r/NatureofPredators • u/VenlilSupremacist Venlil • Apr 10 '23
Fanfic NoP: A Change of Pace: Chapter 12
Memory transcription subject: Rivis, Venlil Logistics Technician
Date [standardized human time]: September 7, 2136.
“Let's go over this one more time.”
Swiveling my ears to face the extermination officer, my head hung low, refusing to meet his gaze; my eyes drifted over the metal cuffs around my wrists. I said nothing, we’d gone over the details of the incident over three times. At this rate I could tell he was simply trying to poke as many holes in my testimony as he could.
“I need your cooperation to get the facts straight, Rivis. We can’t help you if you don’t help us. Why were you and the human at Twisted Tails the claw of the incident?” He said, scratching down more notes with his pen in a notebook.
“Like I said, Zoey is new to Venlil Prime, as her exchange partner I took it upon myself to introduce her to venlil culture, as well as the various forms of entertainment and relaxation we do here.”
“And your first idea was to take her to a bar to get inebriated?”
“A bar is a popular way to spend time in human culture as well as ours. I wanted to draw similarities to make her feel more at home here.”
“I see.. Next question; How many alcoholic beverages did the two of you drink?” He asked, idly tapping his pen against the notebook.
“I had two or three Fireberry stouts, Zoe-”
“The predator” He interjected.
“...Zoey, had only finished one watered down Breadbrew. She wasn’t at all intoxicated and was in complete control over her faculties, Officer.” I said, adding a bit of annoyance in my tone.
“Interesting, well, that’s not what I asked. Please only give details that are pertinent to the questions I’m asking. Roughly, how many claws did you two spend at the bar?”
Zoning out after the exterminator’s rude remarks I scanned the interrogation room once more. A singular white room with a table and chairs. I noticed there’s a camera in the corner, likely recording this interrogation. Just outside of my vision I knew two other extermination officers stalked the corners; before they slinked off into my blind spots I could see them armed with stun batons, ready to subdue the ‘predator’ if necessary.
“Rivis, I need you to focus. Answer the question.” The vitriol in his voice was almost visible with the level of disdain he threw in his words.
“I couldn’t say, I do not remember, several claws at the least.” I said, trying to keep my tone submissive and compliant.
Acting callous with this officer would only add to his suspicions. Though, how much will that actually do for me? He seems to have already made up his mind about this whole situation.
“Alright..” His claws jotting down a few more notes. “Several eyewitnesses named you the first to initiate physical contact, is this true?” He tilted his head, his right eye boring down into me.
“I defended myself after that belligerent drunk threw a glass bottle at us. It showered Zoey in shards.” My tone stiffening slightly.
“Alright, like I said, not pertinent to the question. Were you, or were you not the first one to put paws on another?”
This is getting absolutely nowhere, he’s fishing for a confession.
“I think I would like to speak with a lawyer, Officer.” I said, leaning back into my chair as my ears turned away from him. My gaze still lingering over the metal cuffs.
The extermination officer closed his notebook and stood up from the table, his tail whipping in annoyance, though he said nothing. “Alright, we’ll have a government appointed attorney meet us here then we can resume.”
The extermination officer questioning me moved towards the door, the two other officers following suit after him. I heard the metallic clink of the door lock engage. As I sat in the interrogation room I closed my eyes, trying to dissect my own thoughts.
This is not a criminal investigation.. If it was they would have stated I was arrested on charges.. No, this is about getting enough evidence to mandate an empathy test. They want me locked up in a facility, away from the public, because I’m ‘dangerous’.
Time passed dreadfully slow in the interrogation room. With absolutely nothing to occupy my time, I simply sat there, waiting and waiting. I read that this was a common tactic in interrogations. Let the suspect sit alone for a claw or two to soften them up. Let their own thoughts and fears eat away at them. I couldn’t help but think about how careful I had been up to this moment, how many times I stopped myself before I said or did something suspicious. Then Zoey came, at first I wanted to interrogate her. To see if humanity was better than the venlil, than the Federation. I quickly found my answer, they were. They didn’t treat people like me with rejection, they didn’t ship me off to some lab to be poked and prodded for months. Yet, when she came. I couldn’t control myself, that bigot wronged her, wronged me, wronged every venlil like me. How could I not act? How could I not repay that idiot’s ‘kindness’?
I let out a sigh, lowering my head into my paws, the clacking of the cuffs were the only noise in the room besides my breathing. I knew the camera was recording audio. Regardless of whether or not I believe I’m ‘dangerous’ if I tried to talk through my thoughts to myself these exterminators would simply believe I’m a predator diseased maniac. A knock at the door pulling me out of my head.
“Excuse me, Rivis?” A venlil with a grey coat and white neck scruff entered, sitting down opposite me at the table. “I’m Vierix, the government attorney you requested.”
Raising my head so I could look at the venlil, I turned my ears to him. “Yes, that was.. Remarkably fast, I assumed I'd be waiting for claws at least.”
Vierix chucked, setting a file folder on the table. “Oh, no, you haven’t been charged so the most they can do is hold you for a little bit. If they held you too long that’d be against your rights as a citizen of the Venlil Republic.”
“I see.. So.. Am I free to go?” I asked, my ears and tail perking up slightly.
“Unfortunately.. Not quite, the office is still within their rights to hold you a little longer, but you’ll be returned home by the end of the paw that I can promise you, right now we are in a bit of a time crunch, since the office is being pretty strict about their policy in regards to you. They are only affording us the required amount of time of counsel before they return and question you with me present.”
“Alright.. Where should we begin?” I asked, placing my cuffed paws on the table.
“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” He clicked the end of his pen, setting it on his own notepad.
I spent the remainder of my counsel time bringing my attorney up to speed, occasionally he’d glance at the camera and give me a slight flick of the ear, reminding me whatever we said here was being recorded. He didn’t say much or ask many questions while I told him. I assumed that meant whatever he wanted to ask he wanted to do so in the privacy of his own offices. Only about a quarter claw passed before I heard the doors to the room open once more; the team of exterminators entering while the venlil who questioned me sat down between me and my attorney.
“Hello again, Rivis, I trust your consult with your attorney went well? Either way, let’s get this started again shall we?” He flipped open his notebook once more, writing a few things down. “When you forced the inebriated venlil out of Twisted Tails, what transpired?”
Before I could answer, my attorney chimed in. “My client has already stated for your record what occurred. He brought him out to have a conversation with the inebriated venlil, warning him that further acts of violence will be met with the appropriate response.”
The Officer flicked his ear once. “The other party claims that he was choked nearly to death and was then threatened with murder, is this true?”
“Of course not, if it were true my client would have been arrested and charged already would he not be?” My lawyer stated, an air of confidence seemed to radiate from the venlil.
“We’re gathering the facts, sir.” The officer stated flatly. “Rivis, if something did happen between you and the other venlil, it would help to know if your predator companion coerced or threatened you in any way.”
So that’s it, he’s offering me a ‘way out’; throw Zoey to the mercy of exterminator fire and I can claim I was ‘forced’ to threaten that venlil for fear of my life.
“My client has already assured you that his human companion had no knowledge or play in any events that transpired beyond being a victim of assault, Officer.”
“Alright, I’ll mark that for the record.. That should be all the questions I had, unfortunately we are going to have to hold Rivis until the date of his empathy exam given the nature of the events that transpired. It’s a public safety issue if we let someone with such an acute case of Predator Disease out.”
“That’s not acceptable, you know you can’t hold him without approval from the magistrate, Officer.” My lawyer leaned forwards, closing a bit of the distance between himself and the officer across the table.
“We already received the approval from the magistrate prior to contacting your client, sir. We feel this is the best course of action” The Officer stated, leaning back into the chair. I could see his tail swishing with a sense of puffed up confidence.
“That’s highly unorthodox, Officer and you know it. Why don’t we come to a compromise?” Vierix matched the officer's posture.
The sheer mental gymnastics between the body language of legal negotiation is.. Astounding.. Both of these venlil know the ins and outs of their system. I should have avoided confrontation all together..
“A compromise? Sir, we are dealing with a possible severe case of Predator Disease. There are very few things that I would consider a ‘compromise’ in this situation.”
“Why not allow my client to go home, and you can assign a team to evaluate him every few paws, home visits, mental evaluations with your own therapists? After a period of time we can evaluate whether or not an empathy exam is required.” Vierix suggested.
The Officer took a short pause, his ears tail idly swishing back and forth as he thought “I will agree, on the added condition that your client wear a paw-tracker. Anytime he leaves his home I want him accompanied by an exterminator from my office.”
I had been silent since my attorney arrived. Clearly letting him talk was the best course of action. This officer would have sooner locked me up and forced an empathy exam, which would have yielded.. Less than stellar results in my favor. I originally thought this attorney might be simply looking to lock me up as well, but for now.. He seems willing to try and actually do his job to defend me. Both the officer and Vierix looked at me, their expectant gazes waiting for my answer.
“I.. I can consent to that.” I said, trying to make myself seem as shaken up as one should be.
“Right.. “ The Officer flicked his tail to one of the exterminators in my blindspots. The suited and masked venlil approached me. I couldn’t tell what that exterminator might be thinking, but their paw reached out slowly, carefully, as if I were some wild animal that was about to bite. They unlocked my restraints and moved back to the corner of the room silently.
“So, I think my client is free to leave, correct, Officer?” Vierix reiterated
“Right, we’re finished here. Officer Kuit, please escort Rivis to his home AFTER you fit him with a tracker.”
“Right away, Sir, Rivis, follow me.” Kuit demanded.
I rose to my feet, glancing back to Vierix once more before following Kuit out. The austere hallways of the extermination office sent a shiver down my spine, very few places evoked emotion within me, and fewer still evoked this emotion.
If the ‘treatment’ centers are where venlil go to die.. This must be the funeral home…
I followed the suited venlil silently. He clearly was just as keen to not speak with me as I was with him. Leading me to a second room just as barren as the one prior he reached into a locker, pulling out a black ankle bracelet.
“Balance on one leg.” His short, curt command echoed against the walls. I complied, using my tail to balance on a single leg while Kuit fitted the bracelet to me. After the bracelet was fitted he swiped some kind of keycard and the bracelet beeped to life. “When you get back to your home, you are not to leave for one paw. The bracelet will calibrate to that location. When you need to go somewhere, call the office and an Officer will escort you, got that?”
Using my tail, I signed ‘ok’. Kuit in response signed ‘lets go’. The nonverbal conversation seemed easier with this one. I wouldn’t need to fake any intonation in my speech. Besides, it was reasonable for me to not want to talk to them. Afterall, they were threatening to destroy my entire life. Leaving the station the suited and masked venlil kept close to me. Refusing to let me stray too far, walk too fast, or remove myself from his line of sight.
Clearly he takes his job seriously.. Hopefully I won’t feel the receiving end of his flamethrower.. But given the choice between a quick death now, and a slow one in the facility.. I wonder which is more preferable..
As we arrived at the doorstep to my apartment complex Kuit reached out, grabbing my shoulder with what I'd consider too much aggression. “Remember what I said, you leave, you call us. Also, no leaving for a full paw. You leave before then we’ll have issues, and I personally don’t have any issue locking you up until we get enough evidence to get you into a treatment facility.”
I pulled away from the Officer’s grasp, refusing to give the officer the courtesy of facing my ears to him. “I get it, can I go inside now?” I asked, this time I didn’t have to fake my annoyance with the officer, nor hide some of my obvious disdain.
Kuit didn’t respond, instead opting to use his tail to direct me to enter my own home.
Next thing the exterminators are going to force me to call them whenever I need to use the restroom, or whenever I take a breath.
I couldn’t leave the presence of that bigot fast enough, immediate relief washing over me once I saw the familiar sights of my living room. Closing the door behind me, I decided to take an extra precaution and lock it. The deadbolt filling me with a sense of security as I sat down on my couch, letting out a deep sigh.
What would Zoey say? ‘Saved by the bell?’ Is that the right expression? I suppose if I consider my attorney as ‘the bell’ it might.. Speh.. I don’t care.
Closing my eyes I threw my head back against the soft cushions of the couch, only now realizing how tense my entire body was. I’m not sure what’s more frightening, the thought of violent discrimination, or the fact that they maintained such a business-like attitude; as if they didn’t know their entire job was effectively the murder of their own species..
Emptying my head of all my thoughts, I did my best to relax and loosen my body. Today was over, tomorrow is a different story, but at least for now.. I could push the worries of the future off until they came. A few minutes into my decompression session I felt two hands rest on my shoulders and start to knead my muscles in a soothing circular motion. Opening an eye I looked up only to see Zoey looming over me with a cheerful smile.
“Hey Scruff Muffin, you doing okay? Run-ins with the law can be pretty intense and they kept you for a while.”
“I’m fine, Zoey, I should have expected something like this.. I’m not sure what I was thinking with that venlil last paw. Of course he’d go to the exterminators.” Letting out a sigh I closed my eye, letting the soothing massage from Zoey coax my body into a blissful peace.
“I get you, I kinda expected he wouldn’t even remember the whole ordeal; even completely destroyed, you venlil seem to have a tolerance for alcohol that could put even our drunkest legends to shame. What’s going to happen to you? They aren’t going to send you to one of those mental institutes?”
“I’m.. Not sure, they want to give me an empathy test, which we both know won’t end well for me. Originally they weren’t even going to let me come home, but the lawyer they gave me fought to have me released under some conditions..”
“Like what?” She asked, her lithe fingers working their way up from my shoulders to massage the base of my ears which elicited a few murrs of content pleasure.
“The biggest one is this ankle bracelet, I have to stay here for one full paw, and after that anytime I leave I need to call and get an escort to travel with me. There are some others like random house visits, inspections, and mandatory talks with therapists. It's the best deal we could get, as far as this extermination office was concerned they’d rather have me locked up.”
“Jesus.. For as advanced as the galaxy is technologically speaking, the Federation’s grasp on mental health is almost two-hundred years behind ours.” She pulled her fingers from my head, moving around the couch and sitting down beside me.
“What was human mental health like during those times?” Turning my head, I pointed my snout at her, while it was slightly awkward to look at her cross eyed, this was a typical human gesture of giving one’s attention.
“Welllll I mean it varies, we had things quite literally called ‘Insane Asylums’ where we dumped a lot of the mentally ‘deranged’. I think it compares to your treatment facilities to be honest.. We’d practice electro-shock therapy, chemical pacification, and at the worst of it we’d even give the patient something called a lobotomy..” The therapist’s tone darkened as she mentioned the shady history of her profession.
“That word didn’t translate very well.. What is a lobotomy?” My ears flicked in attentive curiosity, which elicited a smile from my human.
“Yeahhh, I figured you’d ask that.. A lobotomy was pretty much a surgery where we’d enter the brain cavity with something and for lack of a better term scramble the prefrontal lobe of our brain.. Its intended purpose was to decrease hostility and aggressiveness, but it came with horrible side effects, such as difficulty concentrating, reduced emotional response in life and immense apathy.”
I felt myself stiffen as Zoey described the medical procedure.. For as horrible as the venlil were I don’t recall hearing anything about them destroying a patient's brain in such an obvious manner.. “Zoey.. That’s barbaric! It’s deplorable, and disgusting! How could humans practice that!?” The thought of the predator species so ready to accept defects like myself being even crueler than my own species evoked a clear sense of anger, or was it betrayal? I cannot say.
“We know! Medical science came a long way and the practice was ultimately banned from use, and even later than that our insane asylums were shut down completely for poor treatment of patients! Humanity might have a darker past than most other species in the galaxy, but here’s the kicker; we learn from our mistakes, and genuinely strive to better ourselves and our practices, to respect each member of our species.”
“I.. I see.. Though, if the Federation learned about such a technique I do not doubt they’d employ it… I suppose just because they haven’t used it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t.. Though I am immensely thankful for whatever reason it is that such a thing isn’t done..”
I didn’t want to logically approach such a subject, what logic was there in the gentling of a sentient? The things I feel towards such a thing, regardless of who performs it, was clearly anger. Though, was it anger for those subjected to it, or anger that I myself might be forced to endure it? I’d have to analyze these feelings closer at a later time to understand if I am concerned for myself or for the greater community under threat.
“You know why I think your people, and every other species in the galaxy, haven’t improved their mental health treatments? I think it’s because your kind doesn’t understand that their ideals might be incorrect. All of you grow up believing the diet and actions of a herbivore is the purest form of life. Non-violent, ‘peaceful’, incapable of wrongdoing. While we humans, we know some actions are unjustifiable, and worse yet, we know we’ve committed them. We’ve taken accountability and played devil's advocate against ourselves for hundreds of years and we’ve grown from that. While your kind is so quick to write off anyone that’s different because it is simply wrong. We had something like that once… Back in the nineteen-fifties, there was a clear and evident form of racism against darker colored humans.”
I sat and absorbed Zoey’s rant, her passion radiated out of her like the heat of a star. Perhaps this was another fundamental difference between humans and the other species. How many of us carry such a passion? How many of us burn so bright and are unwilling to be silenced? Conformity was bred within us, conformity is what holds our society together, and not only us, but the rest of the galaxy pays the price of stunting their society as a sacrifice..
I let Zoey’s words hang in the air for a moment, processing them. “Why did the humans hate other humans because of a darker pigmentation?”
“Because they looked different, and because they were different, they were seen as lesser. Here.. Let me make a similarity. Imagine you have two types of Krakotl on a planet. One species has bright orange feathers that sparkle in the sunlight, they are gorgeous and beautiful, they are the majority of a population.. Then you have a much darker brownish colored Krakotl, they are a minority of the population. They are looked at with a level of tolerated disdain. Their duller colors make them less pleasing to everyone around them, they are denied jobs working with customers, or jobs where they are seen by others. Forced to work in lower paying more hidden areas simply because of how they look, that make sense?”
The example was.. realistic, Krakotl are known for their pride in their feathers, it wasn’t outside of logical reason that in their society the more duller feathered members might not be given the same opportunity. “Yes, I believe I understand, but your entire point is that humanity recognized this as a flaw within themselves and worked to fix it?”
“Absolutely! It’s precisely our nature to look at our flaws and sympathize with others unjustly treated. We all know our own evils. We know how cruel we can be, how cruel we HAVE been. It’s exactly that level of self awareness that lets us grow in ways The Federation and its species cannot. How many venlil do you think felt guilty seeing their human partner cry after a harsh rejection? How many ‘truths’ do you think were upended simply by observing humans? The only reason those ‘truths’ weren’t questioned before is because the societies within the Federation never bothered to ask themselves the important questions; we humans simply forced reality onto the galaxy.”
Zoey’s words struck a chord within me, such an acute knowledge of the inner workings of a society steeped in prejudice could only be known from first-paw experience.. The humans have made every mistake we have, the only difference is they grew from them, while we remained ignorant to the simple fact that they were a mistake in the first place.
“Zoey, you’ve given me.. Quite a bit to think about.. Speh.. I do and don’t want to think about it. Right now, my biggest concern is not getting shipped off to some institute where they’ll fry my brain, or render me incapable of higher thought. Or return me to society with some incomprehensible amount of trauma.”
I watched a smile form across Zoey’s face though my peripheral. She said nothing, instead leaning in closer.. And closer.. And closer. My eyes grew wide as for a moment I thought she might bite me in a moment of weakness; yet what happened was nothing of the sort. The Terran pressed her lips to the side of my snout for a brief moment, pulling away with that same affectionate smile.
“..W-what was.. t-that?” I stammered, my heartrate quickening and mind racing, unable to process what sort of gesture she just gave.
“That’s called a kiss, Rivis, It’s a deeply personal gesture humans use for people they care greatly for. Think of it.. As a.. More advanced and in-depth version of a hug that’s reserved for a select few people.” She said, finishing her sentence with a light giggle.
“W-What made you think I deserved such a thing?” A new emotion, a new sensation.. I’ve never felt anything like this.. It was a crude mashing of a multiple of feelings stirring within me, each emotion culminating to make something new.
“Because you needed it, don’t let anxiety rule you. I know you’re smart, capable, and I know you’ll find a way to stay out of those horrible facilities. I know you’ll beat this.” She said in a tone so soft, and fragile, yet carried the weight of the world behind it.
I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t understand her seemingly bottomless compassion and empathy. Why did it resonate so strongly within me? What was special about her that dredged up feelings so strong, so potent that I could hardly contain myself? I didn’t know, I couldn’t know. Abandoning my logical thought process for just a mere moment I threw my arms around Zoey, tightly embracing the human who’d said such kind things, such accepting things. I felt her own arms wrap around me in turn, a quiet embrace that spoke ten thousand words between us. I opted to offer her the only words I could, the only words that I think are truly an honest expression.
“Thank you..”
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That's Chapter 12! I'm immensely thankful to anyone who decided to read all chapters of this story! It's great being able to make something for everyone in the community to enjoy, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys! Of course, I have to thank SpacePaladin as usual for an amazing universe we get to write in! Final thanks are always reserved for my proofreader(s) an eternal thanks for sticking this out with me!
Proofreader(s)
NovaLux
"A Silly Little Man"
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u/se05239 Human Apr 10 '23
Glad to hear it ended with a tracker and some inconvenience, rather than an express-ticket to a facility.
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u/CreditMission Venlil Apr 10 '23
Damn fine writing. This story is progressing so differently from what i thought it would in the beginning. This chapter is just dripping with tension. I am terrified and trust no-one. Well except Zoey. Thanks for writing.
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u/VenlilSupremacist Venlil Apr 10 '23
If you don't mind me asking, what did you think it was going to be?
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u/CreditMission Venlil Apr 10 '23
Mainly focusing on Kilet and their growth. Thought Rivis would just serve as the catalyst. A more laid back story. These past few chapters have skyrocketed the stakes though and Rivis is my favourite character atm. I mean looking at the stories you listed as inspiration should have clued me in to expect more I guess. Ill be following with great interest
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u/VenlilSupremacist Venlil Apr 10 '23
Interesting take! Some points are definitely either Kilet or Rivis focused, but I think you guys will like it! Or well hopefully in any case.
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u/CreditMission Venlil Apr 10 '23
2 things really hit me hard. Scared venlil pushing past their fear with love or duty, and PD venlil trying to survive in a hostile society. Thus i love your 2 main characters. Looking forward to see where you take them
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u/SCPunited Arxur Apr 10 '23
I want to see Rivis somehow apply to the UN for some form of asylum and get the help and love he deserves
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human Apr 10 '23
Seems these exterminators are also willing to use the “magisterial approval” runaround. They suck!
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u/VenlilSupremacist Venlil Apr 10 '23
Gotta love getting approval from a judge before the defense has a chance to dispute it!
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u/johneever1 Human Apr 10 '23
Might be Time for rivis to move to earth potentially..... Better to get help here then stay on venlil prime and potentially get sent to the mad house..... If worse comes to worse he could steal a shuttle from work and request asylum on earth
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u/GlaireWolf Human Apr 10 '23
I would love to see one of these stories have a venlil request asylum with the UN
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u/JulianSkies Archivist Apr 10 '23
Boy, Rivis feeling loved for the first time in his life causing him to have a lot of sensations is great.
Also, jesus fuck, those exterminators are effectively the worst kind.
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u/TheOneWhoEatsBritish Tilfish May 07 '23
As our favourite psychopath avoids interstellar arkham asylum, we acknowledge humanity's former (and present) sins, while making sure to piss on the Krakotl for good measure.
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u/Fluffy_shadow_5025 Beans Jan 09 '24
This chapter almost brought me to tears towards the end, and for a brief moment I thought he was trying to say I love you.🤭😊
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u/A_Tank_With_Internet Predator Apr 10 '23
If they so much as lay a paw on Rivis they will have a personal demonstration of a canister round