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A Deal with Death - 1,519 Words

“S’cuuuuuse me,” Twist announced, tramping his way into a pile of sleeping kits in one of the dormitories. He rooted around until his nose found a familiar fabric before grabbing it in his teeth and yanking hard. A kit who’d been sleeping comfortably went rolling off the pile as he wiggled himself under the blanket giving a happy sigh. This was his favorite blanket - he knew he’d left it in here.

“Hey!” they shouted sleepily, causing a couple of the other kits to stir. “I was sleeping there!” Their shrimp tail whapped the floor impatiently, beginning to reach for the blanket.

“Too bad!” Twist snarked, nipping at reaching hands. “Snooze ya lose, and I ain’t movin’.” Another one of the kits grumbled before sitting up to move a bit away. Not many took to others shouting in their sleeping ear very well.

The yellow kit’s ears drooped in annoyance, but a yawn overtook them before they resigned to snuggling up beside the kit who had moved a bit away. Twist watched with a smirk, feeling his eyes get heavy. Other folk are soooo easy, he thought as his mind began to drift off. Whatever I want, it’s mine.

Dreams flooded his head. Whispers whisked in his ears, slowly growing into a chatter, before being overcome with yelling and then, soon after, screams. Twist clenched his teeth, squinting his eyes shut, the sound becoming too much. He wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn’t find his paws, himself as a whole even. He felt lost in an endless void, with nothing but deafening screams to overtake him. He was about to scream himself when suddenly, everything fell silent.

Twist’s eyes fluttered as he came to on the cold tile, lifting his head to glance around. This wasn’t where he’d fallen asleep… in fact, he wasn’t sure it was any place in the den he’d ever seen himself. He furrowed his brow. Maybe he’d taken up sleepwalking? But this place looked too… huge.

He hopped to his paws, giving a long stretch before starting to poke around. “Helloooo??” he called out loudly. Nothing seemed to be around besides the door with the number on it. His… colony ID? Or at least he was pretty sure that’s what it was, it seemed familiar enough He rolled his eyes.

“Someone tryna scare me or somethin’?” he called out again, trotting towards the door. “OoOoOO you know my number, ooOOoOOoo soooo scaaaaary.” He rolled his eyes again before smirking, placing a hand on the door. Another kit was probably trying to get revenge for one of his pranks. What a boring attempt.

He pushed the door open, smug look still on his face, expecting to come across another folk his size in some sort of shabby costume.

He was not expecting to see… him. To see this much too large creature slink down a much…much too small spiral staircase, which groaned in protest against its weight. To watch the spectre of its body barely hold itself together, a quiet gasp exiting the skull as bright lights - its eyes? - fell on him. Then it spoke.

"Oh, hello there... You seem to have just made it for your appointment then, hmm?”“M-my what?” Twist managed out, begging his legs to stop shaking beneath him. What was this folk… creature… thing? It was massive, larger than any folk he’d come across in his short existence, let alone so unexpectedly after thinking he was tucked away safe in bed. Where was he anyhow? What was happening??

“Your appointment,” it repeated, seeming to flip through a notebook that wasn’t there. Twist looked up at it incredulously. He wanted to ask so many things, shout so many others but he was stuck, rooted in his spot as it approached closer, claws clicked against the tile. ”Let's not waste any time, now. Tell me, what's bothering you the most?"

Twist’s legs stopped shaking at the question. He looked up at the dragonoid, mouth agape as he gave it a quizzical stare. Did it really just ask him that?

“What’s botherin’... what’s botherin’ me?!” he shouted in aggravated surprise. “How about wakin’ up in nowhere you’ve ain’t ever seen before and gettin’ all… gettin’ all questioned by some big freak on a staircase?! That enough kind of botherin’ for ya??” The green kit had spun around on his toes to face the monster again, forgetting the fear that gnawed at his belly. “Who’s are you anyhow? Some kinda weirdo, goin’ around stealing kits outta they home? Betcha here ALL by your lonesome, huh? Like anyone’s gonna wanna spend any time wit–”

Twist was cut off suddenly as the large, red creature suddenly loomed up over him, skull coming near level to his nose. He scrambled backwards, attempting to get away, but was promptly blocked by a large clawed hand. All he could do was sink to the floor, his back to it, before building the nerve to look back over his shoulder.

“You’re loud,” it noted, burning, white eyes focused on him. Twist thought maybe he could hear the sound of it scribbling on a notepad again but was too afraid to look away to see if it was still imaginary. “A lot to say too. That’s very interesting. Do you know who I am, child?”

Words caught in Twist’s throat - he wanted to call the thing a freak again, but sense overtook his impulses and kept him quiet. He shook his head no.

“I am BLOODMONEY, patron of DEATH. Do you fear DEATH, little one?”

“N-” Twist swallowed hard, brow furrowing, determined to sound steady. “No. I don’t. Especially…" he carefully considered his position again. "...especially if it’s a freak like you.”

Bloodmoney let out a harsh laugh, loud enough to shake Twist’s bones. Something about it made Twist’s lips twitch up in a smile. He laughed loudly like that too.

“I can offer you many things. So many things beyond your imagination! But only if you’ll indulge me - please, tell me what has been on your mind. Time runs short between us.”

“Well… well there ain’t really nothing bothering me!” He paused for a moment to think. “Except… I guess folk at the den don’t let me do what I want, yanno? Always somethin’ about the other kits and whatever but I see others laughin’ too! Like that cowboy dork and his friend uhhh… Tyler! Or whatever. Tyler’s always laughin’ about it all. And I’m right so I should be able to say it, especially if others like it!” Twist bared his teeth in a snarl, before looking back up to Bloodmoney as his tail lashed.

Bloodmoney didn’t answer directly, just gave a ‘mhm’ or ‘I see’ as Twist rambled on. The kit could see that he was writing down on… nothing, but could still hear the scribbling regardless.

“Lonely, are you not?” he asked, peering back down at Twist. It caused him to growl in aggravation while making direct eye contact.

“No!! I ain’t lonely!!! I just– I should be in CHARGE! People should listen to me and… and do as I say and… and–!’ He let out a huff of annoyance. “They should be lookin’ at ME! Everyone!! I’m right and they oughta know it!”

Another laugh rumbled from the great spectre as Twist made his declaration.

“Such ambition! You’ll be a treat to work with. All you want will be yours indeed.”

Twist gave Bloodmoney a suspicious look, tail tip twitching as he chewed on his words. “What you lookin’ for in exchange though, big guy? Nothin’ this good come free and I ain’t stupid enough to act like it do.”

A red claw reached forward, plucking at the stray hairs that fell from Twist’s mane. The kit couldn’t help but give a wicked grin as his nose met Bloodmoney’s only a mere foot or two apart.

“All in due time. We will speak again soon - for now, I must see my wife. You’ll meet her in time, perhaps you’ll see her garden of marigolds? It’s quite beautiful. But for now, you must wake. All for another day to come.”

Twist had opened his mouth to state how he didnt care about anyone's wives or flowers that matter, but was cut short as a prick of pain etched his scalp as Bloodmoney plucked the hair from his head.

He sat up, greeted once more by the darkness of the den. The other kits he had intruded upon had moved elsewhere, so he now found himself alone with just his stolen blanket.

“Who needs ‘em,” he snorted, unable to keep away the feeling of annoyance and some other feeling he refused to acknowledge. He was about to lay his head back down before noticing a single bloom between his paws. A perfect marigold.

He stared at it blankly for a moment before the dream flooded his mind again, the conversation drawing the grin back to his face. Twist couldn’t withhold his laugh, echoing loudly in the quiet room, much to the disdain of other kits who were still trying to sleep.

He couldn’t wait to dream again.

The me who starts things (lets try a new brush/art method!) vs the me who has to finish them later (THIS THING HAS BONES AND A DEADLINE WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS NOW)
I had fun and i like the outcome at least (:

Mention cameos of HeIIHunde 's Yarrow and Taylor (tyler....) and my own Ebi at the very start!

14/149 Acorns

Description

A Deal with Death - 1,519 Words

“S’cuuuuuse me,” Twist announced, tramping his way into a pile of sleeping kits in one of the dormitories. He rooted around until his nose found a familiar fabric before grabbing it in his teeth and yanking hard. A kit who’d been sleeping comfortably went rolling off the pile as he wiggled himself under the blanket giving a happy sigh. This was his favorite blanket - he knew he’d left it in here.

“Hey!” they shouted sleepily, causing a couple of the other kits to stir. “I was sleeping there!” Their shrimp tail whapped the floor impatiently, beginning to reach for the blanket.

“Too bad!” Twist snarked, nipping at reaching hands. “Snooze ya lose, and I ain’t movin’.” Another one of the kits grumbled before sitting up to move a bit away. Not many took to others shouting in their sleeping ear very well.

The yellow kit’s ears drooped in annoyance, but a yawn overtook them before they resigned to snuggling up beside the kit who had moved a bit away. Twist watched with a smirk, feeling his eyes get heavy. Other folk are soooo easy, he thought as his mind began to drift off. Whatever I want, it’s mine.

Dreams flooded his head. Whispers whisked in his ears, slowly growing into a chatter, before being overcome with yelling and then, soon after, screams. Twist clenched his teeth, squinting his eyes shut, the sound becoming too much. He wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn’t find his paws, himself as a whole even. He felt lost in an endless void, with nothing but deafening screams to overtake him. He was about to scream himself when suddenly, everything fell silent.

Twist’s eyes fluttered as he came to on the cold tile, lifting his head to glance around. This wasn’t where he’d fallen asleep… in fact, he wasn’t sure it was any place in the den he’d ever seen himself. He furrowed his brow. Maybe he’d taken up sleepwalking? But this place looked too… huge.

He hopped to his paws, giving a long stretch before starting to poke around. “Helloooo??” he called out loudly. Nothing seemed to be around besides the door with the number on it. His… colony ID? Or at least he was pretty sure that’s what it was, it seemed familiar enough He rolled his eyes.

“Someone tryna scare me or somethin’?” he called out again, trotting towards the door. “OoOoOO you know my number, ooOOoOOoo soooo scaaaaary.” He rolled his eyes again before smirking, placing a hand on the door. Another kit was probably trying to get revenge for one of his pranks. What a boring attempt.

He pushed the door open, smug look still on his face, expecting to come across another folk his size in some sort of shabby costume.

He was not expecting to see… him. To see this much too large creature slink down a much…much too small spiral staircase, which groaned in protest against its weight. To watch the spectre of its body barely hold itself together, a quiet gasp exiting the skull as bright lights - its eyes? - fell on him. Then it spoke.

"Oh, hello there... You seem to have just made it for your appointment then, hmm?”“M-my what?” Twist managed out, begging his legs to stop shaking beneath him. What was this folk… creature… thing? It was massive, larger than any folk he’d come across in his short existence, let alone so unexpectedly after thinking he was tucked away safe in bed. Where was he anyhow? What was happening??

“Your appointment,” it repeated, seeming to flip through a notebook that wasn’t there. Twist looked up at it incredulously. He wanted to ask so many things, shout so many others but he was stuck, rooted in his spot as it approached closer, claws clicked against the tile. ”Let's not waste any time, now. Tell me, what's bothering you the most?"

Twist’s legs stopped shaking at the question. He looked up at the dragonoid, mouth agape as he gave it a quizzical stare. Did it really just ask him that?

“What’s botherin’... what’s botherin’ me?!” he shouted in aggravated surprise. “How about wakin’ up in nowhere you’ve ain’t ever seen before and gettin’ all… gettin’ all questioned by some big freak on a staircase?! That enough kind of botherin’ for ya??” The green kit had spun around on his toes to face the monster again, forgetting the fear that gnawed at his belly. “Who’s are you anyhow? Some kinda weirdo, goin’ around stealing kits outta they home? Betcha here ALL by your lonesome, huh? Like anyone’s gonna wanna spend any time wit–”

Twist was cut off suddenly as the large, red creature suddenly loomed up over him, skull coming near level to his nose. He scrambled backwards, attempting to get away, but was promptly blocked by a large clawed hand. All he could do was sink to the floor, his back to it, before building the nerve to look back over his shoulder.

“You’re loud,” it noted, burning, white eyes focused on him. Twist thought maybe he could hear the sound of it scribbling on a notepad again but was too afraid to look away to see if it was still imaginary. “A lot to say too. That’s very interesting. Do you know who I am, child?”

Words caught in Twist’s throat - he wanted to call the thing a freak again, but sense overtook his impulses and kept him quiet. He shook his head no.

“I am BLOODMONEY, patron of DEATH. Do you fear DEATH, little one?”

“N-” Twist swallowed hard, brow furrowing, determined to sound steady. “No. I don’t. Especially…" he carefully considered his position again. "...especially if it’s a freak like you.”

Bloodmoney let out a harsh laugh, loud enough to shake Twist’s bones. Something about it made Twist’s lips twitch up in a smile. He laughed loudly like that too.

“I can offer you many things. So many things beyond your imagination! But only if you’ll indulge me - please, tell me what has been on your mind. Time runs short between us.”

“Well… well there ain’t really nothing bothering me!” He paused for a moment to think. “Except… I guess folk at the den don’t let me do what I want, yanno? Always somethin’ about the other kits and whatever but I see others laughin’ too! Like that cowboy dork and his friend uhhh… Tyler! Or whatever. Tyler’s always laughin’ about it all. And I’m right so I should be able to say it, especially if others like it!” Twist bared his teeth in a snarl, before looking back up to Bloodmoney as his tail lashed.

Bloodmoney didn’t answer directly, just gave a ‘mhm’ or ‘I see’ as Twist rambled on. The kit could see that he was writing down on… nothing, but could still hear the scribbling regardless.

“Lonely, are you not?” he asked, peering back down at Twist. It caused him to growl in aggravation while making direct eye contact.

“No!! I ain’t lonely!!! I just– I should be in CHARGE! People should listen to me and… and do as I say and… and–!’ He let out a huff of annoyance. “They should be lookin’ at ME! Everyone!! I’m right and they oughta know it!”

Another laugh rumbled from the great spectre as Twist made his declaration.

“Such ambition! You’ll be a treat to work with. All you want will be yours indeed.”

Twist gave Bloodmoney a suspicious look, tail tip twitching as he chewed on his words. “What you lookin’ for in exchange though, big guy? Nothin’ this good come free and I ain’t stupid enough to act like it do.”

A red claw reached forward, plucking at the stray hairs that fell from Twist’s mane. The kit couldn’t help but give a wicked grin as his nose met Bloodmoney’s only a mere foot or two apart.

“All in due time. We will speak again soon - for now, I must see my wife. You’ll meet her in time, perhaps you’ll see her garden of marigolds? It’s quite beautiful. But for now, you must wake. All for another day to come.”

Twist had opened his mouth to state how he didnt care about anyone's wives or flowers that matter, but was cut short as a prick of pain etched his scalp as Bloodmoney plucked the hair from his head.

He sat up, greeted once more by the darkness of the den. The other kits he had intruded upon had moved elsewhere, so he now found himself alone with just his stolen blanket.

“Who needs ‘em,” he snorted, unable to keep away the feeling of annoyance and some other feeling he refused to acknowledge. He was about to lay his head back down before noticing a single bloom between his paws. A perfect marigold.

He stared at it blankly for a moment before the dream flooded his mind again, the conversation drawing the grin back to his face. Twist couldn’t withhold his laugh, echoing loudly in the quiet room, much to the disdain of other kits who were still trying to sleep.

He couldn’t wait to dream again.

The me who starts things (lets try a new brush/art method!) vs the me who has to finish them later (THIS THING HAS BONES AND A DEADLINE WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS NOW)
I had fun and i like the outcome at least (:

Mention cameos of HeIIHunde 's Yarrow and Taylor (tyler....) and my own Ebi at the very start!

14/149 Acorns