Mouse House

A curt knock sounded on the door. Dawley shot up out of a dead sleep, nearly banging their head on a low shelf. “Come in,” they wheezed, and then shielded their eyes and hissed as the door was thrown open, abruptly flooding the walk-in closet with harsh midday light.

Another Paralogos stood in the doorway, towering above the little lab rat. They smoothed back an unruly crest of fungal spores, causing a few to puff up and disappear into the stale apartment air. “You didn’t get in until late last night... or I suppose early in the morning would be more accurate,” Nero observed, their unsettling eyes sweeping over Dawley. The lab rat Paralogos’s fur was disheveled, and they were sprawled amongst what appeared to be a “nest” made of crumpled primary, peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. “Did you get the rest of your things from your boyfr... erm, ex-boyfriend’s place?”

Dawley nodded, rusting in the papers until they uncovered a few items nestled among the debris: a book, a collared shirt or two, and a questionably-washed coffee mug that said “Yes, I Really Do Need All These Rats,” accompanied by a bevvy of cartoon rodents. 

“Good,” Nero said. “Then, if that’s all over with, I hope you don’t mind if I ask that you move out by the end of the month. You can’t stay here forever. Nothing against you, the apartment just isn't big enough. Obviously.” They looked around the walk-in closet.

Dawley balked. “That soon? I don’t mind the closet! I mean it! I like enclosed spaces. Rat, and all.”

Nero shook their head. “It’s not just that... You kind of freak Cordy out.”

Dawley choked on the stale coffee they had been sipping from the rat mug. “I’M freaking THEM out?” They peered out the closet door and into the living area. On the couch, a giant mass was... writhing would have to be the only word for it. Vaguely the shape of a Paralogos, it had fungal tendrils peeling off of it and waving in all directions. A small, pointed snout poked above the couch arm, boasting oversized black fangs and staring at Dawley with empty, fungus-overgrown eyes. Dawley shrieked a little and quickly withdrew.

Nero shrugged.

“At least I help out with the chores!” Dawley protested. 

Nero raised an eyebrow. “You said you’d do the dishes, but you don’t even wash the big ones,” they said. “Only the ones that fit in the dishwasher.”

“The big ones are gross,” Dawley whined. Nero frowned deeply. The lab rat Paralogos sighed. “Okay, okay. I’m working on it. It’s on the ol’ to-do list. I promise.” They arranged some of their possessions in a little pile in the corner of the closet in the awkward silence that ensued.

“Why haven’t you asked Dr. Gringoire for some housing at the institute?” Nero asked, finally breaking the silence. “You could get a fancy apartment like Occam, and you wouldn’t have to worry about catching the rail to work...”

“No!” Dawley said. “I have to maintain at least a pretense of independence from that wretched place.”

Nero rolled their eyes. “Says the Paralogos who has a sleeping bag under their desk. Please don’t try to deny it. We might be even beyond ‘pretense’ here.”

Dawley groaned and flopped over sideways onto the pile of papers. They stared at the wall.

“I don’t know, it’s just important to me.” They thought of the condominiums near the top floors of Parker Lofts, with their floor-to-ceiling glass windows where you could see all of Sermos sprawled and twinkling beneath you. The condominiums they had been living in until quite recently. They groaned again.

Nero sighed. “I get it, I get it... I can help you look for a new place, if you’d like,” they said, not unkindly. 

“Maybe,” Dawley said. “I guess I’ll see how far I get this week and let you know.” They fiddled with the coffee mug. “I think it’ll be nice to have my own place again. Really. Even if it’s crummy. I’ll be able to stretch out, maybe have a shelf for my books... expand my coffee mug collection... who knows? Maybe there’s even a game system in my future. If I can get the television... and the controllers... and the game. And I’ll be able to leave the big ones for as long as I want.” They let out a forced little laugh.

“That’s the spirit,” Nero said, leaning down to pat Dawley awkwardly on the shoulder. “We’ll figure something out.” They straightened up. “I have to head into lab, but I’ll see you later, alright?” Dawley didn’t respond, only shrugged, eyes towards the floor.

“Good luck,” Nero said. They stepped away, closing the closet door behind them. Dawley could hear them move to the living room and murmur something to Cordyceps. The lab rat Paralogos drew themself up into a sitting position, and wrapped their arms and tail around their legs, resting their head on their knees. They closed their eyes for a moment, mind drifting to all of the work they had to do, both in the lab and outside of it. A small sniffle escaped them, the back of their eyes and throat starting to burn. In the dark of the closet, their red lights reflected eerily off of the hanging coats and scattered papers, throwing shadows into all of the corners.

It was going to be a long week.