Chapter 9: Midnight Snacks...

After introducing himself, Grim couldn't help but ask Doreen, "So, you talk to squirrels, huh? Can you understand them?"

Doreen stuttered in response, caught off guard by the sudden question. "What, me? Talk to squirrels? No, that's impossible. I'm just a normal girl who... talks to squirrels... For Fun!!"

"Right..." Grim replied, unconvinced.

Their conversation was interrupted as Monkey Joe chattered excitedly, and another squirrel, sporting a similar scarf, scampered up to them.

"Tippy-toe, where have you been all this time?" Doreen exclaimed, having been looking for her for two days straight but having no luck in finishing her.

Tippy-toe chirped in response, a series of sounds that seemed like gibberish to Grim but perfectly understandable to Doreen.

Grim watched the exchange, now certain that Doreen could indeed communicate with squirrels. He also noticed she had a pleasant hazelnut scent, which he found oddly comforting.

'And her butt, though most would think it was just naturally or unnaturally big, I can feel differences, plus an abnormal amount of heat is being produced there.' Grim thought, while Doreen was completely oblivious to his thoughts.

Though if she was aware, she would probably have broken out in a nervous sweat as yes, where most people think she is just blessed with a nice big ass, it's actually just where she tucked her tail.

In the past, she used to let it out because there was a furry trend going on and she thought she could blend in that way, but after so many people had tugged on her tail, she decided this was the next best thing.

This ended up becoming true, as no one suspected a thing, and all she received were a few more double takes from men, and some jealous looks from women.

After the brief squirrel chatter, Doreen turned back to Grim, standing up energetically.

"Sorry, Grim, but there's an emergency I need to attend to. It was nice meeting you, and again, sorry about Monkey Joe."

"It wasn't a big deal. If you have an emergency, you should go," Grim reassured her.

"Oh, right before I go, to make it up to you, how about some coffee? My treat," Doreen offered, hopeful.

Grim, having never tried coffee, responded indifferently, "I don't have a particular taste for coffee."

Misinterpreting this as rejection, Doreen's spirits fell. "Oh, right, my bad...I gotta head out, then."

"But there's this Chimichanga place I heard about," Grim interjected. "I've been meaning to try it this week."

Doreen's mood instantly lifted. "Chimichangas? Yeah, that's totally cool with me!"

Grim gave her the address. "Let's meet there on Friday at 17:00."

"Friday, 17:00. I'll be there. See you then, Grim," Doreen said, her voice trailing off as she hurried away to change into her Squirrel Girl costume.

As she ran, Monkey Joe and Tippy-toe teased her from her shoulders. "Aww, Doreen's finally going on a date. You better wear your best nutty perfume," Monkey Joe jibed.

"It's not a date, guys. It's just to pay him back, nothing more," Doreen protested, although secretly thrilled about the upcoming meeting.

....

Meanwhile, Grim found himself alone again in the park. Not feeling like returning to sleep, he decided to head to the Chimichanga shop downtown.

An hour later, he was already enjoying his fifth chimichanga, chatting with Renzo, the employee who had accidentally broken his nose a week earlier.

Renzo laughed over the incident, and Grim was feeling frustrated as Renzo thought it was a date when he clearly saw it differently.

After all who would ever want to go on a date with a gloomy guy like him, and in any case, he wasn't a good fit for anyone?

As Grim savoured the flavorful chimichangas, he reflected on the day's turn of events.

Meeting Doreen, conversing with Renzo, and the peculiar but amusing interactions with the squirrels – it all added a new dimension to his otherwise unwanted existence.

....

(Hours Later...)

The night had enveloped the city, and Grim found himself on an abandoned rooftop, gazing at the stars.

Ever since his resurrection, he noticed a recurring pattern in his behaviour – whenever he felt bored or lost in thought, he would look up at the starlit sky, seeking answers or perhaps escape in its vastness.

'Oh right, I forgot I needed to update my new list...'

His mind wandered to a peculiar list he had been keeping – a tally of the injuries and deaths he had sustained since awakening from the dead.

The list read like a testament to his newfound indestructibility: 16 deaths, 7 broken noses, 22 bone fractures, 11 stab wounds, 9 open fractures, 8 drownings, 3 shootings, and 12 puncture wounds.

These injuries, a mix of bad luck, accidents, and self-inflicted tests, left him physically unscathed but mentally burdened with the reality of his unending existence.

Lost in these thoughts, Grim's attention was suddenly drawn to a commotion in a nearby alley.