#sit on a leek and swivel

[needdl]

NejitenMonth Day 5: Scars/Tattoos

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Neji’s mouth was a flat, disapproving line as he held her hand firmly, and she tilted her head over to grin at him. “How’s going over on your end, babe?”

His frown deepened at the endearment, which he’d told her he found degrading. He grunted. Tenten laughed a little and turned her head back up to look at the ceiling, closing her eyes and wincing a little as the needle scraped over the bones on her wrist.

Neji noticed, of course. “I told you that you shouldn’t do this.”

“Too late,” she chirped back. She ran her fingers over his knuckles, and his expression softened slightly (even though she knew he didn’t mean to do it, he just had an involuntary response because he liked her that much.) 

“Done.” Her tattoo artist sat back, looking as expressionless as he had when he first started. She couldn’t get a read on the guy, but maybe that was okay.

Neji stood behind her as she paid and got her aftercare kit, then they left for his car, still holding hands even though Neji was grumpy. Tenten had looked at the tattoo right after the artist had finished, but Neji hadn’t and now it was covered by bandages and he would have to wait. He had no idea what it was, and Tenten was admittedly a little nervous about what he would think of it.

Their lives continued for the next few days while it healed. Tenten was in the finishing stages of moving her stuff to Neji’s apartment, so she was going back and forth a few times a day with her odds and ends. They both went to work and came back. Neji had to work late one night, so it was just her and the cat hanging out and watching Netflix. Neji got home with takeout, so they ate in front of the TV and then had wine on the balcony. (And then had sex on the balcony- because it was private, thank you very much.)

Tenten changed her tattoo bandages after her shower, so Neji still didn’t see it until the day she took the bandages off completely. And she was in a bit of a rush that morning to get out the door (she ran late admiring her pretty tattoo- so what?) so she’d just had time to kiss him and the cat goodbye before ducking out the door.

(They still hadn’t named the cat, because they hadn’t really meant to adopt him. They were lucky the apartment building allowed pets.)

Tenten went through her work day as normal, occasionally getting compliments on her tattoo, and then went grocery shopping on her way home.

Neji was home already, cat in his lap as he sat over their coffee table going over paperwork. Tenten quietly watched him stroke the purring cat for a few moments before making some noise as she took off her shoes and hollered, “I’m home!”

They swiveled with hilarious synchrony to look at her, then Neji carefully nudged the cat off his lap so he could rise and kiss her. She hummed happily then passed him a bag of groceries, and they headed into the kitchen to put everything away. 

Tenten was reaching up to put the tea away in the cupboard when Neji suddenly stopped her and yanked her hand around to examine her wrist.

Aha. He’d spotted her tattoo.

It wasn’t terribly complicated, just his, Lee’s, and Gai’s initials, but the way he stared at it made it seem like it was some alien script.

After a few long moments of him staring blankly and not saying anything, Tenten cleared her throat. “Honey?”

He blinked a few times, then gently lowered her wrist. “It’s… nice.” He meant it, too, and she beamed.

Neji was just as disapproving of the next tattoo, even though he appreciated her first one.

He held her hand again in the chair, all the while telling her that she should stop, even when the tattoo was almost complete and it would be weirder to walk away. Tenten just smiled at him the whole time.

Neji could bluster all he wanted, there was no way she wasn’t getting this tattoo done. She was newly engaged, after all. She needed something to commemorate it.

Not that Neji knew that was why she was getting a tattoo, but he could just see it later and get all flustered.

Neji was grumbling to himself over the permanence of tattoos as he went through his work email on his phone, absently lacing their fingers together on his free hand. Tenten stifled a snort.

Haha, loser, you like your fiance.

The tattoo took a little longer this time- and the artist was just as reticent as before- but before long it was all finished and they were back home going through their list of potential cat names.

Because her new tattoo was on her shoulder blade and therefore almost always covered, Neji didn’t see it until she wasn’t wearing a shirt. And it wasn’t even during sex, surprisingly, it was when they were coming home from a jog and she stripped off her lightweight tee with complaints of the sweat.

She went into the kitchen to get them both some water while Neji put their shoes away, and when she turned around to toss his to him he almost fumbled the catch and was three centimeters short of getting decked in the face.

She blinked at him, startled. Neji didn’t even bother to acknowledge his error, instead marching towards her and spinning her around to examine her back. Her brow furrowed. “Uh, Neji?”

“Your new tattoo.”

“Oh.” His hand drifted slowly over her skin, over the small silhouette of a bird in flight, and his fingers were almost reverent.

It was a tattoo that meant a lot to both of them but especially to Neji, and Tenten was proud to bear it on her skin.

Neji bent his head and pressed a slow kiss to the mark, clearly feeling too emotional to speak. Tenten bit her lip as her own emotions swelled.

Neji stepped back, and she waited for him to say something about how he couldn’t believe she got a tattoo for him.

“Your skin is really sweaty. Gross.” He wiped his mouth.

Ah. “You’re so romantic.”

“Yes. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Tenten had officially landed her dream job, and much to Neji’s disgruntlement that meant getting a tattoo.

“I don’t know why you keep doing this,” he complained after she came home from her consultation. She rolled her eyes in return. She was feeling a little crabby and snappish that day, and his attitude wasn’t helping.

“Because I want to ruin my skin with horrible permanent marks,” she snarled, slamming the door to the coat closet. Neji wisely kept silent. She shot him one last mean look then scooped up The Cat to go anger-cuddle in bed.

Neji gave her some alone time for the next hour, then abruptly came into the room to hand her a bouquet of carnations and a hot pad for her cramps. She had no idea when he’d learned her menstrual cycle, but she appreciated it.

She gave him an half-apologetic look and he kissed her cheek, then retreated again. The Cat (they really needed a name) got up and pulled the door open with his paw, sat for a bit looking down the hallway, then followed after Neji. Tenten yawned and settled the hot pad over her lower stomach before pulling her book off the nightstand to keep reading. 

She emerged twenty minutes later to put the carnations in a vase and help Neji with dinner, feeling much better. He absently touched her lower back as she settled next to him with the cutting board and the leeks, and she leaned up to kiss his jaw.

The actual tattooing came later. Neji couldn’t make it, so instead Ino went with Tenten. It was a very different experience- mostly because Ino subtly flirted with the tattoo artist most of the time they were there, and incredibly enough he actually talked back. 

The two of them were still deep in conversation even after Tenten had wrapped up paying, but she was happy to just dawdle on her phone while Ino slyly got the man’s phone number- she hadn’t been focused on dating while she was getting her master’s degree, and it was nice to see her so bright and engaging again. She even had the artist blushing at one point, and he was so pale that Tenten was shocked to see the evidence of blood in his veins. She’d really just assumed he was a tattooing robot.

They departed fifteen minutes later with Ino humming happily as she looked at her new contact- “Sai 🖌” and Tenten grinning to herself as she settled gingerly into the passenger seat of Ino’s car (the tattoo was down her spine and it had been extremely painful to get it done but it looked dope as hell).

Ino came up to the apartment for a bit for some snacks and conversation, plus some premium cat snuggles, and headed out soon after with a cheerful wave and promises to get lunch soon.

Neji didn’t get home until Tenten had already gone to bed, sleeping on her stomach after discovering that every other way was pretty uncomfortable. He smelled a little like alcohol when he stopped to kiss her head.

“How was Choji’s bachelor party?” She murmured drowsily.

“Good. Less rowdy than I expected, frankly.” He crossed to the dresser and started changing into his sleeping clothes, and Tenten closed her eyes again. 

She dozed off while he was washing up in the bathroom, but woke up again when he settled into bed next to her and kissed her head again. She reached out her arm to settle over his waist. “Glad you had fun,” she whispered. 

He laced their fingers together with a wordless murmur, already dozing off. Mr. Cat jumped up onto the edge of the mattress and settled in, tucking his paws underneath himself so he was cat-loaf shaped. 

Nice, Tenten thought, and then she was asleep.

She woke up the next morning to Mr. Cat sitting on her butt, which Neji found quite humorous, but she elected to ignore them both and fell back asleep. Neji got up and made himself some toast, then very carefully returned to the bedroom and ate it without getting a single crumb on the bed, which was an incredible talent and the real reason Tenten was marrying him. 

(He also shared some butter with Mr. Cat, but would deny it if she asked.)

Tenten woke some twenty-odd minutes later and was ready to get up. She stifled a grunt of pain when she moved her back for the first time and the skin felt like it’d been poked with a needle a bunch of times (for whatever reason), but it was easy to ignore after that. 

She bullied Neji into going to make her toast but was not successful in keeping the crumbs off the bed and was reprimanded.

Eventually they had to get up and go do things, which was a bummer. Luckily enough for Tenten the weather was warm enough that she could wear a loose-fitting shirt with no bra and avoid having to bandage her tattoo, and luckily enough for Neji the weather was warm and his fiance walked around with no bra.

(He never said anything, but his eyes lingered.)

They had been going over wedding plans for almost two hours and decided they needed a break. Tenten stood up to stretch, and Neji actually asked, “Can I see the tattoo?”

Obligingly she turned and pulled up the shirt so he could see the minimalist letters going down her back- “PERSIST”.

He ran his hand down her skin right next to the letters, not saying anything. She swivelled her head to look back at him but he didn’t meet her questioning eyes, just stared for several moments longer before saying in a rough voice, “It’s surprisingly sexy.”

“Ex-cuse you, surprisingly?”

“Yes.” He faced her indignance head on and said, “You know how I feel about tattoos.”

“You just weren’t looking at them on the right person,” she purred. She took the shirt off the rest of the way and turned to face him.

Hilariously enough, she was stomach-down for a lot of the sex that afternoon slash evening- Neji flipped her back over so many times when she tried turning to face him that she just settled down like that.

“Settled” being the operative word- the things they did together were pretty, ahem, active. 

Tenten made her way out of the bedroom in the late afternoon and walked completely nude into the kitchen, fed Mr. Cat, then hurried away again. Neji welcomed her back with open arms and a keen glint in his eye.

They went out for drinks the next week with their friends to celebrate Tenten’s new job and wound up making their way to a club for some after-drink drinks, which was a great idea that also happened to be horrible for their livers.

Tenten was dancing with Ino and Sakura when she noticed Neji approaching them. He snagged her with a hand on her waist- which made her smile, because Neji wasn’t suave by any means but he was so deliberate in all his actions that sometimes the lines blurred- and pulled her a little ways away so they could dance together.

Tenten beamed up at him. She knew he didn’t really like dancing, or club music, or clubs, but he wouldn’t have come if he didn’t want to and she was glad to have him here.

She leaned up and pressed a sweet kiss to his mouth, then looped her arms around his neck so they could sway together. He put his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, expression as grave as ever, but his grip around her waist was tender. She lightly rubbed her nose against his, humming happily. She was tipsy but not drunk, and that usually had her feeling pretty cuddly.

He pulled her close to him as they turned- it really wasn’t an appropriate dance move for the fast-paced club music, but it was the most Neji would usually do in this setting- and Tenten let out a happy sigh and rested her head against his shoulder.

He let her go back to Sakura and Ino a few songs later, after pressing a parting kiss to her mouth and giving her a sweet smile. Tenten returned to her friends with a happy glow about her, and they immediately proceeded to tease her mercilessly for the rest of the night.

Much later, she and Neji walked arm-in-arm down to where they’d parked the car, waving goodbye as their friends parted ways. Ino and Sakura, who had of course driven together, were hitching along with Shikamaru and Choji on their way home, as both women had cheerfully decided neither of them wanted to be a designated driver and had indulged themselves.

Fortunately for the soon-to-be Hyuga-Huangs, Neji never cared for getting drunk and was perfectly safe to drive. Which meant that Tenten could have a really fun time getting handsy in the passenger seat while he did his best to focus on the road, then end up getting sleepy and not want to do anything other than go to bed once they got home.

Neji obligingly tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, which was nice of him. Then he quietly sat out in the living room drinking tea and petting the cat as he continued wedding planning.

“When will you stop getting tattoos?” Neji demanded.

Tenten yawned. “Dunno. This is only the fourth, you know.” Sai ignored them both as he continued working- which was hilarious, given that he’d become something of a regular in their group of friends now that he and Ino were going steady.

He’d talk when he wanted to, Tenten knew. He was just blunt.

Neji continued to scowl down at her. “Ridiculous.”

She grinned cheekily up at him and shot back, “You gripe a lot for someone who likes to spin me over and stare at my back tattoos during sex.”

Neji flushed crimson, and even Sai let out a little noise and slowed his movements with the needle. Tenten smirked, unabashed.

They were finished twenty minutes later and driving home, Neji still a little pink and refusing to speak. Tenten just smiled held his hand with hers as they drove, running her fingers over his palm.

The magnolia branch going down her thigh wasn’t exactly meaningful like her other tattoos had been, but it was pretty and it was sexy, so Tenten liked it just as much as her others. And for all his blustering, Neji definitely liked all of her tattoos, so maybe she’d be able to get him to shut up on the next one.

It was not the case. “Tenten-”

“Huuuuuushhhhh,” she told him, eyes closed. “I’m celebrating, I’m getting married next week.”

“So am I,” he snapped back. “You don’t see me getting a tattoo.”

She opened her eyes hopefully. “You could-”

“No.” She pouted.

“We could be matching, it’d be cute!”

“No.”

“Hmph.” She exaggerated her pout a little more and was pleased to see him eyeing her mouth. 

This time the tattoo was on her right hand- a tiny black heart, tucked into the knuckle closest to her hand on her ring finger by her pinky. 

It hurt like the dickens to get it done, and the pain was almost making Tenten’s eyes water- and then it really was, and tears were dripping down her temples.

Neji did not take it well. “Tenten. What’s going on. Are you hurt? Should he stop? Tenten-”

She cracked open one eye and grunted up at him, “Just digging into the bone. I’m good, Sai, keep going.”

Sai, who had not stopped, muttered absently, “Okay.”

Neji glared at her as he tenderly wiped her tears away. “If you’re fine, then stop crying.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Well, I don’t like it so you must cease.”

She smiled softly up at him, her heart melting at his verbose wording. “I’ll try, babe.”

“Done,” Sai said shortly. He pulled back and started started putting his things away. “Your magnolia branch is still the best one.”

Tenten grinned at him- he’d definitely enjoyed the magnolia blossoms the most, seemingly because he liked the artistry that went into it. All of her other tattoos were pretty minimalist, after all. “Yeah, that’s aesthetically my favorite, but the other ones mean a lot to me.”

“Whatever,” Sai said offhandedly. “Let’s go ring you up.”

Tenten bit back a laugh and got out of the chair, lifting her arms above her head to stretch. Neji stood too and grabbed her hand to inspect the tattoo, then placed his palm on the small of her back as they walked over to the front desk.

Tenten paid and got her aftercare kit. “Thanks, Sai. See you later!”

“At your wedding,” he said. “I’m Ino’s plus one.”

Tenten grinned at him, pleased he was volunteering the information and also that he looked so happy to say it. “That’s great! Can’t wait to see you there, then.”

“Hopefully you can’t wait for a few other reasons,” Neji grumbled.

“Right, right- wedding gifts, of course…” They waved to Sai as they walked out the door, and once they were out of sight by the car Neji suddenly pinned her to the door.

“Wedding gifts, Tenten, really?”

She laughed. “I thought it was funny!”

“You’re a menace.” He kissed her slowly, then stepped back and opened the car door for her. She smiled and patted his butt before grandly taking a seat. 

Neji sat down in the driver’s seat and started the car. “No more tattoos now.”

“Hm. We’ll see.”

He didn’t even protest this time, just shaking his head with a small smile as he started the drive home.

#ntmonth2019 #nejiten #neji #tenten #sai #fanfic #my writing

[spookyspaghettisundae]

The Camp in the Woods

The snow on the frozen forest grounds crunched every time a set of two cloven hooves stepped onto it, carrying a lonesome figure through the woods.

Despite being naturally covered in a thick fur, the goat-headed humanoid figure wore layers of heavy clothing and a woolly dark red cloak, contrasting with the landscape of pine trees standing out of frosted white grounds like black pillars. Every now and then, the end of a gnarled wooden staff also crunched in the snow as the goat-man used it as a crutch to traverse the foot-high layer of snow more easily. Sometimes, the mess kit and eating utensils hanging from his belt jingled softly even as he moved with slow steadiness through the trees.

He paused and snorted, causing a burst of breath to visibly condense in front of him in the biting, cold air. His thoughtful yellow eyes stared at a camp in the distance. He observed a bonfire with some cut logs serving as seats and a small group of people singing sweet songs by the warm glow of the flames. The goat-man continued his stride but hunched with visible caution as he approached the camp with careful, quieter steps. The group that sat by the bonfire consisted of two women and three children. One of the women stirred some sort of stew with a ladle. The food was simmering in an iron pot suspended from a simple wooden cross over the fire while the children were singing a song in praise of the sun in what sounded like angelic voices to the lone wanderer.

Before he arrived within speaking distance of the group, the forks and spoons on his belt rung with a soft jingle and drew the attention of the five humans. They turned their heads and stared at the goat-man. He read awe, surprise, and even a hint of fear in their collective eyes, so he paused and stared back at them, losing no words. A strange smile came upon the goat-man’s face, and one of the little girls clapped her hands with a happy giggle. One of the adult caretakers returned a smile and got up from a tree stump she had sat upon, then wordlessly gestured to the tree stump and then to the pot of delicious-smelling stew.

Hushed murmurs went through the three children who had stopped singing upon noticing the goat-man’s arrival, but he could not make out any of the words. Before he arrived by their fire and looked in the round, their whispers had already ceased, and the group now all unanimously smiled at him. He snorted again and leaned his walking staff against a tree. The weariness in his legs was obvious when he buckled to sit down on the tree stump. Before he could straighten out his raiment, one of the ladies had already offered him a small wooden bowl filled with steaming stew.

The goat-man stared into the thick soup and spotted chunks of carrots, yams, leek, and some other vegetables he was unsure of. His clawed and furry fingers gently took the bowl from the woman, and he nodded in thanks and with a strange grace to his movements. Removing a spoon from his belt, the other utensils hanging there brightly jingled again and caused the children to smile. He returned the expression, and they giggled at his countenance before singing for him.

He stilled his hunger with perpetual and steady scoops from this generous helping of stew, savoring the strong flavor of week-old soup stock having saturated it. Mid-way through the helping, he nodded again to the woman who had given him the bowl when she looked back at him and sat down amidst the children, hugging their shoulders while they sang. After he had finished his portion, he rose to his hooves again, and the singing stopped.

The five humans looked at him with curious eyes while he opened a leather pouch that hung from his side and dug around in it. After a few moments had passed, he pulled out small wooden trinkets. Whittled from a single piece of sandalwood each, one of them looked like a horse, another like an dog, and another like a miniature ship. He hobbled over to the three children and held out these objects in his large, clawed hand. The smallest of them, the little girl who had giggled at him first, held out her open palms, and he gingerly placed the horse in her hands. Then he gave the remaining two to the other children. The two adults beamed at him with a warmth that made the bonfire pale in comparison.

The goat-man returned to the stump and took his staff. Turning to the group, he nodded to them and bowed ever so slightly. He then took his leave, wandering on through the forest. Shortly after his hooves were crunching through the snow again and carrying him away, the singing continued behind him.

Mere hours later, he saw the next camp amidst the trees. A single human sat there, huddled next to a small fire and clutching his sides in a tight embrace that looked like someone who struggled to stave off the cold wintry air. The figure was clothed in a dark, filthy, ragged attire and looked miserable. The camp had a strange air about it, and the trees surrounding it had been adorned with rings of bound leather, with rows of wolf teeth and bear claws and black feathers tied to and hanging from them.

The goat-man paused and snorted. Something told him to avoid this camp, and he began to give it a wide berth. Though the hooves crunched more softly through the snow, he lost his footing at one point and braced himself with his staff to prevent himself from falling down. His metal utensils jingled, and the thought of having been noticed froze his blood.

He looked over to the man who sat alone in his desolate little camp and noticed no reaction. Then he heard a pained, muffled groan from that same man. The goat-man stood still, and his nose twitched while he observed the stranger for the length of several heartbeats. Finally, he had a change of heart and approached the lonesome camp with careful steps.

The head of the stranger barely turned, and his hood concealed his features by casting a dark shadow over his face. The goat-man found this person’s presence disconcerting but continued to draw closer until he arrived within speaking distance. No words were exchanged. The man who still sat by the dying fire turned his head away from the goat-man again, staring into the small flames. Only now did the goat-man see crimson splotches in the muddied snow on the ground around the stranger’s feet.

Wondering if he needed any help, the goat-man stepped yet closer until he froze where he stood. Terror welled up in his heart when he sensed that the symbols drawn with blood on the ground underneath his hooves had been cursed with a dark spell that bound him in place. Only now did he notice more of the dreaded arcane symbols etched into tree trunks and stray stones all around him. The staff fell from his paralyzed hands and rolled outside of the circle he stood in.

The stranger rose to his feet. The goat-man could still not make out his face but now saw a sinister smile across the lips, framing a set of foul, yellowed teeth. Dried blood stained this man’s hands and he held a dead, mutilated crow in one of them, then let the carcass drop to the ground as his towering, gangling figure stood up straight.

“Finally,” the stranger said with a raspy voice. “I have everything now,” he said, with determination and sadistic glee dripping from every word. “Everything,” he repeated, accentuating the word by drawing a long, curved dagger from his belt and approaching the goat-man with wobbly steps.

Immobilized by the evil spell, the goat-man snorted and his clawed fingers twitched while his eyes expressed unbridled fear for his life. His bleat echoed through the trees and sounded forlorn. He dreaded the thought that nobody nearby could hear it, for no matter how slowly the lanky witchcrafter approached him, the wicked-looking blade in his hand would leave no time for a timely rescue in such a lonesome camp.

When a twig loudly snapped, the goat-man’s eyes darted to see where the sound had come from, and the witchcrafter followed suit, swiveling around to spot the third party. They both then saw a woman in a long, dark trench coat, wearing a red scarf and a tricorne hat that both concealed most of her face save for a pair of icy-blue eyes. As their eyes wandered down, they also saw that she bore a flintlock pistol in her hand, pointed at the witchcrafter.

“Oops,” she said.

The stranger sprung into action, but the pistol discharged a shot in the same moment, sending a loud clapping sound to echo through the forest. The witchcrafter stumbled backwards, and before the goat-man could fathom what was happening, the intruder had dropped the pistol and slung out another two of the firearms from inside her coat in what felt like a flash. Two more gunshots blasted bullets into the witchcrafter and left a ringing in the goat-man’s ears. Mostly, though, the bullets caused the witchcrafter to stumble farther until he slipped on the dead crow on the ground and fell back-first into the small campfire. Although the flames only singed his rags, he started rolling around and shrieking inhumanly while she approached with swift steps and drew a sharp-looking wooden stake. She threw herself onto him, using her entire weight to stab him through the heart and leaving the stake right where she had driven it into.

Baffled, the goat-man stared at them while they tumbled over each other on the ground. The two humans rolled over several times in a desperate struggle for the upper hand until she flung him face first into the fire and then caught the witchcrafter in a chokehold when he reared back away from the flames. He shrieked more and lurched upwards, spiting her entire body weight and running her backwards into a tree. This audibly knocked the wind out of her lungs, and he clawed at her face until she let go and rolled through the muddy snow. She shouted some profanities at him while he clawed at the stake sticking out of his chest, trying to remove it with hectic and desperate grabs that found no purchase. All the while, he snarled like a wild animal and shuffled around aimlessly.

Distracted from seeing the strange male witch surviving all this physical punishment, the goat-man only noticed with delay how the woman had drawn a sleek, silver-edged cutlass and swung it through the air with an eerie metallic sound. The witch’s ghastly snarling abruptly stopped. It may have had something to do with her blade having cleanly cut through his skull and spine, as most of the witch’s head above the lower jaw slid off and fell onto the ground, landing with a grotesque, squelching sound and staring up at the goat-man with cold, lifeless eyes.

“Aim better for the neck next time,” the woman said in between further strings of muttered profanities.

The witchcrafter’s body hit the ground behind her, something she paid no attention to. She knelt down next to the partial head and pierced its eye with an iron hook to pick it up and bag it in a simple linen sack. She dropped the bag on the snowy ground where it would leave another fresh bloodstain.

Still infused with terror, the goat-man’s heart beat so fast that the blood rushing in his ears drowned out the ensuing silence and subtle sounds the woman made as she callously looked around and then dragged the headless body onto the fire. He stared on as she collected the pistols she had flung about after having fired them at the witch, and then wiped the blade of her cutlass on one of the stranger’s rags before sheathing it in a scabbard inside her coat.

She picked up the linen sack that was now dark and drenched with blood and took a few steps towards the goat-man. She paused and looked into his terrified eyes, and the coldness in her icy-blue eyes made him wonder how often she must have hunted and killed like this. Still paralyzed by the spell, he could neither move nor speak. The woman poked the brim of her hat up as if to get a better look at him, and she arched a thick brown-haired eyebrow.

“No bounty on you, friend,” she said, her words muffled by her crimson scarf.

She kicked some dirt and snowy sludge over the symbols on the ground underneath his hooves and dragged her boot’s heel through the arcane circles. He felt the spell of paralysis break and took a cautious step backwards from her. She stepped away as well, and he bent over to pick up his staff without breaking eye contact.

“Happy Yuletide to you,” the woman said. The goat-man felt unsure whether she had said that in earnest or in a sarcastic tone. She tipped her hat to him and walked off, carrying the sack that dripped with blood every few steps while her boots crunched softly in the snowy forest ground.

He shuddered once he realized how he had absent-mindedly looked at the site of carnage he now stood in, and then hurriedly hobbled on, seeking out the next camp.

Wondering if he should continue his yearly tradition, he hoped to find the next people more hospitable.

—Submitted by Wratts

#spoospasu #spookyspaghettisundae #horror #short story #writing #my writing #literature #spooky #fiction #submission #crimsonport #nora #gothic #fantasy #gaslight #supernatural #yule #goat-man #yuletide #krampus #gaslight horror #gore #flintlock #cutlass #blood #campsite #camp #witch #witchcrafter #singing