Chapter Text
Foolish was a god, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew how to interact with people. With mortals. Humans, and hybrids. Maybe he'd been a little out of touch, out of practice… but society only changed so much over a century. And the recent months hadn't pointed to this behaviour being normal.
"You can always put it on my chest, master. I love it when you do that."
Foolish fixed his eyes on the wooden chest before him, where he was unloading a packful of string. "No, that's quite alright," he managed to force out, his sharp teeth bared in a pained smile. "Just into this chest here."
The catmaid slid up to him with a purr, brushing against him and curling a tail around his ankles. "Of course, I can do that. ...Do you want my seed?"
Sweet heavens, this never ended.
"No, you keep that to yourself."
"Oh, okay, I'll save it all up for you tonight."
And so it continued, for the next hour and a half. The two hours he'd mistakenly burdened himself with dragged on, more painful than his century of solitude in his summer home. The constant innuendos were uncomfortable, mostly because he had no idea how to react. Refusal resulted in pitiful mewls that weighed him down with unwanted guilt; silence brought only more suggestions… and every reply was skillfully turned against him. He couldn't win.
It might've been more bearable if H actually helped. Instead, every mundane task dragged on and became unnecessarily sexualised, forcing Foolish into a mindset he hadn't found himself in for countless decades.
After he managed to stutter out a literal answer to H's very pointed, "When was the last time you were wet?" the god couldn't help but think back. Sexual pleasure had never been a priority for him. He didn't mind going months, years, or even centuries without experiencing it—often, he wouldn't be in a situation where he could. He didn't always exist in a mortal plane. Then… there had been a time when any respectable god living among people had followers to please them in every way, but that era had long since passed. And it had never involved someone so desperate for attention.
By the time the two hours were up (finally, finally he'd managed to outsmart the pest; leave the catmaid and all the innuendos far far behind), he wanted nothing more than to return to his summer home and forget everything that had just occurred. Maybe even dismantle the nether portal and hide for a few decades, so he wouldn't have to ever experience that again. His body, though… physically, he couldn't deny he was interested. Those words had piqued something.
Mentally, he was scarred and frightened.
Maybe it was time he indulged in his arousal. It had been decades, after all. But it wouldn't be, never would be, with H the catmaid.
He made sure all the supplies he carried were tucked away, his tools and weapons secured. Then he drew in a breath and unfurled his wings.
Foolish took to the skies, revelling in the freedom he so rarely got to experience. He was far from people here, so this was the only time he permitted himself to reveal his wings, let alone use them. He didn't need anyone to know he was as comfortable in the air as he was in the sea.
He gained height quickly, breaking through the clouds before settling into a gentle glide. It had been a long time since his last flight, and he didn't want to strain his body too much. He might be a god—or a demigod, an immortal, an eternal follower of XD… or any number of other names mortals called his kind—but even his body could suffer injury. He could just… control it, a little better. Sometimes a lot better. Sometimes, he just needed to stretch out and be twenty-three feet tall.
Not too often, though. It unnerved the mortals.
Foolish banked lower, underneath the clouds, and started a careful decline when the structures of the town Community appeared on the horizon. A controlled dive with the wind whistling in his ears brought him to the edge of the forest, with just enough cover for him to tuck his wings away from non-divine eyes and straighten his clothes. Then it was a short walk through an overgrown field, a long stroll into Community, and a visit to the large nether portal overlooking the community building and town centre.
He smiled at the locals, nodded to the town guards standing post at the portal, and passed through into the other realm.
The moment he drew in a breath of dry, overheated nether air Foolish knew something wasn't right. He mentally stepped back, disconnecting from his suddenly too hot, too small, too everything body, and observed.
His body was mortal, mostly. Of course it was; his true form couldn't be comprehended in such a simple dimension as this. He hadn't been born, and he only aged if he chose to, but this body he resided in could be harmed. It hungered for food, desired water, and needed something that resembled sleep. It could even die. Granted, he wouldn't die. He had never once neared the veil of death. Only the physical construction, the melding of shark and totem, could perish.
Foolish, detached and unconcerned, came to a conclusion. His body, mortal and modelled after the golden totem, and the shark, ruler of the seas… had succumbed to a breeding cycle.
Something had triggered it. No, more than one thing. Nothing as mundane as arousing thoughts could shift his body's biology so profoundly, especially since this could be the first rut he experienced in easily three centuries—if he allowed it to proceed. Had it been the suddenness of nether heat? Maybe. Some sharks moved to warm waters to mate; perhaps his biology followed a similar rule.
Water. Hmm.
Foolish could feel his body crave it. Cool water, a pool or lake or ocean—anything to escape this oppressive heat and terrible dryness. He was getting too warm. His mouth was open and parched, his gills dehydrating as he panted.
He could go back through the portal through which he'd come, slide into the water surrounding the community house… but he'd tasted that water earlier in the day. Stale. Full of dust and little deaths. After the explosions Community had suffered over the years, there were no more fish living in those waters. Not much was in there anymore. No, he wanted a body of water that felt alive.
His own portal was too far away. But…
Kinoko Kingdom. It was built next to the ocean; he'd swum in those waters many times after a long day of construction. The pod of dolphins that called those waters their home even recognized him now. They had a name for him; they greeted him. He'd like to swim in those waters.
Foolish seized control of his limbs, inwardly grimacing at their shakiness and instability. Step by step, he guided his body to the grassy path that laid just beyond the nether hub; step by step he stumbled to the second portal.
The cold air of the overworld was a welcome, if brief respite from the burning sensation consuming his body. He tripped out of the portal, and nearly fell down a flight of quartz stairs.
… Okay, maybe he fell down them a little. But it was only to the next landing.
Idly, he looked up at the figure appearing in his vision. How strange. Why was Niki upside-down?
"Foolish? What are you doing here?"
He blinked up at her. His consciousness was taking a moment to reconnect, to remember how speaking and words and language worked. Tongues were a tricky muscle to control.
"Hey Niki," he tried, grinning up at her. "Sorry, I'm just taking a break and admiring your ceilings."
Her face got larger. Oh, because she had crouched next to him. His brain was foggy. He wanted to go swim in the ocean.
"You want to swim?"
Had he said that out loud? Oh dear.
"Yes, Foolish. Are you alright?" She laid a delightfully cool hand on his brow and immediately frowned. "You're burning up. Were you in the nether for too long? What were you doing?"
Foolish whined as her hand left his forehead. "Suffering," he replied. "I've been in hell for the last two hours." He shuddered at the too-fresh memories of H the catmaid.
Niki tsked and hauled him into a sitting position. "You need to be more careful, Foolish. I thought you were good at keeping hydrated. Can you- come on, let's try. Can you get up?"
"Kept asking me how wet I was," Foolish muttered. "Not very nice." He braced himself against the smooth wall and rose to his feet.
He needed to cool his body down. Then he could decide if he really wanted to let things run their course (no, never, not without-), or if it was all just too much of a bother and convince his body he didn't need a rut.
Foolish followed Niki down the stairs, only half-listening to her as she listed the items she'd gather for him. The rush of falling water gradually overpowered her gentle voice, and by the time they stepped into the first rooms of her Underground City it was a roar that filled Foolish's ears.
He brushed off her grasp, ignored her questions and calls, and barely gave himself enough time to dump his pack and toolbelt to the side before he tumbled headfirst into the waiting pool of water.
Icy and refreshing, the water folded around him like an embrace. It cleared his mind and, admittedly, sharpened his arousal. He was in his element, and that was a good place to be.
He allowed himself a few minutes to just drift under the water. At one point he swam under the torrent falling from the opening in the wall. The force of the water was nearly bruising, but it felt nice against the thicker skin of his back. He also gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, his gills flaring open as he did.
Niki's shadow danced on the water's surface, and Foolish rose up to greet her.
"Hey, Niki." This time, his voice was softer and accompanied by a rueful smile.
Niki seemed to recognize the change. She smiled back and sat on the edge of the pool, carefully laying down a potion, some food, and a bundled up cloth.
"Hey, Foolish. You had me worried."
Foolish chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. I've had… a day. Lots of unexpected things."
"You seemed pretty out of it, Foolish. I am not gonna lie."
Foolish shrugged wordlessly and ducked under the water for a moment, taking in another mouthful. It felt good, the water running through his gills. He didn't get to do it very often.
When he resurfaced, he said bluntly, "I'm in season. It's part of being a… a hybrid, I guess, and catmaid H wouldn't stop talking- the heat of the nether triggered it, though." He shrugged again, this time with a small laugh. "It caught me off guard. It's been a while, y'know?" After a moment, he glanced up at Niki.
She was frowning.
"How long? If you don't mind my question, I…"
Foolish waved it off. "You can't say anything worse than what I've heard already today. I don't mind." Then he paused, and frowned.
In truth, it had probably been three hundred and twenty, maybe forty years? Certainly quite some time. He'd been very alone for a solid third of that. Before, he'd…
Foolish shuddered and closed a door on those memories.
"It's been a few years," he told her. Very few people knew he was more than a hybrid with an affinity for building—and with the uncertainty around the Egg, he wanted to keep it that way. "It's no big deal. I just need to cool off, and then I'll head home and, I dunno. Ignore it, I guess." More like stop it in its tracks. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how busy he was and how little time from his schedule he could afford to give to some personal time. If he remembered correctly, his ruts would last a few weeks—weeks he now needed to give to the mansion, to construct the Kingdom, to restore his summer home, to worry about the bloodvines and the Egg and the upcoming Banquet…
"Foolish! That's really not good! What?" Niki had a hand to her mouth and was staring at him with wide eyes. "Of course I'm human, I don't know as much, but Pu- but I've heard it's important for a hybrid's health. Mental health, too. Heats and, and ruts, they're supposed to happen every year-"
"Every year?" Foolish yelped, unable to keep his voice down. "Nah. Screw that. I don't have time for every year." He whipped his tail through the water, grimacing at the thought of all that lost time, and for what? Some lousy biological process that he didn't even need to follow? No. Not doing that. Mortals could keep their stupid biology and sex, there were more important things for him to do.
He clambered out of the pool, futilely wringing out one edge of his sopping tunic before snagging his belongings from the floor.
"Niki, thank you for letting me borrow your pool, it's- well, I was gonna say it's very nice, but-" Foolish winked- "I kinda made it with you. But thank you! For your hospitality, your, uh, your concern, I'm gonna just… go now!" He took a step backward, not liking the determined look in her eyes very much. "See-"
"Foolish, no." Her hand darted out and snagged the hem of his linen trousers, forcing him to stop or else trip. She let go and stood, placing her hands on her hips and pinning him with her sharp gaze. "I can help."
Foolish made a strangled sound. He glanced at the floor (he was leaving wet footprints on it, whoops), the wall, the lighting overhead. "You really don't have to," he said quietly. "I know how to handle this-" (he didn't, he didn't want to think about it, but that was besides the point-) "and I'm not going to take advantage of you or anyone else just because my body responded to some raunchy comments from H."
"Foolish." Niki took a deep breath, and her gaze softened. "You're pushing yourself too hard. You- I've watched Kinoko Kingdom rise up in hardly any time at all. Not to mention… I heard you've been building a mansion? You're building all this by yourself, putting so much stress and pressure on yourself. Well, it's no wonder your body started a rut. It wants a break, Foolish! Let it have one."
Foolish shifted the strap of his pack on his shoulder. He shivered. His skin felt all prickly, and his wet clothing clung to him all wrong.
"Niki, I… " He swiped his dripping hair away from his face, then continued. "I appreciate your offer, I really do. But I've got to get home, I have so much to do, I can't just… stop. But I'll, I'll think about it, okay?" he added quickly, holding up a hand to placate her. "I promise I will. I'll make sure not to overwork myself, I'll give myself breaks, I will… I'll keep hydrated." He laughed weakly. "Don't worry about me, Niki."
Niki's narrowed gaze suggested she would indeed continue to worry about him, but she nodded and offered him a small smile. "Okay, Foolish. Take care. And safe travels."
"Thanks, Niki." He turned and headed for the stairs out, grimacing at the thought of re-entering the oppressive heat of the nether. It was the fastest way home, though.
When he was standing within the portal's frame, Niki calling his name dragged his attention down a couple flights of stairs.
"Let me know when you get home safely, okay?" she said, still looking worried.
Foolish gave her a wide and toothy grin, and an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Then he was back in the nether.
Instantly, the moisture bogging down his clothes and covering his skin evaporated in a cloud of steam, which rose and disappeared in a matter of seconds. He clamped his gills shut and refused to open his mouth, then—fighting against the now-familiar haze of pre-rut mindlessness—Foolish determinedly set out through the nether for his portal home.
This time was easier. He knew what to expect, and that helped most of all. Sure, he was staggering by the time he reached his portal; yes, he felt like he'd swallowed a campfire's worth of hot coals… but he was aware, and didn't need to distance himself from his body. It wasn't overwhelming.
The sun had fallen below the horizon by the time Foolish was plodding up the cobble road to his summer home. In one hand he carried his pack, and in the other was his communicator. He'd just sent a message to Niki, letting her know he'd arrived safely and without problem.
Foolish dropped his pack at the base of his furnaces, exhaustion making him dizzy and his limbs heavy. He bypassed his little base in his snake statue, and instead headed to his temple.
He desperately needed to recharge. Bask in the energy, and reset his body. Stop this damned rut before he fell into it for real.
Foolish slipped past mediation and into dormancy while sitting in the beam of energy. His body, now cool, no longer felt like it was balancing on the edge of… of something. Of rut. His mind was clear, his body was calm.
That lasted for exactly two days.
Those two days, he'd spent working in Snowchester. In the mansion. It was cold there, although it hadn't snowed in a while and a few flowers were starting to peek up among the grass. It was good to work on the yard, and briefly on the interior. No one visited him. It was quiet.
The third day, he was up early with the sun and ready to work on his temple's yard. He had to mix some concrete, prepare dyes, and gather sandstone. It was all hard work; outdoor work. Work in the sun. None of which normally bothered him—not in the slightest, he loved the light and warmth of the desert—but it seemed his body still had different plans.
Just as before, he noticed the heat first. But unlike the first time, which had been full of haze and a strange barrage of everything, this was simple. It was arousal. Strong arousal and heat; heat and arousal. It crashed into him just after midday and saw him staggering for the nearby coastline. It drove him mad.
There were no dolphins in his bay. The fish all fled the moment he entered the water. Foolish entertained the idea of swimming out into deeper seas, finding a shark, asking in their ancient language he'd learned so long ago if it would take him as a mate… but he didn't want to. He didn't want to breed. He wanted to make love. He wanted someone to hold before lust stole his mind; he wanted someone to comfort him after the instinct wired into his biology relinquished its hold. But he didn't have anyone like that. Not anymore.
Foolish drifted in the salty water, alone.
Later that evening, he tried to meditate. The buzzing arousal that laid under his skin and coiled in his gut… it calmed, but it didn't disappear. The hunger that had been secondary then rose to the surface.
Foolish ate all the dried and salted fish he'd stored away for emergencies. Then he ate a baked potato, but it was tasteless paste in his mouth. He slaughtered one of his cattle, flickers of ancient memories reminding him of sacrifices offered to him, his followers giving him choice morsels…
He ate much of the cow, not bothering to skin, butcher, or cook it. He'd dragged the still-hot carcass to the ocean and gorged himself half-submerged, because that had felt right. The cow's blood stained his teeth, and clouded the water.
Foolish was alone.
Before… before, there had been someone. Someone he thought he had lost, and now he had found them again… but it didn't feel like he had. They didn't remember him, and any other day Foolish would've been happy to simply tease them for their forgetfulness, or pretend they did remember for a few blissful moments…
Tonight he cried, because he loved someone who was still lost to him.
He laid there unmoving, on a sandy shore dyed pink with blood, salty cold waves lapping at his body and shifting the carcass of the cow. He was too far gone to stop. He'd tasted blood. But he was alone, a god among mortals. A god with a mortal body, a body that mocked him. The last time he'd gone through a rut, he'd been loved. Now…
He was alone.
. . .
"Hey, Puffy?" Niki murmured, her fingers picking at the soft sheets covering her body. She heard rather than saw Puffy turn towards her. It was dark in her bedroom, too dark to make out features or shapes.
"Yeah?" Her voice was equally quiet. Neither of them wanted to disturb the calm.
"Well… this is a little awkward, but…" Niki trailed off and bit at her lip. "Your son dropped by a few days ago. Like, drop dropped. He fell down my stairs and he was burning up and babbling about water?"
Puffy snorted. "Honestly, that doesn't sound too off from his normal. Except, maybe the burning up part. I swear, if that idiot worked himself sick…"
"That's the thing," Niki said. "He told me he was in season."
There was a beat of silence.
"Oh," Puffy replied. "Um."
"He also said it's been a few years since his last, and it sounded like he's never had them yearly."
Puffy muttered a curse, then sighed heavily. "If this were anyone else, any other hybrid- Niki I'd be so concerned. And honestly, I still kinda am. But he's… Foolish is a little bit shark and mostly totem, and I'm pretty sure totems just don't have, y'know."
"They aren't alive. At least, not the totems we know about."
"Well, yeah. I- hmm. He called them his creations once, but he… have you met his son?"
"His… son?"
Puffy shifted in the bed. "Yeah. Foolish Jr. He's a real sweetie but I have no idea what kind of magic or witchcraft or what breathed life into the totem I gave to Foolish a while back, because all of the totems were definitely not alive when I took them away from the evokers in that mansion."
"I didn't know any of that." Niki paused. "So you think it might just be a totem thing, it being irregular? You think he's alright?"
"I hope so. I… I'm his dad, but that was mostly all legal- he showed up with absolutely no papers, no documentation, and something told me I could trust him. And I guess the same went for him, cause he was totally okay being adopted. But we don't- we don't really know each other too well, y'know? He's always friendly, but he always keeps to himself."
Niki hummed in agreement. "We've talked a few times. He's nice, but I don't know anyone who knows a lot about him."
They laid there together, silent for a little while.
"Maybe…" Puffy began.
"Hmm?" Niki sounded sleepy.
"Maybe we can check on him tomorrow. See how he's doing; if he needs anything- any supplies."
"Yeah." Niki burrowed into her pillow. "That sounds good."
"Okay," Puffy whispered at the ceiling. "Tomorrow."