"So, you won't be getting the security deposit of your leased condo back?" Mom sternly asked on the phone.
"Um, I haven't asked them yet, Mom," I replied. The truth of it was I hadn't even thought of stuff like my lease contract, the security deposit, unpaid utility bills, all those things connected to my destroyed condo unit.
It had been hectic lately with all the fighting and killing that those things just slipped my mind. I'd think most people would agree that an Adumbrae Titan was a more pressing matter than a security deposit. Obviously, I couldn't tell Mom that.
Barely ten minutes had passed from the time Deen and I entered my family's condo unit when Mom called. The two of us were lounging by the living room, watching the news for any possible breaking news about the murders we had committed when my phone rang. Mom was about to board her flight in fifteen minutes and wanted to check up on me.
"Well, you should ask them for your deposit, dear," said Mom.
"I will when I have the time," I replied. Which is probably never. I didn't even know how to contact the lessors. I couldn't remember their number, and my phone with my contact list was gone in the burnt ruins of the condominium building. I might have emailed them before; I had to check my accounts for that. "It's just kind of awkward to ask them about it. I mean their property is destroyed and all that, so I feel bad asking."
"Money is money, Erind sweetie. You should be more assertive about things like these. That's two months of rent you should claim. And they should have insurance to cover property damage due to Adumbrae attacks. What does the law say about those? That they're not acts of God? Or acts of the devil, as your Aunt Jenna would say."
"Adumbrae attacks are still considered fortuitous events, Mom. They're usually not covered by insurance. There are special insurance contracts for Adumbrae-related events, but those have a high premium so most people don't get those. Like nobody was expecting that Adumbrae would show up at La Esperanza." I also wasn't expecting to get turned into one, I wanted to add.
How would Mom react if she discovered I was no longer human? That I was an Adumbrae who had killed many people? What would Dad think if he was still alive? If my suspicion was correct that Dad was taken by the Corebrings to work for them, then it'd be insane if he found out his daughter to be the enemy of humanity.
Mom tutted. "If they're responsible owners they should've taken out insurance that included Adumbrae attacks even if it's more expensive. And whatever type of insurance they have, you're still entitled to your security deposit because your lease contract was terminated because...because..."
"Because the place was destroyed?"
"Yes, dear. That reminds me. We should go find you a new place to stay when you eventually move back to La Esperanza. I hope the BID do their job well and clear that city of Adumbrae. Cheryl gave me a list of places you could pick from. I want you to have a nice and secure place when you return to Eloyce University."
If I won't go into hiding, I thought. There were too many possible threats that wouldn’t poof away. The BID, the 2Ms, the organization behind Dario, maybe the Corebrings wanted to hunt me someday too. "Sure, Mom," was all I could say. Now that I was talking to Mom, I wasn't so sure anymore that I could easily leave and forget about her. To put an end to our conversation, I said, "Isn't it time for you to board your plane?"
"In a couple of minutes, dear. Thank goodness my flight wasn't delayed. Or worse, canceled."
"Deen and I will pick you up at the airport. But I think we'll get some sleep for now since we haven't had any yet."
"Okay then, get some rest. I'm so excited to see you later, Erind sweetie. And also your friend, Deen. I've brought you two gifts from Switzerland and also some things I bought here at the airport. Bye, bye. Love you, dear."
"Okay, Mom. Goodbye." I paused for a few seconds "I love you too." I added.
I stared at the phone's screen for a few seconds. Wearing the face of a dutiful daughter wasn’t too bad. Perhaps it'd be nice to do something normal after the craziness of the past few...hmm. Actually, since I became an Adumbrae, everything had been crazy.
Deen was curled up on the sofa chair on the other side of the coffee table. She had her eyes closed, probably trying to sleep or maybe pretending to sleep so she wouldn't seem to be eavesdropping on my call. She opened her eyes after hearing me say 'goodbye' to Mom and raised her brow at me.
"Mom is at the Singapore airport," I told her. "She says her flight will arrive here around ten in the evening."
"Oh, it's going to be fun to fetch her from the airport," Deen excitedly said as she sat straight up.
"Fun?"
"Aren't you happy to meet your Mom again? And I also want to meet her."
"Oh, that's what you mean. Yeah, I guess it's going to be fun."
"Are you worried?" Deen softly asked.
"About what?"
"About your Mom finding out that, um...like what happened to you? That you're not human?"
"That I'm an Adumbrae?" I said. Deen nodded. "No beating around the bush between the two of us, remember? Just say it straight. And to answer your question, yes, I'm worried about Mom knowing that I'm an Adumbrae. I think any daughter wouldn't want their mother to know that they became a monster."
Deen quickly responded with a passion, "No! You're not a mons—"
"But I am!" I shouted her down. Her eyes were wide open, shocked by my uncharacteristic outburst. I closed my eyes and shook my head like I was having internal turmoil. Somehow, talking to Mom and pretending to be normal made me crave some drama. "Sorry, Deen. I shouldn't have yelled. It's just...it's just that there's no point fooling myself. After what I did to those guys at that gasoline station, I can't be anything else other than a monster." Wow, award-winning line, right there. Give me a nomination for Best Actress already.
Deen got up from her chair and knelt beside my leg. She held my hand on my lap. I flinched but didn't pull away. After all, I was supposed to be distraught, and I'd naturally be open to the only person I could rely on—that was Deen's view of the situation anyway.
"Erind, no matter what you are," she said, “I'll be here for you."
"I feel like we've had this conversation several times already," I said with a weak smile. "How about we don't talk about stuff like this anymore? No sugar-coating stuff, no more hesitation, and all that? I'm going to accept who I am."
"And I'll be by your side no matter what happens. Don't forget that." Deen patted my hand before returning to her chair. "What else did you talk about with your Mom?" she said, probably trying to steer the conversation to something normal. "It seemed like a long call."
"A bunch of stuff," I replied. "And she just really misses me."
Then I told Deen that Mom lectured me about the dangers of driving at night, like accidents and dangerous men. We had a good laugh about the 'dangerous men' part. It was awkward at first, and in really, really, really bad taste, but we eventually viewed the whole incident with those frat boys as a joke.
I couldn't tell if Deen was pretending to find it funny because I was also pretending to find it funny or if she genuinely thought it was. For all I knew, she assumed I was slowly turning evil due to the Adumbrae inside me and decided now wasn't the time to try to change me. And so, she was just going with the flow to avoid any conflict between us.
But I also wouldn't be surprised if she was becoming bloodthirsty given how mercilessly and violently she killed those guys. I was shocked when she finished off Skull Tattoo Bro with no hesitation, pressing down his rib cage with her foot. Did Deen have this scary side to her all along?
We chatted about all sorts of random things while watching the news. There was nothing about missing assholes, nothing about mysterious fires in the desert, nothing about suspected Adumbrae. Eventually, we just drifted off to sleep in the living room.
I opened my eyes to a dimly lit room. The TV was turned off and the only source of light was the sun's rays peeking through a small gap between the heavy blinds covering the windows.
"Huh, why do I have this on me?" I muttered. I was lying on the sofa with a blanket over me.
Turning to my left side, I saw that Deen was still curled up on the sofa chair with a blanket also covering her. She must've rummaged the cabinets to find blankets for both of us because I didn't give her any—I was such an awful host. And she also covered me, such a nice friend.
My phone's clock told me it was almost ten. That meant we slept like babies for four hours.
I do feel fucking refreshed, I thought as I stretched my arms out. And also hungry. Not for humans, as Deen would probably think. I was in the mood for something sweet, maybe a cake or frosted donut.
If I wasn't mistaken, there was a café or a bakery nearby. Mom and I had bought a cake there before when it had just opened. Hopefully, they continued their business. I did like the stuff they sold.
"Deen..." I quietly called to her, not really intending to wake her up. "I'm just going out to buy food."
She didn't stir.
Was her Guardian Angel also asleep or how did their whole thing work? Would it wake her up if there was danger? I was tempted to try to punch sleeping Deen to test her powers. But then I relented because I was supposed to be nice to my first ally. She did cover me with a blanket.
"I don't think we have any food here," I said as I stood up. The pantry should be empty, and so was the freezer. Mom wasn't living here, and neither was I, so we didn't stock the place. I'd buy Deen some proper food, and then maybe we could go do some grocery shopping before Mom arrived.
As I walked across the lobby, I noticed a couple of janitors struggling to move one of the potted palms in line with the others. I didn’t realize it was that heavy. That hoodie guy ogling Deen earlier bumped into it.
It must've been my imagination that he moved it. Could also be that some of them were just not that heavy.
I walked out into the busy and gratingly noisy street outside. After about five minutes of circling, I managed to find the store I was looking for. 'Divergent Boulangerie' was its name. It was a café selling baked goods. I could also get coffee for Deen and tea for me to perk us up.
"Wow, there's a lot of people here," I mumbled as I stepped through the black-tinted glass door with a fancy coffee cup and croissant decal.
It was a small store with a long wooden table by its window overlooking the street and four circular tables in the middle. All the seats were occupied and there was a long line to the cashier. There was also a bunch of people in front of the display cases, choosing their orders. This must mean that they served excellent food and drinks here.
But I hated crowds, so I was out of here. Adios, people packed like sardines!
I turned around to exit the door just when someone was entering.
A woman was rushing to get inside, and we were about to crash. This bitch apparently didn't notice I was by the door because of the tinted glass. At the last second, I had the presence of mind to relax my body. If I tensed myself and resisted the force as we slammed into each other, she would've been hurt for sure.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she hit me.
Since she was taller and bigger, I decided that I should fall on my ass. "Ouch! That hurt," I said. The people lining at the cashier looked at me. My debut performance in Las Vegas. I finally made it to the big stage, I dryly thought to myself.
"I'm so sorry!" the woman exclaimed as she extended her hand to me. "Are you hurt? I didn't see you."
I hope so, I mentally vented as I accepted her hand. It would be worse if she saw me and still bumped into me, I sarcastically wanted to tell her. I was hungry and not in the mood for social interaction, yet she forced me into this situation.
I even had to fall.
But all I said was, "It's okay. My butt just stings a bit." I smiled at her to show I was being humorous.
"I'm really, really sorry," she said as she pulled me up. She had long black hair—even blacker than mine, and it was straight in contrast to my natural waves—and South Asian features. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you."
"I'm fine," I said, dusting off my behind more to remind her about her mistake rather than my shorts being dirty. "You don't need to do anything. It was just an accident."
If this was a romantic comedy movie, I would've bumped into a guy. I wasn't too sure how those went since I rarely watched them. The last time I did was during a movie party in college I had to attend because of societal obligations. Even this cafe was the perfect setting for a destined movie encounter, right down to her offering to make it up to me.
"I insist," she said. "I can get you a coffee."
Are we getting filmed here? It was just one cliche after the next. "I was just about to leave," I said. "The line is too long. Thanks for the offer though." I hurriedly exited the store before she could reply. Okay, time to find food and—
"Excuse me!" It was that woman again, and she followed me. It was going to look weird if I ran away after seeing her, so I waited for her to catch up. "You're right. The line is long and I'm already hungry. I know a place with also good food, but fewer people. I can treat you there as an apology."
"You don't really have to," I said. What was wrong with this person?
"My name is Imani, by the way," she said. "I don't think I've introduced myself. Come, the other store is just a block away."
I don't care and don't want to know who you are, I grumbled in my head. "My name is Erind," I said, wearing the face of a polite average girl one'd find on a warm day in Las Vegas. "Okay, I'll follow you." I'd just accept her offer to not go against my generic face and then go back to the hotel and finally eat in peace.
Oh, wait! Deen is there. So not in peace. Urgh.
Temple
Sorry, I got delayed with the release of the main chapter. The chapter I was writing for Patreon was the start of a big plot thread, and I kept on changing my mind about it, editing it again and again. That's also the reason why I wrote the Spin Off chapter first.
Advanced 5 regular chapters and 4 ErindxDeen chapters available on Patreon. Thank you to all the patrons supporting my writing, especially to Purple Bloom tier patron: Wan.
Read Getting Hard (Journey of a Tank) - my LitRPG story
Come join our Discord.
"So, you won't be getting the security deposit of your leased condo back?" Mom sternly asked on the phone.
"Um, I haven't asked them yet, Mom," I replied. The truth of it was I hadn't even thought of stuff like my lease contract, the security deposit, unpaid utility bills, all those things connected to my destroyed condo unit.
It had been hectic lately with all the fighting and killing that those things just slipped my mind. I'd think most people would agree that an Adumbrae Titan was a more pressing matter than a security deposit. Obviously, I couldn't tell Mom that.
Barely ten minutes had passed from the time Deen and I entered my family's condo unit when Mom called. The two of us were lounging by the living room, watching the news for any possible breaking news about the murders we had committed when my phone rang. Mom was about to board her flight in fifteen minutes and wanted to check up on me.
"Well, you should ask them for your deposit, dear," said Mom.
"I will when I have the time," I replied. Which is probably never. I didn't even know how to contact the lessors. I couldn't remember their number, and my phone with my contact list was gone in the burnt ruins of the condominium building. I might have emailed them before; I had to check my accounts for that. "It's just kind of awkward to ask them about it. I mean their property is destroyed and all that, so I feel bad asking."
"Money is money, Erind sweetie. You should be more assertive about things like these. That's two months of rent you should claim. And they should have insurance to cover property damage due to Adumbrae attacks. What does the law say about those? That they're not acts of God? Or acts of the devil, as your Aunt Jenna would say."
"Adumbrae attacks are still considered fortuitous events, Mom. They're usually not covered by insurance. There are special insurance contracts for Adumbrae-related events, but those have a high premium so most people don't get those. Like nobody was expecting that Adumbrae would show up at La Esperanza." I also wasn't expecting to get turned into one, I wanted to add.
How would Mom react if she discovered I was no longer human? That I was an Adumbrae who had killed many people? What would Dad think if he was still alive? If my suspicion was correct that Dad was taken by the Corebrings to work for them, then it'd be insane if he found out his daughter to be the enemy of humanity.
Mom tutted. "If they're responsible owners they should've taken out insurance that included Adumbrae attacks even if it's more expensive. And whatever type of insurance they have, you're still entitled to your security deposit because your lease contract was terminated because...because..."
"Because the place was destroyed?"
"Yes, dear. That reminds me. We should go find you a new place to stay when you eventually move back to La Esperanza. I hope the BID do their job well and clear that city of Adumbrae. Cheryl gave me a list of places you could pick from. I want you to have a nice and secure place when you return to Eloyce University."
If I won't go into hiding, I thought. There were too many possible threats that wouldn’t poof away. The BID, the 2Ms, the organization behind Dario, maybe the Corebrings wanted to hunt me someday too. "Sure, Mom," was all I could say. Now that I was talking to Mom, I wasn't so sure anymore that I could easily leave and forget about her. To put an end to our conversation, I said, "Isn't it time for you to board your plane?"
"In a couple of minutes, dear. Thank goodness my flight wasn't delayed. Or worse, canceled."
"Deen and I will pick you up at the airport. But I think we'll get some sleep for now since we haven't had any yet."
"Okay then, get some rest. I'm so excited to see you later, Erind sweetie. And also your friend, Deen. I've brought you two gifts from Switzerland and also some things I bought here at the airport. Bye, bye. Love you, dear."
"Okay, Mom. Goodbye." I paused for a few seconds "I love you too." I added.
I stared at the phone's screen for a few seconds. Wearing the face of a dutiful daughter wasn’t too bad. Perhaps it'd be nice to do something normal after the craziness of the past few...hmm. Actually, since I became an Adumbrae, everything had been crazy.
Deen was curled up on the sofa chair on the other side of the coffee table. She had her eyes closed, probably trying to sleep or maybe pretending to sleep so she wouldn't seem to be eavesdropping on my call. She opened her eyes after hearing me say 'goodbye' to Mom and raised her brow at me.
"Mom is at the Singapore airport," I told her. "She says her flight will arrive here around ten in the evening."
"Oh, it's going to be fun to fetch her from the airport," Deen excitedly said as she sat straight up.
"Fun?"
"Aren't you happy to meet your Mom again? And I also want to meet her."
"Oh, that's what you mean. Yeah, I guess it's going to be fun."
"Are you worried?" Deen softly asked.
"About what?"
"About your Mom finding out that, um...like what happened to you? That you're not human?"
"That I'm an Adumbrae?" I said. Deen nodded. "No beating around the bush between the two of us, remember? Just say it straight. And to answer your question, yes, I'm worried about Mom knowing that I'm an Adumbrae. I think any daughter wouldn't want their mother to know that they became a monster."
Deen quickly responded with a passion, "No! You're not a mons—"
"But I am!" I shouted her down. Her eyes were wide open, shocked by my uncharacteristic outburst. I closed my eyes and shook my head like I was having internal turmoil. Somehow, talking to Mom and pretending to be normal made me crave some drama. "Sorry, Deen. I shouldn't have yelled. It's just...it's just that there's no point fooling myself. After what I did to those guys at that gasoline station, I can't be anything else other than a monster." Wow, award-winning line, right there. Give me a nomination for Best Actress already.
Deen got up from her chair and knelt beside my leg. She held my hand on my lap. I flinched but didn't pull away. After all, I was supposed to be distraught, and I'd naturally be open to the only person I could rely on—that was Deen's view of the situation anyway.
"Erind, no matter what you are," she said, “I'll be here for you."
"I feel like we've had this conversation several times already," I said with a weak smile. "How about we don't talk about stuff like this anymore? No sugar-coating stuff, no more hesitation, and all that? I'm going to accept who I am."
"And I'll be by your side no matter what happens. Don't forget that." Deen patted my hand before returning to her chair. "What else did you talk about with your Mom?" she said, probably trying to steer the conversation to something normal. "It seemed like a long call."
"A bunch of stuff," I replied. "And she just really misses me."
Then I told Deen that Mom lectured me about the dangers of driving at night, like accidents and dangerous men. We had a good laugh about the 'dangerous men' part. It was awkward at first, and in really, really, really bad taste, but we eventually viewed the whole incident with those frat boys as a joke.
I couldn't tell if Deen was pretending to find it funny because I was also pretending to find it funny or if she genuinely thought it was. For all I knew, she assumed I was slowly turning evil due to the Adumbrae inside me and decided now wasn't the time to try to change me. And so, she was just going with the flow to avoid any conflict between us.
But I also wouldn't be surprised if she was becoming bloodthirsty given how mercilessly and violently she killed those guys. I was shocked when she finished off Skull Tattoo Bro with no hesitation, pressing down his rib cage with her foot. Did Deen have this scary side to her all along?
We chatted about all sorts of random things while watching the news. There was nothing about missing assholes, nothing about mysterious fires in the desert, nothing about suspected Adumbrae. Eventually, we just drifted off to sleep in the living room.
I opened my eyes to a dimly lit room. The TV was turned off and the only source of light was the sun's rays peeking through a small gap between the heavy blinds covering the windows.
"Huh, why do I have this on me?" I muttered. I was lying on the sofa with a blanket over me.
Turning to my left side, I saw that Deen was still curled up on the sofa chair with a blanket also covering her. She must've rummaged the cabinets to find blankets for both of us because I didn't give her any—I was such an awful host. And she also covered me, such a nice friend.
My phone's clock told me it was almost ten. That meant we slept like babies for four hours.
I do feel fucking refreshed, I thought as I stretched my arms out. And also hungry. Not for humans, as Deen would probably think. I was in the mood for something sweet, maybe a cake or frosted donut.
If I wasn't mistaken, there was a café or a bakery nearby. Mom and I had bought a cake there before when it had just opened. Hopefully, they continued their business. I did like the stuff they sold.
"Deen..." I quietly called to her, not really intending to wake her up. "I'm just going out to buy food."
She didn't stir.
Was her Guardian Angel also asleep or how did their whole thing work? Would it wake her up if there was danger? I was tempted to try to punch sleeping Deen to test her powers. But then I relented because I was supposed to be nice to my first ally. She did cover me with a blanket.
"I don't think we have any food here," I said as I stood up. The pantry should be empty, and so was the freezer. Mom wasn't living here, and neither was I, so we didn't stock the place. I'd buy Deen some proper food, and then maybe we could go do some grocery shopping before Mom arrived.
As I walked across the lobby, I noticed a couple of janitors struggling to move one of the potted palms in line with the others. I didn’t realize it was that heavy. That hoodie guy ogling Deen earlier bumped into it.
It must've been my imagination that he moved it. Could also be that some of them were just not that heavy.
I walked out into the busy and gratingly noisy street outside. After about five minutes of circling, I managed to find the store I was looking for. 'Divergent Boulangerie' was its name. It was a café selling baked goods. I could also get coffee for Deen and tea for me to perk us up.
"Wow, there's a lot of people here," I mumbled as I stepped through the black-tinted glass door with a fancy coffee cup and croissant decal.
It was a small store with a long wooden table by its window overlooking the street and four circular tables in the middle. All the seats were occupied and there was a long line to the cashier. There was also a bunch of people in front of the display cases, choosing their orders. This must mean that they served excellent food and drinks here.
But I hated crowds, so I was out of here. Adios, people packed like sardines!
I turned around to exit the door just when someone was entering.
A woman was rushing to get inside, and we were about to crash. This bitch apparently didn't notice I was by the door because of the tinted glass. At the last second, I had the presence of mind to relax my body. If I tensed myself and resisted the force as we slammed into each other, she would've been hurt for sure.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she hit me.
Since she was taller and bigger, I decided that I should fall on my ass. "Ouch! That hurt," I said. The people lining at the cashier looked at me. My debut performance in Las Vegas. I finally made it to the big stage, I dryly thought to myself.
"I'm so sorry!" the woman exclaimed as she extended her hand to me. "Are you hurt? I didn't see you."
I hope so, I mentally vented as I accepted her hand. It would be worse if she saw me and still bumped into me, I sarcastically wanted to tell her. I was hungry and not in the mood for social interaction, yet she forced me into this situation.
I even had to fall.
But all I said was, "It's okay. My butt just stings a bit." I smiled at her to show I was being humorous.
"I'm really, really sorry," she said as she pulled me up. She had long black hair—even blacker than mine, and it was straight in contrast to my natural waves—and South Asian features. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you."
"I'm fine," I said, dusting off my behind more to remind her about her mistake rather than my shorts being dirty. "You don't need to do anything. It was just an accident."
If this was a romantic comedy movie, I would've bumped into a guy. I wasn't too sure how those went since I rarely watched them. The last time I did was during a movie party in college I had to attend because of societal obligations. Even this cafe was the perfect setting for a destined movie encounter, right down to her offering to make it up to me.
"I insist," she said. "I can get you a coffee."
Are we getting filmed here? It was just one cliche after the next. "I was just about to leave," I said. "The line is too long. Thanks for the offer though." I hurriedly exited the store before she could reply. Okay, time to find food and—
"Excuse me!" It was that woman again, and she followed me. It was going to look weird if I ran away after seeing her, so I waited for her to catch up. "You're right. The line is long and I'm already hungry. I know a place with also good food, but fewer people. I can treat you there as an apology."
"You don't really have to," I said. What was wrong with this person?
"My name is Imani, by the way," she said. "I don't think I've introduced myself. Come, the other store is just a block away."
I don't care and don't want to know who you are, I grumbled in my head. "My name is Erind," I said, wearing the face of a polite average girl one'd find on a warm day in Las Vegas. "Okay, I'll follow you." I'd just accept her offer to not go against my generic face and then go back to the hotel and finally eat in peace.
Oh, wait! Deen is there. So not in peace. Urgh.
Temple
Sorry, I got delayed with the release of the main chapter. The chapter I was writing for Patreon was the start of a big plot thread, and I kept on changing my mind about it, editing it again and again. That's also the reason why I wrote the Spin Off chapter first.
Advanced 5 regular chapters and 4 ErindxDeen chapters available on Patreon. Thank you to all the patrons supporting my writing, especially to Purple Bloom tier patron: Wan.
Read Getting Hard (Journey of a Tank) - my LitRPG story
Come join our Discord.
