Scene: Leaving for the carnival
Depending on your perspective, it's either very late or very early. Despite the hour, the full moon is still bright and clear in the fall sky. It's been a long night and as soon as Njoki gets home, she heads for the shower. In her household, that's one of the more important rules -- after a 'night out', shower, scrub your teeth, mouthwash, etc.etc. She's exhausted, but it's a pleasant, satiated feeling. It won't last.
With a slow, lazy smile she climbs into bed and tries to snuggle into the warmest spot. She'd hoped he'd be asleep, but he never is.
"You smell like blood."
A sharp, bright smile and she pulls back further to look at his face, "Mm'lo, so do you. Just yours is on the inside."
"You can stop this, you know. You don't have to be this way." He clicks on the table lamp and looks at her. Frustrated and earnest. He really believes or really wants to believe that she can change.
"You knew, you knew, when we were married what I was. Let's not have this talk now, hmm?" Can she gently brush his hair out of his eyes? Will she let him?
"I didn't really believe it." When he scowls and jerks away from her touch, Njoki looks hurt. She's trying to be a good wife, do this this all right. When it's her turn to speak, her voice is quiet and apologetic. "I have to go for a while. Maybe a couple weeks. I'll work out something with the school. You'll need to cover. There should be plenty of meals in the freezer." She's been preparing for something like this.
"No."
"No?"
"You're my wife. I already put up with too much from you."
"Don't start with that tone. I had to do this. I told you about the carnival, even if you weren't really listening, I know you heard me. You..." A deep breath. Counting to ten. "We shouldn't fight, I'm too high-strung tonight."
"I'm not going to cover for you."
"But...!"
"Because you're not going."
"Oh? I'm not am I? I made a deal, Aitan. I have to go now."
He gets up and starts to pace, resignation turning into anger, "You don't take my name, fine. You go to that school, fine. I suffer through your delusions, God help me, but fine. You leave me to join a carnival for 'oh, just a few weeks, Aitan!', that is not fine. I'll be the laughing-stock around here. No, wait, I already am. Do I need to wear horns, too? Is that what this is? You've found a boy? Some poor, little carnie?"
"They're not delusions. I know what I am. You do to, why...why don't you believe me? Look, someone had to go bargain with the Carnival, they're not human. Open your eyes, hein? I'm going in the morning. Turn out the light. There's nothing else to discuss."
It's too late, he's working himself up, "You don't listen to me. You're crazy - really, truly mad. Always staring off and talking to things that aren't there. Can't you even remember simple things? You're supposed to be the wife. You support me in the home, I don't 'cover' for you."
Dammit. He's acting like prey. Njoki calmly watches how he moves - looking for weaknesses in the way he walks. She knows his left knee is bad. Go for the sore spots. "We both know that I'm not the wife you want. Hmm? Nice, young man, eh? Do you think I don't know why you're stuck with a 'creature' like me? Do you think I don't know? I'm not stupid, Aitan."
"Shut up!"
"What's the matter? Too strong for you? I know why you had to move towns. I know why they set us up." Her voice is low and hungry. Circling for the kill. "I'm not ladylike, eh? S'that it? They thought that might help you out. But it's not enough, is it? Can you change? If you want it hard enough?" Nipping at his flanks, getting ready to drag him down. Crush his throat. "Christ, it's never 'hard' enough, eh? Blame me for not having children?" He doesn't need to know that she's on the pill. "They thought since I'm not a good wife that I could be a nice man for you, eh?"
The slap that follows seems to echo in the small room. The moment crystallizes then shatters with a snarl - she's pushed herself up off the bed, bowling him over, and pinning him to the floor. This close he can hear her bones grinding and changing shape, when she licks at her split lip a little blood falls on his cheek, spattering close to his open, terrified eyes. "Never again. Do you understand me? Never again."
She keeps him pinned for a few more seconds. Alpha, do you understand? I am in charge, not you. "I am going to sleep on the couch. Then pack a bag." Her joints are oddly shaped and it's easier to lope out of the bedroom on all fours. She's gone by morning.
With a slow, lazy smile she climbs into bed and tries to snuggle into the warmest spot. She'd hoped he'd be asleep, but he never is.
"You smell like blood."
A sharp, bright smile and she pulls back further to look at his face, "Mm'lo, so do you. Just yours is on the inside."
"You can stop this, you know. You don't have to be this way." He clicks on the table lamp and looks at her. Frustrated and earnest. He really believes or really wants to believe that she can change.
"You knew, you knew, when we were married what I was. Let's not have this talk now, hmm?" Can she gently brush his hair out of his eyes? Will she let him?
"I didn't really believe it." When he scowls and jerks away from her touch, Njoki looks hurt. She's trying to be a good wife, do this this all right. When it's her turn to speak, her voice is quiet and apologetic. "I have to go for a while. Maybe a couple weeks. I'll work out something with the school. You'll need to cover. There should be plenty of meals in the freezer." She's been preparing for something like this.
"No."
"No?"
"You're my wife. I already put up with too much from you."
"Don't start with that tone. I had to do this. I told you about the carnival, even if you weren't really listening, I know you heard me. You..." A deep breath. Counting to ten. "We shouldn't fight, I'm too high-strung tonight."
"I'm not going to cover for you."
"But...!"
"Because you're not going."
"Oh? I'm not am I? I made a deal, Aitan. I have to go now."
He gets up and starts to pace, resignation turning into anger, "You don't take my name, fine. You go to that school, fine. I suffer through your delusions, God help me, but fine. You leave me to join a carnival for 'oh, just a few weeks, Aitan!', that is not fine. I'll be the laughing-stock around here. No, wait, I already am. Do I need to wear horns, too? Is that what this is? You've found a boy? Some poor, little carnie?"
"They're not delusions. I know what I am. You do to, why...why don't you believe me? Look, someone had to go bargain with the Carnival, they're not human. Open your eyes, hein? I'm going in the morning. Turn out the light. There's nothing else to discuss."
It's too late, he's working himself up, "You don't listen to me. You're crazy - really, truly mad. Always staring off and talking to things that aren't there. Can't you even remember simple things? You're supposed to be the wife. You support me in the home, I don't 'cover' for you."
Dammit. He's acting like prey. Njoki calmly watches how he moves - looking for weaknesses in the way he walks. She knows his left knee is bad. Go for the sore spots. "We both know that I'm not the wife you want. Hmm? Nice, young man, eh? Do you think I don't know why you're stuck with a 'creature' like me? Do you think I don't know? I'm not stupid, Aitan."
"Shut up!"
"What's the matter? Too strong for you? I know why you had to move towns. I know why they set us up." Her voice is low and hungry. Circling for the kill. "I'm not ladylike, eh? S'that it? They thought that might help you out. But it's not enough, is it? Can you change? If you want it hard enough?" Nipping at his flanks, getting ready to drag him down. Crush his throat. "Christ, it's never 'hard' enough, eh? Blame me for not having children?" He doesn't need to know that she's on the pill. "They thought since I'm not a good wife that I could be a nice man for you, eh?"
The slap that follows seems to echo in the small room. The moment crystallizes then shatters with a snarl - she's pushed herself up off the bed, bowling him over, and pinning him to the floor. This close he can hear her bones grinding and changing shape, when she licks at her split lip a little blood falls on his cheek, spattering close to his open, terrified eyes. "Never again. Do you understand me? Never again."
She keeps him pinned for a few more seconds. Alpha, do you understand? I am in charge, not you. "I am going to sleep on the couch. Then pack a bag." Her joints are oddly shaped and it's easier to lope out of the bedroom on all fours. She's gone by morning.