Vivid Shadows 2023 - THICC (story) (Patreon)

Shutout to Monstrifex for taking my word salad and make something that resembles a short story. I'm clearly not a writer but it's definitely fun to explore a new medium ;).

Tammy couldn’t figure out what her friend, Doctor Victoria Mendez, did for work. She just knew she loved her nerdy and quirky friend, who did very secret science stuff she couldn’t discuss due to a myriad of NDAs. The two had little in common, but that wasn't an impediment to the love and care they had for one another.

Their friendship eventually proved vital. Tammy's life went through a series of hiccups that slowly led her down into a depression that she couldn't shake off. No matter how she tried, there was never the right yoga pose, therapist, shaman, drug combo, or psychedelic microdosing that made her feel better. One of the few things that kept her going was Tori's weekly visits to indulge their shared love for crappy horror movies. The comfort of sharing an evening with a loved friend without the pressure of having to entertain or perform, just be, to laugh and acknowledge the awful acting and CGI was what allowed her to enjoy Victoria's company instead of spiraling down into anxiety.

In one of these hangouts, after a bottle or wine (or two, or three) the clearly inebriated Tori started sharing how well her project was going. How her test subjects were having such positive results that she was sure to get more funding to continue her research. Or at least that’s what Tammy thought she was saying, in their drunken state she couldn’t be sure.

Victoria's explanation got progressively quieter, giving the impression that she was no longer having a conversation with her friend but rather with herself. Her voice became a murmur, and she got seemingly lost in thought. After some seconds in silence Tori’s eyes went wide. With an alcohol-induced-lightbulb-moment she held her dear friend's hands, and in very slurred speech she told Tammy this could be her opportunity to get better! They had enough data to assure it was safe (mostly, Victoria's concept of 'safe' wasn't considered standard within the medical field) and she would be there every step of the way!

Tammy went along with it, being quite intoxicated herself and possessing the conviction that can only be found at the bottom of a bottle. Then, she promptly forgot about it when they went to bed. Luckily for her Tori didn't, and the following weeks were a blur of second guesses and paperwork.

When the day came that she entered the facility, carrying her luggage for a long stay, she realized that no amount of paperwork or conversations could've prepared her for what came next.

A Symbiote.

A fucking alien symbiote.

A fucking sentient symbiote from space.

What kind of comic-parody-bullshit was happening to her? Had her depression turned into psychosis?

Eh, what the hell. She was here anyway. Tammy thanked her depressed brain for making it impossible to be amazed by something as earth-shaking as contact with sentient life from another planet.

Her first week was spent getting to know the other participants in the experiment, and how they felt about it. Hours upon hours speaking with several participants informed her that enthusiastic consent was vital for success, given that higher cortisol levels caused by stress increased the chances of rejection. She found it hard to imagine not consenting, listening to the other's experiences.

She became particularly fascinated with Layla, one of the first participants. Tammy’s cheeks flushed as she listened to them intently. Apparently the symbiote desired higher endorphin levels, given that it strengthened the bond between them and their host. She also learned that because of a quirk of the symbiote-human connection, Layla wasn’t always in control of the new and, as Layla put it, very sensitive tendrils.

This caused some surprises during Tammy & Layla’s conversations. The symbiote must have considered their endorphin levels too low, or maybe they just thought they should be higher, or maybe they just knew that Layla loved to show off. Their tendrils would start caressing their body, even if they were in the middle of a very pleasant conversation.

“You have nothing to-Ah!- to worry about, darling,” Tammy heard Layla purr, as the tendrils started to massage their perky breasts. Tammy bit her lip as Layla licked theirs. “I promise you, love. Once you’re in… you’re, ah….” Layla started to rub her thighs together, as if the mere idea they were trying to share was enough to turn her on. “Once you’re one of us, you’ll feel like the- oh god- like the world is at your feet!” The last word was almost a gasp, as she started to suck on her tentacle-like tail.

Layla observed in quiet fascination for a moment, waiting for her friend to regain some self control. She was painfully aware of how wet she was getting, and blushed even further when she considered that Layla (who kept eye contact the whole time) might have been aware of how much they were turning her on. Was she reading too much into it?.

After some awkwardness and some laughs, the conversation continued a while longer. After hugging them good-bye, Tammy walked to her quarters with Layla’s words echoing in her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so aroused. Had she ever? But that wasn’t important. She barely made it to her room, and as the door closed she started to undress. She hastily caressed her breasts as she fell on the bed, the image of the human-symbiote hybrid making her gasp in pleasure. She lost herself in the fantasy of being in Layla’s place.

The next morning Tammy woke up to Victoria’s voice on the intercom. She blushed again as she realized how much her room smelled like sex and sweat.

“Good morning Tam! This is your big day, are you ready?” she heard her friend say.

Tammy smiled. “I can hardly wait”.

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NOTE:

Also Victoria is a character from previous years that you can see here, on Last year's Vivid Shadows:

or this one, from 2021: