Someone You Can Build a Nest In

by John Wiswell

Shesheshen had been called a wyrm many times, often by startled hunters. She’d also heard “wyrm” used to describe drakes, harpies, qilins, kappas, and giraffes. In her experience, it was an epithet for whatever thing greedy humans wanted dead and were too afraid to kill themselves.

But humans never stood up for the right thing. They stood around feeling uncomfortable, and later pretended that feeling uncomfortable meant they were virtuous.

What the laborers got out of it that kept them from eating the rich, Shesheshen didn’t understand.

All of this intimacy, without any of the expectation of an attack. Dancing always seemed implausible from afar. Now, under its power, Shesheshen was completely lost as to how humans could do this in public.

Romance was awful. She couldn’t even do something as simple as murdering rude people anymore.

Having a nose made Shesheshen immediately feel more human, because it let her do what humans liked most: complain.

“You will get me access to the building. If you do not, I will pick an orifice of yours. You will discover which one I pick when you feel me climbing into you. Eventually, you will be less of a person and more of a suit of clothes. You will not believe the things I will do while I wear you.” By the end of her proposal, Laurent was flushed, breathing heavily, and eager to help.

This subplot is so silly 😭😭😭😭😭

Shesheshen wrapped her arms around Homily and held her to her chest for a moment, mourning the realization that she’d fallen in love with someone’s pain.

“No young woman of means has gone through her entire life without at least once surveying her opportunities and wishing for a dragon instead.”

She did not mind. From what she knew of civilization, all children were parasites. You were supposed to grow to like that about them.

Shesheshen started learning something useful. She started learning what it was like to laugh.

Shesheshen couldn’t even comprehend that her offspring was a she. The creature had sprouted a gender while she’d been hibernating?

Shesheshen asked, “What was it? What did you both want so badly?” Homily answered, “You.”