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Rot: A worm Fanfiction

Should I move this to the NSFW forum for more views and stuff

  • yes

    Votes: 14 82.4%

  • no

    Votes: 3 17.6%
  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .
Reader mode
My undead girlfriends can't be this cute?
This just keeps getting better and better! Also, yay for courtship rituals and cool fashion.
Now we just need to see the Bells turning all the heads on a Broadwalk stroll and becoming a meme. For those extra Silencio/romcom vibes.
Honestly, this fic is criminally underappreciated. We need more views/discussions/fanart!
And I'll just be a prophet and say this: the shopping chart will rise!
P.S.: you might consider crossposting to SB and SV for more coverage. Maybe post in content review or contact a mod to be safe.
Thanks again for this gem.
 
jayofgrey said:
My undead girlfriends can't be this cute?
This just keeps getting better and better! Also, yay for courtship rituals and cool fashion.
Now we just need to see the Bells turning all the heads on a Broadwalk stroll and becoming a meme. For those extra Silencio/romcom vibes.
Honestly, this fic is criminally underappreciated. We need more views/discussions/fanart!
And I'll just be a prophet and say this: the shopping chart will rise!
P.S.: you might consider crossposting to SB and SV for more coverage. Maybe post in content review or contact a mod to be safe.
Thanks again for this gem.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Thanks for the praise, but I probably won't cross post. One this is incredibly violent, and while I wouldn't call it gore, the "damage" is very descriptive. I live in constant fear that someone will report the entire fiction for breaking the rules of this site. The other sites are even stricter.
Two I'm afraid of the public. Three it would take a lot of work and I'm lazy.

I've been meaning to draw my characters so if I ever do and don't hate them I'll share them...
 
Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
I felt like Lisa would in fact like to conduct some research on her friends, so third explanation of hosting....I don't think there will be anymore after this...but I can't be sure...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It is probably the best explaination for hosting you could get, pretty much the Taylor hive's way of integrating other willing participants into itself. I reckon Lisa probably wont have as much real time information exchange as the Taylors have within the Connection but with the upside of Keeping her sense of Self as she is not a "Taylor" in this hive Connection. very much a sense of Symbiosis between Lisa and "Taylor"
 
You have nothing to be afraid of on QQ. SB and SV can cause problems, but 99% of those are caused by politics/religion/LGBTQ holly wars/topics.
While some of your descriptions (mostly the 1 first few chapters, but I've seen gorier stuff on SB/V) might be a bit too spicy for those sites, you can always just ask for content review to be safe. If you decide it's worth it.
 
jayofgrey said:
You have nothing to be afraid of on QQ. SB and SV can cause problems, but 99% of those are caused by politics/religion/LGBTQ holly wars/topics.
While some of your descriptions (mostly the 1 first few chapters, but I've seen gorier stuff on SB/V) might be a bit too spicy for those sites, you can always just ask for content review to be safe. If you decide it's worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Thanks we haven't even got to gore-y though...yet... I mostly go for body horror though
 
Chapter 33
  • Threadmarks
    • One more happy moment in the death of Taylor Hebert...and then the beginning of the next shitty happening...


    " Girls, I'm home," the voice of dad echoes down into the basement, " I brought pizza."

    Both of my others perk up at the thought of, even if it is just normal, food. Lisa looks hungry too...why do I find that hot? I shake my head, " okay dad we'll be up in a minute." Nimi coughs up the last protein egg for the designs we made today. The row of eight viral blueprints are the other project that we got up to, mostly just new tougher plates for Izzy's coat and the clip dispenser for the dart gun which we also replaced. The other stuff was mostly a collection of rough drafts for things like organic tasers and other long range weapons for me and Nimi.

    Lung would have been a much easier fight if we had heavier weaponry. Thankfully with his genome known to us, we can synthesize several brute level paralytics that should knock Lung out of a fight with a single application. The compound is made up of Alpha-amanitin, to decrease the livers abilities to fight the other poisons, and then a combination of Muscarine and Gyromitrin. The effect is a twitching mess and paralysis by the blocking of some neurotransmitters. It is also completely deadly to anyone but Lung, so naturally we needed other methods. A sleeping powder using Penicillium as the base, we focused on generating a strain that caused lower brain activity versus pain blocking. The effect is be instantaneous and can be applied via skin contact, so of course Swarm can now generate it on their skin. I found a better method with dispersing it in a room with my new hair. The dosage would have to be pretty limited and it would probably be safe to bring a couple epi-pens just in case of allergic reaction, the aerosolized version would have to be an outside weapon too.

    Overall it was a very productive day, I smile to myself as walk up the stairs, much better than if I went to school...

    " Hey sweetie, hey owl," mom walks in through the back door. Her hands and feet slightly are tinged red. Dad just glances over before going back to preheating the oven. At this point, mom coming home with her hands just slightly bloody and barefoot has been happening since she got back.

    " Hey mom how was your hunt?" Swarm walks in from behind me and makes a bee line for mom. Lisa and Nimi step out and head over to see about the pizza.

    " Oh it was good, I see that your day was pretty successful too," mom looked at the fully clothed Nimi standing by the oven waiting for the pizza inside to burn. Swarm grabs one of mom's red hands and puts it in her "mouth", while mom stokes the back of the shorter girl's hair. " Nimi you look great in your new clothes, sweetie."

    " Thanks mommy!"

    " Ah, I thought they were sort of like your half finished armor or something," dad says around a bite full of pizza. He is now seated at the kitchen table with Lisa, and the second pizza, the one for the humans, in between them.

    " Nah, we thought that it would be better for her to have some comfortable clothes for in the house," Lisa swallows her bite, I try not to stare at her eating, " you know for when she isn't hiding from the public."

    " So that means that missing a back is for comfort?" The oven dings as our now extra crispy pizza is done. Us undead descend on the pie like a flock of vultures. The silky black crispy decadence of charcoaled cheese and burnt sauce...mmmmmmmm.

    " Yeah, she likes to keep her gills exposed," Lisa is watching the burnt pizza disappear rapidly, " something to remember if we ever go back to Parian for less disguise based clothing, she would probably look pretty cute in a sweater..."

    The pizza ends too quickly, and we are all quick to shove the third pizza into the oven. While we wait we decide to join the living at the dinner table. Mom kisses dad, and Nimi, Swarm, and I pull up chairs around Lisa. " So how was work dear?"
    Dad sighs," not great, a subcontractor pulled out of its job offers today, some company called Fortress Construction. Then the empire was seen hanging around some of our warehouses, a few of them were trying to mess with Lacey, but Kurt and I scared them off."

    " Hmmm, do you want me to come down there and take care of them," mom's hunger was kind of apparent, and one of her nails was tapping away at the wood table. " It would be a good way of meeting back up with some of my friends from...before."

    " Ah no honey you don't have to help enforce law and order down at the docks, we got that covered, but if you want I'm sure Kurt and Lacey would love to see you again."

    " Its a date then," mom leans in to dads face. I'd pretend to feel sick but my two others are doing it for me. Besides deep down I think my parents are adorable...

    " Ew yuck, I think I lost my apatite," Neems has a big goofy grin as she looks away towards the smell coming from the oven.

    " Yes gross...uh it is disgusting, sure," Swarm's deadpan voice of distraction shows just how little she is actually paying attention. She is actually chewing on some wood she found three blocks over right now.

    " Oh, and how was your day," mom purposely sits in dad's lap as she fixes us with a smile.

    " It was good," Nimi continues practically vibrating in her seat, " Lisa and..."

    I take a look around the table while Nimi talks about our day. Mom is smiling, dad is reaching around her to snag a slice of pizza. Swarm has draped themselves over Lisa's back. Nimi has a full grin spread out on her face as her deep voice gets excited, her arms gesticulating to various parts of her new clothing.

    A family, a happy family. It is surreal to me, to have all of these people here happy and laughing. Even if half of them are me too, and isn't that a sad thought, happiness looks alien on my many features. It has maybe been almost three weeks, but I'm still not used to this, being happy I mean. The last two years have been nothing but misery. Mom died, Emma left me, dad left me, and in their places came the torture...the isolation...the paranoia and fear. I look down at Lisa's hand it is almost touching mine, but she is gripping Swarm's arm keeping her steady. I'm not alone anymore...I have a friend, my family is whole and complete. Swarm grabs Lisa's hand and we all can feel it. I feel myself smiling and watch mom, go and retrieve the burn pizza from the oven...life is good...


    I am hungry again...

    I stand back before Winslow. The decaying corpse of education's past and a diseased plastic flesh covers it with corruption. The humans walk in herds as they meander into the school. Swarm's flesh clings to my eye sockets as it darkens my eye's glow, her body covering my hair to both weigh it down as well as make it appear to have a texture. It is a good disguise... too bad we are both so hungry.

    I take a few steps to the door. Today I decided to go back to this hellhole for one reason. To see if I could still pass for human...

    The eyes that turn to stare at me as I walk past, hood down hair tied back into a pony tail, are pretty telling that people notice that I'm different. The smells of the people around me makes me twitch, my hair wishing to sprout teeth along its loops and curls. Functionally my hair looks the same as it always has with Swarm in it to hide the eyes. My hair is just now reaches my ankles and lacks a visible texture, other than that it is the same curly mess of my life before death. Beneath my hoodie my pony tail twists with formed teeth. The dental protrusions move around the loops like the teeth of a chainsaw.

    Honestly, my hair's new attributes are really cool. I can see with perfect human vision in all directions if I wanted, and even cooler my new hair is completely mobile. Acting much like a sheath, I can move each of my individual strands at the same time. It takes a bit of focus to do that though, but large movement are easy with it. Another cool thing is that all of those extra eyes and teeth are mobile along the strands too. What I'm saying is my hair is the organic equivalent of a saw. I can even vibrate the teeth making my cutting power even more effective. They were the same metal structure as my other teeth, and Nimi and I tested there power on Sunday when I used them to cut large sheets of steel off of a few boats, and then shredded them into powder.

    As cool as it is though, it is kind of just a problem here. The halls are quiet as I walk down them despite the large volume of people here with me. The halls don't smell like when I got back to school last week. Last week they were mostly surprise from my fellow school goers, the people who knew me, my bullies, were a bit more varied. Excited, afraid, frustrated, panicked, and worse happy. Yeah last week I caught just a whiff of that scent off of Emma, before I revealed my face to the crowed of vile that were my former tormentors. I didn't register it until today, because as I walk up to my locker the students around me watching my movements with fixed stares, today is different. The hall's mood is different, with so many eyes on me and every single one of them...is terrified...

    I don't like it...

    It makes the hungry fear in my gut turn to starving dread. How do they know I'm dangerous? My disguise isn't showing off anything, so how is it so universal? I look to my left as I stand next to my locker, the people around there flinch away, refusing to look at me in some cases, in other cases a few take steps back. Looking to the right reveals much of the same. Let's just get this day over with. I press into the locker door trying to tune out the eyes on my back. A few of the girls in the hall are former hanger-ons, but from the smells coming off of them told me they aren't looking to rekindle their old ways. I grimace as one of them pees themselves, they aren't alone on that in the hall. I open my locker with a final twist of the dial, only for something to hit me in the face.

    I lean back as the metallic object swings back and forth in and out of my locker. The flutter of polaroids falling to the ground. I don't have to look up to see what it is, my ghost recognizes the broken form of mom's flute... surrounded by pictures of me in the school showers...

     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 34
  • Threadmarks
    • Neems as requested... also Lisa which is good too...

    My tendrils softly clink together as I wave them through the air. The world flying by fast as I run. Soft arms wrapped around my neck as Lisa's face presses into it. The day-time world is so much fun!

    I turn down an alley, briefly sliding up the wall as I curve sharply past. My tendrils whip around the corner trailing behind me as I just move. The busy street at the end of the alley is easily jumped as I fly through the air over buildings and rooftops. Only to come down in an abandoned parking lot of some long abandoned warehouse...well a formerly abandoned warehouse, I guess. I skid to a stop, lot becoming my landing strip as I grind my heel into its already marred surface. " Okay, we're here!"

    Since I have clothing now, I can finally check out a little thing that Taylor had promised to show me. I wasn't wearing just my lounge clothing either, the light red dress shirt is just layered over my outer top, and I modified the poncho from Sunday. Basically, just cut a hole in the hood to let my tendrils through, it makes it easier. I look up at the warehouse, the hole on the third floor is our entry point.

    The warehouse was actually where I was "born" the me sized hole on the third floor being the evidence of my escape. Ah, good times. The warehouse is also completely sealed from humans getting into it. The second and first floor are filled with garbage, we're talking floor to ceiling filled, like no one but maybe Mush could wade through that without getting a serious injury or infection. The third floor is however completely clean.

    " Too fast," Lisa's voice is a whisper as she slides down my back. I catch her as her grip around my shoulders with her arms and ribs with her feet fail. My slightly metallic tendrils wrap delicately around the blonde and bring her forward into my arms. " Too fast," she huffs out again, her face is pale and tinged green.

    Ooops," I'm sorry Lisa, I got excited to see the mushroom farm." Taylor has been working on this project in the back of her head all last week, usually to ignore the more boring of classes or "pranks" by our former friend... I watch as Lisa's face mostly clears, " do you think you can handle one more jump?"

    Lisa doesn't respond but just hides her face in my chest. I can feel myself fidget. " Just do it..."

    The jump is easy, but I think that the landing was still jarring. I let Lisa down and keep her hair out of her face as she dry heaves on the concrete. " I'm sorry, so so sorry Lisa I shouldn't have done that," I stroke her back as a particularly hard heave leaves her coughing.

    " No, it's," *hurk* *burp*, " fine..." Lisa finally can talk again after a few more sick sounds. " I wanted to hang out with you, so it's my fault." Lisa holds her stomach and rubs it as she stands.

    " Are you going to be, okay?"

    " Yeah," Lisa looks up at me and tries a painful smile. Then I smell blood...Lisa's bleeding?

    " Lisa!" I crouch down and bring my tendrils around her, " your bleeding are you-"

    Lisa calmly pushes my tentacles away. " It is just the time of the month Neems, I'm fine...but can you carry me?"

    I pick up the much smaller human and being to walk into the warehouse. Time of the month? The smell of blood from Lisa is kind of nice and horrible at the same time. Like a perfume, if the perfume in question was screaming at you. It makes me hungry and worried. Is Lisa going to be alright, and what does time of the month mean? I grasp at the collected knowledge of our ghosts...period...Oh, yeah. I kind of forgot what those things are. I mean I can't get one for obvious reasons, and Taylor doesn't do that either. " Can I help?" I subconsciously switch her to a bridal carry, my tendrils wrapping around her to hold her in a nicer position.

    " Unless you can draw up a hot bath here in the warehouse, or even just a cup of hot water," Lisa stretches in my grip, " don't worry about it, mines not too bad this time."

    Heat and water huh... Taylor's were usually pretty bad, although she stopped getting them when she started high school, too much stress. I frown at that, living Taylor didn't tell daddy about that either, afraid that he couldn't afford to take her to the doctor. I look down at Lisa and then around at the warehouse as we walk through it. Can I get water, there isn't any clean water here...? I feel my unoccupied tendrils shift, a crisscross across the surfaces. It almost feels like I rested a net across my skin. I stop as I feel the shift in skin texture, what is that? " Uh, Neems are you okay?" I look at what my cells are doing at my tips, it is almost like I can-

    The air fills with shrieks of metal on metal as long threads of metal cells slide across each other. The tips of each tentacle are barbed with a nine meter long metal wire, made of chained metal cells. " Uh it looks like I figured out what my body was building." The wires shimmer in and out of visibility, it is almost like a sentient piano wire. Lisa watches the thin wires flex and twist through the air.

    " So, what can they do?" At the question from her I look around the room for something to use them on. There, a glass bottle sitting a distance away from us. Without thinking about it, I flex one of the wires out towards the glass. It flies through the air with a strange sound and passes through the glass without knocking it over. Lisa and I both watch as the glass explodes a second after the wire passes through it. "...holy shit..."

    I nod at Lisa's breathless whisper. The cellular chain of metal, effortlessly ground through the glass, vibrating at the glasses resonate frequency when it started to cut through it... Still doesn't solve Lisa problem, but it is cool. Hmmmm, I flex my wire hair behind me as I think about the problem. Okay one at a time, my body is warm, but it is distributed so it doesn't feel too hot or cold. My skin itself is heat refractive so if I do heat up myself more it should stay just skin level. A few seconds of rearranging my DNA and cells, and now I have heat producing organs in my tendrils that doesn't affect my other temperature based senses. I wrap two tendrils around Lisa's stomach and lower back, drawing her out of her awe, " uh what are you doing-oh, oooh..." I activate the new organs interrupting her and treating myself to her cute little mewls of relief. She is so adorable, the orange glow around her stomach frames her head in a warm light that goes good with the cold blue from the outside lights leaking in. I roll the limbs up and down her stomach and back.

    Okay heat check, now water. The water in the room that is liquid is dirty, so what if we condense the water in the air? I crisscross my new wires behind me in the air, first making a net and then making tight spirals. It is pretty cold out, but it was foggy this morning and casting my "net" outside I am rewarded. The drops of water flow down my wires and onto my tendrils. My cells collect the moisture and clean it of any impurities that I find, before filling a single tentacle's heat organ. I spiral in the net, wrapping the individual threads back into my tentacles, I don't need them right now after all. With the water filled tentacle I bring it forward, " you want some warm water?"

    Lisa, looking incredibly relaxed, looks at me and then at the tentacle hovering just over my shoulder. " Uh...I'm good, thanks though," Lisa blushes deeply. She is so pretty...

    " Okay," I bubble as I throw the water out behind me with a splatter, " now enough experimenting, we got a mushroom garden to look through!" I start walking over to where it is being started, Lisa giggling and occasionally sighing as I roll over her middle.



    The gentle rolling of heated flesh soothes ache-y muscles as I relax in the boney arms of Nimi's grip. God, if this is just one of the benefits of being friends with Taylor, forget it they can have me...

    The tentacles roll up my stomach and down my back as the steady up and down of Nimi's steps gently rock me. This is heavenly. I look up at her, her eye is wide and open, her mouth a small smile. She is so excited...

    [can smell your blood, likes it, is distressed by it, wants to make you haERROR...]

    I wince internally, wow three facts new record. All three of them, the Taylors, have caused errors with my power as I've looked at them, but it seems to be getting better at reading it. Well, it may be getting better, or it is cheating by reading me instead of them.

    [your bloods consistency is-]

    Shut. Up. I smack the side of my head at my power's intervention of my thoughts and isn't that a scary thought. Before I met Taylor and Nimi, as well as now Swarm, my powers had never been able to mess with me like is does now. Direct intervention, hesitation, clues that my cape power has a certain level of intelligence. The presence of computer speak seems to suggest that my power is at least not human. I quake causing Nimi to look at me and lighten her pressing with those wonderful limbs of hers. No! " I'm fine you didn't hurt me," I hope I don't sound as desperate as I feel, these tentacles are magic...

    " Oh, okay," Nimi smiles big and toothy as she resumes the organ massage, " it is not too hot, is it?"

    The glowing orange limbs wrapped around my middle feel exactly like a hot water bottle, like it is full of steaming hot liquid. Its glorious, " no its perfect." Neem's smile is radiant as she pulls me tighter to her chest, her soft, squishy chest. God I'm totally hopeless aren't I.

    I've thought about my conversation with Swarm yesterday, and while I'm still on the fence about actively dating them. I am beginning to see it as a real possibility. I nestle closer into the comfortable hold.

    " Hey look, that's where she started it," Nimi speeds up as she starts walking towards a corner. I can see one or two glowing mushrooms next to a wall, where she is pointing. It doesn't look like it is very expansiv-

    Nimi turns around the wall and stops, I don't blame her. Floor to ceiling is covered in mushrooms, it extends for meters in both directions. Large shrooms the size of small bushes litters the floor, growing straight out of concrete. The mixture of glowing colors as feathery parasol caps, thick and stout bulbs, and gilled domes compete for attention. Uh, powers?

    [seventy-two species, all unknown. The fungus is being fed by something deposited in the concrete, they are high in all essential vitamins and minerals. The number of genders present is over four hundred, perfectly arranged to have the maximum of spawning rate. All hostile bacteria and viruses are not present around the garden patch. Arranged by color, texture, and species...human editable with heat or water submersion for several hours...]

    The dizzying wall that is my powers is briefly nothing but mushroom facts as my powers try to digest everything I'm looking at. Well, another point to what Taylor could do for humanity, world hunger what's that...I look up at Nimi, her eyes are glittering with hunger, transfixed by the actual ton of fungal reproductive organs in front of her. " Uh, Neems are you alright?"

    " I- I have the best sister...." Nimi's grin grows as she starts towards the tapestry of fungal flesh. " We need to be decreeing, there are some mushrooms that are busy, but some are done so I can eat those. Oh, did you want some?" She looks down at me a few caps being lifted with her tendrils.

    " Uh sure," I don't really want to take from Nimi, but my powers are losing their mind with mushroom facts. I'm curious too... " Thanks for sharing."

    " Okay!" Nimi starts grabbing a few small mushrooms, " I should've brought a basket!"

    I giggle at the image of Nimi with a picnic basket, " I can hold the small ones, do you need-" I look up at Nimi. She has completely stopped, her hair tentacles frozen in the air. The soft orange glow around my waist disappears as Nimi straightens up, the mushrooms in her grip drop to the ground.

    " Nimi?"

    " We are going to Winslow, something is wrong..."

    As we leave the happy scene, my stomach drops as we fly through the air, but my nausea is forgotten and is replaced with a mass of dread...

     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • GraphiteCrow said:
    sooo who wants to consume Emma, Maddison and Sophia? Consume in the bad way that is.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Three characters that represent the lowest form of humanity... although saying they are "human" at all is perhaps too kind... maybe categorize them as "leaches" or " rodents" instead... although rodents can be cute...

    It is remarkable how over the years, writers have found new low's for these three characters to sink to.
     
    SensibleMalarkey said:
    Three characters that represent the lowest form of humanity... although saying they are "human" at all is perhaps too kind... maybe categorize them as "leaches" or " rodents" instead... although rodents can be cute...

    It is remarkable how over the years, writers have found new low's for these three characters to sink to.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Yes, the fact that what I did here is kind of tame compared to what other versions have done. I can truly say that the combination of humiliation and shame all mixed in the presence of the Locker itself is properly cruel to Taylor...I feel like I need to take a shower after writing about the Trio...
     
    Mini-Chapter: Emma Barnes
  • Threadmarks
    • It gets worse...

    I giggle to myself as I skip to Taylor's locker. She has to have seen it by now. Digging up the flute was the easiest task, after all when I found that Taylor had left it on the dumpster, I just had to take it. She clearly didn't want it after all, I giggle as I turn a corner. The picture themselves were from the little camera that Sophia let me borrow, a quick buck to the right girls in Taylor's gym class, which finding was worryingly harder than it should be, and bam instant blackmail. I'll need to fix the lack of loyalty that I found in Taylor's gym class though, I'm the strong and popular one I deserve their obedience.

    I frown internally, Madison should also be on that list as well as a few of the other girls. Madison didn't show up for school yesterday, and a quick phone call with her parents told me she is sick. Likely story, I guess Sophia and I are going to have to straighten her out, again. I am not to be ignored...

    I frown actually as I remember last week. Taylor wasn't at school for almost two weeks, what kind of weakling fakes death from a little prank. Pathetic, and then she has to come back all cocky and proud. Where the fuck does she get off that makes her think she can ignore and dismiss me! After all I've done for her, she should know her place. I smirk, shamed forever by the internet might work, but it will be so much sweeter to hang it over her head instead.

    I can't wait to see the look on her fac-

    I turn the corner. Taylor stands at her locker, a large circle of people avoiding her. Nothing different there, what is odd is the silence. The hallway is full of the sheep of this school, but there is no movement, no whispers, no giggles at my wonderful prank. It is dead silence, and everyone is staring at weak Taylor, her hand shaking by her side. I scoff, the noise breaking the crowd out of their trance briefly, a lot of them jumping. What is their problem, fuck'em, I start walking over to my "friend". My body relaxes as I fall into the comfortable routine, " oh hey Taylor, how do you like my camera skills?" I stop behind the weakling as she faces into the locker, almost tempted to push her back in...

    Taylor is silent, need to try harder. " Oh, don't feel like talking, what was that last week huh. Post-death confidence?"

    Still nothing, the hall beings to murmur and some even start to back up a bit. God, I wish Sophia was here, she would be so proud of me scaring the entire hall. Shame she has "work" today. " Come on Taylor, even if I did post this online no one would be looking at it, your far too ugly for anyone to possibly be attracted to, remember the movies, Taylor."

    The shaking hands at her sides are fists, aw cute she thinks she is strong. " Oh Taylor, it's not like you should be surprised, after all your mom left you, do you really think that she'll forgive thi-"

    *KERCHOK* *BLOTISH*

    The hoodie on Taylor snaps apart and a black fluid splatters across the lockers in front of her. An almost wooden clicking sound comes from somewhere, hidden by the flared cloth of Taylor's stretched clothing. The crowd around me starts and moves to escape, but it stops as we hear it. The sound of cicadas, a harsh buzz of insect wings, mixed with a clicking that sounds like some form of demented clock. I barely register the liquid I can feel going down my leg, as I stare at the hints of the monster hiding in the frame of its locker. The blood along the walls, floor, and ceiling flows in reverse as the lights in the hall flicker with the passing of the inky black fluid. The hall smells of iron, bitter and overwhelming as the thrum of insects crescendos. The ink is gone and the sliding, wet *thunk* of something closing. Like a chest or trunk soaked in so much wet garbage.

    I look down as I finally notice Taylor's hair, it is ankle length and looks like it is made from shadowy fingers. I join the crowd in the hall in their quest to hold my breath, none of us can run from this monster. It is simply impossible; we are all dead...


    A short but important chapter explaining just how terrifying the undead can be to the living...
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Hmm, not a fan of this short snippet. The 1st part was well done for the cruel delusional part but the later half was a bit too sudden of a shift in Emma's mentality. Straight from "Bully the weakling" to "Gotta get away from monster" without any form of realisation, no "Oh Shit" moment, no dawning dread. gears were shifted too fast. The other kids worked because you could tell they have had some form of trepidation, they were nervous.
     
    GraphiteCrow said:
    Hmm, not a fan of this short snippet. The 1st part was well done for the cruel delusional part but the later half was a bit too sudden of a shift in Emma's mentality. Straight from "Bully the weakling" to "Gotta get away from monster" without any form of realisation, no "Oh Shit" moment, no dawning dread. gears were shifted too fast. The other kids worked because you could tell they have had some form of trepidation, they were nervous.
    Click to expand...
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    I think it works, actually. The way I see it Emma DOESN'T actually realize that Taylor now is a 'monster'. Sure, she reacts to it right now, and pissed herself in fear. But it isn't really her realizing anything about Taylor. Because she is so far gone mentally, so bat shit insane that even if she survives this, she would still forget it in a heartbeat and go back to try and bully Taylor. Her insanity has made her disregard that Taylor died, and triggered. She literally can't see that Taylor is different, except for that she can call her ugly because of it.
     
    Reader458 said:
    I think it works, actually. The way I see it Emma DOESN'T actually realize that Taylor now is a 'monster'. Sure, she reacts to it right now, and pissed herself in fear. But it isn't really her realizing anything about Taylor. Because she is so far gone mentally, so bat shit insane that even if she survives this, she would still forget it in a heartbeat and go back to try and bully Taylor. Her insanity has made her disregard that Taylor died, and triggered. She literally can't see that Taylor is different, except for that she can call her ugly because of it.
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    See I would believe that if Emma continued with her delusion, if at the end she was denying the possibility of Taylor being a monster or threat, if she was talking about how the idea of Taylor ever being a threat is impossible or that this isn't actually Taylor. There is no reflexion of events, no denials, nothing that shows you the mental progression from.

    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    The shaking hands at her sides are fists, aw cute she thinks she is strong. " Oh Taylor, it's not like you should be surprised, after all your mom left you, do you really think that she'll forgive thi-"
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    To

    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    I look down as I finally notice Taylor's hair, it is ankle length and looks like it is made from shadowy fingers. I join the crowd in the hall in their quest to hold my breath, none of us can run from this monster. It is simply impossible; we are all dead...
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    There is also the fact that you think it was her Insanity that made her disregard that she killed Taylor. We only know Taylor died because we saw it from Taylor perspective, the PRT only know that Taylor died and that Annette is back because they took the evidence to them to get everything sorted out. Emma only know that she put Taylor in the locker and now there is some rumour about Taylor dying in there and that she came back a week later, so obviously her death was greatly exaggerated.
     
    GraphiteCrow said:
    See I would believe that if Emma continued with her delusion, if at the end she was denying the possibility of Taylor being a monster or threat, if she was talking about how the idea of Taylor ever being a threat is impossible or that this isn't actually Taylor. There is no reflexion of events, no denials, nothing that shows you the mental progression from.



    To



    There is also the fact that you think it was her Insanity that made her disregard that she killed Taylor. We only know Taylor died because we saw it from Taylor perspective, the PRT only know that Taylor died and that Annette is back because they took the evidence to them to get everything sorted out. Emma only know that she put Taylor in the locker and now there is some rumour about Taylor dying in there and that she came back a week later, so obviously her death was greatly exaggerated.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It will make more sense when the next chapters comes out, the mood swing from confidence to horror and back is more indicative to how built on sticks Emma's mind is. As for the lack of reflection that was also just poor writing on my fault. I forgot to reread it...my job is making me tired...

    Also I was attempting to portray just how scary Undead are to humans, it is literally baked into human instinct to fear large predators even if Taylor will never feel that way. It is so prevalent that people could call it a master power, in fact they more likely will call it a master power as that is less scary...
     
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    Chapter 35
  • Threadmarks
    • I got nothing to say here...Lisa is pretty cool...
    Winslow is a shit hole...

    It is little more than a parking lot and a football field around a simple brick box. The wall of which are heavily tagged and have bars over the windows. There are a few trees and grassy knolls, but for the most part they don't add much to the concrete wasteland. It also doesn't help that every plant on them, as well as the grass on the field, is dead.

    The grass that should be yellow is black with rot. The trees have collapsed under their weight. Several of them have snapped in half, the rotting plant flesh on the inside is spongy. This is the view I see as I get up from all fours. Nimi standing next to me as I collect my stomach after the run here. God, I need to get used to that.

    [necrosis of plant life suggests that they have been dead for weeks, they have only been dead for hours...]

    Fuck me, I stand up and fall into walking next to Nimi as we make our way across the concrete death lands, just another power we can tack on to Taylor's ever increasing list. " So, what are we dealing with," my voice is confident even if my anxiety for my friend is spiking. With the death surrounding the school I don't really need to ask to know it's bad. Using your powers as a cape outside of a cape fight is generally a bad thing. If you hurt someone the PRT can arrest you right there, but even if you don't there are several people, and the public, that could try for a witch hunt. Hopefully Taylor will forgive them if they set her on fire...

    I smile cruelly at the thought, Taylor is way out of the public's league by now. " I'm not sure, but the feeling I got from her said she was very hungry, no... empty, it felt like she was empty..." Nimi is not smiling, and her voice has that serious tone that Taylor usually gets. She looks like she is getting ready for a fight, it is the same look that I saw when she charged at Lung. My smirk dies and is replaced by my own work face, a much sharper grin.

    " Okay let's go get her then." The false cheer of my work persona, the one before Izzy, filling my voice.

    The front of the school is guarded by a fat, possibly retired, cop. "Hello, we are here for our friend." Nimi stands ominously besides me as we stare down the first obstacle. The rental cop looks from the giant next to his left and then down to me. His eyes gleam as they land on me.

    [he will not let you pass, is unafraid of possible repercussions for his thoughts, is planning on separating you from Nimi with local law enforcement, he will move if you mention the lock box in his car, it contains...]

    Jesus Christ, thank you powers, I'll get him arrested later...

    The "cop" opens his mouth to say something, his mouth smiling as his eyes look at me too well. Fucking pervert... " I know what is in the lock box in your car, you have three hours before I get you arrested, now move," my empty smile makes the heavy man sweat. He thinks about it for a few seconds before booking to his car, staying as far as he could from us, good. " Alright let's go." Nimi nods and pushes open the door, having to bend to enter the building.

    "Can we hunt him down later," Nimi holds the door open for me as I walk through, "I'm kind of hungry."

    I smile a real one at Nimi, "maybe later Neems." The inside of Winslow is just as shitty as the outside, with the metal detectors completely jacked and the walls tagged on top of other tags. I've looked at Taylor's school records when I was offering to help her out with the bullying. She said no because it would be too revealing to my kidnappers, but that ship has sailed. Taylor was a straight A student before Winslow, she requested transfer to Winslow for some reason even though she could have gotten into Arcadia on merit alone. If it is the last thing I'm doing, I am getting Taylor out of this school, even if I have to homeschool her myself. " So which way?"

    [Halls A though B have normal noises going on, Hall C on the second floor is an ERROR...]

    " She is upstairs." Nimi says as I recover from my power's deliberate triggering of its error system. Smart, painful but smart. I follow after Nimi, the student in the hall parting as the giant makes her way through the building. There were a few phones out either taking video or pictures as we walked past, but most stop when Nimi walked past. The floor and air practically vibrating with the growls coming from her.

    [ no one has noticed you...]

    Good to know, this is essentially like a very public unmasking right here, and we don't need any more problems. The stairs creak underneath Nimi's weighty stomps as we get closer and closer to Taylor. The sound of cicadas coming down the stairwell is not a good sound, and the large group of frozen students are a pretty good indicator of where Hall C is.



    Taylor is pissed.
    As me and Nimi make our way thought the crowd, I can see the tall dark haired girl standing motionless in front of an open locker. The deep sound of insects coming from her is terrifying, it is almost a death rattle. As we push through the rather dense crowd of students in the hall for the first period, I can smell several disgusting "accidents" that had befallen many students, with the concentration of spontaneous bowl release being more towards Taylor.

    Behind Taylor curled up in a ball as far from her as she can get in the small hallway, is a red head. She is the only one inside the circle of space around Taylor and the horrific clicking. She, the red head, is quietly whimpering and her legs are soaked. Nimi ignores her and walks over to Taylor.

    The cicada sound is honestly very disturbing, I'm actually having cold chills run up my spine, but it is just Taylor. No matter how scary Taylor can be she is still my friend, which means she is needs help and I going to give her it. Nimi's hand falls on Taylor's shoulder, and death rattle stops.

    [anxiety levels and fear has increased in the crowd...]

    Don't need to know that power, but thanks anyways. I look around the hall, the frozen glazed over eyes of total panic stare back at me. It seems that the sudden stopping of the sound coming from Taylor did not break the trance-like fear of the students. " Taylor are you okay?" Nimi's voice is like the murmur of stones grinding against each other. I start to walk over too, the red head seems to be standing out the corner of my eye. " We are going home, okay Taylor..."

    " I'm fine, Nimi..." The voice from behind the hood, is anything but fine. Taylor sounds wrong, too hollow, too wooden.

    [The error is looking at something in their locker, it is pictuERROR]

    Too close to Taylor it seems, or maybe Taylor is the subject of the photos? " Taylor, you are going home," I walk around to see for myself, rubbing at my temple, " it will be alright, Neems-"

    " She's not going anywhere." I turn back to the voice behind me, the red head. Taylor's hackles raise as I turn to face the hysterical voice. The red head is no doubt pretty, her long straight red hair, the perfect make up now smeared with tears, the pretty green eyes in her well-proportioned face. It was all ruined by her expression, and animalistic sneer of self-appointed authority. " She used a master power on me and half of the students in this hall..."

    More like all of them, but it wasn't a Master power...

    " She is a cape." I internally growl, as a loud ticking starts up. At first, I think it is Taylor, but I soon realize that it is my own mind making that noise.

    " Obviously she is a villain, only a villain would attack like that unprovoked."

    The crowd winces around her as I hear Taylor breaking her fingers with twitches.

    [former best friend to error, was almost raped by gangsters at gun point, found someone that they imprinted on, she is a narcissist, low self-esteem, needs to hurt error to feel better about themselves, has all of error's secrets, been using them against her for years, dad is someone in law enforcement, believes that they are untouchable, believes that they deserve fear and love, needs to be seen as strong.... crush them...]

    " Somebody call the PR-"

    " Shut. Up." My voice is steel as my powers give me everything, I need to know to remove this stain on Taylor's life. Taylor's sounds of distress behind me quiet at my command.

    " Who the fuck are you, are you friends with that mon-"

    " Your pathetic and weak," my grin feels like it was cut into my face, " hiding behind your protector, touting that you are powerful, that you are important."

    The red head, Emma Barnes, opens her mouth to speak again, but I cut her off.

    " To think that a couple kicks make you strong, you think that fighting back was proof," I watch as her face becomes pale. " No, you were just as weak then as you are now. You need to feel strong, which means you need the so-called sheep around you as well. What happens when everyone is gone? Are you going to stay strong without them? What about your protector, what was her name? Oh yeah, Sophia Hess."

    Taylor shivers with hunger behind me at the name, it's okay I'm hungry too...

    [hates that Taylor has a friend, cannot believe that she was scared of Taylor, will try to remove you from Taylor if she can, if you mention how much stronger Taylor is it will make her shut down, if you keep mentioning her dependence on others for her power you can crush her mental state...]

    I keep the shock off my face at my powers finally using Taylor's name instead of error. Later, I can think about this later. " You traded your friendship for someone just as insecure as you, you're not important no matter how much 'power' you think you have. It is all third party, your dad, Sophia, and the girls you convinced," I lean forward towards the now green girl, I'm delighted that she leans back, " those last two aren't here either, and how many do you think would help you right now? And don't think that Taylor needs to defend herself from you, you're so beneath her consideration that she doesn't need to step on you. Does it burn? knowing that you don't have any value to her, she doesn't think about you or your petty insults. She doesn't need you, you do."

    I lean back and walk away from the slowly collapsing person behind me. It won't kill her, she's also beneath me for that too, no matter my brother. Taylor is being pulled into Nimi's arms her hoodie and shirt ripped open like something burst from her bare chest. Taylor pulls the fabric closed, choosing to cover nudity, shit that's a bad sign for any Taylors. With her no longer standing in front of her locker I can now finally make out what is inside. Hanging from a wire is a badly damaged flute and spilling out of the bottom like disemboweled guts are photographs.

    [flute belongs to Annette; pictures are of error naked...]

    I lean back and take a full picture of the scene with my phone. Several flashes later with some of the still frozen crowd, I nod should be good enough evidence. I look closer at the crowd, most of them are coming around now that I've been the one talking, although now a few of them are flinching away from me. I try my hardest not to feel good about that, Taylor doesn't need a new Emma in her life and I'm not going to start picking up her habits.

    " Swarm can you please gather up the pictures and keep the oils and fingerprints on them intact," I walk forward and grab the flute as a shadow leaves Taylor's hair and collects up the photos. The forming shadow becomes a Swarm instance and hugs my back clinging loosely like a cape. " Okay let's leave."

    The three of us turn to leave. " W-wait," I turn to a flailing Emma, Nimi and Swarm just keep walking, " I-I'm c-c-calling the police."

    " No need we're going to call them anyways, child pornography is a federal offence after all," at her sputtering I grin harder, " can your friend or daddy protect you from the FBI, I don't think so." I rejoin my friends, a quick tootles to the truly fucked individual behind me.

     
  • Threadmarks
    • Aw. Poor, poor Emma. Lemme play my smallest violin for her.
    Pretty good. While I'm not a fan of the whole "Armsmaster holding locker legal action as a way to force Taylor into Wards or whatever" plot, the writing itself is very enjoyable. Pretty hyped to see what's next. Also that CP dig from Lisa is just too good.
    I know you can deliver on that hype, @Tumultuous_Anexiety and then we can get back to our scheduled romantic horror comedy with a side of epic fights
     
    Chapter 36
  • Threadmarks
    • This chapter took forever to get down, also congratulations, we no longer have any prewritten material that is relevant to the story....Updates will definitely get slower. I will probably have some interludes in the intermission, but those too need to be written. I still am wanting ideas on what to do with the next part, but it will probably involve the empire. I also want to explain the imploding PRT and maybe a PHO chapter, those will take some work. I'm going to also be rereading this fiction in its entirety as well as my other notes to try and get my brain back in working condition. Hope you enjoy the chapter!


    Cold long arms held me as I sat on similarly cold thighs.

    While being a human teddy-bear isn't fun per se, it is necessary here. I look at the head resting in the crook of my neck, large triangular teeth pressing into the soft flesh a cold breath passing gently down my neckline. An out spilling of teeth, eyes, and shadows pours down my body as the eyes dart, the teeth kneed, and the shadows slither across me. I stroke my pretty friend's hair as she come down from her panic.

    Taylor had never explicitly said what her problems at school were. I knew she was bullied because she told me, I knew that it was mostly girls too. What I didn't know was how bad, I didn't know how much trust she placed in me. Betrayed by your best friend and then mocked and humiliated for almost two years, and then she died surrounded by filth alone and trapped inside a locker. I only learned the full extent of it when Swarm showed me one of her notebooks. That why it is necessary for me to stay put, Taylor needs to know I am still here, she needs me to be present. She needs to know that she has a friend...

    I look back at the room from my seat in Taylor's lap, who herself is sat on the couch at home. Danny is talking to a couple of officers at the kitchen table, a stack of photographs and my phone between them. Danny is pissed, I know that he is short-fused, but the absolute rage in his eyes right now makes him look crazy. The fact that he is acting completely calm just makes him scarier. Annette was sitting at the table earlier, but now she is beside me and Taylor. Stroking Taylor's living hair, and contemplating triple homicide with a side of torture charges with the same causal indifference of someone ordering lunch.

    Behind me Nimi and Swarm are giving their own statements, both extremely serious. Nimi isn't making jokes or getting distracted she is single focused in describing the scene, and Swarm, who was present for the full event is acting as primary witness. The fact that there are at least two dozen instances of her walking around gathering evidence, Taylor's notebook, the flute, and the collected email lists that were inbox full, shows just how much she is paying attention to this little part of the city.

    "...Emma...Madison...Sophia..."

    Taylor whines and presses her full toothed grimace deeper into my neck, at the sounding of those names from Danny. Both of the Hebert parents get just that little bit angrier at the noise. Danny is now contemplating wars; Annette is no longer at homicide she is now leaning more towards mindless slaughter. The teeth on my neck, cold like metal, open as Taylor's mouth engulfs my throat. She gently places her lips back over the mouth of fangs and relaxes again leaning back pulling me back with her. I just stroke her hair as she nibbles lightly on my neck flesh. She is surprisingly soft; she isn't breaking my skin. " It's okay Taylor, I'm not going anywhere and they're not here right now," my voice is calm it needs to be, and I want it to be, but my powers are making distracting comments...

    [bite force is approximately 5000lbs per square inch, it is adERROR..]

    [the teeth wrapped around your ankle can easily shreddERROR...]

    [your smell has a natural relaxing effect on ErrERROR...]

    Shut up. I stroke her hair, eye spots closing as my hand passes over them the silver lights crinkling in pleasure as they reappear. So adorable...I feel the bare chest through my clothes shift like something sliding open and close, a wet and cool...something moves up my back. Did...did...did Taylor just lick me? A soft caress by another wet and cold appendage passes across my neck. Well, that answers that question. " Shh shh, it's okay I'm defiantly still here Taylor."

    The knock on the door makes the house quiet.

    [PRT most likely...]

    Figures they would come last; I snort and stroke the freezing flesh of Taylor's arm on my stomach. We called them first. A Swarm is the one to open the door and let in... Miss Militia, huh guess they are trying to be smart. " Hello, Miss Militia, you're late the BBPD was contacted an hour ago," Swarm held the door open for the hero, her confusion at being addressed by a multiarmed shadow forgotten as she looks across the concession of people occupying the house.

    " Apologies we had something happening across town," the eyes of the hero search the room, they look tired.

    [lying...]

    Annette gestures to the open armchair and the hero takes the seat. " So, we understand that there was an incident at your school."

    Miss Militia is looking at me, she thinks she is here to talk to me? " I think you want to talk to Taylor about the violation that took place at her school," I emphasize her by pointing at the mess of hair, eyes, and teeth still resting on my shoulder. Taylor's hair eyes lock on to the hero at my mentioning.

    Miss Militia is uncomfortable, but I wouldn't have been able to tell without my powers telling me that. " I see sorry I was only vaguely briefed on this as Armsmaster was indisposed," the star-spangled hero turns to Taylor, " would you like to explain what happened?"

    Another lie, she does know something. Armsmaster must have been barred from going, smart move PRT, smar-

    I freeze.

    Taylor's jaw tightens on my neck, a soft puncture just causing a tiny drop of warm to bloom on my neck, it causes every instance of the undead in the building to stop. I shake it off mentally, as my head is locked in place. I continue petting her hair.

    Taylor's face, and thus her attachment to my neck, is completely obscured by her hair. This is good, because cannibalism and Miss Militia in particular would be a bad combination.

    [cannibalism is closely related to trauma, possibly trigger...]

    " I don't think that she wants to talk about it right now, do you mind if I explain in the time being," her jaw loosens and a tongue licks at my wound.

    " Certainly, but who are you?"

    " Lisa Wilbourn, I'd get up to shake your hand, but I'm pretty attached with my seat right now."

    The hair curls over me protectively as a snort of amassment comes from next to me. Annette stands, " Well I'm going to make some tea we could all use some right about now. Honey do you wants some tea?"

    " I'd prefer coffee," comes the grumble of Danny from the kitchen.

    " No, you need tea, your far too much yourself right now," Annette walks into the kitchen, Danny's and a few of the police officers' hushed laughter calling out.

    " So, Lisa, what happened?"

    " Before I start, I would like to know some things," I feel something on my back shift. It felt like a hole had opened behind me. I try not to shiver. She still thinks I'm missing somehow, like she can't tell that I'm here...Taylor needs something to reassure that I'm there, what could that be?

    " That depends on what they are," the hero leans forward in her seat, a serious expression on her face, " there are of course somethings I can't tell you for secrecy's sake."

    " Why didn't you or the PRT do anything back in January, when the bullying was first brought up?"

    The hero grimaces and nods, " I thought that would be something that was brought up, in simple terms poor judgement on Armsmaster's part." The hero straight frowns, she was pissed earlier, probably at the tinker. " A longer answer is corruption and a conspiracy to brush most of the evidence under the rug, several administrative staff failed to mention anything about certain student behaviors, and considering the evidence, both at the crime scene and Taylor's testimony, was considered circumstantial-"

    I wince actually this time as Taylor starts tightening her jaw, a long object passes along my back from the hole in her chest, it feels sharp. Militia stops as I go ahead and start talking to Taylor in whispers. " Taylor that's too tight."

    " Har'ee," She licks at the wounds on my neck. They aren't deep or anything, but I am bleeding. The undead in the room are very much affected by the small smell.

    I ignore the hero's looks of confusion. " It's okay I'm here," I hush her small whine, it is not enough. Taylor needs to know I am here, simply telling her isn't enough... She needs evidence that I'm here...

    Oh, shit... The sharp object pokes at my back, a point dragging over veins as it follows my pulse.

    I take a look at the gathered witnesses: A hero, four police officers, and three PRT troopers. Taylor cannot do that, here or right now. No one would understand, and it would make this whole thing disappear.

    Me? I would be fine. Taylor is a very unfortunate romantic, but she prefers happy stories over sad ones. Still, she can't do it, which means I need to...

    " Lisa are you alright?" The genuine concern on the fatigue wearing woman tells me how much this could suck if I don't do what I'm about to do. This is going to be really gross, and while Taylor said she would let me wait, this is important...Fuck it, I am interested and she needs me to be real, I want to be real. So, as calmly as I could I extract one of Taylor's arms from my waist. She let it go with me easily, even though I can feel how solid and strong her grip on me is. I lift her hand, turning the pale white and boney appendage palm up, the skin is perfect and so very pretty. I bring it to my mouth and kiss it. " Miss Wilbourn, can you hear me? I don't understand, what are you-"

    I put Taylor's thumb in my mouth, all the way to the palm. I watch Miss Militia's eyes widen as the world around me starts to slow, I bite down as hard as I can. The world around me stops, the skin breaks easily around my teeth and a cold fluid flows around my lips and across my mouth, the excess dripping out of my mouth in rivets. The taste fills my mouth, it tastes...sweet? Like it is full of sugar and iron, a strange mixture of bitter and honey. It's not bad... The world comes back into motion as the second passes.

    Taylor's grip on my neck loosens and the void where her chest snaps shut. I can feel her entire body relax as I chew deeper on her hand, her mouth retracts from my neck and she now just drapes across me.

    The rest of the house is less relaxed. The law is reaching for me and Taylor, Danny looks mostly just concerned but he is also standing. On the less human side of things, Nimi is stunned and very hungry while Swarm has stopped all movement. The sounds of shouts and yelling from the non-Heberts fill the small room. "What are you doing!"

    I don't know how Miss Army wants me to respond, my mouth is kind of busy. I chew harder, feeling my friend behind me shiver with delight. The flesh is weird, what should be very tough practically melts with my chewing. Taylor must be allowing me to damage her, it keeps getting more...tender. My teeth hit something hard, the moan out of Taylor's mouth silences the room.

    Annette walks calmly into the living room with a tray of cups, she looks at me as my tongue starts to lick at the wounded hand in my mouth. I swallow the collected blood in my mouth, Taylor shivers behind me. She mewls as I chew around her bone, nestling into my neck and head. Her hair curls around me as teeth trace lines across my legs through my tight jeans, her eyes watching me as a I dislodge a chunk of muscle from its anchor to the Trapezium. I really should be grossed out, especially now that the detached muscle is wrapping around my tongue.

    Annette sets down the drinks, making every human apart from me look at her. " Taylor, sweetie, I don't think that your flirting is appropriate right now," Annette's voice and hands on her hips causes the hair eyes to flick to her, "what will the fine police think if you make noises like that?" Annette turns to me, hands leaving her hips, a huge friendly smile on her face, " thanks for helping her out Lisa, sorry if it felt a little forced-" I feel Taylor wince underneath me, both Nimi and Swarm are effectively looking anywhere but at me. "-I know that you wanted to wait and think it over, but I'm sure you understand the dire nature of events going on."

    I pull Taylor's hand from my mouth; the mangled limb showed a bit of skeleton and the thumb is barely attached. The police look disturbed, the troopers are mostly scared, Miss Militia is horrified. " It's okay," I wipe my mouth, my hand comes away covered in black. My chin and lips are covered in sweet and bitter blood, Taylor's taste. " She just needed to know I was still here." The mangled hand in question moves to cross my body and grip the opposite shoulder, a humming purr now very audible from behind me. I feel my legs get trapped as she wraps her own legs around mine, it does make my fear of getting arrested for assault go down. It is not like Taylor is going to let me go anytime soon.

    The displays of affection that Taylor is doing mixed with the sounds she is making, makes the law enforcers and Danny uncomfortable. Miss Militia is just empty of emotion right now, a PTSD episode. I try not to pry, but my powers description of how the hero's young exposure to cannibalism is making her have a panic attack. The green light of her power switching endlessly is very noticeable. Looks like the PRT miscalculated on the choice of representatives again. " Look I just want to explain what happened to Taylor today," I lean into the damaged hand as it strokes my cheek, I also grimace as I realize that I'm doing it, "can you just take your statement, Taylor and I are not really in the mood to be open...like this...with so many witnesses." I grab the torn hand and place it into my lap, stoking the muscle fibers as they knit themselves back together.

    " I don't mind if they watch," Taylor's voice is soft, but loud enough to be heard, " thanks for the kisses." Danny's head slams into the kitchen table as a groan sounds from him, Nimi is in a soft glowing cloud of reds and pinks, Swarm is having trouble with how many limbs she is supposed to have and her purr is in a twenty-four-part harmony, and Annette? Annette just puts her hands back on her hips, huffs and then sits down with her cup of tea. She is all smiles though.

    I groan even as I lean into some of the nuzzling, " fine, I'm uncomfortable with it, can we please just get our statement." I watch as the hero still blank nod her head. I need her to focus she is far too space-y, thankfully I know just what to say. "Good, maybe this time you'll actually do something helpful."

    She winces but nods and takes out a pen and pad. I explain what happened today, the sound of gentle whispers and the scratching of pens as I talked with the occasional sip of tea from everyone who got one... Oh and yeah, the sound of Taylor purring like a cat into my shoulder... at least she is only kissing the bite mark on my neck...


    The cold arms around my lap are joined my massive warm hands around my stomach. I look down at the shadow straddling my lap as I sit here on the couch completely encased in the purring undead bodies. The couch underneath us is making protesting sounds, but it will be fine...I hope. I actually can't tell...

    You see, after being so close to these three for so long, ever since the police and PRT left, my powers have kind of stopped talking to me. So, for the past thirty minutes I have had truly blissful silence for the first time in a year! Another great thing being held by them, is that my cramps, which I was getting to the end of my rope ignoring, were massaged away by Swarm's many arms.

    I snuggle into my perfectly cool seat of Taylor's lap, a hum of my own to join the chorus of purrs in harmony around me. " Thank you for doing that for us Lisa," Nimi's voice is a distant thunder, " it was very..."

    "Hot," Taylor's voice is a whisper in my ear making me shiver, " I'm glad to know you're still here." I feel the arms around my stomach pull away, " sorry for forcing you to do that, even if it was just for show I don't expect anything out of it, we can go back to waiting..."

    Swarm presses against my own lap, her soft head pressing up against my jaw. " We also understand if this makes your decision to leave us," The echoes of her voice sound sad, I think that I can hear crying in the background, " we would understand, we didn't mean to force it, we shouldn't have."

    I can tell that there is an intense debate going on between the Taylors. They really think that I'd leave them don't they. I can feel something wet on my neck and watch as one of Nimi's hands leave Swarm's waist and wipe at her face. Still, I keep quiet, I need to actually think about this.

    On the one hand, I like Taylor, Nimi, and Swarm. They check off all the little boxes I've made for myself about them. So, it is not like I wouldn't eventually probably date them. After all, when do come across the most sought-after treasure of all, the rare and legendary triple hug? I push back into Taylor's body, nuzzle back at Swarms face, and grab one of Nimi's hands. I smile at the resulting purrs at that.

    On the other hand, Taylor forced me to consume her or be consumed. As Taylor put it as far as Hosting goes it doesn't qualify, apparently intent is a thing. However, she still called it a kiss, and she wasn't lying about that being what it was. I, Lisa Wilbourn, will go down in history as the first human to "kiss" a zombie back. I look down, I can't see it due to Swarm sitting on her hands, but I can imagine Taylor's right hand. The exposed muscle fibers now covered in a scar that I think Taylor is keeping around for sentimental value. I... didn't hate it. The bite or maybe just the holding her digit in my mouth, the blood seeping in and flowing across my tongue. The chewing into her wasn't as pleasant and I really don't like the whole muscle French kiss thing, too invasive. I did like the intimacy though.

    When my teeth were sitting still in her hand, I could feel a faint pulsing of her blood moving. Knowing Taylor and her biology she gave herself a pulse for my benefit rather than her own. She wanted me to feel like I was attached, and I did. I enjoyed it, for as violent as it was, the act was very relaxing. Taylor's blood has a nice, if strong, taste, and while it certainly smelled like a murder scene, I didn't mind it. If it wasn't for my conversation with Swarm earlier, I'd be more concerned with the blood in my gut, but I don't have to worry about that. Taylor loves me every bit of her does... I imagine undead blood cells bumping into my living counterparts and, like their multicellular forms, cuddling. Odd image, but the fact that I'm not currently running a fever due to an extreme infection seems to suggest that Taylor is being a good body partner right now.

    " Lisa will we at least still be friends," now Taylor sounds close to tears. The group around me starts to hesitantly let go of me...

    " I'm hungry," I say pulling Swarm back into place on my lap. I let my words hang there as their retreat halts. I figured that would stop them from getting up from me and am proven right as they all squeezed back into place. " I'm still deciding so keep your booty's placed firmly under mine."

    I look around the living room as I get my thoughts together. Danny and Annette both went out for food, Danny Chinese and Annette other. The evidence and police left along with the PRT a while ago, but you can still see the evidence of them being here, mostly the empty mugs all over the place. I look down at the carpet just in front of me, Taylor has already cleaned it up, but I can still picture it. The dark stain as cold and black fluid drips down my chin to join the puddle forming on the carpet beneath me. My head feels warm at the thought, and my relaxed abdominal muscles tense with the thought. That was hot...

    Okay, okay, so I'm more than a little interested in Taylor at this point. I'm not the most intimate person either, but it was exciting for lack of a better word. The fact that I had to listen to the person behind me react to it without knowing what she was going to do was probably part of it, but the drinking, the consumption...I want a relationship...with Taylor...all of Taylor...But, I need more than just want it. " I want you to make it up to me."

    The comfortable embrace from all sides stiffens before quickly relaxing. " We will do anything," they speak in unison, and it sends a shiver down my spine. A really good shiver.

    " I want you to tell me everything, you're not allowed to keep secrets from me anymore," I feel Taylor tense behind me, so I turn around, with a little help from everyone, and straddle her like Swarm was me. I feel claws on my back and Swarm's head rest against my spine. The position is weird, as I'm now stretched across Taylor's lap with my knees resting on Nimi's thighs, not the most comfortable really. I'm now nose to nose, staring into those big silver eyes, the faint glows off of them pulsing with the rhythm of my heartbeat. " If you're hungry I want you to tell me, if you need to hunt something I want to either come with or be told what it is you catch, if your being bullied is school, I want details and names. No more holding yourself in, if you can't take it or you need a break, you tell me, and I'll take care of you. Can you do that Taylor?"

    My warm breath passes across our faces at our closeness, her own cold breath is heavy as she goes grey with embarrassment. " Y-yes."

    " Good girl," I lean forward and press my cheek into hers, " if you can keep your promise, we can date, but Hosting is off the table until I'm ready, okay?"

    Taylor practically vibrates under me, " o-o-o-okaaaaay!"

    I feel more arms and hands flood across my back, Nimi squishes us together as we both are nestled under her breast, Taylor vibrates as I hold her to my own body. It feels good to be the one to make Taylor fall apart...I guess I'll just have to make it a habit.

    " I thought you said you weren't going to take my daughters." Danny's deadpan voice comes from the front door, causing my cuddle buddies and me to freeze. I turn and give a weak smile to Danny standing in the doorway, two bags of Chinese takeout taking up his hands. His body is rigid as he stares at the four of us on the couch. Then Nimi has to open her big mouth.

    " At least three of us are clothed, daddy." His eyes narrow before dropping the bags on the ground and making his way over to the stairs.

    " I'm getting the shotgun."

    " What no, dad wait!"
    " Daddy, no!"
    " Da stop, please."

    I laugh despite the odd mix of warmth, panic, and butterflies, pulling the three girls back to me and snuggling as close as I can. Hell, if Danny is serious there really is no better place to die than with the bodies, I'm covered in...

    Oh Lisa, you ain't the first....
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Ok, now I see why you'd be hesitant to post on SB/SV.
    I don't know how you do this, but I never expected romantic cannibalism to be so romantic and I never expected to go "d'awwwww! She's doing eeeet!" when Lisa started going omnomnom on Taylor.
    Good job in keeping the fluffies alive. Also, I hear it's time for some blooming lilies, eh?
    Edit: autocorrupt strikes again!
     
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    jayofgrey said:
    Ok, now I see why you'd be hesitant to pay on SB/SV.
    I don't know how you do this, but I never expected romantic cannibalism to be so romantic and I never expected to go "d'awwwww! She's doing eeeet!" when Lisa started going omnomnoming Taylor.
    Good job in keeping the fluffiest alive. Also, I here it's time for some blooming lilies, eh?
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    y-yeah, I've been told off by people before about a lot of my creative works, mostly art teachers. The one English teacher who read something I wrote in high school, when I was very tired of high school at that point, sent me to the councilors for depression. Rot is a lot more like my art work than my writings in high school, people thought it was violent, but I just like drawing organs and stuff. Body horror has always interested me, drawing "gross" things just was more fun than drawing fruit...
     
    Well, all those "nice" people deserve a whack on the head with a newspaper. All those "helpful" teachers are the reason a lot of creativity and ambition dies in highschool.
    Keep doing what you love and duck everybody who tells you to stop. Do listen to constructive criticism, though - it can only help you get better.
    Though, separating constructive criticism from "I don't like X, change it, you suck" criticism can take some doing, it's usually worth it.
     
    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    legendary triple hug
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    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    I feel claws on my back and Swarm's head rest against my spine.
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    It's like getting a hug from an incredibly gentle, loving, and considerate Iron Maiden... that purrs and has massage functionality. And seems to understand the importance of after care.

    Militia handled things... fairly well. Though I imagine her report will have several concerns not pertaining to the bullying.
     
    Interlude: Meeting
  • Threadmarks
    • Hey a not too short one, as well as an explanation for some stuff...


    Subject: Taylor Hebert

    Cape Name: Frankie

    Code Name: Sigbin

    Power rating: Stranger 1


    Note from Watchdog: Due to the nature of Sigbin's power, Watchdog refuses to examine subject name: Taylor Hebert. Reason: Sigbin's anti-thinker effect has these following negative reactions in thinkers: headaches, migraines, brain hemorrhages, memory loss, suicidal ideation, extreme panic with a single reported heart attack, and cognitive reset.

    Recommendations: non-thinker based observation at a distance. Considering the affiliations that Sigbin has inside the Hebert residence, and in the interest of saving both paper and human life, Watchdog as the following protocols that should be observed when dealing with Sigbin or her family.

    -End Report-

    Subject: Annette Hebert

    Cape Name: N/A

    Code Name: Silver

    Power rating: Clearance Level 7 required to access, see recommended protocols.

    Protocol: DO NOT ENGAGE. If you must engage in combat with Silver DO NOT RUN, play dead. If she is truly angry run and seek what will feel like an excessive amount of blaster fire for support.

    PSYCH: At current status Silver has not entered what we at Watchdog call a MASK scenario, keep it this way. Silver shows very little emotion towards humans, exceptions being of course situational. In a MASK scenario, found via thinker simulation, Silver engaged in cannibalistic tenancies, with a significant loss of life as result, both personnel and civilian. Do not antagonize her.

    -End Report-

    Subject: Nimi (case53 possible)

    Cape Name: Nimi

    Code Name: Golem

    Power rating: Stanger 0

    Protocol: Distract with something childish, ice cream, flowers, etc. Golem is the least likely to hurt someone if they didn't first hurt them or someone else. However, due to the nature of her Stranger power being a weaker, but similar power to code name: Sigbin, see file Sigbin, thinker observation is limited.

    -End Report-

    PSYCH: Unknown.

    Subject: Unknown

    Cape Name: Unknown

    Code Name: Grim

    Power rating: Clearance Level 7 required to access.

    Protocol: Prevent Silver, see file code name: Silver, from entering a MASK scenario.

    -End Report-
    Final note from Watchdog: NEVER ASK US TO INVESTIGATE THE HEBERTS EVER AGAIN. The anti-thinker effect from code name: Sigbin is distributed across most of the Brockton Bay area but is the most concentrated around the cape themselves. Watchdog can continue watching Brockton Bay, but any and all missions involving the Heberts will be ignored. Any request to observe them by thinker methods will be denied.
    -Final End Report-


    I stare at the barely one page report that has been open on my desktop for the last three days. Rubbing at my leg, I feel my blood pressure rise with my nerves. And God what a document it was.

    I turn to look out my windows as both Armsmaster and I wait for Miss Militia to return. A big fat middle finger from Watchdog, I snort under my breath, hearing the tinker behind me stop his mindless fiddling. It resumes after I stay silent. Just like capes, I sneer to myself, willing so much to talk a big talk, but when the shit hits the fan, they abandon us with the mess. " Fucking useless," I hear Armsmaster again look up at me from the little bits of electronics in his hands. I ignore him and continue staring out the window, " do you have anything more to report now that we are more actively monitoring the house?"

    I can just barely see his reflection in the glass, he cocks his head, " no, but I have been able to accurately track their movements."

    I nod and turn back to him, " and tell me again why you couldn't find any evidence for who put Taylor in that locker, I'd really like to kick their teeth in." I don't feel for the brat, but whoever put her there made them my problem, and I do hate having so much on my plate.

    " As I stated before, zero eye witnesses, and the suspects had solid alibis," I watch the cape frown, " for both the incident and the suspected bullying." I watch as his entire body shifts, a finger tucks here, a twitch of his mouth there. Armsmaster is frustrated, I've worked with him for a long time just like Hannah. He is not my friend though, too self-righteous, too rigid.

    " And the bio-waste," I raise a brow. It helps him realize I'm indeed asking a question.

    " No workable DNA, the entire mass of bio-matter was a tangled mess of various cellular matrix structures," a twitch of his fingers, interest, " it resembles most-like fungal structures, but it still has nothing in common with normal biology." He pauses and looks back down at the piece of circuitry in his hands, a few twitches later and he is gone.

    I sigh, to be far Armsmaster always gets like this when an Endbringer attack is happening soon. I push that thought away, if it is not attacking today or tonight then I don't care, one crisis at a time. Speaking of crisis, " have we found Shadow Stalker yet?"

    " No, she went missing from the building before lunch," he starts to curse under his breath as he continues working on the latest gadget, " her phone records indicate that she received an outside communication just before she vanished."

    "Good enough for an admission of guilt as anything else," I frown. Thankfully the wards weren't briefed on the Hebert situation, an angry ward with a grudge is bad media. An angry ward that knows the name of a cape, and is pissed enough to prepare for said cape, is worse. I know it is probably horrible of me to think that this will be a great information gathering opportunity, but I can't help if I wish I could see the look on the brat's face when she tries something stupid. Hopefully she lives, that way I can rub it in her face and if she doesn't? I sigh as the door to my office opens to reveal a rather pale Hannah, it looks like a single day wasn't enough of a break for her. If Shadow Stalker doesn't survive, I can spin it to get rid of the Heberts entirely. " Ah, Miss Militia," I watch as my friend walks towards my desk, her body stiff, " report."

    "Yes, Ma'am," she stands at attention, something tells me that it makes it easier for her. Usually she is incredibly relaxed, at least compared to now. " The evidence of Miss Hebert's case against her school bullies is pretty solid, the pictures are damning and the months worth of notebooks are as well."

    "She kept notebooks, plural," I watch Armsmaster look up from his work, the frown on his face just subtly towards horror rather than upset. Good he is starting to understand just how much he fucked things up, if I had my way, he would be investigated for corruption too. " She had evidence and she didn't give me it." Or maybe he didn't get it. I watch as Armsmaster starts to pace, " I've been chasing the facts of this case, her case, to dead ends for weeks in my free time," he has free time? " And she had leads, why didn't she hand over this evidence before hand," the accusation in his voice was mechanical, not emotionless like the word would suggest, but he was breathing in time with his talking. Probably the most efficient outburst in the world, I cough drawing his attention.

    "Did you ask about evidence," my voice is cool, god I hate working with children...

    "No, but I-"

    "Did you try and recruit the newly back from the dead cape, before or after she asked about the case against her bullies?"

    "Before, but it was important to be firs-"

    Hannah interrupts him, "Colin, you just asked a girl a bunch of hard questions, a person that went through severe trauma and probably more on an autopsy table, she probably forgot in her haste for you to leave." Hannah is looking at him, as she gives him a deadpan look, "did you at least try to talk with the victim again for a better interview?"

    "I...no?" Armsmaster takes a seat back in his chair, it creaks as he puts his weight on it, "I never thought of that..."

    "You've been doing better with social interactions lately, but you should probably apologize to her later, at an appropriate time."

    I nod at Hannah's handling of his outburst, she'll make a good leader for her group once it's her time, but back to the real reason we are here. " What can you tell me about the Heberts, I know you know how small their file is. What are their temperaments, do they act...rational."

    I watch as the woman flinches behind her mask, her eyes noticeably distant for a few seconds, the green light of her power flicking between one or two weapons. A Glock and then a large knife. " I have concerns..."



    Reading the comments of the previous chapter, SensibleMalarkey how on earth did you predict that Miss Militia was going to have "concerns..." practically word for word?
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • A. Haha. Ha. Ha. Gaze into the abyss and it'll look back with a polite how do you do. Watchdog got schooled haaaard.
    Eagerly awaiting all those wonderful bricks which will be made shortly. Shame those won't be enough to build a safe space to hide in, 'cose nowhere is safe!
    Edit: autocorrupt strikes again!
     
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    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    Miss Militia was going to have "concerns..."
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    I mean, if I went to take a statement on some severe high school bullying, and then got a front row seat of a girl chewing, gnawing, and sucking another girls thumb down to the bone... My verbal report to my boss would probably start with, "WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK! She bit into her hand like a freakin chicken leg! There was black gore! Bone! And she enjoyed it! They both enjoyed it!... there was moaning, possibly orgasms, and at the end the she purred! PURRED!

    "Topped off with tears, crying, and sobs... coming from ME."

    ...

    "Oh yeah, and it looks like the bullying is totally legit."

    Something like that, only, you know, more professional.

    Other musings:
    - Love the Sigbin code name.
    - Annette is terrifying, and the family should probably pay reeeeally close attention to her nightly hunts.
    - I'm insulted on Nimi's behalf for Watchdog's 'handling' protocols.
    Tumultuous_Anxiety said:
    If Shadow Stalker doesn't survive, I can spin it to get rid of the Heberts entirely
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    I find it sad that my immediate thought was, ah, classic Piggot. 'I don't like these people because they're potentially dangerous, and weird, but maybe this other/our problem will make the situation worse, and put an innocent, bullied, family in harms way so we can strong arm them.'
     
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