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After watching Mekara disappear into a storm of debris, you reached behind your back to grab your portal projector, placed just above your vibranium dagger.

“Hold this for me?” you said, handing the device to Ana, who carefully accepted it.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I need to get something real quick. Just point it at that wall, flip that switch, and hold it steady until I get back.” you explained.

Ana did as you said, and a red, swirling portal formed on the area you’d pointed at. This wasn’t her first time seeing it happen, but it was her first time handling the equipment.

“Thanks. I’ll only be a minute.” you promised, disappearing into the portal, and reappearing in the purple and amber pocket dimension where you’d left the spoils of your last heist. It felt like forever ago.

Your eyes raced back and forth, searching your stash for the cache of alien weapons you stole from Rolo. And thanks to you having the foresight to properly organize your loot during your time in Vegas, it didn’t take you long to find the guns.

“There you are…”

You bundled everything up in a web-sack, slung them over your shoulder, and raced back out the way you came. As always, the transitional process of crossing between dimensional spaces left you feeling all tingly, but you were otherwise unphased.

When you dropped the guns on the ground in front of her, Ana’s eyes dropped along with them.

“Are those…?”

“Yup. Figured we'd need them sooner or later.” you confirmed with a nod, placing your now empty hands on your hips. “And lucky for us, they're not that hard to use.”

You knelt down to pick up a rifle with a spiraling helix shaped barrel.

“Here. Let me show you.”

Ana had already shut off the projector, and was listening intently. You weren’t an expert on alien guns or anything, but you had least figured out the basics after trying them out.

You just had to hope that these things would be powerful enough to deal some damage to that overgrown iguana over there.

—-----------

A few minutes later, you were back in action, although somewhat weighed down by the veritable arsenal of alien weaponry strapped to your body. If the buildings here were taller, you’d be able to cover greater distances with each swing, but at least this way you could get a good web-swinging rhythm going. Empty streets meant no traffic, and no traffic meant that you could fly through this crumbling city without losing much momentum.

Sure, you would have to dodge the occasional sand blast or flying boulder, but that was a walk in the park compared to what Mekara was doing. The giant robot lady, and honor guard for the Kaiju King, was dodging and weaving between collapsing buildings, taking pot shots with her wrist cannons where she could, and firing missiles when she thought she could get away with it.

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The big stubby-armed lizard creature laid down flat on his belly, scuttling away at an impressive speed so as to avoid the explosive projectiles. It bounded off of a nearby building, and sharply rotated the lower half of its body in order to whip its long tail in Mekara’s direction. And from that tail came a wave of sand that sliced through anything in its path. Mekara managed to vault over the attack, just barely managing to pull her foot back in time, before descending on her prey, Wolverine claws extended.

Her opponent leapt back, Mekara’s claws just barely managing to graze his skin. Now that you were closer, you were able to get a better look at what you were dealing with. The big lizard had indeed resembled an iguana, in the way that its flesh sagged and its back and tail were lined with spines. Most alarming were its large, bulging eyes that never seemed to blink, and its mouth full of razor sharp yellowish-brown teeth.

Those large, unblinking eyes flicked to you for a second, but it paid for its inattentiveness with a solid slash across the chest from Mekara. Yellowish-green blood leaked from its fresh wound, and it tried to retreat, only to earn a missile to the face for its trouble.

Mekara didn’t let up. She chased him down and sank her claws into its long, prehensile tail. She tried to stake it to the ground, but the lizard managed to lift both its tail and the giant robot clinging to it. Mekara was flung through the air, crashing into a building that was uncomfortably close to you.

As soon as you were close enough, you leveled a sleek, bronze chrome cannon at his head. Your arm fit snugly in a compartment where the gun’s stock would normally be. It sort of reminded you of Samus’ arm-cannon from Metroid, but narrower.

You pulled the trigger repeatedly, and multiple lances of blue superheated plasma ripped through the scales on the creature’s face. You’d aimed a few of those shots at those big, beady eyes of his, but they didn’t seem to affect him as strongly as they should.

“Would it kill you to at least blink?”

In response, the reptile curled in on itself and started thrashing around on the ground, kicking up a ton of dirt and sand in the process. Its long tail whipped and coiled around his feet like a lasso, and when he flung it towards you, a literal tidal wave of dirt followed in the same direction.

First came the shockwave from the whipcrack of its long tail, sending you hurtling backwards into something solid. Mekara curled her fingers around your torso and pulled you close to her chest, using her back to shield you from the worst of it.

(cont.)

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Several moments later, Mekara tried to turn her head to find the monster, only to receive a tail swipe to the face. You flew from her grasp as she tumbled into another cluster of buildings. The giant lizard pounced on her then, tearing at her armor with its sharp claws, and coiling its tail around her throat. Mekara shielded herself with her arms, whilst simultaneously popping out a pair of buzzsaws and grinding them against the creature’s tail.

That forced it to break away from her, and gave you enough time to snag the corner of a building with a webline and slingshot yourself back towards the beast. And this time, you weren’t worried about conserving your ammo in the slightest.

“You know, you sort of remind me of the school pet I had when I was in the third grade. I sort of killed that one too, but that was just because I overfed it.” you said, remembering the ugly little thing that had been placed in your care. “On a related note, I hope you’re hungry!”

You flew tight circles around the reptile, peppering it with plasma bolts and shards of some material that you couldn’t quite identify. When you ran out of ammo on the shard rifle, you glued it to a wall and pulled out another gun, running through your bullets and discarding your guns just as fast. You could’ve tried bringing additional clips with you, but you weren’t entirely sure which ones were compatible with which gun, and you didn’t want to risk potentially damaging them.

The giant monster scrambled around buildings and lashed its tail out at you, managing to protect its vulnerable underbelly by blocking your bullets with the thicker scales on its back. The dirt that it kicked up while it moved was also drastically reducing visibility.

By this point, you’d discarded most of the guns that you brought with you on this trip. The only guns you had remaining were two shotguns that seemed to take in the surrounding air through vents on the barrel to formulate ammo, a sidearm with a truly impressive clip-size, despite its actual size, and the Metroid arm-cannon. That last one seemed to operate off of built-in heat sinks, and you were attempting to absorb some of the residual heat through your hand in order to avoid venting it, but you weren’t sure how long you could keep that up.

You were just considering swooping down and blasting it straight in the eye when something miraculous happened. A lance of bright green light streaked past you and blasted straight through the monster’s left eye!

That must’ve been Ana. She’d been particularly excited to use that sniper rifle.

Blood poured from the opening in its eye, and the creature shrieked, shaking its head to drench itself and its surroundings in blood. Some almost got on you, and-

DANGER!

You twisted out of the way just time to avoid it splashing on you, and used your cloak to shield yourself from the stray droplets. Everything that its blood touched began to sizzle, an acrid smell reaching your nose as the fumes began to fill the air.

“It’s got acidic blood!?” you shouted. “Is it wrong that I find that insanely cool?”

“Kinda!” Mekara shouted, racing past you and driving an elbow towards the monster’s throat. It managed to lean out of the way just in time, but it didn’t anticipate the long, sharp blades protruding from her elbows to catch it on the side of its neck.

More blood began to flow, and the lizard swiped its claws at her reflexively. Mekara flipped her blades around so that they were protruding from her wrists, and slashed out, taking two of its fingers in the process. The beast staggered back, and Mekara advanced. Another blade popped out of her foot, and she swept his leg, slashing its thigh open.

The bloody creature faltered, and Mekara took that opportunity to deliver a flying roundhouse kick to its head. Its head snapped to the side, but as its body began to turn, it managed to fling its whiplike tail at Mekara, sending her hurtling into a nearby wall.

You winced, and only narrowly managed to avoid a sand slash that was sent in your direction. This thing was tough! Hopefully Ana’s next shot could put it down for good. You just had to buy her time to line another one up.

You placed an explosive mark on the inside of the hand cannon, removed it from your arm, and threw it at the creature’s face. The resulting explosion left its face charred, the intense heat burning past its flesh and exposing a thick layer of fat underneath.

You drew both shotguns, aimed them at its face, and fired.

—-----------

Your eyes shot open, and you sat up quickly, taking note of your surroundings. You were in someone’s bedroom, but it was entirely unfamiliar to you. A black dog sat in the doorway, tilting its head at you curiously. Your eyes flitted around the room until you saw a mirror pointed at the bed.

What do you see?

>A slender body bound entirely by cloth, and a mouth full of frighteningly sharp teeth.
>A feminine form with flowing white braids, wrapped in cloth covered with runic symbols.
>A masked figure, wearing a wide-brimmed hat in the shape of a crescent moon.

>>6151393
>>A slender body bound entirely by cloth, and a mouth full of frighteningly sharp teeth.
Back at it

>>6151393
>A slender body bound entirely by cloth, and a mouth full of frighteningly sharp teeth.

>>6151393
>A slender body bound entirely by cloth, and a mouth full of frighteningly sharp teeth.
Hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving, Scorekeeper!

>>6151425
>>6151982
>>6152048
>A slender body bound entirely by cloth, and a mouth full of frighteningly sharp teeth.

Taking these. Writing...

>>6152048
I did! Thanks for asking! Hope you anons enjoyed your holiday as well.

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You narrowed your eyes at your reflection, opening and closing your mouth experimentally. Well, it was less a mouth, and more a jagged tear along the fabric where a mouth would normally be. But even so, you didn’t doubt that they could tear through bone and muscle quite easily. At least, that’s what your original body was capable of. This one was…

You stared down at your hands and flexed your slender, claw-like fingers. This vessel was…small, to say the least. Far younger than you’d expect a warrior priest to...

Your gaze drifted downward, at the noticeable curve around your chest.

Correction. Warrior-priestess.

You directed your attention inwards for a moment, sensing the slumbering host breathing beneath your biomass.

No…”biomass” wasn’t the right word anymore. This was a type of cloth. A fabric suffused with your consciousness. A meager vessel that was already being worn by another host. And for the host to be this young…

“Cindy?”

You turned your head to stare at the black hairy thing. It could apparently talk, and it knew your new host. Was she its friend? Or maybe its owner?

You sniffed the air and mentally sorted through the various scents that filled your nose. Dust, waxed wood, paper, and the musty smell of old clothes were immediately familiar, but there was also an interesting fragrance coming from your host’s hair. It smelled sweet, like a kind of fruit. It was surprisingly pleasant.

“Are you feeling alright…?” the furry creature said, his voice full of concern.

No, not a furry creature. The ”dog”. The furry thing was a dog. This wasn’t your first time seeing one, but it was more than a little disorienting to be awoken after…

By the Gods, how long has it been…?

Your joints popped as you flexed your muscles, lowered yourself onto all fours and arched your back. You relished in the feeling of popping the vertebrae of your host’s spine. That eternal slumber that you were promised appeared to have ended early.

You let out an involuntary yawn, stretching your mouth unnaturally wide as you did so, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw the black dog stiffen.

“What the devil has gotten into you, girl?”

A long, papery tongue flitted out to lick at the corners of your mouth as you turned an inquisitive eye on the chatty mammal. Your nostrils flared, and a different scent filled your nose now.

“Demon…” you growled.

The black dog growled right back, flattening his ears and baring his teeth at you.

You sprang off the bed, planted yourself on the wall behind the bed, and crawled your way onto the ceiling from there, hissing all the while.

The demon dog started to bark, and you had to stop yourself from doing the same. It was hard to ignore your baser instincts, even now.

(Cont.)

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Irritation filled your every stitch as the dog’s barking resounded throughout the room and bounced off of its walls, and you wanted nothing more than to silence it for good. But…you were vaguely aware of the fact that your new host was somewhat fond of this creature. Deep down, you could feel it. Her memories and emotions were but a trickle compared to the control that you were capable of exerting in this moment, but they were far from ineffectual. Your host’s will could still influence your decisions, but in her current state, you doubted that she would be able to put up much of a struggle.

Someone had begun to stir downstairs at the dog’s persistent yapping. Your irritation had finally reached its peak, and you stretched a hand out towards it. Several bolts of cloth snaked out from your arm and coiled around the creature, rendering it immobile and unable to speak.

You were about to celebrate the blessed silence that had replaced its barking, but your eyes widened when the demon dog shifted into another form entirely!

You stared in mild amazement as a snake slithered out through the gaps in your bandage snare, and down the stairs.

“Strange…” you mused, following its path from your place on the ceiling.

You crawled out of the bedroom and into a larger room. From the looks of things, you were in some sort of shop. And according to your host’s memories, the old woman frantically waving a broom at you was your host’s grandmother.

She didn’t seem to be a warrior priestess herself, but you got the impression that she was…dangerous. You just couldn't figure out how.

“Cindy! Get down from there!” she pleaded.

“I'll get her down!” proclaimed another demon standing beside her. Except this one was covered in green paint, and wearing strange clothes.

Her pants were torn, and they had been dyed a deep shade of purple. She wore a mask that resembled the wrinkled face of an angry man with skin as green as the paint coating her body, and the gauntlets covering her hands were abnormally large and constantly curled into fists.

She gently tapped those fists together, and you looked her up and down. You couldn't imagine this ridiculous creature forcing you to do anything.

And you were about to say as much, when a familiar voice echoed through your mind.

“Be at ease, child. They are not your enemy.”

You closed your eyes and took comfort in the words of your patron god. On some instinctive level, you had suspected as much.

“Then lead me to your enemies, for they are my enemies too.” you offered.

“Those that would threaten my Hunter’s Moon and the safety of those that inhabit the realm of man are all subject to my wrath.” he declared “Your eagerness to serve is heartening, my disciple.”

A shudder ran through you at that. You knew that he was talking about your host, but to feel his light pass over you once more…! You thought yourself beyond such sensations.

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“Is that my purpose here? Am I to serve you once more?”

“You are right to assume so. I take it your slumber has been peaceful? Have you felt the foul touch of Black Pharoah’s influence?” he asked.

“My mind has been blessedly silent.” you promised. “Thanks to you, my lord.”

And it had been. Before Khonshu, you had been subject to the everlasting torment that was the Mark of Knull, a brand placed upon you by none other than the “Crawling Chaos” himself. Much like other members of your kind, it plunged your mind into a seemingly inescapable quagmire of madness and torment. That was, until Khonshu offered to remove it for you.

You would never forget the kindness he showed you, nor would you forsake the clarity that his brand brought you. You could feel it, even now, resting gently on your forehead, where your previous brand had been. It marked the depth of your devotion. Like many others before and after you, you were a living example of what Khonshu’s Mercy had wrought.

“I am pleased to hear that, my child. Because I am afraid that my Hunter’s Moon requires your assistance.”

“Say no more, my lord. Just point me in the direction.”

And, without another word, Khonshu impressed upon you a sense of the direction from which his enemies approached. Although, there was…something else here too. Something old and…vaguely familiar.

When you opened your eyes again, you were surprised to see that a younger, more attractive woman had replaced the old lady. No…she was wearing the same clothes, and she more or less smelled the same. Except this one was at least forty or fifty years younger.

“Don’t make me come up there, young lady!” the woman shouted up at you.

You scowled at her and lowered yourself down from the ceiling on a bolt of cloth that was still stuck to it. You locked eyes with the woman, stopping right in front of her as you silently dared her to hit you with that broom. To her credit, though, she didn’t shy away, even when you exposed your teeth and let out a low growl. Her frown only deepened.

“What have you done with my granddaughter? Is this Khonshu’s doing?”

“Something like that…” you hissed. “The girl is fine. Khonshu brought me out to protect her.”

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What are you going to do?” she asked cautiously.

“Eliminate the threat.” you declared without hesitation, flipping over to drop onto your hands and feet, before rising to your full height.

You frowned up at the old, Young woman. This host was still too short for your liking. You would have to fix that.

Your bones popped and your muscles restructured to fit your ideal body, growing to accommodate the figure of a slightly more…"mature" human female.

There, that was better.

You moved to step past the old, Young woman, when, to your annoyance, she moved to block you.

“Wait! Cindy is safer here than she is out there.” she said, shifting her broom so that it was pointed at your slightly enlarged chest.

You barely managed to suppress a snarl, when you heard the demon dog approaching you from behind. The ridiculous green demon was also circling around to flank you.

You didn’t have time for this.

What will you do?

>Ignore them and smash through the front door.
>Strike out at them with cloth tendrils. Not hard enough to seriously injure them, but hard enough to put them out of commission.
>”If you want to protect her, then you’re welcome to come with me.”
>Wake the girl up. Maybe she can convince them to stay out of your way.
>Write-in.

>>6152157
>>”If you want to protect her, then you’re welcome to come with me.”

>>6152157
>”If you want to protect her, then you’re welcome to come with me.”
>Wake the girl up. Maybe she can convince them to stay out of your way.
We can walk and fight, she can talk and call out new enemies as we encounter them. A good split of duties as far as our loose consciousness is concerned, I’m sure.

>>6152159
>>6152351
>”If you want to protect her, then you’re welcome to come with me.”

Taking these. Writing...

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“If you want to protect her, you're welcome to come with me.” you proposed.

You honestly didn't care where they went so long as they stayed out of your way.

The woman's eyes widened, and she lowered her broom slightly, giving you the opening you needed to brush past her and head for the door.

“What are you?” she asked in a challenging tone. “I can sense your lifeforce…'intertwining' with hers.”

You paused at the door, your hand mere inches away from swinging it open.

Now that was a question that you really didn't have time to sit down and answer. She would have to settle for the abbreviated answer for the time being.

“I am a faithful servant of Khonshu.” you declared, glancing over your shoulder at her. “And, so far as I can tell, your granddaughter is as well.”

That statement earned mixed reactions from everyone. The old woman had a conflicted expression on her face, while the demon dog was clearly wary of you.

And the green demon was…

Well, their mask was still very angry looking, and you were having trouble getting a proper read on them.

But, despite their skepticism towards you, you hadn’t told them any lies, and the most overtly threatening thing that you did was tie up the dog.

After a moment of tense silence, the old woman nodded once.

“Very well. We will follow you.”

"Seriously? Just like that?" the green demon said, turning its mask to stare at her.

“Young!” the demon dog exclaimed, giving its master what you thought might've been an incredulous look.

“There's no point arguing, Smokey.” she admonished it.

You all watched as she crossed the room, set down her broom, and took up a cane in its place. It looked to be hand-carved.

But on the way back, something strange happened. With each step, the woman known as “Young” started to shrink. The length of her stride became shorter, and her height dwindled to that of a young child. Her hair had lost some of its length and volume from when she was a full grown woman.

The cane appeared to grow larger in her shrinking hand, and her clothes…

Her clothes really were shrinking! Somehow, they were shrinking to comfortably fit her smaller form. Throughout all this, her stride was unbroken. To her, this was the most normal thing in the world.

The demon dog known as “Smokey” knelt before her as she approached, and Young climbed over it and patted its head. The dog slowly rose with her comfortably seated atop his back, and now it was the demon’s turn to start changing.

Its steps were halting at first. Its legs shook under the weight of its master, but with each step, its feet grew steadier. And larger!

It’s entire body was growing larger, until it looked more like a Dire Wolf than a shaggy old dog.

Young met your eyes as the dog stopped to stand beside you. Despite her appearance, there was still wisdom in those small, squinty eyes of hers.

(Cont.)

“Well? What are we waiting for? If Smokey gets much bigger, we won’t be able to get him out the front door.” the girl said, patting his back. The dog let out a low warning growl, but you were pretty sure that it wasn’t directed at you.

You narrowed your eyes at her.

“Just try to keep up.” you said, before bursting out of the house at a full sprint. You didn’t even look back to see if the others actually could keep up.

You ignored the sandstorm, not having sensitive flesh or squishy eyeballs to be pelted by the rough particulates in the air. If anything, you felt like your legs were kicking up far more dust than the storm was.

They blurred as you tore up the dirt, and you had to take a moment to appreciate the condition of the host body that you were using. This “Cindy” person had a very good body. You’ve never had a host like this before. It was starting to become clear why Khonshu favored her.

But…there was something else unusual about it. It was almost like…

Two things happened as you were groping about Cindy’s body. Out of your head sprouted two ears, and out of your back popped a white, fluffy tail.

You nearly tripped from the way it altered your sense of balance.

You take it back. This was a very abnormal host body.

Where will you go?

>In the direction that Khonshu pointed you in, obviously.
>Towards that strangely familiar presence. Something about it makes you feel vaguely nostalgic.

>>6153033
>>Towards that strangely familiar presence. Something about it makes you feel vaguely nostalgic.
Alright, you made me curious

>>6153033
>In the direction that Khonshu pointed you in, obviously.
Though if we tie, I’m willing to switch so long as we add
>Ask the others what lies in that direction
first.

Something old enough for us to recognize in some form (a person? a power they posses? a connection to a related god? something about their species?) may be known in this area.

It’s a shot in the dark, but more info is always better.

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>>6152157
>Konshu gave her a Klyntar
I FUCKIN CALLED IT. KONSHU THE GOAT AT IT AGAIN

>>6153033
>In the direction that Khonshu pointed you in, obviously.

Konshu's work is never done

>>6153267
>>6154724
>In the direction that Khonshu pointed you in, obviously.

Taking these. Writing...

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You briefly regarded the familiar presence, before shaking your head and picking up the pace. Now wasn’t the time for distractions. You had a mission to fulfill.

Your eyes flickered briefly as a shadow passed overhead. You glanced up…and blinked at the green demon flying through the air ahead of you. The small creature plummeted with surprising speed, smashed into the ground feet-first, and sprang back up into the air, leaving a small crater where she’d landed.

The green demon was capable of covering great distances with each leap, and you found yourself staring at her for several minutes. Maybe the tiny creature wouldn’t be so useless after all. You wouldn’t let her beat you to your objective, though.

Now that you had a good grasp of what your host body was capable of, you thought now would be a good time to switch to a more efficient form of transportation.

You stretched out one, and from it, flew several bolts of cloth, adhering to and wrapping around the structures to your left and right. And, with a sharp tug, you managed to pull yourself into the air. You’ve done this plenty of times before, but after reviewing the memories of your host’s current caretaker, you thought you were starting to get a better handle on this “web-swinging” thing.

You tried your best to imitate the grace, form and fluidity with which this “Ben” character moved, and your host body complied readily. Strange as this body might be with its fluffy tail and twitchy ears, you could tell that it was well-trained for this sort of movement. You barely needed to do anything to strengthen her bones and muscles. She would be a fantastic servant of Khonshu if she was allowed to grow to maturity.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted the green demon bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, and you flung yourself forward in order to get ahead of her.

The storm was getting stronger, so you must be getting close to whatever was causing this disturbance. You silently prayed for it to be some big ugly monster. It's been far too long since you've gotten to hit something.

—---

It didn't take long for you to reach the eye of the storm at the rate you were going, and with the winds no longer buffeting you from all sides, you were finally able to see what you'd been hoping for.

A big, ugly monster.

The jagged tear that was your mouth stretched to Cindy’s ears in a wicked grin, and you found your papery tongue flitting out and licking the side of your face in anticipation.

On the way there, though, you passed a vaguely familiar woman with a long, blonde ponytail. She swung an odd-looking weapon in your direction, and desperately dug through your host’s memories in order to find out whether she was a friend, or foe.

Ah, wait. This was her guardian's mate, wasn't it? In that case, she was a friend. She wouldn't hurt you if she knew who was under all these bandages.

You flipped around in mid-air, meeting Anastasia's eyes through the lens of her scope, before peeling back the layers of your face in order to expose Cindy's. The woman hesitated when she saw the slumbering face of your host, and you took that opportunity to propel yourself towards the battle that was in progress.

From the looks of things, your host’s guardian and a giant metal warrior were attempting to slay a large reptile. It had a long tail that it liked to use as a whip, and a dangerously sharp pair of teeth and claws. But at the rate this was going, the battle would soon reach its conclusion.

The creature bore many wounds, and both its eyes seemed to have been severely damaged. It would only need a few more good hits to bring it down for good.

What will you do?

>Jump onto the back of its head, wrap your tendrils around its upper jaw, and PULL!
>Shift your mass around to form a few extra limbs, and use them to savagely attack its face!
>Fling yourself at the creature as hard as you can, and deliver a flying kick to its neck!
>You don’t know enough about this creature. You should pull your host’s guardian aside in order to learn its weaknesses.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6154912
>>Jump onto the back of its head, wrap your tendrils around its upper jaw, and PULL!

>>6154912
>Jump onto the back of its head, wrap your tendrils around its upper jaw, and PULL!

>>6154912
>Jump onto the back of its head, wrap your tendrils around its upper jaw, and PULL!
May as well join the crowd. It’ll line it up for a strike to the neck from Mekara.

>>6154723
Neat! I didn’t draw the connection. Guess we need to avoid fire and sonics though.

>>6154917
>>6155197
>>6155266
>Jump onto the back of its head, wrap your tendrils around its upper jaw, and PULL!

Taking these. Writing...

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You swung past the giant metal woman, ignored your host’s guardian as he called her name, before landing on the back of the giant reptile's head.

Its eyes, bulging, bloodshot and slightly deflated in some places, swiveled up to you. On the left side of its face, the flesh was charred and blackened in some places, exposing fat and muscle where its skin sagged. It was as if it was sloughing off of its face, dangling down to its neck.

It started to thrash about, opening its mouth to roar or snarl in protest to your presence. And that’s when you laced your bandages around the upper half of its mouth, layering them multiple times over so that they wouldn’t snap under your own considerable strength.

The creature attempted to bite the bands of cloth forcing its mouth open, but only succeeded in forcing them deeper into its gums. You laced several more layers through its mouth and nose, took a couple steps back, and PULLED!

The monster’s head was immediately yanked back, forcing its neck to bend at an awkward angle as the upper part of its jaw was being relentlessly wrenched apart from the bottom half. The creature began to stagger back, and you noticed, too late, that it was driving you towards the side of a building!

You braced for impact, momentarily loosening your grip on the beast’s jaw, and bringing your arms up to protect your head…!

But for some reason, the creature stopped abruptly, the spines on its back only mere inches away from the wall. You crawled around its torso to get an idea of what had happened, and you very nearly let out a gasp of surprise.

The big ugly lizard was being held in place by a network of webs that were looping around numerous buildings, constructs and fixtures within the area. And where the weblines converged, Ben was holding them all, and pulling with all his might.

You adopted a sinister smile, climbed back around to grab the reins connected to the monster’s mouth, and went right back to pulling! Only this time, you made sure to brace your feet against the adjacent wall, pushing back against it with the host body’s admittedly impressive lower body strength.

The creature’s limbs were flailing wildly at this point, and its tail was stuck between striking at the webs, lashing out at the building behind it, or snaking up to make a grab at you. But none of those things ended up happening, because the giant metal woman had returned with a sword that looked taller than she was!

The metal flashed as she swung down, severing the tail entirely, and cleaving through part of the building you were braced against. Immediately, the beast stumbled forward with a cry, nearly launching you over its head in the process! You scurried down its back quickly, hoping to avoid getting tangled up in those webs.

The giant metal woman stepped forward once more, her sword raised to the air. The sword was long and curved, like a scimitar, with a golden hilt and a jagged edge that looked like the teeth of a chainsaw.

Hmm…

(Cont.)

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“Chainsaw”. Yet another memory from your host. Her thoughts and terminologies were starting to leak through your connection.

You were pulled from your reverie when the metal woman brought her sword crashing down, simultaneously beheading the beast and cauterizing the wound on the way through. You stared in wonder at the smoking sword, its jagged edge now glowing the same shade of gold as its hilt.

She flicked her sword out, cleansing it of the ichor that served as the beast’s blood and glared down at it disdainfully.

“That was disgusting//revolting//repulsive.” she said, her voice becoming distorted with each utterance.

Her glowing red eyes flitted over to you, and you tensed, preparing for an attack. But to your relief, her face softened and recognition filled her eyes.

“Oh! Aren’t you that mummy girl we summoned? What are you doing out of bed?”

You tilted your head to the side and started digging through your host’s memories again. This giant metal warrior’s name was “Mekara”, it seemed. You’ve never encountered a creature quite like her during your travels.

You thought about saying as much, when Ben nearly barreled into you, sweeping you up in a tight hug. Your whole body tensed, and then relaxed involuntarily. You stared over the man’s shoulder in confusion, not knowing what to do with your hands.

Should you push him away?

“Are you alright? You nearly gave me a heart attack.” he said, leaning away from you to get a better look at your body. “Where’s Young and Shaggy? I thought they were supposed to be watching you.”

You stared at him. He stared at you. Particularly, at your body.

“Also, is it just me, or did you get bigger? Did you hit puberty while I was gone?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. His attention was firmly fixed on the twitching, fluffy white tail that had slipped out from your backside.

Ah. You almost forgot about that thing.

Ben was silent for a painfully long minute. You were about to consider speaking up so that you could correct his mistake in assuming that your host was conscious, when the man reached around to grab your host's tail.

—-----

!!!!!

Sensation! The sharp prickling of a cluster of nerves near your tailbone lit up all at once, sending a jolt up your spine that reverberated throughout your entire body! Your eyes shot open suddenly, and you awoke with a strange yelp, a sound you’ve never made in your entire life.

Your first instinct was to strike out at whatever had attacked you, and you felt your fist collide with something solid straight away.

Your eyes focused on Ben, reeling back from your punch and looking about as alarmed as you felt!

“Okay…I’m guessing that’s not a part of your costume…” he said, massaging his left cheek. “Damn, that hurt…”

Your breath quickened as you frantically glanced at your surroundings, your mind struggling to fill in the blanks.

(Cont.)

Where are you? Weren’t you laying in bed before? How’d you get here? Why were you standing on the back of a dead monster!? And why did…

WAS THAT A TAIL!?

You felt like you couldn’t breathe. You were suffocating under all these bandages. You pulled them away from your face, and, almost as if you’d commanded them to, they moved away on their own, freeing up your nose and mouth so that you could take in a deep breath.

This, however, proved to be an awful idea, because a strong, acrid smell filled your nose, along with all the dirt and dust that was floating around in the air. You choked, coughed, and spat out whatever it was that flew into your mouth. So far, you’d only been awake for less than a minute, and you were already having an awful time.

“Cindy. What happened to your hair and eyes…?”

You made a stupid sound of incomprehension as you struggled to get your breathing under control. Ben then reached into one of the pouches on his belt, pulled out a phone and faced it towards you with the front-facing camera turned on.

And on its screen, you saw the face of a Korean girl with snow white hair, and pale blue cat-like eyes. You stared at the screen uncomprehendingly for a moment, your mouth opened just wide enough for you to catch a flash of a pair of elongated canines. Was that supposed to be…you?

You leaned away from the screen, just enough to see two twitching, triangular fixtures on top of your head. You tentatively reached up to touch one, and then flinched as the ticklish sensation registered in your brain.

You gasped and stepped back, nearly falling off the dead creature’s back in the process. But instead of landing in the dirt, you found yourself being scooped out of the air by a giant, metal hand.

“Easy now. I’ve got you.” Mekara said in a comforting tone. “Ooh! Did you do something with your hair?”

She and Ben were looking at you with concern, but all you could think about were your mom’s words back at CRADLE.

She had said that your spirit shared the properties of Kumiho. And if that was the case…then you were finally starting to look the part.

You stared down at your hands, disbelieving. As if on command, the cloth covering them retracted, giving you a good, long look at the sharp claws that now protruded from your fingertips.

What will you say/do?

>”This can't be happening...! There's gotta be a potion or a glamour spell that can get me back to normal. Maybe my grandma knows something that can help.”
>”How did I get here? Am I a sleepwalker on top of all this?”
>”What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think that I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!”
>Take a deep breath, and take a moment to center yourself. Breathe in, breathe out...
>Write-in.

>>6155731
>>”What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think that I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!”

>>6155731
>”What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think that I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!”
>”How did I get here? Am I a sleepwalker on top of all this?”

Not to mention that you’ll need special pants for the tail, or scrunch it up where it’ll be uncomfortable. The latter will also make you look chubby somewhere because it won’t squish down fully. The cat ears are going to get you accused of being a weeb, you’ll never live down the Japanese jokes when you’re Korean. Blue contacts are just COMPLETELY out there to mark how “special” you think you are, the claws are going to make really odd sounds when you grab soda cans even if you can hide them with gloves…

Breaking down into tears in dramatic teenage fashion isn’t unwarranted. Your social life is ruined forever!

>>6155731
>”How did I get here? Am I a sleepwalker on top of all this?”
>”What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think that I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!”
>Take a deep breath, and take a moment to center yourself. Breathe in, breathe out...
Don't panic...DON'T PANIC

>>6155740
>>6156192
>>6157234
>”How did I get here? Am I a sleepwalker on top of all this?”
>”What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think that I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!”

Taking these. Writing...

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“How did I get here? Am I a sleepwalker on top of all this?” you demanded, gesturing at yourself.

And for some reason, Mekara and Ben gave you a strange look.

“You mean you don’t remember…?” Ben asked, in the way people did when they thought the other person was talking nonsense. “Because from our perspective, you just swung right in, no questions asked, and started choking that monster out.”

You stared at him. He stared right back. He didn’t wink, he didn’t flash a cheeky grin, and there wasn’t even a hint of amusement at the corners of his mask’s lenses. Ben wasn’t kidding around. He really didn’t know how you got here. That was more than a little concerning.

You wanted to worry about that. You really did. But somehow, that wasn’t your most pressing concern. Not when you had this gnarly set of claws to remind you of what you were. Of what you’d become.

You ran a hand through your bright white hair, making absolutely certain that you weren’t wearing a wig. But no…it felt all too real. And thanks to your training and “unique” upbringing, “dissociation” wasn’t something that you were particularly good at.

Instead, you buried your face in your hands, careful not to poke yourself in the eye, and moaned pitifully into your hands.

“What am I gonna do? I can’t go to school like this! They already think I’m a delinquent, and dying my hair white isn’t gonna help my image!” you cried, lifting a handful of hair and letting it fall back into place for emphasis.

“I think it looks lovely//charming//exquisite.” Mekara offered. “And it perfectly matches the color of that fluffy little tail!”

Your back stiffened, and you glanced back at the fluffy appendage poking out above your butt. As if on command, it wiggled and twitched.

You let out another pitiful moan.

“It’s not that bad!” Ben tried. “Abe tells me that Squirrel Girl manages to hide her tail in her pants, which makes it look like she has a great ass, but no one actually thinks that she’s hiding a giant squirrel tail in her pants.”

Your eyebrow twitched, ever so slightly. It was all you could do to restrain yourself from blurting out a string of obscenities.

“WHO THE HELL IS ‘SQUIRREL GIRL’, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE!?” was what you wanted to say.

But what you actually said was:

“Thanks, but I’m pretty sure people would notice if I came to school carrying a wagon under my skirt!”

“You could tuck it under your shirt.” Mekara unhelpfully suggested.

Instead of dignifying that with a response, you tucked your legs closer to your chest and wrapped your arms around them.

There was no way you were doing any of that. The fat jokes alone would shame you back into being a bunker-dwelling hermit.

“I’m sure your grandma’s got some way of turning you back to normal.” Ben put in. “Is she around here somewhere?”

(Cont.)

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The ears on top of your head twitched, and before you could dwell on the fact that you now had two sets of ears, you realized that your range of hearing had increased considerably!

Your vulpine ears were incredibly sensitive, and you had a feeling that you wouldn't be able to relax if this part of Monster Metropolis wasn't currently deserted.

It was thanks to those highly sensitive ears, you got a general idea of where your grandma was in this mess, but there was also something else drawing your attention there.

Something that you craved, deep down.

“Cindy?”

Ben’s words sounded far off, for some reason, and before you knew it, you were on your feet and staring off into the distance. Your grandma was over there. You just…knew it somehow.

“She’s over there.” you stated, swiveling your ears in that direction. “And I think she’s fighting something.”

No one questioned your theory. Ben and Mekara burst into motion almost immediately. You steadied yourself on Mekara’s hand, and clambered up to her arm, using your claws to scale the metal plating with ease. You’ve never been able to climb anything that fast before.

Mekara gave you a surprised look, and you stared right back at her from your place on her shoulder. Neither of you said anything as she adjusted the grip on her sword and picked up the pace.

The closer you got to your grandmother, the clearer everything became in your mind. You envisioned her and Shaggy fighting a large beast walking on all fours. And it sounded like it had…cloven hooves?

You squinted at several shadowy figures in the distance, and saw that you had miscounted slightly. There was one more person that you forgot to account for. But that was only because their feet hadn’t touched the ground yet.

A short, bulky green creature fell from the sky and landed on the back of a scrawny four-legged creature with the features of a deer, only it had a skeletal head, and possessed multiple sets of human-like arms on its neck and chest.

The beast’s back collapsed under the weight of the green creature, and you got the impression that its spine had been shattered by that impact, along with a decent amount of those human arms.

Soon after, a large wolf with a woman on its back trotted over to the fallen, suffering animal. The horrible, squealing noises that the deer made as it attempted to drag itself towards the wolf made you want to cover both sets of ears.

The woman calmly dismounted from the wolf and closed the gap between herself and the deer. The deer immediately tried to claw and bite at her, and you wanted to yell out a warning, but you were finding it hard to even look at her!

She was surrounded by what appeared to be a veritable corona of light, and something deep within you started to ache.

(Cont.)

The woman’s hands moved in a flash, and the deer froze suddenly, its mouth still wide open. This held it in place just long enough for the bulky, goblin-like creature to grab its head with its meaty hands. And with a sharp twist, it managed to snap the deer’s head in a sickening crunch!

You all slowed after seeing that, and judging by the way that Ben had started to relax, he wasn’t sensing any danger from them.

From your place on Mekara’ shoulder, you saw three figures. The easiest one for you to recognize was Shaggy. He was bigger and hairier than ever, but he didn’t look too different from his usual self. And that made the person by his side…your grandmother? Was she supposed to be this young?

You knew that it was in her name, but if the unreliable, fuzzy memories you’d gathered in that fever-like state of yours were to be trusted, she was far older than this when you first met.

You were still trying to puzzle out this conundrum, while Ben was squarely focused on the bulky goblin.

“Is that a Hulk costume?” he asked.

The green creature, that you were now able to identify as the “Mask Maker”, responded by slamming her fists together. And, to your surprise, this actually created a small shockwave that caused Shaggy to stumble!

He glared at her, but she was too distracted with all her angry grunting and flexing to notice.

Your grandmother was staring up at you now with those wise old eyes of hers, and you could tell that she was studying your appearance. And she did not look happy.

She shook her head ruefully.

“Oh, child. What has that foolish woman done to you…?” she muttered.

What will you say?

>”Which one? Mom or the evil Kumiho?”
>”What do you think? Is there some spell or potion I can use to ‘unfoxify’ myself, at least on the outside?”
>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”
>”I’ve got so many questions. Where’d all your wrinkles go? Why’re you glowing? And what was that thing you did with your hands back there?”
>Write-in.

>>6157313
>>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”

>>6157313
>”Which one? Mom or the evil Kumiho?”
>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”
>Write-in.
>Ben: "WHAT!? Well I mean obviously now with the ears and tail but, y'know, news to me."
I mean of course Ben wouldn't be keeping Cindy in the dark. Even to 'protect' her.


>”What do you think? Is there some spell or potion I can use to ‘unfoxify’ myself, at least on the outside?”
>”I’ve got so many questions. Where’d all your wrinkles go? Why’re you glowing? And what was that thing you did with your hands back there?”

>>6157313

>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”

Also, I do have to wonder: if Khonshu encountered one Klyntar, does this mean that others may already be on earth?

>>6157313
Yes, Cindy. Embrace quipping as a defense mechanism. It’s the only way!

>”Which one? Mom or the evil Kumiho?”
>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”
>Point at Ben. “Except you. You’re terrible at keeping secrets.”
>”Can you teach me how you did all that? I have some. Features. That I need to hide before people try touching it.”
Ben really does tell us a lot of stuff for someone who doesn’t want us expanding a criminal empire after him. We can cut him a break like >>6157356
mentions.

I'm gonna be bit busy tonight, so I'll get started on the update and make a post whenever possible!

>>6157322
>>6157356
>>6157408
>>6157407
>”Which one? Mom or the evil Kumiho?”
>”Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?”
>Write-in.
>Ben: "WHAT!? Well I mean obviously now with the ears and tail but, y'know, news to me."
>Point at Ben. “Except you. You’re terrible at keeping secrets.”

Taking these.

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“Which one? Mom or the evil Kumiho?” you asked in a half-mocking tone, watching her face for any visible changes.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, before narrowing again.

“How much do you know?” she said carefully.

You knew it!

“Was I seriously the only one who didn’t know that I was half fox demon!?” you shouted, your hands clenched on either side of you.

Ben’s eyes went wide at that.

“WHAT!? Well, I mean…now that you say it, it sounds kind of obvious with the ears and tail, but…y’know, that’s news to me.”

You rolled your eyes and pointed a finger at him.

“Not you. You’re terrible at keeping secrets.”

You thought back to all the times that Ben sat down and told you, in great detail, everything that would happen on his missions and heists. You really wished that he would leave some things out here and there. The less you knew about some of his criminal activities, the better.

Instead of getting offended, Ben breathed a sigh of relief.

“Exactly.” he agreed. “But, what’s a Kumiho?”

“They are Korean fox demons that feed on the life force of humans.” Young answered. “They usually target men, but they’re known to harm and deceive most humans that cross their path. And because of Cindy’s mother, her spirit is infused with that of a powerful and dangerous Kumiho by the name of ‘Ami Han’.”

Ben was frantically looking back and forth between you and Young, but you kept your eyes trained on her.

Shaggy walked up beside the younger…”Young”, and raised his head so that your eyes met.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation inside.” he suggested. You ignored him.

“How long have you known?” you asked in a low, dangerous voice. It was easier to hear each other now, since the storm had started to die down.

“I found out several months after Nari had Ami Han banished.” she replied, after a moment’s pause. “Your mother wasn’t very forthcoming about your problem until she got desperate enough to reach out to me. For a decent chunk of that year, I was helping your parents find a way to remove the marble. But…everything changed when your mother found out about that prophecy.”

“Prophecy? What prophecy?” Ben asked, clearly the only one lost in this conversation. “And what’s this about Cindy swallowing a marble?”

“Ugh! Again with the ‘Slayer’ thing?”

Now, the surprise that registered on Young's face was clear to see.

“You know of this too?”

“You know who doesn't ‘know of this’? Me. And probably Mekara.” Ben pointed out.

Mekara raised a finger to her lips and shushed you.

[ed]“That’s why I’m staying quiet//hushed//mute while they talk.” she admonished.

Ben threw his hands up in frustration and shook his head.

“Smokey’s right.” Young declared. “This isn’t the kind of conversation we should be having out in the open. The less people know about this prophecy, the better.“

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You stared between the two of them for a long moment, but you eventually conceded with a sigh.

“Fine. But you’d better have a good explanation for all this.”

Young bowed her head to you.

“I will explain everything to the best of my ability.”

—----------

Because of the alien guns that Ben and Ana spread everywhere, you took a while helping them collect everything before you headed back to Young’s shop. Ana was very interested in your new vulpine-esque appearance, but you tried your best to ignore the way that she was looking at you.

That was the last thing on your mind right now, anyways. Your head was practically spinning with all the world-shaking revelations you’ve been subjected to in only the last few hours. Your entire worldview had changed so much since this morning, that it felt like you were back to being a sheltered little bunker baby who knew nothing of the outside world.

How much of what you’d been raised to believe was a lie? Your parents have been lying to you your whole life at this point. And Khonshu…

You dared not think ill of your god, but you couldn’t help but feel a little spurned by the fact that he had known all this, and purposefully kept it from you. Granny Young wasn’t the only one who owed you an explanation, you thought.

And if the tense silence that Ben had subjected you all to was any indication, he was feeling just as frustrated and angry as you were. You wondered what he would do if Young’s explanation wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

You glanced at your grandmother, who had now taken the form of a small child to fit on Shaggy’s back. You weren’t sure how she was altering her age, but you had a feeling that it had something to do with the powerful aura surrounding her. No one else seemed to notice it. Or if they did, they didn’t mention it. But since Ben didn’t comment on it, you thought it safe to assume that he was incapable of perceiving it.

The tense silence stretched on until you all made it back to Young's shop. Once there, you watched as your grandmother rapidly aged into something befitting her title. Her dark, flowing hair turned gray and lost its luster. And without missing a beat, she removed an ornate hairpin from her sleeve and placed it in her hair, pinning it up into a bun.

Ben guided you to a couch and sat you down beside him, while Ana hovered behind you, her strong hands gripping the back of it. The Mask Maker headed deeper into the shop, disappearing behind a corner while she removed her Hulk hands.

“I wonder if she’s got a Spider-Man costume.” Ben wondered aloud as he watched her go.

His attention was pulled back to Young when she sat down across from you, reaching for the teapot. She poured you all a cup and slid them over. None of you reached for your cups, and Young let out a sigh.

“Feh! Why do I even bother bringing out this tea set if no one is going to drink? Go on, it's not poison!”

(Cont.)

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“I will be the judge of that.” Ana said, accepting a cup from Ben. She began to sniff it, and Young shook her head in disapproval.

She turned and met your eyes, not missing the insistent look you were giving her.

“As I have told your guardian before, I believe that your parents are still alive. But…you don’t seem terribly surprised by this.” she decided, her sharp eyes trained on your face. “When did you learn?”

“Earlier today, when she kidnapped me and introduced me to her new army of sidekicks.”

“Hold on a second. That was her!?” Ben asked incredulously.

You nodded, not taking your eyes off Young.

“She and my dad have apparently been in hiding ever since they escaped the vampires that kidnapped them that night.”

It was Young’s turn to nod.

“Yep. That sounds like Nari. She’s a hard one to put down.”

“Apparently.” Ben said, leaning back into the sofa.

Your vulpine ears twitched as they picked up the sound of Ana clearly enjoying Young’s tea. You decided not to acknowledge it.

“Why would your parents leave you in the care of a stranger?” Ana asked when she was done.

You leaned your head back to look up at her.

“She said something about wanting me to have a ‘better life’ without her.”

“Hm. Perhaps it is a part of your training.” she suggested.

“What do you mean?” Ben asked.

“My family believes in growth through adversity. At a young age, I was left to fend for myself in the wild. I nearly lost my life on multiple occasions, but the experience hardened me, made me strong.” she explained, staring into her cup. “Above all else, your family wishes for you to be safe. And the best way for a parent to ensure their child’s safety is to make sure that they are prepared to tackle their problems head-on.”

Ben looked like he was prepared to argue the point, but Young was already nodding her head.

“Now that really sounds like Nari.”

Your mom had confirmed as much during your talk at CRADLE’s headquarters. But that wasn’t what you came here to know.

“You said that you were helping my parents for a ‘decent chunk’ of the year that I was attacked.” you pointed out. “Why’d you stop? Was it because of the prophecy?”

“Yes. Your mother became convinced that you were destined for great things. I didn’t want to risk your life on a gamble that might end in you becoming a bloodthirsty monster. But Nari had no patience for my protests. She went behind my back and arranged a ritual to infuse your spirit with the Fox Bead. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. She made contact with the Cult of Khonshu and made a pact with your god.”

“Why didn’t you go after her?” Ben asked, his seemingly calm voice being no indication of the rage that he no doubt felt.

Young shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

(Cont.)

“I…I was afraid.” she said, her expression one of shame. “Afraid that your mother turned you into the monster that she desperately needed you to be. There were powerful monsters here who wanted me to kill you, so that you wouldn’t fulfill the prophecy. I told them that I wouldn’t, tried to convince them that the prophecy was false, but they didn’t listen. Some of them were bold enough to make attempts on your life. I told myself that you would be safer with your parents and the cult for the time being. But the truth is…I was afraid that they might have been right.”

Silence fell over the room, then. You didn’t dare to risk a glance in Ben’s direction, then.

What will you say?

>”So…what? You were afraid that you’d have to kill me if you met me? Or were you just afraid of me?”
>”I’ve seen my baby pictures. I wasn’t so scary that a realm full of monsters should be afraid of me.”
>”What’s with you all and this dumb prophecy!? Where did it even come from?”
>”Then why’d you bring me down here if everyone wants me dead!? Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?”
>”And what about now? Have I done anything to make you think that I’m a monster?”
>Write-in.

>>6159103

>”Then why’d you bring me down here if everyone wants me dead!? Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?”
>”I’ve seen my baby pictures. I wasn’t so scary that a realm full of monsters should be afraid of me.”
>>”And what’s with you all and this dumb prophecy!? Where did it even come from?"

>>6159103
>>”What’s with you all and this dumb prophecy!? Where did it even come from?”
Protect the Slayer, hmmm? That came rather timely.

>>6159103
>”Then why’d you bring me down here if everyone wants me dead!? Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?”
Why did she even think we’d be able to help if we’re such a Doomed Slayer?
>”I’ve seen my baby pictures. I wasn’t so scary that a realm full of monsters should be afraid of me.”
>”What’s with you all and this dumb prophecy!? Where did it even come from?”

>”Why not speak with Khonshu, or even my guardian, to see what I was like? Was I just… forgotten, after a certain point? Written off entirely?”
>”What am I really here for anyway? I’m not the biggest or strongest here. All I have is some prophecy behind me that terrifies everyone. So… I’m the bigger bad to scare everyone straight? I don’t learn villainous monologuing until next year.”
This last one overlaps with the other “why’d you bring me here” vote so I’m okay with ignoring it if it’s an awkward fit in the conversation.

We’re putting Grandma through hell with all this.

Ben had been told about Slayer things by Webb and Mantis a while back. I wonder if he’ll connect those dots soon.

>>6159105
>>6159108
>>6159264
>”Then why’d you bring me down here if everyone wants me dead!? Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?”
>”I’ve seen my baby pictures. I wasn’t so scary that a realm full of monsters should be afraid of me.”
>>”And what’s with you all and this dumb prophecy!? Where did it even come from?"

Taking these. Writing...

>>6159264
I expect her to get grilled pretty intensely during this arc.

>>6157407
You'll find out soon enough!

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“Then why'd you bring me down here if everyone wants me dead!?” you demanded. “Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?”

Both Ben and Ana nodded, clearly wanting to know the answer as well.

Your grandmother fixed you with a stern look.

“Cindy, me and the Kaiju King won’t be around forever. We're both very old, and there's no telling what the monsters around here will get up to once we're gone.” she explained, placing her wrinkled hands on the table for everyone to see.

“What about your little ‘Benjamin Button’ performance back there?” Ben asked. “Or did you just use up all of your anti-aging cream before the fight?”

Young shook her head, not at all bothered by his little jab.

“That was a manipulation of my own life essence. I can prolong my lifespan, but I am by no means immortal.”

As if to demonstrate this, Young's golden aura flared up around her, and her appearance changed to that of someone who was closer to you in age. Gone were her wrinkles and gray hairs. And in their place, you saw nothing but unblemished, flawless skin and long, silky black hair.

Whoa. Chi manipulation really did wonders for the body…

The other two were likewise impressed. Ben was practically bursting with curiosity and excitement, but he kept his questions to himself for fear of getting off topic. The fact that he was worried about that at all was more than a little endearing.

“Even in this form, I'm capable of dying of natural causes. The spirit can only persist for so long.” she continued in the voice of a teenage girl. “But before that happens, I will have you prove yourself worthy of their trust…or their fear. Only you can decide which that will be.”

“You…want me to make a good impression on them?” you concluded.

Young nodded.

“It would be safer to assert dominance early on.” Ana agreed. “I will allow you to take credit for killing our prize earlier.”

She reached into her coat, brandished a long, sharp tooth and offered it to you.

You fought back the grimace that was forming on your face and accepted the tooth.

“Oh…thanks, Ana.” you said with a weak smile, mustering up as much enthusiasm as you could manage at this moment.

“This is nice. Both my girls, out on a hunting trip together. And here I am without my camera.” Ben said in a wistful tone, his head resting on his hand.

Ana nodded her agreement.

“That is most regrettable. I left mine back at the hotel with the rest of my luggage. It would appear that I have once again vastly underestimated the amount of danger that we would encounter during our date.”

“It’s like you don’t even know me.” Ben said with a sad shake of his head.

Ana seemed to be doing a good job of keeping Ben distracted. He was already showing remarkable self control that he demonstrated in not pestering you about the conversation you had with your mom.

(Cont.)

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“Do you seriously expect me to ‘strike fear’ into the hearts of all these monsters down here?” you said with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve seen my baby pictures. I wasn’t so scary that a realm full of monsters should be afraid of me, prophecy or not.”


“That’s right.” Ben chimed in. “If anything, she’s gotten way cuter since then.”

Your cheeks went red, and you let out a cough to cover your own embarrassment. While his words weren’t doing you any favors, you let them hang in the air for a moment. There was no sense in denying such a lovely compliment.

“It’s possible to be physically beautiful and physically powerful at the same time.” Young said, tossing her hair as if to punctuate the point. “How do you think the succubi were able to compete with the vampires for so long?”

“Are succubi really that powerful?” Ben asked.

“Yes.” you and Young said at exactly the same time. It left you with mixed emotions.

Young gave you a polite, and only slightly awkward smile before she went on.

“Believe it or not, a succubus used to rule the Monster Metropolis long ago. She was known as Shiklah, the Monster Queen.” Shaggy pointed out. The dog was resting on a plush, bright blue doggy bed in the corner of the room, keeping an eye on all of you from his place on the floor.

“Let’s save that little history lesson for later, shall we?” Young said, quickly changing the subject.

Shaggy let out a huff and rested his head back on the pillow.

“Speaking of history lessons,” you put in. “What’s with you all and this dumb prophecy? Where did it even come from?”

“I heard that it was first foretold by a Cyclopean seer during the Hyborian Age.”

Your eyes widened.

“Seriously? That was way back when during Conan and Red Sonja’s time, right?”

Ben scratched the side of his head.

“Who?”

“They were great warriors from an age long passed, and their tales have been passed down for generations.” Young explained.

From the way she leaned closer, Ana appeared to be greatly interested in this topic.

“And they’re totally awesome! Dad used to tell me stories about them before bed.” you added. “I almost dyed my hair red just to be more like Sonja. Mom almost killed me for that.”

You let out a laugh, but it quickly petered out when you remembered the current state of your household. Even then, they had been lying to you. It colored your rosiest of memories in an ugly light. You’ve never had a reason to doubt them before, but now…

Ben placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, and you nearly forgot yourself and leaned into it. There would be time for hugs and consolations later, you decided.

“Cindy, it doesn’t matter where the prophecy came from, who made it up, or whether it's true or not.” Young continued.

“It doesn’t?” you blurted out.

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“It doesn’t? But I still don't know anything about it!” Ben said, looking a bit put out. From the way that his face scrunched up under that mask of his, you got the impression that he was thinking very hard about something.

"Oh, it's your classic 'destroyer/savior myth', with certain parts that are frustratingly vague and others that are frustratingly specific." Shaggy put in, momentarily raising his head from his pillow.

"I'd still like to hear about it, though. Please. This is important to me." Ben pleaded.

Shaggy let out a sigh, pushed himself up from his bed and plodded over to a stack of books on the floor.

"Alright, come on then. I think I have a transcript of it lying around here somewhere..."

After giving you another pat on the shoulder, Ben obligingly got up from his chair and went to go join Shaggy. You were pretty sure he'd just be getting a basic rundown of whatever your mom told you, but you were interested in seeing whether he would learn something new.

Ana stayed put, not even taking Ben's seat after he left. Her presence behind you was a reassuring one, though.

“I will admit," Young said, ignoring the conversation that your guardian and her servant were having in the background. "That I was worried about what, or who you might become. But now that I've gotten a chance to meet you and your guardian here, I see that I was too hasty in my earlier judgments. Because of me and Nari, you were never really given a chance to live a normal life. The responsibilities that you feel towards our family and your god have robbed you of that possibility.”

You and Ana remained silent, and your stomach twisted at the thought of how much this sounded like the conversation you had with your mother.

“But I may have found a solution that should work out for everyone.” Young said. “I have been discussing matters with the council, and they have agreed to meet with you. So long as we can convince them that you aren’t a threat to monsters everywhere, they are willing to deploy a group of trained warriors who are willing to oversee your duties for you!”

Ana slowly turned to look at you, awaiting your response.

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”No, grandma! I’m not gonna do that. I can’t have someone worship Khonshu for me. It doesn’t work like that.”
>”I was raised to believe that I could use what I’ve learned to help people. What would be the point of all that hard work if I just…gave it all up?”
>”That’s not your decision to make. I like what I do. It might not always be sanitary, safe or convenient, but it makes me feel like I’m making the world a better place.”
>”You’re doing the same thing that you accused mom of doing! Why're you all trying to control my life? I’m a big girl now, and I don’t need you making decisions for me!”
>”Yeah…I’m not doing any of that. You can tell your buddies on the council that I won’t kick their butts, so long as they don’t get out of line. But aside from that, I don’t plan on encouraging any more of this ‘Slayer’ crap.”
>”And how do I know that these ‘trained warriors’ aren’t buying into this ‘Slayer’ nonsense.”
>”Fine…I’ll meet with them, but I won’t agree to anything else yet.”
>”I wouldn’t mind having some support out in the field…”
>”I need to get some air.” (Step outside for a moment)
>Write-in.

>>6160688
>>”That’s not your decision to make. I like what I do. It might not always be sanitary, safe or convenient, but it makes me feel like I’m making the world a better place.”
Nuh-huh. Great power, yadda yadda

>>6160688
“That… is the same offer my mom made me, more or less. She called it a personal army though. Bit of a step up from a group.”
>Sigh deeply, hold up your hand to forestall whatever counterpoint she has.
>”Can’t we just admit I’m not necessary? You have a council with monsters, mom has a gaggle of teenagers with attitude and powers. My primary roles are filled. Both of you could fill any further contribution I have with a magic 8-ball for far less expense and drama.”
>”I need to get some air. I don’t normally quip this much and it worries me more than anything you’ve said now that I’ve realized it.”
>”It really shouldn’t.”

>>6160690
I’m willing to open with that if Ana or Ben step outside with us at some point. I’m sure Young would brush it off with a “you don’t need to do anything child, you can keep going to school while the council runs” yadda yadda.

Does she even know we do street-level crimefighting? Ben didn’t focus on that and Young doesn’t seem to have had an eye on Cindy very long. I’d get ticked off if she tried to say we shouldn’t be doing that given she’s asking us to run a powderkeg city as a political figurehead.

>>6160688
>”That’s not your decision to make. I like what I do. It might not always be sanitary, safe or convenient, but it makes me feel like I’m making the world a better place.”
>”I was raised to believe that I could use what I’ve learned to help people. What would be the point of all that hard work if I just…gave it all up?”
>”And how do I know that these ‘trained warriors’ aren’t buying into this ‘Slayer’ nonsense.”

Is she offering us sidekicks same as our mother? Everybody trying to get a team together it seems. Are they supposed to take over our Khonshu duties or crime fighting duties or both?

>>6160688

>”That’s not your decision to make. I like what I do. It might not always be sanitary, safe or convenient, but it makes me feel like I’m making the world a better place.”
>”I was raised to believe that I could use what I’ve learned to help people. What would be the point of all that hard work if I just…gave it all up?”
>”And how do I know that these ‘trained warriors’ aren’t buying into this ‘Slayer’ nonsense.”

>>6161061
I don’t think Young would call them sidekicks, but that’s what it sounds like. Probably some admin people to advocate for our interests if we’re elsewhere for a short time too.

They’d end up doing whatever we tell them, unless the council tells them to kill us. A group that fears us WOULD be happier with a dagger right up against our throat, after all.

Unrelated, odds on dad actually being dead because he got cold feet at some point and mom decided he wasn’t needed anymore? I give it 80/20 in favor of death.

>>6160690
>>6160762
>>6161061
>>6161178
>”That’s not your decision to make. I like what I do. It might not always be sanitary, safe or convenient, but it makes me feel like I’m making the world a better place.”
>”I was raised to believe that I could use what I’ve learned to help people. What would be the point of all that hard work if I just…gave it all up?”
>”And how do I know that these ‘trained warriors’ aren’t buying into this ‘Slayer’ nonsense.”

Taking these. I'm a little too tired to finish this update today, so I'm gonna try and post it tomorrow when I have time.