Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 55: Frog Confessional

Ren froze in the water, her hands paused mid-splash.

She heard the commotion near the entrance—a sharp, booming voice followed by the frantic rustling of fabric. She whipped her head around just in time to see the broad, velvet-clad back of the Snake King disappearing around the corner.

He had been watching.

Ren sank lower in the water until it bubbled around her chin. A flush that had nothing to do with the thermal heat crept up her neck.

She had hoped he would come over. She had hoped he would yell at her, or drag her out, or... well, do something. Anything was better than this cold, silent avoidance.

"I really messed up this time," Ren sighed, blowing a bubble in the water.

She deserved it. She knew she did. She had played with fire, burned his house down, and stomped on his trust.

Plop.

A small, green swamp frog hopped onto a giant lily pad drifting near her shoulder. It blinked its bulbous yellow eyes at her, its throat expanding and contracting rhythmically.

Ren stared at the frog. The frog stared at Ren.

"You think I’m an idiot too, don’t you?" Ren asked the amphibian.

The frog continued to stare at Ren blankly.

"I know, I know," Ren groaned, wiping wet hair from her face. "I should just focus on escaping. I have the map. I still don’t have a plan. And Kael is waiting."

She looked down at her reflection in the shimmering water.

"But... I don’t want to leave like this," she confessed to the frog, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I realized something, Mr. Frog. Something really stupid."

She brought her knees to her chest, blushing furiously.

"I think... I think I fell for the snake."

The frog let out a short, dry croak.

"I know!" Ren splashed the water. "He kidnapped me! He’s a reptile! He has a harem! It makes no sense! But... he’s also lonely. And he tries so hard to be scary but he’s actually just a big, possessive softie who likes pancakes."

She rested her chin on her knees, staring at the colorful swirls of the pond.

"And then there’s Kael," Ren continued. "Kael is my first. He’s my tiger. He’s warm and loud and fierce. I love him."

She bit her lip.

"But Syris... Syris is cool. And quiet. And beautiful."

A thought popped into her head. A wild, forbidden, absolutely unhinged thought.

"Why..." Ren whispered, looking at the frog with wide eyes. "Why do I have to choose?"

The frog blinked.

"I mean, think about it," Ren reasoned, her hands moving excitedly underwater. "If I had Kael, I’d be warm in the winter. If I had Syris, I’d be cool in the summer. Kael hunts the meat. Syris provides the veggies from his magical garden. It’s a balanced diet!"

She giggled, a slightly hysterical sound.

"It’s like having two pets! A big, fluffy cat for cuddles, and a sleek noodle for... well, playing?"

She leaned in closer to the frog.

"And the sex," Ren started, fanning herself with a wet hand. "Kael is pure power. He’s a jackhammer with fur. But Syris? From what he can do with his tongue, he’s all technique, and he’s packing double the hardware."

Ren froze, as a vivid, dangerous image popped into her head.

"Wait. What if I didn’t choose? What if I had... both? At the same time?"

She stared into the middle distance, biting her lip as she visualized it.

"Me in the middle. Fur on the left, scales on the right. Fire and Ice colliding on the same mattress. A Predator Sandwich!"

"Oh my god," Ren buried her red face in her hands. "I am losing my mind."

She peeked through her fingers at the frog.

"Am I a bad person?" she asked earnestly.

The frog stared blankly.

"Am I... a slut?" Ren whispered the word like it was a curse. "For wanting them both? Is that allowed? Is it one beast per mate?"

The frog let out a long, loud ribbit and hopped into the water, swimming away from her as fast as its little legs could carry it.

"Yeah, run away!" Ren called after it. "You’re no help! You’re just a judgy green blob!"

She sighed, leaning her head back against the stone rim of the pool.

"It’s a stupid idea anyway," she muttered to herself. "Kael and Syris would tear each other apart and destroy the house in five minutes. I have to pick one."

The thought made her chest ache. Pick one. Lose one.

"Ugh, feelings are the worst," Ren groaned.

She stood up, the water cascading off her body. The air in the cavern was cooler than the water, and goosebumps rose on her skin instantly.

She waded to the edge and climbed out.

"Okay. Towel. Towel."

She looked around. No towel. Her makeshift clothes were in a pile, but they were made of snake-skin and didn’t absorb water.

She grabbed a gigantic, heart-shaped leaf from a nearby fern. It was waxy and smooth.

"This will work," Ren muttered.

She tried to wipe her arm. The water just smeared around. The leaf stuck to her skin with a wet thwack.

"Stupid prehistoric vegetation," Ren cursed, trying to scrub the water off her back. It was like trying to dry herself with plastic wrap. "This is ridiculous."

She bent over, contorting herself to try and dry her legs with the useless leaf, swearing softly under her breath about the lack of Egyptian Cotton in the Beast World.

"You shouldn’t be in there."

The voice was ice cold.

Ren froze, bent over, holding a leaf to her calf.

She straightened up slowly, clutching the leaf to her chest for modesty, though it didn’t cover much.

Standing at the entrance of the garden was Lyssa. Her arms were crossed, her face a mask of smug, vindictive triumph.

Behind her loomed Viper. The guard looked tired, awkward, and distinctly like he didn’t want to be involved in whatever drama was about to unfold. He kept his eyes fixed respectfully on the ceiling.

Ren stood there, naked, wet, and holding a piece of foliage.

"Well," Ren thought, closing her eyes. "So much for a peaceful bath."