I'm starting to get the hang of identifying predators here.
They usually have sharper-looking teeth, though these shouldn't be confused with fangs.
For example, Ghost has fangs but isn't a predator, while Lion is a predator despite having no fangs.
Sly doesn't have fangs either, though I admit I didn't look too closely. I still felt a bit weirded out after seeing his tongue.
It's difficult to describe the difference. Unlike predators on Earth, which rely on sharp fangs to hunt and kill, the predators here don't use their teeth as their primary weapons.
I still need to learn exactly how they kill so I can avoid becoming a victim myself.
After all, in this world, I am prey.
Their teeth are as sharp as knives. You can just tell by looking at them, in the same way you can sense the edge of a blade, you can sense a predator by its teeth.
It's hard to put into words. You really have to rely on observation and common sense.
Conversely, a prey's teeth look relatively dull, which is why they rely on fangs to break down hard food. If they lack fangs, they survive on fruit or fruit juices. It is nothing like the prey animals on Earth.
I feel like a child learning everything for the first time. I've had to set aside my human tendency to generalize, undoing everything I knew from my old world to relearn the rules of this one.
There is no stability here. Everything is different.
Meanwhile, Lion and Ghost gave Sly a brief explanation about me. He listened with genuine interest, asking no questions and simply accepting what he was told.
He seems quite agreeable.
Once they finished, Sly offered to help us with the business... on the condition that he be allowed to stay in the castle. At that, Ghost's ears perked up.
He interrupted, asking if he could stay as well. He reminded Lion that the castle has plenty of empty rooms and that there was absolutely no excuse for declining him.
Ghost looked at me with bright, expectant eyes.
I hissed at him, asking why on earth he was looking at me.
He blinked, mumbling that Lion always does whatever I want, after all.
Really?
Lion just sighed and facepalmed.
....
In the end, both Ghost and Sly were given rooms.
Ghost tried to bring in massive amounts of clutter until Lion gave him an ultimatum: he could only keep the important things.
It's clear to me now that Ghost is a hoarder.
Meanwhile, Sly brought very little.
While I was helping him unpack, I noticed his love for all things shiny. His furniture, clothes and accessories were all bright and flashy.
Some things never change. Once a dragon, always a dragon.
I eventually noticed a large, unopened container that seemed too heavy for me to move.
Since Sly had already given me permission to organize his things, I opened it out of curiosity.
Inside, I found all sorts of items cut into small, uneven shapes in varying shades of brown and purple.
When I touched one, it felt soft yet firm. A sense of dread washed over me and my hands began to go cold.
Sly noticed me hesitating and walked over to take a look.
He nonchalantly told me that it was his food.
I had enough common sense not to ask any more questions. I hurriedly excused myself and ran to the bathroom, where I spent a long time retching until my stomach was empty.
I had finally met a true predator.
I've grown so used to Lion eating fruit that I completely forgot he is a predator, too.
Suddenly, I really don't want to be alone anymore.
....
Now, everywhere I go, I take Pinky with me.
Pinky doesn't mind. It just means more attention for him.
Before Sly appeared, I would sometimes roam the castle by myself.
I felt safe and I had started to forget that I was living with a predator.
Lion doesn't seem like one, especially since he always eats fruit with me.
Now, I feel like I'm walking on eggshells.
I know Pinky isn't strong enough to fight off a predator, but I feel reassured somehow, as if I at least have a fighting chance.
Or, at least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself.
Even when I take a bath or use the toilet... yes, they actually have toilets here.. I bring Pinky with me.
He doesn't have eyes, so he relies on his other senses.
Whenever Pinky goes to bask in the sun, I make sure to either go with him, even if I don't want to, or stay with Ghost in one of the workrooms.
Lion seems too busy to be disturbed, but he also looks visibly annoyed whenever Ghost and I are in the workroom without him.
I enjoy spending time with Ghost, though.
He enthusiastically introduces me to fruits I've never seen or tasted before. He is quite the food connoisseur and we've even discovered new ice cream flavors together.
I learned that the fruits here have many more flavors than the five basic tastes we can detect back on Earth.
In addition to Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter and Umami, they have spicy.
Unlike on Earth, where "spicy" is mostly about heat, here it has a distinct flavor.
Smoky with a hint of sweetness that lingers as it burns your tongue. It's like eating charred meat combined with the sweetness of fresh, uncooked fat. The more it burns, the more this unique flavor explodes in your mouth.
Surprisingly, Metallic is also considered a primary flavor, along with others whose names I can't quite recall.
I've had so much fun tasting them and mixing and matching different combinations.
Ghost told me that his next step is to teach me about edible plants that might add even more unique flavors to our ice cream.
I can't wait!
Sly visited us in the workroom one day while we were taking a break. He tasted the ice cream curiously but, sadly, he didn't like it at all.
He shook his head and told us that he can only eat meat.
I thought for a moment and asked him how exactly he eats it.
Ghost made a gagging sound in the background, which I chose to ignore.
Sly replied that he prefers it fresh... ideally right after he kills it and cuts the meat into small pieces, all while raising his eyebrows pointedly at Ghost.
Hesitantly, I asked Sly if he had ever tried cooking the meat.
He seemed surprised by the question and asked me why I would even suggest such a thing.
Now, I have another idea.