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Heidi was stumbling through the bushes outside Dakota’s house. She had grown tired of tossing and turning not able to fall asleep since she was worried about Dakota and still hadn’t heard from him. Even though the police officers assured her he was alright after speaking with him when she called them she still felt uneasy. She knew what she saw. She knew the fear that she had experienced was real. Being attacked by that man, watching him stab Dakota, it was all too real to be a misunderstanding. What had her more concerned was how many times she called Dakota’s house and the phone went straight to voicemail. Same with his cellphone. Who was he on the phone with for this many hours on end after the horrific events that happened earlier before contacting her? Or was he simply ignoring her calls? It was about three in the morning when she rolled out of her bed to investigate and now she was crouched down in the bushes peering into Dakota’s home at the witching hour. Even though she was alone and unnoticed, she was blushing heavily questioning herself as to what she was doing. Dakota had given her a key to his place long ago and she knew no matter the hour she could just walk right in, but she couldn’t this time. No, this time she spied something she couldn’t believe. While peering in through the window she could see the back of Dakota’s head as he sat on a poorly duct taped together couch and next to him was the back of another head. The head of what only could possibly be another girl with silverish white hair and what appeared to be cat ears poking out of her hair.
While growing enraged and jealous at the same time she thought to herself, what the hell? Did Dakota have a girlfriend she didn’t know about and was she playing into some perverted fantasy of his by cosplaying a cat girl of some sort? Confusion shrouded her mind as she asked herself why it would even matter. She had a boyfriend and Dakota could do whatever he wanted so it shouldn’t matter, right? If it didn’t matter though, why would he keep her a secret? Flustered at her wild thoughts she was more worried about his well being and why he didn’t contact her afterwards if he was alright. The room was dark, and the only light was coming from the television, but it was bright enough to see that the living room had been completely torn apart and poorly repaired by duct tape while the walls were littered with what looked like paper talismans you’d only see in a movie or read about in a book.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqsV8bgCmj
“What’s going on?” she quietly whispered to herself as she tried to adjust the way she was crouched so she could comfortably get a better look. Her long black sleeve shirt hugged her body while she attempted to poke her head past the corner of the window to get a better view of what was going on. She felt so embarrassed sneaking around like a cat burglar when she knew any other time, she’d just kick the door in and demand answers as why to Dakota hadn’t contacted her. But something was different this time.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxY03TObIWI
A documentary about science and space was playing on the television while Kōkishin’s eyes were glued to the tv as she was amazed by the pictures of faraway galaxies and learning about the interworking of atoms and their involvement in the construction of the universe. As the documentary came to an end Kōkishin shot up off the couch and shouted, “No! It’s over?!” I want to know more! I demand this box of magic to tell me more.” She flopped back down with a look of disappointment as Dakota stood up and began to remove the dishes that covered the coffee table in front of them.
“It’s not a magic box. It’s a television and I can’t control what comes on it. The television station controls what airs on it,” Dakota said as he walked away into the kitchen.
“Well, how do I get in contact with the television station to tell them to show me more?” Kōkishin asked.
Dakota’s voice rang out from the kitchen as he said, “You really can’t, but we can find another documentary to watch instead.”
Kōkishin grew irritated from not getting her way as she said, “Fine, but I don’t want to watch another one about religion. Everything you showed me about that seems like somebody made it up purposely with the intention to keep people fighting each other.”
After hearing Kōkishin say that about religion Dakota felt a bit surprised. He had shown her a documentary that covered different forms of religion from Christianity to Hinduism and everything in-between because he thought that would be more up her alley being a god and everything. “I thought you’d be more interested to learn about religion than anything else.”
Kōkishin snarled from the living room, “The way the ethereal is can’t simply be explained and defined by stories in a book. Even though I’m a god, there are still things I don’t understand, so for humans to have so many different variations of the same stories that ultimately lead to the same ending is ridiculous.” She sat there puzzled for a moment before saying, “It’s no wonder gods are vanishing, and the world is the way it is now. Humans seem to be intelligent enough to find these…” She paused for a moment before finishing saying, “atoms, but can’t seem to understand how it works outside these atoms.”
Dakota butted in as he reentered the room and said, “I think you might have learned to much in a short period of time because I think you lost me.”
“Quiet commoner!” Kōkishin erupted. “I wasn’t finished speaking yet!” Kōkishin abruptly fell off the couch and rolled onto the floor and under the coffee table so she could attack Dakota’s feet before continuing to shout, “You really like to interrupt me don’t you!” While she began to harass Dakota’s feet and legs a sudden noise from outside the window startled her as she shot up off the ground and shouted, “INTERLOPERS!” as she grabbed onto and hurled the coffee table at the window. The coffee table, with all its various contents still sitting atop it, went crashing through the window and sailing onward outside into the night.
Dakota stood there in shock, fear, and a bit of amazement thinking about how one minute he was going to have to defend his legs and feet from Kōkishin’s ongoing cat like attack against him to watching his coffee table sail out the window. Before Dakota had the chance to say anything Kōkishin pounced to the windowsill and sat atop it like a cat avoiding the broken glass as she peered into the night searching for whatever made the noise.
“Damn it, Kōkishin! You can’t just throw my things out the window breaking it over a--,”
Kōkishin interrupted him and declared, “Found the intruder!” as she pointed down directly outside the window.
Dakota was surprised to learn, after running over to the broken window, that Heidi was crouched down below the window with a bright red face. Just as Kōkishin was about to say something Dakota asked, “Heidi?”
“Oh, hey,” Heidi said nervously.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Dakota asked.
Heidi formed a nervous smile while she responded, “Oh you know, just hanging out in the bushes.”
“At three thirty in the morning?” Dakota asked.
“Yep, I um, was just wondering,” as Heidi was talking, she was looking up at Kōkishin who was still perched in the shattered window staring directly at her, she noticed she didn’t have normal human ears. The cat ears she had seen from behind earlier weren’t a form of cosplay or attached to a headband but real. To her surprise she even had a silverish white tail that was defying gravity if it were to be fake because it was standing up on its own and casually waving about like a real cat. She continued, “I was just wondering if I uh, I mean if you were,” before she could finish, she passed out from shock in front of them.
Kōkishin watched as Heidi’s body slouched over from passing out as she said, “What’s wrong with her?”
Dakota jumped over the ledge of the broken window and began to scoop Heidi up in his arms while he said, “I don’t think it’s every day that people just happen to see a cat person demigod or whatever. More importantly, why the hell was she outside my house sneaking around in the bushes at almost four in the morning?” After picking up Heidi out from the bushes he turned around and asked, “And why did you throw my coffee table out the window? My house has already taken enough of a beating tonight already.”
“I was protecting the premises from intruders!” Kōkishin replied with an annoyed tone in her voice. “Also,” she added, “I didn’t know there was an invisible wall in the way.” In a fit of embarrassment, she turned her head and looked away from Dakota.
“There wasn’t an invisible wall in the way. There was a window in the way. You know a window made of glass?” Dakota scowled.
“What’s a window?” Kōkishin asked.
Dakota walked around the front of his house with Heidi in his arms and entered through the front door. By the time it took him to re-enter the living room from the front door, Kōkishin had already taped up the window with duct tape the way you’d expect to see a car window taped up if the glass was missing. Even the coffee table was back in its place with everything back on top of it. Except, it was covered in dirt and grass from being thrown out into the yard and was obviously damaged. Dakota knelt down and laid Heidi down on his couch and turned to Kōkishin and said, “When it’s this early in the morning and you make that much noise the neighbors might call the police you know. You can’t just throw things out the window at the slightest sound just because there might be an interloper on the other side.” Dakota stood back up and asked, “You really don’t know what a window is?”
“I don’t know,” Kōkishin said a bit uncertain. She looked at the broken glass in front of her on the ground and asked, “What is all that debris on the ground?”
Dakota left the room and returned with a broom and dustpan as he said, “That is broken glass. That’s what was in the window keeping the elements of nature outside and from coming in the house.” He swept up the mess as he explained more in depth what a window made of glass was and its purpose. While Dakota was explaining a glass window to Kōkishin, Heidi regained consciousness and sat straight up on the couch. Dakota and Kōkishin were both startled at her sudden movement as they quickly glanced over at her. Heidi slowly turned her head and looked past Dakota and stared straight at Kōkishin.
“What, … what are you?” Heidi asked nervously. “What’s going on?”
Dakota answered, “She is a god named Kōkishin.”
“This is some sort of hyper realistic perverted cosplay fantasy of yours? Right?” Heidi questioned in a daze of shock as she still glared at Kōkishin.
With a condescending smile, Kōkishin smirked at Heidi as she said, “Getting a good enough look human? Are you marveling at my beauty or just simply lost in jealousy?”
“Neither!” Heidi shouted embarrassingly. “I was simply worried about Dakota and coming to see if he was okay.”
“What, at three thirty in the morning sneaking around in the bushes like a rodent?” Kōkishin sassed while she maintained her grin.
Dakota quickly butted in before Heidi could say anything in return to Kōkishin, “Alright, if we could all settle down, I can explain everything. Heidi, this is Kōkishin. Kōkishin, this is Heidi.”
Kōkishin interrupted, “I don’t need an introduction. I know exactly who she is.”
“How do you know who I am?” Heidi demanded. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you. Have you been stalking me?”
Kōkishin laughed. “Stalking you? I found you in our bushes after all!”
A dreadful expression came over Heidi’s face as she asked Dakota, “What does she mean by OUR bushes?” She stood up off the couch and pointed at Kokishin while giving a look of impending doom towards Dakota and shouted, “Are you saying this perverted hentai girl moved into your place overnight and you didn’t even think to tell me?!”
“She’s not a perverted hentai girl and it’s complicated,” Dakota said assertively.
Kōkishin cut in, “I’m only as perverted as Dakota is.” Kōkishin rolled over on the floor in a seductive manner. “After all, we are soul bonded.”
Heidi’s face grew bright red as she said, “I think I have to go.”
Dakota fired back at Heidi, “What are you talking about? You sneak over here at three thirty in the morning and now you’re just going to leave before I can explain anything?”
“I, … I came over to see what the hell was going on. The police said you were just fine which seemed bizarre given I saw you get stabbed and you told me to run and call the police. Then I see you with some skank through the window wearing fake cat ears with an animatronic tail. Not to mention the coffee table comes crashing through the window!” Heidi stopped to catch her breath before saying, “It looks like you’re fine and I must be having some kind of nervous breakdown and mistook the events that happened earlier.”
Before Heidi could move towards the door Kōkishin hopped onto her feet and blocked her from leaving. “Hold on a second. I don’t know all the things you just called me, but I can tell by the malice in your voice they weren’t compliments.”
“Kōkishin, she doesn’t understand what’s going on!” Dakota stammered.
“Shut up Milksop! I don’t let anyone insult me and get away with it. I don’t care if you’re in love with her, she needs to know her place when speaking to a god!”
“I’m not in love with her! What the hell Kōkishin?!” Dakota shouted.
“Oh, don’t kid yourself. I know everything you know. I can remember everything you can. Every thought you’ve ever thought about her. Every dream you’ve ever conjured up in that tiny little head of yours. Every perverted—”
Dakota punched a hole in the wall next to him as he shouted, “Stop, god damn it!”
Heidi and Kōkishin both stopped and looked over at Dakota with a look of horror. Dakota’s arm had transformed like before and was glowing with a purplish miasma while his hand was penetrating the wall. The rest of Dakota’s body had remained normal but even Dakota was shocked by the small transformation.
After a moment of awkward silence, Dakota finally said, “Kōkishin, I guess lives here now, but we aren’t together. I mean, like we are but not romantically. After you ran, I pulled the knife out of my stomach that the man stabbed me with and stabbed him back. Even though I got him, he seemed completely unphased by being stabbed.” Dakota pulled his hand from the wall, and it seemed to be normal again. “After that he stabbed me again and threw me in the channel and I washed up ashore on some bank in the woods.”
Kōkishin abruptly interrupted his story and said, “Then he stumbled upon my shrine and in his dying breath begged me to spare his life! And poof here we are!”
Heidi stood there dumbfounded. “Am I really supposed to believe that?”
“Didn’t you just see what my arm did? How would you explain that?” Dakota said with a quiver of fear in his voice.
“I don’t know.” Heidi plopped back down on the couch and covered her face with her hands. “So much has happened today this must be a dream.”
Kōkishin grew annoyed as she questioned, “What is the matter with you humans? Something incredible happens to you and you assume you’re dreaming or died and gone to hell.” She pointed at Dakota and said, “You need to stop destroying your own home,” then she pointed to Heidi and said, “And you, you are an interloper stalking about in the night and have been apprehended. You are now my prisoner. So, you aren’t allowed to leave.”
Heidi laughed out loudly as she pulled her face from her hands, “I’m your prisoner? Get real.”
“I am real, you sharped tongue harlot.” Kōkishin said sourly.
“You’re not that smart are you?” Heidi asked resentfully.
Kōkishin started to grow angry as she said, “I was smarter than you ten thousand years before you were ever thought of being conceived.”
Heidi said in the most cat like voice she could conjure, “Aw, are you getting myad?”
An aura of purple and pink began to swirl around Kokishin as she began to slowly transform back into her battle-ready form from earlier. “I’ll turn you into fertilizer—”
“Bring it slut, I’m not afraid of whatever the fuck you are!” Heidi shouted as she jumped to her feet and took a fighting stance.
Dakota finally jumped in between them and snarled, “Stop it you two. You’re going to cause me to turn into a monster again!” His body was partly transformed on one side of his body before Kōkishin, or Heidi had noticed.
Kōkishin shouted back, “I’m angry because I can feel your anger asshole!”
Dakota shouted back, “I’m angry because you two won’t stop it!”
Heidi shouted, “I don’t know why I’m angry!” She then fell backwards onto the couch again and fell silent.
After another moment of awkward silence Dakota asked, “Asshole? Really? Your vocabulary sure has evolved since I met you.”
Kōkishin said, “I feel like I’ve said it a hundred times. I know what you know, pleb.”
“Well, if that’s true how come you didn’t know what the television was or the window?” Dakota asked.
Heidi laughed as she pulled her face back out from her hands, “She didn’t even know what the window was?”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiayZWEJ53
Kōkishin began to talk over Heidi as she shouted, “Can we stop about the fucking window?”
“Really Kōkishin? You’re going to say fuck?” Dakota sighed.
Kōkishin huffed and said, “Yeah I am!” She pointed at Heidi and said, “She said it first, and it sounded fucking cool.”
“I just don’t think it’s a word a god should say.” Dakota said.
“I don’t really care what a human thinks a god should say,” Kōkishin snarled. Another awkward moment began to brew before it was broken by Kōkishin randomly saying, “Fuck!” She then began to say it in different ways and trying it out in various sentences.
Heidi then asked, “If you really are a god, and claim to know everything Dakota knows, why didn’t you know about the tv or the window?”
For the first time with out malice in her voice towards Heidi she answered, “Because I’m new to this too. All his memories come in waves and are random at times. It seems the first memories I experienced must have been the more important ones.”
Heidi responded, “Okay, but if you’re a god why didn’t you know already?”
Kōkishin said a bit hesitantly, “Look, I watched a documentary about religion and gods don’t just know everything. Not all gods at least. There isn’t just one God that controls everything. It’s more complicated than that.”
Heidi tried to stop herself from laughing while she asked, “So are you the god of the cat people and are you going to start saying things like nyan or meowster?”
As Kōkishin began to shout again, Heidi stopped listening as she looked around Dakota’s home. She noticed all the talismans and holes in the wall slathered with copious amounts of duct tape. She thought to herself even if everything else was staged or somehow pulled off with hyper realistic effects, the damage she was witnessing around the house seemed real and unobtainable by any normal means.
Kōkishin’s voice began to become present again as to Heidi as she heard her mid-sentence say, “Shaking those ankles around like some prostitute in your half pants.”
Heidi and Dakota both erupted into an uncontrollable laughter as Kōkishin stood there embarrassed and enraged. After a good minute of laughter Heidi suddenly sprang at Kōkishin and hugged her tightly and she began to cry out, “I don’t understand what’s going on or what you really are but if you saved Dakota thank you.”
Surprised and blushing, Kōkishin exclaimed, “What are you doing you uncouth vermin?!”
Heidi continued to squeeze Kōkishin tighter as she said, “I know what I saw and I saw him get stabbed so whatever magic you used thank you.”
Dakota was shocked at Heidi’s sudden change in reaction toward Kōkishin as he stated, “I didn’t see that coming.” Just as fast as he could speak, his face was met with the sudden embrace of Heidi’s fist as she spun around and punched Dakota in the face sending him backwards onto the ground. As he lied there on the ground, Dakota looked up at Heidi and asked, “What the hell?”
Heidi said angrily, “You didn’t call or text or even send as much as a smoke signal to let me know you were alright.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfeC8x2SzY
Dakota sighed while holding his face, “I was going to get around to it…”
Kōkishin said surprisingly, “Wow, I could almost feel that one.”
Dakota got to his knees and fumed as he said, “You didn’t have to hit me in the face.”
“Well, if Ms. Kitty over here can heal your knife wounds than she can heal your face.”
“I didn’t exactly just heal his wounds. We soul bonded and as a result it fortunately stopped his death.” Kōkishin interrupted.
While still holding his face Dakota said, “You say that as if you weren’t sure it would have actually saved me.”
Kōkishin said, “Honestly I didn’t. But for both our sake it was worth a try.”
As Kōkishin and Dakota bickered, Heidi sat back down on the couch and picked up the remote covered in dirt and grass and turned the channel on the television. After flipping through a few channels, she stopped on an HBO channel that was playing Star Wars. The sudden sounds of the blasters and the hum of a light saber instantly caught Kōkishin’s attention. Dakota continued to argue with himself as Kōkishin lost all interest as she slowly moved over towards the couch and sat next to Heidi with her gaze focused on the television.
Dakota stopped talking as he watched in amazement while Kōkishin and Heidi sat there together on his refurbished couch of duct tape and watched Star Wars.
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