luckyshotwrites

[luckyshotwrites]

Dumb Little Update with 'The Jenkai'

I love this and I am sorry I keep sharing it around. It's my favorite part so far. xD STILL got a lot of work but hopefully episode one will be out around Saturday. Have a great day, NONNEGOTIABLE AS ALWAYS.

[luckyshotwrites]

ANNOUNCEMENT!

What have you been up to Lucky? WELL, currently I am working on the comic contest Webtoon is having for a series I had that takes place in the same universe as 'What I'd Do For A Livable Income'.

It follows a playful and pride oriented third class C.P.P.A. agent Vallen, playing "baby-sitter" to a serious and level-headed Jenkai named Avila. It's a "buddy-cop" type of episodic story with fantasy action hijinks, tons of monsters, idiocy, and tidbits of drama.

Disclaimer: These are rough drafts for them, in the comic they won't be exactly like this, probably better.

I'll be posting small updates with it soon, thank you again for following. And if it does well, comic wise. I will definitely be looking to make 'what I'd do for a livable income' into a comic one day too. xD

ANYWAY, AS ALWAYS HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY (Nonnegotiable)!

[luckyshotwrites]

Goofy Shenanigans #1 - "Ice Cream"

Contents: Drake trying to figure out how to ask Lynette a question. (Much later in Widfali).

Wordcount: 1,300+

“What I wouldn’t give to be able to kick a puppy.”

_______________________________________

Drake craved more of her blood after his first taste in months. It somehow increased in potency from the last time he indulged, and now he was stuck with her debating his options.

Lynette convinced him to accompany her to Bitty Frogs ice cream shop in the city outskirts—an hour before it closed. It was a 20-minute drive to get to the area, and a small ten-minute walk to the shop from where they parked.

It was close to eight in late February, so the other shops along the way illuminated their path on the sidewalk. The cold rarely bothered him, so he threw on a thin black sweater and torn jeans. Lynette, on the other hand, bundled up. Layered in at least five different sweaters, scarf, hat, gloves, and jeans under her skirt, with winter boots. Her wardrobe choices no longer shocked him. He accepted them and only wondered how she could move her upper torso wearing her current picks.

You’d think seeing barely any skin would make me less compelled to bite her. Exposed flesh made him thirsty on occasions, but what drove him better than anything was a person’s heart. The way it thumped reminded him of the fresh, warm, crimson ichor inside, waiting to be released by his fangs.

He hissed under his breath like a machine letting out steam. Why is it coming to this? He disliked asking someone for blood. It either led to an awkward exchange or a flat-out rejection. She won’t say no. Drake knew his kind-hearted, foolishly trusting “prey” too well. It’ll be embarrassing. He imagined himself saying, “may I have some of your blood, please,” and he cringed so hard, he wished there was an open grave to throw his body in.

I could do it without asking. That’s how he hunted humans. All Drake had to do was make a barrier, grab her head, wrap an arm around her waist to press her into him and lift her up, then drink to his stomach’s content.

But no, you have to be such a sweet friiiiieeeend. He complained in his head like he wasn’t grateful for her friendship. He was and wouldn’t attack her unless she deserved it by pissing him off.

Drake glanced at the shrimpy girl striding beside him. Why can’t you be a rude asshole? That’s so much better than being an innocent, lovable puppy. He was too ‘weak-willed’ to hurt one of those.

While he was in his head, she pointed out the ice cream shop across the street, half a block away. “We��re so close!”

Drake’s natural habit of respond to someone he wasn’t paying attention to caused his thought to slip through his lips, “What I wouldn’t give to be able to kick a puppy.”

Her cheerful smile fell. “What?” She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and he did the same, realizing what he said. She whimpered out, “Drake, why would you want to hit a puppy?”

He averted his eyes and checked their surroundings. Not only did they interrupt the flow of people walking behind them, but he also heard the judgmental muttering and heartbeats, too. He expelled an embarrassed hiccup of a chuckle. “Ha, you’re so-." His lip twitched, shooting her a look, “funny!” He quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. He brought her to the crosswalk and turned the corner. They weren’t going across the street yet. A short distance from the pedestrian traffic, near a corner boutique’s brick wall, he released her.

He stood in front of her, waited a second more for any prying eyes or ears to pass, and consoled her sad face. Although, in his fluster, he matched her previous exclamation volume. “I didn’t mean literal puppies!” Her heartbeat tensed. I’m yelling at her. He bowed his head in apology and lowered his voice to talk in his normal, non-fang exposing softness. “It was a metaphorical puppy as a reference for you.”

His poor choice of words slapped him in the face on their way out. He threw his hand up to silence her before she could say something like, “you want to kick me?”

“No, I don’t want to kick you. I was trying to think of a way to ask you something and not embarrass myself.” Too late for that. He moved his hand down and he considered the thought of putting it against her face and pinning her against the bricks. He dismissed it by tucking his clawed fingertips into his pockets to avoid temptation.

Lynette’s sweet and caring melody responded almost instantly. “Did you want to drink my blood?”

He flinched. He questioned whether he should feel insulted by her rapid deduction of his predictability or frustrated by her saying it blunt. Can’t you act a little scared?

Drake's eyes flicked down as she moved her gloved hand to tug at her purple scarf. He realized she was trying to expose her neck.

He fought her gesture and fixed her scarf, “Wayland.” He said her last name sharply and bared his fangs, “don’t offer yourself to me so easily.”

The redhead dropped her small mits and took a step back, so he released her scarf. She pressed into the wall behind her and looked longingly across the street at the ice cream shop. She adjusted her feet, and her green-eyed gaze helped her monotone reply. “Fine, no, you can’t have my blood.”

Drake’s shoulders dropped, offended. “You can’t take it back.”

Her attempt at being stern receded. “Huh?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Drake’s did too from his backward logic. “You told me to reject you.”

“I did.” He pressed his own palm against his face and spoke, his hand muffling his words. “I meant you shouldn’t accept my request so fast.”

The slacked eyelids and pouty grumbles showed how much she was tired of their idiocy. Don’t worry Lynette, I hate myself too. She pushed her mitten to his chest first, then hers. “We’re friends Drake.” She put her mittens on her hips to show confidence. “I trust you, and that’s a good enough reason to say yes.”

And that’s where your idiocy lies. He groaned and copied her stance. “I’m being selfish here. I only want it because it tastes better than last time.” If I could have it every day, I would.

She leaned in, fearless. However, her short height took away all seriousness because she had to crane her head up to look at him. “I’m being selfish, too. I dragged you away from your anime binge because Wicks canceled.”

He dropped his arms. “True. I was an episode away from the season finale.” Hmm. I could abuse that and guilt her into giving me blood all the time if she asks me to do something and I’m “busy”. He shook his head. I’m not doing that. “How much I’d love to say, ‘good point’ and bite you. The little Lynette I have as a conscience in my head keeps telling me no.”

Her eyes popped with vibrancy and life, she put her arms at her chest happily, “a little me? Awww.”

Drake gave a sardonic smirk and prepared his tease, “yeah, your disgusting positivity is contagious.” He acted it up by making a sour face and shook out his arms like they had something wet all over them.

She held her laugh, stuck out her tongue and walked around him, “aw shucks. That’s unfortunate. Having positivity means no blood privileges.”

Drake straightened up and followed her to the crosswalk. “Hey, I refute that.”

“Sorry, court decision.”

Drake hissed jokingly, “Not if I attack the judge.”

She gasped as they crossed the street. “You’d assault the judge?”

“If they have good blood.”

She whispered to keep the people they passed from hearing her. “Doesn’t every person have good blood to you?”

Drake wadded through all the tasty heartbeats, passing him to hear what she said. He sighed, “okay, if they have blood to die for, I’d be willing to attack a judge.”

She snickered, “don’t you usually fight people for less?”

Drake tipped toward her and playfully jabbed her shoulder with his elbow. “Shut up.”

He opened the door to the ice cream shop for her, and she spoke under her breath. “After we get ice cream, you can have some blood on the condition that you explain why you wanted it to whoever asks me.”

Drake slumped on the door and watched her walk in. She’s not kidding this time. He trudged forward. All along there was a secret third problem. I didn’t have to worry about her making it awkward or rejecting me. No, I have to deal about the others ridiculing me into oblivion. He stepped behind her, the man at the counter greeting him like he did her. He reflected a close smile and looked down at the colorful wide variety of flavors. Is ice cream always this bright?

Beside him, Lynette asked for his opinion. She must have forgot I can't taste any of these without human energy or blood on them. He smiled and looked over the names of the flavors, nah, she wants me to feel included.

He checked the names, rocky road, minty mountain, coffee swirl, and said what he assumed was the most bitter option. That's what her brother would do. She requested what she wanted, a triple scope sundae, and Drake pondered the concern that was her brother. Is her blood worth risking that psycho finding out I drank it without an actual reason?

Drake weighed his options for a moment and shrugged. “Here's hoping one of them know a good funeral director.”

Lynette pinched at his arm while grabbing his sleeve. “Drake!!"

...

Wondering where these bozos are from? Check them out in my story about a human working in a pizzeria run by monster called, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

[luckyshotwrites]

Cursed art ahead, I am so sorry. xD

Discord Exchange #7 Image

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

AND HAVE A GOOD REST OF YOUR DAY, NONNEGOTIABLE!!

Yes I drew the image for the scars. ☠️

[luckyshotwrites]

Discord Exchange #6: Friendly

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

AS ALWAYS HAVE A BOMBA DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

Discord Exchange #5: Diseases

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

AS ALWAYS HAVE A GREATO DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

Cursed Cravings, Chapter 18: Kill the Beast

In which Danny leads the mob to the home of a giant. Contains: 3.4k words | Chapter 1 | Read this story on A03!

For a man as loathsome and disgusting as Cyrus—at least, in Danny's eyes—it was surprisingly easy for him to get people on his side.

Cyrus left Nathan, Danny, and all the preparations for the trip ahead in the hands of the cronies he’d brought with him. Meanwhile, he left with only a couple of them and came back less than an hour later with what seemed to be most of the town's capable men and a few audacious women besides, armed with anything and everything from torches to axes to fireplace pokers, all shouting along behind Cyrus. There had to have been at least a hundred—maybe more.

“We can't have a monster threaten the village!”

“No one is safe!”

“Not until it's dead!”

Cyrus looked so incredibly pleased with himself as he walked on ahead of the crowd towards Danny, who had her hands tied behind her back as she sat in front of Max on the horse that she'd borrowed from Christopher. Maria whinnied nervously as the man approached, kicking up her hooves—though it seemed that she had submitted to complacency since Danny had gotten astride her. 

“It's such a comfort to know that I have the support of our village in this endeavor,” he sneered. “Who knew years of public relations would pay off like this?” 

Danny glared back at him. “We had a donkey that was just as loud as you, and still, somehow, less of an ass.” 

Cyrus shook his head as if he truly felt pity for Danny. “Such a shame what that monster did to your mind. Making you resent your savior like this.” 

It wasn't even a good act. Cyrus didn't believe a word he said about mind control. 

“What's this really about, Cyrus?” Danny snapped. “I know you. You're not some fucking hero. What exactly do you hope to gain from killing Christopher?” 

He couldn't, right? There's no way. Sam can stop them. Christopher could literally crush Cyrus under his foot. He doesn't stand a chance.

Cyrus's smile twitched, and his beady eyes darkened. “A world with one less man-eating giant in it.” 

Danny wanted to scream. “Even if there was a giant, you wouldn’t stand a fucking chance. How the hell did you convince these people they could take down a giant?” 

Cyrus leaned in close enough for her to smell the putrid scent of cigars on his breath. “I didn’t,” he sneered. “Turns out the threat of a magical, mind-controlling monster is enough to rile everyone up.” 

He only laughed loudly as he turned to walk away. Danny screamed in frustration, which prompted Max to throw one of his elbows into her side. “Shut up, bitch. You'd better cooperate, unless you want your friend to die in the cold.” 

There were times that anger could be useful, or at least, felt useful. When she'd had nothing to do but pace around a gilded cage, alone, anger had felt good. Even if it had been pointless, it made her feel like she was still fighting back, like she was doing something instead of just rolling over and giving up.

Her anger wouldn't do anything here—not when Nathan's life was on the line. Any risk she took would be a risk for Nathan, and any detour or distraction would only prolong the bitter cold he'd have to endure. And she had no doubt at all that Cyrus wouldn't hesitate to hurt him further, if she didn't comply.

It tasted like bile to swallow her anger now, but she did. She took a deep breath, stared straight ahead, and imagined herself strangling Max. She played over and over in her head the many different ways she could hurt him, and Cyrus, and every one of the people he'd brought with him. 

“Lead the way, Danny,” came Cyrus's arrogant voice from behind her. She tried to look to the side to see if she could get a glimpse of Nathan, but Max gave her a subtle, but still painful shove.

“Get moving,” he hissed.

First, I'll put my hands around his neck and squeeze until his face turns blue. She gestured towards the woods with her head, since her hands were still tied. “That way. Down the path.” Then I'll punch him right in the gut, right where it hurts. After that—

* * * * * * * * * *

Danny hoped that they would get as lost as Christopher seemed to think they would without the mirror—which she had managed to keep with her during all the commotion, though she kept it hidden beneath her dress. Maybe there was some sort of illusion Sam could pull off to hide the mansion from view, or turn them all around in the woods.

She had little choice but to lead Cyrus and his now much larger mob of people down the path she'd taken to Christopher's residence. To her dismay, the huge mansion came into view, with its dark spires rising up into the gray sky above.

“This is the place,” she snarled as they approached the iron gate that led to the mansion’s grounds. 

Max pulled the reins on Maria to stop her in her tracks, and the rest of the mob behind followed suit. Cyrus hopped off his own horse and sauntered up to the huge, wrought iron gate—shut and locked tight, with no lock or handle in sight. It was the only way in—the stone walls would have been too high to climb over easily.

She seemed to be the only one to notice one of the iron bars bending just slightly at the bottom, before it swiped under the feet of one of the people standing too close to the gate. 

“W-what the fuck?” The man’s head snapped side to side, trying to find the source of whatever had tripped him up. “What the fuck was that?” 

“Get the gate open!” Cyrus shouted, ignoring the man’s distress. After a few men threw their shoulders into the metal to try and make the gate give way, a group eventually used a large log nearby as a battering ram to try and force it open. A thunderous CLANG echoed with each attempt. 

Max dismounted and yanked Danny off the horse after. She fought against his hold on her, trying to at least find Nathan in all the commotion, and though she couldn’t see him, she heard him coughing further back. Fuck. He needs to get indoors. 

The screeching, horrible sound of metal giving way accompanied the sound of one of the attempts to break down the gate, and Danny saw the gates regretfully swing open, enough for the mob to begin pouring through. She was herded along with them all, pushed unceremoniously by Max, who still held her bound hands behind her. 

“LOOK OUT!” 

Something large whizzed over her head, and as it clattered against the walkway, she realized it was a paving stone that had been lobbed through the air. She tried to crane her neck to see ahead, and just as she did another paving stone came loose from the walkway, seemingly of its own accord, and aimed squarely at Cyrus’s head. 

The bastard dodged, but the brick managed to catch someone else on the side of their head before it dropped to the ground. A shocked clamor rose up from the people, with shouts of an invisible enemy beginning to emerge from the crowd.

“Is the place haunted?” one man cried out. 

A dark, familiar chuckle echoed from all around, as though the voice passed through every stone in the pavement beneath. “You bet your fucking ass it is.” 

More paving stones removed themselves from the ground, one at a time, flying towards the crowd with a vengeance. Some were able to find their mark, sending the odd person falling to their knees in pain. Others were able to be swatted away by the clubs and axes. The whole commotion was enough to send at least a few people running back towards the gates. 

“LeEeAaVE~” Sam wailed, as menacing as they could. Danny’s grin quirked up a bit. 

“Don’t be fooled by these tricks!” Cyrus bellows above the crowd. “Keep moving forward!” 

And so the crowd did, for the most part undeterred by the seemingly haunted grounds of the mansion as they pressed forward in a huge and increasingly furious wave towards the mansion’s front door. 

Before they could storm the door, Cyrus held up his hand. “Stay back!” The mob halted as Cyrus began to march up to the front door alone, though he made another gesture behind him. “Max. Bring her here.” 

Max shoved Danny forward through the crowd. The sea of people gave her mostly distrustful and disgusted glances as she passed, but she didn’t even bother acknowledging them. Max pushed her forward until she stood at the base of the stairs that led up to the elaborate front door.

As Cyrus stepped up to it, ready to knock, the door swung violently open and nearly hit Cyrus square on. 

And there, standing calmly on the threshold, was Christopher—looking by all accounts nothing more than a normal man.

Almost. Danny’s eyes couldn’t help but search for the dark horns atop his head, for any trace of his appearance that could give his true nature away. His horns were dark and short enough now to almost be unnoticeable, hidden by his hair. He looked nothing but refined and distinguished—whatever sadness had lingered about him before, Danny saw no traces of it now. It was effectively covered up—if she had seen it correctly to begin with. 

The giant’s eyes immediately went over Cyrus’s shoulder to Danny, but he looked away just as quickly, smoothing out his expression. 

“I’m afraid I’m not entertaining guests today,” he said curtly, as though he had simply misjudged the nature of the raucous crowd of angry villagers standing on his front lawn. “I’ll have to ask you all to leave.” 

There was a chorus of hushed whispers and gasps traveling through the crowd now. Danny thought she could hear fragments of what several of them were saying.

“That’s him.”

“I’ve…I’ve been here before. He—”

“Oh my god, he ate—”

“It’s the giant. How—”

A cold chill seeped into her bones as she realized that the mere sight of the giant was enough to bring back memory to those he’d taken it away from. How…how many of these people had Christopher…?

“You and I have some unfinished business, Penn,” Cyrus snarled, quiet enough for Danny and Max to be the only ones to hear. 

“I’m sorry…who are you?” Christopher asked blithely, his voice carrying an almost genuine ignorance. There was enough condescension, though, to make Cyrus growl back at him through gritted teeth.

Danny snorted. Max retaliated by driving his foot into the back of her heel, prompting her to wince sharply. 

She noticed that Christopher’s lips tightened slightly, but the giant did not otherwise react.

“You know damn well who I am,” Cyrus hissed in Christopher’s face. “You got your nose into business you shouldn’t have.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Christopher replied. His eyes kept darting back to Danny, his lips still set in a fine line. “Though I would ask that you refrain from hurting my friend there. She doesn’t seem very comfortable.” 

Cyrus chuckled darkly. “Friend?” He turned slightly so that his voice now projected out toward the crowd. “The way I hear it, you kidnapped this innocent young woman. Messed with her mind to the point she’d defend you, even now.” 

Danny strained against Max’s grip on her. “He’s lying!” she cried out, trying desperately to squirm from his hold. “I wasn’t kidnapped!” 

Max growled in frustration as he tried to keep her restrained. 

“Christopher’s not a monster!” Danny yelled. “Can’t you idiots see?” 

Cyrus whipped around and gave Danny a poisonous glare. “Max, shut her up.” 

Max sent a sharp elbow into Danny’s back, causing her to stumble on her feet. A sharp cry was forced out from her lungs. “You forget we have your OTHER friend here, too?” 

Her eyes on the ground, Danny almost didn’t see it—the instinctive step Christopher took forward, with his hand slightly outstretched, before he met with the invisible barrier of the doorframe, and hastily pulled back.

A sense of dread fell over her. Did Cyrus notice? The giant attempted to cover up his mistake and stand straight up again, as if nothing had happened. 

“I’m not sure I appreciate the way you’re treating my friend, Mr. Livingston.” Each word Christopher spoke was as sharp as ice. “You seem to have a problem with me, not her. Let her go.” 

“Oh?” Cyrus took a bold step closer to the doorframe, smirking maliciously. “And just what are you going to do about it, pretty boy? You’re not going to rush to her aid?” 

Christopher’s lip twitched, the beginning of a snarl that he repressed. “Perhaps you’d like to come inside to discuss this business you have with me?” Each word was pointed and clipped, propriety being stretched as thin as possible. 

Cyrus looked unfazed, studying Christopher for just a moment before his smile widened. He scratched his chin idly. “Max. Come here. Have someone else keep a hold on her.” 

Danny thought that she could hear Max’s heartbeat increase tenfold. “O-of course.” The man ushered another of Cyrus’s brutish thugs forward, who grabbed Danny’s arms and held her back with much more force than the weasely man had been able to. 

Max crept forward timidly until he stood by Cyrus’s side. Danny could see the way the man trembled like a leaf before Christopher, who only glared down at the man coldly. 

“Do you remember him?” Cyrus asked scornfully as he grasped Max’s arm, something like amusement dancing in his expression.

“No.” Christopher was, by Danny’s estimations, a remarkable liar. If she didn’t know better, she thought he could almost be telling the truth.

Cyrus sneered unkindly. “Well, he certainly remembers you.” 

Without a warning, Cyrus shoved Max over the doorframe towards Christopher—in such a way that it should have meant that Max would collide squarely with Christopher, and yet, from everyone’s perspective, it appeared that Max had suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Cyrus pulled his own hand back from the doorframe immediately, Max no longer held within it. 

The cries from the crowd became louder all of a sudden as they witnessed a man vanish before their eyes. 

Christopher snarled as he glanced down, like he’d noticed a bug near his feet, and bent down swiftly before returning to his standing height, something tiny held between his fingers. Only those standing close to the door—Cyrus, Danny, and the man who held her back—would be able to see that it was Max Christopher held between his fingers. 

“If you’d like him returned safely,” Christopher hissed, “I suggest you let my friend Danny go, and take your business elsewhere.”

Cyrus eyed Christopher up for a moment, his eyes landing on Max only briefly. “Well, why don’t you come and get her then, giant?” he taunted, his voice just barely above a whisper as he grinned devilishly. 

The fury in Christopher’s eyes was unmistakable—and his silence was damning. 

“Do what you like with him,” Cyrus laughed. “I’ve learned all I need to.” 

It sounded like Max yelled something undistinguishable to Danny’s ears—just the high-pitched squeak of a mouse—before Cyrus turned to address the crowd gathered before him. 

“Don’t be fooled by these illusions!” he shouted. “While he may seem like a normal man, he is little more than a monster in disguise.” 

“Yeah!” shouted a man from the crowd. “He’s a giant! He ate me—I remember!”

“He tricked me into coming here!” another voice cried out. “And then he made me forget!” 

“What’s going to stop him from doing it again!” 

Cyrus had done little more than effectively light the match beneath the coals of the mob’s anger, standing and watching as it quickly caught fire and took off before him. The cries continued on and on—people shouting about how they’d been tricked, put in a cage, eaten. There was hardly any deceit necessary from Cyrus anymore—the people he’d gathered were assured now of the nature of the beast they needed to slay. 

And Christopher—Christopher did nothing but watch. Desperately, Danny tried to meet his eyes—but the giant could only stare out in horror at the sea of people, hearing his own victims shouting out his crimes. Something broke, then, in his countenance. His eyes swam with a desperate, hopeless sort of look to them, like a frightened animal caught in a trap.

Despite everything—despite the fact that her voice ought to have been among the people gathered here, and under different circumstances it very well might have—sympathy pierced her heart painfully. He has to face all these people that he ate. They’re all calling him a monster, but they don’t know—

Eventually, Cyrus seemed satisfied with the level of vitriol that had been stirred up in the crowd. He gestured behind him with an arrogant flick of his wrist. “Luckily, the monster is imprisoned in his own home. He can’t step over the threshold.” 

A rush of whispers, confused and shocked, flew through the crowd. Danny tried not to let anything show on her face to suggest that what Cyrus said was true, but panic clenched her heart. 

“Even if that was true, that means he wouldn’t be able to get out. He’s not a danger to anyone. Why are you all—”

She received a harsher jab in the back, enough to knock the wind out of her.

“How many of you have seen this monster’s true colors?” Cyrus’s voice boomed out, to a chorus of thundering assent. “How many has he already fooled? Bewitched? Consumed?” 

Cyrus turned around slowly to face Christopher again. “And by all means, if I do not speak the truth…” He waved his hand before him, as if to invite Christopher outside with him. “Feel free to prove me wrong, Penn. Join us out here, and prove your innocence. Save your friend.” 

Danny looked to Christopher, hoping for a miracle. Please, she begged silently. Say something. Do something. Please. 

Christopher didn’t move. He didn’t speak. His eyes hardly met with Cyrus at all, or any of the people standing in his front yard. 

The longer he remained still, the louder the cries of anger from the crowd became. It wasn’t hard to tell that they were all now eager for blood. Their shouts and cries became a distant buzz in Danny’s ears—all she could focus on was Christopher.

What could she do? 

What could he do?

Finally, the giant’s lips parted, and Danny had to strain to hear the words he muttered.

“Please, you can do whatever you want with me…” Christopher’s dark eyes finally went back to Danny, flowing over with emotion. “But don’t hurt her. She has nothing to do with this. Let her go.” 

“I don’t believe you’re in a position to bargain, monster,” Cyrus sneered. 

He faced the crowd once more—and the tension in the air felt on the verge of snapping then. “Against all of us, even a giant is powerless!” His voice boomed triumphantly, as though he meant to lead an army into battle. “It’s time to put an end to this madness once and for all!” 

A horrible, stomach-churning cheer erupted from the mob, and before Cyrus could even direct them to, they rushed forward towards the house in a mad dash to cross the threshold. Cyrus’s eyes widened as he realized they would not stop for him, and in the madness of it all he was pushed into the house by the swarm of people screaming bloody murder, wielding all the weapons they’d soon find to be rather inadequate. 

Danny, too, couldn’t resist as she was rather forcefully shoved along in the chaos, until she was faced with the only somewhat familiar feeling of vertigo as her feet stepped over the doorframe and onto the giant tile of the inside of Christopher’s mansion.

The giant himself only took a single step backward, caught in the horror and confusion of the moment as hundreds of people tried to force their way into his home, and became nothing but a small, confused assortment of tiny creatures scurrying at his feet. 

The change in perspective had certainly thrown more than a couple of people for a loop, and Danny could see that many were trying to force their way back, to get to the safety of the outside again, but the crowd just kept pushing forward as the mob streamed into the mansion. 

There was a loud THUD as the doors forced themselves shut, keeping what remained of the mob out—and locking the ones here in. 

“There! Fuck,” Danny heard Sam exclaim from the doors themselves, causing several people to jump and flip around, as though they expected another giant to appear. 

A voice cried out then, one of the many people who’d been unfortunate and delusional enough to force themselves in, who now saw that their enemy was not one that could be taken down by a simple fireplace poker, who was slightly more intimidating in stature than Cyrus’s rallying cries had suggested they were in any way capable of defeating. 

“RUN!”

* * * * * * * * * *

What kind of danger could a bunch of humans really pose to a giant?

It's certainly been a while, hasn't it? The good news is that I do believe I've gotten over the writing block snag of what comes next in this story! Will I be able to publish a new chapter every week? Eh, less likely, but I'd like to wrap this story up within the next few months at least!

Thank you for continuing along with this story with me, and I hope you enjoy the ending as much as I have enjoyed thinking about it for the past...oh gosh. Year?

Thanks for bearing with me, and as always, for reading. Until the next chapter!

[luckyshotwrites]

Dumb Discord Exchange #4: Liar

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

AS ALWAYS HAVE A GREATO DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

Dumb Discord Exchange #3: Shift Swap

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

AS ALWAYS HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

Dumb Discord Exchange #2: Divorce

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

Art By @novorehere

AS ALWAYS HAVE A BOMBA DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

Dumb Discord Exchange #1: Shipping

I'm sorry I haven't been very active. I've been busy with some personal life issues, but in the meantime, I think I'm posting these small conversations between my characters once a day.

Characters from my story, "What I'd Do For A Livable Income"

Picrew link for the art to do with your own characters, here.

AS ALWAYS HAVE A BOMBA DAY!! NONNEGOTIABLE.

[luckyshotwrites]

I know it's a chapter from the re-edit's, but I was very proud of the art, so I wanted to share. And here's the fun sketch I had before the color. I love the sketch more.

Chapter 7: How'd Your Plan Go, Lynette?~

Contents (Warnings/Mild spoilers): Not according to plan. (Angst and lore info )

Wordcount: 3,000+

"Why shouldn't I take a moment to savor my sweet little meal?"

__________________________________________

(Sept. 15th, Thursday)

Alexander didn't understand it.

Lev, who had always been candid about his dislike for making pizzas, let Alexander take the registers. When both of them worked together, and their boss didn't assign anyone specific to the front, Lev always insisted they play a quick game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who stays in the kitchen.

Despite Alexander's arguments about his indifference to where he worked in the pizzeria, Lev coaxed him into playing and losing every time. Lev's lack of effort to talk to Lynette also struck him as odd. The last time they all worked together, Lev showed a keen interest in getting her. Alexander wasn't aware of anything that happened between them. Not that he was in a position to judge—Alexander dreaded working next to someone so edible.

He made a conscious effort not to look at her, shit eyesight without his glasses or not. His eyes weren't the problem. It was his nose—oversaturated with her aroma and its promise to ease him. His stomach wouldn't stop nagging his brain with premeditated motives to grab her. A pivot, pinning of her arms, size-shift, and done. The temptation irritated him more than anything. He felt young and out of control again. No, Alexander realized it was foolish to think he managed it in the first place. It would never stop. His tongue rested under his teeth as he bit down. He'd follow the rules and keep himself in check.

Throughout the two hours, they exchanged very few words. Lynette occasionally asked him for something on his side, and he did the same to her. Other than that, Alexander was grateful she had the hang of everything else. The last thing he needed was to prolong their closeness. He drummed his fingers against the surface of the register, the sound punctuating the quietness. She hadn't mentioned a plan either. Did that mean she was done fighting, or did she forget? Rather than ignoring it, Alexander spoke up.

"No big plans today?" The deep, resonant thrum of his throat said. Its tone was more derisive than he meant. There was no reason to ridicule a presence that hardly represented competition or threat.

Lynette jumped at his voice's deep inflection like most people. After the grueling forced adaption of his body and the life-saving surgery, his sound was one thing he couldn't change. "I'll be fine today." She was shaky and projected little optimism.

"I'm not going to fall for the same trick twice," Alexander laced his warning in caution toward her and stole a glance from the corner of his eye. He couldn't shake off the discomfort of her surprisingly diminutive height. It was unsettling for him to see—he could almost envelop her face with just one hand.

Lynette's eyes remained down on her register. "Well, it's a good thing this plan is different." Alexander doubted she had something else up her short sleeved uniform. All he had to do was wait to take his lunch in the middle of their shift, and she couldn't escape. She abruptly turned and walked toward the kitchen doorway. "I'm going to lunch."

The lines weren't lengthy, just a few people scattered here and there, and Viola was ready to take his place at a moment's notice. So why did she leave? Her action allowed doubt to momentarily grip Alexander. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that maybe her confidence wasn't misplaced.

After a stiff exhale, he decided to go with the most plausible reason—Lynette played off a clever bluff, and he'd go to lunch to disprove it. Viola traded spots with him, and he was off. He trailed behind her scent, scanned out, and quickly found her in break room 1, his usual hangout spot. She backed to the door that interconnected breakroom 3 and 1. Did she believe she could outrun him? He was faster than her without size-shifting; he could bound the distance. He'd only have to be careful not to crash into her, but he could get to her before she left the room. She held her hands up like she was under arrest. Alexander tried to shut off his brain, convincing himself he was in no mood to talk. He got ready to size-shift, then noticed where her eyes led. They hadn't been on him—they looked at who was behind him.

Normally, everyone inside the building had some sort of smell. To Alexander, monsters didn't have unique differences in their aroma like humans. No two humans smelled the same, and he remembered everyone he encountered. Lynette's, in particular, was suffocating, like a thick syrup coagulated in the air around her, and because Alexander's range was so wide, the whole pizzeria was overtaken by it. Meanwhile, monsters smelled awful, the only exception being Drake, who smelled fine. His best friend's unique circumstances were the cause of that. With everyone else, Alexander learned to drown out the smell of other monsters. However, two people in the pizzeria were scentless.

And one of them, unfortunately, devoured monsters.

She pulled him back by his arm, almost playfully, so Lynette could flee to the next room. Alexander flipped back to Zilla, now knowing that Lynette sold his ass out.

I ran into break room 3, and the door shut behind me. Once it was closed, there weren't any noises from the other side. So, their confrontation would remain a mystery. My heart squeezed in rebellion to that decision.

Why do I feel guilty tricking Xander? He was going to eat me. I played fair. Or is it because this felt like less of my victory and more like I used someone else to win for me? Thinking that struck the nail head. I curled my lips apprehensively and hesitated to move ahead. I put both fists to my forehead and let out a quiet, anguished groan, "Aaarrgh." Why am I like this? It's not hard, don't look back. What do you expect to do? Go in there and ask Zilla not to eat him? Change her mind and hope he doesn't eat you. He's a monster, he will, and most importantly, you don't like being eaten. The chill, by the mere thought of it, ran up my spine like someone scrapped an icy rod along each column. Yet, I swiftly flipped around to head back.

I took not even a step, abruptly halted by another male's chest. "It's very nice of you to throw yourself at me, Lynette~." His heavy, honeyed tone hummed. I threw myself in the opposite direction. Where did he come from? I was so focused on running that I didn't check around me. His gaze danced across the floor meticulously, like he traced the path of each of my previous footsteps and tallied their exact location. Then, having gauged the distance between us, he leaned forward and poised like a predator about to pounce. Instinctively, I spun on my heel and fled.

I had never considered myself particularly fast—my only weekly activity was rock climbing, a non running sport. He slammed into me from behind and wrapped his muscular arms around my waist, anchoring me against his bent body before he effortlessly lifted me off my feet. My back pressed firmly into his chest.

I flailed my arms and legs wildly, mimicking a child in a temper tantrum. "Why are you at lunch, Lev." How could I forget about him? He works the same shift as me. I blamed it on the fact that he hadn't interacted with me much today, nor did Zilla say a thing about him.

His voice hovered just beside my ear, low and smooth. "Isn't it obvious?" His laughter reverberated against my back with its sinister caress. "You let yourself get eaten by Wendie on Monday, and I couldn't let that happen again."

What do you mean? As the truth dawned on me, a wave of dread told me to push harder. His grip felt looser when I did. "You were working with her!" This is the catch. There's always some kind of catch with everything! I threw my legs once more, and his arms let go. I collapsed to the ground, unable to catch myself because of his unexpected release. The next thing I knew, the room's stillness erupted with a loud POP.

It felt like a massive balloon had suddenly burst, releasing a powerful gust of air that swept over me with surprising strength. The rush of wind made it hard to get back on my feet. I was ready to turn around and glimpse at what happened to make that noise but disregarded that idea when the lights above me were swallowed. The shadow loomed, and I yelped as something curled around my legs.

I was dragged, and my palms and fingertips desperately slid across the surface. The tables were too far to reach. I gasped, exasperated when I no longer touched the ground. Hopelessly suspended in mid-air, my body curled up to cling to what held me and to keep my shirt from falling to my face. It looked to be an arm, much like my own, except with dark, near-crimson scales with black trim fanning in and out along it. The palm was padded, and its warmth made my legs sweat underneath my pants.

"Impressive core strength." A whisper brushed me with heat. Knowing how close he brought me made me lose my small grip on one of his fingers. Now, I hang entirely at his mercy. My eyes were locked on his mouth, which was uncomfortably level with my head. My heart raced with fear; refusing to look down, I tried to divert my attention to the rest of his face.

Some scales crept up the sides of his neck and face, like armor, though they looked to be moving. There were a few scales encasing horns, and two sets of horns jutted from his skull—one set small, curving inward, like the larger ones. His bangs fell perfectly, splitting around the horns carefully arranged. Everything else on his face looked surprisingly still human.

Barely being able to speak, blood slowly rushing to my head, I uttered, "Y-you look more human than I thought." His grip on my legs became even tighter, and I could feel the sharp pressure of his claws digging into the fabric of my jeans. I insulted him, didn't it?

Lev's grin rose, showing his ivory fangs that fit so well together they were like a bear trap. "Well, if I was in my actual form, you wouldn't be worth having." He lifted his other hand and pressed his clawed digit into my back, "speaking of having…" He brought me closer to his jaw, "Let me see why Wendie picked you." Opening it up, it looked like a suffocatingly black void. The only flash of color amidst the blackness was the pointed gray tongue, slick and serpentine.

I resisted the urge to kick and fight, thinking if I did, I'd become a stain on the floor for Viola to mop up later. His tongue approached my face, and I tightly shut my eyes to protect them. It shoved against my face, leaving a trail of unwanted, clear slime.

Once he flicked it off at my chin, I threw up one hand to wipe my eyes while the other still held my shirt. Ewww. It luckily didn't smell like anything; then again, if he was anything like Alexander exclusively eating humans, I wouldn't expect it to. There are so many better things to eat than people!

His spade-headed tail swayed excitedly, with hypnotic lashes from side to side, and behind closed lips, he played with the taste. He made sure I was watching and listening before he swallowed it. "Mmm, you're certainly the best human I've ever had, Lynette~" He delightfully murmured.

Afraid, I faced away—my hand still sloppily scraping off what I could. The rules didn't say anything about mentally hurting your coworkers, did they? No, it's strictly physical. "All my blood is rushing to my head-" I stopped when his face got closer, exhaling methodically over me.

"Go on," his tempo was gentle, even being as close as he was. I expected to lose my eardrums to the concussive blast from his height or for it to sound as bad as sitting next to a heavy metal concert speaker.

"I-if you're going to," he cut me off, licking me again. He put a finger to the back of my head so I couldn't get away as he got me much slower. Once he finished, I squeaked, "Just eat me already."

His eyelids dropped with his smirk. There was an evident satisfaction he indulged in hearing me whimper because my plea made his sharp pupils widen.

He remarked quietly, ignoring what I said. "You're shaking." His hand moved, making a cupping motion under me, and he released my legs so I slumped into his padded palm. The texture my arms brushed was akin to weathered burlap, coarse and prickly. I was larger than his hand, so I brought my legs close. My ponytail barely had anything but a few strands and I looked at him through scraggly curls. He inspect me, holding me so I only saw the top of his head and eyes. I was still as if his sight was based on movement.

He said he likes fear. And I was giving it to him. I had nowhere to go—jumping off would be certain death. He can't kill me. The reassuring thought meant little as his claws lingered overhead like a guillotine. One of them poked directly at the top, ready to pierce my skull.

"There's no reason to rush, Lynette. I have so much time left," he said, a mischievous glint flickering in his fixed and burning sun-yellow eyes. Lev tilted his hand down, and I was slipping closer to him. His grin widened, reveling in his devilish intentions. "Why shouldn't I take a moment to savor my sweet little meal?"

It was rhetorical, yet I answered, "Because you pity me."

"Oh, my dear, Lynette." He exhaled another breath over me, "not-at-all."

He proceeded to toy with me for the rest of his lunch period. Repeatedly running his tongue along my face and any limb I tried to fight him with. It was useless, and my body weakened the more he did it. It was similar to being inside Alexander, except it took much longer.

I freed several fatigued breaths. My muscles twitched, unable to move, and my eyes strained to stay open. "I wore you out, didn't I, poor thing." The condensation strode from his mouth and strangled me. "I wish I left you with enough energy to struggle." He dangled me above him, swinging back and forth until it all meshed together. The last thing I heard was his childish dissatisfaction. "It's a shame to eat something so alive and lifeless."

I sat up in the infirmary bed. Another bed squeak went off close to mine. Alexander got up from his, stretching his arms up as he did. He's here too? Does that mean he got eaten? I tensed at the thought. It's all so… I hunched forward. How could they be okay after doing that? There's just no point.

"Tristan said you're slightly dehydrated, but other than that, you're fine and healthy." Alexander patted the table beside his bed. He touched his hat several times, and the frustration on his brows deepened until his hand smacked down on his glasses. Is he really that blind? My head pitched the idea of hiding his glasses to keep himself from finding me. I'm not stealing a blind guy's glasses. He put them on and put on his hat afterward. He grumbled. "Jerk."

I shifted, gathering what few bearings I could, and sat at the edge of my bed. "I'm not a jerk!"

He snapped sharply, his expression read annoyance. "Like hell you aren't," he said, his voice raised in frustration. "You fucking sold my sorry ass to Zilla." He pushed his glasses up and scoffed with contempt. "And look at where that landed you. Back where you would have been if you just..." His voice trailed off, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

I stared at the floor, unable to raise my tone to match his. "She tricked me too, I-"

"Sure. Covering your ass."

I lifted my head, "I'm serious!" Seeing his stare, nothing but hunger, frightened me. Don't fight with him. "A-anyway, we-we're even. You tricked me into coming here, and I tricked you." I said, trying to make amends. Though arguably you've been worse because I don't do anything to you except get away from you. I hugged my upper arms. Lev's awful, too. Getting eaten, in general, is.

With a scrunched nose, Alexander groused, "Fine then, from here on out, you can talk to me all you want, but when lunch comes around, I'm not losing to you anymore."

Taking in a deep breath, I gulped, inching forward off the bed. "I'll do…whatever I can to keep that from happening."

He smiled seemingly done with me and our conversation. “Then,” grabbed the handle. "It's on." He threw the door open and left, shutting it as he did. I was alone in the room with my thoughts.

I threw myself back onto the bed and covered my eyes with the palms of my hands. Alexander is mad at me, great. Reaching any understanding there was gone. I don't want to do anything with Lev either. I tossed my head back and forth. Does avoiding them matter at this point; if I ditch Alexander, I get stuck with Lev. And I don't want to give myself to Alexander to avoid him. I sniffled in self pity. I just want to work

I ran my hands down my face. "I don't want to play their games." I focused on the word, games. They play video games. It was like my mind was attempting to comfort me with the positives today, finding out what I did and being reminded that Drake and Alexander play video games. Yeah, they play…games?

I lifted my fist to my mouth, biting the pointer finger gently. Would they agree to that? Maybe if I could get Drake on board, Alexander would bite. I didn't know about Lev. His schedule was different from mine anyway. Alexander was my everyday problem.

I scrambled up, hearing the door. I cocked my head, afraid it might be Alexander. It wasn't. The black-haired nurse met me the day I was hired; he was working registers then. I met him again last weekend on Saturday. He was very cut dry and to the point. He fixed his half-cut frames, "Sandra would have scolded me again if I didn't offer you the resignation slip like last time."

I pushed off the bed, took my hat from the bedside table, and though it was weak, I smiled with vigor. "I don't need it. Thank you for checking up on me, Tristan."

"You look happy?"

"I have a really dumb idea that might not work, but if it does, I'll be coming in here less!" I bowed my head to him, wishing him a good rest of the night, and went home to plot out what I'd do for this insane, luxurious, and livable income.

...

Preview for the next chapter: 

My head wanted to meet the counter so bad. The steady stream of customers kept me from indulging the urge. WHY DID I ASSUME I WOULD BE THE BEST AT THE GAME! I could really only beat Wicks, and he never plays video games!

AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR READING AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY! (Non-negotiable).

( @bellascarousel, @the-golden-comet).

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Catch up or check for release dates down below ↓

What I’d do for a Livable Income - Master-List!

[luckyshotwrites]

🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 🎄

AS USUAL I AM RUNNING LATE WITH EVERYTHING. xD I have started a few projects that have been keeping me busy. Including the re-edits. BUT I WILL HAVE A DUMB HOLIDAY SPECIAL UP AT the latest the 28th. I just have a few more drawings to do for it.

I ALSO will have some announcements after the holidays! So stay tuned.

THANK YOU FOR AN AMAZING YEAR PEEPS, I'M GLAD TO HAVE YA!

AS ALWAYS, PLEASE HAVE AN AMAZING DAY, Nonnegotiable, and have a drink on me! xD

Been doing this every year since @novorehere holiday bash and will keep it up.

[luckyshotwrites]

[luckyshotwrites]

[luckyshotwrites]

Obviously I'm going to be using this cover over here too. BUT if you'd like to read the original, not very edited version, it's HERE. It's currently ongoing and I will continue until I finish it. However, the newer version is more of the "official" to me and I will be updating that more often.

ANYWAY, AS I SAID, BOMBA DAY UPON YEEEE.

I decided to re-edit the original cover for 'What I'd Do For A Livable Income'. I hope you all enjoy it!

And as always, have a bombastic day!!!! (Nonnegotiable!)

[luckyshotwrites]

Ch. 108 // Another Girls Day // Day Off

Contents (Warnings): What's wrong with Underkin? (Fluffier than usual, character and monster info as always). Read full chapter on A03

Wordcount: 5,600+

Song I correlate to this Chapter: None unfortunately

Author's Note: THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING. I appreciate the support, sincerely. AND I HOPE IT'S COHERENT.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Jan. 31st, Tuesday)

Lynette

I read over the text again, sitting in the parking lot. 

Lev: Don't worry, Lynette, I didn't forget about you. I'm preoccupied at the moment and will make time for you soon.~  10:30 a.m.

I tapped my head to my phone. Great.

Today, like most days, I considered myself lucky.

His vendetta against Alexander overwrote whatever he planned to use the five hours he won during our poker game. 

I'm surprised Xander didn't lock Lev's human case sooner. I didn't know if it was Alexander being "sportsmen-like" or if he hadn't considered it before. 

I'm surprised he didn't given how much he complains about losing. I mentally waved the thought away. I should be happy Xander doesn't use his magic often. 

I exited my car, ensuring my knife was strapped and my phone was in my pocket beside the keys. Lev poses more of a challenge to me, anyway. 

I patted my punch bug.

Alexander lost his edge to me—his threats held little weight. Not that he'd let me get away with everything, but he backed off more. And regardless of our bickering, a part of me, slim as it was, trusted him.

I've known them for almost six months after all. We moved so much when Padre came back, I rarely knew people that long.

They still scared me. Lev more than Alexander at this point, yet the thought of reaching my hand out to them stayed.

"Give up on them, Lentils." My head imagined Wicks saying.

I sighed, taking slow steps ahead. They aren't like Claudia and Drake. I can't just...

Every bone in my stupid little body refused to give up. There were times, I wanted to, it's probably my need to prove people wrong.

Or a strong strive for self worth.

I faced the apartment building.

Do you really want to do that for Lev, Lynette? He's done nothing for you. Lately, he'd been getting on everyone's nerves like he was a harpist plucking at strings correlated to each of us.

I assumed it was for his entertainment.

Alexander didn't seem to care about Lev, unlike Drake. He complained about Lev every other weekend. The only person Alexander complains about is me. I shoved my hands in my hoodie pockets. Not that I'm any better sometimes.

I approached the opulent C.P.P.A. apartment complex known as New Horizons Complex. It resembled a high-class hotel. Big and grand imposing architectural jetted features. The balconies elegantly overlooking the parking lots and lush greens leading to the small lake across the way.

This is such a beautiful place, especially up close.

I walked to the entrance that was adorned with my favorite, pink knockout roses. I lacked the green thumb required to grow them myself.

I stopped next to the wall by the sliding doors. My phone buzzed erratically in my sweater pocket right under my fingers.

I rested back on the white wall, to use the shade of the under hang to read the messages easier.

I hope they're not canceling today. 

I unlocked my phone and saw it was the pizzeria group chat. Most of us didn't talk much in the main chat unless Edgar made an announcement or someone brought something to everyone's attention. 

Unlike our night crew chat. Our chat consisted of mocking, bets, or Claudia and Drake sending memes.

Is this about the resort?

Edgar: Hello everyone! I know I told those affected and wanted to keep it a secret for everyone else. However, I have been reminded I'd need to tell everyone to come in at the same time, much like the festivals, at 8 a.m. Thus, on this coming Saturday, we will be going to my wife's resort to serve our pizza that night for a celebration, and the day after you'll be free to explore! Technically, the morning of the first day will also be a free to roam period after the tour! 11:30 a.m.

June: 🤗 I get to hang out and see all my friends, sweeeeet!!! 11:30 a.m.

Alexander: 👍 11:30 a.m.

Viola: 👍 11:31 a.m.

Elliot: 👍 11:31 a.m.

Tila: 👍 11:31 a.m.

Lev messaged before I joined the chain.

Lev: Will we be sharing rooms again? 11:32 a.m.

Edgar: The top floor will belong to us, exactly 10 rooms. So, June and Elliot, Tila and Claudia, Zilla and Zane, and Alexander and Lynette will be sharing with one another. 11:33 a.m.

June: Yay!!! 11:33 a.m.

Zane: Bunking with my dear sister again 😍 11:34 a.m.

Zilla: Great 🙄 11:34 a.m.

Zane: 🥺 11:34 a.m.

Alexander: 👎 11:35 a.m.

I was tempted to put a thumbs down emoji too.

Edgar: Be nice guys. I put you together based on your current supervisor status. 11:35 a.m.

Drake: What he said out loud wasn't nice.  11:35 a.m.

Alexander: DON'T. 11:35 a.m.

I wasn't amused. I take back everything I was thinking earlier.

Edgar: Be civil. 11:36 a.m.

Tila: That's still one person without a roommate. 11:36 a.m.

Edgar: You're all adults so I trust you'll be fine if I share a room with my wife on the floor below. You'll have moderate supervision as Sandra and Tristan are on your floor. 11:37 a.m.

Edgar: If not I can share a room up there with Drake. 11:37 a.m.

Drake: We're adults.👍 11:38 a.m.

Edgar: Great! If you all have any questions or concerns let me know! 11:38 a.m.

Everyone gave a thumbs-up, including myself. I can't wait to talk to Wicks about that more tonight.

I pushed off the wall and twisted to the main entrance—they were sliding doors, similar to those at hotels and stores. I expected passcodes, or having to ring to get let in. Since most of the c.p.p.a. members live here, it'd be crazy to try and break in.

It opened to a main lobby. A few residents or those I assumed were residents, talking amongst one another on armchairs, holding drinks they got from the giant fridge with glass doors near them. There was a counter with coffee and ingredients for that, too.

I barely shifted my gaze to the right to see a front desk because someone's yell interrupted my thoughts and shoved down the softer ambiance.           

"GINKOOSE!" 

I watched Garter's lanky yet fit body throw itself over the counter.

My fingers itched for my knife as he ran at me. I was used to him running at me during training. I settled down once he overtook me in a giant hug. He lifted me off the ground as he did so.

He pressed me into his uniform so I couldn't turn my head.

"Nice to see you too, Garter." I said, unable to move my arms up to hug back because he pinned them.

He squeezed tight.

He's acting like he hasn't seen me in years when we trained yesterday. I welcomed his affection regardless.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, resting his chin on my head.

I stared at the painting on the wall beside the front desk, unable to look anywhere else. "I'm here to see Claudia and Tila; we're having a girl's day."

I felt Garter's snicker vibrate across my dome. "You're seeing the funny girl with those extra super long noodle arms and the other with dead eyes?"

Tila's eyes aren't that dead...well she does lack emotion most of the time unless she's talking about monster-related jabber.

"Yeah," I agreed, "also, those are Claudia's wings."

"They don't have feathers." 

"Some wings don't have feathers!" I said. I pressed at his guard uniform, trying to tilt my head to see him. I moved my toes like they were on the ground and could help me.

"And Garter, I love hugs and all, but I also like being on the ground too."

Garter denied my request. "No, I'll carry you all the way up." His long, straight black hair slapped my face when he shook his head no.

I squirmed further, "Garter," and blew at his hair over me.

Another voice called from the counter, "Not without checking her in!"

I couldn't see them properly but figured they were the second guard at the desk alongside Garter.

"Fiiiiiine."

Garter loosened his grip, bending himself enough so my tippy toes could touch the ground.

He let go, and my tennis shoes plopped against the floor. Ah, hello, my old friend. I looked at my feet, doing a little march, enjoying the solid ground beneath me.

Garter left my side, going back behind the counter. I tracked him and scanned over their computer, mailboxes holding several names, and the large digital clock.

I smiled at the guy beside him. He reminds me of Wicks with those dark, deep, dark circles under his...wait, whoa. His eyes were the faintest green I had ever seen, a mint-ish color opposite my dark ones.

He reflected back a customer service smile. "You guys know each other, huh?"

He brushed some of his long blonde bangs behind his ear, disregarding the messy bun his hair tie barely kept back. 

"Yeah!! I train her!"

"Reeeally?" The male leaned further over the counter to look at me. He was not as tall as Garter, but was he closer to Lev or Alexander's height?

Garter answered, "She's a classless."

That's right. The other lie I was told was to tell someone if they asked. I'm a "classless magus in training classless."

I bobbed my head, "yep."

He raised a brow, skeptically glancing from Garter then to me. "I see..."

Can he tell I'm not? Don't most monsters think I'm a magus because of my energy?

There were exceptions—Drake and Alexander, who said they could tell the truth immediately. The others admitted they wouldn't have known if Alexander wasn't the one to invite me.

The pale guy scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, "Well, if you know her, I should look over her to prevent biases." He beckoned me to get closer to the counter and walked to the open side.

Garter obediently waited behind it.

When I closed our distance, he pressed his lips together like he swallowed a container of torpedo's sour candy.

"Are you alright?" I sheepishly asked.

Though kind, he weakly nodded, and his smile made him look like he was baring his teeth at me.

Are those fangs? Is he a vampire? Or a vampire beast like Drake? It would explain why he'd doubt me being part of the C.P.P.A.

No, he doesn't have red eyes.

"Do you have any magic items on you?" He held up a hand before I could speak, "Any that you aren't using for impaired assistance? If so, you'll have to leave them here and retrieve them once you leave."

He said it in a calm and rehearsed apologetic manner.

I undid my holster and handed it off to him. "I only have this," Wicks told me they'd have to take it when I visited Claudia and Tila.

They were both here on a reform list. Claudia for lying about her certification to work, and Tila for helping her get the c.p.p.a certification illegally.

And Tila got that from Zetsu. I hadn't seen him since what happened with Andras. I hope he's doing okay. Last I heard from Wicks, he was going to go through the reform and was staying here too.

The male took it gently, avoiding my touch. Like Alexander does or did, especially when we first met.

He handed it to Garter, who put it in a locked safe under their desk. Without fully looking at me, he asked, "Are there any other weapons on you, magic or not?"

I shook my head, "no." 

His head tilted slightly, something I associated with Drake, and took my answer after, "Okay." 

While he pulled a stamp pad out from one of the drawers, I curiously whispered as quietly as possible. "Were you listening to my heartbeat?"

He half-smirked and opened the breast pocket of his black security guard uniform. It drew my eyes to his name badge that read Giovanni and then to the stamp he retrieved. "You've met another vampire, huh?"

"A friend I work with is a vampire beast." 

He pressed the stamp into the neon pink ink pad, "Ah, the bigger, battier versions of us?" I contained my giggle, and he put the back of his hand on his forehead. "Sorry, that was stupid."

"It was funny," I reassured him, looking over his features again as I lifted my hand to allow him to stamp it. "Are you wearing a human case to look normal?"

"For my ears, yeah," Drake told me that normal vampires have much bigger and pointer ears.

"Not your eyes?"

He pressed the stamp down firmly. "Not all vampires have the same eye colors if you're wondering why they aren't blue, brown, or stuff like that." He lifted it up and inspected the stamp. "Our eyes are usually lighter during the day if that's throwing you off."

I looked at it when he was satisfied and read the words 'Visitor Pass' in a faint pink glow.

"I didn't know vampires had different eye colors. All his family has red."

Giovanni chuckled, "Ha, yeah, vampire red." When our eyes met, his smile lowered, "You're serious? I've never seen a vampire with red before." Is Drake really unusual for that? "Besides the vampires in those cheesy movies."

"You're talking about the ones your sister married?" Garter asked.

GARTER. Don't talk about that here; he doesn't know Wicks and I are related.

"Yeah," I tried to change the subject. I tapped the mark on the back of my hand. "Is there anything else I need to know, Giovanni?" I shouldn't have said his name like we're friends!

His brows knit, confused at first, and his head looked down at his badge.

"That mark means you are free to go. Garter will escort you to the room." He gestured for Garter to come over. "Once you enter the room, the mark will alert us and tell us who you're visiting. Do not go out in the hall too much unless you want to leave, because we'll know. And you won't be able to stay the night if you're visiting a reformie. Visiting hours last from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m."

I understood. "Thank you." I looked at Garter, "I am ready when-" Again, he scooped me up when Giovanni side-stepped out of the way.

...

Viola couldn't make it, nor could her partner Elise. I still didn't know if I wanted to meet her since Drake looked annoyed whenever she was mentioned.

I gathered he refused to get along with her because she was a giver.

Knowing what Drake used to do for Andras, I understood why he disliked anyone else offering their blood to him or other people. He also, much like myself, doesn't want to be seen as weak and needing handouts. 

Without them, our group consisted of Claudia, Zilla, Tila, and me. Beatrice wasn't invited because, as Tila said, "I'd never have that wasp in my home."

Their apartment was a blend of contemporary chaos—modern furnishings littered with whimsical clutter.

Papers were stacked haphazardly on several of their end tables, and glass coffee table in front of the T.V.

I pivoted around the pages at my feet. They mainly were handwritten notes, sketches, and half-finished manuscripts. Scattered amongst those were books—vividly illustrated about monsters, all colorful compared to the room's neutral palette.

I peeked at the few lying open, seeing...intricate details of monsters and their eerie habitats.

I saw the familiar shelving unit behind the velvet couch where Zilla and the pillow pile stayed. It was barren compared to the one I visited at Claudia's home months ago. It held a small collection of bundled dried herbs, giving the area an earthy scent like I was ripe for a burial. That's in bad taste! Think of Claudia.

I sat at the top of the pillow pile, soon falling over when Claudia defied me for the throne.

Most of our time together, we watched terrible movies. Claudia brought out some cake she got during a C.P.P.A. bake sale. All of us got our picks ready for the T.V.

However, after finishing my first thin slice of the absolutely delicious satiny vanilla cake with whipped cream topping, strawberries, and homemade strawberry glaze, I was told I had to stop due to the energy content. I still fought to have the crumbs, and Claudia cruelly licked all the plates clean in front of me.

I see why Xander calls you a little demon. I joked in my head.

The first movie was from Claudia; she misunderstood the game and picked her favorite and beloved classic, Alone Abode. I chose one of the worst Super Rangers movies I could think of. It made the characters act incredibly and uncharacteristically dumb. They would never openly play soccer by the cage that held Froinlee, nor would they put the goal right next to it and risk hitting the release button!

Tila picked a monster movie to criticize the hunters and the monsters throughout it. It sparked all of us to join her, even though it was clear Claudia and I were making up facts, and that sent Tila to the moon with frustration.

Zilla's movie later sparked an idea in Claudia's head. Hers was about a hair salon that had to do a thousand haircuts in a week to save it. They used crazy tools to make themselves faster and, at one point, accidentally murdered a client and stole their money to make quota. 

Claudia, now inspired once the movie finished, popped off the couch and stared at Zilla. Claudia clearly intended to make her wild mane of fluffy, razor-cut hair into her new muse. 

"You have a lot of hair," Her mischievous grin was in full swing.

Holding a pair of scissors in one hand, Claudia snipped at the air.

Zila flipped her hair back over her shoulder, "you're not cutting my hair."

"But," she flashed her best puppy dog eyes.

"Besides the fact that Zane would absolutely kill you for undoing his handy work," Zilla ran her fingers through her locks, "I love the style. It fits my band's brand."

Band? I sat up on the couch, "you have a band?"

Zilla's violet hue shifted to me, "fuck yeah I do. Our temp name is The Outer Shells. We're small now, but I've been doing a few gigs here and there. That's where the pizzeria money goes." 

Huh. I hadn't spent much of the money I made. I've only been paying my half of the rent, buying a few clothes, and sometimes groceries. The biggest purchases I made recently were a few new indie games. 

 Curiously, I asked, "Do you have any shows coming up? I'd love to see you."

Turned to me on the couch, she half chuckled, "You'd wanna come see me perform?"

I faced her back, "I can tell you have strong vocals by the way you talk, so it'd be a treat to hear you in action." I wonder if Wicks would want to go to that. 

Zilla's confident bravado fled. Her face almost looked innocent.

She smiled, though sheepish, playing with the hair behind her ear. "We have a show coming up, so if you're…" She paused. Her enthusiasm drained. Something was wrong. What happened? 

Her eyelids fell, and her eyes darted back and forth. She contemplated her next string of words. 

Her speech slightly slurred, "You know, I'm not s-so s-sure the shows are quite your style." Zilla turned back up to see me.  

I didn't know what suddenly changed her mind. Is she worried about me? Why? Is it because there are monsters there?

"Even if I don't quite like the genre of music, I-"

"You shouldn't come." Zilla interrupted me sharply, almost like she was…pleading? She puckered her lips and turned away, her heels tapping against the wood floor. "Forget I said anything." Her smile returned faintly, and she shook her head. "You'd get eaten alive at our shows." 

I accepted it. "I'll take your word for it."

Zilla hadn't cared much in the past if someone suggested I go somewhere with monsters. There's also no way she's worried I won't like it. She's too confident for that.

Claudia, who failed to convince Tila to get her hair cut, moved to me. She stood at the couch, her face beaming as she hummed my name, "Hey, Lyneeeeetttteee."

I don't like when people do that anymore. Lev always hummed my name like that, so I only thought of him when someone else did.

"Yes, Claudia?" 

"Can I give your hair a snip?" She snapped her scissors together, not that far from my face.

Do I really have to agree to this? She's my friend. I scanned the cluttered apartment, hoping to find some small hiding space, but Claudia and I had a small height gap. There was nowhere I could go that she couldn't. I'm also sure she's lighter than me. 

She tapped the closed scissors on my head, "Lynette?"

I gave her an excuse, "My hair's pretty curly; it'll probably be difficult to cut for your first time." I had my dad's curls, though my mom's hair genes kept them from being as bad as his. From what I remember, her hair was  straight or maybe not? Why can't I picture it? 

It hurt to think harder about it. My mind wanted to linger on everything else that happened. It was a wretched, physical pain I couldn't fully comfort. That's why I'm grateful for Madre and them. They soothed it, and as weird as it was, most of the morning crew, Claudia, Garter, and Drake, did too. 

Claudia had moved during my silence. She stole Tila's desk chair and wheeled it to me. She patted the seat. "I don't know if I can until I try."

I looked at the seat and then back up at her, "What if I say no?"

"You won't." She repeated the phrase she heard Wicks use on me, "because you love me."

I chortled and shifted my butt from the couch to the desk chair, "you are a friend I care for." I didn't quite say love yet. I valued my time with Claudia, especially outside work, as she often brought a playful spirit to the pizzeria.

Wicks would get jealous if I told another friend I loved them anyway. I smiled, holding in a laugh. 

She swiveled the chair and pushed it forward, rolling me through the apartment. She narrowly avoided a few books and got me over the bump leading into their guest bathroom. 

"Claudia, be careful with my chair!" Tila shouted as she and Zilla followed.

The fae positioned me over the sink at the mirror. "Perfect!" 

I let her brush through the few tangles in my hair.

She got ready to cut, and I peered at her in the mirror.

My body stiffened when I saw her wings coming out of her human case. She handed the scissors off to one clawed hand, and the other grabbed the top of my head to keep me still.

"hey," I attempted to hide my distrust and flinched at the first snip. "Claudia, are you sure it's a good idea to use your wings to give me a haircut?"

No matter how much I wanted to support her, at the same time, I liked my head attached to my neck.

"Don't worry if I mess up, I'll brew a hair growth potion so all your hair will grow back super fast!"

I was relieved. "Oh, good…" Then my shoulders slouched slightly, "Claudia, do you mean ALL my hair or just the hair on my head?"

She continued snipping with wild abandon—bits of my curls flew about. "What do you mean? Do you grow hair in other places?" 

Behind sealed lips, I let out a muffled scream in anguish. If Claudia messes up, I either tell her it's okay and I'm left with bald spots, or I take the potion and become bigfoot. My lip quivered. They'd probably all make fun of me at work and me smallfoot. 

Tila, who bobbed her head, watching Claudia's cuts, responded. "Humans grow hair all over their bodies, including their face, arms, legs, armpits, back, privates, and feet. Some abundances vary depending on their genetic make-up."

Claudia detested that claim by poking my cheek. "Lynette doesn't have hair anywhere else," she slid the normal hand down my face like she was going over a countertop for dust. "She's smooth." 

I exhaled, feeling partially embarrassed, "I don't really get anything on my face, but I still shave everywhere else."

Claudia's face read betrayal—for a few seconds—it quickly returned to her factory reset joy. "Ooooh, yeah, you're going to be coooovered in hair. Like a stupid amount." She did a few more snips. "That means I can cut more after!" 

I immediately begged. "Or-or-OR, you can do an amazing job today and I can come back to you next time I need a cut!"

"DEAL!" 

...

I planned to stay longer, picking at what remained of my curls. 

"It looks better than I anticipated," Tila said, eyeing it. 

My head was lighter, for sure. I hadn't had my hair this short since I was little. I usually kept it at mid-back for prime braiding, but now it barely reached my shoulders.

"She has talent," I said, heavily impressed that she had cut it coherently in a V shape. Didn't I cut it all wrong the first time I tried cutting hair?

I moved to tug another curl and was reminded of what Zilla said about Lev's nervous habit. My gaze shifted to Tila next to me. She was pushing around her two giant and curled piggy tails on either side of her head.

She's the best person to ask about the Underkin thing.

I casually pulled back from the sink, avoiding the tufts of my hair on the ground. "Uh…you know a lot about monsters, right?"

Her eyelids drooped, matching her sudden frown. "Are you attempting to insult me?"

I denied it adamantly, "No, I-I-uh-" Way to go, Lynette. I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts, "Sorry, no. I wanted to ask if you, perhaps, know anything about underkin?" There has to be a reason Lev gets touchy with them. 

Tila was quiet. She's never quiet.

I looked back at her, expecting something akin to disgust.

Instead, her eyes flooded with emotion. These were much wider and more expressive than her usual sarcastic or dead eyes.

Her small, tight lips grinned. "KNOW THEM?" Her exasperated and excited huff sent her smile higher, looking far creepier than she intended. "It's been some time, but our species were once well acquainted. We were even considered 'kin' to them." Her feet stammered in joy. 

"Our history goes way back to the first Underkin born of the higher being, Dra. They were of his kin, unable to use magic, unlike the Tamielkin with flames, Obracikin with water-" she wheezed a chuckle, "You get it."

She tapped her chin, "Underkin were around when Escora, like me, were heavily hunted," She shifted her head to each shoulder, "A few thousand or so years ago?"

A few thousand or so? A thousand years is not a few. "Right, right, just a few." I laid my back on the wall near the light switch and door.

Tila agreed, nodding, "The first Underkin swore to help one of my kind, and because of its heavy exposure doing so, it became what most beings call a "magic eater"."

Some take magic, too? "There are monsters that eat magic?"

Tila laughed, slapping the counter lightly, "Oh no. Magic is volatile. Why do you think people get hurt by it. No other monster has successfully been able to absorb or eat magic quite like them. It's said to work because their scales are-"

Claudia's voice popped beside me, making me jump off the wall. She leaned her head through the door. She escorted Zilla out after Zane called and begged her to go back home.

"There's a monster that eats MAGIC??!" Her different-colored eyes sparkled in wonder. 

"Do you know nothing of-" Tila turned her head and sighed, "No, your coven told you very little, didn't they." She cursed under her breath. "Such barbaric ways."

Impatiently, Claudia gripped my shoulders from behind, softly shaking me while talking to Tila. "I wanna know about the monster!"

Tila continued, looking at me and ignoring Claudia. "Underkin were known for their beautiful black jade-like scales, dark as the night." She lifted her hand and waved it in front of us. Unlike Magus's, I noticed other monsters like her didn't need their eyes to glow when they used it. 

In the air, black dust expelled from her fingertips. It took shape as she watched it, forming into a dragon, different from what I had seen in books. It's so realistic yet small. 

Claudia and I trailed it with our eyes.

"Overtime, their scales got faintly lighter, as taking magic is no easy task." The dragon's pigment shifted slowly. "Their bodies adapted to more of a dark midnight blue." 

"I'VE SEEN ONE BEFORE!" Claudia exclaimed, going closer to the figment. "On Yexodele, before I met you, I saw one in the sky..." She sulked, putting her chin on my shoulder, "Hendra had one of their arms too."

Tila yanked her hand back, and the dragon projection vanished. "AN ARM?" She spat in disgust. "So she killed one?"

Claudia shrugged, "I guess so…" 

From what I knew, Hendra was a different kind of collector than Andras. Andras would rent or sell monsters off, while Hendra tore them apart for stronger pieces to add to her body. 

Claudia lifted her head and sliced the air, "That must be how she cut mine before. She used that arm to take my magic."

Tila's nose wrinkled, " Like us, Underkin were hunted when monsters found out their scales held so much value." She looked out the bathroom door. "Not a single species can do what they can, absorbing and using the magic they get from another." She turned back to us, "Amalgamations are the only other species that come close, but they're magic-resistant."

I took it all in the best I could. Being a magic eater would make fights easier. I joked in my head. That doesn't explain why Lev dislikes them or doesn't look very Drakin-like.

"Lev's a Drakin, too, yeah? I didn't know they looked like dragons since Lev doesn't." 

Has Lev ever said anything about that?

I brought a snicker to her face, sardonic as it sounded. "Oh. That's not his actual form. Drakin's adapted much smaller ones, which is probably how you've seen him. From what I understand, they tried to look friendlier to the magus we had living amongst us at the time."

"Magus's lived with you guys, too?"

"Yes, back when Magus's had no means to defend themselves against monsters, magic or otherwise." She lifted her head proudly. "My species taught them how to drain energy as well." She let out a breath. "And because Drakin's are one of the biggest species to ever exist on Yexodele, they couldn't fit into most places, as the average monster stands between fifteen and thirty-five feet. Thus, they created a smaller form. It works in their favor when fighting opponents like Magus's, and they're stronger because their bodies are condensed down."

So, how big is Lev? 

"How did you know about Underkin anyway?" Tila finally questioned. 

I glanced at Claudia, who looked like she was trying to measure the heights in her head. Claudia might tell Lev if I say it's because of how he acted hearing the name. 

"Just wondering about different species besides Lev's." That didn't answer her question, and I waited for her to say that. 

"Okay." 

Okay? She accepted that?

She pointed at the back of my hand, and I peered down to see the "visitor pass" flashing.

"What-?"

We all heard a knock at the door after, and Claudia raced to answer. Tila's pressed her hand at my shoulder, stopping me.

"Did you hear it from Lev?"

She knows I didn't want to say it with Claudia around.

"Yeah. I don't think Lev likes them. He looks like he wants to kill me when I say Underkin."

Tila's hand slipped from my shoulder, "Tamielkin don't have a good history with Underkin because Underkin would pretend to-" Tila raised her finger, dropped it, raised it once more, and continued to do it several more times. Eventually, she let out her inquiry. "Lynette, you've seen Lev's form before, correct?"

"Y-yes? Red scales." I confirmed nervously.

"Any trim around his scales? Or do they jet out more than usual?" She did a slightly tilted pose with her hands, "possibly stick up a little?"

I couldn't remember now that I was being prosecuted. "Possibly? I think they have a slightly darker outline?" It's not like I had much time to get a good look at them; I was usually more focused on what he was doing than how he looked. 

Her ever-serious gaze consumed her once excited glow. Garter's voice at the door asking for me interrupted our conversation. She cleared her throat. "Thank you." 

I quickly looked back at her standing in the door frame, "is everything okay?"

"Fine as always," her eyes darted behind me, and I tensed up. "Lynette."

Garter grabbed me and twirled me around until he could adequately hug me. "Time to go!" 

"Garter, hey!" I kicked my feet lightly in protest as he waddled toward their front door with me.

"I can walk on my own!" I shouted in defiance. Claudia teased me in the background, laughing aloud and waving goodbye. 

On the other hand, Tila pushed her chair back to her desk and ordered Claudia to clean up the mess in the bathroom. 

When Garter and I left their apartment, there was a sudden weight of anxiety stirring in my stomach.

Why do I feel like this is going to come back and bite me later? 

...

Hey, you, thank you so much for reading. I'm glad I put out a story that people can enjoy! I hope you continue to enjoy it as WE have a LOT more to go! YOU BETTER KEEP PROSPERING! (Nonnegotiable, as always~).

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Catch up, see some maps/art, or check the latest release dates down below  ↓ ↓ ↓ 

What I’d do for a Livable Income Part 2 (Synopsis/Chapter - List)