Necrofungi [Saga/Cordy]

THE GREAT THING ABOUT SUNAHO was that she permitted to twins to wander as they wanted, so long as they periodically checked-in with her. She’d given them a new home, new phones, and had (with the assistance of the Dust Devils) helped them break-in to Zugai’s place and steal the belongings that were rightfully theirs. It was an awful thing to do to Zugai, especially since their actions had gotten him into hot water with Thunder, but freedom was delicious, and actual allies meant security.

So assured where the twins in their own powers that they wandered into a rougher part of town. Ramshackle hotels that charged hourly and hadn’t seen housekeeping in weeks were wedged between boarded-up buildings, dilapidated parks with graffiti’d bathrooms and denizens that were missing some teeth breaking-up the urban monotony. It was a really scummy part of town, that no rational girls would walk at this hour of the night.

Ayame and Suzume were no such girls—they were animals.

And, like animals, they were on a scent—

When one was raised around carnage—killing, devouring, whatever one would call it—you grew familiar with the scent that came with it. Just like getting punched in the mouth elicited the metallic taste of blood, eviscerating a person had its own tastes and smells.

They were passing a low-slung building, with cookie-cutter rooms and a few, darkened cars here-and-there, when they smelled it.

A kill. A recent one.

It was so faint.

Hungry, Suzume advised her sister.

They were always hungry.

The two tromped down the grassy knoll, their steps quick and eager. The scent only got stronger and stronger as they approached the open door of the motel, a soft light beckoning them closer. The two stopped in the doorway, orange-ish eyes roving over the room.

They were disappointed to find the room with the beds empty, and the only occupant to be standing in the back room, just out of view and still upright. Not dead. Very much alive. There would be no easy meals for the two of them.

Suzume, feeling peckish and therefore more upset about this discovery then her sister, bared her syringe-like teeth and snarled in the direction of the room’s occupant for having misled them.

Ayame grabbed at her sister’s arm, at the elbow, pulling slightly. The scent was there for a reason. If the woman wasn’t dead, then she might have… recently killed. It wouldn’t be wise to pick a fight.

We can find something else, Ayame thought to her sister, her tone cool. A dog that was left-out overnight, perhaps?

It’s been so long since we had a person! Suzume snarled as she thought this, turning her bared fangs towards her sister. Ayame hissed in reply, pushing her twin with the palm of her hand. This sent Suzume stumbling just outside of the door frame.

If the room's occupant were to look out, she'd see the two green-skinned twins staring back in. Any glimpse of the woman's gore-covered form would not incur any noticeable reaction in the twins. Which, on its own, was weird. Ayame would bow at the waist, as they'd learned was common in this culture. An apology for their intrusion. Suzume would stand just behind her sister, glowering.

ft. luzia gottschalk

ooc notes: please bear in-mind that they speak psychically, so unless luzia is patched-in she won't be able to hear them

THE WOMAN SNAPPED TO ATTENTION— they could see that it was a woman in the sterile light—but there was no visible dead person in the room. Ayame had bowed, Suzume had glared. The woman shouted an expletive.

Suzume laughed, she couldn’t help herself—Zugai used to say words like that. Sometimes, Sunaho said words like that, too. “Bad” words, Sunaho had explained. “Swear” words. Words that humans used to express frustration or surprise. Ayame rolled her eyes. Shouldn’t have left the door unlocked.

Ayame entered into the room, ignoring the masked woman’s curt insistence that they leave. She peeked around the bed, searching the floor for the source of the smell of death. No body. No blood, except on the masked woman’s hand.

Suzume remained in the doorway, watching the woman.

See anything, Suzume asked?

No, Ayame thought begrudgingly back. The woman was watching them with understandable suspicion, the twins seemed to ignore her. Ayame stepped up onto one bed, continuing to survey the floor. Then leapt to the next. Nothing.

In the bathroom, perhaps, Suzume suggested?

Perhaps, Ayame agreed, hopping to the other bed, We must lure her out to be sure. Suzume opened her mouth, flashing here syringe-like teeth at the woman and breathing a low, feral hiss. Not the friendliest of sounds, but it was the first thing to come to mind.

In stereo, the twins began to growl, a strange groaning sound growing in their throats.

If we leave, will she follow, Suzume asked?

It is like we are cornering her, hm?

Suzume jumped from the bed, and rejoined her sister.

We want her to leave, so we shall, too.

Suzume nodded.

Do you want to make this into a game?

The more round-faced twin smiled. Yes. A game.

“Taaaaaasu… ke… te…” Ayame said aloud, the word sounding foreign upon her tongue. She looked mischievously at the bloodsoaked, masked maiden. Most words were impossible with their throat structure and their teeth. But “tasukete”… “help”… was well within their phonetic capabilities.

“Help,” Suzume parroted softly.

“Help!”

“Heeelp!”

They took-off, sprinting, from the doorway, giggling absurdly as they cried for help. Sunaho let them run wild, so causing problems for other criminals or villains—with little regard for their own wellbeing—was not entirely out-of-character for them.

As their voices pitched higher, their cries grew noticeably less human, almost bird-like or like the screeching of a door-hinge. They ran quickly across the parking lot, their cries for help interspersed with absurd giggles, hoping that the masked woman would give chase. It was like a toddler or young child getting a grown-up to chase them.

ft. luzia gottschalk

ooc notes: please bear in-mind that they speak psychically, so unless luzia is patched-in she won't be able to hear them

THE ONE THING THE TWINS LOVED most of all was the faces that people made. For example, when Ayame investigated the room, the masked, blood-encrusted woman had eyes as round as a full moon. When the girls laughed, she froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.

And when the girls cried for help they didn’t need.

Well.

She looked scared—and then she looked pissed.

And it was funny!

God, this was the funniest thing they had seen in months!

The girls were quick, but the woman was quicker—neon pink followed her like the wake behind a boat.

But there was only one of her, and two of them—even if the girls were horrendously outmatched, she couldn’t very well chase both of them, right? It would be dangerous for whomever the woman went after—but it would be oh-so fun.

Laughter peeled from their throats—did they even understand the danger that they were in?! Oh, absolutely—but it was fun to chase, even if one was being chased.

Split. Whoever she doesn’t follow, check the room, Ayame hissed telepathically.

When the onlookers heard the laughter, many of them assumed that the teens were simply up to mischief. Their feeble, quirkless couldn’t see the blood spattering the masked figure in the moonlight. All they could see was three teens running through a parking lot, two giggling absurdly and one glowing—it was clearly not worth the trouble, particularly if it interrupted their sleep.

Just three high-schoolers breaking curfew, up to no good, right?

The twins split, Ayame banking right, and Suzume banking left. Ayame was the unfortunate pursued—and though she was active, she was by no means equipped to deal with this high-powered villainess. The woman threw a wild, glowing punch and her fist, and it connected with Ayame’s jaw, sending the more cerebral twin crumpling towards the ground.

She uttered a snarl that was more feline than human, flashing her syringe-like teeth.

Suzume had already banked back towards the hotel, towards the room where the two had interrupted the ceremonious cleaning. As she reached the building, her psychic connection with her sister fizzled silent. She was out of range. Suzume crossed the threshold of the room, bee-lining for the bathroom. She quieted her breath, searching the alabaster surfaces for any trace of meat.

Just blood. The metallic tang was thick on the air.

Shit.

No food.

She’d have to report to Ayame.

All the while Ayame stared-down the emotionless mask, chest heaving from the brief run and the adrenaline that now ran through her body. Fear was a natural and entirely reasonable response—but the twins had the sort of teenage foolhardiness that led most teens to make less-risky choices. Smoke behind buildings, steal drinks from their parents’ liquor stashes—not stare down homicidal maniacs.

Ayame’s cheek had a pulse, and it hurt to open her jaw. But she cracked a toothy smile, flashing her syringe-like teeth. The woman had fallen for their ploy. And she’d lost sight of Suzume. She looked like a child that'd just been caught doing mischief by one of their parents.

ft. luzia gottschalk

ooc notes: please bear in-mind that they speak psychically, so unless luzia is patched-in she won't be able to hear them