#stench of death | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dirtwatchman · 4 months

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PARTIES: Caleb (@dirtwatchman) and Wyatt (@loftylockjaw) TIME: Current (May 18th) SUMMARY: Wyatt brings Caleb a present. He's not home right now but Aesil is happy to accept once they see what it is. WARNINGS: None

How the hell this guy had a lover, Aesil would never know. From what they had observed over the short time they had followed Caleb they knew the guy was as awkward as awkward could get. Not to mention, he smelled. It was like death had warmed over and latched on to his skin…which should have made people want to stay away, right? Was this normal now? It couldn’t be, right? They’d been getting looks all morning when they were out earlier. Either Caleb’s nose didn’t work well or he was noseblind to whatever waves of stench would roll off of him because it was making the demon’s eyes water as they waited for some guy named Wyatt to show up. Apparently bad hygiene didn’t deter someone from wanting to have some sort of relationship with the husk he’d taken over.

They so wanted to blow their cover so that they didn’t have to pretend to like these people any longer. The ancient woman roaming the halls of this place was enough to deal with, did they really have to add another person to the mix? Right, they had to keep up appearances. At least until they had everything they needed to raise Andras and watch everyone suffer under their cruel thumb.

Fortunately, this town was rich in the occult and the supernatural, a melting pot of all the ingredients they’d need to do this, so they’d at least ended up in the right place when they were summoned. Unfortunately, that meant they couldn’t disappear into the woods to never be heard of until it was time for Andras to squish them all like the bugs that they were.

Almost forgetting that they were waiting for someone to show up, they were slightly startled when there was a knock on the door. Eyes rolling, they did their best to mimic the nervous boy, which wasn’t too hard as waves of Caleb’s anxiety started to appear beneath the surface of their hold. “Uh, the door’s open!” The question was; did Caleb usually make food for this person? What were their normal activities together aside from the fun ones? There was no hope of the boy giving them any sort of answer as they were sure he was trying his best to protect Wyatt so they grabbed Caleb’s phone to quickly scroll through the text messages between the two. “This is nauseating…”

Aesil looked up as this Wyatt approached and quickly had to wipe the surprise from their features. Okay…Caleb had good taste. Why was he with this dope? “Hey, I was about to pull up some kind of take out if you want to order in?” Because they didn’t want to go out unless they knew it would be a fun time and they had a feeling that the two of them would have different versions of fun…

Stepping into the home after hearing Caleb calling out to him, Wyatt switched the container he held from one hand to the other, taking care to make sure the door was clicked shut behind him. Meandering his way toward the source of the voice, he made note of the brief look of surprise on the other’s face, but it was gone so quickly that he wondered if he hadn’t imagined it. Take out? “What, you find a place that delivers offal? Color me surprised.” He wore a smile as he strode into the room, pausing as a peculiar smell hit him. After taking a second to adjust, he realized where it was coming from and frowned ever-so-slightly.

“Oh, Firebug… I ask this in the kindest way possible, but when's the last time you had a proper meal, darlin’? You're lookin’...” and smelling… “a bit more dead than usual.” Concern flashed over his features as he walked up to the zombie, not finding the smell horribly offensive (he'd eaten dead things before, after all), but it would wear on him after a while. Hell, it'd wear on anyone. “Ain’t a problem, though! I got a surprise for you here that ought to fix you up faster than a knife fight in a phone booth!” He lifted the container in his hand, angling it so Caleb could see the brain matter through the glass. “Got it fresh for ya n’ put it on ice til I could make it over—and before you ask, no, it wasn’t responsibly sourced. I’d say the hunter that thought she could take me on was bein’ pretty irresponsible.”

Offal? Shit, maybe they would have a good time together if they went out. There were downsides to this body but they were starting to find the good things as well. Watching the boy dig up bodies was a reason they had made the final decision to overtake him, after all. This also explained the treasure trove of body parts stored in the basement. But Aesil had to be careful from now on. They’d already messed up at playing Caleb with this person and being what they were to each other the demon knew it was only a matter of time before Wyatt knew something was completely off.

It did come as a relief to know that this awful smell wasn’t normal. The dead comment was a surprise though as they hadn’t noticed that the heart hadn’t been beating inside Caleb’s chest until Wyatt said it. They’d lived without a heart for so long that it had seemed so normal not to feel the blood pumping through the boy’s veins. Still, they should have recognized the stench immediately. “I guess it has been a while.” The demon ran their fingers through Caleb’s curly hair the way they’d seen him do on occasion when he was anxious, trying to look embarrassed that Wyatt had to endure the smell coming off of the body.

Curiosity hit them like a brick as Wyatt continued on, but when he held up the container and the brain came into view, everything started to click into place for the demon. He needed brains so the body wouldn’t rot…zombie. This man was a zombie. No wonder it was so easy to possess him, even for a demon who didn’t have much experience with it all. Was it normal for the undead to walk the earthly plane like this? More importantly, would Caleb enjoy that his lover brought over a fresh brain for him?

The answer was an overwhelming ‘no’ as they let the man’s emotions bleed through their thoughts. Which was so stupid to them. This man should have been elated but he was more worried than anything. That’s alright, Aesil was in a generous mood after seeing the gift, they would show gratitude for the both of them. They let his lips pull up into a grateful smile, eyes shining. “And you thought of me?” He was liking this Wyatt more and more, even with the stupid pet names he enjoyed using. Anyone who brought a brain to someone he enjoyed spending time with was worth their time as well. “But what are you going to eat, love?” The word felt like acid on their tongue and they fought the urge to blanche at it. They had to butter him up though. They hadn’t even gotten to the hunter portion of this tale and they wanted an explanation. “We can cook something up while you tell me this story because it sounds like a…doozy. But I should probably eat this first.”

Wyatt smiled appreciatively—he was glad for Caleb’s response to the fresh organ, having worried that it might have crossed a line too far, even if it had been acquired in self defense. “Sounds good! And don’t worry ‘bout me… the previous owner of this here thinkin’-meat was plenty of food for the rest of the week.” Truth told, he could have had more, but human food wouldn’t sate the hunger that kept him in fighting shape. No, that would require another reptilian romp through the wilderness and raw meat and bone. “But! Lemme saute this thing up for you, yeah? Warm it, give it a little kick with some spices…” He knew how Caleb liked it, after all.

Leading the way into the kitchen, Wyatt made himself comfortable in the workspace, already familiar with the layout and where things were kept. Fetching a skillet from the cabinet, the lamia set it atop the stove and started rifling through the spice bottles. “You won’t believe it, actually… I met two hunters in the woods not that long ago! One was there specifically for me, she’d been tailin’ me for weeks, pardon the expression. She thought she had me cornered—” she had “—but she wasn’t ready for my particular brand of whoop-ass.” He turned, spices in hand and grinning gleefully. “Made quick work of her once she came at me. Saved the head for last so I could make her death worth twice the trouble it’d cost. But then wouldn’t you know it, some other jackass arrives on the scene and gets the same idea in his head that he’s gonna ‘take care of me.’” He worked as he spoke, oiling the pan after it had had a minute or two to heat, plucking a few bits of brain from the glass container and dropping them onto the pan, enjoying the sizzle that followed. “Didn’t get to do much before he was gettin’ all wrapped up by vines. Me too, actually. Dragged us both underground, wouldn’t you know it.” Spatula in hand, Wyatt pushed the brain matter around in the pan and started adding spices with the other. It didn’t smell half bad… “Had to team up to get out of there, which was probably the worst part of it. That guy was a real piece of work. What was his name… Emilio?”

Aesil would have preferred the brain raw and bloody to preserve the integrity of eating the organ that fueled a human. But they had a feeling that Caleb preferred it the way Wyatt was suggesting so they didn’t protest the idea. Fucking zombie was pathetic. Their interest peaked even higher though when Wyatt mentioned eating the rest of this person, eyes plastered to the man. Was he a zombie too? No, he wouldn’t have offered the brain if he was or would have least wanted to share, they thought. However pathetic he was, at least Caleb’s life was becoming more interesting to them. “I’d love that, actually. Thank you.” Again, they had to swallow down the irritation that came with having to use those words but they smiled through it.

All they could think about was whether Wyatt was something they could use. The ritual they needed to prepare required many different ingredients so there was plenty of opportunity to put whatever he was to use here. In the meantime, they were glad that the man knew his way around the place because they sure didn’t. That would have been awkward.

There were no hints to his particular brand of supernatural as Wyatt told his story but Aesil was thoroughly enjoying it. He took pride in his kills, something they believed everyone should do, and they appreciated that fact. Turns out, they wouldn’t have to kill the lover after all. At least not yet. “Vines? What type of vines?” They let a quiver of worry slip through in their words, eyes dragging over Wyatt to feign concern. Caleb would care if he had any wounds that needed to be patched up, they knew that much. But then they lead into the next question with a hint of excitement in their voice, believing that the zombie was all in on this murder thing. “Is he still down there with the vines or do we need to take care of him?”

A curious expression crossed Wyatt’s face then, one of bemusement. “Not sure, really…” he answered the first question slowly, still considering the second. It wasn’t really like Caleb to jump so quickly to violence. Strange, that. Maybe it was a side effect of not having had a proper meal for a while? That made sense to the lamia. The hungrier Caleb got, the more violent and unlike himself he became—he’d basically said as much some months ago. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise, so Wyatt just smiled and shook his head.

“Now now, firebug, don’t be hasty. Idjit’s well gone from that place, off to bigger n’ better things… woulda killed ‘im, if not for him helpin’ me outta there.” He was a hunter, after all, and what kind of hunter didn’t really matter to Wyatt. It wasn’t a distinction he cared to make, they were all equally as shitty as the last. At least, that’s what he was telling himself. He wasn’t going to admit that some small part of him had kind of felt bad for Emilio, and maybe even ended up liking him. “Maybe next time, though, ah? He was a grumpy sort, can’t imagine he’d be happy to see me if our paths ever crossed again. Would probably give me good reason to bite his stupid head off, too.” Happy with the state of the brain matter (and not wanting to overcook it), Wyatt fetched a plate and scooped the viscera onto it, taking a fork out of the drawer with his free hand once he’d set the pan back down and sliding it over to Caleb. “Eat up, you wily thing,” he said with a smirk. “Maybe we oughtta start huntin’ together. I know you’ve been makin’ due with corpses from work, but… we could get you fresher. Even if it ain’t always human, you know? Brain’s a brain, gotta still be good, right?”

They’d said something wrong. They knew it as soon as Wyatt made that face. Did Caleb have any fun or was he just content with letting his friends get all of the danger? Frowning at the words, Aesil tried to think back on any gestures the man made when he was nervous, the demon starting to pick at the table cloth next to them. It was a delayed reaction and Aesil knew it but maybe Wyatt wouldn’t see through it. “I think I just wanted to do something for you, you know? Since you’re risking a lot being so thoughtful to me. Plus, I don’t like that he went after you at all.”

The bloodthirsty part of Aesil came out as they eyed the brain, eyes glinting. Just the idea of turning a human into a meal for themselves was enough to bring their spirits right back up. Getting rid of the smell of this body was a very big bonus. They were already mid bite before Wyatt spoke, mirroring his smirk. He didn’t have a clue, did he? They wondered how far they could push this now. Maybe Caleb should know how much this man actually knew him, or didn't in this case.

Again, things started to fall into place with Wyatt’s words. That was why the zombie was digging people up, he didn’t want anything fresh. The panic that Aesil could feel at the suggestion was enough to clue them in to that. Another bite was had, the demon not caring enough to compliment the chef, before they responded. “Actually, I think human might be good for me. I should probably try to prevent…this, from happening again.” They gestured to their body before they looked up, Caleb trying to fight this agreement every step of the way, but Aesil only smiled. “I think I would like that though. I’m starting to come around to the idea, anyway. This is becoming a lot to handle.”

The sentiment, despite probably being gruesome to the majority of audiences, warmed Wyatt’s heart. And again, it surprised him. Not that Caleb wanted to do something for him, or that he disliked that the shifter was hunted and threatened by others, no—those things made perfect sense. It was the offer (or desire?) to willingly maim another person that struck him as strange. Or, not strange, for he wasn’t exactly an upstanding, moral citizen, but rather out of character for Caleb. Caleb, who was for all the world a soft spoken, soft hearted man. So unlike the types that Wyatt usually consorted with, and perhaps that was the very reason he kept coming back, disregarding everything he’d ever said about not wanting to commit to anyone.

Not that this was commitment, but it was more than he’d ever tried before.

Maybe that was the reason he was finding it so easy to justify these new behaviors in his head. He wanted Caleb to like him, and not just the socially acceptable persona he often wore. He wanted Caleb to like all of him, the parts of him that devoured his child siblings and often beat and butchered other supernatural creatures to the brink of death and beyond. It was folly, he knew, but he wanted it… so he chose to accept this new truth of the zombie sitting in front of him, hoping that it was real. The idea that there could be something nefarious at work had not yet crossed his mind.

Wyatt sat down beside him, nudging him with his shoulder. “Oh yeah? Well don’t worry, mon cher. We can definitely hunt the types that deserve it.” To hunt a truly innocent person would be too out of character for Wyatt to accept as real, he knew that much. And frankly, he didn’t really enjoy the idea of that. He generally liked people! It was just the ones that wanted him or people like him dead that he took issue with. And if Caleb was willing to take that at face value and get himself some better food in the process, well, what was the harm?

As Aesil watched Wyatt they felt a smug sense of accomplishment as Caleb’s disappointment became clear. Either the man didn’t know the zombie at all or something else was at play here. They had seen the gears turning in Wyatt’s mind, witnessed the multiple emotions that flit across his features, it wasn’t hard to surmise that the acceptance of his suggestion meant something to him. What it was, Aesil couldn’t begin to guess. It was the satisfaction of proving something to the man lying in wait under their skin that kept them happy though, knowing the chaos it could cause if Aesil ever decided to choose another body.

If they let Caleb live, that is. Which was unlikely. Right now they were enjoying torturing him enough to keep it up.

They took their last bite, realizing how much the food was affecting the body now. The stench wasn’t gone but it was easing up a little as their energy levels rose significantly. But the suggestion of only going after people who deserved it was boring, draining in itself. “Deserve it, of course. I wouldn’t imagine it going any other way.” Because saying otherwise was far too obvious. Aesil wanted to play a game with the two of them, not completely blow their cover. It was too early on to do that. “When are you going to be hungry again, love? Maybe we can go as soon as you are? I have to take the plunge sometime…”

Maybe a little eager. It seemed that even the one who deserved death wasn’t enough for the regular occupant. Caleb was angry now, the hint of a smirk playing on their lips as that emotion came to the surface even if they didn’t understand why. Bonding time with Wyatt should have made him happy.

“Ah! Well…” Wyatt only needed to eat once a week or so, but that was assuming the rest of his time was spent rather relaxed. Because of his fights at the Pit, which could be multiple times a week sometimes, he often required a much heartier diet. So, in spite of the fact that he’d recently consumed the majority of at least one human being, he knew he was going to need more again after his upcoming fight.

“A few days, probably?” He noted that the side effects of not having eaten seemed to be easing up for Caleb already, glad that the man’s body seemed to always go to work so fast. He wished he had a healing ability like that, honestly… it would certainly lower the stakes in the Pit fights, anyway. He was a quick healer when full, but nothing like Caleb.

Wyatt stood again to clean up the dishes he’d made, pausing first to press a kiss into Caleb’s soft curls. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss, but he was far from clever enough to figure it out, so he just chalked it up to his own bizarro adventures over the last few days. Setting the container of the leftover brains in the fridge, he gave it a shake of his finger before moving on to hand wash the skillet he’d used. “What’s left there ought to get you through until then, yeah? If we need to go sooner, we can.” He was a little thrilled by the idea, strange as it seemed.

A few days, they could handle that. Even if they were itching to get their hands on some of these humans, patience was key here. Caleb probably would have been pathetic and tried to put it off as long as he possibly could so it only made sense. The idea of it though, the very thought of being able to put their teachings into practice, was so enticing. Enough so that when Wyatt placed a kiss to the top of their head, Aesil was almost ready to say fuck it all and start right away.

They stood to their feet, coming up behind Wyatt silently as they listened to him speak. They were thinking about taking one of the knives in the sink and plunging it into his throat but two things stopped them; the idea of that blonde wench coming in before they could clean it all up and the longing to know what exactly Wyatt was. If he was dead too, a knife to the throat would only be an inconvenience but somehow eating most of a human didn’t scream zombie and vampires only wanted blood. The other undead fed off of feelings. Which meant he had to be something else.

When Wyatt turned, Aesil plastered a smile to Caleb’s lips, pretending that they weren’t just thinking about murdering him in cold blood for a simple romantic gesture. “It should be, yes. But if not I have stock down in the basement.” Or so they thought. That had to be why the lock was on the door, right and why the wench stayed away? “Just let me know when you’re ready and maybe we can go out to the same area. I want to get a look at this hunter if he’s still around.” Tilting their head, they looked down at the sink that was almost completely empty now. “Do you want some help? You’ve been doing all the work here and it’s kind of my house.”

“Don’t worry about it, cher. I work in kitchens all day, s’what I’m used to,” Wyatt laughed. “But! Will do. About the hunter, I mean. I’d say he was cute, if he didn’t have the personality of Oscar the Grouch. You know, that muppet that lived in a garbage can.” Scrubbing clean the last of the utensils, Wyatt set them on the dishrack beside the sink and turned fully to meet Caleb’s gaze, pulling him in close. A smile danced over his lips as his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of Caleb’s pants, leaning himself back against the countertop. “Now, see? Those are rapid results I can get behind.” He gave the other a wink before elaborating. “You’re smellin’ fine as a tulip, my dear. Indulge me then… what do you say we make use of the time we got before your roommate gets home, ah?” The weariness from lack of sleep was threatening to catch up with him again, and he’d do just about anything to chase it away… granted, this was the most fun, preferred method.

There was a flash of irritation in their eyes as Wyatt pulled them closer but Aesil hoped he would misconstrue the why, maybe think Caleb didn’t like him saying another was cute or something. The demon didn’t know how far their relationship was at this point but jealousy had to come into play at some point especially if they were sleeping together. They brought a hand up to rest on Wyatt’s collarbone, an attempt to keep him from leaning in further but also a reason to have their hand close to his neck in case this started to get too intimate. “Maybe not fast enough to be honest. I’m still feeling a little…gross.” They tried to look apologetic but weren’t too sure if they were conveying it well. How did one screw their face up into that sad little puppy dog stare that made them sick? “Next time I promise I will more than make it up to you.”

But there would be no next time. After being in this man’s arms Aesil was sure they would be avoiding contact with him as much as possible and Caleb would be dead when they tired of this body. Poor little Wyatt would have no one to play with soon. “You look a little off yourself now that I’m not so ravenous. Maybe you should lie down…”

Hm. Disappointing. But valid, he supposed. Wyatt shrugged, releasing Caleb and putting his hands on the sink’s edge instead. “No worries,” he said half-heartedly. It wasn’t that he wanted to push Caleb into something he wasn’t feeling right now, he just… needed distraction. He needed things to keep him awake, and the zombie’s suggestion that he might need to lay down was the exact opposite of what he was looking for. This disappointment was likely reflected in his expression and the way he pushed himself off of the counter, eyes downcast while he moved away from Caleb. “No, it’s…” He couldn’t outright lie, or Caleb wouldn’t understand. But he couldn’t share the whole truth, either. Ugh. “I’m fine. Uh. I was really hopin’ to…” His voice trailed as he glanced around the kitchen, trying to pluck an excuse out of the air. “... this… isn’t about you, cher. I promise. I just need to… be… around people. I don’t want to sleep.” The why, he couldn’t say. “It’s a whole thing, it’s complicated, but… look.” He finally turned back to Caleb, looking apologetic. “Maybe I oughtta go. Again, this ain’t your fault, yeah? I just…” He huffed out an exasperated breath and put on a lopsided smile, stepping closer to Caleb and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t wanna annoy you. I’m glad you’re feelin’ a little better, but I’m not gonna ask you to come with me or do anythin’ you don’t got the energy for. So… I’m gonna go, okay? I’ll text you.”

Oh, did that offend him? Aesil raised an eyebrow as Wyatt stepped away, the ghost of a smirk once again making an appearance. Was this supposed to be a transaction of sorts? Intimacy for a cooked brain brought to them by a man who was supposed to care, right? Of course, the demon didn’t care, preferred that they keep this distance until they could justify killing one or the other…or both. But Caleb’s sadness was leaking through their mental blocks and it was delicious. They wanted more.

“Ouch.” They whispered it, letting the hurt they could feel lace into their voice. If nothing else had been convincing that day, they knew this was going to be the winning performance. Even if Wyatt was trying to explain himself and Caleb’s emotions started to turn to worry, Aesil made sure to take another step back from him to cause more of that anguish they had felt seeping in.

They shrugged his hand off their shoulder and shook their head slowly. “No, you’re right. Maybe you should go. Thanks for the food and everything, I’m sure I’ll feel better soon.” Arms crossed over their chest, the demon tried to school Caleb’s features into feigned indifference all while letting some emotion shine through. They should win a damn Oscar. “How about I text you instead?”

This was a familiar scene, wasn't it? Wyatt had been here many times before, trying to bridge a gap that had formed swiftly with his careless words. He was so good at saying the wrong thing, at holding back the parts of himself that would be better at explaining these things… Just tell him the truth. Tell him you can't sleep, tell him you're afraid and it's only getting worse, tell him that you just need distractions, that it doesn't matter what form they take—

Instead, the shifter pushed a hand into the pocket of his jacket and stood a little taller, matching the indifference on Caleb's face with his own. Even though it hurt, deep down in places he dared not touch. It was always going to be this way.

“... yeah. Sure. You text me.” He knew Caleb wouldn’t. He knew that if he walked out that door, it would be the last time he ever saw him, spare maybe the rare run-in in town. Was he okay with that? Did he want to just let the pieces lay where they had fallen on the floor, arranged to discreetly spell out their tumultuous fate like sopping clumps of tea leaves in the bottom of a mug?

That was too many fucking metaphors.

With pain in his bright eyes, Wyatt turned and left the kitchen, not speaking another word as strode towards the front door, gripping the knob tighter than he should have and closing the door a little rougher than he would have liked.

Whatever. Wasn't the end of the world.

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