#18 - Welcome to Macau

It was Wednesday afternoon. Robin was staring at her phone’s clock, watching the last-minute count down to the hour of their so-called ‘transport’. She was still holding out hope that nothing would happen upon the hour’s change, but the strange almost magical nature of the letter made it highly unlikely to be a prank.

It had been half a week since they received it, the group’s reaction was a whirlwind of confusion and questions Robin couldn’t answer. All she had known before the invitation, was what ChadBug had told her; death games run by shady people, ones Wr8 had claimed to have participated in. They were real, and her and her friends were about to be dragged into one.

The tinies had spent days discussing the possibilities of what lay in store. Would the games be a simple task? How closely would it involve them? What were the chances of them getting hurt? Would Robin be expected to do something horrible? Something horrible to them?

Robin hated the idea that even if she had been able to keep her urges a secret, they would have been dragged into the daylight by this cruel secretive group all the same. Not only that, but the one thing she could hold on to, the fact that her line remained uncrossed, might soon be wrestled from her grip. She would likely have to cross it tonight. Not through any fault of her own, or a lack of control, but through a forceful push by shadows she couldn’t put a face to.

As they all tried to puzzle, cope and prepare with the days counting down to Wednesday, the distance between the three parties grew; Robin, Elias and the three tinies who clung together. They barely communicated. Robin believed it would help control her urges and stress if she just fed and ignored the tinies. Elias had lost all trust in his friends, big or small, while Jade, Theo and Oscar attempted to communicate with the two, to no avail.

“Whatever happens,” Robin sighed, as she watched the last seconds tick by. “I’m sorry.”

The disembodied creepy sound of that nightmarish lullaby began to play throughout the room, the one she’d been hearing in her dreams. A wash of purple light blinded everyone.

Robin woke up, her body seated in a chair in front of a large green-carpeted oval table, with two decks of cards at the center of it. Each deck had a different back-face design, one a symbol of a top hat, the other that of a rabbit with one button eye, and an ear drooping over the other.

“Holy shit, we’re here!” a young male voice shouted.

Robin looked over, seeing a kid barely out of high-school sitting to the right of a tall green-haired woman who was sitting beside Robin on her right. The boy looked at another stranger sitting to his right, someone in full motorcycle riding gear, whose helmet had a cat-ear design.

“Thanks for the invite, man!” the boy said to the motorcyclist, raising his fist and holding it out to the guy.

With a loose casualness, the man popped his arm out and bumped the fist, “No problem, ma’ssacre-asa es su casa, compadre.”

To that guy’s right, across from Robin, sat a woman in her early thirties with messy waves of hair, and a poor application of make-up. She had no idea who the woman was, but the stranger looked at her with an unnerving smile, as if she knew her.

As Robin’s eyes continued to follow along the table, when she saw a familiar face, an e-girl with dark indigo hair; QTpopper. Robin’s breath held. What was she doing here? Even if she was a kindred spirit with a size kink, as far as Robin knew, she didn’t have a mark.

Then her eyes fell on the person to QT’s right, the man sitting on Robin’s left, the one who quickly drew the attention of everyone at the table. An attractive tall Korean man in a prison jumpsuit, the first hairs of his unshaven lower face beginning to show; Harm.

That fucking bastard.

Robin, barely took in her surroundings, as she started to see red, and jumped up from her chair, her fists ready to swing at the man who had killed one of her best friends. The man himself didn’t stay seated either, launching out of his chair just as quick, his eyes locked with the black-haired woman across the table, he leaned forward just as Robin’s fist was about to hit him, ready to crawl all the way across the green table between him and his target.

Both of them froze up, all of their momentum halted completely, as they both found their bodies unable to move, held by an invisible force. All they could do was move their heads. Harm turned to look at the fist which had almost hit him in the side of the head, while Robin looked around the room.

It looked to be a small, luxurious hotel club room, of steely greys, blacks and gold accents, with a leather couch and small table in one corner. Their table stood by a massive window that stretched across the entire length of the room.

The room they were in seemed to be very high up. The large window looked out across a lively well-lit nighttime city with massive buildings in a wide variety of shapes, their grandeur emphasized by colorful lights. It looked nothing like any American city Robin knew of, and judging by the fact it was still daytime when she got transported, she was a long way from home.

“While we understand some of you are eager to vanquish your opponents,” The weighty voice of a woman sounded from another corner of the room, with intimidating presence. “I regret to inform you that tonight’s game will not be martial showdown.”

Robin could just about turn her head enough to see two additional figures in the room with them, standing by what looked to be a small bar or kitchen corner. She recognized one of them from her dreams, a suited man with rigid posture, his head a knitted rabbit with a dangling ear.

The other stranger was new to her, a woman with long, straight grey hair, which aged her otherwise youthful appearance. Her Victorian-era dress and corset looked like steampunk cosplay, as if she had just walked out of a renaissance fair. She wore a brown top hat, too wide for her head, which made it tilt sideways across the left side of her forehead, giving her the same one-eyed visage as her masked companion’s ear gave him.

She was holding out her arm, her hand reaching like a claw towards Robin and Harm. Was she the one holding them in place?

The rabbit man beside her looked to be pouring cava into a set of glasses on the bar, as he spoke with his electronic voice, “Once Mrs. Hat releases you, we expect the two of you to sit back down and play nice, else there will be; consequences.”

“I don’t care,” Harm hissed through the teeth he could barely move, “Two monsters less in this world.”

Robin frowned, confused as to why the target of her rage directed his elsewhere.

The rabbit let out a modulated sigh, as he carried the platter of drinks atop one hand, and walked over to the group, “Try, and we’ll make sure you become a bug at her mercy, before you can strike a second blow. Play by the rules, and who knows how this morning might turn out.”

“This morning?” the woman with the ocean-green wolf-cut said.

“Yes,” the rabbit said, as he placed a glass of cava beside her. “Six a.m. and one minute to be exact.”

“Where are we?” The young guy said, receiving his glass

“No guesses?” the rabbit said, like a school teacher on an excursion, as he served the rider and the black-haired woman.

QT, still shaking at the shock of her transport, answered while her drink was lowered, “China?”

“Very good, Cleo,” The rabbit said, as he put the last two drinks down by the frozen individuals.

“A special administrative region of China, formerly occupied by the Portuguese” The rabbit threw the platter he served them with into the room behind him like a frisbee, letting it clatter onto the floor, as he stepped up to the window spreading his arms dramatically at the city lights, “Welcome to Macau!”

“The gambling capital of the world! City of excess and consensual robbery!” his electronic voice thundered with excitement. “Who can think of a better place for a communion of psychopaths?”

“Call centers, Silicon Valley, a Wendy’s parking lot,” the rider said. “There used to be an island, but the guy that ran it definitely, totally killed himself in prison.”

Master Rabbit ignored the man’s comments, turned to look at Mrs. Hat and cocked his head at Robin and Harm. Hat lowered her hand, the two almost collapsed to the floor, as they unexpectedly regained control of their bodies.

Robin wanted to attempt another swing, but she believed the threats the rabbit had made to Harm. If she did, she too would find herself robbed of her size, before she could even make it count.

“You’re Caleb Harm, aren’t you?” the boy said. “The killer nurse in the flesh. I’m like your biggest fan.”

The black-haired woman smiled, “Yeah, a real role model, isn’t he? You should ask him for his autograph.”

Harm’s eyes were focusing all the hatred he could manage on the woman, until he heard the words of the ginger who had almost hit him.

“I trusted you,” Robin hissed.

Harm slowly turned his head, his face turning from rage to shattered disbelief, “Rot?”

He looked down at the table, letting his head hang in silence, as he sat down, finally seeing the woman to his right, QTpopper. She was looking at him as if he was a wild dog on a flimsy leash. How much he would give to hear her say his stupid old nickname, instead of looking at him like a monster.

Robin’s chair slid forward on its own, slamming into the back of her knees, forcing her to sit back down at the table. After a short glance at QT, she held her eyes on the side of Harm’s face.

“Now first order of business is bringing in the playmates of those with someone to protect,” Mrs. Hat said.

Master Rabbit added, “having people with someone to lose makes things more -- interesting.”

Mrs. Hat snapped her fingers, and in a puff of purple smoke, five tiny people appeared on the green mat of the table, one in front of QTpopper and four in front of Robin.

Each of them looked around in shock.

QTpopper was quick to lower her hand to comfort trEATmeGently, who grabbed onto one of her fingers and hugged it, as she whispered, “It’s gonna be ok, Bean, you’re gonna be ok.”

Robin didn’t do anything, she kept her hands to herself, as her friends turned to look at her, she could only look away with avoidant guilt, before refocusing on how much she wanted to harm Harm.

Jade stood frozen in fear as her head swiveled between the other giants sitting at the table.

“What the fuck is this place?” Oscar said, as he grabbed the shoulder of a hyperventilating Theo.

Elias frowned, took one look outside, and more frustrated than amazed said, “Macau.”

“G-Guys!” Theo shuddered, as he pointed up at the giant man beside Robin.

“No, fuck me!” Oscar shouted.

“Is that Caleb Harm?” Jade said.

“Look who’s a popular boy,” The black-haired giantess said. “Go on Harm, what do you have to say to the poor little people whose friend you so callously butchered.”

From his lowered head, Harm’s eyes only briefly glanced over them, before he looked up from under his brow at the giantess in rage, “You made me.”

Robin turned to look at the woman, who was grinning ear to ear, her voice, the implication of her involvement made her finally realize, “Wr8…”

“You don’t catch on quick, do you, bestie?” Wr8 said, raising her brow condescendingly.

“Wr8 told you to?” Robin said, as she looked back to Harm, disgusted, wondering what Wr8 could’ve possibly said to convince someone that principled into doing something so horrible to Elena.

“She used whatever power she got here to control my mind,” Harm said.

QTpopper’s fear sank into a hollow stunned expression, “Harm...”

Treat squeezed her finger, “Wait, Wr8 actually has super powers, like Goldfeysh was talking about?!”

“Bullshit,” Wr8 said. “Take some fucking accountability already, my power can’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”

“I didn’t wanna hurt her,” Harm growled. “I was trying to save her.”

“Fine, I’ll prove it,” Wr8 said. “Explain Reaper ability!”

A small stream of black smoke poured out from under the table, trailing a small figure, which floated through the air beside Wr8. It looked like a cute mascot character, twice the size of a tiny, with a small humanoid body and a large cat head, made entirely of black smoke, its huge eyes glowing purple.

The entire table looked at it in dumbfounded amazement, except for the rider, whose expression could not be read beneath his helmet.

The tiny creature spoke with an adorable cartoon voice, listing technical details out loud;

Reaper ability: Words of Encouragement

Category: Support Ability

Use Type: Voice Activated

Cooldown: 4 Hours (Upon Successful Usage)

The user is able to boost their target’s abilities by encouraging them to act upon their base impulses, bypassing all their fear and rationale, through the use of a vocal trigger which makes the target think of what they wish to achieve such as, but not limited to; cheering them on, or referring to the desire in need of encouragement in therapeutic way.

Targets gain one of three supernatural enhancements, depending on what fits their goal; Increased Physical Ability, Increased Intelligence, or Increased Creativity.

This boon stays active for 4 hours, or until the desired goal is achieved.

“You made him the world’s most talked about murderer using a support ability?” The guy in the helmet said. “That’s cold. Creative, but cold.”

The shadow-eyed nineteen-year-old leaned forward, “wait, you get a little pet with your ability? That’s awesome!”

The little cat floated in front of Wr8’s face, its big eyes looking in the boy’s direction, as it continued with a cute, happy tone, “I am not a companion. I am an entity born of a request. My life’s purpose is to explain the ability of the Reaper that created me, then die a painful death. Goodbye.”

The smoke creature’s tiny arms stretched, becoming longer, as it reached up, grabbed both of its ears and began pulling. Its smoke form split in half right down the middle, and its glowing purple eyes dimmed. Both sides of it began to float upwards, and slowly dissipated like actual smoke.

“What the actual fuck?” Jade said, looking up to see the last of the smoke evaporate.

“Reaper abilities, huh?” Oscar said.

“She took away his reasoning, it wasn’t him.” Theo said.

“It still was,” Elias said, “Just because he’s acting nice, doesn’t mean his real self wasn’t hiding under the surface at all times.”

“Finally, someone gets it,” Wr8 smiles down at Elias, giving him the shivers.

“So, if she were to use that on Robin, we’re all dead,” Oscar said.

Wr8 smiled, “My thoughts exactly little man~”

Robin’s blood ran cold. Of all powers Wr8 got from the games, she got the one that could shatter the last bit of self-control she clung on to. It was still Harm acting on his instinct when he’d killed Elena, but he was robbed of his best quality, his restraint. Now that same gun was aimed at her. Wr8 gazed deeply into her eyes and parted her lips.

“She won’t use it though!” Elias shouted, as if commanding the end of the world to stop. “She’s not stupid!”

Wr8 broke eye contact with Robin, stunned, as whatever words she was about to speak fell back down her throat. It was clear she had no idea what Elias was talking about, but lingered on the little guy’s words, as if she were waiting for the pathetic bug to explain to her why she was smarter than she was.

“She’s about to play a game where her life is at stake,” Elias said. “And by the look of things it’s going to involve gambling. She won’t waste a power that could save her life in a game that’s all about impulse control.”

Wr8’s eyes moved from Elias to Robin, with a thin smile feigning confidence, but Robin could see it in her eyes, the woman felt slighted, she’d been reminded of strategy by someone she deemed to be subhuman.

The woman got up from her chair and leaned over the table, “Well, why don’t I just-“

As Wr8 reached out her arm, with clear intent to slam her hand down atop Elias, she froze up, the same way Robin and Harm had moments before. Elias yelped, staring up at the grooves in the crazed older woman’s palm, which had almost flattened him, before it came to an inexplicable stop.

“We also regret to inform you that tonight’s game won’t involve killing what currently belongs to your opponent.” Mrs. Hat said, as her fingers swiped the air, sending Wr8 flying back into her chair. “Now, seeing as you’ll all be sharing a table tonight, would any players like to introduce themselves?”

“What like first day of school, or job training?” the fluffy ocean-haired woman said.

“Exactly like that,” Mrs. Hat smiled to her. “Tell us your name, and a little bit about yourself.”

The alt-girl looked out across the table, the two guys next to her waiting for her to start, while the four who clearly knew each other were moody-ing up their entire half of the table, shooting each other glances of hate and apology. She hadn’t expected the games would be this much drama.

Her eyes fell on the frightened indigo-haired e-girl, who she started to feel a bit sorry for, this was no place for someone as innocent looking as her, but maybe her looks were deceiving, how else would she show up here?

“My name’s Lilith,” she said.

The black-haired woman turned to her, taking a break from pestering her friends, to interrupt her, “How original.”

Lilith mean-mugged the grinning hag, before continuing, “I’m a dominatrix and killer for hire.”

“What, really?” the guy in the cat-ear motorcycle helmet said, his lack of a visible face made up for by his excited voice, and expressive body language. “What’s your price?”

“2K,” Lilith said.

“I meant the dominatrix part.”

Lilith cocked her head to the side, “My services are a package deal.”

The rider paused for a few seconds, the visor of his helmet staring blankly at the woman, before he answered with a low, playful voice, “Oh mama, I think I’m in love…”

The corner of Lilith’s mouth pulled into her cheek, as she raised her brow, in a judgy but flattered smile.

The boy leaned into his friend, “Bro, you realize that’s a dude, right?”

Lilith shot him the same eyebrow, without the smile.

The rider turned to his friend, his shoulders rising with a deep breath, before violently sagging back down on the exhale, “What did I tell you about respecting trans women?”

“What?” the boy scoffed. “Don’t pretend to be woke now, you make pronoun jokes all the time.”

“Defamation!” the guy in the helmet said, turning to Lilith, while pointing his thumb beside him, shrugging and shaking head, as if he had no idea what his friend was talking about.

The boy made a face of visible disgust between the two of them, “My name is Lucas, I’m a hustler and entrepreneur. No one really gets me, but I’ve had this darkness in me, ever since I was a kid. I’m talking like, real psycho shit.”

No one at or on the table looked very impressed by the baby-faced edgelord’s introduction, and quickly turned their attention to the rider who seemed to have invited the guy.

“You guys can just call me Visor,” he said. “I’m keeping my identity a secret, cause I’m actually a super famous Hollywood actor.”

Lucas frowned at him.

“Anyone I’d know?” Lilith said.

Visor put his elbow on the table, and let his helmet rest in his hand, with an effeminate flair, “Just think of whichever heart-rob you think is hottest, it’s probably me~”

Lilith smiled at the guy’s playful try-hard energy.

The black-haired witch smirked as she looked away from them, turning her attention to the people who already knew who she was, “My name is Eve, but most of you will know me as ChainedWr8. I’m a social worker, who loves pizza and long walks on the beach.”

The group turned to QTpopper, who took a few seconds to find her words, before nervously replying, “My name is Cleo. T-This is my boyfriend, Rafael. We don’t really want to be here. I hope you guys understand, I don’t want him to get hurt, or anyone for that matter.”

Eve and Lucas smiled like a pair of grinning bullies, while Harm, Robin, Lilith and the other tinies looked at her in somber empathy.

“She’s not like the others,” Oscar said.

Elias shook his head, “No, she’s one of them.”

“Aww, that’s actually kinda sweet,” Lilith said.

“Well, I know who I’m going after first,” Lucas said.

As eyes fell on Harm, he looked at the rest of the table with disdain, “You all already know my name. If it matters to any of you, I’m not here to kill anyone except Eve.”

As the table turned their attention to the ginger woman in an oversized plaid shirt, all she had to say was her name, “Robin.”

“Are you here to protect your friends too?” Lilith asked, leaning in right beside Robin, and smiling at the little people on the green table-carpet below them.

Robin looked down at the ones she had once sworn to keep safe, the ones who were in danger by just being around her, and were now under threat by outside forces. It had been a promise she had a hard time keeping on her own, how much of a chance did she have of keeping it now, with whatever game was about to unfold.

“Yes,” she said, quietly. “I am.”

“Isn’t it a bit unfair that some of them have tinies they care about involved, while most of us don’t?” Lilith said, addressing Mrs. Hat.

“Mycosized individuals are but playthings to us,” the grey-haired woman said, “we think of it as bringing your own toys to a playdate. Now that you are all acquainted with each other, it’s time for us to call upon a Winnowing, to grant a Reaper’s Mark to the invited prospects who are still to receive theirs.”

Lucas rubbed his hands together, excitedly, as Mrs. Hat raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The entire room lit up with a purple glow, which blinded everyone inside for a few seconds.

Harm reached his hand over the back of his right shoulder, feeling a slight burn. He raised the collar of his jumpsuit and peered inside. He couldn’t see the whole mark on his shoulder blade, but just enough to make out that it was black.

Cleo felt her mark burn against the top of her left foot. She slowly pulled her hands away from Rafael to pull off her shoe, and check beneath her sock. On the back of her foot was a mark of three crescent moons, one mirroring the others, its points reaching into the others’ curves. It was black too.

“Wait, no! No!” a voice shouted at the other end of the table. “This has to be a mistake.”

The attention of everyone at the table was drawn to Lucas, who held his arm out, the mark on it was visible to everyone; purple.

“Looks like we have a poser in our midst,” Eve chuckled.

Lucas looked across the faces of a table full of dangerous psychopaths, as the realization set in, and a look of horror replaced his cocky smirk. He wasn’t a part of their little club; he was their prey.

“Hold on, I’m not a normie! I’m one of you!”

The rabbit walked along the glass window overlooking the cityscape, his modulated voice sounding from his mask, “Neither a player nor a personal playmate, Lucas now falls outside of the game rules that would otherwise protect him today. Reapers, feel free to do with him as you like.”

Mrs. Hat snapped her fingers again, causing the mark on Lucas’ arm to burn, as a purple glow enveloped his body, reducing his size to that of a two-inch tall tiny, disappearing from the table’s view into his chair.

“Wade, help me!” he shouted up at his friend.

Visor looked down, “After you tried to sabotage me in front of this baddie, go fuck yourself.”

The giant looked over to Lilith and cocked his helmet to the side, “Heya cutes, looks like the chair beside me just opened up.”

Lilith’s lips thinned into a wide grin beneath her septum piercing, “Well, if a gentleman is offering~”

The tall woman got up from the chair next to Robin, and walked over to pull back the one beside Visor. All Lucas could do was scream and beg in horror as this tall elegant behemoth looked down at him with joyful sadistic vindictiveness.

“I’m sorry, ok!” Lucas squealed into a voice crack. “Don’t! You’ll kill me!”

The giantess shuffled in between the table and the chair, before intentionally raising her black knife skirt to give the nineteen-year-old a full view of her towering, thin pale thighs, and her black underwear. The little guy cried out in horror at the sight of her tight butt descending, as he caught a glimpse of her untucked crotch; her balls squeezing against the fabric of her underwear, along with the shape of a surprising and horrifically massive-

Darkness crashed down on him, a ceiling of squishy softness quickly turning to hardened pressure as soon as it touched him. He wjusas buried beneath the warm skin of her right inner thigh, just outside the leg-rim of the giantess’s underwear.

He could feel his bones cry out in pain, a few of his ribs snapping and collapsing, and his legs were getting squeezed so tightly, it cut off the blood flow. His head stuck out from beneath the thigh-skin just enough to allow him some small breaths of air in the darkness beneath the woman’s crotch.

The placement of near the front of her seating was borne of pure luck. Lilith had sat down on the boy in completely uncaring casualness. If he had been just a little too far back, her weight would have squeezed him like a hydraulic press. If he’d been a bit more to the side, he’d have suffocated against her skin.

Right now, he was still alive, his body pressed just past its breaking point, but alive, able to breathe the air, scented with a mixture of lavender fabric softener and a surprisingly feminine body odor emanating from organs which Lucas’ tiny brain couldn’t comprehend the complex realigned biological reality of.

Robin stared at the woman’s face, reading the satisfaction of her smile, the distracted focus of her eyes which hinted at her mind focusing on senses elsewhere. It was like watching someone else eat a five-star meal, and trying to experience the delicious taste of it through looking at them alone. How nice must it be, to feel a life flattened and burst to death under one of humanity’s most common poses of ease.

“Did you just kill him?!” Cleo said, her eyes wide, her brow furrowed.

“Dunno,” Lilith said. “I didn’t feel him burst open, but felt something crack.”

“Aren’t you gonna check?” Wr8 said. “Watch his little body break down bit by bit each time you sit back down.”

Lilith shrugged with an air of nonchalance, “Why bother, he’s not worth any invested sadism. He was just a loud annoyance that happened to be in my seat. Leave it up to fate, like his parents did when they ditched the condom.”

“R.I.P. Lucas,” Visor said. “I’ll make sure to tell his mom what happened.”

“They’re so easy with it,” Oscar said. “That kid might be dead.”

Elias scoffed, “He just said he wanted to target that other tiny, hard to feel bad for him.”

“Still...” Jade said.

“So, Doc,” Visor said, his helmet turning towards the rabbit by the window, “we playing cards this time around. Quite the change from the usual blood and guts.”

The rabbit’s button eye stared off into the city as he spoke, “You’ll be playing our version of poker. Texas Hold ‘em ruleset, without wildcards. Mrs. Hat and I will deal the cards.”

“That’s it?” Lilith said, “Just a poker game?”

Master Rabbit turned his attention back to the group, “It will be a quick game. Each player will start off with only a small amount of chips, and the game will last until one or more players run out. This will be considered Abject Defeat, resulting in the player’s mark being struck, and their mycosized body being offered to the player who won that betting round. At this end state, the player with the most chips will be awarded High Triumph, going home with the big prize pool they’ve gathered up, and if not yet attained; their Awakening, thereby unlocking their reaper ability.”

“So, one winner, and one or more losers?” Harm said with strained impatience. “What about the ones that don’t lose their entire stack by the end.”

Mrs. Hat answered, “Those will be sent home with their winnings and nothing else.”

Visor looked down at the empty green table surface, with only two decks of cards, “So uhm, where are the chips?”

Master Rabbit signaled Mrs. Hat with a nod, after which she raised her fingers for another loud snap, before a moment of silence fell across the table.

Theo jumped as he heard a loud gust of wind beside him, and swung his head to look over at a cloud of purple smoke dissipating from the two-inch-tall body of a woman in casual office attire, standing only an inch away with a shocked expression.

Oscar frowned, “What the-”

More puffs of smoke appeared all around the table. Tinies, one after the other appeared in front of each of the other the giants, at an increasing pace, each adding to a growing soundscape of panicked gasps and screams, until the tinies in front of each reaper counted exactly ten (tinies that were already on the table included), totaling a crowd of sixty shrunken people.

The rabbit tilted his head, until his right ear no longer covered his button eye, “Today’s game, is human poker.”