Hey Hi Hello! So lets start from the top and make this quick!
The characters Jed, Jesse, Lele, and Ernesto were originally inspired by the visual novel game, Your Boyfriend.
H̲o̲w̲e̲v̲e̲r̲, the creator and staff of the game have done and said some very nasty sick shit. So I no longer associate with either her or the game.
OI IS connected to SedatedSmiles/FrothyFrowns series, Explicit Colors. While the two stories are separate, they take place at the same time and place.
The city was never busy in the middle of the week. It was still, and quiet– Not that Jed would complain, he liked the stillness– quiet enough to feel the pulse of the area. He walked down the street, phone in hand as he read through an email.
`...Due to your increased rate of adoption, we are asking you to seek other means of housing rescued animals…`
Jed scoffed at the long winded email. He was perfectly capable of taking care of his animals, if that shit shelter had an issue with his money he’d just go somewhere else that would appreciate what he had to offer.
The man looked through a local listing of places he could foster and found one, Kitty’s Cafe. Sounded reasonable enough, maybe he’d find a british fold or even a manecoon. It was late in the day, and Jeds shift at Vita’s wouldn’t start until midnight so he had some extra time to kill.
The cafe was a few blocks off from his current location so he decided to swing around and check it out. What harm could it do in the end right?
He hooked a right and a few buildings in there it was, Kitty’s. It was a pretty sizable building, a cat themed cafe filled from wall to wall with decor that matched the theme. He ducked a bit to enter the glass doorway.
“s‘cuse me, Yer not closing soon are ya?” He asked the clerk sitting in the empty cafe.
The clerk was a pale skinned person, skunk stripe hair teased as high as they could get it and face drenched in black makeup. They wore a burgundy t-shirt with the company logo on it, arms cloaked in black mesh. The name ‘Jesse’ was hastily scribbled on the name tag on their right shoulder.
They sighed and boredly looked over to the tall man. “No, sir. We will not be closing for another hour.”
The air stood still for a tick in awkward silence. They simply watched Jed, waiting for him to say something. Anything at all.
“Shit, man I shoulda just looked at the schedule huh?” Jed rubbed the back of his head awkwardly at the statement.
A few minutes pass and Jed is signing away at some of the cafe's standard paperwork. No bringing external treats in, No leaving with animals that you’ve not adopted officially, blah blah blah. It was all repeated shit that Jed had heard a million times over. He placed the pen back on the counter with a clack and Jesse explained the last rule.
“...and if you intend on adopting or fostering, You need to visit at least 5 days out of a single week. It is a commitment agreement so we know you are serious about the animal.” Jesse grabbed the signed papers and sat them next to the computer. “If you want to go inside and greet the residents you can, there is an employee back there tending to them.”
“S’cool with me.” Jed looked to the door leading to the cafe, a giddy smirk crossing his lips. He didn’t get excited about much but meeting new animals was the peak of his days. “Could I order somethin’ back there?”
“Yes, Kynte will be able to help you with that.” Jesse settled back into their chair, grabbing the thick book from its rest and diving back into its pages.
Jed hummed and made his way to the door, giving it a push and coming face to face with a wall of chittering and chats. He looked around the small space, there were a few large playsets for the hybrids to jump around, beds scattered in the middle of the room, and cafe style tables on the outer perimeter. He loved it, he loved that there were so many well loved felines there. Only a few people, younger groups of 2 or 3 playing with some of the livelier residents.
“Close the door please!” A voice called from behind a small window on the left hand side of the space. “Chief may try to escape!”
“Chief?” Jed questioned when a deep, gravely ‘MOW!’ called out at his feet. A black manecoon with a missing eye stared back at him with a cool smugness. He wasn’t moving, he was just sitting there. Watching. “Yer ‘Chief’ I assume?”
The caterpillar responded with a harsh sniffle as some mucus dripped from his nose and another deep ‘Mow.’ Jeds heart throbbed. This little guy had bad allergies, a deep meow, and a missing eye. He had to come home with the man.
“Aye, you’re my friend now.” He closed the door and squatted down to the caterpillar. He held out a hand to which Chief promptly placed his little kitty noggin. “Definitely my friend.”
“Hey, sorry about yelling back there.” A midtoned voice spoke to Jed. “Can’t really see from the kitchen so I gotta shout sometimes.”
Jed looked up from his position and froze. What the fuck? He thought to himself as he observed the person talking to him. Their features were round, framed by a large round pair of glasses. Their thick coily haired, pulled up into a ponytail with the shaved sides exposed. Their ears were pierced and stretched, and a silver horseshoe hung from their widely upturned nose.
The man swallowed hard, something about this person– They were pretty ambiguous in look– was holding his attention in a vice. He blinked slowly, his hand slowly stopping his petting. What was this feeling? He’d never felt it before.
“Y-yeah?” He stumbled over his words. He never stumbled over his words. “M-must be reeeal tough.”
The person chuckled, placing a hand on their chest. There was a name tag, decorated with skulls, spikes, and a variety of black and red gemstones on their shirt. `Kynte he/they` scrawled in black like a rockstar signing a poster.
“Haha not really, most people don’t get held up at the door by a resident.” Kynte held out his hand. “You’d be the first. Chief does seem to like you a lot.”
The caterpillar was looping around Jeds slowly growing legs. He stood up straight and took the other man's hand. “‘M Jed.”
“Well, Mister Jed. I’m Kynte.” Ky gave Jeds hand a firm squeeze, but it shot sparks up the mens arms. It was as if one had a shock button on their hand but neither pulled away. A moment passed and Ky cleared his throat, sliding his hand away. “Hope my yelling didn’t leave a bad taste in ya mouth. Enjoy your stay okay? And let me know when you’re ready to order.”
Jed simply stood there, watching the retreating back of the other man. What the hell was that? He shook his head, picking Chief up and walking to an empty table. The cogs of his mind were turning at lightspeeds. He had to have seen him before right? Maybe in passing, at the alley or the grocery store? He sat down, Chief using the opportunity to get comfortable in his lap.
His ears perked up when he caught the middle of a conversation next to him.
“...Without knowing who they are. The professor says there's an endless amount of soulmate types but more commonly are types that require a physical connection.” One person spoke as they shuffled through a few papers.
“Didn’t he also say that some people described that connection as a sharp pain or a shock?” The other responded, petting a particularly fluff white caterpillar in their lap. “Some even saying it felt like their fingers were being cut off from circulation?”
“Mm, yeah. I think that one is more associated with the ‘string of fate’ type.” They stared hard at their notes. “AHA!! Got it! So the types that are common are; The ‘string of fate’, The shared physical sensation, Tattoos of their first words, Telepathy, aaand Emotional bars.”
“But those aren’t the standard right? There could be waaaaay more?”
“Of course, I mean the possibilities are endless. Just like who it affects.”
Jed sighed and looked at the kitchen window, where he could see the top of Ky’s head. Jesse had left his post at the front and was leaning in the doorway chatting with the shorter man. He… didn’t like that. He didn’t like Jesse talking to what is his. He hadn’t realized how hard he’d been staring at them until Ky exited the kitchen and started towards him.
“Hey, are you ready to order?” He asked with a kindness that made Jeds chest tighten with need.
“Nah, haven’t even looked at the menu yet. But how about you pick for me, Doll? I think I can trust your taste.” He smirked up at Ky.
“Uh, sure. Are you allergic to anything?” Ky awkwardly looked away from the man's gaze, pulling out a pen and placing its cap between his teeth. It was like he was trying to devour him with his eyes. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
“Nah, no allergies.” Jed rested his chin in his hand as he idly played with the sleepy feline in his lap. His eyes followed Ky’s hand to the small half apron around his waist, the pockets filled with straws, a notepad, and the freshly chewed up pen. Oh? With the practiced precision of a pickpocket he swiped the pen and tucked it into his pocket.
“Cool cool, gimme a minute.” Ky turned on his heels and headed back to the kitchen, the feeling of eyes still rolling over his body.
Jesse was staring at Jed, trying to figure the man out. He wasn’t bad looking, he wasn’t unkempt or even dirty. But something about him just didn’t settle with them. They turned back to Ky, taking his arm and hissing at him.
“Kynte. Perhaps you should stay far from that individual.” They kept their voice low.
“Huh? Why? He’s just some dude.” Ky removed the hand from his arm without struggle. “No different than any of the other weirdos we deal with.”
“Incorrect. Something about him is… sinister.” Jesse cringed as if daggers were being bored into his back.
Ky looked back at Jed, giving him a small wave. “Doubt it. Maybe go back to the front and relax a bit. I’m gonna make his drink so he can take it with him since we’re closing soon.”
Jed waved back at him, his smile never leaving his lips. He dipped in the kitchen leaving Jesse to their own devices. It wasn’t going to take him that long to make a classic Matcha shake so that's what he went with.
Jesse had reclaimed their position at the front desk and grumbled. Their instincts were great, never leading them wrong before, and something was telling them that this new customer had some malicious intentions.
Jed took the moment of Jesse leaving to get up and make his way over to the window. It was entrancing to watch Ky float around the well-known space. He grabbed a few things from the fridge, needing to squat down to reach something. The view was perfect, the company shirt lifting just enough to see the unmarked skin of his lower back. Jeds cheeks heated up, mouth filling with wanton lust.
Ky stood up and turned around, eyes locking with Jeds. “Uhhh… You good? Did you need something??”
“Huh?” Jed perked up, swallowing down the abundance of drool filling his cheeks. “No, no nothin’, just wanted to watch ya work.”
“Riiiight.” Ky walked over to the counter just under the window. “D-don’t expect much, okay?”
Jed hummed, resting his chin in his hand as Ky poured the ingredients together. Kys hands were nimble, quick moving and well kept. Though the chipped black nail polish was there, it looked more intentional than anything. A few small bracelets clung to his wrists, and shook as he topped the whipped cream with matcha powder.
With a final garnish of a mint leaf, Ky placed a domed cap on the drink and lifted it up to the man. “There we go, all done and it’s only $4.87.”
“Really? That was pretty quick. You used to makin’ that one?” Jed reached out, wrapping his long fingers around the drink. He purposefully brushed them against Ky’s hoping to get that spark of electricity once again.
Ky pressed the drink into his hand, pulling his own away quickly. “Yeah, It’s one of my favorites. I make it for myself pretty often. But, uh, yeah… $4.87?”
Jed blinked at him, he had been so focused on keeping the other man talking that he hadn’t heard the price the first time around. He placed the drink down after a few sips and fished around his pocket for his wallet and pulled out the exact amount he owed. The drink was delicious, a mix of sweetness and herbal flavors that he hadn’t thought to try before. He placed the money down on the counter and pulled out three larger bills holding them out directly to Ky.
“Fer you.” He shook the bills with a nod. “It ain’t much but I think you deserve it. Drinks top notch and can’t say I even dislike it.”
“Wha– Thank you.” Ky reached out and took the tip, not paying much attention to it. He was pretty used to cocky customers giving him $3 tips like it was the golden ticket to happiness at that point. “Do you want a receipt?”
“Mm, nah.” Jed shook his head, taking note of the few people that were around leaving the cafe. “Guess I should get going huh? I’ll see you tomorrow, Dollface.”
Ky simply stared after the man as he gave Chief a few goodbye pets and promised to see him tomorrow. His heart thrummed hard in his chest like a high school seeing their crush for the first time since summer break. Why was he feeling like this? It wasn’t like he even knew the guy, he just had a strong feeling about him. He was pretty handsome, and he had those pretty green eyes… and his voice was smooth like butter. Ky sighed like a love dazed school girl.
After Jed exited the cafe and began his journey back to his house, Jesse nearly sprinted into the cafe area. The cats began meowing at them, insisting on being fed as that was typically Jesse's responsibility. They shook around the needy residents and slammed hard into the window where Ky was still standing in a daze. “Was I correct about him? He did not do anything odd to you did he? Kynte? Kynte!”
Ky jolted at his name being called and grimaced at his coworker. “You worry way too much, dude. Also no, he didn’t do anything “odd” just paid for his drink and gave me a ti–”
The dark skinned man finally looked at the three bills he’d been given. $1500. He was handed three large bills, three $500 bills. His eyes went wide as he looked at them. “What the actual fuck?” He whispered to himself.
Ky was never one to doubt people's intentions but this had to have been a mistake. There's no way that Jed had meant to give him $1500. He quickly folded the bills and shoved them in his pocket. “You know what Jesse, don’t you worry about it. I’m gonna cash out the registers and put what we earned in Kitty’s office and head home. Lele’s probably getting hungry after working. You go ahead and feed the cats okay?”
Jesse simply nodded, their face contorted with concern. They’d never seen Ky so spaced out before– Well, not like this anyway. They went around the cafe floor, picking up any discarded drinks or general garbage they’d found.
Locking up didn’t take that long, Ky finished cleaning the kitchen area, Jesse finished tending to the animal's needs. The two exited the cafe with each other. Jesse, who had been assigned the key holder role, locked the door tight and pulled the slated security door down before turning to Ky. They gnawed at their bottom lip, a flush of red crossing their cheeks.
“Kynte… Would you like me to walk you home?” The question was slow and calculated. As if it were something that was being thought about for days on end.
“Huh?” Ky looked up at Jesse from his cell phone. “If you want, I mean don’t you live on the other side of the ci–”
Just as Ky was about to ask Jesse why they’d want to go clear across the city to walk them home, his phone rang loud and harsh in his palm. He sighed and answered it quickly.
“Hey, Babe. I’m on my way home right now… Yes… No, I was about to text you and ask… I– Ye– Okay, okay I’m on my way.” Ky huffed and hung up the phone, turning his attention back to Jesse. “Sorry, I gotta decline this time around, dude. Gotta make a pit stop for some food. See you Monday alright?”
Jesse simply nodded and watched as Ky walked away. It stung a bit, but it was worth it. They were getting closer to telling him how they felt and that's all that mattered in those small moments. They froze for a moment, a cold intense chill rolling up their spine. Jesse felt eyes once again, boring into the back of their head.
A short distance away, across the street in a small alleyway, Jed stood pulling from a cigarette heavily with his half empty drink in his other hand. He watched them, he didn’t like this ‘Jesse’ person. He didn’t like how tired Ky seemed when he spoke on the phone with whoever this ‘Babe’ was. It was too much, and the rage in him was building by the second. His sweet Ky, His precious Dollface, His Devildust. No one should have him but Jed. The man dipped back into the darkness, dropping his cigarette on the ground stomping it out with his boot.
It didn’t take long for Jed to get home from his trip to the cafe. He cleared out an entire room in his house, a few shelves and a desk that he’d set up as a small study area for when his sister visited. She never used it so he planned to make good use of the space. The man placed the thoroughly chewed pen that he’d swiped on the center of the desk. He smiled to himself, a small chuckle leaving his lips as he left the room, locking the door from the outside. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to get Ky all to himself and this small thing was a good start.
The sun is up, the sky is blue It's beautiful, and so are you Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?
---
Prudence is one of Jeds siblings! They're around the same age and shes pretty neat! She isn't part of the OI storyline but I thought it'd be nice to make a piece for her!
A web series about an artist and web developer going about his days when a mysterious stranger falls for him hard and fast. Rocket love abound, Ky is struck with sudden life changes that he wasn't prepare for in the least. Things seem to be getting back to normal until his stuff begins to go missing, people begin distancing themselves from him, and the only thing that's stable is his minuscule friend group.
At least, Jed was kind to him.
----------------------------
This story deals with a lot of harsh themes that may be disturbing and/or upsetting to some readers. Please read the tags at the bottom of this post before reading it.
THIS STORY IS 18+ ONLY!! MINORS DNI, PLEASE RESPECT THIS. DEAD DOVE:DO NOT EAT!!
If you would like to support the production of this series please consider pledging to my patreon! I post chapters of my written work as well as fun illustrations!
