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[REND] 6.6 - Hero Wannabes, At Your Service
🕑 Added 2025-06-05 14:30:02 +0000 UTCAmber Deen Leska
Amber Deen clenched her teeth. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as the stress piled.
What was that nonsense about being heroes? As if it couldn’t be more obvious that Dario said it just to convince them to join.
This sinister organization wouldn’t spring this offer of superpowers to anyone unless they were truly desperate for more recruits—if so, incompatibility might not be such a good thing either. Amber and Erind knew about Dario’s group. Whether the Core worked on them or not, they were tied to this organization.
Erind wasn’t saying anything, her eyes focused on the crater Myra had made. Amber sensed they were both pondering the same concerns.
But what could they do in this situation? Amber knew that refusing wouldn’t work. They knew information they shouldn’t; they saw powers they shouldn’t. Dario trapped them in this situation with no way out. But she’d still try to resist.
“Isn’t thi-this too sudden?” Amber’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat and continued. “Don’t you test candidates, like psychological evaluations, physical metrics? What about our trustworthiness?” She hastily added, “We’re not going to spill your secrets, not after you’ve saved us. But… what if we might crack under pressure and, and, uh…”
“You’ve shown resilience,” Dario said. “You didn’t see just the monsters. You’ve seen what they’ve done—the pools of blood, the dismembered bodies. Many would be too traumatized to speak. Some would be paralyzed by fear or be in a state of shock. You and Erind have recovered quite well. We don’t know why, but artificial Cores attach more easily to people of strong will. Compatibility is priority.”
Amber glanced at Erind upon hearing that. Erind didn’t have a strong will; she was the quiet girl in class, not bothering anyone. If there was someone who shouldn’t be here, it was Erind.
“It’s not only about having a strong mind and emotional fortitude,” Dario continued. “You two have encountered Adumbrae and faced death. For Erind, this is already the second time. Both of you have personal stakes in this, correct? More than the usual fear and hatred of Adumbrae taught to us by society, you have formed your own feelings about it because the 2Ms had kidnapped you. It’s not something experiments in a laboratory can replicate. All of us here have met Adumbrae face-to-face before gaining powers.”
He wants to make it appear that it’s our free choice to accept the Core. Amber nodded as if taking in the explanation, looking at each of the group members. She didn’t want to become a test subject, even if it were the US government conducting it.
“It’s another factor for compatibility, isn’t it?” Reo said. “The desire to kill Adumbrae.”
“Not all Adumbrae,” Myra said.
Reo sighed. “Come on, Myra. You know what I mean. I’m friends with Kelsey. I’m helping look for her.”
“You’ll be helping our country,” Dario said. “If found compatible, training and everything else will follow. For what use is training if they couldn’t meld with an artificial Core?”
“That’s how you get people like me on the team,” Reo said, chuckling.
Everett laughed with him. “Wow, a self-deprecating joke coming out of you?”
“Self-deprecating? Wow, you’re using big boy words now,” Reo countered.
Myra snapped at them, “Shut it, you two. Adults are talking.”
Erind raised her hand, as if they were in class. “Uh, it’s a noble cause and all, fighting the 2Ms, but I don’t think we’re cut out for this.”
Amber quickly backed up her best friend. “We don’t have this strong will that you think we have.”
“Try it first before deciding,” Dario said. “Johann’s incompatible. Nothing happened to him.”
The fact that Johann’s still here with you doesn’t bode well for us, Amber thought.
“So, like, can we remove the artificial Core if it doesn’t work?” Erind asked. “Or it won’t stick in the first place?”
“We’ll see how it’ll go,” said Dario.
His evasiveness worried Amber. She recalled what Reo had said before demonstrating their powers, ‘I go last this time.’ They had done this several times before.
“You’ve had other candidates before, am I right?” Erind asked, as if reading Amber’s mind. “What happened after they failed to, uh, meld with the Core? Johann’s still with you. What about the others?”
“A good question with a simple answer,” Dario said. “I wiped their memories.”
“Wiped their—?” Amber brought her hand to her mouth. “Your codename…”
“Correct. But it won’t work in your case. I can’t target specific memories. What I can do is blank out a day or so.”
“Think of it like getting passed out drunk,” Reo said. “That’s several hours gone. Dario can’t surgically excise a specific hour.”
“Surgically excise?” Everett scoffed. “Did you swallow a dictionary along with your fairies?”
“Ugh, you guys just don’t know when to keep quiet,” Myra said.
“Do you see our current quandary?” Dario asked Amber and Erind.
“Ye-yes,” Amber said as several threads of thought spun in her mind. “You can’t wipe our memories of the entire day because we need to remember about the 2Ms. That we were kidnapped by Adumbrae. We need to know we’re in danger and should flee.”
“The 2Ms will be busy cleaning up the mess we made,” Dario said. “But there’s no assurance they wouldn’t check if any of the people they had kidnapped survived—they’d eventually know about you and Erind. A few days, perhaps, before they take action. By taking the Cores, you’ll be able to protect yourself when the 2Ms try to kidnap you again. They wouldn’t expect it; you can fend them off. I hope you can see that this is for your benefit.”
Yours, too, Amber thought. She guessed this was the reason Dario took her and Erind to this base instead of leaving them. Wiping their memories wasn’t that helpful, if it truly worked that way. But Dario’s group could’ve thought of another way to ensure that she and Erind were safe.
Since Dario brought them here, he must be set on recruiting them. Or at least, trying to see if they were Core-compatible. Their safety wasn’t his concern, but rather a card to play to persuade them.
Amber realized that once she and Erind merged with Cores, they couldn’t betray Dario’s group. Going to the police or BID was useless; the authorities would assume they were Adumbrae. The secret organization behind Dario’s group, whether that was the government or not, most likely would kill them, too. They were essentially trapped the moment Dario took them here.
“Don’t you want to keep your lives here in La Esperanza?” Dario asked. “Don’t you want to take revenge on the 2Ms for kidnapping you? Don’t you want to punish them for what they did to those innocent people? Aren’t you going to fight for what’s right?”
“We do,” Amber said. “But it’s better if we don’t do the actual fighting.”
“And we won’t be normal humans then,” Erind said.
“You won’t be Adumbrae,” Dario said. “You’ll be super-powered humans. Artificial Corebrings.”
“It’s not so bad,” Everett said, trying to meet Amber’s eye. “Your body will change over a week or so. Some of the chemicals you have to drink taste bad, but they’re really important. Just gulp them down. We’ll support each other. You can always call on me if—”
“Woah, woah, hold your horses and your dick,” said Reo. “You’re skipping several steps here. We don’t even know if the Cores will stick.”
“What about afterwards?” Erind asked. “After, uh, let’s say we do get powers and defeat the 2Ms. What then?”
“We’ll continue to monitor how your powers evolve,” Dario said. “But you’ll mostly return to your lives, with no more 2Ms to fight.”
Somehow, I don’t believe that, Amber thought. She could tell that Erind didn’t either. Erind should’ve also picked up that they didn’t have a choice in this situation.
“You shouldn’t worry about the artificial Core on your chest either,” Dario continued. “Once you’ve completely melded with it, it’ll be absorbed into your body. You’ll practically be a Corebring. Isn’t that great?” he added in a forced cheery tone.
“What powers will we get?” Amber asked, trying to come to terms that she might become a non-human soon. It all felt surreal, like a dream. A nightmare. But it was all real, and she didn’t have a way to stop it.
“Is it like a lottery?” Erind wondered. “We don’t get to choose, do we?”
“Nah, the powers depend on the person,” Myra said. “Some of us have great powers. And some have ass powers.” She looked at Reo. But before Reo could retort, she loudly went on, “Our powers are based on our personalities and experiences. It’s what we’re told. Kinda is true, I think.”
“Oh yeah?” Reo said. “Explain your powers then.”
“I’m not paid to,” Myra haughtily replied.
“Can we have some time to think about this?” Amber asked, knowing that it would be in vain. “This decision will change our lives. It will literally change our bodies.”
“I’m afraid not.” Dario didn’t elaborate further, but the threat was resounding in the silence. He wouldn’t allow them to leave without getting what he wanted.
“Well… if we’re not compatible, then there’s no need to worry.” Amber slowly exhaled, defeated. If she and Erind refused to meld with the Core, Dario could knock them out and go ahead with the test.
Amber hated herself for being so helpless. People might think she had it all, brains, looks, wealth, but she was trapped in her life. She couldn’t do anything other than be a Leska. It was the same situation now. She was trapped with only one choice thrust to her.
“Becoming a Core Slot isn’t too bad,” Reo said. “Actually, it’s awesome. I can drink all the alcohol I want and never get drunk. Oh, wait. That’s a bad thing.”
“What did you say?” Myra asked. “Core Slut?”
“Slot, slot, okay? Slot, as in, the Core is slotted on our chest. I thought of it myself. We still don’t have a team name.”
“You really should just stick to searching the internet for names,” Myra said, “instead of coming up with them on your own.”
I’m sorry, Erind, Amber thought. She couldn’t think of a way out. The most she’d be able to do was offer herself. “I’ll accept the artificial Core,” she said. “Only me. I don’t think Erind is fit to fight. She gets easily scared and—”
“No, no,” Erind interjected. “I’ll join you.”
“Erind wouldn’t say anything,” Amber said, answering Dario’s unspoken threat. “I’ll make sure of that. If I have the Core, I have to keep your secret.”
“I can’t let you do this alone, Deen. It’s my fault you’re in this mess.”
“What? I’m not blaming you for anything. It’s not your fault that the 2Ms targeted you. I’m your best friend, and I’ll be with—”
“I’m not going to let this turn emotional.” Turning to Dario, Erind extended an open hand. “Let’s get this over with,” she said in a trembling voice. “I just hope it doesn’t work. Although it’s a whole other bunch of problems if it doesn’t.”
Amber didn’t say anything more. In her deepest heart, she didn’t want to be alone in taking the Core.
“I admire your resolve.” Dario took out a small box from his pocket and placed it on Erind’s hand.
Erind jolted, eyes wide at how Dario easily gave it to her. He tapped the box with his index finger. It glowed and gradually became transparent, revealing a curious object suspended inside.
It was something organic, reminding Amber of an embryo in its early stage of development. About the size of her fingernail, it pulsated, as if alive, in sync with the light flowing out of it.
“The artificial Core?” Amber asked.
“Yes,” Dario replied. Another tap, and the box began to dissolve around the Core. A few seconds later, the odd object sat on Erind’s palm.
“What should I do?” Erind held the tiny Core between her index finger and thumb, examining it intently. Amber could sense her best friend’s nervousness. Erind pulled down the neckline of her shirt. “Just put it on or something?”
“Wait, I should go first,” said Amber.
“Let’s do it together.”
Dario gave Amber her own Core. It felt cold to the touch, even though it radiated life. She unzipped her jacket, turning away from the group to hide her cleavage.
“Place it on your chest, on top of the sternum,” Dario said. “It will take root.”
“Take root, as in pierce the skin?” Erind asked, clearly worried by the pain.
“Endure it for a moment, and it will soon fade,” Dario said.
Amber said, “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.” She placed the artificial Core in the middle of her chest. It suddenly became burning cold, as if she had touched dry ice.
Numbness followed, and then sudden pain. Amber yelped, pressing on her chest with both hands. It was wriggling. It was digging into her skin. It was revolting. Yet, her mind was occupied by the pain of the Core’s tendrils penetrating her flesh. Warm blood seeped through her fingers.
“You should’ve told them to sit, Great Leader,” Reo said. “The black-haired girl—Erind, was it?—isn’t taking it too well.”
Hearing that, Amber ignored the pain and turned around. Erind was kneeling on the floor, bending down. “Erind!” Amber managed to cry out despite the pain. She knelt beside Erind and touched her shoulder with a blood-stained hand.
“Endure the pain,” Dario commanded. “You’ll experience more over the coming days as your body changes to something more than human.”
“Man, can they really handle it?” Everett asked.
“They can,” Myra said in a bored voice. “We’ve all experienced it and came out fine.”
Amber thought she’d faint from the pain, but she fought back. She probably had a strong will, as Dario said. Setting aside her own suffering, she hugged Erind, showing that she supported her. Amber reached for Erind’s chest and felt her blood streaming. Pangs of guilt tortured her; she couldn’t do anything for her weak best friend. “It’s going to be alright,” Amber said.
Erind twisted away from Amber’s touch. Her body shivered from the pain. She was suffering too much to be able to speak.
A few seconds later, the pain was gone. “Is it… over?” Amber asked, looking down at her chest painted red. Her white bra had streaks of blood. And there it was, the artificial Core shining brightly.
Comments
Temple (REND)
Woops, thanks for the help proofreading!
Konstantin Parkhomenko
You've got a sentence cut off: "“Yes,” Dario replied. Another tap, and the box began to dissolve around the Core. A few seconds later, the odd"
Flying Goat
You should have taken the opportunity to suggest a way to complete "A few seconds later, the odd". I think it's clearly "A few seconds later, the odd duckling appeared from the mists, intent on feeding on human flesh, and not for the first time."
Temple (REND)
Yep, that'll be it. Very different from the original.
Temple (REND)
Yep! We'll have some ExD to relax after RS haha. Thanks for your support!
Temple (REND)
Thanks for your support!
OmniHumanist
Also, there needs to be a real drawback to mixing Core and Adumbrae; otherwise everyone would already be using it to handle Adumbrae infestations. -> I imagine it would be more of no one has really thought of it and natural Adumbrae are kind of hard to find. Additionally, I don't think the rest of the artificial Corebrings would really want to have an Adumbrae on their team either. For the consequences, you can still have the physical changes that Adumbrae bring with the artificial Core being completely useless at stopping it. So Erind's change in hair color and her growing crystal will still be things she needs to hide from the group. So the Core doesn't actually do anything to help with the infestation, all it does is grant extra powers. A low success rate helps, but maybe add something worse, like chronic insomnia, creeping madness, or growing apathy (some might be benficial for our MC). -> For the creeping madness part, maybe the Mother Fragment gets really upset at the Adumbrae if it detects its getting close to rending reality or is really active. And then it starts screaming something like "Kill the Adumbrae", to the Adumbrae/Corebring hybrid, and maybe potentially alerting other artificial Corebrings. I guess this would only really apply to other Adumbrae, since Spooky Erind isn't too involved usually. But this could help explain why there's not really any examples of Adumbrae with Cores.
Danger Mittens
I don’t think we need a super-detailed explanation of why Dario’s crew wants the girls on the team. Deen has useful connections, and Erind survived the whole mess and was on her way to save Deen. (And Deen is not “brave”—she was unconscious and puking, if I remember right.) Core powers are hit-or-miss, so they can’t be too picky about candidates, and they can’t recruit in public anyway. That’s already convincing enough. Besides, they could’ve just overpowered Erind and forced the core on them, but they didn’t. Here’s the bit I think got glossed over: running away sounds easy, but it isn’t. With their memories wiped, they wouldn’t even know why they’re fleeing, and Dario won’t let them leave without that wipe—unless they literally bolt from the country. Do they really want to start fresh somewhere with no one they know? Erind might shrug, but Deen wouldn’t. Plus, hanging around so many Adumbrae events puts them at constant risk of infection. If they stick around, 2M definitely won’t drop it. The girls still have to attend law school, and 2M will notice Erind lived while their mohawk guy died. I don't think there is a way for them to convince 2M that the girls died unless they leave the country. Erind surviving screams, “Erind’s in on something.” They’ll assume she’s working with Dario’s crew, maybe even knows Kelsey, and the lack of a police investigation will just fuel the conspiracy theory. Hell, she might even be an Adumbrae. They’ll come after her again if she stays. The girls have also realized that the world is not as safe as they thought. The Adumbraes and artificial cores would not pop out of nowhere, they have been around for while, just hidden. 2 back to back crazy incident suggests that their city is the testing ground for all parties. So, the choices are basically: 1) Skip the country—risk turning Adumbrae. Pretty awful. 2) Stay, join Dario’s team, and be ready to fight 2M when they come for Erind. Additionally, they get a means to protect themselves when all hell breaks loose. 3) Take the memory wipe and let Dario’s group protect them - but zero agency against 2M, adumbrae, and everything else. Also, a risk of turning Adumbrae. The girls are stressed so they wouldn't come up with these on their own. Dario should bring some of them into the discussion, the rest should be something they realize with time. Showdown with 2M is inevitable with 2 and 3. They will be sitting ducks hoping Dario will bail them out again or take matters into their own hands. 3 is also what happens if core integration fails. Taking core is really the only safe choice here. Sidenote: I hope Erind isn’t faking it—they’d figure it out fast. Also, there needs to be a real drawback to mixing Core and Adumbrae; otherwise everyone would already be using it to handle Adumbrae infestations. A low success rate helps, but maybe add something worse, like chronic insomnia, creeping madness, or growing apathy (some might be benficial for our MC). What I am looking for is some bad news along with good news for Erind if she takes the core.
OmniHumanist
Blanchette Tail FTW!
Jayem
I am very much enjoying this new direction. So many possibilities, so many theories, and every single theory is justifying why giving Blanchett a tail is the only reasonable thing to do. It’s actually hilarious lol. Looking forward to more!
No Name
"That is blatantly contradictory. We've already seen how people react to those with powers - start shooting." - The critical caveat here, is that this is only the case if they are discovered. The 2Ms' hitsquads could shoot at any time regardless. They clearly do not care about sending hits in broad daylight. Deen can hire a private army of bodyguards for the two of them, but I suspect having people with anti-adumbrae armaments on hand at all times would have a major impact on their lives from this point. "You won't be Adumbrae," Dario said. "You'll be super-powered humans." - No, I would say there is a crucial difference in mental perception. Adumbrae are monsters, traitors to humanity as a whole, and everyone is raised with this perception hammered into them from birth. Super-powered humans, Corebring, are the superheroes of this world. I would imagine many would dream about having core powers. It is true, outside observers won't know the difference, but to the individuals Dario is trying to convince, it is a major point psychologically. I think Dario could push the point that, even though artificial and unrecognized, they would still be Corebring. They would be able to protect themselves, and, if they choose, they could do more with their new powers. They could be heroes, even if they are the only ones who know it. "She can, for example, accept the core for selfish reasons and then snitch on the whole group without them even knowing it was her." - There is the risk that the core group would leak her identity as well, even if they didn't know it was her who leaked them. But otherwise, yeah, Deen does have options. For your later arguments: 1: No, no, absolutely not... Dario cannot be lying to them without plausible deniability at this stage. The core being detachable after it digs into them and changes their bodes is obvious hogwash. He needs them to accept the cores, but, he also needs them to be controllable. Causing pointless resentment by blatantly offering a fake way out would not be a smart move. 2: See the above, this is too easily disproven, simply by the fact the BID and police do not maintain policy of detaining and observing anyone in the vicinity of adumbrae events. 3: Again, he cannot lie this obviously. The cores are blatantly visible, and the various methods for detecting adumbrae include detecting their resilient bodies. 4: This is a partially valid point: They have a member with access to the city surveillance systems, and general capabilities to cover up events. He just can't oversell it, or they could get careless. All this being said, I agree the way Dario essentially forces them to accept the cores is overly antagonistic. The other members of the core group seem to be cooperating willingly, but if Dario cannot win them over in some way, Erind and Deen would just become risk factors to the group. He really needs to sell a proper argument that would have the two of them decide that it is worth the risk to at least try to gain powers. (Dario doesn't actually need to know what wins them over though, so it can be something they work out on their own, just reading between the lines of Darios words.) For Deen, the ability to protect Erind. To be a hero, if only to the one individual she truly values. Other people if she feels like it. To Erind, protection from the government, access to some level of coverup if she makes mistakes in the beginning. Structured guidance on not getting exposed by experienced black-ops. Confounding her adumbrae nature with the corebring powers. And basically being a main character. So, yeah, having E and D be this reluctant at the very start doesn't really work for a group, so I would recommend having Dario actually win them over to some degree.
Karp Paul
I still think this line of events is very forced, and I'm afraid readers will notice that. Dario's arguments are laughable. He speaks to the girls as if to small children. He does not sound like a leader of basically a paramilitary group, which requires some competence. "Don't you want to keep your lives here in La Esperanza?" Dario said. "You have bright futures ahead of you, Cresthorne law students." - That is blatantly contradictory. We've already seen how people react to those with powers - start shooting. Here, Dario wants the girls to put themselves on this line of fire. There is no "returning to regular lives" and everybody knows that. "You won't be Adumbrae," Dario said. "You'll be super-powered humans." - To BID/Police and the general public, there is no difference, and Deen and Erind should be able to say this. Given that they study law, they should not have a pretty good understanding of what happens to people with superpowers - no trials, no investigations, just kill orders. A lightbulb turned on Amber's head—if they had artificial Cores on their bodies, they couldn't betray Dario's group. - they definitely could. Don't make Deen dumb on this matter. She is from a wealthy and connected family and knows how intrigue works. She can, for example, accept the core for selfish reasons and then snitch on the whole group without them even knowing it was her. More than that, if Deen and Erind accept the cores with this premise, they SHOULD betray the group and get rid of Dario because, in this specific case, he is the one who is the biggest threat to their lives, even more than 2Ms because for 2Ms Deen and Erind were some random targets, but Dario is targeting them deliberately. And Dario should also understand this. Otherwise, both Erind and Deen would be considered weak characters. If Dario needed them to take the cores so badly, he could have knocked out Erind and attached the cores while they both were incapacitated. For Dario's arguments to work, there must be less risk and more reward for taking the core. For example: 1. He can say that the core can be later detached (even if this is a lie), so they can just try and then return to their lives. 2. He can say that since they witnessed some Adumbrae eating people, they are now at an extremely high risk of being seeded (even if it is not true), and taking the cores is the only way to retain their humanity. 3. He can say that the cores are not detectable, so there is no risk of them being accidentally exposed or targeted by authorities. 4. He can appeal to some high authorities, saying that the girls would be shielded from regular police and even BID if they get into trouble with them (for example, if they are accidentally found out).
Krzychu0304
Erind plans to hide the adumbrae's powers under the cloak of an artificial core:)
OmniHumanist
I had this thought from the previous version but since the heroes know reo has multiple fairies with distinct powers couldnt erind pass off having multiple masks as the same thing -> Yeah, that's what I thought about Pino and Domino masks for Erind, she can use both as part of Dario's group, but I think Temple is changing Pino and Domino for now. Still, if she has faces that don't involve eating people, I think she could show them to the Corebrings.
No Name
"Erind was kneeling on the floor, bending down." Squints suspiciously... If this is Erind just pretending to merge the core, and actually trying to get off without, I'll be rather disappointed. At this point, I want to see corebring Erind. Although, I suppose she could just be concealing her regeneration where the core digs in.
Vaporus
Excellent writing, good stuff! Yay ExD!
No Name
Corebring Erind! Have you decided what sort of power it is going to result in? I've seen suggestions that it should result in a new mask, or just changes to the original ones. An idea I had would be arranging a juxtaposition between the Core and Adumbrae powers: Erinds Adumbrae powers are based on how she adopts and wears her different faces; one person at the core, yet she becomes a whole host of different people depending on the situation. SpookyErind splits Erind up in to different facets, which reminds me very much of how SpookyErind described flow of reality in the original, suggesting that is how she views reality as a whole. Essentially, the face-power SpookyErind grants is the sum of Erind and the adumbraes perspectives. In that case, the Core power should be the thematic opposite, a power representing Erind in totality, as a single person: Her faces, her rules, and the individual incorporating all of these facets together into one. Admittedly, it is kind of difficult to devise a power that is 1: representative and thematically accurate, 2: not excessively complicated, 3: doesn't overlap with her other abilities and 4: not overpowered. It should probably also be an auxiliary ability that works best with the masks, as opposed to solo... The first thing that comes to mind for me would be "Adaptation": Erind adapts. She changes herself according to her faces, which adapt to situations as they evolve. It could be a power related to adapting to abilities as they are used against her, or adapting the abilities of other for her own use (if in a reduced form). The second power that comes to mind would be "Rules". Erind is bound by her own rules, how about letting her set the rules for others as well? To avoid it being completely busted, Erind would be bound by the same rule she imposes on the target for so long as she maintains the ability. I suppose it depends on how far the powerscaling will go in this version... If Erind needs to match up against High Overseers eventually, she is going to need some heavy ordnance in her kit.
OmniHumanist
Typos: “Try it first before deciding,” Dario said. “Johann’s not incompatible. Nothing happened to him.” -> “Try it first before deciding,” Dario said. “Johann’s incompatible. Nothing happened to him.” A few seconds later, the odd -> This sentence is unfinished. ----- Erind wasn’t saying anything either, her eyes focused on the crater Myra had made. -> Erind's probably wondering if the Core will give her a six pack like Myra. Erind probably just gets jealous of Deen's and Myra's six packs. Maybe as a consolation prize, Blanchette gets a six pack, but then Erind can't always be using her. Oh, and make sure to give Blanchette a tail! I'm sure Deen will love it once Erind x Deen gets to the rewrite. I’m sorry, Erind, Amber thought. She couldn’t think of a way out. The most she’d be able to do was offer herself. -> I like this change. It's fun seeing Deen being skeptical of the rest of the group. Although, I also realized that in the last version, Deen spent a lot of time with the group before meeting up with Erind. So perhaps she warmed up to them in the last version, but here, she meets them later than Erind. “Our powers are based on our personalities and experiences. That’s what we’re told. It kinda is true.” -> It'll be fun to see the other characters try to guess why Erind and Deen have their specific powers. For Deen, she wants to control her own future, so she gets the guardian angel pet (which ironically, tries to control her future). For Erind, her main Adumbrae power is generating faces that conform to specific rules of hers. So I was thinking for her Corebring powers, it also intertwines with her Adumbrae powers. One way is making her Adumbrae faces stronger so she can better use them to enforce her rules (like Blanchette getting a tail can help her in combat and enforcing Rule #4), and another way could be creating more faces for Erind to use that tie into a Rule. Maybe the support or deception face is given early, even though Erind hasn't eaten a lot of Adumbrae. And this allows Erind to enact Rule #2 for the artificial Corebrings, don't break faces. “I’ll accept the artificial Core,” Amber said. “Only me. I don’t think Erind is fit to fight. She gets easily scared and—” -> It's funny how Deen is way more protective of Erind this time lol. And wouldn't Erind getting superpowers make her more resilient? I guess Deen just has a protect-Erind complex. In the last version, Deen tried getting Erind to accept the Core. Erind was shocked that Dario easily gave it to her. -> I think it would be better if you described Erind's facial expression here. Pangs of guilt tortured her; she couldn’t do anything for her weak best friend. -> Ironic that Erind will be stronger then her. Maybe Erind even becomes bullet resistant lol? But maybe they can remark on this later, Erind's normal form is really strong, but it seems that her (Corebring) transformations are physically weaker (obviously Blanchette will be stronger). And then Erind has to come up with justifications for using the mask to help out the group and manipulate Deen. The mask can probably help the group a lot more compared to if Erind was just another tank like Myra. Erind twisted away from Amber’s touch. Her body shivered from the pain. She was suffering too much to be able to speak. -> I think Deen's touch is causing more pain lol. A few seconds later, the pain was gone. “Is it… over?” Amber asked, looking down at her chest painted red. Her white bra had streaks of blood. And there it was, the artificial Core shining brightly. -> Oh, I have a fun idea. In the last version, after Deen accepted the Core, she asked Erind to cut her to show Deen can regenerate. This time, maybe Erind can stab herself instead to show the regeneration works, and this triggers Deens overprotectiveness of Erind. And then Deen still pleads for Erind to cut her lol, to make things 'equal'. A full-time writing career might not be a distant dream. -> Sounds amazing, good luck! We seem to be getting some more Patrons on the REND discord welcome channel. I'll write a couple of ExD chapters. For new readers, if you want some... weird stuff... you can try out Erind x Deen. -> It's not weird, it's perfectly normal lesbian stuff. :D We'll also have ads by then, and maybe we can look for an artist. I'm excited for the future of REND. -> You can probably use the Blanchette Cover for the ad lol. Thanks for the chapter!
Charles-Antoine Senécal
Thanks for the chapter.
Metal(Liz)ard🏳️⚧️
Liking this more sceptical but inevitable approach to them taking the cores it makes sense since dean and erind are both pretty smart people. Spookyerind is gonna have a field day giving erind a new mask. I had this thought from the previous version but since the heroes know reo has multiple fairies with distinct powers couldnt erind pass off having multiple masks as the same thing
