A reunion, a recap, a...ram! And a lack of funnies in the summary. Hey, Aunt Flow's dropping by and being an adult is tearing me away from my warm comfy place, what more do you want? Just play some classic 80's-90's songs or David Bowie's Goblin King pants and you're probably not off course.
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Neara could hear her heartbeat reverberating throughout the house. Embarrassed, she covered her face with her hands and felt them pinned to her sides. Wait, what was going on? Grey light filtered into the room through the mist of morning and she opened her eyes. She still heard her heart, like someone was trying to kick down a door. The fur on top of her felt heavier than usual and she pushed it off. A large tiger tail poked out underneath the overturned blanket. Winston's enormous white tiger form dozed next to her bed and an absolute unit of a sheep snored in the corner, legs twitching as he dreamed. Her hand found her heart, but she couldn't feel anything.
Winston's head faced hers, suddenly back to human form, silver eyes filling her vision. "You should answer the door," he said.
Oh, right. Someone was knocking. She covered herself in her cloak and opened the door.
A leopard beastman, no beast marks visible, stood there shaking. He could smell the power rolling off the house and surrounding garden and keenly felt his unwelcome presence. "Neara?"
"Um... hey?"
The beastman refused to meet her eyes. "Parker sent me to get you. He's returned with Shay."
"....he what?"
"Parker saved Shay from the feral." He sounded disgusted. "She's so dirty though; I don't know why he'd risk his life against a tetra-mark trying to save her."
"Um...thank you for telling me..." Neara said in a daze. After all this time, all the craziness was going to be over! Well, some of it, at any rate. They were still in a reverse harem anime and could be killed at any time but... Shay was back. Her friend...someone who knew that world.
He looked up, awestruck by her niceness, then collapsed when he saw her shining face. He'd heard rumors of the beauty of the female under Winston's protection, but he hadn't thought she would rival the leopard queen. Her gratitude was the cherry on top of the sundae he would never get to taste.
Unsure about what to do in these situations, Neara shut the door so he could gather himself in peace. Winston sat by the beginnings of a fire. "Parker returned with Shay." Even saying it felt weird, words she never expected to exist in her mouth. She turned it over in her mind, repeated it until it felt less strange. Shay was back.
"And you'll go back to his care?" His eyes faced the fire, body stiff like the logs he fed into the flames.
"I don't know. I haven't heard of a male caring for two females. I guess though, if Shay's with him." She couldn't focus on anything else right now; Shay who knew about the Internet and tampons and Nickelodeon, who played Pokemon and used an actual toilet...
He didn't say anything.
The aura of the room changed, sharp and cold, like a moment frozen in time against its will. Neara choked on her breath attempting to rewind time, go back, select another dialogue option, where the hell was the save point? "I guess I'd better go get Orson to escort me then." When Winston remained silent, she walked to the bedroom and tried to find the head under the mass of wool. "Orson?"
He bleated angrily and the mass of fluff on the other end of the animal turned to face the wall.
"Orson, I need to go to the Leopard King's castle and Winston isn't well enough to take me. Could you please escort me?"
Orson's human form puffed into existence, the fluff seeming to turn inside out from the head down until his naked body was in front of her.
She quickly looked out the door at Winston's back. Morning light peeking through the empty windows softened his muscular look. He looked like the men in movies look, the kind of man everyone dreams about when they're alone in their rooms, the kind of never-crush you hide in the deepest recesses of your heart to stop the pain of never meeting them. He only protected her for her fertility though...she had to remember that. She couldn't go back to what she had...
"You can stop gagging; I'm dressed." Orson grouched. He sped past her to the door and said, "Are you sure this is your friend and not another female? Because you all look alike to me."
Well, that certainly wasn't true. He must really hate looking after her. After today, he could go back to being a doctor and she could fend off males with Shay.
Winston rose. "I am well enough, Neara. I can accompany you."
"Orson said you wouldn't be back to full strength for another few days and Shuu is a three-mark beastman. I don't want you risking your life unnecessarily." When he walked up to her, she hesitantly put her hand in front of his chest. "Please stay here and be safe."
His look softened and he resumed sitting. "I will wait for your return then."
Neara figured Parker's abrasive personality could break the news for her. She stood close to Orson, but he only stared ahead of them as they walked to the castle. Sensing his mood, she didn't try to make small talk.
A small commotion in front of the courtyard drew her attention and Orson pushed past the crowd to the center, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist.
"SHAY!!!" Neara broke free from Orson and tackled her friend. "I'm so glad to see you! I can't believe you're here! Why are you covered in mud? I don't care, I'm just so happy to see you!"
Parker frowned and started to walk forward. Orson put out a hand and scowled at him.
"It's been a crazy journey. You wouldn't freaking believe what I've been through." Shay's voice cracked like she had a cold.
"Are you...okay?" Neara held her at arm's length and studied her. Besides being covered in mud she had new clothes on. They were made from that snakeskin they found right before she was taken. He must have destroyed her old ones and forced her to wear his scent!
"I just have a stupid cold. I always get sick around my period." She looked around and whispered, "I know what you're talking about, but I can't say anything in front of Parker. He's still kind of pissed off about it."
"Right, like you as... I'm just glad you're back. We can talk later. I've had some insanity happen too."
The Leopard King stood in front of the small group and smiled. "Today my son recovered his female with help from the Eagle Tribe. Thank you for your help; the City of Beasts has gained another female." The beastmen murmured approvingly. Shay wasn't much to look at, but Neara might be interested in suitors now that her friend was back.
Parker nuzzled against Shay affectionately. "I'm so happy we're back! Now remember not to wash the mud off for another week until you stop smelling."
Shay mouthed, "Later," behind his back.
After the crowd had somewhat dispersed, the leopard queen came out to greet them. She led them to Parker's old room again and started to leave when Parker called out, "Mom! Thanks for having father save Shay."
She punched the side of his head and frowned. "You already have a partner. Don't act like a kid all the time." She glanced at Shay and sighed. "I should get some water to wash the mud off your face."
Parker stopped his mother from leaving. "No need; she's like that on purpose."
"Some food then." Without listening to their reply, she quickly walked out with Parker trailing her.
"Mom, I can get food for my female..." his voice echoed down the hall.
Orson folded his arms, huffed, "I'll see if I can find something edible for you," and walked out.
Neara looked at Shay and smiled. "Okay, we're finally alone. Do you want to hear my insanity, or tell yours?"
"Hear. We can compare who had the crazier stuff happen. Also, Parker thinks I'm pregnant, but I'm not. Just roll with it. By the way, where's Calvin? I thought you two were for sure going to make babies or something while I was gone." Shay rubbed a finger across her arm and collected a ball of mud. She flicked it across the room.
Deciding to ignore the pregnancy comment, Neara said, "Calvin went kind of crazy...okay, here's the whole thing. I woke up at Harvey's and he took care of me. Some eagle beastmen found my glasses and Calvin smelled Harvey or something on me...I don't know." Her fingers curled around a lock of her hair and she twisted close to her scalp. "They almost killed him, but he ran away and said he'd be back to get me. Parker took me here and left me while he went to look for you. The leopard queen, Parker's mom, took me to this weird bachelor fight thing where they fought for the attention of females. This white tiger guy got rejected..."
"Whoah whoah whoah. Back up Speedy Gonzalez. Calvin went crazy?" Shay's sky blue eyes widened in disbelief, more visible for the mud caked onto her face.
"Yeah..." Neara got quiet and curled into herself. "He thought I was cheating on him with Harvey, so he exploded and was attacking me."
Shay waited for the rest of the story and when it didn't happen, she said "So...you and Harvey?"
"No! Hell no! He's hung up on you, or at least he was last time I saw him." Neara glanced out the door and back to Shay. "He has a huge crush on you."
"Oh. That's...awkward. I mean, he's cute but...I don't think I'll be able to look at another guy ever again."
"What? Why? Do you like Parker now or something?" Neara wrinkled her nose then covered it with her hands. Her friend might have questionable choices, but it wasn't up to her to question them...openly.
"No, it's just...it's a long story. You finish yours. White tiger guy got rejected." Shay pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "And....go!"
Neara smiled and continued, "Anyway, he got rejected by the females so he ran away. The Ape King, maybe secret bad guy, had this huge bonfire dinner thing and the queen didn't want to go and I wanted free food so I went by myself. I had to pee and ran into a wolf beastmen who's chasing me now..."
"Like, actually chasing you, or just interested in becoming your male?" Shay said sarcastically as she fluttered her eyelashes above a smirk.
"Becoming my male. Anyway, after the wolf dude, I heard somebody arguing so I went to help and..."
"You were eavesdropping weren't you? Cause I'd totally do the same thing."
"Right? Anyway..."
"Sorry, I just realized I keep interrupting you. Keep taking, I won't say another word. Unless I can't help myself. But I'll really try."
"Please save your questions for the end of the lecture." Neara chuckled. "Anyway, it was the same white tiger and he was arguing with his niece about how she wanted to sleep with him..."
"Wait a minute...can you see me right now?"
"Yes?" Neara drew the word out cautiously, not understanding where her friend was going with this.
"What the fwoop happened to your glasses?"
"Oh! Right!" Neara lightly smacked her forehead. "I'm coming to that part. So I got caught and I didn't want to admit I was spying, so I dragged him back to my fire and pretended like I was interested. He gave me this green glowing thing, he called it an emerald, to eat and forced it down my throat. Then I realized I didn't need glasses anymore because it healed me or something."
"Sick. Super sick."
"Mega sick. Anyways, he then made himself my protector--"
"Wait, if I swallow one, will it get rid of the cellulite on my butt? Oh! Acne?"
"You hardly even have acne." Neara squinted at her friend's face to try to prove a point and realized she'd have to wait until Shay washed the mud off.
"That's only because you don't see my face as close as I do."
"Whatever. Anyways, he bought a house for me a little ways away by a river--"
"He bought you a house?! Frick, why'd you land a sugar daddy while I landed a--" a coughing fit broke her up, interrupting just what exactly her kidnapper had been. As her coughing faded off into indignant wheezing, Neara took the chance to continue.
"Then he got called away by the Ape King, who then tried to kill him and he has wolf beastmen sniffing everywhere for him. I got a doctor for him, and he doesn't think Winston takes good care of me so he's kind of living with us right now too. He's a sheep beastman and his name is Orson."
"So Dr. Ram has a name..." Shay started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"You'll get it after I tell my story. Okay, so I get kidnapped, right? And he's supposed to be a feral. Only he's actually really sweet and nice and weirdly obsessed with making me happy. He's almost sickeningly attentive to the point where I'm sure he's counting sneezes somewhere...yet I still got super sick and puked everywhere. Why exactly was he counting then?" She laughed again, only to break into a harsh coughing fit, so loud Neara couldn't have squeezed in a word even if she wanted to. "So we're running from place to place and we go to this sheep village and he buys me rice. That's where I met Dr. Ram, then we leave and keep running and trying to avoid being caught when he attacks this massive bird, Muir, and almost kills him--COUGH, ugh, my throat. I leave a snake tail scale, which is the antidote, smothered in period blood because beastmen are sick like that and would find it, which they did, which is why he lived to drop a massive egg on my head... wait." She swallows hard a few times, her fingers to her throat. "This suuuuuuuuucks."
"You figured out how to save a bird from poison? Was it a bird beastman or just a regular bird?" Neara's hands clasped in her lap.
"He had a name, beastman, obviously. Anyway, I get super sick and this hottie chocolate panther beastman tries to take care of me. Blackety black black--cough!--like licorice. Cough! He was a kid of a witch doctor and Parker was yelling all this stuff about panthers working for witch doctors by stealing kids and women, pretty hard core 'kill the witch' stuff. Anyway, the bird dude comes back --cough, hack! Freaking...and drops a Dino egg on my head so the Dinos are pissed and chasing us, but Curtis doesn't give me up to Muir until he'd shaken me like a bottle of spritz and I'd puked up my liver." She took a moment to work through a coughing fit, which Neara waited for patiently. When she'd finally cleared her through, Shay continued. "Actually thought I'd die there, death by motion sickness. You'd think snakes would be all smooth when they run, but they aren't. Anyhoo, Muir flies me to the top of a cliff and slathers me in mud so I don't smell like an egg anymore--my brilliant idea. And now I'm here." She spread her arms out and smiled.
"Curtis is the snake?"
Shay nodded. "Yep. Snek."
"And there are dinosaurs in this world?"
"Also yep. They look more like T-rexes though, with long hair. 70s British T-rexes."
Parker's mom entered the room with a bowl of meat scraps still steaming. "I had them hunt some tender meat for your stomach. Parker explained your sickness."
The leopard himself appeared behind her, a large welt apparent on his head and a bowl of steaming vegetables in his mouth. He carefully placed it before Shay, glanced at Neara, then slunk out of the room.
Neara opened her mouth, but Shay looked at her ankle nervously, then the door, and asked, "How do I cancel a spousal relationship?"
The leopard queen paused and her eyebrows knit together. "I can help you, if you're sure."
Shay hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
She sighed and turned around, the long blonde curtain of hair flowing like a cape. "I'll make preparations. This room is too messy; follow Parker to my room." She left and Parker's eager smile appeared in the door, back to human form.
"Yay! I get to be Shay's only mate!" He ran over and embraced her. His cheek rubbed so hard against hers, flecks of dried mud fell to the floor and speckled the fair skin on her arms. "Did I get the right vegetables? A sheep doctor was cooking some, so I took them for you." His eyes pleaded for her approval. "Would you like something else?"
Shay looked as though she had been about to protest against the 'only mate' cry, but ended up looking too tired to. "No, I've been dying for veggies. You did great."
Parker yowled happily and flashed into his beast form before curling up at her feet.
After eating, they followed him to a large and well-decorated room. Where Parker's was Spartan, this room screamed caveman couture. Thick furs lined the walls and a large fire pit near the center, the smoke rising delicately through a hole in the roof. In another wall, an equally spacious window viewed the outside, an absolute explosion of colorful flowers, with rolled up leaves bound into sheets bound with painted leather cords. Ornamental bones hung in several places along with brightly colored fish scales and stones. A stone bowl held several flowers on a smooth stump that appeared to function as a table.
"Here; before cancelling, drink this bowl of medicine." The leopard queen pressed a bowl of thin brown liquid into Shay's hands. It smelled like Australian black licorice; very herbal and bitter.
Shay's nose wrinkled as she drank.
"What's the medicine for?" Neara asked.
"It's to make sure she doesn't give birth to the feral's offspring." She said matter-of-factly.
Shay spat out the drink and coughed so deep, it sounded like it came from her toes.
Right...the fake pregnancy thing.
"It already hurts." Shay moaned and held her stomach.
Parker ran to her side and helped her collapse on the floor. "I smell blood!" His hands darted from her back to his sides, unsure of how to help.
A red trail ran from her ankle to under her skirt. It gleamed wet and thick in the sunlight.
"Mom, what's wrong with her? Why is she bleeding?" He asked, ears back and eyes wide, a frantic note in his voice.
"I...I don't know. I'll go get a doctor." The leopard queen ran from the room.
Parker scowled at Shay. "You know, if you'd given birth to snake eggs, I would have raised them. I shouldn't have let you drink that medicine." His face softened and he lightly stroked her hair. "I'm sorry." He cushioned her body with furs and grasses, taking special care around her midsection.
Orson appeared in the doorway with the distraught leopard queen behind him.
"I gave her medicine to help get rid of the feral's offspring, but she's been lying here in pain the whole time and she's still bleeding."
"She's probably still pregnant then. Nothing to do but eat some honey and willow bark for the pain. Crush it and mix with the honey. Two mouthfuls." He refused to look at Neara, his entire attention focused on Shay. "And wipe that mud off her face."
"I can go get honey!" Parker leapt up and ran for the door. "I'll be back soon, Shay!" He crouched forward and melted into his leopard form before he sped away.
The leopard queen nodded at Orson. "We will inform you if something else comes up."
Orson snorted derisively and left. Neara fought the urge to call after him. Why was he so angry with her?
"I know you've been through a lot, but if you don't have any feelings for the feral, you cut the spousal mark with a knife. The mark will disappear with the blood." The leopard queen offered a knife, concern and deep sadness etched on her brow. "However, if you still have feelings for him, the mark won't disappear."
"Does it have to be a knife or..." Shay's wavering voice belied her casual tone.
"Anything that will draw blood is sufficient." She turned her eyes down, unable to watch a male be severed.