How to Care for Your Human [Degu x Kekse]

[Degusaurusrex]

December 23rd

"Get her out of there, hurry up!" The cell door was unlocked and thrown open hurriedly as Eve's head lifted, eyes going wide as red hair whipped around her face with how quickly she moved. "I think this wolf might buy her. Said he wants a challenge."

"What for? Just to break her?"

"Fuck if I know, I don't care. I'm tired of dealing with her, she's more trouble than she's worth. Get her out of there!" Rough hands gripped her arms and hoisted her up, the chains linking her wrists together rattling even as the woman shrieked and kicked out at the burly man. She had just barely begun to doze off for a mid afternoon nap when she had been so rudely awoken, limbs flailing as she fought desperately against the creature dragging her out of the filthy cell and down the hallway.

"Keep it up and I swear I'll--"

"Don't hit her again, she needs to look good if he's going to buy her." The hand poised above her head lowered slowly before the man grunted unhappily, continuing to drag her down the hallway even as she screamed her displeasure and lashed out at him. Even her teeth snapped at him whenever he got too close, bare feet dragging along the floors as she tried to slow down her travel. Like hell she was going to be bought by someone and turned into more of a slave than she already was. Their size difference alone made it so that she could barely fight back, and the fact that he wasn't a human took away any chance she would have had to escape. If she couldn't escape then she could put up a fight, make herself undesirable to any potential buyer so that she would be thrown back in her cell and have more time to plot her escape.

"That is ENOUGH!" The man's voice raised as he gripped the metal collar around her neck, bringing her to such an abrupt halt she stumbled and nearly hit the floor if not for his grip. The worn shirt and shorts they had left her in offered little in the way of warmth or comfort and she shivered slightly, turning her head to glare even as she was ignored in favor of the potential buyer. "You wanted a challenge, Sir? This would be the one you'd--" Eve's hand came up to connect with his face and he cursed, hands falling away from her to go to his nose where blood was beginning to trickle. She made a quick attempt to run for it before thick arms were around her waist, bringing her to a screeching halt as she was spun around and placed back in front of the potential buyer. The man she had punched was cursing, glaring at her with clear malice in his eyes. If given the chance she knew he would punish her for it later but she stared him down smugly even as she was nearly crushed by the other man's hold on her.

"As my colleague here was saying.. She's definitely a challenge." Booming laughter came from the demon holding her even as she squirmed, cursing profusely at him before she turned her attention to the man interested in purchasing her. Had they called him a wolf, when they'd woken her up and brought her out?

"Bite me, wolf." Snapping at him and trying to lunge for the man, she let out a small noise of pain when the demon holding her tightened his grin and snickered.

"So what do you think, Sir? Is this enough of a challenge for you?"

 

[Kekse]

Bright eyed and chipper, Howl watched the demon struggling as he dragged the petite redhead down the cold, concrete hallway that led to the waiting room where the wolf stood. He couldn't help but chuckle, both at the comedic scene here and the one he knew would take place at Shade's. His mild-mannered and quiet reaper buddy wouldn't know what hit him! Possibly literally, it seemed, as she struck out and bloodied the demon's nose.

"You said she's had about a year of training?" Howl leaned in to examine Eve, then leaned out just in time to avoid her sharp teeth. "She's certainly spirited enough! Is she healthy? She's headed to be a new pet for a reaper, so I don't want one with an impending expiration date." The handlers nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah, though she's still about as well behaved as a new capture. If you are looking for one for your buddy to break, she'll be perfect." The demon wiped the blood from his face with his arm and offered Howl the chain. "Feel free to walk her around the place a bit and get a feel for her before you decide. There's nowhere she can go, so don't worry about her trying to escape. She tends to pull a bit, so be ready. No issues with her health as far as we can tell, though I can't say as much for everyone around."

The handler laughed and passed the chain to the werewolf, who held it tightly and again bent in to give Eve a closer examination. He prodded her gently with his foot and barely dodged a swipe of her clawed hand. He did indeed yank on the chain, but her small body was nothing compared to the werewolf. "I can hardly wait for Shade to meet you. It's going to be hilarious."

A final look at her teeth and chest did the convincing. "I'll take her."

"Very good. We'll box her up and bring her out to the loading dock for you. If you'll follow my coworker there back to the desk, we'll write up your adoption paperwork and get you the remote to her collar. It's the strongest one we offer, included in the purchase price. She's been chipped, vaccinated, and had her teeth straightened, but she hasn't been fixed. We know some of our clients are particular about that, so there's a coupon to cover it in your folder."

Howl nodded and followed the creature into the other room, leaving the first demon to deal with Eve. Once at the counter, Howl pulled out his wallet. "So how much do I owe you?"

"Just two hundred for this one. Honestly brother, it's a relief to get her off our hands. I don't think I've ever seen a human go so cheap, but I know exactly why. You're pretty ballsy to pick her as a Christmas gift."

The pair laughed, and began the signing. The paperwork process took only a few minutes and before he knew it, Howl was walking back to his car with a heavy chain, a folder of papers, and a name tag to add Shade's contact info to and attach to Eve's collar.

"Hey, pop the hatch and we'll get her in for you. Don't mind the cursing... Her bark isn't near as bad as her bite."

Howl obliged, hitting the button on his key fob and unlocking the driver door at the same time. He tossed the accessories into the back seat with the other human supplies he had purchased and slid into the seat, excitement growing for his buddy's reaction.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

The moment that a foot prodded at her Eve swiped at the wolf, and when he tugged she yelped in displeasure. Oh, this asshole was just as bad at the rest of them. Watching the paperwork and the remote be passed over to him made a spike of anxiety run through her knowing she was going somewhere else, somewhere that she didn't know what to expect. At least at this place she knew what abuse she would endure, but going to an entirely new place was foreign to her. She was going where?

"Fuck you, wolf!" Snapping at him even as she tried to pull away to no avail, Eve let out a scream of frustration and stomped her feet. With her wrists still chained together she was trapped until the wolf used the key given to him, so even her mobility was limited. For as relieved as her handlers seemed she was almost sorry to go, knowing that she couldn't maim them anymore for everything that they'd done to her.

"Get the fuck off of me!" She screamed as the hatch was popped and she was nearly thrown into the vehicle, kicking out at the walls even as she was forced in and confined then. Oh, if only she could claw their eyes out and listen to them scream in pain. When the vehicle started and they began the drive she squirmed around, her voice still a scream as she cursed the wolf and did everything that she could to move around and do something, anything that gave her a semblance of control. "I swear to whatever deity you believe in, the second you try to put your hands on me I will make you bleed!"

 

[Kekse]

Howl chuckled and kept his eyes on the road as his new aquisition screamed and kicked in the back. "How funny that you assume I believe in any kind of deity... But don't worry. I'm not planning to do anything to you. You're headed to my buddy, and I'm very interested to see what he does with a pet as spicy as you! He's a reaper, though, so you might consider your behavior."

It wasn't a far drive from the pet shop to Shade's place, but by the time he pulled up to the driveway the werewolf was starting to wonder if this was going to be funny after all. It was clear that Eve was going to be a handful, but he knew Shade had been lonely since he picked up the night shift. He needed a companion for the daytime while all his friends were busy. Eve, here, should definitely keep him busy as well. He put the car in park and grabbed the folder from the back seat. "You wait here like a good little girl," he chuckled and stepped out of the car, taking the keys with him.

Shade heard the doorbell ring and wondered who would be stopping by at this time of day. He pulled his robe more tightly closed and ambled over to answer the door, the frown on his face melting into a grin when he saw his best friend standing on the step. "Hey, Howl! Looking time no see, man. What brings you to my part of town?"

"Had to bring your Christmas present, brother. I know it's a couple days early, but you know the full moon falls on Christmas this year so I'll be a little bit busy." He extended the folder and Shade took it curiously.

The reaper flipped it open and his eyebrows raised in surprise. "A... Human? You got me a human? You know my job is to reap them, right?" His eyes flicked up from the folder to his best friend who was absolutely beaming.

"Of course I do. But man, you are wasting away alone in this apartment. I got you a spunky, healthy one. At least give it a chance? If you haven't bonded with her in a month or two, I'll take her back. I promise."

Shade snapped the folder closed and sighed. "Fine. Thank you for the expensive gift, Howl. Let's go meet my new roommate."

The werewolf thrust his fist into the air and ran to the car, fished out the chain, and cautiously attached it to Eve's collar. "Alright, make yourself ready to meet your new owner." He tugged only gently to get her to exit the car, then looked back at Shade. "Pretty cute, huh? She's not very well trained yet and really spicy, so be prepared."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"I don't give a flying fuck what he is, the second he lays a hand on me he is done!" It didn't matter if it was a werewolf, vampire, reaper, they would still reap the outcome of her wrath upon meeting her. "Don't call me a good little girl!" She was neither a girl nor was she intending to be good in any way towards her new owner, and her feet continued to kick out even as they ached upon impact. They couldn't have even given her shoes? Was she expected to walk around naked, seeing as how they hadn't sent any other clothes with her? Maybe her new owner would at least give her something to wear, but the thought of being without clothing was absolutely terrifying, and her heart rate increased significantly.

Her panic only increased the longer she sat in the vehicle alone, still in cuffs, and by the time the wolf finally reappeared her throat was beginning to hurt from all of the screaming. She was alone, frightened, and had absolutely no idea what fate was about to befall her being the pet of a reaper, of all things. When the hatch opened and the chain was reattached to her collar she immediately kicked out, fighting him the entire way out of the vehicle and over to the man who was to receive her.

"Fuck you both!" She spit in the direction of the wolf, watching in satisfaction as at least some of her saliva landed on him. "I'm not going to be a pet to anyone!" Could they hear her heart racing? The wolf surely would, but could the reaper? Her eyes were narrowed as she stared at her new owner with complete hatred, digging her sore, bare feet into the ground. "Touch me and I bite the hand that does it. You'll wish you had never bought me."

 

[Kekse]

Dodging the flailing feet and flying spittle, Howl did his best to present his gift with a grin on his face. "So here she is. Quite high spirited, but you know. I'm starting to think 'fuck' is her favorite word, because she's said it no less than every other sentence on the way here." He offered Shade the chain, and the reaper sighed and took it, holding the very end to allow Eve as much distance as possible. He slipped his hand through the heavy-duty wrist strap and stared at her, wondering what he was supposed to do next.

"I think 'high spirited' isn't quite the phrase I would choose. I think 'downright terrified and nasty' is more fitting. What did you do, pick the most feral one they had?"

Howl laughed and nodded, stepping slightly away where Eve couldn't reach him. "Yup! I mean granted it's two days to Christmas so there weren't very many left and she was hella on sale, but you know." The werewolf leaned out and patted Eve's head while she was facing Shade and then immediately jumped back out of attacking range. "I do think that once you've managed to settle her a bit, she'll be a cute addition to your empty little apartment."

Truth be told, Shade felt a little sad seeing the human so terrified of him when he wasn't actually coming to reap her. Human terror was just part of his job description, after all, but this...this was different. "I guess we best take her inside and get her used to her new home. Did you want to come in for a while, Howl? It really has been a while since we chatted."

The werewolf shook his head, turning back to the car with keys in hand. "Nah, bro. I need to go pick up something for the wife still. Typical me, couldn't think of anything to get until the very last minute. Now I have to hope that there are still a few of those transformation outfits in stock. You know, the ones that don't burst when we shift so we don't end up naked in the morning? I figure she'd really like one of those because she complains about remembering to undress every full moon. Why don't you take her inside, and I'll grab the supplies I picked up out of the back seat?"

"Oh good, I'm glad you thought to grab some basics before bringing her over here...I was sitting here wondering how I was going to get to the pet store to pick them up without having to take her. I don't want her wrecking the furniture while I'm gone, and I definitely think from what I've seen that she's not trained well enough to go out in public." Shade sighed, resigned to at least caring for the human for long enough to say he'd given it a go. Worst case, if she just wouldn't tame he could always claim she had just reached the end of her life...

The reaper sighed and began walking toward the door, hoping Eve wouldn't struggle too hard. He looked at the chain with a mixture of disgust and resignation before tugging slightly on it. "Come on, you. Might as well get this process started. What's your name?"

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"Fuck you, wolf! I hope someone claws out your eyes the next time you shift!" Snapping at him the moment that he laid a hand on her head Eve lunged for him, yelping when the chain prevented her from going far. "You're lucky I don't have claws of my own or I'd do it myself and I'd watch with pleasure!" Violence had never been something she was particularly fond of, but after being in captivity with attempted training Eve was unable to help the defense mechanism. She snorted in laughter as he began to retreat with a mention of his wife, shaking her head slowly. "Even wolves can't figure out how to keep a woman happy, huh?" It was impossible to resist the final stab she could make at him before she felt the tug on her chain, digging her heels into the ground even as she was pulled forward. The moment she had those shackles off her wrists..

Would he even take them off? The reaper didn't seem terribly happy to be receiving her, so for all she knew he could take out any displeasure on her? It was enough for her to dig her feet in harder even as she felt the skin starting to rub raw, and when they reached the doorway she shrieked angrily. He had her paperwork, the collar around her neck, why was he wasting time asking her directly?

"Bite me, reaper. By the time the week is over you'll want to reap me like you do every other human." No way in hell was she going to make this easy on him. She'd raised hell for every handler that had dealt with her, turned off multiple buyers when they saw what she could do. If the wolf thought she would suddenly turn docile just because her owner was a reaper, he was sorely mistaken. "I would welcome it, truly." She bared her teeth at him boldly, wrapping her restrained hands around the chain connected to her collar and tugging. "Get these things off of me!"

 

[Kekse]

Her response brought a scowl to Shade's face. If attempting to be polite with her wasn't going to make things any easier, what was he going to do? Without another word he pulled her the rest of the way into his apartment and stopped at the doorway to call back to Howl. "I'm going to go inside and close the door. Just come on in when you get the stuff gathered up." Howl leaned out of the car and gave the reaper a thumbs up.

Once inside, Shade began to wonder what in the world he was going to do with this human. He didn't have any time to prepare his apartment for one. It had never crossed his mind to adopt one either, so he hadn't ever thought about whether the place would even be a suitable habitat for one. While he waited for his friend to return, he watched Eve's movements and realized he really didn't know anything about keeping a human alive. He wracked his brain for any information he might have subconsciously gathered through his job, but he really only knew what /not/ to do.

"I really don't want to hurt you, believe it or not. I'm sure you can tell just by looking around that I didn't plan to have a pet human. But here we are. You're a gift from my best friend and I'm honor-bound to appreciate it and treat you well. I'm sure you'll do your best to make my life hell as you've said (and attempted already...) but trust me, there's very little of humanity that I haven't seen. Making my life miserable is only going to make your life miserable." His tone was flat and emotionless, a far cry different than the intensity he was getting from his new pet.

Howl burst through the door carrying a pile of clothing, shoes, dishes, and a rolled up mat. He dropped it all on the couch and stood beaming, laughing at the fury of the human and the look of resignation on his buddy's face. "This is going to be awesome, man. I've got to go, but I'll check in next week to see how you're doing with your new little friend." The werewolf offered Shade a high-five and the reaper rolled his eyes before returning the gesture.

"Remind me on your daughter's birthday that you're the kind of asshole who buys people pets as gifts. I hear she's really been wanting a pet dragon, but her daddy won't let her have one." Shade broke into a grin for the first time since the human had been presented to him and Howl's face blanched. "You know I would! Now go. Get that outfit for your wife so you don't have to ask to crash in my spare bedroom again. You've kind of given it away now so you'd be couch surfing."

When the wolf was gone and the reaper was alone with Eve, he stood in the middle of the living room and stared at her. "If I take off the cuffs, are you immediately going to attack me? I'm sure they're not comfortable, but I also don't want my face scratched off."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Wide eyes shifted around the room constantly the moment she was forced inside and the door closed, the tugging of the chain seeming to do nothing. Her mobility was severely limited by both the chains and the strength of the reaper, leaving her only a few steps in any direction before she was brought to an abrupt halt. This only served to increase her anxiety as he spoke to her, her head turning so that she could stare at him. Why on Earth should she believe anything he said?

"I know what people do when they're gifted humans as pets. I'm not stupid, and your words implies you also won't have any issue hurting me if you have to." She knew full well there was a wide variety of things that he could do to her, it was a matter of what he chose to do to her. When the door burst open she shrieked and tried to scramble away, choosing to stay closer to the reaper than the wolf at that given moment. It was only when her new owner made a gest about a pet dragon that her face lit up with a wicked grin, trying to imagine the obnoxious wolf corralling such a large and untamed creature. That would be a sight to behold.

"That depends what you plan to do to me." Eve turned back to him as the wolf departed, staring apprehensively at the man holding the chain that was connected to her collar. Her eyes dropped down to the cuffs around her wrists before going back to his face, her entire body stiff as she shrugged. "If I'm supposed to be your plaything then I'll make you bleed in any way that I can." Bold words for someone so terrified, her eyes still flitting around the room as she tried to take in any route of escape. It wouldn't matter though, would it? They'd already chipped her, condemned her to a fate worse than death by never having true freedom again. "You can't keep me in them forever though. What if I need to use the bathroom?"

 

[Kekse]

"Well, you are a human so I would assume you need to use the bathroom multiple times a day. So I'd say that's less of a 'what if' and more of a 'when.' As for that, I would insist that you would use the toilet over there." Shade pointed to the completely unused restroom off to the left, right next to the spare bedroom. He was well aware that this was not answering the question she actually intended, but he felt that it was important to establish right away that he did not want a mess all over the apartment.

While he thought about what to do, the reaper picked up the sheaf of papers to thumb through. The top sheet was a basic breakdown of her health, immunizations, and such things. At the very top was her name. "So your name is Eve? Well, Eve, hopefully we can both learn to get along." He set the papers down and picked up the small box containing her name tag, chain and shackle keys, and the remote to her collar. Shade picked up the remote and stared at it for a moment, not entirely sure what it was for. It wasn't until he more carefully examined the collar that he realized what it was. His face fell and he dropped the remote back in with a hint of disgust.

If she had a shock collar, though, perhaps the chains weren't necessarily needed. What was she going to do to him, anyway? He wasn't mortal so she couldn't kill him even if she tried. He was faster, stronger, and a reaper for hell's sake. "I'm going to take the shackles off, but please note that I'm doing this with the good faith that you will not immediately begin destroying my belongings." He pulled the keys from the box and stepped forward cautiously to release her hands and feet.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

She wasn't an animal, she knew how to use a bathroom. Glaring at him heatedly at his insistence Eve scoffed, still trying to tug slightly at the chains when he began sorting through the papers. All boring things, basic information about her, a voucher for if he wanted her sterilized, etc etc. Get along? Was he insane? The look on her face showed just how she felt about the thought as she remained silent, eyes fixated on the box as she held her breath. Oh, she knew what was in the box, and the second his hand wrapped around the remote she flinched. It didn't matter how many times she'd been shocked, each time hurt nearly as bad as the first.

"Keep your hands off me and your things are safe." For the moment, anyway, and she watched warily as he approached with the keys. It wasn't freedom, but it was a start. If she was condemned to a life without proper freedom then the least she could get was some freedom in regards to her movements. How glorious it felt as the metal came away, a hand going to rub a sore wrist as she backtracked across the room until her back connected with a wall. Grunting unhappily as she realized there was nowhere else to go without going past him into other rooms she frowned, taking a moment to finally look at him. Not quite what she had expected a reaper to look like, but what did one expect a reaper to look like?

"What now, master?" The sarcasm in her voice was painfully clear as she stood against the wall, fingers flexing nervously at her sides as her mind began to race. It had been months that they'd ben training her and no one had dared to buy her, what the hell was she supposed to expect now that someone finally had?

 

[Kekse]

Shade's lips turned in displeasure at the title. Master? Ugh. "Let's...skip the master thing. Just call me Shade, okay? Master is just freaking weird." The reaper tossed the chains into the hallway closet and pocketed the key, figuring if Eve should need them he'd know where they were. "As for what now...whatever you want, I suppose. I've got crap to do, so I'm going to trust that you're not going to go break my shit while I go in the office and fill out my paperwork for the day. Can you believe there's freaking paperwork for ferrying souls these days? What has the world come to..."

And with that, the reaper turned and disappeared into a doorway on the right side of the living room. He left the door open so he could easily hear what was going on in the rest of the house; he certainly didn't trust the wild creature that Howl had so graciously dragged into his house. Didn't he know that Shade was a busy guy? Why he thought a human pet of all things was a brilliant idea was beyond the reaper. Howl and his practical jokes were both getting out of hand...

He had not even sat down yet when he decided he had best keep the remote to the collar and the sheaf of papers in a safe place. He re-entered the living room and picked up the box and folder, shooting Eve another glance as he did so. He frowned, but not out of disgust; more out of annoyance. Annoyance at Howl, annoyance at the situation, and truth be told, annoyance at not knowing what he was going to do with this female human. How did one care for a human, anyway? Was there a manual? Surely there was a manual. I'll have to get on Scamazon and see if they have anything...

"There's not really any food in the house since I don't eat and I obviously wasn't expecting you, so I'll have to go out and get some tonight when my work is done. I don't know what you like, so...write me a list? Assuming you know how to write, I mean. And whatever Howl brought is yours so put it on or don't, whatever." Shade waved his hand at the pile of supplies on the couch before returning to his study and sitting down in the chair. He rubbed his temples and stared at the computer screen, trying to focus on his paperwork and not the stranger in the living room.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"What?" Do whatever she wanted? The look she that Eve gave him was incredulous, unable to believe the words she was hearing. Why would he give her freedom to do as she pleased? Maybe because she wouldn't be able to run far even if she did run. Even if she got to somewhere there were other humans who might try to help her, she was deemed property now and would be drug back to the reaper the moment a non human found her. She barely heard the last comment about ferrying souls, still watching him as he left the room and went off to take care of things. What was she supposed to do now?

A shriek sounded when Shade spoke again, Eve's eyes flickering to him as she realized he'd come back into the room. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed at first, eyes wide and her chest heaving as she inched across the wall to move further away from him. The box with the remote was in his hand and she eyed it warily, half expecting him to use it just to get her to stop arguing with him. He hadn't seemed overly fond of the sight of it at first sight but that didn't mean anything, her lips parting when he mentioned food. When had she eaten last? Not since sometime yesterday if she remembered correctly, her stomach growling at the thought of it. Nothing could have stopped the red from staining her cheeks as she looked away, instead trying to concentrate on the items on the couch.

"Food is food." At that point she could have been given a bag of stale chips and would have been content with it, so there was no reason to be picky. The reaper had barely left the room when she was slinking across it to the couch, sifting through the different items and ignoring most of them. She could take a shower later once Shade wasn't there, for now she would settle for the plainest clothes in the pile that would cover her. At least the wolf had been courteous enough to get warm clothing for her in the cold weather, a pair of sweat pants and a shirt snatched up before she bolted to the bathroom.

She definitely needed a shower, her feet filthy and her hair tangled from being so rudely awoken and not groomed for a potential buyer. For now the warmer clothes would suffice and she hastily changed into them, bundling up the dirty ones before going back out and placing them with everything else on the couch. There was a small, thin blanket in the pile that she hastily grabbed and wrapped around herself before picking a corner across the room, sinking down and tucking herself there to cocoon in the blanket. A reaper, she'd been gifted to a bloody reaper.

 

[Kekse]

Once back in his study, Shade flipped the computer on and began poking at his paperwork for the night. Twelve souls to ferry? Not too bad, actually. Should be a fairly quiet night, all things considered. He filled out all the required information and hit print with plenty of time to go before his shift started. First passenger was scheduled for 9:15, and it was only 7:30. He knew exactly what he was going to do with his free time...

The reaper opened up a search bar and typed "how to care for your human." Over a million results populated, according to the page, and Shade clicked on the top link. Might as well start with the top result and work his way down, right? He read about human sleep patterns, dietary needs, social needs, and a whole host of other topics before his brain felt like it was going to explode. At the end of his research, all he could think was "It's a good thing that humans can speak...she can just tell me what she needs."

He opened up a blank document and began listing out the things he would need to purchase, as far as he could tell. Female humans seemed to enjoy large wardrobes, so he would definitely need to pick up more clothing. A better bed than the padded mat that Howl had purchased would probably go a long way in making her less likely to punch him in the face and break his belongings, so he added that to the list. As for food...the sources he read suggested a specific brand of lab block which would provide all the nutrition she would need, but the price made him scowl. Five hundred dollars for a month's supply? No wonder very few of the supernatural neighbors kept humans...

A little more research brought him to the conclusion that it would be much cheaper and pleasant to Eve if he were to just go to a human grocery store and purchase regular human food. He was sure it would take some trial and error to find out what she would eat since she refused to give him any clue what she liked, but so be it. If she didn't want to voice her opinion...she would just have to eat whatever he bought.

Nine pm rolled around and Shade gathered his stack of papers, including the shopping list, and exited his study. "I have to go to work. I will be back around dawn, so please behave yourself. The second door on the right in the hallway leads to the library if you're at all interested in books to pass the time, or you can put that mat Howl bought in the spare bedroom. I have a list of supplies to purchase while I'm out, so for now you'll just have to make do."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Just what was he doing in there that was taking so long? Eve could hear the clicking of the mouse and keyboard, hear random mutterings as the man spoke to himself. Was he just going to ignore her like she didn't exist? The minutes went by in near painful silence before she finally got back up and began to wander around, but she never ventured far from the living room even as she poked her head into the kitchen. What was the point, if he didn't eat? Did he drink anything either, or were there no dishes anywhere in the house? There came the temptation to begin snooping through the cupboards in search of things but she managed to push it away, instead turning on the sink and taking a quick drink from there before scampering back into the living room.

By the time that Shade came back out she had finally started to poke through the other supplies left by the wolf, eager to get herself a proper shower and perhaps some sleep. If he was going to be out all night then she had a chance, even if the mat Howl had bought for her didn't appear to be too comfortable. Still, it was better than sleeping on the hard floor without anything to cushion her. Her hands paused above some of the things there before she backed away from the couch, circling around it to duck down partially and stare at him from behind it.

He had a library? Had she not been in such a mood it might have interested her more, but cautious eyes simply watched as he took his belongings and stated he was going to work. The only acknowledgment she gave him was a small noise before she'd snatched up hygiene supplies and bolted off to the bathroom, leaving the blanket abandoned somewhere along the way before the door slammed shut. A shower, she could finally scrub away the smell of that place she had been in for the last year. It was enough to give her just a moment of happiness as she stripped down carefully, minding her sore body from previous punishments for acting out. The bruises were touched gently as she examined them, spending only a few seconds before starting up the water and beginning to brush her hair. Oh, how delightful it felt to be able to brush her hair! She had all night to do.. Whatever she wanted? To clean herself to the point that she was satisfied?

 

[Kekse]

Shade's night seemed to drag on, and not just because he had so few jobs to do. No, his mind kept going back to the human in his house and what he was going to do with her. Even as he swung his scythe and took the souls by the hand, his eyes were further away than usual. Was she breaking the few dishes in the cupboard that he kept around for appearances or Howl's random visits? Was she still sitting in the corner, wrapped up in that thin blanket that the werewolf had provided?

Not that it did him much good to worry, he supposed. Whatever was happening was happening, and there was very little he could do about it. That didn't stop him from doing it, though...by the time the sun had risen in the morning, the reaper actually felt tired. Or at least, what he suspected tired would feel like if he were mortal and could feel such things. When the final soul had been safely led across the river, Shade threw the scythe and cloak into the back of his car and headed deep into human country.

And by deep, we mean "time to take a trip to the horror show that is Walmart" deep. He had gathered that in this century and continent, one could obtain pretty much everything a human needed to survive in a single pit of despair. The reaper pulled up to the building and parked his car, looking at the doors with a hint of trepidation. What horrors awaited inside, that nearly every human he had heard speak of this place did so with disdain?

The sheer number of people milling about making poor decisions immediately informed Shade as to why humans avoided coming here. As they tossed item after item into their carts, the reaper watched the lifetime counters above their heads drop little by little. Aside from those in the produce section...in any case, surely even the humans could feel their lives being sucked away. That certainly explained it. He kept his eyes focused on his printed list, only looking up to attempt to locate the next item.

After nearly an hour, he stood with a selection of what humans call 'health food' items in his cart, which he simply hoped would keep Eve alive. That checked off one section...bedding came next, and he wandered through housewares wondering what the hell she would like the best. He ended up with a memory foam mattress, a queen sized bedspread set, and a pillow. Whether any of them were decent or not he didn't know, but he shrugged as he tossed them into the cart and barely dodged a snot-and-dust covered human child who ran past without their parent anywhere in sight. Seemed to him that anything would be better than the floor.

Clothing came last. He had purposefully saved the one thing he knew a little about, since he did, in fact, wear clothing himself. Though his confidence fell as he wandered through the women's section and realized he had no idea what style she would choose for herself. Then again, how much did that matter? Mentally exhausted, he threw a few shirts, pants, underwear, and socks into the cart and hoped they were close to the correct size.

Ignoring the screaming from the shoe section (possibly a child, possibly a murder, who knew? It wasn't his shift and not his problem), Shade made his way to the register. While he loaded his purchases onto the belt, the cashier began to talk. And talk. And talk. He simply stared at her silently, hoping she would get the hint that he had no desire to make smalltalk, but she never did. *beep* How's the weather *beep* out there? *beep* It was raining *beep* when I got in *beep* this morning. Has *beep* it stopped yet? *beep*

The reaper's patience had very nearly run completely out when the white haired old cashier finally placed the last item in a plastic bag and pushed the button to reveal the total. Nearly $400?! He growled under his breath and pulled the money from his wallet, handing it over to the old woman who still had not stopped her incessant chatter. "Thanks honey, have a good evening. See you again soon!"

You bloody will not, Shade grumbled inwardly in response as he accepted the receipt and stuffed it in one of the bags. He tossed his purchases back in the cart and hurried to his car, wondering why so many humans worried about going to hell and yet willingly went to Walmart...

The drive home felt like it took three hours, despite being only twenty minutes across the human-supernatural border. He breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled into the driveway and parked, taking a moment to close his eyes and compose himself before stepping out to gather up his bags. He practically kicked the door open as even reapers refuse to take two trips, and dropped everything on the couch.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

The shower was heavenly, just the fact that she could take as much time as she wanted was astounding. Eve lost track of how much time she spent under the hot water, scrubbing away at her skin until it was nearly raw from the pressure. Even then she couldn't get rid of the feeling the other place had left on her, but it was the best she could do for the moment. Any longer under the near scalding water and she was going to make her skin bleed, and then she'd have to listen to the reaper complain she got blood on his towels. That would just be another reason for him to be unhappy with her, and with an unhappy grunt of her own Eve got out of the shower. The water shut off abruptly as she stepped into the steam filled room, sighing softly before wrapping herself in a towel.

A hand wiped at the mirror once the room began to cool down, bright eyes gazing at her reflection with a frown. Had she always been so skinny? They'd kept her healthy enough, but wrapped in nothing more than a towel she just looked so.. Small. Even the water dripping from her wet hair ran along the visible curve of her collarbone, tracing its way down to disappear under the towel before she set to work properly drying off. There was no point in dwelling on something she couldn't fix.

The towels were hung neatly over the shower once Eve had finished drying off enough her hair wouldn't drip everywhere, and she hastily stumbled back into the sweat pants and shirt she had been wearing before. It would at least keep her warm and keep most of the bruises covered so that she didn't have to constantly look at them. The ones around her wrists would take time to heal so there was nothing she could do there save for wearing a sweater, so she would have to suck it up and deal with it.

"Right, library." He'd said he had books, right? IT was worth at least taking a look, and after assuring herself he was indeed still gone she slunk down and into the aforementioned room. There was a good variety of books that she began to sift through, intent on passing the time until she could sleep. If she was able to, that was, but it seemed she wouldn't be granted that reprieve tonight. Even as the hours passed and she worked through one book and then started another, her mind refused to let her sleep. Even when she took the mat that had been provided and placed it in a corner of the living room where she could still hear the door, sleep eluded her.

When the door opened some hours later she was still alive, sitting upright and pressing back into the corner she'd set up at. Tired eyes went wide as they focused on the near frantic reaper coming in with a multitude of things, her brow furrowing as she tried to see what it was in the dim light streaming into the apartment. The sound of everything hitting the couch made her cringe as she sat there staring at him, the blanket she'd been using pooled around her waist as she simply watched. He didn't look particularly happy, but he also hadn't stormed across the room or screamed at her yet.

"What is all that?"

 

[Kekse]

Shade straightened his back after shedding the load of bags, groaning and rubbing his eyes for a moment before responding to her questions. "It's a very expensive 'Walmart' trip. For you. I hope you appreciate it." His tone was wry and he looked at her with his eyes slightly narrowed, but more in a teasing way than annoyance. "I cannot guarantee that all the clothing fits, but I made my best guess. I'm going to put the food in the kitchen; I want you to take the rest into your bedroom." Shade gestured toward the door to the spare room, which currently contained nothing more than an ancient futon and a bit of werewolf fur.

Stepping up to the couch, the reaper picked through the bags and pulled out the ones which contained food. There were six of them, all loaded with foods he had observed raising the life counters of others in the store. Surely that meant they were good for humans, so he figured they were safe bets. This resulted in quite a few 'whole' foods such as fruits and vegetables, raw meats, grains, and dairy. Nothing processed and beloved of humans, but it was food.

He piled the meat and produce into the fridge, the dried and canned goods into the cupboards, and a bag of potatoes on the counter. When finished he glanced around the kitchen, feeling just a little bit satisfied that the room was finally being used for its intended purpose. Yes, Howl had occasionally brought over a box of cereal and stashed it in the cupboard (in fact, there may yet have been a mummified box of cocoa puffs in the back of one of the shelves, but Shade never cared enough to check.)

"I don't know a thing about making human food, so it's up to you to feed yourself. There's like...pans and crap in the drawer under the oven and probably some other utensils lying around. I don't know what Howl has brought over. If there's something you need, just write it on the pad on the fridge and I'll pick it up. I...am more versed on things that are bad for humans than things that are good for them."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"Why? You clearly don't want me." It made no sense that he would buy so many things when he could buy the bare minimum to keep her alive. Hell, why hadn't he just shoved her back at the wolf and told him to take her back or keep her himself? Granted, the thought of being owned by Howl was far more terrifying than her current situation, so in a way she should have been thankful. When he disappeared into the kitchen she poked at the different bags on the couch, surprised to see just how much clothing was there along with the food he was currently putting away. Did she really need that much? None of it was lewd in anyway either, so it was simply.. Clothing, which she took hurriedly into the other room before he changed his mind.

It was dumped into a corner of what he deemed 'her' room, which in itself seemed strange, left there as she slunk back out to the living room when she heard him speaking about food. She was just going to eat whatever she wanted? No moderating her food to make sure that she didn't gain too much weight or anything of the like? Interesting. It seemed he couldn't be bothered with her, and Eve wasn't sure if that relieved or irritated her more than anything.

"Why didn't you just send me back with him?" She rubbed at her eyes, feeling the exhaustion from being up all night on top of being sleep deprived. "You don't want me, I can tell that much. Why are you spending money to get me things when you could just send me back, or sell me to someone else? Isn't that what you people all do, just pass humans around like toys?"

 

[Kekse]

Shade felt a little bit offended that Eve questioned his motives for the large purchase he had made. "Because I'm not an asshole? I don't have to actively want a being to be around to treat them decently. Just because I'm a reaper doesn't mean that I enjoy cruelty. Honestly, I hate picking up jobs where the human has suffered immensely before death. Even though those are the humans most happy to see me." He shrugged and turned away from his human pet, for some reason not wanting to allow her to sense any weakness or sympathy in his face. "Just...let me know what I've not bought."

The reaper sifted through the remaining bags, mostly containing medicines such as painkillers and bandages. He had picked them up on a whim as he passed between the clothing area and housewares, figuring they might be good to have around. Her last statement gave him pause, however. "I don't know what others do with their pets. That's none of my business. But regifting, refusing, or returning a gift isn't something that my honor would allow. By treating you well, I'm showing Howl that I appreciate him and his gift, even if he purposefully got something to annoy me. That's Howl for you." He again shrugged, which seemed to be his response to this entire thing.

"I need to go get the mattress and bedding out of the car, still. I'll be back." Shade exited the house, closing the door loudly behind him. She sure asks a lot of questions...What does she want me to say? That yes, I'd rather send her back to the store? That she's an absolute nightmare and disruption of my way of life? What a pain. He unlocked the door with his key fob and reached inside to grab the very heavy box containing the compressed foam mattress. Truth be told, he was quite curious about how they managed to fit something as large as a queen sized mattress in such a small box and he was eager to open it.

He piled the bedspread set on top of the box and hoisted it, grunting a little with the weight. The reaper kicked his car door closed and waddled up the drive, growling that he had closed the door all the way. With no other choice he set down the box and turned the doorknob, pushing the box through the door with his foot and following it closely. He didn't expect Eve to lift the box into the room herself, so he picked it back up and carried it in himself. "Alright, I need a knife..."

It took a few minutes of digging through drawers in the kitchen before Shade came up with a knife to open the box. He had lost track of Eve in his search and came around the corner of the kitchen into the living room, stopping short when he nearly walked into her. "Oh, I'm going to have to get used to someone else being in here," he exclaimed, putting the knife hand behind his back to ensure he didn't accidentally cut himself or his pet. "I'm very interested to see how they managed to fit an entire mattress in that box."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"Don't make fun of me by saying that like you're going to buy me something just because I ask for it!" Looking insulted at the very notion Eve bristled, although her lips parted and remained open when she heard the word mattress. Had he just said there was a mattress and bedding to go with it? Staring at his retreating back in stunned silence she simply stood there, trying to comprehend what she had just heard. She had the pathetic excuse for a roll Howl had brought with her to sleep on, but the reaper--Shade--had gotten her a mattress? Surely it was something small and barely usable, but it was still better than sleeping on the floor or the tiny roll.

When he came back up with the large box her eyes widened again, barely decipherable sounds leaving her mouth as she realized it was clearly something larger than she had expected. The mention of a knife made her cringe and back away, moving around the room as he disappeared from the room. The man was bothered by how she acted, yet he was moving around so quickly and constantly it nearly made her head spin. Eve started a slow pace around the room as the minutes passed and he still hadn't come back out, and the moment that she went to turn around he had finally emerged.

A loud shriek left her mouth at the sight of the knife that he quickly moved behind his back, limbs flailing as she stumbled back and bumped into the couch. He had even said he was going to get a knife, but her tired and confused mind had completely spaced in the matter of a few mere minutes. "There's.. A whole mattress in there? But--What about the thing your friend brought? I thought I was supposed to sleep there." Not unlike a dog. "Or are you just being nice because if I run you can shock me and put me on the floor in a second?" Just the thought made her shudder visibly and Eve took another step back, eyeing the box curiously despite trying not to.

 

[Kekse]

Her scream hurt the reaper's ears and he scowled, rubbing the closer ear with his free hand. "Why do humans always make that horrible sound?! It's horrid." He flashed her a toothy snarl for only a split second and slipped past her to get to the box. "There is indeed. I don't have a clue how they get the darn thing in there, but I guess we'll find out." It appeared there would be no convincing her that he really wasn't out to harm her, so he didn't bother to continue trying. Brandishing the knife, he slid it smoothly through the tape and folded back the flaps. Inside was a tightly compressed and plastic-wrapped roll. It was too heavy to easily lift from the box so he tipped it over and dumped the entire thing out onto the floor.

A piece of paper fell out with it, containing the very simple instructions. 'Remove the plastic and unroll the mattress. Allow twelve to twenty-four hours for the mattress to completely inflate.' Shade shrugged and rolled it into the corner, figuring it would be easier to position it now than later. He carefully sliced open the plastic and unrolled the material, unfolded it where it had been folded in half to fit in the box, and watched as it slowly expanded. He was far more fascinated by this than he should be, staring at it for a good long time before tearing his eyes away.

"I guess we better put this crap on it." Shade tossed the bed sheet package into the center of the room and unzipped it, pulling out the various bits of fabric and looking at them dubiously. "How...does this even work?" He glanced at Eve for some sort of explanation. When she didn't seem inclined to explain sheets to him, he pulled out the fitted sheet and tossed it on the mattress. "There's no way in hell this thing is going to fit..."

He put one corner on the mattress and moved to the other side to put the next corner on...only for the first corner to come off and fling itself back to the center of the bed. A string of curses escaped his lips and he put this corner on, went back to the first, and put it on again. He glared at it for a few moments as if that would cause the inanimate object to stay put. When it didn't move he went to the remaining two corners and was amazed when the sheet pulled nicely. It would obviously be a bit tighter when the mattress reached its full expansion, but it was already most of the way inflated. "Well, well. I guess I shouldn't have doubted."

The flat sheet and comforter were much easier to wrangle, and after he finished fighting the pillow into the pillowcase and threw it at the head of the bed, he stood back and observed his handiwork with pride. "There. A bed. You better sleep in it, and not on that mat Howl bought. At least at night. I guess if you want to nap on the mat during the day, that's whatever. But if I appreciate gifts, so should you."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"Because we scream when we're scared!" Eve slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she'd said, horrified with herself for letting the words slip out in her sleep deprived state. Just because she was scared didn't mean she needed to tell him that and give him the upper hand knowing what frightened her so easily. She didn't bother to tell him that the mattress should have been in the other room before being unwrapped, instead watching with a mixture of curiosity and amusement as he struggled with it. How did anyone not understand how a mattress worked? Did he not sleep at all? The concept seemed so strange, but she supposed it would make sense for someone who literally reaped souls to not need sleep. Still, strange.

His question was met with a blank stare, wanting to see if he could figure it out on his own. If she was going to be stuck in the situation no matter what, she wanted to see what kind of man now owned her. As she watched him fight with the fitted sheet her lips twitched in a semblance of a smile, but when the corner flung back and he glared at it like an upset child she couldn't help but bark out a short laugh before falling silent again.

"No human wants to sleep on a mat. It's part of why we're so cranky when we're kidnapped and forced to sleep like that for months at a time." That, on top of everything else that was done to them during their 'training', but that was irrelevant at the moment. All that mattered was that she had a bed now, with an actual sheet and blanket to keep her warm in the cold winter months. She stared at it like it was a foreign object for a long moment before turning towards him, a flicker of emotion on her face before the mask went up again.

"Thanks." It was the only word she uttered before she turned away, peeling back the covers and curling up beneath before pulling them back up. It was far warmer and more comfortable than anything she'd had in the last year and a content sigh of relief left her mouth, her head nearly disappearing under the comforter as she tugged it up and turned her back to him. Despite the fact that it was first thing in the morning and any normal person would just be getting up for the day, she had every intention of trying to sleep for at least a few short hours.

 

[Kekse]

With his new pet curled up comfortably in her new bed, Shade left the room and closed the door behind him. For a moment he wondered what he was going to do with his day until his thoughts caught up with themselves. Why would today be any different than any other day? Just because Eve was here now didn't mean that he magically had to change up his entire lifestyle. With this in mind, he wandered over to his study and closed the door. He booted up the computer and picked up the stack of paperwork to enter the after-job information into the system. Exact time of death, state of the soul, where they were delivered to, who received them...all the follow up nonsense.

This took maybe twenty minutes. He still couldn't believe his sector only had six deaths that night, especially after a particularly bad flu had raced through the local nursing homes last week. "I guess we just picked off the majority of the weak ones last week, so it's quiet this week. The quiet before the storm that is Christmas, that is." He muttered out loud to himself, something that he always did without really realizing it. Just to satisfy his curiosity the reaper opened the file for Christmas day to see how many deaths and suicides would occur this year. "Huh, about average for the day. Fifteen drunken drivers, twelve passengers...three murders, twenty-five suicides...Two of us will be able to handle it just fine."

He closed the browser and tapped his fingers on the desk, somehow finding himself bored. For a moment he considered pulling out a book, but he hadn't stopped by the bookstore in a couple of weeks and had once again run out of things to read. Television it was, he supposed. The reaper hauled himself out of the computer chair and ambled over to the couch in the living room, fished the remote out of the cushions (he stored it there just to cut out the middle man. It would end up there whether he did it on purpose or not. Such are remotes,) and began flipping through the channels.

Home improvement? Pass. Christmas Hallmark special? Double pass. Cartoons? Well, if it hadn't been the bottom-feeder content that is Spongebob, cartoons might have had a stronger running in the race. He finally settled on reruns of Mythbusters, settling in to watch two humans blow things up in ways that could easily make them his next customers. The next show up was How It's Made, which always fascinated him. The ways human minds worked were mysterious, and the problem solving they employed in this century compared to the previous ones could entertain him for hours.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"What are you watching?" The words came from where the bed had been left a few feet from the couch, laced with sleep as Eve lifted her head. She'd slept for a short while as Shade worked and watched television, but after about three hours she'd found herself startled awake by a noise on the screen. Tousled red hair framed a sleepy expression as she sat up slowly, rubbing at her eyes and wrapping the comforter around herself. When had the television turned on, how long had she been asleep? It was hard to tell the time when there was so much snow outside, but it didn't seem like she'd slept through very much of the day yet, and after rubbing her eyes again she was able to determine it was still relatively early in the day. Noon, maybe? Early afternoon? Somewhere around there, and she tried to focus on the television before flopping back down on her side.

It was the sound of her stomach growling that kept her awake, cheeks heated up in embarrassment as she realized just how hungry she was. It probably would have been a wise idea to eat beforehand, and now that her hunger was present there was no way she would be able to sleep. With a heavy sigh she left the mattress, keeping the comforter wrapped around her small body before starting towards the kitchen.

"Is there coffee, or do you not drink it, since you don't need to eat?" If she was going to be stuck awake for awhile, then she needed some seriously strong coffee to cope with both her new situation and the chill around her. "I don't know if your annoying friend drinks coffee." She paused at the edge of the kitchen, looking back with a slightly fearful expression. "Is he.. Going to come over a lot?"