I vote breakfast. I’m starving.
Dorian
Let’s do it.
Kael
There’s a place a few blocks away that looks good.
Kael sends the location, but I don’t bother looking at it. I’m not picky when it comes to food; I just like to eat. Human food is something else, and much better than anything in the ocean.
Me
Meet you there in twenty.
Everyone reacts to my text with thumbs up emojis, so I crawl out of bed. The faintest scent of Leif still lingers, and regrettably I make my way back to the bathroom. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, taking in all the hard lines of my face. This form was chosen for me when I shifted the first time, something about it reflecting my personality. That’s what the pirate had said would happen, anyway.
I notice the small blue box on the counter by the sink and open it to pull out the pendant that shifts me into my stage form. It holds a lot of magic inside of it, so I have to be careful I don’t lose it. Not only because it’s what makes me shift, but because the magic in it is powerful and could be disastrous if it fell into the wrong hands. The moment I take it off and put it down, it returns to the box. I just have to make sure I always know where the box is. I’ve been meaning to get a second one for when I return to the ocean as my true self, because the box will only hold one piece at a time.
I put it around my neck now, the magic pulsing against my chest. It’s a cool, almost wet feeling, reminder me of the ocean. Itlooks strange on me, in this form, but the moment I pull my ring off and put it in the box, I start to shift.
My body grows warm, my muscles almost burning in a way that’s intolerable. I feel my bones stretch, my organs shift, and more arms popping out. Each time I do this, it’s a quicker and smoother transition. The first time was awful. I still have nightmares about it sometimes. When the shift is done, I look in the mirror again. I don’t love myself like this. It doesn’t feel entirely right to me. In human form and in this form, something just feels off. I enjoy the things around me, the things I am able to do, but inside… something is missing. But it’s the same in my true form, just… different. Will I always have this longing feeling in my chest? Will anything ever make it go away? Will I ever find somewhere that makes me feel like I belong?
I go back to the bedroom and dig through my suitcase that holds the clothes big enough to fit this form and quickly throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt made just for me. I was joking with Leif yesterday when I said I don’t wear shirts because I can’t find the holes. I’m really good at finding the holes, actually.
Kael is already waiting at the restaurant when I get there, leaning against the building, staring at his phone. Monsters are interesting to me still, the way they’re interesting to humans, I think. They’re new to me, too. All the time spent up on land, monsters weren’t as popular as humans, so I still have a lot to learn about them, and I’m still amazed when I see new species.
“What’s up?” I say as I stop beside him. He grins when he looks at me, those large rough-looking tusks lifting slightly.
“Tired.”
“Same,” I laugh.
“Busy night?”
I grin. “Yeah, you could say that.”
He waggles his eyebrows but says nothing else and neither do I.
Leif doesn’t want anyone to know about us so I shouldn’t talk about it, not even without using his name. It wouldn’t take much for these guys to realize what’s going on—or what happened, since I can’t be sure it will happen again.
Dorian and Lucien walk over together five minutes later, and then we go inside the diner to eat.
We don’t say anything about who we are, though we do get plenty of questioning looks from people nearby. Whether from us being monsters or because we are recognizable musicians, I’m not sure. But no one says anything, which is a relief. I love talking to fans, it’s cool when we’re recognized, but sometimes, I just want to eat. Well—I always want to eat. I love food. Sometimes I just want to do it without being interrupted.
There are a couple other monsters in the restaurant but none of them seem to be as big as we are. Somehow, it’s like we take up half the place. We sit at a table that’s big enough for the four of us.
When the waitress comes to take our order, we get enough food that when she brings it, there’s no room on the table. We figure it out, eating like we’ve never eaten before. Monsters have big appetites, but I just like to overindulge. This food is still new to me, and everything tastes so good.
“We excited for the show tonight?” Dorian asks.
“Fuck yeah,” Lucien says with a deep laugh. “I don’t want this tour to end.”
The rest of us agree. We make small chat about the show tonight, and how last night went while we finish eating, not leaving anything behind. We pay the bill, leaving a hefty tip for the kind waitress, and then we’re on our way back to the hotel.
As we walk inside, we run into a group of the crew on their way out. Maybe to get breakfast too, or just hang out before they need to set up. It’s not unusual to see them doing things together. They’re all pretty close.
“What’s up, guys?” Tommy says, giving us an up-nod. He works on the lights.
