Labor of Living

The descent

They sit in silence after having fed and Setsuna sits sideways facing away from Mirabella.
"So I'm just going to ignore your weird attitude, but the point of this is to teach you the basics quickly, there's more to worry about than just us,'' Mirabella says while scrolling through social media.
''What do you mean by just us? Are you saying other creatures exist?'' he asks.
''Glad you're following along, don't tell me you never considered that?'' she scoffs.
''No I did, just hearing it was surprising, continue,'' he responds.
''You've learned an offensive ability, now you need to be able to transform in order to make a getaway or something. ''Now there are also some of us that aren't able to transform but that's a rare occurrence, she says. ''Now Imagine yourself in the perspective of different beings, if you can visualize it your body should react,'' she finishes. He sits up and closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and the around him lightens as if he's weightless.
''Fuck!, why isn't its working!'' he says, stomping his foot down.
''Guess it's going to take a bit longer for you to figure it out,'' she says, standing up with a stretch.
''Can't you be any better at this?'' Setsuna scoffs.
''Does it look like I ever wanted to be a teacher? she shoots back. ''I'm doing my best so just do yours,'' she says, sticking her tongue out.
''I've been thinking about what you said from a while ago, he says, stopping her in her tracks as she reaches the doorway. ''I promise what happened out there wo—''
''Keep your words Setsuna, she says, turning around. ''We have nothing but time,'' she says, flashing him a forlorn smile then walking off. He continues sitting on the couch and crosses his legs as if in deep meditation. His head bobs forward, jolting him awake after a while of sitting  so he ends his meditation. While heading to the doorway and gets spooked by a shadow in the corner of his eye; jumping back he accidently knocks down a nearby lamp.
''Mira you got shadow people in this place I saw one!'' he shouts telepathically.
''Shut the fuck up! And that's not possible. I have this place cleansed and protected twice a month, now clean that shit up that you dropped and stop talking to me. I like my sleep, it reminds me of when I was human,'' she scoffs.
''Sheesh what a dickhead,'' he mumbles as he walks by the open bathroom and is stopped in his tracks. ''Holy shit I have wings! Oh no wait ew I'm turning into a bat,'' he says frantically spinning. ''Okay so I guess my full transformation is gonna be a bat? he thinks to himself. ''Hmmm how do I put em back?'' he ponders.
''Just imagine them retracting back into you,'' Mirabella says, leaning around the corner.
''I'm surprised you're up Ms. "I like my sleep," he says, waving his hands side to side. ''You always say these things like they're so simple, he says, sighing,'' he says, then closes his eyes. After a few minutes he slowly feels them wrap around his torso and merge back into him. ''That felt totally gross,'' he says.
''Yeah well you're stupid tantrum woke me up. ''But you'll get used to it, now just have it or something ready by the time I wake back up. ''I'm sure you'll figure it out though,'' she says, then turns to walk off. ''But before I go I have a question,'' she says, stopping and turning back around. ''Did you know there was a middle aged guy found decapitated?'' she says.
''No, that's crazy, has there been any arrests made?'' he says, leaning against the wall.
''No, but the fact the guy was decapitated has spooked them since that's a serial killer thing to do,'' she says, looking closely at him.
''Yeah so I do hope they catch whoever did it,'' he says. ''And why are you looking at me like that?'' he finishes.
''It's just that it happened around the same time you became one of us, so I'm just surprised is all; since you know that's definitely not a thing that happens around here,'' she finishes.
''Coincidences do exist Mira,'' he rebuttals.
''Yes, but I find them to be exceptionally rare,'' she says, looking at him closely.
''I know I keep making mistakes, he says, walking up to her. ''I really don't want us to fight anymore, so can we please not? ''You mentioned that it'd be a change for the both of us right? So isn't the logical thing here for both of us to help each other?'' he finishes.
''Just continue working on your transformation okay?'' She then walks to her room leaving Setsuna in the hallway.
He looks longingly at her bedroom door before heading over to the guest room.
''Wonder if I should tell her,'' he thinks to himself, sighing as he sits on the edge of the bed, he goes back into his half changed form, taking a good look at them. Noticing how similar they are to actual bat wings he shivers. ''I guess I'll take these bad boys for a ride,'' he says to himself as he steps onto the windowsill admiring the moonlight. And jumps, extending his arms as he flaps his wings as hard as he can; falling face first into the dirt. He lays there with his eyes closed and does a deep inhale before pushing himself up and dusting himself off.
''That was pretty funny newborn, having a hard time adjusting to the new gifts?'' a familiar voice says from a dark patch near the lake shore.
''What the fuck are you doing here?'' he responds.
''Aww come on, that's no way to speak to a lady,'' she says, stepping out into the moonlight.
''A lady doesn't go around slicing and stabbing people,'' he says walking towards her.
''I see you've inherited Mirababy's disgusting attitude,'' she scoffs.
''Just answer the question,'' he says, rolling his eyes.
''You're in no position to command me, especially since you're dumb enough to be within arms reach of me,'' she says, staring directly at him.
''So you're just here to cause another fight? At least stop being boring and help me out with this,'' he says flaring his wings.
''If it's flying you need help with, then you just need to keep trying at it, she says, circling him and observing every part of him.
''Stop that, you're creeping me out,'' he says, turning his neck to see her.
''I only desire Mirababy but you're not too bad yourself newborn. ''And why's your nunyeve not teaching you these things?'' she says, goading him.
''She is helping me but she's sleeping right now so I don't want to disturb her,'' he replies, staring at her.
''What a nice little servant you are, is that the objective of the day? Been a while since she's been here,'' she says not taking her eye off him.
''I'm not her servant, and so you just came here to circle me and stare at the house?'' Setsuna says, rolling his eyes. 
''Must you look at me as if I'm some sort of demon?, she says, stopping in front of him. ''What if I'm here to whisk you away?'' she says, running her hand along his jaw and looking at him with endearing eyes .
''You do realize you stabbed me multiple times right? ''You're not taking me anywhere Serana,'' he says, shoving her back.
''You didn't strike me as the type to hold a grudge,'' she says lightly, tugging him towards her. He feels a prickle as he stares deeply into her eyes. ''How'd you convince her to give you the gift?'' she asks, pushing him back.
''I was just persistent, why would that even matter?'' he says, not taking his eyes away from her.
''Because the Mirabella I know would never have bitten anyone; she refused to when me and her were together, she says, keeping her distance and glancing at Mirabella's room window. ''I would mention her newfound appetite for humans but that usually happens when you taste live flesh after a while,'' she says walking back up to him. 
''People are capable of change no?'' he says.
''Of course they are, you yourself has certainly been through a major change recently, I'd offer you a way to possess a even stronger change but I'm not sure,'' she proposes with a flash of her irises.
''What would that entail?'' he says, inching closer to her.
''I'll tell you how to become powerful by our standards, she says, running her hand to the back of his head. ''So If I've piqued your interest you'll come to this address, she says, slipping a note into his pocket, she says and turns beginning to walk back to the dark patch of trees. ''You're too weak to transform into whatever form you're currently trying so focus on an animal transformation. ''Pick an animal you feel a connection with and you should be able to transform into it, and if that doesn't help then I don't know,'' she says, disappearing into the night.
''Ya are no help,'' he says, turning around and walking back to the room window and climbing through, taking off the dirt shirt he heads into the bathroom.
The morning sun lights up the room and he springs up, remembering the events of last night he thinks of Serana's invitation. He shakes his head wanting to forget about the tempting look Serana had in her eye as he hears the jangles of a belt and buckles. He takes this as a cue to get ready and throws on a white t-shirt that was in the drawer.
''Show me your transformation,'' she says as she opens the room door.
''Can a guy get some privacy,'' he says, covering his torso.
''I've seen your pecs plenty of times stop acting all funny, she says with a chuckle. ''Now come on, show me,'' she demanded. He pauses for a second, dropping the shirt and closes his eyes while inhaling, and he becomes an owl and walks over to her.
''Stay back! Why are you a creepy ugly bird ugh,'' she says, stepping back and away from him.
''WOW how rude! I'm adorable,'' he yells telepathically while slapping her legs with his wings.
''I hate birds, they're creepy bro! Back up Suna, she says, jumping around him. ''Turn back right now,'' she says, crouched in a low stance as he turns his head all the way around.
''You're being totally dramatic, and being able to turn my head around like this is pretty cool,'' he says, looking all around the room while standing still. 
''I'm not being dramatic! It's a reasonable fear as a bipedal creature,'' she says stiffening herself.
"Then just turn into cat drama queen,'' he says, orienting his body with his head. ''Man this is fucking dope! Turn into your bat form and let's go flying!'' He exclaims
''Ugh I can't believe you're a bird, it's so rare to be able to turn into a winged creature that's not a bat, I really didn't expect this, she says, sitting back on her butt.  ''Why must I be forced to get used to this,'' she says, palming her forehead.
''I'm so very confused as to why you're acting this way, he says, slowly moving forward. ''What did a bird or should I say creature do to you that got you like this?'' he says slowly changing back and he sits down in front of her.
''The person that created me is a bird, so like it's rare but sometimes a transformation can happen during a dream and that's exactly what happened to me, she says not looking up as if reliving the memory. ''I woke up in cat form and went looking for the bastard so he could help me change back and the mother fucker kept picking me up and flying me high in the sky and dropping me until I figured out how to change back!'' she says hopping up.
''Woah! Setsuna says hopping back with his arm outstretched. ''What a dick, did he ever give you a reason why he did that instead of helping you in a normal way?'' he asks.
''Now why the fuck would that matter?'' she says leaning over him and mushing him with her finger and walking past him.
''Okay, fair enough, he says, standing up. ''So what are we doing today? I'd rather know in advance since you seem to be rushing,'' he says, turning to face her.
''I never took you for a exhibitionist Setsuna,'' she says with lowered eyes.
''What are yo-,'' he stops abruptly, feeling the breeze and palms his head before eyeing his sweatpants. ''Can we just act like this never happened?'' he says pulling them on.
''We could, but that doesn't mean I'm going to oblige you,'' she says, turning and walking out of the room.
''Hey don't do that!'' he says, grabbing a shirt on his way after her. ''I didn't say you could see it, so therefore you have to oblige me,'' he says, following her past the living room.
''You're not seriously trying to consent agaisn't when you're the one that flashed me,'' she says chuckling and opening a door leading to a downstairs.
''What? is that not how consent works? he says with a grin. ''And see you're already misunderstanding and using it against me!'' he exclaims and she stops then turns facing him in front of the basement bar.
''I'm pretty sure that's not it works,'' she says with a chuckle then walks around to the other side of the corner. ''And can you blame me? I'm pleasantly surprised, it looks better than expected,'' she says, stifling her laugh.
''Can you stop laughing already, it can't be the first dick you've seen in over 200 years,'' he says, shifting his weight. ''And why are we down in the basement?'' he says walking a little ahead and scanning the room.
''Your reaction is funny, I didn't think you'd be so flustered if this ever occurred, she says. ''It's not like I'm disgusted and am I not a gorgeous creature?'' she says leaning on the counter.
''That's twice you've alluded to liking what you saw,'' he says leaning in front of her. ''Is there something you want to get off your chest?'' he says close to her face.
''Yeah, but you should come around, you'll be able to hear me better,'' she says and he begins walking over. ''It's about today and since you're precious to me I wanna share this with you,'' she says pressing a button just as he approaches closer to her. The counter doors and inside compartment slide open revealing another staircase that's dimly lit.
''Follow me down into my lair, Setsuna,'' she says, grabbing his hand and leading them into the abyss.