[Art, Short Stories] CK's Thread O' Amateur DMFA/Tapewolf-Based Fanart & Stories

[ZacAttac21]

...I never was good with titles. And yeah, emphasis on "Amateur."

DISCLAIMER: None of what you see here is necessarily canon. I will endeavor to make my creations as canon as possible, but I'm no expert on what's canon and what's not. You have been warned.

Also, these are works of fiction and should be treated as such. Any resemblances to actual people or events are a darn shame.

Blah blah blah whatever. Anyway, this thread will be my own little showcase for my fanart and short stories based on the DMFA and Project Future/Epsilon universe. Mostly PF/PE. Most of them will revolve around my own custom Clan Daryil character, who I will introduce in the next box below.

Note that when I say short stories, I mean short stories. In fact, I'm not even sure they could be considered stories at all. They're more like "glimpses" into the life of my character. Also note that they are not necessarily arranged in chronological order. I'll try to provide a time frame for each one.

Special thanks to Tapewolf for helping me with my writing.

Also, since this is my first time ever creating my own full-blown thread, let me know if there's anything I can do to improve the layout and stuff like that.

I hope you all find my crap amusing!

Ben Buran-Daryil and his family © me. DMFA © Amber Williams. Daryil and his clan © Tapewolf.

Profiles of my original characters:
Ben...the next post!
Michael
Jesse and Clan Cin'Thra
Tomara

List of stories in chronological order:
"Monsters"
"The Blood Price"
                          }"First Night" (Epilogue)
"The Interview"
"Ben's Brother"
"Ben's Brother, Part 2"
"The Big Day" (My personal favorite!)
"Head Games"
"Breaking and Exiting"
"Nightmare Within the Dream"
"Regina"
"Sole Reaper"
"Intruder"
"Search and Rescue"

[ZacAttac21]

So, here we go! Before I get anywhere here, I must introduce my own member of Clan Daryil. This was the first thing I have drawn in years, so I used Merlin's style as a reference. Of course it's nowhere near her level, but I like the way it turned out. (Usually I get to a part I can't get to look "right" and I just scrap the whole thing.)

I think I discovered my greatest artistic weakness with this piece: feathered wings. I always thought I was bad at drawing feet, but... those feathers, man... those feathers...

And before anyone points it out, yes, I know his color scheme is very similar to James Starrunner's. But my favorite color is blue, and my actual hair is blonde, so...

Anyway, here goes! (Full-size image here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13042939/)



"Like the wings? I just got them."

Name: Benjamin "Ben" Buran-Daryil

Age: 45 (at the time of Project Epsilon)

Family: Tomara Daryil (wife), Michael (son), Frank Buran (father), Lynn Lu'Fenah (mother), Katherine (sister), Lynn (sister), Timothy (brother)

Race/Species: Cubified Fox Being

Profile:
-Ben was born Benjamin Buran to Frank Buran, a fox Being, and Lynn Lu'Fenah, a unicorn Angel.

-His blue fur comes from his mother, and his blonde hair from his father.

-Out of his siblings, only his brother Timothy was born half-Angel, but he was sickly and died young. However, he was brought back just a few weeks later as an android.

-While originally a Being, he did inherit some slightly enhanced magical powers from his mother along with lifespan about double that of a normal Being.

-A natural-born prankster (idolizes Daryil in that regard) and spellcaster. Particularly skilled with illusion spells. Capable of casting such spells without using his hands.

-Was an adventurer-mage for several years. Retired when he settled down with his wife.

-His childhood best friend/rival is a Clan Zezzuva incubus.

-Likes to read (also inherited from his mother?) about Creatures. Owns a small library's worth of books about them.

-Not yet used to his wings, which only contribute to his klutziness. Absolutely loves them, though.

-His wife Tomara decided to try one of Cass's stunts...once. It went horribly wrong. Daryil originally "forced" her into a relationship with Ben as penance, but the two actually wound up  getting along very well.

-If you look closely, you can see part of his clan mark on the backside of his right ear.

-Friend of Lisa Daryil.

-Currently a part-time student and magic tutor at Illiath's academy along with his son Michael, who is a full-time student.

-His headwings tend to pop out when he gets really excited. As such, he's terrible at Poker.

-Likes to refer to himself as a "half-'cubi."

[ZacAttac21]

This is the first story I ever had in mind about Ben, so hopefully it doesn't suck. It was meant to showcase the part of his profile about his skill in magic and illusions. It takes place not long after he and his son join ISIS.

Jesse Cin'Thra and Cin'Thra clan © me.

Illiath Taun © Tapewolf

----------"Head Games"----------

Ben cut through the ISIS gymnasium with a nearly-identical incubus in tow. Self-defense class was in session, and several 'cubi were sparring with each other. One particularly well-built armadillo incubus stood a head and shoulders above the rest, letting out a booming laugh after knocking his opponent to the mat. Ben and his companion stopped to look at him.

After a brief moment, Ben turned slightly and said, "Hey, Mike... Who's the giant?"

The blue-furred fox incubus next to him spoke while still staring at the armadillo. "Hmm...big armadillo incubus... I believe his name is Jesse... Jesse Cin'Thra? I hear he's not exactly a bully, but he loves to fight and can be a bit overbearing all the same."

"Cin'Thra? Makes sense. That clan's affinity is for Pride, and almost all of its members are adventurers. And if that guy's not an adventurer, I'll eat my iPawd."

Jesse could clearly be heard over the din of grunts and bodies colliding. "Who's next? Come on, I need a real sparring partner!"

Ben smirked. "Go on ahead to class, Son," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I feel like trying my luck."

Michael covered his face with his palm. "Seriously, Dad? I know you were an adventurer, but you're a rogue, not a warrior. He'll wipe the floor with you!"

Ben looked at his son, his trademark sly grin on his face. "My boy, I've taught you much. But I haven't taught you everything." Michael just threw his hands out in exasperation as his father trotted over to the armadillo.

"Hey, Goliath!" Ben called, folding his arms. "I'll take you on!"

The eight-foot-tall armadillo just put his hands on his hips and snorted as he looked down at Ben. "Hah! You? You couldn't even tickle me, bean pole! But lucky for you, I'm in a sporting mood today. I'll even let you make the first move. How's that sound?"

"Jackpot," Ben thought. "You're on." Ben stepped onto the mat and began doing some warm-up stretches.

By now a small crowd had gathered around to watch Jesse in action. Michael could swear he overheard a few of them making bets. The armadillo just grinned wickedly and cracked his knuckles. "All right, little boy blue," he crowed, "it's your move."

Ben leaped at Jesse, the tips of his wing-tentacles forming into fists. But before anyone could blink twice, Jesse had surged forward, delivering a jarring punch straight into Ben's gut. Ben flew backward almost clean off the mat, landing flat on his back.

Feelings of disappointment and pity permeated the air. A few members of the crowd started to leave and Jesse let loose another booming laugh. His laughter was cut short when Ben suddenly jumped back to his feet. In the crowd, only Michael looked unsurprised—he knew when his father was fighting, nothing was necessarily quite as it seemed.

Jesse almost looked surprised for a moment, but his wicked grin quickly returned. "Well well well," he said, "maybe you can entertain me after all! Come on, try again!"

Once again Ben leaped at his opponent, and once again he was handily rebuffed. But, he got back on his feet again. And again. And again. By the time Ben got back on his feet for the twelfth time, Jesse's grin had disappeared. He started delivering harder and harder blows every time Ben came at him.

Suddenly, a sharp CRACK was heard throughout the gym. The air quickly saturated with feelings of horror and confusion. Jesse looked visibly shaken for the first time, his huge wings trembling slightly. Even Michael started to radiate fear.

On Ben's twentieth attempt, Jesse had lost his patience. He had delivered a haymaker that twisted Ben's head around far further than it should have been able to. Ben lay belly-up on the mat, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape. His neck was clearly bent at an unnatural angle.

One of the instructors rushed over to Ben. "S***, someone get the nurse in here, now!!" She started to bend over Ben, but suddenly jumped back. The horror in the room spiked even higher. All wings were fluffed out and every eye in the gym was on Ben.

He had risen to feet again, his head dangling limply on his shoulders. His eyes still staring blankly, a smile slowly formed on his muzzle. Then, he began to giggle. Giggling turned to chuckling. Chuckling turned to howling, maddened laughter. After a few moments, Ben finally stopped laughing and spoke. "Ah, it's so good to be a 'cubi," he said, his hands reaching up and adjusting his head until it popped back into place. "The fear in this room right now is to die for."

Jesse just stood there in abject disbelief. He didn't even notice when Ben's wing-tentacle shot out, knocking him square in the jaw. The armadillo crumpled backwards, not knocked out but definitely stunned.

"Aaand... CUT!!! Nice job everyone, that's a wrap!"

Everyone turned toward the voice, and everyone did a double-take. The emotions in the room flipped completely from fear to confusion. Behind the crowd were two more Bens, one standing on a stepladder holding a camcorder and the other sitting in a director's chair with a bullhorn, his headwings shapeshifted into a beret. Then both the fighting Ben and the director been vanished, and the remaining Ben stepped down from the ladder, switching the camcorder off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Several minutes later, Ben and Michael walked down the hallway out of the gym. They had been forced to stay in the gym for a few moments as an instructor berated Ben for pulling his little stunt. Fortunately, everyone had been too stunned to stop him and ask questions.

Ben hummed a tune and skipped lightly, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, Michael asked, "Okay, what the heck was that back there?"

Ben turned around and started walking backwards as he spoke. "Oh come on, Son. You know much I love messing with peoples' heads."

"Your illusion. How the heck did you get Jesse to feel it every time he touched your illusion? And how could we hear it talk for that matter?"

Ben's smile became sly again. "Magic ventriloquism. I can throw my voice and 'throw' my punches."

Michael just glowered at him.

"Okay okay, sheesh. It's an old ninja trick." With a puff of magical smoke, Ben summoned a life-sized wooden marionette. As Mike watched, the puppet shimmered, before taking on Ben's appearance and standing up on its own.

Michael actually looked impressed for once, but he was cut short as the second bell rang. "Dangit Dad!! We are late for class now!"

Ben's headwings fluffed out and the puppet disappeared in another puff of smoke. "Oh shoot, we'd better move then. Come on Son, I'll race ya!" he said and dashed to the end of the hall and around the corner.

Michael just rolled his eyes and picked up his pace, but did not run. From around the corner, he heard what could only be the sound of Headmistress Illiath stiff-arming his father to the ground for running in the halls. He just shuffled right past his fallen father and continued down the next hall.

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

This story was meant to touch on the part of Ben's profile about his little brother Timothy being brought back to life as an android. It takes place after Ben's son Michael has been born, about 5 years after the events of Project Future.

----------"Ben's Brother"----------

Ben dialed a number into the comms screen in the basement of his new house. He hadn't been keen on using the number before. From the way Lord Daryil had handed it to him on a slip of paper, Ben was sure he would try to seduce him again if he ever used it. But, this was too important to hesitate.

Daryil appeared on the screen. Sure enough, he was reclining on a red satin sheet-covered bed, surrounded by rose petals and wearing only a collar and an extremely tight pair of well-polished black latex pants that weren't even buttoned. Only a hip-wing spared Ben from seeing too much. Ben's gaze snapped to the side and his normally blue-and-black ears blushed pink.

Daryil grinned seductively and spoke in a soft voice. "Well hel-lo there Ben. So nice to see you again. Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"S-sorry, Milord. I still don't think I'm ready to 'give it a try' just yet."

Daryil sighed, but didn't look terribly disappointed. "Ah well, it was worth a shot. Well then, why are you calling?"

Ben's face fell. "Actually, something has happened that I've been wanting to talk to you about. There's been... a death in my family."

Daryil shot up into a sitting position, his headwings fluffed out and rose petals flying. "Not little Mikey!"

"What? Oh, heck no. Mike is just fine, thank goodness." Ben struggled to look at Daryil. "It's my brother. His heart finally up and stopped last week."

Daryil let out a sigh of relief. "So, you want an android body for him, I presume?"

"If it's not too much to ask..." Ben finally looked at Daryil and began to ramble. "I mean, you've already done so much for me and I don't want to bother you for anything more but it would mean so much to me and my..."

Daryil held up a hand. "Ben. Relax. I owe you more than you realize for giving my daughter a loving husband and giving me a new son. I would be happy to give your brother a new body. Of course, we'll have to run it by the Being-Creature Commission first, and... Unfortunately, we can't just give away android bodies anymore..."

Ben waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not worried about that. He's got two parents and three siblings who would be more than happy to help him pay for it. Heck, I bet even my mom's parents would help. I'm more worried that you might not want to bring him back."

Daryil looked affronted. "Why wouldn't I want to bring him back? At the baby shower, he seemed like a perfectly amicable guy! And besides..." he continued, his seductive grin returning. "He's kinda cute..."

Ben's expression turned into his trademark sly grin. "My brother wanted to be a marine biologist."

----------END----------

R.I.P. Caleb

[ZacAttac21]

I had a lot of fun writing this one. This is the story of the day Ben was Cubified. It takes place about 5 years before Project Epsilon.

Jakob Pettersohn © Tapewolf.

----------"The Big Day"----------

“Happy 40th, Ben!!”

Ben had just arrived home from his job at the radio station. His wife Tomara, a coeurl succubus, and his son Michael, a not-yet-mature incubus who could almost be his double, had decked the house in blue, black, and white decorations while he was away. A banner strung over the kitchen doorway where his family was standing read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”. He wasn’t really surprised, but he humored them anyway.

It had been a big year for the Buran-Daryil family. Earlier that same year, Michael’s clan mark—the mark of Lord Ikaarion Daryil—had appeared on his right knee on his 17th birthday.

Ben grinned from ear to ear and trotted over to his family. Tomara’s Warp-Aci, Caisi, flitted happily over their heads chanting "Cake day! Cake day!" as he hugged them both and said, “Aww, you guys remembered! I’m so happy!”

Tomara smirked. “Hey, just because I’m more than seven times your age doesn’t mean I would forget your birthday,” she said, sticking out her tongue.

Ben looked at her and grinned his trademark sly grin. “Seven times, huh? And yet you still don’t look a day over two hundred.” Tomara just elbowed him.

Michael rolled his eyes and gestured toward the kitchen table. “Wanna open your present now, Dad?”

Ben looked to the table. In the middle of it sat a hat box wrapped in metallic blue paper. “Present? Singular?” he said, his expression feigning disappointment. This time both Tomara and Michael elbowed him. “Ow, okay okay, I’ll open it!” he said and hopped over to the table. He looked the box over for a moment, then picked it up and shook it. He couldn’t hear anything inside.  His wife and son just rolled their eyes.

Finally, Ben set the box back down and tore off the wrapping paper. He opened the lid… and quickly jumped backward as a hand clad in an arm-length black leather glove popped out and smacked him right in the forehead with a stick. “What the…” he began, rubbing his forehead with both hands.

“That’s for shaking me up like that!” a voice said. Ben lowered his hands to see Lord Daryil himself climbing out of the hat box like something out of a cartoon. He was dressed in his tight black leather ensemble—the kind he only wore to… special occasions. The stick he had hit Ben with morphed into a riding crop.

“Wha… You… Lord Daryil!? What are you—I mean, I’m honored, but what are you doing here??” Ben sputtered. “Wait… No, you couldn’t be here to… My wife’s standing right there!!” he said, gesturing his hands toward Tomara.

Daryil rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not here to do that, silly! Unless, of course,” he continued, a seductive grin forming over his face, “you or your son want me to…”

Both Ben and Michael’s ears turned pink and Tomara just rolled her eyes. Ben breathed a brief sigh of relief and spoke, “Okay, well then why are you here? Did you really come all the way out here just to celebrate my birthday?”

Daryil’s seductive grin turned sly. “Why, I’m here for the ritual, of course! You can’t perform the ritual if I’m not present!”

Ben looked puzzled and started rubbing his forehead again. He had felt funny ever since Daryil had hit him, but he couldn’t figure out why. Oddly enough, he also felt a draft on his back. “Ritual? What…” Ben trailed off and froze, his eyes widening. Slowly, his hands moved to the back of his head. He felt feathers.

A small pair of wings had appeared on the back of his head, and a much larger pair on his back, destroying the back of his shirt.

From outside the house, a high-pitched squeal could be heard before Ben burst down the front door, howling like a maniac and sprinting down the street, pumping his fists in the air.

Back inside the house, Tomara was still reeling from the explosion of joy Ben had given off. Michael just stared dumbstruck out the front door. “Ohhh-kaayyy… Where the heck is he going?”

Daryil just smiled and pointed at the TV, which flickered on. “Happy birthday, Ben,” he said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Jakob sat on his sofa watching his TV. It was noon—the news was just starting. One of Daryil’s avatars sat next to him, staring intently at the screen with a smile on his muzzle. Jakob wondered uneasily why Daryil was suddenly so interested in the news.

“Good afternoon,” said the anchor, a moose Being. “Today’s top story: Hazpro, leading worldwide toy company based in Ha’Khun, has initiated a massive recall of the wildly popular new Johan Cross action figures that began shipping just last week. Hazpro management has declined to comment on why. In other news…” His voice trailed off and there was some commotion off-camera. The moose looked away from the camera and his face fell. “Ohhh, not again…” he moaned before being knocked aside by a wild-eyed blue-furred fox incubus. ”I’VE GOT WINGS!!!” the fox screamed before promptly being tackled by two security guards.

Daryil grinned sheepishly. “Oh dear. I guess I’d better go bail him out.”

Jakob looked from Daryil to the TV and back again. “What the hell? Do you know that guy, Daryil?”

Daryil turned his head toward Jakob, his grin widening. “That little blue bishonen just so happens to be the newest member of our family.”

Jakob looked back to the TV. The fox was being led away by security, seemingly oblivious to the enchanted bracers on his wrists as he continued to hop and howl. ”Great,” Jakob thought, ”just what this clan needs: another crazy fox.”

“I heard that,” Daryil said.

----------END----------

[Merlin]

Haha how did I miss this! Thanks for pointing me to the thread!

I do like your character design, the blues and greys go nice together! And I certainly enjoyed the stories, particularly the last one. I have a certain weakness for short, lighthearted stories involving Daryil

[ZacAttac21]

Haha how did I miss this! Thanks for pointing me to the thread!

I do like your character design, the blues and greys go nice together! And I certainly enjoyed the stories, particularly the last one. I have a certain weakness for short, lighthearted stories involving Daryil

Indeed! Daryil's as fun to write about as he is to read about!* Pity I'm already almost out of story ideas. Pretty soon I'll shift over to art instead. That is, unless I'm not satisfied with anything I draw, as usual. (Seriously, I think I got lucky when I drew Ben.)

*The next story I have in the works isn't so lighthearted, though...

[ZacAttac21]

In the fashion of Amber before me, I decided to write up a much more serious and sadder story to throw in among the silly ones. This was the result. Not my favorite story (not enough humor!), but I thought it turned out well regardless.

It takes place much farther into the future than my other stories so far. Maybe by a few centuries or so.

WARNING: This story contains language and depictions of violence and bodily injury.

----------“Nightmare Within the Dream”----------

Ben and Tomara left Cornelia City’s finest five-star restaurant hand-in-hand. Ben had just recently graduated from ISIS with a Master’s in Magical Arts. Tomara had been planning a surprise party, but Ben surprised her first with a night out at her favorite restaurant. He was wearing the same blue tuxedo he had worn for their wedding so long ago. She was wearing a stunning red cocktail dress that was Ben’s favorite.

“Oh Ben,” Tomara said and giggled, “I never knew you knew how to dance like that!”

Ben gave a her a somewhat seductive version of his trademark sly grin. “My dear, I have yet to show you everything I learned at ISIS.” Tomara giggled and her ears blushed a little.

They walked like this for a few blocks back to their house, talking and giggling and nuzzling the whole way. As they approached, Ben caught some movement behind the rose bushes that Tomara always planted along the sidewalk. Suddenly, a rat Being jumped around from behind them, pointing a .38 Special at Ben with a wild look in his eyes.

“DIE, monster!!!” The rat fired a few shots, but Ben hadn’t completely forgotten his adventurer training. He pushed Tomara to one side and swung to the other, utilizing the speed that came with his incubus powers. He growled as a bullet grazed his arm and at the same time he fired off a stun spell with the other arm. The rat crumpled to the ground.

“Suck it, bastard!!” he shouted as he held his bleeding arm. Then he heard a faint voice in his mind. Tomara’s voice. ”Ben…” He spun toward the direction he had pushed her. She lay on the ground, eyes wide open in shock. Blood flowed from a hole in her abdomen, staining her dress a deeper shade of crimson. The soul-crystal in the pendant she usually wore around her neck glowed faintly.

Ben stared in shock. Shook himself, then looked again. He wasn’t dreaming. He just stood there staring for several moments, not even breathing. Then, with a blank look in his eyes and a drawn mouth, he slowly turned to the unconscious rat. His breaths slowly became harder and louder.

Suddenly, a bestial roar split the night, followed by a series of explosions that rattled windows and set off several car alarms. Ben screamed as loud as he could as he flung fireball after fireball at the rat, each one bursting in a blazing conflagration long after the rat had been reduced to ashes. Even all the times he had been angry in his forty years as a Being combined could not compare to the rage he was feeling now.

He continued for a few minutes, stopping only to take a breath, until a hand clad in an arm-length latex glove grabbed his shoulder. He continued to scream and flail his arms, though no fire would come from them. Then he felt another rubbery hand grab the back of his head, and the haze of rage evaporated. Only misery was left. Even as emergency crews swarmed on the scene and his lawn and bushes burned, he buried his face in Daryil’s breast and wept.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben fell to his hands and knees and began to sob. On the stainless steel table before him lay what appeared to be a coeurl succubus—his wife, Tomara. Her arms were folded over her waist and she appeared to be sleeping, her face absolutely peaceful. A fiber-optic cable ran from behind her ear to a nearby VAX 11/780 computer.

After the night Tomara had been murdered, Ben had managed to hold back his grief. But now, next to the android body that would soon be his wife’s, he finally lost it.

To his right stood Lord Daryil, holding the crystal that contained Tomara’s soul. He looked down at Ben. “Ben, what’s the matter? Your wife’s soul is right here—in just a few moments she will return to us! Why are you still so sad?”

Ben spoke through a stutter of sniffles and sobs. “I know, but… Her powers… All her wonderful powers are gone!! She truly loved being a succubus. She loved to feel the emotions of her family and friends. She loved her Warp-Aci. She loved driving me crazy with her shapeshifting. But now it’s all gone!” Ben’s hands curled into fists. “And it’s all my fault!!”

Daryil put a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, Ben, there’s no way you could have known what would happen. And besides, we’ve developed emotion sensors by now, Caisi will still be around—albeit bound to you instead of her—and our android shapeshifting technology has come a long way!”

“It’s not the same!!” Ben shouted. “If only I… If only I hadn’t been so stupid… Always parading around, showing off my headwings for all the world to see…… That… That bastard… He was targeting me! It should have been me that died, not her!! If… If it weren’t for my stupid dreams…  If I had never gotten involved with your clan, never met her, she…”

“If you had never met her, then where would I be?”

Ben turned his head to his left to look at his son. Tears streamed down Michael’s face, but he remained in control of his emotions as always.

“Ben,” Daryil said, squatting down and putting his arm around Ben. “Your son is right. Your wife loves you. Still loves you, even now. True, it won’t quite be the same. But Tomara is still Tomara. She doesn’t blame you, and neither should you. Now, are you going to keep kicking yourself until you run out of tears, or are you going to stand by your wife and help her adjust?”

Ben looked back at the floor in silence for a moment. Then, he stood up and took a deep breath. His son hugged him and a weak smile crept up his muzzle.

“That’s more like it,” Daryil beamed. “Now come on, I want you two to be the first thing Tomara sees when she opens her eyes.” Daryil popped open a port in the back of Tomara’s head and inserted the soul-crystal. Then he looked at the massive computer nearby and his fingers glowed as he moved them as if he were actually at the keyboard typing.

Tomara’s eyes slowly opened. Her husband and son embraced her, their tears wetting her artificial fur. Ben said with a slight sob, “I’m sorry.”

Tomara looked into his eyes. “Oh Ben, Daryil allowed me to hear everything you all just said. Do you still blame yourself?”

Ben smiled and wiped his tears away. “No, that’s not it.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “See, I… kiiind of vaporized your roses.”

----------END----------

......Yeah. Ben has a tendency to blame himself when bad stuff happens to people he cares about.

[Tapewolf]

I hope you're able to keep these going, they have been quite enjoyable to read.

[ZacAttac21]

Call me weird (wouldn't surprise me), but I like to attach songs to people and places. Like, "This song is totally about this guy," or "That song would be perfect for this situation." Ladies and gentleBeings, I give you: "Mad Wolf of Ha'Khun," Jakob Pettersohn's song.

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(To the tune of "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. Base song © Asylum Records.)

I saw a mad wolf with a trenchcoat on his back,
Walkin' through the streets of Ha'Khun in the rain.
He was lookin' for the place called The Smokin' Gun,
Gonna get the scoop on Mun-da-thra.

Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!
Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!

You hear him howlin' around the throne room door,
You better not wander in.
Couple weasel demons mutilated late last night,
Mad wolf of Ha'Khun again.

Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!
Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!

Huh!

He's that hairy-handed Mod
Straight from outta Lun'Don.
Lately he's been overheard in Clacton.
You better stay away from him,
He'll rip your soul out, Jim!
Huh! I'd like to meet his Leader.

Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!
Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Ah-hooooo!

I saw J. Pettersohn walkin' with Azrael,
Doin' the Mad Wolf of Ha'Khun.
Well, I saw Jakob Pettersohn walkin' with Azrael,
Doin' the Mad Wolf of Ha'Khun.
I saw a mad wolf eatin' fish at Jolly Roger's,
And his hair was perfect.

Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun, Huh! Draw blood!
Ah-hooooo, mad wolf of Ha'Khun!

[ZacAttac21]

I love it when I find openings to insert my characters into the canon story! [spoiler]For those of you who don't remember, in Project Epsilon, Professor Shreve reported that the school had fallen while they were away on the field trip. But he never said how he found out.[/spoiler]

WARNING: This story contains spoilers. You may wish to read the Project Epsilon story (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,8787.0.html) before reading this.

Also, remember that this is not canon and I had to take some liberties with Tapewolf's characters.

Falkirk, Shreve, and Richard © Tapewolf

----------"Breaking and Exiting"----------

“Drat!” Professor Shreve spat. He had been fiddling with his cell phone for the past several minutes.

“I told you it wouldn’t be easy to get reception out here!” the incubus next to him said. He was a poodle in dire need of a trim; you could barely even see his eyes from all the fur in the way.

“I have to make this call, Falkirk! You know I always call to tell my daughter goodnight whenever I can’t come home for the evening!”

They were in the middle of ISIS’ first field trip ever for all the freshmen. They had teleported away from most civilization and were now smack-dab in the middle of Moore Forest. Falkirk put his hand on his forehead and sighed.

“Right, right. Go on then, go wander around a ways and see if you can pick up a signal. I’ll take care of the students. Just don’t lose sight of the campfires!”

“I know that! I’m not stupid!” Professor Shreve walked out into the trees and Falkirk just rolled his eyes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Seriously, Dad? The ‘important thing you forgot’ was your iPawd?? You had us turn around and break back into the school just for that?!”

“It’s my iPawd, Mike! My precious! You know I can’t live without my music!”

Michael pushed his hand to his brow and growled. They had slipped away from the group at Ben’s behest and summoned Ben’s wife’s Warp-Aci, Caisi, to teleport them back to ISIS. They had climbed back in one of the windows that Ben had rigged unlocked in case one of his pranks went sour and he had to make a quick getaway.

“Fine,” Michael whispered, “we’re already here, so we might as well just get it and get out. Where did you leave it?”

Ben twiddled his fingers. “I’m not sure. I had it in Basic Magic class, when I was so bored ‘cuz they weren’t teaching anything I didn’t already know. And then there was the gym, when Jesse was shooting hoops with me. Oh, and the cafeteria.”

Michael sighed. “Well then, we’ll split up. I’ll take the classroom. You take the gym…”

“And I’ll take the cafeteria!!”

Michael spun toward the giant armadillo incubus and hissed, “Will you keep it down, Jesse! What part of ‘we’re not supposed to be here right now’ did you miss? And why are you even with us anyway?”

Jesse put his hands on his hips and grinned hugely. “Your father and I fought in honorable combat! That makes me and him brothers now!”

Michael looked nonplussed. “You call that ‘honorable’?” He shook his head and continued, “Never mind, we’re wasting time. Just go.”

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Ben made his way to the gym. Security was surprisingly light, thankfully. He slipped in through the double doors and immediately slid back to the side behind a bin of basketballs. Someone was standing in the middle of the dimly-lit gym; he could sense their mind-shield.

The person was definitely a ‘cubi. Ben could make out their headwings through the darkness. Ben cast a quick night-vision spell on himself. The ‘cubi was dressed from head to toe in a pitch-black armored suit. They were holding a rod that glowed slightly in Ben’s magic night-vision—definitely an enchanted stun-baton. Over their eyes they wore what appeared to be a pair of night-vision goggles.

“Whoever this guy is,” Ben thought, silently thankful the ‘cubi had not been looking his way, ”they’re definitely not faculty.” If anyone had been watching, it would have appeared that Ben’s body flickered slightly as he moved out from behind the bin. He made his way around the ‘cubi to the other door, staying behind their head at all times.

Suddenly, the ‘cubi spun towards him. ”Crap!” Ben squeaked.

“Your emotions give you away!” the ‘cubi shouted as he lunged towards Ben.

Ben made a funny face as his attacker’s baton went right through his body as if he weren’t even there. The illusion shattered and the real Ben appeared several feet in front of his attacker. Before the ‘cubi could realize what was going on, Ben had hit him right in the face with a stun spell. The ‘cubi fell to the ground, his momentum carrying him forward a little on the slick floor.

“Booyah, sucker! You just got Ben’t!” Ben crowed, pointing at the fallen ‘cubi with both hands.

His hair blew back slightly as a magic bolt whizzed past his head. Two more ‘cubi in the same outfit had come through the door he had originally entered. Ben growled and assumed a defensive stance, his hands burning with magical fire.

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In the cafeteria, Jesse stumbled around the tables and benches, his huge body making it difficult to bend down and look under them. Fortunately, there weren’t too many tables. The school being for ‘cubi, only every other student actually ate there.

Jesse had just gotten down on his hands and knees to look under the last table when something struck him on the head. He immediately curled into an armored ball and rolled away several yards, the blow barely even fazing him. He uncurled and looked in the direction he had come from.

Several ‘cubi were rushing towards him, covered in black outfits and wielding stun batons. His wing-tentacles stretched out quickly, pulling a nearby bench to his hands. Jesse charged with his makeshift bludgeon, his speed defying his bulk. With one swing, he sent three of his attackers flying.

The rest of his attackers turned to leave the cafeteria in hasty retreat, Jesse bellowing as he chased after them.

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Michael poked about the classroom. His father never sat at the same desk, and he couldn’t recall which one he had been sitting at today. He grumbled a bit and checked under yet another desk.

Suddenly, he felt someone reach around his neck. He quickly flipped and kicked, throwing them over himself and into a wall. He sensed someone else approaching, but he was ready this time. He hopped out of the way and up onto a nearby desk, kicking a stun baton out of their hands. He jumped away into a more open area, an ebon-clad ‘cubi chasing after him.

The ‘cubi threw a series of jabs and kicks at Michael but he didn’t give an inch, blocking and dodging and returning with some palm-thrusts and kicks of his own. They were evenly matched, every blow failing to make an impact on either of them.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Michael could see another ‘cubi rushing at him. He quickly bounded across the desks to the opposite side of the room and shifted into a Shaolin offensive stance. Before his opponents were halfway across the room, he was already lashing out with his feet and fists, fire flying from them. The firebolts hit the two unprepared ‘cubi and knocked them back into the far wall next to the first one that had attacked him.

He quickly booked it out of the room as his stunned but still conscious assailants stumbled to their feet.

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Ben rushed through the outer second-floor hallway and nearly ran straight into his son coming out of a classroom. Jesse joined them from the opposite side, panting slightly.

“Hey guys, guess what!” Ben said in between heavy breaths, “It was in my back pocket the whole time! Oh, and there’s some…”

“Goons in black outfits running amok, I know,” Michael interrupted. “There’s two in the classroom behind me right now.”

“I’ve already floored a dozen of them,” Jesse said with a note of pride. He pointed his thumb behind him. “The way behind me is clear. Let’s go!”

The trio turned in the direction Jesse had come from and halted as three ‘cubi rounded the corner heading straight for them. “You were saying, Jesse?” Michael growled. They turned and five more ‘cubi approached from the other side. The two ‘cubi that had attacked Michael were almost at the classroom door now.

“Ugh, I hate being surrounded,” Ben said. “It usually means I’m going to get hurt.”

“Not quite surrounded,” Jesse said, grabbing both Ben and Michael by their arms. He lept backwards with them clutched to his chest, his armored back smashing through the window.

The trio used their wings to soften their landing and bolted away from the school. All the while, Ben began to re-summon Caisi.

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......"Why all the fuss about Jyraneth, anyway?" Richard asked.  "How's she different from Daryil?  Both clans are run by an insane tri-wing who have their followers carry out their every will..."

"The difference is," Falkirk explained patiently, "That Daryil has a few basic, common-sense rules and leaves the rest up to his clan.  He stays on good terms with his children so that they want to obey him, and will willingly carry out any favours he wants done as a friend.  Jyraneth, on the other hand, ruled by fear and anyone who annoyed her in any way would be executed and their soul destroyed on charge of treason or heresy.  Any questions?"

But before anyone could answer, a sloth burst into the tent dressed in the typical garb of a professor from Illiath's.  This new professor had obviously been running and was out of breath.  "Professor Falkirk!" he gasped.

Falkirk briefly saw two fox incubi and a gigantic armadillo incubus following the sloth as the tent flap fell back down.

"This had better be important, Professor Shreve," the poodle said irritably.  "We have a tricky political problem thrust into our hands..."

"Forget all that," Shreve said.  "The school has fallen!"

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

Finally decided to draw up some of my characters.

Bonus points to those of you who can catch the video game reference here! (Hint: It's an old NES game.)

Full-Size image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13043052/



Name: Michael Buran-Daryil

Age: 22 (at the time of Project Epsilon)

Family: Ben and Tomara Buran-Daryil (Father and Mother)

Race/Species: Fox Incubus

Profile:
-Clan mark appeared at age 17 (on his right knee) and headwings appeared at age 22.

-Often mistaken for his father. Only major differences are his wings, which he inherited from his mother, and the location of his clan mark. Keeps his hair short as a way to distinguish himself from his father.

-Often seen tagging along with his father, if only to keep him in check.

-Unusually cool and collected for an Incubus. Many a girl had a crush on him even before he became a mature Incubus. Appears to be uninterested so far (but identifies himself as "straight").

-Started training in kung fu as a way to discipline himself even while still a kit. Currently a black belt in Northern Shaolin style. Trained himself to weave fire magic in with his martial arts. Seeks to open his own dojo for 'cubi someday.

[ZacAttac21]

I sure hope you all like this guy, because it's the last time I'm ever drawing him. I mean seriously, a giant armadillo incubus? What was I thinking?! All those feathers and armor plates and muscles... UGH.

Full-Size Image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13043129/



Name: Jesse Cin'Thra

Age: 27 (at the time of Project Epsilon)

Race/Species: Armadillo Incubus

Profile:
-Clan mark is on the back of his right hand (seen here above his head). Only appeared recently (after his headwings) due to his lack of magical skills.

-Descended from a long line of proud warrior 'cubi. An adventurer from age 15.

-Not the brightest fireball in the volley, but eternally optimistic and loyal to his friends.

-Often picked on for his size, but actually takes it as a compliment.

-Still doesn't understand why people keep asking him how the weather is.

-Seen here wearing the heirloom armor of his family. Typically wears something much more casual though.

-Deeply admires Headmistress Illiath. (Or perhaps it's a crush?)

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CLAN CIN'THRA
"The Children of the Gods"
Affinity: Pride
Clan Strength: Fewer than 10

General Description:
Long ago, Clan Cin'Thra was both brother and rival clan to Clan Taun. However, the vast majority of the clan, including Cin'Thra himself, were slain fighting Dragons in the Dragon-'Cubi War.

Members of Clan Cin'Thra always seek to prove themselves in the eyes of the gods. The greater the obstacle, the bigger the trophy, the tougher the opponent, the more favor they gain with the gods. As such, virtually all members of the clan are either adventurers, mercenaries, or explorers; most of them warriors, shamans, or hunters.

The Cin'Thra believe the souls of mortals to be the sole jurisdiction of the gods. Anyone who destroys, eats or otherwise prevents a soul from passing on is considered to be dead in both the eyes of the Cin'Thra and the gods. Naturally, this has caused some strife between the Cin'Thra and other clans, even Taun's. The only exceptions to this rule are vengeance killings and Tri-Wings, whom the Cin'Thra believe to be the Chosen Heralds of the Gods.

Clan Quirk:
All members of Clan Cin'Thra grow up to be around eight feet tall, and all of them have feathered wings. They consider any 'cubi born with pure-white feathered wings, even outside the clan, to be blessed by the gods.

Clan Status:
Due to heavy losses in the Dragon-'Cubi War, the dangerous nature of their professions, and their tendency to marry into Clan Taun, Clan Cin'Thra is scattered and all but extinct.

[ZacAttac21]

Y'know, I think this may actually be the first time I've ever drawn a female body... and it looks like crap. Then again, I think all my stuff looks like crap.

EDIT: Redrew some parts and changed Tomara's species.

Full-size Image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13522796/



Name: Tomara Buran-Daryil

Age: About 325 (at the time of Project Epsilon)

Family: Ben Buran-Daryil (Husband), Michael Buran-Daryil (Son)

Race/Species: Coeurl Succubus

Profile:
-While cat-like, her base form is actually a species of Mythos known as Coeurl, known for the long tendrils that extend from their jawbones. These tendrils are tipped with stingers that can generate a powerful bioelectric shock. Tomara usually keeps them capped (as seen here) to avoid accidents.

-Works for Jayhawk as a software programmer.

-Attempted to pull one of Cass's stunts once, and accidentally killed her victim. Put together with Ben to provide a child for the clan as "punishment."

-Has a Warp-Aci named Caisi. Managed to talk Ben out of getting a Warp-Aci of his own.

-Plays a mean guitar and, thankfully, shares Ben's love of rock n' roll.

[ZacAttac21]

A continuation of "Ben's Brother."

----------"Ben's Brother, Part 2"----------

Tomara hurried to the basement. The viewscreen was chiming, and Ben was too busy cooking to answer it. In her arms bounced baby Michael, who had just turned two that year.

She took the call an equine Angel couple appeared on the screen. Both of them had blue hair that matched the color of Ben’s fur. The male spoke, “…Tomara? Is that you? It is us, Ben’s grandparents. I’m sure you remember us from the baby shower?”

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Lu’Fenah, right? Yes, of course I remember! Oh!” She turned Michael toward the screen. “Say ‘hi’ to your great-grandparents, Mikey!”

Michael just stared as if he were watching paint dry.

Mrs. Lu’Fenah smiled and waved, but her husband just cleared his throat. “Actually, we were calling to speak with Ben. Is he there?”

“Oh yes, he’s upstairs.” Tomara turned toward the stairs and called, “Ben!! It’s your grandparents!”

Ben soon hopped down the stairs with a pair of oven mitts in his hand. He grinned at the screen and said, “Grandma! Grandpa! What’s up?” Then he turned to Tomara. “Hey baby, the pizza’s almost done. Could you keep an eye on it?”

Tomara smiled and nodded, and headed back up the stairs. After she was well out of sight, Mr. Lu’Fenah spoke.

“Ben, we wish to speak with your Lord Daryil on the matter of your brother’s new body. Can you get us in contact with him?”

Ben’s smile twitched a little. “Oh yeah, sure, I can do that. Just a sec.”

As he dialed in the number, Ben secretly prayed that Daryil wouldn’t try to seduce him again in front of his grandparents. The screen split in two and Lord Daryil appeared next to the image of Ben’s grandparents, and Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t doing anything explicitly seductive. He was, however, wearing a shiny, tight catsuit.

“Ben!” Daryil cried, throwing his arms out in a welcoming gesture. “Just the bish I wanted to see! Your brother’s body is almost completed! Oh, and who might this lovely couple be?”

“Hello, Milord. These are my grandparents—from the baby shower, remember?”

Daryil’s face lit up. “Mr. and Mrs. Lu’Fenah, of course! Sorry again for hitting on you, sir.”

Mr. Lu’Fenah blushed a bit and ignored that last comment. “Lord Daryil, we wish to speak with you about the payment for our grandson’s new body.”

“Ah yes, Ben did say you might help with that.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, we would like to pay for it.”

Daryil looked a bit confused. “How much of it?”

“All of it. Anonymously.”

Ben felt his jaw fall. Even Daryil looked stunned.

“That’s… very generous of you, sir,” Daryil began, “but the cost is well over a hundred-thousand gold coins…”

Ben’s grandfather held up a hand dismissively. “That will not be an issue. As a matter of fact,  I am the president of the Bank of Solomon. Money is no object.”

Daryil blinked. “The Bank of Solomon! I thought I had seen your face…”

Ben interrupted the conversation by clearing his throat loudly. “Excuse me, Lord Daryil. Would you mind if I spoke with my grandparents? Privately?”

Daryil looked from Ben to Ben’s grandparents and back again. “Yes, uh, sure Ben. Just call back when you’re ready.”

The screen folded back again and Daryil disappeared. Ben fixed his grandparents with a suspicious glare. “All right, what’s all this about? I can see you wanting to pay for Tim’s body, but to keep it a secret from my mother as well?”

Mr. Lu’Fenah’s face hardened. “That is none of your concern, Benjamin. And you will not speak with anyone about this, especially your mother. Is that clear?”

“I will tell her, if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

Mr. Lu’Fenah raised a thick finger and began to speak, but his wife stopped him. “Bartholomew, we really should tell him.”

“Enough, Glenda! He does not need to know.”

“He deserves to know the truth!”

Mr. Lu’Fenah growled. “Fine! I know you will just go behind my back to tell him anyway. But if he tells Lynn…”

“He will not.”

Ben’s grandfather folded his arms and fixed him with a disapproving glare. His grandmother turned to speak to him. “Benjamin, your grandfather and I wish to pay for your brother’s new body because we feel… responsible for his death.” Ben raised an eyebrow and she continued, “As you know, we never approved of your mother’s marriage to your father. But, we loved her, so we allowed her to follow her heart, in the hopes that our grandchildren would be born at least half-Angel. But then you were born, and your sister, and your other sister… and none of you were even close to being even half-Angels. So, we… influenced your mother’s last pregnancy.”

Ben could feel his hackles rising. He did not like where this was going. “What do you mean, ‘influenced’?”

“Do you remember that ‘emergency procedure’ your mother went through soon after she found out she was pregnant? We set that up. Those two doctors were actually your grandfather and I in charmed disguises. We weren’t healing your mother’s womb; we were infusing the fetus with our power.”

”That explains why Tim was the only equine out of the four of us,” Ben thought.

“…The procedure was a success. Your brother was born half-Angel. However, there were… side effects.”

Ben looked like he had been slapped in the face as the realization dawned on him. “Wait a minute,” he began to shout, “you mean that’s why he was always so weak? All those surgeries he went through, all those times we feared for his life whenever he got sick, the hell my family went through… The hell he went through! That was all because of you!?”

Mrs. Lu’Fenah began to cry softly. Mr. Lu’Fenah put his hands on her shoulders and said, “That’s enough, Benjamin. What we did, we did for Lynn. We don’t expect you to understand.”

By now, Ben was downright livid. “For my mother, my ass!! You did it for the sake of your pride! Your pride as Angels! You cared more about your race than my mother!!”

“ENOUGH!!! We will speak no more of this, and you will not speak of this to your mother! Do I make myself clear?!”

Ben’s breathing slowly calmed down and he stared into space, as he often did when he was thinking. After a few minutes, he turned to his grandparents again. “You’re right. I won’t tell her.” Then he jabbed a finger at his grandfather and said, “You will. If you truly love your daughter, you will. The least she deserves is an honest confession after what you put her through, not more of your underhanded scheming.”

Ben and his grandfather just glared at each other for a few moments, until Mr. Lu’Fenah said, “We shall see. Now, call your Lord Daryil again. Regardless of what happens, we will be funding Timothy’s new body.”

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

I wanted to have a story about Ben's time as an adventurer, and his attitude towards the business. This was the result.

Note that Malcolm in this story is actually one of Tapewolf's characters, and I have taken some liberties with him. (Translation: Remember this is not canon.)

WARNING: This story contains descriptions of violence and bodily injury.

----------"Monsters"----------

Ben plunked down in a chair in Chief Zane's office in Cornelia City's Adventurers' Guild. Beside him sat a massive panda Being. He was more fit and athletic-looking than most of his bear-like kin, but he still retained a good deal of weight and Ben wondered how the little chair was holding him up.

Ben kicked back and folded his arms behind his head. Unlike most of his magi brethren, he had chosen to forego the typical "staff-and-robes" look. He wore a set of lightweight leather and chainmail armor, and a small rapier was sheathed at his side. He preferred it this way: it provided more protection than simple robes and at the same time provided the illusion that he was some sort of duelist instead of a mage. He liked catching his targets off-guard.

Plus, it didn't make him look any more effeminate than he already did.

Chief Zane smacked Ben's feet off his desk and began the briefing. "Gentlemen, we have a contract from Cornelia Defense Corps. It seems they're having a little Demon trouble." He held up a sketch of a well-built tiger Demon. "Kinaxan Daggerclaw. Half-Demon. Age 31, stands 6-foot-10. Likes to hunt strong Beings and eat them. Wanted dead or alive for wiping out a few military outposts. Lately he's attacked three neighboring villages and killed thirteen."

Ben grimaced and said, "The villages around here have few defenses save for some guard posts from the city. If he's not wiping them out completely, I'm guessing he's baiting us?"

"That is correct, Kitsune," the Chief said. He always referred to guild members by their codenames. "He's hoping for someone a little more challenging. Daggerclaw only feeds on Beings that can actually put up a fight. Those guards he slew were just to get our attention."

The giant panda next to Ben grunted. "Let me guess, you want me and this... idiot to take him out?" he said, pointing a thumb in Ben's direction.

Ben looked a bit annoyed by the insult, but he was used to it. The panda was not the most popular guy in the guild. While most of the guild was actually relatively progressive toward Creatures—most of its members coming from a Creature-tolerating city-state, after all—Malcolm was a refugee from the neighboring city-state of Kandarthia, which had just recently been violently taken over by Demons. If he even suspected you of being a Creature, he would make it quite clear he didn't like you.

The Chief replied, "Affirmative, Tuppenny. Daggerclaw is not a target for our initiates. You and Kitsune are the only ones available at the moment who can handle this. Speaking of Daggerclaw, his movements suggest that his next stop will be the town of Melmond, to the west. You two will go there immediately and intercept him."

Ben and Malcolm looked at each other. Ben grinned sheepishly and extended a hand. "Partners?"

Malcolm just looked at Ben's hand as if it were toxic.

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Ben and Malcolm had taken a Guild gryphon cart and arrived in Melmond that night. They booked a room at the local inn and settled in. Before they went to sleep, they had a drink at the bar. Malcolm had a mug of cheap ale. Ben had a mug of root beer.

Malcolm quickly chugged down his ale and went to their room. After Ben had joked around with the barkeep about pandas and alcohol, he gulped down his own drink and followed Malcolm. He found Malcolm in their room, sharpening his greatsword.

Ben spoke up gingerly, wincing at the massive blade. "So, uh... Got a plan?"

Malcolm stopped sharpening for a moment and glared at Ben. "Yeah. Stay out of my way, clown," he grunted with a slight slur.

"'Clown'? That's the nicest thing you've ever called me!"

Malcolm just growled and kept sharpening.

Ben shrugged and hopped up on the other bed. Long after Malcolm had dozed off, he was still wide awake. He was too excited to sleep.

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Ben got up early the next morning and put on his armor. Malcolm was a heavy sleeper, and that ale didn't help that fact any. Ben was very easily able to slip out of the inn and outside the town.

Ben stepped lightly along the trail going east. There were nothing but grassy hills as far as his eyes could see, with a few trees scattered about. After he had left the town behind a ways, he stopped to watch the sun rise.

Suddenly, he heard a roar behind him. Before he could turn around, a muscular tiger Demon was at upon him. The tiger extended a set of long, gleaming claws and slashed at Ben's back. The claws met nothing but air and the illusion vanished. The real Ben appeared a few dozen yards away and Kinaxan just glared at him.

A smile crept across Kinaxan's face and he cackled a bit. "Finally! A Being who can actually fight back! Pity you're so scrawny. Still, you're lucky you were upwind of me. That illusion had no scent."

Ben grinned in a mean sort of way. "I like to think of myself as 'lithe.' And if you really want a meal, we could wait around for my partner to show up."

Kinaxan chuckled. "Adventurers, eh? 'Bout time. Those guards were barely even enough to be called an appetizer."

"You're lucky it's just me and not my partner. He'd take your head off as soon as look at you, but me? Nah, too squeamish for that. So what do you say we cut to the chase and slap some bracers on your wrists?"

Kinaxan grinned wickedly and lunged. "You're a funny guy! I'm gonna enjoy 'playing' with you!" Ben lauched a quick volley of fireballs, but they barely even singed the Demon. "You're gonna have to try harder than that!"

The tiger slashed at Ben, but this time instead of simply fading he split into four duplicates that ran in different directions. Kinaxan was clearly not used to fighting an illusionist, but he wasn't surprised for long. With terrifying speed, he dashed from clone to clone, slashing and dispelling them. As he gained on the final clone, he crowed "Gotcha!!"

Kinaxan's eyes bugged out as he slashed at the final clone. Hidden inside the clone he was so sure was real was a small mana-bomb. The blast wasn't enough to hurt him, but it did knock him flat on his back. He opened his eyes just in time to see Ben grab the top of his head with a flaming hand.

Kinaxan snarled at the slight burn and gave Ben a crushing kick to the torso. Ben flew several yards and rolled to a stop. Before he could try to get back up, Kinaxan was standing over him. He cried out as he felt his legs shred. He grabbed at the wounds, crying as blood coated his hands. "Game over," Kinaxan growled, and slashed Ben's throat out.

The Demon raised his head and let out a triumphant roar, followed by mad cackling. He licked the blood off his claws, and looked back down at his prize. He flinched violently.

Ben's body had turned to dust that blew away in the wind. Even the blood on Kinaxan's fingers was now just a coating of dust.

Kinaxan jumped when someone cleared their throat behind him. He whirled around to see Ben standing before him, panting lightly but unharmed. He looked at the dust on his fingers again, then back at Ben. "How did you do that," he growled. "I could taste your blood!"

Ben just gave him an aloof look and simply said: "Hypnosis." With that, Ben snapped his fingers, and the world around them shattered into dust and blew away. Soon they were standing in a pitch-black void, with themselves as the sole occupants.

Kinaxan's head whipped all around and he snarled. "Impossible! I have a mind-shield!!"

"Which is why I grabbed your head."

The tiger looked stunned.

"That's right. When I grabbed your head, I wasn't trying to burn you. I was probing your mind shield just long enough to slip in my 'Seed of Madness.' Now the seed has sprouted, and when it blooms?" Ben gave the tiger a wicked grin. "Your will lose your mind. Literally."

For the first time, the tiger Demon looked very afraid. Ben's evil grin evaporated and he laughed. "Just kidding! Like I said, I don't have the guts to kill anyone myself. I'll just slap some enchanted bracers on your wrists, and..."

Ben's voice trailed off and he appeared to be looking at something that wasn't there. "Malcolm? What are you—hey, wait!!"

All at once, Kinaxan felt a sharp pain in his neck, and Ben vanished. The void slowly became filled with searing light...

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Ben's gut was in upheaval. A little blood, he could handle. A headless, gushing neck? Not so much. Malcolm stood nearby, wiping the blood off his sword with a towel.

Ben looked up at him and spoke between coughs and hacks. "Dammit Malcolm, I had him! Was that really necessary?"

Malcolm just glared down at him. "That is the proper way to deal with Demons."

Ben stood up, still coughing and spitting bile. "You really need to lighten up, you know that?"

Malcolm spat at the Demon's severed head. "Never. These monsters need to be taught a lesson. In fact..." he said, brandishing his greatsword straight at Ben. "I've half a mind to give you the same, Buran. No Being has fur that color."

Ben stepped back and growled, "You're out of your mind."

Malcolm grunted and lowered his sword. "Fortunately for you, I've read your file. It seems you're 'officially' a Being. But, your mother..." he said, glaring straight into Ben's eyes. "I understand she's an Angel?"

Ben' hackles became erect in less than a second. "Touch her and I'll burn every inch of skin off your body," he snarled.

Malcolm just huffed and reached down to pick up Kinaxan's head by the hair. "Weren't you the squeamish one? But you're right, I can't just go around killing every Creature I come across. But..." He turned and began to walk. "One day, I will free Furrae from these monsters. I swear it. And if you actually do have a brain, you'll do likewise."

Ben stared a hole in the back of the panda's head as he walked away. "Who's the monster?" he muttered, and began to follow.

[ZacAttac21]

A.K.A. "Tomara's Story." Takes place roughly a year after Project Future.

----------"The Blood Price"----------

The dog-mix Being squirmed frantically, but to no avail—the silken wraps binding his arms and legs to his bed were actually quite comfortable, but he could not move an inch. He had already tried to scream, but he was gagged as well.

Standing over him on his bed was a coeurl. She was dressed in the tightest outfit he had ever seen, and he had actually seen a few dominatrix outfits. She licked her lips and stretched a small whip.

He probably would have been hornier than he had ever been if it weren't for the leathery wings on her back and head. A succubus...

Tomara closed her eyes and savored the moment. It was every bit as glorious as Cass had said it would be—she had never before tasted such delicious fear.

She leaned down and fixed the dog with a malevolent grin, making sure her teeth looked plenty sharp. "Hello, Laz—yes, that's right, I know who you are. I've actually had my eye on you for a while now. That strange smell you've noticed in your room at night lately? That was me." She felt his fear spike briefly. "I can hear your thoughts... and you're absolutely right! I do want your soul."

He started whimpering as she got down and straddled his stomach. "But I'm in no hurry. See, I like to play with my food first. And I don't necessarily mean like that, you dirty little boy," she said, smacking his crotch with a wing-tentacle. "You see, souls tend to taste better after they've been... handled a bit."

With that, she slowly moved a leather-clad hand to his chest. He trembled as she traced his pectorals with a finger. Then, her hand began to glow slightly, and a ball of light started to emerge from the dog's chest. The dog's eyes were so wide by now they were bugging out of his skull.

Tomara was so glad she had picked up that illumination spell back at SAIA. Her breathing became heavier as she played with the ball a bit, pretending to squeeze it and even lick it. The dog's fear was so intense, she could barely concentrate enough to maintain the spell. It was all coming together like a symphony: his rapid breathing, his pounding heart, the tears flowing from his eyes—she didn't know how much more she could take before she lost it. Suddenly, she heard a scream in his mind and his fear shoot through the roof.

Then, she felt nothing.

No fear, no trembling, no breathing, no heartbeat.

Nothing.

She snapped out of her trance and dropped her gaze from the ceiling to the dog's face. His eyes were still bugging out in terror, but he didn't move at all.

She sat there for a moment, frozen in shock. Then, she began to tremble fiercely. "No... no... no no no no no no no NO!!!"

Suddenly, she gasped as the locked doorknob on the left side of the room began to rattle. A voice on the other side of the door said "Lazzy, what's that noise? Is someone in there with you?"

Tomara's head snapped back and forth from the Being to the door. Then, she heard the lock click. She bolted back out the window she had come in through as the door began to open...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later...

Jakob kicked back on a recliner in Jayhawk's arctic base. It was time for his favorite sci-fi series: Doctor Huh. He reached out with the remote and flipped the TV on. But, instead of the show, a news bulletin was playing.

"Breaking news," said the anchor, "The succubus Tomara Cuahl turned herself in to H-Ann authorities just moments ago, confessing to the murder of Laz Sangson, who was killed in his own home just this Monday." The screen showed a coeurl succubus being led out of the police station in enchanted bracer-cuffs. Jakob could see the mark of Clan Daryil on the back of her right shoulder. "Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact charges she will be facing. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming."

Jakob just sat in stunned silence for a moment before shaking himself and tapping the communicator on his wrist. The face of a gray fox Incubus appeared on the tiny screen.

"No need. I just saw it myself," Daryil sighed. "Why did they have to break it during my date with Simeon?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tomara sat on the cot in her dungeon cell. She had already resigned to her fate. Whatever they would do to her, she deserved it, she told herself.

She barely even looked up when a guard rapped on her cell door. "M-miss Cuahl? Someone here to see you."

The door opened and a silver fox in gothic garb walked in. "F-f-five minutes, Mr. Ikaarion, s-s-sir" the guard stammered, quickly slipping out of the way before closing the door and leaving again. She looked up at the fox's face. It was stern, but not cruel. His violet eyes pierced her very soul. She would know those eyes anywhere. Her mouth went dry, but no words would come to her lips anyway.

"Hello, Tomara," Daryil said. "I am pleased to see that you have not decided to run away from the consequences of your actions, but you really should have called me. You know that you answer to me, first."

Tomara turned her eyes down from his gaze and her lip quivered slightly.

"First things first... Where is Laz Sangson's soul, Tomara?"

Tomara's gaze shot back up to his. "No! I didn't! I swear, I did not touch his soul! Read my mind if you don't believe me!"

Daryil breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He could tell she wasn't lying. "Very good. I didn't think so," he said, sitting on the cot next to her as she began to cry. "Do you know what they are going to do to you?"

Tomara spoke between sniffles. "I don't know for sure, but H-Ann has pretty severe punishments for murder. I hear 'Cubi get the guillotine more than any other Creature here..."

"It may not come to that."

Tomara glanced at him askance, but said nothing. Daryil could feel a bit of confusion from her.

"Do not misunderstand. You will face judgment for this, but I do not believe execution is the answer, especially considering it was an accident. In fact, Ja—er, Kristofer is negotiating with Mr. Sangson's parents even as we speak. His father just so happens to come from a culture that encourages alternatives to retribution. I am confident we can at least talk them out of pursuing the death penalty. With luck, we may even get you a suspended sentence."

"Wait, 'alternatives'? What exactly will I do to repay his parents if they do not seek my death?"

Daryil closed his eyes and shook his head. "I will personally arrange a... special payment for their son's death. You, Tomara, will be repaying me for covering your debt."

Tomara felt a lump in her throat. "W-what will my punishment be, then?"

Daryil fixed her with another stern glare. "The 'Cubification ritual." Tomara blinked. Knowing she had never heard of it, he continued, "I will place you with a mate—a Being—of my choosing. With him, you will bear a child for the Clan... and give him half your power."

Tomara grimaced. She didn't like the sound of that.

"It may turn out better than you think. You remember Kaci, from the Tree Party? She went through the ritual voluntarily, and you saw how happy she was with her family."

Tomara looked back to the floor. After a moment, she nodded.

Daryil stood back up and stepped toward the cell door. His five minutes were almost up. "You've done the right thing, taking responsibility for your actions like this. I think I can safely say I'm still proud to have you in my clan."

He wiped a tear from her eye as the guard returned.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jakob, in the guise of Kristofer Ausmann, sat across a table from Mr. and Mrs. Sangson. Beside him sat Dorcan, in Being form. On the wall above Mr. and Mrs. Sangson rested a triangular ornament, perfectly equilateral, with a halo on top--the symbol of the Church of Ur.

Mr. Sangson, a bloodhound Being, spoke with obvious disdain. "So, you wish to negotiate the blood price for our son?"

Jakob nodded. "That is correct, Mr. Sangson. And we thank you for understanding that what happened was an accident."

The aging bloodhound leaned back and grunted, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "Be that as it may, Laz was our only son. His ransom will be no small amount."

Jakob leaned forward. "Actually, Mr. Sangson, I would offer you something far better than money."

Mr. Sangson opened his eyes and glared at Jakob.

"We can bring your son back to you."

Mrs. Sangson's eyes widened, but she remained silent. Mr. Sangson snapped forward with a snarl. "Trine rebuke thee, Unbeliever! I will not have my son raised as an Undead!!" he exclaimed before turning to his wife, a beagle Being, who had tugged on his sleeve. She said nothing, making a triangular motion with her hand. Mr. Sangson  quickly repeated the motion, looking as though he had offended somebody.

Jakob held up his hands dismissively. "You misunderstand, Mr. Sangson. I do not wish to raise your son's body from the dead. Rather, I wish to give him an entirely new body!"

Mr. Sangson just continued to glare fiercely at him.

"Do not read too far into this, Mr. Sangson. No one will be sacrificed to create a new body for your son. We will create an artificial body for your son; a body not of flesh and bone, but of circuits and steel."

Mr. Sangson leaned back again and said "I say again, Trine rebuke thee, Unbeliever." He quickly repeated the Sign of the Trine and continued, "What you speak of is impossible."

"I had a feeling you might say that, Mr. Sangson. That is why I brought my companion here. Mr. Ja'Fell, if you would please?"

Dorcan removed the t-shirt he was wearing and, smiling, pressed his hand to his left ribcage. Two small doors in his chest opened slowly to reveal an array of circuitry and cables. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sangson leaned forward, eyes wide and mouths agape, as if getting a closer look would make it less shocking.

"As you can see, Mr. and Mrs. Sangson, Dorcan here was also murdered like your son. In fact, he is one of the first to ever be given a replica body."

Mr. Sangson looked long and hard over Dorcan, then folded his arms and leaned back again.

"This is too good to be true. How can I be certain that this... thing you will create is actually my son?"

Jakob smiled. "You can ask him yourself when you see him again."

The old bloodhound stared at Dorcan again for a moment, then closed his eyes and pushed a finger to his brow. His wife took his hand and he looked into her eyes. After a few wordless moments, his expression softened and he nodded to her.

His gaze returned to Jakob. "Very well. We accept this reparation. But remember, Mr. Ausmann," he said as he hardened his gaze again, "there is a special place in hell for liars."

Jakob breathed a quick sigh of relief and nodded. "You have no idea how much it pleases me to help you in this way, Mr. Sangson. We will begin the construction of your son's body immediately."

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

Finally, another light-hearted story. I have a lot more fun writing stories without gore or grief (go figure).

This is the interview that takes place between Ben and Daryil (their first meeting). This would take place between 1-2 years after Project Future.

----------"The Interview"----------

Ben jumped a bit when his doorbell rang. Ever since he had found out about Lisa's deal with Daryil, he had been spending his free time reviewing his books on 'Cubification and Clan Daryil. A guest was particularly unexpected at this time of night.

He skipped over to the front door of his apartment and looked out the peephole. His jaw dropped and he caught himself before he uttered an oath. Standing outside was a long-haired fox like him. Unlike Ben, his fur was a more natural silver color and his eyes were an unnatural violet color. And his outfit—only a 'Cubi would wear so much shiny, tight latex.

Ben would recognize him anywhere: the incubus who had announced his ascension on Furrae Today, Ikaarion Daryil himself. He seemed to know Ben was there; he looked straight at him and popped his headwings out briefly to wave at him.

If anyone had been watching, it would have seemed that Ben's body flickered slightly as he opened the door. He stood there for a moment, staring at Daryil with his mouth still agape. Ben finally shook himself and moved to the side, motioning inside with his hand. "M-Milord," he stammered, "this is completely unexpected! Please, come in!"

Ben shut the door behind Daryil and rushed past him to the table, scrambling to move his books out of the way. He was more nervous than he had ever been. His eyes darted about the apartment, from his immaculately organized bookshelves to his unkempt dresser and bed. He nearly uttered an oath when he noticed Daryil's eye catch the fish tank on his dresser.

Daryil began to approach the fish tank, smiling almost maliciously as his headwings fanned out. "Are those..." He stopped short as Ben zipped over in front of the tank with speed that astonished even him.

Ben cleared his throat and gestured toward the table. "Milord, I am honored by your presence!" The moment Daryil's head was turned, Ben whipped his shirt off and threw it over the fish tank. "Won't you have a seat? I know they're humble, but the chairs are actually quite comfortable."

To Ben's surprise, Daryil walked right past the seats at his table and hopped on his bed instead.  Daryil smiled sweetly and spoke at last: "I see you've heard about me."

Ben chuckled nervously and pulled a chair out from the table. "As you can see," he said, gesturing toward his bookshelves, "I have a lot of books, including all four parts of your four-thousand-year biography. I even have a copy of the fourth volume of your Tenets," he added with a note of pride.

"Yes, very impressive," Daryil replied, looking over the ten-foot-high bookshelves. "I don't see a copy of my treatise on the seduction of men, though..."

Ben suddenly wished he were wearing a shirt and he blushed a bit. "Sorry Milord, but I'm definitely straight."

Daryil shrugged. "Pity. You're not a half-bad bish. Oh well, if this works out maybe change your mind after a thousand years or so." Ben's ears turned pink and Daryil continued, "Anyway, would you mind talking to me face-to-face now?"

Ben looked horrified for a moment, but managed to calm himself down. In the corner of the room a second Ben appeared, and the first disappeared. "You really are Lord Daryil," the second Ben said, taking the seat where the first had been. "Forgive me, Milord, but I still can't believe the Lord Daryil would come to see me himself!"

Daryil just smiled. "That was a pretty neat trick... An inexperienced 'Cubi probably would have thought those brain waves and emotions really were coming from the illusion. And speaking of brain waves..." Daryil continued, looking Ben straight in the eye, "Before we go anywhere, I must ask that you lower your mind-shield. If you're going to be part of my Clan, I would like to know you are who you say you are."

Ben hesitated for a moment. With a wave of his hand, he dispelled his mind shield and replied, "Fair enough, I suppose. Just... don't tell my mom it was really me who set fire to that wheat field."

Daryil snickered. "I can't wait to see that one. And now," Daryil said as he leaned forward and steepled his fingers, "let's get down to business. Why do you want to be a 'Cubi?"

Ben started rubbing his hands together as he often did when he was nervous.  "We-e-ell, it kinda started as jealousy, I suppose. My mother is an Angel, I've lived around Creatures all my life... I wanted to cast magic like an Angel, to heft boulders like a Demon, to shapeshift like a 'Cubi... Over time it became more about the lifespan. I mean, just think of all the things I could see and do in three thousand years!" Ben's eyes sparkled a bit during that last statement.

"But what about the drawbacks? The emotional instability? The anti-'Cubi groups? The fact that you will outlive most of your friends and family?"

"I've already given those some thought. I actually know about SAIA from an incubus friend of mine; I'd be more than happy to take classes to learn how to control my powers. The 'Cubi-haters..." Ben chuckled and continued, "Well, let's just say I have a lot of experience with angry people. And the longer lifespan..." Ben trailed off and his smile faded a bit. "That really does eat me. But... I learned long ago that depression and denial don't make things better. That's why I try to make the most of every day."

"A bit naive," Daryil thought, "but his heart is in the right place." Then he continued, "And as for 'Cubification itself... Do you realize what the ritual entails?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah, I have to have a kid with a succubus. Which is actually kind of another dream of mine... 'Cubi have always been my favorite Creatures."

"Not to mention succubi are freaking hot, right?" Daryil said with a teasing face.

Ben's ears glowed red and he stammered, "Uh, I, well... What do you expect? I'm only male!"

Daryil giggled. "You're so cute when you're bashful!"

Ben's felt his face become unbearably warm.

"All right, I'll stop. Let's move on... According to your file in the Cornelia Registry, you're a part-time adventurer. That seems like an odd profession for someone who's so enthralled by Creatures."

Ben began to rub the back of his neck again. "Heh, yeah, I thought so too at first. But... As much as I adore and understand Creatures, there are still plenty of them out there—Demons, usually— and even Beings who would prey upon the weak and the innocent. And I figured: I was born with this above-average magical power and talent... Why shouldn't I use it to help people? I mean, sure, it wasn't always easy. I always tried not to kill anyone if at all possible. Not so much because I didn't feel they deserved it; more like because I just didn't have the stomach to take another life. And I'll admit," Ben said and looked at the floor, "there were times when it really was hard not to kill my target..."

Daryil nodded somberly. "There's nothing inherently wrong with that. We 'Cubi know what it means to feel angry. The important thing is that you controlled your emotions, not let them control you."

Ben nodded in return.

Daryil continued, "Next question: what's your phone number?"

"It's three-one-heeeeyyyy wait a second..."

Daryil snickered. "Well, it was worth a shot! (Besides, I suppose I could easily find it in your mind...)"

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Oh, nothing! I'll ask you a real question now: out of all the clans who could accept you, why would you want to be in my Clan?"

Ben grinned from ear to ear. "Ever since you made your appearance on Furrae Today, I've been following your Clan. I read everything I could find about you, from your history with Ti'Nera to The Chronicles of Jakob Pettersohn to your Tenets. Your Clan has come a long way and I believe it has a very bright future. Not to mention you have ideals I can wholly get behind. Besides, Taun is a little too serious for my taste."

"Hahaha! You have no idea. Now, if you do join my Clan, do you know what that will make me to you?"

Ben looked puzzled for a moment. "Well, you'd be... kind of like my patriarch, right?"

"More than that. Much more. We will be connected. I will know you, Ben. Possibly even better than you know yourself. Not in that sense," Daryil added swiftly. "Well, unless you want to, of course..."

Ben's eyes began to sparkle again. "You mean like a Vulcan mind-meld?"

Daryil placed his fingers to his brow and shook his head, smiling out of pity. "Sure, let's go with that. All right then, I think I have just three more questions for you." Daryil held up one finger. "What is your name?"

"Uhh... Benjamin Buran? I thought you already knew..."

"What is your quest?" Daryil said and held up a second finger.

Ben blinked. "To... become a 'Cubi?"

Daryil held up a third finger. "What is the capital of Syria?"

"What? I don't know that!"

Something suddenly flew up from under Ben and straight into Daryil's hands. Ben whimpered and curled his tail up between his legs. It was his pants.

Daryil snickered a bit and stood up. Ben's embarrassment was so palpable even a non-'Cubi would feel it. "All right," Daryil said, "I think I've heard enough. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ben. I'll call you as soon as I've made the necessary preparations."

Ben's eyes went wide and his ears perked up. "You mean...?"

Daryil grinned hugely and said, "Yup! I even have a partner for you already in mind."

A high-pitched squeal shattered the still of the night...

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

Just a little epilogue to tie Tomara's story and Ben's interview together.

----------"First Night"----------

It was Tomara's first night living in Ben's apartment. Daryil had helped sell her old apartment and she had finally finished moving after a few months. She noticed it was significantly tidier than it had been the first time she'd been there.

Ben was just finishing his story about his first time meeting Daryil. "...I was so excited, I completely forgot he had stolen my pants!"

Ben hummed a little as he set his favorite dish in front of her in the middle of the table—an extra-large DiGianna supreme pizza. "Um, Ben," Tomara said, "not that I'm not grateful, but you do realize I don't need to eat, right?"

Ben paused for a moment and stared into space before smacking his forehead with an oven mitt-covered hand. "Oh yeah." He grinned sheepishly. "Heh heh, well would you like to try it anyway? Pizza is only the most perfect food you could ever eat after all!"

Tomara smiled, but said nothing. Then her smile faded and she looked down at the table, without actually looking at anything in particular. She began to speak in a weak voice. "Well, um... Since we're finally... together, now... I guess you'd like to go ahead and... um... go for it?"

Ben plunked down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. "Already? What's the rush?"

Tomara looked up at him with a bit of surprise on her face. "Don't you want to get 'Cubified?"

Ben grinned. "Oh, you bet your sweet spots I do. But, Tomara..." Ben leaned forward and his face became less playful. "Think about it. We're going to have a child together. And I'm certainly not going to leave you to raise it by yourself! We're going to be together for a good twenty years or so, Tomara. I know that might not seem like much to a 'Cubi, but even twenty years could seem like an eternity if we don't get along. I suppose we could live separately if we have to, but do you really want to put your child through that? No, Tomara, I say we should at least try to make this more than just a professional relationship. For our child's sake, if nothing else."

Tomara blushed a little. She could sense Ben's emotions—he was as nervous as she was, but there was some strength in his feelings as well. She looked down at the table again. After a few moments, she looked back up at him again and smiled. "That's... very thoughtful of you, Ben. Thank you." Ben beamed back at her.

"But, I have to admit," she continued, "I'm surprised. I was half expecting you to be all over me by now."

Ben grinned hugely and chuckled. "Why? Did somebody tell you how wild I can be?"

Tomara smirked and replied, "Well, Daryil did tell me about how excitable you were, but that's not it." Then she leaned forward, nailed Ben with a sultry look and said, "As a matter of fact, you've been giving off a pretty good bit of lust ever since I walked in the door today."

Ben's ears practically glowed red.

----------END----------

[Merlin]

I'm still enjoying these very much!

[ZacAttac21]

I'm still enjoying these very much!

Go go ego blowfish! *BOOF*

[ZacAttac21]

This one is a sort of follow-up to "Nightmare Within the Dream."

EDIT: It occurs to me that this story does not fit well into the PF story timeline. As such, you may consider it "scrapped."

----------"Enter Cubi Kitsune"----------

Tomara arrived home from android-conversion therapy, and as usual her Warp-Aci, Caisi, was there to greet her. Unlike usual, Ben was not. She sighed. Ever since she had been murdered and converted to an android, Ben had been uncharacteristically moody and quiet. He would deny it, but she knew deep down he still blamed himself for what happened.

"Caisi, where is Ben?"

The ethereal cat's long whiskers drooped a bit. "He's outside. I think he's mad at me. He asked me to leave him alone for a while."

Tomara gave her a head rub. "I doubt that, Caisi. I'll go talk to him."

Tomara made her way through the house and out the back. If Ben was outside at night, it probably meant he was up on the roof stargazing. Sure enough, he was laying in the middle of the roof with his legs crossed, staring at the sky.

She leapt up to the roof in a single bound. Before she became an android, she would often have to use her wings a little to make it up. But now, she almost overdid it without much effort. She stepped over and sat down beside him.

He smiled weakly and gave her a quick glance, but averted his gaze. A sure sign he was feeling guilty. "Hey Kitty," he said, "how are you feeling?"

"It's going well. Today I started re-learning basic shapeshifting."

Ben smiled weakly again, but said nothing. Tomara sighed and turned her eyes to the stars.

After a few moments of stargazing together, Ben spoke: "So, I've been thinking..."

Tomara looked back at him again. "Careful, dear. You don't want to get lost again," she said and stuck her tongue out at him with a coy grin.

Ben chuckled. "Good one. But yeah, I've been thinking... He was wrong."

Tomara cocked an eyebrow at him.

"That Being who killed you, I mean," Ben continued. "He was wrong about you. About us. Heck, a lot of the world is still wrong about us."

Tomara brushed a strand of hair back. "Yeah, the 'Cubi race still has a long way to go. Why? What are you getting at, Ben?" she replied. She could tell he was about to make some sort of announcement. He always got thoughtful before making a big decision.

"We are Clan Daryil. Our Clan has been all about improving 'Cubi-Being relationships for a long time." He paused for a moment. "And I think it's time I helped."

"Oh? How are you going to do that, Ben?"

"The same way I used to—by playing the hero." He finally turned to look at her. "I want to return to being an adventurer."

Tomara was unsurprised. Ben had only stopped being an adventurer because he wanted to build a relationship with her. If they had never met, he would probably have always been one. She laid down and nuzzled his face. "But if you go, who's going to satisfy that 'appetite' of yours?" she purred.

Ben snickered. "Oh, don't worry. I'll come home at every opportunity. I managed to get through all those semesters at ISIS without losing it too many times, remember?"

Tomara held his face and looked into his eyes. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

Ben smiled smugly and said, "Hey—it's me!"

Tomara rolled her eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben trotted down the hall to Daryil's room in Jayhawk's arctic base. He was hoping he could get the drop on his Leader before he had the chance to prepare an elaborate seduction... again.

To his dismay, Daryil's room looked dark and empty, but he wandered on in anyway. "Daryil? Milord?" he called. As he went further in, he could swear the room was becoming even darker. Finally, as the room became pitch-dark, he heard a faint voice.

"Fe, fi, fo, fum... I see..."

Ben yelped and suddenly found himself being carried into the air.

"...Tiny bishonen!"

Ben found himself nearly being smothered in long, silvery fur. Somehow he had been transported to the large sub-dimension that contained Jayhawk's hydroelectric dam and also housed Daryil's main body. Daryil was big enough to pick him up and was now nuzzling his entire body against his cheek.

Daryil held Ben up to his eye level. Ben just fell back into his palm, looking more than a little stunned. "Why, Ben!" Daryil said in a voice that Ben found surprisingly gentle considering Daryil's size, "You weren't trying to surprise 'little' ol' me, were you?"

Ben just stared for a moment. Finally, he shook himself. "Uhhh... Yeah, I was looking for you, Daryil. I wanted to..."

"Get my blessing?" Daryil interrupted.

Ben blinked. "Uh... That's right. See, I've decided to..."

"Become an adventurer again?"

Ben blinked again, then scratched his chin and squinted, as he often did when he was pondering. Then he tweaked his mind-shield and said, "The sun is shining."

"But the ice is slippery," Daryil replied.

"Ah dangit, you can still see through my mind-shield? And I've been working on it, too..."

Daryil chuckled. "It's not that. 'Mind-meld,' remember?"

Ben slapped his forehead. "Oh, right. I always forget about that. I guess that explains these, uh, 'feelings'..."

"Oh, that's not because of me," Daryil said, fixing Ben with a sultry gaze.

"Um... uh..." Ben stammered, desperate to change to subject. "Anyway!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Yes, that's right. I'm returning to the adventuring business. Because I believe the world needs more 'Cubi heroes."

Daryil sighed. "Yes, I know. But Ben, you already know you would have my approval. You don't need to consult me every time you make a big decision."

"I know, but..." Ben trailed off and began to twiddle his fingers. He continued sheepishly, "You're like, one of my best friends, Daryil. It's more that I wanted to tell you 'goodbye' before I go, y'know?"

Daryil smiled sweetly, and Ben suddenly found himself back in Daryil's room, standing before one of his avatars. The avatar planted a kiss on Ben's forehead and said, "Thank you, Ben. I wish you luck."

Ben stepped back and bowed before Daryil. "I'll make you proud, sir," he said and started to turn and leave.

"Wait!"

Ben stopped and turned back, cocking an eyebrow.

"I just thought of something," Daryil said as he put his hands on Ben's shoulders. "I want you to have this."

Ben's tail and wings puffed out as Daryil held his head and kissed him. For a moment, Ben was a torrent of embarrassment and confusion. But then, he closed his eyes as a literal aura of magical power infused his body to the very core, lifting him off the ground.

Daryil broke the kiss and Ben looked more stunned than he ever had in his life. "Wh-What the heck was that?!" he said in a daze.

"The remainder of Tomara's power," Daryil replied. "I figured it was only fitting that you should receive it. Congratulations, Ben! You're now a full-fledged 'Cubi."

...

On the other side of the base, Jakob suddenly cringed, causing Daxxon to flinch. "Nnng!" he grunted, "Joy spike!"

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

Introducing the Buran-Daryil family's Warp-Aci! I had originally wanted to give him a pair of paper-thin whiskers that served the same function as most warp-acis' tails, but I think they have to have the paper-thin tails, so I gave him a pair of whisker-tentacles instead.

[ZacAttac21]

Adventure time with CK!

WARNING: Contains puns.

Olaf Jakobsohn belongs to Merlin. Or Tapewolf. Both? I'm not sure...

----------"Sole Reaper"----------

Raymond hummed a tune as he rode his cart down the forest path back to his farm. The harvest had been particularly good that year, and he had made a mint at the market in town. His thoughts turned to his sweetheart back in town. He could afford a nice wedding band with this kind of profit. His thoughts went from his sweetheart to wedding plans, and even raising a family. He didn't even notice the fog rolling in until he couldn't see ten yards in front of him.

This fog made him uneasy. Since when was had there ever been fog this thick in the middle of the day? Within seconds, his field of vision went from ten yards in front to not being able to see the mule pulling his cart. By the time he saw the low branch hanging in front of him, it had already hit him in the chest. Unable to fall and slip under the branch, he clung to it as his cart passed underneath him and into the fog. By the time he dropped from the branch, he couldn't see his mule or his cart anymore. And even when he ran forward, he couldn't seem to catch up to them.

The bull froze in his tracks as he heard rustling in the forest nearby. He was a big Being, and plenty tough, but in this fog he'd never see a predator until it was already on top of him. And this forest was known for its wolves. He noticed a large branch at his feet. Before he could stoop all the way down to pick it up, he suddenly found himself jerked up and hanging in the air. Something was wrapped around his wrists and ankles. His blood ran cold when he looked to see what was holding him.

Tentacles.

He nearly wet himself when harsh cackling broke out in the fog in front of him. The fog cleared slightly and an incubus slowly appeared. He looked to be a black-backed jackal, with plenty of yellow fur and leathery, demonic wings. The yellow and black patterns on his fur almost looked like flames where they overlapped. His irises were blood-red. He was wearing a blue tunic and a beige undershirt, with ring-mail between them. His leggings matched his shirt, and his hands and feet were clad in tough leather. A rapier was sheathed at his side.

What really frightened him was the incubus's fur pattern. He had heard of 'Cubi like this. In the days of his ancestors, they would wipe out entire settlements of Beings and steal their souls. "Jyraneth..." he thought.

"That's absolutely correct!" the incubus said at last. "I'm glad you maggots still remember us." He paused for a moment and licked his chops, as if savoring the taste of something. "Yes... Such delicious fear... It has been too long. But still, it is not enough." Another tentacle extended from his wings. "And so, your soul is mine!!"

Raymond really did wet himself as the tentacle shot toward him. He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. He felt something rub his foot, but nothing else. After a few moments, still nothing seemed to have happened. He slowly opened one eye, then the other. The incubus had stolen his boot and was looking it over.

"Ye-eew," the incubus said, his face twisting in disgust. "You know what? Never mind, this sole is pretty filthy." He stared blankly at the dumbstruck bull for a split second before breaking down into a fit of hysterical laughter, snorting and slapping his knee. The incubus finally set Raymond down, his form shifting as he did so. No longer was his fur yellow, or was he even a jackal; his features melted from jackal to fox, his fur patterns changing to match his species, although his fur was still an unnatural blue color. His hair turned a more golden shade of blonde. His wings changed completely, from leathery and demonic to feathery and angelic, with light gray primary and secondary feathers and darker cover feathers.

The fog vanished, and Raymond found himself back in his own home on his farm. He fell on his rear as the fox continued to crack up. As his senses finally returned, he stood up and grabbed a nearby chair. He hurled the chair at the incubus, nailing him straight in the head. An aura of light briefly flickered around the staggering incubus.

"Ow!!" the incubus exclaimed, rubbing his head. "That might've killed me if I didn't have a Protect spell up, you know! Whoa, hey, none of that!" He shot out a wing-tentacle and snatched a fireplace poker away from the bull. "Chill dude, I was just messing with you, I swear!"

Raymond felt like his blood was boiling. "What the hell do you want!?"

The fox perked up. "Oh right, I never mentioned my name!" He extended a hand toward the bull. "Adventurer Benjamin Buran, at your service!"

Raymond ignored the hand. "What... do... you... want?" he seethed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you know, typical adventurer stuff. Just saving an innocent farmer from a bunch of bandits."

Raymond just cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah dude, they were following you ever since you left the market! Lucky for you I was there. Y'know, you really should consider investing in a farmhand or something. Preferably a Demon. They make good bodyguards."

"If there were bandits following me, why didn't you just take them out?"

"Oh, my partner's handling that even as we speak," Ben said, holding up a hand dismissively. "My job was to get you to safety and provide a diversion. Hence the fog." He began to twiddle his fingers and a guilty look played across his face. "Of course, then I decided to have a little fun while I was at it..."

"So let me get this straight: you jump me in the forest and scare the bahjeebits out of me, in order to save me from a bunch of bandits?"

Ben could feel the bull's doubt. He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm an incubus, remember? I literally eat fear. And your fear was very tasty, if it's any consolation."

Ben withered a bit as the bull continued to glare at him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a familiar "rap-rap-rap-rap-rap" at the door. "And that would be my partner!" he said as he extended a wing-tentacle to the door and gave it two quick taps. He opened the door to reveal some sort of wolf-giraffe hybrid incubus with a pink marking on his cheek. "Olaf, my man! How did it... uh..." Ben stopped short and winced at the bloodstains on the tips of his friend's leathery wings.

Olaf just rolled his eyes. "Relax, Ben, I just cut some fingers off. They won't be wielding weapons again anytime soon." He walked in and extended a gauntleted hand toward Raymond. "Olaf Jakobsohn, adventurer under Raines, at your service sir. I trust my partner already explained the situation?"

Raymond finally relaxed a bit and shook Olaf's hand. "Yes," he sighed, "we were just discussing it."

Olaf turned back to Ben and fixed him with a glare. "Ben... You weren't pretending to be a Jyraneth again, were you?"

Ben assumed an expression of innocence. "Who, me? Naw, I wouldn't do that."

"Oh really?" Olaf said, crossing his arms, "Then would you mind explaining why I found Mr. Raymond's cart and mule wandering down the path alone?"

Ben's wings fluffed up a bit and the blue fur on his face turned a shade lighter. "Ah-heh-heh," he chuckled sheepishly, "Oops?"

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

After I wrote "Nightmare Within the Dream," I realized that turning Tomara into an android meant no more characters in the Buran-Daryil family. But then I got this idea...

----------"Regina"----------

Tomara stumbled a bit as Ben led her forward. She was blindfolded and had no idea where they were. Today was Tomara's 500th birthday—one-sixth of a normal succubus' lifespan. Of course, she was an effectively-immortal android now, but she appreciated the sentiment. Ben had promised her the biggest present of her life, while complaining that he "would never be able to top it."

As she moved forward, Tomara could hear noises that sounded like computers humming, and something else, something odd... Bubbles? "Ben," Tomara said, giggling a bit, "could you at least tell me where we are?"

"Jayhawk Arctic Base, my dear!" Ben replied, a note of triumph in his voice. "And as a matter of fact, we have arrived. Tomy, I give you..." he continued with a dramatic intonation as he slipped her blindfold off, "the Uterus Chamber!"

Tomara nearly rolled her eyes at the flash of lightning and small peal of thunder that followed, but she was quickly transfixed by what she saw in the dimly-lit room. There were computers and monitors all around. She recognized what she saw on some of the monitors: one of them showed a heart monitor's pulsing line, another showed slightly fluctuating bars indicating concentrations of certain chemicals. But all that was not nearly as interesting as what they were all hooked up to.

In the center of the room was a huge glass tube capped at the top and bottom with machines. Inside the chamber was some kind of fluid; she could tell by all the bubbles running up from the bottom of the chamber. Inside the chamber were some wires and tubes... All running to a strange creature suspended in the middle of the chamber. The glass was somewhat tinted, so she got in close for a better look.

Tomara's eyes widened as she realized what the "creature" was. It was a fetus... A feline fetus. She adjusted her robotic eyes to get a clearer view. It was... a cheetah? No, that wasn't right, she could see tiny, underdeveloped tendrils forming at the back of the jaw; it was a coeurl, just like her. But her sensors indicated that much of the skin was blue—the same color as Ben's fur. There were also tiny, underdeveloped wings forming on its back.

Tomara touched the glass, completely in awe. "Ben," she said, not turning her gaze away from the baby, "what is this?"

"That, my dear, is our new daughter."

Tomara whipped her head back toward Ben. "Our... daughter!? But how can that be?"

"You ever heard of in-vitro fertilization?"

Tomara said nothing, her jaw hanging slightly loose.

Ben chuckled a bit as he walked up to her. "Yeah, it's kinda like that, only the baby grows inside this chamber instead of an actual womb. Y'see, Tomy, it's like this: on the night you were killed, Daryil was able to save as many of your eggs as he could. Then of course, you add my sperm and... Well, there you go." Ben turned his gaze to the baby and his wife did likewise. "Of course, it's a delicate procedure, and not cheap. That's why I've been kind of stingy for the last century or so; I was saving up for this."

Ben put an arm around his wife. "I know you... we both have kind of regretted that we didn't have more children before your original body was killed. I considered doing this centuries ago, but I wanted to wait until I was sure you were ready. I know it's not the same, but... I knew you'd be happy regardless."

Ben looked back at Tomara. Jayhawk had done a good job designing their android replica bodies; the tears streaming down his wife's face were certainly artificial, but no one would know the difference. "I've timed this perfectly," he began again, "It's been four months since conception; by now the baby would be able to hear noises coming from outside the womb, if this were a normal pregnancy. Of course, that chamber doesn't exactly conduct sound waves so well, but fortunately, we have the ability to communicate telepathically, don't we?" Ben winked at her and put his other hand on her other shoulder. "And I brought you here today specifically so your voice can be the first she ever hears. Go on," he said, gesturing toward the baby, "say 'hi' to your daughter."

Tomara stood there staring, mouth agape, for another moment until Ben heard her voice in his mind. "...Baby? Hi, darling," she said. She stifled a squeal as the baby kicked in surprise. "I... I can hear her voice!" she said out loud, beginning to sob. "It's just senseless babbling, but I can hear it! Can you hear it, Ben?" She began to weep.

Ben hugged her tight, wrapping his wings around her as she cried. "Happy birthday, Tomy," he whispered softly.

They didn't even notice as Jakob walked past the doorway, quietly shooing Daryil and Ashley away.

----------END----------

[ZacAttac21]

For those of you who don't recognize it, this is the city of Old Saloth.

“Intruder”

Robby Reed turned the key and entered his home. All the lights were off, save for the porch light above him; his wife must still be at her mother’s home. As soon as the door had closed behind him, he turned on a lamp and stepped quickly over to the phone. His heart fell as low as it could go. There were still no new messages. He sighed, taking off his hat and coat and hanging them next to the door, which he then made sure he locked. It looked like he wouldn’t be sleeping much again. His tongue rasped against the roof of his mouth; maybe a glass of wine would ease his misery. He made his way to the kitchen and lifted his hand to turn on the light.

But his hand never made it there. His world went black, and his body slumped against the wall. A pair of arms caught him as he fell, and carried him back to the sofa in his living room. Gently he was laid on the sofa, sound asleep. The hands that caught him moved to his head, one on each side. Thumbs moved to his temples, fingers moved behind his ear, under his chin, to his throat. The digits glowed for a few minutes before leaving his head. The feet below the hands climbed the stairs to the upper floor. The first step creaked, but otherwise no sound was made.

The intruder opened the door. The door to Robby’s little daughter’s room. He made no effort to conceal his entry; the girl was already long gone. A quick glance about the room, and he made his way to a small chair by the window. From the chair he plucked a teddy bear, carefully as if not wanting to harm it. He reached about his neck and lifted an amulet over his head. On the string was a soul-crystal, which he gently pressed against the bear. His hands glowed again briefly. When he was done, the crystal glowed faintly as he set the bear back down exactly as it had been before.

He smiled. Everything was going according to plan. From the mind of the rabbit Being passed out on the sofa downstairs, he knew that the girl treasured that teddy bear. And from all the time it spent with her, residues of her excess soul energy had deposited on the bear. He now had his link to the girl.

He turned around and double-checked his work. On the floor was drawn, in chalk, a small magic circle. Once he was sure that he had used the correct runes in the correct places, he laid over them a map of the city of Old Saloth. Once again he double-checked himself; his current location on the map had to be in the center of the triangle created by the runes. Finally, on his hands and knees, he held the crystal over the center of the map and let it fall to the end of its string. Still glowing faintly, the crystal began to rock back and forth and around the map, like a pendulum swinging about its axis.

He said a quick prayer. If the pendulum stopped straight down at the center, it would mean very bad news. It almost killed him how much time this spell took to work. Finally, after several minutes, the pendulum was winding down. His heart sank. The pendulum was definitely stopping at the center.

He cursed in grief and rage. All this trouble for nothing. No, it couldn’t be true. He must have made a mistake. He triple-checked his magic circle, the runes, the position of the map, and set his pendulum in motion once again. He growled. Same results. In his disbelief, he brought his face closer, to the spot where the pendulum almost touched the floor. His heart leaped. The pendulum had not stopped dead-center, but at a slight angle, pointing to the next street over. He was incredulous that she had been so close all along, but he had found her.

Downstairs, Robby stirred from his sleep. Someone was shaking him. Blearily, he opened his eyes. As the magic-induced haze lifted, his ears twitched violently and he pressed his back into the sofa. A jackal Being stood before him, with yellow and black fur patterns that looked like flames where they met. Before he could speak, the jackal put a finger to his lips. He felt a strange calm wash over him. The jackal flashed a toothy grin and spoke.

“I know where your daughter is.”

*****

Cyrus hastily loaded his revolver. The skunk was in shock. How had they found him? This wasn’t the first time he had kidnapped a child, and they had never even suspected him before. He spun the chamber and crawled over to the open window. He put his back to the wall and peeked outside.

The police had his home surrounded. Floodlights lit up his home and he heard a male speaking through a megaphone. They wanted him to give himself up? To come out with his hands in the air? Not a chance. He whipped quickly around the edge of the window, pointing his gun randomly as the lights blinded him.

The police ducked down as quickly as they could. But nothing happened. Slowly, some of them looked back up over the hoods of their cars. Cyrus was standing there, his body angled from behind the wall. His gun was still pointed, his eyes still winced in the bright light, but he made no movements. A strange pinkish aura surrounded him. They turned their heads as the door not far from him opened slowly. But no one came out.

The lieutenant moved first. He stood, starting to approach the door with his gun drawn. Cyrus was still just frozen there. A few others followed behind him as he entered the house. Three of them went to check on Cyrus. He heard voices coming from the back of the house. Two of them. One was soft and high-pitched. The girl? The other was louder, and much lower in pitch. He quietly approached the room. He heard a little girl sniffling. He whipped around the corner, gun pointed at Cyrus’ apparent partner.

But there was only the girl. A single dark gray feather floated to the ground next to the window.
After checking that the room was secure and there was no one outside the window, he turned to the girl. Tears were drying on her cheeks, but her long bunny ears were perked up. She clutched a teddy bear tightly to her chest. The lieutenant knelt down to her level and calmly spoke.

“Miss Reed?”

The girl nodded and wiped her tears off with one arm.

He continued. “Who was in here with you?”

A weak grin crept across the little girl’s face, minus a few baby teeth. “The wingie-man!”

*****

The Reed home was abuzz. Little Jessie was finally home. All four of her grandparents and even her uncle Joe had come to celebrate. Strawberry Kool-Aid flowed and there was mint chip ice cream for everyone.

Suddenly, the house fell silent as they realized there was a stranger among them. A jackal with yellow and black fur had appeared out of nowhere, and was helping himself to a glass of Kool-Aid. He wore nothing but a pair of blue jeans. Fortunately, Mr. Reed recognized him immediately. He shook the jackal’s hand enthusiastically.

“Sir, I can’t thank you enough!” Robby exclaimed, throwing a hug around the stranger, who awkwardly returned the favor.
After breaking the embrace, the jackal stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. He grinned sheepishly as he said, “Aw shucks, I was just doin’ my adventurer thing.”

Robby’s eyes lit up. “An adventurer! I should have known. What is your name?”

The jackal gave a sly grin in return. “Aw, you already know who I am!”

Robby said nothing, a quizzical face his response.

Suddenly, all eyes went wide as the stranger… changed. Yellow fur became blue. Black fur became white. The colors moved around his body like a painting with a mind of its own. His tail became longer and fluffier. His ears became a bit smaller. And finally, a two pairs of gray- feathered wings appeared; one large pair from his back, and a small pair from his head.

Robby stepped back in shock. He did know this stranger: “The Saloth Streaker!!”

The jackal, now a fox, took another sip of Kool-Aid. “Actually, it’s Ben. Benjamin Buran, under Jakobson.” He frowned a bit and continued, “You know, that’s not really even ‘streaking’; I always wear a Speedo, at least.”

Before her mother could stop her, little Jessie ran to him, shouting “Wingies!!” He squatted down and they hugged. She sat on his arm as he stood back up.

“Bet you never would’ve guessed I was an adventurer, huh?”

Robby finally snapped out of his stupor. “Well, uh… No, I guess I wouldn’t… But why are you here?”

“Well, during my last ‘escapade’ here in Old Saloth…” he said, handing Jessie back over to her mother, who seemed only too eager to get her away from him, “I read about the kidnapping in the paper. I had to help.”

“I… yes, thank you for that, but I meant… why would you…” Mr. Reed trailed off, gesturing clumsily toward Ben’s head.

“Oh, you mean, because I’m a ‘Cubi?” Ben said as he looked up, pointing to his head-wings. He blew a raspberry and gestured dismissively. “You shouldn’t believe everything your racist authorities say,” he continued, with a forceful emphasis on “racist.” “Speaking of which, I should probably get going. Wouldn’t want them to think you’re friends with the ‘Saloth Streaker,’ hmm?”

Ben began to cast a spell, but broke it off to speak once more: “Oh hey, if you ever want to repay me, all you have to do is spread the good word, eh? Remember, ‘Cubi’ doesn't have to equal ‘bad.’” And with that, there was a flash of light, and he was gone.

Another flash of light, and the little girl’s teddy bear appeared in her arms. She giggled.

Two pairs of gray wings made out of felt had been glued to the bear; a larger pair on the back, and a smaller pair on the head.

END

[Tapewolf]

I do like that story.  Though leaving the impression that all 'Cubi are sweetness and light is just opening the door for abuse...

[ZacAttac21]

I do like that story.  Though leaving the impression that all 'Cubi are sweetness and light is just opening the door for abuse...

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. He's just trying to create a world where people don't scream at the sight of his head-wings.

[Tapewolf]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. He's just trying to create a world where people don't scream at the sight of his head-wings.

How about "Does not have to equal bad"?

[ZacAttac21]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. He's just trying to create a world where people don't scream at the sight of his head-wings.

How about "Does not have to equal bad"?

Ooh, I like that. Thanks.