A Most Terrifying Engagement (closed)

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta grabbed the bags noting Andrea’s excitement and clutched the bags to him, even growing extra arms so he could keep the precious packages held while he helped her put away the groceries.

When she asked him to open them, a stunned look impacted his face. Vanta understood the meaning of what was being said but it took him several seconds to register that it had been said.

“You got me gifts?” Vanta asked, “I…I…” he knew the normal response from observing people was to say something like “you didn’t have to” or “you shouldn’t have” but Andrea had and he wanted her presents, no matter what they were. He opened the bags and pulled out the echo and the suit. He wasn’t sure what to think of the echo. He knew from a home he was briefly in it was a device that let people talk to it and ask questions but the suit he understood more. He knew SPF kept the sun from hurting human’s skins so this suit, he assumed at least, would help protect him.

Vanta placed the echo on the kitchen counter and then, in one movement, tossed the suit up into the air, turned himself into a fluid like substance and filled the suit out, turning into a form similar to his first human form from the first night they spent after his “resurrection” the fabric felt nice against his skin in a comforting way. He made sure to swell up a bit in some places, namely his butt and crotch so he would feel further squished within it.

“It fits perfectly!” He half joked as he spun around in front of Andrea, “Do I look all good?”

Before she could answer, he sped over to her and kissed her on the lips briefly but then circled his arms around her back and held her to him.

“Speaking of things that fit perfectly” he said. It was a different feeling holding Andrea while dressed in cloth that wasn’t made from him. It was both less and more intimate than when he held her normally. Like the slight separation between their flesh made him crave her more.

“Thank you Andrea. I’ve never gotten a gift before, you don’t know how much this means to me.” He said sincerely. Before Andrea he didn’t remember anyone ever showing him affection and the fact it was now coming from her could make him fall in love with her 100 times over.

He kissed her on the cheek and then peppered another kiss on her lips. He dipped her back and kissed her forehead.

“This means more to me than you’ll ever know.” He looked deep into her eyes and carefully balanced her on one hand while the other guided one of her hands to his ass cheek. “Is my butt okay? I believe you were checking it out earlier today.” He joked, trying to dial things back a bit.

 

[Poprockz]

He looked wholly surprised that she had gotten him something, and it only stoked her excitement. There was something really wholesome about giving someone a gift and having it land well; even if they didn't like it, it was so satisfying when someone was really happy that they had been thought of. Each gift had been thoughtfully selected, so if it was true that "it was the thought that counts" she imagined that they counted well.

It was something else to see him turn into liquid and fill out the suit in one fluid motion, like something from a movie. She found it a bit cute that he was so eager to put on the suit that he had taken a shortcut to putting it on. There had never been any doubt that it would fit, seeing as he could morph himself into any shape he wanted, but she had gotten a suit tailored for a man taller than herself to get as close to what he liked to turn into when he was displaying as a human man. As she briefly surveyed him in it, she had to admit that it did indeed look good on him.

The suit itself was black with blue stripes down the sides and arms, the suit cutting off at the wrists, angles and the middle of the neck. She had also purchased gloves, a mask/hood sunglasses, and socks, but those didn't need to be put on unless they were actually going out.

She didn't get long to admire him though, as she found herself in his arms with his lips giving her their own thank you on her lips and face. Again, he hadn't asked whether he could kiss her, but then again she didn't feel that his actions had been inappropriate. He was expressing his joy physically and that was fine with her.

"You're welcome. I-oop!" Andrea found herself being tipped back unexpectedly, and her hand immediately went to his shoulder in an attempt to find some stability. Though once she was in the position itself, she trusted that he wouldn't drop her. He was far too strong not to be able to support her easily and there was no way in hell he would drop her intentionally, not when his eyes seemed to shine with appreciation. It had taken her breath away, and she only seemed to come back to her senses when he asked about his butt.

The woman blinked, blushed, and then laughed. "I am appalled that you would accuse a lady of looking at a man's butt! Now that you're asking though..." Her hand squeezed his ass playfully, "if I wasn't a refined lady, I would say that your butt is nicely plump."

"Also, if you're wondering what the other thing is, it’s an Amazing echo. So, when I’m sleeping, or I’m busy with something and you want something to do, you can listen to music, have it read you books, tell you information, or order things. Though if you’re going to order things, I’m not sure how much of a grasp you have on money and its worth, so I would give you a limit on that. You use it by speaking to it, so it doesn’t require you to access a bright screen or anything.”

She beamed at him, very proud of her purchase. "I really wanted you to have a way to explore, even if you couldn't physically go out in the daytime. You can find out more about what you do and don't like, and learn more about things that interest you."

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta went from drinking in Andrea's reaction to letting out an appreciative chuckle as she squeezed his butt, "I'm glad my lady approves." he glistened, flashing a playful grin.

Then she explained the other gift and Vanta's eyes went wide. It wasn't just a good gift, it was a most wondrous one. Vanta had knowledge, some from observation and some from...wherever his knowledge came from but he had difficulty learning. Now Andrea was offering him a method to actually learn about the world he used to only haunt in the past. Vanta was suddenly filled with an almost child like glee and soon spun Andrea around, twirling her closer and closer as he raised her back up and slowly wrapped his free arm around her back. by the time the twirling ended, Vanta had wrapped his beloved in a tight embrace and began speaking with all of the enthusiasm he could muster.

"It can do all that? That's amazing!!!" He almost squealed, "Can we turn it in now? This is so exciting, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Vanta said, his lips moving a mile a minute." Vanta suddenly caught himself and calmed down, an embarrassed look crossing his face, "What I mean is, I'm really grateful for this gift. I've never had anyone consider me or what I might want before."

Vanta felt an involuntary shudder in his eyelids and soon felt his face painfully contorting. Before he could question what was going on, tears began to form and roll out from his tear ducts and splatter down on Andrea. He was crying.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying," Vanta said, rubbing his eyes, "I feel so happy right now and you did something so wonderful for me but I can't stop these things." ...or rather, he could but a part of him didn't want to. It would be simple to merely cut off the ducts, forcibly relax his muscles, and turn the tears back into shadow but that would be hiding how he felt.

Through his joyous tears, Vanta looked down at Andrea and kissed her forehead, "Thank you Andrea, you are so wonderful. You not only gave me these gifts but you let me experience a happy cry. I love you." He said, holding her tight, "I wish I could offer you something as wonderful but all I did was clean a bit." He thought about how precious Andrea was to him. Every day with her was like a new miracle.

"I'm sorry I've been kissing you on the lips without permission," He spoke, "I was so caught up in my attraction for you that I wasn't thinking," He positioned his face in front of hers, remembering the distance of their first kiss, "May I give you a proper, long kiss? I don't know if my words alone can express how I feel right now."

 

[Poprockz]

Though the spinning made her mildly dizzy, she was very happy to see his unbridled joy once he knew what her gift was. His motor-mouth made her laugh until she saw his eyes start to well up and then start to shed his own black tears. She looked at him in wonder, reaching up to his cheek and wiping some of his tears away with her thumb. He was truly crying for joy. While she hoped he would like her gift, she hadn't expected for him to be so profoundly touched. The last time he had cried, she had been holding his dying body in her arms, though she was very grateful that these tears were of a complete opposite nature.

"It's okay," she said kindly, a warm smile on her face. "I wasn't going to get into it with you just yet, but sometimes people's relationships have nuance that goes beyond "asking" and more has to do with sensing whether the other person is okay with it based on body language and their disposition towards you. Anyway..." Andrea could almost feel his passion, like a water balloon that was about to pop, a soft breath carrying to her own lips as though it was an envoy preparing her for what was to come.

"My feet are actually kind of sore, so I would like to take off my shoes and get off my feet for a few moments, but after that I wouldn't mind if you gave me a thank-you kiss." She couldn't bring herself to say that it would be a 'proper, long kiss' but she found her heart starting to quicken in anticipation. Andrea waited for him to let her go so she could remove her footwear and such; she really needed to get herself a more comfortable pair.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta's sensitive fingers could feel Andrea's pulse quicken through her skin. His own heart began to beat with a rabid tempo. He had heard her words but lustful need for her made him consider a different interpretation of her words. With a swift movement, He dipped Andrea down and then, balancing her in one arm, while the other hand snaked its way under and behind her legs and transitioned the young woman into a bridal carry. He beamed down at her.

"Here, let me get you off your feet and-" his under her legs transitioned into a mass of tentacles that poured out and snaked down to her feet, the strong, flexible digits splitting into smaller tendrils that diligently worked her shoelaces off, then deftly removed her shoes and laid them down on the floor gently before they retracted back into a strong hand that was supporting her bottom half, "take off these shoes." He then leaned in close till the tips of their noses were touching, "and I think it's been a few moments so," his lips moved and pressed against hers as his eyes closed. The kiss was slow, as though Vanta wanted to savor the return of his beloved's lips. He noted the feel of her lips and without opening his eyes, he began walking to the living room.

He cradled Andrea to him, the suit giving him a different experience of holding Andrea's lovely form than he normally experienced but all this did was excite Vanta more as it made his new nerves focus more on the meeting of their lips. By the time he reached the couch, Vanta's lips had worked Andrea's open and as his tongue stretched out to tease her bottom lip, he laid her down and pressed her into the couch, his own body kneeling next to it. His left hand guided her head to a throw pillow and then ran through her silken hair, while his right worked up from her legs, to her side and then around her back, where he embraced her.

He sighed and moaned as he deepened the kiss, warming himself as he reached the point where they would need to take a breath. While it had started as an act of lust, Vanta now could only focus on the warmth and comfort he got from being with Andrea. He tried to will his gratitude and love for her through his warmth and touch, to convey what his still clumsy words and acts often failed, to let his appreciation be known.

With a final sigh, Vanta broke the kiss and stared down lovingly at Andrea, "Thank you for everything, Andrea."

 

[Poprockz]

For a moment, Andrea almost thought that Vanta was going to try to convince her otherwise as he dipped her down like he had previously. It would have been a step in the wrong direction, and she was prepared to chastise him for not listening to her when she felt him lift her from the floor all of a sudden. Though the logical side of her knew he would never drop her, she had quickly relocated her hands to his shoulders for something to hold onto. She had to admit that his way of doing things indeed accomplished what she had been looking to do in a way that was more expeditious. He was nothing if not clever... and perhaps a bit impatient she thought to herself in amusement.

He had asked for a long kiss, but she wasn't sure how long he meant their kiss to be. She supposed she would just have to find out as he pressed his lips tenderly against hers. The young woman's lips were soft and just a touch waxy, having applied some cherry lip balm earlier. Her eyes closed as well until he started moving, at which time they popped open to get her bearings and figure out why they were moving. It was soon apparent that he was moving them to the couch where she could sit down, so her eyelids once again sank down, content to trust that he would deliver them safely.

Instead of being sat down on the plush piece of furniture though, she found herself being laid down, though at this point she was hardly paying much attention to what he was doing with anything other than his lips. He most certainly didn't have to use chapstick, and yet his lips were as soft as ever. Expressive too. It was as though he had started off simply savoring her before his surge of gratitude built up into a release of passion.

When had her hand ended up caressing his head with his ear in-between the V made from her thumb and index finger. Her other hand was on his waist above his hip, and it was a new experience to feel that material on him rather than his own... skin? body? matter? Her fingertips moved in small, slow circles as she got a feeling for it.

"Thank you for everything, Andrea."
As if he had to say it- he had already said it loud and clear with that devious mouth of his.

Andrea panted softly and looked up at him, noticing that he wasn't... quite on top of her. It was more that his top half was while his bottom half knelt nearby, perhaps to make sure that she didn't feel like he was trying to seduce her on the couch. It helped her to feel a bit less flustered- though her cheeks were still pink from the lustful energy of the kiss.

"You're very welcome," She answered with a small chuckle, "And um, for the record, I very much appreciate you helping me with house stuff and cleaning. I'm not sure I've ever seen the house so clean before."

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta looked down at Andrea's blushing face, every fiber of his being wanting nothing more than to reconnect their lips, to spend the whole evening letting Andrea feel his love and appreciation for her.

Yet...that was why he had the surprise for later.

Instead, Vanta rose up and worked his way to the other end of the couch. He raised Andrea's legs and slid his body under them, the new clothing making it a far more awkward movement than he was used to, and sat her feet down in his lap. His exposed hands reached out, and formed little globes around her feet. Andrea's socks were ejected out of the globes and Vanta smiled at Andrea.

"You're welcome for the cleaning. It wasn't hard and it's honestly nice to be able to help someone." He looked wistfully at her, "You've awakened me to a lot new concepts Andrea and gratitude is one of them. It's strange, even a week ago, i don't think I would have seen the benefit in showing someone that I was thankful," He smiled, "Here, let me take care of these tired little feet." The globes of shadowy flesh warmed around Andrea's feet and Vanta, remembering a strange gift Andrea's father had gotten for her mother one mother's day, Created little pliable nubs around the soles of her feet and even between her toes. The little nubs warmed and began to press and squish into her Feet and then began to vibrate.

"How does that feel?" Vanta asked as he massaged her feet. He continued for a bit, for once not focusing on the intimacy of the act but rather her reaction. He wanted her to be comfortable and relaxed before he showed her his surprise for later.

When he was sure she was satisfied, he released the globes.

"Now then, can I help you make dinner?"

 

[Poprockz]

She watched him curiously as he moved into position at the other end of the couch, wondering if perhaps he simply liked the physical contact. Sometimes when she would hang out with her friend Molly, they would do something similar where one of them would drape their legs over the others’ lap while watching movies together. It brought about a feeling of closeness while still being a very casual gesture.

There was a moment of surprise as she watched the socks whizzing out of the globes, each one landing in on opposite sides of the room. It was quite comical, the action bringing an amused smile to her face.

Gratitude… yes, no doubt it wasn’t something he had experience before. As a creature of fear, he didn’t have to worry about his food supply. There would always be humans to scare and he never needed their permission to feed from them. As such, there had been no need for gratitude. Maybe he would have felt gratitude that Andrea would chose to hold him while he died, but she figured the primary feelings at the time had been regret, fear, and loneliness.

Andrea was distracted by such thoughts when he started to massage her feet. Wow… the warmth, the pressure, the vibration… it was heavenly. She sighed and let her head rest back against the pillows. Usually she didn’t like people touching her feet, but if he was this skilled at massaging, then she would simply have to make an exception. Where he had seen a foot massages, she wasn’t sure, but she thanked whoever it was in her head.

“It feels… Amazing. I think we have to add foot massages to the list of things you’re best at.” And truly, she wasn’t exaggerating. Perhaps if she had to write it out, “kissing” and “being alive” would be tied for first place, and this would be a close second. By the time he was done, her feet felt fully rejuvenated.

It took her a second to surface from the relaxation of the massage, but her brain registered what he said after a moment. “What? Oh, yeah if you want to help, you’re welcome to. I think I’m just going to make creamy mushroom chicken pasta, and a broccoli.” Basically, it was like fettuccine Alfredo, but with a mushroom crème sauce.

With that, she got up and led him to the kitchen, getting out the ingredients and getting to work. He had been placed in charge of boiling the noodles and steaming the broccoli (under her supervision, of course.” Every now and then she would come over to check on how he was doing, and when he was done, she let him take over stirring the sauce while she took a minute to set up the Amazing Echo in the living room.

It didn’t take long, and soon she took over the sauce again, chatting about what she had done while she was out shopping, how she found the right clothing items, and about the issue with all the tile she had now.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta followed Andrea's instructions to the letter and listened to her all the while, practically humming as he enjoyed the casual conversation and the act of creation with something that was not made of his flesh. He listened to the events of her day and then her troubles with the tiling.

Vanta continued to stir the sauce as his thoughts turned to a possible solution,

"If you'd like Andrea, I could try and use that "Amazing Echo" after you go to bed tonight and I could learn about tiling. I was able to figure out how to paint, I'm sure I could figure out how to tile." Vanta said confidently...though even he had to admit that, unlike painting, which he had at least seen some people do in the past, even if it was just children and water colors.

Vanta looked at the sauce and the pasta. He had already had so many new experiences today, would it be so wrong to ask one more?

"Andrea...if it's not too much trouble," He said, his stirring slowing and his eyes searching for anywhere that wouldn't have him looking at Andrea's eyes, "Could I try joining you for dinner? I wouldn't eat much, I just want to share another experience with you."

He resumed his prior pace with his stirring and waited to hear Andrea's response. He doubted she would rebuke him but for him to ask felt like a major imposition.

 

[Poprockz]

“Well…” she had responded slowly, if you want to research it, you absolutely can. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to fix this for me though- even though I appreciate you wanting to help, even you have limits.”

That had been her reply in that regard. Tiling from the looks of it didn’t seem too complicated, but she wasn't an expert and she didn't know what-all went into it. Her godfather had talked it up as though his contribution to her house would be one of the most important parts to the renovation. It was anyone's guess how true that claim was, but she knew he liked talking himself up.

His request surprised her, but it wasn't the sort of request she would turn down. He was a curious being, and she had wondered whether he wanted to explore his palate by trying the meal. Maybe he would end up disliking broccoli and loving the cream sauce- it was a new world for him to step into, being that there were so many flavors. He seemed to like the creamy coffee that morning though, so she imagined he might like the pasta dish.

That being said... Andrea glanced at the window; it was starting to get dark. While she had made the dinner while it was still light out, the cloud-cover that had been beneficial while the sun was strong now made the evening darker than it would have otherwise been. While it wouldn't be the prettiest nor sexiest thing in the world as there would probably be more than one cream-drips on herself, she supposed she could eat in the dark if need be if it meant that he could be allowed to share a meal with her.

He was given a friendly smile and she shrugged. "They say that eating with someone else makes the food taste better. Go ahead and set the table with two plates, two forks, two spoons, two wine glasses, and the salt and pepper, please. I'll grab the pasta and stuff and dish us up."

The wine glasses weren't actually for wine- while she did have wine, she had bought some apple cider to have. She didn't think that either of them needed any alcohol at the moment. Perhaps that sort of experience would be another day for him.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta accepted her shrug with a grin of his own and set the table. He was tempted to set their places next to each other so he could wrap an arm around her and hold her to him but instead set his utensils and placemat across the table from Andrea. Vanta was still wearing the SPF Suit so his ability to shapeshift was limited but he was fine with that: he wanted to show that he could get through a meal without needing to have physical contact with Andrea...as much as he was desperate to wrap himself around her.

Vanta finished placing the shakers and the rest of the necessities on the table and then, seeing Andrea was preparing to bring over the food, took his seat. He spent the time arranging his innards, creating a stomach and intestinal system.

"Thank you for letting me dine with you Andrea." He said, holding a fork and spoon like he had seen many people do over the years.

 

[Poprockz]

“You’re welcome,” she answered cheerfully, taking the pan of pasta and setting it on the table with a heat-mat under it. Andrea leaned over and dished him up a healthy portion of noodles before doing the same for herself.

“Now I know you said that you wouldn’t need that much, but I really don’t mind if you eat a normal portion.” The young woman spoke as she made her way back to the kitchen to grab the broccoli. “If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it though. Everyone has their own palate, so something that tastes amazing to me might be gross to you.”

He was dished up some broccoli, continuing to speak. “Don’t feel pressured to eat it if you don’t like it, okay? I won’t be offended if you dislike anything at this table.”

She poured some apple cider into each of their glasses. “Oh! And I also have dessert if you’re feeling up to it later.”

With that, she sat down and scooted her chair closer to the table.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta looked at the food like a bird might look at a particularly shiny rock. He put his fork into the pasta, twirled it until it was wrapped around the fork's tines and then sealed the bundle of noodles in by spiking a piece of broccoli. He put the combination in his mouth and began to chew. It was strange. When he touched and tasted Andrea, he was able to feel her blood course through her and feel her body's warmth though the physical connection. The pasta however had a warmth from being cooked and while organic, wasn't living.

However, that wasn't to say there was no pleasure in the act of eating it. As he chewed, Vanta's tongue began to salivate and its more developed tastebuds began to not only take in the rich flavor but also the multiple textures contained within the food. Soon the experience wafted from his mouth to his brain and Vanta felt a surge of endorphins and dopamine light up his emulation of a brain. With a slight expansion of his throat, Vanta soon swallowed the first bite and was hit by a new type of pleasure as it sunk past his esophagus and went down into his belly.

Vanta sat with the experience for a moment and then, with a content smile he plunged his fork into the pasta and once again twirled it around the tines and then ate another bite, and then another.

"This is really good Andrea!" he said after another bite, "Eating is...different but this is really enjoyable. Where did you learn to cook this well?"

 

[Poprockz]

He was watched with interest as he took his first few bites, her eyes searching his face to see his reaction to the flavors. It didn't seem like he disliked it, having not recoiled from the first bite. She was hopeful that he might actually enjoy it and was relieved to hear the confirmation of this from his own mouth.

A smile of pride couldn't be contained as she answered him, "thank you! I learned how to cook from my dad. When I was old enough, he would call Fridays "Freaky Food Fridays" and we would cook or bake in the kitchen. I think he called it that so that I wouldn't feel too bad if something turned out weird. After enough of those, I'm now pretty decent at feeding myself as an adult."

She took a bite of her own food and swallowed, happy with how it had turned out. Her foot shuffled under the table and she found her foot bumping into his. It wasn't often that she ate with someone so tall; she would have to be more considerate of him in that regard going forward. "Oh, sorry about that," she apologized, moving her foot closer to her chair leg.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta smiled at her explanation, imagining a younger Andrea learning to cook with her father. He felt her foot kick him and he was more surprised by the contact than he was hurt so he merely smiled.

"It's okay Andrea, it didn't hurt." He smiled. He thought of how she had enjoyed the footrub he had given her and let his own feet stretch out into little, swarms of tentacles which reached out and caressed her foot. He took another bite as his lower tentacles swarmed around her toes and wrapped around the sole of her foot, "Are your feet feeling better? I can give them another massage if you'd like."

He kept eating, letting his tentacled feet go to work autonomously while he thought of a topic he could converse on. As he thought a memory came to him. It was one he never recalled having. He was sitting in a simple wooden structure with a woman who was not much older than Andrea but had heavily calloused hands and wore roughly sewn clothes. She looked past him as she ate, as though she could not see him despite him sitting right across from her. In a strange tongue she would ask if he was enjoying his meal and he would rap on the small wooden table to indicate 'yes' but he would instead subtly take bits of the food and transfer it to her bowl.

"It's been a long time since I shared a meal with anyone and I think the last time I just pretended to eat and enjoy it so I wouldn't hurt their feelings, but this is the first time I've ever gotten to really enjoy a meal." he mused, half expressing his delight and half processing the new memory aloud.

 

[Poprockz]

Having not expected the caress of his tentacles on her feet, she had flinched in surprise at the first touch. Thankfully she wasn’t extremely ticklish, so she only squirmed a little bit before getting used to him again. Part of it was not being able to see him coming. She had to admit though that it was impressive that he could rub her feet, eat, and converse at the same time.

“Oh, um. They do feel better, and you don’t have to, but I won’t say no if you want to,” she replied to him, taking another bite of pasta. Besides the feeling of being massaged, in a way it felt like they were holding hands. Well, kind of. It was like holding hands if little tendrils came up to flick her wrist occasionally. She could feel them lightly touch her ankle every now and then, which made the whole gesture feel a little more intimate.

Then she heard what he said next.

She blinked.

Wait, he shared meals with someone and pretended to eat to save their feelings? Since when did he have the awareness to do so? As far as she was aware he used to be a being that was only concerned with feeding on fear and contemplating his existence under the lonely darkness of the new moon.

“Who was it?” She asked curiously. “I didn’t think you used to be capable of that sort of consideration.” Andrea paused and cringed, looking down at her plate. “I’m sorry, that was a rude thing to say. I just meant- I mean, I suppose I just thought-“ her mouth went dry and she had to take a swig of her cider.

She had thought that he had merely been a creature who gave no thought to others’ feelings. If he had the capacity to understand the emotional impact he could have on others, then it was almost worse that he continued tormenting children regardless. It indicated that he might have been cruel rather than ignorant, and that was an uncomfortable thought. Could years of cruelty be removed from one’s character after a rebirth, or was it merely dormant? Vanta had only treated her kindly since being reborn, but at the same time, she hadn’t done anything to piss him off yet. Josh had loved her and treated her well when things were good, but his cruelty came out when he was frustrated or displeased with her.

It reminded her that she truly didn’t know Vanta well. While she had known him as the villain of her childhood, the more modern Vanta had only been around her for a couple days at most. Before any of that though, who could say how old Vanta truly was. It was conceivable that he had been around since the first human could be afraid, making him at least several thousand years old. Perhaps she was getting too comfortable with him, moving too fast. It was strange how a simple comment reminiscing about his past could make her feel the need for some distance between them.

“Please just forget I said anything. Tell me more about your friend.” Andrea added quickly, taking another forkful of pasta. Though she tried to keep her expression casual, she fixed her eyes on either her plate, drink, or a spot on the table.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta frowned at Andrea's initial comment though he couldn't argue with her confusion. Mere days earlier he had been a beast who had been consumed by gluttonous thoughts that made him see Andrea as mere prey that he had a right to feed on whenever he wanted. When she asked for clarification he put his fork down and sighed.

"I suppose I should clarify that even I don't know. Before today, the first memory I had was waking up under the bed of a child and eating their fear when they heard me scratching the bottom of their bed. Today however, I started having memories I had never had before." He pantomimed a set of wings, "Do you remember the winged form I took this morning? I don't remember ever taking that form before today but for a moment I remembered a time where I had dozens of people in simple clothes surrounding me, offering me food I couldn't eat and bowing to me while I sat on a carved chair."

Vanta put his arms down and then thought about the memory he had just had, "But the memory I had of my last meal I only just had. It was in a small..hut? I think. I didn't know how to make organs or a working tongue, so I just pretended to eat." He pushed himself back into that memory but felt a wave of unease, as though he was intruding on something private, "I don't know her name...or maybe it's more that I don't remember it. She wore very simple clothes...woven, I think the term is. I don't think she was able to see me. She might have been blind."

The memory began to expand and Vanta soon found himself sitting across the table from the woman. He was trying to put more of his food on her plate when her hand suddenly reached out and snapped up one of his tentacles.

"If you don't like the food you can just say so." Her voice was like honeyed laugh and she didn't seem to be angry, "Did you at least try some?"

"Yes." A voice that was nothing like Vanta's but could have only come from him, "But you need it more."

"I don't think that's true...it's the day of our wedding, isn't it?" She asked, gripping his tentacle in a pair of wrinkled hands. The tentacle began to shudder and became a hand that was joined by its brother around the old woman's.

"YES." Vanta's body swirled and became a vortex of darkness. Every inch of the room was covered in his shadowy flesh and the woman was none the wiser, holding onto his hand. The flesh began to close around her.

"Is it night time?" The flesh moved up her legs, "Oh my, my dear little Einn, such an eager young man...it's all right, I'm ready. I love you Einn."

"I..."
"GRANDMA!!!" a scream suddenly filled hut and a searing light tore through Vanta's flesh, incinerating him. The woman cried out and desperately grabbed at his hand as it turned to ash in her grip...and then the memory ended.


Vanta looked at Andrea and bit his lip, "I think she knew that I was faking eating but she didn't seem to mind. She was also much older than you. She seemed to like my company. she caught me sliding food onto her plate so she took my hand and laughed about it. She was very warm," He said, rattling off every spare detail he could think of, "I think she had known me for some time...but she called me Ein...for some reason. We talked and..." He stopped, should he mention that she had said she loved him? That they were supposed to have their wedding, which seemed to involve him eating her?...He instead tried to cover by skipping to the end, "We were talking and holding hands...and her grandson came in blasting the sun onto me...and I died." He put his fork in the pasta and grabbed another bite, "So if nothing else tonight's dinner is going a lot better than that," he laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

 

[Poprockz]

"Hmm..." she hummed thoughtfully, her eyes drawn to the way he bit his lip. Regardless of the fact that it was a nervous gesture, she couldn't help but think to herself that he looked rather handsome doing it.

So at one point he was likely worshipped as a demon or god, which made sense in a way, considering his abilities. He was very powerful when he wanted to be, even warping reality around himself to suit his needs. Though she had to wonder what he offered his worshippers in return.

As far as the woman went, she could tell he was uncomfortable with the memory, but she couldn't put her finger on why. It seemed as though he and the older woman were close. He cared enough about her to put his food back onto her plate instead of putting it in his mouth, holding it in a pouch on the inside, and ejecting the uneaten morsels once he was not being observed. It indicated that he didn't want to waste the food that he knew would nourish her. He also described as 'warm,' and she wondered if he meant it in a metaphorical sense as well as a physical.

She pictured him sitting at a table with an older woman, the two of them holding hands, chatting, and laughing... It was hard to picture with the way he used to be. Perhaps he had lost a part of himself when he died that day, and a bit of his humanity with it. It didn't make sense though why he would die this time and come back with more humanity. While the love one had for a romantic partner could be strong, if he truly knew this woman for a long time then he likely loved her deeply as a friend. Well, that is if it wasn't more. Why wasn't his love enough back then to cause the same sort of change?

Perhaps it was cyclical though, like the cycles of the moon. Vanta would grow in consciousness and humanity until something happened to reset him, upon which time he would revert back to a creature of fear and hunger. She couldn't help but wonder if the woman was like herself. Did he stay with her and watch her grow old, staying by her side until he was finally discovered and killed by her grandson? Was Andrea just another woman in a long line of women that one day he would simply bury in his memory? The thought of it made her stomach twist, and she took a drink of her cider. If only it had some booze in it.

This was supposed to be a nice dinner, and "rotten attitudes made for rotten food" as her dad liked to say. So, she pushed those thoughts to the side and tried to engage in the conversation without spoiling the mood further.

Finally she used her napkin to wipe her mouth and said, "Perhaps she was German. Eine is the German word for the number one. Perhaps you were important enough to her for her to give you that name." She thought about it for a moment before asking, "since Ein predates Vanta, would you like me to call you Ein, going forward?"

It would be an awkward adjustment for her at first, but she figured she could do it if it felt better for him.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta thought of what Andrea was offering and slowly shook his head. "I appreciate the thought, Andrea but even if I was known as Ein at some point, I feel that I am Vanta. It's the name that you gave me and it's the name I feel the most comfortable with. While I may have been Ein at some point, I am Vanta and that's who I want to be." He looked at Andrea, "Does that make any sense?" He asked, almost as much for himself as for her.

It was confusing. It was clear Vanta had lived more than one lifetime yet while he could briefly place himself in the viewpoint of those memories, he still felt like a stranger. It also unnerved him: while Vanta liked to think he was the most mature and developed he had ever been, it was clear there had been times where he had desires past devouring emotions and sating his lusts. He thought of how his previous self had sought to swallow the older woman whole...was that the "wedding" he had wanted? Was this relationship with Andrea meant to be a lengthy foreplay before a climactic feast? ...he didn't want that...did he?

Vanta looked up at Andrea, "I know at least she was happy the last time I saw her," He put himself back in Ein's memory, "And whoever I was at that time, it made that me happy that she felt that way." He ate another forkful, "I suppose that's one connection I do have with Ein: I do want the person I care about to be happy...but now I can enjoy her wonderful meals." He let his foot reach out and caught her foot, giving it a slight massage, "And I can try to use my words and actions to show that I care for her and how much I appreciate her." He smiled shyly. Despite the awkwardness of the moment, he still wanted tonight and his plan for tonight to go ahead.

 

[Poprockz]

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. Yes, it made sense to her, that line of thinking. Ein was like a past iteration of himself. Since then, he had been reborn into someone who might have been entirely different from the being he was previously. Part of her was secretly pleased that he had chosen the name she had given him.

Andrea blushed as he continued, both because of the caress of his foot and his claim that he wanted to show her that he cared and appreciated her.

“And technically we’re tentatively engaged- that’s a big difference too,” she chuckled. “Oh, and maybe this version of you is the first to get roped into home improvement.” Another bite of her pasta was taken.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta chuckled at Andrea's joke, "I certainly don't remember painting and tiling from any of my memories before today...and I don't remember anyone wearing an engagement ring." Vanta paused as he said the second half of that sentence. It was the truth: he certainly had never given a ring to anyone before Andrea (that he knew of)...but the woman from his memory had said it was the day of their wedding...but that couldn't be what he wanted from Andrea was it? No, even if his more malevolent self of a few days prior had surrounded her and submerged her without her consent, he hadn't wanted to devour her. So even if he had once pledged to marry a woman before Andrea, it was a different intention than the marriage he wanted with Andrea.

Or at least, that was the justification he was wielding as a shield against any potential guilt.

Hoping to change the topic, Vanta spooled the rest of the spaghetti onto his fork and opened his mouth wide, consuming it in one glorious bite. Vanta chewed heartily, allowing the different flavors and texture to work their way around in his mouth before swallowing it in a way that briefly expanded his throat like a snake's. Vanta then smiled at Andrea with a large grin.

"Delicious. It had a robust flavor and was extremely satisfying...I'd say it was the second most delicious thing I tasted today." He gave Andrea a playful wink as he remembered her setting her crotch against his mouth that morning and the wonderful experience of being allowed to lick her. He let his tentacled feet play with hers but, to even his surprise, he didn't try to make a move on Andrea. Instead he folded his hands and looked solemnly, first at the table, and then at Andrea.

"I do really enjoy this Andrea. I know I can come on very strong," The words seemed to almost come from outside of Vanta, "but I enjoy these relaxed moments just as mush as when we're being physically intimate. I know it might seem strange considering my past but I don't know when I've ever felt as relaxed as I do now. So thank you for allowing me this rare pleasure." He blinked and seemed to catch himself, "What about you Andrea? Would you say you prefer when you can relax, or when you're being active?"

The question was partially another distraction to try and keep Andrea from wondering about his sudden changes in tone but it was also one he wanted to explore. Vanta had been a hunter for so long that he hadn't really relaxed, he had merely lay in wait for his prey, which was always a tense yet exciting time. Now, he had replaced it with planning for how to please Andrea, and had allowed his thoughts to center on her. Yet...yet now he felt relaxed and at ease. He didn't necessarily like it more than when he was planning for how to please Andrea and he certainly wouldn't mind becoming physically intimate with her. Yet, just having her company was pleasing.

 

[Poprockz]

She glanced at her ring as he mentioned it. The funny thing was that ever since he had "died," she hadn't thought to take it off. The thing fit perfectly on her finger as though it was a part her now, snug enough not to move around at all, yet not tight enough to squeeze her. If she wasn't able to feel the fact that it was a metal object, she might have wondered whether the inner part of the ring moulded itself perfectly to her like elastic.

It was also good to hear that her food had been tasty to him, even if watching his mouth widen like that was a bit disconcerting. Perhaps it was the fact that he was wearing a human form that made it uncomfortable, as something in her brain was telling her that human mouths shouldn't be able to unhinge like a snake's. Maybe if he was in another form it would have seemed more natural.

Second thing he ate? But she hadn't given him any- oh wait. He was either talking about the coffee or her pussy, and judging by the wink he gave her, it was the latter. Her eyes looked away from him and down at her pasta shyly, recalling how his tongue had dived into her like a man finally getting water in the desert.

When he next spoke, she wondered if she was imagining things with the way his voice sounded different. She could see his mouth moving, but it was as though the sound both was and wasn't originating from it. Why it was doing that, she wasn't sure, but she assumed it might have something to do with the food, possibly? In any case, he was being heartfelt so she endeavored to listen to him closely.

A small smile came to her. "I think the word you're looking for might be "contentment." It's that relaxed feeling you get when you feel at peace with simply being as you are without having to do or say anything. It's the quiet moments where you're satisfied with what you have, and simply want to enjoy the warm feeling that it gives you. A lot of people search for contentment their whole lives, but I think if you're mindful, you can find it in the moments between... if that makes sense."

Her fork was put down onto her plate and she continued. "As for me... That's a tough question. I..."

She struggled with the right words for a moment. "-have a really hard time relaxing. There have been times when my doctor suggested taking anxiety medication, but I don't think I really need anything like that, and I've been working really hard with my therapist to work toward being able to let my walls down more. When I'm active, I can focus on tasks, or conversations, or work, but when I just stop and let the quiet in, it feels... unsettling."

A troubled look followed her words, and she took a drink. "All my fears and doubts seem to come to me during those moments, and it makes me feel really alone and powerless."

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

"Contentment. Yes, that's a perfect word for it." Vanta said, rolling the word around in his head, as though he were swirling it around in the feeling he was experiencing, making the two into one. He was so pleased he even smiled as he worked the word over in his head.

Then Andrea started talking and a look of concern crossed his face. For Vanta, the dark and quiet was his home. The thought that it brought no comfort to her...well, in some ways...quite a few ways, it made perfect sense. He hadn't exactly made the dark comfortable for her as a child, and now she had years of other trauma to join her in the dark.

Vanta rose and put his hand on Andrea.

"Andrea, I'm not a doctor and maybe medication would be good for you...but could I try to help you with that? This feeling, this "contentment," it's something I'd like you to be able to feel too." An idea surfaced in his head, "when you're done eating, I think I might have an idea for how you can relax. You don't have to but..." He tried to stretch but found the suit trapped him, He instead circled around the table and hugged her side, "I want to help you."

 

[Poprockz]

Andrea blinked and patted his shoulder, wondering what exactly it was that he was going to suggest.

She had felt brief moments of contentment before. Like when she was watching a movie while nestled in-between her parents, or quietly chatting with her friend Molly at a sleepover… to her it was a feeling of safety and warmth, of comfort and love. They were few and far between, but they had been sprinkled through her life.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m not sure what you want to do. Like… isn’t it only recently that you’ve experienced anxiety and fear?” Andrea hated to call him out on it, but while he had certainly been the expert at inflicting unease upon people, he didn’t have a very good track record of being a source of comfort other than when he had helped her calm down after her nightmare.

 

[Brandnewbuddy]

Vanta took the question in stride with a slight smile, "you're not wrong but I do have centuries of experience having to be by myself and you won't believe how many households had people in them who would play self help and relaxation tapes during the day...I think I can come up with something that will help you. I won't force you, but I'd really like to try and see if it helps. Let me get set up in the living room while you think it over. If you don't want to, just come in and let me know. If you'd like to try though, put on some comfortable clothes and come in there."

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and gave her a gentle hug. He took his plate to the sink and, when he was sure Andrea wasn't looking, grew his hand out into a large maw that swallowed the plate and quickly ate off all the leftover debris from the plate, which he then spat back up and then rinsed and left it to soak in the sink.

With that finished, Vanta walked to the living room and stripped out of his suit, feeling oddly self-conscious as he bared himself. He maintained his humanoid form while he folded the suit and laid it atop the couch. The moment he was done however, he collapsed into a pile of jelly and then spread himself over the floor and then stretched out from that position to cover the curtains, and reinforce them against the light. The room was now in a dark twilight that barely illuminated the sight of Vanta growing into a large slab that seemed to jiggle as it grew upwards. It soon grew until it was the size of Andrea's bed. The top of it seemed to ripple like water and and small mouths opened on the side which projected sounds of rain. The eldritch mattress seemed to breath as Vanta waited for Andrea to arrive. He had decided to combine a number of ideas to allwo Andrea to experience the ultimate relaxation.