List of oneshots part 4
chapter 27
An albino monster boy finds a new home.
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The forest was still, the birds were quiet, the bigs weren't buzzing, everything seemed quiet. Except for the snapping of twigs and breaking of branches due to a blur running through them.
The figure panted as they ran, branches slapping them as they ran, barely watching where they were going, the only thing on their mind was 'ESCAPE'.
The forest settled a bit after the blur passed by, only for a second blur to quickly follow.
"Come back here! You can't escape from me!" called the blur as it began to get closer and closer to the first one.
"No! Leave me alone!" called the blur as they jumped over a large fallen log… only to realize there was a small pond on the other side too late. They yelled and went splashing into it as the other blur stopped at the edge and looked down.
"Are you ok?" They called, the figure revealed to be a tall woman in a fancy purple suit with her legs being a pair of goat legs, and a large pair of curved goat horns on the top of her head along with a pair of goat ears. She had a large backpack on and what looked like an oversized net in her hands. "Did you drown?"
The water was still for a moment before a figure broke the surface, sputtering as they tried to reach the side desperately.
"Oh good you're alive! Now get in the net!" She said as she moved the net over the figure and began to inch them towards her.
"No! I won't! You can't make me!" cried the figure who was revealed to be a boy with a short mop of curly white hair on their head along with a pair of equally white deer ears and two tiny antlers that were the color of fresh snow. As they were pulled out of the water his torso was seen to be attached to the lower half of a deer, which was just as white as his hair.
"Well seeing as I have you in my net, I'd say I can." She said smugly as she pulled him out of the water and next to her, his head only coming up to her chest.
"Please, I just wanna be left alone." He groaned as he tried to get out of the net. "There's nothing special about me, I'm just a whitehorn!"
"Exactly. You're one of a kind, which means when I make you mine, I'll go down in history for having the first whitehorn as my husband~"
"Oh come on! I'm just part deer who got unlucky at birth! It's not that special!" He cried out shaking his head. "That's all there is to it! I'm no different than any other half deer person!"
"Oh yes there is, you're an ALBINO whitehorn~"
"Yes, but that's all!" He groaned as she began to drag him away. "I'm not stronger, not faster, nothing! I can't even camouflage myself properly now!"
"Still, just the fact I have one as my husband would boost my status tenfold. Not even a pharaoh or anubis has one in the current day." She said smugly. "Plus you're young too, so you'll be around for a long time~"
"Oh come on! This is ridiculous!" He said, starting to grow desperate. "Wouldn't you rather go with some big buff adventurer?"
"Maybe, but I'm sure we can buff you up plenty when we get home~"
'She won't listen!' He thought as his eyes darted around nervously. 'Is this it, after all these years running, someone caught me?! Is this the end of Pan?!'
"But that can wait AFTER the ceremony."
"Ceremony?! Oh god, you're going to skin me in front of some crazy cult, aren't you?!"
"Course not, just a ceremony to make it official." She said as she shook her head, unaware she was being watched from the trees. "Geeze, what do you think I am, a psychopath?"
"You just chased me down through the woods and now you want to force me to get married, so yes!"
"Hmph! Bit of a sharp tongue you've got, seems like I'll have to fix that later." She said with a sigh before a small dart was shot into her neck. "Ow! What was….that….uhhhhh…" She groaned as she began to feel her limbs go numb.
Pan looked at her confused before watching her fall over and pass out, surprising him. He hesitantly poked her before grinning.
"Yes! Haha, my luck is finally turning around!" He cheered while getting the net off him. "Phew, whatever that was, it saved my life." He sighed before seeing a dart barely miss his cheek. "...eh?"
"Damn it I missed!" Growled a voice from the trees as his face went white before he turned around and quickly began dashing away like a startled deer. "Hey! Come back here!"
"No no no no no no! Just leave me alone!" He cried as the figure began to follow him through the trees. "I just wanna be left alone!"
"That was never an option, now hold still." They spoke before they loaded another dart into their blow dart tube. "I promise this will be quick and painless."
"That's what they all say!" He cried as he kept running. "What do you want from me, to skin me, stuff me, mount me on a wall, or show me around like some kind of trophy?!"
"All of the above." Called the figure as they leaped forward, and landed on Pan's back, making him stumble.
"G-Get off of me, get off!"
"Sweet dreams~" They sang before Pan felt the dart hit his neck.
"N….no…." He got out as his legs gave out under him and he went crashing into the ground. "Oooh…."
"There we go, now you rest as I get you to the wagon." Chuckled the figure as they stood up and lifted Pan up, slumping him over their shoulder. "He's gonna look perfect on my wall, and is probably gonna taste even better."
(Later)
"Ugh….my head." Groaned Pan as his eyes began to open. "Where am I?" He looked around and saw he was covered in a large tarp and the world seemed to be moving slightly. 'How did I….oh yeah, that person got me with a dart.' He thought as he carefully lifted part of the tarp back so he could look around. 'I guess I got lucky and they didn't use enough tranquilizer.'
"Man, we bagged us a real beauty." Chuckled a figure who was driving the wagon. "Today was a good day~"
"Yeah, and by the end of the day we're gonna be filthy rich."
'Crap, there's another person, are they a hunter too?' he thought with a gulp. 'I can't believe this is gonna happen. As if the last hunter I ran into wasn't bad enough.' He thought as he peaked out to get a look at who caught him. 'Ok, maybe this isn't too bad, maybe I got lucky and they're both weak humans?'
"How much you think his fur is worth alone?"
"Well, if we find the right buyer I'd say oh… 50 grand, tops, but he's worth a lot more alive." Chuckled the second figure, who all Pan could see of was a large bushy striped tail.
"Shame, I know a few people who'd pay an arm and a leg for an arm and a leg." Laughed the first figure decked out in brown robes.
"Yeah, but you know what he's worth on the market, he's rare enough that he's worth money but not so rare no one's heard of an albino before, and that is the perfect market.' Chuckled the figure. "If someone doesn't believe something's real they won't buy it, but make it ultra rare AND real and they'll pay anything!"
'Not if I'm not there!' He thought as he made sure their backs were turned before he leapt up and jumped out of the wagon. He took off running and went into a bush while not bothering to look back.
"Yeah, now how about you wake up the sleeping prince, we're nearly at the ma- fuck!"
"What is it?"
"He's gone!"
"WHAT?!" The cloaked figure cried as she turned around to just barely see Pan disappear into the woods. "NO!"
"Get him!"
As both got off the wagon, Pan himself ducked into an old log to try and catch his breath, while gripping his hands tightly.
'Why did my life have to be this way?! Why did I have to be on the constant run from everyone?! I end up with a rare fur color since I was a baby, and no one bothers to leave me alone! I'm not rare or special! My fur is a different color, that's it! It's no different than painting a house a brand new color never seen before!' he thought as he let out a groan. 'Yet some bastard thinks me having some white fur is special and they want it! Damn it!'
He hit the log and groaned, feeling like shit. 'I don't get why they would care about the stupid color when there's literally tons of other people who can actually DO cool stuff! Like make literal paradises in deserts, or make entire kingdoms out of slime, or even breath underwater and fuck without dying!' He thought as he let out another groan. 'I need to try something new, I can't keep this up forever, I got too close to death this time!'
As he tried to relax and laminate about his life, he didn't realize a man walking through the forest, whistling, with glasses and a coat on was passing by.
"Hum ho ho da da da…" He hummed as he kept walking before letting out a yawn. "Boy, I sure am getting tired. Better see if I can't find any more specimens before calling it a day." He said as he looked around before spotting the log. 'Ah, there we go, I know some species hide in damp, rotten places.' he walked over towards it and crouched down. "Now what….well well well, what do we have here?" He said as he looked in to see Pan's startled face.
"Uh….quack?"
"You are not a duck." He chuckled. "But you sure are a surprising find, didn't expect someone like you hiding in a log like a beaver."
"I uh… like logs?" He said nervously as he tried to back up.
"Well why don't I help you out? Seems a bit snug in there."
"N-No! I'm fine, really!" He spoke trying to back up quicker as the man chuckled.
"Oh come now, here, I'll help." He said as he grabbed Pan's arms. "I'll pull you out in no time."
"N-No, don't!" He cried out as the man gave a tug and pulled him out.
"There you g- what the hell?"
"You're seeing things!" He said quickly nervously. "You ate some bad mushrooms!"
"No, you have deer legs!"
"Awkward bone growth and lack of waxing!"
"And you have white fur!"
"Terrible accident with a barrel of bleach!"
"And are those deer ears?!"
"Fake ones!" He said nervously as he looked around. 'Welp, I guess this is where I die!'
"Amazing! You most certainly do have the worst of luck, huh?"
"Yup, real bad luck. So bad in fact you wouldn't wanna get involved, better back up away from me to be on the safe side."
"Oh no, really, if you're out here then you must be lost, do you want some directions back to town?"
"Uh...town?"
"Yes, the local town, it's only about ten minutes away from here that way." He said as he pointed behind Pan. "You were going there, weren't you?"
"Um… kinda?" He said nervously. 'That's probably where the hunter's were headed.. But if I stay in the woods they'll find me for sure.'
"Well I could show you the way personally." He said as he took Pan's hand and began to lead him away.
"T-That's not necessary, really!"
(Later)
'How did he talk me into this?!' he thought, walking beside the man reluctantly. "I uh… I think I should cover up a b-"
"Nonsense my good man, you'll be fine."
"Bu-"
"Fine!" He spoke in a firm tone making Pan shut up.
'Ok, so I'm gonna die all because I can't stand up to an old man...great.' He thought before noticing a cabin coming up down the road. 'Ok, maybe I can lose him in there, I'll duck in while he's walking and wait for him to leave.'
"So, what are you going to do when we get to town?"
"Uh, maybe grab a small bite to eat." He said as he eyed the cabin. "I dunno, didn't really think about it, you?"
"Well see I'm a doctor, so probably go on and sell some of the medicine I make in my cabin, which is the one right up here."
"Oh… that's your cabin?" he asked with a small groan.
"Yup, why don't I show you around? It won't take long."
"I uh, I don't think that's really necessary, I'm good, thanks."
"Oh no, I insist." He said as he grabbed Pan's hand and dragged him towards the cabin.
'Fine, I guess a quick stop won't hurt anyone.' He thought before they entered and saw the place was littered with all sort of random junk. "Um… nice place?"
"Thanks, usually I mean to clean up, but then I get distracted with my work." He said with a chuckle. "I wasn't expecting company so soon."
"Well I'd probably distract you even more, so I better head on down to town." Pan said as he turned to leave, only for the old man not to relinquish his grip. "Uh, you can let go now."
"Oh, I don't think so." he smiled with a chuckle. "You see, I just came up with a new theory, and I need some help."
"Uh…. what kind of theory would that be?"
"What sort of medicine I can make using an albino's body." He said as Pan's face paled.
"NO NO NO NO! That is all bull! I am no different than a regular person! Let me go, let me go!" he cried trying to pry his hand free as the man reached over and grabbed a rag from a table. "HELP! HELP! Stranger danger, stranger danger!"
"Quiet now, with your help I will make leaps and bounds with medical science!" he smiled before moving the rag towards Pan who kept his face away. "Now just breath into the rag and we can get started."
"No, no, noooooo!" he cried before his foot swung up, slamming the man right in the nuts.
"Ack!" He cried as he fell to the floor, groaning as he held his nuts and let go of Pan. "Why…." He groaned as the monster boy dashed out of the cabin.
"I don't wanna be cut open!" He cried out as he ran, never looking back. "I wanna live a long life!"
(Later)
"Ha...Ha… this world is a nightmare." he panted, hiding behind several large rocks. "I'm gonna die! Everyone wants to hunt me, cut me up, or marry me for some kind of weird trophy husband!" he bit his lip and started to pace. "I gotta find some place safe. A place where no one could ever hurt me, but where?" He muttered as he racked his brain. "...what if I'm somewhere people can't kill me, like a big town? No one's gonna kill someone in the middle of the street, right?"
He racked his brain on pros and con, but quickly yelled out in aggravation.
"Screw it! I'll take my chance!" He shouted as he stood up. "I'm going to the big city, where I'll be safe!"
(Later)
Pan was decked in a brown cloak and currently walking past numerous humans in a town, making sure to keep his fur covered. He was getting several odd glances since the cloak went over his deer half which went past what would be normal. 'Ok, I think this is working.'
"What?! Ten silver pieces for that? That's a joke!"
"Hey, take it or leave it lady."
"Fresh fruit for sale! I have fresh fruit!"
"Husbands, get your husbands! I got human, monster, you want it, I got it!"
'I'm definitely staying away from THAT one!' He thought as he glanced at the shop nervously. 'What kind of place is this city?'
"Hey you." Called a voice as Pan felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
"H-Huh? Yes?"
"Why are you covering your face?" Called the voice as he looked behind a bit so he could see who was talking to him, to see a large lamia.
"I-I have an ugly face?" He lied. "I'm self conscious about it."
"Oh come now, I doubt that, it can't be that bad, right?"
"Yes it is, very bad. So bad it would kill you!"
"Huh? What are you, a Medusa?" She asked with a frown as she yanked down his hood and twirled him around.
"Avert your eyes!" He spoke using one hand to try and cover his fur while using the other one to cover her eyes.
"Wow, you look pretty cute~" She purred, looking past his fingers. "Say, do you have a place to stay here in the city cutie?"
"N-No, bu-"
"Great!" She spoke before he found himself wrapped up by her tail. "You can stay at my place~"
"W-Wait, I don't know i-"
"Come on, I insist! In fact, I really do insist, I don't want you to be out in the cold all alone, I'll make sure you're nice and safe with me~" She gave a half lidded look with him screaming in his head.
"I-I'm fi-" He said as she headed towards a large door on a nearby building. 'Why does she live so close?!'
"You'll love my interior design." She gushed as she dragged him into the building, slamming the door behind her. "I just know you're gonna love it here!"
'She's already making it sound like we're a couple!' He thought as he looked around nervously before getting an idea. 'Maybe… this won't be so bad? She seems to like me for me so far, and not because I'm an albino… maybe this won't be so bad?'
"Ah, it's so good to have a man around the house, it's been weeks since the last one I brought home." She sighed happily as she pulled him into her apartment. "So, what do you think, do you wanna take that cloak off and get comfortable~?"
"W-Wait! What do you mean weeks?"
"Oh honey, did you really think you're the first man I brought up here to have some fun with~?" she chuckled. "I've brought tons of guys here, but sad to say they don't last too much so I go through them too fast."
"I-I think I want to leave now." He said nervously. 'I've made a mistake!'
"Oh no need to get scared, I'll make you feel like heaven~" She chuckled as she shut the door and locked it with her tail.
'I'll be going there!' He thought as he looked around desperately. "I-I need to go, I only want to do that with the person I marry!"
"Lucky for you I'm licensed in marriages." She cooed as she moved closer to him. "If you want I can marry us right now, but just between you and me I love having fun with the innocent little guys~"
'I need an adult!' He thought as she started to remove her top. "I-I need to go, really sorry!" He cried as he tried to jump away, only for her to grab him with her tail, smiling before pausing in confusion.
"Wait, what are you? You don't feel like a normal human."
"Y-Yes I am!" He said quickly. "I am human, very human, oh boy do I love being human!"
"No, you feel off." She said as she grabbed his cloak and threw it off before gasping. "You're a whitehorn! I've never seen a guy one before!"
"I-I'm not a guy! I'm...a girl!" He lied nervously. "I'm underdeveloped."
"Your voice doesn't sound like a girl." She said as her eyes narrowed. "Also why is your fur white? I thought whitehorn's fur was brown."
"I dyed it! I'm going through a phase, REAL big one." He said quickly. "I am trying to reinvent myself for the big city so… I can find a man?"
"So...you don't have a penis?" She asked as he quickly nodded. "Awwwww."
"Yeah, sorry, this was all a misunderstanding."
"Well…..I guess I could be open minded when it comes to girls." She said as she rubbed her chin.
"S-Sorry, I'm not into that, I should really go and find somewhere to stay." He spoke while trying to slip out of her tail. "Sorry again for the confusion, I hope you understand."
"Oh well, I guess I'll go hunt down another cutie." She sighed as Pan put his cloak on again. "Maybe I should go see if I can find someplace to rent a cutie..hey! Wait, whitehorn! I have an idea, let's go buy you a husband, then you can share with me!"
"No need, I'm not really looking for right at this moment. Thought maybe I'd wait a day or two before looking for one."
"Ok, fine, see you later.' She called as Pan sighed in relief as he left.
'That was too close!' He thought before bolting around the corner when he got out. 'I should have made a run for it without looking!' He thought as he looked around nervously. 'This place is just as dangerous as the woods!'
"Excuse me sir."
"Huh?" He said as he turned around in confusion.
"You look like the kind of guy who has to deal with all sorts of aches and pains." remarked the man who had a cloak with a bag over his shoulder. "Do you ever suffer with all kinds of diseases that are known to kill normal men?"
"No? Why?" He asked, feeling nervous.
"Because I know just what you need." He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle. "This here concoction is of my own making. Guaranteed to help you live a longer, healthier, and might I add fertile life. That's right, one sip and you'll have to keep women at bay with a stick, you'll be feeling like a brand new stallion, and all at the low low price of, oh say, 5 gold pieces."
"Um, I'm fine, thanks." he said as he began to walk away. "I'm not looking for something like that."
"Now sir, please, I-"
"I don't have any gold on me."
"Oh, damn it." Grumbled the man as he started to walk away. "Just my damn luck."
'Ok, I need to find somewhere to stay fast!' He thought as he looked around, trying not to draw attention. 'If I stay out here odds are someone will see me and go nuts!'
"Fresh weasels! Get your fresh weasels!"
"Fresh fruit, straight off the tree!"
'Maybe I'll hide out in the rundown part of town.' He thought as he began to make his way down the street, trying to stay inconspicuous. 'There's bound to be some abandoned spots I can bunk at for a while.'
"You sir, I see you are a fan of cloaks, may I interest you in a new one?" Called a voice as Pan felt himself get grabbed from behind. "Here, I'll just take this one off and show you a much superior product!"
"Wait no!" He cried out as his cloak was ripped off him in the middle of the street, leaving him exposed. He yelped and tried to cover his ears while the person blinked.
"Wait… you're a monster?" He asked in confusion. "Why were you trying to hide?"
"N-No reason! I...just am sensitive to sunlight, now give me my cloak!"
"Hey, hey, I said I could get you a better one, now come on, just think about it, I can even make you one that fits and doesn't cover your legs." He said as people began to notice Pan.
"No thanks, I'm good, really!" He said quickly as he looked around nervously. 'I should never have come here!'
"ALBINO!" cried out one man, making Pan take his cloak back and took off running.
"Albino?! Dibs!"
"After him!"
"Just leave me alooooone!" He cried out as he ducked down an alley and ran past several people as a crowd took off after him, trying to fit down the alley or go around the sides. As he ran he passed two people in white cloaks who paused and watched him run past.
"Was that… an albino?"
"It seems so… alert the group."
"Right." the first person pulled out a scroll and jotted down a message with a pen, then lit it on fire from a nearby torch with the ashes flying up into the air. "Let's go get him, they'll prepare the gateway."
"Right."
Pan panted, sliding across the ground under a man's legs as he made a grab for him, and had to quickly jump up and over thrown bolos while he kept on moving. "Why are you after me, I don't have anything you want!"
"Get back here! I'm gonna hit the jackpot!"
"I have a daughter who's been looking for a good husband!"
"I must try out this new recipe! I'll take a leg!"
"It's only my fur that's different, I DON'T TASTE ANY DIFFERENT YOU WEIRDO!" He cried out before he saw a field of bear traps near the edge of the town and went wide eyed, barely managing to skid to a stop and almost fell on one with extremely sharp edges. "Who had time to set this up?!"
"Halt!" called a knight as he and several others lined up behind him with their spears out. "That's far enough."
"Why, why me?! I'm just a whitehorn, why does everyone want to kill me?!"
"We aren't here to kill you." The knight said as Pan looked at them nervously. "We are here to take you for the princess."
"Uh uh! No way! I am NOT becoming a pet again!"
"Then you will die." He frowned and held up his arm. "Forward men!"
'No… is this how I die?!' He thought, sweating in fear and glanced between them and the bear traps. Before he could make a choice though two figures darted forward and moved in front of him.
"Are you the albino? We are here to help."
"Oh yeah right! I'm about to be killed and you're trying to make jokes? You're sick!"
"It's him, prepare the portal."
"Portal prepared."
"Portal what?" He asked as a blinding white light appeared beneath Pan and the two figures before they disappeared.
"Hey! Where'd they go?" Asked one of the knights.
"I don't know!"
(Meanwhile)
The figures and Pan reappeared in the forest in another white light, with Pan falling back with a startled yelp.
"Ow… where am I?"
"You're safe."
"Huh?" he looked at them before quickly jumping up and held his fists out. "No way! I am NOT getting treated like some….toy!"
"You won't be, this isn't what you think it is, this is a protected area." Said the figure as Pan looked at them skeptically. "An area where you have no need to feel scared."
"Liar, there is always a reason, hunters, poachers, crazy women looking to gain status by making me their husband!"
"No, you don't get it, we're part of the Albo clan, we have created this area to protect creatures like you so they can live their life in peace."
"Ah! So you're a cult who wants to sacrifice me for some weird power!"
"No! We just brought you to this land, it's a square mile of woods and fields, it has a forcefield around it that will keep poachers from getting in."
"Why should I trust you?!"
"You don't have to, just ask the others here, besides, we're leaving anyway." The two figures turned and started walking away, Pan watching them before they literally vanished from the spot.
"What the hell?" He said as he looked where they disappeared before shaking his head. "Lunatics." He looked around the forest, huffing with a frown. "Forcefield my ass. There's nothing here." He muttered as he began to walk away, only to hit an invisible wall. He blinked and tried again, but bumped into something again. "What the…"
"Let me guess, first time seeing a force field, huh? You just arrived, didn't you?"
"AHHH!" he screamed whirling around. "My fur isn't special!"
"Yep, definitely new, welcome to the club." Chuckled the voice as he looked up to see a tall woman with a mouth full of sharp teeth, long white hair and white scales up her arm and legs, along with a long white reptile tail behind her.
"I don't taste good! I'd make a horrible pet and husband! It's just white fur!"
"Hey, hey, calm down, I get it, I'm also Albino, I'm Alice the gator-woman." She chuckled. "What's your name?"
"I-I'm Pan…" he said nervously. "So… you don't want to hunt me down?"
"No way. I had enough of that from poachers who thought my teeth could give them infinite stamina if they grounded them into dust." She growled as she shook her head. "Come on, you want to meet the others?"
"Others?"
"Yeah. The others, let me guess, the guys in the cloaks didn't explain shit?"
"No, all they said was this place was safe, but I call bull on that! They look like some kind of weird ass cult, and I've seen a lot of weird ones!"
"Yeah, we all thought that, but so far they seem to be telling the truth, only they can get in, this place is safe, and every few days they drop off a bunch of new food." She turned and started walking. "Follow me."
"Ok…" he said as he followed her. "So… how many people live here?"
"Quite a few, but not exactly a kingdom's worth." She said with a shrug. "Maybe… like two dozen, at most? Maybe three or four? A few of them are pretty secretive and seclusive."
"Wow… wait, and we all live here? Didn't he say this place was only a square mile?"
"Yeah, but it's pretty big, you get used to it." She said with a shrug. "A mile is a lot a room, and it doesn't feel too crowded."
"Are they all like us?"
"Yes and no? There are a few Albinos, but there's some other cases too, for example there's this lamia guy who suffers from melanism, it's pretty much the opposite of being Albino."
"That's a thing?"
"Oh yeah, it's a big world, there's all kinds of crazy shit, for example there's this one harpy who has blue skin and feathers."
"That sounds….I don't know what that sounds like."
"I dunno, I think she's just a rare breed." She said as they reached a small lake. Near it showed numerous grass huts of various sizes and various figures going about their business. "Here it is, home sweet home."
"Hey, Alice, you got the new guy?" Called a lamia as she looked over, her scales and skin as dark as the night.
"Yup, say hello to Pan."
"Hey, welcome to our little slice of heaven, nothing here but us freaks." She waved with Pan giving his own wave.
"So… what do you do here, do we just live here or…"
"Yeah, we're completely safe here, thank gods for those white cloaked cultists!"
"So they are part of a cult?!"
"I assumed they are, I mean why else would they help us? All I know is a few people here have been here for a few years, so no one wants to hurt us...we think?"
"You're free to go around and mingle if you want Pan."
"Ok…." he said as he hesitantly made his way forward. 'This feels almost too good to be true.'
He spotted a minotaur currently hefting up several rocks on her back, but what made her stand out was the numerous patches of white spots across her skin. 'Wow… I guess there are people here like me… maybe those guys were telling the truth?' he walked over to her and cleared his throat. "Uh, hello?"
"Huh? Oh, hey there little guy, are you new?"
"Yeah, I'm Pan." He said as she dropped the rocks. "So… what's it like here?"
"It's pretty good here.' She said with a nod as she looked him over. 'Mmm, I like what I see, he's pretty cute for a scrawny guy~'
"So how long have you been living here?"
"Three years cutie, and the names Elie." She winked, making him blush. "If you wanna get a hut set up next to mine, I'd gladly lend a hand."
"O-Ok, I'll keep that in mind.' he said as his face heated up. "I-I'm gonna go introduce myself to everyone else."
"I'll come with you, I'm done with my workout anyway."
"Oh, that'd be great." He said as she led him towards the others. 'Huh… maybe this won't be so bad.'
"Over there is Julie." she pointed over to a harpy that was all blue and looking at herself in the lake. "She's a bit full of herself, so you can usually find her at the lake looking at her reflection."
"Isn't it kinda hard, what with being all blue?"
"Yeah, but it makes her happy, so we don't bug her." She said before pointing to a small man with a black lion's mane, tail and ears. "That's Leo, he got here a few months ago."
"What's he like?"
"He's a bit self conscious, apparently he got picked on a lot because of his size, when he got saved a pack of lionesses were fighting over him."
"Damn, I know the feeling. Usually I'm assumed to have some hidden power because of my fur. Like doctors wanna cut me open, people wanna sell my fur off for money, and some have even tried to cook me!"
"Yeah, welcome to the club, everyone here's got the same story, but luckily we're here now, free and safe." She grinned while Pan spotted a cheshire cat who had bright red fur napping on the top of one of the huts. "Now come on, let's get you a hut, and until yours is built I'm happy to share mine with you~"
"Uh...you sure? I mean, we just met." He said with a blush as she chuckled.
"It's fine little guy, we don't have to start having fun in the sheets right off the bat, but you do need somewhere to stay until you got a hut, and besides, it's fine." She said with a shrug. "Besides, us freaks have to stick together."
"...is it really ok to really call ourselves that?" He asked looking down. "I mean, isn't it just a reminder that we're different than everyone else? Isn't that usually the bad thing?"
"Eh, maybe, but who cares, we all know what we are and no one from the outside can get it, and there's no changing what we are, so why not embrace it?"
"Considering the times I've been called that? Easier said than done." He said as he shuddered from the bad memories.
"Hey, it's ok, they can't get you in here, we're safe here now." She said as Pan slowly nodded. "Want a hug?"
"...yes." he said weakly as she smiled and pulled him into a hug. He let his head rest against her chest as she rubbed his head.
"There, there, just relax, no one can hurt you anymore." She said as he nodded. As they hugged they were unaware they were being watched from far away though a magical crystal ball.
"Hmmm, a new arrival? Good, I do so love watching fresh meat get settled in." Chuckled the figure. "It's always nice to see fresh blood in my little zoo."
"Shall we include a dose of aphrodisiacs for the next food package your majesty?"
"Mmmm, no, not yet, let them get settled first and grow close with the others, I have a feeling him and that minotaur will be creating babies soon without our help anyway~"
"Yes your majesty. On another note, your husband has returned with what seems to be a new brand of lingerie."
"Ooh! Tell him I'll be there in a moment!"
"Yes your majesty." The servant said as they left, leaving the figure who was revealed to be a tall beautiful woman with long white hair, a pair of horns and a wings. This was the demon lord herself.
"I wonder if he's trying to butter me up to make another daughter? And here I thought I would have to bring it up~" She chuckled as she got up to leave, ignoring the crystal ball. "Time to have some fun~"
