Hey/
It's a party/
Come early if ya lonely/
Say hey kid say hey, don't you OD/

Say, hey, don't you OD/
Come play dead/
Say, hey, don't you OD/
Come play dead/

- Death Grips - "Say Hey Kid"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWpjJimRz1k

---

The door at the end of the hall stood stolidly as an imposing black monolith etched with ill omens. It was both a portal and cenotaph at the end of a brightly lit gun barrel. Those who roamed the halls above would never come to know of the abject horror that once transpired beneath their feet. If you recognized the hieroglyph in the upper left corner, then you were likely in the right place. On the other hand, even if you knew what that red owl represented, there was no surety of safety past this point. In the end, it didn’t quite matter if you were meant to be there. The charnel house would claim you all the same.

There was one soul, unlike the others, who belonged there more than most. Slithering down the corridor, the ferret was summoned for one explicit reason: to meet once more with the young man who wielded him like a weapon. Unlike those who walked the street above, this soul was an actual shade made manifest. Truthfully speaking, this was a suitable den for such a creature. Only eidola belonged in the underworld. And this ferret was not alone deep within the bowels of this incandescent catacomb.

An intruder had followed his every step across town for some time, but the ferret was well aware that he was being tailed. The creature could sense that the stalking spirit that shadowed his every movement was of the same monstrous strain. He stood by the silent cenotaph, tarrying until the lurker loomed ever closer. And when the stalking shadow approached him from the rear at last, the ferret neatly turned around to face the specter.

“Well, hello there!” he hailed, greeting the intruder with cheery exuberance.

The intruder in question was a blue-haired, gray tabby cat with a studded leather jacket, slim black slacks and black Doc Martens.

“Whoa, dude! You startled me,” the tabby cat declared, “If you need my hall pass, I can pull it out for you.”

“So tell me, friend,” Orrin warmly asked, concealing his right paw from view, “what’s your name? I’m Orrin.”

“If you must know,” said the cat with self-possession. “The name’s Curtis, but that’s only my given name, Orrin. People don’t call me that no more.”

“Oh? What then do they call you these days?”

“Onyx,” he cheerfully answered, hiding his right paw behind his back. “All the cool kids call me Onyx.”

“I must say, Onyx,” Orrin said, coquettishly clicking his tongue, “you’re kinda cute under all that gruesome.”

“Why thank you,” the tabby cat coolly acknowledged as he leaned back on the white brick that lined the corridor.

“Y’know, you’re not too bad yourself. I’m not big on the whole bowtie and suspenders look myself, but I think you got the whole Steve Urkel thing down nice enough.”

“My shadow’s onto you, Onyx,” he said, laughing merrily and wagging his finger, “You look like a really fun guy. Let’s say we get outta here? Enjoy the night while it’s young.”

“But don’t you have plans?” Onyx innocently inquired. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Oh I do, but they can wait,” the ferret asserted, his sweet smile sharpening. "I want to play with you."

---

I can't take credit for what you see here. This was done by the wonderful  aerokat! This scenario was a lot of fun to devise, and I'm glad she gave me permission to use her character, Onyx, in this scene. More than anything, it was wonderful being given the opportunity to dress him up in that outfit. In the end, I'm glad to have worked with her once more. She's an incredible artist, and it's always fun to work with her. Honestly, I can't advocate her highly enough. So look into her work and see about commissioning  aerokat! She's very professional and approachable.

You can also check out her Patreon by clicking the link below:
https://www.patreon.com/poecatcomix/posts

Onyx is ©  aerokat

Orrin is ©  nazcapilot