He’d even written a critically acclaimed self-help book for other youth who lived their lives feeling out of place: “I was a Teenage Deer-Man: How to Listen to Your Heart, and Live Your True Nature.”
Lately, his Agent had been telling him about more public speaking engagement opportunities, and it pleased him to no end. Helping out troubled people was the only thing that made his heart swell even more than putting a highly polished Battle Hoof on the face of Crime.
Only a few months before, sitting in the cozy atmosphere of Stacey’s Coffee Shop in Falls Church, his friend Lee (the Clarendon Comet) asked him a question that still pinged back and forth through his consciousness.
“Ciaran, have you ever really thought fighting crime might not be your true calling?”
“I don’t know Lee. I really love (grunt) what I do. All of it (grunt), I mean fighting crime is a rush (grunt) and really helps the community. (groan) Helping kids, though, that’s so close to my (grunt) heart.”
“That’s right. It’s getting close to mating season, isn’t it?”
Ciaran nodded, feeling the strange surge of carnal desires as well as the need to head-butt every other man he saw. It didn’t help that the Barista was cute, but it was clear she had eyes for Lee… not a man covered in tawny brown hair, with soulful brown eyes, and a rack of antlers on his forehead.
(Progress: I’m about 4300 words into this short story. I’m shooting for 9k.)
