Private Monsters of Lao-mon

[Inanna Harth]

She had no answer to his question. They were supposed to be single-minded, stupid creatures, but the ones they had encountered so far seemed more intelligent. If they were getting smarter and breeding unchecked, perhaps one day they would take over the planet, becoming the new dominant species. She shuddered at the thought.

They’d have to stop it. The consequences of this experiment were too great to give up now. She tried to banish her fears, the urge to flee and hide, but she couldn’t completely get rid of the churning in her gut or the pounding of her heart.

The stench in the kitchens alarmed her. Cato cautiously opened the door to the freezer, finding nothing inside but frozen food. Inanna didn’t expect to find any urartu in there. It was too cold for them. But in order to keep its contents cold, a freezer must displace heat. Some would eject the heat outside through water pipes in the wall behind it. Others would warm up the room around them by a few degrees. It looked like this one belonged to the latter category.

When she moved to its side, she could feel the hot air blowing out. The smell was stronger there, and she could hear a faint sucking sound. Too curious not to look, Inanna inched closer to the back of the freezer, peering around the corner. Her eyes widened.

The largest creature she had yet seen was basking in the heat. It took her a moment to realize it was actually two adult-size creatures joined together—though it looked like one was slowly eating the other. Her memory strained back to high school biology. Why were members of the fifth sex despised by the rest of their kind?... Because they ate their mates.

She darted back into cover, her expression pinched with revulsion. “I think we found the other two that escaped,” she whispered. The noise from behind the freezer abruptly stopped.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato looked around the room while Inanna checked behind the freezer. When she spoke again, he turned and grimaced, "Wonderful." He looked at the edge of the freezer, behind which she had presumably seen the creatures. "How should we lure them?" Cato looked around the kitchen space, then knocked himself upside the head, "Here goes nothing."

He drew his lightsaber and ignited it. The plasma gave off heat. Surely that output of energy would draw any nearby interested parties.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

As Cato ignited his lightsaber, Inanna wasn’t sure if it would work. The weapon didn’t put out that much heat, and it would have to compete with the heat coming from the back of the freezer.

But sure enough, one of the creatures broke off from the other and started creeping toward them. Inanna wasn’t sure if the other one was dead, but just to be sure she reached out with the Force and began to tug it along, intending to stuff it into the freezer along with its… mate.

Whether because of her telekinesis or Cato's lightsaber had agitated it, the more active of the two suddenly reared up and lunged at them.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Whatever may have caused it, one of the urartu had begun to follow the Harths. Cato waved his lightsaber slowly, still trying to lure it with the beam. With sudden urgency, it lunged at them, and Cato stumbled to back away, pushing away further with his other hand to keep her distant. The ooze practically stuck itself on his lightsaber, but a bit of superheated plasma didn't do much to impede upon the amorphous creature. Cato continued to move back towards and into the freezer, hoping the Urartu wouldn't notice until it was too late.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna stifled a panicked gasp, moving out of the way. The urartu flung itself onto Cato’s lightsaber, filling the air with foul steam as its mostly fluid body boiled. It tried to crawl up the blade to reach the heat of the man holding it, but it was impossible to grip the plasma.

Gritting her teeth, Inanna managed to push the other creature into the freezer. It was just starting to move, little frantic spasms of its jelly flesh. She wondered bleakly if it had any consciousness, feelings, knowledge of its fate.

Cato moved in front of her, luring its mate. If he kept going that way, he’d soon be pinned between the two urartu. She couldn’t allow that. With one hand on the door to the freezer, Inanna levitated Cato off the floor and over the creature. It continued to pursue his lightsaber as the burning blade arced above it, coiling around Cato’s legs.

"Cut it!" Inanna screamed.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato kept the creature's attention on him, all the while failing to take note of the position of the second urartu. His danger senses had just begun to tingle when Inane abruptly lifted him into there to try and redirect him away. The one he was luring did not give up, and began to coil at his leg, immediately causing a burning sensation that stung his nerves. Steam hissing as epidermal layers were almost immediately being eaten away. He couldn't help but cry out in shock and pain.

"Cut it!"

Cato swung his lightsaber almost wildly, severing the creature's pseudopod and causing it to hit the ground with a plop. What coiled around his like sloughed off a moment later.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

She couldn’t slam the door fast enough, it seemed. Yet when Inanna finally leaned her weight against the freezer, it was shut fast, the creatures sealed in their frosty tomb.

Her knees seemed to give out from under her and she slid to the floor. Cato was injured, the skin on his legs blistered from even such brief contact—and it was her fault. If she hadn’t panicked, hadn’t compulsively reacted, maybe things would have gone differently.

Maybe they would’ve gone worse.

She crawled toward wherever he stood or lay, resting a hand on his calf just above the rawness. Healing energy poured out of her and into him. His skin would itch uncomfortably, but the pain would begin to fade as his corroded flesh regenerated rapidly.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

When Cato was extracted from the freezer, he immediately slipped into a state position, leaning against the wall. His leg was still sizzling, and he futile reached for it to try and dull the pain. It wasn't until Inanna began to heal it that hurt subsided and wounds began to mend. It was indeed incredibly itchy, but it also felt a cool relief, like aloe coating the skin.

Cato sighed, and leaned his head back, "I hope those little ones are all that's left, cause I don't want to do that much more." He chuckled.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Feth that,” Inanna muttered. “We’re done. Let them send in an exterminator to take care of the rest.” They had cut off the supply, so to speak.

She kissed his brow, then her lips found his. “Can you walk? I can carry you.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Alright, alright," Cato didn't exactly like the idea of leaving the job unfinished, but they had done plenty. There were other professionals on site that could take care of the rest. The kiss she gave him was as soothing as the healing.

"I think so," He stumbled onto his feet, but hissed in pain as he tried to put weight on the injured leg. He'd at least need some support on the way out, "Let's get to a transport and get the feta outta here..."

Inanna Harth​