Becoming Monsters: Tidbits 13

Becoming Monsters is the creation and property of Ai Loves, setting used with permission.

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Chapter 13: Luck and Skill

When Tiny and Tidbit set their trays down, eight people in the conversational equivalent of a Mexican standoff reacted like someone had shot first.

"Who are..." "Like this?" "Wait, YOU?" "Bio class." "With her?"

The cacophony of it took approximately four seconds to get to the end of Todd's patience. "Hold it!" Silence dropped over the group. Normal conversation slowly picked back up at surrounding tables as they all stopped looking at the source of the sudden noise and got back to their own topics with their own people. It was immediately evident that the Venn Diagram of his relationships had some overlap... but it wasn't a circle. "Okay. I was planning proper introductions later, but it looks like those are going to be rushed. Jem, Ghata, Song, May," he pointed at each as he named them, "meet Tiny, Corey, and Chester."

"Oh, Chester? You're with Tiny too?" May, predictably, was apparently familiar with more than one of the new group.

"But of course, my May Flower." Eloquent. If Todd had not known that she was both insatiable and forced to be promiscuous, he might have felt jealous. The fact that he had shot a deeply satisfying orgasm into her less than twelve hours prior... and wasn't exactly exclusive himself... helped. "I had thought that this would not be your typical crowd. Not nearly enough horns."

"It's something new, but I think I like it."

Corey looked intensely at Ghata, his feathers ruffling a bit. "Pre-medical track, isn't it?" Another sudden turn of his head so reminiscent of the Crows he resembled let him stare at Song. "And Veterinary? If you are having problems flying, try lengthening your pinions a bit. I always find that useful."

Song arched an eyebrow. "You're a shapeshifter, too?"

Corey shook his head. "No, just a Stargazer. I'm stuck with my wings, but I noticed you playing with the shapes in class. I must admit it seems effective as a way of visualizing to learn. My knowledge came from trying to fly after the first time I molted."

Tiny looked at Todd. "They always like this?"

"The group has been together for less than a week. This situation's a new one to me."

"Fair."

"Tidbit," Jem interjected into the barely-more-controlled chaos, "why is it that the first portent I cast in three days told me to come to a table twice the size of our normal arrangements?"

"Perhaps for the same reason that my own told me to aim three seats to the left, Jem." Corey interjected into her interjection.

"Is that what you were doing after we..."

"After I cast the spell on your new bracelet, yes May." Jem seemed hurried for some reason. Todd wondered what else went into that particular spell, but certainly knew better than to ask at the dinner table. Some things, one does not need Bardic Knowledge to know.

The gravelly, rumbling voice of the Gargoyle Todd had sat down here with was next. "I think it may just be to get the introductions over with. So, hello. I'm Tiny. Guessing you all know Todd."

Ghata's grin, even in her petite Human form, had a significant amount of fang in it. "You could say that, yes. He's our suitemate."

Chester, striped in pink and purple, visibly counted the bunch. "The rooms must be arranged differently in the Human-Like dorms, because over where I'm housed there are only four rooms to a suite. There seems to be a slight excess here."

May's shark-toothed smile got even broader. "Oh, no, we have the same number of rooms. Don't worry, we make it work."

"ANYWAY." Tidbit really did try his best to get the topic elsewhere before the realization of exactly how his living arrangements worked came to his new friends. From the raised rocky, feathered, and furred eyebrows (the last one waggling a bit), he'd failed.

"Looks like I was right to see if some of your luck would rub off on us." Correction: he'd failed badly.

"Okay, if you're done trying to make me blush," Todd said, blushing, "Can we talk about... literally anything else? Arrange a game night? Study group? Chat about the League? Anything? Please?"

The mutual interrogation dissolved into gales of laughter from the rest of the group immediately. Ice broken, the conversation tuned to somewhat lighter topics. Games, classes, the League, that kind of thing. Oh, and the food.

Todd remembered Professor Ruddertail's words about the food. Truth be told, it was unusually good. The materials might have been obviously bulk-bought, but whomever was back there knew what they were doing. Now that he was paying attention, though, there was another taste in the food. One he could not readily identify, something extremely faint and slightly mineral. It almost reminded him of the multivitamins he used to take as a kid. Given that "as a kid" meant "before Bardic Knowledge kicked in," though, he could not quite be sure. It was another detail that he found himself opening the notebook for. To the last page, labeled "Cryptic Things Said By Faculty," and noting it down. Then, on consideration, he scratched out "Said By Faculty." It seemed that he had much more to consider for data than he did. Maybe he could do research for this one?

There was a sudden rush, several students flocking to the large windows which let in light to the cafeteria. "Jem, you can see over their heads. What's up?" Todd might be many things, but curious ranked high among them.

Jem, the rather tall Amazoness, thankfully had a decent angle to see. "Looks like the same professor from yesterday is setting up another event."

"How long do you girls have until your next class? It might be worth checking out" Todd was already gathering his dishes to return the tray.

"You just want to win one, don't you? Thankfully, so do I. We have just under an hour." With that, all eight of the people at the table took a last bite or two, chugged their drinks, and rushed out with the crowd to turn in trays and get to where the action was. They weren't the only ones, either. Today's rapidly-gathering crowd was significantly more sizable than the day before, more students knew what was up now and wanted in.

Mr. Harrison was standing tall on the same soapbox as before. The box at his feet was familiar, but Todd resolved to turn tail and run if they were playing Tag again. He wasn't fully recovered from the day before. "Welcome, students! Looks like a way better crowd this time than yesterday, that's great!"

Todd's group looked around the area. Last time there looked like more than fifty people. This time it was easily twice that. Whatever went down this time, it was going to be big. Song spotted both of the Order Leaders looking around, too. That meant the people in the crowd were being judged, too. Anyone wanting to rush one of the Orders needed to be going hard.

The professor continued. "We want to teach you about this fine school of ours, and figure out how many of the 872 pamphlets we handed out got read." There was some laughter in the crowd. "So here's the deal. Ten minutes from now, I'm going to kick off a scavenger hunt by giving a clue. The goal is to get all three points and come back to touch this box at my feet. The more points you touch before coming back here to finish, the more you earn, make sense? This is an individual event! While you are allowed to help each other, points will be per-person. Strategy time starts... now."

Todd found himself being dragged backwards by a deceptively strong petite Korean woman. "We are finding a side room and you are doing me, mister!"

"Not that I'm objecting, but any particular reason?"

"Yep. Going to be around a lot of Humans and I'll need the Willpower, and you need to cast some magic. Buff up, this one is going to be dangerous for you."

"I need to cast twice if you're up for it, going to be really fast to get it done in seven minutes to get back out there."

"Oh, twist my arm, why don't you." The side room she pulled him into immediately after getting back into the building wasn't QUITE a janitor supply closet, but it wasn't much more than that. As soon as the door closed she was out of her clothes and into her golden-white fox form, already bending at the waist by the time he could stumble his way out of his pants.

Seriously, by now he should have been better at that part.

There was a mission this time, though. A spell he had read about, one he wanted to have encoded, and which would probably give them an edge this time around. As he slammed himself into the waiting and willing woman before him, as the sensations engulfed him, he focused on the latent power within himself. Her yips of pleasure were music to his ears, her small and constantly rippling orgasms driving him onward. Neither was holding back to prolong the pleasure, they were on a clock.

Her tail wrapped around his waist, pulling him into her harder and harder. Todd would have been concerned that he was hurting her were she not so obviously enjoying it. More and more the harder he thrust, until he was barely short of pain himself. As his balls began to contract, it became apparent that Song had different plans than he thought. Sensing he was ready to explode within her, the Kumiho pulled herself forward and off of him, rapidly spun around, and plunged herself face-first onto the recently-revealed dick before her.

Todd came, rope after rope after rope of cum firing directly into Song's eager mouth. She, in turn, swallowed eagerly and blissfully with a happy humming sound. He heard, in the back of his head, a very distinct PING

***

Class Feature unlocked: Multicast!

***

His head cleared, both from the blue status box and the orgasmic haze, and he found Song still lapping at his rigid member to get him ready for round two. His headache told him that he was completely dry once again... which was not good, given that he was not supposed to be at this time. Checking his own Status Screen, he found a lot more there than he thought. Timers for Investiture and the renewed buff for Song were expected. Ones for effects on himself labeled Moment of Greatness, Resistance, Anticipate Peril, and Scan were not. It looked like Scan and Resistance would last around an hour. "Song? Uh, hold on. I think round two isn't necessary... and I'm out of Mana. It won't do anything even if we try."

Song paused, tongue still pressing against the base of his cock as she thought through his words. She slowly pulled it back into her mouth. "Disappointing, but I'll live. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just used a couple of class features for the first time and accidentally blew through my entire reserve. Why did you do that turn like that? Thought it was dangerous, between your fangs and the risk of blood in your mouth."

"Oh. Huh. Uh, now that I think about it. you're right. I just didn't think having Essence of You dripping out of me during the game would be a good idea. Cum doesn't count as consuming human flesh, so I'm good. You taste good, too. After how enthusiastic May was about it, I had to try."

"Song, we need to have a long talk about that. Later, though. Get your clothes back on, we have about one minute before Mr. Harrison kicks things off." They did, in fact, get out there with time to spare. The others shared knowing glances, but also their plan. That helped. "We might be getting graded individually, but we can make it a group project," Tiny explained. "Half of us either have or can get the ability to fly, Chester can tie us together mentally, and I know for fact that you read those pamphlets and could recite them for us if we had time. You get us going the right direction, Jem and May stick with you and Chester on the ground, and the rest of us take to the skies to scout and get to the locations faster. Sound good?"

Todd nodded. "All four of the ladies are under my Inspiration, too, so that should help."

Todd could almost hear the ellipses over Chester and Corey's heads as Tiny made a guess. "All four? That's quite the accomplishment."

He was thankfully saved from having to respond by Mr. Harrison stepping back up to the soapbox. "Competitors! The hunt will begin in thirty seconds! Listen closely to the first clue." Todd's team could feel the tingle in the back of their heads as Chester enacted his own Class Ability to link them into a mental network, but kept listening. "Your first point will be exactly where ground broke for the first building on campus."

The phrase "so loud you can't hear yourself think" is usually a euphemism. This time, it was quite literal. Todd took off at a jog as the crowd exploded into cacophony, trying to think the south corner of the Demihuman Dormitory as loudly as he could. Though his group couldn't quite hear it, they saw which way he was jogging and followed. May was yelling something about running for the pamphlets they'd picked up. Someone might buy it, but Todd wasn't certain of it. Either way, the crowd scattered in a dozen different directions. Relatively few were headed the same way they were.

Looks like there's some kind of glowing orb over there, bronze color and right where you thought it would be. The thoughts flowing their heads had a certain roughness to them, like the mental vocal cords wanted to caw like his physical ones. Corey had spotted it. We're not the first ones to it, but I only count four others there.

I just touched it. This thought was more comfortable to Todd, Ghata's throaty growl of her Rakshasi form. He wondered, briefly, if the others were shocked at the disparity between her mental voice and the physical appearance she let them see. Got a mark with a matching color on the back of my hand, looks like the number 1, and a slip of paper with the next clue. Looks like a number is on the orb, too, it ticked down to 118 when I touched it.

A countdown? As in, limited charges on the thing? Todd picked up speed to his jog, not enjoying it one bit. A pink and purple blur to his left as Chester kept up, Jem and May providing a rather distracting sight to his right. He tried to focus back at Ghata. What's the next clue?

It's a slip of paper that says the Silver Orb can be found in the largest classroom on campus. How are we supposed to know that one?

The next tone was another that Todd knew well, but the others probably wouldn't. Just like in his dreams, May's mental voice merely sounded sexy instead of dripping with overwhelming seduction. Because we've all been in it. The main hall where they held Orientation is the only one it could be.

Todd realized that was almost certainly right, but as his team pulled up to the Bronze orb and ticked its counter down to 109 he had a word of caution. There is a second one that is identical to it, immediately next door. I got lost there on the way to Orientation last week.

Imagine their shock when both buildings were unlocked... but both classrooms stood completely empty. No orb, no clue, nothing but eight students who just found out they'd wasted ten minutes going to the wrong place as others overtook their strong start. Corey and Jem had already started desperately casting spells to try to figure out a way to go when Todd's phone rang. The number was blocked, but given that every person who he'd given his number to was present (other than his dad), the timing was suspicious. Against his better judgement, Todd answered. "Hello?"

"Todd! I know there's a League thing going on, so I figure you might wanna know this." The high, nasally New York City accent could only belong to Martin. "Looks like a bunch of TD and AO students are racing each other. Got about twenty of them running past the sports field now at a full sprint, only thing out past that is the gate to the National Park."

To Todd, finding out the difference between being able to remember facts and being able to remember the RIGHT facts was about as enjoyable as a root canal. "You're absolutely right about that! Listen, if you want to score for the League, the first three points are outside the cafeteria, then the corner of the Demihuman Dorms, then where you just said."

"Nah, I ain't doing that. Seems more painful than it's worth. Just make sure you put in that word, alright?" There was a click as Martin hung up, and Todd started yelling for everyone to stop casting and get running.

While the classroom buildings weren't COMPLETELY across campus from where they needed to go, they weren't exactly close, either. Everyone who could take to the sky charged ahead while the four ground-bound team members followed as best they could. By the time the scouts got there, the scene was wildly different. The number on the Silver Orb read 20, and there were easily that many people present. Thing is, four of them had their backs to the orb, and were obviously holding the line against the others, keeping them from reaching it.

Four students, all with horns and wings. Demons, which meant Alpha Omega. Every time someone got close to the orb, the defenders repelled them with force and flame. The only exception to this was a man with incredibly fluffy white wings, who they let through unopposed.

That's the play! Alpha Omega is trying to get their own people ahead, so how do we get past this?

You know we can hear you thinking, right? It was Song. Of course.

Sorry if that was loud. Ghata, Song, Chester! I need you to cover us with illusion. Doesn't have to be perfect, They have their backs to the gate, we can slip in behind them along the fence and get our touches.

Shocking everyone present in the network, it actually worked roughly as planned. Every time someone in the front tried to get past the defenders, one of Todd's team got to sneak in, touch the orb, grab a slip of paper, and get out before the noise and fireworks died down. At least... it worked until they were walking away. Pardon me, please, I feel the need to do one last thing here. This one was a voice everyone present knew, sounding exactly like his physical self. Chester didn't respond as the rest of them got clear, ignoring their pleading for him to just leave with them. Instead, moments later, a disembodied claw reached up and tapped one of the demonic defenders on the shoulder JUST as one of the others made a move. The split-second of distraction was enough to turn the oncoming rush into a titanic melee as people sensed the opening and dove for it. They would be occupied for a while.

This time visible once more and without others nearby, the eight gathered up to look at their clue. And the silver-colored number three on the back of their hands. "The highest point on campus," Tiny's gravelly voice was a bit wry. "That would be the roof of the science building, right? They have the telescope up there."

Todd nodded back. "I'm pretty sure that's right. The Admin building has the same number of floors, but it doesn't have the observatory. We'd better move, though, if the Silver Orb was almost out of charges that means the last one is going to be really tight. If there aren't enough left, whoever gets there should just tag it. No sense letting others come and get the last couple just because we were waiting for the others." With an increasing sense of urgency, the group took off at as fast a pace as they could manage.

By the time they arrived at the foot of the building, the team could already hear the sounds of combat coming from the roof. Nobody said anything. Nobody even thought it loudly enough to hear. Everyone decided to go up the elevators together instead of arriving piecemeal. The doors opened onto the roof, and the eight of them emerged into the darkening evening.

Standing before a floating golden orb was an odd creature. Roughly humanoid, its skin alternating between metallic silver armor and dark gray shaggy fur. Pitch black circles showed at its hips, shoulders, and where its ears would have been on a Human, showing an icon of a white sword on each. Its face pushed forward in bestial proportions, but was also made of that same black material. In white, drawings of eyes and mouth showed where they roughly would have been on a person. Protogen. That was the word. A creature that blurred the lines between animal and machine.