Veridis Quo

Chapter 56 - Love Failure

What kind of name was that? A fruit? I got that I was in their equivalent of Japan but that name seemed too bizarre for their culture, although it could be a pseudonym to hide her true identity.

Did any of it matter? Ha, ha.

"Melon..." It rolled off my tongue.

"That's my name!" She beamed brightly, the unnatural canines uncanny.

"..."

I simply stared at her, extremely mindful of my tongue. Funnily enough, this bullshit adventure taught me the art of keeping my mouth shut. Sometimes, saying nothing was the best response.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to agree with my philosophy.

"Why are you so quiet? Come on, say something!"

I swallowed lightly, "What can I say... Can you untie me, please?"

She hummed in deep thought, the ceiling became a portal to ancient Greece.

"Nah, not yet."

I sighed, resting my head against the floor.

"You need to earn your autonomy," she added.

Confused, I responded the only way I knew, "...Okay."

She clicked her tongue, one leg crossed over the other, "Y'know, you're a lot livelier on the screen... quite disappointing," she shook her head. So she watched the streams, how romantic.

"...I'm just tired."

"That's no excuse, Johnny boy! You're a great entertainer, so entertain!" She then spread her legs and held her hands in anticipation, the smile...

Christ, that's creepy as fuck...

"If my hands were untied," I wiggled my fingers, "I could show you a cool magic trick."

"Boriiiing~ I want to see the star! Come on, show me!"

"..."

What was her deal? This was too weird even for me, and that's saying something. What? Did she think we were buddy-buddy or some shit? I just met this... this...

Taking a moment to actually look at her, I almost couldn't believe animals like her existed.

Now, I had nothing against loving whoever you fancied. As long as two adults consented, they could kick each other in the crotches for all I cared, there were people who were into that kink by the way. I had no right to scold anyone; there was a floofie wolfie awaiting my return. God, I missed her...

Love wasn't love, but mature love was alright. Be who you want to be! Love who you want to love! Freedom! Screeching eagles and cheesy burgers and a fucked healthcare system! Rah!

Everything went out the window when my mind processed exactly what this... creature was before me, sat smugly on the bed like she won a noble prize by doing nothing. You didn't have a yacht, bitch! To this day, steam is a great method to generate electricity.

This Melon individual was a gazelle. Her build was lithe, she was of a tad above average height for a herbivore, I estimated her to be a few centimeters taller, though the horns added a good couple inches – I counted the top of her head. A head that was truly grass-eating. A head filled with sharp, piranha-like teeth.

This Melon individual was a leopard. After spending months upon months in the company of various species, I could tell there was a hidden powerhouse under the loose Hawaiian hippy fit. On her arms were countless black spots in an alien coat combining the best of both worlds.

And the eyes. How could I ignore the sharp, piercing gaze of a starved predator examining her next meal-

Don't tell me...!