Blood & Chlorophyll

The "Becoming Monsters" LitRPG setting was originally created by AiLoves, and is now managed by OtterlyMindblowing.

Appearing in this chapter is Aya, a Jorugumo that originally appeared in "All Tricks", by OtterlyMindblowing. Reading that story is not required to enjoy this chapter, but I encourage you to visit Otterly's page nonetheless. If you don't, Aya (and her myriad chitinous limbs) will be paying you a visit tonight.

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Alicia turned around again, trying to decide if her outfit would fit the occasion. A knee-length cocktail dress hugged her curves, with sleeves that ended just before her elbows, and she had no idea if it would be appropriate or not.

Is it too short? Too long? How much skin should I be covering? Ugh, this would be so much easier if Tab would tell us where we're going!

"What does 'club wear' even mean?" Alicia asked.

On the other side of the closet door, hidden from view, Katrina was digging through more of Alicia's clothes to try and find her own outfit. "I wish I could say, exactly, but I was never much of a party girl. I assume less formal, more sexy, and maybe ready to dance?"

"Do you think we're going to be dancing?" Alicia asked. Thoughts of dancing with Katrina suddenly appeared, their two bodies interlinked as they moved with loud club music, and she caught herself blushing.

"I wish I could say. I think I'm going to play it safe and do something with pants, though, I think I found a good fit."

Looking back in the mirror, Alicia decided her outfit was far too conservative for the night. If nothing else, wouldn't this be a great opportunity to look sexy for Katrina? Even though they weren't sleeping together yet, there was no reason to not look her best for her girlfriend. She furrowed her eyebrows as she began to concentrate, and watched as the various leaves and plant life began to recede.

What had previously been a sleek cocktail dress began to shorten, revealing even more of her rich green skin. Instead of ending at her knees, the bottom of the dress rose inch by inch until it sat in the middle of her thighs. The sleeves vanished, and her shoulders now sat completely exposed, as the material shifted inward. It now appeared as if she'd taken a long piece of fabric, wrapped it around her neck, then crossed it diagonally in front of her body to cover her chest before wrapping around her waist and joining her skirt. Her stomach was now completely exposed, as were the bottoms of her breasts.

Why do I feel more naked even though I'm wearing more than usual?

"Alright, I think this'll work. I'll be honest, I have no idea how to dress this new body of mine, especially since--" Katrina walked out from behind the closet door and stopped talking as she started looking at Alicia's outfit. Her eyes went wide, and Alicia felt them traveling over her exposed body.

It was hard to be distracted by Katrina's gaze, however, when it was so easy to find herself distracted by the Vampire's outfit. She was dressed rather tame, at least compared to Alicia, but the look fit her perfectly.

She wore long, black cigarette pants that Alicia had seen her in before, and a matching short-sleeved black blazer. The black of those two pieces helped highlight the center of Kat's fit; a deep, vibrant red button-up shirt that sat underneath the jacket. Quite a few of the top buttons were undone, giving Alicia a generous look at her cleavage, which almost distracted her from the elegant choker that rested around Kat's neck.

Alicia was completely powerless to stop herself from blushing, nor did she want to. Her girlfriend was breathtaking, and not only was Alicia currently appreciating the view, but the thought of being seen with her seemed equally as exciting.

It took several moments before Alicia realized that Kat was just as speechless as she was. The moment was incredibly charged, and every instinct in Alicia's body told her to take initiative. A devious smirk grew on her face as she took a step closer, her hands playfully tracing the inside of Kat's blazer. She pulled the Vampire into her, then reached up and began tracing her fingers across Kat's neck. They leaned into each other, their lips passionately meeting.

Kat's lips were incredibly soft, and Alicia couldn't stop herself from escalating the kiss. The girls tilted their heads, their tongues finding each other briefly before Alicia found the strength to pull away.

"Kat, you're absolutely stunning," Alicia whispered.

"Me? Have you seen yourself?" Kat whispered back.

"I mean, I kinda have to in order to figure out what to grow. It isn't too much, is it?" Alicia pushed the closet door closed, then pulled Kat in so they could look at themselves in the mirror. She then faced a very awkward reminder that Kat had no reflection, and it looked like Alicia's hand was hovering around nothing, rather than the Vampire's waist.

Kat didn't seem to mind, and either didn't notice, or didn't remark on the fact that Alicia had wanted to see them both together. "You look incredible, and I can't wait to show you off."

Alicia laughed before playfully pushing Kat away. "Oh, stop it you! You're the one with nineteen Charisma! I'll be shocked if anyone can pull their eyes off you long enough to even notice I'm there." As they both laughed, Alicia heard her phone go off. She pulled it out of her makeshift skirt pocket, then read the text from Tabitha.

Tabitha:

You two ready yet? We don't have all night.

Tabitha:

I mean, we do, but you don't

"Well, it looks like we're being summoned," Alicia said. Katrina held out her hand, and the two happily left the house to meet up with Tabitha.

The Foxgirl, interestingly enough, was rather underdressed in comparison. No doubt it was due to the lack of time; it had realistically only taken Alicia and Kat about fifteen minutes to get ready, hardly enough time for Tabitha to go home, change, and make it back in time.

Although, with her Agility, she could probably have managed.

Tab whistled loudly as the girls left the house. "Damn, look at you two. Really nailed the assignment, didn't you?"

"You would know better than we would, Tab," said Alicia. "You're the one that's not telling us where we're going. Is it a club? Am I going to be dancing?"

With a sly grin, Tabitha winked at Alicia. "I would

love

to see that. I really hope you do." She turned around, gesturing for the others to follow, and they all began to leave the neighborhood.

Alicia leaned close to Kat and whispered, "Why did that feel sinister to me?"

Kat shrugged. "Wish I could say. I don't think I'll ever be able to read that girl."

As they kept walking, Alicia happily squeezed Kat's hand tight. Although she was nervous about what Tab had planned for them, she was equally optimistic by the context. Whatever happened tonight, she seemed to think it would help solve Kat's mana problems. Plus, even if all else failed, it was still an excuse to dress up and hit the town with each other.

It was a beautiful night. The moon wasn't quite full, but the cloudless sky meant they had plenty of light to navigate with. Most of the lights in Alicia's neighborhood had been deactivated, although power still ran through the lines. Thankfully, new legislature had prevented the power companies from shutting off the power in her neighborhood. Because her Heart Tree couldn't be moved, she had been able to carve out quite a few exceptions through the myriad laws that passed after the Change.

A soft breeze danced across the barren street, kicking up a flurry of leaves, and Alicia pulled Kat closer to fend off the chill. After nearly an hour of walking, they had finally entered an inhabited neighborhood.

She began to see collections of houses and apartments, all with varying levels of light and activity, and many with obvious alterations made to support unusual Races. Various street corners were filled with stores and shops, and strangely enough, it almost felt like being in the city again. Obviously, they were still quite far away from the city limits, but Alicia noticed it mostly in the energy of the people around them.

For one thing, despite the time, small groups of people walked back and forth across the street, happily talking as they visited the different establishments. Alicia suddenly remembered that, of all the different legislation that had been passed after the Change, much of it had affected city planning and zoning.

Previous, draconian restrictions had been eased, if not completely eliminated. Residences and commercial properties were allowed to exist side by side, and often in the same building. Small, walkable neighborhoods that had previously been legislated out of existence had returned with a passion, something that Alicia had never been able to take advantage of. Everything she knew she'd learned from her ORC training; she had taken myriad different lectures about how losing nearly half of the population had encouraged lawmakers to do everything possible to create and strengthen local communities.

Alicia nearly got lost in the novelty of it all, but she could also feel the weakening connection with her Heart Tree. She wasn't as tired as she had expected, but she still leaned on Kat for support as they walked around.

"How are you doing, Kat?" Alicia asked, looking up at the Vampire.

"Not terrible. It's still pretty open, and right now it's easy to avoid people. I'll let you know if I need any help, though." The girls smiled at each other, then quickly kissed before returning their eyes to the street.

"Tab, where are we exactly? I haven't seen a single car since we got here," Alicia asked.

"Cars aren't allowed in the neighborhood, except for niche cases like someone moving. They set up some big parking lots on the outside of the town, and everyone has to park there before coming in. There are quite a few neighborhoods like this, honestly; they became pretty common after the Change. People banding together, trying to condense all the different facets of society into one location to make surviving easier. Remember, in those early years when Chicago was overrun with monsters, people didn't know if it would spill out into the suburbs at all. Places like this popped up partially because they could be easily defended."

"That's right, I almost forgot about that," Katrina said. "The biggest one is set up around the guild hall, which used to be a huge mall. I used to hang out there and busk sometimes."

"Yup! I've been there a bunch, done a couple shows even. Anyways, the place we're headed to is right through here." The three of them had just crossed another intersection, and Tabitha was now pointing at a strange metal arch that stretched over one of the streets. Strangely enough, the space underneath the arch was filled with a thick, shimmering fog that obscured their view. Alicia could see the various shapes of people on the other side, but couldn't make out any details. The only other notable features were two large, red lights on either side of the arch.

"Alright you two, follow me!" Tabitha said, disappearing past the strange fog.

Alicia looked over at Kat, who squeezed her hand for support before stepping after Tabitha. Passing into the fog, Alicia realized it was simply an illusion, and they passed through it without issue.

Now on the other side, Alicia immediately realized where they were. They were still surrounded by countless stores and businesses, but on this street, they were free to advertise sex work to their hearts content. Initially, Alicia saw the exact types of establishments you'd expect; brothels, sex shops, things of that nature. What she hadn't expected were the countless stores that didn't seem related to sex work in the slightest.

Over the course of her first few minutes, Alicia saw a potion store, an enchantment boutique, a tattoo parlor, and a bookstore. Her curiosity finally got the better of her, and she spoke up. "Tab, it looks like we're in a Red-Light District, but why do so many of these places seem like normal stores?"

"Shoot, have you never been somewhere like this before? Wow, you two have got to get out more often." Tabitha slowed down and began to match Alicia's pace as she continued. "Okay, so, the veil at the entrance is an age gate. It makes sure that you're eighteen or older or it doesn't let you in, but it also obscures vision both ways. Yes, sex work is legal, but it's still nice for families to be able to walk to dinner without their kids accidentally peeking in a brothel window."

"Ohh that makes sense. I guess I never thought about that," Alicia said.

"Now, about the stores, you're mostly right. Many places here aren't explicitly in the business of sex work, but sometimes there are overlapping interests. That bookstore, for example, is run by a Succubus. She accepts money and coin, just like everyone else, but is also more than happy to accept a more physical form of payment. Rather than set up outside, where she'd have to be more discreet, she bought a storefront here so she could be open about everything. The enchantment place and the potion shop have similar situations."

"What about the tattoo parlor, who owns that?" Kat asked.

"Just a Human, actually. Completely normal Class, no extra physical needs from her Race, but she's got a crazy libido and a huge monster fetish." Tabitha giggled as they walked past the parlor, and she even waved to the artist inside. "She's great, you'd probably like each other. Though, maybe for different reasons."

Alicia, as much as she was trying to pay attention to everything, was starting to grow distracted by the revealing outfits she saw everywhere. "This is really interesting, but, um, why are we here? You don't expect us to, y'know..."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Cherry Blossom!" Tabitha pulled Alicia closer, playfully hugging her tight. "I know you two aren't there yet."

"Wait, you do? How?" Kat asked, her face red.

"Please, I cam for a living. The way you two are looking at each other? You're obviously incredibly turned on, but you're also hesitant about being open about that. Don't worry, we're just here to watch."

It only took another minute of walking before they arrived at their destination: The Scarlet Showcase. The outside of the building looked exactly like an old movie theatre, and had likely been one before the change. In fact, there were even several movie posters on display, and they seemed up to date. Alicia's eyes briefly lingered on a poster advertising an action comedy about a cuddly assassin, but after a second she left to catch up to Kat and Tab.

Large flashing lights welcomed them as they walked inside, and they quickly found themselves in a small, cozy lobby. At a small podium, a Human man with short black hair looked up and smiled at them.

"Miss Kithkin, what a pleasant surprise! Did you have a show tonight? I must admit, I don't remember seeing you on the schedule..." the man said.

"No, I'm here as a guest tonight. Well, honestly, I'm mostly just buying some time for my friends here." Tabitha moved closer, slipping a small piece of paper to the gentlemen. "And if you could pass this to Alouette, that would be great!"

"Of course, Miss Kithkin. And your friends are...?"

"Oh, right, where are my manners? Bruce, this is Alicia and Katrina. Girls, this is Bruce, and he'll be guiding you to your room for the night. I'll be setting up on the main floor, probably in the back so I don't draw any attention, but you come find me when you're all finished."

Alicia nodded slowly, trying her best not to seem overwhelmed. "O-of course!"

With a polite hand gesture, Bruce began to lead Alicia and Kat through a small hallway. The walls were lined with elegant picture frames, all containing portraits of various performers and guests of honor. Alicia's best guess was that they were burlesque performers, though she didn't recognize any of them, and couldn't muster the strength to ask their guide for more details.

Soon enough, they walked through a thick curtain and found themselves on the main floor Tabitha had mentioned earlier. Countless lights of different shapes and colors covered the ceiling, but the room itself was quite dim, as most of them were casting a soft red glow over the crowds.

The only exceptions were the various stages set up around the floor. Two smaller platforms sat near the sides of the establishment, each holding a large metal pole that stretched from floor to ceiling. The lights focused on these side stages were slightly brighter, and each stage held a beautiful, scantily clad woman in the middle of showing off both her body and athleticism. Alicia's attention didn't hold long enough to glean any details of these dancers, however, as she found herself drawn to the main event.

The center of the room was dominated by a large stage, complete with a short runway that connected it to the back wall. This main stage had no pole in sight, and was instead completely dedicated to a singular performer that took up an impressive amount of space.

The dancer appeared to be on the smaller side, both in height and bust, and had long black hair that seemed impossibly silky. She was suspended by an intricate series of white ropes and ribbons, each affixed to the ceiling at different points, though Alicia couldn't see how they were attached. They wrapped around her lithe body, cradling her as she moved through a series of flips and spins many feet above the stage. The remarkable woman wasn't nude, though her choice of performative lingerie certainly left little to the imagination, and Alicia was glad that the dim lighting would hide her blushing.

As she continued watching, she saw four large protrusions extending from the performer's back. She first thought they might be wings, but after a few seconds, she saw them flex and extend in four different directions, their barbed tips playfully threatening to reach for members of the crowd.

After an impressive flip, another white ribbon appeared from the woman's hand, affixing itself to the ceiling and allowing her to shift her performance away from the stage. She was now suspended over the crowd, continuously spawning more material to aid in her movement. Each maneuver was clean and perfect, designed to show off her beautiful body, while also highlighting the erratic movement of the four extra limbs on her back.

As the song neared its climax, the dancer suspended herself upside down, her chitinous legs reaching for various audience members and threatening to scoop them up. She opened her mouth, revealing an impossibly long tongue, before her jaw seemed to unhinge and open even wider. She hissed as she showed off a collection of razor-sharp teeth, and as the music swelled, she made eye contact with Alicia. The Dryad stared back, lost in the performer's eyes, unable to make herself move. She looked back and forth from one eye to the other, when she realized there was more to see. An additional pair of eyes had just opened, these ones small and red, and they were also staring at Alicia. She then found a third pair, a fourth after that, and Alicia finally realized exactly what she was looking at.

A Jorugumo. A monstrously powerful spider-person with four extra limbs and eight eyes all perfectly trained to hunt. She was suspended in a web of her own making, her performance daring helpless patrons to wander closer and test their luck.

Alicia was simultaneously thrilled and terrified, and she was only able to break her gaze when the performer turned to examine another member of the crowd. Alicia released the breath caught in her throat before turning back to Kat. The Vampire seemed equally stunned, though it was hard to tell if that was from arousal, fear, or the urge to fight her own hunger.