The small golden fae flitted about the lab, picking up different beakers filled a variety of vibrant colored liquid and bringing them back to his cluttered desk. Humming all the while, he began to mix certain vials, wrapping his tail around a wooden spoon and stirring as he moved on to another one. His humming paused when he heard a thump from behind him.

        "Uh....Andis? Why am I in your deity-forsaken lab of horrors and strapped to a table?"

Oh yeah. He had forgotten about his guest. "Mascha! There is a very good, morally acceptable reason for that, but why dwell on that? You see, the reason you are in my 'deity-forsaken lab of horrors and strapped to a table,' as you so eloquently put it, is for science!" He spun around with his exclamation, flinging his wings wide and looking at the skydancer with anticipation for her very reasonable joy and acceptance, of course.

        "Righhhttttt. While that sounds..." She paused, snout twisted in what looked like a grimace, (She needs to learn how to smile properly! It's not like she could actually dislike Andis's wonderful explanation, right?) "....fun, I really do have more pressing engagements, so if you could take off these bindings, that would be great." She wiggled around, demonstrating the afore-mentioned bindings pinning her fore and hindlegs, wings, neck and tail to the platform. She craned her neck forwards, glaring with her bright red eyes.

        "Whaaa? Why would you wanna leave? This is revolutionary!" Andis hopped up on the table, staring unblinking into Mascha's eyes. "Revolutionary." She leaned her head back, looking at him with a mix of apprehension and amusement. 

        "What do you want to do, exactly?" She cocked her head, twitching her antennae. If it was something harmless, she was sure it would be fine to entertain him a bit. After all, what's the worse thing he could do? Kill her? Yeah right-

        "I'm gonna cut open your stomach and pour various chemicals in to see how your toxins react!"

-Nope. She was gone. Out of here. Bye, sayonara, good riddance. She darted her head forwards, sinking her fangs into the fae's shoulder, shoving him off as he started twitching as the paralysis set in. She maneuvered the keys in her mouth, twisting them until she managed to free her neck. Able to move more freely, she freed the rest of her limbs. She headed for the door, but heard a groan and looked back. Andis was sprawled next to the table, a wing trapped under him and chemical drool pooling under his head. Mascha sighed, then shouldered under him and lifted him onto the table. "The venom will wear off in a couple of hours, alright? You'll be fine." She looked around and walked over to his desk, picking up an empty vial and dripping some venom in. "There. Experiment on that instead of me, huh?" She shook her head,  then exited the lab and made her way through the twisting passageways.

"Stay safe, you crazy genius."




                Andis clicked his tongue shut, letting out a hum, and lowering his head onto Midas's leg. Their claws trailed along his spine, stretching out and petting his wings. The metal was cold against Andis's skin, their paws to far from their power source to warm. A series of clicks sounded, ringing in the silent air. 

        Where did you get this scar?

They asked, the little chirps and trills, and Andis sighed back an answer.

        "Are you sure you want to know?"

They brushed their nails down his back, on the gnarled flesh that seemed to completely cover him sometimes, stretching from his right shoulder and the base of wing, dripping down his spine to the back of his leg, breaking him apart and leaving the little pieces to

fall,

fall,

fall.

        Yes, they clicked, I want to know everything about you. 

Andis sighed again, fins fluttering.

        "Alright," he said, a smile on his snout. "Though I must warn you, It's not a happy story."

Midas's tail twitched, eyes curious. More clicks.

        Is anyone's?

Andis laughed softly. He hummed again, feeling his vocal chords produce the sound and push it out into the air, for all the hear.

        "I suppose not." 

Midas mimicked the sound, warm against Andis's scales. they stretched their neck down, nuzzling into the junction at the base of his wing. Click. Click.

        Goodnight.

Andis snorted, peering up at them.

        "I thought you wanted to know about my scar?"

He felt them shift, but otherwise remain still.

        Later. I'm tired.

The light from their chest dimmed, until it was just a soft orange glow glinting of the cave walls.

        "You don't even need sleep, you weirdo."

A click sounds in the dark.

        Shush.




Lovely art by verenacafern