enticing. Kasha fought not to bring up the last week's worth of food. The monster was most definitely in residence, and a ghastly, garish residence it was. Metallic print wallpaper graced the walls of the living room, along with a truly ugly gold-toned wall sculpture. The furniture had been purchased on the bigger-is-always-better side of taste with loud, mismatched prints and far too much black lacquer and red leather.
Footsteps rang in the front hallway. Kasha crouched, reaching desperately for magic to weave a lightning strike. The threads eluded him. Apparently, the trap exuded a strange magic miasma that scattered his attempts at spell weaving. He believed so until a sharp pain lodged behind his right eye. My promise...
He had sworn to Willem not to use his magic for harm and he was physically incapable of breaking a promise to his heki-sama. Damn, damn, and damn again. If only he had left himself a loophole, as he had when he promised Willem his plans wouldn't hurt any humans or animals. He had specifically omitted ogres from that second promise.
"You may as well come out, you know." The ogre rounded the corner dressed in a silk Armani three-piece and alligator shoes, the attempt at classy dressing ruined by the hideous orange and purple tie and the fact that the jacket sleeves were too short.
Seven feet tall, this ogre was not one of the obese ones. Reminiscent of cartoon versions of death, he was gaunt and hollow eyed, with long white hair caught at the nape of the neck, slicked down with some noxious-smelling hair product. He settled in one of the red leather armchairs, showing rows of sharp, yellow teeth when he smiled.
"Come out, little pretty. Let's see you." The ogre leaned back, hands folded over his stomach. "If you were human, I would have called the police. Breaking and entering. Trespassing. Tsk. What would your master think?"
Unable to think of a reason not to, Kasha crept out from under the sofa and took a seat on the opposite armchair. The leather felt cheap. He curled his tail up into his lap in distaste.
"Such a pretty kasha," the ogre crooned. "I might be tempted to fuck you before I eat you. Of course, I'll have to slice off your adorable little cock and balls first. Nothing better than kasha penis for weather spells."
The casual, urbane civility was much more frightening than a roaring, drooling monster. Kasha shifted uncomfortably, wanting very much to remain attached to his private parts.
"Did you think you could take me unawares?" The ogre's smile widened, showing a disturbing number of jagged teeth. "I sensed a kasha in residence the moment I moved here. I felt your power return to you when you were claimed. Poor little kasha. All that magic and it's merely at the beck and call of some idiot human. What does your master want with me? Does he think I have a hoard of gold in the basement?"
Kasha brushed a paw over his tail, trying to appear as calm as his host and jailer. "Actually, no. It's the house that interests him. Apparently you've stolen it from a friend of his."
"Stolen? Please be careful with such words. They could be considered libelous." He flicked his fingers and a folded sheaf of paper appeared in his hand. "I have the legal deed to this property, free and clear, from the bank which held the remainder of the mortgage. Would you like to glance through it to satisfy your, no doubt, overactive feline curiosity?"
Kasha took the papers gingerly from dubiously clean hands ending in black talons. He had his doubts if a bank could truly grant such property rights prior to seizing land in a foreclosure, but the documents certainly were impressive and would no doubt cause a tangled legal mess in civil court. He had to suppress a snicker at the grantee named in the deed, a Mr. Ignacious M. Ogre, Esq. Does no one possess the imagination for good names any longer?
He folded the deed and placed it beside him on the chair. "It certainly looks in order. I must congratulate you on your
Footsteps rang in the front hallway. Kasha crouched, reaching desperately for magic to weave a lightning strike. The threads eluded him. Apparently, the trap exuded a strange magic miasma that scattered his attempts at spell weaving. He believed so until a sharp pain lodged behind his right eye. My promise...
He had sworn to Willem not to use his magic for harm and he was physically incapable of breaking a promise to his heki-sama. Damn, damn, and damn again. If only he had left himself a loophole, as he had when he promised Willem his plans wouldn't hurt any humans or animals. He had specifically omitted ogres from that second promise.
"You may as well come out, you know." The ogre rounded the corner dressed in a silk Armani three-piece and alligator shoes, the attempt at classy dressing ruined by the hideous orange and purple tie and the fact that the jacket sleeves were too short.
Seven feet tall, this ogre was not one of the obese ones. Reminiscent of cartoon versions of death, he was gaunt and hollow eyed, with long white hair caught at the nape of the neck, slicked down with some noxious-smelling hair product. He settled in one of the red leather armchairs, showing rows of sharp, yellow teeth when he smiled.
"Come out, little pretty. Let's see you." The ogre leaned back, hands folded over his stomach. "If you were human, I would have called the police. Breaking and entering. Trespassing. Tsk. What would your master think?"
Unable to think of a reason not to, Kasha crept out from under the sofa and took a seat on the opposite armchair. The leather felt cheap. He curled his tail up into his lap in distaste.
"Such a pretty kasha," the ogre crooned. "I might be tempted to fuck you before I eat you. Of course, I'll have to slice off your adorable little cock and balls first. Nothing better than kasha penis for weather spells."
The casual, urbane civility was much more frightening than a roaring, drooling monster. Kasha shifted uncomfortably, wanting very much to remain attached to his private parts.
"Did you think you could take me unawares?" The ogre's smile widened, showing a disturbing number of jagged teeth. "I sensed a kasha in residence the moment I moved here. I felt your power return to you when you were claimed. Poor little kasha. All that magic and it's merely at the beck and call of some idiot human. What does your master want with me? Does he think I have a hoard of gold in the basement?"
Kasha brushed a paw over his tail, trying to appear as calm as his host and jailer. "Actually, no. It's the house that interests him. Apparently you've stolen it from a friend of his."
"Stolen? Please be careful with such words. They could be considered libelous." He flicked his fingers and a folded sheaf of paper appeared in his hand. "I have the legal deed to this property, free and clear, from the bank which held the remainder of the mortgage. Would you like to glance through it to satisfy your, no doubt, overactive feline curiosity?"
Kasha took the papers gingerly from dubiously clean hands ending in black talons. He had his doubts if a bank could truly grant such property rights prior to seizing land in a foreclosure, but the documents certainly were impressive and would no doubt cause a tangled legal mess in civil court. He had to suppress a snicker at the grantee named in the deed, a Mr. Ignacious M. Ogre, Esq. Does no one possess the imagination for good names any longer?
He folded the deed and placed it beside him on the chair. "It certainly looks in order. I must congratulate you on your
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