[Abandoned Warehouse]
In the middle of the warehouse, Daniel is sitting on a metal crate, legs spread, with a massive tray of food resting between them. He eats without pause. Meat, mostly. A lot of meat.
He didn't have to go out to a restaurant to get it, which he appreciates. He ordered delivery… though it wasn't exactly easy. Finding a place willing to deliver food to an abandoned area of Atlas was a challenge. Most places canceled the order as soon as he mentioned the address, but he managed to convince them with a generous enough upfront payment to kill any doubts—and because the amount he requested was considerably high.
Rosella is sitting on the floor, right next to him. Her tail sways back and forth with excitement, eyes wide open, following every bite he takes. Daniel notices her from the corner of his eye and can only sigh.
He grabs a piece of roasted meat and offers it to her without thinking too much about it. She opens her mouth immediately and devours it in just two bites.
"Thanks, boss!" she says with her mouth full, visibly happy.
Aegis watches him from another metal crate across from him.
"So you're planning to keep her?" he asks, curious.
Daniel chews a bit more, swallows, and nods without looking at him.
"I feel strangely attached to her," he replies, and grabs another piece for himself.
"Mhmm... don't you think you've eaten enough?" GLaDOS chimes in, her voice sounding from right next to Aegis as she observes the stack of empty boxes nearby.
"Don't judge me." Daniel throws her a brief glance. "I don't know why, but I feel this need to consume ridiculous amounts of food."
As he says it, he hands Rosella another piece. She catches it mid-air, swallows it, and responds as soon as she's done.
"It's the regeneration."
That catches his attention. He pauses mid-bite.
"What did you say?"
"Werewolves like us need to eat a lot to regenerate properly… and to avoid losing control." Rosella licks her lips as she says it, still savoring the meat.
Daniel shakes his head.
"I'm not a werewolf."
She lets out a soft laugh, the tone shamelessly flirtatious.
"You will be soon~~"
"What's that supposed to mean?" He glares at her, annoyed, but she stands up without answering. She walks up to him and starts sniffing him without shame. The strange part is… her behavior doesn't really make him uncomfortable.
"I can smell it on you… the curse of the Tasmanian Werewolf is in your blood. It's growing. Slowly, sure… but it's there. Soon you'll be just like me. And when you are, we'll be able to create the best Tasmanian Werewolf bloodline in all of history."
Daniel stops eating.
He slams the tray down beside him and activates the system interface with a mental command. Instantly, a flood of notifications fills his vision.
[System Notification]
Congratulations! You've cheated on your girlfriend.
You cheated on Ruby Rose with Rosella, the Tasmania Werewolf.
Rating: B
[Copying Rosella's semblance: Semblance not found.]
[Assimilating Rosella's stats: Progress: 5% (maximum 25%)]
[Unique trait copied: Curse of the Tasmania Werewolf 20%]
...
...
[Unique trait copied: Curse of the Tasmania Werewolf 20.01%]
[+4 gachas obtained]
[Activating stats…]
Name: Daniel Hawk
Age: 17
Race: Tasmania Werewolf / Silver-Eyed Warrior
HP: 2,640.0 (+926.75)
MP: 0.0 (+0.0)
AP: 20,400.0 (+17,222.5)
STR: 252.0 (+126.23)
VIT: 228.0 (+93.90)
DEX: 276.0 (+144.08)
INT: 77.0 (+0.0)
"Ah… this is bad," he mutters as he stares at the interface. His new race appears just above the curse percentage, which seems to be advancing very slowly.
As soon as he says it, Rosella suddenly stands up with a small huff, visibly indignant—though it looks more like a pout than anything else.
"Being a werewolf is not bad!" she protests, crossing her arms. "Werewolves are awesome! Super strong! We regenerate fast! We have enhanced senses and—"
Daniel brings a hand to his face and sighs. He can't deny she has a point. Since he woke up that morning, he's felt different. His body reacts faster, his movements flow more smoothly, his strength has increased… even his vision and sense of smell are way sharper. And he can confirm all that just by checking his stats.
He remembers them clearly, just as they were before the fight with Rosella. Comparing them now, he notices at least a 20% increase across the board. Exactly the same percentage shown under the curse progression. Most likely, the more it advances, the stronger he'll become.
While he's mentally crunching numbers, Rosella keeps talking enthusiastically, raising her fingers one by one.
"We live way longer!" she says brightly. "We're super close as a pack!" Another finger. "And technically, it's really hard to kill us in this world!"
Daniel watches her, half-amused by her enthusiasm. A small smile slips onto his face without him meaning to.
"And what about silver bullets?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
Rosella immediately scoffs.
"Pff! That's a myth. For them to work on us, they need to be blessed under a full moon," she answers as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "And this world doesn't have a full moon. It's destroyed."
Daniel squints at her, skeptical.
"And how do you know the moon's destroyed?"
He's pretty sure he didn't see a moon through the warehouse windows last night. Just a few scattered stars.
"Oh, that… I got hungry last night, so I went out for a snack," she says, glancing away with an innocent air.
Daniel eyes her with suspicion.
"What kind of snack?"
"That doesn't matter," she replies quickly, waving a hand to brush it off.
Then she suddenly drops her ears with a gesture that borders on sad.
"Although… it was kinda disappointing, actually."
"Wasn't that supposed to be a good thing?"
"It would be easier to grow our numbers if we could turn others into werewolves. But for that, we'd need to bite them under a full moon," she sighs, and suddenly her tone shifts completely. "So… I guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way~~"
A mischievous grin spreads across her face as she shamelessly rubs against him, pressing her chest to his arm.
"And have lots and lots of babies."
Daniel stares at her, trying to process her words.
"Why the need for so many babies?" he asks, frowning.
He's heard her mention the whole "strong bloodline" thing before, but now it sounds more like obsession than racial pride.
"Because we're stronger in packs!" she replies matter-of-factly. "Our strength multiplies, we get more powerful, we gain magical abilities… Oh! And we also get extra resistance to magic!"
That last part actually gets a reaction.
Daniel immediately snaps to attention.
"Wait. Repeat that last part," he says urgently, turning fully toward her.
"That we have higher resistance to magic? Well… that's just something natural for werewolves, so it's more like a bonus."
"Not that. Magic!" he cuts her off sharply. "You have magic?"
He's sure he checked his stats thoroughly—there wasn't a single point of MP.
"Ohhhh… that!" Rosella smiles casually. "Yeah. We have magic… well, not right now, but we could."
"Don't mess with me. Explain," he says firmly, getting the feeling this might be important.
"Ooh~ So now you are interested in magic, huh?" Rosella lets out a soft giggle and winks at him. "Tasmania werewolf magic only manifests when we're in a pack."
She pauses briefly, then with a mischievous smile, blatantly points at her own belly.
"So if you want magic… I suggest you put a baby in me!"
"Ahh..." Daniel can only sigh and brings a hand to his face.
"Hey, don't ignore me!"
Rosella grumbles, annoyed, but he shuts her up by shoving another piece of meat into her mouth.
"Mmhmmm!" Rosella chews happily, as if she completely forgot she was protesting.
"I refuse to have babies," he thinks, frowning and looking away.
"I'm too young and too pretty for that. Not even for magic..."
No. Having babies is not part of the plan. Especially not in a world as fucked up as this one. Still… he can't help but think the curse isn't as terrible as he thought. It's not like he can stop it anyway, and the regeneration it gives him is honestly pretty impressive.
As he ponders it, something comes to mind. He looks down at his hand.
The missing finger still hasn't grown back.
He throws a thoughtful glance at Rosella.
"Don't werewolf regeneration abilities grow back limbs?" he asks.
Rosella nods enthusiastically.
"Arms, legs, eyes, organs!" she starts listing with a big smile. "Being a werewolf is the best!"
She says it with energy, but Daniel simply shows her his hand, pointing at the missing finger.
"Then why is this still gone?"
"Ah… that…" Rosella lowers her ears a bit. "It's because you already didn't have it when you became a werewolf, so it won't grow back."
He frowns, thinking it over.
"Same thing with scars?"
"Yup. Doesn't matter what you do, you won't be able to get rid of them. The ones you had stay. You won't get new ones, but the old ones won't disappear either."
"That's disappointing…" Daniel mutters, letting out another sigh as he grabs the meat tray again to keep eating.
But just before he takes another bite, a voice interrupts.
"If you're done talking, there are other matters to address."
GLaDOS's voice cuts in, cold and indifferent.
"Just say whatever you need to say…" he replies calmly, putting a piece of meat in his mouth.
GLaDOS remains expressionless. "As you wish."
"I reviewed your messages on the scroll. The mute psychopath you call Neo has already seen the video."
That makes him pause. Not out of fear, but caution. He sets the fork down, processing the news.
"That's bad…"
"But she seems more interested in why you didn't do those things to her."
Relief hits just as fast as the panic.
"That's good!"
And as he says it, he hands a piece of meat to Rosella, who eagerly catches it.
"You also spent all the video money on food. So we're broke… again."
"That's bad…" he mutters without surprise, already used to the money-spend-bankruptcy cycle. He sighs, but keeps eating.
"You also got a message from General Ironwood. He's inviting you to Atlas to discuss the blueprint negotiations."
"That's good!"
He's genuinely surprised Pietro managed to get him a meeting with the general so quickly.
"But we can't take Rosella because she doesn't have any papers."
"That's bad…"
He frowns. He doesn't like the idea of leaving her alone.
"But I sent a message to Neo and she gave us the contact info of a document forger."
"That's good!"
He nods in genuine appreciation. Having Neo as a contact does come with perks.
"But we don't have money to pay him."
"That's bad..."
"But Neo offered to cover the cost."
"That's good!"
"But in exchange, she wants to do something with you called 'Queen's Chair'."
…
"That's bad…" GLaDOS replies for him, completely neutral.
"Can I eat now?"
-/-
[Xiao Long Cabin – 21:00]
Ruby is in her room, lying on the bed with the lights off. The only illumination comes from the soft blue glow of her scroll. She has her headphones on, volume turned up, and her eyes are wide open as she stares at the screen with a mix of morbid curiosity and confusion.
She 'accidentally' found a porn video while browsing. Opened it without thinking too much, and now she can't stop watching.
Her face is completely flushed.
The camera angle is strange—almost artistic. Like it was filmed from the ground, pointing upward. The image is a bit shaky, clearly homemade, but still high quality.
In the video, a guy dominates the scene entirely. It's Maledom, and that already catches her attention. He's tall, strong, defined, his torso covered in deep scars. White hair. And of course, his face is never visible—always out of frame or blurred by movement.
For a moment, a cold pinch hits her chest.
"Is that Daniel?"
She can't help but wonder. The body, the build, the hair… it could be.
But she quickly dismisses the thought when she notices the details. This guy has way more scars than Daniel. And then there's that subtle thing: he's missing a finger on his left hand. She noticed when he pressed his palm on the girl's back.
Ruby exhales in relief and wipes sweat from her forehead.
"My boyfriend's not missing a finger… hehe, phew."
A dumb little laugh escapes her at the idea it might've been Daniel.
The relief makes her smile, even though her cheeks are still burning. The brief scare doesn't stop her from watching.
She doesn't usually watch this kind of stuff—she's not really into Maledom… but one peek doesn't hurt, right?
The way the guy handles things, how the woman trembles under him, the precision with which he dominates, the firm tone of his voice… there's something about it she just can't look away from.
Ruby bites her lip. Without realizing it, her right hand moves up, caressing her breast over the shirt. She squeezes a little, feeling her nipple harden beneath the fabric.
[Image]
"Would Daniel ever do something like that?"
She wonders in silence, though she already knows the answer. Daniel is sweet, careful, gentle. He would never do something so… intense. And she'd never have the courage to ask.
As she thinks it, her hand slowly moves down, sliding over her belly until it reaches the waistband of her panties—already damp. Her fingers slip underneath, barely brushing the lips of her pussy.
A very soft moan escapes her lips, and she presses her thighs together, breathing faster.
The scene gets more intense. The girl in the video is pushed to the floor, trapped between the hard surface and the guy's unrelenting body.
Ruby doesn't realize she's started moving in rhythm. Her fingers slide inside, slowly, wet, and her back arches just a little—completely in sync with what she's watching.
"Ahh…" Barely audible moans slip from her lips.
Every time the guy in the video thrusts, she imagines it's her being used like that.
"God…" Ruby growls under her breath, her face burning. She knows she'd never mess around with another guy—that's not even up for debate.
"But imagining it doesn't hurt anyone, right?"
And her fingers go faster, deeper, soaking her panties even more.
The wet lips of her pussy part without resistance, begging for more. Heat rises up her abdomen, tension building until her back arches completely.
In her mind, she's the one in that video. Even if it's humiliating. Even if it's brutal. Even if Daniel would never do that.
Her toes curl just as the orgasm hits. A sharp, trembling moan escapes as her entire body shudders on the bed, her breath ragged.
The scroll screen is still lit, playing the scene in vivid detail.
BAM!
The door bursts open.
"Ruby!" Yang yells, walking in without knocking. "Have you seen my keys?"
The world stops.
The moment she steps in, her eyes land directly on her sister—sprawled out on the bed, hand still between her legs, red as a tomato, and the scroll right in front of her… very clearly playing porn.
"AHHHHH!!"
Ruby bolts upright, heart about to explode, scrambling to hide the scroll.
But her frantic movement just launches the damn thing… straight at Yang, who catches it by reflex.
"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to—" Yang starts apologizing, but her voice cuts off as her eyes lock onto the screen. She freezes, eyes wide as dinner plates.
The image. The sound. Everything.
"NOOOOO!!"
Ruby dives off the bed to snatch it back, but gets tangled in the sheets and faceplants onto the floor.
"OH MY GOD!" Yang shouts, in a full-blown panic. "Ruby, I didn't know you were that kind of girl!! I mean—there's nothing wrong with it, of course, everyone's got their preferences but—"
"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!"
Ruby flails, kicking at the covers as she tries to break free. "I WASN'T—IT'S NOT—!! AAGGHH!!"
And then, as if the universe decided to kick her while she's down, a third voice chimes in from the hallway.
"What's going on in here?"
Summer appears at the door… just in time to witness the full disaster.
Ruby panics.
"MOM, NO—DON'T LOOK!"
But it's too late.
A loud, very clear moan blares from the scroll.
"AHHH~~!"
The video keeps playing… now at full volume.
Summer frowns and immediately recognizes the scroll in Yang's hands as Ruby's.
"RUBY ROSE… what the hell are you watching?!" Her voice is pure, horrified disbelief.
Yang, in a desperate attempt to shut it off, only manages to turn the volume up.
"FUCK!! I'M YOUR FUCKING PET!!"
shouts a voice from the video, followed by more moans and rhythmic slapping.
Summer stands frozen, unable to process what she's seeing, while Ruby wants nothing more than for the earth to swallow her whole.
"It can't possibly get worse," she thinks.
And as if summoning divine punishment, Qrow walks in, with Zwei trotting beside him.
"Hey, what's up? Family meeting and nobody invited me? Hahaha," he chuckles—only to be immediately silenced by the sound from the video.
"HIT ME HARDER!! MAKE ME YOURS!!" rings out, crystal clear.
Qrow frowns, looks at the scroll, then at Ruby—curled up in a blanket pile on the floor. He recognizes the device as hers, and the moment he connects the dots…
"…"
He says nothing. He dares not. He just pulls out his flask, opens it, and takes a long, heavy drink.
"N-no need to be ashamed…" Summer begins, trying to sound maternal, though her voice is definitely trembling. "We're all people with… curiosities… it's okay to explore."
But the video isn't done. Not by a long shot.
"YES, BREED ME! I'M YOURS!!" and then "SLAP SLAP SLAP" — the unmistakable sound of spanking.
Ruby covers her face with both hands, wishing she could disappear from existence.
"As I was saying… we can discuss boundaries…" Summer continues, clearly forcing the words out.
"AHH!!!~~~~ FUCK YES!!!"
"YANG!! CAN YOU TURN THAT OFF!?" she finally yells, losing all patience.
"I'm trying!" Yang starts mashing buttons in a panic, nothing working. In a final act of desperation and fury, she just hurls the scroll out the window—followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering glass.
"Ah…" Summer sighs, massaging her temples. "As I was saying… if you have any questions, Ruby, you can come talk to us. We're family."
"Y-yeah…" Ruby mumbles from the floor, still buried deep under her blanket fort.
Yang, sweating like she just ran a marathon, tries to help:
"Y-yeah, sis, if you ever wanna talk or ask something, like… I mean, I don't know much about this stuff, but I have this kinda weird friend who does—Not saying you're weird!"
Qrow, meanwhile, just keeps drinking, as if the alcohol might erase the memory if he downs enough of it.
Ruby says nothing. She just curls deeper under the covers and whispers in a shattered voice:
"Just… kill me."
-//-
Author's Note:
This chapter was made possible thanks to the suggestions of Titus_1665. Thanks! Couldn't have done it without you. [Image]
And in case anyone's wondering, here are the stats of the protagonist: from the beginning, during training, and now with the curse. [Image]
He's already at Student Hunter level. Didn't expect the power boost to be this big, but hey—gotta adapt! I also included Rosella's stats.
By the way, what do you think would happen if the MC used his plant-growing ability on a Devil Fruit?
I'll leave that up for debate.
Anyway… see you all next time!
Kisses and hugs.