I just want to write about monsters

You stiffened your shoulders and put on a brave face. “Is that supposed to scare or impress me?” You walked forward towards him. “You’re Reza Radan right?”

The tall, burly man removed his sunglasses to reveal a set of eyes so golden they glowed under the brim of his hat. He grinned, showing off the gold incisor in his mouth. “Is that who you want me to be?”

You frowned at him, not giving him any sort of reaction beyond displeasure. “I’m from the Nasrin Dance Theatre-”

The big man started laughing hard, his wide mouth opened in a strangely grotesque way. “My bitch sister sent you!”

“No! She didn’t!” You stomped a foot forward. “I came on my own, because I am sick and tired of the tension at the boarding house!” You had to yell over his guffawing.

Reza took a step back. “I suppose you’re all pissed I bought your crappy little theatre. So what do you wanna do about it?”

You grimaced as you looked at him, he looked crusty and unkempt, covered in grease stains and rust dust from his massive boots to the top of his salt and pepper head. “I wanted to ask you to let us use the theatre once before you do...whatever it is you plan on doing to it.”

Those gold eyes looked you up and down and a black tongue darted over the corner of his mouth. “Do you think I’m kind or something?”

Reza’s gaze felt strange upon your body so you crossed your arms against your chest. “From the shouting matches I’ve heard you have with Mrs. Riahi; no I don’t.”

“Good, I’d hate to build any sort of differing reputation. Although, it is a pleasure to get someone such as yourself knocking at my door. Always willing to hear out a pretty face.”

You balked and dropped your arms. “Excuse me?”

Reza chuckled, stepping towards you. “Usually I would knock solicitors out the gate and onto their asses. But an ass like yours deserves to be treated with nothing but respect.”

As soon as he was close enough you slapped him. Reza didn’t budge, he just stood there with a pleased grin upon his face.

“My ass has nothing to do with this,” you huffed in a sort of defeat. “I am asking you just this one favor. One! Let us do this last performance then you can have that theatre. I just want there to be some peace at the boarding house.”

Reza rubbed his jaw where you struck him. “No wonder I like the cut of you, you’re a dancer. My sister was always bringing dancers home when we were kids, so I grew a taste.”

You groaned and rolled your eyes. “You’re disgusting!”

A chuckle built in his chest. “Forgive me, I lose myself in front of attractive people. My brain just short circuits and allows the pig to come out.”

Your were unsure how to take that, so you remained quiet with a disgusted look upon your face.

That sug grin never left his face. “You’re androgynous too, another point. I never much cared for gender, all I cared about was how much fun we were going to have.”

“The theatre,” you snapped at him.

“Oh right. Right. No.” He said decisively.

“Why not?” You snapped. “What are you going to do with a theatre anyways?” You barked.

“Whatever the fuck I want, it’s mine,” Reza chuckled. “I can tear it down, build it up, maybe even open it up to let nature take over.” he then placed his sunglasses back onto his face. “My sister knows what she did.”

You flapped your arms out. “How old are you?”

“Old enough to know what I’m doing and get stellar reviews for it.” He lowered his sunglasses and looked over the rim at you. “If you ever grow sick and tired of dancing, my arms are always open.”

You took a breath to steel yourself against his verbal diarrhea. “I don’t know what you and Mrs. Riahi have between you, but you’re being a severe prick about it. Just let the dance troupe use the stage for this show! It means a lot and after that we’ll start looking for another.”

“Well, let me think about it.” He rubbed his chin, thickly coated in stubble. He was silent for a long while, and you began hearing noises coming from the clutter and shrapnel in the yard.

Rez then dropped his hand with a laugh. “If you come pose for me, I’ll consider lending you the theatre.”

Your guts churned. “Pose? For what?”

Reza nodded. “An art piece I’ve been struggling with.”

“You make art?”

He scoffed, his smile vanished for the first time since you walked up. “What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t think I could be a creative?”

The same had been said about you and dance, so you kept your mouth shut. “What kind of artwork?”

“Sculptor. Can’t you tell by my art supplies?” he swept his arm out, motioning to the junkyard heap piled on all sides. “Everything I make is made from recycled materials.”

“Oh,” you murmured. “Well, that makes sense.”

Reza chuckled. “And since you’re a dancer, I’m sure you can mold that body of yours as you please, so I’m certain you’d make a good model. Do that for me, and the stage is yours.”

You grumbled under your breath. “Can I bring a taser?”

“If you’d like, but I promise, I may talk like a pig, but I will always act like a gentleman.” He bowed, sweeping his arm along his waist.

“You promise?”

Rez extended his hand out to you. “I am a man of my word. Shake and it’s a deal.”

You took a deep breath in then grabbed his hand. “Fine. When do you need me?”

Reza’s smug grin returned and he chuckled suspiciously under his breath. “As often as you can sacrifice yourself. “I know my sister can be a slave driver with her troupe, so whenever you are free, come to me.”

His word choices had you questioning. “Okay, fine.”

“Excellent! Would you like to start now?” he motioned back towards the house.

You shook your head. “No. I’ll need some time to prepare myself.”

The golden glow behind his sunglasses flickered. “Fine by me. Then I suppose I shall see you soon.”

Back at the boarding house, the rest of the troupe was eager to hear your report. They gathered around you, waiting to hear what happened at Reza’s place.

“I heard he’s worse than Mrs. Riahi.”

“He’s supposedly some sort of monster caused by a curse, that’s why Mrs. Riahi won’t fight him for the theatre.”

“He’s weird and creepy,” you huffed, but I wouldn’t say he's a monster.” You took off your boots before you walked through the front door. You were followed into the kitchen where you got a drink.

“But what happened?”

You sighed. “He’s an artist, apparently,” you shrugged and cracked open your drink. “He wants me to pose for him.”

“That’s all?”

You took a long drink and exhaled loudly. “Top surgery was nothing, this will be a pain in my ass.”

“So you’re doing it?”

You frowned and nodded. “If that’s all it takes, I’ll grit my teeth and bare it as long as I have to.” You then turned to the others. “Just don’t tell Mrs. Riahi about this! I’ve worked too hard to get a spot in this troupe, I won’t lose it.”

The next day, after practice and rehearsals, you left to go back to Reza’s home. The front gate and door were both wide open, so you let yourself in. His foyer was dark, the only light you could see came from a distant doorway.

“Hello?” You stepped inside and heard what sounded like a buzzsaw going off. You stepped back outside just in case.

The buzzsaw stopped and heavy footsteps came down the hall. Golden eyes gleamed from the shadows, and Reza turned on a light. He saw you and grinned. “Ah, it’s you. Come on in.” He waved his hand for you to follow. You kept a distance between you, making sure he walked into the room before you did.

“This is my workshop!” He threw his hands out to show off. “Together, you and I will make something wonderful.”

His word choices still perturbed you. You set your bag aside and looked around. Scrap metal gleamed on the walls, along with power tools and canisters. A large table stretched from one wall and nearly all the way to the other side.

“Have you ever murdered anyone in here? Because it looks great for that.”

Reza guffawed. “No, no, sweetheart. Murder isn’t my style.” He motioned to a wooden palette. “I set you up on a stage, just for you.”

You shucked your coat which he took and hung on the door. “What do you want me to do?”

“That’s half the problem. I’m not sure what I want. I just know that I want to capture something. A moment.”

You stood there and frowned. “You’re going to have to give me something more than that to work with.”

Reza tipped his glasses down, gazing at you with those golden eyes. “How flexible are you?”

“You better be asking that professionally.”

“I am, I am, hold your horses, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “I have an idea in my mind, but I want to make sure you can manage it.”

“Yeah, I’m flexible,” you huffed.

Reza’s eyes flicked up the ceiling then back down. “If I can attach a strap of some kind it might help you hold the pose. But first can you bend back like-” he attempted to lean backward but stopped. “Why am I even trying?” He came up behind you, placing his huge, warm palm against your back. “Ease back for me.”

You lowered down, laying into his palm. You focused ot he ceiling, not wanting to look at his face.

“That’s it, very good.” He held you there for a moment before pushing you back up. “I’ll have to set up a rig so you don’t hurt yourself.” He walked away, gathering up his hair and tying it back. “By the way, what do you want me to call you?”

“Certainly not sweetheart,” you grouched.

He chuckled. “No, I mean what makes you comfortable to refer to you as?”

You touch your back where his palm had been, your skin still feels warm there. “I’m nonbinary if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Gotcha. Good, I wanted to make sure.” He looked up from his desk at you. “I want to make sure you’re comfortable here.”

That was a surprise from your first impression of him.

He then waved his hand at you. “You can go now, that’s all I needed tonight.”

“That’s it?”

Reza looked up and grinned. “You can’t rush these things. Besides, I have to make a few modifications to assure I get the best ose from you that I can. Come back tomorrow.”

You frowned, but you weren’t going to argue. You picked up your bag and left without another word.

More questions awaited you once back at the boarding house, but you didn’t have much to give since the visit had been so short. Once people scattered, Ela, mrs. Riahi’s youngest daughter, joined you in the kitchen,

“You’re not going to tell on me, are you?” You asked.

Ela shook her head. “No. Not at all. I’m actually kind of relieved you’re doing this.” She sat down with you at the table. “They’ve been fighting like this since I was a kid.”

“Do you know why?”

Ela shook her head slowly. “I’ve never gotten a straight answer. I just know they’re both very similar. My uncle is a good guy, he always spoiled my sisters and me when we were little. He just was dealt a shitty hand.”

You furrowed your brow. “A shitty hand?”

“It’s a little strange to explain, but it’s a genetic thing. Sort of like werewolves but...different.” She got a strange, concerned look upon her face. “He was born with it, and it causes him to be a manticore.”

“Someone said something about a curse,” you murmured.

“My eldest sister has it too, but Uncle Reza got it really bad. He was really out of control as a kid from what I’ve heard, and he’s only recently been able to control it. He was sent away a lot as a kid.”

“Why are you telling me this?” You asked.

“I think Uncle Reza just wants someone to talk to. I think he’s lonely. Mama stopped letting him around us when I was little, and most of the family won’t have much to do with him either. I don’t think he’s a bad person, and I don’t think him being a manticore is something wrong. I don’t want you to think that. Maybe if he has someone to talk to, a confidant or something, it’ll help him.”

You sighed and looked down. “Maybe that’s why he asked for me to model then. Because he’s lonesome?”

Ela smiled. “Try and be his friend for me. Tell him I miss him.”

You nodded and put a reassuring smile on your face. “Fine. Okay. I’ll keep going. I was going anyway just so we could use the theatre.”

“Thank you so much!” Ela beamed. “I really appreciate it.”

You still weren’t sure about him, but having a little backstory helped. Although you weren’t sure how much that would mean down the road.

The next day when you went to his place, Reza was outside waiting for you. He was sitting on his porch with his feet propped up onto the railing. Smoke billowed around his head while he chewed on the end of a cigar.

“There you are!” He stood up, taking the cigar from his mouth in a flourish. “I just got your stage finished.”

You waved your hand before your face as the smoke crept closer. “Stage?”

He grinned. “Something I rigged up to make the posing easier.”

Frowning, you gripped the strap of your backpack tighter. “Like meat hooks?”

Reza waved you into the house, taking you back to his workshop. “I figure I would need to see all angles to get this piece just right, so I rigged up a sort of lazy susan contraption.” Where the wood palette had sat before there was now a round stand with strips of fabric hanging from the ceiling. “I even got the strap here to rotate with you so you don’t get tied up.” He then looked at you with a smile. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

You grimaced at him and set your bag aside. “Let’s just get this started.” You hopped up onto the stage then looked back at him. “Oh, right. Ela told me to tell you hello.”

Reza froze for a moment, and his characteristic smile vanished. He snubbed out the cigar and scoffed. “Is that right?”

You watched him for any other sort of reaction, but he turned his back to you. He whipped off his leather jacket and you were distracted by the muscular back he had hidden beneath it. You stared despite you best wishes, watching his muscles flex and turn as he reached for equipment hanging on the wall.

“Haven’t seen her in ages.”

“She told me that.” You slipped into the strap, leaning back with ease and a surprising amount of comfort. It reminded you of ribbon dancing so you lifted up your legs and kicked them up towards the ceiling.

“What a show off,” Reza chuckled. “I figured you could do something special with those legs.”

You set your legs back down. “You ruined that moment.”

“I’m serious,” he said sternly. “I knew you’d be a good dancer the moment I saw you. My sister must have had to steal you from someone.”

You sighed. “No, not really. I quit a job to come to the troupe. But no one was really fighting to keep me or take me. I was actually lucky that her first choice had to drop out.”

Reza set equipment on the table as he listened. “And that’s why the theatre is so damn important to you.”

You realized you gave yourself away, so you decided to lean into it. “Yeah, it is. I’m risking a lot being here, and I’m not losing my dream job because some creepy asshole wants to get his revenge or his jollies off.”

Reza chuckled, leaning over his desk. “And what else did Ela tell you?”

You leaned back in the straps again, lifting your arms up to take hold and you swept your legs out. “She said she thinks your lonely.”

“Well,maybe she’s right.” He put on a face shield and turned on a welding device and that was the end of the conversation.

Reza worked until late into the evening, stopping just when you were beginning to cramp in your shoulders. He turned off his equipment, then lifted up the shield mask.

“That should be it for tonight.”

You grunted as you rose from the straps, rubbing your shoulder as best you could. The cramping traveled between shoulder blades and sucked the breath from you.

“Come here.” Reza approached, removing his thick gloves. “Let me see that.”

“No, no, it’s nothing it’s-” His warm hands fell upon your shoulders, and once he started squeezing it melted away the ache. You let out a moan which made him chuckle in return.

“How’s that?” Reza asked. “Not too shabby huh?”

You cleared your throat. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

Reza continued kneading his big, warm hands into your shoulders, moving his fingers to your neck where, with one twist, there was a cereal-like crunching that went down your neck.

“What the hell was that?” You whimpered.

“Tension and stress.” Reza moved his hands down your lower back. “Do you tense your jaw a lot?”

You placed your hand under your jaw and around your neck. “Maybe?”

Reza walked around to face you. “Let me try this then.” His big fingers slipped around your cheeks, making you freeze in place from such an odd touch. He pressed into your jaw, focusing on the hinges. It felt strangely good.

“There now,” he said under his breath. “Doesn’t that feel better.”

Your face heated up, but you blamed it on his close proximity. You placed your fingertips upon his wrist, hoping to move him back, but you really didn’t make an effort.

Reza stepped back, releasing you from his clutches. “How about a drink before you head home?”

“I really shouldn’t.” You reached for your bag, taking out your phone to check for messages.

“I take it by the shouldn’t that you want to?”

You sighed. “Mrs. Riahi doesn’t like us drinking.”

You threw his head back laughing. “That’s hilarious coming from her!”

You eyed him as you slipped your bag over your shoulder. “Yeah, well, I’m not trying to do anything to risk this job.”

Reza chuckled. “I know, I know. Quit your job. Shattered dreams. Blah, blah, blah. What’s your poison? I’m sure I have it in stock.”

You hesitated speaking, thinking you should just go home and get some sleep. Only thing was, a drink did sound nice. “Vodka.”

Reza snickered. “I have an endless reservoir of that. Come on.” He lead you a room over, taking you into the kitchen where there was a chest freezer next to the stove. He opened it, taking out two bottles of vodka that were frosted over.

You mouth watered at the thought of how cold it would be. “I haven’t had a drink since I moved here.”

Reza took glasses from the cabinet and set them upon the counter. “Trying to be a good little student.”

“I suppose,” you grumbled.

Reza poured your glasses then handed it to you. As you were about to take to a sip he lifted up his white tank to wipe off his face. His chest and belly were covered in coarse hair, his pecs were well defined, and even if there was a pooch to his belly, he looked solid as a rock.

You sputtered, almost choking on your vodka.

“Too strong for you?” he laughed.

You shook your head, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. “No I just-”

Reza held up his glass. “So long as you enjoy the experience.”

You sighed, taking your glass and tapping it against his. “Cheers.”

He drank deep from his glass, breathing out and his eyes glowed brightly. He looked at you, and you were well aware of his gaze traveling down your body. “What else did you give up to dance for my sister?”

You scoffed. “Nothing much really.”

“No relationship?” He asked calmly.

You blew a raspberry before taking another sip.

“No relationship,” he chuckled.

You sighed and leaned over the counter. “Why? Are you offering?”

Reza beamed. “Always offering, sweetheart.” He leaned over the counter towards you. “Have I piqued your interests?”

You take a longer drink.

“Or did my Ela say something else?”

You licked your lips then shrugged. “She said you were a manticore, but she really hammered in the loneliness.”

Reza’s smile softened, turning a shade of sad that almost touched you. “Glad to see my sister didn’t brainwash her completely. She was always my favorite.” He moved back, leaning against the fridge behind him. “But yes, I am both of those things.”

“You don’t look it,” you murmured.

Reza chuckled. “Which one?”

“Both. You don’t appear to be either.”

“That’s what years of practice and lying to yourself will do, sweetheart.” he aimed his glass at you. “Look at yourself, you’ve hidden plenty I’m sure wouldn’t be given on. The tension in your jaw and the crackling of your neck give that away.”

You frowned and shrugged.

“I’m sure you’ve hidden much, just like me.”

You place your hand upon your chest, just above your top surgery scars. “Yeah, well, you got me.”

Reza smirked. “My sister thinks I’m dangerous. So she took my nieces from me, turned my family’s backs against me. We got into a fight and I may have overreacted. But then she did as well.”

“Did you try to eat her or something?”

A slight smirk appeared on his face. “Not so literal. But I did try to jump down her throat. But enough about me. I’m much more curious about you.”

You chuckled as you sipped your vodka. “I don’t turn into a magical beast, so I don’t know what you’re curious about.”

“Now, now, don’t be so modest. I’ve seen many dancers in my life and seen what they can turn into. Passion creates magic, that’s what it all boils down to. Hatred, love, joy, sorrow, put those at their strongest and that is where you’ll find magic happening.” His smile grew. “And I can tell from your posing how well you can control your body. You have a gift.”

You bit back your smile. “Well, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart.” He then brought out the vodka bottle. “Another glass?”

You shrugged. “Why not?”

After a couple more drinks, Reza called you a car to send you back to the boarding house. In the morning you woke with a bad case of cottonmouth and a slow moving ache in your head. You guzzled water during practice, but luckily the headache wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Each evening you went back to Reza’s place, posing for his sculpture which bit by bit was taking form. You would sometimes move your stage, turning it so he was sure to get the angles right from every possible side. You sometimes shares drinks at the end of it, but what you looked forward to the most was when he offered to massage your shoulders and neck. Those strong hands on your body felt so good it was hard to ignore.

One evening, as you were walking in, Reza got a look on his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked.

“What?” You huffed. “It was a pretty strenuous class today. I’m tired.”

Reza frowned then he grabbed your hand. “Come here. I won’t have you posing tonight looking like that.”

“Looking like what?” You balked as he tugged you into another room. He smacked the top of a dining table. “Lat on your stomach.”

“What?”

Reza’s eyes glowed from behind his glasses. “Lay down. I’ll find some lotion. Your body is in no shape for modeling tonight.”

The idea of getting a much more through massage than usual did sound inviting. “How can you tell?” You hopped up onto the table and there was a twinge in your lower back.

“You’re carrying yourself far too heavy.” Reza came back in with a bottle in his hands. “Now lay down, and don’t squirm, I’ll have to pull you shirt up.”

You did as he said, flinching a bit when he touched bare skin. You bit your lip, finding more pleasure in it than discomfort. He smoothed something cold against your skin, and his fingers worked into your shoulders and back, slowly making your body warm to his touch.

“How does that feel?” he asked.

You moaned softly. “Amazing.”

Reza chuckled. “Good. Just relax. I’ll take care of you.”

Those words sent a shiver down your body.

“You would think she would take better care of her troupe,” Reza grunted. His strong handed melted your body into a puddle, rubbing out every ounce of tension you held, looseing each knot he came across.

You moaned and grunted, trying to hold back your voice while he worked. “Fuck that’s good.”

“That gave me goosebumps,” Reza growled very close to your ear.

Your cheeks heated and you kept your head down.

After a while, Reza moved his hands away and tugged your shirt back down. “You should be good to go now.”

You sat up with a sigh, your body felt warm and loose, you felt comfortable and cozy. Yous miled dreamily, and Reza’s expression shifted.

“That felt amazing.” You touched your neck. “How do you do it?”

“Nothing really,” he chuckled.

You look into his eyes which were a deep, moving liquid gold. “How about I do you then?”

Reza’s eyes widen, burning brighter. “What?”

“Your back. I can massage it if you want.”

Reza chuckled and rubbed his hairy chin. “I’d be a fool to turn that down. But are you sure?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m feeling good so I want to pay it forward.”

Reza stepped forward as you slipped off the table. He look off his shirt to reveal his bare chest and back. If you were being honest, you had been wanting to get at his back for a while now. He laid upon the table and you placed your hands upon his back. He felt solid like a rock and was warm as one left out in the sun. You started kneading into his shoulders, but you needed some elevation, so you climbed up onto the table and straddled his back.

“I like that.” Reza’s laugh had a tinge of nerves to it.

You tried your best to knead and massage down his back, but you weren’t as skilled as Reza was. He made small grunts and moans as you worked, but you felt you were taking more pleasure in this by touching him.

As you rubbed down his sides you felt something brush up along the back of your leg. Turning, you saw a tail curling around you. Reza sat up like a shot, nearly knocking you off the table. He was breathing hard and he kept his head down.

“Sorry about that, sweetheart,” he growled.

“Is something wrong?”

Reza scoffed. “Oh just...just let my guard down was all.” He looked back at you for a brief second. His hair had gotten thicker and grown around his face like a mane. “Give me a second to collect myself.” The tail tucked itself around his side as he tried to hide himself.

You stepped towards him, placing your hand upon his back which was growing smooth, velvety fur. “It’s alright.”

His voice came out a low, raspy snarl. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What's the worst you could do?” You brushed your fingers down his side and he shivered.

Reza glanced back at you, his face changed, but it was still recognizably him. His golden eyes were larger and sharper than before. You smiled up at him, trying to reassure him.

“What’s that smirk for?” He growled, his voice deeper.

“Nothing, I just think I realized I like you.”

Reza jerked and his voice caught in his throat.

“You’re strange but that’s not a bad thing. You’re kind of charming, and I guess you’re sexy.” You smooth your hand down his arm to take his hand. His palm was heavier and bigger, and there were claws tipping his fingertips. “So what if you’re a manticore? There’s worse things in this world.”

“Don’t try to tease me like this.” Reza grabbed your hand and held it tight, careful with his sharp claws.

“I’m not,” you murmur. “I like coming here. I thought I’d hate it but I kept looking forward to seeing you.”

Reza pulled you around to him, cupping your chin in his hand as he looked down at you. He dipped down and his gaze felt warm on your skin. You closed your eyes as his breath fluttered against your cheek. Reza nuzzled to your shoulder, then your neck, slowly moving himself towards your lips where he stole a kiss.

You reached for more, pulling him to take another and another. Reza pulled away, placing his hand over your mouth.

“I need to calm down. Stay here!” He left in a hurry with wings sprouted upon his back. He charged off on all fours and you could hear him bumbling down the halls. You smiled, touching your lips as you thought about what you had done.

Reza returned later, back in his usual guise. He cleared his throat and walked into the room as confidently as he could.

“Sorry about that.”

“No worries.” You couldn’t hold back your smile. “Does that happen often when you get flustered?”

“You could say that,” he huffed. “So don’t get any ideas. I’m an old fashioned type.”

You took his hand and placed a kiss upon his knuckles. “I’m okay with going slow if that’s what you need. It’ll be fun.”

Reza’s cheeks darkened as he looked at you. “Easy now, I only just got my glamour back on. I’d hate to ruin the evening.” His usual smirk returned. “Especially since it appears we won’t be working.”

You prepared yourself for another kiss, but he instead placed one upon your forehead. It was nice though, and you chuckled softly.

“How about dinner then?”