And in This Small World
Pink Puffs and Green Skin
" I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure
in the landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling
of winter. Something waits beneath it - the whole story
doesn't show."
Andrew Wyeth
Seph opened the door to the kitchen and began making himself a mid-night snack. Looking in the cupboard all he could see was packaged noodles, peanut butter, and some cans of soup. He snorted quietly and crossed the room to the little fridge. Inside he found a bottle of red wine. (Jackpot) Grinning he pulled it out and unclipped the cork stopper. He took a glass on top of the fridge and slowly poured the wine into it watching as the liquid swirled around on the inside. He put the bottle back and was about to return to bed when he saw a spot of green in his peripheral vision. He turned slightly and saw the underling from before. He snickered quietly as he remembered seeing the boy.
Usually when he saw an underling in the street he'd ignore them entirely but this kid just sat in his way for a moment as if he had forgotten how to run in terror. That wasn't the odd part though. Every once in a while Seph would come across an underling who was too afraid to run and it would just sit there like a plastic chicken waiting for its head to be cut off, but of all things he'd never seen nor ever thought of seeing a boy in a puffy pink dress stunned in the middle of the road. The underling seemed to snap out of it and it raced off. Now normally Seph would forget about it, but come on! It was an underling wearing a pink dress! Who could pass that up? In a second Seph had the boy trapped in a corner. He walked up to it slowly and touched the pink lace on the boy's bonnet. Oddly enough the child could still speak. "I... I... was playing dress up with m...my sisters sir." Seph hadn't shown any change of manner at all, he continued to finger the ribbon and look at the boy's lacy dress.
Making a sudden decision he grabbed the boy's arm and began walking back to his apartment. The boy squeaked in surprise and instantly started crying. "Stop blubbering" Seph snapped. The child rubbed at his eyes with his free hand but tears kept leaking out. "I... I can't." The child whined but when Seph didn't respond he added "It's not my fault I always cry when I'm scared."
"Shut it kid." Seph snapped. The child clamped his mouth shut.
Seph walked a little closer to the couch and stood leaning forward on the armrest, looking at the boy's face.
The kid had stayed silent until he saw Seph's apartment. Then he started squirming "I'm sorry sir, don't eat me Idon'twannadie!! Please lemme go I didn't do anything bad!!!!! Don't eat me!!!!!!!!" Seph snorted slightly and pulled the kid through the door and up the stairs to the floor his apartment was on. He was glad humans couldn't hear or see underlings because the child was making a huge racket; screaming about how his family of forty-five wouldn't be able to survive with all the work he would no longer be able to do. Seph couldn't help but laugh at the boy's claim of working. The underling stopped and looked at Seph. "You don't believe me?" Seph unlocked the door at the very end of the hall.
"Some how I doubt you were working real hard I that get-up." The boy blushed.
"I already told you it was my sisters' fault!" Seph pulled the kid into the room and locked the door.
Seph's apartment was small. The door opened into the living room with a mini fridge and a small table at the back. Off to the side there were two doors that presumably led to a bathroom or a bedroom or both. From the rooms you could see the apartment looked tidy enough, but there were a couple empty glasses and a dyeing plant on the table. Hidden beside a stove-top was a tiny sink that had seen better days and above it was a small cupboard unit that probably didn't hold much. By the couch was an old television with a set of rabbit ears leaning precariously off the edge.
"How old are you kid?"
"I'm twenty-two and a half, and for your information my name isn't kid it’s Gemlin." The boy had his hands on his hips and his lip stuck out in a little pout. Seph nodded, and nearly laughed out loud at the boy's posture. "Yeah, yeah, kid" The boy crossed his arms and blew an angry sigh through his teeth.
"Fine then, can I at least change into better clothes before I die?" Seph cocked his head slightly. Gemlin copied him perfectly. With a small smile Seph crossed through the living room/ kitchen and turned into his bedroom. He came out with a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that were relatively clean. Gemlin hid behind the couch while changing, making sure he threw the dress across the room with a disgusted snort that was loud enough to reach Seph's ears. He stood up, the arm rest at his stomach height. "It stinks like you." He complained. Seph raised his eyebrows "funny how that is."
"Alright then, you can kill me now" The boy said holding his arms out. Seph smiled "I hadn't been planning on it actually, but if you insist..." The boy's face changed to a look of terror. "No, no it’s really okay you don't have to! I mean no-ones pushing you right?!" Seph snorted and slumped down on the couch flipping on the TV as he did so. That had been it. He'd totally ignored the boy and done absolutely nothing all day, then he'd gone to bed and left the kid sitting on the floor looking like he'd go crazy any minute.
Seph reached down and touched Gemlin's hair with the tips of his fingers. It was the same green as Seph's eyes. Not only that, but the boy had two little black goat horns sticking out of his head. And the boys skin! It was a transparent emerald with a pinky-tan undertone. His fingers traveled to the boy’s cheek. It was almost like the kid had a perpetual blush. Gemlin moaned in his sleep and rolled from his side to his back. Seph walked around to the open side of the couch and stared at the sleeping underling. He'd said he was twenty-two but he was only the size of a fourteen year old human. Seph swirled the wine in his glass and took a small sip as he reached out again fingering his t-shirt that was much too big on the kid. He himself was in the body type of a seventeen year'd human, but was over fifty millennia. He grinned at the age difference. This underling would probably live to about 36 millennia and was in that respect still a small child, yet.... Seph let go of the shirt and brushed the skin that showed with the palm of his hand. To his surprise the boy seemed to feel him in his sleep and arched his back slightly so that he pushed on Seph's hand. Seph jerked his hand away and rubbed it through his spiky red hair. What was he doing? The kid was sleeping and here he was feeling it up, what the hell was wrong with him??
Gemlin moaned again in his sleep and Seph couldn't help himself. He swung his leg over the boy and pulled himself up so he was kneeling on either side of the underling's body. He made sure not to touch the boy incase he woke up. That would be awkward. After making sure the kid wasn't going to suddenly jump awake Seph ever so slowly touched the boy’s skin again. He was some-what surprised at how warm the boy felt, Seph found himself thinking that only fresh blood was warmer. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and let his instincts take over. Slowly he slid his palm up under the boy’s shirt and leaned over placing his wine glass on a box behind the couch. He warmed his other hand up on his jeans before slipping it under the underling’s shirt too. Slowly and carefully he let his fingers roll over the boy’s muscles and up to his nipples. Stunned slightly Seph pulled his hand back. Mastering his will he pulled up the boy’s shirt holding his breathe. He looked at the kid’s chest. He leaned in and sniffed the boy and smiled slightly as he smelled roses and honey. Man the underling smelled good. Seph winced oh great, now he was turning into a sexual predator, and on top of that a gay one too. Suddenly Gemlin moved under him pushing himself up against Seph locking their hips together. The boys eyes sprang open and he gave a total look of horror. "Shit" Seph breathed. Gemlin unlocked his hips from Seph's own and tried to kick himself into a sitting position on the arm rest. In his frenzied panic he’d kicked too hard and sent himself toppling over backwards landing with a small thud.
"WHAT WAS THAT???" Gemlin's voice cracked with fear and a little bit of resentment. Seph leaned over and looked at Gemlin lying on his back staring at him with wide eyes. Seph shrugged. He didn't know what else to do.
"How old did you say you were?" Gemlin blinked
"Twenty-two but whats that got to........ HOLY SHIT MAN! WHAT WAS THAT?????" Gemlin looked around the room anywhere but at Seph. His voice cracked again "I mean you were like.... Oh god, you were.... You aren't..... Are you?" Seph frowned.
"I'm not what?"
"Well....." Gemlin's black eyes blinked up at him "not that there's anything wrong with it.... its just... oh god!! YOU WERE TOUCHING ME WEREN'T YOU!!!!!!"
Seph Stared down at him. Suddenly Gemlin leapt up and ran full force into the door. Having remembered that it was locked he licked his fingers, made a fist and pounded on the door knob with both hands. The poor door-knob not having been made to withstand that much force broke and the door swung open. Gemlin was off like a shot. Seph got up of the couch and watched through the window as the boy ran full tilt down the street. He couldn't help but smile slightly as he turned and went back to his bedroom. He couldn't help but feel that that was not the last he'd see of the green boy. Suddenly Seph's stomach growled and he remembered why he'd gotten up in the first place. He went back to the kitchen in search of something to satisfy his hunger.
in the landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling
of winter. Something waits beneath it - the whole story
doesn't show."
Andrew Wyeth
Seph opened the door to the kitchen and began making himself a mid-night snack. Looking in the cupboard all he could see was packaged noodles, peanut butter, and some cans of soup. He snorted quietly and crossed the room to the little fridge. Inside he found a bottle of red wine. (Jackpot) Grinning he pulled it out and unclipped the cork stopper. He took a glass on top of the fridge and slowly poured the wine into it watching as the liquid swirled around on the inside. He put the bottle back and was about to return to bed when he saw a spot of green in his peripheral vision. He turned slightly and saw the underling from before. He snickered quietly as he remembered seeing the boy.
Usually when he saw an underling in the street he'd ignore them entirely but this kid just sat in his way for a moment as if he had forgotten how to run in terror. That wasn't the odd part though. Every once in a while Seph would come across an underling who was too afraid to run and it would just sit there like a plastic chicken waiting for its head to be cut off, but of all things he'd never seen nor ever thought of seeing a boy in a puffy pink dress stunned in the middle of the road. The underling seemed to snap out of it and it raced off. Now normally Seph would forget about it, but come on! It was an underling wearing a pink dress! Who could pass that up? In a second Seph had the boy trapped in a corner. He walked up to it slowly and touched the pink lace on the boy's bonnet. Oddly enough the child could still speak. "I... I... was playing dress up with m...my sisters sir." Seph hadn't shown any change of manner at all, he continued to finger the ribbon and look at the boy's lacy dress.
Making a sudden decision he grabbed the boy's arm and began walking back to his apartment. The boy squeaked in surprise and instantly started crying. "Stop blubbering" Seph snapped. The child rubbed at his eyes with his free hand but tears kept leaking out. "I... I can't." The child whined but when Seph didn't respond he added "It's not my fault I always cry when I'm scared."
"Shut it kid." Seph snapped. The child clamped his mouth shut.
Seph walked a little closer to the couch and stood leaning forward on the armrest, looking at the boy's face.
The kid had stayed silent until he saw Seph's apartment. Then he started squirming "I'm sorry sir, don't eat me Idon'twannadie!! Please lemme go I didn't do anything bad!!!!! Don't eat me!!!!!!!!" Seph snorted slightly and pulled the kid through the door and up the stairs to the floor his apartment was on. He was glad humans couldn't hear or see underlings because the child was making a huge racket; screaming about how his family of forty-five wouldn't be able to survive with all the work he would no longer be able to do. Seph couldn't help but laugh at the boy's claim of working. The underling stopped and looked at Seph. "You don't believe me?" Seph unlocked the door at the very end of the hall.
"Some how I doubt you were working real hard I that get-up." The boy blushed.
"I already told you it was my sisters' fault!" Seph pulled the kid into the room and locked the door.
Seph's apartment was small. The door opened into the living room with a mini fridge and a small table at the back. Off to the side there were two doors that presumably led to a bathroom or a bedroom or both. From the rooms you could see the apartment looked tidy enough, but there were a couple empty glasses and a dyeing plant on the table. Hidden beside a stove-top was a tiny sink that had seen better days and above it was a small cupboard unit that probably didn't hold much. By the couch was an old television with a set of rabbit ears leaning precariously off the edge.
"How old are you kid?"
"I'm twenty-two and a half, and for your information my name isn't kid it’s Gemlin." The boy had his hands on his hips and his lip stuck out in a little pout. Seph nodded, and nearly laughed out loud at the boy's posture. "Yeah, yeah, kid" The boy crossed his arms and blew an angry sigh through his teeth.
"Fine then, can I at least change into better clothes before I die?" Seph cocked his head slightly. Gemlin copied him perfectly. With a small smile Seph crossed through the living room/ kitchen and turned into his bedroom. He came out with a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that were relatively clean. Gemlin hid behind the couch while changing, making sure he threw the dress across the room with a disgusted snort that was loud enough to reach Seph's ears. He stood up, the arm rest at his stomach height. "It stinks like you." He complained. Seph raised his eyebrows "funny how that is."
"Alright then, you can kill me now" The boy said holding his arms out. Seph smiled "I hadn't been planning on it actually, but if you insist..." The boy's face changed to a look of terror. "No, no it’s really okay you don't have to! I mean no-ones pushing you right?!" Seph snorted and slumped down on the couch flipping on the TV as he did so. That had been it. He'd totally ignored the boy and done absolutely nothing all day, then he'd gone to bed and left the kid sitting on the floor looking like he'd go crazy any minute.
Seph reached down and touched Gemlin's hair with the tips of his fingers. It was the same green as Seph's eyes. Not only that, but the boy had two little black goat horns sticking out of his head. And the boys skin! It was a transparent emerald with a pinky-tan undertone. His fingers traveled to the boy’s cheek. It was almost like the kid had a perpetual blush. Gemlin moaned in his sleep and rolled from his side to his back. Seph walked around to the open side of the couch and stared at the sleeping underling. He'd said he was twenty-two but he was only the size of a fourteen year old human. Seph swirled the wine in his glass and took a small sip as he reached out again fingering his t-shirt that was much too big on the kid. He himself was in the body type of a seventeen year'd human, but was over fifty millennia. He grinned at the age difference. This underling would probably live to about 36 millennia and was in that respect still a small child, yet.... Seph let go of the shirt and brushed the skin that showed with the palm of his hand. To his surprise the boy seemed to feel him in his sleep and arched his back slightly so that he pushed on Seph's hand. Seph jerked his hand away and rubbed it through his spiky red hair. What was he doing? The kid was sleeping and here he was feeling it up, what the hell was wrong with him??
Gemlin moaned again in his sleep and Seph couldn't help himself. He swung his leg over the boy and pulled himself up so he was kneeling on either side of the underling's body. He made sure not to touch the boy incase he woke up. That would be awkward. After making sure the kid wasn't going to suddenly jump awake Seph ever so slowly touched the boy’s skin again. He was some-what surprised at how warm the boy felt, Seph found himself thinking that only fresh blood was warmer. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and let his instincts take over. Slowly he slid his palm up under the boy’s shirt and leaned over placing his wine glass on a box behind the couch. He warmed his other hand up on his jeans before slipping it under the underling’s shirt too. Slowly and carefully he let his fingers roll over the boy’s muscles and up to his nipples. Stunned slightly Seph pulled his hand back. Mastering his will he pulled up the boy’s shirt holding his breathe. He looked at the kid’s chest. He leaned in and sniffed the boy and smiled slightly as he smelled roses and honey. Man the underling smelled good. Seph winced oh great, now he was turning into a sexual predator, and on top of that a gay one too. Suddenly Gemlin moved under him pushing himself up against Seph locking their hips together. The boys eyes sprang open and he gave a total look of horror. "Shit" Seph breathed. Gemlin unlocked his hips from Seph's own and tried to kick himself into a sitting position on the arm rest. In his frenzied panic he’d kicked too hard and sent himself toppling over backwards landing with a small thud.
"WHAT WAS THAT???" Gemlin's voice cracked with fear and a little bit of resentment. Seph leaned over and looked at Gemlin lying on his back staring at him with wide eyes. Seph shrugged. He didn't know what else to do.
"How old did you say you were?" Gemlin blinked
"Twenty-two but whats that got to........ HOLY SHIT MAN! WHAT WAS THAT?????" Gemlin looked around the room anywhere but at Seph. His voice cracked again "I mean you were like.... Oh god, you were.... You aren't..... Are you?" Seph frowned.
"I'm not what?"
"Well....." Gemlin's black eyes blinked up at him "not that there's anything wrong with it.... its just... oh god!! YOU WERE TOUCHING ME WEREN'T YOU!!!!!!"
Seph Stared down at him. Suddenly Gemlin leapt up and ran full force into the door. Having remembered that it was locked he licked his fingers, made a fist and pounded on the door knob with both hands. The poor door-knob not having been made to withstand that much force broke and the door swung open. Gemlin was off like a shot. Seph got up of the couch and watched through the window as the boy ran full tilt down the street. He couldn't help but smile slightly as he turned and went back to his bedroom. He couldn't help but feel that that was not the last he'd see of the green boy. Suddenly Seph's stomach growled and he remembered why he'd gotten up in the first place. He went back to the kitchen in search of something to satisfy his hunger.
♠ ♠ ♠
... yea-ah.