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Older artwork: Original Post Date 9/21/22

Hey everyone! Comin' at you with another piece of art. I love this horrible boy, and had to draw him again. Once again, this relates to his dealings with Odd , 's character and amazing good child. ;w;

Below is the story that ultimately leads into this piece.

This is Muse and Odd's story, lovingly written by

Enjoy! owo

Earth was familiar, Earth was…easy. The human realm was simple. Simple was good for prey.
Humans didn’t get along. They didn’t band together for things they needed to solve, they simply fought each other on it. The quarrels caused inequality and that in turn caused desperation and pain. When humans felt desperation and pain, it turned to fear. They were more than willing to make deals that would not turn out well for them when they were afraid. Afraid was good. Afraid meant deals, and deals meant…souls.

Now Muse, Muse was good at what he did. That didn’t necessarily mean that every offer he made was celebrated with excitement and acceptance, but it did mean that he was capable of finding the good souls. You know, the ones that lesser demons would never be able to con a human out of. Not the souls of junkies and criminals and…ugh…politicians…but the souls of people with talent and promise. Muse could spend an hour up in the human realm and find plenty of targets without even making an effort. His practiced eyes could pick out a worthwhile soul in a crowd of hundreds. And a silver tongue could strike a bargain in minutes.

Which is why he was on Earth today, sitting above the crowded streets, looking at the fodder. People came and went on their lunch breaks, on their way to work, on their way home, shopping, and so on. Just going about their pointless little lives that they squandered doing manual labor in a hierarchy so they could have one vacation every three years and then die.
The souls below drifted along with their bodies, glowing different lights and changing with moods and auras. Muse was just about to approach a burnt out looking accountant type when something caught his eye.
Black. COMPLETE black. He’d NEVER seen or even heard of such a thing for a soul- complete black? The only way that would happen is if there was an ABSENCE of a soul, but if that was possible the damn person wouldn’t be walking around.

Muse couldn’t help it. He drifted down to street level and looked. There was a person there in a jacket, just…milling about a big planter. Well clearly the fucker wasn’t a vegetable so…what gave.
Muse narrowed his eyes and squinted as he moved closer. That…that wasn’t a human. There was black hair or something, but no face- wait, yes face? Kind of face.
The person turned around and Muse jumped- two huge ass eyes were staring back at him. In fact, the person jumped too.
“You can see me??” Muse said, unable to stop himself. The guy was…that wasn’t hair. It was just black. It was blacker than black, like vantablack, there was just nothing there. Nothing to reflect light.
“Are you non-corporeal?” the strange void asked. Muse tilted his head. The fuck kind of question was that to start a conversation with? This…thing, this guy- was basically a shadow with eyes and…a poofy jacket.
“What are you? Why can you see me?” Muse demanded.
“I don’t know.” The void shrugged, the big sleeves making no sound.
“You don’t know what? What question was that an answer to?” Muse asked.
“Both.”
“You don’t know what you are?”
The void made another shrug, but didn’t seem bothered. He turned around and went back to his business. Muse just…stared.

Was this guy…stupid? Or something? He didn’t know how to take that. How could the thing see him?
“Why don’t you have a soul?” Muse asked, and leaned over to see what the void was doing in the planter. He seemed to be digging gently with his fingers. Muse watched as the void pulled a wriggling pink worm out of the dirt. Uh, ew?
He tossed it over to a waiting bird, which quickly snatched it up and flew away. Oh. Okay, fine.
“I don’t know,” the void answered. Muse sighed.
“What DO you know,” he growled.
“I’m Odd.”
Muse was close to choking this fucker out.
“Yeah, I get that. You’re really fricken weird. But-”
“It’s my name,” the void said. Muse scoffed. Really? That was his name? THAT was his name?
“...Okay. You’re Odd. I’m trying to ask…what you are. But you don’t know. I’ve never seen something like you. You’re aware, you move…” He thought for a second. “...But you don’t have a soul. That’s obviously of interest to me because I’m in the market of souls. And that information could be useful to me.”
Odd started walking away, and Muse paused. The hell? What, he was offended? He jogged after the strange thing, keeping up easily as Odd just strolled along the sidewalk.

“What the hell? I was talking to you!” he growled.
“I can talk while I move. It’s not too hard.” Odd stopped at a crosswalk.
“So why are you walking around the humans without a disguise or a glamor or something?” Muse asked.
“Light refraction,” Odd said. A sign changed, and he began to cross the street.
“Because that explains that…” Muse grumbled to himself. But in spite of himself, he followed. “There isn’t- there isn’t any light reflecting off of you. That makes no sense, that’s just babble.”
“I know, right?” Odd said, almost excitedly. “Some sort of…paradox. I think that’s the word.”
“So why, then?” Muse asked. He couldn’t help it- he wanted to know. Okay, so humans couldn’t see the REAL Odd, but then…what WAS the real Odd? “Hm? Why?”
“Black hole,” Odd said. He looked up at the trees surrounding the entrance into the local park. “I’m going to check in on a duck nest. Would you like to join me, friend?” he turned to Muse.
“I’m not your friend. And my name’s Muse.” …but in spite of himself, he followed.
“What sort of muse, Muse?” Odd asked as he walked.Muse shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Whatever someone needs. Art, music, that kind of stuff mostly. Food service. Never science though, those fucks usually figure things out for themselves. Can’t inspire someone to be better at sports either.” Muse huffed as he followed Odd. This was pointless. “I’m in the business of souls, like I said. I trade inspiration, and when the person dies I get the soul. And you don’t have one. So what do you mean, black hole?”
“That’s where I came from. First, I mean. I’m here now, but I wasn’t always.” Odd stopped briefly to touch a leaf on a low hanging branch.
“You….came out of a black hole?” Muse asked in disbelief.
“Fell right out. Some sort of entropy related thing perhaps?” Odd asked. He turned to Muse, his eyes slightly squinted in a form of amusement.
Muse…chuckled.
“Heh. Why’re you asking me? I don’t know shit about that, or you. That’s why I’m asking.”
“I would tell you the truth, if only I knew it. If only…I knew it…” Odd drifted off. Muse snapped his fingers in front of his eyes and he seemed to come back to life.

Odd went on his way again, but this time Muse didn’t follow. It was a lot to take in. He didn’t even know there could be a living being without a soul, and well- it made sense if Odd fell out of a black hole. He wasn’t exactly ALIVE in that he had cells and systems. He was just some…thing.
“Well…Odd…I gotta go. I’m doing business here and frankly, you’re a hell of a distraction.”
“Thank you!” Odd chirped. Muse couldn’t help but slap a palm to his face.
“I’m out. See ya around.”
Before Odd could answer, he just left.

He had a lot to think about.

---

A few days passed, and Muse found himself thinking about the strange person from time to time. Then he thought about Odd every day. Then he thought about Odd constantly. Then he threw a bunch of things and broke them, got wasted on snake juice, puked up the snake juice, drank more snake juice, and woke up a week later on a beach.
Fine. You know what, fine. He was just going to have to get his stalk on. That wasn’t completely out of character for him anyway, and he had LEARNING to do. IMPORTANT information.

Muse spent the next two weeks just observing the dumb idiot.

Odd spent a lot of time in the public park, especially during and after rain. When the rain got heavy, Muse noticed that he would stop, close his eyes, and tilt his head back. Like he was focusing…
After the third time this happened, Muse finally realized what was happening. The raindrops were making an actual collision with Odd when he stopped and focused. But if he didn’t focus, the raindrops would just go right through. Even the jacket. Like he was a ghost in his own world unless he put all his effort into it. And when the rain hit him, and he could clearly feel it…he looked happy.

Okay,that was something. Odd was in some weird form of in between planes. It was starting to make sense why he didn’t have a soul. There wasn’t anything for a soul to hold onto, for one thing. And for another, like he’d noticed earlier, Odd wasn’t TRULY alive.
He hated to admit it, but Odd was fascinating.

Though, there were times when Odd was also…really fucking strange. Like, take a fistful of grass and shove it into his face levels of strange. A mouth never opened, he just sort of shoved it into the front of his head and…that was it. Then he would move on with his life and find something else to touch or listen to or shove in his face.
It was kinda cute.
Fuck, he did NOT just think that.

“Hey.” Finally Muse decided to say something. Odd was just sitting at the park fountain at the time, and he didn’t seem to react much other than a slight nod.
“Hello friend,” Odd said quietly. Muse didn’t bother to correct him this time. He didn’t think it would matter, and maybe it wasn’t such a big deal.
“Sup. Whatcha doing today, black hole.” Muse leaned over to see. It was a big ol’ heap of…nothing!
“Waiting,” Odd said simply. Oh, that was sooooo obvious, Muse thought.
“For what, chum,” Muse said back.
“There’s a mother duck that comes here to nest in the evening. The fountain is a good place for her to teach her young how to paddle. The shrubs on the rim of the fountain are good cover at night. It’s the perfect place.” Odd tapped his knee to some unheard tune. “Do you have a perfect place?” he asked.
Muse thought. Well that was a very forward question. Odd just seemed to say what he was thinking all the time, and he kind of liked it. It made things simple, easy.

“I can manipulate my plane,” Muse explained. “Which means I can have a bedroom whenever I want. No windows because there’s no outside, and no doors because there’s no hallway.”
“Is it lonely?” Odd asked.
“I kinda prefer being alone most of the time,” Muse told him. “But I don’t find it lonely.”
“Sometimes being alone is nice. It means you can take up a little more space,” Odd said. “You can’t do that on a train or a bus.”
Muse had to stop himself from laughing. Conversations with this bozo were a real thrill. Well, it was the truth he supposed.
He heard a faint slap slap slap on the concrete, and soon enough a brown duck came waddling over, a dozen little ducks in tow.
“That her?” Muse asked.
“Yes,” Odd answered. “Doing what comes naturally, fulfilling her purpose in life…” he was quiet for a moment, and Muse waited for him to finish the thought.
“Nothing comes naturally to me. I don’t think I’m natural.” Odd tilted his head.
“Took you this long to figure that out?” Muse asked.
“Mm…no…but…I don’t have anyone to tell. But now you’re here, so I can tell you.”
“Consider me told.”

That was how the days went. Odd would go about his business and sometimes Muse would talk, sometimes he wouldn’t. Odd wasn’t always around the park, but Muse had no idea where he went. Knowing Odd, he probably just blipped out of existence or got lost on the subway.
Probably that second one.

But the thing was…despite himself, Muse ENJOYED talking to Odd. He liked listening to the weirdo just talk about his day, or some fricken frog he found under a tree, how intrigued he was when humans tossed coins into the fountain and made stupid wishes. Throwing away their own money for literally nothing, Muse thought at the time. Humans were so ridiculously fucking stupid and pointless.
But Odd? Odd was somehow intriguing in ways that Muse literally could not describe to himself, let alone someone else. Odd’s gentle voice and simple actions made his chest feel like it was under pressure.

“So why DO you spend so much time observing the humans then,” Muse finally asked one cloudy afternoon after the rain. “I spend my life harvesting souls, and I can tell you, you’re not missing out on anything. They’re hardly the most intelligent life in the universe.”
“Of course. The universe is…” Odd held his hands apart like he could measure the damn thing. Muse sighed. “Well, it’s very big.”
“Doesn’t answer my question,” Muse spat. “What’s the deal? You could do so much more. You don’t have to just sit and exist and watch ducks all the damn time. I’ve told you already…I’ve seen the worst of em.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bad thing to consume a soul? All that consciousness, that memory, the essence of a life…gone,” Odd mused.
“I don’t buy what ain’t for sale,” Muse grumbled. He wasn’t the bad guy here!
“I suppose I’m interested in the meaning. Of life,” Odd said. “Not just human life, but…the idea of life. The thing that makes life, a conscious life, what you might call..hm…sacred, maybe. Special. Yeah, special. Unique.”
“Pft. What’s the meaning of life then, strange space void man.” Muse rolled his eyes. Well, he didn’t have pupils- but you get the idea.
“I can show you!” Odd chirped. Muse lifted an eyebrow.
“You can show me the meaning of life, Odd?” he asked in disbelief. Odd nodded enthusiastically.
Muse shrugged and nodded. Knowing Odd, it was going to be something stupid like a used candy wrapper he found in the grass.

…

The boba stand wasn’t super busy, which surprised Muse. He thought these places were coveted. Maybe because it had just rained? It still smelled wet, like damp earth.
A young girl handed them their drinks, and Odd took Muse away from the stand and back into the park. No one was around- too wet. Luckily, it didn’t seem to bother Odd at all.

“This is the meaning of life? A stupid human drink?” Muse growled. Odd shrugged and held the drink up to himself. The straw didn’t go into a mouth, it just seemed to disappear into his face- as usual. But, the drink did seem to get sucked into his…uh, void.

“My meaning,” Odd said. And his eyes seemed to shine, shimmering with stars and galaxies behind them for just a moment. Just long enough to entrance Muse for a second- enough to convince him that maybe he should try it.
“So tasty,” Odd said happily.

“When you said you know the meaning of life I had something different in mind,” Muse grumbled.
“It’s different for everybody.” Odd sipped.
“Getting metaphysical again I see,” Muse sighed. He lifted the drink to his mouth and took a sip.
“H-huh.” His eyebrows went up, along with his tail, and he took another sip. The boba balls got stuck on his sharp teeth and he had to chew them off. He…he liked it.
“That…that ain’t half bad,” Muse said.

Odd laughed. His eyes closed upwards and his head shook, and a laughing noise rang in Muse’s ears- no, not his ears…his whole head. The laugh itself almost sounded melodic, like uplifting music. The voice was surrounding him on all sides. It ran throughout his body like a warm feeling making him feel light, like he could hover without even thinking. That…that was a hell of a high. Did Odd do that on purpose? Did he even know?

“I guess you’re good for something after all,” Muse said. Odd blinked at him slowly, head tilted.
“What is your meaning?” Odd asked. Muse shrugged.
“Stealing souls, I guess?” He asked.
“No no, what is the thing that brings you emotion in the core of your whole being. What is your MEANING,” Odd insisted. Muse thought for a little bit longer, took another drink…and then looked back at Odd.
“I don’t…I don’t know.”

“I don’t think you need to know right away. But humans know.” Odd looked around. There were a few people around the area outside the park.
“That woman is alone. No family…” Odd said, pointing to a pair of humans across the street. A woman, maybe in her late thirties, and a little girl. They were bundled up, and the girl was splashing in the rain puddles. Simple, but she seemed like she was having the time of her life.
“The girl was also alone. Her biological mother, who birthed her, died. So the woman adopted her. Now her daughter is her whole world. Nothing else matters. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how little money she has. She’s happy. She knows her purpose in life. Her meaning.”
Odd turned to Muse. “That woman would never sell you her soul. It belongs to her, her daughter. Her happiness.”
Odd took another drink of his boba.
“I saw a man who had spent sixteen hours of every day working on a business. He was so tired but he kept on. It finally took off and all his hard work was worth it. He was able to take care of his elderly mother the way he wanted to so badly.”
Muse grumbled into his straw.
“I saw a little boy get a good grade on a school test, and when he showed his father…the father picked him up and spun him around excitedly.”
Muse was quiet.
“I also saw a woman who fosters baby cats. She doesn’t have a partner but she saves lives. She’s happy with that. She doesn’t need romance.”

“Fine. Maybe there are some good ones, but that doesn’t change my mind,” Muse insisted.
“That’s okay. I don’t need to change your mind. Just provide understanding. Do you understand?” Odd asked.
“I understand, buddy.” Muse sighed. Odd seemed to glow, and Muse lifted an eyebrow.
“What?” he asked.
“I am your buddy?” Odd asked.
“I…I mean I guess so? We hang out sometimes, why not.”
“I like that, the label of buddy.” Odd seemed pleased as he finished his drink…

And then shoved the cup into his face too.
Dumbass, Muse thought.

---

Time passed. Weeks, months. Muse didn’t visit every day, but…honestly he kind of wanted to. He made the time. He could work while he hung out anyway.
Today they were on a beach. The rainy season was ending and it was getting colder. Not that Odd seemed to mind. He just wanted to look for shells and put them in the tide pools for smaller invertebrae to use.
Muse had passively offered a few times for Odd to to get in on his gig. He wasn’t equipped to eat souls, but he figured there had to be SOMETHING Odd would want to do in the other planes. But Odd always politely declined.

Odd finished handing off a shell to a little hermit crab. Muse stood nearby, watching some people on a nearby boardwalk. He sighed.
“Are you working again?” Odd asked, standing up to go over to him. “Would you like to try the skee ball again?”
“Just observing. I won’t take anything while you’re here.” Muse sighed again. “Odd, why don’t you ever take me up on my offers? We can figure out something else for you to do. You’re not a soul eater, it doesn’t have to be what I do.”
“That’s okay. I like it here. There are benches, and crane machines. Those are both nice.” Odd looked down at the seaweed dancing in the currents.
“Come on, Odd. You’re unique. There’s only one of you and there will never be another one of you. You’re basically an inverse black hole! All that cosmic energy and infinite power and…and you want to play crane machines??” Muse asked in disbelief. Odd turned away, trying not to look embarrassed.
“It’s not all I do…it’s what I like…I don’t want to go somewhere else,” Odd said.
“Just…just TRY it. Let me just take you to an in between space. You have no idea how good it feels to escape this place!” Muse insisted.
“I-I said no. Please stop,” Odd mumbled. Muse shook his head.
“You’re just gonna have to trust me! You’ll realize!” Muse reached out and grabbed Odd’s arm.
“Muse, no!” Odd exclaimed, but before he knew what was happening, Muse was dragging them through a doorway. He made good on his promise; he didn’t bring Odd to his own homeworld, but into one of those pocket spaces in between. An empty space full of random architecture, columns of stone, mismatched floor tiles.

Muse stepped back once they were there.
“See? Doesn’t that feel better?” He asked, closing his eyes to breathe deep.
“I want to go back,” Odd said miserably. He was folded in on himself, his arms crossed in front of his body like he was trying to hold himself together. “I want to go back, Muse.”
“What? Seriously?” Muse turned to Odd. “You’re kidding me. And throw your lot in with a lesser species?”
“I’m not a species. I’m not anything. Please Muse. I want to go back, take me back. This isn’t right. This isn’t me. I don’t belong. It isn’t safe. I’m not here,” Odd said to himself, sounding almost like he could cry. “Muse…Muse get me out of here,” Odd whined. He reached up to cover his head with his hands. “Muse, bring me back to Earth! Please!!” He begged.
Muse hesitated, sensing something like fear from Odd, but…but this was just tough love. He’d understand in time.
“No, you have to listen to me first, then I’ll bring you back.” Muse stepped forward and Odd suddenly lashed out, shoving him back.
“Stay bbbbAAAaAAaaAacACCccKkkk,” a croak-like sound came from Odd.
But Muse, in all of his narcissism, could only focus on one thing; Odd shoved him. Put his hands on him. And that set something off- forget the fuse, forget the sparks, a nuclear bomb was going off in his head immediately.
Muse launched himself at Odd with his arms out, and Odd hissed something that Muse didn’t bother to listen to. He tackled Odd and the two went flying to the ground, landing in a roll. They were already fighting, but Muse had started throwing punches first. Hell, he bit the one he called his friend before. There was no blood, just a black void in his mouth, but he knew it hurt because Odd reacted.

Well, his eyes did. The pupils were disappearing, leaving him with feral looking pools of blue on his face.
“Listen to me!!” Muse roared. “I’m doing this for your own fucking good! Your place isn’t with the fucking humans-“
Muse fell back as Odd popped him right in the teeth. He growled as he spit out a fang. That was it.

Odd was gentle, and liked to watch caterpillars walk along his finger. He liked to catch injured animals and fix their injuries. Odd liked to watch and observe like a spectator in his own life. He was a lot of things, but a fighter was not one of them.
That. Was. It.

Muse saw red.

Muse rolled Odd onto his back and straddled him. Then he started wailing on the poor thing, and didn’t hold back. The fucker had the nerve to touch him when he was just trying to help? When he was trying to be a fucking friend?!
His fists collided with Odd’s face over and over again, and Muse could barely hear the whines and grunts of pain coming from no mouth.
But as Muse began to pant, he noticed something. Odd’s eyes were…moving. On his face. Like they were falling off his face-
Or, no…maybe…maybe rolling back on his face?

Muse breathed and brought his fist back again, and then his whole body froze as he saw it. Something opening on Odd’s face, like a mouth.
Muse felt his body go cold. An energy was drawing him in- drawing HIS energy in, sucking it out of him like some sort of vortex and yet he couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried.

Odd…his mind echoed. I should have…listened…

Muse hyperventilated, his eyes rolling back into his head.
The universe was rich and full of life. Trillions of galaxies, each with hundreds of billions of stars, each one of those with a series of planets, some having billions of organisms living and dying. A cycle of death and rebirth. Even as each star burned out, the remnants could reignite through collision, restarting the cycle of nuclear fission. It was chaos, but it was complex and full and had meaning. It had meaning, didn’t it?
The galaxies drifted further and further away from each other. As time went on, more and more celestial bodies could not collide. It became darker, everything further apart as expansion refused to stop. As entropy refused to stop.
The stars burned out. They spread and spread, unable to make new stars.
The heat was gone. The fuel of the whole universe was burned out.
He saw black. He saw…he saw nothing. The universe expanded so far and wide that no new stars could form…No more hydrogen, no more…no more light. The stars were gone. The stars were gone…there were no stars. There was nothing. There was *nothing*.
Not a single soul to eat, not even a smidge of bacteria in the whole of existence.
No…no existence. Nothing anymore. There was nothing. No way to reverse entropy.
It was dark, it was lonely. It was nothing.
All the matter left was torn apart slowly by the forces of expansion. Life was long gone by then.
The stars were gone.
There was nothing.

Muse fell off of Odd, hitting the ground hard as an unseen energy wave blasted out in all directions. Every structure in the pocket space was obliterated, and Muse, on his back, began to seize uncontrollably.
His world went black.

---

When Muse awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed. The liminal space was collapsed, dark, and broken. Odd was gone.
Odd…
What the fuck was that…what did he see? His mind just…it was completely overwhelmed, and those things he saw…That shock wave…
It was the end of everything, but Odd- he could cause that, couldn’t he? Maybe it would happen naturally at the end of time but Odd…he could unmake everything. Any time.
What the fuck had he done.

Muse sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face with a groan. Why hadn’t he just listened?
No, why hadn’t Odd listened to HIM-
What even WAS that…

Muse went back to Earth. Odd wasn’t in any of his usual locations. Which…he supposed wasn’t surprising, Odd was probably pissed. Unless Odd had like, dissipated into the energy of the universe or something. He’d managed to destroy a pocket space - he didn’t even know that was POSSIBLE. How had he done that? What sort of power did that fucker REALLY have?
Muse called out for Odd several times in several directions, but there was nothing. He got the picture.

That…fucker- he hadn’t listened to him. If Odd had just listened-
No, it was his own fault-
Muse screamed Odd’s name until he couldn’t anymore.
This was his fault…how could he ever…admit that it was his fault…

…

Well, Odd did eventually come back. He wouldn’t interact with Muse, though. Muse knew why, but tried anyway for the first few weeks. But whenever Odd sensed his energy, he just disappeared. Muse eventually grew annoyed, and then angry. He stopped trying. Time went on and the two just stopped interacting as if they’d never met. Then, Muse stopped watching.

But…sometimes he’d still go to Earth. Not just for souls, but…but for a different reason.
To go up to a small boba stand and order a large, just the way he liked it, just the way Odd had showed him.
He’d sit above the city and drink, hating himself and wishing he was better.
Then he’d just numb himself and go back to work.

Description

Older artwork: Original Post Date 9/21/22

Hey everyone! Comin' at you with another piece of art. I love this horrible boy, and had to draw him again. Once again, this relates to his dealings with Odd , 's character and amazing good child. ;w;

Below is the story that ultimately leads into this piece.

This is Muse and Odd's story, lovingly written by

Enjoy! owo

Earth was familiar, Earth was…easy. The human realm was simple. Simple was good for prey.
Humans didn’t get along. They didn’t band together for things they needed to solve, they simply fought each other on it. The quarrels caused inequality and that in turn caused desperation and pain. When humans felt desperation and pain, it turned to fear. They were more than willing to make deals that would not turn out well for them when they were afraid. Afraid was good. Afraid meant deals, and deals meant…souls.

Now Muse, Muse was good at what he did. That didn’t necessarily mean that every offer he made was celebrated with excitement and acceptance, but it did mean that he was capable of finding the good souls. You know, the ones that lesser demons would never be able to con a human out of. Not the souls of junkies and criminals and…ugh…politicians…but the souls of people with talent and promise. Muse could spend an hour up in the human realm and find plenty of targets without even making an effort. His practiced eyes could pick out a worthwhile soul in a crowd of hundreds. And a silver tongue could strike a bargain in minutes.

Which is why he was on Earth today, sitting above the crowded streets, looking at the fodder. People came and went on their lunch breaks, on their way to work, on their way home, shopping, and so on. Just going about their pointless little lives that they squandered doing manual labor in a hierarchy so they could have one vacation every three years and then die.
The souls below drifted along with their bodies, glowing different lights and changing with moods and auras. Muse was just about to approach a burnt out looking accountant type when something caught his eye.
Black. COMPLETE black. He’d NEVER seen or even heard of such a thing for a soul- complete black? The only way that would happen is if there was an ABSENCE of a soul, but if that was possible the damn person wouldn’t be walking around.

Muse couldn’t help it. He drifted down to street level and looked. There was a person there in a jacket, just…milling about a big planter. Well clearly the fucker wasn’t a vegetable so…what gave.
Muse narrowed his eyes and squinted as he moved closer. That…that wasn’t a human. There was black hair or something, but no face- wait, yes face? Kind of face.
The person turned around and Muse jumped- two huge ass eyes were staring back at him. In fact, the person jumped too.
“You can see me??” Muse said, unable to stop himself. The guy was…that wasn’t hair. It was just black. It was blacker than black, like vantablack, there was just nothing there. Nothing to reflect light.
“Are you non-corporeal?” the strange void asked. Muse tilted his head. The fuck kind of question was that to start a conversation with? This…thing, this guy- was basically a shadow with eyes and…a poofy jacket.
“What are you? Why can you see me?” Muse demanded.
“I don’t know.” The void shrugged, the big sleeves making no sound.
“You don’t know what? What question was that an answer to?” Muse asked.
“Both.”
“You don’t know what you are?”
The void made another shrug, but didn’t seem bothered. He turned around and went back to his business. Muse just…stared.

Was this guy…stupid? Or something? He didn’t know how to take that. How could the thing see him?
“Why don’t you have a soul?” Muse asked, and leaned over to see what the void was doing in the planter. He seemed to be digging gently with his fingers. Muse watched as the void pulled a wriggling pink worm out of the dirt. Uh, ew?
He tossed it over to a waiting bird, which quickly snatched it up and flew away. Oh. Okay, fine.
“I don’t know,” the void answered. Muse sighed.
“What DO you know,” he growled.
“I’m Odd.”
Muse was close to choking this fucker out.
“Yeah, I get that. You’re really fricken weird. But-”
“It’s my name,” the void said. Muse scoffed. Really? That was his name? THAT was his name?
“...Okay. You’re Odd. I’m trying to ask…what you are. But you don’t know. I’ve never seen something like you. You’re aware, you move…” He thought for a second. “...But you don’t have a soul. That’s obviously of interest to me because I’m in the market of souls. And that information could be useful to me.”
Odd started walking away, and Muse paused. The hell? What, he was offended? He jogged after the strange thing, keeping up easily as Odd just strolled along the sidewalk.

“What the hell? I was talking to you!” he growled.
“I can talk while I move. It’s not too hard.” Odd stopped at a crosswalk.
“So why are you walking around the humans without a disguise or a glamor or something?” Muse asked.
“Light refraction,” Odd said. A sign changed, and he began to cross the street.
“Because that explains that…” Muse grumbled to himself. But in spite of himself, he followed. “There isn’t- there isn’t any light reflecting off of you. That makes no sense, that’s just babble.”
“I know, right?” Odd said, almost excitedly. “Some sort of…paradox. I think that’s the word.”
“So why, then?” Muse asked. He couldn’t help it- he wanted to know. Okay, so humans couldn’t see the REAL Odd, but then…what WAS the real Odd? “Hm? Why?”
“Black hole,” Odd said. He looked up at the trees surrounding the entrance into the local park. “I’m going to check in on a duck nest. Would you like to join me, friend?” he turned to Muse.
“I’m not your friend. And my name’s Muse.” …but in spite of himself, he followed.
“What sort of muse, Muse?” Odd asked as he walked.Muse shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Whatever someone needs. Art, music, that kind of stuff mostly. Food service. Never science though, those fucks usually figure things out for themselves. Can’t inspire someone to be better at sports either.” Muse huffed as he followed Odd. This was pointless. “I’m in the business of souls, like I said. I trade inspiration, and when the person dies I get the soul. And you don’t have one. So what do you mean, black hole?”
“That’s where I came from. First, I mean. I’m here now, but I wasn’t always.” Odd stopped briefly to touch a leaf on a low hanging branch.
“You….came out of a black hole?” Muse asked in disbelief.
“Fell right out. Some sort of entropy related thing perhaps?” Odd asked. He turned to Muse, his eyes slightly squinted in a form of amusement.
Muse…chuckled.
“Heh. Why’re you asking me? I don’t know shit about that, or you. That’s why I’m asking.”
“I would tell you the truth, if only I knew it. If only…I knew it…” Odd drifted off. Muse snapped his fingers in front of his eyes and he seemed to come back to life.

Odd went on his way again, but this time Muse didn’t follow. It was a lot to take in. He didn’t even know there could be a living being without a soul, and well- it made sense if Odd fell out of a black hole. He wasn’t exactly ALIVE in that he had cells and systems. He was just some…thing.
“Well…Odd…I gotta go. I’m doing business here and frankly, you’re a hell of a distraction.”
“Thank you!” Odd chirped. Muse couldn’t help but slap a palm to his face.
“I’m out. See ya around.”
Before Odd could answer, he just left.

He had a lot to think about.

---

A few days passed, and Muse found himself thinking about the strange person from time to time. Then he thought about Odd every day. Then he thought about Odd constantly. Then he threw a bunch of things and broke them, got wasted on snake juice, puked up the snake juice, drank more snake juice, and woke up a week later on a beach.
Fine. You know what, fine. He was just going to have to get his stalk on. That wasn’t completely out of character for him anyway, and he had LEARNING to do. IMPORTANT information.

Muse spent the next two weeks just observing the dumb idiot.

Odd spent a lot of time in the public park, especially during and after rain. When the rain got heavy, Muse noticed that he would stop, close his eyes, and tilt his head back. Like he was focusing…
After the third time this happened, Muse finally realized what was happening. The raindrops were making an actual collision with Odd when he stopped and focused. But if he didn’t focus, the raindrops would just go right through. Even the jacket. Like he was a ghost in his own world unless he put all his effort into it. And when the rain hit him, and he could clearly feel it…he looked happy.

Okay,that was something. Odd was in some weird form of in between planes. It was starting to make sense why he didn’t have a soul. There wasn’t anything for a soul to hold onto, for one thing. And for another, like he’d noticed earlier, Odd wasn’t TRULY alive.
He hated to admit it, but Odd was fascinating.

Though, there were times when Odd was also…really fucking strange. Like, take a fistful of grass and shove it into his face levels of strange. A mouth never opened, he just sort of shoved it into the front of his head and…that was it. Then he would move on with his life and find something else to touch or listen to or shove in his face.
It was kinda cute.
Fuck, he did NOT just think that.

“Hey.” Finally Muse decided to say something. Odd was just sitting at the park fountain at the time, and he didn’t seem to react much other than a slight nod.
“Hello friend,” Odd said quietly. Muse didn’t bother to correct him this time. He didn’t think it would matter, and maybe it wasn’t such a big deal.
“Sup. Whatcha doing today, black hole.” Muse leaned over to see. It was a big ol’ heap of…nothing!
“Waiting,” Odd said simply. Oh, that was sooooo obvious, Muse thought.
“For what, chum,” Muse said back.
“There’s a mother duck that comes here to nest in the evening. The fountain is a good place for her to teach her young how to paddle. The shrubs on the rim of the fountain are good cover at night. It’s the perfect place.” Odd tapped his knee to some unheard tune. “Do you have a perfect place?” he asked.
Muse thought. Well that was a very forward question. Odd just seemed to say what he was thinking all the time, and he kind of liked it. It made things simple, easy.

“I can manipulate my plane,” Muse explained. “Which means I can have a bedroom whenever I want. No windows because there’s no outside, and no doors because there’s no hallway.”
“Is it lonely?” Odd asked.
“I kinda prefer being alone most of the time,” Muse told him. “But I don’t find it lonely.”
“Sometimes being alone is nice. It means you can take up a little more space,” Odd said. “You can’t do that on a train or a bus.”
Muse had to stop himself from laughing. Conversations with this bozo were a real thrill. Well, it was the truth he supposed.
He heard a faint slap slap slap on the concrete, and soon enough a brown duck came waddling over, a dozen little ducks in tow.
“That her?” Muse asked.
“Yes,” Odd answered. “Doing what comes naturally, fulfilling her purpose in life…” he was quiet for a moment, and Muse waited for him to finish the thought.
“Nothing comes naturally to me. I don’t think I’m natural.” Odd tilted his head.
“Took you this long to figure that out?” Muse asked.
“Mm…no…but…I don’t have anyone to tell. But now you’re here, so I can tell you.”
“Consider me told.”

That was how the days went. Odd would go about his business and sometimes Muse would talk, sometimes he wouldn’t. Odd wasn’t always around the park, but Muse had no idea where he went. Knowing Odd, he probably just blipped out of existence or got lost on the subway.
Probably that second one.

But the thing was…despite himself, Muse ENJOYED talking to Odd. He liked listening to the weirdo just talk about his day, or some fricken frog he found under a tree, how intrigued he was when humans tossed coins into the fountain and made stupid wishes. Throwing away their own money for literally nothing, Muse thought at the time. Humans were so ridiculously fucking stupid and pointless.
But Odd? Odd was somehow intriguing in ways that Muse literally could not describe to himself, let alone someone else. Odd’s gentle voice and simple actions made his chest feel like it was under pressure.

“So why DO you spend so much time observing the humans then,” Muse finally asked one cloudy afternoon after the rain. “I spend my life harvesting souls, and I can tell you, you’re not missing out on anything. They’re hardly the most intelligent life in the universe.”
“Of course. The universe is…” Odd held his hands apart like he could measure the damn thing. Muse sighed. “Well, it’s very big.”
“Doesn’t answer my question,” Muse spat. “What’s the deal? You could do so much more. You don’t have to just sit and exist and watch ducks all the damn time. I’ve told you already…I’ve seen the worst of em.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bad thing to consume a soul? All that consciousness, that memory, the essence of a life…gone,” Odd mused.
“I don’t buy what ain’t for sale,” Muse grumbled. He wasn’t the bad guy here!
“I suppose I’m interested in the meaning. Of life,” Odd said. “Not just human life, but…the idea of life. The thing that makes life, a conscious life, what you might call..hm…sacred, maybe. Special. Yeah, special. Unique.”
“Pft. What’s the meaning of life then, strange space void man.” Muse rolled his eyes. Well, he didn’t have pupils- but you get the idea.
“I can show you!” Odd chirped. Muse lifted an eyebrow.
“You can show me the meaning of life, Odd?” he asked in disbelief. Odd nodded enthusiastically.
Muse shrugged and nodded. Knowing Odd, it was going to be something stupid like a used candy wrapper he found in the grass.

…

The boba stand wasn’t super busy, which surprised Muse. He thought these places were coveted. Maybe because it had just rained? It still smelled wet, like damp earth.
A young girl handed them their drinks, and Odd took Muse away from the stand and back into the park. No one was around- too wet. Luckily, it didn’t seem to bother Odd at all.

“This is the meaning of life? A stupid human drink?” Muse growled. Odd shrugged and held the drink up to himself. The straw didn’t go into a mouth, it just seemed to disappear into his face- as usual. But, the drink did seem to get sucked into his…uh, void.

“My meaning,” Odd said. And his eyes seemed to shine, shimmering with stars and galaxies behind them for just a moment. Just long enough to entrance Muse for a second- enough to convince him that maybe he should try it.
“So tasty,” Odd said happily.

“When you said you know the meaning of life I had something different in mind,” Muse grumbled.
“It’s different for everybody.” Odd sipped.
“Getting metaphysical again I see,” Muse sighed. He lifted the drink to his mouth and took a sip.
“H-huh.” His eyebrows went up, along with his tail, and he took another sip. The boba balls got stuck on his sharp teeth and he had to chew them off. He…he liked it.
“That…that ain’t half bad,” Muse said.

Odd laughed. His eyes closed upwards and his head shook, and a laughing noise rang in Muse’s ears- no, not his ears…his whole head. The laugh itself almost sounded melodic, like uplifting music. The voice was surrounding him on all sides. It ran throughout his body like a warm feeling making him feel light, like he could hover without even thinking. That…that was a hell of a high. Did Odd do that on purpose? Did he even know?

“I guess you’re good for something after all,” Muse said. Odd blinked at him slowly, head tilted.
“What is your meaning?” Odd asked. Muse shrugged.
“Stealing souls, I guess?” He asked.
“No no, what is the thing that brings you emotion in the core of your whole being. What is your MEANING,” Odd insisted. Muse thought for a little bit longer, took another drink…and then looked back at Odd.
“I don’t…I don’t know.”

“I don’t think you need to know right away. But humans know.” Odd looked around. There were a few people around the area outside the park.
“That woman is alone. No family…” Odd said, pointing to a pair of humans across the street. A woman, maybe in her late thirties, and a little girl. They were bundled up, and the girl was splashing in the rain puddles. Simple, but she seemed like she was having the time of her life.
“The girl was also alone. Her biological mother, who birthed her, died. So the woman adopted her. Now her daughter is her whole world. Nothing else matters. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how little money she has. She’s happy. She knows her purpose in life. Her meaning.”
Odd turned to Muse. “That woman would never sell you her soul. It belongs to her, her daughter. Her happiness.”
Odd took another drink of his boba.
“I saw a man who had spent sixteen hours of every day working on a business. He was so tired but he kept on. It finally took off and all his hard work was worth it. He was able to take care of his elderly mother the way he wanted to so badly.”
Muse grumbled into his straw.
“I saw a little boy get a good grade on a school test, and when he showed his father…the father picked him up and spun him around excitedly.”
Muse was quiet.
“I also saw a woman who fosters baby cats. She doesn’t have a partner but she saves lives. She’s happy with that. She doesn’t need romance.”

“Fine. Maybe there are some good ones, but that doesn’t change my mind,” Muse insisted.
“That’s okay. I don’t need to change your mind. Just provide understanding. Do you understand?” Odd asked.
“I understand, buddy.” Muse sighed. Odd seemed to glow, and Muse lifted an eyebrow.
“What?” he asked.
“I am your buddy?” Odd asked.
“I…I mean I guess so? We hang out sometimes, why not.”
“I like that, the label of buddy.” Odd seemed pleased as he finished his drink…

And then shoved the cup into his face too.
Dumbass, Muse thought.

---

Time passed. Weeks, months. Muse didn’t visit every day, but…honestly he kind of wanted to. He made the time. He could work while he hung out anyway.
Today they were on a beach. The rainy season was ending and it was getting colder. Not that Odd seemed to mind. He just wanted to look for shells and put them in the tide pools for smaller invertebrae to use.
Muse had passively offered a few times for Odd to to get in on his gig. He wasn’t equipped to eat souls, but he figured there had to be SOMETHING Odd would want to do in the other planes. But Odd always politely declined.

Odd finished handing off a shell to a little hermit crab. Muse stood nearby, watching some people on a nearby boardwalk. He sighed.
“Are you working again?” Odd asked, standing up to go over to him. “Would you like to try the skee ball again?”
“Just observing. I won’t take anything while you’re here.” Muse sighed again. “Odd, why don’t you ever take me up on my offers? We can figure out something else for you to do. You’re not a soul eater, it doesn’t have to be what I do.”
“That’s okay. I like it here. There are benches, and crane machines. Those are both nice.” Odd looked down at the seaweed dancing in the currents.
“Come on, Odd. You’re unique. There’s only one of you and there will never be another one of you. You’re basically an inverse black hole! All that cosmic energy and infinite power and…and you want to play crane machines??” Muse asked in disbelief. Odd turned away, trying not to look embarrassed.
“It’s not all I do…it’s what I like…I don’t want to go somewhere else,” Odd said.
“Just…just TRY it. Let me just take you to an in between space. You have no idea how good it feels to escape this place!” Muse insisted.
“I-I said no. Please stop,” Odd mumbled. Muse shook his head.
“You’re just gonna have to trust me! You’ll realize!” Muse reached out and grabbed Odd’s arm.
“Muse, no!” Odd exclaimed, but before he knew what was happening, Muse was dragging them through a doorway. He made good on his promise; he didn’t bring Odd to his own homeworld, but into one of those pocket spaces in between. An empty space full of random architecture, columns of stone, mismatched floor tiles.

Muse stepped back once they were there.
“See? Doesn’t that feel better?” He asked, closing his eyes to breathe deep.
“I want to go back,” Odd said miserably. He was folded in on himself, his arms crossed in front of his body like he was trying to hold himself together. “I want to go back, Muse.”
“What? Seriously?” Muse turned to Odd. “You’re kidding me. And throw your lot in with a lesser species?”
“I’m not a species. I’m not anything. Please Muse. I want to go back, take me back. This isn’t right. This isn’t me. I don’t belong. It isn’t safe. I’m not here,” Odd said to himself, sounding almost like he could cry. “Muse…Muse get me out of here,” Odd whined. He reached up to cover his head with his hands. “Muse, bring me back to Earth! Please!!” He begged.
Muse hesitated, sensing something like fear from Odd, but…but this was just tough love. He’d understand in time.
“No, you have to listen to me first, then I’ll bring you back.” Muse stepped forward and Odd suddenly lashed out, shoving him back.
“Stay bbbbAAAaAAaaAacACCccKkkk,” a croak-like sound came from Odd.
But Muse, in all of his narcissism, could only focus on one thing; Odd shoved him. Put his hands on him. And that set something off- forget the fuse, forget the sparks, a nuclear bomb was going off in his head immediately.
Muse launched himself at Odd with his arms out, and Odd hissed something that Muse didn’t bother to listen to. He tackled Odd and the two went flying to the ground, landing in a roll. They were already fighting, but Muse had started throwing punches first. Hell, he bit the one he called his friend before. There was no blood, just a black void in his mouth, but he knew it hurt because Odd reacted.

Well, his eyes did. The pupils were disappearing, leaving him with feral looking pools of blue on his face.
“Listen to me!!” Muse roared. “I’m doing this for your own fucking good! Your place isn’t with the fucking humans-“
Muse fell back as Odd popped him right in the teeth. He growled as he spit out a fang. That was it.

Odd was gentle, and liked to watch caterpillars walk along his finger. He liked to catch injured animals and fix their injuries. Odd liked to watch and observe like a spectator in his own life. He was a lot of things, but a fighter was not one of them.
That. Was. It.

Muse saw red.

Muse rolled Odd onto his back and straddled him. Then he started wailing on the poor thing, and didn’t hold back. The fucker had the nerve to touch him when he was just trying to help? When he was trying to be a fucking friend?!
His fists collided with Odd’s face over and over again, and Muse could barely hear the whines and grunts of pain coming from no mouth.
But as Muse began to pant, he noticed something. Odd’s eyes were…moving. On his face. Like they were falling off his face-
Or, no…maybe…maybe rolling back on his face?

Muse breathed and brought his fist back again, and then his whole body froze as he saw it. Something opening on Odd’s face, like a mouth.
Muse felt his body go cold. An energy was drawing him in- drawing HIS energy in, sucking it out of him like some sort of vortex and yet he couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried.

Odd…his mind echoed. I should have…listened…

Muse hyperventilated, his eyes rolling back into his head.
The universe was rich and full of life. Trillions of galaxies, each with hundreds of billions of stars, each one of those with a series of planets, some having billions of organisms living and dying. A cycle of death and rebirth. Even as each star burned out, the remnants could reignite through collision, restarting the cycle of nuclear fission. It was chaos, but it was complex and full and had meaning. It had meaning, didn’t it?
The galaxies drifted further and further away from each other. As time went on, more and more celestial bodies could not collide. It became darker, everything further apart as expansion refused to stop. As entropy refused to stop.
The stars burned out. They spread and spread, unable to make new stars.
The heat was gone. The fuel of the whole universe was burned out.
He saw black. He saw…he saw nothing. The universe expanded so far and wide that no new stars could form…No more hydrogen, no more…no more light. The stars were gone. The stars were gone…there were no stars. There was nothing. There was *nothing*.
Not a single soul to eat, not even a smidge of bacteria in the whole of existence.
No…no existence. Nothing anymore. There was nothing. No way to reverse entropy.
It was dark, it was lonely. It was nothing.
All the matter left was torn apart slowly by the forces of expansion. Life was long gone by then.
The stars were gone.
There was nothing.

Muse fell off of Odd, hitting the ground hard as an unseen energy wave blasted out in all directions. Every structure in the pocket space was obliterated, and Muse, on his back, began to seize uncontrollably.
His world went black.

---

When Muse awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed. The liminal space was collapsed, dark, and broken. Odd was gone.
Odd…
What the fuck was that…what did he see? His mind just…it was completely overwhelmed, and those things he saw…That shock wave…
It was the end of everything, but Odd- he could cause that, couldn’t he? Maybe it would happen naturally at the end of time but Odd…he could unmake everything. Any time.
What the fuck had he done.

Muse sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face with a groan. Why hadn’t he just listened?
No, why hadn’t Odd listened to HIM-
What even WAS that…

Muse went back to Earth. Odd wasn’t in any of his usual locations. Which…he supposed wasn’t surprising, Odd was probably pissed. Unless Odd had like, dissipated into the energy of the universe or something. He’d managed to destroy a pocket space - he didn’t even know that was POSSIBLE. How had he done that? What sort of power did that fucker REALLY have?
Muse called out for Odd several times in several directions, but there was nothing. He got the picture.

That…fucker- he hadn’t listened to him. If Odd had just listened-
No, it was his own fault-
Muse screamed Odd’s name until he couldn’t anymore.
This was his fault…how could he ever…admit that it was his fault…

…

Well, Odd did eventually come back. He wouldn’t interact with Muse, though. Muse knew why, but tried anyway for the first few weeks. But whenever Odd sensed his energy, he just disappeared. Muse eventually grew annoyed, and then angry. He stopped trying. Time went on and the two just stopped interacting as if they’d never met. Then, Muse stopped watching.

But…sometimes he’d still go to Earth. Not just for souls, but…but for a different reason.
To go up to a small boba stand and order a large, just the way he liked it, just the way Odd had showed him.
He’d sit above the city and drink, hating himself and wishing he was better.
Then he’d just numb himself and go back to work.