-----
Gromsr stared wearily at the endless road in front of him. The job was exhausting enough, but now he had to go to a customer. He hated leaving his house. And then there was the constant whining in his head...
Hungry! Hungry!
The tail at the end of his back wouldn't leave him alone. It had been flicking its tongue restlessly for a while now, letting out a deep growl. The last snack obviously hadn't been enough.
"Soon, you beast," Gromsr grumbled and took the next exit. A diner near the highway would be a welcome distraction—and perhaps calm the Tailmaw's stomach for a while.
With an irritated sigh, Gromsr entered the diner and sat down at a table in the corner, far from the other customers. The tailmaw fidgeted, its sharp teeth clicking slightly as it scanned the room, looking for its next “snack.”
“You’re not going to steal something from the furniture again, are you?” Gromsr glared at the tail as he scanned the menu. “I’ll order us some food, and you… do… nothing.”
Gromsr leaned back in his seat, casting a wary glance around the nearly empty room. He hadn't even the chance to order anything yet, and his tailmaw was starting to fidget again. The large, gnashing maw at the end of his tail never stayed quiet for long—especially not when food was on the way. He could feel its growing impatience, and he was on edge, knowing that every second spent waiting only made the creature more likely to act out.
He flicked through the menu absentmindedly, trying to distract himself, but before he could decide, the sound of sharp claws on the linoleum floor made him look up. A gruff-looking squirrel waitress, her red fur slightly frayed at the edges, approached with a notepad in hand. Her face wore the permanent scowl of someone who had dealt with one too many unruly customers.
She came to a stop at Gromsr’s table, her eyes narrowing as she looked him over, then down at the fidgeting tailmaw. Gromsr stiffened slightly, trying not to look too nervous. “Don’t stare too long. It’s just a tail... nothing else,” he muttered under his breath.
“What’ll it be?” she asked flatly, not bothering to hide her disinterest.
Gromsr cleared his throat. “Uh, one burger, medium-rare. And…” He glanced at the tailmaw, which had now focused its attention on her apron strings, “better add a large bone, if you have one.”
The squirrel waitress raised an eyebrow, scribbling down the order. “Bone, huh? Well, we’ll see what’s back there.” She gave the tailmaw one last suspicious glance, then walked off toward the kitchen with a slight huff.
As soon as she disappeared, Gromsr sighed in relief. He knew the tailmaw would only behave for so long. But the clock was ticking, and the creature’s restlessness was growing. He only hoped the food would arrive before it decided to cause more trouble.
“I just ordered us something, alright? Just sit tight,” Gromsr muttered under his breath, directing his words toward the twitching tail. He had learned the hard way that if he didn’t keep an eye on it, the tailmaw would get into all sorts of trouble.
But just as the tension in his body relaxed for a moment, he noticed it—too late.
The tailmaw’s gaze locked onto the shiny metal napkin dispenser sitting innocently at the edge of the table. Gromsr’s eyes widened in alarm as he saw the tail start to rise, tongue flicking out like a snake preparing to strike.
“Don’t you dare—” Gromsr hissed, but the warning came too late. With a sudden snap, the tailmaw lunged forward, its teeth clamping down around the napkin dispenser with a metallic *clink*.
“Dammit!” Gromsr cursed under his breath, his hand darting toward the dispenser to stop it from being swallowed whole.
The tailmaw pulled back, trying to yank the shiny object deeper into its gaping mouth, while Gromsr held onto the other end. The result was a brief, ridiculous tug-of-war between the badger and his own tail. The napkin dispenser, now half-coated in drool, slid through Gromsr’s fingers as the tailmaw jerked its head violently from side to side, refusing to give up its prize.
“Give it back, you slobbering idiot!” Gromsr growled, his voice low enough to avoid drawing attention from the few other diners. He dug his claws into the metal, but the slick layer of saliva made it hard to get a good grip.
The tailmaw let out a triumphant snarl and gave one final, forceful tug. Gromsr felt the napkin dispenser slip free from his grasp, disappearing completely into the tailmaw’s dripping maw with a loud, wet *gulp*.
Gromsr stared in disbelief for a split second. The tailmaw gave a satisfied shake, looking rather pleased with itself, while Gromsr groaned. He was not going to lose to his own damn tail—not today.
“Fine. You want to play dirty? Let’s do this.” He muttered to himself, rolling up his sleeve in preparation.
Without a second thought, Gromsr plunged his arm deep into the tailmaw’s open jaws. The creature wriggled uncomfortably, its teeth clamping down gently but not painfully on Gromsr’s fur-covered arm. He grimaced as his hand slid further inside, the warm, sticky drool coating his entire forearm as he fished around for the stolen napkin dispenser.
Deeper. He had to reach all the way to his shoulder. The tailmaw’s internal space felt disturbingly endless, a sensation Gromsr had learned to tolerate over time, though it still gave him the creeps. His fingers brushed against something cold and metal, and with a grunt of effort, he managed to pull the napkin dispenser free.
“There, you greedy bastard.” Gromsr held the dripping, slime-covered dispenser up in victory, though it was hardly worth celebrating. The thing was soaked and thoroughly disgusting.
He quickly placed the drool-coated dispenser back on the table, glancing around nervously. A long string of saliva stretched from his arm to the table, and Gromsr knew he had only moments to clean up the mess before someone noticed—especially the waitress.
Frantically, he grabbed a handful of napkins, ripping them from the soaked dispenser and wiping at the sticky trail of drool covering the table. The napkins were cheap, thin, and utterly useless. Instead of cleaning, they just smeared the thick saliva from one side of the table to the other, leaving an even larger, more obvious mess.
“Dammit…” Gromsr cursed again, this time with more panic in his voice. His eyes darted to the kitchen. The door swung open slightly, revealing the silhouette of the server—an old, grumpy-looking squirrel lady who looked like she’d seen her fair share of unruly customers.
She’s coming, Gromsr thought, his heart racing. He tried to mop up the mess faster, but the napkins only dissolved under the goo, leaving his paw sticky and the table worse than before. He could hear the clack of the squirrel’s claws on the floor as she made her way over.
The table was a disaster, and Gromsr knew it. His fur was matted with drool up to his elbow, the napkin dispenser was dripping, and the tailmaw, of course, looked entirely unbothered by the chaos it had caused.
The old squirrel waitress reached the table just as Gromsr threw the last soggy napkin into the pile. She raised an eyebrow, glancing first at the mess, then at Gromsr’s sticky fur.
“Well,” she said, her voice dry and unimpressed, “looks like someone had a bit too much fun while waiting for their food.”
Gromsr grinned awkwardly, trying to play it cool. “Uh… yeah, something like that.”
The squirrel sighed, rolling her eyes. “Just don’t break anything else, alright?”
With that, she turned and shuffled off, leaving Gromsr to stare at the sticky mess in front of him, tailmaw still happily wriggling at his back.
---
After the waitress left, Gromsr settled in, hoping to enjoy his meal in peace. But as soon as the burger was finished, another, more pressing need arose.
After finishing his meal, Gromsr felt the all-too-familiar pressure in his bladder. The tailmaw, still gnawing on its bone, had quieted down for the time being. The badger headed toward the bathroom, hoping for a moment of solitude.
The diner’s bathroom was exactly what Gromsr expected: dim lighting, the faint smell of bleach masking something far worse, and cracked tiles along the floor. He sighed, stepping over a suspicious puddle, and headed for the urinals. The tailmaw lazily dangled behind him, content for now, but still twitching with an eerie rhythm.
Gromsr unzipped and began relieving himself, his head resting against the cold wall in front of him. For a brief moment, he had peace—until the door creaked open, and a massive figure stepped in.
A white bull entered, his large frame making the cramped bathroom feel even smaller. Gromsr glanced over, taking in the sight of the muscled figure next to him. The bull, with striking red horns and various body markings on his pale fur, took the urinal beside Gromsr, his movements slow and deliberate. The bull exuded a strange aura, something familiar but unsettling, like there was more beneath the surface.
Just when Gromsr thought the encounter would remain silent and brief, the bull turned his head slightly and broke the quiet.
“Long drive, huh?” His deep voice reverberated through the small room. Gromsr blinked, a little thrown off by the casual conversation starting at the urinals. Most people avoided eye contact here, let alone small talk.
“Yeah,” Gromsr muttered, trying to keep his focus on the task at hand. He could feel the tailmaw twitch slightly behind him, sensing his momentary discomfort.
Nathaniel didn’t seem to care about the unspoken rules of bathroom etiquette. “I’m headed to Kagaudo myself. Could use a ride.” He paused for a moment, his voice dropping lower. “It’s been a rough trip—got a demon on my back, you know? Doesn’t exactly make things easy.”
Gromsr stiffened slightly at the mention of a demon. His eyes flicked toward Nathaniel, catching the faint red glow in the bull’s eyes for just a second before it faded. A demon? Gromsr’s thoughts swirled. He wasn’t one for random encounters, especially not with someone who casually dropped such heavy information at a urinal of all places.
“Demon, huh?” Gromsr replied, keeping his tone neutral. “That sounds… complicated.”
Nathaniel chuckled, as if he’d just shared an inside joke. “Yeah, you could say that. But I’ve learned to manage it. You get used to having something in your head all the time.” His words hung in the air for a moment, leaving Gromsr to wonder whether the bull was hinting at more than just the demon.
Gromsr zipped up and stepped back, washing his hands at the cracked sink. As the water ran, he caught a glimpse of Nathaniel in the mirror. The bull was still standing there, unbothered by Gromsr’s silence, as if the conversation had only just begun. Nathaniel was clearly in no rush, taking his time, completely at ease.
“Maybe you could help me out,” Nathaniel added casually. “I’m heading to the same place as you, after all.”
Gromsr hesitated, drying his hands with a crumpled paper towel. He wasn’t one to pick up strangers, especially ones that casually admitted to being possessed by a demon. But something about Nathaniel’s demeanor was both unsettling and… oddly comforting. Plus, there was a need gnawing at Gromsr that he had tried to ignore for weeks now. The thought of company for this one trip, especially company that seemed to understand what it was like to live with something otherworldly, made him pause.
And then, as if sensing his indecision, the tailmaw stirred, letting out a low, satisfied growl. Gromsr glanced down at it in the mirror—its sharp teeth gleaming with the remnants of one of the last meals, and for a split second, it almost appeared to be grinning. It wasn’t hunger for food that the tailmaw seemed to acknowledge this time.
“Well,” Gromsr muttered, his voice barely louder than the hum of the bathroom’s flickering light, “I could use some company.”
Nathaniel’s lips curled into a knowing smile as he finished up and turned to wash his hands. “Looks like it’s your lucky day then.”
As they left the restroom together, Gromsr could feel the tailmaw’s growing anticipation, its subtle movements speaking volumes to him. Today was different. Maybe Nathaniel was exactly the kind of company Gromsr needed.
-----
Drawn by
\n\t\t\t\t\tScrappyvampStory idea and written by
\n\t\t\t\t\tPattarchusGromsr (Badger) (c) by
\n\t\t\t\t\tPattarchusNathaniel (Demon Bull) (c) by
\n\t\t\t\t\tPattarchusThis story was translated using DeepL.
If you like this piece of art or if you want to share your opinion, please leave a comment! :)
Comments are very appreciated.
-----
If you enjoy immersive adult video games with dinosaurs, horses and more ... take a look at our game Hybrids: Virtual Encounters and check it out on Patreon.