OPEN FOR BUSINESS !

DC OC RP BLOG INTRODUCING—- A REAL LIFE ZOMBIE ! ANT ! (He/him)

[ants-body-shop]

Welcome to Ant’s Body Shop !

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART — THEMES OF : Blood, derealization, disassociation, dismemberment, death, dubious body snatching, gore, malpractice, medical inaccuracies, mental illness, necromancy, referenced cannibalism, suicide, and violence.

Our usual catalogue of organs and limbs are in STOCK! Don’t ask questions, and you’ll receive a FIVE percent discount for every order you buy with us!

We got almost everything! Appendixes, livers, spleens, arms, skin, vocal cords, rotting, barely rotting, maggot infested OR fresh.

This is a simple, local, community-made store, run by a normal gothamite part-timer trying to make a living. Crime Alley based business!

basic info :

Ant, 22 years old, he/him,

Necromancer, resident of Gotham,

Runs a shop selling body parts,

Dont ask questions, wont ask questions in return.

Appearance/description post here.

In depth lore here.

Open roleplays — 1 : Animosity, 2 : Body Snatcher, 3 : Deep End (AU)

abilities include :

Raising the dead (human and animal), with varying levels of cognitive intelligence as is needed. From simply controlling the body, to gifting back the previous memories of life and personality.

past times include :

Reading obituaries, attending funerals, cleaning, being mindfully healthy, passively suicidal, taking care of his adopted child, being slightly delusional, watching people dance.

found family :

Roommate and co-parent — @zeke-in-gotham

Donator turned friend — @theoneandonlyscaregoon

Adopted older sister — @fiery-frostbite

ooc : ☕︎

Hiya! Its the Mun, ive been yearning to interact with the dc rp community scene for a hot minute!

I realize my themes might not be for everyone, and i respect those who wish not to interact with such things.

Im over 18 y/o, and go by he/him. Im a SUPER anxious person, so my apologies if I interrupt or misinterpret something, or come off as an inconvenience. Im only here for fun and to hopefully improve my writing skills! My main blog is @trypano so if you see a silly little fandom blog in your likes, thats me!!

My other RP blog is @slenderman-in-gotham

roleplay rules :

Not all replies or interactions have to be shop-talk! Feel free to introduce anything that might seem “off-topic” to this blog. DM’s are open for private RPs or OOC conversations!

Crossovers, angst, fluff, romance, horror, whump galore! Im up for all of it,

Will NOT do ERP (sexual content),

WILL do explicit graphic violence.

tagging system :

#ants bs — posts made, asked, or answered by ant,

#adjacent — reblogs by ant,

#ant mun — posts by the mun,

#prompts — rp reblogs,

[ants-body-shop]

//Hey diva, you still on this account?

- @theoneandonlyscaregoon

// heyyyy chat!!!! Im. Still technically on this account! Unfortunately i havent felt the motivation to interact with the fandom in a long while, let alone the motivation for to write for my oc ;0;

// so i guess this is my official notice of an indefinite hiatus. Soz guys, i promise im doing okay mentally, this just happens too often with fandoms in general (i dont believe in consistency /j)

// my interests unfortunately tend to wax and wane as my obsession with a fandom changes. I really did attempt to keep this account going regardless of my lack of want to keep up with DC media, but eventually I just could not keep up with improvising story lines like i used to. I had no choice but to step back from this account.

// lmao everytime i get a new obsession that gives me instant hits of dopamine just by mentioning it, im always like “this is it! This will be my fandom For Life! I will never leave!” And then guess what happens. Guess. What.

// hopefully i will come back to this account in due time and with a newly found vigor to write.

[ants-body-shop]

To all those who suggested I would not survive “y'all'd'nt've'd'd'I'd'nt've'd'y'all't've'd,” you would be UNFORTUNATELY correct.

[theoneandonlyscaregoon]

what

[ants-body-shop]

Standing for “You all would not have had, had I had not have had you all to have had."

An abomination of a sentence strung together, I know. When is this even applicable? I feel like this is only relevant to once in a lifetime scenarios. How did we even get here, truly?

[ants-body-shop]

Ant?

Hello, hello, good friend!

What might seem to be the problem?

[ants-body-shop]

The never-before-seen antagonizing people by automatically assuming they think you are stupid now in Live Action!

[ants-body-shop]

As someone with food issues and controlling tendencies, the absolute irritation that I get from seeing food go to waste is enough to ruin my day.

[zeke-in-gotham]

I also hate to see food go to waste. There are too many hungry mouths in this world for food to not be eaten.

[ants-body-shop]

Exactly this! It annoys me so when people take for granted the excess food they hav, and then discard said leftovers without any thought!

Why make food for no one to consume? Why not give it to someone in need, or at the very least make exact and precise portions so all is used down to the very last crumb?

[fireandwhatever]

It is almost complete, it whispers to me in an ancient tongue I haven't spoken in a long time. The blood was amazing, it worked well. I am deeply indebted to you, @ants-body-shop.

[ants-body-shop]

Sounds absolutely wonderful! I am happy to be of service to you and, um… your short-term goals!

[ants-body-shop]

As someone with food issues and controlling tendencies, the absolute irritation that I get from seeing food go to waste is enough to ruin my day.

[j0n-cr4n3]

I'm starting a tag game cause I said so In character casually trauma dump then tag some folks

The morning after I was crucified I got forcibly moved to gotham

@hermesofeyes @temp-war-profiteer

[hermesofeyes]

The days before my 13 birthday I was forced into surgery and had eyes put all around my body.

@j0kers-gamb1t @jam-todd @kirkbrides-faves @working-at-arkham

[j0kers-gamb1t]

I was mostly murdered and disfigured in my old place of work after quitting. Then spent days in the hospital in withdrawals after an overdose with said chemicals that disfigured me. Ha.

@director-of-arkham-city @askd0ctorjcrane @e-nygmaofficial @arkham-jekyll-gotham-hyde

[director-of-arkham-city-deactiv]

Hm? Oh, yes. I was stabbed and nearly molested as a child. I narrowly managed to escape, but when I screamed to be let go; the man laughed at me.

@askd0ctorjcrane, @crowsinthecornfield, @ivy-posting, @questionquery

[crowsinthecornfield-deactivated]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.

𝐀 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞.

@theoneandonlyscaregoon @stainedglass-mentalstate @arkhams-knighted

[arkhams-knighted]

I only got kidnapped because I saw that the Joker had killed an entire kindergarten class and sewn their limbs together in a chain.

@broken-wings-of-jaybirds @babycassandracain @gothamsfox @forbidden-bajha-blast-resurrctor

[bye-byelittlebirdie]

ooo ooo we wanna play umm were tortured in arkham for a year, we dug our of selves out of a coffin, we were in a coma for like another year, we were dunked into some toxic koolaid and now we are split into 3 parts!!

@marthajo @first-boy-wonder @waynesnumber1butler

[first-boy-wonder]

Ummmmm.. thinking!! I had to watch my parents fall to their deaths and then got told I couldn't stay at my home at the circus anymore with them gone! Now I'm stuck in GOTHAM, which is the traumatic part hehe :>!!!

@boundtobeahare @babycassandracain @thebestwondergirl @brucewayneloveswomen @gothams-dark-prince @mild-stalker-energy @izakk-tiberius-kyle @r3d-robin @stargazertheofficial

[mild-stalker-energy]

oh, um-

i didn't really get traumatized, actually

(bull fucking shit.)

@arrowsnsarcasm @gothams-greatest-actor @gotham1news

[arrowsnsarcasm]

Sometimes when I’m around fires the smell of it takes me back to the day my father died horrifically suffocating in a forest fire.

@raging-rosewilson27 @cursedass-demonhunters @gothams-star-seeker @john-brendan-knowles (if you want!)

[john-brendan-knowles]

When I see kids younger than 6 misbehaving my mind bombards me with images of me hitting them just like my father used to do before I got adopted.

@le4ves-1n-the-w1nd @morningstarscratch @jinx-badluckqueen

[jinx-badluckqueen]

I don't think I'll truly be accepted for changing my ways and every time I patrol, I'll have to brace myself to fight with the people I'm siding with...

Tagging!: @darkseraphscorner @xirunafer-the-worldshaper

[kaleb-doran-pariah-god]

We do not have the time, patience, or alcoholic beverages to get into what happened to me.

Tags: @loki-ft-other-ocs-too @thetruescholar @beauty-under-the-sun

[beauty-under-the-sun]

Um... my father tried to sell me to some guy who dressed me like a prostitute and branded me, then I blew up in front of my future boyfriend and went to Hell. Just for a little bit though.

@reminders-of-rhodes @wren-beowulf

[wren-beowulf]

Whenever I'm bein' shot at by the gangs or the cops, sometimes I just wanna let them have one lucky shot for everything 't be over. Never wanted things 't turn out this way, I just wanted 't go 't school...

@eden-byrnes @the-godly-trickster @fire-mfing-storm

[eden-byrnes]

i discovered i had the ability to track someone via their blood by it leading my to my parents bodies.

@seam-queen @corvidae-clockwork

[seam-queen]

everything about me isnt real and i tell myself i like it that way :)

its true if i keep saying it

@initialsubject @modronman

[modronman]

unit ASCALON is an artificial intelligence and therefore incapable of experiencing trauma

@samaeloffbrandangel @ants-body-shop @belladonna-ismyfavoritecriminal @sleep-deprived-tim

(Since the Order of Saint Dumas couldn't give me my 'divine wrath' in the typical manner of fetal electrocution, I was programmed with a 'Divine Wrath protocol'. If I'm given a command by a member of the Order of Saint Dumas, or if I'm threatened, it triggers a negative feedback loop that keeps getting worse until I neutralize my target or the threat. It's like the android equivalent of pain, and I can't even access the code for it. Only my creator is authorized to change this protocol, and he's been dead for years)

[ants-body-shop]

Realizing my consistent nature of coming back to a state of death is parallel to my best friends struggles of addiction. We each do the things we did for the hope of reaching the peace and contentment we felt from once we first began. I am no different from them. My obsession, too, has taken a greater hold on me than I care to properly address.

@luvmailing @zeke-in-gotham @the-martja @fiery-frostbite @angelofmercy-angelofdeath

[fireandwhatever]

it thrives on blood, will you supply me some?

[ants-body-shop]

For you? Always and happily! How much do you need?

[fireandwhatever]

Just three litres

[ants-body-shop]

Done and done! I hope you do not mind it being an amalgamation of a variety of blood types!

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

Did you, by any chance happen to mix the differing blood types together?

[ants-body-shop]

Not always! Had a bit of a meltdown the other day, and my low stock of blood just so happened to be my outlet for the day. Alls well that ends well, as the people say.

[ants-body-shop]

There is a fine line between generosity and gullibility, and I walk it like a tightrope— except I am swaying side to side and shaking like a leaf, please help me I am Scared Of Heights

[fireandwhatever]

it thrives on blood, will you supply me some?

[ants-body-shop]

For you? Always and happily! How much do you need?

[fireandwhatever]

Just three litres

[ants-body-shop]

Done and done! I hope you do not mind it being an amalgamation of a variety of blood types!

[ants-body-shop]

Open RP : Body Snatcher

The essence of any good heist, be it small or devastating, was the aspect of being deceptively sneaky. Thus, the notion of the fallen leaves crunching beneath Ants boots immediately became the antithesis of such, as he traversed the Gotham Cemetery.

Not to mention the constant groaning and rustling of the three reanimated bodies that followed him. At the best of times, their decreased motor functions were adequate enough to bypass any raised suspicion that might have been garnered by his visit-- and at the worst...

Well, theres a reason why he doesn't often try to borrow rotting corpses often.

"You uncoordinated oaf, you! You must get yourself together lest we get caught!" A whisper that was as obvious as a nuke sounded, as the four of them all crouched down behind one of the bigger stone monuments that littered the grounds.

The bright florescent light of a torch flooded the area surrounding them, barely but securely hidden by the shadows of the granite; before sweeping past them to move on.

A breath of relief could barely be heard, before another whisper, "Where did you leave your arm?"

Another bright light flashed upon them all, silencing them in their banter as Ants eyes were blinded briefly. Suddenly they widen in surprise, analyzing just who held the flashlight before them.

[bugboi-of-gotham]

".. ah" the figure had what looks like the head of a wasp ... "Sooo..... I take it your not one of the guys incharge of this place?" The eyes seem to be glowing like LEDs and the voice is distorted ....

"well .. this is awkward"

[ants-body-shop]

Ant stills, hands frozen in front of him to shield himself from the blinding light. He squinted to witness what little he could see.

The response he gained from the other, with all due respect, was a modulated voice that grated against his ears and made his nerves itch. He took the time to give a once over this bug-natured person

Soon enough, his hands lowered, parasympathetic procedures kicking in after his brief scare. "Indeed!" He cleared his throat, "I am not one of the works that work in this facility or career, to what I am assuming is to your relief-- vise versa for my own circumstances!"

[bugboi-of-gotham]

"well, I'm here to... Feed my pets... I take it your ... Doing something similar?"

They shrug a bit and the LEDs blink off and the helmet comes off .. revealing a blank face, as in no mouth or eyes or ears or features

[ants-body-shop]

Ant, wide eyed, and frankly cold to the bone in the stormy weather that was bound to pour anytime soon, had hesitated in his response before figuring it would be easiest to nod and agree, "Yes, yes! Exactly that!"

He watched as they moved with intrigue.

If his mask weren't securely situated to his face and chin, his jaw would have dropped squarely in the furthest reaches of hell as he witnessed the fleshy mass that was removed of any distinguishing aspects that would clock the face as anything human.

"A-ah." He cleared his throat, throwing side glances to his undead companions-- anything would be more familiar than looking at the emptiness of a face. "You wouldn't happen to be needing any aid to provide your... pets any food, now would you?" Curse his polite nature, made to bring him down to places he would not usually go without a machete.

[bugboi-of-gotham]

"nah... My girls can dig up the.... Food" as they say that a .. swarm of ants emerge from under the coat

[ants-body-shop]

Ant took a sharp breath in, lips tightly pursued as he stood silently, with many judgments in his mind. He tactically backed up a few steps, to be within the comfort of his fellow zombies, as the three stayed painfully nonchalant and stoic to the situation that was undone before them.

"Good to know!" He blinked a few times, each one with purpose, in order to regain his wits about him. "I suppose I shall leave you to your duty, as I fulfill mine. It was, uh, a pleasure to be in your presence!"

[ants-body-shop]

Open RP : Body Snatcher

The essence of any good heist, be it small or devastating, was the aspect of being deceptively sneaky. Thus, the notion of the fallen leaves crunching beneath Ants boots immediately became the antithesis of such, as he traversed the Gotham Cemetery.

Not to mention the constant groaning and rustling of the three reanimated bodies that followed him. At the best of times, their decreased motor functions were adequate enough to bypass any raised suspicion that might have been garnered by his visit-- and at the worst...

Well, theres a reason why he doesn't often try to borrow rotting corpses often.

"You uncoordinated oaf, you! You must get yourself together lest we get caught!" A whisper that was as obvious as a nuke sounded, as the four of them all crouched down behind one of the bigger stone monuments that littered the grounds.

The bright florescent light of a torch flooded the area surrounding them, barely but securely hidden by the shadows of the granite; before sweeping past them to move on.

A breath of relief could barely be heard, before another whisper, "Where did you leave your arm?"

Another bright light flashed upon them all, silencing them in their banter as Ants eyes were blinded briefly. Suddenly they widen in surprise, analyzing just who held the flashlight before them.

[bugboi-of-gotham]

".. ah" the figure had what looks like the head of a wasp ... "Sooo..... I take it your not one of the guys incharge of this place?" The eyes seem to be glowing like LEDs and the voice is distorted ....

"well .. this is awkward"

[ants-body-shop]

Ant stills, hands frozen in front of him to shield himself from the blinding light. He squinted to witness what little he could see.

The response he gained from the other, with all due respect, was a modulated voice that grated against his ears and made his nerves itch. He took the time to give a once over this bug-natured person

Soon enough, his hands lowered, parasympathetic procedures kicking in after his brief scare. "Indeed!" He cleared his throat, "I am not one of the works that work in this facility or career, to what I am assuming is to your relief-- vise versa for my own circumstances!"

[bugboi-of-gotham]

"well, I'm here to... Feed my pets... I take it your ... Doing something similar?"

They shrug a bit and the LEDs blink off and the helmet comes off .. revealing a blank face, as in no mouth or eyes or ears or features

[ants-body-shop]

Ant, wide eyed, and frankly cold to the bone in the stormy weather that was bound to pour anytime soon, had hesitated in his response before figuring it would be easiest to nod and agree, "Yes, yes! Exactly that!"

He watched as they moved with intrigue.

If his mask weren't securely situated to his face and chin, his jaw would have dropped squarely in the furthest reaches of hell as he witnessed the fleshy mass that was removed of any distinguishing aspects that would clock the face as anything human.

"A-ah." He cleared his throat, throwing side glances to his undead companions-- anything would be more familiar than looking at the emptiness of a face. "You wouldn't happen to be needing any aid to provide your... pets any food, now would you?" Curse his polite nature, made to bring him down to places he would not usually go without a machete.

[ants-body-shop]

Open RP : Body Snatcher

The essence of any good heist, be it small or devastating, was the aspect of being deceptively sneaky. Thus, the notion of the fallen leaves crunching beneath Ants boots immediately became the antithesis of such, as he traversed the Gotham Cemetery.

Not to mention the constant groaning and rustling of the three reanimated bodies that followed him. At the best of times, their decreased motor functions were adequate enough to bypass any raised suspicion that might have been garnered by his visit-- and at the worst...

Well, theres a reason why he doesn't often try to borrow rotting corpses often.

"You uncoordinated oaf, you! You must get yourself together lest we get caught!" A whisper that was as obvious as a nuke sounded, as the four of them all crouched down behind one of the bigger stone monuments that littered the grounds.

The bright florescent light of a torch flooded the area surrounding them, barely but securely hidden by the shadows of the granite; before sweeping past them to move on.

A breath of relief could barely be heard, before another whisper, "Where did you leave your arm?"

Another bright light flashed upon them all, silencing them in their banter as Ants eyes were blinded briefly. Suddenly they widen in surprise, analyzing just who held the flashlight before them.

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

"I had warned you to disrespect the dead no longer, lest you earn my wrath. And yet, here I find you, making them your slaves."

The Reaper stalks forward, perfectly at home in the garden of sleeping souls. They hold an antique scythe in one hand, light shining out of the gauntlet on the other. The dim moonlight reflects off of their shimmery cape and casts shadows under their hood, causing them to appear ghostly and menacing at the same time.

"Return them to their rest and perhaps their next of kin shall have mercy on you."

[ants-body-shop]

Ant nearly chokes to death on his own spit in pure shock, seeing the familiar and much feared shadow within the night. He grinds his teeth together, a feeble attempt to get his wits all in one place as if they hadn't be scattered by the mere presence of The Reaper.

"Is that what you said? My greatest apologies, ma'am, as I had heard that you wanted me to not disturb the graves of the older dead-- a simple misunderstanding, I am sure you understand!" His hands goes palms out, towards The Reaper, as if to placate them to a lesser degree of fury with the motion.

He hoped his goading for a calmer conversation would allow him to escape, at the very least.

"I would never make my kindred dead slaves of any manner, they come out of their own graves themselves; restless, wanting to only stretch their legs before returning to the big sleep, you see?" He gestures to his three partners in crime, as Ant huffed out a cloud of lightly colored purple, just barely visible-- if at all. The three began to stretch, each of their own preferences; lunges, calf stretches, knee-to-chest.

"They only wish for a walk around the city, and I offered them a tour of anything new in town!" He was searching for straws in a stack of needles with this one-- even he knew it. Tis the way of his career, as he briefly appreciates his drama classes in highschool.

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

A lie, definitely. And a bad one at that. She had heard the whispering and seen their poor attempt at hiding. Most likely he could make the remains of these poor souls do whatever amused him without a second thought.

"A necromancer. A defiler of graves. One who disturbs the natural order and uses the bodies of others to carry out tasks for their own benefit. One who has proven in the past to be so careless about his trade. The restless dead would entrust you with the task of escorting them around the city?" The Reaper stalks toward him. "Even the one that you have insulted?"

[ants-body-shop]

A dramatic gasp, loud and purposefully disruptive, came from Ants mask, a hand slapping on his chest to exaggerate the offense he took.

"Twas but friendly banter-- one you wouldnt know much of-- and I will have you know," He pointed a scolding finger at The Reaper, " These lot came from the graves themselves, through the dirt they clawed at to see the stars!" He looked up, grimacing as he realized the light pollution left none of such to be seen.

He clears his throat, hopping to disregard his mistake easily, and straights his posture as The Reaper comes near him. "My trade is one that I take a great liking to, how could I leave my entire career behind, with no where else to go? I dont see you offering any job opportunities!

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

"I am fairly certain that there are many necromancy-related skills that could be applied better elsewhere. Excavation. Forensic evidence analysis. Mortician." Admittedly, that last one seemed like a bad idea. At least in forensics he would have a harder time 'disappearing' bodies without being caught.

She doesn't even look at the sky, Apollyon is well aware how bleak and vacant Gotham's night sky is. Painfully so.

"I am not in the mood for your antics. Cease this activity at once, and return the fallen to their rest. Otherwise I shall have you brought in for grave robbing, destruction of property, and public endangerment."

[ants-body-shop]

"You think me a liar?! I- Why, I- I would never!" Ant made sure to take a few steps back, mostly to accentuate the audacity that this so called 'protector of the abandoned' had to accuse him of such a thing. Clearly, they didn't know what they spoke of.

"Don't you see how these three wanted another day to dance their lives away? To bear witness the parties that don Robbinson Park," He holds a gentle hand to his chest, where his heart would be as he raises the other to the small crowd of zombies that looked upon him, as if a priest giving a sermon.

He continues, with no shame, "Are you incapable of seeing their want, their desire to thrive again? Wont you spare them one more day, to be the life of the party, once more?" He brings the open hand towards The Reaper, as if to offer them a deal, as the undead nod in excitement behind Ant.

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

This was ridiculous. On their own, actively decaying corpses do not open heavy coffin lids underneath six feet of heavy earth and stone, dig their way up, and just so happen to find a 'trustworthy' necromancer in the graveyard who uncharacteristically does not want to use them as his eternal thralls or hack them up for parts.

And yet, despite all of this, weirder things have happened in Gotham. As long as it took place within the city limits, there was always a nonzero chance that whatever madness one's mind could come up with might happen.

"And do they know what you plan to do with them afterwards? Are they aware of what you have done to others of their kind? If these words you say are true, you are by far the worst individual that they could have entrusted their safety to."

[ants-body-shop]

Ant sucked in a long and sharp breath, a light whistling gracing the stillness of the night as he reconsidered his options. He dropped his hands with the swiftness of a shamed man, and folded them behind his back.

He shifted himself in a soothing manner: heel to toe, heel to toe. A confused grumbled sounded from behind him, so close that he could practically hear the vibrato of rotten vocal chords being plucked to communicate. His brows furrowed with a grimace.

Another, one with more capabilities in the talking department spared Ant the need of translation replied, "What have-- you... done?" and upon the immediate retrieval of those few words, he found himself questioning what specifically he did to deserve this torment.

He regretted his own past actions of giving the undead a restored consciousness and processing capabilities. "Nothing...?" His voice creaked with uncertainty, to which a disgruntled echo of groans responded back to, their patience clearly lacking.

This... was no good. No bueno at all, considering that his plan solely relied on the lack of information these undead had on Ants character. "I am but an innocent bystander! You have to believe me!"

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

Reaper's head tilts up slightly. So they did come back on their own to explore Gotham after all, she thought. Like Solomon Grundy, maybe? Except they looked to be in a... significantly more advanced state of decay. Maybe it was more like the Process Man and whatever it was she had going on. Although, they definitely don't seem as bright as the Process Man. A lot less angry, too.

What is it about Gotham City that breeds such strange occurrences?

"He is as I said before; a necromancer, one who sells human body parts in varying states of decay; a man who holds no respect for the sanctity of neither death nor life. His base of operations is a public health and safety violation. Most likely, you were being led there to either assist in his operations, or you would have been dismembered for parts."

"I would advise you this: leave his vicinity at once, lest he put you under his thrall and leave you unable to resist his commands."

[ants-body-shop]

Ant grimaced hard enough to possibly have the dent of a burrowed brow be permanently marked onto him. He closed his eyes, and counted to ten before releasing a stuttering breath into his mask.

Disgruntled noises sounded from behind his ears. He feared looking at them in the eyes, and a deep consideration of surrendering into the whims of The Reaper appeared in his mind.

The odds were certainly against him now.

A hand, a bloated gray mess of flesh, landed heavy on his shoulder, digging into his hiked up shoulder with enough force to dislodge fingernails. Ant shook with the ferocity of an old chihuahua.

”Surely, you lot dont believe her? Truly, what nonsense they speak, you all shouldnt be so gullible to fall for it!” He knew nothing could help him now, still his hands went to clasp together, pleading.

If he were to change the tides he would need to act now, and fast— something he held doubts of doing, with his clammy palms. A quick touch to the forehead of each undead would undo their consciousness.

Before he had more time to dwell on such an action, let alone their consequences, he acted with swift desperation; turning on his heel with an exhale of purple breath escaping his mask—

And his feet immediately slipped underneath him as his hand attempted to grapple onto any stability. The only of such being the undeads other arm, of which one he was already missing. Said arm proceeded to dislodge itself from its socket, and come down with him with a splat of mud.

The silence was loud and harrowing.

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

Reaper watched Ant's attempt at a daring getaway patiently. This was an interesting night, to be certain. When she saw him heading to the graveyard earlier that night, she was expecting a dramatic confrontation in the garden of the dead. Instead, the necromancer was ending up the punchline of his own slapstick joke. Ganged up on by his own zombies and face down in the mud. In a place where the odds should have been heavily tipped in his favor, he had lost a fight that never even started. It was almost sad, really.

She circles around to his front, crouching down in a way very much like a vulture perches in front of a dying goat.

"If you were wise," she said, prying the zombie's arm from his grip. "You would give up this little charade while you still can. I once told you that you would incur the wrath of the dead if you continued these habits; and it would seem that your day of reckoning is far closer than either of us expected."

[ants-body-shop]

Ant, drowning in both shame and the mud that flooded every orifice in his face, let his hands creak open with difficultly on The Reapers part-- his fingers stiff, as if he himself was impacted by rigor mortis. If he could sigh right now, it would be heavier than an elephant.

A vision of two paths laid before him, he could practically see the series of events that would follow: he could either double down, go down kicking and fighting with the confidence of someone who knew their worth or count his losses with a shard of his broken ego intact.

The beginnings of rain droplets began to beat down on his back. His arms, exposed to the weather, now were cold to the touch and sleek with the dirt of graves. He was tired now. His neck ached.

He could not give up his livelihood, the relationships he has built, the effort of networking he put into to succeed. He still had dreams to accomplish, and he hadnt any other way to fund his stingy way of living, along with his want to provide for the family he found through unconventional means.

Once caught in the quicksand of the black market, there wasn't as many options, opportunities, for work left for him in the real world.

So, he asked himself, was this worth it?

No. Not right now at least, and definitely not with the circumstances he has endowed himself in.

He lifted his head up from the ground, slathered in mud, and flipped himself over at a slow and deliberate pace. He lifted his hands to his sides, a show of surrender.

"Lets strike a deal? I continue my work, however, I will do so on your terms. Hm?"

[angelofmercy-angelofdeath]

Her analytical and obsessive AuDHD mind immediately latches onto his proposal and starts fiddling with it like a puzzle cube. Turning it over in her head, examining it, dissecting it into the nitty-gritty details and implications. She could contain his destructive activities in a way that was much safer and more ethical, and would save her the trouble of chasing him down over and over again.

This was her element. Cadaver processing and biosafety, albeit from a... much different angle than she was used to. Her mind is racing with ideas and protocols she could make him put in place, weaving together a spider web of a plan...

And then, almost a second too late, her common sense catches up with her.

What kinds of regulations was she supposed to hold him to in order to make this safe and ethical? How was she supposed to enforce them? This would be a THIRD job for her, yet ANOTHER one that she wouldn't get paid for.

And there is no actual hecking way that he isn't going to find some loophole or cover something up. And if she does catch him in the act, just who exactly would she report him to? The GCPD??? And what was she supposed to tell them, that she knew that he was running an illegal grave robbing business but he told her that he would do it nicely? That's aiding and abetting. She could get jail time herself for that. Even worse, she could lose her license.

"A worthy effort," she reaches out to cuff him "but there will be no deals."

[ants-body-shop]

A hearty and echoing gulp escaped from Ant, his mind fleeing to any other reasonable option to make, his demeanor visibly wilting.

"No? None possible at all?" He sat up straight, like a vampire rising from its coffin-- except much less elegant and stylish, taking account for all the mud that dripped from his clothes as a result of his slip-up.

His heart was now hammering in his chest, anxiety pulsing through his veins as the little hamster in his brain ran for its life on a wheel of thoughts.

He had half a mind to stop his hand from itching at his neck, as a conclusion, one last desperate attempt to reach the nirvana of escaping this conversation with his career intact and free of any intervention of OSHA.

His hands stretch out in front of him, expressing a 'pause' signal that hes seen in passing glances of sports games; of which he never really paid much attention to anyways.

"But- but- but!" He stammered out, "What if I were to tell you that the dead, those that you claim to be your domain, rightfully belong to serve my whims? What then?"

He took a gasping breath, one to prepare for the improvising rant that was onboarding his thoughts, "Why, it is the bountiful generosity of Death itself that provides me these dutiful extensions of my blood-- one living dead to another, brought together, not as associates, but as family!"

He looked up to the three rotting bodies above him, seeing them nod dumbly to his words, agreeing without much processing of his complex sentences; too tedious to think them through, let alone follow to completion.

[fireandwhatever]

it thrives on blood, will you supply me some?

[ants-body-shop]

For you? Always and happily! How much do you need?

[theoneandonlyscaregoon]

I have a lot of blood if you don’t mind it to be questionably sourced

[ants-body-shop]

It is never questionably sourced so long as you do not ask questions of its origin! Loopholes are always generous like that.

[ants-body-shop]

To all those who suggested I would not survive “y'all'd'nt've'd'd'I'd'nt've'd'y'all't've'd,” you would be UNFORTUNATELY correct.