Black Kumo くも

Rain pressed softly against the tall windows of the townhouse, turning the city outside into streaks of gold and grey. Inside, everything was warm light and careful.

Adrian Vale stood in the kitchen with one hand braced against the marble counter, watching ice melt slowly in a glass of bourbon he’d stopped drinking ten minutes ago.

He was 46.

Most people guessed younger. Not because he chased it, he didn’t bother with desperate things like dyed hair or flashy clothes—but because time had settled on him gently. Silver threaded his dark hair at the temples. His face had sharpened instead of softened with age. He moved with the kind of confidence that made younger men straighten unconsciously when he looked at them.

And they always looked.

Especially the frat boys.

Loud in packs. Sunburned shoulders in summer. Cheap cologne layered over beer and detergent. They arrived everywhere like they owned the room, then folded embarrassingly fast under direct attention.

Adrian liked that moment best.

The shift.

The instant confidence turned into nervous laughter.

He crossed the kitchen and picked up his phone from beside the sink. Notifications glowed across the screen, messages stacked on top of each other, invitations, ignored conversations, half-finished replies.

None of the names mattered much anymore.

His townhouse sat just off campus territory, close enough that students drifted through the neighborhood constantly. Over the years the place had developed a reputation. Not openly. Nothing obvious. Just whispers passed between people after parties.

Adrian always hosted the best afterparties.

Enough music. Enough alcohol. Enough mystery.

No one ever asked too many questions about who actually knew him.

He walked into the living room, pausing near the massive windows. Across the street, wet pavement reflected neon from a bar sign down the block. Groups of students moved through the rain in clusters, jackets over their heads, laughing too loudly.

A fraternity house stood three streets away. Tonight would be busy there. Friday nights always were.

Adrian loosened the cuffs of his black shirt and glanced toward the hallway mirror. Calm expression. Relaxed posture. The exact right amount of warmth in his eyes.

Practiced.

He opened Instagram first, then another app after that, scrolling slowly through stories and tagged photos from campus parties already underway.

A familiar pattern emerged quickly: Red plastic cups. Kitchen counters. Sweaty shoulders. Group photos taken too close.

Then he stopped.

A blond guy leaned halfway out of frame in someone’s story, laughing at something off-camera. Broad shoulders under a varsity jacket. Baseball cap backwards. A face that was handsome in the careless way youth made effortless.

The caption tagged a fraternity house Adrian recognized immediately.

He watched the clip twice.

Then a third time.

Outside, rain tapped steadily against the glass while Adrian smiled faintly to himself and picked up his coat from the back of the sofa.

Tonight, he decided, he was going to invite someone over.

Adrian sat at the kitchen island with his phone in one hand and bourbon in the other, scrolling through fraternity stories until he found the blond guy again.

Ethan Mercer. 22. Sigma Tau.

Every photo looked the same, laughing with friends, baseball cap backwards, arm around somebody’s shoulder. Comfortable. Social. Exactly the kind of guy who never expected anything strange to happen to him.

Adrian posted a quick story to a private circle connected to students he’d met before.

Afterparty at mine tonight. People heading over around 11.

Almost immediately, reactions started rolling in.

A few minutes later, a new message appeared.

yo is this actually happening tonight

Adrian smiled slightly.

Depends who’s asking.

Ethan. Saw Tyler repost it

Adrian waited before replying.

Yeah. Swing by if you want. Few people already here.

That was all it took.

By the time Ethan arrived, rain clung to the shoulders of his jacket. The townhouse stood quiet at the end of the street, warm light glowing through tall windows.

No loud music outside. No crowd.

Still, he walked up the steps and knocked.

The door opened almost immediately.

“Ethan,” Adrian said, like he’d been expecting him.

Up close, he was intimidatingly attractive. Older, confident, perfectly relaxed.

“Hey,” Ethan said with a nervous laugh. “Hope I’m not too early.”

“Not at all. Come in.”

Ethan stepped inside.

Soft music drifted through the house. Amber light reflected off dark wood floors and expensive furniture.

Then he glanced toward the living room.

No people.

No noise.

No party at all.

"Where's the party at?" Ethan enquired, sounding nervous looking around the townhouse.

That's when his fate was sealed...

"The party has just begun" Adrian whispered, his eyes glowing red, starting into Ethan's soft eyes.

Ethan felt his whole body weaken. He tried to fight it off but he couldn't.

He fell to the floor and felt Adrian start dragging him somewhere...

When Ethan came to and tried to open his eyes, he couldn't see anything. He could just feel something pressing against his face.

"Wh-where am I?" He desperately groaned, trying to wiggle free.

"Where you belong now. To me" Adrian responded coldly. "Just watch as the spiral comes on and relaxes your mind, it makes the next part a lot easier for you..."

Sink deeper

Give in

Sleep

Sink deeper

Give in

Sleep

Sink deeper

Give in

Sleep

All Ethan could do was resist. He tried to resist as long as he could but he was falling drowsy.

Ethan heard rolling along the floor, and something long go into his mouth...

Ethan tried to resist but he couldn't.

He felt a thick substance go into his mouth and he did everything in his power to spit it out.

Until Adrian walked over and held his mouth shut, whispering into Ethan's ear, "this is my favourite part, you'll be one of them soon..."

Ethan finally mustered up the strength to ask, "what's happening to me?"

Adrian laughed, "well, firstly, the headset is calming your subconscious mind to make this process a little quicker. But, my favourite part, this substance flowing through your entire body right now. Spit. That's right, the spit from the lucky guy before you. And this bucket under your chair catching your drool. Spit to be used by our next plaything. Isn't that fun?"

Ethan couldn't talk any more, but after hearing that, thoughts were racing through his mind, someone had to get him out of this. Someone had to know where he is...

Almost as if Adrian knew what he was thinking, "no one is coming to get you... I sent a story from your phone telling everyone how you're done for the night. They won't notice for at least 12 hours..."

Ethan grew completely hopeless, and seemingly gave up, feeling Adrian stroking his cheek, feeling the spit course his veins...

Ten minutes later, Ethan became entirely unresponsive...

Adrian knew his work here was done and went back upstairs, ready to come back down in an hour when the transformation should be complete.

Adrian started scrolling through all of Ethan's social medias.

Looking at his life, who he used to be, his friends, his boyfriend...

Adrian cherished getting to know each of his victims. After all, they were about to spend eternity together.#

About 55 minutes later, Adrian stood up and headed back down to the basement.

And what he saw was exactly what he wanted.

He could not be more pleased.

Every hint of life, erased.

"Follow me." Adrian ordered.

"Yes Sir." Ethan droned in a robotic tone.

Adrian took Ethan into an adjoining room, removed Ethan's clothing and placed a collar and some new shorts onto him.

"Doesn't that suit you much better?" Adrian jeered.

"Yes Sir." Ethan droned in the same monotone robotic tone.

"Wonderful. No one would even recognise you anymore..."

Adrian took Ethan's hand and took him into a deeper room.

"Go. Join the others, you might recognise a few familiar faces..."

Ethan stepped into the crowd without question.

Adrian was right, many of Ethan's old classmates and frat brothers were also down here, supposed to have just dropped out or moved away.

No one could have expected this.

Ethan would have been mortified.

That was, if he could still think for himself...

2 days later, Adrian came back down to his collection of toys.

"Ethan, I have a visitor coming. Your buddy Matt, if only you could remember him... Anyways, I need your spit so he can join you."

Adrian walked close to Ethan, started stroking his cheek and whispering in his ear, and just like that, Ethan began to drain his seed for his master, after all, his only purpose was to serve and transform others...

Jake was 21, about to finish his university studies and begin a career in the world of accounting. He had just finished the term and, along with his boyfriend, Ryan, were getting ready for a nice and relaxing 2 weeks off.

Jake and Ryan had been together for 2 years, and were already looking at places to move after finishing their studies. Both hoping to make a good life together...

They could not be more different if they tried. Just looking at them together, no one would assume that they were a couple, but that kind of thing pulled them closer together. Each other's differences made them feel a sense of safety around each other.

Jake had always been a bit more rough than the average guy and Ryan had always been more refined, but they found themselves drawing closer together when they stopped acknowledging their differences.

They had been relaxing for the first couple days of their break at Ryan's parent's house, just lounging around watching TV.

Ryan's dad had been hanging about the house too after also being off work coincidentally. But neither of them minded. Ryan's dad was a nice guy, looked a bit rough with the tattoos, but a man with a kind heart.

The first 3 days was spent the same way each day:

Wake up

Have breakfast together

Watch TV for hours

Cuddle

Eat dinner

Cuddle

Eat tea

Cuddle

But they didn't care. All they wanted was to be in each other's company.

Every now and then, Ryan's dad would come in and make some joke about them getting stuck to that sofa or standing in front of the TV just to annoy them.

It wasn't until a week had passed when a thought popped into Jake's head as he struggled to sleep; they hadn't seen Ryan's dad all day 2 days ago, and ever since he came back he's been so distant. Rarely ever talking to them, if he does its just a couple grunts and he'll leave.

Ryan told him it must just be stress, something work related most likely, but Jake couldn't stop thinking about it. He knew that Ryan was probably right, like he always was so he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day they spent in the usual way, until Ryan mentioned that he was going to the spa with a couple of his friends from his school days, so Jake would have to entertain himself for the day.

Jake was pottering around the house for a couple hours, doing a whole lot of nothing.

It wasn't until 15:00 that he remembered Ryan's dad was even home. He had been in his room all day...

He tried texting Ryan to ask when he was coming home, but he just responded with a sarcastic comment about being too much of a baby to talk to his dad.

That message tipped Jake over the edge. If there is one thing that he wouldn't tolerate, it was being called a baby. So he got up, marched over to Ryan's dad's room and knocked and opened the door simultaneously.

What he was met with on the other side shook him to his core.

Jake jumped, let out a gasp and dropped his phone as Ryan's dad looked up.

He wiped his mouth and began trying to explain what had happened, but his voice was too monotone, Jake knew something was up.

"Your mouth! What was that?!" he yelled.

"What was what? You must be seeing things boy."

Jake knew what he saw, he didn't understand what it was, but he knew he had to get out of there fast.

He turned, and bolted down the stairs and tried to open the front door.

Locked

He ran to the back door.

Locked

Every door and window were locked, without a key in sight.

"Jake. Come back." A voice travelled downstairs.

Jake, feeling as if he had no other option, slowly went back upstairs and back into Ryan's dad's bedroom.

"Join us. Join me and serve the collective." Ryan's dad moved closer to Jake, holding a mass of black goo.

Jake tried to step back, but Ryan's dad jolted forward, pushed Jake against the wall and shoved the mass of goo into his mouth.

Jake only struggled for a couple of seconds. That was all it took for the goo to start taking control.

Ryan's dad couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.

He was happy, but mostly proud that he has initiated another member of the hivemind.

He watched Jake roll around on the floor for a couple seconds, until it stopped and a black puddle emerged from under him

20 minutes had passed and Jake's initiation was complete.

Jake and Ryan's dad were now linked. Together, they serve a higher purpose.

Together, they make up part of the hive mind.

For a couple days after, Jake and Ryan's dad lay low, trying to avoid Ryan as best they can, slipping away to grow their connection even more and make their connection to the hive stronger.

Ryan was growing increasingly angry with Jake because he wasn't being very chatty or emotive with him.

They had been sat on the couch all day and Jake had barely spoken a word to him, and when Ryan looked back at the pictures he took of them, he just hated them.

Jake just had this annoying, blank expression on his face in every single one.

He wouldn't even sit close to him anymore.

Jake, completely unaware of Ryan's feelings spoke up for the first time in 2 hours to say, "I will be back. Need to take care of something."

Ryan was furious... so mad to the point he didn't even say anything, he just waited a couple seconds for Jake to get up and followed him. "why was he going into the boiler cupboard"? Ryan thought and he slowly opened the door...

"Wh- wha- what's going on!?" Ryan blurted out, stumbling back.

Jake and Ryan's dad paused for a second, looked at each other, smiled and in unison chanted, "another one for the hive..." before following Ryan into the living room.

Ryan was stumbling around, legs shaking, trying to run away. He didn't know what he just saw but he knew he had to run.

As he was running away, he tripped on the coffee table leg, fell to the ground and scuffled into the corner of the room.

"Please!! Don't hurt me!" he yelled, trying to move back but there was no hope. He was trapped.

"You will join us..." Jake and Ryan's dad said in perfect unison.

Ryan's dad walked closer, kneeling down and holding Ryan's nose to force his mouth open as Jake knelt down, black goo in hand, shoving down Ryan's throat.

Just like Jake, Ryan begins to roll around on the ground. But they know the hive will claim him eventually.

They just have to wait.

And 45 minutes later, Ryan's initiation is complete.

"We serve the hive."

"We serve the hive."

Joey was fresh out of university after initially taking a gap year to travel. He had just finished his degree and was ready to jump straight in to work.

He thought it was a stroke of luck he found the perfect position at a new company in his home town. Working as the CEO's personal assistant for a couple months before taking on more responsibilities. Seemed good enough for him.

Joey walked in to the building, and was called up the CEO's office almost immediately.

Joey cautiously knocked on the door and was met with a deep voiced reply, "You may enter."

Joey slowly opened the door and walked in, trying to look at confident as he could, but deep down he was terrified of messing it up.

The CEO looked Joey up and down and smiled at him, "Sit. I am Mr. Stirling."

"So... tell me about yourself." Mr. Stirling asked

"Well, I'm a very hard worker and a quick learner, as well as being keen to get stuck in and get my head down."

Mr .Stirling looks him up and down again, smiles briefly, puts his hand onto the table and replies with a soft, "you can stop there, you sound perfect for the role."

Joey was taken aback, "th- thank you so much!" he eagerly responded, "what happens now?"

"Well, we shall continue to have a brief discussion, and begin to get you ready for the role, how about starting today?"

Joey eagerly nodded back, not being able to speak due to his excitement.

The 2 kept chatting for about 10 minutes until Mr. Stirling gave him a glass of water, "here, drink up, you're bound to be parched after talking for so long." he said with a comforting smile.

Joey gulped the water down and kept on talking, not realising how Mr. Stirling's words were pulling him in, making him feel drowsy.

20 minutes pass and Joey is apologising for yawning and having droopy eyes, when Mr. Stirling takes the chance to say, "it's okay... that reaction is normal" as he steps forward, closing Joey's eyes with his own hands, watching him fall into a deep trance.

Mr. Stirling opens his drawer, pulls out a pair of headphones and places them carefully over Joey's ears.

"Listen to the sounds, Joey Listen to what they are telling you..."

Listen

Obey

Sink

Listen

Obey

Sink

A deep hum pairs itself with the repeating voice, pulling Joey into the deepest sleep of his life.

Mr. Stirling removes one of the speakers so he can whisper into Joey's ear.

"Fall deep for me boy. You want to become my new worker. You want to change yourself for me."

Mr. Stirling puts his hand through Joey's hair, "we'll have to fix this first..."

2 hours pass and the recording finally ends.

Joey is still un-responsive in the same pose as when he came in.

Mr. Stirling took Joey's hand, and led him into the adjoining room.

"Listen boy. Change your clothes first, I have laid out your new uniform for you. Do you understand?"

"...Y-Y-Yes Si--r...." Joey slowly droned, barely managing to get any words out.

Joey stepped into the wardrobe, and after 2 minutes he emerged in his new uniform.

Mr. Stirling circled Joey like a predator with his prey, "I think we need to make you look even more suitable to serve me, don't you think?"

"mmphhh" Joey couldn't even get any words out at all anymore, as Mr. Stirling took his hand once more, taking him into the office basement.

Joey was pushed into a leather chair, eyes closed once more, and the only sound in the room was a soft buzzzz from the clippers.

"Need to make you smoother and neater boy." Mr. Stirling beckoned across the room.

The clippers worked their way across Joey's face, removing all hairs from his face.

Afterall, all of Mr. Stirling's workers needed to be entirely smooth.

After Joey's treatment was completed, his eyes opened, but there was nothing there.

"I am your servant to be used however you see fit." Joey moaned.

"Your new life begins today Vincent, you are now a pristine preppy boy. I've taken the liberty of upgrading your wardrobe. You will only wear collard shirt from now on. Pastel polos always tucked in. Chinos and loafers, your nice belts. It all feels so much better on you, don't you agree?" "Yes Sir" Vincent said, with a wide smile emanating from his face. There wasn't a single thought other than total obedience, and that was so swell, just how he liked it. It was just earlier that day that the rugged boy who went by the name "chaz" had run into a well dressed older man. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt, blue tie and jacket all tailored to him. He spotted the boy trying to act tough, trying to be cool. Once the older man, now known as "Master" had hypnotized Chaz on the spot, he began to reprogram him and change his life for the better. His new name was Vincent, it suited him much better. He lived with Master as his obedient servant, nothing but obedience for good preppy boys like him. Of course his wardobe had to change, tracksuits and ripped jeans are not suitable for a good preppy boy. Pink polos now lined his new wardrobe. Beige chinos lay neatly pressed, waiting to have a belt wrapped tightly around them. Oxford shirts, crisp white shirts, all ready to be worn on a different occasion.

But most importantly was masters brainwashing. 3 hours, daily, of course. Nothing less to make Vincent the perfect obedient boy he is suppposed to be. He always wears his preppy uniform now, his favorite is the pink polos, because it makes him feel even more submissive. It matches the pink cage that master put on him to help his training.

His hair is slicked back using the strongest hypno gel. Not a strand is ever out of place, just how master likes it. Vincent is his servant, and toy for when Master invites other dominant men around to use Vincent, and Vincent loves every second of it. It deepens his training, being used while dressed properly and locked up.

At the Gym his polos are tight fitting to show of his muscles, a good preppy boy should be in shape after all. But he always looks formal.

Vincent ran into one of his older friends once, and they were rather confused as to what had happened, but seeing Vincents blissed out face and demanour, they were intrigued. So Vincent invited them back to Masters house, where after examination by master, they were put in a deep trance and made to be just like Vincent. Masters army will continue to grow, if you ever run into a pristine preppy boy, you could be next...

Horny. Simples.