Tay's Tail

What if I was to tell you that the mythical creatures you have heard about since you were a child were real? That centaurs existed? Orcs and fairies? Magic?

Well, it's true. It's all true. There is a world that sometimes collides with ours. Not a physical impact like a meteor strike, but a graceful kiss of their plain and ours. Bridging the worlds and allowing us to travel to each other's world, to step through a rift and be there. It provides magic, a natural thing in their world, to flow through to ours.

Many of the stories you have heard are true, or mostly true, though if you ask the creatures of the other land, they may have a different perspective on who was the hero and who was the monster. Thousands of years ago humans and these Mythfolk were at war; then the rift closed, no one knows why no one knows how. Many Mythfolk were trapped here on earth, and many humans were trapped there. After generations of war, the trapped peoples did not last long, they were slaughtered, and their remains destroyed. And so reality faded into myth.

Some two years ago, a rift opened on the outskirts of a small country town. This town of some five thousand people has since become the hub of transport in the region to and from the other world. The rift exuded no light, and if you weren't careful, you could walk through without even noticing. The faint shimmer of light, as if through the surface of a pool. The hum in the air and the tingling of hairs your only hints you are about to walk into another world.

Days after its discovery the military was there, then the scientists. The first contact was made when an elf came through the rift. It took time, but relations have developed, trade is following, commerce, immigration and indeed emigration as some people leave our world in search of something more, something better.

We searched the stars for other life and found it so close, yet so far, this quint country town is now a landing point for many Mythfolk, bringing new goods, skills and knowledge to our world. Over the past months, there have been issues; some are still being resolved. But they brought with them business, jobs and labour to help grow our economy and that has made them somewhat welcome. Of course, there is racism, there is prejudice, religious and political intolerance, but things are progressing, and the town is flourishing. Their world has not advanced technologically like ours, them having access to magic stifled their technological advancements, but their presence increased trade flow and tourism.

All and all, things had been relatively peaceful. The various species from there world have long since learnt to live and work together, and they brought that desire with them to share with us.

Not that long ago, all John wanted was to get out of town, but in the last little while, things had changed. The town was growing quickly. The opening of the rift had been the tipping point for him. His parents had always loved the little backwater hole, but him not so much. Now the town had an ever-growing number of restaurants, traditional food of the Mythfolk, new stores of wears and crafts and the first-ever real magic school. As opposed to stage magic. Tourists came to town regularly. There were tours out to the rift, it wasn't much to see a shimmering jagged line, but the tourists got a kick out of it. Maybe it was the military boundary they were interested in or the construction going on; John didn't get it. He just got paid to drive people out there and talk about the rift over the PA system.

It was a tedious job, but it paid all right for him to finish college at least. Distance education, of course, there was no college in the area other than the magic school. He was interested in magic, but the school was always overfilled, trying to cash in on real magic and people's fascination.

He stretched in bed and yawned as his thoughts meandered. The plan was that he would be going out with his roomies tonight, but he was tired and not particularly interested. He wanted some excitement in his life, but between college and work, he was exhausted all the time.

He rolled out of bed and rummaged in his floordrobe for something clean before heading out into the living room. His roommates, Ronny and Carlos, were playing a game he didn't recognise on the console. "New game?" John asked.

"Fucking awesome, should give it a go," Carlos exclaimed, jerking the control as the vehicle on-screen slid out of control. "Ronny lifted it today."

John shook his head. Ronny was employed, paid well, and blew his money on drugs and escorts, so he resorted to stealing games and groceries if you would call pop-tarts groceries. "Maybe later," John said, walking towards the kitchen. "When you guys go out."

The game paused, "No, no, no, you are not piking on us tonight. You are coming out. You have no work tomorrow, so we are going to get you trashed, laid or both." Ronny said, getting up and following him. He towered over John, had blond hair, and still had muscle on him even though he sat on the couch playing games more often than not. John didn't know how he did it.

John opened the freezer for a quick frozen meal. "Ronny, Jesus dude." He exclaimed, "Why are your jeans in the freezer?"

Ronny shrugged, "How do you know their mine?" he said, leaning against the wall and raising his eyebrows.

John partially closed the freezer door and looked at him, "You write your name on your underwear, and you left them in the jeans," he closed the freezer, no longer feeling as much like eating.

Ronny shrugged, "Alright, you got me. The jeans are mine. They smelled a bit, and I read this thing online that you can put them in the freezer to kill the things making your junk stink."

John grabbed a beer from the fridge, "Or you could wash them," he said emphatically.

"They fade if you wash them," his roommate countered with a look that John thought he intended to be a 'got ya' look.

"So you stick your stinky ass jeans and underwear in our freezer, where we keep food?" John realised the futility of the conversation. "Never mind," he shook his head as he walked back to the living room, his appetite wholly ruined.

Carlos was hanging up his phone as they entered, "Guys, great news, you know my friend Alicia?" The other two looked at each other, "You know, my friend from primary school I've been kind of banging the last couple of months?" Carlos was a nice guy at heart; get him away from Ronny and he could be great, but Carlos was a different man near each other.

John rolled his eyes as Ronny asked, "Wait, as in you wanted to bang her when she was in primary school cause that's creepy."

"That's creepy?" John asked in exasperation, "Not that his description is the chick I've been banging? Not her hair colour, not her job, not the girl who likes to wear summer dresses? And you wonder why women don't 'hook up' with you."

Carlos laughed, "Yeah, wanting to bang is not a cool thing to say when describing her. But you got her right. I mean she does wear summer dresses a lot," he seemed genuinely proud that John had guessed right.

John shook his head, "And you wonder why I don't want to go out with you guys?"

Carlos and Ronny looked at each other, "No," they said in unison, "You are embarrassed by us and worried we hurt your game," Ronny added.

"It's like I am living with Wayne and Garth," John laminated, "What about Alicia?"

"Oh yeah," Carlos picked up where he left off, "She's bringing her cousin and her cousin's roommate tonight. So, one for each of us."

"Bags the cousin," Ronny jumped in, "We know she's hot."

John paused, looking between them, "One for each of us? I was wrong about you two. You aren't like Wayne and Garth. You are like Jay and Bob," and with that, he returned to his bedroom to ruminate over his life choices.

An hour later, Carlos knocked on the door, "Hey man," he said after John invited him in, "Alicia says that her cousin's roommate is new to town. So we can't leave her like a third wheel."

"So I should come along because you want to split off with Alicia, and Ronny wants to split off with Alicia's cousin, and we can't leave Alicia's cousin's roommate by herself cause she's new to town?" he checked.

Carlos nodded, "Yeah, I mean, can you imagine moving to a new town, especially with all the Mythfolk here and then being left alone at a bar?"

"Alright, fine, I'll come, but you gotta keep Ronny on a leash, dude, or he's going to say something stupid or start a fight. You know what he is like?"

Carlos grabbed him in a big hug, "Dude, I owe you one, man," he told his roommate, "I'll shout you a couple of drinks tonight."

"I'd prefer it if you could get Ronny to keep his jeans out of the freezer," John responded.

Carlos smiled, raising his eyebrows conspiratorially, "Hey Ronny, did you know men in cold areas are more likely to have erectile dysfunction than those who live in warmer areas?" He called out.

"What!" the call came back, "Shit, no," John and Carlos heard quick steps pass by the door and into the kitchen. "You think I should put my jeans in the oven?"

"No," the other two said in unison.

Tayansha had just gotten home from work when her roommate Lucy pounced, "Hey, we're going out tonight, right, Tay?"

The satyr sighed. Her roommate Lucy had been bugging her to get out for weeks. "I don't know. I feel like just having a quiet one in and eating chocolate ice cream."

Lucy laughed, "You eat way too much of that stuff. Anyway, my cousin Alicia want's to go out, and I think you should come with me, have a few laughs and dance a little. I know you love to dance."

Tay shook her head, "Why do you want me to go out so much?" Tay asked as she unbuttoned her work shirt. Underneath, she had a sports bra on.

Lucy put her hands on her hips, "You are young, and gorgeous, and all you seem to do is work. Now I know that the whole magic thing is interesting, but you are in this world now, so you need to live a little. Anyway, you know Alicia, and you guys get along great. On top of that," Lucy stepped a little closer, "Alicia has invited one of her guy friends along, and he's bringing his roommates." She finished as she bumped her hip against Tay's. "Ronny's a jerk, but he's good in bed. I don't know the other one, but if you want a ride with Ronny, I'm happy to take a step back."

Tay shook her head, "I don't need a man, and I don't even think a human man would be interested in me."

Lucy laughed, "Well, unless you are looking for a woman, which is fine by me. I think you need something. Walls here aren't that thick."

Tay was aghast, "You've heard me?" her accent broke through in her shock, a lilting singsong.

Lucy smiled, "Girl, if you are trying to be quiet at night, you don't know how, especially after you have had chocolate."

"I thought humans were modest?" Tay asked.

"Not this generation, not when you are single and free. Come on, it'll be fun, and you don't have to hook up with anyone. Just have a couple of drinks, a little dance; get out there a little." Lucy pushed as she rocked her hips to imaginary music.

"Fine, you win," Tay gave in, "it would be nice to go out. What should I wear?"

"You wear whatever you like. You are hot enough, it won't matter, but I'm wearing my little red dress with the window in the back," Lucy said with a big smile.

Tay sighed, "I'll need to shower, and you know that takes a while to dry my legs. When are we supposed to meet?" she asked, trying to plan her time.

"Alicia will be here in about an hour, and we should get to the bar nine to nine-thirty if we want a table. It is Friday night, and people will want to let off a little steam."

The bar was one of those places which were almost popular enough to be a club but never entirely made the transition. It lamented in the space between being a friendly drinking hole and a boozy night club. The guys got there about 9:30, sharing a cab into town, so they didn't have to worry about having a few drinks. As they stepped into the main room, Ronny yelled out, "Shots," and headed for the bar.

Carlos and John yelled a "No!" catching up with him in time to intercede.

Behind the bar, they were greeted by a copper-haired waitress. She wore the bar's uniform, an apron with black pants and a white shirt. Given that all the staff had different pants and tops, John assumed they provided their own. "Waddya have?" She didn't need to call out at the moment, as the bar was only starting to fill.

As John ordered some beers, a woman jumped on Carlos, hugging him from behind, "Alicia?" He asked.

She laughed, "What, you have so many random sluts jump on you that you couldn't tell?"

"I wouldn't call them sluts," Carlos replied, "eager and appreciative, maybe," he smiled at her.

She laughed and disentangled herself before giving him a light jab in the shoulder, "You are gross," she said, still smiling. "We have a table over there," she pointed to a spot behind the main speakers. John was glad; there wasn't much point being out with people if you couldn't talk, and being behind the speakers would make that easier. It was also a little darker, which sometime could lend other benefits.

Carlos went with Alicia as John paid for the first round, and then he and Ronny joined them at the table. As expected, there were three ladies there, Alicia, wearing a low-cut summer dress that accentuated her figure. Her cousin Lucy, darker of colour in skin and hair, was wearing a red dress and leggings and, John assumed, Lucy's roommate. She was dressed oddly, with angular features to her face. She had a white top, mostly buttoned, with a faint tone of colour underneath, barely visible in the bar light, which suggested a coloured bra. She also was wearing suspenders, which ran across her bosom, and a bola hat, with caramel blonde hair creeping out from under its rim, curly and thick.

John couldn't tell if the angled features were a result of her make-up or were a natural aspect of her face and briefly wondered if she had Asian heritage. The other thing he noticed was her eyes; they were striking. Thick caramel lashes framed her eyes with an iris that looked like a bull's eye on a dartboard. Around her pupil was a ring of hazel, fractured to become deep chocolate and bounded by a near-black line. She sat behind the table, between the other two ladies.

"So you guys all know Lucy," Alicia said, "and this is her roommate Tay," she gestured to the unknown figure.

John reached across the table, "Tay, is that short for Taylor?" he asked as he tried not to stare. Her eyes and face were striking.

Tay nodded, "Something like that," she said as she took his hand, her nails matched her hair tone and stood out in the dim light of the bar. They didn't seem painted, and it confused him. As she introduced herself to the others and shook their hands, John did stare, there was something about her, and John was captivated immediately.

Lucy caught John staring and raised an eyebrow before leaning in to whisper in Tay's ear, the tops of which were covered in hair and hat and the bottom of which was adorned in a long slim silver chain beaded with crystals. Tay looked in John's direction, and he smiled awkwardly before turning to talk to Alicia. "So you should almost be done with uni?"

Alicia nodded and took a sip of her drink, "Six months before graduation," she said, "then a big party."

John laughed, "You were studying physics, right?"

"Yep, but I transferred to interdimensional physics when we started to study the rift," she seemed proud of the change. "Next year, I am doing a joint study and work program at the Rift Research Facility to get my master's."

"Wow, that would be so cool," he replied. "And Tay, what do you do?" John saw the smile creep into Alicia's face and knew she suspected his interest in Tay.

Tay seemed a bit shy at first, "Actually, I work at the Research Centre," she explained. Her voice was a strange sing-song of tonal notes.

"Cool, so you guys will be working together?" John asked as he wondered at her accent.

Tay looked away and down as Alicia put her hand on Tay's arm, "Different areas," Alicia said.

John nodded, "But you can lunch together," he noticed the three ladies were low on drinks and quickly added, "what are you having?" pointing at the glasses.

The three ladies ran off some drinks, and John offered to buy them, tapping Ronny on the shoulder for a hand.

Ronny was insisting on shots as well, and grudgingly John was pushed into accepting. He walked back with a plate of drinks and Ronny with six shots, lime and salt. The bar was filling up now. Quite a few people and several Mythfolk were gathering. An Orc couple was dancing in a way that was alien to John; he tried not to stare; enough people were staring.

Alicia and Lucy rolled their eyes as Ronny brought the shots back, and both of them whispered an exchange to Tay. Carlos had moved round to rub Alicia's leg and sit closer to her.

Tay was nodding as John put the plate down. He heard Tay say, "I would like to try it."

"Try what?" he asked, handing out the drinks.

From this angle, he could not help but see down her cleavage, and he saw her smile as she replied, "Tequila."

John was a little taken aback, "You've never had tequila?" he was stunned.

As soon as Ronny heard him, he smiled and yelled loudly, "Body shots!" John shot him a dirty look, "Or not," he corrected. Carlos, Alicia and Lucy laughed. Tay looked a little confused.

"Here," John handed her a shot and some lime before picking up his own, "We salt our hand," he licked his web between finger and thumb before pouring salt on it. Tay followed suit, and John noticed she had a large tongue, wide and long, and could not help but think of other things as he watched it slide over the flesh of her hand. His eyebrows raised fractionally, and he paused before continuing, noticing Lucy's smile at his reaction. "Then you take your lime and drink, and on the count of three, we lick the salt down the shot and then suck the juice out of the lime."

Everyone prepared their shots, and on the count of three, they went through the motions. John's eyes never stopped looking at Tay; he watched her tongue as she licked up the salt, then her eyes as she tilted her head back, watching the colour shift as the angle of the light changed with the motion of her head. Finally, her lips as they pulled back to reveal her teeth, white and rounded as they bit into the lime and her lips sealed the gap to suck the juices from the fruit. He noticed then that her lips were not coloured, well, not with lipstick. The deep caramel tone appeared natural to her lips and a compliment to her eyelashes, nails and hair. Lip liner broke the colour of her lips from the freckled caramel of her skin.

He cleared his throat as Tay started to cough, "You ok?" he asked.

She nodded, "Strong," her response came out in a harsh whisper.

The group laughed as Ronny said, "Means you need more practice," as he went to stand. Only Lucy's quick hand stopped him from buying more. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back into his seat, shaking her head. He shrugged, not phased by the interference.

By the time the guys finished their drinks, and the ladies were getting close, John was feeling much more comfortable with his infatuation. The conversation flowed more, and he enjoyed talking to Tay in particular. They were talking about life stuff, nothing exceptional. Tay was saying how glad she was to find a place to stay in town as accommodation was becoming difficult with all the extra people coming because of the rift. John went to ask where she came from, but the conversation moved on before he had the chance.

As Tay was finishing her drink, he prepared himself for rejection. "Tay, do you want to dance?" he asked, "Or another drink?" he gave her an easy way to say no.