-Bell Cranel-
She clicked her tongue. The Silverback raised a fist in the air, intending to make her a smear against the pavement. Bell sidestepped the giant limb, almost losing her balance at the rumbling that followed the impact.
Twin red eyes narrowed as she lashed out. Wooden stakes turned blades of darkness tore at the beast’s chained arm, cutting fur and muscle, spraying blood across the street and partially her outfit.
‘’Tough bastard, ain’t he?’’ Midna whispered in her ear. Bell nodded. The Silverback roared in pain, retrieving its fist back. ‘’No you don’t!’’
Midna was faster. Her locks of orange hair formed a giant fist that the Goblin used to grab the Silverback’s hand by the chains around it.
The beast looked at the duo climbing its arm with a hateful stare. Its angered howl, muffled by the muzzle on its head, still made Bell’s ears flatten against her skull in pain.
The Silverback rose its other hand to strike. Bell quickly dashed forward, climbing the limb. ‘If only I knew where his magic stone is!’
The open palm came crashing down. The sound of metal being shredded was another distraction for her acute senses. Instinctually, she guessed that one of the creature’s restraints had fallen to the street below, but Bell had other worries, like the shockwave that sent her forward and into the Monster’s shoulders.
‘An opening!’ Internally, she cheered. The twin blades’ glow grew murkier as she used her powerful legs to climb from the shoulder to the neck. Without hesitation, Bell let out a flurry of slashes, intending to sever the monster’s head by tearing into it.
Clap.
However, that plan went down the drain a moment later. Just as she saw her efforts bearing fruit, Bell fell weightless and was suddenly standing on the street.
The Silverback struck itself. A blow meant for her had instead crushed the fallen restraints against his neck. Bell only side-glanced the goblin on her back.
‘’Sorry, bun-bun…’’ The girl panted, the strain of having to swap her with such a heavy object clear in her voice. ‘’I’d prefer not to become a monkey’s necklace.’’
Bell only nodded in acknowledgement.
‘’Its hide and muscle are too thick.’’ She complained, looking at her ‘weapons’ revealed the shadows partially dissipating, revealing the fragile wood beneath before a fresh wave from Midna’s powers revitalized them once more. ‘’Even with your power, I’m still not strong enough. Sorry, Midna—Ah?!’’
The tug at her ears made Bell flinch. A lone, red eye stared at her without a drop of its usual mirth.
‘’The fuck you apologizing for?’’ Midna spat in a low growl that almost made her freeze. ‘’Look around you, dense rabbit.’’
Bell hesitated, unwilling to take her eyes off the monster. However, the Silverback was busying itself with strands of wild hair lashing at it like whips, courtesy of Midna’s unrelenting assault from her place on Bell’s shoulders.
And the Bunny-hume saw… people. Regular people, civilians, hiding away in their homes, behind their merchandise stands, or even some daring ones who peeked at the fight from afar.
All of them had two things in common. Fear, for the monster currently tearing their homes down… and hope.
Hope in… who?
Bell realized a moment later. Hope in them. That the only two adventurers present would deal with the monster terrorizing their lives.
Her hands tightened against the dark weapons. A sudden pressure built in Bell’s chest. Her thighs clenched, intending to fire like a spring. Yet, just as her determination took hold, the Silverback managed to grip one of Midna’s whip-like hairs.
‘’Oh shit.’’ The goblin hissed, and considering her tight grip on her Captain’s back, both of them were flown high into the air.
The Silverback howled victoriously, pulling back its only restrained fist for a devastating blow. Bell clenched her teeth together, readying for the strike that never came.
‘’BELL!’’ A worried, high-pitched voice cut through the air as a living, black blur cut through the air. Sharp claws cut orange hair, releasing the two of them.
Clap!
Midna made the switch just in time. Bell hissed as she landed on her ass. In her place, a crate filled with edible goods took the blow, splattering against the monster’s fists and partially on the street.
Meanwhile, Bell tried to process who that scream had come from… and her brain only came up with one answer.
‘’Lady Hestia?!’’ She shouted.
Sure enough, the black blur appeared on the street, making no sound. On its back, the petite Goddess clutched for dear life. A second later, she released her grip, falling unceremoniously on the street, back first.
Label, the War Shadow turned woman, promptly shot back into the fray, intent to maul more than clear. The Silverback found a new focus in the aggressive monster-girl, and the fight sparked anew… while Hestia was left on the street.
‘’Ah! Label, be careful! Ouch…’’ The Goddess of the Hearth admonished, slowly getting up and dusting herself off before turning to them with a wobbly, if radiant smile. ‘’I finally found you!’’
‘’Lady Hestia, what are you doing here?’’ Bell asked worriedly as she closed the distance, checking her Goddess over a few times. ‘’Are you hurt? Anywhere? The Silverback didn’t hit you, did it?’’
‘’How was the fall?’’ Midna asked with a smug grin.
The Goddess gave a deadpan look to the goblin before pointing an accusatory finger at Bell. ‘’I should be asking you that! I leave for two days, and you guys are getting in trouble again.’’
Bell could only offer a sheepish smile. Her gaze strayed to the people still hiding. ‘’But… if I didn’t stop it…’’
‘’I know.’’ Hestia cut her off mid-sentence, her azure eyes narrowing slightly in seriousness. ‘’Much as it pains me, I’m proud to say I know. That’s exactly the kind of person my Little Bell is!’’
Heat rushed to her cheeks. ‘Is now really the moment for this?!’
‘’And what am I, a roach?’’ Asked Midna.
‘’Silence, creature.’’ Hestia bit back, making the goblin snort. The Goddess cleared her throat and unclipped the cloak around her. ‘’Now, Bell, lift your shirt—but only a little bit!’’
‘’Ayo?’’ Midna added, and was promptly ignored.
Bell, torn between what to do, stared as Label jumped from a roof, claws extended to tear into the Silverback’s flesh. The hits were superficial, but much like Bell, the War Shadow was fast enough to escape the consequences of her overextending.
‘’F-fine, but… Midna, cover us!’’ Bell stated.
The goblin jumped off her captain’s back with a roll of her eyes. ‘’Sure, sure, though I think people are more focused on the fight than on your tits, bun-bun. Their loss, if you ask me.’’
‘’‘’Midna!’’’’ Both Goddess and Child chastised.
‘’Bleh.’’ The goblin just blew a raspberry as her hair extended, circling around the two like a protective barrier.
Bell took a deep breath as Hestia positioned herself behind her. ‘’Excuse me…’’ She whispered softly and lifted the bunny-hume’s shirt.
Bell felt an odd heat on her face for doing an act that was usually done in the bedroom, just out in the open. That embarrassment vanished as she felt her body reinvigorating after a drop of warm ichor was placed on her back.
‘’As always… so careless…’’ She heard Hestia whisper under her breath before pulling the clothing down. ‘’All done! One last thing, take these!’’
Bell blinked as her Goddess replaced the wooden stakes on her hands with a pair of long, curved, and wicked-looking black daggers. Bell stared in amazement as the strange inscriptions on the blades started to glow.
The slightly jagged weapons felt… right in her grasp.
‘’Goddess, where did you get this—?’’ Her question was silenced with a gloved finger to her lips.
Hestia merely smiled up at her. Bell marveled at the beauty of her Goddess, momentarily losing focus on the very important task at hand.
‘’Just a gift. I have one for Roy, too.’’ She claimed, lifting the dark cloak around her body. ‘’So, don’t worry, alright? It was made with blood and tears of your dear Goddess… so you better be grateful, Little Bell!’’
She was at a loss for words. Her heart beat a mile a minute. A gift from the one who took her off the streets… Her chest felt painfully tight, and Bell wanted to cry tears of joy.
‘’RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!’’ The only thing that brought her back to reality was the howl of the Silverback. Probably in frustration at being unable to strike Label.
‘’Uh, guys? Don’t wanna interrupt your moment where you two declare your deep love for each other—‘’ Bell sputtered, shaking the thought off her head, making her not notice a small rosiness on Hestia’s cheeks. ‘’—But this monkey’s going to fuck up the entire block, and not in a fun way.’’
‘What would even be a fun way?’ Bell questioned before taking a deep breath. Her eyes found Hestia’s, and she nodded. ‘’Thank you… Hestia. Now please get to safety!’’
The Goddess’s jaws slackened, sparkles in her eyes, but Bell was already stepping forward and chose to ignore the squeal that the petite deity released, lest her embarrassment come back severalfold.
The strands of orange hair parted, revealing Bell with a determined look on her face, and two twin dark daggers that she held comfortably in her hands like an extension of herself. A sudden weight was added to her back as Midna reclaimed her space.
One look behind her revealed that the petite Goddess had taken cover, making part of Bell’s worries melt away.
‘’About to test that new toy, bun-bun?’’ The goblin asked, and Bell saw shadows coming to life. ‘’Lemme help you with that.’’
Once more, the blades absorbed Midna’s power. This time around, however, the edges extended until the weapons looked like shortswords. Bell stared in astonishment at just how well the daggers took to Midna’s ability.
With this much, she could definitely finish the Silverback for good!
Yet, before she could spring back into action to end this once and for all, Bell heard… shouting? Her ears perked up, and a sudden blur of brown passed right by her side with a gust of wind that blew her hair back.
‘’COME BACK HERE, YOU OVERGROWN CHICKEN COOP!’’
And seconds later, a cackling man crossed the block, being followed close behind by a red-headed wolf-hume that Bell recognized very well.
‘…Roy? Rose?’
-X-x-X-
-Roy Raynolds-
I panted when turning a corner. The million-vali bird just stared at me from the end of the street. Its brown feathered wings rose high into the air.
‘’Well… fuck you too…’’ I huffed. A hand clutched my shoulder, and I turned to stare at a panting, bigger Rose staring daggers at me. ‘’Oh, gee mama—‘’
‘’Shut… your fucking mouth… bastard…’’ The woman panted. Much to my displeasure, her grip had become incredibly tight, and I wouldn’t be able to escape from this one.
Unless I sucker-punched her or something.
‘’Rose, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but my money is escaping.’’
‘’You can’t even reach it, you idiot.’’ She rebuked, staring at my shoulder tentatively, probably trying to see if I’d escape or not. ‘’There’s a reason for Orario’s economy to remain stable. That monster, besides being stupidly rare, cannot be caught by Rookies… and I’m already all sweaty from running behind you, so drop it already!’’
‘’Sounds like how losers think…’’ I grinned. ‘’Plus, can I get a whiff—?’’
‘’I’m going to kill you.’’ And her grip certainly reflected it. The growing patches of fur on her body told me that maybe I pushed her buttons a bit too much.
That’s when my saving grace appeared in the form of an angry War Shadow. ‘’Hands off… essence…’’ The Monster-turned-woman easily tore me away from Rose’s grip and trapped me in one of her own.
‘’My savior!’’ I cheered.
Rose’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her eyes roamed Label up and down, but thankfully, she was in her more ‘’humanoid’’ form, albeit that wasn’t saying much when her pitch-dark eyes looked to be staring right through the wolf-hume.
‘’…Don’t tell me.’’ The woman huffed, slowly, the animal traits receding from her form as she calmed down. How nice of her! ‘’You got yourselves another weird Familia member.’’
I remained silent, just staring at Rose. The wolf-hume raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
‘’You told me not to tell you.’’ I quoted with a smug-as-shit grin.
Rose took a deep breath, then slammed her head against the adjacent wall. ‘’They don’t pay me enough for this, they don’t pay me enough for this, they don’t pay me enough for this…’’ She repeated like a mantra.
The sad life of a nine-to-five haver, people.
‘’ROOOOOOOOOOOOAR!’’
The rumbling of a monster’s howl brought my attention to a few streets to our right, where a giant grey monkey that looked like it was taken straight out of a ‘’Goku’s Secret Transformations’’ video was wrecking shit up. Before I could worry, however, I saw the figure of a certain bunny climbing the overgrown monkey and tearing flesh with a pair of sick-looking shadow shortswords.
When the monster reacted and tried to strike Bell, she was swiftly moved away thanks to Midna’s whip-like hair pulling her to safety. Then, the cycle repeated again, and the wounds were starting to add up.
‘’And here I am, unable to catch a fucking bird.’’ I sighed. ‘’How the mighty have fallen…’’
‘’…Essence?’’ Asked the Shadow with a tilt of her head.
‘’Kisses later, Label, I’m going through the eleven stages of grief all at once.’’ I said.
‘’…There’s only five.’’ A more composed Rose stated flatly.
‘’For you, maybe.’’
Before the woman could question me for my eldritch knowledge, the sound of wood sandals against stone reached my ears, and sure enough, a certain petite deity who was the only person I knew that wore that shit unironically ran up to us.
‘’Hestia!’’ I pulled a knife from my belt and clapped my hands, switching it for a petite, cloak-wearing, squirming body-pillow.
‘’Ah?’’ Hestia blinked, the sudden feeling of weightlessness bringing her to a halt. A hint of rosiness exploded on her cheeks as I held her close. Funnily enough, Label mimicked my motions, giving the deity a double hug. ‘’I—Uh… I’m happy to see you too, Roy, but it’s not really the time!’’
I hummed, as if considering my options. ‘’Persuasion roll failed. Headpat the Goddess as punishment.’’ I stated.
‘’H-huh?! What does that even mean?’’ Pat. Pat. Pat. ‘’A-and stop patting me, you’re ruining my hair, geez!’’
I deadpanned. ‘’Woman, I know what you use to clean this hair. It’s a miracle it's even standing, you non-moisture-using cheapstake—‘’
The Goddess’s tiny hands pressed against my mouth to silence the truth from the world. If stares could kill, I would be dead seven times over.
Rose merely stared at the scene in befuddlement, probably questioning if her morning coffee had some sort of LSD mixed in.
‘’Seriously, you problematic child…’’ Hestia grumbled under her breath. I only smiled. ‘’Let me go already! I have a gift for you!’’
I blinked, releasing the Goddess immediately. ‘’Goodies? Free stuff?’’
Hestia huffed, staring up at me in mild annoyance. I don’t know why, since she was the one who asked me to release her.
Truly, I’d never understand women.
‘’Of course that gets you to let go…’’ Her grumblings were starting to get cute, like an angry little hamster. Clearing her throat, the Goddess unbuttoned the dark cloak and put it in my hands. ‘’Here!’’
I blinked, grasping the material and immediately noticing its bulkiness. Who the fuck makes a twenty-pound cloak? What was this shit made of?
Yet, with my Adventurer strength, it was no heavier than a regular one as I strapped it over my shoulders. Obviously, I had to step out of Label’s embrace and pose, letting the piece of cloth wave with a slight breeze.
‘’Honest reviews, people, what is your boy looking like?’’ I pressed a hand to my chest, extending a hand forward and smiling gently like I was some sort of dashing knight. ‘’Your breasts look heavy, ma’am. May I hold them for you?’’
Hestia sputtered, choking on air, and thus, unable to answer. If the blush on her face was of embarrassment in herself or me, I didn’t know.
Label blinked… then gave me a thumbs up. Genuinely the most reaction I had gotten out of her for now.
Would we go three for three?!
‘’Go die.’’ Rose deadpanned, her face contorted in disgust as if she was staring at a roach behind a cupboard.
‘’Love you too, Rosie.’’ I smiled.
The following crack must have been my imagination and totally not Rose’s knuckles, trying to keep herself from caving my face into the pavement.
‘’It should… do something.’’ Hestia finally recovered and gestured to the cloak. ‘’It’s special, made by a very close friend of mine! So, don’t you dare lose it, you hear?’’
The notion brought me pause. Gifts… those things I could take seriously.
I took a step forward, placing my hand on top of Hestia’s head in a tender gesture. Then offering a genuine smile to the Goddess. ‘’Thanks a lot, Hestia. I’ll make sure to take care of it.’’
Hestia blinked, jaw slackened. Even Rose looked in surprise. I merely rolled my eyes, turning away and back to the action.
Bell was currently jumping rooftops and taking potshots at the monster. Even with so many injuries, the monkey refused to go down, like it was in some sort of trance.
An idea occurred to me.
‘I could distinguish a monster’s stones by touching them… so could I pinpoint their location?’
After all, when I fought Label in her non-tamed form, I was able to do it easily enough, albeit unconsciously.
I grinned, cackling to myself. I turned to Rose, who took a step back, looking alarmed before I opened my mouth. ‘’Yo, Rose… What would you say about a consequence-free chance to throw me like a ragdoll?’’
The wolf-hume froze. Much to my great amusement, the red, bushy tail behind her started wagging. Something that I would have thought incredibly adorable if it wasn’t for the manic grin on my advisor’s face.
‘’Fuck yes.’’
‘’Someone’s eager—‘’ But before I could tease her for it, I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me, covered in patches of red fur. ‘’Wait, let me do a countdown—YOU BIIIIIIIIIIITCH!’’
‘’Flying essence…’’ Label whispered.
‘’ROY?!’’ Hestia, finally out of her trance, shouted in worry. ‘’WAIT, I DIDN’T EVEN UPDATE YOUR STATUS!’’
Ah, that would have been a good idea.
Sadly, I was already soaring through the air, straight into the monkey’s torso. The Monsters slammed both of its fists to the ground, intending to flatten Bell and Midna, only to miss as the goblin warped them away.
It didn’t even notice me about to crash against its chest. My mouth opened, and a wave of pure instinct flowed through my veins. My eyes noticed the chains wrapped around the Monster’s ankles, and the cloak around me started to glow red.
‘’YOUR JORDARNS ARE FAKE!’’ I shouted like never before.
A throbbing pulse of red washed over the Monster and part of the street it was occupying.
-X-x-X-
-Tiona Hyryute-
‘There should be one more monster around here!’ Tiona frowned as she crossed entire streets in seconds. As a level Five, she had to be careful so as not to break the roads or houses while dashing around, but that just made her all the more nervous when something like this happened. ‘Not to mention, those freakish monsters from the Deep Floors…’
In the middle of the chaos, her sister and Loki had appeared; the latter had spoken with plenty of members from the Ganesha Familia, and not one of them remembered those Violas to be in their repertoire of tamed Monsters.
After all, only the Familia Captain could potentially tame something like that, and for the sake of civilian safety, only up to level Two Monsters were brought from the Dungeons.
‘It’s a good thing Ais was there…’ The Amazon still beat herself up after not being able to cleanly punch through the monster’s thick hide. ‘But please let this one just be a normal monster! This day off is looking more and more like a mission!’
Tiona didn’t have to wait much, as when she turned the corner, following the sounds of battle and panicked civilians, she found a giant, ape-like creature with silver hair.
‘A Silverback!’ Internally, she sighed in relief. ‘’Alright, time to pack this up, and no monkey business—‘’
Yet, just as she was about to jump in, the Amazon paused.
The Silverback looked… worse for wear. Its chains and muzzle were gone—probably the scraps of metal she saw on the street—but its body was covered in black bruises that seeped crimson blood into its fur.
‘Someone is battling it?’ She frowned, looking around, and it wasn’t long before her senses perceived the white-haired bunny-hume on the rooftops. ‘’…Bell?’’ You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Not only that, on the girl’s back rested Midna, the goblin that Tiona still didn’t know how to feel about. With the sound of a clap, the two vanished, replaced by a piece of scrap metal. Now on the ground, the bunny girl used two dark daggers to easily cut through the Silverback’s ankles.
Tiona had wondered where the two girls had run off to, but she didn’t expect to see them both bringing down a Silverback all on their own.
‘They look like experienced Level Ones more than rookies…’ She thought in amazement. Something inside her chest made a grin appear on her face. Her blood was pumping!
‘’So that’s where you were, sister.’’ A voice broke her out of her musings, and Tiona turned around to see Tione, along with Ais and Lefiya, walking behind her. ‘’Why did you take so long—Is that the bunny-hume?’’
Ais’s eyes narrowed in interest. Her hand clutched her broken sword, probably intending to step in, but she stopped at the last second as she noticed no civilians in danger.
‘’Amazing…’’ Lefiya whispered while looking at the fight.
It really was. Tiona bet that if Bete was here, he would be eating his words right about now!
The Amazon froze. A sudden feeling of dread washed over her. Both she and Tione looked into the air… where a brown-haired man was catapulting himself right at the monster!
‘’Roy?!’’ Tiona questioned, mouth agape.
‘’Look, Tiona, your boyfriend is on it, too.’’ Her sister said smugly. Tiona scowled and punched Tione’s arm. ‘’Ow! You know I’m right—!’’
‘’YOUR JORDANS ARE FAKE!’’ The man’s shout brought pause.
Not because the words meant anything to her, but because of the following wave of red that covered the street. Being this close, the colors washed over their group, too.
Tiona felt sudden anger in her stomach, ugly and powerful like a raging fire. However, a second later, the effect vanished into nothing.
‘’…What?’’ Tiona blinked. Sure enough, turning around revealed that her sister and Ais had gone through something similar, if the confused looks were anything to go by. ‘’What just happened? What was that red light—Lefiya!’’
The Elf of the group, however, had red, furious eyes. Her staff pointed straight at the Silverback… no, at the man! A red magic circle appeared in front of the catalyst, making the air around them feel hot like a summer breeze, and Lefiya started to chant.
‘’Proud warrior, snipers of the forest. Take up your bows before the advancing plunderers…’’
One of her magic spells, fully unleashed, could erase the entire street… That is, if Tiona hadn’t reacted as quickly as lightning, karate-chopping the Level Three Mage on the neck.
‘’Ah…’’ The girl blinked. The magic, thankfully enough, dissipated instead of provoking an Ignis Fatus, and the elf fell into Tiona’s arms, unconscious.
Before she could question what that was, Tione answered for her. ‘’Some sort of aggravation magic…? You really know how to pick them, Tiona.’’
Heat rushed to her cheeks. ‘’I told you already, he’s not my boyfriend!’’
‘’Sure~’’ Her sister shrugged, unconvinced.
Ughh… she really shouldn’t have forgotten those damn carving tools!
‘’He’s climbing…’’ Ais hummed, bringing their attention back to the fight.
‘’Knock, knock! Who’s there?!’’ Roy shouted while attaching himself to the Silverback’s chest hair. The monster howled as the man found… something on the monster’s pecs and twisted. ‘’Nipple-twister!’’
The three girls gave a slight shudder, even knowing very well the force of a Level One could not harm them in any way.
‘’Bell, it’s on the sternum!’’ The man said with a cackle, still dangling from the Silverback’s nipples. ‘’Just a bit to the right on the chest! Send this monkey back to the Stone Age!’’
The ape tried to slap him away, but the man jumped, climbing higher. That same strange ability he used just now? The Silverback had received its full effect, and ignored the bunny-hume and ‘’Pallum’’ jumping in the air, daggers poised to strike.
Black iron met flesh. The Silverback’s chest was pierced with a wet squelch. The monster howled, pained. Something dark swirled around the weapons, and their blades extended to pierce right through the entire monster.
Right before the magic stone shattered, however, the creature used the last of its strength… to smack Roy like a fly, sending the man flying and then bursting into black smoke a second later.
‘’Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!’’ His cries of pain were silenced by the cheering of the crowd.
Tiona pursed her lips. She let the unconscious Lefiya into Ais’s arms—the elf would probably thank her later, she’d bet—but before she could do anything, Tione’s wiggly eyebrows and smile met her eyes.
‘’…I’m just going to check on him.’’ Tiona huffed.
‘’I’m sure you will.’’ Tione chuckled. ‘’Ah, my little sister, all grown already~!’’
‘’You are bigger for ten seconds!’’ Tiona spat back as she ran, not because she was embarrassed. Not at all. ‘’Roy? Roy, you alright?’’
‘’Bweh! Bok!’’
‘’Hahaha! To think you’ll be caught in the radius! I got you now, you little shit!’’
The scene Tiona found in one of the alleyways and away from the main crowd was nothing short of comical. Roy Raynolds looked worse for wear, with a bloody nose and a bruised face. However, in his hands, he was holding a… plump brown bird that brought recognition to Tiona’s eyes.
‘A Jack Bird? But it’s… of another color?’ Before she could question it further, Roy squeezed the bird.
‘’BWEEEEH!’’ The creature released another awful noise and swiped at the man’s face with its talons.
‘’Motherfucker, my eye!’’ With scratch marks on one of his eyelids, the man slammed the bird against the ground. ‘’Give me my damn money already—Oh shit.’’
If the events weren’t ridiculous enough, a puff of smoke washed over the alleyway. Tiona coughed before clapping her hands together, dissipating the white cloud along with… a bunch of feathers?
And now, the Jack Bird was gone… replaced by a buxom woman with brown hair. Somehow, she was clothed. A black skirt reaching mid-thigh, and a tight, white blouse that strained against the bird’s… bust.
‘H-huge…!’ Tiona unconsciously covered her more… lacking attributes, as if recoiling in pain.
The bird extended her arms. The limbs, unlike normal ones, were covered in luscious brown feathers in the form of wings. Immediately, she wrapped them around the much smaller man, whom she towered over even while sitting down.
Roy merely blinked. Chocolate eyes met earthy, orange ones. ‘’…Where’s my money, chicken coup?’’
‘’Hmmm? Oh, Dodo knows! Dodo knows everything, after all!’’ The bird articulated in a high-pitched, almost childish voice. The massive figure got up, lifting Roy off the ground. A tiny, confident smile appeared on her face before she… spun three times in quick succession. ‘’Oh no! Well, you know what they said. Once the Dodo Bird spins three times, they forget! I’m sorry, Master!’’
Tiona blinked.
Roy blinked.
The ‘’Dodo’’ just puffed up her chest proudly, as if she had given a well-informed, knowledgeable answer.
She may not be the smartest of the bunch, but even Tiona noticed that the tall bird-woman—Monster woman? Bird Monster?—seemed to be… kind of an airhead.
‘’…’Dodo knows everything’ my ass!’’ Roy squirmed in the taller creature’s grasp, annoyance clear in his tone. ‘’You owe me an egg, you bird-brain! Lay an egg right now!’’
The ‘’girl’’ flushed an intense pink, turning her gaze away. ‘’I—Dodo can’t do that! We haven’t k-kissed yet…! And everyone knows kissing is how you make babies!’’
Tiona deadpanned. ‘This is looking like one of those awful novels Tione recommended to me one time.’
Now with the man out of danger, however, Tiona’s superior senses detected that they weren’t alone. She could pick up the faintest breath hitch.
And as she turned her head around, she came face-to-face with a red-headed wolf-hume dressed in guild-worker clothes.
Oh.
Oh crap.
‘’What the fuck?’’ The woman whispered, looking at the monster currently embracing Roy.
Tiona sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her day was not over with just taking care of some rampaging monsters, it seemed.
-X-x-X-.
.
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Author's Note:
Dodo or ''Foolish Bird Dodo'' is a character from the RPG Black Souls II. She's no harpy and is pretty dumb, but she's cute as a button + big booba. Not to mention, she's around three meters tall (Good luck hiding THAT from the public eye!)
Something something... ''Aren't girls cutest when they're almost retarded?''
One funny thing I remembered, and that I unintentionally did, was that, in nature, the female tends to have dull colors that she can camouflage with, while the male has these bright colorations, which fits pretty well, since the Jack Bird is blue, and Dodo here is brown.
I also publish on other sites, if you wish to check them out:
FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/15809388/HamsterX42
QQ: https://forum.questionablequesting.com/search/35199387/?c[users]=HamsterX42&o=date
Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HamsterX42