True to the morning forecast, the snow did, in fact, begin to fall in Brickhedge.The local radio station even interrupted the latest Taylor Swift song to allow their forecaster to make a surprise cut-in to tell the beasts of Brickhedge that, yes, it was indeed snowing.
For a solid fifteen minutes, shortly before the lunchtime rush, snowflakes and brightly colored leaves mingled and danced in the wind all across the small mountain town, creating a sight that astounded most, disgruntled others, and filled the less understanding children of town with the false hope that a forthcoming snow day-or week-was coming.
Unusual as it was, the sight was one to behold, and Advrik saw it as yet another little wonder that he’d not have experienced otherwise.
The other wonder, the much bigger one, was that of the little purple fox that strolled alongside him as they made their way down Main Street.
He’d waited with bated breath after sending the invitational text this morning. Worried in part that she might see the extension of the invitation to additional parties as him somehow not wanting to be alone with her. He only hoped she didn’t see the extended invite to mean he didn’t want to spend time alone with her.
Truth was, even more so now that he had embraced his romantic feelings for Brigid, he still wanted the relationship to move slowly.
And he hoped that she felt the same way.
When she replied this morning, it had been ecstatic. Laden with so many spelling errors that one would have thought a child had typed it. The number of corrections following each text equally hilarious. She had gotten so fed up that she ended up just calling and talking to Advrik and hammering out the details that way.
By the time the conversation had wrapped, the two had agreed to meet up at Toh’s Beans for a late breakfast and then spend a few hours shopping for the ingredients for the evening’s dinner.
Barely more than an hour after that, the two met outside of the little cafe on the corner where the day’s events would officially kick off.
“You know, as pissy as I was about this initially,” she took another sip of her coffee, “spiced sweet potato isn’t all that different from pumpkin. Kinda leans more toward the vegetable flavor profile side of things, but the brown sugar and caramel syrup more than balances it out.” They’d both agreed that since Toh wasn’t going to offer seasonal staples like a normal coffee shop, they would give the only option Toh had availed to them a go.
The gale from this morning had quieted down to a constant gentle yet chilly breeze, leaves gracefully dancing all around their paws and across the sidewalks and streets as they made their way across town.
They came upon an empty wood and iron bench beside one of the many black iron street lamps that lined the sidewalks.
“After you,” Advrik said, gesturing her toward the opposite end of the bench. As she strolled past, he caught the aroma of her perfume. That same intoxicating mix of amber and lavender that she had on the day they were reunited at that spot in the woods.
She wore the same outfit she had on the day of their first date: That all-too-form-fitting brown knit shirt that seemed to wrap her torso in the most perfect, alluring way possible. If she’d been wearing that bra with the moon motif from her selfie, Advrik couldn’t tell, as there wasn’t the slightest hint of an outline anywhere.
Sitting down, she pulled her paws up and rested them in the space between her and her partner just as a stronger breeze swept over them and dislodged the scarf’s tail from around her shoulder, catching it and sending it to hang limply from the back of the bench.
“The scarf looks good on you,” Advrik said, eying the fabric that wrapped itself around the fox’s neck. “This the first time you’ve worn it, right?”
She nodded and smiled. “Yep. And thanks, I wasn’t sure if it’d clash with this outfit or not, but I’m not really one to pay attention too closely to what does and doesn’t go together. As long as I like the way it looks, screw all the rest.”
Advrik sat down opposite her, placing his coffee cup on the bench beside him. He had on his favorite sleeveless zipper hoodie over a dark grey long-sleeved shirt and Goth-like pants that have long since gone out of style.
He hadn’t worn pants like that in years, having found the comfort and ease of wear from cargo and chino pants being far superior, but his gleaming from Brigid’s appearance(namely her hairstyle and fondness for pink and black plaid) that she’d possibly had some fondness for the Scene style, or Goth at the very least.
There was a moment of silence to follow, not particularly awkward, but rather two beasts enjoying the serenity of an exceptionally chilly first day of autumn together. The first of which both hoped was just the beginning of many, many more to come.
Together.
“All right, so let’s—“
“I love your pants, by the way, very Warped Tour,” she said, interrupting him, “Haven’t seen a pair of those in, goddamn, close to a decade now?”
Advrik could feel his cheeks blush beneath his fur. She had noticed them after all. “T-Thank you. Feels like I haven’t worn them since then, either. The fabric is so stiff and rigid. I dunno, I guess I’m just used to whatever material it is they use for cargo pants.”
“Did you get them from Hot Topic?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t afford them back then. Heck, I can’t afford them now,” Advrik said, “I think I bought these from some seller on eBay. Got them for far less than what they had been at the stores. But anyway, about today,”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry I interrupted you. What do you have planned?”
“Right, well, first off, how many of your friends will be coming?” He asked, needing to visualize how many beasts he’d be feeding first and foremost.
“Well, Eligh, of course. You know how big he is, so factor him as two, maybe even three separate guests himself. I also got a message back from Callista. She’s the local GP, and she said she would be happy to come, too.”
“Doctor Reigns, really? They have my files over there, but I’ve not been in to see her since I moved here. This could be interesting. But okay, is that it on your end?”
She nodded.
“All right! So that’s a total of five beasts, seven if Eligh eats as much as you claim.”
She nodded a second time.
“Well, all right! Let’s do a bit of shopping, then head back to my place and—“
“Excuse me, ‘your place’? And what do you expect us to do at your place, alone, hm?” Brigid said, her eyes shrinking to slits as she glared at the beast, who had clearly become flustered by her remark. She grinned.
“I, well, I mean, we cook. Er, we’ll prepare the dinner together, you know, like a fun little activity.”
Brigid broke out into a fit of laughter, unable to hold back the amusement that the red-eyed wolf had given her as he awkwardly fumbled out the last sentence. Good looks and confidence were certainly not a packaged deal.
“I’m just fucking with you, Dickweed. I’ll have you know now, though, that I can’t cook worth a shit, so you better be ready to hold my hand the whole way once we start.”
Seeing the opportunity before him, he stretched out his arm, turning his palm upwards. “How about I start now, then?”
“Smooth, wolf. Very smooth.” She said as she placed her delicate hand into his, feeling herself melt against his strong yet gentle grip.
Advrik had been adamant that most, if not all, of the ingredients had to come from local sources. Either from Brickhedge itself or its surrounding areas. The dinner would be on a much grander scale than he was used to. Having cooked for himself most of his life, buying up just enough ingredients for two beasts so that he’d always have leftovers and doing the calculations as they shopped have been proving effective thus far.
He’d outlined the meal to Brigid: A pot of behemoth beef stew, some biscuits, and a big pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Her eyes lit up at the mention of the last menu item.
Grocery shopping with another beast had been an experience in itself. Not at all like when Desmond would tag along before a monster hunt, where everything was strictly business.
Shopping with Brigid had calmed the wolf like a sedative. It was seemingly all new to her as she scanned the shelves, reading contents off the often handwritten labels as Advrik repeated the required measurements. Initially taking her declaration that she couldn’t cook as a jest, he was beginning to believe it now.
“All right, now for the most expensive part of the meal: The behemoth steak.” Said the wolf as they stepped up to the refrigerated meat case.
“Hey, uh, Advrik?” Said the fox, her ears flattening slightly. “Do you need any help paying for all this? I’m seeing the prices, and it’s looking—“
“Huh? Oh, no, trust me, I have this all covered. Can’t say how yet, but please believe me.”
Hoisting the three reusable bags over their shoulders, the duo set off for home, finding almost everything that was needed at A Farmer’s Mart, the local market for local artisans and craft makers to sell their goods year-round.
Back home, the wolf stood under the eave that covered his stoop and was toiling away with his keys, not having realized that Brigid stood on the sidewalk outside the fence, looking up at the humble two-story townhouse.
“Are. You. Shitting. Me,” she said, allowing the single bag she carried to slip off her shoulder. “You lived right here this whole fuckin’ time?”
The door creaked as it swung open. “Yeah, why?”
“How in the hell did we not ever see each other over the summer?! We both live within minutes of each other!”
Either through some unfortunately horrific timing or the will of some unseen entity writing a script that only it had gained enjoyment from, nobeast could say. But no one would ever deny how strange it was that individuals living so close to one another could go months without crossing paths, either.
The next few hours passed by quickly despite the ongoing tutorial that the wolf ran the fox through as they put together the meal. Slicing the behemoth steak into bite-sized morsels, browning it with some oil at the bottom of the Dutch oven. He had to explain in detail that the brown layer at the bottom wasn’t burnt but condensed flavor that would disintegrate when the rest of the ingredients were added.
Vegetables were peeled, diced, and sliced; all the while, Advrik left Brigid to prep the cheesecake on her own using his handwritten recipe.
She’d performed as well as anybeast could expect from someone putting together a cheesecake from scratch for the first time. She’d been hesitant at first, naming off each ingredient and the measurement before adding it to the stand mixer. Done so more out of concern over messing something up and costing him extra in ingredients than anything.
Still, despite her caution, the cheesecake mixture turned out pretty much identical to the one he made every year, even offering her pictures showing his past work to calm any worries she may have had about it.
Now, with the stew cooking on the stovetop and the cheesecake in the oven, all that was left was to prepare for the guests tonight.
The day had moved forward as the fated hour was finally upon them. Brigid had excused herself shortly after everything had gone to cook, thanking him for the educational afternoon. Promising him she’d be back with guests.
He wouldn’t admit it, not even to himself, but there was a little pang of disappointment that she hadn’t kissed him on the cheek as the two parted ways at the front door.
While the house inside heated up, the outside cooled down considerably. The breeze that had persisted throughout most of the day had calmed to a total halt, but the thick blanket of grey clouds remained.
Desmond showed up an hour early, planting himself firmly on the couch and offering no help in prepping the kitchen. Not that Advrik had expected him to, but the fact remains.
The wolf had pulled the table apart, placing the leaflet in the center, effectively extending the dining area by about two feet. Knowing Eligh’s bulk and having seen it up close more than once, the bear would likely either be sitting at the end of the table or taking up an entire side on his own.
A rap at the door tingled the wolf’s ear as he quickly threw the tablecloth across as he rounded the finish line on prep, having fallen behind to go over something with Desmond.
Another knock, this time with a bit more force behind it.
“I’m coming!” he yelled, loping through the kitchen and into the living room where Desmond sat, tapping away at his phone screen.
When he opened the door, the first sight was a very much welcomed one: Brigid stood with her arms crossed beneath her perfectly shaped breasts, Advrik noted with a very quick glance.
“You made me knock twice.” The fox stated in a matter of fact tone.
“I’m sorry, I was busy putting the table together, and I thought Desmond would get it.”
“You thought wrong, wolf.” Said the mole, still ignoring the events that were unfolding a few feet away.
“Eh. Well, please come in right this way. Eligh, it’s good to see you again,” the wolf said as he patted the big bear on his back. “And you must be—“
“Doctor Callista Reigns, but you can call me Callista… Have we met before?”
The trouble at the Pride event back in July. This lioness, She had been the one dancing when the Wulphelk had, for a fraction of a second, slipped into this realm and made contact with her. He had no idea that it was the local GP that he’d feared had been thrown into a lifetime of fear-induced ineptitude.
“I… don’t think so. I’ve not been to your office once since moving here, but it’s nice to meet you just the same, Callista.”
Stepping inside, the lion unbuttoned her suede jacket, revealing a tight-fitting grey sweater beneath. Sniffing the air, she said, “Is that behemoth stew? Smells divine.” The lioness came to an abrupt halt, her gaze fixed.
“Good guess. That’s exactly what it is. Can I take your jack…et…?”
“Well, I’ll be,” Callista said, placing her hands on her hips, eyes locked onto the mole that, up until that point, had not noticed the predator in his midst.
“Motherfucker!” the mole yelled.
As introductions were made, hands shook, and… further clarification was given after Desmond’s unexpected outburst, a fine line had been drawn, and a temporary ceasefire was reached between the mole and the lion, and the evening’s proceedings moved forward.
Advrik directed the beasts to his kitchen, apologizing to each that they would not only need to serve themselves but also to form a line of sorts. As a single beast, the kitchen worked just fine. Add in four more bodies, one of which was a massive grizzly bear, and things didn’t flow quite as smoothly anymore.
Brigid had been the first in line, taking her seat near the head of the table. Callista was next, not skimping on the serving she spooned out of the pot. Eligh followed suit, taking an even bigger serving. Desmond had been taken up the rear to be as far away from the lion as possible.
A bowl held in both hands, “ ’ey, little help here for the midget. Can’t reach shit.”
“I got you, buddy,” Eligh said as he scooped a moderate serving into the mole’s bowl.
Once everybeast had been seated, Advrik got his bowl and then dropped a basket of freshly made biscuits at the center of the table and a gallon of apple cider from a local orchard, completing the night’s feast.
“This smells amazing, Advrik. Is this your recipe?” the lion asked, taking a sip of the broth. “Very savory.”
“Thank you. And yeah, it’s an amalgamation of various recipes that I’ve tried over the years. Combining my favorite aspects of each… You really like it?”
Eligh shoveled an entire baby potato and a chunky piece of behemoth beef into his mouth. He did not speak a word until he swallowed, but the expression on his face said all that needed to be said. The bear had been unusually quiet.
“I didn’t get to sample it when we were prepping it earlier, but it smelled amazing,” Brigid said, taking a far daintier bite.
Desmond was quiet, the tentacles on his nose hanging limp.
“You helped prep this, Brigid?” Callista asked, “So you two spent the afternoon together then, eh? Interesting.”
“Not only that, but Brigid was the one that put together the dessert for us today, following another personal recipe of mine.” Advrik proudly declared.
The fox was blushing through her fur; she’d forgotten the cheesecake and had now stood to disappoint not just Advrik but her friends as well. And Desmond.
The dinner went on without a hitch, with spirited discussions about their lives in town over the past year. The advent of Garou Loveless and the recent uptick in monster sightings around town. Nearby, a wax warmer had been flipped on, filling the room with the smell of an approximation of acorns and dried leaves.
When the bond-forming conversations had slowed to a crawl, Advrik took the opportunity to finally bring out the dessert. “Everybeast,” he said, placing the covered tray in the middle of the table. “I present to you tonight’s dessert: A pumpkin cheesecake, put together by the lovely Brigid Ashtear and decorated by yours truly,” lifting the lid and revealing the dessert beneath, one would not have been mocked for thinking it had come from a fancy bakery somewhere.
The top had that light, perfectly baked brown topping that meant it had sat just a bit closer to the broiler than some might prefer, but Advrik found it added a nice light, smoky taste. The edges had seen dollops of an off-white fluffy cream all around the perimeter, each little mound topped with a pumpkin seed and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.
“Had it not been for Brigid’s help today, I doubt I’d been able to have made such a presentation here tonight. So thank you again, Brigs.” He smiled at her, gaining a smile back as she rested her head in her hand, gazing longingly at the rich dessert before her.
“Before we end this cheesecake’s extraordinary existence, I’d first like to make an announcement,” he said, pulling out his chair and sitting down, four sets of eyes drawn towards him all at once.
“I know some of you are aware already of my exploits about town, particularly where culling the monster population was concerned.” He looked at Desmond, who failed to acknowledge him. “It had been those hunts that had kept me afloat here over the last month or so, with no small thanks to Desmond for tagging along.”
“You fed me afterward; it was a fair trade for how little work I actually did.” The mole was looking at his phone, having received a new friend invite on Facebook. To his horror, it was that blue lion. His little black eyes drifted upwards, locking with hers, her expression clearly saying, ‘I got you now’.
“Well, I’ve been working quite hard these past few weeks at starting a new business. As a handybeast, if you will, basically making it my job to complete the help wanted ads that I see posted all over the bulletin board. But on top of that, I’ve also registered myself as not only an official monster hunter but a bounty hunter as well.”
The reaction to the last statement had gotten a healthy reaction from the small crowd; even Desmond had looked surprised.
Brigid’s ears flattened in a visual display of concern. “A bounty hunter? Monsters I can get, but other beasts are a different story, especially ones with bounties on them…”
“Yeah, I really doubt I’ll be seeing any bounty hunt requests coming in, though; I just felt it might be a good idea to have all my bases covered, is all.”
The wolf slid out of his chair, standing at the front of the table with all eyes drawn on him. “I just want to formally thank you all again for coming tonight; it was really nice getting to have everybeast together like this and make new friends in the process,” he said, gesturing to Callista, who nodded in return.
The rest of the night went at an enjoyable, leisurely pace, with all but a single slice of the cheesecake being devoured.
Advrik had never imagined that moving to Brickhedge as he did could have resulted in nights like this, but he was happier than ever that he did. Watching each of his guests replace their jackets as they made way for the front door, Brigid hanging back.
“Brigs, I can’t thank you enough for all the help today; I doubt I would have had the cheesecake done in time without you.”
“You can stop thanking me for that. I learned a lot helping you with it, so we’re equal as far as I’m concerned… but you’re welcome just the same.” She pecked him on the cheek, then fled out the front door, leaping from the stoop onto Eligh’s back. The bear hardly wavered against the impact as the small fox clung to his broad shoulders.
Desmond had wasted no time in fleeing the lion, who had gone in the opposite direction. He’d inquire further about that whole deal later, as imagining the mole being romantically involved with such a beautiful lion seemed astronomically impossible.
Tonight had been a good night, he thought, closing the door and heading for bed. The mess he’d clean up in the morning.
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