RePlant System Active
Day: 25
Daily System Credit: 1
Consumed Credit: 4
[Spend Credit?]
Haylock had tried to wait longer, but after having consumed both mice and been fed once more since then, he couldn’t take it anymore.
I owe that student an apology… saving that long seems impossible… I’m ready to tear my roots out…
Spend Credit.
[Credits spent successfully, 5 credits spent]
[Unlocked Deeper Roots[E] skill]
Before Haylock could say holy fertilizer, his roots began to expand, getting thicker and traveling further into the garden. Fresh soil that hadn’t been sucked dry by him yet felt wonderful, and when they finally had stopped, his roots had expanded almost a meter in length.
Wait a second… why didn’t I get to pick a skill?
The thought bothered him that he couldn’t get a choice, and the skill's rank seemed low.
It has to be because I don’t have that many points saved up… how in the world did that nerd ever hold on for so long?
Frustrated at his poor choice and lack of planning, Haylock let his roots take note of his new spot. He felt thicker, taller, and stronger. Soon, his bud would be bursting open, and the two women would be able to behold the glory of whatever flower he was.
I still have no idea… perhaps a Venus fly trap or something like that?
Haylock knew that wasn’t correct; he could tell his body didn’t look like that or that he didn't have the right bud on top. He was a flower of some kind and had spent enough time admiring his stem and bud.
Oh well… no point wasting time… she’ll come to feed me soon, and I’ll have to just make due with it then…
—--
RePlant System Active
Day: 33
Daily System Credit: 8
Consumed Credit: 8
[Spend Credit?]
Sixteen… I can do it… I can make it… Haylock told himself over and over as he had for the last few days. Like a junky trying to stay clean, all he could think about when he wasn’t getting his stem stroked by the older woman and fed mice and that red liquid that was probably outlawed in every part of the earth, he wanted to sign in.
His bud was about to open, and any day it should happen.
It feels early, way earlier than it should… then again, I’m not like other plants, and whatever is inside me is always hungry… I’d kill for a mouse…
Glancing around the flower garden, Haylock had learned to spot the occasional mouse that decided to venture into the sweet flower box. Sure enough, they would never make it out, and his favorite person would bring him the treat.
The sound of humming got his attention, and Haylock’s vision shifted to the shack. He noticed that instead of the older woman, it was the girl. She wasn’t moving fast but had a basket like her grandmother, Mimi, and was doing everything the old woman did.
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I bet if Mimi was here to watch how she haphazardly throws that stuff into those flower beds, she would get an ass beating… she isn’t even pruning as she should.
A squeal came as the girl, Nini, reached the box where Haylock knew two mice were waiting. He wanted to laugh, watching the girl extend her arm as far as possible away from her body and use a cloth to grab one of the dead mice before dropping it into the basket. She steadied herself, shaking from obvious displeasure with the task, and repeated it again, missing the basket this time and jumping back with another squeal.
It’s a dead mouse, Nini… for the love of all, it’s not going to bite you…
It took a moment for the young girl to collect herself and then using the cloth again, quickly picked up the dead rodent and put it with its friend.
Rushing through the rest of the garden, Nini reached him and stopped, staring at him in awe.
She is obviously impressed with the size of my stem and massive bud that is about to burst forth… Haylock thought until that image sunk in…
No! Wait! I’m not a pervert!
Realizing he was only arguing with himself, Haylock ignored himself and turned his attention to Nini, who was holding the basket and still staring at him.
Carefully taking a step closer, Nini paused and then started to hum, her face set like stone as she tried to brave the first time she had to do this alone. After a few moments of humming, she stopped and put a hand on one hip.
“Listen, plant… Mimi said I need to do this, and if you try to take my chi again, I promise you I’ll come here with a hoe and dig you up! Do you understand?!”
Haylock could see the fire in the girl's eyes, and as he couldn’t say a word, he kept himself absolutely still, fearing if he moved at all, she might think he was about to attack and try to eat her.
What am I going to do? Rip my roots up and start walking around, going, “FEED ME, NINI!!” or “GET IN MAH BELLY!!”
Shit… Haylock realized he was laughing at his own thoughts and that he was moving.
Nini's face had changed, and her jaw was trembling.
“Mimi had said you could communicate, but I thought she was making that up or drunk again,” the girl muttered quietly. “Can you really talk to me?”
Haylock forced his body and leaves to move, his stem vibrating as his leaves bounced up and down.
The girl watched and frowned. “What the hell does that mean? No, you can’t talk to me, or can you?”
Mother clucking… this girl…
Both of them stood there, not moving. Well, Haylock was planted, not moving, but time passed as the girl tried to figure out how to proceed.
“Ok, flower boy… or are you a girl? No, wait. Don’t try to answer that; it will get weird and… argh!” Nini shook her head and gently beat it with her free hand. “Think! Think!”
Haylock ignored all the questions he wanted to ask, knowing as he did so, he would most likely move and mess up whatever Nini was trying to figure out.
“I got it!” she said suddenly, getting on her knees and looking right at his bud. “I’ll ask a question. If it’s a yes, then move. If it’s a no, don’t move. Got it?”
Haylock willed himself to shake, watching the girl's eyes light up and a smile come over her face.
“Good! Now, first question. Are you going to eat me?”
That question was more complicated than Haylock could imagine. Desperately, he wanted to laugh, but doing so would send the girl to the shed, getting a metal instrument of death to tear him from the soil he had become fond of.
After some time had passed and he hadn’t moved, Nini smiled and gave a quick nod. “Good! Now for the real test, will you let me feed you and not hurt me?”
Haylock began to shake again, excited that he was going to get to eat.
“Woohoo!” Nini exclaimed, smiling at the knowledge that she didn’t have to fear the flower anymore. “OK, last question, and then I need to go. Are you a boy?”
Haylock wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Flowers weren’t either, but if he didn’t respond, she would think he was a girl. While that didn’t matter much if Nini decided to talk about boys or periods, he definitely didn't want that.
As Haylock shook his leaves and stems, Nini frowned.
“I thought so. A girl flower wouldn’t have bit me.”
I swear I’m going to bite you if you don’t feed me…
A shout came from somewhere off to the east where the other house was, and Nini sighed.
“Mimi is calling, so let me get this done,” she said, reaching into the basket and using the same cloth to grab one mouse. She flicked it close to the base of his shaft, grabbed the other, and repeated the process. She missed by a foot, but she didn’t seem to care.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this next part,” Nini stated.
Realization dawned on Haylock. This girl wasn’t as young as he thought she was. Nini had to be at least fourteen when he saw her now. It was at this moment he felt like things got awkward.
“Is it ok if I just pour the liquid out and not touch you?”
Haylock couldn’t remember trying to shake so hard in his life, but the way Nini smiled and laughed made him realize he had been successful in affirming her request.
“Thank you,” she said with a sigh. “Forgive me if I don’t tell Mimi though you’re a boy… it will be our little secret.”
Haylock began to laugh, his whole body shaking because of Nini and her desire to mess with her grandmother.
She laughed for a moment and then began to hum, taking the cup from the basket and dumping it quickly over the first mouse.
“Enjoy! Nice to meet you, Mr. Demonic Sunflower!”
She grabbed her basket and took off through the garden, moving toward the sound of Mimi’s voice.
I’m a sunflower? A demonic sunflower? What the hell kind of flower is that?
Lost in his thoughts, Haylock felt his roots moving and shifting, two different sets coming up for both mice. As they began to penetrate the openings of the corpses, Haylock tried to deal with the knowledge he had just been handed.
I’m a goddamn sunflower… and I’m fricking demonic…
Consumed +2
Consumed +2