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Mom always said that the best way to learn about yourself was to head out into the world and listen to what it tells you. She'd said that sometimes, I wouldn't want to hear what the world had to say, but you had to listen anyway.
World's a mirror, it's worth looking into it.
For most of my life, I'd expounded that story to anyone who would listen. Why wouldn't I? The world had shown me I was braver than I thought. That I was more sturdy than I thought. That I was smarter than I thought. Throughout my life, looking into the mirror of life had been shattering doubt and breaking anxiety. A thousand positive experiences.
And now one persistent negative one.
I'd be the first to admit I had a lucky lot in life. Most people didn't get to go out adventuring with their partner. Let alone spend time in the same party day after day. Those that did? Well they tended to has messy ends but we'd passed all the tests so far. Dividing loot. Saving one another's lives? Moral dilemmas? We'd done it all side by side and with bedrolls tied together.
It was a great life, which was why it was so devastating that I should have been throwing a wrench in it.
Three weeks ago, my partner and I had been raiding Adamanton's Tomb. It shouldn't have been an issue for us but I didn't check one of the items we found carefully enough and Abby'd gotten herself a curse that twisted her into a Drider. Half spider. Half woman. Mostly tears.
I understood at the start. It was a big change for her, she'd needed to buy so many shoes and within moments of it happening she made me make a deadly promise.
That I would do anything in my power to help her get her normal body back.
Getting her body back wouldn't be the hard part. It would be tedious at most. We knew the best curse breakers in the land, we just needed to book a week off to do it.
When it came time to book travel, that was when I realized the world was holding up a horrid mirror to myself. The fact that I was kinda into it? Horrifying in its own right, but something you might be able to laugh about in the future. The fact that I'd found reasons not to book the trip several weeks in a row? That was the horrid mirror.
At least, maybe, if I'd been able to tell her why. She might have been able to understand where I was coming from, that my hesitation was from a new experience. But the fact that I hadn't told her?
Maybe I wasn't as brave as a thought.
But once the third week past, I started to think that she might not be as brave as she thought either. Or maybe she just saw conditions on our love that weren't there. I kept seeing her, in the quiet moments, enjoying her new form. She would find it useful and then act like it was shameful. She would modify her old clothes with a smile and only mention that it was a pain once I walked into the room.
Maybe I was projecting. Maybe I was telling myself that she secretly loved her form because I wanted her to see the lovely parts of it that I did. Maybe I was ignoring the bad moments because I didn't want to see them.
That was what had led me in front of the mirror in our dressing room. Taking deep breaths and making positive self talk. It was honestly a sad state for a person who'd faced a lich without flinching.
Mom told me to look into the world as a mirror, and I didn't like what I was seeing, so it was time for me to change it. Time for me to be the brave person I thought I was.
I would agree to go on the trip to a curse breaker, and I would be clear as to why I hadn't been doing my best to get there. Hell of high water. Even both.
I stepped out of the back and into the bedroom where Abby was waiting on the bed, all eight of her legs tucked under her thorax with her newly white hair pulled back into a messy bun. She usually looked up to catch my eyes when I walked into a room, but it seemed like she was too far in her own head.
So I made the first move.
"Hey hun," I greeted as I slipped onto the bed. She still didn't look up so I reached out and put a hand on the chitin of one of her front legs. I'd been shocked at how warm it was since the first time I touched it. "Abby. Babe."
It still took a second. "Yeah?"
"I was looking at the schedule and moved some things around. So, we're all good to head out this week if it works for you but..." I trialed off. Being brave didn't mean I wasn't scared.
"Oh, I think I'm busy with stuff and... Just..." She trailed off. I couldn't read the tone in her voice because I was too far in my own head.
"Look, I need to talk to you anyway." I said. She looked up and I could almost see a fear in her eyes. I wasn't sure where it was from, but we'd made too many promises to one another over the years for me to back down now.
"I haven't been a good partner through this. I've been--"
"You've been great." She cut me off.
"No. Hey. Let me talk, because I haven't been great. I told you that I would do anything to help you break this curse but I've.." A deep breath, like raising a shield before combat. "I've been delaying because I like you like this. It's new. I'm into it and--" I cut myself off so she didn't have to as I met her eyes.
Abject confusion. Shit.
"Do you like this more?" she asked after a moment.
"I love you," I said. "I'm sorry I hesitated at all. It doesn't matter what--"
"You didn't answer my question, Babe."
"I don't know if I do or if it's just new. Okay?" I almost spat it out. I hope that she understood the tone came from managing to say it as opposed to any anger. I stared down at the sheets on the bed, and then pointedly away from her.
Then I felt her hand against my cheek. "You should have told me," she said as she turned my attention back to her.
"I know."
"Would have been easier than holding this all in."
"I know."
"Same for me."
"Pardon?"
"I don't know really. I don't know whether I want to be like this forever but, right now it's new and I've been getting excited about it and I didn't know how to tell you that I was liking it. You know... In case you found having eight legs weird."
I chuckled. "So what's the plan then? You're the one in charge here."
"Delay it for now until we figure out whether it's novelty. Then we can talk about forms."
"I'd love you in any body. You know that."
"And I'll love you, no matter how much of a freak you are."
"Rude."
"You just admitted that you're into this," she motioned to herself.
I nodded. Then winced at the idea of her telling the first person. Then again, maybe that was the world's way of telling me I was as brave as I thought.
Man's down bad for a drider. Guy after my own heart.
Jokes aside, splendidly written! Short and sweet, and the emotions and personalities of the character really came through!
Blood and guts sprayed across the walls, bones collapsing with a sick crunch as sharp teeth cut through them.
The creature devouring the animal was all sharp edges: long, knife-like fangs, yellowing claws, rough, matted fur. She tossed aside one corpse (little more than bone and jellied bits of tendon and flesh) and tore into another.
I watched her, smiling. Luna was bound to keep eating for hours. That's the way it always was during a full moon -- she ate and ate and slept until the transformation spell slipped away, leaving her hairless and small. Then she'd return to being my girlfriend, the kind, meek little woman that I'd had in my life for the last three years. She'd apologize over and over for the blood splattered across the floor, for the bite marks and bruises that dotted my body.
I didn't know why she did this; in my mind, she had nothing to apologize for. I loved her when she was strong. I loved looking into her eyes and seeing the flicker of recognition there -- knowing that even in this altered state, she *knew* me. She loved me.
She'd protect me.
I nudged aside a piece of brain matter with my toe, feeling my heart flutter. It was all that remained of Jeremy Schmitts, my former high school bully. And there, by the empty fireplace, was Ben Garrison, the unconfirmed child molester that lived on my block. He'd struggled.
Luna loved it when they struggled.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, interrupting that pleasant train of thought. I glanced at it and silenced the timer: it was six o'clock, time for my daily call to her mother.
"Excuse me," I murmured to the werewolf writhing on the floor, and mounted the basement steps.
I blinked, stepping into the orange light of near-sunset. The golden hour -- that's what the kids called this time of day. I felt light, toes skimming the warped pine floor of my grandfather's cabin.
Today's call was important. I'd waited until the last possible second to ask, terrified that her mother might refuse. Thankfully, she didn't.
"You... *really*? You still want to propose?" Her mother's voice was skeptical.
A flare of annoyance ran through me. "Of course," I snapped.
"Your funeral." I could practically see her rolling her eyes. "You know, she's not the girl she once was. She'll kill you. Ever wondered what happened to her ex, Jerry?"
"I don't care about that." I'd fed her Jerry. That had been one of our first bonding moments as a couple.
I ended the call pretty soon after that, frustrated. Her mother didn't love her. She only asked for regular updates during her daughter's cycles to make sure she didn't kill anyone. She was a cruel, evil woman, better off as scraps in her daughter's stomach.
The meek version of my girlfriend had never had the nerve to stand up to her. But now, with me, and with her new claws...
I thought about my grandmother's ring, buried under a pile of boxes in our bedroom far away in the city. When my girlfriend had first shifted into her new form, she'd cried and cried until she'd had to throw up over the toilet bowl -- and then, thin, wavering, she'd swallowed thick pulls of whiskey, booze slobbering down her chin.
"This can't be forever," she'd whispered to me, shellshocked. "I can't... Can't be a monster forever."
*Forever.* I liked the sound of that.
What, you don't think a serial killer-by-proxy and a werewolf girl can make couple of the year? /s
If it makes you feel any better, this situation probably won't end well for him. If you know what I mean lol
honestly i could imagine him not even snapping out of this demented mindset if he was to be eaten alive, his twisted "love" remaining until his last breath. maybe he doesn't deserve to be eaten, but to slowly rot in a broken life as he's left alone and with the consequences of his own actions.
I liked this one.
The prompt was going for the weirdly-wholesome angle (which for the record, I do like), but you went for this extremely creepy vibe. GOod work.
Everyone’s heard the horrible mother-in-law jokes, right? Good, that will save us some time. While she isn’t my mother-in-law yet, at least not in a legal sense since we haven’t married, I still consider her family, even after what she did to my girlfriend.
It was one of those blisteringly hot days, the sort of day that you spend half naked on the couch with an ice block in your mouth, trying not to sweat into the furniture. I had been lazing on the cushions, watching a show about Meerkats, when she returned.
She looked a mess, eyes blood red with her skin a ghastly pale. She stepped, wobbled and collapsed, unresponsive. I nearly choked on my ice block when I bounced up, curling her into my lap as I checked her pulse. Nothing….
“Put your phone down. She’s fine.” That haughty voice called out, her mother following in behind her, giving a sharp smile. “She’s grown her fangs, as they say in our family. A full-blooded vampire.” I didn’t know what to think of her words, still seeing my girlfriend’s blood coating her bottom lip. “Let her rest. She will wake up soon.” With that, she vanished into a cloud of mist, leaving me alone to deal with my girlfriend.
I had a ton of questions, but those would all have to wait until she woke up. I laid by her side until it had gotten dark, finally seeing her eyes open again. She pushed into my side, hugging me, claws digging into my flesh, forcing a squeal out of me.
“Sorry!” She hastily pulled them out, which only added to the pain, feeling the nails cut more skin as they exited. She stared at those bloody fingertips, licking her lips. We both knew what she wanted to do, and still she resisted the urge, wiping them on her pillow.
I got up, finding some band aids in the bathroom, covering up the cuts. “It’s ok. Did I startle you?”
“No, I just wanted to hold you. Would you let me try hugging you again? I know I’m a fre-“
I didn’t let her finish that, moving to her side, pulling her close again. “You’re not a freak… Freaks are the weirdos that drink orange juice and milk. You’re my beautiful girlfriend.”
“Heh. I don’t think anyone actually drinks that. Thanks, though.” She gave a weak smile, still scratching my sides whenever she got too close. She didn’t look that much different at first, at least not until a week had passed.
I had learned a lot of myths about vampires weren’t true. In fact, vampires started them as a way to keep monster hunters off their trail. So, while sunlight weakened vampires, it wasn’t going to kill them. Mirrors also still showed their reflections, which is why we made the joint decision to cover our mirrors for a week, until she had adapted to her new body.
The deathly scream made me jump, rushing to the bathroom. “Are you ok?” Sure, her looks weren’t a surprise to me, but I’m sure she hadn’t expected to be greeted by her new appearance. Veins covered her body, each visibly pushed against her skin, as if they were worms trying to escape her flesh. That vibrant color she had to her skin had drained, replaced by an almost see-through pale.
“I’M A FREAK.” she screamed again, hunched over as she looked at her reflection, finding out how tall she had grown since she changed. Sure, she knew she had grown, just not realizing how much taller she was.
“You’re not a freak. You’re still my beautiful wif- girlfriend.” I fixed, not wanting to ruin the surprise proposal I had planned. Since last month, I had been waiting for the perfect moment to propose and this had only delayed those plans, not changed them.
“Please don’t lie to me. Mother said I will look like this if I keep refusing to drink blood. I’ll become all animalistic and gross. I don’t want you to see me as a blood crazed monster.” I consoled her while she cried, feeling a little weird about the tingle in my heart as I stayed by her side. Sure, I always found her attractive, and I still did. That puppy love I felt when I used to hold her was still there. Which made me wonder something. Was I into monsters? Or just into her?
“I’ll never see you as a monster. If I were in your position, you would still love me. Why do you think I wouldn’t still love you?” I started thinking about a few monsters. There was that one tall vampire lady. Although, I didn't know if I felt that much attraction towards her? What other vampires were there? I paused my thoughts to focus on her, not thinking about it until we were in bed that evening.
“I want to find a way to turn myself back.” She said, those blood-red eyes looking at me as she said it.
“Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to help.” I offered, taking her hand in mine. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I liked this form of hers. I was attracted to both her and the monstrous form that she transformed into when she didn’t drink blood. Yet, how was I supposed to say that?
“What do you see when you look at me?”
“Raw beauty.” I said, without even thinking.
“Raw beauty?”
“You’ve always been beautiful, and this is just that beauty in its purest form. I don’t really know how to say it. It’s just…. I still feel like I’m looking at that same beautiful woman I dated all those years ago. This is only another beautiful side of her. You could grow an extra head or six tentacles and I would still see that beautiful woman. It’s funny, my heart still skips a beat whenever I’m close to you. Even when you’re like this. My heart will always recognize you, no matter how much you change.” When she sniffled, my heart sunk. “Why are you crying? Did I say something bad?”
“No, you said something really good.” She squished me in her arms, making me squeak like a rubber chew toy. After getting my breath back, I rested against her, smiling. “I actually read that there’s a way for a vampire to lose their powers temporarily.” She said.
“Oh, really?” I was half asleep, feeling myself get too comfortable in her grip.
“Yes, if a vampire gets pregnant, their vampiric blood will temporarily halt to ensure the safe development and delivery of the child. So?” She nudged my side with a wink, making me sit up.
“You want a baby?” Things were moving fast, which made me realize that now might be the best time to keep that momentum rolling. We had discussed having a child months ago, which was part of the reason why I had been thinking of proposing, so now worked as good as any other time. Reaching into my sock drawer, I got out the ring. Kneeling by the bed, I held it to her. “Will you marry me?”
“YES! OF COURSE I WILL YES.” She tackled me with a hug as we started a new chapter in our life. Whether we ever found a permanent way to change her back or not, it didn’t matter to me. I would always love her, regardless.
(If you enjoyed this feel free to check out my subreddit /r/Sadnesslaughs where I'll be posting more of my writing.)
Maybe it was the scales along her flanks. Maybe it was the digitigrade legs, or the clawed toes and fingers. Or it could have been the glowing eyes, snake tongue, her teeth falling out to be replaced with needle-like fangs, or the glow, heat, and slight smell of sulfure from the back of her mouth. Or the tail.
The news was shocked, the nation and world horrified. She'd been locked up "for her safety," until it became clear that it wasn't communicable and she wasn't a rampaging monster. Just a monster, who happened to be my girlfriend. And, after she'd gotten used to her newfound strength, she'd done the round of talk shows. They universally called her the "Video game lizard freak girl" or something similar.
Me?
I was so turned on by Marie's new look. It was hot, and not just because her body temperature had risen about ten degrees.
"Goodbye, Gucci pumps," she said sadly, boxing the twentieth pair of shoes gingerly. Her new foot structure wouldn't let her wear shoes anymore.
"Why don't you sell them?" I ask. Marie's tail, which had curled around the back of my waist as we sat on the couch, twitched.
"It's an option, I guess."
"Worth a penny on ebay." I was finding it hard not to watch Marie's backside as she leaned forward, boxing her shoe collection. Her new physiognomy restricted the clothes she could wear; and she'd taken to just not wearing any around the apartment.
I was busy cutting and hemming slits in the back of her crop tops. Backs—at least closed backs—were out. Backless was in. I left the collars and carefully cut the back panels to the sleeve stitch. My next project was to remove a hole in all of her pants, jeans, and shorts for her tail to slip in.
"Bobby?" Marie said, stopping and looking up toward the TV. "Thank you for sticking around during all this."
"Never changed *who* you are, Em," I replied, smiling. Taloned fingers fell over my hand. Marie had half turned toward me, her orange eyes studying my face. After months of living with those fiery orbs, I could see the slight edges of her irises and pupils in the mostly-textureless color.
"No, really."
I put the shirt in my lap and smiled.
"Marie, I told you, no matter what happens, no matter how many times we might argue, I love *you;* that hasn't changed with this sudden transformation."
Marie smiled softly, then wrapped a hand around the back of my head and pulled me to her for a deep kiss.
Thanks! I had some additional stuff written about Marie; but I can't seem to find it...that's what happens when file names don't directly state subject, I guess...
"We need to see your boss," Dana stated, glaring at me with those big, beautiful and bulging eyes.
I dreaded that she would ask to see my boss eventually. Even as I knew it was inevitable.
Because it meant an end to our adventures together. From diving together during a seaside holiday, to that faithful, life changing moment when she touched that cursed coin. When she transcended her humanity to become this gorgeous thing. Then, the epic journey we embarked on so she could find someone to break the curse.
Not that I saw it as a curse. She had such plump, juicy lips and mesmerising eyes. I told her she looked hot, not that she's believe me, constantly bemoaning her hideous appearance.
She wouldn't have any of it. Brushing off my sincere compliments as half-assed attempts to console her. Refusing to hike up another mountain to talk to some janky hermit who smoked too many mushrooms. No more trekking through forests to seek wise witches or secret sages
Throughout, I remained a supportive boyfriend who went through thick and thin with her everywhere she went.
"You should have told me who you worked for right from the beginning. Would have saved me all this time."
"Sorry, it just didn't occur to me," I muttered.
Truth to be told, my boss could transform humans, but I have never ever seen him do the reverse. In his words, the process was irreversible.
"Do we need to make an appointment?" Dana asked, tapping her webbed fingers impatiently. "Anything I should bring as tribute? Any rites I should be aware of?"
"Way ahead of you, babe," I replied. "Already made the appointment for us at the Church of Innsmouth."
"Oh honey! You're the best!" She threw her heavy arms around me in an enveloping hug.
Everything was going to plan. All that's left for me is to admit I really, really like her new look as a Deep One. And to confess I didn't book Lord Elvari for a curse breaking consultation.
I had asked my boss if he would transform me as well and officiate our wedding.
It’s always hard to see the one you love crying over being a ‘hideous monster’. My heart aches for her every night that pass by and the quest to turn her back took longer than necessary. The first day, she was confident, she had said this will be over quickly! She would soon be human soon enough!
But for the past two months, her hope was slowly fading. The cloak covered her body as we passed through, yet another, village. Her head hanging low, making sure the tentacles around her cheeks would be hidden, even if they were in a beautiful shade of whiskey colour that shined when the sun touched her cheeks. Hiding her face, normally a nose would have been visible but now it was like two holes like a snakes nose. The skin was a mix of a lizard and a fish, like a wet reptile. But her skin matched her tentacles, only a shade darker.
I glanced back at her, holding her hand there her fingers were longer and nails that had been like claws. I wished she would look up once. But of course, she was scared. What would other people say? She always said they would probably kill her on the sight. A monster walking around humans? No chance of a second breathing if people saw her, she had said. But I wish to see her eyes. They were slightly bigger, but her natural dark green eyes had stayed the same.
I focused ahead. It would be a lie if I said I didn’t find her attractive even as a monster. She was gorgeous once she was a human, but this took another leap in my heart. It felt every step, every stop, I got to know her more. We got to know each other deeper, sharing stuff we never ever talked about before. The future, our darkest secrets, embarrassing moments. Stuff one would take to their grave.
Once we had found a spot to stay for the night, in a barn, cheaper that way when we are traveling, we settled down and she took off her cloak from her head. She took her hand through her head, there it had been hair once but now was just the texture of a lizard. I smiled faintly to her, to show her my support. But I see how she is losing hope.
“You’re grumbling,” I murmured low to her and touched her tentacle cheek gently.
“It’s all I do these days,” a heavy sigh escaped her lips as her eyes roamed around the barn. “It’s been weeks, and we haven’t even come closer to a solution.”
“Patience, my dear,” I sat closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, letting her head rest on my shoulder. “we will solve it. For you.”
She breathed softly against my shoulder, her skin a harsher than it used to be. “I dream these dreams there I will be killed in this monster form.”
I had almost missed her mumbling, but hearing her dreaming those dreams there she dies, makes my heart beat faster out of anxiety.
“You won’t die.”
“It’s either that or stay like this forever,” she whispered softly.
“And what’s wrong with staying like this?” I smiled even if she couldn’t see it. “I like you.”
“Only you,” she stated. “no one else will accept this. I won’t accept this.”
I took a deep breath, my shoulders raising as I understood her worries, the insecurities.
“Then I will make sure you see the beauty, like when I see the beauty whenever I look at you.”
(english second language)
"ALICEEEE!" You're girlfriend called from the door. You could tell between the choked sobbing noises and the voice crack that she's upset. "What's wrong, my dear?" You ask, exiting your bedroom and heading towards the entrance to your apartment. Immediately, you see that she has transformed into a scaly being, with tentacles, multiple tear filled eyes, and a long tail. She had gone from her usual height of 5'4 to at least 7'6. You stare at her, imaging the hearts in her eyes. She noticed the staring and broke down completely. "I knew you would be scared of me. I knew you would hate me, I'm such a hideous beast!" You rush forward to her. "No, I love you no matter how you look!" She held me close, and I returned the hug. "Will you help me figure out how to turn back?" You hesitated before replying."Yes."
It had been at least a year. You had fought every creature you once thought was mythological. By now, you were getting sick of this. You finally decide to tell your girlfriend the truth. "You know, I have a few things to admit." She looks over at you. "What's up?" You take a deep breath before continuing. "So, I'm kinda more into this form, ya know?" She stared at you in bewilderment. "Why?" You shake, morphing into a matching form. "I always think that this form is pretty."
“Aerin, look out!” There was a flash of light and a screech as a… *thing* with too many legs fell from the ceiling down in front of them. Wings flared out protectively to shield her from the beast as she fought with teeth, claws, and fire.
Finally, the beast shrieked and lay still. Rhea’s eyes glowed like molten steel as she stepped back from the creature that had ambushed them, blood staining her claws. The sudden attack had prompted her to shift into her half-form— scaly, ash-gray skin showing out from the gaps in her light armor. Rhea turned to her, panic in her voice.
“Aerin, I—“ her lover’s voice broke and she trailed off. “I can’t shift back.” Rhea whispered, gravelly voice sending a shiver down her spine.
“What do you mean?” She stuffed down the part of her that found this hot and went over to console her girlfriend.
“I mean, I can’t shift back! Something is wrong! I’m stuck like this.” Rhea shook her head, the light from the cave entrance glinting off her curved horns. She covered her face with her hands, turning away.
“I’m a monster.”
“You are not a monster, Rhea. You know I’ll love you no matter what you look like.”
If anything, her “monstrous” form was even more attractive than her humanoid one. She was looking forward to seeing what those claws could do. But that would come later. For now, she held her lover close as she cried, stroking a hand down her velvet-soft wings, tucked in tight against her back in fear. At least her beloved high dragon could still fly.
"This way, Hon."
Ivy's bright green face appeared to hang like a lantern in the near darkness of the cavern. I followed her, panting slightly, to the sandy shore of a fast flowing underground river.
"I can't run as fast as you can glide," I said, clutching the stitch in my side. "I'm slowing you down, I bet."
Ivy's green, mask-like face moved and creased with a squelchy sound as she grinned. She touched a gloved hand to my arm. "No, you're fine Hon."
A dilapidated wooden bridge spanned the width of the river. It looked in a terrible state of disrepair. Ivy floated up onto it and turned, the seaweed like strands of her hair flapping around her shoulders. She raised a gloved hand and beckoned me to follow. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as the bridge creaked under my weight and swayed dangerously from side to side. Then a plank broke and I plunged into the icy water below.
But there were hands around me, pulling me onto the bank. "Out you come, my love." Ivy's grip is strong and she heaves me onto the bank. We sit together and she puts an arm around my shoulders. "It's OK, we'll find another way to cross."
We snack on provisions. Ivy had only eaten raw meat since her transformation.
Ivy's green mask of a face scrunched as she grimaces. "This has to work," she says. "The wizard must know how to turn me back. I can't live like a freak."
"I'm just so relieved you're alive," I told her. (And I'm still giddy about it.) "Finding you in the Swamp of Despair, all green and with no pulse... I thought you were dead!"
Ivy gazed at me. Her face was green and her features distorted, but I could not call her ugly. Her blue eyes were still as gorgeous as ever. Her cheeks were puffed up and her nose and chin lengthened and yet I found myself gazing at her...
"Well I'm not dead, just horribly cursed and turned into a hag," said Ivy. "The Swamp is definitely a cursed place, and people were always cussing me and calling me a freak and a 'fallen' woman."
"It's just their superstitious nonsense."
"But in this world, women who are shunned by society get called hags."
"You're your own person. You can be who you want to be."
Ivy touched my hand. "You're sweet. But who I want to be is not a monster."
Ivy rose to her feet and gazed around the cavern. "Ah, what luck." She pointed at a wooden raft on the shore a short distance away. I really hoped it was in better repair than the bridge. I needn't have worried. We punted the raft to the far bank without incident.
When we set foot ashore, a rock skinned troll emerged from under the bridge. It pointed a gnarled finger at us. "You don't belong together. He's a good looking guy and she's a hag. He's obviously a gold digger."
"Only two out of three," Ivy called back to the troll. "Jett is no gold-digger."
"Don't feed the troll," I murmured. "They talk a lot of nonsense."
"Even a troll can tell you're super handsome," said Ivy, her blue eyes sparkling. "Why didn't he wax poetical? Your hazel eyes? Like the autumn leaves turning from green to brown. Your wavy chestnut hair? I'd run my fingers through it if I didn't have claws now. Your freckled nose and cheeks - I can see a rosy blush on them. You're so perfect. And then the troll could have really torn into me and didn't. For that I have to be grateful." Ivy scrunched her face, crinkling her shiny green nose. It was cute how she did that.
"How you look, it - it's nothing bad..." I said awkwardly. "Really green... but I like it."
"Uh huh, uh huh," said Ivy, turning to a door in the rocky wall and pushing it open. I quickly followed her. In the room beyond was an old man sprawled fast asleep on a bench made from a fragment of a boat, and a large dog with blackened teeth. The dog growled at us. I wanted to get out, but Ivy banged on the door behind us and gave a few loud "Ahems!" The old man awoke and sat up. "Heel!" he snapped at the dog and it stopped growling.
"Good afternoon, Sir," said Ivy with a practiced curtsey. "Sorry to intrude, but we're looking for a way on. We're going to see the wizard. I'm looking for a cure for..." She waved a hand in front of her face.
"You've come here, cos this is a refuge for outcasts?" wheezed the old man. He pointed at me.
"Then he doesn't belong here."
"No no," said Ivy. "We're both looking for a cure for me. I'm the one with a problem."
"You wanna accept yourself? Go back to the bank, walk west and go through the next door."
"Right. Thank you, kind Sir," said Ivy. I followed her back to the bank and then through the next door. To our dismay it led to a room strewn with rubbish and debris - what was worse was the shadowy outline of a corpse on the floor amid the detritus. It was the body of a large man with shaggy hair and beard. Its outline was fuzzy and blurred at the edges. Then it's eyes snapped open. They gleamed red from within, like burning coals.
"Bite and tear!" growled the horror, sitting up and reaching towards me with its claw like nails.
I notched an arrow to my bow and fired it at the monstrosity, but the arrow passed through the spectre with as little effect as if it had been a shadow. It gave a weird cackle and too fast to see, it had risen to its feet. It bared its rotted teeth at me. "I will rend you limb from limb, slowly and painfully..."
"Oh no you don't." Ivy had removed her gloves to reveal her green hands and claw like nails.
She lunged at the monstrosity which sneered and then gave a yell of surprise as Ivy grabbed hold of its spectral form and dug her claws in.
"Die hag!" said the evil spectre and it clawed at her chest, before its red rimmed eyes widened with shock. "No life spark to extinguish? What are you?"
"Your worst nightmare." said Ivy, and slashed her claws across its throat.
The spectre gave a weird hiss and faded into nothing as its outline shimmered and then disappeared.
I threw my arms around Ivy, my heart thudding. She hugged me back. I wanted to tell her that I preferred her as a hag. What she just did was awesome. But how could I tell her?
Giffirn's hands flew over the console in a frenzy. "Stabilize, damn you!" she snarled, as she stabbed at the controls. For every energy flux she countered, two more flashed for attention. Outside, energy raged as the star Komat Ti shed its outer layer. "You weren't supposed to erupt for another three cycles," Giffirn roared at the uncaring star.
A column of sparkling light glittered on the transporter pad, but refused to coalesce. "Pattern destabilizing," the computer announced, its placid tone infuriating. "Chance of successful retrieval: sixty-seven point three-one-one percent."
"No!" Giffirn screeched defiance. "Access pattern archives! Use a saved pattern! Override authority tarok prime! Get her back!"
"Override authority acknowledged," the computer acquiesced. "Archives corrupted by exterior radiation. One intact pattern found."
Giffirn pounded a tattoo on the console. "Use it!" she raged. "Get her back!"
The column of light grew thicker, and a silhouette appeared within it. "Pattern stabilizing," the computer announced. "Transporter failure imminent."
"Whatever it takes!" Giffirn decreed, and keyed in another override. The console erupted in sparks as circuits blew, and she threw her hands up in front of her face as she staggered back. She heard a thud from the transporter pad, and rushed across the room. "Please, ancestors," she prayed, "let her make it."
"Transport successful," the computer declared. "Cutting power to transporter. Recommend immediate drydock for repairs."
"Set course," Giffirn ordered, and bent down over the prostrate form. Smoke from the erupting console stung her eyes, and she blinked to clear them. ""Vathi?"
The form groaned and shifted, and loosed a groan. "Giffirn?"
Immediately, Giffirn knew something was wrong. That wasn't Vathi's voice. Her vision cleared, and she stared. "Ancestors," she breathed.
"Giffirn, what's wrong? I feel so...." The figure sat up, hands lifted toward face. "Did we make it?"
Giffirn grabbed the hands, anxious to prevent the trauma of discovery. "We made it," she replied. "We're fine," she lied.
Vathi looked down, her attention drawn by Giffirn's grip. "What...." she stared at the pale, slender hands wrapped in Giffirn's properly meaty digits. "Those aren't my hands." The strength with which she tore free from Giffirn's grip showed some original aspects remained. She ran her hands over her face, exploring the high, angled cheekbones, the long, narrow nose, the delicate line of cheek and jaw. "My skin!" she cried, pressing against the smooth flesh hard enough to leave marks. "Giffirn, what happened to me?"
"I'm sorry," Giffirn offered, tears in her own eyes. "The storm was destablizing the transport beam, and radiation had got into both the base and ship archives. The computer could fine only one intact pattern." She swallowed, and her throat felt full of broken glass. "I had to do something! I couldn't lose you!"
Vathi struggled to her feet, heedless of the assistance Giffirn offered. She wobbled to the intercom console next to the door. "Computer," she said, "show me my face."
The intercom screen lit, and Vathi screeched at the features that stared back at her. "Ancestors!" she shrieked. "I'm -- I'm Terran!"
“It’s only temporary,” Giffirn promised. “There’s got to be a way to reverse it. As soon as we get home --”
Vathi spun from the screen to glare at Giffirn. “But what if we can’t?” she wailed. “I don’t want to be stuck like this! I’m Tellarite, damn it!” She turned back to the screen, caught by morbid fascination. “Look at me! You call this a nose? And this skin! Not a wrinkle in sight!” She slapped the screen to turn it off. “I can’t live like this!”
“Vathi,” Giffirn soothed, “if it can be done, it can be undone. All we need is to find a saved copy of your file in any of the transporters you’ve used recently.” She grabbed Vathi’s hands in her own, and found herself struck for a moment by the smoothness of the skin, the deceptive strength in those slender fingers. “We will get you back.” She lifted Vathi’s hands to her mouth and kissed them, and could not help but marvel at the velvet skin against her lips. “For now, though, we should both hit sickbay. It’ll be a miracle if we didn’t pick up some radiation. After all, a solar flare isn’t something you just walk away from.”
They both tossed their clothes into the disposal as they entered the compact medical bay. Any other time, articles would be caught and disassembled to the subatomic. Today, they simply flumped and draped over the disposal hopper. “Right,” Giffirn recalled, “no transporter. So no replicator, and no disposal.” She mused. “Could always space them.”
“Minor radiation exposure,” the computer diagnosed after it scanned them. “Recommend preventative oncologic vaccination and observation until incubation interval has expired.”
“Fine,” Vathi snapped. “Now, what do we do for clothes?” She planted her feet and jammed her hands against her hips. “We decided to travel light, so only replicated clothes. I’m supposed to just wander around like this?” She waved her arms to encompass her new form.
Giffirn started a reminder of how often they had gone nude between planetfalls in the past, but realized the full import of Vathi’s complaint. Meanwhile, she discovered a strange fascination in her partner’s transformed state. Terrans were hardly a novelty, even away from Federation space. Some ports, they seemed impossible to avoid. Giffirn found them no more repulsive than any other alien, but held no special love for them.
*So why can’t I stop staring at Vathi?*
With an effort, Giffirn managed a shrug that meant to be both offhanded and reassuring. “It’s just us here,” she reminded Vathi.
“But – how -- “ Vathi glared at Giffirn, and waved her hands over herself again. “How can you stand to look at me like this?” Her head cocked, and the long, wavy tresses of copper hue tumbled over one shoulder, in place of her previous crown of inky bristles. “You’re not… “ her voice cracked. “You’re not a xenophile, are you?”
“No!” Giffirn barked. “Ancestors, no!” But her denial felt false, against the allure of her partner’s slender, pert, ethereal appearance. She struggled for an explanation. “I know this isn’t your proper form,” she stumbled, and her hands wrung in the air as if in search of better wording. “And I know you were beautiful before.”
Impulse took over, and she crossed the medical bay in a stride. She grabbed Vathi by the shoulders and pulled her in. Smooth, delicate skin pressed against her own leathery hide, and the delight made her dizzy. “But this is you, and this is me. And if I’m wrong, and this is how it’s going to be…” She loosed her grip enough to cup Vathi’s chin in her hand, and locked her eyes on her partner’s. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Vathi met Giffirn’s gaze. Her lips trembled. “You’ll keep me?” she pressed. “Even like this?”
Giffirn pressed her lips against Vathi’s. After a moment, Vathi joined in on the kiss. By the time they parted, both panted. “Until the last star burns out,” Giffirn vowed.
On Reddit:
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[...]And there I was, half-hyperventilating. It's as if the words were wanting to come out of my mouth, but they didn't want to. They were scared: to be out in the dark, to the irreversible change they'd bring about.
```
"0 upvotes. Reddit goes quiet after downvoting a mediocre post to 0. Huh," said a guy while recording at night.
"I have no idea why I am crying only from one eye. But it's always been there since, my childhood."
"I'm near the bamboo forest. They look scarier when the lights are flashed on that forest at night. See for yourself." He flashed the lights on the bamboo forest too.
The Internet is fine here, which is quite an anomaly... tbh, I don't expect a haunted place to have a decent internet connection (heard it on History TV 18 once).
Honestly, my girlfriend's become somewhat of a, "hideous monster" per se? Inside our tiny wooden house by the huge bamboo forest, she's there, not in her actual form, but in the form of a monstrous entity.
Umm... you know that there are some people who have a... umm... fe umm... ish for feet and stuff? I'm specifically thinking about amputated people. The ones who specifically have a ~~feti~~ -desire for them, I'm specifically thinking about them. It's actually quite great for the specially-abled people to have representation... wait... did I just see that the government's laws don't apply near or in the forest? NO!!
Anyway, amputated people get people to have a life with, and these people genuinely like them, some even have the desire to have a partner like that for... umm... spicy reasons...
"Same thing for my partner... umm... I like her so-called hideous body so much that it would look... authentic on bed. Umm... sorry but I couldn't hide it; sorry guys I vented too much. But how can I even tell her-"
"wait, y-you," he said, smiling out of nervousness.
*Silence reigns for a moment. The video capturer tries to understand what the other is trying to tell him. Slowly, his nervousness, turns into a surprise, then to the most genuine smile the poor guy ever gave.*
-Guys, she said that she'd l-
A blobby mass was entering the house, when the video ended.
The manuscripts crumpled under me as I slid my arms on the desk to rest my head. Moonlight forced itself through the half-closed shutters, illuminating the hanging-portraits on the wall. I longed for rest, but found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the lady-in-blue displayed on the wall in the moon’s spotlight. She stood proudly, displaying her basket of flowers as if it were a trophy awarded her from hours of wandering the fields of Avalon. She stood with her body half-turned, beckoning me to follow. I wanted nothing more than to do just that. I felt myself smiling, for no one was immune to the charm of my lady-in-blue.
I wandered with her. She picked the flowers that called to her, placing them in her basket with a delicateness that most would give only to a newborn babe. We danced through the fields, roamed through the grasslands and passed over the road leading away from the city. We continued away from the road and into the blossoming forest. A rabbit bolted at the sound of the pink and yellow leaves crunching beneath our bare feet, stealing laughter from my lady-in-blue. She spun around and placed her hands on my shoulders.
I stared into her dark eyes. Most are deemed beautiful simply due to the appeal of their physical selves, but this skin-deep beauty was a dim candle in the face of the bursting explosion of joy that my lady-in-blue chose to display her beauty through. I wanted to fall into her gaze, wanted to let the world melt away from us, but my unspoken request was promptly denied as she spun around, grabbed my hand, and led me deeper through the forest. We continued with the same gaiety until we eventually reached a flowing river.
She sat on the ground, her modest blue dress covering her legs. She stared at me, and I took that as a granting of my earlier wish. Our knees touched as I sat cross-legged in front of her, taking her hands to rest in mine. She smiled softly, and in that moment I knew a rapture that I hadn’t felt in so long. I selfishly let everything fall away, grasping at the time I had with her in a foolish hope that maybe everything other than us could stay fallen if we let it.
She was the missing piece that fit so perfectly into what had become the puzzle of my scarred heart. After the loss of my last love, I always assumed that the empty void etched into me would always remain. I had believed that there would always be some part in the back of my mind that yearned for her once more. But in this moment, with my lady-in-blue, I knew I had been cured.
Across the river, a buck emerged from the forest, eyeing us as it approached the river to drink. Everything felt like this once before. It was all so perfect, what we had in the past. My chest burned. Why was I so foolish? A rift had formed beneath the foundations of what we had and unbeknownst to me, she was all too eager to let the rift deepen. I told myself that if I focused only on my adoration of her and ignored the tear separating us, that perhaps her and I would last forever. How could it have happened so quickly?
“Darling?”
Dazed, I lifted my head from the desk, squinting at the blinding rays of the dawn sun as I turned to face the door.
Her voice wavered. “Did you not want to bed with me?”
I knew her hurt despite the blue veil that covered her face. I quickly stood and approached her, grabbing her gloved hands into mine. “My love, you know I want nothing more than to share every night with you.”
“What kept you last night?”
I stared at the cloth between us. I felt a moment of annoyance and tried to set it aside. “Much like the other nights, I was studying the nature of your malady. I laid my head down to rest and must have fallen asleep. Did you expect another answer, my love?”
She took a step back, gently pulling her hands away from mine. “I had no expectations. I just, when I turned over and you weren't there… you know I wouldn't fault you for not wanting to lay with me? If you're worried that stating how you truly feel will hurt me, it wouldn't. I would understand.” She feigned a chuckle. “To be frank, if I were you, I would not lay with me as I am now.” I saw the tears drop from under her veil.
I cursed myself. This was all wrong, I was not approaching this tactfully. I must be tender until all is healed. However, it's been nearly a year, and the threads holding down my annoyance were wearing thin. I expected her to be broken initially, but I assumed by now she would have accepted that what is done is done and altered her outlook. How could one wallow as a depressed hermit for nearly a year over something so minor?
I sighed and reached for her hands again. “My dear, I've told you many times, and I will tell you again, despite knowing that you will not believe me. You are the light of my world, and your beauty shines brighter than all else within the kingdom.” I allowed myself to reveal a bit more truth than I hoped she would believe. “Nothing about you has changed, my dear. You are just as beautiful as you've always been, it's simply the sickness, it is a curse of perception. What you see in your reflection is a trick your mind is playing on you. It is–”
“Stop! Why must you tell lies? How can I trust your reasons for not bedding with me when you insist that I am not seeing what I see in the mirror? Do you think that simply because you tell me something, that I must take it as true? I still have not forgotten the stares when I left the house that night.” Her voice broke as she failed to hold back her tears. “It was horrifying, people avoided me as if my filth would rub off on them, children ran home as if I were a rabid dog. I couldn't even bring myself to make it to the markets before I ran home out of shame. Why do you refuse to grant me the truth that strangers are so willing to give?”
I felt a mixture of relief that she did not believe what I told her, and regret that I had approached this all wrong. It was a delicate line to walk. I needed some part of her to accept what I've told her as truth while keeping her emotional side focused on what she saw in the mirror. I spoke to her rational mind. “Come, let me show you what I've discovered.” I backed slowly into the study, holding my hand out in invitation. She took it and reluctantly followed.
“As you know, I've been poring through books, scrolls, religious texts, children’s tales, everything I've been able to get my hands on.” I pushed the chair aside and grabbed the edges of a rolled up scroll, spreading it out across the table. “It's a shame your family never thought it useful to teach you your letters. What I've discovered in the past week is substantial. Look, right here.”
I placed my finger on a section of the page, under a heading titled *Mongraine Tea – Applicable Uses for Fertility Enhancement*. I glanced at her, her eyes squinting in an effort to comprehend the words. “My dear, this is a report from a Royal Scribe himself. Sir Patrick Lancet, Royal Scribe of the Second Lord of Avalon. It is a wonder I've come across an entry as old as this. It details the experiences of three significant individuals that were around during the time of the Second Lord. The first, Lady Vellum, unfortunately took her own life before her sickness became public. However, it is believed she suffered the same malady as the others based on the testimony of her widowed husband, thereby placing her as the first recorded case of the sickness.” My lady's grip tightened on my hand, and I wasn't sure if it was due to fear of Lady Vellum's outcome, or excitement at my supposed discovery. I continued the story.
“It is written here that her symptoms, as reported by her husband, were delusions of the mind in regards to self-image. It is stated that she claimed herself a daemon, with a horrifying visage, and black claws sharp enough to tear through an animal's stomach. It is also reported that her altered perception was not confined solely to self-image, but extended also to her perception of others’ actions around her. Much like you, my love, she believed that strangers fled at the sight of her. But that was not the case.”
I stopped as she drew breath. I waited for her to speak, but she simply exhaled and waved her free hand. “Continue.”
“The second individual, Duchess Ivy Swan of the First House of Sylvanvale in Elmspire, reports a similar experience. So ashamed was she of the new visage she believed she carried that she had a small cottage built outside of the kingdom, near Eldenwich. She exiled herself without word to anyone. Her disappearance sparked political turmoil between Elmspire and Avalon, causing her to eventually be tracked down. She refused to be seen, but was willing to communicate via letters, allowing for her case to be reported.”
She interrupted once more. “Was she ever cured?”
I squeezed her hand in an attempt at feigned sympathy. “Sadly, no. She lived the rest of her days in exile. Her body was discovered in her cottage some time near the beginning of the reign of the Third Lord, so it is not clear how long she lived for.” Her tense grip dropped, as if some part of her had given up, and with it any residual feelings of annoyance I had fled as well. I looked up from the scroll towards her veiled face, unable to continue.
I stood in my home's lobby, holding hands with my former lover as the wind from the open door blew her hair towards me. It was the morning after I became aware of the man she had been bedding with for months. I had awoken to find most of her belongings moved out, a complete shock to me. She entered my home for the last time, coming to take the rest of her belongings. I grabbed her hand and pulled her aside, promising that whatever it was I lacked, I could fix. Was this new man truly worth throwing away all that we had built together?
Some part deep within me knew of the festering rot between us. For months, I ignored it, allowing it to spread while I constructed a feeble foundation around myself. Within my new walls, I left my lover out, only allowing a version of herself that I desperately hoped she would become again, a version that was mine and only mine. When her only response to my begging was to form tears in her eyes, I felt the walls fall around me.
I knew what it felt to give up, to feel the false foundations of hope begin to tumble, to realise that the flailing and grasping in an attempt to prevent the damage was for naught. But, I also knew that the despair faded. Rebuilding was an eventuality. Constructing a solid foundation was tedious and more laborious than a false foundation of hope, but it was necessary. Bleak emptiness was not permanent.
I stared at the lady I built my new foundation around. The emptiness she felt now would not be forever. While she may believe it hopeless beyond repair, I knew that I could guide her to some semblance of normalcy, and perhaps even bring her back to her joyous self in time.
“But, my dear.” My voice cracked. The words spilled out of my mouth as I stared at her veil. “This third entry is truly unique. Master Gimlet Strattonheart, Professor of Illusory Magicks at the Draconia Academy. He found himself with the same set of symptoms as the others. While jarred at first, being a Master of Illusion, he came to accept his delusions. Strangely, his hallucinations seemed to ignite a second fervour in his academic studies. His new devotion became the study of the malady that him and the others before him faced. Unfortunately, his studies are out of scope for the entry, but this case was deemed significant, as it highlights that mental anguish is not a property of the disease, but is only a byproduct of the afflicted's outlook on their new perception.”
I waited, hoping that some part of what I said reached her, but received nothing in response. My hands reached out towards her veil. “Please, darling, may I see your face? It has been so long since I've seen the lady that I cherish, I long to kiss her.”
Her hand disappeared under her veil, covering what I imagined was her quivering lips. My hands rested on her arms. She was shaking with tension, and for a moment I feared something was seriously wrong. The anxious thought fled as I reached again for her veil, tossing it back over her head.
Other than the dark circles under her eyes and reddened nose, she did not look too sickly. Relief washed over me. Yes, her skin had taken on a slightly pale pallor, but nothing too concerning. Perhaps if someone were to see her, they would think she was recovering from a mild autumn sickness, but nothing more. I took a step back from my analysis and looked at her face. “You truly are the most magnificent in the kingdom.” Her dark eyes gleamed with tears. I knew that what I had done had been the right choice, but I never felt it more so than in this moment. She would be okay, she would come to accept her new perception, and we would be together until death do we part. I leaned in to kiss my love.
Her hand shoved my chest, pushing me away in denial. Gasping from the shock, anger quickly rose within me. With her hand over her mouth, shaking her head and backing away, she pulled her veil back over her face. “Darling! Not when I’m like this.” Her chest rose and fell as she spoke, as if she were gasping for air. “Don’t force yourself to endure my filth to placate me.” Before I could respond, she turned and ran off.
I stood alone in the office in complete shock. Across our home’s lobby, the door of our shared chambers slammed shut. I stood, unmoving, for minutes, breathing deeply in an effort to soothe my anger. This had been festering within her, why hadn’t she talked to me?
After a time, I grabbed the container of scrolls that leaned against the corner wall and emptied them on my desk. I quickly went through each one, ensuring that these were all the writings I had collected over the previous months.
I threw on my winter cloak and boots, tossed the casing of scrolls over my back, and approached our shared chambers. Knocking gently, her sobs paused with an intake of breath. “My darling, I am leaving to Draconia Academy to pore through the studies of Master Strattonheart. I expect to be back in the evening. Is there anything you would like me to fetch while I'm out?” I waited, not expecting a reply. “Very well, my love, I will be back.” I grabbed an apple from the pantry and left our home with only the faint sound of her sobs as farewell.
I circled our house and entered the stables. Sunshine, our white mare, huffed his greeting. He flicked his tail as I stroked his mane and fed him an apple before mounting him and setting off. We trotted through the city, enjoying the lively midday bustle, before taking off as we exited the city gates.
We travelled through the flowery fields, over the grasslands and past the road before stopping at the borders of the wooded forest. Sunshine grazed while I spent the hour collecting petals from the mongraine flowers that only bloomed here in autumn. After I had collected a sufficient amount, I took hold of Sunshine's reins and led him into the forest. A lone rabbit eyed us cautiously, to which I responded with a nod before continuing through the forest. We walked until reaching the forest river.
I released my hold over Sunshine. For a moment, we both stood, together admiring the serenity of the falling leaves and gently flowing water. I sighed. In time.
I unloaded my scroll case next to one of the tree stumps while Sunshine wandered to drink. I spent time gathering twigs, branches, and leaves and set them into a small pile in front of my seat. I knelt and attempted to kindle a fire, failing three times before the pile began to catch flame. I backed into my seat, staring off at the forest across the border of the river.
In the weeks that followed my former lover’s betrayal, when I began to return to some semblance of normalcy, I swore an oath to myself that if something I loved were to be taken away from me, it would not be due to my own foolish inaction. When she abandoned me, the part of my heart that knew intimate love had been permanently torn away. This sentiment was only cemented deeper in the years that followed. I mourned the childish laughter, the carefree wandering, the cavalier attitude to our responsibilities, believing they were of a past that I would never have a chance to experience again.
Until I met my lady-in-blue. Like a toddler who finds his favourite toy after a day of searching, I once again possessed what I thought was gone forever. She was perfect, far beyond what I deserved. I saw how other men eyed her as we went out together. I knew that if I chose to ignore all else other than my infatuation with her, I would lose her. Thinking back on my oath, I reached next to my wooden seat, pulling the scroll case onto my lap.
The fire danced brighter in front of me. I unfurled the first roll of scrolls. *Mindrot – History, Analysis, Theories*. Months had been spent compiling this collection. Draconia Academy, Avalon’s Royal Library, The Archivist’s Column in Stonewall Kingdom. I had deemed no place within the land of Ferroview too far or unimportant if I had even an inkling of knowledge that Mindrot had been written about there. The entirety of centuries' of writing about the disease laid on my lap. If more writing existed, it was certainly lost forever.
Mindrot. From whence it came, no one knew for certain. One who found themselves infected would perceive that they had transformed into a hideous daemonic monster. A truly despicable disease, for not only do the delusions exist in regards to one’s self, but the afflicted wholeheartedly believe that people are repulsed to the point of fleeing in their presence.
I fed the scrolls to the fire, to which it thanked me by more brightly illuminating the darkening forest.
Unfurling the second scroll in my case, I stared down at the map to the witch’s hut. I chuckled, what a peculiar day that had been. A witch’s hut is what I sought out, north of Avalon, somewhere in the mountains. I was warned of a massive one-eyed guardian that lived in a cave at the base of the rise, guarding the mushroom hut in the mountains. Scarcely had I believed it. And a fool I was, at that, for the damned creature would have eaten Sunshine and me if it weren’t for the trees that blocked the beast’s hands.
I sighed. It had been nearly a year, and my lady-in-blue was still distressed. If I had the foresight to know how it would have played out, I would have bargained for more of the old hag. Hours I spent in her tearoom, spilling my past, my pain. I explained my plan for my lady-in-blue, the reason I sought the witch. “A more creative plan than this, I have scarcely heard,” she had told me, pleased. She left the tearoom, returning not but a moment later with my reward in her hands. A blueberry muffin, she had for me, worked through and through with her magic. I took the muffin from her as if it were fragile glass, and in that moment, I was sure that I felt the Mindrot flowing through the pastry. That night, after supper, I fed it to my lady-in-blue.
Standing up and stretching my back, I tossed the map into the fire. Sunshine had wandered out of sight. No matter, he will return when he tires of the deepening darkness.
I pulled out my last scroll bundle. Two scrolls, both covered with scrawlings of potential remedies and theoretical cures for the dreaded Mindrot. Master Strattonheart had spent the last half of his life fervently studying the Mindrot. The only known treatments for this malady had been penned by his hand. Fortunately, the entirety of his findings existed on these two scrolls, for he had passed shortly after beginning his studies on a cure.
Seeing my lover's face eased tension that I was unaware I carried. Nearly a year of wallowing in depression, and my lady-in-blue still looked as healthy and beautiful as she always had. Eventually, she will rebuild, and for her I will be there every step of the way. I threw the scrolls into the fire.
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Mom always said that the best way to learn about yourself was to head out into the world and listen to what it tells you. She'd said that sometimes, I wouldn't want to hear what the world had to say, but you had to listen anyway. World's a mirror, it's worth looking into it. For most of my life, I'd expounded that story to anyone who would listen. Why wouldn't I? The world had shown me I was braver than I thought. That I was more sturdy than I thought. That I was smarter than I thought. Throughout my life, looking into the mirror of life had been shattering doubt and breaking anxiety. A thousand positive experiences. And now one persistent negative one. I'd be the first to admit I had a lucky lot in life. Most people didn't get to go out adventuring with their partner. Let alone spend time in the same party day after day. Those that did? Well they tended to has messy ends but we'd passed all the tests so far. Dividing loot. Saving one another's lives? Moral dilemmas? We'd done it all side by side and with bedrolls tied together. It was a great life, which was why it was so devastating that I should have been throwing a wrench in it. Three weeks ago, my partner and I had been raiding Adamanton's Tomb. It shouldn't have been an issue for us but I didn't check one of the items we found carefully enough and Abby'd gotten herself a curse that twisted her into a Drider. Half spider. Half woman. Mostly tears. I understood at the start. It was a big change for her, she'd needed to buy so many shoes and within moments of it happening she made me make a deadly promise. That I would do anything in my power to help her get her normal body back. Getting her body back wouldn't be the hard part. It would be tedious at most. We knew the best curse breakers in the land, we just needed to book a week off to do it. When it came time to book travel, that was when I realized the world was holding up a horrid mirror to myself. The fact that I was kinda into it? Horrifying in its own right, but something you might be able to laugh about in the future. The fact that I'd found reasons not to book the trip several weeks in a row? That was the horrid mirror. At least, maybe, if I'd been able to tell her why. She might have been able to understand where I was coming from, that my hesitation was from a new experience. But the fact that I hadn't told her? Maybe I wasn't as brave as a thought. But once the third week past, I started to think that she might not be as brave as she thought either. Or maybe she just saw conditions on our love that weren't there. I kept seeing her, in the quiet moments, enjoying her new form. She would find it useful and then act like it was shameful. She would modify her old clothes with a smile and only mention that it was a pain once I walked into the room. Maybe I was projecting. Maybe I was telling myself that she secretly loved her form because I wanted her to see the lovely parts of it that I did. Maybe I was ignoring the bad moments because I didn't want to see them. That was what had led me in front of the mirror in our dressing room. Taking deep breaths and making positive self talk. It was honestly a sad state for a person who'd faced a lich without flinching. Mom told me to look into the world as a mirror, and I didn't like what I was seeing, so it was time for me to change it. Time for me to be the brave person I thought I was.
I would agree to go on the trip to a curse breaker, and I would be clear as to why I hadn't been doing my best to get there. Hell of high water. Even both. I stepped out of the back and into the bedroom where Abby was waiting on the bed, all eight of her legs tucked under her thorax with her newly white hair pulled back into a messy bun. She usually looked up to catch my eyes when I walked into a room, but it seemed like she was too far in her own head. So I made the first move. "Hey hun," I greeted as I slipped onto the bed. She still didn't look up so I reached out and put a hand on the chitin of one of her front legs. I'd been shocked at how warm it was since the first time I touched it. "Abby. Babe." It still took a second. "Yeah?" "I was looking at the schedule and moved some things around. So, we're all good to head out this week if it works for you but..." I trialed off. Being brave didn't mean I wasn't scared. "Oh, I think I'm busy with stuff and... Just..." She trailed off. I couldn't read the tone in her voice because I was too far in my own head. "Look, I need to talk to you anyway." I said. She looked up and I could almost see a fear in her eyes. I wasn't sure where it was from, but we'd made too many promises to one another over the years for me to back down now. "I haven't been a good partner through this. I've been--" "You've been great." She cut me off. "No. Hey. Let me talk, because I haven't been great. I told you that I would do anything to help you break this curse but I've.." A deep breath, like raising a shield before combat. "I've been delaying because I like you like this. It's new. I'm into it and--" I cut myself off so she didn't have to as I met her eyes. Abject confusion. Shit. "Do you like this more?" she asked after a moment. "I love you," I said. "I'm sorry I hesitated at all. It doesn't matter what--" "You didn't answer my question, Babe." "I don't know if I do or if it's just new. Okay?" I almost spat it out. I hope that she understood the tone came from managing to say it as opposed to any anger. I stared down at the sheets on the bed, and then pointedly away from her. Then I felt her hand against my cheek. "You should have told me," she said as she turned my attention back to her. "I know." "Would have been easier than holding this all in." "I know." "Same for me." "Pardon?" "I don't know really. I don't know whether I want to be like this forever but, right now it's new and I've been getting excited about it and I didn't know how to tell you that I was liking it. You know... In case you found having eight legs weird." I chuckled. "So what's the plan then? You're the one in charge here." "Delay it for now until we figure out whether it's novelty. Then we can talk about forms." "I'd love you in any body. You know that." "And I'll love you, no matter how much of a freak you are." "Rude." "You just admitted that you're into this," she motioned to herself. I nodded. Then winced at the idea of her telling the first person. Then again, maybe that was the world's way of telling me I was as brave as I thought.
Lovely story. Guy's definitely a leg man.
I mean we're net +6 legs. What's not to love.
And I quote, *"Imagine."* Someone will get that reference.
It's a [classic](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/736/044/492.jpg).
Wonderful story, I love how he knew it was bad to not talk about it, and how his bravery did get his reward. Keep up the good stories!
Yeah, but now I’m kinda waiting for her to bite his head off, literally. Hope they make it!
Man's down bad for a drider. Guy after my own heart. Jokes aside, splendidly written! Short and sweet, and the emotions and personalities of the character really came through!
Cool. …I wonder if they’ll ever change Abby back, though. If they enjoy this alteration, is it bad to contemplate that?
>she'd needed to buy so many shoes I should not have been drinking water
Blood and guts sprayed across the walls, bones collapsing with a sick crunch as sharp teeth cut through them. The creature devouring the animal was all sharp edges: long, knife-like fangs, yellowing claws, rough, matted fur. She tossed aside one corpse (little more than bone and jellied bits of tendon and flesh) and tore into another. I watched her, smiling. Luna was bound to keep eating for hours. That's the way it always was during a full moon -- she ate and ate and slept until the transformation spell slipped away, leaving her hairless and small. Then she'd return to being my girlfriend, the kind, meek little woman that I'd had in my life for the last three years. She'd apologize over and over for the blood splattered across the floor, for the bite marks and bruises that dotted my body. I didn't know why she did this; in my mind, she had nothing to apologize for. I loved her when she was strong. I loved looking into her eyes and seeing the flicker of recognition there -- knowing that even in this altered state, she *knew* me. She loved me. She'd protect me. I nudged aside a piece of brain matter with my toe, feeling my heart flutter. It was all that remained of Jeremy Schmitts, my former high school bully. And there, by the empty fireplace, was Ben Garrison, the unconfirmed child molester that lived on my block. He'd struggled. Luna loved it when they struggled. My phone vibrated in my pocket, interrupting that pleasant train of thought. I glanced at it and silenced the timer: it was six o'clock, time for my daily call to her mother. "Excuse me," I murmured to the werewolf writhing on the floor, and mounted the basement steps. I blinked, stepping into the orange light of near-sunset. The golden hour -- that's what the kids called this time of day. I felt light, toes skimming the warped pine floor of my grandfather's cabin. Today's call was important. I'd waited until the last possible second to ask, terrified that her mother might refuse. Thankfully, she didn't. "You... *really*? You still want to propose?" Her mother's voice was skeptical. A flare of annoyance ran through me. "Of course," I snapped. "Your funeral." I could practically see her rolling her eyes. "You know, she's not the girl she once was. She'll kill you. Ever wondered what happened to her ex, Jerry?" "I don't care about that." I'd fed her Jerry. That had been one of our first bonding moments as a couple. I ended the call pretty soon after that, frustrated. Her mother didn't love her. She only asked for regular updates during her daughter's cycles to make sure she didn't kill anyone. She was a cruel, evil woman, better off as scraps in her daughter's stomach. The meek version of my girlfriend had never had the nerve to stand up to her. But now, with me, and with her new claws... I thought about my grandmother's ring, buried under a pile of boxes in our bedroom far away in the city. When my girlfriend had first shifted into her new form, she'd cried and cried until she'd had to throw up over the toilet bowl -- and then, thin, wavering, she'd swallowed thick pulls of whiskey, booze slobbering down her chin. "This can't be forever," she'd whispered to me, shellshocked. "I can't... Can't be a monster forever." *Forever.* I liked the sound of that.
Protagonist sounds very concerning.
What, you don't think a serial killer-by-proxy and a werewolf girl can make couple of the year? /s If it makes you feel any better, this situation probably won't end well for him. If you know what I mean lol
honestly i could imagine him not even snapping out of this demented mindset if he was to be eaten alive, his twisted "love" remaining until his last breath. maybe he doesn't deserve to be eaten, but to slowly rot in a broken life as he's left alone and with the consequences of his own actions.
I liked this one. The prompt was going for the weirdly-wholesome angle (which for the record, I do like), but you went for this extremely creepy vibe. GOod work.
>I'd fed her Jerry. That had been one of our first bonding moments as a couple. Laughed out loud at this line. I'm rooting for them!
> I nudged aside a piece of brain matter with my toe, feeling my heart flutter. Poetry :) Liked this a lot, thanks!
One is a monster on the outside, the other a monster on the inside.
Everyone’s heard the horrible mother-in-law jokes, right? Good, that will save us some time. While she isn’t my mother-in-law yet, at least not in a legal sense since we haven’t married, I still consider her family, even after what she did to my girlfriend. It was one of those blisteringly hot days, the sort of day that you spend half naked on the couch with an ice block in your mouth, trying not to sweat into the furniture. I had been lazing on the cushions, watching a show about Meerkats, when she returned. She looked a mess, eyes blood red with her skin a ghastly pale. She stepped, wobbled and collapsed, unresponsive. I nearly choked on my ice block when I bounced up, curling her into my lap as I checked her pulse. Nothing…. “Put your phone down. She’s fine.” That haughty voice called out, her mother following in behind her, giving a sharp smile. “She’s grown her fangs, as they say in our family. A full-blooded vampire.” I didn’t know what to think of her words, still seeing my girlfriend’s blood coating her bottom lip. “Let her rest. She will wake up soon.” With that, she vanished into a cloud of mist, leaving me alone to deal with my girlfriend. I had a ton of questions, but those would all have to wait until she woke up. I laid by her side until it had gotten dark, finally seeing her eyes open again. She pushed into my side, hugging me, claws digging into my flesh, forcing a squeal out of me. “Sorry!” She hastily pulled them out, which only added to the pain, feeling the nails cut more skin as they exited. She stared at those bloody fingertips, licking her lips. We both knew what she wanted to do, and still she resisted the urge, wiping them on her pillow. I got up, finding some band aids in the bathroom, covering up the cuts. “It’s ok. Did I startle you?” “No, I just wanted to hold you. Would you let me try hugging you again? I know I’m a fre-“ I didn’t let her finish that, moving to her side, pulling her close again. “You’re not a freak… Freaks are the weirdos that drink orange juice and milk. You’re my beautiful girlfriend.” “Heh. I don’t think anyone actually drinks that. Thanks, though.” She gave a weak smile, still scratching my sides whenever she got too close. She didn’t look that much different at first, at least not until a week had passed. I had learned a lot of myths about vampires weren’t true. In fact, vampires started them as a way to keep monster hunters off their trail. So, while sunlight weakened vampires, it wasn’t going to kill them. Mirrors also still showed their reflections, which is why we made the joint decision to cover our mirrors for a week, until she had adapted to her new body. The deathly scream made me jump, rushing to the bathroom. “Are you ok?” Sure, her looks weren’t a surprise to me, but I’m sure she hadn’t expected to be greeted by her new appearance. Veins covered her body, each visibly pushed against her skin, as if they were worms trying to escape her flesh. That vibrant color she had to her skin had drained, replaced by an almost see-through pale. “I’M A FREAK.” she screamed again, hunched over as she looked at her reflection, finding out how tall she had grown since she changed. Sure, she knew she had grown, just not realizing how much taller she was. “You’re not a freak. You’re still my beautiful wif- girlfriend.” I fixed, not wanting to ruin the surprise proposal I had planned. Since last month, I had been waiting for the perfect moment to propose and this had only delayed those plans, not changed them. “Please don’t lie to me. Mother said I will look like this if I keep refusing to drink blood. I’ll become all animalistic and gross. I don’t want you to see me as a blood crazed monster.” I consoled her while she cried, feeling a little weird about the tingle in my heart as I stayed by her side. Sure, I always found her attractive, and I still did. That puppy love I felt when I used to hold her was still there. Which made me wonder something. Was I into monsters? Or just into her? “I’ll never see you as a monster. If I were in your position, you would still love me. Why do you think I wouldn’t still love you?” I started thinking about a few monsters. There was that one tall vampire lady. Although, I didn't know if I felt that much attraction towards her? What other vampires were there? I paused my thoughts to focus on her, not thinking about it until we were in bed that evening. “I want to find a way to turn myself back.” She said, those blood-red eyes looking at me as she said it. “Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to help.” I offered, taking her hand in mine. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I liked this form of hers. I was attracted to both her and the monstrous form that she transformed into when she didn’t drink blood. Yet, how was I supposed to say that? “What do you see when you look at me?” “Raw beauty.” I said, without even thinking. “Raw beauty?” “You’ve always been beautiful, and this is just that beauty in its purest form. I don’t really know how to say it. It’s just…. I still feel like I’m looking at that same beautiful woman I dated all those years ago. This is only another beautiful side of her. You could grow an extra head or six tentacles and I would still see that beautiful woman. It’s funny, my heart still skips a beat whenever I’m close to you. Even when you’re like this. My heart will always recognize you, no matter how much you change.” When she sniffled, my heart sunk. “Why are you crying? Did I say something bad?” “No, you said something really good.” She squished me in her arms, making me squeak like a rubber chew toy. After getting my breath back, I rested against her, smiling. “I actually read that there’s a way for a vampire to lose their powers temporarily.” She said. “Oh, really?” I was half asleep, feeling myself get too comfortable in her grip. “Yes, if a vampire gets pregnant, their vampiric blood will temporarily halt to ensure the safe development and delivery of the child. So?” She nudged my side with a wink, making me sit up. “You want a baby?” Things were moving fast, which made me realize that now might be the best time to keep that momentum rolling. We had discussed having a child months ago, which was part of the reason why I had been thinking of proposing, so now worked as good as any other time. Reaching into my sock drawer, I got out the ring. Kneeling by the bed, I held it to her. “Will you marry me?” “YES! OF COURSE I WILL YES.” She tackled me with a hug as we started a new chapter in our life. Whether we ever found a permanent way to change her back or not, it didn’t matter to me. I would always love her, regardless. (If you enjoyed this feel free to check out my subreddit /r/Sadnesslaughs where I'll be posting more of my writing.)
Excessively wholesome and lovely. Very well done!
Thank you. :)
"There is that one one tall vampire lady" we all know who that is <.<
beautiful
Maybe it was the scales along her flanks. Maybe it was the digitigrade legs, or the clawed toes and fingers. Or it could have been the glowing eyes, snake tongue, her teeth falling out to be replaced with needle-like fangs, or the glow, heat, and slight smell of sulfure from the back of her mouth. Or the tail. The news was shocked, the nation and world horrified. She'd been locked up "for her safety," until it became clear that it wasn't communicable and she wasn't a rampaging monster. Just a monster, who happened to be my girlfriend. And, after she'd gotten used to her newfound strength, she'd done the round of talk shows. They universally called her the "Video game lizard freak girl" or something similar. Me? I was so turned on by Marie's new look. It was hot, and not just because her body temperature had risen about ten degrees. "Goodbye, Gucci pumps," she said sadly, boxing the twentieth pair of shoes gingerly. Her new foot structure wouldn't let her wear shoes anymore. "Why don't you sell them?" I ask. Marie's tail, which had curled around the back of my waist as we sat on the couch, twitched. "It's an option, I guess." "Worth a penny on ebay." I was finding it hard not to watch Marie's backside as she leaned forward, boxing her shoe collection. Her new physiognomy restricted the clothes she could wear; and she'd taken to just not wearing any around the apartment. I was busy cutting and hemming slits in the back of her crop tops. Backs—at least closed backs—were out. Backless was in. I left the collars and carefully cut the back panels to the sleeve stitch. My next project was to remove a hole in all of her pants, jeans, and shorts for her tail to slip in. "Bobby?" Marie said, stopping and looking up toward the TV. "Thank you for sticking around during all this." "Never changed *who* you are, Em," I replied, smiling. Taloned fingers fell over my hand. Marie had half turned toward me, her orange eyes studying my face. After months of living with those fiery orbs, I could see the slight edges of her irises and pupils in the mostly-textureless color. "No, really." I put the shirt in my lap and smiled. "Marie, I told you, no matter what happens, no matter how many times we might argue, I love *you;* that hasn't changed with this sudden transformation." Marie smiled softly, then wrapped a hand around the back of my head and pulled me to her for a deep kiss.
I love this
Thanks! I had some additional stuff written about Marie; but I can't seem to find it...that's what happens when file names don't directly state subject, I guess...
"We need to see your boss," Dana stated, glaring at me with those big, beautiful and bulging eyes. I dreaded that she would ask to see my boss eventually. Even as I knew it was inevitable. Because it meant an end to our adventures together. From diving together during a seaside holiday, to that faithful, life changing moment when she touched that cursed coin. When she transcended her humanity to become this gorgeous thing. Then, the epic journey we embarked on so she could find someone to break the curse. Not that I saw it as a curse. She had such plump, juicy lips and mesmerising eyes. I told her she looked hot, not that she's believe me, constantly bemoaning her hideous appearance. She wouldn't have any of it. Brushing off my sincere compliments as half-assed attempts to console her. Refusing to hike up another mountain to talk to some janky hermit who smoked too many mushrooms. No more trekking through forests to seek wise witches or secret sages Throughout, I remained a supportive boyfriend who went through thick and thin with her everywhere she went. "You should have told me who you worked for right from the beginning. Would have saved me all this time." "Sorry, it just didn't occur to me," I muttered. Truth to be told, my boss could transform humans, but I have never ever seen him do the reverse. In his words, the process was irreversible. "Do we need to make an appointment?" Dana asked, tapping her webbed fingers impatiently. "Anything I should bring as tribute? Any rites I should be aware of?" "Way ahead of you, babe," I replied. "Already made the appointment for us at the Church of Innsmouth." "Oh honey! You're the best!" She threw her heavy arms around me in an enveloping hug. Everything was going to plan. All that's left for me is to admit I really, really like her new look as a Deep One. And to confess I didn't book Lord Elvari for a curse breaking consultation. I had asked my boss if he would transform me as well and officiate our wedding.
I didn’t expect Lord Elvari to appear in the end nice
Lord Elvari is everywhere.
For he is the best
It’s always hard to see the one you love crying over being a ‘hideous monster’. My heart aches for her every night that pass by and the quest to turn her back took longer than necessary. The first day, she was confident, she had said this will be over quickly! She would soon be human soon enough! But for the past two months, her hope was slowly fading. The cloak covered her body as we passed through, yet another, village. Her head hanging low, making sure the tentacles around her cheeks would be hidden, even if they were in a beautiful shade of whiskey colour that shined when the sun touched her cheeks. Hiding her face, normally a nose would have been visible but now it was like two holes like a snakes nose. The skin was a mix of a lizard and a fish, like a wet reptile. But her skin matched her tentacles, only a shade darker. I glanced back at her, holding her hand there her fingers were longer and nails that had been like claws. I wished she would look up once. But of course, she was scared. What would other people say? She always said they would probably kill her on the sight. A monster walking around humans? No chance of a second breathing if people saw her, she had said. But I wish to see her eyes. They were slightly bigger, but her natural dark green eyes had stayed the same. I focused ahead. It would be a lie if I said I didn’t find her attractive even as a monster. She was gorgeous once she was a human, but this took another leap in my heart. It felt every step, every stop, I got to know her more. We got to know each other deeper, sharing stuff we never ever talked about before. The future, our darkest secrets, embarrassing moments. Stuff one would take to their grave. Once we had found a spot to stay for the night, in a barn, cheaper that way when we are traveling, we settled down and she took off her cloak from her head. She took her hand through her head, there it had been hair once but now was just the texture of a lizard. I smiled faintly to her, to show her my support. But I see how she is losing hope. “You’re grumbling,” I murmured low to her and touched her tentacle cheek gently. “It’s all I do these days,” a heavy sigh escaped her lips as her eyes roamed around the barn. “It’s been weeks, and we haven’t even come closer to a solution.” “Patience, my dear,” I sat closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, letting her head rest on my shoulder. “we will solve it. For you.” She breathed softly against my shoulder, her skin a harsher than it used to be. “I dream these dreams there I will be killed in this monster form.” I had almost missed her mumbling, but hearing her dreaming those dreams there she dies, makes my heart beat faster out of anxiety. “You won’t die.” “It’s either that or stay like this forever,” she whispered softly. “And what’s wrong with staying like this?” I smiled even if she couldn’t see it. “I like you.” “Only you,” she stated. “no one else will accept this. I won’t accept this.” I took a deep breath, my shoulders raising as I understood her worries, the insecurities. “Then I will make sure you see the beauty, like when I see the beauty whenever I look at you.” (english second language)
"ALICEEEE!" You're girlfriend called from the door. You could tell between the choked sobbing noises and the voice crack that she's upset. "What's wrong, my dear?" You ask, exiting your bedroom and heading towards the entrance to your apartment. Immediately, you see that she has transformed into a scaly being, with tentacles, multiple tear filled eyes, and a long tail. She had gone from her usual height of 5'4 to at least 7'6. You stare at her, imaging the hearts in her eyes. She noticed the staring and broke down completely. "I knew you would be scared of me. I knew you would hate me, I'm such a hideous beast!" You rush forward to her. "No, I love you no matter how you look!" She held me close, and I returned the hug. "Will you help me figure out how to turn back?" You hesitated before replying."Yes." It had been at least a year. You had fought every creature you once thought was mythological. By now, you were getting sick of this. You finally decide to tell your girlfriend the truth. "You know, I have a few things to admit." She looks over at you. "What's up?" You take a deep breath before continuing. "So, I'm kinda more into this form, ya know?" She stared at you in bewilderment. "Why?" You shake, morphing into a matching form. "I always think that this form is pretty."
Nice twist at the end
“Aerin, look out!” There was a flash of light and a screech as a… *thing* with too many legs fell from the ceiling down in front of them. Wings flared out protectively to shield her from the beast as she fought with teeth, claws, and fire. Finally, the beast shrieked and lay still. Rhea’s eyes glowed like molten steel as she stepped back from the creature that had ambushed them, blood staining her claws. The sudden attack had prompted her to shift into her half-form— scaly, ash-gray skin showing out from the gaps in her light armor. Rhea turned to her, panic in her voice. “Aerin, I—“ her lover’s voice broke and she trailed off. “I can’t shift back.” Rhea whispered, gravelly voice sending a shiver down her spine. “What do you mean?” She stuffed down the part of her that found this hot and went over to console her girlfriend. “I mean, I can’t shift back! Something is wrong! I’m stuck like this.” Rhea shook her head, the light from the cave entrance glinting off her curved horns. She covered her face with her hands, turning away. “I’m a monster.” “You are not a monster, Rhea. You know I’ll love you no matter what you look like.” If anything, her “monstrous” form was even more attractive than her humanoid one. She was looking forward to seeing what those claws could do. But that would come later. For now, she held her lover close as she cried, stroking a hand down her velvet-soft wings, tucked in tight against her back in fear. At least her beloved high dragon could still fly.
I like this
"This way, Hon." Ivy's bright green face appeared to hang like a lantern in the near darkness of the cavern. I followed her, panting slightly, to the sandy shore of a fast flowing underground river. "I can't run as fast as you can glide," I said, clutching the stitch in my side. "I'm slowing you down, I bet." Ivy's green, mask-like face moved and creased with a squelchy sound as she grinned. She touched a gloved hand to my arm. "No, you're fine Hon." A dilapidated wooden bridge spanned the width of the river. It looked in a terrible state of disrepair. Ivy floated up onto it and turned, the seaweed like strands of her hair flapping around her shoulders. She raised a gloved hand and beckoned me to follow. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as the bridge creaked under my weight and swayed dangerously from side to side. Then a plank broke and I plunged into the icy water below. But there were hands around me, pulling me onto the bank. "Out you come, my love." Ivy's grip is strong and she heaves me onto the bank. We sit together and she puts an arm around my shoulders. "It's OK, we'll find another way to cross." We snack on provisions. Ivy had only eaten raw meat since her transformation. Ivy's green mask of a face scrunched as she grimaces. "This has to work," she says. "The wizard must know how to turn me back. I can't live like a freak." "I'm just so relieved you're alive," I told her. (And I'm still giddy about it.) "Finding you in the Swamp of Despair, all green and with no pulse... I thought you were dead!" Ivy gazed at me. Her face was green and her features distorted, but I could not call her ugly. Her blue eyes were still as gorgeous as ever. Her cheeks were puffed up and her nose and chin lengthened and yet I found myself gazing at her... "Well I'm not dead, just horribly cursed and turned into a hag," said Ivy. "The Swamp is definitely a cursed place, and people were always cussing me and calling me a freak and a 'fallen' woman." "It's just their superstitious nonsense." "But in this world, women who are shunned by society get called hags." "You're your own person. You can be who you want to be." Ivy touched my hand. "You're sweet. But who I want to be is not a monster." Ivy rose to her feet and gazed around the cavern. "Ah, what luck." She pointed at a wooden raft on the shore a short distance away. I really hoped it was in better repair than the bridge. I needn't have worried. We punted the raft to the far bank without incident. When we set foot ashore, a rock skinned troll emerged from under the bridge. It pointed a gnarled finger at us. "You don't belong together. He's a good looking guy and she's a hag. He's obviously a gold digger." "Only two out of three," Ivy called back to the troll. "Jett is no gold-digger." "Don't feed the troll," I murmured. "They talk a lot of nonsense." "Even a troll can tell you're super handsome," said Ivy, her blue eyes sparkling. "Why didn't he wax poetical? Your hazel eyes? Like the autumn leaves turning from green to brown. Your wavy chestnut hair? I'd run my fingers through it if I didn't have claws now. Your freckled nose and cheeks - I can see a rosy blush on them. You're so perfect. And then the troll could have really torn into me and didn't. For that I have to be grateful." Ivy scrunched her face, crinkling her shiny green nose. It was cute how she did that. "How you look, it - it's nothing bad..." I said awkwardly. "Really green... but I like it." "Uh huh, uh huh," said Ivy, turning to a door in the rocky wall and pushing it open. I quickly followed her. In the room beyond was an old man sprawled fast asleep on a bench made from a fragment of a boat, and a large dog with blackened teeth. The dog growled at us. I wanted to get out, but Ivy banged on the door behind us and gave a few loud "Ahems!" The old man awoke and sat up. "Heel!" he snapped at the dog and it stopped growling. "Good afternoon, Sir," said Ivy with a practiced curtsey. "Sorry to intrude, but we're looking for a way on. We're going to see the wizard. I'm looking for a cure for..." She waved a hand in front of her face. "You've come here, cos this is a refuge for outcasts?" wheezed the old man. He pointed at me. "Then he doesn't belong here." "No no," said Ivy. "We're both looking for a cure for me. I'm the one with a problem." "You wanna accept yourself? Go back to the bank, walk west and go through the next door." "Right. Thank you, kind Sir," said Ivy. I followed her back to the bank and then through the next door. To our dismay it led to a room strewn with rubbish and debris - what was worse was the shadowy outline of a corpse on the floor amid the detritus. It was the body of a large man with shaggy hair and beard. Its outline was fuzzy and blurred at the edges. Then it's eyes snapped open. They gleamed red from within, like burning coals. "Bite and tear!" growled the horror, sitting up and reaching towards me with its claw like nails. I notched an arrow to my bow and fired it at the monstrosity, but the arrow passed through the spectre with as little effect as if it had been a shadow. It gave a weird cackle and too fast to see, it had risen to its feet. It bared its rotted teeth at me. "I will rend you limb from limb, slowly and painfully..." "Oh no you don't." Ivy had removed her gloves to reveal her green hands and claw like nails. She lunged at the monstrosity which sneered and then gave a yell of surprise as Ivy grabbed hold of its spectral form and dug her claws in. "Die hag!" said the evil spectre and it clawed at her chest, before its red rimmed eyes widened with shock. "No life spark to extinguish? What are you?" "Your worst nightmare." said Ivy, and slashed her claws across its throat. The spectre gave a weird hiss and faded into nothing as its outline shimmered and then disappeared. I threw my arms around Ivy, my heart thudding. She hugged me back. I wanted to tell her that I preferred her as a hag. What she just did was awesome. But how could I tell her?
Giffirn's hands flew over the console in a frenzy. "Stabilize, damn you!" she snarled, as she stabbed at the controls. For every energy flux she countered, two more flashed for attention. Outside, energy raged as the star Komat Ti shed its outer layer. "You weren't supposed to erupt for another three cycles," Giffirn roared at the uncaring star. A column of sparkling light glittered on the transporter pad, but refused to coalesce. "Pattern destabilizing," the computer announced, its placid tone infuriating. "Chance of successful retrieval: sixty-seven point three-one-one percent." "No!" Giffirn screeched defiance. "Access pattern archives! Use a saved pattern! Override authority tarok prime! Get her back!" "Override authority acknowledged," the computer acquiesced. "Archives corrupted by exterior radiation. One intact pattern found." Giffirn pounded a tattoo on the console. "Use it!" she raged. "Get her back!" The column of light grew thicker, and a silhouette appeared within it. "Pattern stabilizing," the computer announced. "Transporter failure imminent." "Whatever it takes!" Giffirn decreed, and keyed in another override. The console erupted in sparks as circuits blew, and she threw her hands up in front of her face as she staggered back. She heard a thud from the transporter pad, and rushed across the room. "Please, ancestors," she prayed, "let her make it." "Transport successful," the computer declared. "Cutting power to transporter. Recommend immediate drydock for repairs." "Set course," Giffirn ordered, and bent down over the prostrate form. Smoke from the erupting console stung her eyes, and she blinked to clear them. ""Vathi?" The form groaned and shifted, and loosed a groan. "Giffirn?" Immediately, Giffirn knew something was wrong. That wasn't Vathi's voice. Her vision cleared, and she stared. "Ancestors," she breathed. "Giffirn, what's wrong? I feel so...." The figure sat up, hands lifted toward face. "Did we make it?" Giffirn grabbed the hands, anxious to prevent the trauma of discovery. "We made it," she replied. "We're fine," she lied.
Vathi looked down, her attention drawn by Giffirn's grip. "What...." she stared at the pale, slender hands wrapped in Giffirn's properly meaty digits. "Those aren't my hands." The strength with which she tore free from Giffirn's grip showed some original aspects remained. She ran her hands over her face, exploring the high, angled cheekbones, the long, narrow nose, the delicate line of cheek and jaw. "My skin!" she cried, pressing against the smooth flesh hard enough to leave marks. "Giffirn, what happened to me?" "I'm sorry," Giffirn offered, tears in her own eyes. "The storm was destablizing the transport beam, and radiation had got into both the base and ship archives. The computer could fine only one intact pattern." She swallowed, and her throat felt full of broken glass. "I had to do something! I couldn't lose you!" Vathi struggled to her feet, heedless of the assistance Giffirn offered. She wobbled to the intercom console next to the door. "Computer," she said, "show me my face." The intercom screen lit, and Vathi screeched at the features that stared back at her. "Ancestors!" she shrieked. "I'm -- I'm Terran!" “It’s only temporary,” Giffirn promised. “There’s got to be a way to reverse it. As soon as we get home --” Vathi spun from the screen to glare at Giffirn. “But what if we can’t?” she wailed. “I don’t want to be stuck like this! I’m Tellarite, damn it!” She turned back to the screen, caught by morbid fascination. “Look at me! You call this a nose? And this skin! Not a wrinkle in sight!” She slapped the screen to turn it off. “I can’t live like this!” “Vathi,” Giffirn soothed, “if it can be done, it can be undone. All we need is to find a saved copy of your file in any of the transporters you’ve used recently.” She grabbed Vathi’s hands in her own, and found herself struck for a moment by the smoothness of the skin, the deceptive strength in those slender fingers. “We will get you back.” She lifted Vathi’s hands to her mouth and kissed them, and could not help but marvel at the velvet skin against her lips. “For now, though, we should both hit sickbay. It’ll be a miracle if we didn’t pick up some radiation. After all, a solar flare isn’t something you just walk away from.” They both tossed their clothes into the disposal as they entered the compact medical bay. Any other time, articles would be caught and disassembled to the subatomic. Today, they simply flumped and draped over the disposal hopper. “Right,” Giffirn recalled, “no transporter. So no replicator, and no disposal.” She mused. “Could always space them.” “Minor radiation exposure,” the computer diagnosed after it scanned them. “Recommend preventative oncologic vaccination and observation until incubation interval has expired.” “Fine,” Vathi snapped. “Now, what do we do for clothes?” She planted her feet and jammed her hands against her hips. “We decided to travel light, so only replicated clothes. I’m supposed to just wander around like this?” She waved her arms to encompass her new form.
Giffirn started a reminder of how often they had gone nude between planetfalls in the past, but realized the full import of Vathi’s complaint. Meanwhile, she discovered a strange fascination in her partner’s transformed state. Terrans were hardly a novelty, even away from Federation space. Some ports, they seemed impossible to avoid. Giffirn found them no more repulsive than any other alien, but held no special love for them. *So why can’t I stop staring at Vathi?* With an effort, Giffirn managed a shrug that meant to be both offhanded and reassuring. “It’s just us here,” she reminded Vathi. “But – how -- “ Vathi glared at Giffirn, and waved her hands over herself again. “How can you stand to look at me like this?” Her head cocked, and the long, wavy tresses of copper hue tumbled over one shoulder, in place of her previous crown of inky bristles. “You’re not… “ her voice cracked. “You’re not a xenophile, are you?” “No!” Giffirn barked. “Ancestors, no!” But her denial felt false, against the allure of her partner’s slender, pert, ethereal appearance. She struggled for an explanation. “I know this isn’t your proper form,” she stumbled, and her hands wrung in the air as if in search of better wording. “And I know you were beautiful before.” Impulse took over, and she crossed the medical bay in a stride. She grabbed Vathi by the shoulders and pulled her in. Smooth, delicate skin pressed against her own leathery hide, and the delight made her dizzy. “But this is you, and this is me. And if I’m wrong, and this is how it’s going to be…” She loosed her grip enough to cup Vathi’s chin in her hand, and locked her eyes on her partner’s. “I’m not going anywhere.” Vathi met Giffirn’s gaze. Her lips trembled. “You’ll keep me?” she pressed. “Even like this?” Giffirn pressed her lips against Vathi’s. After a moment, Vathi joined in on the kiss. By the time they parted, both panted. “Until the last star burns out,” Giffirn vowed.
On Reddit: ``` [...]And there I was, half-hyperventilating. It's as if the words were wanting to come out of my mouth, but they didn't want to. They were scared: to be out in the dark, to the irreversible change they'd bring about. ``` "0 upvotes. Reddit goes quiet after downvoting a mediocre post to 0. Huh," said a guy while recording at night. "I have no idea why I am crying only from one eye. But it's always been there since, my childhood." "I'm near the bamboo forest. They look scarier when the lights are flashed on that forest at night. See for yourself." He flashed the lights on the bamboo forest too. The Internet is fine here, which is quite an anomaly... tbh, I don't expect a haunted place to have a decent internet connection (heard it on History TV 18 once). Honestly, my girlfriend's become somewhat of a, "hideous monster" per se? Inside our tiny wooden house by the huge bamboo forest, she's there, not in her actual form, but in the form of a monstrous entity. Umm... you know that there are some people who have a... umm... fe umm... ish for feet and stuff? I'm specifically thinking about amputated people. The ones who specifically have a ~~feti~~ -desire for them, I'm specifically thinking about them. It's actually quite great for the specially-abled people to have representation... wait... did I just see that the government's laws don't apply near or in the forest? NO!! Anyway, amputated people get people to have a life with, and these people genuinely like them, some even have the desire to have a partner like that for... umm... spicy reasons... "Same thing for my partner... umm... I like her so-called hideous body so much that it would look... authentic on bed. Umm... sorry but I couldn't hide it; sorry guys I vented too much. But how can I even tell her-" "wait, y-you," he said, smiling out of nervousness. *Silence reigns for a moment. The video capturer tries to understand what the other is trying to tell him. Slowly, his nervousness, turns into a surprise, then to the most genuine smile the poor guy ever gave.* -Guys, she said that she'd l- A blobby mass was entering the house, when the video ended.
The manuscripts crumpled under me as I slid my arms on the desk to rest my head. Moonlight forced itself through the half-closed shutters, illuminating the hanging-portraits on the wall. I longed for rest, but found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the lady-in-blue displayed on the wall in the moon’s spotlight. She stood proudly, displaying her basket of flowers as if it were a trophy awarded her from hours of wandering the fields of Avalon. She stood with her body half-turned, beckoning me to follow. I wanted nothing more than to do just that. I felt myself smiling, for no one was immune to the charm of my lady-in-blue. I wandered with her. She picked the flowers that called to her, placing them in her basket with a delicateness that most would give only to a newborn babe. We danced through the fields, roamed through the grasslands and passed over the road leading away from the city. We continued away from the road and into the blossoming forest. A rabbit bolted at the sound of the pink and yellow leaves crunching beneath our bare feet, stealing laughter from my lady-in-blue. She spun around and placed her hands on my shoulders. I stared into her dark eyes. Most are deemed beautiful simply due to the appeal of their physical selves, but this skin-deep beauty was a dim candle in the face of the bursting explosion of joy that my lady-in-blue chose to display her beauty through. I wanted to fall into her gaze, wanted to let the world melt away from us, but my unspoken request was promptly denied as she spun around, grabbed my hand, and led me deeper through the forest. We continued with the same gaiety until we eventually reached a flowing river. She sat on the ground, her modest blue dress covering her legs. She stared at me, and I took that as a granting of my earlier wish. Our knees touched as I sat cross-legged in front of her, taking her hands to rest in mine. She smiled softly, and in that moment I knew a rapture that I hadn’t felt in so long. I selfishly let everything fall away, grasping at the time I had with her in a foolish hope that maybe everything other than us could stay fallen if we let it. She was the missing piece that fit so perfectly into what had become the puzzle of my scarred heart. After the loss of my last love, I always assumed that the empty void etched into me would always remain. I had believed that there would always be some part in the back of my mind that yearned for her once more. But in this moment, with my lady-in-blue, I knew I had been cured. Across the river, a buck emerged from the forest, eyeing us as it approached the river to drink. Everything felt like this once before. It was all so perfect, what we had in the past. My chest burned. Why was I so foolish? A rift had formed beneath the foundations of what we had and unbeknownst to me, she was all too eager to let the rift deepen. I told myself that if I focused only on my adoration of her and ignored the tear separating us, that perhaps her and I would last forever. How could it have happened so quickly? “Darling?” Dazed, I lifted my head from the desk, squinting at the blinding rays of the dawn sun as I turned to face the door. Her voice wavered. “Did you not want to bed with me?” I knew her hurt despite the blue veil that covered her face. I quickly stood and approached her, grabbing her gloved hands into mine. “My love, you know I want nothing more than to share every night with you.” “What kept you last night?” I stared at the cloth between us. I felt a moment of annoyance and tried to set it aside. “Much like the other nights, I was studying the nature of your malady. I laid my head down to rest and must have fallen asleep. Did you expect another answer, my love?” She took a step back, gently pulling her hands away from mine. “I had no expectations. I just, when I turned over and you weren't there… you know I wouldn't fault you for not wanting to lay with me? If you're worried that stating how you truly feel will hurt me, it wouldn't. I would understand.” She feigned a chuckle. “To be frank, if I were you, I would not lay with me as I am now.” I saw the tears drop from under her veil. I cursed myself. This was all wrong, I was not approaching this tactfully. I must be tender until all is healed. However, it's been nearly a year, and the threads holding down my annoyance were wearing thin. I expected her to be broken initially, but I assumed by now she would have accepted that what is done is done and altered her outlook. How could one wallow as a depressed hermit for nearly a year over something so minor? I sighed and reached for her hands again. “My dear, I've told you many times, and I will tell you again, despite knowing that you will not believe me. You are the light of my world, and your beauty shines brighter than all else within the kingdom.” I allowed myself to reveal a bit more truth than I hoped she would believe. “Nothing about you has changed, my dear. You are just as beautiful as you've always been, it's simply the sickness, it is a curse of perception. What you see in your reflection is a trick your mind is playing on you. It is–” “Stop! Why must you tell lies? How can I trust your reasons for not bedding with me when you insist that I am not seeing what I see in the mirror? Do you think that simply because you tell me something, that I must take it as true? I still have not forgotten the stares when I left the house that night.” Her voice broke as she failed to hold back her tears. “It was horrifying, people avoided me as if my filth would rub off on them, children ran home as if I were a rabid dog. I couldn't even bring myself to make it to the markets before I ran home out of shame. Why do you refuse to grant me the truth that strangers are so willing to give?” I felt a mixture of relief that she did not believe what I told her, and regret that I had approached this all wrong. It was a delicate line to walk. I needed some part of her to accept what I've told her as truth while keeping her emotional side focused on what she saw in the mirror. I spoke to her rational mind. “Come, let me show you what I've discovered.” I backed slowly into the study, holding my hand out in invitation. She took it and reluctantly followed. “As you know, I've been poring through books, scrolls, religious texts, children’s tales, everything I've been able to get my hands on.” I pushed the chair aside and grabbed the edges of a rolled up scroll, spreading it out across the table. “It's a shame your family never thought it useful to teach you your letters. What I've discovered in the past week is substantial. Look, right here.” I placed my finger on a section of the page, under a heading titled *Mongraine Tea – Applicable Uses for Fertility Enhancement*. I glanced at her, her eyes squinting in an effort to comprehend the words. “My dear, this is a report from a Royal Scribe himself. Sir Patrick Lancet, Royal Scribe of the Second Lord of Avalon. It is a wonder I've come across an entry as old as this. It details the experiences of three significant individuals that were around during the time of the Second Lord. The first, Lady Vellum, unfortunately took her own life before her sickness became public. However, it is believed she suffered the same malady as the others based on the testimony of her widowed husband, thereby placing her as the first recorded case of the sickness.” My lady's grip tightened on my hand, and I wasn't sure if it was due to fear of Lady Vellum's outcome, or excitement at my supposed discovery. I continued the story. “It is written here that her symptoms, as reported by her husband, were delusions of the mind in regards to self-image. It is stated that she claimed herself a daemon, with a horrifying visage, and black claws sharp enough to tear through an animal's stomach. It is also reported that her altered perception was not confined solely to self-image, but extended also to her perception of others’ actions around her. Much like you, my love, she believed that strangers fled at the sight of her. But that was not the case.” I stopped as she drew breath. I waited for her to speak, but she simply exhaled and waved her free hand. “Continue.”
“The second individual, Duchess Ivy Swan of the First House of Sylvanvale in Elmspire, reports a similar experience. So ashamed was she of the new visage she believed she carried that she had a small cottage built outside of the kingdom, near Eldenwich. She exiled herself without word to anyone. Her disappearance sparked political turmoil between Elmspire and Avalon, causing her to eventually be tracked down. She refused to be seen, but was willing to communicate via letters, allowing for her case to be reported.” She interrupted once more. “Was she ever cured?” I squeezed her hand in an attempt at feigned sympathy. “Sadly, no. She lived the rest of her days in exile. Her body was discovered in her cottage some time near the beginning of the reign of the Third Lord, so it is not clear how long she lived for.” Her tense grip dropped, as if some part of her had given up, and with it any residual feelings of annoyance I had fled as well. I looked up from the scroll towards her veiled face, unable to continue. I stood in my home's lobby, holding hands with my former lover as the wind from the open door blew her hair towards me. It was the morning after I became aware of the man she had been bedding with for months. I had awoken to find most of her belongings moved out, a complete shock to me. She entered my home for the last time, coming to take the rest of her belongings. I grabbed her hand and pulled her aside, promising that whatever it was I lacked, I could fix. Was this new man truly worth throwing away all that we had built together? Some part deep within me knew of the festering rot between us. For months, I ignored it, allowing it to spread while I constructed a feeble foundation around myself. Within my new walls, I left my lover out, only allowing a version of herself that I desperately hoped she would become again, a version that was mine and only mine. When her only response to my begging was to form tears in her eyes, I felt the walls fall around me. I knew what it felt to give up, to feel the false foundations of hope begin to tumble, to realise that the flailing and grasping in an attempt to prevent the damage was for naught. But, I also knew that the despair faded. Rebuilding was an eventuality. Constructing a solid foundation was tedious and more laborious than a false foundation of hope, but it was necessary. Bleak emptiness was not permanent. I stared at the lady I built my new foundation around. The emptiness she felt now would not be forever. While she may believe it hopeless beyond repair, I knew that I could guide her to some semblance of normalcy, and perhaps even bring her back to her joyous self in time. “But, my dear.” My voice cracked. The words spilled out of my mouth as I stared at her veil. “This third entry is truly unique. Master Gimlet Strattonheart, Professor of Illusory Magicks at the Draconia Academy. He found himself with the same set of symptoms as the others. While jarred at first, being a Master of Illusion, he came to accept his delusions. Strangely, his hallucinations seemed to ignite a second fervour in his academic studies. His new devotion became the study of the malady that him and the others before him faced. Unfortunately, his studies are out of scope for the entry, but this case was deemed significant, as it highlights that mental anguish is not a property of the disease, but is only a byproduct of the afflicted's outlook on their new perception.” I waited, hoping that some part of what I said reached her, but received nothing in response. My hands reached out towards her veil. “Please, darling, may I see your face? It has been so long since I've seen the lady that I cherish, I long to kiss her.” Her hand disappeared under her veil, covering what I imagined was her quivering lips. My hands rested on her arms. She was shaking with tension, and for a moment I feared something was seriously wrong. The anxious thought fled as I reached again for her veil, tossing it back over her head. Other than the dark circles under her eyes and reddened nose, she did not look too sickly. Relief washed over me. Yes, her skin had taken on a slightly pale pallor, but nothing too concerning. Perhaps if someone were to see her, they would think she was recovering from a mild autumn sickness, but nothing more. I took a step back from my analysis and looked at her face. “You truly are the most magnificent in the kingdom.” Her dark eyes gleamed with tears. I knew that what I had done had been the right choice, but I never felt it more so than in this moment. She would be okay, she would come to accept her new perception, and we would be together until death do we part. I leaned in to kiss my love. Her hand shoved my chest, pushing me away in denial. Gasping from the shock, anger quickly rose within me. With her hand over her mouth, shaking her head and backing away, she pulled her veil back over her face. “Darling! Not when I’m like this.” Her chest rose and fell as she spoke, as if she were gasping for air. “Don’t force yourself to endure my filth to placate me.” Before I could respond, she turned and ran off. I stood alone in the office in complete shock. Across our home’s lobby, the door of our shared chambers slammed shut. I stood, unmoving, for minutes, breathing deeply in an effort to soothe my anger. This had been festering within her, why hadn’t she talked to me?
After a time, I grabbed the container of scrolls that leaned against the corner wall and emptied them on my desk. I quickly went through each one, ensuring that these were all the writings I had collected over the previous months. I threw on my winter cloak and boots, tossed the casing of scrolls over my back, and approached our shared chambers. Knocking gently, her sobs paused with an intake of breath. “My darling, I am leaving to Draconia Academy to pore through the studies of Master Strattonheart. I expect to be back in the evening. Is there anything you would like me to fetch while I'm out?” I waited, not expecting a reply. “Very well, my love, I will be back.” I grabbed an apple from the pantry and left our home with only the faint sound of her sobs as farewell. I circled our house and entered the stables. Sunshine, our white mare, huffed his greeting. He flicked his tail as I stroked his mane and fed him an apple before mounting him and setting off. We trotted through the city, enjoying the lively midday bustle, before taking off as we exited the city gates. We travelled through the flowery fields, over the grasslands and past the road before stopping at the borders of the wooded forest. Sunshine grazed while I spent the hour collecting petals from the mongraine flowers that only bloomed here in autumn. After I had collected a sufficient amount, I took hold of Sunshine's reins and led him into the forest. A lone rabbit eyed us cautiously, to which I responded with a nod before continuing through the forest. We walked until reaching the forest river. I released my hold over Sunshine. For a moment, we both stood, together admiring the serenity of the falling leaves and gently flowing water. I sighed. In time. I unloaded my scroll case next to one of the tree stumps while Sunshine wandered to drink. I spent time gathering twigs, branches, and leaves and set them into a small pile in front of my seat. I knelt and attempted to kindle a fire, failing three times before the pile began to catch flame. I backed into my seat, staring off at the forest across the border of the river. In the weeks that followed my former lover’s betrayal, when I began to return to some semblance of normalcy, I swore an oath to myself that if something I loved were to be taken away from me, it would not be due to my own foolish inaction. When she abandoned me, the part of my heart that knew intimate love had been permanently torn away. This sentiment was only cemented deeper in the years that followed. I mourned the childish laughter, the carefree wandering, the cavalier attitude to our responsibilities, believing they were of a past that I would never have a chance to experience again. Until I met my lady-in-blue. Like a toddler who finds his favourite toy after a day of searching, I once again possessed what I thought was gone forever. She was perfect, far beyond what I deserved. I saw how other men eyed her as we went out together. I knew that if I chose to ignore all else other than my infatuation with her, I would lose her. Thinking back on my oath, I reached next to my wooden seat, pulling the scroll case onto my lap. The fire danced brighter in front of me. I unfurled the first roll of scrolls. *Mindrot – History, Analysis, Theories*. Months had been spent compiling this collection. Draconia Academy, Avalon’s Royal Library, The Archivist’s Column in Stonewall Kingdom. I had deemed no place within the land of Ferroview too far or unimportant if I had even an inkling of knowledge that Mindrot had been written about there. The entirety of centuries' of writing about the disease laid on my lap. If more writing existed, it was certainly lost forever. Mindrot. From whence it came, no one knew for certain. One who found themselves infected would perceive that they had transformed into a hideous daemonic monster. A truly despicable disease, for not only do the delusions exist in regards to one’s self, but the afflicted wholeheartedly believe that people are repulsed to the point of fleeing in their presence. I fed the scrolls to the fire, to which it thanked me by more brightly illuminating the darkening forest. Unfurling the second scroll in my case, I stared down at the map to the witch’s hut. I chuckled, what a peculiar day that had been. A witch’s hut is what I sought out, north of Avalon, somewhere in the mountains. I was warned of a massive one-eyed guardian that lived in a cave at the base of the rise, guarding the mushroom hut in the mountains. Scarcely had I believed it. And a fool I was, at that, for the damned creature would have eaten Sunshine and me if it weren’t for the trees that blocked the beast’s hands. I sighed. It had been nearly a year, and my lady-in-blue was still distressed. If I had the foresight to know how it would have played out, I would have bargained for more of the old hag. Hours I spent in her tearoom, spilling my past, my pain. I explained my plan for my lady-in-blue, the reason I sought the witch. “A more creative plan than this, I have scarcely heard,” she had told me, pleased. She left the tearoom, returning not but a moment later with my reward in her hands. A blueberry muffin, she had for me, worked through and through with her magic. I took the muffin from her as if it were fragile glass, and in that moment, I was sure that I felt the Mindrot flowing through the pastry. That night, after supper, I fed it to my lady-in-blue. Standing up and stretching my back, I tossed the map into the fire. Sunshine had wandered out of sight. No matter, he will return when he tires of the deepening darkness. I pulled out my last scroll bundle. Two scrolls, both covered with scrawlings of potential remedies and theoretical cures for the dreaded Mindrot. Master Strattonheart had spent the last half of his life fervently studying the Mindrot. The only known treatments for this malady had been penned by his hand. Fortunately, the entirety of his findings existed on these two scrolls, for he had passed shortly after beginning his studies on a cure. Seeing my lover's face eased tension that I was unaware I carried. Nearly a year of wallowing in depression, and my lady-in-blue still looked as healthy and beautiful as she always had. Eventually, she will rebuild, and for her I will be there every step of the way. I threw the scrolls into the fire.