Over the past few days, I'd made a lot of effort to spend more time with Taylor and further integrate myself into the Hebert household. We went on our usual morning jogs, grabbed the occasional meal together, and I even managed to get her to catch a movie with me one evening. Slowly but surely, the perpetually awkward girl seemed to be relaxing her guard around me, opening up in small increments. Our developing bond was progressing naturally, an inevitable side effect of being thrown into living together. Though I wouldn't deny that I was knowingly manipulating her, because she was very clearly touch starved, and I was taking advantage of that to the fullest extent that I could.
Strangely though, the Celestial Grimoire had not attempted to bestow any new perks or abilities upon me during this period of getting settled in. I could only assume it was because nothing particularly novel or exciting was happening - just the mundane routines of daily life. Well, if the Grimoire wanted to see me push myself and embrace a bit more danger, then I was happy to oblige.
I closed my eyes, opening my mind towards the distant psychic presences of the Menhirs keeping their silent aerial vigil high above the city. Menhir? It's time we took a more proactive approach. I want you to split up and begin patrolling the city. Two of you can remain stationary up there for now, but have the other four spread out and start sweeping the Docks in particular. I want to see if we can catch some criminals in the act.
There was a dull pause before the Menhirs replied. As you command. We shall divide our bodies and begin scouring this region you call 'the Docks' for any malicious minds or ill intent to be met with force.
Perfect. And don't be afraid to make your presence known - we want to attract some attention here. But obviously, try to avoid exposing me directly if possible. I'll leave the methods to your discretion.
I nodded to myself, feeling pleased at taking a more proactive approach. Menhir's psychic presence receded from my mind as they dispersed to carry out my orders.
Stretching my arms over my head in an slow arc, I rose from my cross-legged position on the bed and made my way downstairs. Taylor was curled up on the living room couch reading a textbook.
"Heyyy Taylor," I greeted her cheerfully, drawing out the syllables. "Keeping that big brain of yours nice and exercised, I see."
Taylor's gaze snapped up at me over the rim of her glasses. She blinked rapidly before quickly averting her eyes, the faintest hint of a flush coloring her cheeks.
"Oh, uh, hey Lara. Yeah, just...getting a head start on some homework stuff." She gestured vaguely with one hand at the book laid open in her lap. "You know how it is."
Grinning, I plopped down on the couch next to her, our thighs brushing together. Taylor stiffened ever so slightly at the contact, but didn't pull away.
"Do I ever," I commiserated with an exaggerated roll of my eyes. "Back in my...well, my old life, I guess...the homework never seemed to stop piling up."
My expression turned wistful as I allowed myself to get momentarily lost in memories of a reality that no longer existed for me. "Still, I wouldn't trade those days for anything. Life was...simpler, back then."
Taylor was watching me closely now. "You must really miss your old home," she whispered, her voice soft with sympathy.
I forced out a sad sigh, blinking back the faintest sheen of unshed tears that definitely weren't there. "Every single day. My parents, my friends..." I trailed off, allowing the words to hang heavily in the air between us.
Knowing I had a good opportunity here, I reached out and placed my hand atop Taylor's where it rested on the book, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But I'm grateful to have you and your dad, at least. This whole situation would be so much harder without a few friendly faces around."
Taylor's eyes went wide at the unexpected contact, her cheeks pinkening further. I could see her throat working as she swallowed hard, suddenly looking everywhere but directly at me.
"Oh, uh, yeah...of course, I mean..." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "You're f-family now, so we'll always be here for you."
My grin stretched wider as I leaned in closer, holding her gaze intently. Taylor seemed rooted to the spot, unmoving as a statue except for the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
"That means so much to hear, Taylor, really," I whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without-"
Child.
Menhir's telepathic rumble cut through my mind, shattering the moment.
Our patrol has detected a gathering of ill-intentioned minds near the run-down structures you referred to as the 'Boat Graveyard.' We believe them to be members of the criminal organization you call the Azn Bad Boyz, based on their green and red clothing.
I withdrew slightly, putting a few inches of space between Taylor and myself. She was staring at me with those big doe eyes of hers, blushing furiously. How adorable.
"Sorry about that, Taylor," I said with an easy grin. "Got a bit distracted for a moment there." I scooted closer again, our shoulders brushing together as I leaned in. "So, what were we talking about again?"
Taylor blinked rapidly behind her glasses. "Uh...I'm not...really sure?" She swallowed hard, clutching her textbook tightly.
Chuckling lightly, I gave her knee a playful pat. "No worries, it's not important." So what's the situation over there, Menhir?
We have moved into close proximity of the ill-intentioned minds. From what we can perceive, they appear to be in the process of violating a young human female against her will.
My stomach twisted with revulsion at the implications. Understood. Go ahead and intervene - scare them off if possible, but you have my permission to use force if necessary to stop the assault.
As you command, child.
Putting the unpleasant thoughts aside for now, I refocused my attention on Taylor. "Hey, you know what we should do later? Order a pizza and have a cheesy horror movie marathon!"
I threw an arm casually around her shoulders, giving her a friendly squeeze. "It'll be fun, I promise! We can snuggle up on the couch with some snacks."
Taylor went rigid as a board at the sudden contact, her blush deepening. "I...uh...snuggle? With...with you?" She seemed to be having trouble forming a coherent sentence.
I grinned at Taylor's adorably flustered reaction, resisting the urge to pinch her blushing cheeks. She could be delightfully innocent at times.
"Of course, silly!" I gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "We're practically sisters now, right? Sisters snuggle all the time."
Taylor opened and closed her mouth a few times, seemingly at a loss. Her eyes darted around anywhere but directly at me.
I gave her an exaggerated pout. "Aww, don't give me that look! Where's your sense of fun?"
The corner of her mouth twitched upwards in a ghost of a smile. "I...don't really have one?"
I gasped in mock outrage. "Taylor Hebert! That's a terrible thing to say." Looping my arm more securely around her shoulders, I tugged her against my side. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"
Taylor stiffened momentarily at the contact before seeming to force herself to relax. Up close, I could see the light dusting of freckles across her cheeks, the slight upturn of her nose. Objectively speaking, she was actually quite pretty in an understated way once you looked past the bad posture and plain wardrobe.
"I don't know," she murmured, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I'm not really the 'snuggly pajamas and chick flicks' type."
Summoning up my most charming smile, I batted my eyelashes at her. "Oh, come oooon! Just this once? For me?"
Taylor's blush deepened, but she held my gaze for a few heartbeats before ducking her head. "Well...I suppose it could be...fun? To try something different."
"That's my girl!" I exclaimed brightly, giving her an enthusiastic hug. Taylor went stiff as a board again before cautiously patting my back.
Pulling away, I laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to pick only the very best awful B-movies for us."
A tiny smile appeared on Taylor's lips. "I'm sure I'll regret this."
oo0ooOoo0oo
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared blankly up at the rusted metal beams crisscrossing above. The warehouse creaked and groaned around her, the sounds of the docks filtering in through broken windows.
She tried to retreat into herself, to dissociate from the violated flesh and the rough hands gripping her thighs. Tried not to feel the hips rocking her back and forth on the filthy concrete floor.
A throaty grunt sounded from the man atop her. She flinched as she felt a warmth grow between her thighs.
"Hey, what the fuck is that?"
The shout from one of the other ABB thugs snapped her back to reality for a moment. She followed his pointing finger upwards through the broken roof to see...massive floating boulders? Four towering monoliths, each easily ten feet high, were slowly descending from the sky outside.
The weight atop her shifted as the man gawked over his shoulder. "The fuck? Capes?"
"Ain't those the things from the news?" one of the other ABB thugs muttered, squinting up at the otherworldly sight. "The ones that crazy bitch Glory Girl tried to smash?"
The man currently violating her grunted, his callused hands tightening in a bruising grip on her thighs. She couldn't stifle a whimper of pain as his hips rocked her against the concrete.
"Don't know, don't care," he snarled, snatching up the discarded pistol lying beside them. "Keep your pieces on 'em in case they try any hero shit."
The monoliths continued their slow descent. One drifted so low that it nearly brushed against the warehouse's rusted roof.
"Oh shit, oh shit!" another gang member babbled, fumbling for his own gun. "Should we bounce? This don't look good, Lee."
Lee - apparently the man violating her - snarled and jammed the pistol's muzzle towards the nearest monolith. "Shut your hole and open fire if they make a move!"
Deafening cracks split the air as Lee opened up on the stone. The other thugs followed suit, their guns barking and flashing in the dark warehouse.
To her shock, the hail of bullets seemed to tear into the monolith with surprising effectiveness. Chunks of stone shattered and cracked with each impact, shrapnel raining down around them.
"Hey, these things aren't so tough!" one of the ABB members crowed, a manic grin splitting his pockmarked face. "Glory Girl couldn't even do what we can!"
Even as he spoke, the barrage continued - the monolith taking a steady pounding from the gunfire. Larger and larger craters pocked its surface until, finally, it started to topple sideways with a low grinding rumble.
The fallen stone hit the warehouse floor with a bone-rattling crash, cracking the concrete and kicking up a cloud of dust. The remaining three monoliths hung in the air, seemingly unperturbed.
Lee let out a wheezing laugh, his thrusts growing faster and more erratic. "See that, bitch? We just-"
His words cut off in a grunt of pain as he suddenly clutched at his head, the gun clattering to the floor. The other ABB thugs followed suit, howling and dropping their weapons as they collapsed.
She watched in a detached sort of horror as they writhed on the ground, faces distorted in visible agony. Blood began leaking from their noses, ears, and the corners of their eyes.
Then, just as quickly, it ended. The gang members went limp and still, only the faintest rise and fall of their chests indicating they still lived.
All except for Lee. He twitched feebly, fingers scrabbling weakly at the concrete as a thick strand of drool hung from his slack lips. With a gurgling moan, he somehow managed to raise himself up on one trembling arm, snatching up the fallen pistol and aiming it towards the nearest monolith.
The gun barked once, the gunshot like a cannon blast in the silence. She flinched, hunching her shoulders as the bullet pierced through the stone.
Lee's face contorted in a wordless scream, both hands flying to either side of his head. A thin stream of crimson trailed from each of his ears before his eyes rolled back in their sockets. He toppled over, the pistol slipping from his limp grasp as he crashed on top of her in a boneless heap.
She remained sprawled on the filthy ground in a daze, struggling to process what had just happened. Her insides felt numb, as if her very soul had been scooped out and hollowed.
One of the monoliths drifted towards the remains of its fallen brethren, the crumbled stone scattered across the concrete. As she watched in a daze, the intact boulder seemed to almost...absorb the rubble into itself. Pieces of shattered rock levitated from the ground, drawn inexorably towards the monolith until its surface grew larger, more sturdy and fortified.
After nearly a minute, the monolith turned its impassive surface towards the unconscious ABB thugs and the still form of her rapist, Lee, who lay in a crumpled heap atop her. With a low grinding rumble, it repositioned itself until its broad top hovered directly over Lee's body.
The young woman flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced for further violence. But the expected blow never came. When she cautiously opened her eyes once more, Lee was gone - the monolith having simply lifted and removed him.
One by one, the three monoliths turned skyward. Higher and higher they rose, swiftly shrinking from view as they rested in the clouds above.
Left alone amid the unconscious ABB thugs and lingering stench of violence, the young woman could only pull her knees up to her chest and sob.
oo0ooOoo0oo
I congratulated the Menhir on handling the situation, though a slight frown tugged at the corners of my full lips. Well done neutralizing those scumbags. But it sounds like one of your bodies took some damage?
The psychic voice rumbled through my mind. Indeed, child. One of our stone forms was assaulted by a rapid barrage of small metallic projectiles. It appears these criminals utilized our vulnerability to forged iron effectively.
I nodded slowly, drumming my manicured nails against my thigh in thought. Were you able to recover the remains after defeating them? You should be able to absorb fallen pieces to fortify yourselves.
Yes. The shattered fragments were drawn back into one of our remaining bodies. That Menhir now possesses increased durability and psychic strength as a result.
Nodding again in satisfaction, I pursed my lips. Excellent work then. I'm glad you were able to-
A sudden pulse of energy appeared in my brain, cutting off my words. I tensed, recognizing the familiar sensation of the Celestial Grimoire attempting to bestow a new ability upon me.
[High Speed Magus - Tsukihime] - 600cp
High-Speed Incantation. The ability to perform otherwise-complicated magecraft that would require time and ritual in mere seconds. Whether through intense training or a natural talent, you are an expert at this Incantation, able to cast and rotate your magic within an instant. Your multitasking and mental calculations are good enough that you could pass off as a fledgling Alchemist of Atlas, able to perfectly cycle through spells in mere seconds and shorten the time of complicated magical formulas incantations' from minutes into seconds, or hours into a short few minutes. In addition, this mental processing lets you easily juggle both hand-to-hand combat and constantly using magecraft alongside it, letting you easily use magecraft alongside any other physical abilities or powers you may have - so long as your body can handle the output of both at once, of course.
I couldn't help the disappointed sigh that slipped past my lips. Another missed opportunity at gaining a perk, it seemed. But while being able to cast spells rapidly could potentially be useful down the line, it was useless without any magic to channel in the first place.
Still, this brought my total pool of choice points up to 300. Surely something within my budget would come along soon that could help me start building up my magical repertoire.
Refocusing my attention, I waved away the lingering mental echoes of the failed perk. It appears my plans to goad the Grimoire into action have paid off. The moment you completed handling that...unpleasant situation, I was immediately offered a new ability.
I couldn't quite keep the slight bitterness out of my thoughts. Unfortunately, it was not one I could accept at this time. But progress is progress, and I now have three hundred choice points to spend.
The Menhir's psychic presence brushed against my mind, emanating reassurance. Be patient, child. The Celestial Grimoire has clearly taken notice of your proactive approach. If you continue pushing yourself into conflict, more opportunities to grow your power will inevitably arise.
Letting out a soft exhale, I nodded to myself. You're correct, of course. I'll simply have to keep making moves, putting myself out there to attract the Grimoire's interest.
I turned my attention back to the horror movie playing on the TV screen. Settling more comfortably into the couch cushions, I gently leaned my weight against Taylor's side. She stiffened for a moment at the contact before seeming to force herself to relax.
Inwardly, I smiled with satisfaction. My efforts to make Taylor dependent on me for affection and physical comfort appeared to be gradually bearing fruit, despite only having known her for a few days. The familial connection, combined with my constant attentive presence in her life since arriving, had clearly helped lower her guard. Not to mention the traumatic bonding from both losing loved ones in a tragic car accident. Taylor was clearly starved for warmth and kindness in her life - I could see it in the way she soaked up even the smallest gestures of affection like a wilted flower desperate for water.
Glancing sidelong at the bespectacled girl, I took in the slight flush coloring her cheeks, the way she kept her hands folded primly in her lap despite our physical proximity. Even now, I could sense the deeply-ingrained shyness simmering beneath the surface.
Not that I blamed her, of course. If even half of what I'd read about her canon experiences were true, Taylor had been bullied and ostracized for years. Conditioned to mistrust any friendly offers, to see them as nothing more than the setup for the next cruel prank or betrayal. It was the kind of deep-seated trauma that didn't simply vanish overnight.
But I was nothing if not patient. With time and persistence, I knew I could gradually coax Taylor out of her defensive shell until she came to rely on me, to crave my presence and affectionate touches like a drug. Already she was beginning to let her guard down around me in small, almost imperceptible increments.
A quiet giggle escaped my lips as the protagonist on screen met a delightfully over-the-top demise. Taylor shot me a questioning look, causing another laugh to bubble up.
"Sorry, that death scene was just so ridiculously campy," I said with an airy wave of my hand, letting out a light, tinkling laugh. "Like, did the special effects team just use a garden hose filled with red food coloring or what?"
Taylor's lips twitched upwards in an almost-smile at my commentary. "I have to admit, the over-the-top gore is a bit silly. Though I suppose that's part of the charm with these B-movies."
Nodding in agreement, I leaned more heavily against her slender frame, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few stray bugs skittering across the floor in what seemed like an unnaturally coordinated path.
"You know," I began in an offhand tone. "I've noticed the bugs around here acting a little...weird lately."
Taylor tensed almost imperceptibly beside me. "Weird how?"
I shrugged one shoulder in a casual motion. "Just little things, I guess. Like there was this fly on the wall in my room yesterday that literally didn't move for two hours straight. And earlier today, I saw a line of flies all flying in the same direction with, like, military precision."
Shooting her a sidelong glance, I made sure to keep my voice light and curious rather than accusatory. "You don't think there are any...pest problems around here, do you? Maybe a cracked window letting them inside or something?"
Taylor's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "Uh, no, I haven't noticed anything like that. Could just be a, um, coincidence?"
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Speaking of problems though, have you heard anything more about those weird floating rocks around the city? That was pretty crazy."
Nicely deflected, Taylor, I thought with an inward smirk. Outwardly, I frowned in feigned contemplation, idly twirling a lock of hair around my finger.
"You know, I actually haven't heard any updates since they were all over the news that one day." I cocked my head to the side, allowing my ponytail to spill over one shoulder. "Do you think maybe the heroes managed to take care of them quietly?"
Any activity you'd like to report up there, Menhir?
After a brief pause, the grinding telepathic voice responded. Nothing of consequence, child. We have not witnessed any other crimes taking place.
Excellent. Let me know if that changes at all.
I refocused my attention on Taylor, who seemed relieved to have successfully redirected the conversation away from her bug control power. I smirked as I scooted even closer, eliminating what little space remained between our bodies.
"Enough about rocks and bugs though," I said with a friendly smile. "We were going to have a relaxing evening together, remember?"
Color bloomed across Taylor's cheeks in a light blush. She ducked her head shyly.
"Y-Yeah, that was the plan," she murmured, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Maybe something a little less intense to watch though?"
I laughed lightly and gave her arm a gentle nudge. "You got it. We can find a nice lighthearted movie instead."
Taylor visibly relaxed as she nodded, though a stray lock of hair fell across her face. I reached out to gently tuck it behind her ear, my fingers briefly grazing the soft skin of her neck. She tensed momentarily at the light contact.
"There you go," I said with a warm smile. "No more heavy stuff tonight. Just you and me enjoying each other's company."
Taylor returned the smile, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. "Yeah, that sounds really nice."
I held her gaze for a beat, taking in the ease settling over her features. This bonding time was definitely helping her open up.