Art and El Toro belong to Yours Truly
MallowGryph belongs to  zandenel
Story by  winterwight

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Scrawled in flowing script were the words, “The door is open. Come on in! Just follow the scent.”

Jose smiled and hitched up his pants. It was getting very difficult to keep them up around his bulbous thighs and posterior, but the bull managed. It was only through sheer stubbornness that the fabric clung to his derriere and refused to rip. Possibly, by mere association, it had garnered some Bravado pride even though it might never again close its buttons.

Putting the little yellow note into his polo’s pocket, Jose entered the manor’s gently arching front door. The scent of sandalwood hung lightly in the air like a fairy tickling one’s nose, and the undeniable smell of baked goods wafted unhindered. The bull licked his lips while his fingers drummed on his gut in anticipation. His bared belly bounced gently as he fruitlessly tried to pull his old polo further down its darkly furred expanse. Still supremely self-confident, the newly obese Jose strode along the hallway, following his nose.

Mallow, Jose’s largest fan and newest friend, was busying himself in his kitchen. Even as the bull entered, the immensely robed gryphon was performing a feat of seemingly impossible flexibility in pulling a cake out of his oven. Luckily, the house had been built with the over-sized chef in mind and had more than enough space between the cooking area and the marbled island for the large Mallow to move about and set the steaming confection down safely.

“Ooh, is that all for Jose, amigo?” the bull queried happily.

The gryphon chuckled. “Of course, it is after all your celebration cake! I also made brownies. I expected you to be here a bit earlier after all. Oh, I see you already discovered them!”

Jose’s chocolate coated grin melted into a visage of repentance. “Joo will please forgive Jose, por favor,” he gulped. “Lunch took a bit longer than expected, amigo!”

“Ah! If it was just lunch then all is forgiven!” Mallow proclaimed, waving away the bull’s worries as he expertly transferred the cake to a proper platter and swiftly began to apply icing. “I do worry, have you been eating enough at home?”

“Oh si, si amigo! Mama has been happy to provide for Jose’s new winning diet,” Jose informed his friend, even as he popped another brownie into his mouth.

“Good, good. I would hate if you weren’t eating well between our little get-togethers,” Mallow stated, offering the icing-covered knife to the bull, who happily licked it clean before turning his attention back to the brownies.

Jose nodded and spoke around a mouthful. “No worries amigo. Eating has been easy for Jose! Joo may not know of this,” he began, leaning towards Mallow with his belly pressing into and onto the counter space, “but Jose was quite large when he was younger. Eating as Jose has been is not so strange!”

The gryphon’s eyebrows rose in feigned surprise. “Oh were you? I had no idea. Let’s take this to the smoking room.”

The bull followed as readily as a child might, and the marbled granite turned to polished mahogany before the cake was once again set down. The bar much better complimented the maroon shade of the host’s robe and a small fire crackled and snapped in the fireplace across the room. Jose sat upon a stool which stood defiantly under his weighty behind, unbowed. With a reassuring smile, Mallow handed the bull a fork and a plate even as the bull steadied himself worriedly while he found the right place to set his feet.

“Another impressive victory for the mighty El Toro! And to the victor goes the spoils!” the gryphon announced and placed fully half the cake onto Jose’s plate.

Jose attacked the mammoth portion with a fork grasped in his meaty grip, but slowed just before biting into another chocolate mouthful, puzzled. “Did Jose not celebrate his victory yesterday? And the day before with joo?”

“Of course you did,” came the harmonically intoned response, “but such a great victory over such an impressive opponent warrants a proper celebration.”

“Si, si!” Jose agreed enthusiastically and recited. “A proper celebration stretches out as does the glory of victory.”

“Good, you’re learning a true champion’s ways! Now eat your cake, I’ll have another ready soon.”