brief hum in thought while fiddling with his shuriken to add another detail to the center.

'Maybe I did as do all other living things, but I simply don't remember. I only know that I am what I am for my entire life.'

"Was it rough being on your own for your whole life?"

The Creeper shrugs his mate, hoping to placate the concern (along with something else that's softer he couldn't identify) that's written on her face.

'I wouldn't know but it's as it is, but I wasn't completely alone.'

"I'm presuming you're referring to your crows?"

The male creature nods. As if on cue, the faint caws of crows could be heard above them with a louder squawking that Corbin instantly recognizes. She instinctively moves her gaze to her left, knowing the direction her raven will fly in. She holds out her arm for Beowulf to perch on, giving him a few scratches under the chin before opening his mouth to allow him to pick off any of the heart she ate earlier from her teeth. The Creeper watches their entire interaction with bemused interest.

'I will say though, I've never been as close as you and yer pet.'

Beowulf lets out an offended sending caw at the other inhuman, ruffling his wings in irritation. Corbin pets at the top of her Corvid's head in an attempt to calm him down. The Creeper, in turn, gives a mocking toothy grin toward the bird, as if daring him to try anything.

"Yes and no. Yes, Beowulf and I are close because I've raised him since he was a chick that fell out of a nest and poked out his eye. No, he's not a pet, but a familiar which is closer to an assistant."

The aforementioned raven then flies off to somewhere within the abandoned factory to do whatever it is that familiars do when their masters don't require them immediately. The Creeper briefly watches as Beowulf flies off before becoming bored and turning his attention back to his mate. The idea of a "familiar" isn't too far out there for him, considering his run-ins with numerous cultures with their own esoteric beliefs that were influenced by what his presence alone causes supernaturally.

'I see. He isn't a pet in the same way my songbirds were.'

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what songbirds?"

The Creeper gestures to his phonogram before busying his hands with his shuriken.

'Sometimes, very rarely, but before I had ma vinyls, I would take meats that had beautiful voices ta sing fer me.'

The creature starts carving screaming figures that are in a sitting position and bound to the fine edges of his weapon, their heads turned up to let out waves of notes. He then looks up to see his mate grimacing at his explanation, sensing her apparent disgust.

'I did nothin' much to them besides keepin' em' caged up to sing fer me as they would with their birds. Not much different, really, only I would eat 'em if they have somethin' I like. If they don't? They're free to go when it's the Final Day.'

Corbin's grimace softens enough into a dry smirk.

"I can't see how a scary bastard like you is not able to make many friends."

The Creeper gives a snort in amusement.

'I suppose. I haven't had ta fortune to make connections without a deadline to collect enough meat to stay whole. Though, by that logic, it would mean yer fortunate to have made such deep connections even with meats. At least, that means you have a free life to do as ya please.'

"A life filled with deep pain and sorrow, I can tell you."

Corbin glances down at her pendant and takes it into her hands again. The Creeper puts down his shuriken before speaking again in a softer tone than before.

'Does that mean ya regret every meaningful connection ya ever made? Would ya undo it all if it meant never feeling pain or sorrow?'

"N-no. No."

The darker female looks back down at her pendant with a small smile.

"Not on my life."

Silence hangs between them, but unlike earlier, an indescribable light feeling originating from Corbin seems to warm the air as if the sun itself were shining on them. The Creeper is the first to speak again, pulling Corbin out of memory lane.

'Has anyone ya came across taken you by surprise?'

The dark female tilts her head.

"What do you mean?"

'I mean, ya had a not-so-pleasant first impression of somebody, probably thought you'd never wanted ta meet. Yet, over time, they surprise ya and ya learn there's more to them than what their raggedy appearance would tell ya while growin' closer day by day. Then ya find ya both have a lot in common in a sense that would cause a lot of other meats to fear ya.'

Corbin doesn't answer verbally, instead, her hooded amber eyes take on a soft golden glow as she looks off to the side with a hand raised to her right cheek. Her male counterpart notices the unfamiliar demure smile that graces her features. The Creeper grasps at his chest as an intense euphoric feeling fills him like never before, leaving him feeling lighter than air in a way he never felt before, not even after a particularly good hunt. He turns his gaze towards Corbin wondering, is this the indescribable feeling he's sensed and seen all those years? The very same one that's never been directed at him, that he has been denied by the nature of what he is?

He wants the same, from her.

"Va, I have met someone like that. They were unlike other humans at the time, unbounded by convention, fearless, and bold."

The Creeper leans forward in his seat with a hopeful gleam Corbin doesn't notice as she fiddles with her right earring.

"I'm a bit embarrassed to say how quickly I was smitten and how hard I fell for her."

The male across from her furrows his brow as he sits up straight, stiff as a board.

"Jacquotte Delahaye was her name, a pirate captain, which wasn't exactly a group I would've usually affiliated with during the time period, but they weren't as horrible as those slavers, in my opinion. In fact, the only reason I ran into her was that I stowed away in her ship to rest for a bit."

Corbin doesn't notice in her past musings how the Creeper's claws started subtly digging into his wooden seat.

"I was awoken from my rest when I heard her crew causing a ruckus as they danced, sang, and reenacted their latest victory to their crewmates. I heard her retelling her adventures and successes, including how she became a pirate to avenge her father and care for her brother, how she out-foxed many navy french men including faking her death and pretending to be a man to avoid detection. I was intrigued enough by her that when those navy men blew her ship to pieces and set it ablaze in retaliation, I couldn't just let her drown in the merciless sea."

She then gives a dreamy sigh, recalling the feeling of her chapped lips softening against her own when they first kissed.

"I didn't want her to know what I am at first, but of course, she was clever enough to put two and two together long before I told her. Still, even knowing what she knew, she chose to love me, to be my wife, my mate. As unbelievable as it sounds, I loved her."

Corbin finishes before she's met with a dry chuckle one would expect to hear from a mummy awakening from its eons-long slumber. The darker female raises a brow as she turns her attention back to her current mate. The Creeper's head is lowered to where his chin meets his sternum before raising it while shaking it side to side.

'So easily swayed by meats. May as well have taken in a cow or deer as your love as that's all your "mate" was in the end, much like your mother.'

He's barely able to react fast enough to grab his newly finished shuriken when Corbin pounces toward him, slamming him hard onto his workbench covered in a variety of sharp tools with her claws digging deeply into his throat and eyes darkening into a hellish red tint. A searing pain that felt as if Corbin herself is tearing into his skull, shoots through the Creeper's brain as he's nearly deafened by her mental words.

'DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK OF THEM!'

The Creeper then plants his shuriken deep into her left eye socket, causing her black blood to gush out down her face to stain her brightly colored dress before slamming her against one of the few bare walls near his workstation, causing the darker female to break her hold on the Creeper's neck. This does little to deter Corbin who snaps her jaws at the Creeper's hand as moves them in an attempt to pin down her wrists, biting off a good chunk of his right hand including his entire thumb. She gives a sadistic smile with her fangs stained black before spitting out his thumb.

The larger male retaliates by using his good hand to claw deeply into Corbin's face. The darker female then springs forward against her male counterpart's weight, kneeing him hard below the ribs with enough force to make the Creeper cough up inky blood. While still caught off guard, she interlock her hands together behind his head to wrangle his entire body to her left, then sock him in the face with a loud crack.

The Creeper stumbles backward, spitting out another glob of black blood onto the concrete ground with a tooth mixed in. To Corbin's twisted satisfaction, the mandibles on the left side of his face are bending at an angle that they shouldn't. He glares at her and gives a deep growl, not breaking eye contact as he raises a sleeve to wipe off some blood from his chin. Corbin raises her hands to beckon her male counterpart to attack her.

"Ann danse jiskaske Ghede pran ou."

She then reaches to her left eye, where the shuriken is still embedded and tears it out with a screech in pain. The Creeper takes this opportunity to answer Corbin's taunt with a flick of his wrist, launching one of his many knives into the darker female's chest, piercing a lung. This doesn't deter Corbin, even as she coughs up more blood, from rushing toward the Creeper and whipping her tail in his direction. The male inhuman ducks and grabs hold of Corbin's tail, pulling at it hard enough to knock her off balance. He stomps hard on the darker female's ribs before ripping out the knife implanted in her chest to then chop off the end of her tail in one motion. The Creeper then lets out a roar as he digs his foot into Corbin's ribs, even opening up his head crest in an attempt to make the enrage female submit.

Corbin lets out a roar of her own and opens her head crest in challenge before using the shuriken in her hand to sever his Achilles tendon. The Creeper wabbles on the foot holding down the dark female, which she uses as leverage to kick him repeatedly in the chest before finishing with a heel kick to his face, sending the larger male to the ground. Despite some difficulty, Corbin is able to hop back on one knee and foot before rising unsteadily. She falls again on her knees, which causes her to reach out for something stable with her right hand. In this case, it was the phonograph she was sitting next to earlier; however, in her haste, she knocked it over onto the ground, breaking off the horn and tone-arm to fall off while chipping the edge of the turntable.

"CLANG"

The Creeper watches as his favorite vinyl is knocked off the turn table and rolls away, landing somewhere else. He lets out another growl, this one louder than before, as he gnashes his bared needle-like teeth together. The Creeper feels himself clawing his hands together, eager to rip into Corbin's flesh and draw more blood to the last drop. Pissed off doesn't even begin to describe the molten rage flowing through his body.

"Youuuu..."

He marches toward his female counterpart who took makes her way toward him. He attempts to take the first swing, aiming for her neck, but Corbin swipes his arm away from her. She then drops onto one knee and strikes the Creeper below the ribs with both fists, sending him to his knees. Corbin then follows suit, using one hand to support her as the other clutches at her vacant left eye. She takes deep wheezy breaths, occasionally spitting up more blood. Her once colorful dress now is stained with a black stripe beneath her chin, running down her entire torso. The stains only seem to grow given how she hasn't stopped bleeding yet. The Creeper could feel the incessant stinging from his back with warm blood dripping down, from when he was pinned against his work table. He's pretty sure he may have a few splinters as well. His face, which most would call grotesque normally, looks more crooked with barely perceptible darkened patches of skin showing the bruising. In total, they both look like Hell.

The Creeper glances over to his mate and then to where his broken phonograph lies. His face appears to remain neutral, making him hard to read; even when Corbin tries to pry his mind and emotions to what he's truly thinking.

'Foolish. Just foolish of me... Why did I act out dat way? No, no, ya know why ya did. Just because ya have some similarities doesn't automatically mean connections like hers... I just thought it'd be different.'

Corbin doesn't do anything as the Creeper rises to his feet again. She merely looks up to observe the older male, whose face remains stoic as a statue if it weren't for a look in his eye that took Corbin aback. She's further caught off guard when he speaks again with the menacing edge from earlier.

"I wassss... foolisshhhh."

He then hobbles past her, leaving a trail of ink-colored blood in his wake. Corbin watches him leave until he's out of sight, bloodied, and left with a myriad of feelings buzzing in her head.

Hey guys what did you think? I'll admit for the dialogue between Corbin and the Creeper, I looked over some messages and RP between VickKern and me. Their interpretation of Creeper is just so interesting and well-written, in my opinion. Also, Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! To let you know, this chapter and the previous one were supposed to be one thing but I decided to break it down into two parts. Considered it my Christmas present to all my readers! Now, I'm gonna chug some hot chocolate until I pass out. Stay weird, my fellow humans.

Haitian Creole Translation: "Let's dance until Ghede takes you."