🙡 Chapter 8.1 🙣

Calmly waiting in line. Calmly

Doing it in public felt terribly embarrassing, but I just had to do it. I had to double check… if I even have… well, the parts! The obvious problem being that I’m no longer humanoid, scratch that, I’m not anything I could recognise, instead I was a tentacled-monstrosity. I covered myself from one side with the plush toy, while feeling around my body with my tentacles, but I couldn’t find anything. Nothing! Neither the bombs, nor the soldier! It can’t be! My search expanded, my tentacles like ships charting mental maps of my body, but private Johnson was still MIA. Finally, only my head was left… I felt sweat appearing on my face, my tensions rising, not sure whether I was afraid of finding something, and living with a literal %$#% on my head, or not finding anything, I slowly and carefully checked everywhere around my face and above… only to find nothing.

Let’s not panic. Even if mentaly I’m an old man, this body might just not yet be mature enough. Who knows how it works for my species! I might need to molt a few times! Or get to a new stage of development! Or maybe in a world with status you need special skill for proper organs to appear?

> What are you doing? < - the medusa asked with an amused expression. Again, that smile! Why does she seem to look at me with that contemptuous smile all the time! Is that why cats were always angry in my old world? Because we always looked at them in that patronising way? I have no idea what she said, but damn her! Damn her for being happy while I’m suffering! Argh!

… It’s no use. Getting stressed won’t help anyone.

*Breathes in* *Breathes out*

I curled all my tentacles under me, adapting the tentacle-loaf position, as I tried to calm down, and to look objectively at the situation again.

During my panic attack, we moved inside the walls surrounding the complex, and found ourselves standing at the end of a queue to some kind of front desk. It was hard to see through all these not-people. It makes sense, that an institution (I don’t know for sure if it’s a vet after all! No need to panic!) dealing with animals would perform some kind of triage first, sending some to get checked at outside facilities, while making others go inside.

… … …

The wait was killing me. Or rather, all the places my mind was wandering to were killing me. What if we came here so that I can get sold off to the highest bidder? What if this is where they make squid-sausage? I decided that I’m just going to wait for now and trust my previous instincts, but my imagination cared not for the decisions of the rational part of my brain! If It ends badly, the only person I can blame is myself, for not trying to escape again when I had more of a chance!

Either way, we were slowly moving forward in the queue. In front of me was a buff wolf-person, petting their scorpion-tailed cat, in front of them a pair of slug mounts I’ve seen before, with what I assume to be their frog owner to the side. Based on what I’ve seen until now, medusas, lizardmen and other water creatures seem to be the dominant species around here… I suspect we are close to either a sea or a big river.

As we waited, new people joined the queue. Most did so quietly, just like us, but there were some that did so with a lot of complaints. But they were nothing, when compared to them, my old friends—the first faces I saw in this new life of mine—a whole ranch of rhino-cows... together with two enormous snakes, herding them inside the courtyard.

They didn’t seem to be the same snakes as what I’ve seen before, this pair black, with a golden pattern on their hoods. Now that the whole herd was inside, they formed a living hedge, blocking any creatures that might try leaving… or anyone stupid enough to try getting in.

In the wake of the moving cattle, a dust cloud has risen on the unpaved interior, quickly covering all of us waiting in line. I was prepared to start coughing… only to discover the dust didn’t affect me at all.

*Cough cough* *cough cough* —and basing on the reaction of my owner and her hair (who had the cutest little coughs) it’s not something peculiar to this world. Note to self— look into it later!

While I enjoyed the perks of the new body, two new rhino cows entered the plaza. The first one I noticed was huge and muscular, even for its species. And on it, a lizardman, as huga as its steed, wearing nice looking work clothes, and yellow straw hat. The second one I would not have noticed at all if not for the point markers above its rider, so thin and old it was. Even at this distance I could see its ribs peeking through its skin. And on top of it, a small figure —about 50 cm tall— that I couldn’t describe more at this distance apart from a single fact— it was the first source of pink points I’ve seen. And a significant amount of them at that.

The muscled man slowly moved its steed forward, confidently looking and judging all inside the courtyard, pretending not to pay any attention to pretty much everyone looking at him at the moment. Soon, a frantic fat Arachne man ran out of the shed towards the newcomer, trying to hastily led them towards an area next to the row of stables away from us.

And while I enjoyed the spectacle, taking my mind away from idle thoughts, we soon found out the herd of animals brought something more with them than de_dust. They brought an army of flies, and other annoying flying cattle-following insects.

🕷

*Bzzzz*

“Swat”

*Bzzzz*

“Swat”

*Bzzzz*

“Swat* *Swat* *Swat”

Huehuehue! Die! Die and give me points you annoying beasts! WIth the power of tentacle hands there is no escape! What pent up rage, what are you talking about!

Huh, a fly here a fly there… oh even the weird high point mosquito roaches appeared again! You are quickly becoming my favorite game in this world!...

Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! If in this world there are small, fairy sized intelligent creatures… isn’t it possible that insects are also considered people?! Have I just become a wanted serial killer? I quickly stopped to look around. The > Sister < didn’t seem to care, and she does look at me from time to time. Neither does the owner of the cat, who is also looking at me with interest from time to time. It seems I’m fine. Hatred towards flying insects transcends dimensions!.

> I must say your little friend looks very cute when it runs around trying to catch all these insects. What species is it? Does it bite? <

> Oh, yes. It has a cute side to it. And I’m here to find that out myself... Among other things. And we are still working on the biting part. <

MWAHAHA YES, YOU ARE MINE POINTS! Swat swat swat! Points for the gambling god!

> Oh wow! It’s painting with their blood now! Maybe it’s related to cats? My miss Flufftail loves playing with her food, you know, cats! <

“I am life. I am death. See bodies of your brethren and despair, for there is no god in here but me!”

> Hmm.. it seems it might prove itself to be actually useful pest control. <

🕷

A few minutes of bloodshed, and waiting in the queue later we finally reached the front line. And the thing the receptionist was…. A mole. A huge mole, in an earth covered shirt.

> Yeah? Whaddya want? < It spoke in a voice so low, it hurt to hear

> I’m here to find out his species, and to form a pact <

> Ya wanna a pact, when ya don’t even know what it is? Leme take a sniff <

The monster stood up after exchanging some words with my captor, and picked up some kind of a funnel? It brought the instrument's thinner side to its nose, and then sniffed around my cage. As it had no eyes, I can’t say what it thought about me, but since I was recently washed I shouldn’t leave a bad impression, should I?

> Ghha! Scented soap! Ya Know these things are banned in half of da underground?! You wanna kill my nose woman! *Snort* To da old man Ceno ya go! It will cost ya, but he should know something! <

… Once again I don’t know what was happening, but why is the medusa silently laughing?