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[REND] 7.3 - Inhuman Besties
🕑 Added 2025-06-12 08:42:13 +0000 UTC“The first—? Wait a minute. Why do you speak as if there are others like me? You also alluded to it last time.” A chandelier switched on in my head as I understood the situation. “You’re an Adumbrae. You’re infecting multiple people. And here I was thinking I was special,” I said with an exaggerated sigh. “Turns out there are many others.”
Not really. Since the beginning, there was only me. And you. And me… And—
“Yeah, yeah, don’t speak in riddles. What happened to the others you’ve, um, connected with? All dead, so you’ve moved on to me? Some still surviving?”
For the first time, I saw a hint of sadness cross Spooky Erind’s face. None of me reached the end. I’m still waiting. She suddenly perked up, grinning at me. Meyou are different this time.
“Reach the end? They’re dead, then?” That wasn’t a surprise—lots of ways for an Adumbrae to die.
There were the Corebrings, of course. Or the local law enforcement could’ve blasted them to smithereens. It wasn’t only the BID that was capable; other countries had their own super agents. And there was also the possibility that a fellow Adumbrae killed them. I didn’t know who those guys Spooky Erind was referring to were, but I felt a sense of kinship with them.
Really weird. As if… I knew them.
Dead? Hmmm… Never existed. Been there. Never was. Always were. Spooky Erind plopped herself beside me. She bounced on the mattress and slowly floated up.
“And… none of them had melded with a Core? That’s what you said.” I sort of want to divert this prickly topic, but Spooky Erind would know my intention. Since it was already in front of us, might as well ask questions about it because the answers would be freaking helpful. “I bet a Core, artificial or not, is quite difficult to come across.”
You’d think so… but it’s not.
“Really? Oh, right. Other countries are also making Cores,” I said, recalling what Dario told us. “Do Corebrings shit out Cores? Anyway, I’m different from your previous, uh, victims. I’m thinking of a less offensive word, but you know what I mean.”
Spooky Erind played with my hair as she continued to rise, letting the black strands fall from her fingers. This really is a different path.
“Um, you’re probably angry about what I did… but I have a good explanation.”
Spooky Erind had risen past my head. She rolled to look down on me. Do tell.
“You can read my mind, so there’s really no need, but here goes. I’m a person who values my privacy and solitude. I don’t even want anyone inside my room. Now, you’re an awesome Adumbrae, saving me and all that, but I want my privacy. You’re not just in my room. You’re in my mind.”
That’s not how that works. Spooky Erind stuck her tongue out at me. It was purple. You can’t separate us because we’re the same.
“Meyou, whatever, yeah. We’re distinct, and that’s a privacy issue. Big no-no for me. You should know that if we’re truly the same.”
You say that… Spooky Erind touched the tip of my nose with a claw of her gauntlet. And yet, you invited an intruder.
“The artificial Core? You know that I had no actual clue what’d happen if I took it. Dunno about that intruder stuff you’re referring to.” I leaned back as she kept poking my nose. “Let’s just set aside your mind games for a moment and be serious here. I, like probably the entirety of humanity, don’t want our minds to be taken over. I’m not saying you’re a bad Adumbrae…” I paused, wondering where I was going with this. “I mean, you saved me, and I’m grateful. But still. It’s an instinct of self-preservation at play here that I agreed to have the Core. I was just trying everything.”
Spooky Erind closed her eyes. Takes initiative. Even if dumb. Has stronger survival instincts than those past.
I frowned at her nonsense. “Are you going to tell me what the effect of the Core is?” I left unsaid my question if it’d kick Spooky Erind out. My thoughts were open to her anyway.
I’m not going anywhere, she replied, swimming to my back. She descended onto the bed and hugged me from behind. If you’re here, I’m also here. Nothing can change that we are one.
Hearing her words, a stone dropped to the bottom of my stomach. I fought back the disappointment.
Wait.
Why should I believe her? Spooky Erind wouldn’t tell the truth if my plan was working. Would she even know?
She had mentioned this was the first time it happened. If all her other… victims… died, maybe doing something different, even if drastic, was the key.
I’m not sure… Spooky Erind whispered into my ear. Strangely, I wasn’t bothered by her hug or her lips brushing my ear. It did seem familiar and comforting. Just Adumbrae tricks.
“You’re not sure about what? I have a lot of thoughts. Dunno which one you’re referring to.”
I’m not so sure about this path we tread. I’m not even sure how we got here. Perhaps because the previous you… Hmmm…
If Spooky Erind didn’t know what was going on, wouldn’t that be a good thing? Perhaps it was a stroke of luck meeting Dario’s gang and getting this Core.
You might be right.
“What?” I looked over my shoulder, my nose almost bumping Spooky Erind’s nose. I tried to move away, surprised by her intense, literally burning gaze. But she didn’t let me go.
To break this endless cycle, the unthinkable must be done, she said, unblinking. If it means connecting to that nosy existence, gallingly inserting itself in someone else’s business, then so be it. Your choice must’ve been influenced by the last cycle.
“I… have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. But you’re not angry at me, right? Kinda? Are we good?”
SpookyErind frowned. I like our privacy, don’t I? That’s not a thing now with that… existence… wiggling around here.
“The Core. It’s here?” I looked around. The disco-rave-outer-space dimension of Spooky Erind looked the same. I was hoping something would’ve changed.
Not yet, Spooky Erind said. But eventually, it will turn its eye on us.
“What eye? The government? The secret organization Dario mentioned?
Spooky Erind ignored me. This is dangerous and stupid and would lead to a quick ending. Or… perhaps not. Things are different this time. Maybe drastically shaking things up is the key.
“Key to reaching that end thingy? But that’s for you, whatever your goals are. It doesn’t sound like reaching the end would benefit me.” Was there truly no way out for me? If so, I could focus on having fun. Be the greatest main character before my climactic and tragic end, getting taken over by an Adumbrae.
Spooky Erind continued to ignore both my words and thoughts. The Core issue got to her. I expect a very, very, very different unravelling of events. Entertain me, will you? She released me and started drifting away into space.
“Entertain you with—? Hey! Don’t leave! I have lots of questions.” I tried to get off the bed but couldn’t leave it. Each time I tried to float, gravity seemed to suddenly work. I wanted to squeeze in some questions before Spooky Erind disappeared, even those that’d piss her off. “Does eating those mutant brains really stop you? Will I lose my mind quicker if I transform? And what do I do with the Core?”
We may be short, but we’re not kids. Go figure it out… and survive. We’re not stupid.
“WhatshouldI…?” My words started to slur and merge. My tongue tangled inside my mouth.
Spooky Erind was no longer there.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Erind?” asked a muffled voice.
Huh? A dropping sensation, as if falling in a dream. I jolted in my bed. My extended hand grasped something—the clock on the table. I finally reached it after… I moved my hand away from the clock’s face to check the time.
Two hours had passed! What the hell?
Knock, knock, knock.
“Erind, are you awake?” Deen was outside the room. “Let’s have dinner.”
“I’m coming out!”
----
Red takeout boxes were on the dining table. Some sort of Chinese symbol was printed in gold on the red cardboard. And below the logo was the name ‘Golden Palace’, a famous Chinese restaurant in La Esperanza. I hadn’t been there before, mostly because I had no energy for trying out restaurants like some food vlogger.
“Are you okay with what I’ve ordered?” Deen asked. “Isn’t it weird that we’ve been friends for several months now, but I have no idea about your favorite food, drink, movies—all the stuff best friends should know about each other?”
“Chinese food is fine,” I said. “There’s not much to know about me. I’m not picky with food. I eat… everything.” I recalled Purple Mohawk’s open skull after I bit him in my monster form. I glanced at Deen’s head, recalling that I had wanted to eat her brains. Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling nauseous.
“Good to know. I ordered a lot because I wasn’t sure if you had dislikes or allergies.” Deen started opening the boxes. “We have… oh, these are dumplings. There’s also General Tso’s chicken. And this is—”
“Who’s General Tso?” I didn’t care about it; I was just carrying out my small talk duties as a best friend. Though I bet this guy was awesome to have food named after him. Erind’s Chicken. Erind’s Pork. Sucky names.
“A Chinese general, probably?” Deen answered with a sheepish grin.
“Really? How did you figure that out?” I sarcastically asked.
“I don’t know. I rarely eat Chinese food or other cuisine because my meals usually consist of—”
“Leafy greens, I know.” During the rare times I accompanied Deen to eat at restaurants, she’d always order salads. “Rabbit food.”
“Don’t diss salads,” Deen said, wagging a finger at me. “Help me open these boxes. This one’s fried rice.”
“Is your sister gonna join us?”
“I don’t think so. Haven’t seen her.” Deen tilted her head, pointing her right ear to the ceiling. Silence. “She’s probably not here yet. Don’t worry. I’ve texted her that you’re staying with us.”
“What did she say?” I asked. Deen’s sister has this overbearing air about her. I didn’t want to walk on eggshells while staying at someone else’s house. I’d rather live under a bridge, and I didn’t want to do that.
Deen shrugged. “She didn’t reply—she doesn’t have complaints, I suppose. The only humans not allowed here are men. I have no intention of bringing guys over anyway, yet she treats me like an irresponsible teenager who’s going to open her legs to anyone. Quite hypocritical coming from her. If she calls all her boyfriends, she could raise a standing army. I don’t know why she’s too controlling. This all started when…”
Tuning out Deen’s rants, I thought with amusement about how fun of a reality show this would be. Living with the Leskas. The camera would follow me as I navigated this family’s bullshit.
After unpacking the feast, Deen and I sat at the table. I doubted we could finish even a fifth of the food, but I started getting to work. This General Tso’s Chicken reminded me of teriyaki sauce, sweet and savory. I had this compulsion to crush the drumstick’s bone with my teeth. Transforming earlier was fun.
“Deen? You’re not eating?” I asked, noticing that her plate was empty.
She made a face. “I don’t feel like it. What we’ve seen… the blood, the monsters… I might not keep the food down. How are you… Okay?”
“I’m not okay either,” I said, shaking my head. “No one would be after going through what we’ve experienced. But I’m also very hungry,” I added with a friendly grin. “Being scared for hours surely whetted my appetite. Wait. That doesn’t sound right.” Perfect depiction of a best friend. I was proud of myself.
“But the blood and—”
“Stop thinking about it.” I pointed my chopsticks at her. “If you want something to occupy your mind, let it be your favorite activity—shopping.” As much as this went against every fiber of my being, this was something my best-friend-face would suggest. I had to comply with Rule #2.
“Shopping?”
“We have to buy clothes that hide our Cores. You and me. We’ll go together. You’ve always wanted us to go on a shopping date, but I’ve always refused, right? Well, this is the perfect time for it.”
Deen suddenly glowed at the idea. “Oh, I know where to go for sports bras! First destination is Zed Sports, down by the…”
Blah, blah, blah, I thought, accepting that there’d come a time I’d go shopping with Deen as her best friend. Might as well get it over with. I bought stuff I needed online. If I went to a physical store, I had to interact with the saleslady, the cashier, and all that. Buying clothes was a chore; too tiring to wear a face while doing chores.
From sports bras, Deen switched to talking about clothes that looked alluring without showing cleavage. She had to change her wardrobe, she said. Talk about being tone deaf.
Deen ate as we chatted. This was proof that I was good at being a best friend. From our clothes, we eventually reached the topic of bioscanners.
“Do you think scanners will detect the Core?” Deen asked.
“Probably depends on the scanners. If it’s the physical one, then, yeah. But the brain wave scanners like those at the subway stations, I’m not so sure.” The last time I rode the train was going to Marsh Row, and I had to use an employee’s entrance for it. I couldn’t always sneak around, so I chose to ride the bus or cabs since then. A benefit of living with Deen was having a free ride to Eloyce University.
We also talked about other things we should avoid. Getting injured in front of other people, for one. We should also nope out of medical exams and the like.
“How will I apply for jobs someday without a med cert?” I wondered. “I mean, you don’t have any worries. You’ll just work for your family.”
Deen shook her head. “I’d rather not. I’m going to look for work not unconnected to our businesses. You’re right, though that we’ll have problems with medical check-ups. We should ask Dario so we won’t inadvertently expose ourselves.”
“True. No telling what that secret organization will do to us.”
“I think my body is already starting to… change.
“Why do you say that?”
“Before ordering food, I was trying to cook dinner. I wanted a homier feel for your first meal here. But while chopping vegetables, my mind wandered back to the warehouse, and I accidentally cut my finger.” Deen showed me her left index finger. “Though it was just a shallow cut, there should be a trace of it. But there’s nothing.”
“Could it be the super healing?” I wondered how the artificial Core would affect me.
“Most likely,” Deen said, rubbing her finger. “Want to test it out? Can you… Can you cut my hand?”
Comments
Temple (REND)
- Maybe Erind will get purple tongue too like a chow chow lol - Perhaps someday, we can have the Mother Core join in the plot like Sauron's Eye? We'll leave Clive for next book. The end of this book will be what draws the bigger players. - Oh yeah, Erind has rabbit teeth but she barely eats salad lol. They still haven't had their sweets for Adumbrae coversation. - We'll mostly have Blanchette with Deen in the next ExD. - Having Deen admire Erind's Core would be a good scene to add. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Temple (REND)
Material for ExD? Lol
Temple (REND)
Now I feel like a genius, even if the previous cycle wasn't what I originally planned, lol.
Temple (REND)
Thanks for the support!
Jayem
> “We have to buy clothes that hide our Cores. You and me. We’ll go together. You’ve always wanted us to go on a shopping date, but I’ve always refused, right? Well, this is the perfect time for it.” Deen's Brain: "She said date" "Date!" "d-d-date?" "~Date~" > “Most likely,” Deen said, rubbing her finger. “Want to test it out? Can you… Can you cut my hand?” Barely manifested and she's already getting high off superpower.
OmniHumanist
Typos: Takes initiative. Even if dumb. Has stronger survival instincts than those past. -> There's an extra underline here that goes past the end of the sentence. ----- Spooky Erind stuck her tongue out at me. It was purple. -> SpookyErind's favorite color! Will Erind's tongue also turn purple lol? Not yet, Spooky Erind said. But eventually, it will turn its eye on us. -> Maybe the Mother Fragment can join in on Spooky Erind's dreams. Either that, or just randomly start speaking to Erind lol. The rest of Dario's group could also have this happen too. Then it would be like they were a bit scared an Adumbrae was talking to them lol. “What eye? The government? The secret organization Dario mentioned? -> Interesting to see who this is. This should make the Mother Core more upset about Erind. It didn't really care about Spooky Erind, but it does care about the artificial Cores. Pando was going to let Erind live until Deen showed up and said she was an artificial Corebring. Perhaps Erind should be more careful around Clive and Co. And Dario's secret organization could also take an interest in Erind's and Deen's powers. So they have to make sure to be on their good side. “WhatshouldI…?” My words started to slur and merge. My tongue tangled inside my mouth. -> That's just rude. Pretty typical of Spooky Erind though. “Leafy greens, I know.” During the rare times I accompanied Deen to eat at restaurants, she’d always order salads. “Rabbit food.” -> Erind's supposed to be the rabbit! Erind should try getting Deen to eat other foods. Maybe even sweets. Deen could mention how she's always trying to be healthy and only Erind should have them. Erind then asks her if it's okay for herself to be unhealthy then. And Deen gets a bit conflicted about this. Erind could say the Cores keep them healthy. I have no intention of bringing guys over anyway, yet she treats me like an irresponsible teenager who’s going to open her legs to anyone. -> She only opens up her legs for Erind! Well, she actually hasn't really done that either in the spinoff. Perhaps for the next spinoff scene you could have Blanchette again with Deen. Deen only opens her legs for Blanchette but wants to be more in control when Erind is in her normal form. “We have to buy clothes that hide our Cores. You and me. We’ll go together. You’ve always wanted us to go on a shopping date, but I’ve always refused, right? Well, this is the perfect time for it.” -> Their first date! How romantic. We could see a bit of Deen's disturbing side where she tries to always be around Erind when she's dressing, foreshadowing her overprotectiveness. Deen could be watching to make sure no one comes in. Also, Deen could mention how pretty Erind's Core is, and Erind could say Deen's Core is also cool. “Most likely,” Deen said, rubbing her finger. “Want to test it out? Can you… Can you cut my hand?” -> And this is where Erind says she should cut herself instead. And this makes Deen super squeamish. Erind can be like this is Rule #4 for Deen - harming herself (even though she can heal). That way it makes Deen emotionally upset. Edit: I like what you have in the next chapter better. Erind the bully. Thanks for the chapter!
OmniHumanist
"The artificial Core? You know, I had no clue what I was doing there." - that is quite uncharacteristic of Erind. Also, it is a bit contradicting, since it seemed that Erind knew what she was doing when accepting the core (from the reader's perspective). -> I think this is just Erind Bullshitting, not her actually telling the truth. It's pretty clear that she took the Core hoping it would stop SpookyErind. Maybe even too eventful. What is the timeline for this day? They went to the Memorial, were kidnapped, spent some time in the warehouse, were taken by Dario, had a conversation, took cores, and now they are here... I am not sure they could do all of that in one day. -> I think it's pretty feasible. They probably stayed at the Memorial for a couple hours (say like 9 to 11). Deen mentioned in 4.2 that it was an hour before lunch. But instead they directly go to Erind's condo and get kidnapped, so let's say the end of the warehouse seen takes a few hours, so they end up being rescued around 2. Let's say it takes an hour to drive to New Hope City. That's 3. Then had the conversation, probably takes no more than 30 minutes before they go back to Erind's condo and back to Deen's place. So let's say that takes an hour and 30, And they arrive at Deen's place about 5. Erind takes a shower and a nap for a couple of hours, so that's around 7. And then Deen wakes her up at this time to have dinner. That is not very believable for Erind to suggest shopping. -> Erind should probably say she needs sports bras and she could mention that she has had no need for them until now. Maybe she makes a slight joke about her being flat.
Metal(Liz)ard🏳️⚧️
Its funny how cryptic spookyerind seemed past time but now with the added context that she's been looping erinds until one completes her goals her nonsense makes a lot more sense
Karp Paul
"The artificial Core? You know, I had no clue what I was doing there." - that is quite uncharacteristic of Erind. Also, it is a bit contradicting, since it seemed that Erind knew what she was doing when accepting the core (from the reader's perspective). We like our privacy, don't we? -> I like my privacy, don't I? - to return Erind's own words. I recalled Purple Mohawk's open skull after I bit him in my monster form. - By the way, that is still the same day. Just saying it is very eventful day. Maybe even too eventful. What is the timeline for this day? They went to the Memorial, were kidnapped, spent some time in the warehouse, were taken by Dario, had a conversation, took cores, and now they are here... I am not sure they could do all of that in one day. "She didn't reply—she doesn't have complaints. The only humans not allowed here are men. I have no intention of bringing guys over anyway, yet she treats me like an irresponsible teenager who's going to open her legs to anyone. Quite hypocritical coming from her. If she calls all her boyfriends, she could raise a standing army. And, she's…" - That does not sound like an American (or, in general, Western) family dynamics at all. Especially given Deen's age. I would replace it with smth like, "The only humans not allowed here are men. She freaks out from the idea of accidentally bumping into a guy without makeup and not in a fancy outfit." She made a face. "I don't feel like it. What we've seen… the blood, the monsters… I might not keep the food down. How are you… Okay?" - Show, don't tell. Too much exposition from Deen. Better replace it with her reaction, like her face turning green as if she is going to puke. "I'm not okay either," I said, shaking my head. "No one would be after going through what we've experienced. But I'm also very hungry," I added with a friendly grin. "Being scared for hours surely whetted my appetite. Wait. That doesn't sound right." - For a psychopath, Erind is too empathetic. In this scene, Deen can be having a reaction, even a panic attack, while Erind would be surprised. "Everything is over already, so what's the problem?"... Deen can interpret it as Erind being brave and strong, for example. "Stop thinking about it." I pointed my chopsticks at her. "If you want something to occupy your mind, let it be your favorite activity—shopping." - That is not very believable for Erind to suggest shopping. "We should ask Dario so we won't inadvertently get in trouble," said Deen. - Ask Dario, who forced you to take the core, about possible problems after taking the core? Am I the only one who finds this weird?
Vaporus
Excellent writing, good stuff!
