What is this garbage? What an unfortunate time to find out I don't have any ability to spit things out... Disgusting! Ugh?!
See. This is what I expected leaves to taste like. This is awful. It's just bad when I bite into it. It gets worst when I chew.
A strong flavor of citronella candle with muddy, disintegrating cardboard and notes of dirty asphalt from the bottom of my old high tops. I can tear off the pieces not in my mouth but I. Can't. Spit.
It's lingering. I still can't produce tears but I can sob quietly and I do. Why does it taste so bad...?
There are shouts of alarm behind me but I don't leave my post on the window ledge. Have I ever had anything that tasted and felt bad? This has no redeeming qualities. Unless you go with quantity. There are at least ten leaves on this one branch and I only took one small bite out of one and there's still a lot of the leaf left. And there shall remain a lot of the leaf left. Blech.
Oy! I let out a short scream as someone snatches me up from behind. What's the point of struggling with some rando when I'm struggling with the knowledge that this taste is here to stay? It's so oily and thick. I try to scrape my tongue off by cleaning my legs but it doesn't work. I just nibble on my legs. Do I even have a tongue?
I spend some time trying to stick my tongue out. I learn that I have two pairs of pinchers on my mouth. I can move them individually. And I still can't find my tongue. I can kinda poke my face pinchers-- mandibles? -- into my mouth. But I can't then feel them poking at my tongue. Ugh, what is this face?
The person holding me is holding me with my underside out, their hands clasped on my sides. How big am I or how small are their hands that they can't wrap around me? Giant bugs are gross, even if I am one now. Their hands smell like the dark blue flower.
I curl up and try to nibble their fingers to see if they are fingers or if they gave me a food belt and the person screams and drops me. Whoo! I land on three legs awkwardly before catching myself and scrabbling around on all six. That was exhilarating! And no. Those were just fingers. Guess I'm off to find food.
I scrabble out of the room, ignoring the screaming coming from behind me. Strafing sideways I look back to see if maybe any of the three people scrabbling after me have a flower or something. She doesn't... That guard doesn't... Wait!
I back away, keeping them in my sight and scurrying away when they get too close when I see the last guard, someone with more elaborate robes in the same color scheme, dig through his shirt for a box. He pulls out the box, opens it, then pulls out a large, white, many petaled flower, holding it up triumphantly. My man!
I go to accept, screaming at the other woman and guard when they come near me. The woman backs off with a scream and the man picks me up like I'm a dog soiling the carpet. If I could I would've long ago, trust me, friend. The man with the flower holds it out for me, I accept it, and then he scoops me up and cradles me on my back like Madame Director does. I'm not a baby but this position does make eating a lot easier.
Even with the awful taste of the leaf still in my mouth this flower tastes like heaven. It's firm, soft, melts in my mouth and has a sweet flavor. It's like if a quality slab of meat was given the texture of giant marshmallow and dipped in sweet wine. Oh, this is good stuff.
[Saint's Tear Petal Consumed]
[Karma Gained: 500]
[New Skill Unlocked]
[Spin(Tier 3)]
[New Skill Unlocked]
[Saint's Tear Silk]
[Current Karma: 16790/17425]
So good...
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Karma: 16990/17425]
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Karma: 17190/17425]
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Heaven Silk Produced: 1 yd]
[Karma Gained: 500]
[Level Up]
[Permissions Upgraded]
[Awareness Expanded]
[Access Granted]
[Silk Output]
[Access Granted]
[Food List]
[Access Granted]
[Skill List]
[Productive(Tier 3) Upgraded]
[New Skill Unlocked]
[Productive(Tier 3*)]
[Current Realm: Clear(Tier 3)]
[Current Karma: 17890/21375]
Oh, ho? The skill upgraded to itself with a star? What's the star? Wait, why didn't I understand this setup? It feels like a weird skill tree. But it's auto-unlocking. Am I supposed to pick or is it class based? What class am I? Just Silk Worm?
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Karma: 18090/21375]
Why am I spinning but I'm not getting any notifications about silk? Or is it like a progress bar? I have to spin so much and it only counts it by the yd? Why am I only producing yards of silk?
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Wait. How am I producing silk from a couple of mouthfuls of flower petals? So, wait, partial production wouldn't count then, right? Unless I'm under some sort of starter buff.
[Saint's Tear Petal Consumed]
[Karma Gained: 500]
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Karma: 18790/21375]
I peer around the flower to see my rearmost legs spooling, twisting, and spinning my silk into a loose cake. It requires no thought on my part but I'm sure that I won't be able to move while I'm doing this. Not without ruining the silk, of course. A mental shrug and I wait happily while my attendants carry me through the building while celebrating. This makes up for the leaf. Definitely.
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Heaven Silk Produced: 1 yd]
[Karma Gained: 500]
[Current Karma: 19490/21375]
Is this a weird game or just some weird dream? Is someone standing over me recording me sleeping with some weird caterpillar running all over my face in the real world? Doesn't matter either way. Not until I wake up. All the way.
I ignore everything, deciding to doze lightly until the tank's empty. Once I've got space again I'll continue eating.
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Karma: 19690/21375]
I wonder how much silk I've produced?
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Current Realm: Clear(Tier 3)]
[Current Karma: 19890/21375]
Hmm? What's this? My idle dreaming resolves itself into... Something. And the voice starts layering over itself into a nightmarish mishmash of resonance and apathy.
[Spin Successful]
[Karma Gained: 200]
[Heaven Silk Produced: 1 yd]
[Karma Gained: 500]
[Current Karma: 20590/21375]
Silk Tier Karma Color Count Earned Total Produced Total Karma Moon Silk 3 200 Silvery White 10 2000 42 9900 Sky Silk 3 200 Silvery Blue 12 2400 Earth Silk 3 200 Brown Green 10 2000 Wimble Silk 3 500 Whitish Silver 2 1000 Water Silk 3 200 Dark Blue 5 1000 Heaven Silk 3 500 Golden White 3 1500
*All measurements in yiddits. 1 yiddit = 3 meters