Page 43 of In Darkness and Dank

“Oh. I…” Kittisak suddenly wasn’t hungry now, and a knot twisted up in his stomach. “It’s a joke, okay? I didn’t mean it in a bad way. It’s a word we use for something that’s…” He scrambled for the right word. “Different.”

“Different?”

“Yes. Not the same. I’m a mano, and you’re, uh… what are you?”

“Rife.” Shu smiled. “Shuwin of the Rife.”

“Okay, cool. You’re a Rife. So, see, we’re different.” Kittisak set his leaf down. “It’s totally fine. Different can be kinda scary sometimes, so, some monsters are considered kinda scary, but, uh—”

“Scary?” Shu frowned.

“Not like really scary.” Kittisak regretted his choice of words immediately. “You’re not scary, Shu. I promise you’re not.”

“But monsters are scary?”

“Not all the time,” Kittisak insisted. “Honestly, I think the worst monsters are humans.”

Shu’s frown deepened.

“You don’t have to look scary to be bad.” Kittisak shrugged. “The worst monsters I know were normal everyday people.”

Shu looked off toward the waterfall, his brow still furrowed.

Kittisak reached out to lay his hand on Shu’s shoulder. “Hey, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?”

“Kitty name Shu monster,” Shu replied quietly. “I think not… not a good word.”

Kittisak cringed. “Okay, yes, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it. You were a little scary at first.”

“Prrrp?” Shu stared at Kittisak in shock. “Huh?”

“Yes,” Kittisak said, “but that’s before I got to know you. I had never seen anything like you before. You were this amazing, slightly scary but super awesome creature. And even though you were a little scary looking, I still totally wanted to jump your bones.”

“Bones?” Shu was even more confused.

“I definitely wanted to do the caris with you.” Kittisak squeezed Shu’s shoulder. “That first night when you came into my tent? I thought you were a dream, and I remember being disappointed that it didn’t turn into a sexy dream, okay?”

Shu’s expression remained concerned.

“I’m sorry,” Kittisak said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Shu purred, but it was a much more muted sound than his usual rumble. He put his hand over Kittisak’s, lacing their fingers as closely as he could with his webbing.

“Please forgive me.” Kittisak scooted close so he could press against Shu’s side.

“Kitty make Shu smile. We swim, we dance, we eat, we caris.” Shu perked up a bit more. “If I monster, then happy to be Kitty’s monster.”

Kittisak rubbed Shu’s back, smiling. “Really?”

“Huh. Shu will be good monster for Kitty.”

“Well, you’re definitely the best monster I’ve ever met.”

Shu purred loudly, and the lights in his crests flickered. “Kitty best mano I meet.”

“Thank you.”

Shu chirped curiously.

---