…
"Su… y es every ting dark hear?" Inv asks me to my side.
"I honestly have no idea Inv, all I know is that the only things here are just us. When we go to sleep we'll end up here… having more time to spend with each other…" The last part of me saying that makes this much better.
A very personal space with Inv, not having to worry about the outside world for a bit…
"Su we stil en da sheler sleping?"
"Mhm"
"Dat… weid… bu col…" It really is cool.
…
"So uh… how you feeling Inv? About the whole human thing?" I ask Inv, curious about his current thoughts.
"Abou wa u wer befor? I… i wa weally surprisd… i tought u wud hat me ef u foun out i wasn a swugcat…"
"And you know I wouldn't" I say as a matter of fact.
"Hehe… i kno dat noaw… bu u teling me yur secwet kina… mad et easier? Ef u wer dis hooman ting befor den dat didn meen u likd me only bacaus i wa a swugcat…"
I feel Inv lean his head onto the side of my head. In return I lean mine onto his as well.
"I am Inv… an u ar Joey… i lik Joey becaus he Joey. Noat a swugcat" Hearing Inv say this I swear i just felt my heart skip a beat. Which shouldn't be possible cause were currently souls or whatever.
Not wanting to be beat with confessions I gently push my head further onto Inv's.
"And I like Inv because he Inv. No matter what he looks like" Right after saying this I feel Inv also push himself further into my side. A slight purr can be felt coming from him as well.
'Souls can somehow purr. Noted.'
Noted
I fucking forgot that was even a thing I could do! It took all of my willpower just now to not get scared by that!
"U ok Joey?"
"Y-yeah, just my ability acting weird right now…"
"Da whit swcibbles??"
"Yeah… the white scribbles"
…
Well that ruined the whole moment! Thank you system! I swear if I get my paws on whoever designed this system I'm going to-
"Hay Joey…"
"Yeah Inv?" I ask back, stopping my current thoughts of potential torture methods for the system designer.
"Am… am i weally coot?"
"Mhm… really cute~. Did you think I wouldn't think so?"
"Wel… ye… nu one has evr sen me dat way befor… wen i wa lik dat befor every creture wa scard of me or jus hur me…" Hearing Inv say this, I feel a strange emotion dwell in me from the thought of Inv getting hurt…
"Well… I'm not scared of you… nor do I want to hurt you…"
"An dat very nic… weally…"
I stay quiet, not sure how to respond. All I can do is let Inv know I'm here to comfort him.
…
…
…
"I lov u Joey" I'm caught completely off guard hearing Inv say this. Even though we said this to each other earlier before we went to sleep, I'm still not used to being told that I'm loved.
"I love you to Inv" I say with every fiber of my being. Putting my entire weight against Inv which I know he can handle.
…
This is it. Never did I think I would find love in a world like this. So many cycles of isolation and death. Of going crazy thinking I would forever be by myself trying to traverse this world towards an inevitable end.
In a short 4-5 cycles not only has this completely turned around. I'm now forever linked to Inv…
And that's the best thing I could've asked for…
…
…
…
'If only you could see me mom… you wouldn't have to worry anymore…'
…
…
…
After an unknown amount of time of just leaning against each other just looking into the darkness, Inv speaks up.
"Su… wut noaw?"
This question makes me stop thinking for a second.
…
What… What do we do now? We finally found each other and grew to love each other but what do we do now?
…
…
…
The answer is actually pretty simple if I think about it…
"We live. Or, well, try our best to live atleast. We have all the time in the world to try out new things Inv. so don't worry about it right now. Just know that I'm never leaving your side"
…
"Ye… an ill nevr leav yurs…"
…damn… my heart keeps fluttering…
"Besides that though… When we do wake up we are going to have to climb the wall again. You ready for that Inv?"
"Awwww… u sur da blu ovrser ting won sho up?" I feel a slight huff come out of Inv as he says this. I hold in a laugh from the cute display.
"I don't think it will this time Inv. Just keep an eye out for if it try's to ambush us as we climb the wall"
"Ok…"
Patting Inv on the shoulder several times from his dream of infinite food being crushed, I go back to being quiet, enjoying my time with Inv.
…
"Hay Joey"
"Yes Inv?"
"Ef i wen tu slep as… wut i weally lok lik. Den y di i wak up hear as a swugcat?"
"That… is a really good question…" I seriously think for a moment as to why he appeared in his slugcat form here.
If were currently souls right now… then does that mean we don't have to look like our current vessels?
Hmmm…
…
"Maybe… it's because that's what you truly feel like?" I slowly say. The idea becoming stronger by the second.
"Wut du u meen?"
"Well, right now we are currently souls. As souls we are what we truly feel like. Even though you are currently sleeping as your true form right now… maybe you truly feel like a slugcat?"
"Bu… im noat a swugcat?"
"Yeah, that's the point. Even if you aren't a slugcat… you feel like you are one. You truly feel like it's what you're supposed to be, right? You feel more comfortable as one"
…
"I… I do… i lik bein a swugcat…"
"Well then you are one!"
"Huh? I don ge et…"
"Even if you don't look like a slugcat on the outside Inv…" I raise my paw up towards Invs chest. Gently poking one of my fingers in the middle of his chest.
"Deep down you truly feel like you are one. So that's why you are a slugcat here"
'Or I could just be dead straight wrong! But I really like my theory I made up on the spot'
"I se… on outsid… im noat swugcat… bu insid… i am?"
"Mhm"
…
"So… I am a swugcat?"
"Yup, you will always be my slugcat" I playfully say as I nuzzle my head against Inv's.
"Woa…"
…
"Su… ar yu also a swugcat on the insid Joey?"
…
Am I? I've been a slugcat longer than I was a human… It's been so long since then that I've forgotten what I really looked like as a human…
That's concerning… but I won't let Inv know about that… I don't want to concern him.
"Mhm. Even if I was a human before, I truly see myself as a slugcat as well"
"W-woaw! Wer both swugcats Joey!"
"Yup! No matter who tells us we will both always know that we are truly slugcats!"
Right after saying this I feel Inv turn me towards him. Before I can say anything Inv grabs both of my shoulders and starts spinning me around.
"W-woah Inv!"
"Were Swugcats Joey!"
"I-Inv how are you spinning like this?!"
"We Swugcats! Yur my swugcat!"
"How are you going faster!?"
"We wil be swugcats togeter!!!"
"That's great and all Inv but slowdown!" I say as I firsthand find that souls can infact get dizzy.
Hearing my words Inv doesn't slow down. Just pulling me closer to him to where my head is resting on his neck.
"I wuv u Joey!!"
"I love you to Inv! So please stop spinning!"
"Hahahaha! I wuv u!"
Despite my pleas, Inv doesn't stop. Holding me closely while laughing and spinning. Even though I'm currently extremely dizzy at the moment. Through my vision I currently see him shining a bright gold. The brightest I've ever seen.
Despite my nausea, I'm happy to see Inv happy…
And also happy that souls can't throw up.