Carnivorous Carnation
Premise Tags: Transmigrators,
Original Hosts, Halloween Night,
CEO, White Lotus, Spurned Lover,
Systems, Subversive, Dark Humor.
Content Warnings: Non-physical Death,
Vague Sexual Acts.
In a large and luxurious looking hotel room stands two individuals, both breathtaking, otherworldly beauties. The taller man has sharp, masculine features, and dark hair outlining a pale but fierce visage. His expression is cold and his posture is solitary and alienating as he stands in a neat, crisp suit. He faces the window, refusing to look at the other individual in the room.
The other man is shorter, but his presence is no less. He has enchantingly pale and delicate features framed by thick, curly, golden locks, outlining his large baby blue eyes. Currently those eyes are wide and watery, filled with desolation as his gaze remains glued to the other man’s back.
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!” The young man’s voice is heart wrenching, like the desperate mewling of a cat. A voice like that would break anyone’s resolve... but not the man in the suit’s.
“You said that last time.” The older man’s voice is as frigid as his appearance, sharp and cutting.
“This time I won’t, I really won’t!” The smaller man cries but the taller one refuses to spare him a single glance.
Somewhere above the two, a pair of spectators watch the dog blooded drama.
“Wow, what a scum.” A voice replies, sounding rather like a young man in his early teens. “Well, I guess that’s why I’m here, right Counteracting Scum Boyfriend System?”
“Yes, host.” A robotic voice answers.
“Alright, let’s go down and counteract, hurry up and send me into the body of that pitiful guy! Why chase someone who won’t even spare you a glance? I’ll take over and show him what it means to abandon scums and become a winner in life!” The young voice responds, enthusiastically. “Oh wait, System?”
“Yes.”
“I get overtime rewards for working on Halloween, right?”
“Yes Host.”
“You know, it’s weird how there are so many more rewards for working on Halloween. It’s not like it’s harder or anything, right? Whatever, let’s go!!!” With that, the two presences vanish from the top of the luxurious hotel.
Meanwhile, down below the sobbing man freezes as his gaze is downcast. Slowly he lifts his eyes, but something has changed. That hopeless, desperate gaze is replaced by another one, a more steely, fiery, and determined gaze. As if sensing something, the colder man finally turns around and meets the blond man’s transformed gaze. Seeing it, the tall man raises a brow but doesn’t say anything. Instead the smaller man speaks.
“I won’t stand for this anymore! I don’t care about you anymore, I won’t stand you treating me this way!”
The taller man stares at him for a moment, then quirks the corner of his lip into a smile. Seeing this, the smaller man becomes even more enraged.
“What are you laughing for?! I’m telling you, I won’t stand you treating me this way anymore!”
The taller man purses his lips, as if holding back laughter.
“You? Or the body you’re in right now?”
“What?” The younger man freezes. “What are you talking about?! I’m leaving!”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The taller man calls out, his voice nonchalant.
“Shut up!” The shorter man bellows.
“Well, I warned you.” The taller man shrugs. “I suppose it’ll start in... three... two... one.”
The shorter man stops dead with one foot outside the hotel room. His face distorts, then he starts gasping like a drowning man struggling for air. Slowly he sinks to his knees as his gasps get softer and softer and finally... vanishes. The taller man watches uncaringly as the shorter man simply sits there on his knees for several moments. Finally, he looks up and opens his mouth.
“BUUUUUUURP.” Behind him, the taller man slowly clicks his tongue.
“Tch, tch, tch... how was it?” The shorter man continues looking down and slowly a smile blooms on his lips. The smile should look innocent and sweet on his angelic visage, yet something about it is... off. Unhinged, or perhaps grotesque is the correct word to describe it. He opens his mouth.
“It was... delicious.” He spends another moment reveling in the delicacy before freezing, as if realizing something. He slowly turns around, the smile gone and replaced with a look of horror.
“I-I didn’t mean to…” He meets the taller man’s seemingly smiling, yet freezing cold gaze. “I really didn’t, I promise! It just happened!” The other man simply stares at him and, under his gaze, the smaller man grows increasingly antsy.
“I really, really didn’t! I-”
The taller man cuts across him, his voice frigid. “I’ve told you time and time again not to consume random souls that come out of nowhere. In fact, I was just telling you, and guess what you did a moment later?”
“I-I-I-”
“You do know we’re only legally allowed to be out in the human world one night a year? And you just had to consume a human soul on that one night. If the authorities find out, do you know what’ll happen? Maybe I should send you to them myself-”
“I didn’t mean to!” The shorter man springs up, grasping the taller man’s clothes as if clinging onto a lifeline, his already pale fingers looking even whiter with how tightly he clutches the other man’s sleeve.
The taller man simply purses his lips and looks down, the expression in his eyes hidden. Meanwhile, the other man’s grip becomes tighter and tighter as his eyes grow increasingly hopeless. Finally, the taller man looks up and his eyes are filled with... mirth?
“Forget it, you’re a helpless glutton.” He says, reaching out to ruffle the other man’s hair with a smile. For a moment, the shorter man is frozen. Then, after a moment, he reacts.
“You mean... it’s fine?” He asks looking up, hope glistening in the depths of his baby blue orbs.
The other man smiles coldly. “As long as we get rid of all the evidence.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, the smaller man leaps onto the larger man, sending him tumbling to the floor. On the ground, the two notice the ambiguous posture and something turns hot and molten in their eyes. They pull close to each other, the shorter man winding around the taller man’s surprisingly muscled frame as their lips meet.
Meanwhile someone else in the room isn’t feeling as cheerful. As soon as the words “get rid of all the evidence” came out of the taller man’s mouth, the system began sweating despite having neither sweat glands nor emotions, finally realizing why there are so many rewards for working on Halloween. Now, it senses that there’s a mental barrier in the room preventing it from exiting as easily as it came. Meanwhile, increasingly lewd noises arise from the duo entangled on the ground. The system shivers, realizing that this R-18 scene may be the last thing it ever sees... so it decides to take a closer look. But before it gets the chance, it’s gone. On the floor, the young man whines: “Why did you eat it? It was fun having an audience.”
Hearing this, the taller man’s arms tighten around the smaller man’s frame. “No one but me can glance at even a hair on your body. No one.”
Hearing his possessive tone, the young man giggles and winds tighter around the other’s body.
🎃
Author's Account:
CynicalStrawberry (SH).
Moral of this: sometimes the original soul actually doesn’t appreciate a host jumping in and taking over their life (also don’t go transmigrating on Halloween, only trick-or-treating ;) ). This short story is derived from the idea for another story I’m writing on SH called “True White Lotus”. The two stories are similar in that they explore an idea I’ve wondered about for a while. Transmigration is a whole genre. There are so many novels where a new “better soul” just jumps into a “useless” person’s body and takes over their life.
What about the original hosts, are they really okay with their lives being taken over like that? So what if they’re weak or useless or vicious? That’s still their lives that someone else takes over. That’s one thing I appreciate about the light novel “Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends From The Trash Bin”. The host fixes the original soul’s lives but then returns their lives to them. I still think it’d be better if the original souls grew and fixed their lives themselves but oh well, we all need a little help sometimes. So this story and the “True White Lotus”, which I will eventually finish, are rather like retribution tales. Sometimes the original souls will bite (cue the maniacal laughter).
The title of this piece is a play on the idea of the white lotus. A white lotus is a Chinese light novel term referring to people who are externally pure and kind but internally scheming. Our main character is an equally beautiful flower compared to those white lotuses, however, he’s not ashamed to show his dark side proudly and clearly like a vibrant carnation. Plus, he’s carnivorous (he literally ate that transmigrator), hence: “Carnivorous Carnation”.
Big f for the poor transmigration bro, didn't see that coming at all. I also give my condolences to the system, it couldn't even enjoy that last spicy-scene it wanted too XD.
ah but I loved the story, it was so fun! This entire situation was a huge mess and it was hilarious to see it unfold. It was super enjoyable but If I had to name a flaw— it was too damn short!
I wouldn't mind seeing the shenanigans of these two more hehe.
lmao i was laughing at the fate of the player? transmigrator? like i am so sorry buddy but also i was laughing at his poor fate.
the whole mood of this story is fun in an evil way. it felt like reading about two villains having fun with each other while carrying out evil deeds. Although i dont know they are evil per se, but it was still very devilishly fun
also rip the system. but at least it get a good front seat view uwu
I love that your idea of taking over someone's body is like mine. My version is a little different as I wrote while being mindful of the previous owner tho my story have a twist I won't share. I definitely like these two and would read a full book version of this.
Im starting to wonder what they are since they can only come out during Halloween. This is like the Halloween lore where the ghouls and demons have a night of freedom thus we must blend in with them. I truly enjoy this and like that you dislike the idea of fixing someone else life or stealing it. These people should definitely learn to get better on their own rather than got better by someone else effort. Who are we to say that they wont fall down the same rabbit hole, right?
Also, I hate when ML all of a sudden likes the new soul cayse theyre different. It makes me feel like its unfair for the original owner. So your story definitely something I enjoy because its unconventional and I like it.
This is definitely a good piece from you. Much more interesting than your other entry but its not due to bad writing but I'm just picking favourite between your two entries
This is short to the point I want M O A R !
Thank you for your entry ❤️
Thank you for your lovely comment! I'm glad you liked the piece, it is definitely more devilishly fun than my other piece. And you're spot on about the main characters, they are some supernatural existence limited by the rules of the world, I just haven't thought of what yet.
I'd love to write more...I just need ideas and time
I'm glad you enjoyed it though!
Also you mentioned that my idea of someone taking over another's body is similar to yours. Were you referring to "One last time" or is there a story of yours I missed in the collection?
Thanks for commenting :)
@CynicalStrawberry
I was talking about my novel [that I recently completed] called Second Chance but it's not that well done in my opinion but its the best I can do as I didn't want to expand the world or drag the story since it was a re-write. 
I hope you'll get inspiration on this someday~ Take your time ♥
@Heart ooh, now I want to check it out
And I'm sure it's better than you think :) Thanks!
Another short but equally interesting piece by you
So the white lotus is actually a carnivorous carnation... what an interesting concept. Yes, I agree that sometimes the transmigration genre is always how the Host has to help take revenge or occupies the body of a so called waste. The system is rather skewed so it's nice that they get their comeuppance once in a while.
The plot twist was fun and well executed. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for the lovely comment!
It always makes me uneasy when they force themselves on the old soul too. There's a really good webcomic where the transmigrator soul is summoned by the resentment of the original host, and given the task of fulfilling their last wishes, and it was so much more satisfying.
What you terrifying couple to be caught by, though!
Thank you for the tale~!
Yup, transmigrators be wary, not all hosts can be messed with~ Thanks for commenting!
@CynicalStrawberry It's "Cheating Men Must Die" - https://mangadex.org/title/1fcaaa65-6fa4-4772-9006-b905101905d7
I really need to catch up on it myself~!
@Moonpearl Ooh, I think I've seen it before, I'll check it out :)
Ahahahaha, yeah, that was a twist - I kind of figured something would happen, considering the White Lotus tag. I wasn't necessarily expecting the burp though.
Also, yeah, there are so many stories out there with transmigrators ending up in the bodies of supposedly "useless" individuals and then it's their body/life from that point onward, no problem. So, this was a nice change!
omg the plot twist!!!!! very nice!
۞_۞ THIS TOTALLY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD!!!
“BUUUUUUURP.” Behind him, the taller man slowly clicks his tongue.
LIKE COME ON!!! That plot twist!
( '-' ) then it became irony when
before it gets the chance, it’s gone.
ah! the poor system always having to mosaic himself for R-18 scene but when it finally has a slimmer of chance, it was eaten away. (・∀・ ) short, but packed with a punch! Definitely a lure to bait readers like me for more!
I offer myself willingly
thanks for sharing~
I'm glad you were surprised
Thank you for reading and for this wonderful comment!