New
Who makes your heart beat faster?
Ägir
21.7%
5
Blood Golem
26.1%
6
Lorelei
8.7%
2
Melusine
34.8%
8
Symbiote
8.7%
2
23 votes
Jul 8, 2023 8:35 PM
#1
Also don't forget to vote in the other voting brackets! Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2104984 Bracket 3: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2104994 Bracket 4: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2105002 ÄGIR Family: Mermaid Type: Giant Habitat: Oceans, far reaches of the continental shelf Disposition: Calm, stoic, hospitable, modest Diet: Omnivorous, Spirit energy Ägir (EH-jeer) are giants of the sea and protectors of the oceanic realm of Michiko. Sporting a humanoid torso and a fish tail, the average ägir is well above three meters long and has skin of a blue or greenish tint. Tasked by Michiko with the safety of her realm, from the coastlines to the outer reaches, many ägir spend long stretches of time in solitude with at least one ägir assigned to a quadrant of the continental shelf at any one time. Though ägir stoically accept this lonesome duty they will gladly take an opportunity to interact with others. They may invite passengers of passing ships or seaborne mamono that have strayed nearby into their halls. An ägir’s hospitality is well renowned, and being given such an invitation is both considered a great honor and seen as a sign of good fortune by seafarers. Many seafarers and Michikona maintain a tradition of gifting a small trinket, such as a sea-shell necklace, to an ägir they encounter, which will be returned to their home temple upon completion of her assignment. Sometimes an ägir will also invite another mamono to join her as she undertakes her duty to lessen her loneliness. While encounters with ägir are considered good fortune by most seafarers, they are the bane of Michiko’s enemies and those who would render harm upon her subjects. Mermaid poachers especially do well to fear their wrath as they are sure to be destroyed with utmost prejudice if discovered. When encountering particularly grave threats, ägir are able to assume a true giant form that can range anywhere from 15 to 50 meters in height, inspiring awe and fear in all those who behold her. In this form, she wields powerful magic to control the oceans around her. As this feat consumes enormous amounts of energy, such transformations are rarely heard of however and require long periods of recuperation after use. Assignments to a particular quadrant of the ocean typically last for a full year at least. The largest concentration of ägir can be found in the Sanctuary of Resplendent Vigilance, a giant temple complex found beneath the waves, due west of the Isle of Blue Glass. This temple is separated into nine enormous sections or halls, and which hall an ägir lives in indicates to which area of Michiko’s domain her assignments will usually lead her. This place is also where most new ägir are born. Due to the often solitary nature of their assignments everywhere on the continental shelf, many ägir face even lower than average odds of chance encounters with men than the average Michikona. Because of this Michiko occasionally supplies the temple with human men, usually volunteers, to bolster the spirits and numbers of her loyal servants. To be offered this chance is considered a great honor among such men as are born and raised in Michiko’s underwater realm. Even among mamono, ägir suffer from a particularly low chance of conceiving a child and so anytime one of them is born is cause for great celebration in the temple. Perhaps to make up for that fact an ägir’s average lifespan far eclipses that of their smaller mermaid cousins. Ägir are almost never observed on dry land, as their power is greatly diminished there, and even an invitation by a cherished friend will often be declined. Seeing one of them on land is a special occasion indeed, and it is considered a great honor by those she visits. Such a visit is sure to awaken the baser desires of opportunists however, as an ägir’s blood, similar to that of a mermaid, is a potent medicine and magical ingredient. Though unlike the blood of a mermaid, its potency is far greater and will never fade. Other than their husbands, few indeed ever get to experience the bolstering effects of their blood. Most encounters between ägir and men occur in the Sanctuary of Resplendent Vigilance, where men will typically be married to three to five women belonging to the same hall, no more than half of which will ever be on assignment at a time. Most men who come to live in the temple in this way spend the remainder of their lives there, never straying far from their loving wives. However, if an ägir should chance across a man while not in the temple she will pursue him for herself and only herself. If such a union is made she will ensure that the bond between the two is forged from unbreakable links and she will henceforth prefer to never let him out of her sight. The man will enjoy her renowned hospitality every day and accompany her on her assignments. An ägir with a husband of her own is also much more likely to spend her time not on assignments in other populated areas of Michiko’s realm to give her man the chance to experience all that the world underwater has to offer. Other mamono would do well not to flirt with an ägir’s husband, as they may find her calm and gentle demeanor to be replaced with stern anger at such an affront. Name That Mamono: Ingrid At 36 years old Ingrid is the youngest member of the hall of Hevring. Since turning 30 she has twice been assigned to watch over a quadrant of ocean close to the northwestern Kiokan coast. There she was able to form a few friendships thanks to a few smaller settlements located within her assigned quadrant. Ingrid has skin of light-greenish tint and long dark hair. At a length of 3.3 meters she is considered of average length for her kind, though she secretly wishes she was a bit smaller. Encouraged perhaps by the youth of its protector, an enterprising pirate recently formed plans to threaten and extort a small community of mermaids living within Ingrid’s quadrant. In the ensuing confrontation Ingrid transformed into her true giant form and sank the small pirate flotilla in a storm of gales and waves. This act earned her a measure of fame among Michikona and infamy among the pirate freebooters and bought her an early release from her assignment. She received a commendation from Michiko herself and has been granted an extended leave of 10 years to recoup the expended energy. After having returned the mermaids’ gifts to the hall of Hevring Ingrid has taken to traveling the most densely populated regions of Michiko’s realm in search of new friends and experiences. She has also taken a keen interest in watching from afar the goings-on in the various port cities she has come across. Secretly she also hopes to meet that special someone to whom she can give her all. Though she would never admit it she is self-conscious about her size considering that men tend to be significantly smaller than herself. BLOOD GOLEM Family: Golem Type: Magic Material Habitat: Mansions, ruins, towers Disposition: Devoted, various Diet: Blood, spirit energy, ambient demonic energy Blood golems are artificial life forms created from the blood of their creators in a long and arduous process. In order to create a blood golem a sorceress primarily requires three things; a vast pool of mana, a human partner, and a substantial length of time. Creating a blood golem is an extensive investment of time and energy where the sorceresses' mamono blood and a human's blood are combined in a heavily enchanted vessel. Only a small trickle of blood may be added to the vessel every week before the sorceress needs to perform a series of complicated and time- and energy-consuming rites. There is no fixed quantity that may be added at one time, but should the sorceress grow careless and add too great a quantity at once she risks years of work being ruined. Since the precise quantity of blood added and the final mass of the golem are not exact quantities there is no fixed time frame for golem creation, but creating one would likely require no less than 25 and no more than 100 years. A blood golem is considered finished when it achieves sentience. Few sorceresses, even among those who possess the knowledge, power and resources required, would consider beginning this arduous process as they are left vulnerable and unable to venture far from their homes for the duration of the ritual. Why then would anyone choose to perform this ritual? Once the blood golem has been finished it will serve the will of its creators without reservation. It is magically linked to them both and serves as a vast reserve of both potent mana and spirit energy which the sorceress can freely access. Therefore a powerful sorceress supported by a blood golem is a formidable force indeed. Even after reaching a state of sentience it is possible to keep growing a blood golem, though the sorceress and her human partner are no longer obliged to remain stationary as the blood golem will no longer be confined to its vessel. Blood golems initially appear as amorphous blobs of blood that somehow hover in the air and only gradually take the shape of something recognizable as a living being. The shape taken depends strongly on the will of the blood golem’s creators and can be anything from a humanoid form to that of various beasts or even more obscure shapes. Just like its form is shaped by its creator's will, the blood golem’s personality and behavior will be shaped by its creator's desires and disposition towards it. Some may desire nothing beyond a familiar to serve them, while others may desire something more akin to a filial relationship. The golem’s abilities will similarly develop in line to suit the needs of its creators. Due to this some blood golems function more as simple servants or attendants while others may be more akin to apprentices and develop into potent sorceresses in their own right. In order for a blood golem to become a fully fledged mamono her connection to her creators needs to be severed. This can happen if the sorceress, who serves as the focal point of the connection, consciously severs the link or if both of the golem’s creators perish. Only then will the blood golem develop true sapience. Within a few short months a blood golem free from its ties will naturally take on a beautiful female form, though some reminiscence of its former form will remain . The blood golem will slowly develop a fully actualized personality by further building up on the disposition shaped by her creators. Like most mamono blood golems are attracted to humans in general and men in particular and, depending on their personalities, pursue any opportunities to mate that present themselves. Blood golems possess two primary ways of reproduction. The first is to combine themselves with the blood and mana or spirit energy of a partner. Using this method they can slowly increase in mass and eventually split in two, creating a copy identical in every way at the time of splitting. This method can be used even with a mamono partner, but since the blood of the partner used is different from that of their original creator it is an exceedingly slow method. The second way is to employ the same means used by their original creators and perform the formal ritual for the creation of a new blood golem together with a human partner. When she finds a lover a blood golem will usually inject part of herself into her lover’s bloodstream, which will allow her to sense them wherever they are and even enable their partner to eat food that would normally be considered poisonous, as the blood golem is capable of neutralizing these poisons quite effectively. Having part of a blood golem circulating through their blood stream will also extend the partner’s lifespan and may even cause some degree of rejuvenation. If they are in close enough proximity this physical link can enable the blood golem to share her own reserves of mana and spirit energy with her partner or access a human’s spirit energy without the need for intercourse, though sex will always remain her preferred mode of receiving her lover's spirit energy. Name That Mamono: Yavina Yavina is the creation of an Amarantian countess, who was well known for her magical talents and deep learning, and her husband. While bound to their service she served as familiar, bodyguard, companion, student, and daughter until she was finally freed from service at age 100. Even when her bonds of servitude were severed Yavina did not desire to leave her master and mistress behind. In fact she only left when she was ordered to go out and experience the world for herself. She followed that command and enjoyed all that Arcadia had to offer for the next 16 years. When rumors reached her ears of allegations made against her former mistress Yavina hurried back to her side, but she was too late. Her mistress had fallen victim to the scheming of a political rival and lost her life in the process. Saddened and enraged, Yavina prepared to take vengeance but was stopped by her former master, who was yet alive at the family’s keep in central Amarante. With Yavina’s help he navigated the Alnorian bureaucracy and legal system to keep his late wife’s estates from falling into the hands of her enemies. Following that hollow triumph Yavina retreated to the countess' keep with her master where she, along with a few other servants, stayed on as attendants and confidantes. Nearly one thousand years have passed since then, and her master has long since shuffled off this mortal coil. Yavina still lives in the old keep, whose outside has fallen into disrepair, and keeps her vigil over the crypt where her master and mistress are laid to rest. During that time she had extensively studied her mistresses' works and notes and has developed into a powerful sorceress in her own right. Yavina has not interacted with the outside world in a long time and feels mostly apathetic towards it, but will not hesitate to defend her old masters’ household against intruders seeking plunder. LORELEI Family: Succubus Type: Fiend Habitat: Sea coasts, beachsides Disposition: Lustful, devoted Diet: Spirit energy Lorelei are sea demons of enchanting beauty. Their bodies can change from large and voluptuous to small and petite and come in bewitching shades of blue depending on the color of the seawater where they reside, from the light blue of a tropical beach to the dark blue of an arctic sea coast. They have spellbinding voices and only ever drape themselves with light silk robes that resembles sea foam when they bother wearing anything at all. Lorelei can be found anywhere the sea hugs the land, be it on sand-covered shorelines or rocky sea coasts. All lorelei have a deep affinity for the sea and are adept at all manner of water related magic that enables them to use the sea to harm or heal those they deem worthy of their attention. They glide through water with speed and grace that outstrips most other aquatic life, but they struggle with moving with any haste or coordination when out of water. While separated from the sea lorelei are markedly weaker and slower than most humans and their ability to use water-based magic is drastically reduced, but when submerged they become profoundly more capable, utterly eclipsing the abilities of even the strongest and fastest humans. They can see perfectly well wherever they are in the sea, regardless of the time of day or the depth to which they dive, and they are able to comfortably endure even the deepest, coldest depths of the sea, though they do require light to see when above the surface. When a lorelei acquires a contractor she can use her magic to allow her contractor to live with her under the sea. Not only can she change their lungs to allow them to breath underwater, but she can even change their body to make them more hydrodynamic. Lorelei are commonly misconstrued as being evil. Many people believe that they use siren calls to lure sailors and land dwellers alike to their deaths, and because many who seek out the source of a Lorelei's singing are never seen again they are naturally presumed dead. Lorelei do not use their alluring voices and magic entwined songs to lure men to their deaths however; they use them to seek out contractors. When a lorelei wishes to express her availability for a contractor she'll come to the surface, settle herself on a conspicuous piece of land on the edge of the sea, and begin to sing. Her song is a wordless magic-infused melody that carries much farther than what is usually possible. The song enthralls any man who hears it, inciting him to find the source. When a man hears the song his thoughts will be filled with carnal desires, and he will be urged to investigate the source of the melodious singing. When he does, and when the lorelei meets his eyes, her singing will stop, she'll beckon him over, and they'll both eagerly fall into each other's arms. The lorelei will wash over him with love and affection, indulging his every carnal desire and urging him on with every magic-infused moan of pleasure. When they finish copulating the lorelei will offer a contract bound by magic with the terms typically offering any type of sex the man wishes, whenever he wishes it, and sole devotion to him as a sexual partner in exchange for providing her his essence when they have sex. The lorelei will use that essence to amplify her magical prowess in order to recover, develop, and protect the part of the sea which she calls her home. Rare is the man who chooses to refuse. Name That Mamono: Sophia Sophia is a typical example of a lorelei who resides off the coast of a tropical beach. She has light blue skin, hair, and eyes that reflect the clear azure waters of her home. She wears a semi-transparent silk robe that she accentuates by using her water magic to make the fabric slowly shift and flow around her as if she were underwater even when she's on dry land. Sophia has a deep love of her home and all the creatures in it, and she will do everything within her power to preserve and protect them from seafarers and landlubbers alike if members of either group seek to cause harm like draining the area of its natural resources, unbalancing the ecosystem through over overfishing, or polluting the waters with unwanted waste. If she ever feels that a group of people is too large or well-equipped to take on by herself she will leave the safety of the waters and sit atop a prominent rock to sing in hopes of drawing out a suitable contractor. When one finds her she will beg his assistance in defending her home by supplying her with his essence… and of course promising in return to indulge his every carnal fantasy for the rest of his days. MELUSINE Family: Mermaid Type: Fiend Habitat: Fresh water Disposition: Creative, melancholic, lustful Diet: Omnivorous; spirit energy In addition to being capable spellcasters melusine are also intelligent problem solvers. No scholar has been able to explain why, but many melusine are obsessed with masonry, architecture, and especially labyrinthine structures. Many a great architect in the history of Arcadia turned out to be a melusine. Melusine are also known to request frivolous conditions to be set by both partners, to which the other must adhere, before entering a relationship. Because melusine have both mermaid and succubus features scholars have argued endlessly over how they should be classified. The classification that has gained the most traction has the melusine as a member of the mermaid family but also a fiend type as their blood has more in common with succubus blood than mermaid blood. Like mermaids Melusine can shapeshift into a form that is better suited to moving on land; their terrestrial form moprhs the fish tail into something more like what nereids have where otherwise a succubus tail would be. A melusine’s powerful wings are not suitable for flight. Instead, they act more as a pair of back-mounted flippers that make them deceptively fast and agile while in the water. Melusine are capable magic wielders, and true to their succubus nature eromancy is usually the first magic school they try their hands at. Furthermore they have sharp, creative minds but are also prone to bouts of melancholy. Melusine keep their minds trained by regularly challenging themselves with puzzles, conundrums, paradoxes, and/or logical problems. If presented with a particularly challenging problem they can brood on it for hours on end while forgetting the entire world around them. Melusine tend to have several peculiar interests or obsessions. One such obsession, which is especially noteworthy as it is shared among the majority of melusine, is a boundless fascination with masonry, architecture and all manner of structures. This fascination has led to, despite them being aquatic mamono, there being more geomancers than hydromancers among the melusine. It is also a major determining factor as to where a Melusine will prefer to settle down, with them even willing to settle down in a pond or large fountain if it is next to a great work of architecture. Be warned, though, so far all attempts at basing a system of government around melusine laying in ponds and distributing swords has been met with catastrophic failure. A melusine's greatest weakness is that she isn’t naturally able to provide her husband with a water-breathing spell, and hence she will have to either study hydromancy or partner up with another mamono who can. Melusine like to set odd and frivolous conditions for their partner(s) to adhere to in the relationship, and they like for their partner to come up with similar conditions for them as well. They then take great joy in trying to come up with creative ways to either circumvent the conditions or to break them. Failing to adhere to such a demand is usually “punished” by having to provide a sexual service to their partner, which for a member of the succubus family is no punishment at all. Melusine are perfectly capable of having sex in either their aquatic or terrestrial form and do not seem to have a specific preference for one or the other -- in fact many melusine like to switch between forms during nookie. While it is complicated and requires focus, transforming mid-act is perfectly safe for the partner and provides them with a unique sexual experience. Name That Mamono: Palatyne Palatyne is an intelligent girl, but she is also only eighteen years old. Just like humans, even smart young mamono tend to do brilliant things that those boring old people would call “reckless” or “plain stupid.” In Palatyne’s case she ignored her mother’s warnings and secretly experimented with advanced eromancy spells without reading the part in the tomes that talked about what exactly those spells did, because "I ain’t got time for that!" Thus she accidentally cast a seal on her own womb and womanhood that has prevented her from receiving any sexual relief since. The spell, however, has not stopped her lust from slowly building up, nor has it stopped her sexual fantasies from running wild; bondage especially has been pogo-sticking through her mind recently. Obviously the most sensible way to deal with the problem was to zealously hide it from her mom and try to find a way to dispel the spell in secret. To her dismay that has proven quite the problem, as it requires frequent vaginal sex with the same man. By now her desire is pent-up so much that the seal has begun to glow, which makes it a lot harder to hide it from her mother, so she has left her home in northern Amarante to go on a long solo “soul searching” journey. At least, that is what she told her mom to buy herself some more time to sort this mess out. SYMBIOTE Family: Slime Type: Parasite Habitat: Cursed ruins, swamps, murky water Disposition: Protective Diet: Blood, spirit energy A symbiote’s real body is the slime transferred by certain types of bugs and leeches in swamps, or the odd drippings in some cursed domains, and this allows them to go relatively unnoticed. A symbiote is an exceptionally hard to spot monster due to its lack of humanoid form and color shifting abilities, second only to the mimic-type slime. She has no sight, hearing, or sense of smell at first, only the passive sense of what mana rests around her, and she is drawn toward any living source of such mana. She has no real fighting strength at this stage and is effectively blind as she searches for a host. Once she finds a host a symbiote infests it wholly. The host may become sick for a day or two while the body gets used to the foreign invader, but it will calm as the symbiote changes the body around them and the symbiote adjusts to its new host. The symbiote experiences new sensations for the first time after adjustment – sight, smells, touch, taste – and develops the mind to assist its host as it begins to drown in these new sensations. The host will also begin to sense changes in themselves – heightened senses as the symbiote drinks in everything it can, a new sense of mana perception, and the capacity to tap into the symbiote’s innate abilites along with an increased hunger as the host is now providing for the gluttonous symbiote living within. If the parasite infests a mammono she will be unable to grow and nurture, so her host will be instilled with the overwhelming need to find a source of spirit energy, even more so than most mamono already are. They will be driven to great lengths in order to catch a human or an angel, and in introduction will share said source of spirit energy with the symbiote, even after full infestation of the new host. Should the host be a human the symbiote has no further need to hop bodies, for they have found the mate they need to actually continue living. An angel can also succumb to a symbiote, as they too produce the spirit energy required to keep one alive. The symbiote will reward such a match with boons such as increased stamina and strength… and exponentially increased libido. She will begin manifesting to the host, first in dreams and then in glimpses of her here and there until she finally grows enough to break free of the host’s body and appear within the real world, where she can make all the fantasies and devious daydreams she created a reality. Once the host and symbiote are one the symbiote will do everything and anything to keep her host safe and happy. Seeing that a majority are wild they don't care for laws or rules, and will shatter any and all to keep their host safe and well as they live out the rest of their lives indulging in all the sensations they can experience. Name That Mamono: Castalia and Meryl Castalia is an infested pariah bonded to Meryl the symbiote, and the two have been on the hunt for any source of spirit energy ever since they intertwined. They move from city to city but have thus far been unable to get the score they have been looking for -- though the heists they’ve pulled off have netted them enough to live comfortably for the remainder of their lives they cannot rest until they find someone compatible with Meryl, as she is dying due to lack of energy. The pair is careful to never show themselves off; all anyone ever sees of them is a purple cloak and a shadow. |
MetallumOperaturJul 16, 2023 2:18 AM
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 11, 2023 4:49 AM
#2
Never before had I thought I would be interested in having a relationship with a sentient pile of blood lol Thanks man, your posts are really interesting to read |
pain |
Jul 13, 2023 12:12 PM
#3
My compliments to all the authors. You're making it really hard for me to decide who to vote for. |
Jul 25, 2023 3:21 PM
#4
HMG X Bracket 1 H-off: Symbiote Another day another coin, as the old saying goes. I was working my usual job as a shopkeep for one of the wealthy kitsune in town, a Miss… Faye or something, the details didn't really matter. She wasn’t really around all that much anyways. I saw her daughters far more, and they were charming. Kelcie and Havana, those two were a sight to see when they waltzed through the doors. I had to admit they were cute, and it was painfully obvious that they were vying for attention, but I knew I couldn’t get involved with them. It would be one thing to sleep with the employer’s daughter if this were back on Earth, but these two would nearly come to blows. I knew Miss Faye just wanted to flaunt her wealth -- to show that she could snag a human tender for one of her many shops -- and, while a little demeaning, it afforded me many liberties when it came to my movements around town. Being “owned” by a powerful kitsune meant no one wanted to mess with me… and those who did were quickly scooped up by local authorities. The pay was good, several silver coins a week, and the ability to walk free was a godsend after my arrival in Kaori. I shook my head at the thought of that bastard of a location, and returned my attention to the shop. It was located in a coastal city in Elizabeth, so it was a little colder than my hometown in Texas, but I’d grown used to it over my six-month stint here. The shop itself was quiet today. A surprise rainstorm had driven people indoors with their significant others to hide from the thunder. Luckily for me, that meant I had time to restock the shelves. My back was to the main door, and I had a wooden crate of the cosmetics that the store sold. All of them had such interesting names and origins like this set here; “Vampyr Rejuvenation.” Such an odd name for what the substance was. It was just a skin conditioner, not that many of the races here needed it, though it was aimed at humans for the most part. The red substance seemed a little off for what it would have been back home, but that was fine. They didn't have modern manufacturing. Most of it was still on the medieval level as it were, so the fact that they even had this kind of thing was strange. Suddenly the front bell rang, and I snapped my gaze up. There was a mamono in a long purple cloak, dripping wet with the cowl pulled up over her head. I couldn’t discern any features, but judging by her humanoid form and the way she came into a cosmetic store in the middle of a thunderstorm, I was thinking undead. Most undead (at least, those smart enough to pose as humans) saw cosmetics as life or death, as it would make them seem more palatable to prospective husbands. She wrung out the base of her cloak with black-gloved hands, and I couldn’t see her eyes as her head tilted up to look at me, just a shadow from the cloak and the candles around me. “Evening ma’am, how can I help you?” I asked, looking over at her curiously as I placed another clay jar on the shelf. “Are you looking for something specific, or just browsing?” I asked, turning to face her entirely as I picked up my box of goods. The woman looked a little nervous, her head looking off to the side and then back at me, before she began to walk towards me. “Yes, I’m looking for anything made by…” She paused and turned her head as if listening to someone. “... Vampyr?” she asked, looking back at me with a curiosity that I could just sense somehow. “Vampyr… yes that would be this entire section,” I said, stepping back with my box of goods. I found it weird that she still had her cowl on, but every mamono had their own quirks. Perhaps it was just that she feared my gaze without any product on. I stepped back and let her look, watching her curiously as I held my goods in my off hand. She put a gloved hand to her chin beneath her hood and began browsing the section. I saw a flash of something out of the corner of my eyes, and I glanced over to see nothing there. I shrugged it off, until I caught it again, but when I looked, there was still nothing. So I waited until it happened again, diverting my gaze the other way down the aisle where a small mirror was placed. They were my suggestion to install to help prevent shoplifting, and as the manager of the store my word had at least some sway over the happenings within it. Looking at the mirror I could see what it was; an inky black substance that slid from her leg, reaching out behind me for one of the bottles of red substance. I found myself seething that she would so brazenly steal from my store, and I surged up and snatched her arm. She gasped and dropped the bottle she was holding with a loud shatter as the contents went everywhere, her face jerking up to mine. “How, fucking dare you steal from my store, right in front of my face! I should have you thrown in the stockade for this brazen act of thievery!” I growled, pulling her close. She jerked away, but I just pulled her closer, my foot crunching on the broken glass. She jerked her head up at me, and I saw a glimpse of her eyes, fear and nervousness residing in those vibrant greens. “I… please,” she begged, looking down at the red mess on the floor. “I… she… needs it!” the woman said, those eyes full of fear. I rolled my own eyes as she played her crying wolf game, yanking her closer, not letting her get out of my grasp. “No one needs cosmetics that bad. Now you’re going to pay for the broken bottle and get out of my store!” I snapped, not having any of her plea. “But sir!” she pulled away from me, trying to slip free of my grasp as she put her whole body into it. Her cloak swayed and the cowl fell down to reveal a raven-haired beauty… a human woman. I was stunned for a moment, and that was enough for her to slip away, a few steps. The inky black substance from before pooled from her feet and leapt at the red mess on the floor… draining it of red until it was a sticky white mass of… something, taking the elements from… whatever had spilled. It took me a moment to process, but she was already running down the aisle. She tore open the door and it slammed behind her as I looked on in shock. Damnit. Now all I had was one big mess to clean up- it wouldn't even be salvageable… I sighed as I went to get a broom. A human woman, huh? Maybe partnered with a slime. I swept up the mess and went about my day as I should have, keeping an eye out for that purple cloak the entire time. She never did return. Eventually, I had to close down the shop for the night, turning the sign and sweeping up everything that remained. I restocked the small supplies that had been sold and began to put out the candles one by one. The room dimmed until I was left standing by the stairs. As I touched out the last candle I heard the front door open. There was no bell, just the subtle turn of the lock from the outside as the door was eased open. Something stopped the bell from ringing, and that put me on edge. I backed up the stairs. Damnit, I was alone; there wasn’t anyone here who could help if this got violent, but the supplies were all in the storefront. I heard the subtle sounds of foot falls and a goopy sound stepping over to the aisle where the incident had happened earlier that day. The hair on the back of my neck stood and I waited. There was the sound of clinking glass and I swore under my breath. There was the sound of something opening and that… sickly slurping noise I had heard when the slime-thing had eaten the other cosmetics. I reached for anything that could be used to protect myself, my hands closing around one of the mistress’s umbrellas next to the stairs. That should work fine. I crept up to the aisle, hearing muttering from the intruder all the while, keeping the umbrella close as I listened. “It’s not enough… it won’t be… we need him,” she muttered. “Mer, listen to me, you’re dying, and I’m… incomplete without you. I can’t let you leave, alright?” she said, sounding on the verge of tears. “T-this may sustain you for what, another day? Then what?” she asked her imaginary friend. I hissed and stepped back. So it seemed mental illness was in fact a thing here too. Great. Well, I couldn't in good conscience fight a mental patient. I reached for the candle at the end of the aisle, bringing it to the bottom where a flint lighter was. There was a click that made the woman jump as the aisle was lit up, and I glared at her again. She looked like she was about to bolt, but I held up my hand. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I sighed, no longer angry, just weirded out. “I just want you to stop stealing, alright?” I said, watching her fearful face deep underneath that hood, the candlelight cutting through her shadows. “Come with me. I’ll feed you some food upstairs. As long as you stop stealing from this store and tell me what’s going on,” I said, glaring at her through the light. “O-oh thank you sir, thank you so much you have no idea…!” she started, nearly crying. “Save it. I still have to decide whether or not to turn you over to the authorities,” I said sharply, cutting her off as she blubbered. “Come with me.” -- Once upstairs she meekly sat in my kitchenette. I made her a cup of tea and a sandwich to eat, placing my own across from her as she looked at me, then away. “So what’s this about, why do you need Vampyr so much?” I asked, looking at her as she meekly ate the sandwich. “Meryl,” she said softly, pausing in her eating to look up at me. “And who is Meryl?” I asked, blowing the steam off of my tea as I looked at her. She didn't look like she was going to run now that she was caught a second time, so that was good. “My… friend,” she said softly, her eyes boring into me. “She’s dying. She needs…. blood,” she muttered softly. My eyes widened at the realization that the mixture had blood in it, but that still didn't explain what had happened, unless… the red that had been seeped out was the blood. So, Meryl was the slime. But what kind of slime needed blood? “The slime?” I asked, pausing a moment to take a sip from my tea as she nodded. “A symbiote,” she said softly as she looked up at me with apologetic eyes. I couldn't understand the look on her face before I felt something wet and sticky worm its way up my pant leg, and I jolted back as it burrowed into my skin painlessly. I yelled and screamed for help, but the drowning rain wouldn't let anything be heard this late at night. “I’m sorry, I didn't want it to go this way,” the girl said, tears streaming down her face. That was the last thing I saw before I went under. The dreams themselves were… wild, to say the least. I was in bed alone in the room I’d come to know as home when I was jolted awake. I couldn't see out the windows; that blurry unclear blackness that came with all dreams shrouded the area… but at the table, there was a pale woman with ink for hair. She had red eyes, and it looked like she wasn’t quite right. It was like my thoughts were shaping her; I would think of a feature and it would appear, like her mouth -- she didn't have a mouth at first -- before it was replaced with ruby red lips and the perfect little cupid’s bow. I rubbed my eyes as I drew closer… and she was gone. I couldn't see her anywhere. I had to shrug it off because the dream collapsed in on me. I woke up again, and there she was a second time, but in finer detail, sitting with a cup of tea. I stood and stepped closer, seeing more this time. Her hair was long, and her body was still pale, the large swells of her bust contained in a very tight dress that stretched across her body so tight it looked like it was painted on. I got a step closer this time, but I blinked and she was gone. This went on for months, years, decades, centuries. I don't know how long I was in that loop of seeing her and trying to reach her, learning about her bit by bit, her every curve, her every breath, every little detail about her frame that just blew me away. Over time I felt better, stronger, faster, even in the dream… it was still a dream, right? Was any of my life even real? I didn't know, all I knew was that I needed to get to this woman… and today, I made it. I made it to the table, and she looked up at me. She smiled, and it practically floored me, but that was alright. I grabbed the chair and sat down with her, and her smile widened. What was this feeling? “I’m Meryl, and I have to thank you for saving my life,” she said calmly. Her voice was perfect, melodious, as if perfectly crafted to my tastes, and then I realized. Meryl was my dream woman. The thousands of iterations of slowly reading my thoughts to mold her into the perfect representation of what I wanted. My breath caught and I thought, I must be dead. “Not quite, but you are very sick,” she said, then sipped her tea. I recoiled as she read my mind, and that recoil shattered my dream. I shot up out of bed. The room was dark, unlit, and I felt like shit. Was that really all a dream? What the hell happened to me? I stumbled to the table, lighting the candle where it was… wait, how... What? The candle lit when I touched it. That couldn't have been right. “You forget you are not alone.” That perfect voice resounded in my head as I watched the candle burn. “I am with you, forever and always,” it said. I rushed over to the bathroom in an attempt to hide my panic, slamming the door behind me to get away from whoever was speaking. There shouldn't have been anyone here! It was just a dream! “It wasn’t just a dream, silly. You were just so compatible that it didn't hurt,” the voice purred, and I saw a pair of red eyes glowing at me from the mirror. That’s it, I was going crazy. “You’re not crazy, just listen to the voice in your head,” she giggled. I felt heat on my cheek, like the warmth of lips, leaving a faint mark of wetness as I cowered there. “Do not fear me… after all, your wife means you no harm, none at all.” |
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 25, 2023 3:27 PM
#5
HMG X Bracket 1 H-off: Lorelei Curse these sailors, Sophia thought with frustrated rage as she swam through her once beautiful home. I'd drown them all and let their bodies get ripped apart by the carrion feeders of the sea if I could. The tropical seaside that she called home was once bustling with all manner of vibrant sea life, but had been subjected to a man who had recently arrived with dozens of ships at his command and who had ordered his men to catch every fish they could. The rampant overfishing had caused the delicate habitat she cared so deeply for to be pushed to the brink of collapse in a couple of weeks. Sophia had tried to reason with them, first approaching the men by floating above the water's surface beside their ships and calling to them, practically pleading with them to stop, but that had only resulted in lust-filled jeering from the crew and an attempt to catch her by casting down nets into the water. She didn't make the mistake of trying to speak with them again. The next time they had cast out their nets and tried to reel in the fish they caught Sophia cut the rope, letting all the fish in their nets slip free, but that had only resulted in them wrapping the rope they used in a metal wire to prevent her from doing so again. Next she observed the ships from below and noted the vertically protruding boards at the back of each ship. She endeavored to disable those next, which caused them to be cast adrift for a little while at least, but when they eventually returned to land they pulled the ships along with them, and the next time they were out at sea the protruding vertical boards were also reinforced and protected with metal. Her last attempt was to pry apart the wooden boards that made up the ship's bottom side in order to sink them, a drastic and desperate tactic to resort to -- one that she knew would probably end up killing some of them if she succeeded, but she had to do something to stop them. Her home and the sea life that depended on her were in danger of being taken away if she did nothing. But despite her best efforts Sophia only barely managed to force a little water into a few of the older ships, nowhere near enough to sink any of them, but enough to make them reinforce the keels of their ships with metal once more. Running short of time and options Sophia did the only thing she could. She came onto land and, in a desperate plea for the strength to save her home, started to sing to attract a potential contractor. Luckily it wasn't long before a man was drawn by her magically infused melodious singing. The man was a native to the island, dark of skin, hair and eyes. Young, tall and muscular, with a handsome face, the perfect match. "Please, stranger, I need your help," Sophia pleaded, looking up at the approaching man. "Those men on the ships... those invaders are killing the life in the sea, destroying my home." She continued, eyes filling up with tears. "I tried to stop them, but I can't do it alone. I need help. I'll do anything you want in return, just help me save my home... please," Sophia begged in a whimpering tone. "What do you want me to do?" He asked stoically. "I need someone to supply me with... with his seed," she answered with a blush. "I need you to form a pact with me, stay and live with me in the sea. I'll vow to do whatever your heart desires, promise to allow you take me however you wish, if you swear to permit me to take the fruits of my labours and use the strength I receive from it to protect and heal my home." The man hesitated, staring down at her as he contemplated her offer. Sophia stared back up at him with bated breath and pleading eyes. He was a perfect match, and Sophia doubted she would get another of his calibre if he refused. He was quite possibly the best chance she had at saving her home, and if he refused that could've meant the end of her home. The moment seemed to drag on for eternity for Sophia, until he eventually spoke, startling her with his voice. "Very well," he said with conviction. Sophia let out a sigh of pure relief and euphoria in response. "When do we start?" He pressed. Sophia's blush deepened but she wasn't deterred. "Thank you stranger, truly, we can begin right away... in fact I'll let you have me right here and now as soon as the contract is complete." Sophia finished as she began forming the magical pact. |
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 26, 2023 5:40 AM
#6
Well, well. This is a tough one. Between the two entries, I did prefer the lorelei over the symbiote. Between these two shorts, I think the symbiote beats out the Lorelei though. Gonna be a tough one for the judge, no doubt :) |
mugen91Jul 26, 2023 6:51 AM
Jul 28, 2023 4:22 PM
#7
[grumble grumble] Just had to make this stuff hard to judge, didn't you. This is a tough race to call, as both stories make excellent use of their respective NTMs. In the end I decided in favor of the one that gives more insight into the character of the male lead. I call this one for... the symbiote! |
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
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