I shrugged my shoulders in disappointment.
Byron huffed, his nose ring glinting as he exhaled forcefully. With surprising efficiency, he helped load the cart and secured the harness across his broad shoulders. Without so much as a backward glance, he heaved the overloaded timber wagon forward, his powerful hooves striking sparks against a stray rock here or there as he disappeared between the trees.
“I think he’s starting to like me.” I crossed my arms and leaned up against Atlas while we watched Byron pull away.
Atlas hummed, his antennae lay on my head. “He is better. He will be as good as me one day, if he is lucky and finds a match as beautiful and adventurous as I.”
I giggled and rubbed Atlas’ chest with my hand. “Yes, first Harlow and Gideon, don’t you think?”
I could already picture Harlow's face when she'd meet Byron. Her eyes would widen, and she'd probably stammer out something awkward like,"You're a minotaur, but you're not, like, supposed to be in a maze or anything, right?"I chuckled to myself, knowing she'd love every minute of it. She had a thing for the big, burly types, and Byron was about as big and burly as they came.
Atlas looked down at me, his antennae twitching. "What's so funny?"
I grinned up at him. "Just imagining Harlow's reaction to Byron. She's going to lose her mind."
Atlas smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You enjoy this, don't you? The chaos, the unpredictability?"
I shrugged, still grinning. "Life's more fun when it's a little messy, isn't it? Besides, I can't wait to see how Gideon handles it. He's so straight-laced, and Harlow's anything but."
Atlas laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. "It will be interesting how it unfolds when they return in a few days.”
I hummed excitedly. “I’m ready. I’ve missed her. You will still have to let me visit and play with her often.”
“I would never keep my female away from her friends and life. There is something called balance between all walks of life. You would be annoyed with watching me cut wood all day.” Atlas tapped my nose.
I highly doubt that…
“As for tonight, it is my turn to take part in your fun activities. Let us go home and prepare for tonight’s events.”
Epilogue
Atlas
Kassie nestled against me, her head tucked under my chin as the documentary credits rolled across the screen. "What do you think about getting a capybara?" she asked, looking up with that hopeful gleam in her eyes. The timing couldn't have been better; an entire hour of footage about her favorite animal, just hours before our scheduled livestream.
I'd never seen animals so serene. Though they resembled oversized guinea pigs rather than the black and purple plush versions Kassie collected, real capybaras might thrive in our forest. Something about their unflappable nature seemedperfect for this place, as if nothing in the world could startle them.
Their unreadable expressions could hide either profound wisdom or complete obliviousness.
I ran my fingers through my antennae. "Even if we could track one down, I'd feel terrible separating a baby from its family. Where would we even look for a capybara breeder?"
Kassie’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right, that would be terrible. I also wouldn’t want it to get eaten in the forest here. You don’t think that would happen, do you?”
I shook my head. "No, most forest predators around here hunt based on fear response. Capybaras are too calm to trigger their instincts."
The alarm rang on Kassie’s phone, startling us both. I turned to click off the television, which Kassie said was due for an upgrade. It was small and more box-like. Kassie constantly reminded me it belonged in a museum, not our living room.
Kassie nudged me with her elbow. "Ready to heal some warriors, cleric?" I scooped her up and carried her to the gaming corner of our cabin. Someday I'd build a proper streaming room, but for the moment, our setup occupied the far wall. These role-playing games had become our ritual. I'd reluctantly embraced it. I found little joy in solo play, logging in only when she coaxed me in the beginning. I enjoy seeing her happy and for the fun times that followed.
These days, I actually look forward to our gaming sessions. I've built real friendships through the screen. Of course, I still manage to get our party wiped out regularly, and Kassie's viewers lose it every time my antennae shoot straight up in panic whenever a boss catches me off-guard.
Our gaming sessions usually happen after dark. I lean into the Mothman persona during streams—the nocturnal creature thing makes perfect sense to viewers. The act has caught on with othersupernaturals in town, too; they've started streaming their own "cosplays" that are really just themselves.
Our livestream flickered to life, dual cameras capturing both Kassie and me in frame. TeaBagTitan's username flashed in the chat, followed immediately by his face appearing in our video call, wearing that signature smug expression that always made my antennae twitch.
“Was Atlas over there pruning? Is that why you are late?” Fenwick's face appeared on screen with a wink. Online, he never dropped the persona, but around town, he'd proven himself decent enough. Despite his efforts to dial down the supernatural charm, some powers can't be completely contained. At least, he hadn't used his abilities unethically in our community, though I sometimes wondered about his online tactics for making rent.
That wasn’t any of my business.
