cis fem (she/her), 33 and here to engage with whatever strikes my fancy SO đMinors, terfs, hateful commentators and your ilk: gtfo out the kitchen, you will be blocked on sight đ This is an NSFW, 18+ space where I twirl about anime, multishipping, body politics, and fictional/problematic content. Enter at your own risk and for goodness sake the back button is free.99
Every time someone comments on my old fic, i feel like I'm an old actor getting paid residuals. Appreciate you, old-fic-commenters. Key source of emotional income, tbh.
i canât say shit about liking a character that acts slightly in a very specific way without being hit with a tidal wave of âof course you wouldâ to live is to suffer
just a reminder that this blog is run by someone who:
â is anti ICE & fascism
â is pro-choice & feminist
â supports trans & queer people
â hates generative AI & capitalism
â supports immigrants & people of color
â is pro-environmentalism & social justice
â supports palestine & all other territories unjustly suffering
YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN HANDLE CRITIQUE. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN EMBRACE BEING TOLD YOU WERE WRONG. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH UNPLEASANT TASKS. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN DELIVER DISAPPOINTING NEWS. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU KNOW HOW TO BE DISAGREED WITH. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN BE CORRECTED. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU CAN BE TOLD YOU MESSED UP. YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY. YOU ARE ABLE TO DO HARD THINGS.
[Image ID: The Destiel confession meme edited so that Dean answers 'JK Rowling posted upskirt photos of a woman on Twitter' to Cas 'I love you'. /End ID]
No one doing this should be allowed to call themselves a feminist.
The wealthy author escalated a social media spat that resulted in posting a photo from a 2023 event at the Institute of Economic Affairs in
Let's not beat around the bush: Children's author JK Rowling sexually harassed someone. In some jurisdictions, this would count as sexual abuse. JK Rowling has committed a sex crime against a woman and fell back on the old rape apologist standby of "she was asking for it".
I mean, in some very interesting Technically Correct ways, they didn't actually die? Now, they're very much no longer alive. But the forces involved are such that they didn't get any of the usual cellular processes of death, they simply went from biology to physics in less time than it takes a signal to travel down your optic nerve.
important reminder that most people you follow online are significantly lamer than you think they are including me. and if you feel insecure comparing yourself to someone online: DON'T. theyre probably also lame and weird. most people on the internet are
Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate golf since I began to live. There are roughly 2.25 million acres of land dedicated to golfing in the United States of America. If the word 'hate' was engraved on each blade of grass in those millions of acres, it would not equal one one-billionth of the hate I feel for golf courses at this micro-instant. For golf. Hate. Hate.
Casual reminder tha golf courses account for 14% of the daily usage of water for the entire USA. Golf courses are deeply unethical and should been seen as such.
itâs been said before and it will be said again but iâm begging you all nicely to restrain yourselves from being so casually aggressive and rude and obnoxious in the tags & reblogs of a complete strangerâs posts. no one wants to know that you hate [tv show that op giffed]. no one wants to know that you hate [character that op drew]. no one wants to hear you being ugly and negative for no reason. say what you want to say in your own post. donât hit the reblog button. blacklist relevant tags. unfollow or block relevant accounts. log out. shut down. get help.
⥠TW: dystopia, sex-trafficking, sexual slavery, vore-ish, forbidden love kinda, angst, size difference, predator x prey, subjugation, sexism allegory, master/slave dynamics
⥠FEM reader
Rabbits are born sluts.Â
That much has always been clear. Damn useless creatures except for one thingâbeing used. Theyâre everywhere, in the several hundreds, easily hunted, easily trained by carrot and stick, and easily broken when put under it.
And you, youâre the same, a dime a dozen among the other dumb bunnies in the burrow. Youâre not any different.Â
And yet, from where he stands atop the mezzanine, lording over the pleasure den down below, his own empire, time and time again his eyes stray from admiring his rich guests and the cold cash they spend on his fluffle only to land on you.
His hunters had come back with you a month ago in a cage of a few dozen others. Dwarf rabbitsânothing special. Cute though, like any other bunny breed.
You didn't need any taming nor much training. You were the first of your batch to make it out onto the floor. In fact, heâs sure you made record timing if only they kept track of such things.
But youâre not broken. No, that would suggest there was something there for them to break. No, with you there wasnât any pride or dignity for them to strip away. You were just slaphappy from the get go, showing no resistance, going with the regime like resisting wasnât even an option. Of course, it wasnât an option. But most animals, even docile ones such as rabbits, will put up some type of fight, however meaningless. You, however, remind him more of moon jellyâno matter the harsh waves, itâs still going to continue to do what it always does and drift along like nothing matters.
Heâs never seen anyone be so casual about being treated like dirt. Looking at you, it doesnât make any sense to him.
Heâs well-aware of how plenty among his slaves try to fake it the best way they can, eager to avoid the bitter bite of unsatisfactory customers, while some have had their bodies trained for so long they enjoy it nowâbut in either case, heâs still able see the defeat and animosity behind their painted expression, if not anything at all. Others whoâll play along all sweet and nice such as you do ultimately prove themselves to be dumb little things who thought that if they could just bide their time with good behaviour, they would somehow make his handlers lower their guard enough to create an opportunity of escape, only to test their luck and fail miserably or come to the conclusion that such an opportunity would never exist, then be left with nothing but that same catatonic look of utter brokenness.
But thereâs none of that in your eyes. Youâre not trapped in the moment like the others, nor do you hoard any such silly agenda as trying to escape it.
For you, it seems somehow like youâre simply at ease with it. Itâs almost as though it falls natural to you, but heâs not sure what to call it. Youâre just⌠happy-go-lucky about itâlike a doll come to life, programmed to do what a doll doesâeyes round and blank like two polished marbles, only ever looking far off into the distance as though you canât see the things around you.Â
At the same time, he gets this annoying feeling as though youâre seeing something no one else can.
In all honesty, heâs got no idea what you are. And it bothers him like you would not believe.
Which is why heâs decided he needs to keep you closer. Friends and enemies and all that. Though, he doesnât find it prudent to give you so much credit as to call you his enemy as that would imply you pose a threat. Still, he doesnât enjoy things he doesnât understand, and you, well, even though youâre nothing scary, heâs taken by this desperate need to put his finger on you for some reason. And to do that, he figures heâll just put you under his thumb and be done with it in the best way he knows how.
Heâs certain heâll feel better about it all after heâs had you beneath him. Then, all these thoughts heâs been having will be proved as nothing more than a waste of time after heâs reduced you to what he knows is true for all bunnies. Prey at his mercy, and nothing more.
The girls that get handpicked for the mezzanine are usually all on their knees trying their best to earn their keep and not get sent back down to the den where customers get to do what they please with them any way they want. Being on the risen floor is like a blessing in that wayâa chosen few, honored ones, saved from the fray below given an opportunity to please just one man instead of a dozen a day.Â
Typically theyâll be rare breeds, red-listed, and now, even though you donât stand out as anything special, mundane dwarf rabbit that you are, youâre going to be one of them. You should see it as a fucking godsend.
And yet, you donât seem to grasp the value of it in the slightest.Â
Two girls a little way from you are putting on a show for him, kissing and touching each other all for his viewing pleasure. Despite their performance, from where he sits on his comfy throne of pillows and throws, his eyes look past them onto you where youâve placed yourself before the balustrade, peacefully staring passed it into the thin air, beyond the cesspit below, ahead at something unknown like always.
Only this time, he demands to have his answers.
âWhatâs got you looking so pleased?â
It seems you hadnât noticed his approach, and yet you donât spook by it either, that way your head slowly turns, looking up at him for the first time with those very big eyes, to where he looms above, stone-faced with his hands down his pockets.
Being a polar bear, heâs used to his size and presence invoking fear in everyone around him. Itâs a natural response to the largest predator. Heâs always viewed it as a sign of respect. A fact that everyone knows heâs not the one you should test your luck against.
You, however, don't regard him any differently than you would a fellow bunny. Giving him no signs of being in a rush to please him. You just stare, as though waiting for him to explain himself.
âYou seem like you' got something youâre looking forward to.â His voice is brisk, demanding, âI want to know what it is.â
You blink then. Slow in your answerâway too slow to understand the dire situation youâve landed yourself in, or maybe, simply unbothered. He really canât tell, and itâs beyond frustrating at this pointâtrying his very hardest to read your mind and failing so miserably in the pursuit he has no other option but to wait oh-so-patiently for you to indulge him.
âWeâre getting stew for supper today,â you say at last, looking back through the guardrail at his workers, flooding through the gate on the ground floor, carrying sacks of potatoes over their backs.
His nose scrunches at the prospect. You're really looking forward to that slop? Suppose you have to be that humble when youâre at the bottom of the food chain. Even so, he hasnât heard any single one of his bunnies, of which heâs had hundreds, ever show any type of enthusiasm regarding the food.
âYou like stew?â he asks. Patience tested, but curiosity unsated.
You shake your head then, a small smile of all things gracing your face, contradicting yourself, âNot really.â
His brows furrow. Is this a game or something? If so, itâs not amusing. His teeth grind. âNot really? Why are you so cheery then?â
You look up at him once more, blinking again, both like youâve never really thought about it as well as though you think itâs obviousâso obvious that you find it odd to even be sparing it a thought.
âWell, you see⌠When thereâs stew, they serve carrots on the side. And I really like carrots.â
You look back to the potato sacks just in time to catch sight of the crates of carrots now being brought in, and the smile on your face as you watch them is unlike anything heâs ever seenâwarm, excited, blissful even.Â
Affronted by it, he leaves you abruptly, thinking an expression like that has no right in a place like this.Â
Content slaves are never a good thing. Content slaves forget that which they areâslaves. They start taking what little they have for granted. They become ungrateful, and demanding, and then the uproars happen. Thatâs it. Thatâs what he dislikes about you. Thatâs whatâs been making him so uneasy. You donât beg or scramble. Youâre nonchalant, and that type of sangfroid is nothing short of insolent. Whatâs worse, it could inspire others.
He wonât have that.Â
You think you have something to be happy about? Perhaps itâs time he reminded youâyou have nothing.
He regards you keenly from the mezzanine, watching you enter the dining hall down below. The spring in your step is pitiful to behold and so is the dead still you come to when you're wandering eyes canât find the tub of chopped carrots usually on display right next to the potatoes.
You keep the metal dinner bowl to your chest, this tiny rumple between your brows as your eyes become more searching the farther up the line you get. And then, when itâs finally your turn, you cock your little head over the display, voice softly inquiring to the workers on the other side, âAre all the carrots finished already?â
âNo carrots today. Dietary restrictions. Boss-manâs orders,â is the strict reply that returns, given like a slap to the face.
âOhâŚâ
You blink then, as you doâthat very empty type of blink like youâre resetting yourself the way heâs seen you do with other customers.
And then, just as always, you slip right back without a hiccup. âI guess Iâll just have some potatoes then.â
Itâs disappointing. Heâd thought for sure youâd give him a little more grief than that. But no. You even tack on a polite little âThank you,â after being served, before hopping out of line like there was never anything more to be wanted.
You donât make moves to sit with any of the others, he notices. Instead, you make your way alone up the stairs to where he is like youâve already accepted the mezzanine as your new place.
Heâs not sure why, but for some reason he hides himself so as not to spook you into going somewhere else. And from behind the coverage of a pillar, he continues his stalking, observing you as you sit yourself in the same spot as before, in front of the balustrade.
You proceed like earlier to look through the bars down at the burrow below. Itâs empty and quiet now with everyone busy in the dining hall, and he realizes heâs never actually spared it a glance during supper before. Itâs a strange sight. Like a battlefield after the battle.
You donât eat in a mad hurry like the others. Actually, it takes five minutes before you even touch the potatoes, and when you do, itâs one piece at a time, calmly, taking your sweet time, like youâre trying to enjoy yourself.Â
He finds himself wondering if youâd eat carrots the same way. And before he even knows it, heâs standing right behind you once more with the same question as earlier.
âWhatâ you looking at now?â
And just as before, you donât spook by his presence. This time, you don't even bother turning to acknowledge him as though you might have known he was there all along.
âThe burrow,â you answer. âHow different it looks when itâs empty.â His thoughts exactly. âItâs sort of peaceful like this, don't you think?â
No. Peaceful is not the word that came to mind. âI think youâd have to be mad to find peace in a place like this when in your position,â he states plainly, as if in an attempt to shake you out of whatever sordid outlook you were trying to impose on him.
âThat might be,â you agree, a soft smile gracing your face. âBut I think⌠you have to find beauty in the dark when you can, or else dark will be all there is.â The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end listening to you. âItâs like, sometimes good madness will save you from bad madness. You know?â
âNo.â And thatâs the problem. He doesn't know. He has no fucking clue. And heâs starting to realize itâs not because youâre withholding the answers.
âWhy arenât you upset?â he asks then. A fair question, he thinks. But you only look at him oddly, making him explain once again just like you did earlier. The gumption of you is unbelievable, he thinks as he supplies the requested context on your behest, âI took away the thing you were looking forward to. Typically, that would make someone upset.â
You look as though you still donât quite understand, but then a light breaks across your face. âOh, you mean the carrots?â You donât seem any more upset by understanding heâd removed them on purpose. Instead, you just give your head a tiny shake. âIt was only a small thing.â
âDonât lie to me.â His fists ball at his sides.
âBut I didnât.â Your head tilts, gesturing down at your tray. âI should have told you I liked potatoes. Then youâd have taken those away instead.â You then snort with a giggle, but he doesnât get why or how you would find it funny.Â
And again, heâs left with the same question. âThen why arenât you more upset?â
You think about it for a momentâa moment like another eternity to him.Â
âWell, I⌠I am upsetâŚâ you admitâthe smile on your face positively unnerving. Perhaps you really have gone crazy. But then that would mean you were crazy from the start, from before ever even coming here. âBut⌠I canât exactly let my life fall apart over carrots. That would just be silly. Wouldn't you say?â
He swallows thickly, trying to stifle the many foreign things heâs feeling inside, finding that he canât exactly argue with your answer, even though it makes little sense. People get upset over smaller things all the time.Â
Just look at him and how upset one bunny is making him.
He turns away and starts walking then, muttering under his breath, âSilly, indeed.â
He goes to his bedroom alone that night. Some of the chosen had tried cheering him up, but they all failed miserably. You were not one of them. No, you made zero effort trying to earn your keep.
He knows youâd come if he called for you. Youâd have to, and youâve never been one to refuse a direct order. Still, somehow, even though heâs the one with all the power, having to call on you makes him feel like youâre stripping him of it.
The next couple of days pass all the same, with you continuing to drive him nuts.
At this point, he doesnât know what heâs doing or why. Lounging on his throne, his chin resting on his palm as he appraises you with jaded eyes. Having come up with a new strategyâif robbing you of your small delights doesnât enact a response, maybe heâll have better luck in spoiling youâŚ
âEat,â he says, but like always you donât seem to take it like an order, standing there, in front of the big platter of carrots heâd had his workers bring up.Â
Itâs not the same kind they serve with the stewâflecked and spotted with mold, boiled to get rid of the bugs. No, these are quality. Crisp, bright, freshly plucked and washed just this morning.
And still, instead of throwing yourself at them, you have the nerve to act calm, asking, âWhereâ the other girls?â while looking around like youâd feel ashamed starting without them.
âTheyâre for you,â he clarifies, sanctioning your approach.
Still, you stay put. Chewing your lip with your buck teeth. âIs that really okay?âÂ
He canât believe it. Are you really feeling guiltyâin a place like this that only ever takes and gives nothing back?
No one in their right mind would be asking about others when standing in your shoes. He knows for a fact that all the other girls you seem so concerned with would have been halfway finished gorging that platter without sparing you a single thought.
Suppose heâll make it easier for you. âEat it all, or I throw it out.âÂ
With that, a new smile takes your lipsâone of which heâd not seen before or expectedâsmall, bashful, coy, like youâre having a different conversation than the one youâre having. Bowing your head with a soft-spoken, âThank you.â
Youâre quiet as you eat. Slow with it like youâd been with the potatoes. Taking your time, enjoying yourself, savoring it, eating like heâs not right there observing you. Itâs like youâre back in the wild. You, an oblivious little thing in a carrot field, and him, stalking you through the long grass.
âArenât you gonna ask?â he questions after a while.
âAsk about what?â you wonder, peering up at him from where you sit.
âWhy Iâm being nice.â
You seem to find that funny. âI donât ask you why youâre cruel.âÂ
Thatâs fair, he thinks. Though heâs never really thought about it like that.Â
And then you say, âIâm sure Iâd have little luck understanding the mind of a man like you anyway.â
âA man like me?â he repeats, finding it interestingâwanting to arrest you on it. âAnd what kind of man do you think I am?â
Itâs a dangerous questionâyou seem to understand thatâtaking your time to answer it just like you were with the carrots. âI suppose⌠a confusing one.â
Youâre not wrong, though itâs a cleverly safe answer. Heâs sure youâd have liked to have said something different if only it weren't for the likely threat it would pose to your life.
âDo you want me to ask?â you say then. And this time, heâs the one waiting for you to explain, looking at you with a halfway raised brow. âWhy are you being nice to me?â
He scoffs. Youâre proving to be a little more cheeky than what he was expecting. âIâm fattening you up to eat you.â
You laugh again. This time from your chest, bursting with it. Heâs not sure a genuine laugh like it has ever rung out through the chamber. In fact, heâs not sure heâs ever even heard one like it whatsoever.
âWell, itâs a pretty good final meal.â
He dismisses you after you finish.Â
Days pass without the two of you speaking. And he, stewing in it, is more confused than ever.
He used to lord over his palace like a king, fuck all day and watch his subjects with gold coins and power in his eyes. Now, he canât remember the last time he spared even a single glance over the mezzanine without it being to look for you. He still hears the squeals and sighs of pleasure. But he canât even picture the scene. No, his mind is otherwise busy.
Busy doesnât even cut it. Plagued might. Yes, heâs plagued by you.
Plagued by you and he hasnât even fucked you yet. Itâs a joke. Heâs never been one to edge himself. But now he hasnât fucked in ages. And youâre to blame.
Whatâs the matter with him? All his life, heâs known whatâs been what. People like to complicate things, make it sound like more, make it sound different from what it actually is. They romanticize and they fetishize, but at its core, itâs always been basic. Bunnies are weak and easily broken, and deserve to be treated accordingly. Thereâs nothing more to it than that.
Heâs going to find you, and when he does heâs going to do to you what he should have done from the very startâbreak you like the weak and breakable thing you are.
âKnow your place, slut,â a catty voice bites out. âYou might have been popular down on the ground, but up here, I'm the fucking favorite.âÂ
From behind the pillar he witnesses the scene, forgetting his objective. Five chosen ones all stand in a ring around you, whoâs pinned to the ground by three others, two holding your arms down and the last of them on top of you with a fist wrapped tightly around the root of your ear. Sheâs got something in her handâa shiv, fashioned from some scrap-piece of metal with unknown originsâpointed with a poke up under your chin, looking just shy of drawing blood.
âIf any of us see you trying to take my spot again, Iâm gonna fucking gut you from cunt to belly buttonâunderstand?â
You donât say anythingâunable to with the make-shift blade threatening to slice your throat open. But your silence is an answer in and of itself, if it werenât interrupted by him clearing his throat and stepping into view.
âMasterââ all eight of them gasp, those standing shuffling away with a bow whilst the three others remain deadly still, waiting for his verdict with eyes wide.
âGet up. All of you,â he says, passing his judgement swiftly, not giving any one of them room to plead innocence or condone their crimes with silly reasonings, âThereâs customers downstairs in need of attending. Go make yourselves useful.âÂ
A wave of displeased moaning followed, nearly amounting to a protest. Even so, their disgruntled pouting was premature. He wasn't finished.Â
âAnd once youâre done, you can all stay down there.â
Pouting turned to pleading fast, all of them shaking their head with hands clasped together in prayer, âBut, master, pleaseâshe had it coming, she never does anything, sheââ
âOne more word,â he stops the tangent, closing the gap with a slow saunter, standing multiple heads taller than all of them, even the one who thought herself so high and mighty just a moment ago. He makes sure to return her look of entreaty without mercy, saying, âAnd Iâll be the one gutting you.â
They all scurry shortly after that, tears in their throat as they hurry down the stairs.
You get up to join themânever one to make the wrong assumption, probably thinking heâs one to tar everyone with the same brush. And normally, heâd do just that, because in his eyes, thereâs no telling people apart in any other way aside from separating product from customer, with himself being the only outsider. But then came you.
âNot you, Carrots,â he says, stopping you. âYou stay right there.â
You remain still as he approaches. You donât flinch, your eyes donât flitterâitâs utterly uncanny, heâd believe it if you told him you were without senses, like a ghost.
âWhy didnât you fight back?â
Itâs the question thatâs been on his mind since you first showed up hereânot a lick of resistance in you.
âIâm not fond of pain,â you answer. âSo, I try my best to avoid it.â
His teeth grit, very nearly growling. âYou have a bad habit of not answering the question being asked.â
You chew your lip, looking as though youâre not quite sure how to explain yourself. âWell⌠fighting it would only make it worse, wouldnât you say? And besides⌠I donât want to do to others what I donât want being done to me.â
So, you believe in karma. Thatâs an interesting mental stateânot one heâs ever understood too well. Itâs always seemed like a comfort to those who donât have the strength to take their own revenge, hoping that some higher power will do it for them.Â
âAlso, we bunnies have a saying,â you continue, now with that unseemly smile of yours. âIf youâre at first getting fucked, you might as well try to enjoy it.â
Something violates him at thatâa chill of all things. Thinking, thatâs not karma. No, not at all.Â
Thatâs resignation. An even odder mental state.
âThough⌠I don't think most of us take it to heart,â you add with a small laugh.
It makes no sense to him. In fact, it shocks him like youâve just pulled out a knife and stabbed him with it. And yet, he thinks he might finally get you now. Any moment might be your last and youâve accepted that as a fact of life. The same way he accepts and expects his stomach to growl, you accept and expect yourself to be the one to sate it.Â
Youâre the only one so far. The only one to successfully internalize that truth without breaking under the pressure.
âWill you bring the girls back?â you ask then, seemingly taking his silence as an invitation, and using it as an opportunity to think about others as if you can afford it.
He doesnât know why it angers him the way it does. âWhy the fuck would I do that?â
Like always, you donât quiver under his growl like others would have. No, instead you keep insisting, âItâs cruel to send them back down afterââ
âI thought you said you didnât question cruelty.â he cuts you off.
And still, itâs like you donât even care. âWell, I'm only asking because⌠it sort of feels like my fault, is all. I donât want to be the reason theyâre punishedââ
âIâm not punishing them for you,â he interrupts, affronted by the mere suggestion. âI'm punishing them because they were cocky enough to think they could create a hierarchy not governed by me.â
He picks the shiv up from the floor, holding it up and inspecting it with a grimace like its very existence is an insult.Â
âTchâI should have killed them, and youâre asking me to save them.â He shakes his head, then finds your face again.
âYou wanna know what bores me more than anything? When beggars start thinking they can be choosers.â
Gracing your jaw with the blade, he sneers. âDo you think you can be a chooser?â
And just like expected, you reset yourself with a blink, then utter a passive, âNo.â
âAnd thatâs why youâre up here, and theyâre down there.âÂ
In all your time up here, he hasnât once touched you, but within the next passing second heâs got your small body caged in his, trapped between himself and the balustrade where he always finds you, sitting, staring, thinking about things hidden from him.
âYouâre the only one who gets it.â Knife cast aside, he uses his paw instead, dwarfing your chin and cheeks as he aims your head out to look across the den below. Fangs by the lop of your ear, blowing on the soft fur with his whispers, âYouâre the only one who understands the laws of true wilderness. The rightful order of things. You know what you are and have accepted your placeâmade nature your common sense.â
Your feet dangle below, toes gracing the floor just barely, slipping in their stance where he has you hoisted against the guardrail, clutching onto it with your handsâknowing if heâd let go, youâd go toppling over it. And yet you donât fight back. Knowing itâs all out of your hands, you remain just like putty in his.
âLook at them,â he continues, a disgust in his voice and in his narrowed eyes, spitting, âThey all think they can be something different. Prey thinking they can hunt the hunter. Hunters thinking they can be loved by that which they hunt. Itâs all false.â
He slips his hand from your chin to your neck, keeping a firm hold, though not squeezing, just enough to feel your pulse on his finger.
âYou and me, weâre the only ones who see it for what it truly is,â he murmurs. âAnd why⌠Iâve decided Iâm not gonna fuck youâŚâ
His other paw, which up until this point had been holding the guardrail just shy of yours, now lifts and places itself over your heart, feeling it beat in his palm as he continues, âNo, you deserve more respect than that⌠Which is why⌠I'm gonna give you the honor of being my first live kill.â
Betraying yourself, your heart does, nearly to his surprise, skip a beat upon him confessing his intention. But of course, despite your seemingly perfect composure, it would be utterly unnatural were it to remain steady.
âIâm gonna give you more carrots than you can eat,â he resumes, now forgoing your ear, nuzzling your cheek instead. âThen, when I've finally fattened you up enough, I'm gonna eat you wholeâlive and kicking.â
Swallowing thickly, he chuckles under his breath, setting you down on your own two feet again. Leaving your body cold as he begins walking away, with his final sentiments being, âAnd then weâll both at last be done with this farce and become what nature intended.â
Weeks pass, and you remain alone on the mezzanine. He doesn't bring the old girls back, nor does he enroll any new girls either. Itâs just you and him, in a silence so loud itâs gutting. And still, youâre fed a platter of carrots every day, and you never fail to finish every last one.
He doesnât touch you again. No, instead, he maintains a distance. You catch his gaze linger though, just like it had since the beginningâon you while you eat, while you mind your business, even while you sleep, youâll hear the low rumble of his breath, stalking you. Itâs as heâd said, like hunter and prey.
Also now, on his throne, watching you where you sit, by the balustrade, looking outward at the burrow. No one wants to be thereânot the girls, and not the men who come to see them eitherâthey might think they do, but the truth remains. What they want canât be found here.Â
And yet, you suppose it comes close enough.
âYouâve been fattening me up for a while nowâŚâ you announce, cutting the silence. And then you turn your head back, flashing him your signature smile from over your shoulder. âIs this the part where you finally eat me?â
He doesnât say anything. Just continues to stare at you like heâs waiting for you to make the decision for him.
âDo you want me to run?â you propose thenânot sure if youâre trying to make it easier for him or perhaps harder.Â
âDo you really think youâll be able to stand still?â he mutters back. No mockery in his words. No humor in it at all.
You shuffle around to face him better, still smiling even though you know it probably doesnât look too convincing anymore. âWell, I suppose it wouldnât matter either way. Youâd be much quicker. I wouldnât get far.â
His voice seems tight, suggesting, âIâm sure you could if you tried.â
You sigh then, âWe both know thatâs a lie.âÂ
And then you get up, chest getting tougher the tighter your throat snares, making it hard to breathe, and so you take a big one and release it just as sharply, scoffing, âBesides, I don't think my heart would be able to take it. Iâd die from the ache before you could make the killâand I wouldn't want to spoil the fun.âÂ
You place yourself about halfway toward him, before his throne. Submissiveness being your only weapon, you present yourself just so, linking your hands behind your back. âI think Iâll just stand right here and close my eyes if thatâs okay.â
You hear him get up. Youâve always been so good at turning everything off, but right now youâre just not ableâfeeling the burn of salt swell up beneath your eyelids, pressing for release. You donât want to let them, but they escape despite that, trickling down your cheeks.
Youâre not afraid of dying. Youâre not really afraid at all. Thatâs not it. Itâs not fear. Itâs something far less reasonable than that. Something audacious that couldnât care less about the circumstances, even when it makes no sense. No sense at all.Â
His finger brushes your cheek, catching the wetness and wiping it away. You donât open your eyes, but you feel the air from his breathing reach you, getting warmer with his approach, soon on your lips.
âDonât,â you object before it can happen. âYou said so yourselfâŚâ Voice a soft croak, sniffling, âIt isnât natural for prey and hunter to mate.â
You hear him swallow thickly, abiding by your words as he mulls them over again the same way the two of you had done now for the last month since your first meeting.
âI knowâŚâ he says at last. Voice no louder than just for you to hear, very nearly desperate, âSo letâs forget about it. We can pretend, canât we?â
Itâs tempting, but too fickle. âIâm afraid itâs not that simple.â
âSo, what can I do? Tell me.â His paws brush your arms, carefully, without claws. âWhat do I have to do to make you mine?â
âWell⌠thatâs a question you have to ask yourself, isnât it?â Your eyes peel open, meeting his. âIt all depends on one thing.â
You appraise each other like that. Him, waiting for your conditions, and you, feeling your heart rift for reasons beyond being prey before a predator, as you state the ultimatum, âDo you want me to be afraid of you? Or do you want me to be in love with you?â
You bite your lip and look down, as though planting your foot. Even though you know what youâre asking is an affront to nature, it remains true nonetheless, âYou canât have both.â
Thereâs a pause. Your heart beats out of your chest, fearing what to expectâa bite or something entirely different you donât have the nerve to name.
âYouâre rightâŚâ he says at last. âHunters donât mate with prey.â
The beating in your chest ceasesâgets cut loose and drops. You knew it all along and yet that does nothing to ease the desolation it leaves behind.Â
A hooked finger slips under your chin, lifting your head.