Rot: A worm Fanfiction

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Short one...but fun...

---

My skin shifts as the glint of blades hide back inside me. I lower my hand back to my side, a smile on my face.

" Taylor was just adorable today," I giggle to her. My prey on the ground is quickly picked up and placed in my canvas sack. The large orange cat smelled heavy of cancers. Poor thing, the streets were not kind to you. I tuck in the dead feline next to the six large rats also in the sack. " You should have been there..."

The dark limb of her body places another dead rat into the sack, along with over a dozen cockroaches. "Oh, thank you dear, did you find any dead wood, our baby Swarm sure does love her "vegetables"," I giggle the gurgling of her laughter joining me, "you really should meet them."

She goes silent, but I can still understand. "No, I'm sure that Danny would love to see you, and you under sell yourself, your gorgeous."

Silence, another black arm comes out and places a hollow log inside the bag. I sigh, shifting from side to side in my dark grey jumpsuit. It had "stains" from previous hunts, but as far as disguises go it would do. All though considering it is an unlabeled janitor's outfit, that is a bit small on me, it doesn't leave a lot to the imagination. I think I look great in it, I'm sure that my husband would find it hot too. "Just like you."

I stare at the silent dark shape looking back at me from the alleyway, the mid-afternoon sun hidden by dark winter clouds. Yet even that small amount of light keeps her in the shadows. "It's not fair to hide from him, it isn't fair that he is all mine...he's yours too you know."

I watch her make herself small as a person walks by the alleyway entrance, jumpy as ever. " Our daughters will need us especially after today," I watch as she stretches and grows, the two glints of white appear in her face, " I'm going to be teaching again, and the school is alright with my "cape" stuff as well as my looks. I don't want Taylor to be all alone again, like she was before." She and I shudder as we remember the two years we sat and watched. Suffering, the two most important people in our heart suffering and all we could do was watch.

The cold streets blow a hollow breeze as we both stew in our mixed feelings. We are so hungry with them...

Never again...

She is silent, and I am listening. "Well, you'll never know until you come out from hiding in our walls," I smirk as a thought crosses my mind, "don't you want to see how cute our Danny will look pressed in-between us?"

She retreats in embarrassment as I laugh at my other all the way home...

To find my daughters, wrapped around a very red Lisa as Danny comes walking down the steps with his gun. Oh, dear I was gone for maybe forty minutes...I forgot to get mushrooms. I walk back out of the house, ignoring the pleas for help from my silly daughters...

---

PHO is taking a bit so here is a little something something for you to think about...

 

[jayofgrey]

I walk back out of the house, ignoring the pleas for help from my silly daughters...

Click to shrink...

Glorious. Simply glorious. That's mom teasing at it's finest. And so considerate too! Annette let's Danny has his dad moment like a good living loving wife should.
Also, PHO?? That makes me hungry.
Did you find one of those PHO generators to help with formatting?

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Side plot stuff...still hope you guys find it interesting....

---

From the associated work of Undead by Dr. Amon Morgan...

The most common of all undead are incorporeals. In other words: ghost, phantoms, wraiths, etc. of the order Ectoplasmus, order Violentus for poltergeis, banshees, hauntings, etc., order Obiectum for animate puppets, animate skeletons, and the like. Essentially the all of the Class Praesentia, Phylum Incorporeus. As said previously in many chapters before, the classification of the undead is largely superfluous as it only helps in describing general concepts about how we organize the undead as the living. However, it should be noted that almost everyone who dies has a chance to become a creature from this class without outside influence from another undead...

I look up at the thing sitting in the chair across from my desk. Long straight black hair, pale skin that looks shimmery, and a long adult white tee-shirt on its female 12 to 13 year old body. How much more of a stereotype could you get. Sure, it gave me a small jump in my old heart when I looked up to see it sitting there. Now though? The dark eyes stare at me from between the curtain of hair draping across its face. I roll my own and go back to reading.

...While the method of rising from the grave is still unknown, what is known is that the undead are incredibly dangerous, especially those for the order Violentus and Ectoplasmus. Undead from these order only ever appear if they are either old or powerful, but in either case they are most-likely insane...

"She still misses you..."

I sigh at the noise and look back up at-

An adult woman sat naked in the chair, her flesh fried and flayed sexless, but I could still tell who it is. Her hair from before is gone, replacing it the charred and rubbed raw scalp of a burn victim. Her arms are skeletal and show just how wasted the body had been at her death. A wicked grin stretches across her face at my recognition, her missing lower lip showing off her burnt teeth. " Hello, Dr. Morgan did you miss me?"

My heart clenched at the voice, broken and cracked but strong, confident. I could smell smoke and other immoral things, familiar smells. I compose myself with the practiced ease, this is not the first ghost I've seen. Technically this is the fifth, I knew this one after all so it shouldn't be added to the count. " Hello, Elaine, your looking...fresh."

" Oh, but don't I?" Elaine passes a black tongue across destroyed lips, " I was feeling sentimental, I look exactly how I did when you last saw me... alive."

I ignore the screams in my head as I try to forget that expedition. "Well, I'm fine thank you Dr. Morgan, I was great student and I'm so well learned in my field now. Plus, after getting my revenge, I can do this now."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The room and walls catch fire as soon as she snapped her fingers. The plastic cover of my desk melts to my hands as I scream in agony. The witch snaps her fingers making the entire burning room extinguish, her laughter no longer drowned out by the flames.

"Weeeeeeeee, that was fun!"

"What do you want Elain," my voice was weak as the large boils on my hands felt like acid to my flesh.

" Well, I'm here answering Moryt's call to arms of course," she leans forward her feet kicking in back and forth as she rocks, " Everybody is coming, although it is a shame that the current catastrophe that is humanity made it hard for the, oh what do you call it physical?"

"Corporeal," I frown at my former student. She knows the answer, even if it has been close to forty years since she died, she was a very bright student. My hands hurt...I'll need to visit the infirmary... later.

"That's the one!" She smirks, " the corporeals are having a rough time with the barrier, wall thing that the capes built to keep London contained. So, too bad it won't be till awhile before Kathrine get inside."

I tighten my hands into fists despite the pain of my popping flesh, "how is she?"

Elain's face softens, "well you know Dullahan's, burying her in her ancestral home in Ireland like she asked was a great call. She looks good in uniform, and her hair grew back, although red fiery hair made of literal fire is probably cheating."

"Is she actually coming here," I don't think I'm ready to open that old wound.

"Yep," Elain's smile is sadistic, "soon you will have a thirty-year-old spitfire of a woman back in your life. Speaking of age, it's been a while Amon you look old, it looks good on you." The genuine smile on her face hurts more than the burns even if a few of my new boils definitely burst, what is a few more scars? "Sooooo, how's Sawtooth?"

"Underwater mostly, but the school has been kept going."

"Oooooo, you should hire me, you know to teach a class, I am an expert now," Elain smiles, back to rocking back and forth.

"My students do not need to learn about witchcraft, Elain."

"Oh, please," the hand she waves at me smokes, "it's nothing like the bible, there are no deals with demons or anything, just a little exposure to some mana, a fire for example."

"Elain, no."

I watch as the wraith witch giggles, it sounds like burning wood, " oh well, how's Moryt?"

"Married."

"Oooooo, who's the lucky ghoul?"

"Human and Heather is permanently disfigured by his affections."

"Ouch, they happy together?"

I remember that as soon as Heather calmed down long enough for the doctor say she was healthy, just for her to go back to Moryt's containment and beat him until he needed medical attention. The fact that the two of them made up with each other is still the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. Guess I probably shouldn't have told her he was sorry. "Yes, as much as a Ghoul relationship can be happy, yes I think so."

"How's the staff, I notice at least five incorporeals skulking around the place, that is five more undead then this place is used to."

"We are quite well-armed against anyone who wishes to start something," I would like to see the undead start something with as many artifacts and tomes in this place.

"Don't worry about it, I'm crazy, but even I know that this is a serious gathering." Elain looks at one of the books resting on the bookshelves of my office, they are completely unburnt. "I know that you don't know what is going on Amon, but this is big. There are other armies all across the world forming rank, they aren't here to fight each other either. This is a world war, but we have no idea who our enemy is. We just know that if we lose it will send ripples back through time, disrupting the spirit world at large."

"Armies need a general, do you know who?"

"Nope," a crazed smile crosses her face, "but I hope I get to burn their enemies, it would be nice to have a purpose again..."

I nod, another vague answer to who is summoning an undead army, but a ripple through the afterlife, well...I can probably tell what species of undead is responsible. That is not a good sign for the fate of humanity, "anything humanity can do to help?"

"Besides dying and joining rank," Elain rest her chin on her hand, an exaggerated expression of thinking. She then drops all friendly pretense she has towards me, leaning forward across my desk as she instantly appears in front of it. "Stay out of our way."

---

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

Hey, the living ain't doing all that great of a job anyways. It feels like humanity just got a pat on the head and an, "awwww it's so cute you think you can help. Now, run along and play with your friends, the grownups need to talk about grownup stuff."

I would like to see the undead start something with as many artifacts and tombs in this place.

Click to shrink...

Tombs or tomes? If there are catacombs or tombs that they have access to, I feel like an explanation would need to be expanded upon. Dead people in tombs providing protection against the undead, or is it empty tombs!

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Hey, the living ain't doing all that great of a job anyways. It feels like humanity just got a pat on the head and an, "awwww it's so cute you think you can help. Now, run along and play with your friends, the grownups need to talk about grownup stuff."


Tombs or tomes? If there are catacombs or tombs that they have access to, I feel like an explanation would need to be expanded upon. Dead people in tombs providing protection against the undead, or is it empty tombs!

Click to shrink...

Thanks I forgot to reread this one so I needed to edit it, it is tomes not tombs. And it is less a pat on the head and more of a walk over their flailing body.

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

walk over their flailing body.

Click to shrink...

Hehehehe

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

This took forever, by the way meet PHO's version of you guys...you know fellow undead enthusiasts...

---

Welcome to the Parahumans Online Message Boards
You are currently logged in, Umbr4
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed
• Last ten messages in private message history
• Threads and private messages are ordered by user custom preference.

■
​

♦Topic: Brockton Bay Cape News
In: Boards ► News ► Brockton Bay

Atila_The_Bun (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (Cape Groupie)
Posted on January 1, 2011:

Since the last thread got cut due to post limit I thought I would restart it here, so here it is: Brockton Bay Cape News Jan 2011th edition.
remember the rules:
1.) must relate to Brockton Bay
2.) must involve cape shenanigans
3.) nothing off topic is allowed(even if it is impossible to stop)
Alright enjoy!

(Showing Page 53 of 100)

...

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN)
Replied on January 5, 2011:
Hey one of my friends in the morgue where I work at saw something strange today. kept saying that a corpse ran out of the building yesterday...

Anybody else got any news about a Lazarus walking around.

► Wata_Joke
Replied on January 5, 2011:
Woah, seriously. No I haven't seen anything about something like that? Where does your friend work?

► FredFried (Veteran Member) (EMT)
Replied on January 5, 2011:
Oh yeah I did hear something about that from the boys, apparently some one woke up mid-autopsy, at Bay General North I think.

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN)
Replied on January 5, 2011:
Okay cool, so my friend hasn't lost it.

They wouldn't tell me too much about it, kept telling me that he didn't want to upset Panacea.

I guess we got a rogue body, cape or zombie cape is the real question...

► rats_in_the_wall
Replied on January 5, 2011:
A zombie? @Causal_beans

Okay people are going to think I'm joking, but I saw something weird today too.

I was at the boardwalk earlier today, it snowed today so I was pretty bundled up. So I'm just walking along enjoying my day off you usual stuff, and then I see it. It was standing on the snow covered beach, barefoot. If you live here you know how cold it was today. Well it threw me off, but I shook it off you know could be just some junky right. But then I notice it was holding something, a fish, a live fish. Now at this point I figured that I would stick around and see if I could see something else. I was pretty far from them so I figured it was safe...

It was tall, dark haired, and really pale grey. I watched as it climbed away from the beach, with the fish in hand still wriggling. It tried to enter a few cafes only to be turned away, no shoes right. So instead of sitting in the café, it perches on the bench and starts to eat the fish.

I was transfixed in no small amount of horror as it ate the still moving fish, looking like Gollum. Still, and yes it hurts me to say this, kind of normal for Brockton. But then it suddenly stops and starts chasing after some blonde chick, and I mean with long legs like that I was still shocked at how fast it could move!

So I very much need someone to tell me what I saw, and please don't say zombie..

► yellLOUDER
Replied on January 5, 2011:

@rats_in_the_wall Dude lay off the sauce

► ParaPeople (Cape Groupie)
Replied on January 5, 2011:
@Causal_beans @FredFried @rats_in_the_wall I just made a new thread for this [link]

because I saw something too...

...
​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 ... 98 , 99, 100

■
​

♦Topic: Brockton Bay Zombie Girl
In: Boards ► Brockton Bay

ParaPeople (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie)
Posted on January 4, 2011:

If you are wondering what this is [link] this is where it started from.

So on Jan 4th I saw the zombie girl, one they very much are a girl, just really skinny I think. Two they act very odd like even for people in this town odd.

So I saw her on my bus ride home, I have a late shift just before the last buses run. so it is getting dark out and the bus is nearly empty so I take a seat. The bus is about to take off when she shows up. The bus driver lets her on despite her only wearing a hospital gown, her ass was hanging out and everything, bare foot too. I wasn't able to get a picture because one I'm not a pervert, but I can describe what she looks like.
Her skin was a very pale grey, she had long dark hair. I think it was brown, but it looked black. Her eyes were milky like maybe she was blind? but her lips were grey almost bluish. She also walked funny, like she was sort of pretending to walk like it wasn't how she normally moved.

So anyways discuss.

(Showing Page 1 of 25)

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
First!

► ParaPeople (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
very funny

► rats_in_the_wall
Replied on January 4, 2011:
I guess we just have to wait for more people now...

So, assuming that this isn't one of the signs of the apocalypses. We can assume that this is probably some form of cape right?

So what do you think her powers are, my votes in Mover, because she could move.

► FredFried (Veteran Member) (EMT)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
I step away for thirty minutes to rescue a life and you have already made a new thread.

*clap clap*

But seriously this kind of stuff is pretty common for cape types especially ones that have slow regeneration powers. Maybe she is just one of those, no use in throwing around the word zombie.

► Mad_Max78
Replied on January 5, 2011:
I am a bus driver for brockton, and I was just scrolling through the threads, and found this one.

yeah I've heard at least two drivers mention something like that get on the bus. Pale white, dark hair, and glassy eyes grey like their blind. one said she was nude, but I think they were full of it..

What I saw was a lot different then those, I got the whole big green monster too.

It was my last shift for this week, because they have us on rotation due to losing buses to cape stuff. Anyways I'm on this shift and pull up to a bus stop. I thought it would be a normal stop, and from the way they were sitting at the stop I would have never of seen them. But as I pull up the strange entourage showed up.

One of them was our mystery zombie girl, pale with the dead eyes. Also could have been just the light but she looked like she had something red around her mouth. I didn't notice her breathing either, but it could have been just shallow.

They were with a normal person too, blonde kind of pretty.

The last one was huge, were talking top of the bus huge, she had to stoop before she could enter the damn bus. And get this one-eyed, like she wasn't missing an eye she only had a single eye. Big and red with black whites. Built like an athlete too, she was ripped. Kind of jealous of it too.

So Zombie? I don't think so either, much more likely they just capes...

► Wata_Joke
Replied on January 5, 2011:
Damn, was really hoping for zombies, be a nice change of pace.

does this mean we're going to have to change the thread title?

► storks_for_dogs
Replied on January 7, 2011:
Hey I didn't see this until just now.

Big and green was something to see at the docks on Wednesday

I watched it run past me with a whole bunch of cars chasing it, didn't look like police either, just black SUVs.

...​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 48 , 49, 50
(Showing Page 7 of 25)

► dead_one (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
Yo, just saw something in an alley way across my street. I think it is the older one, with the brown hair...

It was chasing after something, and dressed in some jumpsuit I think.

I tried to get a picture off, but damn she is so fast...

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
Okay we know from past sightings that the older one is much more dangerous than the other ones.

@dead_one just stay still and don't follow her or she'll start following you

also this makes the fifth sighting so congrats team, we're getting better at figuring out their pattern!

► storks_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
Yay!

► FredFried (Veteran Member) (EMT) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
Okay do we still have any idea on what they were doing at Brockton General? I do know that some of the PRT was their for it, but I couldn't ask around too much.

Also congrats!

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
Forget the hospital, we still don't know about some of the other twos activities. Like why are they always around places that people don't normally visit. Kmart_Diver has been tracking them for the last week across the Graveyard.

► Kmart_Diver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
@Causal_beans and @nonsensicalSerious

just got back to my den in the sewers to see this post. So far I've tracked them all across the graveyard and to several abandoned malls or stores. As far as I can tell they either don't know I'm there or don't care.

My findings are thusly, if it is the green or the young one, the blonde normal is usually with them on these things. From what I could see with binoculars it doesn't look like a prisoner situation.

If it is the older one, don't run @dead_one, she definitely knows you are there. The few time that I ran into her were not pleasant, I mean she is nice, but she likes to chase. Most of the time if I see I've been spotted I just laid down and let her walk by me. She actually knows my name so she usually will greet me if I am close enough for talking.

I think that there might be a fourth one too. I haven't seen anything like another zombie or something. But sometimes I'll see something dark flash past me, even had it tap my shoulder once or twice.

I haven't been on here in a while, so I'm asking the "science team" for their findings...

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
@Kmart_Diver
welcome back explorer

So the science team has found out this so far.

1.) the blonde one is most definitely a normal

2.) the diet of the zombies consists of bugs, mushrooms, and flowers. We had people observe them eating other things when the blonde is not present, these are mostly road kill so gross stuff.

3.) the older one has been seen climbing walls, and running around. Yeah we figured out that she does like to chase us around, but we've never talked to her so points to the explorer team.

4.) we think that the young zombie fought Glory Girl and won? Honestly it is just a hunch, the young one always seems to drink blood, and GG was at the hospital last week from a cape fight, cause blood loss.

We know that they are intelligent, and possibly a cape family, but their actions suggest some animal-like habits. Considering that they were at the hospital yesterday and the PRT was there it seems more likely that they are just weird capes, but until they come out as capes or rogues standard operations will treat them as zombies! Glory to the Undead Horde!

► Kmart_Diver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
I remember why I don't like coming on here

I'm going back out, maybe I'll bring some road kill with me as a peace offering. @dead_one good luck with the older one, remember to be respectful and just lay down.

► dead_one (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 12, 2011:
it is dark, my phone is the only light I have and she just walked by me. Welp see you guys, cause I'm dead...
...
​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... 48 , 49, 50
(Showing Page 14 of 25)

► dead_one (Zombie Hunter) (Not Dead)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
So hey guys sorry for the scare, uh I'm alive I've just been in the hospital.​

Now that sounds bad, but really it was from hypothermia not bodily mutilation or something. I got really great news though, I met the older one! Although we should probably call her by her given alias, Silver. She was really nice too, very happy to explain what she was doing out there when I told her about our group here. It really is just hunting by the way, her family, pack as she called it, are omnivorous decomposers. That was the connection they eat dead stuff!

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Holy shit your alive! Thank god!​

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN) (Zombie Hunter) (Hospital Scanner)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Oh hey @dead_one your back! Sorry about the hypothermia, how did that happen?​

► storks_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Glad to see you not dead @dead_one​

► Wata_Joke (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Yo, glad to see you on here again @dead_one​

► dead_one (Not Dead) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Awww, thanks you guys.​

@Causal_beans I got hypothermia from walking around with Silver.​

after I took Kmart_Diver's advice and laid down in the snow, Silver decided to be a little talkative. So naturally I told her about our group, and then she decided to let me follow her around. It was cool(cold), but I don't recommend it if you have a weak stomach...road kill is even worse when you watch it get eaten.

So I have a better description of her as well as a few more facts we can add to the list. Also @Kmart_Diver when you see this she said hi.

okay description: She is tall maybe 5'11", her hair color is brown and she is white. her eye color is a lot like the younger one greyed out, she isn't blind though like we thought, but at times she acted like she didn't need them as much. She looked to be in her thirties maybe early forty's, honestly she was still working it so I could be wrong. Her teeth were normal looking, but I think that they are probably really sharp. And while I couldn't see wear she got a kitchen knife at one point, I also didn't see it on them before it appeared.
I also asked her some basic questions.

Is she a cape? Maybe, she said yes, but it was sarcastic like she wasn't but is pretending to be.

does she eat human flesh? Not right now...

is she infectious? Nope...

are you mad that we are stalking you? As long as you don't get in the way, it's fine.

how much do you eat? more than what my daughter thinks...

and that was all I got out of her, so science team thoughts?

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Why did she pick the name silver?

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
@nonsensicalSerious because it was my old PHO username

► FriedFred (Veteran Member) (EMT) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
WOAH

► rats_in_the_wall (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Holy Fuck, dead account, she has a dead account!

► ParaPeople (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
THE FUCK!

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Okay fine, sure fine, its totally fine...

► Wata_Joke (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
Hello scary lady!

► storks_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
I have just one word, How?

Necro'd Accounts are locked off to everyone unless you are given an email pass code. Their meant for people to discover if someone went missing or is dead...dudes I think- is this real life?

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
@storks_for_dogs very real...

So internet, having fun? Being undead and all has been for me, but I find that all the attention on this site is overrated. Anyways just wanted to stop by to see if any fun could happen, and when I saw dead_one's post I couldn't help but make a dramatic entrance...

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 15, 2011:
...well at least she isn't mad, right?

...
​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ... 48 , 49, 50
(Showing Page 24 of 50)

► SpecificProtagonist (Cape Groupie)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
oh shit...

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
yeah you said it SpecificProtagonist, but I still think that Silv3r is not telling us the full story...

► Tottles_ (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
I don't know what you mean she was pretty clear in her last posts about multi-instance thinking. She can separate her conscious into multiple pieces, but unless there is a body that's hers she can't think with two brains.

Makes sense to me after all you can't think with two brains if you only have one.

► Kmart_DIver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
But that still doesn't explain how she can remember multiple things that other parts don't remember.

you need a brain to store information too, not just do problem solving.

► dead_one (Not Dead) (Zombie Hugger) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
It has to do with the animus she talked about, it is the reason that she can manipulate her knives without having full control over her cellular stuff, like her kids

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
I still think that she is pulling our leg with her terminology, "just knowing" the stuff is a stupid reason.
And why does the daughter not know the things z-mom knows?

► FriedFred (Veteran Member) (EMT) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
@nonsensicalSerious no idea, but maybe it has to do with time being dead? Z-mom was dead for years, where as little-z was only dead for a couple weeks. It could also be what z-mom said about her daughter not smelling right.

As for her daughter's other maybe this is simply a more advanced form of spectreal-antigenesis. God these terms...

► Causal_beans (Veteran Member) (PRN) (Zombie Hunter) (Hospital Scanner)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
@FriedFred I know right

the simple fact that she has an almost text book of information in her head, full of facts and vocabulary is reason enough to believe it. No one writes this amount of stuff for fun...

► Wata_Joke (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
@Causal_beans clearly you've never read 40k

but I agree, the pseudo-scientific terminology is extensive, but it is also incomplete. She has theories not just facts, that makes it sound much more like science...

► storks_for_dog (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
Yo, have you losers been paying attention to the news?

► Kmart_Diver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
need I remind you that I live underground?

► stork_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
Says the one responding over the internet...

Anyways, Skidmark and Mush were taken out last night and the PRT introduced a new team. No name but read the physical description.

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
Oh shit!

► Wata_Joke (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on January 18, 2011:
Hell yeah go team Undead!

...​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 ... 48 , 49, 50
(Showing Page 43 of 50)

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
So if any of you see those three please tell me, I'm going to be busy for the next few hours, and I am worried...

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Okay you heard the dead woman, chop chop we got her dead kids and their friend to find!

...​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 ... 48 , 49, 50
(Showing Page 45 of 50)

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Anything?

► Wata_Joke (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Nope

► stork_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
nothing on my end

► Kmart_Diver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
So I've been all over the graveyard and a few of their usual haunts, but I haven't seen them. I have however seen some weird shadows moving in the darkness, looked like hands, but they disappeared as I approached. So yeah other than that nothing...

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Well thanks for looking, but they came home earlier today.

Also, congratulations are in order. I am now the proud mother of three daughters.

► FriedFred (Veteran Member) (EMT) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Oh hey congrats!

► ParaPeople (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Oh cool, another other or did you actually give birth?

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
other

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter) (Science Team)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
Congrats, but how many children do you want?

► Silv3r (dead) (Real Zombie) (Necro Account)
Replied on January 23, 2011:
More...so many more...​

...​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
(Showing Page 50 of 50)

► Umbr4
Replied on February 7, 2011:
you're all idiots.​

► rats_in_the_wall (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
@Umbr4 oh this will be good..​

► Tottles_ (Zombie Hugger)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
Yeah lets hear it, our little group has heard it all...​

► Umbr4
Replied on February 7, 2011:
you guys are messing with a dangerous predator​

► Umbr4
Replied on February 7, 2011:
She's a cape that can eat you, and your just talking to it. Please it is just gathering information on you guys, I bet it already knows where most of you live​

► dead_one (Not Dead) (Zombie Hugger) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
Well duh she knows were most of us live, that is the point. Hell she shows up unannounced at my house sometimes to check up on me.​

► Umbr4
Replied on February 7, 2011:
All just a smokescreen, she just wants to make sure that her food is still where she keeps it.​

► Kmart_Diver (Urban Explorer) (Zombie Hunter) (Ghost Whisperer)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
This is the shit I get back to?​

Yo, asshole, while it pains me to agree with anyone with a Zombie Hugger tag, I have to disagree with you entirely.​

Silv3r sometimes hangs out with me for half-hour intervals, in my sewer den. Fuck she helped me with clearing out some of the more vicious rat nest, so what if she ate it? I like her and I'm still going to like her when you leave.​

► storks_for_dogs (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
yeah go fuck yourself @Umbr4​

She's met my mom, and hit it off with her, posing as a teacher of mine. She scares away gangsters and druggies in my neighborhood just by being scary. She's the coolest!​

► nonsensicalSerious (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
You are out numbered here @Umbr4, go bother your failing relationship with your parents​

► Umbr4
Replied on February 7, 2011:
You all are weak idiots and easy prey, some hunters you are. You should be looking for her house and burning it to the ground with her hell spawn inside with her. Her weak ass daughters probably would just get in her way, as she slaughters you al-​

--------User has received a Permanent Ban---------------------------------------
Tin_mother: I have know idea what is going on here in this thread, but threats of violence(inspired or otherwise) are strictly prohibited, you have been banned.​

► ParaPeople (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie) (Zombie Hunter)
Replied on February 7, 2011:
@Tin_mother Thanks​

@Zombie_Hunter What was their problem?

...​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 48, 49, 50

---

I growl, ignoring the whimper behind me, as the site locks me out and closes on me. Stupid Hebert, I get up from my chair at the filthy desk, the computer sparking as I put a bolt in it, thinking she is better. Bitch needs to learn her place...

I look over at the whimpering prey in the corner, Madison Clements a sheep in wolves clothing. I grin from behind my mask as I bring up my crossbow, a spineless shit who needs to know who is boss...

My grin breaks into a smile, as the weakling grows a puddle in her little corner. One bolt won't hurt...

---

I mostly had to do this by hand and I then redid it all with the PHO Generator...god please hate this chapter so I never have to write with the inferior BB text editors. The fuck is wrong with

!​

​

​

​

​

 

[GraphiteCrow]

Whelp, Sophia has gone over the edge.

 

[jayofgrey]

Ummm. Did sophia just got butthurt and killed madison to vent??
Loved the while zombie hunter shebang, Annette's best mom!

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Ummm. Did sophia just got butthurt and killed madison to vent??

Click to shrink...

Its a mystery, ooo~

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

nonsensicalSerious

Click to shrink...

Nice

I can't imagine the formatting check's that go into these PHO posts, has to be a lot of work, hopefully not too maddening.

Been wanting to say that I really enjoy the ideas presented in this story. Refreshing, fun, and wholly original to me. The themes are not at all what I gravitate towards typically. There are only two books that I've read with similar 'necromantic themes': Gideon The Ninth, and Harrow The Ninth, and those are both more murder mystery than... what it means to be undead, or a zombie: a theme I honestly don't care for.

But Rot's semi-focus on intimate decay, and what emotions translate to for an individual without a pulse has been fascinating... I'm personally shocked at how much I've been enjoying the story and it's concepts thus far. Even though things has been rough at times in terms of structure or editing, I am a sucker for good/unique ideas, and Rot has that in spades. Taylor's drunken-master-keep-away with the cops (during the open chapters) is one of the most hilarious scenes I've ever had the pleasure of visualizing, and though the journey has been a bit of a bumpy ride, I am hooked.

I tip my hat to thee.

 

[Reader458]

Sorry, I liked it. *Apologetic grin*

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Sorry, I liked it. *Apologetic grin*

Click to shrink...

*sigh* That's okay....

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

So, I got accepted into grad school today...have a chapter, I'm going to explode in the corner...

---

I did not loom over her...

The room is silent except for her breathing. A gentle in and out, the rise and fall of her chest hypnotic to me. The halo of golden hairs around her head as she slept, a pretty meal all wrapped up for me.

I lean forward across Lisa's body, as I stand beside her bed, she smells heavenly. I'm very hungry and my girlfriend is so cute lying in the bed before me. I try not to giggle at the thought, girlfriend...she said yes, and now were dating! My hair coils and rolls with happy movements at the thought of connection. I stare at the breathing form, my many eyes glued to the rise and fall. She is turned away from me tonight which is different from last night and, oh god, her expressions during her sleep are adorable!

Lisa told us that we could start dating last Tuesday, all it would take from me is to trust her with everything, all my secrets. It hasn't been the easiest task for me, but after finishing on Wednesday I have now told Lisa everything about school, Emma, and my personal thoughts. The teasing was terrible, but ultimately worth it as I now have Lisa. We all do...

I look up as she starts to roll and move, the soft sounds of her sleepy mouth so cute. This is really just for me, Lisa doesn't know that I have been doing this every night, and yeah, yeah, I know that Lisa has to know all of my secrets. I watch as my girlfriend pouts in her sleep, I'll tell her later-

" You know, Swarm was less of a coward about climbing in bed with me," I freeze at the sound of Lisa's very awake voice, shit! " So, how long have you been standing there?"

"....a few hours."

"Mmmhmm," I watch as Lisa rolls over eyes wide open to stare at me. I shrink back at the cold stare, she looks disappointed. "And how many days have you been doing that."

".......since Tuesday."

"And who has Nimi been able to snuggle with?" Now I can hear the disappointment.

"I- Swarm," Nimi has been understanding about my nightly activities, but I know that she misses me in bed with her, and our nightly ghost stuff. I shrink in guilt more as my hair's teeth click together.

The shifting of sheets draws my eyes as Lisa pulls the covers back, her pajama clad back facing towards me. "Well get in we should talk about it."

I try to climb in carefully, but as soon as I am lying with her at a respectful distance Lisa scoots back into me. My body reacts before I can apologize, arms wrap around her shorter body as I press up against her back. She is so warm, and my body relaxes with the heat, my heart starts beats to the rhythm of hers. " Your cold," Lisa grunts.

"Sorry," I press my mouth into the back of her neck, "your warm."

"....I was over heating in here anyways," her voice is soft even as she presses back into me harder, "so want to talk about it?"

"Nimi misses me at night," I wrap my legs over hers, "but we both want to be in here with you...all of us do."

"All three of you have done nothing but stay home with me for the last six days," her hand rest across my arm on her stomach, the stroking feels good, "and our beds are both too small."

"Sorry, we can stop if you think we are being too clingy," I frown into her neck, I don't really want to, but I can if she needs it.

"N-nno, it's fine I-," Lisa warms up against me, "I kind of like the closeness, I've haven't had it in a long time..."

I smile at her nervousness, I'm embarrassed too. I still nuzzle into her neck, a warm hum rising in my chest. "You still need to spend time with her more than me, she is another you after all. She is mentally younger than you too, she needs her older sibling." She strokes my new scar on my hand, a shiver of pleasure shoots through me.

"I know," I sigh, undead hair coiling around us, "I just don't want to forget your here again." Tuesday was horrible and scary, I was so upset that I couldn't recognize anyone until Lisa reminded me who she was. I shake my head to dislodge the experience.

I feel Lisa pause in my musings, her hand gripping my arm. "Tell me what you've been thinking while you ignored sleep watching me." I hesitate to tell her my thoughts, they're not- Lisa what are you doing with my arm?

I feel Lisa lift my arm off of her stomach and hold it to her lips. Oh, okay...I-I can tell her stuff, I uuuuuuuuuh. Lisa's teeth rest over the top of my flesh, and she starts to gently nibble.

"Aoooooh," the keaning moan forces its way out of my mouth as I scramble mentally to tell her everything, "I-I waaas think-king aaabout how c-c-cute you loo-k-k, and-d-d." I am panting into her neck as Lisa gently bites without breaking the skin. She has been doing it that way all week, it is less intense than Tuesday for her, I think. " And-d how delicious you look, haaah Lisaaaa!"

Lisa removes my arm from her mouth, pressing an open lipped smile into the bite. "You three make such the nicest noises when I bite you," she kisses my arm, "and you think I'm delicious, flatterer." I try to calm my body as it ripples with joy and excitement, the semi-instinctual panting slows as Lisa rolls over in my grip to face me. Our pajama buttons slide over each other with the movement, her nose it touching mine and my legs are tangled with hers. "You need to sleep, Nimi needs you to at least do that, your ghost time with your others are more important than you watching me sleep Taylor," she pauses and kisses my lips, "I think that it should rotate every night, Nimi, Swarm, then you, at least until we can get a bigger bed, okay?"

I nod, and she pushes me down into her chest. It reminds me of Nimi and suddenly I feel like crying as I drift into the ghostly plane. Lisa sleeping in the bed with me.

Here out of my body and with my two others, I am swarmed with hugs, kisses, and petting. I laugh from my end of our souls, I've miss this too. I know the red one smiles and feels good to wrap around me. A shadow creeps happily around us, it grips at us, we gladly grip back. Through Taylor body we feel Lisa, our Lisa, the one who owns us. Her soft warm body feels pleasant to us, as does the life thrumming through her. We want her with us...here, but we can wait. She deserves a happy and full life first, then she can join us closer than close once it is complete. We will be here for that after party...

---

I flutter back into consciousness, my long night with my others reviewing biology and sharing thoughts done. The room is quiet with the warm breathing over my face the only sound. This is nice...

Why are my fingers wet? I feel biological processes move and react, exchange of nutrients and proteins, a DNA that is at once familiar...

My eyes open and I'm treated to a wide-eyed Lisa staring back, my fingers in her mouth as she holds my hand by the wrist. My brain misfires as I watch her deer in the headlights routine. "Uh Lisa, what'cha doing?"

Lisa's teeth tighten down as she focuses in on my eyes, her green meets my silver, even as I try my hardest to not vocalize just how nice her teeth feel against my skin. "Oh'hing," Lisa pulls the fingers from her mouth much to both of our disappointments, "I like the taste...your sweet." My face greys even as she reddens making her freckles stand out against her skin. So cute...

"We should go get breakfast..."

"Yes..."

I awkwardly rise out of the bed, the warmth immediately missed as my body returns to the ambient temperature in the room. Lisa gets up after me and walks over to the dresser. As she passed by me, I can smell a faint whiff of her.

She smells-

Lisa lifts off her shirt. I turn as my body runs ashen across my neck and ears, my hair can still see her! "Uh, I'm just going to," I try to close my eyespots as soon as they appear, but my body is fighting me for control. I want to look...The greys of my face deepen. I start for the door, this is too much, and Lisa doesn't want me to perve on her.

I barely making it a half step. "Sit," Lisa's voice is authoritative and strong.

I slump on to the bed and keep my head pointed down at the floor not that it does anything. Lisa has freckles across her nose, this I know because they are really cute. What I didn't know is that she has freckles on her chest too. The bra she puts on are a nice shade of lavender, it pairs well with her skin, god I just saw everything. I look up at her face, I mean if I can't stop myself from looking maybe I can just choose where to look. She turns to look at me, hopelessly peeping at her with eyes formed in my curls, I squeak. That dangerous smirk crosses her face as she slowly slips a sweater over her exposed chest, her eyebrows wiggling as she does it. I can't take it, all that exposed flesh, she is too delicious, her flavor is so strong, and I want to be part of it. Nope, nope, nope, I shake my head as I give up, I have to leave she is too tempting. I hear a slip of her pants...

"Okay, no no no," I roll over onto the bed pulling all of the sheets around me, my hair, and thus all my eyes, are completely covered by it. I hear her pretty laugh, but at least I can't see anything. Wrapped up here in the burrito of shame and embarrassment I am safe. I feel a thump of weight straddle my hips and then something soft lean down on to me.

"Oh, come on out," Lisa's voice says right into my ear, her voice a husky sound, "how can I tease you if you stay all wrapped up?" I feel pressure on my ear as the distinct shape of her lips press against the sensory organ. "I want you to help me pick out what to wear." I shake my head violently, the teeth of my hair running along my curls at a fast pace but dull edge. The thighs trapping my legs squeeze me, her weight full placed down on me as my girlfriend lies on top of me through my protective covers. "Come on, I've seen you, Nimi, and Swarm fully nude already, plus aren't the dead okay with nudity," She breaths over my face through the sheet, "come to think of it, I've seen your mom naked too, she sometimes forgets clothes when she gets out of her hunting stuff you know."

"It's different," my hair is trying to grasp the warmth lying on me, it actually feels good to be under her, she is so soft. Like Nimi...

"Oh really, how is it different," I can hear the smirk from above the covers, "I don't mind showing you, after all I trust you." I squirm at the word trust, Lisa was very clear in this first week of our relationship on trust and the importance of planning.

"Okay so first off if we're going to do this thing, I want us to discuss some things." Me, Swarm, and Nimi sit on our bed as we watch Lisa pace back and forth in front of us. My room felt small, as well as my bed, now that it has four people in it. I stroke my now fully healed but scared hand, I want us to all fit on the bed...

"What sort of things," Nimi, like Swarm and I, is very happy, especially with how yesterday went. Lisa is going to final Hos- Date, she is just dating us for now. I promised, we all did, that we wouldn't push her into it too early.

Lisa stops in front of us, "mostly things about what each of us want out each other in the relationship, it is important to do this given how many members there are." That's probably smart, I look at her to continue. "Will do this one by one, Neems you're first."

"Okay!" Nimi puts a hand on her chin as she thinks about what she wants. We watch as she holds out a hand to Lisa. "I want to hold hands, anytime we are touching, is that okay?"

Lisa nods, "it's a good start, but I need to know more, like who do you want to hold hands with, is that the only touch you like, or do you think that only holding hands is just a special circumstance."

I can feel all three of me think about that, our thoughts being automatically shared as we each think of the same thing. The convergence feels like sleeping, but less. I still become we... "Nimi wants cuddles and snuggling to be frequent among everyone, and it doesn't matter with who, but she prefers to sleep with someone in our Pack," Taylor's words spill from Nimi's mouth as she adds her wants to me, Swarm adds our designations and grammar.

"Pack?"

We hear Taylor's voice come from Swarm, "We are only dating right now, but you are already a Pack member, much like dad and mom. If you become Host, the contract of this relationship will need to be revised."

Lisa looks at us, but slowly nods, " Okay then what does Swarm want?"

Taylor's mouth opens to mouth out the words, but it is through Swarm's body that the words are audible, " Swarm wishes to not be left behind, if we are all going somewhere, she needs to be taken with, and she needs to not be left somewhere. Swarm also wishes to wait for Hosting, even if it has not been stated to happen anytime soon." We pause as we try to think of other things she would want. "...we also would like to engage in kissing."

"Nimi seconds that..."

"So does Taylor..."

Our bodies all show embarrassment, a division of limbs for Swarm, Nimi is sitting in a cloud of spores, and Taylor is greyed out.

Lisa pauses to think over our request, the distant look tells us that her power is in play. "Wait, do you mean like "kissing" kissing, you know the human kind, or do you mean the stuff from yesterday?" Lisa looks pale, but her fingers are twitching.

"Both," we speak in unison.

"I- does it have to be as...violent as yesterday," we feel our heads cock to the side, confused at the question. "Like do I have to drink blood and tear muscle or can I just bite to bruise. Not break the skin or anything."

We look at Lisa while we process that. Lisa doesn't look nervous, she looks anxious. Her fingers are twitching, and she has a subtle shift in her hips. Is she anxious about stuff like that? "Which are you comfortable with?"

Lisa practically jumps at the question, "well, I- don't want to break skin, or at least I need to do it that way. I don't think it is a good idea for me to consider doing that a normal human thing..."

" Okay, we can let you work up to whatever you feel like."

"C-can, can I bite you whenever?"

"Yes...are you okay with us biting back?"

"Only if it is softly, and I get to say no whenever I want."

We nod our heads in full agreement. Slowly we become each of our selves, that was so embarrassing. "Okay what does Taylor want then, it feels like everything, but I would like to get confirmation."

I freeze, without my others here with me I don't have them to help me come up with ideas. What do I want from a relationship? Both Swarm and Nimi have already covered the level of contact we want, even biting. Wouldn't it be too much to ask for more?

"It doesn't have to be physical or something, if it is just emotional support or being given a break from everyone else that is a valid want too," Lisa smiles at me, "the most important thing in any relationship is that you can trust your partners."

"If you didn't want to be teased you should have told me last week," Lisa is smiling I can hear it in her voice, "so tell me why this is working so well, we both know from that conversation that it isn't a sexual thing for the undead, so what?"

I notice the bait she set with that, and yeah, it's true, I really have no interest in "sex" sex. I was nervous about explaining that to Lisa, because, despite both of us being minors, sex is just something that will come up. If high school was anything to go by, teens have sex all the time and I don't know if I could fake it. Thankfully Lisa isn't interested in it either, apparently stuff like that is hard with her powers always being on. I can see it, if my partners intentions were, and I quote, "shoved down my throat in painful detail," I would probably not be too interested in sex either. For now, though we have a good set of physically intimate activities that are good enough for both of us. "All the exposed skin, the smells, the sight, it is all so tempting," I whisper under my breath, too bad Lisa still heard it.

She shivers above me, a nice scent coming off her, "perve." A playful smack to my thigh feels nice, her getting up off of me is less so for the same reason. "Well, I'll keep that in mind for when it's your birthday," I hear the jangle of pants and a belt, "where's my two other girlfriends?"

"Down in the kitchen, burning cereal," I can feel the both of them perk up at Lisa's mentioning of them. The rush of them sending me warm emotions is nice, what they want me to say to her gives me my own smirk, "they say good morning...and nice legs."

The silence of the room is telling me exactly how bright red she is right now. "T-thanks," she coughs, "tell her that she is sleeping with me tonight too."

"She knows, was listening to us," I roll out of my trusty burrito, I'm not the one who needs it now. Lisa is standing in front of the wardrobe looking intently at the inside, her ears are red. I smirk, revenge is best served cold they say, I like it hot and embarrassing, "she can't wait to show off her legs." I step off the bed and head out the door, my girlfriend imploding behind me. Lisa and I are both pretty asexual, but we both agree that Nimi could totally talk us into it...

---

A breakfast of burnt cereal and dried mushrooms waits in a bowl for me next to dad nursing a mug of coffee. I take a seat next to him a smile that he shares with me, before blearily going back to the coffee. The cereal would be better with some milk, but both Lisa and dad said no to me pouring sour milk on top of them. I tried to explain how much flavor was in sour milk, and how the texture was chewy as well as chunky, but they still didn't like the idea. So, dry cereal it is, at least the added mushrooms: Fistulina hepatica, Boletus huronensis, Honey-Colored Agaric, add the complex textures my palate craves. I should keep the Agaric and Boletus away from dad and Lisa though, both are gastrointestinal irritants, or at least the huronensis is. I don't boil my mushrooms so lots of their less friendly compounds are still present.

Both Swarm and Nimi are in the kitchen, Nimi working on an egg and one instance of Swarm coming into the house and replacing the one exiting. Swarm does that, she likes to have all her parts equally fed and we can't always have stuff that she wants on hand. So, to combat that she spends time between her parts equally with us, it is weird to think that I'm coming into contact with a new Swarm instance every day, but it loses that strangeness when you realize that there really isn't a difference between them.

Lisa comes down sporting her sweater and jeans, some comfortable running shoes too. Guess she, and thus us, are going out today. As Lisa arrives to the table, Nimi picks her up one handed, slides into a seat with Lisa forced to sit in her lap. The egg presented to her on a small plate, with some toast, all unburnt. "Thanks for talking to Taylor," Neems says, her head bent down to kiss the top of Lisa's head. The soft rustling of her hair beads and the metallic "tinks" of her tentacles sound as she hugs our girlfriend to her chest.

"Just doing my part to keep this thing going," Lisa's smile turning to a grin when my father groans next to me. Dad has not been taking our relationship with Lisa the greatest, but he is our dad...he only threatened to shoot Lisa twice, see not that bad! I grin myself as I eat another bite of my breakfast, could use some ants...

"So where are we going today?" I watch Lisa swallow her bite of egg, Nimi is slowly rubbing circles into the blondes stomach, you know standard morning stuff.

"I'd like to go over to the boardwalk and check up on the clothes," Lisa rubs at the hand on her stomach, "she told us that the first set of clothes, plus the hoodie, would be done by this week." A pause for her to eat her toast, "Nimi needs to come with for any last minute adjustments, also we are going to be paying for that set today, so we need to check our team's account before going."

I nod, but dad perks up from his coffee, "are you sure that you don't need help paying for any of it, I should I'm her father after all."

"Nah, it's cool Danny," Lisa finishes her meal and leans back a bit, much to my father's pain, "with both Skidmark's and Mush's minor bounty around two-thousand a piece plus the contraband haul we scored around twelve grand."

"Huh, I guess fighting crime pays," he sips his coffee, "pretty well too, I didn't know that those two had a bounty."

"Yeah, as it turns out most villains have some form of compensation around their capture, as long as they get to jail that is, if they escape before long term lock-up no dice," I chew on my cereal as I listen to the two talk about cape law enforcement stuff. Honestly not my favorite subject, but it does have some interesting stuff in it. One, there is no law against cannibalism. Assault and murder sure, but just eating your fellow man, yeah totes legal. Of course, if your caught eating your fellow man, they're still going to arrest you for something else, so don't get caught. I thought it was interesting...

"...so, yeah, I'm handling the accounting so far," Lisa's voice finishes as she gets up from Neem's lap, much to her disappointment. "We should probably head out soon if we want to avoid some of the crowds, no point in torturing my girls."

Dad frowns even as my final spoonful of cereal disappears into me, "okay if you're going out with my daughters, clothes, right Nimi?"

"Okay daddy!" She leans down and kisses dad's bald spot, before walking off to the basement, a little hop in her step. Dad is smiling again, it just grows brighter when Swarm decides his hand is lonely. He turns to me, "so are you going to go out with your sisters today too?"

"Yeah," I will need to start hunting again, I miss the running too, "I don't know how well it is going to go though, I still don't make a convincing human with Swarm disguising my hair."

"I hate to break it to you kiddo, but you weren't a convincing human before you started biting things with your hair," dad smile is soft and Lisa is typing gently at the computer in the hall, "speaking of could you please stop chewing on your chair."

I look down to see my hair wrapped around the legs of my chair, teeth spiraling around the piece of wood rubbing at it as it moves up and down my strands. "Oops," I uncurl it and float my hair above my head, "sorry dad."

"It's okay owl," he kisses me on the top of my head, right on an eyespot it disappears but reappears crinkled and smiling. I glad that he is happy again...

"Okay so we got paid, and Parian emailed me that she is ready for us," Lisa says just as Nimi appears, "get dressed and disguised, we can just miss the crowds if we get there in the next forty."

---

The bus ride was pretty normal for us at this point, our group definitely draws some eyes. Lisa sat next to me as Swarm secretly held her hand from my hair, Nimi took up her own seat and most eyes were on the giant woman. The only odd thing was this brown haired kid who kept sneaking glances at me, he looked familiar. Like I have seen them before, god I hope they weren't from school...

We step off the bus to the relatively cool day at the boardwalk, and sure enough no tempting crowd for any of me to freak out over, thank you Lisa. "Okay so I wanted to do other things here, are you guys going to be okay with that?" Nimi and I turn to look at Lisa's question, Nimi smiles down her eye glowing deep inside her hood.

"Okay, will we be going to lunch too?"

" Yeah, that was the idea, I was also thinking of doing some PR stuff, but I'm afraid that the crowd work might be too much..."

"It is fine," Swarm's voice sounds from my head, "we are well fed, and we can feed our sisters with transported matter if need be."

"Yeah, it will be fine Lisa," I lean on her, she leans back into me. It reminds me of a week ago, she stopped me then from getting close. That reminds me, "hey is this a date?"

Lisa stops her walking, red dotting her face. To be fair grey is covering my face, Nimi's clothes hide any spores from showing through...lucky, but she was looking down at Lisa's hand now. Swarm...Swarm is probably "blushing" somewhere else in the city, also lucky. I practically feel like my heart is on my sleeve compared to my others. "Well, you are taking me to lunch, but I think that we've been dating before this," Lisa grabs Nimi's hand, her other arm wraps around my thin waist, "this one is just...official."

When have we gone on a date? I think back to the past month I've known Lisa, all the hunts both day and night, the spending of time, Nimi's closeness to Lisa at every opportunity, showed her to my parents... Have, have I been dating her? But... "but that was just courting," Nimi's blurting of my thoughts is breathy, her hand dwarfing Lisa's, but she holds it so tenderly.

"Y-yeah," Lisa starts walking and we go along with her, "what do you think a date is?"

"Something that dating people do," Nimi states, her joy thrumming from her feels like a force on my mind, my ghost rippling behind me.

"Well sure it is that, but it can also be something people do to figure out if they want to be in a relationship," the little number of humans that are out today give us a wide birth, don't mind that too much, "so you guys have been taking me on dates for the last month, while I decided what I wanted to do."

"And?" Swarm strokes her hair as she is close enough for no one to see.

"You forced my hand," the three of me wince at the reminder of my fuck up. Lisa grips Nimi's hand hard and pulls me closer even as I make to pull away, "you guys are just too cute for me to say no!"

I like it when Lisa smiles, the real one. The hum in my ghost tells me that my others are in agreement on that. We are quiet as we walk together, just us and our girlfriend. The boardwalk itself is also quiet, just a few people going about their business early on this cool Monday. The comfortable silence a nice contrast to last week's hecticness. I shake myself at the reminder of last week, of Emma...

We did end up calling the FBI about that, and surprisingly they took the case like they were responsible adults. I guess it is something in the water here that makes the adults neglectful when I was part of the living. It's weird to think, but I'm much happier now that I'm dead. Sure, I still need to be careful, Lisa and dad are mortal and thus they can get hurt, Emma just proved that I can still get hurt.

We arrive at Parian's shop before I could continue down the line of thought I am sure to get to if I kept my current thoughts going. The resulting scramble to detangle our limbs from each other and walk single file into the shop, watching Nimi duck down to enter and hitting the bell at the top of the door, our laughter. It all helps to distract me, I got better things to think...

Parian looks up at us as we approach her counter, the porcelain mask making it hard to determine what she is thinking. I get the air of amusement though, so I think she is happy to see us. "Ah, glad you could make it," she turns to Nimi, "Nimi I presume, would you like to follow me to the backrooms for the fitting?"

"Okay," Nimi starts to follow her, but stops and looks back at us, "uh is it okay if the others follow too?"

"Sure, if they don't mind," the cape looks to both Lisa and me.

"We don't." I say, Lisa just walks up and grabs Neem's hand. The dressmaker simply nods and draws us deeper into her shop.

"So not to sound too suspicious, but last week you said that you couldn't find any clothing for Nimi," Parian opens a door to her workshop. The air is filled with flying threads and great bolts of fabric, at least three dresses were being built on body forms near the back, to the sides of the room are mirrors with a orange couch across from it. In the center is a small raised platform made of wood. It is a nice workshop. "Also, both you and Nimi look different, I might have to adjust certain color choices."

"Yeah, me and Neems tend to change," I grin slightly just to show off my pointed teeth, "for the clothing I grew the materials."

"Grew," Parian flinched at my teeth, but at me mentioning the material of Nimi's clothes, she touches the cloak covering my other. "It's like leather?"

"Technically it is skin, one of my powers is growing organic tissues," I watch her look at me suspiciously, it is all in her posture.

"You're a bio-tinker?"

"Technically she is bio-kinetic," Lisa flops on the couch, "like Panacea, but with dead things not living stuff." The cape relaxes at Lisa's explanation, and relation with the healer, and pulls over some cloth to rest on the podium.

"I see, well Nimi could you please remove the cloak and drop it over by the couch?" I flop down next to Lisa, Swarm wanted to look around the room some more, but I don't know how the clothing cape would handle my non-disguised looks. As the cloak came off and the dress shirt underneath, Parian gasps at the revealed casual clothing underneath her disguise. "Oh, my what is this?"

Both Lisa and I watch as the cape pulls a still dressed Nimi over to the podium. She walks around her lifting arms, touching the loops of her leggings, and feeling the dress parts. I saw her look at the bone boot, even try to touch them before she retreated instead. "Okay, so I'll bite, this is very unusual garments. Is it piecemeal or is there some sort of buttons or zipper? Why the lack of a back, and what is that lovely rainbow plate over her chest?" Parian spins to look at me, "It is simply sublime and super flattering to the subject, how did you come up with the design?"

"I didn't," Swarm is really tired of being my hair. She keeps tugging at my roots, "Nimi is the designer I just helped make it." Parian spins from me to the now red swarmed giant.

"I love it, the way it is both flowy and loose as well as snug in all the right places," She walks around Nimi even asks to be lifted up to see her shoulders, "the next time you want some of your ideas turned into cloths, please come back, this makes me wish I was bringing something besides what I have..." Nimi sets her down as the cape gets pensive.

"Hey is it alright if Taylor lets her hair down?" I look over at Lisa, she is currently twirling fingers with Swarm.

"I don't mind, this room is private for a reason after all," at the approval Swarm shoots off my head, nearly popping one of my eyes out, and into Lisa lap before launching off to look at the dresses. Parian stares at me as I stare back a thousand-fold. "You are very different from last week..."

Swarm comes around a corner, her arms shifting as she stared at the dress she was circling. "Last week was rough..." The cape nods as though what I said explained everything, in a way it did.

"Okay, as lovely as your current clothing is, I need you to strip Ms. Nimi," Lisa whistles as Nimi pulls off her shirt, a red cloud makes the room foggy. The blouse flies at our girlfriends face, but both me and Lisa smile underneath the Nimi scented cloth. "Good that's quite enough out of the peanut gallery, here is the shirt, well do the pants next."

And so it went, with Nimi trying on the various clothing, Parian and her talking about clothing designs, and Lisa making lewd remarks. The fact that Neems started to make them back at Lisa, to the point that she was beet red, made the date even better. And we weren't even done yet, I smile big and toothy, as Lisa's body heat rises and Parian's words stutter as Nimi pulls up her pants. I wish that I could bite Lisa right now, but that is for later in the date...

---

This is me experimenting with scene transitions that lack a chapter change... As such it is longer than any other chapter...

 

[GraphiteCrow]

Huh, just thought about it but do people react to Nimi's spore clouds? We have a "Case 53" spewing out Clouds of coloured something into the air and consequently into the lungs of everyone around her. Has there not been people bolting or reacted negatively at the possible Bio-weapon? coloured clouds usually are not something you want to inhale especially from a Cape, they don't know what it contains. Irritants? hallucinogens? Poison? a fungus that could grow inside the lungs and asphyxiate you? maybe it is something that could control your body or mind!?.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Huh, just thought about it but do people react to Nimi's spore clouds? We have a "Case 53" spewing out Clouds of coloured something into the air and consequently into the lungs of everyone around her. Has there not been people bolting or reacted negatively at the possible Bio-weapon? coloured clouds usually are not something you want to inhale especially from a Cape, they don't know what it contains. Irritants? hallucinogens? Poison? a fungus that could grow inside the lungs and asphyxiate you? maybe it is something that could control your body or mind!?.

Click to shrink...

Honestly never thought of it... maybe I should've, but the most that people have been interacting with Nimi are either capes or family, so it just never crossed my mind.

 

[GraphiteCrow]

Honestly never thought of it... maybe I should've, but the most that people have been interacting with Nimi are either capes or family, so it just never crossed my mind.

Click to shrink...

Well I guess it is something to think about none the less and can be used in the future if need be.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Well I guess it is something to think about none the less and can be used in the future if need be.

Click to shrink...

Yeah possibly Piggot, she would be a person to overreact to emotions....

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

I got accepted into grad school today

Click to shrink...

Hey, congratulations!

Parian's customer base must be excessively odd for that entire exchange to slide off her back like it does.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Hey, congratulations!

Parian's customer base must be excessively odd for that entire exchange to slide off her back like it does.

Click to shrink...

oh, hey thanks. Parian's is a nationally known cape dress store, I figure that she has seen a lot...that and she has a mask to help smooth over rough edges. Porcelain masks are stylish and fashionable, they do great things for your soul...

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

I have been having post success depression most of last week. Between the rush of writing 10k+ words last week, getting accepted into grad, and moving into a new room in my house I am feeling very overwhelmed. This chapter is not 6k words and that feels like a failure to me, but I am getting motivation to write again, so they can't all be long ones. Please let me know if this chapter is good or bad...

---

Leaving Parian's, we continued our date, jumping from store to store even doing some light hunting and fishing near the beach when I got a little too hungry. The cool dark under the boardwalk conceals my "lunch" from prying eyes. The gentle hum of voices above us with woody footsteps is pleasant and relaxing mixed with the sounds of the incoming waves. The soft weight of Lisa resting on my back with the calming up and down of her unhurried breathing. Her skin brushing against mine as I chew through my fifth living fish.

I can feel Nimi running around in her new clothes somewhere along the docks talking up a storm with anyone brave enough to stay still. Lisa rest against my back, full of her own lunch, the grease trap Fugly Bob's lining her guts with a hearty burger. She strokes my hair over one of my ears, both Swarm and me dancing with the fingers of her other hand, stroking her legs with teeth. "So, we've pretty much did everything we needed to do today," Lisa's voice against my back feels nice, "did you want to try for a public patrol?"

I swallow the bones of my fifth and reach for the sixth. It feels good to eat with Lisa here, resting on my back as I hunch over my food, it felt personal, close. Like something that I should be hiding from everyone but made special by her viewing. Like sharing a secret, I blush but hide it with my eating. The wet tearing of flesh and salty flavors of piscine blood drowned out my emotions.

A public patrol, we brought all the stuff for being costumed up so we could technically just change into our costumes here under the boardwalk, but that does bring up the question. Do I want to be "out" in public? Lisa is always saying that we will eventually need to do it so ripping off the band aid now would be the easier than later. However, recent events have cast a rather negative light on being public.

On one hand, I do not really care about the opinion of the living. It is just something about being undead, and my justified misanthropy from living doesn't help the feeling that the living are an obstacle at best, food at worst. They have just been more of a threat to me when I was alive, most being actively malicious to me...

Lisa strokes my back, "we don't have to do it today, but with what happened last Tuesday we need to do it soon."

I smile back at her, there are exceptions to those feelings though. Given that I don't care what most of the world thinks, coming out as a public hero group should be easy. As an undead I am pretty save from any permanent harm. My body is completely replaceable, and I don't need it to continue existing. Tuesday however, showed me that the living can still hurt me greatly. While you might say that what happened last week was pretty tame for my time spent at Winslow, and even I could make the claim that what happened shouldn't have bothered me after all, as an undead being naked is nothing.

I shiver despite not feeling the cool breeze flowing past us in the darkness of the under-dock. Emma violated me...That's the difference. My form is my own, it is very much the physical extension of myself out into the world. To have it mocked, stolen for someone to display before me in a shrine built of my torments... I pet Lisa's legs with my teeth standing a bit straighter. My former friend Emma is dead to me, maybe when she finally passes away from this life, I will reclaim her as mine. When I can finally find out what happened between us.

Lisa could hurt me too. My eyes glide along my hair's surface, the few that she can see from beneath Swarm's shadow receive pats as they crinkle in joy. I look over my shoulder a her, the sixth fish gone and the final seventh in hand. Lisa knows everything about me, all my secrets both living and dead. She is also much smarter than Emma. If there was one person left in all of the world that could truly harm me, it is her. She who gives me a look noticing my distant gaze, is the one person I cannot lose. For she is my last weakness, I smirk at the corny line in my head, but it is true...

"What?" Lisa's voice is curious and has the tone of someone asking if they have something in their teeth. I slurp down my seventh fish, looking right at Lisa while I do it. "Ew gross, Tay," she sounds exacerbated, her blush is inviting. I spin around to face her, pushing her onto her back as I trap her between my arms.

"We can do the patrol in a minute," my voice is husky as my throat shifts back into a shape that can make human noises again. Lisa looks up at me, her wide eyes and a nervous grin stares back at mine. My hair covers us, and I can feel Swarm sending more of her to under the dock. "We need to finish the date."

The shadows deepen around us as arms and limbs grip us softly, I can feel Nimi heading towards us as Lisa squirms under the hands cupping her body. Lisa below me is covered is massaging hands, Swarm is running her hands through my hair too. The gold halo around Lisa's head stands out against the darkness of Swarms limbs. She looks so beautiful like this.

"Uh, is this punishment for earlier this morning," Lisa looks nervous, excited, and impatient. I smile as I let her wait, my throat finally reformed.

I lean forward, shadow hands on my back pushing me towards her, "punishment, I like to think of it as reward..." My cold, hard, and thin lips press against her warm, soft, and full ones. I deepen it for a second, letting our teeth touch and tongues taste, before pulling back. "You set me straight with Nimi after all, and every date needs to end with a kiss between partners."

Lisa pants, just getting over the kiss before her brain catches up with what I said, "wait, partners?" Swarm takes this moment to "kiss" her, a couple fingers entering Lisa's mouth. "Awah, mmm mmhmm," our girlfriend leans into the fingers playing with her tongue, before my shadowy other pulls back. "Aww, I was enjoying that."

Then Nimi shows up, "Hey you three, my turn!" Nimi pulls Lisa up into a hug then presses a kiss over half of Lisa's face, causing our girl to giggle. The giggle turns as Nimi's tongue, big and purple, comes into play. Nimi giggles as she pulls away from a very warm Lisa, "okay make out session over, cuddles now." I feel myself get picked up as Nimi flops backwards into a growing mound of Swarm, at least thirty of her are present. I'm press up next to Lisa, Nimi's chest acting as impromptu pillows, and then the world disappears as hands reach in to cover our snuggly forms.

Lisa's face is close to mine as strong arms hold everything together. Swarm faces nestle into us from all sides, and Nimi rubs our backs pressing us into her. I join in by folding my hair across her back and stroking her as well as tangling with a few of Swarm's hands. I feel Lisa grip my hand, her legs tangled with mine as she presses into Neem's very soft chest. I feel joy and delight from my others as the cuddling goes into full swing...

**30 minutes later**

"You know," Lisa pants, Swarm's fingers pulled from her lovely teeth, "we don't have forever if we are going to do that patrol." Nimi presses Lisa back into her stomach which she is balled up at.

"Five more minutes," I mumble against Nimi's mouth before going back to making out, my hair running teeth along my other's warm tentacles. A soft hum of purrs and soft words surrounds us as Swarm presses into us from every angle.

---

"Thank you," I look up at Lisa. She pulls on her coat, her eyes already covered by the silk bio-cloth hiding her green eyes from the world. Most of Swarm left after our cuddling/make-out session, a single instance shifting her hands through Lisa's tangled hair. Nimi's hoodie hood is down as she is technically always in costume, but she did switch out to her comfy clothing rather than Parian's disguise clothing. The cloak was taken home by Swarm, after of course she decided to try it on. The cute image of a Swarm instance wearing the almost poncho like cloak makes me wish that I finally got that camera.

"For what," I shift the spiral across my face, my hair free flowing behind me. It doesn't fit under the mask anymore...

"For the great date," Izzy pulls on her new hat, a grey bowler hat, "and for surprising me at the end, it is nice to not know what my partners are going to do next."

I walk over to her, my mask parting as give a quick kiss and nip at her exposed neck. "No problem Iz, I love the noises you make when you aren't expecting something too." I love that even though her cheeks are hidden I can still tell when she is blushing, "okay so how is this going to go, are we just going to walk around or are we shaking hands and stuff?"

"Uh, a bit of both," Izzy turns to look at Nimi, "Neems, just act like yourself, and try not to grab anyone no matter how cute they are." She then looks at Swarm, "Stick close to me Swarm, and be sure to hold my hand people will respond positively to that." She turns to me, "Frank, I want you to be the calm silent type, try to not stare with your hair at anyone for too long."

"Got it."
"Okay!"
"Hand please..."

I watch Izzy grip Swarm's hand before Nimi speaks up, "hey what role are you going to play Izzy?"

The grin across the detective trope hero's face is a hundred percent Lisa, "mother hen when you guys eventually go off script."

"Hey, I can totally keep my hands to myself!"
"I am always the calm silent type!"
"Do you seriously think that I'm going to let go of this hand, you'll be lucky to get it back until later tonight..."

Izzy laughed at our protests as she lead us out of the dark and onto the board walk. And that is how the public first met us, the laughing detective leading her entourage of indignant undead from the beach to the boardwalk. Honestly, it was a pretty good introduction. People were everywhere and already that was a problem for me, but not as much as it would be at school and alone. People gave us a pretty good distance, the wary looks weren't just limited to us either, Izzy got some too, but eventually some people approached us. It seemed to be mostly cape fans, but there were a few that asked how my mother was which was weird. When had my mom decided to talk to people online? I haven't been on PHO in a month, and she has an entire group that she talks with? Maybe I should be paying more attention to the world...

Once people could see that we weren't hostile, many other people began talking to us, our pictures were also being taken too. When people found out that we were trying to be hero's that just encouraged some people and made others disappear. It was maybe two hours of interactions with people, but towards the end it felt like forever. I was glad when people started to lose interest and head back to tourist shopping or whatever.

"Well, that went better than expected," Izzy lifts her hand to wipe at her forehead, only to realize that Swarm is holding that one, "nothing bad happened and people were really liking Neem's excitement." Said other was looking at a group of kindergarteners and trying her hardest not to vibrate.

"Hey Frankie, when are we old enough to adopt?" I sigh at her question. It actually comes up rather a lot. Despite not being able to make her own children, Nimi has quiet the maternal instinct. I guess in that regard she is a lot like mom, who seems to get more and more excited when I come home with a new other. I promised that I would look up adoption law's in our state, but I haven't yet...

"You need to be eighteen and either previously married or currently," We look at Izzy as she continues, "also the kid needs to give consent at fourteen or up with finalization happening after six months of residency."

…

"What, I looked it up, Nimi and Swarm are technically not legal parts of your family," Izzy huffs as the horror of that statement reaches our "ears", "so naturally I got to looking up adoption laws and case 53s."

"And?" My voice squeaks, the thought of my other's being taken away from me and possibly being found out for what they are, is terrifying.

"Well case 53's are treated as wards of the state if they register which means that the government can take them away from us," I tense and I can see Swarm grip Lisa's hand harder, Nimi is mind is full of steel. The government has got another thing coming if they think they can take my others, there would be blood..."But as long as they don't officially register, they can't legal take anyone from anyone, still means that your parents also don't have legal authority over these two."

I trust this city as much as I can throw it, so for now forget legal status. The world literally can't uproot us, we are buried in this town like a tick. "Okay so let's not do that until we can fight for our rights."

Izzy nods, as we continue walking down the seaside shops, "We still need to register ourselves as a cape group, I've held off on it because of the legal grey zones. Once I have a solid strategy and we get the required documents I want to make sure that they are filed at the same time, so nothing bad happens."

…

"So does this mean that I have to wait for three years before I can have kids," Nimi's whine brings the mood back, "also Izzy want to get married?"

I laugh at the red puff that comes from Nimi, Lisa's ears are warm too, but she hides it well with a smile, "sure Neems when we're older."

I stumble at her acceptance, "woah uh, L-Iz, are you for real-"

"ATTENTION ALL SHOPPERS," our group stops walking at the sound of someone over a very loud speaker, "THIS IS UBER!"

"AND LEET!"

"AND WE HAVE GOT AN EXCITING GAME FOR YOU ALL TODAY!"

I look around at the nervous smelling humans, the source of the voice is coming from the other end of the boardwalk. I can feel Swarm searching for the threat her own way, but she doesn't have a scent to follow, and she can only hear around us right now.

"SO ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT TRENDS..."

"ZOMBIES ARE IN!"

"SO TODAY WE WILL BE INTRODUCING YOU TO AN ALPH CLASSIC..."

"THAT'S RIGHT LEET, TODAY'S GAME IS..."

"CALL OF DUTY: ZOMBIES!" The voices speak in unison as shrieks of terror start to appear from the alleyways. The shiny forms of green grey men in Nazi uniforms start to run out of the alleys. I watch as people run from the obviously fake undead.

"Iz, what are we looking at?" Nimi is just a confused as me, these "dead" are too clean, and there rot looks like fresh tissues to be this green...

"Bunch of hard-light holograms, shouldn't be too dangerous, but they could scare someone..."

I hear a scream from one of the grade-schoolers, and turn to look at a pair of kids hiding under one of the benches. Four of the holograms shriek at the children batting uselessly at the bench. I then feel Nimi's mind disappear, a shriek of wires crossing through the air being the only sound I recognize as my other is off.

A hum of heated wires glowing white hot, slice out from behind Nimi as she appears behind the false zombies. A quick haymaker slams into the false heads of the four Nazi clad insults to zombies everywhere, launching them back into the main hoard. The graphic explosion of fake blood is unnecessarily graphic for the kids, good thing Nimi is blocking their view. The super-heated metal wires from her hiss and rattle as she stares down the mass. A Swarm instance appears behind the bench and grabs the two crying kids, quickly running back to the other side of the boardwalk where most of the civilians went with them.

Nimi stood between the two sides as the throng of hard-light stood waiting. "OH, LOOK AT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE GOT OUR FIRST CONTESTANT!"

"AND WHAT A CONTESTANT IT IS, UBER, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING I THOUGHT WE'D SEE HEAR TODAY."

Izzy interrupts our listening, "Swarm, keep the civilians back from entering the fight and find the two idiots, Frankie, you and Nimi are on pest extermination, I'll be calling out attack patterns with Swarm, got it."

" Yes," time to remove some pests. Nimi's wires are twitching with the desire to rip virtual flesh as I walk up next to her. "Alright Neems look out for any civilians lost in the crowd and destroy everybody dressed as a Nazi."

Nimi growls before running head first into the crowd, wires pointed at the group like spears. She quickly punches through the crowd, her explosive fists sounding much like a grenade and acting like a cannon through the crowd. I know that Nimi is looking for people in the crowd, so it is fine...probably...

I run into the zombies after watching my other decimate another twenty, can't let her have all the fun. My hair forms into flat plates as teeth begin to glide down the edges. The loops and coils of my hair quickly becoming more like chainsaws as I glide through the crowd. Every swipe becomes a whiplash of organic blades of vibrating teeth, slicing effortlessly through the holograms in visceral fakeness.

I can see shadows inside the mass of shiny undead fakers, hands grip false people and break necks as I slice through groups like a lawnmower over grass. Nimi found a trapped civilian and is helping them, good. She may be pissed beyond talking to us, but at least her wrath is directed at the right targets. Speaking of target, we are kind of running out of them really quick.

"UH, UBER, DO YOU GOT THE STUFF, CAUSE THE HOLOEMITTER IS GETING LOW..."

"YEAH, THAT SHOULD- UH, HEY LEET?"

"YEAH?"

"DO WE KNOW ANY SHADOW PEOPLE?"

"NO? UBER, WE ARE OUT OF HOLOGRAMS AND THE GREEN ONE IS STILL PISSED, SHE IS LEAKING SMOKE TOO, UBER? -"

"AH, THEre's the dial, okay the two of them are unconscious, call the police now please..."

---

I didn't think that I could get depressed from just having a good week...honestly it has been awhile since I felt like life wasn't in a tailspin of anxiety... so maybe it has been awhile since I had a good week...

 

[Reader458]

I have been having post success depression most of last week. Between the rush of writing 10k+ words last week, getting accepted into grad, and moving into a new room in my house I am feeling very overwhelmed. This chapter is not 6k words and that feels like a failure to me, but I am getting motivation to write again, so they can't all be long ones. Please let me know if this chapter is good or bad...

---

I didn't think that I could get depressed from just having a good week...honestly it has been awhile since I felt like life wasn't in a tailspin of anxiety... so maybe it has been awhile since I had a good week...

Click to shrink...

Ouch, sad to hear that. *Hugs* Having had some brushes with both anxiety and depression myself, I have an inkling as to how it is.

I thought this was a pretty good chapter. Yeah, it wasn't that long, but not every chapter have to be. You filled it with both fluff, character development and action. Good job.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Ouch, sad to hear that. *Hugs* Having had some brushes with both anxiety and depression myself, I have an inkling as to how it is.

I thought this was a pretty good chapter. Yeah, it wasn't that long, but not every chapter have to be. You filled it with both fluff, character development and action. Good job.

Click to shrink...

thank you

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

I would never pair quality or success with that of word count. The original worm could do with a few fewer words, a lot of worm fanfics could do with the same as often there are a lot of words but not a lot of plot. It's as if there is a challenge that some authors take up with this universe: to match the scope of the original. Best of luck to them, but oof, that is a lot of work.

I have been flabbergasted at the speed of updates to Rot (as well as pleased, cause I want more, and I want it finished like yesterday because I'm a greedy internet dude who wants to know how the story ends).

As for this chapter, I'm with Reader458. It's solid. There is fluff progression, a snippet of how the relationship is going work, continued development of differences between the Taylor's, and an obvious cue that clearly Nimi is going to adopt/kidnap Vista eventually.

A small suggestion would be to perhaps provide small reminders of what these guys are wearing. Izzy was going for the trench coat detective look I believe. Nimi is necro-priestess, although I completely forgot about her wires and was very confused for a bit. But Frankie and Swarm? Is Swarm just shadows in that fight? And I can't recall or visualize Frankie's outfit for the life of me. I'm imagining a swirling, mobile cotton candy of doom. Perhaps it's a me problem and my memory is just crap, maybe I'm overly obsessed with visuals, idk. But consistent terms like detective, 'Izzy's brown 'detective outfit' with a bowler hat,' would be enough to jog peoples memory. Granted, also don't want to re-describe the same points again, and again, so it's a balancing act.

And because this is the internet we need to have at least one absolute:

You should always end each chapter on a random cliffhanger:

Swarm then happily remarked, "hey! I resurrected several cats!"

...

"Several thousand."

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

I would never pair quality or success with that of word count. The original worm could do with a few fewer words, a lot of worm fanfics could do with the same as often there are a lot of words but not a lot of plot. It's as if there is a challenge that some authors take up with this universe: to match the scope of the original. Best of luck to them, but oof, that is a lot of work.

I have been flabbergasted at the speed of updates to Rot (as well as pleased, cause I want more, and I want it finished like yesterday because I'm a greedy internet dude who wants to know how the story ends).

As for this chapter, I'm with Reader458. It's solid. There is fluff progression, a snippet of how the relationship is going work, continued development of differences between the Taylor's, and an obvious cue that clearly Nimi is going to adopt/kidnap Vista eventually.

A small suggestion would be to perhaps provide small reminders of what these guys are wearing. Izzy was going for the trench coat detective look I believe. Nimi is necro-priestess, although I completely forgot about her wires and was very confused for a bit. But Frankie and Swarm? Is Swarm just shadows in that fight? And I can't recall or visualize Frankie's outfit for the life of me. I'm imagining a swirling, mobile cotton candy of doom. Perhaps it's a me problem and my memory is just crap, maybe I'm overly obsessed with visuals, idk. But consistent terms like detective, 'Izzy's brown 'detective outfit' with a bowler hat,' would be enough to jog peoples memory. Granted, also don't want to re-describe the same points again, and again, so it's a balancing act.

And because this is the internet we need to have at least one absolute:

You should always end each chapter on a random cliffhanger:

Swarm then happily remarked, "hey! I resurrected several cats!"

...

"Several thousand."

Click to shrink...

Sure, I can always talk about how my characters look, I spent days thinking about most of their designs and how I plan on making them develop over time. At some point I will eventually start practicing drawing again, and draw my characters, but for now I'll give myself a pass...

Ending on cliffhangers...I'll try it...

Very cute scene you set by the way

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

Ending on cliffhangers...I'll try it...

Click to shrink...

Oh god, don't take that too much to heart. I don't want to be responsible for creating a monster

Very cute scene you set by the way

Click to shrink...

I wish I could take credit for it, it's something from my youth, but I can't recall from what exactly.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

This was something I had pictured awhile ago in my many discarded chapters this week, I decided that instead of a sentence it deserves a full exploration...

---

My the sky is so blue today...

*Beep*

*Beep*

I look back into the hospital room, my dressing gown crinkling as I turn. Atop me I feel a weight and my blurry vision does not clear for a minute as I feel hands slide up my sides. Who is that, and where am I?

"Lisa...Lisaaaa," the voice is soft as it leans down on me, "open your eyes Lisa, please we don't want you to miss it." A soft purr can be heard to my left, and a warm wetness can be felt on my right. My eyes that were squinting open fully and the world around me is displayed.

*Beep*

*Beep*

It is a hospital room, mint green curtains and mint green walls, the sheets of a hospital bed cover my body in soft cream fabric. The hollow electric beeping is of the heart monitor next to the bed. What happened, I was just getting home from the board-

"Their she is," Taylor's voice is soft and warm, like what she said, "It is time Lisa, everyone is here, and we all look forward to this."
I look up to see her, straddling my waist, but she looks different. She's older, maybe thirties or early forties, looking more like her mother than ever, but I can still recognize her. The wide silver eyes glow warmly as she stares back, a soft crinkle on her perfect skin as she smiles a happy, toothy smile.

What's going on? There is movement at the end of the bed, but my vision is too blurry, and I can't see anything beyond my aged up girlfriend. I feel the wet something on my right and look over. Nimi is there, holding my wrist up to her mouth. The long purple tongue that I remember kissing yesterday, snakes between my fingers as her mouth opens wider. I look away as the purr on my left grows louder and in multitude. On my left is Swarm, my arm disappears under her hands and limbs. The gentle suckling of my flesh all I can feel to tell me the limb is even there.

Swarm and Nimi, they are also older. Nimi herself has great bone spines growing from her shoulders and arms, the wrinkles around her eye are deeper than I remember. Swarm is taller her hair longer than the cut tiny curly mop that she used to have, her body was more solid with it looking more like Taylor does in figure. When did they get old?

Taylor brings me back to attention with a finger on my jaw, "before we start there are a few people here that wish to send you off with well wishes, would you like to see them?" Taylor's silver eyes are full of a heat that looks like it should burn, but it is only warm across her gaze of me.

I nod as I fail to speak, she nods back and motions to the room beyond my vision. I hear giggling of children and it is the only warning I get before the air is rushed out of me by a gold blur. I look down to see what just jumped onto the bed with me. Wide green eyes with a thin wide smile stares back, long curly blonde hair moves as the child gives me the biggest hug she can with their tiny arms. Her skin is a patchwork of many shades of grey and purple, with very visible staples going in great lines where it was stitched together, she is also ice cold to the touch. The smile she gives is shark-toothed, even as the lines of stitching cover her face, I can tell she is beautiful.

"I'm so happy momma, it is finally the day," she snuggles closer to me, "I look forward to you coming back home, I miss your jokes..."

I watch as the little girl in my arms that looks so much like me, so much like Taylor, jumps off the bed and runs off. Only for me to feel another blur race in and jump on me. A new face, red eyes with black whites, grey hair; she is warmer, but at the same time just as unliving. She tells me things, runs off and then another...and another...and another...and another. An endless precession of kids, some undead and totally looking a lot like me, others looking like Taylor or her others. I apparently have eighty daughters, but my breath hitched when he walked in.

It was easy to the see the differences, but still, I could see the similarities. He had my brother's hair, the shape of his eyes, and the same sad look. He walked to the edge of my bed, briefly stopping when Nimi got up to give him a hug and his forehead a kiss. "Thanks mom," he walks over to Taylor who exchanges familial love too, before looking back at me and kneeling down to get level with me. He is tall, thin, and male unlike the rest of my kids, his eyes are a white silver, and his hair is dark black. He is the same age as Reggie was...

"H-hey mom," I just stare at the boy as he speaks to me, god I wish I could touch him, "today's the day huh, haha...ha." The pain on his face is one I remember on my own sometimes when I see a face like the one in front of me, loss. "Look I know you'd tell me that everything is going to be fine, but," he places a hand on my shoulder, a warm living hand, "I worry, you know me." No, I don't, but I really wish I did, why can't I remember? "Look I'll be outside when it happens, I-I can't be in here," he turns to look at Taylor, I can see an apologetic look on him face.

"It's okay Regg," my heart nearly stops at Taylor's naming of him, "I understand, we'll help you with what comes next, we love you after all."

Reggie cries silently, I can feel moisture on my face too, "thanks mom, love you too." He kisses my forehead, Taylor kisses his cheeks and hugs him, then he's gone, and no new children are coming. I can hear them, all the girls in my room giggling and playing. So much happiness in a room full of death...

"Okay Lisa, darling," I feel my covers go down and my gown come up as I look at Taylor unbuttoning her dress shirt, "you wanted to watch one last time, so pay attention my lovely." I look down at her hands grip my hips, thumbs pressing wonderfully into my pelvic bones. I stare at my now uncovered stomach as I finally see it. The skin is wrinkled, and very old, numerous marks mar the flat surface as the delicate fingers of one of my loving spouses rubs at them. Stretch marks, I'm covered in them, deep angry red marks that show where my skin had stretched around a great volume in the past. I would think them ugly, but they way that Taylor looks down at them, the way she traces them as if remembering each one and what happened to make them, it makes me feel beautiful. Like a well-loved patch of garden, Taylor, Nimi, and Swarm even have made many things in this ground. I almost want to smirk, but I stare transfixed as Taylor holds open her shirt. I feel Nimi bite into my wrist, the sharp pain followed by my excitement is nothing compared to what I see across Taylor's flesh. Her autopsy scars are prominent, but it is my own teeth that I recognize dotting Taylor's flesh. Thousands of bite marks cover the undead woman sitting atop my hips, my tastings of her, my marks of my ownership. I wish I could remember...

*Beep*

*Beep*

I watch as Taylor's chest cavity opens, a dark void looking strange in the lights of the hospital window. Thin, sharp strands emerge from the cavity, the barbs across their bodies gleam against the sunlight. I feel my eyes follow them as the descend onto my belly, wince as the sharp points begin to trace across the exposed flesh. I look up at Taylor, with her ribs parted and the white dress shirt it looks like she has wings, she looks down hungry and in love. I hear cracking and look to my right. My right forearm is gone, two shattered bones stick out from where the wound is and Nimi is lovingly licking at the wound. The pain is terrible, but I smile even as she put the rest of my arm in her mouth. A numbness on my left alerts me to Swarm, I look over to see my arm missing with just a stump remaining where it should be. Swarm purrs as she nuzzles the closed flesh of my long-gone arm, I hum back in approval.

I am terrified as I sit in my mind watching me carry out these actions. Did I miss it? I don't want to go yet! I haven't lived enough, please, please!

My body does nothing as it enjoys a conclusion that my mind is not ready for. The sharp puncture of Taylor's flesh feels exciting and terrifying as my mind desperately tries to go back to yesterday, before all of this. Please I don't want to see the end yet! I want to remember I want to feel it again! I look around the room even as the barbs dig inside my cavity, the giggling of children I have but haven't met, the beeping of my steady heartbeat hiding my internal panic, I think I can hear weeping in the hall. I feel something wrap around my heart as Nimi leans over my face, Swarm covering my legs as she dissolves my flesh. Ecstasy, terror, and longing as the abdomen fills with blood, the soft masses of my organs disappear as more and more of me is eaten. I feel...as the barbs surround my heart...

*Beep*

...as Nimi's mouth closes over my head and face...

*Beep*

...as Swarm's fingers grip my spinal column...

*Beep*

…loved.

*whine*

My heart explodes, the bones of my body fade, and I hear only a crunch as my head is devoured.

…

…

…


I startle awake with a jump. The world is dark and soft as my face presses deep into two pillows. Oh, god oh fuck oh god oh fuck... I move my head between the two soft things, only to feel large boney hands at my back. A dream, I sigh as I press back into Nimi's chest, it was a dream, right? I feel my panic creep back into my flesh at the thought, I don't want to miss anything.

The panic in my mental voice makes me grip one of my girlfriends tighter. I don't want to forget it, I hope that I haven't, I hope that this is just Tuesday, and we just got done with our date yesterday. That it isn't going to end yet. I need to make sure that she is there... I bite into the soft warmth of Nimi's chest. Her flesh's taste is not like Taylor's, just like Swarm's is not like Neem's. Nimi tastes minty with a hint of musty mushrooms, and it is the same as the taste currently in my mouth. Nimi moans lowly as I continue to nibble, proving to me that this is real and that Nimi is there.

I feel her stroking my back, cooing and whispering soft words of encouragement, as my body relaxes. The dream fades from my mind as I fall back asleep, Nimi's taste and cuddling telling me that everything is okay...

---

This scene was thought of while I was stressed about the future, but it was inspired by artwork by Avogado6, https://twitter.com/avogado6. Be warned that his artwork is very symbolic of depression and that it can be kind of violent...

The art piece that inspired me is this one, it isn't violent...

Angel Hangout

 

[SensibleMalarkey]

Holy hell, that is shockingly sweet

and terrifying

but super fucking sweet

damn fine chapter, damn fine

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

Depression has been killed again... long live manic episodes!

---

I don't want to be here...

The room is quiet with only the sounds of the air vent blowing cold air into the room. The grey walls are dotted with the holes that Lisa and I saw down in the lobby when we walked in. The steel table is bolted into the floor along with the chair I'm sitting in. My many eyes stare back at me as I look at the reflection of a one-way mirror. The cold of the room is focusing for me, but I suspect that it is not kept so low for my comfort. The room is obviously an interrogation room...

I really wish that Lisa we would get back soon, how long could it take to go to the bathroom anyways?

As I'm trying to remember what peeing was like, the door opens. The slime across my face tightens, the red and black spiral of my mask shrinking and contracting. The eyes of my hair lock on to the human, it's not Lisa. The man is not as tall as me and he is dressed in a long coat with a dress shirt wrinkled underneath, both a visitors and badge denote that he is FBI not PRT. "Ah, good morning, Frankie," he stumbles on the cape name, clearly not used to using that kind of stuff, "I'm Special Agent Dagshaw, thank you for coming in."

three hours ago...

I bring the raw steak of Ganoderma Applanatum to join the Polyporus Squamosis in my mouth as I watch the soap opera before me unfold. I had already eaten the maple woodchips that Swarm made with tree she found these on.

Dad sat next to me purposely ignoring his coffee to glare at the two across the breakfast table. Across from me sits Nimi and Lisa, one has a very self-satisfied grin on her one-eyed face, and the other is beet red. The reason, a very familiar set of teeth marks on the underside of Nimi's tits, that she isn't leaving unexposed. Lisa blushes harder as Nimi presses her deeper into her lap, the huge dark green fun bags enveloping our small human's head. Dad frowns even harder.

"So, Neems," I start, smiling myself at the thoughts my other is enjoying, her red eye glittering with red luminescence, "sleep good?"

Lisa tries hiding her blush with her hands, only ends up getting a big handful of Nimi's chest decoration. The solid chunk of my father setting his cup down a little too hard, causes Nimi to giggle. "Oh, you know normal night," she layers a few tentacles across our girlfriend's lap, the fact that Lisa grips one as it comes near her hands makes both of us smile fondly, "though my bed partner was a bit cling-y."

Lisa looks like she is going to pass out with how much blood is rushing to her face. Dad also looks close to blowing a gasket, the coffee in his grip shaking as he brings it to his mouth. Maybe just one more joke..."Shame it is Swarm's turn tonight," I grin, but soon stop when I see the less friendly amusement in her eye.

"Yes shame," a Lisa grin crosses Nimi's sharp toothed smile, "I guess I'll just have to live with you as my bed partner again, I get to bite back too." My skin flushes as I remember just how bad at this whole teasing thing I am. Dad nearly chokes as he takes his first casual sip of his coffee. Smelling blood in the water Lisa quickly switches roles with me.

"Yeah, you can put your marks over mine Taylor," Lisa goes for a smirk, it looks slightly forced, "Swarm good to sleep with last night?"

I open my mouth to say something, but the back door opens as Swarm walks out only for a new one to walk in. The new instance immediately makes a beeline for the kitchen table. Her arms are fluctuating with excitement. "We look forward to sleeping with you girlfriend Lisa," Lisa smiles as a hand reaches out for Swarm's hand, "We will spend the entire night touching..."

Lisa, Nimi, and I do our equivalents of blushing hard enough for the room to start glittering from Nimi, my eyespots to rapidly appear and disappear, and Lisa looks like she just stopped thinking as her eyes glaze over. Dad has also stopped, the hot coffee pouring into his mouth but his throat not swallowing. Then Swarm makes our embarrassment worse as she jumps up into Lisa lap on top of Nimi's lap, the chair underneath creaking dangerously. "We will enjoy your noises," Swarm being husky with their voice, it's echo-y like always but it doesn't matter where you are in the room. It sounds like she just whispered that into my ear.

"Okay, ok, ok, nope," I can feel my fluids in my face make my head heavier as I shake it back and forth, "can't do it, please stop everything, I-" I'm so hungry, and it feels like I'm eating the butterflies in my stomach. I look desperately across my plate to see if I can find any more of my breakfast...I finished it a minute ago... shit. I just need something to chew for now, I can feel my hair reaching for the chair leg underneath me. It is already covered in teeth marks from my previous chewing, so I can't use that, dad already got on to me about chewing the furniture. That leaves one thing, I think to myself as I try to ignore the three things in the room my instincts tell me are free game when it came to chewing. I lift the ceramic plate to my mouth and start to crunch into it.

"Ah, Taylor not another one," dad stops his glaring to turn to me worried as I cut myself chewing the plate, "we don't have an endless amount of those and you're getting blood all over yourself." It makes me attractive; my brain says in full rebellion even if I can smell Lisa's full attention on me, on the drops of blood running down my cheeks. "Okay, I know that it is practically tradition between you four to embarrass each other to death in the morning," dad removes the plate from my mouth as my body relaxes around the chewing of the swallowed bits, my black blood covering his hands, "but please stop, or do it when I'm not here, we're running out of plates."

He stands and walks to the kitchen, placing the broken plate into the sink. He goes to wash his hands before being stopped by a Swarm who just walked in and puts his hands in her mouth. I shudder in the nice feeling of my body becoming a part of Swarms body, a level of hosting that only others can share unconditionally. I lick my lips to gather up the fluids still on my face, even as the blood soaked into my clothes seeps through my skin to rejoin the whole. Lisa is watching me the entire time.

"Okay thank you Swarm dear," dad wraps up his daughter in a tight hug which she returns three-fold. The warm family exchange brushes my embarrassment away under a mental rug for me to look at later, good luck future me. He glances at his watch before sighing, "look I've got to go to work soon, and your mother is going to be out today too. Arcadia called her back, so fingers crossed on that yeah, are you four going to behave yourselves while we're gone?"

"Don't worry Danny," Lisa's voice is barely audible as she lifts a thumbs up from underneath the shadows, "I got this."

I giggle at dads pained expression, "it's alright dad, we have cape recon to do today so we can go out on Friday." Honestly since the Lung fight, both all of me and Lisa have kind of been ignoring our recon stuff. Swarm has mostly just been silently growing in prep for her metamorphosis at the end of this month and exploring the bay and surrounding wooded areas for food stuff. That and helping with the mushroom garden, now that Swarm is no longer swarm, I've been doing it mostly by "hand" with Swarm's help.

Dad's expression doesn't change, even as he puts on his coat and grabs his keys, "Okay, as long as I get to see the patrol this time, no more Lung fights."

"Yes, dad."
"Uh-huh, bye daddy!"
"Love you, da..."
"Don't worry Danny, none of us want to fight him again either."

"Well, okay goodbye I love you three too." Dad walks out of the door to the chorus of us telling him we love him. The sound of his truck exiting the neighborhood got my attention back to the only other human that matters in my "life". I get up and make my way across the table, I'm gonna-

*ring* *ring* *ring*

I sigh turning to look over at the phone buzzing on its stand. I look back to Lisa, her body occupied by my two others in a quickly protesting chair. She looks back with excited eyes. I look back to the phone, it can wait right? I look back at Lisa, she looks so inviting...

Well...I guess if it is important, they'll just call back...

*click*

*Hi, this Special Agent Dagshaw of the FBI, I was wondering if you would come down to the PRT building, I have questions about the case...*

now...

Considering that this is the PRT building, I didn't feel comfortable coming in unmasked. So here I am talking to the FBI fully masked in what is clearly an interrogation room. "Frankie," I shake his hand, "my partner, Izzy, will be back soon she just stepped out."

"I see," Dagshaw slips into his seat, "sorry about the PRT by the way."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, well they pulled a few strings in my case to make it a joint case with my office," he gestures to the room, "thus we have to use this room, I'm told that they're not recording, but if you wish to represent the civilian Taylor Hebert, I'll accept it as this isn't a testimony." The way the agent said represent and civilian told me just how much he believed that the PRT wasn't recording.

I look at the mirror behind him and then back to him. "Why the joint case?"

"I'm afraid that it is above my pay grade," the man sounded clearly unhappy about that, his frown directed at the papers as he places them on the metal table, "thankfully they have agreed to let me handle the civilian parts of the case, so they shouldn't be in here for this meeting."

"Okay," I watch him for a few minutes as he gets everything ready, but stop him before he can start, "since I'm representing Taylor, I would feel more comfortable to wait for Izzy to get back."

Dagshaw's expression is pained for a second, but quickly he nods and offers a small smile, "of course, these are sensitive cases, you have a right to any council that you agree to."

"Thank you."

"Do you mind if I ask a few other questions," Dagshaw asks an uncertain look on his face, "they don't pertain to the case, just wanted more information on some things that came up."

"Uh, sure..."

---

I wipe my face with the paper towels and look at myself in the mirror.

My name is Lisa Wilbourn, and I am insane...

Oh of course, yesterday was fun. I enjoyed my date with the three and even enjoyed our public patrol before it was interrupted. The last week, hell the last month, I've felt less alone than I have since I got my powers over a year ago. I really, really like Taylor, all of her...

But that's not why I'm insane.

I rewrap my eyes with the bio-silk mask slipping back into Izzy, making sure in the mirror that it covered any revealing markings on my face. I then shift my collar to expose my neck. The scar is red and shiny, a series of lines in two semi-circles going from the base of my neck down to my shoulder. A bite mark...

I watch as my reflection brings up a finger to stroke at the marking, the fact that it is my left index is not lost on me. The shiny off white of scar tissue covers that finger, another bite, this one from Swarm last Thursday. Even as I touch the markings on my neck, I feel the other one on my side, bigger than the other two, but not as deep as the first. That one is from Nimi given to me on Saturday.

None of these make me feel insane though. Even if I really looked at the facts, I don't regret any of the love bites on my body. I want more of them even. No what makes me feel insane is that I am finding it hard to not think about my new girlfriends eating me. My face warms as the thought of them "loving" on me until nothing is left...

Okay get a grip Lisa, I smack my cheeks to get the feelings to go down, now is not the time. I wanted to date them, I knew what it could be like, and they have been very accommodating to my needs. The constant physical contact is something that we all like, and even sometimes need, and none of us are getting worn out by it anytime soon. So, fuck, is it the cannibalism, or maybe it is the fact that I want to participate? I shake my head as I try to dislodge the thought, again Lisa. Head. In. Game.

I finish my self-inspection and head for the door. The FBI want to do an interview of Taylor for her case, I need to be there to act as legal and moral support. I really need to stop fantasizing about..."stuff". There is a time and a place, now in neither.

I step out of the bathroom and into the halls. The PRT HQ is mostly halls actually, all of it a spiraling and confusing mess. I turn to the trooper that waited for me while I finished up having my existential crisis. I want to say something, but they just nod and start walking expecting me to follow. Since my power have informed me that the PRT building's layout is thinker designed to confuse anyone not familiar with its structure, I quickly follow my escort.

I wonder why the FBI wants to talk, Taylor has already given a testimony about both last Tuesday and the locker stuff from January. They have all of the notebooks that she kept, detailing all the stuff that her bullies have done to her over the last two years. So, what could be left?

[possible questions about death, or likely that events have transpired since then, impossible to know for sure...]

Speaking of my powers, I've noticed something that I hadn't in the last year I've had them. I'm starting to get answers from them. It is still a constant non-stop stream of information going on in my brain, but lately it has been answering my questions. I have to ask it directly; it can't be a vague question either unless it is the question "how do I destroy this person/building/thing". Otherwise, my power needs me to ask an almost leading question, like I am so close to the answer and it just jumps when I ask it. Before I just looked at the world around me and picked through the run on sentence for what I needed, but now I can direct its attention to much finer details.

I guess all I needed was a little practice with my powers in a different sort of setting, one where direct questions are better than indirect answers. It had probably been doing that this whole time, but I've been a little distracted last month. What with the almost being kidnapped only to be saved by a very friendly zombie from said kidnappers. Then to becoming a hero which was then undercut by the fear that the aforementioned zombie really wants to eat me. Which was finally resolved as I realize that her "digestion" of me is extremely slow and it means she loves me. Followed by accepting my very slow death and enjoying her affections, even biting back... Fuck, last month was long.

Well, it's a new month, and with the way it has been going so far...it will probably also be long, let's not fuck with the trickster god Murphy right now...

The trooper is silent as we walk the halls back to the interrogation room that I left Taylor in. I know, I know, not a smart move to leave my zombie girlfriend alone in a room when she clearly has a fear of authorities. Better than having to explain to the FBI why it is okay that Frankie is chewing on me and blood is coming out. God, I wish, we were going to try biting harder today, you know after we checked in with the gangs and such, why does the world want to keep me from my zombie? I smirk to myself, but inside a girl I call crazy is cackling inside a little soft room I made for her. Best leave the crazy for home, hopefully this won't take too lo-

"Oh, hey trooper wait." Both me and the trooper next to me turn to see who called out. The tall skinny man wearing a fancier PRT uniform is speed walking towards us.

---

I don't like her...

The quiet sound of Armsmaster's tinkering with a couple circuit boards is the only sound in the room as I stare through the glass into the other. I would have preferred that Militia was here not the twitchy-too-excited-for-an-Endbringer Armsmaster, but from her last report on the Hebert household, Hannah made it clear. She wants fuck all to do with them. I can't say I blame her.

I watch as the ever-shifting mass of long hair flows across the floor, like a twisted sheet. The curls, big and loopy, have teeth that seem to move along the surface like the blades of a chainsaw. In the hood formed by her hair, black and silver eyes blink in and out looking in every direction. Her mask is just ugly too, a black flat surface over her face with only a red spiral as its singular feature. I almost wish that she was coming in to be a ward, just give the PR team a little heart attack. Almost, I think as Special Agent Dagshaw walks into the room, all those hideously glowing eyes lock on to the movement.

I shudder, unfortunately Armsmaster takes notice but he doesn't make comment. I realize that I'm probably being a little more bias than usual. This is a cape that flat out refused to join us and gave no reason for it. Considering how cannibalism is a very definite maybe in the Hebert home, I should probably be glad that she turned our offer down. Still doesn't make me less pissed. Maybe I should just be glad that she wants to be a "hero", considering that Lung most definitely is in the hospital because something decided he was tasty. I stop my internal triage at the sound of the FBI's agent starting.

"Ah, good morning, Frankie, I'm Special Agent Dagshaw, thank you for coming in." I try not to smirk at his bumbling with the cape name, clearly the PRT are more suited to handle this case. It's a shame I'm not recording I could use it to embarrass the FBI, maybe stall this case long enough for us to hunt down Shadow Stalker. The frown on my face deepens as I think about the little shit. This is all her fault, first she has the gall to break her probation terms, then she gets some random triggered into whatever the fuck is sitting in the room across the glass, before finally not being smart enough to leave the new trigger alone. I can feel my teeth tighten and squeak as I think about how smug that petulant child must have felt to get away with it all for almost two years, fucking sadist. I know that I would be spitting angry right now, if the satisfaction of knowing Shadow Stalker is out there now, pissed herself that she has consequences coming to bare down on her throat.

I ignore the subtle barb that Dagshaw gives the PRT, almost wanting to roll my eyes at the comfort he throws the cape letting her friend sit in. Sure, on some level I do feel for Miss Hebert, capes are unstable and reckless to a fault, and I know more than a few that need serious psychological help. Taylor's story, while a little more gory and violent than average, describes a young girl who was tortured into triggering and then died only to heal from that just to be tortured again. I'm just pissed off at having the FBI show up an interfere with our own investigation into Shadow Stalker's activities, I can pity Hebert later when I have time to. Maybe after the Endbringer attack that could happen anytime this or next month, when I will probably lose another protectorate team member...

"Do you mind if I ask a few other questions, they don't pertain to the case, just wanted more information on some things that came up."

"Uh, sure..."

I lean forward, this is unexpected. I had looked through most of Special Agent Dagshaw's notes about what kind of questions he would be asking. All of them pertained to the cases he is working, so this is a complete departure from that list. What are you up to Dagshaw?

"I wanted to ask you about the administration of Winslow," my eyes narrow, what is he- "I noticed that in your notebooks, you never mentioned if principal Blackwell had any motives to ignore the bullying."

"No, I didn't start my notebooks until six months after the bullying started, so a lot of the early stuff got lost as I forgot to write it down," I watch as the hair begins to wrap around the legs of her chair. A nervous habit? Probably...

"I see," I can see a notepad pulled from his coat, "do you mind describing how the staff at your school acted in more detail, as well as what your bullies would do to get out of trouble, also you don't mind if I take some written notes for some of this?"

"No, and no I don't mind," I watch the teeth of the cape's hair spiral around the chair leg, holding up to that chainsaw-like movement. "Emma and Sophia are popular and are really good at convincing people that I was a liar. I think that Emma's dad being a lawyer also helped them get away with things, that Sophia is a track star doesn't help."

"Hmmm, that still isn't enough," I watch the teeth press harder against the metal leg, surprised that some of them sunk into the solid steel. "The motivations are not enough I mean, it feels like there should be more to this, they essentially tried to hide a body after all." I ignored the minor display of brute powers in favor of looking at the back of Dagshaw's head. Getting way to close to the details there Dagshaw. "Do you have anything that would give me a better angle on Blackwell, such as her character or how did she act with each of them, the bullies I mean."

"Uh, okay," she grinds at the table leg, its visibly denting now. I look over at Armsmaster to see him also taking notes, brute strength, check. One power my ass... "I seem to remember that she tends to react more to stuff that could make her look bad, she really doesn't like when I mentioned that they were bullying me again. I don't know anything else that there could be."

"Then how about something about other members of the staff." Armsmaster and I watch and listen as Hebert talks about various teachers and student. The absolute lack of responsible adults at Winslow is very concerning, I'm surprised that someone else hadn't triggered. Well, I guess someone has triggered, after the entire school sacrificed Taylor to the wolves. I'm more surprised that she even decided to come and talk with the FBI here, the lack of good role models in authority positions in her life is shockingly thin. It does explain why she doesn't want to join the wards and makes our position even more clear. Taylor Hebert can never find out about Shadow Stalker; I don't want to face someone who can eat metal like that chair leg. Her partner hasn't returned yet, but I can already feel the current conversation begin to wind down.

"Okay, this is all very helpful," Dagshaw looks at his watch and then at the door, "how long has your friend been gone now, I would like to start soon."

"Fifty minutes." Wait, what?

"Fifty minutes," the agent's question mirrors mine, "what did she have to do?" I look over at the clock, I had watched the blonde leave the room and even heard her talk to the trooper at the door to say she need to go to the bathroom. The closest bathroom was a minute away per the building's design, even if it also looked like an office door. She should be back by now... has it really been fifty minutes?

"She needed to go to the bathroom," Frankie looks fine as though the extreme time discrepancy is not concerning, "I'm sure that she will be back soon."

"Uh, do you not realize that is kind of a long time to go," he speaks slowly, Frankie blushes embarrassed. Her face turning grey rather than red. Considering that is not a weird as the rest of her, I'll ignore it.

"I uh, don't remember what that stuff was like." Both me and Armsmaster watch as the chair leg snaps and is rapidly shredded by a buzzsaw made of hair and teeth.

"Armsmaster?"

"Uuuh?"

"Go find out where Izzy is, right now."

"Uuuh."

---

I have her cornered...

The trooper stops as I approach giving a small salute that my rank here deserves. "Good, good you stopped," I split the timeline, I don't have all the time in the world after all. When I learned that both Lisa and the Hebert child were going to be at the PRT building I was torn on what to do. On the one hand it could be a way to capture myself a thinker, but on the other it could capture the attention of the monster family.

I had already tried to get that stubborn idiot Dagshaw in my pocket and get him to trigger the monster he was going to interrogate, but I hit the snag of him being way too stubborn and not having a covert method of removal. Even blaming it on a rather angry ex-ward or a homicidal monster worked for very long, so he is unfortunately immovable.

1: {I dismiss the trooper with just a formal dismissal.}

2: {I explain to the trooper that I wished to discuss something with the cape Izzy.}

The second timeline suffers from suspicion and time wasting, with the first making him leave immediately with only a quick explanation. I watch longer to reveal that the thinker has seen through my lie. So, I go with the second.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have orders to keep the visitor within sight at all times."

I split the timeline.

0: {"understandable trooper, but I merely have questions pertaining to the upcoming Endbringer fight." A subject that is very hot right now, with murmurs of it throughout the rank. It could happen any day now...}

1: {"I'm afraid that my questions are above your security clearance, I have my orders." I try this time to believe what I'm saying, after all in my mind Coil's needs are greater than the PRT's needs. So, it technically isn't a lie...}

The first one gets an okay with the trooper leaving to within an earshot, but still being present. The second gets a salute and them surrendering duty to me, it also passes the thinker check...

I take the second and split the timeline.

"So, what is this about?" Lisa doesn't look convinced, even though her powers didn't cause the telltale switch in facial expression. Her poker face wasn't up all the way before, it is now...

0: {"the PRT would like to work with you on a case, if you're willing to listen..."}

1: {"We would like to discuss some worrying information that we've gotten about the Hebert residence..."}

In both timelines Miss Wilbourn is unimpressed.

0: {"What kind of case?"}

1: {"I kind of already am aware... what do you really want?"}

I drop the second and take timeline one, "Missing persons, but I would like to discuss it in private."

0: {"would you like to follow me?"}

1: {"We can talk the details out over the phone I'll provide later, I just have a few questions about your group."}

I feel lucky as she ascents to both paths, thus giving me an escape should I mess up from here. Whatever I do, I must not run into the Hebert in the building.

0: {We walk over to a conference room in silence. Taking a seat across from me I begin. "Good, now that we have some privacy, I can tell you more about the case."

"Okay," Izzy is tapping her thigh, "who is missing and why go to the outside the PRT for it?"

"Sarah Livsey," I watch her face looking for signs and tells, she gives up after a few seconds.}

1: {I begin walking down the hall with the clueless thinker following me behind as I "lead" her back to the interrogation rooms. "First, I would like to know somethings about how your group plans."

"Why, we haven't been exactly on too many patrols or raids."

"Some of the thinkers noticed that your decision-making skills as a group are very accurate," I start, relishing the panic I'm causing in the first timeline, "considering the anti-thinker effect surrounding your group we figured that asking how you gather information was easier than the side effects."

"Side effects, what side effects?"

I turn to look at her, an eyebrow raised. While I too haven't suffered some of the things that the Watchdog report entailed, it is still horrifying to read that I could have killed myself using my power near that girl-thing. It still was worth the nightmares stealing that bit of covert info. "You aren't aware, supposedly it put several thinkers in the hospital."

"Oh, well no I haven't had it too bad," she pauses looking at me for a second, "It is a power synergy between myself and Swarm."

I look at her waiting for her to go on, before realizing that she wasn't going to explain. "I see, well it is impressive to say the least, Swarm is a new member or are we incorrect?"

"She has been with us the entire time."

Bullshit...}

0: {"How the fuck do you know that name," an extreme smirk sharp and wicked crosses Lisa's face. It reminds me of a certain terror I saw in my testing time with the Hebert parents...

"The PRT is very good at its job, and stealing is a crime with a very obvious paper trail," I try my best to grin back, this is just like sharing a secret after all it is important to grin. "We tracked you from New York and Boston, until we reached here." Mostly true, I've been tracking Sarah's movements as far back as three months ago. "It was smart to keep moving like you did, but you should have sticked to smaller populations."

"I'll keep that in mind," the smirk never leaves, in fact it just starts to look more and more feral, "but I don't think that I'll be leaving anytime soon."}

1: {I turn down another hall, thus taking us even father from the interrogation room as we begin to loop through halls. "I see, well we are also wondering about certain members origins, such as where your group met to form as it has."

"It's private," her poker face has yet to relax, "hey are we going the right way?"

"Yes, the halls of the building are designed to look different going down them in different directions," also a truth, they just don't look this different, "some kind of thinker-based architecture, you get used to it."

She is silent, but we continue on our way.}

0: {"And why is that, Miss Livsey?" I drop all pretense and ignore the other timeline it was too slow anyways. This one was much more interesting.

"Because if there is one word I could possibly use for my girlfriend," the smirk loses its edge as she brings up her wrist to her mouth. What the hell is she up to. "Is clingy."

I open my mouth to say something, but quickly lose that comment as I watch her bite down as hard as she can on her wrist. I don't- what?

I continue to stare as the blood starts to run down her arm and spill on to the floor. Hmm, I watch as the clearly insane child slips back into her chair, her eyelids fluttering closed as she starts to pass out from blood loss.

Was that supposed to-}

[0:ERROR]

I stop walking as the previous timeline dies.

What.
The.
Fuck?

When did she figure out, we are well out of her range. I've seen Miss Wilbourn hurt before and she never had the monster's attention unless they were nearby. So what-

I try not to jump as the voice behind me makes itself known. "Is something wrong?"

She just ended a timeline, by killing herself. No, no that couldn't be right, could it?

I split the timeline.

0: {I swiftly pull out my handgun and fire directly into her head.}

1: {I wait to see what will happen in the first timeline, ignoring the thinker's questions...}

0: {As soon as the gunshot echoes down the hall, two things happen all at once. One it immediately calls the guards out of there hidden rooms with one being just besides me. I ignore the shouts of the troopers surrounding me in favor of staring at the corpse of the thinker lying on the ground, head splattered down the hall. The second thing I noticed was that the entire hallway had dropped a couple degrees in temperature, I feel frigid cuff placed over my wrist as I'm wrestled to the ground. Still, I continue to watch fully focused on just this timeline. I don't have to wait long as the troopers and I start to hear the screams. The sounds of buzzing saws coming from down the hall, wet tearing noises and the sounds of many people screaming. We watch as people start running down the halls away from the screams, many of them are covered in blood and several have viscera on them. The sound of containment foam somehow comes before the alarms go off, as though it is only now that someone could reach the emergency alarm.

I can hear it coming. The buzzsaw sound of insects enraged, the heavy footsteps of a creature walking on all fours across ceilings and through walls. I hear the screaming of people quickly fall silent as more and more thumps can be heard. The sound is getting closer too, under all of it I hear sickening snaps of bone and the crunching of skulls. The troopers next to me freeze up as blood starts to pool near the edge of a intersecting hallway, it is just around the-}

I stop the timeline and split again. I don't care to see any more of what that one was. I keep watching this new timeline and keep my control one with just Lisa and I standing there.

"Uh, hey are you alright you have sort of just spaced out there for the last twenty minutes," Lisa look of confusion is either a clever ruse or real all I know is that I can't stay here. Has it really been twenty minutes? I check my watch in both timelines. It felt so much faster...

0: {"Ah, I think I'm lost, perhaps I don't know the building as well as I did," I shrug and try my hardest to appear confused, "I'm going to find a trooper they can escort you back, stay here." I then walk off before she can respond, turning around a corner and then slipping into one of the secret corridors before she could catch up.}

1: {I pull my gun and this time aim it at her stomach. "Woah, fuck!" She tries to move out of the way, but I just refocus my aim at her leg. The shot bores a hole straight through her with blood-}

[1:ERROR]

I stagger in my climb up the stairs to my office. That timeline ended almost instantly...okay time to extract, the PRT are not going to be able to help me get my thinker. At least not the local branch...

I make my way to my office acting calm as I could possibly be knowing that the monster is currently only fifteen floors below me. Not enough if you ask me. I shudder as I close my office door finally safe to break down, which I do quietly in another timeline. In this timeline I make the executive decision, my cover here in the PRT building is not worth it if it can't protect me from that which lies underneath me.

The first task I set about doing is dismantling my computer's code and then physical hardware, when people come looking, I don't want any of it left. I shut all my back doors under passwords and encryptions as it will be important to keep my access to the PRT systems. With my access retained via paper and electronic means, I hit my computer kill switch, overwriting the system with thousands of dummy files and removing all pointers just to make it seem like a simple delete. Finished I check on my internal panic episode only to wince as I am now writing on the walls with markers, I've barred the door and my floor to ceiling window is blown out, the computer's tower is missing. I shake my head, I'm definitely running over somebody once I leave, in another timeline of course.

Now what to do with the physical hardware? I pull out a kit that my tech expert helped me build just in case I had to bail from the PRT at any point in the future. I peeled open the side of the tower and got to work...

As I exited the building fifteen minutes later, I looked back at the building. Nope not going to miss working there...

---

As for the weird formatting on Coil's power instead of it being like the other interlude stuff, it mostly comes down to that was a flashback, this time we got to see it happen in real time. Also this was technically easier to write and a bit easier to comprehend. But I wonder if people will notice that distinction between the two. Depends on how lazy I am about going back and fixing that chapter or changing this one.

 

[Tumultuous_Anxiety]

This chapter fought me, it has been awhile since I wrote something a bit more action-y. As for some of the things in this are not nice. Say what you will about fluff, but conflict is an important story focus and it is time to get back to that part...

---

I stare after the retreating cape as they jog down the hall, disappearing around a corner. He was weird...

I relax as I'm now finally away from whoever the fuck that was. I cover my eyes, rubbing at the spiking pain in my skull, that fucking hurt...his power sucked. You get anything useful from that powers?

[THE WALLS ARE COATED IN A REFLECTIVE SUBSTANCE THAT ALTERNATES IN PATTERN AND TEXTURE, IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHICH DIRECTION YOUR FACING, THE FLOOR LINES ARE COLORED VIA A SYSTEM OF GLOSS PAINTS THAT...]

Fuck! I grip me head as my power screams into the too tight confines of my pounding skull. Okay so I got nothing from him, got it, just please shut up! I can feel the florescent lights buzz over head as the full swing of my thinker headache starts to pour acid onto my brain. This is so much worse than it usually gets, I look around as I try to determine where I am, but I still think I can walk- woah! The world twists around in my vision as I take a step. My eyes burn with the bright lights as the colors of the room blend into a mess. "Fuck, wha-?"

[...CAN BE USED AS A...HAS TROUBLE WITH...DON'T LOOK...WE NEED TO KEEP OUR HEAD AWAY FROM...*whine*....IT NEEDS TO BE INSERTED AT THE BACK END...CHEESE, PICKLES, BALONEY AND LETTUCE...stop...HE LEFT HER AFTER HE FOUND OUT...THE SCREAMING IS NOT COMING FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA...FORTY PERCENT OF YOUR ACTIVITY COULD BE REPLACED WITH...]

My powers scream as the random garbage presses painfully through the back of my eyes. "FUCK!" My voice is loud in my skull and drills into my temples as I feel my skull trying to heat up, but I can't stop speaking it hurts to much to ignore. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, please it is too loud, I-"

[HEAD POPPED LIKE A WATERMELON, 9MM AT CLOSE RANGE AIM FOR THE HEAD, IF YOU TALK ABOUT THEIR DOG, YOU CAN GET THEM TO BREAK DOWN IN TWENTY MINUTES, DODGE: LEFT, RIGHT, BACK TO THROW HIM OFF GUARD THIS WILL STAGGER HIM AS HE OVER EXTENDS, <we> CAN'T SEE IT BUT THEY ARE PRESENT...]

My ears ring and my throat feels hoarse as I realize that the screaming, I was hearing was me. I shut my mouth so fast that I think I clip my tongue, a bitter taste covers my tongue. "I, need to sit down..."

[THEY ARE STILL LOOKING FOR YOU, IF YOU MENTION THAT HE WAS YOUR FAULT, YOU CAN BREAK YOU, MENTION THAT HE DID IT TO ESCAPE YOU AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SELF-TERMINATE IN THE NEXT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, THREATEN TO TELL ERROR WHAT HAPPENED, WILL DO ANYTHING YOU SAY...]

"Stop," I feel my throat strain around my words as my powers examine me, "please, I don't want to hear this..." I'm ignored as the vocal gunshots of my power scream at me my weaknesses.

[needs people, can't stand isolation for too long, strong reason that you decided to even stick around error is because you feared being alone again, just like he was as...]

"NO!" I scream as the voice becomes mine, its sibilant tones run razors over my brain as it speaks. My mind fills to full, and the burning heat turns sweltering as I feel something drip from my nose and ears. I feel the floor under my hands, when did I get on the floor?

[FELL, IDIOT.]

I curl into a ball as the voice punches my skull with thoughts. I shut my eyes, they can barely close them as the sensation feels too tight. No- no more questions, I press my hands over my ears as I try to block out the sound of approaching feet, it is causing my power to look at me...

[tinkertechalloydesignedtolimittheamountofheatlostduetopowertollerancesbeingsostrict...]

[hasproblemswithcurrentassignment,doesn'tbelivetheyareasimportantasthecomingendbringerfight...]

[seesmostpeopleasuseful,butmakesnoclaimtothemhavingarealvaluetohistime...]

[ismostlyinterestedinyourconditionforitabbilitytomanipulateerror...]

Armsmaster, that is who's feet are by my head, I curl tighter as my teeth clench through the pain, fuck it is getting worse. I feel my nails cut the skin around my ears with how tight I'm holding my head. Just stop thinking I can't- I don't have room for all of this information!

[ …SUBJECT 2 HAS PLANS FOR THIS EVENING AT TWO...WE CAN BREAK SUBJECT 6 IF WE PRESS THEM ON...SUBJECT 3 WILL BE EASIER TO SWAY IF WE CONVINCE SUBJECT 8 TO FORFEIT CUSTODY... THE INFO IS SOUND, HE WON'T PUNISH US AS LONG AS WE ARE WORKING...]

[…ENOUGH OF THE DRUGS HAVE BEEN EXCRETED...SUBJECT 35 IS GOING TO ONE OF THE DOGFIGHTS ON THE SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN TONIGHT, SHE HAS THE PLANS MARKED DOWN...YOU WILL BEGIN TO FEEL PAIN FROM THE HEADACHES SOON, THEY WILL REPLACE THE DRUGS IN YOUR SYSTEM...I'M SORRY...]

[AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAAaaAAaaaAaAAAaaaAAaAaaAAaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA...]

[it wasn't your fault, he would do it anyways...you blame yourself more than think you should...he didn't die in pain...]

"Console, this is Armsmaster I have a downed cape on the ninth floor hallway beta, c please send for medical," the voice is inflectionless and cuts at my brain like glass, "she appears to be having a seizure."

[cccccccccccctttttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhh...]

"AHHH, STOP!" My eyes feel wet underneath my tight mask, tears forming but not having enough room to escape the silk covering them. "TOO LOUD, TOO BRIGHT, TOO SHARP!"

I feel that sinister voice whisper in my mind as I can see the man from before, the skinny one. I watch as a pale white snake trails up his body. The serpent's eyes are locked on mine, its mouth opens and screams a whisper...

[they know what you sound like screaming and in pain...if they shot you ERROR.]

I scream as the error rips through the wet tissue of my grey matter, nails ripping out of my flesh as lightning lances across my back. I-I need it t-t-to st-top! I feel my eyes open as the light floods into my skull, a burning fire fills my head. The world is a blur as I look around, a blue shape is coming towards me, but warbles of sound are punches to my brain as I look around. Please, please stop! How do I stop? It hurts!

[WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL.WALL]

I spin to face the wall, my whole world rushing past as my vertigo and nausea fight for dominance in my burning senses. "Wall", I whisper. The smooth concrete surface is the only thing I can recognize in my haze of pain. It is the solution, I run at it dodging the blue shape as my adrenaline floods my skull and body with speed. The white expanse grows larger and larger as my mind leaks into the air. I point my head forward and scream, "WALL!"

*crack*

I bounce off the wall as the impact blooms pain and wet across my forehead. I- what, I stumble back as the world tilts back. The lights burn but my head feels like cotton. A smirk on my face as my pain lessens, "that crack was satisfying..."

My vision wavers as the floor rushes up to meet me. My vertigo winning out as it feels as though I fell further than the floor. Where is Taylor?

[. . .]

I think I see blue? It wavers in my vision, just a blob of color on an already messy canvas.

[. . .]

What was I doing again? I try to turn my head, but it just feels like it is spinning in place.

[. . . . .]

A darkness over takes me even as I feel Taylor approach, when, could...I...do...tha-

---

I stood when I felt it. The metal chair, now three legged with the chewed up steel of the missing leg lying on the floor, ripped from its bolts with my motion. I could smell everything, Dagshaw's panic and confusion, the seep of containment foam filling the nozzles that turned to me, a sweat building on the brow of someone just beyond the glass. It was all irrelevant to the bitter bite of her blood, Lisa's blood.

Yes, I'm still inside her veins, it is not like my blood wasn't helping after all. Sealing small tissue damage, removing and decoding viruses, keeping her red blood cells company... It wasn't Hosting, but it isn't like my love was extracted from her. But now; I can feel it trickling from a gash, my blood flows out with her own blood.

Lisa is hurt, hurt enough to bleed and a lot if what I can feel is being lost right now. I use my dead cells in her flesh to check her over, it could be just a simple cut, right? Bleeding is a natural part of living, so it doesn't have to be bad...

Lisa's muscles are contracting violently, micro fractures and tears pocket her skeletal and muscular systems, her heartbeat is rapid and the same damage in her muscles is present. She is bleeding from her nose and ears, her eyes also seem to have burst several vessels. I quickly reach for her nerves and feel myself stop pretending to breath. Her peripheral nerves are warm like a burning electrical wire with her spinal cord pulsing in time with her heartbeat. Her brain is the worst, full activity with the both the motor cortex and prefrontal suffering the most damage. There is a skull fracture. Lisa is hurting badly...

I feel the silence stretch in my mind as me and my others take that thought in. And then I feel their screaming, a panic radiating through all of me as our thoughts align. "Protect Lisa..."

"Please, Frankie." We whip Taylor's head to look at the source of the voice. "I need you to remain calm okay, your still in the PRT building right you recognize that if you freak out here, they'll detain you." We study the living one carefully. We don't recognize him, but he does offer solid advice. If the PRT capture Taylor body, it will be several minutes before Swarm body can defeat them and reach Lisa. A fight would just halt our progress.

I gather up a small fraction of Swarm body's bodies, four-hundred should be enough, to hide in and around the metal and electric building Taylor body and Lisa are in. Nimi body is currently in the basement of home, building a breaching tool at her discretion of destructive force. I feel these two drop from our in union thinking, I'm now just Taylor.

Okay Taylor think I'm the closest to Lisa, so I need to escape this room, find her, and kill the threat. I think over my options, just barely noticing that Dagshaw has retreated to the corner farthest from the door. Well, maybe I can just ask the living to step out of my way. "I am leaving, my girlfriend is severely injured," I move towards the door dropping the metal chair my hair had started chewing as I walk. Okay, the FBI is staying out of my way, so at least I don't have to worry about that.

"Stop," the voice over the intercom in the room has a commanding presence to it, even if it does have a slight shake as well, "I must ask you to remain in the interrogation room, I will not have you wreak havoc in my building." Interesting so this is someone in charge, who?

"I have to find L- Izzy," I stare at the false mirror, feeling the heartbeat quicken as I pinpoint the living one beyond, "her nerves are on fire and she has a skull fracture, a fever is currently killing off brain cell at a speed that will cause mild-brain damage." The intercom is silent, and I feel my feet shift as the undead flesh in my legs desire to run. "Please, her stress levels spiked before she was injured, I think that she was attacked."

"We sent Armsmaster to look for her, do not leave."

"He has no clue where she is, I know exactly where she is, please she is unconscious right now, but her brain is still trying to fry itself."

"You have a powerful anti-thinker effect that causes severe adverse reactions in thinkers, which power do you think Izzy has?" I narrow my eyes at the veiled accusation. Does she think I'd hurt Lisa on purpose? I growl under my breath as she keeps talking. "How do I know that you intervening won't make things worse, besides Armsmaster has already found her so your point is invalid."

"If you do not let me out of this room, we will tear through this building until we find her," I can feel the ribs in my chest click, the mouth in my core opening as my hunger grows, my growl rising to a buzz of insect wings. It is a white hot fire I feel, built to consume those that are stupid enough to put their hand in that flame. Rage, it's called rage... I'm filled with this hunger.

"Is that a threat, cause I would love to press this button right here in front of me and flood that room with containment foam if it is."

"Let me out and we won't do to your building what we did to Lung." I can feel Swarm's agitation as she forgets to only bring four-hundreds of her bodies and instead brings all two-thousand seven-hundred fifty. The swirling dark storm of limbs pack the dark alleys all along the street the PRT building is on. Nimi's enthusiasm to rescue Lisa is uplifting as she finishes the breaching tool. A long bone tube, thick with muscles lined with dense abalone chains of hydrogen bonds. When it flexes it will launch an explosive tipped bone spike as the muscles crunch their hydrogen to make the resulting chains explode. It will work...

"So, your admitting to a crime," I can see the heartbeat slow as serotonin and other feel good chemicals fill her blood stream. She is smug, like she thinks that this is a game to play. Lisa's life is in danger, it is not a game to us.

"Extreme situations call for extreme reactions, Director Piggot," Dagshaw's voice almost startles me as he opens up from behind. Also, now got a name for mystery asshole, Director Piggot...

"This is a bit beyond your department Eric, I would suggest you keep your mouth shut," the irritation in Piggot's voice is very clear.

"Oh, of course I'll keep my lips zipped director," the detective begins to walk over to me, "and it's Special Agent."

"Dagshaw, what are you doing I order you to stop, do not approach the clearly dangerous chainsaw on legs," Piggot's voice is angry, not an ounce of concern present for the FBI agent, "what do you think you're doing!"

Dagshaw quietly walks past me and opens the door, letting it swing inwards. "I find that entrapment at this level is childish, and I intend to resolve this dick measuring contest before someone starts acting rash."

I stare at the open door and the hallway beyond, both my others screaming at me to move. I instead walk very slowly past the detective giving him a nod and smile, even if he can only see the smile. Past the threshold I run down the hall rapidly zeroing in on Lisa location. The distant shouts from the intercom drown out by the much closer shouts of troopers heading my way.

I feel the world narrow and focus as I examine the incoming opponents in front of me. Six humans, four in my path and two behind me. I can't kill them, it would slow me down, so I need to go past them. A trooper approaches on my left and another stops a bit back to bring up a sprayer. I don't think about it as my body dodges.

I roll left under the trooper's arms to dodge the grab, kicking off from his thigh into a standing run that brought me close to the wall. I kick the wall with my left leg to roll past the second one with the sprayer, slamming my feet into the ground to hop over the head of the third. I feel the thick mass of containment foam near my head mid-air. My hair shifts my body back as reaches and grips the floor, my body flowing around the glob as I fly underneath, missing it with my face by inches. I land in a slide that goes under the last guy's feet, having crossed the hall past everyone without slowing. I'm back on my feet and running in a fraction of a second as my hair pushes me back onto my feet.

Behind me I can see the after math of my handy work. The sprayer guy got his buddy that I kicked in the thigh, his leg was now covered in an expanding foam. The sprayer guy had followed my arc through the air and got the other two as well, one guy completely immobilized and the other tripped and smashed his head into sprayer guy. It was fun but I kept running picking up speed as I hear alarms and see red lights beginning to flash. The stomp of boots alerting me to the incoming troops, the ones behind me I can see.

Fuck you too, Piggot. I'm going to get to Lisa before you can catch me!

---

So, yeah I seem to like to hurt Lisa...fuck I feel like shit about it...