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Green Sparkling Fluff
4a0685
"We could... sell the meat? For cheap?" you suggest.
Gramps eyed you down, his face tight with skepticism and resignation. "You think humans will actually want monster meat? From us?"
"Everyone needs food," you argue, trying to sound confident. "And with prices what they are... even people who hate half-beasts have to eat, right?"
Gramps grunts, then nods slowly. "Fine. But take the spare gas gun. Those fields aren't good for anything." He helps you chop the head and carefully cut out sections of shell - material like this valuable. As you maneuver the huge head onto the flatbed, his voice becomes stern. "And Daniel? One wrong move in town, they'll blame you for everything. Stick to business. Nothing else."
---
You grip the steering wheel, your massive body barely fitting inside the truck's cab. Your oversized muscles press against the dashboard, making driving awkward. Each movement requires patience, your massive frame keeps threatening to bump into some control accidentally. The old engine roar terribly under the combined weight of both the monster's head and yourself. But that wasn't the worst part. The monster meat's perfume was right there, rich and metallic, and it’s very distracting. Meat. The thought consumes you. Real, juicy meat - none of that slop Gramps throws together to stretch supplies. No. No eating. Not now. You had work to do. C'mon.
The plaza stretches before you, dominated by the Town Hall - a monument to Human authority. Around it, scaffolding climbs up half-finished buildings with the sounds of construction. The town is expanding, changing, becoming something bigger than what Gramps remembers.
"M-meat for sale!" you stammer, climbing out awkwardly. Your ridiculous muscles and genitals draws as many looks as the monster's head. "Fresh m-monster meat! Up in the valley! Really cheap!"
Your voice cracks embarrassingly. Mathematics and farm work never prepared you for public speaking. The makeshift sheet around your waist shifts uncomfortably as you move, you were still not entirely used to having balls this huge, and people staring at them.
"Christ, look at that fucking guy."
"He's huge!"
"What sort of half-beast is he?"
"20 credits per kilo!" you announce, trying to sound confident. A loaf of bread costs 100 - surely this price would convince them?
The crowd keeps their distance. Humans whisper. Their half-beast servants eye you with a mix of fear and fascination. "Too cheap," someone scoffs. "Has to be a trick."
That's when you notice him - at the plaza's edge, dressed in an immaculate suit, holding a book, studying you and the monster's head with intense, analytical interest. Dressed like that, he had to be one of them - an Orator. At his feet he had a half-beast woman crawling, her eager eyes never leaving his face - absolutely subservient. Your throat tightens. You've seen what Orators can do with the gift of being Human. You're more resistant than most half-beasts from being less 'beast', but still...
As other traders hesitate, the Orator steps forward. "Fascinating specimen," he says, voice low and controlled. You sweat. "May I examine it?" he uttered.
"Y-yes, Orator-sir," you stammer. "K-killed it myself. With an axe."
Yeah, and it was smelling mighty tasty right now. Your fist tightens. Stop thinking about eating.
The man - obviously knowledgeable about beasts - circles the head, pulling out a slim notebook. He checks the wound patterns, the bullet shot in its eye...
"Very nice" he states, flatly.
His calm is intimidating. When he looks at you, it's with a predatory intellectual curiosity that makes your wolf-ears flatten.
"I want its fur," he states finally. "Name your price."
Suddenly the crowd surges forward, their earlier hesitation forgotten. Where moments ago they kept their distance, now they press close, eager to see what's caught the Orator's attention.
"Oh - uh... fur!" you manage, mind racing. "Uh..."
"500 credits?" you stammer, immediately regretting the number. Too low? Too high?
The Orator's lips twitch with barely concealed amusement. "Certainly," he says smoothly, reaching into his suit jacket. The half-beast woman at his feet whimpers with excitement. "Where shall we conduct this transaction?"
"If an Orator's buying..."
"Could be worth..."
"Hey, you, the big guy!"
---
"Holy shit, Daniel!" Gramps barks, staring at the stack of credits on the kitchen table. There was more money here than either of you have seen in years. "Even after all those bulk discounts and the salt..."
"One thousand, two hundred and fifty credits," you say, still stunned. Your wolf-ears perk up with pride as you arrange the notes into neat stacks. Even after keeping a quarter of the meat preserved in the salt you purchased, the money was insane. A whole lot of loafs of bread.
Gramps's hands tremble as he counts the notes again, his furry fingers brushing each one as if he was making sure they're real. "This..." his voice cracks, thick with emotion. "This is your money, Daniel. You earned it. Every credit."
"We both did this!" you protest with excitement, flouncing. "You were there with the gas gun! Half-half split!"
"Like hell!" Gramps barks, but his eyes are wet. "I just gave some covering fire! You're the one who charged in there with that axe, and..." He trails off, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Then... let me help with the debt?" you suggest softly. "Take seventy percent, use it to clear what we owe? And I'll keep the rest?"
Gramps removes his beret, clutching it against his chest. For a moment, he just stares at the worn fabric, then lifts his head with a proud smile. He extends his hand - not the casual handshake of daily life, but the formal gesture between equals. Between men.
"Deal." he says gruffly, and when you grab his hand, you feel the slight tremor in his grip.
In that moment, you're not just his grandson anymore.
---
You wake up the next day, very, very hungry.
What do you do?
>A) Go down to the human town with Gramps and try to have a good time, eat nice food, explore, buy some little souvenirs. You have money!
>B) Go talk to the Orators and the rest of the local Human's defense force against Beasts, offer your services.
>C) Investigate the woods, try to look for where that monster came from.
>D) Ask Gramps for tips on how to work out to get stronger, and try doing it.
>E) Write-in
How do you feed yourself?
>A) Try to starve out the size.
>B) Eat very big portions, but reasonable ones for your size.
>C) Finally, gorge yourself with meat. Snack constantly.
>D) Write-in
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