Ninazu hummed at his words, unable to put thoughts into words. Their imprisonment remained a dark spot in her memory, no matter how many times she meditated. The psychedelics came closest to removing the gunk in her mind from such trauma, but the lioness never liked remembering that time. To remember was to drown in powerlessness.

She threw more gold in her satchel, until Stryker’s comment draws her eye. Eyebrow curling up, she glanced over her shoulder before turning her head. Her golden eyes widened.

“One would look equally good on you, my lightning bug.” She hooked one on a claw, raising her paw until she held it at Stryker’s ear level. Smiling softly, she hummed again, this time in satisfaction. “Quite handsome, indeed. The iridescent metal matches your eyes.”

Her flames licked her cheeks, the mane contracting in size but flickering wildly. Ninazu’s eyes narrowed, before her expression returned to a relaxed grin. “Things did change. Before… that… we were both too wrapped up in our own desires. I we hadn’t gone through that mess together, I doubt either of us could trust the other completely. Ironically, all of that bullshit means you’re the only one I could trust completely.”

She inhaled sharply, the flames expanding, and exhaled a puff of steam through her nostrils. The flame’s edges tinged green. She glanced away from his face, staring at the earring in her paw for a long moment.

“Perhaps it’s time we… show off our bond. And using stolen jewelry to do it is about as us as we can get.”

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COUNTRY BOY

alternative lyrics here or perhaps some tags

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Eri the saltwater crocodile squatted on the beach, half-buried in the sand. Each wave rolled over his head, an inch away from submerging his nose, but the reptile never moved. He’d been there for hours, since the tide’d been low and the water far away from his tail, and the strange sight of a piebald croc had attached a gaggle of bettas.

One held a branch in his mouth. He poked Eri over and over, giggling with the rest of the gaggle. Eri stared at them, but remained immobile.

A chunk of ice lobbed from the treeline, smacking on the antagonizer’s head. He squealed, dropped the stick, and rubbed his head with a paw. “The heck–?”

“That’s my pet, you moronic imbecile. It’s a miracle you haven’t been eaten already. How did you survive to this age?” Rosemary’s monotone voice added a strange twist to her venomous words. She stared at the children, one eye for the four of them. “Do you know what Eri is? He’s a saltwater crocodile. They’re the largest species of crocodile in the world. If he wanted, he could eat all of you and still have room for another snack.”

The children inched backwards. One bumped his butt into another’s shoulder. Yet another turned around, tripping on his own paws. The leader’s mouth moved, soundless but rhythmic like a fish.

“And you know what Eri is? He’s my emotional support animal. My precious pet to help regulate my emotional volatility, because I’m moody.” Rosemary’s four eyes narrowed at once, and her forked tail lashed angrily behind her. Her voice never rose above normal speaking volume. “Do you know what a witch does when she’s moody and her anchor isn’t available?”

At this point, the entire group turned around and sprinted off. The leader grabbed the slowest by the scruff and half dragged him along, like the two were some fucked up spider with two conjoined abdomens with eight legs between the two.

Rosemary sighed, her tail lashing repeatedly until the lash became nothing but a twitch. Reaching down, she scratched Eri atop his head. “If you were sapient, you wouldn’t be anything like that, would you?”

Eri made no reply, but squinted up his eyes and half-opened his mouth. Rosemary smiled down at him and scritched. He had the right attitude, to move on so easily after such a trivial annoyance, and she’d follow his wisdom.

PEACEFALL

peace comes at dawn, but yours comes at night

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Ninazu hummed at his words, unable to put thoughts into words. Their imprisonment remained a dark spot in her memory, no matter how many times she meditated. The psychedelics came closest to removing the gunk in her mind from such trauma, but the lioness never liked remembering that time. To remember was to drown in powerlessness.

She threw more gold in her satchel, until Stryker’s comment draws her eye. Eyebrow curling up, she glanced over her shoulder before turning her head. Her golden eyes widened.

“One would look equally good on you, my lightning bug.” She hooked one on a claw, raising her paw until she held it at Stryker’s ear level. Smiling softly, she hummed again, this time in satisfaction. “Quite handsome, indeed. The iridescent metal matches your eyes.”

Her flames licked her cheeks, the mane contracting in size but flickering wildly. Ninazu’s eyes narrowed, before her expression returned to a relaxed grin. “Things did change. Before… that… we were both too wrapped up in our own desires. I we hadn’t gone through that mess together, I doubt either of us could trust the other completely. Ironically, all of that bullshit means you’re the only one I could trust completely.”

She inhaled sharply, the flames expanding, and exhaled a puff of steam through her nostrils. The flame’s edges tinged green. She glanced away from his face, staring at the earring in her paw for a long moment.

“Perhaps it’s time we… show off our bond. And using stolen jewelry to do it is about as us as we can get.”