Flufftober Day 1: Eye contact w/ Narinder
or as i had titled it in my dock, social mirroring! yay! this is not the first fic ive written for this years flufftober but this is the first one youre going to be seeing- just like last year ive written most of these in advance... way in advance... its currently january as i write this opening! woah! mostly because last year was cutting it close + i didnt like that so many fics were under 1k words... and also because i have plans to do something for kinktober on the nsft... so... yeah! that being said i doubt ill reopen this or revise this fic when its done so uhuhuh obligatory "if any new updates or lore come out between now and october and now this isnt totally accurate" this is why LMAO prompt: you notice narinder doesnt... blink... notes: reader is gn, any creature reader, post game but not post final bishop quest, narinder does not like his new life as a fallen god, not really romantic not really platonic BUT youre like. one of the only people in the flock who doesnt totally ignore him or give him the stink eye, you slow blink at him... reader does not know what slow blinking means for cats word count: 2.5k cws: none
It’d been years now since the Lamb had returned form The Gateway- and although you have the feeling that you and your fellow flock members had followed them to the other side… any attempt to try to remember more left you with nothing but more confusion.
The only real evidence that something had happened- or that it happened at all- was the arrival of a new member in the flock.
He… smelled of rot, the smell only fading away months after he first appeared. His arms were always hidden and tucked out of sight, but the stench seemed to emanate from his hands- the way it intensified on the rare occasion he took them out around the flock. Some days… he smelled of camellias, as if he had stuffed them into his pockets to hide the scent of decay.
He was tall, as well. Taller than anyone you’ve ever seen, and bone thin. His fur allowed him to blend perfectly into the darkest corners of the temple during the morning sermons, allowing him to go completely unnoticed.
Or at least, he would’ve been if it weren’t for the bright red eyes that made him stick out.
In fact, it was his eyes that you noticed first. It wasn’t the rot or his sheer height, no- it was the way he seemed to keep all three of his eyes open at all times and fixed on the Lamb with such intensity that one wouldn’t be entirely unjustified for believing that he were about to pounce on them.
Three eyes, not the first time you’ve seen a member of the flock with odd anatomy. You’ve heard of past members of the flock having all sorts of… appearances.
Split open heads with eggs, extra eyes, mysterious black goo dripping from spikes in their heads.
Only having three eyes was… fairly normal in comparison to what you’ve heard about those in the past.
Three eyes, something so… strange but not outlandish- just enough to make your gaze on the newcomer linger for a little longer than what would be considered polite.
You weren’t the only one who noticed him, either.
But you seemed to be the only one who dared to approach him outside of when it was necessary.
He didn’t have a name, instead given many titles by those in the flock.
You personally… didn’t have one single name for him- none seemed to do him any justice.
He didn’t respond to anything you called him, anyway… only prompting you to continue to try to find something that seemed to please him.
Paired together to work on preparing dinner for the flock- you call him kitty as a joke and he nearly looks about ready to divorce your head from your body.
Your friend had once called him tall dark and handsome as he passed by… and in return the cat simply… stood there for a few seconds glowering down at them before his nose crinkled in disdain, before finally departing.
Catching him passing by while you work on chopping firewood for the coming winter, you call out to him and call him outsider- just as the others have called him countless times before. His stride doesn’t falter at all as he continues on his way to… whatever it is he does when he’s not in sight… though now that you thought about it when he was within your sight he seemed to simply… stand there. Watching.
You become painfully aware of the fact that not once have you seen him blink. Once you had tried to keep your own eyes for as long as possible to try to catch his lids fluttering- but no matter how long you tried or how many attempts his face remained still.
At some point you simply… gave up with trying to catch him blinking. Or making any face outside of disgust or anger, or simply nothing. Or to find out what name he may enjoy.
He… did not leave your mind but there were other things that you needed to do.
And as luck would have it, against all the odds you found yourself unable to sleep tonight. Even after a day of worshipping at the shrine and lending a hand to one rather chatty yellow cat, you hadn’t expended nearly enough energy for sleep to take you.
You toss and turn on your bed, unable to find a comfortable position- a fact that would leave some of the more ancient members of the flock scoffing and muttering about how they used to sleep on beds made of grass and twig- before finally sitting up.
With a tug you pull yourself to your feet and take a few short steps to the wooden desk set under the window of your shelter. Several thick books lay scattered across it- some were innocent, notes and tips written down by long gone cult members of how to make work more efficient. Farming, most of it, now that you were being sent to work on the crops to sustain the flock as it continues to grow.
However, one book was different.
While the lands of the old faith outside of the flock had been driven into chaos, the past deities ruling over it being rapidly forgotten outside of heretics… and what was written down.
It wasn’t just dead bishops that you had been interested in learning about, but rather you wanted to see if there was anything that could give you any clues on that… cat… if not who he was then maybe where he was from.
See, he was far from the only person who’s had extra parts or something seemingly… off about him… but you had also learned that those of that… nature… tended to have some sort of tie to the old faith.
And yet.
Nothing.
There was nothing that could give you any real answers for this mystery cultist. As if every piece of information had been scrubbed away and hidden.
You push the book away with zero interest to pour through it for another time, already knowing full well that there was nothing in there that would satisfy you.
A hiss escapes your teeth as you lift your head to your window… it’s dark out, even with the wisps of odd light flitting through the night. The faint glow they emitted was fleeting in the blackness. But… there was something else.
“What…” You mutter, squinting your eyes.
What you had momentarily mistaken for an oddly stagnant set of wisps actually… looked more like eyes. You rub your eyes and squint them in an attempt to get a better look outside… and soon enough a silhouette becomes more clear.
It was… the cat…
He wasn’t right in front of your window, in reality he was actually a fair distance away- but… you never noticed how his eyes faintly glowed in the dark, even with all of your staring at him.
You push away from your desk and to your door… You stumble in darkness, before managing to grab a candle… you light it, and step outside.
“Hey-” You weave your way towards him- hissing slightly as rocks and sticks poke into the bottoms of your feet. “Hey what are you…”
The three eyes dart to you, settling onto your form with an intensity… before…
Not quite softening but the look wasn’t as sharp as before- subdued, almost.
You close the gap between the two of you, giving the two of you a few feet of space. The golden flicker of the candle casted across the two of you almost made the cat’s fur appear a dull warmish brown. He… almost seemed to glitter under the light. Particles of dust, or that was simply how his coat looked exposed… you weren’t sure. It could be both, for all you knew.
“Heeeeey… three eyes…” You draw out when the cat doesn’t give a verbal answer.
His ears twitch in irritation at your newest nickname, and a scowl stretches across his face.
“Do not.” He began but you speak up again.
Maybe it was your curiosity desperately gnawing at you for some answers about this stranger, or maybe you were finally beginning to tire of his attitude.
“I wouldn’t need to call you all these names if you just told me what your actual name is, you know,” You screw your mouth into a tight line.
Your words take him aback for a moment. Once narrowed eyes widen momentarily before his frown returns, deeper this time.
Sharp white teeth glint in the light, sharp enough to dig right through your flesh. The sight of them bared alone would scare off the weaker minded of your flock… and here you still stand determined.
“Unless you like the name three eyes,” You break the silence as it continued to stretch on. You dare yourself to fix your gaze against his, your eyes being pierced by the unnatural redness of his own.
You hold his glare, even as it intensified with every word you spoke.
Before finally… his bristled fur begins to lie down flat again.
Not out of comfort but more out of…
“Narinder.”
Resignation.
“Narinder,” You repeat back as you maintain your staring contest with him.
Of all the times you had looked him in the eye in an attempt to catch him blinking… this was the first time you’ve held his gaze- before he had always been staring elsewhere. This was also the first time that you had done it while so close to him.
His eyes remain open. Unmoving as his mouth remains fixed in a frown.
“That’s a nice name, I don’t know why you were hiding it for so long… sounds a hell of a lot better than buddy or kitty,” You offer a smile that is not returned.
Narinder lets a huff of air out through his nose as his long ear twitches in irritation.
“By the way, I’m-” You start, but his hiss cuts right through your words.
“I am already aware of who you are, Pest,” Narinder says through gritted teeth. You hardly let the sharpness of his words knock you off guard. You’ve heard him say crueler things under his breath towards others in your attempts to figure him out.
He could have been far meaner in his words, and yet.
“Oh! Well that’s good to know, I’ve always hated having to introduce myself to folks,” You give him a lopsided grin. He does not return it, and instead narrows his eyes.
You copy the shift, squinting your eyes and lacking all of the annoyance.
“What are you doing,” Narinder hissed, lowering his head down closer to you. “Are you mocking me?”
“No,” Was your short answer.
Then slowly you close your eyes and blink. Your movements are sluggish as they open back up, a silent prompt for him to follow your lead. Maybe he didn’t know how to blink?
Instead Narinder reels back and stares at you incredulously.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Narinder snarled as the bristling of his fur returned.
Perhaps… you had done something wrong…
Maybe you’ve offended him for thinking he was dim enough for needing a visual on how to blink?
“Nothing? I’m just blinking, something you don’t do-” You only offer a shrug.
Narinder looks like he’s about to say something, but the honest indifference in your demeanor makes him bite back whatever insults he was about to send your way. He grumbles under his breath for a second, too hushed for you to catch exactly what he says…
“Damn… do you take me for a fool? Annoying little…” were the only words you were able to somewhat clearly catch.
You choose not to comment on that, instead letting the cat recompose himself- his gaze returning to its unfaltering glare, after it had… faltered.
His eyes squint, and right as you think he’s about to blink for you his eyelids slow to a standstill- reducing his eyes to red glowing slits in his face.
Narinder huffs one more time before turning on his heel… and stalked off into the darkness before you could properly register that he was leaving.
You whisper yelled after him-
“Good night Narinder!”
His footsteps pause for a moment before resuming… growing quieter and quieter…
The following day, you find Narinder standing off to the side- his gaze that once fixed on nothing in particular… was now glued right onto you. Wherever you went, Narinder followed. If you went to grab some food he followed you to the kitchens and watched you dig into a fresh bowl. If you went to the shrine to worship he hung close behind burning his stare into the back of your head as you lowered yourself to the statue of the Lamb.
And he followed you to the farmhouse as you got started on your share of your work with Julty- the yellow cat who had taken it upon themselves to show you how to properly care for the plants.
Throughout the day you faced Narinder, slowly blinking into his direction… and it was no different as you watered the plants, watering can in hand as you stared off towards him and slowly closed your eyes… and slowly opened them.
Even still, his eyes remained open.
“What are you doing..?” Julty asked softly as they caught you blinking again. Their ears were perked, head tilted slightly to the side in genuine confusion- but there was amusement in their stance as they stood there.
“I’m trying to get the newcomer to blink… you ever noticed he doesn’t blink?” You pull your gaze away from the black cat, and turn to the yellow one.
Julty’s eyes dart to Narinder for a second before returning to you.
“I mean… I guess it’s a little freaky… thought I was the only one who noticed- but…” They trail off before fighting the slight grin threatening to settle across their face.
“You do realize what that means to cats right… the slow blinking,”
You scrunch your face slightly.
“I’m… blinking?”
“You’re kind of saying that you love him, you know. Or at least trust him,” Julty snickers softly, their grin only widening as you process their words.
You… had been blinking at him… all day…
Your eyes dart to Narinder, then back to Julty. Then to Narinder again.
Your eyes remain wide, shocked as they settle back on Julty who is now fighting a fit of giggles.
“And you didn’t think to tell me this sooner?”
“You never asked, and to be fair I didn’t realize that’s what you were doing- I thought you just kept getting dirt in your eyes,”
Julty hums as he shifts the sack of fertilizer in their arms. “You can be mortified later, I still need you to help me finish moving things,” They move on from the topic casually, all while the weight of what you’ve been doing continues to mount on you.
With one last glance in Narinder’s direction, you follow Julty back into the barn to finish your work…