A Mirror, Darkly

[rdalrt2]

Not my first time posting a story here, but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask for comments and first impressions. This is part one of a small series I'll be doing, the second installment will be following shortly after I've tested the waters a bit with this first chapter.

Chapter 1: Contact

Ten-Fifteen, right on schedule, he walked into the gym, a gust of cold night air blowing in behind him. For a brief moment, the object of James? desires was silhouetted perfectly by the pale yellow glow of the streetlights behind him, his cobra-like back filling the space of the doorframe such that he had to turn sideways to fit his bulk into the building. The door swung shut behind him, and he walked right by the guy working the desk; there was no need for him to show his member card since he came here so often everyone knew who he was. He was Bruak, and he was the being that James coveted most.

Bruak walked down the steps that led into the underground gym, his heavy boots clomping against the aged, rusted metal loudly. The gym wasn?t what you?d call a ?health club?, as the lighting was generally poor, the equipment was in its prime sometime around the early eighties, and there wasn?t a Bosu board or an elliptical to be found. Just weights. Lots and lots of old iron weights, the numbers stamped on each one designating the weight had been worn off a long time ago. Bruak didn?t need to read the numbers on the plates though, he could tell just by feel. He could work out in this gym blind, the place was so familiar. He?d been coming here for six years, and James had ogled him every day since he discovered this place. James started to feel like a stalker when he changed his own workout schedule to match up with Bruak?s, but any nagging voices in his head were quickly silenced as soon as he caught a glimpse of the orc removing his hooded sweatshirt to reveal the skimpy tanktop underneath. Bruak was, in a word, beastly. He stood at a towering, commanding height, even for an orc, at 8?9?. James could only guess at his weight, but if he wasn?t past a thousand pounds he was definitely getting close. His chest and belly were covered in a thick layer of musky black body hair, it was almost like a fur coat on the orc. It wasn?t curly, but it laid flat against his chest, like he spent his morning making sure it was properly groomed and trimmed. But James knew that couldn?t be, Bruak had that kind of effortless coolness about him, and he wouldn?t worry about little things like that. His entire appearance seemed to have that kind of casual perfection to it. His face was broad, handsome, and his jawline was very cut and square. His brow was big and strong, his eyes a deep, dark green. His tusks were short, only portruding about an inch and a half upwards from his lower lip, thick and blunt with slightly rounded tips. His tusks and teeth were quite clean and shiny, and the underbite that all orcs had was slight on him, and only served to enhance his brutish good looks. He was bald, like many orcs, but this wasn't due to aging. The young bull had simply decided he liked the smoothness and kept his head that way. Everything about him seemed to ooze pure primal strength and virility, like an ancient painting of the warrior ideal somehow made flesh in this concrete jungle.

James was no slouch himself, his build was quite impressive. That was likely due to him working out as often as Bruak did. Even if his goal was to get in some eye candy, he had to do something to occupy his time there in the gym, and the results were showing. James stood 5?8?, and had a stocky, bulldog-like build to him. He was sort of short, but he was thick everywhere, much more so than his taller counterparts. He tipped the scales at an impressive 237 pounds, that was more than some bodybuilders! But he didn?t have their definition. His abs were slightly puffy with the tiniest hint of a powerlifter middle, and only his most prominent veins and striations could be seen with a casual glance. James had blonde hair that he kept short, almost a buzzcut. He thought it accentuated his jawline and made him look more masculine, and it did. His eyes were deeply-set into his skull, so there was always a shadow cast over them no matter the lighting, giving him the look of someone permanently lost in deep thought. He was much of the time, but his thoughts usually centered around the greenskinned god that was starting to rack his weights onto the bench press.

Bruak grabbed several 45-pound plates, the largest size in the gym, and began loading them up onto the bar of the bench press. There were three on each side, for a total of 310 pounds counting the weight of the bar itself. This was his warmup weight. He grunted and crawled underneath the bar, the bench under his broad backside creaking a bit from the weight. The orc gripped the iron bar with both big hands tightly, and with a deep grunt lifted the bar off its support hooks and into the air. He lowered it the small distance down to his heaving pecs and then pushed it back up, going slowly, methodically. He pushed out ten easy reps then re-racked it, sitting up and going to add more weight. Another 180 pounds got added to the bar, which was visibly bending a few degrees from the weight. Bruak repeated the process again, ten more reps being pushed out, this time a bit more slowly and with a bit more effort from the orc. But James knew from experience that this was a shadow of what the beast could do.

After a few more warmup sets, Bruak worked up to his regular benching weight of 810 pounds. James loved to watch the orc press the bar up and down, his pecs the size of beach balls bunching up and flexing, pushing out even bigger when the bar was raised. It was almost hypnotic, the movement was so fluid and rehearsed. The clank of the bar dropping back into its hooks rattled James out of his little reverie, and he quickly turned away so as to keep from getting caught peeping. Bruak moved through the rest of his chest workout fluidly, going from the bench press to the decline press, to flies, to dumbbell presses, and then dips to finish it off. James had occupied himself in a bicep workout, his 20? arms bunching up with every lift?but he knew that for as impressive as he was, he couldn?t cast a shadow over Bruak. He?d seen the orc?s arms bulge up on the preacher curl, he almost passed out the first time he saw it, they had to be at least 45 inches around, a thick vein throbbing across the top of them.

After 45 minutes of intense physical labor, Bruak?s workout was over, and the gym was getting ready to close for the night. But they both knew it wouldn?t lock up until Bruak was good and ready to leave, and tonight that meant waiting a bit longer while the orc showered. James? heart thundered in his chest?would he finally get to see the orc naked? Bruak had never showered in the gym before; nobody could blame him, it wasn?t exactly the most hygienic locker room. What made tonight different? He thought the orc was just going in to take a leak, that?s when he heard the shower running and splashing on the tile floor. James timidly crept towards the door to the locker room and opened it, his pulse racing. As soon as he stepped inside, he could smell Bruak?s musk lingering on the air, mixed with the sharp scent of soap. The locker room was small, it only had two dozen lockers, several of which had been rusted shut, were missing the lock, or were in other states of disrepair. The shower stall was one big 20? x 20? room, but only had 4 showerheads. Two were missing, and one was intact, but there was a gaping hole in the wall beneath it where the knobs should have been, leaving the only working shower the one that Bruak was using.

James sat down on the bench in the locker room and began to remove his shoes, casting a slow glance up at Bruak when he was sure the orc wasn?t looking. The sight of Bruak?s naked form in the shower was breathtaking; James had never been so stricken by such primal strength and masculinity. He?d seen Bruak shirtless before on hot days in the gym, but something about seeing him now, fully nude, was exhilarating. Bruak?s back was turned, his big green hands occupied with soaping up his front, his thick fingers digging into his furry chest and under the great shelf of his pecs. His back was a huge roadmap of hard lumps of muscle and veins, the water rolling through the cracks and valleys of his huge muscle was neatly guided down to his perfect, nearly spherical ass, and then down to his colossal tree-trunk quads and diamond-shaped calves. The power contained in those legs was terrifying, and James was a witness to their power firsthand when Bruak did his leg workouts. Bruak?s feet were big and wide, a testament to nature?s intent to make this orc into the giant he was today.

?You waitin? to use the shower?? Bruak?s low, gravelly voice pierced the dull sound of the water splattering against the floor. James? blood ran cold and his throat felt dry as he tried to croak out a respone.

?Oh, uhm, no?sorry?? He was blushing furiously as he replied.

Bruak shrugged his mighty shoulders and turned to face James slightly. James knew the orc was looking at him, but he couldn?t keep his jaw from dropping when he caught sight of the appendage dangling between the giant?s legs. Bruak?s cock was massive, looking like it belonged on some barn animal instead! It was long and fat, the grapefruit-sized head hanging down between Bruak?s knees, swaying with every little movement the orc made. Its thickness was incredible, thicker than James? wrist. Its width was akin to a soda can, and it was still completely soft! The pendulous orbs that hung behind it swung low in Bruak?s sac, each about the size of James? clenched fist. Bruak?s crotch was covered in the same thick hair as the rest of him, which extended down the base of his cock for maybe an inch before disappearing, leaving bare a smooth green python!

?I dun usually shower here. Thought you might be waiting to use it.?

James couldn?t utter a word. He was completely captivated by the overpowering sight of the green god in front of him. Everything about Bruak?s nude body was assaulting his brain; his pillow-like pecs, his fat suckable nipples, his thick cobblestone abs, his barrel-sized arms, his behemoth cock and balls?it was all too much for the poor human! Bruak couldn?t help but grin ever so slightly as he realized what was up.

?You uh?see somethin? you like??

James nearly died on the spot, he thought his heart might explode from the force of its beating. Was Bruak about to kick his ass for staring? It could very well be the last moment of James? life, but at least he would die happy. James knew the orc wasn?t straight, as there was no concept of a straight orc, seeing as all orcs were big males like Bruak. But some orcs didn?t take too kindly to humans, much less humans rude enough to stare! James hoped Bruak wasn?t like that as he whimpered, ?S-sorry?? for the second time.

The behemoth snickered a bit, turning to the side to face the stream coming from the wall. ?Dun worry. I dun mind a guy who likes muscle. I mean, ya have been hanging around here a lot?yer name?s James, right??

James was elated to hear this orc speak his name, to acknowledge his existence! ?Yeah?uhm, I mean, yes. My name?s James.?

?Nice t?meetcha. I?m Bruak?but ya probly knew that already.?

James nodded. ?Uhm?yeah. You?re a hard guy to ignore in the gym.?

Bruak grinned a bit wider at that. He knew it was true, he was a force of nature in the gym, but it was always nice to hear it from someone else?s lips. ?Well?nice t?meetcha anyway.?

James was a bit more relaxed now that he knew he wasn?t about to become a colorful smear on the walls, so he asked the question that was burning in his mind. A few pregnant moments passed before he asked, ?Why are you showering here anyway?...Aren?t you worried about getting tetanus or something??

Bruak laughed, a deep basso sound that echoed off the walls. ?Well, ?m showerin? here on account of not havin? another shower to use.?

?Oh?the one at your place is broken??

?Naw. Works fine. Just ain?t my place anymore.?

?You were evicted?!? James asked with a bit of shrillness, like he was angry that anyone on earth could do something mean to this testament to the male form.

??Guess so. Landlords don?t like it when ya don?t pay them once in a while.? Bruak shrugged.

?Why didn?t you pay the rent??

?Eh?long story,? The behemoth seemed to be content to leave it at that.

?I see?so, does that mean you don?t have a place to go back to??

?Well, if ya put it that way, yeah.? Bruak sighed softly, rubbing the bar of soap in his furry, cavernous armpits.

?That?s terrible! It?s freezing out there!?

Again, the giant shrugged. ?Eh, ?s not so bad. I?ll find someplace. I always seem to get by.? He smiled, a big innocent smile. In a way, James envied him?if he were in that predicament, tossed out on the street with nary a pot to piss in, he?d be tearing his hair out?and he most certainly wouldn?t have gone to the gym!

?You should come stay with me!? James blurted out before he could stop himself and realize what he was saying. This seemed to surprise Bruak, who looked at him with a slightly tilted head.

?What? Ya just met me. Why d?ya want me to stay at your place??

He was in it now, he had to go for broke. ?Well?nobody should be forced to try not to freeze to death on the streets. The least you deserve is a warm place to sleep and a hot meal. I?ve got a big futon that should hold you.?

The orc seemed stunned by this act of kindness and generosity. James was a stranger a moment ago, and now he was asking Bruak to come into his home and stay? Bruak knew that it had something to do with the way the human was staring at him, but he was in no position to refuse a warm bed and a meal. ?Uhm?well?I don?t wanna be a burden to nobody.?

?It?s no trouble!? It wasn?t a lie, James had only dreamed about taking Bruak back to his apartment.

Bruak turned away, washing the soap off his back. He was silent for a time, before he finally grunted, ?Okay. But just for tonight.?

?Deal!? James was beside himself, was this really happening to him?

[redkage]

Horray, you're finally writing! Congrats on your first foray!

[arpeejay]

Very nice! I like it!

oxox

Richard

[V.R.Goh]

Interesting twist, making the big guy an orc. I look forward to the next chapter.

[wolfotehmoon]

Perfect... It sucked me in. :O A few inconsistencies but they don't damage the story at all... SO looking forward to the next part!

[Lucas88]

I'm not usually into the furry/Orc/inter-species stories but your descriptive skills make this a very interesting read. I can visualize the gym and the characters easily. Hope you continue!

[muscl4life]

Congratulations, dude!

The story is promissing, I hope it can even teach me how to appreciate massive muscular orcs

Cheers

[Mad Dog]

You didn't tell me you were gonna post this!! It's nice. Hope we're gonna see more }:3

[philat99]

This old guy had to look up orc to discover its derivation (always meant to read Tolkien). Your description fit it to a T. I look forward to further chapters.
Mike

[recipe113]

Great start! I can't wait for more :-)

[V.R.Goh]

Judging by the fact that the author mentioned tusks and green skin, I can only surmise that his orcs are based on Dungeons and Dragons, or something like that. If I'm wrong, I apologize.

[rdalrt2]

Yes, D&D was a big inspiration for the big green brutes. There have been lots of sources, but Tolkein is actually the least of them. Orcs in Tolkein works tend to be about "evil for evil's sake" and typically fill the role of the mindless hordes of bad-guys that an evil overlord needs in order to be threatening. I'd say as far as appearance and demeanor, the fiction and artwork surrounding the Warcraft series of video games is about as close as I can think of. Also, as far as appearances go, might I direct your attention to a very talented artist named Grisser, who sometimes draws orcs exactly the way I've got them pictured mentally. You might need a furaffinty account to see these, but they're worth checking out (along with the rest of his submissions!):

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1552452/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1408147/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1060960/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/514619/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/370560/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/257927/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1467174/

Also, in case anyone's curious, the name of the series is a phrase meaning an alternate, somewhat distorted view of the same thing, in this case represented as an alternate universe where orcs evolved alongside humans through the course of time.

[wolfotehmoon]

Gris' work is a good to base your orcs off of Same with his bears and tigers... Murr...

[philat99]

Thanks for teaching this geezer the differences among orcs. I was never into the furry stuff, but could be tempted, now.
Mike