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#24 of New Haven City

Here's the second story from that poll! This time it's Richard and Olive, taking place one week after this story. Olive makes an attempt at discovering herself.

It took some effort, and she had to throw her shoulder into it, but Olive managed to push the door of the cafe open. There was a soft, musical jingle of bells indicating that a new customer had entered the cafe. Olive let the door fall closed behind her and looked around.

This was not her part of town. This cafe was definitely meant for folk on the larger end of the size spectrum. Even the chairs towered over her, and she was pretty sure that the second-shortest patron here (a female wolf) was probably about one and a half times her height. She could feel the weight of eyes gazing at her.

Every hair on Olive's body stood on end. Every instinct she had screamed at her that she was not safe here.

But the most important thing in situations like this was acting like you belonged. If she bolted now, there was probably about a 100% chance that she would end up in the belly of one of these patrons. Running would trigger their hunting instincts, and that would be it. Rabbit for brunch.

So Olive stood tall, keeping her posture straight as she scanned the room. It didn't take long to find who she was looking for.

The male jaguar was sitting in one of the booths on the far end of the cafe. In spite of the size of the booths here, it looked like he had to squeeze a bit to fit. If he had been standing, Olive would only reach up to about his thigh.

She approached the booth. The jaguar noticed her coming and put down the book he was reading. "Olive!"

Olive nodded. "Hi, Richard."

"I wasn't sure if you were actually going to show. Please, have a seat." He gestured towards the seats on the other side of the booth.

Olive walked over and looked up at the cushioned seats. She had to reach up to put her hands on the cushion, then hop up, scrambling a bit to climb onto the seat.

"Excuse me, do you need this?"

Olive turned to see a middle-aged female feline wearing a waitress' uniform. She was holding what looked like a wooden box with a cushion on top.

Great. A booster seat.

Olive looked across the table. If she were sitting, her head was going to be below the level of the table, and she wouldn't be able to see Richard.

She turned back to the waitress and sighed. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

The waitress set the booster down, and Olive positioned herself on top of it. She ordered a cup of tea, then turned to look at Richard.

"So," Richard said. "You came."

"Uh huh." Olive nodded. "I honestly wasn't sure if I should."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't," Richard said.

Olive believed him. In fact, one of the reasons she had decided to come at all was because, at every step of the way, Richard had seemed to be trying to make Olive as comfortable as possible. He had given her the opportunity to run when they had first met. He had let her set the terms of their meeting. In fact, it was Olive who had chosen this particular venue, since if Richard came to a cafe on the prey side of town, it was likely to cause an uproar.

"Either way, I'm here now," Olive said. "You said you wanted to talk to me? You called it 'feline curiousity?'"

Richard nodded. "Yeah. I've never had someone... react like you did."

He was talking about their first meeting, a week ago. Olive had been halfway down the throat of a coyote when Richard had shown up. Richard had tried to swallow both of them, but Olive had managed to squirm her way out. But then...

"You didn't run," Richard continued. "I had expected you to run."

Olive nodded. It was a reasonable expectation. A prey who had just barely escaped being swallowed by a predator should want to distance herself as much as possible from that predator. But she had stayed to watch, instead.

"So, why didn't you run?"

Olive felt her ears droop, and she rubbed at the back of her head. "I... I'm not sure."

Richard sighed. "I was worried you were going to say that. You do realize that's not a very satisfying answer, right?"

"Tell me about it. That's the real reason I came. Because I want to know the answer, too."

Richard raised an eyebrow for a moment, but then he nodded. "Alright, so let me start by making a few observations. That sound alright?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Okay. Observation number one: you stuck around to watch me finish swallowing that coyote. So that means that something attracted you to the sight. So that tells me that there's something about seeing someone be eaten that appeals to you. Right?"

"Yes, that sounds right," Olive said.

"Observation number two: when I started eating that coyote, you escaped. In fact, you pulled some pretty impressive feats of acrobatics to do so. So, you're not one of these 'willing prey' I sometimes hear about, because if you wanted to actually be eaten, you would have just let it happen."

"My instinctual will to survive does seem to be intact, yes," Olive responded.

Richard smiled at that. "So I would say, you're either attracted to the power that a large predator like me has, or there's something about the idea of being a prey that you like, even if you don't actually want to be eaten. Am I right?"

Olive considered. She thought about how she had felt watching him eat that coyote, about how she had imagined what the coyote had been going through. She thought about watching Richard's powerful muscles push his meal so easily into his gut.

"I think... maybe... that it might be a little bit of both," Olive said. "There was a certain... thrill to it, to the idea that you could eat her so easily, and the fact that I was so close to joining her."

Richard leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands, his expression pensive. "That's... very interesting. Have you always felt this way?"

"I'm not sure," Olive admitted. "Even when I was a kid, I always thought predators were 'cool,' in the way that kids think things are cool. But I was smart enought to not actually get close to one. That night, that was the first time I had ever seen a predator eat that close. It... caught me off guard, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since."

"That makes sense," Richard said. He paused for a moment, his tail darting back and forth, seeming to be lost in thought. "I have a proposition. Would you like to explore that feeling further?"

Olive's tone was guarded. "What do you mean?"

"If you'd like, I'd be willing to eat you."

Olive's heart practically jumped into her throat. "Dammit, this was a trap the whole time, wasn't it?"

Richard immediately backed off, sitting back up straight and holding one hand out with the palm facing her. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to offer... if you wanted to experiment with this..." He lowered his voice a bit. "I'll swallow you, but I'll let you out afterward. Then you can see how you actually feel about it when it happens.

Olive furrowed her brow. "Can you even do that?"

"I can't disgorge my meals like a snake, but I can make myself gag and get you back out," Richard said. "It's not exactly pleasant for me, but I'm willing to do it."

"Why?" Olive tapped the fingers of one hand on the table. "Why would you do that for me?"

Richard shrugged. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I find you fascinating. And if I were in your shoes, I would want to be able to play with these feelings -- to experiment, to see if they really mean anything. I would understand if you don't want to, but... the offer's on the table."

Olive hesitated. It didn't take a genius to realize that this was not a good idea. To let a predator, let alone one she had just met, not only take her to his den, but swallow her? It was foolishness of the highest order!

And yet...

If she didn't take him up on this... would she ever get another chance? It wasn't like she hobnobbed with predators often. She was unlikely to ever be in this situation again. Would she regret it if she turned him down? Would she always wonder if she was missing something?

And everything about Richard made her feel... comfortable. If he had really wanted to eat her, he could have done so a week ago. Hell, he could have done so now, there was nothing stopping him from reaching across the table and grabbing her. Everything about him, his demeaner, his tone of voice, all told Olive that he respected her. Even his questions, though curious, had not felt derogatory or condescending. Yes, he was a predator and she was a prey, but she was also a person, and Richard clearly understood that.

Olive took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding against the inside of her ribcage.

"I'll do it."

Richard actually looked surprised. "Okay, then. Shall we go to my place? It's not far from here."

Olive nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Olive followed Richard through the door to his apartment. It wasn't anything fancy, but it looked huge to her. Just like the cafe, everything was on a massive scale compared to her. The couch, the low (for Richard) table, even the TV. Maybe she should ask Richard if she could just hang out here and watch movies some time -- it would be like visiting a theater!

But that wasn't why she was here. She was here to explore a side of herself that she might not be able to explore otherwise.

"Alright, let's do this before I get cold feet," Olive said. She grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up, pulling the shirt over her head.

"W-what are you doing!?" Richard asked, his eyes widening.

Olive finished pulling her large ears through the shirt and looked up at Richard. The shirt was now wrapped around her arms. "I'm stripping. You're gonna eat me, right? I don't want to ruin my clothes."

"Oh, um, right," Richard said. He looked away from Olive. "Of course. that makes sense."

Olive had to push down a smile. Was he blushing?

Olive finished undressing, removing her jeans, then her underwear, until she was completely naked. She set her clothes in a neat pile on the low table, then turned to face Richard.

In spite of everything, she couldn't help but tremble a little. She was now naked, totally exposed, in the den of a predator several times her size. She had long since passed the moment of no return.

Richard had removed his own shirt, as well, though he kept his jeans on. He beckoned to the couch. "Here, sit down, we'll get started."

Olive clambered up on to the large couch, sitting down in the middle of one of the large cushions. Richard sat down next to her. "Okay, so I guess I'll just... do it?"

Olive swallowed hard. "Maybe you could... act like a pred?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... don't just grab me and gulp me down. Act like a predator. Act like you would if I were really your prey."

Richard thought about that for a moment. "I don't really act particularly special around prey."

"I just mean... hrk!"

Olive's words were cut off as Richard turned toward her suddenly. His arm shot out, and his huge hand wrapped around her neck, pushing her backwards until her back pressed against the arm of the couch. His grip was firm, but not tight -- he wasn't actually choking her.

"You're just food, after all," Richard said. He changed position, lifting one knee onto the couch, followed by the other. He was now on all fours above her, straddling her, his massive frame looming over her. "Barely even a meal, really. Little rabbit like you? More like a snack." His lips parted slightly, and Olive watched his thick tongue slowly lick around his muzzle, his sharp teeth glinting in the light from a nearby lamp.

Olive gasped. She could feel her heart pounding in her large ears. Her fur was standing on edge. She pushed her legs against the couch cushion, more by instinct than anything, though of course she was already backed into a corner. She could feel a warmth starting to pool in her lower belly.

Holy heavens, this was hot.

Richard was moving closer. He released his grip on her throat, but now his huge hands settled on the arm of the couch on either side of her, cutting off her escape. He was leaning close, his face approaching her body. His lips curled back in a snarl, wrinkling the fur on his nose, revealing his sharp teeth. A low, gutteral growl emitted from somewhere in his chest. He was so close now, she could feel each huff of breath wash over her.

He paused here, though. His expression didn't change, and he was less than a hand's breadth away, but he seemed to be waiting on her signal.

She reached forward with her right hand, touching his cheek. Then she slid her hand to his mouth, letting her fingers slide beneath his gums. Her hands slipped across wet teeth, hard as concrete, squeaking slightly under her touch. She used her palm to push his lips back, getting a better view of those teeth, sharp as knives. Then she slid her hand further in, careful not to cut herself, and ran her hand across his tongue. It was rough and moist, and it moved slight under her touch.

He just waited while she did all of this, letting her explore his mouth with her fingers.

Finally, she pulled her hand back, her fur up to her elbow now wet and sticky with saliva.

"Okay," she said. "Do it."

The response was instantaneous, as though he had been holding back until this moment. He pounced forward, his mouth wrapping around her head, and she was encased in darkness.

It was hot in here, and wet, his breath still washing over her. Her face was pressed against that rough tongue, and she felt his teeth prick at her collarbone. His hands were on her now, holding her waist. He was doing it. He was eating her.

The tongue pressed against her, squeezing her against Richard's palate. She was pulled in deeper, his huge mouth wrapped around her shoulders and chest. Her head pressed against the entrance to his throat, and she could feel it beckoning her, eager to pull her down, down, down.

Holy hell, what was she doing!?

Why was she letting a predator eat her!? She didn't even know Richard! How could she possibly trust him to actually let her out!?

He was never going to, she realized. This was all some long con. He hadn't eaten her before because he had just eaten the coyote. This was just a way to delay his meal for a week until he was hungry again.

And it was too late. She had already fallen for it. She was already halfway in his mouth. No way she'd be escaping now.

The pounding in her chest was due to panic now. She began to squirm, flailing out with her legs.

"No! No no no NO!" Her words started as a shout and quickly rose in pitch until she was screaming at the top of her lungs. "I don't want to die! Let me go!"

She felt Richard freeze. Then one of his large hands came down to grip her legs to stop her from kicking. The jig was up, she knew. Now he would shove her the rest of the way inside, and that would be it. She'd be a bunny steak.

But he didn't do that. Instead, she felt his mouth widen, and he slowly, carefully, pulled himself off her, making sure his teeth didn't hurt her. The darkness of his mouth was replaced by the relatively bright light of the apartment.

Olive, however, was still in panic mode. The moment she felt his hand leave her legs, she made a break for it, falling off the couch and landing on all fours on the floor. She tried to make for the door, but she was still blinking in the light, and she bumped into the table, slowing her down.

"It's okay!" Richard shouted, standing up from the couch. "Stop, it's okay!"

Olive shook her head, trying to get her bearings. She turned, still blinking, and looked up at Richard.

He had taken a step away, and was holding both paws up, palms facing her, his claws sheathed.

"It's alright," he said. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Olive put one hand against the low table to steady herself. He had let her go.

He had let her go.

"I'm sorry," Richard said. "This was a bad idea. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It... it's okay." Olive looked down at herself. The fur on her body above her waist was matted and sticky.

"If you want, you can use my shower," he said.

"Y... yeah. I think I will," Olive said. "Thanks."

Richard moved quickly, getting her a towel and her clothes and lowering the removeable showerhead so it would be easier for Olive to use. Then he left her alone to wash up.

Olive showered in silence, thinking about what had just happened. She let the water wash over her fur and allowed her mind to wander, trying to decide what to do next. By the time she had finished, she had made her decision.

She emerged from the bathroom dressed in the jeans and t-shirt she had arrived in.

"Hey," she said.

Richard was sitting on the couch in the living room area of the apartment, and he jumped when she spoke. He stood up and turned to face her. His shirt was back on.

"I am so sorry," he said. "Really, I am. You can go, you can just pretend you never..."

"Richard, will you go out with me?"

Richard froze, his eyes going wide. "W-what!?"

"I'd like to go on a date with you, if you're interested," Olive said.

Richard looked at her. He looked down at his paws, his brow furrowed. Then he looked at her again. "Okay, back up."

Olive smiled. She walked back over to the couch and clambered onto it again, gesturing for Richard to sit next to her.

"I'd like to make a few observations," Olive said.

Richard raised an eyebrow, but he sat down next to Olive.

"Observation number one: you could have eaten me."

Richard nodded. "Yes, that's fair."

"And not just could have eaten me, I literally couldn't have made it easier for you. You could have just gulped me down and forgotten about me. Would have been a free meal for you. In fact, I imagine you probably had to fight instinct to let me go."

Richard rubbed at the back of his head. "Maybe a little."

"This brings me to an obvious conclusion: I can trust you. Maybe more than anyone I've ever met."

"I..."

Olive held up one finger to silence him. "Observation number two: you are very respectful of my boundaries. Every time I've told you to stop doing something, you've stopped. You've always made sure that I have an out in any situation where I might feel uncomfortable. You are obviously listening very closely and paying attention to what I have to say."

"Well, of course, any male would do that," Richard said.

Olive laughed. "Don't be so sure." She shifted back into a matter-of-fact tone. "Observation number three: you look very good with no shirt on."

Richard coughed. Aww, now he was blushing again.

Olive smiled and leaned towards him, placing a hand on his thigh. "Look," she said, her tone softening. "I actually think you had the right idea. You said this was an experiment, right? Sometimes we can learn a lot from failed experiments."

Richard looked down at her. "So what did you learn?"

"When you actually started swallowing me... that was too much. I started to freak out. I started to worry that this had all been a trick -- though you disproved that pretty quickly."

"It definitely wasn't," Richard said. "I didn't lie to you."

"I know, I know. So, actually being swallowed isn't what I want, even if I'm going to be let out. But the first part, the part where you were holding me down and talking to me like I was prey? That part was working for me, Richard."

Richard smiled and scratched at his cheek with one finger. "Heh, really?"

"Oh yeah." Olive nodded. "You were getting me going, Richard."

He looked away, clearly a bit embarrassed. "Ahem. I was... kind of enjoying it, too."

"Glad to hear that. But what I'm getting at is... I think there's room for more experimentation here. We can adjust the parameters and try again. Maybe try some other things, too. We probably shouldn't rush into things quite as much -- and we probably should decide on a safe word. But... I want to keep exploring this. And if you're willing, I'd like you to be my partner in that exploration. And that means getting to know every side of each other."

Richard looked down at her again. "Really? I mean... yeah, I'd love to date you. I honestly thought you were kind of out of my league."

Olive laughed. She stood up on the couch, and stretching up on her tip-toes, she was able to reach up to give Richard a kiss on the cheek. "You've shown me I can trust you. I can't think of a better foundation for a relationship than that."

Richard smiled at her. Then he stood up, offering her a hand to help her down from the couch.

"Well then, I'll have to make sure I show you a good time. For right now, though, if I'm being honest, this whole thing has made me kind of hungry. I think I need to go hunting." He took a step towards the door, then looked back over his shoulder at her. "You want to come?"

Olive felt her heart skip a beat. "I'd love to."

Ask me questions on my Curious Cat! Feel free to ask questions to either me or one of my characters.If you're so inclined, I'd much appreciate it if you'd buy me a coffee!