TIL that Gothic literature makes a distinction between âterrorâ and âhorror.â Terror is the sense of dread and apprehension that precedes an experience, horror is the sense of revulsion after an experience.
Someone described the modern difference as such: Fear is knowing that a werewolf is hunting you. Terror is when you see it and it charges at you. Horror is realizing that your feet are stuck to the floor.
Been going through my old headcanon posts (what a nightmare to navigate, thanks, tumblr), and decided to haul them all over to AO3 where it's much easier to access them.
And my god, what a mess these were; it's my fault for not sticking to a strict format on how to do headcanons back in the day--some are VERY brief while others are detailed as hell. đ But all the same, I'm opting to post them as is, because rewriting them all would take a bit more energy and time than I can spare.
I've separated them into SFW and NSFW collections, and they are now available for reading!
SFW Headcanons
Hotaru's Reaction To You Deliberately Breaking His Blades As An Excuse To See You (Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba)
What Are Kuroo's Habits With You? (Haikyuu!!)
What Are Kageyama's Habits With You? (Haikyuu!!)
What's Kenji Like In A Relationship With You? (Haikyuu!!)
What's Mob Like In A Relationship With You? (Mob Psycho 100)
Reigen Handling Being Separated from You (Mob Psycho 100)
Whatâs It Like Being In A Relationship With Both Garou AND Saitama? (One Punch Man)
What's A Date Like With Akira/Joker? (Persona 5)
NSFW Headcanons
Demon Slayer NSFW Headcanons feat. Inosuke and Giyuu (Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba)
There's No Escape feat. Reader(Summoner)/Hrid (Fire Emblem: Heroes)
Cheers For Daddy feat. Reader/Kuroo (Haikyuu!!)
(*Fixation, Win-Win-Win, Desperation, There's No Escape, and Cheers For Daddy got their own titles because they ended up being more drabble than headcanons)
JJBA, Devilman: Crybaby, and FGO will have their own collections, because there were so many of them. On top of that, there'll be ANOTHER collection for the wedding-themed Honeymoon Headcanons I did back in 2018.
If you feel like it, check them out, and leave a comment!
Please also check out Dragon Tamer, a Reader x Kiryu Kazama fic and my latest fixation! đđ
A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie â Albert Bierstadt (detail) // Lofoten Island â Lev Lagorio // Rosenlaui â François Diday // Mount Elbrus in the Clouds â Nikolai Yaroshenko // Storm in the Mountains â Hermann Ottomar Herzog // Sierra Nevada â Albert Bierstadt // Rocky Mountain Landscape â Albert Bierstadt // Inkpot Gods â The Amazing Devil
"nothing is real atoms never touch each other youve never touched anything in your life" ok. well when i pet my dog he is soft and when he licks my hand it is wet and that is far more real to me than whatevers going on at an atomic level
nuclei don't touch, but the nucleus is not the core of reality. reality is made of electrons dancing. reality is made of bonds.
you pet your dog and the atoms that are you brush up against the atoms that are him, and the electrons that are you press into the electrons that are him, and both of them change their movement.
electrons of course are not really particles and do not really move.
you pet your dog and the electron-orbitals of your skin overlap with the electron-orbitals of his fur, and both are changed by the contact. you are not made of little motes floating alone in a void. you are a single unfathomable chord formed of a trillion vibrations, and so is he. and the note you play is changing at every moment by what you touch and how you breathe, and so is his. and atoms do not really have edges, and to touch is to interact, and when you put your hand on your dog the universe does not know that you are separate. the song expands to hold you both.
lavender haze. vere.
tags: fem!reader, alcohol, vere being himself, not 18+
The Haze is a domed Eden, straddled comfortably on the border between Hightown and the Amaryllis District, coddled between stained glass lanterns and columns of stark ivory, sat in the midst of a sprawling patch of multi-tiered gardens. Lavender curtains of wisteria layer this verdant paradise into its different sections. The stone gardens and artfully arranged hedge sculptures and various water features each a sight to be seen on their own.
You enter from the east. To your left, a triangular cut of land rises between two merging brooks. Perched upon that jutting ledge is a gazebo surrounded by pale roses and fresh foxglove, vines strewn along strips of lattice fence, affixed to the gazeboâs bottom half. As picturesque a place to meet as any, but Vere has commanded your company indoors.
Up ahead looms the Haze, a series of seven, octagonal towers of varying heights. Each one is domed, stonework lovingly etched and painted, shaped into candy-colored spirals. Hooded windows of stained glass prod out in even rows. Buttresses and arches link the towers, alongside skywalks which hover stories above ground height. Itâs a mess of a building, a decadent spectacle which intrigues and befuddles the eye. Bricks and ceramics layer the towers in different patterns, a stain of vibrant color against Eridiaâs greys and whites. Itâs still smaller than the Senobium, built so that it remains comfortably tucked into the spireâs grand shadow most of the day. On purpose, you would assume.Â
A group of guards, clad in tight black and red uniforms roam the premises, prowling along the various plazas in duos and trios. Two of them eye you as you approach, as discerning as the towering doors they stand watch over.
âHold it,â the one to the left snaps as you ascend the final step. Your brow wrinkles. They donât turn away patrons, Vere had told you. Thatâs the receptionistâs job. âYou stink of the road. And you donât look like you can afford the flat fee. Scram.â
Your face rumples into a sour frown.
âI was invited.â you inform them flatly. And you most certainly do not smellânot after an hour with Leanderâs fancy soaps. âAnd the man who invited me doesnât like to wait.âÂ
That seems to give them pause. The Hazeâs clients are all come from places of great wealth and powerâfrom some of the Senobiumâs finest sages to the old nobility of Eiridiaâs founding clans. Holding up any one of their guests could hold dire consequences for those responsible.Â
âIf Iâm late, Iâm going to have to tell him why. And I would hate for anything to happen to two find guards just trying to do their jobs.â you press, resting your hands on your hips, cocking your head to the side. Your lips remain twisted into an impatient frown, boot tapping staccato against the white marble. The difficult guardâs face contorts with righteous offense, cheeks flushing pink. The leather of his glove squeaks as his fist tightens âround the staff of his steel polearm.
âAs if any of our clients would want the company of some filthy little street urchin,â he snaps, voice rolling down the ivory steps and into the gardens below.Â
âKeep your voice down, goddamn you!â the other guard hisses quietly, brown eyes blown wide. âOr Vernalâll have both our headsââ
At his coworkerâs prompting, the ornery guard seems to settle down temper kept at bay by the threat of this âVernalâsâ wrath. Regardless, he still looks at you with obvious contempt, clearly unmoved by your vague threats.
âWe arenât letting you in,â he repeats. âI donât care who you say invited youânot unless you have an actual, physical invitation or the madamâs personal seal on your person. Now, scram. Before we have toââ
âWhat seems to be the problem, here?â a familiar voice drawls from behind the guards. The doors havenât been opened. Vere seems to slide from the shadow cast over the buildingâs entrance, heels clicking against the pale marble. His head tilts as he drags his prying gaze over the scene, lingering on you for a mere moment before turning to the guard so insistent on denying you entry. Both of the sentries have whirled to face him, both suddenly wrought with tension. Their spines have gone ramrod stiff, shoulders squared as he prowls forward.
âJust another tourist, sir,â the guard says, barely keeping the shake out of his voice. âAnd she was just about to leaveââ
âReally? Thatâs a shame, considering I invited her here,â Vere says, flat and frankly unamused. The color drains from the guardâs face, and any satisfaction you could feel in the moment is cooled by the frigid, heavy feeling that settles over the vicinity. The lingering humidity so typical to Eridiaâs climate has been sucked from the air, the cold hanging heavy like morning fog. âI hoped the madamâs esteemed employees wouldnât be dimwitted enough to lie to me. Iâll have to have a chat with her about the gutter trash she decides to hire.â he croons, oozing condescension and disappointment.Â
âMy apologies, sir,â the man bows his head. You can practically hear the restrained outrage in his voice. It wonât be enough to satisfy Vere, you know immediately. He should be groveling on his hands and knees for forgiveness if he hopes to keep his life.Â
âHow dare you even speak to me,â Vere begins coldly, cutting him off without hesitation, âAfter harassing my esteemed guest. You were hoping to shake her down for some extra coin, werenât you? Iâve heard rumors about the guards here, but I didnât think you would actually be this stupid. Consider yourself firedââ Vere snaps, fangs bared and eyes alight with visible animosity. The otherworldly pink glints, catching the sunâs last rays. Behind you, youâre sure the gardens look resplendent, dyed in that warm, golden light.Â
The guard looks up at that, eyes wide and wild, unsuppressed panic written across his pale visage. âB-but sir, I had no way of knowingââ
A clawed hand shoots out, fingers fixed in a crushing grip around the manâs windpipe. Nothing about Vereâs lithe build belies the unearthly strength he levies, a forceful reminder of what he so unabashedly isâof what youâll attempt to unleash over the following weeks or months.
The guard squirms and chokes. His hands fly to Vereâs wrist, legs feebly kicking. His struggles are rewarded by an even more crushing grip. As his bones creak and his trachea crumples, you can't help the morbid curiosity that you observe withâthe strange sense of awe that comes with Vere attacking your antagonizer with such little hesitationâ
The remaining guard stays frozen in place, helpless but to watch in silence as his coworkerâs air is stripped from his lungs.
âSurely, Vere isnât doing this for your sake, for some feeble, twisted notion of chivalry. Heâs probably just annoyed at being spoken back to, by someone he views as so incredibly beneath him. Yet stillâ
Vere inspects his free hand, looking over his perfect manicure with placid interest. A faint wrinkle to his brow is all that potentially belies his agitation. The guard is getting purple in the face.
âAnd where do you fall, on the totem pole? Will he do the same to you if you get into a disagreement? Based on the interactions youâve had thus far, you donât think so. You hope not. You are in possession of something he desperately wants. And you like to think youâre clever enough to avoid the beastâs bite. You have to be. To fail is to sup on nightshade and the noxious shadows which compose him, to impale yourself on the razor ivory and sable of his maw.
A resounding splash sounds from behind you. Somethingâs been tossed into one of the streams close to the very base of the stairs. When you look at Vere, the stubborn guard is no longer there. Thereâs a small, red splatter on Vereâs cheek. His long, pink tongue slithers out from between plush, painted lips to lick it up. The remaining guard stands still as stone at his post, unreadable gaze fixed straight ahead.
âI would have just brought you with me had I known the employees were so eager to shake down unsuspecting customers.â Vere says with a put-out sigh, before turning to the remaining guard.
âTell me,â Vere leers into the poor manâs personal space, sharp teeth flashing. âHow many times has he tried that on other people? How many times have you just stood there and watched?â His voice dipped from sanguine sweet into a low, gravely snarlâa noise no mortal would be able to make. The guard, much to his credit, does not stammer or wither away or begin to beg for his life.Â
âThis is the first time weâve been posted togetherââ he begins, but Vere steps away with another, dismissive scoff.
âBooooring,â he says. He glances at you, motioning you forward. âStop gawping and come on. Weâve already wasted enough time.â
Not eager to test his already dwindled patience, you hastily bounce up the steps. Perhaps, if you were younger and braver and stupider, you would have been embarrassed at how readily you scrambled after him.Â
âSorry for the trouble,â you apologize, because heâs still in a shitty mood and your blood is not hot enough to make you forget the ease with which he can dispatch a man.Â
âAnd what, my little morsel, are you apologizing for?â Vereâs eyes crinkle with teasing mirth, the tip of a fang prodding his lower lip. How many have stared down that maw just before being swallowed whole? Countless, surely. âYou donât have to grovelâbut feel free to. Itâs almost cute.â All wrath and rancor is left forgotten as he turns on his heel. The sheer fabric of his sleeves sways with the motion, glistening underneath the sunâs dying rays. Like a hound commanded, you are at his heels, head lowered. You canât even look at the remaining guard, but Vere has no such trouble.
âKeep up the good work,â he says, a sneer in his voice. Will the man have to haul his coworker from the water with his own two hands? Or do they have people for that?
âAre you going to get in trouble?â you inquire, stepping through the threshold.
âMe? Get in trouble? Perish the thought,â âNo oneâs going to miss a single guardânot even the madame. Especially not one that acts like that. All of his coworkers probably hated him, anyway. We did them a favor.â he rattles on. He leads you past the entry point, to the second floor. You spare a glance down the rounded corridor. An overpowering flowery scent blows in your direction, making your nose crinkle. Translucent, pearly curtains, more like veils, flutter from rounded doorways. There are sounds, too, giggles and breathy moans, which makes your ears burn hot, despite already knowing this venueâs many, many purposes.
âHurry up,â Vere scolds over his shoulder, and you donât need to be told twice, hastening your strides. âLike I was sayingâno one cares if a random guard or two goes missing. Thatâs why they all wear the same thing.â
âThe sages who come here to get their dicks wet are the only reason this place hasnât been demolished yet. They could commit murder in broad daylight and management wouldnât say a word.â He rattles on, deeply sardonic. The kind of bitterness that could only come from someone with long-lived experience. Thereâs a graveyardâs worth of skeletons in the Senobiumâs closet. You wonder how many he is responsible for.
âA murder in broad daylight.â you repeat dryly.Â
âBroad daylight. Not sunset,â Vere points out helpfully. âThe Senobium can do whatever they want, wherever they want, to whoever they want. This place isnât any different from the rest of the city, even if the window dressing is nice. And as an esteemed asset to the Senobium, their authority naturally extends to me⌠And even if it didnât, what could they possibly do?â
The conversation moves. Vere leads you up flight after flight of stairs, until you stop bothering to keep track. Youâve already leaped into the lionâs mouth. Thereâs no point in counting your steps or turns. Did he have to climb down all this way just to meet you at the doors? Suddenly, you find his ire more comprehensible. Your legs feel leaden by the time he leads you from the stairs, through an arched doorway. A current of air, thick with magic, ripples over you as you pass. A warding spell, you realize a moment later. Only select people can enter this chamber.
The chamber itself is massive, a circular room with a glass skylight, the soft shine of the stars flooding the room. The moonâs pale face peers down through the glass, shining off the marble floors. A circular bed sits on a platform up against the wall. The rest of the furniture is just as fine, all carved wood and black velvet. A bottle of⌠something sits atop an elm table at the room's center. Itâs rounded with a suspiciously tall neck. Vere snatches it up, pours it into two crystalline glasses which sit next to said bottle. Itâs a pearlescent, amethyst fluid. Curls of white and silver churn amongst the pale purple, the liquid covered in a glittery sheen.Â
âHere,â he holds out a glass. The fraction of a second you spend hesitating makes him roll his eyes and scoff. âWhat reason would I have to poison my new and incredibly useful little friend? Donât be stupid.â
You take the glass begrudgingly, because youâve seen what his displeasure looks like. The body crumpled in the fountain sticks at the forefront of your memory. It could have been you. It still could be. He knocks back the whole glass, swallowing its glittery contents in one, smooth go. You watch the rhythmic bob of his throat, the elegant line of his neck pulsing with each swallow.Â
âHappy now?â he drawls, frosted with forced sugar, like heâs talking a child into taking their medicine. The condescension is grating, but you fend the feeling off. Youâll earn more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Yet, you have to wonder, how would he eat you if he grew bored, or decided this arrangement isnât worth the trouble? Would he swallow you whole, or sever you into smaller cuts, morsels to dip in honey and savor over time? What are you in your most consumable form?
You tilt your head back and drink deep of the draught. Thicker than water, not as viscous as you feared, or cloying like syrup. Sweet in a way that somehow makes your eyes water. It coats and clings to your tongue. You blink the tears out of your eyes. Vere laughs. Youâre glad he finds it funny.
âDelicious,â you deadpan, licking furiously at the roof of your mouth in hopes of scrubbing the taste. Youâre quietly glad for something else to focus on, because you feel hopelessly out of place amongst the soft silks
When you turn to look at him, heâs lounged atop the elevated mattress, sheer silk parting to give you an unobstructed view of his stomach and chestâall lithe muscle framed by the silvery chains which drape from his collar. You take care not to let your gaze wander, no matter how tempting. The long lines of his legs are just in your periphery, one bent and folded atop a thick, bunched thigh. His chin is propped in the palm of his hand, roguish smirk curled onto fittingly fox-like features. Heâs looking at you, eyes two pinpricks of luminescent pink. Unnatural in their vividity, their glow.
You look down at your feet, at the floor, at the table. Anywhere but into those prying eyes. âWhat?âÂ
âYou look so lost, poor thing.â Vere coos. âCome,â you take a single step towards him. âOh! But be a dear and bring another glass with you.
And so you do. Unfaltering and unquestioning. Hopefully, if youâre compliant enough, you can finally get some answers to your burning queries. It all ends with you flat on your back, staring up at the ceiling. Heâs still on his side, only a few centimeters away. It doesnât bother you as much as you thought it would.
âWhy did you call me here?â you stare up at the myriad stars, an endless trail of them emblazoned across the dark, dark sky. If there ever was proof of a god, itâs hanging right above your heads.
âDo you really have to ask? I went through the trouble of inviting you and getting you inside just so we could be alone,â he purrs, an insinuation in his voice. One of his hands splays over your hip, fingers curling possessively into the thick fabric of your trousers. You squint at him, flat and unimpressed, ignoring the gnawing unease which eats at you. Itâs been a constant, enduring feeling, crushing at the sides of your wearied brain since you entered this city. Yet, Vere brings it front and center, alongside a heady heat you donât care to examine too closely. You school your expression into one of near perfect neutrality, ignoring the weight of his hand until he breaks, rolling his eyes as he rolls onto his back. Long waves of russet fan around his head like a lionâs mane, feathery tips of several strands teasing your upper arm.
âBecause I wanted to get you drunk and pick your brain.â Vere replies, almost boredly.Â
âHm. If you have questions, you can just ask.â
âYou play your cards close too close to your chest for me to just up and ask you.â he says dryly. âRemember your first night here? You cowered when I so much as looked you in the eyes. Thought you were going to piss yourself.â
You frown. âNot true. Keep in mind that you stole from, grabbed and threatened me only hours before.â
âDidnât stop you from following me into a dark alley after,â Vere chimes, the corners of his smile a little tight, a little too smug for your liking.
âBecause you were the only honest person in the room. I knew you wouldnât give me any bullshit.â you reasoned.
âAnd is that all it takes? Youâre a cheap date, darling,â Vere purrs. You open our mouth to once again protest, but he continues. âYou have a shitty sense of self-preservation, which means Iâll have to keep a close eye on you. Be good and listen to everything I say from now on, if you want to stay out of trouble.â
The encroaching haze blankets the edge of your good sense and sharp wit, yet another reason as to why you seldom imbibe. Even so, you only had one drink. Whatever he bullied you into drinking was no joke.
âDid you invite me here just to bully me?â you mumbled, on the edge of a complaint. Your foundations are fracturing. You observe the destruction of your carefully crafted countenance as though you are a distant spectator. Your oak spillars splinter, cracks spider-webbing up your brick walls. Youâre left to flounder about in the debris, but itâs not as alarming as you assumed it would be. Maybe itâs the alcohol talking, but you canât bring yourself to reach that fever pitch of fear.
âOh,. please. I havenât even started bullying you yet,â Vere clicks his tongue, chiding.
âWell. Youâve already tried to shake me down with my own roomkey. Thatâs kind of like⌠stealing my lunch money⌠I should have tattled to Leander.â
âEw, no. That slime doesnât deserve any more excuses to talk to me,â Vere reaches over to his nightstand and gulps down another dose of amethyst bliss, arching his back and raising his arms above his head in one, serpentine stretch. âWe have to move you out of that shithole as soon as possible. I donât trust that freak.â
âMe neither,â you muse, realizing it aloud, in that very moment. âWho gives out free food and board to someone they just met like that? He said I didnât owe him anything, butââ
âHe could take that back at any time. And what could you do about it?â Vere finishes for you, looking at you with an unreadable expression, pink eyes calm and flat. âTell him ânoâ? On his turf? Full of his drooling goons? They practically run that part of the city. He could find you no matter where you hide or who you pretend to be.â Vere murmurs. You tilt your head to look at him. You glance down at his lips and swallow. That gets him to smile, smug and mischievous. No more of that monotone dread, that sense of being evaluated, the feeling of being sized up like a meal.
âWhy are you helping me?â Vere asks after a long moment of silence. You blink at him. âI was surprised when you decided to take me up on my offer.â
âYou said you can get rid of my curse,â you regard him carefully, ruminating over each word. Or maybe itâs the substance. Your tongue is heavy in your mouth, thoughts slow and sticky like summer haze.
âBullshit. You wanted nothing to do with me even after I made that offer, and I have no doubt that slobbering beast Leander made you a similar one. Did he promise?â Vereâs voice dips into something sugary sweet and mocking, a mean edge to his smile now. âDid he hold your hand, look right into your eyes when he said it? Was he on his knees? Thatâs one of his favorite places to be. Really, itâs the only place heâs of any use.â Vere pries and rattles on. The small space between you feels cold, all of the sudden. Still, you are not sobered. âWhy not cozy up to him? Or that fucking doctor, because I just know he offered.â His tail comes to lay over your thigh. You look at it through hardly open eyes.
Something seizes the underside of your jaw. It takes you a moment to realize that itâs Vereâs hand. His nails bite into your cheek as he forces your attention upwards, into the dark maw of his gaze. Your hands, which have flown to his wrist on sheer instinct, freeze.
âI donât know,â you begin, words falling out of your mouth in a current, previous caution utterly forgotten in the face of animal fear. âYouâre dangerousâbut youâre honestâand I donât know why you were locked up or whatâll happen when you get free, but I also donât really care.â
âYou donât care?â Vere inquires, lips curling into another smile. He looks relentlessly amused. âWhat if I told you⌠that I plan to eat every man, woman and child I see after I get out? Iâve been hungry for that kind of flesh since before you ever dreamed of coming to Eridia. Eating off the same menu for centuries will do that to you. And they wonât stand a prayer, you know. Do you really not care?â
âI probably should, but I think⌠I realized I canât worry about everyone, especially people I donât know. Iâm not Leander. Iâm not delusional enough to think I can save everyone.â Your pulse rings slow in your ears. Itâs grounding, somehow.Â
Vere releases you, the tight warmth of his hand gone with him. If you were sober, perhaps you would be mortified at how much you miss it.
âYou canât play nanny to every poor sod that comes crawling up to you on the street.â Vere observes airily. âI suppose thatâs a start.â
âGee,â you say.
âOh, please. Donât pout,â he tuts, tapping you on the nose. Heâs closer now, pressed right up against your side. âHuman morality is the first hurdle to realizing our goals.â he drawls, lifting himself over you as he continues. His knees dip into the mattress on either side of your hips, eyes go bright through the lavender haze which permeates the room. âYouâve mounted it with flying colors. Now, do I need to throw in a little extra something to get you to stop moping? I wouldnât do this for just anyone, but youâve been such a goodââ
He rattles on, voice falling to the wayside as his plump lips run absentmindedly along your jaw. Your world becomes that single, molten point of contact. Your head tilts to the side, eyelids dipping low as he whispers his filth into your skin. Little pinpricks of pleasure wind straight down your spine, throbbing pleasure building between your thighs.Â
The tips of his hair tickle your exposed skin, where your shirt has ridden up to expose a sliver of stomach. Belly-up, you realize idly, close enough for him to dig straight into your soft center.
âSurmounted,â you mumble groggily.
âPardon?â Vere asks, looking up at you with one eye. His face is half-pressed into the column of your throat. A fang peeks out from between his lips. Thereâs a pleasant numbness settled at the back of your skull, a silvery sense of weightlessness. Whatever you were worried about before has been washed away by that dreamy lavender, that pearlescent hue which even now veils your vision.
âBeforeâyou said I mounted it. But you, uhm, meant to say. Surmounted.â
Vere reaches out and pinches your cheek. âYou have me in your lap and thatâs what youâre thinking about?â He settles atop of you, chest-to-chest, one cheek gracefully perched atop his palm. âI donât know if I should be offended or worried. That brain of yours isnât smoothing out, is it? Your skull isnât getting soft?â
âIâm drunk,â you remind him, still coherent enough to try and inch away from his hand, nose wrinkling. You stretch your neck until the muscles creak in protest, smooshing the back of your head into the pillow.
His finger freezes a centimeter above you, and he laughs. âYou are, aren't you? Forgot about all that.âÂ
âYouâre the one who made me drink,â you grumble.
âAh, ah, ah, I didnât make you do anything. I simply offered my honored guest a refreshing beverage, like any half-decent host would,â Vere tuts. âTrying to blame my good manners for your sloppiness? Youâre lucky youâre cute.â
âIâm not really cute,â you hum, reaching over to gently toy with his hair.
âDonât be dense,â Vere coos, pressing his finger against the tip of your nose. Your eyes cross to look at it. He snorts, privy to some sort of irony beyond your current ken. His hair gleams like⌠rubies under the watery light. Itâs soft as it looks, silken and smooth where it washes over the sheets in tides of russet.Â
He sighs, âI could swallow you whole here and now and you couldnât do a single thing to stop me.â he says, wistful.
âI know, but I would taste likeâlike that weird nut stuff the Wick makes.â
âNut stuff? Now youâve caught my attention,â he purrs in a way that even drunk, you know spells trouble.
âI donât mean anythingâdirty. Yâknow, the stuff they put on the counter. It tastes bad,â you stammer. You blink several times in succession, as though itâll make your thoughts less syrupy. The world still blurs at the edges of your vision. Youâre thinking through a layer of cotton.
âOf course it tastes bad, itâs free,â Vere retorts. âNothing worth anything comes for free. Not in this shithole.â You hum in consideration. His bushy tail is still behind him, rested off to the side, next to your thigh. You donât dare touch it, even though youâve already touched his hair.Â
He radiates warmth, and you find yourself lulled by it in combination with the downy soft mattress at your back. You make a small sound, nestling closer to the heat, to the craven beast with nary a peep of protest. Perhaps being devoured is a far better fate than you initially thought. Because itâll at least be warm inside. Warm like the breath which fans over your cheek.
âGot to come here for free,â you mumble in the last throes of consciousness. Thereâs a pause.
âWell, arenât you sweet,â he says, voice dripping with fond condescension. He says something else, and something else. Vere, you get the sense, sometimes talks more for himself than he does for others. But you canât say you mind, because you say so little. And what a wonderful ability, to be able to spin such incredible weaves of conversation out of thin air. Not that youâll ever tell him as much.
Soft lips press to the space above your brow. In the dark, a small voice whispers. âYouâll pay your dues later.â
---
Run, the fawn within you, weak and knobby-kneed, beseeches. Its cries go unheeded.