TNHR Mini Chapter 2 [Running]
(This is a repost, original was deleted)
Second mini, Tavnek's POV of this incident. This story was inspired by this post and Roommates: Memoirs of the Hairless Ape.
Special thanks as always to SpacePaladin15 for writing NoP.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Tavnek, Venlil, Melting Down
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 13, 2136
I kept banging my paws on the predator's door. That diseased Sivkit decided to hide in the beast's room, like a coward. She decided to be Sivkit brained, and became curious. Curious enough to try to look at a predator's face.
I should've known she would do something like this eventually. “Get out here you predator diseased scum!” I yelled. Every time I tried to get her to leave its room, she never would. “Lex, come on!”
After several minutes of trying to break down the door, and ignoring the Zurulian behind me. I finally heard something. “-just stop already! This is **predatory**!”
I flinched as he called me that word. I spun around to face the Zurulian with the burning fires of hatred in my eyes. He looked disinterested as I began to speak. “How dare you say that to me.”
“You're acting irrationally,” The Zurulian deadpanned. He stood onto his hind legs and gave me an annoyed look. “You're here chasing Lexfrin around for one mistake she made. You are the one acting like a predator, not her.”
“No…no! I am not a predator!” I screamed. “I'm just protecting the rest of the herd from the outsider you let in!”
“She needs help, and protection from exterminators, she will for a while if you keep yelling at her and treating her like garbage.” Chison paused. “How would *you* react if I reported you for having predator disease?”
“As if they would have to screen me. I'd come out cleaner than anyone else in the apartment!” I kicked the door another time, but it wouldn't budge. “Marinus would never let me be taken away…”
“How sure are you of that, exactly?” He asked.
“I am extremely sure, he loves me too much.” I replied confidently. Chison looked like he was trying to hold down a laugh as he turned away from me.
“He's the chief exterminator of Starlight River. He'd have to do his job, even if he has been in a relationship with you for half a cycle.”
“That's what you think,” I mumbled. “I know my man better than you. He wouldn't, ever, let that happen.”
“Do you have anything more to say? Are you poisoned by your blind trust of one man, who has made you worse for this whole half cycle.”
“I-”
“I'm not finished. You have actually become so obnoxious to your roommates, and it hasn't even been a single paw yet!”
“Maybe if you and everyone else just let me kick the brahking predator out, everything can just go back to normal!”
“What is with your vendetta against him? He isn't a gray, he has no natural weapons. He's practically harmless.”
“That is what it*wants you to think. Come on, you're a smart guy, how do you not see it too?!”
Chison only sighed, and leaned against the wall. “Listen, Lex isn't ever going to come out if you keep treating her like this. That poor Sivkit has been through a lot, and you're just adding on to it!”
“So has almost everyone else. It doesn't excuse what she did.”
“What she did was harmless, what you're doing right now is predatory, and needs to stop. For everyone's safety.”
“Wh-”
“You're hurting her, Tav.”
“I-I would never.” I mumbled as I started to stumble away from the door. “I-I'm not a predator. I wouldn't ever hurt my friends.”
I stampeded out of the hallway, leaving Chison behind. I grabbed my holopad, and threw myself out of the apartment. My paws moved on their own, running towards the shared car.
I got into the car, activated the privacy windows, and pulled my holopad out. My paws scrolled through the holopad, until I found Marinus’ contact. I pressed on the call button, waiting for him to respond. Almost immediately, the Kolshian's face appeared on the holopad.
“Why are you calling me, my love?” He asked.
“I-I seemed up this paw, can I stay at your place for the night?”
“I need to know what you did, first.”
“I…I freaked out at one of my roommates, and I was called a predator for it.”
“Well, were you?”
“Brahking, no! The others just don't understand how I'm protecting them from the human.”
“You see, Tav, the humans have this…well, for lack of a better word, charm…to them, that fools most aliens. But you and I, my love, we're lucky. We see the truth.”
“Yeah, you're right.”
“You do need to stop letting your emotions take control of you, though. Humans love taking advantage of that, and will use it against you when the time comes.”
“I fear that time is rapidly approaching.”
“I do too.” Marinus took a deep breath, and let out a large sigh. “Yes, my love, you can head to my home. I do believe you do know where it is?”
“I do, thank you very much. I shall get going now. See you soon, love.”
“One more question, before I go. Were you thrown out by your roommates or the predator?”
“No, I left on my own. I'm the head of the apartment, I can't be kicked out.” I scoffed.
“Farewell, love.”
The call ended, I set up the car's autopilot and set the destination to Marinus’ house. After a few minutes of going down barren streets, I had finally left the human district. The sidewalks all became livelier as I rode away from that accused zone.
I missed seeing people on the streets after the predators arrived. It had only been a paw, and yet, the district felt dead. “If only the exterminators could just burn all these predators alive.” I grumbled. “Might as well when Kalsim arrives in his fleet to save the Federation from this threat.”
How did my friends, and Lexfrin, all fall for that predator's ruse? Sure, they all, other than Chison, showed some fear when around the predator. But they still acted like it could be their friend.
I was their true friend, not that predator who's brahking up our whole dynamic in the apartment. Glin, Chison, and I were the moneymakers. Berlia was the mother of the group, and Lex was the outsider. As it should've always been.
We shouldn't have taken Mike nor Lexfrin in at all. She deserves to be in a PD facility. She needs to recover, and a place like that was perfect for her. “That Sivkit always lied about how her father was changed for the worst when he came back for a cycle. Like I would ever believe that story.”
The facilities were made to help us, not harm us. Sure, I'd never want to go to one, but I'd gladly send Chison and Lexfrin to one, so they can be normal again.
“I just wish the universe would go back to normal. A universe with no predators, and we can be safe without the risk of being eaten, ever again.”
“You have arrived at your destination.” The robotic voice randomly said. I glanced out the windows to see the love of my life's home. His house wasn't big, only one story. But his garden, which were entirely plants from Aafa, was beautiful.
“Maybe, I can finally blow off some steam.” I said as I exited the car, and approached the awaiting Kolshian.
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Tavnek has decided to stay with her boyfriend for the night. Will she come back the next day? Or will she keep running away from her problems?
>!Feed this Venlil some copium!<