Author's Note: Soo, I gave up on describing characters as I kinda suck at it. My solution? (copy pasted some from a chinese ff where the mc was excessively narcissist, but changed it to as a first impression of amanises) just saying in case you feel weird reading it, help me blame that chinese ff :p...
Sorry if its a bit too much the 'handsomeness' now xd...
btw I still have about 5 more chapters I still need to write but I already got the premise of if that makes sense, I kinda write in bullet points then expand them, so expect daily updates for now👍
(if you've got any idea / suggestion please throw them at me, ofc something of the second epoch, maybe when we're nearing the ending can we talk about the 3rd, 4rth and 5th epoch's too but for now lets keep it simple)
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Theo's POV
Hours had passed, maybe more. Theo couldn't tell in this endless grassland where the sun never seemed to move. His initial excitement about exploring had worn thin after what felt like walking through kilometers of the same rolling hills and waving grass.
This is getting really boring, he thought. Although for some reason he didn't feel his office worker stamina that he had in the past, weirdly he wasn't even tired after all that walking. Back home, the most exercise he got was walking to the coffee machine. But maybe it made sense, it was a dream after all.
The scenery was beautiful, sure, but after seeing the same perfect landscape for hours, even paradise started feeling monotonous. He'd tried creating a few more objects along the way - a water bottle, some snacks, even a small bench to rest on. Everything worked perfectly, appearing exactly as he imagined it.
"Maybe I should have thought bigger," he muttered, kicking at a clump of grass. "This dream world is pretty convenient. I could probably create anything."
Wait. A memory surfaced from his previous coma guess and late-night cartoon binges. In Adventure Time Finn had Jake, that stretchy yellow dog who made everything more fun. The show wouldn't have been half as entertaining without him.
Theo's face lit up with excitement. "Oh! I'll get myself a dog too!"
He closed his eyes and concentrated, picturing the perfect companion. Not exactly like Jake - this was his dream after all. Maybe something more majestic. A wolf, perhaps a demonic one even? Something that looked impressive but would be loyal and friendly.
Come on, dream logic. Give me a good boy.
Amanises's POV
One moment she was standing in the ruins of her hideout, debris still smoking around her from the latest skirmish with her brothers, Flegrea's other servants. Then next, the world suddenly twisted.
Space folded and reality bent around her.
Amanises found herself tumbling through a swirling vortex of colors and sensations that made her stomach lurch. Her massive demonic wolf form - three meters tall at the shoulder, covered in midnight-black fur that seemed to absorb light itself - landed in some sort of soft grass, as the ground cushioned her fall gently.
What... where am I?
She pushed herself up on her four powerful legs, each the size of tree trunks. Her six eyes - two normal wolf eyes and four smaller ones arranged around them - scanned the area frantically. This wasn't the war-torn landscape she'd left behind. Rolling green hills stretched endlessly under a peaceful blue sky.
Some kind of teleportation? But who could-
Her gaze fell on the figure standing nearby, and every thought scattered.
Holy...
The being before her was tall and lean, probably in his early twenties, with an face that belonged in classical paintings. Soft dark hair framed features so perfectly proportioned they seemed almost unreal. But it was his eyes that made her breath catch - four of them, two normal eyes and two more bellow them. The sclera were deep black, making the brilliant blue irises shine like sapphires against midnight sky. When he smiled, it was radiant enough to make her heart skip beats she didn't know she had anymore.
This... this... (brain_crash.exe)
Wait. I can see his true face? Beings this powerful would appear as incomprehensible geometric patterns detailing information of their sequence or straight out hide those things to someone of her sequence. But she could see him clearly, every detail crisp and perfect.
That means he... did he help me? Why? Actually, in the first place why did he teleport me!?
"Wow," this holy looking being suddenly said, his voice warm and... he sounded genuinely delighted? "My imagination is really going all out today. Look at you! You're amazing!"
Her massive form tensed as her spirituality warned her, her survival instincts kicking in extremely late, as if before he spoke her spirit body couldn't even process his presence. This being radiated power on a scale she couldn't comprehend. The very grass around him seemed more vibrant, the air itself hummed with barely contained spiritually he was leaking. Beautiful or not, that amount of power was dangerous.
Don't let your guard down. I've learned not to trust anything or anyone here.
"Hey there, gorgeous," the being continued, stepping closer with no fear whatsoever. "You look a little anxious. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."
Gorgeous? The word sent an unexpected flutter through her chest. Despite her wariness, something about his tone, his approach, seemed genuinely gentle.
Before she could process that thought fully, warm fingers touched her fur.
Amanises went completely rigid.
He's... he's petting me.
Large hands stroked through her midnight fur with gentle confidence, scratching behind her ears. The sensation was foreign, overwhelming. In all her years - both as a human on Earth and now in this world - no one had ever touched her with such casual affection.
"You really are beautiful," he murmured, wonder in his voice as he continued petting her. "Look at these eyes, and this fur pattern."
Beautiful? Heat began building in her cheeks. The combination of his touch, his proximity, that beautiful face so close to hers - it was too much. Her heart was racing, after she'd seen her body she had lost all hope to become a woman again, not to mention being called beautiful. It was practically a miracle he wasn't disgusted with all those eyes of her.
I was never even... I mean, I never dated anyone back on Earth, her mind supplied frantically. Thirty years old and never even held hands romantically, and now...
The warmth in her face intensified. Could demonic wolves blush? Apparently they could, because she felt heat spreading under her dark fur.
"You're actually pretty cute when you're embarrassed," he said with a soft laugh, noticing her reaction.
Cute? The word hit her like lightning. A massive, terrifying demonic wolf... cute? The absurdity of it, combined with the warmth in his voice and touch, made her head spin completely.
Unable to handle the intensity of his gaze, his touch, the way he was looking at her, Amanises covered her eyes and ears with her massive paws. She needed to hide, to process, to figure out why this beautiful stranger was making her feel things she'd never experienced.
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
"Can you speak?" he asked gently.
From behind her paws, Amanises suddenly processed what she'd been hearing this entire time. Wait... he's been speaking English. Perfect, fluent English with an American accent.
Not Jotun, not Elvish, nor other mystical languages... English!
Excitement shot through her like electricity. Another transmigrator! Someone else from Earth!
She peeked out from behind her paws, studying his face with new understanding. Those four beautiful blue eyes were watching her patiently, waiting for an answer without any pressure.
But... Her excitement tempered with caution. Even people back on Earth could smile while stabbing you in the back. I learned that lesson in the corporate world. Not even talking now that we're in a mystical world where treachery is the norm.
Still, he'd been nothing but kind so far. And if he really was from Earth... the loneliness she'd carried since arriving in this world ached at the possibility of finding someone who might understand.
After a long moment of internal debate, seeing him wait so patiently, she slowly lowered her paws and nodded.
"I... I can," she said, her voice coming out deeper and more resonant in her demonic wolf form than she intended.
Will... he still call me cute after hearing my voice?
His smile widened, and the brilliance of it made her heart skip again.
Ugh. How is it possible for someone to be this beautiful?
"That's amazing!" he said, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Want to explore this world with me? It gets pretty lonely wandering around by yourself."
The genuine enthusiasm, the way he included her so naturally, the loneliness in his voice that matched her own - it all hit her at once. Before her cautious mind could interfere, her heart answered.
"I... yes," she heard herself saying.
Did I just agree without thinking? What happened to being careful? UGHHH Stupid Amanises
But looking at his face, at the pure joy lighting up those incredible eyes, her paranoia felt small and distant. Actually, maybe from the start I didn't even have a choice... She thought, which calmed her somewhat.
"Awesome! I'm Theodore, by the way, but everyone calls me Theo," he said, that radiant smile never fading.
... He's telling me his real name?
After some doubt she stammered "A-Amanises,", then felt sudden self-consciousness creep in. Her voice began dropping as embarrassment returned. "But you can call me Ame if that's... if that's easier to say..."
Her words faded to barely above a whisper, suddenly aware of how her massive, intimidating form contrasted with how flustered and shy she felt inside.