Zayzann practically leapt out of the truck as Gerry shifted to park in the darkened lot. A single overhead streetlamp flickered briefly over the Paxoram as he strode over to intercept his roommate from his rival. Mr. Cavendish gave him a friendly nod in greeting, but Zayzann refused to acknowledge the gesture, and approached Iris instead.
“Oh, hi there.” Iris grinned at Zayzann as he approached, though his sharp eyes detected weariness in her smile. “Are you just getting home, too?”
“Yes, that’s right. I just finished another successful trip on the river.” Zayzann inched closer to her as much as he could get away with in present company. “Oh, you haven’t met my friend. He’s the one who taught me how to fish.”
“Evenin’ ma’am, sir.” Gerald shuffled over to the trio and removed his tattered fishing hat carefully to avoid catching his fingers on one of the decorative fishing hooks that dangled from the brim. “I’ve heard lots about you from Zayne here. I feel like we’re fast friends already.”
“You must be Gerald. Oh, it is a pleasure, sir.” Iris reached out with her tiny, frigid hands to give Gerry a vigorous greeting. With how warm and friendly she was, it was easy for Gerry to guess that this woman was the object of Zayzann’s interest. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to finally put a face to a name. You’re the first friend Zayne has brought home, and he sings your praises.”
Zayzann instinctively ran his hand over his head and brushed his blue locks back, forgetting that his cranial feathers were hidden, and that he had no need to conceal them in embarrassment. His cheeks and throat flushed, nonetheless, as Iris’s ceaseless complements poured out when she shook Gerry’s hand.
“Well, thank you, ma’am. The name’s Gerald, but my friends all call me Gerry. I hope you’ll do me the honor too.” Gerry gave Iris a playful wink, which drew the interest of Mr. Cavendish and Zayzann. “Here, lemme get Zayne’s catch from the back, and I’ll get outta your hair. Come on, Zayne.”
Mr. Cavendish squinted at the older man as he trundled to the back of the truck to retrieve their catch of the day. There was something familiar about him, his face, and his manner of speaking, but Cavendish couldn’t place the resemblance. The older man’s familiarity tickled at the back of his mind, like an itch just out of reach.
Where have I seen him before?
Zayzann returned with an enormous cooler stuffed with fish, which Iris congratulated him for catching. He soaked up every admiring comment and eyed Mr. Cavendish with a hint of a smirk. For a moment, he wished he could show off his impressive sapphire-blue plumage, as Zayzann flushed with pride and a satisfied air. Mr. Cavendish gave an approving nod as well, but the Paxoram remained completely uninterested in anything coming from him. Gerry witnessed the entire exchange and thought better than to interrupt or comment.
“Anyhow, you kids take care, ya hear?” Gerry gave a quick wave of his craggy hand and climbed back into his ancient truck. Between Zayzann and Mr. Cavendish, this young woman had fine choices that he didn’t want to get in the way of. Gerry had given counsel on what to do, and the rest was up to Zayzann. “Bye now.”
The truck roared off into the darkness, speeding the fisherman away in his noisy chariot. Zayzann watched intently as the truck took off, leaving Mr. Cavendish to steal a glance at Iris before she turned his way. Taking his cue from the older gentleman, Mr. Cavendish motioned to return to the driver’s side of the sedan, only to be stopped by Iris.
“Won’t you come in for a drink?” Iris tilted her head and knit her eyebrows in anticipation of his answer. She struggled to find an opportunity to spend more time with him and landed on a flimsy excuse. “To, uh, make up for this morning?”
The corners of Mr. Cavendish’s mouth threatened to pull into a grin, but he was stopped cold by the intense stare of Zayzann. He was lurking behind Iris, still carrying the cooler full of fish, and radiating a menacing aura that emanated from his vibrant green eyes. The Paxoram had mentioned he was just her roommate, but his glare betrayed a deeper longing for something that lurked beyond his grasp. Mr. Cavendish decided not to press his luck tonight and opted to wait until morning for another shot at a coffee date.
“It’s a little late for me tonight.” Mr. Cavendish glanced at his opulent watch before locking eyes with Iris once more. “How about a raincheck until tomorrow morning? I still owe you a coffee.”
“I’d like that.” Iris tucked a lock of purple hair behind her ear, and subtly checked her cheek to see if it was warm from blushing. “Same time?”
“Sure thing.” Mr. Cavendish winked. “Sleep well, Iris.”
Iris waved at the black sedan as Mr. Cavendish sped away, and she was unaware of the sunny expression that was still plastered on her face. This jubilant look was not lost on Zayzann, who began emitting a low-frequency rumble that he could neither recognize nor stifle. Fortunately, his human companion remained ignorant of the sound, but it carried all the way to the apartment, and aggravated a pair of much more sensitive ears.
“Greetings, mistress.” Khazmine appeared at the doorway as “Cassie,” with a leather-bound book in her hand, as Iris and Zayzann approached. “I trust you had a pleasant day?”
Iris relayed how busy and tiresome her workday was, while Zayzann shifted back into his Paxoram form and stowed the cooler of fish in the refrigerator. Iris had to manually enter each employee’s comings and goings all morning and through most of the afternoon, until the system miraculously came back online in time for Payroll to cut checks for the next morning. A wave of relief cascaded over Iris as she spoke, as she was finally able to relax after the harrowing worries about missing another mortgage payment subsided.
“I don’t mind telling you both, but it’s a real weight off my shoulders.” Iris sighed deeply as she settled onto the couch to close her eyes for a brief rest. “Without that paycheck, we could have…”
In an instant, Iris succumbed to sleep, having drifted off mid-sentence after her exhaustive workday. Zayzann padded over to pick Iris up and take her to the bedroom, but he wasn’t quick enough to reach her with Khazmine nearby.
The Augment delicately scooped the sleeping woman into her arms and deposited her on the plush mattress, taking great pains to move silently and avoid waking her. Khazmine could still feel and hear the low-frequency rumbling coming from Zayzann, who she met with a hardened sneer once Iris had been dropped off.
“You really ought to knock that off.” Khazmine narrowed her eyes and gestured at Zayzann’s subtly vibrating throat pouch. “Or at least keep it to a reasonable volume.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zayzann protested. The itchy, irritating feeling crept up on him once more, as if each of his feathers were being plucked out.
“Listen, I may not be able to smell your fear, but I can hear your insecurities, little bird.” Khazmine pressed as she perched atop her stool by the wall socket and flipped pages of her book. “Your kind makes that sound when they’re upset. I’ve heard it before.”
“You’re imagining things.” Zayzann scoffed as Khazmine thumbed through the leatherbound tome.
“’Beware of jealousy, for it is a green-eyed monster.’” Khazmine quoted as she eyed Zayzann with a curious stare. “Sounds like someone I know.”
“I haven't the patience tonight for your riddles or motes of wisdom.” Zayzann gritted his teeth and allowed his toe talons to tug at the floor. “Either speak plainly or leave me be.”
“Oh yes, that's you, all right. A green-eyed monster.” Khazmine snapped her book closed with a thud. “I read all about it in one of these old books. I can find you a citation if you’d like…”
Zayzann growled at her once he realized what she was driving at. “I’m no more of a monster than you, machine.”
“I appreciate that.” Khazmine nonchalantly allowed the comment to roll off her without permitting it to take root and fester. “Regardless, you’re acting like one. What are you so worked up about, anyway?”
The front door flung open with the unexpected appearance of a sweaty, energetic archfiend. He walked right into the living room and recoiled at a strong stench of distress pouring out of the Paxoram. The scent was so potent that it forced his eyes to water. Khazmine appeared to be unaware of the stink, which was a blessing, as far as Byxx was concerned.
“Hello there.” Byxx held a hand to his face to covertly cover his nose. “Am I… interrupting something?”
Zayzann readied himself to snap at another potential rival, clicked his talons into position, and inhaled sharply. His muscles relaxed and the urge dissipated instantly, as the Paxoram detected traces of another human all over Byxx. The aroma was sweet, subtle, and familiar, but he was too agitated to focus on its source.
“No, not really.” Khazmine clicked her tongue and feigned interest in her book once more. “We were just having a chat about monsters.”
“Really?” Byxx failed to see how that would irritate Zayzann, but the topic interested him immensely. He dropped his tote bag full of sweaty gym clothes in the hamper and settled on a kitchen chair to hear more. “I was a bit of an expert on local monsters back home, you know.”
Byxx droned on excitedly to Khazmine, who offered comments of her own on beasts both common and exotic. Zayzann rattled his feathers impatiently before excusing himself to sulk on the balcony in human form. Once he was out of earshot, Byxx leaned close to Khazmine to ask his long-held question.
“So… what’s with you two tonight?” Byxx ruffled his bangs amiably. “You guys fight or something?”
“He was being annoying, and I ruffled his feathers about it.” Khazmine admitted. “Not for nothing, but you may want to give him some space for the near future. He’s working through a few things.”
Byxx gave her a lighthearted salute. “Understood. Give a holler if he, uh…”
“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, champion.” Khazmine raised a brow at his awkward offer.
“I know, but… Aw, never mind.” Byxx scoffed and sauntered off to grab a shower. “You’re impossible sometimes.”
All the time, I assure you. Khazmine smirked as she followed Byxx’s retreating swagger towards the bathroom.
Her stool had a clear view of practically every entrance and egress from the dingy little apartment, and she liked it that way. Keeping her eyes and ears on alert reduced the risks of being taken by surprise. She couldn’t afford a hair-trigger response to being startled, especially with so many fragile organics around.
The shower creaked on, and she could hear Byxx raving in that strange language of his about how cold it was. Khazmine was about to return to reading her book when the cellphone vibrated. She reached into her ample pocket to discover a single text message.
“No leads yet. But I got a job at Jesse’s Pool Hall. You interested?”
Khazmine quietly retrieved a change of clothing from Iris’s freshly folded laundry stack on the washer. It was threadbare, but well-loved, and it suited her for the evening’s opportunity. She departed before Byxx emerged from the shower but was spotted by the grumpy Paxoram on the balcony as she stalked towards the shelter to await the night bus.
I wonder where she’s off to then…
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