Becoming Monsters: Tidbits 28

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

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Chapter 28: Under the Sun

Todd opened his eyes. Friday. He'd made it to the end of his second week. Survived to get here, and given some of what had gone on that was an accomplishment. He glanced at his clock. Still early. His alarm wouldn't be going off for another thirty minutes. The bed was warm. Comfortable. He didn't want to move, and had no reason to for the next... twenty-nine minutes. The fact that May materialized in bed holding him only contributed to things. "Morning, May. Rest well?"

"I did. You should know, you were there."

"We spent 30 minutes going over CompSci on the blackboard, an hour having sex in four different positions, and then snuggled. Hard to tell how much of that was restful for you."

"All of it but the CompSci, Todd." She shimmied a bit to get a better spoon on her boyfriend. "Actually, since we're both up. Last night I saw you put a piece of paper on the desk as I came in. What was that about? You usually keep stuff in folders."

"Actually, good question. One of Tim's thralls gave it to me. Shannon, the Tigress. Didn't get to read it before I got distracted." He sighed. "Seems to happen to me a lot."

"Huh. I think that might be important enough to get out of bed for. Even this one."

"Fine, fine. You're right, but I don't have to like it." With an effort of will above and beyond what he thought he was capable of, Todd sat up. With another one, he stood up. After that, walking over to his desk and unfolding the now-crumpled note was relatively easy. "Okay, I know roughly what Tim's deal was, and it isn't good news. He is asking me to rerun the training plan assuming he has access to two potions a week each worth 50% of his maximum mana pool."

May sat up at that one as well. "Heck of a deal. Potions that good are really expensive."

Todd looked over his shoulder at her. "What about the one you got me a while ago?"

"He isn't selling those for money, and would YOU be willing to drink that twice a week?"

"Good point." Todd started writing out a few things on scratch paper. "Okay. It'll be awkward for him to set up, but if he's determined then he can absolutely get to the point he's maintaining control on seven women. That doesn't count the fact that this will power-level him rapidly, if he gets to a break point and picks up something to significantly reduce his maintenance costs or significantly increase his regeneration it gets much worse."

"We can't let that happen, Todd." May was frowning. "He could become incredibly dangerous to everyone here."

"I know. And that's how I'm going to angle the advice he wants. Because really, what Tim wants to do is level up. With a hundred percent honesty, I can tell him that the best way to do that is to release every long-term thrall he has until their duration resets."

May had to think for a few moments. "Oh, that's SNEAKY. Give them a chance to detox, and there's no way they'll want to do that again. Since he said his ability only works on the willing, without that he's a whole lot of nothing."

"Exactly. As long as he's stuck at school, that ability doesn't get to be fully abused. That will in turn give us more of a chance to either make sure he's doing things right..." Todd trailed off for a moment.

May walked over and hugged him, standing this time. "Or else make sure he can't ever again. Come on, I know your alarm is about to go off and you have a nearly full mana pool. As much as I want to hog you for myself, I think either Ghata or Song needs it this time. That'll help you cheer up."

Todd grinned. "You know, I do think that's one way to do it. And you managed to make sex the solution to two more problems. Again."

"Like I said before, I'll tell you when I run into a problem that it doesn't help solve."

"Your History homework?"

"Do you have any idea how much of history is caused by sex? We're working through the Victorian era now."

"You know what, forget I asked that one. I think it's Song's turn this morning, so I'll go knock on her door. Need anything else this morning?"

May shook her head. "Nothing I don't already have. Go, you still have to get to breakfast after you do her and then class."

Chuckling, Todd got up and left the room. In the shared common his little group often relaxed in, though, he looked to the other doors. There was a calendar on Jem's. Today was significant for some reason, she had a circle drawn on the day in black. He shook his head. No telling what random event it could be. He knocked gently on Song's door, wondering if she was awake. For a moment, there was no answer. Then, ever so slowly, the door creaked open. Song was behind it in her petite Korean Human form, still in her pajamas and looking sleepy. "Wha... oh, I must have slept through my alarms..."

"Are you alright, Song? I don't think I've ever seen you do that before."

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep last night, nervous about the exam grades. We're supposed to get them back today, after all." She yawned hugely. "Now let me guess, you've nearly full on mana and have plenty to help a girl out for today?"

"Got it in one. If you'd like it, of course, but I hear sex is good for stress from several authoritative sources." Todd was grinning, and so was Song.

"Well, when you put it like that, come in. And yes, I do mean that both ways." She stepped back into her room, stripping out of her pajamas. "I want you to do me like this, in Human form. Kinda need to practice staying in it. Does that sound good to you?"

Todd stepped in after her, closing the door behind him. "Sounds good. I'll keep it gentle unless you say otherwise."

She raised an eyebrow at him, something that had a slightly different effect given that she was nude. "I said I need to practice, that means you need to make it difficult. Now get over here and do me, and make sure to do me right."

It should be noted that she did, in fact, manage to keep her form through it. Mostly. There was some fur sprouting once or twice, but she managed to get control of herself before it went too far.

The shower afterwards was a bit rushed, but breakfast was back on track. It was time for Math. Todd wasn't really all that nervous about having passed or not for this class. What he was wondering was exactly how far he'd managed to push himself, and what it would mean for his class schedule going forward. It was really the only class he was that confident about, but he tried not to think about it too closely.

Much like his exam day, there was a line outside the door, moving slowly forward. The substitute he'd had for the last class was there once again, checking people off of a list. About half of the people would proceed into the classroom. The rest turned and went back up the hall, holding a slip of paper. This one didn't seem like it would be all that hard to figure out, and absolutely unsurprisingly she turned him away with a slip of his own. Ghata and Song, too. Jem... wasn't so lucky. With a glance over her shoulder, she stepped into the much-less-crowded auditorium.

It was quieter outside than Todd was used to. Normally, by the time he was here the other students were chattering, or he was headed into the classroom. Not today. He almost jumped out of his skin when Ghata's voice came from right behind him. "What did you get?"

"What do you mean?" He turned to face his companions.

The small Indian woman was standing there calmly. "Song and I both got put forward by one level, our schedules have been adjusted accordingly, same time and building but our class is on the second floor with a different professor."

Todd looked down at his own. It was mostly blank. "I... don't have anything on mine. It says to keep an eye on my school email."

Song facepalmed. "Should have figured that what we got wouldn't be enough to keep you occupied. Admin's probably trying to figure out where to put you."

"Where I need to go is somewhere quiet so that I can get ahead of my homework." Todd shook his head. "I already know I'm probably gonna have to grind through Lit, and I'm behind on that."

Song nodded. "Good idea. See you at lunch?"

"Sounds good." Todd started walking back to the dorms. Song and Ghata went elsewhere, though where this might be he didn't know. It was a nice day out, really. Bit colder than he expected early September to be, but no biggie.

Before he even got back, though, his phone pinged. Ghata. "I traded my spot for today, don't need it since I passed my exams already."

Todd shook his head in disbelief. He'd had sex at midnight in his literal dreams, then as soon as he woke up, now another before lunch? A quick call to the Status screen told him this one likely wouldn't put him to Level 7, but at the rate he was going it wouldn't take long. His Mana was right on track as well, there was enough in his tank still that he'd likely get a maximum Invest before bed. Earlier, this time. Maybe actually get to sleep at a reasonable time. Still felt like he was forgetting something, but he would probably figure out what it was this weekend if he could get some actual rest. Before he forgot, though, he sent Ghata a thumbs up. It was his body, after all.

Speaking of. He was also glad that he was riding the high of three outbound Inspirations, giving him two bonus points to the entirety of his Ten. It was easy to understand why his buff was in such demand, it just made life easier. His Endurance had crept up by an additional point as well, telling him that the constant physical activity was paying dividends entirely independent of the magic. Say whatever else you will about the Status, the fact that it could give absolutely tangible outputs for gains meant that it was easy to track progress. Either way, whoever it was didn't beat him to the suite, so he got to work on reading a bit ahead. You know, like he was theoretically supposed to. Maybe he'd do two chapters instead of one so that he could get some more insights.

About thirty minutes later, Todd was feeling pretty good about what he'd been up to when there was a rapid tapping on his door. "Come in!"

The door swung open to reveal someone he probably should have expected. Violet the Malamute was standing tall in her leather jacket and spiked collar, though her guitar was nowhere to be found. Her grin and wagging tail let him know rather quickly what she was here for, and her words only confirmed it. "Man, the things I had to promise to get a place in line today! Forget infamous, you're a hot commodity! So you wanna do it here or in the showers?"

Todd shook his head, laughing. "I think here. No offense, but wet dog smell going to lunch isn't good and fur shampoo doesn't quite do the same thing on me."

Which is how he ended up pounding her from behind as she was on all fours on the ground, her phone playing The Bad Touch and him keeping rhythm, Violet letting loose surprisingly loud yips with every thrust. One of his hands was at the base of her tail, both because he could tell she loved it and because it kept the fluffy length from smacking him in the face as it wagged. The collar stayed on.

Violet was fun, still enthusiastic enough even in this position that she was hard to hold on to. Tail or not. Todd wasn't looking to hold back, either. With a massive thrust he went as deep as he could, shooting off inside of her (and away from the fur where it would get stuck, call it lessons learned from Song and Ghata). The power surged into her with his cum, and Violet changed.

Todd had expected her to fluff up as she grew. Instead, as her body grew in power her fur got sleek and shiny. The tail became harder to control as Violet's body got stronger, her voice gaining power in proportion. Todd noticed her stance change as her limbs lengthened, keeping her more-shapely rear where he could push into her.

Both of their orgasms faded, and both fell forward. Violet fell prone onto her belly. Todd fell prone onto her back. It was a surprisingly comfortable position, really, but one that neither had the time to stay in for long.

"Okay, that was worth it." Violet's body gave a full twitch, getting Todd to move off of her. "And sorry for not warning you about the noise."

"I've been with someone who literally roars, you're fine."

They got cleaned up, then when Violet had a class to get to Todd headed over to eat. Keeping fueled with all the energy he was using, or something. By the time he sat down he found that he'd piled much more onto his plate than usual, and by the time Song and Ghata joined him he realized that he'd torn through almost all of it.

Ghata took one look at the wreckage on his plate and had to giggle. "I'm assuming that Violet already tracked you down?"

There was another line outside of Chemistry class, and his slip actually had a room number and time. One class forward. Fast forward to CompSci, though, and he was sitting down at his computer with a much smaller bunch. Sure, he knew the commands, which put him ahead of most of THIS crew, but the hard part was knowing which to use and when. That part, he was much less proficient in. Flip side, with half the class no longer there, the professor had a lot more time to ensure he had more direct instruction. Neither he nor Todd enjoyed it particularly much, but it helped.

After an hour of that, Todd felt much like he'd had his brains bashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.

Still, he made it through. The sunlight felt good on his face afterwards though. Dinner was quiet, but as his friends and suite mates gathered up to chat he noticed someone missing from the large table. One would think that one person from over a dozen might not be noticeable from their absence. Thing is, when that person is eight feet tall and dresses like a witch, her presence or absence becomes more noticeable. "Guys? Where's Jem? I haven't seen her since she went into Math class."

Song shook her head. "Actually, I'm not sure either. She seemed distracted earlier."

Todd frowned, then looked down the table. "Martin isn't here either to ask. Corey, you got anything?"

The Raven shrugged. "There are some significant astrological events tonight. She may be concerned about them. As for Martin, I saw him speaking to Alastor earlier today. To what end, I know not."

"How significant are we talking?"

"The new moon, for one, and there is supposed to be a meteor shower. I know I will be trying to see what they have to say to my own Class."

"New moon is huge for her, that's probably it." Something told Todd that no, it probably wasn't it. At least, not all of it. "Sunset is in about an hour if I remember right."

Corey affixed him with a direct stare. "You always remember right. You are no more capable of forgetting than I am of laying eggs."

"Best start preparing your nest, Corey. Facts might stick in my head, but that doesn't mean I can pull them out when I need them." Todd sighed. "I had one class today and would really rather not get schooled again. I'm going to go look for her, someone shoot me a message if the League starts setting up, please."

Ghata gave him a thumbs-up. "I got you. Go, you might want to start at our rooms if she's preparing for something astrological."

"Sounds good. I'm out." Todd brought his now-empty tray to the cleaning rack then got moving. He enjoyed the outdoors much less this time, worry starting to gnaw at the back of his mind. No matter the source of her beliefs, Jem was very serious about them. If she was distracted on a day that was due for events like today, he wanted to know what was going on.

Students were out and about now, enjoying the end of their second week at school. Two days off were ahead of them. Time to relax and get their bearings now that their lives seemed to have a set course. None of them seemed to notice that Todd was on a set course, none of them shared the sense of urgency he felt. He made it back to the dorms and to Suite 222. Inside, sitting on the couch in their common room, was Jennifer Lyons. Jem. "Good, you're alright. We were worried when you didn't show up for dinner."

Jem looked over at him. "You could have called."

"Didn't seem appropriate, and this isn't like you. It takes a lot to fuel an Amazoness's body, so missing meals raises red flags. What's going on?"

She stood, towering over him. "Do you remember what tonight is?"

"Corey said it was the new moon. I'm assuming that's significant."

"You could say that." She looked down, not at Todd but towards her feet. "It's been two weeks since you moved in here, Tidbit. Two weeks since I tried to put you under a geas and got shown up instead."

Todd thought for a moment. Had it really been that long? Yes, it had. Fourteen days since he'd hugged his dad goodbye, come up to his room, and then had the course of his life sent wildly sideways. "So it has. Time flies when I'm having more sex than the next three people combined in this school, Succubi included, while competing in events and keeping up with classes. Been a wild time so far."

Jem looked down at her watch. "Do you know when the sun sets today? Or, more specifically, when the moon rises?"

Todd glanced at his watch. "In about ten minutes, I think. Not a hundred percent sure."

"You're close enough. Judgement time, Todd Reed."

He immediately started paying MUCH closer attention. "What do you mean, Jem?"

"Two weeks ago you bound me to the twin promises of getting your social life and your Status back to where they should have been without my interference in high school. You have, in those two weeks, become the single most well-known student in this University or close to it. You are far ahead of the League, and your girlfriend is one of the most desirable women here, if not THE most. You have gained more than five levels with the means to gain many more moving forward thanks to the above. Your circle of friends is twice the size it ever was before, and many times more capable. Although I cannot ever make right the suffering, I have done my best to bring relief and curb the missteps you may have otherwise made. Do you, Todd Reed, the person who was so wrongly accused and who set these conditions, judge that I have fulfilled my oaths?"

Todd took a deep breath. "You have completed your promises and more, Jennifer Lyons. I have lived these two weeks beyond my wildest dreams, and though they came with tribulations none of those were by your design. I judge your oaths fulfilled."

The light in the room suddenly went out, and in its place came the glow of the moon's light once more. Both Todd and Jem felt more than saw the source of that light wane, until it faded entirely like the new moon. With a shock, both were suddenly back to themselves, standing in the aggressively ordinary common room.

Jem was looking at her hands like she could hardly believe she still had them. "Thank you, Todd. The compulsion I've been under has ended... and I've gained a Level for completing it. Thanks for that." She gave herself a full body shake, which was a lot more shaking than most. "Okay. Two more things now that I'm out from under that. You remember what the spell gave you, right?"

"Let me think... um, it was sterility, right?" A sudden and awful realization dawned on him. "I see. I have to find a different way to carry on if I want to be safe, don't I?"

"That is the first bit, yes. Which is a bit of a shame." Jem nodded sharply. "And before you ask, no, I can't just cast that kind of thing. The Moon usually doesn't do contraceptive things, it favors motherhood. The blessing you got was an exception owing to the nature of the debt I was paying off. And that means you have to figure it out."

Todd walked over to the couch and flopped down on it. "Oy... okay, that's going to need solving fast. There are other ways to have sex, but that isn't the point. The others will want what they want, and it is up to me to make sure they can get it." He thought for a few moments. "I'll think about that this weekend. What about that second thing you mentioned?"

"As soon as the administrative offices re-open on Monday, I'm putting in a request to move rooms."

"WHAT?" Todd quickly stood again. "Jem, are you serious? You are one of us and everyone knows it. Just because this spell is over doesn't mean you have to leave!"

"Yes, it does, Todd. I've known it for almost a week now. There is no way I'm going to be able to keep my head straight knowing that you are one room over. I won't be able to keep myself in balance. This isn't the end of the relationship, at least I hope it isn't. I just can't be here."

"I..." Todd was torn. "I see."

"That's the voice I remember." Jem smirked. "That's the voice you use when you're trying your best to understand something, but failing. Same one from high school. I thought you'd left it behind."

"Old habits die hard, I guess." Todd looked back at her door, the calendar still there with the day still marked. It would have been nice to think about this all day instead of on the spot. "We can still be friends. I don't have so many, even now, that I want to lose you. Let's face it, I'm still trying to figure things out for my life. You know more about a lot of that than I do, so I'm definitely going to be asking you. And if you have to consider trades as being necessary, then I'll tutor you in return for academics."

"You've learned a lot more than you think you have, Todd, and the fact that you knew to ask that only proves it. You had best believe I will still be around. If nothing else, I do still have promises in force for others in our circle. For now, though, I need to start packing." And with those words, Jem turned to walk to her room. When the door closed, the sound was ever so slightly more final than it had been a day before.

Todd walked slowly to his room. There was way too much to think about, too much that he needed to do. He felt suddenly tired, so he flopped onto his bed for a moment. Just to stare at the ceiling and ponder. No homework tonight, the ladies weren't here with him yet. He had a moment to himself.

Just one, though. His phone rang, and without even thinking about it Todd answered. "Hello? Oh! Hey, Dad! Yes, I'm alright... Yes, I'm taking care of myself... No, I'm not deliberately trying to scare you by not calling for weeks. No? No, I won't wait this long to call again. Life just got a bit crazy. Uh, crazier than that. I know you told me college was the time to figure things out, but crazier than that. I'm alright, Dad. Even have a girlfriend, now..."

End of Arc 1