Previously only about the namesake lounge. Now general vore blog. Strictly NSFW blogs, please do not interact as the admin is uncomfortable with it. Admin: She/her pronouns. Ace/aro/questioning. Over Eighteen.
Ohhhh a lovely Gaspar story!! Thank you so much I LOVE IT! You did a great job writing the big man being gentle with the lil human <3
A booming sound sent a flock of birds scattering, and combined with the frantic flapping it snapped Fern out of her work. She was used to a staggering variety of wildlife sounds in the Kypros marsh, from myriad bird calls to bellowing frogs and the whispery rattle of snakes, but that didnāt sound like anything sheād ever heard before⦠and most concerningly it sounded almost human.
Lots of careless humans had ventured into the marshlands with no idea what lay in store, and the soundās source seemed to be near the river.
Awfully close to croctaur territoryā¦
She vaguely remembered hearing some snapping before too⦠someone could be in serious trouble.
She dropped the rhizomes sheād been harvesting and hurried as quietly as she could towards the river, hoping sheād make it time to help whoever was in need.
By the time she reached the river the original sound had long faded, but she could hear distant muttering and what seemed like muted groans of pain coming from further upstream, away from where the crocs converged. Probably not a croctaur attack then, but an animal or insect bite was still very possible and no less dangerous. Thankfully the botanist always carried medical supplies when she went collecting, ever hopeful for the best but prepared for the worst.
As she reached the riverbed she pushed up her glasses and surveyed the area. There was clear evidence of a hunt, from bloodied markings on ground to the bones of some unlucky animal she didnāt care to further examine, and the lingering sounds were getting closer. Following her ears she realized she was also following an unusually wide trail of disturbed vegetation leading directly into the thickest part of the marsh.
Nobody ventured in that far.
It was something of an open secret that anuids of all types would snatch up humans given the opportunity. Legally speaking there was no such activity, but it was well known that humans were valuable commodities in Kypros, which was why the expedition team strictly prohibited crossing the swamp line into the major settlements. Just exploring the coasts and borderlands of anuid territory was dangerous enough, but walking straight into a croctaur settlement was like asking to be grabbed.
The more she noticed about the width and shape of the trail the more she felt her heart pound. Only a croctaur could have left a trail like that⦠but anuids didnāt sound like humans⦠at least, not as far as Fern was aware. As far she knew, nobody had ever met one and returned to tell the tale. Allegedly other humans had ventured into Kypros and studied the denizens of the planet, but the textbooks sheād read had shockingly little to say about croctaurs or anuids as a whole.
Another grunt, this one accompanied by something like snapping branches, followed by a growlā¦
Theyāre definitely still alive, and still in need of helpā¦
As the sky suddenly darkened her heart dropped. Dark clouds had gathered at an alarming speed along with a burst of wind, much like monsoon season back home. If there really was a storm brewing it would explain the sudden lack of visible wildlife, but it would also mean an even worse situation for whoever was stuck out here wounded. Even if she reported someone in the deep brush the rescue team probably wouldnāt venture out until the storm cleared, and that was time an injured person didnāt have.
Dangerous or not, someone needed her, and she couldnāt just abandon them.
Taking a deep breath she tied back her frizzy hair, pushed up her glasses, forced her feet forward and ran directly into the depths.
/-/-/-
Gaspar growled softly to himself as he settled inside a dense quinzy of branches and tried to pick at his swollen gums. Unfortunately his claws were far too large to pry out whatever bit of bone was stabbed between his teeth. Still, at least heād managed a meal before the storm set in. The turn of weather had come far more quickly than heād expected, forcing him to build a shelter to wait out the storm. Heād already spent most of his energy hunting, and with how fast of a turn things had taken he didnāt want to risk getting caught out in the cold rains and harsh winds. Since heād gone hunting at the outermost edge of the border his own home was still a ways off.
Thankfully he was good with his hands and had plenty of experience with making things. As he settled in he grabbed a smaller branch and tried to extricate whatever was stuck in his gumline again. It was hard to believe something so tiny could be such a literal and figurative pain⦠frowning at another failed effort to remove the bone he crushed the branch between his fingers and tossed the splinters into the wind.
āWhoa!ā
His ears pricked up at the voice. Who was foolish enough to be out in a coming storm?
Leaning out of his shelter he spotted a tiny flicker of light in the distance.
A human.
Humans rarely ventured this close to croctaur territory, much less in this weather⦠the winds were picking up, and he could see in the distance a crack of lightning split the sky. The thwack of thunder nearly drowned out the human voice, but he could still just make it out.
āHello?! Donāt be scared, Iām here to help you!ā
The voice was getting closer, almost like it was coming straight towards him.
āI know youāre hurt! Where are you?!ā
Surely they werenāt looking for him⦠was there another human lost somewhere in the marsh? That seemed highly unlikely, not so close to croctaursā¦
The light started to flicker, not merely from the winds and rain blurring it but in a distinct, rhythmic pattern, like a signal light.
Now that was extremely stupid. Any nearby anuids would recognize that and happily venture short distances to snatch up a human out in the open, even in a storm like this.
āPlease! I heard you cry out!ā
Suddenly the pieces came together; it had indeed been Gaspar whoād inadvertently yelped in pain at the stubborn bone still stuck in his teeth, but the human had mistaken his cry for that of another human.
āHello?!ā
He heaved a sigh. On one hand, nobody had told this human to go wandering into croctaur territory in the middle of a lightning storm⦠but they were just trying to help someone they thought was wounded and stuck out in the elements. They were risking their own life to help another, and Gaspar just happened to be the person they thought was so in need of help.
He couldnāt just leave them out there.
āStay where you are,ā He called, reluctantly standing to leave the makeshift den.
āWhere are you?! Are you okay?!ā The light wavered but did not stray from its location as he slowly walked towards the human.
āHuh?!ā
āDonāt move,ā He warned, āStay exactly where you are.ā
-0-0-
Fern felt her heart thump with each thud of a footstep, each one just as audible as it was palpable. An outline of utter blackness towered over her so that even craning her neck at a full vertical left her unable to see the sky above the figure. As she lifted the lantern closer she could see what looked like the feet of a crocodile, but on a terrifyingly larger scale. Each claw alone looked to be at least size of her head.
Between the dark, their current proximity and reduced visibility from the storm it was impossible to see the croctaur in its entirety, but if she had to take a guess sheād mentally estimate it to be at least 50 feet tall⦠and if she were to be completely honest with herself, that was lowballing. Currently all she could see was up to the knee- joint? Was it an actual knee? She wasnāt exactly familiar with crocodile biology, but whatever it was called, it was only a fraction of the creatureās full form. From the outline of the upper half it looked not only like a human maleās torso, but like it belonged to a power lifter, with a thick neck and bulging arms.
It cane to a stop around a good distance away from her, much farther away from her than she would have expected, but then the top of its outline began to move as it lowered its upper body towards her. She moved her back foot and shifted her weight to move away, but then she saw a pair of yellow eyes come into view against the backdrop of shadow, and a chill ran down her spine.
It was watching her. It had told her not to move. Running now would be useless.
Her mind raced, running fruitless circles of probabilities around the inevitable conclusion: there was no getting away from the croctaur.
Slowly, painfully slowly, she watched as it lowered an inconceivable mass of hulking muscle towards her, lowering one hand to the ground to support itself just a few feet away from her. Without thinking she lifted the lantern higher, illuminating the grey skin of its human half in contrast to the typical greens of the lower crocodile half, and minus the coloring and a pair of what looked like tiny teeth protruding from the corhers of his lower jaw its face was shockingly human. In any other context she might have even said it belonged to a handsome man.
Without thinking she let go of the hood of her jacket as she squinted to get a better look, and instantly the wind ripped it back to soak her head. She tried shielding her eyes with a hand, but it did little as the rain now directly pelted her glasses, leaving her nearly blind as the creature continued its agonizing descent. She could almost feel the shift in the air as his weight approached, the yellow blur of his eyes growing larger and larger as he came closer and closer towards her.
āWhat- who are you?!ā Her mouth was suddenly dry as she felt herself shaking.
āJust hold still.ā
Before she could even blink she was moving, suddenly seated on a slightly warm surface that felt almost leathery. Somehow he had picked her up not only startlingly fast but with shocking gentleness. Sheād managed to hold onto her lantern, but she almost wished she hadnāt as he brought her towards his lips and opened his mouth wide.
āWAIT! NO! PLEASE! DONāT!ā
She skittered away as fingers curled around her, back pressed against the wall of digits. Time seemed to slow as her eyes darted in search of any possible escape, finding only sharp teeth framing a sea of glistening pink⦠except⦠there was also a spot of red. At the back of his mouth, between the molars, was a dark red area that even with her current vision she could see was swollen.
An old trick surfaced in her memory as she created a pinhole with her fingers and peered through it, glimpsing the unmistakeable sight of not only blood but a pale object sticking out of the gum.
āWait⦠you?! YOUāRE the one who cried out in pain?!
His mouth stopped moving, and without thinking she leaned forward with her lantern to look through her makeshift pinhole, slowly realizing what had happened.
āI get it, youāve got a bone shard stuck that you couldnāt get out yourself!ā
A switch flipped in her brain, blocking out everything except the injury and putting her into work mode as she moved forward, further into his mouth. The shard was embedded between the molars furthest back, leaving the soace both between around both teeth inflamed.
āAh?ā
The creature sounded almost⦠confused? Had he not expected her to help?
She grabbed the bone and gave it an experimental wiggle, making the croctaur exhale sharply in apparent pain.
āHold on, I think I can get it out!ā
Setting the lantern down she gripped the bone with both hands, planted one foot against a lower tooth and pulled as hard as she could.
The force was so great she wound up stumbling backwards and landed seated in the creatureās palm, still clutching the bloodied shard.
āWell Iāll be damnedā¦ā
āHa!ā She laughed, though she hardly even recognized the curt, high pitched sound of her own voice as she found herself smiling up at the croctaur. Hysteria? Probably, she thought. She couldnāt believe that just an hour ago hadnāt even known they could talk⦠Her own ignorance was hilariously frightening, and she had to mentally push away the thought for now. āThat should feel better, right?ā
The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins as she looked up at the grey-skinned face before her, though now she could feel her heart trying to ram its way out of her ribcage. Survival instinct screamed in her mind to run, jump, something, anything to get away⦠but her eyes were somehow transfixed on the face of the croctaur holding her.
He multiple scars, including one running horizontally across the upper bridge of his nose and one vertically slicing the left edge of his lip. Somehow you always see wounds first, she mentally chuckled at herself. A pair of thick eyebrows and a set of darker grey suboccular splotches framed his golden yellow eyes. Her chest felt tight as she tried to force herself into eye contact, but instead of staying on irises her eyes kept drifting back to his full lips and sharp, ivory teeth.
āYouāre a strange one,ā He remarked, almost chuckling, warm breath drifting over her from the proximity to his mouth. Without thinking she leaned in closer; the wind and her rain soaked clothes had left her half-frozen.
āHow does it feel?ā
He ran his tongue experimentally over the area, and she instinctively backed away at the sight.
āBetter,ā He smiled, though something about his expression felt slightly unsettling. Even with his lips closed she could see two smaller teeth protruding, and whether intentional or not his face had a certain neutrality about it that made it impossible to know what he was truly thinking.
āThatās good, I-ā
A crash of thunder interrupted, along with a howl of wind ripping right through her clothes. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and hugged herself, teeth chattering as she shivered.
āLetās get you out of this storm.ā His fingers curled closer around her as he lifted her back up to his lips. āJust trust me, alright?ā
āWhat are you going to do?ā
āKeep you warm.ā Without any further warning he opened his mouth, tongue quickly slipping under her feet.
āWAIT NO! DONāT-ā
Before she could even finish the word she was sliding between his teeth across the pale pink floor. She tried to scramble back towards his lips as quickly as she could, but his tongue curled to keep her back. She could only watch in helpless horror as the gate of bone cut off the light of her lantern as his teeth closed, sealing her in humid darkness.
/-/-/-
āSettle down,ā He rumbled softly, āIām not going to hurt you.ā
āYou ATE ME!ā She clambered towards his lips, but he quickly nudged her back towards the middle of his mouth.
āRelax. If I really wanted to eat you Iād have already swallowed.ā
āThen why are you doing this?!ā
āYou wonāt last long outside exposed in this weather. Youāre already soaked and shivering.ā
āWait⦠so⦠you did this for me?
āOf course.ā
āBut⦠why your mouth?!ā
āItās warm, and safe. Crocs carry their young in their mouths all the time,ā He shrugged.
āOh right, youāre part crocodile⦠I guess that does make sense,ā She chuckled nervously, āIn that case, thank you.ā
āDonāt mention it.ā He tried to shake off as much of the rain as he could beneath the canopy before lying down inside the quinzy. āYouāre just lucky Iām the one who found you first.ā
āOh⦠so⦠just to be completely clear, youāre not going to eat me?ā
āNope,ā He smiled softly, āThough I would like to know what a human was doing out here so close to croctaur territory.ā
She paused a moment. āI was collecting plant samples.ā
āPretty bold of a little human like you to venture this close to croctaurs in the middle of a thunderstorm just for some plants.ā
āI heard that someone was hurt. I couldnāt just leave whoever it was behind.ā
āYou werenāt afraid of being stranded yourself?ā
āI had to try, someone needed help.ā
āAnd you donāt regret coming out here now that you see who it was?ā
āWhy would I? You were hurt.ā
Gaspar blinked in surprise. There was no hesitation in her voice, and not a hint of deceit. She answered so simply, as if the answer was so obvious. It wasnāt often he came across such a guileless human.
āWould you have come out if youād known from the start I was a croctaur?ā
āKnowing me, probably.ā
A small smile crossed his lips. āYou know, I think I believe you.ā
āI would have been a lot more hesitant about it though.ā
āNow that I donāt believe, considering you waltzed right up to my mouth once you saw the wound.ā
āI didnāt waltz!ā
āYeah you did,ā He chuckled, āNothing hesitant about it.ā
āI was terrified!ā
āYou still did it, though, straightaway. Youāre a brave little thing.ā
āOh no, not really, I just did what anyone else would do, just trying to help!ā
āTrust me, Iāve never seen a human just walk up to a wounded croctaur and start helping like you did,ā He replied, tone softening a bit in response to her flustering.
āIt wasnāt anything special.ā
āIād say it was pretty special.ā
āI wouldnāt say that, not at all,ā She answered quickly, āNow anuids, you guys are special! Youāre so unique and huge, Iād love to learn more about you.ā
āCurious, huh?ā He chuckled, āI wouldnāt try chatting up any other anuids though.ā
āRight⦠Iāve heard they kidnap us and sell us on the market.ā
āIām afraid so.ā
āDo anuids⦠really eat us?ā
āSome, but not all. Personally I donāt unless I havenāt eaten in weeks. Humans in our territory are rare to begin with, and not very filling.ā
āOhā¦ā
āDonāt worry, youāre off the menu. For all anuids.ā He added firmly.
āI am?ā
āI wonāt let anyone hurt you.ā
She was silent for a moment, seemingly surprised.
āThank you⦠really⦠I appreciate that.ā She gently patted his tongue, inadvertently giving him a small taste of her as her hand rested on the muscle.
āYouāre a good kid. I donāt mind protecting you.ā
āYouāre very kind.ā She patted his tongue again, hand lingering on a tastebud for a bit before she suddenly drew her hand back. āSorry, I didnāt- I mean, is that okay?ā
āOf course,ā He chuckled, āYouāre welcome to poke around as much as you like.ā
āDid you keep my lantern by any chance? Itās awfully dark in hereā¦ā
āHmm? Oh, I guess I did,ā He replied, only now noticing he still had it clutched in his hand. He opened his mouth and placed the lantern on his tongue beside her.
āMind if I take a look at your gums again?ā
āGo right ahead.ā He opened his mouth wider to allow her easier access, and he quickly felt her tiny fingers palpating his swollen gums.
-0-0-
āDoes it still hurt?ā
āJust a bit.ā
āI can help with that.ā She let her backpack slide off her shoulders and rummaged through, looking for the zippered bag she kept with various herbal preparations. Holding them close to the lantern she sifted through countless vials until she found one containing a thick yellow liquid that smelled like a sweeter variant of eucalyptus.
āAha!ā
The fluid cooled her palms and fingertips as she poured it into a cupped hand. The round yellow flowers in the extract were similar in appearance and anti-inflammatory effects to toothache plants on Earth, but instead of capsaicin like compounds the Kypros version were menthol like.
āThis should dull the pain pretty quickly.ā She carefully spread the liquid across the swollen patch of gumline, fingers gently grazing the slick surface.
āAre you a doctor?ā
āBotanist, with a special interest in herbalism,ā She explained, āItās no substitute for modern medicine of course, but when youāre lost in the marsh a sound knowledge of medicinal plants comes in handy.ā
āAh.ā
She spread the remains of the liquid into the hole left by the shard and softly rubbed the swelling around it. It felt surreal, surrounded by massive teeth and touching Gasparās gums, how it seemed so familiar and yet utterly foreign. Internally he was very much like a human, but in a staggering larger scale, and she could only imagine how different the rest of his insides had to be.
āThanks, trying to get that bone out wouldāve been a real pain without you.ā
āYouāre welcome! If you ever need a pair of smaller hands again Iām happy to help.ā
āIf I ever see you again Iāll be sure to let you know.ā
āYou probably will, I come out here to collect plant samples pretty often so Iām sure youāll see me again sometime.ā
āYou shouldnāt go anywhere near croctaur territory again though. Itās not safe.ā
āI wouldnāt normally get this closeā¦ā She bit her lip. It didnāt feel right to make it sound like she never wanted to see him again, not when heād been so kind to her. āIād take the risk to come visit, though,ā She added softly.
āYou shouldnāt.ā
āWhy not?ā She frowned, āIād like to see you again, and you did say you wouldnāt let anyone else eat me, right?ā
āWhat if another croctaur found you first and I wasnāt around?ā
āI guess Iād have to hope theyād be as kind and sweet as you are.ā
āI guess Iāll have to be on the lookout to keep you out of trouble,ā He grumbled, then paused a moment before rolling his tongue beneath her.
āH-hey!ā She clambered towards his teeth again, feeling a small chuckle just as clearly as she heard it.
āItās alright, youāre safe, remember?ā He nudged her back towards the middle of his mouth.
āI know, you just startled me.ā Without thinking she gently patted the muscle beneath her. This time she noticed a few gray splotches amidst the floor of soft pink. That definitely wasnāt human, but was it crocodilian? Or was it a croctaur specific thing? The more details she noticed the more she wonderedā¦
āIām serious though, you really shouldnāt be out here. Any other anuid could have grabbed you in a heartbeat and either sold you or kept you for themself.ā
āAre we really so valuable?ā
āTheyād pay quite a sum for a cute little thing like you.ā
āC-cute?āThe word felt foreign as she stumbled across it, āNo, no Iām not- you donāt see many humans, do you?ā
āIāve seen enough to know youād fetch a pretty price at the market.ā
āWell⦠with such a bad storm you probably didnāt get a good look at me,ā She chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. Why did her cheeks suddenly feel warm?
āOr maybe you need new glasses.ā
āHow-?!ā She blinked in surprise. āI donāt know whatās crazier, that you know what they are or that you noticed mine!ā
āYou think anuids donāt know anything about humans?ā
āYou certainly seem to know more about us than we know about you,ā She sighed, āI didnāt even know anuids could speak human languages until today.ā
āYou must be very new to Kypros, that or whoever brought you here left some serious gaps in your education.ā
āIāve been here a few weeks, but Iāve never gotten close to anuids before today.ā
āItās just as well. Are you from Earth?ā
āNo, Kep42.ā
āWhereās that?ā
āItās in the Kepler system, it used to be a penal colony for Earthborn humans. The informal name is Primus Oz, if youāve heard of that.ā
āDonāt think so, no. It would explain why you know so little about us though, Iāve never heard of humans coming from that planet before.ā
āI have so much to learn, about everything in Kypros⦠Iāve never felt so helpless and ignorant before,ā She sighed.
āItās not exactly ignorance, youāre just new here.ā
āStill⦠I may have come to study plants, but I wish I knew more about anuids now that Iām actually here. Thereās so much I donāt know!ā
āNobody is born knowing everything.ā
āI feel like I donāt know anything⦠I wish I was at least familiar with the croctaurs since their settlement is right near where the-ā She suddenly bit her lip. āThe plants I study, theyāre so close to the settlement,ā She added as quickly as she could.
āYouāll learn.ā
āGasparā¦ā She pursed her lips again, caught between not wanting to be anymore of a burden on him and the feeling that sheād never get another chance at finding an anuid amenable to hearing her out. āDo you think you teach me?ā
/-/-/-
āTeach you?āThe croctaur raised an eyebrow at her request.
āI mean if itās not an imposition on you or anything!ā She added quickly, āI donāt want to be a bother of course, I wouldnāt take advantage of your kindness and of course Iād repay you once I-ā
āEasy, girl,ā He interrupted, āYou want me to teach you about anuids? Thereās plenty I donāt know myself, and Iām not exactly a teacher.ā
āI actually meant more about croctaurs, since theyāre the ones Iāll be in close contact with during my expedition.ā
āI thought you were going to minimize croctaur contact.āHe frowned.
āI mean, in my line of work itās inevitable that Iāll be around them at some point just based on location. You live right in the middle of one of the most biodiverse areas Iāve ever seen, prime real estate for studying the countless plant species on Kypros.ā
āWhat exactly do you want to know about us?ā
āEverything! Morphology, ecology, ethology, sociocultural development, I donāt know anything about croctaurs except that youāre half crocodile and half human!ā
āIām not sure how much I know about those things myself, but I donāt mind answering your questions,ā He chuckled, āI still donāt want you getting so close to our territory though.ā
āIād like to come back and see you though, even if you didnāt want to teach me,ā She added softly, sounding disappointed.
āHmmmm⦠weāll see about potential arrangements for future visits after I take you home.ā
āYou mean it?ā He couldnāt help a small smile at the joy in her voice, though it quickly dissolved to confused concern. āWait, what home?ā
āYour home.ā
āMy home?!ā
āOf course. Did you think I was going to let you just walk out of croctaur territory alone and unprotected?āHe frowned, āNo, the only way to ensure you make it back safely is to bring you there myself.ā
āOh no, you canāt- I mean I couldnāt- thatās far too much for me to ask of you!ā
āYou didnāt ask. Iām telling you.ā
āYou donāt understand-ā
āIf youāre really worried about exposing where your cohort is, I promise your secret is safe with me.ā
āHow did you- I guess I gave it away before,āShe sighed.
āNot really, its no secret that humans never come alone.ā
āItās not just that, though, we have armed security guarding the perimeter of the base. If they see you they could shoot you!ā
āIāll drop you off at night, just outside your base, in a spot where they wonāt see me.ā
āI donāt know, Iād hate for you to get hurt because of me.ā
āIād take the risk to come visit,ā He smirked, so widely he was sure she could practically hear it.
āWhy are you so sweet?!ā
āBesides, thereās only so much a human weapon can do against a croctaur.ā
āYou havenāt seen our weapons, or any Primus Ozians except for me. Do you know how trigger happy they can be?ā
āIāll be careful.ā
āThere are some Ozzies back home who wrangle regular crocodiles just for fun! What if they see you and take it as a challenge?ā
āIād like to see them try,ā He chuckled.
āIām serious! I dont want you to take the risk!ā
āItās cute you think Iām at any risk to begin with,ā He chuckled, āDonāt worry about me, Iām a lot more durable than a human.ā
āI still wouldnāt want to go out of your way even more just to take me back, especially not with armed guards waiting for you.ā
āItās no trouble. Besides, it wouldnāt sit right with me if I didnāt escort you home.ā
āI donāt think-ā
āThis isnāt a discussion.ā
He could practically feel her wilt at the finality of his tone.
āI just want you to be safeā¦ā
He sighed quietly, tone softening as he continued.
āOnce the storm lets up and itās dark enough outside youāll guide me back, and maybe on the way weāll discuss future visits.ā
āSo you will let me come see you again?ā
āIf you stop arguing about me taking you home.ā
āPromise?ā
āI promise.ā
āThank you!āShe rubbed his tongue again, not an absentminded touch but an intentional massage.
It was certainly not a sensation Gaspar was accustomed to; on previous occasions when heād eaten humans they hadnāt exactly been willing, much less affectionate. It wasnāt unpleasant though⦠quite the opposite, in fact. The gentle feeling of tiny fingers was oddly soothing, and he found himself relaxing at her touch.
āIs this bribery?ā He chuckled, resting his head on folded arms.
āWell I do need some way to repay you for everything, will this do?ā
āPerhaps.ā
She continued for a while, occasionally shifting a bit so that she could reach every inch of his tongue. Tension in his neck and jaw muscles melted away as she continued, and he smiled softly around her with a pleased sigh. His eyes gradually shut as he let himself sink into a pseudo-sleep, letting his mind rest as the sounds of the storm seemed to faded into the distance. If anything major were to suddenly happen heād be no less alert to it, but his current focus was solely on Fernās small voice, her sweet flavor, and her tender touch.
āIs this alright? I mean, does this feel okay?ā
āMore than okay.ā He gently licked her cheek, a small gesture of appreciation. It initially startled her, but she seemed to quickly realize the intent and let her cheek briefly rest on the slick surface, giving the edge of his tongue a soft squeeze. āHow are you holding up?ā
āIām⦠okay. More okay than I expected to be,ā She admitted, āHowās the storm?ā
He forced his eyes open, reluctant to leave the half-dreamlike state heād drifted into. The thunder was more distant now than before, but far from gone, and the rains were just as heavy if not even worse.
āStill going. You might want to make yourself comfortable and try to rest for now.ā
āHow long do you think this storm will last?ā
āDuring the wet season sometimes the rain doesnāt let up for days, even weeks.ā
āWeeks?!ā
āDonāt worry, I wonāt keep you that long. Iām sure your people will worry about you if youāre away too long. Once the thunder dies down Iāll take you back.ā
āHow long will that take?ā
āAt least another hour, maybe more.ā
āAnother hour⦠I guess that means no chance of a break for a little fresh air?ā
āYou want me to let you out?ā
āJust for a few minutes, please?ā She begged, giving his tongue a tiny, pleading rub.
āHmmā¦āOn one hand the storm was far from over, and even with the quinzy for shelter sheād still get cold if she went back outside⦠but she had also spent quite a while in his mouth, and even if she was outwardly calmer now she had been terrified before, and it wouldnāt have surprised him if she was still on edge even now. āI suppose a few minutes wonāt hurt.ā
He propped himself up on a forearm, lifted his free hand to his lips and opened his mouth, gently sliding her off his tongue into an open palm.
Fern instinctively moved away from his mouth, took a deep breath as she briefly looked out at the storm and turned to look up at him, pushing a wad of slimy curls out of her eyes.
āThank you, for everything.ā
Even soaked and slimy, Gaspar could only imagine how fast any other anuid would have snatched her up. There was something oddly endearing about her, from how softly she wrapped her arms around a finger to her dimpled smile that seemed somehow contagious.
āIs something wrong?ā
He shook his head a bit, briefly lost in his observations upon getting a real look at her.
āNothing.ā
āYou seemed lost in thought, what were you thinking about?ā
āJust that youāre adorable.ā
āWhat? No Iām not!āHer tanned skin did little to hide the redness rising in her cheeks. āYou probably just think that from my size.ā
āItās not just size, trust me. Iāll have to keep a very close eye on you to make sure no one tries anything.ā
āI donāt think that will be necessary,ā She tried to chuckle in spite of the obvious flustering, before suddenly hugging herself and pulling her knees in close to her chest.
āCold?ā
āJust a little, Iāll be fine!ā
His fingers curled closer around her, and she quickly huddled into the curve.
āBetter?ā
āYes, thank you.ā
āRemember you only have a few minutes. Itās still too cold and wet for you to stay out here.ā
āI know⦠I feel a little guilty that youāre stuck out here too though.ā
āThatās entirely my own fault, not yours. Whether or not youād ventured out here Iād still be here.ā
āStill, I feel bad I canāt help you stay warm⦠arenāt you cold too?ā
āCroctaurs are better at retaining heat than humans, especially bigger ones.ā
āAre you sure?ā
āIām not going to freeze to death out here. You, on the other hand, canāt afford to take the risk.ā He frowned as he felt her shivering anew, and he quickly brought her back up to his lips. āI think youāve had enough fresh air.ā
-0-0-
āAlright, I just needed a few minutes,ā She sighed, already moving towards his mouth even before he opened it. He stretched his tongue over his teeth and breathed slowly to keep it still as she climbed back inside. Her brief reprieve had been reassuring and helped ease the anxiety sheād been stewing in, but it had also left her freezing again. Once she was settled in he gently licked her icy arms and face, the heat of his mouth melting away the chill, and she softly rubbed his tongue in return.
āYou should try to sleep for a bit. Itās late, and Iām sure youāre exhausted from the day youāve had.ā
He wasnāt entirely wrong⦠but in the grand scheme of all the expeditions sheād been on, somehow this wasnāt the worst. She hadnāt gotten sick from accidental toxin exposure, she hadnāt broken any bones⦠this was at the very worst barely top three.
āYou know what⦠Iāve had worse days,ā She chuckled.
āWorse than getting eaten by a croctaur?ā
āI lived, and he turned out to be really sweet and caring,ā She grinned and briefly rubbed his tongue again. āBesides, he didnāt really eat me.ā
āNot yet,ā He teasingly grumbled.
āYou wouldnāt!ā This time she was more hurt than frightened.
āNo, I wouldnāt,ā He admitted, giving her a small lick, āI wouldnāt mind swallowing you for a while though.ā
āWhy would you want to do that?!ā
āIn an emergency my first stomach would be the safest place for you, even safer than my mouth.ā
āFirst stomach?āShe blinked in surprise, though in hindsight it was perfectly logical for a croctaur to have both a human and a crocodile stomach. āYou mean itās like a storage pouch?ā
āExactly. Youād be just as warm and safe, and I wouldnāt mind some belly rubs.ā
āOh, so thatās the real reason why,ā She chuckled with another soft rub, āIām not sure Iām ready for that yet thoughā¦ā
āNo, of course not. I wouldnāt ask that from you right now. Not unless you were actually in danger.ā
āI promise you belly rubs when the time comes though,ā She smiled softly.
āIāll be looking forward to that. For now just lie down and make yourself comfortable.ā
āAre you sure? I mean, itās only an hour away, right?ā She clenched her teeth as she felt a yawn trying to escape.
āIt could be more, and you must be tired. Iāll wake you when itās time to head home.ā He nudged her softly, soft flesh rippling beneath her like a water bed.
āI donāt know⦠wonāt it feel weird for you if I just fall asleep in here?ā
āNot at all. It feels no different than if a baby fell asleep in your arms.ā
āThatās completely different!ā
āNot to me. Youāre just as small a hatchling, and thereās nothing strange about carrying sleeping hatchlings.ā
āI keep forgetting how normal this is to you, just holding someone small in your mouthā¦ā
āYouāre not still frightened, are you?ā
āI wouldnāt say frightened, just⦠a little nervous,ā She admitted, crossing her arms over her chest.
āYou have nothing to fear, I promise, Iām not going to swallow you in your sleep.ā
āI know you wouldnāt,ā She sighed, āItās just the adrenaline still circulating.ā
āAt least lie down, even if you donāt want to sleep.ā
Begrudgingly she uncrossed her legs and slowly turned onto her side. His tongue shifted to meet her so that instead of slowly lowering herself through air she was sinking into the soft muscle, practically cradled in its warmth.
āThatās it, just relax. Youāre safe with me.ā
Conflicting feelings swirled as she let herself lie down. Sheād expected to feel a new wave of anxiety, and to some extent she did, but what she hadnāt expected was to feel her muscles relax, alongside a kind of calmness battling with her instinctive nerves. She was lying in a giant mouth, surrounded by massive crocodilian teeth, and yet she felt so⦠comfortable? If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was lying on a heated bed, the soft flesh beneath her feeling almost plush.
His tongue tilted very slightly and the lantern rolled towards her in silent suggestion.
āI guess I should save some battery for laterā¦ā
āTrust me, if you do nod off Iāll wake you when itās time. Just get some rest.ā
Trust⦠yes, she trusted him. Heād proven himself trustworthy countless times already, and he had been nothing but kind and chivalrous towards her. He was helping her, sheltering her from the storm, and she could no longer doubt for even a second that she was safe in his care. Gaspar had been so good to her, and he had earned more than her trust⦠he was a friend to her now.
She took one last glance around the pale pink room and turned off the lantern, and within seconds her eyes fell shut under the sudden weight of exhaustion.
āIāll try,ā She yawned. Her muscles felt heavy, a deep drowsiness falling over her as her mind began to drift.
All she could manage to move was her arm to give one last little rub of thanks before her body went limp, and before she knew it she had succumbed to sleep.
/-/-/-
Gaspar smiled fondly as he felt her dozing off, finally letting herself fully relax. It had been quite some time since heād held a small creature in his mouth like this, let alone had one sleeping inside him. A long forgotten feeling warmed his chest as she lay nestled atop his tongue, one he could only describe as⦠satisfaction.
Fern was safe, warm and well protected within his jaws. Heād been careful with her, and she had rewarded him not only with her delightful little rubs but with a trust so deep sheād let herself sleep in his mouth. She was so sweet sheād not only gotten the bone out of his gums but rubbed his tongue and even promised belly rubs, and she so eager to learn about him and croctaursā¦her kindness and curiosity were a rare combination amongst humans, and he shuddered to think what might have happened if another anuid had found her first.
Despite his repeated warnings to her about getting close to croctaurs, he found himself wondering already when she would come back. It was nice having a little companion to talk to. In a way heād missed having hatchlings to hold in his mouth, and holding Fern had filled that need. Having a cute and cuddly little human to protect had been far more fulfilling than he could have imagined.
Especially the cuddles⦠already he was hoping for belly rubs next time, and perhaps he could return her affection with some hand hugs and gentle tasting.
As he settled in himself he kept his mouth as still as possible, trying not to disturb his tiny guest. She must have been drained to fall asleep as fast as she did, especially inside a croctaurās mouth for the first time. Sheād been so frightened at first⦠but now she was sleeping soundly inside him, unafraid, unmoving in peaceful slumber.
He looked out at the storm again. Still just as thunderous and rainy⦠and yet he was almost glad it hadnāt improved. No reason to wake her if the weather was still this bad, and no reason for him not to let himself rest in the meantime. Besides, it wasnāt like he truly slept, and at most it only lasted a few hours at a time. Sheād have a nice long nap, and heād get to hold his newfound friend a little longer.
Sleep well, little one.
On that thought Gaspar let himself slide back into a dreamlike rest, eagerly anticipating the future adventures awaiting them.
The morning sun was just starting to warm Fernās skin as she anxiously paced the waterās edge. Gaspar had said to meet him at the delta an hour after sunrise, but sheād been so nervous sheād headed out much earlier than necessary and arrived an hour too soon. Sheād spent all night planning the route, picking a suitable gift, deciding on and baking an ungodly number of pavlovas, packing her bag and writing a list of questions and topics of study. Sheād then spent the morning fretting so much over being on time, if sheād get the right place, if heād even show up, that sheād not only gotten no sleep whatsoever but sheād let all her worries boil over into an anxiety that somehow felt even worse than being eaten.
She couldnāt even enjoy looking at the myriad plants growing in the delta, instead pacing a figure eight around a pair of trees. The rich soil allowed for all sorts of flora to grow, from saltwort to swamp rose and spider lily, but none of it was enough to distract her. What if sheād gotten the wrong place? What if she had misremembered the time or date? What if someone had secretly followed her? What if he just didnāt show up? Every possible mishap muddled her mind, keeping her from enjoying an otherwise perfect sunrise.
The sky was a beautiful canvas of yellows, pinks and blues blending seamlessly in a way only nature could manage, the waters burbled and birds were twittering. The world seemed so colorful and inviting⦠except that Fern was too busy trying to calculate Gasparās estimated time of arrival and doubting herself at every step to enjoy it. She was in fact so engrossed in her mental mathematics as she paced that she lost all track of time, and she certainly didnāt notice a long while later when the waters nearby suddenly grew choppy as something began to surface.
By the time she felt the ground shake and turned towards the sound of the thud her brief excitement turned to horror.
That was not Gaspar.
Instead was a croctaur that seemed quite a bit smaller in both height and musculature than Gaspar, its lower half a deep gray instead of Gasparās dark green, eyes unmistakably fixed on her.
āHello, sweetheart.ā
Her legs worked faster than her brain as she bolted, running straight towards the nearby mangroves lining the shore.
āCāmon now, darling, you know you canāt outrun me!ā He chuckled, in no way quickening his pace as he followed her. She almost wished he would speed up, but she knew all too well why he wouldnāt: he didnāt need to. He could take his sweet time and still have no trouble catching up on those massive legs. He may have been smaller than Gaspar, but he was still much bigger than Fern.
āBe a good girl now, if you come quietly I might just keep you for myself.ā
That was exactly the motivation she needed to find a second wind, darting between the tangled roots of a mangrove and throwing herself against the largest inner branch to catch her breath.
āAww donāt be shy, sweetheart! One more chance, come on out quietly and Iāll be nice and gentle with you.ā
āCāmon, where are you?ā She whispered to herself, trying to telepathically summon her friend.
āWell? I havent got all day, luv!ā
Staying as close within the tangle as she could she slowly maneuvered away from the croctaur, trying to figure out some kind of exit as ste felt him continue his approach. As his shadow fell over her she realized he was, by his own scale, less than an armās length away.ā
āDonāt make me come get you, I donāt like hurting my merchandise.ā
Chills wracked her spine as she tried to avoid his gaze and silently work her way through the root system, but she couldnāt hold back a tiny gasp as she heard the smash and felt the spray of splinters behind her.
āWhere are you?ā He asking, his voice mockingly sing-song.
Caution was quickly abandoned as she heard more breaking roots, bits of mangrove flying as he tore it apart in search of her. She raced to find any possible hiding place deep within the mangled network of roots, going all the way to where they were fully submerged in the river and wading in until the waters reached her thighs. She briefly wondered if perhaps she could swim away if there were some route through the roots, but all hopes were dashed as the shadow turned to darkness and the branches above her shattered.
She stumbled into the water with a cry, coughing and gasping for breath as she floundered back to the surface.
āThere you are.ā
It was no less than a miracle she managed to dodge his hand as she threw herself back underwater and darted forward, this time going towards the outer edge of the mangrove feeding into the river where the waters were deeper. At least she might be able to dive deep enough underwater to avoid captureā¦
āStop struggling!ā
She swam as fast as she could towards the dappled light ahead, but just as she surfaced for breath her view was engulfed by teeth tearing away the roots just in front of her.
How?! The croctaur had been above her seconds ago! How could it suddenly be biting through the side roots?! Unlessā¦
āGaspar?!ā
She just managed to catch a glimpse of a yellow eye and a blur of grey skin before the overhead roots burst into a shower of splinters. She dove back below the surface but this time she was caught in a net of fingers and yanked back into the blinding sunlight.
āGotcha, sweetheart!ā
The fingers quickly tightened around her, holding her flush against a giant chest and unable to see what was happening as a great flood of water crashed as something surfaced, and a far more familiar voice growled at the croctaur holding her.
āLet her go.ā
āHey, I had her first!ā
āLet. Her. Go.ā
āSod off, sheās mine! Find your own human!ā
A short growl, something like an attack sound, a scream of pain, and a squeeze so tight she screamed herself. In her periphery she couldāve sworn she saw a tiny spray of red.
āLet. Her. Go.ā
Straining grunts, then an almost defiant huff.
āYou want her? Fine, go fetch!ā
Suddenly she was being tossed directly back into the river. She heard the start of a growl just before plunging back into the water, too fast to realize what was happening until she was already below the surface. Her arms waved frantically trying to swim upwards, but the world went dark once more as she was suddenly scooped up by something soft and warm cutting through the cold water.
Everything happened at once, too fast to process as she found herself being dragged- no, sucked further under the water, as if sheād been caught in a riptide. Suddenly the water seemed to drain as she was squeezed further downward, a constant compression that was terrifying and yet somehow not actually painful, and from what she could feel the walls were weirdly flexible⦠almost soft⦠and warmā¦
Only then did it click: she had been swallowed.
The world around her tightened and twisted from above, and she felt like icing in a piping bag as she was kneaded further and further down his throat. It felt agonizingly slow, as if the fleshy tube was leisurely sliding her down despite the constant constriction. Her chest ached, lungs burning and heart pounding from the combined sensory nightmare and relative lack of oxygen.
By the time the tube relaxed to release her she felt ready to faint, but her body forced her to cough and hyperventilate as it finally found air in what felt like an open chamber.
His stomach.
No sooner had she landed when the room rippled, gravity shifting as he seemed to be lowering his body⦠underwater?
Her mind was still muddled as she struggled to breathe, but somewhere she retained just enough cognizance to realize he must have been trying to get her away from the other croctaur. She didnāt feel right at all, but on some level at least she knew she was safe.
The slimy flesh surrounding her suddenly closed in on her, not tightly but enough to give her a small squeeze. She was startled at first, instinctively squirming away despite having nowhere to go, but as the gentle pressure lingered she realized he was merely holding her in place. There was no stinging or burning, no churning or grinding of the stomach walls. It was as if heād simply flexed his abdominal muscles for whatever reason⦠maybe reassurance?
She wriggled a little into a more comfortable position and pressed outward with her hand against the wall, softly running her fingertips along the almost velvety lining. She wasnāt certain if he could reply underwater, or if he could even hear her from inside him, but she couldnāt help calling out for some kind of response.
āGaspar?ā
/|_/|_/|_
Gaspar slowly clenched his abs, gently squeezing her in reply. He couldnāt speak to her as he traversed the riverbed, but he hoped it would be enough for now.
āSo you can hear me?ā
He briefly squeezed again.
āThatās good⦠I canāt believe you swallowed me!ā She flopped against his inner walls, feeling smaller as she seemed to curl into herself.
He clenched softly, apologetically. He could only imagine how frightening it must have been, but he hadnāt had any chance to forewarn her. That fool of a croctaur hadnāt given him a choice; when heād thrown Fern into the river sheād plunged far too deep for a human to surface fast enough. Not only had he nearly drowned her, but he seemed a little too persistent and liable to come after her again⦠no, diving underwater to whisk her away was the best option, even if it had scared her.
āI know, you were just protecting me from that other croctaur⦠but you almost gave me a heart attack!ā
He gave her another longer, soft squeeze.
āI know, I understand,ā She sighed, āIām sorry, you must think Iām such a coward⦠at least try to warn me next time, please?ā
He replied with a long, slightly tighter squeeze. She seemed anxious, initially trying to make herself even smaller, but when he didnāt release her she seemed to realize he was trying to comfort her and relaxed a little. Feeling her so panicked and fearful left an odd ache in his chest. Gaspar had heard of humans using weighted objects to relieve anxiety, and the gentle pressure seemed to be the next best thing. He slowly felt her uncurl, straightening her legs as she leaned back and carefully shifted into a more comfortable position.
āThank you⦠again⦠you really are a life saver.ā She worked her fingers in between the folds of his belly and started to rub.
The walls of his stomach smoothed as they instantly relaxed at her touch. He hadnāt actually expected belly rubs- or, at the very least, he didnāt expect any this soon. It was such a rare sensation, sweet and soothing and stopping him in his tracks to take a moment to savor it.
āOh you really like that, huh?ā
However it was sheād noticed, there was no point in trying to deny it. Not that he could reply anyway.
She continued awhile longer, tenderly massaging his tummy with both hands. It was a good thing he was able to hold his breath for so long, else he wouldnāt have been able to let himself stop and enjoy as he stood on the riverbed. He briefly let himself sink into the silt as his eyes fell shut, feeling warm and relaxed and almost drowsy with delight.
āDid you already surface?ā She paused her rubs to ask, and he quickly resumed crossing the river.
āOh⦠I was distracting you, wasnāt I?ā She chuckled, softly patting the muscle surrounding her. āIām sorry.ā
He softly clenched his abs again to briefly squeeze her.
āAt least now I know exactly how to repay you for the rescue.ā
He gave her another small squish, inadvertently quickening his pace.
āDid you just speed up?ā
Very briefly he flexed his abs, just enough to gently jostle her.
āIām not getting out of here anytime soon, am I?ā
He gave her a long squeeze in reply.
āGuess Iād better get comfy, then,ā She sighed and moved towards the nearest wall, settling in between the folds.
Fernās movements felt so different than other humans; instead of struggling to escape or panicked thrashing, each shift was made with careful intent as she made herself comfortable and cuddled his belly. Feeling her small weight softly curl up inside him was so⦠calmingā¦
āWill you let me know when you surface?ā
He squeezed again and started swimming upwards as he neared the opposite side of the river. He wouldnāt fully surface yet, not until they were far enough downstream to be comfortably out of view amidst the trees, but he figured if she could feel the upward motion it would help reassure her. As he continued his slow strokes his plan seemed to be successful; not only did she feel more relaxed but he heard a tiny yawn from his passenger.
āSorry, I didnāt really sleep last night, and this is weirdly kind of⦠cozy? When youāre swimming it kind of rocks your stomach like a hammock.ā
He smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. Sheād had quite a morning, especially coming off a sleepless night, and he could imagine the crash in energy now that the adrenaline had worn off. If anything he was glad she felt safe enough to let herself calm down to the point of crashing. He certainly wasnāt going to stop her from napping, and if she did doze off it would be rude to wake her. She could sleep as long as she liked, and he could keep her in his belly even longer.
āDonāt worry, I wonāt fall asleep,ā She yawned again, giving him a small rub. āItās just the dark and heat.ā
Little did she know that was the least of his worries. If anything he would have encouraged it.
She was silent for a while as he swam to the other side, so still and quiet he almost hoped she had fallen asleep. He took his time crossing, swimming slowly and carefully and breaching the surface as softly as he could. Instead of shaking off the water he used his hands to brush off as much as he could and headed towards a nearby clearing to bask in the morning sun.
āAre we there yet?ā
āI only just surfaced,ā He replied, āStill tired?ā
āJust a little,ā She yawned with a light rub. āWhere are we going?ā
āRight now Iām going to warm up and dry off in the sun after that swim.ā
āSorryā¦ā
āDonāt be. Once Iām dry Iāll take you home, Iām sure youāll want to clean up and change.ā
āWhose home?ā
āMy home.ā
āYour home?ā
āThatās right, Iām taking you home with me,ā He teased, softly clenching his abs.
āIs this a tummy hug?ā She gently squeezed a fold of his stomach.
āYou could call it that,ā He chuckled, āI thought you liked hugs.ā
āI do! I just never knew you could hug someone with your stomach,āShe patted his belly in reply. āI wouldnāt mind some real snuggles when I get outā¦ā
āI think I can handle that,ā He smiled, ābut donāt be so hasty. I still need some time in the sun first before I let you out.ā
āI know, I know, itās just⦠I could really use a hug after this morning.ā
He softly squeezed her again. āYouāll get a proper hug later, I promise.ā
āThank you,ā She yawned again, āSorry, I guess I am still a little sleepy.ā
āWhy donāt you close your eyes while Iām basking?ā He settled on an especially sunny spot and slowly laid down on his side, careful to ensure his own weight wouldnāt squish his stomach or his precious passenger inside.
āI might be tempted, but first I have a promise to keep.ā
Tiny fingers suddenly flew across the folds and ridges of his belly, kneading and massaging his inner walls. His eyelids fluttered shut as he laid a hand on his middle, feeling as if his whole body was melting with pure bliss.
āYouāre so cute when youāre happy,ā She giggled, working her hands deep into the muscle.
āMe, cute?ā
āYes, you, youāre very cute,ā She chuckled.
āYouāre calling a croctaur cute?ā
āWhy not? Hasnāt anyone ever told you?ā
āCertainly not to my face,ā He chuckled, āIsnāt there some saying humans have against that?ā
āWhat saying?ā
āNever smile at a crocodile?ā
āThatās just a nursery rhyme.ā
āClearly not one you listened to.ā
āIām glad I didnāt, or we might not have been friends.ā
He smiled softly and patted his stomach. āAnd you tried to say you werenāt adorable.ā
āIām not!ā
āYou are without doubt the cutest human Iāve ever seen.ā
āYou just havenāt seen enough humans!ā She replied, audibly flustered as she started moving more, feeling around the grooves of his belly. As she reached a particularly sensitive spot he sighed with pleasure, and to his surprise she seemed to notice and lingered there.
āYouāre so cute⦠I could just eat you up.ā
āYou- that- I-!ā
āCanāt argue with that,ā He smirked, āBesides, now youāve had two croctaurs fight over you, isnāt that proof enough?ā
āYouāre just being sweet to me,ā She huffed, crawling around again.
āWas the other guy trying to snatch you being sweet too?ā
āOf course not, but you really are sweet.ā
āYouāre sweeter.ā She stopped as he sighed again, and he realized she was listening for audio cues from him to find his favorite spots for rubs.
āYou saved my life twice already!ā
āIāve also tasted you before.ā
āI- why are you like this?!ā
He chuckled softly, gently squeezing her once more, āIt is true. Besides, itās not often I have someone to tease and cuddle.ā Admittedly he wasnāt particularly touchy or affectionate with most, but she was so snuggly and cute it was hard not to let a bit of it rub off on him.
āWell⦠if teasing is the price of cuddles, Iām happy to pay.ā
āYou canāt just say that and not expect me to call you a cutie.ā
āIām not!ā The intensity of her rubs suddenly deepened at a particularly pleasant spot, and he dissolved into a happy hum. āSee? Youāre cute!ā
āYouāre cuter,ā He almost growled, trying not to let his own pleasure distract him. āYouāre only proving my point with all the rubs.ā
āI owe you, remember? Plus I promised, and even if I hadnāt I wanted a way to repay your kindness.ā
He heaved a sigh, ostensibly out of annoyance but in reality he was very much wrapped up in enjoying the rubs. She returned to a favorite spot from earlier and weaved her fingers between folds as she massaged, drawing an even deeper sigh.
āIāll have to try to draw a map for myself next time, so I can mark all your sweet spots.ā
āYou mean you want more tummy time?ā
āI mean, I sort of assumed you would.ā
āOh I would, but I didnāt expect you to volunteer,ā He chuckled, āI certainly wouldnāt say no to more rubs.ā
āIām sure you wouldnāt,ā She massaged a little deeper.
āI wouldnāt mind if you took a little belly nap either.ā
āA mouth nap wasnāt enough? You want me to nap in here too?!ā
āJust a suggestion,ā He chuckled, āI know you were fighting sleep before, and you did say you were comfy curled up in my belly.ā
āWouldnāt you be bored just keeping me in your stomach?ā
āNot at all. Just holding you feels nice, keeping you warm and safe.ā
āAre you sure youāre not just saying that because youāre trying to look after me?ā
āIām sure. Even if you werenāt in need of a nap, youāre always welcome to rest inside me, mouth or belly.ā He softly squeezed her again for emphasis, and she immediately rewarded him with a gentle rub.
āHow is that somehow both the scariest and sweetest thing youāve said?ā
āYou arenāt actually scared, are you?ā
āNot now, but if I didnāt know you that offer would be terrifying.ā
āLucky for you I only make that offer to cute little friends.ā
A flustered squeak was her sole reply this time, aside from a stronger rub at one of his sweet spots. He could feel she was moving slower now though, and the rubs were generally softer.
āFeeling sleepy again?ā
āIām trying to keep myself busy so I donāt.ā
āYou can relax now, I think that was more than adequate repayment,ā He chuckled.
āAre you sure?ā
āIām sure. While that was delightful I think youāve spoiled me enough for one day.ā
āI donāt mind spoiling you,ā She squeezed a fold with a tiny rub.
āAny more and I might develop an addiction,ā He chuckled, āBesides, thereās always next time. I think you could use a belly nap.ā
āYou know, for someone who doesnāt sleep you sure seem to like nap time.ā
āWe may not sleep like humans, but we still need to rest and conserve our energy when weāre not hunting, so in a way we do need nap time.ā
āI guess thatās a fair point.ā
āHumans who donāt sleep all night also need nap time, especially when they spent the morning getting chased by a croctaur.ā
āAlright, I get the message!ā She leaned back and turned onto her side, lightly nuzzling a fold with her cheek as she moved one hand under it and rested her head atop it like a pillow. Very gently he squeezed her, and she softly ran her fingers along the fold she was lying on.
āThere you go, now we can both rest for a bit.ā
āHow long were you planning to bask?ā
āLong enough to dry off, and long enough for you to get some sleep.ā
āI canāt believe Iāve only seen you twice and both times you not only had to save me from immediate danger but wound up forcing me to nap like thisā¦ā
āI see no issue with that,ā He smiled, āIt would be nice to see you when youāre not stressed out and hyped up on adrenaline next time though.ā
āMaybe the third time will be the charmā¦ā
āNext time Iāll be earlier so nothing has a chance to spot you before me.ā
āIt was my own fault, I was so nervous I got here way too early and I didnāt think any other croctaurs would be around.ā
āYou were nervous about seeing me?ā
āWell yeah, this was supposed to be a nice social visit and my first time really getting to know you, I even brought- my bag!ā Only now did she realize it was gone, probably lost during the chase.
āYour bag?ā
āI must have lost it by that mangrove thanks to that stupid other croctaur,ā She groaned, āI had a little gift for you, but itās probably ruined now.ā
āIāll look for your bag later, but you really didnāt have to give me anything.ā
āIt wasnāt anything special. I made pavlovas, it was the one sweet treat I figured would be safe for you since itās mostly eggs.ā
āThat was thoughtful of you⦠but I think Iām fine without a second sweet treat.ā
āI-!āShe made a tiny noise of flustering.
āBesides, the rubs were a gift all their own.ā
āStill, I spent so much time making enough for whatās probably just one bite for you and you didnāt even get to taste them!ā
āMaybe another time. Iām sure they were delicious, but right now this sweet treat needs a tummy nap.ā
He couldnāt help a soft laugh at the high pitched, flustered sounds that followed.
āCāmon, just close your eyes. Youāre safe with me, remember?ā
āI know,ā She yawned, āYouāre still taking me to your place once youāre warm and dry, right?ā
āOf course.ā
āJust remember you promised me a real hug later.ā
āI havenāt forgotten,ā He chuckled, āYouāll get your hug after you get some sleep.ā
āFine, Iāll try,ā She sighed, softly rubbing a fold again, āAt least I can cuddle you like this.ā
He sighed himself, eyes drifting shut once more as he rested his head in his arm and slipped into a dreamlike rest. He would need it to regain some energy for all he had to do later. He still had her bag to find, a bath to prepare, clothes to buy, and who knows what kind of curiosity to contend with once Fern was fully rested⦠but for now he was content to rest with her, bathed in the warmth of the morning sun and the affections of his sweet little friend.
BloodyMary vore you say? ššš With size shifting Grace?
Personally I feel that Grace would be a fantastic nervous, hesitant predator. He's only gonna, you know, swallow you if you're okay with it. He's not going to ask you to do something you don't want. Just ignore him.
Simon. Meanwhile, is still full of prey animal "I may die but I'll bring you down with me" fear. He's looking at a potential predator LIKE a potential predator.
But I wanna hear your thoughts on that potential dynamic.
Ooo okay wait I love those I love those so much?? You have such a big brain and funnily enough, itās like. Both aligned with and opposite of my brain.Ā
Like
I have lots of thoughts for both of them both in their own individual canon and in crossover stuff so bear with me here cause idk how much Iām about it yap but it might be a lot. Using this ask as an excuse to tell you guys all about my general au ideas yesšāāļø
Anyways spoilers for both movies so. Be warned yeaĀ
As a general excuse for vore stuff in more like, modern-ish settings, Iāve been toying with the idea of there being a specific gene found in maybe 20-30% of the human population (inspired in part by the coma gene in the PHM book) that allows the affected individual to shrink both themself and others and to have some amount of measured control over certain internal functions. The shrinking process itself also accounts for stuff like ability to process the 15% or so oxygen thatās generally in the stomach and density based acid resistance. The how and why of this geneās evolutionary development is still very much debated by the scientific community, and as of the time PHM takes place its purpose still widely unknown.Ā
So! As you might have guessed. I have given this gene to Ryland because of course I have. Itās kinda viewed as like, an odd quirk like light sensitive sneezing or hyper mobility. Interesting and maybe a cool party trick, but also not horribly noteworthy outside of maybe a science class demonstration. The government is fully aware heās got it since it is a useful ability, but thereās not a lot of reason for Mr Dr. Grace to use it, so itās mostly just a bit of extra paperwork. (Iām tempted to let him grow too, but that would be a whole other can of worms lol)
Ryland probably sees himself as more prey aligned, but heās an even switch to me who doesnāt exactly mind being on the pred end of things either. The trouble is finding someone heād be close enough to do that with. Heās threatened to eat someone once or twice maybe when emotions get high, but itās not something heād ever follow through on. More along the lines of calling people names than a real threat. Stratt likely HAS threatened to eat him before, because look, book Stratt is wayy less kind to Grace than her movie counterpart and she would definitely threaten that, but she likely wouldnāt follow through either. The threat alone is enough to scare Grace into cooperating. Heās been known to shrink when startled and that makes dragging him around easy. No eating required.Ā
Now, I think there is some possibility of Ryland having messed around with his abilities a little with the crew since he did spend quite a bit of time with them, and I think DuBois, Shapiro, and Ilyukhina specifically would be pretty interested in what he can do, especially when it comes to eating people. Thereād be lots of curiosity and little experiments and maybe even ācrew bonding exercisesā if they can manage to talk Yao into participating.Ā
Either way, Grace does enjoy it. He likes the science of it and itās fun being so close to people, whether heās the one eating them or being eaten. Again, itās not something he does often, but I think it would be something heād miss for sure once it was something he couldnāt do.Ā
Also I have gotta confess that the only thought in my head for most of the movie was just āI have never seen a man more edible in my life. Being eaten would so fix himā so do with that what you will.Ā
Simon is a little tricker to work with tbh because thereās no easy way I could give him a shifter anything without it being exploited by the COI. But in my heart. Heās also a switch. Like, pred leaning but in the sense of thatās his preference, while in reality heās a bit more preyish.Ā
I want to give him the same gene Grace has. Something almost no one has after the Quiet Rapture. Heck, he might be the only one left with it because of how rare it is and how few people there are anymore. Regardless, I donāt think many people, if any, know he has it. Itās a very tightly kept secret on his part, and itās not something that could be triggered emotionally because of how tight a lid he keeps on himself. Sure heās got outbursts and is even capable of being shockingly vulnerable at times (like admitting when heās scared, which genuinely surprised me), but emotion triggered shifts could be life threatening, so those are kept veryyy contained. Heās never really been presented with the opportunity to freely use his shifting abilities either, so I think theyāre honestly not even in the forefront of his mind.Ā
I really love your analysis of him as a desperate prey animal because he does feel a bit like that to me too. Heās dangerous and maybe even hostile, not because he wants to be, but because heās cornered and feels like he has no choice other than to lash out and hurt others before they can hurt him. And despite all of that, he still seems to care a lot about people and feel a lot of guilt over the resulting hurt he causes. Physical hurt that is. Iām not sure how much he cares about emotional hurt honestly. Probably not much.Ā
Anyways, Iāve been toying a lot with the concept of Simon pulled up out of the blood last minute, mutated but alive, and having gained the ability to absorb and process radiation after his extended exposure. Something about the blood giving him a way to survive the definite radiation poisoning heād have gotten otherwise lol. Iām not sure how everything would go exactly, but Iām so fascinated by the concept of him being used as likeā¦a cure for the whole camera incident. Forced to swallow a person (probably Jack tbh, tho I think Ava and David got hit too) and deal with the invasive wrongness of it all because itās what they need him to do to reverse the damage he did. Itās life or death because of how badly irradiated Jack is, and once again, Simon doesnāt get a say. Heās gone from convict to useful tool, and itās not much of an improvement. At least heās not getting put back in the ocean.Ā
Now, putting Simon and Grace together definitely wouldnāt result in a speedy bonding process. Would probably take months for Simon to be comfortable with casual physical contact, let alone participating in whatever you wanna call the uh, eat people thing. But Graceā¦Grace craves it. He wonāt talk about it a lot unless asked, but he does sincerely miss the feeling of being so close to another person, and the desire to curl up and hide inside someone has only been growing the whole time heās been in space. Itās a little gross sure heāll concede that, but itās also secure; something he desperately needs. Simon would also benefit from eating someone of his own volition too I think. It puts him in a vulnerable position yes, but one heās still very much in control of, and I think that would be good. Heād know itās something Grace wants, but heās also not being pressured into anything. Ryland probably doesnāt even thinks Simon would ever indulge him anyways, so the first time Simon offersā¦itās a pretty big thing for both of them. Of course, Simon would for sure try and downplay the significance, but I donāt think Grace would mind that. Gives him a little more space for his own nervous rambling anyways since Simon isnāt much of a talker.Ā
Now. Do I think theyād switch roles eventually? Yes. Do I think it would take a WHILE to get to that point? Also yes. Grace doesnāt wanna risk his insides getting shredded and Simon isnāt the biggest fan of uh, hot, dark, enclosed spaces for. Obvious reasons. But they would get comfortable enough to try and even like it I think. Maybe it wouldnāt be the most common thing for either of them, but itās not bad either. A nice change of pace.Ā
Wow okay thatās a lot so Iām gonna end this now, but do know Iāve got a million and one thoughts about them yeah. And also Rocky! Iāve got plans for him too because I love him and excluding him is badĀ
Putting my praise under a cut because it contains heavy iron lung spoilers
A mutated radiation eater Simon being fished out and used by the coi to cure radiation poisoning is PEAK unwilling pred. Literally continues to be a tool for a Greater Good when all he wants is to live.
In a way this is a good thing. He's paying penance for his actions with the camera. And he's fed. He's full for the first time in so so long. (Radiation processed into energy by his body. Stomach feeling full from the person inside) But at What Fucking Cost?
I love stomachs growling when theyāre not supposed to. Of course you are my friend I would never dream of eating you GGLRRGRHHGRGHGRLLORLRLRGRORLRGGRH. ahem. Anyways as I was sayi
Oh GASPARRRR I saw him AGES ago carrying a lil researcher with him and I completely forgot how much I love him you've been neglecting him
Listen Gaspar is like a fine wine, he only gets better with age. And by age I mean my drawing skills improving over the years lol. He's always been my most difficult OC to draw so I have to take breaks sometimes.
I'd be down for doing more stuff with him and a lil human friend like so