FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A loud, ringing beep rang through the air. “Another day in paradise," a man said to himself. He stretched in bed, flopped about for a bit, then managed to shut off his phone with another stretch. “No work today, phew!" It took a few attempts, but he managed to drag himself out of bed and up into a standing position. A light pulse throbbed in his head. Should probably resolve to go to bed a little earlier, but oh well, he couldn't miss out on a few rounds of shooting with friends online. A few more seconds of standing just to get used to the sensation and... good. The man rubbed his eye and ambled off to the bathroom for a shower.

After refreshing himself, the guy walked back into the living room and on to the kitchen. Awfully cool today, but not enough to miss out on walking out in the nude for a bit. It was his empty house, anyways. He pulled out some coffee beans and whipped up some of that morning java. While the machine did its work, he browsed his phone for anything new happenings on his day to day stuff. A ding came and he had his brew. He happily sipped it all the way back to his bedroom where he threw on some clothes. Couldn't have his whole body sticking to the computer chair.

Instantly, his eyes snapped to his computer as he walked back out of his bedroom. He was itching for a bit of another dopamine rush of games, but that could come later. The man flicked it on and relished that whirr of the PC coming to life. Sure, it was a pretty window case that let him see all the technical guts, but the sounds it made when it turned on? Bliss. For now, he simply relaxed by going through a round of news and videos. It wasn't as though he was really all that invested in major happenings, but it helped keep him in touch with reality. Similarly, he went over the weather, feeling slight disappointment at noting the days of pure heat.

After his touch of reality, the man delved into his video games with glee. He settled on something he had played a hundred times before in his collection of a hundred games. It probably took an hour or two for his body to realize he had skipped out on breakfast. His stomach loudly gurgled in protest. Alright, he should probably at least start getting into the habit of eating breakfast. Coffee wouldn't feed him forever. He peered into his mug. Especially when empty.

The man settled on a pre-made breakfast sandwich and turned on the TV while he waited. He hadn't paid for cable in years, but the television came with its own host of free platforms that seemed to be breeding infinitely by the hour. A lot of things caught his eye, almost dizzying to choose. He eventually settled on something easygoing, more as a background noise for now. Ding. His quick breakfast was ready to be downed. The fellow grabbed the meal and headed for the couch. A simple episode of watching turned to two, then to three, then the whole season of it. Probably should do something productive to make up for that, he thought sheepishly.

Then on a dime he went right to cleaning his computer, with his phone set up nearby to stream a video while he was at it. He glanced around at the house, noting the silence that smothered him when he didn't have his video blaring. He could really use some sort of surround sound system. Yeah, something with a massive subwoofer and mounted speakers. He pictured where they might hang on the wall, and where best to place everything. His attention turned back to his computer once he realized he had used up nearly an entire can of air on the fan alone. Did he need more of those? He glanced to the piles underneath the table of towers. Nope, still good for another month or two.

Once his fiddling with the technological was done for the day, he moved to something more tactile. The touch and feel of tools along a hard metal body. The routine of swapping from one to another was so ingrained in his mind that he was already on his way to the garage without much thought on the matter. His hands graced the tool rack, wondering what today's distraction would be. Fingers tapped on each one, both nudging them into place and giving him little snippets of ideas. Could always tighten the bolts on his wheels, or check the air pressure. Could finally do the drilling to install cameras all around like he had hoped, but he didn't quite feel like puncturing plastic. Plus, that wasn't something he could easily repair if he screwed up.

As he pondered what his next move might be, a buzz alerted him to a text message. “You're up for tomorrow, Rick?" it read.

“Course I am. What makes you think I won't?" Rick replied back.

“Yesterday, last week, two months ago."

“Sorry, yeah, OK, I'm going to work tomorrow."

“Cash runs out eventually."

“You're a broken record. See you tomorrow."

“If you say so."

Rick shook his head and returned to his pondering. He didn't need anyone nagging him on his day off, though he supposed it was a good thing that someone bothered to do so. As he reached for another tool, his stomach grumbled again. Oh, right, have to eat too. Rick chuckled and headed off for the kitchen. Wasn't much choice on display, or rather, he didn't feel like making anything yet. After some glancing, Rick settled on something frozen and quick. A quick wrap stuffed with a heap of meat. After a quick nuke, he downed the thing and settled that annoyance in his stomach. Finally, now he could get back to better things. Admittedly that little text soured his mood for real work, so he glanced back to his computer. What was a few more hours on that? Then he could get to the car.

_

“That seems level," Rick mumbled to himself. He popped open the car door and looked to the wheels. Seemed straight enough, though at this hour he wasn't really feeling doing another eternity of rotations. He inched the steering wheel a bit more, adjusting for any inaccuracies. “Good enough." He hopped out of the seat and shut the door behind him. The man stretched and then lay down onto his back, inching underneath the car. Pitch black down there, but he had memorized everything and quickly screwed all the tie rods back into place, confirming it with a pat. He gave a sigh of relief and wriggled his way out and back into fresh air. “Phew." He stood back up to admire his handiwork. Straight tires. Not the most exciting project, but it needed doing. With that done, he eased the car off its jack and back on the ground.

Rick tossed his screwdriver onto a nearby table. He glanced at the windows of the garage door, noting the glimmer of moonlight. He'd been at it longer than he thought. “Should probably grab dinner now," he said and set off from the garage. As he put his first foot down on the stairs, he heard the crinkle of glass. He looked down, lifting up his foot. Nothing. He glanced back at the car. Pristine. Rick snapped to the door in front of him. Fuck. Weapon, weapon, weapon, his mind repeated as he looked out over his mess of tools. He took a rusted wrench and gripped it tightly. With a crack of the door, he peeked out into the living room of his home. Everything was as it should've been. He took a few more sweeps before carefully walking out into the open, closing the door behind him. There was another crinkle of glass. The kitchen. It must've been.

As the man approached the kitchen, he could hear some low growling and grumbling, along with the clatter of dishware. Rick relaxed somewhat. OK, he thought, feral animal was better than thief. Still, the glass would be a pain to replace. He peeked his head around the corner, wrench at-the-ready in the off-chance the beast could leap. Instead of a small, fuzzy animal hell-bent on eating pizza scraps, he found something else. There, illuminated faintly by the fridge was something large. Humanoid. Furry. It raised its head from the refrigerator. The light was weak, but it easily outlined the bony white of the thing's visage.

The man paused. Something in the back of his head told him to run. Another told him to gawk. Yet another told him to scream. His body decided on a terrible mixture of all three, stumbling backward, wide-eyed, and choking out a noise. The beast turned to him instantly, only staring at first. They traded stares for what felt like an eternity. Rick's natural curiosity wanted to look at all of it. This bizarre monster that crashed into his home that was nothing like he or anyone else had ever seen, but he couldn't examine it. Fear kept him squarely focused on its eyes, black pits with a faint glow of white.

After much prolonged staring, the monster began walking toward him. It took on a hunched posture and seemed to touch everything as it passed by, its hands gliding silently along every surface. In just a few moments it was next to Rick. The grip on his wrench tightened. Fight back! And if he did? Would he die instantly? Hurt something that he wouldn't have pictured ever seeing on this Earth? No, he could only stay frozen, that was for the best. Dying to this beast would be at least interesting. He could hear its deep and low breaths as it inched ever closer. Soon those breaths were playing along his skin. He had to do something. “What are you?" he croaked. The creature pulled back, causing him to flinch, but eventually drew closer again.

The thing let out a low, chittering growl, ending with a click. “Waryou?" it replied. Its voice brushed up against being human, but was ultimately alien, lacking any emotion.

“What?" Rick asked, confused.

“What?" it repeated in a higher pitch. It clicked. “Wharyou? Whaaaryou." The monster tilted its head and inched closer. Not close enough to touch, no, it seemed to remain that distant at least. Its eyes remained fixated on his own.

“I'm... I'm Rick," he replied.

It groaned. “Rih. Ick. Rih. Rih. Rig." Another series of clicks.

The man furrowed his brow and glanced at the kitchen, seeing the scraps of mess on the floor. “You were hungry?"

It replied with a groan.

“Look, I'll get you some food, alright?"

“Look. Gesahfooh, rah." The thing tilted its head again as he slid against the wall and around the creature. OK, you just have to feed it and everything will be alright. Maybe it'll scamper off after that. He walked into the kitchen, stepping around the mess, and pulled out a pizza box. He looked to the monster again, making sure it wasn't gearing up to eat him instead. After making sure he wasn't dinner, he placed the box on the counter and opened it. The creature looked to him, then the food. It let out a low growl and instantly grabbed a slice, forcing it into its mouth with a whine. Then another slice, and another, and another. The creature picked up the empty box and licked its innards clean, letting it drop to the ground once finished. It stared at him again, digging holes into him. “Arrigyouhong?" Its tongue ran along the front of its bony snout.

Rick swallowed, trying to ease his heart. “More?" he asked.

“More?" It took a step forward. “Moryou?"

Rick set the wrench down and dug out something else. A wrapped up sandwich. He silently prayed that would be enough to satiate it, and he carefully pulled out the morsel of food. No sudden movements. Again, he placed it on the counter, and without hesitation the animal snatched it and gulped it down in one bite. It let out a long, drawn out sigh that had a hint of a hiss to it. Then it crooked its head toward him again.

“Is that good?" Rick asked. He shouldn't have put down the wrench, but at least he was still breathing. Now what? Well, it could just walk out, right? He stepped aside, allowing the creature direct access to the window. It only stared at him. Slowly he pointed to the window. It continued staring. “You can leave now." A gamble if it even knew English, but it was better than just vaguely gesturing at it. Once again, it was back to staring, completely unmmoving. This was going to be a problem. No matter how much he urged or pointed, the animal didn't move from the spot. OK, better idea. Rick took out another bit of food and tossed it out of the shattered window. No response. Not even a glance at the window. It was worth a shot.

“Wharyou," it said again, tilting its head. “Whataryou, whataryou. Riggy?"

Rick could only shake his head. OK, so now you have this thing in your home. Can't get it out. Hey, at least it seems friendly, right? And it wasn't something he had ever seen before, that was a plus. His nerves had eased off to the point where he dared tested moving past it. Its only reaction was to turn to continue staring at him. Fair, since he was doing much of the same. He moved around the corner. It quickly followed, stopping when it could see him again, letting out a huff when it did. Rick carefully retreated back into the garage, and again, it followed him all the way. He grabbed a roll of duct tape from his tools and maneuvered back to the kitchen. He turned around. There it was again. Worrying how it could move without making a sound.

The man pointed to the window again. “Whataryou," it replied, almost as if denying him.

“Fine, whatever," Ricky said.

“Fuhwever."

He started pulling tape free and covering the broken window. While he didn't expect it to lunge at him now, he still kept an eye on it as he worked. It crept up on him, but kept a safe distance. With the window covered, he moved to turn on the light to get a better look a the beast. Oh, and to clean up the glass too. Flick. The creature flinched and shook its head. Ricky went right back to staring. The thing's skull had a gold coloring to it, with two stark white horns sprouting out of that. On top of its head was a mop of black hair, upon which two slightly brighter ears swiveled about. Rick's eyes darted to the rest of it, pausing once they met its chest.

On the creature's chest were... plainly put, they were breasts, topped with black areolae that slightly stood out from the grey fur. They sat just above some rib-like features. Were it not for her- It. Were it not for its large form, Rick might've assumed it was emaciated. The rest of the creature followed a fairly human body plan, aside from the long tail that swished about, side to side. His eyes trailed back up to its own, noticing it had inched closer and was sizing him up. “Arriyouwha?" it said. This was going to be a long night, he could tell.

Suddenly, the fridge beeped. The beast scurried out of the room. Rick quickly shut the thing. “It's alright!" he called out. “Just the fridge." Better to keep it calm. He heard the crunch of glass. Right, still have to clean that up. How could he, though? Excitement began bubbling in him at this oddity. A cryptid just waltzed into his home without a second thought and he was alive to tell the tale! He took a deep breath. OK, but also now he had to deal with it. Or her. Probably a her, thinking back to those chest features. Ricky shook his head and quickly went to work sweeping up the glass, lest the beast step in it.

Having finished his task, Rick took to walking around the house, trying to find the monster. “Hello?" he called out. “Are you still there?" He began flicking on every light he could. “I'm not going to hurt you!" Now he was the one scaring it. As he walked around the house, a knock came at the front door. Oh no. He rushed over to the front door and opened it up a crack. “Yes, hello?"

“Evening, sir" a police officer replied. “A break-in was reported, is everything alright? May I ask for your name?"

“Uh, yes." Rick could hear furniture moving behind him. “Enrique Doph." More fumbling. “Everything is fine. Just forgot my keys and... had to smash in. Stupid, I know. I got ID if you need it." He put on his best smile.

The officer glared at him for a moment. “If you don't mind, sir."

“Right, right." He slid a hand into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and yanked out his driver's license. “There we go."

The cop looked between him and the ID for a minute. “That'll be all, have a good evening, sir." Just like that, he was off to his car.

“You too!" Rick called out. He promptly shut the door, locked it, and went right back to looking. “Everything is OK, just come out, please." He walked into his bedroom and glanced about. Closet was shut, but he looked in just to be sure. Empty. He rounded the bed. Oh, there she was. A plump rear end stuck out from under the bed, along with that swishing tail and scrambling legs. “Everything is fine now." She came to a stop, then wiggled back. As she came up, her horns scraped across the side of the bed frame. She let out a distressed moan and looked every which way. “Hey, nothing wrong." Rick held up his hands.

The monster settled on looking at him. She whined. They were right back to staring. Rick slowly lowered his hands and realized the absurdity of his situation. Alright, you've got some bizarre monster straight out of the depths of the woods standing in your bedroom and staring at you. He wasn't sure if he should be entirely enthused or still have some sort of bubbling fear. Yet, it was hard to find her intimidating, at least with the way she composed herself. Her physical form still had that uneasy look about it, but she hunched herself over and brought her arms close, almost self-comforting herself. It wasn't a far cry from a terrified person in an alien environment, and that's entirely what it was to her.

“Everything is alright," he said again, lowering his voice. She seemed to take some comfort in that. Assumedly it was the way he spoke, not what he said, but the words helped to calm him too. While he wasn't dead yet, there was no telling what she could do. It was best to keep himself calm. Rick decided to simply sit down on his bed and let her do as she pleased. “Everything is alright," he repeated. After some time she pulled her gaze off of him and began glancing about. She hunched down back on all fours and began prodding at everything in the room. Admittedly her large nails made him worry she might irreparably damage the place, but that was a small price to play for letting a biological wonder walk around, right?

Rick watched as she seemed to touch everything, patting it at least once and running her hand over it. Some smaller things like disc cases she would pick up, manipulate, and put back down, all without looking at them. It was like her curiosity was working faster than her body could keep up with. Always onto the next thing. After seemingly gaining more courage, she would occasionally stop to take in one thing in particular before moving onto the next. Sniffing it, prodding it, or even just shaking it about. All the while she did this, she was clicking, chattering, and muttering scraps of words. Rick considered taking pictures, but it was best to just leave her to her work uninterrupted.

The main question that sat on Rick's mind at that moment was what he was going to do with her. His one plainly poor attempt at getting her to leave failed. If a lure didn't work, he could drag her out? Not that she seemed intent on slaughtering him, but he was still a tad too scared to touch her at all. Scaring her out? He already felt bad for her sudden scare earlier. The last choice would be to get some sort of animal control, but... There was no way she'd be treated with any sort of decency, at least not comfortably. A simple beep on a crying fridge was enough to set her off. What would it be like being dropped into a cage and gawked at by a million people wanting a piece of the newest species to be discovered? A cliche thought, perhaps, but there was definitely some truth to it.

After finishing her surveillance of the main room, the beast inched closer to the bed. First her hand came upon the frame, then the sheets bundled up near the edge, and finally onto the surface proper. She eased onto it on the far side, away from Rick. The mattress's springs groaned as she eased her weight onto it, but they remained steadfast in their resilience. She paused, then pressed into another part of the mattress. Her ears perked up upon hearing another squeal of springs. Soon she was pushing every part of the bed with obvious delight. She let out a low set of repeating squeaks. Laughter? Another minute of delight, then she came to a stop as her hand came dangerously close to Rick himself. She looked up at him.

Rick froze. Should he say something? Say something to the wild beast? What? She slowly pulled back, staring all the way. A serious of clicks came, then that familiar phrase. “Whataryou?" she said.

“What are you?" he replied back instantly. He didn't really expect an answer but was curious to see what she might do nonetheless.

She tilted her head. “Whata— What aryu. What. What?" A groan came. “What are you?" Rick's eyes widened. He knew by now that this was simple mimicry, but the speed at which she managed to master that simple phrase was impressive. “What are you? What. Youare. Whataryou." She tilted her head again. “What are you. What are you!" He couldn't help but crack a smile at her words. “Whatamoryoufhwever?" His smile turned to laughter. She perked up, stopping her mishmash experimentation. The animalistic woman flexed her jaws a few times, then let out a low, warbling laugh. Rick stopped. She tried it again at a higher pitch, setting uncomfortably close to his own timbre of laughter.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to last long on the laughter portion of her mimicry. Instead she went back to mashing what little she had together. “Do you understand me?" Rick asked. It was a long shot.

“Whataryoundrstanmi?" she chirped back.

“I suppose that's a no."

“Sposestraiwhat." With every word salad she seemed a bit more comfortable with him, easing closer and closer. They could've been no farther than a foot apart. He found himself wandering over her form again, looking at it with intense curiosity. Some libido too. Not that he would admit such a thing to himself in the slightest, but he did linger on her breasts a little longer than he cared for. She didn't seem to mind at least, though it was unlikely she had any concept of shame. The tickle of her heavy breath on his skin tore his eyes from her chest. He looked into those deep pits that served as her eyes. The way they glowed seemed otherworldly. No doubt she wasn't the regular kind of animal, but those added a worrying edge to her. She could've been some sort of demon.

The monstress squeaked and chirped again. Or not. Rick smiled. She probably wasn't a demon, just a fuzzy something or other. His smile lessened. That didn't mean he shouldn't be careful around her. She was still a wild animal, no matter how much she crept in on that human shape and voice. And she would have to stay here, right? Rick swallowed. She was an amazing creature to be sure, but that was still worrying. Not to say that some part of him was still excited at the idea. Then again, she might eventually just tire of this and wander off. Should he leave a window open? He glanced to his bedroom window. That thought didn't settle well with him either. Not like he lived in the safest place, and also now that she was real, who the heck knew what else lurked out there. No, he was better off with her, whatever she was.

The space between them continued to shrink. The monster reached out and tapped his shoulder, then pulled back. “Stransposewha," she said. She tapped again. “Stransposewha? Whatafoowever." Rick could only sit there uncomfortably, wondering what her intent was. She repeated that low chuckle, making his hair stand on end. It didn't help that this time she leaned forward, bringing her face to his. She stared for a moment, then tilted her head and sniffed at him with a low rumble. Then her probing continued, rubbing her nose up against the rest of him, loudly sniffing. Rick instinctively pulled back when she neared his groin. She tilted her head and then followed after him, going right back to that strange ritual. Her arm pressed down next to his leg.

Rick hesitantly raised his hand and pet her shoulder. She didn't even seem to notice the touch, continuing with her investigation. It was surprising how soft and fluffy she was. Were it not for her more strikingly frightening features, she could easily be a comfortable plush toy. There was some sort of grand achievement to be had petting something like her, right? First human to pet something like this, or at least as far as he knew. Rick decided not to push his luck and carefully pulled his hand away from her. She didn't react. Phew.

Along with her sniffing, the monstress began to touch the rest of him, daintily feeling him up sporadically and sparsely. Almost an invitation for Rick to do the same, and he almost wanted to. No, better play it safe. This was... interesting for now, and he could still feel her body from her touch. Then, just like that, she was done. The beast pulled away with a chitter and a coo. She retreated from the bed and sat underneath the window, making herself comfortable. A long tongue slithered out from her jaw and she began grooming herself, grumbling as she did. Rick watched curiously for a while until she raised a leg to expose her crotch. OK, no more gawking at the scary thing from the woods.

Rick reflexively flicked on the television and turned the volume all the way down. It automatically tuned to local broadcasts. The monstress crawled over to it and stared at the screen. Was she purring? As soon as someone began speaking on screen, she was chattering right along with it, slurring together a few words in her oddly monotone voice. Unfortunately that came with it every other sound that came. Bangs, whirrs, electronic synths, music, everything. She ate up every little noise that came her way in an almost hypnotic fashion. That was one way to wrangle a creature, he supposed.

Then in a snap she crawled up to the edge of his bed and leaned over it, blocking Rick's view of the TV. The frame squished against her cleavage. No escape from that. “Sporfuhgolwin," she said. “Cahgahinshrance?"

“Sorry, I don't understand you," Rick said with a shrug. She laughed. He wished she stopped doing that. It didn't help that she likely didn't know what laughter was.

“Rig, raigy, rig, rig."

“Rick?"

“Rig."

Enrique pointed to himself. “Ricky."

“Rih— Riggy." Her tail swayed from side to side.

“Rick-y."

“Rih-icky."

“Ricky."

“Ricky."

“Hey, you got it," he replied with a smile.

“Ricky, Ricky, Ricky," she said. An odd hoarse laugh came afterward. “Ricky, Rick, Ricky, Rick." Her tail swaying sped up. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad night after all.

_

Rick was startled awake by his phone alarm. He stretched his arms and rubbed his forehead. Must've been a long night of binging, because he was still clad in his regular clothes. Whatever, time for a shower, he thought. Rick tried to shake off that gross, unrested feeling as he trudged into the bathroom. He had his wash, patted himself awake and trudged out, still in a haze of sleep and the slight pulse of a headache. The cool air on his naked body at least brought some welcoming comfort.

As he rounded into the hallway, he was met with a strange, fuzzy sight. Rick flinched and let out a small yelp as he saw the beast from the night before. She raised to her full height, ears at alert. Oh, right, right, right. Damn, she was tall. He placed a hand over his heart and calmed himself. She lowered back down and approached him, sizing the man up. A new sensation replaced fear. It took a moment for it to click in his head. With a yank he pulled the towel over his privates and took a step back. Sure, she was a wild animal, but decency still had a way of sitting in his thoughts. “Good morning," he blurted out.

“Ricky, Ricky, Ricky," she chattered, still examining him closely. Clothes were probably alien to her too, as she was now tugging on the towel with a few fingers. Rick pulled on the fabric harder to make certain she didn't pull it off of him.

“No," he said simply. That was enough for her to pull away and merely look. Not that her gaze was much better than a touch, but at least there was no chance of being exposed that way. Ricky sighed and retreated to his own room.

The man was unable to close the door behind him or do much of anything to throw the monster off. She was so close next to him as he moved into the room, giving him no time to close anything behind him. This time around there was no touching or probing, only staring. Rick sighed and slipped on some underwear before moving onto the rest of his outfit for the day. Oh right, damnit, he was going to work today. He looked to the monster, and she looked right back. Her hands idly played with one another, giving her a sense of restlessness to her. “She wouldn't dare mess anything up, would she? “I'm gonna have to go out, alright?" Rick said.

For once, the beast didn't spew back a similar word salad. Still, it felt reassuring to tell her, even if she likely hadn't the slightest clue what he was going on about. Only a stare greeted him back. “Outside," he continued, “then I'll be right back, OK?" Only problem was, he couldn't be sure how 'right back' that would be. Not with his recent infraction. Rick was fully dressed at this point and still unsure what to do next. Cross his fingers and hope for the best, he figured. Oh right, she needed food too, since the whole fridge thing didn't quite equate for her yet. He ran off to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and began setting aside some food for her to chow down on. He silently thanked the heavens that the taped over window still held strong. He'd have to fix that too.

“OK, this should last you until I get back," Rick said, presenting the simple feast. Of course, she was right there next to him. Her presence still caused him to flinch unconsciously, but he held strong. “Please don't break anything, OK? Pretty please?" Was there a right way to emphasize that so she would understand it? Probably not. Oh well, he was running out of time anyways and had to rush off to work soon. Unfortunately, with the lack of irises, it was harder to tell if there was a spark of intelligence to her. That was how they always did it in the movies, right? Rick glanced at the microwave timer. Hurry up! “OK, just... enjoy, OK?" He swiped a granola bar from the cupboards, mumbled a few prayers, and dashed off toward his car. Rick made sure he closed the door that connected the living room and garage so she wouldn't chase after him, or maybe he shouldn't have so she would scamper off. This early in the morning? She'd be seen for sure.

Rick peeled out of his garage and onto the road. This was for the best, right? Either she stayed at home or she would eventually get out and disappear from his life. Both had their ups and downs. Plus, work would probably take his mind off the whole thing, he told himself. If that were true, it wasn't happening. Even while focused on the road, he thought back to that creature bumbling around in his house, touching everything that it landed its eyes on. Work was supposed to take his mind off things. Rick shook his head and continued onward.

It wasn't long before his workplace pulled into view. Though admittedly for him it was less like work and more like another hobby on his long line of distractions in life. It was a simple car repair shop. The kind that was a simple block of concrete with garage doors and windows slapped on it. Faded paint from years past still proudly adorned its side, holding onto its identity. Alonso's quick and easy repairs. Quick? Not so much. Easy? Sometimes. Enrique pulled into his special parking spot, which in reality was just an awkward angle that nobody wanted to bother with. He stepped out and immediately saw that titular Alonso standing by the back door, wearing his similarly titular blank and bored expression.

“Hey Alonso!" Rick called out. He waved and walked over to the man.

“Alonso is for the customers."

“Yeah, but some day I might be a customer, you never know."

Alonso raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Surprised you're not late. We don't have any repairs pulling in yet, so go over stock and make sure everything is in order."

“What about that convertible from the other day?"

“You're not assigned to that one."

“Oh, I see, you're still gunning for the pretty red head that drives it. I gotcha." Rick smiled.

Alonso shooed him off, and that was Enrique's cue to walk into the nicely air conditioned shop, away from the blazing sun. Instantly he was hit with that familiar smell of gas, oil, and all sorts of synthetic rubbers. It was like a home away from home. He moseyed on over to the stock room and started mentally taking note of everything that was there. Of course, that large lady back at home intruded upon his thoughts. Right now his entire bedroom could be in tatters and reduced to ribbons. Well, at least she was safe, right? Though at this point he wasn't sure how much of a positive that was. It was like adopting a dog on short notice. He couldn't really care for her right? As much as his maladjusted sense of helping a poor creature shone through.

“You should really be writing this down," Alonso said suddenly, causing Ricky to flinch.

“I don't need to write down a few numbers, alright? I got this."

“If you say so, but I'm not helping you if you mess up."

Thoughts about that monstress continued to take hold in his mind. He had to spill out some of them before they drowned out the rest of his thoughts. Getting a solid answer, or as solid as he could get for now, would probably help smother his worries.

“Here, indulge me in a hypothetical. Real quick."

“Why?"

“Let's say you got this alien that comes to your house."

“What?"

“Then you got a choice of turning it in, or keeping it, otherwise it might get experimented on or whatever. What do you pick?"

“I turn it in. You don't know what it's going to do to you. It's an alien."

Rick looked back at Alonso. “Yeah but what if, like, it needs your help or whatever?"

“And I'm the best guy to help? Out of everything?"

“Well you're the first person they turn to and they're desperate."

“There are a lot of qualifications for this dumb hypothetical," Alonso replied.

“Well? You gonna answer or not?"

“I'm still not even sure where the hell you're going with this. What's this whole thing about? What kind of guy springs a question like that on another guy?"

“It's just a hypothetical. Thought it'd be, y'know, fun to ask, I guess."

Alonso shook his head and shrugged. “Just because I'm the first doesn't mean I can. I have a life to live, especially one that doesn't need aliens. They can take care of themselves if they're so technologically advanced." He furrowed his brow, like he was annoyed he even bothered to answer.

“I said nothing about them being super smart."

“They're from space and they're not smart? How did they even get there?"

Rick huffed. “Alright, fine, what if it were a... a... cryptid or something?"

“What's that?"

“You know, a monster, like bigfoot or nessie."

“Bigfoot's come to my house?" Alonso asked. “How many more layers is this thing going to go down? What the hell are you on about?"

“Alright, jeez. What if you had a stray dog that came to your home? Do you take it in or not?"

“Oh, that's what this is about. You adopted a dog like an idiot."

“What? No." Well, he kinda did.

“Don't take in stray animals, alright? You're only asking for trouble, and disease." Alonso sneezed. “And fur. Jesus, what did you take in?"

“Nothing. I told you, I didn't take in anything."

“My nose is acting up," he said, shaking his head.

“Must be allergies," Ricky replied. “Go fiddle with the redhead's car."

“Gladly."

“Now where was I?" Rick mumbled. Oh, right, he didn't actually start. “Shouldn't have even bothered."

“That's right, you shouldn't have!" Alonso called out.

_

The rest of the day tumbled on far slower than Rick was used to. A mix of less work and constantly thinking back to the monster sitting in his home. He almost wondered if he was getting an overactive imagination. What was more likely of the two? Well, if his boss's freak-out was any evidence, she probably did exist. Though that also brought up the question of if she did actually have diseases. Rick breathed in and out. Well, he felt fine for now, and if she did have a new kind of horrible disease, they might name it after him. Names. Rick paused as he turned a bolt. Did she have a name?

Monster or beast would lose its charm after some time, wouldn't it? He'd have to name her. That would make it official for sure. Maybe he shouldn't, he figured, just in case he got attached. Somewhat late for that, he knew. Would be nigh impossible to toss her out now since he had already confirmed she was safe. How could he? A monster ripped out of the movies and games he ate up on a daily basis? Yes, please. “Hey, frosty," Alonso started, “pick up the pace."

“Yeah, yeah," Rick replied. He started turning again as his thoughts picked up the pace once more. He wanted that monster more when pushed up against the mundane. Relax. She's a living thing too. Can't just indulge in the exciting without also thinking about what she might need. Not doing so would make him no better than the weirdos who get a black cat on Halloween and toss it out. But first, he should actually decide if she could be tamed in a way. She didn't respond to much of anything, or rather, she would take it and throw it right back at him. Surely if she was good enough to do that, she could take commands too? Depending on whether she felt like it or not, of course. She could just decide to tear him apart. Baby steps, then.

“Don't bring your dog to work, by the way."

“No dog, again. It was just a hypothetical."

He had to wonder if he should just quit his job to stay at home at this point. A monster would be the kick in the pants he needed to sit all day at home with his hobbies, but inheritance really doesn't last forever. His snarky boss was right. The flow of cash had to keep going, even if it was also probably being shredded at that very moment. Rick repeated another prayer in his head and tried to focus on work, and not the giant television that was likely now face down on his floor.

_

As soon as work was done, Rick gave Alonso a quick 'bye', and ran out the door, practically leaping into his car. He had the good fortune of getting out of work slightly behind the rest of the mindless drones that took up the road, and managed to speed on home without much traffic or angry honking. Then, as soon as he took a step down into his garage, he slowed down. Was she still here? Rick ambled over to the garage door and opened it. “I'm home," he called out.

“Honey, I'm home!" a voice called back. She must've turned the TV on. Rick sped up. “Honey. I'm home." That didn't sound quite right. “I'm home." He opened the bedroom door, and found the monstress on his bed, staring him down. “Home," she said. The TV was indeed on, but hardly audible. “Home?"

“Yes, I'm—" Rick stopped. That's right, she can't understand you. The pierce of her eyes would almost make him think otherwise. “I'm home." She stared a moment longer before getting up and adopting that awkward hunched over posture. She then waddled over to him and restarted that sniffing ritual. Well, he probably did have a few new alien smells on him. Then she pulled back with a huff and returned to her place on the bed. He cautiously moved in. How did she turn on the TV? He looked to the remote next to her. Oh, she figured that out quick. Well, she did see him do it. The monster tapped away at the remote, changing the channel but not much else.

Curiosity got the better of Rick, and he slowly picked up the remote and changed the volume on the TV, then set it back down. The monstress watched him intently as he performed this task, then pawed at the thing again, switching the volume with delight. She went from highs to lows then settled on something in-between. She mumbled a few more human-like words and returned to staring at TV. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to train her. A pet that could eat, sleep, and entertain itself is like, the best kind, right? Rick stopped. Was he really going to commit to something like this, though?

Rick thought about it as he looked to the TV. He could die, that was always possible. He could be taken in by horrible shadowy men for indulging this animal. He could also be doing the wrong thing in general by keeping her here. And yet. Rick sat down on the bed and looked to her. She seemed intent on being here. She could leave whenever she wanted to. She was the most amazing thing that he had ever chanced upon. Nothing like this would ever enter into his life again. So he should just do it, right? All the negatives be damned, as horrible as they were.

“Do you like it here?" he asked.

The monster snapped to him. “Like you buy here delivery day door."

“Maybe we should get you on something other than the television."

“Television, television, television," she said. It was somewhat worrying how quickly she had picked up speech in a few hours of staring at the idiot box. Not as though she had much else to do, he supposed. He glanced around the room, with its random gadgets attached to the TV like a fleshy mass and the rows of decorative figurines he had bought over the years. Endless fascination and yet she only understood the TV, or it was the only thing she found interesting. In a way, it must've been absolutely amazing, being a square that could show just about anything known to humanity. Or display boring news, as it was now. The man might've wondered if she could actually see the screen, or if it was just a series of blurs, but she would occasionally mimic hand movements. “Ricky, Ricky, television, television."

So there he was, sitting in his bedroom watching TV with a twitchy monster. This was his life now. Not bad, not bad at all. He would have to get her a better name than monster or animal, though. Maybe she already had a name? How would he ask? “Um," Rick started. “Rick." He pointed to himself.

“Rick, Ricky, Rick," she replied. Rick then pointed to her. No response. He tried again.

“Rick." Point. Point at her. No response. That didn't work. One more time. “Rick." No response. Though this time she did mirror his movements. “OK, guess I should've seen that coming." Now the burden of giving such a unique girl was all on him. It would have to be something good, something intelligent, and something strong. He thought and thought, then after a few minutes he started glancing around the room for possible choices. Couldn't say he didn't try. His eyes settled on a robotic figurine from a popular series he remembered fondly. Rick looked back to the monster next to him. “Eva?" She looked to him.

“Eva," she replied, perking up.

“Eva," Rick said, pointing to her. “Rick." He pointed to himself.

“Rick, Eva, Eva, Ricky." She did a similar pointing motion, but it was still unclear if she actually got it. Good enough for now, he supposed. Eva wasn't a bad name by any means, and in a way it fit her. She looked very much like an Eva. Whatever she was. Monster from the woods that ate pizza. Speaking of pizza, he had to check if she bothered eating what he had laid out.

Rick moved out into the hallway and into the kitchen. A few of the snacks were torn into and eaten with wild abandon, leaving their shredded remains on the counter. One of the things they could work on. Fortunately most of the crumbs landed on the counter, allowing for a quick clean. He grabbed himself the leftover untouched sandwich and a drink, then headed back for his room. Eva hadn't moved, yet she tracked Rick as he walked over and sat down. Normally eating on the bed was a no-go, but he couldn't pass up watching TV with her. Unfortunately she didn't seem too keen on the TV any more.

Eva's head followed the sandwich closely, as if she hadn't eaten in years. Rick took a bite. “You want a piece?" he said. Eva stared. “OK, but you have to say sandwich." And stared. He broke off a morsel. “Sandwich," he said, shaking the portion about. “Sandwich."

“Sa— Switch."

“Sandwich."

“Sawitch."

“Close enough." He extended his hand out to her. Instead of snatching it like he expected, Eva clamped down on his hand. Not hard or even painfully, but enough to envelop his hand in a warm wetness. Her tongue darted in and around his fingers, yanking that chunk of food away from him before pulling back and swallowing it. Her tail wildly swung from side to side, patting the bed as she did so. That was something else. Oddly embarrassing too. Rick set down his sandwich. No, wait, bad idea. He picked it back up and awkwardly retreated to the bathroom to wash his hand down.

The sensation of her tongue lingered on his skin. It was surprisingly soft and welcoming, tenderly wrapping around his fingers. No, that wasn't the right way to describe it. Squirmy and wet, right. He washed his hand off quickly and returned to the bedroom. Rick sat back down in his spot a little uneasily. It was that much harder to sit around Eva without some sort of neuron firing off in his brain, realizing that she was constantly in the nude. Then he would linger on that realization. Breasts out, rear on display, thighs agonizingly close. The only thing he could find solace in was that she didn't seem to take notice of his gawking at all, or her apparent nudity. No doubt, she was just a monster and going the way of the wild was natural for her.

Then the next realization hit Rick as he agonizingly munched at his meal. She was just an animal. Gawking at her would be strange, right? But she pretty much followed a human blueprint. But she also couldn't even understand speech. But she clearly could learn it to some degree. But— Rick shook his head. Simply put, Eva was an animal from the woods and he was a guy from the city. Staring as much as he did would be tantamount to exploitation. That final thought eased his libido somewhat, forcing his eyes back to the television screen.

Rick finished up the last of his sandwich. Not bad. “Sawitch?" Eva suddenly said.

“No, I ate it."

The monster leaned in. “Sawitch?"

“No, see, I finished it." He held up his mustard spattered hands.

Eva gently chomped on a hand again, leaning further forward and pushing him back onto the bed. Her breasts lay on his stomach as she quietly slurped away at his fingers. That tongue played around his hands with a gentle suckle. Just his luck. He tried to ignore the soft sensation that settled onto him. A small voice in the back of his mind lamented that he hadn't taken his shirt off. “I'll get you another sandwich, just please get up." Eva mumbled something but kept at her suckling. She eventually pried herself away with a chirp as if nothing had happened.

“Ricky, Ricky, Rick, sawitch," she said. Rick quietly hoped that she wasn't associating his flesh with food. “Switch, switch. Ricky, Eva."

Rick shook his head and stood up. He decided to leave Eva to her channel surfing and went on his way to wash off again. After that, he headed straight for his computer to help better take his mind off things. This really wasn't the right thing to do, was it? No, no, Eva would have nowhere else to go, and it was clear she didn't want to. Or he was lying to himself. Rick huffed and sat down in front of his computer, turning it on. The whirr of the fans spinning up helped to ease his nerves. He reached for his headphones before stopping. Better not. Rick would need all his senses to make sure that Eva didn't sneak up on him. If he had a heart attack, then he'd really be in trouble. No, he could just stick to his expensive speakers for now.

As much as his reflexes drew him to something multiplayer oriented, Rick definitely didn't need prodding questions about whatever odd noises Eva made. Being a pet owner was harder than he expected. Two days in and he was already making changes to his life. Despite the hundreds of games he had, he couldn't settle on something simple to play to rip away the hours. Instead, he opted to toss on a YouTube video in the background as he mindlesssly browsed the Internet. Anything that caught his eye he went through, just to envelop himself in the sea of carefree bliss.

It worked. Rick found himself melting away into his comfortable seat while something rattled off in the background of an Internet browser. At some point he decided to switch to the video completely, pulling it up into full screen. The screen went dark for a brief moment. In the darkness, a blurry flash of a canine-like skull. Rick's heart leaped and he huffed. “You almost gave me a heart attack," he said, turning around. There Eva was, looking between him and the screen. She lacked facial expression, but he was still struck with a slight sadness seeing her there hunched over and drawn in. A human personification, he knew. She was probably incredibly relaxed and simply curious. Still.

“This is a computer," Rick said. Why did he even try? Could be amusing at the every least. He pointed to the metal box. “Computer."

“Camphuter," Eva replied. She took a step forward and placed her hand on the mouse, giving him a sense of her larger size. She jiggled the thing around, head darting between the screen and pointer. She let out one of her strange laughs and shook it a little more vigorously, eventually tapping the thing against the desk.

“No, no, no," Rick said. He placed his hand on hers, causing her to stop. He gently moved her hand back and forth. “Mouse." While her form was no doubt powerful, her hand was soft and cozy. Rick lost himself for a moment, then moved her hand to click on something. The screen flicked to something else. Instantly Eva tilted her head. The man pulled his hand away carefully, allowing Eva to have another go. Not before switching to the desktop, of course. Wouldn't want her to click on something she shouldn't. She seemed to happily click on everything she could, and eventually realized she could drag windows around. He couldn't help but crack a smile at the simple enjoyment she was getting from a mouse of all things.

Soon, Eva's other hand stirred from her bosom and ran a finger along the keyboard. She looked to Rick for a moment. “Keyboard," he said.

“Keebuh." That was enough for her to start tapping away at it. Slowly at first. Her ears perked up at every click of a key. Then she grew in energy as she worked, soon picking up the mouse in tandem. She didn't understand it, of course, but it was still impressive to see something so inhuman to try and manipulate a machine like that. It almost sparked a thought that eventually she might just be able to learn if she watched enough. Nah, she was just a cute creature and that was fine. Eventually Eva winded down from her delight and drew her arms back in, allowing Rick to return to messing about on his computer.

Eva didn't leave, though. She hovered around him, still watching and clicking and purring. “Must get tiring standing all the time," he said. Eva looked to him but made no response. Rick looked about and found a spare chair for her, setting it down next to his. He presented the thing to her. Eva only stared. “You sit in it." He demonstrated and presented it again. Rick's brow twitched as he realized how ridiculous this was. Fortunately Eva got the idea and sat down. The chair faintly creaked, but it should hold, hopefully.

With the monstress settled in, Rick figured he could try some video games out. Would be nice to have a spectator for once, even if it would be absolute gibberish to her. Eva seemed happy to just be there, tail wagging back and forth, occasionally brushing against him. Who knew if that actually meant she was happy, though. For all Enrique knew, she could have been readying herself to pounce. Just as long as she didn't get any blood on the computer, that would be fine. He decided on something more relaxed for the time being. Something puzzle-y. “You might learn a thing or two," Rick said. He sighed and smiled at his own bad joke.

Eva was only an animal, he knew, but Rick found himself a little under pressure with an audience. It was a good chance of pace, he figured. Something to keep him motivated moreso than usual. Then the next part of Eva's mimicry kicked into gear. She'd mimic every little noise that came from the game. Beeps, boops, pings, and buzzes. Eventually it seemed she enjoyed doing a random noise in what Rick could only assume was to mess with him. He'd glance back every so often to find her simply staring at the screen, tail happily swaying back and forth. If Rick didn't know any better, he'd almost think she was beginning to understand the context behind each noise.

As Rick stood up to get a drink, he heard a buzz. His eyes instinctively snapped to the game, but he quickly looked to Eva soon after. She only looked back with that completely blank face. He took another step. Buzz. He sat back down. Ping. He stood up. Buzz. “I'm just going to get a glass of water, alright?" Rick said. Beep. Testing the waters he took another step. Buzz. He sighed and moved on, hearing buzzing all the way. Good thing she didn't bark, he thought. Then there'd be a real problem with the neighbors. He got his simple refreshment and headed back.

Taking a big swig of the drink, Rick eased back into his chair. Eva pinged again. “Couldn't you talk instead?" Rick said. Beep. “You know, words." Beep. “Yes and no, at least." Eva turned her head and leaned toward him. Rick couldn't help but pull back a little out of surprise. Best time to try and get her to at least understand words, right? As good as any other time, really. He could write a book about it eventually. Rick took a breath and poorly mimicked that buzzing sound, then simply said, “No." Eva replied with a ping. “Yes." She leaned back in her chair and said nothing else.

Just as Rick reached for his glass of water, Eva reached out and snatched it from the table. She pulled the drink close and paused as if waiting for a reaction from Enrique. The man pursed his lips, then reached out for the beverage. Eva merely pulled away, saying, “No." The sudden response baffled Rick, causing him to crack a smile. That smile quickly turned to a grimace as Eva wriggled her tongue into the glass and began lapping up the liquid quickly, rubbing the pink muscle along the inside of the container. The monstress set the glass back down as if nothing had happened. It was now almost half full.

“Alright, I guess that's your glass now," Rick said, staring at the vessel. Should've seen that one coming, really. The next problem reared its head once Rick got back into his game. Rather than pinging or buzzing, Eva would now say 'yes' or 'no' respectively. He wouldn't have minded as much were it not for the fact that she still spoke in that neutral, uneasy timbre. Something more masculine or feminine would occasionally creep in on the voice, no doubt influence by television, but it would always fall back to that empty voice. Rick briefly entertained the idea of getting her to mimic something more feminine. No, just let her come into her own. He silently prayed she wouldn't settle on something incredibly obnoxious.

The incessant mimicry eventually died down, leaving Rick to play in relative peace. The screen would occasionally reflect Eva, though, reminding him there was a monster just behind his shoulder. Funny how that had once been a fear he had, and now it was simply reality. A fact of life. He wasn't sure if he should feel blessed or otherwise inconvenienced, but he had already promised to himself he'd try to take care of her. However selfish that may be. She certainly didn't seem to mind the prospect. Free pizza, right? Any woodland creature would feel happy to get fed like that. Especially one so intimidating and weirdly alluring at the same time. Rick had to wonder if Eva was somehow an outlier in the development of her body for her species, or maybe she was a unique thing altogether. In that case he should feel even happier than the cryptid watching him play video games was something unique. Odd when he put it like that, he knew. He should be interacting with her somehow, but still didn't want to somehow cross an invisible taboo she might have.

_

The rest of the day continued on as normally as Rick could carry it. Eva was there, of course, watching and waiting and mumbling her little words. Occasionally she would paw at the fridge for a snack or a drink, but otherwise she as remained as casual of an observer as possible. Rick himself would feed her a word or two, unsure if she truly grasped them. There was a moment where it seemed like she would use the word intelligently, then slam it against an unrelated word, killing it grammatically. At the very least she could repeat them with improving accuracy. Something like a parrot, except this one couldn't fly, and she looked like she could tear you apart with little effort.

But she didn't. No matter what happened, Eva remained the relaxed observer. Sure, she would get excited from time to time, fascinated by the oddest flashing pictures, but at no point did she display any sort of violent tendencies. A part of Rick wondered if she was biding her time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. That fear would instantly shatter when she barked out her best attempt at English or let out a silly sound.

Even as Rick lay in bed, Eva remained by his side. She sat nearby, snuggled against a wall and a dresser. An odd place to sit for sure. He was lucky she didn't decide to bunk with him. He didn't need that allure of the body so close like that. Even after resolving not to ogle her as much, his eyes would still snag on her form, enticed and fascinated at the same time. Not emotions that went together, he knew. At least not the fascination that would usually follow with interest in a girl. Eva herself seemed to stare at the screen. With her blank eyes it was hard to tell where it was exactly she was looking. Occasionally it felt as though eyes were sliding across his form. Rick would glance to Eva and her head was firmly turned toward the television.

Rick had expected this to be harder, a truly dangerous and drawn out care taking job. No, Eva merely sat there, eating up everything that came on the screen. Sometimes she seemed like a large, fluffy stuffed toy, then the illusion would be shattered by a stretch or a chattering. That thought wondering if she existed lingered in his mind. Well, if she was fake, she was probably the best illusion a man could ask for. Admittedly he wished this hallucination could talk back. He paused. Or would that make it a worse hallucination? It would be more entertaining, in any case. “You like TV?" he asked. Eva glanced to him then back at the screen. “I guess that's a yes, then." Rick smiled. Good to have someone that understood him.

TV continued and continued and continued until Rick felt it was time for dinner. “I'm going to make some grub, alright?" Rick said as he got up. Eva perked up at this and got up from her sitting spot, extending to her full height with a stretch, then easing back down. Sheesh, she was big. Rick rubbed an eye and shook his head, moving onward to the kitchen. Inside he opened the freezer and examined what cold thing he could cook up for dinner. Eva wasn't far behind, easing her head over his shoulder and into the cold box. She snapped back with a huff. “Sorry, I should've told you it was cold." She huffed again, blowing a warm breath across his skin. Intimidating yet cute. Rick rubbed his arm then pulled out a chunk of packaged steak. “This look good?" he asked. He shut the freezer.

The monstress glared at the thing and gave it a prodding sniff. After a few moments of staring she snatched the package and tore it open, letting everything except the juicy morsel drop to the ground. With a squeal she raised her head up and forced the thing into her gullet, horking it down easily. Her jaw snapped but did not chew. Rick could only watch, dumbfounded as she downed the meal with little effort. OK, well, she certainly does like meat. Eva whined and tilted her head back down, then pushed forward. She forced him up against the fridge gently, rubbing noses with him while her tongue flicked at his chin. As she did so, she made a quiet chirping sound that was more felt than heard. Eva pushed her chest up against his, and then it was gone, she pulled away without another sound.

“You're welcome," Rick said. He cleared his throat and picked up the trashed remains of the packaging, tossing them out. Hopefully that would appease her for now, otherwise he'd have an empty fridge before long. Ricky settled on a TV dinner instead, partially because he didn't feel like cooking after that event and partially because he figured Eva wouldn't steal that one. Without wasting time, he popped it in the microwave. Eva was right alongside him, watching the food spin around.

“Tehvishun," she mumbled.

“Microwave," Rick replied.

Eva paid him no mind, but did perk up when the microwave began beeping. She made sure to copy it in tune when the TV dinner went through it again. Rick pulled it out and stuck a fork in. Eva was already on it, sniffing away at it and lapping her tongue at the air. Rick instinctively placed his hand on her muzzle as if she were a dog, causing her to freeze. That gaze landed on him. “Sorry!" He pulled back his hand. Eva stood up and cocked her head. There was that trademark standoff again. “Sorry." He held up his hands. This was it, he screwed up now. Eva took a step. “Sorry." And another step. “Really." Then she shoved her nose into his open palm and looked up at him.

Slowly, Rick began gently rubbing her nose. It was hard and smooth. Despite not really seeming like Eva could feel through it, she let out a low rumble as Rick petted her. Her ears flicked from side to side as her breathing became more excited. Rick tested his luck and traveled north, brushing a finger across her ear. Eva didn't flinch nor pipe up at the touch. Rick inched forward more, feeling up that soft, fluffy fur on her ears and the shaggy human-like hair that she bore. A few of her noises devolved into the mimicked sounds, beeping and chirping and saying nonsensical smatterings of phrases. It was almost like he was petting a computer with all the funny sounds she made.

Rick's other hand wasn't far behind his first, pushing his luck further. While his first hand pet her head, the other approached her neck. He started at her snout, then worked his way downward. Eva did seem apprehensive at this touch, but quickly settled into it as he gave a reassuring pat. No doubt she had to worry about a predator going for the jugular. He had to wonder what could possible be considered a predator to her. The man tossed aside that thought and continued with his petting. Eva was just as soft as he had hoped she would be. The few times he graced her hadn't done her fur any justice.

As if wanting to return the gesture, Eva broke out of her mumblings and purring, and placed a hand on Rick's head. She seemed unskilled, awkwardly following in his steps, but she tried. It was a cute way to give back to him, as simple as it was. In a way it was comforting to know that she could comprehend the need to give back for a polite gesture. Or as polite as petting someone was. Rick ran his fingers through her hair. For a moment he wondered if it could be styled. That'd be funny, maybe doing her up in a pair of pigtails or a long braid. Intimidation whittled away that much more.

After much petting, Eva eventually pulled away with a cute huff and a shake of the head, parting her hand with a pat. Rick smiled, then gasped when he remembered his food. “Not cold yet," he said, picking up the plate. “Thanks for the um, exchange, I guess I'd call it."

“Thexchange," Eva replied.

“Right."

_

After his dinner, more staring at the television, and a quick shower, Rick found himself in bed. Not asleep, of course. It was nowhere near his body's sleep time. No, he lay there on his phone, messing about on the Internet until the draw of sleep pulled at his eyelids. Eva remained in her spot for the most part. Occasionally she'd wander off, but then return right back to the spot. Her eyes faintly glowed in the dark, so while she was relatively dark, Rick could always keep a track of her. He almost wish she didn't have eyes like that. Even after acclimating much to her strange exterior, he had to admit seeing two lights beam back in the darkness had an unsettling factor. The only other way he could track her in the dark was the low, barely audible thump of her footsteps, reminding him of just how large she was.

Rick pulled up another video to watch and turned onto his back, snuggling into his pillows. Probably one more before bed, he figured. As the video started, he felt a pressure on the bed that then grew. Rick snapped to the corner of the bed, seeing that large figure ease onto it. “Uh, yes?" Rick asked. Eva stared back. It also didn't help that she never really seemed to blink. She continued her approach until her body was entirely on the bed. She settled near his legs and lay down, her head faced toward him. Monsters in the dark were all too real, and they were watching him waste time on his phone. He considered telling her to go away, but where else would she really sleep? The couch could fit her sitting up, not laying down.

It wasn't as though Eva were being annoying or hurting him. She just lay there. Watching. It was clear at this point she wasn't playing the waiting game. Was she trying to simply learn from him? That was a nice thought. He couldn't apply human sensibilities to her, though. He could really apply any mode of thinking to her except the bare minimum of animalistic, and she broke even that at times. Rick locked his phone and dropped it to his stomach. He looked into those dull white eyes. “Do you like it here?" he asked quietly. No response. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light, allowing him to see more of her. That rise and fall of a large body. The gleam of light reflecting off her head. That almost serpentine-like tail that betrayed her stoic, unmoving gaze. Rick had to admit she was beautiful. As an animal, of course. In the way that nature itself was beautiful.

Rick tested his luck again, reaching forward and placing a hand on her head. Eva let out a long, relaxed sigh. Her tail seemed to grow drowsy with his touch, now drunkenly swaying from side to side. What was life going to be like with her? “I'm happy you're here. I hope you know that," he said. Eva sighed again. It almost pained him to think of the language barrier between them. She was on the cusp of having the capability to understand spoken language. Who knew if teaching her would even bear any fruit? Rick smiled. Well, at least it was cute when she spoke.

The man pulled his hand away and settled underneath the sheets. “Goodnight," he said, closing his eyes. It was strangely comforting to have her there on the bed, as much as he found it an awkward arrangement. Hopefully she didn't scratch things up while he was out.

_

Rick was awoken by a familiar alarm. He automatically reached over and tapped his phone on the nightstand next to him. He stretched, then paused when the alarm continued. He realized it was coming from his left. Mistaken? Rick opened his eyes as he shifted onto his left. Eva stared back, causing his nerves to jump. She beeped the alarm again. “Uh, good morning," Rick said. She beeped again. “You can stop now." Beep, beep, beep. OK, that didn't work. He reached out and tapped her nose. Eva promptly shut up, then nuzzled into his hand. She brought up a fluffy hand of her own and grabbed at his wrist, keeping him in place. “I need to get up, you know?" The monster's grip didn't tighten, though she did push his palm further against her head. “Alright, OK." He gently pet her as well as he could with the strange position.

Now, Rick wasn't exactly experienced with touching bare bone, but Eva's skull definitely felt as what he would imagine it to be. She was smooth, yet had little imperfections along it. In the morning light it was easy to see how the developing bone met one another along her nose. Enrique wondered if that was truly bone or perhaps some other protective material. Her horns were a bright white, that contrasted against the gold of her head. Different types of bone? She didn't seem to care if his fingers traced up to her horns, so maybe it was just a differing in coloration for some other reason.

While at first, Rick had simply accepted what she was, he slowly weaved theories in his mind as to what kind of beast she could be. Eva must've been a rarity. No one could miss her at this size, especially with her surprisingly calm and polite demeanor. She could just be an outlier on the mood aspect. Then perhaps he was even luckier than he thought? The rest of her kind could have seen him as an easy meal, especially after emptying out a fridge for them.

Eva eventually let his hand go, but not before rubbing her nose in his wrist. She picked herself up off the bed, then got down on all fours to stretch. Rick could only watch with a smile. What a strange thing. It was almost a shame he had to go to work. He got out of bed and headed on his way to start the day.

_

The days moved on by with Rick and Eva settling into their new lives. Rick moreso than Eva. She didn't express much surprise to anything that Rick did or showed her, only delight. Her mimicry lessened to a finer point. She would babble less and instead focus specifically on words she pronounced properly. That didn't mean she was any better at assembling them into something intelligible. Eva had still only used the simple 'Yes' and 'No,' and her grasp on those were tenuous at best at times. At the very least she slowly grew to understand what was allowed in the house and what wasn't. Shoving face in food? Big no. Though there was one habit he hadn't realized was going to be a problem yet.

Another few hours at work had ended, and Rick had headed on home. He debated whether or not to grab something quick to eat on the way there to treat Eva with but he figured that he shouldn't keep her waiting. Nor should he risk her doing something he'd regret. Like what if she tried to open up a TV to get at what was inside? Perhaps a cliche he had taken from media, yet not one he wanted to risk. Rick pulled into his driveway, closed the gate, and headed on in. Funny to think he would be relieved to find a giant lumbering creature in his home.

No lumbering creature in the living room, or the hallways, nor the kitchen. Bedroom, of course. He walked over to the door and stopped as he heard a curious sound emanating from within. A low, gurgling and stuttering whine. Perhaps more strange than the noise was that the door was actually closed, or at least only open a smidge. Had she been copying him again? Was she OK? Rick peeked through the door first, just to make sure he wasn't intruding upon her. That was for the best.

With the positioning of his bed, it was plainly obvious to Rick what Eva was doing. She lay on her side, revealing a hand exploring her intimates. Her breasts were fully on display as well, which wasn't out of the ordinary, yet didn't help the arousing sight. Eva's tongue darted out of her maw as she whined, only growing more fervent with every passing moment. That large hand ran over her groin, rubbing in a circular motion. Her legs twitched, her chest heaved.

That was clearly masturbation, as much as Rick didn't want to admit it. She was a living creature too, he supposed, and probably smarter than the average woodland dweller. It made sense she might seek her own pleasure. The only problem was what it did to him. Her all-too-human features dragged him in as he watched, rousing some dirty thoughts. A lust addled mind admitted that even her exotic features were a treat for the eyes, mixing the violent and frightening with the sensual all too cleverly. His eyes drew up to hers, which glared back. Eva didn't stop. His heart leapt and he took a step back. Should he stop her? Leave? Act as if nothing happened? Embarrassment wasn't something for her, unfortunately for Rick it burned all too deeply inside him.

The man stood there a while longer, paralyzed as to what he should do next. Ignoring it wasn't an option. As long as he stood in his house, he'd be reminded of what was going on in the other room. His room. His bed. It was going to be even harder to sleep tonight. Rick rubbed his eyes and took another step back, pulling himself away from the situation further. The garage. That was far enough.

The garage itself was a sort of meditating grounds, wasn't it? It allowed Rick to focus on a project and not worry about the woes of the world. Now the woes in his own home, too. He shook his head and turned to his car. What to do, what to do? Uh, right. Could check if his steering was properly aligned. What with Eva taking up most of his time in the past few days, he hadn't the time to really give it a proper look over. Funny how she was the one pushing him into doing it now. OK, don't think about it. Car. Focus on that.

Rick mindlessly yanked the car door open and stepped inside. As best as he could, he straightened out the wheel and looked down at the tires. That was straight enough. His hand slid across the steering wheel, noting its smooth texture. The thought of rubbing a finger across Eva's sex popped into his mind. Rick sighed. You really are lonely, aren't you? That would never happen between you and her. She's an animal.

Not like anyone would have to know. Rick paused as he stepped out of the vehicle. The problem is you would know, he shot back at his thoughts. It would make it even worse as Eva was something wholly unique. If he thought he was exploiting her as a pet before, using her sexually would be even worse. That would be downright reprehensible. And if she wanted it? No, she's an animal, remember?

Rick thought back to all those times she mumbled something in English. It was clear she was smarter than the average animal, though. If she could learn more then maybe… What? It would be OK to then think about her like that if she could string together a few words? Maybe it'd be OK to touch her if she could do math too?

“God, I'm a mess," Rick said to himself. He rubbed his head and resolved to focus on his vehicle again. Though his mind was still not willing to give up the subject as his libido hit him repeatedly with that image of Eva laying on his bed. When was the last time he had a girl in his bed? Not in a long while, that's when, but there was plenty of fish in the sea.

Oh, wait. Rick settled down next to the tire. How was he going to date with something like Eva in his home? He supposed he could always go to the girl's house, but that'd probably get weird after a while. And if they go steady? It'd probably be impossible to convince a girl that Eva was a kind, gentle creature, or at least one that wouldn't bite heads. Made even harder by the fact that she had those odd features. Any way he looked at it, it was a losing prospect.

In the end, it's not like he really needed a girl. Some people lived with like, parrots forever, right? It was a blessing to have her in the first place. Just think of Eva like that. Already had some of the features down. An exotic parrot. A large parrot. A very large parrot with breasts.

Oh, whatever.

_

The day moved on by incredibly slowly. Rick didn't dare go back into his house out of embarrassment. Yeah, Eva would hardly care, but he would, and it would stick to him. In fact, it already had done so.

It wasn't until his stomach rumbled that he allowed himself to creep back into the house. Carefully, and maneuvering around his bedroom, he snuck into the kitchen to get a snack. What would be good? Anything, just grab it, he told himself. Rick snagged a granola bar and began sneaking out, when a noise in the living room caught his attention.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Rick peered around the corner into the living area. There Eva was, hand clearly not on her groin. Phew. Instead, it was fiddling with the mouse on the computer. She didn't seem to be wildly clicking either, rather her movements seemed more direct. Even still, the mouse was hardly a good fit for her and was more than unwieldy in her hand, amusingly so.

“What'cha up to?" Rick asked. He tore the granola bar open, strolling over to her. Eva glanced back at him, then snapped back to the computer. Somehow she had managed to get on the Internet and click through enough random points to get to pictures. Without even looking, she took him by the hand and tugged him into the chair nearby. “OK, easy!"

Eva's search string was a bunch of gibberish. Hadn't gotten reading down. Nevertheless, the search engine had tried its best to figure out what she was saying and brought up a whole mess of images to gawk at. Anything from people, to cars, to animals, they had all caught on her gibberish. Out of everything there, it seemed she lingered on people the most, staring hard whenever one filled up the screen.

Similarly, Rick could only watch as she did, unsure what to make of the scenario. Eva's tail began batting him on the leg as she did her thing, excitement working up inside of her. “You having fun?" Rick asked, taking a bite of his bar.

“Yes," Eva replied.

Rick almost choked on his food. He patted his chest and calmed himself. Just a coincidence, he assured himself. She had her moments. A part of him wanted to ask if she truly understood him, but didn't really want to know the answer. Coincidence, that's all it was.

The awkward browsing continued. Rick had to wonder if she understood what she was looking at. As far as he knew, she had no concept of a beach, or a mountain, or even the ocean. None of those things were around here. Not in several, several miles. “You been there?" Rick asked as she switched to a swamp. Eva's tail slowed for a moment, then picked up as she switched to another image.

The rapid switch in scenery made Rick wonder if she was looking for something familiar. Her strange form fit in any place, really, aside from the desert. It was possible that she didn't belong to anything. The idea that she was an experiment gone awry was a little cheesy, but that didn't stop the overactive part of Rick's mind running with it. Or an alien. That too.

Suddenly, Eva pulled his hand over and placed it on the mouse. She then placed her hand on top of his and began clicking away, occasionally looking back at him. “I know how to use the computer, honest," Rick said. Yet, Eva persisted. Maybe she just wanted to show off that she knew how to as well, or simply wanted him to be a part of it. He couldn't help but smile at the gesture. “Muouze," she mumbled.

“You're getting there."

_

Rick wasn't sure how long Eva was at the computer, but she had become almost a natural at it. Probably wasn't too hard to work them after watching someone do it, still, pretty impressive to see her go at it.

All was fine until Eva stumbled upon an image of two people kissing. She paused on the sight, straightening up in her seat as she did. Rick wasn't sure what to make of her reaction. Alarm? “They're alright," he said. She turned to him after a moment and leaned from side to side, almost sizing up his head. Her mouth opened ever so slightly, then shut. This repeated a few more times. Her hands pulled free from the computer and touched along the outer rim of her bony jaws.

Then, in a flash, Eva twisted her head and latched onto Rick's jaw. He flinched, but her teeth kept him firmly in place. She was always careful to make sure she didn't hurt him. That wasn't to say his heart didn't leap and his muscles burned in surprise. “That's not how this works," Rick eventually said. His words were slightly muffled as mouth could hardly move. The curve of her teeth meant he couldn't just pull himself away. “You can let go now!" Please.

Eva relented, releasing him. Rick instantly ran a hand across his face to make sure he didn't have any punctures. “You can't do everything you see on the computer, you know. That goes double for the TV." Flattering to get a kiss from a monster, even if she didn't understand it. Eva stared at him, leaning from side to side again. Or maybe she did? Her next approach was a careful one. Instead of a bite, she extended her neck and pushed her muzzle to his lips. She clicked as she did so. Rick furrowed his brow.

The monstress did her trademark stare. “No. I mean, not that I wouldn't, but…" But what? She ran a finger across his lips. He automatically pursed them. “How about one on the cheek?" Rick tapped his face to make sure she understood.

“No," Eva replied in a low voice.

Do I really have to, Rick asked himself. Such a simple gesture felt so taboo. It felt wrong, or rather, he was making it feel wrong. This was pushing against that self-imposed line he put on himself. Eva drew closer. “Relax," he said. She pulled even closer, touching her nose to his. Once they made contact, she let out a low squeal. That stupid picture was still on the computer behind her. “You don't even know what that means, Eva." Or did she? Rick mentally prepared himself.

“Know Ricky, Ricky, Ricky," Eva babbled.

“You're a funny thing, you know that?"

“Funny, Ricky, Ricky." Her word salad rattled around in his head. There had to be some rhyme and reason to what she said. It was blatantly clear she was no simple animal. She had instigated a kiss with him after all. How far would it go?

Rick gave her a quick kiss on the lips, or teeth, and pulled back. Bad idea, but it was done with and hopefully she wouldn't take it any further. Eva titled her head back and groaned. Her tail batted wildly back and forth. Then it was gone. She stood up and walked off as if nothing had happened. A really funny thing indeed. Was it a joke? Rick tilted his head and shook it.

_

“What was your first kiss, Alonso?" Rick asked, hands-deep in car guts.

“I keep telling you, that name is for customers only." The man paused. “Middle school."

“Sheesh, that late?" Rick asked. He chuckled.

“A guy like you? I can't see you doing any better."

“And what's that supposed to mean?"

“What do you do all day except spend two hours at work and stumble off to play games at home?"

“It's more than two, and I don't just play games." Not anymore, anyways.

“You got a dog, right?"

“Would you quit it with that?" Rick replied.

“I would but you get pretty defensive about it every time."

“Only because you're being annoying about it."

“If I had a nickle for you being annoying about something," Alonso replied.

“You'd have twenty cents." Rick pulled out a hand to rub two fingers together. “And they'd be from me telling you to put a fan in here."

“I could use twenty cents," another voice piped up. “Alonso over here has taken my last nickle."

Rick glanced up to see a familiar redhead and object of admiration for a certain someone. “Oh you must be uh…" Rick snapped his fingers. The name had long since evaporated from his mind. “Owner of this car."

Alonso stepped forward. “Florence," he said, “how've you been?" The vitriol dribbled away from his voice. “Almost have this thing tuned up. You can see Enrique here has been at work on it for a while now."

“Enrique is for friends, Alonso," Rick replied.

“Rick is good, then?" Florence asked. She was dressed up in office wear, but something about her made Rick realize she probably wasn't a standard office drone. Perfume was smothering some odd scent. Animal?

“Good enough for me," Enrique replied. He patted the vehicle. “Almost got it up and running for you."

“Great to hear! Hoping to take it up to a ranch this weekend."

“Going horseback riding?" Alonso quickly asked with a forced chuckle. Florence rolled her head. “I wish. No, I need to make sure a mare is healthy enough for a delivery."

“Like a postman's delivery?"

“No, no, no." Florence laughed and shook her head. “Pregnancy. The horse is pregnant."

Enrique stifled a laugh and turned his attention back to the car, attempting to look busy. “Must be nice being a vet," he said. “Hope it goes well for you." Was a little weird telling someone good luck on delivering a horse.

“Thank you, I'll share some of that luck with the mare."

“So, this should be done this afternoon and we should have you right on your way," Alonso said. “If all goes according to plan, of course."

“I wouldn't blame you if it didn't. You guys are busy, take your time, Rick."

“Sure thing," Rick replied. Exactly what Alonso would've wanted anyways.

“You're a veterinarian, right?" Alonso asked. “My friend Enrique here just took in a stray dog. You have any suggestions for him?"

Rick froze. “She's not a dog." No, wait. “I didn't take in anything, anyways."

“But you dealt with a wild animal, right?"

“If it's a stray it's not a wild animal, is it?"

“It could be, I don't know what you get up to in your free time." Alonso cleared his throat. “He's the kind of guy who has too much free time."

“Clearly not enough," Rick replied. He tapped his finger on the wrench in his hand.

“Well, I guess I wouldn't know the full story, but as long as she has all her shots, that should be fine."

Rick pursed his lips. That was a good point, even if it was aimed at the wrong target. He wasn't sure what Eva's health was actually like, though it wasn't like he had a good indicator for what was the star of health for her. He turned his head to look back at Florence again. If he was going to keep Eva, he'd have to know these things. Would an ordinary veterinarian be able to even give an educated guess?

“Florence, you mind if I ask you a question?" Rick asked, standing up. Alonso nudged his heel with a foot.

“Not at all. Always happy to help," she said.

“What would you do if you found like, a cryptid animal. You know those, right? Picture it coming into your home."

Florence's face crinkled into a mixture of disbelief and humor. “More than familiar, yes."

“There really is such a thing as a stupid question, you know," Alonso said.

“It's definitely an interesting one," the woman replied. “Uh, guess I'd want to study it. Deliver them to a laboratory. A humane one. Assuming it's not dangerous. You don't know what a cornered animal would do, let alone a fictional one."

Alonso took a step forward. “Sorry, like I said, way too much time on his hands."

“I think it's a good way to judge character," Rick said. “Not that I think you're a bad person." Good enough of an excuse, he supposed. Would anyone even guess he was asking a serious question? “Especially a veterinarian." Florence didn't seem like the worst option. “But, uh, wouldn't you be scared they'd hurt the animal?"

“A little, but at the same time, what are you supposed to do? Keep it?" Florence shook her head. “If I had Nessie at home, I'm not going to try and keep it a secret. People have to know. It'd be like imprisoning one of the biggest scientific discoveries of the world."

“Right, yeah, that makes sense." Rick immediately returned to his work. A fair point, one that had graced his mind before. But who were humans to decide whether or not they needed to know something? What would they even learn from her? That parrots aren't the only ones who can talk like people? That her species likes pizza? That they could google things?

“Was that a bad answer?"

“No, not at all."

“You're the professional here," Alonso said.

“I'd like to think so," Florence replied. “Anyways, I'm going to hop over to the coffee place across the street."

“Alright, see you soon!" “Yeah, bye," Rick replied.

“Bye bye!" Florence called out. The jingle of the bell above the door signified he was all alone with Alonso yet again.

“What the hell are you thinking asking a stupid question like that?" the boss asked. He nudged Rick again.

“Easy, alright? I just wanted to know. Stop poking me."

“Just hurry up with the fixing. We need a repeat customer like her."

“We? You mean you need a repeat customer like her. For many reasons."

“Oh please, I saw you checking her out too."

“I wasn't checking her out." In fact, he was already beginning to forget what Florence had looked like. The red hair stuck out but not much else.

“Sure, whatever. Just do your job properly."

“And triple check the work, right?"

“Better make it a quadruple check."

“You got it."

_

Rick sat in his car within the garage at home. The automatic door shut behind him. His fingers tapped along the wheel. Would he have to get a doctor for Eva? She didn't appear ill in any way. How would he know? Awkward funny gait, the noises she made, even the color of her fur. All of it could be wrong and he wouldn't know.

Behavior-wise, Eva must've been an outlier somehow. Walking into his home like that and just being OK with everything that came her way. Could it be that she wasn't thinking straight? No, no. There would have been something else about her that was off if she were sick. Sure she was an unknown creature, but she was still an animal from this planet. If she was. Unlikely she was from space. That would be a whole other can of worms.

Rick shifted in his seat, placing his arm on the door and propping up his head. Could be he was just selfish again. Florence was right, after all she was a professional in this stuff. He rubbed his eyes. A professional with animals, not a professional with feelings. And Eva? She definitely “felt," moreso than the generic dog or cat. It was hard to gauge her response to things, nevertheless he couldn't doubt there was a humanity to how she acted at times.

It was alright to be selfish though, wasn't it? Who wouldn't be in this situation? Probably lots of people. He was likely an oddity in that department. Being a little off and allowing this whole thing to just fall down into his lap. Look where it got him though. He'd do it all over again. Well, except for the whole window smashing thing.

The man stepped out of the car and shut it tight. Yeah, what did Florence know anyways? Better not admit that to her if he actually needed her help. Rick stepped into his home, feeling a sense of unease. She really was right. As soon as he thought that, Eva silently peered around the corner, then perked up. In a flash she ran up to him and came to a stop. “Woah, easy!" Rick chuckled, holding his hands up. “Happy to see you too." Eva looked to his hand and shoved her head in it. “Yes, a whole heck of a lot." He gently pet her, running his fingers over all the little details on her form. Florence was right. Didn't mean he had to accept it at all. She was fine as is. He was on no deadline to get her a new home. Nobody knew about Eva. Only him, and that's all it had to be. He needed the company, why not one of the best pets ever?

“Riggy, riggy, Rick," Eva said.

“Wouldn't you rather call me Enrique? You know, as friends."

“Enriggy, riggy, Rick." Her tail danced from side to side. Returning the favor, she placed a hand on him, awkwardly patting him down. The worse part of his brain kicked in and realized that was her offending hand. Rick swallowed, trying to force that thought out of his panicked mind, and failed. His eyes glued to her hand and all of its fingers, already imagining them hard at work on her unmentionables.

OK, no, this wasn't happening. Rick mindlessly petted her in turn. It was strangely hard to pet without thought, yet he managed to mostly pull it off. Eva pushed up, and up, and up, seemingly trying to force more of her snoot into his hand. A futile and adorable gesture. Unfortunately it brought with it her heavy chest, which now was on full display. Almost proudly so. Did they all get that big? Not now. His focus moved back to her head.

Eva suddenly barked and pulled away, scampering off. It was almost like nothing had happened. Almost. Unfortunately, the close rendezvous had stirred at his body, causing his hear to pump and his ears to burn. There was a lightness in his chest. Been a while since you got worked up like that, huh? Rick huffed and headed for his room, spying Eva on the couch as he walked past.

Immediately, Rick began stripping, wanting to forget about the day's events and slip into bed without another thought smashing against his brain or a pained feeling running around his nerves. He would not be so lucky. Even his groin was at attention for the occasion. Rick mumbled, “Oh for…" and fell back onto the mattress. That was wrong, yes, he already had that moral war. Stalemate? No, that war was won. He kicked off the last of his pants and stared up at the ceiling. Blood still rushed to all the wrong parts of his body, bringing it with those thoughts of relief.

That would be for the best, wouldn't it? Just get all of this off your mind. Shoot the libido off now and don't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. Rick looked to the door. With her in the house? That wasn't such a big deal, right? Just close the door. He shut his eyes for a moment, weighing if he was going to go through with his stupidity. His libido tugged again. Rick got up and closed the door as quietly as he could. Lucky he even thought of it.

There was little hesitation as he retrieved his phone to look up anything. Anything at all that would help him get rid of this annoyance in his life. He flipped the band off his underwear and pulled out his erection, settling on some plain human pornography he found in a few moments.

Strangely, it was hard to stoke the fire in him. He stroked but the spark of pleasure just wasn't there. Was it stress? Fear? A mix of both, likely. His eyes would look to the door every so often, affirming its shut status. Stop doing that, you're just going to drive yourself mad. She probably couldn't even open doors if she wanted to.

Rick huffed and focused on his phone and those people going at it. It was possible he had been spoiled by the size of his computer monitor. Not like he could use that any more while Eva was here. He should feel happy he got this shred of privacy at all.

After more futility, Rick switched videos. Nope. Nothing. Nada. Now it was more an annoyance. This beating of the drum of his arousal. A moment of sobriety hit him. Why not just take a damn cold shower and snuff it out? As he thought that, he looked up to the door.

It was open. Only slightly. Only barely. A crack, allowing someone on the other side to peer through, but he had closed it, right? His eyes followed the crack upward, seeing a white void staring back. Rick sharply inhaled, freezing. Embarrassment, fear, and unease hit him all at once. His nerves were on fire now. The door opened more, then came through that familiar monster. She slowly approached, staring down Rick, and more importantly, his erection.

“Eva?" he said softly. “You should…" The rest of the words didn't come. Leave? Get out? Something like that. She stopped just in front of him and lowered down, allowing her head to come closer to him. Closer to his groin. Trickles of her breath ran over his crotch. God, did she have to?

The monstress's breasts were on display, yes, but now her groin graced his vision. Obscured by fur, yet he knew what it looked like from that one incident. Rick raised a hand. What was he doing? Eva instinctively took to it, pushing against him. They traded stares for some time. Eva would only move to look down at his groin. She had seen him nude the one time. No doubt she knew what was going on. Her hand settled on his thigh, while the other loosely hung on to his petting hand.

He had to tell her to leave, then to endlessly berate himself for being so stupid. Impossible for him to work up the will. Instead, he just sat there. Waiting for something to happen. You can't do that, you know? You have to act, he told himself. He hardly pulled his hand back, but it didn't budge. Eva held that. She was in control. Nothing he could do about it.

Eva took his hand, letting it slide down from her face, down her neck, and onto her chest. His fingers graced those soft breasts. Despite being relatively small to her frame, they were impressive in this space between them. God, she was large. His fingers explored of their own volition, feeling the tips of her nipples harden as they graced her. His groin stirred again, sending a spark of delight through his spine. Eva let out a stilted gasp and a shudder.

She wanted more. He had to give her more. His other hand raised too, joining with her other breast and following its lead. Eva quivered again. “Ricky, Ricky, Ricky," she whimpered. It was a curious sensation, the smooth fur surrounding fleshy nipple. Wholly unique to this woman. He gave a gentle squeeze, only affirming their large size. She was more than well-endowed and it was still impressive to hold her size.

Another strange whimper caught Rick's attention. She needed a touch down there too, didn't she? A faint glint of wetness was visible, peeking out from between her folds. His heart hammered. His hand obeyed. One left her breast, sliding down her chest. He felt the strangely exaggerated rib cage, slowly going over each one. A thought flashed in his head, wondering what those were for. Her breath seemed to hitch over every one he graced.

It wasn't long before Rick's hand probed at her groin, coming up on the hair that flowed ever so slightly more than the rest of her fur. It was fur, no doubt, but it had a tinge of seductiveness in its messy looks. Eva let out a low, gasping growl. This was a tease, he knew. At the same time it was tease for himself. His body was on autopilot and wanted to experience every part of her on the trail to her fruit.

Rick's hand eased lower, and lower, and lower. It skirted around the outside of her groin, easing up on a toned thigh, and rounded onto one of her lips. “Ricky, Ricky, Rick," she said. Her voice was low and still lacked emotion. However, that was a touch of sultriness to her babbling, as if she were begging.

“Sorry," he replied. His thumb ran over her clitoris, causing her to shake. Those probing fingers spread apart her sex, revealing it for him. Her womanhood was very much like a human's, only bearing a stark black coloration to it. That touch of alien that Rick had come to love. Eva was her own beast, down to her very intimate details.

Both the man's mind and the woman's reactions told him to press forward. Do it. A finger slipped into her folds. Eva's hips ground against his finger. Another one eased in. Another buck of the hips. She needed this. It quickly occurred to Rick how lonely she must've been.

As the outside was so familiar, so too was her warm innards, which pulsed and flexed around him. She had no sense of restraint, instead flexing every so often. He eased into a slow and steady pump of the hand with two fingers. She might have been able to take in a third. Rick's mind refused, not wanting to hurt her. The man himself was long lost to this experience.

Rick continued to pump his fingers, and grope at her chest with his other hand. He drank up the sensations. The quivers, the whimpers, the twitches, the groans. Eva was alive with every motion he made, and he wanted more of it. His fingers sped up, getting more of that slick arousal on him. He had long since forgotten about his own needs. He only wanted to tend to this amazing woman.

Eva's orchestra of noises was joined by a squeal and her hips bucked forward again. She let out a guttural cry and faltered for a moment. A slather of her juices leaked onto his hand. He could feel the hot thing trickle down his wrist and drip onto his leg. Rick pulled away and merely stared at the gasping, shivering girl

Girl? Animal. Eva. Rick looked down at himself. Completely in the nude, covered in a smattering of her fluids. A pit formed in his gut that felt as though it were pulling him further and further down. He fell into the one spot he didn't want to. He looked away, and eased back onto the bed, bringing his knees up to hide his shame. This wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to be better than this.

Eva recomposed herself and huffed, then crawled onto the bed next to him. Her body graced his again. Yet, instead of the jolt of delight, he felt only a burn of shame.

“Ricky, Ricky, Ricky."