I woke to myself still surrounded by scales. Ezra was no longer above me, instead choosing to stretch himself out so he could talk with Claire who was out on the metal beams, tying and anchoring Avery's old ribbon.
Peeking over the body left wrapped around me, I saw Claire turn and wave at me.
I just smiled, retreating to start rolling up my blanket.
It wasn't the most comfortable sleep, but at least I was warm. Even though I stunk now of dirt and musty snake skin, I was relieved I hadn't been set on as I slept; by either Ezra or anyone else who decided to storm out of Paragon.
There had been so many. Who knew the promise of money would lure so many out into the night and after deadly hybrids.
That wasn't my problem now. I needed to look after myself and get these horrible snakes out of me.
I could feel them demanding for nutrients already. I needed food to quieten the flipping feeling of nausea deep down.
Would Ezra be able to see the lights yet? Tawn used to tell me all about my previous pregnancies when he used to lay his head beside me, just to carefully trace where they were and tell me about the way they jumped and swirled around each other.
It used to disgust me when I could feel them moving and getting stronger. The closer to their due date they were, the more painful they became.
I hated it then and I hated it now.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdS2teGUNG
I saw Ezra's body wind from me as I picked up my pillow and rolled blanket. He gave me a gap to move freely now as he continued to talk to Claire whose translator slowly told her what he was saying, giving her time for a delayed reaction.
With my bundle under my arms, I kept an eye on Ezra when I moved to the storage room. I could stash it here when I wasn't using it and save a trip back home where it was cold and dark.
If we could keep distance and a mutual understanding between us like last night, then I could secure myself a cozy new bed up here.
I might be able to even get a mattress or wads of thick foam up here to convert the area in front of the heater into a little bed. It would beat curling up in a coil with a man-snake hovering over me.
This could work. I smiled at my progress as I moved aside products to stuff my blanket on the shelf beside my pillow. Stuffing the Barbra into my change of pants; wrapping it within my underwear and shirt under my arm, I was thankful i'd be freshened up again soon.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoArmFUrV8
Closing up the room again, Ezra was leaving the railings to approach me. He held a small black box in one hand that was bent towards me.
I glanced at the storage room nervously, sliding away from it.
Stopping before me, Ezra reached for my shirt. I slapped him away, grumbling at his forwardness in trying to touch me.
His eyes grew stern and he grabbed the offending arm so he could snap on the box to the front of my collar, huffing.
The hissing started. I saw a light on the box flash red as he spoke. When he finished, it turned a steady green as it began to translate robotically.
"Do you always act before you think?"
Sneering down at the words, I huffed to Ezra.
"You could have told me what you were doing!"
"And would you have understood me? No."
He folded his arms. There was a smug smile on his scaly lips.
"I borrowed it" he moved out of the way so I could see Claire focusing on the ribbons "just for today."
Great. Talking like this was going to get very annoying very quickly.
Surely there was a faster way? Maybe a quicker translator out there?
"I need to talk to you" Ezra urged now "in private."
His eyes locked onto the door. I followed, scoffing.
"Like fuck I'm going back in there" I muttered to him "I know what you are trying to do."
His body moved around the floor, boxing me in again. He rolled his eyes at me and opened the door to sweep an arm inward.
"This is called 'open'" he jeered, snickering.
Oh, he was being smart now. What an arse.
"And this is called 'try anything and I'll snap your dicks off'" I snarled to him, pointing a finger up at his unamused face.
Ezra scoffed, not the slightest intimidated by me. He thought i was funny, closing us into the room.
It was so stifling in here how musty it smelled. Was it always this bad?
I could smell the blood from myself in here. Could Ezra smell me? Did Claire know too?
I reluctantly pressed my clothes back onto the shelf, annoyed at being stopped.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I folded my arms and turned to him, keeping my back facing the heater to try and soak in some of the heat lingering in this room.
His tongue flickered and he lifted a finger to point at my crotch.
"How long have you been bleeding?"
I grumbled, staring back.
"Since last time" I muttered bitterly.
"And you haven't done anything about it?" he tilted his head slightly.
Anger bubbled in my chest and I felt it fill me with brimming strength.
"For your information, Ezra" I snapped back "I have. I got the stupid cream, I just haven't used it yet."
"Why?"
"Where do you think I've had the time between getting it and going after Avery?" I shot back "hmm?"
"You could have done it last night when you were up here" he replied cooly "or before you went after Avery. I'm surprised you didn't chase after your last mate."
I scoffed again, avoiding his eyes.
"And be bitten again? No thanks."
"Ah, yes" he tasted the air again "I did see you were defective. Not my first choice in a mate, you see."
The anger bubbled again and I curled by hands into fists.
"I didn't ask for this, you cunt! How dare you! How about you live with this stupid fucking thing and let me go on about being this and doing that?!"
He laughed, smiling. I growled, knowing he wasn't taking me seriously at all.
"Why don't you go fuck the massive snake over in the other corner then?" I gestured to the wall behind me with my head "then you won't have to bitch on about having someone perfect!"
The absolute fucking audacity of this prick! How could he just stand here and judge me for something I've had to live years with? Something i struggled to control every day? He wouldn't know hardship even if it reared up and bit him in the arse.
"Fuck this translator" I moved for it to rip it from my collar "if you just got it so you could insult me, then I don't want to listen to it."
Holding it up, I waited for it to finish hissing back at him. Ezra pushed forth, grabbing the translator firmly and crushing his hand around mine to keep it there.
"You'll wear it" he glared down at me "and you'll listen to me. I'm your mate now."
"Like fuck you are" I spat back "you are just some guy Tawn palmed me off to so he could fuck someone better."
"And I'm also the one who gave you what you wanted" Ezra snapped, hissing and squeezing my hand tighter "I didn't hear you complaining then when I told you that you were killing the lights."
Is that what he had been saying? It wasn't just nonsense?
"I asked you to be my mate and you didn't say otherwise" he spoke firmly "you may have had leniency before, but with me, you won't. Until you birth my children, you will not fuck another man."
"So, women are on the table?" I joked.
Ezra snarled, releasing my hand only when I yelped in pain.
"You will listen to me" he growled as he pulled me towards him.
Tawn had never acted like this. We hurt each other in the heat of the moment, but never intentionally. Even when he reared his fangs and threatened me, he was begging his apologies straight after.
Ezra wasn't like that at all. He made that same fear rise up, trembling through my hands.
"Wear the translator" he snatched it up and dragged me by my scruff so he could snap it back in place "and listen."
I glared back, seeing him curling his body throughout the room.
His eyes lingered on my middle. I slid across my free hand to cover it.
He threw my seized hand down so I could plant it on top. Ezra's eyes snapped from them to me.
"If you kill them, like you did his, I will gut you."
"It's not going to happen" I tried to remain firm, hearing my voice falter a little "they're mine until they are born."
He flickered again, smiling coldly.
"You think so? You can have the defected ones. I'll take what is rightfully mine. You have no say in that."
"Like hell you will!" I bristled up.
Ezra hissed, snapping his body around mine to trap it. It curled and stacked up my legs and to my hips that burned when he began to slowly tighten.
"You'll kill them!" I slammed a fist onto the scales under me.
"They can handle pressure" his eyes glinted back "it's you who cannot. What good is a snake who is more human than scale?"
"And what good is a partner who is more wife-beater than loving?" I jeered back, stabbing my nails into his scales to try and get him to retract.
"You aren't selling my babies to a dealer."
I felt my breath leave when I peered back up at Ezra. Under the snarling and threats, I heard Tawn. He had sobbed those same words over and over, trying to stop me every month I dragged myself out of that pit.
He begged and pleaded. He even tried to strike bargains. A few times, in desperation, he tried to withhold the babies from me as he crushed them to his own chest.
I had to tear them out of his hands. I'd do the same with Ezra before he could put me in that position.
Ezra was scared. So was I.
"I only need Naga. You can have the rest."
"No" he refused, slapping another layer of scales around me "no. Legged ones are defective. They are to be killed."
At least we could agree on that. But, I need the Naga too. I wasn't going through all this shit for nothing.
I had to get Ezra on my side, just like Tawn said.
"Can you see them?" I breathed.
He glared at me, not moving.
At least he wasn't constricting me. That meant he at least respected me enough to allow me that. If I wasn't carrying his babies, I'd absolutely be dead right now.
"Can you tell?" I pressed.
He grumbled, huffing again.
It wasn't a no. How much could he see? Were they just specks still?
"What do they look like?"
I lifted my hands from him to show him I wasn't going to hurt him anymore. He didn't move for a moment, slowly unravelling from my feet.
When he got to the last segment around my ribs, he kept his eyes locked onto me as he slowly released me. I breathed in gratefully, feeling that I didn't have any resistance when my lungs fully inflated.
I wouldn't bruise. No bones were broken. Even in snapping threats, Ezra was careful not to overdo it.
He could easily kill me. I felt just a fraction of his power when he squeezed me as we fucked.
"They're little suns" Ezra said as he looked down again "just round things for now. They'll take shape when they grow."
There was a little smile. He adored those lights he couldn't take his eyes from.
"How many?" I breathed.
He chuckled a little, forgetting his anger. It only returned when he lifted his face to mine briefly.
"It's too hard to tell. They're too faint."
W-were there that many?!
Maybe we could compromise then if it was going to be several? I would avoid the idea for now, but in a few more days, I could try bargaining with Ezra when they had taken shape.
He had a soft heart for these things. I could use that to keep myself safe.
"What have you been feeding them?" he grew stern again "I heard you don't eat normally."
Normally? Did he think I unhinged my jaw to eat animals, like an actual snake?
"Whatever I can afford."
He scowled. He was judging me again already.
"It's not a proper diet."
"You think?" I bit back snidely "it's either I eat what is cheap or I don't eat at all."
"I can hunt for you" he offered proudly.
I wrinkled my nose and tried not to gag at the thought of being offered a dead mouse or lizard. It would be anything but edible food.
"I'll pass. I can, uh, 'catch' my own food."
He huffed and looked around exasperatedly.
"What am I supposed to do then?" he threw a hand up at me "you're useless!"
"Because I look after myself?" I bit back "yeah, I'm the most useless person around then!"
"At least you can see it" Ezra muttered, turning from me and flicking a hand "don't let it rub off onto me. I've got things to do. Try not to get in the way, dead weight."
"Yeah, well, fuck you too!" I growled back at him leaving the room, making sure to kick his body as it moved past me.
Who did he think he was?! He was stubborn and bitter and so fucking thick-headed! And he thought he was the best thing for me? What a bloody joke!
I made sure to snatch up my clothes and step on Ezra's body when I left the room. Closing the door on it would have been great too, but I doubt it would do much damage to that thick body.
Ezra snapped back when I glared at him on my way to Claire. Promptly ignoring me, he slithered across to the other side of the roof to start pulling himself through a hole in the wall there, weaving out of sight.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67ytUkh4ld
I saw Claire watching him leave as I did. She smiled to me, trying to form some sort of bond.
"You two don't seem to be the best for friends" she piped up to comment.
"Really?" I huffed "what gave that away?"
Claire peered back, hurt. She turned back to her work.
"Have you tried talking about Juju?" she offered hopefully.
Juju? What the fuck was that?
"Wha....?"
Claire pointed up to the corner above the stairs. Following her finger, I found the outline of a hammock there. Up in it laid some sort of dark monkey hybrid in a yellow shirt, throwing a small baby upwards to coo at them.
"Juju" Claire smiled "he loves that baby to pieces."
He did huh? Another thing I could use for leverage in our coexistence.
"Is it all babies, or....?"
"Oh no" Claire chuckled, shaking her head "just Juju. It must be because of how tiny and cute she is. I love working with her. Her little hands when they grab on feel so damn cute!"
She shook with joy. I smirked at her strange reaction.
Fancy loving something that much and it wasn't even yours.
"He's nice when you get to know him" Claire hooked up a harness and checked the clamps "he's always over here asking what I'm doing and helping out with my work."
"Maybe he likes you?" I smirked.
Sounded like it. He was only tolerating me because I had something he wanted. He couldn't do that with a human girl without killing her.
"No" she chuckled and waved it aside "he just likes that I can understand him with the box."
I looked down at it and promptly unclipped it.
"You can have it back then."
"It's yours to have for the day" Claire insisted, threading down the harness to the stage below "it's old, but it should help you out and show you how to work a real one."
There was no getting rid of this thing. Forcing a smile, I shoved it back on.
"I heard you were part of the crews that went out after the Stars" Claire glanced across to me now.
I folded my arm across my bent one still clutching my clothes. Raising a brow, I saw her quickly focus back on the harness.
"Uh, I'm saying that I'm here for you if you need help" she offered "it can't be easy having to do something like that for money."
"I'm fine" I huffed back.
"And of course you are! I'm just saying that if you want someone to talk to over a milkshake or maybe coffee, I'm here."
To pry more info out of me? Or to genuinely try and become my friend? Why now? Because of that one thing?
"Didn't you go?" I asked now.
Little Claire. She wouldn't stand a chance against any of them. I had been face to face with two; slipping away by the skin of my teeth from one.
"Oh, I couldn't" she shook her head and smiled "I'm not into that sort of thing. Money is nice, but I like keeping my job and my friendships more."
That's right. Avery usually chatted to her while at the top of the chains. She looked out for him and he appreciated her immensely.
Did the other two have that sort of bond with her, even though she wasn't directly responsible for their props?
"I'm happy to see you weren't too badly scratched up" she finally finished with the harness, tugging on the supports "I've heard a lot of people are in hospital. It's horrible."
Hospital? From Avery? Or maybe Tawn? I couldn't picture Nisha doing enough damage to put someone in a hospital bed.
"The others are here, patching themselves up the best they can. I think it's more bruised egos and actual bruises than anything else."
Claire pointed a finger and I approached the railing to look down at the seats.
Scattered amongst them were the humans and hybrids that had returned from last night. They checked each other over and lounged around, chattering about their compared experiences with others.
Alowyn was down on the stage, more focused on practicing twining the ribbon around his bare foot. He was focused on his phone he studied for an example, pausing to try and copy what I assumed was one of Avery's shows.
There was no shortage of footage online. He could easily reference it and buffer through the pieces to try and copy his technique, now he wasn't here to teach him himself.
Alowyn wouldn't have gone after the Stars either. He was too good for that. He only just got slotted into Avery's spot, so it made sense for him not to chase after things he didn't quite understand.
Who else was there that hadn't gone?
Looking to the hammock, I saw it was wrapped around the hybrid and baby. It really was hard to make out when it was so high up and marched the black walls.
With a baby so young, they wouldn't have. They could easily remain out of reach and wait for everything to settle around them first.
Smart. I wish I had followed that same logic now that I knew what I had come face to face with.
"I think Bruce will want to rehire some new Stars to replace his three missing ones" Claire pondered as she flashed a thumbs up to Alowyn so he could haul himself up "what about you? Will you go for your old position?"
Years ago, I used to sing for Tawn. All I did was wear some flashy outfits, strut and tease the crowd a little, then have an epic finish. I used to be what Loreen was now, minus the added instrumental talent. We were the perfect duo. Back then, things were good until money got in the way.
I never wanted that again. Not with another venomous snake, not with anything.
Forced into Lumi's dress, I didn't even know who I was supposed to be paired up with now that Nisha was gone.
"Not again" I refused "I can't with the shakes anyway. Bruce wants hybrids, not women like me."
"Well, I think you'd be pretty popular" Claire shrugged back "you sparkle under the lights like a hybrid anyway."
My heart seized. She smiled and I returned it.
"I'd better lay off the body spray then" I joked, chuckling "before anyone gets the wrong idea."
"Relax" Claire smirked "you could never pass for one."
Sharing a giggle with her, I felt myself relax a little. My heart flopped uncomfortably as it tried to find it's rhythm again.
I should get away from the lights. Hanging around up here would only give Claire more time to study my skin and make her own decisions on what I was supposed to be.
"I should get to Costumes" I pointed, inching from the railing "uh, thank you for the translator."
"Just look after it" Claire grinned back to me "I won't be able to understand a word when he gets back, so pop around again in a few hours if you can?"
"Yeah" I nodded "sure."
Waving me off, Claire turned back to peering down at Alowyn, giving him encouragement.
I quickly marched for the ladder to carefully climb down and make my way to the dreaded department.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WqTYJiolw
Hugging my clothes close and looking through the glass into the room, I noticed how bare it was.
Oliver wasn't in his usual chair at the joined tables. His bag of favoured scraps was also missing.
Poncho's seat was bare. The machine was turned off and no light shone down on the once smiling face.
Kitty was also nowhere to be seen. The room felt empty without the presence of her familiar black fur and personalised collar. Her personality was bigger than anyone else there, plus she has been so kind and understanding when helping me out last time.
Quinn was also away. His spikes were instantly recognisable; however missing from his seat in the quiet room.
Herb, however, was still here. She beamed when she saw me, waving at the door excitedly. In a patchwork dress and sporting colourful bird-foot shaped socks, she definitely was not the type to rush out on a head-hunt with everyone else.
I saw Tally's tail peeking from the dressers as they searched for something, still oblivious to my presence.
"El!" Herb rushed over and opened the door as she smiled widely, hugging me "how are you?"
"I just came by to see if you guys need me for anything? I've got time to kill now that everyone is too hurt to work."
"Oh, it's horrible" she stepped aside to let me in "Poncho has been in the hospital all night. He said he was attacked by Luke and Levi."
Tally pulled their head from the dresser, nodding.
I blinked back, trying to process what I had heard.
"The two instrumentalists?" I breathed "guitarist Levi and drummer Luke?"
"The same ones" she nodded sadly "of all people, I thought Tawn would have done something like that, not them."
"Yeah, me too."
"One of the sound techs, Flower, was with them" Herb sighed "she's in a rough way. She stayed with them last night too."
"I think Tilly is near that department too. She joined a group to go after Nisha, after I told her not to" Tally added, retreating again "they got attacked by some giant lizard...."
A lizard? Did we even have one of those here? If Nisha was with Lumi, then why would that be at their address?
"Them?" I frowned "they both attacked more than one?"
"Oh yeah" Tally came out with his arms bundled with costumes that he dumped at the end of the tables "the guy sent Tilly, Socks, Joshua, and Tipper to the hospital. It think Libby stayed with Socks and Boyce went to visit Joshie. Kitty is down with the others, figuring out what to do next."
"And what about the ones with Flower?" I turned to Herb.
Tawn really wasn't fooling around when he said he'd try to kill anyone who got near those boys. Why did anyone else bother, knowing the massive risk when compared to either Avery or Nisha?
"Uh, the makeup artist, Lexus, and one of the dock receivers, Henry. Tore the fur right off Henry's body to try and poison him."
I grimaced with her, taking a seat at the vacant table. Tally now searched the drawers under the window.
"What about the others here?" I looked around "where's Elsie? Quinn?"
"Oh, you remembered them" Herb brightened a little, smiling "as soon as those papers got passed around, Elsie took the opportunity to leave. She didn't want any of that coming near her."
"And Quinn decided to have dinner at some pub with a few friends" Tally laughed, turning to us with scissors "I think a couple of people decided to just go out and eat to avoid it all."
I smiled now, glad that others were using their heads in ways I hadn't.
"And what about you?" Herb reached a wing towards me "how did you hold up? Your address was on there too."
I made an unsure noise, scared to even think of the state my house has been left in.
"I slept here after heading to Avery's" I spoke up "I'm kind of dreading walking through my front door; if I still have one."
I gave a chuckle. Herb found it polite to follow. Tally only smiled as he lined up one of Nisha's unitards at the gutter that ran through the table.
"How is Avery?" he asked gently "did he....?"
He gestured to his chin while looking at mine. I nodded, brushing it off with a snort.
"It's alright. Honestly, I got the best of it. He actually stabbed someone!"
"What? No!"
"Twice!" I held up my fingers "right through his hand and shoulder!"
Herb gasped and covered her beak at my enthusiasm for the details. Really, it had been terrifying to see, but now that I was remembering it all, the way Avery actually defended himself was insane. It was exciting to talk about my ordeal with someone else who hadn't been there.
"I swear, if it wasn't for that cast, I wouldn't have recognised him."
Herb frowned, deeply immersed in my story. Tally even paused as he was about to slice the material.
"He....changed?"
"Completely different person!" I exclaimed "there was teeth and white feathers all over. The guy had claws that looked like knives, for God sake! He was bleeding out of his mouth. He was making noises I had never heard before."
The gutteral screaming still rang through my mind. The sound was a tangle of the terrifying monster I faced and the scared human performer I knew so well.
"And you got out with just a scratch to your chin?" Herb breathed in awe "amazing."
"Skin of your teeth" Tally shook his head, promptly slicing the material.
I grinned, feeling myself inflate with pride.
They didn't have to know the darker details. Having their admiration was enough to make me proud of the fact I had once been brave enough to face Avery.
Never again. Last night had been cutting it way too close.
"I wonder if Bruce will stick with Alowyn, or replace him all together?" Herb pondered.
I let out a little laugh.
"He's already got a Star in Training" Tally peeled back both sides, slapping one down to slice it lengthways "why would he just push all that hard work to the side?"
"Well...." Herb lowered her voice "I heard he'll open the doors tonight for more. There's going to be a big casting call. Fans all over will be trying for a spot."
"After the shit he pulled last night?" I reeled back "when did he have the time to put out an advert?"
"Well, no-one bought them back" Herb shrugged "the show must go on. You can easily whip something up on a phone now. People will come for days, you'll see."
I groaned and rolled my eyes. Just great. I'd be stuck here with Bruce, of all people. He'd make sure I had some sort of input on who he chose. Maybe he'd force my hand, like he had with Avery?
There'd be no escaping this shit. I wouldn't doubt Alowyn being forced to sit beside him either as he found a replacement. Bruce was that cruel.
"What about the others? The ones who are in hospital?"
"They'll be welcomed back" Tally forced a smile "but it's people like us who didn't go out. To be honest, we probably won't have a job by the end of tonight."
Grimacing with Herb, she tried to remain optimistic. Her shoulders slumped and she gave a little sigh of defeat and agreed with Tally laying aside Nisha's sliced costume. He pulled Tawn's next to line it up.
"How would he know?" I spoke up.
Tally rubbed his padded fingers together on one hand while the other glided through the length of the costume.
"Money. He'll make us sell each other out; that's what I heard anyway. What for? Who knows. All I know is that the others are nervous. There was quite a few of us who went home or just stayed back."
There were? I was thinking maybe only a few hadn't been brave enough. Now the numbers were climbing, I was starting to get worried about the future of Paragon.
"Would he...?" I hesitated "...fire that many people?"
He had been faced with the choice before when Lumi and Sasha went. No-one else spoke up back then.
Would they now, after what they had also seen last night?
Herb shrugged. Tally made an unsure noise.
"If he's going to have so many people come through, he can afford to lose a few extras. He already lost our instrumentalists. Those two will be hard to replace."
I agreed with Herb.
"I just wish someone would fire him" she smiled "but that is too good to be true."
"Please make it sometime soon" Tally moaned "I'll be grey around my muzzle before it happens at this rate."
"I hear you" I giggled with them "hey. If you need anyone to vouch for you guys, I can."
Herb was genuinely shocked. She looked me over, as if I was playing a cruel prank. Tally just smiled and waved off my offer. Maybe he had been stung before, so he didn't accept help from others?
"You.... would?" Herb breathed.
Why would I? I barely knew this girl, yet here I was, sticking my neck out for her.
I guess I was too pissed off at being bossed around by Ezra that I was more than happy to help her do the same to Bruce. They both equally had disgusting attitudes.
"Sure."
Herb grinned and got up from her seat to rush around to mine and squeeze me into a hug. She crooned as she did, shaking me from side to side in her enthusiasm.
"H-hey!" I laughed, trying to break her surprisingly strong grip "I'm still sensitive, you know!"
"Oh! I forgot!" Herb squeaked and promptly let me go "I didn't go too hard, did I?"
"I'm already a puddle" I snorted, holding up my clothes in my lap "not much worse you can do."
"Here, here" Tally added cheekily.
Herb's eyes lit up as a thought formed. She turned to the door.
"Did you want to use our washers and dryers? They aren't far from here."
"They aren't the biggest, but I'm going to be running these scraps through them to get them clean for use, so feel free to put a few loads in before I do" Tally held up a portion of Nisha's and Tawn's costumes. He lined up Avery's, tearing the fabric as the scissors glided effortlessly.
The washers was what I originally came here for. My spirits rose at finally being able to find the location of the illusive machines for my own personal use.
I desperately needed to wash the undies I was currently wearing. I only had an old spare pair that wouldn't withhold that much blood.
I should call Vinnie and fill him in while I waited for the cycle to finish. It would probably be good to check in with him after I snapped at him last night.
"Down the hall" Tally pointed when I rose from the chair "take the corner and it's the one between the toilets."
Between them, ok.
"Come back when you are done" he grinned "we need to see if the restitched dress still fits and if I have to cut more material."
"Don't go too ham with the scissors!" Herb warned.
"Oh, I've been waiting forever to do this!" Tally chortled back as he cut out the crotches from the costumes and promptly held them up like trophies, tossing them into a bag victoriously to our laughter.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiZTwmOudG
Leaving those two to laugh over their antics, I rang Vinnie while following the instructions.
It didn't take him long to answer. It was as if he was waiting for me.
"Helloooooo! Kept me waiting, Bitch" his voice lifted.
"Sorry about that" I laughed back "things went about as well as you expected. I slept on a floor."
"Oof" Vinnie hissed in sympathy "we should trade places next time."
I heard a zipper. Things were being packed. He was at home.
"Are you sorting out all your clothes into one of your handbags?" I joked, trying to lighten his mood.
"Oh, ha ha" he chided back "I've got a lovely clothes bag here, instead of a garbage bag. I actually got some clean clothes too."
"Oh, shit" I gasped at his emphasis "you won't be smelling like a tramp anymore."
"Says the lady running with this scoundrel into all sorts of filthy alleyways."
"All for panties" I snorted.
"Pantieeees!" Vinnie cheered, laughing as he continued to pack.
I rounded the corner, following the next hall down.
"Are you ok, though?" I grew concerned "he didn't give you a hard time?"
"Oh, that sperm donor?" he puffed out a breath "puh-lees. He couldn't wait to get all his 'faggots' and 'twinks' out. I think he set a record, to be honest. I think he even threw a 'slut' in there. He's getting creative, El."
I groaned, hearing the hurt in his voice he tried to hide behind jokes.
"Where is he now?"
I found the door I was searching for. Pushing it open, I was met with the wonderous sight of a washer and dryer sat side by side. On shelving beside it was all sorts of powders and pods. I beamed at how my luck was already turning around for the better.
"He's either drunk on the couch" Vinnie listed "off at the pub, bitching about me to his mates, or waiting to throw me out. I'm putting money on the couch."
Leaving the laundry, I pushed into the women's toilets on the right and headed for the first stall to pull out the Barbra from my clean pants.
"Are you talking to me while you are on the toilet?" Vinnie accused as I locked it and sat down to pull my pants down.
"Noooo...."
My voice echoed. I scrunched up my face, knowing the truth was now out there.
I started to pee. It trickled in the bowl noisily, adding to the amplified sound.
I could feel the clots slipping out of me. It made me shudder at having something so disgusting push out of me like that.
"Elgress!" Vinnie gasped "take me off the toilet right now!"
I laughed with him. He listened as I wiped through multiple rolls of toilet paper, trying to get myself to some sort of state of dryness.
"I'm going to give this cream a go" I told him.
He groaned back, grumbling as I balanced my phone on the toilet paper and put it on speaker.
Ripping open the long packet, I shook out the tube and inverter that came with it. The long tube was so slender and long that it could have easily been the length of my forearm.
Paper was folded inside too. Unscrewing the cap on the tube, I used the little point in the top to pierce the seal so I could attach the inserter.
"Why is it so long?" I gasped.
"That's what she said" Vinnie giggled back.
"This thing is huge!" I grumbled to him "it's.... I could use this as a splint! And the paper....!"
Unfolding it, the thick wad just kept going and going. It stretched and fell, covering my lap and settling on the floor.
"It's a blanket!" I cried out and pulled up the closest edge "these are just symptoms?!"
"Surely it's not that bi...."
"I'll show you" I huffed and angled the phone up to take a photo covering me. Sending it across, I replaced the phone so I could flip over the sheet and see there was more writing there too.
At least there was some sort of diagram here. I had already done the easy part. The next was saying I had to insert the whole portion in a specific way and squeeze as I went down. Many other methods were listed, with crosses through them.
The whole thing? How was I going to have any cream left of it had to go so far up?
"Fuck me" Vinnie breathed, bursting out laughing.
I groaned and crumpled the paper as I tried to fold it back up again. Giving up when it kept popping undone, I just scrunched it into a wad and stuffed it into the sanitary bin beside me.
"It can't be that hard, right? Just push it in and squeeze?"
"Do you want to keep me on the phone for this?" Vinnie's voice grew uncertain.
"I need you here, in case something happens and you need to call an ambulance for me" I bit back.
"I doubt it'll go that bad" he snorted back.
Alright. Deep breath. It's not that bad. It's thin. It'll be fine.
I inhaled, grimacing as I spread myself to push the tube up.
My fingers were bloody already. I could feel it entering, moving through the blood dripping into the bowl from the disturbance.
My stomach ached. Somewhere further up, the tube hit my walls, prodding uncomfortably when I tried to push past.
There was still more to go. I didn't want to go further and risk puncturing something inside me.
What if I poked the babies? Would it even get that far up?
No, that was silly. It was probably the side it was poking.
So, it said to squeeze as I pulled it back out. I could do that.
The cream was cold and thick inside me. It started to burn, making me wince when I slid it down a portion, squeezing again.
The tube was coated in blood and chunks. I groaned at the sight when I looked down.
"Are you dying?" Vinnie asked.
"Ew" I shuddered, sliding and squeezing again "ew, ew, ew!"
The fire burned and itched deep inside me. The cream piled and dragged along with the tube.
Pulling it fully out and quickly rolling off toilet paper to wipe the creamy, bloodied tube clean.
There was still more to use. Unscrewing the inserter from the tube, I dropped them both back into the box.
I needed to wash my hands. I was already smearing blood onto the box.
At least it was done. Hopefully the bleeding would stop soon and I could continue a normal life again.
"I survived" I smiled.
"Thank fuck for that" Vinnie replied "the noise I heard...."
He shuddered, expressing it. I just pulled my clean underwear across so I could finally peel off these soaks ones.
Rolling more toilet paper, I wrapped it around the crotch area. Padding and stuffing, it was a makeshift pad in itself when I was done. Pulling it up, I felt the paper press uncomfortably into the side of my legs, reminding me of my continued predicament as I started to strip out of my old clothing.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhnm4Qqwsa
With clean clothes on and the old ones currently thudding in the washer, I finished my call with Vinnie and returned to Costumes.
I kept my legs firmly squeezed together when I stripped down and had the dress slipped over me. I was zipped in, instantly feeling the tightness in my ribs and stomach.
With approval from both Herb and Tally who circled me to admire it, I was released from the dress that was carefully hung up in where the other costumes had been torn down.
Cutting them up now that the Stars were expected not to return, the precious material was needed to produce more suitable clothes for whatever new Stars that Bruce recruited to fill the positions.
While this department waited for that process to happen, they could at least prepare swatches and layer up material into designated piles by colour.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq5aBQ9kkJ
With music blasting, I helped stack and move the material. Tally taught me how to cut them properly, and Herb gave me tips on how to sew, using the padded crotch scraps.
I only left to move my washing to the dryer, eager to get back and learn more about this department I had paid no attention to before.
Other jobs around here were actually quite fascinating. It was amazing to see how much work went into one costume, let alone a whole troop of them.
The Stars had it easy. They were dressed, powdered, and flaked for the show, not realizing every step that went into making sure they looked their best.
The flakes weren't even separated into shakers here. That was done by someone else, now that Alowyn had been relieved of the duty.
It arrived in massive bags at the dock. From there, it had to be handed off to the assigned person who had the meticulous task of weighing and pouring them into separate bottles, so it could stretch the furthest for the order.
The same was done for the ash Bruce ordered too. The person who had that unfortunate job would never have a clean item of clothing again. Showering afterwards would be a task in itself.
I'd have to find the poor soul and see how bad they looked. That would be amusing.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72gGSJZLWw
With my help appreciated, Herb and Tally dismissed me with hugs and waves.
I got to change into my warm pair of period undies and gratefully tear off the damp wad in these ones.
Snug and comfortable again, I collected the rest of my clothes so I could rush back up to the roof and get rid of this useless translator.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVkfh4rn2c
Claire was up here, cheerfully sitting on the floor to eat her takeaway food. She grinned when she saw me, patting the spot beside her and offering hot chips.
I saw Ezra had his body looped through the area behind her. He held a dead brown and white chicken on his lap that he tore the feathers from. A plastic bag sat beside him that he dropped them into. The creature was already half plucked.
"I was thinking you ran off with my translator" Claire joked, truth behind her light tone.
"Never" I shook my head and sat beside her, keeping her between me and Ezra "you can gladly take it back."
Ezra's eyes immediately left the chicken to flicker up to me.
"It's not the end of the day yet" he spoke up, turning the attention back to his lap.
I grumbled back, deciding not to tempt fate again.
Taking the hot chips, I gratefully ate my way through them. They were salted perfectly and had plenty of my favourite crunchy ones. My growling stomach was finally sated.
"Are you seriously going to eat that thing when there is real food right here?" I leant back to smirk at Ezra who kept plucking.
The feathers didn't come out easily. He really had to put some force behind each tug.
"This was for you" he kept plucking "it's edible."
"It's raw!" I scoffed back "this..." I grabbed the burger Claire had so I could hold it up and shake it "...this is cooked!"
"It's the same thing! They're both chicken!" he snapped.
He flickered his tongue, making sure.
I put the burger down and saw Claire smiling nervously between us.
"I think the gesture was nice" she sided with him.
Ezra drew himself up, turning his nose up at me.
"Thank you, Claire."
"You eat it then" I pointed a chip at her "he's got it all cleaned, just for you."
I laughed and Claire's face flushed. She giggled, picking up her burger to hide behind.
"Useless" Ezra muttered bitterly to me.
He twisted his body to support himself again, hissing viciously as he breathed. The chicken was now in a chokehold, it's head limply shaking with each movement.
"Where are you going?" Claire asked.
"To get my own food" he muttered back, glaring at me "you should be grateful! I went hungry to get you this fucking thing!"
"Well, you mustn't be very good at catching birds then" I remarked.
Ezra hissed, fangs reared. Claire squeezed her eyes closed and shrunk down while I just stared back at him, eating the chips.
He wasn't going to physically attack me with Claire here. He respected her too much.
Another leverage for me.
Crying out and hurling the chicken into the floor, he barrelled for the hole in the wall again. His tail smashed around as it slipped through, slamming into the bricks.
Claire was so tense. She had a death-grip on her burger that she was still too rattled to eat.
We just both stared at the half-plucked chicken laying there. With the force that Ezra threw it, the neck had been broken and it's body was split at one side, a little bit of intestine hanging out.
"Eww! No, I can't look!" Claire whimpered and turned her head away as she closed her eyes again.
I saw the head of the giant snake in the corner lift at the sight of it. The bird sitting within it fluffed it's feathers and jumped from the coil, stretching its wings and legs.
The noise turned Claire's attention to it. She waved over the bird frantically, pointing to the chicken when it crossed the walk between both sides.
It was the same bird who had spoken up during Bruce's bargaining for information. It was also the same one who had been first to come to Avery's call before he chose Alowyn to replace him.
The thing was so much taller up close. The eyes looked tense and cold, the massive beak dominating most of its greyish feathered face. The claws on the feet alone could carve up a person. It had hands folded across its front as it carefully walked towards us.
"Balae!" Claire whined "please!"
She flicked a finger to the chicken, looking away again when it picked it up on a rough hand, pushing back in the intestines that tried to pop out.
"Thank you for the free food" it spoke. It's eyes creased; a smile.
Claire just nodded, refusing to look.
"It's fine" I told her "she's got it."
Claire hesitantly peeked, weakly smiling as Balae taped it's way back to the walkway.
"Thank you!" Claire called, panning across to the giant snake "you too, Silera!"
The giant snake just bowed its head, refusing to speak or move.
It sure was intimidating the way it just stared over at us with those slitted eyes and serious expression. Being so large, it could easily get over here within a few seconds and swallow us whole. One little raw chicken wasn't going to keep it from starving.
Balae greeted the snake, Silera, with a press to its forehead with its own. Afterwards, Silera opened its jaw slightly so Balae could push the chicken into it, watching with a smile as Silera threw their head back to snap it down.
With that one chicken done, Balae didn't resume their position within Silvera. They tapped past the corner, jumped down to the landing, and peeled up a flap of the wall there so it could push through.
Why couldn't I have been paired with the scary bird? They looked a lot more thoughtful and understanding than the arsehole snake.
"Thank God it's gone" Claire breathed a sigh of relief "I can't do gross, gorey things."
"Yet you deal with Ezra" I noted.
"He's not as bad as you think he is" she defended now "you just have to stop being so mean to him."
"He bought me a raw chicken!" I gestured to the smear on the floor.
"And he went out of his way to do it" Claire narrowed her eyes at me "he sat here for ages, pulling the feathers off it because he believed you'd accept it, even if you didn't like it. He looked for you when he bought it back."
"He did?"
"He was proud" Claire deflated "you should have seen his face."
She cast an accusatory glance at me, returning to her food.
"Get yourself a translator" Claire held out her hand for the one still attached to me "then you'll see. He does care; you just keep shooting him down for no reason."
If only she knew the extent of it....
"I didn't want this stupid thing anyway" I slapped it into her palm "obviously you are good friends with him, so there is no reason for me to be too. This was a waste of my time."
"Elgress..."
"I'm good" I held my hands up "I've got things to do anyway. If Ezra comes back with another dead chicken, he can go share it with those guys instead."
I pointed to the far corner where the eyes still lingered.
Glaring back at them, I marched off with no destination in mind. I just wanted to be away from Claire and her biasness.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5lUunfg1e
Sitting on Tawn's cage backstage, I flicked through my phone to try and distract myself. Bitterness turned to tears that bubbled to loathing. Swiping without reading the wall of the loaded page, I just wanted to do something with my shaking hands to try and distract my brain.
Paragon was in the news again. I found the post Bruce has made, falling for new Stars. Auditions started tonight and went for three days. He had attached a picture of the empty stage.
Grumbling at it, I kept scrolling.
Nisha was in an article posted by a gossip company, asking if his actions of jumping into a pool with a lizard was seen as some act of rebellion against racism.
I zoomed in on the photo taken from the edge of the pool. The lizard he was with sure was massive. The tail alone was easily the length of him, then some.
He must have been the same one Herb and Tally were talking about. The blinded and scarred eye was a clear warning he had been in trouble before.
And the claws. They were spread out in the photo as he leapt, curved and uncut.
They'd send anyone to the hospital.
Clicking on the article, there were more photos slapped throughout. One of Nisha and the lizard lounging on chairs beside the pool. There was the one used for the article header, then another of them swimming around, the lizard mostly submerged, except for the top of his head.
Scanning through the filler, the lizard was a komodo called Barley. True to my suspicions, he had been in trouble with the law before; an old drug pet, used to guard the substances. After that, he had shed his wild ways and been up for adoption.
Nisha had been a pet with him. This article had all sorts of information dug up about the both of them, to their old names and Nisha's past as a zoo exhibit.
The stupid monkey really was fascinating now that I had everything laid in my fingertips.
I scrolled further, seeing a link for another article that questioned Nisha again for being in the lime-light with Avery and drawing attention to Paragon; a horrible place to work.
Had he actually gone out there and exposed Bruce?
This article had a video under the header. Beneath that, Avery and Nisha stood on a table that was swarmed with people looking up at them, phones raised. The komodo was also there, looking off to the side from beneath the table.
"Please don't hurt the security" Avery's voice started when I returned to the video "and please let Adrian and Lumi through...."
They were all together? This had to be right before we attacked them. Avery was stressed here, but he wasn't covered in feathers like I had seen him. His teeth were pointer slightly, but nothing like the ones covered in blood that had been a breath away.
I kept watching. Avery addressed the crowd that murmered back to him. He told them so clearly that there will be no more Paragon.
No more. They had something. Some kind of evidence against Bruce? Actual hard proof?
Avery told them about his cut wings and Tawn's removed fangs. My heart was in my throat as I listened to Nisha stop Avery, moving to the front to tell of his trafficking and life involved in the drugs the previous article had linked to.
Then, Avery spoke again. I felt my breath be snatched from my mouth.
Bruce made contracts to have them killed.
That's why they escaped. That's why Tawn was so set on forgetting his name and using his birth one when we met under the tree. That's why Avery was hurting so badly when he screamed for everyone to leave him alone; how he fought so desperately. They were both struggling, like Nisha, to desperately be reunited with their families so they could grow wild safely.
If people knew this public information, why would they come here? Did they think it was fake, or did they just believe it wouldn't happen to them?
The article linked to another about the blinding of Tawn, Luke and Levi. And that one chained further to last night's ambush that resulted in mass hospitalisation. Down the bottom, I saw an investigation was now currently underway.
From the actual police? Did this mean Paragon was going to be shut down, sooner than we thought?
I was ecstatic that Bruce would be finally getting his karma for letting the abuse and bullying go on this long, but I was also torn inside of how I was supposed to find another job and repay my debts so I could just leave it all behind in a silly van with a stupid name.
Would the police turn up tonight with the ones coming to audition? Scope everything out?
I had nothing to worry about. As long as I remained tight-lipped on my dealer and only kept my life tied directly to Paragon, I could slip away without facing any repercussions.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUlrSyFAVE
Vinnie arrived not long after, busting himself with the bar and continuing to teach Viva about the drinks.
The avoidance became clear when he reached up for the bottles on a higher shelf, pulling up his shirt and revealing the nasty bruises he had hammered into his side.
I pretended not to notice, so he wouldn't feel ashamed or self conscience. Vinnie was already trying to distract himself by doing what he loved most.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWD6zG4r3Gn
Others trickled in, either hanging around to be offered the testers Viva pumped out, or simply unsure of what to do now there were no Stars to ready for the show.
We were fragmented. The ones we cared about were either gone, in hospital, or badly injured. Others escaped by the skin of their teeth, also traumatized.
We could really use some guidance that wasn't Bruce's.
Alowyn descended down the stairs, wiping sweat from his brow with his arm. He looked ecstatic, dampening when he saw the others lingering didn't share his enthusiasm.
They lounged on the loveseat or hung off the statues. Some gathered where photos were usually taken, chosing to chatter there too.
"Blowjob?" Vinnie slid Alowyn a drink from the pile.
"You might want to rephrase that" I laughed to him as Alowyn accepted it, inspecting it.
"Ah" Vinnie snorted, nodding "would you like a Blowjob?"
"Thank you" Alowyn held up the translucent shot with the thick, foamy top and downed it, screwing up his face and sticking out his tongue, gasping.
"Too much liquor?"
"Too much salt" he coughed, blowing out his breath "I drank the ocean!"
"Lay off on the salt water a touch" Vinnie instructed Viva as she poured another, passing it across "want some normal water?"
"Please" he fanned his tongue.
Vinnie placed the false vodka bottle on the counter, pouring four cups.
Alowyn took one. He slid across mine as Vinnie gave Viva a break so they could cheers theirs.
"Here's to new talent, I guess" Vinnie shrugged.
Alowyn looked uncomfortable. His eyes dropped elsewhere briefly before he clinked his glass with ours and gulped it down greedily.
"To not being replaced" he mumbled, sipping "do you think the contacts were true? You saw the video too?"
I knew exactly what he was talking about. It had to be circulating everywhere if hybrids here were already starting to become nervous about it.
"Feather Duster, don't worry those fluffy yellows" Vinnie waved it aside "it's probably just talk. There's no real evidence yet."
"He sounded so sure about it" I commented, drinking.
"He rang me" Alowyn voiced over his glass, lowering it before he could drink "I missed the call, but this was before, you know..."
"All this?" Vinnie swept a hand to the room that Alowyn followed, grimacing.
He nodded.
"I got a message too" he sipped the water, placing it down so he could unzip his pocket and pull out his phone "here."
He turned it to show us. Down the bottom was a single bubble of text.
Don't go to Paragon. I'm not there.
Alowyn had been here though. Did he not read the message in time, or came anyway to see if Avery's message was a lie?
"I tried calling him back, but I guess that's when all the stuff was happening" he continued, pocketing his phone so he could grab his drink again.
"Did you....?" Viva pried.
"Go after them?" he finished.
She nodded and we all waited for an answer.
"I'm not going to hurt someone who helped me" his eyes grew stern "and I wouldn't dream of going after the other two. I know better than to risk my life when I have my brother and sister depending on me."
Ah, he had strong ethics and was noble. Shame. He really could have turned things around if he was there to help calm Avery down.
The drinks suddenly became more interesting.
"Thank you for the water" Alowyn gulped his down and gave back the glass "and the interesting shot. I've got to get back to it."
"Baby, there's no show" Vinnie smiled back "relax. Be my guinea pig."
He smiled back, more of a unsure one.
"I'm good" he just simply said, turning for the stairs again.
I saw his wings were bound. He quickly disappeared from sight.
What was he trying to prove? He didn't need to push himself so hard when he didn't need to impress his mentor anymore.
"Imagine if Bruce replaced him" Vinnie muttered over a shot he tossed back "after all he's done."
"I heard he can actually get off the ground now" Viva giggled, making Vinnie smile.
We nervously chuckled amongst ourselves, not knowing if any of our jobs were going to be next.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPgf2a6wZK
There was a little knock on the wall at the end of the tunnel when we were buzzing with conversation and free drinks. Everyone's heads turned, the chatter quietening instantly.
A small young woman stood there, dressed in a nice white shirt and black pants. Her brown hair was tied into a simple ponytail. The only thing outstanding were the white contacts they decided to wear to spice it up a little.
She was boring. Not the vibe we were looking for.
"Hello" she approached us at the bar "um, I'm here about the positions? I bought my resume."
She passed it to Vinnie who scanned it over. Viva leant, her eyes settling back on the woman.
"Bar staff?"
She nodded, smiling.
Was Bruce just hiring anyone now? Vinnie had gone with me to Avery, so he wouldn't lose his job, would he?
"I'll pass it to the boss when he comes down" Vinnie slid it aside with a false smile "have a drink while you wait."
"Uh, thank you."
She didn't drink, did she? She was far too nervous grabbing that shot, checking it over.
I sighed, pushing across my cup for a refill of water.
And so it started.
God damn, I hope some of us survived the new hiring wave tonight.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
