Chapter 11

CoL Fan Community #The-Book-Club

Residential Despot - Today 5:45am

It has to be them. At the club tonight, right? Did anyone else see pics of the CoL holding the place up? That was Book, right? RIGHT?

Madam Rough - Today 5:46am

I'm so glad I'm not the only one awake at this hour trying to figure this out. That was our Book, right?

Residential Despot - Today 5:46am

Miss me with that 'our Book' business but, yeah. I totally think it was. I didn't see any pics of their Basic, though.

Madam Rough - Today 5:47am

Sorry. I didn't see any Basic pics either. Admins might remove if anyone posts them here. At least I would if I was Admin.

Locust 58 (admin) - Today 5:48am

Will consider it. We should respect their wishes to remain anonymous. Other CoLs in the studies have done interviews but Book has been notoriously silent. I will ask around.

Madam Rough - Today 5:48am

YOU'RE GONNA ASK BOOK?

Locust 58 (admin) - Today 5:49am

No. Will ask other admins about deleting any supposed Basic pics of Book from the Server. I don't know Book.

Residential Despot - Today 5:50am

What do you think Book's fave drink is? Beer?

The sun is coming up and with it more people are moving about Little Asgard Heights. I'm almost to my apartment when I spot Eterna leaving her's, in Basic wearing blue flannel pajama pants and a gray long sleeve top. She freezes in the hallway a few feet from me.

"Good morning Eterna," I say as I continue to my apartment.

"Holy shit," Eterna says. "Page? You're okay? That was you last night, right? Oh fuck."

I manage to turn around just as she throws her arms around me to give me a solid hug. It's not a crushing hug, as a result I can tell she's not using her powers at all right now.

"What?"

Eterna pulls away.

"The news, last night. I couldn't sleep. There was some shit that went down at Stick Shifter's and they said a CoL saved a bunch of people and keep the building from falling in on them and, and, and, that was you right? You are Page, my neighbor, right?"

I forgot I'm still shifted.

In less than a second I revert to Basic form, my clothing popping with the speed of my change. I nod. "Yeah, and I'm fine."

"Oh, thank gods," she says before hugging me again. "I was so worried I couldn't even bake. What the fuck happened?"

I gently return the hug before stepping back and moving to my apartment door. "It's been a very long night."

"That's burying the lede," she says before following me into my apartment. "You held up a fucking building. An entire fucking building. Then you just walk home?"

"I got a ride," I say as I head to the fridge.

I really doubt I'll get a chance to sleep any time soon. I go ahead and blank out my fatigue but I still need to eat something. I grab my milk and a glass to pour a drink. It'll have to do for now while I have company over.

"Okay, you got a ride like nothing happened?"

"Eterna, I never said 'nothing happened.' In fact I said that it's been a very long night. I've still got some shit to do."

She stays quiet while I finish my milk.

"Right. So, how can I help?"

I set my cup down on the counter. "What?"

"How can I help you do whatever it is you need to do?" Eterna asks. "You can't do what you're up to alone, right?"

"I'm not alone," I say and pull my phone from my jacket pocket. "I was hired by a detective to look for someone. He just hasn't returned my texts since last night, but that's okay. I kind of expected that to happen, to be honest."

"Because last night was fucked up?"

"Yes."

There's a long silence between us before Eterna perks up again.

"Okay, sooooo," she draws out the word. "What about the guy in the white suit?"

"How do you know about them?"

"There were stills from the security cameras at the club on the news," Eterna explains. "I think I recognize them from some of the Children of our Lord protests a few months back. They weren't wearing a suit like that, but the yellow beard and shit stood out to me."

"You think the guy's a CooL?" I ask.

She nods. "Seems that way."

"'Heathens, pagan scum,'" I quote while shaking my head. "Shit. Either it is the CooLs up to this shit or someone's working to frame them. I don't get the point of the latter."

"I can help?" Eterna asks eagerly.

"I think you just did. What else do you know about the CooLs? Do they just let anyone join?" I ask quickly.

"No offense but you don't seem like the type of person who'd be into that. I mean, that shift you used a bit ago not withstanding. They're real old school about gender roles. If they found out this was your Basic they'd lose their shit."

Without thinking I reply, "Then I'll use that shift as my Basic."

"That's not how it works," Eterna counters.

For some reason I can't quite express that doesn't feel right to me. Do I seriously view myself as having more than one Basic form? Is that why...I'll make a note to mention the feeling to Doctor Hailu later.

"Why would you want to join the CooLs anyway?" Eterna asks.

"I think they kidnapped a kid," I say.

I quickly explain the case: Detective Windgate needed a CoL expert because a ten year old supposedly developed powers. We went together to look into it and I could tell the kid was an older CoL pretending to be an Ember. The guy attacked before escaping. I tracked him to the nightclub when the person in the white suit killed him. I don't mention a word of Detective Windgate's DID. That's his System's medical information and it is not my place to tell anyone.

"The kid is still missing?" She asks. "What about the dog?"

"No clue, probably taken with the boy," I say.

"I can shift masculine," Eterna begins. "I can go with yo-"

She's cut off by my phone ringing and rattling on the counter. She jumps a little. I pick it up and see the call is from Detective Windgate. I answer, holding the phone up to my ear.

"Detective Windgate? Are you okay?" I ask quickly.

"I'm fine," he says. "I followed the guy."

"Who?"

"The one in the white suit who ran from the club last night, who else?" Eugene replies. "I've been staking out the place he ran off to but no one's left since he went in."

"Sorry I lost your earpiece."

"Figured you lost it. Also figured you'd be fine," he says. "Where are you?"

"Home. You?"

"Still at this house," he says.

"They're probably gone. They could look like anyone or anything," I reply. "I wouldn't even put it past them to go incognito. Er, invisible, that is."

"I know what 'incognito' means," Eugene says. "You're right, the guy's probably long gone."

This time I jump a bit when Eterna, on the other side of my kitchen butts in with, "That house is probably a dead end."

I turn to stare at her.

"What?" she asks and points to her ears. "I can mod my ears enough to hear a phone call."

"Who's that?" Eugene asks.

"My neighbor," I say. "She recognized the person in the suit from the news."

"She did?"

"How are you sure that's even the guy who hired you?" Eterna asks.

I know what she means.

She's worried Windgate's been kidnapped and replaced by the person in the white suit. But that's obviously not how Eugene takes the question because he starts shouting into the phone.

"You told her? You told your fucking neighbor?!"

Shit.

"No, it's not like that," I say quickly.

"How could you, Page?!"

I try not to panic. I need a soundproof space to speak with Eugene in to calm him down. Somewhere Eterna wont be able to hear either end of our conversation no matter how much she modifies her senses.

There's no suitable place in the apartment and Eterna is blocking my path out of the kitchen unless I go over the counter.

I fold in on myself, around my phone sealing it in a space that's surrounded by my body, buffered by my lungs and additional air-pockets to kill the sound.

I keep my eyes and mouth functional inside near my phone, with one ear inside and one ear outside. Overall I'm roughly box shaped, a warped and tangled mess of flesh, hair, and fabric from my clothing. I check to make sure I can't hear Eugene still shouting from my phone using my exterior ear. I can't. This will work well enough. What I can hear with my exterior ear is Eterna now losing her gods' damned mind.

"What the fucking Hel? Oh my gods," Eterna shouts.

She gags. It sounds like she's about to throw up. I hear footfalls and shuffling before she loses her cookies into what I hope is my trashcan. I'll hose it out later. Meanwhile Eugene is still screaming from the phone about how it wasn't my place to tell anyone about him.

"Eugene," I say into my phone. "I didn't tell her about your DID. I haven't told anyone!"

"What the fuck was she talking about then?" He asks hotly.

"She probably thought you'd been kidnapped and replaced like the kid," I say.

"She can still hear us! She's a CoL!"

"She can't, and believe me she's a little busy," I reply.

I can still hear Eterna dry heaving.

"Why can't she hear us?" He asks a little less angrily.

"You do not want to know," I say. "Don't worry about it. Text me your location and I'll meet you. The white suit guy may be a Child of our Lord, by the way. Eterna recognized them from some of the protests around our apartment building in the past."

There's a brief silence on the other end of the line before Eugene says anything else. "That makes sense. Tell her thanks and keep her out of this. People have already been killed. The fewer involved in this investigation the better."

"No argument from me there," I agree.

"I'll text you the address. Walk up please, no powers."

"Got it," I say. "Eugene, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," I say. "I understand. You thought I gave out your medical history. I'd be upset if I were you too."

"Appreciate it," he says before hanging up.

Eterna's not vomiting anymore but I can still hear her in my kitchen. She's gotten closer to me where I sit on the floor. I shift more slowly than normal to give her time to take a few steps back as I unfold myself to stand in my kitchen, back in Basic.

"Sorry about that," I say. "Private conversation."

"What the fuck?" Eterna breathes, her hand still outstretched, shaking in the air. She was going to give me a good poke. I'm sure she would've used a stick if there had been one handy. "What the fuck??"

"I should've made that more pretty," I say.

"This...that...what were you?" She asks.

"Soundproof meatbox," I say. "Don't think about it."

"What the fuck?!" Eterna shouts while shaking. She looks at me. "Our powers, the theory? That we tap into alternate versions of ourselves. Does...does that mean there's some world where you're a fucking soundproof meatbox?"

Doctor Hailu always left that bit about me out of the books. She did include that I could do things that 'disturb other CoLs.' I guess the news didn't mention exactly what I did to keep the building up either.

I think for a moment before I answer. "It's complicated."

"Complicated? Complicated?!"

"Yes. Eterna, you should go home. Get some rest, bake something," I say. "Thank you for the info about the guy in the white suit."

"I'm never going to sleep again after seeing your meatbox."

I don't blame her. I also don't offer to walk her out because she keeps her distance from me the entire time she's heading for the door. I make sure it's shut behind her, then grab the trashcan, which is indeed full of vomit. Thankfully the plastic bag held up well. I tie it off before removing it. I'll dump this in one of the cans outside on my way out to meet Eugene. Before I leave my apartment I use the restroom.

I don't know what confuses me more, becoming a soundproof meatbox and gigantic fleshbeast feeling more normal and correct than copying Martin Aaron, or Neoni coming on to me after she saw me become a gigantic fleshbeast. Are all allosexual people like that?