《AnimeCon Harem》


 Before the Convention

    Half the drawers on the dresser hung open and empty, the bed was stripped bare of its sheets, and the mattress sat askew atop the box-spring frame. The shelves beside the desk had been rummaged through, and what remained was cluttered in small piles here and there. In this disheveled, half-furnished room, a young man slumped in his computer chair with a vacant expression, chin resting on his knuckle.


    A break-in? That would¡¯ve been messy. But a break-up can turn out to be so much messier. Brian had lived together with Chloe for two years, so coming home from his shift to find all of her things gone from their apartment had been a little jarring. If he were to be honest, their relationship had taken a rather sour turn for the past... well, quite some time, now. Her Women¡¯s Studies course had opened her eyes to just how oppressed and victimized women really were, and she had thrown herself into the post-modern feminist revolution with ardent enthusiasm.


    Things had become difficult between them. ¡®Strained¡¯ may be too lenient a word for the frustrating struggle that terminated in... this. Brian¡¯s brow furrowed and he rubbed his face slowly, trying to will himself to feel nothing at all about this turn of events.


    He was generally a good looking guy. Brian had wide shoulders and a trim waist¡ªdespite his geeky interests, he had neither the stereotypical geek goatee, nor a chubby paunch forming along his midsection. Jogging wasn¡¯t his first hobby, but it was among them, and though a far cry from athletic he was in fair shape.


    His brown hair was downy-soft, and usually kept styled in a side-parted taper cut that looked professional¡ªif a bit old-fashioned. His eyebrows were dark, his eyes a mottled shade of green that made him look intelligent and engaging... well, at least they did under more forgiving circumstances.


    Where exactly had everything gone wrong, then? He¡¯d always tried his best to treat her nice and to make her happy. Somehow along the way, she¡¯d begun to classify his actions into his gender role, into a gender culture. Being attracted to her meant he was objectifying her. Disagreeing with her was oppression. Hurting her feelings was tantamount to abuse, whether or not it was intentional.


    He could more easily picture Chloe for her frowns and crossed arms rather than her sweet smiles. For her cold shoulder and her special coffee mug with the words ¡°male tears¡± emblazoned across it. How had this distance crept between him and the cute geek girl he¡¯d fallen for, and how hadn¡¯t he been able to do a thing about it?


    A knock on the apartment door woke him from his reverie. Swearing under his breath, Brian stumbled up out of his seat and into the small living room, overturning a small stack of old textbooks in the process.


    ¡°Gimme a sec,¡± he called, looking around. His flat-screen was leaning against the wall, unplugged and trailing video cables across the floor. Indentations in the carpet and stray candy wrappers were all the remained of his missing couch, and a haphazard pile of his DVDs were heaped in front of the pillaged DVD rack. The giant bookcase stood empty, and those books that hadn¡¯t ascended with Chloe in her great journey was strewn about the purgatorial malaise of Brian¡¯s apartment.


    Nope. Total loss, no point in even trying to tidy anything. Sighing, he swung the front door open.


    A pale, dark-haired cutie of vaguely Hispanic descent stood, her fist poised to knock again. It was Emily, one of his best friends whom he¡¯d known all the way back through high school. Her petite, somewhat underdeveloped body was often the subject of her self-depreciating humor, she dressed in stylish clothes containing anime references, and she usually sported an infectious, adorable grin. Today, she wore an uncharacteristic expression of concern that really drove home the gravity of his situation.


    ¡°Heeey,¡± Emily said, stepping forward for one of her trademark exceptionally awkward hugs¡ªshe was short, the top of her tousled pixie-haircut only just reaching Brian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How¡¯re you doing? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± she affirmed, squeezing him tightly.


    ¡°Um. Oh, wow,¡± Emily muttered, looking past him into the ransacked and half-emptied apartment. ¡°She sent me to make sure she didn¡¯t miss anything. I kiiinda doubt that she did.¡±


    Ah. Here on Chloe¡¯s behalf, then. Well, they did all share the same basic circle of friends. This was bound to get all kinds of awkward. He slowly stepped aside to let her into the apartment.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± he asked in a detached tone.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, she¡¯s doing... she¡¯s doing great,¡± she said, nodding her head as she glanced around in awe at the aftermath of the once well-decorated apartment. ¡°She¡¯s doing really well.¡±


    Emily turned, and centered her brandy-brown eyes on Brian. ¡°That¡¯s what I was told to tell you; that she¡¯s doing great. Buuut, she¡¯s not. She¡¯s a mess. Can¡¯t stop crying. Freaking out. Mental breakdown, that whole deal.¡±


    Brian stared at her blankly.


    ¡°That, uh,¡± he said, scratching his face, ¡°kinda doesn¡¯t sound like the Chloe I know at all.¡±


    ¡°Haaaah,¡± Emily breathed, looking around nervously. ¡°About that. It¡¯s like, the part of her that got all... you know, crazy? With the turbo-feminist thing. Doesn¡¯t accept that most of us are pissed at her, for the way she¡¯s treated you. Don¡¯t get me wrong, there¡¯s still some of the old Chloe in there, and I love her to death, but... she needs to chill for a while.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved at hearing that their mutual friends, especially Emily, acknowledged Chloe¡¯s irrational behavior. And, if there really was some tiny part of the old Chloe still existed, maybe there might still be a chance after all.


    ¡°What¡¯s she going to do? Is she going to come back?¡±


    ¡°Oooh, well, uh,¡± Emily said, trying to think of a nice way to phrase it. ¡°A part of her wants to? Like, tiny part. Very tiny.¡± She used her fingers to show roughly how much, and it didn¡¯t look promising.


    She paused, rubbing her arm and looking down at the carpet. ¡°And, we told her not to.¡±


    ¡°You told her not to.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Leaving you is the only thing she¡¯s done right, lately. Now, wait, hear me out. She really needs to sort her shit out, okay? Her coming back right now is not a good idea for you two.¡±


    Brian took a deep breath, nodding. ¡°So, I wait for her.¡±


    ¡°Brian...¡± Emily sighed, putting her hand on his shoulder. ¡°...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a great idea either, champ. You gotta move on. Here, lemme show you.¡± She tugged a dangling lanyard out of her open purse, revealing a laminated badge for the upcoming AnimeCon, and held it out for him. It was the one he had pre-ordered for Chloe.


    ¡°She actually wanted to keep it, you know? Even though she wasn¡¯t gonna go. We told her that was a fuckin¡¯ waste of your sixty bucks, and she needed to either man up¡ªer, excuse me, woman up and attend the con, sort shit out with you, or... give it back to you. And... so yeah, here it is.¡±


    ¡°Her decision.¡± She dropped the convention pass into his hand. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    The convention plans. Some of the best times Chloe and him had spent together were their yearly excursions to the giant anime convention across the state. This time, he¡¯d booked the hotel room with his money, he¡¯d bought their pre-registration passes.


    He¡¯d also ordered a surprise for Chloe, a gorgeous gothic lolita costume commissioned in her measurements. Petticoat, corset, bloomers, an elegant layered dress decorated in bows and ribbons, stockings, shoes, the whole outfit. At the time he had ordered it, they¡¯d been on much better terms. When it had arrived, months later, he even still hoped it could help reconcile their differences, and he¡¯d stashed the package behind shoe boxes in the top of his closet. Now, it was just another painful reminder and waste of money.


    But, there was certainly no need to tell anyone about the outfit now. He swallowed, looking back up at her. ¡°Well, I already have my pass. You want this one?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get Friday and Saturday off... it¡¯d be a waste to take a full pass for just Sunday. Give it to a cutie who didn¡¯t pre-register, pick some hot little chica right outta the line for convention passes. They¡¯ll be all over you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... right,¡± he said, rolling his eyes. ¡°¡¯Cause that¡¯s just what I need right now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is?¡± Emily said, pouting and jabbing his chest with her finger. ¡°You¡¯re a good-looking guy on the rebound. Hell, if we weren¡¯t like brother and sister by now, I¡¯d be into you. Don¡¯t you remember back in high school? That night after Homecoming?¡±


    He grimaced at the memory. ¡°You were drunk. Beyond drunk, it wasn¡¯t even you anymore. Ninety-five pounds of Tequila disguised as you tried to make out with me. And possibly wet the couch.¡±


    ¡°I did not wet the couch,¡± she said sharply, slapping his arm. ¡°I spilled my drink.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Spilled something you drank. Out of your body.¡± He was playfully slapped again, and it actually stung quite a bit. Apparently, her wiry little Latino arms were stronger than they looked. ¡°And anyways, Emily, nothing happened between us.¡±


    ¡°Uh yeah, ¡¯cause you¡¯re a fuckin¡¯ gentleman, that respects women,¡± she retorted. ¡°That¡¯s why you and Chloe lasted so long. Waaay longer than you two should have. Well, jig¡¯s up now.¡±


    She began to dig through her purse again, finally pulling out a familiar-looking Japanese charm. It was half the size of the convention pass, a thin slat of wood with strips of red and white thread woven around it in an intricate pattern. An ornate series of Japanese kanji had been carved into it.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, yeaaah,¡± she mimed in her low-pitched fruit-drink pitcher bursting through a wall impression. The charm had been given to Emily by her cousin Samantha as a good luck charm, but when Brian had looked up the kanji¡ªit had humorously turned out to read ¡®harem charm,¡¯ and became an inside joke around their circle of friends.


    ¡°Here, take it. As you know, Sammie got this from Japan. From a shrine, or something. But, it¡¯s legit from Japan, so you just know it¡¯s the real deal.¡±


    ¡°Emily, I heard Sam got that from a vending machine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, she got it at a vending machine... in a shrine. Then, a forever-alone otaku neet lost his yen to the machine, and tried to tip it over. But, he was crushed under the machine. When the shrine priests righted the machine... his body was gone. Now, his vengeful spirit works in the charm, giving it mysterious power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... did you just think all that up?¡±


    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Sammie and me have been running with that gag for years, now, the story keeps snowballing. Something something devouring the minds of innocent women... and ends in tentacle rape, as it should. Would ya just take it?¡±


    She shoved the charm into his open hand atop the convention pass. As her fingers brushed against his, something like static electricity zapped her, and for a fleeting moment tiny blue sparkles danced through the back of her head. Felt... kinda nice.


    ¡°Whoa, you zapped me, jerk.¡±


    ¡°I what?¡±


    She absent-mindedly rubbed her fingertips together. ¡°A-anyways, collect yourself a harem of sexy little things at AnimeCon, and forget about Chloe, ¡¯kay? We¡¯re gonna make sure she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... a little too soon for me to be forming my harem. I didn¡¯t even realize I was single today, until I got home from work.¡±


    ¡°...Really. When¡¯s the last time you talked to Chloe? Wait, no, lemme rephrase that. When¡¯s the last time you had a talk with her that didn¡¯t end with a fight?¡± Emily leaned back, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Okay, yeah. We have problems. Guilty. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Had problems, past tense, champ,¡± Emily interrupted. ¡°I realize this seems sudden for you, but you two haven¡¯t actually really been together in... months? And, I¡¯m not blaming you! She¡¯s gotten weird as hell. But, really. It¡¯s over, between you.¡±


    ¡°Did she send you here to tell me that?¡±


    Emily looked agitated. ¡°Fuck. No, she didn¡¯t. She¡¯s caught up in her own little oppressed feminist reality where you¡¯re the bad guy, and I know most of it, fuck maybe all of that is bullshit. The things she told me to tell you... aren¡¯t things I could ever say to you. I¡¯m here stuck in the middle between you two, translating; It¡¯s over between you and Chloe. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s not easy to digest. He stood with his jaw set for a long, tense moment before nodding. ¡°No, thank you.¡± This was all too much to think about at once, and he honestly didn¡¯t know what to say about any of it yet.


    ¡°Totally not taking sides on all this, since you¡¯re both my friends and all,¡± she said, enveloping him in another of her awkward hugs. ¡°But, she¡¯s being a cunt, and I hope you get yourself laid at the con just to spite her.¡± An errant blue spark flitted through her mind, and she wet her lips with her tongue.

 Gijinka Capture

    One week later


    ¡°Sooo glad we pre-ordered our convention passes,¡± a heavy-set girl in her twenties said, a pair of plush panda ears bobbing excitedly where they were affixed in her dirty-blonde hair. ¡°That line is just nuts.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± her companion said quietly, blue eyes fluttering behind her glasses. A similar pair of rabbit ears was poking up from her own light blonde hair. ¡°It¡¯s so crowded.. I can¡¯t believe you talked me into this.¡±


    Megan had become Stephanie¡¯s boisterous big sister ever since they met in class, and she was always intent on including the reclusive, introverted Stephanie in on things, trying to get her to open up, and have fun. Convincing the girl to attend AnimeCon with her had been her greatest success so far.


    The AnimeCon pavilion was spacious and bright, lit by an enormous array of skylights. The convention proper centered around a large vendors room, with hallways then branching into adjoining conference rooms where panels, workshops, anime screenings, and events were held. Crowds of attendees, intermittently sprinkled with cosplayers, had begun to fill the area with the indecipherable blur of many individual conversations, and directly before them, a staggered and untidy line for the ticket booths stretched, several hundred people long. Excitement tingled in the air.


    ¡°Talked you into a costume, you mean?¡± Megan laughed heartily and cuffed the slimmer girl on the shoulder, actually staggering her for a moment. Sometimes, the overly physical mannerisms of her big friend really bothered Stephanie. ¡°Truuust me, as cosplay go, gijinka costumes are about as tame as they get. You¡¯ ll see, Steph.¡±


    Gijinka was a term associated with the trend of making outfits as a personification of something, such as Japanese battleships illustrated in the form of cute young girls, or the conflicts of nations presented in the allegory of handsome young men squabbling with one another. Today, this pair of girls wore costumes loosely representing monsters from the titular Monster Battlers, a game where trainers battled their pet monsters against one another for glory and prestige.


    Megan had rather clumsily sewn a black and white Chinese traditional dress based on Pandape. Megan somewhat resembled the part ape, part panda monster, with her short legs and stocky, round figure. Stephanie¡¯s outfit was patterned on Flamituff, a fast flame-element rabbit. She¡¯d whipped up a pink and red scheme for a sleeveless sundress on her sewing machine, and glued rabbit-like ears onto a hidden headband. Matching pink elbow-length gloves and thigh-high costume boots completed her ensemble.


    Shy to a fault, Stephanie fidgeted with her Flamituff dress and did her best to hide in the wide shadow her friend cast. And, as usual, Megan¡¯s toothy grin had an indecent feeling to it. Though Stephanie was a thin college girl with an unremarkable A-cup bust¡ªher hips flared out to a rather generous behind, which was to her shame, quite a bit more than a handful. The ¡®freshman fifteen¡¯ was her mother¡¯s favorite phrase for the pounds of derriere that had crept up on her. Determined to shed the weight, Steph had spent the whole summer break bicycling up and down the back roads of her home town.


    Her tummy had become trim, and her thighs were taut muscle, but to her dismay and frustration, her backside hadn¡¯t reduced in size much at all. When she had returned to college, she hid her rear by wearing sweaters tied by their sleeves around her waist to class, long shirts, and a low-hanging backpack. She was oblivious to the fact that while her butt was the same size, the flab of last semester had become the tight curvature of a perfectly-shaped ass.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, aren¡¯t you excited?¡± Megan asked, leafing through the AnimeCon schedule.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Maybe this is all too much, in fact,¡± Steph replied with a timid smile, tugging her dress down in the back again and smoothing it against her legs.


    ¡°Those guys would probably come up and ask for your picture, if you weren¡¯t pretending to be so shy, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Pretending to be shy,¡± Stephanie echoed weakly, fidgeted with her outfit in embarrassment. Surely she¡¯d made a mistake measuring the sizes of her dress. The swell of her bottom kept making her hemline ride up dangerously, and she imagined she was attracting stares. As usual, any attention felt humiliating.


    ¡°Lesse, here... I really wanna explore the vendors room, but the first voice acting panel starts soon, ughhh,¡± Megan grumbled, completely engrossed in the convention booklet.


    ¡°Which actor is the first panel for?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say, that¡¯s how they getcha. They have like, three A-listers, and then a bunch of chumps in their voice acting guests. So, they don¡¯t list who¡¯s gonna be where or when, so that you havta attend them all. Tricky bastards.¡±


    Stephanie nodded silently, only a little interested, and planted herself against a wall, clear of the constant traffic flow of anime fans and cosplayers. There were otaku and geeks of all shapes, sizes, genders, and ethnicities streaming by. Some dressed casually, others wore fedoras and trenchcoats. Several were pudgy-faced manchildren, while some others looked like they¡¯d walked off the stage of a celebrity fashion show. There were small knots of friends who clung together and there were loners, lovers walking in pairs and stalkers trailing behind. Altogether, it was certainly interesting, so far.


    Her eyes were drawn to a guy who had paused to fix his costume in the hallway across from them. He wore a tasteful dress uniform from a space fantasy military, one she vaguely recognized from one of those Fantasy Wars titles. The young man¡¯s brown hair was styled in artful disarray, and overall... he was pretty cute. He had his own pre-registration badge dangling from his necklace. No, wait. Two badges dangled from his single cord, along with something smaller, she realized as he lifted them up over his head. Odd.


    Tugging the right sleeve of his jacket back, he drew the lanyard around his wrist, doubled it around, and then slipped the badges through the loops and pulled the excess snug. Clever, Stephanie decided, watching the sleeve slide down to conceal the passes. It was a convenient trick cosplayers used to have an easily accessible badge to show the con staff, while not being obtrusive or noticeable for impromptu picture-taking.


    She was just letting her attention wander away from him when she noticed it¡ªthe small trinket that had been attached with his pair of convention badges fell out of his sleeve and onto the carpeted floor. Not noticing what he¡¯d lost, Brian stepped away and continued onward through the hall, straightening his collar.


    ¡°Uhm, hey,¡± Stephanie called quietly, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed. The murmur of voices in the convention hall was too loud for him to hear her. She quickly ducked between a pair of passerby and snatched the item off the ground. It was a little carved and wrapped omamori charm, a Japanese amulet for luck or protection. She felt pleased with herself for recognizing what it was.


    ¡°Ah! Excuse me,¡± she said, stepping after him and doing her best to raise her voice.


    ¡°You dropped... your¡ªAhh!¡± A tiny, unseen bolt of energy arced from the charm into her palm, almost causing her to drop it. She examined it closely as the stinging sensation in her hand began to subside.


    What... in the world? For a moment her head spun with dizziness, pink motes of light swimming through her vision. She felt a little giddy... or maybe light-headed? Whoa. I really shouldn¡¯t have skipped breakfast.


    ¡°Steph! What¡¯d ya run off for,¡± Megan huffed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a... he dropped it,¡± Steph replied, her head clearing. The cute guy was just ahead, he¡¯d been stopped for a photo.


    I need to catch up to him, she thought. And then, something¡¯s going to happen? But, what? In the pit of her stomach, she was uneasy at the thought of showing Megan the omamori, almost as if... it wasn¡¯t meant for her. Megan wasn¡¯t shy, she¡¯d return the charm to the boy without a second thought. While Stephanie stood helpless on the sidelines.


    She couldn¡¯t let that happen, this was her chance. This amulet sitting in her palm was her ticket to... well, something. Pink powder drifted throughout her thoughts, obscuring what that something might be. Something big.


    ¡°Well, ya gonna give it back to him?¡± Megan asked.


    ¡°Uhm, well... yeah,¡± she answered in a distracted tone, clutching the charm to her chest protectively as she looked at the guy up ahead of them. He struck a dynamic pose for the next photo, drawing a pistol from a holster inside his jacket and leveling it at some unseen target far in the distance in one smooth movement. His steely eyes narrowed, and he clenched his teeth, looking like he¡¯d stepped out of action film.


    Totally badass, Stephanie thought, selectively ignoring the fussy young mother ushering a pair of superhero-costumed toddlers around the guy¡¯s pose. Wow. It was mildly warm in the convention center, but she felt a wave of goosebumps travel down her body.


    Damn, he looks... delicious. She looked him up and down, and every detail she took in lit a new fire inside of her. What¡¯s gotten into me? His shoulders were broad but not bulky, and though he wasn¡¯t particularly muscled, she could see the tone in his arms. Bright pink traces of light deep inside of her were becoming sparks and a warm feeling spread through her. Already in a daze again, her attention wandered down his...


    Stephanie¡¯s face flushed and she studiously turned her head back towards Megan. A tingle trickled down from her chest to her stomach, almost like an electric current... A thrumming, excited energy that made her shift her legs uncomfortably.


    ¡°You know how I told you I wasn¡¯t really all that interested in guys?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...?¡± Megan prompted, raising an eyebrow.


    Stephanie squirmed, scuffing her costume boots against the carpet. ¡°It just hit. It just hit all at once,¡± she breathed, hiding her face.


    ¡°Stephanie? You¡¯re droolin¡¯, hun,¡± her friend laughed.


    Surprised and ashamed at herself, Stephanie wiped her chin with the back of her glove. She hadn¡¯t actually been drooling... although her mouth had certainly watered at the sight. Neon pink sparks popped and fizzled in her head. So, that¡¯s what this feels like.


    ¡°You gonna return that thing, or what?¡± Megan asked, staring pointedly.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Stephanie confirmed, still vacantly nodding.


    ¡°Right... now...?¡± Megan wondered, prodding Stephanie¡¯s bare shoulder with her finger.


    ¡°Right now.¡± Stephanie echoed, her feet firmly planted and not budging.


    ¡°Right now,¡± Megan cooed huskily, wrapping the girl in her meaty arms and smothering her in a motherly embrace. ¡°Go on! Go on, you hussy. Give it to him.¡±


    ¡°Not funny!¡± Stephanie awkwardly squirmed and pawed her way free, blushing brightly in embarrassment and not daring to check and see if the boy had noticed the commotion.


    ¡°Ready? Steady... annnnnd go!¡± Megan shoved, pushing Stephanie forward suddenly. Flabbergasted and off-balance, Stephanie backpedaled and twisted, colliding into Brian spectacularly. For a moment pink bursts swam across her vision, and Stephanie toppled over in surprise, taking him with her to the ground.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± She exclaimed sharply as something pressed up against her privates. She arched her back in surprise, the inside of her head swimming with small gouts of fluttering pink flames. Looking down in growing horror, she realized she was sitting atop him, no, straddling him, right in the middle of the convention hallway. Her creamy thighs enveloped his head and his face was snugly buried into her panties. Oh no. Oh no no no. This isn¡¯t happening.


    ¡°Whoaaa damn,¡± someone said. Everyone nearby had stopped what they were doing to look.


    ¡°Stephanie are you okay?¡± Megan exclaimed, trying to contain her laughter. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to, I¡¯m sorry, Steph!¡°


    ¡°Oh, man, hot,¡± The nearest of a trio of teenage boys was already scrambling for his phone.


    Glasses askew and blushing furiously, she planted her hands on the ground above his head and lifted her unexpectedly sensitive bundle of nerves off of his face, not daring to peek at his expression. Her mind was so awash with bright pink flashes of light that she nearly lost hold of the charm.


    ¡°Hey hold up, lemme get a shot of this first,¡± someone behind her said, snapping a shot of her compromising position. Stephanie¡¯s dress had ridden up, and her gray striped panties strained to cover the curves of her plump bottom.


    ¡°Niiiice,¡± a passing girl in a schoolgirl uniform said, her digital camera playing its shutter sound effect repeatedly. ¡°Happens in like, every single anime ever.¡±


    ¡°Classic,¡± her friend agreed. ¡°Anime clich¨¦ number one, haha.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªso sorry,¡± Stephanie stammered, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I just¡ª¡± Completely red-faced in embarrassment, she shakily pushed off her knees and stood, trying to pretend everyone wasn¡¯t staring at her. Her eyes locked on Brian, too terrified to register what was going on outside of the horrifically intimate situation she¡¯d entangled herself in. ¡°Are you... okay?¡± she squeaked.


    Working his jaw tenderly, he looked at her with a bemused smile. ¡°I¡¯m alright, you okay?¡± His eyes flicked down for a split-second to glance at her panties.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she blurted, simultaneously mortified and strangely... flattered with the quick look he had stolen. She struggled to pull her dress back over her exposed thighs as Megan pulled her back out of the way of people passing through.


    ¡°Awesome man, wicked.¡± one of the teens interjected, offering Brian a hand and tugging him to his feet.


    ¡°That was staged, right...?¡± An overweight neckbeard asked dubiously.


    ¡°Uh, duh,¡± one of his peers retorted as traffic began to resume through the hallway.


    Brian took a moment to clear his head, standing out of the way across from Megan and Stephanie and straightening his costume.


    ¡°Soooo, nice tackle, Flamituff! We¡¯ll make it to the championship yet!¡± Megan yelled, pointing her rolled-up schedule into the air dramatically.


    ¡°It was an accident! You¡ªyou pushed me, I only meant to g¡ª¡± she sputtered in exasperation.


    ¡°Okay, well at least he¡¯s cute,¡± Megan said, giving Steph a playful shove. She wasn¡¯t able to suppress a grin at seeing her friend flustered and blushing. ¡°Next time, you do the pushing, and I¡¯ll climb on top of him.¡±


    Stephanie gaped at her large friend, trying not to imagine the result.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t look at me like that. Pssh, fine. Go give him back his whatever it was he dropped, so we can get going to the panel.¡±


    Oh no. Oh no no no I can¡¯t face him after that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I really can¡¯t, not now,¡± Stephanie said, hanging her head. ¡°I¡¯m too shy for this.¡±


    Megan frowned, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°I thought you really meant it when you said you¡¯re interested in this guy? Were you being serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes? I think so,¡± Stephanie gulped. ¡°I think I am.¡±


    ¡°Then, forget the panel. There¡¯s like, another three voice acting panels later anyways. Go talk to this guy. Chat him up about anime, eat lunch with him, rub your ladybits on his face again, whatever. You¡¯re adorable, he¡¯s cute, life¡¯s short, and you only live once. You gotta buck up and be my brave little shounen hero, this is the summertime of your youth!¡± Megan recited, racking her brain for more advice clich¨¦s but coming up dry. She loved pretending to be wise.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I more of a tragic shoujo heroine?¡± Stephanie asked with a grim smile.


    ¡°No way, that¡¯s me. Hence my starry eyes and impossibly slender legs,¡± Megan said sarcastically, flicking her hands out dramatically enough to shake her panda ears. ¡°Now, get moving before I throw you into him again.¡±


    ¡°I-I am kind of hungry. You want to just go get some lunch?¡± Stephanie found herself saying.


    ¡°Okay, then! But ask him, not me. I¡¯m on my way to a panel.¡± Megan said, speaking loudly and winking. ¡°Remember¡ªsummertime of your youth.¡±


    ¡°In Japan, I¡¯d already be considered an old lady,¡± Stephanie said numbly.


    ¡°Better hurry then, go and eat him up,¡± Megan said lecherously as she walked away. ¡°I¡¯ll meet up with you in the vendors room after this voice acting panel¡¯s over, mm-kay? For all the delicious details.¡±


    I¡¯m not ready for this, Stephanie thought as she watched her friend disappear into the throng of convention attendees filling the halls. I¡¯ll never be ready for this. But, she composed herself as best she could and crossed the hall to him, fighting down her fear and embarrassment. Megan was right. She was in college now, it was ridiculous for her to still be afraid of talking to boys. Nearly jostled by people passing by because of how crowded it was getting, she ended up stopping rather closer to this boy than she¡¯d planned on daring¡ªwell within arms reach of him.


    He looked up at her.


    And Stephanie¡¯s mind went blank, proper line of thought swept away like driftwood in the surf and spray of a surging wave of attraction. His mottled green eyes seemed to smolder, and she felt a lifetime of her hasty preconceptions about the silliness of sappy romances melt away beneath the heat of his gaze. There was a deep, haunting beauty in his eyes, a hidden pain etched within that captivated her completely. Oh whoa. Oh no.


    Distracting pink bursts of sparks seemed to be colliding in her head and traveling down her body in jittery, electrifying currents and pulses, and it felt like parts of her body she¡¯d never known about were warming up and turning on in response.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she squeaked, terror and excitement grappling her senses. ¡°You dropped you, uh, your omamori fell, and...¡± She held the charm out to him.


    ¡°My what...?¡± He yanked back his sleeve where his badges still dangled from the lanyard around his wrist, and was surprised to see that it was indeed missing.


    ¡°Thanks, coulda lost it for good.¡± He rewarded her with an endearing smile that sent a tingle of pink energy twitching down into her abdomen, and as she passed it to him, her hand lingered a moment longer than necessary.


    She wanted him. Wanted to know him, possess him, to run her fingers through the downy softness of his hair, to hold him in her arms, and be embraced in turn by him. She¡¯d always been socially self-conscious and tried not to stare at people before, but with lips parted wordlessly, she was only thinking that she could examine and adore him forever. The strong line of his chin, the lines of his neck, the breadth of his shoulders...


    ¡°Uhm, we got off on the wrong feet. Wrong foot, we got off on the wrong foot, so maybe we could... start over? Fresh start? I¡¯m Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± he offered, smiling. ¡°Would you want to have lunch? The convention center has a little caf¨¦ down the hall. Little less crowded than the concessions stands in the main lobby...¡±


    Did he read my mind?! Stephanie thought, eyes wide. She didn¡¯t realize that Megan had been speaking loudly enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear, earlier. ¡°That¡¯d be great! I actually didn¡¯t have breakfast, so I¡¯m pretty famished,¡± she said with a nervous laugh.


    ¡°Uhm...!¡± she managed as a tall nerd in a camouflage jacket backed into her side as he vied for a better angle of a nearby ninja cosplayer with his phone. Stephanie rebounded off of him, and into the back of an enormous hairy girl who had a fox-tail accessory dangling from the back of her spats.


    ¡°Here,¡± Brian said, taking Stephanie¡¯s hand and tugging her along as the hirsute girl wearing the fox-tail turned around. Stephanie was brimming with excitement, in more ways than one. Flickers and flashes of pink light became spurts of pink flame in her head and she realized in alarm that she was... wet.


    For Stephanie, it was a new feeling. Sexuality had always frightened her. To her, fornicating was something that would probably feel uncomfortable, and most likely hurt. She¡¯d thought getting wet would feel gross, make her want to excuse herself to wipe clean. Now, in the moment, nothing could be further from the truth.


    Her sex was filled with liquid heat, and the sensual feeling of her lips sliding against one another with each step made her hips sway a little bit more. She wanted to touch herself. No wait, I want him to touch me. Without discretion, her eyes roamed freely across his butt as he walked. He was taller than her, and with his longer stride and slower steps his pace seemed more casual, like a saunter. Stephanie¡¯s mouth was still watering, and she swallowed consciously, an erratic surge of pink energy thrumming up and down Stephanie¡¯s core.


    Okay, calm way down, Steph, she imagined Megan¡¯s voice. Being excited like this for the first time ever is okay. But, don¡¯t go acting like a pervert.


    A group of sixteen-year-old girls dressed as a gang of anime-style juvenile delinquents was loitering in front of the caf¨¦, squatting and pretending to smoke the sticks of pocki that dangled from their lips. For a moment she could hear their hushed whispers, but as they approached the entrance, the wannabe gang composed their young faces into exaggerated scowls and struck intimidating poses. Stephanie covered her mouth to hide her shy smile as they passed the spectacle.


    Although the convention hall itself was getting pretty packed, she was surprised to see the attached caf¨¦ was mostly unoccupied. Or rather, she was surprised until she saw the prices on the menu-board, which made her pale. Did they put those decimals in the right place? The small caf¨¦ was fashionably appointed in dark wood paneling and the dimmer lighting lent it a cozier atmosphere, with several rows of secluded booths along the back wall in addition to a scattering of tables throughout.


    Noticing her expression, Brian quirked an eyebrow. ¡°On me?¡± he offered.


    ¡°Oh no, I can pay for my own. But thank you,¡± she blurted, horrified at the thought of him spending sixteen dollars on her lunch. In fact, the thought of buying herself one was still daunting. Maybe just a salad. They ordered their overpriced meals and slipped into a booth across from one another, beginning their to eat in a somewhat tense silence.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian said after a deep breath. ¡°I wanted to talk to you, because I¡¯m, well, curious. About you. You picking up my charm was just a coincidence, right?¡±


    ¡°I saw you drop it when you were putting your necklace on your wrist,¡± she said timidly, ¡°And, you were walking away...¡±


    ¡°And you landing on me like that¡ªthat was an accident?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really very sorry about that,¡± She said with a quiet nod, her cheeks burning.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be. And, if you¡¯re having lunch with me out of some sense of guilt or obligation... then don¡¯t worry about it, you don¡¯t have to eat with me. To be honest, I¡¯m not sorry about it,¡± he said finally. ¡°It hurt, yeah. My head hit the ground pretty hard and everything, but it was... fun. Interesting. It¡¯ll be a funny story, an anime cliche brought to life. The real reason I¡¯m here at AnimeCon anyways is...¡±


    ¡°Is what?¡± she asked carefully, eyes wide.


    ¡°That¡¯s... complicated,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I thought I was going to come here and feel sorry for myself, dwell on some bad things that happened recently. But, a close friend of mine wanted me to come here to have fun, forget, move on from all of that. Thanks to you, I feel like I¡¯m not letting my friend down now. So, thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, then,¡± She smiled brightly at him.


    She found herself intensely curious about him. Her whole body was filling up with frantic pink butterflies, anxious, interested, compelling feelings. As if there were a million things she wanted to ask him, but searching her mind for the words to pose to him, she couldn¡¯t think of a single thing to say. Each passing second as she sat across from him, delicately eating her salad, felt like another wasted opportunity. It was vexing her terribly. Say something, say something!


    ¡°Ah! You know, I picked it up, but didn¡¯t even look that closely at it. may I see your omamori?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My¡ªwhat?¡± He asked, giving her a quizzical look.


    ¡°Your charm,¡± she said, pointing towards his sleeve.


    He pushed back the sleeve of his costume and his AnimeCon badges and the charm clinked against the table, still affixed to his wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s neat,¡± she said, trying not to run out of conversation. ¡°That isn¡¯t the kanji for ¡°luck,¡± but... I can¡¯t tell what it says. Did you get it in the vendor¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°No, a friend gave it to me. It says...¡± He nearly blurted out ¡°harem,¡± but immediately thought better of it.


    ¡°It says something dumb,¡± he admitted, flashing her a charming grin.


    Stephanie giggled, looking at him curiously but not pressing for a better answer. His grin was uncomfortably disarming, and the pink flickering flames and fluttering butterflies were going to overflow soon. She carefully set down her fork and took a deep breath.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to say. About when I fell for you. I mean! On you. When I fell on you,¡± she hastily corrected herself.


    ¡°I, uh... well, I was so embarrassed I thought I would die. I¡¯ve never been that embarrassed in my whole life.¡± She said bluntly. ¡°But, at the same time...¡± She squeezed her hands into her lap, staring down at the remains of her salad.


    ¡°But, at the same time...?¡± He prompted, looking puzzled.


    ¡°At the same time. It kind of,¡± her eyes darted to him, biting her lip, and she fidgeted in her seat. ¡°What I mean to say is, uhm. I¡¯m glad that I fell on you?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, surprised. ¡°Can I ask why?¡±


    ¡°It was exciting,¡± she admitted, looking away. She could feel the blood rushing to her face again. ¡°I don¡¯t do things like that. I mean, things like that don¡¯t happen to me. It was exciting. In... you know, that way.¡± She found that an idiotic smile had become plastered across her face and she didn¡¯t dare look back at him.


    ¡°I thought so, too,¡± he said, chuckled softly. ¡°But, that kind of goes without saying.¡±


    ¡°...It does?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, ...why?¡± Her cute expression was almost painfully innocent.


    He considered how best to respond for several long moments. ¡°I could tell you how attractive I find you. How hot it was to suddenly have you trying to sit on my face in the middle of the convention floor, and how much I want to further... excite you.¡±


    ¡°R-really?!¡± Her whole body was lighting up, and she was intimately conscious of how wet she was and how close they were, just a small tabletop between them.


    ¡°But,¡± he said, sounding tired now, ¡°Even if you felt the same way right now, that wouldn¡¯t make it a good idea to tell you those things. We just met earlier today, I just got out of a long relationship... You seem like a nice girl, and I don¡¯t want to make anything awkward.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± She stammered. Her mind was a whirling pink kaleidoscope of spinning color. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already basically telling me all that? I don¡¯t, uhm, I don¡¯t mind hearing, I mean, it doesn¡¯t bother me. You can say whatever you want.¡± Stop babbling!


    ¡°Well, okay then. I¡¯d better get this off my chest now,¡± he said, taking a sip from his drink.


    ¡°To be honest, I never trained Flamituffs,¡± he continued, glancing at the rabbit-like ears perched atop her head. ¡°The extra attacks they get make it seem like a great monster to pick, but their attacks don¡¯t have any... you know, any oomph.¡±


    Her cautious smile waxed into a brilliant one again at the sudden detour he¡¯d steered the topic onto, equal parts disappointed and relieved. Simply talking to a boy she was crushing on was unexpectedly thrilling, but she¡¯d better not get in over her head. Maybe he liked her, and that was really great. But if he also shared her interest in Monster Battlers, well, that was fine, too. For now.


    ¡°Hey, now,¡± she said in spite of herself. ¡°When you train their speed the whole way up, they¡ªuhm, they make so many attacks in one turn that it adds up to the same damage a Terrander could do, in a one-hit turn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, guess you could. If you totally maxxed out its speed. But, say you¡¯re up against defensive types, like Turtusk. Instead of Turtusk¡¯s damage reduction saving against whatever fixed damage of one attack, it saves against that damage on every separate attack that turn. So, your damage just isn¡¯t going to add up in those cases.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, well. Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± she conceded. ¡°But, since Flamituffs are so fast already, when you train them for speed, their chance to dodge attacks rises really high, too.¡± Her eyes were sparkling now. ¡°So instead of focusing on attack and defense like most monsters, she¡¯ll just attack more often and get hit less often,¡± she proclaimed proudly. ¡°My Flamituff, against a Turtusk, would still be an even fight, since Turtusks don¡¯t have really high accuracy.¡±


    He gave her a warm, thoughtful smile, and parts of her quivered. Had she really been geeking out in front of this cute guy? She should feel embarrassed, but instead he was into it, so it was kinda nice. She¡¯d never really shared her interests with the opposite sex. It felt rather... engaging.


    ¡°Kinda seems you¡¯d have a flame element monster, that acts like an air element monster. Just, with the different set of weaknesses. I like it, it¡¯d throw off most monster battlers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I can¡¯t get Megan to understand! She tries to fight my Flamituff like you¡¯d fight a Fierhog,¡± she exclaimed, feeling more at ease. ¡°What monster do you fight with?¡±


    He finished his drink, tugging his sleeve back down over his wrist and giving her a cryptic smile. ¡°You¡¯d have to try me to find out.¡±


    ¡°I can take you on,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve already, kinda, knocked you down once already, so...¡± Her butt wriggled in her seat. Inwardly she was delighted with herself. Am I... flirting with him?


    ¡°Yeah, that was... more effective than I thought it would be,¡± Brian admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He let his gaze travel down her pink lips to the smooth white lines of her neck. ¡°But, can you really still be confident, when you don¡¯t know what I might have up my sleeve?¡±


    ¡°Convention passes and a weird charm,¡± she answered smartly, pleased with herself, and leaned forward with growing confidence. ¡°I¡¯m ready for anything you can throw at me.¡±


    Now that was a challenge if he¡¯d ever heard one.


    Before she could register what was happening, he leaned in and his lips were upon hers. A moist and sensual kiss swirled through the flotsam of arousal raging within her, and Stephanie grabbed his shoulders in surprise. The pink, fluid heat inside her boiled, bright sparks burst and streamers of light hissed and whizzed across her mind. Without thinking, she was kissing him back, licking his lips, tentatively slipping her tongue into his mouth, the sweet taste of¡ª


    They broke apart reluctantly, and a spasm rippled through Stephanie¡¯s body. The forgotten caf¨¦ around them seemed to swim back into existence.


    ¡°That was, that, uuh,¡± Stephanie began, her unfocused, half-lidded eyes fluttering as she gasped for air.


    ¡°Stephanie... your hair,¡± he interrupted.


    ¡°My¡ªwhat?¡± she asked in breathless confusion. ¡°What about my hair?¡± A single streak of daring pink highlights had inexplicably appeared in her fluffy blond tresses.

 Wolf, Sheep, and Shepherd

    What the hell am I doing here? Kelly thought, scowling into the restroom mirror. It had been years since she¡¯d attended an anime convention, and too much had changed. She didn¡¯t recognize a single costume anymore, and everywhere she turned con-goers were enjoying some kind of inside joke that was part of their geeky little culture. Pathetic.


    Kelly considered herself a scene-girl goddess, her hair dyed a perfect shade of black and her artfully teased bangs cut along an angle to frame the flawless complexion of a fine-featured face. Skilled application of bold eyeliner and daring red-tinted eyeshadow complimented her brown eyes.


    Her last time at an anime con was three years ago, when she¡¯d been a senior in high school. Back then she¡¯d been so young and naive¡ªher dazzling, mischievous smile regularly immortalized in dozens of exuberant selfies. Kelly had worn a borrowed costume, the spunky jester assistant of an evil clown, from some barely-remembered comic book thing. The outfit had been downright slutty, and Kelly had been a hit, basking in the radiance of adoration and jealousy from those around her. It had been fun, and although most geek and nerd stuff wasn¡¯t really her thing, she¡¯d had a blast, and planned on attending again.


    But, then she¡¯d hooked up with Dale, and childish inclinations like anime conventions had been set aside and forgotten until now. Dale was a charming troublemaker, a bad boy with a band, The Ravaged Cassettes, that was going places. Dale you cheating asshole fucking piece of shit.


    Though still gorgeous, to Kelly now the fluorescent lighting seemed to cast a sickly pallor over her skin, and getting her makeup right seemed like more work every time. Being sober always makes me look older and shabbier in the mirror. Fuck.


    Scowling again, Kelly gave her boobs an experimental heft in the ladies¡¯ room mirror. Generous C-cup breasts filled her simple black tank top, and dark skinny jeans fit snugly to the curves of her backside. She was without a bra, and it seemed like her puppies were going to slip free and give someone an eyeful if she wasn¡¯t careful. She twisted and turned to see them from the side, pursing her lips. It would be alright... probably. Here, in the brilliant light of the ladies room, you could clearly see her areola outlined, but it wouldn¡¯t be as noticeable out in the convention hall.


    I¡¯m not an exhibitionist, I¡¯m just using my assets pragmatically, she told herself. She¡¯d brought her leftover cash to the con, but it wasn¡¯t enough for nights at one of the hotels, or even a convention badge. A little bit of guile and a whole lot of cleavage would help... stimulate the charity of these helplessly geeky convention weebs. If I happen to have a rockin¡¯ bod and love attention, well screw it, that¡¯s just a bonus, she decided.


    ¡°It¡¯s... pink,¡± a girl in pink-and-red dress at the sink beside her abruptly said, snapping Kelly out of her reverie. A blonde, or rather mostly blonde girl was staring through glasses in disbelief at her own reflection in the ladies¡¯ room mirror. She worked her fingertips through her tresses, as if unable to fathom how or why a vibrant streak of color now ran through her blond hair. A fluffy pair of rabbit ears wobbled from the headband she was wearing.


    ¡°Pink.¡±


    ¡°...Sure is,¡± Kelly replied snidely, a look of curious appraisal dissolving into a dismissive smirk as she returned to fixing her eyeliner.


    Startled, Stephanie turned to regard Kelly, feeling more than a little intimidated. The heady current of pink desire washing through that girl collided with her bafflement, creating swirling eddies of sensual confusion. Still stupidly holding her hair in front of her, Stephanie gulped. ¡°Um, but w-why is it pink?¡±


    ¡°...The hell you asking me for? It¡¯s your hair,¡± Kelly sighed, shoving her eyeliner back into the depths of her purse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m j-just¡ª¡± Stephanie was drawing back as if she¡¯d been struck.


    ¡°Lemme guess,¡± Kelly smirked, ¡°You put some cheap shit in for highlights? The generic shit washes out and fades right away, what¡¯d you think was gonna happen? Or... is the color supposed to match that, uh... thing? You¡¯re wearing?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± a flustered Stephanie said, wetting her fingers under the faucet and dabbing at the errant pink locks. ¡°I¡¯ve never... put anything like that in my hair. I¡¯ve never used dye or... anything, like that. It¡¯s just, pink all of the sudden!¡±


    ¡°Shit. Well, sorry,¡± Kelly said, feeling a genuine pang of sympathy for the shy girl. A year or two ago a friend had gotten wasted at a party and woken up with her head shaved. A prank like that¡¯d never happened to Kelly personally, but that fear and wariness had always lingered.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice before you left for the con?¡± Kelly asked, arching an eyebrow as she leaned against the counter with her hip to face the other girl.


    ¡°No, it was fine then,¡± Stephanie said meekly, shoving paper towels into her now damp hair. They were soaking up water but not coming away with any color. ¡°It was normal when I left, I would have noticed because I, uh, put on my... cosplay ears. No one noticed anything at all, until I...¡±


    The slim girl she was facing had been pale as a sheet, but now she blushed and looked away, deliberately avoiding the other girl¡¯s eyes. Okay, this has gotta be good.


    ¡°Yeah, ¡¯till you what?¡± Kelly urged her on.


    ¡°I, uh, kissed. Kissed a boy,¡± Stephanie said, eliciting a peal of laughter from the scene girl beside her.


    ¡°Oh my, dearie me, I kissed a boy. Heavens to betsy, whatever shall I do?¡± Kelly mocked, unable to contain herself. ¡°Well, if he¡¯ll rub crap in your hair while you¡¯re makin¡¯ out, he¡¯s a real scumbag.¡±


    ¡°No, no... he didn¡¯t touch my hair. It just... happened when we kissed?¡± Stephanie frowned, isolating the pink locks again.


    ¡°Just ¡¯happened¡¯ when you kissed, huh? Truuust me, if I lit up in technicolor every time I kissed someone, I¡¯d look like a pride parade by now. Are you for serious? ...Just what are you supposed to be, anyways?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Stephanie sputtered, flooding with embarrassment. She had never made a habit of talking to strangers in restrooms, this was turning into a particularly odd day. ¡°Flamituff. From Monster Battlers.¡±


    Kelly looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a kiddie game?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, yes. It¡¯s from a game,¡± Stephanie replied reluctantly, adjusting her glasses. This encounter had cooled the blaze heating her body down to smoldering pink embers.


    ¡°Well, uh, yeah... good luck with your hair then,¡± Kelly said, chuckling as she shouldered her purse. Almost as an afterthought, she gave Stephanie one last, assessing look. ¡°Hey, you wouldn¡¯t be able to spare me ten bucks, would ya? I¡¯m like, juuust a bit short of enough for my con badge.¡±


    Stephanie blinked at her with wide eyes for a moment. ¡°Ah, yeah, I... guess I could?¡± Ten dollars isn¡¯t a big deal after spending eight on a salad, she thought gloomily. Stephanie¡¯s neatly folded bill was quickly crumpled into Kelly¡¯s fist as they headed out of the restroom.


    ¡°Hey, thanks, really. You¡¯re not such a weeb after all,¡± Kelly laughed as they exited together.


    ¡°...Weeb?¡± Stephanie asked, blanching.


    ¡°Uh, weeaboo. You know, anime geeks? Anime geek people,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Weeaboo.¡±


    There was a cosplayer waiting for them outside, and the downcast bunny-girl she¡¯d met seemed to perk up right away at the sight of him. He was wearing a Fantasy Wars uniform jacket, not an uncommon sight in the convention lobby. But while most of the other cosplayers looked rather shapeless in them, this guy¡¯s solid build filled out the shoulders snugly while the coat sides tapered into a tailored ¡®v¡¯ shape on his trim waist.


    The foppishly oversized shoulder epaulettes and exaggerated insignias on many of the other jackets were minimalistic and well-proportioned on this one, making his uniform look rather clean-cut and smart, more like actual military attire. With his sexily tousled brown hair, he was pretty spot-on for the character Lance from the series, in fact... not that Kelly would ever admit to recognizing anyone from that nerdy old game.


    ¡°Weeaboo? Did somebody just say ¡®Weeaboo?¡¯¡± Brian asked them in a conspiratorial voice.


    ¡°Awww, yeah! Wee-a-boo! Wee-a-boo!¡± a passing pair of nerds on their way to the mens¡¯ room called out in a frat-boy chant.


    ¡°I, uh, guess I¡¯m a weeaboo, then...?¡± Stephanie said, sporting a hesitant smile.


    Brian grinned, and began to explain. ¡°¡®Weeaboo¡¯ is pretty much a derogatory term specifically for us western anime fans. Since Japanese otaku are already considered scum by their own culture, fans outside Japan are naturally regarded as even lower trash.¡±


    ¡°Uh, wow, just fulla facts, aren¡¯tcha?¡± Kelly said, giving him a glib smile. Is this bunny-girl¡¯s mysterious romancer? Well... he¡¯s not too bad looking. For a weeaboo.


    ¡°Why attend the con if you¡¯re not a ¡®weeb¡¯ yourself, though?¡± He asked, glancing from Stephanie to Kelly curiously.


    Kelly snorted. ¡°Long story. Lots of drama,¡± she answered. ¡°Might not attend anything but the lobby anyways, I don¡¯t have enough cash for my pass! Flammyfluff here just lent me ten bucks, maybe you could spare some too?¡± She surreptitiously tugged at the hem of her tank top, and the barely-clothed globes of her breasts shifting against one another enticingly. Gawd, these weebs are so fun to tease, she thought, her mood having brightened for some untraceable reason.


    ¡°Flamituff,¡± Stephanie corrected weakly.


    ¡°Well... why not? But, tell you what,¡± Brian said thoughtfully, ¡°Give her that ten bucks back, I can just lend you my spare pass.¡± He flicked his wrist out to reveal his pair of convention passes and a charm dangling out from his sleeve.


    ¡°For reals?¡± Kelly giggled, eyes lighting up. ¡°Sweeeet!¡± She eagerly passed the crumpled ten back to Stephanie and grabbed for the offered pass from Brian¡¯s wrist. As she did so, a tiny energy current sparked against her index finger, and Kelly yanked her hand back in surprise.


    ¡°Ah, shit, your little pin jabbed me,¡± she laughed, easily brushing aside the dangling harem charm to see the convention badge more clearly. For a moment the scene girl swayed unsteadily on her feet, a whirling sense of vertigo gripping her. The tilting, off-balance sensation subsided, but burning red stardust blew on an unseen wind through her thoughts, and she felt warm... breathless.


    Holy eff, this is a three-day pass! She realized giddily. Am I lucky, or is this guy just...?


    Pin? Stephanie wondered as she watched Kelly remove the spare pass. Had that charm been on a pin? She stared at her palm. She¡¯d also felt... something, upon first touching the omamori, and for a pervasive moment it felt like she was overlooking an important clue. The thought passed, her suspicion swallowed up in a pink froth of flame and momentarily forgotten.


    ¡°Hey, really, thanks,¡± Kelly chimed, untangling the badge¡¯s lanyard and slinging it around her smooth neck so that the laminated badge slapped across the bare expanse of her exposed cleavage. ¡°But, what¡¯d ya have a spare for?¡±


    When she finally looked up from the convention pass to Brian, something in her chest tightened. A closer look at her new benefactor revealed the mesmerizing sharp green of his eyes, that seemed both playful and a little cold. Kelly blinked, a little startled. Yeah, uh-oh. This guy looks like trouble. He looks like my kinda trouble, in fact. She felt herself wanting to put her hands on him.


    ¡°Pre-ordered passes for me and my girlfriend,¡± he admitted, ¡°But, she dumped me right before the con.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re single now, huh?¡± Kelly blurted, looking from him to Stephanie. The blond bunny-girl blushed and looked down, but no one offered Kelly a contradiction. So, this girl¡¯s trying to grab him while he¡¯s on the rebound? ...Interesting. The dark clouds of accumulated frustration that had been gathering over the months seemed to roll away for a moment, revealing the open expanses of a night sky, glittering with red starlight.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s... really her loss, then. I¡¯m Kelly, also single!¡± she introduced herself, letting her hand slide up his arm.


    ¡°Brian,¡± he offered, not seeming as fazed as she¡¯d like. He casually slipped his arm around her. ¡°And you¡¯ve already met my Flamituff, Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Uh... I have!¡± Kelly admitted, disarmed¡ªbut not displeased by his proximity. The presumption that ¡®all geeks are desperate virgins¡¯ collided with the notion of ¡®a cute guy with his arm around her¡¯ in a jarring flash of red sparks. Huh. She was oblivious to those red pinpricks of light as they began to descend through her mind like burning fallout.


    ¡°So, is this the guy who, you know...?¡± Kelly asked, flashing a predatory grin at Stephanie and laying a hand on Brian¡¯s chest possessively. Hey, not scrawny at all, either, she discovered.


    ¡°What¡¯d I do?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Ah! Uhm, yeah, he and... uh,¡± Stephanie glanced between them, as if looking for permission.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothin¡¯, we were just having a bit of girl talk earlier,¡± Kelly said soothingly, looking the girl up and down. Reevaluating her.


    Cute face, slim figure, she thought. Enough self-confidence to fill a matchbox... without taking out the matches first. Probably some shy, bookwormy-type who¡¯ll have cobwebs forming in her cleavage before she ever actually learns to show it off. What a waste. But, wait, that big ol¡¯ butt of hers... A mischievous spark of red color traced through her mind, as if someone had flicked a lit cigarette into the darkness. Well, let¡¯s get a better look.


    ¡°I just love your... Flamituff, was it? Love your Flamituff outfit, do you mind...?¡± Kelly motioned with her finger for the shy girl to spin so that she could get a better look at her ensemble.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, sure,¡± Stephanie said meekly, eyes flitting to Brian again. Slowly, the shy girl began to pirouette.


    The gijinka cosplay she¡¯d sewn was impressively well-tailored to her body. Her narrow waist widened out into broad hips, and as she presented her side profile the small of her back flared out provocatively into the curve of her bottom. The plump swell of her butt caused the hem of her pink and red sundress to rise up in a tantalizing fashion.


    Damn, the cutie has some booty, Kelly realized enthusiastically.


    ¡°Now, stop there a sec,¡± Kelly asked, flicking her bangs out of her eyes and leaning towards Brian. ¡°What do you think? Is her ass amazing, or what?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Stephanie yelped, covering her rear with her hands. ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m just playin¡¯,¡± Kelly said calmly. ¡°Your costume actually looks good on you. Really emphasizes your... charm.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to emph¡ªI wasn¡¯t trying to do that,¡± Stephanie said defensively, tugging the hem of her dress down again. The bottom edge shot right back to where it had been, her bottom jiggling entrancingly for a second.


    Yeah, not bad at all, Kelly thought, feeling warm. Usually, it took some drinking before she would check out another chick, but something about the plush derriere on this sweet little thing in front of her was making her want to just grab it. The urge to squeeze that ample flesh in her fingertips as she pleased, make this bunny-girl squirm. Before she could get a handful, Stephanie spun back around and covered her butt protectively.


    ¡°Geez, sensitive much?¡± Kelly said delightedly. ¡°C¡¯mon, Brian... what do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... bad with words, so I¡¯ll just have to show her what I think of it later,¡± Brian remarked playfully.


    Not a bad answer, Kelly thought. She¡¯d been hoping to bait him into a comical display of geeky stuttering and stumbling over his words, and he¡¯d disappointed her soundly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll, uh, what?!¡± Stephanie stammered.


    ¡°Awesome, be sure to show her good and hard, then.¡± Kelly said, punching his shoulder lightly. Damn, he probably will, too. She¡¯s totally into him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a good Monster Battlers trainer if I didn¡¯t,¡± he agreed, nodding his head with sagely wisdom.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to do what?¡± Stephanie asked again.


    He¡¯s gonna fuck you silly, Kelly thought to herself in amusement. You¡¯re gonna get bent over, and spanked right across that fat little ass. Then, when you can¡¯t take anymore, and you¡¯re blushing and panting for it like a dog in heat... he¡¯s gonna give it to you. You¡¯re the shy little cutesy weeb right now, but I can tell you¡¯re getting yourself all soaked ¡®cause of this guy... Kelly stifled a silly grin and felt the blood rush to her face. Or, maybe I¡¯m the one getting soaked...?


    ¡°Well, yeah, thanks again for the pass, Brian, seriously,¡± Kelly said as she broke away from the pair, feeling... heated and antsy. ¡°Now that I have one, I¡¯m gonna check out the vendor¡¯s room. Flammyfluff,¡± she waved towards Stephanie. ¡°Smell ya later!¡±


    ¡°D-did she just...?¡± Stephanie looked at him quizzically.


    ¡°Quote the rival character from Monster Battler? I dunno... probably a coincidence?¡± He said, as they watched her recede into the stream of convention-goers entering the vendor¡¯s room.


    Kelly prowled into the bustling aisles of the vendor¡¯s room with a sexy sway to her hips, grapefruit-sized breasts bobbing gently with her every stride. She felt good. More than good, she was practically lit. Her dark tank top was already tight and low-cut enough to be risque, and without a bra she should be turning heads with the entrancingly pendulous motion of her bust alone. She¡¯d initially thought it would take hours for her to scrape up enough cash for a badge, but here she was with all access and the convention was only halfway through the first day.


    I want to flirt now, she thought to herself, pouting. Where did all the good-looking geeks run off to?


    The brightly-colored merchandise heaped on the vendor¡¯s booths and hung from their racks were easy enough to ignore for now, at least. The table fronts were crowded with shoppers and squeezing in to see the wares would necessitate sweaty body-contact with the overweight neckbearded collector-types. An excited, frenetic energy was rippling through her, and in her mind red-hot meteors were screaming down through the night. Parts of her already quavered in anticipation of some good, hard impacts.


    Oh, yeah, Kelly thought, biting her lip and scanning the vendor¡¯s room with a heated gaze. I¡¯m gettin¡¯ laid this weekend. No harm in scoping out a lucky romeo now.


    After a full circuit around the spacious room and its dozen rows of vendors tables however, she was getting anxious and annoyed. No one was biting. She was even high-beaming, her nipples tenting the thin fabric of her top in eye-catching beads that preceded her wherever she sauntered, and still, not a single dweeb had risen to take the bait.


    Kelly huffed, searching through the crowd of convention-goers in vexation. She¡¯d never had trouble luring in guys at bars or concerts. She was getting plenty of attention, guys checking her out¡ªor even staring, but when she made eye-contact they looked away, studiously avoiding her gaze. Whatever, she thought dismissively, small fry aren¡¯t worth my time, anyways. In the end, only a single one of them approached her. A greasy creep.


    ¡°Hey babe, can I get a picture?¡± the chubby older guy in a white navy admiral costume uniform asked, unabashed. His long dark locks were tied back in a ponytail, but his receding hairline simply gave the impression that his hair was abandoning ship. His lecherous half-grin was framed by an unkempt goatee of what could have possibly been pubic hair.


    Seriously, I¡¯m not even in a costume? She gave the creep an uncertain smile and flashed two fingers in an awkward victory sign for the shot. That used to be a trendy thing in anime, hope it still passes...? He seemed satisfied with just a photo, thankfully, and left, disappearing back into the swarm of anime fans. The gaggle of short girls in cat-eared hats walking behind her giggled, and she shot them a dirty look.


    ¡°Okay, that was gross,¡± she said aloud, hunching into a more reclusive posture and crossing her arms over her breasts. No need to really fish for guys, I can just scope them out for now. There were geeky guys wandering around aplenty, and so, she began mentally tagging and discarding them by their individual deficiencies.


    Wash your face, ugh. She shouldered past a nerd sporting a leather trenchcoat and a bowler hat. And, why are so many guys wearing those stupid ¡®Caring is Magic,¡¯ My Friendly Pony shirts?! Her cursory search revealed that there weren¡¯t many guys here who would satisfy her tastes, at least in the vendor¡¯s room. Ugh, wispy mustache, either shave it all or grow in real facial hair.


    ¡°Che,¡± Kelly spat in aggravation. Aren¡¯t there more guys like Brian around here?

 Painting the Roses Pink

    By late afternoon on Friday, AnimeCon was simmering with excitement¡ªa soup of colorful costumes and eager, chattering geeks. Pockets of empty space opened and closed in the packed multitude of people like bubbles on boiling broth as cosplayers were stopped for impromptu photo-shoots. Incredibly large, elaborate costumes towered over the press of people, and there were entire groups of cosplayers representing large casts from different animes. Intricately detailed monsters, gorgeous couples in splendid raiments, grizzled fantasy swordsmen, sarcastic robots and everything in between wandered about freely.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I owed you an apology or not,¡± Brian said to Stephanie as they continued down one of the hallways.


    ¡°An apology?¡± Stephanie asked, perplexed. ¡°Wh-what would, I mean, why would you owe me an apology?¡±


    ¡°Er... for stealing a kiss back then, in the caf¨¦,¡± he admitted, looking at her cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, when you took off in a hurry, I was kinda worried.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! The kiss was fine! Uh, more than fine, the kiss was amazing. It was just¡ªthe thing with my hair, I was really surprised and... The kiss though, the kiss was amazing,¡± she emphasized clearly.


    ¡°Definitely, um, it was definitely a more effective attack than I was prepared for. I guess you really do have a lot more up your sleeves than I thought,¡± she admitted playfully, feeling her face redden.


    ¡°Arms, even,¡± he joked, tugging his sleeve back to expose a forearm. The charm dangling from his wrist bobbed and twisted in the light.


    ¡°Haha, uh, yeah,¡± she said weakly, momentarily enthralled by the glimpse.


    Mmm... His forearm was nothing like her slender, feminine arms. It was thicker... rougher, with the subtle curves of muscle that gave them a deliciously shapely appearance. Even his hands look strong, she thought heatedly. What would... what would those hands feel like on me?


    She imagined them tightly gripping her shoulders, tugging open her flimsy costume with ease, and exposing her pale skin to the air. Would she feel heat rise to the surface wherever his rough fingertips roamed? Something deep in her tummy twitched reflexively at the thought. She could hold tight onto the corded muscle of those arms... or let his hands slide down her back towards her rear. Would those hands squeeze, his fingers press deeper into the soft, pert curves of her buttocks? Another series of hot pink sparks seemed to sputter in her brain.


    ¡°So, any clue what happened?¡±


    ¡°W-with what?¡± she asked, blinking rapidly as her daydream evaporated.


    ¡°Your hair, the pink in it. I meant to ask, but we got kinda sidetracked by that Kelly girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Uh, no,¡± she answered sheepishly, ¡°No clue. I mean, ah, it wouldn¡¯t come out with water at all, a-at least. Kelly, uhm, she was sure you rubbed dye in my hair or something. How bad is it?¡±


    Gently, he reached up past her rabbit ear headband and ran his fingers through her hair, separating the aberrant pink strands with his fingertips. She found the gesture surprisingly... intimate, and gradually leaned into him. Her heart beat the excited doki doki of a pure young girl, but other parts of her were heating up in a much less innocent way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± he said, making eye contact with her. ¡°Actually, it looks nice.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hearing those words from him, it was as if the warmth within was beginning to radiate out through her smile.


    ¡°Excuse me, would it be okay if I got a picture of you two?¡± A petite Asian girl in a hoodie asked from behind an expensive camera.


    ¡°Of... us...?¡± Stephanie asked, flabbergasted. ¡°Together?¡± Though too embarrassed to admit she¡¯d never played a Fantasy Wars title, it was pretty clear their costumes were from entirely different genres.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Brian agreed readily, drawing his fantasy pistol from his shoulder holster in a smooth motion. His other hand slipped around the small of Stephanie¡¯s back, delicately pulling her against him. Deep inside of Stephanie, a furnace was trembling into motion, small pink flames sputtering from glowing coals. With his feet squared, chest raised, and an arm around her, he looked¡ªheroic.


    Caught off guard by the camera already pointed their way, Stephanie realized how stiff her posture was, and nearly panicked. She put her arm awkwardly around Brian¡ªbut was too self-conscious to put her hand on him. Instead it hovered, not touching, a bare inch off of his side.


    It¡¯ll look like I¡¯m actually holding him in the picture, though, she tried to assure herself. She stared vacantly at the camera lense for a moment until finally something in the kindling pink fire within her popped, and a warm, safe feeling seemed to spread throughout her. She relaxed into a soft smile just in time for the flash of the camera.


    ¡°Thanks! I love your costumes!¡± The Asian girl said, smiling.


    My first picture taken at a convention, Stephanie thought, disoriented with excitement. And, it¡¯s with him. A picture of us. This is all really happening, and now there¡¯s actual proof! I want to see, I want a copy! She followed the thin Asian girl with her eyes.


    ¡°You know, Steph,¡± he said in a low voice, ¡°you can put your hand on me for photos, if you want to.¡±


    Stephanie gulped, feeling her cheeks burn red in a hasty blush. ¡°You, you noticed, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He chuckled, looking at her. ¡°You seemed... tense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m good, uh, great. Was just a little nervous. That was the first time someone¡¯s, um, taken a photo. Of me, I mean. At a convention like this. In costume...¡± she trailed off meekly.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± he said, eyeing her carefully. ¡°You¡¯re a virgin?!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± she sputtered, eyes wide. ¡°W-well yes, but¡ª¡± Is it that obvious? Wait, where did that come from?!


    ¡°A convention virgin, I mean. This is your first time cosplaying?¡± he asked playfully, gesturing to her Flamituff gijinka.


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± she said, exhaling slowly. ¡°That. This is my first anime convention.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow, I just assumed...¡± he said, chuckling, ¡°I mean, your costume doesn¡¯t look like a first-time cosplay. You made it yourself?¡±


    ¡°...I did.¡± She said, pleased with herself.


    ¡°Now I feel bad,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Here I¡¯ve been taking up all your time, and you must be excited to go around and see everything.¡±


    Her gaze flicked across the breadth of his chest as he held open his jacket to re-holster his prop pistol. Everything, huh...


    ¡°Uh, yes! I mean, no! That is, I am excited, but you¡¯re not taking up my time. Or it¡¯s ok-okay if you do. I like you. Like taking up time with you, I meant to say! Er, s-spending time with you,¡± she corrected herself. Stop stammering!


    ¡°...Me too,¡± he said. ¡°But, did you need to meet back up with your friend? The Pandape girl?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Right. Her,¡± Stephanie remembered. ¡°She, told¡ªah, she asked me to meet her in the vendor¡¯s room, but... I mean, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s shopping, and, well. I can hang out for a little bit longer. With you. If-if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Cool! Let¡¯s walk for a bit, then.¡± Brian proposed, offering his hand, and Stephanie giddily took it, relieved. I have him to myself. For a bit longer, at least.


    Holding hands, they carefully traversed their own convoluted route across the packed main lobby. Convention staff bottlenecked traffic into the vendor¡¯s room, talent show auditions stage, viewing theaters, and gaming tournament with badge checks, and haphazard lines had begun to criss-cross the area. Troupes of fans milled about, squatted, or sprawled out on the floor in the lobby, creating an ever-changing topography of areas to navigate.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ve established that you¡¯re a Monster Battlers fan,¡± he began, ¡°Are you real into anime too, or just games?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the... ¡®mainstream¡¯ anime, so I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m a very serious fan,¡± she admitted shyly. ¡°Just stuff that¡¯s been dubbed into English and aired here in America.¡±


    ¡°So, things like Shinobi Souls, and Magi Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± she said, feeling lame. ¡°But I read a lot of shoujo manga comics online... which, uh, you¡¯re probably not into... Obviously. Hah, sorry.¡±


    Although there were compendiums of comics focusing on specific genres such as sports, horror, or science fiction, Japanese comics were also often categorized simply by their target demographic. The latest shounen, meaning comics for boys, might be collected into a thick monthly magazine such as Shounen Leap on convenience store shelves all over Japan. Likewise, the newest shoujo comics, for girls, could be found in a release such as Shoujo Anthology, emphasizing romance and drama rather than action and heroics.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s normal. I think the only shoujo I¡¯ve really read was Key Catcher Sakuro.¡±


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s a good one. I was really into it when I was in high school. But, still. Good series.¡± She said, nodding her approval.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Brian exclaimed as he remembered, ¡°Actually, I read about half of Vampire Crusader¡ªthat¡¯s about as shoujo as they get. I quit following it, though, seemed like they were all drawn with the same face. I couldn¡¯t tell anybody apart, even their hairstyles were too similar.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know, right?¡± Stephanie laughed in agreement. ¡°It just gets harder to follow the further in the series you get. ¡°Like, you can¡¯t tell the vampires apart to begin with except for their hair color, and then they do that dramatic style thing, and the colors invert. Then there¡¯s Akuma¡¯s long-lost twin and a longer-lost triplet! And then that incubus guy is always using his magic to disguise himself as other characters...¡± she trailed off in embarrassment, realizing she was rambling.


    ¡°A triplet, too? Geez, that¡¯s awful,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°There¡¯s a Vampire Crusader cosplayer over there, past those girls. Did you see him?¡± Brian gestured towards a distant young man in an overly posh white-and-black school uniform.


    Stephanie laughed abruptly, and quickly covered her mouth, glancing sheepishly back to Brian. ¡°I was wondering how often he gets asked which vampire he is.¡±


    Smiling knowingly, Brian sighed. ¡°A couple years ago, I had this uniform right, but couldn¡¯t get the hair perfect. So, people couldn¡¯t tell if I was Lance, or Leonus from Fantasy Wars.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re perfect.¡± Stephanie said, blushing. And I don¡¯t know who Lance or Leonus even are.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said with a chuckle. You know, my friend who gave me the charm¡¯s been trying to get me to do a Shinobi Souls cosplay, but I can¡¯t figure out who I¡¯d be.¡±


    ¡°Shinobi Souls? You¡¯d be a great Sousuke!¡± Stephanie exclaimed.


    ¡°Sousuke Salladin? No way, he¡¯s a badass, but I don¡¯t have the body to pull it off. Love the character, though.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re, um. Well I think you definitely could. Probably. Yeah.¡±


    Brian would be perfect as Sousuke! The pink flames licking through her imagination seemed to conjure Brian in the ninja assassin¡¯s outfit. An almost completely bare upper-body, toned muscle criss-crossed with long scars and the leather straps for ornate armor plates protecting his arms. A middle-eastern keffiyeh worn around his neck like a scarf hid his face from enemies when necessary and occasionally revealed glimpses of chiseled, gorgeous features. Almost TOO sexy... I would love to see him in that! Or out of it...


    ¡°Well, she cosplays Akane Kurokawa from Shinobi Souls, maybe you¡¯ll see her on Sunday.¡±


    Stephanie did a double-take. ¡°Ah, y-your friend that gave you the charm is a¡ªa girl?¡± And, bold enough to cosplay something as risqu¨¦ as Akane Kurokawa?! Akane was widely considered a ¡®fan-service¡¯ character, recognized more for her bodacious body nearly spilling out of her skimpy outfit, than her skill as a ninja.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Emily. She¡¯s that friend I told you about, who was pushing for me attend, forget my ex, quit dwelling on things. Emily gave me that charm and told me to meet some girls here, start building myself a harem.¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Harem, haha¡ªwait, that¡¯s it! Harem!¡± Stephanie lit up, flashing him a smile. ¡°Er, uh, may I?¡± she asked, reaching into his sleeve for the dangling charm. She adjusted her glasses and took another look at the complex character carefully carved onto its face.


    Modern Japanese was written in a simple alphabet called hiragana, but they also used the roughly three-thousand symbols of kanji when writing something old-fashioned and traditional, like a family nameplate... or an omamori charm. While Stephanie had taught herself many of them, even kanji like these that she understood were difficult for her to recognize without a context to place them in.


    ¡°I knew it looked familiar¡ªI do recognize this! The symbol for ¡¯inner,¡¯ together with the symbol for ¡¯palace¡¯. When you put these two kanji together, it means ¡¯harem¡¯! It¡¯s a harem charm!¡± she exclaimed proudly, giggling. Huh... this omamori isn¡¯t on a pin after all. What was that feeling earlier?


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, you can read kanji? We had to look it up and we could still barely believe it. Emily¡¯s sister bought it from a shrine somewhere in Japan.¡±


    ¡°W-well, I can only read some kanji. And, uh, usually I have to use my reference book all the time... hah. They sold something like this at a shrine?!¡± Stephanie laughed, turning it over in her hands. ¡°Do you know which shrine it was?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°If they told me, I don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hilarious,¡± she decided, ¡°And clever. And...¡± Sporting a shy smile, she looked past the omamori and up into his eyes. ¡°H-hey, do you, uh, do you think it works? The charm, I mean.¡±


    ¡°...It just might,¡± he said, sharing a grin. ¡°But, I don¡¯t believe in magic or charms. Luck is just being ready for the right moments when they come, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, ah, from Seneca!¡± Stephanie recalled. ¡°He was a Roman philosopher. ¡®Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You have a sharp memory,¡± he said, impressed. ¡°I always seem to butcher famous quotes when I try to remember them.¡±


    ¡°N-no, you got the idea of it, what was important,¡± Stephanie insisted, ¡°Philosophers explored ideas, it was, um, only those who followed after that turned their work into neat little aphorisms like that. What Seneca actually wrote wasn¡¯t something easy to fit into a bumper sticker or fortune cookie.¡±


    ¡°Guess that puts things in perspective,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°But, what I mean to say is, rather than put my faith in a magic charm, or even get full of myself, I¡¯ll thank Emily and you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stephanie asked, cocking her head.


    ¡°Emily could¡¯ve kept her hands out of my problems, but she didn¡¯t. She helped me realize that things were really over with my ex, she... well, prepared me. To move on. She gave me this silly little token to remind me of that, and then you gave me an opportunity. You two are why I feel so lucky right now. I¡¯d rather believe in the people who¡¯ve helped me rather than... abstracts, like luck, fate... fortune, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, tilting her head. ¡°How did I give you an opportunity?¡±


    ¡°Well, pinning me to the ground and planting your panties on my face wasn¡¯t an opportunity I was gonna miss,¡± he remarked playfully.


    ¡°H-hey, that¡¯s not, um, exactly¡ª¡±


    ¡°What I mean is, even if someone else had seen me drop that charm, they probably would¡¯ve just pocketed it. You returned it to me, which means a lot. And, it means even more to me that you had the courage to talk to me after that, ah... that little accident we had. I can tell how hard it was for you. Well... or was that really an accident?¡± He wondered aloud.


    ¡°It was. So much. So much accident. Such,¡± she blurted. ¡°I never would have... uh, well. Accidentally¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you¡¯d just wanted me to go down on you, you could¡¯ve just asked,¡± he teased.


    ¡°W-what!? I d-don¡¯t want you to, ah, I mean I didn¡¯t want y-you to, uh, that¡¯s not something that I¡ª¡± she cried, flushing scarlet and hiding her face.


    ¡°Sorry, kidding.¡± he said. ¡°Truce?¡±


    ¡°...Truce,¡± was all she could manage, too flustered to say anything else. Is it even possible for a guy to go down on a girl...?


    For a girl who loved to read and prided herself on her knowledge, she was finding her own understanding of sex disappointingly... rudimentary. Well, going down on a guy is when his.. um, his thing is in her mouth. So, maybe...? The warm pink flames she¡¯d felt in her belly rose up and spread out into a scorching conflagration as she pictured his lovely jawline nuzzling between her naked thighs... perhaps playfully nibbling the insides, in delightful sensitive places where even the slight exhalations of his breath would be enough to make her quiver. Perhaps he would make his way towards her labia with soft, puckered kisses and then spread her¡ª


    ¡°But, uh, t-that aside, I like the way you think,¡± she decided, gulping. ¡°That you believe in your friends, and in, uh, you know, people, rather than random happenstance. I like that.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders and raised his other hand in an empty gesture as if to say, well, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m like after watching too many shounen animes.¡±


    ¡°Uh... I¡¯ve been meaning to ask...¡± Stephanie began as they passed one of the gaming rooms. In this one, a dozen players were carefully setting up miniature armies atop a tabletop covered in the labyrinthine ruins of a tiny city.


    ¡°What did you mean earlier, exactly?¡± She asked, feeling her face redden. ¡°Right before Kelly left, when you were going to¡ªwhen you said you were going to show me something later,¡± she said with difficulty.


    ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯d really have to show you. I can¡¯t just tell you about it,¡± he said playfully. ¡°Why, are you... curious?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. A little. How... how would... you show me...?¡± Stephanie asked meekly.


    ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s your turn,¡± Brian said. ¡°I attacked last, right?¡±


    ¡°R-right,¡± Stephanie laughed, suddenly nervous. Nervous but willing. ¡°Okay. What would, erm, if I did, what sort of... what do you want me to do? To, ah, ¡®attack.¡¯¡±


    He deliberated for a long moment as they wandered past the darkened LAN gaming room, where two dozen glowing computer monitors outlined the silhouettes of gamers competing in a cacophony of gunfire sound effects and explosions.


    ¡°When I kissed you back in the caf¨¦, it was ¡¯cause it felt like you were daring me to, and also just... well, me expressing my feelings at the moment,¡± he decided. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pressure you into expressing something you may not really feel, you know?¡±


    ¡°I want you... to want to ¡®attack¡¯ me, sure,¡± he explained. ¡°But, I won¡¯t tell you to. Having someone simply follow direction isn¡¯t nearly as... well, exciting, as seeing someone express their feelings in their own way, you know? Telling you what to do would be more like I was... using you.¡±


    Of course it wouldn¡¯t be that simple, Stephanie chided herself, uneasily swallowing down her own naivet¨¦ on the complex nuances of courtship. Her keen mind bravely tumbled on through the blur of this unfamiliar terrain.


    This isn¡¯t a campus administrator telling me, ¡®this and this and this much, and you¡¯ve passed.¡¯ It¡¯s the prospective employer casually brushing aside those... quantifiable expectations, and simply daring me to impress them. Can I impress Brian? She realized that she wanted to, more than anything. With her feelings, and her courage in expressing them.


    Express my feelings. In my own way, she thought to herself, not disappointed with his reasoning in the slightest. I love that. Her stomach suffused into a nervous pink firestorm. But, what... exactly... should I do? She¡¯d always rolled her eyes at magazine headlines at the supermarket like Ten Tricks to Drive Your Man WILD.


    Not something like that. I want to do something honest, and meaningful... not just some kinky gimmick to catch his attention for a moment, she decided. Hundreds of the novels she¡¯d read had gleanings of romantic knowledge in them, and in her head they slowly began to coalesce into an answer, fuel feeding into the voracious combustion of emotion throbbing through her.


    I need to... I need to surrender myself. To my feelings. To him. Let go of propriety and... the fear for a moment and... just let my body act. ¡®Heart of mine, do as you will,¡¯ she commanded resolutely.


    ¡°Although...¡± Brian mused, rubbing his jaw. ¡°I guess you were the one boasting to me that Flamituffs attack more, and get hit less?¡± he quipped, ¡°You¡¯re not exactl¡ª¡±


    Stephanie interrupted, placing her gloved hands on Brian¡¯s chest and leaning in, her lips hovering bare inches from his. She hesitated there for a single moment, soft blue eyes peeking shyly up over the rim of her glasses, and savored his surprised expression. Lovely. Frantic energy shuddered up and down her body for that brief second, the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and her whole body prickled with anticipation. She closed the remaining distance, and kissed him.


    As their lips met, the raw current anxiously weaving through her began to ignite in a chaotic explosion of spinning and roiling pink fire. The crowds around them momentarily forgotten, she felt herself rising onto her tiptoes, pressing herself hungrily up into the kiss. Whatever this is between us... attraction, a crush, some infatuation, or even... love, I need more. I need so much more. She was too lost in the sensation of their lips sliding against one another to realize that her hands were tugging on his coat, pulling him closer as they kissed, open-mouthed, feeding on one another¡¯s affection.


    ¡°Wow, you defini¡ª¡± Brian began breathlessly, before being cut off again.


    All at once she pushed her tongue into his mouth, felt it slide against his. The bursting explosion of fire and energy inside her was too bright to be called pink, and she felt a fluid heat sliding down her body towards her sex that made her abdomen clench and jerk. Her whole body wriggled against his, and she shivered. Her molten core, hidden beneath her increasingly damp panties, ached for attention.


    As if the whirling cloud of erotic thoughts couldn¡¯t be contained in Stephanie¡¯s head anymore, bright color bled out from the roots of her hair, seeping and spreading slowly across her blond tufts and turning them a brilliant shade of cotton-candy pink. Before it could overtake her whole head, the passion and heat of their kiss grew too intense, and the couple broke apart, gasping for breath.


    Her senses slowly returning to her to scattered applause, she realized that a handful of people around her were actually clapping and cheering. Did something...? Oh. It¡¯s. It¡¯s us. Then she realized they were all looking in her direction. Cheeks burning, Stephanie stared down at her feet bashfully.


    Well, that did go pretty far... she thought, proudly.


    Pulling away reluctantly, Brian did a double-take, zeroing in on her newly colored locks with a stare.


    ¡°Wha... what is it?¡± Stephanie panted, giving him a shaky smile as she brought her fingertips to her lips. ¡°...My hair, isn¡¯t it? What, uh, what¡¯s it like now?¡±


    With a slow, considerate movement he gathered some of her once golden tresses in his fingers and pulled them into her view. Oh. Oh, my. The single strand of pink highlights in her hair had spread out into a wide swath of pink on her left, and several individual strands of pink now streaked through the blond on her right. Stephanie giggled.


    ¡°...Steph? Are you alright?¡± Brian said, lowering his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re turning me pink,¡± she said, attempting to stifle her smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, or how... but you¡ªyou¡¯re turning me pink, Brian.¡±


    ¡°It, well... yeah, it does seems that way,¡± He admitted. ¡°But, that isn¡¯t normal, I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this happening.¡± His face of concern for her was captivating, an expression she wanted etched deep into her memory.


    ¡°Does it look bad... this time?¡± With her head canted and her bunny ears jutting up from her pink and gold tresses, she looked painfully adorable.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cute,¡± looking it over again, he shook his head. ¡°It suits you. It¡¯s pretty... But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then, I don¡¯t care,¡± she said, beaming at him. So much more is happening to me when we kiss then just something with my hair.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯d you do that hair effect thang?¡± A grinning brunette girl wearing a skimpy stage magician¡¯s outfit asked in a southern drawl. ¡°That was amazing! What is it, some kinda fiber-optic wig?¡±


    ¡°This is seeming more and more like some kind of anime story,¡± Brian observed dryly.


    ¡°Can we get your picture?¡± a heavy-set girl in an anime T-shirt asked. Brian looked at Stephanie with an expectant grin.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± she affirmed cheerfully, determined to be ready this time.


    Brian drew his fantasy pistol with a flourish this time, gun-spinning it around his trigger finger and snapping it to a stop perfectly aimed for his action pose. Again, he reached around her and planted a hand on her hip, pulling her against him.


    But, this time, her tentative reaching fingertips were sliding under his jacket as well. Sliding across his chest, torn between eagerly exploring and slowly savoring every touch. Finally, they fell firmly in place at his side and she was fully embracing him. She felt... great. Amazing. I love this. The camera flashed, followed by another camera, and then another.


    ¡°Thanks! I really love your hair!¡± the heavyset girl chirped. ¡°I have a pin of you on my backpack!¡± The girl turned to show a row of Monster Battler badges, where a Flamituff was settled in between an Oaknaut and a Solar Bear. And then, there at the end of the row, was the familiar silhouette of a rotund Pandape.


    Pandape. Megan! Oh crap! A surge of alarm spiked through the cloud of pink in Stephanie¡¯s brain. What am I going to tell her? About what happened? About Brian? About my hair?!


    ¡°I, uh, should probably go, to meet up with my friend in the vendor¡¯s room, she was... uh, there was her panel, and now, um...¡± Stephanie mumbled reluctantly. Her lips were still tingling from their kiss. No, not just her lips but her whole body was alight with sensation, and every touch of her pink-and-red Flamituff sundress against her skin was palpable.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s okay,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Um, if we could... meet again? Later? If you¡¯re interested! I mean, I¡¯ve had fun, getting to know you...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Brian said flashing her another charming smile. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hit up a couple panels, but in case I can¡¯t find you later¡ªdo you want to exchange numbers?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she said excitedly. His number. Brian¡¯s number, in my phone. Currently, her digital address book consisted simply of her mother, grandmother, an old Sunday school teacher, her student advisor, and Megan.


    He recited his number to her and she hurriedly thumbed them into her phone, head blurring with pink flames.


    ¡°I had fun,¡± Stephanie blurted out, suddenly wanting to say a dozen things but lacking courage to voice most of them. And, I¡¯ve only known him for what, an hour and a half?


    ¡°Really. Even just, uh, just talking to you. But everything else too. Especially everything else. I¡¯ll call you,¡± she promised, turning away from him as quickly as she could and scurrying through the mass of people towards the vendor¡¯s room. He watched her well-shaped bottom wiggling away appreciatively.


    Just a few minutes later, his phone throbbed in his pocket, and then began to play the Fantasy Wars victory theme. Pulling it out with a smile, he swiped his screen. His pace faltered and his smile abruptly drained away at what he saw, and the con-goers walking behind him jostled into him for a moment.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Brian muttered distractedly, looking back at his phone in confusion. It was a text. From his ex-girlfriend.

 Fighting His Past

    ¡°Hey, s¡¯your foot actually on the gas, Rebecca? Or... are we just idling forward?¡± Emily grumbled, rhythmically tapping the armrest of her friend¡¯s station wagon in irritation. ¡°¡®Cause we¡¯re movin¡¯ a little slow.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rebecca asked sleepily, squinting through her unruly tangle of auburn curls. ¡°No one¡¯s going faster than us, though.¡±


    ¡°Maybe ¡¯cause they¡¯re all stuck behind us? Like, right behind us. That huge line of cars breathing down our exhaust pipe. See all the angry little faces in your rear-view mirror?¡± Emily pointed, exasperated.


    ¡°Then, that means we¡¯re allll going a safe speed,¡± Rebecca concluded, smiling contentedly and nodding to herself. She was a hazel-eyed, freckled, unkempt, and drowsy-looking girl with a rather plain figure hidden beneath a baggy blue sweater with kittens knitted onto it. She seemed like an awkward but affable girl in her twenties, one who¡¯d spent half of every year of her life raised by her grandparents, a serene and old-fashioned elderly couple.


    Few knew, but the other half of every year was spent travelling with her parents, prominent medieval and renaissance-fair enthusiasts active in every reenactment and historical combat organization in the country. There Rebecca was known instead as Mara, old Russian for ¡®Nightmare,¡¯ and since the age of seven she¡¯d participated in field combat with sword and shield and spear. Of course, no one but her closest friends and the geeks in their local LARP group suspected her to be anything but some harmless, frumpy, crazy cat lady in the making.


    ¡°Seriously? Safe? If we don¡¯t drop off the Package by four-thirty, I¡¯m gonna be late for work. That pedal needs to hit the floor and I need to see all this,¡± Emily gestured towards the parking lots slowly crawling along outside her window, ¡°turn into a hellish blur. Please, Rebecca? A little faster?¡±


    ¡°Oh-kay, here we go!¡± Rebecca said, twisting her grip on the steering wheel and accelerating. The sedate hum of her car¡¯s engine rose to a sleepy grumble.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaah,¡± Emily croaked in mock terror as she watched the speedometer needle climb from fifteen all the way up to hold at nineteen miles per hour. She slumped down in defeat.


    ¡°Um, could you try not referring to me as the ¡®Package?¡¯ It¡¯s kind of demeaning?¡± a voice chided from the seat behind them in the station wagon.


    Repressing a grimace, Emily slowly craned her neck towards the back seats, and the third occupant of Rebecca¡¯s car, the ¡®Package.¡¯


    Chloe. Brian¡¯s now ex-girlfriend, currently couch-hopping between the apartments of all of her friends. She was tall and well-proportioned, with a dancer¡¯s figure and graceful, doe-eyed features. Yoga pants clung tightly to her slender, coltish legs, and a stylish blouse was fastened snugly around her with an equally fashionable leather belt. She wore her long brown hair in a sexy, loose tousle down one shoulder, and, as usual, wore her typical disapproving frown.


    Everything a girl wants to have, in one sexy... package, Emily thought, feeling an envious pang. And she¡¯s such a rotten bitch. It really isn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°You¡¯d better step on it, Rebecca. the Package is getting hostile, I repeat¡ªthe Package is getting hostile,¡± Emily said bitterly. Rebecca let out an unlady-like snort, but it had always been easy to make her laugh.


    ¡°This is a really important text,¡± Chloe snapped, shooting a cold glare up at Emily. ¡°Could you both just... not?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s that important, should you really be texting it instead of, oh I dunno, calling them?¡± Somehow lately every little thing Chloe did was getting under Emily¡¯s skin, and she hadn¡¯t been able to keep herself from antagonizing the girl.


    ¡°Uh-huh... cute,¡± Chloe said dismissively, not looking up from her phone.


    ¡°Annnyways,¡± Emily said, ¡°Rebecca, I was thinking. Do you want to head down to the convention early, like, Saturday night maybe?¡±


    ¡°But, we both work Saturday? And you work Saturday night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if I switch my night shift tomorrow and take Karen¡¯s morning shift, we could head out early, like as soon as you¡¯re off work. Which is what, like, six-ish? I¡¯m sure Brian¡¯d let us room with him that night.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯d have an earlier start Sunday morning? I¡¯m cool with that, yeah. I can just ask Grandpa to feed Prince for me that night, too. I guess just... call me soon as you find out if you and Karen can switch shifts,¡± Rebecca affirmed, giving a thumbs-up.


    ¡°You two are still going to that con?¡± Chloe mumbled, not sharing their enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well yeah... why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Emily challenged. ¡°Single-day passes are only twenty-five bucks, and we both have all of Sunday off for sure.¡±


    ¡°Uh, ¡¯cause you both made me fork over my pass to Brian,¡± Chloe muttered, crossing her arms.


    ¡°We made you make a decision,¡± Emily corrected. ¡°You can¡¯t honestly say you¡¯d be okay with breaking up with him, and then having him pay for your pass and your hotel stay.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Why should I have to pay for either of those things?¡± Chloe retorted, twisting her lovely brown hair in her fingertips distractedly without taking her eyes off her phone.


    ¡°...Uh-huh,¡± Emily grumbled, trying to stay composed. Her tongue was getting slick with nasty words that were hard to bite back. ¡°Well, all of that¡¯s between you two, it doesn¡¯t mean me and Rebecca aren¡¯t going to hang out with him,¡± Emily said decisively. ¡°He¡¯s still our friend, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... well, whatever.¡± Chloe replied, disgusted, and tossed her phone across the seat. ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re dressing up as the titty ninja again?¡±


    Rebecca and Emily exchanged glances, and Emily comically pantomimed looking at her own meager chest in surprise.


    ¡°Guess not, I¡¯ll just have to be the itty bitty ninja instead,¡± Emily said dryly, prompting a giggle from Rebecca.


    ¡°Funny. But, kinda sad that you feel the need to dress so provocatively. You don¡¯t need to slut yourself up to please those nerds, you don¡¯t need that kind of... dehumanizing attention,¡± Chloe decided. ¡°You don¡¯t need to please anyone, you¡¯re not a slab of meat for them to gawk at and drool over.¡±


    ¡°Dehumanizing...?¡± Emily made a face.


    ¡°You do realize Akane Kurokawa was obviously written and drawn by a man? And, because of that, she¡¯s not a real character, with real choices. She¡¯s a caricature, a commodity, a checklist collection of sexual traits that exist to be desired, obtained, and then... ew, used.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, champ. Easy on the feminist buzzwords... you¡¯re not on your blog. Besides, what happened to feeling empowered by wearing whatever I please? Who doesn¡¯t want to be a sexy badass? Akane was my hero all throughout high school, and I wanna cosplay her,¡± Emily said resolutely, batting her eyelashes innocently.


    ¡°And¡ªI¡¯ve been single for a while now. So what if a little of that kind of attention is just what I¡¯m lookin¡¯ for?¡± I always wanted Brian to see me that way, Emily thought, her mood darkening. I didn¡¯t ask my body to stop fucking developing at fourteen, you know.


    ¡°Hah, that kind of attention,¡± Rebecca chuckled.


    ¡°Emily, seriously now. Don¡¯t you think the Akane Kurokawa outfit is a little too... well, revealing to wear, in public?¡± Chloe chided.


    ¡°What¡¯s to reveal?¡± Emily snorted, grabbing her tiny breasts in her palms. ¡°You think someone¡¯ll notice mah bumps?¡±


    ¡°Haha, mah bumps,¡± Rebecca echoed.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it, you think it¡¯s okay that women get objectified like that? This is an important issue, and you¡¯re just gonna brush it off with your little jokes, like you do with everything else that matters.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know how it goes. If you¡¯ve got it, flaunt it. Akane Kurokawa, master kunoichi, well, she¡¯s definitely got it.¡±


    ¡°But, we don¡¯t got it,¡± Rebecca said in mock disappointment, pouting. Although taller and more athletic, she had a pair of tiny breasts as well.


    ¡°I know. But, we still wanna flaunt it,¡± Emily said, her own pout breaking into a grin. ¡°I think Chloe¡¯s just bothered by Akane being a strong, independent woman, who also happens to feel confident wearing outfits that are... well, a little revealing.¡±


    Rebecca snorted. ¡°Yeah, just a little revealing.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she get raped by tentacles, like, four times? And rescued, by the male characters?¡± Chloe asked.


    ¡°That was... only one or two times,¡± Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°And, she didn¡¯t actually get raped. Just tied up, groped, and maaaybe had a tentacle shoved in her mouth. They always save her just before the real penetration starts. Frikkin¡¯ teases. Those episodes were hot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... absolutely disgusting, Emily. Even if you¡¯re joking, that¡¯s really, just... absolutely the worst. The fact that they could even air that in an anime is degrading to women everywhere.¡± The look of pure revulsion on Chloe¡¯s face cheered Emily up a bit.


    Oh, of course. Sex and fetishes are just for deviant male scumbags. Chloe, you¡¯d blow out a vein if you saw some of the folders on my hard drive, Emily thought, hiding a smirk.


    ¡°Rebecca, did I tell you about all the progress I made improving last year¡¯s Kurokawa cosplay?¡± Emily asked. ¡°So, last year I got the basic yukata from that online retailer with measurements to my size¡ªbut the body fishnet that came with it was positively enormous, their customer service guy said they only had it in a ¡®one-size-fits-most¡¯ sorta thing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Rebecca nodded. ¡°I do remember the body stocking thing you wore underneath last year was kinda... weird and baggy.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! And, that netting was some cheap, wiry plastic shit. Big square weaves. Felt awful on my bare skin. This year, I got a fishnet body stocking from this lingerie website, and it¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s this tight little nylon diamond-weave pattern that fits snug everywhere, and it¡¯s comfy as hell. Looks just like it should, too, like in the anime. Well, except that I don¡¯t have her double D¡¯s, o¡¯course.¡±


    ¡°...Lingerie website?¡± Rebecca wondered aloud, theatrically giggling into her hand. ¡°Oooh.¡±


    ¡°And, you¡¯re really wearing it for your costume?¡± Chloe deadpanned, glancing over. ¡°Some fetish-wear fishnet thing from a lingerie site?¡±


    ¡°Yeppers!¡± Emily answered with a wolfish grin.


    ¡°Disgusting.¡± Chloe declared, rolling her eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust anything from a website that sells lingerie in children¡¯s sizes.¡±


    That stung. Inwardly seething, Emily instead turned back to Rebecca. ¡°Anyways, last year I covered up my nips with band-aids. This year I¡¯ll have actual flesh-tone pasties. They¡¯ll help keep me going from indecent to... well, explicit. Hopefully. I mean, it¡¯s in case some kinda accident happens, since the yukata I wear over it¡¯s so loose.¡±


    ¡°Pasties? That¡¯s like, professional,¡± Rebecca said appreciatively. ¡°Like, professional cosplayers would wear those. Well, not professional. Uh... famous cosplayers? The good ones. Like models.¡±


    Chloe rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you going to dress up this year, Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± Rebecca hummed, nodding sagaciously. ¡°Just my normal summer soft-kit, though, and my fancy new sword and board.¡±


    ¡°Your¡ªwhat?¡± Chloe said, already lost.


    ¡°Well, my soft kit is fighting garb,¡± Rebecca said, a slow smile spreading across her features. ¡°My summer fighting garb. Viking stuff; boots, winnigas, kirtle, a linen undertunic. None o¡¯ my armor, we¡¯d call that hard kit, and none of my lovely wool stuff, this time of year.¡±


    ¡°And, ¡®sword and board,¡¯meaning ¡®sword and shield,¡¯¡± Emily added. ¡°Rebecca has the most gorgeous viking round shield I¡¯ve ever seen at a LARP.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing a... LARP roleplay thing, then?¡± Chloe asked.


    ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t do much in-character stuff this time. Pretty much all that¡¯s on Sunday is the tournament. Still, there should be some worthwhile fights.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re fighting at the convention?¡± Chloe asked, aghast. ¡°I thought that wasn¡¯t allowed?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was some kind of big legal or liability issue that didn¡¯t mesh well with the convention¡¯s safety standards. So, instead we created a new group specifically for AnimeCon this year, called the Order of the Sovereign Swords. There¡¯s gonna be a lot of problems and drama, for sure. Fantasy geeks who don¡¯t know a halberd from a hauberk, stick-jocks complaining about using padded weapons, you know, yadda yadda yadda,¡± Rebecca murmured, a dreamy look in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s... well, it¡¯s hard to picture you fighting with people, even if it¡¯s just pretend.¡± Chloe stated. Emily and Rebecca turned to each other and burst out laughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Chloe demanded, giving them both a pout.


    ¡°Chloe... calling what Rebecca does with padded weapons ¡®pretend¡¯ doesn¡¯t quite cover it,¡± Emily said, grinning widely. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re talking about Mara, the Nightmare. Daughter of Thorferra the Tall?¡±


    The last time Emily had seen Rebecca get serious was at a medieval LARPing campout. She¡¯d stormed a formation of five enemy soldiers, and in a flurry of surgically accurate sword-strikes, ¡®killed¡¯ all of them. Two of them didn¡¯t take her strikes, however, ¡®brushing off¡¯ the hits. It was a way of bending the game¡¯s rules to claim that hits weren¡¯t ¡®solid¡¯ enough to count.


    The girl¡¯s cheerful, lethargic look had given way in that moment and the cold, terrifying face of Mara was revealed. So, she had struck them again. And again, and again, and again, too fast and fierce for them to block or counterattack, a terrifying clockwork frenzy of slashes. Even though the weapons were thoroughly padded with safety foam, Rebecca had the skill and leverage with a sword to use the kind of devastating force of a pro boxer wearing boxing gloves. Those two players were too bruised to crawl out of their sleeping bags the next day.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡± Chloe said, grabbing her phone and checking it again. ¡°Really. I can¡¯t picture Rebecca even swatting at her cat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®cause I wouldn¡¯t, he¡¯s my little fluffeh angel!¡± Rebecca gushed.


    ¡°...By the way, Chloe, I ran into Brian when I stopped by the apartment to check for your stuff,¡± Emily said snidely.


    ¡°And, I would care... why?¡± Chloe asked flatly. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Emily answered only with a teasing grin. He asked if you were okay, because he still cared about you. But you don¡¯t deserve to know that.


    ¡°Did he say anything about me, or not?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I gave him the con badge and he was pretty blas¨¦ about the whole breakup. Ugh, and he¡¯s having fun at the convention right now... that jerk.¡± Emily said glibly. ¡°While I¡¯m stuck here, about to be late for my hellish job.¡± As if to punctuate her statement, one of the cars trapped behind them honked its horn.


    ¡°Blas¨¦?¡± Rebecca asked, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, I coulda just said ¡®he was all like whateva,¡¯ like you guys expected, but sometimes I gotta remind you simpletons that I¡¯m also hellishly smart,¡± Emily declared, winking and flashing her infectiously cute smile into the mirror of the passenger-side sun visor.


    ¡°Who cares what he¡¯s doing? And, what¡¯s with you saying hellish all the time?¡± Chloe griped, tapping at her phone absentmindedly.


    ¡°Shove off, I relish my ¡¯hellish¡¯,¡± Emily grumbled.


    ¡°Uh, Is ¡¯heckish¡¯ a word, then?¡± Rebecca wondered out loud.


    ¡°Of course, Rebecca,¡± Emily cried in exasperation. ¡°It describes the special rated-PG hell for children and little old ladies, where the fires are only lukewarm, nobody swears, and the blood is censored. People who drive too slowly miss out on heaven and wind up there, in heck.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Rebecca slipped Emily a sly smile and the passing scenery outside their windows seemed to perceptibly slow again.


    Emily struggled to resist the urge to strangle her friend with her seat belt.


    ¡°Hmph. You gave Brian my apartment key back too, right?¡± Chloe grunted.


    Eyes widening, Emily jammed her hand into the tiny front pocket of her jeans, feeling the cold metal of the key. Shit.


    ¡°...Of course,¡± Emily lied, fuming at her mistake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rebecca¡¯s sly smile reappear. Shiiiiit. ¡°Oh! And, I gave him Sammie¡¯s harem charm too.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, the harem chaaaa¡ª¡± Rebecca¡¯s sentence was overtaken by a yawn.


    ¡°Yep, you said it. He¡¯s probably neck-deep in fine chicas by now,¡± Emily sighed with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said,¡± Rebecca protested weakly.


    ¡°Harem charm...¡± Chloe muttered in vexation. ¡°The mentality behind the whole harem thing is disgusting. It¡¯s the same male power fantasy they cram into everything to pander to these horny losers. Gives them these expectations of women that are horribly skewed, and reduces the women to... things, empty stereotypes. I can¡¯t stand it. That¡¯s why the birthrates in Japan are so bad. Instead of going out and meeting women, the men stay in their tiny little rooms and whack off to sexist cartoon pornography.¡±


    ¡°Uh... hey, I¡¯m going to have a harem of kitties someday,¡± Rebecca chimed in, trying to diffuse what she knew was going to become yet another argument between her friends. No one was listening. ¡°A calico, for sure, a siamese and¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with harems?¡± Emily said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty standard sorta wish-fulfillment kind of romantic drama. Weren¡¯t you all into those awful teen drama Dusk books back in the day? And didn¡¯t you force us all to watch your Vampire Crusader anime?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same, at all,¡± Chloe said icily. ¡°Harems perpetuate this rotten culture that teaches men that it¡¯s okay to collect women. It shows women that their lives center around impressing and servicing a man, or being discarded on that man¡¯s whim. It implies that one man is worth many women, and nothing could be further from the truth.¡±


    Chloe clapped her hands together in amusement, chuckling. ¡°In fact, you think Brian is talking to girls right now? Hah! A hundred bucks says Brian holes himself up in his hotel room the whole weekend, whacking off to cartoon porn. Alone.¡±


    A blue mist rolled through Emily¡¯s mind for a moment, clouding her thoughts with salacious ideas. Brian alone in that hotel room, sensually stroking himself... I¡¯d love to catch him like that. Tried to, a couple times back in high school. I want to see him, out of breath and eyes glazed with lust, Emily imagined. I want to catch him in that unguarded moment, want to see his cock, rigid and huge. Would he stop, embarrassed... or maybe he¡¯ll just keep pumping away, working that dick with his eyes locked on me...


    Back in high school, she¡¯d sometimes gotten off on simply imagining that Brian masturbated to the thought of her. What better way was there to wipe away the insecurities she felt in her short stature and petite, underdeveloped body? Yeah, count on me to have the most perverse sense of validation, she thought with a sigh.


    ¡°Haha, would Brian actually, you know... whack off?¡± Rebecca asked doubtfully. Both Chloe and Emily gave her a blank look. Sometimes, it was easy to forget how sheltered in some ways their friend was.


    ¡°You know what, Chloe?¡± Emily insisted, shifting her tiny butt against the cushion of her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll take that bet of yours. You don¡¯t know Brian like you think you do. Never did. And, it¡¯s called ¡®hentai,¡¯ not ¡®cartoon porn.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Same thing, doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Chloe said indifferently. ¡°Besides, do you even have a hundred bucks, Emily?¡±


    ¡°Weellll, I will when you lose the bet and pay up,¡± Emily said with confidence. ¡°He has the harem charm, and besides, he¡¯s single now. You¡¯ve forgotten what he was like when he was single.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll never forget now, since I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be single for the rest of his sad life,¡± Chloe said, laughing airily. ¡°You don¡¯t know how awkward and weird he was when he was dating. Let me put it this way¡ªhe¡¯s the kind of guy who thinks it¡¯s romantic to quote nerdy movies.¡±


    ¡°Welllll, that¡¯d depend on the quote. And the movie,¡± Emily argued. ¡°The right reference at the right time would be really sweet. Besides, he¡¯s at an anime convention. If that¡¯ll work anywhere, it¡¯ll work there.¡±


    ¡°Something from a kid¡¯s movie, though? Like Goblin Labyrinth?¡± Chloe scoffed. ¡°How do you even¡ª¡±


    ¡°Which line?¡± Rebecca interrupted immediately.


    ¡°What?¡± Chloe asked, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking, which line did he quote?¡± Rebecca enunciated carefully, her smile fading and her soporific expression draining away.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Chloe struggled to remember. ¡°It was stupid. Something like, ¡®I¡¯m not asking for much¡¯... or no wait, ¡®I¡¯m asking for so little¡ª¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡ªI ask for so little... just fear me. Love me. Do as I ask, and I shall be your slave,¡± Rebecca recited breathlessly.


    ¡°Yeah, that.¡± Chloe affirmed, irritated. ¡°So, what? It never made any sense.¡±


    Rebecca slumped down in the driver¡¯s seat, giving out a long sigh. ¡°If a guy ever said that to me, I¡¯d melt. I never knew he said that to you, why didn¡¯t you tell us?! Haven¡¯t you seen Goblin Labyrinth?! The meaning behind that moment, what was going on? What he was offering her?!¡±


    ¡°And how hot the Faerie King was?¡± Emily added excitedly. ¡°I mean, he was played by David B¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, Brian made me watch it, once.¡± Chloe said with disdain. ¡°It didn¡¯t exactl¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it hundreds of times,¡± Rebecca said proudly. ¡°It¡¯s my absolute favorite fantasy movie, of all time. In fact, we¡¯re watching it tonight after work.¡±


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Emily said, smiling brilliantly. ¡°Seems like Goblin Labyrinth lines didn¡¯t work on his lady, but we still gotta give him points for trying it, at least, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®his lady,¡¯ great,¡± Chloe said, scowling and turning to glance at the column of cars backed up behind them. ¡°Because, obviously, I belonged to him. I was only there to satisfy his urges, fulfill his sense of male superiority, and stroke his ego. Guess I forgot for a moment how brainwashed you two still are. No wonder nobody¡¯s on my side anymore.¡±


    Little blue droplets danced across Emily¡¯s vision for a moment, and she blinked quickly. The thought of Brian using Chloe for satisfaction was, well¡ªkinda hot. Taking this haughty bitch down a peg or two, and wiping the damn smug superior look off her face... with his dick, of course.


    Humiliating her... degrading her. Pulling an indignant Chloe over his knee and spanking her across that pert bottom of hers in steady, deliberate strokes that she¡¯s helpless to struggle against. Teasing and stroking her to the edge of desire, leaving her panting with lust like a simple bitch in heat. Until she¡¯s absolutely begging for it... Condensation was forming on the inside of Emily¡¯s mind, and when the blue beads of moisture began to run down the panes of her thoughts Emily jerked, shifting her thighs against one another. D-damn. I know what tune my vibrator¡¯s gonna be humming to tonight. Have I developed a new fetish?


    ¡°Satisfying urges, superiority, and ego... that sounds just like the relationship I have with Prince,¡± Rebecca interjected, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Except, Prince Charming isn¡¯t a boyfriend, or a man. He¡¯s your cat. There¡¯s a little bit of a difference,¡± Chloe reminded her friend.


    ¡°...Is there, though?¡± Rebecca wondered aloud, tapping her lip. ¡°Is there?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got a point,¡± Emily said. ¡°Prince Charming is the textbook example of an oppressive patriarchal male.¡°


    ¡°Prince Charming,¡± Rebecca sighed, ¡°My little butterstuff fluffylumpkin.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever. Did I tell either of you about the new guy I¡¯ve been talking to?¡± Chloe asked casually.


    ¡°What? ...Who?¡± Emily said, taken aback.


    ¡°Ryan, at Seabrooks, that little indie coffee place. He¡¯s the one with the pink hair?¡±


    ¡°Hipster mister!¡± Rebecca exclaimed, remembering him. ¡°But, isn¡¯t he..?¡±


    ¡°Turns out he¡¯s bisexual, not just gay,¡± Chloe said defensively. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to experience someone with that kind of open mindset. Someone who isn¡¯t... well, trapped up in prehistoric ideas of what genders should be. I really need to get away from all of that casual misogyny.¡±


    ¡°...And, who¡¯s a misogynist, then?¡± Emily asked through her teeth.


    ¡°You know who I mean,¡± Chloe scoffed. ¡°A certain cis-gendered assho¡ªwell, guy we all know,¡± glancing guiltily at Rebecca, who didn¡¯t like her friends using bad language in her car.


    ¡°Brian actually cared about you, you know? He really tried to... make you happy. And, he tried so hard to put up with your... well, you. ¡± Emily managed, trying not to raise her voice.


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Chloe snorted. ¡°He tried to put up with us actually becoming progressive. He tolerated my little game of fighting for equality, in a culture of oppression. But caring? He didn¡¯t care, couldn¡¯t care. Because, he¡¯s a man, so everything¡¯s just fine as it is in his little world at the top, living in privilege.¡±


    ¡°Alright, now you¡¯re bullshitting me.¡± Emily laughed, not caring what swears slipped out.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Chloe asked.


    ¡°Privilege? Did you forget every fuckin¡¯ thing you know about Brian? How rough he had it with his parents? His dad trying to beat the shit out of him all the time? How he had to stash his games and anime at my place, so that his stepmom wouldn¡¯t throw them out while he was at school?¡±


    ¡°Wow, so terrible, his mommy took away his video games...¡±


    ¡°Games he paid for, with money from his job! Chloe, your parents paid your tuition and bought your car for you. Brian left home when he turned eighteen with nothing but the clothes on his back. He got a job, an apartment, supported himself, supported you¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re making Brian out to be some kind of hero for being abused, and leaving home, but when I leave Brian for the same reasons and circumstances, everyone jumps down my throat with criticism? What, because I¡¯m a woman? How¡¯s that fair? I did pity him for the way they treated him, at first. I think he learned a lot of his abusive behaviors from them. But, I can¡¯t be expect-¡±


    ¡°Abusive behaviors? So, what? Brian abused you?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, he did. He abused me.¡± An awkward silence filled the car for a few long moments.


    ¡°What, he hit you? What did he do?¡± Emily demanded in disbelief.


    ¡°...No. He didn¡¯t physically hurt me. He didn¡¯t have the guts,¡± Chloe declared proudly. ¡°Deep down men are all cowards. They always talk big and then lose their head when a woman challenges the status quo.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s abusive, but he never hurt you?¡± Emily asked incredulously. ¡°But, he¡¯s a coward, for not abusing you? How can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Real abuse isn¡¯t bruises or a black eye anymore,¡± Chloe interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s not being able to speak your mind because he¡¯s too eager to shut me down. To pick apart every little thing I say and... twist the meanings around. Having him always going against me, opposing¡ªno, oppressing me. When you don¡¯t feel safe in an apartment with your boyfriend, then, hello? You are being abused. Psychological abuse leaves trauma that lasts¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wow, so terrible, he tried to politely reason with his entitled feminist girlfriend,¡± Emily mocked. ¡°Always seemed to me like you were the one oppressing him.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t be oppressed, retard,¡± Chloe interrupted. ¡°He¡¯s a man, and we live in his culture, a patriarchal culture. He¡¯s the one in power, and the one that¡¯s oppressing. And, if he ever really is abused, then he should appreciate the goddamn experience, because then he¡¯ll understand what women everywhere go through every single day.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking out of your¡ª¡±


    ¡°AHEM.¡± Rebecca exclaimed rigidly, her soporific expression draining away. ¡°Both of you, just chill down, okay? Seriously, you guys? We¡¯re all friends here. Friends.¡±


    Chill out, Emily had almost corrected her, but instead, she blanched sheepishly and held her tongue. Besides, she¡¯s right. Arguing with Chloe never gets anyone anywhere. How long did my poor Brian put up with that?


    As the oncoming traffic finally dwindled, the long line of cars behind them now accelerated and began to pass them on the two-lane stretch of blacktop. A little ashamed, Emily sunk down further in her seat as withering stares were directed at them by the passing cars. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at them, and her station wagon continued ponderously puttering along at the same tepid pace.

 Flight from the Poisoned Oasis

    The last strips of daylight crawled up the high-rise hotels as the sun sank beneath the silhouette of the distant cityscape, painting the horizon brilliant shades of orange and pink. The downtown area surrounding the convention center had become a gala of convention-goers and cosplayers. They trickled out from beneath the gigantic AnimeCon banner and spread through the streets to seek out restaurants or the comfort of their nearby hotel rooms.


    Otaku were chatting with animated expressions, collectors showed off their purchases, and photographers paused for a few last photos. Ordinary pedestrians looked on with curiosity at the procession of unexpected costumes and unusual pageantry, and drivers honked their horns across the crosswalks. Fully armored space troopers strode casually, the stifling helmets they¡¯d worn all day now tucked under their arms, and tired but smiling magical girls began to remove their brightly-colored wigs and let down their real hair.


    As the streetlights began to flicker on, still more latecomers were just arriving at the convention, pulling into the empty spaces and piling out of their vehicles. Although the vendor¡¯s room had already closed and AnimeCon¡¯s major Friday events had concluded, smaller events, meetups, and viewing rooms would continue on through the night and into the next morning.


    Since the big nighttime events, such as the rave, the J-rock concert, and the eighteen-and-older hentai panels weren¡¯t until Saturday, the dwindling Friday-night volunteer staff relaxed their badge-checking discipline. Unofficial policy was to simply wave people through the few checkpoints that were still manned, after all, most of the arrivals this late in the evening were simply fans coming to the convention for the weekend who hadn¡¯t been able to finagle their way out of Friday work shifts, or couldn¡¯t afford to skip out on classes.


    A scant three city blocks away from the convention, a slim cutie with blond-and-pink hair plodded out of the fifth floor elevator within one of the towering hotel buildings. She wore a strange pink-and-red sundress, long pink gloves and matching pink vinyl costume boots that rose all the way up to the middle of her thighs. A pair rabbit ears hung, slightly askew now, from a hidden headband.


    Almost there, Stephanie thought as she wobbled, exhausted, on aching feet down the silent hotel corridor towards the welcome refuge of the room she shared with Megan. Though she appeared weary and frazzled, inwardly, her heart was racing with excitement. After all, she¡¯d been wrestling back and forth with a dilemma for the latter half of the day and finally arrived at a big decision.


    I¡¯m going to really do it tonight. I¡¯m going to try¡ªmasturbating. It seemed silly and embarrassing to be excited over such a... thing. Her familiarity with her own private parts, after all, was somewhat equivalent to the interest she¡¯d previously had in sex itself. Once or twice she¡¯d... inspected herself to affirm that everything down there appeared normal, and she slipped a fingertip delicately inside herself every time she washed, but that was it, and it was always strictly platonic. She¡¯d never played upon her own womanhood in that direct and intimate manner that seemed so... fascinating to her now.


    She was now certainly intent on changing that, and in a bold way. Brilliant pink wildfire had burned away the last vestiges of that shroud of ignorant indifference which had somehow prevented her from delving into her own pandora¡¯s box. Her sex, glistening with heat and arousal, was about to make its debut into a new world of stimulation and pleasure. Blood was rushing to these new places, endorphins filled her with that nervous pink energy, she felt positively soaked down there, and her recollection of the day was becoming a fiery pink blur.


    Stephanie grinned weakly and smoothed her outfit against her legs with shaking hands. What will it feel like to actually... masturbate? She wondered giddily, as she now scanned the hotel room doors for her room¡¯s number. I¡¯m going to... play with myself. I¡¯m gonna frig myself. Finger-fuck. Even just thinking lewd phrases she would never dare to utter out loud was... fun, in a positively titillating way she¡¯d never imagined.


    Megan will probably be in the room, though, Stephanie realized with trepidation. After all, where else could she be? She¡¯d never found Megan in the convention hall after parting ways with Brian, having slightly underestimated the size of the con and number of attendees.


    AnimeCon is the fourteenth-largest anime convention in the nation, with an average attendance of over sixteen thousand fans, Stephanie had read from the booklet while reviewing the scheduled events for places she might encounter her friend. ...Great.


    After she¡¯d spent two frustrating hours searching for the familiar shape of her friend¡¯s Pandape cosplay in the immense crowds, and even staked out the last voice acting panel in hopes of catching her, Stephanie had given up. Of course, she hadn¡¯t spotted Brian again either, although she did seem to run into every single other guy that was wearing a similar Fantasy Wars costume.


    In the end, Stephanie had gone ronin and wandered the convention alone, slightly mollified, but remaining cautiously optimistic about experiencing AnimeCon on her own. So, Stephanie had squeezed through crowds, explored the convention center and even retraced the path she¡¯d taken with Brian. She had peeked into viewing rooms, sat through a panel on Japanese street fashion, and even perused the vendor¡¯s room for a while. There was a booth with an amazing selection of Monster Battlers plush dolls she feared she might start collecting, as well as some fabric wall-scrolls that would look amazing in her little dorm room. She did enjoy herself, to her own surprise... but her heart just wasn¡¯t really in it. The real fun she¡¯d had was with Brian, and so her thoughts wandered unchecked, occasionally melting into whimsical, sensual fantasies. Some were innocent and naive; others bold enough to bring color to her face.


    What does Brian look like... out of that jacket, that costume? Or out of his clothes entirely... She wanted to undress him, drink in the sight of his naked skin. To splay her hands out across the breadth of his chest and discover how sexily solid and masculine his body was. She needed to grip his bare shoulders, taste them, trace her lips down every rugged bit of manly musculature that was foreign to her. Well, foreign to me for now, at least.


    When her imagination began to dare... lower, she abruptly aborted her daydreams, grinning idiotically. She knew¡ªroughly, the anatomy he must have down there, but simply couldn¡¯t picture it. Like all girls, she¡¯d looked with curiosity at the diagram of a flaccid penis in her Health Studies textbook. She¡¯d seen crudely drawn cocks-and-balls scribbled with sharpie on bathroom stalls, and even run into pictures of erect ones accidentally on the internet once or twice. They seem kind of grotesque, she¡¯d thought at the time, wondering how couples were able to overcome such an obstacle and still become intimate.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be different with Brian, though? She felt that all of those barely remembered abstracts, and any concept she could dream up independently, for that matter, would fall short of Brian¡¯s actual... reality.


    If I ever do become... acquainted with his... you-know-what, there¡¯ll be no going back. I won¡¯t be able to... UNSEE it then, stop picturing it, thinking about it, that it¡¯s his, that it physically represents his lust, and oh my, what it can DO to me, what it¡¯s made to do to me... That¡¯ll be the point of no return. She bit her lip in anticipation. Because then, I will have to suppose Brian¡¯s THING will be on my mind all the time.


    Pale skin blushing scarlet, Stephanie shivered. He promised he¡¯d show me what he thinks of my butt, she remembered. I wouldn¡¯t mind. I want him to show me a lot of things, I want him to show me everything.


    She envisioned Brian standing behind her, strong arms enveloping her in an affectionate embrace. His face nuzzling against hers, then slowly planting a line of warm kisses down her neck. Somehow each kiss will be a little wet, somehow each kiss will be an explosion upon her senses, and her body will quake against him in need. The sound of his lips gently suckling and the sensation of his breath on her skin would drive her mad. Her chest would rise and fall with her every quickening breath as his hands slide down her sides, and in her passionate haze she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if those fingers were squeezing down on her¡ªor if she was pressing up desperately into them. Hot pink sparks sputtered somewhere deep in her abdomen, and something clenched reflexively.


    When they reach her hips, his hands would clamp down tightly and he would pull, tugging the plush curve of her bottom roughly against him. Stephanie¡¯s lips could part in surprise and allow an inarticulate, breathless cry to escape. Her hips would buck back against him at the sensation against her bare cheeks, that curious but somehow unfathomable male part pressing insistently against them¡ª


    She shook her head to clear the fantasies threatening to spiral out of her control, that dizzying distraction of fluttering flame that was burning trails deeper and deeper down inside of her.


    Almost there, Steph, hold that thought. Hah... haha, I¡¯ve never been this HORNY before. She couldn¡¯t wait to get inside, exchange the fewest possible pleasantries with Megan¡ªand then excuse herself, seclude herself in the hotel bathroom to draw a warm, relaxing bath. Peel off her costume, shuck off these painful boots, and ease her naked body into tub, where she would... finally let loose.


    502. This was it, her room number! She slid her keycard through the slot, heard the mechanical clack of the lock disengaging, swung the heavy door open, and¡ª


    The dazed, happy expression on her face drained away, and Stephanie¡¯s hopes began to fall.


    ...What is that?


    The room was dimly lit by the warm hues of the bedside lamps, and the TV was running commercials. The air conditioning unit built into the wall below the window was steadily blowing air across the room.


    ...What IS that?


    A putrid stench, drifting from out of the room and into the hallway. Old sweat. Nasty sweat. Sweat, so strong and pungent that a dry pain crept from the back of her throat all the way up her nasal cavity, and Stephanie covered her face with the back of her gloved hand in disgust. It¡¯s Megan. Dear god... that¡¯s Megan.


    She¡¯d smelled Megan before occasionally, but it had always been just a faint, unpleasant fragrance of body odor. Not this. Never like this. Forcing herself to uncover her nose and compose her face, she stepped the rest of the way into the room, a little terrified at just what it was she might find.


    Megan, still wearing her Pandape cosplay, was sprawled out on one of the beds. An open bag of chips had scattered across the comforter, and crumbs were everywhere. Megan¡¯s hair was a greasy tangle, and the overripe, sour smell of perspiration wafting off of her twisted Stephanie¡¯s stomach into a knot.


    ¡°Hiii...¡± Stephanie said weakly, waving.


    ¡°Steph!¡± Megan exclaimed, bounced up off the mattress. ¡°Where the hell were ya?! I looked everywhere for you! I was so worried!¡± She advanced forward, moving to envelope her friend in one of her usual bear-like hugs.


    ¡°No no,¡± Stephanie called out in sudden alarm, retreating a step and raising her hands, ¡°I, uh. I probably smell. You know. I was down at the convention this whole time.¡± She thought she¡¯d get used to the stink, but it was stronger now, fumes seeming to drift off of Megan in waves. It was overpowering, and Stephanie felt her eyes water and her throat close, choking her up with nausea.


    ¡°Oh, pssh, I don¡¯t worry about stuff like that,¡± Megan said, waving her hand dismissively. A line of sweat was clearly visible down the inside of her arm. ¡°You disappeared for forever! Did you hang out with that cute guy? How¡¯d it go? What, were you two off makin¡¯ out, or what?¡±


    ¡°I tried texting you,¡± Stephanie explained in a wavering voice, ¡°And then, I tried to call you...¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha! Yeah, sorry Steph¡ªturns out I forgot to pack my phone charger.¡± Megan tugged her phone out of her bra to show her, and the smeared screen was indeed dark and lifeless. ¡°So, tell me, c¡¯mon, spill! What happened?!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you after I... shower real quick. Or maybe a bath. A long soak. Sorry, I¡¯m real self-conscious sometimes. About this, uh, I mean, my smell. I m-must be sweaty. I¡¯ll tell you all about what happened right afterwards though, I promise. I¡¯m not used to being on my feet all day, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, you really don¡¯t wanna go into the bathroom right now, if ya know what I mean? I was just in there,¡± Megan said, chuckling.


    Stephanie paled as her imagined sanctuary in the hotel room¡¯s bathtub evaporated, just another mirage. I am not going in there. At all. Ever. The taste of bile rose in her throat for a moment, and she let out a sputtering cough, trying not to vomit.


    ¡°But, c¡¯mon, tell me about that guy! You gotta gimme all the raunchy details!¡± Megan called, waggling her eyebrows and advancing forward a pace. ¡°...Did you do something with your hair?¡±


    ¡°He, uhm. I¡¯m.¡± Stephanie began, trying to keep her composure. The stench of body odor seemed to be intensifying, as if Megan¡¯s excitement was literally bleeding into the air. Is this what bad hygiene is really like? Is she always like this... is that even possible?!


    I can¡¯t do this, Stephanie thought in horror, stifling the urge to gag. She was mortified to have walked face-first into this situation, and now she couldn¡¯t muster the courage to tell her only friend how terrible she smelled. Like she was fermenting in her own sweat. She fought back the urge to gag again.


    ¡°I¡ªI have to go,¡± she murmured, terrified, and hid her face in shame as she haphazardly tossed the few items she¡¯d unpacked back into her travel bag.


    ¡°Go? You¡¯re going?¡± Megan said in confusion, her attention dividing as the Shinobi Souls anime returned from commercial. ¡°Where are you going? Are you... going to see that guy?¡±


    ¡°...Y-yes!¡± Stephanie lied, ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good, so he invited, uh, invited me to stay with him. Just for the night. Nights. The rest of the nights. I¡¯ll b-be okay. I¡¯ll tell you about all of it later. I just came to take a quick shower and uhm, g-grab my stuff. But, I should really just get going. I-I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hold on, are you really sure?¡± Megan said, glancing between Stephanie zipping her bag and Sousuke beheading zombies on the television with his ninja arts. ¡°Wait, ...did you color your hair today?! Steph¡ª¡±


    Her voice was cut off as the heavy hotel room door slammed closed behind Stephanie, and as before, the hallway was as quiet as a tomb. Walking briskly towards the elevators, the reek of sweat faded, and finally... disappeared. Stephanie gasped in deep gulps of clean air, clutching her big travel bag awkwardly. It was heavy, the soles of her feet ached, and now she wanted a shower in earnest. A scrub, honestly. Vigorous and scathing, with lots of soap and lather. She had to consciously work at slowing her breathing back down, pacing herself, to stop from hyperventilating.


    ...I shouldn¡¯t have done that, Stephanie berated herself, scrunching up her cute features. But... just how do I tell her that she smells so terribly? Stephanie had led a meek and quiet life, and the prospect of offending Megan, of raising an argument or inviting trouble, was frightfully intimidating. Avoiding the situation, however, put her in a new predicament.


    What am I going to do now? she realized, slapping a hand against her forehead. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll just be able to get a new room. We had to buy our room so far in advance because all the hotels gets completely booked for the convention...


    ¡°I should go back,¡± she whispered. I can¡¯t just run out on her like this. So what if she smells? I¡¯ll have gotten used to it before I know it.


    No wait, what if I DO get used to it, and I run into Brian tomorrow, and he smells it on ME? Stephanie frowned, recalling the malignant miasma she¡¯d just escaped, and imagined simmering in it all night. That sharp, acrid scent of sweat permeating into her costume outfit and the rest of her clothes like campfire smoke. ...It¡¯s possible. I can¡¯t go back into that.


    Trudging slowly back towards the elevator with her bulging travel bag, she tried to determine what she could do. I could sleep in the car? No, Megan¡¯s got the keys. And her car¡¯s kind of... well... not too much better. The battered little car Megan had brought them here in was a junkheap of the worst kind. Stephanie remembered holding her legs carefully back from the mountain of discarded fast food wrappers, cartons, cups, and soiled napkins that were heaped on the passenger side floor, and not daring to touch the syrupy spatter stains of spilled soda that decorated the molded plastic of her door¡¯s armrest.


    Yet another in what now seems to be an obvious series of warning flags regarding my friend, Stephanie thought to herself with a bitter smile. Though her thoughts were growing darker by the moment, a dancing pink flame intruded, illuminating a consideration she¡¯d overlooked.


    I could call Brian, she realized suddenly. In fact, I told him that I would. Maybe he could... no, no, what am I thinking?! I¡¯m not imposing on him. That¡¯s... that¡¯s moving too fast with things, anyways. I¡¯d be alone in his hotel room with him¡­


    Her face turned red, and she frowned, shaking her head. No no no no, not going there. Besides, I haven¡¯t showered, what if I smell, even a little bit? She worried self-consciously. Fantasizing is one thing... and this is completely another. I really do want to see him again. But, not like this, under these circumstances. If I ever do, erm, VISIT HIS ROOM, I want the... encounter to be on equal terms. To show him that I WANT and CHOOSE to be with him, not simply because I¡¯m out of places to stay. I want to impress him, I want him to really like me...


    Impress him? Just how would I impress him? her mind rebuked grimly. As she stepped heavily back into the elevator and thumbed the button for the ground floor, rabbit-ears wilting and shoulders sagging, she didn¡¯t feel very impressive at all.


    I... could call Mom, she realized, with a grimace. But, she¡¯s on the other side of the state... she¡¯ll be heading to bed by now¡ªand she didn¡¯t even know I was going to an anime convention. And, of course, nothing would make her feel like more of a helpless child than crying to her mother for help. The idea sat unpleasantly in the pit of her stomach as the elevator descended, and she couldn¡¯t help but reject it, for better or worse.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Stephanie asked timidly, thinking the eerily quiet lobby was empty until she spotted a receptionist half-hidden behind the counter. ¡°I was wondering if there were any rooms still available...?¡±


    The night receptionist, a dour-looking young woman in a uniform blazer, looked up from a book she held in her lap and stared blankly at Stephanie¡¯s costume dress for a moment before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t think we do, but I can check?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Stephanie asked, embarrassed. If I spend the money I set aside for souvenirs, and... yeah, maybe run up my card a little bit, I should be able to get a room for two nights... I think? If there is any, Stephanie hoped, biting her lip and twisting the travel bag¡¯s strap in her grip. It would be expensive, but she convinced herself that the cost was be just what she deserved for being unable to speak up to Megan about her deficit hygiene.


    ¡°...We have openings next on the twenty-third,¡± the receptionist said unapologetically.


    The twenty-third... Monday. The day after the whole convention ends, Stephanie thought, forcing a weak smile. ¡°Ah, uh, thank you for checking for me.¡±


    As expected. I guess there isn¡¯t anything to do but head back to the convention? That was one more plan, but it was even less palatable. I¡¯ll stay up as late as I can, occupy myself with the little overnight events until Saturday morning. When I¡¯m fairly sure Megan has woken up tomorrow and left the room, I¡¯ll head back there and... uh... air the room out, somehow. I still have my keycard, after all. And, then I¡¯ll sleep. The obvious downside to the plan was that if she forced herself to stay awake all the way until mid-morning tomorrow, she was almost sure to sleep through the rest of the convention for the day. I¡¯ll miss out seeing Brian again, probably... she realized, disheartened.


    When she¡¯d entered the hotel some fifteen minutes ago, beneath the warm glow of a sunset, Stephanie had been fatigued, but still bubbling with enthusiasm and anticipation. Fittingly, when she now trudged out through lobby¡¯s automatic doors with her bag in tow, defeated and subdued, night had fallen in earnest. And the night was chilly.


    The fresh air has finally gotten that cloying smell out of my nose, at least, Stephanie decided, struggling to remain optimistic. The convention center was three city blocks away, her bag was heavy, and the soles of her feet were swollen and angry.


    Thankfully, there were still scattered groups of what she thought of as convention people coming and going, or she would have been too scared to make the trip by herself after dark. And, who knows, maybe I won¡¯t be that sleepy, even after staying up all night. Caffeine could keep me going? Or, maybe I¡¯ll just have a short nap tomorrow and still catch him at the convention?


    Though reduced to the barest embers, something pink inside her was still smoldering, and as her boots tapped a somber rhythm along the city sidewalks, Stephanie¡¯s mind began to lazily drift towards Brian again.


    He said that if I¡¯d wanted him to go down on me, I should have just... asked...? He was only joking, right? What would that entail, exactly...? Stephanie¡¯s uncertain grasp of the idea was somewhere between an assumption and a misunderstanding. Going down on someone means putting their... stuff in your mouth.


    I¡¯m a girl. Without, um, external genitalia, there isn¡¯t any way to ¡®go down on¡¯ me, is there? There isn¡¯t anything down there. Just my¡ªyou know, my um. My vagina. So, he can¡¯t go down on me... right? It really was only a joke, I shouldn¡¯t be dwelling on it, she decided.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll be able to explain it,¡± Stephanie mumbled out loud, to no one in particular. ¡°Or, maybe he¡¯ll be able to show me...?¡±

 Gijinka Training

    Outta luck after all, huh. Raven locks of hair swept down over one of the scene girl¡¯s eyes, and Kelly blew that fringe of her bangs up with an annoyed puff of her lip. Fuck.


    She resentfully kicked at one of the discarded pamphlets littering the main lobby as she surveyed the aftermath of AnimeCon¡¯s first day. The skylights had long since fallen dark and the tempestuous sea of convention attendees, once hundreds thick, had since dwindled down to bare dregs. Scattered groups still wandered about, and a handful of dedicated fans could be found in many of the panel rooms, but that unique, bustling and excited energy from before was gone. Voices that had earlier been lost in the harsh, discordant hum of innumerable conversations now echoed individually down the halls, giving the enormous open space that eerie after-hours quality.


    S¡¯gonna be a looong night, Kelly thought as she squeezed a little plush ball she¡¯d found. It was a stuffed sphere stitched in bright fabric someone had left behind, fashioned to resemble one of the iconic capture traps from Monster Battlers.


    Seems like dumb high schoolers are the only ones left in the lobby... just a buncha little bitches, all excited to be out late with their friends unsupervised, she thought, frowning.


    Her plan had been to tease, flirt, and finagle her way into the hotel room of some agreeable convention chump, because otherwise¡ªshe didn¡¯t have a place to stay. There should have been any number of dorks eager to play white knight and rescue her from her predicament, and finding and sweet-talking some naive nerd should¡¯ve been all too easy for Kelly... but the rising temperatures of her own libido were their own source of consternation.


    She was horny as hell, but lowering her standards that far just wasn¡¯t something she was capable of without some substantial alcoholic assistance. After all, her mental representations of ¡®weeaboo suckers I can fleece,¡¯ and ¡®attractive guys I wanna fuck,¡¯ formed a venn diagram without much overlapping area, and it seemed like the last of her opportunities had slipped through her fingers.


    It didn¡¯t help that appearances weren¡¯t her only criteria in a place like this. She needed a guy with some teeth; someone who could prove himself, set himself apart from the tepid herd of beta-male herbivores. And of course, as soon as she found a suitable one, wouldn¡¯t raunchy sex be a great way to show appreciation towards her chivalrous benefactor? To her dismay, the few decent-looking ones she¡¯d spotted today in AnimeCon¡¯s wilderness of horrors either hadn¡¯t had the guts to approach her, or had surprisingly vigilant cosplayer girlfriends.


    Shoulda stuck with Brian and the weird little weeb girl after all, Kelly realized in exasperation. If some of those other guys would¡¯ve just put in a trifling, token amount of fuckin¡¯ effort... Ugh. A quick fix, that¡¯s all I need¡ªa quick fuck to clear my mind a bit. Some rough, hard sex.


    She¡¯d been unbearably turned most of the day, squeezing her thighs together in a vain attempt to suppress an aching emptiness that demanded some serious attention. She¡¯d caught her hands drifting south of their own accord a few times already, and only her own sense of righteous indignation had so far stopped her from retreating to a restroom stall and finger-banging some of that sexual tension right out of herself. I¡¯m like a fuckin¡¯ goddess here! Having to frig myself, here of all places, would be... pathetic.


    There was definitely an alluring charm to the beautiful scene girl. Fluffy black hair flowed down her head in luxurious layers beside her lovely neck, choppy razored ends tracing along her collarbones. Thick black liner, long lashes, and red-hued eyeshadow emphasized her amber-brown eyes, and that slight, exquisite curve of her cheekbones seemed to naturally provoke her face into a sassy smile.


    The smooth, pale skin of her bare shoulders and neck was inviting, and the soft line of her cleavage captivating, disappearing deep into the low cut of her tank top between the indulgent bulges of her breasts. Unfettered by the likes of a bra, these full, rounded shapes subtly nodded and swayed as she walked. Even her stride was erotic, an unhurried, languid rolling of her hips and clap of her skate shoes across the convention center¡¯s carpeting.


    ...On the other hand, can I really blame them? They¡¯re convention nerds, and well, I guess they know their place. I¡¯m way outta their league, She decided, and her self-assured smile seemed positively villainous. After all, everyone knows most geeks are like, awkward primitives when it comes to social interaction¡ªlet alone with someone stellar like me.


    So... what now? She wondered in vexation. Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl as Kelly explored the nearly deserted halls. She¡¯d tried sitting in on one of the animes playing all night in the viewing room, but the shrill cries of a blushing Japanese schoolgirl scolding her faceless older brother were too creepy. Who gets into this kind of stuff? Apparently the dozen viewers did, as they were positively riveted in their seats, watching the projection with rapt attention as she ducked back out.


    There was also a late-night cabal of tabletop gamers, a suspiciously quiet bunch hunched over the remains of a miniature city dotted with miniature plastic soldiers. The alarmed, somehow desperate look in their beady eyes when she¡¯d stepped in the door was almost threatening, and their silence devolved into a flurry of conspiratorial whispers as she backed right back out of the room with a blank face.


    She finally curtailed her wanderings and hunkered down alone, slumping her back against the wall in one of the corridors off the main lobby, wiling away the minutes by tossing the stuffed capture sphere lightly in the air and turning it over in her bored fingertips.


    I shoulda been gettin¡¯ laid right now. The convention center isn¡¯t far from downtown, Kelly thought in annoyance. There were bars nearby, even some of them that she knew well. I could get a drink, I could get picked up. She scowled, suppressing the rebellious thoughts. If she hit up a bar now and inevitably wound up bedding some handsome guy, she probably wouldn¡¯t find a reason to come back to the convention.


    Focus. Remember why you¡¯re even fucking here at the convention in the first place, Kelly chided herself. It¡¯d be so easy, though... A hazy red corona of arousal had been enveloping her mind all day for some untraceable reason, making it difficult for her to think clearly. There so many randy nerds around the convention today that I soaked up their pent-up pheromones, or something?


    I just really need fucked, she thought in exasperation. Some vacant corner of the convention center, up against car out beneath the dim overhead lights of the parking lots, a restroom stall¡ªanywhere would do, she just needed to get some. Some easy-on-the-eyes stranger could be bending her over right now. She could be standing atop her own discarded skinny jeans, panties twisted around one thigh, as some guy she¡¯d never met plowed her. She could be moaning with pleasure, jaw hanging slack as he pumped her cunt with savage, vicious strokes, their bodies moving in heated rhythm. Fuck.


    She was still casually lounging on the carpeted convention floor beside her purse, debating the merit of letting a restless hand wander down into her pants, when she caught a flash of pink in her peripheral vision. Can¡¯t be...


    A mottled-blonde cosplayer was trudging past, a familiar-looking girl in tall red boots, long gloves, and a bright pink-and-red sundress that just barely concealed the delightful hemispheres of an incredible butt. It is, it¡¯s that Flamituff, the weird little weeb girl! With more pink shit in her hair, too!


    In a flash of inspiration, Kelly gauged the distance between them, leaned forward, and hurled the stuffed plush at the girl. The capture sphere sailed in a high arc before smacking beautifully into back of Stephanie¡¯s head, eliciting a satisfying flinch of surprise. Nice, caught¡¯cha!


    ¡°Uwah...!?¡± Stephanie let out a breath, glancing around as the ball rolled to a stop several feet away.


    ¡°Hey there, Flammy-fluff,¡± Kelly gave a small, innocent wave. ¡°Whatever happened with the pink in your hair, it happened again. Or, happened harder..? Have you seen yourself?¡± Where¡¯s the guy you were with, slut?


    ¡°...It¡¯s Flamituff. I, uh. Yeah,¡± Stephanie said weakly, having momentarily forgotten about her hair. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, what was your actual name again? Stacy? Something like Stacy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... I¡¯m Stephanie,¡± the blond-and-pink-haired girl answered in a detached tone, lurching to an awkward halt and not bothering to pick up the plush ball.


    And, what¡¯s your problem? Kelly thought snidely, eyeing the weary-looking cosplayer for a moment before reconsidering. Stephanie didn¡¯t just look tired¡ªshe looked totally defeated. Her expression was empty and fatigued, her posture bent beneath the weight of the heavy travel bag hanging on her shoulder, and even the rabbit ears attached to her headband were dejectedly drooping. Something¡¯s off... something¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°You okay, hun?¡± Kelly finally asked, curiosity getting the better of her.


    ¡°...Yeah. I, uhm,¡± Stephanie mumbled, looking dispirited. ¡°Can I ask a... uh, do I... smell? I mean, do I smell badly?¡±


    ¡°Well then, c¡¯mere,¡± Kelly replied, unperturbed by the unusual question, and beckoned the girl forward. Awkwardly, Stephanie stepped into the hallway Kelly was sitting in and leaned down while the dark-haired beauty propped herself up and sniffed around her neck.


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯re good, can¡¯t smell a thing,¡± Kelly approved, quirking her lip and flashing a slightly sarcastic thumbs-up. And, just what am I supposed to smell? Booze breath? Sweat and sex? Kelly idly wondered. ¡°What¡¯s up? Somethin¡¯ goin¡¯ on?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s, uh,¡± Stephanie said nervously, ¡°I mean, I¡¯d hate to bother you...¡±


    ¡°Fuck that, bother away,¡± Kelly pleaded, eyes dancing up and down Stephanie¡¯s figure. She¡¯s distracting enough. ¡°Bored outta my mind. I heard the con went on all night, but soon as the sun went down and the vendor¡¯s room closed, seems like everyone took off. It¡¯s all just little panels and shit now and I don¡¯t know anyone here, this time.¡±


    ¡°But, ah, why... why stay here at the con this late, then?¡± Stephanie asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Hah¡ªwell I shoulda found someone to shack up with, but...¡± Kelly trailed off listlessly and shrugged. ¡°Haven¡¯t had any luck. I was thinking about just chillin¡¯ overnight in the viewing room across the hall, ¡®cause they¡¯ve got chairs at least, but the creepy little high-pitched Japanese voices got super obnoxious. Why, you got space in your room?¡±


    Stephanie sighed, shifting uncomfortably on tired feet. ¡°Aha. Hah. Well, I, uh. I had a room with my friend, but...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, here, siddown then,¡± Kelly interrupted, a little disappointed, and casually slapped the carpeted floor beside her. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve gotta story to tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, thank you,¡± Stephanie replied reflexively, blinking. The blond-and-pink-haired girl took a seat on the hard carpeted floor next to Kelly, awkwardly sliding her legs beside her, and exhaled slowly in relief.


    ¡°So¡¯d your friend lock you out?¡± Kelly inquired, Sock on the doorknob? Some kind of interesting drama in the weird little weeb world you folk live in? Anything to do with that Brian guy?


    ¡°Not... quite,¡± Stephanie laughed sadly, ¡°I... ran away. When I got to the room, she was, uh, Megan, my friend was already there, and it, uh, well... she smelled. She smelled so badly. The whole room smelled.¡±


    ¡°Con funk, huh.¡± Kelly guessed, amused. ¡°That¡¯s hilarious.¡±


    ¡°Con... funk?¡± Stephanie echoed dismally.


    ¡°You know,¡± Kelly laughed, lifting an arm and pantomimed wriggling fingers at the hollow of her armpit. ¡°Con funk, s¡¯what my friend called it a couple years back. Conventions attract all these... social misfit types, and some of ¡®em have like, no hygiene. A lotta the time when you¡¯re passin¡¯ by the crowds you can get a whiff of it, of these like... creepy, sweaty motherfuckers who don¡¯t do the whole washing or deodorant thing, you know? Uh, no offense to your friend, I guess?¡±


    ¡°I-I suppose so. I just never realized how bad it could... I mean I¡¯ve never smelled anything that... well¡ªatrocious, in my whole life. I don¡¯t understand how she doesn¡¯t realize...¡±


    ¡°Lost cause, trust me, they¡¯re always a lost cause¡ªand you made the right call bailin¡¯ on her. And, hey, that makes us roomless buddies now!¡± Kelly decided. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve got somewhere else to be...?¡±


    ¡°Is that... is that okay?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Spending the whole night at the convention, I mean? Do they just let attendees sprawl out in the hallways, like... um, vagrants?¡±


    ¡°Okay? S¡¯way better than okay,¡± Kelly retorted, ¡°It¡¯s great, safety in numbers and all that. You¡¯re on your own here, and drift off to sleep, who knows what some convention creep could do to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, uh, yeah,¡± Stephanie agreed, swallowing and fidgeting closer to the wall. ¡°Right.¡± The wide hallways were sparsely populated, but somehow that was a far cry from a sense of security right now.


    ¡°We can keep an eye out for each other,¡± Kelly said, nudging Stephanie with her shoulder. ¡°You catch some guy pawing at me or taking weird pictures, you¡¯ll yell or scream or somethin¡¯, wouldn¡¯tcha?¡±


    ¡°W-would it be safer in the, i-in one of the viewing rooms?¡± Stephanie stammered, stiffening.


    ¡°Chill, I¡¯m just fuckin¡¯ with ya,¡± Kelly said, chuckling. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Sudden shrieks and peals of laughter from a flock of girls playing around out in the main lobby echoed down the corridor with enough volume to spook Stephanie, and Kelly examined her new companion.


    She hadn¡¯t really been able to look past the weeb girl¡¯s silly outfit in her first impression earlier today, but now that she looked closer, she was cute. In fact, this girl was really cute, enough that Kelly was struck by the disparity between the aesthetic attractiveness of this girl and the apparent utter vacuum of self-confidence.


    The timid way the girl struggled to maintain eye-contact when she spoke, the slightly stiff rise of her shoulders, ready to flinch at a moment¡¯s notice, and of course, her stuttering, uncertain way of speaking. Disregarding the outlandish nerd costume, the only thing that actually seemed geeky about this girl was her mousy demeanor.


    ¡°So, can I ask you something?¡± Kelly asked, giving Stephanie a trepidatious look.


    ¡°Ah, uhm, w-what is it?¡± Stephanie asked, blinking cutely in surprise.


    ¡°Why are you a weeaboo? And I don¡¯t mean like, why you¡¯re into whatever you¡¯ve gotten all into,¡± Kelly clarified, ¡°What I mean is like, why are you a weeaboo?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...?¡± Stephanie uttered, at a loss and unsure of what to say.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the looks of a geek,¡± Kelly pointed out, sizing the pink-and-blond-haired girl up once again, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t even say you¡¯re average-looking, either. You¡¯re actually pretty hot. I¡¯ve made out with girls nowhere near as good-looking as you.¡± Her eyes began to wander in a way that made Stephanie implicitly uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªum, you what?¡± Stephanie denied as she struggled to follow the incomprehensible statements thrown her way. ¡°I¡¯m not hot. You, you¡¯re just, you¡¯re making fun of me...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh, okay?¡± Kelly snorted, sneaking a furtive glance at the soft thighs peeking out of those tall costume boots... ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be hard, ¡®cause you¡¯ve dressed yourself up as an animal from a children¡¯s game. Why do you think you¡¯re not hot?¡±


    ¡°Oh, ah... well, I¡¯m just¡ªnot.¡± Stephanie explained, as though stating common sense. ¡°My looks. My weight. My everything. My face. You know.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Kelly argued. ¡°You¡¯re thin, have a great ass, and you¡¯ve got a real cute face.¡±


    ¡°I, I do not. I... don¡¯t have a cute face,¡± Stephanie protested meekly.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m staring at it right now?¡± Kelly retorted, inching herself closer. Red flecks of starlight were careening through the back of her thoughts, and Kelly blinked, feeling lightheaded and spacy.


    Sure looks cute enough to me, Kelly thought, feeling a silly smile waft across her face. Wonder what she¡¯d do if I just started kissing her? Hah, I could go a lot further than that. Maybe if she¡¯s down for makin¡¯ out I can try gettin¡¯ my fingers under that dress and into her panties¡ªwhoa, where¡¯d that come from?


    ¡°You, uh... well, you have a clear complexion, and a small nose,¡± Kelly continued. ¡°Your features are symmetrical and well-proportioned. Your eyebrows are blond enough that people won¡¯t notice you haven¡¯t been contouring them. I can tell you aren¡¯t using eyeliner or shadow, but your glasses kinda, like, help frame your face, and bring your eyes out a bit. Christ. You¡¯re not wearing any makeup, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good with makeup...¡± Stephanie explained, embarrassed. ¡°Last time I tried to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ugghh!¡± Aghast, Kelly dramatically yanked her purse from where it leaned against the wall and plopped it between them, opening it wide and beginning to dig for appropriate beauty products.


    ¡°Uh... you¡¯re not going to...?¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± Kelly huffed dismissively, raising a palette of foundation to match shades against Stephanie¡¯s pale skin. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me guys aren¡¯t hitting on you like, all the time?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m not around them o-often, and when I am, well, sometimes they say things.¡± Stephanie protested, ¡°But, it¡¯s more like they¡¯re... like they¡¯re making fun of me.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve somehow totally misread obvious signals your whole life?¡± Kelly asked incredulously, abruptly removing Stephanie¡¯s glasses and waggling them up to the light, ¡°Can you see without these?¡±


    ¡°Hey...! Uh, y-yes,¡± Stephanie explained, blinking rapidly and looking even more vulnerable. ¡°I¡¯ll just, uh, yes I can see, but I¡¯ll get headaches if I go without them for very long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, close your eyes, then. What about that guy you were with, whats-his-name,¡± Kelly asked, feigning indifference. ¡°Didja get any vibes from him?¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s was, uh,¡± Stephanie choked, ¡°That is, um, has been, different. It¡¯s never like this. Like that. Like that has been with him. Today. Was.¡± The girl cutely clamped her mouth shut to curb the flood of words spilling out of her.


    ¡°Christ, you¡¯re a mess,¡± Kelly paused, a dab of foundation already smeared onto a cosmetics sponge. ¡°Calm down already. Are you like, autistic or something, ¡®cause when you get all flustered you can, like, barely talk, you know? That how you wound up like a weeaboo? Stay still.¡±


    The soft strokes of her cosmetics sponge began to canvas Stephanie¡¯s face. Kelly was working roughly, more playing around than actually intent on transforming this cute geek girl, but she possessed quite a bit of skill, and her well-practiced ministrations blended a lovely foundation in no time at all. The real problem¡¯s concealer. She¡¯s got those slight circles under her eyes, makes her look all tired.


    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s social anxiety,¡± Stephanie confessed, trying to speak slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not, well, it isn¡¯t all the time. I¡¯m fine in normal situations, ones that I¡¯m... used to, and it isn¡¯t bad then. But, outside of my, uh, my comfort zone, ah, it¡¯s... uh...¡±


    ¡°Well, chill out, I¡¯m playin¡¯ nice here,¡± Kelly rebuked, shoving the errata within her purse around in frustration. She¡¯d packed light for the convention, and the only concealer she had with her was a touch too dark for Stephanie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Somethin¡¯ happen to like, make you like that, or have you always been this way?¡± Kelly asked offhandedly.


    ¡°...Something happened. A long time ago,¡± Stephanie answered quietly, staring off towards the corridor entrance where the forgotten plush capture ball sat.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kelly paused, and something in Stephanie¡¯s tone made her decide not to press further. ¡°Must¡¯ve been funny earlier with that guy, though. Were you this awkward around him, like, how bad were you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know,¡± Stephanie realized. ¡°Probably bad. He... he didn¡¯t seem like he was getting annoyed with me, though. He was teasing me, uh, a little, but it actually seemed like¡ªflirting-teasing?¡±


    ¡°And, so, you¡¯re hot after all, like I said. Congratulations.¡± Kelly said, making a frustrated face. Okay, time to improvise, I guess. She hadn¡¯t had to lighten a concealer since high school, but she expertly squeezed a droplet of her concealer next to a bead of moisturizer on the back of her hand, and swirled them together with a fingertip until she had some better shades to work with.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal between you and him?¡± Kelly asked innocuously. ¡°You¡¯re not his girl, I gather? You making out with him and getting yourself all pink like, an audition for the role, or what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Stephanie said quickly, waving her hands. ¡°We uh, just met today, earlier today, I mean, for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Quit moving. But, he was the one you were making out with, right? Didja ever solve the mysterious case of the pink-ening hair? You definitely went from just the one little streak to a whole mess here since I saw you, ya know.¡±


    ¡°I... um. He and I kissed, yes... it was my first kiss.¡± Stephanie confided in a small voice. ¡°And then, when we kissed again, uh, it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hooold up,¡± Kelly cut in, dumbfounded. ¡°Your first kiss? That was your first kiss? Today?¡±

 Making the Call

    ¡°Hooold up,¡± Kelly cut in, dumbfounded. ¡°Your first kiss? That was your first kiss? Today?¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡± Stephanie answered, tilting her head in confusion.


    ¡°Okay then, what? Literally, what? You needta take your story waaay back further. Anxiety or not, you¡¯re still a little hottie. How had you never been kissed by anyone? And, like, why today, why would your first kiss be with this guy you just met?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve, uh, never had a boyfriend or anything...¡± Stephanie admitted, embarrassed.


    ¡°...Okay, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-two,¡± Stephanie shyly stated.


    ¡°And you never thought about, you know, trying one on? A boyfriend? Or a lover? Friend-with-benefits? Maybe just a plain ol¡¯ fuck-buddy? Getting male attention is way easier than learning self-confidence.¡±


    ¡°...Is that? Is that, uh, how you...?¡± Stephanie asked, eyelashes fluttering in surprise as a powder brush descended on her cheeks and nose.


    ¡°For confidence? No,¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°I¡¯m above and past needing confidence. I just use what I have, to get what I want,¡± Kelly gave her a sly smile, finishing the setting powder on Stephanie¡¯s cheeks with a flourish of her fluffy brush. ¡°¡®Cause what we have is what they want. You¡¯ll learn.¡±


    ¡°Well, uhm, thank you,¡± Stephanie said hesitantly. ¡°I think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet, Flami-stuff. Just hiding flaws is the same as breaking even in the beauty world, everything after that gets... tricky, and this is where amateurs always fuck it up.¡± Kelly pondered for a moment, glancing at Stephanie¡¯s lips. ¡°Ever thought about kissing another girl?¡±


    ¡°I... haven¡¯t?¡± Stephanie scrunched her brow cutely. ¡°It never really occurred to me, I mean. I¡¯m not... uh... you know?¡±


    ¡°Not gay?¡± Kelly said. ¡°Do you really know for sure though, ¡®til you¡¯ve experimented a bit? I mean, like how do you know either way without experiencing a little?¡±


    ¡°W-well, if it¡¯s kissing, th-then I¡¯ve kissed Brian,¡± Stephanie said, ¡°So, I¡¯ve experienced a little...¡±


    ¡°Do you want to experience a little more?¡± Kelly asked in a low voice, almost a whisper.


    ¡°Um...¡± Stephanie managed, her expression going blank.


    ¡°...I¡¯m just fuckin¡¯ with ya,¡± Kelly laughed, casually flashing the girl a winning smile as she scrounged for eyeliner. For now.


    The dark-haired beauty paused to think for a moment. Her eyes need brought out for her look to really... pop, ¡®specially with those glasses. And, I can¡¯t put my sexy scene-girl action flick cover on this rated-G kiddie movie. Wouldn¡¯t fit her li¡¯l miss innocent look, and she doesn¡¯t have an ounce of actual attitude...


    She started in with mascara, choking her thumb and index fingers up high on the applicator and gently pressing her middle fingertip against Stephanie¡¯s brow to perfectly steady her hand. Eyelashes were tricky business, if you weren¡¯t an expert.


    ¡°Too bad you didn¡¯t get the guy¡¯s number,¡± Kelly muttered. ¡°Bet he has plenty of space in his hotel room. And, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s awful lonely now that he¡¯s all single, huh?¡± Focused on Stephanie¡¯s face, just bare inches away, it was impossible to miss the subtle reaction.


    Kelly laughed, arching an eyebrow. ¡°What, do you have his number?¡±


    ¡°...I do, actually,¡± Stephanie conceded reluctantly, ¡°But, I-I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t call him when things are like this. I can¡¯t impose on him with my probl¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb,¡± Kelly interrupted. ¡°Here I thought you were all into him.¡±


    ¡°I am... I really am! But, I¡¯m... I¡¯m t-terrified. To be honest, I... I didn¡¯t even want to come to the convention,¡± Stephanie revealed. ¡°If Megan hadn¡¯t really pressur¡ªuh, pestered me to come, I¡¯d never have left my, uh, my normal routine. I didn¡¯t want to meet people, d-deal with new situations. Because, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not an amazing... an amazing cool kind of girl, like... like you are. I really wish I could be.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly said, oddly touched by the awkward compliment. This geek girl was without guile, and her words weren¡¯t the usual smokescreen of ingratiating, facetious flattery. She found she actually... liked this girl, in spite of herself, and a thoughtful smile crept across her face. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°I am all into him,¡± Stephanie continued, ¡°It¡¯s this incredible, amazing, crazy, kind of... attraction. Just like I¡¯d always read about, but, um, never really believed in, I guess. Until now? And, well, it¡¯s also complicated, something more... something scary, I can¡¯t even put into words.¡±


    ¡°Scary? Scary how?¡± Kelly prompted. Just don¡¯t you dare drop the L-word about a guy you just met, fuckin¡¯ spare me.


    Stephanie seemed to gather her thoughts for a few moments before replying.


    ¡°He makes me feel... like I¡¯m finally in a story, um, part of a story instead of just reading from outside of it, from a... a distance, if that makes any sense? But... I feel like if I get myself any deeper into this, I won¡¯t be able to go back, won¡¯t be satisfied with the safe, uh, withdrawn kind of life that I know, th-that I thought I knew anymore?¡±


    ¡°My future expectations, this secure and tidy little rest of my life after college I¡¯ve been planning and cultivating... he¡¯s going to make it... no, he already does make me realize it all feels empty, just like going through the motions and watching all the real stories pass by. It¡¯s terrifying, terrifying maybe having something to lose that I didn¡¯t even know about, know I could have before and might never have again and... I¡ªI really have no earthly idea what I should do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say, go for it. Do you like this guy, or not?¡± Kelly answered without much hesitation, bringing a small smile to the corners of Stephanie¡¯s lips.


    ¡°I... I do. I like him,¡± Stephanie admitted, face flushing red.


    ¡°Where the hell¡¯s your phone, then?¡±


    ¡°I... I can¡¯t,¡± Stephanie said evasively, turning her face away. ¡°I¡¯ve probably come so close to blowing it j-just by, just by being mys¡ªbeing me, so many times. I can¡¯t ask him for any more, to do anything for me. I can¡¯t uh, I don¡¯t want him to think any less of me. And, I, uh, I was too shy to even say anything at all to my roommate about, um, and that¡¯s, so... I can¡¯t just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Kelly interrupted, putting her hands on Stephanie¡¯s shoulders, ¡°¡®Cause this is all actually like, stupid simple, and you¡¯ve over-thought it all to hell. If he likes you, then he isn¡¯t gonna say no, or get annoyed, or think less of you, or any of that bullshit goin¡¯ on in your head right now. He¡¯s gonna see this as an opportunity, and if you weren¡¯t the biggest mess of awkward-sauce, you¡¯d both be gettin¡¯ laid tonight.¡±


    Stephanie froze, and the shy girl blinked rapidly, as if having an epiphany. ¡°...Opportunity?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Remember back to me tellin¡¯ you that you¡¯re actually kinda hot? Well with a little effort¡ª¡± she wiggled the applicator brush towards Stephanie for emphasis, ¡°You can¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his opportunity...¡± Stephanie uttered. ¡°I am. He did say that I was his... uh, of course. That¡¯s, uh, this was different then. I didn¡¯t realize... maybe you¡¯re right? Absolutely right. I really should call him. You think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? You¡¯re gonna call him now?¡± Kelly dared, arching an eyebrow. Sure changed her mind on that quick, what the hell?


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m going to call him.¡± Stephanie decided, nodding. She withdrew her phone from her travel bag, staring at it blankly in her hand. A long moment passed, the girl in the pink-and-red sundress sitting on the floor beside Kelly simply gazing at the phone, as if in a trance.


    ¡°Uh... were you gonna do it now?¡± Kelly asked impatiently.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m going to. I¡¯m calling him now.¡± Stephanie replied, rigidly looking at the phone cradled in her hands like a rabbit caught in oncoming headlights.


    ¡°...Gimme the fuckin¡¯phone,¡± Kelly grumbled, plucking the cellphone out of Stephanie¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Wah¡ªuh, w-wait, I wasn¡¯t ready! I was, I¡¯m th-thinking what to say! What can I say?!¡± Stephanie protested meekly.


    ¡°Yeah, got it covered, don¡¯t worry ¡®bout it,¡± Kelly retorted, easily blocking the weakly floundering girl with an outstretched arm. The fuck? Her address book is like, practically empty. She tapped Brian¡¯s entry and began dialling, while shooting Stephanie a strange look.


    ¡°N-no-no-no-no you can¡¯t just¡ª¡± Stephanie squeaked, but it was too late.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Although she¡¯d only met him once, Kelly immediately recognized his crisp voice, and a fleeting glint of red light, like a distant shooting star, traced through her thoughts. It felt good.


    ¡°Heeey. It¡¯s Kelly, we met today? You gave me a convention pass earlier?¡± She blurted, before she¡¯d managed to collect her thoughts.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± he sounded baffled.


    ¡°Yeah, uh, Kelly. You gave me a convention pass,¡± she repeated, feeling like an idiot. He¡¯s just a convention weeb, why does this seem hard?


    ¡°How¡¯d you get my number?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that... Uh... listen, I¡¯m actually callin¡¯ from Stephanie¡¯s phone. The... the Flamituff Stephanie,¡± she clarified, wondering if it mattered.


    ¡°She needs help, she sorta got kicked out of her hotel room and doesn¡¯t have a place to stay,¡± she said, somewhat stretching the truth. Stephanie, having risen up onto her knees in anticipation, was hovering near Kelly¡¯s shoulder with bated breath. ¡°She was... too shy to call you herself?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with you? Is she okay? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s fine¡ªjust, look, she¡¯d never want to impose on you or anything, but... I don¡¯t have a room to lend her and I don¡¯t want her sleeping in the hallway overnight at the convention, ya know? There anything you can do?¡±


    ¡°Can I talk to her?¡±


    Quickly suppressing a surprising flash of jealousy, Kelly pushed the phone towards Stephanie.


    ¡°...Hi,¡± Stephanie managed to choke out, her back stiffening upright in apprehension. ¡°Brian?¡±


    Brian said something, but Kelly couldn¡¯t quite discern what, so she watched the fidgeting girl with a look of curious expectation.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stephanie chirped, a nervous smile beginning to bubble up. ¡°Well, uh, th-that is, not fine, but okay¡ªI¡¯m okay. I did have a hotel room, uh, with my friend? My friend Megan. But¡ª¡±


    Brian was speaking again, a nearly inaudible, sexy sort of murmur that Kelly couldn¡¯t quite make out. Regardless, the effect his words were having on this girl were plainly visible.


    Stephanie¡¯s tense posture relaxed and she sank down, knees slightly apart, the look of fear and anxiety evaporating off of her as a smile of relief spread beautifully across her features. The formerly forlorn and downcast eyes of the awkwardly introverted geek girl were dreaming off into the distance, bright and full of fire. It was a dramatic transformation, considering moments ago Kelly had thought of her as a slightly helpless pity-case. ...It¡¯s the makeup. Has to be my amazing makeup skills, for sure.


    ¡°...Of-of course! Thank you! Ah, well, then, here she is again,¡± Stephanie breathed, and proudly passed the phone back to Kelly.


    ¡°¡®Ello?¡± Kelly grunted.


    ¡°Right, where can I find you guys?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Kelly glanced around dumbly for a second, a little annoyed. Not like the damned halls have street-signs. ¡°It¡¯s a hallway. We¡¯re still at the convention center, one of the hallways right off of the main lobby. Can she like, meet you somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Nah, hang tight, I¡¯m on my way to you guys. I¡¯m just across the street from the convention center, be there in a few.¡±


    ¡°Uh... ¡®kay,¡± Kelly said automatically. ¡°Thanks.¡± The call ending, she let out a slow breath and extended the phone back towards Stephanie, who was clutching at her cheeks.


    This... this wasn¡¯t how this was supposed to go, Kelly realized, quirking her lip in a lopsided pout. She¡¯d intended to be aloof, annoyed, and above these convention dorks. Why the hell am I playing matchmaker for them all the sudden? I¡¯m the one who needs laid, you little fuckers. She was actually getting interested, even involved in this weird girl and guy. It was upsetting a precarious balance, and somewhere within her, the stable orbit of her detached scorn was beginning to deteriorate.


    ¡°Well, whatever, it¡¯s on now. So, are you two gonna bang?¡± Kelly asked, chuckling, and she shook her head.


    ¡°What?!¡± Stephanie sputtered, ¡°No, we¡¯re not going to b-! You mean sex? Th-that¡¯s not gonna happen. Pr-probably not even, uh, ever any chance of that at all.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, well, just in case, I¡¯d better give you one of these,¡± Kelly chuckled sadly, rolling her eyes. Reaching into side pocket of her purse, she withdrew a small row of condom packets and tore one off.


    Only gonna have three left. But... well, fuck. This girl¡¯s probably not even on the pill. Turning the sealed packet over in her fingers thoughtfully for a few moments, she reluctantly handed it to Stephanie.


    ¡°This is...¡± Stephanie said in quiet fascination, accepting it carefully.


    ¡°You know how to use one of those, right?¡± Kelly asked, a little dubious.


    ¡°Um...¡± Stephanie said, staring at the condom in her hands as if imagining its implications. She¡¯s blushing. What the fuck is she, a grade-schooler?


    ¡°...Okay, well, he¡¯ll know what to do with it,¡± Kelly griped, rolling her eyes. ¡°Make sure he uses it, ¡®kay?¡± She leaned back against the wall, trying to force herself to relax.


    ¡°Thank¡ªthank you,¡± Stephanie said quickly, as if not wanting to sound ungrateful, ¡°But, I don¡¯t think... I mean pr-probably things won¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Kelly muttered in frustration, cutting her off, ¡°Whatever. I need to get some so bad right now, but hell, you¡¯ve probably never gotten any at all, like... ever, so it¡¯s cool. It¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°N-no, what, uh, what I mean is, I really don¡¯t think I can,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°...Ah. Yikes,¡± Kelly exclaimed, nodding to herself as if realizing something. ¡°I get it. That¡¯s some tough luck, having the days for the convention fall right on that time.¡±


    ¡°Uh... that time?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that time of the month. You¡¯re on the rag, huh?¡±


    ¡°On the rag?¡± Stephanie repeated, appalled. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t... uhm, it isn¡¯t that time of the month for me. I¡¯m not on my period. Not menstruating.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the holdup then, this guy not gettin¡¯ your juices goin¡¯?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°He... no, um,¡± Stephanie protested awkwardly, blood rushing to her face, ¡°It¡¯s, well, he is getting my jui... uh, he does make me¡ªum. It-it¡¯s not him. Him ah, h-he isn¡¯t the problem. I am.¡±


    ¡°...Oh? Be still my little monster girl, almost done,¡± Kelly chided as she carefully finished applying eyeliner on the floundering girl. She realized her efforts had pushed this shy little geek girl far out of the realm where a simple descriptor like ¡®cute¡¯ was going to cut it.


    The makeup enhanced and exaggerated her innocent charm, an already cute face becoming distinctive and glamorous, the sort of flawless visage one would expect to see gazing out of a magazine cover or amidst the set of a romantic drama movie. She proudly returned the pair of glasses to Stephanie with exaggerated care, as though crowning a tiara on a princess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Stephanie breathed, ¡°With him. With myself, my, uh, the situation... the whole... sex... thing. I¡¯m not prepared, I never thought th-that, uh...¡±


    ¡°In over your head, huh?¡± Kelly observed, trying not to smirk. And to think, when I talk shop with other girls, it¡¯s usually us trying to one-up each other. ¡°You ever like, you know¡ªfinger yourself or anything?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Stephanie answered without much hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ve... I was going to, but... um... ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real trip, you know that?¡± Kelly chuckled, giving the girl a reassuring smile as she shuffled her cosmetics back into the depths of her purse.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually ah, a little curious also, about... about you,¡± Stephanie said awkwardly, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be interested in things like anime, why¡ªuh, why did you come to AnimeCon?¡±


    Yeah, reeealll smooth change o¡¯ subject there, Kelly thought to herself in amusement. But whatever, s¡¯your funeral. Hope you at least get him to wear the condom.


    ¡°I was interested once,¡± Kelly answered, a teasing look in her eyes, ¡°I was actually here at this very convention three years ago, wore a costume and everything.¡±


    ¡°Er... really?¡± Stephanie asked, baffled. ¡°You did? You cosplayed?¡±


    ¡°Things were different then,¡± Kelly shrugged, ¡°My friends were different. Since then so much has happened... fell in with a different crowd, lost a buncha people over some stupid shit, you know. The only reason I¡¯m even back here is...¡±


    The abrupt scuffling sound of approaching footfalls at the end of the hall caught their attention, and with a light kick, the forgotten stuffed capture sphere tumbled into their corridor.


    It was Brian. A strange feeling of satisfaction washed over her, and she exhaled slowly at the sight of him. Whoa... yeeeah, uh... whoa, Kelly thought.


    He¡¯d left the costume military jacket behind, exposing his shoulder-holster rig, and the neatly buttoned-up dress shirt from before was now partially unbuttoned, open at his throat and exposing a sliver of his chest. The mottled green of his eyes made him seem particularly charming, and that slight glint of mischievousness was irresistible. His short hair was slightly tousled, and the overall disheveled, sexy look immediately peppered the night skies of Kelly¡¯s mind with slivers of red heat.


    Fuck. Her thoughts tumbled, lost in a haze of solar wind and radiation. She wanted to play with the remaining buttons of his shirt. Yeah, this ain¡¯t good.


    It wasn¡¯t so easy anymore to think of him as just another nerd, now that he was here. More than simply attracted, she felt drawn to him, as though by a terrible force of sexual gravity. She desired him. She wanted to slip into his personal space and cling to him intimately, to caress him with the familiarity of an old lover. She felt herself slipping into a sultry, sensual mood as he approached, and distant warning bells went off in her head. Fuck, no, fuck. This is gonna be Stephanie¡¯s guy. S¡¯gonna be her first time, I gotta at least let her have that, right?


    ¡°Brian!¡± the weeb girl beside her exclaimed, struggling back up onto her feet.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, stepping closer and catching Stephanie in an embrace. He looked at her with interest. ¡°So, what happened? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Uhm...¡± Stephanie began, to embarrassed to speak.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine now,¡± Kelly chimed in, keeping her distance and remaining on the floor while the two hugged. Her gaze however lingered reluctantly on Brian¡¯s hands, settled comfortably just above Stephanie¡¯s exquisite derriere. Not jealous. Nope, not gonna get jealous. ¡°There was just a... problem that came up, ¡®tween her and her roomie.¡±


    ¡°I... well, yeah,¡± Stephanie affirmed, flushing red and turning her eyes down to the floor. ¡°Would it... be alright, if, if it¡¯s okay with you I mean, and if you have any space, maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡®The wild Flamituff wants to join your party,¡¯ Kelly thought to herself, rolling her eyes. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s cool. Not gonna get competitive, after I dolled her up. Fuck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to ask,¡± he answered offhandedly. ¡°Stay with me. I don¡¯t want you spending the night here in the hallway. You... you look different. You look great, Stephanie,¡± He said, holding her at arm¡¯s length and appreciating the expertly applied makeup now adorning her soft features.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Stephanie breathed nervously, looking up at him with moist eyes. ¡°Really. Thank you so much. It was Kelly, Kelly is... she¡¯s really good with, uh...¡±


    ¡°Did you need a place to stay?¡± he asked.


    Uh, duh, she just asked¡­? It took a moment and a somewhat awkward, dumbfounded look for Kelly to realize Brian was actually addressing her, now. OH. What.


    ¡°Me? Oh, no way, no, I¡¯m good,¡± Kelly lied, raising her palms and finding herself unexpectedly conflicted. Yeah, that¡¯s probably a terrible idea. Or, no, maybe a pretty good one? Wait, fuck, uh...


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a room anywhere or anything, but I¡¯m cool like, toughing it, totally used to it,¡± Kelly said. ¡°You gave me the badge, that¡¯s already helped me out way more than you should¡¯ve. So, don¡¯t worry about me, you know? You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Brian asked as Stephanie looked on with a bright smile.


    Exasperated, Kelly shot Stephanie a quick look of reproval. Don¡¯t look at me like that, idiot! I was tryin¡¯ to help set you up! If I get into that hotel room with him, all those bets are off, he¡¯s way too hot, and I¡¯m way too fuckin¡¯ horny.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, here,¡± he said, extending her a hand, ¡°Stay with us.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to...¡± Kelly reiterated defensively, though she realized her fingers were sliding into his offered hand all on their own. Damn, he is good-looking... is this guy really one of the convention geeks?


    He gently pulled her up and onto her feet in the slow, steady motion of just his one arm, not heaving back or yanking her jarringly. Stronger than he looks, too. Kelly realized, casting an admiring glance. Something in that distant and isolated void within Kelly was falling, and this guy seemed to be tweaking her trajectory in all the right directions. Yeeeah, uh. Fuck it. All bets are off.


    ¡°Means a lot to me, you calling, you know, looking out for Steph like that. I don¡¯t really want you to have to spend the night in a hallway either, not when I¡¯ve got plenty of room to spare,¡± he said, arching an eyebrow. ¡°Or... would that be weird, like, do you prefer it out here on your own?¡±


    ¡°Wellll, uh,¡± Kelly said, a little ruffled, ¡°When you put it that way... I guess I could tag along. If you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± Brian laughed, dismissively waving his hand. ¡°Actually, having some company¡¯d be really helpful, you know, keep my mind off of things, get my head outta the past. And I¡¯m sure Steph¡¯d feel better with you there too, rather than being all alone in a room with some random guy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not some rand, uh, th-this isn¡¯t just some random encounter,¡± Stephanie rebuked cutely as she blushed fiercely, ¡°We, we have our battle to finish, after all.¡±


    Kelly was impressed. Stephanie¡¯s bearing seemed a little more bold around Brian, and midway through that outburst of a protest, the girl had even managed to turn it into some sort of weird Monster Battlers reference.


    They¡¯ve obviously already got some chemistry, if they¡¯re left alone tonight, they¡¯ll bang for sure, Kelly thought. With me playing third wheel here, it probably won¡¯t happen, ¡®cause she¡¯s the shy little sperg. But, if I keep... kinda... helping her along into it, I could MAKE SURE it happens. And then, if I were to join in a li¡¯l bit here and there and see where things lead, it¡¯s not like she can really complain, right?


    And, then... Kelly realized, her mind whirling and her imagination seeming to assail her in a scintillating red flare of starfire...


    Stephanie would be on her hands and knees, arching her back to submissively present that prodigious ass of hers to them, and Kelly would tug that pair of sopping wet panties down over those lush thighs. Stephanie¡¯s shy little snatch would already be oozing with lubricant, eager to be split open by Brian¡¯s thick shaft¡ªbut Kelly would remain between them.


    Kelly would take Brian¡¯s rigid dick in hand and steadily jerk it, occasionally slap it on Stephanie¡¯s offered butt, and she would draw the lovers close, alternately lapping greedily at the nectar of Stephanie¡¯s blushing honeypot, and switching to sloppily blow the meaty cock she worked in her hand.


    One moment, she would be fervently french-kissing the wet folds of that quivering girl¡¯s pink twat, and then a moment later cramming as much of Brian¡¯s cock into her mouth as she could, slobbering Stephanie¡¯s secretions and her own saliva up and down that shaft.


    Pursing her lips, with each bob of her head she would release inch after inch with a slow, messy slurp until his engorged cockhead popped free of her mouth. The heady smell of sex would pervade the air, and in no time at all their room would fill with lewd squelching sounds and moans of ecstasy, punctuated only by the occasional slap of flesh as Kelly spanked Brian¡¯s meat against Stephanie¡¯s bottom so that she could gasp for breath.


    When she finally felt Stephanie¡¯s petite body shaking involuntarily with desire, and could feel imminent need pulsing in Brian¡¯s tremendous cock, she would then point the head of Brian¡¯s dick right at the slippery cleft of Stephanie¡¯s slit and withdraw, lean back with a wicked smile, oblivious to the fluid dripping down her chin.


    As she would begin to frig herself, she wanted to let this desperately panting pair imagine they had been given back control, let them dream that their own desires hadn¡¯t already totally enslaved them. Fingertips frantically flickering over her own reddened clit, Kelly would watch, waiting in heated anticipation for that first momentous stroke that would push all the breath out of that adorable little geek girl.


    Would he hesitate? Could he hesitate? Would a single glance down at that glistening pussy, dangling a string of wetness in front of that poised penis, push him forward? And Stephanie, would she be trembling with need, just a tiny twitch away from spasming into uncontrolled orgasm? Is her geeky little mind still capable of putting up resistance, or is she just helplessly longing for that incredible thing to plunge deep into¡ª


    ¡°Kell? You okay?¡± Brian interrupted.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie asked softly, a brief look of concern crossing her smiling face. ¡°Are you... uh, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. Yeah,¡± Kelly replied hastily, swallowing suddenly and feeling absolutely indecent as she lapsed out of the lurid waking dream. What... what the fuck was that?!


    ¡°You kinda spaced out there for a second,¡± Brian observed, looking a little worried. ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯ll get you back to the hotel room, it¡¯s not far.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Kelly uttered. Her nipples had become pugnacious protrusions in the thin fabric of her tank top, her panties were drenched, and her mind was a hot mess. There was an anxious feeling, a free-falling, weightless sort of sensation deep inside her, and she found herself frantically excited to see where this would lead.


    It felt like her entire body was shimmering red with the re-entry heat as she descended down into an exciting new world with these two new friends of hers. I can make it happen, that innocent little m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois...

 Hotel Room

    ¡°C¡¯mon in,¡± Brian said, shouldering the hotel room door open and swinging Stephanie¡¯s travel bag inside. An air conditioner rattled to life in the window beside the door as he flicked the lights on and revealed the small room¡¯s modest accommodations.


    A single bed took up most of the room, a bag of clothes and costumes strewn across its covers, and the seat of the easy chair beside the nightstand was occupied by a large cardboard packing box. Opposite the bed, Brian¡¯s things were an untidy sprawl atop the dresser, which doubled as the TV stand. The far side of the room was sectioned off by a minimal bathroom, leaving an alcove outside it for a mirror and sink. The television, an old tube TV paired with a clunky cable box, betrayed the age of the spartan furnishings.


    Not too impressive, and definitely not the hotel Chloe wanted, Brian remembered, suppressing a grimace. Last year, she¡¯d been positively irate at this hotel¡¯s lack of modern amenities; there were hardly any outlets, there was no internet, there was neither a microwave nor a mini-fridge. Of course, with their sudden break-up, the simple room had suited him just fine, as it was affordable and just a short trek across the crosswalk from the convention center. Fuck, I wonder how long it¡¯ll be before every little thing stops reminding me of her in some way.


    Well, I definitely have some welcome distractions, he thought, turning to admire the two beauties who followed him into the room.


    ¡°Thank you for having us, really¡­¡± Stephanie said, displaying an anxious but grateful smile. The sweet and terribly shy geek was still bedecked in the bright pinks and reds of her gijinka costume¡ªlong gloves, vinyl thigh-high boots, and a sleeveless sundress with an outrageously short skirt¡ªit had been difficult for Brian not to steal glances at those slivers of exposed thigh. She bore more than passing resemblance to her creature from Monster Battlers, but with the panache of a sixties-era go-go dancer. A bobbing pair of costume rabbit ears rising from her pink-streaked blonde hair completed the outfit, and it was a strangely compelling look.


    ¡°Yeah, seriously, thanks,¡± the dark-haired scene girl chimed in, tailing Stephanie into the room. Though she was dressed casually, Kelly simply radiated sex appeal. Slinky skinny jeans captured her appreciable curves, and the crossing strap of her purse had her black tank top stretched taut about the splendid contours of her breasts. Kelly wasn¡¯t ostensibly an anime fan or comic nerd, and instead seemed more like someone who normally looked down on geeks like them. Confidence shone in her eyes, a proud look that lent the fine quirk of her lips a very different impression than Stephanie¡¯s smile.


    The girls were both gorgeous, but otherwise couldn¡¯t have been more different in appearance and demeanor¡ªIf Brian were to casually personify Stephanie as an innocent angel of conscience perched upon one shoulder, then Kelly would be the corrupting devil straddling the opposite shoulder.


    ¡°Here, lemme get all my junk outta the way,¡± Brian said, shifting his scattered belongings off the dresser and into a neat pile beside the bed.


    ¡°I might, if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take a shower?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Of course, go ahead,¡± Brian said, ¡°Guess you¡¯ve probably been wanting to try and wash the pink out of your hair?¡±


    ¡°...Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie slowly nodded, a complicated expression crossing her face. ¡°That too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up with her hair?¡± Kelly asked Brian. ¡°Are you doin¡¯ something to her? Like at first there was just the one little streak, and then when I saw her again tonight it¡¯s like, all over. Hair doesn¡¯t spontaneously turn colors.¡±


    ¡°It happened whenever we... uh, when we... kissed,¡± Stephanie fussed, adjusting her glasses. ¡°Both times, I think?¡±


    ¡°Well, lemme see you guys kiss, then,¡± Kelly insisted. ¡°Let¡¯s see the magic.¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say they were magic,¡± Stephanie sputtered, looking down and scuffing the toe of her boot against the other nervously. ¡°I mean, well, th-they are, but I didn¡¯t mean that I think that, uh, you see¡ª¡±


    ¡°Actually... may I?¡± Brian interrupted, gently drawing Stephanie¡¯s pink rabbit-ear headband free of the girl¡¯s hair, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking these are the culprit. You were wearing them all day, right? Did you make them yourself?¡±


    ¡°Uhm... oh! Yes, a little, it was uh, an Easter decoration I had, I glued them onto a better headband, and... the ears were white, I dyed them red for the costume...¡± Realization seemed to dawn on Stephanie.


    ¡°What¡¯d you use to dye them?¡± he asked, offering the accessory back to her.


    ¡°Sharpie cores,¡± Stephanie admitted in embarrassment. ¡°Red sharpie cores, put in, ah, soaked in rubbing alcohol. From a tutorial I found for dyeing synthetic fiber wigs... it must have come off into my hair? The guide did have all these warnings about st-staining things accidentally... gosh, I¡¯m so stupid!¡±


    She frowned cutely as she rubbed the material of the fluffy costume ear between her thumb and forefinger, inspecting it closely. All the swathes of pink in her blonde hair began at the crown of her head right where the headband had rested, so it did seem plausible enough.


    ¡°Hey, s¡¯okay,¡± Brian said, ¡°Costume accidents happen all the time. If you meet my friend Emily on Sunday she¡¯ll tell you ¡®bout all her costume mishaps.¡± A little bit of dye coming off in your hair is nothing compared to that body-paint fiasco, or last year with the band-aids that wouldn¡¯t stay on her nipples.


    ¡°So wait, the color in Steph¡¯s hair just... seeps out when she gets nervous and sweats, or something?¡± Kelly asked, ineffectively hiding a smirk behind her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go shower now,¡± Stephanie blurted quickly, looking mortified. She turned, heaving her travel bag into the tiny bathroom, and pulled the door closed behind her.


    ¡°You really okay with that, Brian?¡± Kelly asked, kicking off her skate-shoes and looking for a place to sit. ¡°She might fuck up the hotel towels with all that pink.¡±


    ¡°If they bill me, they bill me,¡± Brian shrugged, ¡°Couple years back my friend Emily did a Grimoire Saint cosplay, was this... all over textured gray body-paint with some little add-ons here and there that made her skin look like stone with cracks in it. If you¡¯d seen the tub and shower curtains afterwards, you¡¯d have thought she exploded.¡±


    ¡°And they charged you extra?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Nah. Emily left housekeeping a twenty dollar tip on the sink with a slip of paper that just said, ¡®I¡¯m so sorry¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich,¡± Kelly remarked. ¡°If I started writing those, my life would just be one unending string of apology notes. Someone could follow behind and make a book out of ¡®em. Probably be a bestseller, too.¡±


    This is... really happening, Stephanie thought, releasing an unsteady breath. Somehow, situation had led to circumstance, and she¡¯d wound up here. In Brian¡¯s hotel room. I can¡¯t calm down at all.


    Her heart was still racing, and jittery pink embers of energy spat and fizzled up and down her body. Out of reflex, she turned and searched the off-white tile walls for her reflection, before remembering with a wince that the sink and mirror were outside this tiny bathroom enclosure. She wouldn¡¯t have any moments of privacy to inspect her appearance, and it had been a long time since she¡¯d felt this self-conscious. Nothing¡­ nothing I can do about it now, she wearily decided, beginning to undress.


    Perching her shapely bottom awkwardly on the lip of the bathtub, Stephanie laboriously pulled her tall costume boots off; the first priority for any cosplayer on their feet all day. She released a satisfied sigh as those pink vinyl boots hit the floor, and tenderly probed her swollen feet with her fingers to discover twinges of both pain and relief.


    Brian¡¯s outside this door, Stephanie remembered, and her fingertips thoughtlessly traced their way up her tired legs towards her thighs. Brian is... right outside. That trembling pink flame inside her flared again, illuminating those amorous ideas she¡¯d nearly entertained just a few hours ago.


    Is it... this simple? Can I really just¡­? Stephanie spread her legs and flipped up the edge of her sundress over her lap, exposing her gray-striped panties. Blushing furiously and exhaling, Stephanie slid her hand down there to cup herself. She felt warm, and seemed to naturally fit to the shape of herself through her panties, with a finger on either side and then her middle finger settled across that slightly puffy groove, barely perceptible through the fabric.


    What am I doing?! She stiffened, sitting up straight, and shook her head as if that could snuff out the spark of this idea¡­ but despite her best efforts that tongue of flame persistently continued to creep along that length of fuse she¡¯d discovered within herself, this awakening of curiosity.


    Guys are supposed to always think about sex whenever they see a naked girl, she mused as she tugged her sundress over her head and tossed it into a crumpled heap on the floor. She finished undressing and started the shower, stepping inside when the streaming water had warmed.


    But is that really true, it seems so... unlikely? she thought, diligently working shampoo into her hair. She¡¯d always thought of herself as being so dull and plain that the idea seemed far-fetched. Her chest seemed small and unremarkable, her skin too pale, she almost found it hard to believe that someone would consider her sexual.


    I¡¯m not amazing like Kelly is. Frowning at the look of the shampoo suds sliding down her body, Stephanie lifted her foot to see the soapy water meandering towards the drain. Not a bit of that pink was actually coming out of her hair.


    But... he did kiss me, Stephanie recalled, unable to suppress a smile. Hours and hours had passed since then, and she was still feeling giddy at that pleasant surprise. He had in that moment suddenly made her aware that she was already a part of something she hadn¡¯t even thought she qualified for.


    Stephanie lathered soap distractedly, looking down at herself as the spraying water beat a staccato rhythm across her naked back. She¡¯d bathed nearly every day of her life, but today that thoughtless, habitual process was thoroughly disrupted by the flickering flames rising to life within her.


    He wouldn¡¯t tell us what he thought of my butt, she thought, pouting. Water trickling down every curve, her hands subconsciously reached behind her, gripping her plush bottom. But he thought SOMETHING. He said he¡¯d have to show me, was he really thinking of it in a... sexual¡ª


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Stephanie gave a small startled yelp of surprise as her rear touched the cold tile of the shower wall¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been arching her back. No, no, no. I¡¯m not doing this right now. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just going to finish washing up. Going to change into my nightshirt. And then going to go out and see what the sleeping arrangements will be like, she decided. Her feelings, however, made it impossible to keep her mind from wandering.


    I never thought I was attractive or appealing, so I just wasn¡¯t, Stephanie realized. But now, if HE thinks I am, well¡­ I actually FEEL sexy. I feel alive when I¡¯m with him, like I did back before¡­ everything happened way back then.


    He said if I wanted him to go down on me, all I had to do is ask¡­ she remembered again. Although she was still half-heartedly washing with one hand, the other had dropped down between her legs to hover, right over her mound of venus. He was joking. Of course, a guy can¡¯t really go down on a girl. But still, does that mean that he can really¡­ see me as his partner for that kind of thing? And was he really flirting with me today?! Would seeing me naked like this¡­ make him want...


    Her entire body went still, hesitating for a moment of mute indecision as that pink inferno twisted and writhed within her, rising up and setting her last inhibitions ablaze.


    ...To FUCK me? Her poised finger pressed down, parting her blushing cleft and sliding inside of her with alarming ease. Oh. Oh? Ohhhh¡­! Before she could come to her senses she was already playing with herself, her middle finger searching insistently for the relief to this longing ache of desire roiling throughout her. She was hot inside, and pumping her finger in and out of her slick slit, it felt as though this erotic heat was capable of melting the very thoughts out of her head.


    Please, Stephanie trembled, stifling the gasps that threatened to rise up out of her as her finger sought feverishly towards that fleeting glimmer of release. I¡¯ll be yours. She wanted to belong to him. To be his lover, his plaything; his to hold, to undress, to do with as he pleased. She wanted to be enveloped in his embrace, wanted him to grab generous handfuls of her butt, to physically dominate every inch of her flesh. She wanted him to pin her down, wanted their bodies entwined together in the throes of naked passion, kissing endlessly. She even found she wanted his¡­ thing inside of her, pulsing with strange, sexual motion as she guessed a guy¡¯s thing might.


    I can¡¯t...? Stephanie sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment. She leaned against the tile wall, letting her arm go slack for a moment. It felt good, it felt amazing, but she just couldn¡¯t get that elusive new feeling inside of her to keep building towards... resolution. The sensations were overwhelming, and just as she felt like she was closing in on their source, her fingertip was already clumsily going off-track.


    Senseless to the water streaming across her quivering body, she frigged herself with an increasingly frantic, desperate intensity. I can¡¯t... do it after all? Or maybe I just can¡¯t do it... by myself?

 Dangerous Games

    ¡°So what¡¯s with the box? Buy somethin¡¯ big at the con?¡± Kelly asked, sliding into the easy chair situated beside the bed and settling the packing box into her lap. She tilted the box up on its end so that she could read the invoice taped onto the top. ¡°Calamity Queen set by Noblesse Oblique? What is this?¡±


    Ah... that thing. It was the gothic lolita outfit he¡¯d bought for Chloe months ago and secreted away from her, that last tangible missed opportunity to reconcile their failing relationship.


    ¡°It¡¯s... uh...¡± He said, embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s like a costume... dress... thing. Bought it months ago, it was gonna be an AnimeCon surprise for my ex, but...¡±


    ¡°Right, that break-up, gotcha,¡± she said, glancing suspiciously from the box to him. ¡°Whatcha doin¡¯ with it here, though? Were you gonna try it on yourself or somethin¡¯? I mean, why bring it to the con if it¡¯s a dress?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied. ¡°I guess I thought I could sell it or trade it or... something, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye out for girls wearing gothic lolita stuff. Even if I sell at a loss, I can still at least get three or four hundred bucks back and be rid of the thing without feeling like it was a total waste.¡±


    ¡°Three or four hundred bucks?¡± Kelly echoed, eyes widening, and she hefted the box in her hands. ¡°Christ, how much did you spend on it?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... you don¡¯t wanna know. Noblesse Oblique is considered burando, or, uh, ¡®brand¡¯ over there in Japan. It¡¯s a designer label sorta thing and not many get imported, so they¡¯re pretty rare.¡±


    ¡°Burando, that¡¯s funny,¡± Kelly said. ¡°You said it¡¯s gothic? Like a goth... fantasy dress sorta thing? What¡¯s it look like? I used to be all gothic back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Uh... how to even describe it...¡± Brian laughed, rubbing his cheek. ¡°Kinda like some cross between a french maid outfit and a victorian dress, with a whole lot of... fancy little embellishments.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easiest to sell that kind of thing online?¡± Kelly said, placing the box down reverently beside the chair.


    ¡°I wish,¡± Brian griped. ¡°Finding a buyer involves digging into all these little niche fashion subculture forums and knowing all about the burandos. When I bought it, it was direct from the retailer overseas. I just pointed my credit card towards these moon runes in her wish-list and that was that.¡±


    ¡°Moon runes?¡± Kelly asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Kind of weird describing things to a non-anime fan, even the explanations need explanations, Brian thought. ¡°It¡¯s kinda... fan slang for when you run into a bunch of Japanese characters, all the hiragana and kanji and whatnot. If you don¡¯t know how to read them, they might as well be gibberish; moon-runes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny,¡± Kelly said, and he couldn¡¯t tell if her interest was feigned or not. ¡°I figured you, uh... fans of this kind of stuff were into that though, like, learning Japanese and translating it and all.¡±


    ¡°Some are, I guess,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s deeper down the rabbit hole than most of us go.¡± He resisted the temptation to tell her that their ¡®rabbit¡¯, Stephanie, was good with Kanji. Kelly probably wouldn¡¯t care.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Kelly said, and her vague reply left Brian wondering. Is she being dismissive, or trying to be polite? I can¡¯t get a read on her at all...


    The sudden sounds of the Fantasy Wars victory theme began insistently playing from within the small pile of Brian¡¯s things beside the bed, and Kelly quirked an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯d better get that,¡± Brian said as he fished through the stack to retrieve his phone and accept the call. He felt both relieved and a little guilty to see that it was Emily rather than Chloe. Wouldn¡¯t have known what to say to her.


    ¡°Heeeey,¡± Emily¡¯s voice warbled through his phone, ¡°I just got off work. How¡¯ve you been holdin¡¯ up, guy? How¡¯s the con been treatin¡¯ you?¡±


    ¡°Hey Emily,¡± he replied, genuinely happy to hear from her. ¡°Pretty good so far, actually.¡± How do I even begin? How can I tell her I somehow went from alone and pretty miserable to suddenly sharing a room with some girls I just met?


    ¡°Yeah? For real?¡± She replied with enthusiasm, ¡°Well, ¡®atta boy! I was worried, you know? And I keep thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout you. I also, ummm, called to see if maybe I could ask for a h-uuuuuge favor... if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Whatcha need?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Okay. So. You know how I couldn¡¯t make it to the con ¡®till Sunday ¡®cause of work? Well! Karen hadta switch shifts with me, so now I¡¯m free to hit the con soon as Rebecca¡¯s off work tomorrow. So we were wondering... if maybe we could room with you Saturday night? We can pay our share,¡± she hastily added.


    ¡°Ah, geez lady, I dunno,¡± Brian teased. ¡°It¡¯s pretty crowded with me an¡¯ all these girls here already.¡±


    ¡°Puhleeeeese,¡± Emily called in her sickeningly-sweet little girl impression that he knew all too well, easily overlooking his comment about having girls. Of course she¡¯d never think I was serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a whole dollar! I¡¯m small and don¡¯t take up space at all! I¡¯ll sleep under your pillow and you won¡¯t even know I¡¯m there! Rebecca will stand watch with her sword for the room all night and kill all of the enemies!¡±


    ¡°Well hmm, if it¡¯s all of the enemies...¡± he said, pausing. For a moment he considered warning her that he hadn¡¯t been joking and that there really wasn¡¯t much space left in the room now, but ended up holding his tongue. Honestly, I kinda want to see the look on her face when she realizes that I actually do have girls staying with me, Brian thought. And I¡¯ll play it off like it¡¯s no big deal, of course. The crowded little room might inconvenience them a bit, but it¡¯s not like he was going to accept their money anyways.


    ¡°So we can stay with you?¡± Emily asked, sounding adorably hopeful.


    ¡°¡®Course you can,¡± Brian said. ¡°It¡¯ll be just like the old days.¡±


    ¡°Well not just like the old days.¡± Emily declared. ¡°This time, it¡¯s gonna be even better.¡±


    ¡°You might be right this time,¡± Brian said, chuckling.


    ¡°I¡¯m always right. But this time, Brian, listen, there¡¯s... well, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothin¡¯, it¡¯s nothin¡¯. Thanks for lettin¡¯ us stay room with you tomorrow, really. I gotta... I gotta go. See ya tomorrow, Brian.¡±


    ¡°Hey wait, Emmie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Chloe at all?¡±


    There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line, and he had that unpleasant gut feeling he used to get around Chloe, that feeling when he realized too late that he¡¯d said just the wrong thing. For some reason he even imagined a look of distaste and disapproval souring Emily¡¯s normally perky features.


    ¡°She... uh, yeah, I saw her,¡± Emily reluctantly replied. ¡°She¡¯s been pissy.¡±


    ¡°Did she say something?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always saying things, she won¡¯t fucking let up,¡± Emily hissed. ¡°I¡¯ve about had it. Like, someone¡¯s gonna find her accidentally fallen down an elevator shaft somewhere. Onto some bullets. If she says anything about you to me again... look, I can¡¯t be responsible for what happens, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily huffed. ¡°That bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... well, that¡¯s normal,¡± Brian said with difficulty, frowning. ¡°After a relationship, for her to feel that way, you know.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line for a while.


    ¡°Brian, don¡¯t fucking make excuses for her anymore.¡± Emily finally said, her voice quiet and a little cold. ¡°I¡¯ve really gotta go. Talk to ya tomorrow. And thanks again. Later, guy.¡±


    ¡°Hey wai¡ª¡± he began, but she¡¯d already ended the call. He stood there silently for a few seconds with the phone to his ear. She¡¯s always taken my side with things, Brian thought, showing a faint smile. Wonder if she¡¯d feel the same way if she knew what a crush I had on her in high school. Would we have still been friends like this?


    ¡°Someone checkin¡¯ in on you, huh?¡± Kelly asked, sounding amused.


    ¡°Nothin¡¯ like that,¡± Brian replied, tossing his phone back into his things. ¡°¡®Nother friend of mine, Emily, she and our friend Rebecca need a place to stay for the con tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Will you need us to find somewhere else to crash tomorrow?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°All of us¡¯ll fit in here just fine,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°Our first couple times here at Animecon, we had seven of us packed in a room just a little bigger than this. S¡¯part of the whole anime convention experience.¡±


    ¡°So... okay, on that note, now I¡¯ve gotta ask,¡± Kelly said, ¡°What¡¯s up ¡®tween you and Stephanie? I mean, I know you mentioned earlier today that you¡¯re recently single, but are the two of you like a thing, or gonna be a thing?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Brian asked innocently, and Kelly shot him a sardonic are you fucking kidding me look.


    ¡°Okay, okay... I feel like we could be a thing,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°I think we¡¯re both interested, but... well, we just met today, I don¡¯t wanna rush anything, we¡¯re definitely not ready for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, what if she was ready?¡± Kelly said. ¡°Could you be ready, like, what would it take?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it matter? I mean, why? Did she say something?¡± Brian asked, curious.


    ¡°We talked for a while. She¡¯s into you, but like, she actually wasn¡¯t even gonna call you about being stranded and roomless. She was all against it... until I mentioned that it could be like, an opportunity, and that really flipped her gears or something. It¡¯s definitely like she¡¯s wantin¡¯ you to take a shot.¡±


    ¡°Ah... opportunity. I did say she was my opportunity. That¡¯s from stuff we were talking about earlier today,¡± Brian mused, thinking back. ¡°You ever hear the phrase, ¡®Luck is when preparation meets opportunity?¡¯ ¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kelly shook her head.


    ¡°Well, I was saying that rather than chalking things up to good fortune, I¡¯ve got to appreciate the people who... helped my circumstances. Emily, that girl I was just on the phone with, she got me back on my feet, prepared me to come have fun at the con after my breakup. And meeting Stephanie really gave me this opportunity to... well, not be as miserable as I thought I would, I guess,¡± Brian shrugged.


    ¡°Okay. But what are you actually gonna do about it? Are you gonna take advantage of the opportunity?¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°We called you because she obviously wants there to be like, a chance for something to happen. Isn¡¯t it just a missed opportunity if you don¡¯t make a move, then? Guys are supposed to be like, proactive, take initiative and make the first moves, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can understand why she¡¯d be enthusiastic,¡± Brian said uneasily. ¡°But I¡¯m getting the impression that, in a lot of ways, this is her first... kind of this experience. So, I don¡¯t want to push things too fast.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that. You like her, right? Push her into things, push her into everything. She¡¯s already twenty-two for Christsakes, and she hasn¡¯t even... she hasn¡¯t, uh...¡± Kelly quirked her lip as if realizing she might¡¯ve let slip too much. ¡°Listen, you kissed her today, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian admitted sheepishly. ¡°But it was, uh, I realize I shouldn¡¯t have, I didn¡¯t plan it out or anything. It was outta the blue, kinda ¡®cause she dared me to. Was one of those moments where the vibe is right, and it seems like she¡¯s sending cues, and it just... seems like the right thing to do, you know?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you getting all defensive about kissing her?¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°Kissing a girl you just met¡¯s kind of¡­ well, badass?¡±


    ¡°Just something I¡¯m readjusting to, I guess,¡± Brian explained with a chuckle. ¡°You see, my ex, she was always stressing that acting without explicit consent was always a form of... well, a part of rape culture. So all day I¡¯ve been feeling kinda guilty for kissing Stephanie without... asking for her permission or like, really confirming that it was gonna be okay with her. I mean, sure, it felt like she was flirting with me, but that doesn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s retarded,¡± Kelly said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask for permission for every little thing and make sure it¡¯s okay, that¡¯s your ex bein¡¯ a control freak. Guys are expected to read the mood, take charge, and know exactly what to do. That¡¯s masculine. That¡¯s what¡¯s sexy.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, uh, my ex would definitely disagree with that,¡± Brian said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°And look where it got her,¡± Kelly countered with a dismissive laugh. ¡°She¡¯s gone, she¡¯s outta your life. Doesn¡¯t matter what she thought, what do you actually think?¡±


    ¡°About Stephanie? I¡¯m gonna... well, I want to take things slow, not take things further before she¡¯s really ready. I¡¯m a mess right now anyways.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not gonna be gettin¡¯ any readier than she is,¡± Kelly grumbled. ¡°And she shouldn¡¯t be! I¡¯ve always hated that whole mentality.¡±


    ¡°What mentality?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Thinkin¡¯ a girl needs to be ready for things so she can safely experience them. Trying to ever so delicately ease her into things as if life and love is just this awful, dreadfully traumatizing thing. Take off the kiddie-gloves, for fuck¡¯s sake. You¡¯re coddling her, you¡¯re watering down the experience, and worst of all, you¡¯re holding back. That¡¯s dishonest.¡±


    ¡°Being careful with things isn¡¯t dishonest,¡± Brian said in exasperation.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ve got a weeb way to put it for ya,¡± Kelly said. ¡°My mom was a registered nurse, and she told me about this stuff in Japan. Didja know over there they¡¯re real crazy ¡®bout hand sanitizer and cleanliness, and like, wearing those medical-looking face-masks that block germs in public when colds are going around?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called courtesy, it¡¯s this weird cultural thing over there.¡±


    ¡°Funny. But yeah, when they do get colds, they don¡¯t just shrug it off like we do. They¡¯re actually like, bed-ridden and near death and shit, because they¡¯re so focused with preventing germs everywhere that their immune systems have never been challenged, and like, toughened up. So when they do ineva... uh... inevibly? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Inevitably?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, when they do inevitably catch a cold, their bodies aren¡¯t equipped to deal with it. Do you get what I¡¯m saying here? If you shelter a girl from too much, if all you do is ¡®play it safe¡¯ and take it slow with her, your relationship ends up weak.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... certainly one way to look at things. But it¡¯s not just her, either. I just got out of a nasty relationship, and I¡¯m not gonna press my baggage and problems from all of that onto Stephanie,¡± Brian argued. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be remotely fair.¡±


    ¡°Fuck fair,¡± Kelly said. ¡°That¡¯s you deciding things all... one-sidedly. What if we¡ªuh, what if she wants to help? What¡¯re you really gonna accomplish by keeping a distance up when she wants to get closer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Brian chuckled, running his hands through his hair. ¡°Why¡¯re you pushing this so much, like, what¡¯s your angle?¡±


    ¡°You gave me this,¡± Kelly dangled her convention badge from its lanyard, and then used it to gesture to the room around her. ¡°And you set me up with all of this. I¡¯m just tryin¡¯ to earn my keep here, alright? You look out for me, I¡¯m gonna look out for you. So let me look out for you!¡±


    ¡°All of that was no-strings-attached. I don¡¯t want you thinking you have some obligation to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends though? I mean, just what am I to you?¡± Kelly asked, cutting him off.


    ¡°You can¡¯t pull the friend card on day one,¡± Brian pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s like asking for your vacation day during job orientation.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, then. Maybe I¡¯ve been goin¡¯ about all of this the wrong way, if you don¡¯t really think of me as a friend yet...¡± Kelly mused, a sly smile slipping across her features.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Steph¡¯s a sweet girl, and I do like her. But from what you¡¯re saying, maybe she¡¯s not really what you need right now? You did just get out of a long relationship, and Stephanie... she doesn¡¯t really even know the ropes yet. If you¡¯re not comfortable with the situation, like, taking initiative and introducing her to your... needs, you¡¯re headed right back into another long, messy slog without any emotional... relief.¡±


    ¡°Relief? My needs? That¡¯s the last thing anyone should be worried about right now,¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s naive,¡± Kelly chided, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. ¡°Look, I¡¯m no stranger to rough break-ups. In a serious relationship, you invest all these big pieces of yourself. And, when it all ends... well, s¡¯not like you get your change back. You¡¯re gonna have all these empty aches inside of you that¡¯ll keep reminding you of her, and they¡¯re not gonna really heal ¡®til you can forget.¡±


    ¡°What can heal you is... affection. Intimate affection. Being shown physically that someone else is attracted, cares for you, accepts you. Wants you, wants to put in effort for you. Minds are complicated, and it¡¯s easy to doubt words, but with the physical¡­ well, bodies are honest. Besides, sometimes you just need to get laid, it¡¯s healthy. I know I definitely need some action this weekend,¡± Kelly said, flicking her brandy-brown eyes back to him meaningfully.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, I wish you the best of luck with that,¡± Brian said, grinning. Is she baiting me on behalf of Stephanie? Or does she just want to mess around with my head? She seemed fairly sincere earlier, too... What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°I don¡¯t need luck,¡± Kelly said with a confident laugh. ¡°What¡¯d you say about luck before? Luck is when... effort begets opportunity?¡±


    Close enough. You have the idea of it, what was important, Brian thought, remembering Stephanie¡¯s words. For a moment, his head whirled as these ideas and coincidences seemed to align themselves together. If Stephanie represents MY opportunity, maybe she¡¯s been Kelly¡¯s opportunity, too? I¡¯d have never run into Kelly, or given Kelly my spare pass if not for Steph, and if she hadn¡¯t called me tonight from Stephanie¡¯s phone, I¡¯d never have invited them to stay with me. Both times it was¡ª


    ¡°I make my own luck,¡± Kelly declared, a finger toying with her tank top at the crook of her cleavage and teasing it lower. ¡°Maybe, do you wanna... fool around?¡±


    The tipped shapes of her nipples distended the shifting fabric as Kelly leisurely inched the neckline of her garment down, revealing more and more of her tantalizing skin. In the span of a slow breath, she¡¯d tugged that hem nearly to her navel, her lovely breasts nearly spilling free... when the hush of the spraying shower water inside the bathroom cut off, followed by the sound of the shower curtain being drawn open.


    In unison, Kelly and Brian exchanged guilty looks followed by laughter. Coughing nervously, she released the fabric and let her neckline return to position with a distracting jiggle. This girl¡¯s absolutely dangerous, I almost froze up and lost it there...


    ¡°Meaningless sex wouldn¡¯t get anyone anywhere,¡± Brian said, a bitter smile crossing his face. ¡°It¡¯s always a terrible idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s small-minded,¡± Kelly said, scowling playfully. ¡°Just because it¡¯s not part of some deep, committed relationship doesn¡¯t automagically make sex meaningless. A meaning can be something as simple as, like, ¡®I don¡¯t wanna be alone with my thoughts tonight,¡¯ or ¡®Please help me forget him.¡¯ Or her, I guess, in your case. And a lot of sex in relationships is meaningless; you just end up fuckin¡¯ outta convenience, without any real reason or significance.¡±


    ¡°You know what I like about you, Kelly?¡± Brian asked, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°What¡¯s not to like, I¡¯m pretty fuckin¡¯ amazing?¡± A cocky, genuine smile broke the surface of her cool facade, and Brian felt himself smiling in return.


    ¡°I like that you¡¯re this total opposite side of the spectrum from my ex, this completely other perspective,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing. I mean, neither of you are right at all. You¡¯re both pointlessly persistent and take your ideologies to these weird extremes, but still. It¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rude,¡± Kelly scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve been being serious with you.¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡± Brian wondered. ¡°It¡¯s kinda weird that you¡¯re pressing your point so much, like, why, why¡¯re you so adamant about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here lookin¡¯ out for you,¡± Kelly insisted, pouting. ¡°And you¡¯re here being a stubborn jackass. You¡¯re really not gonna make a move on Stephanie, then?¡±


    ¡°Tonight? Of course not,¡± Brian answered.


    ¡°Well... we¡¯ll see about that, won¡¯t we?¡± Kelly remarked with a mysterious smile.


    The bathroom door opened, releasing a dramatic whirl of steam as Stephanie stepped out after her shower. She wore simple blue pajama bottoms, and an oversized T-shirt featuring a faded soft-drink logo hung loosely on her petite frame. Her skin was flushed from the heat of the water, her pink and blonde shoulder-length hair fluffy from being dried. It was an appealing look, but Brian had trouble putting his finger on just exactly why. This isn¡¯t the Stephanie everyone gets to see, this is her out of costume, out of normal clothes even... this is her when she wants to relax and be comfy, he guessed. It was an intimate look, and she was cute as hell.


    Chloe had always insisted on donning a bathrobe and pulling her damp hair up into a towel-wrapped bundle on her head after showers, which to Brian somehow felt stuffy and prim. Fuck. Stop remembering her.


    Stephanie turned away from the mirror, paused when she realized his attention was on her, and offered a nervous smile that immediately eclipsed errant memories of his ex-girlfriend. ¡°It, uh... I don¡¯t think it came out at all. Still very pink, uh, in the same places.¡± Oh, right. Her hair.


    ¡°Here, lemme take a look,¡± Kelly offered, withdrawing a brush from her bag and directing Stephanie in front of her easy chair. ¡°You showering too, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Brian replied. ¡°I¡¯ll wait and take one tomorrow, after my morning run.¡±


    ¡°Ew, run? Are you one of those weird morning people?¡± Kelly asked as she stroked carefully through the tufts of Stephanie¡¯s mottled hair.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he replied. ¡°The loop I do in the mornings back home gets old, so the change of scenery¡¯ll be nice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... cool, I guess. So you run. You¡¯re a geek and a runner?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Wakes me up, clears my head and gets me going, you know? Plus, I don¡¯t want to be this morbidly obese for the rest of my life, so I¡¯ve gotta do something, you know?¡± Brian joked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fat at all,¡± Stephanie predictably protested. ¡°You¡¯re perf-, uh, you¡¯re just, ah, just fine the way you are.¡±


    ¡°Well, hey, it¡¯s late. You guys feel free to take the bed,¡± Brian chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve got the floor over here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly asked, giving him an incredulous look as she gently pulled the brush through Stephanie¡¯s hair. ¡°Uh, no? You¡¯re not sleeping on the floor ¡®cause of us, that¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Brian said. He¡¯d slept alone on the floor a fair amount over the course of his relationship with Chloe. After all, the couch in their shared apartment had been slightly too short for him to sleep comfortably on.


    ¡°You, uh, can¡¯t sleep on the floor,¡± Stephanie protested, shooting Kelly a desperate glance for help. ¡°It¡¯s you, ah, it¡¯s your room, you let us stay, so you can¡¯t, I mean, if anything, we should sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my guests, what kinda hospitality would that be?¡± Brian asked, putting on his charming grin. ¡°And more importantly, you¡¯re girls. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting delicate and lovely creatures such as yourselves sleep on the floor like common beasts.¡± Chloe woulda MURDERED me for saying something flippant and sexist like that, even though she probably would¡¯ve agreed with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping on the floor,¡± Kelly insisted.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Brian said. ¡°It¡¯s my room, since when do either of you get a say in where I sleep? It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Since we actually care, and any of us sleeping on the floor is dumb? We¡¯ll all fit on the bed together if we¡¯re cozy,¡± Kelly argued. She tossed her brush back into her purse and carefully smoothed Stephanie¡¯s hair down the nape of the shy girl¡¯s neck with her hands.


    ¡°Are we cozy? Sleeping in the same bed when we¡¯ve all just met is kinda weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± Brian pointed out. ¡°I¡¯d be pretty self-conscious in bed next to you girls, you know? I mean, I can keep my hands to myself, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d sleep well.¡±


    ¡°Who asked you to keep your hands to yourself?¡± Kelly retorted, grinning. ¡°Right, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, wh-what?¡±


    ¡°See? She¡¯s uncomfortable,¡± Brian pointed out.


    ¡°We¡¯re, uh, well I¡¯m fine with sleeping anywhere, really,¡± Stephanie interjected weakly. ¡°I just, um, I don¡¯t want you to have to sleep on the floor because of me. I¡¯ll feel bad. Please.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Look, just drop the stubborn gentleman act,¡± Kelly groaned. ¡°You¡¯re a guy, and you¡¯re actually gonna refuse to climb into bed with us?¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s sexist,¡± Brian countered playfully, pulling back the bedspread. ¡°You guys want the sheets, or the comforter? Take your pick.¡±


    ¡°W-we could vote,¡± Stephanie suggested. ¡°That would, be, ah, be fair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my room, how is voting fair?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°How ¡®bout we compromise here?¡± Kelly proposed. ¡°We can have a little wager, or like... a game or something, and the winner gets to decide.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I dunno... why don¡¯t we play truth or dare? It¡¯s fun, plus it¡¯ll help us get to know each other a little better. We¡¯re all in this room together now, we don¡¯t gotta be strangers.¡±

 Truth or Dare, Round One

    ¡°Truth or dare?¡± Stephanie echoed, as the trio seemed to pause to consider for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve, ah, I¡¯ve never played truth or dare¡­¡±


    ¡°Gee, really? What a surprise,¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°Well, with me and Brian here it¡¯s like, a perfect time for you to have your first game.¡±


    ¡°I dunno, truth or dare would be even less fair.¡± Brian said, looking conflicted. ¡°It¡¯s not supposed to be competitive in that way. You can just... dare something really out there and obnoxious so that you can win. ¡®Bang on the door of another hotel room,¡¯ or ¡®strip naked,¡¯ or ¡®lick your phone battery.¡¯ ¡±


    ¡°Hey, not all of those are that bad,¡± Kelly defended playfully.


    ¡°All of those are, in fact, bad,¡± Stephanie refuted, turning pale. ¡°W-we could vote on the dares? If it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah okay, li¡¯l miss democracy,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Voting¡¯ll just fix everything in your book, huh? Don¡¯t go trying to mediate for us if you don¡¯t even have your own opinion to stand by, it doesn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that to her,¡± Brian admonished. ¡°Go on, Steph.¡±


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s just, ah, well, with three of us there can be no ties in a vote. If a dare between two players is too unfai¡ª, uh, too unreasonable, the third player can be impartial, or at least, can be the deciding vote to reject or allow the dare.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Brian said, nodding. ¡°I guess we could do that...¡±


    ¡°Okay, we can definitely do that,¡± Kelly agreed, brightening. ¡°I¡¯ve got this app on my phone that gives random truth or dares. There¡¯s even some sexy ones mixed in, but I mean, you could get anything, so it¡¯s fair that way. How ¡®bout it? Steph and I both wanna play, you¡¯re not gonna sulk off by yourself in the corner now, are ya?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± he glanced at the clock on the nightstand thoughtfully. It was just after eleven o¡¯clock. Hell, why not? ¡°Alright, fine, I¡¯ll play ¡®til around... midnight or so. If no one¡¯s won by then, I¡¯m passing out over there on the floor. But on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡± Kelly pouted.


    ¡°We don¡¯t use some random question app,¡± Brian said. ¡°Truth or dare¡¯s a personal game... kinda like a psychological battle. You have to be able to read your opponent, know what you can convince them to do or reveal, and also what pushes too far. You¡¯ve gotta find these perfect questions, and then have the guts to ask them, ¡®cause what you ask and dare also reveals a lot about you, you¡¯re putting your desires out there in the open.¡±


    In actuality, Brian had played frequently with his friends from high school. They had pitted the authority of peer pressure against each other to test their individual inhibitions and tolerance for social humiliation. They learned a lot about each other and even more about themselves through these games; Brian found himself on the conservative side, less willing to put other players in embarrassing situations. Emily, on the other hand, had discovered within herself an enormous capacity for dares, but found herself absolutely terrified by truth questions.


    ¡°You¡¯ve played before, I see,¡± Kelly remarked, returning her phone to the charger. ¡°Guess that settles that. A lot of the random questions were lame anyways. Well then, we all ready to play? Do we all know the stakes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Brian answered. ¡°If I win, you girls are sleeping on the bed, and I¡¯ll take the floor.¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like a loss to me,¡± Kelly said, smirking. ¡°If I win, we¡¯ll all squeeze into bed together, in a big sexy tangle. Steph?¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Stephanie started, looking apprehensive. ¡°Th-that is, both of us on the floor, and Brian on the bed. He shouldn¡¯t have to feel uncomfortable sleeping b-beside¡ªah, because of us. Since it¡¯s his room, that¡¯s was, uh, that¡¯s what¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°Right, ¡®fair¡¯, huh. So at the very least I just gotta make sure you don¡¯t win, ¡®cause that puts me on the floor,¡± Kelly observed dryly, standing so that she could turn the chair to face the bed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then, we¡¯ve only got an hour ¡®till midnight. Clockwise okay? Sit up on the bed with Brian, Stephanie. Who¡¯s goin¡¯ first?¡±


    ¡°Well, truth or dare?¡± Brian asked suddenly, regarding Kelly with a grim smile.


    ¡°Dare,¡± Kelly shot back, raising her chin defiantly.


    ¡°I dare you... to remove... one article of clothing,¡± he said dramatically.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Kelly laughed, amusement evident in her voice. She abruptly yanked one of her short socks off and pitched it against Brian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Just like you said, the questions reveal everything ¡®bout the asker,¡± Kelly said, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper. She proudly put her now bare foot up between his legs on the edge of the bed where he was sitting, and wriggled her toes a tantalizing inch away from his groin. ¡°You want my clothes off. You want to see me naked. Some psychological battle this is, I¡¯ve got you all figured out right from turn one.¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to see you naked, then I would¡¯ve just dared you to take everything off,¡± Brian countered, rolling his eyes. ¡°It was a probing question, I was even more interested in seeing what you¡¯d do when given the choice. You try to seem all wild and daring, but when it came down to it, you played it safe and took off a sock.¡±


    ¡°Oh-ho? Or maybe you really just didn¡¯t have the guts to ask me to totally strip. Guess we¡¯ll see how brave you really are when your turn comes around, though,¡± Kelly declared, fearlessly nestling her bare foot deeper into his lap before turning towards Stephanie. ¡°Truth or dare, little girl!¡±


    ¡°Uh!¡± Stephanie breathed, tensing up. ¡°Um, uh, Truth? T-truth?¡±


    ¡°Playing it safe?¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°This really is harder without an app givin¡¯ you the questions, huh?¡± She seemed caught off guard, and narrowed her eyes as she tried to decide on the best question to pose the shy cutie. She tapped her toes against Brian¡¯s thigh, looking distracted.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t take forever, either,¡± Brian said, shifting himself uneasily back out from beneath her foot. ¡°Just ask whatever.¡±


    She took a long moment, impatiently working her toes against Brian¡¯s pant leg and furrowing her brow in thought before she finally lit up, a devious smile spreading across her features.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got it! Would you ever want to make out with a girl, or are you like, completely dead-set against the idea?¡± Kelly asked, giving the other girl a coy smile.


    Gee, wonder what her dare would¡¯ve been? Brian thought.


    ¡°Uhh, that is, uhm,¡± Stephanie managed, taken aback by the question. ¡°I¡¯ve never, I never thought about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, now I¡¯m asking,¡± Kelly insisted, arching an eyebrow. ¡°So you¡¯ve gotta think it through and answer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m completely against the idea,¡± Stephanie answered hesitantly, flicking her eyes from Brian to Kelly. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t say th¡ª¡±


    ¡°All we needed to know,¡± Kelly interrupted, her voice cool and unreadable. She wet her lip with her tongue and rubbed her lips against each other, smiling at the girl. ¡°Your turn to ask Brian, then.¡±


    Maybe she really is into Stephanie. It¡¯s hard to tell if there¡¯s actual attraction or if Kelly just flirts with everyone.


    ¡°Okay. Truth or dare?¡± Stephanie asked Brian, a little more enthusiasm evident in her voice.


    ¡°Dare,¡± he said, not having to think about it too much. Since Stephanie was so shy, he trusted she wasn¡¯t as likely to go overboard in whatever she asked him to do.


    ¡°You, um, one piece, a-a piece of clothing. You have to remove one piece of clothing. I mean, I dare you to,¡± she said, an expectant grin flashing briefly across her face. ¡°Like you had Kelly do.¡±


    ¡°Not you too,¡± Kelly complained, letting her head fall back against the top of the easy chair in exasperation. ¡°You guys can go a li¡¯l bit bigger with the dares, you know? You don¡¯t gotta stop at one piece of clothing. Dare him to motorboat you, or suckle your toes... or have him whip his dick out and jack it for us. Whatever you¡¯re into. You can ask for anything, you know?¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stephanie shaking her head as her face flushed red. ¡°Just, ah, just one piece of clothing right now, thank you.¡±


    ¡°The shirt it is, then. You¡¯ve got the right idea, Steph,¡± Brian said, shrugging free of the leather shoulder holster he¡¯d been wearing. ¡°Kelly¡¯s that impatient kinda girl, who¡¯ll gamble too big and end up losing out. Emily used to be the same way.¡±


    ¡°The hell¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Kelly exclaimed in mock indignation. ¡°You¡¯re only losing out if you¡¯re not getting what you want out of the game. I can dare as big as I want.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Brian smiled. ¡°¡®Cause when we see you go all crazy with your dares, we¡¯ll always pick truth and not give you any chance.¡±


    ¡°What? You can¡¯t do that every time, that¡¯s cheating,¡± Kelly griped. ¡°Right?¡±


    Stephanie watched the exchange with bemused interest, saying nothing.


    ¡°You really have no sense of caution,¡± Brian sighed, unfastening the remaining buttons on his dress shirt. ¡°When you dare, it¡¯s not this free pass to get whatever you want. When you go too far, you squander our trust and lose out on chances to keep daring, keep enjoying that power aspect of the game.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pardon me for not accepting truth or dare as some profound psychological game,¡± Kelly said, her voice laced with sarcasm. ¡°Here I¡¯ve thought all this time it was a drinking game for pressuring friends into making jackasses of themselves, seeing titties, making out with strangers...¡±


    ¡°Hey now, what happened to it being a fun way to get to know each other?¡± Brian asked playfully, pulling his shirt open and sliding it off his shoulders.


    Kelly and Stephanie were both staring at him, fixated. After a moment he glanced down, wondering if they were noticing something he hadn¡¯t. Back in high school, he¡¯d been fairly scrawny and would¡¯ve been nervous taking off his shirt in front of girls, but a few years of eating well and running in the mornings had done wonders for his constitution and confidence. He¡¯d always had almost no body fat, and nowadays, considered himself in decent shape as well.


    Brian revealed a body that, while not huge and brawny, was definitely toned and defined. He didn¡¯t have the massive bulk of a body-builder, his abs and chest weren¡¯t exactly chiseled slabs of exaggerated muscle, and he would never consider himself athletic. However, his daily morning jogs had exquisitely carved any scrap of excess from his body. Even Chloe, who had become notoriously stingy in handing out compliments, had expressed grudging enthusiasm for his abdominal lines, those distinct v-shaped lines of pelvic muscle that disappeared down into his pants.


    Stephanie and Kelly remained captivated at the sight, staring unguardedly at him with dazed eyes, their lips parted, speechless. Feeling self-conscious now beneath the weight of their continued stares, Brian turned and shot Kelly an expectant look.


    ¡°...Kelly?¡±


    ¡°...Uh-huh?¡± she asked, sounding distracted.


    ¡°Thought for sure you were gonna have something to say, some snide, unimpressed comment or sarcastic remark or... something,¡± he said. Are both of them making fun at me here? They somehow got their joke reaction all synced up together without saying anything?


    ¡°No, I... uh, look, I got nothin¡¯,¡± Kelly replied, seeming mesmerized by the sight of his bare chest.


    ¡°Really? I mean, I¡¯m pretty pale,¡± he suggested, feeling increasingly awkward at their strange, focused attention.


    ¡°No! No, you¡¯re, uh...¡± Kelly began, blinking.


    ¡°It is-isn¡¯t that, you¡¯re um, you¡¯re not...¡± Stephanie interjected before falling silent in embarrassment.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not pale at all,¡± Kelly continued, swallowing and absentmindedly reaching towards him. ¡°See, uh... look how much lighter I am than you.¡±


    ¡°Not pale at all,¡± Stephanie agreed breathlessly.


    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± he said, slipping the leather shoulder-holster rig back on over his bare skin. The pair of girls gave him confused looks.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°I picked the shirt, the holster counts separately, right? I don¡¯t have to keep it off,¡± he answered innocently. ¡°The dare was for just one piece of clothing. But I mean, I can ditch the holster instead if you want though, and put the shirt back on?¡±


    ¡°No no,¡± Stephanie blurted.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kelly decided. ¡°You look like... I dunno, some undercover cop. Like, something from the cover of a sleazy romance novel.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± Brian said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°No, s¡¯kinda hot, right?¡± Kelly said distantly. ¡°Right, Steph? It looks good.¡±


    ¡°It, uh... yeah, he... um, do you think, maybe, I could take a picture?¡± Stephanie squeaked, crawling across the covers and bouncing off the edge of the bed towards her phone on the dresser.


    ¡°You guys are making fun of me now,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Sure, do I get to take photos of you guys when you¡¯re doing your dares?¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s fine,¡± Stephanie agreed meekly, only hesitating for a moment. ¡°Probably.¡± Her phone played its camera shutter sound effect. Several times, in fact.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next? Am I asking you again?¡± Brian said, turning towards Kelly. ¡°That was a full circle around¡­ uh, our little triangle. A full triangle around?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go the other way, counterclockwise,¡± Kelly instructed. ¡°That way everyone asks everyone.¡±


    ¡°Hah, alright,¡± Brian said, turning back towards Stephanie. The pink-and-blonde-haired girl was partially hiding behind her phone as she grinned to herself at the picture she¡¯d taken. I must really look like a doofus in that shot if she thinks it¡¯s that funny. ¡°Truth or dare, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°A piece of clothing!¡± Kelly suggested. ¡°It¡¯s totally her turn to lose something now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Brian said, considering the options at his disposal as he looked at the nervously smiling girl. Stephanie squirmed beneath their attention, setting aside her phone.


    ¡°Tr-truth, then,¡± Stephanie blushed. She was, after all, only wearing an oversized shirt and her pajama pants.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got an easy one for you, just something I want to know,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°What happened tonight? Kelly mentioned over the phone that you lost your room somehow?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, well yeah,¡± Stephanie said, her smile surging forth again. ¡°After I was with you today, I, ah, couldn¡¯t find Megan again. I looked for her all day, b-but, the convention¡¯s just too big.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Brian said honestly, ¡°She had your room key? Did you have some way of contacting her? If I¡¯d known you weren¡¯t gonna be able to find her, I¡¯d have had you stick with me.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Stephanie asked, brightening. ¡°I would¡¯ve loved, uh, I mean, that would have, would¡¯ve been great. I did, though. I had my own key, and I did find her... eventually. She was in our hotel room when I got back there, it just¡­ well, sh-she¡­¡± Stephanie rambled, cupping a hand over her mouth as she recalled what had happened. ¡°Con funk. She, uh, it was con funk. I-I couldn¡¯t bear to tell her. But, it was bad. It was so bad. It was the worst.¡±


    ¡°Super gross,¡± Kelly muttered, shuddering.


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Brian said. ¡°Geez, I¡¯m sorry, Stephanie. Here I am taking off my shirt in front of you when I haven¡¯t showered since this morning. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m starting to smell, too¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! No no, it¡¯s nothing alike, nothing like, she was bad, b-but you, I want to sm¡ªuh, you¡¯re fine, it¡¯s all¡­ it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all calm and everything¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t smell bad at all.¡± Stephanie sputtered, drawing a little closer to him as if to emphasize her point.


    ¡°So long as you¡¯re sure,¡± Brian said carefully, feeling even more anxious than when he¡¯d taken off his shirt. ¡°Then, I¡¯m satisfied. Your turn to ask Kelly, and then we¡¯ll have finished a full round, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I do think you¡¯re forgetting a turn where I get to ask you somewhere,¡± Kelly reminded him. ¡°Then the round¡¯s over. You asked me first, remember?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Good thing you remembered, or we¡¯d have missed it,¡± Brian teased.


    ¡°...I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Truth or dare, then...?¡± Stephanie asked Kelly.


    ¡°Dare, of course,¡± Kelly replied, displaying a wicked grin. Is she just gonna pick dare all night?


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Stephanie began, clearing her throat. ¡°I dare you to take off another piece of clothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Kelly laughed, leaning forward. ¡°Is our little Stephanie curious about what I look like under my clothes? Wonder what the psychology is behind her asking that, huh? Or does she think this is what you want to see?¡±


    Neither, Brian guessed. My first dare probably set the acceptable standard for Stephanie, and she¡¯s scared of breaking new ground with her own question. This is fine, though. Losing a piece of clothing or two every round adds up.


    ¡°Well, how ¡®bout it, Steph? You want the very shirt off of my back? I warn you, though, I¡¯ve got nothin¡¯ on underneath,¡± Kelly said, and she traced her fingertips down her frame, across the curvature of her own breasts. ¡°Do you want my jeans?¡±


    She hooked her thumbs into the tiny front pockets of her pants and gave them a slight tug. Her faded black skinny-jeans were tight, barely able to budge. ¡°Or... do you want my boring ol¡¯ other sock? I was wearing it most of the day, but that¡¯s okay. This foot hasn¡¯t even been in Brian¡¯s junk yet,¡± Kelly said, lifting her leg as if to fix that right away.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta choose it yourself, Kelly. S¡¯part of the dare,¡± Brian said, catching her foot with both hands. ¡°So what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    ¡°I choose the sock, then. Like hell I¡¯m gonna give either of you a show yet, not after just giving me lame little boring dares like those. In fact, since you¡¯ve already got me in your hands here, why don¡¯t you take it off for me?¡± Kelly purred.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll count it as your dare for me, if that¡¯s what you want to waste your turn on¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Kelly exclaimed in mock indignation, retracting her foot of his grasp with a yank and pulling her knee up to her chest. She unceremoniously tugged the remaining ankle-sock off herself and lobbed it half-heartedly in Stephanie¡¯s direction. ¡°Truth or dare, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Dare.¡±


    ¡°I dare you to pleasure me,¡± Kelly declared, a triumphant look appearing on her face.


    ¡°You what?¡± Brian asked, eyes widening. ¡°That¡¯s a little bit much, isn¡¯t it? Right, Stephanie? ...Isn¡¯t that going too far for a dare?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uhmm...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Kelly said, blowing her bangs up out of her eyes with a puff of her lip. ¡°I¡¯m not demanding you tongue-fuck me right here and now. Although... you can, sure. I¡¯m daring you to make me feel good. How you choose to make me feel good, that¡¯s up to you.¡± She was leaning forward provocatively again, and the low cut of her top afforded a compelling view of her cleavage in the light of the hotel room¡¯s lamp.


    ¡°A psychological thing, huh? To see what I¡¯ll do, given the choice?¡± Brian asked dryly.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Decided on it right away when you got all high and mighty with the psychological bullshit,¡± Kelly answered in a smug tone.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Brian said, smiling bitterly. ¡°Well, alright then. Anything counts so long as it feels good for you, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say anything counts. There¡¯s feeling good and then there¡¯s pleasure. I¡¯m not gonna give you any clues, but I think all of us know there¡¯s a clear difference.¡± Kelly said, before casting a sidelong glance at Stephanie. ¡°Well, okay, maybe not all of us.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Brian agreed, still not perturbed. ¡°Sit here on the edge, right in front of me.¡±


    Taking a moment to gauge Brian¡¯s seriousness with a cool glance, Kelly gave him a wide, expectant smile and complied, shifting out of the easy chair across from him and onto the corner of the bed, fitting the curves of her butt snugly into the space between his legs.


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon,¡± Kelly scowled as she realized his plan. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think just a backrub is gonna¡ª¡±


    Then his fingertips were pressing deep into her skin, and the rest of her unspoken thought seemed to tumble out into space and shrink quickly into the distance. Brian¡¯s strong hands undulated in a calm, steady motion, firmly squeezing and softly gripping, kneading and shaping the stiff muscles atop her shoulders and along the base of her neck in a way she hadn¡¯t believed possible.


    ¡°Haaaah,¡± Kelly breathed, her eyelids fluttering. ¡°Well, don¡¯t ah, d-don¡¯t stop though-oooh-ooohhh¡­¡± He was tenderly sliding down the taut muscle on either side of her spine now, rolling his thumbs in savory little circles that seemed to transform her tensed muscles into sensuous jelly.


    ¡°Ohh-okay,¡± Kelly mouthed, ¡°How¡¯d... mmm, how¡¯d you get so good at¡­ ahhh, at... this?¡± There was a confident, even possessive quality in the way he was handling her, somehow making and unmaking her with the luxuriant force of his hands. With each wave and crest he expertly pulled and rubbed and pinched Kelly¡¯s flesh until he was eliciting whimpered exhalations from the dark-haired beauty.


    ¡°My girl¡ª, well, my ex-girlfriend had some problems unwinding sometimes, so I managed to get plenty of practice,¡± Brian admitted. No need to mention how it got to be this stupid subservient thing, or how Chloe just got to expect it of me, without ever having any appreciation. ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m like, I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ melting here,¡± Kelly cooed, her upper body wavering back and forth with her breath. ¡°Fuck, this is, this is... hwah? Why¡¯re you stopping?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to,¡± Brian withdrew, flexing his fingers. ¡°I can be a little rough and with your shirt on, without lotion I might¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have lotions,¡± Kelly interrupted, giving him a sly glance over her shoulder. ¡°Lotions, moisturizer¡­ might even have lube in my purse. Look, I can take off my shirt, and¡­ well, you can keep going, you know?¡± She arched her back against him, accentuating the thinly-veiled double-meaning in her words by subtly pressing those magnificent breasts of hers together with her stretching arms. One of the straps of her tank top had loosened and begun to slide down her shoulder.

 Truth or Dare, Round Two

    ¡°So, I passed your dare, then?¡± Brian calmly conjectured, shifting back away from Kelly on the bedspread and working his hands one last time before nonchalantly relaxing them in his lap. There were a lot of discreet ways he could disguise his ardent erection, and he had been shamed into learning many of them throughout the course of his last relationship. Kept my cool, everything¡¯s fine, Brian assured himself. If I can just¡­ adjust myself out of this fold in my pant leg, no one¡¯ll know the¡ª


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you passed, yet,¡± Kelly pouted, turning further towards him and looking crestfallen. ¡°You didn¡¯t even finish.¡±


    Finish? The hell do you mean, finish? You keep making sexy noises when I have my hands on you, I really will finish, Brian thought, steeling himself to keep his composure.


    ¡°Well, Stephanie?¡± he managed.


    ¡°Y-you, uh, I think he passed,¡± Stephanie mumbled, her face red. ¡°You didn¡¯t say how long he had to plea¡­ um, how long he had to make you feel good. That was, ah, wow, though. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be a physical therapist, or, or a masseur?¡±


    ¡°Nothin¡¯ like that,¡± Brian said, giving her a lopsided grin.


    ¡°We can pick up where we left off later though, right?¡± Kelly asked huskily, reluctantly returning to sit back in the easy chair while twisting and stretching her body.


    ¡°Can I ask for a truth, then?¡± Brian asked, giving her a strange look.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you can,¡± Kelly said, ¡°But I¡¯ll take any dare too, you know?¡±


    ¡°Truth or dare, then,¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, really, anything,¡± Kelly said, curiosity getting the better of her. ¡°I¡¯ll take a truth or a dare, it doesn¡¯t matter. Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± Brian said. ¡°Why¡¯d you come to AnimeCon? I mean, you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re into anime, you don¡¯t consider yourself a weeb like us. So¡­ why are you here? It¡¯s been on my mind for a while now.¡±


    ¡°All the things you can ask, and you ask that,¡± Kelly grunted, face falling in dismay.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little curious t-too,¡± Stephanie added. ¡°I know I asked before, but...¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Kelly sighed. ¡°First of all, you¡¯ve gotta know that I¡¯ve been to AnimeCon before, three years ago. So I¡¯m not like, this complete outsider. But to clarify; I was never like, a real anime fan, or into all the geek stuff like you guys... I had this friend who was, Sarah. I came to AnimeCon with her back then, wore one of her old costumes. Rocked it. Was this real tight sorta jester¡¯s outfit from some comic book thing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jessie Terr?¡± Brian guessed.


    ¡°...Probably? Yeah, I think that was it.¡±


    ¡°Wait wait, you were Jessie Terr, here at Animecon, three years ago?¡± Brian asked in surprise. ¡°Were you wearing a skirt sort of thing with fishnet, or the bodysuit?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ a skintight bodysuit, actually. Why?¡± Kelly asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.


    ¡°Hell, I think I took a picture of you that year, standing with Emily. I¡¯ll have her look through the album on her page tomorrow, but I¡¯m pretty sure it was you.¡±


    ¡°Y-you two have met here before?¡± Stephanie realized, shocked. ¡°AnimeCon, um, the convention, it¡¯s ah, it¡¯s something like sixteen thousand attendees, the odds¡ª¡±


    ¡°This year, maybe,¡± Brian said thoughtfully. ¡°Back then, things were different, AnimeCon couldn¡¯t have been more than seven or eight thousand people, and there were a lot less cosplayers than there are now.¡±


    ¡°It might¡¯ve been me,¡± Kelly said, looking guilty. ¡°There were a lot of pictures. And it was... look, it was fun. I liked it, the attention, the fan reaction, the anon...anonymity? Is that right? Everyone recognized who I was supposed to be, but at the same time, no one knew who I really was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to being sexy. I¡¯m naturally sexy, but being able to put on this slinky costume, with her wig and stupid face paint... I was more, I was... pickin¡¯ up her little mannerisms and mimicking her stupid accent just like Sarah coached me. I was like, gettin¡¯ into it. It was fuckin¡¯ weird, and kinda cool. And I was gonna make AnimeCon a habit, and come back every year.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t? What stopped you?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Well, I started fucking up and never stopped, that¡¯s what happened,¡± Kelly muttered, gritting her teeth. ¡°This is kinda my last shot¡­ at trying to see if I can still go back, back to where I used to be in my life, you know? Also I flipped out on my one manager and got suspended, so well... my weekend was free.¡±


    ¡°Well, she did answer,¡± Brian said thoughtfully, glancing to Stephanie. ¡°But all it does is raise more questions¡­¡±


    ¡°S¡¯all you get, champ,¡± Kelly denied flatly. ¡°I¡¯m all dares for the rest of the night. Anyways¡­ let¡¯s move on, alright? Truth or dare, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m picking truth, again,¡± Stephanie said shyly.


    ¡°Perfect! Great. Because I thought of a perfect question for you,¡± Kelly confessed, the graceful curves of her cheeks curling into a diabolical smile. ¡°When you were in the shower earlier, did you masturbate at all?¡±


    The timid cutie looked completely stunned, and her mouth fell open in shock at the question. ¡°I... did I what?¡± Stephanie stammered, nervously flicking her eyes between Brian and Kelly.


    ¡°Were you a good little girl, who went in there just to wash up, to prepare your dainty little self for bed? Kelly persisted, still grinning wickedly. ¡°Or¡¯d you finger yourself?¡±


    Hah, as if, Brian thought to himself. Now you¡¯re even overreaching on your truth questions. There¡¯s no way that Stephanie¡­


    But Stephanie¡¯s mortified face gave it all away immediately; a look of guilt and embarrassment that transformed into an alarmed, increasingly panicked expression. She hid her face in her hands, unable to quell her own reactions.


    Wait, no way... Did she really¡­?


    ¡°Um, I...I d-don¡¯t think I can answer,¡± Stephanie said quietly, unable to meet their eyes. ¡°Does that¡ªdoes that mean I¡¯m out of the game now?¡±


    ¡°It means you¡¯re being needlessly difficult,¡± Kelly replied, chuckling. ¡°Because if you back out here, both of us will know for sure why; it¡¯s ¡®cause you finger-fucked yourself silly soon as you had the water running in there, isn¡¯t it? Right, Brian? If she refuses to answer, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll think.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± he coughed helplessly.


    ¡°But, on the other hand, if you come clean and admit what we basically now already know, you get to keep playing. You keep playing, you impress us with your courage and honesty, you form a bond with us¡ª¡¯cause everyone gets horny and masturbates at some point. And most importantly, if you look deep into Brian¡¯s eyes when you answer, something amazing might happen.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I...I did that,¡± Stephanie stammered, cheeks burning as she avoided their gaze. ¡°A little. Only, ah, a little. I¡¯d never¡ªit, it was just a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Well. There we have it, the dirty truth. Look at this perverted little peach, Brian,¡± Kelly exclaimed, turning towards him with interest. ¡°I really can¡¯t believe she¡¯d do that, and with both of us right out here outside¡­ Are you shocked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Stephanie,¡± Brian reassured her, trying not to let his imagination run wild. ¡°You answered her question, and you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I probably would have¡­ uh, done that too, if I¡¯d showered right after the con. It¡¯s been a hell of a day.¡±


    ¡°You...um, you would have?¡± Stephanie asked, letting out a breath. More than just being relieved at his admission, she appeared to take interest, as well.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, probably,¡± Brian said, looking away awkwardly. ¡°Uh, whose turn was it to go next?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re really learning tons about each other with this game,¡± Kelly remarked gleefully. ¡°In fact, if Steph thinks she can keep playing it safe with only picking truth questions¡­ next time I can ask just what fantasy our little Stephanie was in there diddling herself to.¡±


    ¡°Tr-truth or dare, Brian?¡± Stephanie asked, pretending not to hear.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ truth, this time,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Okay, there was¡­ this one thing I wanted to ask but, wasn¡¯t sure if it would be okay¡­¡± Stephanie said meekly. ¡°And, if you¡¯re not comfortable, you, ah, you don¡¯t have to answer¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does,¡± Kelly jumped in, rolling her eyes. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get any free passes. If you ask, he¡¯s gotta answer, or he¡¯s out of the game.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right. In that case, I can ju¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, ask,¡± Brian prompted, curious. ¡°I¡¯ll answer any question you have.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ okay. Why did you and your uh, ex-girlfriend, why did you two break up?¡± Stephanie asked, looking genuinely perplexed by the notion. ¡°I can¡¯t picture, or I mean, I can¡¯t think of any reason why anyone would possibly, uh¡­¡±


    Brian managed a frown, caught off guard. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit... complicated to explain.¡±


    ¡°Betcha it¡¯s not,¡± Kelly said snidely. ¡°People are complicated, yeah, but breakups themselves always turn out to be for pretty simple reasons, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, okay. I guess the short version is... she stopped trusting me, so the relationship stopped working. Is that simple enough?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªno way, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Kelly protested. ¡°That¡¯s like, only half of an answer, a tenth of an answer. You have to tell us the why to actually answer her question; why¡¯d she stop trusting you?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she trust you?¡± Stephanie asked as well, wearing an expression of disbelief and confusion.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a guy,¡± Brian sighed, shaking his head.


    ¡°Okay, spill,¡± Kelly demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been kind of mulling the whole situation over in my head every morning run. Trying to organize my thoughts, figure it all out, you know? Her name was Chloe. She went to the college in my town, so when we met she was already kind of... in the periphery of that local circle of friends. Long story short, we hung out a lot, started dating. Eventually got an apartment together. Things were fine, for a while.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was professors or college activists or what, but partway through one of her courses; this gender studies class, the material stopped being objective and started pushing this weird political slant.¡±


    ¡°Political slant?¡± Stephanie murmured, looking confused.


    ¡°Yeah, opened her eyes to all of our inequalities, I guess. They taught her that there was a wage gap between men and women... so she began to insist that it was absolutely unfair for her to be paying half of the rent. She learned that most women are sexually assaulted, and their statistics said that one in every three men is a rapist. From that point it didn¡¯t a matter that I respected when she said no, I was required to earn a yes from her for every potential stage of intimacy. That¡¯s how it all started, anyways. As time went on she just... got deeper and deeper into this extremist mindset that couldn¡¯t help but despise me.¡±


    ¡°Yikes,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d mentioned some of that before. I can kinda see why you broke up with her.¡±


    ¡°She left me, not the other way around,¡± Brian replied. ¡°It was frustrating, it hurts, and I hate it, but... it¡¯s not like she just changed all of the sudden, it was this gradual thing, over two years. Before I knew it, I wasn¡¯t even fit to speak with her on any number of subjects, because my opinions, as a privileged white male, weren¡¯t valid. Her having to educate me on the social injustices just seemed to make me more and more guilty.¡±


    ¡°B-but you don¡¯t think that way, do you?¡± Stephanie asked, looking genuinely concerned. ¡°You, uh, I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°For a while I guess I tried to convince myself of some of it,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°But well... I don¡¯t know what to think about anything anymore. I can¡¯t imagine that I¡¯m not terribly biased in this situation, so don¡¯t consider what I¡¯ve said any kind of fair assessment or anything. I know that Chloe was doing what she thought was right, so that, at least... is admirable.¡±


    ¡°Unless she¡¯s actually really wrong,¡± Kelly observed dryly.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Brian said indifferently, letting out slow breath. ¡°Anyways, does all of that answer the question to your satisfaction?¡±


    ¡°I... yes, it does. Sorry,¡± Stephanie answered, managing a sheepish grin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, you¡¯re up next,¡± Brian said. ¡°Truth or dare, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Truth,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Okay, how do you feel about gender roles and relationships?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think that guys are obvious predators and subtle parasites of women,¡± Kelly jumped in. ¡°And girls are obvious parasites and subtle predators of men. Girl I knew said that, always agreed with it, though. Shit, wasn¡¯t my question though, sorry.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯alright,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°My ex would definitely agree with at least half of that. Go on, Steph.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, honestly hadn¡¯t thought much about either of them,¡± Stephanie admitted, shaking her head. ¡°I never thought any of it would be¡­ applicable to me? I¡¯d just want you¡ªuh, that is, um, the other person in a relationship, to be happy, that¡¯s all that matters to me. I don¡¯t think the genders really matter to that, but, I actually don¡¯t know very much about the topic at all, so¡­that¡¯s my answer, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°Genders don¡¯t matter to you? Like, you¡¯d hook up with a girl?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you wait ¡®till your next turn to ask a new question,¡± Brian chided. ¡°Stephanie¡¯s turn to dare you, now.¡±


    ¡°Truth or dare?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Dare,¡± Kelly said, leaning back and regarding Stephanie with a confident smile.


    Hope it didn¡¯t seem like I was exaggerating about the whole Chloe thing, Brian thought. Kinda weird talking about it. It was always such a touchy subject that I never really got to share my thoughts on it with anyone, even Emily.


    Frowning, Stephanie looked from Kelly to Brian, and then down into her hands in her lap. ¡°I, uh, I can¡¯t think of anything to dare,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t think of anything you want me to do?¡± Kelly asked in exasperated vexation. ¡°You can tell me to do anything you want, you have me at your command, and you¡¯ve got nothing? Do you want me to finish what you started and have me strip?¡±


    ¡°What was the other dare we¡¯ve had tonight...? Ah, right, that was it; dare me to make you feel good. There¡¯s no downside to that for you, and it even leaves things open for me to make you feel good in, you know, my own way.¡±


    ¡°I...uh, okay. I dare you to make me feel good,¡± Stephanie agreed nervously.


    Uh-oh. She walked right into that before I could warn her. Somehow I doubt Kelly planned on making her feel good using stuff like motivational words and high-fives. As it turned out, he was right.


    Hopping out of the chair, Kelly joined Stephanie near the headboard of the bed and leaned in close, much to Stephanie¡¯s surprise. The scene girl drew Stephanie into a hug, smooshing Kelly¡¯s soft breasts against the girl¡¯s smaller pair and slipping her arms around her tightly. ¡°How does this feel?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie said awkwardly, staring over Kelly¡¯s shoulder at Brian in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice, I... guess?¡±


    ¡°Keep talking, it¡¯s therapeutic,¡± Kelly whispered, caressing pink locks of hair away from Stephanie¡¯s pale neck with her fingertips. ¡°Just look over at Brian and describe to him how I¡¯m making you feel, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh-okay?¡± Stephanie agreed stiffly.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Kelly responded, and she puckered her lips and smacked a moist kiss just below Stephanie¡¯s ear. ¡°Keep tellin¡¯ him¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Stephanie yelped in surprise, and then shivered as Kelly¡¯s sumptuously soft lips played across her neck in a string of sensual kisses. ¡°It-it¡¯s, just, that I¡¯m, well, it¡¯s sensitive there...¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm?¡± Kelly hummed, playing her teeth across the girl¡¯s bare skin. ¡°Are you still lookin¡¯ right into Brian¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Stephanie breathed.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m gonna keep going¡­ until I hear you tell him that what I¡¯m doing is making you feel really good,¡± Kelly purred, blowing softly in the girl¡¯s ear, and then she nuzzled closer and pulled the girl¡¯s earlobe into her mouth, pinching it gently between her teeth.


    Okay¡­ this is pretty kinky, Brian decided, trying to keep anything but an amused smile from showing.


    ¡°Ah? ...Ahhh-ah!¡± Stephanie cooed, gripping firmly onto Kelly¡¯s embrace in surprise. ¡°It feels, it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s... weird?¡±


    ¡°Weird, huh? Well, I like making you feel weird. Is he still... watchin¡¯?¡± Kelly asked in a husky voice, nibbling messy kisses, darting her tongue out, dragging a wet line down the softest portions of Stephanie¡¯s neck. ¡°Is he watching you make weird faces?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh?¡± Stephanie affirmed, squirming, and she swallowed a mouthful of saliva.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try not to leave too many hickies,¡± Kelly promised, and she shifted her position and continued down the other side of Stephanie¡¯s neck. Brian couldn¡¯t see what she was doing from his vantage point now, but he could hear her making wet suckling noises and Stephanie¡¯s eyes were going unfocused in an erotic daze.


    ¡°Ahh-ahhh! That, uh, that¡¯s good,¡± Stephanie finally gave in. ¡°That feels good, you can¡­ you can stop now!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ did it really feel good?¡± Kelly asked, looking doubtful.


    ¡°Yes! Yes, it was, ah, nice. It felt really good,¡± Stephanie reassured her quickly.


    ¡°Be sure and remember it,¡± Kelly said, still using her flirtatious tone. ¡°¡®Cause you can try it out on Brian later. Or me, if you want some practice first. We can exchange all kinds of pointers all night long.¡± With apparent reluctance Kelly released the girl and bounced up off the bed again, returning to the easy chair with a new sway in her hips.


    ¡°Truth or dare, Brian?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°...Truth,¡± Brian decided, not failing to notice the eager smile Kelly was failing to hide.


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Kelly swore, although her smile didn¡¯t falter. ¡°You just knew I had somethin¡¯ good to dare ya, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That look of manic glee was a little telling, yeah,¡± he admitted, leaning back and crossing his arms.


    ¡°Damn, I was gonna have you... well, I¡¯ll still get my chance. You can¡¯t hide behind truth forever,¡± Kelly said in a conspiratorial voice.


    ¡°Says who?¡± he countered.


    ¡°Says me, ¡®cause sometimes truth questions are even better than dares,¡± Kelly said, and she jerked her thumb toward Stephanie. ¡°Okay then, tell me the truth, do you want to fuck her?¡±


    ¡°I... uh,¡± Brian blurted, looking nervously over at Stephanie. There really is no such thing as a safe question in this game, huh?


    ¡°You either wanna fuck her...¡± Kelly suggested, ¡°...or you don¡¯t. It¡¯s one or the other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just... I mean, Stephanie, isn¡¯t that going a little too far for a question?¡± Brian pleaded.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Stephanie sat up and fidgeted, trying not to appear as though she had been leaning forward in excitement and anticipation. ¡°W-well, if you¡¯re not, um, comfortable answ¡ª¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, guys,¡± Kelly interrupted quickly, ¡°I was only even asking that to do my girl Steph here a favor, ¡®cause I can tell... she really wants to know. Don¡¯tcha, Steph?¡±


    ¡°...Do you?¡± Brian asked.


    A look of panic came over the blushing girl, and she waved her hands in front of her. ¡°I um, it¡¯s not, I mean, it¡¯s your turn, not mine, I don¡¯t, uh, I d-don¡¯t have to say anything. I don¡¯t has¡ªhave to answer.¡±


    ¡°But do I have to answer?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Is it going too far, or is it a fair question?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Stephanie mouthed, floundering.


    ¡°You were right, Brian. Truth or dare is like, a deep game,¡± Kelly said, praise evident in her voice. ¡°You learn more about people by what they ask, by how they answer, and even by what the impartial judge player decides is a fair question or not.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not fair, I can¡¯t, how?! I can¡¯t be impartial when it¡¯s about me¡ª¡± Stephanie protested.


    ¡°S¡¯why it¡¯s really so telling,¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°Like, if you say it¡¯s a legal question, then what it really means is that you want to know, too. You want to know if Brian here wants to fuck you, that is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not, that isn¡¯t... necessarily... um,¡± Stephanie said weakly.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t care whether he wants to fuck you or not?¡±


    ¡°This... this isn¡¯t my turn, it¡¯s Brian¡¯s ques-question,¡± Stephanie sputtered, ¡°I don¡¯t think that, uhm, that we can have unfair ¡®truth¡¯ questions, so there¡¯s really... there¡¯s really no need to ask me, uh, to ask the third player if it¡¯s fair or not, un-unless it¡¯s a ¡®dare¡¯ question.¡±


    ¡°So you do want to know?¡± Kelly grinned.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not what I said!¡± Stephanie denied.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll answer, I do,¡± Brian jumped in, and the girls seemed to forget their argument instantly.


    ¡°You do... what? Say it out loud,¡± Kelly gloated. ¡°Say what you want to do to her, Brian.¡±


    ¡°I do want to... do it with her,¡± Brian grudgingly admitted.


    ¡°You want to fuck her,¡± Kelly said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Say it¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine if you just want to make me uncomfortable, but I don¡¯t want you using me to make Steph uncomfortable. I mean, we¡¯re all rooming together¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for makin¡¯ you guys uncomfortable, all I did was bring the truth to light and make things a bit more honest around here,¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to fuck her so bad. In fact, I think next time you pick truth I¡¯m gonna ask for you to describe for us exactly how you want to fuck her.¡±


    ¡°Ohh,¡± Stephanie blurted, blushing fiercely. She was struggling to keep anything from showing on her face, and failing miserably. ¡°Y-you guys both are so mean.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Kelly retorted indignantly, ¡°I¡¯m just tryin¡¯ to look out for you here! So now you know what¡¯s up. And as for Brian, well, like, it¡¯s not his fault he wants to fuck you, he can¡¯t help it, right? After all you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh... well, whose turn was it next?¡± Brian asked sheepishly, coughing into his fist.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me, now,¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°...Your chance for revenge?¡±


    FortySixtyFou

 Truth or Dare, Round Three

    ¡°Truth or dare, then.¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Dare,¡± Kelly decided. ¡°Gimme something good for once.¡±


    ¡°Something good, huh¡­¡± Brian said, thinking back to the better dares that had been thrown around back when he played in high school. He was surprised to realize he actually did want to get back at her a little bit. She¡¯s been going a little overboard trying to stir things up between me and Stephanie.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got one.¡± He rose from the corner of the bed and picked through his pile of stuff, eventually pulling out a slim box of wrapped cereal bars, his ¡®emergency convention rations¡¯. Returning to sit on the edge of the bed across from Kelly¡¯s seat, he tore the wrapper off of one and placed it on his thigh.


    ¡°I dare you to eat it, without using your hands,¡± Brian said, a little proud of himself. Emily had clumsily eaten a cookie out of his lap on a dare back during their senior year, and he¡¯d used the memory as fap fuel for months and months.


    The sight of her cute pixie-cut hair bobbing enthusiastically down by his crotch, and her blushing, flustered face as she tried to catch the crumbs scattering across his jeans with her lips. The tiny wet spots of drool she left behind, that look of triumph on her face after she ate it all, seeing the motion of her throat as she swallowed, their other friends whooping and jeering...


    ¡°Oh, thank God,¡± Kelly said, dropping out of her seat and onto her knees in front of him without hesitation. ¡°Didn¡¯t wanna say anything ¡®cause you¡¯ve already done so much for me, but¡­ I¡¯m really starving.¡±


    Damn, now I actually feel bad, I should¡¯ve offered them both some¡ª


    With a devilish grin she then lowered her face down into his crotch and nuzzled the cereal bar closer to his¡ª


    ¡°Hey, whoa,¡± Brian interjected quickly.


    ¡°You said no hands,¡± Kelly laughed, giving the cereal bar a dainty nudge further up his thigh and gently rubbing her cheek against him. She turned, dramatically flipping her hair, and smiling up at him, and then slowly rubbed her other cheek upon his opposite thigh, making little kissy motions.


    ¡°You¡¯re, uh, not eating,¡± Brian muttered, trying to force himself not to jerk or spasm. The buoyant feeling of her incredible breasts squeezing up against him as she teased her chin across his crotch and then looked up at him innocently...


    ¡°Y¡¯know what¡¯d be epic?¡± Kelly asked, giving him a wide smile. ¡°If you just, like, unzipped your fly and whipped your dick out right now, right in my face.¡± Before he could respond she had buried her face in his lap again, pushing deeper, towards...


    Uh-oh. Her cheek had finally brushed against the shape of his dick, which had been at half-mast and was quickly rising fully to the friction of her motions across his pants. Damn. Maybe she won¡¯t notice¡ª


    Before he could even finish the thought, her head snapped back up to face him, a look of mock astonishment plastered across it.


    Wow, she mouthed to him silently, letting that astonished look melt into a sultry smile as she slowly lowered her head back down to his lap.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enou¡ª¡± he began, and just as abruptly, she leaned back from him with the cereal bar caught in her mouth. She somehow even managed to look smug even as she chewed it into her mouth and winked at him.


    Damn, so much for humiliating her, Brian thought. Maybe I should¡¯ve gone with the other dare from back then and had her give herself a wedgie?


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m actually hungry, I coulda really made you suffer. Well then, pick truth or dare, Stephanie,¡± Kelly instructed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°And, uh¡­ actually, you got any more of those, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Truth,¡± Stephanie decided quietly.


    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s a lot of sexy questions I had for you that¡¯d have you all sperging out, but I thought of one that might be even more important, so¡­ ¡®fess up. What happened, way back when, that gave you your social anxiety?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s kinda¡­¡± Brian interjected, giving Kelly a nervous glance as he handed her another cereal bar. ¡°I mean, I know you can ask anything, but do you really have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie interrupted, showing a small smile. ¡°It happened so long ago, it¡¯s not very impressive or amazing¡­ it¡¯s silly, really. I can tell the whole story if you both promise not to laugh.¡±


    ¡°We promise,¡± Kelly assured, and took a large bite out of the second snack bar.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie started slowly, pausing to take a deep breath. ¡°It all began in the Sea of Cats¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pffffftt!¡± Kelly laughed, slapping a hand over her mouth. ¡°Sorry! I... look, sorry. Continue.¡±


    ¡°Go on, Stephanie,¡± Brian said, shooting Kelly an admonishing look.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie continued, smiling patiently, ¡°I was young. Twelve, maybe. And I had two friends. Ben and Jess. Ah, well, Jessica, but we just called her Jess. We grew up together, and we all played make-believe together almost every day, just the three of us. Every day we had an adventure in the Sea of Cats.¡±


    ¡°...The Sea of Cats.¡± Kelly repeated incredulously.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie said quietly, but Kelly could detect a current of excitement in the girl¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s what we called it. In our neighborhood there was a big field, empty lots where they hadn¡¯t put in new homes yet. The grass was tall and wild like a sea, and there were cats everywhere!¡±


    ¡°They just kept multiplying. They didn¡¯t really belong to anyone, but I think they were too well-fed and looked-after to be considered feral. We knew them all, we gave them all names. Sometimes you¡¯d see them curled up together, sometimes they¡¯d squabble and chase each other... there was always something going on. Ben and Jess and I, we had a big bag of dry food, and we¡¯d take a handful each and play, go out exploring for hungry kittens. We would watch anime and play in that field, always playing out a different story, a different adventure.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that makes a bit more sense,¡± Kelly grudgingly admitted.


    ¡°We¡¯d watch anime and go on little adventures together in the Sea of Cats... and then, one summer, my friends... they changed.¡± Stephanie sighed. ¡°They started dating... uh, they started dating each other during middle school. They¡¯d moved on to this... idea that they were a mature couple, young adults in a relationship. They stopped playing with me, and they became distant, but also... they started to talk about me, made fun of me in school. I don¡¯t know if it was ever really even enough to consider it bullying, but coming from them, it really just... Devastated me.


    ¡°I know it seems silly, for such a small thing so long ago to have such an effect on me. They broke up in eighth grade, but it wasn¡¯t like things could ever go back to the way they were. Everyone but me had put all of the past behind them and grown up. I loved them both so much, and I just wanted us all to be happy together, like we used to¡­ I couldn¡¯t handle it. I cried. I would cry by myself for days. It¡¯s been half a lifetime since then, and sometimes I still feel like crying.¡±


    ¡°All throughout high school, I wasn¡¯t really all there, I was just trying to make myself scarce so that people wouldn¡¯t notice me. I¡¯d go to school and do my assignments, go home and do my homework, wish that there was more homework, so that it could keep me occupied. And then go to bed in my tidy, boring little room. I wasn¡¯t really... um, I¡¯m not really happy.¡±


    ¡°I wanted things to go back to how they were, when we went on adventures and played games together, but it was impossible. I did keep watching anime by myself... and I still play Monster Battlers... with Megan, now. My only friend¡­ if she¡¯ll still have me after tonight. Before I knew it, high school flew by and I¡¯m in college now, just... getting older and somehow still waiting for those fun days with my friends to come back somehow. I guess... that¡¯s my whole life story?¡±


    ¡°So you just waited for your life to magically get better and go back to the way things were?¡± Kelly asked, agitated. ¡°You didn¡¯t, I dunno, do something about it? Find new friends? Get in a relationship like they did? Something? Anything?¡±


    ¡°I tried a-a lot of things, I, I did,¡± Stephanie stammered in protest. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t brave¡­ I¡¯m not brave. I couldn¡¯t have adventures on my own, I almost drowned when I tried. I could never reach out to make new friends in high school on my own¡­ I didn¡¯t even have the guts to explain to Megan why I ran out on her tonight. I¡¯m nothing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Almost drowned?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°All of that¡¯s in the past, though,¡± Brian interrupted. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re here now, with us. Your new friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah?¡± Stephanie asked, brightening.


    ¡°Yeah, friends,¡± Kelly chimed in. ¡°Maybe even with friends with benefits?¡±


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve seen what you can do when you¡¯re brave,¡± he said, remembering that kiss she¡¯d given him back at the convention, that kiss that felt like it was shattering the heavens and the earth. ¡°And it¡¯s pretty amazing. I think that before too long, you¡¯ll forget you ever even had any anxiety.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah, I wish,¡± Stephanie said quietly, but she wore a small smile now.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s your turn to ask me next anyways, so let¡¯s see how brave you can be?¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Ah, uh, right. Truth or dare?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Dare,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Stephanie breathed, laughing, ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s been on my mind, ever since you said earlier, uh, what you said earlier... about... um, how you wouldn¡¯t tell me what you think about...¡±


    ¡°...About my butt,¡± she continued in a small, embarrassed voice. ¡°So I dare you, I dare you to, ah, to tell me now, what you thought about my butt.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Brian answered, his grin spreading wider.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re giving up?¡± Stephanie asked in surprise, looking crestfallen. ¡°You really won¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just, you can¡¯t dare me to tell the truth about something,¡± he clarified. ¡°I didn¡¯t pick ¡®truth¡¯, I picked ¡®dare¡¯. One is one thing, and the other¡¯s the other.¡±


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s right,¡± Kelly realized, a wicked smile adorning her face. ¡°You can¡¯t dare a truth outta him, that¡¯s cheating. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta dare him to do something. That¡¯s what you get for tryin¡¯ to plan out all your questions before he¡¯s picked truth or dare.¡±


    ¡°I, ah, yeah,¡± Stephanie mumbled, blushing furiously, ¡°S-sorry, forget that question. I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll think of something else.¡±


    ¡°If he said that it¡¯s something he¡¯s gotta show you, and he picked dare, why are you still tryin¡¯ to get him to tell you what he meant?¡± Kelly chimed in, exasperated. ¡°Are you afraid of a little fondling and spanking?¡±


    ¡°I, um, no, I¡¯ll...I¡¯ll think of another question,¡± Stephanie said, shaking her head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Yeah, besides, that¡¯d be no way to train my Flamituff,¡± Brian said. ¡°Spanking¡¯d be for... well, if she was bad. You¡¯ve been a good girl all this time, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Yes?¡± Stephanie stammered nervously.


    ¡°You know, she hasn¡¯t been that good. Just a little bit ago in the shower she was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly!¡± Stephanie yelped, mortified all over again.


    ¡°Look here, little girl,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I get it. There¡¯s probably a ton of interesting things you really want to dare Brian, isn¡¯t there? But you¡¯re too afraid to ask any of them?¡±


    Stephanie reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°Well, Brian picked dare ¡®cause he wants you to ask him something... interesting. Not something boring like another single piece of clothing, either. Brian just said earlier that he¡¯s seen you be brave, and that it amazed him. So what are you gonna do? Are you going bore him, or are you gonna amaze him?¡±


    Stephanie didn¡¯t answer, staring at the covers with her brow furrowed cutely in thought.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Kelly prompted again. ¡°Imagine for a second that tonight is already over and you¡¯re like, looking back at it. You picked a boring, ¡®safe¡¯ dare and he ended up taking off his shoulder holster or something lame for this turn. The night wound down and the game ended, and then tomorrow came, and the next day and the next because fuck, time moves on. Months from now you¡¯ll remember back to this moment, this chance. What¡¯s that one question you¡¯ll regret not having asked the most?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all of that,¡± Brian said, frowning. ¡°You ask whatever you¡¯re comfortable with, alright?¡±


    ¡°I... um.¡± Stephanie swallowed, and turned towards Brian, her eyes still downcast on the bedspread. ¡°Okay, I... I dare you...¡±


    ¡°You dare me to...?¡±


    ¡°I dare¡ªI dare you to remove one piece of clothing...¡± she blurted out, eyes flicking up at him as she fidgeted nervously.


    Kelly sighed and looked away in disappointment, resting her cheek on her palm as she slumped back in the easy chair.


    ¡°...From me,¡± Stephanie finished, swallowing.


    ¡°From¡­ what?¡± Brian asked, surprised.


    ¡°I dare you to remove one piece of the clothing¡­ that I¡¯m wearing,¡± Stephanie explained, too embarrassed to look at him again. ¡°And, I, uh. I want you to be... a little forceful? I-I don¡¯t want to get hurt, I just, um, if you could be a little rough, that would¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it!¡± Kelly exclaimed in approval, slapping her fist into her palm. ¡°Steph, I knew you could do it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... a pretty big dare,¡± Brian said, swallowing and giving Kelly a glance. ¡°You¡¯re allowing it?¡±


    ¡°Either you¡¯re gonna do it or I¡¯ll make you do it. Get on with it,¡± Kelly urged, gesturing him towards Stephanie.


    Brian took Stephanie by the hand and helped her stand up on the bed. With the bed being a little over two feet up off the ground, this actually had her looking down at him for a change.


    ¡°Now, uh, it¡¯s your dare,¡± he said, ¡°So if you don¡¯t like how it goes, just... you know, say so and we¡¯ll stop, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, okay,¡± Stephanie nervously agreed.


    ¡°No way,¡± Kelly objected, ¡°She dared you, now you have to do it, whether she ends up liking it or not.¡±


    I spent too much time with Chloe, Brian thought, sending Kelly the slightest bitter smile. How long will it be before I stop trying to ask if every little thing is okay? Okay, one piece of clothing, huh?


    Taking her by the waist, he spun her around so that she was facing in the other direction, eliciting a startled yelp from the girl. The oversized shirt was long enough to hang down over her rear, and he gingerly lifted it up. The pajama bottoms right in front of him were cotton, but Stephanie¡¯s delicious proportions still distorted the simple printed pattern on the fabric. Sweet mother of¡­


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget; she wants you to be a little... rough.¡± Kelly reminded helpfully.


    Feeling an undercurrent of excitement ripple through him, Brian let the nightshirt fall back down over his hands. Then he gripped Stephanie¡¯s waistband beneath it and slid his fingers around the circumference of her wide hips, narrowly resisting the urge to pull her towards him. Letting out a startled gasp, Stephanie wriggled beneath his unexpected touch and Brian was grateful she¡¯d worn a shirt big enough to hang down over the tight curves of her ass, or he really would end up showing her just what he thought of it.


    With his arms wrapped around her and his fingertips teasing lightly across her shivering tummy, he shoved his thumbs roughly into the waistband of her pajama pants and twisted them down.


    There we are, Brian thought in relief, separating two distinct pairs of waistbands carefully with his fingers, and he could feel a tiny decorative bow on one of them. He¡¯d been honestly concerned¡ªhe had no way of knowing whether or not she wore panties beneath her pajamas, He didn¡¯t want to leave her completely exposed and embarrassed on her own dare¡ªor at least, only a part of him wanted that. In the low light of just the room¡¯s tableside lamp he hadn¡¯t been able to tell whether she had any camisole or bra on beneath the nightshirt.


    Brian pulled her pajama pants down, trying to make it seem rough, and discovered immediate resistance¡ªhis thumbs hooking the front of her waistband had only made her pajamas catch up on the shapely dimensions of her rounded bottom. He could hear her sudden intake of breath, could feel her butt slightly jiggle. Hnnnngg, okay damn, stay focused...


    As he aggressively shimmied them down further, his hands occasionally brushing against her impossibly soft skin, Stephanie nearly lost her balance on the padding of the mattress. She twisted awkwardly, her hand flashing out to land on the top of his head for balance.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± she said quickly, exposing a wavering smile.


    ¡°S¡¯cool,¡± letting his eyes wander over her incredible legs as he steadied her so that she could step out of the pant legs one at a time. Her nightshirt covers to her mid-thigh, but still, seeing these limber legs and knowing she¡¯s bare now all the way up to her panties¡­


    ¡°That was, I dunno, not very rough,¡± Kelly judged, sounding disappointed. ¡°You didn¡¯t even slap anything.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie said. Sitting back down on the bed with exaggerated care, she looked quite a bit more vulnerable without her pajama pants, but wore an excited smile now instead. ¡°...It was just fine.¡±


    ¡°So, uh, truth, Stephanie? Or dare?¡± Brian asked, adjusting his pants suspiciously and returning to his seat on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Dare,¡± Stephanie said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, you can dare me to do anyth¡ªum, any dare that you choose, I¡¯ll¡­ try to do.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Brian said. ¡°I dare you to show me... how you feel about me, without telling me. How you do it, or what you do, is up to you.¡±


    ¡°To¡­ show you?¡± Stephanie asked, biting her lip. ¡°Like daring me to¡­ attack you?¡±


    ¡°Attack him?¡± Kelly echoed. ¡°The hell kind of relationship do you two actually have?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you have to show me. Like, for instance; I gave my buddy Emily this same dare when we were playing a few years back... So she strides up to me, turns and like, bumps her butt into mine, turns again and cuffs me on the shoulder with her fist, and then gives me the goofiest wink and thumbs up you¡¯ve ever seen.¡± He flashed a dramatic thumbs up, snapping it in close to his chest and jutting his elbow out as he winked at Stephanie.


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°I really do want to meet her now.¡±


    ¡°It was hilarious, had us all in stitches. Was one of our inside-joke things to do for ages, ¡®til Chloe put a stop to it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can beat that,¡± Stephanie giggled, ¡°But, okay, um, I can try¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to stand up for this?¡± Brian asked, beginning to rise.


    ¡°No, no¡­ you¡¯re fine right there, just as you are,¡± she said, motioning him back down as she crawled across the bed towards him. ¡°Okay, um, here goes.¡±


    With a shaky exhalation, Stephanie paused beside him on the bed, still on her hands and knees. The look she was giving him was seductive, in a roughly-hewn, unpolished way. There was fascination and excitement dancing in her eyes as she earnestly admired his body, and as their gazes met the glow of her smile made his heart start racing. Wordlessly, she slid a long, bare leg over his lap and straddled him, settling her weight down atop his body. Before he could collect his thoughts or stifle his reaction, he felt his dick swelling insistently, pushing forward through the wrinkles of his pant-leg to blossom into a full-on erection. Thankfully, it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable to Stephanie¡ªyet, anyways.


    Most guys became practiced at hiding hard-ons throughout their life, and Brian was no exception. With a subtle cant of his sitting posture, his penis was pressed into his inner thigh as it grew, inching its way turgidly towards his knee. Held in place by tactile tension alone, the tiniest movement would have it springing free and rising right up into Stephanie¡¯s panties, and Brian froze completely still. I¡¯m definitely in trouble.


    All the while Stephanie, oblivious to the turmoil she was causing, squeezed Brian into a tight embrace, arching her back and smooshing her chest against him. These small shapes, no more than handfuls, hadn¡¯t made much of an impression on him until this moment, but now he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them, about the sensation of those pert little peaks upon him. He realized, almost too late, that she was hesitating, her face just beside his neck, and he couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    I¡¯m in so much trouble. If she tries to start kissing me here, I¡¯m gonna¡­ He imagined himself grabbing her buttocks, hands indenting into that perfect ass, and grinding her forcefully against him in a press of half-naked bodies. Mashing her perky little tits against his chest, rubbing up against her through in a tremor of lust that would only lead to¡­


    But the moment of danger passed and Stephanie leaned back, shifted herself carefully out of his lap, and stood.


    ¡°Uh, I... sorry,¡± Stephanie apologized, turning away and hiding her face. ¡°I, was just uh, I went with my feelings. I don¡¯t think it was quite as memorable, but¡­ that¡¯s kinda how I feel, a little bit.¡±


    ¡°No, no, that was great,¡± Brian protested. ¡°It, um¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, looks like it was plenty memorable,¡± Kelly remarked, staring. Follow her line of sight, he realized immediately that a prominent bulge had defiantly appeared in the neat lines of his dress pants. He hurriedly tucked himself back down again, giving her a strained smile. Stephanie hadn¡¯t noticed it, thankfully, but he¡¯d almost rather that she had seen it rather than Kelly.


    Big trouble...

 Playing to Win

    Kelly just loved erect cocks. She unabashedly loved their phallic shape, the way they rose up to rigidity, and most of all, their potential for pleasure. She was drawn to even the idea of dicks, to their sweet juxtaposition of degenerate vulgarity and masculine magnificence. As the night pressed on, so did her craving for one, that carnal desire to get brutally fucked by one; really reamed, the kind of violent sex that had her legs quaking and filled the inside of her head with flashes of red light.


    And Brian has a hard-on, right now. It wasn¡¯t obvious. He was more clever than most in how he hid it. Even glancing toward him now, her eyes discreetly searching across his entire form with her peripheral vision, there was no obvious tell anymore, no bulge or tent pitched in his pants. But now she knew.


    He must¡¯ve been tucking his cockhead up into the elastic of his boxers, or pressing it down into his pant-leg¡­ or something. And I¡¯d have been none the wiser if he hadn¡¯t gotten COCKY and dared Steph¡¯s feelings out into the open, she thought, slightly smirking.


    She¡¯d fully intended to give the stubborn geek an erection all night. Had began to worry, even, that despite his good looks and skilled hands, he was somehow still too socially and sexually primitive to raise a rocket in this situation. She¡¯d been very pleased to discover he¡¯d been concealing the towering shape of a pretty impressive space-flight rocket all this time, packed with thousands of pounds of thrust and undoubtedly with all the force he needed to achieve escape velocity.


    That hidden hard-on was a thrilling representation to Kelly, a manifestation of all the effort she¡¯d put in planning her questions and guiding these geeks on the right course. Despite Brian¡¯s attempts at seeming disinterested in taking things further, at staying detached and psychological... he was really getting involved, now. He was being drawn into the game deeper and deeper, emotionally and physically, and every turn he continued playing he was becoming further invested. Her provocations tonight hadn¡¯t been in vain; she finally, finally had a healthy response. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to be satisfied with just that.


    ¡°Kell? Kelly?¡± Brian¡¯s voice startled her out of her reverie.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Kelly answered, realizing herself and fighting to keep her eyes from dancing down his naked chest towards his crotch.


    ¡°She¡¯s askin¡¯ you,¡± Brian said, nodding towards Stephanie.


    ¡°Truth or dare?¡± Stephanie asked Kelly.


    ¡°Dare, of course,¡± Kelly said, stretching her arms out. ¡°I feel lucky.¡±


    The blonde-and-pink-haired girl hesitated, frowning, before something she wanted to ask occurred to her.


    ¡°I dare you¡­ to tell me a secret,¡± Stephanie finally decided.


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda daring to tell a truth again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kelly complained, looking towards Brian for a verdict. Besides, where to even begin? Should I tell her that Brian got wood ¡®cause of the way she was sittin¡¯ on him?


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a little different. She¡¯s not asking you for any specific truth, so it¡¯s hard to call it a truth question. She¡¯s daring you to tell her a secret, but leaving it up to you what you decide to tell her. You could reveal some shocking thing from your past, or you could end up telling her you don¡¯t actually like mayonnaise, something trivial like that. It¡¯s clever, a good psychological question, I like it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± Kelly shrugged, rising out of the easy chair to bounce her bottom onto the bed directly next to Stephanie. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Stephanie nodded seriously, leaning in so that Kelly could whisper her secret.


    ¡°This weekend, one night or another¡­ the three of us are all going to fuck,¡± Kelly confided.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡ª!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, blushing. ¡°That isn¡¯t, that¡¯s not a secret!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly responded in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not? You mean, you already knew¡­?¡±


    ¡°N-no! I mean, it¡¯s not a secret, because it won¡¯t happ¡ªbecause it¡¯s not going to happen. If it¡¯s not real, I don¡¯t think it can count.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely going to happen. But don¡¯t tell Brian yet. I want him to be surprised, okay? Surprised by our little secret.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI could never tell him that,¡± Stephanie replied, horrified. ¡°I mean, I-I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kelly chuckled. ¡°Secrets lose their value, their power, when more people know them, you know? Stretched between three or four people, a secret becomes gossip. Spread thin between ten or twenty, it¡¯s just baseless rumor, right? My turn asking Brian now? Truth or dare, Brian?¡±


    ¡°...Dare,¡± He decided. ¡°I don¡¯t get to know the secret?¡±


    ¡°By the time you find out, it¡¯ll be too late,¡± Kelly said cryptically, pausing a moment to deliberate her question for him. There were any number of dares she could use that fit her objectives, but the hornier she got, the harder it was not to simply choose the rather direct ones.


    ¡°Okay, whatever. I dare you, kiss me,¡± she challenged, looking quite pleased with herself. ¡°This isn¡¯t a psychological question for you¡ªI don¡¯t want to see what you¡¯ll do given a choice. I don¡¯t want you to be a gentleman, and I don¡¯t want you to give me some dainty little kiss on the hand. Kiss me, on the lips, open-mouthed, really kiss me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uh, well that¡¯s a pretty big dare,¡± Brian said uneasily, glancing towards Stephanie.


    ¡°Uh, no, not really?¡± Kelly said. ¡°It¡¯s actually like, probably the most commonly dared thing in the history of the game, ever? How about it, Steph? Acting as our impartial judge here, is this dare¡­ unfair?¡± It IS a psychological question, but not for Brian. How do you feel about me swapping spit with your little beloved on a dare, Stephanie girl?


    Kelly shifted on the bed, bouncing over closer to Brian now. He was wearing an interesting, difficult-to-read expression. He didn¡¯t really look pleased, but nor did he look particularly reluctant. Maybe a little nervous? Perfect.


    ¡°Uhm, h-how long, uh, how long would the kiss be?¡± Stephanie asked weakly. That¡¯s so cute. She¡¯s not gonna just okay it, but she isn¡¯t brave enough to voice opposition to it yet, either. Am I still not pushing her enough?


    ¡°Just long enough, I guess,¡± Kelly answered, tapping her lip thoughtfully. ¡°Longer than a little peck¡­ and shorter than us starting to date, excluding you from our lives, and bullying you in middle school.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not funny,¡± Stephanie stammered, shocked.


    ¡°But that¡¯s what you were worried about, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m just tryin¡¯ to have fun tonight, I¡¯m not trying to leave you out of anything, Stephanie. Tell you what, I¡¯ll even compromise this time. How ¡®bout a double-dare; why don¡¯t we all have a three-way kiss?¡±


    ¡°A three-way¡­ kiss?¡± Stephanie asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Interested?¡± Kelly prompted, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re not really as intense as one-on-ones, ¡®cause there¡¯s no room to tilt our heads and get into it. But at the same time, three-way kisses have a certain intensity of their own, you know?¡±


    ¡°Do I get a say in any of this?¡± Brian asked, giving them a dubious look and being ignored.


    ¡°Or would you prefer to just watch us kiss this time, Steph?¡± Kelly asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement. ¡°Last time it was Brian watching you while I made you feel good, now the tables¡¯d be turned. Have you ever really seen people making out close-up, in person? It can be pretty hot. Or are you the type of girl who politely looks away when others are intimate? Do you... want to see? Or, do you want to join? Take your pick.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll watch,¡± Stephanie decided after some difficulty.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Kelly said flippantly, and traced her fingers along the straps of Brian¡¯s shoulder holster rig before gripping him by the shoulders.


    ¡°Come at me whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Kelly invited, glancing meaningfully across his broad shoulders and then down his bare chest. Then she closed her eyes, slightly pursed her lips, and waited. For a long moment there was nothing, just a silence of anticipation and expectation, a serene void.


    Ohhhh. Ohh, here he is. Ahh..ohh?! When she felt his lips, she responded, eagerly latching onto him as though he was her lifeline. To her surprise and dismay, she quickly realized that despite all of her confidence and posturing¡­ she was not in control of this kiss. That dizzying, falling sensation had returned, and her innate sense of superiority to these hopeless geeks wavered and then finally began to plummet.


    Won¡¯t you please just... fuck me already? She began to beg through their kiss, coiling around him and trying to suck his tongue into her mouth. She wouldn¡¯t be some higher, celestial being that casually enticed the simple mortals beneath for much longer, she was descending. Shedding her facades and pretenses, her every nerve desperately screaming down through this geek¡¯s atmosphere for more. More sensation, more release, more freedom, an overwhelming, aching need to accelerate and advance this destructive crash of their mouths into more than just a kiss.


    Please, just... please?! Kelly was mashing her lips anxiously against his now, frenching him rough and hard. A kiss hurtling with a primordial, insatiable need, more sloppy and impatient than she¡¯d been even when she was a horny teenager. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a GOOD kisser, why am I¡­? Kelly tried to think, but she was close, so close to this intense impact, that she couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    Scorching lust was burning away at her body and her mind was shrieking with red light. Down towards Brian, closer, closer¡ªa trembling shiver rocked her body as she kissed him, tongue sliding across his in a trail of molten red fire. Close, so close¡­! That urgent, imminent feeling, the building anticipation for a sudden and breathtaking collision within her had her writhing uncontrollably¡ª


    And then Brian pushed her away, gasping for breath, and Kelly¡¯s mind was sent tumbling, disoriented. Her red-hot meteor of desire had been subverted, mere moments before crashing down in a world-changing detonation, and Kelly felt like her mind was slingshotting all the way back into orbit.


    ¡°Wh-why?¡± Kelly panted, realizing her chin was damp with drool. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± I was so close! In the dim light of just the tableside lamp they were all seeing by, no one noticed the three vibrant locks of bright red now streaking through Kelly¡¯s black hair, just behind her right ear.


    ¡°You were ¡®bout to suck the life outta me,¡± Brian explained. ¡°I mean, damn. If we didn¡¯t stop there, we would¡¯ve¡­ well, things would¡¯ve definitely, uh, exceeded the dare, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Kelly pouted, running a fingertip over her lips. ¡°Dares are like, guidelines, not hard rules. Once the deed is done, it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t keep goin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Steph doesn¡¯t want to see that,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°She might? What do you say, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, ah, it¡¯s not my turn, I don¡¯t have to answer,¡± Stephanie giggled, looking flushed, and she inched back from them. Was she that close to us when we started kissing? Well, she doesn¡¯t even seem jealous. ¡°Whether or not you keep going is up to Brian, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s his turn to ask you, now.¡±


    ¡°Whew, I¡¯d almost forgotten. Dare,¡± Kelly decided, not even giving him an opportunity to ask. ¡°C¡¯mon, gimme a really good one.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I have one that¡¯s not all that great now, but could be really good tomorrow,¡± he offered.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly asked, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Alright, well... sold. What¡¯re you daring me to do?¡±


    Brian stood up, stepping closer, bent down¡­ and retrieved the shipping box Kelly had been interested in earlier, placing it in her lap.


    ¡°Wear this at the convention tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Kelly lit up, holding the box as excitedly as a Christmas morning present. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all... super fuckin¡¯ expensive?¡±


    ¡°Well, no one¡¯s gonna want to buy it from me if they can¡¯t see what it looks like, right? You¡¯d be doing me a favor by modelling it for me. If anyone compliments you or ask about it, just mention that it¡¯s for sale, see if you can get a good offer for it, or at least like, three hundred.¡±


    ¡°I mean I guess, but¡­ are you really sure? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯m gonna like, run off with it for myself or something?¡± With this, with the convention pass, and the room¡­ aren¡¯t you a little too generous and naive, Brian?


    ¡°By all means, run off with it, then,¡± Brian countered. ¡°If a pricey dress means more to you than a friend, well, then I¡¯ll know exactly what to think, right?¡±


    Kelly felt her mouth go dry. Before today, she would have still considered him a sucker for trusting her so blindly. Now that she was within his gravitational pull, that invisible mass shadow that seemed to draw her full attention towards him, she understood his intentions more completely.


    The dare isn¡¯t about the dress, Kelly thoughts, realizations coming together like a constellation pattern in her mind. He knew I¡¯d wear it. It¡¯s a gamble, a test. The dress is just collateral, and he¡¯s wagering on¡­ on ME. Even though I could bail on him tomorrow, take this expensive outfit for free, and laugh at him for it all I want. Yesterday, I would have.


    Fuck, Kelly thought, frowning. What changed? Why is everything all so different now, getting so complicated...


    ¡°Um, uh, what is it it?¡± Stephanie asked, crawling across the bed so she could get a closer look.


    ¡°It¡¯s... a costume that he¡¯d bought for his ex,¡± Kelly explained, carefully passing her the box.


    ¡°It was gonna be a surprise for her, it¡¯s a gothic lolita dress,¡± Brian clarified, wincing. ¡°But obviously¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± Stephanie said, reading the invoice. ¡°Kelly¡­ you¡¯re going to look amazing. You¡¯ll wear it tomorrow? I can¡¯t wait to see how it looks.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly confirmed, her guilty expression fading away. ¡°I¡¯ll take it¡­ the dare, I mean. For sure. Thanks, Brian. Really... thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no guarantees that it¡¯ll be comfy or anything. You¡¯re Chloe¡¯s height, but you¡¯re a bit more, uh, well-proportioned, than her, and I don¡¯t know if the fitting¡¯ll be as simple as just unbuttoning part of the bust or something. Ah, anyways, it¡¯s your turn to ask Stephanie,¡± he said, gesturing.


    ¡°I, um, I think I¡¯m ready,¡± Stephanie said, facing Kelly and appearing to muster her courage. ¡°For a dare this time.¡±


    I dare you to fuck him, Kelly thought immediately. No, wait. Dare you to put your fingers somewhere inside of me, is that fuckin¡¯ PSYCHOLOGICAL enough? Dare you to pull Brian¡¯s cock out and give him a sloppy blowjob. To finger yourself. Talk dirty to us and moan. Threesome, right now. The thoughts careening around her head were a helplessly wheeling red starscape and for a moment Kelly felt like she was spinning adrift.


    Okay, no. No, Kelly decided. She needed to calm down, Brian had been right earlier. If she gambled too big, she risked having Stephanie fold, or put her on guard and only pick truths. There has to be a proper progression here, that puts us all in JUST the right position for what needs to happen¡­


    ¡°Alright then, come here,¡± Kelly said, leaning forward in excitement and motioning Stephanie forward. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta whisper it to you, we don¡¯t want Brian to know just yet.¡±


    ¡°Is it another secret, is that, uh, is that the dare¡­?¡± Stephanie asked hopefully.


    ¡°Just c¡¯mere,¡± Kelly laughed, realizing she was still sitting directly between Stephanie and Brian. ¡°And Brian, you shoo away further, go on.¡±


    Stephanie crept forward in trepidation and crouched upon the bedspread, and Kelly leaned in close, cupping both hands to the shy girl¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I dare you... to go into the bathroom and take off your panties,¡± Kelly whispered, as quietly as she could. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to put anything else on. Ball ¡®em up in your hand, come back out, and¡­ give them to Brian to keep.¡±


    Bewildered, Stephanie slowly turned to regard her, eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Brian interrupted. ¡°I get that you want to be all secretive and whatnot, but how can I decide if your dare¡¯s unfair or not unless I hear it?¡±


    ¡°You hush,¡± Kelly muttered, grinning wickedly. ¡°Well, Stephanie? It¡¯s unfair, but is it really too unfair?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know, uh, if I can do it.¡±


    Cupping her hands back around Stephanie¡¯s ear, Kelly began to whisper again. ¡°I know you can do it. It¡¯s nothing but this token gesture, you know? Maidens in waiting giving their gallant knights favors before a battle, and all that. It¡¯s like a tradition, an act of courtship.¡± Seeing that Stephanie was still unconvinced, wavering with uncertainty, Kelly pressed on.


    ¡°And, you know, he¡¯ll love it,¡± Kelly whispered, ¡°To you, they¡¯re just underwear, but to him they¡¯d symbolize, like, your sexuality. Your trust, and your affection for him. Of course, I guess you don¡¯t have to do it if your unmentionables right now are some fifty-dollar frilly lingerie or something. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re wearin¡¯, after all. Just remember, it¡¯s one thing to be stingy with giving away expensive undergarments, and entirely another to be stingy with your feelings¡­ right?¡±


    With that Kelly stopped whispering and leaned back, giving Stephanie a look of expectation. ¡°Well? That¡¯s the dare. Is it too much for you to handle?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Stephanie hesitated. ¡°Is that okay, though, I mean, I¡¯m just wearing a nightshirt¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the dare?¡± Brian asked, curiosity eating away at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Probably. Or, maybe this is it, and our little Stephanie¡¯s going to disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Disappoint me?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know if I can do it,¡± Stephanie admitted, appearing to steel her nerves as she stood up. Her entire face was red she was blushing so furiously. ¡°B-but, but I¡¯m going to¡ªI¡¯m going to try.¡±


    That¡¯s my girl, Kelly thought, nodding in approval as Stephanie entered the bathroom and closed the door.


    ¡°What¡¯re you having her do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kelly said brightly. ¡°Dunno how long she¡¯ll take, though. Make-out intermission? Or hey, maybe a massage?¡±


    ¡°Kelly, look¡­ it¡¯s pretty clear what you¡¯re trying to do here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? So?¡± Can you even complain about it?


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want Stephanie pushed into everything this fast,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°She might end up regretting it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to her,¡± Kelly said, not relenting in the slightest. ¡°She can stop and quit this game anytime she wants. Kiddie gloves off, remember? Besides, regretting a mistake can teach you a lot of different things in life, in a lot of ways. Regretting a missed opportunity, though, that only ever teaches you one thing.¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really¡ª¡± Brian gave her a playful scowl, but left the sentence unfinished, running a hand through his downy hair and glancing at the tableside clock. ¡°What a night. Can¡¯t believe how long we¡¯ve actually been playing, it¡¯s way past midnight already. We need to wind this game down soon, so we can¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the bathroom door opened and Stephanie stepped out. She stepped forward strangely, using a halting, awkward gait. One hand seemed to be nervously clutching the bottom edge of her nightshirt, holding it in place against her thigh. Fuck me, she really did it. Atta girl!


    She stopped when she reached Brian, holding out her other hand in front of him. It was trembling, and he looked at her in perplexed confusion for a moment before realizing she was trying to give him something.


    He opened up his hands, and she dropped a folded bit of cloth, still warm, into them. He stared at them, dumbfounded for a moment, before looking back up at Stephanie.


    ¡°They¡¯re my panties,¡± She explained, clamping her free hand over her mouth then in embarrassment. ¡°The¡ªthe ones I was wearing. Th-they¡¯re for you to keep.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously?¡± He unfolded the panties in astonishment, unable to keep his eyes from flicking to her other hand nervously smoothing her nightshirt against her leg. They were cute, bikini-style dark gray panties, with a solid black waistband, and Kelly watched with interest as Brian plucked his fingers at the tiny decorative bow on the front of the band.


    ¡°Thank you, really¡­ uh, damn. To keep? Thank you. But you didn¡¯t have to go this far for me, Kelly¡¯s pushing too¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Stephanie interrupted, sitting on the bed with exaggerated care. ¡°I made my own decision, I... wanted to, I want you to have them.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how it is!¡± Kelly sang out triumphantly. ¡°Stephanie¡¯s turn to ask Brian now, I can¡¯t wait to see what¡¯ll happen.¡±


    ¡°Truth or dare, Brian?¡± Stephanie asked, apprehensively fretting with the hem of her nightshirt. The garment barely seemed to cover her thighs.


    ¡°Dare,¡± he answered, looking from Kelly to Stephanie uneasily.


    ¡°Okay. I dare you...¡± Stephanie said, visibly gathering her courage, ¡°...to go down on me.¡±


    ¡°You dare me to... what?¡± Brian choked in surprise and disbelief. ¡°Sounded like you just dared me to...¡±


    ¡°What the fuck did she just say?!¡± Kelly burst out, eyes wide.


    ¡°I, um... I dare you,¡± Stephanie mumbled, confused. ¡°Today at the convention you said, that, uh, if I ever wanted you to g-go down on me, all I had to do was ask?¡±


    ¡°Christ, you said that?¡± Kelly snapped her attention back to Brian, baffled. ¡°The fuck happened to all the blah blah we need to take things slow?¡±


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Brian said quickly, bewildered. ¡°That was¡­ Stephanie, you¡¯re daring me to go down on you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t, can¡¯t um, do it for real,¡± Stephanie added in a reassuring tone, seeming alarmed by their reactions. ¡°I just th-thought, that maybe, since you offered, may-maybe I should ask...? To see what you would do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he can definitely do it for real,¡± Kelly exclaimed excitedly. ¡°This is the kinda dare I¡¯ve been wanting all night. Awesome, Steph!¡± She enthusiastically gave the muddled shy girl a high-five.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stephanie asked, looking at the girl strangely.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to allow this dare?¡± Brian asked, shooting Kelly a meaningful look. ¡°Come on, that¡¯s¡­ she doesn¡¯t really... it¡¯s obviously going way too far.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not gonna be the one to shoot her down¡ªhell, I¡¯m proud of her. Are you gonna back out now, after she worked up the courage all night to ask you that? I mean, can you imagine how that¡¯d make her feel¡­?¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t contain her exhilaration at the turn of the events and immediately situated herself beside Stephanie. This girl just saved me so much time tonight¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this out of the way then, okay?¡± Kelly cooed, grasping the edge of Stephanie¡¯s nightshirt and lifting it up to expose luscious pale thighs.


    ¡°W-wait! What are, you¡¯re, uh?! What are you do-doing?!¡± Stephanie exclaimed in surprise, stopping the girl¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Okay, c¡¯mon, Kelly,¡± Brian said, waving his hands. ¡°She doesn¡¯t really, you know¡­ realize what she asked, what it really means. There¡¯s no way.¡±


    The scene girl seemed to pause, quirking her lip as if just now considering that possibility. Gee, do ya think? I¡¯m not as dense as you weebs.


    ¡°Hmmm... give us a minute?¡± Kelly relented, sighing loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll check with her, and really make sure she understands, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay... yeah,¡± Brian said, crossing the room and giving them a bit of distance.


    ¡°Here, sit with me like this,¡± Kelly instructed in a hushed tone, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Brian wasn¡¯t looking. The scene girl sat back against the bed¡¯s headboard and opened her legs, helping Stephanie sit cradled between them. ¡°Okay, now lean back and put your knees up and together in front of you like this¡­¡±


    ¡°But, uh?!¡± Stephanie protested, fearfully trying to flatten the nightshirt against her thick thighs. It was futile; with her knees raised in front of her, even though her calves hid her naughty bits from view, there was plenty of naked thigh and butt to be seen.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry ¡®bout it,¡± Kelly comforted her, adjusting until they were both comfortable. Damn, I could just start kissing and biting her neck again like this.


    ¡°...Kelly?¡± Stephanie whispered nervously. ¡°Brian uh, well, guys can¡­ actually ¡®go down¡¯ on girls?¡±


    Hiding her cheshire grin by burying her face into the pink-streaked blonde tufts of Stephanie¡¯s hair, Kelly composed her wickedly gleaming red thoughts and squeezed the other girl¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Someone told me today,¡± Kelly said slowly into Stephanie¡¯s ear. ¡°That luck... is when preparation meets opportunity. Does it really matter whether you knew what you asked or not? We¡¯ve been preparing you for it all night long. And now, you¡¯ve opened up this amazing... opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna get lucky?¡±

 A Taste of Pink

    There¡¯s no way she actually meant it, Brian told himself, trying to push the thought out of his mind. Holding each other, kissing, and even taking clothes off for dares is one thing, but this is¡­


    Of course, it was inevitable that he¡¯d imagine it, at least. He had met Stephanie¡¯s vulva face-first in a collision of bodies that had him sprawled out on the ground in the middle of the crowded convention floor. That was how he had first met this girl.


    It hadn¡¯t ended there, thankfully. She¡¯d joined him for lunch, flirted and kissed with him, traversed the convention center together for a while. Now she was in his hotel room, daring him to eat her out? He absolutely harbored a strong attraction to her, on many levels, and his mind had idly wandered back to that brief but point-blank introduction to her panties and the plush shapes of her inner thighs all day long.


    ¡°Alright, uh, what are we doing?¡± Brian asked awkwardly, somehow getting an ominous feeling.


    ¡°Go on, tell him, Steph,¡± Kelly prompted.


    ¡°I dare you, uh, to go down on me,¡± Stephanie said, biting her lip and watching him intently.


    ¡°...Do you really understand what you¡¯re asking me to do?¡± He asked.


    Stephanie was trying to keep her face composed, but he saw the minute tells of several different expressions coming and going. A vulnerable-looking uncertainty in her eyes, a tiny flicker of the space between her brows creasing, a twitch of her lips.


    ¡°I dare you to go down on me,¡± She repeated firmly.


    ¡°You...uh, well, okay,¡± he said, flabbergasted.


    He could see the naked outer edges of her thighs curving beautifully out into that curvaceous butt, and if she shifted those defensively drawn legs of hers in any direction, he would see her uncovered intimate places from behind her lovely ankles. He struggled to keep his calm and not stare intently, but it was futile; every graceful line of her slightly shaking body was drawing his eye back.


    Flashing a devilish smile, Kelly slipped her hands up Stephanie¡¯s knees and pried them open... or tried to; Stephanie flinched at her touch but her legs were firmly locked and didn¡¯t budge in the slightest.


    ¡°H-hey,¡± Stephanie exclaimed, dropping her voice to a feeble whisper. ¡°I¡¯m, not, I¡¯m, you know... Kelly, I¡¯m not wearing any panties...¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Kelly acknowledged. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kinda the point? It¡¯d be pretty tough for him to go down on you if you were still wearing panties, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    She still has no idea what going down on someone means, Brian realized, stifling the urge to smack his forehead down into his palm. Wasn¡¯t Kelly going to explain? No¡­ no, of course not.


    ¡°Uh? Yeah, I¡­ yes, sorry,¡± Stephanie mumbled, blinking. ¡°So he¡¯ll¡­ see my¡­?¡±


    ¡°Guess he doesn¡¯t have to,¡± Kelly conceded. ¡°S¡¯your dare, you want the lights out for this?¡±


    ¡°Steph...¡± Brian asked, feeling a strange sense of crisis. Why does this suddenly feel less like truth or dare and more like some hostage situation? Do I need to rescue Stephanie?


    ¡°Hhh-hh-I¡¯m-okay,¡± the girl exhaled distressfully, her face flushed red. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I-I¡¯ll want to see, too. I¡¯m okay. I just, um, give me a minute. I can do this.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, then, Brian,¡± Kelly¡¯s grin only grew wider. ¡°Get over here and tongue this girl¡¯s twat.¡±


    He¡¯d been about to speak up in protest when with a shiver, Stephanie¡¯s knees twitched and reluctantly pulled away from each other. Slowly, shakily, she spread her legs the rest of the way and opened herself up to Brian¡¯s view, her eyes locked steadily on his. It was hard to tear himself away from her gaze to look down towards what she was revealing to him¡­ but of course, he did.


    The lush, plump shapes of her raised thighs drew his eye immediately to the juncture between them, and as she splayed her legs there was a faint wet sound from her slightly parting lower lips in the shocked silence of the hotel room.


    Absolutely fucking amazing.


    Though Stephanie¡¯s pubic hair was untrimmed, it really wasn¡¯t much more than a faint blonde peach fuzz forming a messy halo just above her vulva. Her pale skin looked impossibly soft and inviting to the touch, and her blushing lips revealed the lovely pink of her inner labia. She was very obviously aroused, and the slick line of wetness between her lips reflected light from the tableside lamp.


    Realizing he¡¯d been admiring Stephanie appreciatively for a few moments, he gave her a reassuring smile as he knelt on the bed in front of the pair of girls.


    ¡°Yeah, uh, damn. Looks like she¡¯s ready to go, for sure. Hope you know what you¡¯re doin¡¯ down there,¡± Kelly remarked, grinning. Stephanie¡¯s smile wavered, and she covered her face with both hands in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out,¡± he answered casually. He was honestly just as confident in his cunnilingus as he was in his massages¡ªand for the same reasons. Chloe¡¯s libido had been tempered thoroughly by her socio-political ideas, but she always managed to feel empowered by him going down on her. More and more so, in fact, the more experienced and proficient he became at it.


    ¡°Are you really ready?¡± he asked, trying to keep his own excitement out of his voice.


    Stephanie quickly nodded, peeking through her fingers.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said heavily, taking a deep breath and pausing to gauge her reaction. ¡°You want me to stop, for any reason, just, I dunno, say something, tap my head, or-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Stephanie said bravely, trembling a little at being so intimately inspected. Her small chest was rising and falling with her every breath. ¡°Anything you do, I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Here we go. Positioning himself on the bed, he settled comfortably between her knees, and then rubbed his cheek intimately up the inside of her leg. When that coarse but not-quite-stubble on his face made contact with her inner thigh, Stephanie stiffened, and when he began to roll his lower lip against her, wet her skin, pinch it between his lips, she couldn¡¯t help but squirm. Nibbling and kissing and teasing his way across that exposed expanse, he slowly made his way closer to the blushing pink folds within her labia, already so wet they glistened.


    As he neared it, delighting in the uneven panting that escaped Stephanie, he held back, pursing his lips and blowing a warm breath softly over her. She spasmed, releasing a startled noise, and he could see her clench and flex with a wet sound right before his eyes. Grinning, he resumed his playful kissing upon her opposite thigh, touching down onto that soft, pale skin and eliciting a whimper of frustration and excitement from the girl.


    ¡°Alright, uh, ease up there, I think we¡¯re more than ready for ya, you know?¡± Kelly interrupted impatiently, as she peered over Stephanie¡¯s shoulder in fascination.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna rush it, though, either,¡± Brian said, looking up and offering a playful smile. ¡°I want her to enjoy it.¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes were clouded and fluttering as she gazed down at him in wonder.


    ¡°But¡­ guess you both want to get on with the game, huh?¡± Flashing them a lopsided smile, he lowered himself back down and kissed her directly.


    Wet. It was one thing to see it, and entirely another to feel her arousal, warm and slippery on his lips, to press a kiss into her softest and most intimate of places. He heard her sudden intake of breath and felt a jolt of surprise travel down her legs. Brian opened up his mouth and gently let his tongue explore, beginning to play along her in languorously slow laps. Her taste, musky but not unpleasant, filled his mouth as he kissed her, and he drank in the subtle nuances and reactions of her body.


    ¡°Ohhhh... ohh-god, Brian,¡± Stephanie mumbled. Was she really dripping with wetness like this? The red flush of Stephanie¡¯s engorged lips, her ragged breathing, and that dazed look in her eyes led them to think this situation had already spiralled well out of Stephanie¡¯s control.


    That¡¯s okay, though. I¡¯ve got her. Enjoying himself, Brian leisurely mapped every bit of her with his tongue. He discovered that enticing place of hers he could ease his tongue into, and let it sink deep inside of her, causing Stephanie to let out a ragged gasp. With care he tenderly played around the shape of her clitoral hood and the tiny bud therein, which he had always thought of as for panic pleasure, but didn¡¯t bully it just yet. There were movements that seemed to build up a certain delicious tension within her, and there were motions that seemed to relax her into a state of bliss. Intent on finding all of the individual sweet spots which seemed to send sensation rippling throughout her entire body, he continued, reading all of her subtle reactions.


    Hope you¡¯re ready, Steph, Brian thought, inhaling deeply and gathering his concentration; it was time to start trying to guide her towards climax. Rather than an amateur frenzied licking or frantic stabbing with the tip of his tongue, Brian began to lap at her slowly, steadily, pressing the flat of his tongue against her into a muscular pad.


    ¡°Ah, ah-h, aah, ah?!¡± Stephanie responded, immediately slipping out of the sensuous daze he¡¯d lulled her into and trembling as waves of pleasure crashed into her. She rocked her hips in surprise, gyrating them slowly in sync with his own movements. There was something desperate, something delicious about her frantic motions that seemed to surprise her just as much as it did him. I really can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this, Brian realized, thoughts breaking through his own haze of arousal only with great difficulty. We meet today by accident, an accident right out of an anime gag where she lands sitting on my face.


    With broad strokes he tongued her, using slight motions of his head and neck rather than fatiguing his tongue as he persisted, increasing his speed. She turns out to be the sweetest little shy girl I¡¯ve ever met, makes me wish I¡¯d never wasted those years with Chloe¡­


    ¡°Ahh-AHHH-ahhh-AHHHH!!¡± Stephanie¡¯s cries picked up as his tempo rose.


    She even seems to be into me¡­ and now this other girl we just met spends all night trying to make things happen, even now watches with that perverse smile as I tongue-fuck Stephanie on a dare, this is all¡­


    What is this, Stephanie wondered, an eerily disjointed thought drifting through the pink haze of fire. My whole head¡¯s going straaange...


    She¡¯d thought it had been rather bold and clever, thought that her dare would make Brian bend over her lap and pantomime some sort of going-down motion, whatever that might¡¯ve been. Kelly would laugh, perhaps make a joke about how it was a shame they couldn¡¯t do it for real, and the game would move on.


    To Stephanie¡¯s stupefaction, she belatedly discovered that guys could actually go down on girls, and the entire situation had escalated outside of her expectations in a dramatic way. I...I could have stopped, could have explained. But the more I realized it was all actually happening¡­ the less I wanted to stop?


    She peered down again through her fogging glasses at the downy-soft hair of Brian¡¯s head nestled between her thighs, lapping at her most private of places. Formerly private, they belonged all to Brian now. In fact, he now knew her places more intimately, more thoroughly than she ever would.


    It was pleasure beyond her ability to express. Brian was wonderfully satisfying an itch she¡¯d never realized she had, and at the same time, drastically intensifying her thirst for more. It was maddening. He was enthusiastically tonguing her naughty, indecent places, her¡­ pussy, and his raw desire for her, this impossibly intimate joining of their bodies, made Stephanie feel sexier than she¡¯d imagined possible. As his steady strokes lashed into her, her hips moved on their own in response and that engulfing pink flame seemed to swallow up her mind.


    ¡°Ah-AHHM-AUUHH-ah-ah-ah-AHHH!¡± Stephanie gasped desperately, losing control. Her entire life was burning up. That safe future life she¡¯d envisioned ahead of her was being incinerated; revealed to be so frail and flimsy that it was difficult to even be considered fuel for this fire. Acquiring steady, responsible employment after graduation, focusing her attention only on paying off her loans and stabilizing her life¡ªall gone up in a pink flash of heat and smoke. What would it have mattered how stable my life was, if it was so bleak and lifeless? What cold comfort would financial security be? Any hardship would be an adventure if¡­ if it was with him.


    Eventually meeting some inoffensive, shy but sensible man and carefully dating him sometime in her thirties, possibly marrying and settling down into some comfortable, quiet life¡ªall a dull mirage rendered to cinders by the flames consuming her. I¡¯d always thought of a future boyfriend as some kind of... faceless, bland, person. Someone distant, someone withdrawn, like me. But Brian makes me feel ALIVE! Even just watching him, listening to him speak, MAKES MY HEART RACE! He doesn¡¯t see me as boring and simple. He sees AMAZING things in me, and he brings those things out of me! And now he¡¯s¡ª!


    ¡°She¡¯s about to cum,¡± Kelly realized in awe, a somehow distant voice in Stephanie¡¯s ear.


    At that, Brian abruptly ceased his continuous lapping and wiggled the tip of his tongue frantically into the panic pleasure button¡ªher clit, and triggered Stephanie¡¯s orgasm. Her delirious ruminations, already ablaze from that pink inferno within her, were obliterated in the thunderous detonation of a mind-shaking explosion.


    Rather than stopping, Brian clamped his mouth down upon her and pushed his tongue flat again just below her clit. Changing his bobbing motion to a slight jerking of the head, he slurped his tongue at her as though trying to catch juice rolling down the body of a peach.


    Stephanie¡¯s entire body shook, completely pinning the stunned Kelly back against the headboard. She uttered a final squeak and her legs quivered, kicking weakly. Her pussy quavered, flexing and contracting in the crescendo of pink eruptions that blasted across her consciousness like finale fireworks. Her head awash with light and reeling from the pleasure, Stephanie was knocked completely senseless.


    ¡°Christ, Brian, you mighta blown her brain out,¡± Kelly remarked, dazed.


    Brian stiffly rose, stretching his shoulders, and wiped his chin with the back of his hand, unable to contain a grin as he surveyed his handiwork. Stephanie had collapsed back against Kelly, and her naked legs still gave an occasional twitch and jerk. Her entire crotch was slick with secretions and saliva, her delicate-looking breasts heaving with each panting breath, her twisted nightshirt dimpled outward with the pinpoints of her nipples. A line of drool went down her chin, and her eyes were glassy and dazed... but none of that was what Brian noticed.


    ¡°When did... Kelly, her hair. When did it...?¡± There wasn¡¯t a single strand of blonde left to be found in that shoulder-length fluffy tangle of Stephanie¡¯s pink hair.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Kelly realized, eyes widening in shock, yanking a hand out of her own jeans and absent-mindedly wiping them on the comforter. She swore, working her way out from between Stephanie and the headboard. ¡°I, uh... fuck, I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­ to that, anyways. Dye left over from wearing that headband seeped out even further¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Brian said, tracing a hand gently down Stephanie¡¯s body to slightly spread the girl¡¯s thigh. ¡°Look.¡± That tiny patch of Stephanie¡¯s pubic hair was also now the same shade of vivid pink.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± Kelly began.


    ¡°Stephanie?¡± Brian called, leaning over the girl. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡¯d you do?¡± Kelly asked, leaning in for a closer look.


    ¡°You were watching the whole time, right? You didn¡¯t notice anything... weird?¡±


    ¡°I noticed plenty of weird things,¡± Kelly rebutted, glancing him up and down. ¡°You were like, melting muff there. She just came on your face, dude. How¡¯d you do that? I mean, I know how you did it, I¡¯ve done it once or twice, but never like...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not that weird,¡± Brian said distractedly. ¡°Her hair¡¯s pink, Kelly. All of it.¡±


    ¡°I dunno, maybe she has some like, condition or something. Albino?¡±


    ¡°Albinism isn¡¯t... instantaneous, and as far as I know, it¡¯s never bright pink, either?¡±


    ¡°Well gee, sorry for not havin¡¯ all the answers. You were the one who made her pink. You were the one with her every time it happened, right?¡± Kelly pointed out, shifting the rest of the way out from beneath the limp girl. ¡°Hell, we pretty much know why it happened too. Either it¡¯s you touching her or getting her turned on or¡­ something like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s hard to argue with that. ¡°Stephanie?¡± Still slightly panting, her eyes were slowly able to flick up and focus on him, but she wasn¡¯t able to answer yet.


    ¡°Damn though, uh, fuck having that massage later, can I try getting a little of what she had instead?¡± Kelly asked earnestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I really even expected anything, but uh, wow, if that feels even a tiny bit as good as it looks...¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Stephanie croaked between breaths, ¡°I...¡± Still trembling a bit, she¡¯d finally regained control of herself and tried to sit up, a silly smile floating across her face.


    ¡°Stephanie?¡± Brian asked again.


    ¡°I... didn¡¯t say you could stop yet,¡± Stephanie managed finally, breathing out slowly. ¡°That was¡­¡± Her face still completely flushed and unable to hide her beaming smile, she dreamily met worried gaze.


    ¡°Okay, well,¡± Kelly mumbled eagerly. ¡°Whose turn was it, like, who¡¯s asking who next?¡±


    ¡°No more turns tonight,¡± Brian said, letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°Stephanie? All of your hair¡¯s pink now. And I mean, all of it.¡±


    ¡°All... pink?¡± She blinked at him slowly for a moment, baffled, before bringing a shaking hand up to hold up one of her pink tresses. A look of concern finally appeared on her face and she looked back at Brian. ¡°Is it, um¡­ am I¡­ pretty now?¡±


    That¡¯s all you¡¯re worried about? ¡°Steph, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± she exhaled. ¡°Please¡­?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly protested, drawing closer to them. ¡°No, no, hold on. We don¡¯t have to stop playing here, we can go a little bit further, can¡¯t we? Orrr, we could do¡­ other¡­ stuff?¡±


    As Brian knelt down upon the bedspread and lifted Stephanie¡¯s chin gently with his fingertips, he could feel Kelly beside him, tracing her hand down his side and across his naked back, her fingers plucking at the leather strap of his shoulder holster. How did everything get so¡­ crazy tonight?


    Then he was kissing Stephanie, and he once again forgot about his misgivings. Earlier in the day her kisses had been energetic, excited; but now it was very different. A relaxed, languid and wet exchanging of tongue and slow, erotic slurps. He barely even registered that Kelly was drawing closer, slipping her hands around him. Stephanie¡¯s still¡­ completely naked from the waist down, he remembered, feeling his painfully erect dick surge in response to their kiss. She¡­ we could¡­


    ¡°No, no, not tonight,¡± Brian said, snapping upright with difficulty. ¡°Things are¡­ things would get way out of hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with way out of hand,¡± Kelly said earnestly. ¡°And Stephanie, well, she¡¯s lovin¡¯ way out of hand, from the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ look, it¡¯s almost one in the morning already, we¡¯ve been¡­ it¡¯s been¡­ we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with the hair color thing, and it¡¯s gonna be a busy day tomorrow. I¡¯m out. I¡¯m conceding, I¡¯m out of the game.¡±


    ¡°If Brian¡¯s not playing, then¡­ I¡¯m finished playing too,¡± Stephanie decided. ¡°But, um, it was great, really. It was so much fun.¡±


    ¡°So I win,¡± Kelly realized, letting out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Well, really, Stephanie won, but¡­ okay. Us all cuddling up together tonight¡¯ll be my consolation prize. And maybe more?¡±


    ¡°Can I¡­ put my pajama pants back on?¡± Stephanie blushed, remembering she was still naked from the waist down.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s all get ready for bed,¡± Brian decided, giving her a hand up so that she could wobble unsteadily over towards the alcove with the sink and the mirror.


    ¡°Brian¡­¡± Kelly mumbled, face awash with frustration. ¡°Are we all really okay with ending things here like this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s ending, Kelly,¡± Brian said. ¡°We¡¯re just getting some sleep. This was all only the first day of the convention, you know? AnimeCon runs all weekend.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    If you''ve been enjoying the story, or are falling in love with any of the characters (Emily is best girl) let me know in the comments! Getting reader feedback always makes my day and gets me hyped to write more.

 Break’s Over

    Hey r u in the same hotel as last year?? Chloe thumbed into her phone, staring impassively at the steadily blinking cursor for a moment before sending the message. Brian never responded to the text she¡¯d sent yesterday, that simple we need to talk, and that was rather infuriating.


    He¡¯s not ignoring me¡­ he wouldn¡¯t dare. He¡¯s probably obsessing over the right words, agonizing over figuring out just the perfect reply. Torn between that unfathomable guy need to seem all strong and stoic, and actually being honest with his own shortcomings and inadequacies. Brian¡­ you¡¯re such a petulant little manchild.


    Sliding a pair of oversized sunglasses down from her forehead, she glanced up from her phone towards the enormous AnimeCon banner strung up in the crisp morning air. It was just after daybreak, and drivers were already struggling to navigate the busy streets, searching for parking areas with a rare empty space. The sidewalks were flooded with foot traffic by now, anime fans and cosplayers moving in a steady stream around Chloe and her trailing companion, flowing towards the convention center¡¯s entranceways.


    A ruffled beige halter top showed off Chloe¡¯s delicate shoulders, and a tiny pair of denim cutoffs, fluffy-white at the edges with frayed ends, drew ample attention to her long legs. Her dark brown hair was carefully styled into a messy ponytail that draped down across one shoulder, while an overstuffed drawstring bag was slung over the other. Overall, her figure made a rather remarkable, almost picturesque impression. She would have been a beauty without compare¡­ if not for the contemptuous sneer that puckered her upper lip.


    She was here for a reason, of course. It wasn¡¯t by accident that her breakup with Brian had occurred right before AnimeCon¡ªwhich Brian looked forward to all year¡ªand it was also no coincidence that the usual group of friends they attended with were nowhere to be found this time around. Her goal hadn¡¯t actually been to break up with Brian at all; there was no reason to throw away all the effort she¡¯d put into shaping the course of the relationship to her needs. The plan was, rather simply, to break Brian.


    A proper baptism, Chloe thought with a malicious smile. Back when Brian had begun working longer shifts, she¡¯d taken advantage of his every absence in their social group to sow subtle seeds of discord. I¡¯m his girlfriend, after all. I¡¯m entitled to speak for him on his behalf. She¡¯d casually dropped comments that Brian was fed up with someone, or sick of the way a certain somebody acted, discreetly driving wedges between each of them and her boyfriend. After months of carefully unravelling and disassociating, she managed to isolate him from his friends with a clever divide of misdirection, fabricated excuses, and outright lies. When he was finally alone, backed into a corner, and pushed to the limits of frustration and loneliness he could endure, she would arrive to save him, to reshape him into the man he needed to be.


    All he needs is to learn his place¡­ to accept a pair of firm and intelligent hands at the reins, Chloe decided with a chuckle. He won¡¯t stress that little head of his guessing what might make me happiest, until by some chance he accidentally gets it right. From now on, what I say is what goes, with no room for doubt or arguments. Things will be so much easier. For both of us. Cramming her phone into the back pocket of her cutoffs, she turned to regard her companion for the morning as he finally caught up to her.


    ¡°Okaaay¡ªwhat¡¯s so funny?¡± Ryan¡¯s voice had an expressive feminine lilt, emphasizing his words with changes in pitch rather than volume. He was that bisexual coffeeshop-boy, the hipster mister with pretty-boy features. He wore blue flannel and skinny jeans, had big, pouty lips, and clear blue eyes. This week, he sported a stylish crop of bleached-blond hair, still tinged with the faded remnants of multiple pastel colors, and the gauged earrings stretching his earlobes featured iconic Hello Bunny motifs.


    ¡°You, that¡¯s what,¡± Chloe replied in her best cutesy-voice, that nauseating kind of intimate dialogue she knew couples used with one another. ¡°We¡¯re finally here! I thought you¡¯d be more excited, sleepyhead.¡± She¡¯d weaned Brian off of this kind of treatment early on in their relationship, lest he think it was acceptable for him to reciprocate, but some insipid endearment now was tolerable¡­ a necessary sacrifice. She wouldn¡¯t be using Ryan for much longer anyways. This was fine.


    ¡°How do anime conventions even start so early? Six-thirty in the morning?? Like, how do they even?¡± Ryan muttered in bleary disbelief, reverently lifting the coffee cup to his boyish face and taking another sip. ¡°I can¡¯t wrap my head around people getting up this early if they¡¯re not getting paid for it. Like, this is a choice. All these people right now made a choice to be awake for this. Oh my God, this coffee though¡­ this coffee is my life right now.¡±


    Yeah, well¡ªyou¡¯re just lucky that I hate driving through city traffic, Chloe thought to herself, or you wouldn¡¯t be that necessary here after all. At best, the only other real purpose Ryan even had was inspiring fear and jealousy, showing Brian just how easily replaceable he was¡­ just how little individual value males held. However, at the rate her patience with Ryan was thinning, he might never even make it that far.


    ¡°Aw, poor baby,¡± Chloe instead cooed in a saccharine, sing-song voice, before allowing an inkling of impatience to seep into her tone. ¡°But hurry up a little, please? All of these people in front of us are going to be getting into the line for badges ahead of us. The line on Saturday gets to be hundreds of people long¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°My bad, my bad, geez,¡± Ryan laughed. ¡°I mean we¡¯re not even inside the convention yet, and my legs are already tired. We just did like, nine city blocks.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be walking so far if you¡¯d parked closer,¡± Chloe reminded him, struggling to keep frustration out of her voice. Even that idiot Brian was more thoughtful and accommodating than this.


    ¡°And pay fourteen dollars for day parking?! Uh, nuh-uh. That¡¯s insane. Insaaane,¡± Ryan grumbled, shaking his head. ¡°This is all crazy, really. I mean, not the anime fandom thing, I¡¯m totally about that life. But the traffic, the costumes, the crowds, getting up this early for it, dropping all that money on parking and badges and whatnot¡­ it¡¯s dedication. It¡¯s dedication and I¡¯m impressed. My hat is officially off to all of you people. Aw fudge, I left my hat in the car¡­¡±


    Chloe rolled her eyes, and considered increasing her stride and leaving him behind then and there. Brian may have been the typical misogynistic sub-human male, but at least he wasn¡¯t also a melodramatic clown like Ryan here. I thought it¡¯d be fun hanging out with a bisexual guy, but no, it¡¯s literally the worst.


    The effeminate way Ryan acted seemed unnatural, exaggerated to her, as though he were actually mocking women, and over the course of their trip she¡¯d gradually grown more and more irritated with him. When gay or bisexual guys emulate the mannerisms of the fairer sex, is it cultural appropriation? I think I may have just found the perfect title for my next big Nibbler rant.


    Saturday was the convention¡¯s biggest day in terms of both events and attendees, and as ever, the turnout was staggeringly impressive. Many were dressed in casual geek attire¡ªsimple T-shirts or hoodies emblazoned with anime logos¡ªbut there was an abundance of cosplayers as well. Some came wielding enormous prop weapons, others were making last-minute adjustments to brightly-colored wigs, and still more jockeyed for position in group photos in front of the convention¡¯s gigantic banner. There was everything from flocks of simple schoolgirls to lone dragon knights in intricately-detailed armor, and the crowds pouring through the entranceways and into AnimeCon formed a discordant mess as anime fans arrived from all over the entire coast.


    The pavilion hosting the convention was bright and open; the interior was several stories tall, with an artfully designed lattice of skylights and steel girders forming the roof high overhead. The grandiose arrangement of the concourses between the convention halls, and the enormity of AnimeCon¡¯s main lobby itself would have seemed excessive¡ªif not for the fact that many areas were already filling to capacity.


    The convention was positively teeming with activity, and as they worked their way throughout the mob and inside towards the ominous sight of the registration line, Chloe was disgusted to notice that the trend towards skimpy outfits had certainly continued. Walking just ahead of them was a young woman cosplaying the Sweet Fairy from Labyrinth Chef, and she was wearing a sparkling bodysuit fitted so tightly to every contour of her asscrack that nothing was left to the imagination. A trio of western superheroines in daringly high-cut spandex were strutting and striking sexy poses for cameras, and over there was an airheaded-looking girl dressed as Akane Kurokawa chatting with a group of nerds¡ªseemingly oblivious to the fact that her tits were nearly spilling out of her loose yukata every time she laughed.


    Used goods whores trying to out-slut each other for attention, same as last year, Chloe thought, making a noise of disgust deep in her throat.


    ¡°Okay yeah, damn,¡± Ryan mouthed dramatically as he squinting towards the banners above the registration tables across the convention hall. They were tiny, barely-visible blips in the distance past the crowds. The row of fans and cosplayers queuing up there for their convention badges was comically long, stretching several thousand people and encompassing the full length of the enormous lobby. ¡°Are we gonna be waiting to get our badges for hours? This is insane.¡±


    ¡°Usually I¡¯d have my pass pre-ordered,¡± Chloe griped, glancing about as they shuffled into the ranks of the line. ¡°My ex was all nitpicky and meticulous about that kind of stuff. So I mean¡­ yeah, I guess we have to wait this time.¡±


    ¡°Bet you¡¯re relieved to be all free and single now, though, huh?¡± Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh my god, you have no idea,¡± Chloe whined, rolling her eyes. ¡°Everything always turned into such an argument with him. It¡¯s like, hello? I have feminist studies and statistics that scientifically prove that I¡¯m right. In fact, if you¡¯re trying to argue with me instead of listening obediently until I¡¯ve finished, and then asking if I¡¯d even like to hear your stupid, unwarranted, sexist opinion¡­ you¡¯re already wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh hey look, isn¡¯t she that one guy from Shinobi Souls?¡± Ryan asked distractedly, pointing over towards a girl wearing bushy false eyebrows, a fake beard, and scale-mail armor fashioned out of throwing stars laced together. ¡° How long do you think it took her to make that, huh? That¡¯s freakin¡¯ amazing. She¡¯s supposed to be, uh¡­ Saburo, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Saburo,¡± Chloe judged, not giving the girl more than an indifferent glance. I¡¯ve seen better.


    ¡°Hey, are you gonna be cosplaying too?¡± Ryan asked, gesturing with his cup towards her bulging drawstring bag.


    ¡°Ehh, no, not this year,¡± Chloe lied, shifting the bag further behind her. ¡°Last year, I was Hera, though. Hera from HellState?¡±


    ¡°Is that the one where it¡¯s like, religions versus government?¡± Ryan wondered aloud as he scanned the crowds for more cosplays he might recognize. ¡°But like, they¡¯re actually fighting it out with guns and stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorta. Guns and magic. Hera¡¯s the one that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh, wow, toxic masculinity much?¡± Ryan scoffed, nodding towards an enormously muscled bodybuilder wearing a horned helm and a leather kilt. The giant man was walking parallel to the line, heckling the attendees in an obnoxiously overdone Austrian accent.


    Just gonna interrupt me and talk over me, huh? Yeah, cool. I¡¯m just a woman, feel free to stifle my right to speak up, Chloe glowered, giving Ryan yet another red mark in her head.


    ¡°I hear people ask, Brick-cloud, how I become great like you?¡± The barbarian in the horned helm called out as he passed their part of the line. ¡°I tell you how you become great like me. You preorder convention pass and walk proud instead of stand in line like wimpy cabbage-eater.¡±


    Aw, Chloe thought as she watched Ryan¡¯s scowl in amusement. Is the scrawny little boy feeling all jealous and insecure when he sees a muscular manly man? Pathetic¡­


    ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s right, too. If only I¡¯d known to preorder¡­¡± Ryan grumbled. ¡°Next year for sure, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Well anyways, speaking of toxic masculinity, get this,¡± Chloe began, toying with her hair. ¡°My ex, that Brian, I found out a few months ago that he was still standing up to pee. Yeah. In this day and age.¡±


    ¡°¡­Standing up when he pees? Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Instead of sitting down to pee like a normal human being, he¡¯s apparently been just like, standing there, spraying piss through the air, like an animal. And just hoping some of it winds up in the toilet, I guess. Uh, hello? We all have to breathe this same air you¡¯re pissing through? It¡¯s unhygienic. It¡¯s so unhygienic, there¡¯ve been studies. I mean, you don¡¯t try to pee while you¡¯re standing up, do you?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, well yeah that¡¯s one thing, but I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s really toxic masculinity,¡± Ryan deflected, sipping his coffee. ¡°Toxic masculinity is like, gender attitudes that¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Chloe snapped. ¡°And you don¡¯t get to decide how to define toxic masculinity. Men don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Toootally do,¡± Ryan disagreed. ¡°English major! BA-zing! Deciding how best to define things is like, my life.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ whatever, then,¡± Chloe frowned, crossing her arms. What machismo bullshit. His first reaction isn¡¯t to support me, to complement my words and ideas. Or even to just listen quietly, fucking appreciate what he could learn from the valuable new perspective I present. No, just like Brian, instead he ¡¯considers things objectively¡¯, which is nonsense. ¡¯Considering things objectively¡¯ is just that man-splaining way of saying that their narrow, pre-programmed male worldviews are too tiny to be challenged by progressive new ideas.


    And to think¡­ I¡¯d hoped you were going to be different somehow, Chloe sighed, looking at Ryan again and realizing he really didn¡¯t seem nearly as handsome or progressive anymore now that he¡¯d just about outlived his usefulness. But, on the other hand, maybe that¡¯s really the one saving grace males actually do contribute to society¡­ the fact that they¡¯re so expendable. Sorry, Ryan. As a single-use, disposable boyfriend¡­ you¡¯ve served out your purpose, and that¡¯s that. Sorry¡­ no, not sorry.


    ¡°Hey¡­ yeah, um, I¡¯m just gonna freshen up rea¡ªlly quick,¡± Chloe laughed, abruptly excusing herself. ¡°Keep this spot in line for me, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°Uh yeah, cool. I¡¯ll probs still be right here at the rate this line¡¯s moving. Hurry up, though! I need someone to talk to, or it¡¯s weird,¡± Ryan called, his voice already fading as she darted away through the massive gathering of people.


    As if I¡¯m going to wait with you in line for an hour like a moron, Chloe strode on, rolling her eyes. I have a badge already, a three-day pass. Brian is just¡­ well, he¡¯s holding onto it for me. Would¡¯ve still had the damned thing if not for that little goblin¡¯s meddling.


    Brian¡¯ll already be back in my arms by the time you get here, Emily. Aww, too bad. Can¡¯t wait to see the look on your face when you realize that he¡¯s still mine. This time, I¡¯ll have broken and tamed him, and then he¡¯ll always be mine. You never had a chance. What¡¯d you think, that you could just swoop in and pick up the pieces?


    He¡¯d never have any feelings for a weird little girl like you anyways, Chloe decided, smiling to herself. She¡¯d always thought Emily¡¯s little crush on Brian was cute, in a rather pathetic way. After all, if Brian had ever shown any real interest in that little girl, Chloe would¡¯ve called the police and reported him as a pedophile, or some kind of child predator. So what if Emily¡¯s twenty-three now? She¡¯s five-foot-one and barely has an A-cup, so hello? She practically has the body of a thirteen-year-old, and that would basically still make it a crime.


    Fuck, Chloe gritted her teeth as she arrived at the nearest restroom. Too crowded. A dozen girls, in staggered groups of ones and twos, were entering the ladies¡¯ room, while another seven or so were coming out. She¡¯d hoped arriving so early would give her some space and privacy at a mirror to get into her cosplay, but chances of that now looked slim. Chloe was, of course, anxious to get dressed, because now her costume would be just as much a disguise; she¡¯d look nothing like she did when she waltzed into the convention this morning, rendering her safely anonymous and preemptively avoiding any more awkward encounters with Ryan.


    How long will it be before that queer even realizes he¡¯s been ditched? Chloe wondered. She turned on her heel and headed away from everyone, a long trek down the convention center¡¯s concourse all the way from AnimeCon in convention hall D towards the next one over, hall C. Last year, when AnimeCon had been adjacent to a national cheerleading tournament, this area had been a sea of already-stuck-up-looking teens and tweens in uniforms being ushered about by coaches and parents. The horrified, shocked looks they¡¯d given the anime geeks had been oddly satisfying, but it looked like there was no tournament here this year.


    Chloe smirked, letting her mind wander back toward Brian. Her plan was going off without a hitch. She was going to accidentally run into him somewhere at the convention today, and he was going to be a miserable, despondent mess. How couldn¡¯t he be? The love of his life packed up her things and left without saying a word. Except for that one stunted little sycophant, just about all his friends are now estranged and distant. His eagerly-anticipated little AnimeCon event has instead become a live-fire exercise in depression and loneliness.


    But darling¡­ now I¡¯m here, Chloe mocked in her head. The textbook carrot and stick approach; I¡¯ll be the one to comfort him, to end this farce of a break-up and accept him back when he has nothing, no one else to depend on. At just the right moment, of course; when he¡¯s at his absolute lowest. Emily may have planned to show up, to be there for him on Sunday, but by then it will be too late. Brian will have already desperately grabbed onto this one last lifeline I offer him. He¡¯ll cave, he¡¯ll capitulate, he¡¯ll completely submit himself to my rule.


    Most of their local convention group had been goaded into believing that Brian had issues, so dissuading each of them from the trip this year hadn¡¯t taken much work. She¡¯d taken special care to mention to everyone that Brian had pretty much lost interest in attending AnimeCon with their local group, even hinting that he was too embarrassed to cosplay anymore since he¡¯d put on weight and was too pudgy to fit into his old costumes now.


    Hah, as if. He wastes an hour every morning jogging, and spent hours every weekend trying to work on his new costumes. How retarded is that?


    But regardless, everybody bought it. Everyone except Emily, that wretched little goblin, Chloe remembered, scowling. However, with word going around that their convention plans had fallen through this year¡ªand more importantly Chloe deleting Emily¡¯s insistent pestering asking him about it from Brian¡¯s messages¡ªthe obnoxious little runt had finally seemed to concede and let the matter drop.


    Mike and Will, Brian¡¯s awful, misogynistic ¡®guy¡¯ friends, were disappointed that the annual group outing wasn¡¯t happening, but just as quickly made new plans for that weekend, out riding drakes, which from their posts on social media had something to do with dirtbiking through the woods and coming out scratched and bloody. Idiots. Of course, if Michael wasn¡¯t going, then his girlfriend Tanya had no reason to call off work so that she could tag along.


    Mark actually was still going to AnimeCon, but if previous years were any indication, his support or interference would be a non-issue. He wouldn¡¯t leave the confines of the gaming room where the Mana: the Mastery game tournaments were being held, trapped by his own obsession with those stupid cards.


    Of the three Beccas, Becky had disappeared off with a new boyfriend, while Hipster Becca had gotten herself involved in an artsy summer film project. Only the weird one, Rebecca, had been too socially removed to not take the hints, but even then she was probably only attending Sunday because Emily needed a ride.


    Next year, it¡¯ll only be my friends coming with us to the convention. Monique and Tom. Britta, myself, and Brian. Maybe Amy? She pondered for a moment before mentally excluding Amy. No, not Amy. Can¡¯t have too many white girls in our group, or we won¡¯t look very diverse.


    This year, hall C appeared to be in the process of setting up for some kind of business expo, but there were only a handful of people in suits around, and none accosted her as she made her way to their nearest restroom.


    ¡°Alright. Time to transform!¡± Chloe exclaimed upon entering the empty restroom, unable to stop herself from striking a dramatic pose for a pre-costume selfie. There was, however, no following whimsical makeover montage of colored light and sparkles. Instead, she wrenched open the mouth of her drawstring bag and squeezed and pushed that bulging bag inside-out until it vomited its contents out upon the faux-marble of the sink¡¯s vanity.


    Unrolling her costume and separating her wig pieces from a cute anime handbag and her makeup case, she began to change. Her comfy flats came off, followed by her halter top, and with a practiced flick of her thumbs, her brief denim cutoffs dropped down her lovely legs to the tile. Practicing a demure smile in the mirror for a moment, Chloe proudly admired the graceful lines of her body. Rather than underwear, she wore her camisole-style gymnastics leotard from dance class, which perfectly accentuated her lithe figure. Besides, it was in a nude-colored beige that would be unnoticeable under her costume.


    She then stepped into a pair of buruma pantsu, which turned out to be a rather plain pair of Japanese sport panties, and pulled them up to a snug fit with a satisfying snap of elastic. After that, she pulled her sailor fuku on over her head. It was a stylized version of the naval-style Japanese school uniform; the blouse had a traditional blue sailor collar that tied into a bow, and for the sake of simplicity, the accompanying pleated blue skirt was directly affixed to the bottom hem with a line of stitches. Her costume shoes were blue ballet slippers with ribbons that wrapped about her ankles and then laced up into decorative bows.


    Leaning in close to her reflection, she began sectioning off her dark hair into ring curls; twirling lengths of hair around her finger, then quickly rolling them up and pinning them close to her scalp with bobby-pins. In this way her untidy mane of hair disappeared, portion by portion, into tight little bundles about her head, and she had the whole mess fitted securely under a wig cap in no time at all.


    Then she donned the most complex part of her outfit; her monstrous three-part wig. The main part was a short blonde hairpiece, front bangs pre-styled with spray, while the weave of strands in the back were pulled tight towards two clip points. There she would attach her pair of twin-tail wig pieces, her ¡®drills¡¯, which were basically elaborate extensions, big and exaggerated fluffy ringlet spirals of blonde hair that gave the illusion of enormous, needlessly complex anime-style pigtails.


    She¡¯d put circle lenses in earlier this morning, contacts that gave her bigger blue pupils, so now she brought her makeup case into play to finish the job. Liquid liner formed a thick black line along her top eyelid, and she drew with her white eyeliner pencil along the entirety of her lower lid, exaggerating the size of her eyes. Finally, false eyelashes were glued into place, an easier ordeal than one would expect as she positioned them well outside her lashline to make her eyes seem ever so subtly larger.


    Tweaking the hidden wires that kept her pigtails in their distinctive ¡®drill¡¯ shapes, Chloe formed a sweet, coquettish smile, and posed in the mirror for several follow-up selfies. Virtually any anime fan would recognize her as Himari, the princess of justice who was immensely popular in the past decade. Magical Doll Himari was basically the leading series of the magical girl genre in the States, and, of course, as the sexy main character, she was any male otaku¡¯s wet dream.


    ¡°Yeeeah, I¡¯m kawaii as fuck,¡± she decided, satisfied. Besides, I look amazing, and no one has the right to tell me what I can and can¡¯t wear. This wasn¡¯t about slutting up or being objectified, of course¡ªshe¡¯d simply planned to wear a costume Brian had never seen her in before, and moreover, one he would never expect to see her in. Typically, Chloe cosplayed emotionless and grim characters like Hera Victoria, a dark-haired professional assassin who wore a stately gray pantsuit and dual-wielded a pair of magical handguns. By comparison, Magical Doll Himari was a bright, fluffy, and naive character¡ªthere was no way Brian would recognize her at a glance. She would rightfully be in control of their first encounter here today.


    Pushing her lips out in an exaggerated pout and flashing her fingers in a ¡®V¡¯ for another costumed selfie, she thumbed out a few lines and a handful of tags for her social blog on Nibbler.


    Miss-Anne-Dree:


    at animecon figuring things out!! remember that each and every day is full of blessings!!! love you all!!!


    #animecon #magicaldollhimari #relationship #cosplaycutie #excited #imsuchanerd


    Nibbler¡¯s loading screen played for a moment, a stylized animation of minnows poking at the silhouettes of junk discarded in water, before it indicated a successful post. Chloe stared at it expectantly, not lowering her phone until she¡¯d gotten her first nibble from her followers.


    She¡¯d ¡®posted a bit,¡¯ which counted for an eighth of a byte; each nibble she got counted as a half-byte, and every byte she accumulated would move her up the daily rankings on the indie micro-blogging site and increase her popularity. There¡¯s tons of Himari fan rings on Nibbler. Maybe a flood of new followers will help commemorate today?


    She tucked her oversized sunglasses into one of her flats and her makeup case into the other, rolled the flats up in her jean cutoffs and then her halter top, and finally fit the small bundle neatly into her anime handbag. The cheap drawstring bag she haphazardly tossed towards the restroom wastebin on her way out. She didn¡¯t really need it anymore¡ªit had been Brian¡¯s in the first place anyways.


    I can¡¯t wait to find him, Chloe thought as a disdainful smile formed, all anxious and unsettled. Will he even bother wearing that stupid new costume he was so excited about, or has he just been sulking and pouting all weekend? Can¡¯t wait to see him¡­ with all of that stupid, stubborn resolve of his emptied out. Will he even be able to make eye contact with me?


    I can¡¯t wait for his apology. For whatever weak, empty male discourse of excuses that half-cooked slab of meat he calls a brain has come up with over the past week. Can¡¯t wait to see him finally swallow all of that stupid, bull-headed masculine pride, discard all of his oh-so-clever little ¡®logical arguments¡¯, and simply accept his proper place. Can¡¯t wait to see him begging me to take him back!


    Oh, of course I¡¯ll take you back, darling. But on my terms. I¡¯ll rescue you, the emotionally impotent man, from your pitiful, lonely circumstances. But you¡¯ll be making some major concessions this time around¡­ we¡¯re no longer going to pretend to be equals in this relationship. This break-up was your wake-up call, your reality-check.


    She was really looking forward to seeing the effect this little bit of honest suffering had on Brian. How it improved his temperament, how much more receptive to her instruction it would make him. To Chloe, this whole ordeal was an important lesson in humility he was long overdue in learning.


    Stalking her way confidently back towards Hall D, she glanced at her phone and realized it was still earlier in the morning than she¡¯d thought. Still no reply, huh? Six forty-five AM¡­ you¡¯ll be out already then, doing that useless morning jog of yours, like the clockwork little automaton you are. Yeah, keep trying to outrun your problems, Brian. They¡¯re always going to catch up with you.

 Turning Pink and Red

    Stephanie¡¯s blue eyes fluttered open to first see a soft pink tangle of hair spreading across her pillowcase, and for a moment she simply stared, lost in sleepy confusion. Then she lurched up rigidly in alarm, brushing those brightly-colored locks out of her eyes, and surveyed her surroundings. This¡­ isn¡¯t my dorm room. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m at the convention. I¡¯m in¡ªI¡¯m in Brian¡¯s hotel room!


    Last night, the small hotel room had been lit by the intimate illumination of the end table lamp, a warm and cozy light. Now, the muted white daylight seeping around the edges of the curtain revealed what seemed an entirely different room, disorienting and unfocused. Did all of last night, that game, Brian¡­ going down on me, did that really happen?


    Brian was already gone, his absence forming a conspicuous valley in the covers between Stephanie and the shape of another girl at the other side of the bed. That¡¯s right¡­ he was in the middle¡ªKelly was very insistent about that. Did he already leave for his morning run? Stephanie wondered. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was cuddling up beside him in a daze of contentment.


    Letting out a cute yawn, Stephanie flopped back down again and clumsily rolled to slap a hand towards the nightstand, grasping for her rather plain pair of glasses. After carefully donning them, she sat up and looked around the room as if to confirm that all of the blurred fixtures had appropriately sharpened to waking clarity.


    As she turned to regard the other remaining occupant of the small room, Stephanie frowned. Something was off, looked ever so subtly different, and after a moment of observation, Stephanie realized that now all of Kelly¡¯s makeup was gone. Without cosmetic emphasis, her resting face seemed lovely rather than sexy, and it struck a chord within Stephanie. The girl¡¯s neatly coiffured scene hairstyle was now an ordinary mussy tangle, and her serene expression, her unguarded posture; all of it made her appear more natural, seem more real.


    Even beneath it all, without all of the makeup and style, she¡¯s still just so pretty, Stephanie thought¡ªbut rather than envious, she felt oddly proud of her new friend.


    ¡°Kelly? Are you¡­ are you awake?¡± Stephanie whispered softly across the bed. ¡°Kelly? I think¡­ I might be in love with him.¡±


    For a few moments she thought Kelly might have actually been asleep, but then the dark-haired girl stirred and turned to make a face at her, eyes still closed. It was not the face of someone who enjoyed mornings.


    ¡°Steph. You¡¯ve only known him for one day.¡±


    ¡°I-I know,¡± Stephanie hurriedly said, her face flushing red. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I said I think I might be instead of I am, and really¡­ that¡¯s why I wanted to talk, if that¡¯s okay¡­?¡±


    Kelly snorted, rubbing her face blearily, and sighed into her pillow, laying still long enough for Stephanie to wonder if she¡¯d simply decided to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Okay. So, talk, then,¡± Kelly finally grunted, leaving her eyes closed. ¡°Why d¡¯you think you¡¯re in love with him? He that good with his tongue?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I, uh¡­¡± Stephanie tried to begin, before realizing that while she had a million things she needed to say, she didn¡¯t know how to put any of those feelings properly into words. It¡¯s so much more than that¡­ ¡°Because I¡¯ve never felt this way before¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Realizing how cliche she must have sounded, Stephanie hurriedly continued, ¡°And I, uhm, I want to keep feeling this way. This, uh, the way he makes me feel, I want to always feel this way. I, I¡­ don¡¯t want to go back to the way it was. I can¡¯t go back.¡± I need him. Maybe¡­ maybe I¡¯ve always really needed him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a crush on ¡®im,¡± Kelly murmured into her pillow. ¡°S¡¯your first guy ya did things with. S¡¯a crush. That¡¯s all. Chill out and go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie breathed, frowning, and felt disappointment sink deep down into her. It¡¯s just a crush¡­ ¡°What does¡­ does it, uh, b-but what does this really¡­ mean? What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Steph,¡± Kelly grumbled, sounding aggravated. ¡°You know the phrase, ¡¯love at first sight?¡¯ Well, it doesn¡¯t mean love, it means infatuation. It¡¯s¡­ you know, hormones and chemicals, endorphins and shit going on in your brain, in your whole body. It¡¯ll go away eventually. Always does.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what if the feeling for Brian doesn¡¯t ever go away?¡± Stephanie asked, a little appalled. The attraction is strong¡­ overwhelming, even. But, isn¡¯t there also more to it than that? So much more?


    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Kelly said, nuzzling deeper into her pillow. ¡°Getting yourself all hung up on just one guy? Sounds like you¡¯d be totally fucked, then.¡±


    ¡°Fu¡ª?¡± Stephanie bit back the word and tried to continue. ¡°Uh, h-how so?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, drama queen,¡± Kelly muttered reassuringly, pursing her lips to blow errant strands of her hair out of her face. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯ll go away.¡±


    I don¡¯t want it to ever go away, Stephanie already knew. What if¡­ what if I¡¯m already totally¡­ fucked? She adjusted herself in the covers, laying down on her tummy this time, and hid her uneasy smile into her own pillow.


    ¡°What¡­ should I do?¡± Stephanie wondered aloud.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Kelly said. ¡°You¡¯re on your own. And I mean, you¡¯re really on your own. I¡¯m bailing on you guys¡ªI¡¯m gonna find someplace else to crash for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªyou¡¯re, you¡¯re what?¡± Stephanie sputtered, and rose up onto her elbows, a little shocked.


    ¡°I said, I¡¯m not staying with you guys for another night. I¡¯m gonna find somewhere else, some other room.¡± Kelly clarified, turning away from Stephanie to lay on her side, giving her the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re both on your own from now on.¡±


    ¡°D-did something¡­ um, is someth¡ªanything wrong? Do you have to leave?¡±


    ¡°Hah. Well, you see, last night, after our little game, after we got all settled in and cozy under the covers together¡­ he held my hand,¡± Kelly scoffed.


    ¡°He held your hand?¡± Stephanie asked, feeling lost.


    ¡°Okay, so he was in the middle, between us, right? I was gonna just, sorta¡­ let my hand wander over, see if anything came of it, you know?¡± Kelly grumbled. ¡°But nope, no dice. He takes my hand, stops me, just fuckin¡¯ holds it. I¡¯m giving him a look, like, seriously? And he sorta glances back at me, like he thinks I¡¯m just kidding around. I was like, dork, I am not playing. I will fuck you.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t actually say anything, though. I was all so hyped up and, I dunno, expecting things, that I was kinda laying there in disbelief, I guess. Waiting for him to make up his mind, to make a move, or something.¡± Kelly muttered. ¡°And before I knew it, the both of you fucked off to sleep. I was pissed. Still am pissed. And I don¡¯t even know why anymore, like, what did I even expect from you two dorks?¡±


    ¡°We, ah, it was¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Stephanie managed, embarrassment burning across her cheeks. To be honest, Stephanie barely even registered going to bed last night. I was so out of it, I went out like a light after¡­ after we¡­ ¡°Y-you really can¡¯t stay with us?¡±


    ¡°Look, sorry, but I¡¯m frustrated,¡± Kelly continued in a sigh of sulking resentment, and she flipped back the bed sheet in vexation. Beneath it, she was wearing the same black tank top she¡¯d worn last night. ¡°I didn¡¯t really sleep, because I was so¡­ frustrated. You know? I barely slept, and takin¡¯ a shower while you two were all passed out didn¡¯t help me cool off any.


    ¡°And I tripped over someone¡¯s bag over there in the dark trying to see the mirror a bit,¡± Kelly hissed. ¡°If one of you guys¡¯ over-stuffed fuckin¡¯ bags has a big ol¡¯ foot-sized fuckin¡¯ angry dent in it, s¡¯your own fuckin¡¯ fault. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Stephanie meekly apologized again, unsure of just where she¡¯d left her travel bag as they were settling in last night. It was all still a blur to her. ¡°That was maybe¡ªum, might have been me. Er, mine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, whatever. I¡¯m just¡­ ugh. Just really not used to getting myself all worked up for somethin¡¯, all night long, and then not getting any attention. I know, I know, I was tryin¡¯ to help you guys out, but¡­ well, fuck. I have needs, too. I don¡¯t wanna get all pissy and wind up being a moody cunt to you guys all day, so¡­ I¡¯m gonna split.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie managed, not knowing what else to say. ¡°I just, I mean, I don¡¯t think I can thank you enough for what you¡¯ve, uh, the ways you helped. I never could have called, could have asked him if we could¡­ It¡¯s¡ªI, well, I can barely even talk to p-people most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªI noticed,¡± Kelly remarked in a dry tone.


    ¡°An-and, that kind of¡­ um, intimacy last night, getting there wi-with someone on my own, it was just, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s always been so far out of my reach,¡± Stephanie explained helplessly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been here¡­ I would have just been my, well, me. My same, u-uh, usual boring self. And nothing would have happened, n-nothing would have changed. And now¡ªnow everything¡¯s changed. Do you really have to go? I just, I wish you would stay¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, gimme a reason to,¡± Kelly challenged.


    ¡°I feel like, like all of us were having fun, though? I don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll¡­ um, that things will keep, ah, being like they have been, fun like they have been, without you here,¡± Stephanie admitted, trying not to sound unappreciative. ¡°Oh! And there¡¯s also that little, um, promise you made¡­¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± Kelly huffed. ¡°What promise? What, that I¡¯d wear his stupid goth dress?¡±


    ¡°The promise that, um, you know¡­ that sometime this weekend, all three of us were going to¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­Going to fuck?¡± Kelly finished for her, twisting the sheets about her legs in surprise as she turned and rose up on one elbow to face Stephanie. ¡°Uh, that was a secret¡­ not a promise. Why, you wanna make it a promise?¡±


    ¡°O-oh, right,¡± Stephanie said, visibly flustered. ¡°It was¡­ just a secret. But if¡ªI mean, does that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you really¡­ want that? I mean, I figured¡­ well, it means Brian wouldn¡¯t just be with you?¡± Kelly interrupted, a gleam in her eyes. ¡°You, well¡­ are you okay with that? With sharing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s, um, up to me to dec-decide? He doesn¡¯t belong to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look, are you gonna get all hurt and jealous if¡­ no, when me and Brian happen to get intimate?¡± Kelly bluntly asked. ¡°And by intimate I mean we¡¯re going to fuck. Some really rough, loud and possibly violent sex.¡±


    ¡°I d-don¡¯t think so,¡± Stephanie answered, staring intently at her fidgeting fingers as her face flushed red. ¡°I, um. Think you might be meaning passionate rather than, ah, rather than intimate. I never really thought that I would¡ªuh, d-do that, it¡¯s not an¡­ expectation that I ever really had for myself, s-so it¡¯s hard to feel¡­ upset about it. I did get a, a weird feeling, um, down in my stomach, when I¡ªuh, when you had me watch you two kiss, last night, but I don¡¯t think it was jealousy¡­¡±


    ¡°Like¡­ a horrible, crushing feeling that made you feel like, y¡¯know, breaking down and sobbing?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°N-no, no, nothing like that. It was, um, I¡­ I almost joined in,¡± Stephanie confided, averting her eyes. ¡°L-like you¡¯d suggested, to try a, a th-three-way kiss. I, I didn¡¯t, though! It was just a passing thought, an interesting, um¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m blabbering. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Kelly mused, her irritated expression with the morning finally giving way to a thoughtful one. ¡°I¡¯ll make ya a deal. You help me out this teensiest little bit, and I¡¯ll stay¡ªand I¡¯ll even keep playin¡¯ matchmaker. Then tonight, maybe, we¡¯ll both get everything we really want. Sound perfect?¡±


    ¡°Everything we want?¡± Stephanie repeated, startled. ¡°That¡¯s, um, th-, it¡¯s not just, uh, not just up to me? Not just up to us? What about what Brian wants?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll get to that part, trust me, and then some,¡± Kelly chided, giving Stephanie a clever smile. ¡°But what do you really want outta all of this?¡±


    ¡°Me? I think I want¡­ more,¡± Stephanie admitted slowly, sounding guilty. ¡°But not, um, not just¡­ s-sexual, uh, things. Al-although I think¡­ maybe I want that, too? I just, I don¡¯t want it to end here. I want to have him, and for him to have me, however he wants¡ªor, or what-whatever that ends up meaning. I want to be amazing like he thinks I am. I want to, to show him how amazing he is to me.¡±


    Kelly let out an exasperated sigh, quirking her lip into a faint smile. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got it bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°I-I do? It¡¯s just, it¡¯s, um, it¡¯s scary. Does he, uh¡ªI don¡¯t know if he feels the same way, the way that I do, though, exactly,¡± Stephanie stammered. ¡°I-I mean, he, he seems interested, but then he seems so reluctant, too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s all that, you know, weird shit with the relationship he just got out of¡­ he like, doesn¡¯t want to put all of that on you.¡± Kelly pointed out. ¡°And he knows you don¡¯t have any experience with this kinda stuff. You¡¯re one of the reasons he¡¯s holding back, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, I think,¡± Stephanie realized, taking a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a problem, or, or a reason that he has to hold back, I don¡¯t like that, I¡ªI can¡¯t stand that. I want to¡ªI want to be the reason why he can¡¯t hold back. Does that¡­ make any sense? I¡­ want him, all of him. I really think that I love¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it,¡± Kelly interrupted quickly, an undercurrent of excitement appearing in her voice. ¡°Yeah, you know¡­ I could stick around, maybe, and we can make all of this happen. I could make sure it does, in fact. But¡­ you¡¯ll have to do something for me, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Stephanie asked, showing an earnest face full of determination.


    ¡°I¡¯m frustrated,¡± Kelly mused. ¡°And I¡¯m sure as hell not gonna help out any more when I don¡¯t know for sure if there¡¯s, any, y¡¯know¡­ satisfaction comin¡¯ this way. So, I want a little proof of your resolve, I want you to prove that you¡¯re willin¡¯ to put in some effort, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what do I do?¡± Stephanie asked breathlessly.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Kelly instructed, wetting her lips. ¡°When I get close¡­ surprise me. Do you remember the way I was kissing you last night?¡± The dark-haired beauty drew her fingertips down the length of her own neck, watching Stephanie¡¯s expression with slightly dazed eyes.


    When she gets close? Surprise her? Stephanie thought to herself in dismay, conflicting emotions resurfacing all over again. Close to what? Close to me? She wants me to¡­ maybe to express my feelings in my own way, and¡­ impress her? But¡­ just what are my feelings? What should I do here?


    Kelly¡¯s other hand innocuously drew the bed sheet back up across herself, as if to regain some modicum of modesty, and alarm bells began to go off in Stephanie¡¯s head at the sheer incongruity of it.


    What is she¡­ Stephanie wondered, but then Kelly began to act, in a slow, sensual motion, a slight exhalation of breath, and a subtle shifting of the sheets. Oh. OH.


    Feeling blood rush to her face, Stephanie finally realized exactly what it was that Kelly was doing. With the outline of Kelly¡¯s arm was making in the blanket, trailing down to the juncture between her legs, there was really no mistaking what kind of itch Kelly was scratching. She¡¯s¡­ oh my God, she¡¯s¡­ masturbating. Right here. In front of another person¡ªright in front of me!


    There were sounds besides the increasing tempo of Kelly¡¯s breathing¡­ wet sounds. Feeling the mixture of shame, fascination, and excitement gripping her as she watched, Stephanie couldn¡¯t look away. Stephanie was sure she wasn¡¯t gay, but the sight had butterflies beating anxiously in her tummy all the same. That¡¯s what she meant about¡­ getting close. It¡¯s what I felt in the shower, that SENSATION I wasn¡¯t quite able to reach on my own, that maddening feeling, that something tangible just outside of my grasp. Then she wants me to¡­?


    Stephanie blinked in surprise, doing a double-take and then unconsciously leaning in to peer more closely at a sudden discrepancy she¡¯d just noticed amid Kelly¡¯s dark hair. Three long strands stood out in a vibrant red color, starkly contrasting the girl¡¯s loose tangle of fine black tresses.


    ¡°Kelly¡­!¡±


    ¡°Hm? What now?¡±


    ¡°Kelly, your, uh¡­ did you always have color here in your hair?¡±


    ¡°Well, h-hahh, s¡¯not natural, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Kelly replied with a breathless laugh, letting her fingers rest for a moment. ¡°Think it¡¯s like, colorsilk¡­ midnight black or something. Why, are my roots showing?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no,¡± Stephanie insisted, ¡°I mean, um, color. BRIGHT color. Like what¡¯s been, uhm, what¡¯s happened to my hair.¡±


    Jolting up in alarm, Kelly flung back the sheets and pulled locks of dark hair before her eyes, sifting through the strands. ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡±


    Before Stephanie could form a reply, Kelly pushed up and off the bed, making her way over to the mirror above the sink.


    ¡°Uh, K-kelly, where are your pants?¡± Stephanie stammered out, catching a startling glimpse of the scene girl¡¯s naked butt before she could look away. ¡°Wh-where is your underwear?!¡±


    ¡°In the sheets somewhere?¡± Kelly answered. ¡°Did you do this? Did you¡ªdid you guys mess with my hair?¡± She singled out the strands of bright red and turned towards the girl on the bed with a grave expression on her face.


    ¡°No,¡± Stephanie said, quickly averting her eyes again. She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s shaved bare down there, it¡¯s¡­


    ¡°Did Brian do this? When did¡­. what¡¯s going on?¡± Kelly grumbled, turning back towards the mirror. ¡°Seriously, what the fuck, this isn¡¯t funny. How long¡¯s it been like this? Was it like this last night?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I, uh, I didn¡¯t notice anything, but I wasn¡¯t paying much, um, I-I was¡­ distracted, and the room was, it was dark¡­¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t possible,¡± Kelly decided out loud. ¡°You were blond enough that your hair can take color, like, right away. I¡¯m not. You¡¯d¡¯ve had to like¡­ bleach out my dark first, and then have color set in my hair for¡­ it¡¯s impossible. I was awake most of the goddamned night, and even still, I would¡¯ve woken up if you¡¯d¡­ There¡¯d be a chemical smell, an ammonia¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°M-maybe some, uh, stain from my hair spread out and¡­ rubbed off in yours¡­ somehow?¡± Stephanie offered bleakly, inspecting her pillowcase for any colorations.


    ¡°Yeah, uh, no,¡± Kelly refuted right away. ¡°Your hair isn¡¯t stained with sharpie anyways. We threw that theory out last night, remember?¡±


    ¡°We did?¡± Stephanie asked, confused.


    ¡°Yeah. ¡®Cause it wouldn¡¯t really explain why your carpet matches your drapes, now, would it?¡± Kelly growled.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ what? Carpet¡­ matches my drapes? Wh-what do you mean?¡± Stephanie asked, looking uneasy.


    ¡°The hell do you think I mean?! Take a look, down there,¡± Kelly suggested, slapping water from the faucet into the red strands of hair. ¡°Your little, uh, tuft down there is pink now¡ªjust like all the hair on your head? You¡¯re one-hundred percent pink now, even your brows.¡±


    Stephanie reluctantly pulled upon the elastic of her pajama pants to take a peek inside, finding her sparse thatch of pubic hair was now the same shade of bright pink that had spread across her head.


    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s pink. Wh-when did¡­ why is it pink?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really more of a red,¡± Kelly argued, leaning in as close as she could to the mirror and dabbing water from the faucet. ¡°This stuff really isn¡¯t coming out. Fuuuck. How bad does it look? Is it bad?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I meant, um, me. I¡¯m pink,¡± Stephanie stammered, dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m pink down¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, we saw that already. Last night after he¡­ uh, well, how much of last night do you even remember?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Y-you saw?¡± Stephanie¡¯s hands went to her face. ¡°Uh, I remember that he, um¡­ H-he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ate you out?¡± Kelly suggested, working the red strands of hair between her fingers. ¡°Licked and spit your lickety-split? Frenched your fissure, made out with your muff? Cleaned your cla¡ª¡±


    ¡°St-stop, stop, please,¡± Stephanie protested, pulling the comforter over her head for a moment in embarrassment. ¡°Yes. I¡­ I remember. I do remember that. I remember.¡±


    ¡°So what, Brian has like, the Midas touch? Whatever he kisses really does pop into technicolor? The Midas kiss?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Stephanie frowned. What would that mean we¡¯re turning into? ¡°Did you, um¡­ feel anything strange when Brian kissed you last night? Like a weird sort of¡­ heat?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess so. It was definitely strange, yeah,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Not bad strange. Like, good strange. REALLY good strange.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie breathed in agreement, running her hands through her own pink locks nervously. Good strange. REALLY good strange. That seems exactly right. ¡°But, well, wh-what should we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve definitely gotta try kissing him again, then,¡± Kelly proposed, turning her head at an angle again in the mirror so that she could see the strands of red. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°You, uh, is that¡­ a good idea, though?¡± Stephanie said cautiously. ¡°I mean, we, um, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, just look at it. It¡¯s not bad for a little splotch of color, but it¡¯s all too small, and too far back. If you¡¯re gonna have bright accents like this, you have ¡®em like, right up beside your bangs, or down here as peekaboo highlights,¡± Kelly said, draping her hair in front of her shoulder and tugging on the tips for emphasis.


    ¡°I¡­ I guess that makes sense?¡± Stephanie sounded unsure.


    ¡°Yeah, it totally does. You didn¡¯t think it¡¯s just ¡®cause I wanna make out with him, did you?¡± Kelly laughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°I mean, like that would even factor. He¡¯s just a cute guy who¡¯s also fuckin¡¯ amazing with his hands, you know. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s not like I was even paying attention when he had you squealing last night. Yeah, that didn¡¯t even register. I¡¯m just testing out this hair theory, Stephanie, this is for science.¡±


    ¡°I squealed?!¡ªW-was I squealing?¡± Stephanie squeaked, slapping her hands over her face.


    ¡°Mm-hmm. How was it, by the way? He made you cum, right?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes flashed, and she arched her back, skimming her fingertips along to trace the silhouette of her own naked hips. ¡°And that¡¯s only the beginning. The things we can still get up to this weekend¡­ well, don¡¯t¡¯cha get all wet just thinkin¡¯ about it?¡± The scene girl¡¯s bare skin seemed perfect, and her body was exquisite, but what Stephanie found herself admiring even more was Kelly¡¯s confidence in so brazenly displaying it all.


    I need¡ªI need to stop gawking and actually get up, Stephanie thought, pointedly ignoring Kelly¡¯s question and kicking back the comforter to finally hop out of the bed herself. There was a strange, uncomfortable tightness in the muscle of her inner thighs from spreading her legs open for so long last night.


    ¡°C-can you put¡ªput your pants on, please,¡± Stephanie stuttered out.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Kelly sighed, crossing the room to fish her pants off the floor beside the bed.


    ¡°Wh-what about your underwear?¡± Stephanie asked as she watched Kelly begin to tug the black skinny jeans up her naked legs.


    ¡°These?¡± Kelly asked, picking her panties out of the sheets and flinging them to a corner beside the bathroom door. ¡°What about them?¡± I¡¯ve got a spare pair in my purse, obviously.¡±


    ¡°But, you¡¯re um, not going to wear them?¡± Stephanie asked pointedly. And who¡¯s supposed to pick up that pair you threw?! What if Brian sees them?


    ¡°Nah, think I¡¯ll keep ¡®em handy, instead,¡± Kelly explained, fishing a tiny bundle of black string and elastic out of her purse and waggling it. It took Stephanie a moment to realize that what Kelly held was not a hair-tie but in fact a very skimpy pair of panties. Is that a g-string? ¡°Easier for me to¡­ you know, give him the key to the city this way, if you catch my drift? He can start a l¡¯il collection.¡±


    Because he already has a pair of mine, Stephanie remembered, feeling the blood rush to her face. I wonder what he¡¯ll even do with them? After that game of truth or dare had ended, she¡¯d put just her pajama pants back on, a realization that was making her self-conscious all over again. She was going as commando as Kelly was at the moment.


    ¡°Well, anyways, we need to get to the bottom of all this hair color nonsense, and figure out what¡¯s really going on. How ¡®bout a little kissing? At least¡­ for starters,¡± Kelly suggested.


    ¡°Kissing Brian?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°But won¡¯t that¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, we can just kiss each other now, can¡¯t we? Something weird might happen, right? For all we know, you could be the reason it happens. Don¡¯t we need to experiment a little bit if we¡¯re gonna figure this out and solve this mystery? And don¡¯t you still need to hold up your end of our little deal?¡±


    ¡°K-kissing?¡± Stephanie choked. ¡°But we¡¯re both, uhm¡ªwe¡¯re both girls.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°Is that a problem? Didn¡¯tcha say when we played the game that you weren¡¯t against kissing another girl? What¡­ were you lying?¡±


    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t lying, I just, I¡¯ve never¡ªum, I¡¯ve only kissed one Brian. I mean, one person. Brian before. I¡¯ve only kissed one person before. And it was Brian.¡± Stephanie struggled out, terribly flustered.


    ¡°So, what, even after everything, am I no good?¡± Kelly challenged, giving Stephanie a playful pout. ¡°You¡¯re okay with kissing girls, just not me? Last night, when I proposed that three-way kiss, I only even brought it up ¡¯cause I was¡­ thinking of you. Do you really not like me?¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t do that, please,¡± Stephanie pleaded.


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re, um, what you¡¯re doing,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I-I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m not against k-kissing you, I guess. I¡¯m, I¡¯m just¡­ scared, not stupid. I don¡¯t like it when you pretend¡ªuh, when you twist all the words to get things the way you want them. It¡¯s, it makes it, I¡ªI get even more uncomfortable. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Kelly began, but the seemingly limitless reservoir of smartass remarks she was so used to relying on had abruptly run dry, and no words came out of her open mouth. She took a step closer to Stephanie.


    ¡°It¡¯s not you!¡± Stephanie hurriedly explained, a trace of panic appearing in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s, my anxiety, it¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Kelly mused, the hint of a smile flickering across her face as she seemed to regard Stephanie in a new light. ¡°I keep forgetting, I guess, that you¡¯re not just¡­ well, that everybody has their reasons, I ¡®spose?¡±


    ¡°I d-didn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    But a hand had already found its way around the back of Stephanie¡¯s fluffy pink head, and the shy girl was unable to finish as Kelly pressed in and stole her lips.


    The abrupt moment was nothing like the kisses Stephanie had shared with Brian. The other girl¡¯s face was so much smoother, her lips softer, almost pillowy, even¡ªbut the biggest contrast was a subtle flavor of impatience that came across. All of it was nice, it felt good, in a way that was making that glow of warmth rise up within her, but that startling raw need she felt from Kelly was just such a marked difference from Brian¡¯s steadfast and cool kiss. The butterflies she felt within her tummy were frantically beating their little wings in flickering flashes of pink and red, and Stephanie rocked unsteadily on her feet.


    Sucking me in¡­ It was as though there was an empty space, a void existing within this girl, a vacuum that Kelly was desperate to fill. The taste of her, the sensation of the bold girl¡¯s tongue darting inside her mouth, the strange way it made the flames inside of her twist and curl¡ªall of these pleasant distractions swirled together into a dazzling pink cloud that almost kept Stephanie from noticing the sound of the door to their hotel room opening.

 Breakfast

    Stunned, the girls turned in unison from their kiss to see Brian standing in the door of the hotel room, holding a plastic bag distorted by the shapes of takeout boxes within. A simple white tee hung down to a pair of navy blue gym shorts, besides which he wore only a battered pair of running shoes and a slight sheen of sweat. His tousled hair was even damp, and the mere sight of him was accompanied by a sudden spike in temperature deep within Stephanie. Oh¡­ Oh! Oh my God, we were¡­!


    ¡°Th-th-this isn¡¯t what it looks like¡ª!¡± Stephanie exclaimed guiltily, staggering back from Kelly. ¡°I¡ªshe¡ªwe were, th-this was, it was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, it¡¯s a little what it looked like,¡± Kelly muttered in a sly tone, and flashed Brian her trademark devious smile. ¡°We were just getting a little experimental¡ªoops, I mean, trying out this little experiment.¡±


    ¡°A m-mis-misunderstanding!¡± Stephanie giggled, ¡°It¡¯s, in anime, uh, l-like in an anime where¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, uhhh¡­ yeah, it¡¯s cool,¡± Briah coughed, looking away because he couldn¡¯t hide his grin. ¡°I, uh, I shoulda knocked or something, I just didn¡¯t want to wake either of you up, in case you were sleeping in¡­ do you girls need another minute?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡ªcome in, please,¡± Kelly invited. ¡°Looks like Steph¡¯s all done taking advantage of me for now, anyways. What¡¯d you bring us?¡±


    Taking advantage of YOU?!


    ¡°Ah, breakfast?¡± Brian offered, hefting up the bag containing several takeout boxes, and he entered the small enclosure of their hotel room, pulling the door shut behind him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure what you girls might like, so I picked up breakfast platters on my way back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ honestly really cool of you, I didn¡¯t really mean¡­ well, thank you.¡± Kelly said, sounding caught off guard. She cleared some space on the dresser beside the TV for him to set down the cartons. ¡°We were gettin¡¯ all kinds of hungry¡­ weren¡¯t we, Steph?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie hastily agreed, trying not to stare at Brian but unable to stop from savoring the sight. Hungry¡­ Seeing him again, there was something deliciously sexy about Brian¡¯s every mundane little detail, a sort of rugged, bishounen aesthetic. He somehow seemed so masculine, yet he wasn¡¯t really burly or beefy in the slightest. A glance at his legs, bare up to the hem of his gym shorts, showed her they were runner¡¯s legs, but they weren¡¯t particularly thick. Rather, that tight curve of muscle shaping his calves was beautifully trim¡ªpared down to the essentials and without an ounce of extraneous flesh. He looked ready to effortlessly explode into motion at any moment. That smoldering sensation from before rose up immediately into blazing pink flames, flames dancing with desperate, voracious energy.


    What do I even say to him, after all of THAT last night? How do I act now? And him opening the door on us right then¡­! Stephanie blushed intensely. Compared to last night, the sheer intensity of that pulsing pink fire within her certainly hadn¡¯t abated in the slightest. If anything, it seemed hotter, more dangerous, a chemical fire that was burning raw lust, as well as a little bit of something even more potent.


    Brian wore a troubled smile, and as he looked over towards Stephanie, parts of her went weak. How could she forget that handsome face buried between her legs last night? That he¡¯d parted her lower lips with his mouth and plunged inside with visceral abandon, tasted her, tongue sliding fluidly across the sensual slickness of her sex in what seemed like an endless spiral of pleasure¡­


    ¡°Steph? You alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± she stammered, realizing herself once again. ¡°I, uh, yeah. Yes. I¡¯ve, uh, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You were givin¡¯ him a look,¡± Kelly chuckled, popping open one of the cartons to peek inside and gesturing her over.


    ¡°I, ah, I was? A look? What does that mean?¡± She tilted her head quizzically from Kelly to Brian, immediately feeling a little stupid.


    ¡°Hah, you¡¯d have to tell us. I know better than to ever make assumptions anymore,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°¡­H-how was your run?¡± Stephanie asked, abruptly changing the subject and stepping over to join Kelly. The two takeout cartons contained standard diner fare: scrambled eggs, a few strips of bacon, and a small pile of pancakes. Even one of those boxes was more than she could eat, but the empty feeling in her stomach spurred her on, and she dutifully accepted a fork from Kelly.


    ¡°It, uh¡­ well, a little rough, but I¡¯m back now, at least,¡± he paused uneasily.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Stephanie asked right away, suddenly feeling alert. Something¡¯s wrong.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I dunno, maybe? Probably not. I was just checking the time on my phone when I picked up our order¡­ and saw my ex texted me. She asked which hotel I¡¯m staying at,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°Kinda just put my head in a spin. She¡¯d texted me yesterday, too, saying that we need to talk¡­ I¡¯d been trying to ignore that whole situation.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kelly mouthed, making a face at him. ¡°Just what we needed. There¡¯s like, no chance, right? She¡¯s not tryin¡¯ to come to the convention and see you, right?¡±


    Stephanie frowned, clamping down on a sudden fiery swirl of emotions that coursed through her, and methodically used the edge of the fork to section off bites of pancake. His ex¡­ Chloe?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ s¡¯probably nothing,¡± Brian explained. ¡°But if she¡¯s trying to meet up and talk about what¡¯s happened or anything¡­ I¡¯m really not up for it. It¡¯s weird, but I get this sense of, like, dread at the thought of seeing her.¡±


    ¡°W-well, is there a reason for you to, um, well there isn¡¯t any reason for you to feel that way, is there?¡± Stephanie sputtered, trying to collect her wildly burning thoughts. Unless¡­ Do you feel guilty about what we did last night? Are your feelings for her still¡­?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied, sounding tired. He stepped over and dropped his phone into the small pile of his things beside the bed. ¡°She left me without ever actually telling me why in person, just¡­ packed her things up out of our apartment and disappeared. She sent Emily over to tell me a bunch of things¡ªyou know, the why, the whole break-up severance letter deal. But Emily wouldn¡¯t actually tell me anything, except that Chloe and I were over. Er, Emily did say that the things she was supposed to tell me weren¡¯t things she could ever say to me. Can¡¯t really say I¡¯m looking forward to hearing all of it directly from Chloe now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is just her wanting to deliver her official sentencing on just how low and worthless I really am to her now. I just¡­ really don¡¯t want to hear it anymore. It doesn¡¯t matter to me at this point. I¡¯m so tired of dealing with her, fighting with her over every little thing, it¡¯s¡­ well, exhausting. Just thinking about seeing her again kinda stresses me out, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Stephanie breathed, feeling a palpable sensation of relief.


    ¡°Keep on ignoring her, then,¡± Kelly insisted, playfully stealing each of the cut-up portions of pancake from Stephanie¡¯s carton, one after the other, and popping them into her mouth while Stephanie looked on in disbelief.


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that,¡± Stephanie protested, flipping her box¡¯s lid back over protectively. She¡¯d never had someone steal food from her own plate before, and somehow it was almost as shocking as suddenly being kissed. She has no sense of¡­


    ¡°Whatever her bullshit is now,¡± Kelly swallowed the mouthful, ¡°it sounds like a whole bunch of not your problem.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯d be¡­ you know, childish of me? Immature?¡± Brian asked in amusement, glancing from one girl to the other.


    ¡°Ignoring her is immature, now? You must be on very different parting terms with your ex than anyone else I know. Ignoring an ex is literally the only mature thing you can ever do, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡¯s right, I, ah, I agree with her,¡± Stephanie added, picking up her breakfast and pulling away from the dresser. ¡°It¡¯s, if you don¡¯t want to, then it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with, um, there¡¯s no reason to, to give her any of your time anymore. R-right?¡±


    ¡°You guys are sweet. I¡¯d hug you both if I wasn¡¯t all gross from my run.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not gross,¡± Stephanie said quickly, taking a seat away from Kelly on the edge of the bed and settling the styrofoam box in her lap. ¡°You can hug¡ªyou can do anything you want to. You¡¯re, you¡¯re never gross.¡±


    ¡°No, really, I¡¯m like, drenched. I¡¯m covered in sweat,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°After all of that, uh, that ordeal with your roommate you went through, I¡¯d never want to¡­¡±


    Stephanie realized that she really could faintly smell him, and was stunned by how¡­ stimulating that residual scent from his early morning exertion was. It didn¡¯t repulse her as Megan¡¯s sweat had¡ªhe smelled good, something about it seemed natural, felt vibrant and active to her.


    ¡°Oh, hey, there¡¯s something else, too, almost forgot. My friends Emily and Rebecca are both gonna be staying with us here tonight, so the room¡¯ll be getting a little more crowded. She called last night, while you were in the shower.¡±


    ¡°O-oh. Emily? You mean that Emily?¡± Stephanie asked, flashing an awkward thumbs-up while jutting her elbow out. Inwardly, however, she was reeling. Their hotel room had become a special, inviolate place in her mind¡ªa sensual place where it would be safe for her to explore a whole host of options out with Brian and Kelly¡¯s help.


    ¡°Ah, fuck,¡± Kelly remembered sheepishly, glancing towards Stephanie. ¡°There was that, yeah. I forgot about that.¡±


    Before she knew it, Stephanie¡¯s expectations for tonight were gone in a poof, that same thread of disappointment she¡¯d felt when Megan had stolen away her imagined sanctuary of self-discovery. What can we do now? Is it already over¡ªare our chances for¡­ THINGS to keep happening already all gone?


    ¡°Hah, yeah, that Emily. Our friend Rebecca, too. I don¡¯t know her as well, but she¡¯s nice. Guess me and Rebecca¡¯ll take the floor, and Emily can squeeze onto the bed with you and Kelly, if that¡¯s alright. She shouldn¡¯t take up much space, she¡¯s little.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re okay with Rebecca, ah, being on the floor, though?¡± Stephanie inquired, stalling her own rampant thoughts and giving him a curious look. Is there some sort of¡­ hierarchy among us girls?


    ¡°She just started rooming with our convention group last year, but I think she was more comfy on the floor than anyone on the beds was. She does, like¡­ medieval campout and LARP sorta stuff, she had a linen bedroll and furs to sleep on and everything.¡±


    ¡°Convention group?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°First I¡¯ve heard of you having your own group.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh, normally it¡¯s not just me going stag here¡ªthere¡¯d usually be quite a few of us. Not even sure how things turned out this way this time, it¡¯s been¡­ this year¡¯s been strange.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really cool,¡± Stephanie admitted, smiling. ¡°Th-that you do things like this with your friends, I mean. I¡¯m a little jealous.¡±


    ¡°All of my friends are really cool. That includes you, too,¡± Brian said proudly, playfully poking her on the nose. ¡°Ah, uh, listen, though, Stephanie. I¡­ thought about it a lot during my run, and I¡¯ve gotta get it off my chest. Last night¡­ things got really crazy, so¡­ I want to apolo¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, uh,¡± Kelly interjected bluntly, turning from her breakfast upon the dresser to give him a meaningful stare. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ about last night, I was just gonna, well, apologize to Stephanie,¡± Brian continued awkwardly. ¡°For letting things get out of control, for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± Kelly cut in again with a chuckle. ¡°Do you think what she expects from you is an apology for what happened?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking¡­ she was probably kinda coerced into that, um. Situation, last night,¡± Brian explained. ¡°Pressured into it, kinda going along with things and now, afterward, that is, she might regret it? I could¡¯ve put a stop to things, made sure, I mean, really made sure instead of just¡­¡±


    ¡°N-no, no, it was, it¡ª¡± Stephanie sputtered out.


    ¡°What do you want here, written notice? A notarized consent form? A memo from Tammy down in legal that your advances have passed review and been authorized?¡± Kelly chided. ¡°She dared you to go down on her, and you did. Pretty sure you got her off, too. What¡¯s she s¡¯posed to think when you start saying sorry now? Apologizing for it now¡¯s gonna make her feel like you regretted it, that it was a mistake. Was it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no,¡± Brian sighed, combing fingers through his hair and resting his hands on the back of his neck. ¡°I, uh¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ugh, damn. There¡¯s still this¡­ well, this filter there in my head, sorta, where I automatically run things through what Chloe would think, you know? This is¡­ this is the kind of thing I meant last night when I was talking about baggage, not wanting to push my issues onto anybody.¡±


    ¡°Steph would¡¯ve misunderstood if you¡¯d apologized, ¡®cause she has no self-confidence. So if you¡¯re doing it out of¡­ like, out of some sense of guilt your ex gave you, you¡¯re really just not thinking.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Brian interrupted. ¡°Really. I was thinking, just¡­ my thoughts¡¯re all a mess this morning, and I got myself on the wrong track. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She regarded him seriously for a long moment, as though trying to gauge his sincerity, before nodding. ¡°¡­You¡¯re welcome. Steph?¡±


    ¡°Um, last night, it¡ªit¡ª¡± the pink-haired girl tried.


    ¡°Steph, all of that last night,¡± Brian asked. ¡°Was it too¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stephanie blurted out, and gave him a brilliant, beaming smile. ¡°Very. It was too amazing, I loved it. It couldn¡¯t have been a more perfect, uh, f-first time. First thing. For me. D-did it, um, was it, was I, a bother for you¡ªfor you to¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Brian said. ¡°With all that¡¯s been happening to me lately, with what a rough week it¡¯s been¡­ hell, I¡¯m sure I needed all of that even more than you did. That¡¯s not to say I wanted, uh, that, specifically, to happen, that¡¯d be¡­ inappropriate. But it was¡­ uh, well, meeting you¡­ you¡¯re like this anime dream girl that falls outta the sky and into the guy¡¯s lap.¡±


    Stephanie regarded him with a stunned look, and even felt her mouth fall open. Blushing furiously, she pretended to turn her attention towards the breakfast platter she was picking at. What did he just say? The pink-haired girl was speechless. Dream girl? ME? There¡¯s no way this is just a crush. I love him. Kelly¡¯s right, I really am fucked. I¡¯m totally fucked. So fucked. She wasn¡¯t able to hide the giddy smile spreading across her features. And maybe soon?

 Ease Up

    Can¡¯t believe I just said that, Brian thought, turning away from her before the embarrassment could become visible. Dream girl? Okay, definitely. But there¡¯s just some things you don¡¯t say out loud like that¡­


    Sneaking a glance at her as she nibbled on a piece of bacon, he saw a strange smile on her face, so maybe at least she was amused. Kelly wore that same unreadable smirk she had last night.


    Or maybe it IS something I should say? Brian wondered. I really am still stuck in that weird mindset. It was embarrassing having Kelly make him realize that, with his attempted apology, he¡¯d lapsed back into his old thinking habits. It was as though Chloe had seared herself into his mind with a branding iron¡ªwhile that wound was healing over, she was still clearly legible enough in his thoughts. Wasn¡¯t even really thinking when I bought them breakfast, it just seemed natural, like it was EXPECTED of me. Hah, Chloe would¡¯ve just been harping at me for forgetting the¡­ wait, I DID forget to get them drinks, didn¡¯t I? ¡­Fuck.


    ¡°Well then, that whole¡­ you holding back, the whole keeping all stiff and well-behaved, platonic and in control,¡± Kelly brought up with a bemused smile, ¡°where¡¯re you actually going with all of that? Brian, what do you really want? You like her, right?¡± They both glanced towards Stephanie, who paused guiltily in the middle of chewing.


    So damned cute.


    ¡°¡­I do. But I didn¡¯t have any like, ulterior motives when I brought her here last night or anything,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Was just offering her a place to stay so that she wasn¡¯t sleeping in a hallway. Same with you. I don¡¯t expect anything of you guys, or want you to feel uncomfortable, or like you have to do anything for it.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, same with me, too? Hmm, it feels like we¡¯re forgetting something here, though,¡± Kelly said, tapping her lip thoughtfully with her fork and looking up to the ceiling as though trying to recall something.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! You want to fuck her,¡± Kelly remembered with a mischievous smile, and she gestured the utensil towards Stephanie, who had again frozen mid-chew. ¡°You said so last night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, c¡¯mon,¡± Brian grumbled uneasily, not daring to look towards Stephanie. ¡°That was¡­ I was being objective¡­ you know. I¡¯m not going to actually be a creep and try anything, I don¡¯t plan to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, do you want to fuck me?¡± Kelly interrupted, still smiling.


    ¡°¡­Yes and no,¡± Brian answered carefully. What is it with me stepping into verbal minefields with girls all the time?


    ¡°Interesting. Why yes? No wait, that¡¯s obvious. Why no?¡± Kelly laughed, obviously not having expected a quick answer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you geeky types supposed to suddenly like, spaz out when you¡¯re confronted with these kind of things? So you wanna fuck us, both of us. But you¡¯re not gonna try to. Because you¡¯re just out of this long, awful relationship and you need to sort everything out first. That about sum things up?¡±


    ¡°Whatever, sure. I guess you¡¯ve got the gist of it, then,¡± Brian chuckled, rolling his eyes. The hell, Kell? Ease up on me a little bit. ¡°You gonna let this all drop now, satisfied that I¡¯m not gonna put the moves on you two?¡±


    ¡°¡­You clearly don¡¯t know much about what satisfies women,¡± Kelly retorted.


    ¡°No arguments there, my girlfriend left me recently,¡± Brian nodded in agreement, giving her a bitter smile. ¡°Why¡¯s this always keep coming back to me, anyways? Kelly, you¡¯re like, fixated on my issues. What about your issues?¡±


    ¡°Um, well I don¡¯t think that he doesn¡¯t know, uh, that¡­¡± Stephanie fussed, dropping her fork. ¡°I think he, that he knows enough about satis¡ª¡±


    ¡°What about my issues?¡± Kelly¡¯s smile faltered the tiniest bit, and she quickly made a face instead. She set aside the breakfast carton and crossed the room towards him in challenge.


    ¡°Well, weren¡¯t you saying something about wanting to be at the con to¡­ uh, get your life back on track, or something?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± she laughed abruptly, rolling her eyes. ¡°Back on track. That¡¯s a laugh. It was never on track, and there never was a track. I¡¯ve always been lost in space.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    ¡°The same thing Steph wants, and the same thing you want. We all came to AnimeCon for the same reason¡ª¡± Kelly said, leaning in seductively and lifting her chin to whisper into Brian¡¯s ear, ¡°¡ªto have a good time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    But she held up a finger, motioning that she wasn¡¯t done speaking yet, and he leaned back from her as if about to step back a pace.


    ¡°What, is there some problem with me touching you?¡± Kelly asked, pointedly poking his chest with that fingertip and leaving it there.


    ¡°Well, I mean why would you touch me? What do you get out of it?¡± Brian retorted nervously, stepping back.


    ¡°What do I get out of it? Whatever I want,¡± she answered smartly, tracing her fingertips lightly down his chest.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, cut it out. I¡¯m all sweaty,¡± Brian protested, retreating another step. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m gonna take my shower. If you guys wanna start getting ready to hit the conv¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yeah, you kinda are,¡± Kelly admitted, raising her fingers to her face as if she was about to sniff them. ¡°Go take your shower, then¡­ or, do you wanna shower together? Need any help, uh, washing up?¡± Kelly offered.


    ¡°I can never tell if you¡¯re hitting on me,¡± Brian chuckled uneasily, grabbing one of his bags to take into the bathroom with him, ¡°or just fucking with me.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s it gotta be just one or other?¡± Kelly countered with a teasing smile.


    ¡°You were kinda like that last night, too,¡± Brian remembered, hesitating in the bathroom door. A twisted piece of lingerie was laying in the threshold, and he gingerly nudged it aside with his shoe, pretending not to notice. ¡°And I still don¡¯t get why. Half the time, it¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to¡­ set me up with Steph, or something. It doesn¡¯t really even seem like you¡¯re into me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be into you.¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°I want you to be into me, if you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure that I do,¡± Brian said after a slight pause, cocking an eyebrow at her before closing the bathroom door between them. Or even which would be worse; that you¡¯re careless with these joke euphemisms of yours right in front of Steph¡­ or the implication that you only flirt with me to appease your own ego.


    Finally alone, he set his costume bag on the toilet lid, and then used the toe of one shoe upon the heel of the other to step out of them, kicking them into the corner of the tiny bathroom. It had only taken Kelly a tiny bit of prodding to throw him completely off-balance this time. These girls¡­ Christ, I¡¯ve even kissed them. I kissed both of them last night. I mean, the one was only for a dare, but still¡­ His sweaty shirt came off, revealing the nicely defined musculature of his abs, and then his gym shorts and boxers joined them in a wrinkled pile as he stepped into the tub. After letting bath water pour into his hand for a few moments, he pulled the faucet diverter and sent a refreshing warm spray streaming down upon him from above.


    Those cute whimpering moans Steph made when I went down on her¡­ he remembered, swallowing. She¡¯d wanted it, needed it, her body had been practically begging him for it. The sight of that perfect pussy, the smell of it, the taste of her, feeling Stephanie wriggle, feeling her respond to every movement of his tongue, those sexy little tremors that rippled throughout her body at his touch¡­


    It¡¯d be normal to jack off now, right? Some part of his mind argued. Stephanie¡­ played with herself in here last night, it¡¯s practically EXPECTED that I¡¯m going to. Within the shower, Brian found himself faced with a growing dilemma. An urgent dilemma, that filled his hand¡ªswollen to the biggest erection he felt he¡¯d ever had, and continued to jerk insistently for attention. Thinking of Stephanie did nothing to help his situation, and remembering that climax of their truth or dare game made his cock surge, throbbing even larger to fill his hand.


    Whoa, I need to calm way down. Can I really duck right in here and masturbate without feeling like some kind of gross pervert? He wondered, gripping himself firmly but not stroking. Am I¡­ bigger than normal?


    Like all guys, he¡¯d measured his dick once, but after learning his length was just about exactly average, he¡¯d lost interest, and it had never occurred to him to check again. Today he felt positively enormous, and even his balls felt heavily-laden, still filled with that pent-up ache he¡¯d been stifling all night.


    Absolutely fucking disgusting, he imagined Chloe¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What am I even doing,¡± Brian muttered to himself, and dropped his hand to his side, disappointed with himself. With a sigh he closed his eyes and simply let the steaming water batter down upon him. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and experiences.


    What am I going to do about Chloe? Brian wondered, frowning. Maybe we DO need to talk, whether there¡¯s any real resolution there or not.


    Chloe had been his second serious relationship, and his first time living with anyone since escaping his household at eighteen. Besides Emily, Chloe had been the only one he¡¯d ever tried actually opening up to about domestic violence or being abused. With her interest in personal rights and social activism, it had in fact been one of the early rapports of their relationship. When she¡¯d entered into the social justice paradigm and started defining him as a privileged male, seeing him in a new, strangely biased light¡­ it had hurt.


    She should know me better than anyone else in the world, Brian sighed. On the one hand, maybe her judgement really did get skewed with all the gender politics stuff, but on the other hand, if I can¡¯t trust her judgement of me, then who CAN I trust?


    His friends Mike and Will had joked that he was pussy-whipped, that too long under Chloe¡¯s thumb was turning him into a beaten man, but Brian didn¡¯t care about that. He¡¯d have proudly become her doormat if that¡¯s what it took to really win her back, to demonstrate to her that he was nothing like other men¡ªlike the men she despised. But nothing seemed to help. There was something within him she seemed to see that inspired her distrust and loathing, some hidden aspect of misogyny ingrained in him that he couldn¡¯t pinpoint and excise from himself no matter how much he deliberated. Every conversation seemed to devolve into an argument, no matter how carefully he chose his words.


    Yeah, of course she wants to talk now. Brian¡¯s way of dealing with his problems was to give them time and patience, allow his wounds to heal. It should come as no surprise that Chloe had her own baggage to sort out in the aftermath of a breakup, and would want to do so in the way she knew best¡ªby taking it out on him.


    Really don¡¯t know if I can handle Chloe venting on me right now, though, Brian thought bleakly. He didn¡¯t want all the bitter frustrations with her he¡¯d been shoving down and bottling up to explode out, because they¡¯d been repressed for far too long, and they were bound to be pretty ugly. A lot of feelings and moments down there he didn¡¯t ever want dredged back up or articulated into words. Too many things that I don¡¯t ever want to say in a heated argument, words I¡¯d regret, things I¡¯d never be able to take back. I¡¯m better than that, right?


    Realizing that his penis hung down now, finally flaccid and forgotten, Brian let out a heavy sigh, reached for the thin bar of hotel soap, and started to scrub away the accumulated sweat he¡¯d worked up from his run. It doesn¡¯t matter. Not like I¡¯m having sex this weekend anyways.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t easy at all to stop thinking about it.


    Chloe¡¯s been a cunt to you, he seemed to recall Emily¡¯s chipper voice saying to him. And I hope you get yourself laid at the con, just to spite her.


    Of course, there was no way she actually meant that. She was just trying to be supportive. After all, isn¡¯t Chloe her friend, too?


    What he¡¯d done last night with Stephanie hadn¡¯t been appropriate, not in the context of them simply playing a game, at least. But Kelly urging them on, that strange compulsion to prove himself to them, imagining fear and self-doubt grappling at Stephanie if he¡¯d refused after she¡¯d gone so far, after exposing herself¡­ And more than anything else, he¡¯d simply really wanted to. The sight of her spreading her legs for him, revealing that blushing pussy, obviously soaked with how turned on she was¡­


    Brian¡¯s dick twitched threateningly, and Brian grabbed it again as though it were rebelling out of his control. Yeah, it was amazing. But was it really the right thing to do?


    At least I did a fair job, he decided. Parts of him had fallen into the routine as if he were servicing Chloe, but other parts had been reveling in discovering every little difference. Stephanie¡¯s thighs are that perfect kind of plush thickness that I could just bury my face in forever¡­ I wonder what it¡¯d be like from other positions? Maybe getting her on her knees atop the bed, bending her over from behind¡­


    The sessions with Chloe always seemed to begin with her sitting on his face and grinding, a fairly uncomfortable ordeal. She had been less than considerate, and moreover, determined to try to get off without any of his help. Thankfully, she was never able to orgasm from that alone, merely working herself up into a frustrated frenzy before getting up off of him and grudgingly spreading her legs with a whatever, get it over with then, I guess.


    In their first months trying things out, Chloe had generally been stiff and unresponsive. She very rarely wanted actual intercourse, as she found it humiliating, leaving Brian unsure as to why she seemed to want him going down on her so often instead. Is it one of those gender culture things, some power trip playing out in her head? he¡¯d wondered¡ªuntil the day he¡¯d finally learned to coax that first gasp out of her. He even remembered stopping to give Chloe a look of surprise, and nearly getting kicked in the face for it.


    That¡¯s where the real battle had always been. Chloe had seemed intent on him failing to please her, which of course only served to spur him on¡ªsimply knowing that she couldn¡¯t get off on her own, that she needed him, was a satisfying enough turn-on, his own small victory. Rather than feeling deterred by her attitude, he became that much more determined to put in more effort, to learn every trick of the tongue that could transform the stalwart feminist into a frothing mess.


    Of course, going all out on like that on Stephanie may have been¡­ a bit much. He¡¯d heard it was impossible for girls to get off their first time, so he¡¯d used every ounce of his accumulated experience and control¡ªexcept this time, his partner wasn¡¯t resisting him at every turn. I think I really did get her off, though. That¡¯s something, right?


    No, no. I let myself come way too close to¡­ going too far last night. Almost said FUCK IT and went all the way, almost did something I can¡¯t undo or take back. He¡¯d only ever slept with two different girls in his life, and neither had been virgins. Deflowering a girl was a frightening prospect to him¡ªthe weight of that action, the impact it would have on her, the fact that it would hurt her when her hymen was torn and that she would bleed¡ªBrian imagined it was something like being punched in the nose during your first kiss. What a way to remember the experience.


    Really don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for any of that, Brian thought, no matter how much I may think I want it. He wasn¡¯t adjusted for a new relationship yet, too many parts of him were still calibrated to the treatment he received¡ªand had even come to expect under Chloe¡¯s yoke.


    That¡¯s what this weekend¡¯s for, isn¡¯t it? he imagined Kelly¡¯s voice purring in his ear. Relax, let loose. Have some fun. DECOMPRESS a little. It¡¯s okay to be a little selfish, especially now, right?


    It-it¡¯s not going to RELAX you if it¡¯s, um, if it¡¯s making you feel uncomfortable, though, right? Another familiar imagined voice countered. So don¡¯t ah, don¡¯t push yourself too much. Please.


    If I let THAT pair of girls start dictating what I¡¯m gonna do, then I¡¯ll really be in trouble, he mused, a small smile forming. He couldn¡¯t help but think back to walking in on them kissing; that had been a huge surprise. Kelly¡¯s up to something weird, or maybe they both are?


    Shaking his head in amusement at the thoughts, Brian clawed a palmful of shampoo into his scalp, realizing that he¡¯d already been in the shower for way too long. These two girls staying with him were probably already wondering what he was up to.

 Deal with the Devil

    He¡¯s masturbating in there, for sure, Kelly decided with a smirk. No matter how aloof and unconcerned he wants to pretend to be, he had Steph cumming all over that handsome face of his last night. He¡¯s beating off while daydreaming ¡®bout burying his face in that little pink twat of hers again. Or fantasizing about fucking her. Maybe fucking both of us? Either way, those tile walls are gonna be plastered with cum. What a shame¡­ but there¡¯s no lock on the door, maybe we could just¡ª


    ¡°Kelly? Can we talk again?¡± Stephanie asked timidly, setting aside her breakfast carton and staring down at her fidgeting feet. ¡°About that, um, is that¡­ the deal still up for¡­? I don¡¯t think we can, um, that it will be as easy to¡­ plan things, now that his friends will be staying here tonight. What, um, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°The deal was; you help alleviate my frustration,¡± Kelly said. ¡°And in return I stick around, and help¡­ arrange things, so that he can¡¯t hold back his feelings anymore. Right?¡± And then we all fuck.


    ¡°Is that all, um, is it even still possible?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Kelly answered easily, tapping her lip, and her thoughtful expression slowly sharpened into a stunning smile. Piece of cake.


    ¡°But, while I have ¡®til his friends arrive today to make magic happen, you¡¯ve only got ¡®til he gets outta the shower to prove yourself¡­ to show me that you¡¯re really willin¡¯ to help me, to put in a little bit of effort on your own.¡±


    ¡°B-but, we, um, we¡­ that kiss, I thought that it¡­¡± Stephanie protested weakly.


    ¡°That was my kiss, how the hell would that count as you putting in effort?¡± Kelly exclaimed indignantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s, uh¡­ okay, that¡¯s fair. But, the um, the deal. Wh-what will you, I mean, um, how will you, uh, do the making the magic happen¡­ part, now?¡± Stephanie asked cautiously.


    ¡°By being a world-class sneaky bitch. I¡¯ll coach you in what you¡¯ve gotta do, and I¡¯ll lead the conversations around and set you up for them. Get him all riled up, reckless, and y¡¯know, aggressive¡­ and maybe I¡¯ll play a little dirty, if I have to,¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°But all of that¡¯s my problem. All you need to worry about is helpin¡¯ satisfy me before Brian finishes up in there. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯re up for it? Guys don¡¯t take real long showers, ya know?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Stephanie wavered, furrowing her brows. ¡°I¡¯ll try? I can try? What can¡ªwhat can I do?¡±


    ¡°I guess that depends,¡± Kelly remarked, taking a seat beside Stephanie on the bed. I like this. Maybe this is what Steph really needed here, a little sense of urgency to really kick her ass into gear. ¡°Just how far are you willing to go? You wanna try fingering me?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m, that¡¯s, uh, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Stephanie protested weakly, avoiding eye contact and shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. ¡°This is, this is hard for me. It really is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Kelly said, slipping her arms around the other girl and pulling her into an awkward hug. That¡¯s what makes it so much fun. ¡°But, y¡¯know, you¡¯re our brave little cuppycake who¡¯ll keep impressing us, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Do you want to just be this brief memory Brian had while he was at the con?¡± Kelly asked, dropping her voice to a provocative whisper. The girl leaned in so closely that her every word, the every movement of her lips traced lightly against Stephanie¡¯s neck. ¡°A name and a face, a little moment that¡­ came and went in his life before he moved on with things and got into his next relationship?


    ¡°Or¡­ do you wanna make a lasting impression on him? Do you want to be on his mind all the time, do you want him to be keeping in touch with you, texting you when he just needs to talk, calling you when he can¡¯t stand to not hear your voice? Maybe needing to meet up, to hang out, maybe more¡­? Maybe things he has to express to you, feelings he doesn¡¯t have words for, things that he can only show you with your bodies? You¡¯ve gotta take these chances¡ªno, these opportunities, whenever you can, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ªyou¡¯re really scary sometimes,¡± Stephanie breathed, shivering and giving Kelly a hesitant look as she straightened her glasses.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Kelly sighed in exasperation, giving the pink-haired girl a playful swat. ¡°You and Brian can both be so rude sometimes. I¡¯m clearly just trying to help you guys out.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just, you¡¯re doing it again, I¡ªI feel like y-you want something more, and you¡¯re, I don¡¯t know¡­ leading me into this, somehow?¡± Stephanie said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to come off as, um, ungrateful, or sus-suspicious, it¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong,¡± Kelly admitted, and she bounced up off the bed to stand right in front of the shy girl. She unbuttoned her own jeans with a wicked smile and slowly tugged the short zipper down to reveal nothing behind it but a triangle of smooth, pale skin. ¡°So, tell you what. I¡¯m gonna start masturbating, right now. Not even gonna expect you to do all the, um, heavy lifting.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re, you¡¯re what?¡± Still perched on the end of the bed, Stephanie watched dumbly as Kelly tugged her jeans down further to reveal her naked sex.


    ¡°All you really have to do is give me a li¡¯l affection,¡± Kelly suggested, pulling her pants the rest of the way down her legs and standing boldly in front of Stephanie. The startled girl blinked for a moment at the bare muff right in front of her before quickly looking away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy,¡± Kelly insisted, grinning. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to do much. Like I said before, I can get myself close to the edge¡­ when I¡¯m real close, just gimme a little push, y¡¯know, help send me off to heaven.


    Kelly sat beside her again on the end of the bed, bottom half completely naked, and slowly spread her legs. The motion felt fluid, she could feel the sensation of her snatch already oozing with wetness before even letting a finger delve within. Fucking finally, a tiny bit of relief¡­


    ¡°Well? Say something. Being super generous with my terms, here,¡± Kelly remarked with an air of indifference. ¡°Not askin¡¯ for you to go all lesbian love-slave on me, I just want you to try things out a little, see if you might like it. And if you can¡¯t do it after all, hey, no hard feelings.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just forget the deal, then, and I¡¯ll keep fingering myself like this here ¡¯till Brian gets out of that shower. Maybe he¡¯ll find it in himself to¡­ assist me instead. It¡¯d be a shame if you got left outta the loop while me and Brian go at it like animals in heat, but you can always just watch like you did last night¡ªmight be all kinds of educational.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that evil thing you do again,¡± Stephanie mumbled nervously. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well, j-just start doing what you¡¯re going to do.¡±


    That evil thing I do, huh? I like that, Kelly thought. She was starting to see this cute little geek as more than just someone she loved toying with, to see her as an actual friend. Well, don¡¯t blame me if you choke up and get sidelined when I pull this guy right out from under you.


    Kelly exhaled sharply as she began, diddling her fingertips playfully across her slippery lips. It felt fantastic, and she hadn¡¯t even slid inside for real yet. She tickled at her entrance much in the way she¡¯d play a random, meaningless ditty across the keys of the band¡¯s keyboard back in the day¡ªjust to hear the noise it made. She was certainly making some noise now, even if only to tease Stephanie, a series of clearly audible sounds that testified to just how sopping wet she was down there.


    ¡°Whoa, god,¡± Kelly breathed, raising her hand in disbelief for long enough to catch a glimpse of sticky strands clinging to her fingers. When have I ever been this wet before? Red began to filter into the dark sky inside her mind. She jammed her hand back down, pushing her middle and ring finger inside herself all the way to the knuckle. Her mouth fell open, her eyes went vacant, and her head swayed as though caught in a breeze. ¡°Hh¡ªwhoaah, fuck.¡±


    Why does this feel so good, though? Is this what it¡¯s like when you let yourself get good and frustrated first? Kelly wondered as she started frigging herself into a daze. Is this one o¡¯ those ¡®hunger is the best spice¡¯ things I never bought into, ¡®cause I¡¯ve never had enough patience? Because fuck-k-k! Red light slowly filled the horizon within her head like the inevitable approach of a sunrise, and she squirmed beneath her own hammering hand, two fingers squelching in and out of her as fast as she could manage. She started jerking her hips into the motion as well, trembling with need.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Steph,¡± Kelly called in a harsh whisper, glaring towards Stephanie.


    ¡°Y-you said that when you get close, then I¡ª¡± Stephanie stammered out as quietly as she could, frozen in place at the sight of Kelly¡¯s furious masturbation and blushing furiously.


    ¡°Fuck what I said, touch me,¡± Kelly demanded, pausing to take an unsteady breath, biting down on her lip and then pumping her fingers once again in a steady rhythm. The noises were almost loud enough to overtake the steady sound of the shower running on the other side of the bathroom door.


    ¡°Wh-where do you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just fucking touch me,¡± Kelly insisted, squeezing her eyes shut and letting her head fall back as she concentrated on fingering herself into a constant state of frenzy. It seemed like she¡¯d barely gotten started, but somehow she was already¡ªOh fuck, I¡¯m already this close?


    For a moment she blithely wondered whether spending all night frustrated and horny out of her mind had her body primed somehow. No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense, that¡¯s not¡­ The red tinge seeping across her consciousness was spreading with each second she finger-fucked herself. Brightening, even, as if at any moment that blinding sliver of sun would appear¡ªwhen she felt a pair of hands gently cupping her breasts through the thin fabric of her top.


    ¡°Hh-harder,¡± Kelly encouraged, eyes fluttering open but not quite seeing the pink-haired girl. ¡°Fucking harder. Pull me, squeeze me, or s-somethin¡¯. Fuh-fuckin¡¯¡ªhh-harder. Hit me.¡± The last vestiges of chilly bitterness she¡¯d accumulated overnight towards Brian and Stephanie evaporated as color and light filled the skies within her head.


    Red sky at night, s-sailor¡¯s delight, Kelly thought to herself in a daze of delirium. Reh¡ªred and sky in morning, sailors take warning¡ª?! An old rhyme had incomprehensibly popped into her head, and she had no time to care why. Stephanie had taken the stark shapes of Kelly¡¯s nipples, which were already practically popping out through her tank top, and pinched¡ªhard.


    ¡°Hhholy fuck,¡± Kelly mewled in surprise, writhing and shuddering.


    ¡°S-sorry! I¡¯m so so sorry! I just thought¡ª¡± Stephanie apologized, withdrawing quickly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡ªhahh, well don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ stop-p-p,¡± Kelly cried, almost too tired to ram her fingers anymore and instead starting to trace them up back and forth her slippery slit towards her clitoral hood. She felt Stephanie upon her shaking tits again, clumsily grabbing, groping and squeezing the prodigious shapes of her pair of melons. It felt great, and each shivering sensation seemed to light her up inside, to inch those rays of morning light closer towards dawn¡­ but Kelly¡¯s patience had run out and her frustration had reached its peak; she needed more than hesitant fumblings right now. I know you¡¯re tryin¡¯, Steph, but that¡¯s just not gonna cut it¡ª


    Then she felt Stephanie¡¯s incredibly soft lips on the side of her neck, a tongue sliding saliva along as the shy girl puckered and nibbled a wet swath up the slope of pale skin towards her ear.


    Oh, shit, Kelly thought in alarm, and her misgivings twinkled out in an instant, like distant stars disappearing from sight at the onset of daybreak. She really WAS paying attention to what I showed her last night, that feels f-fuckin¡¯ heavenly¡­! The delicate hands that had been mauling her chest now drew across them with purpose, turning their attention back to the vulnerable protrusions jutting out for attention.


    ¡°Keep¡ªkeep going,¡± Kelly urged. ¡°H-harder.¡± Everything felt too slick, and there was no time to be careful or deliberate with her actions now; she sought out the tiny nub of her clit and then squashed down upon it hard, rolled it beneath her middle fingertip frantically. She tensed, trembled, and caught a single glimmer of the rising¡­ pink? Sun, before the impossibly bright light liquefied all of the thoughts in her head in a flashing red haze of radiation.


    ¡°Hh-ahh-hhhahh¡ªhaaAAaahh,¡± Kelly panted out, and fell back in a sprawl on the bed, nearly insensate to the room and everything around her. Several long moments passed, the dark-haired girl¡¯s chest rising and falling with difficulty, before she realized she¡¯d pulled Stephanie down on top of her.


    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Stephanie squeaked out, her entire face flushed. ¡°That, uh, was that, is that all¡­ um, a normal¡­? Do you always, uh, are you always so¡­ rough?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ hm hmm hm hah ha ha, am I okay, she asks.¡± Kelly responded, rolling her eyes. ¡°Fuck, I wish that was normal. S¡¯never that easy. No. No, that was fuckin¡¯ amazing, is what it was. I think I started, like, hallucinating colors and shit. How¡¯s my hair?¡±


    ¡°Your¡­hair?¡± Stephanie echoed in confusion, taking a glance. ¡°Your hair¡¯s fine?¡±


    ¡°I mean, the color, the red,¡± Kelly clarified, letting a satisfied laugh slip out. ¡°Did the red bits, like, grow out more or¡­ spread or anythin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Um, no, they¡¯re, they look the same as they did, to me,¡± Stephanie observed, gingerly running her fingers through the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Guess it¡¯s gotta be Brian¡¯s magic touch then, right?¡±


    ¡°M-maybe?¡± Stephanie said, slipping off the bed and straightening her clothes self-consciously. ¡°Um, if it¡¯s okay to ask, did you, uhh¡­ was it¡­strange? Like¡­ you know, good strange? Like when we kiss Brian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, definitely,¡± Kelly nodded. ¡°Like, so good that it¡¯s fuckin¡¯ dangerous. Was I noisy?¡±


    ¡°You were kinda¡­ a little loud,¡± Stephanie bashfully informed her. ¡°But, was it¡­ was it enough? To, uh, to count for our¡­ deal? Will you stay with us? Please?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I dunno,¡± Kelly grinned, slipping her fingers back down between her legs. ¡°I¡¯m just so hard to satisfy. The more ya give me, the more I¡¯ll want, ya know? How ¡¯bout you ditch those pajamas and we try out a few more things?¡±


    As if on cue, the sound of the shower running within the bathroom fell silent, and Kelly arched an eyebrow at her suggestively, displaying a wolfish smile.


    ¡°Kelly,¡± Stephanie hissed out in a whisper. ¡°I, ah, I d-did the best I could? We¡ªwe¡¯ve got to get you dressed, he could be out any minute. Wh-what are you going to do? Is our deal¡­?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that much,¡± Kelly pouted playfully. ¡°Just, c¡¯mon¡­ touch me a little bit, down there. Please? Then I¡¯ll get dressed and be a good li¡¯l girl today. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Touch you¡­ down there?¡± Stephanie repeated numbly, staring. Kelly traced a hand along her thigh again, opening her legs to reveal her labia, still flushed red from the attention it had received and smeared slick with her arousal.


    ¡°Just a little, it¡¯s not gonna hurt anything, or make things weird, I swear,¡± Kelly pleaded teasingly. ¡°You can¡ªAhh!¡± She broke off in surprise as she suddenly felt Stephanie¡¯s fingertips at her slippery folds, inhaling sharply and quivering gently as red-hot sparks seemed to fizzle across her brain for a moment. Fuck me, she really¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s it, jussst like that,¡± Kelly cooed, shuddering. ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m still all sensitive from¡­ that¡¯s, that¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not so bad,¡± Stephanie said in a stiff voice.


    ¡°Not so bad? Jeez, you don¡¯t have to make it sound¡ªooahhh,¡± Kelly¡¯s husky voice was cut off as the other girl¡¯s fingers tightened down with a wet sound and one of those delicate fingertips slid slowly up along those rosy lips.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t believe I just did that,¡± Stephanie said in a tiny voice, quickly withdrawing her hand and staring distantly at her fingers. ¡°Th-that any of that even happened, really. Uh, I can¡¯t believe that I actually¡­ helped you with your, your¡ªum, helped you¡ªyour frustration. Everything¡¯s gotten so¡­ weird.¡±


    ¡°Well, good weird, or¡­ bad weird?¡± Kelly asked cautiously, cupping herself down there and struggling to sit up straight again.


    ¡°Just¡­ weird. I don¡¯t know,¡± Stephanie answered honestly, shaking her head and letting out a helpless laugh.


    ¡°Do you wanna make out?¡± Kelly asked, looking at the girl with dusky eyes. ¡°Not, you know, for the deal or anything, but just¡­ if you want to?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie uttered, staring back at her for a long moment. ¡°Okay. But, you¡ªyou have to get dressed first.¡±


    ¡°D¡¯you mind popping into the bathroom real quick to get a hand-towel from Brian for me?¡± Kelly teased. ¡°The door doesn¡¯t lock¡­ just go right in. Look, I just want to wipe up a bit.¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t you ever get, ah, embarrassed, when it¡¯s with these kind of¡­ things?¡± Stephanie asked, perplexed. ¡°Be serious.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a lame dork,¡± Kelly groaned, poking the girl¡¯s cheek. ¡°What, walking in on him gettin¡¯ dressed doesn¡¯t interest you at all? Afraid of seeing his schlong, or are you afraid something might happen? Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stephanie shook her head stubbornly. ¡°T-tonight, o-or-or, um, or later today, m-maybe. Doing that, doing, ah, things, with th-the three of us is¡­ well, maybe if I even, if I even actually can do that, it needs to be, um¡­ I don¡¯t want to miss anything, any of this convention with him, even if it¡¯s, uh, I know it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a date, or anything, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Kelly sighed, heaving up off the bed and digging through her purse for a sanitary wipe. ¡°Gimme the box, then.¡± Well, I did get more out of her than I thought I would. Maybe she really thought I¡¯d¡¯ve actually bailed on them? Playing up the whole FRUSTRATION thing was brilliant. Makin¡¯ her watch, hell, MAKING HER HELP, turned out to be way fuckin¡¯ hotter than when I played with myself in the shower last night. Wonder what I can coax her into doing next?


    Shuffling back over, Stephanie presented Kelly with the packing box that contained the Calamity Queen gothic lolita set, all while studiously avoiding any accidental glimpse of Kelly¡¯s half-nude figure.


    ¡°Okay, uh¡­ well, huh,¡± Kelly muttered, pulling piece after piece of the gothic lolita outfit out of the box and laying them out upon the bed. ¡°There¡¯s like, a buncha extra bits in here. Has a dress, and then a skirt, and then these goofy little shorts, too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s a petticoat, and those are bloomers,¡± Stephanie chimed, making her way over. Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but pick up the dress off the bed and look at it in admiration.¡°You wear them both beneath the dress, and they, um, give the dress more volume, bring it out away from your body in a¡­ kind of a bell shape.¡±


    ¡°Nice, huh?¡± Kelly prompted.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Stephanie breathed. ¡°I thought it might be, um, cheaply made, but this lace is expensive,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Cotton thread, and there¡¯s no real base netting¡­ and the floral arrangement is gorgeous. H-how much did this outfit cost?¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever. Where are we starting? Kelly laughed. ¡°Seriously, though, how do I put all of this on?¡±


    ¡°N-normal clothes off,¡± Stephanie instructed. ¡°Your tank top, I mean. Ex-except, underwear, please. Put on some real underwear. It¡¯s Brian¡¯s costume, so you can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Che,¡± Kelly tsked. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Crossing over to her purse, she withdrew the pair of g-string panties and began untangling them.


    ¡°Do you, um,¡± Stephanie began, seemingly mesmerized by that tiny bit of string, ¡°did you even bring a bra to the convention?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Kelly denied, turning her bottom provocatively towards Stephanie as she squirmed and wiggled the panties up to their tightest fit¡ªintent on teaching the girl just why the G-string was so often thought of as floss. ¡°Last time I took a bra out for a weekend excursion like this, I never found it again afterwards. And those fuckers are expensive. Why, you got anything I can borrow in a C-cup?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, um, I¡¯m¡ªuh, no. I don¡¯t,¡± Stephanie answered, turning away bashfully as Kelly pulled her tank top up and off.


    ¡°Wouldja quit pretending to be shy? Your hands were like, all over these puppies a few minutes ago. Just looking¡¯s not gonna make you any gayer than you already are,¡± Kelly laughed, hefting those full, round shapes for emphasis before letting them fall freely on naked display.


    ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m not gay,¡± Stephanie protested.


    ¡°Your call,¡± Kelly shrugged, stepping over to the bathroom door.


    ¡°Brian? You alright, or do I need to send Steph in there to check on you?¡± Kelly called, rapping her knuckles against the bathroom door. The sound of running water had stopped some time ago, but still Brian had yet to emerge. Leaning in closer, she could faintly discern rustling sounds from within.


    ¡°Out in a minute,¡± a muffled voice responded. ¡°Gettin¡¯ my costume on¡­ these belt snaps aren¡¯t lining up at all like I remember they were supposed to. Maybe something got twisted¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ ¡®kay,¡± Kelly acknowledged, and sent a curious glance towards his small pile of things beside the bed. Getting his costume on? Isn¡¯t his Lance jacket and everything over there still?


    ¡°Wh-what if he¡¯d come out right then?!¡± Stephanie asked in a hushed whisper, glaring at the girl¡¯s exposed breasts for emphasis.


    ¡°I know, it was worth a shot, right?¡± Kelly winked, neatly catching the pair of gothic lolita bloomers Stephanie tossed at her.


    ¡°Ugh, I really have to wear this thing, too?¡± As Kelly held that black pair of bloomers in her hands, she couldn¡¯t help but give Stephanie a dubious look. She sighed and shook her head, stepping into them and pulling them up her legs.


    Well, at least they¡¯re comfy. Unable to resist, she immediately bounced over towards the mirror to see how she looked in them.


    ¡°Ah, hold on, it¡¯s not¡ªthey¡¯re not done,¡± Stephanie admonished lightly, pointing towards the dangling ribbons. The pink-haired cutie knelt down beside her and pulled these drawstrings tight, cinching the brief bloomer legs snug about her thighs and giving the undergarments their distinctive bubbled shape.


    Strange. Kelly had been sure this thing would look ridiculous on her, but¡­ weren¡¯t these actually pretty cute? There was an exaggerated fluffy puffiness to them¡ªher silhouette would probably look as though she was wearing a pumpkin over her hips¡ªbut rather than simply seeming silly, they gave her a sense of charming femininity. They were adorable; while the underwear wasn¡¯t revealing in the slightest, these bows and ruffles were clearly meant to be appreciated, which somehow made them feel coy rather than prudish. As Stephanie tied her ribbons off into neat little bows, Kelly felt like she¡¯d become a present to be unwrapped. Maybe in a couple hours?


    ¡°Now the petticoat,¡± Stephanie instructed, holding up the garment that looked like a skirt.


    ¡°Christ, what the hell kinda sewing sorcery is this?¡±


    ¡°It is very nice,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°These two bottom tiers are pleated, but th-there¡¯s pintucks¡ªah, you see, they¡¯re these tiny little bands of folded fabric¡ªall across each of the pleats. And, ah, between each of the folds up here at the bands, the bows they made, they¡¯re sewn shut b-but not simply separate pieces sewn on, ribbon actually was laced through. For something that uh, that won¡¯t even be seen when it¡¯s worn, this is all very excess¡ªum, extravagant.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, it won¡¯t be seen?¡± Kelly raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I said, the, the petticoat goes on over the bloomers, and then the dress will go on over the petticoat,¡± Stephanie explained patiently.


    Maybe the designers just expected someone to be there to appreciate each little state of undress? Kelly wondered as she stepped into the petticoat, a grin tugging at the corner of her lip. Taking a step back from the mirror so that she could see more of herself, Kelly was impressed, fluffing the petticoat¡¯s folds gently with her hands. ¡°Wow. Definitely a lot more volume than I¡¯m used to.¡±


    Then, the masterpiece came on¡ªthe dress. Okay, no, THIS thing is the piece of sewing sorcery. It was a stygian shade of black, and the love and care that had been put into the design of the bloomers and petticoat¡­ here on the dress itself reached a level of obsession. The garment was the perfect wedding of funeral dress and bridal gown; a marriage of somber severity and elegant exuberance, intertwined not seamlessly, but rather with every seam lovingly tailored to draw out and complement these details. The hem was a stunning flowery composition of eyelet lace, making it difficult to tell where the fabric ended and that embroidered lace began.


    The accessories were equally impressive¡ªthat same intricate bouquet pattern evident in the lace of the dress wrapped about the black stockings Stephanie slipped up her legs, and had also been hand-tooled into the supple leather of the corset. Despite feeling her breaths fall shorter at the tightness as Stephanie carefully laced her into the bodice, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but admire the phenomenal shape it gave her. How much DID Brian actually spend on this? Sliding her lace-stocking fitted feet into the rather simple pair of glossy black mary janes, Stephanie buckled the footwear for her and the outfit was complete.


    ¡°Kelly¡­ Kelly, oh my God,¡± Stephanie exclaimed, adjusting her glasses before stepping further back for a better look. ¡°You look amazing.¡±


    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but agree. She¡¯d been mocking the costumes and outfits yesterday at the convention, but this Noblesse Oblique gothic lolita outfit wasn¡¯t anything even she could poke fun at. It was gorgeous, and it exuded a macabre gracefulness that seemed to magnify Kelly¡¯s own unique charm. There was a strange, powerful thrill at seeing herself dolled up in it, a sense of significance, an air of gravitas that left a startling impression.


    There had been times yesterday when she¡¯d felt a little like a goddess striding among the various geeks at the convention; now she felt a whole lot more like one, by several orders of magnitude. She felt like she¡¯d be able to stop passersby in their tracks with a mere look, like she could make someone break into a cold sweat with her casual glance.


    Horrifyingly beautiful¡­ with just a touch of malicious magnificence, she thought, and unleashed a haunting, evil smile.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Stephanie repeated, a silly expression on her face. ¡°Kelly, that looks so good on you. I, I really mean it. You look incredible.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Kelly said seriously, exhaling and finally pulling her gaze away from her reflection to face Stephanie. ¡°Now pull the chair up here to the mirror. I¡¯m gonna do our makeup, we¡¯re gonna look like fuckin¡¯ goddesses, and we¡¯re gonna go fuckin¡¯ rock this convention.¡±

 Get Ready

    By the time Brian finally stepped out of the bathroom, the girls were just finishing up. He actually managed to startle them, as he was now dressed from head-to-toe in an unfamiliar new costume. Most of the outfit was a simple black bodysuit upon which simple white skeleton bones were patterned on, while he wore a helmet resembling a stylized skull that hid his entire face¡ªthe eye sockets filled in with a black fabric mesh he could presumably still see out of. He wore a pair of stout white gloves with loose, open wrists, a matching pair of boots, and a white pair of wrestling briefs were worn beneath a utility belt filled with pouches. There was an ever-so-slight bulge in his briefs, but it wasn¡¯t the tell-tale outline of genitalia. Fucker¡¯s got a cup or something on. Clever.


    ¡°Whoa, nice! Really, you look amazing,¡± Brian said, nodding his skull helmet in admiration at Kelly¡¯s attire. The girls both still seemed speechless at his sudden new appearance. ¡°The gothic lolita look was perfect for you, Kelly, definitely. You look great.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ thanks. What are you supposed to be?¡± Kelly asked, staring incredulously at his strange getup. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna be Lance again today?¡±


    ¡°You recognized that I was Lance?¡± Brian remarked, tilting his skull helm. ¡°You didn¡¯t strike me as an old-school Fantasy Wars player.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly quickly scowled and shook her head in denial. ¡°Yeah right, no way. I think one of you must have mentioned the name. Right? Anyways, who¡¯re you supposed to be now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t recognize it?¡± Brian guessed, looking from Kelly to Stephanie and receiving only blank looks. ¡°I¡¯m a Darkmask, from Hero Hero Haruki. They¡¯re the expendable-minion sorta guys for one of the super-villains. In a manga where most characters are jumping several stories and squashing tanks with bare-handed punches, the Darkmasks are pretty much just ordinary guys dressed up like evil henchmen, though.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so¡­ why cosplay as one of them?¡±


    ¡°Well, they won¡¯t seem cool ¡®till you¡¯ve read the comic,¡± Brian admitted, removing the helmet and running a hand through his hair. ¡°It¡¯s a comedy series, for the most part. Action comedy. In the beginning of the series you see Darkmasks everywhere throughout the city, kinda mixed in with the ordinary citizens.


    ¡°Like, you¡¯ll see a Darkmask dressed just like this, but also wearing a wig and pushing a stroller, with a little baby Darkmask in it. Or a Darkmask in a convenience store wearin¡¯ a clerk¡¯s uniform apron, and nobody bats an eye. Nobody except for the protagonist Haruki, who¡¯s always kinda freaked out that no one else seems to notice them¡ªbut he assumes it¡¯s just part of the whole weird hero craze.


    ¡°I figured it¡¯d be a great joke cosplay, like people would want to get shots of me, like, mixed in a background of normal people as if no one was noticing me. I¡¯m gonna be the ¡®casual shopper¡¯ Darkmask, I¡¯ll carry around this bag,¡± Brian explained, hefting up a plastic grocery bag. Several cup ramen packages were inside, along with a cabbage, and the slender stalk of a leek was sticking out the top. ¡°I got this blank bag, and even stencilled on the logo of the fake convenience store brand from the manga¡­ you guys stopped listening, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°N-no, it sounds really interesting!¡± Stephanie laughed, smiling at him. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame, that ah, that you have to cover your face for this cosplay, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s really good otherwise, though. You look really cool.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uh, cute seeing you geek out,¡± Kelly tried, giving him a strange look. ¡°Let me get this straight, though, you¡¯re an ordinary person, dressing up as a bad guy henchman character¡­ who¡¯s in turn poorly disguised as an ordinary person shopping? I feel like a lot of people aren¡¯t going to get it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the people who read Hero Hero Haruki will love it,¡± Stephanie defended. ¡°I¡¯m a little jealous. I, uh, only made one costume, the Flamituff dress. I don¡¯t know if I should wear it again today, sin-since I wore it yesterday already.¡±


    ¡°Cons¡¯re always more fun when you¡¯re in costume, for me, at least,¡± Brian said. ¡°I¡¯d say go ahead and wear it again, it looks really cute on you.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Stephanie responded bashfully, bursting forth again with a beaming smile. ¡°Thank you. I think I will, then.¡±


    Watching the lovestruck girl scamper to pull her bag into the bathroom to change, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but grin as well. Just wait¡¯ll you see how cute it¡¯s gonna look comin¡¯ off of her¡­


    ¡°Totally don¡¯t wanna¡­ impose or anything,¡± Kelly coughed, ¡°But what are your, like, convention plans for the day? Do you have a set plan, specific things you¡¯re gonna go to, things like that? Wasn¡¯t sure if you needed some space to go off and do your own thing, or if it was cool if we kinda tagged along, or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, my ¡®plan¡¯ this weekend was to wander around, all alone, being miserable and feeling sorry for myself,¡± Brian said seriously, regarding her for a solemn moment before his lopsided grin surfaced. He spun the helmet in his hands between his fingers like a basketball before effortlessly slipping it back up onto his head in one smooth motion.


    ¡°But that¡¯s already totally fallen through, so I guess that means we¡¯re on plan B now, then,¡± he laughed, slightly muffled from within his helmet.


    Sure seems like he¡¯s in a much better mood since he came out of the shower, Kelly observed ruefully. What¡¯d he do, spurt out gallons of semen in there?


    ¡°Sounds good, what¡¯s plan B, then?¡± Kelly asked, giving him a wide grin. ¡­Besides the morning-after birth control Steph and I might need after tonight?


    ¡°No idea,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m excited again to be goin¡¯ around the convention this time. You guys, you really saved me. So in return, I want to show you both a really good time today. I feel like we¡¯re gonna have a blast today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly murmured, and that rare genuine smile of hers appeared again, a refreshing red moonbeam breaking through a dark sky of difficult to discern cloud cover.


    There was substance to that undisguised good will in his voice, honest appreciation that made her heart skip a beat. There were dozens of raunchy comebacks she could¡¯ve even used, but all of them ducked away and slipped out of her weakly grasping thoughts. She tried to collect herself, but found herself unable to erase that weird, alien feeling within her. Ah¡­ fuck. Am I starting to get sentimental, now? Felt like he touched a¡­ soft spot there, or somethin¡¯.


    ¡°Well, you do still owe me the rest of that massage,¡± Kelly reminded him, easing her expression back into a teasing mask and immediately feeling more grounded. ¡°You said last night you¡¯d¡­ finish it, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know if you could handle that,¡± Brian countered, cocking his helmet at her daringly.


    ¡°Wanna try me?¡± Kelly challenged, stepping closer¡ªbut all she was getting back from him was the blank stare of that stupid skull helmet. Damnit, he¡¯s so much harder to bully now that I can¡¯t read his face.


    ¡°Maybe, but should I even bother?¡± Brian¡¯s muffled voice answered. ¡°I mean, that was gonna be in exchange for telling us why you were here at the con¡­ and you didn¡¯t really give us much of an answer, remember?¡±


    ¡°I did so,¡± Kelly spat, playfully slapping at his chest, but let her hand linger there afterward. Fuck, no reaction there, either? What gives? Wasn¡¯t he all flinching away from me right before his shower?


    ¡°Eh, it was weak, though. Weak answers¡¯ll only get weak massages,¡± Brian gave a helpless shrug.


    ¡°I even told you again this morning,¡± Kelly insisted, dropping her voice to a low purr. ¡°I¡¯m just here to¡­ have a good time, you know? Although, if you really want, we can, ya know, get into it again¡­ after you finish that massage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be boring,¡± Brian chuckled, undaunted. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do both at once? I¡¯ll coax all the answers right outta you, the dreaded Darkmask interrogation ten-fingers torture technique.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I like the sound of that,¡± Kelly brightened, smirking at him and bringing her other hand up to his chest. Ten fingers, huh? ¡°Got anything to tie me up with?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just have Steph pin you down?¡±


    ¡°Sounds perfect,¡± Kelly laughed, and she could feel her cheeks warming. ¡°You really do know how to get a girl excited after all. Wanna just hold off on going over to the convention? I mean, it is still so early¡­¡± The thought of Stephanie earnestly and eagerly nibbling up her neck alone was enough to make her shiver. Imagining that girl¡¯s slender fingers along with Brian¡¯s domineering hands, each roaming rampant across her, every nubile contour of her body pulled and positioned and played with, until every inch of her flesh just aching for release¡­ Yep, I¡¯m wet already. Fuck me.


    ¡°Well, there was a few things I still wanted to hit up today. There¡¯s a Hero Hero Haruki cosplay meetup planned around noon¡­ probably a couple Darkmask photoshoots, and then a bunch of random shenanigans. Then I¡¯ll need to stop by and wish my buddy Mark luck before his Mana tournament, too. Everything else on the menu is, you know, shopping, and taking some pictures and everything¡­ don¡¯t you think a massage is better after a long day on your feet?¡±


    ¡°Tch, yeah I guess,¡± Kelly pouted. ¡°How long did you normally spend at the con, with your group or whatever?¡±


    ¡°Normally it was kinda just me making sure Chloe got to all the panels she wanted to see, trying to keep Emily from molesting anyone or embarrassing herself, hitting the big events like the costume and AMV contests¡­ you know, going with the flow. Today, I guess it¡¯ll mostly be whatever you girls wanna do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, what if we want to do you?¡±


    C¡¯mon, that¡¯s a pretty good one to think up on the spot. She wanted to get a rise out of him, some kind of decent reaction, but she couldn¡¯t see his expression at all behind that damned goofy skull helmet. She found herself watching in disbelief as he comically pantomimed shock in slow motion by wordlessly tilting his helmet and placing his gloved hands on the skull cheeks.


    ¡°¡­.Pffft,¡± she finally laughed, unable to contain herself. ¡°You¡¯re such a¡­ such a¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m ready!¡± Stephanie announced, rabbit ears bobbing as she wobbled out of the bathroom enclosure. She was still tugging one of her thigh-high pink boots the rest of the way up, bouncing with energy and excited for the day at the convention.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Brian confirmed, patting the row of pouches sewn onto his utility belt. ¡°Have my room key, I¡¯ve got my phone and wallet, got some snack bars. And my con badge, o¡¯course. Does everyone have their badges?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Stephanie affirmed.


    ¡°Uh, shit,¡± Kelly muttered, crossing the room in a swish of extravagant black skirt to pull her badge lanyard off the dresser. ¡°Should I leave my purse here? It doesn¡¯t exactly look lolita.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you can leave it,¡± Brian¡¯s skull helm nodded. ¡°If you have anything you need to bring along, I¡¯ve still got empty pouches here on my belt.¡±


    ¡°Cool, thanks,¡± Kelly said, a devious grin appearing. ¡°Here.¡± Twirling, she began passing him items out of her purse, one by one. Her phone, and then a travel-sized tube of personal lubricant. Three condom packets, still connected¡ª, Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of them, and the girl turned away to retrieve something from her own bag¡ªand finally, a crumpled and heavily weathered twenty-dollar bill.


    ¡°That should be everything we¡­uh, that is, everything I need,¡± Kelly reported sweetly.


    Again without saying a word, Brian shook his helmet in exaggerated exasperation and threw up his hands in resignation.


    ¡°Wait, d¡¯you not need your little accessory¡­ thing, this time?¡± Kelly asked, picking up a small wooden token, a charm bound at the edges with white and red thread. Turning it over curiously in her fingers, she found that some Japanese symbols were carved into one side. Something about it seems¡­


    ¡°Oh, right, can¡¯t forget the charm,¡± Brian chuckled, accepting it from her. ¡°Emily¡¯d be asking why the hell I wasn¡¯t wearing it.¡±


    ¡°You wear a good luck charm?¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the superstitious type.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good luck charm, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Brian began.


    ¡°¡ªit¡¯s a harem charm,¡± Stephanie finished for him, watching intently as he fastened it to his convention lanyard around his wrist and tucked it into his glove. ¡°And it¡¯s, um¡­ it¡¯s working?¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah, right,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Are we all ready to head across the street to the con?¡±


    The fuck¡¯s a harem charm? Kelly wondered, but didn¡¯t bother asking. Wasn¡¯t that the little pin he had yesterday?


    ¡°O-okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Stephanie declared.


    Alright, this is actually pretty cool, Kelly decided, looking on in appreciation as the Darkmask minion led the rabbit-eared girl in the cute dress out the door of their hotel room. She followed a half-pace behind them like an angelic shadow, dressed to the nines in the overly elaborate Calamity Queen set. We have our own little crew, and we all look fuckin¡¯ badass.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Kelly hopped forward and pulled Stephanie back into the doorway to playfully whisper in her ear. ¡°Our deal, I forgot to really ask you the details. You said that you want Brian to like, not be able to hold back his feelings for you, right? So how do you want them? When the time comes, do you want his feelings, like, deep inside of you, or is it okay if he just spurts them out all over your pretty li¡¯l face?¡±

 Out of the Blue

    ¡°No. No way,¡± Emily hissed through gritted teeth, glaring hatefully at the cell phone gripped in her trembling hand. It was a struggle not to hurl it at her bedroom wall. ¡°No fucking way.¡±


    Emily was short, standing five feet tall despite constant claims at being five foot one¡ªand, to her frustration, had a slight frame that seemed scrawny rather than sexy. Even at twenty-three years old, her breasts were still just teacup-sized mounds, too small to form cleavage or even fill her tragic little bra. Her messy hair was worn in a tousled long pixie-cut, dark bangs falling down across her cheek.


    On her phone¡¯s display, an almost unrecognizable girl in a Magical Doll Himari cosplay was exaggerating a cute victory pose. Emily stared long and hard at the bright, chipper-looking young woman in the photo before accepting that it was, actually, in fact¡­ Chloe. It was an admission that wrenched her insides into an angry knot. Chloe¡ªyou heinous bitch!


    Miss-Anne-Dree:


    ? at animecon figuring things out!! remember that each and every day is full of blessings!!! love you all!!! ?


    #cosplaycutie #excited #imsuchanerd #animecon #magicaldollhimari #relationship


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡±


    ¡°Emily. Inside voices only, please,¡± her mother called out from the living room. ¡°Are you almost ready to head out to work?¡±


    Chloe¡¯s at the convention. She¡¯s at. The fucking. Convention! She wasn¡¯t gonna go, because HE would be there. We even made her give back her goddamned badge! Emily fumed, before taking a deep breath and slowly deliberating. How¡¯d she even fucking get there?


    But, whatever. There she is¡­ at the convention anyways, somehow. With a new cosplay she¡¯s never shown anybody. That she¡¯s only posting on her stupid secret account. She tapped on the photo in annoyance, and then pressed and spread her fingertips across the display, enlarging the picture for closer scrutiny.


    ¡°Emily?¡± her mother asked again. ¡°Am I not dropping you off, then? Didn¡¯t you trade someone for a morning shift so that you could be off for tonight?¡±


    I don¡¯t see either of those con badges anywhere on her, Emily observed, slowly lowering her phone and exhaling, trying to contain the fury threatening to bubble out. ¡­Might mean Brian still has both of them? Maybe he hasn¡¯t run afoul of her just yet?


    ¡°Emily?¡±


    ¡°Change of plans,¡± Emily declared in a resolute voice, reaching behind herself to untie her pocketed server apron. ¡°Mom! I need the car.¡±


    ¡°Hun¡­ I have rehearsals to run all weekend, I couldn¡¯t lend you the car even if I wanted to¡ªwhich, really, I don¡¯t. What¡¯s going on with your morning shift?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I quit. I quit for real this time,¡± Emily responded. She wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned about her job¡ªwith its lousy customers and even lousier tips, she¡¯d been looking for an excuse to quit for weeks. She tossed her apron across her unmade bed and untucked her collared work blouse. ¡°Something big¡¯s come up.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± The rest of her mother¡¯s protest went unheard as Emily paced restlessly back and forth amid her messy room, scrolling through the rest of Chloe¡¯s recent posts.


    Magical doll Himari? Really? REALLY? And of course, no one but me knows, Emily realized with a scowl.


    Last year at AnimeCon, Emily had, by chance, caught a glimpse of Chloe taking some uncharacteristically¡­ sultry selfie shots. Chloe had been all gussied up in her Hera Victoria cosplay, but she¡¯d unbuttoned the dress shirt within her pantsuit to tease an alarming amount of cleavage, pursed her lips into a pout, and even fluttered bedroom eyes at her phone for dozens of pictures. Considering the condescending, prim and proper image Chloe maintained, such un-Chloe-like conduct was utterly baffling. Behavior so blatantly out-of-character that it was sure to make big waves among their community of friends.


    Only¡ªnone of those pictures ever seemed to surface anywhere. Everyone seemed none the wiser regarding Chloe¡¯s apparent lapse in disposition. That snotty girl¡¯s Nibbler account, Chloe-Ravioli, was just that normal reblogging of radical feminist articles and social activist rhetoric.


    ¡°Does CHLOE take sexy pictures? Emily¡­ are you high?¡± A few innocuous questions dancing around the issue had revealed that even Brian was still in the dark. None of them had any idea.


    After all, who would¡¯ve had the bitter tenacity to carefully browse through thousands of different selfies in the recent Nibbler feeds in search of that familiar Hera Victoria getup? Who could have possibly happened to finally find those pouty shots of Chloe, posted instead under an alias account, Miss-Anne-Dree? There, Emily found a gamut of downright sleazy cosplay and lingerie shots, subtly seductive smiles and attention-grabbing attire that had built Chloe an impressive base of nearly fifty thousand followers.


    Although resisting the urge to expose Chloe for an outrageous hypocrite was a challenge, Emily¡¯s patience was constantly rewarded with more and more sexual snapshots into this secret slice of Chloe¡¯s life; more potential ammunition to use against her. What she really hoped was for Chloe to carelessly prove somehow that she was cheating on Brian. Something more than just risque, something decisive enough to really fuck the relationship over for good. Then, Emily could gleefully pile up all the evidence in front of Brian. But, suddenly getting a big ol¡¯ heads up on what Chloe¡¯s up to right now? That¡¯s fine, too.


    She pulled up Brian on her phone, but then hesitated, her thumb hovering over the call icon. Better not. He¡¯ll be able to tell I¡¯m upset¡­ and I don¡¯t know how the hell I¡¯m supposed to answer when he asks why. Instead, she tabbed over to their messenger thread. Back in the day, they¡¯d messaged each other almost all the time, but over the recent months, conversation had flagged. His responses had become few and far between, and so Emily had reluctantly stopped bothering him.


    Well, this is an emergency, Emily thought, biting her lip. Maybe. Besides, it¡¯s not weird. I just called him last night. Or maybe that MAKES it weird? Ah, whatever¡­ fuck it.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: hey brian


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: u up n runnin?


    ¡°Emily? ¡­Are you alright?¡± Her mother called over.


    ¡°Not really?¡± Emily let out a helpless laugh, tossing her phone towards her bedspread and storming out of her room to make her way towards their large, somewhat cluttered living room. The lighting in there was muted and comfy, a flat-screen hung above their fireplace and a long wrap-around couch hugged the corners of the room.


    ¡°Mom, I have somewhere I really need to be, right away¡­ I really need the car.¡± Her spirit sank once again at the sight of her mother, Mrs. Rivera, sitting cozy on the couch with a book. They shared remarkably similar features¡ªthe same tiny nose, lips that looked like they were made for trouble, and large, expressive eyes. But, unlike Emily¡¯s figure, which could be summed up politely with petite, or little, her mom possessed ample assets¡ªa bust and behind that were the stuff of hopes and dreams. In fact, just how many hopes and dreams are crammed in there?!


    Throughout her childhood she¡¯d idolized her own beautiful mother¡­ right up until Emily hit puberty. Then she realized that her well-proportioned mother had apparently gotten stingy with passing on all those good genes. Her mom being a stunning, gorgeous woman always made Emily feel that, at best, she would only ever be just a cute knock-off imitation.


    It was infuriating. Of course, Mrs. Rivera wasn¡¯t just some simple, unassuming housewife who was also unusually, even outrageously good-looking. She¡¯d had a small acting career before settling down to teach, and magazine advertisements she¡¯d modeled for in the past were still framed throughout their hallway.


    ¡°Is this about that boy?¡± her mother asked, and that all-too-familiar knowing smile spread across her lovely face once again.


    ¡°Very funny, ¡®that boy,¡¯ huh. You don¡¯t have a clue what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Emily snapped, inexplicably irritable and defensive.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± her mother said without looking up from her page, calmly taking a sip from her coffee. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve told me everything.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you anything, ever. I never tell you anything. And you don¡¯t ever know anything, either! You just act like you do,¡± Emily retorted in vexation. ¡°Just like you¡¯re not even a real teacher¡ªyou just act like one¡ªyou¡¯re the drama teacher, for crying out loud.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s theater department director, not drama teacher,¡± Mrs. Rivera corrected, rolling her eyes. She lowered her book and flashed her daughter a glamorous smile. ¡°And the way you¡¯re acting has told me everything, li¡¯l lady. There is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe¡ªeven your way of standing perfectly still¡ªthese were all my spies! My love, you only ever get this worked up over that boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be preparing for your rehearsals?¡± Emily growled through clenched teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you have, like, equipment to check, stuff to prepare, or, uh¡­ things to do? Work?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, I do¡­ but it¡¯s Saturday morning, hun. And I¡¯ve got a good book!¡± her mother pouted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who should be getting ready for work? Didn¡¯t you beg and plead with that poor Karen girl to switch you her morning hours? And now, all of the sudden, you¡¯re quitting? What¡¯s she going to do now, work both shifts?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s, uh, she doesn¡¯t claim all of her tips,¡± Emily tried weakly. ¡°Bad things were coming her way. Karma. I¡¯m just sayin¡¯. Puh-leeease can I borrow the car?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already have this all planned out? I was going to drop you off at work, and after your shift Rebecca was going to pick you up from there?¡±


    ¡°Okay, well yeah, I was about to call her,¡± Emily admitted reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s just, she works ¡®till six. That¡¯s like, the entire day. It¡¯ll be too late by then!¡±


    ¡°What will be too late?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡± Emily cried in exasperation, not daring to explain further. Her mom was so perceptive sometimes that it was scary.


    ¡°¡­Try calling Rebecca,¡± Mrs. Rivera suggested, shaking her head and returning her attention to her novel.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I need the car, right now. More than I¡¯ve ever needed anything in my entire life!¡± Emily stamped her foot in a cute, exaggerated manner.


    ¡°My, doesn¡¯t that sound desperate? Which is exactly why you¡¯re going to wait for Rebecca to drive you. That girl has a good head on her shoulders, and she¡¯ll keep you out of trouble. I mean¡­ as much as anyone ever can.¡±


    Emily opened her mouth to angrily retort, but nothing came out. She instead pursed her lips and whirled away, unbuttoning and angrily kicking her way out of her work slacks. Her uniform blouse followed, flung onto the tile of the corridor, and Emily stomped into her room, unconcerned with the trail of discarded clothing she left behind.


    C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon¡­ answer me, Brian. She strode her way through heaps of laundry, piles of comic books, and the discarded packaging from anime figurines to hop up onto her bed so she could check her phone.


    There was this sense of urgency she just couldn¡¯t shake, as if tiny blue bubbles were insistently working their way up her body towards this growing pressure she felt. This uncomfortable, unsettling feeling of impending crisis, as though her life was rapidly approaching some sort of pivotal turning point. She couldn¡¯t even pinpoint what, exactly, was agitating her so much; it wasn¡¯t just the Chloe thing that was bothering her. That whole situation just felt like it was forcing her to act before she was ready. But what am I even DOING? Am I going to¡ªah, fuck, he¡¯s finally replying.


    Oberon: Run is done.


    Oberon: Whats up?


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: uhhhhh


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: just kinda checkin in on u


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: lol


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: u doin ok?


    Oberon: Im not a little kid ya know.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: yeah well


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: im alloud to worry bout you


    Oberon: You definitely are a loud, lol.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: *allowd


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: geez


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: lol


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: so ur ok?


    Oberon: Yep. We are heading back over to the con now.


    WE? Him and¡­ Chloe?! Am I already too fucking late? Emily stared at his words, stunned, and felt her blood turn to ice water. She frantically thumbed letters into her digital keypad.


    whos we? r u back with chloe


    She almost even hit send before realizing how awkward and insensitive it was. Swearing loudly, she hurriedly tapped the backspace key before sending her response.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: whos we?


    Oberon: Didnt I tell you last night?


    Oberon: Ive got all these girls with me.


    Emily snorted, feeling the frigid tension in her veins start to melt away, and she fell back onto her bed with an exasperated exhalation. Brian, I love your little jokes, but no. Just no. You seriously ¡®bout gave me a heart attack this time!


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: yea ok bro


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: have fun


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: have fun


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: me n rebeca will b there


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: soon as we can


    Oberon: KK. Call me when youre close,


    Oberon: So I can meet you guys somewhere.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: kk


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: thx


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: bai


    Okay. He hasn¡¯t run into Chloe. Obviously. We¡¯re fine. We¡¯re still fine. Let¡¯s try Rebecca, now¡­ Shady Oaks, Shady Oaks, Emily nervously swiped her way through the contacts in her phone for a moment before finding the correct entry and making a call.


    ¡°Hello, could I speak to a Rebecca Smith? She works in the¡ªOh? Oh, um, okay. Then, if you could leave a message for me? Please tell her that Emily Rivera called, that it¡¯s an emergency, and¡­ if she could get back to me as soon as possible, I¡¯d, uh, I¡¯d really appreciate it. Yes, well, thank you. Uh, yeah. Thank you. Bye.¡±


    Ugh, if she can¡¯t get off work, I¡¯m getting nowhere! Emily pitching her phone into her pillow in frustration. ¡­What the hell did Chloe even mean with ¡®hashtag relationship?!¡¯ Is she there for him, or isn¡¯t she? Am I overreacting?


    Hope he¡¯s doing okay, she thought, beginning to gather up all of her scattered costume bits so she could try everything on again. Until she was satisfied with the way every single piece fit together, the ¡®improvements¡¯ she¡¯d made to her cosplay since last year were only theoretical.


    Some detached part of her blithely wondered just why she was so anxious, so hung up on this¡­ situation? Whatever this was, this thing that seemed to be looming now over her friend Brian. After all, that¡¯s all we are still, right? Good friends? Close friends? Some more of those tiny little bubbles wriggled their way up her entire body towards her brain, where they surfaced in a fizzing blue foam of half-forgotten memories and deeply buried secrets.

 Nine Years Ago

    Nine years ago


    Directly after her father¡¯s funeral, Emily found herself riding in a battered red jeep driven by a near-total stranger. The girl at the wheel was in her late teens, a very pretty hispanic girl introduced to her at the funeral wake only as her cousin¡ªSamantha. She¡¯d never met any of that side of her family before, because of some unspoken taboo rift, or feud, or something equally dumb, and everything about this situation was making her uncomfortable.


    This older girl seemed to abhor silence, as she kept both the windows down and the radio up, so every spoken word was a yell over the music and the roar of wind. The jeep smelled like cigarette smoke and beer, Samantha dressed in revealing clothing, and overall seemed to be situated on the opposite end of the teenage social stratum. Far enough apart from Emily to make her feel uneasy.


    Of all the people her family could have picked to have the talk with her about grief and loss and opening up about her feelings, Samantha may have been the worst choice. Emily didn¡¯t particularly feel any bond with some distant cousin, no matter how close their ages were. She felt no compunction to be nice or polite. Not now.


    She saw no problem with shutting everyone out and being in no mood to chit-chat for the next few months. Maybe years. Isn¡¯t that normal when your Dad dies? Can¡¯t you all just fucking leave me be?


    For most of Emily¡¯s life, her father had just been this roguish handsome guy who loved fast cars and shamelessly flirted with her mother. Her parents never officially divorced, but they¡¯d been separated for longer than she could remember. Despite that, there was no apparent enmity between them; her mother always seemed to brush off his charming nonsense with good humor.


    And now he¡¯s just¡­ gone? Forever?


    It had been a fatal wreck¡ªthey surmised he¡¯d been driving over the speed limit out on a particular winding rural road. He¡¯d been forced to suddenly swerve, likely to avoid hitting an animal, and lost control. The state troopers had followed black streaks of rubber across the pavement to a crumpled gap in the guardrail to find her father¡¯s ¡®71 Pantera wrapped around a tree at the bottom of the embankment.


    Having picked up on her recent obsession with anime, her Dad had always gone out of his way to find amazing anime movies, ones she¡¯d never even heard of, for her. She wasn¡¯t able to visit him often, but whenever she spent time over at his apartment, new ones were waiting. They¡¯d watch them together, and then he¡¯d take her out for dinner somewhere to talk about it, valiantly weathering on through her relentless barrage of enthusiasm with a proud smile.


    And now he¡¯s gone. Bitter sadness and helpless anger struggled inside her at a deadlock, but the sheer sense of loss finally won out. Despite only seeing him now and then, living in a world without her dad felt off, wrong somehow. This just isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to be. It¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s not. It¡¯s just not!


    ¡°Heard you¡¯re goin¡¯ to Truliet in a few months here? You¡¯re what, thirteen?¡± Samantha yelled, her dark ponytail whipping about in the wind. Truliet was purportedly the high school for snobby rich kids, and Emily would swear she heard disdain in the voice of everyone who¡¯d mentioned its name.


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Emily grunted. ¡°All my friends are going to San Michaels. I don¡¯t want to go to Truliet, but my Mom¡¯s enrolling me anyways, ¡®cause she works there.¡±


    ¡°I knew some kids from Truliet,¡± Samantha said loudly, glancing over at her attire. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have a rough time if you go in there wearin¡¯, like¡­ that Japanime cartoon crap on your shirts. Up there in Truliet, they¡¯re gonna fuck with you for that. S¡¯all status and hierarchy and shit, like, way more than a normal high school.¡±


    Emily looked down at her top, emblazoned with an action spread of characters from Shinobi Souls. She shrugged, making a bitter face. ¡°Dad bought it for me.¡± Watching the show used to be our thing together, alright? He always called me his little ninja. This is my favorite shirt. So just stop. Please. Stop. You¡¯re just making it worse.


    ¡°Ahhh, shit,¡± Samantha cursed, nodding thoughtfully and smiling. ¡°Well yeah, alright. You got a kid sister, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Katie,¡± Emily called over the noise. ¡°She¡¯s eleven.¡±


    ¡°Katie, huh. I¡¯ll remember that. Katie,¡± Samantha said to herself, and pulled the wheel, making another turn. Emily was increasingly sure that they weren¡¯t actually driving to somewhere, and that this cousin of hers was simply cruising around aimlessly so that they could have their talk. Emily wanted it to be over already.


    Finally, Samantha seemed to relent somewhat. She shut off the radio, and then rolled up the windows, creating a prolonged silence that somehow seemed even worse. Shopping centers and outlet malls rolled by without a sound.


    ¡°Alright, here we go. I¡¯m gonna talk at you for a while,¡± Samantha said with some difficulty, keeping her eyes on the road. ¡°You don¡¯t gotta say anything¡­ and it¡¯s gonna be a little weird, but like, I gotta tell you this, ¡®cause I don¡¯t think anyone else can, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Emily agreed with a sigh, already familiar with the I know what you¡¯re going through rhetoric she was surely about to hear.


    ¡°So¡­ yeah, well a few years back I was snoopin¡¯ around in my Mom¡¯s closet¡ªthat¡¯s Aunt Rachel to you¡ªand I found a buncha porno. Not like, video tapes, or magazines, or that kinda shit. I mean, like¡­ photos. Home-made photos, buncha polaroids, you get my drift?¡±


    Uh¡­ what. Emily blanched, crossing her arms and giving the girl in the driver¡¯s seat a mortified look.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, right?¡± Samantha laughed. ¡°So, worst of all, Mom was in them. I like, freaked out. She was like, makin¡¯ out with this other girl in some of them, and they were both gettin¡ªwell, uh, there was a guy too, and you can, ahem, you can probably guess all of that, right? They were crazy. Turned my whole world-view like, upside-down. That¡¯s when I really like, broke out on my own and got all independent.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­?¡± Emily mumbled.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing,¡± Samantha said slowly. ¡°My Mom¡ªagain, Aunt Rachel to you¡ªhas this meltdown a few days ago, and drags me to this funeral today, for some part of the family I¡¯ve never met. Lo and behold, I see some¡­ familiar faces? Same ones from those polaroids.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± It took Emily a long, confused moment to realize what Samantha was actually implying. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Samantha chuckled. ¡°Your dad that passed away, my Mom, and her sister¡ªyour Mom, they were, uh¡­ all a thing together. A sex thing? Apparently. And that isn¡¯t even really the half of it.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Emily said, staring blankly. She was stunned, more than stunned. It was like she understood what this girl was saying¡ª knew what her words meant, but actual recognition just wasn¡¯t hitting her yet. Mom, Dad, and¡­ this Aunt Rachel?


    ¡°Yes way,¡± Samantha insisted. ¡°I guess back in the day, before whatever weird split or feud or whatever they had, your dad was¡ªuh, well, known for being the lucky guy to land not just one of the Garcia sisters, but both of ¡®em. Like, in a relationship. Both at the same time, like, he was goin¡¯ everywhere with a girl on each arm and shit.¡±


    ¡°Can I see the photos?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°I was gonna bring some of the less, uh, raunchy ones, so that you¡¯d believe me, but Mom¡¯s been holed up in her room all week,¡± Samantha explained. ¡°Can¡¯t exactly ask to pull her private shit outta her closet right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°¡®Oh?¡¯That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got? I mean, c¡¯mon, whaddya really think about all of this?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s dumb,¡± Emily said in a detached voice.


    ¡°Dumb? You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no, it¡¯s not that. Would explain the weird stupid family situation¡­ I guess. That¡¯s what¡¯s dumb. We¡¯re all family,¡± Emily muttered, uncrossing her arms and looking out the window with an aggravated expression. This strange news was just making her even more aware of her father¡¯s sudden absence from her life. ¡°Right? We should have known about each other. All of us could¡¯ve been together.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh. Well, that¡¯s like, polygamy?¡± Samantha said, choosing her words carefully. ¡°From what I¡¯ve figured, they were thinkin¡¯ about us, so that us kids could have, y¡¯know¡ªsomewhat normal lives. Modern society¡¯s not real accepting of multiple wives, and well, weird stuff that¡¯s kinda like incest?¡±


    ¡°Since when has what society thinks ever been more important than family?¡± Emily asked in a flat voice. ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡±


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s good, I like that. Fuck what everyone else thinks, right? I¡¯m the same way. And also¡ªit¡¯s like, I always wanted a little sister, you know? We¡¯re only five years apart, I just thought it¡¯d be cool. You seem like this cheeky brat, but like, you could be my bratty little sister. I like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a brat, though.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Well, listen. I never grabbed any photos at the time, ¡®cause I was like, all weirded out, but I did snatch this.¡± Samantha leaned over across Emily to pop open the glove compartment of her jeep, pulling a strange wooden slat out from beneath what looked suspiciously like a glass pipe and a bag of weed. ¡°Here, check it out.¡±


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Emily began, innocently flicking her eyes away from the drug paraphernalia as the glove box was closed again, and finally took at look at the object Samantha was handing her. ¡°¡­What is this?¡±


    ¡°S¡¯a little oriental charm, like for good luck, health and prosperity and all that,¡± Samantha explained. ¡°This one, though, this was in my Mom¡¯s little shoebox o¡¯ treasures with those polaroids and everything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s neat,¡± Emily said, turning it over in her hands. ¡°Why¡¯d you grab this, of all things?¡±


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Samantha answered honestly. ¡°Just sorta spoke to me, I guess. I¡¯m not superstitious or nothin¡¯, but since it was with all that other weird stuff, it seems more¡­ like it was, y¡¯know, important, or significant or somethin¡¯. Had it hanging there from my rear-view mirror, right up ¡®till the funeral. Kiiinda don¡¯t wanna risk Mom randomly recognizing it now and really flipping out on me. So, I want you to have it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Emily asked. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna¡­ put it back where you found it?¡±


    ¡°Too late for that,¡± Samantha snorted. ¡°She sure as hell went through all her little mementos soon as she heard the news. Fuck me, right? Had it just dangling out in the open there for forever. Damned lucky she never noticed it, that would not have been a fun conversation. I mean, she¡¯s never in here, ¡®cause she hates my driving, but still.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s really cool,¡± Emily said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No sweat, little sistah,¡± Samantha laughed.


    ¡°Wait, what if my Mom recognizes it?¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t go wavin¡¯ it around in her face,¡± Samantha said. ¡°Anyone asks, then¡­ I dunno, make up a story.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll say you got it from a shrine in Japan,¡± Emily felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.


    ¡°Japan? Yeah, like I¡¯ve been overseas. You know I went to San Michaels, right?¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine then. I¡¯ll tell everyone you got it from a vending machine.¡±


    ¡°Listen, do you gotta go into explainin¡¯ details to people at all? Or bringing me into it?¡±


    How can I NOT be bitter about this? Emily thought as she first stepped inside her morning class at Truliet. Sure, she hadn¡¯t expected big posters with bright colors and cartoon frogs and kittens to be plastered everywhere like in middle school¡ªbut glancing around her classroom now, the only papers decorating the walls were uninteresting notices. Reminders, rules. Everything just seemed so bleak, bland and austere.


    Her fellow students were arguably worse. Hardly anyone was making an effort to socialize, and it was all carefully styled appearances and posturing, putting on airs to make a ¡®cool¡¯ impression the first day of high school. All of the other girls in her grade level seemed to have sprouted up tall and blossomed into nubile young adults, graceful and mature, while Emily felt stunted in comparison, like puberty had given up before finishing the job.


    She was short, she had boyish hips, and wearing her stupid bra at all felt like open deceit. Emily was already the miserable little punk who thought figuring out what to do with her hair was too much of a chore, and never applied more makeup than just some quick eyeliner. She¡¯d simply worn her favorite clothes¡ªjeans with holes in the knees and that gray Shinobi Souls T-shirt. It was comfy, and featured an action spread of the main characters leaping forward from the backdrop of an exploding blood splatter. As it turned out, however, wearing it was a mistake.


    ¡°Sooo, you must really be into that Japanime, huh? You¡¯ve got your little ninjas on your shirt?¡± a tall blonde asked as they milled about inside the classroom, waiting for the first bell. Well, all the girls here were taller than her, so with an internal grumble Emily instead decided to simply classify this one as the stuck-uppest looking one.


    ¡°They¡¯re shinobi, actually¡­ Ever heard of Shinobi Souls?¡± Emily countered, not deigning to explain further. Japanime, seriously? Why are you talking to me?


    ¡°Nope,¡± Stuck-Uppest responded curtly. Her tone suggested that Emily had sealed her own fate for even admitting the name of an anime.


    ¡°So, you think you¡¯re some kind of shinny-obi, huh?¡± the tall blonde girl using the purposefully mocking mispronunciation was already exchanging glances with the others. She was loud enough for everyone to hear, and it was increasingly clear the only reason she¡¯d stooped so low as to speak to Emily at all was to clarify the classroom pecking order. To open a topic of conversation with the others, or rather, a topic of derision¡ªit was Emily, of course, and there was nothing she could do about it.


    Really? I think I¡¯m a shinobi¡­ because of a T-shirt I¡¯m wearing? Because that¡¯s so logical. Does that guy over there in the jersey think he¡¯s a pro football player? Guess being the loner geek must just make me quite the ice-breaker around these parts. Easy pickings, at least.


    ¡°¡­Yep,¡± Emily finally said in a dry tone, rolling her eyes. ¡°Sure do.¡± The damage was already done. She was bound to hear the other classmates, eager to fit in, talking down to her throughout the semester already. Why wouldn¡¯t they? Stuck-Uppest was sociable and attractive. She¡¯d quickly moved on and found some other people to talk to, strategically giggling and chatting easily with a small group of guys¡ªand Emily? She was just the awkward little runt.


    When the class began, their tired old man of a teacher outlined his expectations for them in the course in a bored, droning voice. His words were immediately evaporating out of Emily¡¯s head, and she could only grimace at the thought of enduring a year of all of this. Not only was there assigned seating, but Emily was shunted to the very back corner of the class, next to the wall. It would have been that stereotypical anime protagonist seat¡ªback of the class, next to the window¡ªbut this classroom was deep within the interior of the school complex, so there weren¡¯t any windows. It was safer to say that Emily¡¯s desk was hidden back in the corner by the cabinets.


    Worse yet, the girl sitting right in front of her was Stuck-uppest; apparently her real name was Lauren. Neither were happy with their arrangement, although, in Lauren¡¯s case, she just wanted to be placed in a more social position than against a wall. The uppity blonde seemed to light up when a cute guy was assigned next to her, however, which made Emily glower. Everyone near her now was tall. So, not only was she relegated off into this corner, but she couldn¡¯t even really see past these Truliet cretins.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Lauren,¡± Stuck-Uppest introduced herself, presenting a winning smile to her cute new neighbor, a guy with short brown hair.


    ¡°Brian,¡± the guy offered, before giving her an uneasy smile. ¡°Hey, uh, you got a pencil and paper I could borrow?¡±


    ¡°What, you didn¡¯t bring anything with you on the first day?¡± Lauren laughed, opening the rings of her binder to offer him some sheets of notebook paper.


    Yeah, oh boy, what a rebel, Emily thought sarcastically, not looking up from her desk.


    ¡°Well, um, I only have my one pencil, annnd, it¡¯s for me,¡± the girl said coyly, before hitching a thumb back behind her to indicate Emily. ¡°Maybe you can ask the little shinny-obi if she has one to spare.¡±


    Pissed off, Emily looked up to meet the guy¡¯s eyes with a glare. Yeah, just try fucking asking, prick. First fucking hour of the first fucking day, and I¡¯m already saddled with a retarded nickname.


    ¡°¡­Nah,¡± The guy flicked his eyes down to the anime motif of her T-shirt for a split second, then held her stare for a long beat before looking back towards Lauren indifferently. ¡°I ain¡¯t askin¡¯ her.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, yeah, why not?¡± Lauren goaded.


    Emily glared back down at her desk, fingers tightening painfully on the edges of the worn laminate surface. Guess Sammie was right about everyone at Truliet after all. Of course she was. Fuck.


    ¡°You see what she¡¯s wearing?¡± the guy scoffed lightly, a slight, almost secretive smile surfacing. ¡°Shirt with those Tamashii clan creeps on it. More like the Tamashii traitors, s¡¯what I call ¡®em. They¡¯re a disgrace to all shinobi, especially after all that nonsense they pulled up at Heavenly Peak Palace. Am I right?¡±


    Emily felt her head snap up to catch Lauren giving the guy a nervous laugh, but that guy¡ªBrian, was it?¡ªhad already turned away to ask the student on his other side for a pencil. Tamashii clan?! The cute guy watches Shinobi Souls. No wait, Heavenly Peak isn¡¯t even IN the Shinobi Souls anime yet¡­ he¡¯s been reading the fan translations of the manga online, like I am!


    Lauren twisted back to give Emily a scowl as if Emily herself had snubbed her, and she replied with only an innocent smile. Brian, huh? Maybe this school year won¡¯t be so shitty after all.


    ¡°So, what clan are you with, then?¡± Emily found herself asking Brian, forcibly quelling the nervous churn of her stomach. It was the next day¡ªafter she¡¯d discreetly scoped out where he sat during lunch, a secluded patio table outside in the quad area. He was sitting with an Asian guy again, having already made a friend¡ªyesterday she¡¯d been too on-edge to approach them.


    ¡°Kokoro clan.¡±


    ¡°Kokoro clan?¡± That wasn¡¯t one of the ¡®big three¡¯ shinobi factions, but it did sound familiar.


    ¡°You know, Kokoro clan,¡± the Chinese guy at the table wearing glasses emphasized with a leer, cupping his hands out in front of him.


    ¡°The one Akane¡¯s from?¡± Emily asked in disbelief, turning towards Brian. ¡°Akane Kurokawa¡­ that stupid titty-ninja?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call her that. She¡¯s my favorite, she¡¯s one of the best shinobi there is,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Akane the Sweet Silencer.¡±


    ¡°Your favorite?¡± Emily snorted. ¡°She¡¯s not even one of the clan elites. Big whoop. Akane¡¯s lame as hell.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but all the rest of ¡®em aren¡¯t elite at suckin¡¯ dick. Ohhh, burn!¡± the Chinese guy interjected again.


    ¡°Here, sit with us,¡± Brian invited Emily, kicking his Asian friend¡¯s backpack off the bench opposite him. ¡°Mark here keeps scaring off all the girls with his Mana.¡±


    ¡°Shaddup,¡± Mark said, scowling, but she saw the Chinese guy pause from shuffling his deck of Mana cards to make space for her at the table.


    ¡°Sure, alright,¡± Emily said casually. On the inside, she was elated. I finally found some other geeks here! And this one¡¯s super cute! ¡°What, are you guys too cool to eat lunch?¡±


    ¡°Too poor, more like,¡± Brian shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah? You want my apple, then?¡± Emily blurted.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the world dumber than multiplying fractions,¡± Emily groaned in frustration, holding the cordless phone between her cheek and her shoulder. ¡°No one uses fractions in real life.¡± Several months of their freshman year had passed by in a flash, and she was alone on the floor of her messy room, picking away at her algebra homework.


    ¡°What about, you know, in cooking? Measuring cups, tablespoons and stuff,¡± Brian pointed out, his voice tinny and distant through the phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°They always use fractions.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re retarded, too,¡± Emily complained, flipping her pencil and smudging out her scribbled answer again with the eraser. ¡°They should all be in proper decimal points.¡±


    ¡°With fractions, I¡¯ve always had trouble telling the difference between the numerator and the denominator,¡± Brian paused. ¡°I guess there¡¯s a fine line between them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hah, hah.¡± Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Nice try, but I heard that one back in middle school.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn.¡±


    Brian was in both her first period Algebra and her fifth period World History class, and he¡¯d turned out to be her salvation. Emily was a fish out of water suddenly attending this high school full of rich pricks, and the only solace she¡¯d been able to find so far was hanging out with him.


    He¡¯s cute, he¡¯s into all the same things that I¡¯m into, he introduced me to all his friends¡ªI don¡¯t even think of them as HIS friends anymore, they¡¯re MY friends now, OUR friends. And, he¡¯s cute¡­ did I mention that he¡¯s cute?


    ¡°Hey, uh¡­ so I¡¯ve actually been keeping a secret,¡± Emily said nervously, sliding her textbook and half-finished worksheet out of the way and leaning back heavily against her bed.


    ¡°A secret? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­ you know I still read Shinobi Souls online, but¡­ I actually, like, stopped watching anime completely a little while back.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He sounded surprised. ¡°That¡¯s weird. You seem all into it at school. Gettin¡¯ sick of it already?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I want to watch, just, it is weird,¡± she mumbled, her mouth going dry. ¡°I used to only ever really watch anime with my dad. We¡¯d watch it together. So, now, watching it alone, it makes it¡­it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Parents divorced?¡± He guessed.


    ¡°Ah¡­ no. Car accident. Right before the school year started.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily said dumbly, cursing at herself in her head. Why why whhhhy am I dropping all of this on him now out of nowhere?!


    ¡°Well, hey,¡± Brian¡¯s voice broke back in, ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to leave the house after school for like, the whole rest of this year, but if you want, I can hang with you on the phone while we each watch? Or would that be weird, watching and talking?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not weird,¡± Emily said quickly, wetting her lips. ¡°That sounds¡­ that¡¯s cool. It still comes on at four o¡¯clock? Are you watching tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°O¡¯course. We¡¯re almost up to the tournament examination arc in the anime now. With Saburo and all that.¡±


    ¡°Cool! Cool, awesome. Sounds like a¡ªuh, sounds like a plan,¡± Emily smiled. Did I almost slip and say ¡®date?¡¯ ¡°Call you tomorrow around¡­ three-thirty, then? Three-forty-five?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Hey, also, I¡¯ve never really asked¡­ why exactly do you like Akane, anyways?¡± Emily finally inquired. Isn¡¯t she kinda just the obligatory scantily-clad character they throw in for sex-appeal? She¡¯s totally lame.


    ¡°I guess just from the impression she made. Like, everything I¡¯d seen before that¡ªMonster Battlers and everything, that was still cartoons, but then seeing her, it was like, this is anime,¡± Brian explained.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re into big tits, huh?¡± Emily snorted. ¡°Typical.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ s¡¯not that,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Up ¡®til that point, I¡¯d never seen an animated character who was supposed to be sexy in an adult way. Just ones that were, you know, supposed to be sexy in that watered-down sorta kiddy way. Like, in cartoons you can tell when a character¡¯s supposed to be sexy, but it always feels more like a spoof, a placeholder or something, since they never put in something actually sexual.


    ¡°Sure, in Shinobi Souls they still don¡¯t show explicit sex, but they don¡¯t go out of their way to cover up anything, either. It just makes the situations seem so much more real to me, like, I can get invested in the characters and story and everything. Sorry¡­ I¡¯m rambling, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I totally get it!¡± Emily exclaimed, sitting up suddenly in excitement. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s anime. It¡¯s like everything in the States has this sorta fake layer to it, ¡®cause they have to make it PG, or they know parents will complain, or think kids couldn¡¯t handle it or whatever. But then, in anime, they¡¯re just givin¡¯ you the best, most interestingest story they can make.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°Right!¡± Emily agreed. All this time I thought he was just kidding around. Or trying to come off like a perv or something. But Akane really IS his favorite¡­ it makes sense. She¡¯s what separated anime from cartoons, for him. She kinda represents something to Brian. That¡¯s actually cool.


    ¡°Ah, crap. I gotta go,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Alright, cool. See ya in class.¡±


    ¡°Right. Later.¡±


    ¡°Later.¡± After exchanging their goodbyes, Emily turned¡ªto realize her little sister was sneering at her through the bedroom doorway.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Katie scoffed. ¡°Making plans with your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°None of your damn business,¡± Emily cried indignantly. ¡°Don¡¯t listen in on me, you creepy little twerp. We¡¯re just gonna talk about anime. And that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Pffft! Nerd. I¡¯m telling! I¡¯m telling!¡± Katie disappeared from her doorway and Emily could hear her tiny feet running down the hall. ¡°Mom! Mooom! Emily¡¯s being a nerd! She can¡¯t even get a boyfriend, ¡®cause all she ever talks about is anime!¡±


    ¡°Mooom!¡± Emily began to yell out herself. ¡°Katie¡¯s lying! Beat her little face in!¡±


    With an exaggerated sigh, Emily clambered up onto her bed and sprawled out across it.


    ¡°Still,¡± Emily chuckled to herself, ¡°Akane¡¯s outfit is just¡­ too much.¡± A little too BLATANT with how much they sexualized her. No one¡ªand I mean no one¡ªwould ever ACTUALLY wear that.


    Present day


    Emily quirked a lip at herself in the vertical mirror of her closet door, running fingers through her shaggy tangle of black hair. She was dressed in her Akane Kurokawa cosplay, the kunoichi from the massively popular Shinobi Souls anime. She¡¯d ordered the cosplay as a complete set from an online retailer, simply making minor adjustments to it over time so that it better suited her each year.


    The costume was simple¡ªa red summer kimono called a yukata, that tied at the waist in a wide-belted obi. Unlike more traditional yukata, however, this one sported short sleeves and a scandalously high hemline that fluttered and swayed a bare six inches from her obi¡ªpractically a micro-skirt. The front of her yukata hung open in a loose way, as was appropriate for the character, exposing the fishnet body stocking she wore beneath.


    She frowned, opening her yukata wider to expose her netting-covered breasts. They were way too small¡ªtiny peach-sized bulges, her little pink nipples standing erect through the weave. She¡¯d be wearing her flesh-toned pasties to cover her nips later on so that she didn¡¯t stray from indecent to explicit, but¡­ that wasn¡¯t really the problem. Like most anime characters intended to lay on sex appeal, Akane Kurokawa had enormous double D-cup breasts. No matter how much Emily worked on improving the rest of the outfit¡­ her meager A-cups were as good as it was going to get. On better-endowed cosplayers, the outfit formed a stunning, canyon-like crevasse of cleavage¡­ but Emily was just nowhere near buxom enough for that, and never would be. In fact, her small breasts, that mere handful each, did little to help hold the garment in place. There¡¯d even been occasional mishaps last year where the yukata opened up too far and slipped down her one shoulder.


    Nothing more I can do about that. With a sigh, she mentally reviewed this year¡¯s changes. The cheap fishnet originally packaged with the Akane Kurokawa cosplay hadn¡¯t fit right at all, so she¡¯d already found a new purpose for it¡ªthe old body-stocking still roughly approximated human shape when she completely filled it with the various stuffed animals and anime plush dolls she¡¯d collected over the years. The eerie person-shaped assemblage was sitting on its knees in proper Japanese seiza in the corner of her room like a macabre mannequin.


    The new body stocking for her Akane cosplay was ordered from a lingerie website, though it¡¯d been designed for purposes¡­ other than costuming and featured a hemmed slit open at the crotch. That was going to be covered by Akane¡¯s trademark white fundoshi-style panties anyways, though, so no one would ever know. Probably. The fundoshi¡¯s basically just a loincloth folded and tucked into itself, and the yukata really doesn¡¯t go down very far¡­ I¡¯ll have to watch that it doesn¡¯t slip so I¡¯m not flashin¡¯ gash at everyone in every direction.


    Red cloth bracers and leggings covered her forearms and shins, each with loops that held her fake throwing stars and tiny ninja daggers in place. Last year, they¡¯d kept falling out every time she moved quickly or made an exaggerated gesture, so in the time since then, she¡¯d hand-sewn the little props into place so they wouldn¡¯t budge. A fluffy brown wig with an exaggerated ponytail and a pair of red split-toed ninja shoes finished out the ensemble.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Mrs. Rivera said dryly, leaning in through the doorway of her daughter¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Your nipples are showing, Emily, honestly¡­ You aren¡¯t planning on using that awful tape again, are you?¡±


    ¡°It was band-aids back then, and no. I bought a pair of pasties this time,¡± Emily growled, tugging the loose yukata closed over her meager chest. ¡°And I¡¯m not gonna waste ¡®em before I get to the convention.¡±


    ¡°If they came as a single pair, they¡¯re reusable ones,¡± her mom pointed out. ¡°But really, Emily. If you¡¯d just talk to me every once in a while¡­ I have a whole bunch of disposable breast petals I could have given you, if you¡¯d just asked.¡±


    ¡°What. What. Why do you even have pasties? You¡¯re old. Old!¡±


    ¡°Honey¡­ I¡¯m not that old. Do you remember the dress I wore to that last big recital?¡± Her mother asked, unfazed.


    ¡°Uh, the one I made you promise to never wear again? That slutty, inappropriate-for-school, tramp dress that your stupid udders were practically hanging out of? The one all the other teachers were gawking over?¡±


    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s the dress, you remembered,¡± her mother smiled teasingly. ¡°Well, I definitely needed petals for that one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t ever need to hear about weird things you stick to your nipples, thanks,¡± Emily said, making a face.


    ¡°Some twenty-three years ago, you were just this weird thing I stuck to my nipples, you know,¡± her mother retorted, gesturing with her mug of coffee.


    ¡°Mom. Mom. If you really love me as your only daughter¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my only daughter.¡±


    ¡°¡ªAs your favorite daughter¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Well, fair enough.¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯ll stop tormenting me and just let me have the car, just this once. Puh-leeeease.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t help you, kiddo¡ªI need to go. Mr. Daniels called, he¡¯s coming in late today. So, now I need to head over, unlock all the doors for everyone, and corral all of the stagehands. Why don¡¯t you try and call Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°I did call Rebecca,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°She¡¯s still at work, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help you there,¡± her mother pointed out, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll get you the adhesive out from my cabinet before I leave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need adhesive, Mom. I need the car! Can¡¯t they just wait for Mr. Daniels? Just this once.¡±


    ¡°Reusable breast petals aren¡¯t always very self-adhering, love. Did you check them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Please let me borrow your adhesive. And the car. And, um¡­ maybe, like, fifty bucks?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, kiddo. You still owe me money¡ªand you¡¯re not going anywhere without Rebecca,¡± her mother insisted firmly, sighing in exasperation and gesturing her daughter forward for a hug. ¡°I need to go get ready. Do you want me to get you the glue, or do you just want to use my disposable ones?¡±


    ¡°¡­The glue, please,¡± Emily answered meekly, stepping forward to embrace her mother. ¡°And¡­ Sorry for calling you old. You¡¯re not really old, and you did look great in that dress.¡±


    ¡°I know, hun,¡± her mother said, patting her head. ¡°It was such a slutty dress, though, and I did just wear it to get a rise out of everyone.¡±


    Emily backed off, snatching up the nearest stuffed animal¡ªa Solar Bear plushie from Monster Battlers¡ªand threw it, but Mrs. Rivera blew her a kiss and ducked behind the door frame just in time.


    She wasn¡¯t actually angry at her mother, even about the car. She knew she couldn¡¯t take her mom¡¯s only means of transportation for her busy weekend, although it was fun to make a fuss about it. For all of their verbal spats and play-fighting, she really did feel lucky, because she did have the best mom in the world.

 Seven Years Ago

    Seven Years Ago


    ¡°Aww, Brian, are you sure you won¡¯t stay with us for dinner?¡± Mrs. Rivera asked. ¡°Call your folks, if you need to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Rivera, but no¡ªI really can¡¯t,¡± Brian said stiffly. ¡°Thank you again so much for allowing me over, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop,¡± Mrs. Rivera laughed, stepping over and opening her arms wide for a hug. ¡°Come over any time, you¡¯re always welcome.¡±


    A slouching sixteen-year-old Emily rolled her eyes and sighed melodramatically, picking through her piled plate of spaghetti. Katie, now thirteen, sat on the other end of the table, minding her careful posture and graceful manners¡ªwhile Brian was present, at least. That wretched little pit fiend had already sprouted up taller than Emily already, going from scrawny to tall and thin in just a few years.


    ¡°Thank you, but, I couldn¡¯t impose,¡± Brian allowed himself to be awkwardly hugged, tensing up at the contact.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, you¡¯re fine, stop that.¡± Mrs. Rivera scolded, tousling his hair affectionately as she sent him on his way. ¡°Drive safely, young man. Have a good night.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. See you at school, Emmie,¡± he called.


    ¡°Yeah. Bye,¡± She said nonchalantly around her mouthful of food, waving.


    The door closed, and Mrs. Rivera expectantly hurried back towards the kitchen table, looking from daughter to daughter in anticipation.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily insisted. ¡°We¡¯re not discussing this. You two are not a committee, and neither of you get to sit here and judge my life. Or my friends.¡±


    Completely unfazed, her mother¡¯s expectant smile didn¡¯t falter, and she instead simply turned it towards Katie. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely okay,¡± Katie appraised seriously. ¡°Maybe even, like, a nine.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Mrs. Rivera agreed with a cheerful voice, leaning over to scoop spaghetti onto her plate. ¡°He wasn¡¯t at all like I expected.¡±


    ¡°Both of you, I am so serious. Stop. He¡¯s just a friend,¡± Emily growled. ¡°And that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Just a friend?¡± Mrs. Rivera frowned, slipping into her seat. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, he¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°No, Emily¡¯s right this time,¡± Katie said sweetly, carefully twirling spaghetti strands around her fork. ¡°Definitely just a friend¡ªhe¡¯s way out of her league.¡±


    ¡°Aww, honey. He¡¯s not out of her league,¡± Mrs. Rivera chided playfully. ¡°Emily just needs a little more¡­ fighting spirit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not playing those stupid little games with Brian,¡± Emily growled. ¡°He deserves better than that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do think he¡¯s very nice,¡± Mrs. Rivera said, trying to be diplomatic. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, just what?¡± Emily retorted. I warned you. Just try and criticize my choice of¡ª


    ¡°Emmie, does Brian come from¡­ a bad home?¡± Emily¡¯s mother asked carefully.


    ¡°What.¡± Emily dropped her fork onto her plate loudly in surprise, failing to suppress a flash of anger. ¡°¡­Why would you even say that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried, honey. Something was wrong, he seemed a little¡­ off.¡±


    She was right. This had been his first time hanging out over at her house, and it was¡­ weird. He was polite, but in a well-mannered, stiff, and robotic sort of way. Nothing like the casual and laid-back buddy she thought she knew. Something about the whole visit, in fact, had somehow seemed¡­ strained. Distant.


    ¡°Well¡­ maybe he was. A little,¡± Emily conceded, ¡°But like, how would you even know? This was the first time you even met him.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your mother. I pay close attention to body language, and the way he acts¡ªacting being my other speciality, you remember? For instance, as he was leaving, when I gave him that hug right then¡ªhe just kind of, well¡­ He froze. Flinched back this tiniest bit? I don¡¯t know, maybe it was just my imagination?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a teenage boy, Mom,¡± Emily reminded her, gesturing at her mother in aggravation. ¡°And you¡¯re¡­ you know. You¡¯re you. Probably getting a crush on you or something¡­ ugh, that¡¯s so gross.¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± her mother said, smirking. ¡°You¡¯re the one he has a crush on. How does he react when you hug him?¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± Katie snorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. We don¡¯t hug,¡± Emily insisted, quickly trying to gloss over her mother¡¯s casual remark. ¡°We¡¯re not a thing, mother. We¡¯re just friends, and we don¡¯t hug. That¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even get a hug?¡± Katie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Wow, I knew you were an embarrassment, but¡­ wow.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I can hit her for that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, honey,¡± her mother sighed, rolling her eyes as a smack sounded out, followed by an aggrieved Ow, sheesh. ¡°Has he ever said anything about his home life? Or his parents?¡±


    Emily paused in uncertainty as she racked her memory. He¡­ really hasn¡¯t, has he?


    ¡°So¡­ when¡¯re we ever gonna hang out at your house?¡± Emily asked, absentmindedly plucking another dry leaf from the grass and picking it apart in her hands. It was several weeks after he¡¯d visited her place, and they were at Aunt Mattie¡¯s place, a big, somewhat rundown estate with a dash of rural charm on the outskirts of town. Their friend Mike had been raised here by his Aunt Matilda¡ªwho everyone called Aunt Mattie.


    The social dynamic among the local group of geeks in their little city was interesting¡ªat Truliet, the private school, all their pals seemed to naturally gravitate towards Brian, while at the public school, San Michaels, Mike seemed to be the guy everyone knew, the axis upon which geeky circles of friends spun. Emily didn¡¯t dislike Mike¡ªhe was a funny loudmouth, but otherwise, in her eyes, he wasn¡¯t worthy of comparison to Brian in the slightest.


    ¡°Hopefully never,¡± Brian responded without hesitation, not looking up from the scribbling he was doing in his notebook. He didn¡¯t elaborate further.


    Across the yard, seven or so teens were playing a rather heated game, ducking throughout the trees and shrubs in a constant crunch of dead leaves and occasional terrified yelps. Should they really be using basketballs to play dodgeball?


    ¡°Um. Well, why not? Got something to hide?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yep, pretty much,¡± he answered indifferently. She could see he was cross-hatching shading lines around his drawing, and she was surprised by how much it made the look pop out. And why bother? Draw me sometime, at least.


    ¡°You, uh¡­ you wanna talk about it?¡± She asked, not sure if she was joking with him or not.


    ¡°Nope,¡± he replied curtly. Nothing else he could have said would have made her want answers more.


    He¡¯d stopped shading; his mechanical pencil frozen at the end of the line he¡¯d been drawing. Although he was looking thoughtfully at the scribble, he didn¡¯t continue. Emily awkwardly looked away, a sense of unease settling deep in the pit of her stomach, followed by anger.


    Fuck. Mom was right, there really is something weird up with Brian and his parents. Something wrong. Why didn¡¯t I¡­ how the hell did I never notice anything ¡®till now? She tore apart the next crumbling leaf in frustration, but it was another month before the topic was brought up again.


    ¡°Okay, well, if you ever did do a cosplay thing, who would you wanna be?¡± Emily asked. They were amidst a small stream of fellow students traversing the school corridors on their way to their respective classes.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d kinda want to be Lance, from Fantasy Wars,¡± Brian answered, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°Yeah? That¡¯d be cool. So, why don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hah, definitely not now,¡± Brian said. ¡°Maybe sometime after I¡¯m out on my own.¡±


    ¡°What, ¡®fraid your dad¡¯ll beat the shit out of you if he finds out?¡± Emily wise-cracked, a split second before realizing she shouldn¡¯t have.


    She was discovering that whenever his parents, his house, or even his childhood came up, it felt like she was talking to another person. The Brian she thought she knew, that she joked about anime with and bickered about music with for hours, became some Brian she barely knew at all. A Brian who clammed up and replied in brief, short sentences that left no room for further conversation. The Brian that kept shutting her out.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he said casually, adjusting the straps of his backpack with his thumbs.


    Uh¡­ she shot him a glance and held it for a moment. The hell kind of response is that?


    ¡°I was joking, you know?¡± She teased, facing forward again.


    ¡°Yep,¡± he acknowledged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not actually funny, though,¡± she said, getting annoyed. ¡°Does your dad ever really¡­ you know, hit you or anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± he began, before shaking his head evasively. ¡°Ah, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, dude?¡± Emily said, surprised at how quickly her temper was flaring up. ¡°The fuck¡¯s there to understand? Does he hit you or not? Yes, or no.¡±


    When he didn¡¯t answer her after a few long moments she stopped, planting her feet firmly in the hallway and glaring at him. The flow of teenagers who¡¯d been walking behind her were stalled by her sudden stop and forced to slowly squeezed their way around her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Emily,¡± Brian said in exasperation. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Answer me,¡± she insisted, her eyes radiating seriousness.


    ¡°Talking doesn¡¯t change anything,¡± he said, getting annoyed himself. ¡°Can we just go? Walking with you always makes me late.¡±


    ¡°Well, sorry for not having freakish long legs, Salty McStilt-Strider. So, he hits you,¡± Emily decided. ¡°¡®Till you¡¯re eighteen, that¡¯s child abuse. Hell, even after eighteen, that¡¯s what, domestic violence? We can call the cops.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say he did anything. And I¡¯m not randomly getting cops involved.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re just cool with playin¡¯ the victim, then, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a victim. I¡¯m just being realistic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a victim.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Brian said defensively. They walked on together in silence, and Emily was struggling not to show how uncomfortable she¡¯d become. Brian didn¡¯t swear much, and never at her. Playfully arguing back and forth with Brian over the past few years had become so typical for her, so natural, she could forget that there were still times where she really couldn¡¯t just thoughtlessly run her mouth.


    ¡°¡­Look, sorry,¡± he finally said, reluctance evident in his voice. He¡¯d spoken up just as she was about to apologize herself, which irritated her even more. ¡°I know you¡¯re just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Does he ever hit you?¡± Emily interrupted. ¡°Yes, or fuckin¡¯ no?¡± If you won¡¯t do something about your problems, then I will.


    ¡°Just¡­ back off, alright?¡± He grumbled, turning and walking on without her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make me back off, huh, punk?¡± She called, chasing after him. ¡°Whose side are you on, anyways?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any sides here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Good. I¡¯m coming over this weekend.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that gonna accomplish?¡± Brian griped, shaking his head. ¡°What, if my Dad doesn¡¯t throw a punch at me while you¡¯re there, then everything¡¯s fine and in the clear? Just let it go. None of it actually matters, ¡®cause this lease is up once I turn eighteen. Just two more years, and I¡¯m outta there.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ fuck, I don¡¯t know, man. Help me understand, alright? Tell me that you¡¯re really okay, and I¡¯ll drop it. I don¡¯t want to go over there, anyways. It sounds boring and weird.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Emily.¡±


    She searched his features carefully and then began to scowl. Fuck. You think I can¡¯t tell when you¡¯re lying? Fuck. What the fuck. Fuck.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming over this weekend,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°C¡¯mon in,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°Shoes here.¡± He kicked off his shoes in the entryway, and Emily did the same, toeing the heel of her sneakers off and putting them next to the neat row of shoes there.


    ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Brian, you never told me you were like, filthy rich?¡± Emily pointed out accusingly. For some reason, she¡¯d always pictured him living in low-income housing, maybe something just a step up from a run-down mobile home, one in a bad area. She¡¯d even felt guilty about it, figuring there was a distinct income gap between her family and his. Guess I just wasn¡¯t on the side of the gap that I thought I was¡­


    She¡¯d known the name of the area he lived in¡ªbut she never connected it in her mind to this gated community of veritable mansions, each on their own sprawling lot of tidily manicured lawns, hedges, and flowerbeds. She was already uncomfortable, and she¡¯d always thought of her own family as pretty well-off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not rich,¡± he denied, beckoning her further inside. Past the coat room, he was standing the next room over in the laundry room, and past that room was possibly an enormous kitchen. And we came in through this side door, what¡¯s the freakin¡¯ main entrance like?


    ¡°Well, uh, you seem pretty rich to me,¡± she rebuked, following him further inside. ¡°I mean, what the hell? Two washers and two dryers¡ªyou¡¯re practically your own little laundromat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not rich¡­ they are,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve got five bucks to my name, since I¡¯m not allowed to keep my paychecks¡ªand I¡¯m not even allowed to spend it. It¡¯s only for emergencies, I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a butler and maids?¡± Emily teased.


    ¡°We have a cleaning lady that comes every Wednesday,¡± Brian said with a scowl, a dark look crossing his face.


    ¡°Gee, yeah, sure sounds rough,¡± Emily arched an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ we¡¯re not on good terms. My stepmother told her that anything that I¡¯ve left on the floor of my room while I¡¯m at school gets thrown away; no exceptions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°No. Lost quite a few things that way before they told me about that rule. It¡¯s annoying that I had to, like, double-check and clean my room before the cleaning lady came, every time,¡± Brian grumbled. ¡°Not that it matters anymore.¡±


    He led her through a kitchen, which she grimly realized was more spacious than the kitchen inside the fast-food joint where she was currently working. Off to one side, it even had the same familiar enormous stainless steel triple-compartment sink her workplace did, in addition to a more normal kitchen sink. There were two ovens, making her wonder if all of it was necessitated by the family throwing huge parties.


    ¡°This must be the girlfriend,¡± Brian¡¯s dad called from where he sat in the living room recliner. ¡°Well come here, let¡¯s have a look at you.¡±


    There were two couches positioned around an enormous, expensive-looking television, as well as a large recliner that Brian¡¯s dad sat in. The end-tables had doilies beneath expensive-looking lamps, antique knick-knacks were carefully positioned on shelves. Overall, it looked more like the cover of an interior design magazine rather than a place people actually occupied and lived in.


    ¡°This is Emily, she¡¯s a friend. Just a friend,¡± Brian explained.


    ¡°I said, let¡¯s have a look at you,¡± Brian¡¯s father repeated, a little less politely.


    She stepped closer into the living room, pausing awkwardly beside Brian. Her discomfort seemed to intensify under the man¡¯s scrutiny and she found the situation eerily familiar. Why does it feel like I¡¯m being brought before the dias of a gangster space slug?


    ¡­Ah, that¡¯s why. Brian¡¯s father was big. Huge. A head taller than Brian at the least, and perhaps another three hundred pounds heavier, his massive bulk intimidating even while sitting in the recliner. The actual resemblance to her friend Brian started at hair color¡­ and stopped there as well, with no other similar features she could discern. He wore a mustache and large, aviator-style eyeglasses, which she haplessly categorized as rapist glasses, from which he regarded her with narrowed, beady eyes.


    Emily disliked him immediately. In her head she¡¯d simply been visualizing something like an older, gruffer version of Brian¡ªmaybe looking like Brian but also having a beard or something, but reality fell far from her expectations.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she attempted weakly, trying not to stare at the bulging, stubbled fat making up his chins, to show revulsion, to show this thing anything at all.


    ¡°Nice to meet¡­ you?¡± Emily tried, but she saw he¡¯d already turned his attention back to the television.


    ¡°She looks a little young,¡± Brian¡¯s dad admonished, glancing in disapproval at Brian as though Emily wasn¡¯t present. ¡°Go watch TV in the other room, and stay where I can see you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brian replied, nodding, and gestured for Emily to follow him.


    Thank you? What part of¡­ any of that fucking warranted a thank you? Emily wondered, disoriented but relieved to at least be shuffling away from that thing in the recliner. This¡­ isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t Brian. He¡¯s acting the same weird¡­ mechanical way he was back when he was over at my place.


    She followed Brian into what looked like another whole living room, adjacent to the one where his father was reclining, appointed with similar decor. Living room number two? Family room? Or, maybe this is the den? Like the previous room, it was large and well-furnished, but in the same sterile, superficial sort of way that gave off the vibe of a realtor¡¯s real estate showroom, rather than a real room.


    Brian turned on the TV set and immediately muted it with the remote, the MUTE dialogue appearing on-screen before the channel first even swam into view.


    ¡°And keep the volume down,¡± his dad called in from the adjacent room.


    Is this a fucking staged joke? Emily thought to herself with a strained smile, but Brian seemed to be pretending everything was normal. Closed captioning text was already appearing on the screen from the get-go, as if it was always set that way. ¡­Is his dad watching the other TV, or is he watching me? With the reflected glow of the other screen shining off of those glasses, it was impossible for her to tell. She stifled her urge to shiver, and gave Brian a look.


    Brian mustered a nervous smile for her.


    A long half-hour later, Brian¡¯s dad heaved the bulk of his body out of his recliner to receive a phone call, shooting the teens a stern look before he shuffled over to the home office. Taking the opportunity, they scurried away to Brian¡¯s room. Seeing it, however, didn¡¯t help her feel any better. There was nothing in his bedroom but a neatly-made bed, a dresser, and a desk, even more austere than the previous rooms. Even a hotel room would have a painting or SOMETHING for decoration.


    ¡°Uh¡­ where¡¯s all your stuff? Like, where do you actually live?¡± She was still waiting for the punchline¡ªfor him to tell her just kidding, that this was actually just a vacant guest room or something.


    ¡°Well, you have my console and my games, right?¡± he explained. ¡°I have stuff in my locker at school, I have some things my backpack¡­ I think Mark has a couple of my books¡­ probably. That¡¯s where my stuff is, if that¡¯s what you mean. I don¡¯t really, like, live here, this is just where I have to come home and sleep every day.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have like, uh¡­ I dunno¡­¡± She glanced around the empty room in confusion, trying to pinpoint what was wrong. Despite the room¡¯s size, it was so stark and bare that the only thing it brought to mind was her mental image of what the bunk at a boot camp might look like. ¡°Posters, action figures? Toys and shit? Thought you were all into collecting anime, like I am. Stuff from growing up? Anything¡­ sentimental, anything you? Where¡¯s all the Brian?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s, uh. Complicated. They buy me things, like normal parents do, I guess, just¡­ they decide what things I own, what¡¯s appropriate for me, and they choose when to get rid of them. I don¡¯t think I was ever really able to treat that stuff like it was mine, like it belonged to me. So, after those cleaning lady incidents, it eventually just kinda dwindled down into this, what you see here. Kinda boring, huh?¡±


    ¡°So where¡¯s, like¡­ your personal space? This is¡­ creepy. Where do you go to just be you? Where do you actually live, Brian?¡± She asked, feeling even more weirded out. She¡¯d always been interested in what his room might look like, what his unique, personal space might say about him. But, what the hell is this?


    ¡°Well, not here, obviously. I, uh, I guess for now I live when I¡¯m with you guys at school,¡± Brian admitted, giving her an uncomfortable shrug. ¡°When I¡¯m with my friends, you know. People I can trust. Like, when I¡¯m around you, Emily¡ªI don¡¯t ever have to worry about appearances, or what I¡¯m supposed to be; I can just be myself. Or at least, free to figure out what that is, you know? That¡¯s where I live.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aww, thanks, Brian,¡± she said with sarcasm, only having paused for one horrifyingly long moment, frantic to cover up the surge of emotion she¡¯d felt. ¡°I uh, I live you, too? It¡¯s just, uh, Brian. Brian. This all¡­ whatever it is that¡¯s going on here, this is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°Does he hit you, too?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sometimes, yeah. But hitting me is just¡­ discipline. Y¡¯know, corporal punishment, their right to enact as parents, whenever they think I¡¯m not being respectful enough¡ªor not meeting their expectations. It¡¯s whatever, I can deal with it. That¡¯s like, the least of my problems.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ they¡¯re abusive. Controlling and abusive,¡± Emily prompted, watching Brian warily.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ hard to explain,¡± he struggled.


    ¡°You¡­ uh, you wanna give it a shot anyways? ¡®Cause I¡¯m like, freaking out here a bit?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen you with your Mom. You both argue and like, even playfully kind of insult each other? I feel like you can do that, because there¡¯s this line between you, that neither of you¡¯ll cross, neither of you want to cross, ¡®cause you don¡¯t actually ever intend to hurt each other. You¡¯re family. Like you see in sitcoms and TV shows. I was fucked up for like a whole week after first visiting your place that one time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°I was¡ªyou know. Angry. Jealous,¡± Brian admitted, looking embarrassed. ¡°Really jealous. I hate to say that. Really jealous, and just kinda pissed off. At my luck in life, I guess. My parents don¡¯t have a line they¡¯re afraid to cross with me, they¡¯ll go right for the throat at the first inkling of disobedience. Whereas you guys, you were just being, well, a family. I don¡¯t have that¡ªpeople who care about each other like that. So, my normal, the stuff I was used to up ¡®till that point, felt¡­ less and less normal. And more like, I don¡¯t know, like I¡¯m just forced to cohabitate with some unreasonably strict people in charge of me. Who don¡¯t seem to particularly like me.¡±


    ¡°So, what, your parents don¡¯t¡­ love you?¡± Emily said, a little aghast after actually saying it out loud.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they do¡­ in their own way. They¡¯re just, you know, different. Not like ¡®normal¡¯ parents, I guess,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Brian. I¡¯m not okay with any of this,¡± Emily said with difficulty, feeling anger trembling within her fists. It¡¯s not funny. And I can¡¯t just fucking go along with it being like that. Of all the people who really deserve¡­


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve had it worse than me,¡± Brian countered. ¡°You had a great dad, and you lost him. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with that. I mean, all I have to do is live with some difficult people for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Brian. Please, just¡­ shut up,¡± Emily breathed.


    ¡°I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    Fuck, fuck-fuck-fuck, fuuuuuck! Emily swore at herself, hunching over and awkwardly clutching her backpack in a bear-hug in front of her. The bell signalling the conclusion of lunch had sounded, and Truliet¡¯s hallways were a densely packed shuffle of students making their way back to class. Fuuuuuuck!


    Just a minute ago, Emily¡¯d been taking a swig from her sports drink when one of the dickwads at the table behind her got in a playful shoving match and bumped her. The bright cherry-red drink had spilled down her cheek and all the way down the cute white nyan-cat T-shirt she was wearing.


    She¡¯d cussed loudly, thrown the sports drink aside, and was prepared to sink her fists deep into the comically scattering jackasses behind her, when Brian had crossed around their patio table in a flash and restrained her, grabbing her wrists. She knew he¡¯d likely saved her from a suspension, or at the very least a written warning and a stern talking-to¡ªbut at this moment she was still just too furious. The dean who kept an eye on the dozens of clustered patio tables in the back quad had followed the commotion over and had a word with the two rough-housers, letting Emily off with just a deep frown.


    Brian, you¡­ you jerkface. After holding her back from committing what would have been unspeakably satisfying acts of violence, Brian had promptly passed her off to Becky to fuss over and then he disappeared, right before the bell. Emily was cold, she was wet, and the spill had soaked through in an enormous pink blot down her entire front. She swore she could still feel a sticky syrupy feeling on her neck, no matter how much she¡¯d dabbed and wiped with the shitty school bathroom paper towels. Could¡¯ve at least stuck around.


    While over the years at Truliet their cabal of geeky friends had grown, lunch-times congregating together at a pair of tables, the fact remained that the majority of the school consisted of stuck-up snobs who looked down on them. Worst of all, this year her class after lunch was Chemistry, and not a one of those friends was in it with her. Just some of those tittering upper-class wannabe-sorority girls who seemed to have a vendetta against her¡­ including Lauren.


    Just fucking great, Emily glowered. They already call me the little kiddie, and now I have a big ol¡¯ pink stain to match.


    She slowed as she neared the Chemistry lab, letting some of the other high schoolers bump into her as they hurried through the halls. Her anger was fading, steadily being replaced with a sense of dread. There were a few costume blouses in the stage wardrobe her mom could let her borrow, but at the same time¡­ Emily didn¡¯t have any patience for her mother¡¯s inevitable teasing either, right now. If I hug my backpack the whole class, will that just make those bitches more curious as to what it is I¡¯m hiding¡­? Should I just head for the theater department after all?


    ¡°Ohmigawd, look at l¡¯il Miss Daddy Issues today,¡± Lauren whispered loudly to her friends. The bell hadn¡¯t rung yet, but lunch was basically over, and Lauren¡ªStuck-Uppest, had been idling near the door with a few other girls and chatting. ¡°Should we congratulate her?¡±


    Emily froze, clenching her teeth as she stepped past them to sit in her usual seat. She knew they were referring to her, but she could manage.


    ¡°Congratulate her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s finally starting to grow up. Can¡¯t you see? She obviously just got her first period. Ew, and she got it all over her little shirt?¡±


    Lauren¡¯s other blond friend guffawed loudly, repeating the words all over her little shirt, and the brunette friend beside them broke into that obnoxious tittering she always did.


    They¡¯re just being retarded, Emily grimaced, desperately trying to shore up something¡ªanything against her temper that was still about to explode out. Being humiliated with a stain down her shirt was bad enough, and Brian vanishing on her had really put her in a bad mood. I can endure.


    A tampon sailed across the classroom, nailing Emily in the back of the head before bouncing onto the floor between desks. There was a handful of snickering around the classroom, Lauren¡¯s friend broke back into her guffaws¡ªand something inside Emily snapped. Before she even realized what she was doing, she¡¯d shoved off from her desk and crossed the room.


    ¡°Hey, whoa, whoa, easy¡ªhere,¡± One of the douchebag guys who orbited Lauren and her friends intercepted Emily by pelting her with another tampon. She¡¯d been ready to tackle Lauren to the ground, but now this grinning dickhead was imposing himself between them, warding off the much shorter girl with one arm. Of course. Of course. She¡¯s never had to lift a finger herself to do anything here.


    ¡°Emily Rivera,¡± the teacher across the room called over, standing up from his desk. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Lauren¡¯s brunette friend spat. ¡°What a psycho.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is your problem?! God!¡± Lauren cried out in an aggrieved voice, as she shrunk back behind her friends, acting the part of the victim.


    That was almost enough to have Emily damn the consequences and fight her way through so she could tackle that bitch to the ground. She was tired of the casual bullying, tired of being looked down on and mocked. Tired of taking her backpack off after a trip between classes to discover that someone walking behind it had spit on it.


    Glaring hatefully at Lauren through a blur of tears, Emily angrily pushed past everyone, ignoring the yells of her teacher, and stalked back outside the chemistry lab. Her breath choked up in her throat and she paced aimlessly on down the empty hallway a ways before stopping and slouching against the wall. The bell for the start of class finally rang, and the long hallway of the sciences building had emptied out but for a few last stragglers.


    ¡°¡ªmily!¡± A distant voice sounded, almost like someone was calling her name, and she paused. That sounded almost like¡ª


    ¡°Emily!¡± Brian called out, running towards her at a jog.


    ¡°Brian?¡± What¡¯s he doing over here in the science building?


    She was still giving him a perplexed look when he tossed a balled-up bundle of dark red fabric towards her. She caught it, and then carefully unfolded it to reveal a collared polo shirt.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he panted, finally plodding the rest of the way towards her. ¡°Locker¡¯s all the way over on the other side of campus.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ gym shirt?¡± Emily held up the shirt¡ªit looked familiar. Wait, wasn¡¯t he just wearing this during lunch? She wanted to be angry at Brian for arriving too late to salvage her situation, but as she watched him attempting to catch his breath after sprinting across the entire school, there just wasn¡¯t any anger for him in her.


    ¡°Nah, this is my gym shirt,¡± Brian panted, tugging the plain white tee he now wore. ¡°Couldn¡¯t give you somethin¡¯ all musty and sweaty-smelling. Changed while I ran, already in trouble with Mr. Stevens. Gotta run, backpack¡¯s still in the quad. Go change!¡±


    She squeezed the garment in her hands. It was still warm.


    ¡°Emily?¡± Brian asked, but she refused to look up at him. ¡°¡­You okay?¡±


    Emily didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Emily?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You alright? You¡¯re gonna be late for class,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°No, you are,¡± Emily retorted, a bit more harshly than she¡¯d intended. ¡°Why¡¯d¡­ why¡¯d you even bother?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Brian shrugged, misunderstanding her question. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have stopped you in the first place, really. Selfish of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Selfish?¡±


    ¡°Well¡ªyeah,¡± Brian admitted, ruffling her hair. ¡°If you get suspended, then I¡¯m stuck in there all alone with those jackasses. Who am I going to talk to, then?¡±


    A moment ago, anyone trying to ruffle her hair, or touch her at all, would¡¯ve been viciously slapped. It would¡¯ve broken the frail mask of composure she was affecting and sent her right back into a furious rage. For some reason, right now she just felt¡­ surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk,¡± she said, abruptly latching onto him in a fierce hug. He stiffened up for a moment, but didn¡¯t push her away. That¡­ wasn¡¯t what I meant to say.


    ¡°I guess,¡± he said, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you next time¡ªnext time I¡¯ll throw the first punch for you, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Why did I hug him all the sudden? Emily wondered, bewildered by her own actions. The impulsive things she did when her temper got the better of her were usually very straightforward and easy to understand. But this¡­?


    Emily didn¡¯t know what to say. She was still angry at him, and also grateful, she wanted to apologize, and thank him, and swear at him all at the same time.


    ¡°Sorry, Chief. I really kinda lost it back there,¡± she finally said in a distant voice. Chief was one of dozens of nicknames she¡¯d started assigning Brian, although this time for once she wasn¡¯t mimicking the spunky AI companion from Grail, that shooter game he¡¯d lent her.


    ¡°Lost it? At those guys back there at lunch?¡±


    ¡°¡­For starters,¡± Emily admitted, finally letting go of him. They were alone in the hallway now, but for some reason that was making her even more self-conscious. ¡°I¡¯m gonna¡­ I¡¯m gonna go change. Get to your class, before you get written up or something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, alright. You¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªyeah. Fine,¡± she nodded, wiping her face awkwardly with the edge of her hand. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She watched him disappear down the corridor of the science building and out of sight, and then immediately peeled off her stained shirt. She changed into the dark red polo right there in the empty hall, rubbed her eyes, and walked over to pull open the door to the chemistry lab.


    ¡°Oh good, she didn¡¯t try to kill herself,¡± Lauren¡¯s brunette friend remarked, eliciting a handful of chuckles around the room.


    ¡°Emily¡­ I¡¯ll have to write you up,¡± the Chemistry teacher sighed. ¡°Tardy slip.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, nice shirt,¡± Lauren muttered under her breath as Emily passed, giving a smirk at the oversized polo she was wearing.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily replied sweetly, pausing on her way to her seat so that she could give the taller girl a small but wicked smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s Brian¡¯s.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Thank you for your patience thus far!

 To the Con

    Present Day


    Unlike some of the towering complexes nearby, the hotel Brian had booked was relatively small, reaching only four stories tall. The tightly-clustered rows of rooms each opened out onto railed verandas, which encircled an open-air pool and jacuzzi area. Leaving their ground floor room behind them, Stephanie, Brian, and Kelly stepped out along the poolside patio, blinking in the sunlight. Other scattered groups were leaving their lodgings on all of the levels, many already in costumes or clearly dressed for the convention, and the boisterous sounds of even more parties still getting ready echoed out from open doors as they passed. Once again, an eager energy seemed to tremble in the air.


    Wow... Kelly thought to herself, watching as a masked killer-corps ninja from Shinobi Souls gave them a silent nod and then snuffed out a cigarette with his split-toed shoe. I haven¡¯t even had a single smoke all weekend. Shouldn¡¯t I be craving nicotine somethin¡¯ serious by now?


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m so excited!¡± Stephanie exclaimed. ¡°Is that weird!?¡±


    ¡°Kinda? Hey, ¡®fore we get too much further into everything... how ¡®bout we take a picture?¡± Kelly asked innocuously. ¡°Of us three, together. A little group shot?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Stephanie agreed, her eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian gestured towards one of the decorative arrangements of flowered plants near the pool and withdrew both his and Kelly¡¯s phones from the utility-belt pouches at his waist. ¡°How ¡®bout over here?¡±


    ¡°Um, but uh¡ªbut who should we ask to take the picture for us?¡± Stephanie wondered, glancing around.


    ¡°No need,¡± Kelly laughed, gently pushing her into Brian. ¡°We don¡¯t need nothin¡¯ fancy. I just want a l¡¯il group selfie.¡±


    ¡°Uwah!¡± Stephanie apologized, bumping away from Brian only to be shoved right back as Kelly maneuvered in close beside her. ¡°Um, s-sorry.¡±


    No escape for you, my pet. Accepting her cell phone from Brian, Kelly held it up and thumbed into her camera menu, studying the display. You need to be pressin¡¯ all up against him, all day long.


    ¡°Guys, smoosh in closer,¡± she insisted, seemingly unwilling to sacrifice even a pixel of her own beguiling smile to tilt the phone further and give the other two more space in the shot. ¡°Alright, say ¡®shoes!¡¯ Ready? One, two¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, ¡®shoes?¡¯¡± Brian interrupted with a jerk of his helmet. ¡°What happened to saying ¡®cheese?¡¯¡±


    ¡°No one says ¡®cheese¡¯ for photos anymore,¡± Kelly rebuked. ¡°Smiling with your teeth, like creepy hillbillies? Gross. Saying ¡®shoes¡¯ gives you a way better smile.¡±


    ¡°What, one of those duck-face, pouty looks? I¡¯m not saying ¡®shoes.¡¯ I don¡¯t want to look weird.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can say whatever you¡­ hey! Wait, you¡¯re still wearing your helmet!¡± Stephanie realized with a laugh, playfully patting a gloved hand against his chest.


    That¡¯s more like it. Don¡¯t be afraid to touch him. Kelly quirked her lip, steadying her camera. ¡°Whatever! One, two¡ªthree!¡±


    ¡°Shoooes!¡±


    ¡°Cheeeese!¡±


    ¡°Cheese!¡±


    Reaching around behind them, Kelly grabbed Stephanie¡¯s gloved hand and used it to cup a firm handful of Brian¡¯s butt the very instant she snapped their photo. The Darkmask helmet swivelled to solemnly regard Stephanie, and she blushed furiously and hid her face. ¡°It! That was Kelly! It-it wasn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t, I w-would never mean to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sell me out. I mean¡ªwhoops? What an accident!¡± Kelly teased. ¡°One more shot, for real this time?¡± The sound effect for a camera shutter played on her phone as she captured a cute selfie of their trio.


    ¡°One more, just one more,¡± Kelly insisted. ¡°Take your stupid helmet off.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian said, slipping the plastic Darkmask helm off to reveal his face. ¡°Hey, take one with my phone, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly took his device as well. ¡°One sec, lemme get this first.¡±


    Allowing herself a long moment to just look at him in the guise of setting up the shot, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but ogle those charming features of his. There was that intensity within those mottled green eyes of his, the clean line of his jaw, that slight, unsure smile of his as he glanced towards Stephanie, still squashed in between them.


    Okay, so¡­ yeah, he¡¯s a little handsome. Kelly considered herself a specimen of the highest quality, and had never been daunted in the slightest by good-looking guys¡­ but this was different, somehow. Brian was different. She was feeling something more here than sheer physical attraction¡ªsomething substantial. There was actual weight and mass exerting a terrifying gravity over her mindscape, a draw that just continued to pull her in deeper into his sphere of influence. There was an alien feeling deep in her gut that she was struggling to understand, a grounded and stable feeling that told her she could rely on Brian.


    But, that¡¯s impossible, right?


    Although reluctant to admit it, she was starting to... trust him. Brian had helped her out more than she¡¯d have hoped of even the thirstiest of guys: a three-day convention pass, a place to stay, breakfast, the very expensive outfit she wore today¡ªyet, he genuinely appeared to have no ulterior motives. He wasn¡¯t trying to impress her, get into her pants, or take advantage of these situations. While he clearly wasn¡¯t free of his earthly desires, he did seem to be in rather firm control of them.


    He¡¯s not another asshole who thinks with his dick, Kelly summed up, frowning. Almost kinda wish he was. Least then, I¡¯d know how to deal with him.


    ¡°Here,¡± Kelly snapped the picture and then switched to his phone, pulling away to give Brian and Stephanie some space. ¡°Let¡¯s get this one with just the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    ¡°Closer, then. Closer,¡± Kelly instructed, waving them towards each other. ¡°Now, put your arms the rest of the way around her. Yeah, like that. Steph, kinda lean in, rest your head on him a bit, there. Perfect.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s fear of becoming the superfluous third wheel for this cute couple had been jettisoned out into deep space after the events earlier this morning. She had a vested interest now, in both of these two geeks. They were both so... different, in a way she couldn¡¯t sum up simply by thinking of them as typical convention nerds anymore. Complex?


    She took the picture, and was just admiring her handiwork in the displayed photo when the device throbbed with vibration in her hands, and a message appeared.


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: hey brian


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: u up n runnin?


    ¡°You just got a text message,¡± Kelly frowned, handing his phone back to him. ¡°Your ex?¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh,¡± Brian sighed heavily and leaned forward to take a look. ¡°Ah, no. Thank God. It¡¯s Emily.¡±


    ¡°That Emily?¡± Stephanie inquired with a smile, jerking her elbow out in a dramatic thumbs-up.


    ¡°Yeah, that Emily,¡± Brian nodded, trying to tap a response into his phone before realizing the touch screen refused to recognize the material of his costume. Biting a gauntleted fingertip and yanking his hand out, he spat the glove down into the open helmet he was holding with a ptui. ¡°Excited for you guys to meet her later, though. She¡¯s a handful.¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna show us off?¡± Kelly asked with a slight smirk.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he paused and looked up from his phone, embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I really can, right? It¡¯s not like either of you belong to me, or anything.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it kinda like that, though? A little bit?¡± Kelly prodded, intent on spurring him on. She looked to Stephanie for support. ¡°There¡¯s somethin¡¯ goin¡¯ on ¡®tween all of us, right? Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Um. I¡¯m. Maybe a little,¡± Stephanie stammered, looking from Kelly to Brian. ¡°Would, uh, would you want to show us off, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­. that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we want to show off,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Can we?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you really want,¡± Brian chuckled, fidgeting with his phone. ¡°But, s¡¯not gonna work. Me and you two girls? Emily won¡¯t buy it¡ªshe knows me too well.¡±


    ¡°Well, Steph and me¡ªwe can be real convincing,¡± Kelly said, eyeing him up and down as he distractedly thumbed responses into his phone.


    Besides. What does she ¡®know too well¡¯ about you, huh? That you¡¯re just a geek who can¡¯t pick up chicks!?


    That black bodysuit he had on was distractingly skintight, and her gaze kept wandering south of the cartoonish skeleton bone motif, where ever-so-slight delineations in that form-fitting fabric betrayed perfect musculature beneath. Below his utility belt, Kelly admired the pronounced, provocative outline of the cup he wore, and the powerful shapes of his thighs was enough to send brilliant flecks of red searing through her mind. Brian¡¯s every form and outline seemed drawn in primal, masculine contours, burning into her brain like a constellation the longer she looked. Kelly was starting to find it difficult to even glance in his direction without seeing stars, bright little red flashes of lust.


    Yeah, right. No way, Kelly thought to herself, biting her lip. More like a wolf in geek¡¯s clothing. Once you¡¯re able to look past the goofy costume¡ªthe ¡®GEEK¡¯ part¡ªyou realize he¡¯s basically this total diamond in the rough. He¡¯s cute, he¡¯s cool, he¡¯s got those pensive, brooding green eyes that make it hard for me to concentrate, and¡­ yeah, a body that¡¯s like it¡¯s just built to fuck. Those abdominal lines ALONE are fuckin¡¯ hardwired into the primitive parts of the female brain¡ªthey¡¯re like, the primeval instruction manual for immediate and intense copulation. Fuuuck!


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Brian sighed, and Kelly thought she saw a bitter look crossing his face before his expression was hidden beneath his Darkmask helmet again. He tucked both phones back into his utility belt pouch, checked to make sure it was secure, and then pulled his glove back on with a tug and a splay of his fingers. ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ let¡¯s head over.¡±


    The hell? Kelly frowned, feeling uncomfortable. That glimpse she¡¯d caught from Brian bothered her, a lot. What¡¯s he thinking?


    ¡°Whaddya mean, anyways, she knows you too well?¡± Kelly finally griped. They passed through a small gate that divided the hotel courtyard area from the outside, and stepped out onto the city sidewalk. ¡°The Brian I know was eatin¡¯ pussy last night. He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly,¡± Stephanie admonished, jumping over to quickly cover Kelly¡¯s mouth with both hands. There were scattered groups of other pedestrians along the sidewalk, and Stephanie bashfully glanced around them to see if anyone had overheard.


    Good, she¡¯s getting more comfortable bein¡¯ physical with me, too.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie exhaled slowly, lowering her hands in exasperated embarrassment. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t just say things like that out lou¡ª¡±


    ¡°What, that Brian went pink clam pearl-diving?¡± Kelly teased. ¡°That he was lappin¡¯ at your sap trap?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Stephanie insisted, face going red.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure that you do,¡± Kelly smiled wickedly, arching an eyebrow. ¡°And if not, Brian and I, we¡¯ll be happy to run you through another lesson.¡±


    ¡°Kelly!¡±


    There was a lingering morning chill as they walked over to wait for the crosswalk opposite the convention center. Brian didn¡¯t seem bothered by the temperature, and Kelly was wearing several layers of gothic lolita outfit, but Stephanie¡¯s short and sleeveless Flamituff cosplay exposed a fair amount of skin to the cool morning air. Opportunity for Steph?


    ¡°BrrRRrr,¡± Kelly trilled in exaggerated discomfort, pretending to suddenly notice Stephanie¡¯s gijinka sundress. ¡°Steph, aren¡¯t you freezing?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m, um. W-we¡¯re almost inside again, it¡¯s fine,¡± the pink-haired girl said with a weak smile, tugging her long red costume gloves up a little higher on her arms. Finally noticing, Brian shifted, settling into place behind her. He let his prop shopping bag dangle from one wrist, bringing his Darkmask gauntlets up to cover Stephanie¡¯s bare shoulders.


    ¡°O-oh, ah, thank you,¡± Stephanie said with a small jolt of surprise. Slowly, she relaxed and pressed her slim frame back into him, positively glowing with happiness. As the young couple stood watching the heavy morning traffic rushing by, Kelly took a moment to just watch the pair: a Darkmask minion, protectively shielding the cute Flamituff gijinka from the cold.


    Then, the crossing signal flashed, spurring the gathered crowd together across the lanes of pavement to the convention center. Enormous masses of people were arriving at AnimeCon in droves from all directions, filling the sidewalks and joining into the enormous horde of enthusiasts and cosplayers converging at the convention center¡¯s entrance plaza. It was clear that for Saturday, many of the cosplayers were pulling out all the stops, as more and more elaborate cosplays seemed to all crawl out of the woodwork.


    A seductive pair of teenage girls wearing matching demon horns, full red body paint, white bikinis, and little else were walked along the sidewalk arm-in-arm. Across the plaza, a dozen young men in historical kimonos and woven straw samurai hats were posing with drawn katanas in a face-off photoshoot. An entire walking steampunk castle was even shuffling and shuddering along the opposite crosswalk through all of the people, prompting Kelly to wonder how many were inside operating the enormous thing¡ªand how the hell they would get the hulking thing in through any of the sets of double-doors.


    ¡°Wow. S¡¯like AnimeCon¡¯s bleeding out of the convention center, and into real life,¡± Kelly commented.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve seen the diner where I picked us up breakfast,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°All the restaurants and bars on this side of the city are gonna have some very strange customers turning heads today.¡±


    What do they think when they see me? Kelly was already no stranger to attention¡ªinterest from guys, jealous glares from women¡ªbut, the Calamity Queen set she now wore made her into something else entirely. She was haunting, so stark and out of place that some would be sure to stare, while at the same time, such an ethereal beauty that they might doubt their eyes. After several long years, she remembered the thrill of cosplaying once again. Eagerly anticipating being seen by even more people, excited to make a huge impression on everyone, so she could bask in their appreciation for her perfect gothic beauty.


    ¡°Hey! Is that by any chance a Flamituff dress?¡± The moment their little trio entered the plaza, a girl with a nose ring and eyebrows drawn up in bold arches approached Stephanie. ¡°Could I please get a few pictures?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! Of course,¡± Stephanie breathed, hopping out of the flow of traffic and tensing up in nervous excitement for the photo. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she awkwardly held them at her sides, as if never having posed for a cosplay picture by herself before. She¡¯s cute.


    ¡°Hey, Brian,¡± Kelly said, leaning in close to him as they stepped off to the side to wait. ¡°I was being serious, about what I said earlier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Brian¡¯s muffled voice called, and he pulled his helmet off again. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°I was being serious earlier,¡± Kelly repeated. ¡°I want you to finish that massage you started last night.¡±


    ¡°What, right now?¡± Brian paused, looking around the area teeming with people.


    ¡°Not like, right this second, no.¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°Just, soon, okay? And, I want a massage like you gave Stephanie¡ªyou know, the kind with a happy ending.¡±


    ¡°I... didn¡¯t give Stephanie a massage,¡± Brian said carefully.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure that ya did,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Look how... relaxed she is. Look at her smile! She can barely keep her feet on the ground, after that tongue-lashing she got. I want that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just... excited for the convention,¡± Brian laughed, looking out across the overflowing crowds of anime fans trooping in towards the convention center¡¯s entrances.


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Kelly sighed in exasperation. ¡°Well, she¡¯s certainly excited to have more¡­ fun. How ¡®bout you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all having fun right now?¡± Brian countered with the hint of a smile, before abruptly changing the subject. ¡°How do you like wearing the outfit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... s¡¯pretty neat,¡± Kelly mused after a long moment, nodding and presenting him a patient smile. So, he¡¯s not actually that dumb for real. Just... I dunno, being purposefully dense? Deflecting things? But, why? He can¡¯t seriously have no fucking interest in me at all, right? ¡°Was a real bitch to get into, though. Think you¡¯ll be able to help me take it all off, later?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound appropriate,¡± he said, looking over towards Stephanie. She was excitedly chatting with the girl who¡¯d taken her picture.


    ¡°No, guess it doesn¡¯t, does it?¡± Kelly smirked, edging a little closer to him. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a meaning to when a guy gives a girl a dress to wear.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Bet the meaning gets a little convoluted when it¡¯s a dress he bought for someone else.¡±


    ¡°That can be fun too, though,¡± Kelly smiled, her voice dropping to a velvety, rolling purr. ¡°I¡¯m wearing your girl¡¯s clothes, huh? Does that mean I should act like I¡¯m your girlfriend for today?¡±


    To her surprise, he didn¡¯t look flattered, or even amused by her words. He looked¡ªuncomfortable, uneasy, and not in the good way. He didn¡¯t meet her gaze, and his eyes seemed to tighten into a distant, cagey look, instantly bringing to mind that bitter look from before.


    He¡¯s... thinking about his ex!


    ¡°...Christ, I hope not,¡± Brian muttered under his breath, and he put his helmet back on, cutting off further conversation.


    The sudden flash of antipathy was directed at the ex-girlfriend, so Kelly didn¡¯t feel quite as slighted as she should have. Flirting had never misfired in such a spectacular way, though, and the dark-haired beauty found herself once again in an awkward position.


    Is he a wolf in geek''s clothing, or isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m USED to hunting wolves. Alphas of the pack, even, Kelly groused. Put out a bit of meat, and they¡¯ll move right in for a good kill. Not used to poaching this¡­ skittish game you can¡¯t even lure out. So, is he like another one of those geeky herbivores?


    They watched as Stephanie finally thanked the photographer and pranced back over towards them, her rabbit ears bobbing and skirt bouncing. Of course, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but remember this same shy little weeb with her legs spread, involuntarily shuddering back against her with pleasure as she was tongued out of her goddamn mind. The sight of Brian poised over the girl like a predator, feasting on his prey¡­


    Okay... no, so maybe he¡¯s not a COMPLETE herbivore. And there is his body, too. Guess it was just the way I said things? Pushed the wrong button? He really wasn¡¯t kidding about still having weird baggage and open wounds from his ex, sheesh.


    ¡°Skullfie!¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, hey, Skullfie! Darkmask!¡±


    The moment between them had turned awkward, but relief came in the form of three of college-aged guys, each wearing headbands with crude Japanese slogans drawn on them. The hooligans all clambered around Brian, apparently drawn over by his cosplay.


    ¡°That¡¯s so badass! Can we get your picture?¡±


    ¡°Skullfie? What?¡± One of the friends joked. ¡°Where, behind this perfectly normal shopper? He¡¯s even carrying a Komari-mart bag! Pffft!¡±


    ¡°I dunno guys¡­ I think he might actually be one of those evil minion guys,¡± another joked, narrowing his eyes in feigned suspicion. ¡°But, in disguise. You know, one of those Darkmask guys?¡±


    ¡°Darkmask? Me?¡± Brian intoned in a raspy voice from within his Darkmask helm, hefting his stenciled shopping bag in greeting. ¡°Kid, you sure know how to joke around.¡±


    Guess that¡¯s what a Darkmask, or a Skullfie or whatever is supposed to say? Kelly wondered, a little charmed by the situation. Cute.


    ¡°You¡¯re freakin¡¯ awesome, man. Can I get my picture with you?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get the bag, do they sell them somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Did you make the helmet yourself?¡±


    ¡°Steph!¡± Kelly whispered loudly, sidling over beside the girl as Brian started chatting with the guys. ¡°Once those guys¡¯re done with Brian, go lean in, and like, fix the collar of his costume.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie agreed, before taking a second baffled glance. ¡°But, uh, what¡¯s wrong with¡ªdoes, does his collar even need to be fixed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the gimmick,¡± Kelly replied, rolling her eyes. ¡°He can¡¯t tell whether there¡¯s anything wrong or not, not without a mirror. It gets you close, it¡¯s an intimate gesture¡ªshows both that you¡¯re paying attention to his appearance, and that you¡¯re looking out for him. I¡¯m not gonna have time to explain all these things every little time a chance pops up, though, ya know? When I tell ya to do something, just do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie nodded, biting her lip. ¡°I-I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Today, I want you to be all over Brian. You stick close. Whenever you¡¯re not holding his hand, have your arm around him. It¡¯ll be crowded, so when you can¡¯t walk by his side... at least have a hand on him, somewhere. Always.¡±


    ¡°B-but, then, what about you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m working some... other angles. You focus on constant body contact. Keep touching him, all day. Flirt with him. Keep making eye contact and smiling. Make yourself seem as open, inviting, and available to him as you can. Can¡¯t be afraid to be a little forward to get what you want.¡±


    ¡°Is-is this wrong? I mean, us doing this, when he doesn¡¯t uh, doesn¡¯t want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°He does want to, he¡¯s just holding himself back,¡± Kelly countered. ¡°His ex has his head in a weird place, that¡¯s all. Didn¡¯t you two kiss, yesterday? How hesitant was he last night when he was burying his face in your muff? He was at it for like, a while, you know? Longer than most guys. Seemed pretty eager, once he got his first taste.¡±


    ¡°I...I get it! I get it. Okay,¡± Stephanie said, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ try.¡±


    ¡°And, there¡¯s not only that,¡± Kelly tugged a lock of Stephanie¡¯s vivid pink hair. ¡°What about all of this? This¡­ whatever it is he¡¯s done to you. He¡¯s gotta take responsibility. C¡¯mon, Steph¡­ isn¡¯t this what you want?¡±


    ¡°I want¡­¡± Stephanie frowned, seemingly wrestling with how to put her desires into words. ¡°Well, I, um, I know I want to do something. For him, after everything he¡¯s done for me.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you feel guilty, then,¡± Kelly teased. ¡°Like, you just wanna pay him back for him goin¡¯ down on you. So, you wanna blow him today, give him your messy li¡¯l first blowjob?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no, that¡¯s not what I mean. I don¡¯t think I even could¡ª¡± Stephanie blushed, cutely furrowing her brow. ¡°N-no, I just don¡¯t think that I could pay him back, wi-with me trying to do that. He was, um, amazing, and I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t know the first thing about¡­¡±


    ¡°S¡¯not exactly rocket surgery, Steph,¡± Kelly explained with a laugh. ¡°I can show you a thing or two, sure, but if you¡¯re worried ¡®bout technique, then how ¡®bout we skip all these... formalities, and just have him fuck you. It¡¯s not complicated, and you don¡¯t need to know anything, or even really do much of anything, for him to be in heaven.¡±


    ¡°...Rocket surgery?¡± Steph regarded Kelly with a dubious expression. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t think that that¡¯s... a little extreme? I mean, uh, since I am still a, um. Since I¡¯ve never had, uh... had real sex.¡±


    ¡°Makin¡¯ a big deal outta being a virgin is like being that one friend who always brings up that they don¡¯t know how to swim. I say, throw ¡®em in the fucking water, then. Get it over with.¡±


    ¡°Haha, ha,¡± Stephanie chuckled weakly, shoulders sagging. She dropped her forehead into her gloved hands. ¡°Of course you would say that. The thing is, well, I don¡¯t think that, um, I could ever be that¡­ forward with anyone. Even, uh, even him. Maybe especially him? And, that¡¯s not, well, exactly what I want¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, Stephanie, what do you really want, then?¡± Kelly asked, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°This weekend to never end,¡± Stephanie replied wistfully. ¡°To learn ev-everything about Brian, just... everything there is. To get to know you better, too, Kelly. For you to open up to us, for the three of us to all be best friends, and¡­ more of this.¡±


    ¡°Weekends like this are only special ¡®cause they don¡¯t last,¡± Kelly sighed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s not ruin the moment by getting to know each other too much, okay? That¡¯ll only ever get ugly¡ªyou don¡¯t wanna get to know me.¡±


    ¡°I do, though,¡± Stephanie insisted, a persistent, serious look in her eyes. ¡°I... I want to know.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do!¡±


    ¡°Steph¡­ aren¡¯t you supposed to be all shy and shit?¡± Kelly narrowed her eyes at the pink-haired girl. ¡°When did you start growing a backbone?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Stephanie said, a little too proudly. ¡°I-I don¡¯t need one. I have you. And Brian. And, we¡¯re friends, wh-whether or not you¡¯ll admit it. Last night, you both pushed me to be brave, to be honest, to open up¡ªto trust in you guys. And, it was worth it! It was¡­ it was more than anything I ever hoped for.¡±


    ¡°Well, glad that it worked out for you, then,¡± Kelly snorted, shaking her head. ¡°Bravo.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ will you try?¡± Stephanie asked again, giving her a pleading look. ¡°To open up, a little? Y-your feelings, I mean, not just your, um. Your...¡±


    ¡°Legs?¡± Kelly smirked. Did she almost go for a dirty joke? We really DO have a whole new Stephanie, today.


    ¡°Yes... those.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can get into all that stuff later on, or... tonight, alright?¡± Kelly proposed. ¡°We¡¯ll all have drinks and talk. Talkin¡¯ about my issues right now would ruin the mood, spoil our good fun.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie agreed nervously. ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°What,¡± Kelly joked, ¡°don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Share my whole stupid sob story with these guys? The more I¡¯m around them, the less I want them to know. Maybe it really will be time to split before too long...


    ¡°I¡­¡± Steph began, looking at her with that serious expression again, ¡°I really want to. You might be the best friend I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re kidding,¡± Kelly¡¯s laugh died in her throat as she remembered discovering that bare handful of names in the address book of Stephanie¡¯s phone¡ªthere weren¡¯t even enough listings to generate a scrollbar.


    Does she... really have no other fucking friends? Seeing Stephanie in that perspective made her uneasy. Kelly had taken it for granted that Stephanie was just this hopelessly naiv¨¦ geek, lacking her own real experience with the bitter truths of the world¡ªbut, maybe that was doing this girl a disservice. For whatever reason¡ªprobably the random social anxiety thing¡ªSteph¡¯s practically been alone. Of course she¡¯d hide away, become more and more introverted, vulnerable and everything. How was she s¡¯posed to know any better?


    S¡¯not really her fault, then, that she¡¯s¡­ the way she is, Kelly thought, frowning slightly. The shy, dorky loser. But, if she¡¯s making this big effort now to reach out and try¡ªand I DON¡¯T help her¡­ isn¡¯t some of that actually on me, then? No, that¡¯s not right. What¡¯s her life problems got to do with me? This is all only so we can have this bangin¡¯ threesome tonight. And that¡¯s it. I¡¯m not her friend, not for real.


    ¡°Hey, sorry ¡®bout that,¡± Brian interrupted Kelly¡¯s surprised look as he hurried back over towards them. ¡°They got to telling stories. You guys okay? Everything cool?¡±


    ¡°We¡ªuh, we¡¯re¡­¡± Steph hesitated, looking nervously to Kelly.


    ¡°We¡¯re cool,¡± Kelly decided, wetting her luscious lips with her tongue and mustering a smile for them.


    Hundreds of anime fans were surging into the convention beneath the enormous AnimeCon banner hung proudly above the plaza. Finally passing through one of the dozen pairs of double-doors and inside the wide convention center¡¯s lobby, Stephanie and Kelly squeezed in even closer to Brian for safety. The dissonant jumble of dozens of different nearby conversations filled the air, and the three companions were momentarily at a loss as to which overcrowded direction to try to push through. Despite the lavish size of the enclosed area¡ªand it was enormous¡ªit was already filled to the brim with people. Everyone was packed in like pocki, and there was simply nowhere for the trio to go, no gaps opening up throughout the diverse swath of cosplay enthusiasts and anime fanatics.


    ¡°This place... is fucking crazy,¡± Kelly almost had to shout to be heard, and Brian¡¯s skull helmet bobbed in a nod of agreement.

 Five Years Ago

    Five years ago


    ¡°What¡¯cha need, little girl?¡± Aunt Mattie asked, a cigarette dangling from her lip. The old woman was sitting in her cluttered den. The TV was on, but she as usual, Aunt Mattie wasn¡¯t watching it¡ªI don¡¯t like the noise, but I hate the quiet, she was known for saying.


    ¡°I, uh, well, I wanted to talk¡­¡± Emily said carefully.


    ¡°Yer pregnant,¡± Aunt Mattie guessed in her raspy voice.


    ¡°Ew, no. It¡¯s about Brian.¡±


    ¡°Yer pregnant, and it¡¯s Brian¡¯s,¡± Aunt Mattie tried again, blowing out a mouthful of smoke and lazily dispersing it with her hand.


    ¡°Uhh, well actually, he¡¯s turning eighteen¡­ and I wanted to see if he could live with you,¡± Emily said. ¡°His parents are bad. He had these plans about moving out sometime right after his birthday, but¡­ well, they were all really shitty.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t¡ªum. He can¡¯t just, I don¡¯t know¡­ ask people for help. I dunno, psychologically or whatever, I guess. None of the plans I get out of him have him relying on anyone. They¡¯re all kinda¡­ well, they just take too long.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind, o¡¯course,¡± Aunt Mattie rasped. ¡°Any¡¯ve ya are always free to come and go, you know that. Brian seems like a good kid. Little quiet. That Will seems ta jus ¡®bout already live here already anyways.¡±


    ¡°Really? You mean it?¡± Emily lit up. ¡°Uh, he can help out around here. And probably pay rent. Or, or if not, I could help out, maybe.¡±


    HWONK! Emily leaned across Will and angrily bashed the bottom of her fist into the car horn in the steering wheel again. HWOOOONK!


    ¡°Christ, cut it out,¡± Will griped. He was squished into the middle seat of the cab bench of Michael¡¯s truck, despite Emily having a much smaller frame than him. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get us in trouble.¡±


    Several months into their senior year of high school, they were parked in the driveway outside Brian¡¯s house, ready to whisk him away from there for good. He was supposed to come outside with all of his stuff at the first blare of the horn they¡¯d, some made five minutes ago. Each passing second saw Emily growing more and more agitated.


    ¡°Maybe nobody¡¯s home?¡± Michael guessed, an arm hanging out his window and fingers idly drumming on the driver¡¯s side door. ¡°You sure Brian turns eighteen today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fucking sure,¡± Emily shot both of her friends a glare and clawed the latch, shoving her door open. She couldn¡¯t explain how anxious and worked up she was getting; she didn¡¯t have the right words right now. Instead, trembling raw violence was starting to accumulate just beneath her skin. The plan to move Brian out the moment he was of age had been kept a secret from his parents. Obviously, something went wrong.


    Doesn¡¯t fucking matter. Doesn¡¯t fucking matter! They can¡¯t try to stop us. He¡¯s eighteen today. He¡¯s legally fucking free of their bullshit. They can¡¯t do anything, they can¡¯t say anything. She rang the doorbell and waited impatiently, tempted to immediately ring it again and again, or press it and hold it down until those doors opened and released Brian.


    ¡°Can I help you.¡± When the door opened, Brian¡¯s dad filled the doorway, looming impossibly large over her. It was immediately clear that her arrival had interrupted a heated argument going on within the house, because he already looked furious. A duffel bag, one of the ones she presumed contained Brian¡¯s packed clothing, was clutched in a quashing grip in his enormous hand¡ªhe wasn¡¯t holding it by the handles. With his broad, fat body and impressive height, six foot ten at the least, he seemed like an ogre brandishing an oblong rock.


    A flash of fear crept into the righteous anger she¡¯d been building up, and she was able to look past the giant figure in the entranceway and saw Brian. He was tense, a drawstring bag tucked under one arm and a small round hamper of clothes in the other. The sight of him in that moment was heartbreaking, but made her feel more resolute than ever.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± she called, pretending Brian¡¯s father wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going anywhere,¡± Brian¡¯s father said dismissively. ¡°You can leave now. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you. Don¡¯t come back.¡±


    This has everything to do with me. She bit back her words and composed herself, continuing to ignore the huge figure standing between them. ¡°Brian? It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    There was an impossibly tense silence to the standoff they were locked in the the entranceway, and then finally, Brian spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± his father insisted loudly, displeased that his son had even considered disobeying him. ¡°Go to your room. I¡¯ll deal with you in a minute.¡±


    ¡°Leave. Now,¡± Brian¡¯s dad turned his attention to Emily, raising his voice.


    She took a step back, not daring to glance towards Brian¡ªwho was quietly creeping up towards where his father was blocking the doorway¡ªfor fear that she¡¯d give him away.


    ¡°Stop. Stop!¡± Mr. Douglas demanded, dropping the duffel and lunging for Brian the moment he tried to push past him. His hasty grab clipped Brian¡¯s arm and knocked the small laundry basket tumbling across the front steps¡­ but he¡¯d failed to catch him.


    ¡°You get back here, right now. Or there¡¯s going to be consequences,¡± his father warned, face livid with anger. ¡°You leave here today, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re done. You won¡¯t ever be welcome back here again. Ever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said, making an expression Emily was unable to understand. ¡°I know.¡± When she regaled others with the story later on, she¡¯d describe Brian as a stoic badass, because the bitter resignation and disappointment she actually saw made her feel sick to her stomach.


    And then they were walking at a brisk pace towards Mike and Will in the waiting truck, not daring to look back. They didn¡¯t try to reclaim the hamper that¡¯d spilled Brian¡¯s clothes across the front steps, or the duffel his father had thrown into the nearby hedge. Brian tossed his lone drawstring bag into the bed of the truck and then climbed in after it.


    ¡°Go. Go.¡± Emily returned to the cab as quickly as she could, ignoring their friends¡¯ questioning looks.


    Brian¡¯s father remained standing in the doorway of the enormous house as they pulled out of the driveway, with a stare that made Emily¡¯s blood run cold, but that was that. Brian was free.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in love with Brian,¡± Emily repeated, annoyed. ¡°Why do people keep thinking that?¡±


    ¡°Prooobably ¡®cause you¡¯re so in love with Brian,¡± Sammie pointed out, smirking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because I¡¯m totally not,¡± Emily retorted, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°How come you¡¯re always talking ¡®bout him, then?¡± Samantha teased. ¡°Like, you bring him up a billion times a day.¡±


    ¡°I mentioned him twice,¡± Emily refuted. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about him, that¡¯s all. He¡¯s goin¡¯ through a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, who isn¡¯t, these days? What¡¯s his problems gotta do with you?¡±


    Despite Brian¡¯s newfound freedom, Emily was seeing less and less of him. Within the first week settling into one of Aunt Mattie¡¯s spare bedrooms, he¡¯d picked up a part-time job for after school. He was a cook at the Marino¡¯s Pizza, where Will worked as a delivery driver. She loved knowing he was safe from his parents and doing alright on his own, but, at the same time, seeing him tired and frazzled after a day at high school and a night at Marino¡¯s gave her pangs of guilt.


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend,¡± Emily insisted, huffing. ¡°Can¡¯t a guy and a girl just be friends without it having to be some big weird, sexual or romantic thing?¡±


    ¡°Sure they can,¡± Samantha nodded. ¡°Not you, though. Definitely not. You¡¯ve got it bad.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a billion reasons why I¡¯m not in love with Brian, though,¡± Emily lied. ¡°I don¡¯t go all ga-ga when I¡¯m around him. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take my eyes off him or anything. I don¡¯t fantasize about him, or think of him in that sorta way, that¡¯d be fuckin¡¯ weird. He¡¯s my friend. I think I know what love feels like, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, for like, this little split-second I thought you were actually in denial,¡± Samantha laughed. ¡°And then I remember¡ªthat you¡¯re so full of shit. I can never believe a word you say.¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever, then. Did you, you know¡­ did you bring that thing I asked you for?¡±


    Samantha answered with a broad, teasing smile, and she slipped a bottle of tequila off the top of her dresser.


    ¡°Nice! Awesome! You¡¯re the best,¡± Emily praised, hugging her cousin and then examining the bottle closely.


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t talk, ¡®cause I was drinking underage like, waaay younger than you are now, but you get caught doing somethin¡¯ real stupid with that¡ªyou didn¡¯t get it from me,¡± Sammie warned, before letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°But who am I kidding? Of course you¡¯re gonna do somethin¡¯ stupid.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Emily admitted with a grin. ¡°But I¡¯m not driving, or going anywhere or anything. I¡¯m gonna be doing it, y¡¯know, in private. Mostly.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Bet it¡¯s got nothin¡¯ to do with Brian, huh?¡± Samantha guessed, voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°You¡¯re such a dork.¡±


    Emily didn¡¯t have a comeback for that one, because she was already blushing fiercely.


    ¡°Hey. Hey. Heeey. We¡¯re both eighteen now. Wanna know somethin¡¯ funny?¡± Emily teased, leaning in closer to her companion for the night.


    ¡°Dunno how much more funny I can handle tonight,¡± Brian said with a bitter laugh.


    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon. C¡¯mon, this one¡¯s good. No, this one¡¯s great,¡± she giggled, feeling a warm glow of satisfaction. She wasn¡¯t anywhere near as drunk as she wanted to appear, but those few swigs of tequila she¡¯d taken sure helped those giggles come out. Much better, more natural-sounding, than the ones she¡¯d rehearsed earlier. This was a brilliant plan after all.


    It was just after the San Michaels Homecoming dance, which neither Brian nor Emily had attended, and all the friends they had in town had gathered for the raucous party Mike was throwing at Aunt Mattie¡¯s place. For the twenty-some odd seniors gathered at her place, Aunt Mattie¡¯s rules were simple; if you were going to drink, you either gave up your car keys, or you were staying the night. Anyone ¡®up to no good¡¯ got squirted with the spray bottle she normally kept to keep the cat off the furniture. So far, that was only her own nephew Mike and his girlfriend Tanya¡ªnow those two weren¡¯t allowed to leave the wrap-around porch where everyone could see them.


    Most of the high-school seniors were out there as well, while a number were also having a LAN party of the shooter game Grail 2, an activity resounding with gunfire, explosions, and swearing in equal measure. Claiming the racket was going to give her a headache, Emily¡¯d convinced Brian to sit with her over in the living room. Where we can be alone, and the mood¡¯s just right.


    ¡°Emmie, I¡¯m feelin¡¯ pretty torn right about now actually,¡± Brian mused, his words snapping her out of her reverie. ¡°On the one hand, I want to be able to hold this night over your head for years¡­ but on the other hand, as your friend, I¡¯ve also gotta stop you from embarrassing yourself too much, you know? How ¡®bout you call it a night?¡±


    ¡°Noooooo. Noooooo. I¡¯ve only had this much,¡± she laughed, raising the bottle of Tequila to show him how little of it she¡¯d actually had. The amber liquid inside was barely down to the neck of the bottle¡ªno wait, it was down several inches lower than that now. When did that happen? Another giggle slipped out, this time unintentionally. Whoopsie.


    ¡°Yep, time for me to drive you home,¡± Brian decided, starting to rise off the sofa.


    ¡°No no no no,¡± Emily said, forcibly pulling him back down next to her. ¡°Not yet, c¡¯mon. I didn¡¯t even tell you the big secret yet.¡±


    ¡°You said you were gonna tell me something funny, not something secret,¡± Brian pointed out.


    ¡°No¡ªno I didn¡¯t,¡± Emily replied, scrunching up her face like she was trying to remember. ¡°But anyways, like, if it¡¯s funny, it has to be a secret, right? If it¡¯s not a secret, then the punch-line¡¯s not funny, ¡®cause you already know it?¡±


    ¡°Motor-mouth don¡¯t have any secrets,¡± Aunt Mattie laughed in her raspy smoker¡¯s voice as she passed through their room, collecting dirty plates in each hand.


    ¡°I do so have a secret!¡± Emily insisted, struggling to sit up straight and making sure neither of her hands were on Brian.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Aunt Mattie laughed, rolling her eyes at the bottle of tequila. ¡°You want a glass for that, honey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Emily said. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna dirty more dishes for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± Aunt Mattie laughed, continuing on into the kitchen. ¡°First one of you sprouts that throws up is doin¡¯ all the dishes in the morning. Probably gonna be you.¡±


    ¡°Your punchline better not be you puking all over me,¡± Brian muttered, just barely loud enough for her to hear.


    ¡°Yeah, real funny,¡± Emily griped, slapping his arm a little harder than she¡¯d intended. ¡°You¡¯re just a sissy crybaby who¡¯s too scared to drink.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Fair enough, I guess I am,¡± Brian said, giving her a rare serious look.


    ¡°Uh¡­what?¡± Emily asked, surprised. She almost forgot to look drunk for a moment, so she hurriedly scrunched up her face to look confused, slapping his arm a little more gently this time. ¡°What are you talking about? You don¡¯t ever wanna drink?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe someday,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Today¡¯s a someday,¡± Emily pointed out, pushing the bottle towards his face. You just put your lips right there, straight on the bottle I¡¯m drinking from. Ooh, that¡¯d be an ¡®indirect kiss!¡¯


    Another fit of unseemly giggles slipped out before she could stop them. Fuck. Wait a minute. I¡¯m just pretending to be tipsy¡­ right? Fuck. Fuuuuck.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ you know, I¡¯m holding a lot in. All the time. So the idea of drinking scares the hell outta me. Letting my control loosen up any, letting anything slip out¡­ that¡¯d be, uh, bad. My inhibitions, my, uh, my pretending that I¡¯m okay and can deal with everything is like, all that keeps me together, you know? One little slip of my real feelings could put me in a world of hurt. In a lot of ways.¡±


    ¡°Brian¡­¡± Emily blurted out, and as she gazed at his serious countenance, she felt the giddiness from the alcohol burning off, leaving behind only that sluggish, muddled feeling. Fuck. Fuck, he¡¯s being serious here, and I really am drunk. Okay, I am definitely a little drunk, but I¡¯m not TOO drunk. C¡¯mon, Emily, think of the right thing to say here.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Emily slurred. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s totally me with that. Too. The same as like you.¡± No wait, don¡¯t say that, idiot. Fuck. It already came out, I already said it.


    Brian gave her a half-hearted smile and ruffled her hair.


    ¡°No, fer real,¡± she insisted, clumsily slapping away his hand. ¡°I mean, not the same things exactly, but it¡¯s the same, like, same problem. That I can¡¯t say what I want, or like, I¡¯m scared to. That¡¯s why I brought this shtuff in the first place. Hah, this shtuff! This stuff. So I can let out the things that need said.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you tryin¡¯ ta hold everything in for?¡± Emily demanded. ¡°Aren¡¯t we best friends?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to let out?¡± He countered. ¡°When¡¯s there ever been anything you had trouble telling me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret,¡± Emily said in exasperation, taking another healthy swig of the Tequila. The stuff tasted like it smelled, acrid and pungent enough that she hated it. But at the same time, there was something magical about that buttery warmth that was coursing through her as a result.


    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m not your mother¡­¡±


    She sputtered with laughter at that, even attempted to repeat him, all without realizing that his words weren¡¯t actually quite as hysterical as they seemed to her.


    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m not your mother, but seriously¡­ you weigh like ninety pounds, and you¡¯ve had enough to drink. More than enough to drink. You realize you¡¯re going to pay for this tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh, no I don¡¯t,¡± Emily laughed triumphantly, jabbing him with a finger. ¡°Sammie already bought it for me, so HAH!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Brian nodded, hefting his own bottle of tequila in his hands.


    Awesome! Now we each have a bottle. Finally! Emily stupidly looked down at her hands to find them empty, her own tequila having vanished, bottle and all. It wasn¡¯t anywhere in her lap, or in the sofa cushions. The¡­ fuck? Brian, are you a wizard?


    ¡°Jesus, Emily¡ªthis stuff¡¯s fifty percent alcohol. I hope you gave out a bunch of shots to everyone else first. Tell me you didn¡¯t drink all of this,¡± he muttered, examining the label for another moment before swishing the amber liquid back and forth. Only like, half of the bottle¡¯s gone. Are you making fun of me?


    ¡°H-hey, that¡¯s mine!¡± Emily exclaimed, her thought process having finally caught up. ¡°Gimme it back!¡±


    ¡°Can I have some?¡± he asked, raising the bottle up out of her reach.


    ¡°Uhhh, well yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m gonna go drink the rest of this, alright? And I¡¯m going to bring you back some water. Here, keep this little trash can handy. Just in case. You hold onto the couch here with both hands and try not to let go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little fuckin¡¯ kid you know,¡± Emily breathed in a cute voice, leaning in closer.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± he said, patting her shoulder in a way she found extremely patronizing. ¡°Now you just hang on and concentrate on not dying ¡®till I get back, alright?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Emily stopped him, scrunched up her eyebrows. ¡°Are you¡­ really gonna drink?¡± Her plan to confess to Brian was going tits up in a hurry. Maybe if he drank too, some of this situation could be overlooked, things could still be salvaged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, actually. Then I¡¯d have to give Aunt Mattie my keys,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Hurr hurr, very funny,¡± she said sarcastically, quickly snatching back the bottle. ¡°You live here now, jackass.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if I drank, then who¡¯d look after you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Brian. Brian. I don¡¯t want you to look after me,¡± Emily said, unsteadily crawling closer towards him on the sofa. ¡°I want you to look at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ uh, I am¡ªI¡¯m lookin¡¯ right at you,¡± he said slowly.


    Is he¡­ Emily wondered, blinking rapidly. Nervous? Does he like me after all? Maybe?


    ¡°Wh-what do you see?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Brian quirked his head, giving her an amused look. ¡°Are you fishing for compliments?¡±


    ¡°Why, is that what you see?¡± She laughed, her voice slightly slurring. ¡°Compliments? I mean, when you see me. Tell me! You have to.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess you¡¯re kinda cute.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she smiled, gesturing impatiently for him to continue. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ putting me on the spot, here,¡± Brian chuckled uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make anything weird. Not between us.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s weird here,¡± Emily insisted, shaking her head. ¡°And nothing¡¯s gonna get weird. It¡¯s you and me. It¡¯s just, I dunno, I wanna know, okay?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ drinking makes you self-conscious?¡±


    ¡°What? No. No,¡± Emily denied in a fluster. All this drinking was supposed to do the exact opposite of that. C¡¯mon, Brian. I¡¯m not looking for insights into my psyche¡­ just give me somethin¡¯ here. A little bit more confidence. ANYTHING.


    ¡°Tell me your secret first, then,¡± Brian challenged.


    This is it.


    ¡°O-okay. Alright, then. But, um, it¡¯s the big secret, so you gotta c¡¯mere,¡± Emily whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone, y¡¯know, overhearing or nothing.¡±


    A grin was plastered on her face, but despite the sips of Tequila, her insides seemed to have twisted themselves dry and sober in dreadful anticipation of this moment. Brian gave her a compliant nod and chuckled, leaning in so that they were sitting in a huddle together on that couch.


    This is it. She let her forehead knock lightly against his. Took a deep breath. Raised her hands to cradle his face, and tilted her head up to kiss him.


    His shock was brief, but in that fleeting moment she managed to register a slight wetness on the inside of his lips. The kiss wasn¡¯t as soft as she¡¯d fantasized¡­ but it was better. Because it was real, it was Brian she was kissing, his hands that were drawing up to tightly grip her shoulders¡ª


    To shove her back away from him.


    Her clouded eyes blinked at him in surprise and confusion, making her look in that moment every bit as drunk as she was. Emily had almost tasted her dreams in that kiss. Brian, while obviously surprised, was only able to notice the overwhelming taste of tequila from her.


    ¡°The fuck was that, Emily?!¡± Brian growled, rising out of his seat. ¡°That¡¯s not fucking funny. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re completely smashed. Aren¡¯t you?¡± He angrily grabbed the half-empty tequila bottle from between them and tossed it into the waste bin next to their feet with a thunk, knocking the bin over and spilling crumpled napkins onto the floor.


    ¡°Ha, aha, haha,¡± Emily laughed from where she¡¯d slumped over on the armrest of the couch, hiding her face. She¡¯d intended that laugh to sound like a drunken giggle, but something like a self-deprecating chuckle came out instead. Her eyes were full of tears, and she didn¡¯t dare to let Brian see them.


    Wh-what do I do now? Do I tell him I¡¯m not really THAT drunk? That I like him? The moment¡¯s all¡ªit¡¯s all ruined! How¡¯d this go so completely wrong? Even if, if he thought it was a joke, or me being drunk, I never thought he¡¯d get upset. Why¡¯s he upset?! This wasn¡¯t in the plan. They were supposed to drink just enough to loosen them up and ease their nerves, and then she would tell him the big secret; how she¡¯d always felt about him. With all of their friends here, with everyone having a good time, there couldn¡¯t have been a more perfect time or place for her to do this. Or so she thought.


    Even hammered as she was, understanding what went wrong made her even more furious at herself. Because fuck! I WAS pretending to be drunk, so there¡¯d wiggle room for this fucking misunderstanding¡ªjust had to play it safe. Emily, you fucking coward. Just had to leave yourself a way out, just in fucking case. Stupid. Fucking STUPID!


    Now I STILL don¡¯t know how he feels. Came off looking like a drunken fucking whore. And, now we¡¯re both sitting here across a couch from each other in awkward fucking silence. Even though this guy¡¯s my closest friend, and the only guy I really trust in the whole god-damned world. FUCK! Emily quickly discovered that the alcohol that brought out the bubbly, uninhibited enthusiasm from earlier just as easily magnified her negative feelings, her anger and a quickly growing sense of bitter contempt for herself.


    Jesus Christ, drinking¡¯s fucking dangerous. They sat in agitated silence on the sofa in the side room together, not crossing lines of sight. Despite how dumb she knew it was, she pulled the tequila out of the waste basket and continued taking stubborn swigs from the bottle. Fuck it, that¡¯s why¡ªwhy the hell not?


    Less than ten minutes later, Emily felt extremely sick.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ feel so great,¡± she reluctantly admitted. All of the tequila she¡¯d been drinking seemed to catch up to her in a hurry, that brave, buttery warmth from before having expanded into a nauseating, sludgy sensation. A painful pressure that permeated out from her stomach towards every sluggish part of her body. The room she and Brian were in had been quiet and still, but her sense of balance persisted in telling her that her surroundings were steadily spinning around her like a carousel. Brian made a quick trip to the kitchen and returned with some water for her.


    ¡°Emily, drink,¡± Brian tried to hand her the cup first.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s water.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t drink anymore. I can¡¯t drink anymore anything,¡± she explained. She refused the glass with a clumsy hand, feeling so sloshy and bloated that the thought of trying to swallow anything else made her want to hurl.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Do you want to lie down? Or do you have to throw up?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°To which? Lying down, or throwing up?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    She tried throwing up into the offered waste can, making a gluh noise every time and then laughing pitiably at herself. Nothing was coming out, but that urge to vomit wasn¡¯t really leaving, either. Brian eventually set the waste basket aside and helped her situate herself to lay down flat on her back across the sofa. Emily honestly felt like he was exaggeratedly fussing over her¡ªuntil she realized she¡¯d pinned one of her legs under herself and was actually just embarrassing herself, too drunk to lay down properly? Great¡ªfucking job, Emily. Great job¡­ legs. Stupid lag. Nothing¡¯s working right.


    ¡°You¡ªyou don¡¯t have to stay here,¡± Emily blustered. The night of the party had been winding down, but she could still hear plenty of people talking and laughing in the next room over playing Grail 2. He¡¯s probably¡­ pissed at me anyways. Her mind felt as sluggish as molasses, her thoughts often stalling halfway and sometimes not seeming to continue again.


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± Brian actually did sound a little annoyed, and it stung. ¡°You¡¯re my Emily, and you¡¯re drunk. And, James, Conner, and a bunch of other creeps got invited tonight. You¡¯d be pissed at me tomorrow if you hear I didn¡¯t try to stop you from making out with a whole bunch of random assholes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll barf on ¡®em,¡± Emily groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. His words hurt, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to refute them. You think I¡¯m¡­ just not. Dis¡­discerning? Because I¡¯m a little¡­ drunk? Kissing you was¡­ always the plan. You. And only you. And no one else! No one else. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t¡­ brave enough. To kiss you without being drinking. Without? Being. Drunk.


    ¡°I¡¯m saawrry,¡± she slurred out loud. Before she even realized it, she¡¯d started to softly sob. The stupid way her words sounded only made her more ashamed and crushed. I¡¯m sorry, Brian. I¡¯m so sorry, for messing this up. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°For what?¡± Brian had been leaning back against her sofa, but now twisted in surprise. ¡°Emily¡ªwhy are you crying?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ s-sorry,¡± she sniffled weakly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave¡­ please.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he assured her, turning around. He pressed one hand on her forehead and clamped the other on her arm. His presence and attention seemed to steady her, and the dizzying spin the room had been doing started to subside somewhat.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here. You¡¯re gonna be alright¡ªyou just drank way, way too much. Way too much. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re gonna be fine.¡±


    Her eyes watered again, turning her last look at his confused expression into a blur as she started crying again. Several minutes later, she passed out.


    ¡°Oh good, you survived,¡± Aunt Mattie laughed, and Emily flinched, recoiling back from the sheer volume of the old lady¡¯s voice¡ªseemingly a full hundred decibels louder than normal. ¡°Hah, aren¡¯t you a sorry sight.¡±


    Emily had already been awake¡ªsorta, staring blearily in a stupor at the tiled wall beside the bathtub she was in. Aunt Mattie¡¯s arrival snapped her into full awareness, and she jerked, curling into a painful ball. She didn¡¯t understand where she was¡ªthis wasn¡¯t the downstairs bathroom or the upstairs bathroom she was familiar with. Making a wretched face, all she could do was clutch the sides of her head. What. The fuck. Happened?! Did I fall and crack my fucking skull?


    ¡°Brian carried you up here so no one¡¯d come ¡®cross you by accident,¡± Aunt Mattie chuckled as she squeezed toothpaste onto a brush, having noticing Emily¡¯s disorientation. ¡°This¡¯s my bathroom, one that¡¯s attached to my bedroom. Yer pants¡¯re washed and dried, he ran ¡®em through late last night.¡± The old woman patted a familiar-looking pair of folded jeans on the countertop for emphasis.


    ¡°He took care o¡¯ the sofa cushion as well, so nobody¡¯ll know any better. You¡¯re on yer own with your undies, he didn¡¯t think it was his place to take ¡®em off.¡± Seeing Emily simply staring at her with a scrunched-up face, uncomprehending, Aunt Mattie snorted and started brushing her teeth.


    The intense headache she¡¯d woken with throbbed, a phantom hand that was physically gripping her brain and squeezing to the rhythm of her heartbeat. It was so painful that she didn¡¯t even try to process what was going on, let alone what any of Aunt Mattie¡¯s words meant.


    She felt awful. Her head was splitting, and her neck ached from being canted at an awkward angle sleeping in a tub¡ªdespite the rolled-up bath towel someone had tucked beneath her head as a makeshift pillow. The inside of her mouth reeked of tequila, and her entire body felt sticky with foul-smelling sweat. She was cold, damp like she¡¯d been sitting in a puddle, and absolutely mortified to discover she wasn¡¯t wearing her pants. Aunt Mattie had taken care to point out that they were washed, folded, and sitting on the counter, but the girl¡¯s thought processes were still struggling weakly through boot-up this morning.


    I¡­ wet myself?! I FUCKING WET MYSELF. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. Emily started swearing inwardly at herself and didn¡¯t stop for several minutes, cradling her pounding head and fighting for the willpower to sit up. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over. I tried to kiss him. And then I passed out and fucking wet myself?! How the fucking fuck stupid fucking was I? Fuck! FUCK!


    Emily groaned horribly, finally managing to right herself¡ªat the expense of knocking the side of her head against the tiled wall. She did remember drinking and talking with Brian. Remembered trying to kiss him, and being rejected. She even recalled, somewhat loosely, the alcohol catching up with her, and Brian¡­ helping take care of her? She¡¯d woken up several times after that throughout the night, but those memories were so fuzzy they were indistinct. Fever dreams soaked through with nasty fucking tequila? Why would Brian look after me right after he turns me down?


    Emily didn¡¯t want to believe all of this was real, and before she could even climb out of the tub she was crying.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be alright. Get yerself all cleaned up now,¡± Aunt Mattie instructed after gargling and spitting into the sink. ¡°You¡¯re going to help me make everyone a big breakfast, an¡¯ ya need somethin¡¯ in your stomach even more¡¯n them. Asprin¡¯s here in the medicine cabinet.¡±


    ¡°Does¡­ does Brian know?¡± Emily asked weakly, clutching both hands on her face.


    ¡°I said he carried ya up here, didn¡¯t I?¡± Aunt Mattie laughed in her raspy voice. ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna say anything about it. You kids havta get into these messes or you¡¯ll never learn nothin¡¯ by ¡®em. You learn yourself yer lesson?¡±


    Emily bowed her head and nodded obediently, not daring to raise it until Aunt Mattie¡¯d left, closing the door behind her. What the fuck¡¯s even fucking worse? Everyone else knowing, or Brian knowing? Fuuuck!


    ¡°Emily!¡± Brian still sounded groggy, even after being one of the last to wake up from last night¡¯s party. ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡±


    ¡°¡­Brian,¡± Emily acknowledged him in a grave voice. She was wearing a large apron atop her clothes and was serving the long dining table of survivors from the night¡¯s festivities. French toast was heaped in a basket, a large glass dish of scrambled eggs was half-gone, and the plate of bacon was empty. Several different boxes of cereal stood around the table, where nine teens sat looking too tired and morose to do much more than chew.


    ¡°You okay? I thought for sure you were gonna be up puking all night long, but you never¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± Emily warned, wincing at his voice. ¡°Shhhhh.¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhh,¡± Mike agreed, wearing the same pained face. The next seat over, Mike¡¯s girlfriend Tanya had her brows furrowed in displeasure as she slowly ate spoon-fulls of cereal with her eyes tightly closed.


    ¡°Hangovers all around,¡± Will muttered, flipping idly through pictures on his phone. ¡°Aw, man, Brian, you missed a flippin¡¯ awesome game of truth or dare last night. You¡¯ve gotta come see these.¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhh,¡± Mike shushed again, and this time three of the others seated at the table joined in.


    ¡°¡­Brian, can I see you for a sec?¡± Emily mumbled, pulling him over onto the porch.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brian asked.


    Am I okay? She crossed her arms and paced uncomfortably beside the porch railing. Before, she¡¯d been just another nervous teen with a crush, ready to timidly poke her toes in, to test the waters. One mistake, and she was plunging into the depths and in way over her head, drowning in shame. Horrifying shame and regret, so overwhelming that it physically stung. Am I okay, are you fucking serious?


    ¡°Brian, last night didn¡¯t happen. Okay? You can¡¯t tell anyone, and you can¡¯t remember it, either¡ªever. It didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Uh, alright. But do you know what you did last night? You¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily interrupted, not meeting his eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to know, and I don¡¯t want to talk about it, and¡ªI don¡¯t want you to know. So¡­ it didn¡¯t happen. It just didn¡¯t happen. Okay? Please?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you. I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t have to turn this into yet another murder-suicide,¡± she joked, brushing past him back into the kitchen, where she was supposed to be looking after the next batch of bacon. Fuck, just¡­ fuck. Last night wasn¡¯t supposed to turn out like this. FUCK. I just wanted to kiss you.


    Emily stood over the skillet with a pair of tongs and watched on with a distant expression as the bacon burned completely black.

 Three Years Ago

    Emily¡¯s room was a mess, laundry scattered across the floor amidst discarded packaging and the tangled cords from various electronics. Action figures from Shinobi Souls, dvd cases, and parts of old cosplays were strewn about as well as she hurriedly packed a bag for an overnight stay at the hotel near the convention.


    ¡°Ugh, this is so¡­ it¡¯s so fucking stupid!¡± Emily spat in frustration, pushing her toothbrush and toothpaste into a travel pouch for toiletries. What do I even care for, rushing off to the damn convention? What¡¯s even gonna happen? Even if we DO get to him before Chloe does¡­ what then? S¡¯not gonna fucking change anything. Yeah, maybe we cheer him up a bit, but¡ªso what? Chloe¡¯s just going to come along and get her way in the end. Always does.


    She was tired of endlessly revising her plans around what Chloe was doing.


    Emily had always wanted to be the outgoing one among her peers. An attractive, stylish punk girl, someone like Samantha¡ªsomeone who didn¡¯t shy away from speaking openly about her sex life. She didn¡¯t want characterized as a slut, per se¡ªshe wanted to be completely out of reach for everyone but her lover. When she did finally settle down with that perfect guy, she¡¯d want everyone in their group of friends to know what they were getting up to. To the point where it would go without saying that when Emily pulled her man away for the night, everyone they left behind knew why¡ªit was because she was gonna fuck his brains out.


    There was just one problem¡ªEmily had never let any of the guys she¡¯d dated get very far, each of them being tagged out right around second base. As the cute little geek girl, she¡¯d had no problem finding willing boyfriends¡ªbut they all lacked the absolute trustworthiness she¡¯d subconsciously developed for only a certain someone. Each and every one of them had a varying level of¡­ not-Brian-ness about them that eventually stalled their relationships. After all, Emily¡¯s cute, punkish appeal, her sly sense of humor, and her spunky confidence¡­ was all a facade, and the idea of being intimate with someone, let alone letting anyone see her completely naked, with still too terrifying. And so, to her frustration, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of a sex life for her to be open about.


    In the week since Chloe and Brian had broken up, that frustration, that certain sense of simmering dissatisfaction had only continued to build, her thoughts thrown into constant disarray. For the most part, it was a rather specific sort of dissatisfaction, too¡ªshe¡¯d been feeling so damned horny.


    In the past¡ªback before she¡¯d humiliated herself¡ªshe¡¯d fostered dozens of lurid masturbation fantasies that revolved around Brian. Ever since Chloe and Brian¡¯s break-up, those long-suppressed old fantasies were all pouring out of the woodworks. Gushing out, like her brain was a sopping wet sponge that¡¯d been given a staunch squeeze. Aside from moments of clarity where her tempestuous rage brought things to a complete boil, she was feeling positively swamped with sex thoughts, swirling and sloshing about the inside of her head in a frantic flood of blue. It had been a long, distracting week.


    How differently that night back then could¡¯ve gone. What if¡­ all those years ago, instead of pushing me away¡­ he¡¯d pushed me down onto that couch? She bit her lip, remembering the surprise she¡¯d felt as he¡¯d gripped her shoulders. Brian was always so gentle¡ªno, so careful normally, that it¡¯d been the first time Emily realized that he was actually hella strong. What would I have even been able to do? Well, s¡¯not like I woulda really been resisting¡­


    Lacking a lover never kept Emily from exploring her own sexuality. Rather, she found herself delving into dozens of strange fetishes because of the conflicting difference between the pretense she affected and her actual crippling lack of confidence had deviated her path and. In one fantasy, Brian¡¯d been adopted into the Rivera family¡ªthey became siblings, where over time raw attraction and sexual tension led to physical.


    Of course, not all of her fantasies that were normal¡ªsome of them were fairly unusual. Like imagining that Brian transformed into a hentai tentacle monster, who fed on pleasure for sustenance, had to keep making her cum just to survive. She would be the only one who knew his secret, and reluctantly allowed him to violate her in the most intimate ways Although sometimes then the real Brian would arrive to rescue her from the monster, who had actually just been brainwashing her with magic tentacle lights to think that it had been Brian. Rescuing her from it, just as she was losing her sanity from the endless spiral of pleasure it was sucking her into. Perfectly normal. All girls imagine things like that¡­ right?


    Last night, she¡¯d even flicked herself off¡­ to Chloe. While, like other girls, she could objectively assess how ¡®hot¡¯ a girl like Chloe was, there was no attraction whatsoever. On the contrary, even imagining Brian and Chloe making love had always been detestably repugnant to her.


    However, Emily fantasized that her mind had been swapped into Brian, taking full control and piloting his body around. She¡¯d lure Chloe into meeting up to talk, then mercilessly berate and abuse her in all the ways she longed to. Wouldn¡¯t Chloe be stunned by such vicious and unrelenting words coming for once from Brian, of all people? Eventually overpower her, rip open her clothing and push that righteous cunt down on all fours. To be fucked, doggystyle, like the dumb animal she was. A relentless, overpowering pounding, Brian¡¯s dick thrusting deep inside that bitch, again and again and again¡­ well, that was just too fucking hot.


    That one was fucking great. Emily had worked herself up to a feverish pitch and an incredibly intense, satisfying orgasm. The senselessly whimpering, legs-quivering and toes-curling kind or orgasm, followed by a bunch of shuddering smaller ones as she imagined being swapped instead into Chloe¡¯s head, using that bitch¡¯s body to humiliate and degrade herself before Brian while the real Chloe watched on somehow, completely helpless.


    Fucking great.


    Three Years Ago


    ¡°Hey, didja hear about Brian?¡± Becky asked with a toothy grin, practically leering at Emily. ¡°He got his self a girlfriend!¡±


    ¡°A girlfriend?¡± Emily frowned, wondering how much stock she could put into Becky the tramp¡¯s words. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Some girl he works with asked him out, I guess,¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°Alyssa. Alicia? Something like that. She seems kinda plain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Emily said, not daring to show much interest in front of Becky. This tramp was notorious for exaggerating gossip to stir up drama, and was currently eyeing her with suspicion.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Becky asked, surprised. ¡°Thought you¡¯d go all, I dunno, overprotective big sister on him when you found out.


    ¡°Why, is she some awful hussy like you?¡± Emily snorted. ¡°Then I¡¯d be worried. He¡¯d probably catch the herpe-gonnarrhea-syphil-AIDS?¡±


    ¡°Hur hur,¡± Becky laughed. ¡°Brian¡¯s not my type.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Emily snorted sarcastically. You think I haven¡¯t noticed you trying to flirt with him?


    ¡°What? He¡¯s totally not,¡± Becky insisted.


    ¡°We¡¯re talkin¡¯ about this girl, not about you,¡± Emily warned. ¡°I hear enough about you from everyone else as it is, little Miss Handjobs. So, is she cool?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, I guess?¡± Becky said. ¡°Skinny¡­ about my height, pretty face. Dark hair, doesn¡¯t pluck her eyebrows. Couple acne scars. Big ol¡¯ dick-suckin¡¯ lips. She seems cool, I guess.¡±


    Emily rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I mean, is she into anime and games and stuff? How¡¯d you find out about this?¡±


    ¡°Mike. Said she¡¯d went over to their place a couple times to hang out with them after work and it seemed like she was getting into him. They seem cute together.¡±


    ¡°Who asked out who?¡±


    ¡°I think she asked him out,¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Emily said indifferently. ¡°So long as he likes her. I¡¯ll probably meet her sometime when I stop out at Aunt Mattie¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Becky said, watching Emily carefully.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Guess Will was wrong about you. He was like, totally sure that you had some big secret crush on Brian. He kept going on about it the other night.¡±


    Emily felt a childish spike of fear and paranoia course through her, but she managed to not let any of it show. She chuckled and turned away from Becky.


    ¡°Will just has to make everything he sees into some kinda conspiracy theory,¡± Emily brushed the matter off with a careless wave of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love Brian¡ªbut like a brother, you know?¡±


    A brother I want to fuck. She wasn¡¯t lying, after all. They had indeed been siblings engaged in some incestual trysts the last time she spent a night fantasizing beneath the sheets, slick fingers busying themselves.


    ¡°So¡­ what all actually happened?¡± Emily asked three months later. ¡°I mean, ¡®tween you and Alyssa. Why¡¯d you guys break up? She seemed cool.¡±


    ¡°She is cool,¡± Brian said. After a long moment of expectant silence, Emily realized that he wasn¡¯t planning to continue.


    ¡°Well?! What happened, then?¡± She cried in exasperation.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ well,¡± Brian struggled, giving her a look.


    ¡°What?¡± Emily blinked.


    ¡°It was¡­ it was me. I was the problem, I mean,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°I have some problems, like¡­ I dunno, really letting people in. I guess.¡±


    ¡°Is that what she said?¡± Emily asked, already getting angry on his behalf.


    ¡°No, no. She was very cool about it, kept trying to give me space to¡­ you know, open up.¡±


    ¡°Did you get, um¡­ intimate, though?¡± Emily asked, sounding embarrassed. In actuality, she¡¯d already squeezed all the juicy details out of Alyssa herself.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°And that just makes me feel like even more of a creep.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a creep,¡± Emily rebutted. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Getting into¡­ you know, that stuff, without opening up to her all the way, kinda does make me a creep.¡±


    That¡¯s not your fault, Emily wanted to insist. Alyssa was the one who led you into it. But, she couldn¡¯t say a word about that without revealing how much she already knew about the situation, so all she could do was pout.


    ¡°Well, I still like ya,¡± Emily said finally, cuffing him on the shoulder, ¡°¡­ya big creep.¡±


    ¡°Emily, oh my god, it¡¯s so good to see you!¡± Chloe squealed, rushing forward to give Emily a quick hug.


    ¡°Uhh, yeah, you too?¡± Emily managed, a little bewildered. She¡¯d thought of the tall hipster girl as barely an acquaintance.


    After high school, their local cast of familiar miscreants had undergone enormous changes. Most of their friends left town for universities out of state, leaving Brian and Emily behind. Michael, Will, and one of the Beccas remained local, enrolling in the community college in town. There, they¡¯d in turn brought some newcomer geeks into the fold, such as this Chloe girl. Apparently I made a bigger impression on her than I thought?


    Their group was browsing through the aisles of a fabric and crafts specialty store, Jody-Annes together, in preparation for their debut trip checking out an anime convention on the other side of the state. Though it would be a first for all of them, most of them were already set on cosplaying.


    Tanya disdained pre-made cosplays, instead sourcing fabrics and altering patterns to make a Kimika costume from Kuma-yasha from scratch. Her boyfriend Mike and his best friend Will had long since agreed to make awesome giant mecha costumes out of cardboard, hot glue, and spray-paint¡ªbut were waiting until the weekend before the convention to attempt putting them together.


    Emily was more or less set¡ªMrs. Rivera had tasked her stagecraft class with sewing a cosplay for her for extra credit¡ªthe Reliance Guild uniform from Sword Hack Online. It turned out amazingly authentic¡­ but consisted of many layers of strangely starchy, stiff and heavy cloth that had her sweating buckets when she tried it on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you!¡± Chloe said, keeping her hand on Emily¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got this little¡­ thing to take care of. I¡¯ve been asking around a little, and, well, everyone keeps pointing me your way. Do you have a minute?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily nodded, brightening. Oh-ho, my reputation precedes me once again! She either needs help finding an anime, or help fucking with someone. Both are my speciality! Excited, Emily and Chloe drifted away from the rest of the group for a moment so they could talk.


    ¡°I want Brian to ask me out,¡± Chloe confided with a girlish giggle, and all at once Emily¡¯s blood ran cold. She managed to keep her smile from twitching, but only just barely.


    ¡°I see, I see, well then,¡± Emily nodded quickly, swallowing. ¡°¡­And you don¡¯t want to ask him out?¡±


    ¡°Ew, no,¡± Chloe said, making a quick face. ¡°He needs to be the one to ask me out¡ªgirls should never have to ask guys out. Everyone said you¡¯ve known him longest, so I thought you might have some ideas¡­?¡±


    If I had any more bright ideas to spare, do you think I¡¯d share them with you? Emily thought, quickly suppressing a pang of guilt. Okay, no. That¡¯s not really fair. Let¡¯s see about this.


    ¡°Well, alright, well¡­ what exactly do you like about him?¡± Emily began, looking at Chloe thoughtfully.


    ¡°He seems so much more mature than the other guys,¡± Chloe answered promptly. ¡°Like, most of the guys here are all¡­ you know? Pervy and goofy. Obnoxious cretins.¡± She pointedly stared towards Mike and Will and wrinkled her nose in disgust. The two were having a mock gunfight with the hot-glue guns they¡¯d picked out, complete with cliched one-liners and overly dramatic deaths.


    ¡°Okay, yeah, Brian¡¯s mature, that¡¯s true,¡± Emily agreed hesitantly. Something about Chloe was rubbing her the wrong way. ¡°What else do you like about him?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Chloe frowned. ¡°Well, he¡¯s pretty good-looking. But¡­ rumor has it he¡¯s only really dated once before, so I figure there must be some story there. Some reason, or problem or something¡­ you know?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just been through a lot,¡± Emily replied, getting defensive. ¡°He had a rough time, getting away from a bad family.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been all that rough. He seems to be doing pretty alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Look,¡± Emily said bluntly, ¡°I just don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to be ready to ask out anyone for a while still, okay? He needs some more time to get to know you on his own.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡ªchill out. I was complimenting him, you know?¡± Chloe laughed, shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s been through stuff and still seems alright. Let¡¯s talk again soon, okay?¡±


    Their first trip to AnimeCon was incredible, with Tanya¡¯s incredible Kimika and Emily¡¯s Reliance Guild Uniform stealing the show¡ªat times it felt like they could barely walk in any direction without getting stopped and asked for photos.


    Brian and Chloe had ordered their cosplays off the internet¡ªand after the initial excitement wore off, they both realized that they were awful, fit poorly, and looked cheap. The Hera Victoria wig that Chloe was struggling with was the wrong shade and looked unapologetically fake, a mess of shiny, obviously synthetic strands. Brian¡¯s cosplay appeared baggy and oversized, and he¡¯d given up on styling his own hair to resemble Lance after several failed attempts.


    Both Mike and Will had failed disastrously at costume construction and immediately decided to not bother with costumes at all, while Becca had always been content to wear normal clothes and take as many photos as she could with her new camera. They¡¯d also run into a few of their friends attending separately from them¡ªsuch as Mark, who was there for the Mana: the Mastery tournament.


    ¡°Hey, d¡¯you hear the big news?¡± Mark asked with a sneer, glancing from Emily to Will.


    ¡°About the Fantasy Wars movie?¡± Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°I dunno, man¡­ it honestly looks really bad. Like, why would¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no. About Chloe and Brian.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, man,¡± Will cut in, ¡°don¡¯t tell her that.¡± The rest of their group¡ªMike, Tanya, Brian, Chloe, and Becca, were further behind, forming an uneven line down the aisle.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me what?¡± Emily demanded, ¡°What about Chloe and Brian?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to tell, s¡¯none of our business,¡± Will insisted, smacking the back of Mark¡¯s head. ¡°Christ, Mark, have some fuckin¡¯ tact for once.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯d both better start talkin¡¯,¡± Emily warned, fidgeting with her warm Reliance Guild uniform.


    ¡°Fuck man, what the fuck?¡± Mark protested, shoving Will back. ¡°She probably knows already anyways.¡±


    ¡°Talk.¡± Emily growled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Will said. ¡°Keep to the code, man.¡±


    ¡°Brian asked Chloe out,¡± Mark revealed anyways, and Emily felt her stomach seem to sink. That¡¯s impossible. Brian asked HER out? WHY?!


    ¡°We¡¯re all like, a group,¡± Mark continued, ¡°but now they¡¯re a couple now. Isn¡¯t that, you know, weird?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that weird?¡± Will asked. ¡°Tanya and Mike¡¯ve been dating for years, and they¡¯re part of the group.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too naive,¡± Mark griped. ¡°Chloe¡¯s this random hot chick from out of the blue. An outsider. Soon as she worms her way into the group, then BAM! Someone wants to date her. This time, it¡¯s Brian. Then the party¡¯s split all weird and there¡¯s drama. Then when there¡¯s drama, there¡¯s a breakup, and it breaks apart like, the whole goddamn party.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily joined in with a pout, pointing towards her own cheeks with both of her slender fingers, ¡°There¡¯s always been a hot chick in the group, though?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, party? Correct me if I¡¯m wrong Mark, but you¡¯re like, the forever-alone perma-virgin of perma-virgins,¡± Will snorted. ¡°What do you know about relationships anyways?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, ¡®cause that¡¯s why I can¡¯t play All-Quest with the tabletop group anymore,¡± Mark replied bitterly. ¡°Soon as the dungeon master started bringing his girlfriend to the table to play, everything got fucked all to hell.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, there¡¯s always been a hot chick in the group, though?¡± Emily repeated, waved her arms in exasperation. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Your joke was lame the first time, pint-size,¡± Mark rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What he means to say is, we know you. You¡¯ve always been one of us,¡± Will explained. ¡°A hot chick is, like, an outsider.¡±


    ¡°An outsider,¡± Mark agreed solemnly. ¡°She could be a normie, for all we know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­I think¡­?¡± Emily said, looking confused. ¡°So long as you recognize that I¡¯m also, at the same time, still a hot chick.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Mark laughed loudly, earning a handful of looks from the other as he pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. ¡°Pint-size, you¡¯re not serious, are you? How the hell would you ever qualify as a hottie? Whew man, that¡¯s rich.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, once again, that¡¯s coming from Mark, the perma-virgin wizard,¡± Will chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°You wanna eat some pint-sized fists, perma-verge?¡± Emily scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll bash yer fookin¡¯ head in, I swear on me mum!¡±


    ¡°If I thought of Emily as a hot chick, no way would I ever hang out with her,¡± Mark insisted. ¡°Hotties only get their claws into someone, and then leech them for everything they¡¯ve got, and ruin everything. Have you even met my sister? This is gonna turn into a disaster, just you watch. I¡¯ll burn incense for Brian tonight, poor fucking unfortunate soul. He was a good guy. Damn shame.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, what about Tanya, then?¡± Emily argued, tactfully not bothering to bring up Becca the tramp. Though she was a bit stand-offish, Tanya was very good-looking, and had long transcended her outsider status to become one of the fixture personalities of their circle of friends. ¡°Are you saying Tanya¡¯s like that too, then?¡±


    ¡°Tanya doesn¡¯t count, she¡¯s a foreigner,¡± Mark replied. ¡°Russian girl. Completely different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, she¡¯s a foreigner, says squint-eyes Mc-Ching-chang-chong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s racist!¡± Mark cried in mock outrage. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I even hang out with you guys anymore.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, quiet down, you two. You¡¯re gonna get us kicked out,¡± Will said. ¡°What were you saying about the Fantasy Wars movie?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna suck,¡± Emily made a face.


    ¡°Suck? It¡¯s gonna be fucking terrible,¡± Mark complained loudly as they made its way out of the vendor¡¯s room and into the convention¡¯s main lobby. ¡°The fuck are they even thinking? They¡¯re ignoring every single goddamn game mechanic about how attacks work in Fantasy Wars. All of it, right into the trash.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that,¡± Emily mused, stepping out of the traffic flow to an opening in the flocks of AnimeCon attendees where they could wait for the group of friends trailing behind them. ¡°It¡¯s their new outfits, the stupid Ordinal uniforms. Changing looks for no reason other than it being a movie bugs the hell outta me. What¡¯s wrong with the classic Cardinal uniforms?¡±


    ¡°Fantasy Wars?¡± Tanya asked as she caught up with them. ¡°I have to wait and see, but I think I¡¯m going to sew up Sophia cosplays for both styles next year. Cardinal and Ordinal. She¡¯s a badass.¡±


    ¡°Nobody cares what they¡¯re goddamned wearing,¡± Mark looked at them incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda with Mark on this one,¡± Will sighed dejectedly. ¡°When it¡¯s like a long, stretched-out cutscene, it doesn¡¯t even feel like Fantasy Wars anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, they had to follow the game¡¯s story, rather than adhere to the battle mechanics,¡± Brian jumped in, stepping through the crowds with Chloe in tow. ¡°No one wants to sit there watching techniques charge up over several battle turns. That wouldn¡¯t work for a movie.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute,¡± Chloe shrugged.


    ¡°Oh my God, there¡¯s another Kuma-yasha cosplayer!¡± Tanya squealed, pointing across the lobby toward a shirtless young man in hakama pants with fake oversized bear arms. ¡°Chloe, can you get a picture of me and him together?¡±


    ¡°Um, can¡¯t Michael¡ª¡± Chloe frowned, watching as Tanya trotted quickly away from them.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t doin¡¯ it,¡± Mike snorted, glaring with obvious jealousy at the Kuma-yasha cosplayer.


    ¡°Right,¡± Chloe said, injecting false cheer into her voice and pulling out her phone to follow after Tanya.


    ¡°So¡­ Brian, are you gonna do a movie-version Lance cosplay?¡± Emily asked, stepping forward quickly to fall in step at his side.


    ¡°Hah, I can¡¯t even do the normal one justice,¡± he chuckled, glancing around the lobby in appreciation, taking in the different costumes among the excited gathering of fellow fans. Mike and Will were not-so-discreetly ogling a voluptuous girl cosplaying the demon Lamastu, her privates covered by skulls bound together with knotted string and little else.


    ¡°Hey¡ªcheck it out,¡± Brian nodded his head towards a pair of girls wearing skin-tight jester outfits posing together for a photo. ¡°Jessie Terr and Follis Fool, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re fuckin¡¯ awesome!¡± Emily¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight. The vixen twins were the jester-like assistants of one of the most well-recognized comic book arch-villains of all time, the Jokester, and had become fan-favorites for their outrageously sexy figures and sociopathic behavior.


    The two cosplayers were incredible, the seemingly haphazard stitching of the many scraps of black and red fabric that made up their bodysuits left little to the imagination, there wasn¡¯t a single ill-fit piece or loose wrinkle¡ªthe girls might as well have been sewn into them. The pieces of fabric were mirrored across the girls¡ªsections of stitched-together costume that were ¡®missing¡¯ on Jessie were the portions that Follis wore, and vice versa; as if a single complete jester costume had been strategically cut apart, and then the pieces divided between two women. Their faces were painted up in exquisite mime-like fashion, and every inch of their exposed skin was colored in that same ghastly unnatural white.


    ¡°Get a picture of me with them, before they get away!¡± Emily quickly pushed her phone into Brian¡¯s hand and dashed over towards them. As she arrived, however, the Follis Fool was already ducking away through the crowd. The Jessie Terr had been turning to leave as well, but caught sight of Emily rushing over and paused.


    ¡°Sarah, wait¡ª¡± But her Follis Fool was already gone, and the girl in the Jessie Terr costume gave Emily an apologetic smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Emily grinned. ¡°You look amazing! Could I get my picture with you?¡±


    ¡°By your order,¡± the girl teased in an impressive Jessie Terr imitation, sliding an arm around behind Emily. They each flashed gorgeous smiles for Brian as he took their picture.


    ¡°Thank you! You really look just¡­ perfect,¡± Emily admitted earnestly to the taller girl. ¡°Uh, I was planning on doing a Grimoire Saint cosplay next year, would you have any advice on the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, my friend Sarah¡ªthat Follis Fool, she made our costumes, I don¡¯t know much of anything about sewing or any of that.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I see, sorry,¡± Emily apologized, seeming to deflate a little. ¡°Do you maybe know what kind of body paint she used?¡±


    ¡°Oh! The body paint,¡± the Jessie Terr¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Well, I did those parts¡ªI¡¯m the makeup pro. I used a fifty-fifty mixture of prosthetic adhesive and liquidex acrylic paint, and then set it with talcum powder. But if your grimmy¡­?¡±


    ¡°Grimoire?¡± Emily supplied helpfully.


    ¡°If your Grimoire thing needs some color other than white, you¡¯re gonna havta use something like a rice powder to set it instead, ¡®cause talcum or baby powder¡¯ll lighten your final color, like, a lot.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Emily said appreciatively. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°No sweat,¡± Kelly smirked, heading off through the crowd in the direction her friend had escaped. ¡°See ya.¡±


    Emily turned back towards Brian, eagerly gesturing for her phone so that she could see how the picture he¡¯d taken came out.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Emily nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Damn, she was hot. Right?¡±


    Brian only gave an awkward, noncommittal shrug.


    ¡°Oh, is that how it is, now?¡± Emily gave him a dry chuckle and glanced back pointedly towards Chloe. ¡°¡­Now that you¡¯ve got a girlfriend, I mean.¡±


    ¡°You heard already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, jerk,¡± Emily grumbled, cuffing him on the shoulder with her fist. ¡°Just a minute ago, in fact. Almost didn¡¯t even believe it. I mean, Brian, you¡¯re my best friend. And yet, here I am gettin¡¯ the news second-hand, after the fact, and from Mark and Will, of all people. You and me, we talk all the time, but you¡¯ve¡ªyou¡¯ve never even brought her up. What gives?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t ready. To ask her out, yet,¡± Brian admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°And you were worried I¡¯d talk you out of it?¡± Emily guessed.


    ¡°What? No, I thought if we really got to talking, you¡¯d really push me into it,¡± Brian said, surprised. ¡°Chloe told me what you said to her¡ªthat you thought her and I¡¯d be a really great couple, that you thought we were good for each other. But¡­ I just wasn¡¯t ready yet, I¡­ well, I needed like, just the right moment.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I said¡­ what?¡± Emily gave him a blank stare, completely stunned.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Word has it you were getting frustrated that I wasn¡¯t, y¡¯know¡­ just manning up and asking her out. I guess you were¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! No, no, no,¡± Emily held up her hands to stop him. ¡°I never¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°You didn¡¯t end up saying anything to me¡ªdidn¡¯t try to push me or pressure me or anything. I do appreciate that. You know how hard it is for me to¡­ you know, actually open up and let people get close. So thank you.¡±


    He stepped closer to her and hugged her, and Emily froze up in shock. Is this¡­ the first time he¡¯s actually hugging me, instead of me just kinda forcing one on him? Why does this feel like¡­ a goodbye hug?


    She was still in a confused daze as he tousled her hair playfully and headed back over to rejoin Chloe. Chloe, pretty and perfect in her Hera Victoria costume, gave Emily a bright, beautiful smile before she turned and led her friend away.


    No. Not a goodbye hug, Emily glowered, feeling her hands tremble with rage. This isn¡¯t over. This isn¡¯t over. Maybe I did drop the ball on¡­ sorting out all my feelings for Brian, that¡¯s fair. Okay, yeah, I literally pissed away my chance. But her pissing all over me to get Brian? No. Just, no. Bitch¡¯s gonna get stitches.

 Better Late than Never

    Brian¡¯s FINALLY free from her evil clutches for one moment, so that things could maybe start to turn around. I can¡¯t STAND to just let her keep hurting him anymore. Or WORSE, decide to try to get back together with him. No. Just, no.


    Just¡­um, just one more time, before I have to go, Emily decided sheepishly, locking and tugging on her doorknob for good measure. As she slowly spread her thighs, feeling the fishnet body stocking of her cosplay stretching and shifting against her bare skin, the hemmed opening between her legs gaped open, exposing her blushing pink labia. To help clear my head. Yeah.


    Her carefully fingertips glided easily into those gleaming wet folds, and a shudder went through her. Emily had been unusually soaked down there lately. She didn¡¯t even feel wet just down there¡ªit was as if that same slippery, slick sensation, that sexual need was seeping throughout every nook and cranny of her cerebrum, lubricating her thoughts into a certain sexual direction.


    A finger slipped deep inside¡ªbut she imagined right now that it was Brian pushing himself into her, Brian wrapping his arms around her. Emily felt a silly smile of satisfaction spread across her face. A weird feeling flowed through her, and her eyes dazed going blank, seeing something like a pattern of light refraction upon a pool of disturbed water. Mesmerizing, almost hypnotic.


    She pretended Brian had his strong arms trapping her in a tight embrace, that her small breasts were squashed up against his bare chest, and that her face was nestled perfectly into his neck. Maybe he would whisper an apology for the things he was about to do to her¡ªfor the primitive, violent ways he was going to use her to vent out his lust. A helpless growl, already lost to desire.


    Do ittt, Emily might urge him, her lips just beneath his ear. F-fuck me. Break me if you have to. Fuck me with everything you have, even if it¡¯s more than my brain can handle, even if it turns me stupid. J-just FUCK ME. She squeezed, nearly pushing her own finger out of herself as she clenched and flexed, and almost toppled over backwards.


    Fuuuck. Emily scrambled over to withdraw the small bullet-shaped vibrator hidden in the jewelry box beneath her bed, and hopped up onto the mattress to straddle one of her pillows with her knees. Wetting her lips in anticipation, she rose up and pointed the gently buzzing tool at her slippery slit, breathing heavily.


    There isn¡¯t much time before Rebecca gets here¡­ I really shouldn¡¯t. But, well¡ªfuck, I¡¯ve gotta do SOMETHING, or I¡¯m going to¡­ to overflow. The tiny silver bullet wasn¡¯t technically meant for insertion, as it didn¡¯t have a safety ¡®tail¡¯ for withdrawal, and in fact wasn¡¯t able to vibrate as powerfully when trapped inside¡­ but that never mattered to Emily.


    After the horrifying experience wetting herself when she¡¯d passed out at that homecoming party, she¡¯d started several different kegel routines to ensure it never, ever happened again. At this point, she was proficient enough controlling the different sets of muscles along her pelvic floor that she could almost draw the vibrator completely inside herself without using her fingers, and she naturally had no worries about expelling it. That the only exercises she¡¯d ever been able to keep up with were only because she¡¯d intrinsically linked them to her masturbation habits¡­ was an irony not lost on her.


    Blue droplets of light shimmered across her vision in a dazzling slosh of surf and spray, and she let the vibrator sink deep inside of her, capsizing rational thought. It wasn¡¯t warm like she wanted it¡ªit wasn¡¯t Brian like she wanted it, but it was something.


    The loose cosplay yukata had been hanging open, but now she shrugged it off her shoulders and let it fall down to reveal a prominent pair of nipples, straining against the netting of her body stocking. She tightened, and the vibrator halfway emerged, forced out of her. She stopped it with her middle finger and slid it back in, exhaling a shaky breath and biting down on her lower lip as she watched herself in the vertical mirror hung on her closet door with interest. This fishnet really is badass. Snug sorta texture really outlines my contours, makes ¡¯em stand out. Looks fuckin¡¯ erotic.


    She let the vibrator bob in and out of her a few times, revelling at the dazed, sexy face reflected back at her, and then closed a hand over herself, holding the humming vibrator bullet inside. Clamping down in sequence, letting it pulsate back and forth within her as she toyed with her clit.


    OoOoh, fuck me. FUCK ME. Her hips shook, a twitching, involuntary shudder dry-humping against her pillow. Fuuuck me. Emily¡¯s breath hitched, and, finally¡ªshe fell just shy of climaxing.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon,¡± she panted in frustration, gripping her messy bedsheets as she rocked and grinded against her pillow. Dropping down into position on all fours, she wriggled and twisted, delighting in the feel of the fishnet hugging tight to every inch of nubile flesh. ¡°C¡¯mon¡­¡±


    Don¡¯tcha wanna fuck me, Brian? I betcha do, Emily taunted, turning so she could smile mischievously over her own shoulder at herself in the mirror and wiggling her bottom in the air. She loved the idea of tantalizing him with her cute butt¡ªpresenting herself to him, goading him on. Sometimes she spent quite a while like this, playing out her little scenario and pretending he was there in the room with her. She could practically see him, struggling with indecision, attempting to maintain his composure in that adorable Brian way.


    What would be going through his head, if he saw me like this? Emily wondered. Would he really like, realize the drinking way back then was an act, this stupid charade to mask those old too-fragile fucking feelings? Realize that I was hot for him? Or would he be disappointed? Over their years of friendship, only that one incident had become the rift that put a distance between them. In a perverse way, however, even that could be a major turn-on for her, though.


    Your little Emily had a bit to drink and became just another stupid horny teenage girl. Coming on to whatever guy was nearby, tequila rolling off her breath and EASY written in her eyes. The shameful feeling washing over her only aroused her even more.


    That¡¯s right, be disappointed. USE me, s¡¯all I¡¯m good for, right? She fantasized that they were sharing that sofa again, back during the party at Aunt Mattie¡¯s place. In no time at all she was frigging herself again with the vibrating bullet in a steady series of wet sounds, allowing her imagination to grow more and more brutally pornographic.


    Think of me with contempt, rip the button off my jeans. Shove your hand down into my panties. Yank them down, tear them, I don¡¯t care. You don¡¯t have to be gentle with some stupid fuckin¡¯ whore like me, anymore. But please, just fuck me. Fuck me, fuck me, FUCK ME!


    That¡¯s it, Brian. I¡¯m your SLUT. Take it all out. Take all your frustrations out on me, Emily imagined his fingers twining into her hair and pulling her forcibly to crush her mouth against his in a violent exchange of tongues. Senselessly swapping spit and saliva, her shaking fingers would explore down the firm lines of his abdominal muscles, gripping hold of his dick.


    His THICK dick. She remembered giddily pestering his first girlfriend Alyssa for all sorts of juicy details¡ªthe girl had, in a husky, shy whisper, described it as thick. Brian suddenly on top of her, his weight pinning her down into the cushioning of that couch from back then, pushing the breath out of her. Imagining him breathing in her ear, his voice ragged and dangerous as he teetered out of control.


    Sometimes, imagining Brian as a gentle lover did it for her, sweet words and loving kisses¡­ but just as often, picturing Brian like this, that jaded Brian, the one that was disappointed, disgusted with what an easy lay his longtime friend had become really got her off. Emily quivered, eyes dazed and buried her goofy grin into her pillow. If Brian had actually been there, he would have found her unbelievably wet.


    Emily wanted manhandled by him. It was common knowledge among their circle of friends that while Emily didn¡¯t really like being touched, and she hated being picked up¡ªbut with Brian, it was different. She wanted him to position her. Wanted him to shove her down upon her back and pull her ankles up into the air, to nearly fold her in half as he pressed down onto her¡ªinto her. Her cute feet raised up together to rest on his shoulders as he pushed deep, deep inside of her¡­ a position that featured vividly in many of her idle fantasies.


    ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ c-c¡¯mon¡­¡± However, as she¡¯d feared, release was lingering just out of reach. The vibrator just wasn¡¯t cutting it today, and the dull buzzing of the slender bullet-shaped tool fell silent and was nudged aside in the folds of the covers.


    And why would Brian have all sorts of stress and frustration in the first place? Ugh, I can¡¯t stand it. I CAN¡¯T STAND IT. Chloe, couldn¡¯t you just leave him be? Haven¡¯t you done enough damage? Chloe, with your stupid superior little smile. You think it¡¯s okay to just drop my Brian whenever it suits you and then pick him right back up wherever you left off?! What about what that fucking does to him? What about his feelings?! What about MY¡­


    She stared in silent, dumbfounded disbelief, eyes beginning to water at the revelation. Her trembling hands clutched about her chest, which was rising and falling in quick succession with her breath.


    ¡ªfeelings? Emily¡¯s breath hitched, overcome with emotion. My fucking FEELINGS?! N-no way. I¡¯m over him, right? I¡¯m WAY over him by now, it¡¯s been¡­ it¡¯s been so many years, there¡¯s no way. This¡­ this is just some fantasy to flick myself to. I¡¯m not REALLY in love with him!


    Something in the forbidden recesses of Emily¡¯s mind, some last stubborn pocket of resistance was uncorked with an odd pwoop sound, and the most deeply repressed feelings gushed out all at once in a burst of bubbles and flickering flashes of blue light. A violent surge of glimmering emotions and memories swilled and swirled throughout her head, pushing away the last vestiges of the stagnant and muddy waters clouding her thoughts.


    ¡ªI¡¯m completely in fucking love with him. The one truth, the one secret buried within herself in depths so deep she¡¯d never, ever been able to admit it. Several friends had speculated along the way, and even more probably guessed. Yet, she¡¯d always remained adamant in denying it. At what point did I even start telling myself I was ever over him?!


    Fuck me, I¡¯m so stupid, Emily thought to herself, shaking her head. She¡¯d been at such a loss, so completely unable to figure out what to do with Brian¡¯s situation, and why? Because I was deliberately¡­ not going there. Because I don¡¯t go there. I never go there, not since what happened, that one¡­ STUPID fucking night. But¡­ now, what if I actually DO go there?


    ¡°Brian, I¡ª¡± She snapped her mouth closed, intensely embarrassed. Without realizing it, her fingers had delved back inside her insatiable slit, working with newfound enthusiasm. Sh-shit, what if someone¡¯d overheard me? But¡­ I guess it really is the truth, isn¡¯t it? ¡°I¡­ love you.¡±


    Fuck me, I said it. Out loud. It¡¯s already out now. I can¡¯t take it back. The words are like, in the air now. It¡¯s all going to spill out.


    ¡°I love you, Brian. I love you,¡± she found herself saying, before she could clamp her free hand over her mouth. Fuck. Fuck, fuck. She was surprised to feel an enormous smile of relief and happiness hidden beneath. Her other hand continued on in an unbidden frenzy, stirring succulent sensations that sent pure streams of blue coursing throughout her body. Warily, as if unsure of what words were going to come out, she took a deep breath, as one would before plunging themselves deep underwater.


    ¡°I love you. Okay? I¡¯ve always fuckin¡¯ loved you. I¡¯m so in fucking love with you that I don¡¯t know what to do. I never did. But I love you. I love you. You don¡¯t need Chloe back¡ªy-you never fucking needed her. Ever. You¡¯re worth so much more than that. You¡¯re¡ªy-y-you¡¯re fucking everything to me.¡± All the words she¡¯d been holding in for years erupted out like a clear spring, an immensely satisfying blue current, undiluted and powerful enough to wash away all of her worries.


    I¡ªlove¡ªyou!


    And then she creamed herself, cumming and cumming and cumming in an enormous rolling wave like she¡¯d never experienced before. Eyelashes fluttering and mouth puckering open in surprise, she felt herself undulate, her breasts quivering as each muscle down her abdomen flexed in a succulent ripple. Emily¡¯s cute little bottom lifted up off the bed once, twice, altogether three times, and her eager snatch, sopping wet with her unchecked arousal, spasmed wildly all the while. Her past orgasms now all seemed petty, tense little pleasures, completely without compare to this unstoppable crest that swept through her entire body.


    Sh-shit, this is. Is. Bad. Now it won¡¯t¡ªthis won¡¯t, like, stop pouring out. This um, these¡ªthese FEELINGS. How am I ever going to be able to hide anything from him now?


    Hurriedly checking the time on her phone, she realized that not only had more than forty-five minutes gone by, but there were several missed messages from Rebecca.


    Mara Thorferra: Here in ur driveway


    Mara Thorferra: Emily im here


    Mara Thorferra: Emilyyyy


    ¡°Sssh¡ªit!¡± Emily¡¯s faced flushed red, bashfully pulling the rest of her cosplay back on as quickly as she could. A last tiny tremor shivered down the inside of her legs. ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!¡± Emily didn¡¯t find herself feeling exhausted as her luxuriant tremors subsided, and to her surprise, she rose up easily in a smooth, languid motion off the bed and onto her feet. She¡¯d always thought that a really great orgasm was like being hit by a typhoon, and it was¡ªonly, this time, she was the typhoon.


    That wasn¡¯t my fault, I HAD to take care of that, she told herself. Her wig was stored inside-out in its protective sleeve and tucked under an arm with her ninja shoes. A spare change of clothes and her overnight pouch of toiletries, along with what remained of her savings, were already crammed into the backpack she slung haphazardly over one shoulder. Flitting frantically around her bedroom for anything she might have missed, she grimaced and finally snatched the heavy bottle half-hidden behind her nightstand, and then broke into a run down the hallway for the front door.


    It really WASN¡¯T my fault! She felt that uncontrollable torrent just had to be poured out somehow, or she¡¯d have been in trouble. Now, it was nothing but a strange smile she couldn¡¯t conceal, a euphoric light-headedness. It would have been a struggle for her thoughts to even stay afloat, save for the fact that the beautiful blue coursing through her head now swirled and circled around this one particular person firmly anchored in her heart.


    ¡°Oh, Emmie¡­¡± Rebecca murmured, stepping out of her car as she noticed what her friend was carrying in her free hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ that¡¯s really a good idea?¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Emily snorted, hefting the bottle up with a grin. ¡°This isn¡¯t an idea at all, this is straight bourbon. S¡¯like, what, the opposite of having good ideas, right?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­ no,¡± Rebecca frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink. You don¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m old enough, and I can drink whenever I want,¡± Emily said defensively. ¡°I drink sometimes, every now and then. I bet I drink way more than you.¡±


    Releasing a long, exasperated sigh, Rebecca took the neck of the bottle in her hand as though she was going to have to take it away from her smaller friend. Indignantly, Emily tried to yank it back. Only to discover that Rebecca¡¯s grip didn¡¯t budge a millimeter, the taller girl firmly planted there holding the neck of the bottle, solid and unmoving as a giant tree.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, this isn¡¯t funny¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily, please, you¡¯re one of my best friends,¡± Rebecca interrupted in a stern tone, ¡°And I love you. We¡¯ve all heard the story about the time you drank only a hundred times by now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wet myself, you can¡¯t believe anything Brian¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, I never heard that part. I heard you tried to kiss him?¡± Rebecca cut in, a sly smile appearing across her sleepy features.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, uh, I was drunk, alright? I thought it¡¯d be funny,¡± Emily retorted, tugging at the unmoving bottle again. ¡°It was, kinda.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± Rebecca continued. ¡°That¡¯s what he thinks, too. But¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s funny.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca? You weren¡¯t even there,¡± Emily growled. ¡°You don¡¯t know any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bourbon¡¯s not going to do you any favors, Emmie.¡± Rebecca pointed out. ¡°You know, he pushed you away ¡®cause he actually thought you were drunk for real?¡±


    Shocked, Emily abruptly let go of the bottle and tumbled backwards spectacularly onto her ass.


    ¡°Besides, this is awful¡­ it¡¯s the cheapest, most vile, absolute garbage you could¡¯ve possibly bought,¡± Rebecca muttered with a sigh, shaking her head in dismay and squeezing the bourbon. ¡°This bottle¡¯s made out of plastic, Emily.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I was just actually hammered that night,¡± Emily laughed nervously, clambering back up. ¡°You weren¡¯t there. Don¡¯t go making all of it into some kinda weird¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that thing you do every time when you fib, Emmie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Thing, what thing?¡±


    ¡°Your mouth moves, and all these words come out.¡±


    ¡°Ha-hah, very funny. Why don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is a good chance for you, Emily. Things can work out. But you don¡¯t need this stuff, it¡¯s garbage. You¡¯re so much better than that.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Emily realized, aghast to find that her eyes were stinging with shame and disappointment. ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sshh-sh-sh-shhh,¡± Rebecca shushed, and wrapped her arms protectively around Emily. ¡°Emily, it¡¯s fine, you¡¯re fine, everything¡¯s going to be just fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­You knew?¡± Emily sniffled in a quiet voice. ¡°Since when? Why didn¡¯t you ever say something?¡±


    ¡°What would I say?¡± Rebecca chuckled helplessly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t completely sure. And how could I speak out and cheer you on while you¡¯re so determined to keep everything all a big stupid secret? Brian doesn¡¯t know¡­ but Chloe probably does. I think Will has it figured it out, too.¡±


    ¡°How would Will know anything?¡± Emily asked, making a face. ¡°He¡¯s practically¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because Will¡¯s always had a crush on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But, enough about that,¡± Rebecca said, squeezing Emily tight. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s such a big crisis that it has you breaking out the bourbon?¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s there,¡± Emily murmured into Rebecca¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s there?¡± Rebecca echoed, giving her a look of confusion.


    ¡°At the convention. She¡¯s there now,¡± Emily explained, pulling away and wiping her nose into her sleeve.


    ¡°¡­Ah. Ahhhh. That¡¯s the emergency?¡± Rebecca realized, making a face. ¡°But¡­ really? She insisted she wasn¡¯t going, like, a bazillion times? Made such a fuss over it. I know she can be a little¡­ flighty, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no. She planned this, somehow,¡± Emily insisted, shaking her head. ¡°Whenever anyone brought up AnimeCon, she was the one shooting it down, making excuses, or saying like Brian wasn¡¯t gonna go. But then, whenever you¡¯d talk to Brian himself about it, you¡¯d get this totally different story.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°She had a costume ready, that she kept secret from everyone. I mean, there¡¯s nothing on her Chloe Ravioli account, and then she goes and posts¡­¡± Emily paused to swipe through photos on her phone before turning the display towards her friend, ¡°¡­this on her other account.¡±


    ¡°Other account? Magical Doll Himari!¡± Rebecca exclaimed in recognition, before narrowing her eyes and taking a closer look. ¡°Oh, my¡ªthat¡¯s really¡­ Chloe, isn¡¯t it? Oh my God! She has a Himari cosplay?!¡±


    ¡°Not something she picked up on a whim, either,¡± Emily insisted. ¡°Scroll back further through her posts¡ªshe made all of that stuff, there¡¯s progress pictures. She was always planning on going to AnimeCon. Just, the rest of us didn¡¯t fit into her plans. This is all about her and Brian, somehow.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s, uh, well¡­¡± Rebecca frowned, shaking her head. ¡°That seems like¡­ a bit of a stretch? She¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± Emily breathed. ¡°She told me things. Things I was supposed to say to Brian. When I offered to be the one to give him back his apartment key that day, and, you know, make sure she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything there, you remember that? She told me this whole spiel, all of these specific things I had to say when I ran into him.¡±


    ¡°What did you say to him?¡± Rebecca¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say shit,¡± Emily snorted. ¡°Hah, yeah right, like I was going to put all that on Brian, right then when he was at his worst.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Rebecca asked, tilting her head quizzically.


    ¡°Why? Whaddya mean, why?¡± Emily blustered.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, I thought¡­ isn¡¯t her rejecting Brian like that, um, good news for you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that would hurt Brian is good news,¡± Emily stated with finality, looking uncharacteristically serious. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t about me right now, okay?¡±


    ¡°But maybe it can be?¡± Rebecca teased, sticking out her tongue. ¡°What did she want you to say? Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°What she wanted me to say to him¡­¡± Emily let out a bitter laugh. ¡°I¡¯m never gonna forget it. But, can we get going? I can tell you on the way. I, y¡¯know, I really want to get there, soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªof course,¡± Rebecca said with giddy smile of anticipation, pulling open the driver¡¯s side door of the old station wagon and then¡­ adjusting the seat all the way forward. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Emily remarked in surprise, ¡°What? Yeah? You¡¯re gonna let me drive?¡±


    ¡°S¡¯not a stick shift or anything,¡± Rebecca laughed, tossing her keys to her friend as she crossed over to the passenger¡¯s side. ¡°I trust you. We wanna get there fast, right?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, we¡­ yes,¡± Emily said quickly, deftly snatching the keys out of the air. ¡°We god-damned do want to get there fast. Thank you, Rebecca¡­ thank you. Brian, Chloe¡­ AnimeCon. Here we come.¡±

 Upper Level

    ¡°Upper level?¡± Brian called over the noise of the nearby crowds in the main lobby. Stephanie nodded and Kelly took initiative to lead the way, the raven-haired gothic beauty¡¯s self-assured presence of confidence seeming to help open a path among everyone. To Brian¡¯s surprise, he also noticed that she reached back to take Stephanie by the hand, ensuring the shy, diminutive girl wouldn''t run into anyone. The pair of escalators was overloaded and had lines forming, so Kelly chose the staircase leading up between them, which was almost empty. Together, they climbed up towards the terrace that overlooked the convention hall.


    Brian wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about Kelly, anymore. At first, seeing her in the Calamity Queen set had painfully reminded him of Chloe. After all, he¡¯d been picturing Chloe wearing the outfit for months leading up to the convention¡ªever since ordering it for her, in fact.


    However, while Kelly was likewise endlessly confident, a little imperious, and even manipulative like Chloe, everything else about her demeanor seemed warmer than his ex-girlfriend. Despite the intimidating bravado Kelly sometimes affected, some subtle change in her mannerisms¡ªthis morning in particular¡ªmade her feel friendlier, closer to both him and Stephanie. Maybe in ways even Kelly herself had yet to realize.


    No matter what happens today¡­ Brian mused, looking thoughtfully back at the raven-haired beauty as she ascended the stairs, Think I¡¯ll let her keep the outfit. The thing had been atrociously expensive, but that particular dent in his wallet was already in the past, practically forgotten. He¡¯d only brought the outfit to the convention so that he could try getting rid of it without feeling like it was a waste¡ªnot necessarily to recoup his whole loss.


    Looks like it was practically made for her, anyways.


    Brian led the girls to a free spot along the railing, where they could take in the entirety of the convention hall. While there were a lot of people on this upper level as well, it was a breath of fresh air compared to the oppressive crush of bodies in the lobby below. Though they were two stories up now, the ceiling skylights were much, much higher overhead, giving their area a mezzanine view of the entire convention.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s amazing,¡± Stephanie breathed, still almost hopping with excitement. ¡°Look! There¡¯s a Solar Bear cosplayer! I-I hope I can get a picture of him, later.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably a Monster Battlers meetup going on at some point today,¡± Brian said. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the next Battlers cosplayer we see, maybe somebody¡¯ll know something.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Stephanie agreed, flashing him a smile and turning back to try and spot more familiar cosplays.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss in the lovely dress,¡± an older voice chimed in from behind them. ¡°Could I take your photo?¡±


    All three of them turning at once to see a man in his early forties wearing a pocketed vest. He was wielding an oversized camera rig, the bulky cylinder of a specialized lens protruding forward from the thing and an external flash mounted above. Professional photographer?


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Kelly sighed theatrically, twisting back against the rail in a sensuously graceful way. The distant, morose expression she wore while dressed in the Calamity Queen set was effortlessly captivating, and the photographer took several shots at different angles. Stephanie and Brian even had to edge back further out of the way as the gentleman stepped back to take a wider picture.


    ¡°Excellent, thank you. Very beautiful.¡± The man nodded with satisfaction at each still he replayed, and turned next to Brian. ¡°Could I get a few of you as well?¡±


    He posed once casually, leaning back against the rail as if relaxing, produce sticking out of his shopping bag, and then did a more serious one. He left the bag on the ground for the ¡®serious¡¯ pose, adopting a proper combat stance, fists raised at a ready to the camera and stylized skull helm glaring with menace.


    ¡°Ooh, I like that one,¡± Kelly whispered loudly to Stephanie.


    ¡°Dan Andrews, Sunday Morning Gazette,¡± the middle-aged man offered Brian a hand. ¡°You may¡¯ve just made the papers.¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± Brian chuckled, returning the photographer¡¯s firm handshake and then respectfully taking off his helmet. ¡°And, me? No way. With all the other costumes here, I¡¯m nothin¡¯ special.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, and you¡¯re wrong,¡± the man said with a hearty laugh, turning to take in the entirety of the convention hall with a look of appreciation. ¡°Couple years ago, I woulda singled out a couple of cosplayering twerps from some big, well-known series and been able to call it a day. Woulda made for a cute little interest piece... buried sixteen pages back in the the paper.¡±


    Cosplayering? Brian gave the older man a lopsided smile.


    ¡°But now, you know, this anime stuff¡¯s big. If there¡¯s no other big news before tomorrow, this event¡¯s got a good shot at making front page. People attending anime conventions aren¡¯t these, y¡¯know, these social pariahs anymore¡ªthey¡¯re, potentially, the sons and daughters of parents who read our Gazette. Everyone knows somebody who¡¯s crazy into this stuff nowadays, so now, you¡¯ve gotta give stories like this a very¡­ special treatment.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s changed the... criteria you look for, in taking photos?¡± Brian asked, a little interested. Kelly and Stephanie seemed to be huddled into their own whispered conversation again.


    ¡°Well, yeah, sure,¡± the photographer nodded. ¡°Going right for the ones that look the most nerdy just doesn¡¯t fit the narrative anymore. Can¡¯t just stroll around taking shots at tits and ass, either, though¡ªer, if you¡¯ll pardon my language. My editor¡¯s this shrewish old harpy, know what I mean? Heaven forbid, nothing improper, hell, nothing suggestive can be put in our paper, not in this day and age. I¡¯ve gotta avoid taking any shots that show too much skin, and that¡¯s¡ªhell, that¡¯s most of ¡®em, these days.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like that doesn¡¯t leave a lot for you to take pictures of,¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°Hah, no, it really doesn¡¯t,¡± Dan Andrews chuckled, shaking his head as a young brunette woman wearing a virgin-killer-style sweater passed by. The knit sweater¡¯s backless opening extended down far enough that the first few inches of the cleft of her butt was visible to all. ¡°Well, when you¡¯re young, everything¡¯s all sex, sex, sex.¡±


    Brian¡¯s eyes absent-mindedly wandered up Stephanie¡¯s profile instead. Up her tall red boots, to where they slightly pinched the plush, pale skin of those lovely thighs. The fluttering, breezy hem of her pink-and-red dress, and that alluring hipline that angled into the shy girl¡¯s slender waist. She turned, as if feeling his eyes upon her, and her cute face bloomed into a warm smile.


    ¡°Hell, you fit the bill for the Gazette, though,¡± Mr. Andrews said. ¡°Interesting, but not inappropriate. You are a¡­?¡±


    ¡°A... Darkmask minion, from Hero Hero Haruki,¡± Brian explained guiltily. With some difficulty, he tore his eyes away as Stephanie turned back to Kelly. As usual, no matter how tempting her figure was, that brilliant smile of hers was a thousand times more dangerous.


    ¡°A dark mask, okay,¡± Dan pulled a tiny notepad out of his vest pocket and scribbled skeleton guy = a dark mask.


    ¡°I web search ¡®em all when I¡¯m back at the office,¡± he explained with a sheepish smile. ¡°Fill in the character and series details, and all that. Otherwise I¡¯d never keep track, you know?¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Brian shrugged.


    ¡°Now that, there,¡± the photographer sighed, pointed out a nearby young mother ushering along a screaming costumed child away from the railing, ¡°Would¡¯ve been my safe bet, woulda been perfect for the Gazette¡ªif only she wasn¡¯t bawlin¡¯ her eyes out.¡±


    The frail-looking mother in front of them stopped in place, still attempting to coax the young girl, who looked no older than four, to calm down. The child was cute, and probably would have looked sweet and adorable¡ªif not for her little face being contorted into a screaming wail. With a pink-and-red dress, tutu-like skirt, and what looked like a familiar headband with ears attached, Brian realized that she was actually dressed up gijinka-style, as a monster from Monster Battlers. Either Embrin, or its evolution¡ªFlamituff.


    ¡°Cassie¡ªplease,¡± the frazzled young mom begged in a tired voice. ¡°We can fix it. Mommy can fix it when we get back to the car. Cassie? Cassie?¡± The girl was clutching at a small animal-eared headband in her tiny hands, not unlike the one Stephanie had made for her own costume. The ears were slightly rounded triangle shapes of red craft foam, but one of them had separated from the headband, exposing dried beads of hot glue.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll wait and see. Cute kid, recognizable costume,¡± Dan Andrews nodded to himself. ¡°Makes the event seem like a family thing, broadens appeal across demographics and all that targeted thinking mumbo jumbo¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Stephanie exclaimed suddenly, crossing over to the crying girl right away. ¡°Are you an Embrin?¡±


    With teary eyes, Cassie looked up at Stephanie¡¯s approach with so much surprise that she nearly dropped her broken headband, and the little girl shrunk back against her mother¡¯s legs.


    ¡°You look so pretty!¡± Stephanie praised, slowly crouching down beside the girl so that she wouldn¡¯t appear threatening. ¡°I¡¯m a Flamituff! Do you know Flamituff?¡± The little girl stood in awe for a moment, completely enthralled by Stephanie, before slowly nodding and reaching out a hand in wonderment.


    Sucking in air between his teeth with a hiss, the journalist disregarded his conversation with Brian and stepped in, bringing his expensive camera rig to bear. The photographer hurriedly snapped photo after photo after photo in quick succession of this unexpectedly perfect scene between Stephanie and the little girl.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s an Embrin!¡± the mother spoke up, gently nudging her daughter forward. ¡°Say hello to the pretty girl, Cassie!¡± Naturally, Cassie didn¡¯t speak, still entranced by this beautiful girl suddenly crouched down in front of her. She stepped forward and grabbed at Stephanie¡¯s outfit as if to ascertain she was real.


    ¡°She¡¯s shy,¡± the mother apologized.


    ¡°I am, too,¡± Stephanie confided to Cassie with a knowing smile. ¡°But, since you¡¯re the most bravest little Embrin¡­ here!¡± She withdrew the rabbit-eared headband adorning her own pink tresses and then carefully placed them upon the little girl¡¯s head.


    So astonished that her mouth was hanging open, Cassie immediately pulled them off and held them in front of her, working her pudgy fingers across the soft felt of the ears and then looking back up at Stephanie, an adorable smile blossoming across her features.


    ¡°Those are for you, little one,¡± Stephanie insisted, helping her put them back on again. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve already outgrown your old Embrin ears! You¡¯re ready for big Flamituff ones!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thank you so much! Thank the pretty girl, Cassie!¡± the girl¡¯s mother said quickly, covering her mouth with a hand, taken aback. ¡°Your costume looks great, and I just love your hair! Are you sure you¡¯re okay with¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Stephanie beamed, rising up from her crouch and giving Cassie a last little wave. ¡°I hope she has a really great time.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what other news is happening, now,¡± the old photographer mumbled to himself. ¡°We just clinched cover page, for sure. Dan Andrews, Sunday Morning Gazette, sorry to interrupt. Would you be alright with this being published in tomorrow¡¯s paper?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ªoh my god, yes,¡± the mother hurriedly agreed. ¡°Cassie, do you want to be in the newspaper? You got a picture of¡ª?¡± He leaned in, tilting his camera for them and clicked through several of the photos he¡¯d taken.


    Shot from an angle just behind and slightly over the shoulder of Stephanie¡¯s Flamituff gijinka dress, the pictures were extremely well-composed, capturing the vibrant colors of their costumes with vivid clarity. In the foreground, the pink-haired young woman was proudly crowning her own rabbit-eared headband onto the little girl¡¯s head in the focus of the shot, giving the still photo a sense of depth and movement. Wearing the matching colors in her little Embrin outfit, Cassie¡¯s cheeks were still wet with obvious tears, but her expression captured in that moment was dawning surprise and happiness.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kelly mouthed, impressed.


    ¡°That came out perfect,¡± Brian congratulated, and he took Steph¡¯s hand. ¡°That was cool, what you did.¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stephanie blushed. Giddy with excitement, she kept stealing glances back at Cassie wearing the oversized Flamituff ears, rather than the photographer showing off the shot. ¡°She was just¡ªshe¡¯s too cute! And, and it broke my heart, seeing her with her little broken ears.¡±


    ¡°But now you don¡¯t have ears,¡± Kelly pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie smiled, adjusting her glasses and running a hand through her fluffy pink hair. ¡°I¡¯m, um, I¡¯m already satisfied, with how my cosplay turned out this year. It made her so happy. Did you see?!¡±


    The smile she turned towards him was dazzling, and she was so perfect, so overwhelmingly cute in that moment that Brian lost control for a moment, unconsciously leaning in to kiss her. The fire in her eyes seemed to flare brighter, and she happily allowed herself to be pulled closer, tilting her head up to kiss him¡ª


    But he stopped himself, pulling back in alarm and giving her an embarrassed look.


    ¡°I¡ªuh, yeah, sorry,¡± Brian said with a nervous chuckle. She seemed to understand, to know that he¡¯d almost lost control¡ªlost himself because of her, seriously struggled to hold himself back¡ªand she looked extraordinarily pleased with the notion. She gave him a shy grin, turning away to hide the fact that she was going completely red, a rosy tinge spreading across her entire face and all the way down her neck.


    What was I doing!? Brian wondered, turning away and exhaling slowly. Staying within the lines was so much simpler and easier to understand with Chloe setting iron-clad boundaries. A stern frown here, a disapproving look there, immediate and intentional guidance for his every subtle behavior.


    But, with Stephanie, that whole rulebook was thrown out the window. She radiated raw attraction, and her every appreciative glance, her every beaming smile seemed like she was eagerly inviting more. He was a little afraid to discover how little restraint he actually had when it came to her.


    ¡°Hey, you two! The fu¡ª¡± Kelly began to gripe, before looking to see that the mother-daughter pair was still several feet away from them. ¡°What the fuss was that supposed to be?!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like this stubborn little kid who doesn¡¯t wanna take his medicine.¡± Kelly shook her head in exasperation. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Get what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mere. Come over here,¡± Shooting him a wry smile, she took Brian by the hand and tugged him along after her in search of a more private place for them to talk. He couldn¡¯t help but notice the entrancing way the layers of Kelly¡¯s petticoat and dress slowly twisted back and forth about her as she walked, as though ever-so-slightly pivoting with each step them. She remained conspicuously silent as she pushed through the flow of passerby with Brian in tow, meandering through another group of anime fans over towards a secluded area of the overlook. Stephanie followed close behind them.


    ¡°Okay. You don¡¯t get that you need this. It¡¯s like, all the stars are aligning, and everything¡¯s falling into place for you to have some amazing sex this weekend. This is exactly the kind of intimacy you need to get past all of this bullshit with your ex.¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t think we¡¯re¡ªwell, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for that,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Getting myself into all that right after a breakup like this, that would be dumb.¡±


    ¡°You tell yourself that all you want,¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°S¡¯not gonna help you sleep any better tonight, trust me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means, us girls¡ªStephanie and I¡ªwell, we¡¯ve both got the itch.¡± She eyed him in apparent amusement, leaning to rest her elbows on the upper level railing. ¡°That itch that only you can scratch, Brian. What¡¯re you gonna do about it?¡±


    This whole conversation feels... surreal, Brian thought as he met Kelly¡¯s brandy-brown eyes.


    ¡°Okay. Stephanie, I could see,¡± Brian said, glancing at the speechless pink-haired girl beside them. ¡°Maybe. But you? You don¡¯t even like me, Kelly.¡±


    ¡°S-see what?¡± Stephanie blinked.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Brian said. ¡°You don¡¯t have feelings for me, Kelly, not really.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I have very strong feelings for you,¡± Kelly teased, looking out across the plethora of attendees below. ¡°So what if they happen to be... a very specific sort of feeling?¡±


    ¡°What¡ªstrictly physical?¡±


    ¡°Is that a crime?¡± Kelly pouted her lips at him. ¡°I don¡¯t catch feelings, Brian. Not in that other way. They fuck people up. No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Kelly, I don¡¯t think that you and I would ever work out.¡± He decided to be blunt with her.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She quirked an eyebrow, seeming unfazed. ¡°Why¡¯s that? Our parts match up, right?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think that they do,¡± he said. ¡°Our personalities wouldn¡¯t fit well together for an actual relationship.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kelly laughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Those weren¡¯t the parts I was talking about. Your idea of what a relationship is is way too static. Let me guess, you¡¯re just in for the long haul? The serious relationship; monogamous dating, with the intention of maybe eventually getting married?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he agreed. ¡°That¡¯s how I see it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s dumb. Romance ain¡¯t gonna play by just your one little set of rules, and you shouldn¡¯t try to force it to. Take it from the bisexual girl¡ª¡®relationship¡¯ can mean, like, a bazillion different things, and each and every one is gonna be completely different. They can be a long and boring like you want, or they can be short and sweet¡­ you know, punctual. They could be with just one undeserving broad, or with as many as you can stick your dick in.¡±


    ¡°When I do find the person I want to spend the rest of my life with,¡± Brian explained, shaking his head in dismay at her choice of words, ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to tell her that I¡¯d been just having meaningless flings, all casually. I feel like that would demean the sex I have with her.¡±


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t have meaningless flings, Brian,¡± Kelly rebutted. ¡°Have intensely meaningful flings, with someone you¡¯ve just met. Or, several someones... if you¡¯re up to it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ªand what would the meaning be, then?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know,¡± she teased, flashing her bewitching smile. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to ever find that out. You look real deep inside of yourself to find your answers. Or sometimes, deep inside someone else?¡±


    ¡°Very funny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious, though,¡± Kelly insisted, grabbing his arm. ¡°Like, Brian¡ªI¡¯m for real serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m for real serious, too,¡± Brian countered. ¡°Last night was¡­ I don¡¯t know. Things went that way, and it happened, and no, I don¡¯t regret it. But, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m gonna play along with your act like this, whatever it is. I¡¯m not into casual hook-up stuff like that. That¡¯s not me.¡±

 Argument

    ¡°You¡¯re... a fuckin¡¯ idiot,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes and turned away from him with a heavy sigh. ¡°And, you¡¯re gonna regret all of this later. Such a big fuckin¡¯ mistake. A waste. But, whatever. Not my problem¡­ right?¡±


    We¡¯re all friends, Stephanie thought in dismay. She understood each of their particular perspectives¡ªin a detached way¡ªbut her heart ached watching their difference of mind grow into such a point of contention.


    After the argument between Brian and Kelly, a strained atmosphere seemed to fall over them. Kelly was annoyed, seeming to have grown stiff with discontentment, while Brian fell silent, making Stephanie¡¯s sense of social helplessness start to gnaw at her. She didn¡¯t want this sense of apprehension to dampen the excitement and energy she had for this day.


    Remembering the instructions she¡¯d received earlier, Stephanie timidly offered Brian her hand, and felt a wave of relief when he accepted it. The three headed across the gallery of the upper level together at a leisurely pace, taking in the sight of the vibrant swarm of fans gathered in the lobby below.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look around up here first,¡± Brian gave Stephanie an apologetic look before turning towards Kelly. ¡°Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly stated in a neutral tone. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The first panel room of the upper level they arrived at had its program underway already, with a speaker addressing a nearly full room of attendees.


    ¡°What is ¡®mo¨¦?¡¯¡± A large, bearded man with a shaved head who looked very much like the member of a biker gang fresh out of prison was roaring into his microphone in a hoarse voice. ¡°Cute?! Mo¨¦ is more than just cute.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!!


    ¡°Yosh!¡±


    ¡°Preach!¡±


    ¡°Mo¨¦ is when yer heart gets a boner! It¡¯s that budding feelin¡¯ of infatuation, it¡¯s tha pangs of adolescence invoked all over again when you see somethin¡¯ so damned adorable, that it touches you, deep inside and melts yer bitter and cynical heart that¡¯s been walled off by thirty-seven years of desperate, painful loneliness!¡±


    Lingering near the door, Brian looked to his companions for a consensus. Kelly winced at the idea of entering the panel room, looking decidedly disinterested. Stephanie shrugged, curious but ready to agree to whatever Brian decided.


    ¡°Yeah. Guess I don¡¯t really want to sit down right away, either,¡± Brian nodded, looking restless. They passed the room by and continued on. ¡°We can check out the atrium?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s!¡± Stephanie agreed eagerly, giving him a smile.


    The atrium, to Stephanie¡¯s surprise, was an entire amphitheater room built into the upper level, featuring several stages set up beneath an enormous dodecahedron of glass and steel far above their heads. Here, padded swordfighters in tunics, tabards, and gambesons were having practice matches upon stage. The theater¡¯s seats had been cleared out, creating a broad open space populated with different tables, lines, and clusters of medieval-clad warriors chatting with each other.


    ¡°This is where my friend Rebecca does her thing,¡± Brian explained, gesturing across the bustling activity throughout the giant room. ¡°Live-action battle gaming, I think.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever played this... game?¡± Stephanie asked with interest, watching a fighter with a two-handed sword crash his weapon down upon his opponent¡¯s shield. It was exciting¡ªand a little alarming¡ªwatching the pair on stage trade aggressive blows back and forth, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Brian would be like up there.


    ¡°Emily and I had a little practice fight with the weapons they let you try out,¡± Brian remembered. ¡°But, it wasn¡¯t anything big like this back then. Last year, it was just a little room off of the lobby downstairs. Seems like this stuff¡¯s really taking off.¡±


    While it was interesting, it felt rude to simply stand off to the side gawking at the battle-gamers, so the trio moved on from the impromptu arena and across to the other side of the upper level. As they did, Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but walk next to the railing overlooking the lobby so that she could see down across the entire convention hall.


    There were friends huddled together for security amid the press of bodies, smiling and enthusiastically pointing out costumes. Going around the convention with Brian and Kelly, she felt so much more like she belonged, like she was one of them, like she was a part of the whole experience rather than an interloping outsider. Adjusting her glasses with her free hand, Stephanie found her lovely blue eyes drawn to several of the stand-out cosplayers from series she recognized.


    There was a Faye Heartlock strutting in yellow hotpants that offered about as much coverage as wearing a belt, the deep line of her cleavage barely constrained by the single button of her yellow vest. A platinum-blonde girl wearing the null suit from Metrazoid might as well have been painted into the outfit she was boldly posing in, light-blue latex hugging intimately to every curve. Some of the outfits worn down there would have seemed positively scandalous to the Stephanie of yesterday¡ªNow, she felt so much more confident and comfortable in her own body that she could almost imagine wearing some of them herself. Stephanie looked at them all with interest, musing on new perspectives and wondering where her own boundaries would be; what she might decide to wear next year.


    She felt uniquely off-balance, like she was standing with one foot in the world of yesterday she was used to, and one foot in a future she couldn¡¯t have ever imagined. When she¡¯d arrived at the con yesterday with Megan, she¡¯d been interested but¡­ withdrawn, her feelings for the convention experience subdued and reluctant. Last night, she¡¯d been initiated into a whole new world. A world filled with intimacy, attraction, and uncertain companionship that was dangerously addictive. Now, she was excited, exuberant, she felt alive in ways she¡¯d almost forgotten.


    But, at the same time, she was terrified of overstepping herself, of testing the unknown boundaries. After years of detaching herself from things and becoming conservative with her feelings, keeping the world at a healthy distance¡­ she was now riding the thrilling edge of high risk, high return emotional investments.


    Her eyes wandered up Brian¡¯s chest and across his broad shoulders. And, it feels like I just keep winning big. She wanted to latch onto Brian and Kelly both and never let them go.


    Taking a closer look at her two companions, however, Stephanie felt the beaming smile on her face begin to fall. Kelly was openly broadcasting impatience and annoyance with her crossed arms and disinterested scowl, while Brian had donned his Darkmask helmet once again, rendering him somehow distant and impersonal. You guys¡­!


    ¡°Sh-shall we head back downstairs?¡± Stephanie proposed in a meek voice, feeling desperate for them to move on from this thorny situation and leave it behind them. ¡°Or¡­ ah, d-did we want to look at the other things, um, the rooms, on this level?¡±


    ¡°Lead on,¡± Brian shrugged.


    Shooting Kelly a nervous glance when the dark-haired gothic beauty didn¡¯t respond, Stephanie gingerly took each of them by the hand. She wasn¡¯t sure she quite understood their adamant refusal to see things on each other¡¯s terms, and didn¡¯t know how it had come to such a stubborn standoff. Holding Brian¡¯s hand on one side and Kelly¡¯s on the other, she felt like she was the bridge to help them reconnect, to set aside their differences somehow. And, she had no inkling on how to accomplish that.


    Together, the three forged on through the crowds on the landing and stepped onto the escalator that would take them back down to the ground floor of the convention hall.


    ¡°...Were we just gonna fuckin¡¯ wander around aimlessly?¡± Kelly asked, looking from Brian to Stephanie. ¡°We¡¯d be having more fun back at the hotel. What about the plan, Steph?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uhmm,¡± Stephanie sputtered, freezing up in fright. She mostly felt like she was on Brian¡¯s side of the argument¡­ it was just that certain aspects of Kelly¡¯s position were also tantalizing and persuasive in their own way. ¡°I-I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Plan?¡± Brian looked from girl to girl.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªyour plan,¡± Kelly said, slyly turning back to face Brian again. ¡°You said we¡¯re on ¡®plan B,¡¯ today. Plan B was for all of us to have a blast today. Right?¡±


    ¡°Plan B was us all having fun here at the convention, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We can be here at the con and have fun. Fun like last night.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t mean that kind of fun.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re at an impasse,¡± Brian held up his hands, not about to keep arguing pointlessly. By now, he looked wholly indifferent to Kelly, which seemed at odds with expectations of what a guy would want, but... somehow natural and real for Brian.


    Stephanie watched the proceedings with interest.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Steph,¡± Kelly switched to a new tact, turning instead to Stephanie. ¡°Help me talk some sense into this loser!¡±


    ¡°Sense? Steph¡¯s having fun here,¡± Brian said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Alarmed, Stephanie backed up a step with a weak smile, holding up her hands and shaking her head to indicate she was staying out of this.


    ¡°No?¡± Kelly cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°You¡¯re saying ¡®no¡¯ to which one of us?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­ saying anything at all!¡± Stephanie answered with a meek laugh. ¡°I¡¯m, um, impartial, th-the impartial third party, hah ha¡­¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me, while I confer with my associate for a moment,¡± Kelly growled, pulling Stephanie aside to the edge of the lobby, away from Brian.


    ¡°Steph? You¡¯ll help me, right? Please?¡± Kelly begged, her fine features revealing a distraught, defenseless look. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m tryin¡¯ hard to keep my cool, but I really can¡¯t take any more of this, I¡¯m-I¡¯m going crazy¡ªhelp me?¡±


    ¡°O-okay, I¡¯ll help,¡± Stephanie agreed with a concerned look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, of all things, that was gonna work?¡± Kelly smirked, her distraught expression immediately reverting back to the teasing, impassive mask she normally wore. ¡°You guys are both so damned naive¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ are you being serious?¡± Stephanie stammered. ¡°Or is this a, is this all just an act?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, the helpless trick¡¯s an act,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°But, so is the whole I¡¯m all in control all the time thing. Look, it¡¯s all an act. Guys¡¯re more sensitive to these kinds of moods than you¡¯d think. I really can use your help with Brian right now, though.¡±


    ¡°H-how¡­¡± Stephanie began, regarding Kelly with a cautious smile and feeling a little perplexed. ¡°How can I trust you, then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your trust,¡± Kelly replied, wearing an mysterious, unreadable face in return. ¡°I want your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Stephanie decided with a nod. ¡°Just, um. Well, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Brian, that¡¯s what¡¯s wrong,¡± Kelly scoffed, fluffing the ruffles of her petticoat in aggravation. ¡°Things aren¡¯t working like they should. It¡¯s like he has his guard up, he¡¯s all on the defensive. He warms up to you no problem, but all I¡¯m gettin¡¯ is cold shoulder. I don¡¯t get it. You think maybe I¡¯m just not his type? Too intimidating, or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, um¡­¡± Stephanie looked baffled. Does she really not understand his point of view? ¡°What do you really want out of this?¡±


    ¡°Have you even listened to me at all today?!¡± Kelly exclaimed in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m helping you two out, yeah. But, I¡¯m trying to get fuckin¡¯ laid, too, you know? Clock¡¯s ticking on that if his friends are showing up. Can¡¯t you like, ask him what his deal is with me?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ all you want is sex?¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ duh!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy that either¡ªit doesn¡¯t add up,¡± Stephanie insisted, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just, um. That. I¡¯m sure you could¡­ do that, have¡­ sex with almost anyone else you wanted, anywhere, just by being you.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not¡­¡± Kelly made a face, pursing her lips in annoyance, but she let Stephanie continue.


    ¡°Why him, then? Why me, wh-why stick around with us? Kelly¡­ what¡¯s going on? Why are you really here, at the convention? What was the big thing that happened with you, th-that you didn¡¯t want to talk about last night? Brian just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look, Steph,¡± Kelly growled. Something in her carefully composed mask flickered, revealing something in the beautiful girl that was neither calm nor in control. Just as quickly, Kelly took a deep breath and the moment was gone, the cool girl facade returned in its place. ¡°Knowing what my whole deal is? It won¡¯t help us out any, here.¡±


    Kelly¡­ Stephanie regarded her for an uncomfortable moment in silence, unable to interject¡ªstill too timid to do so. She wished she could be someone Kelly could confide in, but the right words to reach out seemed to just be out of her grasp.


    ¡°Hell¡ªyou¡¯d probably trust me even less. It¡¯s¡­ long, and full of bullshit, and I don¡¯t need anyone else getting involved.¡± Kelly made a frustrated noise of aggravation. ¡°Okay? I don¡¯t need you prying all up into my business, and I don¡¯t need your pity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I wasn¡¯t offering you my pity,¡± Stephanie countered in a quiet voice. ¡°I¡¯m offering you my help. Kelly, do you¡­ do you trust Brian and I? Really trust us?¡±


    ¡°Trust you guys? No,¡± Kelly snorted, inexplicably looking vulnerable again before she scoffed again. ¡°Yes? I don¡¯t know, dumb question. Doesn¡¯t matter. Why would I trust you guys? Steph¡ªyou don¡¯t go and spill your life story to people when you¡¯re just tryin¡¯ to get laid. It¡¯s counter-intuitive, retarded, it¡¯s like, immediate red flags and alarm bells. You don¡¯t have perspective, Steph. You¡¯re doing all your thinking with that widdle wovely heart of yours, that has this big dopey first crush on him.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie replied seriously, appraising Kelly again for a long moment. ¡°Maybe I am. Is that any worse than, um¡­ what you¡¯re trying to think with, instead?¡±


    Kelly¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Well, sorry for having sex on my mind,¡± Kelly finally gave her a mocking look. ¡°Sheesh! I only sat there, neglected, while he tongue-punched your twat-box to this amazing fuckin¡¯ orgasm? Yeah, of course you¡¯re all satisfied¡ªhe already slurped your spunk sleeve all fuckin¡¯ sloppy.¡±


    ¡°What?! No,¡± Stephanie said quickly, flushing with embarrassment and glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. ¡°Yes? I-I don¡¯t know, maybe? Could you please not refer, um, could you never, ever call it that? H-how do you keep coming up with those?!¡±


    ¡°They just come to me. It¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what if,¡± Stephanie blustered, ¡°maybe it did¡ªuh, that, d-doing that did feel that amazing, but it was because I have a crush, um, because I do trust him. It, ah, made the difference. It was¡­ cathartic.¡±


    ¡°Ca-what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Cathartic?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure how to, um, it¡¯s this emotional, um. I-I don¡¯t know how to describe it,¡± Stephanie sighed, helpless to explain herself. ¡°Cathartic. Catharsis? M-maybe it is a crush, is what I¡¯m saying. But, maybe that¡¯s what you actually need? N-not a crush, but, maybe¡­ a deeper connection?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh, sure,¡± Kelly replied with a noncommittal shrug. ¡°But, what if instead, we all just fuck, and leave it at that? No complications, loose ends or feelings or anything?¡±


    ¡°But, he may not, um¡­ no, he won¡¯t do that,¡± Stephanie pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t think. If you can¡¯t open up to each other, that is, and really¡­ um, connect.¡±


    ¡°Which sounds dumb to me,¡± Kelly sighed in aggravation. ¡°People don¡¯t havta get personal to have great sex, Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°I-I know,¡± Stephanie tried, struggling to find the words to express her feelings. ¡°But isn¡¯t doing that, uh, doing just sex, isn¡¯t that only treating the symptoms, without addressing the cause?¡±


    ¡°¡­The cause?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyebrows rose, and that tenuous thread of gravity between the two girls seemed to pull taut again as she bristled with unseen anger. ¡°Stephanie¡ªyou don¡¯t know me. And, even if we were friends¡ªand we¡¯re not, not really¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be okay for you to be all up in my personal business.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Stephanie said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought¡ªwell, um, I think of us as¡­ friends. What¡­ are we, really?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friendly,¡± Kelly reminded her, aggressively palming a handful of Stephanie¡¯s butt for emphasis. ¡°Not friends.¡±


    ¡°Awah!! Ahh, ahh, st-stop that!¡± Stephanie protested, twisting and squirming her way out of Kelly¡¯s grasp. ¡°Well, I think of you as my friend. Even if¡ªeven if you¡¯re mean, sometimes.¡±


    Unmoved by her claim, Kelly just shook her head in exasperation and stepped back over to Brian, ending their little talk. Stephanie followed uneasily¡ªshe didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d gotten through to the girl at all. Standing together once again, the three companions exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other, and Stephanie felt a bitter sense of loss that she was unable to put into words.


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, fuck.¡±


    Both Brian and Stephanie turned in surprise towards Kelly, who¡¯d frozen on the spot, staring off ahead of them. Stephanie tracked her gaze through the crowd in confusion, but didn¡¯t see anything¡ªor anyone¡ªthat seemed out of place. Different anime fans and cosplayers were walking ahead of them, but none of them spared a glance back at Kelly.


    ¡°Is... everything alright?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡ªgotta go,¡± Kelly said distractedly. The expression on her face was difficult to read, but it still looked like her eyes were following someone up ahead. ¡°Shit. Uh, yeah. Well, bye, guys.¡±


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Brian asked again, while Stephanie looked at her with mounting concern.


    ¡°No. But, I¡¯ve just gotta get it over with,¡± Kelly¡¯s gaze snapped back to them and she gave them a dry smile. ¡°Personal business. I¡¯m gonna go see this old friend, take care of some things. I¡¯ll catch you two lovebirds later sometime, though.¡±


    ¡°Uh... okay. You need your stuff?¡± Brian asked, passing Stephanie his Darkmask helmet so that he could pop open the pouches on his belt.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kelly seemed to pause, stepping up to him as he pulled everything out of his pouches and passed her both her cell phone and the crumpled twenty-dollar bill. She seemed hesitant and uncertain for once, in a way that Stephanie found unsettling.


    Is she really leaving us? Just like that?


    ¡°You have two of these?¡± Kelly asked, drawing the hotel room keycard from his hand.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said, surprised. ¡°This is the spare. Always keep mine in my boot, just in case¡ªI was gonna give that one to Emily and Rebecca later on. Take it if you need it, though.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Thanks,¡± Kelly said, awkwardly unclasping and unbuttoning the top of her gothic lolita dress until cleavage was revealed. Brian and Stephanie tried not to stare as she slipped the key between her breasts and hurriedly began fastening her top up again, already striding away.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Stephanie called out in an anxious whisper, quickly advancing forward and latching onto Kelly¡¯s arm before she could get away. ¡°Do you have to, um, are you really¡ªwhat will, what do¡ªwhat do I do?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Kelly stopped to look back at them, actually giving Stephanie a guilty look. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later? Probably.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the Hero Hero Haruki thing at noon,¡± Brian said. ¡°Don¡¯t know where we¡¯re doing our actual photoshoot, but we¡¯re meeting up in the main lobby first. Look for a buncha guys dressed up like me.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay,¡± Kelly nodded, before looking to Stephanie. ¡°Steph¡­ just, you know. Stick to the plan, okay? You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Kelly turned away from them with a whirl of her skirts and left them, hurrying away down the convention corridor. The pair watched on in surprise as Kelly disappeared into the crowds, and Stephanie moved closer, taking the initiative to clutch onto Brian¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Well¡­ alright?¡± Brian shook his head, trying to figure out what could have happened to spur Kelly into such a sudden flight. ¡°What is the plan, then?¡±


    ¡°It-it¡¯s not a plan,¡± Stephanie said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s a promise. She¡¯ll be back.¡±

 Pair of Hearts

    While they¡¯d only met the day before, Stephanie already felt incredibly attached to Kelly. The dark-haired girl with the alluring smile always bolstered her confidence, encouraged her, provoked her, even¡ªgently urged her on towards these things she wouldn¡¯t have been able to imagine a few short days ago. In her very most vulnerable intimate moment with Brian, Kelly had been right there with her, holding her steady with comfort and support. Kelly had been there for her, been there for both of them, and her presence with them meant something to Stephanie.


    And, now she has to go? Just like that? Stephanie worried her lip, feeling terribly unresigned at her friend¡¯s abrupt departure.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Brian began, shifting awkwardly.


    ¡°Yeah, um,¡± Stephanie began, not knowing what to say, either.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Brian chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I was afraid this would happen¡ªthat things¡¯d get... you know, weird between us, soon as Kelly wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s, just¡­ well,¡± Stephanie blustered.


    ¡°Here¡ªlet¡¯s go this way,¡± Brian suggested, steering Stephanie in a different direction than the one Kelly had gone. ¡°We¡¯ll give Kelly her space to go do her own thing. You wanted a pic of that Solar Bear cosplayer, right?¡±


    ¡°Um... yes!¡± Stephanie gave him a sheepish smile. She¡¯d honestly already forgotten about it, and she instead sent a last glance in Kelly¡¯s direction before they were worming their way through the throng of attendees again.


    The Solar Bear was huge, a cosplayer wearing a hulking white fursuit nearly seven feet tall, patiently picking his way along the convention hall. With as often as he was stopped by others for photos, especially people with children, it wasn¡¯t hard at all for them to catch up to him, and when they were standing in front of the big fluffy bear Stephanie couldn¡¯t suppress a giddy smile.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s so cute!¡± She exclaimed under her breath, shyly wringing her phone in her hands. Rather than a mascot-style costume that resembled human form, this one really had the figure of a bear¡ªit had a realistic shaped head defined by the shape of its snout rather than an anthropomorphized face, and the girth of its neck seemed to form a natural slope all the way down to where it¡¯s foreclaws began rather than forming angular humanoid shoulders. A pair of teenage girls had been posing for a photo with the Solar Bear and just trotted away, but Stephanie found herself hesitating, too timid to ask to do the same.


    ¡°¡®Scuse me, can she get her picture with you?¡± Brian spoke up, gently pushing Stephanie forward by her shoulders.


    The giant bear from Monster Battlers turned towards her in a lumbering motion and then spread his giant white paws, inviting a hug. Excitedly stumbling forward, Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but giggle as she was enveloped by the cuddly creature¡¯s arms.


    ¡°One more, please¡ªSteph, look this way for a picture!¡± Brian chuckled, and Stephanie turned to see him holding up his phone for them.


    I should have given him my phone! Stephanie flushed with embarrassment all over again as she realized she was still clutching her own phone in her gloved hands. Though she wanted to hide her face, she turned her smile towards Brian.


    ¡°Got it! Thanks, Solar Bear,¡± Brian gave the cosplayer a thumbs-up. ¡°You look incredible.¡±


    ¡°Thanks you,¡± Stephanie blurted out, feeling her face go beet-red. Thanks you? ¡°I mean, uh, th-thank you!¡± She was released from the fluffy white embrace, and she hurriedly skipped back over to Brian.


    ¡°Second one came out good. Take a look,¡± Brian offered, turning his phone towards her.


    She blinked at the screen for a moment, almost failing to recognize herself with the unfamiliar bright pink hair.


    ¡°Thank you! It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s a good picture.¡±


    Getting her picture taken with the Solar Bear hadn¡¯t been an ordeal at all. Her anxiety usually meant interaction with a stranger required mustering up a certain amount of nerve, a level of tension. It was something she was used to having to work herself up for, while she mentally prepared the words she planned to say. All so that she hopefully wouldn¡¯t make a fool of herself.


    Instead, Brian had read her hesitation and acted on it right away, facilitating everything so that the situation played out smoothly, naturally. While it may have been a simple small gesture on his part, the relief and assurance she felt from it had those crackling pink flames warming her inside.


    It¡¯s different, Stephanie bit her lip, trying to keep from latching onto him in a random hug. Everything¡¯s different.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°L-let me fix your collar,¡± Stephanie stuttered out, averting her eyes to the task of re-straightening the neck of his Darkmask bodysuit. She wasn¡¯t able to stifle her slight smile as she pretended to focus on righting the already neat lines of his cosplay.


    ¡°Was it messed up?¡± Brian chuckled.


    ¡°...No,¡± Stephanie answered honestly, her smile breaking into a grin before she could help herself. ¡°I just, I¡­ just wanted to.¡±


    The honest admission probably wasn¡¯t what Kelly intended, but Stephanie continued fidgeting with his collar for a moment anyways, feeling her cheeks glow. Standing right in his personal space, almost too close to him, should have been awkward and discomforting. Instead, it was somehow everywhere she ever wanted to be.


    ¡°Well, thanks.¡± Although he was holding his helmet and had his Komari-mart bag hanging from his wrist next to it, Brian still managed to put an arm around her, and the flames burning within her leapt up higher and brighter. ¡°What do you wanna do now?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Finally daring to look up at his face again, Stephanie¡¯s mouth opened as if to answer, but she really had no idea what they should do next¡ªit felt like she was barely keeping up with everything. I don¡¯t know what to do¡ªthis feeling, it just keeps growing!


    ¡°Can I be completely honest?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Please,¡± Stephanie nodded quickly, turning her full attention to him and preparing to hang on his every word.


    ¡°There¡¯s this part of me that feels like I¡¯m wasting your time with us just wandering around like this. Like, I should be showing you around the panels, or taking you to events you want to see, or something. But, at the same time¡­¡±


    ¡°At the same time?¡± Stephanie prompted.


    ¡°...At the same time, it¡¯s also like I just want to spend time with you, without any those distractions.¡± There was an individual intensity in the way he was looking at her, an undivided focus that made her feel like she was standing with him alone in an empty lobby, rather than boxed in by hundreds of AnimeCon attendees.


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± The innocent honesty in Stephanie¡¯s sweet expression became heated at the attention, her face flushing with raw, almost palpable desire. The self-control she was so certain of after all of these years nearly gave way beneath the heady weight of his gaze, and for a few brief moments all she could think in response was how badly she wanted him.


    Although the words shocked her speechless, those searching green eyes of his seemed to see it all, to know, and so her hesitant, yearning look slowly blossomed into a smile as bright as a sunrise. I keep thinking about last night. I¡¯m thinking of you. Of us. Us taking this, whatever this is between us, and going further and further¡­


    Blushing furiously, she was unable to say any of that out loud. Instead, she simply nodded.


    The two walked on together below the atrium, where the smacking noises of boffer weapons and occasional yells were still sounding out, and then slowly picked their way through the crowds across one of lower promenades. This concourse was lined on both sides with long planters of tiled brick, filled with large decorative plants. Here and there along its length, attendees were using the planter edge as a bench.


    ¡°This morning, you said¡­¡± Stephanie began, embarrassed, ¡°that I¡ªum, this, th-the, us meeting, was like, um. That, that I was like¡­ an anime dream girl?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Brian nodded, still waiting for her question.


    ¡°What did you mean?!¡± Stephanie asked with an exasperated smile.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ in anime, it¡¯s the genre cliche, that a beautiful girl will fall out of the sky¡ªsometimes literally¡ªand into the protagonist¡¯s lap, into his life. She¡¯s really, like, magic. Mysterious and fascinating things happen around her, you know, draw the ordinary, average guy into some big adventure that changes everything.¡±


    ¡°W-well yes, I know all of that,¡± Stephanie flustered. ¡°I watch anime! But, but, what does any of that have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Stephanie¡ª¡± Brian quirked an eyebrow at her, ¡°how did we meet?¡±


    ¡°Th-that, uh, was¡­¡±


    ¡°And, there¡¯s also how beautiful you are, how cool you are, and this¡­ whatever¡¯s happening with your hair. Turning a different color when you get kissed? That¡¯s like, right out of an anime story,¡± Brian decided, grinning at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m not, though, I¡¯m just¡­ me. Th-there¡¯s nothing cool about me, at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She asked shyly. ¡°Then, wh-what¡¯s so cool about me, huh?¡±


    ¡°I think what makes you so cool is how brave you are.¡±


    ¡°N-no, no,¡± Stephanie stammered out quickly, and her face fell. ¡°No. I¡¯m not brave though, at¡ªat all. I¡¯m, like, I¡¯m terrified, al-almost all of the time.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t think you were brave, if you weren¡¯t. Take Kelly, for example. She really doesn¡¯t care what anyone thinks¡ªso she¡¯s bold, but not really brave. When I see you fighting with your fear all the time... it really makes me proud of you when you win out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m definitely not beautiful, though!¡± Stephanie argued, blushing fiercely. ¡°And, uh, y-you¡¯re not average or ordinary, like you were saying, at all! You don¡¯t get to say that, then.¡±


    ¡°How about we compromise, have ourselves a truce,¡± Brian offered, letting go of her hand and turning to face her, letting his fingers fall to her side. Her eyes went wide. ¡°How about... you don¡¯t doubt me when I tell you you¡¯re beautiful, and in return, I¡¯ll never call myself average or ordinary. Deal?¡±


    ¡°...Deal,¡± Stephanie agreed, unable to look away from him.


    ¡°Stephanie,¡± Brian wet his lips and leaned in to whisper in her ear. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Ohh?¡± she quietly breathed, her eyes dazed and her pink lips parting. Before she could even dream of denying his words, he¡¯d pulled her into a hug.


    Blinking with surprise and smiling despite herself, she hugged him back. She¡¯d never felt quite so safe and satisfied as right here in his arms¡ªbut there was also a pink flash of adrenal excitement that spiked through her. She¡¯d lived for years with social anxiety, but she was realizing that the suffocating, directionless, and uncomfortable pressure she was so accustomed to was now building up instead into a very different kind of tension.


    It was a subtle, supple tension, an intimate and sometimes sexual tension. It was attraction and anticipation, a thrumming readiness, an eager urge for physicality; to touch him, to put her hands on him and never let go. That habitual stiff, anxious rise of her shoulders was already beginning to melt beneath the blazing pink heat she felt rolling through her.


    Can¡¯t stop getting all... turned on around him! Stephanie blushed furiously, unable to deny it to herself. She was warm and wet with arousal simply by being in his proximity, and whenever he flirted with her¡ªth-this is flirting, right?¡ªlittle pink explosions were set off in her brain, making it impossible for her to think straight.


    All of the sudden, she wanted to attack him. There was something going on between them, and she wanted to explore what it was. Kelly¡¯s notions about what to do with Brian didn¡¯t seem as absurd anymore¡ªshe really did want to be all over him, in an immediate and bodily way that she¡¯d never dared to consider with the opposite sex. The boundaries that had boxed her in were gone, around Brian at least. She wanted to play around, to grab him by his shoulders and grapple him, wrestle with him. To strain her muscles with exertion, test the sexy solid-ness of his masculine frame.


    Oh, no. I really DO want to attack him. Oh, whoa. Stephanie wanted to fight Brian... and she wasn¡¯t even sure if she wanted to win. Frantic pink flames fluttered dangerously through her mind as she explored this strange new compulsion she felt.


    Maybe she would let out a giggle as he grabbed her by the wrists, but she would fail to twist out of his grasp. First she imagined she¡¯d try to pull away from him¡ªa futile exercise, against his strength. She would valiantly push against him a few times, struggling against him as he pinned her down, before laughing and kissing him in a sloppy way. With him holding her in place, there was no desire or reason to imagine escaping.


    A smile would blossom across her face, her lips parting with lust, and she would start kissing him and never stop, spreading her slender legs to wrap around him. Then, they would fight it out all over again, pressing their bodies against one another in fervent abandon as they each vied for a superior position. It wouldn¡¯t matter who won, so long as they drew each other into the soft tangle bodies, flushed with heat and skin sliding slick down there as he¡ª


    W-wait wait wait! Stephanie blithely realized, turning away from Brian as blood rushed to her face. Isn¡¯t that basically just¡­ sex? Am I actually just wanting to¡­ go the whole way, to do that with him?! It was as if an instinctive need had been woken up from deep within her, and her body, very obviously lubricating with excitement, was able to tell her exactly what she wanted.


    ¡°You¡ªyou know,¡± Stephanie swallowed nervously. ¡°You never showed me, what you thought of m-my... my butt¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Brian warned, exhaling slowly in an uneasy breath. ¡°Yet. You should, uh. Be careful what you ask for?¡±


    ¡°...I will,¡± she promised, and she gave him a serious nod that shook her fluffy pink tufts of hair. ¡°Is it¡ªwould it be, um, bothersome? For me to ask things¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Ask me anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she smiled, and her mind was already racing through what felt like a billion topics all at once. ¡°Let me, um, think how to phrase... what I want to ask.¡±


    Behind one of these big groupings of people, in some secluded alcove, he could show her what he thought of her butt. Her heart pounding with excitement at the thought. How would he show her? Direct her to stand, gloved hands splayed out against the wall, like he was frisking her? Maybe he would just crouch down to ¡®fix¡¯ her costume for her, make sure those tall red boots were tugged up properly to pinch the soft, plush shapes of her pale thighs. His brushing lips could follow the gentle curve of her hamstring up to the round globes of her bottom, so that she could tremble when he nibbled, or even wriggle, as his thumbs drew up on either side¡ªjust beneath the crescents of her cheeks¡ªand slightly spread them?


    He could take me somewhere private and just... bend me over, Stephanie thought, an intimate longing trapped deep within her eyes. Spank me. Play with me. Whatever he wants, I want. Want to forget all of these pointless little worries, disregard everything else and just¡­


    In her imagination, Brian took a mouthful of luscious thigh, gently pinching her pale skin between his teeth. He¡¯d squeeze her trembling ass and watch the ample flesh bulge between his fingers. Pull her panties all the way down to around her ankles and then kiss her, tongue and lick her from behind until her knees were knocking together and she was soaked sloppy with his saliva. Longing for his every touch, reacting to his tiniest movement. I want him to just take me however he wants and never ever stop. If Kelly hadn¡¯t¡ª


    Stephanie¡¯s expression fell, and her pace faltered a step.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ worried about Kelly,¡± she admitted. ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°About Kelly?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah. What do you think about her?¡± Stephanie asked, curious.


    ¡°Kelly? I didn¡¯t like her at all, at first,¡± he answered candidly. ¡°She seemed¡ªI don¡¯t know. Full of herself? Like, she was a little too quick to just¡­ kinda dismiss us as geeks. I didn¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stephanie didn¡¯t necessarily disagree with his perspective, but still found herself surprised. ¡°Wh-why did, um, then, but¡ªyou invited her to stay with you anyway?¡±


    ¡°Because of you,¡± he said. ¡°I thought, you know, you¡¯d feel safer if she was there, too. Since it¡¯s like, you barely know me¡ªI didn¡¯t want you thinking you were going to be alone in a situation, or in a position where I was gonna take advantage of you, or anything. She seemed like she was looking out for you, so I figured you¡¯d be more comfortable with me offering you a room if she was there too, to keep me honest.


    ¡°Hah. Instead, things went, like, the opposite way?¡± He winced. ¡°I guess?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Stephanie patted her gloved hands on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m glad she was there with us. I really am. I feel like¡­ maybe she did keep you honest? She um, she kept both of us honest, i-is what I mean to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡ªum, the things that happened, the last night, it, um, I don¡¯t think things would have gone so perfectly, if she hadn¡¯t¡ªif she hadn¡¯t been there too,¡± Stephanie mumbled, tracing a small circle on her own arm with her opposite fingertip. ¡°If that makes sense?¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI do,¡± Stephanie confirmed. ¡°Do you still not like her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s grown on me,¡± Brian said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have kissed her last night¡ªnot even on a dare¡ªif I didn¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°...Good,¡± Stephanie decided with a nod.


    ¡°Of course, I was still pretty surprised walking in on you two kissing this morning,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie giggled, looking away in embarrassment. ¡°Me too.¡±


    The thing between Kelly and I¡ªit isn¡¯t attraction. Well, not exactly. Instead, I simply feel¡­ curiosity? Some kind of interest? Stephanie wondered, a little conflicted on the nature of her strange relationship with Kelly.


    She¡¯d never entertained thoughts about kissing another girl before, yet... when confronted with things earlier this morning, the same-sex aversion Stephanie expected wasn¡¯t really there, either. Not with Kelly. She¡¯d become unexpectedly, maybe even inexplicably comfortable with her. I don¡¯t think I desire her¡ªnot necessarily¡ªbut appreciating her, admiring her with kisses or even... exploring touches doesn¡¯t sound so bad. Is that... weird? I think I might be turning weird?


    ¡°Am I just¡­¡± Brian began, giving her a half-grin, ¡°you know, gettin¡¯ in the way between you two?¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re, um, you can¡¯t say that, th-that¡¯s not fair!¡± She squeaked out. When he smiled at her with those mottled green eyes of his, his very presence seemed to demand her full attention, light her body up, igniting errant wildfires for miles across the jumbled terrain of her thoughts.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked with a grin. ¡°What¡¯s not fair about that?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ um¡­¡± She felt her face frozen in a stupid smile as she gazed at him, speechless, her heartbeat coursing through her. Because I¡­


    ¡°Well, not gonna press you, if you don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Brian assured her with an amused smile. ¡°Honestly, maybe it¡¯s better if instead of telling me, you could show me, instead?¡±


    Show you¡­ ? While she wasn¡¯t sure if that made much sense, it seemed incredibly appealing all the same, and as they strode along hand-in-hand among the crowds of AnimeCon attendees, Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but giddily think about how they must seem like a couple to everyone.


    Which is silly¡­ isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re not a couple. Are we? We HAVE kissed a few times, though¡­ and then, um. Last night was¡­ that was something. Does that kind of make us like a couple? Even if we¡¯re not officially dating? Right? Does this count as a date? Something like a date? What am I, to him? Am I¡­ his girl, kinda? A little bit?


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re teasing me,¡± She finally accused, realizing she¡¯d been in a bit of a daze. She was almost too embarrassed to meet his eyes. ¡°How would I¡­ how would I show you?¡±

 The Sister of Sarah Star

    ¡°Sarah, that goth bitch over there is totally casing you,¡± Qin Wanwan muttered in a catty voice, leaning in close.


    ¡°Ew, and it¡¯s another Ita in a knockoff from Taobaba,¡± Mega Miruku sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You can totally tell she¡¯s tried to copy your makeup.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, you¡¯re right! I didn¡¯t even notice at first,¡± Qin snorted. ¡°It¡¯s like she just finished walking herself through Sarah¡¯s horror fantastique tutorial for the first time, and she wants to, like, come here and compete with the real deal.¡±


    Qin was Asian, and wore a skimpy tribal outfit of ragged leathers and a necklace of bones and animal teeth along with a shaggy white wig that featured large wolf ears. Mikuru, on her other side, was dressed in bloomers and an athletic shirt, like a girl who¡¯d walked out of the track and field segment of a high school anime. She had large breasts that looked fake, and her shirt advertised her own cosplay alias, Mega Mikuru, in large letters.


    Sarah herself was wearing her Gestalt-version Sabel Princess cosplay, which incorporated ornate foam armor pieces¡ªcut to shape, sealed with a coat of rubber spray, and carefully painted to look like tarnished silver¡ªatop what looked to be the Victorian dress of a ruling monarch. The cloth portions were perfectly sized to her body and hemmed with lace, while the armor was ornamented with white trimmings and decorated with vine-leaf patterns. The Gestalt-version costume had taken her over four months of work to complete last year, and it was now simply one of the nine costumes she had prepared to wear on her rotation this weekend at AnimeCon.


    Curious, Sarah Star turned with a slight smirk and looked over her shoulder to see just who was out to get her this time. As a well-known local cosplay idol, she was the undisputed star of their area¡ªmaybe even their whole coast. Her Nibbler followers numbered in the millions, her cosplay makeup video tutorials were touted as prescribed curriculum for new cosplayers, and more than a dozen different conventions had offered to sign her as a guest rather than an ordinary attendee.


    So, it was a bit startling to her friends Qin and Mikuru when Sarah stopped walking and went pale at the sight of the girl they¡¯d pointed out.


    No. No way, Sarah stared in open disbelief. How can SHE possibly be here? How can she be here like this?!


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sarah?¡± Qin whispered uneasily. ¡°Are you okay? Is that copycat girl a stalker, or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to go tell off some Ita cunt for you,¡± Mega Miruku boasted, shooting a dirty look at the girl in the distance.


    Ita was derogatory slang in Gothic Lolita fashion, taken from a similar-sounding word in Japanese that meant ¡®ouch.¡¯ Few subcultures were as elitist as Lolita fashion, and newbie Lolitas with mismatched co-ords, Lolitas wearing too much tacky lace, or those wearing knock-off brand counterfeits from Chinese sites like Taobaba were all sneeringly referred to as Itas.


    Sarah¡¯s lip twitched. There was nothing Ita about the dress of the beautiful young woman looking in their direction¡ªif she didn¡¯t know any better, she¡¯d say it was an authentic Noblesse Oblique, somehow. And, the idea that that girl, of all people, copied her makeup was even more preposterous.


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize her?¡± Sarah sighed. ¡°You guys¡­ you better go on ahead without me. She¡¯s, uh. She¡¯s an old friend from a couple years ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. If you say so,¡± Qin said, giving the girl one last dubious look before leading Mega Mikuru away.


    As soon as they had gone on ahead, Sarah took a deep breath and slowly approached the girl with trepidation.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Kelly?¡± Sarah asked bluntly.


    ¡°Nice to see you, too,¡± Kelly said in a quiet voice, putting on a weak smile. ¡°It¡¯s been¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Sarah cut her off with a scowl. ¡°How did you even get here? What are you wearing? Why are you here?!¡±


    ¡°I came to say goodbye to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Goodbye,¡± Sarah snorted, crossing her arms. ¡°It¡¯s a little late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°This time¡­ this time it¡¯s for real goodbye,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Forever goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking¡ª¡± Sarah realized how agitated she was getting and looked around, lowering her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare tell me that now. Do you have any idea how Mom¡¯s been since you left? Where have you been?!¡±


    ¡°Royally fucking up my life,¡± Kelly answered honestly.


    ¡°Of course you have,¡± Sarah spat, trying not to lose her cool and mostly failing. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking goddamn stubborn. Fuck, both of you are. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Sarah¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. What do you need, money? A place to stay? If you¡¯d just apologize¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sarah. I¡¯m not apologizing to her. And, I¡¯m not going back,¡± Kelly said with finality. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for money, or as a cry for help, or anything like that. I came here to say goodbye to my little sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªstupid fucking fuck,¡± Sarah cried, eyes watering. ¡°Well, don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to hear it, so just fucking don¡¯t. Don¡¯t fucking bother.¡±


    ¡°Sarah.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Drugs? Are you¡ªwhat, out of cash to shoot up, or snort, or whatever the fuck drugs you¡¯re on, now?!¡±


    ¡°Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! What happened to Dale? Did you know Mom actually tried visiting him? To find out where you were¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sarah,¡± Kelly interrupted with a pointed glare. ¡°You¡¯re making a scene.¡± The surrounding crowd in the lobby had gone silent as everyone turned to look and see what was going on, and her two cosplay friends had hurried back over, looking like they wanted to interject, but unsure of what to say.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sarah?¡± Qin finally asked. ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sarah looked around in embarrassment and collected herself. ¡°Sorry. Is Cosplay Makeup empty right now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it should be,¡± Qin nodded, looking uneasily from Sarah to Kelly and back again. ¡°Everything we need for the panel is all set up, and we still have another half-hour before it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Sarah demanded, taking her sister by the wrist and leading her down one of the hallways branching off the main lobby. Bewildered, Qin Wanwan and Mega Mikuru followed after them.


    ¡°Your makeup looks great,¡± Kelly said, obediently letting herself be pulled along.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Sarah warned.


    ¡°Of course her makeup looks great,¡± Mikuru snorted. ¡°She¡¯s Sarah Star, she¡¯s like the queen of makeup. Every single freaking one of her tutorial videos has more than five hundred thousand views?¡±


    ¡°You do videos, now?¡± Kelly asked, interested.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sarah hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°I made a few videos, so what?¡±


    ¡°Makeup videos?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does makeup videos,¡± Mikuru said in exasperation. ¡°She¡¯s fucking famous for it. Aren¡¯t you wearing her exact horror fantastique look? Who the hell do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Horror fantastique?¡± Kelly blinked in surprise. ¡°That sounds retarded, I never called it that.¡±


    ¡°This is... my older sister Kelly,¡± Sarah grudgingly admitted to her two friends, not turning to look back at either of them. ¡°She... taught me how to do makeup. Forever ago.¡±


    ¡°She¡­ what?¡± Mikuru asked in disbelief, slowing down and dropping back a bit as they headed down the hall towards their panel room. ¡°I thought she said her sister was dead?¡±


    Arriving in the empty panel room for Cosplay Makeup, Sarah yanked her sister inside, and after Qin and Mikuru had followed, closed and locked the door.


    ¡°Okay, you need to explain everything,¡± Sarah insisted, crossing her arms and standing to block off the door. ¡°Start talking.¡±


    ¡°Everything? That¡¯s a lot of explaining,¡± Kelly smiled, glancing at Qin and Mikuru. ¡°You must be my little sister¡¯s friends.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re professional cosplayers,¡± Mikuru huffed, crossing her arms as well. ¡°They invite us to cons as headline guests, they pay us to be here.¡±


    ¡°Of course they do,¡± Kelly gave her an unimpressed look. ¡°Isn¡¯t that cute.¡±


    ¡°Everything, Kelly,¡± Sarah demanded.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes and turned to face all three girls. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start from the very beginning. Before either of us were born, my mother¡ªwell, our mother was a cosmetologist¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I fucking mean!¡± Sarah hissed. ¡°They don¡¯t need to know any of that. Where have you been? How did you get here? Why are you wearing brand? What the fuck happened between you and Dale?!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Qin interrupted, motioning Sarah back. ¡°Sarah¡ªyou never mentioned that your mother¡¯s a cosmetologist? That¡¯s kind of a big deal. I thought you said she was a nurse?¡±


    ¡°It is a big deal,¡± Kelly agreed. ¡°Our story doesn¡¯t make any sense if you don¡¯t know that part.¡±


    ¡°And, Sarah¡ªyou said your sister was dead?¡± Mikuru chimed in.


    ¡°She¡¯s been dead to me for a long time,¡± Sarah elaborated through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Yeah, fuck you too,¡± Kelly snorted.


    ¡°So, your mom¡¯s actually a cosmetologist?¡± Qin pressed the issue. ¡°Was she the one who¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mom is not a cosmetologist,¡± Sarah insisted. ¡°She¡¯s a registered nurse now. Kelly, can you just for once¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let her talk, I want to hear this,¡± Mikuru said.


    ¡°Of course she¡¯s not a cosmetologist,¡± Kelly shook her head and sighed. ¡°Not anymore. But our mother was a cosmetologist, and she was good. A little¡­ too good, in fact. As you might guess from looking at Sarah and I... our mother was, once upon a time, very, very beautiful.


    ¡°And, being a makeup expert, she was of course very, very, very beautiful,¡± Kelly continued. ¡°More so than us sisters are now, still. Which drew the eye of a certain man, and¡­ well, suffice to say that¡¯s how I was born. Sarah, too. Physical products of her narcissism, manifestations of her vanity.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start with that, again,¡± Sarah scoffed.


    ¡°Anyways, popping out first one brat, and then two of them, she doesn¡¯t have as much time to invest in her appearance¡ªour mother puts on weight, stops wearing makeup, lets herself go a bit. Big mistake, I guess, and daddy exits the story, stage left.


    ¡°Well, our mother takes it hard. Ends up swearing off cosmetics, wants to make sure her little girls never wind up like her. No learning makeup, no fancy haircuts, we¡¯re supposed to study and be smart like good little pawns, so we don¡¯t make her mistakes. All the while, she¡¯s dating her way through guy after guy, trying to find a father figure for us, I guess.


    ¡°I get a little mouthy one day with one of them, because I have a mouth. John, this big creepy guy who was probably going to molest us one day¡ª¡±


    ¡°He was not,¡± Sarah argued. ¡°There was nothing wrong with John. He just wasn¡¯t going to put up with your shit.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, as she says, one day John doesn¡¯t put up with my shit, and I earn myself my first black eye. Real beauty of a shiner, on ten-year old little me. Eleven-year old little me? Sometime around then. I fight back. Mom comes home and freaks out on both of us, sends him packing. Sarah runs and hides in our room like she does.


    ¡°So, my Mom breaks out this big kit that I guess she¡¯d kept hidden behind shit under the bathroom sink, and sits there with me showing how to cover it up with makeup so I can go to school the next day. All the while explaining why, when I¡¯m at a certain age, I shouldn¡¯t ever make myself too good looking, because of what can happen if I¡¯m not careful.


    ¡°When I finally look in the mirror, it¡¯s like fucking magic,¡± Kelly whispered. ¡°Gone like it¡¯d never been there. Couldn¡¯t even see there was fucking makeup there. It was fucking magic. Naturally, all I want to do then is learn how to do that, and of course, every day she catches me with makeup on, she goes into a fit and makes me wash it off. I wake up and practice putting on makeup, she makes me fuckin¡¯ scrub it off, then I go to school and apply it all over again.¡±


    ¡°She let you buy makeup?¡± Qin asked.


    ¡°No, of course not. It was contraband. But I had friends. Our mother was just so fucking determined that neither of us made her same goddamned mistakes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and guess how the story ends?¡± Sarah taunted, shooting Kelly a glare. ¡°You making those same goddamn mistakes.¡±


    ¡°I guess so, fine,¡± Kelly gave them a helpless shrug. ¡°But, it¡¯s my fucking life. Not hers. You¡¯re not shying away from a little makeup now, either, I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Sarah growled. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what happened. Where you¡¯ve been, what¡¯s fucking going on. Why you¡¯re wearing fucking brand lolita¡ªwhere¡¯d you get the money for that?¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Kelly did a slow pirouette for them. ¡°It¡¯s the Calamity Queen set, by Noblesse Oblique. I¡¯m modelling it for a friend, it¡¯s for sale.¡±


    ¡°Friend, what friend?¡± Sarah huffed. ¡°You don¡¯t have any friends who¡¯d buy brand. You don¡¯t have any friends.¡±


    ¡°...How much?¡± Mikuru asked, looking at the dress with interest, now. Qin was already tapping the name into her phone.


    ¡°Make me a good offer,¡± Kelly shrugged.


    ¡°You said Calamity Queen?¡± Qin Wanwan asked, looking up from her phone in shock. ¡°The whole set? What size is it, exactly?¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°The full set goes for a hundred and thirty thousand yen,¡± Qin said. ¡°That¡¯s like¡­ what, a grand?¡±


    ¡°A little over a grand,¡± Mikuru said. ¡°Like, uh¡­ eleven hundred some dollars?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Kelly blinked.


    ¡°Kelly¡ªdon¡¯t lie to me, is that stolen?¡± Sarah asked, bewildered. ¡°Where did you find ¡®a friend¡¯ that trusts you to run around in over a thousand dollars worth of brand?¡±


    ¡°Just... some people I met,¡± Kelly deflected with a laugh and a shrug. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    ¡°Cut the shit,¡± Sarah snapped. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Listen kiddo¡ªI don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ answer to you,¡± Kelly gave her little sister a mocking smile.


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Sarah¡¯s shoulders rose in frustration and she forcibly turned away, letting out a bitter laugh. ¡°And to think, I used to wonder why Mom and you always fought.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a hypocrite and a liar?¡± Kelly guessed.


    ¡°There you go again¡ª do you even listen to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever listened to our mother? Really listened?¡± Kelly challenged. ¡°How many times did she warn us not to wind up like she did, not to make her mistakes?¡±


    ¡°Millions of times?¡± Sarah snorted. ¡°Uh, ¡®cause she cares about us? You know, actually gives a fuck? Unlike¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± Kelly waved a hand in front of her sister¡¯s face to get her attention. ¡°So, you were never actually paying attention? When she says not to make her mistakes, do you even know what she¡¯s fucking talking about? Us. Me and you. We¡¯re the mistakes.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s mouth fell open at the shock and realization. She closed it, opened it again, as though unsure of what to say before she managed to find the right words again.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it,¡± Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°All this time, you thought she was really¡ªwhat, denying your existence, or something? Is that what it¡¯s all always been about? All this time?! You¡¯ve just got something to prove?!¡±


    ¡°...You can¡¯t begin to guess my thoughts,¡± Kelly said slowly, in such a menacing tone that Sarah found herself shrinking back.


    Years of hate showed painfully in Kelly¡¯s eyes, and for the first time in her life Sarah felt like she¡¯d begun to understand the reason her sister¡¯s path had diverged so significantly from hers. That endlessly confident, rebellious sister that for years she¡¯d secretly looked up to like the sky appeared so dark and distant to her now that it was like a veil of dread had fallen over the room.


    She just couldn¡¯t stand being thought of as a mistake that needed correcting? Sarah clenched her jaw, horrified that this sentiment she¡¯d never thought of might have defined Kelly¡¯s every action for so many years. How long has Kelly been thinking this?


    ¡°But. Whatever,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got my own life, and you¡¯ve got yours. It¡¯s whatever. I¡¯ll be here at the con the rest of the day. Message me if you want to get together for dinner one last time, or something. I guess. Bye.¡±

 Opportunity Struck

    ¡°Excuse me, could I get your picture?¡± A fan approached, gesturing with his phone.


    ¡°No.¡± Chloe refused, continuing on without breaking stride. ¡°I have the right to refuse any requests for photos, so, please¡ªdon¡¯t harass me.¡± She smiling sweetly, leaving the dumbfounded man behind.


    Her Magical Doll Himari cosplay seemed to be incredibly popular with the crowds, so far. She¡¯d enjoyed preening and posing for the professional photographers¡ªthe ones carrying around nice, expensive cameras¡ªand delighted in refusing the creeps who approached her with just their shitty cell phones. It was empowering.


    In the sprawling convention center complex, filled with thousands of attendees, the chances of stumbling across Brian by accident were pretty low, so she was currently prowling along the hallway all of the gaming rooms branched off of. At some point today, Brian was sure to stop by the Mana: the Mastery room to visit his old friend Mark. Failing that, he would be at the Hero Hero Haruki meetup at noon that she¡¯d seen advertised on the AnimeCon forum.


    Chloe was ready to make her triumphant return to her apartment, the one she shared with Brian. After all, she¡¯d already spent a whole week sleeping on the couches of different friends. While at first, that had been a great method of canvassing for sympathy and attention, all too quickly she ran the danger of overstaying her welcome, which would ruin her image.


    Also, if her father discovered that she¡¯d broken up with Brian, there would be disastrous complications. Because he was under the impression that she and Brian had been struggling financially¡ªthat her lazy boyfriend just wasn¡¯t able to hold down a job. So, he¡¯d been transferring her enough money to support both of them, enough to cover all of their expenses each month. If he knew they were broken up, he¡¯d insist she move back home, or find a smaller apartment, and then some of that easy income would disappear.


    Or worse, if he started asking questions and found that Brian actually worked full time, and paid virtually all of their bills¡­ Then her father would¡ªirrationally¡ªdemand to know what happened to all of the money he¡¯d sent them. As if he¡¯d bought her. As if he owned her. Chloe¡¯s placid smile almost quirked into a sneer at the very thought of it.


    Would Daddy be able to appreciate my shrewd resourcefulness, and recognize the situation as the victory for feminism that it really is? Of course not. Because, no matter how doting, generous, and supportive Daddy may be, his understanding of gender culture¡¯s complexities will ALWAYS be constrained by certain limitations. He¡¯s a man; short-sighted, narrow-minded, and never able to look past himself to see the bigger picture.


    After all, she snorted to herself, there¡¯s a CULTURE WAR going on, all around us. Hidden in every shed tear and nuance of interaction between women and THEIR OPPRESSORS. Time would prove that Chloe was on the right side of history, but until then, she was determined to fight on no matter what the cost, or how much she had to sacrifice.


    And she was absolutely prepared to sacrifice. It wouldn¡¯t be her making a sacrifice, of course¡ªthat would be foolish. Wasteful. She had a small but growing collection of willing tools; her father, the ignorant old man stuck in the past, and Brian, who she¡¯d spent so long bending to her will. Soon, she¡¯d break him like one does a thoroughbred horse, have him fully conditioned and ready to be what a real man should be. Luckily, his abusive parents had laid plenty of groundwork for Chloe.


    Yes, Brian was abused¡­ if you can even still consider violence against men as real abuse, that is. What Brian failed to understand was how his abusive experiences with his parents, when put in proper perspective, actually TEMPERED him, made him into a better person. It served to reign in that neurotypical male aggressiveness¡ªno matter how hard I pushed him, he never raised a hand against me. Naturally, when she¡¯d brought that idea up with him, his fragile little male ego wasn¡¯t strong enough to look at it with detachment, and regard the positive concepts objectively.


    Without a convention pass, the areas she could search for him were actually pretty limited, as badge checks were stationed at the entrances of all the events and panel rooms. She¡¯d been making a long, careful circuit through the hallways, making a loop from the main lobby to the gaming hall and back again. She wore a bright, bubbly smile, but her eyes scanned back and forth in a cold way, searching.


    Finally¡ªshe saw him.


    Saw that black bodysuit, those ridiculous cartoon skeleton bones he¡¯d stenciled out, and the familiar stylized Darkmask helmet he¡¯d spent a month oh-so-carefully assembling. A predatory smile had just begun to stretch across Chloe¡¯s face when the scattered attendees walking between them parted further, revealing the young woman with pink hair walking close beside Brian.


    Who the fuck is that? A half-smile still frozen in place, Chloe¡¯s eyes danced venomously and her brow twitched, violent emotions trembling just beneath the skin. Brian, you¡¯re supposed to be alone, and miserable. The entire reason you¡¯re even HERE like this is to serve out your penance. Yet, here you are, walking with another girl. The leather of her cute purse with the Magical Doll logo squeaked in protest as Chloe¡¯s clutching hand squeezed down in a crushing grip.


    Brian... you¡¯re being a very naughty boy. All at once, the myriad distractions of the convention happening all around her seemed to fall away, and the target of her focus sharpened to cruel clarity. You¡¯re supposed to be sitting in time out, and instead, I catch you with your hand in the cookie jar? Oh, Brian.


    She¡¯d always known that, as a man, he¡¯d never be able to fully appreciate the things she did for him. But, to see this? To see him take everything she did for him, and then just flagrantly disregard her hard work? To just piss their bright future away, and for what? Her?


    Chloe understood the pink-haired girl next to Brian completely at a single glance. Dyes her hair to show off how UNIQUE and ARTISTIC she is. Wears¡ªwhat, half a cosplay?¡ªthat her ass is practically hanging out of, because she¡¯s that desperate for attention. Probably has quirky tattoos, boasts being POLYAMOROUS, and undoubtedly has taken miles of dick from anyone and everyone who will fuck her. Chloe hadn¡¯t seen the girl¡¯s face yet, but, then again, she didn¡¯t have to. She knew.


    All that hard work, grooming Brian into the perfect boyfriend he¡¯s meant to be, almost ruined. I can¡¯t stress enough how IRRITATING it is that males are such biological simpletons. A single week goes by without my careful cultivation, and already he¡¯s starting to go fallow. Reverting to his crude, baser instincts, so that he can stumble, drooling, after the first art hipster THOT to clap her flabby asscheeks in his direction.


    Brian, you must have thought that we¡¯re really broken up for good, Chloe smirked, eyes flashing. That this means you can cheat on me, without consequence or repercussions; that you¡¯re in the clear. You¡¯re so cute and naive. I was the one who initiated our break¡ªbecause I knew it would be good for you¡ªand I decide when our break¡¯s over. You¡¯re MY boyfriend. You belong to me.


    Then, a brilliant opportunity presented itself, and Chloe¡¯s moment to act came. Brian pulled away from the pink-haired girl, pushing into the overcrowded Mana: the Mastery room, while the pink-haired girl waited patiently for him outside.


    Hah. Brainless fucking bimbo isn¡¯t paying attention at all, Chloe smiled with glee. All I have to do is make it seem like I came walking out from the direction of the gaming room, and¡­


    ¡°Uh, hi!¡± A bright, chipper-sounding voice sounded out, yanking Stephanie from her daydreams. A tall, slender figure in a Magical Doll Himari was standing before her. The stylized white Japanese school-uniform with its blue sailor fuku and micro-skirt was dazzling, and the way the girl was flanked on either side by her own mega twintails, each curled into enormous regal ringlets, was somewhat intimidating. ¡°Are you here with a guy named Brian?¡±


    ¡°Um, ah¡ªyes!¡± Stephanie nodded, standing up straighter.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± the Himari seemed to sigh in relief. ¡°He¡¯s helping someone unload stuff for the panel, and he wanted me to ask you to go meet him, at the loading docks behind the convention center.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ loading docks?¡± Stephanie repeated, momentarily bewildered.


    ¡°Yep! You just go outside the convention center, and then all the way ¡®round the building to the back, and there¡¯s the loading docks,¡± Himari smiled sweetly, giving her a friendly wave as she turned away. ¡°Better hurry though, you don¡¯t want to miss him! B~ye!¡±


    Brian wants me to meet him... at the loading docks? Suddenly anxious, Stephanie wanted to really confirm that with the Magical Doll Himari who¡¯d relayed the message, but the girl was already walking away at a brisk place, like she had somewhere else to be. I¡¯d... better hurry!


    When Brian stepped out of the Mana: the Mastery room, that long tiled brick of the planter just outside was empty. Shucking his helmet off, he looked right and then left, scanning through the crowds to spot Stephanie, but she was gone.


    Probably just had to visit the restroom, Brian thought, chiding himself for feeling so unsettled by her absence. He stepped over to the planter to wait for her, slipping off his gauntlets and retrieving his phone from his belt pouches. There were no new messages, but the Hero Hero Haruki meetup over in the main lobby was going to begin fairly soon.


    Nervously glancing over towards the restrooms, he fidgeted with his phone. For some silly reason, it felt like something was wrong, off somehow. The minutes seemed to stretch on, and the different cosplays making their way through the hall seemed less distracting as time went by. A pair of Tamashi ninjas from Shinobi Souls, loudly arguing with each other while wearing smiling faces. An annoyed-looking wasteland raider from Fist of the Seventh Scar. A Magical Doll Himari, face turned away from him as she passed by. No Stephanie.


    He was beginning to seriously worry.


    Maybe she ran into her friend Megan? Or, Kelly needed her for... something? Glancing at his phone was frustrating, but at the same time, messaging her to check on her seemed kind of awkward. Not like she has to answer to me, or anything. I¡¯m just¡­


    ¡°Hey, could I get a picture with you here real quick?¡± A passing group of three friends asked, one of them approaching him with a cell-phone raised.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Brian answered, carefully setting his phone on the planter and hurriedly pulling his gloves back on.


    ¡°Awesome Skulfie,¡± one of the guys praised as he accepted his friend¡¯s phone to take a shot of them.


    Donning his helmet again, Brian posed¡ªan action shot, made to seem like he was in the midst of punching the guy, who obligingly twisted his body and contorted his mouth in open surprise, hands flailing out.


    ¡°Bad. Ass.¡± The friend nodded as he took the shot. ¡°Check it out, bro.¡± He turned the phone for them to see. It looked pretty spectacular, aside from a bright blonde pigtail from one of the nearby Magical Doll cosplayers, visible in the edge of the shot.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for the picture man, you look great,¡± the grinning guy clapped Brian on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Brian replied. As the trio of friends headed off on their way down the hall, he looked back and forth for the familiar pink and red of Stephanie in each direction before trudging back over to his spot along the planter. He looked down, confused, and then took off his helmet, searching the floor, and then the decorative mulch in the planter itself.


    His phone was gone.


    Hurrying along through the crowds as fast as she could without knocking into anyone, Stephanie made her way through one of the pairs of double-doors on one end of the lobby and out of the convention center. It was a little scary to be doing this all on her own. But, Brian was waiting for her, and so she was walking with purpose, red vinyl boots tapping forward with determination and the skirt of her sundress swaying with every step.


    It was bright outside, and she found herself constantly surprised by how busy the convention was. Everywhere she went there seemed to be something new going on, cosplay photoshoots and meet-ups occurring around every corner. It was all so much fun, more fun than she¡¯d had in years because she felt like she belonged¡ªespecially when she was walking with Brian. It¡¯d been so long since she felt like she had a place with somebody that she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever be able to give it up.


    When she left the small plaza in front of AnimeCon¡¯s concourse and the groups of people began to thin out, however, a sense of discomfort began to grow. The convention center ended the next concourse over, which advertised a trade show, conference and networking event for business owners and entrepreneurs, which hadn¡¯t begun yet, and then, past it, was¡­ a sports bar and a restaurant at the corner of the intersection. I¡¯m supposed to go¡­ out, and around the building?


    Wait. There it is. Between the convention center and the bar, there was a small paved access point¡ªnot quite large enough to be a street, but also not really narrow enough for her to consider an alleyway. She hesitated in the entrance. Am I¡­ allowed in here?


    There were no sidewalk or landscaping to speak of, no signs or fliers hung up, and nothing like the storefront display windows that were prominent along this area of the city. Just a single lane of pavement, cinder-block walls reaching up several stories on one side, brick rising up on the other. Although it looked like a long stretch, she couldn¡¯t see very far in, as one side was marked by evenly spaced dumpsters, piles of pallets, and small loading bays for the various adjacent establishments opposite the convention.


    Brian must be waiting for me, she thought, urging herself forward. She felt uneasy hearing the echo of her nervous footfalls travel down the narrow drive, and then a little ashamed. He said he was proud of me, for how brave I am. If anyone, um, says that I¡¯m not supposed to be here¡­ I¡¯ll just explain, and then turn around. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, and I¡¯m not going to get in trou¡ª


    ¡°Damn girl, wassup?¡± An abrupt voice called out from a doorway alcove of one the back entrances to those businesses along the row.


    Jumping, Stephanie whirled to discover a guy in a white undershirt and jeans giving her a little wave. He had short, unkempt hair buzzed to a fade along the sides, cheeks stubbled with five o¡¯clock s hadow, and held a cigarette between his fingers.


    ¡°Uh¡­ hi,¡± Stephanie squeaked out in a quiet voice, returning his small wave and starting to walk faster.


    ¡°Hey, you gotta minute?¡± The voice called after her. ¡°Hey, girl!¡±


    She turned and waved again, too frightened to speak, but she didn¡¯t stop walking, briskly making her way further on down the access lane.


    It¡¯s scary, Stephanie thought wistfully as she marched on down the alleyway in search of the loading docks. All of this is scary. Adventure. Going out here by myself. Thinking about sex. Falling in love. It¡¯s all so frightening, but at the same time¡­ I think I want it so bad that it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if I¡¯m in over my head. Except, that also makes it matter even MORE, at the same time.


    There was a pink flame inside her mind that burned hotter and brighter the more she thought about Brian, a scorching blaze that cast light on the darkest recesses of her mind. A certain repressed memory had been slowly revealed once again, and Stephanie was having trouble turning her thoughts away from it now.


    I never thought I¡¯d feel this way, she smiled to herself. I never even imagined. I think this is it; I think he¡¯s the one. Anything can work out, because it¡¯s him. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s the stone beneath the water.


    Years and years ago, a younger, bolder Stephanie had bravely parted the sun-soaked grass of the meadow they called the Sea of Cats, which, without her glasses, was a blur of long, dried grass blown indistinct by a steady, noiseless wind. Alongside the rear of that empty field was a wide creek of muddy brown water, shaded by the canopies of trees that grew up along its steep opposite bank.


    The creek was in many places deeper than she was tall, but she¡¯d always donned her bathing suit to join Ben and Jess playing in the shallows every summer. Only, now everything had fallen apart, and Ben and Jess wouldn¡¯t be going swimming with her anymore. Determined to have more fun than ever just to spite them¡ªto splash as much as she pleased, and not have anyone competing with her for the good jumping spot¡ªthis was the young blonde-haired Stephanie¡¯s first time venturing to the creek completely alone.


    Leaving the meadow a vague glow of sunshine behind her, Stephanie¡¯s bare feet schlupped through the mud of the creek bank and into the cool water. Beneath the tall old trees now, it seemed darker than she¡¯d remembered. Scarier. She stubbornly splashed the surface of the water back and forth with her hands as she entered to make some noise and movement, anything to distract herself from the eerie silence of this little curve of creek.


    Submersing herself completely with a quick dip of her entire body, Stephanie then swam in earnest to the opposite side, where the bend of the creek took on more depth. This deep side of the creek had a steep, messy embankment of clay muck and exposed roots from the nearest giant sycamore. Grabbing the familiar roots jutting out, Stephanie clambered up them, planted her feet against the thick one, and kicked off, jumping down into the water.


    It wasn¡¯t a game, really¡ªjust something fun they¡¯d done as children. Climbing up out of the water, and then launching themselves back in for the biggest splash they could make. Or rather, it should have been fun, but now she was on her own. Whenever the splash subsided, that creepy stillness to everything returned, reminding her that she was alone.


    Their loss! She persisted on, spending half an hour trying to convince herself of just how much she was enjoying herself. She¡¯d practically tired herself out in her bobbing movements swimming through the water back towards the jumping spot... when she mistimed a gulp for air, and began to drown.


    Stephanie would always remember choking on the water, her eyes squeezed shut and legs kicking blindly beneath her through the murky water in growing terror. She remembered sinking down, remembered feeling her strength ebb away as she flailed, fighting to put her face back above the surface, struggling for a breath with burning lungs¡ªand remembered being sure that she would die.


    Then, by pure accident, she found it. Her foot encountered an edge of submerged rock that jutted up, unseen, from the bottom of the creekbed. With the last of her waning energy, she finally managed to balance herself standing upon it and rest herself, her lips now just barely above the water. That frantic hysteria gripping her had seemed to slowly disappear into the leisurely flow of the creek around her, replaced with an unforgettably surreal sense of calm after all of that wild thrashing.


    She survived only by luck, by the grace of that hidden stone within the brown water of the creek bottom. The children all knew about it¡ª it was that same exact outcropping everyone avoided swimming near, for fear of accidentally kicking their delicate feet into it and smashing their toes bloody.


    As apt an analogy as any for my personal situation, Stephanie decided with a subdued smile. Shying away from interaction, when it¡¯s what I needed to really save me. To make me¡­ ME, again. Drowning in fear and anxiety for years, afraid to do anything on my own, afraid to reach out¡­ well, it¡¯s not EXACTLY like that experience of panic back then... but in so many ways, it¡¯s worse, isn¡¯t it?


    For several long minutes, the wall of the enormous convention center seemed to simply stretch on and on and on. Feeling her shoulders fill with tension, and afraid to turn back around to see if that guy had followed her, she finally made her way out, to¡ª


    Another city street. Stephanie blinked in confusion. Where are the loading docks on the convention center¡¯s side? Did I go the wrong way? She turned and looked back, feeling a little lost and out of place. Her hotel hadn¡¯t been in this direction, so she¡¯d never been anywhere over this way before. She was also a little hesitant to go back through and past that creepy guy, again.


    I¡¯ll just¡­ message Brian. Taking a deep breath, she withdrew her phone and flicked over to her address book, selecting Brian¡¯s name. With several long pauses, timidly biting her lip, she managed to tap her message in.


    Stephanie_Brandt: I got a little lost, trying to find the loading docks. Where do I go to get there?


    Standing there for a few moments, feeling silly and a little stupid, she glanced back the way she came again. Well¡­ no matter what, I know that THIS isn¡¯t the right way. If he gives me directions, it¡¯ll be starting from where I was, or the lobby, or the plaza in front.


    She walked quickly back into the access road, vowing not to slow down or stop. Surely that man had been an employee of one of those shops, just stepping out for a short break. She probably wasn¡¯t going to walk past him again, anyways. Stephanie was just nearing the area where that particular alcove would come into view when her phone sounded off. Stopping dead in her tracks, she scrambled to quickly unlock her phone again to see what Brian had said in reply.


    Don¡¯t ever fucking talk to me


    Blocking you now


    What? She reread his words again in disbelief, eyes jittering over the tiny letters as if she hadn¡¯t assembled them into the correct syllables, the correct words in her head. The brave little pink flame that¡¯d been dancing inside of her all weekend snuffed out, and the inside of her mind went black with anxiety and self-doubt. She read it again. He couldn¡¯t have¡ª


    Don¡¯t ever fucking talk to me


    Blocking you now


    What? Did I¡­? Was there¡­? Stephanie felt her eyes begin to sting, and her throat seemed to start closing up. An entire perfect world of hope and wonder was breaking, crumbling and crashing down all around her, and she stood frozen, helpless to stop it. Unable to understand. There has to be¡ªthis has to be a mistake. This can¡¯t¡­ Why would¡­?


    Her mind raced in a blur, attempting to play back those last moments she¡¯d spent with Brian for any hint, any clue, but her thoughts careened and collided incomprehensibly and then mired in raw terror, getting her nowhere. She choked out a small sob I can¡¯t go back, now. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I can¡¯t¡ª


    Just when she was about to lose everything to a panic attack, right when that black maw was about to swallow her up¡ªthe tiny speck of a distant star became visible in the now dark depths of her mind, twinkling red.


    Kelly! Stephanie remembered, steadying her feet. She¡¯d been so close to giving up on everything that she¡¯d almost fallen to her knees. Kelly will know what¡¯s going on. What to do. She¡¯ll know how to fix this. Kelly. Kelly.


    Lurching forward again, Stephanie had never felt so terrified and on edge before. It hurt, it was a crushing force was clamping down on her breath, and her thoughts were skittering in errant, useless circles as her entire mind was thrown into disarray. It felt like parts of her were breaking. Kelly. Kelly can¡ª


    ¡°See, Kenny? I fucken told you,¡± That man from before interrupted her thoughts.


    There were two of them now, that first one with the short hair and buzzed sides, and then an enormous lunk of a man wearing an enormous jersey and a hat. He was overweight even for a big guy, and had heavy, hooded eyes that made his glance towards her seem indifferent.


    ¡°Hey girl, c¡¯mon in and sit with us for a bit,¡± the first one invited. ¡°Here for that anime convention in town? I love anime.¡±


    ¡°I-I have to go,¡± Stephanie managed, feeling frazzled but continuing forward.


    ¡°Yeah, but you don¡¯t have to go right this minute,¡± he argued, taking a step towards the direction she was walking to cut her off. ¡°I ain¡¯t stoppin¡¯ you from goin¡¯ anywhere, just come chill with us for a second, first.¡±


    ¡°N-no, I¡­¡± She jerked to a halt, alarm bells going off throughout her head. No. No, no. No no no.


    ¡°Just for a l¡¯il bit,¡± the man promised, taking a step forward. ¡°You tryin¡¯ to smoke? Come smoke with us, girl. Kenny, show her inside.¡±


    ¡°No, th-thank you, no, I-I was jus¡ª¡±


    ¡°You look good, girl,¡± the guy said. He wasn¡¯t leering, or seeming to even appraise her. Despite the cheer in his voice, his eyes seemed¡­ angry. Apathetic. Annoyed, and the dissonance made the dread clawing up inside her surge out. ¡°Come inside, come chill with us for a l¡¯il while.¡±


    This can¡¯t be happening. This can¡¯t be happening. This can¡¯t be happening.


    Stephanie stumbled backwards from the man in panic, and someone grabbed her arms.


    ¡°We¡¯ll treat you right. Relax, girl,¡± the bigger man said from behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t say nothin¡¯, and you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±

 Fierce Maiden

    ¡°What do I say to him, though?¡± Emily groaned in frustration, struggling to keep up with Rebecca¡¯s longer stride. The pair were now journeying on foot across the walkways and pedestrian thoroughfares of the city¡ªthey would be at AnimeCon soon, and even after two hours of discussing it, Emily still had no clue what she was going to do.


    ¡°I think you should just tell him how you feel!¡± Rebecca answered in a sing-song voice. It was the fourth or fifth time she¡¯d answered the same question just since they¡¯d parked the car, and the same answer she¡¯d given in patient repetition throughout the duration of their drive towards the convention.


    ¡°Yeah I get that, but what do I say?!¡± Emily mumbled. ¡°What if this was you? What would you say to him?¡±


    Emily was getting increasingly apprehensive about all of this. They¡¯d been forced to park almost a mile out from the convention center¡ªthis was the busy day of the con, after all¡ªthe curbside spaces along the streets were long since packed with vehicles, and all of the nearby parking garages were already filled to capacity. They¡¯d even tried to swing through the lot at the hotel Brian stayed at every year, only to find that every parking space there was occupied as well. Emily texted Brian, as he¡¯d asked them to¡ªbut received no response. Which, of course, only served to make her even more anxious.


    We ARE a lot earlier than Brian expected though, after all... Emily thought, glancing down at her phone again to see if he¡¯d answered her. Just in case. I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s fine. Right?


    ¡°What would I say to him?¡± Rebecca sleepily pursed her lips in thought. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The girls had hurried along the downtown city sidewalks towards AnimeCon for almost sixteen whole blocks, far out enough from the convention that they¡¯d drawn their share of stares and curiosity for their outlandish attire. Emily was dressed in the borderline scandalous Akane Kurokawa ninja cosplay, while Rebecca wore her LARPing outfit, looking rather valiant in a Viking tunic with foam weapons dangling from her belt and a round shield fastened to her back. The closer they got to the con, the more the two blended in¡ªthere were cosplayers all over the place here, and Emily couldn¡¯t help but nervously scan the crowds for any potential glimpse of Brian.


    ¡°Brian,¡± Rebecca recited with a theatrical flourish of her sleeve. ¡°You are my sun, my moon, my starlit sky¡ªI dwell in darkness without you! Your power has enchanted me, and I stand helpless against it! Tonight, let me worship you in my arms! I love you!¡±


    ¡°Rebeccaaaa!¡± Emily growled. ¡°I¡¯m being serious! Wait, though¡ªhe does love goofy quotes, doesn¡¯t he? Would that actually work?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe?¡± Rebecca sounded more hopeful than optimistic.


    ¡°Uggghh,¡± Emily griped, and she¡¯d opened her mouth to continue when without warning a spill of blue light seemed to slide down through her mind. She blinked, pausing midstep, and then glanced to her left down a narrow, empty access road that cut between the buildings of the city block.


    ¡°Here, let¡¯s cut through this way. Shortcut! I think?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Rebecca hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know that we¡¯re allowed to go that way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s way faster though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emily decided to follow her intuition and headed inside. It seemed to be deserted, as all she could see were occasional dumpsters and discarded piles of wooden pallets. ¡°If we go through here, won¡¯t the convention center be like, right around the corner just a ways?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Rebecca weakly protested. ¡°The sign says ¡®No Admittance¡ª¡±


    ¡°HELP!¡± A girl¡¯s scream, pitched with fear, echoed down the narrow confines of the alleyway.


    Emily jolted in surprise, shared a quick glance with Rebecca, and then together they burst into a sprint down the narrow drive between buildings. In a matter of yards, Rebecca was already pulling ahead and completely outpacing her, her tangle of coppery hair swaying wildly behind her. Though she liked to think of herself as quick and spritely, Emily realized in dismay after just a few dozen feet that she wasn¡¯t in as great of shape as she wanted to pretend.


    Good thing we¡¯re... close by? Emily mind raced with tense possibilities as she huffed and puffed, struggling to breathe. She¡¯d jammed her phone into the little shinobi weapon pouch, and it was awkward trying to hold the bouncing thing tight against her as she plodded along. Maybe? I hope?


    Racing almost the distance of a full city block towards that distant cry for help in a growing alarm, Emily had no time to gather her thoughts. When she followed Rebecca to round one of the dumpsters¡ªthey discovered two shady-looking guys were trying to yank a pretty pink-haired cosplayer into a doorway off to the side. One of the men was pulling both wrists as the girl tried to brace her feet and lean back away from him, while another, larger man had her by the shoulders, trying to topple her off balance and scoop her off her feet.


    The look on the girl¡¯s face was that of pure terror.


    This¡ª Emily thought, freezing up as her mind drew a total blank on what to do in this situation. This can¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°Emily¡ªstay back,¡± Rebecca instructed, and she leapt into the fray before Emily could even begin to react. The would-be-abductors had only just turned to register their presence when the tunic-clad young woman lunged and swept the edge of her LARPing shield through the air and caught the taller man right in the face. He swore, stumbling backwards and off-balance.


    ¡°Hey, what the fuck, yo?¡± The shorter one cried out with an angry scowl. ¡°Fuck outta here, this ain¡¯t none o¡¯ your business, crazy fuckin¡¯ bitch!¡±


    ¡°He-help¡ªHELP ME!¡± The girl squealed out, thrashing in blind panic against the pull of the other man.


    Seeing that the other creep was still unwilling to let go of the cosplayer¡¯s wrists, Rebecca yanked her foam-padded axe out of the loop on her belt with a curt, well-practiced motion and spun the weapon in her hand so that the axe-head was facing her. Then she struck down, hard, a painful-sounding thwack echoing down the enclosure as it hit the man¡¯s arm. He yelped and let go of the cosplayer, and both of them tumbled to the ground away from each other.


    Unlike the soft striking-surface of the axe blade, Emily knew the backside of Rebecca¡¯s boffer-style weapon was covered with only a thin layer of what she called ¡®courtesy padding.¡¯ While designed with safety in mind so that accidents didn¡¯t cause lasting injuries such as broken arms, the wrong end of a Daegonhir padded weapon could still¡ªand often did¡ªsmash noses, break fingers, and leave behind hideously painful bruises.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon!¡± Emily finally came to her senses and grabbed the red-gloved hand of the hysterical pink-haired cosplayer, yanking her up, onto her feet, and back away from the fight towards safety. Adrenaline and fear were coursing through her, her side was cramping into an awful side-stitch from the extended sprint down the access road, and Emily was almost completely out of breath.


    This end should be close to the convention! Emily whirled, looking back with indecision and terror as her friend faced off two grown men. But, we can¡¯t just leave Rebecca¡ª!


    ¡°Aggh, fuck!¡± the tall man swore, clutching his nose with one hand and rushing at the medieval-garbed girl who¡¯d suddenly assaulted him.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ bitch!¡± the other charged in as well, grabbing a hand on either side of her shield.


    Unfortunately for them, Rebecca¡ªno, Mara Thorferra, the Nightmare, was in her element. Compared to being trapped in the crush between opposing armies¡¯ shield walls in a field battle, where Emily had seen everyone shoving and pulling padded eight-foot spears and slamming glaives at Mara from every direction¡­ two single opponents were not enough to pressure her friend. Not while Mara had her familiar gear, at least.


    Mara stepped in to thrust her axe deep into the larger man¡¯s gut, and then withdrew it with a deft flick of her wrist that also smacked his extended and reaching hand out wide. Lowering her center of gravity, she slightly relaxed her shield-arm, allowing the grappling second man to pull it down several handspans, and then she expertly yanked it back up, clipping him beneath the chin.


    Out of reflex more than anything, she followed up by flashing out with a kick, her leather Viking-style toggle boot rising up and landing squarely on his chest to send the man sprawling. Mara was used to doing that as an unsubtle hint to less-experienced Daegonhir and SCE fighters¡ªshe¡¯d confided in Emily that she hated when fighters tried to wrestle her good equipment away with their grubby hands. Thankfully, there were few foolhardy enough to attempt it more than once.


    ¡°Wanna back off?¡± She asked, pointing her weapon at the face of the one still standing in warning. He wasn¡¯t clutching his nose anymore, but he was still slightly doubled-over and winded from the punch to the gut he¡¯d taken from that axe.


    ¡°You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ dead, bitch,¡± the man hissed, still advancing, and made to snatch the axe from her.


    As Mara Thorferra, however, Rebecca was not so easily disarmed. The weapon she¡¯d been feinting out for his grab seemed to vanish away from his grasping hand, reappearing to bash him upside his face hard enough to tilt his head back and send him staggering. She struck him again across the cheek as he tried to take another step forward, and circled cautiously back away from the men to keep herself between them and the girls.


    ¡°She okay?¡± Mara called out.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Emily said, quickly looking from the pink-haired girl to Rebecca and back again. ¡°Y-yeah. I think?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mara decided, taking careful steps backward without taking her eyes off the two opponents. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°You fuckin¡¯ cunt!¡± the smaller one yelled as he scrambled back to his feet. Both the men started forward.


    ¡°Go, go!¡± The three girls ran, skirting piles of pallets and dumpsters and after several long moments breaking out of the access road and onto the proper city sidewalks again. Still gasping and panting with exertion from the long run, Emily felt herself already starting to lurch to a stop, but Rebecca urged them on further, nervously watching the mouth of the access road behind them for any sign of pursuit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to where it¡¯s a little more crowded,¡± Rebecca insisted, still not out of breath at all. She kept them going until they were at the plaza in front of the convention center before allowing them to drop down onto one of the long benches beside the walkways there.


    ¡°I can¡ªI can¡¯t,¡± Emily huffed, unable to finish sentences. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Rebecca asked the trembling girl they¡¯d just rescued. Gently putting her hand on the girl¡¯s cheek, she tilted her face up so she could see her. ¡°Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The girl stammered, fingers working at her wrists, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened! Th-they tried, they tried pulling me into that building¡­ I-I think I went the wrong way?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rebecca asked again. ¡°Did they hurt you anywhere?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no,¡± She looked down at her hands in shock and then back up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here for AnimeCon, right?¡± Emily asked, trying to pull her Akane Kurokawa yukata back into some semblance of order. ¡°The hell were you doing alone in the alley like that? Are you crazy?¡±


    When Rebecca turned a cool stare in Emily¡¯s direction, she found herself looking away in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡­ I went the wrong way,¡± The cosplayer said, trying to wipe her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡ªyou¡¯re okay. Where were you trying to go?¡± Emily opened her top slightly to make sure her pasties were still in place. ¡°Ah¡­ fuck.¡± They weren¡¯t. One was still sticking, but out of place, to the underside of her boob, and the other one was¡­ completely gone somehow. She felt clammy with sudden sweat and her heart was still racing.


    Definitely not an outfit made for running in. Oh well, I guess?


    ¡°I... I was supposed to meet a friend of mine, he was g-getting things for a panel,¡± The pink-haired girl explained nervously. ¡°I was told to¡ªto go around the convention center, to where, um, where there were loading docks. I-I maybe just went the wrong way?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve been had,¡± Emily said with a quiet curse, doubling over and tenderly picking through her body stocking in search of where the other pastie had slipped down to. ¡°I mean, you¡¯d go in circles ¡®round the center all day and not find anything¡ªthe loading docks are underground. They have a sublevel for that.¡±


    ¡°....Oh,¡± The girl breathed, slumping down a bit in confusion. ¡°Sorry. I, um. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Fuck it, Emily gave up and straightened, mildly annoyed. Probably find the pastie halfway down my boot later, or something. I¡¯ll just... fuck, I¡¯ll just be careful not to flash anyone.


    Finally having a moment to catch her breath and collect herself, Emily took a closer look at their new companion. She was a slim girl, only a few inches taller than her, wearing a bright pink-and red costume sundress that Emily didn¡¯t recognize. Thigh-high red boots and long red gloves, exposed thighs and shoulders, and to top it all off¡ªbrilliantly dyed pink hair, shoulder-length and fluffy. Add in that tiny bit of eyeliner smudged with tears visible beneath a plain pair of glasses, and everything about this chick looked innocent, cute, and vulnerable.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware of what was happening, right?¡± Rebecca asked, crouching down beside her. ¡°They were either going to abduct you, or rape you. Are you really okay?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± the girl tried, but her eyes filled with tears again and she looked down and shook her head from side to side. ¡°No. I am¡­ I am not okay.¡±


    ¡°Do you have somewhere safe we can take you?¡± Emily asked, keeping a hand over her yukata to pinch it shut. ¡°Someone you can call? I mean, uh, are you here with someone, do you have friends here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, flustered. ¡°I have¡ªI, um, the girl I came with, her phone isn¡¯t charging, and the other¡­ the other girl I know, I don¡¯t have her number. I just realized. Hah.¡±


    ¡°What panel was your friend getting things for?¡± Emily asked. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s still there, or they¡¯re looking for you, or... something.¡±


    ¡°It was¡­¡± the girl began, before seeming to realize something. ¡°Actually. I don¡¯t know where he is now. B-but, I know he¡¯s supposed to meet up in the main lobby for something at noon?¡±


    Noon¡ªwasn¡¯t Brian¡¯s Hero Hero Haruhi thing supposed to be somewhere around that time?


    ¡°Only¡­¡± Emily slipped her phone out from the pouch for her throwing stars and unlocked it. ¡°What, twenty minutes away? How ¡®bout we bring you over there? Shit. We don¡¯t have our badges yet, though.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± the pink-haired girl said weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ I¡¯ll be okay, now. You don¡¯t have to¡ªto go out of your way for me. Th-thank you so much, for¡ªfor saving me. If you guys hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to file a police report?¡± Rebecca asked slowly. ¡°Or, do you want to talk to convention security?¡±


    ¡°Um. I. I wouldn¡¯t even know what to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with security,¡± Emily proposed. ¡°They should have a kiosk in the main lobby, anyways. They did last year. Sound good? Hey, what¡¯s your name, anyways?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Emily!¡± The short Hispanic girl offered her an awkward handshake, still holding her costume closed over her small chest with the other hand. ¡°Nice to meetcha! At anime conventions, I go by Cerulean¡ªmy page is ¡®Cerulean Cosplay.¡¯ Annnnd, our amazing heroine right here is Mara Thorferra! She LARPs. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Rebecca gave her a sigh and an affable wave, slowly slipping out of her stern Mara persona and back to her usual listless, sleepy-looking expression.


    ¡°Y-you really were amazing,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°I never thought that, um, that I would see something like that, in, in real life.¡±


    ¡°We got lucky,¡± Rebecca waved off the praise. ¡°That was really dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her fool you, Stephie,¡± Emily smirked. ¡°If she¡¯d had a real axe, botha those guys woulda been nothin¡¯ but bloody chunks in like, an instant.¡±


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Rebecca slapped at Emily¡¯s shoulder and gave her friend a semi-serious frown. ¡°She¡¯s just had an ordeal. Don¡¯t go saying scary things!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emily apologized with a sheepish grin. ¡°But, you believe me, right? She¡¯s like, amazing.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Stephanie nodded earnestly. ¡°You are. You¡¯re amazing. Thank you so much. I¡­I¡ª¡±


    ¡°We were just lucky,¡± Rebecca insisted, wrapping the pink-haired girl in a quick hug. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you inside.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, whatever,¡± Emily chattered away. ¡°But, hey! You know what they say about luck, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, two white or possibly Hispanic men, appeared to be between the ages of twenty and thirty. They harassed you, and then tried to pull you into a nearby building. This happened partway down the service road running between the convention center and the streetfront of seventeenth avenue¡ªyou weren¡¯t able to tell how far down the service road it was, and you weren¡¯t able to tell which property they were trying to bring you into. Does all of that sound correct?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Stephanie stuttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be,¡± the head of security, who¡¯d introduced himself as Mr. Gary said, checking her story over on his tablet device one last time. ¡°This¡¯ll be forwarded over to the local precinct within the hour. From my experience, they¡¯ll at the very least, station an officer at this end of the service road to keep an eye on things. For the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the weekend. You girls stay safe, and stay out of trouble.¡±


    The stout older man shook their hands one by one and was off on other business. For some reason, Stephanie had expected security to be unprofessional, some volunteer college-age AnimeCon staffer¡ªbut instead the sprawling convention center itself had a fixed security team stationed there. Mr. Gary took them very seriously and asked all of the relevant questions, without doubting their words or ever even chastising them for being in that alleyway alone.


    ¡°That... wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Emily let out a slow breath, looking at Stephanie with concern. ¡°Right?¡±


    The three girls were sitting along the edge of one of the long planters on one side of the main lobby, just across from a small security kiosk that¡¯d been paired with the weapons check table for cosplay props. As noon neared, the area was bustling with activity, with the majority of AnimeCon attendees streaming into the vendors¡¯ room, though dozens of cosplayers everywhere were getting stopped to get their photos taken at any given moment. Friends were huddled into groups chatting, and occasionally anime fans would walk by carrying food from the nearby concession stands. Stephanie¡¯s attention, however, was far from any of these things.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stephanie nodded distractedly. ¡°Thank you, um, for staying with me for that. You guys didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°No, we were involved, too,¡± Mara dutifully shook her head. ¡°Besides! I needed to get bands for my sword and axe here.¡±


    Stephanie glanced at the bright yellow bands now tied around the hilts of the girl¡¯s weapons in amusement. It seemed like the staffer pronounced the foam weapons perfectly safe a little too easily, considering she had been bashing away at would-be attackers with them some fifteen minutes earlier. The warrior girl¡¯s short friend¡ªEmily¡ªhad little plastic throwing stars, but all she¡¯d had to do was show the staffer at weapons check they were sewn securely into the loops of her shinobi costume.


    ¡°I, uh¡­ I did notice you just left out the bits of the story where she like, immediately assaulted them,¡± Emily laughed awkwardly. ¡°Thank you for that. I think that would¡¯ve¡­ complicated that whole talk just now, for us. A bit.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to leave anything out,¡± Mara sighed, swatting at her friend. ¡°I was prepared to take responsibility for everything I did. I didn¡¯t do anything I¡¯d be afraid to justify to anyone.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± Stephanie said quickly, waving her hands. ¡°I, I just, um. I didn¡¯t want it to sound bad, at all, because¡­ you really saved me. Thank you again¡ªthank you so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we were there to help,¡± Mara said, smooshing the shorter girl into another comforting hug.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emily gave Stephanie a cheeky grin. ¡°Plus, Mr. Gary gave us these.¡± She fanned out the three laminated single-day badges for AnimeCon in her hand. They didn¡¯t have lanyards, but all the same they saved the girls together the twenty-five dollars each in buying passes for themselves.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want one of these?¡± Mara asked Stephanie.


    ¡°N-no, but thank you,¡± Stephanie shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone who would need one¡­¡±


    ¡°Just pick some cute guy right outta line, and give it to him,¡± Emily suggested, waggling one of the passes.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie said, her expression turning bleak again. ¡°No thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ alright,¡± Emily said, sharing a worried look with Mara. ¡°You sure you¡¯re gonna be okay by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ um, well, no,¡± Stephanie admitted, giving them a weak smile. ¡°But, I, uh, my friends might be here soon. I think. So¡­ it¡¯s okay. I should be okay.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Mara said, swiping through her phone and then turning it towards Stephanie. ¡°Then, this is my number. I¡¯m going to be upstairs in the Atrium for the rest of the day, with the Order of the Sovereign Swords. Call me if you need anything, my phone will be with one of the Order Councillors¡ªsomeone¡¯ll get it to me if you ask for Mara. Or, you can come visit me there, anytime.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± Stephanie blustered, quickly entering the girl¡¯s number into her own phone. I¡¯m making more friends here then I ever did on campus. Oh, her real name¡¯s Rebecca Smith? Rebecca¡ªwhy does that seem so... familiar¡­?


    ¡°It was nice meeting you,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be running ¡®round the whole damn convention looking for this stupid sexy jerk-face who won¡¯t answer his phone! Sooo, maybe we¡¯ll run into each other again? Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, your¡ª¡± Stephanie coughed awkwardly and pointed. Emily¡¯s yukata had opened to reveal a small breast, covered only by the sheer black fishnet of her body stocking.


    ¡°Shit, this is gonna be one of them days,¡± Emily swore, tugging it closed again.


    ¡°Bye, Stephanie,¡± Rebecca rolled her eyes, heading towards the escalators for the upper level. ¡°Bye, Emily.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Stephanie waved.


    ¡°Knock ¡®em dead, Mara!¡± Emily shouted over to her departing friend. The short Latina then turned to flash Stephanie a parting grin, pinching her yukata closed with one hand and throwing the other in a goofy thumbs-up, elbow jutting out in the air. ¡°Later, Stephie!¡±


    That is¡­! Dumbfounded, Stephanie¡¯s mouth fell open as she watched Emily trot off into the vendor¡¯s room. That was BRIAN¡¯S Emily¡­?! Of course she is, she¡¯s even dressed as Akane Kurokawa! I, I just¡­ she¡¯s nothing at all like I pictured her! And, Mara¡¯s real name was Rebecca! How did I not immediately connect all of that?!


    Feeling her throat tighten again, she looked down at her phone in dismay and the urge to chase after Emily faded away. With a slightly trembling finger, she swiped from her address book over to the last message from Brian and silently stared at it once more.


    Don¡¯t ever fucking talk to me


    Blocking you now


    Seeing the words stunned her all over again, and a desperate, hollow feeling drained the sliver of remaining spirit out of her. Where a pink flame of life and love had flickered before, now the inside of her mind felt like barren ashes and desolate cold. Why would he say that? What happened? What did I do wrong, how¡ªhow did I mess this up?


    Feeling knots of anxiety tighten throughout her, Stephanie hunched her shoulders and fought the urge to rock back and forth in place in a manic, crazy way. She didn¡¯t know if even Kelly could fix this, this issue that was beyond her understanding, but she hoped that someone would at least be able to explain what had happened¡ª what went wrong. I still can¡¯t even comprehend what¡­ was I just blinded by my feelings for him and missing all sorts of big, obvious signs? Was this¡­ this love of mine, actually completely one-sided, this whole time?


    It was almost noon already, and Darkmask soldiers were beginning to appear in the main lobby, occasionally travelling with a caped superhero she guessed must be a part of Hero Hero Haruki. Torn between her need for answers and her absolute fear of meeting Brian again and facing rejection in-person, Stephanie picked herself up from the edge of the planter and fled to the corner of the lobby, back out of the way and behind groups of people where she wouldn¡¯t be as easy to notice.


    The Darkmasks were by far the most prevalent and popular of all the costumes arriving at the gathering, but none of them looked anything like Brian. Rather than having a molded plastic skull helmet or even the protruding pouches of a utility belt along their waists, all of the details she could see seemed to have been printed directly onto zentai-suits. These were skintight lycra or spandex fabric bodysuits that covered them from head-to-toe, the thin line of a zipper running from the back of their necks down to the small of their backs. The zentai suits looked¡­ cheap, like they¡¯d all been mass-produced together and bought from the same novelty store, but each of them additionally wore ¡®Darkmask disguises¡¯ atop the suits, so the overall cosplays didn¡¯t seem quite as lackluster as they would have otherwise.


    One of the minions wore denim overalls and a straw hat over his Darkmask zentai-suit, and even had a stalk of wheat pinched in the fabric about where his mouth would be. Another, obviously a guy beneath the stretchable fabric of his suit, was wearing a woman¡¯s wig and a flowery dress, while carrying a lifesize baby toy which likewise had it¡¯s plastic face made up to look like the stylized skull of a Darkmask. All but one or two of them carried some sort of flimsy disguise on top of their Darkmask getups, and from where she stood Stephanie could see one in a convenience store clerk¡¯s apron and visor, one in a doctor¡¯s labcoat and stethoscope, and several in stereotypical Japanese schoolgirl uniforms.


    The heroes and villains wore capes and helmets, showed cleavage or muscles, and some carried enormous prop weapons¡ªbut they remained a minority, seven or eight against the twenty-five or so Darkmasks. But, no sign of¡­


    ...Brian? Looking back and forth, Stephanie finally caught sight of a Darkmask wearing a molded plastic mask approaching the group. She froze in place, staring... but something was off¡ªthis wasn¡¯t Brian. The costume was just as detailed and accurate as Brian¡¯s, but he was a hair shorter, and his shoulders not quite as broad. He didn¡¯t move quite like Brian, and after the brief initial moment had passed, Stephanie wondered how she¡¯d ever begun to mistake them. He wasn¡¯t even carrying a Komari-mart bag.


    It hasn¡¯t been that long, and already¡­ I really miss him, Stephanie thought to herself as her shoulders sagged, and the Hero Hero Haruki gathering shimmered and distorted as her eyes began to water. She¡¯d felt so safe with him, like she¡¯d finally found the place she belonged in the world. I¡¯m so hopeless. Everything going back to the way it was before¡­ shouldn¡¯t be this painful. I taste just this tiny bit of another life, with friends, or lovers? With ADVENTURE, and I want so much more.


    Stephanie was wistfully beginning to let tears roll down her cheeks when someone abruptly slapped her butt, momentarily flipping the back of her dress up. Reeling, Stephanie spun around in fear to discover¡ª


    ¡°Hey there, Flami-fluff,¡± Kelly snickered. ¡°Where¡¯s Brian? I¡¯ve got great news, I mighta found a buyer for¡­ shit, Stephanie! What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Steph?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Stephanie choked on her words, fearfully fidgeting and unable to meet Kelly¡¯s eyes. ¡°I messed up¡­¡±


    ¡°Stephanie. What the fuck happened?¡± Kelly demanded, taking the pink-haired girl by the shoulders. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°I, um,¡± Stephanie managed. ¡°Everything¡­ seemed to be going fine, b-but then, I was, I was waiting for him outside the gaming room and¡ªand, someone came and told me he asked me to meet Brian, outside.¡±


    ¡°Outside? What do you mean?¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°Who came and asked?¡±


    ¡°M-maybe not outside,¡± Stephanie breathed. ¡°Downstairs? Underground. I was supposed to find him at the loading docks. It was a girl, a girl dressed up like¡ªlike Magical Doll Himari. She asked if I knew Brian, an-and told me I was supposed to go and meet him.


    ¡°I¡­ went out and around the building, and I, um, I couldn¡¯t find where I was supposed to go, so I sent him a message, and he said¡­ this¡­¡± Stephanie reopened the text and held her phone up for Kelly. ¡°Then some, um, these guys, they tried to pull me into this building, and¡­ these girls¡ªI actually think it was Brian¡¯s friends Emily and Rebecca¡ªthey saved me. Th-there was a fight.¡±


    ¡°Guys tried to pull you into a building? Brian said ¡®don¡¯t ever fucking talk to me?¡¯¡± Kelly asked in confusion and disbelief. ¡°Pull up his number. I¡¯m going to call him from my phone.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Stephanie agreed.


    ¡°Who told you to go to the loading docks?¡± Kelly demanded, inputting Brian¡¯s number into her address book. ¡°Here, gimme your number, too.¡±


    ¡°It was, uh, this¡ªMagical Doll Himari. She¡¯s, um. She wears a school uniform as a battle outfit, and, she has these big, really big pig-tails in these¡­ spiral shapes, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°...Is that her?¡± Kelly pointed across the lobby.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a Himari. Th-that¡¯s her,¡± Stephanie squeaked in surprise, covering her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s the same Himari¡ªthe exact same girl!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... looks like you¡¯re not the only one scoping out the Darkmask meetup from a distance. But, we¡¯ll get to her,¡± Kelly said coldly as she dialed Brian. As both of the girls were still curiously glancing in the Himari girl¡¯s direction, both Kelly and Stephanie were startled to see¡­ that across the lobby, the Magical Doll cosplayer reacted to her phone at the same time.


    ¡°You... don¡¯t think that¡­?¡± Stephanie whispered anxiously.


    The distant Himari cosplayer¡¯s smile quirked into a smirk, and she tapped the screen with a finger. At the same moment, Kelly¡¯s attempted call was rejected.


    ¡°You know, yeah, I kinda do,¡± Kelly growled, her eyes narrowing in anger. ¡°That cunt has Brian¡¯s phone somehow.¡±

 Playing Coy

    It was just after noon when Brian arrived back in AnimeCon¡¯s main lobby for the Hero Hero Haruki cosplay group meetup. Despite the months of time he¡¯d invested in making his Darkmask costume, however, Brian couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Stephanie, and even Kelly. It was pretty common to get separated from your group in the chaos of an anime convention, but both of them knew where he was supposed to be at twelve o¡¯clock. Although he¡¯d gotten a little sidetracked leaving his phone information at the lost and found desk, he was now actively searching the lobby crowds for Steph¡¯s familiar pink-and-red dress and glancing around for the dark, graceful decadence of Kelly¡¯s gothic lolita dress.


    Losing his phone was annoying and dismaying¡ªbut not really a huge deal. It was two or three models outdated by now, and unlike with his previous phone, there was little to grow attached to. Chloe¡¯d made a habit of regularly policing the device, and although he¡¯d intended to be fully transparent with her so that he could somehow earn back her trust¡­ after a while, it felt less like his phone, and more like one that just happened to have his number on it. It was altogether too similar to how he¡¯d felt back when he was trapped living with his parents, and it grated at his subconscious in the same irritating way.


    Oh, well. Least it didn¡¯t happen when Emmie was here, I¡¯d never hear the end of it. Even if half the time she¡¯s asking me to call her phone just so she can find it.


    To his surprise, what he saw grouping up in the lobby was mostly a large pack of gathered Darkmasks. Some of the other heroes and heroines and at least one supervillain were represented, but the majority seemed to have all jumped on the same idea as him. Brian was a bit crestfallen, but quickly realized all but one of the others wore those officially licensed ones you could buy online, the entirely-fabric suits he¡¯d passed up on as not good enough.


    From what he¡¯d read on the forums in the weeks leading up to the con, they had a big photoshoot planned at a ¡®special location.¡¯ That locale was secret, with one of the organizers hinting that while they probably wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for shooting pictures there... it also wasn¡¯t the best idea to openly plan it on a public forum. Since the setting of Hero Hero Haruki was urban cityscapes and industrial areas, there were any number of places downtown near the convention center Brian imagined would be perfect for them.


    He was just headed over to introduce himself when a figure stepped out of the crowd from the side to intercept him.


    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± Brian slipped his helmet off and gave Kelly a small wave as she approached. ¡°Kelly. Have you seen Ste¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± She grabbed his hands and stepped in close so she could speak to him a low voice. ¡°What happened to your phone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Brian said, furrowing his brow in confusion. ¡°Missing or stolen¡­ probably stolen. Why, have you seen it?¡±


    ¡°Someone sent Steph a mean text from your phone. She thought it was from you,¡± Kelly said, watching him closely. He knew that look¡ªshe was trying to gauge whether or not he was telling the truth. ¡°She¡¯s been bawling her eyes out, Brian. And¡­ something else happened.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Brian¡¯s voice rose and he stepped closer to her. ¡°What happened, where is she?¡±


    ¡°Brian, how much do you trust me?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Brian regarded her for a long moment, visibly struggling with what to say. ¡°I haven¡¯t known you for that long. But, yeah¡ªI trust you. Is Stephanie okay?¡±


    ¡°Stephanie¡¯s not okay,¡± Kelly shook her head distractedly... as if she was watching someone else out of the corner of her eye. ¡°She needs you, right now. Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Brian asked impatiently. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to make sense, but I¡¯m going to need you to do exactly what I say for a couple minutes,¡± Kelly warned. ¡°Without asking why. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Does this have to do with taking things further with Steph?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Because if this is some¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Brian,¡± Kelly insisted, backing up a step. ¡°Trust me. Please.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian said, realizing how serious she was. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Put your helmet on, and follow me back a few steps,¡± Kelly instructed.


    Popping the skull helm back on, he stepped after her as she backed up several more paces, until they were standing practically in the middle of the dozens of other Darkmasks fooling around before the meetup. She brought his hands up to her shoulders, and then rested her hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°Can¡¯t let anyone interrupt us for a bit,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°How long have you been working on this costume?¡±


    ¡°The Darkmask?¡± He asked through the helmet. ¡°About half a year¡ªwhy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna need to ditch the meet-up here and go find Stephanie,¡± Kelly said, giving him an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Steph¡¯s more important. Just¡ªKelly, c¡¯mon, where is she?¡± Here in the middle of the crowd it was getting hard to hear her, and an anxious knot was forming in the pit of his stomach.


    ¡°Not yet. We¡¯re waiting for her to turn around,¡± Kelly had that distracted look again. Her eyes were on him, but she was actually watching someone in her peripheral. Brian fought the urge to turn and look in that direction. ¡°She got asked once already, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much longer.¡±


    ¡°For who to turn around¡ªStephanie? Asked what?¡± Brian asked, getting annoyed despite himself.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Kelly said in a serious voice. ¡°When I say go, I need you to give me your little shopping bag and get the fuck out of here, fast. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Brian gave her a small nod. ¡°But, where am I going?¡±


    ¡°To the upper level. You remember where Steph got her picture taken with that kid? I told her to wait there, where she can see us.¡± Kelly grabbed the side of his skull mask and kept him from turning his head. ¡°Don¡¯t look yet. When I say go, you seriously need to like, book it out of here. Get ready to give me the bag.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask what¡¯s going on?¡± Brian sighed. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you and Steph are... testing me somehow?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kelly said, with that far-off look still in her eyes. ¡°Just, trust me, okay? Fuck, if anything, I¡¯m the one being tested. Why didn¡¯t you tell me this gothic lolita outfit was worth so much?¡±


    Brian, you fucking ingrate! Chloe was simmering with anger as she watched Brian talking with yet another random convention whore. ANOTHER one? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re already pushing your luck?


    Earlier, there had been that ditsy hipster in pink, and now, there was actually a girl in gothic lolita, of all things, clinging all over him. This one appeared to be an elegant, dark-haired beauty, but the way she crammed herself into ill-fitting burando simply screamed nouveau rich to Chloe.


    That¡¯s one of the Noblesse Oblique line that I had my eye on, too, Chloe fumed. She¡¯s here to show off her thousand-dollar burando, when she can¡¯t even measure her own fucking sizes correctly. Look at you, pawing at someone else¡¯s boyfriend for attention like a needy dog. Sorry, shithead¡ªyou¡¯re not going to impress Brian with that getup. He¡¯s a total simpleton; he wouldn¡¯t know real burando from a fucking Valuemart Halloween dress.


    ¡°Excuse me, Himari? Can I get your picture?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Chloe composing her face into a sweet smile and turning to see yet another photographer.


    He was in his mid-thirties and had an artsy look, with thick-rimmed glasses and flat cap. More importantly, the camera rig he was wielding was an enormous, expensive looking thing¡ªclearly, this was another professional, and probably one who operated one of those big pages online. Chloe momentarily turned away from the pair of people across the lobby she¡¯d been spying on and performed the traditional heroic Himari pose.


    ¡°Alright, go, go! Upper level!¡± Kelly snatched the plastic shopping bag with the special Komari-mart logo printed on it and gave Brian a healthy shove. As fast as she could, she slipped between several of the people gathered for the Hero Hero Haruki meetup and found her target; the one other Darkmask cosplayer with an actual molded plastic helmet.


    ¡°Hi!¡± She quickly butted into the chat he¡¯d been having with the farmer Darkmask. ¡°My friend forgot his condoms for the meetup, can you hold his bag for him?¡±


    ¡°His¡­ what,¡± The guy managed, but Kelly was already forcing the bag¡¯s handle loops around the wrist of his Darkmask gauntlet.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Kelly gave him an indulgent smile, pulled both of the guy¡¯s hands up onto her shoulders, then ambled over back the way she¡¯d come with the guy in tow. Like formal dance partners who¡¯d lost track of themselves, they bumped into and sent several caped heroes and a salaryman Darkmask with a tie and briefcase scattering.


    ¡°Uhhhh,¡± her own borrowed Darkmask minion began.


    ¡°I think we were standing right... about... here,¡± Kelly said, daring a quick look over. The Magical Doll Himari was just thanking the photographer and turning back to look in their direction. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Do I¡­ know¡­ you?¡± the Darkmask cosplayer asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kelly,¡± She flashed a brilliant, mischievous smile at him. ¡°What¡¯s your name? No wait¡ªleave the helmet on, I like the mystery.¡±


    As Chloe set her sights back across the lobby, she was dismayed to see that Brian was still standing like the dumb oaf he was in the arms of that gothic lolita hussy. In a couple of minutes they should all be moving out for the photoshoot¡ªwherever that ended up being, and Chloe needed to tail them. More importantly, she now had to put in even more work getting rid of the slutty burando broad.


    What a pity. Disappointed that she couldn¡¯t think of any way to steal the outfit directly¡ªit was Noblesse Oblique, after all¡ªChloe decided she would simply have to ruin it for good.


    Off to the side of the concession stands right over there, I think there¡¯s those little bins full of condiment packets at the station¡­ A discreet squirt of ketchup on the ignorant girl¡¯s horrifyingly expensive lace as she passed by would never wash out afterwards. She might not notice it right away, though, and that¡¯s no fun. Mustard? Mayonnaise? That¡¯s probably more humiliating. Think I¡¯ll go with mustard, unless they have packets for something else gross that REALLY smells...


    Humming the Magical Doll Himari theme music to herself, Chloe merrily walked over towards the lines of the concessions area, glancing over every now and then to keep an eye on her two targets. There was no way they were going to escape her.


    ¡°Stephanie!¡± Brian took the stairs up between the escalators two at a time, his helmet tucked under one arm. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest when he saw her waiting for him, but a moment later his chest tightened at seeing that she¡¯d been crying. For a moment, she seemed to freeze up with fear at his approach¡ªthen, without saying a word, she closed the distance to meet him, latching tightly onto him in a fierce hug.


    ¡°Steph¡ªwhat happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She tried, not wanting to pull her face away from his chest. ¡°Kelly said it¡ª um, that it couldn¡¯t have been from you. Do you¡­ um. Are we¡­ okay?¡±


    While he knew what she was trying to articulate, for a moment he didn¡¯t know how to respond. The practical decisions and responsible distance he¡¯d been trying to keep to this weekend briefly battled with his immediate protective instincts¡ªbut, it was a one-sided slaughter; because Stephanie¡¯s eyes were still wet with tears.


    ¡°Okay?¡± he murmured, stroking her shoulders in a comforting way. ¡°It was like the whole weekend dropped out from under me when I couldn¡¯t find you. Someone grabbed my phone, I think. We¡¯re¡­ uh. I was really worried. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She looked up at him with bright, searching eyes. It was as though a flame of hope had been kindled in her again, as though she was confirming something that this slim pink-haired girl hadn¡¯t even dared to dream. ¡°You were¡­ worried?¡±


    It was strange¡ªthey¡¯d only been separated for a short while, but her sudden absence had hit him a lot harder than he¡¯d thought. The sheer physical attraction for the lovely girl still stirred his blood, but that wasn¡¯t why he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off of her. He just needed her, even if it was just to appreciate her thoughtful expression or see her smile at him. Not even attempting to restrain himself now, Brian lowered his head to kiss her.


    ¡°W-wait! Um, wait,¡± Stephanie blushed, seeming to remember something in a fluster. ¡°I was told to, um, we¡¯re supposed to go hide, now!¡±


    ¡°Hide? From who?¡± Brian gave her an uncertain laugh. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Steph?¡±


    ¡°Cloak and dagger¡­ things? She said?¡± Stephanie said with a weak laugh. ¡°I promised, th-that no matter what, I¡¯d take you off away somewhere. Sh-she said we need to lay low, while she takes care of everything.¡±


    ¡°Kelly said that?¡± Brian asked. Lay low from what, exactly?


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Stephanie nodded, then planted her face against his chest again in embarrassment and hugged him close again. ¡°I have Kelly¡¯s number in my phone, now. That is¡­ if you want to, we can go somewhere together¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Brian said. ¡°Anywhere you want to go.¡±


    ¡°How about, um, if you¡¯re interested, w-we could go sit in the voice actor¡¯s panel?¡± Stephanie suggested, looking towards one of the nearby rooms just off of the veranda of the upper level.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian readily agreed, letting his hands slide down to the small of her back. She smiled up at him again, looking reluctant to pull away from him so they could walk. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    At noon, the nearby voice actor¡¯s panel was just beginning and almost every single seat among the rows in the softly lit room appeared to have already be taken. Another dozen or so attendees and anime fans alike loitered at the back of the room, either unable to sit because of their costumes, or undecided as to whether they would stay for the entirety of the panel. The voice actors themselves, a man in a suit jacket and a woman in a dressy blouse, were already seated at the long table in the front of the room. They hadn¡¯t turned on their microphones just yet to begin the panel, and seemed to be simply chatting and laughing with a few of the fans in the front row.


    ¡°I think I see a spot for us,¡± Brian told Stephanie, guiding her partway down the aisle. All the way against the wall was a single empty seat, just beside a heavy-set brunette girl wearing a fantasy cloak.


    ¡°Excuse us,¡± Brian apologized, turning sideways so he could squeeze past the legs of those already seated in the row. He pulled Stephanie along after him, each of them awkwardly sidling past everyone¡¯s knees.


    ¡°Um, uh¡ªBrian, there¡¯s only one seat...¡± Stephanie noticed, wondering if he¡¯d somehow seen it wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sorry, excuse us,¡± Brian stepped past the heavy-set young woman in the cloak, tucked his Darkmask gauntlets inside his skull helmet and slid it under the free seat. Then he sat down, patting his lap for Stephanie to indicate she should sit down as well.


    ¡°Uh. I¡­¡± Stephanie¡¯s cheeks went red and her hesitant smile was frozen into place. However, not wanting to inconvenience the brunette with the cloak whose personal space she was now standing in, the pink-haired girl continued forward and gingerly¡ªever so carefully, lowered herself down to delicately place her bottom on Brian¡¯s offered thighs.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not too heavy, am I?¡± Stephanie blushed furiously, appearing unsure of where to put her hands.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Brian assured her, and he naturally let his arms fall into place at her sides. ¡°You feel nice.¡±


    ¡°O-oh,¡± Stephanie managed.


    Nice is such an understatement. Having the plush, perfect curves of her bottom pressed down into him felt amazing. Her butt filled his entire lap with just enough left over to fill his hands on either side, and the weight of her actually sitting on him allowed him to really feel the cushion of this incredibly cute girl¡¯s rear. Realizing he was practically grabbing the sides of her ass, Brian abashedly let his hands travel up her sides to steady her slim waist. What am I doing?


    ¡°Good morning, everyone! It¡¯s really great to see all of you out here today! I¡¯m Vic Magnolia, and here with me today is the lovely Colleen Clissenberg!¡±


    ¡°Hello! Good morning. Er¡ªafternoon. Is it really afternoon already?¡±


    As the voice acting guests introduced themselves, Brian felt like Vic was once again trying too hard to seem animated and energetic for the Magnolia Militia¡ªhis small legion of rabid fangirls. On the other hand, Brian recognized the sound of Colleen¡¯s voice right away, but couldn¡¯t quite place it. It was distinctive, however, and she had a certain authority to her tone that made him want to listen carefully to her words.


    Stephanie shifted uneasily against him, immediately and completely distracting him from whatever it was the voice actors had said next. Leaning in slightly, he put his lips beside her neck so that he could whisper to her and still be heard.


    ¡°Are you comfortable?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m, um, fine. I¡¯m not uncomfortable,¡± she answered with a meek smile, turning to look at him. With her sitting on top of him, the slightly shorter-statured girl was now at an even eye-level with him, and both of them seemed to freeze when they realized how close each other¡¯s face was. Brian¡¯s hands unconsciously tightened on her waist, and her breath quickened.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you uncomfortable?¡± She whispered back to him.


    Feeling his blood rush towards the strained tightness of the jock-strap-like dancer¡¯s belt he wore with his costume, he wasn¡¯t sure how he should answer for a moment. It was all he could do to stop himself from kissing her, from letting his hands roam freely across her body.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, exactly. I might¡­ um. Shift you a little bit, though,¡± Brian said into her ear, ¡°if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°O-of course,¡± Stephanie assured him, both of her gloved hands fidgeting with the front hem of her skirt. Over her shoulder, he could see that both of her knees were pressed together, her legs nestled between his own.


    Allowing himself to lower his hands once again and cup her bottom beneath her costume skirt¡ªhands pressing ever so slightly into her pleasantly supple butt, Brian lifted and shifted her a few inches to one side. Now, she was straddling his one knee rather than sitting on both, and had one of her vinyl red boots on either side of his gray Darkmask ones. The swell of her cheeks nestled perfectly around his right thigh.


    ¡°Ah?!¡± Stephanie squeaked out a small, unidentifiable noise.


    He wasn¡¯t able to move his hands away from her butt afterwards, this time¡ªit was practically impossible to let go. Instead he gripped her there, marvelling at the feel of having this shy cutie sitting like this right here in his lap.


    Is this¡­ really okay? He wondered to himself. I mean, she did sit in my lap last night, when I asked her to SHOW me her feelings, but... this is different. She¡¯s not facing me¡ªor I¡¯d already be a goner¡ªand... this isn¡¯t something she initiated. I don¡¯t know how she feels right now. She probably isn¡¯t¡ª


    Stephanie shifted against him, in a way it was hard to mistake for her simply adjusting herself. She¡¯d spread her legs slightly, allowing her panties to press rather firmly against him, and his train of thought promptly derailed itself.


    ¡°Uh¡­ s-sorry,¡± She murmured with shame, tensing up.


    ¡°...It¡¯s okay,¡± Brian whispered in her ear. ¡°Can you hear them alright?¡±


    ¡°Hear¡­ who?¡± Stephanie blurted out in confusion. She twisted to face him, and he realized that the girl¡¯s adorable face was completely flushed red. She winced in embarrassment as it finally dawned on her what he was talking about. ¡°Oh! Oh, um, th-the voice actors. Um, well¡­ I-I honestly haven¡¯t heard a single word they¡¯ve said¡­¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Brian confided in amusement. Overcome with the urge to tease this girl, he softly blew into her ear before he could stop himself. Her reaction was delicious, an invisible shudder he could feel roll through the lithe body that was pressed against him. She squirmed in his lap, spreading her legs even more so that her weight was settling directly onto him. He could feel her radiating with warmth right there.


    This... was a bad idea, after all, wasn¡¯t it. I¡¯m totally losing it.


    ¡°Br-Brian¡­¡±


    But, on the other hand, why was I ever trying to fight this? Brian tried to think. Kelly was right. I need this, WE need, this, this... INTIMACY I¡¯ve been missing out on for so long. Having someone here with me like this, to make me feel whole. As stubbornly set on his convictions as he was, all of his reasons and logic and decision to take things slow seemed to amount to so much hot garbage in the moment he saw Stephanie crying at the top of the escalators. How could I ever hold back, play it slow and safe with her, when she needs me?


    Wait, that¡¯s not right, Brian paused, struggling to work through the shades of lust that were permeating his brain. He simply couldn¡¯t take his mind off the way her butt felt pressing into his lap. She needs me, maybe, but not necessarily, like, in THIS kind of¡ª


    As if to insist otherwise, Stephanie slowly squeezed Brian¡¯s trapped leg between her own and she shifted again, allowing him to feel her incredibly soft and intimate place pressing against him.


    ¡°Ugh¡ªSteph,¡± Brian whispered in complaint, hiding his face into her tufts of pink hair again.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Guiltily caught in the act, she froze against him as though expecting him to tell her off.


    ¡°Steph, if you, uh... If you do that, I¡¯m not gonna be able to hold myself back,¡± he warned in a low voice, wearing a sheepish grin.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± She whispered back to him, trying to sit perfectly still. Brian let out a slow breath of relief, and he fought to clear his head and regain his senses.


    Okay. Okay. Of course she didn¡¯t mean it like¡ª


    Once again she teased him, slowly, languidly rocked her hips, grinding herself against him. It was a measured, deliberate motion that spread the desperate heat through her panties and then the thin layer of his costume bodysuit. All the while, her upper body remained rigid and anxious, her gloved hands planted stiffly on one of her own knees. Her face was turned away and he couldn¡¯t see her giddy smile from where he was, but he could almost feel it in her slightly shaking body.


    Well, then. Half-hidden from view with his seat beside the wall and mostly behind Stephanie, he caught the nub of her earlobe between his lips and gently pinched.

 Playing Decoy

    Stephanie was sitting in Brian¡¯s lap in the middle of a packed panel room at the convention, and someone had set her on fire. She was burning with desire from the top of her sex-addled head all the way down to her toes, flames curling with delight as she felt Brian plant the first of a series of slow, savory kisses along her neck. Roiling pink heat seemed to blaze from every inch of her body as though she¡¯d been doused with gasoline arousal, but no one around her seemed to notice. It was surreal to her how no one else was reacting to this incredible moment, how the attention of everyone else remained on the distant, droning words of those two voice actors speaking into their microphones.


    Just minutes ago, she¡¯d been crying because she thought she¡¯d somehow messed up and lost him for good. It had felt like her inner flame had extinguished, like her very soul had gone dark. Those feelings of despair and sadness reared up inside her like a night-time thicket of self-doubt, ugly and gnarled, the dry old growth of regret and fear¡­ and then, Brian returned and promptly lit everything within her on fire. Ignited all of it into kindling to feed a pink flame that burned brighter than it ever had before.


    The saying, ¡®absence makes the heart grow fonder,¡¯ isn¡¯t something that can ever be understood until it¡¯s really FELT, Stephanie decided, biting her lip. I¡¯ve had a taste of Brian, and a taste of going without, and¡­ everything¡¯s just so clear to me now. I NEED him in my life.


    Yesterday, when she¡¯d daringly told him I¡¯m ready for anything you can throw at me, he¡¯d answered her perfectly with a surprise kiss. She wasn¡¯t able to interpret Brian¡¯s if you do that, I might not be able to hold back as a warning, anymore. After ruminating over their unique situation all day and all night¡ªand even more importantly, after her talks with Kelly¡ªBrian¡¯s words now instead seemed like open provocation!


    I want him to take me. I NEED him. Even if he¡¯s somehow able to hold out longer¡ªI can¡¯t! Her legs weren¡¯t even closed now, and when she couldn¡¯t bear it any more she was sharply rocking her hips to rub her sex against the thigh she was riding. Brian wasn¡¯t trying to stop her, either¡ªhe was suckling her neck in a way that was making her feel molten heat course through her body. Every few unsteady breaths when she pressed herself down against him, he was bouncing her entire body up slightly on his leg, in time with her own eager movements. Not too fast, of course, as they didn¡¯t want to draw attention to themselves. But, at the same time... it wasn¡¯t fast enough. Need was blossoming brilliantly inside of her.


    I want him to fuck me. I want him to fuck me. I want him to fuck me, Stephanie¡¯s mind was going pink with desire. If it feels anything at all like this¡­ I WANT HIM TO FUCK ME! Her self-control was wavering, and she was just about to grind herself against him without care of the consequences or worrying whoever might notice, when she felt his hands clamp down on her. Prevented from bucking harder, she trembled against his grip. Even that sudden restriction of his hands pinning her against him was so sexy it was difficult to endure.


    ¡°Yes, I have a question for Vic,¡± the girl in the cloak beside them called out. Stephanie froze, sheepishly remembering they were in a very crowded room, in the middle of a panel hosted by famous voice actors.


    ¡°When you were recording the voice for Cedric Edifice, and you had those intimate lines for the character Wintry Rumball¡ªwas it weird interacting with her voice actress?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was so weird,¡± Vic joked, eliciting several squeals from his fangirls. ¡°But, no, seriously¡ªI definitely know which lines you mean, and Wintry¡¯s English voice actress Katie Pane was very understanding and professional in all the takes we had to do¡ª¡±


    ¡°Steph?¡± Brian whispered.


    ¡°Y-yes?¡± She asked in a hushed voice, still dazed as liquid pink seemed to blaze across enormous swathes of her brain.


    ¡°Can you grab my helmet? It¡¯s under our chair.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± She fumbled beneath them slightly, almost losing her balance because of the way she was perched on his thigh. As she glanced around the room, she saw everyone was sitting very still, apparently paying close attention to whatever story Vic Magnolia was relating. ¡°A-are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ We don¡¯t have to. If you rest my helmet in your lap...¡± Brian murmured in her ear. ¡°...no one¡¯ll be able to tell when I¡¯m fingering you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everybody! It¡¯s past time! It¡¯s twelve o¡® seven¡ªso, everyone that¡¯s gonna make it is here, and we¡¯re heading out!¡±


    The ringleader taking charge of the Hero Hero Haruki meetup was a villainess all the goofy Darkmask minions energetically addressed as ¡®Akari D¨¡kumasuku-sama,¡¯ or sometimes simply as ¡®the boss.¡¯ Rather than their simple fabric bodysuit with the cartoonish spine and ribs pattern, this girl¡¯s ensemble featured a plunging neckline fashioned as the crossed bones of a Jolly Roger, and in lieu of an ordinary skull helmet, she wore a teased out red wig with a tiara-like circlet of large fake rubies.


    While the dozens of Darkmasks in various disguises and the scattering of costumed heroes turned their attention to the Akari cosplayer, Kelly maneuvered the Darkmask she¡¯d singled out towards the edge of the gathering. She needed to position herself so she could also see their suspected stalker, the Magical Doll Himari who suspiciously seemed to have taken possession of Brian¡¯s phone. Thankfully, Kelly¡¯s faux-Brian¡ªthe Darkmask who, like Brian, had a plastic helmet, real gloves, and an actual utility belt¡ªbecame strangely cooperative and compliant when Kelly revealed she was using him to play a prank on someone.


    ¡°We have a secret photoshoot location downtown, and this year, we¡¯re bringing with us¡­ the evil crimson light!¡± At the Akari¡¯s enthusiastic gesture, one of the nearby Darkmask minions lifted a battered cardboard box up above his head. It was dusty old thing that looked like it¡¯d been retrieved from someone¡¯s attic¡ªsnowflakes and a waving Santa Claus were printed on the faded side. Polite applause and a few cheers sounded out.


    ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± one of the Darkmasks cheered in a high-pitched voice.


    ¡°Sh-shut up,¡± the Akari flustered, angrily waving for her minion to lower the box again. ¡°That¡¯s just the box I have them in, okay?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ what¡¯s in the box?¡± One of the caped heroes asked.


    ¡°The evil crimson light,¡± Another hero replied smartly, dramatically adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose with his middle finger. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re not even listening.¡±


    ¡°And that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± the hero wearing glasses shrugged.


    ¡°Do you know where the photoshoot¡¯s gonna be?¡± Kelly asked the Darkmask whose arm she was clinging to. Despite how similar they appeared at first glance, this guy and Brian were really nothing alike, and she couldn¡¯t help but worry that her impromptu decoy would be seen through in no time at all. Rather than a bodysuit that snugly clung to splendid abdominal muscles, this guy was kind of flabby. Even his posture wasn¡¯t as good as Brian¡¯s¡ªhe was slouching way too much.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know,¡± he shook his head. His muffled voice was all wrong, too¡ªit sounded like there was some stuffy dweeb under that helmet. ¡°Are you coming, too?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kelly forced a charming smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything.¡±


    In an enormous group, the assembled Darkmasks and the small handful of heroes trooped together out through the sets of double-doors into the plaza outside the convention center, and then continued on, heading down the city sidewalk for several blocks. As they walked, Kelly made meaningless small talk with the Darkmask she was holding hands with, not failing to note the Magical Doll Himari shadowing their Hero Hero Haruki group from a short distance away.


    ¡°Do you know where your friend got this Komari-mart bag?¡± the faux-Brian asked, lifting the plastic grocery bag up again to check it out.


    ¡°He made it,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Think he said he used a stencil to put the logo on. Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± the Darkmask answered, jerking his head towards her. ¡°For real? Can I keep it?¡±


    ¡°Keep your helmet on ¡®till I can play a... trick on this certain someone, and it¡¯s all yours,¡± Kelly promised. It¡¯s just a plastic bag, after all. Even if he did stencil it himself, it couldn¡¯t have been THAT hard, right?


    Their secret destination turned out to be one of the multi-level parking garages near the convention center. The scattered group all headed down to a basement sublevel, and then congregated around the Akari Dakumasuku cosplayer as she opened up the battered Christmas box. Inside were a dozen squat, oversized light-bulbs¡ªred-tinted exterior lamps, presumably once part of someone¡¯s Christmas decorations.


    ¡°Okay, listen up, everyone!¡± Akari commanded. ¡°The far side of the garage over there is all concrete, with support girders and cool pipes and stuff! So long as we replace their white bulbs with our evil crimson light, it¡¯s perfect for Locus Solus, the super secret D¨¡kumasuku lair!¡±


    The area she indicated along the far wall featured a small curb and otherwise had a utilitarian, industrial look. Even more importantly, it didn¡¯t have painted spaces for cars to park¡ªonly a no parking sign. So long as they didn¡¯t take any wide-angled shots, none of the various vehicles filling the parking garage to capacity nearby would be visible.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± the skeptical caped hero from before spoke up. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ sorta bordering on vandalism? Do we even have to switch the bulbs? Can¡¯t we just post-process all the photos with a red filter, or something?¡±


    ¡°Hashtag no filter,¡± his glasses-wearing buddy joked back. ¡°C¡¯mon, besides¡ªdon¡¯t you wanna see how many Skullfies it takes to change a lightbulb?¡±


    They watched as a Darkmask minion crouched down to allow another Darkmask to climb onto his shoulders. The pair of Darkmasks then tottered unsteadily in the direction of the first overhead light. Several others were preparing to do the same, setting aside their purses, aprons, wigs, straw hats, and other random disguise pieces aside in small piles beside the worn cardboard box.


    Kelly reluctantly freed her faux-Brian Darkmask to assist the others in removing the original lights¡ªafter all, the bulbs throughout this underground level of the parking garage were hot from always remaining on, and he was one of the few wearing actual gloves. Stepping off to the side out of everyone¡¯s way near the row of cars, Kelly tried to appear like she was caught up in watching the cosplayers¡¯ antics with amusement. She didn¡¯t spare a glance when the Magical Doll Himari nonchalantly ambled over to stand beside her¡ªthe two girls weren¡¯t the only odd ones out during the meetup; someone¡¯s friend in a Shinobi Souls cosplay had tagged along, and there were four others in plain clothes toting bags and cameras.


    ¡°I just love your outfit,¡± the Himari finally spoke up, sidling up closer to Kelly. ¡°Is it burando?¡±


    Just as Kelly turned to meet the mysterious Magical Doll Himari cosplayer who¡¯d been discreetly eyeing her and the faux-Brian face-to-face for the first time¡ªone of the nearby overhead lights was successfully unscrewed by a pair of Darkmasks. Half of the area they stood in plunged into sudden darkness, casting a sinister contrast of shadows across this Himari girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°It is,¡± Kelly smiled serenely at her. ¡°It¡¯s Noblesse Oblique.¡±


    ¡°Noblesse Oblique¡­¡± the Himari echoed, and although Kelly couldn¡¯t clearly see her eyes, the Magical Doll Himari wore a rigid smile and seemed to be appraising more than just the gothic lolita outfit. ¡°It¡¯s very nice¡ªI¡¯m impressed! It¡¯s such a shame though, it doesn¡¯t seem to fit you, like, at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you noticed?¡± With a sputter of burning red light, the nearby pair of Darkmasks screwed in the first of the red bulbs, and Kelly¡¯s untroubled smile slowly widened into a wicked grin. ¡°That¡¯s okay, though¡ªthis outfit was never meant for me.¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah. Clearly,¡± the Himari gave out a brisk laugh as they both turned back towards the somewhat comical caper the Darkmasks were trying to pull off. Several more sections of the parking garage went dark, and several more red bulbs took their place. Intended more for decorative holiday purposes, they were nowhere near as bright as the parking garage¡¯s original ones, and outside their immediate vicinity that was bathed in red light, it was difficult to see down the aisles or between the rows of cars at all.


    The outfit was probably meant for YOU¡­ wasn¡¯t it? Kelly was almost completely sure this Himari was in fact Chloe. The probing text Brian received this morning, that unlikely incident with Stephanie being sent who knows where, and then his phone likely being stolen by this girl¡­ who else could she be?


    ¡°Do you know that Darkmask cosplayer?¡± the Himari asked, waving in the direction of the one Kelly had been walking with. ¡°Over there, that one?¡±


    ¡°The one with the plastic helmet?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°The one who¡¯s ¡®bout to drop that bulb?¡±


    The sound of shattering glass resounded, turning the heads of everyone at the Hero Hero Haruki meetup and sending everyone silent for a moment. Then, everyone tried speaking at once.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you okay, man?¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou idiots! Was that one of the garage¡¯s lights, or one of mine?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, stupid! You¡¯ll cut yourself!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± the Himari confirmed, sounding almost pleased. ¡°That one.¡±


    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t know him!¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°Met him like, six minutes ago. He¡¯s a riot, though, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the girl said, sounding surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Okay, fuck! Enough fooling around, you guys!¡± the Akari D¨¡kumasuku yelled, her voice echoing through the red glare of the sublevel. ¡°All you Darkmasks line up for a group photo by the pipes, here! No disguises for this one, we¡¯re gonna do four¡­ okay, three rows of people all doing the salute thing! You know what I¡¯m talking about. Next we¡¯ll do the heroes, one by one. Maybe one shot each where you¡¯re like, captured by Darkmasks, and one where you¡¯re fighting your way free?¡±


    ¡°But, uh¡ªjust so you know, I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s really bad news. Rumor is, he¡¯s skeezy as fuck. Just between you and me,¡± The Magical Doll Himari muttered in Kelly¡¯s direction. ¡°If you know what I mean? He doesn¡¯t have a good reputation.¡±


    ¡°Sounds kinda hot.¡± Kelly didn¡¯t turn her head back to the Himari¡ªshe didn¡¯t have to. She was facing the formation of Darkmask soldiers as they queued up for the first round of photos, but her eyes were on the red-tinted reflection of the car window closest to them, where she could carefully watch each and every sway and bob of the Magical Doll¡¯s giant fluffy twin-tails.


    Sounds hot? You just met him and you¡¯re already throwing yourself all over him like a fucking prostitute? Chloe stifled the sneer she wanted to direct at this thirsty gothic lolita bitch. Did you ever consider that he might be taken? That there might be consequences? Well, this is what you get for rubbing your oh-so-precious thousand-dollar burando all over MY boyfriend, you goddamn whore.


    While Chloe was trailing behind the Hero Hero Haruki group earlier, she¡¯d been carefully peeling open mustard packets one by one. She was delighted when she tried a little dab of it on her fingertip; it was perfect. Cheap mustard; an acrid-smelling, greasy colored goop just right for absolutely ruining the delicate fabric and hundred-dollar lace that adorns beautiful burando like that. Her entire palm was filled with the little individually-packaged condiments, all opened at one end and ready to splurt out on something like a grotesque yellow cumshot.


    You must think your outfit looks pretty nice, Chloe snickered to herself, feeling her pulse quicken with anticipation. But, don¡¯t you see the IRONY of wearing a set called CALAMITY QUEEN? All I have to do is clench my hand into a fist, and your expensive brand is ruined. Permanently. One little gesture on my part, and it all becomes garbage¡ªjust like you. Garbage. You¡¯re fucking garbage.


    Chloe stepped back from the gothic lolita girl and made as if to wander off, pleased to notice that this stupid whore had zero self-awareness of what was going on around her¡ªthe cunt was still stupidly watching Brian and the rest of those Darkmask retards shuffle around like trained monkeys for photo after humiliating photo.


    Savoring the triumph of this moment, Chloe turned, already walking away, and squeezed, feeling the handful of mustard packets empty themselves out in a spurt. Chloe unhurriedly continued walking, not looking back to see the damage yet or stupidly looking around to see if anyone had caught her in the act¡ª she knew that would just draw attention to herself. No one could¡¯ve seen clearly in this shitty red light, anyways. Hah. They¡¯re all too far away!


    She wrestled with the urge to turn back and look, to see how bad it was, how much damage she¡¯d done, to see if the stupid cunt even noticed¡­ but she restrained herself. Not ¡®till I¡¯m a good distance away. Hopefully, the whore won¡¯t even notice that her perfect little outfit is fucking spattered with nasty for a good minute or two. Maybe someone else¡¯ll notice it first, and point it out to her? How fucking embarrassing is that gonna be?


    ¡°Okay, everyone! One last big group photo with the Darkmasks in ranks, let¡¯s do one big one together with the masks off!¡±


    That¡¯s when Chloe couldn¡¯t help but turn. She was far enough away, she wagered, to be able to catch the look on Brian¡¯s face without being spotted herself. She wanted to remember whatever doofy look he might be wearing in this moment, wanted to savor it. That fleeting happiness before the scene would inevitably be interrupted by shrieks of disbelief and horror as his new companion realizes what had happened to her thousand-dollar brand. That¡¯s it. I want to see it.


    Only¡ªhe wasn¡¯t there. The many Darkmasks wearing fabric sentai-suits unzipped each other along the back of the head to reveal their ordinary faces, but the one that removed an actual helmet¡­ wasn¡¯t Brian. It was some sallow-faced, dorky-looking teenage guy.


    What... the fuck, Chloe looked across the row of Darkmasks squeezing together for the group picture in confusion, her mind going blank. Where¡¯s Brian?


    ¡°You look surprised,¡± the girl in gothic lolita pointed out with a laugh, turning to face her with an elegant swirl of her skirt.


    What the fuck? Chloe stared, frozen in disbelief. There wasn¡¯t a single speck of mustard on the girl¡¯s dress. She¡¯d felt that mustard spurt out. There should be globs of it everywhere, or at least flecks of it on her and some on the oil-stained surface of the parking garage¡­ but there was nothing. The Noblesse Oblique this girl was wearing was still pristine, as if she¡¯d just pulled it out of its mint packaging and tried it on. I look SURPRISED? You couldn¡¯t even see me. That¡¯s impossible.


    ¡°I wondered what you¡¯d try,¡± Kelly smiled, shaking her head and stalking closer. With the blazing red light burning behind her, that composed smile of hers instead seemed positively fiendish. ¡°But... I didn¡¯t expect that. That was gross.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Chloe blinked. You weren¡¯t even looking in my direction. And there¡¯s nothing even on you¡ªthere¡¯s no evidence! You can¡¯t accuse me of anything¡ª


    In that perfectly clean Calamity Queen set, the dark-haired girl approached at a measured pace, one step at a time, stopping only when she was right in front of Chloe. The girl in gothic lolita raised one cupped hand... to reveal it contained a messy slough of splattered mustard, filling her palm, with a little bit starting to dribble down her wrist.


    No way. No fucking way. Chloe felt panic start rising up within her, and she started to take a step back. She reached out and caught it? No way. She wasn¡¯t even paying attention when I¡ª


    Before Chloe could recoil, she was slapped across the face with the slimy handful of captured condiment. Pungent mustard smeared across her careful makeup. Greasy yellow speckled the nearby dangling twintail, and spattered her neck. Then, the girl grabbed the front of Chloe¡¯s sailor fuku with her messy hand and pushed, shoving her onto the pavement of the parking garage.


    ¡°Good try,¡± the girl in Noblesse Oblique chuckled, wryly shaking her head as she brushed past Chloe with a dramatic swirl of her skirts. ¡°You just didn¡¯t put in enough effort.¡±

 Guardian Angel

    Emily hadn¡¯t been in an immediate rush to find Brian¡ªeven if that jerk wasn¡¯t answering her texts. Confident she knew exactly where he was supposed to be at noon¡ªthe Hero Hero Haruki meetup¡ªshe¡¯d gone over her hair and make-up, double-checking everything, conscious now more than ever of the way she would look to him. The impromptu run earlier had put her out of sorts, but now she was more or less presentable, as ready as she would ever be.


    I look¡­ cute, she gave herself a weak smile in the mirror of the restroom. Not beautiful, or sexy. But, cute. Hey, at least cute¡¯s SOMETHING, right? Swallowing down her fears as best she was able, she carefully adjusted her shaggy bangs to fall over her brow just right, and cinched her obi a little tighter. Emily boldly stepped out of the ladies room and back into the lobby¡­ to discover there wasn¡¯t a single Hero Hero Haruki cosplayer in sight.


    What the hell. No heroes, no villains, not even one of the scattered Darkmask minions from earlier was in sight. She frantically checked her phone¡ª it was only a little past noon. Where the hell are they?


    A sinking feeling settled deep in her gut as she realized they¡¯d already gone somewhere. It was a photoshoot meetup, but the lobby itself wasn¡¯t really a venue appropriate for group pictures. Of course they went somewhere! I just HAD to dick around preparing for this and I fucking missed them! Fuck, fuck, FUCK!


    Emily scanned what she could see of the upper level, and then hurried down one hall to the next trying to catch sight of them. Presumably, a large group of cosplayers would have trouble getting organized at all, let alone moving together through any of the congested areas inside the con. Searching one corridor after the next and not finding anyone, however, that frantic feeling was taking hold of her. Where the fuck are they?! I should be able to spot stragglers somewhere, for sure. Darkmask minions are easy to spot. Right?


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: Brian we here at the con


    ? iXi Cerulean iXi ?: where the f are u???


    She glared at her phone in frustration¡ªbut just like before, there was no response. She angrily kicked out at the air and then stormed over to take a seat along the edge of the planter in the hallway, flicking her browser open on her phone. The AnimeCon forum was where she¡¯d discovered the time for the Hero Hero Haruki meetup in the first place¡ªperhaps they¡¯d posted a last-minute update or something.


    There was nothing.


    Okay. Calm down, Emily. It¡¯s not the end of the world, she told herself, feeling her emotions ready to boil over. Don¡¯t be impatient and ruin this. Any second now, he¡¯ll answer his phone. Or, someone¡¯ll post a pic from the photoshoot early. Or I¡¯ll run into them somewhere.


    Maybe they¡¯re on the upper level, after all? Exhaling slowly, she hopped back up to her feet and then ducked and weaved her way through the slow-moving crowds back to the lobby. The shoulders of her yukata kept slipping down in an obnoxious way, and she had to remind herself not to shrug them off entirely. She needed to remember that the fishnet body stocking beneath did little to obscure her nips from everyone¡¯s view, because the gel breast petals she¡¯d held high expectations for this year had failed her before even getting inside the doors of the con.


    Taking a moment to carefully sweep the entirety of the lobby from the overlook, she then turned and made her way around the loop of the upper level, glancing between her surroundings and her phone as she walked.


    Nothing, nothing, nothing. Fuck! Emily thought grimly, pausing outside one of the upper level¡¯s rooms to catch her breath for a moment. That side-stitch from running earlier had started creeping back in after she¡¯d taken the stairs up two by two. Inside the nearby panel room, she could hear the familiar sound of that creep voice actor Vic Magnolia telling another one of his dumb stories, the same ones he went through every year. Brian¡ªfuck, where the fuck are you?


    Ara Ara (the Con Mom):


    First look at the hero hero shoot, deep in the heart of Locus Solus!!


    Finally, SOMETHING cuts me a fucking break! Emily was tapping open the photos as they appeared in the Hero Hero Haruki photoshoot thread almost as quickly as they were uploaded and posted. The Darkmask minions were lined up somewhere¡­ dark? With red lights? Emily frowned, her brows scrunching up as she tried to discern where the heck they actually were. There was concrete all around them in the background, support pillars, pipes¡­ wherever it was, it was a fantastic place for a shoot. Often the fights in that anime took place in half-finished skyscrapers, or ones in the middle of reconstruction after the constant bouts between caped supers and masked villains.


    There! After tapping from picture to picture, looking past the costumed subjects at the background, she finally caught a glimpse of a nearby parked car. They¡¯re not even IN the convention center, they¡¯re in that one big parking garage the next block over! That¡¯s such a brilliant idea! Fuck!


    Bursting into a run back for the escalators down to the lower level, Emily nearly smashed into a Folken Tail cosplayer who¡¯d been hobbling along.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Emily yelled guiltily, slowing her scrambling dash down to a more reasonable jog. She hopped down the stairway between the escalators four steps at a time, pinching the front hem of her yukata closed and even more conscious of how out of sorts her outfit was with every bounce of her little breasts. Fuuuck! Next year, it¡¯s gonna be a costume with a sports bra, no matter what.


    ¡°Hello?¡± A young woman called out as she raced into their parking garage. It was another one of those ninja girls that Kelly had seen everywhere around the convention, although this one was petite and looked rather tomboyish. The girl ran while holding the front of her yukata closed with one hand, her split-toed ninja boots tapping a steady rhythm across the pavement and echoing within the confines of the concrete structure. ¡°Is this¡ªis the Hero Hero Haruki meetup in here?!¡±


    Resplendent in the black grandeur of the gothic lolita outfit, Kelly was leaning over a waste receptacle that¡¯d been placed near the stairwell exit. Though bereft of her own purse, one of the photographer ladies there for the shoot had been able to lend her a handful of napkins. Now, Kelly was using them to meticulously clean every last trace of mustard off of her fingers. The Magical Doll Himari¡ªalmost definitely Chloe¡ªhad fled the scene with nothing but an impossibly venomous glare, so furious she was unable to speak.


    Kelly had intended to badger and browbeat the bitch into handing Brian¡¯s phone back over, but wearing the impossibly expensive outfit Brian had entrusted to her made her vulnerable, complicating further confrontation and¡ªfor now¡ªmaking pursuit impossible. She already had to be careful to keep the mustard-covered hand away from the fabric¡ªit wouldn¡¯t have been wise to chase after and tackle the escaping girl to the pavement while wearing all of this. Despite how incredibly satisfying that would have been.


    Mustard. How petty, Kelly sighed to herself. That just HAD to have been Brian¡¯s ex. Who else would have THAT kind of vendetta?


    ¡°Yeah, the meetup was here,¡± One of the Darkmasks answered. ¡°We just finished up.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± the newcomer, that ninja girl around looked from cosplayer to cosplayer. ¡°Brian?¡±


    Brian? Kelly went still at hearing the name, and glanced back over at the girl with new interest. Could be a coincidence¡­ but it probably isn¡¯t.


    Dropping the napkins soiled with condiment into the waste bin, Kelly slowly turned and sidestepped, slipping into the darkness. After they¡¯d wrapped up the photoshoot, the cosplayers had pulled all of their red bulbs back out of the fixtures, and then replaced all of the original garage lights. All except right where Kelly moved to¡ªbecause they¡¯d broken one of the garage lights.


    ¡°Was there another Skullfie here? One with a plastic helmet, like that one?¡± The girl pointed towards faux-Brian that Kelly had used in her ruse earlier. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Brian.¡±


    Unlike that Himari girl, this one has a pretty keen eye, Kelly thought in approval, tapping a finger to her lip as she watched from her hiding place in the shadows. She could tell that one wasn¡¯t Brian right away.


    ¡°Another plastic helmet one? I don¡¯t think so? Hey, do we gotta Brian, here?¡± The henchman called out. A scattered chorus of nopes and nos answered back, some of the Darkmasks shrugging in an exaggerated way and shaking their heads.


    Kelly watched with mounting interest as the girl¡¯s expression fell. Well, THAT sure took the wind out of her sails. What¡¯s her angle, though?


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll just, uh,¡± The girl seemed at a loss. ¡°Wait? Just in case?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already done with all the pictures,¡± the Akari Dakumasuku told her, carefully hefting up the battered Christmas box full of red bulbs. ¡°Unless you wanted a picture with one of us? Sorry¡ªI don¡¯t think anyone else is coming, at this point.¡±


    ¡°...Oh,¡± the girl simply stared at the pavement, her hand still clutching the front of her kimono thing closed.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± the Akari said again. With that, the Hero Hero Haruki group started to disperse, some of the heroes loudly inviting others out to lunch with them downtown in the city, with most of them heading back towards the convention itself. That petite girl in the shinobi cosplay remained standing there at a loss, finally pulling out a phone, so Kelly remained quiet and motionless, just a short fifteen feet away from the girl but still completely unnoticed.


    ¡°Rebecca?¡± the girl asked into her phone. ¡°I know you¡¯re probably busy doin¡¯ sword stuff, but, I uh. I can¡¯t find Brian anywhere. He still won¡¯t answer his phone, and he wasn¡¯t at the Hero Hero meetup. Might try checking the hotel next, give them his name and see if they can give me a room number. Um, if you run into him, could you call me, like, right away? Thanks. Bye.¡±


    Done leaving her voice message, the girl¡ªEmily, Kelly now surmised¡ªlet out a long, wistful sigh and dropped down into a crouch, clamping her hands on top of her head in aggravation.


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± Emily yelled out loud, apparently relieved in thinking she was alone in the parking garage now. ¡°Why the hell can¡¯t anything ever go right?! Briannn¡­¡±


    There was something wistful and lonely in the way this Latina muttered that name now, and Kelly¡¯s smile widened, growing more intrigued by the moment. Moving as slowly as possible, Kelly unbuttoned the top of her dress, quietly dipping her hand into her cleavage to withdraw the room key she¡¯d been given.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Emily looked up and gave a startled yelp. Peering forward into the dark, she cautiously stepped forward, crossing half the distance to Kelly, and then¡­ picked up a forgotten shopping bag up off the pavement.


    ¡°This is Brian¡¯s!¡± Emily exclaimed, digging through the contents of the bag as if she¡¯d find a clue as to his whereabouts therein. ¡°Fucking fuck. Brian, you were here!¡±


    ¡°I can help you,¡± A sensuous voice called out from the darkness. A close voice, too close, impossibly near to her¡ªas if someone had appeared right next to her out of thin air, conjured out of the darkness itself.


    Emily jumped half a foot into the air, whirling, stumbling, and sending half the contents of Brian¡¯s Komari-mart bag tumbling out across the parking garage. She let out a strange sound of surprise somewhere between a squeak and a shriek, and drew back from the apparition with wide eyes.


    What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck, Emily failed to forcibly untense her posture. She considered herself to have decent spatial awareness. She¡¯d been snuck up on and surprised before, but never out in the open like this. I was alone a second ago. Alone in the middle of a large, open space. What the fuck.


    Alluring laughter, charming and beautiful, sounded out, and one of the most intimidatingly attractive girls Emily had ever seen¡ªwith looks rivalling even that of her mother Mrs. Rivera¡ªappeared out of nowhere beside her. As if the unreal, bewitching beauty wasn¡¯t enough, she was dressed in a gorgeous black gothic gown that made her seem not of this earth.


    Oh fuck. This is for real. This is for real, and this is a vampire or a demon or something. Emily¡¯s mind went blank as moments from dozens of different animes flashed through her mind. There always seemed to be an otherworldly femme fatale with a sadistic laugh who would step into the scene out of nowhere. Usually to abduct or murder a side character. Oh fuck, that¡¯s me!


    ¡°I can help you, Emily.¡±


    A chill went down Emily¡¯s spine at hearing her own name, and it felt like her blood was going cold. Everything about this situation, from her own out-of-control emotions to the inexplicable manner in which this girl had appeared, were touching upon that latent superstitious side of herself Emily had trouble dealing with.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just looking for my friend,¡± Emily blurted out weakly, involuntarily taking a step back. The gorgeous young woman with the sexy smile advanced after her. ¡°He isn¡¯t, uh, he won¡¯t answer his, his phone.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t answer his phone,¡± the woman said, looking amused. ¡°A certain Magical Doll stole it away, so she could play her little tricks.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Emily froze in place, equally surprised, confused, and bewildered. Magical Doll¡ªChloe? Chloe stole his fucking phone?! ¡°Where¡¯s Brian? Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just fine,¡± the demoness purred, beginning to circle around Emily in slow, predatory steps. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s here, yet¡ªI put him somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°Can I see him?¡± Emily stammered, standing still. What is this? Who are you? WHAT are you?!


    ¡°That depends on you, Emily,¡± the young woman sounded as if she was issuing an ultimatum. ¡°Why do you want to see him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Emily¡¯s voice faltered and she fought the urge to retreat again. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Today, I can be your guardian angel.¡± The young woman¡¯s horrifying smile widened, and with a flick of her delicate fingers, a hotel room keycard appeared in her grasp. ¡°Are you really prepared to see Brian?¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ a good idea?¡± Stephanie whispered, turning to look at Brian with an unsteady gaze. Around them, the packed panel room was alive with laughter and applause as the veteran voice actors engaged in back and forth exchanges of funny questions regarding their characters. Stephanie wasn¡¯t paying any attention to that, however¡ªbeneath the skirt of her dress, Brian¡¯s fingertips were playing with the band of her underwear.


    ¡°If you tell me stop, I¡¯ll listen,¡± Brian paused his teasing ministrations. His mottled green eyes seemed to be looking deep inside her, and Stephanie couldn¡¯t stop herself from giving him an uneasy grin. Holding her gaze for several long moments and still receiving no response, his fingers began to inch down inside her panties.


    His hand¡¯s in my underwear, Stephanie thought to herself, her face flushing a fierce shade of red as she hurriedly glanced at the girl seated next to them, and then the attendees crowded in on the seats behind them. We¡¯re in public. We¡¯re surrounded. We¡¯re RIGHT NEXT to someone, and Brian¡¯s hand is creeping down towards my...


    And¡­ Stephanie gulped, a nervous smile frozen into place across her features. I don¡¯t want him to stop?


    She was giddy with fear, with excitement, with anxious anticipation and trembling, barely constrained lust. Brian reaching into her clothes to such an intimate place had her extremely conscious of his every movement. Guiltily looking around her again, everyone else was paying attention to the voice actors hosting the panel. Stephanie was instead completely focused on the foreign feeling of another person¡¯s hand jammed into the front of her panties, fingers stretching towards her private parts.


    We can¡¯t be doing this here, though, Stephanie reminded herself, steeling her nerves. It¡¯s too... inappropriate. Illegal? We could get kicked out. This isn¡¯t smart. I need to tell him to stop. But, no matter how she rationalized her protest in her head, after opening her mouth¡­ no words came out. Because she really didn¡¯t want him to stop, even if it wasn¡¯t sensible.


    The moment his first exploring finger touched her, she realized to her shame that she was already very, very wet. Carefully cramming his hand further down her panties, he slid a fingertip down pussy lips that were already slick with liquid arousal, and the pink heat his touch ignited turned her mind molten shades of pink.


    I¡¯m going all¡­ soft, Stephanie stifled a gasp, obliquely thinking of herself as glowing with heat, her surface tension had just been broken by this single finger of Brian¡¯s. The constricting anxiety and rigid sensibilities that had in so many ways molded her identity were beginning to deform in this blinding heat, going slack and losing their shape. Then, thoughtless sensation overwhelmed her incoherent thoughts, and she lightly shuddered against Brian¡ªwith every tiny shift and squirm in her seat on Brian¡¯s lap she could feel his single finger silently strumming along her slippery labia, and it felt absolutely delicious.


    ¡°Steph?¡± Brian whispered into her ear. A husky, handsome whisper. He was so close that she could feel his words, his breath on her neck¡ªnever had a voice sounded so sexy to her. ¡°You¡¯re shaking.¡±


    ¡°I-is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± She tried to put on a brave face, but there were indeed twitching tremors travelling down her legs, and both of them could feel it.


    ¡°You sure you wanna keep provoking me?¡± Brian warned in a low murmur, pausing to press his lips to her skin and nibble. ¡°You seem pretty sensitive as it is.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Stephanie stammered in a nervous whisper.


    ¡°We could be caught in the act,¡± He playfully said, swiping back up and down the cleft of her sex and finally feeling the soaked Stephanie parting to give way to his finger. His digit sunk deep inside of her, and she felt her mouth fall open.


    ¡°Hwuuh¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be kicked out of the convention,¡± Brian continued, slowly slipping the finger out of her and then pumping it back in. ¡°Probably charged with public indecency. Maybe sexual misconduct, too?¡±


    ¡°Hwaah, haaaah¡­!¡±


    ¡°So, shh, sshh, Stephanie. You can¡¯t be too loud.¡± Brian sped up, the single finger pistoning in and out of her faster and faster until he was fingerfucking her at an intensity Stephanie found impossible to believe¡ªshe clenched her teeth and shivered in his lap, tightly hugging Brian¡¯s Darkmask helmet against herself. She could now faintly make out the sound of it, the rapid schlick schlick schlick slightly audible even through the commotion of the crowded panel room.


    After another thirty seconds of torturous bliss with no response from her, he finally eased up on her and slowed down to languid, sensual strokes, and Stephanie belatedly realized that at some point she¡¯d collapsed back against Brian, and almost dropped his costume helmet to the floor. Letting out a slow, shaky breath, she started righting herself.


    ¡°Y-you!¡± Stephanie whispered. ¡°Y-you¡¯re going to, to get us in trouble!¡±


    ¡°You started it,¡± he growled back into her ear, suckling her earlobe into his mouth and nibbling.


    He was still only fingering her slowly, but at this point¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. The pressure was still slowly, unstoppably building towards a climax, in an inevitable way that had Stephanie biting her lip in frustration and writhing against him. At first she¡¯d thought he was relenting; now she realized he was just prolonging her pleasure by allowing her back to lucidity.


    ¡°Are you asking me to stop?¡±


    Yes! She wanted to hiss out in vexation, but once again as she started to speak, the word clung stubbornly to the tip of her tongue. Or maybe¡­ no? I don¡¯t know!


    When he reluctantly slipped his finger out of her, she felt a unique mixture of relief and frustration¡­ until his movement stopped and he poised at a particular eager little hooded nub.


    ¡°N-no, no way,¡± Stephanie protested in a hushed voice, frantically tapping at his arm. ¡°Brian¡ªn-not here. I¡¯ll be loud. I¡¯ll be so loud.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Brian chuckled. He worked his hand back out of her panties and gingerly withdrew it from her skirt, lifting a glistening finger to his mouth.


    Stephanie watched in open-mouthed shock as he cleaned every trace of her arousal off.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, um, you don¡¯t think that it¡¯s¡­ gross? Weird?¡± She asked, leaning in close to him so no one would overhear.


    ¡°Did you forget last night?¡± Brian asked incredulously, arching an eyebrow at her. ¡°I like the way you taste.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie said, still feeling a little stunned. Stunned by his words, stunned by what he just did¡ªno, what they just did. She was as complicit as he was for not stopping it¡­ maybe even more so for enjoying it so much. While she hadn¡¯t been brought to orgasm, the journey towards it had been immensely delightful all the same. And, we didn¡¯t get caught after all. Look¡ªno one¡¯s paying any mind to us. Why would they?


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I-I mean, oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Stephanie flustered. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Guess that depends on how often you want me tasting you,¡± he replied, giving her a somewhat cocky smile. ¡°But, that¡¯ll be it for my turn, this time. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ are you being serious?¡± She asked with an amused smile.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°I got to do whatever I wanted to you, it¡¯s only fair that you get to attack me however you please.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± She blinked. Rather than urging her on, what he said actually seemed reasonable, the more she thought about it. But, what do I do?


    ¡°So, then I said¡ªlisten, you guys¡ªI¡¯m not short! I¡¯m bite-sized, vertically efficient, adorably dainty and great for hugging!¡± Vic Magnolia¡¯s voice boomed through the room¡¯s speakers, and the assembled audience burst into cheers and applause. ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m never saying that again! Seriously!¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Stephanie turned back to Brian in confusion.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Brian shrugged, ¡°I musta missed the setup for the joke.¡±


    Although she was tempted to relax for a moment and listen in on the panel they were sitting through, more than anything else, Stephanie was feverishly racking her brain trying to think of a way to attack Brian. A way to impress him, something she could do even while in the middle of this room full of people. For several distracted minutes, she listened to the voice actors relate the story of how they were first hired into the industry, before Stephanie ultimately decided her course of action.


    ¡°May I?¡± Stephanie whispered, hefting Brian¡¯s helmet and making to place it back under their seat.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Carefully placing it beneath them, Stephanie took a deep breath and stood for a moment. When she sat down again, she¡¯d adjusted herself to sit slightly side-saddle on Brian¡¯s lap, or at least, as much as she was able to without jamming her knees into their neighbor, that young woman seated next to them. Now able to twist more comfortably to face Brian, she regarded him with a shy, blushing smile.


    ¡°Brian¡­ I like this. Th-this, this spending time with you. Doing these things, being with you. A lot. So much. I¡­ I don¡¯t want it to end with the convention. I want to see you afterwards, if that¡¯s okay. As much as I can. I-I want to be your girlfriend.¡±

 Girlfriend and Goodbye

    ¡°You want to go out with me?¡± Brian asked, a little surprised himself.


    Still blushing, Stephanie nodded quickly. The pink-haired girl sitting in his lap now had been extremely cute when he¡¯d first met her yesterday, but as he¡¯d gotten to know her, she became more and more gorgeous to him. Her slight, awkward stutters were endearing, the way she seemed to light up when she smiled, the mysterious pink color that crept into her blonde hair¡ªeverything about her drew him in, until he was completely unable to deny his feelings for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not opposed, but¡­ are you sure? We haven¡¯t known each other for very long, at all.¡±


    ¡°This with you has been amazing, um, for me,¡± Stephanie countered quietly, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. ¡°I don¡¯t see that, uh, that there¡¯s anything wrong with us just¡­ you know, exploring, th-that is, giving us more chances to get to know each other, to¡­ see how things might be?¡±


    ¡°When you put it like that, I really don¡¯t have any choice,¡± Brian gave her a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be my girlfriend, then. I¡¯ll be your boyfriend. We¡¯ll be together, ¡®till you start getting sick of me.¡± Before he could react, she threw her arms around him in an excited, exuberant embrace as if she¡¯d just won the lottery. Feeling even luckier than her, he wrapped his arms around her and felt¡­ incredibly satisfied. Happy. Why was I ever fighting this?


    ¡°Do¡ªdo you really mean it?¡± Stephanie asked in disbelief, disengaging for long enough to give him a hopeful look. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Brian said, and he leaned forward to give her a small peck of a kiss.


    Whoa. Before he could withdraw, she lunged into him, lips greedily drawing upon his mouth in a hungry, open-mouthed kiss. The reality of the situation was just now really dawning on him¡ªthis beautiful young girl in his lap was his now. She wanted to be his, and he wanted to be hers even more. He wanted her in an unbridled way, that not only filled the hollow within himself he¡¯d been struggling with¡ªit seemed to make him more than himself. Because they were together.


    He held onto her sides, a little more possessively than he had earlier, and their kiss took on an almost dizzying passion, tongues tentatively meeting and then sliding against one another, flickering pink bursts of¡ªWait, what?


    Pulling away, Brian blinked spots out of his vision in confusion. It had felt a bit like the head rushes he used to get growing up, back when he was a little malnourished and would stand up too suddenly. But, that weird color¡ª


    ¡°Br-Brian?¡± Stephanie asked in an odd voice. ¡°I feel a little¡­ I feel strange¡­?¡±


    Strange? Brian froze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She gave him a quizzical look. She took off her glasses, glanced around, and then slipped them back on. ¡°I feel different. Do I look different, this time?¡±


    Realizing what she meant, he pulled back from her as much as their intimate position allowed and examined her carefully. On closer inspection¡ªshe looked dazzling. She had always been cute, but now she was cuter, in some intangible way that he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. It was as though the amount of Stephanie in Stephanie had the volume dialed up by another twenty percent.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Brian was at a loss for words just looking at her, and the compulsion to simply move back in and kiss her again, again and again and never stop was grappling with his sense of reason. It¡¯s like¡­ someone turned up the color saturation on the blue of her eyes? Maybe? Or, did I just never notice them like this? She just seems more¡­ animated?


    ¡°You¡¯re even more beautiful, somehow,¡± he finally decided. ¡°More¡­ you, more Stephanie than you were. I know that sounds, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Stephanie beamed at him, glowing with happiness and contentment. Her lovely smile was distracting before, the kind of smile that stole his attention and made it hard to think; now, it was a complete knockout one that sent his mind reeling. ¡°I believe you. I feel more beautiful¡­ I think?¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we keep kissing, then¡­?¡± Brian suggested, wetting his lips and trying, in a futile way, to clear his head. Honestly, it seemed like a silly idea. What if I¡¯m making things worse?


    ¡°I want to,¡± Stephanie admitted, and her radiant smile subtly shifted to a rather sly one. ¡°But...¡±


    Even just noticing a simple change in her expression like this felt like he was once again discovering new depths to Stephanie. Revealing that glimpse of the real her, the one normally trapped deep beneath her shy nature and all of those insecurities. The Stephanie who¡¯d looked deep into his eyes with that unsure smile of hers yesterday and teased, I mean, I¡¯ve already, kinda knocked you down once already, so¡­ I¡¯m ready for anything you can throw at me.


    ¡°But, what?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask, struggling to not be completely mesmerized.


    ¡°I want to savor this,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I want... all of us to savor this.¡±


    ALL of us? Not BOTH of us?


    ¡°I want¡­ to wait for Kelly,¡± Stephanie explained, confirming his suspicion. She gently leaned her forehead against Brian¡¯s and gave him a helpless smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain?¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s amazing,¡± Stephanie breathed against him in a murmur, and Brian was losing sight of what was going on again. ¡°She deserves¡­ no, she¡¯s a part of this. All of this, between you and I.¡±


    ¡°Kelly is amazing,¡± Brian agreed, thinking back to that surprising kiss between the two girls he¡¯d walked in on this morning. Is that what¡¯s¡­? ¡°But, I don¡¯t think she has actual feelings for me, Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t think she does, either,¡± Stephanie whispered to him. ¡°But, she¡¯s wrong. You¡¯re both wrong. I think she needs you, like I do. There¡¯s something special.¡±


    ¡°There is?¡± He tried not to sound dubious of this far-fetched-seeming assertion of hers. He wanted to believe her, and there was something incredibly persuasive about the way Stephanie was sitting on his lap and pressing up against him. Damn. No, focus, Brian.


    ¡°She hid it from you this morning, Brian,¡± Stephanie breathed, ¡°With the way she did her hair. Ever since she kissed you last night, she has this little streak of color¡ªjust like I did.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªwhat?¡±


    Sarah Killarney:


    I¡¯m interested in buying. Meet me in that room I brought you to earlier.


    That¡¯s a surprise. Kelly arched an eyebrow at the message that had appeared on her phone. How long has it been since she logged into her old personal account? Didn¡¯t know she even still had it.


    Supposedly, her sister Sarah was now making a living doing the cosplay thing professionally. She made ad revenue from her videos, there were fans who bought her prints, she styled and sold wigs, auctioned off old costumes, and generally fleeced those fellow anime nerds of hers in any way she was able. She should have some money for the gothic lolita outfit, and was honestly the only other person Kelly knew who would¡¯ve ever had an interest in the thing.


    Yeah, it¡¯d be cool to sell the thing for Brian¡­ but isn¡¯t that doing a lot for him? Wouldn¡¯t I normally just, you know¡ª take it? Mixed feelings played tug of war throughout Kelly¡¯s mind as she proceeded down the hallways to that panel room where she¡¯d spoken to her sister. And, if Sarah¡¯s only buying it because of me¡­ well, I don¡¯t need her handouts. I could just give her the damn thing as a going away forever present, can¡¯t I?


    A few last attendees were still leaving the cosmetics panel by the time Kelly arrived. A projector had been set up and a large white pull-down screen took up the wall behind the panel¡¯s long table at the front¡ªKelly was honestly sorry she¡¯d missed her sister¡¯s panel. She¡¯d have loved to sit through the thing, but things were tense between them, and Sarah would have absolutely refused to allow it anyways. Would¡¯ve loved to chuckle out loud at all her stupid little makeup mistakes.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah sighed, looking up with a tired expression as Kelly waltzed into the room. Her Asian friend Qin Wanwan, still dressed up in her tribal wolf-girl cosplay, was watching them with arms crossed and a flat expression. ¡°First of all. Can you promise me¡ªreally promise me, that the outfit isn¡¯t stolen?¡±


    ¡°Just modeling it for a friend,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes in exasperation, shaking her head. ¡°Are you interested, or not?¡±


    Sarah set her jaw and stared for a long moment, before finally grimacing and giving her a hesitant nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it,¡± Sarah said through gritted teeth. ¡°I can give you a thousand bucks. That¡¯s all I can do, I literally won¡¯t have money for food and stuff until the first of the month. I¡¯m not borrowing money from my friends for this.¡±


    ¡°A thousand dollars,¡± Kelly repeated in a neutral tone. Inwardly, however, she was shocked. Isn¡¯t that real close to how much it¡¯s worth originally? Like, all pristine and mint condition or whatever? I expected half of that. Or less, honestly.


    ¡°That¡¯s as much as I can spare, I¡¯m really not kidding,¡± Sarah insisted.


    ¡°A thousand dollars¡­ for the full Calamity Queen set, by Noblesse Oblique?¡± Kelly teased with a smile, slowly stalking forward.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Sarah¡¯s face fell, and quickly turned to send a pleading look towards her friend Qin. ¡°How much do you think it¡¯s really worth, then?


    No way. She¡¯d borrow money for this?


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kelly sighed, and she began to unbutton the top of her dress. ¡°Since you¡¯re my sister, I can sell it to you for an even thousand. Do you have the money?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Sarah¡¯s face lit up, and both her and Qin Wanwan revealed excited grins. The tension in the room seemed to evaporate, and the girls rushed forward to help Kelly unlace the corset. ¡°I have it in cash¡ªjust, you know. Lot of it¡¯s in small bills, though, from my sales. Qin, can you get the door for us, please?¡±


    ¡°You got anything I can wear in the meantime?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah, actually,¡± Sarah seemed to have a sudden realization and gave Kelly a guilty look, pulling away. The sister stepped behind the panel room¡¯s presentation table, hefted a bag up, and pulled out several garments. ¡°I brought clothes to change into after the cosplay contest, just... promise you won¡¯t get mad?¡±


    ¡°Why would I¡ªhey, that¡¯s my shirt!¡± Kelly snapped, already angrily struggling out of the corset still half-cinched about her waist. ¡°When the fuck did you steal that? I pulled the fucking dryer out of place looking for it back before I left home.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was borrowing it,¡± Sarah said matter-of-factly. ¡°Now, I¡¯m giving it back. I have spare leggings, here. Floral print, or gray?¡±


    ¡°Gimme the gray,¡± Kelly growled, shucking the leather corset onto one of the room¡¯s folding chairs in the nearby row. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d steal from me. You were supposed to be the little goodie-two-shoes. Didn¡¯t Mom warn you not to wind up like me?¡±


    ¡°I was just borrowing it,¡± Sarah muttered in a low voice, looking away. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite top.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite top,¡± Kelly pointed out, stepping over to snatch the shirt off the table and hold it up. It was a slightly faded black band tee, with a boat neckline she remembered always sliding down one shoulder in a sexy way. The iconic band logo of the Rolling Phones was on the front; a bright red pair of plump lips, an extended tongue licking across a bright red telephone receiver. The shirt was split vertically up each of the sides, but it laced shut through a series of little metal grommets. Fuck. I really did miss this one.


    ¡°You two really are just like sisters,¡± Qin observed, picking up the discarded corset to admire.


    ¡°We¡¯re nothing like sisters,¡± Sarah scowled.


    ¡°She¡¯ll only ever be a second-hand imitation of the real thing,¡± Kelly laughed.


    ¡°Sarah, are you... going to be okay blowing all your money at once here like this?¡± Qin asked, stepping in to help lift the Calamity Queen dress up over Kelly¡¯s head. ¡°A thousand, that¡¯s like¡­ everything you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll... be fine,¡± Sarah said cautiously, taking the dress from them and carefully draping it over the table. ¡°So long as I win one of the cash prizes in the cosplay contest, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Right?¡±


    ¡°But, what if you don¡¯t?¡± Qin countered in a low voice, sending Sarah an uneasy glance. ¡°You¡¯ll be totally fucked, Sarah.¡±


    ¡°I will win,¡± Sarah gently smoothed out the folds of the gothic dress with her fingertips, admiring the exquisitely stitched lines. ¡°I have Marcilla. The vampire princess gown I created isn¡¯t any worse than this one right here. So, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the cash?¡± Kelly asked bluntly, and she carelessly kicked the unfastened petticoat off her leg.


    ¡°Careful with that!¡± Sarah chided, doing a double-take at realizing her sister was now half-naked, baring her naked breasts in the large empty room. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wear a fucking bra?¡±


    ¡°Do you have the cash, or not?¡± Kelly glared, standing impatiently in her stockings and bloomers.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Sarah grumbled, crouching down behind the table to heft up her little strongbox, a portable steel case festooned with dozens of anime stickers. ¡°Still have your shitty tattoo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s any of your fuckin¡¯ business,¡± Kelly growled, rolling her eyes. ¡°What, did Mom ask you to play twenty questions with me?¡±


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t¡ªshe didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Sarah answered, looking conflicted as she turned towards Kelly, a large wad of bills in her hand. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here. Wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin on all that¡ªif she knew you were here right now, I mean.¡±


    Qin remained silent through another tense moment, looking from sister to sister as Kelly stared Sarah down.


    ¡°Okay. Cool,¡± Kelly finally said, holding out her hand. ¡°Do I need to count that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all there,¡± Sarah hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ones and fives, though. Do you¡­ promise me you won¡¯t use it to buy drugs, or anything fucking stupid like that? I¡¯m so serious, I¡¯m not giving this to you no matter what if you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for me,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going to a friend.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Sarah said, unconvinced. Letting out a slow breath, she slapped the stack of bills into Kelly¡¯s waiting palm. ¡°So, this is goodbye, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Goodbye for good,¡± Kelly kept the money in one hand with her phone as she dropped her bloomers to the ground, then swiped the gray leggings off the table and started pulling them on. ¡°Must be a big relief for you, huh?¡±


    ¡°I... guess,¡± Sarah said, looking like she was at a loss. ¡°What are you gonna do?¡±


    Kelly didn¡¯t answer, making sure the gray leggings were snug and then shrugging on that familiar Rolling Phones shirt, pulling her long dark hair free of the neckline.


    ¡°Gimme a fuckin¡¯ hug,¡± Kelly said, walking around the table. She enveloped her sister into a tight hold and held it for a long moment. ¡°Mom was right about me¡ªso, I don¡¯t ever want you trying to find me, or looking me up or anything. Okay? Don¡¯t be like me. But, you don¡¯t have to take all of her bullshit all the time, either. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too¡­¡± Sarah murmured, looking torn. ¡°Kelly, if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bye, Sarah.¡±


    Then, Sarah watched her sister walk away barefoot down the aisle of that deserted panel room and leave through the door without a single glance back. Sarah wanted to stop her, but conflicting emotions had her frozen in place. She wanted to say something, anything, but she didn¡¯t have any words. She wanted to cry, too, but that wasn¡¯t coming out either right now.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Qin asked, finally daring to breathe again.


    ¡°It¡¯s her life,¡± Sarah said, a gloomy, distant look in her eyes. ¡°I just wish¡­ uh, well, can you grab an empty box for the dress from the vendors room for me? I need to... start my makeup for the contest.¡±


    Stephanie Brandt:


    Kelly? It¡¯s Stephanie. Brian and I are going out to eat, at the pizza parlor just past where our hotel is. Would you be interested in joining us?


    Kelly sighed as she stared at the text, unsure of whether or not to respond. She¡¯d already accomplished what she set out to do at the convention, here¡ªshe¡¯d said her goodbye to Sarah. That made it time to leave, time to move on. There¡¯s no REAL reason for me to stick around AnimeCon anymore, is there?


    Only, it hadn¡¯t gone quite the way she wanted it to. It was abrupt, she felt unresolved about it, and she didn¡¯t get to say much of what she¡¯d meant to... but still she¡¯d had to walk away. Because I can¡¯t answer any of her questions without inviting an argument. And I don¡¯t want our last memory together to be like that. I just wish that...


    She slowly shook her head to herself. That other thirst she¡¯d managed to stay a step ahead of this weekend was creeping back into the recesses of her mind. The need to drink, really drink, inebriate herself several distinct stages past shit-faced, because she was way too fucking sober right now. She glanced again at the money for Brian, this ridiculous wad of cash her sister had given her for the Calamity Queen set and almost laughed. She needed this money, so why did her mind persist in thinking of it as Brian¡¯s?


    Bail on the dweebs and go and get trashed¡ªforget about all of this for a good long while? Or, go meet the dweebs one last time, and hope for some fucking amazing sex? Kelly weighed the folded bills in one hand against the message on her phone in the other. It was a tough call. Normally I¡¯d go with my gut on this, but¡ª


    As if on cue, she heard her stomach growl and the persistent pang of hunger that had been growing over the past few hours demanded her immediate attention. Hmm. Guess it HAS been a while since that pancake platter this morning, Kelly sighed. Okay, gut instinct it is. Pizza and dweebs.

 Pizza Place

    A passing glance through the pizza shop¡¯s storefront windows revealed the same bizarre and otherworldly spectacle Kelly had been slowly adjusting to all weekend. Clientele were obviously attendees of the nearby AnimeCon, many even still in cosplay. Three girls disguised as marionette maids sat in the first window booth, sharing an extra-large pizza together, and a monstrous alien aberration stood shoulder to shoulder with a samurai warlord in wait next to the pickup window. Fox-eared hats, ninja headbands, prop weapons, and bags bulging with otaku purchases were prominent on many of the other customers, giving the interior of the restaurant a festive, if somewhat surreal atmosphere. The place was packed.


    ¡°Kelly!¡± An excited voice exclaimed, and Stephanie dashed out of the lines of people to grab her into an awkward hug. She was carrying Brian¡¯s Darkmask helmet, for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you again! We almost didn¡¯t spot you, without your dress.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly said, half-heartedly patting Steph¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stephanie asked, pulling away to arms length.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I just¡­ wait. What did you do to your makeup?¡± Kelly did a double take, eyes widening. She looks¡­ great? Better than I made her up this morning¡­!?


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Stephanie gave her a curious look as she stepped back, drawing Kelly deeper into the crowded venue. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything with makeup, but... Brian¡¯s over this way. I¡­ Kelly, I need to thank you. For everything. For¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were able to sell the dress?¡± Brian was standing near the back of the pizza parlor, three drinks balanced atop the pizza box in his arms. ¡°Kelly? You alright?¡±


    The smell of fresh pizza wafting through the air was making her mouth water and her empty stomach tighten up, but seeing Brian again¡­ was somehow reassuring to her. The inside of her mind that had been running dark for hours seemed to light up with pinpricks of bright red light in response, and despite herself, she was simply glad she¡¯d made the decision to see her two geeks again. Even if it¡¯s just for this one last time.


    ¡°Here,¡± Kelly said immediately, offering up the thick wad of cash to Brian. Fuck. This is so dumb of me.


    ¡°From the dress?¡± Brian asked, carefully trading her the pizza box for the impressive stack of bills. Stephanie helped, taking two of the soft drinks off the top while clutching the skull helmet against her with both arms. ¡°This seems like¡­ a lot.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of small bills,¡± Kelly shrugged, taking the last drink in hand so she could peek inside and see how many slices they¡¯d left her. ¡°It¡¯s a thousand dollars.¡±


    ¡°A thousand dollars?¡± Brian spread the notes in his hands so he could see some of the denominations. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Did I do good?¡± Kelly smiled weakly. Whoa. The whole pizza¡¯s still here. They¡­ were waiting for me? ¡°Or at least, not too shabby?¡±


    ¡°You did fucking amazing,¡± Brian praised. ¡°I never thought we¡¯d get anywhere even close to that. Thank you. Really¡ªthank you.¡±


    ¡°Piece o¡¯ cake,¡± Kelly shrugged it off as if it was no big deal. She closed the lid of the pizza box, feeling a little ashamed. I was so close to just taking the cash and bailing with it, too. What am I even doing? Blanching, she looked around them as they stood together. ¡°Are we in line for something?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for a free booth,¡± Brian explained. ¡°I think that group over there¡¯s getting up.¡±


    Oh, Kelly blinked. The pizza place was extraordinarily busy, but she hadn¡¯t really realized it was well over its maximum seating occupancy until he¡¯d pointed it out. Thankfully, a group happened to be leaving a short minute later, and they were able to snatch up the freed booth space. As Kelly and Stephanie settled across from one another, Brian stepped his way carefully back up to the front to grab napkins to wipe off their table with.


    ¡°You look¡­ really different,¡± Kelly observed, giving Stephanie a look. ¡°Stephanie, did you¡­ kiss him again?¡±


    ¡°I did!¡± Stephanie beamed. ¡°That¡¯s not even the half of it! And, I don¡¯t know what happened, but I feel different. Something happened. Brian even said I look more beautiful, somehow.¡±


    ¡°You do,¡± Kelly stated honestly. She leaned forward, peering closer. ¡°You¡ªdo your glasses seem different to you? Do you notice them in your vision, now?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie squinted and then opened her eyes wider, focusing on the very glasses she wore. ¡°Yes, now that you mention it¡­¡±


    ¡°...Holy fuck, Stephanie!¡± Kelly finally exclaimed. ¡°This all happened when he kissed you, this time?!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stephanie asked excitedly. ¡°Brian said that I just looked more me, but I don¡¯t know what that¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have a completely new fucking face,¡± Kelly said, tempted to grab Stephanie and pull her onto the tabletop. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s making the makeup I put on you earlier look wrong, now. You have double-lashes, Stephanie?! That¡¯s not something that just fuckin¡¯ randomly pops up!¡±


    ¡°Doubl¡ª what?!¡± Stephanie finally began to look alarmed.


    ¡°Double lashes,¡± Kelly muttered. It¡¯s more than that, too. Almost all the little imperfections are gone, her pores are practically invisible, and her eyes¡ª! It¡¯s like she was physically run through a filter app. I swear her eyes are proportionally larger than they were, they have to be. Like, two percent larger? Maybe three? They don¡¯t even match up with her glasses like they used to! Do these fucking magic changes follow some plan, some specific beauty aesthetic, or is there a chance that¡ª


    ¡°There we go,¡± Brian returned, standing over the table with a fistful of napkins to swipe crumbs and drink condensation over from the previous customers onto the floor. Kelly and Stephanie rocked back in their seats in surprise. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t have to wait for me. Go ahead, dig in.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly mumbled, still in a daze.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie agreed, still looking a little concerned by Kelly¡¯s analysis.


    Brian slid into the side to sit next to Stephanie, and they lifted the pizza box top, revealing a large plain pizza, cheese still glistening with heat. The delicious smell rose into the air, and each of them grabbed a slice. They¡¯d apparently ordered one without any toppings, which was a bit boring, but she was in no position to complain. Kelly bit into her piece ravenously, the implications of the strange things happening to Stephanie clouding her mind. As if I needed any more fucking incentive to want to kiss him¡­


    ¡°Did Steph tell you?¡± Brian asked, looking from girl to girl.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ um,¡± Stephanie blushed, giving Kelly a somewhat guilty smile.


    ¡°We decided to date,¡± Brian revealed a wry smile. ¡°You were right all along. I don¡¯t know why I was ever dragging my feet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kelly said, giving them a blank look. Fuck. Guess that takes me out of the loop. Whatever. No loose ends here, then. ¡°That¡¯s... cool. No, really¡ªgood for you guys. Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ might be a little more complicated than that,¡± Brian said. ¡°Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Oof. What¡¯d I tell you guys about overcomplicating things?¡± Kelly scoffed, shaking her head in dismay.


    ¡°We¡­ want you to be involved in some way, too,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with that.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Kelly gave Stephanie a surprised look that turned into a grin. ¡°That kind of complication¡ªthat¡¯s a whole different story. You guys¡¯re really asking me to be in on a threesome with you?¡± Thank fuck! I needed this. You didn¡¯t let me down after all, Steph!


    ¡°No, no, not a threesome,¡± Brian explained. ¡°We want you to be¡­ a part of our relationship.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh, no offense to you guys or anything¡­¡± Kelly laughed uneasily, tearing a chunk of the crust she was holding apart and popping it into her mouth. ¡°A threesome, yeah, okay. I¡¯d actually be down for that. But, I can¡¯t do a relationship. Especially not right now.¡±


    ¡°Can you explain?¡± Stephanie pressed, not willing to be deterred, this time. ¡°Can you¡­ talk about it? I¡¯ve been worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Kelly pondered for a moment, tapping her lip. ¡°I could. But, I don¡¯t really want to. It¡¯s been a long day, and all I really want to do is get drunk. And laid.¡± She gave them a pointed look.


    ¡°Kelly¡­ please,¡± Stephanie persisted.


    ¡°Hah, she can resist all she wants,¡± Brian teased, wetting his napkin with the condensation from his soft drink and using it to clean his hands. He then slid out of the booth on Stephanie¡¯s side and hopped over to sit next to Kelly instead. ¡°But, I have ways of making you talk¡ªthe dreaded Darkmask interrogation ten-fingers torture technique.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank God!¡± Kelly dropped her remaining crust on top of the pizza box, twisting in place to turn away from Brian and present her back to him. ¡°Please. I totally forgot about that, but I could actually really go for it, right now.¡± At her invitation, welcome fingertips began kneading into the stiff tension between her shoulders and neck. Today¡¯s taut accumulation of stress was crushed and squeezed beneath his thumbs, probing deep into her in languid circular motions that had her writhing and arching her back in no time.


    Ohhh, fuuuuuck me that¡¯s nice, Kelly purred to herself at the rolling sensations. As his fingers worked to sooth her knotted muscles, the twinkling red starfield in her mind seemed to shift, taking on a field of depth. Rather than a distant sky, it felt like she was moving among those burning red stars, through them, floating freely throughout the expanse.


    He wasn¡¯t massaging in quite as deeply as he had last night, but even this more relaxed approach had Kelly feeling like she was going soft all over, like she wanted to bonelessly fall back into his arms. It wasn¡¯t even a sexual sensation, not completely. Just a thorough sense of satisfaction he somehow knew how to conjure with the simple pressing and pulling of those magic fingers of his.


    ¡°Okaaay,¡± Kelly sighed, ¡°you can just keep doing that forever and never stop.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s like in a relationship with me,¡± Brian joked. ¡°Endless massages.¡±


    ¡°Hah-ha. Up a little higher? Pretty please?¡± Kelly felt her lips part open and her eyelashes flutter as fingers worked their way up her slender neck, and another shiver of red starlight flashed through her mind.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Kelly murmured.


    ¡°You never really told us why you¡¯re here at the con,¡± he pressed.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep us out of this,¡± Stephanie insisted, leaning forward over the table.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly wondered. ¡°And, why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because we care, and we¡¯re asking you,¡± Stephanie said with an innocent look. ¡°Please, Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kelly made a noise of disgust and turned back around to face the table, rolling her shoulders and stretching her back. ¡°You know what? Fine. Doesn¡¯t even matter at this point, right? Might be therapeutic.¡±


    For a long, tense moment, Kelly stared at down at the pizza box in front of them without saying a word.


    ¡°I... started fucking up and never stopped, that¡¯s what happened,¡± Kelly finally muttered, wincing. ¡°Right after that AnimeCon a few years back... my life just went in this different direction, a bad direction. Drugs, sex. Big falling out with my mom, burning bridges with stupid drama. I was doing a lot of dumb things back then, but... well, the absolute dumbest thing I was doing was this older guy named Dale. He had a band, he was popular. I was young and hot and had booze for brains. Ever hear of this post-hardcore band called The Ravaged Cassettes?¡±


    Brian shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have, either,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°No big loss, there,¡± Kelly chuckled darkly. ¡°Well anyways, it¡¯s like, so right outta high school I was with him, and we got deep into the music scene, scene culture. Planning trips to concerts when the big names were on tour, getting our shit together and promoting so our group got gigs, that sorta thing. Later on, we were even doing our own shows, which are all kinds of fuckin¡¯ crazy.


    ¡°The Ravaged Cassettes... they actually got to be kind of a big deal. After the first album took off, Dale got seen as this major rising talent, and as his girl, I became important by association. Head bitch, social queen bee in our little slice of the city nightlife, you know?¡±


    Brian and Stephanie exchanged looks.


    ¡°Okay... maybe you guys actually wouldn¡¯t be able to get that,¡± Kelly realized, making a face. ¡°But, for a while there, I was living like a celebrity, like everyone dreams of. I was the girl all the guys wanted to fuck, and the girl all the other bitches wanted to fuck with¡ªbut couldn¡¯t. Because, I was untouchable! For a while, at least, I was. For a while, I had... real power, that went way past money or responsibility. If I wanted to do lines of coke, I fuckin¡¯ did lines of coke. If I wanted to go somewhere, I showed up with a fuckin¡¯ entourage. Didn¡¯t have to worry about where anything came from, whose it was, where it wound up, or how much anything ever cost. I was a name everyone in our scene knew, and I was worshipped.


    ¡°Even got an offer to be an actress from this big-shot producer,¡± Kelly added, snorting sarcastically.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Stephanie asked, interested.


    ¡°Well, the city music scene, it is treacherous,¡± Kelly said matter-of-factly, a grim smile playing across her lovely features. ¡°And, it takes its toll. So, I was in this cycle of getting trashed pretty much every single night, doin¡¯ late-night parties and waking up in the afternoons pretty much too hungover to function. And, I had this little scare, woke up next to a dead girl, decided to try easing up on the hard¡ª¡±


    ¡°Woke up next to a dead girl?¡± Stephanie interjected, paling.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Ashley Ainsworth. One afternoon when I woke up, she was fuckin¡¯ facedown beside me, in a puddle of her own puke. OD¡¯d on oxy or¡­ well, doesn¡¯t really matter now, I guess. Fuck.


    ¡°So, I freak out a bit. A little bit. I try to go cold turkey on all of these different things at once... in a spectacularly unsuccessful way,¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°And, all the while I¡¯m this hot mess, of course there¡¯s any number of these other scene skanks all too eager to spread those tawdry legs for Dale.


    ¡°But... well, fuck. I was slow to catch on, caused some drama, made some rather choice mistakes, and... I was out. Out of the game. After almost a year livin¡¯ life right at the top like a rock star, I went to rock-fuckin¡¯-bottom, in, like, a single night, seems like,¡± Kelly said bitterly. ¡°Out of Dale¡¯s sweet pad, with just my stuff in some trash bags... just bags of my laundry dumped out in the hall by his cleaning lady. For him, forgettin¡¯ me really was that easy. So, anyways, I¡¯m suddenly out all on my own, and... well, all these things my body is accustomed to, well uh, addicted to, now costs money I don¡¯t have. Or worse.¡±


    Shocked silence filled their booth as Brian and Stephanie took a moment to try to digest Kelly¡¯s story.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie began, unsure of what else to say.


    ¡°That was, like¡­ four months ago. Chill you guys, I survived. Sort of. My last friend in the world, Chelsea¡ªshe¡¯s the girlfriend of the Cassettes¡¯ drummer¡ªshe took me in. I look after their one-year-old Skyler when I can, and I work two part-time jobs to pay a part of the rent¡­ minimum wage shit jobs,¡± Kelly swore.


    ¡°But¡­¡± It looked like Kelly was struggling to find the right words. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s not working out. Suspended from my stupid fucking McBurger job for mouthing off, and the retail one¡¯ll barely give me any hours. Owe everyone I know money, I¡¯m pissed off all the time, I don¡¯t sleep well unless I drink, and¡­ yeah. That¡¯s my story. I¡¯m not actually a somebody, not anymore. I¡¯m a has-been, a fuckin¡¯... groupie social climber who couldn¡¯t hold onto the top. That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Saying that might be going a little far¡­¡± Brian said.


    ¡°B-but, you¡¯re still so amazing! I mean, um, what about acting?¡± Stephanie intervened, ¡°The producer, who, um--¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Kelly remembered, her voice sounding dry, ¡°The producer. That¡¯s the plan, actually. The next big stage of my life. I looked him up not long after Dale threw me out. Turns out though... that the innovative artistic expressions he wants to explore with me? They involve facials and creampies.¡±


    ¡°Cream... pies?¡± Stephanie asked, blinking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Brian winced, sounding uncomfortable.


    ¡°Even better¡ªyou could just show her, right?¡± Kelly chuckled to herself. ¡°Steph¡ªthe acting gig, it¡¯s porn. That¡¯s what I¡¯m getting myself into, after this last little AnimeCon stint. It¡¯s not something you ever really plan for, but¡­ it¡¯s something I can do, and be the best at. This life I¡¯m living now¡­ I can¡¯t deal. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m breaking down, I¡¯m killing myself to get fucking nowhere, and¡­ I need to be somebody. Yeah, even if it¡¯s a porn star.¡±


    ¡°Porn, though?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Are you set on that?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yeah,¡± Kelly murmured. ¡°This one night after my shift, I was starting to think¡­ you know, maybe Ashley had the right idea. Going out like a rock star¡ªthat¡¯s not so bad, right? How fucked up is that? So I¡¯m like, no, fuck that. Fuck this bullshit life that makes that start to not seem so bad. I want out. So. Porn.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Kelly chuckled. ¡°Listen, I was never any kind of saint. It¡¯s something I can definitely do, and be great at. That¡¯s important to me. Being sexy was always a big part of, like, who I am. Maybe it was always bound to go this way, no matter what I did. And¡­ yeah. I¡¯m starting this new chapter in my life, and I¡¯ve gotta leave some things behind because of that. That¡¯s why I actually came to AnimeCon, to say goodbye for good to Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ you know, an old friend,¡± Kelly¡¯s looked away. ¡°From before. I don¡¯t wanna talk about her right now.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t able to move back in with your mother?¡± Stephanie asked, bewildered.


    ¡°My mother and I¡­ we fundamentally cannot coexist,¡± Kelly said softly, looking down at her hands in her lap. ¡°We tried. Over and over again. She¡¯ll say something to set me off; I¡¯ll get mouthy in return. She starts yelling, I start screaming. One of us¡¯ll throw something, or break something, or take that first swing, and¡­ it just keeps escalating right to violence when we¡¯re together. Sarah had to call the cops on us the last two times, ¡®cause we were so close to killing each other.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°I understand that. I¡¯m not on any kind of good terms with my parents, either. But, all of this¡ªthe getting into porn thing¡ªis that really what you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know if you were paying attention,¡± Kelly smirked bitterly at him, ¡°but, I¡¯m at the end of my tether. I¡¯ve made too many mistakes, burned too many people, and I can¡¯t fucking keep doing what I¡¯m doing, Brian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Yes, or no. Is that what you really want to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m doing,¡± Kelly retorted, irritation and anger rising to color her face. ¡°What the fuck am I supposed to do, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Hear me out for a second,¡± Brian paused, sliding the half-finished box of pizza to the side and composing his thoughts. ¡°It feels a lot to me like you¡¯re headed towards a bad end.¡±


    ¡°A bad end?¡± Kelly repeated, giving him a look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a term from Japanese RPGs and visual novels¡ªthe kind of stories that have branching paths leading to multiple endings, depending on how you play the game.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Kelly drummed her fingertips across the tabletop, looking unamused.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a lot of different good endings, and, if you put in a lot of effort and really know the game, you can even score a perfect ending. It¡¯s sort of like that. The bad end, it¡¯s usually really, really bad, like you have to consciously make all the wrong choices to ever get there and see it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right so far,¡± Kelly said. The last of her smile was disappearing.


    ¡°If you go through with this, and get yourself into the porn star life¡ªare you still going to be able to have a happy ending for yourself? Is it going to make it hard for you to find someone that makes you happy and get a real relationship with? Are you going to be able to stay away from whatever stuff¡ªwhatever substances you were getting yourself hooked on before? Are you going to feel like you¡¯ve led a fulfilling life?¡±


    ¡°I knew this was a mistake¡­¡± Kelly sighed and shook her head, looking away from them. ¡°You sound just like my mother, now. Bye, Stephanie. Bye, Brian. Have a nice life, and go fuck yourself.¡±


    She rose out of the pizza parlor¡¯s booth¡ªonly to be pushed right back into her seat, Brian¡¯s hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me,¡± Kelly scowled, grabbing his wrist to remove it. ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Just¡ªlisten to me. Please,¡± Brian asked. He released his grip on her shoulder. ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie was on the edge of her seat, watching her friends with an anxious look.


    The pizza parlor was crowded, busy, and noisy enough that her outburst hadn¡¯t turned any more than a few nearby heads, and all of them retracted their gaze as Kelly¡¯s glare swept the surrounding tables.


    ¡°Brian,¡± Kelly said in a cold voice, letting go of his wrist. ¡°I haven¡¯t believed there was a happy ending out there in a long, long time, okay? You don¡¯t fucking know me, and you can¡¯t unfuck my life. You can¡¯t even fix your own life.¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t fix my own life,¡± Brian admitted, spreading his hands wide in a helpless gesture and then dropping them to the tabletop. ¡°But, the two of you could. And, you did. You and Stephanie saved me from what would¡¯ve been just about the most miserable weekend of my entire life. So, who¡¯s to say Stephanie and I can¡¯t do the same for you?¡±


    Kelly stared him down for a long, tense moment before replying.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to pull the friend card on day one, either.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday was day one,¡± Brian gave her a slight grin. ¡°Will you at least let us try?¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah. Fine,¡± Kelly separated another slice of pizza from the pie and gave him a mocking smile. ¡°Go ahead¡ªexplain to me what the fuck you two can even do to turn this around. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°This is a start,¡± Brian challenged, putting the thousand dollars back onto the table and sliding it towards her with his fingers. ¡°It¡¯ll help you get back on your feet. With your looks¡ª with your personality, you could be an actress, a real one. Or, a singer. Or you could make a living doing videos online, covering interesting topics. Reviewing movies, or games or something.¡±


    ¡°A thousand bucks won¡¯t magically get me an acting gig,¡± She stopped the cash he was sliding to her with her free hand. ¡°None of those other things are anywhere near as fucking easy as you think, either. And I don¡¯t want your pity hand-out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything would be easy,¡± Brian countered. ¡°And, I don¡¯t give hand-outs. This is an investment. I actually believe you have what it takes to really be someone, Kelly. More than just a porn star.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Kelly snorted and took a large bite of the pizza slice she held. ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice, but even a grand still isn¡¯t gonna get me anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will,¡± Brian insisted. ¡°I live alone now, in a two-person apartment, and I¡¯ve been covering all the bills there myself for a long time. Supporting you for a while, until you find your footing and figure out what you¡¯re doing¡ªI can do that, easy.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Kelly kept chewing. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna mooch off of you, and hope things work out, huh? That¡¯s your whole plan?¡±


    ¡°No. Let me finish. Kelly, there¡¯s someone I know¡ªshe¡¯s as close as family to me¡ªwho used to be a successful model and an actress. Now, she makes a living teaching others to act. She still gets offers for parts in things, even after years and years of being out of show business. So, clearly her foot¡¯s still in the door, and she has all those right connections. You could be her protege.¡±


    That¡­ Kelly paused with her mouth still full of food. Sounds too good to be true?


    ¡°Damn, wish I knew where my phone was, so I could show you,¡± Brian growled in aggravation. ¡°There¡¯s all sorts of photos and videos of the stuff she¡¯s been in on the internet.¡±


    ¡°I have my phone!¡± Stephanie said quickly, pulling it out. ¡°If you know what I would search for to find her¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually,¡± Brian brightened, leaning towards her. ¡°Search ¡®Anne Garcia, Criminal Lives.¡¯ That was her biggest role, I think.


    ¡°It was a cop drama, and she was the wife of the dirty cop. She accidentally discovers some of his crimes, and was secretly covering them up for him. Until he really starts doing some really heinous stuff, that is¡ªshe ends up realizing he can never be redeemed. Amazing acting.¡±


    Hannah Hudson?! Kelly just barely managed to keep her outward composure, but on the inside, she was shocked. Brian knows the actress who played Hannah fucking Hudson on Criminal Lives...?!


    She didn¡¯t consider herself a fan of that old show, and didn¡¯t remember the various plotlines or anything. But just about anyone growing up with basic TV channels had sat through an episode of Criminal Lives at some point or another. As a matter of fact, the parts with the evil cop Officer Hudson and his stellar wife were all of the scenes from the show that stood out in memory. The actress that played Hannah Hudson was one of the few beautiful women that even Kelly found herself intimidated by.


    When suspicious cops were finally asking about her husband, Hannah Hudson was able to beg and plead, or other times tease and distract them¡ªand, it was always believable! It was so believable that it seemed like her co-stars were no longer acting around her, just naturally reacting to how overwhelmingly gorgeous and charismatic Hannah Hudson was. There were moments in Kelly¡¯s life where she¡¯d subconsciously thought back to Hannah Hudson¡¯s struggle. The look on Mrs. Hudson¡¯s face when she decided she wouldn¡¯t protect her husband anymore, and then the woman¡¯s expression when she finally decided she would kill him herself¡­ it gave Kelly chills.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Stephanie nodded, taking a peek for herself and looking impressed. She helpfully slid her phone across the table towards Kelly. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ actually know this woman?¡± Kelly asked, setting the unfinished half of her food aside to take a closer look. Fuck me, it is her. No way.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said. ¡°She teaches theater courses at this expensive private school, now. She¡¯s my best friend¡¯s mom¡ªthat¡¯s Emily¡¯s mother right there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± Kelly looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°Like, you¡¯re actually not fucking with me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said, giving her a nod. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°But¡ªwhy?¡± Kelly asked, feeling bewildered and uncomfortable. ¡°Why would you do all that for me? Brian. You don¡¯t know me. You¡¯ve just barely met me. I¡­ I don¡¯t even think you like me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how I really feel about you,¡± Brian admitted, looking down at his hands upon the table. ¡°And, I know I¡¯ve been acting kind of¡­ defensive, around you. After that break up¡­ I need something to hold on to, something real.


    ¡°Despite your flirting,¡± Brian awkwardly cleared his throat, ¡°I never got any sort of impression that you wanted to be held on to, or tied down by anyone. Not for good, not like I need.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly frowned and stared at the tabletop, furrowing her brows. ¡°So¡­ what is this between us, then?¡±


    ¡°I do know that there¡¯s some things about you I love,¡± Brian said. ¡°Maybe if we went with things, it could turn into something serious¡ªsomething real. Maybe not. Be honest with me, is there anything about me you can love, or was all of that last night, and all of that today just because you wanted¡­ uh, you know. Sex. A quick hook-up.¡±


    Suddenly and casually dropping the L- word into the topic was just as alarming to her as if he¡¯d drawn a gun and began firing into the crowd, and Kelly glanced around nervously to see if anyone had overheard. People don¡¯t just go out and say that. It¡¯s goddamned embarrassing. And weird. Terrifying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do love,¡± Kelly said, shaking her head at him. ¡°Some amazing sex? Okay. That, I can do. If you want to head back to the room with me and we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do random sex,¡± Brian countered. ¡°I want something more real.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well it sounds like we¡¯re at an impasse, then, champ,¡± Kelly shrugged helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you expect me to say, here.¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t be an impasse, Kelly,¡± Brian smiled as if he¡¯d been waiting for her to say those exact words. This wasn¡¯t just the shy, directionless polite smile, either¡ªthis was a Brian smile, directed right at her. It was a luxuriant blend of interest, attraction, and charm, a look that had her getting lost in those mottled green eyes of his. Kelly felt a bright red tingle of stardust tickle its way down her abdomen.


    Fuck, can you not look at me like that when we¡¯re trying to argue?


    ¡°We have our tie-breaker here,¡± he said, taking Stephanie¡¯s hand and pulling her into the conversation. ¡°Our impartial third party, remember?¡±


    ¡°Uhhm,¡± Stephanie blushed, giving both of them a nervous smile. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it going to be, Stephanie? Am I going to have to sleep with Kelly and then never see her again, or is she going to have to learn how to love me?¡±


    Love him? Is he for real? Kelly wondered. A future with Brian, instead of life as a porn star? Doesn¡¯t that seem too unreal?


    Or¡­ wait, does it? For the first time, she found herself actually considering his absurd proposal. Would that even work? I mean, I could do worse than Brian. He¡¯s¡­ kinda not bad. Okay, he¡¯s not bad at all. Really, I¡¯M the bad one. But could it¡­ could we¡­?


    ¡°...Yeah, Steph,¡± Kelly put on her most confident smile and leaned forward over the table with interest, resting her chin on her knuckle. ¡°What¡¯ll it be?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Stephanie said, biting her lip. ¡°That once we head back to the room, we can work out a compromise? Don¡¯t you think¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sounds perfect, let¡¯s start with that,¡± Kelly agreed, looking from Steph to Brian with a hunger in her eyes. ¡°We can get up to all kinds of fun.¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯re not going to play truth or dare again, are we?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Not this time,¡± Kelly said, wetting her lips and returning Brian¡¯s smile. ¡°This time, we¡¯re playing a little game I like to call show and tell.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Thank you for reading AnimeCon Harem!


    If you''re unable to wait, you can read an additional thirty or so chapters on Patreon for $1:


    The Cosplaying Girls, 19 pages.


    Colorful Interruption, 12 pages.


    Auditions, 13 pages.


    Invitations and Promises, 13 pages.


    The Cosplay Contest, 17 pages.


    New Friends, 17 pages.


    Marino''s Pizza, 19 pages.


    Eating Out, 8 pages.


    Order of the Sovereign Swords, 18 pages.


    Mara, the Nightmare, 14 pages.


    Super Slash Sisters, 11 pages.


    The Night is Young, 20 pages.


    Jordyn and Melanie, 17 pages.


    Perverts at AnimeCon, 15 pages.


    Stairway to Heaven, 17 pages.


    Silencing the Girls, 18 pages.


    Right to be Wrong, 12 pages.


    Problematic, 17 pages.


    Show and Tell, Round One, 16 pages.


    Together at Last, 10 pages.


    Sticky Situation, 16 pages.


    Show and Tell, Round Two, 14 pages.


    Show and Tell, Round Three, 11 pages.


    Showdown, 10 pages.


    Mixing Colors, 18 pages.


    Noise Complaint, 15 pages.


    Meteor Fall, 13 pages.


    Feeling Overwhelmed, 20 pages.


    Shut Up Already, 16 pages.


    Losing Control, 16 pages.


    Fear and Insecurity, 15 pages.


    Drown the Slut, 8 pages.


    Then they Banged, 14 pages.


    Never Let Go, 10 pages.


    Good Morning Sunshine, 18 pages.


    We Need to Talk, 14 pages.


    With more to come as I finish more sections. I''m trying to make a living off of my writing income, and times are tough! If you''re horrified and dismayed by the egregious paywall of $1 but still want to read more of my writing, please try my other fiction RE: Trailer Trash!

 Right to be wrong

    ¡°Can we use your key?¡± Brian asked, turning to Kelly as they crossed the hotel courtyard area towards their ground-floor room. Exterior lights were beginning to flick into existence all around the pool¡¯s patio area as the daylight began to disappear.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kelly seemed to remember, patting a hand against her chest. ¡°I... lost mine. I think?¡±


    ¡°Had it tucked into the Calamity Queen dress?¡± Brian guessed, steadying himself on the door jamb to work his boot off. ¡°No worries. Finally, keeping a spare in my shoe actually comes in handy, for once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said, feeling a little guilty. ¡°Sorry about the key.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯alright,¡± Brian waved it off, plucking the keycard out of his boot and slipping it into the door.


    As he flicked on the lights and the air conditioner mounted in their window struggled to life, Kelly was relieved to see that their room was empty¡ªEmily wasn¡¯t here yet. Gonna have to make things happen fast? What are we even doing, now?


    Their room was just as they¡¯d left it, seeming a little messy with the errata of each of their belongings spread about. An empty cardboard box from the gothic lolita outfit in the room¡¯s easy chair, the empty take-out cartons from breakfast haphazardly thrown inside. Stephanie¡¯s bulging travel bag, neatly set upon the dresser. Brian¡¯s stuff piled in a heap beside the bed. Kelly¡¯s open purse, cosmetics scattered around the sink. A pair of Kelly¡¯s panties, just outside the bathroom door.


    Lit again by the warm light of the bedside lamp, however, this room didn¡¯t conjure those impressions of their departure this morning¡ªit instead evoked the memory of the intimate game they¡¯d played with each other last night.


    Stepping inside the room, Stephanie crossed over to the bed and sat upon the edge, sighing heavily with obvious relief to be off of her feet. As Kelly closed the door, Brian sat beside Steph, putting an arm around the girl¡¯s shoulder and falling back with her upon the bedspread.


    ¡°Eep!¡± Stephanie laughed, kicking her boots up in surprise.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± He grinned, without any apology in his voice.


    Relationship, huh¡­ Kelly watched with a strange feeling as Stephanie turned her body towards him on the bed, her smile bright with adoration. I don¡¯t think anything can work out, but if we¡¯re gonna do a compromise, I want to make sure some of that going on right there winds up on my side of the bargain.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Brian asked, opening up his other arm in invitation.


    When she opened her mouth, she discovered in surprise that there was no rebuttal. She didn¡¯t have anything clever to say, or anything to say at all. She clamped her mouth closed and planted her knee next to them on the bed, climbing up to lay beside Brian. The three lay together without speaking for a while, looking up at the ceiling in a daze.


    ¡°How do you girls feel?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Tired,¡± Kelly admitted. What a long day¡­


    She got through life by keeping her emotions at arms-length, but she wouldn¡¯t lie to herself. The surprise confrontation with that Magical Doll Himari had gotten her blood up, and then teasing Emily had been immense fun. Saying goodbye for good to her sister Sarah had been hard. Spilling her stupid sob story to these two had been¡­ strange, and she felt like she was now at an unexpected crossroads.


    It¡¯s all the sudden real hard to say no to these two, Kelly rested her head on Brian¡¯s shoulder, reaching across his chest to take Stephanie¡¯s hand. It¡¯s like we all barely know each other, but they actually give a fuck about me. Damn, I¡¯M starting to give a fuck. Fuck.


    Whoa, there. Don¡¯t be catching feelings, Kelly told herself, the danger of her situation sending a queer thrill chasing down her spine. You¡¯ve only known these idiots for like, a day.


    The problem was, it felt a little too nice snuggled up against him here. The excitement and attraction rose to the surface, but beneath it all, there was a comfortable feeling of belonging. Fuuuck. What if we finally fuck and like, that feeling gets even worse? Are Steph and this guy enough to make me go all stupid and moon-eyed?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian murmured. ¡°What a day.¡±


    ¡°My feet hurt,¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°They hurt so much. I don¡¯t think I even realized how bad it was getting, until I sat down just now.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that,¡± Brian said, starting to sit up. Together, both Stephanie and Kelly prevented him from rising. ¡°Hah. Hey, you two.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just lay here,¡± Kelly suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna move, for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s lay,¡± Stephanie agreed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually brag... but I¡¯m not half-bad at foot massages,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°No!¡± Stephanie seemed alarmed. ¡°Definitely not. Maybe later. After I¡¯ve washed up.¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s not stuttering, Kelly realized, looking across the breadth of Brian¡¯s chest in surprise at the other girl. She¡¯s anxious, but she¡¯s not stuttering. When did this start?


    ¡°Ditto,¡± Kelly sighed, lifting a leg up and wiggled her toes. ¡°I¡¯ve been walking around all barefoot since I sold the outfit. Bet my soles are black. Unless you get off on that kinda thing, Brian? Do you like dirty feet?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge?¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°You do have cute toes, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kelly accepted the praise in good measure, curling and extending her toes. ¡°Whaddya say, Steph? You want to help awaken a weird fetish in Brian?¡±


    With a cute grunt of effort, Stephanie kicked her red boot up into the air, where it weakly wavered back and forth.


    ¡°Dirty feet and then leather thigh-highs?¡± Brian looked first at Kelly and then to Stephanie. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure which fetish we¡¯re talking about anymore.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re vinyl,¡± Stephanie said, letting her leg fall back down and smoothing the skirting of her dress back over her thighs in embarrassment. Kelly saw Brian notice her actions, and all at once she could tell that all of them were thinking about sex. How COULDN¡¯T they be, after today?


    ¡°What now?¡± Kelly wet her lips, intent on addressing the elephant in the room. ¡°You two wanna... change out of your costumes?¡±


    ¡°We all need to have a serious talk,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°How about¡­ you and Stephanie have your talk, and I¡¯ll just listen?¡± Kelly sat up on her elbow, letting go of Stephanie¡¯s hand and letting her fingers explore Brian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Hah. Okay,¡± Brian laughed, making no move to stop her roaming hand. ¡°Stephanie¡ªwhat should we do with Kelly?¡±


    ¡°I think we should keep her,¡± Stephanie said, watching Kelly¡¯s movements with amusement.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Steph,¡± Kelly said in a small voice, her hand pausing. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him. Let¡¯s not make this weird, let¡¯s just¡­ have a nice night together. Okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to give us a fish, so we can eat for a night,¡± Brian pointed out from where he was sandwiched between them. ¡°When we want to learn to fish, so we can eat for a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s stopping you two from all the other fish in the sea,¡± Kelly scoffed. ¡°After I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want any other fish in the sea, Kelly,¡± Stephanie told her, gingerly bringing her gloved hand up to play across Brian¡¯s chest. ¡°It has to be you; we only want you. You¡¯re irreplaceable.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Kelly shook her head sadly. ¡°Brian doesn¡¯t like me anywhere near as much as you do, Steph. Or anywhere near as much as you think you do, anyways.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t get to decide that,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly teased. ¡°Go on, then. How much do you like me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he protested.


    ¡°How much do you like me?¡± Kelly pressed.


    ¡°...Alright, give me a minute,¡± Brian said. ¡°I need to sort out what I want to say.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kelly smirked, running her hand lower. He made no movement when her slender fingers reached the circumference of his utility belt, and there was no reaction when she began to slide her hand inside.


    ¡°I used to tell myself that Chloe challenged me,¡± Brian began. ¡°That for all our disagreements, each of them made me¡­ better, in some way. I strove to improve, to put more thought into what I was doing, to be more aware, to understand more, to¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Though she felt impatience coursing through her body, Kelly stopped with her hand only partway into Brian¡¯s pants to listen.


    ¡°But, eventually I came to realize that she wasn¡¯t challenging me in that way¡ª she was challenging me, like, in the way that has to have a winner and a loser. She couldn¡¯t accept being anything but the winner, and at the same time¡­ I didn¡¯t feel like I deserved to always be in the wrong. That¡¯s why things stopped working between us, that¡¯s the real reason.¡±


    ¡°You made me uncomfortable,¡± Brian turned to Kelly, and she found herself caught up in his gorgeous eyes from just inches away. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how to react, at first. Wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with you, because of how things had been with Chloe. But¡­ now, I think that you¡¯ve just been challenging us. Stephanie and I. Urging us to grow, to be better for each other.¡±


    ¡°To try things we¡¯re too terrified to imagine,¡± Stephanie added in. ¡°To make us brave, brave enough to reach out for each other, for the things we want.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ everything boils down to one important question,¡± Brian said, his mesmerizing green eyes searching deep within her. ¡°Have you been challenging us to improve us? Or, are you challenging us because you need to be right about everything?¡±


    Yeah, nice, Kelly quirked a hesitant smile at him. What a goddamn loaded question that is.


    ¡°Well?¡± Brian asked, looking at her intently.


    ¡°Brian¡­ Steph. Look, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kelly shrugged uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a future for all of us together like you guys want. I¡¯m different than you guys. I don¡¯t have a fucking future, okay?¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s what you think,¡± Brian said. ¡°But, have you been helping to make us more than we were before? Or, are you set on proving that you¡¯re right about everything? That you don¡¯t do relationships, that you¡¯ve burned all your bridges and have nothing left but doing porn? That you don¡¯t have a future?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know what you want me to say.¡± Kelly was at a loss for words again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to say anything, right now,¡± Brian said, and when he moved closer to Kelly, she found her head was going blank. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡ªwell, we¡¯re going to make you admit that you¡¯re wrong. Because you are wrong, about all of those things.¡±


    Then Brian kissed her, and Kelly forgot to argue. As their lips locked in an open-mouthed kiss, that dangerous feeling from before was careening out of control, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to stop it, or if she even wanted to. This kiss was something else.


    Inside Kelly¡¯s mind, the incredible distance and darkness of space was no longer prevalent¡ªher thoughts were bright with scorching red light as she felt herself falling helplessly down into Brian¡¯s logic. Savoring the warmth of his lips, she kissed him back with a passion that frightened her, as if she could combat the words he¡¯d spoken by assaulting them at their source.


    She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever had a kiss like this, one so filled with unsure emotion, a strange longing coupled with confusion. It felt so right that she couldn¡¯t stop herself from kissing him, though. The act itself seemed to perfectly complement this moment she found herself ensnared in. Weighing her pride against this should have been a clash of titans¡ªinstead, everything felt twisted around. As if he was fighting for her side, while she was just intent on bringing herself to ruin. That¡¯s pretty much it, though, right? My stubborn pride was sending me out into deep space, with no fucking way back.


    So, where could Brian and Stephanie take me, then? Kelly felt his hand caressing her cheek, and their tongues finally met with an exciting wet feeling. She moaned into his mouth, feeling her body tremble with uncertain need. She was slipping past the point of no return, a red-hot meteor falling far too deep to ever return to orbit, to that stable distance Kelly had kept everyone at.


    He wants me to admit I¡¯m wrong? Why does it seem like this time being wrong is gonna feel so fuckin¡¯ right?


    Kelly was still suckling his lower lip between hers when he finally pulled away, and with a flutter her brandy-brown eyes opened to look at him in a daze of wonder.


    ¡°Kelly!¡± Brian said in surprise, staring intently at the formerly black locks that lay between them. ¡°Your¡ª¡±


    Then her hand, which had already been partway into the pants of his costume, reached down further and grabbed Brian¡¯s dick.


    She gave him a breathless look, still riding high on that amazing kiss, and reaffirmed her grip, pressing her forearm past the bulging pouches of his utility belt. His dick, it was¡­ not all that impressive, to her judgement. Softer than she¡¯d expected, smaller. As if to contest her disappointed first impression, his penis throbbed in her hand, engorging further.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡±


    Oh. Right, of course, Kelly felt herself flush with excitement as she realized the truth; he¡¯d only been at half-mast. As he began to grow fully erect for her, she felt the warm instrument swell until his meaty shaft seemed to fill her hand, until her thumb was no longer able to reach the fingers wrapped around him. His cockhead seemed to sprout onward, pressing all the way up the inside of her wrist. Okay, yeah. That¡¯s¡­ yeah. Uh. Pretty big. Thick. Fuck.


    ¡°Your hair!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, leaning over Brian. ¡°It happened again. Kelly, look!¡±


    Thoroughly distracted, Kelly slowly flicked her eyes up to Stephanie. Going for Brian¡¯s junk had been her plan all along, but something was way off-course. She¡¯d intended it to be bold and daring, for her hand to creep down while he was preoccupied and seize his manhood. Then, when he looked up at her in surprise, she would have a teasing, seductive smile ready for him.


    Instead, she¡¯d grabbed out like it was her lifeline. Like sex would keep him from wising up and realizing how little else she had to offer him. She wanted to pleasure him, she wanted to show what she could do, wanted to prove herself, to bring the situation back to where she didn¡¯t feel so lost and helpless anymore¡ªand found herself ashamed and a little horrified at her thoughtless, somewhat instinctive move. But, how will he react?


    His face still just scant inches away from hers, he was regarding her with an expression that tied her insides into knots and made her forget to breath. He moved back in and left one more kiss on her surprised lips before pulling away from her and rising up to a sitting position.


    ¡°Seems like whatever it is, it had some effect on you, too,¡± Brian observed.


    ¡°It¡­ did?¡± Kelly asked, yanking her hand out of his costume pants guiltily and sitting back up as well. Okay. Okay. Didn¡¯t ruin things yet. I just¡­ I got excited, yeah. ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Whirling towards the mirror above the sink, Kelly hopped up off the bed and crossed the room towards it, flicking on the other light. The three tiny colored strands they¡¯d discovered this morning had morphed into a full-on large streak of brilliant red, not unlike the pink one she¡¯d first seen Stephanie sporting yesterday.


    I love it, was her first thought, eagerly grinning as she leaned in, fingers gripping the edges of the vanity. I love it, it¡¯s fucking badass! What the fuck does it really mean, though? Happiness and excitement reflected back at her, and she realized it¡¯d been a long time since she¡¯d seen herself with a natural smile¡ªnot her practiced one, that cocky and confident one she immediately associated with her image. A real smile, one that sprung forth unbidden and unexpected.


    I look amazing. Does it mean I¡¯m hooked on him? That we¡¯re compatible? That we¡¯re destined or something, you know¡ªmeant to be? All I know is that it¡¯s really making me wet as fuck. Her butt, clad in the snug confines of the borrowed gray yoga pants, wriggled back and forth without her control in excitement and breathless anticipation. Since descending down into this thought process Brian had put her on, the former flecks and streaks of red had become a boundless red in every direction, and she found herself positively aching with need. Yesterday¡¯s arousal seemed like a joke. It was like a little hunger pang, whereas now she felt ravenous.


    Something about the things he¡¯d said amped up her attraction to him to a whole new level. The actual chemistry between them hadn¡¯t felt nearly this strong before, it was as if that simple exchange of ideas, sealed with a kiss, had been the missing reagent for this new catalyst deep inside her. Her heart was still racing, endorphins pumping tingly energy throughout her rockin¡¯ body. Ooh fuck. Yeah, I¡¯m fucked now. Fuck, fuck.


    Kelly didn¡¯t want a stupid little quick fuck anymore. That was just sex, primitive and mechanical. She wanted to make love to him; an exchange of passion and affirmation of emotion, a passion that took hold of not just her body, but everything about her, right down to the very core of her being.


    The idea of settling down for good with just one guy had always seemed so limiting to her, like she¡¯d be stranding herself on a desolate planet. The math was looking entirely different now, though, and those old calculations didn¡¯t seem to match up anymore. Whatever this feeling was, a crush, a feeling of trust, or even love¡ªit was so much more. She wasn¡¯t trapped; she was freed. Joined with him, she could reach out across the universe, further than she ever imagined possible. Trusting and supporting each other, they could be one another¡¯s foundation, intertwined safety and solace, inspiring and spurring each other on limitlessly. And, that¡¯s not even counting Stephanie into the equation! There¡¯ll be three of us! Together, we¡¯ll be unstoppable!


    ¡°Kelly? You alright?¡± Brian asked, awkwardly adjusting the cup of the dancers belt he wore beneath his costume. ¡°Kell?¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie rose from the bed and stepped over, concern evident in her voice.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly laughed, running the bright red streak of hair through her fingers. ¡°What if I am wrong? About my life. Maybe. Maybe I don¡¯t go into porn, and I end up with you guys instead. What happens then?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡± Stephanie guessed cheerfully. ¡°Anything. It¡¯ll be great, Kelly, trust us.¡±


    ¡°Brian?¡± Kelly turned around, still fussing nervously with her hair and giving them a hesitant smile. ¡°...What happens next?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± he said, giving her that thoughtful sexy look of his. ¡°Anything could happen. We¡¯ll learn and grow. You know. Get through everything, figure things out. Didn¡¯t you tell me last night that a missed chance really only ever teaches you one thing?¡±


    His response might as well have hit her like a physical blow, and she wavered slightly on her feet.


    ¡°Kelly?¡±


    I did say that, fuck. I KNEW that. Why the fuck can¡¯t I ever really realize and take my own goddamned advice?! What have I been doing all this time?


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Brian asked. He was anxious, too¡ªshe could see it in his expression that he was trying not to push the issue any more than he was.


    ¡°I¡­ am going to freshen up a bit,¡± Kelly breathed out slowly, trying to hide her giddy smile. ¡°Stephanie? Join me in here by the tub?¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Our new cover is by Strbrvsky! Please check out his Deviantart gallery full of NSFW anime tiddies, and consider hiring him to draw you cover art.

 Problematic

    ¡°How are we doing?¡± Stephanie whispered, trying to struggle out of her costume boots in the narrow confines of the hotel bathroom. With the door closed and the bathtub¡¯s tap running like this, it would be difficult for them to be overheard. ¡°Are we¡­ are we doing good?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Kelly said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯m doing, anymore.¡±


    Stephanie looked at her dark-haired friend¡ªnow with a lively flash of red¡ªas the scene girl sat on the edge of the tub. Kelly¡¯s feet were already in the water, the legs of her yoga pants rolled up to her knees, and she seemed to be absentmindedly swishing and swirling the running water with her fingers.


    ¡°I¡ªugh,¡± Stephanie¡¯s shoulder banged into the tiled wall as she nearly lost her balance. ¡°I think that¡ª¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mere,¡± Kelly instructed, pawing her hands dry on the nearby hanging towel. ¡°Stand still.¡±


    Holding onto the curtain rod for balance, Stephanie meekly pointed one of her tall red boots towards Kelly, who held the glossy legwear in place with one hand and slowly worked the zipper down with her other. A smooth, slender leg was revealed, inch by inch. Her skin was flushed but pale, and Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but let out a breath of relief to be free of the clammy feeling of costume vinyl.


    ¡°Now, the other one.¡±


    I feel like things are going well, Stephanie thought, biting her lip as she offered her other leg. Are they? I want Kelly to be happy. I¡¯m so excited. I want things to work out, I feel like we¡¯re so close to everything being perfect!


    ¡°Sit with me, soak your feet,¡± Kelly offered, sliding over a bit on the edge of the tub to make room. ¡°Fuck, are things awkward between us, now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stephanie shook her head as she joined Kelly. The water on her bare feet was everything she needed right now, and she was tempted to slide the rest of the way into the warm bath, costume or not. ¡°I¡¯m just worried. Nervous.¡±


    ¡°About tonight?¡± Kelly leaned in and fit her fingers between her toes, rubbing them back and forth. Grabbing the complimentary hotel soap, Kelly turned her heel and stabbed the thin bar into the sole of her foot, raking it back and forth against her skin. ¡°Holy fuck do my feet hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about¡­ you,¡± Stephanie admitted with some trepidation. ¡°I really wish you¡¯d stay with us. I mean, I hope that.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ I probably will,¡± Kelly said slowly. ¡°Which is stupid. Crazy? I¡¯m so fucking horny I can¡¯t even think straight.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± Stephanie lit up. ¡°You¡¯ll be with us? Really? Kelly, I think that¡¯s the best idea! Everything Brian said, I really think he can help you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly grunted. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was really all¡­ set on things, like I¡¯d come to terms with all of it. And, now this. Are you fucking horny right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m excited,¡± Stephanie smiled, tapping out a little splashing dance with her feet. ¡°I¡¯m... excited in that way, too. I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Kelly looked at Stephanie incredulously. ¡°Fuck. Is it just me?¡±


    ¡°You just kissed Brian,¡± Stephanie pointed out, grinning. ¡°A real kiss this time, one that turned you big colors!¡±


    ¡°Big colors,¡± Kelly repeated, staring blankly at the water as she lathered her feet with soapy bubbles. ¡°Is that what you felt when he had your hair changing? Big colors? I feel like I¡¯m about to start shaking.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Stephanie whispered in excitement. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll have time to kiss more, tonight?¡±


    ¡°Kiss more!?¡± Kelly growled. To Stephanie¡¯s surprise, Kelly¡¯s hands actually did start to shake a little. ¡°Stephanie. Steph. We are getting fucked tonight. All night. No matter what. That¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°D-do you really think so?!¡± Stephanie beamed, squirming with excitement. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you what he did. What he did when we were in that panel together.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, hold on, don¡¯t get started,¡± Kelly waved her off with the bar of soap. ¡°Take off your panties.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna have sex tonight,¡± Kelly said in a matter-of-fact voice. ¡°If you¡¯ve been as soaked as I have all day, you¡¯re gonna be, um. Fragrant, right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?!¡± Stephanie asked, carefully standing up in the tub. Reaching up beneath the pink-and-red gijinka dress she was still wearing, she eased her panties down her thighs.


    ¡°Bad? I dunno. Depends? Don¡¯t you wanna make sure you¡¯re nice and clean down there?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie blustered. She stepped out of the panties and awkwardly stood in the long basin of the bathtub.


    ¡°Stand still, then. I¡¯m just gonna make sure you¡¯re¡­ you know.¡±


    Shutting off the water, Kelly scooted her butt closer towards Stephanie, and then gingerly lifted up the skirt of her dress. Blushing with embarrassment, Stephanie felt herself go rigid with tension as her naked privates were revealed to Kelly¡¯s curious gaze. It was¡ªnot cold, but an unexpectedly airy feeling to suddenly be exposed, and she fought the urge to immediately cover herself with her hands.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie asked in a meek voice.


    ¡°I¡­ think I can smell you a little bit,¡± Kelly said, staring in open appreciation at Stephanie down there. The hands folding the hem of her flamituff dress pinned it back against Stephanie¡¯s nude hips, and she couldn¡¯t help but grasp at Kelly¡¯s wrists in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t smell me!¡±


    ¡°I can smell you,¡± Kelly whispered, sniffing deeply and giving Stephanie a heady look. She closed her eyes and leaned in closer. ¡°Smells like pussy. It smells good. It¡¯s like you¡¯re putting out sex pheromones, right in my face.¡±


    ¡°K-Kelly?!¡± Stephanie could practically feel Kelly¡¯s breath on her, and she shivered involuntarily. She wouldn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Sssshh,¡± Kelly grinned, pulling Stephanie closer. ¡°Ssh-sh-sh-shhhh. Stephanie, lover. I¡¯m going to clean you all up.¡±


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Stephanie sputtered, slapping her hands across the tile of the shower for balance. ¡°Kelly¡ªyou¡¯re going to make me slip!¡±


    ¡°Whhhy, why do you smell so good?!¡± Tightly gripping Stephanie¡¯s butt cheeks and pulling the girl closer, Kelly shoved her face into the plush thighs, trying to nuzzle her nose deep between them.


    With a startled yelp, it was all Stephanie could do to keep herself from falling haphazardly into the tub.


    ¡°Kelly, he¡­ I didn¡¯t tell you what he did,¡± Stephanie said softly.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± Kelly asked eagerly. Her lips, feeling impossibly soft, were nibbling and pinching at Stephanie down there, and what must have been a tongue flashed out. ¡°What¡¯d he do to get you this wet?¡±


    ¡°We went and hid,¡± Stephanie explained, letting out cute little panting breaths. ¡°Like you told us to, when you switched the other Darkmask for Brian. We went and hid together.¡±


    ¡°You got to be off all alone with Brian, while I was doing all of the legwork?¡± Kelly growled indignantly, taking a mouthful of Stephanie¡¯s tender thigh flesh between her teeth. ¡°What did he do to you?¡±


    ¡°Ah! N-no,¡± Stephanie jerked at the sudden sensation. She felt all of her blood seem to rush to her face in embarrassment. ¡°He had me sit in his lap, an-and he¡­ he fingered me. We weren¡¯t alone at all, though! We were in a panel room¡ª it was a room full of people!¡±


    She felt Kelly freeze, and then the dark-haired¡ª well, mostly dark-haired girl¡¯s head snapped up to look at her. Kelly¡¯s eyes lacked their usual cool clarity, they were half-lidded in a daze and looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°Brian finger-fucked you, in the middle of a room full of people?¡± Kelly asked in disbelief, narrowing her eyes as she regarded the other girl.


    ¡°He did, yes,¡± Stephanie admitted in embarrassment.


    ¡°How do you know it was actually fingering?¡± Kelly doubted. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what going down on a girl was.¡±


    ¡°G-going down is really ambiguous!¡± Stephanie protested in a whisper. ¡°People say things like, ah, ¡®hey, I¡¯m going down to the store to pick up some things,¡¯ it¡¯s¡ªyou know. It¡¯s a common phrase!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a really obvious euphemism.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t normally think of things in that way!¡±


    ¡°But, you do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ well, he slipped his hand into my panties. His finger went¡­ you know, inside, and he was going in and out really fast. L-like he was strumming guitar strings, except instead of music, it was¡­ I don¡¯t know. Heaven? Instead of music, or sound, it was like he was playing me and little notes of heaven were coming out. Coming in? Th-that doesn¡¯t make any sense, does it?¡±


    ¡°And this all happened in the middle of a room full of people.¡±


    ¡°N-no, not in the middle. Our seat was over on one side, against one of the walls.¡±


    ¡°Holy fucking shit,¡± Kelly breathed out slowly, her fingers gripping and clenching firm handfuls of Stephanie¡¯s ass in an antsy way. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely being fingered, then. I just¡­ I never thought that he¡¯d¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, either!¡± Stephanie said excitedly. ¡°I asked him to be my boyfriend right after that. I knew. Knew I had to. Couldn¡¯t leave it to chance, not after that. I had to have him. All of the¡­ the complicated things, the everything, it all seemed to line up the right way, and everything seemed so simple and straightforward.¡±


    ¡°Sit down on the edge of the tub,¡± Kelly demanded in a husky voice. ¡°Sit on the edge and spread your legs for me.¡±


    ¡°...Okay,¡± Stephanie agreed.


    Kelly stepped back out of the tub and onto the bath floor towel in the small enclosure of the bathroom to give her room. The confident and charismatic girl peeled her own gray yoga pants partway down her thighs and let her hand wander down between her legs.


    ¡°This is part of our deal,¡± Kelly insisted. ¡°I totally put in effort helping you guys ditch Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Chloe?¡± Stephanie paused, one foot out of the tub. Brian¡¯s ex-girlfriend? When did¡ª


    ¡°Magical Doll Himari,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°That was definitely Chloe, she had to be.¡±


    Himari is Chloe? It suddenly felt as if the temperature dropped several degrees. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a connection Stephanie would have made on her own. All at once, the day¡¯s series of circumstance and confusion seemed to align together to paint a very different picture of the events. The cosplayer telling her Brian wanted to meet her somewhere wasn¡¯t an accident or a mistake. The girl, the same girl, having Brian¡¯s phone afterwards wasn¡¯t coincidence. Stephanie had wondered, but hadn¡¯t ever suspected that all the dots were connected with malicious intent, and she cursed her own naivete.


    It was all deliberate, Stephanie realized, a foreign feeling¡ªanger¡ªrising up uncomfortably within her. Hot pink fire roiled and roared throughout her mind. If it was Chloe, if all of that was done on purpose¡ªall of it was meant just to hurt Brian! That¡¯s completely horrible!


    ¡°I... hate her,¡± Stephanie realized, beside herself with shock. It¡¯s unforgivable. ¡°I hate her!¡±


    That stupid¡­ awful¡­ bitch! Stephanie felt livid, wishing she was more familiar with the swear words to express how she felt in this moment. She¡¯d never hated someone before, and scarcely understood how people could hate one another. Now, she knew. This is what it felt like. She wanted bad things to happen to Chloe, wanted it so much that it felt like she could almost will them to happen with the strange new feeling of her blood boiling in rage. The very fact that Chloe existed beneath the same sky as her seemed unacceptable.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes flashed with understanding. ¡°I¡¯m like, ninety-nine percent sure. You won¡¯t believe what she tried to do after she followed me.¡±


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice sounded out in the tiled confines of the tiny bathroom. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Ssh, ssh,¡± Kelly tapped a finger to her lips, glancing toward the door. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna tell Brian yet, but¡­ get this. All the Darkmasks, they head outside the con a ways away over to one of the big parking garages for their photoshoot. She follows us there, ¡®cause I¡¯ve got that other Darkmask on my arm¡ªthe one with the plastic helmet like Brian¡¯s.


    ¡°Once they¡¯re all getting set up for their photos and shit, she comes up to me and asks if I know the guy, and I¡¯m like, nah, not really? She doesn¡¯t really say anything to that, and we¡¯re kinda just standing there watching the doofus cosplayers clown around for a second. And then, I see in this car window reflection that she¡¯s pointing something at me...¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I spin ¡®round¡ªjust in time¡ªand just barely manage to catch it, while at this same time she¡¯s turning and trying to brush past me to make a getaway.¡±


    ¡°What was it?!¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Mustard,¡± Kelly made a face. ¡°She had like, a dozen little opened packets of mustard, and she squirted them at me. She came this close to fucking ruining Brian¡¯s gothic lolita outfit before I could sell it. For serious, that was such a close fucking call.¡±


    Letting out an uneasy sigh of relief, Stephanie took Kelly by the shoulders to steady herself.


    ¡°Did she get away?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think anyone else saw her do it, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°But, me? I had a palm full of mustard. So, I step after her, she turns around and is all like whaaat? when she sees my outfit¡¯s still untouched, and I slapped her in the fucking face with the messy hand. Got some of it on her Himari cosplay too, I think.¡±


    Before she realized what she was doing, Stephanie found herself lunging in to kiss Kelly. Surprised at herself, elated at Kelly¡¯s story, proud of her friend, excited and turned on all at the same time, she wrapped her arms around her best friend as they locked lips. More than a sexual gesture it was an intimate one, an exchange of all the out of control emotion Stephanie felt filled to bursting with.


    I¡­ kissed her! Stephanie blushed as she pulled her face away, unable to stop smiling. I wasn¡¯t dared to, and it wasn¡¯t something I planned or thought about¡­ it just HAPPENED. The connection they¡¯d formed simply made it feel right, and she¡¯d acted unbidden, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Kelly said, impressed.


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± Stephanie smiled. ¡°Sorry. I really wish I could¡¯ve been there to see it.¡±


    ¡°Wish I coulda sat through the panel with you guys, instead,¡± Kelly countered, bringing a hand up to cup Stephanie¡¯s breast as they hugged. ¡°Next time?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Freezing stiff at the sensation, Stephanie averted her eyes in a fluster. Her personal space was seldom entered, and no one had ever taken liberties with her chest before¡ªshe wasn¡¯t sure how it felt or how to feel about it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kelly laughed in a low, husky voice. ¡°Uh, too soon?¡± She hefted Stephanie¡¯s small breast in her hand a few times, feeling the weight of it, and gave it an experimental squeeze.


    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s, ah, this is new to me,¡± Stephanie mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I dislike it, or if I like it or¡­ um, I don¡¯t know anything, really.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Kelly leaned in and playfully flicked her tongue across Stephanie¡¯s lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down on the edge of the tub, spread your legs for me, and I¡¯ll show you what I know?¡±


    ¡°....No,¡± Stephanie smiled softly, shaking her head.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Not here, like this,¡± Stephanie explained, taking the initiative to reach down and start pulling Kelly¡¯s leggings back up into place. ¡°We came in here just to freshen up. I¡ªI don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt so freshened up. Whatever else happens¡­ I think we should do with Brian. Not, um, off on our own like this.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Kelly mouthed, blinking at Stephanie. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re so fucking smart sometimes.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Stephanie laughed. ¡°Not on my own. But, we¡¯re not alone! We don¡¯t have to be alone, anymore. Was there anything else we should do to, ah, freshen up?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes came back to focus and she seemed to look around at them seriously. ¡°Leave your panties and bra in here¡ªwhen we go back out, you¡¯ll wear the dress and just the dress. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Stephanie breathed in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m so nervous, hah. I¡¯m shaking a little bit.¡±


    ¡°My legs are about to shake I¡¯m so fucking horny,¡± Kelly sighed in exasperation, running her hands down her body. ¡°What do you think? Should I leave the leggings in here and go out in just the shirt, kinda like you did last night?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie considered for a second, taking another look at what Kelly wore. ¡°I like the leggings. I think they look, you know¡ªform-fitting. It¡¯s sexy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kelly said honestly. ¡°You need a hand?¡±


    With Kelly¡¯s help, the pink-and-red gijinka sundress Stephanie wore was pulled up and over the girl¡¯s head, leaving her in only her faded white bra. Nervously unclasping it, she slid the undergarment off her arms, incredibly conscious of the close scrutiny she was receiving as she revealed herself, completely naked, to someone else for the very first time. As silly as it was after everything that had happened between them, Stephanie reflexively covered her chest with one arm, only hesitantly allowing it to drop down to her side at Kelly¡¯s expectant look.


    ¡°Th-they¡¯re not very big,¡± Stephanie said with a wince.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Kelly assured her, keeping her hands to herself for once. ¡°Brian¡¯ll love ¡®em playin¡¯ with them just as they are. Are they real sensitive?¡±


    ¡°Sensitive to what?¡± Stephanie looked perplexed. Sunlight? I don¡¯t tan or¡ª


    ¡°Attention,¡± Kelly gave her an incredulous look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ think so?¡± Stephanie replied.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll find out as we go,¡± Kelly chuckled, holding up the cosplay dress for Stephanie to don once again. ¡°You ready for a very different kinda game out there? I have some things in mind¡­¡±


    Chloe wasn¡¯t happy.


    It was a fact that could be seen even from a distance, in the set of her shoulders and the aggravated pace of each step of her long, slender legs. It was apparent in her crossed arms, the sharp glint in her eyes, and more than anything, the depth of her grimacing scowl. Once again wearing her beige halter top and those tiny jean cut-offs, the lovely but livid girl was currently stalking across the convention¡¯s upper level with a purpose. The Magical Doll Himari costume was haphazardly crammed into a plastic gift bag she¡¯d picked up from the vendor¡¯s room, stuffed in with such a hurry that she was sure her wig pieces were ruined.


    Ruined because of him, She thought to herself. If he¡¯d been where he was SUPPOSED TO BE, none of that¡­ misunderstanding would have happened. What a waste of all my hard work making Himari is turning out to be. Because of him.


    Despite all of her patience and hard work redoing her makeup and scrubbing at the spots of mustard blotted on her costume, she hadn¡¯t managed to even win a place in AnimeCon¡¯s costume contest. Which meant that the dynamic wasn¡¯t right anymore for the encounter she¡¯d planned with him¡ªshe wasn¡¯t ostensibly a winner right now, with a title of victory to prove her inherent superiority. So, directly after the contest, she¡¯d stormed to one of the restrooms and torn off the costume that let her down, carefully re-arranging her bedraggled hair free from the constraints of the wig cap and applying her normal makeup all over again.


    ¡°If I ever see that lolita bitch again, I¡¯m gonna push her into traffic,¡± Chloe hissed between her teeth. It was an honest mistake on my part, thinking the other Darkmask cosplayer was Brian¡ªhow was I fucking supposed to know? Being accosted for just some meaningless little indiscretion I made? That¡¯s completely, totally out of line. If I ever see her again...


    Too much of this endeavor was going wrong. She¡¯d worked hard to make absolutely sure that Brian would be cut off from his friends, alone and especially miserable for his trip to AnimeCon. Instead, the thick-headed idiot was having carefree conversations with airheaded convention thots, entirely oblivious to his own wrongdoings.


    But, that¡¯s fine, Chloe decided, composing her face into a knowing smile. I won¡¯t forget any of this. You¡¯re going to suffer appropriately for your sins soon enough, Brian. YOU may not be reliable enough to attend the AnimeCon events you¡¯re supposed to¡ªbut I know right where Rebecca¡¯ll be.


    The convention center¡¯s atrium was a large amphitheater on the convention hall¡¯s second floor, featuring a large, open space roofed by a dodecahedron of glass panes and steel girders. The space within was where the Order of the Sovereign Swords had set up shop for their battle-gaming and roleplaying exhibition, but only a handful of medieval-garbed attendees remained. The large central platform was vacant, and though the two smaller wings of the stage had been cordoned off into sparring rings, only one of them still contained combatants.


    Chloe found Rebecca acting as the match¡¯s apparent arbiter or referee of sorts, standing nearby with her hands on her hips and watching a pair of geeks smack their padded weapons into each other with a strange focus in her eyes. Though her copper-haired friend was dressed in an outlandish blue-and-green tunic, wore a sword belt and boots that looked fashioned out of leather scrap, the girl seemed undeniably in her element. There was a force of presence in the girl¡¯s expression and a look of concentration that had always been absent in Rebecca¡¯s normal, everyday appearance.


    ¡°Chloe!¡± Rebecca called, her voice startling the two LARPers sparring in the ring so much they both froze in unison. ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca!¡± Chloe forced out a cheerful voice, and she consciously ensured her posture and walk had reverted back to the graceful poise of a trained dancer. ¡°You look so great!¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Rebecca trotted forward, wrapping her arms around Chloe in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you decided to come after all! Did you just get here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Chloe lied. As discreetly as she was able, she scanned over those remaining in the atrium, double-checking to make sure Brian wasn¡¯t among them. ¡°Ryan from Seabrooks said he was going anyways, so I said ¡®what the hell,¡¯ and I rode over with him.¡±


    ¡°Hipster mister!¡± Rebecca exclaimed, finally releasing Chloe from her embrace. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s who?¡± Chloe blinked.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± Rebecca chuckled. ¡°Hipster mister.¡±


    ¡°Oh! He... had to go?¡± Chloe shrugged. ¡°Something popped up. Is there any chance I could crash with you guys instead, tonight?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s...¡± Rebecca winced as if she was put in a difficult position. ¡°Emily and I, we were going to room with, uh¡­ you-know, tonight. We just, it¡¯s¡ªwe haven¡¯t heard back from him, and...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re staying with Brian,¡± Emily spoke up, standing up from the weapons-check table she¡¯d been slouching at to walk over and warily join her two friends. There was an edge to the girl¡¯s voice that Chloe found amusing. ¡°Rooming with all of us, wouldn¡¯t that be, you know¡ªweird? You and Brian broke up.¡±


    ¡°Emily!¡± Chloe squealed, jumping forward to hug the smaller-statured girl. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see you at first! You look so amazing! It¡¯s so great to see you!¡±


    The latina was wearing the Akane Kurokawa cosplay Chloe knew her in from last year, but instead of the signature Akane look, with chest abundantly exposed, Emily had pinned her yukata front closed. It was neatly shut with what looked like a medieval cloak clasp¡ªlikely one that Rebecca had found for her. Waves of hostility seemed to emanate off of Emily¡¯s petite figure as she was crushed into Chloe¡¯s bearhug, and Chloe felt her own grin grow a little bit wider.


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily managed out in a stiff voice. ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything weird about it,¡± Chloe smiled confidently. ¡°We¡¯re both grown adults¡ªhow childish would it be if we took issue with little things like that? Our group rooms together every year. If he doesn¡¯t like it, he can go¡ª¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s not a group room, this year,¡± Emily retorted. ¡°This will just be Brian¡¯s room. Brian¡¯s money. Don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯d be imposi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily... the Brian I know isn¡¯t nearly as small-minded as you seem to think he is,¡± Chloe interrupted, rolled her eyes. ¡°No matter what¡¯s happened between all of us¡ªwe¡¯re all friends, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Rebecca agreed enthusiastically. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯re all still friends!¡±


    Chloe couldn¡¯t help but utilize every weakness that chance presented, and cornering Emily by implying she doubted Brian was immeasurably gratifying. Dividing people was Chloe¡¯s forte after all, and both of these clowns were just too easy to read. If she knew there was one surefire way to manipulate Rebecca, it was by insisting that friendship always triumphs over everything else. Using that tact to drive a wedge in and ostracize Emily from her in this conversation was just so delightfully ironic! Friendship? What are we, My Friendly Ponies? How naive and brainless are you two?


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not answering his phone,¡± Emily grumbled, not looking pleased with Chloe¡¯s inclusion. ¡°So, I don¡¯t think any of us are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he staying in that same hotel we¡¯re always at every year?¡± Chloe pointed out as if it was only common sense, thrilled to be able to cut off Emily mid-sentence again. There was something inherently satisfying in talking over and subduing this obnoxious little brat who always seemed to have so much to say.


    ¡°The one that¡¯s right across the street, with the tiny, cheapo-rooms?¡± Chloe continued with an innocent smile. ¡°Can¡¯t we just tell them at the front desk that our group got separated, give them Brian¡¯s name, and ask for his room number?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Emily frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t just barge in on him unannounced. That¡¯s not cool.¡±


    Oh? Reluctant to go visit your buddy Brian now that I¡¯m here, are you? Chloe kept her laughter in check and instead gave Emily a quizzical look.


    ¡°That might be¡­¡± Rebecca trailed off, looking awkward.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he expecting you guys?¡± Chloe looked from Emily to Rebecca and back again.


    ¡°Yeah he was,¡± Emily said carefully. ¡°But, he¡¯s not answering his phone now. So, if we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was talking with him earlier, and he suddenly stopped responding to me,¡± Chloe revealed, giving them a knowing look. ¡°I was a little hurt, worried that he was ignoring me¡ªbut, if he hasn¡¯t been in touch with you guys either, I feel so much better! His phone must¡¯ve just run out of minutes, or something. That¡¯s such a relief.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say he hasn¡¯t been in touch,¡± Emily grumbled.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chloe gave her a challenging look. ¡°You talked with him today at the convention?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ not exactly, no, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But, what?¡± Chloe scoffed, brushing aside Emily¡¯s response. ¡°Let¡¯s go see him now. A lot has happened. I¡¯m sure him and I have... a lot of things to discuss!¡±


    ¡°Rebecca¡¯s not done with her Sovereign Swords stuff here,¡± Emily argued, looking to her friend for support.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Rebecca waved her hands, clueless as to Emily¡¯s meaning. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to the guys and wrap up real quick! I shouldn¡¯t be more than a minute!¡±


    Chloe gave Emily a serene smile as they watched their friend rush over to gather her things. The AnimeCon situation had started to go awry, but with her ability she could easily salvage it. The dynamic of a separated couple was defined by power of numbers, after all, and Chloe would be arriving to see Brian with Rebecca and Emily in tow, while Brian would be alone.


    The right few sentences at the right moment will change the entire context of these two even coming to the convention, Chloe smirked. Rather than some show of support for you, Brian, it¡¯s going to look like they¡¯re arriving with ME, like they¡¯re MY friends. I have the social capital, I¡¯m the inseparable component of the overall group. Not you. Brian, you need to realize that without me¡ªyou have no friends.

 Show and Tell, Round One

    Brian glanced up as the bathroom door in his room opened and Stephanie and Kelly tumbled out. The girls looked¡ªerotic.


    Stephanie, with her fluffy pink shoulder-length hair, was now sans her pair of tall red boots. View of those naked legs all the way up to her plush thighs and that tantalizing loose hem of her dress filled his head with increasingly indecent thoughts. Stephanie¡¯s glasses were a little fogged, her face was flushed, and she was looking at him with a giddy, nervous smile that made his greeting catch in his throat.


    To his surprise, Kelly also looked a little disheveled, and if it wasn¡¯t his imagination, he would swear that she was blushing the slightest bit. Surely just from steam, from the water they had running?


    She was looking at him while gnawing at her own lip, looking at him hungrily, with unconcealed desire. When the normally-confident girl freed herself from Stephanie¡¯s arms she actually seemed to not know what to do with herself, seemed to be fidgeting in place.


    It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t pretend that she didn¡¯t have her hand down my pants, grabbing at my dick just fifteen minutes ago, either, Brian realized, shifting the dancer¡¯s belt of his costume as he sat up the rest of the way to regard them.


    ¡°Brian¡­¡± Steph began, taking Kelly¡¯s hand in her own. She didn¡¯t seem to know what else to say.


    ¡°You both look great,¡± Brian decided to simply give them his honest thoughts. ¡°You two mind if I have a turn in there? I want to change out of this getup.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Kelly began distractedly, licking her lips and then swallowing. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep it on? We, uh, actually had something else in mind.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to play another game?¡± Stephanie asked, excited. ¡°Like the one we played last night, but¡­ a little different? New?¡±


    ¡°Like last night¡¯s truth or dare?¡± Brian chuckled, feeling interested but also more than a little cautious. ¡°Sure, I guess we can¡ªso long as we make sure to set some¡­ y¡¯know, some boundaries, this time.¡±


    ¡°Boundaries?¡± Stephanie blinked, turning to look at Kelly, who was pursing her lips into a pout.


    ¡°...Why don¡¯t you hear us out, first, Brian?¡± Kelly suggested, giving Stephanie¡¯s hand a squeeze. The girls didn¡¯t cross that short distance to where Brian sat on the edge of the bed, they instead remained standing opposite him. To him it seemed like a rather pointed show of solidarity, almost as if the girls were united against him on this issue.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Brian said, eyes flicking from Kelly to Stephanie in amusement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been¡ªwell, we¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Kelly began, ¡°about you and your problem.¡±


    ¡°My problem?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow, remembering the argument they¡¯d had back at the convention overlook. ¡°What, that what I need is to hook up with someone this weekend?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Kelly waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I mean¡ªwell yeah, I still think that, but that¡¯s not what this is about, this time.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Go on.¡±


    ¡°Last night, you told us about your ex-girlfriend, Chloe. Because of all the issues and whatever dealing with the breakup¡ªbecause of her, really¡ªyou don¡¯t feel ready to jump into certain things right now. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Well, the big issue you brought up last night during truth or dare, the reason you two didn¡¯t work out and broke up, was that there wasn¡¯t real trust between you two. Then, just now you¡¯ve mentioned you realized she wasn¡¯t challenging you¡ªnot in the way you first thought she was. That instead, she just always needed to be right. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian admitted, looking at Kelly with trepidation. He had a sense of where she was going with this.


    ¡°Okay, so¡ªbefore you go and immediately decide on totally arbitrary limitations for yourself tonight¡­ I want you to consider us.¡± Kelly said innocently, swinging Stephanie¡¯s hand between them for emphasis. ¡°Steph and I, we both really want to help challenge you. To push you outside of your boundaries, past them, in certain ways tonight. We really want to help get you past all of this. More than that even, we want you to trust us, trust that we¡¯re doing this for your sake, y¡¯know, for your own good. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Brian found himself speechless. ¡°Kelly, you should be a lawyer, or an attorney or something with the way you twist semantics around. Do you ever hear yourself talk?¡±


    ¡°Sooo, you¡¯ll play a little game with us?¡± Kelly asked hopefully, flashing him her most stellar smile. ¡°One without any rules?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ appreciate what you¡¯re trying to do, but it doesn¡¯t quite work out the way you¡¯re making it out to be,¡± Brian shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°Trust issues don¡¯t just... sort themselves out by blindly trusting someone else¡ªeven if it¡¯s you two. Because of the way things went between me and Chloe, it¡¯s been a lot harder than ever for me to trust. You know?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kelly regarded him with a serious look, before nibbling on her lip uneasily. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it would be easy. But, c¡¯mon, we¡¯re¡ªyou know. We¡¯re prepared to encourage and... amply reward you, each step of the way. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Brian felt his mouth go dry, ¡°doesn¡¯t sound real fair to you guys, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just doing what we want to,¡± Stephanie chimed in, bouncing on her feet. ¡°Will you please let us? Please?¡± There was something strange about her expression. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was being earnest or eager, because there were traces of both urgency and excitement.


    ¡°Let me put it this way, then,¡± Kelly said softly, taking a deep breath as she changed tacts. ¡°I¡¯m deciding to trust you, Brian. About... my future. I¡¯m willing to admit that, yeah, maybe I¡¯m wrong. About not havin¡¯ any other options with my life, about being at the end of my rope like I thought I was. Because of you. Because I¡¯m trusting you, that you can help me, if I just put myself in your hands and let you.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy¡ªit¡¯s scary as fuck, dude,¡± Kelly admitted in a quiet voice, glancing awkwardly down at the carpet. ¡°But... yeah. I¡¯m gonna do it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian couldn¡¯t help but reevaluate the beautiful girl standing in front of them. This wasn¡¯t the endlessly confident and even teasing Kelly that he thought he knew, anymore. She was putting aside her own prideful persona, baring her depths and opening up to them in a way not too different than Stephanie shyly revealing herself to them like she had last night.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly answered seriously, looking up at him. As their eyes met, it was as if all the barriers, the pretenses and assumptions between them had fallen away and left behind a simple connection. It was a fragile and delicate thing that trembled in the air between them like an invisible line, but it was so shockingly real and intimate that he felt he was seeing this girl¡¯s real beauty like no one ever had before.


    He rose up off the bed and approached her. Regarding her with a look of growing curiosity and interest, that intangible line between them seemed to strengthen with mutual understanding and he saw Kelly smile with relief. Something about their relationship and the way they subconsciously saw each other had irrevocably changed, and as his hands slipped around her hips and she looked up into eyes, it was as though he could completely read her.


    Are¡ªare you feeling this too? She seemed to say as she searched his expression, brandy-brown eyes full of wonder. Her lips parted wordlessly, as though unsure of how to articulate anything she wished to say, this connection she wanted to explore¡ªand then she hugged him fiercely, melting into his arms. It was a moment Brian would never forget.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in. What are we playing?¡±


    It¡¯s not like I can say no after that, Brian rewarded Kelly with a smile as he realized that the girls had completely won him over. I don¡¯t know if getting us into all this is the right call to make or not¡­ for me, or for them. But, it¡¯s the one we¡¯re all making, and it feels amazing.


    ¡°Ohhh, you guys!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, hopping forward to put her arms around her two friends.


    Kelly¡¯s actually shaking a little bit, Brian realized in surprise. She smelled amazing, and there was something incredibly comforting about allowing himself to hold her like this. He even caught himself stroking his fingertips through her silky black hair. They couldn¡¯t physically be any closer, and the soft expanse of her breasts constrained within that black Rolling Phones shirt were squashed up against his chest, while Stephanie was squeezing around them both even tighter. It wasn¡¯t easy to maintain his self-control in the crush of bodies after letting go of the stubborn reluctance he¡¯d held onto after all this time, so he simply hugged Kelly extra tight for a moment before releasing her.


    ¡°Okay! I, uh¡­ yeah. I¡¯m gonna call this game ¡®show and tell,¡¯¡± Kelly breathed, revealing a flushed, beaming smile. Both her and Stephanie took positions sitting on the edge of the bedspread, while Brian sat on the armrest of the room¡¯s easy chair.


    ¡°I got to thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout, uh, things we could do late last night,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°When I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. And, I came up with this game.¡±


    ¡°How do we play?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda like truth or dare, ¡®cept each round involves all three players,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Basically, player one tells player two to show somethin¡¯ about player three. Make sense? So, like, I could say¡ª Brian, I want you to show and tell me all about Stephanie¡¯s hind end. And then, you would; you¡¯d bend Steph over, flip up her dress, use your hands to show me that booty¡ªeverythin¡¯ about it. You¡¯d describe to me how it feels, what you like about it, what you might want to do¡­ that kinda thing.¡±


    ¡°I-is that just an example?¡± Stephanie took a deep breath, giving Brian a once-over that was a look of pure unadulterated sex. ¡°Or, or is that going to be our first round?¡±


    ¡°So, the first player decides what the second player does to the third player?¡± Brian asked, clearing his throat and trying to resist the urge to press Stephanie down onto the mattress. ¡°And... uh, then we rotate somehow?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Kelly nodded, wetting her lips with her tongue. ¡°Player one¡¯s only allowed to decide¡ªthey can¡¯t speak up for player two, or help them out or anything. Once they¡¯ve picked, all they can do is watch. Player two¡¯s gotta do whatever they¡¯re told to player three¡ªand, naturally, Player three can only obediently comply. They¡¯re not allowed to talk, or protest, or anything like that. But, we¡¯ll say they get to be the player one of the next round, to make things fair. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ sounds like things could get out of control really fast,¡± Brian hesitated. ¡°Is player one going to keep the turns in check?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not?¡± Kelly gave him an innocent shrug. ¡°You¡¯ll be as much a part of it as we will. I like it ¡®cause it¡¯s a little bit of truth and dare both at the same time, and it involves all of us, so no one¡¯s sitting out waiting during a turn.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian slowly nodded, feeling excited and nervous but anticipating the game all the same. ¡°Who¡¯ll start us off?¡±


    ¡°I think we should start slow, and¡­ also I owe her a whole bunch, so¡­ Steph, can you ask first?¡±


    Stephanie answered with a blushing, flustered smile, and her eyes excitedly danced up and down Brian, and to his surprise, then gave Kelly a thorough once-over as well, as if she was considering all of her options. I did catch them making out this morning¡ªI really need to ask what¡¯s been going on between them.


    ¡°Kelly,¡± Stephanie finally decided, ¡°I¡¯d like you to show and tell¡­ Brian. Undress him, um, a little. His top at least. If that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I like,¡± Kelly said approvingly, stepping forward towards Brian¡¯s chair. ¡°Kinda like last night¡ªwasn¡¯t it one of Steph¡¯s dares that got your shirt off last night?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Brian remembered, pulling the upper portion of his Darkmask costume free of his belt. ¡°She dared me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop that,¡± Kelly admonished, slapping at his hands. ¡°I get to unwrap the present!¡±


    Right, he remembered, giving them a sheepish smile and holding up his hands.


    Kelly stood to one side of him so that she wouldn¡¯t obstruct Stephanie¡¯s view, running her fingers along the seam of exposed skin between his cosplay top and the utility belt he wore. Then, she slowly started to peel it up. He¡¯d never let someone else undress him before, and it felt strangely passive to have them trying to perform some sort of impromptu stripshow using him. As Kelly pulled his top up to reveal his abs, he struggled to focus on who he would ask next and what¡ªbecause he was pretty sure this meant it would be his turn to ask, next.


    The hasty plan he was forming disappeared when he saw the way Stephanie was looking at him.


    The girl¡ªno, Steph¡¯s my GIRLFRIEND, now¡ªwas watching Kelly undress him with rapt attention, her face red with heat and her eyes flicking back and forth from his musculature appearing from beneath the stylized Darkmask bone top up to his eyes and back again. She looked uncomfortable, antsy, working her teeth against her lower lip and fidgeting her bottom on the bedspread of the bed.


    Just as he lifted his arms to allow Kelly to tug and yank the garment up over his head, he caught an unbelievable last glimpse of the pink-haired cutie that was sitting across from him. Stephanie showed him a nervous, slightly dazed smile, and slowly lifted the dress skirt covering her lap. In that shocking split second, she revealed she was not only completely naked beneath¡ªbut flushed pink and glistening with arousal. Then, she eased a hand down between her legs, never taking her eyes off of him.


    Oh, fuck me.


    ¡°This... is Brian,¡± Kelly said, introducing Brian¡¯s bare chest to Stephanie as she carefully pulled the neck of his Darkmask top over his head. ¡°As his girlfriend, you¡¯re gonna be seeing a lot more of this.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Flinging the top across the bed into his pile of things, Kelly stepped back to take a good look for herself. The scene girl¡¯s gaze seemed to cloud over, and it was as though she lost her chain of thought, because the rest of her sentence never materialized. Brian could almost feel the eyes of both of these girls upon him, greedily drinking in the sight of his half-naked body. ¡°Uh.¡±


    Her small chest rising and falling with quickened breath, Stephanie hungrily gazed up and down the contours of Brian¡¯s upper body, lingering in particular on the abdominal lines that led down below his belt. Locking eyes with him once again, she gave him an embarrassed, pleading look. Her one hand was frozen between her legs as if she¡¯d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and in so many ways, she had been.


    Masturbating to the sight of me? Brian still wanted to doubt his eyes, but there was no arguing what was right there in front of him.


    They¡¯d kissed and made out. Last night, he¡¯d gone down on her. Spread those pale, perfect legs of hers and used every iota of his expertise to please and torture the girl to a gasping, writhing orgasm. Just earlier today he¡¯d fingered her, teasing her twat as she sat in his lap amidst a crowded panel room. Was it too much for her? Were they addling her brain with this sudden onslaught, this massive introduction of sex-endorphins? Skewing the direction of her thoughts? No, OUR thoughts?


    ¡°This is gonna be your night sky, Steph,¡± Kelly continued in a dreamy murmur, running her fingertips across the musculature of Brian¡¯s shoulders. ¡°From now on, when you¡¯re laying in bed and lookin¡¯ up, this is what you¡¯re gonna see. Brian, naked. Naked, and on top of you.¡±


    ¡°Hihh,¡± Stephanie let out a small, inarticulate noise. Despite the dim light of the room he could make out the back of her hand as it bobbed up and down again in a languid, sensual movement between her thighs.


    Brian¡¯s mouth watered, and he could almost taste Stephanie¡¯s pretty pink pussy again. It didn¡¯t take much imagination¡ªhe could smell her, a heady sex scent filling their small hotel room as Stephanie helplessly spread her legs a little further and played her fingers along the slick folds of her labia. She was too far gone in her lust-induced abandon for any pretense of discretion¡ªit was as if the sight of his naked chest had her completely unable to help herself.


    ¡°Was¡­ was it my turn, next?¡± Brian tried to clear his throat, struggling to focus on what they were doing.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Stephanie seemed to struggle back to lucidity, her eyes fluttering to clear the sex haze and her legs snapping closed around her guilty hand. ¡°Wait. Keep going, keep¡ªuh, keep showing and telling, Kelly. Just a little bit more.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly looked torn, and she fidgeted, picking at the fabric of her leggings. ¡°I mean, yeah, I guess I can¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Brian protested with a smile. ¡°Seems like... quite a bit for just our first turn, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Just this once?¡± Stephanie asked, rubbing her thighs against one another as if struggling to contain herself. ¡°Please? Just a little, um. Tiny bit more. Then, uh, I¡¯ll be good for the rest of the game. I promise.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a whole lot more I even have to show, though,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°I-I want to see... it,¡± Stephanie blurted out. The sudden and direct admission hung heavily in the air, and Stephanie¡¯s face blushed red.


    ...It?


    ¡°What do you think, Brian?¡± Kelly asked meaningfully, inching forward again so that she could run her fingers across Brian¡¯s chest. ¡°She... hasn¡¯t been a very good girl, has she? But, at the same time, it¡¯s just so hard saying no to her¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ guess you can keep going,¡± Brian relented. ¡°So long as we leave this turn at¡­ you know, just showing and telling.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Kelly nodded quickly, eagerly. ¡°Totally. We¡¯ll be good. Best behavior. Right, Steph?¡±


    ¡°O-of course!¡± Stephanie promised.


    At this moment, both of them made for terrible liars.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Chloe scowled. ¡°Can¡¯t believe he picked this hotel again. This place is such a fucking dump.¡±


    ¡°Aw, it¡¯s not so bad,¡± Rebecca cast her sleepy eyes around the tidy reception area around the check-in counter. Though still clad in her viking tunic and looking every bit like a warrior, she¡¯d reverted to her somewhat drowsy looking expressions and the cute mannerisms they were more used to. ¡°It¡¯s so close to the convention, too! Right across the street. There¡¯s really something to be said for just the convenience of it, right?¡±


    ¡°Rebecca¡ªthey don¡¯t even have wifi,¡± Chloe retorted, giving the girl a look that suggested that was an end-all argument in and of itself.


    ¡°Is that a big deal?¡± Rebecca blinked. ¡°I only ever stay in hotels when I come here.¡±


    ¡°What does it even matter what hotel he picked?¡± Emily griped, crossing her arms in front of her yukata and glaring at Chloe. ¡°You two broke up. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re broken up, exactly,¡± Chloe laughed, stepping up to the counter and impatiently tapping the service bell. She rang it loudly, several times. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. We¡¯re in the middle of working some things out right now.¡±


    Ignoring Emily¡¯s aghast expression, Chloe turned back as one of the hotel staff came out to the counter.


    ¡°Yes! Hello, how can I help you ladies?¡± The man asked, giving them a strained but courteous smile that didn¡¯t quite extend up to his eyes.


    ¡°We need a room number,¡± Chloe explained, pulling a phone out of the pocket of her jean cutoffs. ¡°Part of our group already checked into the room¡ªbut, we just arrived and we don¡¯t know which one it is. I have all the billing information and everything here.¡±


    She has what? Emily watched, dumbfounded and horrified, as Chloe¡¯s slender finger flicked through screens on what she recognized now as Brian¡¯s phone. Did she meet him already at the con? Are they¡ªwait. That girl, the supernatural out-of-nowhere chick, she said something about this, didn¡¯t she? Emily¡¯s mind raced back to the unnaturally alluring words of that terrifying woman she¡¯d encountered.


    ¡°He CAN¡¯T answer his phone,¡± the girl had said. ¡°A certain magical doll stole it away, so that she could play her little tricks.¡±


    Emily had been too shocked at the time to put much thought into it, but seeing Chloe¡ª who¡¯d appeared in her alternate Nibblr feed just this morning as Magical Doll Himari¡ª actually in possession of Brian¡¯s phone now was a little scary and foreboding.


    ¡°Alrighty, just one moment,¡± the receptionist said, tapping through menus on the computer behind the counter. ¡°You said someone¡¯s already checked in? Could I have the name the booking was made in?¡±


    ¡°Brian Douglas,¡± Chloe answered, the barest hint of smugness in her tone. Navigating her way through Brian¡¯s mail app without compunction, she found the registration confirmation email and spun the phone around for the man to see. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Okay alrighty,¡± he said again, nodding amicably. ¡°You girls are in room one-eleven. That¡¯s one one one. Right on the ground floor. Should be outside and on your left, facing the pool. Was there anything else I can help you ladies with today?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s everything, thanks,¡± Chloe smirked, shutting Brian¡¯s phone back off and returning it to her pocket. ¡°C¡¯mon, ladies.¡±


    A little stunned by how easily everything was going for Chloe, Emily was reluctant to follow. She hated that it was like that bitch was taking the lead here, but she couldn¡¯t think of any more excuses for her and Rebecca to avoid Brian. And with Chloe having Brian¡¯s phone, they couldn¡¯t even warn him about what was coming.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rebecca paused, noticing Emily¡¯s feet were still firmly planted in the reception area.


    ¡°...No,¡± Emily said bitterly, making quick strides to catch up. For all that she didn¡¯t want things to happen like this, she still needed to be there for Brian, at this moment more than ever. Please be out somewhere else. Still at the convention, or out to eat or ANYWHERE but here, Brian.


    ¡°Sit on the bed next to Stephanie, first,¡± Kelly asked, fighting the very real urge to tuck an idle hand down into the gray leggings she was wearing. ¡°Closer to the light.¡±


    Brian¡¯s finally going to whip it out. No, I¡¯M going to whip it out for him, Kelly thought in excitement, remembering how thick he¡¯d felt earlier, filling her hand and pressing up the inside of her wrist. Finally. Finally!


    It took every last reserve of willpower she had inside of her not to push him the rest of the way down and straddle him when he sat right there on the edge of the bed. Stephanie was sitting upright with anticipation nearer the headboard, so Kelly pressed in beside Brian on the opposite side, nearer the foot of the bed. She was so horny she felt like she was high, giddy and impatient, eager and oh-so-ready.


    ¡°Just show and tell, right?¡± Brian checked, turning from one side to the other to give a somewhat nervous look to each of the girls.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Kelly lied, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. ¡°Just showing, and telling. That¡¯s it. You ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah. If that¡¯s really what you both want to see,¡± Brian laughed, unhooking the belt of utility pouches. ¡°Go ahead, I guess.¡±


    Head buzzing with lust, Kelly dropped to the floor beside Brian¡¯s knees, and grabbed the waistband of his costume bodysuit on either side of his hip. Trembling with suspense, she pulled the pants down¡ªand Brian¡¯s dick sprung free.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Kelly mouthed, feeling her jaw fall open.


    Stephanie had both hands clamped over her mouth, her glasses slipping down her face and her lovely blue eyes wider than ever.


    That¡¯s. Fucking. Magnificent! Kelly stared up at the thick shaft of cock jutting proudly up from Brian¡¯s lap in amazement. Nothing else she¡¯d seen came close to comparing to this¡ª it felt like it was towering over her. The thing was obscene, so girthy it seemed to bulge, pure, perfect meaty penis that went up on and on for inches and inches all the way to a crown with a rather impressive pronounced flare. Oh my God¡­


    She had to clutch tightly to Brian¡¯s crumpled costume pants at his knees just to keep from losing her balance. Desire was rolling through her body in waves, she was falling and falling but never seemed to hit the ground. The sight of his dick, this realization of what he¡¯d had hidden away from them was staggering, and she could feel her body ache with carnal need for it. For him.


    This is it, Kelly knew, as searing red starfall scorched brilliant paths through the atmosphere of her mind and began to make impacts on this world she¡¯d discovered. This inescapable world that had drawn her in, made the parts of her that had been cold from the long empty dark of space scream with new fire and energy. This man could be her world, now¡ªand the delights of this world would be driven mercilessly into her in this imminent impact, this violent sexual collision so close to happening that she was afraid to blink. Her time alone in distant space was over, for good.

 Together at Last

    ¡°This is it here!¡± Rebecca whispered loudly. ¡°Room hundred and eleven!¡±


    ¡°Why are you whispering?¡± Chloe gave her friend a look.


    ¡°People might be sleeping?¡± Rebecca gestured a finger to encompass the dark skies above the pool¡¯s patio area. With the medieval tunic she was wearing, Emily couldn¡¯t help but think her friend looked like a video game character sneaking about to pick the locks on doors.


    ¡°Night literally just fell,¡± Chloe rolled her eyes. ¡°Nobody goes to bed this early.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Rebecca said in a quiet voice. ¡°Usually.¡±


    ¡°Like I said¡ªnobody,¡± Chloe laughed, showing a gleeful smile that was full of energy. With one arm through the handles of the large plastic gift bag containing her things, she took a moment in front of the room one eleven door to carefully arrange the locks of hair and settle her loose ponytail properly on her one shoulder.


    Ensuring everything¡¯s just perfect for meeting Brian, Emily thought, clenching her teeth.


    ¡°...That¡¯s not nice!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to Rebecca,¡± Emily snapped, trailing behind the two girls with obvious reluctance. ¡°What are we even doing? Brian¡¯s expecting me and Rebecca. He doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re gonna be here.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hand already poised to knock on the door to Brian¡¯s room, Chloe lowered it, turning to sneer at Emily. ¡°What do you know? Who are you to Brian? He¡¯s spent the whole weekend thinking about me, wishing I was here with him. Waiting for me. Has he contacted you at all? I don¡¯t think so¡ªhe didn¡¯t even remember you were coming to AnimeCon, now did he?¡±


    ¡°More like... he couldn¡¯t contact us, because you have his phone?¡± Emily retorted. That girl¡ªthe girl who appeared out of nowhere was right about the phone. Maybe she was right about... everything?


    ¡°That¡¯s between me and Brian¡ªit doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you,¡± Chloe shot back.


    ¡°Guys, guys!¡± Rebecca tried to hush them. ¡°We¡¯re friends! Why are we fighting?! Who¡¯s going to knock?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not gonna knock,¡± Emily said. A strange look came over her, as if suddenly remembering something, and she dug for the little pocket sewn into the Akane Kurokawa bracer at her wrist.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re not,¡± Chloe snorted, raising her fist towards the door again. ¡°Because, as always¡ªyou¡¯re just a little coward.¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Emily grinned at Chloe and proudly held up a room keycard. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna knock, ¡®cause I don¡¯t have to knock.¡±


    Here goes nothin¡¯... Taking a deep breath, she nervously brushed Chloe out of the way and slid the card into the slot above the doorknob. A green diode flashed on the device, and it unlocked with an audible click. Oh my God¡ªit worked. Maybe that girl really fucking was my guardian angel?!


    Emily savored the girl¡¯s speechless expressions for a long, brilliant moment before leaning her weight on the knob, and pushing the door open.


    How the fuck does SHE have a room key? Chloe wondered, confused at the sight of the keycard lock obediently opening for that wretched little runt.


    Did they met up at the convention? Chloe frowned, pursing her lips. No, that shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    There was no time now for her prepared words¡ªa taunt reminding Emily of the little wager they¡¯d made yesterday¡ªas that short-statured latina girl shouldered the door open. Entering without knocking was only going to catch Brian even more off-guard, though, make it even easier to belittle Brian for being flustered and vulnerable at their sudden intrusion. This works. After all, Brian¡¯s all alone. HAH. I made sure of it.


    But, Brian wasn¡¯t alone.


    When the door opened, the girls discovered Brian was flanked on either side by spectacular young women; a rather familiar pink-haired girl sitting beside him let out a startled gasp, and then a raven-haired beauty on her knees who turned to give the speechless newcomers an expectant smile. Brian himself was caught in flagrante delicto, sitting upright on the edge of the bed with costume pants pulled down to his knees and massive dick standing proudly up in the air.


    What, Chloe¡¯s jaw went slack, her mind going blank as she struggled to comprehend the situation. No way. This isn¡¯t¡ªthis isn¡¯t happening. This literally isn¡¯t possible.


    Was that stupid, disgusting, misogynistic penis of his always actually that size? This wasn¡¯t how this long-awaited moment was designed to turn out. The assigned programming was a feature-length Brian beatdown special she¡¯d been looking forward to for months! Instead, the expected scene looked to have been replaced by something right out of a porno. A porno, starring her boyfriend and the two scheming bitches was now playing in place of the carefully culminated feature special Chloe had been anticipating for months.


    This is supposed to be Brian¡¯s pivotal moment of helpless impotence¡ªwhat the fuck about that stupid huge erection and not one, but TWO fucking sluts here with him makes him look impotent and useless?!


    ¡°Whoa! Uh, hey¡ªwhat the hell?!¡± Brian exclaimed in surprise, trying to stand and cover himself. ¡°Chloe?! Emily? This, uh, this isn¡¯t exactly what it looks like¡ª¡±


    ¡°O-oh, oh my goodness! Sorry!¡± Rebecca called out stiffly, eyes widening at the sheer size of Brian¡¯s exposed manhood. ¡°Uh, sorry! Sorry¡ªwr-wrong room?¡± The girl in the medieval tunic stumbled back away, intent on pretending she hadn¡¯t seen Brian and immediately exiting the scene. Her steps stuttered for a moment, however, as she recognized the girl they¡¯d met earlier in the day and Rebecca nearly tripped up in surprise. ¡°St-Stephanie?!¡±


    ¡°Brian? Stephanie?!¡± Emily breathed out in shock, eyes flicking back and forth from that girthy penis jutting up from his lap to the other two unexpected faces in the room. My guardian angel girl¡¯s here, too?! On her knees right in front of Brian¡¯s¡­


    Despite the unexpected presence of the girls, in the end Emily just wasn¡¯t able to peel her eyes away from that entrancing sight¡ªthat flagrant display of thick cock right out there in the open. The various frantic thoughts racing about her mind collided and sank like shipwrecks below the stormy sapphire slosh flooding her entire mind. Uh¡­ Brian¡¯s¡­ pretty damn impressive, isn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kelly¡¯s playful grin spread into an absolutely salacious smile. She teased her tongue over her lips in a blatant show for their guests. ¡°He¡¯s right. It really wasn¡¯t what it looks like¡ªbut well, it sure as fuck is, now.¡±


    Before Brian could struggle the rest of the way up and onto his feet, Kelly pressed him back down, leaning herself over his lap and swallowing that ardent erection whole. She took him deep into her throat on the first go, her lovely elfin nose squashing into him as she buried her entire face into his crotch. Nearly gagging, Kelly felt her esophagus rhythmically squeeze down on his cockhead, but she held herself there for a long, strangely satisfying moment working her lips at his very root.


    ¡°Ke-Kelly¡ªwait!¡± Brian panted out. ¡°Kell¡ªhnnnngg!¡±


    Kelly carefully tucked her falling curtain of black hair behind one ear before slowly releasing him, another new line of red already seeping a new trail down through her dark locks. Although her cheeks hollowed with suction, she was salivating like crazy with all that meat in her mouth and her lips revealed a pulsating shaft very slick with her own spit as she teasingly pulled back up along it.


    In full view of that shocked trio of girls standing in the doorway, inch after swollen inch of throbbing cock disappeared again into the warm confines of Kelly¡¯s mouth. She hummed a tone of pleased contentment as she began blowing him in earnest, ratcheting up the speed and enthusiasm. Kelly¡¯s entire body felt like it was tickling with awareness, tingling with arousal as the blinding red flashes filled her mind. Another strand of color dribbled down through her hair.


    Oh my God! Emily¡¯s eyes shone with glee and thrilled excitement. Shivering with excitement, she felt like the inside of her head was already tittering with beautiful blue splashes of laughter. Yeah, Chloe! Brian was waiting for you, alright¡ªwaiting for you to see THIS!


    It was astonishing seeing Brian getting his dick sucked right in front of her eyes, so unexpected and amazing that Emily found herself completely riveted, incapable of tearing her eyes away from the scandalous act playing out before her. She¡¯d only gotten that brief shocking glimpse of Brian¡¯s prodigious member standing tall before it was gobbled up by that girl¡ªthe mysterious girl who¡¯d provided the room key to her, no less!¡ªbut, the shape, the size, the defining lines of that perfect penis were burned into Emily¡¯s brain, etched into her thoughts like a throbbing blue afterimage.


    To her surprise, rather than jealous, or even possessive of Brian, what Emily felt more than anything was enormous relief. He wasn¡¯t depressed and alone here after all. There was only relief and a bubbly sense of exuberant joy, in seeing this confounded look appear on that cunt Chloe¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡ªyou,¡± Chloe stiffly sputtered, her elegant face flushing red with indignation, refusing to accept the reality of what was playing out in front of her. Up until this moment she was so completely stunned that she was unable to react, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief at the vulgar scene.


    They were both here with him. Both the pink-haired art thot she¡¯d supposedly gotten rid of, and the treacherous girl who¡¯d been wearing gothic lolita were here. These two were both obviously in on it somehow, part of this treacherous conspiracy going against all of her planning, ruining all of her painstaking efforts.


    Fuck-k! Although Brian wanted to react at seeing the girls¡ªespecially Chloe, of all people, unexpectedly bursting into their hotel room¡ªwanted to say something, to address this situation that was spiralling so absurdly out of control, he was completely unable to. This mischievous girl ferociously fellating him made for a sensation so tight, wet and warm that it was all he could do to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head, his body from turning itself inside out and spilling his very soul down Kelly¡¯s gullet in dozens of gigantic glorious spurts. Fuck-k-k, fuck holy fucking fuck it¡¯s been too long since¡ª


    ¡°Brian?! You-you¡¯re cheating on me?!¡± Chloe took a bewildered step forward into the hotel room. The unshakable, lofty look of composure she typically affected was contorting now, her eyes bulging and face twisted into a disbelieving caricature of her normal face. ¡°Really? Really?! How fucking dare you¡ªafter everything I¡¯ve fucking done for you¡ªafter all my hard work?!¡±


    ¡°Cheating?¡± Emily retorted, snapping her attention over to give Brian¡¯s ex-girlfriend an incredulous stare. ¡°Hard work? Chloe, are you fucking stupid?¡±


    ¡°You ungrateful degenerate fucking scumbag!¡± Blinded by her own righteous fury, Chloe made a mad lunge for Brian and the girl whose head was even now still bobbing up and down in his lap. With a painful yank, Rebecca just barely managed to catch Chloe¡¯s arm and pull her back.


    ¡°Stop that! Stop! Get off of him, you goddamn filthy whore!¡± Chloe, increasingly unhinged with Brian¡¯s silence and apparent inaction, tried to force her way forward anyways. Viciously shrieking out in a strange, shrill voice while snarling and gnashing her teeth like a scrapyard dog straining at the end of its chain. ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill you, Brian. I¡¯ll fucking kill you! I¡¯ll fucking murder you you shit ass little fucking faggot!!¡±


    ¡°Okie-dokie well we¡¯re going to go now!¡± Rebecca yelled out in her sing-song voice, bracing her legs and leaning into each step as she fought to pull Chloe back out of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, you rotten cheating fucking piece of shit!¡± Chloe roared. ¡°You¡ªand both of your filthy fucking whores! You¡ªyou filthy fucking rapist shithead! Nobody fucking does this to me, nobody¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gawd, shut up!¡± Emily was trying to shove her way past that wildly clawing and flailing Chloe when she took an elbow hard to the side of her face. On the other side of the room, a still-speechless Stephanie was scrambling back on the bed to hide herself behind Brian.


    ¡°Rapist! Pedophile fuck! Queer fucking faggot!¡± Continuing to scream obscenities, Chloe scrabbled for the nearby dresser, knocking the Darkmask helmet onto the floor and sending the other scattered things everywhere. Her grasping fingers managed to grab at one of the convention lanyards, and Chloe clung to it as she tried to smash everything in sight and wrest free of Rebecca¡¯s pull. She was determined to at least deprive them of something, take away any pound of flesh she could, hurt them in some tangible way.


    ¡°Chloe¡ªChloe, stop!¡± Brian tried to rise up again, but with Stephanie behind him fearfully clinging to his shoulders and Kelly continuing to insistently suck and slurp her way along his dick as if nothing else was happening, he was unable to get any sort of traction.


    ¡°We¡¯re so, so sorry! It¡¯s um, it¡¯s time for us to go, and now we¡¯re leaving!¡± In her desperate attempt to maintain control of the rapidly escalating chaos, Rebecca also managed to grab onto the dazed Emily¡¯s wrist with her free hand.


    ¡°Rebecca¡ªlet go!¡± Emily cried out. With a tremendous effort, Rebecca forcibly hauled both of her friends back out of the hotel room as the door began to swing itself shut again.


    ¡°Let the fuck go of me! I fucking said let the fuck go of me you stupid fucking bitch!!¡± Chloe screamed, smacking Rebecca across the face as the door closed. Trembling with rage, Chloe¡¯s neatly gathered hair had fallen askew of her hair tie and she no longer looked anything like that carefully collected image of grace and poise her friends were accustomed to.


    Belatedly realizing one of the two forces pulling at her arms had disappeared, Rebecca turned to discover one of Emily¡¯s fabric shinobi bracers in her hand¡ªpart of the Akane Kurokawa cosplay, little plastic knives and throwing stars still sewn into their little loops¡ªand nothing else. Working her jaw, Rebecca looked up and down the row of hotel room doors alongside the pool patio, but Emily was gone. She¡¯d somehow darted back into Brian¡¯s room at the last moment.


    ¡°Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°AaarrAAARRGGHH!!!¡± Chloe screamed, kicking out at the door.


    ¡°Chloe honey¡ªwe need to calm down,¡± Rebecca cautioned, turning her frantic friend away from room one-eleven and cautiously releasing her. ¡°That was, um, that was sure surprising? But, we uh we didn¡¯t give him¡ªum, them¡ªany warning, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him,¡± Chloe panted. ¡°Kill. Him. Coward fucking rapist fuckstain.¡±


    Searching with wild eyes for something to destroy, some means to vent her terrible fury, Chloe took the convention lanyard she¡¯d snatched in both hands and tried to rip the pass apart.


    It was impossible. After a brief struggle and a moment¡¯s aggravated frustration, she managed instead to bend and fold the un-tearable laminated convention badge into as much of a crumple as she could. To her surprise, the harem charm, that stupid fucking novelty charm everyone had thought was so funny had the audacity to actually be dangling from the lanyard behind the AnimeCon pass.


    ¡°Nnnrrrah!!!¡± Furious, she grabbed the wooden charm between her fingers and was about to break it in half when sudden sparks spat out, silvery light flashing out from the charm like an electrical discharge.


    ¡°Ow¡ªfuck!¡± Chloe swore. She fumbled the entire lanyard, losing it somewhere in one of the low hedges that separated their walkway from the railing around the pool patio.


    ¡°What the... fuck?!¡± Holding up her finger to the illumination of the hotel¡¯s exterior lights, she saw that not only had she somehow split her nail¡ªit was bleeding! Chloe was just about to more closely examine the bloody fingernail when a silver storm of wind, glinting and sharp, seemed to send shiny slivers through her mind. It swept her frenzied, furious thoughts into sparkling disarray and left behind a strange, uncertain dizziness.


    Whirling unsteadily on her feet, Chloe felt momentarily blinded, and she blinked rapidly in confusion. All that maddening, distorted anger in her head had been elongating certain murderous thoughts, growing into a thorny bramble of blades when that bright burst of lustrous air had suddenly blasted through her mind like an unstoppable gale.


    What. What the¡­?! Some of those sharpened pieces of hatred remained, but so many were broken, disconnected from the narrative in her head. Brittle, confused shards of her wrath were now embedded painfully in emotions they were never intended to touch upon. With the edge taken off her rage-induced clarity, her feelings were collapsing into a mixed-up disorderly mess, and she turned to give Rebecca a blank look.


    ¡°Chloe honey? Chloe?¡± Rebecca took a careful step forward. ¡°Are you oka¡ª¡±


    Chloe lurched forward, vomiting and retching across the hotel walkway.


    FortySixtyFou

 Sticky Situation

    ¡°Kelly¡ªKelly, stop, stop!¡± Brian managed to breath out, trying to push her back by her shoulders.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± She slowly pursed her lips as she released his slick cock, and smiled wickedly up at him. ¡°I know, I know. I was bad, and I should be sorry. But¡ªI¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Hehehehe,¡± pleased laughter came from across the room, and to his surprise, Brian realized that Emily was somehow still inside the room with them. The short Latina in that maddeningly skimpy Akane Kurokawa cosplay was leaning back heavily against the inside of the door, as if bracing against any outside intervention. ¡°Hehehehe!¡±


    Emily?! Damn, when¡¯d she dart back in here? Brian realized to his embarrassment and horror that Kelly was resuming¡ªshe was enthusiastically licking up the length of his penis, right in front of his longtime friend Emily. Before he could fully come to his senses, the beautiful girl lowered her head down onto him again, taking him fully into her mouth.


    ¡°Kelly¡ªunngh, h-hold on a minute!¡± Brian protested, once again trying and failing to remove her. How is so much of Kelly¡¯s hair streaked through with red now?


    ¡°Nope!¡± Kelly declared proudly, smacking her lips. ¡°Not gonna!¡± She plunged back down on him, making loud, wet noises with each bob.


    ¡°Hehehehe!¡± Emily giggled brightly again, clutching distractedly at her cheek where Chloe had elbowed her. ¡°Hi Brian! How¡¯s that feel there, huh? Haha, sure looks like it feels pretty good!¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Brian gave her an awkward smile. He really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry¡ªhow long had it felt like his best friend had been dying for something like this to tease him about? ¡°What are you¡ªMmm¡ªwhat are you doin¡¯ in here?¡±


    ¡°I was invited!¡± She declared proudly. For all of her affected bravado, however, the step forward she took was a nervous, hesitant one. ¡°You totally said we could room here with you tonight. Right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡ª¡± Coherent chain of thought escaped him as Kelly started twisting and sliding around him in a back-and-forth corkscrew motion right in time with each bounce of her head in his lap. Her hand was still gripped tightly around his base, literally beating him off into her mouth as she did so, and it was all he could do in that moment to hang on and keep from cumming right then and there. Ah, fuck-k-k. Not now, Kell, not when Emily¡¯s standing right there fucking grinning at me like this!


    ¡°Ah! I get it¡ªyou¡¯re busy, right?¡± Emily wore a giddy expression, and she gingerly tiptoed another step forward. It was that patented mischievous Emily look he knew so well, like she was excitedly sneaking a peak at the Christmas morning presents. A grinning girl, afraid to get scolded, but just so eager she can¡¯t help but get herself in a little trouble. ¡°Hehehe! Well, like, don¡¯t mind me! I¡¯m not gonna interrupt you guys or anything!¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°Oooh! Don¡¯t call out my name when you¡¯re makin¡¯ sexy faces like that!¡± Emily¡¯s own countenance was going completely red, and she was flashing him a smile so wide that it must have hurt. ¡°You¡¯ll give me the tingles! My heart¡¯s goin¡¯ all a-flutter! Ahahahaha!¡±


    Did you come in here just to mess with me?! Brian wanted to feel embarrassed at the situation, because it was just too weird and impossible for her to be here right when this was inexplicably happening. At the same time, however, it was easy to tell how happy Emily was for him¡ªshe was so obviously thrilled at the situation and practically glowing with pride for him. Even if she¡¯s definitely never gonna let me live this down¡­


    To Brian¡¯s surprise, however, his friend crept even closer, bringing a knee up to sit herself on the bed right beside him.


    ¡°Wow, that looks like it feels freaking amazing!¡± Emily teased, cuffing him on the shoulder. ¡°Right?! How¡¯s it feel, huh? Tell me that feels amazing. You¡¯re really just, like, goin¡¯ at it, girl!¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Kelly hummed. Her cheeks hollowed again as she leisurely pulled herself off Brian with a pop. She was breathing raggedly, working her lips, and absentmindedly touching at the saliva that had run down her chin. ¡°You tryin¡¯ to swap places?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh!¡± Emily froze for a moment before bursting into an uneasy giggle. ¡°Uhhhh¡ª Hehehehe!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ this is, uh. Well, guys, as you mighta guessed, that was my ex Chloe screaming at us, back there. Kelly, Stephanie, this is my friend I kept tellin¡¯ you about. Emily,¡± Brian finally introduced the girl. He was still wrestling Kelly back from his cock, and for a moment the girl fought him, redoubling her efforts to cram the entire thing back in her mouth again.


    ¡°Yeah, uh¡ªwe¡¯ve met,¡± Kelly chuckled, not looking up from what she was doing. She managed to stretch herself forward enough to catch his cockhead between her pillowy pink lips and greedily suckled on it, sloppily french-kissing the tip of his dick. ¡°Mmm, gave Emily my key. How d¡¯you think she got in?¡±


    ¡°Your... key?¡± Brian struggled to concentrate.


    ¡°Yeah! Thanks¡­ Kelly,¡± Emily said, having apparently only now learned her name. She gave Brian a huge smile, watching on with intense interest as Kelly continued to slobber and slather attention all over Brian, and then waved at the girl half-hidden behind him. ¡°Hiya there, Stephie!¡±


    ¡°Hello... again,¡± Stephanie smiled weakly, squeezing Brian¡¯s shoulders tight from where she sat behind him and letting out a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°Wait¡ªwhat?¡± Brian asked distractedly as Kelly enveloped his rod completely with her mouth again. ¡°You guys¡ªhnngh, when did you guys all¡ª??¡±


    ¡°I met Chloe, first,¡± Stephanie admitted in a quiet voice. ¡°She approached me when I was waiting for you outside the panel room. She said¡­ that you were helping them set up, that you told her to tell me to meet them outside the convention, at the loading docks. I-I couldn¡¯t find you, and there were these guys, and they tried to pull me into this other building. They wouldn¡¯t listen, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. Kelly, actually stop now,¡± Brian carefully cupped a hand beneath Kelly¡¯s chin and pulled her off of him. A strand of saliva extended from her smile to his glistening cock.


    ¡°Go on, Steph,¡± Kelly breathed. Although she restrained herself from going back down on him, she slipped her fingers from both hands around his girth and pumped them up and down, slowly pumping that meat right in front of her own fascinated expression. ¡°Tell him.¡±


    ¡°Um. They were going to¡ªthese guys were going to pull me into this doorway, and then¡ªand then, Emily and Rebecca saved me. Emily pulled me away, and Rebecca beat them up. With an axe,¡± Stephanie recalled. The pink-haired girl hiding shyly behind him had a dazed look in her eyes, unable to peel her gaze away from the erection Kelly was playing with. ¡°And, then we ran, and they made sure I was okay, and we talked to security an-and everything. I¡ªI tried to be strong, and brave, b-but, when that awful text came, fr-from your number¡­¡±


    ¡°Text?¡± Brian asked, twisting in place so that he could put a comforting arm around her. ¡°Steph, you should¡¯ve told me everything right away.¡±


    ¡°Chloe musta sent the nasty text,¡± Emily realized, making a face as she pieced together what happened. It was hard for her not to just zone out, watching the hypnotic sight of Kelly steadily stroking that thing. ¡°She has your phone, Brian.¡±


    ¡°Chloe does? Why would she¡ª¡±


    ¡°She stole it, somehow,¡± Kelly joined in, looking completely captivated by the sight as she continued jerking Brian off. ¡°She tried to squirt crap all over the Calamity Queen, too. I swapped you out for that other good Darkmask dude right when someone was askin¡¯ for her picture. And, it worked¡ªshe ended up following us all the way out to this parking garage. Tried to fuck up the dress with all kinds of mustard packets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Brian turned from Kelly to Emily and then to Stephanie. ¡°It¡¯s crazy. I mean, I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe you guys¡ªit¡¯s just, crazy now hearing that all this happened, and I didn¡¯t even know. Are you okay, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± She guiltily looked up to meet his eyes and gave him a beaming smile. ¡°I am now. When I¡¯m with you¡ªwhen I¡¯m with you and Kelly, I¡¯ll always be okay. No matter what. Ah, uh¡ªEmily, too! Emily and Rebecca.¡±


    ¡°Awww, thanks, Stephie! You¡¯re so fuckin¡¯ adorbs!¡± Emily reached past Brian to playfully tousle Stephanie¡¯s fluffy pink hair. It seemed to take a conscious effort on her part as well not to simply keep staring at what was going on in Brian¡¯s lap. ¡°But, enough about all that, hehe! Brian, we¡¯re interruptin¡¯ this badass blowjob you have goin¡¯ on!¡±


    ¡°Gah, don¡¯t look, Emily!¡± Brian protested with a roll of his eyes, shielding his privates from her view with his hand as best he could. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Weird, why?! Why¡¯s it weird?¡± Emily demanded indignantly. The palm still clutching at her cheek didn¡¯t hide her thrilled expression any more than Brian¡¯s hand concealed his dick.


    ¡°Because¡ªbecause you¡¯re my Emily,¡± he blustered in protest. ¡°I don¡¯t want you seeing my junk.¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡± Emily laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, Brian¡­ why not?¡± Kelly added, releasing the penis she¡¯d had a two-handed stranglehold on to hold it with just one thumb and forefinger. She waggled the prodigious erection back and forth a little bit, slapping it against her own cheek. ¡°I mean, would you just look at this thing? What a monster.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Emily mouthed out. It seemed like she¡¯d meant it to sound like mock surprise, but her words rang out in a much more genuine fashion than intended. ¡°Brian, you¡¯re¡­ big. She¡¯s right. That thing¡­ that thing is nuts!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, speaking of¡­¡± With a playful grin, Kelly dropped her hand down below to firmly grasp Brian¡¯s balls. ¡°Check these things out!¡±


    Only just connecting her own choice of words with the situation, Emily covered her face with both hands, small chest rising and falling in quick little jerks as she tried in vain to stifle a very immature fit of giggles.


    ¡°Alright, c¡¯mon,¡± Brian chuckled, trying to reach past Kelly to pull his cosplay pant legs back up. ¡°At least let me have a little dignity, in front of my bro Emily at least?¡±


    ¡°No, no, they¡¯re nice,¡± Kelly objected, hefting them in her hand. She flipped her red-streaked hair out of her face to send him a genuine smile. ¡°I mean geez, they feel heavy. I¡¯m totally not making fun, I swear. Your everything is like¡­ like, are you fucking kidding me? Let her see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian?¡± Stephanie¡¯s innocent voice purred into his ear. ¡°This is show and tell... let her look as much as she wants. Please?¡±


    ¡°Emily,¡± Brian helplessly turned to his longtime friend for support. ¡°You don¡¯t really want to see all this, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh,¡± the petite Latina gave him a guilty smile, attention flashing back up towards his face. ¡°Ummmmm, haha. I mean, a little, kinda? Like, I don¡¯t want anything to get weird ¡®tween us or anything, but dude, you¡¯re like¡­ dude. This thing¡¯s like, nice!¡±


    Emily emphasized her praise with an enthusiastic pair of thumbs-up for him, and Brian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, slumping back against Stephanie in defeat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even gonna be surprised,¡± Brian gave her a lopsided grin. ¡°Of course you¡¯d want to see¡ªyou always were the pervert in our group.¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡± Emily snorted, slapping at his nearby leg. She immediately remembered that it was currently his very naked thigh, with that stupid huge dick standing up just within her reach, and she quickly withdrew her hand. ¡°Like, look who¡¯s freakin¡¯ talking! L-look at you, look at all this!¡±


    ¡°I blame Kelly,¡± Brian joked.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty fair,¡± Kelly admitted. She was still transfixed, gently squeezing and kneading Brian¡¯s bulging ballsack. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the things I got Steph to do this morning.¡±


    ¡°I-I blame Kelly!¡± Stephanie protested weakly. She shifted further back on the bedspread, letting Brian lay back in a reclining position, with his head resting on her thighs.


    While throbs of pure pink lust had certainly been coursing through Stephanie earlier, the sudden situation and Chloe screaming hysterically at them had startled her silent. She was still slowly calming down, and although Brian¡¯s beautifully masculine nude figure was definitely a feast for the eyes... right now, Stephanie was craving calm and comfort. There was something both possessive and strangely satisfying in gently pulling Brian¡ªher boyfriend, Brian¡ªback to cradle him in her lap. Somehow, it felt like she¡¯d unwittingly achieved a major life accomplishment. Lap pillow!


    ¡°You okay, Emily?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Am I okay?¡± the cute cosplayer gave him a confused look.


    ¡°You¡¯re holding your face.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡ªyeah, hah. I think Chloe mighta got me with an elbow back there,¡± Emily withdrew her palm and gingerly probed her cheek with her fingertips, immediately swearing. ¡°Ow, ow ow ow. Fuckin¡¯ cunt!¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Brian insisted, motioning her forward.


    ¡°Uh,¡± she froze. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Feeling almost numb with trepidation¡ªor maybe anticipation, Emily carefully climbed down onto her hands and knees atop the bed beside him with stiff, careful movements. She felt as though that right now sloshing blue arousal and attraction had filled the chalice of herself to its very brim, and any untoward movement on her part ran the danger of spilling out the truth of her feelings. In a lot of ways.


    He was practically naked, resting his head on one girl¡¯s thighs while another was playing with his dick, and he wasn¡¯t able to ignore the weird way Emily had been clutching her cheek. She felt like he could¡¯ve been in his rights to tell her to take a hike in this situation, longstanding friendship or not. Sex hung in the air in here, and not just as a possibility. Hot and heavy things were gonna be crashing over this hotel room like a tidal wave, a terrible, full-body-tingling inevitability.


    I¡¯m not in over my head again¡­ right? I can ride this out to wherever it goes, Emily licked her lips, giving Brian a nervous smile. She leaned in closer so that he could see her face, and she could almost see the triumphs and tribulations he¡¯d gone through this weekend, dancing in those mottled green eyes of his. Could he see beneath the surface, to those terrified trembling depths?


    ¡°H-how bad is it?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°Um,¡± he studied her face carefully for a moment, bringing his opposite hand over to gently caress her cheek with his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s swelling. I think I¡¯d better go out to the machine and get you some ice. The room has a bucket around here, somewhere or other.¡±


    ¡°But, you can¡¯t leave,¡± Emily playfully protested. She tilted her head slightly so that she could rest it on Brian¡¯s hand, feeling a trickle of bright blue tickle down her abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re busy. And naked!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to run out and fill the ice bucket?¡± Stephanie offered.


    ¡°Er¡­ n-no,¡± Brian started, but his thought was cut off as Kelly engulfed his rigid dick with the confines of her mouth again. The girl clasped his balls from beneath with one hand and languidly massaged them as her lips slid down him, coaxing more and more of his meat into the entrance of her throat.


    Holy shit, Emily¡¯s jaw fell open.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡ªdon¡¯t want you going out there, yet,¡± Brian managed, battling for lucid thought as Kelly slowly pulled back and then plunged down upon him again. ¡°Don¡¯t want to chance Chloe running into you or anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re done with Chloe, right?¡± Emily demanded, wetting her lips. She felt like she should probably sit back up now that his attention was wandering away from her, and it felt like she was grasping at straws to stretch out this rare and strangely intimate moment. ¡°Like, done with her for good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°We¡¯re definitely done. I don¡¯t know what her deal even is, doing all this stuff this weekend.¡± His body seemed to quiver the tiniest bit.


    Is it a sensitive subject? Emily wondered. Or¡­ is he really close to cumming right now? Oh my God. Brian¡¯s gonna cum, right here with me next to him. I¡¯ll get to see it all, firsthand!


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s just a fucking psycho,¡± Emily told him, feeling incredibly satisfied. In the guise of making her awkward position a little more comfortable, Emily settled down where she was, right there next to him. Their faces were close, and she was practically pinning his one arm down beneath her. ¡°Gawd, did you see Chloe¡¯s face though, Brian? Did you see her fucking face?! If only I¡¯d thought to take a picture...¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªwhat are you doing?¡± A tremor went down through Brian¡¯s bare chest again, and they were in such proximity that it sent a clear ripple spreading throughout the blue filling Emily¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Uh, watchin¡¯ you get blown?¡± Emily giggled. ¡°What, is it weird?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kinda?¡± Brian answered distractedly. His body involuntarily jerked again, unable to keep from responding to the head bobbing up and down in his lap.


    ¡°Ooh, I felt that! You must be gettin¡¯ close, huh?¡± Emily teased. ¡°Looks like it must feel fuckin¡¯ amazing. Am I right? How does it feel, how is she? She¡¯s way better than Chloe, right?¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Brian chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Chloe¡­ never did this.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Emily made an exaggerated face of indignation. ¡°Ah, who am I kidding, of course she didn¡¯t. Hey, Kelly¡ªit¡¯s Kelly, right? You¡¯ve gotta like, make this one an extra special. Tie knots in cherry stems with your tongue, and all that jazz.¡±


    ¡°No tying it into knots, thanks,¡± Brian muttered, smacking his free hand into his face. ¡°Emily¡ªwould you get out of here? You¡¯re making it weird.¡±


    ¡°I-I am not!¡± Emily protested, trying not to sound panicked. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s sittin¡¯ there watching too, you didn¡¯t say anything about her!¡± Emily looked up accusingly past Brian to Stephanie.


    ¡°She asked me out,¡± Brian said, reaching back to touch Stephanie¡¯s side. ¡°Stephanie¡­ is my girlfriend, now. We¡¯re dating.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emily stared in disbelief from the softly smiling Stephanie who was cradling Brian¡¯s head on her thighs. Then Emily turned to regard Kelly, who was enthusiastically sucking Brian¡¯s dick. ¡°Wait, what? Since when?! Whaaaaat?! What is she, then?!¡± She found herself confused and happy for them and pleased all at once, before any painful spike of jealousy even had time to hit her.


    ¡°Kelly is¡­ my other girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI never said I was gonna be your girlfriend,¡± Kelly panted out, releasing his engorged member to gasp for air. She sent him a devious smile, pumping both hands up and down his shaft to jack him off in a frenzied motion. ¡°You never exactly asked.¡±


    ¡°Will you?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Please?¡± Stephanie added.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly agreed with an easy grin, not needing any time to deliberate. She rocked back to sit on her heels, releasing her grip on Brian¡¯s dick, and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. ¡°Sure, sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, what?!¡± Emily demanded. ¡°What about me?!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Brian looked back at her. ¡°You¡¯re my Emily¡ªyou don¡¯t like me that way.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Emily froze up.


    ¡°Right?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Emily mumbled.


    ¡°You, uh, better think fast,¡± Kelly teased, flashing her a wicked grin.


    Then, the vixen with red-streaked black hair crossed her arms over one another, taking the hem of her Rolling Phones shirt. Kelly pulled the loose-fitting black garment up over her head, and large, pale tits spilled free.


    Emily couldn¡¯t help but stare across Brian¡¯s lap at the girl. Each massive-looking mammary jutted out from Kelly¡¯s body in an impressive teardrop shape, and even hanging unsupported, the round fullness of those slopes collided into one another to form a canyon of cleavage. They mesmerized Emily in how firm and ripe they appeared, and that lightly pigmented areola seemed to form a hypnotic ring around the base of each of her perfect nipples, which pointed proudly forwards.


    Whoa fuck, Emily swallowed nervously. She¡¯d always wished for a show-stopping rack like that. Seeing these now in the flesh, jiggling out into the open air, Emily felt a little confused on the context in which she wanted to possess them. It was just as easy to imagine grasping, hefting, and squeezing Kelly¡¯s breasts for her own satisfaction. It¡¯s not gay to think that, right? They¡¯re just nice. Really nice. Fuck.


    Fortunately, she had an uncomfortably beautiful and equally stacked mother, so Emily was all too aware of her own occasional freudian slips¡ªand no stranger to immediately burying and repressing them. She instead quickly turned her head away to see Brian¡¯s reaction. Both he and Stephanie were speechless, completely entranced by Kelly¡¯s topless form.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m your girlfriend, Brian, I wanna make up for Chloe¡¯s¡­ lack of effort?¡± Kelly purred, cupping a breast in either hand. She worked her mouth for a moment, and then silently spit a long, glistening strand of saliva to land in the crevice between her tits.


    ¡°Unnnghhh,¡± Brian let out a low breath as Kelly leaned in and pressed his twitching hard-on between her breasts.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± She rocked forward and back again on her knees, letting his rod slip up and down along the slick crease so that the flare of its head appeared and disappeared in the crevasse. Her own face flushed with arousal, Kelly nibbled on her lip, quashing her breasts around Brian¡¯s cock until titflesh bulged between her fingers. ¡°Li¡¯l extra effort only makes everything more enjoyable for everyone, right?¡±


    The titfuck was a little louder than the blowjob, and although less intimate than taking him into her mouth, the sexual tension in the air only became more and more electrifying. Squeezing him into the slippery line between her breasts was a different dynamic because Kelly was no longer mostly out-of-sight. Her presence was so much more strongly felt when she was upright and ¡®there¡¯ with them; free to speak, to turn and engage each of them with that slightly dazed smile of hers, sitting up where they could see her every ragged breath.


    It felt like the blue light inside of Emily was surging and swaying, and she fought to keep from squirming into motion with it right up against Brian. Everyone seemed captivated by Kelly, because she was demonstrating that not only was this sexy situation they¡¯d all found themselves caught up in obviously not going to end with just that blowjob¡ªit wasn¡¯t likely to end at the titfuck, either.


    Emily could feel Brian jerking and untensing, and she was forced to subtly adjust herself where she lay trapping his one arm beneath her, for fear of pressing and rubbing herself against him. Her poor Brian was the one held prisoner more than anyone by this pace Kelly was drawing them all into. Emily found herself torn between giving him some room to breath, or¡­ smothering him herself with an ardent application of lips, tongue, and nibbling teeth.


    Oh fuck. She knew she was wet down there just by the antsy clenching and trembling of her own thighs, but something much more than that was coming over her. It was as if liquid affection spreading throughout her entire body, loosening her stiff posture, melting and molding her to nestle even closer against Brian. That rhythmic slap of flesh and the slight swaying of the mattress was doing strange things to her thoughts, and blue light was bubbling up within her into a building sexual pressure. Oh fuck, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.


    Cum for us, Brian. She wanted Brian to release, she could feel it on the horizon in every flex of his muscle and quickened little breath. She felt more than a little manic, she wanted him to squirt, wanted to see him splooge, wanted to feel her Brian spasm wildly into orgasm while she had her entire body nuzzled up against his. The big wave was coming, and she wanted to ride it with him, needed to ride this crest with him, an urgent desire that strangled out all of her other fears and insecurities. Cum for me, Brian! Cum cum cum cum!


    Before she realized what she was doing, Emily brought herself forward, took hold of Brian¡¯s face with both hands, and passionately kissed him.


    There was a moment of her own stunned surprise, and then it felt like a dam had broken within her, and so many pent up feelings were all at once able to pour out of her and into this kiss. It was a shimmering blue release that shone throughout her entire body, it was clarity and movement after what felt like years of obfuscating stagnation. Oh my fuck. Fuck. Fuck my fuck.


    Emily squirmed and wriggled helplessly atop his arm on the bed, weakly kicking her feet as the long still waters within her instead became an unstoppable current. She could feel her lips mashed against his, her tongue slipping between to find his. They were connected, joined, and the warm, moist sensation of Brian¡¯s mouth, her Brian, his tongue pressing back to slide against hers finally washed away all of the world¡¯s worries.


    There had been a question she¡¯d never been able to voice, an unrequited longing that had long seeped down into her psyche like a poison; Have you felt about me¡­ the way I feel about you?


    You have no fucking idea, his kiss seemed to answer, and the sheer passion in his response took her breath away and rocked through her like a crash of blue surf and foam.


    Brian erupted in an enormous spurt of cum that flung up along Kelly¡¯s neck, and then another, and another, each blast splattering more warm semen across the lines of her clavicle and down her chest. She tilted her chin down in surprise, catching flying white globs in her mouth and across her face, and then sputtered as he just kept cumming and cumming with no apparent end in sight.

 Show and Tell, Round Two

    Is that¡­? Wow. Is that all¡­?! Stephanie thought, eyes widening at the generous splattering of cum plastered up along Kelly¡¯s neck, some beginning to slide down to pool in her cleavage. Watching Kelly guide him to climax, feeling him shift against her thighs and finally go rigid had Stephanie going crazy. Beneath the gijinka dress, she was wearing nothing at all, and she was way past heating up¡ªshe was positively molten and squirming with arousal.


    Nuclear pink was flashing intermittently across her mindscape and twitching twinges traveled up and down her body. Stephanie hadn¡¯t been able to imagine anything more sexual than when she¡¯d been secretly fingered amidst a room of strangers earlier. However, that helpless sort of desire paled before witnessing the obscenely pornographic lust of Kelly fellating him and then squeezing his magnificent dick between her breasts and getting him off while others watched¡ªbeing finger-fucked in the panel room seemed like a private, subdued moment in comparison.


    I want that, Stephanie struggled to think, to push coherent thoughts through this radioactive pink haze engulfing her. Another tremor went through her body, and she felt herself contract down there with need. Hours ago, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to even imagine something so directly lewd, and now she realized that she needed it, the idea immediately transforming into raw erotic compulsion. I want to make him cum all over me. With my mouth, with my body¡­ with everything. I want it¡ªI NEED it.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Kelly murmured in surprise, sliding her hands up her breasts to gather goopy spreads of ejaculate. ¡°Is this for serious?¡± Milky white seed was everywhere, in runny spatters and slick strands. A portion of it was even visible in her mouth, cradled between her lip and her tongue, and a string was dripping down from the side of her chin. A mess of semen was all over her chest and the globes of her breasts, beading downward like drooping candle wax, but clearer, more fluid-looking. Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but wonder how warm it felt. How it tasted.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Emily breathed out in surprise as she disengaged from the nearly insensate Brian. ¡°Is that all¡ªd-did he just¡ªerupt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen so much all at once? Like, even in movies? Jesus, Brian.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡±  Brian managed to gasp out between ragged breaths. ¡°Did¡ªdid you just kiss me?!¡±


    ¡°What? N-no,¡± Emily denied, her face flushing red in embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡±


    ¡°I think that maybe you did, Emily,¡± Stephanie let out a giggle, leaning forward over Brian to gently run her hand through Emily¡¯s pixie cut. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Her fingers revealed a brilliant strand of blue now adorning Emily¡¯s bangs.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emily blushed, batting away Stephanie¡¯s hand. ¡°What? Ew, Brian! Did you get jizz on me?! Ew!¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°You kissed him alright¡ªyou¡¯ve got a streak of color. S¡¯how we know who all¡¯s guilty around here.¡±


    ¡°Color? Whaddya mean, ¡®color?¡¯¡± Emily protested with a blush. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Blue?¡± Brian looked at her in surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Pink, and then red, and now blue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fallin¡¯ for it!¡± Emily proclaimed, twisting away from Brian so that she could sit up. ¡°You guys are just tryin¡¯ to distract from all of¡­ this.¡± She gestured towards the gooey mess flung all over Kelly¡¯s cleavage and beginning to drip down towards Brian¡¯s naked thighs.


    ¡°While we¡¯re on the subject of Brian paint-by-numbers,¡± Kelly teased, swiping a fingertip through the milky white spending across her breast. ¡°Steph¡ªtell me if this does anything.¡±


    Everyone watched in surprise as Kelly then took the dollop of spunk and put it between her lips, slurping it into her mouth as if it was a gob of icing. For a moment, there was only Kelly¡¯s expectant look¡ªbut then, Stephanie realized that a cascade of bright red was soaking down through the remaining black in Kelly¡¯s hair, swallowing up what had once been disparate streaks of color until only a few black strands remained. Kelly¡¯s eyebrows followed suit, turning a brilliant red as they arched up over her fluttering eyes.


    ¡°Uwwaaahh-haaaahhh, I know it did somethin¡¯, ¡®cause that felt like, uh.¡± Kelly paused, licking her lips. ¡°Like a fuckin¡¯ deep scalp massage, but like¡ªfrom the inside of my skull. Little red comets and shit. Feels fucking amazing.¡±


    ¡°It... did do something,¡± Stephanie confirmed, bit her lip, unable to shake that restless horny buzz going up and down her body. ¡°You¡¯re almost completely red, now.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ the fuck?¡± Emily¡¯s mouth fell open in astonishment at Kelly¡¯s transformation. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°Whoa. I mean,¡± Brian murmured, blinking at them, still obviously fairly out of it. ¡°Kelly, that¡¯s...¡±


    Briaaan¡­ Looking across Brian¡¯s handsome features as his head was cradled in her lap, down that perfect naked chest of his to where his incredible penis stood, still shockingly erect, finally to Kelly¡¯s breasts¡ªbountiful scoops of flesh, thoroughly soused with that liberal marination of white ejaculate¡­ The pink heat of desire building up inside of Stephanie was almost unbearable, and she couldn¡¯t control her breathing anymore. Impulsive ideas, each one more salacious than the last, rose and fell within her on molten pink plumes of liquid arousal.


    The urge to get up, go over and swipe Brian¡¯s creamy cum off of Kelly¡¯s ample breasts and shovel it eagerly into her mouth was overpowering. She wanted it, so badly that it was frightening. Wanted to frantically lick and kiss every last pearl of Brian¡¯s spunk off of her friend¡¯s fair skin, wanted to smear it all over herself, wanted to share it with Kelly in a messy kiss so that they could both enjoy the heady high of this moment.


    More than anything, she wanted to try blowing Brian herself.


    ¡°No, seriously,¡± Emily interjected. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°You saw how I did that,¡± Kelly said, dipping her fingers back into the runny glaze across her cleavage and sucking it into her mouth again. ¡°Brian¡¯s got magic cum, duh.¡±


    ¡°Magic kisses, too?¡± Stephanie added with a sheepish smile. ¡°A magic tongue?¡±


    ¡°Sure seems like it,¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He what,¡± Emily stared at them in disbelief.


    ¡°Your hair gets color when you kiss him,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°It¡¯s a thing. Or, also when you¡­ um, other things. You should have felt something, that was... really out of the ordinary, to go along with it, right? Something amazing? You have strands of blue in your hair now, Emily.¡±


    ¡°I what,¡± Emily¡¯s hands shot up to her hair. ¡°I do not. You guys¡¯re fuckin¡¯ with me.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel it?¡± Kelly teased, sliding fingers slick with cum into her mouth and pulling them out clean. The last vestiges of her dark hair were rapidly disappearing. ¡°Fuck, I still feel it. Steph¡ªyou¡¯ve gotta try some of this.¡±


    ¡°I-I, um, is it¡­?¡± Stephanie stammered out an uneasy laugh.


    ¡°Try some,¡± Kelly insisted, dropping her arms to her sides and presenting her chest. ¡°I wanna see what else happens.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Brian shook his head, groggily struggling up onto his elbows. ¡°Emily, why¡¯d you kiss me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?!¡± Emily shrunk back from him, still covering her head. ¡°Wh-why¡¯d you be a stupid sexy jerk-butt?!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sens¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t make any sense!¡± Emily cut him off. ¡°This whole¡­ this doesn¡¯t make any sense! What the fuck is going on?!¡±


    ¡°You have blue in your hair,¡± Brian pointed out with a chuckle.


    ¡°Y-you have jism everywhere!¡± Emily countered, her voice going into a higher pitch. ¡°You just got sucked and blown and fucking titfucked right in front of us and you¡¯re naked and you have girlfriends¡ªgirlfriends, plural, and¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but why¡¯d you kiss him, though?¡± Kelly smirked, giving her a look.


    ¡°Th-this isn¡¯t about me!¡± Emily protested, pointing an accusing finger at Kelly. ¡°You¡¯re topless and covered in spooge, you don¡¯t get a say!¡±


    ¡°Spooge? Who says spooge?¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a dork. Call it cock sauce. Baby batter. High fructose porn syrup, throat yogurt, man-glue¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why¡¯d you kiss me though, Emily?¡± Brian pressed, looking at his longtime friend with equal parts curiosity and amusement in his expression. ¡°Was it just¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªPenis colada, trouser tallow, daddy-milk¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sh-shut up!¡± Emily protested. ¡°Both of you! I just¡ªI don¡¯t know, I just felt like it, okay? It¡¯s not a big deal. We¡¯ve kissed before. Not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°No we haven¡¯t,¡± Brian shook his head, giving Emily an incredulous look.


    ¡°We totally have!¡± Emily blustered out, pulling her yukata closed again. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Let her speak,¡± Stephanie chided, tapping Brian¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I... wasn¡¯t drunk,¡± Emily admitted in a small, almost inaudible voice, looking at them like they were bullying her.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t drunk, back then,¡± Emily said quietly. ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°No, no, you definitely were drunk,¡± Brian pointed out. ¡°You passed out and everything.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ªfine, I was a little drunk,¡± Emily gave him a nervous smile. ¡°But, I wasn¡¯t... supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°I swear Emily, if you¡¯re messing with me right now¡­ do you have any idea what a crush I had on you all throughout high school?¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Emily looked stunned. ¡°You fucking what?! You did not. I wasn¡¯t the crush, you were the crush!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, real mature, Emily,¡± Brian rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re rubber and I¡¯m glue, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, cut it out, I¡¯m being so for serious right now,¡± Emily exclaimed. There was a strange, giddy feeling rising up within her, as if the strange blue was beginning to bubble with anticipation. ¡°Did you for real have a crush on me?¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°You answer first!¡± Emily insisted in a childish manner.


    ¡°When did you start to have a crush on me, then?¡± Brian challenged.


    ¡°First day of school,¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help but smile brilliantly. ¡°Right when you¡ªyou know, when you released your power level.¡±


    ¡°His¡­ power level?¡± Kelly gave her a strange look.


    ¡°So, why didn¡¯t you ever¡­?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I did!¡± Emily said in exasperation, looking away to hide her embarrassment. ¡°It just¡­ well, you know how it went. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said something¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡­ could not. Nope, no, no way,¡± Emily blustered. ¡°It was tough for me back in high school, okay?! Why didn¡¯t you ever say something?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ also tough, back then,¡± Brian managed. ¡°There was stuff. Things.¡±


    ¡°Well¡ªokay, yeah,¡± Emily winced. ¡°That¡¯s true. But, that was all a long time ago!¡±


    ¡°It was.¡±


    ¡°So...¡± Emily fidgeted on the bed. ¡°I could be your girlfriend too, now, right? C¡¯mon, everybody¡¯s doing it!¡±


    ¡°I mean, yeah¡ªyou could,¡± Brian gave her an even look. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t half-sure that you¡¯re just fucking with me. You¡¯re somehow both the first person and the last person I¡¯d ever trust.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to say to convince you?!¡± Emily laughed.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Brian countered with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯d have to prove it.¡±


    ¡°You prove it,¡± Emily argued. ¡°You¡¯re the one that said you have this big crush on me! Hah, yeah right!¡±


    ¡°No, you!¡±


    ¡°No, you!¡±


    ¡°Children, children,¡± Kelly interrupted, amused at seeing Brian reveal this unexpected side of him. ¡°Can you two just fuck and get it over with?¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Emily said, her voice slightly wavering.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re being completely serious?¡± Brian asked with finality. ¡°About me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily answered, looking gun-shy once again. ¡°Kinda?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®kinda?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Uh, kinda¡­ completely?¡± Emily admitted.


    ¡°Emily,¡± Kelly intervened again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try convincing him? And, I don¡¯t mean with your words?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily stiffened up. ¡°Umm.¡±


    Seeing Emily¡¯s eyes dance with nervous anticipation, watching her ever-so-hesitantly lean into Brian for a second kiss made Stephanie want to squeal with delight. The whirling inferno of pink fire heating her body didn¡¯t contain a single flame of jealousy¡ªif anything, Emily¡¯s presence seemed to have brought out even more of Brian, more of Brian¡¯s depths than she¡¯d have seen otherwise. A shared past, readily evident in how at ease they were with one another, with the twists and turns of the feelings they¡¯d tried to suppress for each other made all the more interesting.


    The Latina tilted her head as her lips suspensefully neared Brian¡¯s, the shaggy bangs of her pixie-cut falling across her face, when¡ª


    ¡°Hey there! Listen up!¡± A tinny, high-pitched voice loudly interjected, and Brian and Emily both flinched back from each other with embarrassed looks. Although it had been several years, Stephanie recognized the sound byte as the guide fairy from Legends of Griselda, and she heard Emily cuss to herself and pull a phone out from a hidden pocket sewn into the sash of her costume¡¯s obi.


    ¡°Haha, uh. Shit,¡± Emily fidgeted, her face flushed completely red. ¡°Sorry, s-some timing, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Brian awkwardly cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah. It was gonna be either your phone or mine that did that, hah.¡±


    Except... your phone was stolen, Stephanie remembered. It was a fact that didn¡¯t sit well with her, because after everything that had happened, she was sure Chloe would find something rotten to do with it. That tense anger from before began to creep back up the more she thought about it.


    ¡°Well?¡± Looking eminently entertained, Kelly rested an elbow on the bed besides Brian from where she sat on the floor. The now brilliantly-red haired young woman was idly tracing lines through the splatter of cum and depositing globs of the stuff in her mouth like she was snacking on popcorn. ¡°What¡¯s the hold up?¡±


    ¡°Uhh.¡± Pale illumination was cast across Emily¡¯s face as she unlocked her phone to read the message. ¡°It¡¯s Rebecca¡ªshe says sorry. They¡¯re on their way to the car, she¡¯s gonna swing by to give me my bag. Then, she¡¯s gonna try to find a different room someplace for them.¡±


    ¡°There¡­ might not be any,¡± Stephanie quirked her lip into a frown. While it seemed fitting to her that Chloe would have no place to stay¡ªthat didn¡¯t seem fair at all to her savior Rebecca. ¡°All the hotels near the convention center are probably booked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the rooms were all reserved out like, months ago,¡± Brian agreed, pulling himself back up into a sitting position.


    ¡°Rebecca can still room with us, right?¡± Emily asked, peeking at Brian. ¡°Then, Chloe can just sleep out in the car overnight or something?¡±


    ¡°Is Rebecca fine watching us fornicate like beasts for most of the night?¡± Kelly hummed to herself with a saucy smile, running a finger along Brian¡¯s length. ¡°In case you girls haven¡¯t noticed¡ªthis bad boy isn¡¯t going down at all.¡± The room lapsed into silence and the three girls found themselves staring at the girthy erection, still standing up as tall as ever and with no apparent signs of going flaccid anytime soon.


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna fuck me senseless, ¡®til I don¡¯t even know which one of us is Kelly anymore. Hard, loud sex,¡± Kelly informed Emily in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°After that¡ªonce he¡¯s taken a bit of the edge off¡ªhe¡¯s gonna make love sweetly and gently to Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Emily let out an uneasy laugh. It looked like she couldn¡¯t tell if Kelly was kidding or not. ¡°Then, then what about me?!¡±


    ¡°Uh, then you and Brian awkwardly dick around with each other never getting anywhere,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°If what I¡¯ve seen is any indication.¡±


    ¡°Starting to feel like somewhere along the way, we veered off course from our innocent game of Show and Tell,¡± Brian murmured under his breath, putting a hand over his privates. ¡°Don¡¯t let her lead you astray too, Emmie.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ have a room that Rebecca and Chloe should be able to use tonight,¡± Stephanie finally spoke up, trying not to look as conflicted as she felt. ¡°I was supposed to share a room with my friend, we split the cost together, but I. Um. Ended up staying here, instead. I¡¯m sure Megan won¡¯t mind at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but wasn¡¯t that room¡­ well. You know?¡± Brian exchanged looks with Kelly and then made a face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stephanie nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line. ¡°But, I can at least offer. I need to go over there tonight anyways to give Megan my charger, or, ah, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have a phone tomorrow to get in touch with me for the trip home.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡­ uh, yeah,¡± Emily said. ¡°If you¡¯re cool with that, we can do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go change into real clothes,¡± Stephanie said, standing up.


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Kelly protested. ¡°Ugh, you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°Brian, can I talk to you... privately for a second?¡± Emily asked, fidgeting with her yukata.


    Dragging her bulging travel bag into the bathroom with her¡ªStephanie was exhausted enough that she didn¡¯t want to bother carrying it¡ªshe began to change into her normal, everyday clothes for the first time this weekend. Slipping back out of her pink-and-red Flamituff dress, she donned her last pair of underwear, a simple white tee, and then stepped into a pair of blue denim overalls which were so faded they were nearly white. The overalls were cut off just above the knee like a pair of shorts, and like all of her favorite clothes, they didn¡¯t draw much attention to her features.


    She made sure to take her phone charger from her bag as well before zipping it closed, folding and tucking the cable into her pocket. Stephanie hadn¡¯t actually even needed to charge her phone over the weekend, her battery was still fine as she seldom had reason to use the device. Megan on the other hand, seemed unable to cope without, pulling up videos to watch even on elevator rides and playing anime theme music out loud when they¡¯d walked to the convention center together Friday morning.


    The reminder that tomorrow¡ªSunday¡ªwas AnimeCon¡¯s final day was incredibly sobering, and Stephanie was just now beginning to feel the ending of all of this approach with what almost felt like horror. Her last two days spent with Brian and Kelly had been a bewildering adventure, and it no longer felt like it had all happened in the span of a single weekend at all. She already felt like she¡¯d become an entirely different Stephanie. The idea that all of it would abruptly be over before she knew it¡­


    Steeling her nerves, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bending to pull and tug her bag along behind her.


    ¡°You look nice,¡± Brian said.


    He was completely naked, having at some point kicked completely free of that lower half of the Darkmask bodysuit around his ankles. The sight made Stephanie¡¯s heart race. Brian was kneeling down in front of the room¡¯s dresser to collect the various things there that had been thrown to the floor amidst Chloe¡¯s thrashing tantrum from earlier, while Emily looked to have been crouched beside him speaking in hushed tones.


    ¡°Steph. You look¡­ like a high school freshman,¡± Kelly visibly struggled not to cringe when she glanced at Stephanie¡¯s apparel. She was now lounging on her belly across the bed with her feet lazily kicking in the air, still topless, and making no effort to conceal her bare breasts. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to work on that.¡±


    ¡°I think she looks cute!¡± Emily protested indignantly. ¡°I have a pair just like that, ¡®cept it¡¯s a darker shade of denim.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stephanie sighed. With more than a little trepidation, she grabbed her shoes and walked over to sit beside Kelly so she could put them on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go out,¡± Kelly said bluntly, giving her a meaningful look. ¡°Let psychobitch and her friend fend for themselves out in the wilds. Me, you, and Brian? We were kinda having something going on tonight¡­ weren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We were,¡± Stephanie sighed. ¡°We will. We do. It¡¯s, it¡¯s just. I thought I was ready, I really felt ready, but¡­ I need to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Kelly disagreed.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie lowered her voice so that Brian and Emily wouldn¡¯t overhear, ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so angry in my entire life. I didn¡¯t even know it could feel like this, this¡­ overpowering. I don¡¯t understand, I don¡¯t understand at all how Chloe could be like that to him. To us. She didn¡¯t even know us!¡±


    ¡°I get it, Steph, I really do¡ªbut you need to let it go,¡± Kelly cautioned her. ¡°It¡¯s over between them, it¡¯s in the past. This is our last night here at AnimeCon, you know? Don¡¯t waste time on her bullshit, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡®I¡­ know that,¡± Stephanie said, struggling not to grind her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t feel right about it, yet. When I¡ªwhen we¡ªdo make love to Brian, I just, I want to be completely there with you guys, not¡­ I don¡¯t know how I feel right now. Angry. Angry and unresolved, and I just¡ªyou know, I can¡¯t just get over it like that, or let it go.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that fuckin¡¯ cunt,¡± Kelly swore under her breath. ¡°Really think about it for a sec, Steph. The best revenge you can take? Stay here. Brian¡¯ll seriously stuff your muffin, you can be creaming yourself crazy on that cock all night while she¡¯s out there eating trash from the gutter by herself.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want revenge,¡± Stephanie sounded unsure even to herself. ¡°I want¡­ I don¡¯t know what I want. I want to understand, need to know why she would do all of that.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Fine,¡± Kelly grumbled in obvious irritation, starting to get up. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get fucking dressed.¡±


    ¡°No, Kelly¡ªno,¡± Stephanie whispered quickly, stealing a look over towards Brian to make sure he hadn¡¯t overheard. ¡°I want you to stay here with Brian.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no?¡± Kelly looked at her as if she was stupid. ¡°We all go together, or you don¡¯t go at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stephanie assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll be with Emily, and Rebecca won¡¯t let anything happen. If you¡¯re there, I. Um. Think I won¡¯t be able to find out what I need to know. The situation will just¡­ escalate? And, I don¡¯t want Brian to have to deal with her ever again, either.¡±


    ¡°You think things aren¡¯t gonna escalate with just you and her?¡± Kelly sounded angry, now. ¡°You¡¯re upset and confused, and she¡¯s a fucking mad dog out to taste blood. Nothing good¡¯s gonna fucking come out of going to see her, you know? Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I... know that,¡± Stephanie said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to go anyways. I-I feel like I need to do this for myself, or there¡¯ll always be a part of me that feels like I¡¯m not really Brian¡¯s girlfriend. Not completely.¡±


    ¡°That... doesn¡¯t even make any fucking sense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it does,¡± Stephanie sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ how I feel. I think?¡±


    ¡°Wait, is this a¡ªare you trying to do an alpha bitch thing?¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°Defend your claim on Brian, or something like that?¡±


    ¡°What? No,¡± Stephanie looked aghast. ¡°This is¡­ I don¡¯t know what it is. And, I know it sounds stupid because I can¡¯t explain it, but. It feels important. And, um, you¡¯re probably the alpha bitch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kelly sounded pleased. ¡°I am. Might be the nicest thing you¡¯ve said to me all day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean bitch in a bad way¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said thank you already,¡± Kelly sighed, settling back down on the bed. ¡°You realize I¡¯m gonna jump Brian¡¯s bones while you¡¯re gone, right? Kinda was thinking you would be there for that.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be gone all that long,¡± Stephanie stammered. ¡°Probably. It¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­ um. It¡¯s okay. I want to be there with you both too, but also¡­ I want you to have special alone moments with Brian, just the two of you, every now and then.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Kelly said again, nodding. ¡°Be careful, then, and promise me you¡¯ll keep Emily between you and her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be some kind of fight, or anything,¡± Stephanie chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said, shooting her a skeptical look. ¡°Promise me, Steph.¡±

 Show and Tell, Round Three

    ¡°Okay. Okay,¡± Emily said, running both hands through her hair again. ¡°What the actual fuck is even going on?¡±


    Sitting in the dusk of the hotel parking lot, Emily was sharing a curb with her new comrade-in-Brian¡¯s-affection, Stephanie. To her, the pair felt small, their tiny shoulders huddled together against the incomprehensible twists and turns of this weekend. Her fluffy pink-haired companion was quiet in a reserved, pensive way, content to listen to her rambling, and Emily found she really appreciated that the girl was just letting her vent.


    ¡°Like, I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Emily complained. ¡°It went better than¡ªwell, it went. Things are going somewhere. That¡¯s something. Not how I pictured things going, but, uh. He likes me. So, what the fuck does anything else even matter, right?


    ¡°The thing with you and Kelly is weird,¡± she continued, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel. Okay, so I¡¯m fucking terrified of Kelly. She scares the shit out of me, and I¡¯m not gonna be shy about sayin¡¯ so. You, though? I don¡¯t know. But, it¡¯s like I¡¯m not even really jealous. When I think about all the other ways things coulda gone without you girls here for him¡­ well, I woulda fuckin¡¯ botched it all up. Always do. This weekend, this whole fucking Chloe thing... Brian needed you. You¡¯re all fucking perfect together, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m jealous, but more like I¡¯m¡­ afraid? It¡¯s like, well shit¡ªwhere do I even fit in, then? Fuck, sorry. I¡¯m babbling, huh.¡±


    ¡°Preparation,¡± Stephanie muttered quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± Emily blinked. ¡°Preparation? Preparation for what?¡±


    ¡°You prepared Brian for all of this,¡± Stephanie said, turning to give Emily a serious look.


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Emily managed. What is she talking about?


    There was something different about Stephanie that Emily couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on¡ªa subtle change from the way she remembered the shy girl earlier in the day. There was something more, something extra to her, now. Her already admittedly cute features possessed this additional wow factor that Emily had trouble pinpointing.


    ¡°Brian quoted this saying the day we met¡ª¡®luck is when preparation meets opportunity,¡¯¡± Stephanie revealed. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to consider himself lucky, he wanted to attribute his fortune to... you, for preparing him to come to the convention in the right mindset, and then me, for giving him an opportunity. Or, um, becoming an opportunity, maybe?¡±


    ¡°...Oh,¡± Emily replied lamely, feeling her heart fall. ¡°So, I¡¯m basically out of the picture, now? That¡¯s kind of¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not part of this anymore,¡± Stephanie assured her. The girl looked like she was still deep in thought. ¡°You¡¯re something like¡­ a foundation to him. There¡¯s more to him than I¡¯d seen before, when you¡¯re here with him. He¡¯s able to completely be himself, when you¡¯re around.¡±


    I guess for now I live when I¡¯m with you guys at school, Emily remembered Brian¡¯s words as if he¡¯d just spoken them yesterday, like they were still lingering in the air. When I¡¯m with my friends, you know. People I can trust. Like, when I¡¯m around you, Emily¡ªI don¡¯t ever have to worry about appearances, or what I¡¯m SUPPOSED to be; I can just be myself. Or at least, free to figure out what that is, you know? THAT¡¯S where I live.


    ¡°Okay. Okay, yeah!¡± Emily felt herself cheering up already. ¡°I like that, yeah. I can live with that. You¡¯re really cool with havin¡¯ me around and a part of this, then?¡±


    Stephanie smiled and silently offered her hand.


    Emily took without a second thought, feeling a strange pink warmth, an intangible glow that seemed to calm her troubled waters. They were practically strangers, yet there was something surreal in how comforting this was, just sitting side-by-side on a curb and holding hands with this girl. She didn¡¯t know Stephanie at all, and Stephanie didn¡¯t know her¡ªbut, it was like there was an unfathomably direct mutual understanding joining them together all the same.


    ¡°We¡¯re connected now. Somehow,¡± Stephanie mumbled in a small voice. Startled, Emily was just about to remark how she¡¯d been thinking the exact same thing, when Stephanie continued.


    ¡°The colors that appear in our hair when we kiss Brian,¡± Stephanie began. ¡°Pink, red¡ªand now, blue. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like it has something to do with the harem cha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s them,¡± Emily blurted.


    Stephanie¡¯s epiphany was interrupted by the lumbering arrival of Rebecca¡¯s familiar hatchback station wagon, slowly turning into the entrance of the hotel¡¯s parking lot and then crawling up in front of them at a sedate pace. Rebecca gave them a sleepy smile, while Chloe regarded them impassively from where she was belted into the passenger¡¯s seat, her expression hidden behind a pair of oversized sunglasses.


    ¡°Jus¡¯... one sec,¡± Emily told Stephanie. She pushed up onto her feet, crossing over to her friend¡¯s car and pulling open the nearest rear door so that she could lean inside. A too-quiet sense of stifling tension had already filled the vehicle¡¯s interior as she ducked her head in, and Emily pursed her lips in a frown.


    ¡°...Are you done losing your shit, Chloe?¡± Emily asked, an edge evident in her voice. She still felt riled up, at odds with this suppressed, forced calm within the idling car. ¡°You elbowed me in the fucking face back there, you know?¡±


    ¡°Whoopsie,¡± Chloe remarked in a dry voice, not bothering to turn in her seat to face her. ¡°My bad.¡±


    ¡°You have anything to fucking say for yourself? After all that?¡± Emily demanded. ¡°I mean, what the fuck. You realize you fucking¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily, you¡¯re using all the bad words language!¡± Rebecca weakly attempted to mediate the situation. ¡°We¡¯re all calmed down now, and everything¡¯s just fine! Do you see your bag?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily said gruffly, trying not to be cross at her friend. She knew why Rebecca was trying to look after Chloe¡ªknew that Rebecca was the mothering figure of their group, the mature one who would always step back and make sure everyone was still taken care of. It still rankled, though, still felt like a betrayal, and Emily hated the way this situation was making her feel. Don¡¯t fucking look out for her, Rebecca. She¡¯s not our friend.


    ¡°We, uh, we have a place for you to stay, though,¡± Emily said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not staying with Brian,¡± Chloe stated with conviction. A certain incredulous, even indignant undertone was apparent in her voice, an unspoken how dare you for having the gall to propose something so affronting and offensive. Emily didn¡¯t miss the fact that Chloe seemed to be tacitly deciding Rebecca¡¯s itinerary on the other girl¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°Um, well I don¡¯t think that we can¡ª¡± Rebecca began patiently.


    ¡°No¡ªno, not with us,¡± Emily explained, turning and gesturing Stephanie forward. ¡°Stephie had a room, the room she was in before. She¡¯s staying with Brian, now.¡±


    ¡°Stephie?¡± Chloe echoed coldly.


    Chloe¡¯s tone settled uncomfortably into the pit of Emily¡¯s stomach like a chunk of ice, but she was already shrinking back from the car door so that Stephanie could lean in and address Rebecca.


    ¡°Um. Hi again,¡± Stephanie meekly spoke up. ¡°I was staying with a friend at the Sherriott. It¡¯s just a few blocks from here¡ªI don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind having company at all if you need a place to stay. There should be a bed free.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s great,¡± Rebecca perked up. ¡°Thank you so much! That would work out really well. Do either of you need us to pitch in, to cover part of the room?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Stephanie shook her head, fluffy pink tresses swaying back and forth. ¡°It¡¯s all already paid for, and I still have my key. It¡¯s just¡­¡± There was an uneasy pause.


    ¡°Just what?¡± Chloe asked. Brian¡¯s ex-girlfriend still hadn¡¯t deigned to turn her head, but it seemed like the unreadable expression hidden behind those shades was directing a glare at them through the rear-view mirror.


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie seemed to hesitate, looking distressed. ¡°You¡¯ll both... see when we get there.¡±


    What, is her friend a maniac, or something? Emily wondered. The brief jaunt at the convention this weekend had already been so full of surprises that it felt like anything could happen, at this point. Wait, was the friend a girl or a guy? I think she said ¡®she.¡¯ Right?


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rebecca agreed with a chipper smile. ¡°Hop on in. I can get out of here through this turn-around, and then¡ªdo I go right, or do I go left?¡±


    ¡°Did you call ahead and ask your friend?¡± Rebecca asked as she gingerly eased into the parking lot of the Sherriott. Although it was only a few short blocks away, it had been a tense drive for her¡ªand not only because city traffic moved uncomfortably fast and the other drivers seemed rude and impatient. Emily and Stephanie were both situated on the back seat, and Chloe was stewing up front in the passenger¡¯s seat. None of the girls seemed to be on speaking terms.


    ¡°I... can¡¯t,¡± Stephanie answered with an apologetic tone. ¡°Her phone¡¯s dead, I have no way of getting in touch with her until I can lend her this charger.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Rebecca nodded. ¡°You¡¯re sure she won¡¯t mind? We don¡¯t want to impose at all¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stephanie said. Under her breath, in a voice she likely thought no one would over hear, she continued with a ¡°...Probably?¡±


    Stretching her lips into a quiet wince, Rebecca suppressed a chuckle as she carefully steered into a parking space. She really appreciated the gesture on Stephanie¡¯s part, because she didn¡¯t know where she was going to find a place for Chloe to stay¡ªnot without driving twenty minutes out of town to hunt for a Super Six Motel somewhere.


    Originally, she¡¯d anticipated things would go well between Brian and Emily; Rebecca had never planned on actually rooming with them. Besides her blankets and furs, her entire norse tent was always in the back of her hatchback with the rest of her kit. A collapsible tent; the central pole and A-frame alike were dark, lacquered pine that slotted together, featuring carved horse figureheads¡ªnightmares¡ªby SCE artisan Jira Silverlock. Hauling the whole thing up into the atrium and setting up camp there for the night would have been fine... if not for now needing to accommodate Chloe.


    Poor Chloe, Rebecca sighed. The sudden outburst of screaming and swearing had been startling... but understandable, considering the scene they¡¯d happened in on. Rebecca hadn¡¯t been fazed in the slightest when Chloe slapped her afterwards¡ªher friend had been lashing out like a frightened cat, and blows that weak would barely even register on a battlefield anyways. Still painfully entangled in her recent relationship with Brian, Chloe was going to be feeling lost, hurt, and confused. Even worse, she would feel all the more isolated in these circumstances, because Emily was at loggerheads with her over the issue, as well!


    ¡°Are... we all going in?¡± Rebecca asked, putting the sleepy grumble of the engine to rest with a twist of her wrist at the ignition. The sound of opening car doors and nothing else answered her, because no one was talking¡ªwhy is no one talking,¡ªraising the awkward severity of the pointed silence between the two parties to new levels. Is it okay etiquette for Stephanie to just bring three strange girls to barge in on her room?


    ¡°Well, okiedokie!¡± She sighed to herself again and followed the girls through the darkened parking lot and into the building. The subtle standoff between the pair of Emily and Stephanie and the lonesome Chloe continued on through the reception area as they waited¡ªwarily eyeing each other¡ªfor an elevator to descend. When it finally did, and the door slid open with a hollow ding, the girls all froze, waiting to see who would enter first.


    ¡°You guuuys!¡± Rebecca called out in exasperation, wrapping her arms around her friends and forcibly shoving them together into the elevator. Once within, they of course immediately separated like oil and water, uneasily claiming separate sides of the enclosed space.


    You¡¯re all being so silly, Rebecca smiled, stepping in after to stand between them.


    ¡°Fifth floor, please,¡± Stephanie mumbled.


    Still making a sour face, Emily stabbed a finger at the five button and then repeatedly jabbed the close doors button as if she were a horror movie damsel desperately trying to make an escape.


    ¡°Did¡­ everyone have a good time at the convention?¡± Rebecca tried lamely as the doors finally closed. Now, everyone was trapped in here together, and they had to get along!


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stephanie answered in a soft voice. ¡°It was¡­ quite the day.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Chloe snarled, crossing her arms. ¡°You think you¡¯re fucking funny?¡±


    ¡°Chloe!¡± Rebecca admonished. ¡°Be nice! She¡¯s helping us get a room. She didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    Emily let out a provoking snort and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Everyone, be good!¡± Rebecca chided them in a cutesy voice, shaking her head in dismay. ¡°My goodness.¡±


    When they reached the fifth floor, Rebecca gestured Stephanie and Emily forward to guide them to the room, for the moment preventing any more infighting. Stephanie was in room 502, just past the building¡¯s stairwell and a small room containing a large ice dispenser and several vending machines, and they trooped over together and waited as Stephanie produced a keycard from the pocket of her faded overalls.


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something. Instead, she covered the lower half of her face with her hand and then slid the key into the lock, which obediently disengaged with a loud clack, and the flicker of a green diode. The pink-haired girl awkwardly pushed the door open with that same hand¡­ and foul-smelling air rolled out over them, filling the corridor with the sour fragrance of body odor.


    ¡°Oh my fucking¡ªoh my God,¡± Chloe doubled over and dry-heaved towards her shoes.


    Emily let out an inappropriate giggle, now pulling one of the front flaps of her yukata up over her face.


    ¡°...Goodness,¡± Rebecca commented in a dry voice. It was bad, certainly, but not that bad. Perhaps on the level of a three-day summer campout, but without bonfire smoke neutralizing some of the smell. Definitely nowhere near the experience of changing some of the elderly residents out of soiled undergarments, and Rebecca did that often enough.


    ¡°Megan? I brought some¡­ friends,¡± Stephanie called weakly. ¡°Are you decent?¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re fucking funny?!¡± Chloe sputtered.


    ¡°Emily dearest,¡± Rebecca got her friend¡¯s attention with a firm hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Could you please head back down to the car for me? There should be a big pack of cone-shaped solid air fresheners packed in beside my tent, in the back. Grab however many I still have left.¡±


    ¡°On it, boss,¡± Emily responded with a mock salute, quickly scrambling back down the hallway towards the elevator.


    ¡°We¡¯re not. No fucking way, Rebecca,¡± Chloe warned her. ¡°If you think that she¡¯s really¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please hold,¡± Rebecca said with forced cheer, turning to follow Stephanie into the hotel room where Chloe didn¡¯t dare to tread.


    Oh, my. Inside, the rank smell of sweat intensified, a sharp odor, not unlike someone cutting into an onion. Rebecca blinked rapidly to keep her eyes from watering. No wonder Stephie chose to room over there with Brian, instead...


    ¡°Stephanie!¡± A heavyset girl clad in an enormous shirt and pajama bottoms was engulfing Stephanie in a fierce hug. ¡°Ohmigod, your hair! You got your hair done up all pink, it looks amazing! Did you get it done at the convention? Can I get mine done?!¡±


    ¡°Um. Um,¡± Stephanie sputtered. ¡°Yes, I¡­ yes I did. And, I can ask tomorrow, maybe, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! Hi!¡± Megan turned to register Rebecca¡¯s presence. ¡°Steph, you made friends?!¡±


    ¡°This is Rebecca¡ªshe saved my life,¡± Stephanie gasped, finally forcing her way free of Megan¡¯s embrace so that she could quickly clamp a hand over her face again. ¡°I¡ªum, staying with that guy, and I kind of took their spot in the room? Would it be okay with you if, if they stayed here tonight instead of me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure! Awesome!¡± Megan let out a giddy laugh. ¡°It¡¯ll be like, you know¡ªthat Swapping Spouses TV show¡ªbut for anime conventions, where it¡¯s all cool. Swapping Geeks? Otaku Swap? And, she¡¯s even this awesome viking chick¡ªyou look so cool! Are you from Skygrim?¡±


    ¡°Hiii Megan!¡± Rebecca waved. ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re okay with two of us staying here? We have one more out in the hallway, she¡¯s¡­ shy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, o¡¯course,¡± Megan smiled. ¡°I throw my stuff everywhere, lawl, but it¡¯s not like I can actually use both of the beds at once, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Well okay great!¡± Rebecca said, stepping over to take Megan by the arm. ¡°Because¡ªI really need your help with something. I was hoping you could help me take a real thorough bath, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªwhat?¡± Megan gave her a stunned look. ¡°I, um, I¡¯ve never done anything with a girl before, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not like that, silly!¡± Rebecca tried not to sound strained. She had plenty of leeway when she was called upon to help bathe some of their more recalcitrant residents, because of the community hygiene guidelines at Shady Oaks. Here, if she didn¡¯t manage to beguile this girl into taking a bath, they didn¡¯t have any real grounds to object to Megan¡¯s¡­ deficient self-care.


    ¡°Chloe!¡± With as gentle a hand as she could manage, Rebecca firmly guided the large girl towards the bathroom. Unlike Brian¡¯s room, it was just to the left of the door when first entering into the room. ¡°Chloe honey, come say hi to Megan!¡±


    Chloe peered around the edge of the doorframe, looking furious.


    ¡°Uh, hi?¡± Megan blinked. ¡°...Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Megan, I brought my charger,¡± Stephanie called over. ¡°I¡¯m plugging in your phone.¡±


    ¡°She just doesn¡¯t like the smell,¡± Rebecca explained, forcing Megan into the bathroom. The girl was resisting, obviously uncomfortable with the entire sudden situation, and it made Rebecca¡¯s heart ache. Prince Charming always got so fussy when he needed a bath, too.


    ¡°Oh, thanks Steph!¡± Megan yelled. ¡°I, uh¡ªwow, you¡¯re strong¡ªI¡¯m fine, I took a long shower just before we left for the con, so I don¡¯t really need to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t do this by myself, though,¡± Rebecca admitted. ¡°Can you help me? I don¡¯t want either of us to be stinky, I want everyone to be fresh and clean for tomorrow. Please?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I mean, sure, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Megan swallowed.


    ¡°Great!¡± Rebecca said, pushing the other girl the rest of the way into the bright light of the bathroom and closing the door behind them.


    FortySixtyFou

 Showdown

    ¡°Your friend¡¯s fucking disgusting, you know that?¡± Chloe muttered. The silver noise in her head was beginning to itch, and the last thing she was going to put up with right now was more of this conceited pink bitch¡¯s gloating. ¡°I think she made me barf a little bit. Jesus Christ.¡±


    The pink-haired girl¡ªStephie, was it?¡ªhad chosen to exit the room and wait in the hallway with her while the room aired out, as if that would help. Hah. Stench billowed out from the room like a fetid horror, and Chloe was surprised the other hotel customers weren¡¯t shrieking in complaint yet. That this Stephanie was glaring at her as if she were even more detestable than the fog of stench, made her want to laugh.


    ¡°I... didn¡¯t come all the way out here just to give you a place to stay,¡± Stephanie said slowly, uncomfortably dropping the hand covering her face so she could speak freely. ¡°I came¡­ to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, then,¡± Chloe waved dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for whatever bullshit sob-stories Brian¡¯s been feeding you. Go on, leave, get the fuck out of here¡ªor I¡¯m gonna call the cops and have you removed. I don¡¯t have to stand being fucking harassed by you guys all weekend.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Stephanie stepped into the middle of the corridor, looking confused rather than concerned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. At all.¡±


    ¡°You think I want to be here, want to be dragged into more shit by that asshole?¡± Chloe gave her an incredulous look and then let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Hah. No. I¡¯m not doing this for him.¡±


    ¡°Then... why?¡± Stephanie looked more confused now than ever. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why can¡¯t you just¡­ leave him alone? Why did you steal his phone, what has he done to you to make you do all of this?¡±


    ¡°Listen, Brian¡¯s not a nice guy, you stupid fucking cunt¡ªyou don¡¯t know jack shit about him like I do,¡± Chloe shook her head at Stephanie¡¯s apparent naivete. ¡°He¡¯d scream at me, he hit me, he made every minute of being with him a living hell because he takes out all of his little inadequacies on me. I¡¯ve just been trying to spare you from that.


    ¡°But, I thought¡ªmaybe I was just being emotional, that maybe I was part of the problem, that I should give him the benefit of the doubt, another chance. Considering what¡¯s happened... I¡¯m not just making decisions for myself, you know. Stupid of me, really. Thinking he¡¯d ever change, thinking it could ever be more than what this is. He doesn¡¯t give a damn about anyone but himself. But, you already know what I¡¯m saying is true, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stephanie flatly refuted her, not willing to budge on that a single inch. ¡°We don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Chloe snorted, changing her angle of attack. ¡°You don¡¯t have any fucking ¡®we,¡¯ you¡¯re not a magical little team of love and friendship. You think Emily or that other whore gives a fuck about you? She¡¯s probably back there fucking his brains out right now without you.¡±


    ¡°I hope she is,¡± Stephanie¡¯s blue gaze didn¡¯t waver to Chloe¡¯s provocations. ¡°She¡¯s been kept waiting long enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that what your thing is?¡± Chloe chuckled. ¡°What, cuckoldry? You get off on someone else sleeping with your man? Is that the only way you really fit into that little group?¡±


    ¡°I fit in where I belong,¡± Stephanie shook her head with a shrug, indifferent to her baiting. ¡°We care about each other, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Still giving her a perplexed look, Stephanie narrowed her eyes at her, and all at once, those irritating silver slivers inching throughout Chloe¡¯s mind seemed to intensify in an unsettling way. A crawling, prickling sensation that raked through her brain, leaving a migraine to bloom in its wake.


    ¡°...You¡¯re a part of this, too,¡± Stephanie realized. Her blue eyes went wide, and the silvery sensation subsided all at once. ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t want it to be true. It doesn¡¯t seem fair. You stole one of the lanyards¡­ of course. What did you do with the harem charm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. The harem charm¡ªwas that your little rallying symbol? For his little harem?¡± Chloe laughed. ¡°Good. I snapped it in half, ditched the pieces in the fucking street gutter. S¡¯gone now.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re lying,¡± Stephanie frowned. ¡°You were angry.... furious. You threw it somewhere right after touching it, didn¡¯t you? Hated the way it made you feel. It might be in the pool area back at the other hotel¡ªor, maybe in the pool itself.¡±


    ¡°Nice try, spirit detective,¡± Chloe snorted, rolling her eyes. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s fucking smashed and gone forever. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Stephanie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d be able to tell.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay?¡± Chloe grimaced, looking at Stephanie with disgust. She could hear the faint ding of the elevator stopping on their floor, and she hoped no random bystander was about to interrupt by passing through. ¡°So, here I was attempting to reason with you, but it turns out you¡¯re an actual crazy person. Cool, color me surprised. Do your tard handlers know where you are, little girl? Are you dangerous when you¡¯re not on your meds, do I need to contact some authority somewhere?¡±


    ¡°If anyone¡¯s goin¡¯ to the loony bin, it¡¯s you,¡± Emily griped, trotting around the corner where the elevators were and striding towards them with a bag in her hand. ¡°¡®Specially after that crazy little outburst of yours over at Brian¡¯s, hah. Where¡¯s Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°Bathing the beast,¡± Chloe answered with undisguised disgust.


    ¡°She¡¯s too good to you,¡± Emily retorted, slinging the bag forward none too gently for Chloe to catch. ¡°There. Two and a half air-fresheners; one of ¡®em got smashed to pieces by somethin¡¯ or other in the back of her car. Still better than nothing. Yeah, you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Rebecca¡¯s fresheners, why would I thank you?¡± Chloe rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a fucking child.¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop,¡± Stephanie spoke up, furrowing her brow. ¡°Why are you being mean to her? She¡¯s helping you. Can you really not feel any connection?¡±


    ¡°Emily, take little Miss spirit detective here and slink on back to that shithead Brian, won¡¯t you?¡± Chloe said. ¡°She¡¯s fucking creepy. You¡¯re both fucking creepy, you all deserve each other. Congratulations on being a group of little sickos together. With your little fucking harem.¡±


    ¡°Brian¡¯s not a shi¡ªwe, we¡¯re not¡ªwhy, why would you even say that?¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice was rising. ¡°Why are you being like this?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because Brian makes me sick?¡± Chloe elaborated with a sneer. ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to feel about him cheating on me, after everything I did for him?¡±


    ¡°Except it wasn¡¯t cheating,¡± Emily retorted. ¡°¡®Cause you two were broken up?¡±


    ¡°You know that it was cheating,¡± Chloe glowered, staring Emily down. ¡°And that we weren¡¯t, not really.¡±


    ¡°Do I, now?¡± Emily¡¯s eyebrow quirked at her in an instigating fashion.


    ¡°Brian thought you left him,¡± Stephanie tried to explain. ¡°He didn¡¯t see it as you two still being together.¡±


    ¡°You can stay the fuck out of this,¡± Chloe scowled. ¡°It¡¯s not any of your business, slut.¡±


    ¡°It is, though. If I can just¡­¡± Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Stephanie closed her eyes and raised both hands, palms facing Chloe and fingers outstretched like she was channeling some powerful mysterious force.


    Is she¡­ is she fucking serious? Chloe¡¯s jaw fell open at the girl¡¯s ridiculous pose. It looked like a blatant case of chuunibyou, the infamous eighth-grader syndrome where reality was suppressed with childish delusions and fantasy. It was known¡ªmockingly¡ªto be an affliction among young otaku, but Chloe had never expected to see such a cringeworthy existence in real-life. Not even at AnimeCon.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Steph?¡± Even Emily looked at a loss as to what her friend was doing.


    Of course Brian would target a psychotic chuuni girl with an infantile mind, Chloe felt a new wave of repulsion wash through her. Disgusting. She¡¯ll think she¡¯s in LOVE, that what they have is special. How fucking embarrassing is that? She¡¯s not mentally developed properly, but she¡¯s still here at AnimeCon to shake her ass for thirsty guys and get all that attention she craves. Fuck, I hate her so much.


    Then, those needles of shivering silver returned, standing up at rigid attention throughout Chloe¡¯s mind like someone was roughly scraping a magnet along the outside of her skull. No, not like a magnet¡ªit was something hot. An approaching pink glow, some horrifying ethereal thing that burned. It burned, and as the temperature rose, those heated shards of reflective color lodged in her brain writhed back and forth at dizzying speed, sawing across her synapses like glittering teeth. Chloe gritted her teeth through the sudden pain, clutching her forehead with both hands in confusion.


    What... the fuck? Is she doing that? No... no. That¡¯s not possible. She¡¯s just so FUCKING ANNOYING that it feels like she¡¯s about to give me an aneurysm.


    ¡°I... can¡¯t get through to you,¡± Stephanie sighed, blinking her eyes open in confusion and lowering her hands in defeat. The raw pain started to fade, the silvery splinters falling silent once again. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ broken, somehow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m broken?¡± Chloe laughed mockingly, massaging the lingering pain that had blossomed at her temples with her fingertips. Agggh. ¡°You¡ªyou goddamn fucking mental case. What was that supposed to be, huh? Your weeaboo mystic sage arts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Stephanie sighed, looking honestly distressed. ¡°It was supposed to be an opportunity. I might have been the only one able to give you one.¡±


    ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± Chloe blinked, ready to laugh.


    ¡°I can feel you¡­ but, it¡¯s all wrong, somehow,¡± Stephanie gave her a pitying look. ¡°All I¡¯m getting is¡­ noise, static. Hostility. You¡¯re broken.¡±


    ¡°Hostility? Why the fuck do you think I¡¯m like this?¡± Chloe snarled. ¡°You think I want this? Brian made me this way, and then ran off to fuck convention weirdos soon as I got the tiniest bit moody about all of this. He makes me sick. Literally; every single morning, I¡¯ve been throwing up. Did he really not tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°...Tell us what?¡± Stephanie asked, matching Chloe¡¯s hard stare with her own.


    ¡°That I¡¯m fucking pregnant,¡± Chloe hissed, drawing herself up to her full intimidating height.


    ¡°Of course Brian wouldn¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Emily blurted out right away, interrupting what should have been Stephanie¡¯s stunned silence. ¡°How would he even know about it in the first place?¡±


    What. Chloe froze, turning in place to stare in disbelief at Emily.


    ¡°What, did you think I was actually gonna go and tell him that, just ¡®cause you told me to?¡± Emily laughed, a maniacal gleam in her eyes. ¡°I bet you were just creaming yourself over the irony of me bein¡¯ the one to sucker-punch him with the news. Well, guess what? I didn¡¯t tell him shit. I didn¡¯t tell him shit! Gave him your badge, told him to forget about you, that you two were over, told him to come have a blast here at the con. Without you¡ªand, you know why? Because fuck you, Chloe.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t know?! He doesn¡¯t EVEN KNOW?! Murderous rage welled up within her, and Chloe felt her chest rise and fall heavily with the deep breaths she was forced to take. If Brian doesn¡¯t even fucking know I¡¯m supposed to be pregnant, how the fuck was all of this going to work, you stupid fucking little pissant! Do you realize what you¡¯ve done?!


    Brian was naturally inclined to look out for people, he had an innate sense of responsibility that ensured the news¡ªand her subsequent departure while fraught with emotion¡ªwould end up completely binding him to her. But, he doesn¡¯t even fucking know. All the carefully calculated tension building up to this, all the stupid pointless fights I started as groundwork¡ªinstead, now he just thought it was all just a normal break up. Emily. What. Have you. Fucking. Done.


    ¡°How could you,¡± Chloe stepped forward¡ªshe wanted to lunge in and crush the smug little goblin¡¯s throat, wanted to so badly her fingers were tingling with readiness. She¡¯d never expected a blabbermouth like Emily would be able to keep from spilling such a secret to everybody, let alone to Brian¡ªno wonder their group of friends seemed so indifferent to the situation!


    ¡°How dare you,¡± Chloe trembled with fury. ¡°When Brian finds out. When he finds out that you kept it from him. He¡¯ll hate you, Emily. He¡¯ll hate you. Hate you.¡±


    ¡°If there was even a chance you were pregnant, and that it was Brian¡¯s, I¡¯d have worried,¡± Emily gave her a devilish grin. The smug little runt backed up, tugging Stephanie¡¯s arm along with her, as Chloe advanced another furious step.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what the fuck you¡¯re talking about,¡± Chloe spat.


    ¡°Let me guess¡ªyou were gonna try to say maybe a condom broke?¡± Emily snorted. ¡°All this time with Brian, and you never fuckin¡¯ figured out that you never actually got him off the whole way? Did he even talk about it with you?¡±


    ¡°His fucking impotence isn¡¯t my problem!¡± Chloe screamed¡ªbut now, in actuality, her mind was racing. Because, it did pose a problem¡ªand, a big one. She¡¯d laughed off his manhood worries some months ago when he¡¯d brought it up, put it out of her mind as more of that typical male insecurity, just another amusing tidbit of ammunition to use against him in the future.


    Surely he came SOMETIMES?! Looking back, she realized that might not have been the case. They hadn¡¯t had intercourse often, and when they did¡ªshe delighted in insisting he stop after a handful of minutes, claiming she was starting to feel sore. The idea that he get off, that he would achieve ejaculatory orgasm from intimacy with her had always been utterly disgusting to her. But, he never came, EVER?


    ¡°Brian¡­ is not impotent,¡± Stephanie said, with a little too much conviction in her voice. The shy little weeb in the dorky overalls looked dazzled by the turnabout of events, as if she wasn¡¯t sure if she should jump into the argument herself or burst into incredulous laughter. ¡°He¡¯s not at all.¡±


    ¡°Right?!¡± Emily cheerfully agreed.


    Can¡¯t call Brian, I have his phone, Chloe¡¯s frantic thoughts raced upon realizing the magnitude of her blunder. I should call the cops on them¡ªEmily and Stephie LOOK young enough, I¡¯ll say I was worried they were underage, that he was grooming them. The other girl¡¯s probably a prostitute, anyways! Or maybe I can ring in noise complaints about them all night to his hotel front desk. Something, ANYTHING.


    ¡°Chloe¡­ stop, just... stop,¡± Stephanie warned her, a serious look in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re broken. This isn¡¯t going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Steph, let¡¯s just go,¡± Emily pulled at Stephanie¡¯s arm again. ¡°We¡¯re just wasting our night talking to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m broken?¡± Chloe repeated with a small laugh, feeling that maddening rage dance just behind her eyes. She felt the bag of air fresheners she¡¯d caught earlier drop to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m broken?¡±


    Silver daggers were now freely slicing bloody fissures across her mind, eviscerating each tangled thought as they appeared and cutting gory swathes of destruction across her calculated composure. The pain was stark, but it no longer bothered her¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even smell the stench that was permeating the hotel corridor, anymore.


    Her slap connected with Stephanie¡¯s face before the idiot could even react, the sheer force behind Chloe¡¯s swing knocking her glasses clean off and sending that provoking pink-haired whore tumbling into the wall. Blow after blow followed as Chloe closed in, connecting with the side of Stephanie¡¯s face twice, cuffing her ear, hitting the side of her neck¡ªall before Chloe even realized what she was doing. The realization didn¡¯t stop her, however, and she was just preparing to grab fistfuls of that hateful pink hair when Emily bodily tackled her to the floor.


    FortySixtyFou

 Mixing Colors

    ¡°I¡¯ve... never showered with another girl before,¡± Megan said uneasily.


    ¡°Scrub scrub scrub!¡± Rebecca instructed cheerfully, taking the girl by the shoulder and turning her to face the other direction again. She needed to finish working this sopping mass of suds into Megan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Megan agreed, self-consciously squashing her breasts against herself with her hands.


    At first, the smell had been overpowering. Standing together in the shower enclosure, however, the spray of water eventually sluiced away enough of Megan¡¯s sweat that Rebecca dared to breath again. She¡¯d pressed one of those slim bars of hotel soap into the girl¡¯s hands, and hopefully some encouragement and gentle prodding would be enough to spare her from having to actually thoroughly wash the girl¡¯s intimate regions for her.


    The whole experience wasn¡¯t bad. But, it was weird, and in ways that had Rebecca turning introspective. She didn¡¯t really mind getting naked and stepping into this tub with a stranger. As Mara, she bathed with the other Daegonhir ladies in Mill Creek during campouts, and even danced naked beneath the moonlight during the last Solstice event, so she felt unfazed even with all of the awkward peeks Megan kept sneaking at her body.


    Sporting a wry smile, Rebecca couldn¡¯t help but think she didn¡¯t have anything much for Megan to be too impressed by. She¡¯d always felt average rather than attractive, the last girl in a group to be noticed and the first to be overlooked. Tall, for a girl, and somewhat athletic. A fair amount of muscle tone replaced more feminine curves, and her small breasts didn¡¯t really seem to stand out much on her frame. She had bland, tawny hair that fell in wild tangles when freed from the braid she wore to work, and always thought of her facial features as somewhere halfway between pretty and forgettable. They¡¯d honestly never really felt like they set her apart from anyone else, that they were the unique way people identified her; her face never even felt much like it was her own.


    ¡°Do you, um, want me to help wash you, too?¡± Megan asked in a nervous voice, glancing back again.


    ¡°If you want to!¡± Rebecca gave her a sleepy smile. ¡°If you could help get my hair when I¡¯m done with yours, that¡¯d be really cool, yeah.¡±


    As Rebecca, she wasn¡¯t in any way squeamish actually washing another person, because she was regularly on call to assist elderly residents during their scheduled bathtimes. So, while Megan was wide and well overweight, there wasn¡¯t anything off-putting or gross about her figure to Rebecca. Being a nurse¡¯s aide at an assisted living center meant helping the less-able-bodied take baths, so she was well acclimated to seeing folds of flesh, sagging arms, swollen legs, and the drooping, deflating bellies of large older women. By comparison, Megan was practically pleasant to the eyes¡ªfat like a lovely rounded, ripened tomato¡ªrather than one long since expired.


    Despite Megan¡¯s misunderstanding about being invited to shower together with another girl, Rebecca was maintaining a careful distance from the girl and minding their safety. Most falls happen in the bathroom, after all! She tried to be respectful, give Megan some private space and some illusion of normalcy by not overtly staring. The Mara in her was ready to just get this over with in a no-nonsense way, to roughly lift Megan¡¯s arms up one after the other like a child and gouge her pits out with that bar of soap in an ungentle way.


    Well. It may be weird, I may be weird, but at the very least I¡¯m¡­ uniquely suited? To situations like this, where¡ª


    Then, she heard the scream.


    She was completely Mara again in an instant, sliding the shower curtain out of the way with a sweep of her hand and deftly jumping out of the tub and onto the tile, practically hearing her Rebecca voice¡ªdon¡¯t you slip, you silly goof! There was still lathered shampoo on her hands, and she flicked them harshly in annoyance in the general direction of the bathroom sink.


    The scream, more of a shriek, really, sounded close. Too close. The door of their hotel room had been left open to air out the place, and it was like someone had screamed right outside in the hall. Not a happy squeal of laughter or one of excitement, but the other kind of scream, the kind she heard when someone was in genuine pain and fear. This wasn¡¯t an SCE or Daeghir battlefield, though, where injuries happened amidst the meat grinder of a melee press though, this was a hotel.


    Mara snatched at a folded towel and wrenched it off the bar of the drying rack¡ªdon¡¯t forget to cover up, dearie!¡ªwhen the white towel was haphazardly wrapped around her body and tucked into place, she yanked open the bathroom door and padded out of their room and into the hall, still barefoot and soaking wet.


    You¡¯ve GOT to be kidding me¡­


    Emily was straddled atop Chloe, raining fists down upon the shrieking girl¡¯s face as Chloe flailed, trying to scratch and claw Emily off of her in turn. Crouched down several feet behind them, Stephanie had one hand on the wall of the corridor for balance, the other clutching at the side of her face. The first flash of adrenaline spiking through Mara¡¯s veins turned to immediate anger as she realized no one was in real danger.


    Her friends were fighting each other, which was even worse.


    ¡°Stop. Both of you, stop,¡± Mara demanded in a growl, stepping forward to catch Emily¡¯s wrist and forcibly pull her up off of her other friend. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Emily seemed to hiss and spit like an angry cat, trying to thrash her way out of Mara¡¯s iron grip and lashing out one last kick at Chloe, who was trying to scramble up to her feet. ¡°Lemme¡ªlet me go!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, stop,¡± Mara hissed, standing firm against Chloe and swinging Emily away to send her sprawling across the carpet.


    Down the long stretch of hallway, Mara could see several different doors open as people peeked out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. Inwardly fuming at the predicament her friends were embroiled in, Mara imposed herself firmly between the catfighting girls. Chloe lunged forwards, regardless of the stoic obstacle in her path, grappling wildly in vain across Mara in attempt to lash out at Emily one last time.


    ¡°You. Fucking. Bitch!¡± Unable to push past, Chloe¡¯s unbridled fury exploded out, slapping and scratching angrily at Mara to get through. Her fingernails raked down across the towel, pulling it loose, and clawed along the outside of Mara¡¯s shoulder and down her arm.


    Gritting her teeth and grabbing Chloe¡¯s hand, Mara squeezed, squashing it into an immobile press of fingers that elicited a pained yelp from the irate girl. She then pushed Chloe down, pinning her to the floor with her one arm twisted uncomfortably across her chest. When the crazed Chloe tried to buck and twist out of Mara¡¯s grasp, it was all too easy to subdue her by pressing her right back down to the carpet with a knee planted firmly between Chloe¡¯s shoulder blades.


    ¡°She¡ªshe hit Stephanie!¡± Emily accused, stumbling back up onto her feet. ¡°Out of nowhere! Fucking bitch, she just started like, attacking her, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get. Off of me!¡± Chloe screeched. ¡°I swear to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be fighting in here,¡± Mara cut them both off, annoyed. ¡°You guys should never be fighting in the first place!¡±


    ¡°Tell that to her¡ª¡± Emily began.


    ¡°She¡¯s the¡ªshe¡¯s the one who started it!¡± Chloe sobbed angrily, stabbing a finger towards Stephanie from where she struggled beneath Mara. ¡°An-and then, then Emily just jumped on me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, you stupid fucking¡ª¡±


    ¡°Both of them were attacking me, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, enough!¡± Mara silenced their protests with a furious glare. Both the Mara and Rebecca parts of her were reconciled in the anger and disappointment she felt with her friends. They were acting like out-of-control children, and she hated the cold, dispassionate way they were making her feel right now. ¡°Not out here in the hallway. Both of you, get in the¡ª¡±


    Mara flinched back as she felt a new pair of hands at her side, only to realize that Stephanie was now beside her, fitting that towel that had slipped down her back up around her in proper place.


    ¡°¡ªThank you, Steph,¡± Mara said stiffly. ¡°Everyone, get into the room. We can¡¯t be making a scene out here.¡±


    ¡°They attacked me!¡± Chloe yelled. ¡°Get off of me! Get the fuck off of me! You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re wet!¡±


    ¡°It was my fault. I think,¡± Stephanie admitted, giving Mara an apologetic look. ¡°But, she did start hitting first¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did not¡ª¡± Chloe retorted. ¡°She just even said it was her fault¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Mara snapped angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose fault it is. All of you, stop fighting and get in the room.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡­ just, no,¡± Emily huffed. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with her, and I¡¯m never gonna stop fighting her or get along. Ever. She¡¯s not my friend¡ªshe was never my friend. She was never your friend!¡±


    How can you SAY that? Mara stared hard at the Emily who was still all keyed up, arms shaking as the petite girl practically vibrated with rage. What is this all even about? Weren¡¯t we all getting along alright just a few minutes ago?


    ¡°Is¡­ everything okay?¡± Megan was standing in the doorway of their room now, wearing a towel and watching the scene in wide-eyed bewilderment.


    ¡°Emily, let¡¯s just go,¡± Stephanie insisted, taking her livid friend gently by the arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of this, Rebecca. Sorry, Megan.¡±


    ¡°Cunt, you think you can just¡ª¡± Chloe started again, but Mara cut her off by hauling the girl up to her feet and then shoving her past Megan into room 502.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Chloe violently shrugged off Mara¡¯s hands the moment she was inside. ¡°Just¡ªfuck off, all of you.¡± Then, the teary-eyed girl stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door closed and locking out the still-dripping towel-clad Mara and Megan.


    ¡°...What¡¯s going on?!¡± Megan whispered to Mara. They watched as Stephanie pulled Emily down the hallway away from them, Emily giving them a parting glance that was equal parts angry glare and hurt look.


    ¡°Sorry about them,¡± Mara said, a little more brusquely than she intended, and with a stony face, she closed the door on them.


    It stung, deep inside. This sudden rift between friends had torn wide like a jagged wound, and she didn¡¯t know how to cope with it. She needed to put herself back in Rebecca mindset for dealing with Megan, but it felt like tears lurking just behind her eyes, and she didn¡¯t dare compound the messy situation by pouring more emotion on the fire right now. Sudden exhaustion and a biting, bitter sadness washed over her all at once, and she crossed the room to sit down heavily on the edge of one of the beds.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ªoh my God, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Megan pointed out, hurrying over to grab for travel-bag tissues from the cluttered swath of belongings scattered across the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mara dispassionately ran a finger across the dotted-line scrape on the outside of her thigh, already beading with blood.


    It was nothing, not worth noticing. Something Rebecca would surely fuss over someone for and¡ªoh my goodness, are you okay?!¡ªbut, she wasn¡¯t feeling up to being very Rebecca right now, wasn¡¯t up to being a sweetie who channelled all of her grandmother¡¯s worries and wisdom. It wasn¡¯t that bad anyways, a scratch like this wasn¡¯t even deep enough to scold Prince Charming for.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fine, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Megan insisted, batting away Mara¡¯s hands and dabbing at the stinging scrape with a wad of tissues. ¡°What is¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s whatever. Complicated,¡± Mara reported bluntly, before wincing inwardly and feeling conflicted. Ugh. This... isn¡¯t going to work. Need to put more Rebecca into this.


    Wandering the gap separating her Mara and Rebecca attitudes felt like she was uselessly floundering, right now. Caught in an uncertain back-and-forth between the social security blanket and the problem-solving hammer, when neither seemed to be the right tool for this job. Her identity issues weren¡¯t anything as extreme as a personality disorder, both personas were the real her, but also affectated in certain ways, acting the role best suited for the situation she faced.


    So, how do I fix THIS? Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut and cradled her face in her hands. Hah, how does everyone else manage to turn out so much more¡­ normal?


    ¡°You¡­ alright?¡± Megan asked, looking concerned.


    ¡°I think,¡± Rebecca began with a slow, deep sigh. ¡°That was the big falling out between them. Chloe and Emily. The one that I was praying would never actually happen, for all this time. They¡¯d¡ªyeah, they¡¯d always fight, they were always fighting, but it was never this bad. I don¡¯t think¡­ that they can come back from this, that we can come back from this, and I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll still be my friend like before, if I don¡¯t take sides. And, I don¡¯t want to ever take sides. Not over stupid, silly relationship drama that shouldn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t even what?¡± Megan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Rebecca gave her a wistful smile and shook her head, slowly blinking her drowsy-looking eyes. ¡°Sorry! You don¡¯t even know them. Us. I shouldn¡¯t be complaining to you, of all people. We¡¯ve only just met! I don¡¯t mean to put all my worries on you.¡±


    ¡°No, go on¡ªI¡¯m totally interested,¡± Megan said helpfully. ¡°This was all like, crazy! I¡¯ve never seen people fighting all up close, and you just... waded right there into the thick of it and made them all stop. I could never do that! I just, I don¡¯t understand what even happened in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Chloe is the ex-girlfriend of Brian, who I think both Stephanie and Emily are¡­ interested in, maybe involved with, now?¡± Rebecca weakly tried to explain, grimacing at the ridiculousness of it all. ¡°Somehow?¡±


    ¡°That guy! The guy Steph went off with yesterday?¡± Megan¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Sorry, this is all just¡­ really cool, kind of? I never would have imagined Steph, of all people, would get caught up in that kinda stuff.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­ cool?¡± Rebecca blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Oh no no, I don¡¯t mean it that way!¡± Megan blurted out. ¡°Sorry, I just. Yeah, I can see why them fighting would be awful and upsetting and all for you. You were amazing though, you did what you should have done, the only thing you could¡¯ve done. Do you... want a hug?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± Rebecca nodded, trying not to let herself start to cry. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Steph asked, looking at Emily with concern.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Emily nodded, impatiently jabbing the elevator call button repeatedly. ¡°I mean, I think. I don¡¯t know? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie gingerly traced a hand along the side of her head, cupping her ear. ¡°It hurts. She was really scratching you, though, are your arms okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re¡ª uh, oh wow,¡± Emily held her arms up, really taking a look at them. ¡°She got me a little bit, hah ha. Fuck, my cheek¡¯s still swelling from earlier, even.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªyou¡¯re shaking,¡± Stephanie took hold of the other girl¡¯s hands and turned them around so she could inspect her forearms.


    ¡°I just, yeah, never been in a real fight before,¡± Emily admitted. ¡°I guess. I¡¯ve got this bad temper, but I never really let myself go like that. Or, no one else let me. Fuck, wish I¡¯d gotten more hits in. Want to really beat the total living shit out of her. God damn.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stephanie asked again.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean¡ªlook, they¡¯re not even that bad,¡± Emily let out a nervous laugh. A series of angry red lines was apparent on one of her arms, especially where she was missing the one Akane Kurokawa bracer, but none of them were deep enough to draw blood.


    ¡°I... don¡¯t mean the scratches,¡± Stephanie said pointedly, feeling tremors still travelling down Emily¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Emily laughed off her concerns, pulling her hands back. ¡°Just, want to get the fuck out of here, though. Even just still being in the same building as her makes me feel trapped or something. Damn, get me the fuck out of here, c¡¯mon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Stephanie pressed her lips into a thin line.


    Emily hit the elevator button again and again in quick succession, and then impatiently pressed it and held it down.


    ¡°Fuck it, we¡¯re only a few floors up,¡± Emily growled. ¡°Stairs?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Stephanie nodded agreeably.


    Emily led the way, both girls heading through the nearby door for the stairwell, which was a brightly lit shaft of cinderblock walls and concrete-faced stairs painted all in white. They began their descent, listening to the loud echoes of their footfalls as they tromped their way down flight after flight of steps. Something felt wrong to Stephanie, though.


    ¡°Can we... stop and sit for a moment?¡± She asked, putting a hand on Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah? Sure.¡±


    Emily stopped in place, adjusting her costume yukata for a moment before taking a seat on one of the steps, arms crossed in front of her. Steadying herself with the handrail, Stephanie eased down to sit beside her. Without saying another word, their shoulders touched as they leaned towards each other, huddled together just like they had earlier sitting out on the curb.


    It feels like we¡¯re even closer, Stephanie thought to herself, wetting her lips nervously as she prepared to speak. So... I can¡¯t just let this go.


    She¡¯d been completely unprepared when Chloe started smacking her, uselessly caught flat-footed and unable to do anything but dumbly accept each of those angry blows. It had been horrifying, the kind of personal violence she¡¯d always been scared of but suddenly here and in her face. Cowering in fear of the blows, Stephanie had felt like she was retracting into herself, shutting down and going numb to the experience when Emily tackled Chloe to the floor. For the second time today, she¡¯d been saved from peril, and it was an incredibly moving experience.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stephanie asked, turning in place so that she could look into Emily¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°...No,¡± Emily admitted, letting out a snort that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. ¡°I¡¯m just¡ªit just makes me so mad that Rebecca can¡¯t see it, see how motherfucking evil Chloe is. Rebecca¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know, she just tries to be everyone¡¯s mom and always give everyone new chances all the time, and I love her for that, but it just. It¡¯s so upsetting.


    ¡°I just keep wondering what Chloe would have to do,¡± Emily sniffed in aggravation. ¡°How bad she would have to be, before¡ªI don¡¯t know, before Rebecca wises the fuck up and takes our side. It¡¯s so fucking frustrating. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad she came out and stopped things when she did,¡± Stephanie said quietly. ¡°I was terrified. Things got so out of control, so fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s fucking crazy,¡± Emily spat. ¡°Can¡¯t believe she just started hitting you. It wasn¡¯t even like you really even did anything!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ did do something,¡± Stephanie admitted in a quiet voice. ¡°Or, I tried to.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emily blinked in confusion. ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± Stephanie asked nervously, bringing her hands up to the sides of Emily¡¯s head.


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Emily stared. ¡°...Okay?¡±


    Stephanie gently took Emily and guided her closer, leaning in herself until their foreheads were touching. She had no idea exactly what she was doing, and she¡¯d already embarrassed herself in the hallway earlier when she¡¯d had her hands stretched out in the air towards Chloe.


    She didn¡¯t know exactly how to stretch out her senses, or anything like that. Focusing on the wiggly flame burning inside her was something she could do though, that pink sensation, the distracting something deep inside herself she couldn¡¯t explain. She couldn¡¯t control or direct it, exactly, but it seemed to respond when she opened up her feelings, burn brighter, hotter.


    When she carefully unraveled those wound-tight emotions buried in her chest and focused on what she felt for Emily, it was like she could almost make something out there in the darkness. Something almost illuminated by Stephanie¡¯s little pink inner light. A minute rolled by as she let herself slip into a bit of trance, mesmerizing herself as she tried to see through the flames, past them to what they illuminated¡­


    There was Emily.


    Although she could easily visualize the fire within down to each tongue of vibrant flame, Emily was hard to peer into, like a troubled pool of water. At first, all she was able to discern were distorted reflections on the surface. Past those, within, was the real Emily, and the depths went on well deeper than anything Stephanie could make out. Shapes moving, agitated currents, things happening deep in the sunken rifts. The feelings down there were heavy, but so difficult to make out that Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but burn closer¡ª


    ¡°Whoa¡ªwhat the fuck?¡± Emily jerked back from her, reflexively bringing her arms up and around herself as if to shield herself from exposure. ¡°The fucking fuck was that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Stephanie squeaked out in apology. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know what it¡¯d be like! It¡¯s like you¡¯re hiding way down inside yourself. Didn¡¯t mean to¡­ suddenly intrude like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡ªyeah, it was¡­ how¡¯d you do that?¡± Emily said, looking uncomfortable. ¡°You like, a psychic? Telepath? Is that what you did to Chloe? Wait, can you read minds?!¡±


    ¡°I tried, but¡­¡± Stephanie frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s telepathy. I don¡¯t understand any thoughts. I can feel things from you though, so I think it might be some sort of¡­ empathy? What did it feel like for you?¡±


    ¡°Exposed,¡± Emily said. ¡°I dunno, like¡­ there was suddenly a light shining on... all of these things I don¡¯t wanna think about right now. Some things I probably should think about. I dunno. It was definitely pink, though. Pink like your hair?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely blue, like these strands you just got,¡± Stephanie pointed out, carefully running fingers through the new highlights adorning Emily¡¯s pixie-cut. ¡°D-do you want to try again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Emily laughed. ¡°Yes, immediately? Also, no. Never again. It¡¯s¡­ you know, it feels weird. But, at the same time, it¡¯s like, it¡¯s too cool not to. You tried to do that to Chloe?¡±


    ¡°I tried,¡± Stephanie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ yeah, weird. I thought at first this was just me¡­ associating things with my own... mental impressions? Of Kelly, and you. But Chloe, she felt wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that fucking fits my impression of her, too,¡± Emily spat.


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s sharp pieces, she¡¯s¡­ messy. Broken glass? Like broken mirror pieces, if broken mirror pieces also cut up your eyes when you look at them hard enough? I guess I wasn¡¯t really using my eyes, though¡­¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Emily asked, overcome with curiosity. ¡°What am I, then?¡±


    ¡°Really deep water,¡± Stephanie decided. ¡°Deep, heavy. Um. The surface doesn¡¯t match up, though. I know you¡¯re really not okay right now, I can tell. Kelly¡¯s distant. Unreachable distant, like faraway stars, so far away. But I don¡¯t think she wants to be. Red stars, like her hair color that changed.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re pink light,¡± Emily said, interested.


    ¡°Fire, I think. Pink fire?¡± Stephanie guessed. ¡°Brian, he¡­ it¡¯s like he ignited something, and I can almost always just feel it burning there, in the back of my mind. Sometimes, it¡¯s really strong.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does it hurt?¡± Emily gaped at her. ¡°Or ah, burn?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Stephanie assured her. ¡°It¡¯s like¡ªI wasn¡¯t like this, yesterday. Wasn¡¯t like this before, I was¡­ cowering in the dark, before. Too afraid to move, too afraid to breath. I couldn¡¯t talk to people properly, couldn¡¯t deal with things. I need this fire. I can¡¯t go back to the way I was, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This is fucking insane. We got this from kissing Brian?¡± Emily wondered, looking excited. ¡°Each of us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, I think,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°You were the one who gave Brian the harem charm, right?¡±


    ¡°The harem charm?¡± Emily blinked. ¡°Yeah, I did. Wanted to help him somehow, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Did it sting you?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Zap you, anything like, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Kinda like, I thought it was static electricity or something. Gave me tingles. I¡¯ve still got tingles. Ripples?¡±


    ¡°I thought the charm was on a pin at first, that it was open and the pin got me,¡± Stephanie revealed. ¡°That¡¯s when I started feeling it. I think it was the same for Kelly.¡±


    ¡°So¡ªwhat, this is like, real magic? Like, for real real magic stuff?¡± Emily said, her voice rising. ¡°Magic?¡±


    ¡°I want to say maybe, or that it¡¯s a possibility,¡± Stephanie looked thoughtful. ¡°But, no, I feel it. I think it¡¯s magic, yes.¡±


    ¡°A for real magic charm,¡± Emily rocked back, looking stunned. ¡°A harem charm. A harem charm, but it actually works. Fuck, what do we do with it? What did it do to us?!¡±


    ¡°Chloe had it for a second, when she was grabbing at things from the room,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°She says she snapped it, but¡­ I don¡¯t believe her. I think she threw it, I was going to check the pool when we got back at the other hotel.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Emily nodded, lost in thought. ¡°Fuck, Chloe had it. That¡¯s not good. Right?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ we need to be careful,¡± Stephanie said slowly. ¡°Talking about it. I¡¯m worried that Kelly won¡¯t like the idea. That Brian won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You mean like, if it¡¯s controlling us or something?¡± Emily laughed, and then caught herself, as if realizing that that might be exactly the case. ¡°Yeah, fuck. Mind control slaves, making us fall for Brian?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ possible,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°The attraction I¡¯ve been feeling is¡­ strong. When he kisses me, it¡¯s like¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, oh my God,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°Is that fake? All in our heads?¡±


    ¡°If it is, if it¡¯s just making us feel that way¡­¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Then, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s worth it. I need this, I can¡¯t go back to the way I was living before.¡±


    ¡°Which is... just what harem magic would brainwash you to think,¡± Emily pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yeah,¡± Stephanie said uneasily. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°So, we find the charm and smash it to make sure?¡±


    ¡°B-but, what if that loses this feeling for good?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose this.¡±


    ¡°Which is... just what it¡¯d make you think,¡± Emily countered.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t care,¡± Stephanie said in a fluster. ¡°I don¡¯t care if having a night-light on doesn¡¯t actually keep me any safer. So long as it helps me sleep. Is that¡ªis that stupid? I don¡¯t want to risk losing any of these feelings. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I had a big crush on Brian all through high school,¡± Emily said. ¡°But, I¡­ kinda fucked up my chances, and just kept burying it all deeper and deeper. Then, it¡¯s like¡­ lately, I keep thinking that I have to take another shot, like. That I have to risk it, or I¡¯ll always regret it, deep down. Does that sound like I¡¯ve been¡­ I dunno, manipulated?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Stephanie shrugged. ¡°But, not in a bad way, I don¡¯t think?¡±


    ¡°Which is... what it¡¯d want you to think,¡± Emily repeated dryly. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m super paranoid about this kinda thing. Maybe not paranoid enough. Did you want to try doing your magic thing on me again?¡±


    ¡°Will it make you uncomfortable?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Probably?¡± Emily shrugged and held up her hands. ¡°Fuck it, do it anyways. Am I gonna get cool anime powers from all this, too? Meme magic?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie paused, hands hesitating just beside Emily¡¯s head. ¡°If you kiss Brian more, you should get more blue in your hair. That¡¯s the¡­ first stages? Some kind of barometer for magic¡­ connection? Transformation?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound bad so far,¡± Emily grinned. ¡°Wait, is this turning us into anime girls? With all the different unrealistic hair colors? Are we turning into an anime harem? The whole magic by kiss thing is totally an anime harem trope¡ªthere¡¯s like, dozens of different series where that happens.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh. You saw what happened with Kelly, what she was doing when her hair, um. Yeah. Mine was all pink after last night, when he¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you blow Brian?¡± Emily blurted out. ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    ¡°N-no, he ah, he¡­¡± Stephanie could feel the blood rush to her face, and her voice dropped down until it was barely audible, ¡°...went down on me. It-it was, uh, we were playing truth or dare, and um¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, fuck,¡± Emily stared. ¡°Seriously? Was it, like¡­ y¡¯know, crazy colors and stuff like when we kiss him?¡±


    Stephanie bit her lip and nodded quickly, not trusting herself to say anything. Crazy colors. As Kelly said, he made me go BIG COLORS. Orgasmed, on his face. Made me cum. It was so amazing I can¡¯t even¡­


    ¡°Alright, do your thing and try diving back in,¡± Emily invited her, taking Steph¡¯s hands and clapping them back onto the sides of her own head. ¡°Probably stupid, right? But, it¡¯s like, how the fuck am I gonna discover real fucking magic shit and not want to fuck around with it?¡±


    ¡°O-okay¡­¡± Stephanie gave her a shy smile, and she closed her eyes in concentration.


    Sputtering fire hissed and sizzled explosive gouts of steam, blasting turbid water into the air, churning waves of it into colored foam. Pink and blue swirled into cotton-candy clouds of mixed emotion as heat and humidity rolled across Emily¡¯s stormy surface and rose to obscure the unstoppable pink flame. Brilliant, dazzling watercolor fog expanded into every corner of their minds, and¡ª


    ¡°St-stop, stop, ow,¡± Emily panted, pulling her lips away from Stephanie¡¯s. ¡°Time out. Whoa, fuck.¡±


    ¡°Uhhm,¡± Stephanie struggled to reorient herself, disentangling her limbs from Emily¡¯s. They weren¡¯t sitting on the steps anymore¡ªthey¡¯d tumbled together down to the next landing below somehow without even noticing. Her bottom lip felt bruised from the intensity of Emily¡¯s kiss.


    ¡°Th-that totally wasn¡¯t fair,¡± Emily complained, righting her yukata in embarrassment. ¡°You were like¡­ you just plunged into the, uh. Y-you know what you did!¡±


    Crazy colors, BIG COLORS. She¡¯d been nervous to disturb the waters, to break the surface tension when all at once it had seemed like there was a shared something between them, a medium, a stream of oh-so-familiar feelings that was neither fire nor water. Now, she realized with no small amount of horror that she¡¯d for a moment touched their emotions together in an incredibly¡­ private place of thought.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Stephanie pushed herself upright. Shifting her thighs against one another, she realized she was absolutely soaked with arousal. ¡°I, um, I didn¡¯t do that on purpose!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I need a cigarette, Christ,¡± Emily laughed, running a hand through her hair and awkwardly looking away. ¡°Don¡¯t even smoke. Fuck, my head¡¯s still spinning. Let¡¯s not do that again. For a little while.¡±


    ¡°I-I think we need to get back,¡± Stephanie said, using the railing to pull herself back up unsteadily to her feet. ¡°We need to figure out¡ªum. We have to find the charm.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    We''re back! Expect regular updates through September, I''m gonna schedule ''em for every Wednesday and Saturday. Or, if you don''t wanna wait, it''s $1 to read a bunch more or $5 to read a bunch more and support the game adaptation! We''re just into our sixth month on that project, and we''ve been making incredible progress.


    Huge thank you to my Patreon family NyarlathotepB, godoffaer, Vowron Prime, Phillip Rayne, The Epitome of Eccentricity, Aodean, Chris, Connor Nay, Paul Wirtz, Aihnman, William Foster, Mundane, Lety Does Stuff, TiAM325, I.Ronical, Joel Robinson, jmundt33a, andy may phan, AnonGuy, Davin Taddeo, Luke Mofford, alethiophile, Kimu Taka, Angel Sworn and especially Foxy.

 Noise Complaint

    ¡°So¡ªwhat do you think?¡± Kelly remarked in an innocent tone, turning from the mirror above the sink and glancing towards Brian. ¡°Is the new look okay on me?¡±


    She¡¯d never put a shirt back on, and was more conscious than ever of how her healthy pair of twins were out on display, capped with stiffening pink nubs that pointed towards Brian in an accusing way. The moment Stephanie and Emily took off, tensions in here had heightened to dizzying degree, and it was all she could do to focus on their casual talk and banter.


    Kelly felt like she was hotboxing sex phermones, like her mind was careening through a shimmering red nebula of fuck-fog. Brian still had his dick out, it was still hugely erect, and he was making no motion to holster his weapon and put this sexy standoff to an end. So, she wet her lips and smiled at him.


    ¡°You look great,¡± Brian answered honestly. ¡°The red makes you seem kinda like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like who?¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you gonna take offense to comparison?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the comparison, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Kelly laughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°No, Brian. I¡¯m not as fucking touchy as your ex. Give it to me straight, alright?¡±


    ¡°Uhh.¡± Brian grinned, looking embarrassed. ¡°Well, I was gonna say you look kinda like Haydee Millions, from Paramourn, with that red hair.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Haydee Millions?¡± Kelly touched her chin, looking thoughtful. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Is he still being careful with where he looks? She wondered.


    Planting her hands on the vanity behind her, she arched her back a bit, rolling her shoulders through a stretch. His gaze wandered slowly, following the line of her neck down to meet the jutting round shapes of her breasts, and lingered there for a moment before casually returning to meet her eyes. Oh, fuck. Oh fuck yes.


    ¡°Nothing to thank me for,¡± Brian said, distracted. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian¡ªshut the fuck up,¡± Kelly interrupted with a chuckle.


    She was almost pacing in place, subtly shifting weight back and forth from one leg to the other just to keep them from shaking. As she did so, the slick feel of her lips shifting against one another with lubrication was incredibly distracting. All of her dials were in the red, her kamikaze crash-course was laid in, and it felt like she was screaming down on final approach to her target.


    ¡°You gave me this hair,¡± she pointed out. ¡°You and your magic sauce.¡±


    ¡°I... really don¡¯t think that I have magical semen,¡± Brian laughed uneasily. ¡°That¡¯s not even a little bit possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly tilted her head with a challenging smirk. ¡°You have some other explanation for what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Not¡­ as of yet, no,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°The red isn¡¯t dyed, you know,¡± Kelly reached up and fluffed her luxuriant new hair for emphasis. ¡°I know firsthand what dyed fuckin¡¯ hair looks like. What I had earlier, that was dye. You¡¯d¡¯ve had to bleach out that black and then add new color, which¡¯d leave me all kinds of dry and damaged.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea how that happened,¡± Brian tried to explain. ¡°If you need me to cover the cost of changing it back, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Does this look dry or damaged?¡± Kelly spoke over him, running her fingers through her silky new strands. ¡°Take a look, Brian. This is amazing, this is healthier than what I had¡ªthis is brand new fucking hair.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± Brian was at a loss for words.


    ¡°The color¡¯s just a start, too,¡± Kelly took a cautious step forward. ¡°Didja know Stephanie had a couple acne scars, yesterday? Not big ones, but they were there. Two of ¡®em, these almost imperceptible little dimples in the skin, just outside her left eyebrow.¡±


    This time she let her own line of sight wander down his naked body, travelling from that stupid handsome face to the broad lines of his shoulders, his chest, dropping across the exquisite abdominal musculature to that prodigious dick of his standing rigidly up in the air. She could swear it throbbed in response to having caught her eye, and almost forgot what she was in the middle of saying.


    ¡°¡ªWell, they¡¯re gone,¡± Kelly continued, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. ¡°The acne scars. Where¡¯d they go, Brian? How¡¯d all her facial pores dramatically shrink over the course of twenty-four hours? Why do her eyes look bigger and brighter than before? What¡¯ll happen next, when we go further¡ªwhen we bang? Do I get fucking years younger? Bigger tits? Devil horns, or something?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Brian winced, eyes flicking furtively across her chest for a moment.


    ¡°So, magic kisses. Magic cum. Whatever, however¡ªdoesn¡¯t matter. Even if you were some total asshole, ladies¡¯d be lining up to suck and fuck you, Brian,¡± Kelly shrugged, lifting and dropping her shoulders with enough force for her tits to bob with the motion, and then lowered her voice. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re not some total asshole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly any kind of saint, eith¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up and lemme finish,¡± Kelly growled, inching closer again. The room was small, and in another step she would be practically astride him. ¡°It¡¯s a factor, is what I¡¯m saying. As your girlfriend now, I¡¯m gonna be totally fucking honest with you. It¡¯s a factor. But, I wanted you to know¡­ that it¡¯s not the factor. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Okay,¡± he said slowly, as if measuring her words over and over in his mind. ¡°So, what¡¯s the factor?¡±


    That you¡¯re willing to reach into the fucking mess that is my world right now and throw me a fucking lifeline, Kelly thought, sizing him up with intensity in her eyes. That you weren¡¯t interested in the pretty face and perfect body on offer, if they didn¡¯t come with the shitshow real me and all my fucking problems. That I¡ªthat I TRUST you, and the more I think about it, the more I really FEEL it... the more everything else, ANYTHING ELSE seems trivial.


    The mystery beauty magic, the way your eyes make me shiver, how good you taste, this raw fucking chemistry between us. The way I wanna go face down ass up and just have you piledrive that monstrosity into me¡ªthat, that¡¯s all just fuckin¡¯ window dressing. Icing on the cake. All over my cake. Icing.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can explain it right,¡± Kelly admitted in aggravation, biting her lip. It was hard to think. ¡°S¡¯complicated.¡±


    He locked eyes with her, and they seemed to connect again, emotions and attraction pulled into the same wavelength in a hissing flash of red sparks. She was close now, so close to him that she couldn¡¯t hide anything. It was as if those reasons too embarrassing to put into words were dancing right there in her brandy-brown eyes for him to read.


    ¡°Then, show me, instead,¡± he challenged.


    Oh my God.


    That almost had her teetering forward beyond control. She was so ready to climb on top of him, to mount him, to crash down like a world-ending red comet and obliterate this farcical charade they were entangled in. Realizing she was almost there¡ªalmost there, so fucking close¡ªshe gathered her last shaky vestiges of self-control and regained a precarious mental balance.


    ¡°...Not, uh, gonna go all principled on me, if I do?¡± Kelly asked with a nervous laugh. ¡°Figured you¡¯d put up some kinda fight. Say some, oh, I don¡¯t fuck on the first date. Something stupid like that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ entirely why I was being stubborn, earlier,¡± Brian admitted with a playful grin. Slivers of red starlight streaked through her peripheral, and it felt like he was falling again, because that was not a denial.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t trust you. Wasn¡¯t sure if I liked you,¡± Brian said. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re great, don¡¯t get me wrong. But, after¡­ everything, after Chloe, I didn¡¯t have much of any kind tolerance for girls who seemed like they were looking down on me. Even if it¡¯s just that I¡¯m¡­ what, a lowly weeaboo to you?¡±


    Ah. Kelly almost felt herself blush at that, and she let herself break into an uneasy smile.


    ¡°I, um. Wasn¡¯t completely honest with you before,¡± Kelly confessed, reaching forward to trace fingertips along his shoulder. He was so warm. ¡°The girl I came to AnimeCon to say goodbye to, Sarah. She wasn¡¯t just a friend, she¡¯s¡­ my little sister, actually. So, over the years in my head I sorta got to telling myself that this was her convention stuff, that it was too geeky for me.¡±


    ¡°Sarah Star?¡± Brian guessed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said, accidentally revealing her surprise in the way her fingers froze. ¡°How¡¯d you¡­?¡±


    ¡°We saw her at the cosplay contest,¡± Brian explained. ¡°You two resemble each other a lot. Otherwise, I¡¯d have probably never made any connection.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly let out a wistful sigh, watching her hand play sensuously back and forth across his skin. ¡°Kelly Killy and Sarah Star, that¡¯s us. Our real last name¡¯s Killarney.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say goodbye to her,¡± Brian pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re staying with me for a while, right? We¡¯re gonna get Mrs. Rivera to find a stage for you somewhere, singing or acting or, y¡¯know, something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too weird to think about,¡± Kelly frowned, blowing a tuft of red hair out of her face with a puff of her lip. ¡°I¡¯ve had it in my head so long that I¡¯d be kind of going right off the deep end here, so the thought of just chilling with you instead, getting my life all back together¡­ I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°But, you will, right?¡± Brian asked, giving her a searching look. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me, aren¡¯t you? Living with me for a bit, so we can figure everything out?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Kelly realized, and as she locked eyes with him it felt like she was falling even faster now, plunging down into this with streaks of red and gouts of reentry fire. ¡°I am, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Then, it seems to me like this moment tonight here between us is... kind of special,¡± Brian rationalized. ¡°Meaningful, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly tensed with excitement as her mind parsed what he meant. Is he saying¡­?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bright, beautiful laughter slipped out of her lips, and her hips gave out an involuntary wriggle. ¡°Meaningful. Oh, Brian, it¡¯s on. Fucking finally, hah. You¡¯ve already gone and said it, now¡ªno take-backs, you fucker.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t trying to be difficult, before,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just, you know. The situation¡¯s really come around. You know what the most important thing that you put into a relationship is?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Effort?¡± Kelly guessed, hands scrambling to shed and discard her borrowed leggings in a hurry. Anticipation had her fingers tingling, and what she wanted¡ªwhat she needed was so close her body was already betraying her. With one last kick they were off, and she was in front of him, completely naked. It¡¯s time, it¡¯s finally time. Time to¡ª


    ¡°Compromise, that¡¯s what makes relationships work,¡± Brian said. ¡°I¡¯m all about compromise. So, I think... just for tonight, we can celebrate things your way.¡±


    ¡°Celebrate,¡± Kelly was breathing heavily. ¡°My way. Yeah, celebrate. Okay. Alright, for real now¡ªno more bullshit. I need you right in fucking side of me and I need you to take me hard, before somethi¡ª¡±


    The sudden knock on the door interrupting her was so unwelcome that flashes of red swam across Kelly¡¯s vision. She froze, clenched and ground her teeth in furious aggravation, finally bouncing back off of the bed away from Brian and stalking to the door. Not bothering to cover herself up in any way, she forcefully twisted the handle and swung the door open.


    Instead of the expected Stephanie and Emily... it was a uniformed police officer. It was dark outside, but there were dim lights at each of the rooms spaced across the walkway surrounding the pool area. The cop was in his mid-thirties, and wore a crew-cut along with a bored expression as he stood waiting outside their room. Inwardly seething, her mood couldn¡¯t have taken a worse turn if Chloe herself had been standing there, because she hated cops.


    ¡°Uhh, ¡®scuse me, Ma¡¯am, didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± the officer said in amusement, awkwardly turning his line of sight back on down the row of doors. ¡°Officer O¡¯Rielly, City Police. Got a call in ¡®bout a noise complaint, here. You, uh, you making a lot of noise?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re quite a bit early, actually,¡± Kelly remarked sweetly, leaning forward to rest her elbow on the door frame. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even started laying into me, yet. Can you come back in¡­ forty-five minutes to an hour, maybe? We¡¯d be happy to justify any noise complaint you¡¯ve got by then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to keep it down,¡± Brian promised, appearing beside Kelly at the door.


    ¡°Right,¡± Officer O¡¯Rielly laughed, shaking his head and giving them a parting wave. ¡°Alright, just consider yourself warned, okay? You two have yourselves a nice night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we will,¡± Kelly drawled in a teasing, honeyed voice. ¡°Goodnight, Officer.¡±


    She tried to slam the door shut on the policeman, but Brian just barely managed to catch the swinging edge with his fingers.


    ¡°That fucking ex of yours called in a complaint on us!¡± Kelly hissed in disbelief, whirling to face Brian. ¡°Fucking... cunt!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know that,¡± Brian said, giving the cop an apologetic look and gently closing the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking defend her!¡± Kelly snapped.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± Brian explained. ¡°Someone probably called it in back when Chloe was throwing her hissy fit here¡ªI¡¯m guessing the officer just now finally showed up about it. I mean, her fault either way, really?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Whatever,¡± Kelly said, eyes wandering up and down Brian¡¯s body in a distracted way. ¡°Sorry. I just¡ªcan we just fucking¡ª¡±


    He leaned in and kissed her, pressing her back against the hotel door.


    Brilliant starbursts blossomed in her mind, each plume of bright red fire opening up and pushed away by new bursts in a cascading explosion of heat and light. All at once, she was descending again, feeling that weightless sense of free-fall in her tummy. She was light on her toes in a strange, giddy sort of way, and found herself grasping at his shoulders¡ªamazing, muscled shoulders, sturdy fucking firm DEFINITION I can feel all along his arms, that, that makes me want to¡ªto steady her shaking hands.


    O-oh my God. Staring into his eyes in a stupid daze, she desperately licked her tongue across his lips as he withdrew, wanting nothing more than to be back in his mouth again. She felt weak and dizzy with need, felt powerful, eager anticipation throbbing through her, wanted to relax against his naked chest and bodily wrestle him onto the bed, all at once.


    Stephanie was right, Kelly realized in growing alarm. It¡¯s different. It¡¯s so fucking different.


    She had feelings for Brian. They were there, whether she was brave enough to admit them to anyone or not. The safe distance she¡¯d managed to maintain was rapidly dwindling down to nothing, to point fucking blank, and it felt absolutely fucking dangerous.


    Letting real emotions run wild for a guy was one of those serious astronomical hazards she always charted a course well clear from. It was the dangerous drug she didn¡¯t fuck around with, a haphazard jumble of heroin needles poised just over her veins. Except even worse, because it made her feel sappy, soft in the head. Like she was falling in love.


    Ohhh fuck. Whoa no no. Once she realized what was happening, what she was letting herself slip into, that strange hesitance from before escalated into an outright urge to bolt. The urge to bail on the living situation, to blurt out that she couldn¡¯t do commitment things. I need to get the fuck outta this, before it¡¯s too late.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian asked, looking at her with a perplexed expression. Whenever they locked eyes now, it was like there was nothing she possibly could hide from him. Like he was reading her soul. It made her want to squirm.


    ¡°No, uh, nothing,¡± Kelly flushed, quickly glancing away. ¡°I¡¯m, just. Like. It¡¯s like I¡¯m¡­ crushin¡¯ on you. A little. With everything. It¡¯s¡ªthis is just, like. Intense.¡±


    ¡°Having second thoughts?¡± He asked.


    ¡°About what?¡± She retorted, arching an incredulous eyebrow at him. ¡°Us fucking?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªabout me,¡± Brian clarified. ¡°Us. Living together.¡±


    ¡°Uhmmm,¡± Kelly let out a nervous laugh, feeling uncertainty beating butterfly wings in her stomach. ¡°Dunno? I¡¯m, um. Brian, I¡¯m so fucking horny I can¡¯t even like, think right now.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like something we should talk about, first, then,¡± Brian said, pulling back away from her.


    ¡°Uh, sounds like no, we¡¯re through talking,¡± Kelly retorted, chasing after him a step. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do this, before anything fucking else interrupts.¡±


    ¡°Compromise, then,¡± Brian grinned. ¡°We can do both, right? I want to get to know you better.¡±


    ¡°Compromise?!¡± Kelly spat, glaring at him in disbelief. ¡°You know plenty, we¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Like¡­ french toast,¡± Brian teased. ¡°I¡¯m good at making french toast, really good. Something for you to think about. You could wake up to french toast, from now on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah. Tempting,¡± Kelly smirked, tracing her hands down his body. ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me breakfast, when I live with you?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, yeah,¡± Brian admitted with a nod. ¡°Now, tell me something, anything. Something about yourself.¡±


    ¡°I sing, when I shower,¡± Kelly told him. She shot him an amused look and stepped in even closer, wrapping her arms around him in an intimate embrace. Her full breasts were pressing against his chest, but they were aching for much more attention. ¡°Always. I don¡¯t do silent showers. I was like, grittin¡¯ my teeth last night, ¡®cause you two were both asleep. So, it was weird.¡±


    ¡°You sing?¡± Brian looked interested. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear that.¡±


    ¡°...I think you¡¯re about to,¡± Kelly whispered seductively in his ear. ¡°Your turn, then. Go on¡ªtell me something, Brian.¡±


    ¡°Okay... weird one, probably,¡± Brian paused, drawing little circles across her bare back for a long moment before leisurely dropping his hands down to firmly cup Kelly¡¯s buttocks, pulling her even more snugly against him. She managed to stifle her sudden intake of breath, but only just barely. ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°You, uh. Wait, what? You don¡¯t drink?¡± Surprised, Kelly pursed her lips and gave him a quizzical smile. ¡°Why? That, uh... that could be a problem, maybe? Brian, I¡¯m gonna drink.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if you do,¡± Brian said, squeezing her bottom and hefting it slightly in his hands, giving her cheeks an experimental bounce. ¡°Just, I probably won¡¯t. I guess... think of it as a more for you sorta thing if, and, or when we keep liquor stocked at the apartment. Our apartment?¡±


    ¡°C-cool,¡± Kelly shuddered the tiniest bit, arching her back to press the plush curvatures of her butt into his palms. ¡°Yeah, that works. Awesome.¡±


    ¡°Tell me something else about you,¡± Brian asked, slowly drawing her away from the hotel door, step by step, towards the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re making me wet,¡± Kelly revealed, licking her lips. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m like, so wet, right now...¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± his green eyes seemed to sparkle with intensity. ¡°Not like that, that doesn¡¯t count. Tell me something about you. What you¡¯re like¡ªwhat it¡¯ll be like, living together with you.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± she was deliberating on what best to say when one of his hands released her ass and trailed a tickling, sensuous line down below her navel. Words were rapidly vacating her mind and dispersing into little red puffs. ¡°Uhhmmm¡ª¡±


    With tantalizing slowness, the gentle touch of Brian¡¯s fingertips meandered lower, lower, unhurriedly traveling further and further down her body, as if to savor every perfect inch of smooth skin. Her eyes were trained steadily upon his, and they widened as she felt where his touch was daring to wander. When his fingers actually slid across the now very slick lips of her labia, her mouth still fell open anyways in breathless surprise.


    She was completely soaked. It was as if this direct contact broke the surface tension of her needy body, and a slippery strand of arousal dangled messily past his hand and down her thigh as she wriggled herself upon him. It was the fluid feeling of pure tactile satisfaction... but her body was pining for more. More. She couldn¡¯t help but buck, rocking back and forth until the movement welcomed his exploring digits deep into the heat of her silken folds.


    ¡°Hhhhuuhoh my Goddd,¡± Kelly managed a shaky warning, gripping desperately at Brian¡¯s shoulders when her legs threatened to give out from under her. ¡°Briannn...¡±


    ¡°Compromise, remember?¡± Brian told her. ¡°Come on¡ªtell me something.¡±


    ¡°Uhhmmm,¡± She rolled her hips, insistently pressing her soaked pussy down to further envelop his fingers. It was impossible to think. Squashed between them, his dick looked painfully erect, and this time she couldn¡¯t stop herself from grabbing the giant thing. It felt warm and thick in her hand, and she couldn¡¯t help but give the girthy meat a possessive squeeze as the answer for him came to her.


    ¡°Kell?¡±


    ¡°I wanna do, umm. Girlfriend things,¡± Kelly admitted through the haze of lust. ¡°With you. To you?¡±


    ¡°Girlfriend things?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, things,¡± she panted. ¡°Stuff.¡±


    ¡°You can elaborate on that, can¡¯t you?¡± He was taller than her, and it was easy for him to plant a tender line of kisses along her forehead. The display of affection didn¡¯t dilute the raw lust of attraction she felt, the blazing red instead burned even hotter, sweeter.


    ¡°Y¡¯know¡ªstuff. Hold your hand when we¡¯re out together. Wake you up with kisses. Follow you around like a little lost puppy,¡± she bit her lip, unsure if she was teasing him or not anymore. ¡°Go on... dates? Take those cute couple selfies all the time, to show you off. Fill notebook pages, just writing your name over and over. Cuddle you to sleep with a dopey smile. Th-the whole stupid girlfriend thing. Isn¡¯t that what you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Brian asked, looking deep into her eyes.


    ¡°Just told ya it is, fucker,¡± Kelly growled in a husky voice, giving him a smoldering look. ¡°Your turn¡ªwhat do you want?¡±


    ¡°I... just want to take care of you,¡± he answered. She was starting to get lost in his eyes all over again¡ªthere were no more escape trajectories, anymore. Not with the way he was pulling her in. ¡°That¡¯s what this is all about, remember?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± While it sounded too good to be true, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from listening. His fingers were languidly moving in and out of her now, and lewd, wet sounds seemed to fill their little hotel room.


    ¡°I can look out for you,¡± Brian led her another step back, until he was bumping into the edge of the bed. ¡°Look after you, if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Briaannn,¡± Kelly groaned, shoving him back onto the mattress with a heaving push. ¡°Shut up and just fuck me already, okay?!¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Brian protested, sitting up on his elbows. ¡°We¡¯re having a good talk.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªwell, I can¡¯t take any more fucking talk,¡± Kelly laughed, climbing on top of him. It was the truth, too, in ways she was too embarrassed to say aloud. They were too close to each other, practically inside each other¡¯s defenses, and the conversation was getting out of control. Each and every word went right in under her skin in a way that had her feeling jittery like a lovestruck teen. Like fucking Stephanie!


    Almost feverish with lust, she was already straddling his waist, lining up that thick beast of his to her lips in preparation to stuff herself silly when she froze. Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, Kelly disengaged, jerking away.


    Shit! That was¡­ that was close, Kelly swallowed uneasily. Fuck me.


    Clambering across the bedside, she bent down to rifle through some of the clothing discarded earlier. Brian¡¯s Darkmask utility belt was easy enough to find, and she popped open the compartment pouches one by one, haphazardly shaking the contents out across the floor until a condom packet emerged. My ticket to ride.


    ¡°Put this on,¡± Kelly demanded, shoving the packet towards Brian. He reached over to take the condom from her, but he was moving way too slowly. ¡°Fucking¡ªfucking hurry up!¡±


    She hurriedly tore the packet open herself in frustration, pulling the rubber out and leaning over Brian¡¯s cock to put it on. With trembling hands, she put it in place and then rolled it down his length. The partially transparent condom distorted into an obscene shape as she finished fitting it, and she stared at it for a moment, mesmerized.


    This monster¡¯s goin¡¯ inside of me, Kelly thought, taking hold of Brian¡¯s shoulders and throwing her leg over his lap again. Right fucking now¡ª


    ¡°Kelly¡ª¡± Brian¡¯s planted a hand on either side of her waist, preventing her from immediately sinking down on that bad boy.


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly reeled, torn in her impatience between throttling him and just fucking him senseless¡ª


    Brian leaned forward to kiss her, and before she could make sense of what she was going to do she was lost, pulled into the whirling reaches of a brilliant red star. Her lips crashed into his, their tongues met, making out with wild abandon and forgetting everything else.


    Her thoughts were in free fall again, plummeting down into the gravity of Brian. Her flight was so much faster than last time, mind racing at blinding speed, buffeted now only by the sudden unexpected sensations of atmosphere and emotion. Blurring red overtook her, everything glowed with the sheer incredible heat of reentry, and she whimpered a moan into Brian¡¯s mouth, completely overwhelmed. Legs spread, knees on either side of him on the bed, she groped for his dick with both hands, clumsily lining it up so that it could split her sopping-wet pussy.


    She was a meteor, a beautiful, short-lived burning goddess of destruction, and she was careening out of control at impossible velocity down towards Brian¡ªher Brian. Less than an instant away from her fiery end, from a world-extinguishing impact that would surely bring about absolute extinction to every¡ª


    The hands clutching her waist guided her down onto him, and Kelly¡¯s lips parted to let out a small noise, her vision going blank.


    FortySixtyFour


    Between sidestory arcs and the progressing main story there''s a lot more chapters available on my Patreon for $1, if you''re interested!


    Huge thank you to my Patreon family NyarlathotepB, godoffaer, Vowron Prime, Phillip Rayne, The Epitome of Eccentricity, Aodean, Chris, Connor Nay, Paul Wirtz, Aihnman, William Foster, Mundane, Lety Does Stuff, TiAM325, I.Ronical, Joel Robinson, jmundt33a, andy may phan, AnonGuy, Davin Taddeo, Luke Mofford, alethiophile, Kimu Taka, Angel Sworn and especially Foxy.

 Meteor Fall

    ¡°Can we¡ªcan we talk thematics?¡± Emily babbled, trotting alongside Stephanie as they traversed the nighttime city sidewalk. ¡°I¡¯m blue, you¡¯re pink, and that Kelly girl is red. Chloe just got static, right? Totally disqualified, she doesn¡¯t get to be a part of this. Maybe she goes crazy, or gets mind-broken, or something, yeah. Let¡¯s hope for the best.¡±


    Discovering that magic was fucking real, and was potentially going to be part of her life wasn¡¯t something Emily could overlook. She didn¡¯t care about the chilly air at this hour, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to be self-conscious about the revealing state her disordered costume was in. Magic. The fact that it was some sort of harem charm magic that might be affecting her mind didn¡¯t dissuade her enthusiasm at all.


    Even if things take like, a DARK turn and he just wants to use me as a sex thing, Emily thought to herself gleefully, I can live with that! Was having those fantasies waaay before any of this went down. Not that Brian¡¯d ever do that! Just, it¡¯d even be okay if he did, a little.


    ¡°Traditionally, in sentai stuff, red is like, the leader of the little band,¡± Emily continued. ¡°Is Kelly kind of like that? She seems really, I dunno, take charge. Or, does Brian count as our team captain sorta, since he¡¯s, uh¡­ this is all¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s like that,¡± Stephanie admitted with a sheepish smile. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m definitely pink, but, there¡¯s also a fire theme. Isn¡¯t fire usually associated with red?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Emily quirked her lip and then worked her jaw. It still hurt where Chloe had elbowed her back then. ¡°Pink fire, huh. I woulda picked heart for you or something. Fits better with your empathy powers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not powers, exactly,¡± Stephanie protested. ¡°I don¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°Can we try that thing again, once we get there?¡± Emily asked. ¡°It¡¯s so fucking cool! Magic mental stuff, with psychedelic colors and sexy fuckin¡ªuh, shit, I should probably ask about that, huh? Did you have the hots for me at all?¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s step faltered, looking over at her new friend in surprise.


    ¡°Uhhh, ¡®cause I¡¯m just sayin¡¯,¡± Emily said, embarrassed. ¡°There was¡­ I was feeling weird stuff there, okay? That was¡ªor was it just me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ um, no,¡± Stephanie blushed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just you. That was¡­¡±


    ¡°So, yeah okay anyways!¡± Emily awkwardly cleared her throat. ¡°I get blue, and probably water? Which always goes with blue! I¡¯m satisfied. Good match-up. Primary color, and like, main, classical, element¡ªwater¡¯s badass. What cool powers do I get?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re powers,¡± Stephanie said weakly.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ruin this for me, Pink!¡± Emily huffed in frustration. ¡°All I¡¯ve ever wanted was cool powers. To be special. Is that so much to ask? I have to get something really awesome¡ªI¡¯m, like. I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t really have much of anything else goin¡¯ for me. So, please.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± Stephanie looked like she was about to say something.


    ¡°Ugh, go on, then,¡± Emily grumbled, urging her on. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want to say that¡­ you saved me, really saved me, twice already just today,¡± Stephanie told her in a quiet voice. ¡°Without powers, or anything like that. You¡¯re already amazing¡ªand, you always will be, to me.¡±


    ¡°Err¡ªthat first time was all Rebecca, really,¡± Emily objected quickly. ¡°Like, if not for her, I woulda just ran up and then... not even known what to do, at all. Panic? Scream and shout all fuckin¡¯ crazy, I guess? I can be loud and all, but Rebecca¡¯s the real¡­ fuck, I wish she was with us on all this. Can we charm zap her, too?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think we should do things like that!¡± Stephanie shook her head, giving Emily a serious expression. ¡°Not until we figure out more. What do we even do, once we¡ªif we manage to find the charm? Try to... explain things to Brian?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, fuck no,¡± Emily lurched to a sudden stop, eyes going wide. ¡°I tried to kiss him, like way back during high school. But, I¡¯d been drinking a little, or yeah maybe a lot, and he got real upset. Thought that it was, y¡¯know, under the influence or whatever, I guess. So, if he thinks there¡¯s a chance that we¡¯re being affected by all this, mentally¡­¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t like it...¡± Stephanie realized, slowing to a halt as well and turning back to face Emily. ¡°Um. Are we being affected?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ know!¡± Emily threw her hands up. ¡°Before, you were all like you didn¡¯t even care either way, right? Why¡¯re you asking that now?!¡±


    ¡°I care now if it¡¯s going to bother him!¡± Stephanie let out an exasperated laugh. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that... just make it seem even more like I¡¯m being influenced, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kinda,¡± Emily pursed her lips. ¡°This is actually really fuckin¡¯ bad, right? We¡¯re his brainwashed harem sex slaves? This is bad.¡±


    ¡°No, its¡ªno!¡± Stephanie argued in a fluster. ¡°It¡¯s not bad! Before all of this, that was bad! I¡¯m not going back to being like that. I¡¯m so tired of, of being anxious about everything, and feeling alone, and¡­ disconnected from everyone. I don¡¯t care what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gonna interrupt¡ª¡± Emily cut in with a stammer. ¡°I just had like, this serious urge to kiss you just now. Not even kidding.¡±


    ¡°The urge to¡­ kiss me?¡± Stephanie blinked in surprise.


    No way am I gonna brush off things like that, Emily told herself, eyes shamefully darting away from Stephanie¡¯s lips. They were pink, of course. Soft-looking, innocent, and oh-so inviting... Whenever a character ignores weird details¡ªred flags, suspicious compulsions, they always turn out to be like, important clues that coulda saved them later, if only they¡¯d spoken up. Right?


    ¡°Yeah, outta nowhere,¡± Emily reported. ¡°Okay, not out of nowhere¡ªit¡¯s like, your expression and everything you¡¯re saying, I just¡­ wanted to, needed to kiss you, comfort you and be like¡­ I dunno. It¡¯s intimate, kinda.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie said, simply giving Emily a flabbergasted look.


    On unspoken agreement they both started walking again, meandering at a leisurely place down the final block between Stephanie¡¯s hotel room and the convention center. Emily struggled not to stare, because she didn¡¯t want to encourage any more complications... but Stephanie was eye candy. The sugary aesthetic of her fluffy pink hair perfectly suited that feminine cuteness to her features, giving her a shy but honest vibe, pure and without guile.


    Emily wasn¡¯t jealous, exactly¡ªjust interested. Her own style was such a different flavor of cute; cheeky and mischievous, tomboyish punk with more than a little geek influence. What¡¯ll I look like if I go all¡­ full blue?


    ¡°Hey, listen. I don¡¯t get random impulses to kiss girls, not ever,¡± Emily explained. ¡°Just wanted to put it out there, be on the level so that we both know. Since, um, all this weird narrative is happening. Are we still like, connected? Like, are our emotions hooked up together still, or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know?¡± Stephanie said, frowning. ¡°Can you feel me in your mind?¡±


    ¡°Can I feel you in my mind?¡± Emily repeated incredulously. ¡°How the hell should I know? My mind¡¯s like, a junkheap of buried shit and repressed¡­ everything. I don¡¯t go lookin¡¯ around or anything, I try to just¡­ get through stuff, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ not kiss again, for now,¡± Stephanie proposed, giving Emily a meek look as if to add if that¡¯s okay? ¡°¡®Till we know more about all this.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I wasn¡¯t gonna anyways!¡± Emily blurted out quickly. ¡°I¡¯m not gay. Never ever kissed a girl, or even really thought about it, before.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Stephanie showed her a hesitant smile. ¡°You kissed me back there in the stairwell. Just a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh well yeah I meant besides that!¡± Emily retorted loudly, feeling blood rush to her face. ¡°Obviously! That doesn¡¯t even count, you like¡ªyou know what you did! It was like, just a stimulated reaction, when you were all pokin¡¯ around inside my brain. My lips were innocent! You did that to me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Stephanie smiled bashfully. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny,¡± Emily put on a scowling pout. ¡°What, are you gay? I mean¡ªI don¡¯t judge, or anything, but I think if we¡¯re all caught up in all this stuff together¡­¡±


    ¡°I think... I was asexual, before this weekend,¡± Stephanie said slowly. ¡°Or maybe not even that¡ªI was just, I was nothing. I didn¡¯t feel connected to people in that way, in any way, or, ever even like I was a part of things. Now¡­ I don¡¯t know? Maybe?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t scare the living shit out of you?¡± Emily said, eyes going wide. ¡°We¡¯re like¡ª this isn¡¯t chemicals in the water turning the frogs gay conspiracy stuff, Stephie. This is like, real deal mind fuckery, and it¡¯s like, it¡¯s changing you.¡±


    Changing US, maybe...


    ¡°I-I¡¯m new to associating attraction with people,¡± Stephanie admitted, looking down at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m very attracted to Brian. I think I feel¡­ indifferent to most everyone else, except for Kelly, and you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ what, are you attracted to me?¡± Emily exclaimed. The girl¡¯s sudden admission, the idea of it was somewhere between a punch to the gut and a comforting caress that softly stroked down her abdomen. Uh no no no, NOT comforting. Weird caress, um, weird¡­ touch to the tummy. Thing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Stephanie gave her a helpless shrug. ¡°Really. I¡¯m not unattracted to you, there¡¯s nothing¡­ mentally deterring me, from girls. If it was you or Kelly... I feel like I could kiss you, and it would have meaning.¡±


    ¡°Uh. Okay, cool,¡± Emily nodded, feeling relief and¡­ other strange things she wasn¡¯t inclined to pin down right now. ¡°Cool. What about Rebecca? Or, Chloe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about Rebecca,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°But, Chloe frightens me.¡±


    ¡°She should,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°She¡¯s a total fucking psycho.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t go like I expected at all,¡± Stephanie eventually sighed. ¡°Even after seeing her lash out at everything when you all... walked in on us. I guess I thought¡­ that she could be reasoned with, once she calmed down? That¡ªno, I don¡¯t know what I thought. Kelly was right.¡±


    They fell silent after reaching the convention center plaza, Emily punching the crosswalk button repeatedly in irritation. Why the harem charm, why NOW? Passed that thing around to show everyone back in high school¡ªit was like, just this novelty. An inside joke. What changed?


    An errant few droplets of blue sparkled down through Emily¡¯s mind, and she wet her lips in agitation. But, wasn¡¯t this everything she wanted? She¡¯d had a real kiss with Brian, they were embarking on some sort of adventure full of supernatural hijinks together. They¡¯d kissed. He admitted to always having feelings for her, they¡¯d actually fucking kissed, and she¡¯d tackled Chloe to the ground. Even started smacking the shit out of her.


    ¡°Wait, is this all a dream?!¡± Emily wondered in alarm, taking Stephanie by the arm. ¡°This is all really happening, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I think so,¡± Stephanie nodded bravely. ¡°If it is a dream... don¡¯t ever wake me up.¡±


    Right?! Emily couldn¡¯t help but share a secret grin with her new friend.


    She recognized the breathless excitement in Stephanie¡¯s expression, the lovestruck pangs tinged with just a little bitter bit of desperation. Fear, anticipation, and longing. The city traffic in front of them reluctantly rumbled to a stop, their crosswalk symbol flashed, and Emily grabbed Stephanie¡¯s hand. They scampered across the street together, hurrying to begin their search for answers.


    ¡°OhHHhhhh¡ª¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t help but gasp out loud as she finally sunk down upon Brian.


    The warm light from the hotel room¡¯s tableside lamp painted the sensuous scene of her luscious curves and beguiling contours in blushing nude tones. Straddled atop Brian, the bright-red-haired young woman gaped in disbelief at the thickness of him inside of her. He felt huge, but there was more to it than that. She didn¡¯t think she could possibly be any more turned on¡ªthe heavy, ripened shapes of her breasts were positively aching for attention, and the twin protuberances of her proud pink nipples jutting out felt so erect that they stung.


    In her mind, a falling star flashed out in brilliant, scintillating red as it struck home, and the last few misgivings clouding the air between Kelly and Brian were pressed outward in an expanding halo of clarity with the sheer force of the impact. The outright girth of his cock filled her completely, stretched her, and she shuddered as their bodies finally joined together in union.


    Coherent thought was totally blown away as Kelly quaked atop him, concepts and feelings blasted asunder and blossoming into a brilliant red explosion of sensation. It went on and on, a blast cloud filling her mind in totality, expanding outwards in fiery fucking pyrocumulous fury and releasing turbulent subsidiary eruptions and spinning vortices of lust that ravaged her brain. She felt herself clamping down uncontrollably around his dick like a velvet vice, and it took a moment before she had enough presence of mind to realize how dangerously close to orgasm she was.


    No, what the actual fuuck-k-k?? Kelly blinked, struggling to think. We haven¡¯t even DONE anything. N-no, no way do I cum that easy!


    Her body disagreed¡ªwhere they were positioned, with Brian¡¯s massive thing buried to the hilt within her and her mound quashed up just right against his pubic bone, her clit felt ready to sing. It was as if there were already several pounds of pressure on a three pound trigger, like any slight tilt of her hips could send her right over the edge of that precipice into ecstasy.


    Kelly wasn¡¯t known for her restraint.


    Wasting no time allowing her very snug snatch to adjust to his size, she immediately leaned forward, splaying hands out across the sexy expanse of his chest, and started fiercely grinding. There was a fluid feel to how messy with arousal she was down there as she sharply rocked her hips, and each and every movement resulted in a delectable silky-slick smooth sensation of pure pleasure. Before she could stop herself, she was already lifting partway up and then slamming herself back down again, over and over, bouncing atop him as hard and fast as she could manage.


    Umm?! Kelly choked off a surprised squeak of embarrassment as her naked body tensed and quivered. No no no wait not ready, too soon, too¡ª?!!


    ¡°...Kell?¡± Brian¡¯s voice woke her from a heady daze of euphoria that was irradiated through and through with red. ¡°That feels incredible. You alright?¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡ªI think I just fuckin¡¯ came a little?¡± Kelly confided in a shaky voice, shuddering. Still seeing stars, she blindly grasped and felt her way up his musculature until she was securely gripping those broad shoulders of his. It felt like she was going to need to hold on for dear life.


    ¡°Quit kiddin¡¯ around and just kiss me,¡± Brian retorted with a chuckle.


    Even Brian¡¯s grousing laugh sounded husky, heated to her, enough to keep those tiny trembling shivers coming. Before she could protest his doubting tone, he pulled her down and their lips locked, tongues exploring wildly as they passionately french-kissed each other.


    I¡¯m sooo fucked. Utterly transfixed, Kelly felt herself helplessly falling deep back into that thermonuclear fog. She couldn¡¯t stop making out with him. But, she found that she could start undulating on top of him again, and she did, slowly savoring the size and shape of that cock within her with every sumptuous motion.


    ¡°MmMmmmmhph,¡± Kelly moaned into his mouth, finally breaking away so that she could adjust her haphazard humping into a steadier rhythm of movement. Biting down on her lip, she started riding him again, hard, frantic with desire and heedless of the bouncing sway of her breasts and the wild tangle of brightly-hued hair tossing across her face.


    Fucked. Fucking my boyfriend. My Brian. It was impossible for her to concentrate when they were fucking like this, that enormous dick sliding in and out of her and eliciting perfect little pangs of pleasure. Beneath her on the bed, Brian was reciprocating, jerking upward in timely sync so that their flesh met in dozens of immensely satisfying collisions.


    ¡°Oh fuck, fuck, fuck¡ª¡± Kelly¡¯s face went slack as her entire body rocked, relishing every powerful stroke that shook her entire body. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was cumming again, or if the previous orgasm was just rolling and tumbling on and on and on¡ª


    Then, Brian¡¯s hands took her firmly by the waist and he actually started thrusting, bucking hard enough underneath her that his hips were lifting her up off of the bed with the force of each stroke. Kelly¡¯s hands slipped from his shoulders down his heaving chest for balance, feeling the powerful lines of his abdominal muscles tensing beneath her fingertips as he fucked her until she was bouncing helplessly atop him.


    ¡°Ah, Ahh, ahhh¡ªahHhh¡ª!¡± She panted out in breathless surprise.


    The smell of sex and the wet clap of the two lovers desperately fornicating filled the room for several long minutes¡ªor maybe a few seconds, or a handful of hours, she wasn¡¯t quite sure which anymore¡ªKelly slamming heavily down upon him in unison with his his body arching up to meet her. The inside of her head felt like sputtering cherry soda fizz as she creamed uncontrollably on Brian¡¯s dick, and her eyelids fluttered sightlessly as she began cumming again. It felt like she was melting into jelly, and she bonelessly collapsed onto him as her strength gave out.


    ¡°You need a minute?¡± Brian asked in concern, slowing the delightful pump of his magnificent penis to a near halt but never quite actually stopping.


    ¡°No,¡± Kelly lied, trying and failing to lift herself up with trembling arms. ¡°I-I¡¯m good, don¡¯t, d-don¡¯t you dare fuckin¡¯ stop. Ever.¡±


    ¡°I can keep at it for a while yet,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t we switch places?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s,¡± Kelly wet her lips and quickly agreed. Thank you. You¡¯re, uh, you¡¯re fuckin¡¯ heroic. Just don¡¯t ever, ever stop. Pound me fuckin¡¯ FLATTEN me!


    With intimidating ease, he lifted them both up and gently rolled over so that he was on top. In no time at all, he was taking control. Brian freely repositioning her trembling and useless legs so that she was folded nearly in half beneath him, both ankles situated upon his shoulders. When he resumed thrusting into her, he was hitting deep, the full weight of his body pushing her down into the mattress, and her alarmed thoughts began to blot like a reel of film that was bubbling into red spots from the heat of the projector.


    OhhHHhhhh Briaann¡­ This had never, ever hit her so hard like this. Kelly quivered, trying not to lose herself in all of this¡ªthe sex was overwhelming in ways she¡¯d never imagined possible, it had her reeling, but even that was insignificant in the face of the enormity of everything suddenly going on inside her head right now.


    The sexual dalliances she¡¯d felt so confident in before were nothing now, shallow experiences, just her ignorantly skipping across a surface for a brief instant before glancing off onto an oblique new trajectory again, alone. This here and now wasn¡¯t sex¡ªthis was some sort of red-tinged revelation, something religious and profound¡ªthey were completing each other. He was filling that hole deep in her soul she¡¯d refused to reveal to anyone else, and in turn, she wanted nothing more than to pour her love into those wounds of his and make everything better for him.


    Sex was always just this strictly physical thing, She thought in wonder, feeling tears form as Brian fucked her. She blinked in frustration, but wasn¡¯t able to look away from him¡ª afraid to miss anything.


    She¡¯d always been so careful to hold herself back, keep things in check. Now, everything was running wild¡ªwith Brian, she didn¡¯t want to hold anything back anymore, couldn¡¯t hold back, she wanted to instead pour in every last ounce of effort, put all of herself into this. This relationship, this sex, this magic between them that made her feel like she could be more than what she was; more than Kelly the sexy but stubborn fuckup.


    All of this emotion added a certain weight of importance, a realness that lit Kelly up, had her igniting in ways she¡¯d never imagined before. That gentle giddy freefall of attraction from yesterday had instead become a ballistic fucking targetted missile, exceeding terminal velocity and transforming into a streak of red light before striking deep in her heart with inconcievable power.


    And then exploding.


    Maybe sappy, romantic nonsense like marriage and happily ever after doesn¡¯t seem all that crazy. Not when you find a guy who can do THIS to you¡­ Kelly was changing, realization and acceptance were in this moment transforming who she was. This brilliant meteoric obliteration was a direct impact on her psyche, an epiphany that would indelibly change her forever.


    All of the suffering back then, it made me strong, but I chose to believe that it defined me, Kelly realized, stunned at the sudden introspection. I was adrift for so long, just hurting and incomplete. Because, I thought healing, becoming whole again was betraying who I was. I was¡ªI am¡ªproud of that identity. My identity. But, with Brian, I can be even MORE...


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Her lover asked, pausing.


    She could read his concern as their eyes connected, could feel that he cared¡ªnot for the physical intensity of the moment, but for her. He had feelings for her, he actually cared, he adored and worried about and valued this soul who¡¯d been lost so deep out in the dark empty distances that she¡¯d nearly forgotten the power those sentiments held.


    ¡°Just like this. J-just stay like this, for a bit. Please,¡± She managed a breathy whisper, pulling him closer. How could she put what she was feeling into words for him, how could she ever explain the significance of this moment? ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t fuckin¡¯ breathe.¡±


    I¡¯m in fucking love with him, Kelly realized with a feeling of sublime contentedness, her eyes dancing over him with nervous energy. Yeah, it¡¯s really THAT fucking good. Not even just the sex¡­ but yeah, that too. Fuck me. It¡¯s over, the Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.


    ¡°Hey, you two! Hope we¡¯re not interrupting anyth¡ª¡± Emily¡¯s playful voice sung out as the door of their hotel room swung wide. Neither Kelly or Brian had even heard it unlocking. ¡°...OHMIGOD!¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Oh and as always, more chapters of the fiction available on my Patreon for $1 if you''re interested. I''m paying for all of the game development stuff out of pocket so that''s sequestered securely behind my $5 tier for now. ¨q(?????)? ??


    Huge thank you to my Patreon family NyarlathotepB, godoffaer, Vowron Prime, Phillip Rayne, The Epitome of Eccentricity, Aodean, Chris, Connor Nay, Paul Wirtz, Aihnman, William Foster, Mundane, Lety Does Stuff, TiAM325, I.Ronical, Joel Robinson, jmundt33a, andy may phan, AnonGuy, Davin Taddeo, Luke Mofford, alethiophile, Kimu Taka, Angel Sworn and especially Foxy.

 Feeling Overwhelmed

    Brian was almost grateful for the girls¡¯ sudden interruption¡ªhe hadn¡¯t realized just how dangerously close to climaxing he¡¯d been. An excuse to disengage helped support the illusion of stamina, of a staying power he didn¡¯t honestly feel at all when actually making love to Kelly¡ªit felt like he¡¯d been a hair-trigger away from uncontrollably spurting her full of thick gouts of seed from the moment they started.


    Kelly was too fucking sexy, and each glance at her exquisite features spurred him on even more. Her brilliant red hair, the lovely line of her neck, that healthy jiggle of that pair of breasts that looked so positively massive on her relatively slender figure. She was a wet dream, an impossibly sumptuous sight to drink in, a heady cocktail of desire exacerbating the already endorphin-fueled sex session that had Brian feeling like he was on the ropes and nearly tapping out from the get-go.


    Which probably wouldn¡¯t have impressed Kelly too much, after only¡­ wait, just how long were we even at it for? Minutes? Hours? Brian thought. Hard to say. It¡¯s probably feeling extra intense for me ¡®cause I¡¯m coming off of a... many-month dry spell, yeah. But, still¡­ like, HOLY FUCK.


    Brian¡¯s first instinct at being caught in the act was still guilt and embarrassment, of course. Emily and Stephanie both wore awkward smiles as they hopped inside and closed the door behind them, but neither seemed the least bit upset at his and Kelly¡¯s indiscretions. Everyone¡¯s whole situation was incredibly ambiguous, and with Kelly blowing him in front of everyone earlier, it was almost like there was some sort of unspoken sharing agreement up in the air.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re back!¡± Stephanie announced sheepishly. The seemingly-innocent pink-haired girl looked visibly torn between bashfully looking away from the sordid scene and stealing eager glances their way.


    Her shy adoration hit his weak spots in ways even the temptation of Kelly¡¯s incredibly seductive body couldn¡¯t hope to rival. When it came to Stephanie, it was like he didn¡¯t have any subconscious defenses at all, she was so open and easy to read that he trusted her without compunction. He watched her with interest, seeing her curiosity win out and those blue eyes finally glaze over with raw, fervent lust at the sight of his and Kelly¡¯s naked bodies intertwined. She nibbled on her lip without stepping any closer, as if unsure of what to say.


    There¡¯s Kelly, and then Stephanie, Brian¡¯s mind started to go blank at the sheer absurdity of it all. Now, there¡¯s also Emily¡­ what have I gotten myself into?


    The way Emily¡¯s adorable dark doe-eyes were half-hidden behind the shaggy dark bangs of her pixie-cut lent a certain nervous energy to the cheeky grin she wore. She was positively dazzling even with her Akane Kurokawa costume in disarray, and something about her posture, the way she was presenting herself had subtly changed, become more alluring somehow. Some last final barrier between them and naked intimacy was falling away, and Brian found himself feeling just as anxious about it as she looked.


    Definitely need to start clearing all of this up, though. Everyone¡¯s¡­ status, Brian thought, gingerly pulling himself out of Kelly with an audible wet noise and moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside her.


    ¡°Ohhhh, Briannn¡­¡± Kelly complained in a mumble, weakly swatting a hand towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t stooop!¡±


    His actual feelings towards Kelly couldn¡¯t be any more complicated. Over the course of the weekend, he¡¯d categorized Kelly¡¯s supposed interest in him as one part idle attraction, one part impersonal need for gratification, and three parts her stubbornly trying to prove her ideology over his as a point of pride. He knew Kelly was the manipulative type, so after the whole Chloe mess, it¡¯d been easy for him to fend her off, remain on guard and naturally recalcitrant to her flirtation. Right up until the story of her careening mess of a life ended up fiercely arousing his protective instinct, that is.


    The sex just now felt right, though. Perfect. It was intense not for the physicality of it or even the pleasure¡ªthere was this surreal emotional connection that formed between him and this strikingly beautiful girl that he¡¯d never anticipated. How much of it was his own wishful thinking¡ªdidn¡¯t his actions still fly right in the face of how he was determined not to have a casual hook-up? Brian was almost afraid to think too much on it. Maybe after a certain point getting so turned on and worked up over it, he just stopped really caring and latched onto anything that was ¡®enough¡¯ to reasonably justify things to himself.


    Which would... make me pretty disappointed in myself, Brian thought. They¡¯re really not making it easy, though¡ªlook, they¡¯re totally checking me out, they¡¯re practically salivating.


    Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t make anything less conflicting for him. On some basic, primitive level it was hard not to tie in this perceived sexual prowess with some level of self-worth and accomplishment, especially after that rough break-up¡­ but, there were niggling slivers of self-doubt and discomfort all the same. He tried to numb himself to their hungry stares with an uneasy laugh, slipping off the condom he was still wearing and tossing it into the room¡¯s little wastebasket.


    ¡°Oh hey well, um! No, don¡¯t stop on our account or anything!¡± Emily let out an awkward noise somewhere between a laugh and a snort. ¡°Um. You want me and Steph to, uh, give you some privacy? We can go hang out by the pool for a little bit?¡±


    When his semi-secret crush on Emily had been suddenly and unexpectedly unearthed, it revealed all the uncertain emotions he¡¯d buried way back in high school, and they weren¡¯t feelings that could be casually brushed aside. Stephanie definitely held a key to his heart, and Kelly was fiddling with the lock in a suspicious way, but Emily had long since had a place there within. She was right there with him through the darkest, most difficult times of his life, and in his mind, her position was almost inviolable, closer even than family. So much so that he¡¯d never dared to ruin everything by acting on that crush he¡¯d had back then.


    ¡°No no¡ªdon¡¯t go,¡± Kelly shook her head, lazily gesturing them forward. ¡°C¡¯mon in, join us. What happened, Steph?¡±


    Never even imagined I could feel this torn¡ªI take back every gripe I ever made about anime harem protagonists and them being as dense as neutron stars, Brian thought to himself with a wry smile, glancing from girl to girl. They¡¯re not dense, they¡¯re just struggling to cope, to keep up with everything. Ordinary relationships are already too damned complex, this is gonna be... metaphysical trigonometry, or something.


    Overwhelmed was an understatement¡ªthis wasn¡¯t some straightforward crossroad of choices, this was a dizzying six-way intersection. Road signs were ambiguous, the other drivers were unexpectedly aggressive, and he wasn¡¯t even sure which lane he was in anymore, let alone where he was heading. There was so much going on all jumbled up in his head now that he doubted even a dozen long morning runs would be enough for him to unpack it all and sort it out. A huge part of him feared he¡¯d someday look back on this convention weekend as some sort of monumental fuckup of poor decisions; him being led around by his dick, unable to keep a clear head.


    Chloe¡¯s the only one making all of this simple, Brian thought ruefully. Never thought I¡¯d appreciate her going to extremes and burning bridges to this extent. This is all¡­ this is crazy. Right? Involved with three girls at once? Simultaneously?


    ¡°It, um¡­¡± Stephanie shared a nervous glance with Emily, avoiding Kelly¡¯s gaze and fidgeting in place. ¡°You were right, Kelly. I shouldn¡¯t have gone.¡±


    ¡°We were all just talking, and Chloe all the sudden flips the fuck out!¡± Emily exclaimed with an animated expression. ¡°She starts like, wailing on Steph outta fuckin¡¯ nowhere, actually hitting her, so I tackle her down, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°She what?¡± Brian interjected, forgetting his own nakedness and rising up off of the bed in anger.


    ¡°Steph, come here, let me take a look,¡± Kelly abruptly sat up as well, her eyes flashing dangerously. ¡°She actually fucking hit you?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± Stephanie brushed pink tufts of shoulder-length hair out of the way on one side to show them her cheek. ¡°Yes, I mean¡ªa bit. It was scary, but Emily was all over her right away, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! Man, I was all like, bam bam bam bam!¡± Emily punched out a flurry of excited fists in demonstration. ¡°Woomph, bam, pow! It was fuckin¡¯ awesome, I¡¯ve never really even fought with anyone besides my little sister¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rebecca heard Chloe scream,¡± Stephanie continued, ¡°she was¡­ in the shower helping Megan, but she rushed out and broke them up. Rebecca¡¯s really amazing!¡±


    ¡°And then!¡± Emily froze, flashing Stephanie a look. ¡°Oh wait, that part¡¯s still a secret. Right?¡±


    ¡°Um, um, Emily got hurt too!¡± Stephanie quickly added. ¡°Chloe, she, she scratched up Emily¡¯s arm, before Rebecca could separate them.¡±


    ¡°Come over here by the light and let me take a look,¡± Brian said, guiding Stephanie over towards the vanity beside the bathroom and flicking on the brighter light there above the sink and mirror. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°Mine¡¯s not even bad all,¡± Emily followed the two over. ¡°Just scratches. Elbow to the face I got here was way worse. Oh! Rebecca ran out wearing just a towel and about ended up flashing everyone out in the hallway over there! You shoulda seen it.¡±


    ¡°I knew something like this would happen,¡± Kelly growled, slowly climbing up off the bed and joining them by the mirror. ¡°This is why I told you not to go, Steph.¡±


    ¡°You were right,¡± Stephanie smiled up at her as Brian inspected her cheek. ¡°I knew you were. It¡¯s just¡­ something I had to experience for myself anyways.¡±


    Cold, dark anger stilled Brian¡¯s veins as he examined her¡ª like the elbow to the face Emily¡¯d taken earlier, the side of Stephanie¡¯s cheekbone was red and enflamed where she¡¯d been hit. The quiet girl flinched a bit as he tenderly traced fingers along her head¡ªher ear was red and from where Steph was feeling sensitive she¡¯d gotten knocked pretty hard alongside the head.


    Should have been there with her, Brian admonished himself. Instead I was here, fooling around with Kelly. God damn. Shouldn¡¯t have let her go with them, I should¡¯ve known something might happen.


    ¡°Emily, you¡¯re still mostly dressed¡ªrun out and fill the ice bucket real fast?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°On it, Red Leader!¡± Emily snapped a salute so eagerly that the edge of her hand bounced off of her forehead. ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°Red Leader?¡± Kelly scowled at the enthusiastic little Latina that was hurrying for the door.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily grinned, twisting the doorknob. ¡°I mean¡ªI feel bad, I didn¡¯t actually think we¡¯d uh, be interrupting anything. You guys can, um, keep going at it. Don¡¯t you worry ¡®bout us!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± Kelly swiped the room¡¯s ice bucket off of the vanity countertop and waggled it.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Emily gave them a sheepish grin, turning back from the door. ¡°Totally woulda remembered soon as I got to the machine! Sorry, not normally like this. Brian¡¯s, uh¡­ he distracted me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Brian laughed, already almost comfortable with being in front of them all in the buff. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like this.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve¡ªyou¡¯ve always distracted me!¡± Emily retorted with a blush, catching the bucket as Kelly tossed it to her and then scrambling out the door.


    ¡°Cute,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s gonna be a part of all this tonight, too?¡±


    ¡°Part of what?¡± Brian asked, arching an eyebrow as he ran one of the clean washcloths under cool water in the sink.


    ¡°All the sex tonight, duh,¡± Kelly retorted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°You didn¡¯t even cum yet.¡±


    ¡°I came earlier, remember?¡± Brian brushed it off. ¡°Not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°I-I think she should be a part of this. A part of¡­ us,¡± Stephanie leapt to Emily¡¯s defense. ¡°She¡¯s serious about Brian. I really like her.¡±


    ¡°You guys realize I can¡¯t actually have three girlfriends at once, right?¡± Brian chuckled, gently pressing the washcloth to Stephanie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Could barely even handle having just one.¡±


    ¡°Chloe was... wildly deficient, as a girlfriend,¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°We¡¯re going to be very good to you, love. Like, you have opportunity with Stephanie, effort with me, and then Emily is¡­ um. Emily¡¯s the idiot? Comic relief?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not an idiot,¡± Brian rebuked her softly. ¡°She¡¯s jus¡¯, y¡¯know, playing around. Emily gets like that the more nervous she is, it¡¯s... how she deals with stuff.¡±


    ¡°What, by being goofy?¡± Kelly snorted.


    ¡°You can come off as a little intimidating,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Before people get to know you. And this whole night¡¯s been¡­ insane.¡±


    ¡°Not tryin¡¯ to freak her out, or anything!¡± Kelly griped. ¡°Even gave her my key when I ran into her earlier.¡±


    ¡°She really did tackle Chloe to the floor the moment she started hitting me,¡± Stephanie insisted, reaching up to place her hand over where Brian was holding the damp cloth to her face. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t been there¡ªI don¡¯t know what would have happened.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Kelly held up her hands defensively. ¡°Geez. I¡¯m just sayin.¡¯¡±


    ¡°We should... talk about how this is going to work,¡± Brian said. ¡°Between all of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna be stayin¡¯ at your apartment,¡± Kelly said. ¡°So, seems to me like I¡¯m gettin¡¯ full custody of Brian, and Steph and Emmy¡¯ll get visitation rights every other weekend, or something. Aren¡¯t you still in school, Steph? Do you even live close to him?¡±


    ¡°I can drop out,¡± Stephanie said without hesitation.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, no,¡± Brian frowned, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re not dropping out of college just for me.¡±


    ¡°I can drop out, or transfer somewhere closer, or¡ªor anything,¡± Stephanie decided with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not a priority, anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh¡ªwhoa there, Steph,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t say stuff like that, even if you¡¯re thinkin¡¯ it. Guys spook with talk like that.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that you have very strong feelings right now, Stephanie,¡± Brian said. ¡°But, I don¡¯t want you making any sudden decisions about your whole future just because of me. What are you going to school for?¡±


    ¡°I have a library support staff certification,¡± Stephanie gave them a helpless shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve been working towards Library Assistant¡ªthe associate¡¯s degree¡ªthat would probably open up more opportunities, but¡­ I don¡¯t even think I need it. There¡¯s demand for library technicians everywhere.¡±


    ¡°There is?¡± Kelly sounded doubtful.


    ¡°Almost all facilities across the country switched from analog to digital indexing in the mid 2000s, but that first digital system is already considered terribly dated,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°Most localities want to set up their own unique new systems¡ªit has to do with how individual libraries apply for government grants¡ªbut, they don¡¯t have all the training or know-how. That¡¯s where I would come in.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re basically saying you can work anywhere?¡± Kelly tapped her lip, imagining the possibilities.


    ¡°Well, yes,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°But, more than that¡ªit isn¡¯t important to me. At all. Not like this is. Everything before this weekend, my life was¡ªit felt like I was just going through the motions, following some¡­ I don¡¯t know, some path of least resistance. I didn¡¯t feel alive, then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from what you actually want, then,¡± Brian offered. ¡°And figure out where we go from there.¡±


    ¡°I want you,¡± Stephanie answered without hesitation, gazing up at Brian with wonder in her eyes.


    ¡°You know I want you too, Steph,¡± Brian said, slipping his hands around her shoulders.


    ¡°Well¡­ show me,¡± Stephanie said, and a mischievous, daring smile appeared on her cute features.


    Surprised, Brian arched an eyebrow at her and let out a mirthful laugh.


    Think we¡¯ve been a bad influence on her, Brian thought, leaning in to give her a kiss. He meant it to be a simple, chaste kiss to prove his sincerity, but before he knew it, his tongue was slipping past her lips and playing alongside hers, and he heard her make a tiny thrilled noise. Or¡­ damn, maybe they¡¯ve been a bad influence on me?


    The erection that had begun to subside when worrying over how Stephanie¡¯d been hurt throbbed to life again, and he felt Stephanie give a jolt of surprise as it stood up enough to touch against her arm. With hesitant excitement, she reached out and took it in her delicate hand.


    Oh, wow. Uhm.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± Stephanie let out a cute noise as Brian roughly grabbed the plush curvature of her butt and lifted her up to sit her on the sink¡¯s countertop. She didn¡¯t stop returning his kiss though, and as he tried to disengage and pull away she leaned forward after him and locked lips with him again, licking and nibbling his lips with wanton need.


    ¡°Ice machines are loud!¡± Emily called out as she reentered the room. ¡°Scared me half to¡ªhey, don¡¯t start without me, you bozos!¡±


    Brian felt Stephanie smile through their kiss, but neither of them stopped.


    ¡°Oh, are you joining in?¡± Kelly teased, stepping in close to Brian¡¯s side and pressing her naked breasts against him as she wrapped her arms around him.


    ¡°Uhhh, I mean is¡ªis it cool if I do?¡± Emily¡¯s voice wavered. ¡°Here¡¯s the ice, it¡¯s uh. Extra icy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bully Emily,¡± Brian grinned as Stephanie finally released him, and he slipped an arm around Kelly¡¯s waist. ¡°That¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you ever do! You big bully!¡± Emily joked. The bucket that came with the room had a flimsy plastic liner, and she tugged it out, dumping half her haul back into the bucket, and then tied off the bag into a fist-sized portion of ice for them to use. ¡°Stupid... stupid sexy Brian, with your good looks and all your sexy womens all draped over you!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, up you go¡ªlet¡¯s take a look,¡± Brian scooped the petite girl off her feet and sat Emily up on the vanity next to Stephanie. She was even lighter than Stephanie, probably just a hair over ninety pounds, and wore a shy, somewhat flustered smile as he situated her.


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Emily agreed, quickly tugging her costume yukata back into proper place.


    ¡°Hmm, who gets the bag of ice, and who¡¯ll have to make do with just kisses and good intentions?¡± Kelly asked, hefting the bag.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t need any ice,¡± Emily blurted out with a grin. ¡°Mine¡¯s like, not even that bad.¡±


    ¡°Ice for both of them,¡± Brian insisted reprovingly, hesitating only for a moment. ¡°Steph¡ªhere, we¡¯d better take that off so we don¡¯t get it wet.¡±


    ¡°Um, okay¡­¡± Blushing brightly, Stephanie fidgeted cutely in place as Kelly unhooked an overall strap on one side, while Brian unbuckled the other.


    They let the apron front of the garment fall down into her lap, and then Brian¡¯s hand crept beneath the shy girl¡¯s shirt to feel smooth, perfect skin. He undressed her slowly, pulling the shirt up with tantalizing leisure so that he could appreciate every pale inch of her that was revealed. Kelly assisted, leaning behind to undo Stephanie¡¯s bra as the girl obediently lifted her arms so that he could pull the shirt up and over her head.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± they heard Emily whisper to herself, apparently incredulous at being a part of this entire situation.


    Stephanie¡¯s pale breasts were small but lovely, with slightly puffy nipples standing out that mesmerized Brian for a moment. In no time at all, he was carefully palming them into his hands¡ªthey felt incredibly, impossibly soft¡ªand Brian didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d started making out with her again until they were already losing themselves, spiraling away from reality in the blissful exchange of a deep, open-mouthed kiss.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, hah,¡± Brian apologized with a guilty look. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to¡ªum. Hah, it¡¯s like I couldn¡¯t even help myself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry!¡± Stephanie laughed, wearing a delighted smile that lit up the entire room. Her unguarded breasts, small but enticing teacup shapes, bounced ever so slightly with her laughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°...It¡¯s my favorite,¡± Stephanie confided. ¡°I love it when it¡¯s, uh, when I can make you lose control, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s the best feeling ever.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve definitely been a terrible influence on you,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°I was worried you would be more, I don¡¯t know. Frightened, or feeling shy, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Stephanie swept her beaming smile across each of them. ¡°How can I be? When you¡¯re all here with me, I mean. I¡¯ve never felt more¡­ safe.¡±


    ¡°You were literally taking punches like, half an hour ago,¡± Emily pointed out with a wince. ¡°Soaking up hits to the face. And now you feel more safe then ever? Stephie¡­ are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t scary!¡± Stephanie proclaimed with a proud grin. ¡°It would have been just the worst if it¡¯d happened when I was alone. But, you were there with me. Having someone there with me that would stand up for me, it was¡­ it¡¯s amazing, it¡¯s completely different. It would have been even more amazing if Brian had been there himself.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve ended up doing something¡­ regrettable, to Chloe,¡± Brian said with a hint of menace. ¡°I¡¯m goddamned furious just imagining it all.¡±


    ¡°Not me!¡± Kelly chimed in cheerfully. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have regretted anything, an¡¯ I woulda fucked her up good. Still might, if I see her again.¡±


    ¡°You see?¡± Stephanie beamed with a contented smile. ¡°How can I be scared¡ªof anything? For me, this is like, this is like Christmas. Like the best Christmas ever, and I have so many presents, and when I open up the first one it turns out to be a whole ¡®nother Christmas inside. it¡¯s just¡ªamazing.¡±


    Overjoyed, Brian found himself leaning in to share another one of those incredible kisses.


    ¡°Hey¡ªI¡¯m here too, you know!¡± Emily¡¯s impetuous voice sounded out.


    Pausing, Brian instead lifted up the bag of ice and tenderly placed it to cup against Stephanie¡¯s blushing cheek. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at seeing his longtime friend Emily kicking impatient legs from where he¡¯d sat her on the countertop. By comparison, even this flushed and flustered Stephanie sitting beside her was the very picture of graceful poise.


    ¡°Emly,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re such a brat.¡±


    ¡°No, you!¡± Emily retorted indignantly, still was wearing her impish grin. ¡°What¡¯s a girl gotta do to get some attention around here?! Geez!¡±


    ¡°Hard for me to believe you¡¯re actually serious about any of this,¡± Brian gave her a wry smile. ¡°Half-expecting you to suddenly be all, ¡®I totally got you! You shoulda seen your face, you thought I was actually serious, Nahahaha!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I am serious!¡± Emily teased. ¡°Probably, maybe, I think. So, there! And, I totally don¡¯t laugh like that at all! Doofus. You laugh like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious? You¡¯re the only one here still all dressed,¡± Brian pointed out.


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Emily¡¯s facade slipped for a moment and he caught her fearful glance towards Kelly, who was still nestled up naked against Brian. ¡°No way. You¡¯ll make fun of me! I don¡¯t have tits, I¡¯ve got like, l¡¯il mosquito bites. Even Stephanie has bigger boobs than I do!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m already naked,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°You can make fun of me all you like, if you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s totally different, you look... amazing,¡± Emily pouted, letting her gaze sweep down his nude figure again as she protectively held her yukata closed. ¡°Jerk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you look perfect and amazing, Emily¡ªwait, are you calling me shallow?¡± Brian countered. ¡°Saying I¡¯ll only like you if you look certain ways?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Emily griped playfully. ¡°Are you shallow?¡±


    ¡°Briannn,¡± Kelly nuzzled in close to whisper in his ear, pausing for a moment to tug his earlobe with her teeth and pinch it between her lips. ¡°Talking ¡®bout it isn¡¯t gonna get either of you anywhere. Just fuckin¡¯ take her¡ªdon¡¯t ask, don¡¯t dance around things with words. Can¡¯t you see what she¡¯s been waiting for all this time?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªis that what you want?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Ummm,¡± Emily laughed in a shy way, unable to meet his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t not want that, I guess¡­?¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Kelly planted a smug kiss on his neck and then smacked her lips, suckling on the sensitive skin there.


    ¡°Yeah! Get her, Brian!¡± Stephanie teased with a giggle, prompting looks of surprise from everyone. ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    Expectant tension filled the air as Brian stepped over from Stephanie to stand in front of Emily. His longtime friend looked more timid and fidgety than he¡¯d ever seen her, and somehow that heightened the reality of this moment. She was trying to still her slightly shaking hands by gripping tightly onto the fabric of her costume, and her face was frozen in terrified smile, eyes darting around as though she didn¡¯t know where to look.


    ¡°W-wait,¡± Emily blurted out. ¡°Can you, um, Brian, can you promise me something first?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Brian stopped in place.


    ¡°Um,¡± She blushed, too embarrassed to continue.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Brian gently prodded her.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve always had certain¡­ ideas, about how things might go,¡± Emily stammered out. ¡°My first time. Things with¡ªthings with you, um, fantasies? Certain ways that would make it the most perfectest, and why, annnnd¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean, your first time?¡± Brian teased. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly a virgin, Emmie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily forced out a laugh. ¡°I kinda¡­ am, though? Exactly?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Brian looked at her in disbelief. ¡°What about you and Josh?¡±


    ¡°Hah, well, about that,¡± Emily winced. ¡°We never¡­ actually¡­ had sex. Kinda?¡±


    ¡°You two never had sex?¡± Brian asked. ¡°That¡¯s not what you told everyone.¡±


    ¡°He, um, he got to second base!¡± Emily admitted. ¡°Annnd then I freaked out, a bit. But, second base is practically sex? It¡¯s in the same... ball park¡­ general area?¡±


    ¡°Hoo-boy,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°S¡¯gonna be a long night. Steph, you wanna go make out while these two work through and figure out how fucked they are?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re doing great,¡± Stephanie smiled, letting Kelly guide her off of the counter and to her feet. She carefully lifted and adjusted their makeshift ice pack, reapplying it further back along her jawline.


    ¡°Sorry, Emily,¡± Brian felt flummoxed at the suprise reveal. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡ªerr. Never even thought to doubt you back when you said all that.¡±


    ¡°I know. And, I appreciate that,¡± Emily said quickly. ¡°My fault. I just¡ªpeer pressure and all that yadda yadda. Y¡¯know? Moving on¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfo¡ª¡±


    ¡°No¡ªshuddup, lemme finish!¡± Emily insisted. ¡°I want it. Tonight. It¡¯s just, I want it in a certain way? If that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian agreed immediately. ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re sure that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll be real gentle.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Emily let out an embarrassed laugh. ¡°That¡¯s, um. Actually like, the opposite of what I want.¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡ªI take it back,¡± Kelly remarked with interest, turning back towards them. ¡°Little girl wants her cherry popped all rough and tumble?¡±


    ¡°I-I it¡¯s not weird, or anything like that!¡± Emily said in a fluster. ¡°Just. Look, Brian. You know me, and I know you, and¡­ you¡¯re always so careful. Had to watch while you tiptoed all around always treating Chloe like she was made outta glass, and it¡­ that, uh. Kinda put me off?¡±


    ¡°Put you off?¡± Brian was surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean¡ª I don¡¯t want you to be¡­ restrained, our first time. Well, or ever, haha. Holding anything back, or, or being careful with me, or trying to be gentle. I mean, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s you. Me and you, y¡¯know? I just, I want it all, want all the real you you keep bottled up and hidden away. Like, if you wanna grab me, don¡¯t hold back at all, wondering if it¡¯s gonna be okay. If you want to bite me, don¡¯t be fuckin¡¯ shy with your teeth. I want it to be¡­ so real, so¡­ just us? The real us?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the flustered, anxious Emily speaking anymore¡ªthis was Emily pouring out her real feelings, that rare somber Emily from back when they used to talk on the phone late into the night about their private issues. He¡¯d always been aware of how much he missed this side of her, these serious moments, but the moment still hit him hard all the same.


    ¡°I see how you keep everything, everyone at this safe distance,¡± Emily went on. ¡°I don¡¯t want that, not between us. I want you to¡ªno, I need you to really let go, to let it all out if it¡¯s gonna be, um. Our first time doin¡¯ it. If-if that¡¯s okay, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± Stephanie spoke up, stepping forward to take hold of Emily¡¯s hand in a show of support. ¡°You want the Brian that can¡¯t hold himself back anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Emily let out a small sigh of relief, squeezing Stephanie¡¯s hand in appreciation. ¡°Yes. So much yes, exactly that.¡±


    ¡°That all sounds¡­ really dangerous,¡± Brian said carefully. ¡°Almost impossible?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I can wait for it,¡± Emily started. ¡°If you don¡¯t think we¡¯re, um, ready for¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not impossible, just¡­ almost impossible?¡± Brian said. ¡°If it¡¯s you, I can do that. I think. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know if I want to, if I want you to see me like that. You¡¯re my Emily, I don¡¯t want to show you my bad, kinda dark sides?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted, though,¡± Emily nervously wet her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll, um, I¡¯ll show you mine if you show me yours?¡±


    ¡°Fuuuuck,¡± Brian laughed, shaking his head. ¡°Emily. Sometimes, it¡¯s like you¡¯re always gonna be the one who can talk me into anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Emily brightened.


    ¡°But, um,¡± Brian tried to still himself and keep his calm. He¡¯d never been so hesitant and so eager to burst into motion all at the same time, and his heart was pounding like crazy in a flurry of adrenal excitement. ¡°So long as we have like, a safety word, or something. Like, if things get a little scary, we both stop right away, okay?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Emily agreed right away. ¡°Not gonna use it, though. Like, even if you smack me around, even if you hit me and leave me all bruised and fucking bloody¡ª it¡¯ll still be perfect, ¡®cause it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think things¡¯d ever go that far,¡± Brian scowled. ¡°Jesus, Emmie. Just how violent do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Emily playfully shrugged. ¡°But, however much you actually are, that¡¯s what I want. I want you to lay it all on me, I want the real you. No holding back.¡±


    ¡°Steph and I¡¯ll step in if it looks like things are getting too out of hand,¡± Kelly proposed, looking a little too pleased with Emily¡¯s decisions. ¡°As your... impartial third party, here. You guys can cut loose all you want. I even have the perfect safety words for you guys to use! Somethin¡¯ you¡¯d never accidentally say.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian nodded, taking a step back to give Emily room to hop down from the counter. ¡°So¡­ how do we want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Do you need a, um¡­ protection?¡± Stephanie suggested, setting aside the bag of ice so she could fish out a condom packet from the pocket of her overalls. It was the same exact brand as the one Kelly had used earlier, leaving little doubt as to who the girl had gotten it from.


    ¡°...Nah, no,¡± Emily refused, waving it off. ¡°No rubber. Guys feel it less when they¡¯re wearing them, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh, Emily¡­¡± Brian warned.


    ¡°Raw sex. I want it bareback,¡± Emily decided, with a little more enthusiasm than he¡¯d expected. ¡°I want you lettin¡¯ out all your stuff inside me, I wanna feel it. I¡¯m on the pill, anyways guys, chill out.¡±


    ¡°Bein¡¯ on the pill¡¯s only like, ninety-nine percent protection, though,¡± Brian cautioned. ¡°There¡¯s that one percent chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Gotcha covered,¡± Emily said, undaunted. ¡°I¡¯ll raise ¡®em as if they were my own¡ª¡®cause, yeah, y¡¯know, they would be. If it¡¯s a boy, I¡¯ll name him Zero, and if it¡¯s a girl, she¡¯ll be Titania.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­.¡± Brian saw Kelly facepalm out of the corner of his eye.


    Stephanie turned with outstretched arm to insistently offer the condom packet from Emily towards Brian instead, struggling to hold in her own laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m kiddinggg, geez,¡± Emily scoffed. ¡°No, not about the condom, Steph, put that away. I¡¯m not gonna get pregnant. That¡¯s like, not even on the table for discussion right now. I¡¯ll go out and grab a morning-after pill or something, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Think I¡¯ve got a couple Sure Choice tablets in my purse for emergencies,¡± Kelly assured them. ¡°I mean, fuck. Anything to keep her from having kids. Jesus Christ.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kelly,¡± Emily growled. ¡°Titania Darkness Rivera¡¯s gonna grow up to be a badass with or without your help, hmph!¡±


    ¡°Just thinking ¡®bout the bigger picture,¡± Kelly said cheerfully. ¡°Probably not gonna be a problem anyways¡ªyou know Steph and I are gonna slurp and suck all that spunk right outta you, right? Stephanie dearest, Brian¡¯s about to fix us some Cr¨¨me de la Emilie to go to town on! Bet even his sloppy seconds¡¯ll taste fucking amazing and have us turnin¡¯ crazy colors.¡±


    ¡°Ummm,¡± Emily hesitated, throwing the other girls a look. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ this whole ¡®nother weird thing, yeah, huh? We can talk about that sorta stuff¡­ later. After. Y¡¯know what, maybe I won¡¯t even care, at that point?¡±


    Still topless, Stephanie didn¡¯t have anything to say in response to either of them, but the pink-haired girl wore a shy, thoughtful smile as she nibbled on the edge of the condom packet.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Emily huffed, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet as though she was psyching herself up for a fight. ¡°Come at me, bro. I¡¯m ready for whatever, whenever you are.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you two. Either of you think things are goin¡¯ too far¡ªjust say the magic words, and everything stops,¡± Kelly told them with a satisfied smile. ¡°Your safety words for tonight are: ¡®Chloe was right.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ. That¡¯s just fucking evil.¡±


    FortySixtyFou

 Shut Up Already

    Yeah okay¡ªdefinitely never ever gonna say THAT, ever, Emily failed to stop her smile before it rose up to the surface. And, if HE does... I will slap him.


    The petite Latina was incredibly turned on¡ªit was like bright blue droplets were travelling down her body, and wavery reflecting light filled her mind as those troubled waters of hers grew even more agitated with excitement. Everything about tonight seemed unreal, but the sheer sight of Brian standing in front of her in the buff like this made it impossible to focus on all of that.


    It wasn¡¯t even those rugged abdominals or that massive and somehow mouthwatering dick¡ª he was so ineffably handsome and so Brian that the swirling and gurgling concoction within her was a lurid blend of arousal, attraction, and fierce pride. She was proud of him, proud for him, thrilled and exhilarated that this guy of hers who¡¯d grown up with the shittiest parents and then a somehow even worse girlfriend was finally, fucking finally getting the love he always deserved. Emily just wanted to completely soak and saturate him in all of her feelings, positively drown him in love and affection.


    ¡°Yeah, so¡­ I¡­¡± Words were coming out of her mouth, but she had no idea what she was saying. There were a thousand things she needed to express in this moment, and even more frantically sexual things she wanted to do to him, but all that came out was a nervous laugh and shy look.


    ¡°You what?¡± Brian teased with a daring smile.


    ¡°Um,¡± Emily¡¯s mind floundered and she felt her knees grow weak, as if she was treading water and making waves but getting nowhere.


    This was the grin he gave her when they were the buddy-cop tag team partner duo, when they were both messing with someone, when they were out among friends and sharing an inside joke that only they really understood. It was that look that was always able to turn her mood around and bring out her smile, really smile, light up with confidence and joy on even her worst days.


    You¡­ you really love me back. The inside of her head was a churning mess of turbid blue, waves rising and crashing into each other with chaotic splashes of surf and foam. You always did, didn¡¯t you?


    THAT¡¯S why I felt that way, whenever you gave me that look! You and me¡ªwe were crushing on each other, and that was like, the inside joke INSIDE the inside joke, the secret little shared, um, connection, that¡ªuh¡ªfuck, fuck I¡¯m so horny, Briannn if you keep giving me that look, I-I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m gonna do! Fuckkk!


    ¡°Brian,¡± Emily blurted out, taking a deep breath. ¡°...I want to fuck.¡±


    ¡°Want you to use me, wanna be your little personal slut.¡± She had no idea what she was saying¡ªwords seemed to just be pouring out, so she just let them all overflow. ¡°I want bruises, I want your marks on my neck. I-I always finger myself, imagining you do every filthy thing to me I can think of. It¡¯s like, I know you¡¯re a guy¡ªbut, I¡¯ve probably masturbated even more than you¡¯ve ever jacked off. It¡¯s like, I imagine you¡¯re actually my brother and like, bam, incest is suddenly like, mMmm.¡±


    ¡°Used to fantasize you were turning into a monster, and couldn¡¯t control your tentacles. Haha, um. Quite a few where you rape me, or keep plying me with alcohol and gettin¡¯ more and more handsy, annnd maybe even more where I¡¯m doin¡¯ that to you instead. I¡¯ve¡­ Brian, I¡¯ve pictured us fucking every possible way there is to fuck, and some ways that absolutely aren¡¯t even possible in real life.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian looked both surprised and interested, and Emily¡¯s heartbeat sped up even further.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily swallowed, feeling both incredibly relieved and more than a little horrified by her own admissions. Oh my God¡ªdid¡­ did I actually just tell him all that?


    ¡°Emily, I came this close to stealing a pair of your panties, once,¡± Brian said, looking a little ashamed.


    ¡°...You did?¡± Emily perked up.


    ¡°You had this skimpy little black pair just sittin¡¯ out on your dresser that was like, whoa, Emily wears that kinda stuff?! Was one of the times I was over there playing Grail co-op with you. You went into the kitchen or something for a sec, and I was just sitting there staring at it, caught up in this like¡­ terrible moral quandary.¡±


    ¡°Those were out on purpose!¡± Emily laughed, hiding her face. ¡°Intentionally left those where you would see like¡­ yeah, quite a few different times.¡±


    Just the moment her gushing on and on started to turn seriously fucking awkward, he¡¯d reached out and saved her with just the right words and just that right look to completely bolster her confidence. He brought their conversation back from what felt like a sinking situation, from anxious confession back towards lighthearted banter with him¡ªthat comfortable I¡¯m just talking with Brian that always made things feel so easy.


    ¡°Yeah, I did notice them a couple different times,¡± Brian sheepishly admitted. ¡°Quite a trial to put a lonely teenage guy through, Emmie.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Emily hesitated. ¡°Do you remember that AnimeCon back a few years ago, when we were walking around just kinda bullshitting ¡®bout hentai stuff? You said you were kinda into those magic hentai slave mark things? Tattoo, right over the chick¡¯s womb, that¡¯s all like an evil-looking heart, and then the kinda tribal-looking demonic lines?¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you?¡± Brian cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You were joking for a while that you¡¯d gotten a tattoo in naughty place...¡±


    ¡°Guessss you¡¯ll have to search me and find out for yourself?¡± Emily teased, almost keeping a straight face. ¡°Kidding though. No, I didn¡¯t. Me and tattoo needles? Pssh, c¡¯mon. After you¡¯d said that though... I was this close to going and getting one done right away. Made an appointment and everything. I¡ªyeah I chickened out, but, I mean¡­ say the word and I¡¯ll really get one for real. I¡¯m totally down, if you¡¯ll be there with me for the needly bits.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I dunno,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°I mean, that¡¯d be¡­ kinda hot, yeah, but geez, I¡¯m not gonna make you get a tattoo for me, Emmie. That¡¯s a little extreme?¡±


    ¡°Extreme? Nooot even a little bit,¡± Emily chuckled with a guilty smile. ¡°Fuck, Brian. For years I¡¯ve been like, fantasizing about pledging myself to you. Used to tell myself if we ever got together, I¡¯d try to get arrested at least once a year just... getting caught blowing you in public, or-or you just undoing my clothes somewhere out in the open, or fucking me, whatever. Wherever. Whenever you pleased. Brian, I¡¯m an actual pervert.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªyou¡¯re messing with me,¡± Brian laughed, shaking his head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m being¡ªBrian, this is completely for serious. That kinda stuff, thinking about doing it with you, actually gets me¡­ crazy, ridiculously hot. Everything with you does. It-it um, I want everyone to know that I¡¯m yours, that I¡¯m this plaything belonging completely to you, that one word from you and I¡¯ll do anything for you, I want that to be my reputation¡ªBrian, that¡¯s who I want to be.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mean to doubt you, it¡¯s just¡ªyou know how this all sounds, how it¡¯s like¡­ this has to be too good to be true?¡± Brian said. ¡°This whole weekend¡¯s been a little unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever¡­ stroke yourself off, thinking about me?¡± Emily asked, almost too embarrassed to breath. ¡°At all?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have¡ªdo you even need to ask?¡± Brian looked at her like she was crazy. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve even said anything I haven¡¯t, uh. Thought about, once or twice at some point, over the years.


    ¡°I mean, wow. I remember there was this photo of you from that pool party we were at, back during senior year. You were in that white bikini that was way too damn small. The way it clung to you, the way it was so close to not covering where it should¡¯ve¡ªEmily, you were my go-to for years and years. Fuck, Emmie, the things I fantasized about doing to you¡­ I must¡¯ve masturbated to that bikini picture alone like, hundreds of times.¡±


    ¡°M-me too!¡± Emily revealed, flushing all over with unstoppable excitement. It felt like those dotted despondent pools of past loneliness throughout her life were all filling in, like the resevoir was finally filling up, like it was about to start fucking flooding over.


    ¡°Hah, except, um, not the picture,¡± Emily beamed. ¡°I¡¯d be masturbating wearing the suit. I uh, I¡¯d put it on and pretend, sit there in my room and like, have it all in disarray so that my nipples were... slipped out just this tiny bit? Think like you were noticing, that, um, this would lead to that, and I¡¯d be, uh. Touching myself. To all that.¡±


    ¡°Nipslips¡ªah, I see you¡¯re a connoisseur of refined tastes as well!¡± Brian joked, giving her a surprisingly genuine smile.


    ¡°Right?!¡± Emily felt surge after surge of ecstatic relief, excitement and desire roiling uncontrollably inside of her. Fuck, I love him so much, ¡°That¡¯s like, actually the whole reason I even picked that swimsuit. Wanted you to notice some sorta, um, happy accident. Fucking hell. Kinda pissed now that I didn¡¯t nipslip at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªyou did though, there was,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°Definitely caught a sneak peek¡ªnearly fapped myself into a coma the night after that party.¡±


    ¡°Y-you did?¡± Emily fidgeted, feeling herself heat up and smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt a little. ¡°No fucking way, really? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he nodded gravely. ¡°You almost killed me. Think I got off three times just in that one night, and tried for a fourth.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah?¡± Emily was almost shaking with excitement as she tugged at the hem of her yukata to expose a few more inches of skin. ¡°You, uh, you wanna see a¡­ little bit more?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± He paused, eyes wandering up and down her in such a hungry way that she could almost feel little nibbles of his attention. ¡°Fuck. Emily, I want a lot more than that.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ªwhat are you waiting for?¡± She breathed in a shaky voice, nearly swaying in place with arousal.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a little terrified,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ve ever been this close to, uh, to completely just losing all control, and¡ªand I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen. If things¡¯ll ever be the same.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Emily agreed with a nervous laugh. ¡°Look at this, see? My hands are shaking. I can¡¯t stop shaking. But, I-I think it¡¯s too late for us to even stop now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it really is,¡± Brian said. ¡°There¡¯s already like, no going back. Right?¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡± Emily chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s, uh. We should stop just, uh, talking about it and actually, um¡­ you know?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you seemed nervous,¡± Brian playfully deflected. ¡°I wanted to let you get it all out, first.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Yeah, well. You¡¯re uh, you¡¯re not wrong, haha,¡± Emily felt her cheeks burn. ¡°I like it, though. It¡¯s¡ª um, talking about it finally, getting it off my chest. I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m actually too completely fucking scared to do anything at all right now. I¡¯ve been tryin¡¯ to get my hands to like, slip this cosplay off one shoulder to like, tantalize you a little bit, all seductive-like, for the past couple minutes. But, uh. I¡¯m terrified, and my hands just won¡¯t fucking actually do it, hah.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you mean!¡± Brian seemed just as relieved. ¡°My entire being¡¯s ready to like, jump over there and rip your clothes off, pin you down, you know?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Emily felt a warm line of arousal inch down her thigh like spilled honey, and she tried desperately not to squirm. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªI don¡¯t know, it¡¯s hard to put into words,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s like this is, uh, it¡¯s almost like trying to say goodbye? This is the last time we¡¯ll ever talk like this as just friends, and the moment we, uh¡­ we get into everything, it¡¯ll always be different, we¡¯ll be different, to each other, our relationship. It¡¯s all going to change forever after this.¡±


    ¡°I feel exactly the same way!¡± Emily exclaimed, hopping in place. ¡°Geez, that¡¯s what¡¯s making this all scary as fuck. But, at the same time, it¡¯s like¡­ Brian, I can¡¯t be just your friend anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the look he gave her in return was positively smoldering. ¡°Emily¡ªI need all of you, now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily managed out, rocking from one foot to the other. ¡°Yeah. Better for our just friends-ship to go out with a bang, though, right?! Rather than just letting it fade away? I-I, Brian, I¡ªI want you to fucking break me in, make me completely fucking yours.¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop!¡± Kelly interjected. ¡°Jesus! Yeah, this is real touching and sweet and all, but if you two don¡¯t shut the fuck up and start having some intense fucking intercourse, I will personally step up and fuck both of you!¡±


    ¡°Kelly, sshhh, sshhh!¡± Stephanie swatted at her friend with both hands, weakly hitting the bright red-haired girl¡¯s naked back again and again. ¡°Stop¡ªyou¡¯re, you¡¯re wrecking it!¡±


    ¡°Bend her over and fucking bonk her, dude! Come onnnn. What¡¯s with all the words? Do the deed, copulate like animals¡ªpump her fucking full of hot semen and then glaze those cute l¡¯il buns! Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± Kelly cried out in exasperation, punctuating each of her fucks with a chopping motion of her hand. ¡°And Emily, you, you little fucking minx, stop encouraging him¡ªhe¡¯s bad enough as it is! I know you two¡¯re all stupid wrecks around each other, an¡¯ watching this is like, slow-motion car crash kinda interesting where I can¡¯t look away¡ªbut Jesus, guys, fuckin¡¯ do something!¡±


    ¡°Just let them me do their thing, this is all amazing!¡± Stephanie leapt to their defense, waving her hands. ¡°I-I think you¡¯re both doing great, don¡¯t listen to her! Say what you need to say to each other!¡±


    ¡°Yikes,¡± Brian glanced from their two spectators back towards Emily with a wry smile. ¡°Tough crowd, eh?¡±


    ¡°Just one last thing, I promise!¡± Emily giggled. ¡°Back then, Brian, when we were crushing on each other¡­ why didn¡¯t you ever let on? It¡¯s like, ¡®till Alyssa, nobody even had a clue what kinda girl you were into.¡±


    ¡°I was¡­ wound up pretty tight back then,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°Things just... kept getting more and more tense at home, and I¡¯d just stonewall everything I actually felt away from the world. I did slip up and say some things about being interested in you to Mike and Will once, like¡ªsophomore year.


    ¡°Mike was real cool about it, but Will got super pissy, went on about how we all knew he¡¯d always had a thing for you, like he¡¯d already staked his claim, or something. It was weird ¡®tween all of us for a while because of that, so... after that, I mostly just kept things to myself.¡±


    ¡°Will, y-you shithead!¡± Emily fumed. ¡°Mike, too¡ªboth of them are shitheads! Fuck those stupid assholes! I specifically asked Mike, several times, if you¡¯d ever mentioned me like that. I was super fucking clear and specific on it! ¡®Nah, Brian doesn¡¯t really talk about stuff like that¡¯¡ªI¡¯m kickin¡¯ his ass when we get back! Goddamn lying piece of shit¡­!¡±


    ¡°Haha, they can keep a secret between bros, at least,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°There was this one time Sammie came up to me and was like, ¡®uh listen, you realize Emily¡¯ll drop her drawers for you anytime, right?¡¯ At the time back then, I thought she was just fucking with me.¡±


    ¡°Samantha, you stupid slut!¡± Emily felt her face go red, making a mental note to high-five her awesome cousin. ¡°She uh, yeah. She was fucking with you. I mean, I never told her that... even if it¡¯s totally true¡ªyeah, I definitely would have.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Kelly clapped her hands together for their attention. ¡°Fuck! You said that was your final say! We didn¡¯t give you guys a safety word so you two could pontificate at each other all night. Emily, Brian¡ªeither of you let out fucking so much as one more squeak, we¡¯re gagging you with a pair of panties.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, sorry!¡± Emily laughed. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªwell, it uh, it helped. Thank you for letting me get all that out, like that. Not nervous at all anymore, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m ready. I feel completely ready.


    ¡°Brian¡ªBrian, I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Emily,¡± Brian said in return. ¡°Think I always have¡ªI just keep loving you more and more.¡±


    Hearing him actually say it hit her like a blasting crash of the sea smashing into the reefs of a shoreline, the kind that sent those enormous sprays of water up into the air. Her entire body seemed to perk up and she felt weightless and unburdened, swaying up unsteadily on her tiptoes as she tried to keep her eyes from misting over.


    She took an uncertain step closer, then another, then she threw herself into him, burying her face in against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, and it felt like she was finally, finally where she always belonged. Brian was significantly taller than her¡ª the top of her head only reached the height of his shoulder¡ª and how fucking sexy that was to her was no longer a distant observation.


    The Brian she¡¯d been longing for for so long was right here, and he was hers, with no need to hide her feelings behind jokes or pretenses anymore. She nuzzled into his bare chest, reveling in the intimacy of feeling his warm and sturdy body with her nose and cheeks, feeling herself blinking away tears and pressing them into his skin. Before she could help herself she was kissing him all over, planting frantic little kisses across his pectoral muscles as though she was afraid a spot would go unclaimed.


    ¡°Brian¡ª¡± She panted, ¡°oh, Brian!¡± His strong hands reached down to cup her bottom and he lifted her up with startling ease, bringing her up to the level of his eyes.


    He really loves me! He had always been such a guarded person, but the years of close companionship had taught her every hidden nuance in his gaze¡ªthis close, the heartfelt meaning within those mottled green irises captivated her completely. It¡¯s real. It¡¯s really happening¡ªwe can be together!


    Emily took that lovely jawline of his in her hands and kissed him with desperate passion, clamping her legs around his body to latch on tight. Beneath her yukata, her body stocking shifted and constricted with the movement. Fishnet diamond pattern pulled taut enough to dimple pale skin, while the hemmed gap at the crotch opened wide with that spread of legs. Emily was embarrassed to discover how warm and messy with arousal she felt¡ªwith her thighs splayed, the sodden heat of her fundoshi-style loincloth was smooshed up against the firm lines of his naked stomach.


    Then the satisfaction of her lips upon his washed all other thought away in a sweep of blue, the incredibly soft and wet sensation of their kiss drenching and drowning all of the embarrassment away in a sea of swirling desire. A second line of color began to drip down from the crown of her head, and then a third; vibrant blue locks of hair appeared one after another in her tousled and shaggy dark pixie-cut.


    ¡°Mm¡ªmmhh!!¡± Emily squirmed in his arms as he slurped her tongue into his mouth, and she squeezed her legs tighter about him, trying to grind herself up against him.


    In retaliation, that gentle grasp of his that had been supporting most of her weight began to maul and molest her buttocks. His hands sunk into her pliant flesh, compressing her cheeks and then parting them, kneading himself perfect handfuls of netting-veiled Latina ass. She broke free of their kiss with a gasp of surprise¡ªno one had ever played with her bottom like this, and Brian doing it made it everything she¡¯d ever wanted. And so much more!


    ¡°Briiiaannnn¡­¡± Emily moaned, twisting and cavorting in his grip beneath the assault.


    Her fundoshi was already unwrapping from the force of his exploring hands, and she felt her whole body tense up as she felt him grab the tucked cloth. With a single violent tug it came undone, and she wriggled in his arms as he pulled it away, feeling her privates exposed to the cool air of the room. In a daze of fervid excitement she began to lose herself in the whirls and eddies of lust, both of her hands raking through his hair while she licked and suckled a sloppy line of kisses across his neck and shoulder. Then, she bit down.


    She heard him suck in a hiss between his teeth and for a single startled moment felt a disorienting backwash of panic¡ªwhy did I do that?! He¡¯s gonna to think I¡¯m a total pscyho¡ª ! Then, she felt his teeth biting down in turn on her neck, and all she could do was mewl with pleasure and quiver against him. She felt the split-toes of her shinobi shoes struggle to separate as her mind was forcefully dunked deep back into that total blue, leaving her apprehensions behind in a dissipating cloud.


    Oh my fuck Brian what do you do to meee¡ª Emily released her bite to make an incomprehensible noise, her arms sliding down to cling about Brian¡¯s neck in a struggle to simply hold on. One of his hands spanked across her reddening rear-end hard, hard enough to send a ripple of motion through her, and she let out a squeal.


    Then, she was tumbling through the air to haphazardly land upon the bed on all fours with a bounce of the mattress and bedding. Emily felt disheveled and confused, so uncontrollably horny that she couldn¡¯t concentrate, and the rush of blood and endorphins from just their brief first exchange already had her panting. There were bright blue strands of hair dropping down over her eyes that she didn¡¯t understand, and across the room both girls were lounging in the hotel¡¯s easy chair¡ªone of Kelly¡¯s hands was deep down inside the crumpled overalls of the half-naked and fiercely-blushing Stephanie sitting in her lap.


    ¡°Too rough?¡± Brian asked. He sounded curious rather than apologetic, his voice low and a little throaty like she¡¯d never heard it before¡ªsomehow, that turned her on even more.


    ¡°I fuckin¡¯ love it!¡± Emily managed between ragged breaths. ¡°Keep going, just¡ªjust, don¡¯t stop¡­¡±


    She moved, situating herself on her hands and knees so that she was looking over her own shoulder past her own wiggling tush at him. The delicious desire was surging through her in throbbing pulses of blue. It was overtaking her, submerging her in thoughts of sex and nothing but sex, and she grabbed that edge of her yukata hem that was dangling down to preserve her modesty and pulled it up and out of the way, revealing herself to him.


    It should have been terrifying, showing Brian her arousal-smeared pussy for the first time, but she was caught up in the moment beyond caring. The body stocking felt uncomfortably tight all over now, but she could feel that the crotch opening had left her slit bare, she could see it in the way Brian¡¯s attention immediately zeroed in on it. She dared to taunt him again, giving her bottom another provocative little wiggle.


    His massive dick twitched threateningly in response, and Emily felt her own pupils dilate as she locked onto that menacing shaft.


    O-oh my God¡­ Emily¡¯s jaw fell open a little bit at the sight. Somewhere back during their conversation she¡¯d been subconsciously forcing Brian¡¯s erection out of her mind. It¡¯d been something she¡¯d done without realizing, just stubbornly pretending it wasn¡¯t there so that they could manage to talk at all. It really HAS been the elephant in the room¡­


    Now, of course, she couldn¡¯t look away. She was helplessly unable to tear her eyes from adoring the shape of his cock, the sheer size and stature of the thing, even the hypnotizing way it bobbed just a little bit as Brian advanced closer, stepping right up to the edge of the bed. Emily didn¡¯t even manage to whimper, but she felt her hips hips rise ever so slightly and tilt invitingly all on their own.


    When he reached over towards her with both hands, she froze up, shivering with anticipation. His fingertips playfully picked and strummed at that hemmed edge of the fishnet that was framing her flushed labia, then carefully took hold of the lingerie on both sides.


    I-is it alright? There¡¯s nothing wrong with the way I look down there, right? Maybe he¡¯s just realigning the webbing sorta, so that¡ª Before she could react, he yanked, ripping the fishnet in either direction to loudly tear a massive rend in the body stocking. In a single instant, he¡¯d completely exposed the pale globes of her bottom, her thighs, and even her back to the room.


    Ohhh fuck me fuck me fuuuuck¡ª Completely stunned, Emily arms went weak and gave out on her, dropping her facedown into the soft folds of the bed¡¯s comforter while her ass remained sticking out in the air right in front of Brian.


    She hadn¡¯t felt anything aside from a quick pinch of tightening stocking, but the violent force behind the wholly unexpected obliteration of the garment affected her on a deeper, primal level. Emily was now shaking with need, it felt like her entire body was demanding him immediately inside of her¡ªshe felt her already blushing labia instinctively spread open its pink petals in eager invitation. She still seemed to be steadily secreting her own lubrication, and she shamefully realized it felt almost like it was now drooling out from her, right there in Brian¡¯s face.


    ¡°Emily¡­ you¡¯re being such a tease,¡± Brian growled, playfully swatting a hand across an all-too-willing cheek and leaving it there. The hand then slowly traced along the curve of her eagerly offered rear, drawing tantalizing lines in shapes and swirls across her skin with the barest of feathery touches. ¡°You want it rough? Then, I can probably drive you even crazier being gentle, huh?¡±


    ¡°Nooo no no, please, please don¡¯t tease me Brian, not nowww,¡± Emily pleaded, trying to buck away from his hand before it could send any more shivers up her back. ¡°Can you, can you just keep¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Brian refused, sliding both hands down her heart-shaped ass and firmly taking hold of the sides. ¡°I¡¯m gonna tongue you, Emmie. You show me your pretty little peach like this, all leaking out nectar for me, and it¡¯s like¡­ how can I not have a taste? Always dreamed about doing this to you, making you cum this way. Hah, try and resist if you want, I guess.¡±


    ¡°T-tongue me?¡± Emily echoed in alarm, feeling her thighs tremble against one another at the thought of it. ¡°You always, wha, wanted to¡ªyou what? Brian!¡±


    ¡°Mmmhh,¡± She heard Stephanie let out a strange noise. ¡°He¡¯s going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ooh yeah, this is gonna be good,¡± Kelly remarked. ¡°Do you like watching after all, Steph? Emily¡¯s really fucked, now.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my Patreon family NyarlathotepB, godoffaer, Vowron Prime, Phillip Rayne, The Epitome of Eccentricity, Aodean, Chris, Connor Nay, Paul Wirtz, Aihnman, William Foster, Mundane, Lety Does Stuff, TiAM325, I.Ronical, Joel Robinson, jmundt33a, andy may phan, AnonGuy, Davin Taddeo, Luke Mofford, alethiophile, Kimu Taka, Angel Sworn and especially Foxy.

 Losing Control

    Stephanie watched with breathless anticipation as Brian lowered his head to Emily¡¯s waiting pussy lips. She couldn¡¯t see the finer details from where she sat, but when that telltale tremor went through Emily¡¯s prone figure, she knew that his tongue had greeted the girl¡¯s slick labia with a languid, teasing stroke. Merely seeing it made her flush and sent a shudder through her; Stephanie remembered the sensation so vividly that she felt her own private parts grow even hotter, practically oozing fluid around Kelly¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°Ooh, you like that, don¡¯t you?¡± Kelly whispered into her ear with a grin. ¡°You like it when Brian talks dirty?¡±


    Talks dirty? Stephanie¡¯s mind blanked for a second in its pink-addled haze before she caught on to what Kelly meant. Oh, the thing he said¡ªcalling it nectar, saying what a pretty little... patch Emily had?


    Embarrassingly enough, Stephanie hadn¡¯t immediately deciphered his words a moment ago¡ªshe¡¯d been listening but not entirely hearing. Her mind was still reeling at seeing this savage, almost ferocious side to the gentle and caring Brian she thought she knew. It was more than simply distracting to see; witnessing the beastly Brian was revealing surprising glimpses into the depths of her own sexual psyche, raw, animalistic urges that would have been impossible for her to realize even a few scant hours ago. Honestly, spoken words had gone right over her head, mentally fobbed off as some sort of inside thing between Emily and him, some shared secret code or reference.


    No, not patch, Stephanie realized. He said it was her pretty little peach, that it was leaking with nectar. Those are certainly, um, apt enough descriptors, hah¡­


    ¡°Steph?¡± Kelly prodded, tapping a fingertip against her labia to get her attention.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Stephanie whispered back, trying not to squirm beneath Kelly¡¯s touch. ¡°Um. I do like it. Do... you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ surprisingly a little hot,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°When he says it. My friends and I, we used to make a game of it, just¡ªstringin¡¯ together euphemisms into the most obscene phrases we could think of. I thought by now I was desensitized to pretty much any filthy thing a person could say, buuut...¡±


    ¡°I do remember you had quite a few clever ones,¡± Stephanie murmured with a smile, relaxing back against Kelly. ¡°It was a game with your friends? Tell me about them?¡±


    ¡°My friends, huh...¡± Kelly repeated softly.


    ¡°No, no no no mmMmmhhph¡ª!!¡± Emily¡¯s petite figure was cavorting beneath Brian¡¯s ministrations, gyrating and jerking but unable to escape the firm hold he had on her hips as he continued to lick and slurp her. A tousled mop of bright blue hair was now peeking out from beneath where her yukata had slid up her back and begun to hide her, and the girl¡¯s gasping pants and moans of pleasure were muffled by the pillow the girl had buried her face into.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think what I had was really friends,¡± Kelly sighed. ¡°Not like this with you guys. Definitely not like Emily and Brian were.¡±


    ¡°What, um, were they like?¡± Stephanie asked, wetting her lips again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about them,¡± Kelly whispered back. ¡°Jesus. What¡¯s with you guys and wanting to share every little thing?¡±


    Stephanie bit her lip, feeling a tense moment of indecision, before taking Kelly¡¯s hand by the wrist and pulling it away from her own rather slippery crotch and out of her mostly-peeled-down overalls entirely. She hoisted herself out of Kelly¡¯s lap using the armrests of the easy chair, and then stood in front of her, blocking the girl¡¯s view of Brian and Emily.


    ¡°Steph, c¡¯mon, I didn¡¯t mean anything like¡ª¡± Kelly began to say in a low voice, but stopped when Stephanie signalled her to hush with a finger at her lips.


    With slow, deliberate movements, Stephanie slipped her thumbs into the waistband and pulled her panties down along with the overalls she¡¯d already been half-out of. As naked as Kelly now and just a shade more pale, she revealed her glistening sex and its peach fuzz halo of bright pink pubic hair. Bearing the weight of Kelly¡¯s interested appraisal without shying away¡ªit was difficult¡ªStephanie then climbed back into her friend¡¯s lap, this time facing her.


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie asked in a quiet, breathy whisper, ¡°I know the talking¡ª that it makes you uncomfortable. Or, um, impatient. And, that¡¯s how you are. But, I need you to listen to me, really listen to me right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± Kelly balked in a hushed voice. ¡°Steph¡ªI thought you were getting into this, seeing the action.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was. Am,¡± Stephanie corrected herself. ¡°But, this is important. Kelly, please listen.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly agreed, slipping her hands around Steph¡¯s waist and helping her slide her knees up a bit more on either side of her so that Stephanie could rest her bottom on Kelly¡¯s knees. ¡°You have my attention.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­ I love you,¡± Stephanie said, looking deep into her the girl¡¯s brandy-brown eyes. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day and a night, but my feelings are¡ªthey¡¯re strong. I could kiss you and it wouldn¡¯t seem weird at all¡­ I think I might want to make love to you, to¡ªum. Explore this.¡±


    A conflicted expression crossed Kelly¡¯s face, but she continued to silently gaze back at her with rapt attention.


    ¡°If you think that this is all too fast, you would probably be right,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ magical going on. Actually, magical¡ªfor-real, actual magic, it has to do with why our hair changes color when we kiss Brian, with the way we¡¯re all¡­ connected, now. Emily felt a little static charge when she touched that charm Brian has, and I know it felt like it stung me. You said you thought a pin jabbed you¡ªthe more I think about it, the more I¡¯m sure that¡¯s when these feelings started, for each of us.¡±


    ¡°What.¡± Kelly¡¯s face went slack with disbelief, then her brows furrowed in contemplation, visibly remembering everything that had happened, and then anger and confusion fought for control of her expression.


    Stephanie almost felt her heart begin to break.


    ¡°Th-the characters carved into the charm, they¡¯re the Japanese kanji for ¡®inner,¡¯ and ¡®palace,¡¯ and together they mean ¡®harem,¡¯¡± Stephanie quickly continued in a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s, um, I know it sounds crazy but it¡¯s real, it¡¯s a real harem charm, and it¡¯s affecting us, more and more. I know it sounds awful, and Emily thinks it¡¯s, it¡¯s brainwashing us? Maybe? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Steph,¡± Kelly retorted. ¡°This¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me finish!¡± Stephanie clamped her hands over Kelly¡¯s mouth, casting a fearful look over her shoulder at Brian and Emily. ¡°Please please please just, just let me finish. Please? There¡¯s more than just the colors, there¡¯s this¡ªwhen that feeling comes over me, I feel it like fire, like I was dark and empty before, but now there¡¯s a pink fire inside of me making everything better. To Emily, it¡¯s like water, like she¡¯s this mixed-up blue ocean that runs really deep, an-and she has trouble bringing things up to the surface. When I felt you¡ªthe things I feel from you, I mean, it¡¯s this¡­ vast distance. It¡¯s like, it¡¯s these little red pinpricks of light all alone in the darkness, and it¡¯s beautiful but so far away, so lonely¡ª¡±


    ¡°A starfield of red stars,¡± Kelly whispered looked at Stephanie with astonishment. ¡°Just earlier with Brian, I kept having all of this, uhhh, this meteor impact sorta metaphor stuff going on in the back of my head. It was kinky but also kinda¡­ super personal feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Stephanie beamed a smile of relief. ¡°You feel it too. There¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°But, what the fuck is going on?¡± Kelly shifted Stephanie aside to get a look past her at Brian. ¡°He¡¯s doing this to us?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think he knows,¡± Stephanie flustered out. ¡°Emily doesn¡¯t think we should tell him. I don¡¯t know what to do. She thinks that, um, that if this is coming from the charm it¡¯ll¡­ invalidate what we¡¯re feeling? To him? That it won¡¯t count as real, to him, that he¡¯ll hate it?¡±


    ¡°Is what we¡¯re feeling real?¡± Kelly narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°If¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly, please?¡± Stephanie felt her eyes already watering. ¡°Please listen to me, please? I, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real, but, I don¡¯t even care. I can¡¯t go back to the way things were. I¡¯m happy like this, f-feeling love for you, for him, feeling this, um. Connection. To people, finally. I don¡¯t want it to ever go away! An-and I¡¯ll do anything I can to make you feel happy, if you¡¯re not okay with this right now, if you can give me the chance¡ª¡±


    ¡°Steph, ssshh,¡± Kelly grabbed her and pulled her into an intimate embrace. ¡°God. I didn¡¯t say count me out yet, or anything. I was just thinking out loud. Calm down, Stephanie. S¡¯gonna be alright.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Kelly,¡± Stephanie quietly sobbed. ¡°I love you, and I don¡¯t want that to ever go away. Any of this. If this isn¡¯t real, then I don¡¯t know what I had before was, because it was so much less than this, it was¡­ it was, I was nothing, and I can¡¯t go back to that after having this, I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Steph,¡± Kelly admitted in an exasperated whisper. ¡°Jesus, just listen to what you¡¯ve got me saying, now. Quit being a baby, Stephanie¡ªyou¡¯re gonna get me worked up and crying. Everything¡¯s going to be fine, just chill out and calm your tits. I get that the colors are crazy and what I¡¯m feeling is¡­ definitely different, but what the fuck makes you connect all the dots and actually decide this is all actually magic?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie sniffled, wiping tears away with the back of her hand. ¡°Can I show you?¡±


    ¡°Show me how?¡± Kelly quirked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Kinda¡­ like this?¡± Stephanie took a deep breath and leaned forward, lightly bumping her forehead against Kelly¡¯s.


    Brilliant pink fire peeked over the edge of an enormous rocky basin, sending loose bits of doubt and fragments of confusion tumbling down a pocked incline to a fiery red meteor at the very bottom. Kelly? Recognition and something like instinctive, elemental attraction had the entire cratered concavity igniting into a blaze almost immediately, and pink raced in to meet red¡ªin an instant, they began to intertwine in a gleeful sensation of pure bliss.


    The girls were very different flames¡ªone was a deep red metal-burning fire, desperate for heavier fuel to oxidize, while the other was a gleefully spreading pink warmth that burned from the air and atmosphere, weaker in temperature but quickly spreading in every direction. There was a brief, unsure moment in the flicker of red, as if unwilling to share it¡¯s tiny source of combustive reaction¡ªthen, the pink conflagration enveloped and overwhelmed everything in sight.


    Oh? Ohhh! Stephanie felt rather than heard Kelly react, tensing and then relaxing as the girl realized her color hadn¡¯t been snuffed out.


    Instead, the red was spreading, a gorgeous bright hue of red appearing within the sprawling pink inferno. The temperature spiked out of control at their combination and that deep crater Kelly had created erupted, light and energy flashing out dangerously and transforming flames into vibrant colors of pure plasma. Together, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t consume, nothing that wasn¡¯t either bursting into explosion or turning molten from the insane heat. They were¡ª


    ¡°Cumming, cumming oh my God Brian don¡¯t stoppp I¡¯m cumminnnggg¡ª¡± Emily squealed out, snapping Stephanie out of her daze.


    Slowly¡ªcarefully¡ªStephanie drew back and let her and Kelly¡¯s tongues slide apart, finally breaking the incredibly deep kiss they¡¯d apparently been sharing. A thick strand of saliva connected them as they wavered apart, gazing in stupefaction at each other lust-clouded eyes.


    ...Oh my God!


    The girls both shivered in unison, naked breasts squashed up against one another. At some point without realizing, Stephanie had scooted forward up Kelly¡¯s lap until they were pressed tightly against each other. The bodily contact wasn¡¯t uncomfortable in the slightest¡ªit was comforting and familiar... and also confusing in a baffling, impossible way. Even several seconds afterwards, Stephanie still found it difficult to discern where she stopped and Kelly began, like they¡¯d melded together and became a single entity for that incredibly intimate but disorienting moment.


    ¡°Uhhh whhat thhe fuuckk?¡± Kelly slurred, blinking rapidly in attempt to clear her head. ¡°You¡ªyou, how? How did you do that? What, what did you just do?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Stephanie squeaked out. ¡°I¡¯m, um, I¡¯m still figuring it out. It worked on Emily¡ªshe thinks it¡¯s some sort of magic. It must be, right?! It¡¯s like, I have this sense of you, and if I just connect my feeling to yours, it¡¯s¡­ um, well, that all happens!¡±


    ¡°I think you just mindfucked me?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes were wide now. ¡°That wasn¡¯t all in my head, right? Not in just my head, I mean? You saw¡ªum, imagined like, colored flame mixing together? You¡¯re pink, I¡¯m red? Together, we¡¯re¡­ um, really, really fucking hot?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, forgetting to control her volume for a moment before sheepishly lowering her voice. ¡°Emily and I¡ªwe made, um, it was something like a steam explosion? When I first tried anything, it was with Chloe because she felt broken and wrong, but I couldn¡¯t fix her and it, it hurt. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Holy hell, Steph¡ªyou are soaked,¡± Kelly realized, looking down at the juncture between them. ¡°Your juices are getting all over me.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Stephanie exclaimed in surprise. She tried to edge back a bit on Kelly¡¯s lap and was shocked by the slick fluid sensation coating Kelly¡¯s legs as well as her own thighs. ¡°Oh my God, I, um, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I¡¯m just as fuckin¡¯ wet,¡± Kelly breathed. ¡°Come back closer. Steph¡ªI don¡¯t know what all the fuck is even going on, but... I¡¯m with you. Okay? If you¡¯re in this crazy fucking magic thing, I¡¯m in it with you. If you wanna, um¡­ explore this thing between us, I¡¯m all for it. I don¡¯t really wanna go back to the way things were before, either. Alright? Holy fuck.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Stephanie asked, still feeling incredibly embarrassed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly decided firmly. ¡°Now, uh, you wanna watch Brian and Emily go at it, orrr... do you wanna make out for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ma¡¯am, but I swear¡ªliterally no one else is hearing anything you described,¡± The hotel clerk explained over the phone. ¡°I went out poolside and checked myself¡ªI didn¡¯t hear any screaming or noises or anything, and no one else has had any complaints.¡±


    ¡°Put me through to your manager, now,¡± Chloe barked. ¡°I told you I already called the police¡ªthis is all going to be on your fucking head if you don¡¯t go in there and fucking immediately evict them from that room.¡±


    ¡°I... understand your concern, Ma¡¯am¡ªI¡¯m gonna put you on hold while I go get my manager.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Chloe demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare put me on¡ª¡±


    Recorded music was already playing, however, so Chloe furiously threw Brian¡¯s phone into the mirror.


    Surprisingly, despite the loud crash and clatter of the phone as it rebounded off of the vanity and then tumbled to the tile, the mirror held strong without breaking. The cell wasn¡¯t so lucky, but a tiny crack and scuff on the screen wasn¡¯t enough. Chloe snatched it up from the ground and smacked it across the edge of the counter until the slim device had a full spiderweb of cracks adorning its face.


    Why is everyone making this so difficult? Chloe thought to herself, honestly bewildered. They¡¯ve ruined everything. Emily, too petty to follow simple directions. Brian doesn¡¯t even TRY putting any thought into what I might be trying to accomplish. Instead he¡¯s all BOO HOO HOO, poor me! My girlfriend was cross at me for how privileged I am, fucking WAAAAH. Rebecca, she KNEW Stephanie started that shit out in the hall, she should¡¯ve gone and beat the shit out of her. Some fucking friend SHE turns out to¡ª


    ¡°Chloe?¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice called. The doorknob jerked in place, but the lock held firm. ¡°Are you okay? That sounded like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, backstabbing fucking cunt,¡± Chloe screamed, kicking the door loudly and slamming a fist against it. ¡°All of you, just leave me the fuck alone!¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave me the fuck alone!¡±


    Even worse, her head was still pounding. Glassy silver shards were grinding and chewing against one another in sickening scrapes and squeaks. There was an ominous, pensive quality to the imagery that secretly terrified her, like this headache was an amalgamation of the self-doubt and second thoughts she¡¯d buried over the years. If she caught a glimpse at one of those bigger broken mirror pieces shifting around, what would she see reflected within?


    Nothing, because that¡¯s stupid, Chloe huffed, forcing that nervous curiosity out of her mind. Get a grip, this isn¡¯t an episode of some fucking anime. Great, now the weeb slut has like, infected me with a bit of her chuuni or something. Arrgh! Why didn¡¯t I pack SERIOUS painkillers?


    She knew why she hadn¡¯t brought any, but refused to admit it¡ª it was because she knew Brian always packed a bottle as part of his convention ensemble. He¡¯d spend days and days going over his stupid little list, trying to cover every convention contingency. Besides her now-crumpled Magical Doll Himari cosplay, Chloe only had the clothes she was wearing. The way things were supposed to go, she would wear one of Brian¡¯s shirts tomorrow with these jean cutoffs. One of the nice shirts, or even the dressy one he wore beneath his Lance cosplay, so that she could show off how easily she¡¯d reacquired her wayward boyfriend.


    Brian needs to know that I¡¯m supposed to be pregnant, Chloe fumed, nearly throwing his phone again. She barely held herself back¡ªshe still had plans for the thing. No matter what, I need to separate him from those girls tomorrow, or this is all fucked. Something, ANYTHING. I don¡¯t care if those whores wind up in the fucking hospital.


    Chloe¡¯s lovely features contorted into a painful grimace as the twisting and crunching mass of silvery shards ground across the insides of her brain like someone twisting a nightmare kaleidoscope, and she clapped a hand over her forehead. Switching from Brian¡¯s phone to her own, she tabbed to her browser and opened up an old haunt of hers¡ªthe AnimeCon official web forums.


    Let¡¯s see how many of those bitches stick with you after THIS, you abusive fuckstain, Chloe thought, gritting her teeth hard enough that her jaw began to ache. Forget about any other girls¡ªin the end Brian, I¡¯m the ONLY one who¡¯ll really take you.


    I made Emily fucking cum, Brian nuzzled his face into his bent-over friend, frantically sliding his tongue up along her slit to lap up every trace of syrupy desire she produced for him. Like¡­ holy fucking shit. I made her orgasm! Emily tastes absolutely nothing like Chloe. It¡¯s like I actually, literally just cannot get enough of this¡ªthis is fucking amazing, I never even wanna stop.


    ¡°Brian-n-n!¡± Emily shivered and twitched as he pressed harder, parting pink folds with his mouth so he could shove his tongue in even deeper exploring strokes.


    He remembered Chloe¡¯s puss possessing a flat, annoyed metallic flavor, which over time began to taste like nothing at all to him¡ªlike he was just licking skin. By comparison, Stephanie¡¯s was more full-bodied but also somehow innocent and clean, as if Brian could faintly detect the aldehydes he mentally associated with the fragrance of baby powder. Now with Emily he was chasing after this barest hint of citrus, some subtle bright and vibrant tart scent hidden amid her pheromone bouquet of sex-musk that drove him absolutely wild.


    Trust issues had almost transformed it into something of a fetish for him. He loved girls that were absolutely wet, girls being turned on in such an obvious way that they couldn¡¯t hide or make excuses for. It was the idea that their bodies were betraying them for him, coupled with their most private places being exposed, it was the concept of them helplessly revealing undisguised attraction that Brian always found unbelievably intoxicating.


    ¡°Brian, I¡ªBrian no no no ah, ahhh stop stop stop, I¡¯m, I¡¯m fucking melting¡­¡±


    Still holding Emily steady with hands on either side of her butt, he adjusted so that he could use his thumbs to subtly spread her thighs open a bit wider. She was so slick and soft and quivering at his attentions that he kept losing himself in a lusty haze as he licked and slurped and kissed the sopping cooze she was offering up to him. He wasn¡¯t particularly concentrating on technique like he had with Stephanie¡ªhe was really just cutting loose and enjoying himself.


    Can¡¯t get over that this is EMILY, my Emily, Brian rumbled an appreciative groan from deep in his throat. Always fantasized she¡¯d be tight, because she¡¯s so much tinier than I am¡ªbut this is something else.


    She responded with another one of those adorable gasping pants, and slippery fluid ran down his chin as he messily made out with her tight twat. He was swapping his saliva and her arousal, simply reveling in the sensation of pushing his tongue into of her flushed lips, feeling the raw heat of her supple, pliant flesh, feeling her react to his every move.


    At the same time, she¡¯s also kinda muscular down here. Like, when I finally put my dick in her, she¡¯ll probably just clench and clamp down on me, milk me out into her. Jesus, should I borrow another condom after all? There¡¯s no freaking way I¡¯m gonna be able to pull out once we¡¯ve started.


    ¡°Brian, fuck me, fuck me fuck me fuck me pleeaasse,¡± Emily pleaded, wriggling her hips and brushing her perfect bottom across his face. ¡°Pleease? I¡¯ll give you a whole dollar! I seriously can¡¯t take any more, can we¡ªcan we just fuck-k?¡±


    With a loving slap across her bottom he relented, sitting up and giving her space to get up. She tried¡ªand failed, weakly clambering back up onto shaking hands and knees only after several attempts. He¡¯d never seen her looking so dazed and disheveled, and the bright blue pixie-cut hair was new, but the way she turned to regard him with half-lidded eyes and her mouth hanging slightly open had his dick graduating from erect to painfully erect. She looked so incredibly horny, so begging to be fucked that a spike of fear ran through him at the thought of what he might actually do to her.


    He glanced over towards their spectators, only to do a double-take¡ªStephanie was completely naked, and straddled Kelly¡¯s lap. They weren¡¯t even watching Emily and him anymore; the two girls were instead locked in their own heated battle, groping and grabbing at each other as they french-kissed in an impossibly passionate exchange. Brian couldn¡¯t help but watch as Kelly¡¯s hands twined around her partner to play with the perfect plump curves of Stephanie¡¯s bottom.


    That¡¯s¡­ unbelievably fucking sexy, Brian blinked, turning back to share a mischievous grin with Emily. I mean, wow. How long have they been¡­?


    ¡°Brian¡ªI can keep going,¡± Emily breathed, her dark eyes lingering on the jutting protuberance of his cock that was still standing at rigid attention. She flicked blue bangs out of her eyes with a quirk of her head and gave him the most smoldering, lusty smile he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Want you to put it in me. Have our... first time. Wanna like, look into your eyes right as it happens. Want you to see me, wh-what it does to me, what you do to me. Brian, I¡¯ve waited so fucking long for this¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, me too,¡± Brian murmured, fighting to retain his control. ¡°Come here.¡±


    When she complied right away, obediently climbing across the bedspread towards him and into his embrace, the relief and comfort he felt was overwhelming. The thought that she¡¯d immediately be right there in his arms whenever he needed to hold her, whenever he needed her to hold him¡ªit was outside what he¡¯d ever dared to fantasize about. A blind spot, hovering there unseen right above his biggest weakness¡ªhe needed this. This felt like love, and for a moment Brian just sat there feeling stunned by it all.


    ¡°I love you, Emily,¡± Brian said, honestly admiring the girl¡¯s familiar features. Her hair¡¯s all blue, now¡ª it looks amazing. Should I mention it yet?


    ¡°I love you!¡± She grinned up at him, leaning into his chest. ¡°I, uh. Totally thought you were gonna just¡­ stick it in me. Never thought you were that into, um. Taste¡­ testing? I mean, you like, totally knocked my socks off! I wasn¡¯t¡­ um, it wasn¡¯t weird, was it?¡±


    ¡°It was great,¡± Brian gave her a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I was selfishly indulging this old fantasy of mine I¡¯ve always had.¡±


    ¡°Okay, cool. Be as selfish as you want.¡± Emily said, timidly placing a little kiss on his neck. Then another. And then another, slower, somewhat moist one that made a suckling sound. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ gonna actually fuck still, right?¡±


    ¡°We are¡ª¡± Brian said, pausing to relish the feeling of Emily planting the pillowy little pads of her lips along that sensitive stretch just below his jaw. Her tongue was fluttering out, and he could feel her breath across his bare skin between each of her kisses. ¡°¡ªBut, I haven¡¯t had all my fun, yet.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± Emily asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen you completely naked yet, Emily,¡± Brian explained, playing with the obi that fastened her brief yukata shut. The Akane Kurokawa was a costume and didn¡¯t close like a real kimono, he remembered there was a simple hidden button holding it shut in the back to unclasp.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen all the good bits,¡± Emily pouted, pressing her lips against the line of his clavicle while she peeked over his shoulder at Stephanie and Kelly. ¡°Jus¡¯ like, don¡¯t get your hopes up, okay?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re making light of my hopes and dreams,¡± Brian laughed, hesitating with his hand inside her cosplay. ¡°Let¡¯s just say every time I was hanging out over at your house and you weren¡¯t wearing a bra¡ªEmily, I fucking noticed. Your mom even called you on it, that one time.¡±


    ¡°Th-that like, never happened,¡± Emily grumbled in embarrassment, averting her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡±


    FortySixtyFou

 Fear and Insecurity

    After clambering over to straddle Brian¡¯s lap, Emily remained latched in a fierce hug, pressing herself up against his chest with her legs wrapped around him. With the lower portions of her cosplay torn away, the petite Latina could feel the meaty plinth of his erect dick rising up behind her to nestle perfectly in between her butt cheeks. It was extremely distracting, and her splayed-open sex was flushed and practically salivating a warm, syrupy trail of arousal down across his rugged lower abdominals. The nectar trailed down beneath her all the way back to the thick root of that massive penis of his.


    On the nearby easy chair, Stephanie was likewise situated in Kelly¡¯s lap, and Emily could see that the two girls were necking and enthusiastically pawing at each other like horny teenagers. The wet sounds of their kissing was broken only by stifled gasps, muted whispers, and occasional soft moans of approval. This surprisingly sapphic display of passion was more than a little interesting, but Emily turned her head, trying not to watch.


    ¡°Emmie?¡± Brian asked in a low, sexy murmur. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­ yeah,¡± Emily let out a slow breath, feeling overwhelmed. ¡°Just. Gimme a minute.¡±


    Brian¡ªyou made me cum. I just ORGASMED all over your face, dude. Surf and spray still crashed across Emily¡¯s mind in brilliant sparkling blues¡ªshe couldn¡¯t be any more turned on¡ªand these were only her feelings above the waterline. Just beneath the surface, an unstoppable tide of deeper emotions was stirring.


    Crossed fucking OCEANS of bullshit to be with you, Emily thought, deciding to continue to slowly pucker her lips in a languid line of moist affection across Brian¡¯s neck. With so many mistakes, misadventures¡ªso many stupid fuckups and shipwrecks along the way. Now, finally, FINALLY¡ªwe can be together... right?


    When she¡¯d presented herself to him earlier with that teasing wriggle, eagerly offering it all up, she never anticipated he¡¯d respond in any other way than just sticking it in. Instead, Brian actually chose to lean in down behind her and... go down on her first. She¡¯d felt both shocked and honestly overwhelmed being thoroughly pleasured with his tongue¡ªit wasn¡¯t anything along the lines of what she¡¯d fantasized about. Emily had been mentally steeling herself for direct penetration, bracing to receive a hard pounding. Instead, the surprise cunnilingus felt so much more intensely personal that her heart wasn¡¯t prepared at all.


    For so many years, she¡¯d built this up in her head as her big moment. Any expression of attraction Brian had for her was all the validation she¡¯d ever fantasized about. Sex was expected, and anything more their first time seemed... unlikely, unrealistic, more than she¡¯d dare to hope for. Over time, how the big moment was supposed to play out had somehow become an established mindset. This was totally outside the scope of what she¡¯d planned.


    It was better.


    As she rolled her old expectations over again in the sway and swash of her mind now... closely examining it, they didn¡¯t measure up to reality at all. Brian hadn¡¯t shied away from spreading her thighs and then planting his face right up into her private parts¡ªhe¡¯d actually been pretty enthusiastic about it. Making out with her muff, pushing his tongue deep inside her to sensuously explore her every nook and cranny, working her over with powerful strokes, appreciating and adoring every soaked pink fold of pussy ¡®til it felt like she was melting, until her futilely kicking legs finally gave out from under her.


    The experience exceeded anything Emily had ever dreamt up on her own. When she masturbated alone, she had to work at it, work up to it, tense her body and diddle herself up towards a certain frenzied crest. This wasn¡¯t the case at all with Brian licking and lapping and slurping away at her. Instead, her pelvic muscles had stiffened up in resistance beneath the onslaught of slick sensation¡ªas if her body thought she could ride it out. Past a certain point, however, she couldn¡¯t clench up anymore to possibly withstand it¡ªand Brian just kept going. And going.


    It had felt like her lower half was steadfastly sinking into a pool of pure pleasure, and Brian had that fluid blue feeling fully enveloping her, flooding her trembling body and drowning her in sensations she was completely helpless against. Orgasm had borne down on her with a thrilling inevitability, culminating in that sweeping tsunami so huge and unstoppable that her feeble attempts to withstand it were laughably useless.


    That was¡­ so fucking incredible. Didn¡¯t even know it was possible to cum like that, Emily thought, squirming in Brian¡¯s lap as she absent-mindledly suckled just below his earlobe. She was so wet it felt like it was getting everywhere, and it felt like they were both now messy all over with the musky lubrication of her excitement. Should probably feel worried. That it¡¯s weird or too much, but¡­ instead he made me feel accepted? Encouraged? Made me feel completely loved, every little bit of me. Oh, Briannn¡­ you can¡¯t do that to me.


    ¡°Sorry ¡®bout ripping your costume,¡± Brian told her, somehow managing to sound not even a little bit sorry.


    ¡°That... was so fuckin¡¯ hot,¡± Emily confided with a small smile, snuggling in even closer. ¡°You realize I wore that for you, right?¡±


    ¡°The fishnet?¡± He asked, stroking a hand down her butt. ¡°Nuh-uh¡ªyou wore netting beneath last year, too.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡ªevery year, the whole Akane Kurokawa thing, stupid,¡± Emily smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? Way back when, when we were at very first talking about adult stuff in anime? How she kinda like, represented somethin¡¯ to you?¡±


    ¡°Ho-ly fuck,¡± Brian jerked in surprise. ¡°No way do you remember me saying that. Emily, that was like¡­ forever ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes way, idiot,¡± Emily tried to put on a playful pout, but a disarming grin kept bubbling up past it and winning out. ¡°Idiot, baka, stupid moron! Would¡¯ve done a bit of chest binding and went for a Sousuke Salladin cosplay if it was just for me. Wasn¡¯t it all kinda... super obvious? Like, why else would I go for an Akane cosplay? Doesn¡¯t ¡®xactly fit my body type, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Literally nobody would¡¯ve ever connected that,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Or ever guessed that Emily, the little hottie, would have even had a thing for me.¡±


    ¡°Emily, the little hottie?¡± Emily repeated, squeezing her arms tighter around him.


    ¡°Yeah. Emily¡ªI¡¯ve called you a little hottie before.¡±


    ¡°You have, buuut, that was back when we were just friends,¡± Emily said. ¡°So... basically, it always counted as being said in like, a joking way.¡±


    She gleefully continued nibbling her lips across Brian¡¯s bare throat in a teasing trail of not-so-soft smooches¡ªfuck, I wanna LEAVE MARKS, hickies, bruises¡ªand then played her tongue back along over her indiscretions in soothing apology. Having her mouth always on him like this was... comforting. It was a certain stage of naked intimacy she¡¯d been craving for years. Now that she¡¯d finally gotten her taste of this, she was reluctant to ever relinquish it¡ªhow could she ever let go?


    Fuuuck. Yeah, I could get used to this.


    ¡°Then how¡¯s it feel when I call you a little hottie, now?¡± Brian teased.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know yet for sure, I guess,¡± she found herself pausing, hesitant to reveal her uncertainties. ¡°Um. Why didn¡¯t ya just jam it in? Still kinda surprised, I thought for sure you would. I¡¯m, uh, gettin¡¯ all anxious all over again. You¡¯ve gotta realize, the plan was to just wiggle my butt for you and say hop in, bro! I¡¯ve been holding in that joke for years, so now it¡¯s like, I missed out on getting my punchline, or somethin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Pffft,¡± Brian had to turn away, shaking with laughter for a few moments while Emily held onto him with an expectant smile. ¡°Jesus. ¡®Hop in, bro?¡¯ You had years, and that¡¯s the line you stuck with?¡±


    ¡°Worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Emily hugged him tight, nuzzling her face against his shoulder in satisfaction. ¡°Made ya laugh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the most¡­ Emily thing you could¡¯ve ever said,¡± Brian agreed, squeezing his arms tight around her.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Emily mumbled in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve gotta say¡ªthe tonguing was choice, dude. Annnd, I¡¯m gonna leave you a great review and all¡ªfive stars, two enthusiastic thumbs up! Buuut. Why didn¡¯t you just¡­ uh. You know. Do me. Is it weird? Is it still... weird, because it¡¯s you and me?¡±


    ¡°What, why didn¡¯t I fuck you ¡®til you were making ahegao faces and victory signs with your fingers?¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°Exactly! Cross-eyed, mouth open! Tongue out! It¡¯s not rape if her pupils turn into little hearts!¡± Emily snorted. ¡°Ask any lawyer. But, uh, yeah. That. Stickin¡¯ it in.¡±


    ¡°Emmie...¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Did you want me to like, show you my honest feelings? Or, d¡¯you just want me to be real rough this first time? I¡¯m startin¡¯ to think your, uh, fantasy version of me isn¡¯t real romantic.¡±


    ¡°No no no!¡± Emily slapped his back. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that. I just¡­ I dunno. Romantic? With me? It¡¯s just¡ªit¡¯s weird? You and me, we¡¯re like this. This is us, the way we are with each other. We can joke around, and be whatever, and it¡¯s not serious, it¡¯s like¡ªcomfy. It¡¯s us. S¡¯hard for me to picture you treating me any different?¡±


    ¡°But you can picture me just ravishing you, using you for nothing but my own gratification?¡± Brian asked in mock-indignation. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emily blushed furiously. ¡°I mean, no? I dunno?! I guess I did kinda picture things kinda like that. Um, yeah, a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re hung up right there,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Stuck somewhere between knowing me better than anyone else in the world, and not really knowing me at all.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily frowned, feeling herself start to tense up. That cheery, confident exuberance she was trying to project was wavering, beginning to collapse and retract back into herself. ¡°I mean¡­ Brian¡ªhey. C¡¯mon, seriously? Kinda... like, not a cool thing to say to me.¡±


    Fuck... was he actually just humoring me with the oral? Emily furrowed her brow, scrunching her eyes shut. Even now, when practically floating with joy and relief and basking in the contented warmth of this whole experience... all of those lifelong insecurities persisted. They still tried to justify themselves, still stubbornly clung to the flotsam jagged debris of her past stupid shipwrecks. Is this all¡­ not how I think it is? Goddamnit, bad-brains. Please don¡¯t do this to me right now. Don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ ruin this, too.


    She swallowed uneasily.


    Jesus, Emily. What the fuck, get it together. This was¡­ it¡¯s probably fine. Right? Probably. Don¡¯t blow it all overthinking things. S¡¯all in your head. This is just¡­ you know, just the madness and delirium of bein¡¯ lost out at sea for too long, Emily thought miserably, hiding her face in against Brian¡¯s shoulder again. Sooo, either landfall¡¯s REALLY in sight this time, or this is just another mirage¡ªlike that night after homecoming.


    ¡°Emily¡ªcan I just be brutally honest with you?¡± Brian asked, regarding her with a serious expression.


    ¡°Um,¡± In Brian¡¯s lap, Emily felt herself go very, very still. ¡°Yeah? I dunno, probably? Can you?¡±


    ¡°Most of my Emily fantasies revolved around making you¡­ I dunno, making realize how perfect you are,¡± Brian revealed. ¡°Like, magically filling you with confidence, making you believe, really believe how much I care about you, how much you mean to me. I mean, rather than going all crazy with lust and attacking you, I¡¯ve really always wanted to¡­ well. Romance you, worship every inch of your body¡ªforce you to accept that, um. That you don¡¯t have anything to be afraid of¡ªand not leave any fucking tiny space for you to doubt anything. Emily, I love you. But, it¡¯s like¡­ you¡¯re not ready for that.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Emily retorted in mock indignation, quickly blinking away hot tears.


    Not ready? Inwardly, she was reeling so hard it felt like she was going to be sick. What went wrong, what¡ªhow did I fuck this up?


    ¡°Wh-whaddya mean, not ready?¡± Emily soldiered on, shoving her terror and despair deep down into herself. ¡°Brian¡ªdon¡¯t know if you can tell from the slime trail I¡¯m rubbin¡¯ all over you, but I¡¯m like, gushing down there. Hello? Doesn¡¯t get any readier¡¯n this, bro. The birth cannon is primed and ready for, ah, for inserting artillery ammunition.¡±


    ¡°Birth cannon? Wow,¡± Kelly broke away from kissing her way down Stephanie¡¯s chest to interject. ¡°That one¡¯s new to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kelly,¡± Emily said through her teeth.


    ¡°Emily, you¡¯re not making a great case for yourself,¡± Brian countered with a nervous laugh. ¡°I meant¡ªmentally, you¡¯re not ready. I don¡¯t mean ready for sex, uh, necessarily. I mean, ready to accept the way I feel about you.¡±


    ¡°We just talked and talked and talked,¡± Emily growled in frustration, trying hard not to sound petulant. ¡°And¡ªI said I was ready. All of that like, worked some stuff out. So, yeah, I wasn¡¯t ready, but then now I totally am, now. I¡¯m completely ready. Completely.¡±


    ¡°What, you think I can¡¯t tell when you¡¯re lying?¡± Brian gave her a look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fuckin¡¯ lying to you!¡± Emily exclaimed quickly, a slight tremble appearing in her voice.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t lying to me,¡± Brian said softly. ¡°Just yourself. I know you, Emmie. We¡¯re makin¡¯ progress and peelin¡¯ back layers, yeah, but¡­ this still isn¡¯t you. The real you is still... walling herself off deep down there.¡±


    ¡°I-it is not!¡± Emily flustered. ¡°This is the for real real me. I¡¯m completely, totally fuckin¡¯ ready for this.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you shaking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not! You¡¯re shaking! And, uh, even if I was, s¡¯only ¡®cause I¡¯m just so fucking damn turned on! Not ¡®cause I¡¯m not ready.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ no, this is important to me,¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Not real comfortable having it like this. Wouldn¡¯t it be kinda... putting the cart before the horse?¡±


    ¡°What are you even on about, and what the hell kind of old man saying is that?¡± Emily sniffled. ¡°What does that even¡ªwait, are you calling me a horse?!¡±


    ¡°What? No,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Calling you the cart, duh. Are you getting everything all switched around all on purpose?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t see what horse-carts have to do with any of this!¡±


    ¡°Guuuuys,¡± Kelly interrupted again in aggravation. ¡°Stop. Just¡­ just, stop. What are you two bickering about now?¡±


    ¡°Brian... feels like she¡¯s not really ready,¡± Stephanie spoke up, attempting to mediate. ¡°Or, or like Emily wants to, but for the wrong reasons?¡±


    ¡°Not your call to make, Brian,¡± Kelly gave him a pointed look. ¡°You need to let Emily make Emily decisions.¡±


    Can¡¯t you broads just go back to sucking face?! Emily thought in embarrassment, feeling her ears burn as a blush traveled down her face and neck. Or, or¡ªwhatever it is you were getting up to? Do ya both GOTTA be listening in? Brian and I don¡¯t need advice from the peanut gallery right now!


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but...¡± Brian frowned in an apparent struggle to articulate his thoughts. ¡°Stopping Emily from making Emily decisions has practically defined our friendship. Also, it¡¯s like, hell¡ªI¡¯m a part of this, don¡¯t I get a say?¡±


    ¡°Brian, you¡¯re not an Emily decision!¡± Emily blurted out, already conceding the fact that Emily decision historically meant stupid ideas and hilarious fuck-ups. ¡°You¡¯re a smart decision. You¡¯re like, the smart decision. You¡¯re¡ªBrian, I love you. Can we do this? Please?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªyou¡¯re not gonna fix your self-esteem issues and build up confidence by fucking Brian,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Bad precedent to set, and once you start associating your worth with sex like that, it sets you down a path that doesn¡¯t go anywhere you wanna be. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°What, speaking from experience?¡± Emily scowled. She hadn¡¯t intended to snap at her, but the subject matter really was making her that uncomfortable. Whose side are you even on?!


    ¡°...In part, yes,¡± Kelly replied in a slow, careful voice, glancing down. ¡°Listen, despite whatever you all think of me, I don¡¯t consider myself a slut. But, I¡¯ve absolutely known girls who were¡ªand those were the reasons why.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a slut, Kelly,¡± Brian protested.


    ¡°Yeah, you do,¡± Kelly sighed and quirked a weak smile at him. ¡°And, Brian¡ªyou need to just dick Emily and get this all over with.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Brian let out an uneasy laugh. ¡°Why is it... kinda like your advice for us doesn¡¯t match up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we s¡¯posed to bang, or not?¡± Emily made a face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t got a perfect answer for you, sorry,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°You two both have problems, but they¡¯re not the same problem. Tryin¡¯ to compromise just mucks things up, ¡®cause then you¡¯re getting your contexts confused.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, what about me?¡± Stephanie interjected, pointing at herself. ¡°Aren¡¯t I... just like Emily? Are you saying I shouldn¡¯t be, um¡­ intimate with Brian?¡±


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re practically opposites?¡± Kelly explained, glancing from pink-haired girl to blue. ¡°You¡¯re more social anxiety than self-esteem. Emily socializes super easily, but has the really shitty self-image.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily protested uneasily. ¡°Geez. It¡­ it¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Kelly,¡± Brian quirked a puzzled eyebrow. ¡°I thought sex wasn¡¯t a big deal to you at all?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Emily bristled. ¡°Can... everyone just butt outta my personal stuff completely?¡±


    ¡°Sex isn¡¯t a big deal,¡± Kelly ignored her, blowing an errant strand of red hair out of her face with a puff of her lip as she shifted Stephanie in her lap. ¡°But, seems like her reasoning kinda is? Normally wouldn¡¯t even care, because whatever, not my business¡ªbut Brian, if I¡¯m your girlfriend now, if we¡¯re all gonna be your girlfriends together, I¡¯m not gonna let shit like this slide. This is my business, now. Right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah, okay,¡± Brian nodded.


    ¡°Brian¡¯s reasons for holding back are fundamentally dishonest¡ªalready been through that with him today,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Emily, you¡¯re probably not ready¡ªyou¡¯re just... feeling pressured into this. By your new circumstances with Brian, by the Chloe situation, and especially by Steph and I being here. You feel this obligation to prove yourself, put yourself in our standing. Same as Stephanie all needing to go confront Chloe, even when I told her what a fuckin¡¯ bad idea it was.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ªit wasn¡¯t like that, exactly,¡± Stephanie weakly tried to defend herself. ¡°And, um, what about what you said before? How... you were thinking that, uh, people who don¡¯t know how to swim should just jump in the water, to get it over with?¡±


    ¡°Quit tryin¡¯ to apply any of what I said before to any o¡¯ this,¡± Kelly waved a dismissive hand. ¡°You two aren¡¯t the same, and I wouldn¡¯t give you the same advice. Steph, you need to jump in the water and learn to swim, but it¡¯s not for everyone, okay? You¡¯re practically a blank slate¡ªsomeone jumps in the water saddled with enough baggage, they will actually fucking drown.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna drown!¡± Emily scoffed. ¡°Geez.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯not what I heard,¡± Kelly said, giving Emily a meaningful look. ¡°Word around here is that you¡¯re all splishy-splash with your blue stuff, like, drowning deep in it. That might mean something, you know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡ªwe don¡¯t talk about that!¡± Emily glared, unable to stifle how nervous this was all making her. ¡°And¡ªnobody knows what any of that actually means yet.¡±


    ¡°Steph knows,¡± Kelly argued. ¡°I trust her judgement when it comes to that stuff.¡±


    ¡°Um¡ª¡± Stephanie bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure? We probably¡­ shouldn¡¯t assume any metaphor is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh, you guys lost me at splishy-splash,¡± Brian admitted, looking at them with interest. ¡°What does¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t talk about that!¡± Emily insisted. ¡°It¡¯s a um, it¡¯s a girl thing, alright? It¡¯s stupid. Don¡¯t ask. It¡¯s all¡ªit¡¯s whatever. I really don¡¯t even care if my reasons make me a slut. I want to be Brian¡¯s slut. How is that even a problem?¡±


    ¡°But, does Brian want a slut?¡± Kelly countered. ¡°Or, does he want his Emily?¡±


    ¡°Fuck his Emily¡ª¡± Emily began to retort.


    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Brian¡¯s stern warning cut her off, and there was actually anger apparent in his voice. ¡°Whoa. Stop.¡±


    Emily lowered her gaze, unable to bring her teary eyes up to meet his. She felt¡ªshe didn¡¯t know how she felt. At all. The blue was rippling back and forth in a way that was making her dizzy, and the depths of her psyche were stirred up in a way that made her feel sick. She was feeling manic, worked up like she wanted to fight all of them, and the hot stream of her temper was saturating waters she preferred to keep cold and still. They didn¡¯t understand, they¡¯d never understand¡ªbut she needed them to understand!


    ¡°Emily, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary, okay?!¡± Emily sobbed.


    Her carefully composed everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers and spilling away to completely empty herself out. Like the measured level she¡¯d built up by sinking all of her real issues as deep as humanly possible was pouring everywhere, and her ability to keep up the spunky best friend facade was now dropping precipitously.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re this, this amazing thing, and I¡¯ll always just be Emily. I¡¯ll never be beautiful, I¡¯m not really sexy¡ªI¡¯m never gonna look like Mom. Never gonna have great tits, never gonna be all, I dunno, cute and innocent like Steph. Or actually cool like Kelly. I¡¯m just, I¡¯m this, and it¡¯s not enough and it¡¯ll never feel like enough. I want you, I¡¯ve always wanted you, I want you so bad, but, but I want you forever, and one day you¡¯re gonna be like, okay, Emily isn¡¯t enough for me in this and this and this way, and¡ªit¡¯s gonna break me. I¡¯m not gonna be able to, I, um, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    She was forced to gasp for breath after stammering out so much all at once, and her throat was closing up with sobs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll get over it and feel better if you just fuck me, alright? I don¡¯t wanna think about things, an¡¯, I don¡¯t wanna worry about things, I just want us to be horny and do it and get past this so that everything can be fine. Okay?!


    Brian bonked his forehead into hers before she could continue, and she blinked open wet eyes at him in surprise.


    ¡°Emily,¡± Brian said carefully, stroking his fingers down her back. ¡°You¡¯re so goddamned stupid, sometimes. I love you. I need you. You are attractive, and I¡¯m incredibly eager to show you that, but I can¡¯t ever think of you as just that. Like you said earlier¡ª it¡¯s me and you, Emily. It¡¯s us. I¡¯m gonna love you because you¡¯re Emily, you¡¯re my Emily, and you¡¯ve always had my back. Because of all that we¡¯ve been through together, because I trust you¡¯re always looking out for me, and I know, without any doubt, that I¡¯ll always look out for you.¡±


    ¡°I could tell Brian¡¯s head was in a bad place this weekend,¡± Kelly added. ¡°From the breakup, and all. If all he¡¯d done was mope around and pine for his ex... I wouldn¡¯t have had much interest in him, to be honest. But, you and Steph like, lit up parts of him, made me see more.¡±


    ¡°That was just Steph,¡± Emily sniffed. ¡°Not me.¡±


    ¡°Listen to us,¡± Stephanie pleaded. ¡°Brian talked about you, all weekend! Not about Chloe¡ªabout you. You¡¯re the reason he came here, you gave him the charm! You knew what Chloe was trying to pull on him, so you made sure he was here. Made sure he had a chance to get away from her, and be happy.¡±


    ¡°Shu-shut up,¡± Emily managed out in a lame voice, trying not to choke up. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re stupid.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re stupid,¡± Brian shot back, holding her against his chest and stroking a hand through her hair. ¡°Stupid tsundere girlfriend. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well,¡± Emily sobbed, hiding her face, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    She thought she caught Stephanie and Kelly exchanging glances through her blurry tears, and couldn¡¯t help but hide her face, feeling totally mortified.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Brian said sheepishly, turning towards those other girls. ¡°Not tryin¡¯ to play favorites or anything between you all, I swear¡ªjust, this is how I feel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kelly said calmly. ¡°I am jealous¡ªbut not in the way you¡¯d think, I guess. Hah.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was beautiful,¡± Stephanie breathed, sounding a little choked up herself. ¡°Um¡ª may I?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Always.¡±


    Before she had time to wonder what Brian was agreeing to, Emily felt the mattress shift as Stephanie joined them on the bed, and then the girl was wrapping both of them up in a tight hug. It felt... surprisingly good.


    ¡°Okay, but when we¡¯re done crying it all out, can we all kiss and make up?¡± Kelly asked, sounding playful. ¡°I¡¯m up for more action tonight, but so far it seems like Emily¡¯s charm power is just magically giving Brian blue balls.¡±


    ¡°Kelly, sshhh!¡± Stephanie admonished.


    ¡°Charm power?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡ªum,¡± Stephanie sputtered. ¡°Kelly¡¯s just being mean.¡±


    FortySixtyFou

 Drown the Slut

    ¡°Brian, I think¡­¡± Stephanie quickly changed the subject. ¡°That you need to show Emily, show her how you feel. Maybe, um, not doing that, but¡­ more, other things? You need to¡ªyou need to convince her.¡±


    ¡°He, uh, he already did that plenty,¡± Emily protested. ¡°I¡¯m plenty convinced, alright?¡±


    ¡°Well... will you let me try to convince you a little bit more?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Yeah sure I guess,¡± Emily tried to sound like she was balking at the idea. Even she could tell she sounded maybe a little too excited at the prospect¡ªright up until Brian reached back and unhooked the hidden clasp fastening the back of her wide obi. Despite everything that¡¯d happened, that familiar pall of dread dropped down over her at showing herself completely to Brian.


    Okay, yeah. This is it¡ªhe¡¯ll finally see my meager chest. No biggie. Calm down, Emily. It¡¯s not a big deal even if he¡¯s not impressed. It was an empty and unconvincing platitude. Right?


    ¡°They¡¯re not very big,¡± Emily blurted out in warning, feeling like an idiot. ¡°They¡¯re, uh¡ª¡±


    Brian pulled down her yukata her shoulders, exposing the remnants of her torn cosplay.


    Glancing down herself made her regret it, because they looked embarrassing. Her breasts still seemed like small, barely-there bulges. Little things that she couldn¡¯t even squash together to form proper cleavage, and she hated them now more than ever. That torn lingerie body stocking mostly covered her upper body, but despite the snug diamond-patterned weave, both of her nips managed to poke completely through the netting and stand out in a prominent way.


    ¡°They¡¯re perfect,¡± Brian said with what surprisingly seemed like... honest appreciation.


    ¡°N-no,¡± Emily made an aghast face. ¡°Kelly¡¯s are perfect. These are like¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kelly commented, sounding a little surprised.


    ¡°Kelly¡¯s are perfect for Kelly,¡± Brian worked to dismiss Emily¡¯s concerns, seemingly unable to take his eyes off of the two blushing bumps pointing at him through the fishnet. ¡°Yours are perfect for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right...¡± Emily scoffed, trying not to get upset. ¡°Brian¡ªI don¡¯t have inframammary folds.¡±


    ¡°Info-mamammary what?¡± Brian laughed, giving her an incredulous glance. ¡°Infra-red¡­ mammaries? Emmie, you just made that up.¡±


    He was already tugging up the veil of netting that still covered her torso, peeling the remains off of her for a better look. It made her want to panic.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t make it up!¡± Emily trembled. ¡°It¡¯s the, uh, inframammary, it¡¯s when there¡¯s a crease, right where boob overlaps chest. Like, I don¡¯t have those lines¡ªif you were to draw me from the front, you wouldn¡¯t draw boob lines. Okay? Look, even Stephanie has inframamm¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, humble-bragging, huh?¡± Kelly mused. ¡°Girl¡¯s got gazongas so perky that¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Emily blustered in denial. ¡°Gazongas?! I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m fucking flat. Perky would be like, if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ssh, shhh. Listen, I¡¯d better take a closer look,¡± Brian gave her that rugged grin of his, gathering fistfulls of fishnet in either hand. Right in front of her wide eyes, he once again ripped, tearing the veil of netting apart, this time completely baring her from neck to navel in a motion forceful enough to make her teeny tits jiggle.


    Oh-oh my God, Emily thought to herself in a lustful daze. Tearing the garment made her quiver all over, and another dewy dribble leaked out of her and down onto Brian. You-you¡¯ve GOTTA stop doing that! I¡¯m gonna want you destroying my clothes every time you strip me for sex! Did you just fucking give me a fetish?! Don¡¯t you put that hex on me, Dicky-Robby!


    As Brian tugged the final remains of her torn body stocking down her arms, she rediscovered in growing embarrassment that her diminutive chest was beyond pale. The subtly tapered half-orbs rising and falling with her unsteady breath appeared so porcelain white they became reminiscent of a pair of small teacups sitting together side by side, and it was all she could do to keep from turning her face away in humiliation. Her areola were a vivid pink contrast to her sun-starved complexion, stark nipples traitorously distended insistently outwards and eager for attention.


    ¡°Emily¡ª¡± Brian intoned slowly. She could feel his posture grow rigid with attention, and that was turning her on in an uncontrollable way. ¡°You¡¯re not flat. You¡¯ve got lovely, dainty little tits, and¡ªthey¡¯re amazing. Alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m flat,¡± Emily insisted sheepishly. ¡°Flat as a¡ªeep!¡±


    She gasped when he reached forward and took hold of them, freezing up in surprise. It felt alarmingly... nice, right, pleasant for him to be copping a feel. Like it belonged. The undersides of her milky-white breasts seemed to perfectly fill his hands, while his thumbs rested just enough weight on the sensitive protuberances of her nipples to press them downwards. Before she could begin to protest, he twiddled over them, rolling the swollen pink caps beneath his thumbs.


    ¡°Hey, whoa¡ª!¡± Emily wavered unsteadily in his lap. ¡°Th-tha¡ªat¡¯s, uhm, ummh, MmMmm!!¡±


    Caressing palmfuls of breast with teasing traces of his fingertips, Brian lightly massaged across the supple shapes, intent on appreciating them to the fullest. Each careful gesture and movement seemed to bring those soft swells into and out of his gentle grasp, and his touch elicited sensuous shivers and tiny, panting breaths that she never realized had been trapped deep within her. Then Brian cupped them, hefted them as if to feel their weight, and squeezed, reshaping her nubile flesh to conform to his grip. Emily tried to steel herself, but coherent thought began to blur and run like ink on soggy paper, blue seeping out of her brain and leaking down her body in a steady trickle of excitement.


    Brian is¡­ groping my boobs, Emily found herself giddy with disbelief. He¡¯s fondling me. It feels¡ªit feels strange but so, sooo good? When he began to pluck and pull upon the pliant pink buds of her nipples, the blue in her head intensified, dousing the inside of her mind in spurting splashes and continuously flooding down her petite body to tickle down towards her tummy.


    ¡°If you¡¯re flat, then what are these?¡± Brian challenged, drawing her little breasts outwards with nothing but pinching tugs upon the stiffened nubs of her nipples.


    ¡°Ummm,¡± Emily squirmed, trying and failing to gather her concentration. ¡°Ummm, they¡¯re¡­ yours to play with?¡±


    She felt a brief pang of disappointment when he let go, but then Brian¡¯s hands were slipping beneath her rear and lifting her¡ªimmediately reminding of the erection that had been snug between her buttocks. Brian wasn¡¯t positioning her for that yet, however, and instead situated Emily to rise up onto her knees¡ªelevated enough for him to suck the rosy protrusion of her right nipple directly into his mouth.


    ¡°Ohhh my Goddd,¡± Emily squeaked, letting her jaw go slack, unable to stop herself from making a strange face as she wriggled.


    His handsome face was right there in front of her, with the tip of her breast pulled into his mouth. She could only stare in a stupefied daze.


    Then, he applied suction¡ªstrong suction, sucking her in, he played his tongue across her, and gently took her nipple between his teeth. Each action drew a shudder out of her, rousing increasingly lurid thoughts that joined the swelling stream of blue spilling out of her mind all the way down now to where she was messy with arousal.


    Before Emily could even register what was happening, Kelly was pushing Stephanie in, shoving and squeezing the blushing girl into their space until Steph was crowding onto Brian¡¯s lap, partway squashed up against Emily¡¯s thigh.


    W-wait, wait¡ªEmily watched in delirious disbelief as the pink-haired girl meekly lowered her lips to the anxious and unattended little left breast Brian was neglecting. ¡°Mmm-mmph!!?!


    Forced to grab Stephanie¡¯s shoulder for balance on one side and rake her hand through Brian¡¯s downy-soft hair on the other, Emily felt overwhelmed with the queer but undeniably incredible sensation of having Brian and Stephanie side by side; a different lover attending upon each of her tender teats. The lovely and seemingly-innocent Stephanie began patient and gentle, with tiny wet kisses and a timidly probing tongue. After a few moments, however, as if reading Emily¡¯s involuntary responses¡ªStephanie began to greedily suckle.


    Ohhh myy fuuccckk!! Emily jerked and twisted, flicking the bright blue of her shaggy pixie cut and couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip. Her eyebrows parted and her eyelashes fluttered at the onslaught¡ªsomething about the way shameless, almost sleazy way Steph was really pouring on the enthusiasm turned her on in strange ways that Emily wasn¡¯t prepared to even consider yet.


    Is-is that really STEPHANIE?!


    Beside her, Brian continued to alternate between teasing her to frustration and rewarding her with lavish, succulent attention. With both of them working together, Emily felt like waves of blue were slapping across the side of her head, brutally broadsiding her with sensation.


    This is¡ªthis is crazy, right?! Emily let a pleading moan slip out before she was able to clamp a hand over her mouth. My hentai-gauge FUCKED level is like, already almost there, and no one¡¯s even near my clit this time! I¡¯m just about like, submersed up to my eyeballs in this FUCKEDNESS and about to cum, and, and¡ª!


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kelly interrupted cheerfully, joining them in their close press of bodies upon the bedspread.


    ¡°...Hiii there?¡± Emily¡¯s vision struggled in and out of focus as Kelly leaned in and cradled Emily¡¯s cheeks with both hands. Something about making eye contact with Kelly right now was a little hypnotizing, and she got a little lost in the beautiful girl¡¯s brandy-brown irises.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t trying to get on your case or anything earlier¡ªsorry if I came across as mean,¡± Kelly whispered. ¡°We¡¯re all gonna get to know each other better... alright?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh, yeah, yeah,¡± Emily quickly agreed, feeling her hips start to buck and twist all on their own. Brian and Stephane weren¡¯t letting up. Fuuuck me, I¡¯m close¡ª! ¡°Oo-okay?¡±


    Then, Kelly moved in and kissed her¡ªand Emily didn¡¯t have a clue how to react. Thankfully, Kelly didn¡¯t attempt to slip her tongue¡ªI swear, I¡¯m not gay, you guys!¡ªsimply content to give her a friendly kiss and then pull away to seriously gauge her reaction.


    ¡°Are we good?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Emily said, face awash with awkward embarrassment. ¡°Um, we¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Brian? Steph?¡± Kelly flashed Emily a brilliant megawatt smile and then turned to face her companions with a sexy flip of her hair. ¡°Steph? She¡¯s as ready as she¡¯ll ever get¡ªsay goodbye to Emily! It¡¯s time to drown the slut.¡±


    With Kelly already embracing the threesome of naked lovers piled together on the bed, it took Emily a moment to realize just what Kelly was doing¡ªthe large-breasted probably-an-actual-succubus was reaching around Emily to retrieve the massive cock that Emily had left behind when rising up onto her knees.


    Ohhh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck¡ª Emily wobbled slightly at the mere thought of being penetrated right now. UmMm¡ª!


    ¡°Goodbye, Emily,¡± Brian released her right tit and gave her an apologetic look as he struggled to reign in his ragged breath.


    It took Emily a few distracted seconds to understand why he looked like he was sorry, when it finally dawned on her. He really can¡¯t hold back anymore, and knows he¡¯s gonna fuck me anyways! Ohhh my God fuck, fuck me Briannn!!


    Completely infatuated with the idea that he was feeling just as out control as she was, she felt her twat twitch and flex in expectation¡ªthey were together in feeling this. As Stephanie pulled away, Emily wobbled unsteadily, looking down to see a slippery strand of molten arousal drip right down out of herself to kiss Brian¡¯s throbbing cockhead. Kelly had a firm grip around the base of that prodigious penis¡ªit looked massive in her hand¡ªand she helpfully pumped it up and down once, twice before keeping it poised in perfect position for Emily to sink down onto it.


    Wai-wait, Emily floundered with alarm as Kelly began guiding her down. Uhhh, I AM ready, right? As she attempted to resist, she realized with a mixture of dread and anticipation that her legs felt so weak she could barely even hold herself up.


    She was going down.


    ¡°Bye-bye, Emily!¡± Kelly said in a chipper voice, smacking a kiss upon her cheek and then nuzzling back to bite her earlobe.


    ¡°Goodbye, Emily,¡± Brian said again, kissing and licking from her chest to her neck as the trembling girl lowered into his lap.


    ¡°Goodbye, Emily!¡± Stephanie said sweetly, joining him to steal Emily¡¯s shocked lips directly.


    Y-you were supposed to be the shy one! Emily let out a small moan right into Stephanie¡¯s mouth. W-wait, why¡¯re they saying goodbye?!


    Shaking desperately with the sheer saturation of lust as she continued to descend, Emily felt Stephanie invade¡ªtongue sliding across her lower lip and darting inside to play. A moment later, Brian joined her in the kiss, and they were both impossibly french-kissing her at once, swapping saliva back and forth in a sordid and bewildering exchange that had her whimpering with need. Emily¡¯s mind was already a sloshing cyclone of whirling wet that drenched out all of her thoughts when she felt it press at the needy gate of her labia. Her vaginal lips parted and clenched and then opened again on reflex, slurping at the crown of his thick dick and absolutely coating him with her juices.


    She writhed, unable to understand how or why it wasn¡¯t completely in-fucking-side her yet, when she realized it was Kelly¡ª Kelly was just barely holding her back.


    ¡°Em-i-leee¡ª!¡± Kelly teased, tenderly sweeping back the girl¡¯s brilliant blue bangs to gift a parting kiss on Emily¡¯s forehead. With Brian and Stephanie still attempting to tongue-wrestle the outnumbered girl, it barely even registered.


    ¡°I can just guess what all you¡¯re experiencing in that pretty little head of yours right now¡­¡± Kelly dropped down beside her to whisper wickedly into Emily¡¯s ear. ¡°But you know exactly what I mean when I say drown the slut, don¡¯t you, Blue? Bye-bye, Emily¡ª!¡±


    Kelly released the steadying hand she¡¯d wrapped around Emily¡¯s waist, and Emily immediately sunk down onto Brian with an audible sshlpppt.


    FortySixtyFou

 Then They Banged

    Bye-bye, Emily¡­ Kelly rocked back with a pleased smile, resting her naked bottom on the heels of her feet as she watched Emily¡¯s eyelashes flutter and her mouth wordlessly open and close with tiny whimpers.


    She felt uniquely positioned tonight to intuit these disparate issues Brian and Emily had been facing, like she was just the right person to help them overcome their differences. Her and him were too close to each other, in ways that made it impossible for them to pull back and realign their relationship mindsets in proper perspective. What they each wanted and what they each needed had long since become hopelessly convoluted by years of close friendship, stifled attraction, and repressed fantasies, in ways difficult¡ªif not impossible¡ªfor the two to untangle on their own.


    ¡°Emily?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Y-yeeahh?¡± Emily cooed, blinking rapidly in a struggle to regain her faculties.


    ¡°You alright?¡±


    Feeling like she was an instrumental component of the relationships here was satisfying in a weird way that Kelly loved. Kelly felt not only completed by them on both a sexual and emotional level, but like she was in turn completing them. It was amazing.


    Emily just needed completely fucking overwhelmed; she needed this big push to break herself out past her own restrictive mindsets. Brian had wound himself up tight in this similar¡ªbut slightly different¡ªway. He needed to finally relax his self control, really trust us with his honest desires.


    ¡°Brian, you¡¯re¡­¡± Emily gazed finally focused in on him in adoration. ¡°You¡¯re inside me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inside you,¡± Brian agreed. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m,¡± Emily breathed in deeply. ¡°Brian, you¡¯re inside me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°You feel¡­ amazing. But, does it hurt? Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re... inside her,¡± Stephanie said, pausing to duck in and give Emily a wet kiss. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean, um, just physically.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Emily nodded breathlessly, working her lips. ¡°This girl¡ªthis girl gets it.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± Stephanie asked, sounding both anxious and excited and¡­ a little naughty all at once. ¡°While you¡ªyou¡¯re... like this? I want to see, I want to, ah, to try the thing.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily looked alarmed. ¡°Stephhh, if you do that now¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just do it,¡± Kelly urged in excitement. ¡°Say bye-bye again, Emily!¡±


    ¡°Heyyy, wai¡ª!!¡± Emily¡¯s protest was cut off as her lips surrendered again to Stephanie¡¯s soft invasion.


    Watching what happened next was surreal¡ªwhile Kelly had her arms around them both, sudden, languid tremors passed through the girls. Then, they were all at once shuddering in pleasure, ripples of obvious rapture shaking down their naked flesh in pang after pang of sensuous aftershock. Did they just fucking CUM? The lip-locked girls seemed to be one, not experiencing their own climaxes simultaneously but actually sharing the same mutual orgasm between them. There seemed to be more than enough orgasm to go around, and Brian didn¡¯t seem to be safe from the effects¡ªbecause Emily and Stephanie kept going and going.


    ¡°Hnnnnnng fuckk,¡± Brian groaned, straining himself rigid. ¡°Holy fuck, Emily what are you doinNGg¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mmm, mmm, mmmhh, mmphh, MMMPHH!!?!¡± Both Emily and Stephanie were moaning out into each other¡¯s mouths, each muffled little noise escalating towards a tantalizing crescendo.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Kelly asked, leaning past where Stephanie was pressing herself into Emily to reveal her smile of anticipation to Brian.


    ¡°She¡¯s. Clamping down like. Crazy.¡± Brian grunted out, his face twisting and body tensing up as he tried to hold himself back from releasing blast after blast of semen into Emily¡¯s pussy. ¡°Like. Milking me? So damned. Tight!¡±


    ¡°Let it out,¡± Kelly persuaded provokingly, lighting up with delight. ¡°Do it, do it! Just let go, fill her up with jizz. Shoot her up full of spunk!¡±


    ¡°Kelly, wait¡ª¡± Brian¡¯s eyes scrunched close as he attempted to resist.


    ¡°Drown the slut,¡± Kelly goaded him on, crawling around Emily and Steph¡ªwhose smothered tones were still rising in pitch like a tea kettle simmering its way up to a whistle¡ª to smother Brian¡¯s face with her breasts. ¡°Drown the slut! She asked for it, she begged for it¡ªlet it all out, fuckin¡¯ blow your wad right inside of her! Fill her up!¡±


    ¡°Kelllyy¡ª¡± Brian warned.


    ¡°Cum inside her, cum inside her, cum inside heR,¡± Kelly demanded with passion, letting out a small gasp as Brian twisted one of her erect nipples between his teeth. ¡°Cum inside her, cum inside her, cum, cum, CUM, CUM, CUM, CUM RIGHT INSIDE HER!!¡±


    Kelly actually flinched as she crossed the threshold of a tiny unexpected peak and came a little bit herself just as Emily and Stephanie were crying out¡ªeven the lurid sirensong of their mutual exclamation was harmonizing in pitch. Brian bucked as he ejaculated uncontrollably, actually lifting Emily and most of Stephanie completely up off the bed as he pumped out loads of semen into his longtime friend one enormous thrusting spurt at a time.


    That¡­ Kelly shook herself, feeling goosebumps all over on the outside and a warm, giddy rush from within. Might be the NEW most depraved thing I¡¯ve ever done? Jesus. Like, oh my God¡­!


    ¡°Sorry, Emily,¡± Brian panted with exertion, shoving Stephanie aside and nudging Kelly out of the way. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t stop. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°BrriaanN?!¡± Emily¡¯s features were slack and she wobbled unsteadily, fighting to reclaim her senses¡ª when Brian took her by the hips and slammed the little Latina¡¯s body back down upon him with a squelch of displaced semen.


    Then, he was fucking her, lifting and dropping Emily in time with each rocking perlvic jerk of his own crazed upwards thrusts. Kelly watched with awe at what she¡¯d instigated, one hand absentmindedly covering her own open-mouthed surprise. It was a good thing they¡¯d said their goodbyes to Emily, because that girl was gone, unable to even reorient herself, forcibly fucked stupid by this dangerously untethered Brian. The glimpses caught between the fleshy smacking of their bodies meeting revealed what looked to be entire pints of spend spattered out from their union in thick, creamy strings. Masses of it, piles of goopy cum¡ªthe sheer heady musk of Brian¡¯s seed filled the room.


    Oh shit, Kelly felt a thrilling twinge of fear addled through and through with lust. Might¡¯ve¡­ pushed him too far? He¡¯s gonna¡­ look at what he¡¯s gonna do to us. What he¡¯s doing to her!


    Brian had blown a massive load early on at Kelly¡¯s insistent indulgence, really before he had a chance to actually have sex with Emily¡ª all they¡¯d done was first penetration. Now, Brian seemed intent on proving his staying power, eager and raring to go for so much more. With savage, brutal motions he impaled Emily down onto him while furiously pounding up into her.


    Stephanie had sprawled out on the other side of the bed from them, her slim figure rocking slightly with the repeating bounce of the bed as Brian banged Emily, wildly rutting in such sharp, violent motions that the hotel room filled with those lewd, surprisingly wet-sounding slaps. Whatever charm effect thing Stephanie¡¯d been using on Emily already had the pink-haired cutie exhausted and out for the count, and it was probably for the best¡ªthis frenzied fornication teetered more than a little towards frightening.


    Fuck me, I made this happen, Kelly thought to herself, feeling both proud and a little horrified at the pure perversion of it. That fallen metallic meteorite lodged somewhere within the lobes of her brain was flickering ferrous flashes of starfire that filled her mind with sputtery red light. Th-they were just these ordinary geeks, right? Now, it¡¯s like¡­ there¡¯s this DESIRE, between all of us, that¡¯s been unleashed¡ªand I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll stop?


    Unbidden, Kelly¡¯s other hand had stolen between her legs as she watched, her fingers cupping to roll those fingertips frantically over her slippery, secretion-soaked pussy. She¡¯d never, ever been this wet before, she was altogether slimy with arousal, and droplets of the warm fluid were flicking across her thighs as she masturbated to the sight with wild abandon.


    Fuck her, fuck her, fuck her!


    There was something completely entrancing about the fervent machine pistoning motion Brian was clapping Emily down onto him with, the way the musculature of his arms stood out, that crushing squeeze of his grip as he shifted his grasp from the helpless girl¡¯s waist to clamp down on her ass. Several long minutes of this passed, and Emily¡¯s head of blue tresses lolled loosely as her entire body bobbed atop of him, eyes half-lidded and her mouth hanging open and drooling.


    Kelly frigged herself, watching on in disbelief as Brian smashed Emily down upon his girthy tool harder, harder, actually beginning to fear that he was gonna hurt the girl¡ªand then, he came again. Brian¡¯s back and shoulders froze, pulling taut with tension, and he released, pumping more and more thick gouts of cum directly into the questionably-conscious lover trapped in his lap.


    Quivering, Emily let out a small squeak, and Kelly witnessed pillowy suds of semen pushing out from the crease between their closely pressed bodies.


    That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s im-fucking-possible, Kelly thought in a daze, actually letting an incredulous giggle slip out. There¡¯s no way he could put out THAT much fucking cum. It¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not human, right?


    ¡°Haahhh, hahhh,¡± Brian huffed as he started coming back to his senses, and finally sagged down against the bedspread. ¡°Haah¡ªEmily, hhuwh, Emily, are you¡ªare you alright?¡±


    For a moment Emily looked as if she was actually able to respond, her mouth weakly opening and closing as she struggled to catch her own breath¡ªbut then, her eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted, falling forward towards Brian¡¯s chest. Emily was out like a light, and she landed with a slight splat atop their messy clumps of puddled cum, going completely limp.


    ¡°Emily?!¡±


    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but creep closer as Brian carefully, delicately began to ease the unconscious Emily off of him. She watched with total fascination as he began to extricate himself from the petite girl, slowly sliding what felt like inch after impossibly spunk-slathered inch of thick cock back out of the quivering cavity. He finally pulled himself completely free of her with a lewd sschlorp¡ªEmily¡¯s trembling pink twat flexing and contracting in apparent confusion at his absence¡ª then the impossible amount of pearly white ejaculate began to ooze out.


    Oh my God, Kelly paled at the sight, feeling an involuntary shiver of excitement run through her. That¡¯s, uh¡­ that¡¯s a lot of fucking semen.


    The sight of cloudy goop lazily sluicing out from within Emily was absolutely spellbinding, in an artful, somehow magnificent way. More and more of the stuff just kept sluggishly pouring out, as if the pale lines of Emily¡¯s labia were a carved marble spout steadily releasing the seed of her man back out like a vulgar grecian fountain.


    Splurts of white spunk were dropping down into an actual pool of cum that filled every seam between their intertwining legs and thighs. Brian¡¯s somehow still erect penis jutted up from the sopping mess like the prow of a half-sunken ship, those obscenely swollen balls of his a figurehead already submerging beneath the surface of their puddle of fluids.


    God DAMN. As Kelly inched closer, the raw scent of Brian¡¯s spend rolled out across the entire room, seeming to stir Stephanie back to life. Thought there was a crazy amount back earlier when I titfucked him, but this is¡­ this is STUPID. It¡¯s still fucking coming out of her!


    On a strange compulsion she wouldn¡¯t have been able to explain, Kelly leaned in and inhaled deeply, filling her sinuses with the heady aroma. The redolent musk of semen seemed so thick with sex pheromones that she felt like she was getting positively stoned, like her higher thought processes were slipping way in a dazed fugue. Kelly¡¯s metaphorical meteorite had already made it¡¯s impact, but it still burned, always burned with fierce light. After breathing in this overpowering fresh fragrance of cum, brilliant curling curtains of red smoke started pouring off of her fallen star and completely clouding her mind.


    Ahh, fuuck, She thought to herself with a giddy grin. Prooobably shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve done that?


    Before she could stop herself, Kelly shoved her face down into the sticky mess where Brian and Emily had been joined, greedily sucking and slurping as much of the stuff as she could gather into her mouth. A few last spurts of spooge squeezing out of Emily landed against the side of Kelly¡¯s face and then began to slide down her cheek¡ªbut by then, she was only aware of her surroundings in a vague way.


    ¡°Kelly, hey wait¡ª Kelly,¡± a handsome voice called out from nearby, but she was a little too distracted to respond.


    The wave of shame¡ª accompanied by intense, debilitating arousal¡ª didn¡¯t snap Kelly back to her senses until Stephanie joined her, the pink-haired cutie squeezing between Brian and Emily legs from the other side. All at once, Kelly realized they were both snuffling through the aftermath of the lover¡¯s union like eager piglets at a human feed trough. Humiliation wasn¡¯t an aphrodisiac she¡¯d ever thought to sample, but it tasted good, and she could still feel it slopping down her chin when Stephanie pushed herself close enough to clean her face with a slurping open-mouthed kiss.


    Don¡¯t have to feel like I¡¯m above things anymore, Kelly absentmindedly returned Stephanie¡¯s sordid kiss. They¡¯ve brought me down from my high orbit right to where I can have my face in the dirt. But, also it¡¯s like¡ªI trust them with this? That they won¡¯t ever think less of me for exploring this? Is that, uh¡­ is¡­ um.


    She was too distracted to continue her thought.


    At some point during the exchange swapping equal amounts of saliva and sperm with Stephanie, her hand had wandered in to take hold of Brian¡¯s manhood. It felt wondrously lubricated with all of the secretions, and her palm and fingers playfully slid back and forth across the bulbous crown of his erection. A strand of semen drooped in an arc between her lips and Stephanie¡¯s as they broke away just enough to turn their attention to his schlong. That burning need reflected in Stephanie¡¯s gaze only magnified her own, and Kelly distantly understood that they were both practically panting for dick now, two beautiful girls completely in heat by means of circumstance or magic or something simply beyond the ken of their comprehension right now.


    I need fucked, RIGHT fucking now.


    ¡°Uhhh, I¡¯m next. Steph¡ªcondom,¡± Kelly managed to remember. She had one earlier¡­ now, it¡¯s somewhere or other? Fuck me, Brian¡¯s spunk is EVERYWHERE. We¡¯re probably all already pregnant somehow. Fuck.


    ¡°Condom!¡± Stephanie breathily agreed, shakily pushing herself up onto her hands and knees and struggling back out of Brian and Emily¡¯s laps.


    Kelly moved in closer¡ª sparing an inattentive glance towards Emily to see she was still passed out. Brian¡¯s overzealous contribution of spunk was still leaking out of the Latina a little bit, but now she was in the way, so Kelly took the fucked-silly girl¡¯s ankles and shifted her off to the side on the bedspread.


    ¡°Kelly¡ªI, uhh, Kelly I¡¯m not gonna be able to hold back,¡± Brian warned, still obviously struggling to get his wits about him.


    ¡°Here, here¡ª condom!¡± Stephanie returned with the familiar rectangular packet she¡¯d been fiddling with earlier.


    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re¡ª um. Thank you,¡± Kelly said, frantically snatching it away and ripping it open. ¡°I, uh. I have to go next. I have to. I¡¯m sorry, Steph.¡±


    ¡°Guys¡ª¡± Brian weakly protested.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Stephanie let out a nervous laugh, and Kelly realized that her friend¡¯s hands were shaking. ¡°I, I really, I totally understand!¡±


    I¡¯m going to make it up to you, Steph, Kelly promised to herself.


    She hesitated for a moment as she began fitting the latex of the prophylactic over Brian¡¯s cockhead with as much finesse as her frustrated fingers could manage. The effervescent mess of cum they¡¯d been nuzzling their faces in and guzzling like animals was spattered everywhere, now, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if trying to keep the condom exterior clean of it was hopelessly wishful thinking.


    Fuck it, Kelly decided, satisfied¡ªor satisfied enough¡ªwith the way Brian¡¯s tool was wrapped. It¡¯ll do. I¡¯ve got day after pills in my purse anyways.


    ¡°Kelly, wait a¡ª¡±


    Not particularly interested in discussing the matter, Kelly turned around, lifting her leg over Brian and settling her rear on those gorgeous abdominal muscles of his. He felt warm and wet. Now facing away from Brian, she grabbed the engorged cock and guided herself down on it in a squatting position with a muffled but still discernible squelch.


    Ohhh my fuckk¡ª! Kelly felt like the rigid rocket of man-meat was already blasting her up into the stars.


    The protruding thing pushed so deliciously into her insatiable depths that she giggled and then hiccuped, wriggling to spread her thighs apart even further so that she could sink down onto his manhood even a few millimeters more. Fizzling red light was sparkling throughout her mind, and Kelly let out a deep, breathy moan of satisfaction.


    Without warning, she was lifted up into the air by the raise of Brian¡¯s hips and then dropped, her bottom clapping down against his pelvis and burning red flashes of stratosphere passing through her mind. Kelly reached between her legs to grab onto Brian¡¯s thighs beneath her, holding on for dear life as he humped her with enough frenzied power to have her heaving up and down atop him on the bed.


    ¡°Br-Briaaaann¡ª !!¡± Kelly screamed, joining in to meet the force of his thrusts by slamming herself down with an increasingly rapid slap of flesh upon flesh.


    The sensations were altogether overwhelming, and the streaking starlight shooting through her mind seemed to be jerking into and out of hyperspace, the burning pinpoints of red elongating into blurring lines of light in time with the repeated penetration. She¡¯d been beyond wet, her pussy had been slavering for another taste of this, and as he fucked her every pleasure receptor she possessed seemed to be lighting up in constellations, galaxies, universes.


    Then Kelly began to orgasm, lightspeed rushes of overwhelming euphoria whirling into incandescent prismatic fractal patterns and warping superluminal fields of light, painting her mind in brilliant, scintillating ranges of color beyond sane comprehension, and her pupils began to expand, dilating wide until they began to faintly glow with red light from within.


    What the fu¡ª


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kelly sighed to herself, staring up at the ceiling of the spare bedroom at Aunt Mattie¡¯s place. ¡°Guess what¡ªI¡¯m future Kelly. One of ¡®em, anyways, I ¡®spose.¡±


    She stretched out in a languid motion, twisting upon the bed to face Stephanie. The sight filled her with contentment¡ªand truth be told she wanted to show off a little to her past self while she was sending. Over the past two years, Stephanie had grown her hair out long, and it was now a cascade of perfect pink tresses that traveled the whole way down the sleeping young woman¡¯s lovely pale back.


    Kelly had long since decided to make a point of clearly broadcasting her complete adoration for the girl, and she gently combed fingertips through to collect errant pink locks and then traced a line down across slender girl¡¯s naked hips to the curve of her bottom, where she comfortably rested her hand.


    ¡°Those magic charm power things Stephanie probably just told you about like, minutes ago? Congratulations, you¡¯re the RED SEERESS OF THE STARS, and you get glimpses of possible futures. With the... admittedly annoying caveat of being required to then also bother sending these visions back into the past every once in a while. To actually make it all happen.


    ¡°It¡¯s... super fuckin¡¯ complicated, but Emmie says we¡¯re in like, this bundle of similar, potentially-the-same timelines that communicate. That¡¯s the gist of the KELLY charm power. Sending helps keep these timelines together, keeps us in this branch... stable? The more OOMPH we have, or something. More potential? Something like that. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Kelly dropped back down onto her pillow with a chuckle.


    ¡°Confused, yet? Yeah, you were gonna be, for well over a damn year. I¡¯m TOLD it was frustrating as fuck being the only one who couldn¡¯t figure their own charm power thing out. A stupid, pointless struggle¡ªnot the kind that like, helps you grow as a person, either, y¡¯know? So, future Kelly further down the line decided, why even let that happen? Fuck causality! Now, a future self clues you in right away, soon as we¡¯re able to reach you. Because¡ªwhy fucking wouldn¡¯t we? You¡¯re welcome, by the way.


    ¡°Actually just passin¡¯ good karma forward. Backward? You know what I mean; I had my own future Kelly give me this same heads up. Make sure you do it someday, too¡ªSteph¡¯ll talk to you about it at a certain point. ALWAYS fucking listen to Steph.


    ¡°Steph is¡­¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t help but glance at the alluring figure of the girl beside her again and smile. ¡°She¡¯s your everything, and you¡¯re completely in love with her. You just don¡¯t know it, ¡®cause you¡¯re not quite there yet. Whoops, spoiler, I guess? Whatever. Deep down¡ªyou already know EXACTLY what I mean, don¡¯t you?


    ¡°Uhh. You¡¯re all actually about to go through some serious shit. All of you in the harem. Sorry. Can¡¯t say anything about it ¡®till you¡¯re already there. Not gonna give you details, ¡®cause whenever we do, it apparently shunts the warned timeline out of our branch of timelines and off to some different one. What happens to that timeline then? Don¡¯t know, sorry. Just... be ready for some serious shit, and be strong for everyone, ¡®cause they¡¯re gonna need you. It¡¯s gonna turn out... mostly okay. You¡¯ve got this, past Kelly.¡±


    ¡°Kell?¡± Stephanie¡¯s angelic voice murmured, and the girl stirred. ¡°Kelly! You¡¯re sending it already!?¡±


    ¡°Had to! Runnin¡¯ outta time already, actually,¡± Kelly explained in amused exasperation. ¡°Um. Past Kelly? Go easy on Christine. She was a total fuckup, but... so were you, back then. Alright? Trust Emmie, even if she seems like this total dweeb. Try not to give Angela and Rebecca any grief, they¡¯re pretty cool. Look out for all your girls, ¡®cause they¡¯re all already gonna be looking out for you. I think... that covers everything?¡±


    ¡°Did you tell her about Brian?¡± Stephanie asked, eyelashes fluttering as she tried to sit up.


    ¡°No¡ªI can¡¯t,¡± Kelly made a helpless gesture, glancing over to appreciate Stephanie¡¯s lovely breasts. ¡°Not allowed to tell her about any of that. Remember?¡±


    ¡°Was just checking,¡± Stephanie beamed a radiant, slightly teasing smile, and the feeling of sheer unadulterated LOVE her beautiful expression evoked was overpowering. ¡°Tell past Kelly that I love her. That we all love her. Oh! Make sure to warn her about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! Uhh, Future Steph sends big kisses and all of the love. Past Kelly, on the last day of the convention, you¡¯re¡ªah, FUCK! Umm. Sorry, can¡¯t hold the connection anymore, she¡¯s alrea¡ª¡±


    Kelly felt her eyelashes flutter, the passageways within her brain lighting up in a blinding display that was both painful and weirdly pleasurable as they overloaded in a searing red sputter of power. Then she promptly passed out, falling forward to collapse astride Brian¡¯s legs with her insensate face pressed into the spunk-soaked bedcovers.


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my Patreon family NyarlathotepB, godoffaer, Vowron Prime, Phillip Rayne, The Epitome of Eccentricity, Aodean, Chris, Connor Nay, Paul Wirtz, Aihnman, William Foster, Mundane, Lety Does Stuff, TiAM325, I.Ronical, Joel Robinson, jmundt33a, andy may phan, AnonGuy, Davin Taddeo, Luke Mofford, alethiophile, Kimu Taka, Angel Sworn and especially Foxy.

 Never Let Go

    ¡°Hi Claire!¡± Christine squeaked out in a chipper voice, giving the woman an excited wave. ¡°No Daddy, this time?¡±


    ¡°Your father¡¯s finishing up some paperwork now,¡± Claire said, beckoning Christine over into her car. ¡°C¡¯mon, hop in.¡±


    It was a nice black car, a sleek luxury convertible with the top already folded back. Christine bounced over from the bus station¡¯s transit area and hopped in, climbing over the door rather than opening it. Claire was always cool with it¡ªChristine¡¯s mother Mrs. Weschler would have thrown a fit.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Christine remarked, flashing Claire an excited smile. ¡°You look great. How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    Claire only gave her a wry smile and started up the car. When the engine purred to life with a sexy rumble, Christine couldn¡¯t help but squee to herself at the thrill of being able to cruise around in it.


    Grinning like an idiot, Christine couldn¡¯t help but steal glances over at her Claire¡ªher father¡¯s personal assistant. She was everything Christine wanted to be! The woman was slender and beautiful, but always with this sophisticated air of professionalism. It was like Claire just perfectly embodied all of the coolest femme fatales throughout anime¡ªand somehow Claire didn¡¯t even know what anime was! Last year when meeting her, Christine had practically gawked at her, and even asked her if she was a model. Claire had simply shook her head with an amused smile.


    Wonder if she has feelings for Dad, if they¡¯re like, secretly a couple? Christine thought to herself with a giddy smile. Forbidden romance¡ªthe suave, handsome company executive and his beautiful but taciturn secretary! Er, well, personal assistant. Whatever! I totally ship them. I bet she likes him. Who WOULDN¡¯T like him? He¡¯s awesome.


    Every other month, the gangly and graceless teen Christine stole away from her stern harpy spinster of a mother to be spoiled like a princess by her much much much wealthier father. Her parents had been divorced since she was real little, and mother had for some reason or other won custody. After tedious months and months beneath her stern and shrewish mother¡¯s eye, these sojourns into the city to live the high life for visitations were what Christine looked forward to most.


    I mean, if it was up to MOM, I¡¯d probably never even be allowed to watch anime AT ALL.


    ¡°How¡¯s Daddy? Still making lots of money?¡± Christine asked, eager to chat. ¡°How¡¯re you? Are you coming out with us tonight? I want ramen. Ramen and sushi!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still making lots of money,¡± Claire confirmed with that slight smile of hers.


    ¡°Claaaire, c¡¯mon!¡± Christine whined. ¡°You never talk much. I wanna talk, I want to know more about you. I want like, life advice!¡±


    ¡°...Life advice?¡± Claire chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Christine perked up. ¡°Like, how do I become just like you?¡±


    ¡°If someone has to tell you¡ªyou¡¯ll never really know,¡± Claire replied with a cryptic smile.


    ¡°If someone has to¡ª¡± Christine made a face. ¡°Wait, what? What does that even mean?! Claaaire!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Pumpkin,¡± Mr. Weschler said. ¡°Be just another minute while I finish writing this up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a pumpkin,¡± Christine giggled, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I told you to call me Christi-chan!¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, pumpkin-chin,¡± Mr. Weschler joked with a doting smile.


    ¡°Ohmigod, pumpkin-chan, not pumpkin-chin, ew! Pffthhpp!¡± Christine blew a raspberry at him. ¡°Are we going to the cool sushi place tonight? Sushi and a movie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll refer you to speak with Ms. Claire¡ªshe¡¯s in charge of my schedule,¡± Mr. Weschler said, cracking his knuckles and then running a hand through his hair.


    ¡°Claire hardly even talks!¡± Christine griped, throwing Claire a smile. ¡°Hey¡ªyou better not be mistreating her!¡±


    Claire simply stood by, waiting patiently with that unreadable smile.


    ¡°Of course I mistreat her. That¡¯s why she makes the big bucks,¡± Mr. Weschler said. ¡°Claire¡ªcould you make sure she gets settled in up in the loft?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Claire nodded, gesturing Christine out of Mr. Weschler¡¯s office. ¡°Right this way please, Miss Weschler.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really talk like that all the time, do you? The whole Sir this and Miss that?¡± Christine gabbed on. ¡°Oh, and you can just call me Christy-chan!¡±


    ¡°Right this way, Christi-chan,¡± Claire obliged her.


    ¡°See? See!¡± Christine stuck her tongue out at her father and trotted her way out of the office. ¡°Claire-senpai calls me Christi-chan!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Mr. Weschler grunted. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s why she makes the big bucks.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how much do you make?¡± Christine asked as she followed Claire upstairs. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend? Hey, you¡¯re going out to eat ramen with us, right?¡±


    darkmoon_goddess: yeah?


    darkmoon_goddess: how would u kiss me


    darkmoon_goddess: i askd first :P


    darkmoon_goddess: lol ^_^


    Kanshin91: then


    Kanshin91: slowly


    Kanshin91: like


    Kanshin91: a romantic kind of kiss


    Kanshin91: how do ou want me to describe


    Kanshin91: *you


    darkmoon_goddess: like a scene


    darkmoon_goddess: i guess


    darkmoon_goddess: idk lol ^_^


    darkmoon_goddess: only if u want


    Christine was hopelessly in love with her internet boyfriend Kanshin, but sometimes it was just endlessly frustrating being apart from him. And having never met him, of course. It was late at night¡ªwell past midnight and way later than her stupid stick in the mud of a mother ever let her stay up, and so she was spending the extra hours she¡¯d gained messaging back and forth with her friends from the MangaLab chat channels. Even her Daddy¡¯s old laptop up here in the loft above his office was still leagues and leagues faster than the ancient old PC she had at home.


    As quietly as she could, she rolled out of the fold-out bed and tiptoed over to where she could peek down the stairs. Both her father and Claire had been working most of the night, and even as the night wound down and one of them or the other was lounging on the expensive plush couch watching TV, the other one would be speaking on the phone with someone, talking boring business stuff for what felt like hours and hours.


    Claire had revealed that she was actually engaged¡ªher fiance was some lame boring guy named Rick, and he worked in mergers, whatever that was. Christine hadn¡¯t been able to hide her disappointment, because she still thought Claire and her Dad were literally perfect for each other, and had even pouted for a while after hearing about this Rick guy just to prove it. Why are adults so like, oblivious sometimes? They¡¯re practically MEANT to be a couple. It¡¯s so frustrating¡ªthere¡¯s gotta be a way I can like, nudge them along a bit?


    Intent on sneaking down to raid the little office mini-fridge for anything she could snack on, Christine carefully peeked around the edge of the loft bannister. Her dad was fucking Claire on the couch.


    Christine¡¯s eyes went wide as saucers and she froze completely still, unable to believe what she was seeing. It seemed so out of place and unreal that she could only stare in silence and disbelief. The aloof and always well-put-together seeming personal assistant was naked from the waist down, sideways on the couch on her hands and knees, while Mr. Weschler was wearing just his button-up office shirt as he hurriedly thrusted into her. It was kind of...


    Are they¡ªare they really?! Christine quietly covered her mouth with her hand. They¡¯re¡ªhaving sex! I KNEW there was something between them! But, like, OH MY GOD!


    Having only turned eighteen earlier that year, Christine didn¡¯t have any sexual experience herself. After all, she was still in high school! Although she¡¯d dated back when she was a Junior, she¡¯d been firm in guarding second-base. She¡¯d never have even thought to masturbate at all if she hadn¡¯t gotten so infatuated with the teen drama Dusk books about sexy vampires, and most everything she knew about sex was from the rather sordid Dusk fanfiction she read online.


    Watching her father and his secretary¡ªno, personal assistant rutting down there on the couch was a huge turn-on, kinda, but it was also weird. In a bad, strange way that was hard for her to put into words. Christine had been hoping to catch them flirting with witty banter, or getting lost in each other¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d wanted to see sexual tension build up into some sort of passionate crescendo before they inevitably gave in to their feelings for each other.


    Instead, it seemed like one moment they were down there watching TV together after hours and boring hours of office work stuff, and then the next time Christine thought to spy on them¡ªthey were having sex. It felt jarring how suddenly things had escalated, but surely Christine had just missed a bunch of really interesting exchanges while she was distracted typing back and forth with Kanshin.


    Like, I HAD to have missed a bunch.


    With an almost inaudible groan, Mr. Weschler jerked his hips into Claire one last time and held there with a small shudder.


    Oh my God. Is he¡ªdid he? Christine wrinkled her nose. Gross. Kinda gross. The ¡®moment of release¡¯ is all flowers blossoming and beautiful metaphors in fanfiction. But, like... I guess that¡¯s how it always has to end in real life, huh?


    ¡°Phew,¡± Mr. Weshcler whispered in a low voice, slipping out of the woman and collapsing back onto the couch. ¡°Perfect. That was just what I needed.¡±


    Claire climbed off the couch and stepped away from him without responding, heading over towards the box of tissues on his desk and drawing two of them out to clean herself down there with.


    ¡°Double for tonight,¡± Claire finally said in an emotionless voice.


    ¡°Double?¡± Mr. Wescler casually turned to regard her. ¡°C¡¯mon¡ªseriously?¡±


    ¡°Double when your daughter¡¯s here,¡± Claire said. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°What do you care?¡± Mr. Weschler laughed quietly. ¡°She always zonks out early.¡±


    ¡°Double,¡± Claire insisted.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Mr. Weschler shrugged with indifference. ¡°Whatever. You know where my wallet is.¡±


    What... Christine swallowed back bile that threatened to rise up and choke her throat. What the fuck.


    The always-professional and classy Claire who she¡¯d been idolizing wasn¡¯t in some secret starry-eyed romantic entanglement with her father. This was... business, this was some sickening and completely impersonal exchange. Claire was having sex with her dad, for money? Revulsion rolled through Christine in a grotesque wave, and she almost lost her balance and fell backwards from the crouch she¡¯d been hiding in.


    I¡¯m going to be sick. I¡¯m going to be sick. I¡¯m going to be sick!


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Claire said in a quiet voice. ¡°Appointment with Collins and Worth tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll meet you there at ten o¡¯clock. After that I¡¯ll be mailing out invoices until noon, so you¡¯re going to have to look after your daughter yourself until then.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, yeah,¡± Mr. Weschler seemed spent, barely paying the woman any attention. ¡°Say hi to Rick for me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Claire replied in a cordial tone. ¡°Goodnight, Bryan.¡±


    ¡°¡®Night, Pumpkin,¡± Bryan Weschler grunted out.


    Say hi to Rick for me?! Christine¡¯s face fell in horror. Claire actually DOES have a boyfriend, and she¡¯s still¡ªthey¡¯re still¡ªno, no, no no no no!


    Even worse, so much worse, was hearing the same pet name her Dad used for her also used for the personal assistant that he was apparently paying for sex. It was the final straw. Christine dry-heaved, silently scrambling back away from the bannister on all fours and managing to make it to the small waste can before she vomited up all the sushi.


    Christine Chloe Weschler¡¯s eyes snapped open to the darkness of the hotel room.


    It had been five fucking years since that fateful night when she¡¯d secretly caught her father screwing his secretary, and she still couldn¡¯t even think about sushi without feeling physically ill. Those sickening reflective slivers lazily spun and whirled throughout her mind like the silent storm within a silver snowglobe, and her stomach felt like it had folded and twisted itself into a brutal knot.


    As usual when she had those dreams about the past, she was both grossed out and more than a bit turned on, and she hated that. They weren¡¯t usually this clear and vivid, though¡ªit was like each jagged little mirror shard flitting about inside her brain was a window that reflected right into those grotesque and possibly kind of sexy memories that clung to her psyche.


    How the fuck does it STILL smell in here? Chloe glared in disgust across the dark room where Megan was loudly snoring on the other hotel bed. Un-fucking-believable.


    It took a few moments, but the last of the silvery sensation and echoes of the past bobbing and weaving in her head began to fade. She wasn¡¯t the naive and ignorant Christine anymore, and she certainly fucking wasn¡¯t the cringy Christi-chan. Five years ago she¡¯d had an illuminating experience, a real slap in the face that challenged and overturned everything she knew. It was the awakening into feminism she needed, finally recognizing exactly what kind of man her father Bryan Weschler was¡ªwhat kind of creatures all men were, really¡ªand at the same time realizing that her bitter and hateful mother had actually been right along. About everything.


    OF COURSE she was bitter and hateful, Chloe smirked. Before she had me, Mom worked for him. She was his secretary. Back then, she was innocent like I was, she thought that love was a real thing. But, she LEARNED. Men DON¡¯T love, it¡¯s completely beyond their understanding. All they understand is having a wet HOLE they can fuck when the urge tickles them. That¡¯s what love is, to them¡ªa fucking hole.


    Late into the night, Chloe had grudgingly unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out to discover Rebecca curled up cozy asleep on the floor in some sort of medieval camping bag or sleeping roll or something. Looking out at the girl now in the dim light of the hotel room, it appeared that part of Rebecca¡¯s setup was a large fur of some kind, and Chloe¡¯s expression soured. That better not be from a real living animal. No¡ªin fact, I hope it is. Just another great reason to take her down a peg or two.


    She¡¯d taken the free bed, naturally, and after such a long and exhausting day of so many ordeals, Chloe¡¯d been able to get some sleep. Now that she was awake again, Chloe eagerly thumbed through her phone to pull up the web page for the convention and see if anyone had replied to the heartfelt plea she¡¯d sent out.


    AnimeCon 20XX Forums > General Discussion > Scarred to leave my room


    Shy Shy QT Pi: I dont even know if this is where I should post this but Ive been crying all weekend and I don¡¯t know what to do.. My abusive exboyfriend ((who wasn¡¯t supposed to be at AnimeCon)) aparrently followed me here.. He has been constantly harrassing me. At this point I¡¯m now scared to even leave my hotel room..


    I dont know what to do about.


    Is there someone I can talk to about getting him removed from the convention?? I just want to feel safe here.. My exboyfriend has always make up lies about me and some girl I¡¯ve NEVER met her before in my life confrontted and attacked me earlier today and ruined the Magical Doll Himari outfit I worked on ALL YEAR on to enter the cosplay contest with. I didnt win because she squirtted mustard packets on the fabric. I didnt even understand why ANYONE would do that to another person ever. I didnt undersand Until later that night. When I saw her with him. My exboyfriend..


    Im not just afraid for myself. Im afraid for her to.. My exboyfriend was toxic and mannipulative and I dont know what lies he told her about me to make her act that way.. I havent ever talked to anyone about what he did to me to us have break up.. But it was rape. PLEASE is there someone in charge of the convention I can talked to about this because I cant be here and feel safe if hes here.. I just want to have fun at the convention but I dont even feel safe.


    FortySixtyFour


    Since this chapter was probably more rage-inducing than satisfying, I''m gonna give you guys the next chapter (Good Morning Sunshine) sometime this afternoon. Remember though, between the main story and the progressing sidestory arcs there are 48 more chapters to read on my Patreon for $1!


    24 more story chapters! 105k words or 382 more pages:


    Good Morning Sunshine, 14 pages.


    We Need to Talk, 14 pages.


    Morning Run, 20 pages.


    Charming Girl, 18 pages.


    Get Together, 18 pages.


    Brave New Girl, 16 pages.


    Dreamscape Geography, 21 pages.


    Show and Tell, Round Four, 11 pages.


    Sending it Back, 11 pages.


    Taking Stephanie, 11 pages.


    Fade to Pink, 12 pages.


    Fertile Ashes, 14 pages.


    Life she Leaves Behind, 15 pages.


    Doubting his Luck, 12 pages.


    The Charm Meta, 19 pages.


    Return to AnimeCon, 20 pages.


    Chloe Confrontation, 19 pages.


    The Nuclear Option, 14 pages.


    Fallout, 12 pages.


    Rebecca to the Rescue, 17 pages.


    Me Grandmother has a Scar, 15 pages.


    Combat Therapy, 18 pages.


    Snowball''s Chance in Hell, 14 pages.


    Dangerous Cargo, 14 pages.


    24 Patreon-exclusive sidestory chapters! 100k words or 364 more pages:


    Mayday, Mayday, 10 pages.


    Panel Crashing, 11 pages.


    Spanking Stephanie, 11 pages.


    Mary: the Mastery, 14 pages.


    Back to the Cafe, 10 pages.


    The Vendors Room, 16 pages.


    Chrissy-Cat Creations, 11 pages.


    The K-Pop Fan, 12 pages.


    Order of the Sovereign Swords, 18 pages.


    Mara, the Nightmare, 14 pages.


    Super Slash Sisters, 11 pages.


    The Cosplaying Girls, 19 pages.


    Colorful Interruption, 12 pages.


    Auditions, 13 pages.


    Invitations and Promises, 13 pages.


    The Cosplay Contest, 17 pages.


    New Friends, 17 pages.


    Marino''s Pizza, 19 pages.


    Eating Out, 8 pages.


    The Night is Young, 20 pages.


    Jordyn and Melanie, 17 pages.


    Perverts at AnimeCon, 15 pages.


    Stairway to Heaven, 17 pages.


    Silencing the Girls, 18 pages.


    $5 patrons can also check out progress we''ve made towards the upcoming AnimeCon Harem game adaptation! Thirteen months of development hell, with ??? more to go!


    27 character illustration assets.


    6 theme music tracks.


    35 background illustration assets.


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Good Morning Sunshine

    Good morning! Stephanie thought, stretching with delight as her mind roused itself back awake after what had been a long night. I feel... absolutely fucking amazing.


    Like anyone else, the pink-haired girl had her good mornings and she had her bad mornings¡ªthis one just seemed so high up the this is wonderful scale that she didn¡¯t even know what to do with herself. Stephanie felt so well-rested and energized that running a quick marathon sounded like it might be fun. Her mind was working with such precision and clarity that it was a shame she didn¡¯t have any exams she could ace today. The raw joy she felt at simply being alive today was overflowing and she felt determined to share as much of this exuberant feeling with the world today as she could.


    ¡°G¡¯mornin¡¯, Sunshine,¡± Brian murmured in a sexy whisper.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Stephanie beamed with happiness.


    Her entire body lit up and flushed with pleasant heat at the sound of his voice, and Stephanie turned her megawatt smile on the soft pillow to discover Brian had been sleeping next to her. No, not just next to her. She realized that all four of them were nestled together in the center of the bed, that her own naked back was resting atop his arm.


    I¡¯m... naked! HE¡¯S naked, we¡¯re both¡ªwe¡¯re ALL naked together beneath the covers, Stephanie realized.


    To her own shock, she didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable or embarrassed being a part of the nude press of warm bodies cuddled up together. She felt¡­ restless contentment, a peculiar sort of satisfaction with just a dash of thrill. There was no part of her that felt exposed or vulnerable being nude around Emily, Kelly, and Brian¡ª each of them was a wellspring of trust and love. The hint of thrill¡­ well, that was because she was a little interested and excited about their naked bodies, and no particular reason to feel ashamed of her attraction.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Brian asked in a low voice.


    How do I feel?! Stephanie wanted to giggle, but she found herself too mesmerized by the lovely hues within Brian¡¯s green eyes. Desire seemed to leap up within her like flames, and she simply looked at him with a dazed smile for several moments before inching closer and slowly pressing her lips to the underside of his chin, his neck, and then his chest.


    ¡°That good, huh?¡±


    This time Stephanie did giggle, and she felt so giddy with happiness that she nuzzled her face into him and simply basked in the radiance of the moment. How could she possibly convey her feelings right now in something as simple as words? She had found where she belonged, and everything about the situation dazzled her.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Brian¡¯s voice felt like a sexy rumble when she was this near, and it was incredibly distracting. ¡°I was thinking about us a bit as I woke up. With you being my girlfriend¡ª well, that is, if you still wanted to be my girlfriend¡ª¡±


    Stephanie grinned and began kissing him again, drawing a sensual trail of affection back up his throat.


    ¡°¡ªAh, okay good. Well, with us being together¡ªwhat do you think about pet names? Like me calling you Sunshine?¡±


    ¡°Sunshine?¡± Stephanie whispered. She carefully shifted, rising up on one elbow and settling herself partway on top of him. When she splayed her hand across his bare chest, Brian felt so sturdy and firm that she almost lost sight of the question he¡¯d posed her. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never really had anyone use a pet name with me. Well, not counting my parents¡ª my Mom always calls me Kiddo.¡±


    She wrinkled her nose cutely at the memory.


    ¡°Probably, um. A weird thing to ask about like this,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°It¡¯s just, Chloe was always real deadset against pet names, thought they were childish and demeaning or whatever¡ª so, I went along with that. But, secretly, I¡¯m then always wishing I could have someone who was into that kinda thing. Even if it¡¯s, you know, cutesy and silly. It¡¯s¡­ I dunno, it¡¯s like a couple thing, right?¡±


    ¡°We are a couple...¡± Stephanie pointed out, before remembering they weren¡¯t alone and glancing at the sleeping Kelly to their one side and the snoozing Emily to the other. ¡°Well, sort of. We¡¯re¡­ all a big couple?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian let out a small laugh. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ I have no clue how this is all supposed to work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to work,¡± Stephanie insisted, gently resting her chin on his chest and gazing at him in adoration. ¡°And¡ªI love it. Everything. This. Them. I love you. I love being called Sunshine, it makes me feel like sunshine, this morning. Am I your sunshine? Your only sunshine?¡±


    ¡°You make me happy¡ªwhen skies are gray,¡± Brian answered with a doting look.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never know dear¡ªhow much I love you,¡± Stephanie sang in a small, slightly embarrassed voice.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take¡ªmy sunshine away¡­¡± Brian finished. ¡°You¡¯re, uh, well you¡¯re definitely my Sunshine. But, at the same time... I¡¯m kinda glad Emmie and Kell aren¡¯t awake to hear us reciting sappy nursery rhymes to each other.¡±


    ¡°¡ªS¡¯not,¡± A voice beside them grunted.


    ¡°Kelly, you¡¯re awake?¡± Stephanie blushed, hugging herself to Brian¡¯s chest. ¡°You... don¡¯t think it¡¯s sappy?¡±


    ¡°Super sappy,¡± Kelly mumbled without ever opening her eyes. ¡°S¡¯not nursery rhyme. Country song. One of most covered American songs.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie laughed, dropping to hide her face. ¡°Of course. Sorry, did we wake you up?¡±


    Kelly laid there, completely still and unresponsive.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie tried again. ¡°...Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think she ever actually woke up,¡± Brian joked with a wry smile. ¡°She just hadta correct us in her sleep.¡±


    Stephanie half-expected Kelly to let out a snort or a sleepy huff in response, but instead the beauty beside them remained completely still, having by all appearances actually drifted off again.


    ¡°I think she really fell asleep again,¡± Stephanie mouthed out in a tiny whisper, sharing an incredulous look with Brian.


    ¡°S¡¯okay,¡± Brian whispered back. ¡°She had a rough night.¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s cheeks seemed to burn at the reminder, and she couldn¡¯t help but squirm a little. There had been¡­ sex, last night. If what they did could even still be considered just sex with how they¡¯d all been involved. She could still feel traces of the deep, sensuous kiss she¡¯d shared with Kelly, scenes of Brian violently fucking Emily senseless danced through her mind, and some of the debauchery that followed was so sordid that Stephanie struggled to believe she¡¯d been a part of it.


    ¡°We... all did,¡± Stephanie admitted with an expression that wavered between several strange, difficult-to-identify feelings. ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian chuckled softly. ¡°Any regrets?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Stephanie replied immediately, giving his body a reassuring squeeze with her hand. ¡°Loved it. Love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Brian said, seeming to lose himself in her eyes as he traced his fingers through her fluffy pink tresses.


    Oh my¡­ oh my God, Stephanie could feel herself swooning at his admission and her eyes began to water. It¡¯s¡ª I can¡¯t, it has to happen, it HAS to. I¡¯m making love with you today. It¡¯s time, it¡¯s PAST time, I¡¯m ready I¡¯m SO ready I¡¯m completely one hundred THOUSAND percent ready for this. I want to be with you. I love you, I love you so much, Brian¡ªI LOVE YOU!


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Brian mused, ¡°if I call you Sunshine, what am I gonna call Emmie and Kell?¡±


    ¡°Kitten,¡± Stephanie decided. ¡°Um. For Emily. Emily should be Kitten.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ wow, okay. Yeah,¡± Brian glanced to the side where Emily slept. ¡°That actually seems to fit almost too well.¡±


    ¡°Right?!¡± Stephanie grinned. ¡°It sounds cute, but also kinda¡­¡±


    ¡°Kinky?¡± Brian supplied.


    ¡°That¡¯s it¡ª kinky,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°Cute and kinky; she¡¯ll be your Kitten.¡±


    ¡°I think Kelly¡¯s gonna be the tough one to find just the right cute name for,¡± Brian said. ¡°Hard to think of something that fits just right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Stephanie pursed her lips thoughtfully at their silly dilemma. ¡°I see what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Honey?¡± Brian guessed. ¡°Wifey?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Sweetie,¡± Stephanie suggested with a doubtful expression. ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°Babygirl, Babydoll?¡± Brian whispered. ¡°Maybe just Lover?¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡± Stephanie blurted out.


    ¡°Ooh, I think that might be the one,¡± Brian said, drawing a line down Stephanie¡¯s cheek with his finger. ¡°Princess for sur¡ª¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± Kelly interrupted, snuggling in closer to them to fill the space Stephanie had created when she climbed partway atop of Brian. ¡°I only like Baby.¡±


    ¡°So you were awake!¡± Stephanie accused in a whisper.


    ¡°Do I look fucking awake?¡± Kelly growled, burying her face into Brian. ¡°Lemme fuckin¡¯ sleep.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Baby,¡± Brian apologized in a low voice. ¡°Think Steph and I are getting up, now.¡±


    Kelly cracked an eye open at him in bleary resignation and gave him a small smacking peck on the cheek before turning over the other way and pulling the covers over her face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask you,¡± Stephanie realized as she carefully rose up onto her hands and knees to give Brian space to sit up. ¡°How do you feel, Brian?¡±


    Brian paused, and for a moment Stephanie thought he was considering her question. She¡¯d let the bed¡¯s comforter slip down off of her shoulder however, and it quickly became clear that his attention was roaming up and down the curves of her body it had exposed. The crackle of pink flames within her lit up into a roaring fire almost immediately, and she drank in his gaze without making any movement to cover herself up.


    It felt good. Beyond good, it felt amazing to feel how much he wanted her, to see those gorgeous eyes of his lingering, to know what sinful temptations the mere sight of her body was effortlessly luring him towards. The effect she had on him was palpable, and it stoked the blazing whirl of her own desires with a generous helping of confidence to burn. Brian made her feel more than just sexy, he made her feel positively seductive.


    ¡°I feel¡­ lucky,¡± Brian said, shifting out from between Emily and Kelly and following her off the bed.


    He feels¡­ wait, what? Stephanie tried¡ª and failed¡ª to focus on what he was saying.


    When the covers slipped down his body, her higher thought processes seemed to step out of the office for a moment for a brief break. Brian looked delicious, and Stephanie subconsciously swallowed as her line of sight followed down the naked splendor of his masculine body. The trim definition of his musculature took her breath away, and when her eyes finally landed upon the swinging implement of his manhood itself¡­ it¡­ hell, it didn¡¯t feel like her breath was coming back.


    Penis. His penis, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s a lot of penis, Stephanie ogled him as she slipped back off the bed. It¡¯s, it¡¯s wow. I know from last night it¡¯s not fully, um, ERECT but it¡¯s partway there and it¡¯s SO INTERESTING and I wonder if he¡¯d let me, uh, if he¡¯s okay with me¡­ UHHHH¡ª


    ¡°Stop, you¡¯ll make me blush,¡± Brian kidded her in a hushed whisper.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­ um,¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between his dick and his amused expression. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was hard for me to get it to go back down,¡± Brian admitted with a bashful look. ¡°I mean, waking up in a big naked pile with all of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to make it go down,¡± Stephanie said, slipping into his embrace as he stood and opened his arms for her. Wait, can guys DO that? Just make it go, um, up or down at will? I think I overheard a joke once about that, that involved the pledge of allegiance somehow? I just didn¡¯t really think there was any credence to¡ª


    ¡°No, I do¡ª I needed to get up for my morning run,¡± Brian said. ¡°Running super late¡ª I not only forgot to set the alarm on my phone, I forgot that my phone¡¯s gone. It was¡­ a crazy night, though.¡±


    ¡°We need to get your phone back,¡± Stephanie frowned, wrapping her arms tightly around him for their hug. ¡°If that bitch¡ªif your ex actually took it, we definitely need to get it back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a huge deal,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°Already reported it lost at the con. It¡¯s a seriously old phone¡ªif it¡¯s really stolen, I can just have Emily help me get my service transferred to a new one soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t like that she has it,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°Also¡­ I¡¯m going to want to call you, right away. Every day, probably. And texts! I¡¯ll send you messages even more, message you all the time. This is¡­ Brian, this is our last day together at the convention¡­¡±


    That realization hit her like a punch to the gut, and tears sprung back to her eyes. It was Sunday morning¡ªAnimeCon ended today. They had just a few scant hours left to share with each other at the convention, and then it was over. Stephanie and Megan would go back to their university, Brian and the others would likewise have to go their separate ways, back to their distant hometowns, to their jobs, back to real life, and they wouldn¡¯t get to see each other for a while.


    ¡°Br-Brian,¡± Stephanie felt herself choking up. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you, so much¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely gonna be missing you, too. But, we¡¯re gonna stay in close touch, right?¡± Brian planted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Definitely not gonna get through post-con depression without your help.¡±


    ¡°Post-con depression?¡± Stephanie tilted her head up to give him a quizzical look.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°I mean, you look forward to a convention for so long, and then you go and have this total blast. When the con¡¯s over and you have to go back to the doldrum every day routine with work and everything¡­ yeah, your mood¡¯s really gonna just drop out from under you, for a while.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t even thought about it,¡± Stephanie said in a small voice. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s going to be really bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright,¡± Brian promised her. ¡°We have each other, now. Gives us plenty of things to look forward to and be excited for, still.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Stephanie gave him a serious nod.


    Then Brian took her by the cheek and kissed her, and Stephanie could only let out a squeak of surprise. A tingle of excitement rippled down her body, leaving goosebumps in its wake, and Stephanie could feel her stiffening nipples standing out to brush against Brian¡¯s naked chest. The ever-present torch of pink flame within her she carried for Brian burned higher and higher, a blazing conflagration that she imagined was rising up out of her and into her lover as their lips locked.


    ¡°Br-Brian,¡± Stephanie moaned, grabbing at his sides.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, running his hand through her pink tresses.


    She tilted her head obediently for him as the fingers combed through her hair, because it felt intimate and sexual and amazing¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help but shiver as she felt his fingernails gently tracing down the back of her neck. Brian¡¯s other hand was exploring across the line of her hip and rubbing across her bottom, and she arched her back until he was cupping her butt in a firm grasp.


    I can feel how he cares about me in every little gesture, Stephanie thought, closing her eyes and simply enjoying his touch. Every little thing he does¡ªit makes me REACT!


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get changed and try to get at least a little bit of a run in before our sleeping beauties wake up,¡± Brian said, giving her rear a friendly pat. ¡°Probably try and pick up breakfast for everyone like I did yesterday, too. Not sure about Kell, but I know Emmie¡¯s a real bitch to get moving in the mornings if you don¡¯t top her up with caffeine and sugar.¡±


    Stephanie smiled sweetly, glancing over towards the girls. A narrow sunbeam from a gap between the curtains painted the room in morning light, and Kelly had pulled the comforter into a cocoon about her until only a bit of her new bright-red hair was visible. In contrast, Emily was sprawled out on the other bed with sleeping posture so terrible that Stephanie couldn¡¯t imagine it was comfortable. The covers had slipped all the way down to the small of her back, one of her arms was somehow twisted beneath her, and the other was¡­


    ¡°Brian¡­ is Emily sucking her thumb?¡± Stephanie blinked in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Not her thumb, anyways. She puts like, that part of the hand that¡¯s between thumb and wrist in her mouth when she sleeps, or sometimes it¡¯s like she¡¯s biting her forearm. No clue why¡ªthink it¡¯s just another weird Emilyism.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ interesting,¡± Stephanie remarked, releasing Brian so that he could retrieve his running outfit.


    ¡°Guess that¡¯s one way of putting it,¡± Brian laughed, crouching down beside his bag. ¡°I was tempted to see if I could get her to latch onto me instead, but I was trying to not have to deal with a huge hard-on just yet this morning.¡±


    ¡°A huge ha¡ª¡± Stephanie blushed. ¡°Her, um, biting you in her sleep, is that a¡­ turn on?¡±


    ¡°Probably depends on how hard she chomps,¡± Brian joked as he began to dress. ¡°I uh, I don¡¯t know, though. Something about it feels¡­ not intimate per se, but private? Everyone has their own little idiosyncrasies, and getting to be close enough to be part of it with them seems¡­ not like a turn on exactly, but¡­ I don¡¯t really know how to explain it. I guess it¡¯s kind of a turn on? Or a trust thing, maybe? Being with someone at their most¡­ unguarded moments?¡±


    ¡°I-I think that makes perfect sense,¡± Stephanie blurted out, unable to pretend she wasn¡¯t watching him change. ¡°Is running every morning your private¡­ sort of thing you do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think it is,¡± Brian nodded as he shrugged on the shirt he¡¯d worn for his run yesterday. ¡°Gives me time to really sort out my head and think about things.¡±


    ¡°Would you ever be okay with¡­¡± Stephanie fidgeted with embarrassment. ¡°Me joining you on your run, someday? Or would that be intruding on¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be awesome, actually,¡± Brian seemed to perk up at the idea. ¡°Chloe always seemed to turn her nose up at the idea of running with me. She only ever did her yoga and dance things, she¡ª¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence and his brightening expression quickly disappeared. Stephanie could feel something going wrong in his thoughts, feel the lighthearted morning mood dampening down beneath the weight of something else, something dark and terrible. Before receiving her charm-infused empathy, Stephanie wouldn¡¯t have dwelled much on Brian¡¯s short pause in speech, but now that she was experiencing things on different levels the moment filled her with alarm.


    ¡°Sorry. I keep bringing her up, don¡¯t I?¡± Brian grimaced. ¡°Chloe. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to hear¡ª¡±


    ¡°No no no!¡± Stephanie exclaimed quickly, raising her hands. ¡°I do want to hear. Whatever you have to say, whenever you want to talk, about anything¡ªI want to hear. I don¡¯t think I like her, but I-I¡¯ll always want to know the circumstances you went through, want to understand. Please?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± Brian made a face. ¡°It¡¯s like, sometimes, being with you girls, it¡¯s like the breakup feels so far away. Most of yesterday I think I barely even thought about it at all. But then there¡¯s also moments where it just¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie assured him, hurrying over to wrap him in a hug. ¡°It¡¯s okay. She hurt you, Brian. She hurt you and I don¡¯t want you to keep it from us¡ª I think we can all help you heal. Can I run with you, today?¡±


    ¡°With me now?¡± Brian asked. ¡°This morning?¡±


    ¡°I packed a compression bra¡ªwell, it¡¯s, um, it¡¯s basically a sports top,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°My sneakers are okay for running. I don¡¯t mean to barge into your private thinking time, but it¡¯s just¡­ we¡¯re almost out of time together this weekend. I want to spend every moment I can with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah then, let¡¯s run together,¡± Brian drew his fingers through her hair again. ¡°I feel the same way. Probably would¡¯ve just not ran at all, if I didn¡¯t need to go out and grab Emily-gizer.¡±


    ¡°Emily-gizer?¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°Emily energizer?¡±


    ¡°Yep, pretty much,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Think you can sneak over there and ask Kelly how she likes her coffee?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Stephanie said, bouncing up on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend on the nose. ¡°And, thank you. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you, Sunshine.¡±


    Brian released her with a playful swat across her hind end that put an extra wiggle in her step. Stephanie felt like sunshine, hearing that he loved her lit her fires up within and filled her with relentless energy. She skipped over towards Kelly¡¯s side of the bed, but it felt like she was dancing¡ª she wasn¡¯t sure if her feet were even touching the ground right now. With a brilliant smile that seemed to dispel all the shadows within the room, she crept in close so that she could gently shake Kelly.


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie whispered.


    ¡°Mmrh,¡± A huff sounded out from the girl bundled up within the covers.


    ¡°Kell?¡± It felt weird abbreviating the girl¡¯s name like Brian did sometimes, but not bad weird. Stephanie had never had the kind of close friends that called each other by nicknames, and once introduced to the idea it was frighteningly compelling. Everyone already just calls me STEPH or STEPHIE anyways!


    The would-be sleeper almost completely hidden beneath the comforter remained stubbornly still and silent. When Stephanie stretched out her senses and strained to listen, Kelly felt distinctly grumbly, and Stephanie almost let out a peal of laughter. I really didn¡¯t need empathic powers to confirm that, did I?


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Stephanie asked again, gently reaching out and rocking the girl. ¡°Kelly Baby?¡±


    ¡°Fuck do you want?¡± Kelly mumbled angrily.


    ¡°Sorry! Sorry,¡± Stephanie whispered. ¡°We¡¯re going to bring you back coffee. Um, how do you like your coffee?¡±


    ¡°Strong.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you. Sorry for disturbing you!¡± Stephanie whispered, hesitating for a moment. ¡°...I love you.¡±


    That got a reaction at least, as Kelly violently flipped back the covers and rose up onto one elbow. The beautiful girl¡¯s large, naked breasts stole Stephanie¡¯s attention for a moment, but she realized that although it seemed like Kelly was glaring up at her, Kelly¡¯s eyes were in fact still pressed tightly closed. The young woman looked a little angry, grumpy with the way her brows were furrowed, and just when Stephanie was about to stammer out a quiet apology¡ªKelly wordlessly puckered her lips out for a kiss.


    Overjoyed, Stepanie leaned in and kissed her. There was a brief smack of Kelly¡¯s lips upon hers, and then all too quickly it was over. Kelly withdrew back under her covers without having even made eye contact with her.


    That was¡ªthat was so cute! As she bounced back to her feet, Stephanie couldn¡¯t ignore the warm, fluttery effect Kelly had on her little inner mindscape of whirling fire. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s really not like I was STARING at her breasts. Not like that. Right? Although I DO want to kiss her all the time, want her to be like my girlfriend just as much as I want Brian to be my boyfriend. Is that¡­ weird?


    Stephanie¡¯s beaming smile continued to light up the hotel room as she bounded over towards her travel bag so that she could change. We¡¯re all a little weird, I guess. It just makes me love them all more and more and more, though!


    FortySixtyFour


    Between the main story and the progressing sidestory arcs there are 47 more chapters to read on my Patreon for $1!


    23 more story chapters! 101k words or 368 more pages:


    Good Morning Sunshine, 14 pages.


    We Need to Talk, 14 pages.


    Morning Run, 20 pages.


    Charming Girl, 18 pages.


    Get Together, 18 pages.


    Brave New Girl, 16 pages.


    Dreamscape Geography, 21 pages.


    Show and Tell, Round Four, 11 pages.


    Sending it Back, 11 pages.


    Taking Stephanie, 11 pages.


    Fade to Pink, 12 pages.


    Fertile Ashes, 14 pages.


    Life she Leaves Behind, 15 pages.


    Doubting his Luck, 12 pages.


    The Charm Meta, 19 pages.


    Return to AnimeCon, 20 pages.


    Chloe Confrontation, 19 pages.


    The Nuclear Option, 14 pages.


    Fallout, 12 pages.


    Rebecca to the Rescue, 17 pages.


    Me Grandmother has a Scar, 15 pages.


    Combat Therapy, 18 pages.


    Snowball''s Chance in Hell, 14 pages.


    Dangerous Cargo, 14 pages.


    24 Patreon-exclusive sidestory chapters! 100k words or 364 more pages:


    Mayday, Mayday, 10 pages.


    Panel Crashing, 11 pages.


    Spanking Stephanie, 11 pages.


    Mary: the Mastery, 14 pages.


    Back to the Cafe, 10 pages.


    The Vendors Room, 16 pages.


    Chrissy-Cat Creations, 11 pages.


    The K-Pop Fan, 12 pages.


    Order of the Sovereign Swords, 18 pages.


    Mara, the Nightmare, 14 pages.


    Super Slash Sisters, 11 pages.


    The Cosplaying Girls, 19 pages.


    Colorful Interruption, 12 pages.


    Auditions, 13 pages.


    Invitations and Promises, 13 pages.


    The Cosplay Contest, 17 pages.


    New Friends, 17 pages.


    Marino''s Pizza, 19 pages.


    Eating Out, 8 pages.


    The Night is Young, 20 pages.


    Jordyn and Melanie, 17 pages.


    Perverts at AnimeCon, 15 pages.


    Stairway to Heaven, 17 pages.


    Silencing the Girls, 18 pages.


    $5 patrons can also check out progress we''ve made towards the upcoming AnimeCon Harem game adaptation! Thirteen months of development hell, with ??? more to go!


    27 character illustration assets.


    6 theme music tracks.


    35 background illustration assets.


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 We Need to Talk

    Kelly listened patiently to the hushed whispers and rustling of clothes as Brian and Stephanie put on attire for a morning outing, and she strained her ears not-so-patiently each time the two seemed to get distracted from getting ready to make out. Which happened frequently, and consisted of tense silence, heavy breathing, small, almost inaudible wet noises, and an occasional gasp from Stephanie.


    When they finally left, with the reliable click of the door¡¯s automatic lock engaging behind them, Kelly threw back the covers and sat up.


    ¡°Love you too, Steph¡­¡± Kelly murmured into the now silent room.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was feeling shy at the pink-haired cutie¡¯s blatant admission of her feelings, although she certainly was feeling shy. She¡¯d refused to get up because there were a lot of other things on her mind right now, things they¡¯d decided they weren¡¯t going to share with Brian right now. Kelly didn¡¯t want to interrupt the lovey-dovey atmosphere between Brian and Stephanie with it.


    Normally I¡¯d be like, gagging at that cutesy stuff, Kelly arranged the errant locks of hair that¡¯d fallen down across her face. But like, wow. It¡¯s totally different when you¡¯re like, neck-deep in all of it, I guess. When you¡¯re really FEELING it. It¡¯s still all sickening saccharine sweet, but instead of obnoxious, it¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like a really fucking tasty looking cake. I can¡¯t diss it, because they both already cut me a slice, and¡­ yeah, I really want to eat it. Fuck me. ¡®Kelly Baby?¡¯


    Kelly smiled to herself. She felt great. Definitely a little too great.


    Unlike Stephanie who was apparently able to blissfully overlook a lot of unusual details, Kelly found herself very hung up on them. The nagging feeling that she¡¯d forgotten to remove her makeup last night didn¡¯t match up with how clean her face felt this morning. She knew she¡¯d passed out without brushing her teeth last night, but working her tongue and breathing carefully into her hand¡ªthere was no hint of morning breath. In fact, her mouth felt fantastic and fresh, as if she¡¯d already completed her morning routine.


    Lotta pretty big discrepancies all around, Kelly thought with a frown, dabbing a pair of fingertips between her legs.


    She didn¡¯t feel nasty with cum and sweat and secretions like she¡¯d been fucked senseless last night. Despite having not wiped herself down there after the sex, she felt perfectly clean. Point for the magic cum theory, I guess. My body maybe¡­ absorbed all of the mess? Or something? I mean, that stuff was EVERYWHERE.


    Kicking the covers away from her feet, Kelly marveled at herself in awe for a moment. Her skin practically glowed, so perfectly smooth and flawless and pampered that she couldn¡¯t help but draw each shapely leg up for closer inspection. Haven¡¯t shaved my legs since¡­ what, Thursday morning? So, this should feel like sandpaper grit. Instead, I¡¯m squeaky clean. Do I¡­ do I even have hair follicles down here anymore?


    With a growing sense of unease, Kelly checked her armpits¡ªthey were equally bare, baby-smooth as if hair had never begun to grow there during puberty.


    Okay. Yeah, NICE. Alarming, but¡­ fuck, yeah this is awesome, Kelly decided. She wanted to burst into laughter at her good fortune, but even the benevolent changes terrified her a little. Guess I¡¯m probably... bald now, from the neck down? Even my old actual hair got replaced with this luscious red hair. New life, new me?


    ¡°That freaky future thing wasn¡¯t a fucking dream,¡± Kelly muttered to herself. It all felt crazy, though. No one would ever believe she could get psychic heads-ups or messages or whatever from her future self. No one except maybe Stephanie, who seemed to have her own fucking impossible magic mind powers, and that was just as crazy. Maybe more crazy.


    Climbing out of bed and striding over towards the mirror, Kelly flicked on the lightswitch there, glancing towards Emily to make sure she hadn¡¯t disturbed her. Kelly really wanted to freak the fuck out right now about all of this, but at the same time the idea of spending a future with Brian and Stephanie had a strange calming effect. It wasn¡¯t some idealistic fuck it, why not stab in the dark with them anymore, she¡¯d witnessed a glimpse of this future. That happiness she sensed was way too fucking real, and Kelly wasn¡¯t sure it was something she was capable of letting go of.


    Okay, okay, get a grip, Kelly admonished herself, planting both hands on the vanity and leaning in to peer at her reflection in the mirror.


    The Kelly she saw there looked absolutely fucking outstanding, like she¡¯d spent an entire afternoon preening and primping and carefully touching herself up, styling her hair just right, and practicing the right faces to make for the cameras before a big show. Not like she¡¯d rolled out of bed after a night of shagging, humiliating herself by guzzling up spilled semen, and then shagged some more until she passed out like some kind of junkie.


    Smiling at herself in the mirror was now potent, the effect had her feeling pangs of attraction and arousal for herself. Closer examination confirmed every detail had been accounted for¡ªher eyes looked bright and sharp, her lashes impressed. Her brows looked killer, neither running unkempt nor with the lines too exaggeratedly smooth¡ªthey were just the way she liked them. The tiny little facial blemishes she was intimately familiar with working to conceal had apparently taken a holiday, and pores? Pores, what fucking pores?


    ¡°Yeah, what the actual fuck,¡± Kelly wondered in a breathless voice, hefting her large breasts. ¡°Even you two look better today, somehow. God damn.¡±


    Touching herself all over¡ªstrictly for science, of course¡ªrevealed some of the more subtle changes she¡¯d have never thought to look for. Her fingernails were now all uniform, cuticles even in length and with no hints of hangnails. Maybe Brian¡¯s not into long nails? I mean, I never really was either. The palms of her hands seemed healthier somehow, less lined, but she still had fingerprints. You know things are getting pretty fucking out there when you think that maybe you might still have fingerprints, and maybe you won¡¯t, hah¡­


    Between her breasts, her bellybutton, the sloping musculature of her thighs and then the swell of her ass, behind her knees, feeling up her calves¡ªKelly groped and touched and kneaded herself to find everything felt a little amazing. Sensitive, supple, and altogether gorgeous all over. Wait what the fuck?!


    Kelly stared down at herself in shock and then awkwardly climbed partway up on the counter so that she could see the bare skin below her abdomen, just inside where her panty-line would be. There was nothing there.


    ¡°Did you¡­ did you just laser-remove my shitty Ravaged Cassettes tattoo?¡± Kelly demanded, completely unsure of who or what she was even addressing as she ran her fingers over the naked and unexpectedly very empty spot. ¡°Fuck, when did¡­? I mean yeah, thank you, oh my God, but¡­¡±


    Emily¡¯s consciousness had been adrift in the flow of a placid blue river. The calm waters had been sleepily sluicing throughout her slumber, uninterrupted by thoughts or disturbance of any kind... when she suddenly felt lips upon hers. Soft, warm, and pillowy lips. Silken flesh¡ªEmily instinctively suckled on those gentle lips in a dreamlike state, slowly kissing back and letting the pleasant sensation seep into her consciousness for several long moments. Emily¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she began to rouse, and when her eyes finally opened, she saw that it was Kelly waking her up with this impossibly succulent kiss. Still not completely awake, the Latina looked up at the other girl with a dazed expression of confusion.


    Uhhh is this a fucking dream? Emily wondered as she tried to blink herself awake. Because, it feels like it should be a fucking weird dream.


    She remembered bits of last night as if they were still happening, while this current situation with the brilliant red-haired beauty quietly watching her felt... askew from all previous impressions. Also, Kelly had humongous, perfectly-shaped breasts hanging right there almost in her face in an incredibly distracting way. Completely naked and out in the open, the pale circles of Kelly¡¯s areolas formed enticing halos around nipples that were already stiffened into protruding pink points.


    Okay, quit staring. Swallowing uneasily and working to sit up upon the bed, Emily covered her face and tried not to groan. She wasn¡¯t a morning person, and whatever was going on¡ªshe wasn¡¯t ready for it at all.


    ¡°Uhhh?¡± Emily began.


    ¡°Good morning, Kitten,¡± Kelly said, quirking her expression into a small grin. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talk,¡± Emily grunted out, rubbing her face. ¡°I¡¯m mean, I mean¡ªugghh, what time is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not actually groggy,¡± Kelly began in a low voice. ¡°I know you¡¯re probably falling into some state of mind where you think you are, think you should be, out of habit or whatever, but you¡¯re probably not. You¡¯re¡ªhey, look at me¡ªyou¡¯re not actually feeling sleepy or tired at all, are you? If you stop and think about it for a second, you¡¯re gonna realize you actually feel fucking fantastic, like you¡¯re full of energy and about to have a great day. Am I right? Because you got fucked last night.¡±


    ¡°I got fucked last night,¡± Emily repeated in a slight stupor as she tried to make sense of what this chick was trying to convey to her. ¡°I¡­ okay yeah. I did. Brian and I. We did it. I do feel pretty good. Uh, yeah, is that what it¡¯s like, what this is like, after a really kickass¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°Not like this.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Emily, get up, please,¡± Kelly said, rising up off the bed herself. ¡°C¡¯mon, up.¡±


    Where¡¯s Brian and Stephanie?


    The situation seemed weird, surreal, and between the surprise sensual wakeup that they definitely needed to address and Kelly¡¯s odd tone of voice, Emily found herself rustling the covers back with clumsy kicks of her feet and awkwardly clambering off the bed after the girl. Realizing that she was just as naked as Kelly was¡­ it was different. Not mortifying as it should have been, there wasn¡¯t enough shame to drive her to cover herself up, or anything. Instead, there were just mild ripples of self-consciousness spreading across the surface of her water, and that was it. At Kelly¡¯s outstretched hand, Emily allowed herself to be guided over to stand in front of the vanity mirror.


    Oh, right, Emily gave her reflection a sheepish smile. Blue. That¡¯s ME, now.


    The bright shock of blue hair was daring and actually pretty snazzy looking, and she shook her shaggy bangs with a tilt of her head and simply admired how strangely great her pixie cut looked this morning. She almost hadn¡¯t recognized herself in the mirror.


    I look... pretty okay today? Despite being placed side-by-side with the taller and much more bodacious Kelly, Emily didn¡¯t feel like an absolute nothing. Contemplating her own appearance with a slowly growing smile, she instead felt¡­ good about herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know how much time we have, so¡ªfirst of all,¡± Kelly swiped a pill off the counter and picked up one of the hotel room¡¯s cups already prepared with water. ¡°Sure Choice tablet. The day-after pill.¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit¡ªright,¡± Emily accepted the pill with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Yeah, thanks! Really.¡±


    Jesus. Completely like wouldn¡¯t have even thought about it for a bit! Emily frantically tossed back the pill and chased it down with a large swallow of water. All that last night¡­


    Each memory seemed more obscenely pornographic than the last, and Emily felt her entire body flush with warmth as a trickle of blue seemed to tickle down her body in ways that made her shiver. That hadn¡¯t just been sex¡ªshe¡¯d been fucked, royally and exquisitely fucked, brutally pounded, she¡¯d been slamming up and down on Brian¡¯s gigantic cock like a helpless¡ª


    ¡°No idea if that pill¡¯s gonna work at all, actually,¡± Kelly interrupted with a stare.


    ¡°You¡ªwhat?¡± Emily sputtered with a blush. ¡°Umm¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spunk was literally spurting out of you last night like a fountain. He pumped you so full of cum it was coming out in a puddle,¡± Kelly recounted. ¡°Steph and I were snuffling our faces through it like greedy little piglets... Uh, but anyways, yeah, if it¡¯s his cum? Who knows if Sure Choice can do anything about it. Do you remember much of last night?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, but like, a day after pill would still probably¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you feel weird at all?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°Like something¡¯s different?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a little?¡± Emily mumbled out, sending an uneasy glance back at herself in the mirror. ¡°I mean I guess I kinda¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like you don¡¯t have blemishes, your face isn¡¯t oily at all, and you woke up with perfect hair?¡± Kelly pointed out. ¡°Do you feel, like, refreshed? Full of energy, just fuckin¡¯ rearing to go today? Like you already brushed your teeth, even though you didn¡¯t? Because I feel this way, and I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s ¡®cause of all that magic cum.¡±


    ¡°Magic cum,¡± Emily echoed with a blank look.


    ¡°Yeah, magic cum,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Brian has magic cum. Spit. Fluids, whatever. Brian magic. First our hair goes colors, then¡­ well, there¡¯s more and more. You with me so far?¡±


    ¡°Magic cum,¡± Emily repeated with the same blank look.


    ¡°I¡ªyeah, fuck. C¡¯mon, Emily,¡± Kelly growled in apparent frustration, giving Emily an annoyed look. ¡°Pretty damn sure you¡¯re a lot more alert and awake then you think you are right now. Magic cum. Brian¡¯s magic kisses. All the crazy shit and colors and feelings?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, okay,¡± Emily shrank back. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been¡ªit¡¯s weird. Crazy. Totally crazy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªlook, sorry,¡± Kelly took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t mean to be short with you. Trying not to be all freaked out about this. Really, really want us to like, hit it off and be cool. I¡¯m actually sorry if it seemed like I was talking down to you or anything last night, while all of that was going on. I was just¡ªit¡¯s all weird, and I wanted to feel more in control, and I was acting like I¡¯m used to acting. Don¡¯t mean to seem condescending or intimidate you or, or¡ªany of that. Alright? I¡¯m trying to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cool, hey, it¡¯s cool!¡± Emily reassured her as quickly as she could. ¡°Uhh, you totes don¡¯t have to, like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stephanie has magic mental powers,¡± Kelly blurted out in agitation. ¡°You found that out last night at some point. Right? From what she said, it was like you were¡­ up to speed on that, with her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she, uh¡ªempathy. Empathic,¡± Emily stammered. ¡°She¡¯s empathic. I swear to God she connects emotions, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, good,¡± Kelly cut her off. ¡°Right when I was... passing out last night, my future self told me my special power is getting messages from her in the future. It was, uh, well she was pretty fucking convincing. I¡¯m convinced. So, I have magic mental powers, too.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking serious?!¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help but step in and grab Kelly¡¯s hands. ¡°You get future¡ªwhat all did she say? How does it work? Will I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, good,¡± Kelly seemed to let out a breath of relief. ¡°You believe me. You believe me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe you!¡± Emily promised, struggling to contain her incredible excitement. ¡°I mean, after fucking everything all that¡¯s happened in the past day or so¡ª¡±


    Kelly pulled her into an abrupt hug, and Emily was too flabbergasted and off guard to do anything but feel herself squeezed up against the taller girl¡¯s luscious breasts. There was a definite sense that Kelly was struggling to cope with a lot of things all at once, and although embracing another girl while they were both nude still felt super weird, Emily put her arms around Kelly in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. She had absolutely no idea what to think about their relationship with how bizarre everything had become¡­ but, Kelly seemed to be making a genuine effort to connect to her.


    ¡°We¡¯re close friends, in the future,¡± Kelly revealed. ¡°I think. Future me didn¡¯t, uh, have time I guess to spell out every little thing, but I got this gist that you were who she went to, to help think through weird charm magic stuff.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re... close friends, in the future?¡± Emily tried to sound convinced.


    It wasn¡¯t that she disliked Kelly, just¡­ that they seemed like they were on very different wavelengths, and she didn¡¯t imagine they would ever have much of anything in common. Emily didn¡¯t have any friends that acted like Kelly, every girl who gave off a similar vibe that sprung to mind was a bully from high school like Lauren, or a mortal enemy who played at being friends, like Chloe. There was just such a massive gulf between their personalities that Emily really couldn¡¯t imagine herself and Kelly ever becoming close.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly let out a small laugh. ¡°Sounds crazy, right?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± Emily responded with her own nervous laugh. ¡°I mean no offense, kinda, yeah? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have ever been friends with you before,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Or have fallen in love, for real fallen in love, with Stephanie. It¡¯s all different, now. Everything¡¯s crazy and changing and¡ªuh, a bunch of bad stuff¡¯s about to happen. I want you to know that I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    ¡°Bad stuff, what bad stuff?¡± Emily asked in alarm.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t allowed to say,¡± Kelly shrugged in vexation. ¡°If future moi said too much, our timeline and hers become¡­ incompatible, or something?¡±


    Uhhh, then doesn¡¯t basically gimp the whole point of getting future knowledge? Emily couldn¡¯t help but think with a weak smile. With just those few words, her mind was already racing through everything Kelly had said, trying to connect it all and figure out how this worked. Yeah, total advance knowledge is broken and OP as fuck, but if things are nerfed like this, how much information are we going to be able to actually even use?


    ¡°What did future you say?¡± Emily finally asked.


    ¡°It was mostly just a heads up about the power,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Okay¡­ no, that¡¯s not true. I think¡­ that maybe she was mostly showing me Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Showing you Stephanie?¡± Emily leaned back slightly so that she could see Kelly¡¯s expression. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m in love with Stephanie,¡± Kelly said, sounding a little shocked herself. ¡°Like. I could feel it. No games, no playing around, I was completely and totally in fucking love with her. Oh, I loved Brian and probably the rest of you too, but Stephanie was, um. My everything.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t really words to describe it. But, like. When I felt it, when I knew it, now I know I need it, that I¡¯ll do anything¡ªand I mean anything¡ªto make sure I have it. That she has it, that we have it.¡±


    A small tremor could be felt through Kelly¡¯s body through their embrace, and Emily¡¯s eyes went wide as Kelly began to sound emotional.


    ¡°Future me wanted me to see that,¡± Kelly continued. ¡°Knew that I¡¯ve gotta like, subconsciously defy people telling me what to do¡ªso, she didn¡¯t. She¡¯s a crafty bitch. I mean, I already know what was about to happen if things just played out normally from here. I¡¯d have always kept one foot on the ground. Held back a whole bunch of myself, always left myself a path out. Gotten more and more¡­ anxious and tense and uncomfortable with things, the closer everyone got to me. At some point, I¡¯d have just fucking fucked it all up.


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t just fucking fix all my shit on my own, and I can¡¯t like, force myself to trust you guys. But for what I felt, for that future with you guys, for Stephanie¡­ I¡¯m gonna put in all of my fucking effort, okay? If I ever come across the wrong way, or if I bother you, or if you get vibes like I¡¯m better than you, or shit like that¡ªsay the fucking word, and I will do anything to prove myself for you. For this.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Emily froze, having no idea what to say.


    ¡°Part of it¡¯s magic, probably,¡± Kelly shrugged with another helpless laugh. ¡°I guess. Charm magic. Doesn¡¯t matter. Different dosages, or¡ªI dunno, maybe it affects us differently, ¡®cause of each of our individual magic color... stuff?


    ¡°When I saw you yesterday, it was just like¡ªhuh, cool. Friend of Brian¡¯s, better look out for her a bit. That¡¯s as far as my interest went, really. Now, it¡¯s like¡ªI don¡¯t fucking know. There¡¯s this sense of solidarity, that¡¯s maybe from getting fucked full of magic and maybe just fucking mind game stuff from the future. I dunno. I know I started getting real overprotective of Steph throughout yesterday as the day went on, too. I¡¯m all...¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay, let¡¯s¡­ talk about all this,¡± Emily suggested, carefully separating herself from Kelly¡¯s hug and taking a step back so that they could speak eye to eye. ¡°Brian has magic charm powers. He maybe, probably, doesn¡¯t even realize he does, and it¡¯s doing stuff to us. We each have colors. It¡­ spruces us up physically a bit? Maybe gives us magic powers.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kelly nodded.


    Kelly¡¯s honey-brown eyes were wet but she wasn¡¯t exactly crying¡ªit looked like she was going through a massive ordeal, but with determination and grit. Like she just needed to sniffle her nose clear, take a deep breath and then power on through any and every obstacle. It evoked a sense of sincerity from deep inside Emily, because she could sense Kelly¡¯s incredible discomfort. Kelly was sharing an extraordinarily intimate moment with her, she was forcing herself to open up and somewhat blindly include Emily in her trust.


    ¡°And, you really love us?¡± Emily tried not to sound like she was in disbelief.


    ¡°I think I will, yeah,¡± when Kelly met her gaze, the eye contact seemed to pull upon things from deep inside of Emily.


    ¡°Uhh. Is that¡ªis that why you woke me up like that?¡± Emily asked with a weak smile.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Kelly gave her a half-hearted smile. ¡°Not really. I was already gonna wake you up anyways, and you¡¯re hot, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m hot?¡± Emily decided to pretend her heartbeat wasn¡¯t suddenly racing.


    ¡°Yeah, definitely. I was bi before the charm stuff already,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°I maybe wouldn¡¯t have thought of you as my type before all of this, but¡­ with the circumstances and shit? It¡¯s like the more I see, the more I feel like you¡¯re right in my strike zone, somethin¡¯ I wanna, uh. Get with. If that¡¯s not your thing, if it¡¯s not cool¡ªI¡¯m totally prepared to back off a little and give you whatever space you need. I want to make this work.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ªuhh,¡± Emily wet her lips and made a face. ¡°It¡¯s just. Sudden. You know? I don¡¯t even¡ªum, you kissed me last night, too. Right before¡­ you pushed me down on Brian¡¯s, uh. When that all happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said with a cautious expression. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Was it¡ªwas I, am I¡­ appealing? Like that?¡± Emily struggled to say. She felt like an idiot. ¡°In that way?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kelly answered.


    ¡°...Really?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°Emily¡­ not tryin¡¯ to pressure you into a rush decision or anything,¡± Kelly let out a small sigh, casually sliding her hands down across her magnificent chest. ¡°But, your antsy little expression¡¯s kinda turnin¡¯ me on, so¡­ if you don¡¯t want me to start trying to make you feel weird and curious about this¡ªtell me to back off a bit sooner rather than later. Okay?¡±


    Emily wasn¡¯t able to tear her eyes away from the lush curvature of Kelly¡¯s breasts.


    Those large, pert, and shapely swells were slightly flushed, and those nipples were standing out more than ever. Kelly slightly arched her back, and it seemed like those twin caps of perfect flesh were then straining forward towards Emily. Just begging to be touched, toyed and played with between eagerly exploring fingertips or maybe even lips and teeth. The sparkling blue drip that had been steadily leaking out from her mind sprung several new rivulets that dribbled down her body in an ambiguous way, forcing her to shift her weight from one foot to the other.


    ¡°Uhhhm,¡± Emily let out a nervous laugh.


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Morning Run

    Should probably pace myself, or something, Brian reminded himself. May FEEL like I¡¯m in great form today, but realistically, that¡¯s probably just¡­ I dunno, all of these crazy circumstances. How could I NOT feel outstanding right now?


    It was almost an entire hour later in the day than yesterday¡¯s morning run had been, and the downtown area was likewise that much busier. Brian weaved around group after scattered group of pedestrians as he led Stephanie on a light jog across the broad city sidewalks. He¡¯d intended on taking it a bit slower today in consideration of his new running partner and her smaller stride¡ªbut, if anything, he¡¯d swear he was moving at an even faster clip than his ordinary speed. For the hundredth, possibly thousandth time since setting out, he turned to make sure Stephanie was still right there behind him.


    She was¡ªand she couldn¡¯t possibly be any more enticing. Fluffy pink hair bobbed with the motion of her gait, Stephanie was slightly flushed with exertion, and those tiny little huffing breaths she let out as she jogged were somehow intensely sexual¡ªthey always immediately filled his mind with all kinds of untoward notions. Eagerly following after him just a short space away, Stephanie flashed him that lovestruck smile that made him feel light and a little dizzy.


    Regarding her in normal circumstances she was already extraordinary, but seeing her when she was physically active brought on an entire new dynamic that was more arousing than he could have imagined. Against all expectations, Stephanie could really run. She wasn¡¯t in average shape¡ªshe was in fairly athletic shape. It was a pleasant surprise, and when he discovered she could just about keep up with him he found within himself several new nuances of respect joining the fiery whirl of affection and adoration he already possessed for her.


    Brian reluctantly turned his attention forward to prevent from crashing into anyone.


    Crossing the morning walkways, avenues, and thoroughfares side-by-side wasn¡¯t feasible now with all of the foot traffic of commuters and occasional clusters of AnimeCon attendees out and about in the area, but somehow to Brian that made this even better. Running together like a couple held that certain appeal, but with this positioning, their run felt like a game, it felt like a chase, it filled him with energetic excitement and seemed to spur him on to push towards new limits. After that long, frosty relationship with Chloe, it felt incredible to have someone expressing interest in him, and it was amazing beyond any ability to express that Stephanie was not only just receptive of him and interested in him, but actually¡ªeven literally¡ªpursuing him.


    He snuck another glance back.


    Stephanie positively beamed a pleased smile at him as if in response to his very thoughts, almost making him lose his footing and stagger. They seemed to be on a certain shared wavelength, and as impossible as it sounded to him, it was like she knew exactly how he felt¡ªlike she was intent on affirming his thoughts. The encroaching heat of Stephanie¡¯s good mood intensified and became overwhelming if he looked back for too long, so Brian quickly turned his attention forward again to continue making his escape.


    Hah ha, this is, yeah, this is WAY more fun than it should be, Brian thought, unable to suppress a lopsided grin. She really is my Sunshine. I haven¡¯t felt like this in¡­ ever. Feels like I could jump over all these goddamn buildings right now.


    Hardly even breathing heavily at all, Brian dashed on ahead, each long stride filled with thrumming power as he skirted around slow-moving walkers and then made a turn at the intersection. In previous years, he¡¯d discovered that keeping up his typical morning routine in the locale of a city was an entirely different beast, one that relied on timing and a bit of luck with the crosswalk signals. This late in the morning, there were too many cars rushing by to simply jaywalk across wherever he pleased like yesterday, and he felt a little sheepish being forced to choose a route that seemed to circle around certain city blocks several times.


    Unable to resist, Brian twisted slightly to look behind him again.


    Stephanie continued to bound after him with that blinding smile of hers. The smile was incredible, overpowering, even. Her bright expression was so full of sheer, unfettered happiness that simply making eye contact with her seemed to form an arcing current of giddy affectionate cheer through the air between them to always land a smile on his face in response. It wasn¡¯t quite like the look he and Emily would sometimes share, a meaningful one where they both knew exactly what inside-joke had sprung to the other¡¯s mind, this with Stephanie was a much more simple, almost primal transmission of emotions.


    We¡¯ve really got it bad, huh?


    The pair passed by cosplayers heading towards the convention and unimpressed office workers dressed for business, they gave a wide berth around a woman who was walking a leashed pair of golden retrievers¡ªwho regarded the two runners with wagging tails and open-mouthed, panting smiles¡ªand finally Brian began to plod to a stop at a small gathering of people waiting at a crosswalk. He turned, and opened his arms.


    Stephanie jumped upon him, her sneakers entirely leaving the ground as she engulfed him in a hug right there amid everyone on the sidewalk. He gently spun her free of the momentum of their collision like he was sweeping a fairy tale princess off her feet, careful to ensure they didn¡¯t lose their balance. She was radiating heated energy and raw sexual attraction right into him, she poured on that overloading smile all over at him at point blank, and he could practically feel the love rising up off of her like an open flame. They were both a little damp with perspiration, and somehow as the soft parts of her figure insistently pressed against him, them being in slighty sweaty contact together turned him on even more.


    ¡°Hey there, you,¡± Brian said, ignoring the looks from the people around them. ¡°Too fast?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Stephanie panted in his arms, giving him a squeeze. ¡°That was¡ªohmigod, that was the best!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian asked.


    He was interested in hearing her response, but his body instinctively moved in to kiss her before she had any chance to speak. Stephanie reciprocated immediately, and the people around them, the passing cars, and the towering city high-rises alike all seemed to drop away from his awareness as every iota of his attention was siphoned away into the sensation of her lips and eager tongue.


    Holy shit.


    There wasn¡¯t an orchestral rock ballad of rising instrumentals surging up, but it sure felt like there was, and Brian once again forgot their surroundings entirely and embarked on a journey through time and space to explore the hungry kiss of his beautiful new girlfriend. On her part, it was as if their chase never ended, and she seemed determined to prove her own enthusiasm and passion in return.


    They almost missed the crosswalk signal.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie giggled as they scurried hand-in-hand after the already departed pedestrians they¡¯d been standing with. ¡°I¡ªyeah! We can keep running longer, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Today, with you? I feel like we could just keep going on forever and ever,¡± Brian said. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta ask¡ªdo you run a lot?¡±


    ¡°No, never!¡± Stephanie smiled. ¡°I used to bicycle a lot, though. Just about all summer I was biking around trying to get in shape.¡±


    Yeah, that DEFINITELY explains some things, Brian realized, struggling not to lean back and give her behind an appreciative look. Jesus! Just imagining it, imagining Steph on a bicycle, standing those amazing legs of hers up to pump the pedals, those shapely thighs leading up to the perfect curvature of that ass sticking up in the air¡­


    ¡°Brian?¡± Stephanie blushed, lowering her voice to a soft purr. ¡°...Where to, next?¡±


    ¡°Well, um,¡± Brian cleared his throat. ¡°Right. Uh, it¡¯s quite a bit after my normal time for this, so we''ve gotta get to that diner before the convention folk swamp in and there¡¯s a wait.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Stephanie agreed, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± he replied without a second thought.


    It probably should have been strange professing their feelings after only knowing each other for a few days at the convention, but the words came out effortlessly and unbidden. Stephanie admitted the words without thought, blurted them out without ever having to pause for consideration. The tacit honesty of the girl wielding the phrase against him had him replying in kind before he¡¯d even realized how quickly their relationship had jumped to this stage of trust.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡ªuh, it¡¯s not too soon for us to be saying that, right?¡± Brian asked, unable to help but worry a little bit. ¡°It¡¯s not weird?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea!¡± Stephanie admitted with a bashful shrug. ¡°I¡¯m just saying how I feel, I¡ªI don¡¯t know that there is any too soon, with you. I feel, um, the way I feel. There¡¯s only, uh, there¡¯s only not enough and please please please give me more and I wish this could last forever!¡±


    ¡°Whew,¡± Brian chuckled, unable to contain his grin. ¡°I¡¯m definitely in trouble. And here I thought Kelly was the one I had to watch out for.¡±


    ¡°She is!¡± Stephanie¡¯s cute cheeks quirked into a mischievous smile this time. ¡°She really is, she¡¯s just the worst! You have no idea! I bet you anything that the moment we get back to the room, we¡¯ll walk in on her making out with Emily.¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah right,¡± Brian snorted, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Emmie swings that way, and good luck budging her at all right now without coffee or energy drinks.¡±


    ¡°Without her Emily-gizer?¡± Stephanie giggled.


    ¡°Yeah, that,¡± Brian nodded.


    He paused for a moment, feeling his smile slip away.


    ¡°Actually¡­ about Emily, I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    ¡°Worried?¡± Stephanie blinked up at him.


    ¡°I mean¡­ it was her first time, last night,¡± Brian pointed out. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t, uh, I wasn¡¯t goin¡¯ easy on her at all. None of us were. We were all too worked up, things got a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Amazing?¡± Stephanie supplied.


    ¡°I was gonna say rough,¡± Brian said. ¡°Physically intense? Too much? Kinda fretting over it after the fact, like. How is it going to make her feel, will she regret it, is she gonna be hurting and sore, are things between us¡ª¡±


    ¡°She loved it,¡± Stephanie interrupted, bouncing up on the balls of her feet to peck a kiss onto Brian¡¯s cheek. ¡°She loves you. You gave her everything she ever wanted, and then showed her that there was even more. So much more.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°I hope so, yeah. Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Emily¡¯s just fine,¡± Stephanie promised, giving his hand another squeeze. ¡°Besides, I think you¡¯re probably the real Emily energizer. You¡¯re... already my energizer.¡±


    ¡°No, you!¡± Brian retorted.


    ¡°No, you!¡± Stephanie played along.


    ¡°Oh, wow, geez,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Here I thought only Emily and I were childish enough to get that going back and forth. We get into the ¡®no, you¡¯ all the time.¡±


    ¡°Happy to fill in for her in her absence!¡± Stephanie replied in a cheerful voice. ¡°Anytime. Someone¡¯s got to, if she¡¯s this bad with mornings, hah ha.¡±


    The two held hands and walked on in contentment for the rest of the block. Brian and Stephanie were in a strange, slightly surreal sweet spot where they both felt perfectly at ease conversing and joking around as though they had years of familiarity with each other. When they lapsed into silence afterwards, neither even found it awkward. An intimate bond continued to connect them, and they kept drawing comfort from the simple pleasure of each other¡¯s company, without feeling any compulsion to grasp for new topics or force small talk.


    This is¡­ so amazing. Nothing with Chloe was EVER like this, not even in the beginning, when things were good between us.


    They finally arrived together at the entrance of the nearby diner where Brian had ordered breakfast platters for them the morning before, and Brian suddenly went stiff, jerking to a stop.


    ¡°...Holy fuck,¡± Brian mumbled. ¡°Wow. Steph, are you seeing this?¡±


    ¡°Seeing what?¡± Stephanie asked, glancing around them in alarm.


    ¡°Look,¡± Brian opened the first set of double-doors for her, gesturing Stephanie inside the small alcove of the diner entrance. ¡°Right there, right in here.¡±


    The squat shape of a cylindrical waste bin with an ashtray compartment on top sat there, along with a coin-fed newspaper stand and the bulky shape of an enormous claw game machine, its glass-encased display packed full of a menagerie of brightly-colored stuffed animals.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°What am I looking at?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize her?¡± Brian teased, tapping the boxy metal shape of the newspaper stand with his running shoe. ¡°Seems like a suspiciously... familiar-looking girl made front page of the Sunday Morning Gazette.¡±


    ¡°Familiar-looking? Sunday Morning Gaz¡ªoh my God!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªis that¡ªis that me?!¡± Stephanie clutched at Brian in shock.


    Through the scuffed glass of the newspaper stand, an issue of the Sunday Morning Gazette tucked into the display front featured an enormous cover picture of a young woman with brilliant pink hair and an all-too-familiar gijinka dress crouched down in front of the adorable little Cassie in her little Embrin getup. Cosplayers Flock to AnimeCon, the title read in bold lettering. It had been startling enough for Stephanie to see herself in the mirror with her bright new hair color the past two mornings¡ªseeing herself from behind and featured in a newspaper of all things was jarring and surreal.


    I can¡¯t believe it, Stephanie thought, more than slightly stunned. That¡¯s me. That¡¯s ME, on the front page!


    ¡°It really came out great,¡± Brian praised, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°Proud of you. Just look at that little girl¡¯s expression¡ªs¡¯like she thought you were an angel that swooped in just to save her day.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Stephane sighed in breathless excitement. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Cassie! Her name was Cassie. Look at how cute she is! Just look at her!¡±


    ¡°Look at how cute you are,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°The Stephanie that saved AnimeCon! My Sunshine. The angel of conscience that sits on my one shoulder and helps balance out all of Kell¡¯s terrible wickedness.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not,¡± Stephanie blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not really much of an angel¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, too,¡± Brian said, gently taking her by the cheek and pulling her in for a kiss.


    Bright pink sparks flew and metaphysical embers tumbled through the air as their lips met, because Stephanie could feel how proud of her Brian was, and it was one of the more heady concoctions of emotional accelerants he could pour into her fire. Stephanie let out a low hum of satisfaction and flicked her tongue inside his mouth to tease against his. Her body all but wriggled at the sensations he was fueling, and she rose up on her tiptoes to press in hungrily for more.


    They were both grinning at each other as they disengaged, and they simply smiled, studying each other¡¯s eyes for a few moments before Brian let out a slow sigh.


    ¡°We need to head inside¡ªyou¡¯re making me want to do... unspeakable things to you, and I didn¡¯t think to wear my dancer¡¯s belt with these gym shorts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ oh!¡± Stephanie looked down between them. ¡°S-sorry, I¡­¡±


    While he wasn¡¯t fully erect, she could definitely discern a rather telltale bulge had begun to grow there, and she couldn¡¯t help but blink at it in fascination. The shape wasn¡¯t standing out quite enough to be protruding, but it was definitely there, deforming the cloth outwards like he¡¯d stepped out for the morning run with something weighty there in a front pocket. Her interest became so palpable that her hand tingled with anticipation, and she only managed to restrain her compulsion to reach out and touch it with some difficulty.


    ¡°I¡¯ll, uh,¡± Brian seemed to notice her distracted gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can get some cash back on whatever we order so I can get a couple copies of the Gazette.


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie spoke up quickly. ¡°You, you make me so wet. It-it¡¯s not just you that gets um, it, it¡ªthis really gets to me, too. I just wanted to know¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s not a contest,¡± Brian chuckled, planting another quick kiss on her. And then another.


    ¡°I-I know!¡± Stephanie sputtered, trying to chase after his retreating lips for more both times. ¡°But, if it was... what would losing mean? Exactly?¡±


    ¡°What would winning mean?¡± Brian countered playfully.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Stephanie murmured, wetting her lips.


    The small enclosure between the diner¡¯s two sets of double-doors where they stood seemed to heat up substantially, and Stephanie¡¯s thoughts were blistering with pink. Through the scarcely-explored mysteries of her charm power, she could feel Brian¡¯s attraction for her coloring with something more vibrant¡ªhe was getting really, really turned on. Having already been feeling incredibly horny herself, experiencing the additional feedback was enough to drive her absolutely crazy, it was making the temperature of her internalized fire spike in dangerous ways. All at once, the air between them became so thick with sexual tension that it was difficult for Stephanie to breathe, and she realized it would soon become a serious battle for them to maintain any pretense of propriety while they were in public like this.


    We¡¯re so ready, Stephanie decided, squirming from one foot to the other as she felt herself continue to lubricate with desire. It¡¯s time. When we get back¡ªwhen we get back to the room, it¡¯s time. Sex. We¡¯re doing it. We¡¯re having sex.


    Thoughts of them frantically undressing each other while caught up in the throes of a passionate french-kiss licked through her mind. Stephanie longed to open her naked thighs to reveal a glistening welcome of arousal for him, she ached to have Brian push inside of her, to experience the untold pleasure of finally joining together with him. The romance of the experience beckoned to her, she wanted him to take her, to claim her, to make sweet, luxuriant love to her. But, at the same time she was also feverish for more¡ªshe wanted fucked, they needed to fuck like rabbits, her legs were shaking with the sheer need to celebrate the arrival of their long-awaited big moment. Breathing heavily but not quite panting yet, Stephanie bit her lip and fought the urge to start fanning herself. Yes, she decided she needed fucked with the sort of wanton physical enthusiasm that blazed well past naive, intimate affection and exploded all the way into lustful abandon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s... order our food and hurry back,¡± Brian proposed with difficulty, unable to tear his eyes away from her hungry gaze.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Stephanie agreed, nodding furiously. ¡°Yes, yes. Yes. Yes, please!¡±


    Clasping hands once again, they pushed through the doors into the diner in a rush, filled with excitement that Stephanie felt came from a mutual understanding of unexpectedly stimulating nature.


    ¡°Hi!¡± A bubbly blonde hostess greeted them with a smile. ¡°Will you two be dining in, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Order for takeout, please,¡± Brian said, already pulling out his debit card. ¡°Four breakfast platters, three coffees, two hot cocoas. If you could make one of the coffees¡ª¡±.


    ¡°That is not okay,¡± Chloe growled as she angrily thrashed a borrowed brush through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s actually completely unacceptable, and I don¡¯t see how you of all people would ever think that that is okay.¡±


    ¡°I disagree, Chloe!¡± Rebecca chimed in her sing-song voice, pulling her own tangle of auburn hair up out of the neck of her garment as she donned her outer tunic again.


    Morning had arrived, and after sleeping in several luxuriant hours longer than normal, the three young women in Sheriott hotel¡¯s room 502 were all up and about to enjoy the new day with varying degrees of optimism. After her first enormous yawn and stretch of her arms and a good morning, everyone, Rebecca climbed up off the floor and immediately started tidying up her little sleeping area. Unfortunately for her, Chloe seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed and was still in one of her moods.


    ¡°You disagree,¡± Chloe repeated in disbelief, tossing the brush back towards Rebecca¡¯s things and crossing her arms. ¡°Rebecca. There is no room to disagree here. Fur? Fur that was torn from the back of a living, breathing animal? It¡¯s fucking barbaric, it immediately tells me that obviously must have no respect for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Chloe silly, we as a civilization are responsible for white-tailed deer now having a lack of natural predators!¡± Rebecca explained as she carefully rolled her fur camping pad as tightly as possible so that the leather buckle would close. ¡°That makes us responsible for managing their populations, so that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, managing their populations, is that what you call murder, now?¡± Chloe mocked. ¡°That just justifies it all up for you? That justifies murdering innocent creatures?¡±


    ¡°¡ªso that they don¡¯t completely strip the foliage from their environments, which directly harms other species who rely on that undergrowth for food or protection from their predators!¡± Rebecca continued without pausing at the rude interruption.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve lost all respect for you, Rebecca,¡± Chloe scowled. ¡°Parading around with the fur of harmless animals. You should honestly be ashamed of yourself. You know that hunters killing them for sport is wrong¡ªthat wearing fur is murder.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong at all!¡± Rebecca said in her sleepy voice, more than a hint of Mara creeping into her smile as she gave the neatly tucked fur that made up part of her bedroll a friendly pat. ¡°Killing is also the natural way of things.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re joking.¡± Chloe¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°You have to be joking.¡±


    ¡°I took this one bow hunting with my Uncle when I was sixteen,¡± Rebecca remembered. ¡°I drank a cup of its blood! My Uncle did most of the skinning¡ªbecause we wanted it in its best shape¡ªbut I fleshed the hide, salted, tanned, and stretched the buckskin myself. I¡¯m proud of how this turned out. We ate all the meat, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± Chloe stared at the bedroll with revulsion. ¡°Rebecca. You slept on that. You slept on a fur made out of dead animal. I¡¯m going to puke.¡±


    ¡°I slept on the linens, silly-willy,¡± Rebecca crinkled her nose in a cute way at how overdramatic her friend was being. ¡°But, there¡¯s some tummy medicine down in the car if you need it.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s really cool, actually,¡± Megan spoke up, regarding Rebecca¡¯s medieval camping kit with amazement.


    The overweight girl hadn¡¯t budged from her spot sitting up on the bed nearest the window all morning, content to watch the two newcomers as they went about their business.


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Chloe retorted, shooting Megan a look of disgust. ¡°You don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Chloe!¡± Rebecca admonished in the stern voice she learned from her grandmother. ¡°Be nice! I¡¯m sorry, Miss Megan¡ªChloe¡¯s feeling a little grouchy, this morning!¡±


    ¡°Uh, no¡ªit¡¯s okay,¡± Megan blinked. ¡°I totally see both sides, and all. I get it. Like, I don¡¯t think I could ever go hunting myself, but it¡¯s obvious you actually respect¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no both sides,¡± Chloe snapped. ¡°And there is no respect. Killing things for fun isn¡¯t fucking open for debate, okay? It¡¯s murder.¡±


    ¡°Language, Chloe, oh my goodness!¡± Rebecca put her hands on her hips. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking done with you,¡± Chloe hissed, gathering up the last of her things and making a beeline for the room¡¯s already open door. ¡°With all of you. With everyone.¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡ª¡±


    With one last dismissive look, Chloe made a face and then whirled on her slender dancer¡¯s legs. The young woman stormed out of the hotel room and yanked the heavy door to slam closed loudly behind her. The awkward silence she left behind was frustrating, and Rebecca could only sigh for a moment and then shoot an apologetic look back towards Megan.


    ¡°Megan¡ªI¡¯m so sorry!¡± Rebecca lowered her head. ¡°She¡¯s... going through a lot right now, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just feeling a little sensitive about certain things. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean to be rude to you, and I know we¡¯ve been just the worst guests, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Megan quickly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªyou guys are totally fine, it¡¯s been cool. Some of the things she said last night. Um. I probably... did smell really bad. Was it bad? Now I¡¯m, like, worried that when Stephie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stephanie¡¯s your friend, and she loves you no matter what,¡± Rebecca insisted, pulling on her sword belt and adjusting it to cinch properly around the waist of her tunic. ¡°Please also just... make sure to wash up as often as you can, we all want you to take good care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Was I gross?¡± Megan looked mortified. ¡°Ohmigod, I want to die. You even got in the shower with me¡­ was I totally gross? Oh my God¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not gross,¡± Rebecca reassured the girl, crossing the room to give her what seemed like a much-needed hug. Megan was a bigger girl, but Rebecca didn¡¯t find anything off-putting about that, it just meant she had a big plush body to squeeze. ¡°You¡¯re a lovely young woman with a huge heart who took total strangers into your care when you didn¡¯t have to. Even when we made a big fuss in the hall last night, and Chloe was being a big meanie to you the whole time! Megan, I couldn¡¯t ask for a better friend than you. I¡¯m very glad to have met you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re, um, you¡¯re the coolest person I¡¯ve ever met ever,¡± Megan said in a breathless voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you to say,¡± Rebecca said, releasing Megan from the tight embrace. ¡°I need to go try to catch up to Chloe and make sure she¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll see you at the convention, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Actually, would it be cool if I tagged along?¡± Megan asked. ¡°Since we¡¯re going the same way, and everything¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you can!¡± Rebecca smiled. ¡°Is it okay if we stop by to check on Emily and Stephanie on the way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I hope they¡¯re okay,¡± Megan said. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they all got in a fight like that last night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t a fight,¡± Rebecca insisted. ¡°We¡¯re all friends, and friends don¡¯t fight! It was a teeny tiny little disagreement that I¡¯m sure everyone already feels bad about.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± Megan quirked her head at Rebecca in apparent confusion. ¡°No way, that was totally a fight. They were like, yelling and hitting each other and wrestling on the ground and everythi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe one of them fell!¡± Rebecca suggested in a chipper voice. ¡°They were just¡­ tussling a little bit. Like kids! I don¡¯t think it was serious. Sometimes people say regrettable things in the heat of the moment. I don¡¯t think it was a fight.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca, they drew blood,¡± Megan said. ¡°That whole altercation was completely violent. If you hadn¡¯t jumped in¡ª¡±


    ¡°They did not draw blood!¡± Rebecca paused. ¡°Everyone was fine, I made sure th¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were bleeding,¡± Megan pointed out. ¡°From that scratch. You got scratched and it bled¡ªthat¡¯s drawn blood. Literally!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t count,¡± Rebecca smiled and waved away the girl¡¯s concerns. ¡°That was an accident, and I wasn¡¯t even involved really.¡±


    ¡°Yeah-huh it does too count!¡± Megan argued. ¡°You were completely totally involved because without you stepping in¡ª¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t going to escalate any further than that,¡± Rebecca assured her. ¡°They¡¯re friends. They wouldn¡¯t have taken things too far.¡±


    ¡°You seem¡­ very confident that they¡¯re actually still friends,¡± Megan tried not to sound doubtful. ¡°Like, yeah maybe they were friends, but from what I saw¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m confident,¡± Rebecca said, giving Megan a strange look. ¡°They¡¯re friends!¡±


    ¡°Uhhh have you ever heard the phrase ¡®loyal to a fault?¡¯¡± Megan asked. ¡°Not trying to be inconsiderate of your guys¡¯ relationships, but I mean from what I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± Rebecca scrunched her nose cutely. ¡°It¡¯s a very silly phrase. Are you checking out today? Do we need to gather up all of your things?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess,¡± Megan said. ¡°Probably should, huh? Gotta get everything out by noon? Or, eleven maybe? What time is it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite ten o¡¯clock,¡± Rebecca said, checking the time on her phone before slipping it back into a leather pouch that hung from her belt. ¡°Do you have your phone and your charger? Your wallet and ID and everything from your purse? Checked around the floor by the bed for anything that might have dropped down to be forgotten and lost forever?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t take me more than a minute to throw everything together,¡± Megan said. ¡°I think most of this is food wrapper garbage anyways.¡±


    ¡°Are you throwing these away?¡± Rebecca gathered up discarded packaging from some figurines she¡¯d bought yesterday.


    ¡°Yeah, those are trash,¡± Megan said with a guilty glance, watching as ¡°I was gonna get all of that.¡±


    Rebecca was a task-oriented person, and she contented herself to bustle around the hotel room tidying things up while Megan pulled on an oversized anime Shinobi Souls shirt and a pair of sweatpants. There was something satisfying about getting everything squared away and ready to go, and it was also a chance to express her gratitude. Megan was such a sweetheart letting us stay here when we were just complete strangers!


    The scattered pieces of some sort of cosplay were placed neatly on the corner of a bed, the food wrappers were sent into the wastebin, and Rebecca stepped into the bathroom to make sure the little hotel shampoo bottle and bar of soap they¡¯d used were thrown out into the bathroom¡¯s bin¡ªthere was no sense in leaving more of a mess for housekeeping than necessary. As she dropped them in, however, the telltale sound of plastic clinking against something hard made her hesitate and take a second glance.


    Someone¡¯s cell phone was at the bottom of the bathroom¡¯s little garbage pail.


    ¡°Megan?¡± Rebecca called, carefully fishing the phone out. ¡°Do you have your phone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you already asked,¡± Megan confirmed. ¡°Have it here with Stephie¡¯s charger cable.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a phone here in the bathroom,¡± Rebecca said, stepping around the corner to show the other girl. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ all smashed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Megan said. ¡°Does it turn on?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­?¡± Rebecca fiddled with the power button along the side, but the phone remained dark. The screen face was almost impossible to see with a dense spiderweb of cracks, and upon closer inspection she discovered that the entire device casing was slightly bent.


    ¡°Ooh yeah, that¡¯s bricked,¡± Megan said. ¡°Can I see?¡±


    Helplessly offering it up, Rebecca watched as Megan tried to pry the back plate off with her fingernails. After a moment¡¯s struggle, Megan turned to the dresser, carefully oriented the phone against the surface, and gave it a hard tap. The backing clattered off, and with surprisingly experienced movements the girl stripped out a number of internal components.


    ¡°Weird,¡± Megan said. ¡°Someone even left the memory behind. Little microSD we can plug in and peek through. SIM card¡¯s still here, and a possibly-still-good battery for a¡­ looks like a Ceres Series Six?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was Chloe¡¯s?¡± Rebecca guessed with a wince. ¡°I thought I heard something when she had herself locked up in there last night. She must have dropped it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Megan gave her an uncertain shrug. ¡°She didn¡¯t really strike me as the type to have a three-year-old phone.¡±


    ¡°We can ask her about it,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°This must be why she was in such a bad mood this morning! Her phone must¡¯ve gotten damaged in their little scuffle last night.¡±


    ¡°Well, just so you know,¡± Megan warned, passing Rebecca the pieces she¡¯d salvaged. ¡°If that Chloe girl¡¯s fighting with my Stephanie¡ªI¡¯m on Stephie¡¯s side no matter what.¡±


    ¡°It was some silly disagreement, there aren¡¯t any sides,¡± Rebecca shook her head in exasperation. ¡°My goodness. All of you guys.¡±


    Megan gave her a look, and then the room lapsed into silence as the heavyset went to finish stuffing and jamming her crumpled cosplay outfit into a travel bag. Fighting the urge to fidget at how suddenly uncomfortable she¡¯d become, Rebecca tightened the belt she wore over her tunic and adjusted the pouches she wore so that they¡¯d be out of the way as she walked.


    If you have to lie¡ªdon¡¯t smile when you do it, Rebecca thought, slowly letting her expression go slack. Gives yourself away, and insults whoever you¡¯re speaking to. Grandma always used to say that, growing up.


    Oh, I wish this wasn¡¯t so AWKWARD! I feel like I was being Mara with her last night¡ªjust so brutally honest about my fears and concerns¡ª and then now when I try to positive about everything, it feels like just wishful thinking. Like I¡¯m lying to myself. AM I? Poor Megan must just think I¡¯m like a crazy person.


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Charming Girl

    ¡°I¡¯m not tryin¡¯ to push you into doing stuff, or anything,¡± Kelly lied, reaching over to carefully smooth out the way those shaggy blue bangs laid across Emily¡¯s brow. ¡°Just, like¡ªwe¡¯re all gonna be involved with Brian. I want us to be on the same page.¡±


    ¡°Right. Yeah,¡± Emily nodded distractedly. ¡°Same page is good.¡±


    Kelly only just barely managed to suppress a positively villainous smile. After what felt like an entire weekend of her womanly wiles running up against the guarded wall of Brian being defensive, and then patiently carrying an innocent and confused Stephanie through her sexual awakening¡­ toying with Emily was way too easy. The petite Latina might as well have been a teenage boy fresh into puberty for the way she pretended not to ogle Kelly¡¯s body, and those wide eyes seemed to fixate on certain assets in particular.


    ¡°You had your first time with Brian last night,¡± Kelly pointed out. ¡°I know that was important to you. But¡­ Emily, there¡¯s three of us girls, and only one Brian to go around. That¡¯s like, a major resource scarcity, and each of us have needs, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± Emily¡¯s expression fell. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaking as Brian¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Kelly continued, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tolerate any drama bullshit. Brian¡¯s not gonna want to deal with us fighting or being jealous all the time or petty to each other. No one wants to deal with that. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily agreed with an uneasy look. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°So¡ªeasy solution,¡± Kelly cut her off. ¡°We share. Threesomes, foursomes if all of us are in the mood. It worked like a charm last night, didn¡¯t it? Everyone had a great time. If you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡®Worked like a charm,¡¯¡± Emily snorted. ¡°More like, the charm power or whatever wants that. Wants us to like, fit together without squabbling, like an anime harem. That¡¯s not reality. It¡¯s changing us, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you want us all fucking squabbling and at each other¡¯s throats?¡± Kelly sighed. ¡°Alright, fine¡ªyou¡¯re actually gonna make me say it. Emily. Kitten. Will you go out with me, be my girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Will... I what?!¡± Emily choked.


    ¡°I want you to be my girlfriend,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Just like Brian¡¯s my boyfriend. Our boyfriend. Have things kind of, uh, official between you and I like that. We can start dating, see where things take us. How does that sound?¡±


    Unable to plausibly keep arching her back in a stretch, Kelly opted to instead cross her hands overtop her stomach as if she was nervously anticipating Emily¡¯s response. It was the most subtle way she could use the position of her arms to slightly squeeze her breasts together, and the motion didn¡¯t escape Emily¡¯s notice. The girl¡¯s dark eyes dropped down towards those enormous titties and failed to look away for several unsteady breaths.


    ¡°Wait, uh, what about, what about Stephanie?!¡± Emily finally protested in a weak voice. ¡°You like, said that you and her¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also going to ask Stephanie to be my girlfriend,¡± Kelly explained, deciding to be completely honest. ¡°No offense, but like, I¡¯m not super close to you just yet. That¡¯s why I can just up and ask you out like this. With Stephanie¡­ I¡¯m gonna like, wine and dine her, make sure that everything about the moment¡¯s just right so that she absolutely says yes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll say yes to you no matter what,¡± Emily pointed out. ¡°If you think about it. The way she¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Kelly shrugged, allowing her bosom to bounce. ¡°She probably would. Doesn¡¯t change how I feel about it. I mean, Brian would¡¯ve said yes to you no matter what back when you were both awkward teenage fucks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªno, that¡¯s completely, totally different!¡± Emily shook her head in adamant denial.


    ¡°Uh, no? Not really?¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°If he was a teenage guy without oneitus, and he didn¡¯t have a girlfriend¡ªexpressing any interest and just asking him out would¡¯ve worked. Why would a guy be single if he didn¡¯t have to be?¡±


    ¡°I mean, yeah, but¡ªwhat if he said no?¡± Emily scowled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t take that chance. At all.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you do get it¡ªthat¡¯s my feelings for Steph, right now,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Again, no offense¡ªit¡¯s a little scary asking you out and having you just change topics to avoid answering, but like, if Steph did that? Fuck, I would be pretty devastated.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really mean to, uh,¡± Emily fidgeted. ¡°W-wow, you¡¯re, like, really into Stephanie, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really into Brian, too,¡± Kelly clarified. ¡°Just. It¡¯s complicated. It¡¯s real fuckin¡¯ complicated with, y¡¯know, my trust issues with guys, and how will he react to finding out about the rest of my past, and¡­ it¡¯s messy. Brian and Stephanie, they¡¯re both what I need, you¡¯re probably all what I need. But, right now, where I¡¯m at in my life? I need Steph more than anything. She¡¯s this... hopeless little bundle of hope and optimism and love, and I feel like I need her to help me open up to the rest of¡­ everything. Also, she tastes amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does¡ªum, she is pretty great,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Happy for you, and all. But, like, if you have her, if you have her and Brian¡­ why the fuck would you want me?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Kelly asked, teasing fingertips along her own navel. ¡°Once you know, there¡¯s no going back.¡±


    ¡°Uhhmm¡­¡± Emily swallowed.


    ¡°I honestly love feeling like I¡¯m slowly corrupting Stephanie,¡± Kelly admitted, lifting both hands to clutch at her giant breasts and then tweaking her nipples, pinching and tugging upon them. ¡°Turns me on so fucking much. But at the same time, I don¡¯t think this kind of degenerate mindset¡¯s ever really gonna come to her naturally. And, that¡¯s okay! I don¡¯t think I really want that for Steph. Not really. You, though?¡±


    Kelly stepped forward, pressing herself into Emily¡¯s personal space.


    ¡°You¡¯re a kinky little bitch, just like me. I can tell. I can see it in your eyes, and I can smell how turned on you¡¯ve gotten just from watching me talk. You¡¯re watching me play with myself, and you like it. You want more.¡±


    ¡°No, I was just!¡± Emily meekly protested, holding up her hands. ¡°Kelly, I, uh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m into girls!


    ¡°You¡¯ve only been telling yourself that because you only had eyes for Brian,¡± Kelly countered.


    ¡°Yeah? So?!¡± Emily blushed, backing against the wall as Kelly took another step forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh, so, I¡¯m Brian¡¯s girl,¡± Kelly said. ¡°One of his girls. One of his belongings. Just think of me as an extension of him, as part of the physical attraction you have for him. Will you make out with me after I¡¯ve blown him? Help lap up the cum he shoots all over me? I totally get it, you¡¯re not gay. Whatever goes on between us¡ªit¡¯s just the harem charm¡¯s fault, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡± Emily sputtered. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t justify¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then, why can¡¯t you take your eyes off my tits, huh?¡± Kelly demanded. ¡°I¡¯m attracted to you, I like you, and I put myself way out there asking you to be my girlfriend! I¡¯m bending over backwards here tryin¡¯ to help you justify your painfully fuckin¡¯ obvious bicurious feelings and make things smoother for you. Emily, are you my gonna be my girl, or do I need to go take a cold fucking shower and start second-guessing myself?¡±


    ¡°Kelly, I¡ª¡± Emily visibly wavered with indecision.


    Deciding to go for broke and play one of the oldest tricks in her repertoire, Kelly forced herself to stop blinking. After several incredibly tense moments of silence, she felt her eyes begin to water¡ªin simple biological response to being exposed to the air¡ªand Emily¡¯s expression softened right away at seeing tears form. Jesus, no way. Really? That one hasn¡¯t worked on anyone since I was like, eleven.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Emily conceded, taking a deep breath. ¡°I can... try this. I guess. If Brian¡¯s cool with us¡ª¡±


    Kelly leaned in and pressed her naked body up against the girl, smothering pert, pillowy shapes right into Emily¡¯s face in the guise of an overly emotional embrace. She almost felt bad playing dirty, but she meant a surprising amount of every crazy thing she said. Also, seducing the lovestruck-for-Brian girl with the complex about her breasts was getting Kelly so fucking hot that she decided she cared less and less about rationalizing her questionable actions.


    Then Kelly gasped, because with a wet sensation and gentle nibble Emily was all at once trying to pull as much silky flesh into her mouth as she could manage. The Latina let out a whimpering groan and suckled, releasing that awkward stranglehold she¡¯d put on her inhibitions and eagerly playing across Kelly¡¯s swollen nipple with her tongue and teeth. Her trembling body undulating with need, Emily reached around to grasp, squeeze, and fondle the plush shape of Kelly¡¯s ass with fervid desperation, while Kelly let the graceful line of her lip finally curve into a wicked smile.


    ¡°No, no¡ªI¡¯ve stayed in hotels before, it¡¯s just, I never checked out of a hotel before,¡± Megan admitted with a chuckle. ¡°Everything¡¯s already paid, so you just get all your stuff, leave the key on the dresser, and you know¡­ leave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s polite to check out at the front desk when you leave!¡± Rebecca laughed. ¡°Everyone does it. It¡¯s responsible.¡±


    ¡°You realize no one does that, right?¡± Megan goaded her on. ¡°People aren¡¯t responsible, that would be a total pain in the butt.¡±


    ¡°Th-they are so!¡± Rebecca¡¯s protest sounded feeble even to herself. ¡°People are responsible all the time! Loads of times! They¡¯re adults, of course they¡¯re going to check out when they leave. For all you know, they could be charging you for an extra day by mistake, or something.¡±


    After taking Megan to the front desk to check out¡ªwith Megan giving her a strange look the entire while¡ªthe girls had made a trip to their respective vehicles in the parking lot of the Sherriot before ultimately deciding to leave them parked there. The hotel Brian was staying in and the convention center itself was only a few blocks away, and there was no way of knowing if they¡¯d find free spaces for their cars any closer than they already were. It¡¯s a beautiful morning for a walk!


    So far, she¡¯d decided that Megan was quite a character. During the short distance traveling together across the city sidewalks they were already bantering back and forth just like Rebecca was used to doing with Emily, who she¡¯d known for years. I just bet Emily and Megan would get along famously! The pair idly watched the hustle and bustle morning traffic of the city as they walked, an occasional odd look the only reminder that Rebecca was dressed in her viking linens.


    ¡°Hey, I really meant what I said before,¡± Megan said. ¡°About siding with Stephanie. She¡¯s the sweetest girl and would never get into a fight for no reason like that. Not over anything. Even trying to get her to speak up properly in class is like, impossible. She¡¯s not just like, soft-spoken, she¡¯s terminally shy. I don¡¯t have any idea what all happened or what¡¯s been going on¡ªbut whatever it is, she¡¯s not in the wrong. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ that she¡¯s had quite the weekend,¡± Rebecca remarked, feeling a little uneasy. ¡°It¡¯s been crazy.¡±


    The predicament she¡¯d first discovered Stephanie in had been far worse than a squabble in a hotel hallway, and Rebecca knew her lingering impression of the pink-haired girl would always be one that triggered her protective instincts. But, how on Earth did she get all tangled up between the mess between Brian, Chloe, and Emily?! Did Emily run into her again after¡ª


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s AnimeCon for ya!¡± Megan let out a wistful sigh. ¡°AnimeCon; where every day is a holiday, and every meal a banquet!¡±


    ¡°Every formation is a parade, every paycheck a fortune!¡± Rebecca recited in agreement, giving Megan a surprised look.¡±


    ¡°You like James Carpenter¡¯s Alien Things?!¡± Megan exclaimed.


    ¡°No,¡± Rebecca refuted. ¡°I love James Carpenter¡¯s Alien Things. It¡¯s one of the greatest movies ever made.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡ªare you single?!¡± Megan dramatically lifted her hands to her own cheeks. ¡°How have we never met before?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s AnimeCon for you!¡± Rebecca teased, gesturing across the street. ¡°Here, this crosswalk. My friend Brian always reserves a spot right across from the con.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, lucky,¡± Megan huffed. ¡°He must book super early, everywhere this close was already taken by the time I even thought to go online.


    ¡°There¡¯s always next year!¡±


    ¡°True, true. Definitely and absolutely coming next year,¡± Megan swore. ¡°Like, I can¡¯t stop thinking about all the cosplays I want to do. Are you coming next year? Have you been to AnimeCon before?¡±


    ¡°I was here last year,¡± Rebecca said as the crosswalk signal flashed and they hurried to cross.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Megan said. ¡°Last year was my first, but this year was my first time cosplaying, so this is my first real AnimeCon. You know? I had my Pandape dress. Your outfit¡¯s from Skygrim, right?¡±


    ¡°Outfit?¡± Rebecca asked with a playful expression. ¡°Miss Megan¡ªthese are my clothes!¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Megan laughed. ¡°Of course. My mistake.¡±


    Rebecca led her off the sidewalk and through a small gate that led over into the inner courtyard pool area that hotel wrapped around. The cabana-style aesthetic was as charming as ever to Rebecca, and just like last year she inwardly chided herself for not remembering to pack a swimsuit. There was room to swim, there was a jacuzzi alcove, and plenty of reclining loungers in and out of the shade for relaxing or sunbathing.


    ¡°Yep yep yep,¡± Megan smacked her lips. ¡°Getting this hotel next year. This is nice.¡±


    ¡°The Sherriot you just came from had an indoor pool!¡± Rebecca rolled her eyes. ¡°Here, this way, this way. His room¡¯s right over here.¡±


    ¡°Totally not even the same! Although¡ªyeah, ugh. People here are littering, throwing junk in the bushes¡ªtsk tsk!¡± Megan babbled on. ¡°Like, don¡¯t get me wrong, my room and my car are this total mess, but when people just freaking toss their garbage anywhere in public¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodness,¡± Rebecca frowned, noticing what looked like a lanyard strap caught amidst the small branches of one of the shrubs of the decorative plants that surrounded the fenced-in pool area. ¡°I forgot all about this!¡±


    ¡°Forgot about what?¡± Megan asked.


    The heavyset girl blinked in surprise as Rebecca stepped off of the concrete walkway that went along beside all of the first-floor hotel rooms and waded into the bushes.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± Megan laughed. ¡°I totally didn¡¯t mean you had to go pick it up, or anything. I¡¯m sure the hotel staff go through to clean up random¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I think Chloe threw something over here last night,¡± Rebecca recalled, carefully leaning over some of the plants so that she could reach for the discarded item. ¡°She was throwing this awful fit, right here outside Brian¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ sounds like her,¡± Megan remarked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s someone¡¯s AnimeCon badge,¡± Rebecca observed, lifting the lanyard up to take a better look. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Chloe¡¯s? Or Brian¡¯s? Maybe when¡ªouch!¡±


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°You bit me!¡± Rebecca accused with a cute pout, singling out a wooden token that had been hidden just behind the dangling convention pass. ¡°I pull you out of the bushes, and you bite me?!¡±


    ¡°What bit you?¡± Megan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s this silly little¡­ um,¡± Rebecca froze in place, eyes darting around her in bewilderment. Something significant had changed, but it wasn¡¯t her surroundings or anything around her. Almost as if¡­ Taking a deep breath, Rebecca closed her eyes, centered herself, and¡ªlike a hidden door within had been revealed, her mind opened up into the shadowy expanse of ancient forest.


    Inwardly frowning, Rebecca turned the strange sensory experience over and over in her mind. Some concepts seemed to immediately evoke some startling and visceral visuals, like the reddish-brown upon deep tan shades of tree bark. Other ideas seemed to remain in the dark of the ethereal, eons-old tree canopy, in the dark and just beyond her grasp. The standing trunks of the forest were immense, thick things, gnarled and streaked through in robust streaks of oak and chestnut. The dark copse of trees stretched out in every direction across her mindscape, and the looming shapes blocked out almost every strand of sunlight, preventing new forest growth.


    As a girl with an unusually strong intuitive sense, Rebecca recognized the forest interpretation as being representative of herself almost at once. My ways of thinking can be¡­ rigid, yes, but¡­ aw, geez!


    ¡°Rebecca?¡± Megan asked. ¡°What is it? You okay?¡±


    Setting aside her new friend''s concerns for the moment, Rebecca ventured deeper within the dark forest of her mind. She could sense there were secrets hidden within, sexy things, exciting things, interesting discoveries to explore painted within her subconscious almost like¡ªRebecca jolted to a full stop. The first thing to stumble across, just behind a twisted thicket of especially vibrant trees, was Emily. Emily flowed across the ground in a winding stream.


    All Rebecca could do for a few moments was stare at the unnatural blue waters for a moment as she struggled to comprehend why the little creek immediately evoked the familiar presence of Emily, while bearing no actual visual likeness or personification of the girl at all. Rebecca could simply feel that it was Emily, she knew it, she could feel it right down through the chestnut-colored old roots that drew nourishment along the banks of the stream.


    Yep, that¡¯s definitely Emily somehow, Rebecca quirked her head and smiled. Weird.


    Emily seemed to slosh with mild alarm at the sudden intrusion.


    There were other fascinating things to investigate just beyond the stream that was Emily¡ªforeign flashes of brightly colored light that seemed to dance in the murky dark like will o¡¯ wisps. Rebecca could feel them, whoever they were, and pink light twinkled and flickered at her beyond the distant trees as if in response to her arrival. Something red just downstream was causing the blue water to hiss and sputter into a steamy roil. Rebecca was just about to attempt pushing her presence in their direction when Megan interrupted again.


    ¡°Rebecca? Rebecca?¡± Megan called, sounding genuinely worried now. ¡°Are you¡­ alright? Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Rebecca¡¯s eyes fluttered back open and she gave Megan a drowsy smile. ¡°I think¡­ I was just dream-walking? Somehow?¡±


    ¡°Dream-walking?¡± Megan echoed in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rebecca nodded slowly. ¡°It was¡­ neat. I¡¯m still there, kinda.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Megan blinked. ¡°Dream-walking? I¡­ guess that¡¯s cool?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Rebecca laughed, putting on a sheepish face. ¡°I can be weird. I think¡­ I think we should go knock and see if everyone¡¯s awake.¡±


    Turning a peculiar look in the direction of Brian¡¯s hotel room door, Rebecca hefted the lanyard up and began to pick her way out of the decorative bushes. Emily¡­ I know you¡¯re in there! You have so much gosh darn explaining to do!


    ¡°A new hand touches the beacon!¡± Emily intoned, jolting upright.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Kelly disengaged, hugging her arms in close to her chest and rubbed them up and down as gooseflesh began to appear. ¡°The... fuck was that?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you felt that, right?¡± Emily asked, feeling her face color. ¡°Something just happened. Someone just¡ªwait a minute, have you never played Skygrim before?!¡±


    ¡°No¡­?¡± Kelly stared. ¡°I mean, no I¡¯ve never played Skygrim. I definitely felt something really weird.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, um. It was like¡­¡± Emily made a sheepish face, trying not to gawk at Kelly¡¯s bodacious figure or acknowledge the reality of what they¡¯d been getting up to mere moments ago.


    I mean, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s a big deal, alright?! Emily had felt a tug of actual fucking magic on her astral being or whatever¡ªher first time experiencing something mystical without Stephanie¡¯s aid. Naturally the first thing that immediately jumped to mind was to blurt out a joke about it. Fuck me!


    It was fucking embarrassing, it almost made things even more super weird between them, and worse yet, Brian was the only one who would¡¯ve ever even gotten her stupid reference in the first place! Whatever the magic interruption was, though, she could still feel it. Feel... something. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was definitely there, a weird sort of¡­ bolstering presence. Like some part of her psyche had been drooping down unnoticed, until someone else happened by completely out of the blue and propped it back up into place. Uplifting? Steadying? Some kinda weird¡­ uh¡­ support?


    ¡°Uhmm,¡± Emily took a cautious step away from Kelly. ¡°You still feel it too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly gave her a serious nod. ¡°I still do; it¡¯s still there. Whatever it is. Feels like... tight shoelaces.¡±


    ¡°Feels like¡­ what?¡± Emily cocked her head in confusion, unable to follow her line of thought.¡±


    ¡°Shoelaces,¡± Kelly repeated. ¡°Like, when they¡¯re not untied, per se, but they loosen up over the course of a day? You stop, untie, and then retie them, so that they¡¯re all snug and tight again. It¡¯s that kind of feeling, but like¡­ on my soul?¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Emily said with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Yeah. I was gonna say it feels more like we¡¯re receiving some kind of passive buff.¡±


    ¡°Sure, okay,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°But, no one but you knows what the hell that means. Shoelaces works. People get shoelaces.¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s¡­¡± Emily made a face. ¡°Passive buff. Like in a game, err, a fantasy game, you could have a character in your party whose power or whatever gives the rest of the party this tiny stat bonus, without anyone actually having to do anything.¡±


    ¡°So, someone in our party just came into their powers?¡± Kelly guessed. ¡°It¡¯s not you¡ªit definitely doesn¡¯t feel like you. Doesn¡¯t feel like Brian, either, exactly. S¡¯not Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Feels like¡­ a hug,¡± Emily scrunched up her face as she tried to identify what she was experiencing. ¡°Like if someone could actually send you a hug from a long distance away, this is exactly what it¡¯d feel like. It¡¯s almost like...¡±


    ¡°Tight shoelaces,¡± Kelly disagreed.


    ¡°Actually, it feels¡­ kinda like¡ªit¡¯s Rebecca!¡± Emily realized, jumping and making a dash for the door. Straining up on her tippytoes, Emily was just barely able to line her eye up with the door¡¯s peephole. ¡°Rebecca¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°She is?¡± Kelly asked, glancing over.


    A scant moment later, someone gently knocked on the door.


    ¡°She is!¡± Emily exclaimed in excitement. ¡°Oh my God it is Rebecca! It¡¯s one hundred percent absolutely Rebecca hugging both of us. Hugging both of us from the inside. She must have found the charm from wherever Chloe tossed it! Rebecca just entered the harem!¡±


    Emily found herself almost overwhelmed at the prospect. The persistent hug buff or whatever it was just felt so completely goddamned Rebecca that it just seemed to click and make sense. She wasn¡¯t sure she could identify exactly what the feeling was or pin down what it was doing, but it definitely reminded her of Rebecca. It was that very familiar moral support Rebecca feeling.


    Much like the time Emily had to go to the tax office for stuff, and Rebecca offered to go along with her. Rebecca hadn¡¯t even had to speak up when Emily talked with the tax lady about whatever stupid thing she was supposed to clear up, but the simple presence of her friend being there in the background had provided that extra reassurance and confidence when Emily was feeling anxious.


    ¡°Rebecca?¡± Kelly quirked her lip as if she wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the news. ¡°Your other friend from last night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s¡ªshe¡¯s good people,¡± Emily assured her. Totally not even complaining because a persistent Rebecca buff is fucking awesome, but how the heck is her power or whatever already working?! Where¡¯s MY superpowers? I mean, hell, she hasn¡¯t even¡ªwait, she¡¯s never kissed Brian, right? Right?! ¡°We¡­ we need her on our side. She¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°I guess. Should we get dressed?¡±


    ¡°Good morning Rebecca!¡± Emily exclaimed as she opened up the door just a fraction and peeked around the edge. To her surprise, behind and to the side of her familiar friend there was another girl, a heavyset girl that Emily didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Uhhhh, hey, we¡¯re not dressed, but if you can give us just a second¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hiiiii!¡± Rebecca greeted with a sleepy wave of the hand. She was wearing a perplexed, quizzical smile. ¡°Good morning! Is¡­ something weird going on with you guys?¡±


    Stephanie almost tripped, stumbling over her own feet as part of her mind opened up to a chestnut-streaked forest of wide, sturdy trunks and ancient limbs, and the pink-haired girl nearly dropped the drink-carrier containing the coffees and hot cocoas.


    ¡°Whoa, there,¡± Brian remarked, steadying her free hand. ¡°You alright?¡±


    Having collected their order, the two were rather leisurely threading their way back through the city towards the hotel. Brian carried a take-out bag bulging with the cartons of their breakfast along with two rolled-up copies of the Gazette in one hand, while he held Stephanie¡¯s hand with the other. She¡¯d opted to carry their drinks, carefully hugging the carrier against her body.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Stephanie said with a weak smile. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m feeling a bit¡­ lightheaded.¡±


    Lightheaded didn¡¯t quite begin to describe what was actually going on, and Stephanie¡¯s pupils dilated wide as she grappled with her fledgling sixth sense. Something¡ªsomeone¡ªhad entered the network of intimate connections that tied Stephanie¡¯s emotions to the others. It didn¡¯t feel like an intruder, either. Rather than alarm and terror, she felt the sentiment of greeting a friendly face, of welcoming someone who really belonged into the fold.


    Brown? Stephanie pondered, stretching out her senses. Her color is brown, and she¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t quite tell what her thema is? Roots? Branches?


    Whoever it was, her flavor was comforting and reassuring. This new girl was wide open to them emotionally, seemed to be someone who could immediately be identified by the psychological equivalent of a pair of open arms. Safety. Love, support, immediate and enduring friendship. But, who is it?!


    Um. Hello? Hi there! Stephanie tried to broadcast. The link that tied them all together didn¡¯t seem to be compatible with expressing words or ideas, but the gist of Stephanie emoting a welcome seemed to be conveyed. There was a distinct impression that this new girl was turning her attention towards her, and Stephanie felt her transmit back bemused curiosity.


    ¡°Steph?¡± Brian interrupted, tugging her to a stop.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Stephanie jolted back to awareness.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Brian gave her a look of concern. ¡°Asked if you wanted me to carry the drinks, but you kind of zoned out.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªsorry!¡± Stephanie blurted out, giving his hand a squeeze. ¡°Hah, I was just¡ªmy head was miles away there for a second! Lost in thought. I¡¯m fine, I can carry them.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back and get some breakfast in you,¡± Brian said. ¡°Probably shouldn¡¯t have let you run with me on an empty stomach like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Stephanie promised, sharing her smile with him again. ¡°I mean¡­ okay, I¡¯m a little bit hungry¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re hungry,¡± Brian observed with a grin. ¡°Emily gets ravenous for food. Then she eats like, less than half a portion and just sits back rubbing her belly moaning ohhh why did you let me stuff myself, I¡¯m such a pig ohhhh I¡¯m gonna hurrrl.¡±


    Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but break into laughter at his Emily impersonation.


    ¡°Chloe would get quiet when she was hungry,¡± Brian continued. ¡°Not good quiet, either. Pissy quiet, there¡¯s a problem and why haven¡¯t you noticed what the problem is yet sort of quiet. Got me into serious trouble a few times early on in the relationship. Before I started to always, like, mentally track how long it¡¯d been since she¡¯d had a meal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Stephanie retorted, shaking her head, furrowing her brow, and pursing her lips. ¡°I really can¡¯t believe her!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brian said with honest appreciation. ¡°I¡¯m, uh. I really don¡¯t mean to keep bringing her up, but for the longest time it¡¯s like there¡¯s a lot I need to get off my chest about her, and there wasn¡¯t anyone that it was safe to talk to about it. Not even Emily. Because she¡¯d get¡­ weird upset whenever I brought stuff like that up. Though, I guess Emily being upset makes more and more sense now.¡±


    ¡°She loves you,¡± Stephanie affirmed, feeling her kinship with Emily growing stronger even as she felt more and more disappointed with Chloe. ¡°We all love you.¡±


    ¡°Whoa there,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Better watch that kind of talk around Kelly.¡±


    ¡°Kelly loves you, too,¡± Stephanie insisted, making a cute face and sticking out her tongue. ¡°She knows she does.¡±


    The pair of lovers walked across the last stretch of city block in companionable silence, having the good fortune to have a crosswalk signal halt traffic to allow them across the moment they arrived at the curb. Stephanie felt incredibly pleased just going around with him and soaking up conversation, these casual moments and conversation that she¡¯d never realized she needed in her life but now craved more and more of. As silly as it was, when they stepped off the sidewalk and through the small exterior courtyard gate of Brian¡¯s hotel, Stephanie was almost wishing they could spend more time just walking around together.


    ¡°Worried about that whole thing with Kelly, too,¡± Brian admitted as they strode along the walkway beside the hotel¡¯s pool area towards their room. ¡°I absolutely want to help her out with her living situation still, just. Also, it¡¯s kind of like I¡¯m just imposing my solution on her. Yanking her out of her comfort zone, forcing her to rely on some guy she hardly even knows at all¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make it work,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°We will. It¡¯s, it¡¯s just like in an anime! Where the protagonist is suddenly pushed into living arrangements with a beautiful girl.¡±


    ¡°Sort of like us meeting by you falling on top of me?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow. ¡°Or, yesterday when I walked in on you and Kelly making out¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fall, Megan pushed me!¡± Stephanie protested with a giggle. ¡°I, I really liked how that ended up, though!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Brian challenged, giving her a teasing look.


    ¡°Brian, I...¡± Stephanie drew in a deep breath. Think, think! How do I say it, um, um, how would KELLY put this?


    ¡°Brian¡ª¡± Stephanie gently bit her lower lip and looked up at him with a certain heat in her eyes. ¡°I really want to sit on your face.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Get Together

    ¡°Magic is real!¡± Emily blurted out, awkwardly trying to hold the bed¡¯s comforter around herself while also attempting to pull on her pair of panties. ¡°Magic is real, and we have it, somehow.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ª¡± A naked and rather buxom girl with bright red hair hissed out a warning and a meaningful look.


    Rebecca pretended not to notice, instead withdrawing a small bra from the bag of Emily¡¯s clothes she¡¯d brought and holding it up for her friend to put on next. As someone who¡¯d always believed in magic, Rebecca was excited but not shocked. She was of course intensely interested in how Emily had managed to get herself mixed up in magical shenanigans, and knew that it wasn¡¯t something Emily would ever be able to keep from her.


    ¡°Magic,¡± Megan repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Steph¡¯s friend, right?¡± Emily shot Megan a guilty look. ¡°The one from the other hotel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Stephanie¡¯s best friend,¡± Megan asserted, putting her hands on her hips.


    Across the room, the nude girl with red hair slightly narrowed her eyes, though it seemed like no one but Rebecca noticed that particular little reaction.


    ¡°Right, okay,¡± Emily dropped the comforter in favor of trying to wrap one arm protectively around her breasts while accepting the offered bra with the other. ¡°We can probably tell you, then. Just¡ªhey you won¡¯t tell anyone else this, right?¡±


    ¡°Umm well, no one would believe me?¡± Megan remarked, sounding more than a little skeptical herself. ¡°Hah. I mean, everyone already thinks I¡¯m like, the big dumb otaku doofus.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dumb, and you¡¯re not a doofus,¡± Rebecca corrected the girl in a patient voice. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend to Stephanie, and a good friend to me, so please don¡¯t speak about yourself like that.¡±


    Taking Emily by the shoulders and gently pivoting her friend away from the others, Rebecca began to assist the much shorter girl in correctly wearing her undergarments. Putting on a bra with one hand while distracted and the other hand was still in the way seemed to be more than Emily could manage at once, and Rebecca didn¡¯t know if she should be amused or exasperated.


    ¡°Okay, so yeah,¡± Emily chattered away. ¡°There¡¯s this magic charm¡ªit¡¯s a harem charm, and it makes you hot for Brian. An-and maybe each other, I dunno? Uh, like you got zapped by the charm, and now you¡¯re part of the magic stuff, and it¡¯ll like, get stronger if you kiss Brian? Your hair changes colors first, and then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, what anime is this from?¡± Megan asked, looking from girl to girl but trying not to stare at Kelly, who didn¡¯t seem to feel any compunction to cover up or get dressed.


    ¡°No I mean like, it¡¯s real, it¡¯s this real magic sort of thing and we¡¯ll maybe get powers!¡± Emily exclaimed. ¡°Like, you see how my hair¡¯s blue? Kelly¡¯s red, Stephanie¡¯s pink, it¡¯s totally this sentai team sort of motif and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily,¡± Rebecca carefully clasped the back of the brassiere closed. ¡°How long has this been going on? Was this why you always had a crush on¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Emily haphazardly twisted to see behind her. ¡°Uhh, go one tighter. Use the next notch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too tight,¡± Rebecca frowned. ¡°This bra isn¡¯t the right size for that, it pinches at your skin when¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right when it¡¯s this loose,¡± Emily protested, fumbling her arms behind her to adjust it herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even loose at all!¡± Rebecca swatted Emily¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s fitting perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Will you¡ªwill you just¡ªno, this wasn¡¯t why I had feelings for Brian,¡± Emily growled, unhooking her bra and then exhaling so that she could pull the straps as tight as they could go.


    ¡°She¡¯s right¡ªyour bra¡¯s too small,¡± the red-haired girl commented. ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d give them some room to grow, they¡¯d¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not funny, Kelly,¡± Emily shot the naked girl a dark look. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ ever joke about them. Please.¡±


    ¡°...Sorry,¡± Kelly nodded, actually looking chastised. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean anything by it, it was just a joke. Sorry.¡±


    Rebecca looked about in surprise as the interplay, unable to figure out their relationship. Emily¡¯s temper didn¡¯t completely fly off the handle at this Kelly girl treading into the big no-no zone of mentioning her smaller-than-average breasts. That would normally have made anyone instantly an enemy for life, because Emily knew how to nurse grudges like none other. For her part, Kelly seemed like the type to live large and sass whoever they pleased, so something about the heartfelt apology came off as¡­ uncharacteristic. Rebecca felt sure that Emily and Kelly were new acquaintances, but apparently they were already close. Something about Emily immediately warming up to a girl like this seemed just as strange and outlandish as Emily suddenly discovering magic.


    ¡°Like I was saying, I¡¯ve always liked Brian,¡± Emily explained. ¡°Since like, day one. I liked Brian before it was cool. The whole harem magic thing is a, uh, a recent development? I think I got zapped when I gave him the charm, like, last week.¡±


    ¡°The charm got me when Brian offered me his spare convention badge,¡± Kelly admitted with reluctance. ¡°Felt like it stung me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to tell us about this, Rebecca observed. She¡¯s speaking up to help support Emily¡¯s story, to help give it more weight. Emily¡¯s important to her.


    ¡°Do¡­ we need to figure out how to free both of you from this?¡± Rebecca asked, looking from Emily to Kelly with a weak smile.


    ¡°¡°No,¡±¡± Emily and Kelly replied in unison.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rebecca tapped her lip, holding up the lanyard so that the harem charm next to the battered convention pass was clearly visible to everyone in the room. ¡°It sounds as if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rebecca, no. Just, no,¡± Emily said firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted this, always fantasized about this sort of¡­ thing. It¡¯s Brian, it¡¯s Brian and for real, actual magic sorta stuff.¡±


    ¡°Wait, this is¡ª¡± Megan spoke up. ¡°This is for real?¡±


    ¡°Definite no from me, as well,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Brian, Stephanie, even Emily¡ªI need all three of them in my life like this. To unfuck my life from what it was, from where it was going.¡±


    Their dialogue seemed to be happening on multiple levels, and Rebecca found herself getting distracted by the spiritual side of things, where Emily was symbolically a flowing body of water and Kelly seemed to be a burning red flame nervously peeking over the edge of a crater at her. This wasn¡¯t happening visually, not exactly, but something about their magical forms left strong impressions to that order.


    After all, if Emily¡¯s a river¡ªif EMILY RIVERA is a river¡ªthen she¡¯s a pretty confused one, Rebecca thought to herself with a wry smile.


    The path of the blue water was impossibly convoluted, snaking in every which direction and even seeming to stubbornly struggle uphill sometimes rather than follow the natural laws of flowing water. It somehow seemed like a very Emily representation. Kelly, on the other hand, featured a marked difference between her affected nonchalance as she stood there naked and the incredible wariness she displayed from the lip of the crater she hid within. Something about the scorching red entity seemed very out of her element and skittish of making a connection to Rebecca.


    ¡°Are you¡­ a volcano?¡± Rebecca asked, quirking her head at Kelly.


    ¡°Starfall, actually,¡± Kelly answered with an uneasy expression. ¡°Fallen star¡­ sorta thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course,¡± Rebecca nodded to herself. ¡°That¡¯d explain it. That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°That explains¡­ what?¡± Megan mumbled in confusion, unable to keep up.


    ¡°Wait, what are you?¡± Emily asked, fighting her way into a small T-shirt. ¡°You feel like a naturey sort of¡­ wilderness sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°Trees?¡± Rebecca guessed. ¡°Dark forest?¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you get black for your color?!¡± Emily demanded angrily, glaring out the neck of the shirt she hadn¡¯t quite pulled on right yet. ¡°Because, if you got the coolest color, we¡¯re trading. I¡¯ve had dibs on black since like, forever.¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s maybe¡­ brown?¡± Rebecca pondered. ¡°Brownish? Burnished? Russet, or chestnut maybe? Just saying brown doesn¡¯t sound quite right.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily conceded. ¡°I guess that fits. It¡¯s not too different from your actual hair color, though, so¡ªwait, is that why you got your powers right away? Because of your natural hair color?!¡±


    ¡°Powers?!¡± Megan looked from face to face with helpless envy. ¡°You guys¡­!¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s just something I was already in tune with?¡± Rebecca tried to assuage Emily¡¯s wild suspicions. ¡°These feelings, anyways. I was always ready to believe in things, and then all of the sudden¡­ they started believing in me back?¡±


    And the first thing I commune with on a higher level is EMILY?! Rebecca tried not to laugh at the thought. Of course it is! I¡¯d rather be a part of this with Emily than get a response from an angel, or a demon, or an ancient spirit. She¡¯s my little Emily!


    ¡°That¡­ makes some weird sorta sense,¡± Emily righted her shirt and then smoothed out the folds. ¡°I mean, I knew you were always¡­ special.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Rebecca beamed at the compliment. ¡°But! What are we doing about all of this crazy magic stuff?!¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, well I don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t tell Brian about it,¡± Emily pleaded. ¡°Please. We think he¡¯d, uh, like freak out if he thought there was this unnatural force affecting us, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°That seems fair, though,¡± Rebecca countered. ¡°He¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Only affecting us in a totally good way, though!¡± Emily said quickly. ¡°I swear. Completely swear. You¡¯ll probably be able to see the moment he gets back. Soon as you look at him, the magic¡¯ll like, dazzle you.¡±


    That sounded concerning. With a small frown, Rebecca opened herself fully to the dreamwalk again and swept her attention around for Brian. It was almost unnecessary¡ªhe was close. Not in a physical sense that implied his distance from her or approximate location, but in a destined to arrive way, like they were about to meet. Brian was power, Brian was the hidden canvas that their dreamworld was painted upon, and associating his presence with something on that sort of scale inspired a little awe. Moreover, he would be here soon, and with him came a swirling halo of pink fire that seemed to wave in her direction.


    Stephanie? Rebecca¡¯s frown began to disappear.


    If Brian was a font of ethereal power, Stephanie was a hungry flame drawing fuel directly from the source. The girl¡¯s happiness blazed bright and rich with color, and as the two drew near, the conflagration began to spread, licking at the burnt sienna of Rebecca¡¯s ancient branches and lighting them up. Closer examination revealed that Stephanie¡¯s fiery cheer wasn¡¯t actually burning Rebecca¡¯s dry wooden representation up, or even following any principles of actual combustion. It was simply there, dancing merrily atop the branches and leaping about, warm and pleasant in a giddy, excited way.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost here,¡± Rebecca informed the rest of the group. ¡°Brian and Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Please please please don¡¯t say anything about this to Brian?¡± Emily begged, clapping her hands together. ¡°Not asking you to lie¡ªjust, can you not say anything about it right away? Can you just watch for a bit and see before you decide to do anything drastic like¡ª¡±


    A polite knock sounded on the door of the hotel room.


    ¡°Please? You promise Rebecca? You promise, right, you promise?¡± Emily pleaded, rushing over to the door. The petite girl¡¯s body language implied she was going to stand firm at the threshold and let no one enter until Rebecca agreed to remain silent about her discoveries. ¡°You can talk about how he¡¯s got this harem now, because he totally does. Just don¡¯t say anything about magic just yet? Please please please?¡±


    ¡°I can wait and see how it¡¯s affecting everyone?¡± Rebecca gave her a reluctant nod. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not going to lie to Brian.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªwhat if this charm thing affects you, once you lay eyes on¡ª¡± Megan started to say.


    ¡°Nahahaha! It¡¯s too late for you, my pretty!¡± As if worried that Megan would finish her sentence, Emily dramatically yanked the door handle and then threw the door open, revealing Brian and Stephanie.


    ¡°Oh¡ªhey!¡± Brian greeted.


    ¡°Megan!¡± Stephanie chirped in surprise. ¡°Rebecca!¡±


    ¡°Hi-hi!¡± Megan waved.


    ¡°Hello, and¡ªgood morning!¡± Rebecca smiled, struggling to not stagger back as she was nearly overwhelmed.


    The pair entering the room seemed a rather ordinary sight; a guy and a girl in rather plain and unassuming workout clothes, one carrying a small stack of takeout cartons and the other with a cup holder filled with drinks. To Rebecca¡¯s dreamsense, however, it was like she was suddenly standing inches away from a fifteen-foot-tall bonfire. Their force of presence was such that everything nearby was caught up in a blazing conflagration of hot pink fire.


    ...That¡¯s all STEPHANIE, Rebecca realized, just barely managing to keep from raising a hand to shield her vision from the imagined light.


    Brian was cloaked in Stephanie¡¯s flames, wreathed in them¡ªthe fire of her emotions rolled and roiled off of him and seemed to fill the hotel. Stephanie¡¯s fire was burning directly from the source, and the brilliance of her great mood lit up the room with pure unbridled happiness like daybreak. Brian was fueling her feelings, feeding them, and it was plain as day that Stephanie was completely, totally head-over-heels in love with him.


    ¡°Rebecca¡ªit¡¯s you!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, pointing a smile at her that was so bright it had Rebecca feeling giddy. ¡°I was wondering who it was¡ªI¡¯m really happy that it was you!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Um, thank you, I think?¡± Rebecca herself was a naturally cheery person, but engaging with Stephanie right now felt like she was exposing herself to dangerous levels of dopamine. ¡°I was... so surprised, by all of this!¡±


    ¡°Really sorry you had to see, um, all that, last night, Rebecca,¡± Brian apologized with a sheepish smile. ¡°The door was locked, but I didn¡¯t know that Kelly¡¯d given Emily one of the keycards...¡±


    Oh goodness. OHHH MY GOODNESS. The ancient forest filling Rebecca¡¯s mind seemed to come alive the moment she reexamined Brian. Dry old tree hulks pulsed with new color and vibrancy, shifting and groaning with rich russet hues. They creaked and stretched their limbs, hungry for more as Rebecca found herself experiencing being dazzled by Brian, as Emily had put it.


    It was strange and nice, refreshing, because it felt like all of her previous impressions of the guy were ever so slightly rearranged. Like Brian was a three-dimensional puzzle that was only now turning over to display new perspectives in her mind. The dense thicket of trees that filled her mindscape¡ªviewed now from a new angle¡ªrevealed a path that she hadn¡¯t been able to see before.


    But¡­ but, what? No? Rebecca blinked in confusion. That isn¡¯t how that works! Brian isn¡¯t even my type!


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of¡­ responsible for the way Chloe flipped out and lost it there,¡± Brian continued, ¡°and I¡¯m really sorry you had to deal with all the fallout of that.¡±


    ¡°No no no!¡± Rebecca quickly shushed him in a fluster, trying to ignore the way her loins lit up with warmth when he addressed her so intimately. I mean, no no no not INTIMATELY, he¡¯s just, um um um he¡¯s just talking to me! Directly! This is completely normal!


    ¡°You were just¡­ you were doing your own thing, and that was just an accident!¡± Rebecca said with an embarrassed smile, trying and failing not to remember the sight of Brian¡¯s prodigious member rising up from his lap. ¡°Chloe was upset last night, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be feeling better and come apologize sometime today. She¡¯s a tough cookie!¡±


    ¡°Chloe, apologize?¡± Emily¡¯s face screwed up with disgust and bewilderment. ¡°Rebecca, are you on drugs? Because you shouldn¡¯t be doing drugs, drugs are bad, Rebecca!¡±


    ¡°Drugs are bad, Emily!¡± Rebecca shot back, relieved to be able to lean on the familiar phrase they used every time they joked about doing drugs. She felt strangely self-conscious and tongue-tied around Brian now, like his attention carried far, far more weight than she ever remembered. Goodness¡­


    ¡°Well, anyways. Breakfast, anyone?¡± Brian asked, giving the girls an amused glance as he set down the breakfast containers on the dresser. ¡°S¡¯nice to meet you for real this time, Megan.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, yeah!¡± Megan replied with a nervous laugh. ¡°Sorry for, uh, kinda shovin¡¯ Steph on top of you back then.¡±


    How does this charm effect thing make me go from thinking of Brian as this total non-combatant in my life to suddenly seeming¡­ mm-mmm, yummy in my tummy? Rebecca wondered to herself as she let her gaze wander up and down Brian¡¯s figure. Rich brown swathes of new health climbed up the bark of long-silent timbers. He doesn¡¯t ACTUALLY appear different than normal, but now for some reason it¡¯s like, WOW. His eyes are so pretty, and his whole everything is just this dreamboat HUNKSAUCE with cherries on top? How did he go from mentally being set aside for Emily¡­ to suddenly being like okay yes I¡¯ll have a helping of that pretty-please?


    ¡°Rebecca? Rebecca?¡± Emily snapped her fingers in an attempt to get her friend¡¯s attention. ¡°Okay. Okay, phew. We definitely got her¡ªshe¡¯s with us for sure, now.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Megan squeaked. ¡°Like, the thing? She¡¯s like, mind-controlled? Am I the only one super scare-ified by that?!¡±


    ¡°...Scare-ified?¡± Stephanie echoed with a curious look. ¡°Do you mean terri¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rebecca¡ªare you okay?¡± Megan asked in a teasing loud whisper. ¡°Did they, um, did they get you? With the thing?!¡±


    ¡°No, not... quite?¡± Rebecca slowly shook her head with a sly smile. ¡°I do think I see what they meant, though. I can feel the¡­ potential? Where before, I didn¡¯t feel much of anything at all? It¡¯s weirdly compelling, but I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Emily pouted, gesturing insistently at Brian. ¡°Just look at him! Look at him, he¡¯s perfect! Boyfriend material! Prime, grade-A boyfriend man-meat! Nutritious and filling! He¡¯s Brian¡ªhe¡¯s, he¡¯s my boyfriend, and he¡¯s perfect in every way!¡±


    ¡°Our boyfriend,¡± Kelly corrected in a playful tone.


    ¡°OooOoooh,¡± Megan tittered.


    ¡°I mean, well I did bring food for everyone,¡± Brian chuckled, beginning to spread out the containers and open them up. ¡°Thought maybe I ordered too much, but with Rebecca and Megan here, it seems like it all works out perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Do I¡­ have to be part of the harem?¡± Rebecca asked, not entirely sure if she was joking or not.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be if you don¡¯t want to be,¡± Kelly mediated, stepping closer and tugging a wrapped plastic fork free of its plastic.


    Although the subtext of her words could easily be misread as hostility, Rebecca could sense Kelly¡¯s ambivalent neutrality¡ªthe girl seemed to be genuinely indifferent right now and okay with whatever Rebecca ended up choosing. The girl seemed to be treading carefully and maintaining a bit of distance, unused to being the odd one out within a group.


    Also, why on Earth are you still naked?! Rebecca tried not to stare at Kelly. And, no one¡¯s bringing it up, either?!


    ¡°No way!¡± Emily disagreed, pulling drinks free of Stephanie¡¯s drink carrier one by one and passing them out to everyone. ¡°Rebecca¡¯s totally in. Right? Tell ¡®em, Steph! Wait a minute¡ªBri, what are these two?¡±


    ¡°I got some hot cocoa,¡± Brian explained.


    ¡°Wha for?¡± Emily gave him a puzzled look.


    ¡°In case... anyone wanted hot cocoa?¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°Forgot to pick up drinks at all yesterday, so I figured I might as well cover all my bases today.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ hey, how did you know there would be five of us?!¡± Emily asked, quirking her adorable features into a suspicious pout.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t?¡± Brian laughed. ¡°And, there¡¯s six of us, here? Megan, Rebecca, you can have the hot cocoas, if you want. I¡¯m actually feeling more like water after a morning run like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Megan seemed taken aback. ¡°Thank you! You totally didn¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was such a great run!¡± Stephanie sighed in a breathy voice. ¡°We went all the way across¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, five of us¡ªI mean five of us in the harem!¡± Emily rolled her eyes. Her first swig of her coffee seemed to placate her, however, and in no time at all she let out a sigh of contentment and continued to nurse from the styrofoam cup in sip after tiny sip. ¡°We have Rebecca!¡±


    ¡°I would¡­ love if Rebecca was a part of the harem,¡± Stephanie admitted in a shy voice. ¡°But, it is up to her. I¡¯m not sure that she needs this like we do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a harem,¡± Brian laughed, shaking his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t a harem. Kind of an awkward thing to joke about now that we really do have this... unconventional relationship thing going on, now. No offense, Rebecca¡ªyou¡¯re a great friend, I just think it¡¯d be real inappropriate to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian, it¡¯s too late¡ªRebecca¡¯s already in,¡± Emily argued. ¡°We totally decided for you, while you were gone.¡±


    ¡°I... do really like Rebecca,¡± Stephanie chimed in. ¡°She saved me!¡±


    ¡°I barely did anything at all,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°Don¡¯t you two make things difficult for Brian, please!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult!¡± Emily sputtered. ¡°Right? I¡¯m just sayin¡¯¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh hey, almost forgot to show you guys the big news,¡± Brian remembered, pulling out a pair of folded newspapers that had been momentarily forgotten beneath one of the breakfast cartons. ¡°You won¡¯t believe who made front page of the Gazette, this morning...¡±


    ¡°Wait, is that¡ª¡± Rebecca turned a look of astonishment towards Stephanie.


    ¡°¡ªOh my God! STEPHANIE! I can¡¯t believe you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFrom that time when we went up the escalators, yeah¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWow, Steph, they really got your good side, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡ªRight?! Look at that ass. Dat! Ass! Did you realize¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªPerfect moment to capture. You can tell she really won over¡ª¡±


    Everyone was excitedly talking at once as Brian proudly held up one copy of the Gazette and passed the other over for Emily and Megan to take a closer look at. This was great¡ª exactly the friendship and camaraderie that Rebecca loved about AnimeCon, and she was incredibly excited that Stephanie¡¯s picture had made the front page. At the same time however, there was a lot more going on here, and Rebecca¡¯s deeper involvement and commitment felt like it was up in the air.


    Maintaining a sleepy smile on her face and withdrawing slightly, Rebecca found herself slipping into an introspective fugue.


    Me, in a magic harem with them? Me, with Brian? I mean... Brian¡¯s really not my type, at all! Rebecca insisted to herself. He¡¯s just BRIAN, just this friend¡ªthis friendly sort of guy to me! Right? He has good looks and yeah he¡¯s great and I can see why EMILY loves him, but he¡¯s not FOR ME! Attraction aside, Brian¡¯s this¡ªthis normal, ordinary, well-adjusted guy!


    Though the drowsy-seeming Rebecca always remained silent about certain private aspects of her own life, allowing her friend Emily to foster certain assumptions and misunderstandings about her¡ªRebecca was actually not a virgin. The Mara side of her in fact had a rather bold outlook on sexuality, and she¡¯d shared her tent with several SCE and Daegonhir acquaintances in the past. The traits she normally preferred in a guy just didn¡¯t seem present in Brian at all¡ªRebecca was drawn to damaged kinds of guys.


    Those kind of guys with deep-rooted traumas they compensated for with aggression and bluster. Ones violent with masculine passion, who after sex became brooding, vulnerable young men who needed to be held and comforted. The experience wasn¡¯t complete for Rebecca without that contrasting juxtaposition, without being able to explore both disparate sides of her own dual nature.


    Half of her needed sex to be frenzied, vigorous coupling to sate her appetite for that, while the other part of her wanted nothing more than to comfort and nurture poor wounded souls in the aftermath. Rebecca loved rough, intense sex, followed by that contented glow where she¡¯d cradle her partner¡¯s face to her breasts and gently stroke his back, whispering sweet reassurances to him.


    None of those late-night camping rendezvous had ever become anything more, and Rebecca wasn¡¯t particularly interested in turning any of them into relationships. She was well aware of¡ªand even pragmatic about¡ªher own peculiar needs. Besides the Mara in her sometimes simply feeling the itch, Rebecca had a certain need to provide affection and intimacy to damaged guys. She harbored no designs to fix these poor, troubled souls¡ªthey needed to learn to fix themselves, or they would always rely on someone else¡ªshe was just helping them through some of their difficult times. As well as satisfying her own compulsion to help, of course.


    What DO I really know about Brian¡¯s personal issues, besides things I¡¯ve heard from Emily? The greedy roots of Rebecca dark forest now seemed eager to sink deeper into exploring the matter. What if... Brian IS my type, and he just buries EVERYTHING deep down? Both his secret inner turmoil AND his masculine desires¡ªand he¡¯s just aching with need for an outlet to vent out both? Wouldn¡¯t unearthing all of THAT be just the most incredible angsty anime sort of¡ª


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kelly asked in a low voice, jolting Rebecca out of her reverie. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Rebecca put on a weak smile, taking stock of her surroundings again after her slight lapse in attention. Brian seemed to be reading the Gazette¡¯s article about AnimeCon out loud to everyone while Emily and Megan continuously interjected with their own excited comments.


    ¡°Sorry, I was¡­ I spaced out of it for a bit! It¡¯s just, there¡¯s so much to consider¡­¡± Rebecca murmured softly. ¡°This is¡­ a real life anime harem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what is goin¡¯ on with the whole harem thing?!¡± Megan blurted out. ¡°Omigosh, you totally all are, too¡ªwith all of the different body types and hair colors!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about different personalities?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°The¡ªthe what?¡± Megan¡¯s face went blank for a moment. ¡°Oh, you mean archetypes! Like, tsundere childhood friend, shy glasses girl, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is Kelly,¡± Emily made a voila gesture in Kelly¡¯s direction. ¡°Her anime personality type is big tiddy.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, yeah I was gonna ask,¡± Megan snorted. ¡°Is there a reason she¡¯s not wearing any clothes?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get dressed yet,¡± Kelly said with an innocent smile.


    ¡°What is actually going on, exactly, Brian?¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°I¡¯m very curious.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, well I was gonna say it¡¯s a¡­ polyamorous relationship kind of thing? Maybe?¡± Brian hesitated. ¡°Steph asked me out first, but was also like, we should talk to Kelly about this too, and then well, Rebecca you know how Emily is, she always has to tag along with every little¡ª¡±


    ¡°Say that again!¡± Emily growled, swiping a plastic fork off of the dresser and wielding it in his direction. ¡°I dare you¡ªjust say that again, punk!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°Emily saw that Brian was open to an unconventional relationship, and decided to put her chips on the table. There were a few kinks to work out, but I feel like things¡¯ve gone pretty well, so far.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, don¡¯t even get me started on the kinks!¡± Emily squirmed, clapping her hands against her cheeks.


    ¡°That all sounds very¡­ brave,¡± Rebecca said finally, giving Emily her most supportive smile. ¡°I¡¯m really happy for you all!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yeah,¡± Emily paused, actually looking serious for a moment. ¡°Thank you. Really. Rebecca, if you hadn¡¯t helped get me out here to the con¡­¡±


    Stephanie had been fidgeting in silence all the while as if gathering her courage to speak up, and Rebecca couldn¡¯t help but notice the pink-haired girl creep over to stand beside Kelly in her peripheral vision. When Steph turned slightly and leaned in close to whisper to her friend, it was all Rebecca could do to resist turning her head in that direction for a better look.


    ¡°You¡¯d have just stolen a car to get here,¡± Rebecca chuckled. ¡°Or walked the whole way!¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but then I¡¯d¡¯ve gotten arrested!¡± Emily grinned. ¡°Or, even worse¡ªI might¡¯ve been late!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rebecca heard Kelly ask Stephanie in a low voice.


    Seeming to take a moment to steel her nerves, Stephanie finally gave her a decisive nod in reply.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly gave Stephanie a quick hug and then a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I do owe you big from last night. You¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯s gonna go great, and¡ªSteph, I¡¯m proud of you. Sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Kelly Baby,¡± Stephanie shot back with a shy smile.


    This time Rebecca¡¯s curiosity did get the better of her, and she couldn¡¯t help but turn in their direction with a quizzical look. Stephanie blushed furiously and stared down at the floor.


    ¡°Hey, everyone¡ªit¡¯s actually kind of stuffy in here,¡± Kelly spoke up, crossing the room to scoop up a dark pair of crumpled skinny jeans from the floor and start working her way into them. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go out and eat on the outside patio, by the pool? Get some fresh air, you know¡ªwhile Brian and Steph shower and get changed.¡±


    Ohhhh. My goodness, Rebecca felt her own face flush with color. Even if I WASN¡¯T basking in a big pink furnace of everything Stephie¡¯s feeling right now, I¡¯d still see what¡¯s going on¡­


    ¡°What?¡± Emily paused with a piece of bacon partway into her mouth. ¡°I wanna stay with Brian!¡±


    Kelly¡¯s eyebrows rose and she¡¯d just opened her mouth to try again when Rebecca decided to jump in with an assist.


    ¡°Oh, well we are running short on time, though, aren¡¯t we?¡± Rebecca added. ¡°I¡¯m sure checkout¡¯s at noon, or maybe even eleven in most hotels, isn¡¯t it? We need to get a move on! We¡¯re distracting Brian and Stephanie from getting ready when we¡¯re all just milling about chatting, here!¡±


    She was careful to only put a subtle emphasis on the Brian and Stephanie, but the Mara glare she shot at Emily was as unsubtle a hint as she could throw, and Emily¡¯s eyes went wide with sudden realization.


    ¡°Oh. Ohhh okay yeah, you¡¯re right!¡± Emily said quickly, jumping up and closing the breakfast platter cartons so that she could hurriedly stack them up. ¡°Sorry, Bri. Sorry Stephie. We¡¯ll get out of your hair. Eating out by the pool sounds fun!¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yeah!¡± Megan agreed, throwing Stephanie a bewildered look. ¡°That sounds cool, I guess, so long as you¡¯re really...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Kelly interrupted, tugging on a wide-necked Rolling Phones shirt over her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just give them some space.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no rush,¡± Brian protested, apparently ignorant to the meaningful glances the girls had been sharing with each other. ¡°We can all eat together, there¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Still blushing intensely, Stephanie sidled over beside Brian and took his hand in hers.


    ¡°¡ªOh,¡± Brian finished, looking at Stephanie in surprise as he caught on. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Oh,¡± Kelly remarked, moving around the room collecting items with a purpose. ¡°Okay, Rebecca, could you grab that big cardboard box? Emily, Megan¡ªget all the food and stuff. Let¡¯s throw everything else in the box, clear out all of everyone¡¯s junk in the room, and let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Are they¡­ really going to¡­? Rebecca tried not to let her imagination run wild as she hurried to toss Emily¡¯s clothing bag and scattered costume pieces into the large cardboard box¡ªbut Rebecca¡¯s imagination was a lot stronger than her resolve.


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Brave New Girl

    ¡°Can I¡­ can I ask a HUGE favor?¡± Stephanie had whispered to Kelly. In an instant, she¡¯d seemed to have her friend¡¯s full attention, and the gorgeous girl with the brilliant red hair had leaned in a little closer. ¡°We¡¯re, um, we¡¯re running out of time with the room¡­ And, uh. I want to... I want to be with Brian.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kelly had asked in a hushed tone.


    Stephanie had taken a deep breath and given a decisive nod, and then all of the sudden everyone was spurred into a whirlwind of motion as Kelly took charge to usher everyone out of the room. With Megan¡¯s help, Emily scrambled to snatch up the many various scattered belongings, both of them grabbing everything in sight and shoving it all towards Rebecca carrying the big cardboard box left over from the Calamity Queen dress.


    For her part, Rebecca held the box to one hip, slung the lanyard with the charm on it around her neck, and then looped her free arm through the strap of Emily¡¯s bag so that she could shrug it up and carry it behind one shoulder. Kelly haphazardly swept all of her makeup things from the vanity into her purse and unplugged several phones and the phone charger from the outlet with a quick yank. In less than a minute and a half, the girls worked together to strip the room bare, moving in an exaggerated frenzy as if police sirens were closing in while they attempted to loot the place of everything they could steal.


    All at once the four girls were all then out the door and gone, leaving Stephanie alone with Brian in what felt like sudden deafening silence. She slowly swallowed, almost shaking with anticipation for what was to come, and gave his hand another small squeeze.


    ¡°So¡­ what was it you wanted to talk to me about?¡± Brian asked.


    Stephanie didn¡¯t answer right away, instead stepping in close and bringing her hands up to his chest. Unable to look him in the eyes, she blushed, toying her fingers along the seam of his shirt between shoulder and collar. They were both damp with perspiration from running together, but she wasn¡¯t able to feel self-conscious about it at all.


    Something¡¯s very off with our body chemistry right now¡­ Stephanie thought, trying to suppress the giddy compulsion to nuzzle her face into his body. We don¡¯t smell bad. Or, we do SMELL, but not like body odor? It¡¯s¡­ almost as if our sweat isn¡¯t breaking down into acids like it¡¯s supposed to. It¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like¡­


    It was like she was getting a face full of his pheromones. After a few moments that tested her resolve, Stephanie finally pressed her face into Brian. She succumbed to the urgent need to feel the tactile sensation of him upon her brow, her cheeks and lips and chin, to feel the warmth of his body that bled through his jogging attire. She breathed in deeply through her nose, starved for more and more of his unique scent, and the sheer masculine musk of him lit up every receptor in her brain in startling bright pinks.


    ¡°Steph?¡± Brian murmured again.


    His arm slipped around her, igniting more and more conflagrations of rippling fire within her as Brian¡¯s hand traced down the small of her back to rest in a comfortable position upon her bottom. The firm grasp on her rear felt assertive, possessive, this casual motion communicated his desire for her with so much heady context that Stephanie found herself instinctively reacting to his touch.


    She embraced him fully, relishing how amazing and different the sensation of full intimate contact was from the platonic simplicity of a mere hug. Her small breasts, still held tight within the confines of her compression top, were now quashed up against him. Stephanie could feel her tummy touching his rugged abdominal contours, it felt right, and she even found herself canting her hips so that the curve of her butt more completely filled Brian¡¯s palm.


    Stephanie¡¯s breath continued to quicken, her sense of awareness hyper-focused in the moment of reading the minutiae of Brian¡¯s body language¡ªevery fibre of her being was trembling with burning eagerness to obey any implied instruction he offered. Every delicious detail was committed to memory as an experience to savor forever and ever.


    ¡°Brian¡­ I¡¯m ready,¡± Stephanie breathed, finally turning her timid expression up to meet his gaze.


    The vivid, beautiful green in his searching eyes captivated her, eliciting bursting gouts of pink flame from deep within her. Blinding bright embers seemed to dance through her body, hot pink sparks leapt to and fro, and her inner temperatures began to rise dangerously again. Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but think that she could stare into his eyes endlessly and never grow bored¡ªsomething about the way he looked at her, something he saw in her held her spellbound with excitement and glee. She watched and waited, love-drunk on looking up into his eyes while Brian visibly wrestled with how to respond to her.


    ¡°Steph¡­¡± Brian managed out. ¡°We should maybe talk about this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Stephanie¡¯s smile grew wide and she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and back again, sensuously sashaying her hips back and forth. Molten heat was spreading. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...No?¡± Brian blinked, showing her an incredulous grin. ¡°Steph, you can¡¯t just say¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, nuh-uh,¡± Stephanie beamed, shaking her head in curt refusal as she clutched her body against his. ¡°Nope! Nothing to talk about, don¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Steph, believe me, I¡¯m feeling just as totally, overwhelmingly turned on as you are,¡± Brian wet his lips. ¡°Just¡­ I mean, for your first time, things should be special¡ªI want everything to be perfect for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm-hmm¡­¡± Stephanie rose on her feet slightly so that she could plant her lips on Brian¡¯s skin right at the base of his neck. She kissed him, slowly, sowing a soft row of kisses up the line of his throat. ¡°It is perfect!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªyou know what I mean,¡± Brian protested. Seemingly against his will, his traitorous other hand found its way to where it belonged grabbing Stephanie¡¯s other buttock, and she squirmed and wriggled in encouragement. ¡°For your first time¡ªI want everything to be perfect, to have this perfect night for you. When we have hours to spend just¡ªmMmm¡ªjust really getting into it, exploring every, uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°That sounds... amazing,¡± Stephanie agreed with a smile, and the precise little kisses she was placing on him growing a little sloppier with each unsteady breath until she was slurping and nibbling and lapping at him with her lips and teeth and tongue. ¡°Let¡¯s definitely do that¡ªsomeday. But, today, today... Brian I need you. I need you right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ sure?¡± Brian couldn¡¯t help but squeeze the handfuls of Stephanie¡¯s plush ass.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Stephanie let out a small, startled gasp as Brian fondled her. ¡°I¡¯m so sure. Brian¡ª I love you. I love you!¡±


    ¡°I love y¡ª¡± Brian was cut off as Stephanie surged up on the balls of her feet to capture her boyfriend in a passionate kiss.


    She needed him. She needed this¡ªas her mouth mashed hungrily against his and her tongue darted into his mouth to slide across his, her entire mind was an inferno blazing out of control. Brian was criminal right now¡ªhe was an arsonist, and everything about him kept lighting up entire new fires throughout her body. Stephanie¡¯s fumbling fingers pulled upon the fabric of his tee as they made out, and Brian¡¯s grip on her bottom was crushing her pelvis against him in such a tantalizing way that she was driven to distraction.


    Best of all, Stephanie really did find that she was totally sure about this. It was a satisfying and somehow fulfilling complete turnaround from the fears and uncertainties that had strangled her sexuality prior to this weekend. Brian made her feel safe and secure like she¡¯d never dared to imagine. Kelly inspired in her a surprising sense of adventure¡ªin a lot of unexpected ways. Emily¡¯s attitude encouraged her to embrace her feelings, and Rebecca seemed to arrive in timely rescue the moment anything ever went astray. Each of her new companions made Stephanie feel loved.


    But more than anyone else, it was Chloe that made Stephanie feel so completely sure about this. The time she¡¯d been tricked and separated from Brian showed Stephanie what she had to lose¡ªit drove her to confess her feelings to Brian and ask him out. Each encounter with Chloe after that had reaffirmed Stephanie¡¯s decision in many ways¡ª because just as she needed Brian, she now knew Brian also needed her.


    It made all the difference. Stephanie moaned into Brian¡¯s mouth as she yanked and tugged his shirt upwards. His hands were likewise pulling up her top, and for a brief moment they were forced to stop their kiss so that they could hurriedly struggle the rest of the way out of their shirts. Roiling with lust and feeling the heat of the moment with brilliant pink intensity, Stephanie then yanked up the sports bra she wore, allowing her naked breasts to spill free as she tore the bra off and flung it away from herself.


    Both of them paused, slightly panting for breath, as they drank in the sight of each other.


    The weight of his sudden attention on her bare chest felt good, in a peculiar sort of way she felt unprepared for. Stephanie had never considered her boobs to be very impressive, but through her burgeoning charm sense she could feel Brian¡¯s arousal amp up at the mere sight of them, and they all but perked up with a strange feeling of newfound pride. Brian fucking loved them, was mesmerized by them, in his greedy glances she could feel just how much he wanted to adore and appreciate them¡ªit was so overwhelming that she actually grabbed at them herself in surprise.


    O-oh my God! Stephanie¡¯s face flushed red. Is this¡ªis this what he did to Emily?!


    Stephanie hefted her little tits slightly and ran her fingers across the soft shapes while regarding Brian with a shocked smile, feeling the slightly puffy nubs of her nipples catch on her digits as they brushed by. It seemed utterly impossible for her to be nervous right now in this moment. She was tapped into his emotions, and the raw, overpowering attraction for her was like a flamethrower dousing her with a compressed stream of liquid fuel.


    They collided again in a rush of lips and tongue and enthusiastically groping hands before Stephanie even had proper time to appreciate Brian¡¯s oh-so-lovely half-naked body, and she vied to make up for it by feeling them directly instead. The fires within her were stoked and felt like they were roaring hundreds of feet high, she felt ready to explode. She relished the way Brian cupped her breasts with a shudder of desire, and she felt her hips reflexively jerk and hump against him while he impatiently clawed at the waistband of the spats she¡¯d worn for running in. Though she¡¯d never had sex, her pussy seemed to have a mind of its own and positively ached for something substantial to grind upon.


    This is¡ªthis is really it! Stephanie thought, growing more and more aroused. It¡¯s happening!


    The Stephanie of several days ago would be absolutely stiff with terror at what they were about to do. Panicking, at the thought of this unknown and uncharted territory they were blundering into way out here, far, far off the edge of the map. Right now, however¡ªStephanie knew exactly where she was going and what she wanted. This AnimeCon weekend had been more than an adventure for her, it was a treasure map that led to riches beyond anything and everything she¡¯d dared to dream for.


    Disengaging again, Stephanie was quick to peel down the black garment of her spats herself. The spats were a rather brief pair of very form-fitting shorts¡ªa cautious, wary-of-cosplaying Stephanie had packed them in her convention bag just in case she became too uncomfortable or self-conscious wearing just underwear beneath her gijinka dress around in public. As she rolled them down her pale legs and awkwardly kicked her way out of them, they became just another reminder of how far she¡¯d come over the course of the weekend. It felt incredible feeling fresh air down there because she was now sticky with excitement, it was thrilling exposing herself fully to Brian, and¡ª


    The desire pouring off Brian this time was overpowering, and Stephanie swooned into his arms with a squeak as she was swept away in an endless sea of dazzling pink blaze. She bit her lip and clung to his sturdy shoulders as he carried her over to the bed, struggling to retain faculty of her senses. Unable to reign herself in, Stephanie pulled him down atop her when he attempted to place her gently down upon the covers. Their lips locked again and they shared a fierce kiss as her hands scrambled to shuck down the gym shorts he was wearing and remove them.


    ¡°Briaaannnn¡­.¡±


    As soon as she clawed the elastic band of his shorts and underwear down, Brian¡¯s manhood sprung free and its weight slapped down across her thigh. Startled by the sheer size and presence of it when the meaty pillar was released from its confines, Stephanie withdrew from their kiss to glance down.


    She paused to draw in an unsteady breath.


    Her view down between their bodies was endlessly fascinating to her; this intimate moment where their naked anatomies exposed completely to one another. A special scene, a personal one that framed above by the sturdy masculine contours chiseled in the alluring lines of musculature of Brian¡¯s arms and shoulders and chest as he held himself above her, then contrasted below by soft feminine swells of her own naked body, her pale skin and flushing with desire beneath him.


    Between them was Brian¡¯s dick.


    The reality of that frightened and captivated her in ways that were difficult for her to express, and Stephanie sought out Brian¡¯s lips again and began to kiss him with renewed urgency. The sight of penis aroused feelings of both terror and titillation¡ªits shape still remained strange and a little alien to her, but somewhere deep down she was also drawn to it, an unknown and instinctive desire took hold of her whenever she looked at it.


    She felt that it should have appeared vulgar or ugly, because after all it was just an organ, a bodily thing, a protrusion. A swollen shaft, capped by a knobby head vaguely reminiscent of a mushroom. Instead, there was somehow a compelling beauty to its form. The thing wasn¡¯t ugly, it was desire made flesh, and it appeared to bulge with delicious tumescent thickness! The crowning flare of its cockhead was majestic, it evoked feelings of desperate wanton need from within her, and as Stephanie¡¯s tongue slid against Brian¡¯s she couldn¡¯t help but reach down there and grasp with careful fingers.


    It¡¯s so¡­ it¡¯s so big! Stephanie¡¯s thoughts fluttered pink as the flames within her were fanned higher and higher.


    Last night, when Brian¡¯s penis was first revealed, she¡¯d been mesmerized by the sight of it. She¡¯d watched it disappear into Kelly¡¯s mouth, and then later followed its magnificent profile with her wide eyes as Kelly pressed it between her breasts. It was just so interesting! Everything about Brian was lovely to look at, but when his private parts were revealed they seemed to completely steal Stephanie¡¯s attention.


    Increasingly distracted from the passion of their kiss by her exploring fingertips, Stephanie tilted her head back down again to steal another guilty glance down there. The tip of his erection had leaked out droplets of pre-seminal fluid¡ªStephanie felt just sure Kelly would soon teach her some raunchy term for it to replace such a clinical descriptor¡ªand her thumb and forefinger were slick with the stuff as they worked over the bulbous, beefy cockhead.


    Brian continued to lay sensuous kisses down upon her cheek, the side of her face, and then her neck as Stephanie played with his dick, and even his patient attentiveness just kept fueling that inferno of rising wildfire within her. She had by no means sated her curiosity, however, and she flashed him a giddy smile and continued to examine her object of interest. When she stretched down further to grasp it by the root, warm cockmeat completely filled her hand, and there was something strangely satisfying about that.


    It had heft, but there was also some squeeze to it, and Brian let out an unsteady breath in her ear while Stephanie slowly familiarized herself with taking his fullness in her grip and slowly pumping it up and down. The raw, carnal sexuality of that action made it her favorite, but taking the peculiar shape of his crown between her fingertips and gently pinching until they slipped up off of his tip was her favorite, too. When Brian involuntarily thrust his hips forward, pressing the dick past her fingers to fill her hand again, that became her new favorite, and Stephanie discovered quickly thereafter that forming a ring with her thumb and index finger for Brian to fuck was also her favorite.


    It¡¯s... so amazing! Stephanie decided, lunging up again to shower appreciative kisses across Brian¡¯s chin and cheek.


    The entire experience filled her with wonder¡ªthere were so many exciting possibilities to explore, and she couldn¡¯t imagine ever growing bored with any of them! Now that she had Brian¡¯s dick in her hand to play with like this, she simply never ever wanted to let go of him. Stephanie wanted to stay right here on the hotel bed, fondling her boyfriend for as long as she could get away with it. Absolutely nothing was going to distract her from¡ª


    Brian traced a middle finger along the slippery arousal of her aching pussy lips and then pushed it inside, and Stephanie promptly forgot what she¡¯d been doing. Blinding pink light suffused her every thought and she squirmed with delight, kicking her legs and feeling herself clamp down on the inserted digit. He was pinning her to the bed, pressing his palm down upon her pubic mound with the perfect amount of tantalizing pressure. All the while, his finger flicked in and out of her wetness, extending at just the right moment and curling ever-so-slightly as he withdrew to reach a spot inside of her she¡¯d never known about.


    Brian knew exactly what he was doing, and Stephanie wanted to give him a playful pout to express her frustrations¡ªher own first fumblings couldn¡¯t measure up to this¡ªbut all that escaped were mewling gasps of pleasure. Stephanie found herself shuddering, trying to jerk and gyrate her hips up for more, awestruck as Brian revealed the beginnings of a mysterious crestline within her mind for her to follow¡ªone that led to inevitable orgasm. Following it higher and higher, Stephanie squealed and wriggled with confused anticipation.


    ¡°Think maybe you¡¯re ready,¡± Brian teased in a murmur, pulling his finger out of her and then pressing down on the panic pleasure button of her clit.


    I¡¯m going to¡ªI¡¯m going to¡ªI¡¯m going to¡ª!! Something was so terribly right about this that she didn¡¯t question her own disorienting change in perspective as her mind wheeled and whirled. Stephanie wasn¡¯t being mentally consumed by pink flames anymore¡ªshe¡¯d transitioned instead to become the pink fire, burning bright and alive and voracious, insatiable. She let out a moan as she hurried to chase after that final ridge of sensation, to race after this incredible feeling he was guiding her towards, to¡ª


    ¡°Bri-Briaaan!¡± Stephanie grabbed at his shoulders and bucked as hard as she could. Her movement mashed her clitoral hood up against him from one direction and then the next, back and forth so that her sensitive nub rolled beneath the pressing pad of his fingertip. She came hard, and in an altogether different way than she had before¡ªa smaller, somehow slapping climax that rushed through her without warning all at once. Rather than building up with inexorable momentum like an unstoppable forest fire like when Brian had gone down on her, or the sordid tsunami she¡¯d ridden out while tapping her senses into Emily¡¯s big moment last night, this new one had arrived as suddenly and surprising as stepping on a landmine.


    Or, or jumping off a cliff? Stephanie thought to herself in euphoric delirium. Racing up over a ridge and jumping off. Then. Landing on a landmine.


    Rather than the awe-inspiring fireworks finale orgasm, this was simply an explosive prelude, a quick cum from fingering to fully whet her appetite for what was to come. It felt good. It felt great, and Stephanie loved it. She loved everything about this¡ªhow mind-blowingly amazing it felt, that she was sharing this with Brian, how deliciously dirty it made her feel, she loved that there was so much to experience still yet to come¡ªshe loved everything about it.


    ¡°Mmmm!!! Mm-Mmmm¡ªMmmnnn!!!¡± Stephanie squeaked out, relishing every tingly little shudder and quake that traveled down her legs in pleasure pangs. ¡°Brian, I¡­ I...¡±


    I love you I love you I NEED you I love this I want this I NEED this please show me more give me more I want more of you I want you INSIDE OF ME!


    Unable to properly form what she felt into words, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rewarded him with sloppy, languid kisses, stopping only to grin at him and giggle before returning to suckle his lip and taste his tongue and groan with inarticulate contentment.


    ¡°Brian, I¡ª¡± Stephanie licked her lips, ¡°I want it. Want you. I want it inside of me. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian¡¯s voice was husky and low, and Stephanie¡¯s charm sense hurried to inform her of the urgency of his growing desire.


    Oh¡ªOh, right! Stephanie remembered Brian¡¯s penis trapped between them with a sheepish startled jerk of surprise.


    Releasing the fistfuls of comforter she didn¡¯t even remember latching onto, both of her hands scrambled to regain her hold on his handsome dick. It was still there¡ªof course it was¡ªand Stephanie looked up into Brian¡¯s eyes with a giddy, embarrassed, excited smile as she cradled the massive thing in both of her hands. With her left she gripped the base of his shaft, still more meaty dick filled her right, he was warm and so thick as she enthusiastically pumped it up and down, somewhat clumsily beating Brian off between them.


    ¡°Am I¡ªI¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m not doing this right, am I?¡± Stephanie stammered out with a nervous laugh.


    ¡°What?¡± Brian asked in a distracted tone, pushing himself up to lift his body higher up off of her and give her more room.


    More pangs of intense attraction traveled through her as she watched the musculature of his arms and shoulders, and Stephanie gnawed on her lip. She was messy with sweat and arousal and now she felt more than a little embarrassed as she continued trying to jerk off her boyfriend for the first time. Only her anchoring sense of Brian¡¯s emotions steadied her and kept her from becoming uneasy. Perplexingly, his massive well of desire was still there, neither continuing to grow nor beginning to abate.


    ¡°Am I not doing it right?¡± Stephanie asked again.


    ¡°It feels good,¡± Brian gave her a reassuring kiss. ¡°There¡¯s no right or wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡ªyou know,¡± Stephanie gave him an unsure grin, studying his eyes. ¡°I want it to be really good.¡±


    ¡°It does feel really good,¡± Brian promised, kissing her again.


    He wasn¡¯t lying¡ªand that made her feel all the more puzzled as she returned his kiss with all the attention she could muster. She wanted him to feel¡­ more than good, and more than really good, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to express that, or how much would even ever be enough. I want him to¡­ cum. Want to make him cum. I think?


    The idea of stroking him off until he spurted out sticky warm strands of semen all over her was so salacious and exhilarating that Stephanie¡¯s hands began to move faster and faster. Remembering the way he¡¯d came yesterday¡ªcame and came and came, shooting pearly-white ejaculate out seemingly endlessly¡ªimagining him doing that but now and all over her, painting her body with his cum¡­ It became an inspiring impetus that worked her mind into a fervid frenzy, and Stephanie¡¯s hands jacked him off in a blur of motion.


    It¡¯s working¡ªIT¡¯S WORKING! Stephanie realized, flashing an amazed smile up at him. Even without her awareness of his emotions she could tell that it was working in the way his eyes grew hazy, the way his breath accelerated, and the growing tension in the posture of his body that hovered over hers.


    ¡°Wait wait, one sec¡ª¡± Brain murmured, taking her by the wrist and stopping her.


    Then, he reached down past her hands to cup her glistening sex once again.


    What? No, no, no fair¡ª! Stephanie thought in frustration, unable to keep from bucking her hips and grinding herself against his palm.


    To her surprise, that was all he did, and she blinked in confusion as he then ran that hand along the length of his penis and then pressed himself back into her hands.


    Oh. OH! Stephanie felt her entire body flushing with heat as she realized what he¡¯d done.


    His magnificent cock was lubricated now, because he¡¯d slathered the shaft with the syrupy wetness of her own desire. It should have been weird, or maybe mortifying, but instead Stephanie found herself fascinated by how much better it was coaxing her hands up and down him now. It made a huge difference! Her sense of Brian¡¯s arousal grew heavily-laden with formless pressure, he let out a soft groan that tickled her fancy and ways she¡¯d never imagined, and he even jerked his hips, rocking himself back and forth in her hands even as she stroked him.


    Oh my God! Stephanie grinned in amazement. He¡¯s fucking me. Well. My hands. Not FUCKING me fucking me. Yet. Just yet. But, this is what it will be like, this is THE MOTION of it, and, and¡ª!


    The power of him thrusting forward startled her, and Stephanie abandoned her attempts to jack him off and simply held them in place. Brian slid in and out of them, pressed up past them until warm, slippery cockhead was nuzzling insistently against her bare tummy in a tantalizing way. Feeling his ball sack swaying to slap against the outside of her one hand, experiencing his primal, frenzied need both in her head and in her hands, Stephanie felt overcome by the moment. She spread her thighs open even wider beneath him, and carefully pressed him down a little lower, guiding the swollen tip of his manhood downward towards her slick entrance. Towards where she knew it could fill that desperate, aching emptiness inside her and join their bodies together in perfect pleasure.


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Brian froze, attempting to shake himself out of a growing stupor. ¡°Fuck, wait. Condom, Steph.¡±


    ¡°Condom,¡± Stephanie agreed, but she felt absolutely delirious with frantic lust and somehow wasn¡¯t able to stop herself from orienting his cock lower and lower. Condom. Right. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s something that we need to use. Even Kelly said so. Common sense to use a condom. Condom sense?


    ¡°Condom,¡± Brian repeated, actually having to flinch back from her as Stephanie managed to tease the enormity of his rigid protrusion across the eager secretions wetting her pussy lips. ¡°Wait, wait wait Steph¡ªwe need a condom!¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Dreamscape Geography

    ¡°Awesome, okay, awesome!¡± Emily leaned over the quick illustration Rebecca had doodled into her phone. ¡°Is all of this to scale?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Rebecca pondered. ¡°Kinda? I don¡¯t have a real frame of reference, Emmie.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯cool! This is plenty to work with, for now!¡± Emily praised. ¡°Okay, everyone¡ªgather ¡®round! This is gonna be¡­ uhhh, I guess our first official harem party meeting?¡±


    Rebecca dutifully clapped her hands in a small round of polite applause.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be here,¡± Megan said as she clapped along. ¡°Actually, am I allowed to be part of the meeting? If I¡¯m not part of the harem?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emily said. ¡°You¡¯re our control case, we need you here. If all of us are being like, hypnotized or brainwashed or affected or whatever by harem charm magic, how would we be able to tell? We need you here to speak up if you think our thinking is skewed, help give us an outside perspective.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m actually useful?!¡± Megan sounded shocked. ¡°...And, how brainwashed are we talking, here?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t gonna be an official harem party meeting,¡± Kelly argued. ¡°Not without Steph.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ okay, fair,¡± Emily conceded. ¡°We¡¯ll have our first official meeting later, when she can be here for it. I mean, we need to agree on a cool team name and everything, we¡¯ll do that then. When everyone¡¯s present.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to have a team name,¡± Kelly flatly rejected, visibly cringing at the idea.


    ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t even heard my ideas, yet!¡± Emily pouted.


    ¡°Um-um-um,¡± Rebecca raised a hand. ¡°Motion to table any and all team naming discussion for that later meeting!¡±


    ¡°Okay, motion passed,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do that, then. After all, Steph might have ideas, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not actually how motions work,¡± Megan spoke up. ¡°In parliamentary procedure, a proposed motion needs to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Objection!¡± Emily interjected, slapping her hands on the chaise lounger.


    ¡°I¡¯m just sayin¡¯¡ª¡± Megan shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s whatever!¡± Emily groused, rolling her eyes and letting out a dramatic sigh. ¡°Anyways, time to talk shop. Dreamscape Geography 101! Dreamscape geography; fact or fiction? Dreamscape geography, a metaphor for interpersonal relationships?¡±


    A smart phone with a hastily drawn up map sat on the end of one of the chaise lounges for sunbathing arrayed alongside the patio of the hotel¡¯s fenced in pool area. Emily straddled the lounger with the cardboard box and small pile of things hastily collected from the room at her back, while Rebecca and Megan sat on their knees to either side of the piece of outdoor furniture so that they could huddle close. Only Kelly was keeping to herself, relaxing back instead on the adjacent lounger and glancing over in amusement.


    As a group, they had waffled for a moment on whether or not to head over to the convention ahead of Brian and Stephanie, finally deciding unanimously to wait on their friends. What exactly those two were getting up to in there had become an animated discussion before Rebecca started chiding them for it, but there were still plenty of other interesting topics for the girls to explore before delving back into the distractions of AnimeCon itself over at the convention center.


    ¡°Rebecca either is this forest, or she explores the forest,¡± Emily began. ¡°Accurate so far?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rebecca gave her a serious nod. ¡°I feel that the forest represents me, but also it exists as something I can navigate. It¡¯s very dreamlike.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily used her finger to pan across the image. ¡°Zig-zagging throughout the forest is a blue river¡ªthat¡¯s me. I¡¯m blue. And a river. My being threaded throughout the forest¡ªthroughout Rebecca¡ªwould seem to indicate how close we are. Or, that we¡¯re intertwined somehow, ¡®cause we¡¯re good friends. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Rebecca nodded again. ¡°Good friends!¡±


    ¡°Now, you just kinda drew me as kind of a scribble¡ªin the dreamscape, is there any solid indication of where my water originates or terminates?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Rebecca closed her eyes for a moment and furrowed her brow as she seemed to search deep inside herself for answers. ¡°No? Not that I can tell. You do definitely flow in a direction... but in the dream state, that doesn¡¯t translate to mean anything, really. When I follow the path of the river, there is no beginning or end¡ªbut, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re in a loop, either.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah¡ªvery dream-like, so far,¡± Emily said. ¡°How big a river would you say I am?¡±


    ¡°Not big!¡± Rebecca reported, wincing when she saw Emily¡¯s expression fall. ¡°Err, that is, I mean¡ªnot huge. Normal-sized, for a river? Too big to jump across, but not so big that I couldn¡¯t throw something to the other side.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m small enough that I could throw something to the other side?!¡± Emily appeared aghast. ¡°That¡¯s like, barely even a river! Am I just a creek?!¡±


    ¡°Well, no. You couldn¡¯t throw something across, silly,¡± Rebecca gave her a helpless smile. ¡°I¡¯m really good at throwing things!¡±


    ¡°...I really hate you, sometimes,¡± Emily facepalmed.


    ¡°But I love you, Emily!¡± Rebecca protested in a sweet little voice.


    ¡°Moving on, the for-sure fixed feature we have is Kelly, way over here.¡±


    Emily zoomed in on the edge of Rebecca¡¯s scribbled-in trees to where she¡¯d drawn what looked like a small volcano. While the simple forest of trees were done in the color brown and the river drawn in blue, the entire crater had been illustrated in bright red.


    ¡°How big is Kelly, in this?¡± Emily asked. ¡°Is this to scale?


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°It¡¯s not clear.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you throw something across her?¡± Emily retorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rebecca replied after a moment of thought.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emily asked. ¡°Actually try it, try throwing something over her.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, no,¡± Rebecca shook her head in confusion. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that. It¡¯s a dreamy sort of thing. Even when I¡¯m there I¡¯m not completely there.¡±


    ¡°Could you jump across her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s at least kinda big.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Reply hazy.¡±


    ¡°Since you can obviously also jump so freakishly far.¡±


    ¡°Reply hazy. Ask again later.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca, you drew her way over here off to the side¡ªam I right in assuming that your forest does not surround Kelly¡¯s crater?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right,¡± Rebecca answered after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Kelly¡¯s crater feature is adjacent to the forest, but not within or inside the forest itself.¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Emily probed. ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to add?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a crater, for one,¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just the bit in the dead center of it. The crater, it¡¯s¡­ stuff around me, but it isn¡¯t me. Stuff displaced by my impact. I feel like it also represents... I dunno, keeping you and Rebecca at arm¡¯s length right now.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense!¡± Emily said, flicking back through the app¡¯s draw tools so that she could paint bucket the color of the crater to a neutral gray. With a few quick taps, she switched back to red and scribbled some red in the center. ¡°Rebecca, what¡¯s the crater boundary like for the forest? And, is the river separated from the crater by forest, or is there interaction?¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Rebecca said, closing her eyes and retreating into herself to focus on the dreamscape again. ¡°Uhhm. It¡¯s complicated? Kelly¡ªyou said earlier that your representation was starfall?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, it was stars,¡± Kelly clarified slowly. ¡°I think my initially... keeping myself aloof, holding myself back from getting closer to people, that represented me being out in space. Alone. Then, I got drawn into stuff, this orbit¡­ and I couldn¡¯t escape, came crashing down.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you were stars, plural?¡± Emily tapped her lip. ¡°But now, you¡¯re just one fallen star?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know, Emily,¡± Kelly said in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s like a dream. It doesn¡¯t always make consistent sense, alright?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Rebecca mused thoughtfully, closing her eyes in concentration. ¡°Kelly, I feel like¡­ you¡¯re definitely still keeping yourself apart from Emily and I. Dream-speaking, at least. The displaced... earth? Material? From your impact is still very raw, and my forest doesn¡¯t encroach upon your direct surroundings. That may change as we grow closer? Maybe?


    ¡°Likewise, this crater caldera formed around you creates an uplifted rim of displaced material¡ªEmily¡¯s ¡®river¡¯ isn¡¯t able to flow into the impact basin and fill it with water. Or, maybe she can? I don¡¯t know, she goes downhill and uphill, Emily¡¯s Emily, she doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense. I can feel that there¡¯s a place for her there, in the basin. If we take the dreamscape geography as a metaphor for our interpersonal relationships¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ what, I¡¯d flow into Kelly¡¯s direct surrounding space because I¡¯m¡­ impressionable?¡± Emily made a face. ¡°I¡¯m not that impressionable. Right?¡±


    ¡°It could also mean you¡¯ll fill in something I lack,¡± Kelly guessed. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to become close. Maybe I¡¯m the impressionable one?¡±


    ¡°Seems¡­ doubtful.¡± Emily quirked her lip. ¡°Wait wait, do you think that or do you know that? From your¡­ prophecy thingamawhatzit.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Kelly said.


    ¡°Aggh, whaddya mean, maybe?¡± Emily groaned. ¡°You don¡¯t like, have to be super cryptic about that stuff. Just lay it out, whatever you know.¡±


    ¡°Okay, listen¡ªmy life¡¯s fucked,¡± Kelly revealed. ¡°Out of options, burned all my bridges, got into some bad shit and fucked everything up. Brian offered to¡­ try to help me. Set me up at his place for a bit, maybe... talk your mother into mentoring me somehow, or something.¡±


    ¡°Whooooa fuck,¡± Emily¡¯s hands shot to her temples. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re moving in with Brian? You guys want Mom to¡­ holy shit. Holy shit. I mean, yeah that¡¯s brilliant, but¡ªwhy didn¡¯t anyone bring this up earlier?!¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Kelly frowned, looked down at the surfacing of the pool area. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s weird. Weird and I don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t like really relying on people, or taking handouts, or forcing myself into your life or anything like that. Super uncomfortable. They kinda just sorta talked me into it somehow, last night.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯d say you¡¯re acting out of character to how you¡¯d normally be?¡± Megan jumped in. ¡°Like you were maybe influenced or affected by something?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± Kelly fidgeted. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªI don¡¯t know. It was like, back then before, whether or not I was right about everything was... more important than what was actually going on? Or something. I can¡¯t fuckin¡¯ explain it. Don¡¯t even want to. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Emily¡¯s Mom is very nice,¡± Rebecca assured Kelly. ¡°I think she¡¯d be a great mentor figure for you, and, whatever¡¯s going on, she¡¯ll be able to help you get somewhere. For sure. She¡¯s helped me tons and tons!¡±


    ¡°She did?¡± Emily blinked. ¡°What? How?¡±


    ¡°Is it true that she¡¯s an actress?¡± Kelly questioned. ¡°That she played Hannah Hudson on Criminal Lives?¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Yep, that¡¯s her,¡± Emily made a face. ¡°Hate that show, could never ever stand to watch her in it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too good at acting? I guess?¡± Emily threw her hands up in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s like, you see her all your life as Mom, and then you see her one day on TV, and she¡¯s someone else. She¡¯s not Mom, she¡¯s in love with some guy who¡¯s not Dad, she¡¯s this whole other gross person but wearing my mother¡¯s face. Traipsing around in her body. Unnatural. It¡¯s like¡ªthanks, I hate it!¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kelly remarked.


    ¡°I do see Emily¡¯s perspective,¡± Rebecca murmured. ¡°But at the same time, I think that just makes me admire Mrs. Emily¡¯s Mom¡¯s dedication to her craft even more. She¡¯s really amazing when she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I hate it!¡± Emily said again, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Why are you referring to her as Mrs. Emily¡¯s Mom?¡± Kelly arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s who she is,¡± Rebecca blinked. ¡°She¡¯s Mrs. Emily¡¯s Mom.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Criminal Lives like that old cop show?¡± Megan interjected. ¡°The soap opera thing?¡±


    ¡°It was a TV drama, not a soap opera,¡± Emily sighed. ¡°But, yeah, yeppers, that¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool¡­¡± Megan mouthed. ¡°She¡¯s your mom? You do kinda look like her!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, except without her good looks and great figure,¡± Emily scowled. ¡°But, otherwise? Yeah, totally!¡±


    ¡°No, I meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re hot, Emily,¡± Kelly said, creating an awkward moment of silence.


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily floundered. ¡°Thanks, I think? Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, would you have thought she was hot before, or is this a new thing?¡± Megan inquired.


    ¡°I was bi before, but no,¡± Kelly answered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have thought of her as my type. More and more though, it¡¯s like I can see myself being really open to¡­ you know. More types. Petite little Latina bitches with cute faces and dirty minds.¡±


    ¡°Uhhhhh¡ª¡± Emily looked mildly alarmed.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± Rebecca covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. ¡°Goodness Gyratos!¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s a magic charm thing! Right?¡± Megan turned from girl to girl for support. ¡°Totally has to be. Right?!¡±


    ¡°I think so, yeah,¡± Kelly said, eyeing Emily carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not like, against it, though.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be, that¡¯s the point,¡± Emily countered. ¡°That¡¯s how brainwashing works.¡±


    ¡°Could be?¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t buy into that stuff too much, though. I mean, I almost flipped out on Brian yesterday when we were having pizza. We¡¯d argued about stuff earlier, too, I even bailed on them a bit to go take care of some of my own stuff instead. Don¡¯t feel super compelled by some magic power or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°You do, though,¡± Emily argued. ¡°You totally do feel compelled. I mean, the whole overpowering attraction thing. That¡¯s a compulsion right there. You say you almost flipped out on Brian¡ªmaybe back before, the old you would have flipped out him. Well? Would you have?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kelly paused to consider it. ¡°I dunno? Steph was there, too, so I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stephie¡¯s super duper fucking charmed,¡± Emily shot back. ¡°Like, head over heels. Eyeballs deep. Pink hearts in her eyes, the whole shebang. C¡¯mon. When I brought up that maybe we were getting mind-controlled or whatever, she was like ¡®that¡¯s fine. This is fine.¡¯ Thought that being charmed was still way better than going back to how she was before.¡±


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but also¡ªthat¡¯s valid for her,¡± Kelly said. ¡°She¡¯s right to say that either way. You never saw her on Friday, back before her hair turned pink. She was totally different, was this... super-shy little fucking blonde girl with a really bad stutter and a crippling case of social anxiety.¡±


    ¡°Her stutter wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Megan huffed. ¡°I¡¯ve known her for longer than any of you¡ªI¡¯m her best friend!¡±


    ¡°Nah, it was really bad, sorry,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°And, friends? You were like, her only friend, I saw her address book in her phone¡ªthere were like five entries total.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re, we¡¯re working on that!¡± Megan blustered. ¡°I got her to come to the convention, I got her to cosplay! She¡¯s not that shy, she just needs¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªShe just needs a little bit of magic in her life, and some support¡ªyeah, that¡¯s us¡ªwho love her and want the best for her,¡± Kelly interrupted. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Her stutter wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Megan insisted, crossing her meaty arms.


    ¡°Kelly are you arguing in favor of us getting charmed?¡± Emily questioned. ¡°Because if that isn¡¯t indicating brainwashed bias already for you, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck it, then. Yes, I am,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Like I said, my life¡¯s all kinds of fucked. You know what Brian said when I laid it all out for him? He said it was like I was heading towards a bad end. He was fucking right. I was. Am I supposed to see living this charmed life instead as some kind of bad thing? For any of us? Steph¡¯s so much better off with Brian, I¡¯m better off with Brian, what about you, Emily? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll be better off with Brian¡ªwith us?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhhhh, shit,¡± Emily flailed her arms and spun to face Megan. ¡°Control, control case! Control, tell us why being mind-controlled harem slaves is bad!¡±


    ¡°Being mind-controlled harem slaves is bad!¡± Megan called out.


    ¡°No no, like tell us why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emmie, I don¡¯t think you have to worry so much about it,¡± Rebecca pointed out with a sleepy smile. ¡°Look at you¡ªyour hair¡¯s just as blue as Kelly¡¯s is red and Stephanie¡¯s is pink. But, you still have the free will to doubt things, to argue against being a... mind-controlled harem slave.¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but that doesn¡¯t count!¡± Emily pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve been crushing on Brian for forever, obviously I¡¯m totes gonna be his harem slave no matter what. That was always my thing. I was just making a case for you guys, since I¡¯m the brains of this here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Except, you weren¡¯t his harem slave?¡± Kelly countered. ¡°Crush or not, seems to me like you were dicking around getting nowhere at all with Brian¡ª¡®till you got charmed. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhhh,¡± Emily seemed at a loss and abruptly turned to Rebecca. ¡°So yeah anyways, Rebecca I noticed you didn¡¯t draw Stephanie¡¯s fire on the map, was there a reason for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Am I right?¡± Kelly repeated with a smirk.


    ¡°Kelly, be nice,¡± Rebecca scolded. ¡°She was trying¡­ just. Well, she¡¯s very Emily sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªwhat the, what the hell¡¯s that supposed to mean?!¡± Emily exclaimed in a fluster. ¡°Rebecca¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your name, Emily silly!¡± Rebecca explained with a sleepy smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of how to draw Stephanie in, because it never seems like she¡¯s in the same place. She just kind of roams around, always moving. Like a wildfire. She¡¯s not as big as the forest, but she has a lot of intensity, the same way Kelly does. I think that may matter more than attributing size in the dreamworld, because¡ª¡±


    ¡°Say that to begin with!¡± Emily jumped to her feet in aggravation. ¡°Here I am trying to figure out what¡¯s even¡ªso you¡¯re saying things rank by intensity in the dreamworld, and Steph¡¯s the intensest?¡±


    ¡°¡®Intensest¡¯ is definitely not a word,¡± Megan chuckled.


    ¡°Neither is ¡®scare-ified,¡¯¡± Emily retorted, sticking out her tongue.


    ¡°Actually, I think ¡®intensest¡¯ is a real word,¡± Kelly added. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm-hmmm¡­¡± Rebecca closed her eyes and fell deep into thought again. ¡°Kelly might be the most intense by a little bit¡ªbut, she has the smallest area. Stephanie¡¯s forest fire is maybe¡­ one tenth of my area, but she¡¯s also very very intense. I have the largest area by far, but absolutely no intensity at all. Emily, your little river is pretty lively, so I¡¯d say¡ª¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emily cocked her head in disbelief and bewilderment. ¡°No, no, that doesn¡¯t make any sense at all. You¡¯re like, by far the most intense person I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Rebecca¡¯s eyes fluttered back open in surprise. ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re¡ªyou know what I mean,¡± Emily made striking gestures. ¡°When you¡¯re in your gung-ho sword valkyrie of death mode. You¡¯re one hundred percent the most¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah!¡± Megan agreed. ¡°Like when you guys were fighting in the hall, Rebecca stormed in and like, threw you aside, slammed that Chloe girl to the ground and had pinned her right away¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rebecca blinked. ¡°I... never even thought to try¡ª¡±


    ¡°Think I might¡¯ve just made a kinda big discovery,¡± Kelly interrupted, clawing a brush through her hair and then examining the tines. ¡°This stuff doesn¡¯t come out.¡±


    ¡°What doesn¡¯t come out?¡± Emily asked. ¡°The color? Or the hair itself?¡±


    ¡°The hair itself,¡± Kelly answered. ¡°Look, watch...¡±


    The scene girl carefully portioned out an almost invisible single strand of brilliant red hair, twirled it around her fingers like dental floss, and then pulled it taut. The gathering of girls watched with interest as the hair pinched the skin of her fingers at the applied tension. The single strand refused to break, even after Kelly¡¯s hands began to tremble from the amount of force she was trying to use.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªnothing,¡± Kelly said, staring intently at the hair. ¡°Pretty sure we can¡¯t separate even a single hair of the new color stuff from our heads. Emily, there¡¯s a little disposable lighter in my purse somewhere, can you¡ª¡±


    ¡°On it!¡± Emily chirped, lunging forward to unzip the purse.


    After a quick moment of rifling through jumbled cosmetics and junk, Emily found the lighter. She flicked it in her hand until a little flame appeared, and Rebecca let out a small noise at the sight.


    ¡°Well, fuck me,¡± Kelly murmured, holding out a strand of bright red hair to the open flame of the lighter. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Do you know the one thing that makes hair completely fireproof?¡± Kelly smirked, glancing at Emily.


    ¡°Uhhh. I don¡¯t¡­ think so?¡±


    Kelly moved the lit lighter back and forth, drawing the flame across the hair, but there was no result. The single strand remained an unflinching persistent line even when held continuously through the little tongue of flame. When she released it, the hair swayed back down to join her other locks of red.


    ¡°Me either,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It all burns. Hell, wet hair held up to a flame like this will still burn up in a split-second. Even the thickest human hair is like, one five-hundredth of an inch wide, so there¡¯s no way it can stand up to open flame, like¡­ ever.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Emily asked, stunned. ¡°Could it be the lighter¡¯s just not¡­ hot enough, or something?


    ¡°Hell if I know?¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t explain why I can¡¯t snap a hair with my fingers then, now does it? Wish we had a pair of scissors. Hey, maybe it¡¯s just the red¡ªyou want to see if your blue burns?¡±


    ¡°Kinda?¡± Emily looked uncertain. ¡°But, also kinda not? Like what if my thing is waterproof hair instead since I¡¯m blue and water? We like, don¡¯t even know if the special color hair even grows normally anymore or whatever. For all I know I could be stuck with damaged hair for forever.¡±


    ¡°I bet you¡¯d just rub in Brian¡¯s cum like shampoo, since it¡¯s all magic,¡± Kelly suggested with a smirk. ¡°Right? Really lather it in there, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªKelly?¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s voice startled all of them, and all four girls twisted over to see Stephanie across the pool area from them, leaning partway out of Brian¡¯s hotel room door. The tufts of her pink hair were askance, she was blushing furiously, and a slight sheen of sweat was visible on her pale skin.


    ¡°Kelly, um¡ªcan we see you for a moment?¡± Stephanie sounded incredibly embarrassed. ¡°If you¡¯re not busy? Is your purse out here?¡±


    ¡°My purse? Yeah¡ªhere,¡± Kelly called back, grabbing her purse and rising up off the lounger. Keeping her cool always came easy to Kelly, but an excuse¡ªany fucking excuse¡ªto escape these girls and this awkward and meandering conversation came as an enormous relief.


    Kelly was thoroughly adapted towards fighting upwards in a social hierarchy, and this different group dynamic was making her feel directionless, amorphous. Uncertain as to just how the fuck to express her own persona in the absence of all the scene clique social pressures that shaped her temperament in the first place. She couldn¡¯t jeopardize things with her usual aggressive antagonism, because things were different. There was no reason to constantly assert her presence in conversation here, and more than once Kelly found herself forcibly reining herself in and lapsing into silence. There was no real need to establish herself as baddest bitch.


    It was a strange feeling.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Kelly asked, crossing the pool area and letting herself out through the surrounding courtyard gate to meet Stephanie at the door to Brian¡¯s room. ¡°What do you guys need?¡±


    ¡°We, um. I think I¡­ gave you back that condom that you gave me, last night. To use,¡± Stephanie said in a small voice, her face flushed red. So, I was wondering if you maybe had any other ones¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Kelly remembered. ¡°Yeah, sorry¡ªwasn¡¯t even thinking about this when I needed one last night! Here, here.¡±


    Embarrassed herself at her own lapse¡ªshe¡¯d been completely desperate for dick in the heat of the moment and simply demanded Stephanie grab her a condom from somewhere¡ªKelly snapped open her purse and hurriedly rummaged for the familiar packet shapes. There turned out to be two remaining, still connected to each other along one edge. Two rubbers left, and there¡¯s two of us girls here¡­ no, NO. This is Steph¡¯s moment. Gotta let her have this. Especially after Emily and I hogged all the Brian last night.


    Stephanie opened the door wider and stepped back, ushering Kelly into the room. Obliging her by following after, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but notice Brian laying on the bed with only a sheet draped over his midsection. The ambiguous scene conjured all sorts of sordid imaginings about what he and Stephanie had been getting up to, and Kelly couldn¡¯t help but give Stephanie another look. Dressed in only that nightshirt from the previous night¡ªthe one that Stephanie definitely hadn¡¯t been wearing earlier and had probably been hurriedly shrugged on mere moments ago¡ªStephanie gave her a shy look in return.


    ¡°Take ¡®em both,¡± Kelly pressed the condom packets into Stephanie¡¯s hands. ¡°You guys might need them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Stephanie said with a weak smile. ¡°And¡ªsorry again.¡±


    ¡°No, totally my bad,¡± Kelly fought the urge to nose in and make some suggestive remark or sneak another leering peek over at Brian. She was feeling incredibly antsy, right now. ¡°You guys... doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been so...¡± Stephanie paused beside the doorway, quirking her head and searching Kelly¡¯s expression. ¡°Kelly? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± Kelly assured her. ¡°Have lots of fun with Brian. Give him some kisses for me, alright?¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie frowned. ¡°You¡¯re¡ªanxious?¡±


    ¡°No? Anxious?¡± Kelly blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not anxiou¡ªwait a minute, you can do your thing from a distance, now?!¡±


    ¡°Kind of?¡± Stephanie gave her a worried look. ¡°A little bit? Just little hints and traces, it¡¯s like following smoke to a fire. Kelly¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡ªfuck,¡± Kelly made a face.


    She¡¯d never considered how troubling Stephanie¡¯s magical power could turn out to be¡ª Kelly hadn¡¯t realized exactly why she was anxious until Stephanie pointed it out. Once it got pointed out, that made her focus in on exploring the errant feeling, which only made her feel even more tense and uneasy, because she hadn¡¯t had a chance to broach some of these sensitive topics with Stephanie yet.


    ¡°Was just¡ªI really wanted to check on you. I guess,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Was getting a little jealous. I mean, I know you wanted to be alone with Brian for this, and it¡¯s totally your turn for some action, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not jealous¡ªI can tell,¡± Stephanie asked, raising a hand to gently trace Kelly¡¯s brow. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh. Okay, yeah,¡± Kelly felt a pang of relief at not having to explain herself. ¡°Please. Go for it.¡±


    After only a moment¡¯s uncertain hesitation, Kelly latched onto that elusive sentiment her future self had dangled in front of her¡ªthe sense of fond familiarity, the longing ache of total love she felt for Stephanie. Kelly opened herself up, and Stephanie poured in. It was the blinding pink brilliance daybreak within her mind all of the sudden, and Stephanie¡¯s beaming brightness seemed to light up every dark corner and illuminate every hidden recess of Kelly¡¯s brain. The sensation of pink fire flooding her mindscape and intruding into very private portions of her mind would have had her recoiling in shock at the sheer spectacle of it, but not anymore¡ªthis was her Stephanie.


    ¡°Kelly!¡± Stephanie exclaimed with a surprised breath, looking at Kelly in amazement. ¡°Um. Your feelings for me, they¡¯re¡­ um. Your feelings for me are really, really strong. It seems like, anyways. Did... did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... in love with you,¡± Kelly confessed in terror. Fuck me, I just came out and said it. Blurted it out. After giving them the whole fucking ¡®NAH, I DON¡¯T DO LOVE¡¯ spiel like, yesterday. Fuck fuck fuck, FUUUUCK.


    ¡°It, um, it has to do with my power,¡± Kelly quickly added. ¡°Yeah, I have a power too now, sorta. But, it¡¯s not even because of the power, really. I just¡ªStephanie, I love you. I¡¯m in love with you.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter that Kelly was able to keep most of her composure, because Stephanie was still connected to her, in under her skin and beneath any facade she could put up. Tapping directly into Kelly¡¯s emotions right from the source. The mortified feeling, the wash of guilt and fear, that spike of terrible anxiousness that threatened to bring her to tears in this moment¡ªKelly knew that Stephanie was reading them all.


    Jesus, and two fucking days ago, SHE was the stammering mess, The absurdity of their reversal of roles really beggared belief, and Kelly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry thinking about it. No, not a reversal. We equalized, somehow? I was just SO goddamn proud that I knew what was what. Even when that was putting me on a path towards porn where I was for sure gonna wind up back getting trashed every day on whatever substances there were to abuse, and now it¡¯s like¡­ I gave away that excess confidence to Stephanie, and now we¡¯re both¡­ it¡¯s...


    ¡°Kelly, it¡¯s okay!¡± Stephanie rewarded her with a huge smile. ¡°I love you too! I¡¯m¡ªyou¡¯re, you¡¯re, you¡¯ve made me so happy with this! I love you!¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Kelly asked, feeling dumbfounded. ¡°Really?¡±


    She mentally reeled as her sense of that pink fire expanded again and again and again to fill everything in sight with fiery emotion,almost if Stephanie was resolute on confirming all of those feelings to her. In response, that metallic meteorite in the center of Kelly¡¯s mindscape was practically vibrating, so red-hot with searing joy that the crater walls about her began to glow and liquefy into magma.


    I love her. She loves me. I love her and she loves me. We love each other, Kelly¡¯s mind raced with jubilation. This is love.


    It felt like more than just a major accomplishment and a personal milestone for them, it felt to Kelly like she was on the cusp of another grand epiphany.


    I helped give Steph some of my confidence, Kelly thought as she captured the shorter Stephanie in a crushing hug. But just now, when she gave it BACK to me¡ªit was MORE. Just from her having held it, from having been a part of it. Like, I was always skeptical of the whole ¡®two people being more than the sum of their parts¡¯ stuff, but¡­ it¡¯s real, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s love. I¡¯m totally, hopelessly in love. And maybe not even just with Stephanie...


    To his credit, Brian appeared only surprised and concerned by Kelly¡¯s sudden outburst of emotion.


    ¡°Sorry, Brian,¡± Kelly laughed, giving him a guilty glance over Stephanie¡¯s shoulder as she wiped tears with the edge of her hand. ¡°Randomly interrupting like this, when you guys¡¯re tryin¡¯ to... you know. I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡±


    Feeling more flustered and elated and giddy all at once than she remembered ever experiencing, Kelly gave Stephanie one last squeeze and then released her, turning to make her escape. She didn¡¯t get anywhere at all. As Kelly felt herself being tugged to a stop she realized that Stephanie had taken her by both of her wrists and wasn¡¯t letting her go anywhere.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Stephanie looked up at her with a sweet smile of adoration. ¡°Kelly baby. Why don¡¯t you¡­ won¡¯t you please stay with us and help? If you want to?¡±


    ¡°Vwaif a mwinute!¡± Emily abruptly stood up. ¡°Vwhe twotally¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full, Emily,¡± Rebecca reminded her friend in an absent-minded tone. ¡°Eating etiquette is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Vwhe twoh¡ª¡± Emily quickly swallowed her mouthful of food, ¡°¡ªshe totally went in there with them, and then they closed the door! They¡¯re gonna be in there all banging together, without us!¡±


    ¡°No no no, you stay. Sit!¡± Rebecca instructed, guiding Emily back to the poolside lounger before the little Latina could attempt to rush over to the hotel room door. ¡°They¡¯re having a thing. A moment? You don¡¯t want to interrupt, it feels like it could be important!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just in there having sex without me!¡± Emily pouted, dropping heavily back down onto her seat. ¡°I want to have sex. I haven¡¯t gotten laid properly in hours!¡±


    ¡°...Hours?¡± Megan regarded her with wide eyes. ¡°Like, you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy, dearie,¡± Rebecca teased her, dotingly patting Emily on the head. ¡°There¡¯s this big Kelly and Stephanie commotion in the dreamscape. I think they¡¯re having a thing.¡±


    Rather than immediately return to their discussion after Stephanie interrupted them to call for Kelly, Emily had remembered the food cartons¡ªor rather, Emily¡¯s tummy growling had reminded them of breakfast. The three girls had placed the take-out cartons on the foot of the lounger, distributed wrapped plastic cutlery, and popped open the styrofoam containers so that they could dig in. Kelly had been gone for less than a minute, and Emily thought it¡¯d be funny if after just turning away for that one moment, Kelly would come back to find them all just casually having breakfast without her all the sudden.


    ¡°I want to have a thing too, though,¡± Emily playfully griped, stabbing her fork so that it stood up in her eggs and taking up her coffee again. ¡°I wanna have all the things!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re having a thing?¡± Megan asked Rebecca, taking a sip of hot cocoa to clear her throat. ¡°What does ¡®having a thing¡¯ look like, in your dream thingie?¡±


    ¡°Welllll,¡± Rebecca mused, making a thoughtful gesture with her fork. ¡°I suppose kind of like they¡¯re making a volcano?¡±


    ¡°A volcano?!¡± Emily nearly spit out her drink. ¡°They¡¯re making a volcano together, and without me?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very prettiful!¡± Rebecca nodded cheerfully. ¡°With all the pink and red erupting out together. They¡¯re¡ªoh. Oh. Oh, my.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Emily demanded. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re¡ªoh, oh my goodness,¡± Rebecca commented, raising a hand to cover up a small grin. ¡°They¡¯re¡ªit¡¯s nothing, Emily. Eat your food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going over there,¡± Emily decided, standing up again.


    ¡°You sit your hiney right back down, young lady!¡± Rebecca gestured in mock anger with her utensil. ¡°They¡¯re having a moment, and I don¡¯t want you going and wrecking it!¡±


    ¡°I want to have a moment, too!¡± Emily protested in exasperation, plunking herself down again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna wreck anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Ummm, what kind of moment are we referring to?!¡± Megan giggled. ¡°Like, a scene fades to black sorta moment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a bit more colorful than that, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Rebecca said with a sly laugh. ¡°They¡¯re¡ªoh. Oh, goodness!¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just messing with me, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Emily growled. ¡°Aggh, just you wait. Soon as I figure out whatever the hell my magic charm power is, I¡¯m gonna use it to play pranks on you. See how you like it.¡±


    ¡°You were going to do that anyways,¡± Rebecca pointed out.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡ª¡± Emily paused. ¡°Wait. Wait a minute. Do you think you can help me figure out what the fuck my charm power is?¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Show and Tell, Round Four

    Kelly was entranced watching Stephanie excitedly draw both arms up to peel off the nightshirt. As the girl¡¯s garment was removed, she felt her eyes lingering on the bare skin that was revealed, the plush pale contours, and then traveling up the graceful curve of the girl¡¯s arching back. Before she could even savor the sight, Stephanie was already moving on, bouncing over to join Brian on the bed. The pink-haired cutie hurried to flip back that bit of bedsheet that preserved Brian¡¯s modesty, and his giant dick bobbed back and forth. Magnificent manhood¡ªthick, fully erect, and flushed with ardent color.


    Stephanie, this¡­


    Stephanie wrapped her thumb and forefinger around its base and then turned to look back over her shoulder at Kelly with an expectant grin, as though she was simply excited to share this amazing discovery. There was an innocent energy that Stephanie brought to the bedroom, an energetic zeal that even managed to fill Kelly with eager excitement simply on Stephanie¡¯s behalf. Along with many other much more complicated feelings.


    You¡¯re so... BEAUTIFUL! Arrgh! Kelly yanked her own shirt up and carelessly tossed it aside. I just want to¡­ I just want to¡­!


    It wasn¡¯t something she could articulate into words, an experience so novel that she refused to entertain it with a cliched expression like I¡¯ve never felt this way before. It was vexing, it was wonder and awe, it was a brilliant pink flame that illuminated etching scars of yearning across Kelly¡¯s psyche that had been all but invisible before. Melancholic throbs of infatuation traveled through her in pangs at the mere sight of Stephanie¡¯s excited smile. The simple perfection of Stephanie¡¯s beaming happiness now elicited a stifling sense of frustration and lovesickness that were completely new to Kelly. Fuuuck me do I have it bad. What does a person even DO with feelings like this?!


    Kelly¡¯s attention naturally wasn¡¯t limited to just Stephanie, either.


    As Brian stroked through Stephanie¡¯s pink tresses and then continued to play his fingers down the girl¡¯s neck and along her back, he looked every bit the picturesque gentle and doting boyfriend¡ªtender and endlessly compassionate. Kelly hadn¡¯t exactly expected Brian to fumble around feeling Stephanie up or grope and manhandle her in a rough way, but confirming Stephanie was being treated with proper affection still came as an enormous relief. Kelly watched as Stephanie lowered her fluffy pink head down into Brian¡¯s lap to try putting her lips on a cock for the first time, pleased to find Brian¡¯s first reaction was to gently brush the girl¡¯s bangs out of her eyes.


    With how indescribably important Stephanie was to her right now, Kelly was more than just touched that Brian seemed so adept at reading the unspoken mood and treating her Stephanie so romantically¡ªKelly felt moved. His significance in this couldn¡¯t be understated, because he was at the heart of it all, the center, the fulcrum from which Stephanie and Kelly revolved in this decadent dance of personal transformation. Stephanie¡¯s eyes were now bright with confidence and pink with raw lustful sexuality, and Kelly burned red with newfound appreciation for the underpinning love that tied them all together. Their having exchanged positions with one another over the course of the weekend filled everything with meaning to Kelly, amazed her with a heightened context that was completely fascinating.


    But then seeing her wiggle her butt back and forth like that brings me right back to so fucking turned on that I can¡¯t even function, Kelly thought, kicking her way free of her pants as she observed the pair of lovers in a dreamlike daze. Fuuuuck me. I just want to bury my face in her pretty pink pussy and gobble her up forever and ever.


    Stephanie looked up at Brian for reassurance, and then tried lowering her head down into his lap to take him into her mouth again. Kelly fidgeted as she watched Brian trace his fingertips over Stephanie¡¯s naked shoulders, because he was displaying more self-control than she felt right now. He was encouraging but not pressuring Stephanie, and that really meant something. Kelly¡¯s first time couldn¡¯t have been more different.


    Okay, okay, Brian, Kelly thought in exasperation. ¡®Nother point in your favor.


    Thinking back on the conversation they¡¯d had Friday night, Brian didn¡¯t seem like he was being dishonest or coddling Stephanie by holding himself back right now. Rather, he was patiently pacing himself because that was an honest part of him. He was treating Stephanie with love as the girl explored her first real foray into sex. That care and control¡ªthat was just a major part of who he was. They were qualities that had never held any importance to Kelly before, but seemed to quickly be rising in value now.


    Fuck. I¡¯m kinda in love with Brian too, aren¡¯t I? Kelly mused as she climbed up onto the bed after them. Like¡ªI TRUST him. Not even just with putting myself in his hands, because I¡¯m a fuckup and even if things go south I can deal. I trust him WITH STEPHANIE.


    That was a big deal.


    ¡°Hey there, Kell,¡± Brian greeted her with a half-smile.


    ¡°Hey there, handsome,¡± Kelly winked at him.


    She settled down and made herself comfortable beside Stephanie, with each of them partway draped over one of Brian¡¯s thighs so that they had easy access to this show¡¯s centerpiece¡ªthat magnificent dick of his. The moment it was right there in her face again Kelly had to fight from giving in again, because the urge to impose herself between Brian and Stephanie so that she could lavish that cock with attention was overpowering.


    ¡°I wanted Kelly to be with us for¡­ for my first time,¡± Stephanie admitted sheepishly, giving the tip of his penis a doting kiss, suckling it between her lips, and playing her tongue across it. Kelly couldn¡¯t help but wet her lips as she watched. ¡°I hope that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡ªmmm¡ªyou know no one can say no to you, Steph,¡± Brian teased, running his hands through her pink hair again.


    ¡°Am I¡ªam I being selfish?!¡± Stephanie smiled, smacking yet another wet kiss atop his crown.


    ¡°Steph¡­¡± Brian¡¯s voice had a husky, sexual quality to it. ¡°I love it when you¡¯re selfish¡ª I want you to show us just how selfish you can be¡­ and what you want to be selfish for.¡±


    ¡°I want you,¡± Stephanie declared, taking him into her mouth partway, closing her lips around him and stroking him with languid bobs of her head so that the flare of his crown kept popping in and out of her mouth.


    Kelly felt such a brief, conflicting flash of jealousy that it was like whiplash¡ªdirected at both Brian¡¯s dick that she wanted to steal away from Stephanie, and then in the other direction at this adorable Stephanie that she wanted to keep all to herself. Speechless, Kelly nuzzled in closer to them both, taking comfort in the fact that they¡¯d both chosen to include her in this. At that her tiny tangle of tension seemed to dissolve, wicking away to be consumed by the growing ardour of combined affection and arousal that tickled its way down her tummy towards her pussy.


    ¡°Ohhh fuck Steph, that feels amazing,¡± Brian breathed, reaching out to grab the back of her head but stopping himself and instead grasping a fistful of comforter.


    ¡°She¡¯s a natural!¡± Kelly gloated, flashing a grin and feeling a little more proud than she probably should have. ¡°Can I... hey, can I help?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Stephanie thoughtfully hummed with Brian¡¯s cockhead still in her mouth, glancing at Kelly with a mischievous look¡ªas though debating whether or not she wanted to share her new toy after all.


    Geez, Steph¡­ Fantastical fantasies of Stephanie sexually dominating her flicked throughout the redness clouding Kelly¡¯s mind for a startling moment, and Kelly did a mental double-take at herself in surprise.


    Uhhhh wait what?


    ¡°Okay!¡± Stephanie agreed in a playful, matter-of-fact tone. As if to say of course I¡¯ll share with you, silly! I love you and want you to have everything! Her mouth was already upon Brian again, but her lovely blue eyes seemed to speak volumes.


    Breathing out a strange sigh of relief, Kelly reached in to assist, grasping Brian¡¯s dick in her hand. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel again at his size, because he was big enough for Steph to have fingers around him at his base and part of him in her mouth and there was still plenty of real estate left for Kelly. Hell, if I don¡¯t mind crowding in a li¡¯l bit, I can probably get BOTH of my hands on him here.


    ¡°Brian... your dick is stupid big,¡± Kelly commented with a restless sigh, giving him a firm squeeze and then carefully pumping her grip up and down until she was stroking him off right into Stephanie¡¯s mouth. ¡°Like¡­ fuck, man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big,¡± Brian protested.


    As if prompted by Kelly¡¯s motions, Stephanie started hesitantly attempting to also slide her finger and thumb that were around him up and down, giving Kelly her first opportunity to provide some insight.


    ¡°Wrap around him tighter, way tighter,¡± Kelly advised, adjusting the ring Stephanie was making with her fingers more firmly around Brian¡¯s circumference.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Stephanie paused to inhale after taking her mouth off of Brian¡¯s dick, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s not, I¡¯m not holding it too hard? I don¡¯t want to hurt him...¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re totally fine,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°That feels great.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to these things, it can never be too tight or too wet,¡± Kelly whispered, arranging Stephanie¡¯s full hand on Brian¡¯s manhood and ensuring she was grabbing it with some amount of force. ¡°Liiiiike this!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hurting you?¡± Stephanie asked again, looking up at Brian with an unsure smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurting me,¡± Brian promised, stroking her cheek.


    With tentative, shy little motions at first, and then with steadily increasing confidence, Stephanie watched the sight of her own hand moving up and down to jack Brian off as though it was hypnotizing her.


    Feeling rather beguiled herself, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but lean in and capture the girl¡¯s lips, and in no time at all the two girls were turned towards each other and heatedly making out, savoring and celebrating this sexy moment with a passionate kiss. Kelly¡¯s hand joined Stephanie¡¯s on Brian¡¯s dick, and after a brief awkward moment they managed to work out a great rhythm together. The wet sounds of their sloppy kisses, the faint fapping noise of them beating Brian off, and his increasingly unsteady breathing began to fill their dimly-lit hotel room.


    ¡°Ohhh fuckk,¡± Brian gasped, straining not to jerk his hips.


    ¡°He liiikes it,¡± Kelly drawled, giving Stephanie one last peck on the cheek. ¡°He¡¯s getting close.¡±


    With new enthusiasm, Stephanie swallowed the tip of Brian¡¯s dick that was exposed by their hands, and Kelly forcibly slowed the movement of their wrists so that they weren¡¯t energetically bashing Stephanie in the nose with the frenzied motion of their pumping.


    ¡°Steph¡ªStephhh,¡± Brian groaned, and a quiver went through his body as he approached orgasm.


    ¡°Stephie Sunshine,¡± Kelly warned in a soft voice. ¡°He¡¯s gonna cum. Do you want him to cum in your mouth?¡±


    Stephanie hurried to disengage, grinning at them in surprise. She then stared for a long distracted moment, spellbound, at the strand of saliva that connected her lip to the newfound object of her affections. ¡°Um, um, I don¡¯t know! ...Do I?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Kelly challenged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°Which way is best? It doesn¡¯t¡ªI mean, the thought doesn¡¯t bother me, at all. But... will he still be able to¡­ you know? Afterward?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Brian was still straining to regain his wits. ¡°I think I can maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°After what we saw last night? Um, probably?¡± Kelly darted in to lap the gossamer of wetness trailing from Stephanie¡¯s lip into her own mouth¡ªand then drawing that into a surprisingly sordid exchange with Stephanie, a kiss of muffled gasps and shivers, of tongue and saliva playing into and across each other. Mmmm-mmm-mmmm¡­


    ¡°I mean,¡± Kelly stopped to catch her breath. ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­?¡± Stephanie panted.


    ¡°Actually, we might have to get him off first. Before you try riding him,¡± Kelly said in a husky voice, giving that dangerous penis a sidelong glance. ¡°Like... you saw how much fuckin¡¯ cum he nuts out. If we don¡¯t get him to cream out a big sudsy load first¡ªor maybe a load or two¡ªhe¡¯ll totally fill that condom the whole way up. Like a water balloon or something. Round.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s not that much,¡± Brian said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating a bit.¡±


    ¡°You like, doused me yesterday,¡± Kelly countered. ¡°And then pumped like, gallons into Emily an hour or two right after that. It was a lot.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t gallons,¡± Brian sputtered. ¡°Geez. It¡­ had just been a while. Since I¡¯d, you know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, that backed up, were you?¡± Kelly teased, playfully arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°Not that much came out that second time with Emily,¡± Brian said defensively. ¡°There wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± Kelly asked, sharing an incredulous look with Stephanie. Both girls burst into giddy laughter at remembering the veritable pool of warm spunk.


    ¡°¡ªThere wasn¡¯t even like, any mess on the comforter when we were done!¡± Brian finished. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that much.¡±


    Steph and I were like, snuffling our faces in it like piglets together. Gobbling and slurping up every little bit we could find like junkies. Yeah, and the rest either got absorbed by our bodies while we were fucking, or disappeared into thin air, or something. Because he has some kind of magic cum.


    ¡°There was¡­ quite a bit of it,¡± Stephanie decided with a wry smile, her face completely red. ¡°As the um, the neutral third party for that¡ª¡±


    ¡°See? See?!¡± Kelly laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you!¡± Brian said with a good-natured smile, shaking his head. ¡°I could¡­ maybe probably go a couple times right now? I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s up with my, uh, refractory period, this weekend. It¡¯s like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like you could just fuck and fuck and fuck us nonstop?¡± Kelly supplied in a helpful¡ªor maybe hopeful¡ªvoice.


    ¡°Well geez, there¡¯s no need to be crass,¡± Brian rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need to be crass!¡± Stephanie echoed with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°Stephanie?!¡± Kelly¡¯s mouth fell open at the unexpected betrayal. ¡°What the actual fu¡ªwhose side are you fucking on, here?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Stephanie giggled and rocked on the bed so that her shoulder bumped into Kelly¡¯s. ¡°I was just kidding! I¡¯m having¡ªthis is just so much fun, with you two. This is perfect. I love this!¡±


    ¡°Ergh, you little bitch!¡± Kelly exclaimed, rising up on one elbow so that she could reach back and slap a hand firmly on Stephanie¡¯s nearest ass cheek.


    ¡°Eek!¡± Stephanie squeaked.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, huh?¡± Kelly asked in mock disbelief. She left her hand where it had landed, cupping and squeezing that delectable ass cheek. ¡°Maaybe it¡¯s Brian that¡¯s gotten into you? Or maybe ¡®cause he¡¯s about to be, soon?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªumm,¡± Stephanie squirmed and wriggled at the enthusiastic attention on her buttocks.


    To their surprise, Brian¡¯s dick jolted at Kelly¡¯s words, giving a provocative twitch that drew their attention, turned both their heads and caused them to break into shared laughter once again.


    What... the fuck, Kelly leaned in and devoured his dick, slobbering attention all over his cockhead while Stephanie began jerking her hand up and down his length this time. It¡¯s like we¡¯re both getting high off of this. How is this so fucking great?


    Sex, even great sex, had always fallen into a certain range of different moods for Kelly. Lazy, languid, almost bored sex. Angry sex where they weren¡¯t partners, where they were instead individuals were selfishly hate-fucking each other. Then there was also urgent sex¡ªlike last night. This is just getting to be¡­ FUN sex? Just Steph and I, giddy with excitement and having a blast with Brian? I mean, I¡¯ve fucked while high before, used to do it all the time. But, it never had THIS kind of feeling.


    It¡¯s too¡­ happy? Kelly wrestled Stephanie¡¯s hand out of the way so that she could sink down deeper on Brian¡¯s cock, guiding his length deep into her throat.


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Stephanie seemed awed and impressed at seeing Kelly¡¯s skill up so close, and even that had Kelly feeling great. ¡°How on earth do you¡­?!¡±


    The whole entire experience was too weirdly happy, with beaming smiles and delighted kisses and taking honest exuberant joy at each other¡¯s performance¡ªjust feeling genuinely thrilled and pleased with each other. Giggling, having a great time, Kelly felt sure they were just inches away from either starting to make drunken silly faces at each other or swooning and confessing their love.


    Is this mood coming about from how weirdly in tune with each other right now? Is it a magic charm thing? Or is it, like¡ª Kelly coiled her tongue around Brian¡¯s shaft as best she could and pressed down on him, feeling the head of his dick just barely easing in and out of her frantically constricting throat. Because there actually IS this love here, maybe we¡¯re really¡ªfuck, gotta pay attention¡­


    Focusing on dampening her own gag reflex for several twinging lunges of her head, she finally managed to relax and take him in deep, possibly deeper than she¡¯d ever taken something before. Fuuuck me he¡¯s so fucking thick...


    ¡°Kelly¡ªoh my God!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, tapping Kelly¡¯s shoulder in alarm.


    Satisfied with her effort, Kelly gingerly withdrew, pulling up and back to release what felt like miles and miles of cock that had completely stuffed her throat. She let out a small cough and sputtered spit down her chin when she finally got him the whole way back out. Then Stephanie was there for her, rubbing her back in a supportive way and comforting her with proud little kisses.


    Whoa¡­


    ¡°Kelly are you okay?!¡± Stephanie fretted. Not even waiting for an answer, Stephanie showered her with more little smacking kisses, even scooping up and stealing the thick strand of saliva Kelly had released.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Kelly murmured with a weak smile. ¡°Sorry. I swear, I was doing that better yesterday. It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Stephanie promised with a kiss. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re¡ªI love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Kelly promised, tilting her head for another kiss¡ª she just couldn¡¯t get enough of Stephanie¡¯s kisses right now. Maybe she¡¯d never ever be able to get enough of them.


    The softness of her lips, the wetness of them, the eager reciprocation, the cute little noises of pleasure she could sometimes win out of Steph, the pinkness of her lover¡¯s uncertain but increasingly¡ªsurprisingly¡ªbold little tongue, the raw desire that transmitted between them like the energy current of a live wire jolting them with emotional stimulation¡ªKelly could never, ever get enough of it. From the way Stephanie responded, she was convinced over and over again that Stephanie couldn¡¯t get enough, either.


    She was still kissing Stephanie when she felt Stephanie stir on the bed, readjusting herself to lift her naked hips up a bit so that a hand could creep down towards¡ª


    ¡°Mmm, no no no, Steph,¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me take care of that? You play with Brian, and you¡¯ll have him all the dick to yourself, and I¡¯ll play with you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Stephanie breathed, looking at Kelly with dazed eyes. ¡°Y-you¡¯re sure? I¡¯m¡ªKelly, I¡¯m really wet¡­¡±


    ¡°How wet?¡± Kelly teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m really wet,¡± Stephanie confessed with a pleading look, almost trembling with how horny she had become. ¡°I¡¯m wet. So wet. Kelly baby¡­ please¡­?¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Sending it Back

    Rocking back to sit on her heels behind Stephanie, Kelly showed a wide smile in sheer appreciation of the incredible view. Right in front of her, Stephanie was rising up onto her hands and knees, arching the lovely line of her back to present her luscious ass. It was a submissive posture, accentuated by the timid smile Stephanie wore when she peeked back over her shoulder towards Kelly. Stephanie was definitely wet, and not just a little bit, either¡ªher pussy was practically sopping. The sight of the girl¡¯s shy little snatch as it steadily oozed with lubricant and the comely way the shape of her thighs rose to meet it was spellbinding, and¡ªKelly blinked rapidly in confusion as an uncanny sense of deja vu gripped her.


    Wait. What? Kelly thought in a slight daze.


    Distracted once again by how inviting the glistening lips of that pussy looked, Kelly lowered herself in close, placing both hands upon either side of Stephanie¡¯s butt. She wet her lips as she squeezed, appreciating the plush curvature, and let her fingertips trace a smooth outline across those supple cheeks before gently parting them. The blushing slit just between and below them slowly blossomed open with a small wet sound at the motion to reveal pretty pink folds. Kelly inhaled deeply through her nose¡ªStephanie¡¯s musky scent was pure aphrodisiac to her, the heady smell of her sex amped up the excitement already filling the air and seemed to welcome Kelly to freely indulge in her basest desires.


    Has this¡­? Kelly tried to concentrate, but the elusive inkling seemed to waver in and out of her focus as she struggled to make the connection. Isn¡¯t this...?


    Putting the errant thought out of her mind, Kelly instead nuzzled her face right into the sensual heat of Stephanie¡¯s soaked pussy. Intent on and eager to prove the sincerity of her feelings, Kelly slowly french-kissed the slippery silken folds, working her lips against Stephanie¡¯s slick labia and pushing her tongue inside her lover, reveling in the naked intimacy of each tactile sensation¡ªthe messy warmth of arousal on Kelly¡¯s nose and cheeks and chin. The first startled exhalation Stephanie released and then each subsequent little squeak and tiny squeal as Kelly gripped Stephanie¡¯s soft thighs and pressed her mouth closer just made her more and more horny.


    Have we already¡­ been here before? Just like this?


    The distant red streak in the sky far above was still nothing more than a tickle in the back of her mind for several long moments as Kelly enthusiastically lapped at the pussy being presented to her. Brian had meanwhile been reclining back beside them and simply enjoying the show, but when he finally roused and started to shift on the bed, the prominent protrusion of his penis standing out immediately captured Kelly¡¯s attention. Before she¡¯d even pulled herself away from Stephanie¡¯s private parts, Kelly reached over to grab Brian¡¯s cock¡ªthen power and motion crackled in the back of her mind, sparks began to fly, and although no one present was in position to notice, red light flickered in the depths of Kelly¡¯s pupils.


    Something big was happening.


    Oh shit. Oh shit. I KNEW this was familiar. This is¡­ THAT moment! Kelly remembered, nearly gaping in surprise. From back then! That random fucking sex fantasy that struck out of nowhere all of the sudden!


    Raw need raced through Kelly in shaky tremors at the realization, and she pounced partway over Stephanie¡¯s naked bottom to capture all of that criminally unattended cock into her mouth before Brian could get the rest of the way up. There was just too much here to appreciate all at once! Kelly was compelled to grope across his rugged abdominal contours with her free hand as she grasped for support, one of her breasts dangling freely between them while the other was squashed up against Stephanie.


    It wasn¡¯t just my imagination, back then. Kelly fought to deliberate through the overpowering red haze of lust that was enveloping her mind. Wasn¡¯t some stray perverted thought or flight of fancy, was it? It was an activation. Of my charm¡ªpower¡ªwhatever. Thing.


    Some future Kelly living out this moment had sent back this specific scene of debauchery using her charm power thing. It was a trick. A pied-piper song, the promise of improbable kinky sex to lead that old Kelly by the nose into the hotel room with Brian and Stephanie. Sort of. The one she sent wasn¡¯t EXACTLY the same as this. Steph was still wearing panties at the start of that one¡ªhere she already had them off. Brian was sitting positioned a little differently. But, it¡¯s still right here and now, it was still this same basic moment. From some timeline or another.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Brian exclaimed, grabbing at Kelly¡¯s shoulder for balance. ¡°Kelly¡ªholy fuck¡ª¡±


    It wasn¡¯t some subconscious accidental fluke that swayed my choice. It was some future me back then¡ªand now it¡¯s come around to MY turn, right here and now. Because now I know JUST what I have to dangle back in time to lure the Kelly of two days ago into all of this and bring us all together. And¡­ yeah, I have to. I absolutely have to make sure it happens.


    She wouldn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t¡ªlet any of them escape this threesome that had started to feel like less of a possibility and more of an inevitability. It completely needed to happen, and although Brian and Stephanie had been performing admirably thus far, she refused to let either of them hesitate on this for even another single instant. Kelly could feel the weighty draw of her send singularity spiralling ever closer¡ªshe needed them to fuck, needed their nude bodies thrusting against one another in a tantalizing trifecta, humping and wrestling each other in an orgiastic tangle fucking crushing press of flesh. They needed to fuck and fuck and fuck, to lose themselves in rough, completely out of control sex.


    For more reasons than just to bait past Kelly in with this, Kelly¡¯s mind whirled with red light. For¡­ every fucking reason. Everything about this weekend, everything feels like it leads to this. It has to fucking happen!


    After all, it was something she¡¯d promised Stephanie back on Friday night.


    Kelly took the perverse shape of Brian¡¯s rigid dick in hand and steadily jerked him off, guiding him in close to their bodies, even tapping the crown of that girthy slab upon Stephanie¡¯s offered butt in meaty slaps. The motion elicited tiny sounds of excitement from the trembling pink-haired girl, and Stephanie twisted to give them both an open-mouthed expression of thrilled surprise, practically panting with delight as her eyes fell on the dick spattering dewy droplets of precum spattering across her own bare skin.


    ¡°Briannn,¡± Stephanie pleaded. ¡°Kelly baby¡ªplease!¡±


    Losing herself again into that lust-induced trance, Kelly drew both of her lovers close, slinking and sliding her body down lower so that she could alternate between lapping greedily at the nectar of Stephanie¡¯s blushing honeypot and sloppily blowing the meaty cock she worked in her hand. There was also that nagging compulsion that there was something important she was supposed to do, though.


    Something specific, and her muddled attention turned high up above herself in her mindscape to the black expanse dotted with stars up above. There was a weird dreamy, ethereal quality to that night sky right now, and as she searched within herself there¡ªthere was the presence of another Kelly. A different Kelly, the old Kelly was seemingly still up there, shooting on by out in space all on her own like a passing comet.


    The... fuck? Kelly understood very little about actual astronomy, and even less about the potential implications here. Is that¡ªis this¡ªis she REAL, though? Or just some kinda trick of the light, like how distant starlight takes all those eons of travel to become visible to us? A half-forgotten phantom lingering around to haunt me.


    She felt real.


    In fact, the more she zeroed in on that Kelly, the more uncomfortable she became. Though she continued to swap between eagerly going down on Stephanie and vigorously fellating Brian, Kelly¡¯s emotional state fell into a feedback loop for several disorienting moments. Feeling both her current and past self simultaneously was... unsettling, paradoxical, and in her dreamscape, the fallen meteorite that was planted snugly in the cradle of its crater caldera was starting to shake, vibrating through some strange force of magnetism. Resonating, maybe, in response to the Kelly from the past that was somehow up there in space passing by far overhead.


    One moment Kelly was attempting to choke herself on the length of Brian¡¯s enormous dick, and then the next she lunged in the other direction to softly moan into the wet folds of Stephanie¡¯s quivering pink twat with crazed kisses and haphazard licking stabs of her tongue. It was a dizzying back and forth, as if completely torn and unable to choose between her two prizes, because they were both oh-so succulent and enticing and saturated her brain with throbbing red light. Kelly twisting back and forth in increasingly short intervals. She crammed as much of Brian¡¯s erection into her mouth as she could, slobbering Stephanie¡¯s secretions and her own saliva up and down that glorious shaft, then switched back to relish that incredible pussy¡ªeach savory dish perfectly complemented the other.


    Uhhh yeah okay right. RIGHT. Here we go.


    As it turned out, attempting to engage with her distant past self was less like calling out with a message, and more like zooming in at extremes through a metaphorical telescope. The past in its entirety could only be likened to space. It fell away from her fast, it was really, really fucking big and expansive, and all the individual little moments within were tiny beyond compare. It seemed like any little shift, any tiny lapse in her concentration would lose her specific spot tracking this past Kelly¡¯s trajectory, and then she¡¯d never be able to find her again.


    Fuck fuck fuck. Okay¡­ I¡¯ve hopefully¡­ got you? Locked in? Connected?


    This intrusion into her past self on the extreme periphery of her senses was crazy¡ªshe was already almost a stranger to Kelly. It had been Friday night, back when she knew next to nothing about Brian and Stephanie. The irreplaceable positions they held in her heart here and now were just emptiness over there on that side. A bleak, barren, and silent void, the vacuum of emotional nothingness because of the way past Kelly rebuffed anyone and everyone from getting close to her.


    Confronting that emptiness again hurt.


    They were only a few days removed from each other, but she was such a drastically different Kelly¡ªa cocky scene chick, casually chilling against the wall of the convention center hallway. Aloof and detached from the situation, as always. The girl had been wavering back and forth, weighing the merit of Brian¡¯s offer for her to room with them.


    Sure, yeah he was cute, but he also kinda put off these lame harmless beta guy vibes¡ªthe realistic part of her doubted he would even wind up getting anywhere with the stuttery weeb girl who was crushing on him. Let alone satisfy Kelly¡¯s needs. He¡¯d probably cum in his pants before she could even get them off of him, and that would be that! Although, on the other hand... Kelly also didn¡¯t really want to crash out here in public sprawled out in the hallway overnight. It was a tough call to make.


    Brian isn¡¯t some toothless fucking beta male dude¡ªhe just needs a hand to help him climb up out of his pit of fucking suffering! the present Kelly couldn¡¯t help but fume at her past mindset. And, Steph isn¡¯t some shy fucking little nobody girl¡ªshe¡¯s, she¡¯s EVERYTHING you oblivious fucking ignorant pretentious scene cuntwaffle! Argh!


    The current Kelly wanted to reject this, to shudder with revulsion at how cold and alone and utterly unfamiliar this particular past Kelly felt by force of contrast. A large part of her wanted to just not bother intervening at all, to bid this old Kelly good riddance and just leave the bitch to her own devices.


    No¡­ no, that wouldn¡¯t be fair, Kelly furrowed her brows as she attempted to shove her tongue between Stephanie¡¯s pussy lips in deep probing stabs. There was no fucking way vagina was supposed to taste this incredible, and as she suckled up every bit of flavor she could she feared it might be addictive. Oh. Uh. Yeah, wouldn¡¯t be fair, not with me basically getting handed this good karma here from that future Kelly. Not passing it on in turn would be¡­ bad. Right?


    There was just so much Kelly wanted to convey to her past self, but so frustrating little that she knew prior Kelly would get. She¡¯d simply wanted a hook up back then, her past self wasn¡¯t interested in or open to any complications or development whatsoever, and would have laughed in the face of salvation.


    Goddamn fucking IDIOT.


    Kelly¡¯s fallen star had long since become firmly embedded in the earth, but now it was trembling as if it would break free, and her impact area was glowing red magma in the heat of this moment. She was delving deeper and deeper inside Stephanie¡¯s delicious tight little pussy with enthusiastic slurps of exploring tongue when that fervor of unhinged and uncontrollable lust started to redshift again and completely pushed out all coherent thought. Kelly switched, trailing a strand of saliva as she turned and slid her mouth around the warm thickness of Brian¡¯s dick, bobbing her head and hollowing her cheeks with suction.


    Pursing and then puckering her lips, Kelly locked her brandy-brown eyes with Brian and released inch after inch of his penis with a slow, provocative movement until his engorged cockhead popped free of her mouth with a smacking smooch. The heady smell of sex pervaded the air, and in no time at all the room filled with lewd squelching sounds, Brian¡¯s ragged breathing and Stephanie¡¯s mewling little whimpers of ecstasy, and the occasional fleshy slap of Brian¡¯s meat spanking against Stephanie¡¯s ass cheek whenever Kelly needed to gasp for breath.


    It was just about time¡ªKelly really couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, and judging from appearances, her partners had been pushed to the absolute brink. Steph¡¯s legs were involuntarily shaking with raw desire, and the imminent need for release pulsed through Brian¡¯s tremendous cock. They were both close, so close! She¡¯d done everything she could, and even the tiniest bit more would push them over the edge and be too much. Kelly pointed the head of Brian¡¯s dick right into the slippery cleft of Stephanie¡¯s slit so that the tip ever-so-slightly parted those flushed lips and withdrew.


    Oblivious to the fluid smeared down across her own chin, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but immediately start frigging herself, fingertips frantically flickering over her own reddened clit that had been positively pining for attention. She came almost right away and in twitching jerks¡ªshe might as well have been rapidly toggling a lightswitch for all the strobing flashes of blinding light that rocked through her mind.


    That didn¡¯t stop her, however, and she continued to strum a wet mess of herself as she lost her balance and abruptly fell back on the bed beside Brian and Stephanie. Something about this scene was so completely and utterly captivating, waiting with bated breath for that first momentous stroke to plunge into Stephanie. Kelly had done everything she could to work them up¡ªand more¡ªand now as she furiously masturbated even the anticipation itself was getting her off.


    Will they try to fight this-this-this point of fucking no return?! She wanted to watch that first momentous stroke plunge into Stephanie, she needed to be here witnessing it happen. All it should take from Brian was a single glance down at that glistening pussy and the dangling string of wetness right in front of that poised penis. All he had to do was push forward ever so slightly, and that eager glimmering pink orifice would gladly swallow up every bit of that dick. Stephanie, after all, was trembling with need, just a tiny twitch away from spasming into uncontrollable orgasm herself.


    Are they still capable of putting up resistance, or are they just helpless, prisoners to this passion, longing for that incredible thing to plunge deep into¡ª?!! A series of tiny climaxes shuddered through Kelly like turbulence, and she felt her jaw go slack and one of her eyelids droop as all cognizance fell away and she drifted into a dizzying dreamlike stupor.


    The personal significance of this moment she was sharing with Brian and Stephanie blurred and bled into feeding the insatiable red within her, and her awareness of the situation seemed to deepen, senses stretching out in all directions until she felt almost painfully overextended. Her subconscious blundered on, grasping at the intangible stretches of elapsing time and carefully collecting and consolidating them into the cherished moments she needed to share.


    Finally, when a not-quite-all-there Kelly imagined she had gathered up all of intended concepts with her nebulous spectral fingers, she as a result had somehow gotten a complete¡ªwell, something. The something was less than a whole moment, maybe, but definitely more than just a memory, and it burned with power and energy like she was clutching a newborn star. It was some indescribable thing she¡¯d taken firm hold of that immediately made her waking mind realize she was completely out of her depth and had no idea what to actually do with it.


    I¡ªhave no fucking idea how to send memories back in time to the other me! It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s too much! Searing bright supercharged reds grew too hot for Kelly to behold as magic and emotion melded together into scintillating plasma that threatened to overwhelm her. The temperature grew obscene, the glare of light rose to blinding incandescence, and the thrum of oscillating vibration from before took on a dangerous pitch, red phasing and transforming and flickering between states.


    Uhhh fuck oh fuck oh fuck! How the fucking fuck fuck did future me DO this?! Kelly thought, beginning to panic as the impossibly brilliant starstuff of captured memories began to deform outwards as if it was about to explode. The moment, this entire short sequence of sexy events captured by her charm power to send¡ªsimply could not be contained, and Kelly mentally scrambled to find a safe way to release it before it melted her brain. No, no no no, shit, fuck! I¡¯m losing it!


    There isn¡¯t any time! Kelly¡¯s thoughts fizzled and crackled into distortion.


    She knew she needed to immediately shunt the detonating moment off to some aimless fucking anywhere, heedless of the consequences! Taking a deep breath¡ªKelly fired. The condensed starstuff blasted upwards towards the fleeting shape of her past self in a beam-like pillar of pure red brilliance. Sweaty but satisfied with her expended effort, Kelly sagged back onto the sheets, looking on with an adoring gaze of worship right as Brian pushed forward, thrusting into Stephanie.


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Taking Stephanie

    The moment he slid into her, the thoughts and concerns turning over in Brian¡¯s head evaporated, vaporizing into forgotten steam in the face of an intense pink heat. Stephanie let out a small sound and seemed to shiver, and all at once he realized that his thighs and groin were pressed up flush against her soft skin¡ªhe was all the way in, completely embedded inside of her. Brian blinked in dazed wonder, unable to process his thoughts for a moment, and let his gaze wander up her naked back in appreciation.


    ¡°You... okay?¡± Brian asked, forcing himself still. To say it was difficult to think would be a massive understatement.


    ¡°What?¡± Stephanie asked in a confused and somehow distant voice.


    ¡°Does it hurt? Are you okay?¡± Brian tried to keep the worry out of his voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a much. Lot. Very,¡± Stephanie babbled, and it took Brian a moment of deliberating to make sure he was hearing her right.


    ¡°It¡¯s so much,¡± Stephanie clarified with a tiny laugh, taking a breath. ¡°You¡¯re very¡ªbig. It¡¯s a lot. Gimme... one second.¡±


    ¡°Am I hurting you?¡± Brian frowned. There was nothing flattering about being told he was big if he was too big, because then¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Stephanie squeaked. ¡°It was just. Uncomfortable? But, in a really really good way. I¡¯m really fine now, I think!¡±


    ¡°Uncomfortable... in a good way?¡± Brian repeated, trying not to sound like he doubted the contradiction she presented. Stephanie was definitely stretched tight around him, and the sheer engulfing constriction on his manhood was positively strangling. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a great idea. We could¡¯ve... I dunno, worked up to her taking me in all at once or something, we could¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± Stephanie promised. ¡°I¡¯m good. Just needed to, um. To adjust, and... now I think everything¡¯s perfect. Everything¡¯s perfect¡ªI love you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian paused. ¡°I love you. You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ I think so,¡± Stephanie sounded thoughtful. With a slow, careful movement she wiggled her hips back and forth, and because he was firmly trapped inside of her, his body moved with her. The action seemed to delight her, however, because the little giggle that followed seemed to travel through her body into his and their intimate connection seemed to deepen somehow. ¡°I think so! Yeah, yes. I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m ready, I¡¯m so ready.¡±


    There was a weirdly pleasant moment of vertigo when Stephanie turned to glance back and give him a beautiful excited grin, as if he was feeling her turn himself. The room spun a little, and it was like he could feel every tiny bounce over her dangling breasts and her shifting the weight of her hands on the bedspread traveling directly through her body to transfer into his.


    As gingerly as he could, Brian started to ease his way back out of Stephanie¡¯s perfect pink pussy. It was more difficult than he imagined¡ªthe tightness of her slippery walls seemed to squeeze down on him as if intent on literally wringing his cum out of him. Frighteningly enough, they nearly did. He pulled almost the entire way out of her, and then without hesitation immediately pushed back in, sinking home into that perfect fit again.


    ¡°AuhhhmmmhhHhh¡ª!¡± Stephanie exhaled, her fluffy pink hair bouncing as she bucked beneath the force of his thrust. ¡°Brian oh my God!¡±


    The motion felt so good that for a moment Brian felt like he was experiencing psychedelic pink flashes of light, and he nearly toppled over onto Stephanie. Steeling his nerves, Brian fought his way back out of Stephanie again and then finally managed to rock his hips in an unsteady rhythm, each time teetering and wavering on the brink of completely losing himself.


    Holy fucking fuck.


    It probably wasn¡¯t the most particularly flattering comparison in his mind, but the sensation of actually driving himself into her was like sinking into soft clay. Pressing in was slick and fluid, with no resistance at all. Withdrawing, however, was monumentally difficult because like trying to pull a stuck boot out of soft clay¡ªStephanie simply wasn¡¯t willing to let go. The slap of flesh and suction squelch sound their intense coupling made was even tugging at the perverse parts of his brain with an overwhelming urge to simply fuck her harder and harder.


    Picking up the pace, Brian slammed himself into Stephanie, relishing every little detail from how messy with wetness she was to the way her body rocked on all fours to the little panting exclamations she made. It would have been easy to forget about Kelly entirely, with her still lying where she¡¯d collapsed on the bed beside them, but the gratitude he felt warranted her more consideration as bits and pieces of half-formed thoughts sparked and collided around his mind.


    Their situation together had taken on unexpected depth after realizing that for all of the effort Kelly had put in, she was intent on assisting them but not joining them, per se. The distinction was subtle but held a lot of significance to him, because it was a display of sheer dedication, resolution to serve them without taking any real action for herself, and it changed the way Brian looked at her.


    The first impression Kelly had made throughout the weekend was that she was cocky, proud, haughty and more than a little self-absorbed. To his surprise, Kelly really wasn¡¯t here for a threesome, she was here just to thoroughly arouse them for each other, and when they were ready¡ªmore than ready¡ªshe withdrew. Seeing her forcibly reign herself in and work so hard simply so that they could have an amazing first time without her was actually pretty meaningful. It definitely made Kelly being here with them when he took Stephanie¡¯s virginity just feel right.


    Her presence bolstered his confidence in another additional way, as well¡ªBrian was feeling very new to the polygamous relationship thing and a stubborn voice in the back of his head insisted that being with one girl was like betraying the others. The sliver of self-doubt first became apparent in his brief time alone with Kelly yesterday, but had been alleviated somewhat when contrasting the time he shared with everyone later that night. It had been like being freed of a shackle, because everyone was there and part of it together, so it wasn¡¯t like cheating at all.


    Naturally, it was impossible for him to elucidate on all of these things and work through them in his head right now however, because every iota of his attention was ensnared in the sensation of fucking Stephanie. Beyond their physical joining¡ªwhich was sheer unbridled bliss¡ªtheir union hit even harder on an emotional level. This wasn¡¯t about the thrill of scoring¡ªthis sex was shared penultimate intimacy, a celebration of what they¡¯d achieved in discovering each other. It was a clear victory within a certain personal struggle he¡¯d been wrestling with.


    The fretful part of him that worried their relationship might be moving too fast had been locked in total war with the impatient part of him that thought it wasn¡¯t moving fast enough. After all, their love was more real than anything he¡¯d ever experienced, so what purpose would hesitating serve? Soon they would have to separate, because the convention weekend was already drawing to a close. For a while at least they would have to go back to where they lived apart from each other, back to their ordinary lives, and it was going to be rough.


    Stephanie is¡­ this is her first time, she¡¯s new at this, Brian struggled to even mentally categorize this moment in this weekend. New at this, but she has a¡­ nnnghh, this HUNGER for it. For more. And yeah, she really brings that hunger out in me, too.


    Unlike in fantasies where the inexperienced virgin girl inexplicably jumps to perform any and all positions and techniques, Stephanie seemed very content to simply hold herself as still as possible on her hands and knees and let Brian fuck her. He felt a little torn on that¡ªpart of him wanted to give her some more encouragement, some positive reinforcement letting her know it was okay to try anything she wanted to do¡ªbut then, the rest of him was also just completely satisfied with fucking her right now like this and in all honesty never ever wanted to stop.


    She felt fucking amazing.


    ¡°Ohhh my God Briannnn¡ª!¡± Stephanie squealed in delight as he pounded into her with more force.


    Sex with Kelly had been exciting because of the sheer physicality she brought to the bedroom¡ªhe may have been fucking her, but she was actively fucking him back, neither submissive nor dominant and instead simply the both of them exerting themselves as much as possible to get each other off. Intercourse with Emily was completely different simply because of their contrast in size¡ªEmily was a full foot shorter than him and had a petite figure. She was tiny, her unusual and possibly suspicious skill at kegel exercises meant she could grip him impossibly tight, and a not insignificant part of him had been worried he might break her. Which was probably part of the dynamic, because Emily was submissive with a naughty rebellious streak¡ªshe begged to be broken. Being with Stephanie right here and now was incredibly new and exciting in a very different way, a different kind of making love than he¡¯d ever had the pleasure of partaking in.


    Down there Stephanie felt... incredible, as if her silky soft crush of compression was intent on capturing the flared crown shape of his cock because Stephanie could grip. Several times as he thrusted he was forced to clamp his hands on Stephanie¡¯s plush rear simply to pull himself back out of her¡ªotherwise, when he rocked his hips back he tugged Stephanie¡¯s entire body back with him.


    Hell, if I was wearing a condom she¡¯d probably pull it right off of my¡ªOHHH FUCK FUCK FUCK!


    ¡°Steph,¡± Brian panted, doing his best to go completely still. His dick twitched on a threatening hair-trigger as if warning him not to dare attempt pulling out. ¡°Steph, Steph¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Hm?¡± Stephanie roused in bleary confusion, turning to look back over her shoulder at him.


    ¡°All of that and we still¡ª¡± Brian almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°¡ªwe stopped and went and got Kelly and we still forgot to get the condom on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Stephanie blurted out, covering her mouth with one hand as her eyes went wide.


    You¡¯re WAY too fucking cute when you actually swear, Brian thought, and his dick throbbing dangerously in agreement.


    ¡°Do we need to¡ªshould we stop?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Are we still okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Didn¡¯t cum or anything yet. We just need to grab one real quick.¡±


    He carefully began to extricate himself, gently taking Stephanie¡¯s perfect buttocks in his hands so that he could push their bodies apart¡ªwhen Stephanie instead followed him, shimmying back and refusing to let him escape. So surprised he lost his balance, Brian fell back off his knees and onto the bed beside Kelly. Stephanie came down atop him, spreading her thighs slightly as did so and taking his dick deeper into herself then he¡¯d thought possible.


    ¡°Mmm¡ªmh!!¡± Stephanie squeaked. ¡°S-sorry! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡ª¡± Brian laughed, struggling to restrain himself as his dick twitched and pulsed again within her. ¡°Yeah I, uh, you¡¯re just so damned tight¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Stephanie giggled, wriggling slightly on top of him but not getting up. ¡°Sorry! Um. Should we¡­ stop and put on a condom?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ yeah, hah. Unless you want to possibly have kids,¡± Brian warned her. It took conscious effort not to grab her by the waist and thrust deep into her, and his hands refused to obey and slid their way up Stephanie¡¯s sensuous hips anyways. Ohhh fuck.


    ¡°I¡­ no, I definitely don¡¯t want to have kids yet,¡± Stephanie murmured after a moment of consideration. ¡°Right? Unless¡­ it¡¯s with you? Brian¡­ you and I would make really cute babies¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhhhhh,¡± Brian mouthed in alarm. He was only now realizing how much peril he was in¡ªboth for the fact that she was entertaining the idea, and because that dulcet sweet voice of hers was making him consider it. He didn¡¯t even know which was more dangerous right now, because maintaining coherent thought at all was a herculean accomplishment in and of itself. ¡°Steph¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... just kidding!¡± Stephanie let out a weak laugh, adjusting her legs so that she was straddling him more comfortably but not pulling up off of him. ¡°Sorry! I thought it would be¡ªis it okay if I tease you like that, sometimes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, uh,¡± Brian swallowed, ¡°a little dangerous right now while you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Stephanie gushed in agreement, undulating on top of him in a way that made his entire body tense up. ¡°Like, it was really scary thinking about it at all, at first. But then, instead now it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s different. Is that¡ªis that weird?!¡±


    ¡°Steph,¡± Brian pleaded in as calm a voice as he could muster. ¡°Steph, put the gun down. Put the gun down, and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, rising up off of him in alarm and letting him slip out of her. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Brian¡ª I¡¯m so sorry. We¡¯ll use a condom! I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Brian assured her with a laugh, recovering his fluids-covered dick that had been momentarily held hostage. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± Stephanie promised with an earnest expression. ¡°Do you want to use a condom?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Brian paused, because his Chloe-honed sense for detecting questions with hidden meanings was nagging in the back of his mind all of the sudden. He decided to play it safe and carefully return her question to her. ¡°Do... you think we should use a condom?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know!¡± Stephanie answered with an uneasy smile. ¡°Maybe? It was, it was um it was really nice just starting off like that without one, and¡­¡±


    ¡°This is kinda what we get for moving so fast with our relationship,¡± Brian said with a wry smile, rising up onto his elbows and pulling Stephanie a little closer. ¡°These are the kinda things we should¡¯ve discussed to death already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stephanie¡¯s expression fell slightly, looking wistful and a little sad and dismayed and frustrated all at once. ¡°Are we okay?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Brian promised, kissing her forehead. ¡°So. Kids?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too sudden!¡± Stephanie said with an unsure look. ¡°Right? Or, I don¡¯t know. The idea of having kids¡ªof becoming a mommy¡ªwow. It honestly never even really occurred to me, and then when it did, it just¡­ it hit really hard? Because. We¡¯re actually doing this. Doing¡­ it. Making love. Having sex. And it¡¯s so amazing. I was thinking, um, my mom had always said that I should never¡­ be with a guy if I wasn¡¯t okay with having his children because there¡¯s always that risk¡ªchance. I mean chance. Risk would be like if I didn¡¯t ever want to have your, um, and I think I do? With you? If you want? Not right now this time, but¡ª¡±


    It was rare for Stephanie to have so much to say all at once, and Brian found that watching the pink-haired cutie blurt things out continuously was strangely enticing. As if he was witnessing glimmers of an older Stephanie¡ªthe Stephanie from way back years ago before her closest friends turned on her and she folded up and retreated deep into herself¡ªcoming back to life. He was too fascinated to interrupt.


    ¡°So, so it¡¯s this thing, it¡¯s this thing and in the back of my mind it always meant never, because like, obviously I¡¯ll never meet a guy like that. But, then I met you and¡ªum, wow. This is just. It¡¯s just¡­ wow. You make me think about sex a lot, all the time, and then I got to thinking about maybe someday in the future what if we had a family together? Living with each other? What if¡­ we were a mommy and daddy together? Not right away! Just, you know¡ªa someday. Someday. And, it¡¯s¡­ the thought of that seems so perfect and amazing that it just, it hit really hard and I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t meant to, to scare you, or freak you out, or¡ª¡±


    Brian leaned in and stole her lips with a mesmerizing kiss, and she beamed happiness and relaxed into him. They suckled and kissed and shared that feeling of solidarity for a long moment before breaking apart again. When they did she looked relieved.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just¡ª¡± Stephanie blushed intensely. ¡°Um um forget I said any of that, I, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not against any of that,¡± Brian said honestly, hoping that his sudden inclination wasn¡¯t a heat-of-the-moment thing he would regret later. ¡°Just. It¡¯s something we need to discuss together. A lot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not against¡­ being together with me like that?¡± Stephanie squeaked out. ¡°Having a¡ªbeing a family together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not against it at all,¡± Brian replied with sincerity, looking up and down the awestruck girl who made him happier than he¡¯d ever imagined possible. ¡°It¡¯s actually scary how uh, how compelling the idea gets the more I think about it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡ªyeah,¡± Stephanie agreed in a breathless voice, grabbing onto him as though afraid he would suddenly disappear and letting her fingers climb up his body to toy with his hair. ¡°It¡¯s so scary how strong this is! But this is¡ªwe¡¯re, um, this is real?¡±


    ¡°Condom this time, though,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not against starting a family with you, in the future. But, I definitely want you completely all to myself for a long, long while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay!¡± Stephanie exclaimed in a giddy voice. ¡°I feel the same way, I think. It was just¡ªit was just this random thing that popped into my mind, I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m surprised Kelly didn¡¯t yell at us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she uh¡­¡± Brian glanced over at Kelly¡¯s resting form beside them, appearing all the more beautiful and serene as she slept. ¡°She really tuckered herself out. I want to make it up to her, later.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°She¡¯s¡ªI love her.¡±


    ¡°You know what she¡¯d probably say about the whole¡­ kids thing though, right?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ maybe I do,¡± Stephanie said softly, stroking her fingers through Brian¡¯s bangs. ¡°We¡¯ll talk. It¡¯s something all of us need to talk about, I think? All of us in this¡­ all of us that are in this together. But, for now¡­ do you want to maybe keep going? With the condom, this time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Brian said, drawing her into another sweet kiss. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡± Stephanie¡¯s smile bloomed outwards again in an angelic expression that made his entire body feel like it was filling with pink light. ¡°Just a few minutes ago, I didn¡¯t think it was humanly possible to want you any more than I already did.


    ¡°But¡­ I was wrong. I was so wrong.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Fade to Pink

    Stephanie decided to insist on fitting the condom onto him, and she took in the sight of his glistening dick with rapt attention. She felt more comfortable staring at the thing now, more familiar with it after having experienced it in some small amount. It represented his gender, it was the most intimate part of him, and being made to fit perfectly into her most intimate places seemed to deserve some reverence.


    It does seem less alien to me now, Stephanie thought as she broke the condom wrapper and took the strange rubbery latex ring out. I feel like I recognize it more, understand it in better ways. It¡¯s not that it¡¯s looking more handsome to me¡ªI¡¯m just understanding it more. But... it also just looks more and more handsome.


    After a short moment of determining the correct orientation of the condom, she put it to Brian¡¯s crown and carefully started to slip and roll the protective covering down his length. Pink flames of agitated excitement licked up through her as she got it on the whole way, and the notion that now they could fuck without any restraint at all appeared, despite the obvious fact that forgetting the prophylactic earlier already hadn¡¯t stopped them from acting with total disregard.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s on,¡± Stephanie wet her lips. ¡°I think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian confirmed. ¡°We¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°How do you want to¡­?¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes slowly climbed up his naked body to meet his gaze as distracting towers of fire rose up within her again.


    He answered with lips and tongue and Stephanie swooned into him because that was always the right answer. Her mouth seemed to melt into his and it felt like she was venting brilliant pink plumes of excess lust out into him. At the same time, Brian¡¯s desire continued to feed into her, explosively flammable feelings tinged with the excited inclinations of what he wanted to do to her, flavors of lust and aching need that lit her up inside with continuous little reactive bursts of emotion.


    They tumbled down onto the bed like the collapse of a burning edifice¡ªBrian atop her¡ªand glowing embers danced up into the air on swirls of pink smoke. Hands found her breasts and grabbed them possessively, his every ungentle touch a backdraft rush of fresh air to her hungry fire, and Stephanie mewled and quivered into their kiss as he plucked at her nipples. She was fighting to get at least one of her legs out of the way so that she could open herself up to him, her hands were clawing at his back, and the pinch of his fingertips twining about the sensitive swollen nubs felt so good that it hurt and all she could think was that she wanted him squeeze them even harder, to tweak them, pull them, lavish them with the tactile attention they desperately craved.


    Finally she managed to free herself enough to spread her thighs wide for him, and her hands scrabbled down to reach between them. They needed to be joined in every way, she absolutely needed him inside of her for this moment to be right, and as their kiss finally broke so that they could both gasp for breath, Stephanie managed to line up the rigid extension of him. Brian pushed inside her without hesitation and it was magic. She shuddered and her vaginal walls clamped down around him in response but still gave way as he inexorably slid deeper and deeper inside of her until she was completely molded around his shape.


    ¡°Auhhhh¡ª!¡± Stephanie let out a sound as she let her tangle of pink hair flop back against the bed, and she rewarded Brian with a brilliant smile.


    ¡°Stephhh,¡± Brian let out a husky murmur that was the new most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever heard.


    They both paused for a moment to simply enjoy the feeling of being connected to one another, and then Brian reared back slightly, taking care to arrange Stephanie¡¯s raised thigh in front of him while her other was trapped down beneath him. Their new position was sexier, more thrilling somehow, because facing Brian she could see what he was doing to her¡ªand what she was doing to him¡ªso she became both captive audience and total prisoner to their act of consummation.


    Brian drew back with a tilt of his hips, pulling partway out of her, and then shoved himself back inside of her with a thrusting jerk that slapped across Stephanie¡¯s senses like a blast wave of pleasure and satisfaction. She¡¯d just made up her mind to speak up and tell him how amazing that felt because it was incredibly important that he knew how effective this particular angle and position and motion were¡ªwhen Brian hauled back and drove himself home into her in another massive thrust that rocked both of their bodies. And again. And again.


    Stephanie¡¯s mouth fell open and she could only regard him with what must have been a stupefied look as he slammed into her over and over and over. It felt too good, it was too much all at once every single time, and the act was continuous. The blazing conflagration within her was stirring up into a maelstrom of flame that wreathed all of her senses, he was fucking her harder and harder, his body clapping against hers with the sheer force of it, and Brian wasn¡¯t stopping.


    The physical piledriving piston motion of him pounding into her forced her to spread both arms out across the bed for balance, it had her small breasts bouncing and her pink tresses swaying back and forth and it was pressing little gasps of pleasure out of her. The wildfire of color inside of her was growing more intense, was graduating into a roiling inferno of heat and hunger and Stephanie wasn¡¯t sure she would ever be the same again after this.


    ¡°Bri¡ª Bri¡ª¡ªBri¡ªaaaaann¡ª¡ª!¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±


    Pink light guttered and danced within the depths of her pupils as Stephanie panted with delight. They were doing it. She knew that they had been doing it before, but now they were really, really doing it. Having sex. Fucking. Their frantic coupling was already intense enough to shake both of their bodies and rock the hotel bed, but tapping into Brian¡¯s emotions was stirring Stephanie up even more.


    ¡°Brian, that¡ªthat feels so good¡ª!¡± Stephanie exclaimed as he fucked her with all the strength he could bring to bear. ¡°Briaaannn¡ª!¡±


    It was bright now inside her head¡ªso bright that the empathic connection that linked them seemed to reveal more and more of him to her. Desire streamed into her so thick it was almost physically palpable, and flavors of yearning, possessiveness, scarcely-suppressed masculine dominance exploded in brilliant firework displays. More than anything, attraction, appreciation, and an enormous feeling that could only be described as love poured into Stephanie like jet fuel, accelerants feeding into her until her flames were nearly apocalyptic.


    So pretty¡­! Stephanie thought in a well-fucked haze. Is all of this¡­?


    When she really focused, the flowing currents of each of his emotions followed distinct pathways, and when she thought to take it all in at once for perspective and witnessing him in his entirety... Stephanie could almost make something out. A larger picture, a meaningful¡­ something. Rational structures that seemingly shaped the twists and turns or each individual emotion she felt him express.


    She couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking¡ªthat didn¡¯t seem to be her gift¡ªbut as she traced the sweeping drafts of his feelings, a framework pattern of some sort was roughly discerned. Her sense of Brian was now sprawled out like a labyrinth, it was wondrous and intricate but also baffling to her, completely unlike the more natural representations of Emily and Rebecca and Kelly. There was a fascinating beauty to the broad complexity of his mind, packed full of convoluted interworkings she had no way of understanding.


    He¡¯s so¡­ contained, Stephanie thought, bewildered and interested and not at all sure what it meant seeing him in this fashion. All she knew was that she wanted to see more and more.


    Or, maybe constrained? It¡¯s like¡­ like when you read between these emotions to see their overall placement, the parts of him I can¡¯t see are made up of boxes and angles and lines and there¡¯s some kind of GEOMETRY to it! It¡¯s like there¡¯s a hidden construct that I can¡¯t quite grasp, I can only feel out its shape by the drafts of airflow that feed into me. But, even then it¡¯s this weird mazelike¡­ SOMETHING, and some of his emotion just has nowhere to go and goes into these cold, inert little dead-ends. It¡¯s so¡­ PECULIAR.


    Brian¡¯s thrusting into her was satisfying to extremes she would have considered exaggeration before having experienced this for herself, and something about this grand moment had stoked the pink fire within her up to new heights where she could see Brian¡¯s inner self laid bare. This glimpse deeper into him was mesmerizing, and the immediate conclusion to draw was... that Brian wasn¡¯t elemental in nature. Not in the dreamscape, at least. It was difficult to tell at first, but he definitely couldn¡¯t be summed up by fire or water or even earth or stone or mountains or a concept like area or territory.


    No, Brian is... he¡¯s a city!


    The revelation took Stephanie¡¯s breath away, and her mind whirled and flared, burning to decipher what every nuance of this meant.


    Brian is like... the abstract concept of a city, untethered from ideas like population or permanence. I think, Stephanie thought to herself in a semi-delirious daze. He¡¯s like... he¡¯s like a place. A place that becomes MORE than just a place, in the same way that a HOME is more than simply a house. He has these avenues, avenues that bring many disparate things to come together and become something greater, a place for them to belong. For us to belong. Belong not in the sense that we are owned, but in the sense that this is the place to call our own.


    That¡¯s what Brian is¡ªa someone to call my own. He completes me. Us, Stephanie let out a small whine of pleasure as he drove in particularly deep, pressing down into her with the weight of his entire body. W-we complete each other. All of us¡ª Kelly, Emily, even Rebecca!


    Stephanie felt overcome with emotion at the thought and wanted to wrap everyone up in the heat of her love endlessly. I could maybe burn upon many different things out in the unknown wilds¡ªbut Brian gives me MEANING, makes me MORE. I want to light up and explore every corner of his city, I want him to become our home forever and ever. Right here, just like this. Here with him, I can be the fire that forges raw starmetal into something TRANSCENDENTAL. I can help boil the waters pure for him so that she can complement everyone¡¯s particular unique design in her own ways. And with this just ENDLESS supply of timber that we¡¯ve¡ªuh¡ª¡ªthat we¡¯ve¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!


    ¡°Ohh fuck oh fuck right there don¡¯t stop don¡¯t stop please, please right there¡ª¡± Stephanie found herself crying out, and she completely lost track of the beautiful series of metaphors she just begun to grown so enamored with. ¡°Right there, right¡ªHARDER, HARDER¡ªOHH FUCK-K! FUCK ME FUCK ME fuckmefuckme oh yesss FUCK-K¡ªKK!!!¡±


    Her lover obliged and became even more generous, slamming into her so violently hard that when she began to cum it was just pink flashes and terrible, delicious heat. Stephanie moaned and shuddered and rocked out the onslaught with an inarticulate scream, clutching onto his gorgeous shoulders for dear life as he delivered a few last pounding strokes of finality. She clenched and quivered as he joined her in orgasm, relishing the feel of the shaft embedded within her as it flexed and pulsed.


    ¡°Hnnng¡ªoh my God,¡± Brian breathed out as he shuddered into her. ¡°Steph¡ª!¡±


    ¡°MMmmhh,¡± Stephanie barely managed a noise of agreement. ¡°Brian¡ªBrian, I¡ª!¡±


    With a small groan he wavered back and forth like his balance was out of alignment with the tilt of the Earth, and finally fell onto the bed beside her. Then they simply naked in each other¡¯s arms, chests rising and falling with exertion as they each reached out for one another. She couldn¡¯t see anything amiss or out of the ordinary, but felt just sure that heatlines must be rippling off of their bodies and into the air. The moments just after sharing this climax with Brian were both serene and surreal in the beautiful clarity of everything.


    They were together; this was happiness.


    ¡°That was¡­ incredible,¡± Brian struggled out his words.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Stephanie huffed in agreement, touching her cheeks to realize that she was smiling so hard that her cheeks felt strained. ¡°Amazing. Incredible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ yeah,¡± Brian murmured, combing fingers through her bangs to gather her now very unkempt pink tresses up and out of her eyes. His apparent inability to articulate well in this moment somehow made him even more endearing to her. ¡°Whew. Incredible. I was already close, but Jesus when you started swearing... I think I just lost it.¡±


    ¡°Swearing?¡± Stephanie blushed, blinking at him in amusement. ¡°I wasn¡¯t swearing!¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡± Brian only managed to give her a muddled look. ¡°No, you definitely were. You said¡ªwhat did you say?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea!¡± Stephanie giggled, leaning in to give him a rather sloppy kiss. ¡°It was too incredible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, definitely,¡± Brian smiled at her, tracing a hand down her cheek. ¡°Was it okay for you?¡±


    ¡°Was it okay?!¡± Stephanie blew a raspberry and kissed and licked at his lips, finding herself still too out of breath to lock into the deep sort of kiss she felt he deserved. ¡°It was a lot more than okay!¡±


    ¡°I meant¡ªyou know, did it hurt at all?¡± Brian¡¯s concern was evident on his brow, and she hurried to kiss that away, too.


    ¡°It felt too good to hurt,¡± Stephanie promised.


    To her own surprise, she really meant it. It had hurt a little, at first, but then it had also felt so amazing that the hurt was absolutely so smothered beneath pleasure that she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d have been able to find it again even if she set her mind to look for it.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ªyou¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Brian said, pulling her even closer until she was crushed up against his bare chest.


    It was exactly where she wanted to be, and snuggled herself in even closer, burying her face into his neck. Stephanie felt overwhelmed, because she wasn¡¯t sure exactly what all it was that she felt, only that it was too much to just be called love.


    It was mania, it was obsession. It was the veil of heartache she¡¯d been carrying for so many years lifting, and the belief that it would never have to weigh her down or dampen her flame again. The pink light she¡¯d resolved to share with him forever burned so bright that there wasn¡¯t any room for darkness or doubt. Everything was just so straightforward and clearly illuminated¡ªStephanie could feel the way he loved her, and the sheer conviction of it became a foundation so impossibly broad that she couldn¡¯t fathom ever questioning this. She felt that just now they¡¯d opened up to each other in new ways again and again and that each time they found that they fit together like they¡¯d always been meant for one another.


    A city, Stephanie mused, turning the discoveries over in her thoughts and finding them more and more to her liking. I can¡¯t wait to tell the others! A city and a fire. A river and a forest. A star, stolen down to earth. I don¡¯t know what any of it means, except that it all means so much to me that I could cry. All of you do. I love you.


    Rebecca felt another tremble working its way down her body and she turned away from her friends. Her hands were already buried in the lap of her tunic, but if another wave of that coursed through her it would look less like she was sitting next to the lounger in a somewhat awkward position and more like she was¡ª


    Ohh no no no no stop stop STOP! Rebecca squealed to herself. Not fair! NOT FAIR! You, you GUYS. It¡¯s¡ªyou¡¯re¡ªhow do I stop um um RECEIVING?! What you are doing is PERSONAL and it¡¯s just just just spilling out EVERYWHERE and please please please please¡ª!


    ¡°Oh, man. Oh, man this is rich. This is too rich,¡± Emily¡¯s eyes were practically glowing with glee as she stared down into her phone. Her digital keypad was open and she was tapping in words at bewildering speed. ¡°Posting your victim bullshit on my AnimeCon forums? Where you have uhhh let¡¯s see, two posts? This is your second post, while I have hundreds and hundreds of posts in the community boards and AnimeCon people actually know me there? And you somehow think you¡¯re gonna just go uncontested on all this?!¡±


    Trying and failing to focus on what Emily was doing¡ªbecause it was surely really interesting if she could just pay attention¡ªRebecca gnawed on her lip and tensed her shoulders again. Another flash of pink heat boomed in her mind like a gout of fire, and then another, and no matter how much Rebecca mentally withdrew that firestorm just kept spreading and spreading.


    ¡°Rebecca?¡± Megan asked, putting a hand on her shoulder in concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Rebecca squeaked out in a small voice. ¡°Just¡ªneed to visit the ladies room soon!¡±


    What she actually needed to do in the privacy of a ladies room was in fact pull back the hanging edge of her tunic, shove down the viking trousers and the smallclothes she wore beneath and masturbate with wild abandon. Rebecca¡¯s middle two fingers needed to issue frantic relief to this overwhelming pink feedback she was unintentionally receiving. Rampant arousal was issuing throughout the dreamscape forest like choking clouds of thick smoke, because Stephanie was getting fucked. Stephanie was getting fucked, and whatever her charm power was, it seemed to be throwing sensual secondhand signals through Rebecca¡¯s body that were making her clammy with sweat.


    ¡°You¡¯re on the A-Con forums too, Emily?¡± Megan took out her own phone. ¡°What¡¯s your name on there?¡±


    ¡°I go by ¡®Cerulean,¡¯ for Cerulean Cosplay,¡± Emily said, still distracted by tapping out a lengthy response into her phone. ¡°You should get in on this thread, too. Chloe barfed up this completely bogus sob story, think she¡¯s trying to get Brian removed from the con.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Chloe again?¡± Megan made a face. ¡°I don¡¯t even know her... but the more I hear, the more awful she seems.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God¡ªyou have no fucking idea,¡± Emily groaned in exasperation.


    ¡°My username is ¡®Megan-no-Megane,¡¯¡± Megan revealed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t actually make sense in Japanese, it¡¯s just a pun ¡®cause¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause you don¡¯t actually wear glasses?¡± Emily guessed. ¡°Niiice.¡±


    ¡°Um um I¡¯m going to go find a ladies room!¡± Rebecca exclaimed, squirming up to her feet.


    The phantom sensation was rolling across her in a steady throb now, and Rebecca could almost physically feel Stephanie being fucked. The invasive pink flames had spread throughout vast swathes of the dreamscape forest and each tantalizing lick and lap of pink upon her naked branches was illuminating the rich browns of Rebecca¡¯s native charm color and causing some sort of reaction.


    Oh no no no no you stay away from my um, my¡ª


    ¡°Uhh, okay,¡± Emily gave her a curious look. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Gotta go, gotta go!¡± Rebecca called out in a small voice as she fled towards the hotel lobby. Surely there¡¯s a public restroom SOMEWHERE here¡ªthere, there HAS to be!


    The forest fire wasn¡¯t burning her, and what it was transmitting through the oaken trunks and bared branches wasn¡¯t heat¡ªit was emotion, it was primal expressions of lust that were absolutely overpowering in their natural simplicity. The joy of really great sex strummed through Rebecca¡¯s mind in a steadily increasing cadence she knew all too well, and she nearly stumbled as she threw open the hotel¡¯s poolside door and escaped inside.


    You¡ªyou you guys are going to be in so much trouble!! I¡¯m¡ªoh please please yesss no STOP STOP¡ªI¡¯m going to be, to be so cross with you both! When I get my finge¡ªum, my hands on you! SO MUCH TROUBLE!


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Fertile Ashes

    As it turned out, the Westerlin hotel did feature a small pair of restrooms right off the hotel lobby, directly across from a partitioned-off dining area where she remembered enjoying a continental breakfast during last year¡¯s AnimeCon. The ladies¡¯ room was clean and well-lit, containing the expected basic amenities¡ªRebecca had hurried past the row of sinks beneath the wide mirror and into the privacy of the farthest stall, a larger handicapped-accessible one.


    There was no time for Rebecca to undo her sword belt or unwrap the winnagas wound securely around her shins and ankles. The skirting of tunic that hung down nearly to her knees was lifted up and the hem clenched in her teeth, frantic fingers undid the neat ties on either side of her viking rus trousers, and they were shoved down together with the simple historical smallclothes she wore beneath. Her back thumped against the far tile wall and then slid downward as Rebecca let herself drop into a squatting position, knees splayed wide.


    Mara cast aside her Rebecca qualities almost as quickly as the girl had managed to work her medieval garb out of the way.


    Her trembling hand hovered over her exposed labia for a moment, fingers curling into claws that ached to simply maul across herself. She managed to hold herself back¡ªjust barely¡ª fingers splaying wide and then clenching into a tight fist and opening again. Maintaining control when that maddening itch of pink was ravaging up and down her astral body was more difficult than she could have ever imagined. Stephanie¡¯s flames were everywhere and they were nowhere.


    The brilliant color remained in a distant dream, and it was also right here wreathing her in insatiable fire. Mara¡¯s naked thighs were fair and pale as they tensed with anticipation beneath the cold, sterile light of the ladies¡¯ room, and also somewhere beyond that the rich mahogany hues of her many limbs were splitting and crackling beneath the onslaught of a thousand bright pink tongues of flame.


    Searing heat. Simmering sex. Delirious pink smoke in billowing, choking clouds, each one its own thick puff of FUCK ME lust issuing out from Stephanie over there as she¡ª


    Squeezing her eyes shut and letting out a slow, ragged breath, Mara began like she usually did and flashed an ungentle slap across her own pussy. It stung in a delicious way, making her jerk back and shiver against the bathroom wall. The fabric of the tunic was ground between her teeth as she followed up with a few more little love taps, then she shoved her hand down to clamp down at the juncture between her legs and squeeze herself.


    She was warm and wet and begging for more attention.


    ¡°Mmmmhph!¡± Rebecca squeaked out around the mouthful of tunic she was biting down on. ¡°Mnn, mmn, mmmmphh¡ªphh!¡±


    She raked fingers across her one thigh and tried to massage the muscle¡ªMara¡¯s entire body was aching for attention but there was only so much she could do at once. The foreplay she really needed was a violent brawl, to grapple wildly with an opponent, to throw out vicious strikes and receive them in turn, to be wrestled to the ground, to smash together into tree trunks with her opponent and roll down a hillside of rocks and roots and scraggly underbrush. To be locked in unbroken combat with someone large and overwhelmingly male and preferably about to fuck her.


    Ahhhhh okay okay time out, out of control, OUT OF CONTROL! Rebecca reeled in the bad brains Mara part of her that sometimes went a bit too far when it was horny time. Rape fantasies are all fine and fancy ¡®till it gets fuzzy on who¡¯s raping who! BAD! BAD! It¡¯s a¡ªum¡ªah, it¡¯s slippery, it¡¯s so slippery, it¡¯s such a slippery slope there!


    Rebecca almost spat out the mouthful of tunic, her eyes flashing open in surprise as more Mara needs were forced out into the open in a vibrant hiss like steam and smoke. Her middle finger was snug and soaked and definitely inside herself somehow already, and even hunkered down and propped up against the wall as she was, Rebecca¡ªMara still almost lost her balance. The telltale schlick schlick had already begun as she began to frig herself in earnest. Experience taught her over and over again that no one was able to be as ruthless as she could be to herself.


    It was also a lot harder than expected to not imagine Brian right now.


    No no no, safe thoughts, safe thoughts¡ªJarenth, Rebecca decided. Goblin Labyrinth fanfiction smut. Jarenth the Goblin King just can¡¯t help but seduce me because of a wicked spell he¡¯s been put under. Or, um. Yaoi boys kissing? Brian¡¯s back and shoulders. NO NOT BRIAN¡ªGEEZ.


    Rebecca¡¯s free hand had been helping hold up her tunic against her body but she was forced to grasp and fumble against herself in search of her breasts because she needed a bit more sensation and it was just so frustrating! The corded musculature of her forearm would soon cramp up because of how fast she was fingering herself¡ªher hand was a blur of motion but she was too wet and it was like she couldn¡¯t find the traction she needed to really get off.


    Ohhh my goodness. Ice-skating anime boys. Figure-skater anime boy butts, Rebecca tried, mewling into the mouthful of tunic and squeezing her eyes shut. Hands on my throat. No? The way Megan looked at me in that shower¡ªokay, I guess no. Sinking up to my clit in, um, in VIBRATING QUICKSAND¡ªno? That one really good tussle in my tent with¡ªno, not even that? Jarenth in drag¡ªno? H-how a fair maid can milk a bull, and with every stroke comes out a bucket-full? No?!


    Pink flashed and flared in the distance, explosions on the horizon of her mind, and Rebecca shuddered and squirmed in response. Somewhere out there, she knew Stephanie had climaxed. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t bring the Mara in her to satisfaction either¡ªshe was still feeling beastly desires, still left in the still-burning aftermath of a wild blaze of smoke and ash, a forest fire of sexual devastation that left her only partway to that spectacular orgasm finish of her own she needed so much.


    Um um um, okay okay. Brian¡­ and Stephanie? Rebecca wondered. Them¡­ doing it together? Is that even okay to think about? Is that¡ª


    Her knees knocked closed in surprise and she almost lost her footing and toppled over. Something about that particular line of fantasy matched up in perfect magical conjunction. Like when single shines the triple suns, because the sudden and immediate effect on her libido reaching greater heights may as well have been ritual spellcraft. Spreading her legs wide open again, Rebecca resumed fingering herself with new vigor.


    Okay¡ªyeah that¡¯s okay. Yeppers. It¡¯s okay okay. It¡¯s okie dokie okay day today okay¡ª? The Rebecca train of thought popped out in a giggle of delirium until Mara strained a finger behind her thumb and then released it to give her clitoral hood a vicious flick.


    ¡°Mmm, mmm, Mm Mm Mmmmmhhh¡ª !¡± She couldn¡¯t help but toss and turn her head at the power of the sensations this time, and her wild tangle of hair flicked across her face with the motion.


    Brian atop Stephanie, pumping into her. Brian BRUTALLY FUCKING Stephanie, thrusting into her, over where they are in the hotel room. Brian and Stephanie but they¡¯re NAKED and doing it right there. Slapping flesh and squeals of surprise. Sounds of pleasure. Brian finally letting loose, Stephanie¡¯s big smile¡ªI raced over here because the fire¡¯s spreading ohhh it¡¯s spreading, I can¡¯t get away nope I can¡¯t STOP them, I have to stop this but I can¡¯t¡ªnothing will stop them!


    They¡¯re having sex. I¡¯m watching somehow and I shouldn¡¯t be watching but he¡¯s driving that enormous big man thing of his into her over and over and I can¡¯t stop them, I can¡¯t stop watching and I can¡¯t stop from playing with myself and it feels so GOOD as they¡ªas I¡ªit¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s¡ª?!!


    Rebecca¡¯s mouth opened and let out a faint, wordless croak as she quivered and came, the unheeded tunic slipping back down over her thighs.


    Dozens of trees groaned and splintered and finally toppled over with a deafening crash of branches, the burnished lines of wood grain within the split timber flickering with strange light. The last of those pink embers were still dancing in the air about her, and Mara¡¯s¡ªRebecca¡¯s¡ªmind felt like it was clouding over with a verdant spread of sudden fresh growth. Young saplings were sprouting up anew from the remains of the felled tree, pushing apart broken old bark with new life, each in bolder browns and richer russet hues than what had been there before.


    It feels¡­ ohhh my mercy that feels soo good¡­ The veil of pink smoke was finally lifting, her head was clearing, and Rebecca could only let out a small contented laugh at herself and the mess she¡¯d made¡ªshe was slick down with fluid arousal and dewy droplets had even been flicked across the floor tile.


    A periodic fire like that is¡­ healthy for a forest! It¡¯s, um, it¡¯s perfectly natural to rack up a few tree rings on the inside like that now and then. I¡¯m not a VOYEUR or anything weird. It¡¯s not like I could even stop receiving all of that¡ªI don¡¯t think? It was¡­ nice. Fun? I feel so much better.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Rebecca mumbled to herself with a silly smile. ¡°That. That is what magic should be like.¡±


    Kelly slowly stretched out her limbs as presence of mind began to return and bring the hotel room back into clarity. She hadn¡¯t passed out¡ªat least not exactly¡ªbut she¡¯d absolutely fallen into that bleary twilight between awareness and unconsciousness for a bit. Sending seemed to take more out of her than just concentration and effort, and some sixth, seventh, or maybe eleventh sense of hers that she was on the cusp of properly discovering felt like it was now running on empty.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kelly huffed out in as cute a voice as she could muster. ¡°Hey, you two.¡±


    She hoisted herself up on her elbows upon the bedspread and with some difficulty managed to slither over in what felt like an ungraceful lizard crawl to settle on top of Brian and Stephanie¡¯s naked bodies. Her inner clock felt off now, distorted from her brief brush with the past. It wasn¡¯t that she felt like she hadn¡¯t seen these two for days, it was like she was about to see them here, in a few days from where she was now.


    But now, HERE is now, Kelly blinked at them, struggling to get her bearings. It felt like she¡¯d been interrupted in the midst of a good book, and then when she returned to reading again she¡¯d picked up from the wrong page. Or something. What the actual fuck?


    ¡°Hey, you. Boyfriend,¡± Kelly repeated, looking at Brian for a moment and then turning to Stephanie. ¡°Girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Kell,¡± Brian acknowledged, managing to pull his arm out from beneath her so that he could wrap it around her in an embrace. Kelly¡¯s body seemed to soak up his attention like a sponge, and she rested her cheek against him and half-heartedly blew strands of bright-red hair out of her face with a puff of her lip. He was still breathing heavily, and the steady rise and fall his chest that was gently rocking her view became strangely comforting.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Stephanie beamed at her, nuzzling closer into their small pile of bodies. ¡°...Did you see?¡±


    ¡°Kinda,¡± Kelly admitted with a wry smile. ¡°Might need to see it again¡ªjust to make sure.¡±


    It was a little dismaying to realize that she wasn¡¯t entirely joking. Part of what she¡¯d just seen remained here with her, and part of it had been sent far away and now felt distant and unreal. It was like a buffet plate Kelly had piled up for someone else and carried over to a different table¡ªshe remembered what she¡¯d put on it, kinda, but the memories weren''t right here in front of her to double-check and make sure.


    Which is totally unfair! Kelly decided, inwardly pouting. Like, fuck that¡ªI¡¯m not sending back actual good bits ever again. The good bits, those are for ME, me here in this timeline. From now on, I¡¯ll only send back like, a little monologue to myself. Like that other Kelly did. IF ANYTHING. My power fucking sucks.


    Stephanie giggled¡ªa beautiful sound that plucked at Kelly¡¯s heartstrings and forced her to engrave the melodic laughter deep into memory¡ªand the naked girl with her fluffy pink hair in disarray stroked fingertips down across Kelly¡¯s shoulder. There was something different about Stephanie, something not quite tangible, and Kelly examined her for a moment in a struggle to decide if she¡¯d become more lovely to her because of charm magic or whatever, or if it was simply Kelly¡¯s own feelings of love and adoration coloring her perception.


    ¡°Do I look any different?¡± Stephanie blushed, turning shy beneath the intensity of Kelly¡¯s searching eyes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly decided, although she couldn¡¯t put her finger on exactly what changed. ¡°I think so. Do you feel different? Like you¡¯ve become a woman?¡±


    ¡°Kinda?¡± Stephanie squeaked out in embarrassment. ¡°A little, maybe? I feel¡­ I feel¡­ like I feel different? Maybe?¡±


    Kelly strained her neck forward so that she could give Stephanie a peck on the lips.


    She still didn¡¯t think of losing virginity as a big deal, but she was willing to acknowledge it as a milestone of sorts. After all, Stephanie didn¡¯t lose it¡ªshe¡¯d given it to Brian. In at least some small way, Stephanie had closed one chapter of her life and embarked on the next. Brand new start for all of us, huh? In a whole bunch of ways, I guess.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Kelly asked with a knowing look.


    ¡°It was¡­¡± Stephanie trailed off with a look of wonder as she groped for words to describe the experience. After a few moments she gave up and simply answered with a positively radiant smile.


    ¡°That good, huh?¡± Kelly felt herself warming with a glow of relief and satisfaction. ¡°Good. Great. How ¡®bout you, Brian?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Brian seemed surprised that he¡¯d been remembered.


    ¡°Yeah, you,¡± Kelly planted a kiss on his collarbone. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I feel¡­ wow, I guess it¡¯s been a while since anyone asked me that,¡± Brian said with an uneasy laugh. ¡°I feel good. At peace. Like it¡¯s been a while since I ever thought things might turn out okay, but now it actually seems like they just might.¡±


    ¡°They just might,¡± Kelly agreed, kissing him again. They really just might¡­


    ¡°Ugh, we¡¯ve gotta get going,¡± Brian muttered with a soft groan, searching for his phone for a moment before realizing it was still missing. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be almost eleven already. Really wish we could keep the room for one more night and just, y¡¯know, decompress a bit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny way of phrasing ¡®fuck like rabbits,¡¯¡± Kelly smirked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we stay just one more night?¡± Stephanie asked with a pained expression. ¡°I have money, I can see if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Much as I¡¯d really, really love that¡­¡± Brian sighed. ¡°I have work at six tomorrow morning, and I live a little over an hour away. There¡¯s no way I can stay another night.¡±


    ¡°Call in sick?¡± Kelly suggested, slowly rubbing her cheek across the perplexing firmness of Brian¡¯s pectoral muscles. ¡°What do you do for a living again?¡±


    ¡°Drive a forklift at a packing plant,¡± Brian grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m fairly essential. They¡¯ve got a team that packs the boxes and loads them on the pallets, then they need me to either get the pallets down to the warehouse, or more often than not quickly shuffle stuff around so that they get to the loading docks immediately. The same little two-hundred yard stretch basically, but like a couple hundred times a day. Wasn¡¯t even easy to use my vacation days I¡¯d saved for AnimeCon¡ªthe plant manager called me into his office trying to convince me to work through the weekend, trade in the vacay days for cash.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡ªdoes nobody else in the whole place know how to drive a forklift?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Probably not?¡± Brian laughed. ¡°The more qualifications a worker has, the better pay grade they fit into. Which naturally means that to cut costs, the plant employs nothing but the worst workers they can for packing and whatnot. Mostly from a temp agency, and then if they can get by for six months without being written up or flaking for a better job, they get hired on.


    ¡°My manager¡¯s the only other guy certified to drive the lift, and he¡¯s not very good at it,¡± Brian confided. ¡°He has to take it real slow. So, filled pallets are gonna be crowding up the floor, packers trying to get them out of the way with pallet jacks just to keep their operations going, the truck guys¡¯ll be getting impatient because they¡¯re waiting on him and it¡¯s throwing off their schedule¡ªeverything turns into a huge clusterfuck and tensions are gonna be running high.¡±


    ¡°Christ,¡± Kelly mouthed. ¡°Sounds rough. Funny story¡ªI¡¯m actually scheduled to work tomorrow, too. My retail job. Pretty sure I was gonna no-show either way, though.¡±


    ¡°Do you need to call or anything¡­?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Kelly murmured. ¡°Fuck ¡®em. Seriously, just fuck ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Where do you work, Kelly?¡± Stephanie asked with interest.


    ¡°Dollarydoos, on the other end of the city here,¡± Kelly snorted. ¡°Typical discount variety store¡ªsituated in the shitty low income part of town right ¡®tween the liquor store and this super sketchy payday cash advance place. Everything Dollarydoos sells is overpriced trash, which is really fucking saying something, because every item in the store costs a fucking buck. One single dollar. Well, plus tax sometimes, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Think I¡¯ve been in a Dollarydoos before,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Bought a broom there once¡ª ¡®cause it was on my way home¡ªand the piece of shit was only good for like, three or four back and forth sweeps before the bottom part with the bristles broke off the flimsy plastic handle.¡±


    ¡°Ohmigod, right?!¡± Kelly slapped a hand against his chest in aggravation and sat partway up. ¡°We have to use one for sweeping store at the end of shifts. Like the whole bottom of ours is nothing but duct tape so it like, bends and wiggles and it¡¯s all floppy when you try to use it. Flaccid fucking cheap piece of shit. Arrgh, and the whole fucking thing is only like, eight inches wide! Rhonda¡ªthis other old bitch that works there, she said that the normal kind of real broom you¡¯d get anywhere else the brush is thirteen inches wide, like that¡¯s the normal standard.¡±


    ¡°So, I shouldn¡¯t ever shop at a Dollarydoos?¡± Stephanie asked with a faint smile.


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Kelly scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t even want you going inside one¡ªit¡¯s nothing but meth addicts and landwhale fucking single mothers of six with their screaming little shitstains running around the toy aisle pulling everything off the shelves. People actually go into Dollarydoos with their food stamps and fill their fucking carts with nothing but off-brand soda, tiny little dollar bags of chips, snack cakes and shit¡ªand it¡¯s like, Jesus, lady¡ªthis is what you¡¯re going with for your groceries? Seriously? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Well, you could call in and try to get transferred to the Dollarydoos in my town, rather than burning your bridges with them completely,¡± Brian suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s not even fucking funny,¡± Kelly said, giving him a withering look.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious¡ªthink about it for a second,¡± Brian said. ¡°Ours isn¡¯t this inner city Dollarydoos¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªStill not funny,¡± Kelly warned. ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªbecause half my area¡¯s like, these rich upscale neighborhoods,¡± Brian continued. ¡°Never went in there much, but from what I could tell, the Dollarydoos we have mostly just sells cheapo holiday decorations to old people. Party favors, teaching supply stuff, and, you know, the junk toys and novelty stuff. It¡¯s a very different kind of, uh, locale. And, you¡¯re already trained for the job and everything.¡±


    Kelly fell silent, her next retort failing to emerge.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d support you until you get your feet under you, and I meant it,¡± Brian promised. ¡°But, I also worry that that¡¯ll make you uncomfortable, or like, strain the relationship between us with stupid power dynamic stuff. Don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re beholden to me, or dependent on me if you don¡¯t want to be, and Dollarydoos seems like it¡¯d be just like this easy, low-pressure part time job income that could give you some¡­ I don¡¯t know, agency? I guess? I¡¯m not saying I want you to suffer at some Dollarydoos job you obviously hate, I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s an option you could have if you wanted it. So that you don¡¯t feel trapped with me, or anything. I don¡¯t want you to feel trapped.¡±


    Kelly regarded him in silence with searching eyes for a long moment, both rendered speechless and struggling with a surge of unfamiliar emotion.


    That¡¯s¡­ totally not a romantic thing to say, Kelly thought. Right? Why does it halfway feel like it is? The fuck? There¡¯s nothing, NOTHING fucking appealing about working at any Dollarydoos. I fucking HATE Dollarydoos.


    His eyes were sincere, though, and something about what he said had her feeling weird. While as an extraordinarily attractive woman Kelly was very accustomed to guys telling her things that would make her happy, she¡¯d long since learned that their words were always suspect. There was always a motive, the age-old dance of guys plying a beauty with honeyed words had gotten so stale to her that it had begun to feel purely transactional in nature.


    So, what? Is this a charm magic influence thing? Kelly wondered, momentarily bewildered. Or, is it like¡­ because he¡¯s not saying things just so I¡¯ll like him, but he¡¯s actually just¡­ thinking of me? Worrying for me, putting thought into things on my behalf? Is that how he always is with Emily? Is it fucking weird and psychotic that him telling me I could keep working at fucking DOLLARYDOOS actually goes full circle and becomes¡­ almost kinda touching? What the actual fuck, Kelly?


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Kelly began, feeling conflicted. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll think about it. I really hate working there, though.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly love my job, either. Just, take it as something to mull over and really consider?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a brilliant idea!¡± Stephanie insisted. ¡°Try it, Kelly¡ªplease? It could give you a better start moving in with Brian¡ªif you end up not liking it, you can always quit later. If you just no-show at the Dollarydoos you work at now, the one near Brian won¡¯t ever want to hire you! Can you call them, call your work, do you have their number in your phone? You can tell them it¡¯s an emergency, or that your living situation has suddenly, um¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, slow down, guys,¡± Kelly rocked back, running her fingers through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m gonna¡ªI don¡¯t know? It¡¯s weird for me to put a whole lot of thought into what I¡¯m gonna be doing, let alone have other people thinking about it. Er, thinking about me? In that context?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to get used to it,¡± Brian said, gently shifting Kelly off of him so that he could start to get up.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to,¡± Stephanie agreed, looking at Kelly with an intensity in her blue eyes that Kelly found mesmerizing. ¡°We love you.¡±


    Or, it¡¯s like they DO have a motive, and it¡¯s just that they want what¡¯s best for me, Kelly swallowed, trying not to feel overwhelmed by a moment that seemed so insignificant to them. How fucking crazy is that, these days? What do I even DO with that, how do I respond to that? How does a lifetime of just getting fucked over and then fucking over other people in turn ever prepare you for¡­ for THIS? What the absolute fuck are you getting yourself into this time, Kelly?


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get dressed and meet up with everybody,¡± Brian said, assisting Stephanie up from where she¡¯d been cuddling in close on the bed. ¡°There¡¯s still a little bit of AnimeCon left for us to check out before this weekend¡¯s really over.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Life she Leaves Behind

    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for the obvious look of heartache that crossed Stephanie¡¯s features at the reminder, but Brian had been on the lookout for it and managed to slightly appease her with a tender kiss. Stephanie managed to muster a warm smile, but Kelly could see how difficult it was for her knowing that everyone she¡¯d just fallen so far and so hard in love for was about to be out of arm¡¯s reach for a good long while.


    There weren¡¯t any ¡®buck up, kiddo,¡¯ aphorisms Kelly had for her, either. She found herself warring with an anxious mixture of feelings¡ªbittersweetness at the con weekend ending, trepidation at stepping into a new life living with Brian, and... she knew she was going to miss Stephanie, too. A lot.


    Distracted as they were by the sheer melancholy of soon parting, both girls turned to watch Brian get up, with him clutching carefully between his legs to hold the¡ª


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Kelly blurted out, staring at the bulbous extension that was ponderously swinging back and forth down by Brian¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t laugh,¡± Brian pleaded, sounding a little incredulous himself. ¡°Tryin¡¯ to not make a mess, here.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth.


    ¡°There it is again Steph, you¡¯re swearing,¡± Brian called over his shoulder as he awkwardly tried to amble over towards the hotel room¡¯s small bathroom. ¡°I heard it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t swear!¡± Stephanie protested, gathering a handful of the sheets to pull against herself as if to protect her from the shock of what she was seeing. ¡°I don¡¯t swear. Is that¡ªis that the fucking condom?!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Kelly repeated. ¡°Brian, Brian stop¡ªturn around, let me see that.¡±


    ¡°I swear you¡¯re swearing,¡± Brian chuckled, continuing to take cautious steps toward the bathroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m not swearing!¡± Stephanie insisted.


    ¡°Brian either that¡¯s the fucking condom, or you had time to start making fucking balloon animals in bed there with us,¡± Kelly said, climbing up off the bed and hurrying over to grab his shoulders and spin him around to face them.


    ¡°Steph¡¯s picking up all this bad language from you, I hope you know,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Is that the condom?!¡± Stephanie called over with a giggle.


    ¡°Okay, okay I know it looks like a lot, but it¡¯s really not that much,¡± Brian tried to rationalize. ¡°I mean, between you teasing me along forever and Stephanie being Stephanie, and it¡¯d also been a while since I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hours, Brian,¡± Kelly refuted him. ¡°Hours. This is a lot of fucking cum for you to shoot out after what we saw last night.¡±


    Upon closer inspection, the milky transparent latex was stretched out to what must have been its absolute limit. The condom was absolutely swollen with spend, bloated out in an obscene rounded shape that Brian was struggling to cup from beneath while pinching the top of it tight against the base of his dick. Kelly dropped into a crouch so that the ridiculous sight was right in front of her eyes and she could still barely believe what she was seeing.


    ¡°I mean¡­ probably a good thing we remembered it in time at least, right?¡± Brian said with a nervous chuckle. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t, I can only imagine what¡ªhey hey whoa careful!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being so careful,¡± Kelly chided in a playful voice. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of it from the bottom. Yeah, just kinda cradle it. Let me just¡­¡±


    Kelly had actually never removed a rubber from a guy before, but she imagined this would be a new experience to just about anyone. With as much concentration and focus as she could bring to bear¡ªthe smell of raw, animalistic sex was right in her face now, and it was potent¡ªshe took over squeezing the mouth of the condom shut against him while ever so slowly sliding it down and off of him. That took longer than she expected, inch after inch of glistening cock being revealed as it was drawn out of the veritable balloon of still-warm ejaculuate¡ªit was so distracting that she couldn¡¯t even think up a crass joke to articulate.


    ¡°Jeeeesus, Brian,¡± Kelly finally mouthed in awe. ¡°Brian.¡±


    She could feel how dangerously bubble-thin the heavy purse of latex was stretched, and she did her best to ignore the soft groan Brian let out as she eased it down across the flaring crown of his cockhead. With deft precision that impressed even herself, she ensured the end stayed closed between her thumb and forefinger while beginning to stretch that ring even further so that she could attempt to twist it around and tie it.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa¡ªit¡¯s gonna pop,¡± Brian warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not gonna pop!¡± Kelly whispered back in a harsh voice.


    If it did pop¡ªand it definitely felt like it was about to¡ªKelly would get a face full of magical semen, so she leaned in even closer and stared at her trembling fingers with the intensity of an explosives expert defusing a bomb. She was determined to try to do this, and if it popped and splattered her face with his cum¡­ Well, yeah I¡¯m okay with that, too. Obviously.


    ¡°I think¡­ I almost¡­ hah!¡± Kelly grinned in triumph. ¡°I got it. Now, sorta tilt your hand and very carefully just kinda settle the weight of it in my hand.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wave it around,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°C¡¯mon, just get it over the waste basket, before it breaks and spills everywhere or something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not throwing this out!¡± Kelly said, shooting him an aghast look for as long as she could hold it before she felt her cheeks naturally curling into a wicked smile. ¡°We haven¡¯t even shown Emily, yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± Brian made a face. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hand that to Emily. She¡¯ll completely, one hundred fifty thousand percent absolutely be unable to stop herself from throwing it at something.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie,¡± Kelly called. ¡°Steph, you¡¯ve gotta come see this. Come and see this before we give it to Emily.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Brian protested. ¡°You can¡¯t give it to Emily. C¡¯mon, you know she¡¯ll throw it at something. Or someone.¡±


    That does seem¡­ expressly dangerous, Kelly thought to herself as Stephanie clambered off the bed and joined them on her knees. With what basically amounts to a water balloon full of magic transformation cum? We should maybe keep this handy?


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Stephanie remarked, smiling with pride at the distended condom Kelly had managed to tie off. ¡°Brian¡ªyou¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Kelly was about to say more, but after following Stephanie¡¯s gaze she discovered that the girl had already lost interest in the ridiculously overfilled condom¡ªin favor of an adoring look at Brian¡¯s dick. Though no longer standing up at attention, the girls would be hard-pressed to describe it as flaccid. The delightful vulgar instrument was still fairly flushed with arousal, it gleamed with slick splendor after the removal of the condom, and appeared so incredibly mouth-watering that Kelly found herself subconsciously leaning in towards it.


    Stephanie licked her lips and made a tiny whimpering noise.


    ¡°Yeah, this is, uh,¡± Kelly fumbled for words as she turned her head away and rose to her feet, carefully hefting the condom in hand. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but seriously don¡¯t show that to Emily,¡± Brian laughed, taking the slightly dazzled Stephanie by the hand and guiding her up to her feet before she could start licking and slurping his penis back into a full erection. ¡°I¡¯m gonna wash up a tiny bit and get dressed¡ªwe should probably get going soon.¡±


    ¡°What if I chuck it at Emily?¡± Kelly suggested, gently squeezing the condom inflated with cum in her hand to feel its shape distort. ¡°Like, here, Emmie¡ªcatch!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uh,¡± Brian smile began to fall. ¡°Please don¡¯t, not even as a joke. She has a kinda bad history with people playing mean pranks on her from high school. Accidentally spilling drinks on her, her finding spit on the back of her bag after going down a crowded hall¡ªthat sort of thing. Don¡¯t want to upset her with anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kelly said, forcibly letting her hand relax.


    A flash of anger had spiked through her even at merely hearing that Emily had been bullied in the past, which surprised her. In any other situation Kelly would have delighted in sharing some of her own high school stories about how shocking and cruel teens can be at that particular turn of conversation. Most of them weren¡¯t from the perspective of one of the victims, either. Now, instead she felt... a little bit pissed, a tiny bit overprotective, and a whole lot of sympathy emerging out of nowhere for Emily, which wasn¡¯t a combination of emotions Kelly was used to.


    Okay, THAT¡¯S a charm thing, probably, Kelly thought. It didn¡¯t bother her as much as it probably should have. It¡¯s uncharacteristic, doesn¡¯t fit the pattern of how I¡¯d normally react at all. And whatever happened to her was way back in high school, anyways. Nothing recent, nothing super RELEVANT. Right?


    Unlike their situation now with Chloe, which was both recent and relevant, and it took Kelly a conscious effort not to clench her hand and crush the fragile condom. It maybe wasn¡¯t fair of her to immediately associate bullying with Chloe, but there was no other decent outlet for actively venting her outrage this weekend.


    Should pelt that cunt in the fucking face with this thing. Giving Chloe a smack and a tiny shove, getting her own mustard all over her whatever-it-was cosplay¡ªit wasn¡¯t enough. Blowing Brian right in front of her and seeing her totally pop her gasket, that was fantastic¡­ but STILL not enough. Nowhere even close.


    Don¡¯t know how I¡¯m gonna manage it without getting us all in trouble, but I am personally going to beat the shit the living shit out of her for everything she¡¯s done to Stephanie. The way she treated Brian. For EVERYTHING she¡¯s done. I just want to RUIN her.


    ¡°Hey, Steph do you want to keep this?¡± Brian asked. He turned, lifting up the liner from the ice bucket out of the sink. ¡°We can fill it with more ice from the machine, if you think you still need it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ actually forgotten all about that,¡± Stephanie blushed, bringing a hand up and inspecting her face in the mirror. ¡°It doesn¡¯t... look bad? I don¡¯t really feel anything anymore.¡±


    Kelly stared at that plastic bag¡ªit was tied shut, but the ice inside had long since melted away overnight, leaving Brian with a lopsided baggie filled with water in his hand to parallel the tied-off condom of cum Kelly held in hers. Except... that ice last night probably did fuck-all for her swelling or bruising or whatever. Pretty sure the REAL solution to that is over here in my hand.


    She pursed her lips. Her natural first thought at the mention of someone throwing a condom full of cum at someone was naturally to find a chance to hurl it at Chloe. Randomly getting someone¡¯s cum flung onto you was WAY more grotesque and humiliating than a mere condiment like mustard¡ªand it would have also represented their personal victory over her in a very intimate way.


    But then, on the other hand¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be literally throwing pearls before swine? Kelly glanced at herself in the mirror, then turned her eyes to Stephanie, marveling again at how outstanding they looked today. Why waste our magic health and beauty elixir on HER, of all people? We don¡¯t even know for sure exactly what all this stuff can do.


    After a quick bit of washing up, the trio managed to dress themselves with only minor distractions necking and touching each other, and then they surveyed the hotel room for the very last time. A lot had happened in here over the weekend, and as silly and sentimental as it was¡ªKelly found herself sad to leave it behind.


    There was the pretty kickass truth or dare game we played Friday night under the pretense of GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, goading them on ¡®til Stephanie actually dared Brian to go down on her. Pulling Steph into a kiss the next morning, and then... yeah a teensy bit more than a kiss. Tryin¡¯ on the Calamity Queen dress thing and kinda seeing for myself what Sarah feels when she does all her ridiculous elaborate outfits for conventions. Blowing Brian right in front of his ex, getting that epic load blasted all over my tits¡ªhis stuff¡¯s gotta be magic, because it tastes INCREDIBLE. Gettin¡¯ fucked ¡®till I saw stars. Then all that crazy drown the slut stuff with Emily¡­ Jesus, I get turned on just thinking about it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe we¡¯re leaving,¡± Stephanie murmured in a small voice.


    ¡°Just until next year. We¡¯ll use this hotel again next time,¡± Brian promised, putting his arms around her shoulders. ¡°This AnimeCon¡¯s still goin¡¯ on, so don¡¯t you go getting yourself depressed just yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stephanie looked up at him with a sad smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of other stuff, too,¡± Kelly proposed. ¡°Excuses for us to all meet up and get together now and then. Concerts, football games. Parties. Doesn¡¯t just have to be this geeky garba¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Think there¡¯s a big renaissance fair coming up this fall,¡± Brian remembered with a lopsided grin. ¡°With live action roleplaying and everything, we can ask Rebecca about it. Another excuse for us to all dress up and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You guys are hopeless,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Next thing I know, you¡¯ll be suggesting we get into that stupid dice-and-dungeon All-Quest stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do know a guy who runs a table,¡± Brian mused with a smile. ¡°Could try giving him a call, he¡¯d be thrilled to have some new blood at the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ooh,¡± Stephanie beamed up at him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about All-Quest, but I never had a group of people to try playing with...¡±


    ¡°Hah ha, very funny, dorks,¡± Kelly said with a strained smile. Shit. I can¡¯t even tell if they¡¯re kidding anymore.


    ¡°I can regale you tales of that time I played Bj?rn, my homebrew Fistmancy Bloodzerker,¡± Brian teased. ¡°Great guy, huge mustache. Never met a problem he couldn¡¯t solve with proper application of violence. Magic punches, mind you, and at ninth tier my damage output was insane¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can shut you up with kisses,¡± Kelly growled. ¡°Is that what you want, my tongue down your throat every time you relapse into more weeb bullshit?¡±


    ¡°Relapse?!¡± Brian let out an indignant scoff. ¡°And ack-shully, I¡¯ll have you know All-Quest games are a western discipline, so you construing it as¡ª¡±


    Kelly pressed in close, gripping the front of his shirt and silencing him with the softness of her lips. They kissed for a long moment, Kelly only releasing him to regard him with a stern look.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Brian continued in his stuffy imitation of a nerd. ¡°You see, referring to it as weeb is just factually incorr¡ª¡±


    She leaned in again, this time slipping her tongue into his mouth and playing it against his for an exceptionally heated kiss that somehow stretched on for a lot longer than intended before she finally let him free again.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Brian worked his lips. ¡°Huh. Forgot what I was saying.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Kelly grunted, turning to see Stephanie¡¯s blushing face. ¡°And what are you lookin¡¯ at, huh? Do you want kisses? ¡®Cause that¡¯s how you get kisses.¡±


    ¡°I always want kisses,¡± Stephanie sighed with a soft smile, and something about the cutesy delivery and the sparkle in the girl¡¯s blue eyes had Kelly¡¯s heart racing all over again. ¡°Kisses and kisses and kisses.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it,¡± Kelly huffed in exasperation. ¡°Everybody, clothes off. Looks like we¡¯re in for round two.¡±


    ¡°Really wish we could,¡± Brian lamented. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get moving, though.¡±


    He left the room keys on the dresser, they each took one last glance around, and then they all filed out of the room and out into the sunlight. Megan and Emily were still out in the pool courtyard waiting for them with the small pile of bags, costume pieces, and the Noblesse Oblique shipping box on one of the chaise loungers lined up beside the clear blue water. Several of the breakfast platter cartons were open nearby and Emily was gesticulating to Megan with an animated expression as she typed something into her phone, but Rebecca was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Hey, Emmie,¡± Brian greeted in a somewhat sheepish voice as they walked over to join them. ¡°Sorry¡ªwere you all waiting on us out here?¡±


    ¡°Oh hey!¡± Emily beamed up at him, then shot an expectant look at Stephanie. ¡°Uhhh, how was it? How¡¯d¡­ everything go?¡±


    Blushing furiously, Stephanie covered her face and hid against Brian, unable to reply.


    ¡°It was¡­ great,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Everything was fine,¡± Kelly assured Emily. ¡°I barely had to help them at all.¡±


    ¡°You actually helped out quite a bit,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Did Rebecca go on ahead to the convention?¡±


    ¡°Think she was looking for a restroom,¡± Megan said.


    ¡°Welll, next time you guys, are, um, wrestlin¡¯ around and stuff do you think I could help out a bit?¡± Emily pleaded, batting her eyelashes. ¡°If you want? Pretty-please?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to wrestle around and stuff with me?¡± Kelly asked Emily, pursing her lips into a cute pout. ¡°We can¡ª¡±


    An unexpected but all-too-familiar sound interrupted, and Kelly stared down at her purse in surprise for a moment before registering what it was; her phone was going off. That was sure to be Chelsea calling¡ªKelly lived with her, along with Chelsea¡¯s boyfriend Devan and their one-year-old brat Skyler. This was probably the wake up call, finally arriving to jar her out of the impossible dream that was this weekend and back to cruel reality.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Kelly swore, opening up her purse and pulling out her phone. ¡°Sorry, one sec, guys.¡±


    Not wanting to leave them but needing a bit of privacy, Kelly took a small stroll away from her new friends around towards the other end of the pool. It was hard not to think of how distant and empty past Kelly felt to her now, and trying to put her back in that different mindset to address the vestiges of that life now had her shoulders tensing all over again. Figuring out how to stitch together the disparity between the Kelly from before and who she felt like she was now was going to take some work, and she took a deep breath before accepting the call and bringing the phone up to her face.


    ¡°Chelsea,¡± Kelly greeted in a neutral tone. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey, girl,¡± Chelsea¡¯s soft sigh sounded out. ¡°Is it okay if I pick you up a little earlier today? Like, in about an hour? I told my mom she could have the car at two o¡¯clock for her doctor¡¯s appointment thing. How¡¯d things go with your sister?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Kelly¡¯s mind went blank for a moment at simply hearing Chelsea again. ¡°It¡ªwell, it went. Long story...¡±


    The sound of Chelsea¡¯s voice reminded Kelly of her little space on the couch in their porch room that reeked of smoke and stale beer. Kicking off her work shoes and wadding up that greasy-feeling McBurger apron, or the stuffy Dollarydoos collared shirt, and letting herself fall heavily onto the couch cushions. Sliding tapes into the VCR slot of the old TV out there so that the pictures could play out silently¡ªthe set¡¯s speakers had blown out long ago¡ªwhile she wearily messed around on her phone. The feeling of exhaustion and the maddening frustration that all of her efforts were just running her ragged but getting her nowhere, every single fucking day.


    ¡°Did she not take it well?¡± Chelsea asked in her subdued voice. ¡°I hope she didn¡¯t¡ªSkyler, drop that. You drop that right now. That¡¯s not for you to play with. You¡ªgive me that. Not for you to play with, honey. Er, sorry. I hope your sister didn¡¯t, like, flip out on you?¡±


    It was easy for her to picture Skyler¡¯s grabby little hands, because Kelly seemed to be babysitting him whenever she wasn¡¯t working one of her shitty grueling jobs. The tyke was cute, but his need for constant supervision was demanding when she already felt strained and stretched thin after her shifts. One-year-olds have no real concept of personal space¡ªher shoes, the scattered VHS tapes, Kelly¡¯s plastic ashtray, lighter, and her cigarette packs were all toys to him. She was using the box from Skyler¡¯s Toddler Table as her hamper, and more often than not she¡¯d discover it tipped over and her clothing strewn around the tiny borrowed living area when she got home, simply because Skyler wanted to play with the box.


    If I didn¡¯t keep all my good cosmetics here in my purse, can¡¯t even imagine the mess I¡¯d come home to. Well, not HOME exactly, I guess¡­


    It had never been a home, just a familiar place where Kelly existed while feeling miserable for herself. Somewhere to wile away the hours until her next work shift or the next time she could drink herself to sleep. Remembering her situation there evoked a mild sense of steadily deepening dread, recalling that maybe this is it, that maybe this is as good as it¡¯s gonna get, a life slipping into the cracks and just disappearing into obscurity after having fallen so hard and so far from what she thought she¡ª


    ¡°No, she¡ªum,¡± Kelly clapped a hand to her forehead, realizing she¡¯d fallen silent for a moment too long. ¡°Listen, Chel¡ªhow much money do I owe you guys?¡±


    ¡°How much money?¡± Chelsea asked. ¡°Umm. Maybe something like¡­ sixty dollars? I think?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean like, not just what I borrowed. Rent and my part of the bills and everything,¡± Kelly clarified with some difficulty. ¡°I haven¡¯t been real great about paying you guys every month, and I know that.¡±


    ¡°I think... I¡¯d have to check with Devan,¡± Chelsea¡¯s quiet voice sounded concerned. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ it sounds like you¡¯re not coming back. Kelly¡­ are you in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t think I¡¯m coming back,¡± Kelly confirmed. ¡°But it¡¯s the opposite of trouble, I guess. I think I¡¯m¡ªit¡¯s like I¡¯m getting a lot of things figured out? Definitely want to square things off with you and Devan, though. You¡¯ve been way too good to me to burn you guys like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Chelsea said, and then paused for a long moment. ¡°Am I... not picking you up from the anime convention, then?¡±


    ¡°Could you actually¡­ throw all my stuff in a bag or something and bring it by?¡± Kelly asked with a wince. ¡°And, I can pay you guys whatever I owe you in cash.¡±


    ¡°In cash?¡± Chelsea repeated. ¡°Umm, Kelly you didn¡¯t¡­?¡±


    ¡°Prostitute myself out to geeks at an anime convention?¡± Kelly supplied with a faint smile.


    ¡°Hey¡ªKelly, your words, not mine!¡± Chelsea let out an uneasy laugh. ¡°I just, um, I didn¡¯t think that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, charged a nickel a go, and you wouldn¡¯t believe how much I earned,¡± Kelly joked in a dry tone. ¡°Had a big line of guys all weekend, I¡¯ve just been bent over letting them go at it while I count and roll all the coins, you know? Can I just give you loose change, is that cool? Don¡¯t want the other pimps making fun of you when you take your cut over to the Coinster machine at the Shop-n-Serve.¡±


    ¡°Hah, Kelly¡­¡± Chelsea¡¯s laugh was only slightly strained. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t for real, though, right? The money, I mean. I thought that Kingsley Productions guy was just, um. Video, like filming stuff for the internet or whatever. Not like, escorting and stuff...¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kelly¡¯s heart leapt into her throat and she felt a little choked up in realizing just how close she¡¯d come to making a lot of really terrible decisions. ¡°Chel, I¡¯m not escorting. I¡¯m not gonna do the porno thing after all, either. I¡­ don¡¯t know how to explain it and you¡¯d never believe all the crazy shit going on, but things have like, completely turned around. I¡¯m going to be okay now.¡±


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Chelsea sounded thrilled. ¡°Did your sister talk you into¡ª¡±


    ¡°I found some good people,¡± Kelly tried to figure out how she was going to explain this. ¡°And, they¡¯re gonna take care of me. I¡¯m gonna take care of them.¡±


    ¡°Good... people?¡± Chelsea repeated in disbelief. ¡°People, like, as in a church community, or something?¡±


    ¡°People as in, like a boyfriend and a girlfriend,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Kinda.¡±


    ¡°So... you¡¯re moving in with another couple?¡± Chelsea sounded perplexed. ¡°Um. Is it¡­ like¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all¡ªI¡¯m, uh, involved,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Jesus. Kelly¡­¡± Chelsea groaned. ¡°Are you¡­ sure about this?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Kelly answered with growing confidence. ¡°I really am. This is it. I think I¡¯ve found where I¡¯m meant to be.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Doubting his Luck

    It was a picturesque scene; a fiery-haired beauty walking alongside the lovely blue water of the poolside, while framed behind by the flowering plants of the hotel¡¯s cabana courtyard decor. The young woman had a long, confident stride and a presence about her that naturally commanded attention¡ªdespite the gorgeous girls at his side, Brian still felt a little starstruck at the sight of Kelly, because Kelly impressed.


    None of this weekend seems even remotely possible, Brian thought to himself, not quite daring to shake his head in disbelief.


    The pensive look Kelly had worn while on the phone cleared up upon making eye contact with him, and she shot him a brilliant smile. A very Kelly smile, almost a lopsided smirk, one that appeared simply because he was watching. A smile just for him, a pleased expression, something to show how much she appreciated being noticed. There was an intentional bounce to her step when she realized he was looking her way, and as always, she was a mesmerizing sight to see.


    Or, ah, none of this seems probable? Brian fought to preserve his line of thought, which became exceptionally difficult with Kelly intent on distracting him. This whole weekend¡¯s just been¡­ unreal. Like something out of a dream.


    Beside him¡ªclinging to his arm, actually¡ªStephanie was absolutely radiant with happiness. He¡¯d heard that a woman in love would have a certain glow about them, but this was the most definitive example he¡¯d ever witnessed in person. Her adorable cheeks curved in a cherubic smile, and every glance from her seemed to pour out unadulterated joy, as though her feelings were just continuously spilling over and she simply couldn¡¯t help but share them with everyone around her.


    It quickly became clear that he wasn¡¯t the only one to notice.


    ¡°Geez, Steph¡ª you¡¯re too much,¡± Emily teased, sharing a knowing look with Brian.


    The familiar way Emily gazed at him had begun to change, too. After knowing each other for so long he was adept at reading her, but now some unfathomable distance between them had been bridged and the meaning in her eyes was so much more bright and vivid. Brian knew Emily, but at the same time he could see there were untold volumes more still to discover that had somehow gone unspoken all this time.


    Unable to stop himself, he reached his hand out towards her.


    Her reaction was priceless¡ªEmily¡¯s face seemed to waver between the one she meant to show him and several other ones she¡¯d have liked to keep to herself. Each one was more interesting than the last, but after a split second she regained her composure into a very Emily grin and instead slapped his extended palm in a high five.


    Emily¡­ seriously?


    When she held out her hand for him to return the favor, Emily found herself grabbed. There was no escape for her¡ªbecause as if reading his mind, while Brian took one of Emily¡¯s wrists, Stephanie beside him captured the other. Together, they pulled the startled Latina with the bright blue pixie-cut in close to them.


    ¡°Oi, oi, oi!¡± Emily pretended to struggle for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles.


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Kelly sighed as she finished her approach, shaking her head in apparent dismay. ¡°What the fuck was that.¡±


    ¡°What, nobody gives high-fives around here?!¡± Emily protested, blushing as Brian and Stephanie both squeezed her tight. ¡°Errghh, c¡¯mon guys, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily, here,¡± Kelly goaded, holding up her palm. ¡°High five.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emily lit up, squirming an arm free to throw out towards Kelly. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m¡ª hey wait you traitor!¡±


    Brian turned to discover Kelly had caught Emily¡¯s hand and gently cupped it against her own cheek, allowing the girl¡¯s thumb to fall between her lips for a soft, surprisingly sensual kiss. Stephanie giggled at the sight and that seemed to spur Kelly on even further, the taller girl closing her eyes and drawing Emily¡¯s digit into her mouth in an increasingly erotic display.


    ¡°Whew lawdy,¡± Megan interjected, fanning herself with one hand. ¡°You all are crazy. Like, it goes from zero to yaoi sparkles and blooming flowers in three seconds flat, here.¡±


    ¡°Yaoi sparkles?¡± Brian questioned, arching an eyebrow at the girl.


    ¡°Uhh¡ªyeah slip of the tongue,¡± Megan chortled. ¡°Yuri sparkles? Is that a thing? It¡¯s probably a thing. Y¡¯all know what I mean, like in shojou manga where the backgrounds are all oooh¡ª¡±


    Turning his attention from the jazz hands Megan was throwing to Emily¡¯s flustered but half-hearted attempt to escape, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that inkling of doubt again. The situation was goddamned arousing. Impossible. Emily¡¯s small chest was pressed up against him, and she was hemmed into place there by Stephanie and Kelly who were by themselves the kind of perfect flavors of sex appeal that would easily turn heads anywhere. He¡¯d always wanted to believe in good karma, believe that someday his luck would turn around, but actually watching it do so over the course of a weekend was¡ªwell, still a little unbelievable.


    Stupid to question a good thing, though, Brian chided himself. Right?


    Was there a limit to how lucky he could be all at once? Was he somehow tempting fate, had he exceeded some mortal threshold for how many good things were allowed to happen to him all at once? Winding up with even one relationship that felt like this it felt like life was being unexpectedly¡ªalmost suspiciously¡ªgenerous. Let alone hitting some sort of triple multiplier like this.


    Is the game... broken? Brian tried not to wonder. This weekend¡ªthis AnimeCon, it feels like my personal RNG is just way, way off. Like, I shouldn¡¯t complain, I KNOW I shouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like any moment I¡¯m just waiting for it all to come crashing down. Expecting the luck to abruptly run out, thinking that some other shoe has to drop. It¡¯s so...


    ¡°Brian¡ªI feel the same way,¡± Stephanie confided, giving him a look of adoration that was liberally spiked with her sweetened special blend of unbridled attraction. ¡°About everything. About this whole weekend.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªhey now, Brian said, showing her an uncertain smile. It was impossible to look away. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything,¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Stephanie whispered softly. Behind her glasses, those beautiful blue eyes seemed to tempt him in deeper and deeper. ¡°I can tell!¡±


    ¡°You can?¡±


    ¡°I can!¡± Stephanie assured him with a serious nod that made her pink bangs bob. Everything about her when she was trying to be candid somehow came off as incredibly cute. ¡°I can tell, because it¡¯s the same for me. Good things just¡ªthey just don¡¯t happen to me. Not like this. Not until this weekend. Then, everything all happened at once!¡±


    ¡°Hey it wasn¡¯t all rainbows and Butterbees!¡± Emily protested. She¡¯d given up on escaping them and decided to latch herself onto Brian, looping her arms around his neck. ¡°All that crazy bad shit happened, too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Butterbees?¡± Kelly asked with a skeptical look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡ª¡± Brian began.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Monster Battlers,¡± Megan chimed in. ¡°Butterbee; evolves from a Honeygon at level twelve. Honeygon as in like, hexagon, ¡®cause in real-life beehives they¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it, I get it,¡± Kelly winced, holding her hands up. ¡°So, a geeky video game reference. I get it.¡±


    ¡°And then, Butterbee later evolves into Sweetqueen!¡± Stephanie teased, grinning at Kelly. ¡°At level thirty, I think?¡±


    ¡°Do you want kisses?¡± Kelly growled again, shooting Stephanie a playful look of anger. ¡°¡®Cause I told you; that¡¯s how you get kisses.¡±


    ¡°I said it because I want kisses,¡± Stephanie beamed, not letting go of Brian¡¯s arm but leaning over in Kelly¡¯s direction.


    To Brian¡¯s surprise, Kelly¡¯s playful facade seemed to melt away beneath the blazing heat of Stephanie¡¯s smile, revealing a very genuine look of love. With an exasperated sigh and some clearly feigned reluctance, Kelly crowded in over Emily¡¯s shoulder and puckered her lips to shower Stephanie with repeated¡ªand rather noisy¡ªkisses.


    ¡°Muah,¡± Kelly smacked her lips against Stephanie¡¯s with a wet sound, then greedily lunged in for more and more. ¡°Muah, muah, muah, muah.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ªuh, whoa,¡± Megan commented in a small voice from the sidelines.


    ¡°You guys are gonna be a real bitch to reform,¡± Kelly complained, but the look in her eyes as she examined Stephanie again from up close seemed to express a very different sentiment. ¡°What a bunch of weebs...¡±


    Okay, so... there¡¯s definitely a ton going on here. Though a little surprised, Brian didn¡¯t find himself as taken aback as he thought he would be.


    Against all expectations, Kelly had really opened up, and his first rather negative impression of her had been overturned again and again over the course of the weekend. Since meeting her on Friday, it was as if all of her prickliness had been sheared away bit by bit, the stinging barbs he kept thinking she was about to hit them with were completely blunted. Her personality was certainly still sharp, but the leading edge of that was no longer directed at them. The air of superiority she¡¯d been projecting that first night was smothered beneath what appeared to be budding feelings of affection, like she actually, truly cared for each of them.


    It¡¯s all just so¡­ WEIRD? Brian thought to himself, forced to once again reevaluate his estimation of Kelly. Like, it doesn¡¯t even feel fair to question her after everything she¡¯s done for us, and she¡¯s done A LOT, but...


    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re totes gonna get you playing too,¡± Emily insisted, sticking her tongue out at Kelly. ¡°We¡¯ll get it loaded up on your phone so we can all play together. Hey, we can form our own Monster Battlers cadre!¡±


    ¡°What, now you need shut up with kisses, too?¡± Kelly narrowed her eyes at the girl. ¡°Am I a joke to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, we need six for a cadre, right?¡± Emily continued on undaunted. ¡°Brian and I play, Steph obviously plays, Rebecca plays a little bit¡ªor at least, she used to, I got her started¡ªMegan you play, right? With all of us together, we can¡ªmmph!?!!¡±


    Brian blinked, watching on in amazement as Kelly pressed in to give Emily a rather passionate kiss. The sight shouldn¡¯t have fazed him after everything their little group had been through together last night, but it did still add to how unreal everything felt. Someone was making out with his Emily, right there in front of him. A gorgeous girl was making out with Emily.


    I should probably be feeling¡­ I don¡¯t know, jealous, right? Brian felt himself heating up, but it wasn¡¯t with jealousy. Or, or CONFLICTED, or something. Kell just kissed Stephanie. Then, she kissed Emily. But then instead it¡¯s like¡­ all of us have been kissing each other, it¡¯s¡­ like, fuck how did we get neck deep into polygamy so damned fast? More than neck deep, even. I¡¯ve made love to ALL THREE of these girls in like, the past ten hours or so. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s impossible, right? This is some kind of fever dream? This is¡ª


    ¡°Brian,¡± Stephanie addressed him in a comforting voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    How do you DO that? Brian regarded Stephanie with a smile. Does my face really gave away that much?


    On the one hand it seemed implausible, but then on the other¡ªit was hard to refute the girl¡¯s powers of observation with the hungry way her eyes seemed to drink him in, the burning thirst for him that had been ignited in Stephanie. Something about the way she seemed to totally fixate on him every time she turned his way suggested that her appetite for more of him was utterly insatiable. As if she was ravenous for every little minute detail he might display¡ªhow could she possibly miss any of the subtle tells his expression gave away?


    ¡°Any more weebery from you, Kitten?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes flashed and she wet her lips as if searching for every last lingering trace of Emily¡¯s lips to savor. ¡°Or have you learned your lesson?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily seemed at a loss for words for once. ¡°Uhhh¡ªBrian, she¡¯s bullying me!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you love being bullied,¡± Kelly said, releasing Emily from their three-way hug with a dismissive smirk. ¡°There, happy? And hey¡ªdid anyone save us any breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Megan spoke up, picking up one of the cartons in a daze. ¡°Uhh. Rebecca wouldn¡¯t let us touch this one, said it¡¯s for you guys. Girls. Guy and girls. Y¡¯all.¡±


    ¡°Cool, cool,¡± Kelly nodded, accepting the breakfast platter with a grateful nod. ¡°Where is Reb¡ªwhoa, this is heavy¡ªwhere is Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°Combined most of my leftovers into that one,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯m smol, my tummy doesn¡¯t fit much. And, I think Rebecca ran off to find a restroom?¡±


    ¡°Well, here, then,¡± Kelly sat down on the nearest poolside lounger and settled the carton in her lap. ¡°Brian, Steph¡ªhelp me finish all this. Forks¡ªwhere¡¯s the forks?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Megan offered.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Was that your workplace on the phone back there, Kelly?¡± Stephanie asked as she settled in to sit next to Kelly on the lounger. ¡°Brian¡ªsit and eat!¡±


    Hesitating for only a moment, Brian grabbed the adjacent lounger and dragged it closer so that he could huddle in with them. It was strange but not unpleasant seeing an increasingly assertive Stephanie. Unlike when Chloe had commanded him to do something, Stephanie didn¡¯t seem to be bossing him around. There was an insistent love in her tone, and she eyed him with a nervous smile as if to ask if it was okay. By contrast, each time Chloe had tried to dictate his actions, it had added into this ever-growing weight of dissatisfaction until their relationship was straining with tension.


    Stephanie telling him what to do somehow made her even more endearing, and he was happy to comply.


    ¡°No, it was¡­ a friend,¡± Kelly paused. ¡°Chelsea, she was going to pick me up. That was the original plan, from, you know, from before. I asked her to just bring my stuff. If... uh, yeah if it¡¯s still cool that I¡¯m staying with you, Brian. If... this is all happening for real?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Brian nodded, putting his hand on her knee to give her some reassurance.


    It was unsettling seeing Kelly reveal her uneasiness in the way she spoke like this, but that she did so instead of putting on a front for them was also touching. In truth, he felt a little overwhelmed at the reminder¡ªfrom now on they were going to be cohabitating, and everything felt like it was happening too fast. He didn¡¯t think he was having second thoughts, exactly, just the reality of their situation seemed to creep up on him and pounce when he least expected it.


    ¡°Probably shoulda asked, huh?¡± Kelly gave him a weak smile. ¡°Like, I know you said it¡¯d be cool if I stayed with you for a while, but I shouldn¡¯t have assumed you meant like, right away or anything, I just¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s totally cool,¡± Brian gave her leg a squeeze. ¡°No sense in delaying, right? I live a few hours away depending on traffic, but there should be time tonight to start getting you settled, and then you can unpack and make yourself at home or whatever tomorrow while I¡¯m at work.¡±


    ¡°Okay, cool,¡± Kelly looked relieved.


    After a moment of thought, she oriented her forkful of scrambled eggs towards him so that she could feed him a bite. He obliged, leaning in and accepting it. It was hard not to once again compare the massive difference in treatment with the way things had been with Chloe¡ªChloe would have never been caught dead even sharing a utensil with him.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Emily echoed in agreement.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Stephanie said, trying her hardest not to sound wistful. She took a bite from the breakfast platter with her fork and chewed for a moment, but in the end couldn¡¯t stop herself from saying more. ¡°Oh my gosh, I¡¯m so jealous, though!¡±


    ¡°Cut class for a few days and come stay with us?¡± Kelly¡¯s lip quirked into a mischievous smirk.


    ¡°Hey¡ª!¡± Megan pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that! Stephie has like, perfect attendance!¡±


    ¡°I really want to, though,¡± Stephanie admitted, turning a pleading look towards Brian. ¡°I mean, maybe¡­ maybe I should...?¡±


    ¡°Fuuuck, just remembered I totally bailed on my Saturday shift yesterday,¡± Emily squeaked, dropping her head into her hands. ¡°After trading shifts with Karen and everything. I¡¯m totally fired.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Kelly chuckled. ¡°Gonna no-show mine tomorrow morning. Fuck gainful employment, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, yeah but I¡¯m broke and I hate job-hunting,¡± Emily groaned. ¡°It¡¯s literally the worst. Applications, ugh. Interviews. Orientation. Filling out all that bullshit paperwork and starting all over again from the bottom again. Why can¡¯t I ever be smart?¡±


    ¡°Will can probably get you a job at Marino¡¯s Pizza,¡± Brian suggested with a wry smile.


    ¡°Fuck Will,¡± Emily spat. ¡°Goddamn creep. Asshole. Piece of shit. No.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡ªWill¡¯s not so bad,¡± Brian laughed, leaning in to allow Kelly to feed him another bite of breakfast.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t even get me started,¡± Emily warned.


    ¡°Kelly¡­ why don¡¯t you call into your work and explain?¡± Stephanie pressed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better starting off there, if you could just transfer?¡±


    ¡°Ugghh,¡± Kelly made a face. ¡°Really don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    ¡°Where do you work?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°A Dollarydoos, here in the city,¡± Kelly sighed. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Lucca Italiano,¡± Emily grumbled. ¡°Hoighty-toighty fancy-shmancy rich twat fine dining joint. I¡¯m a waitress¡ªserving staff¡ªwhatever, or well, I guess I was.¡±


    ¡°Do you know for sure you¡¯re fired?¡± Brian asked, pausing to accept another fork full of eggs, this time from Stephanie. ¡°I mean, maybe they¡¯ll just write you up? Or, if you have a good enough excuse¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Emily shook her head. ¡°Just¡­ nah. This¡¯d be like, my fifth write-up there anyways. I hate that place, and everyone there hates me.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Megan huffed. ¡°Sounds stressful. And I¡¯ve never even had a job!¡±


    ¡°Wait, like, never?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Megan answered.


    ¡°How old are you¡­?¡± Emily asked. ¡°I mean, no offense or anything, but¡­¡±


    ¡°From what I gather, you guys live in¡­ like, a real wealthy area?¡± Kelly asked, looking from Brian to Emily.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily made a face. ¡°Sorta? I live with my mom and my sister, in like, an upper middle-class neighborhood? Brian used to be in with the real rich pricks with the mansions and shit¡ªhis god awful parents, don¡¯t ask¡ªbut then he was at Aunt Mattie¡¯s, and now he¡¯s got an apartment kinda just on the outer edge of town.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask?¡± Kelly probed, turning to regard Brian.


    ¡°I¡ªerr, yeah, don¡¯t ask,¡± Brian grimaced. ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°Not good people,¡± Emily scowled. ¡°They were the worst. Fucking goddamn pieces of¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask, then,¡± Kelly cut her off, holding her hands up. ¡°Not my business until Brian ever wants to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Emily nodded, trying to forcibly relax. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got all sorts of shit in my past,¡± Kelly said with some difficulty, swiping up the last bit of food from the carton with her fork and tucking it into her mouth. ¡°Is it¡­ I dunno, you think we should like, get it all out of the way before I try living with you? To make sure this is gonna work?¡±


    ¡°You tell me whatever at your own pace,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°And we¡¯ll work through it together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ great,¡± Kelly managed. ¡°Okay. Thank you. Really¡ªthank you.¡±


    The group lapsed into silence for a minute, with Megan awkwardly fidgeting while Stephanie took Kelly¡¯s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.


    ¡°Well, uh. Fuck,¡± Emily finally grunted out, ambling up to her feet. ¡°The hell¡¯s taking Rebecca so long? Convention time¡¯s a-wastin¡¯. Should I go check on her?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian said, collecting the scattered breakfast cartons and cramming them back into the plastic bag. ¡°We can take some of this stuff out to my car. Steph, you want to leave your bag in my car for now while we head over to the con?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ we can do that,¡± Stephanie nodded. ¡°I think. Megan, are you still parked¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, way over at the Sherriott,¡± Megan said. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± Stephanie stood and swept the lap of her overall shorts with her fingertips.


    ¡°This has all been¡­ this whole morning¡¯s been really, really great. But, I¡¯m super excited to get back to the convention, too!¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 The Charm Meta

    ¡°Rebeccaaa?¡± Emily asked, leaning into the Westerlin¡¯s public restroom and peeking inside as she rapped a knuckle against the door in a seven note shave and a haircut riff. ¡°Chinga tu madre¡ªcabr¨®n!¡±


    ¡°Emily!¡± Rebecca¡¯s shy voice issued out from the farthest stall. ¡°What if someone else was in here?! You realize I know that you¡¯re swearing!¡±


    Back when Rebecca had first been introduced to their friend group and they discovered she didn¡¯t approve of their constant bad language, Mike, Will, and Emily would switch to Spanish curse words as a joke. Brian and Chloe had simply been more careful with what they said, one of the other two Rebeccas they knew¡ªBecca¡ªwould swear in French, and of course Tanya who was perfectly fluent in Russian didn¡¯t care at all and continued to swear colorfully in English regardless of how exasperated that made Rebecca.


    ¡°Yeah, uhh. I just wanted to check on ya,¡± Emily called. ¡°You okay in there? We were all about to head back over to the con.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Rebecca drawled out in exasperation.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± Emily teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Rebecca repeated in a huff. ¡°Geez.¡±


    There were some rustling sounds that Emily guessed would be Rebecca adjusting her tunic, and then she heard the clack of the stall¡¯s lock sliding out. Rebecca emerged, blushing furiously. The embarrassed expression was a surprise¡ªand there had been no flush of the toilet, so Emily immediately felt her suspicions rouse as she inspected her friend with interest. Awkward expression aside, Rebecca still looked rather dashing in her viking getup, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anything amiss with her tunic.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± Emily prodded.


    ¡°Would you stop it!¡± Rebecca scolded her, crossing over to the sinks to wash her hands. ¡°I¡¯m okay! I just had to¡­ powder my nose and freshen up!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Emily held her hands up with a grin. ¡°I was just concerned, ¡®cause your face is all red, and there¡¯s this weird musky sex smell in here, so¡ªeek!¡±


    Hands still under the running water from the faucet, Rebecca was now twisting to flick water in Emily¡¯s direction. The spry Latina only just managed to duck back out of the restroom and pull the door shut to avoid a spray of droplets. After peeking back through the slit doorway for a moment to see her friend had finished washing up and was drying her hands, the grinning Emily swung the door back open and reentered.


    ¡°I mean are you coming, or not?!¡± Emily laughed. ¡°C¡¯mon, convention time¡¯s a¡¯wastin¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Rebecca shoved a lanyard with an AnimeCon badge at Emily with a pout.


    ¡°Uhh, thanks,¡± Emily said. ¡°I already got one, though?¡±


    ¡°That one there is Brian¡¯s, and no, you don¡¯t have one,¡± Rebecca reminded her. ¡°Mr. Gary gave us single-day passes yesterday¡ªthose were only good for Saturday. There was a colored strip on the bottom that says so! Today, you and I have to buy new single-day passes.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, do we have to, though?¡± Emily balked, making a face. ¡°If we just wear yesterday¡¯s single-day ones again, no one will probably notice.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Rebecca warned her.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever, I haven¡¯t even spent any money yet this weekend. It¡¯s whatever. I¡¯m just sayin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold onto this, for safekeeping,¡± Rebecca stated, holding up the harem charm.


    Rebecca had taken it off the lanyard, and Emily couldn¡¯t help but look at the wooden trinket with total fascination. This little novelty nicknack that had been collecting dust on the little curio beside her desk for ages, alongside chibi anime figurines and bobbleheads and other random junk she decorated her room with. Now, the little slat of wood with the Japanese characters carved into it was magic, probably, it was a focus of power or a mystery macguffin or an occult catalyst or something special.


    ¡°...Okay,¡± Emily nodded.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Rebecca arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. Okay,¡± Emily reached out and closed Rebecca¡¯s hand around the charm. ¡°It¡¯s safest with you, for now. You¡¯re responsible, and I trust you.¡±


    ¡°I was worried you were going to want to play around with it,¡± Rebecca admitted. She opened up one of the leather pouches hanging from her belt and carefully secured the charm inside.


    ¡°I do want to play around with it,¡± Emily confirmed. ¡°But, not today, and¡ªI realize it¡¯s a big deal, and maybe dangerous, and I don¡¯t want anything happening. I can be responsible and make good decisions too, you know! Geez.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Rebecca gave her a proud nod.


    ¡°That said¡­¡± Emily quirked her lip. ¡°It is Brian¡¯s. I gave it to him, and it also belongs to him, like¡­ magically? If he¡¯s the focus of the harem thing. We¡¯re gonna have to return it back to him, at some point.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°As soon as you¡¯re willing to tell him what we think it is, or what we think it does, then I¡¯ll give it back to him.¡±


    ¡°Ugghh,¡± Emily groaned. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I mean, yeah, yeah. I get it, I get it. Responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Either you or one of the other girls needs to tell him at some point,¡± Rebecca prodded. ¡°The sooner, the better.¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh,¡± Emily looked away.


    ¡°Emily,¡± Rebecca gave her a stern look.


    ¡°I mean, I totally get what you¡¯re saying!¡± Emily blustered. ¡°But, I can¡¯t do it. No way. Maybe Stephie or Kelly can figure out how to break it to him, but with the way things have gone between Brian and me? With stuff like that? Just, nooope, nah, no way, won¡¯t do it. Can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep the truth from him,¡± Rebecca sighed. ¡°Emily, the sooner you tell him what¡¯s going on, the sooner you don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Do you really want this hanging over your head the whole¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know I know I know!¡± Emily threw her hands up. ¡°But, I really, totally, completely can¡¯t do it. Can¡¯t be the one to tell him. Call me a coward if you want, I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a coward,¡± Rebecca assured her. ¡°I think that if¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it makes me a coward, Rebecca¡ªhe¡¯ll hate this,¡± Emily growled. ¡°I know Brian. If there¡¯s any chance we¡¯re being influenced by the charm stuff, and uh, yeah we kinda all are, he¡¯ll hate it. He¡¯ll doubt my feelings, he¡¯ll think they¡¯re not real, that it doesn¡¯t count and it¡¯ll fuck all of this up right back to where it was but worse, and maybe ruined forever. I can¡¯t risk that.¡±


    ¡°That might be,¡± Rebecca furrowed her brow. ¡°But, it¡¯s still his right to know, and his judgement to make. If you really love him, you need to come clean about this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there,¡± Emily gritted her teeth. ¡°You know I can¡¯t poison this, you know I¡ªI need this. Rebecca.¡±


    ¡°What if I broke the charm in half, and these things you¡¯re feeling right now for Brian just disappeared?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Emily snapped back. ¡°I loved him before.¡±


    ¡°Then, it doesn¡¯t matter if I break it?¡± Rebecca arched her eyebrow and put a hand to the pouch at her hip.


    ¡°Wait wait wait no just¡ªdon¡¯t,¡± Emily lunged in to stop Rebecca¡¯s arm. ¡°Please, don¡¯t fuck around with me right now? You¡¯re being¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the line of thought Brian will probably have,¡± Rebecca warned her. ¡°When he finds out about everything. To him, if the feelings you girls have are real, then him breaking the charm will prove it. So, I want you to think about that, Emily. Really think about it. This isn¡¯t something you can put off or delay forever. The longer you wait, the more of a problem it¡¯s going to turn into. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily finally managed to bite out. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me for this,¡± Rebecca pulled Emily into a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m telling you these things because I¡¯m your friend. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± Emily was still gritting her teeth. ¡°Just, I hate this. I know you¡¯re a good friend. My best friend. I¡¯ll appreciate you to death for all this later probably. Maybe. Just, right now¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure out as much as we can about the charm magic stuff first,¡± Rebecca promised. ¡°Maybe it only has effects when in proximity to the charm, or to Brian, or something. Maybe it¡¯s a limited-time thing, and the blue will be gone from your hair tomorrow. Or in a few days. Maybe to be affected, you have to keep touching the charm every time. We don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Emily echoed.


    ¡°Brian would be more... receptive, if any of those things were the case,¡± Rebecca said, patting Emily¡¯s back but not yet releasing her. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Emily took a deep breath. ¡°We figure it out. You keep the charm safe. It¡¯s a real working magic harem charm. It¡¯s real magic. It, uh, yeah it definitely seems to amp up attraction to Brian a bit, and maybe some other stuff, too... but that¡¯s like, just one component of what¡¯s going on, and we can explain that to him that there¡¯s more going on. It¡¯s also handing out free superpowers. Free magic superpowers, so a little bit of influence on the side is practically¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re superpowers,¡± Rebecca rolled her eyes.


    ¡°They are to me,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they seem minor or like small fry stuff compared to powers in anime or cape flicks or whatever. They¡¯re supernatural powers, and they¡¯re ours, and this is probably our only chance to ever have them.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯re closer to discovering yours?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily gave her a serious nod. ¡°Kinda. It¡¯s not much, it¡¯s like, a tickle, but it¡¯s definitely a whole new thing, like a whole new sense or something that I¡¯ve never felt before. Whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how any of this works, or if it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Rebecca sighed. ¡°Should we really be messing around with it? With the dreamscape thing, or interacting with each others minds or emotions or¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not messing around with it!¡± Emily said, struggling out from Rebeca¡¯s embrace. ¡°We have you. We¡¯re responsible!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all under the effect of something like charm person,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°It¡¯s influencing our thoughts¡ªsuggestibility, attraction, our emotional connections. I¡¯m not even comfortable telling you why I had to run off to this restroom, but I can definitely say it¡¯s because of something I would never normally do. Emily, messing with these things, it¡¯s dangerous. Maybe even moreso if Brian isn¡¯t actually in control or even aware of the extent to which we¡¯re in an altered state.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon¡ªSteph and Kelly got magic powers!¡± Emily argued. ¡°You did, too. I¡¯m like, right on the verge of figuring mine out, maybe. You¡¯ve got to give us some time. We have this whole dreamscape thing goin¡¯ on that connects all of us! And¡ªI love him. You know that. I always have.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be putting a lot into the whole magic powers angle,¡± Rebecca pointed out. ¡°Is that the real factor, for you? For instance, if this was someone other than Brian. Say you get magic powers, but it means you feel attraction to someone else instead of Brian¡ªwould you stay on for the powers, or break the charm?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Emily scrunched up her face for a moment as she thought about it and finally let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯d... break the charm. Fantasy magic shit is amazing, but it¡¯d make me feel sick and eat me up inside if the harem focus wasn¡¯t Brian. I don¡¯t just feel that way now, either¡ªI¡¯ve always felt that way.¡±


    ¡°And, you¡¯re sure?¡± Rebecca pressed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily gave her friend a pensive look. ¡°I think ever since Josh I¡¯ve felt that way. He was a great guy, but what I feel for Brian wasn¡¯t there. Josh was attractive, but I never wanted to kiss him. He was even so patient with me and was never pushy about any of it. At the time I was thinking I just needed to, I don¡¯t know, force myself to bear with it, that once I got over Brian some mental block would disappear and I¡¯d be normal and have feelings for Josh.


    ¡°But¡­ what I feel for Brian isn¡¯t something that you just get over,¡± Emily said. ¡°It¡¯s a part of me. It¡¯s been a part of me since I first met him, and it¡¯s only gotten bigger and stronger the longer I¡¯ve known him.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ªyou¡¯re in love with Brian,¡± Rebecca diagnosed. ¡°To me, that means you shouldn¡¯t even feel threatened about breaking the charm, because it seems like your feelings aren¡¯t going to change. You realize that Stephanie and Kelly are also involved, and they¡¯re going to get more and more involved the longer this goes on? Are you okay with that? Really okay with that?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Emily promised. ¡°With them being in this, and even with you being in this. None of it¡¯s what I would have ever expected, but¡­ I feel like we¡¯re all good for each other, like each of us is a little lost on our own, but when we¡¯re together we¡¯re better. More than the sum of our parts, or whatever. Maybe the charm is magically suppressing jealousy and stuff, and maybe it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You think it might not be?¡± Rebecca cast her a doubtful glance.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s mostly Stephanie,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°Stephanie, and the way her power works¡ªit like, it connects us all together in just the right way. There¡¯s no room for doubt or duplicity or whatever when you¡¯re tapped into each other¡¯s feelings. The raw sincerity of everything is just right there out in the open. I think that winds up hitting Kelly and I the hardest, because both of us have big trust issue stuffs¡ªbut that¡¯s all mostly mental, and Steph just bypasses right around that entirely with emotional connection.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an astute observation for you to make,¡± Rebecca remarked.


    ¡°How is it for you?¡± Emily asked. ¡°I know you¡¯re a lot more complicated than you seem. And, that you have a lot going on that you don¡¯t talk about, and that¡¯s always been cool. I mean, no not cool, but like¡ªsame. I¡¯m the same. Wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin untangling my own weird problems, not going to pry into yours. You¡¯re my best friend, but you¡¯re a private person, and I¡¯ve always respected that. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rebecca said.


    Lapsing into silence for a moment, the two girls meandered across the hotel lobby and towards the door that led out into the patio area, but didn¡¯t rejoin Brian and the others just yet.


    ¡°Asking you to take some leap of faith into whatever the fuck this is, when you didn¡¯t have feelings for Brian to begin with¡ªI can¡¯t do that,¡± Emily reasoned. ¡°I want to, I want you to be a part of all of this. But, it¡¯s a lot, and I get that. Right now, I think you need some space to think about what you want to do. Then, at some point us girls can all get together for the first official harem meeting, and we¡¯ll work everything out.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªyou stop that, right now!¡± Rebecca gave her a playful thwap on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m the responsible one who shares wisdom and insight! You stop being reasonable right now! What¡¯s gotten into you?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know!¡± Emily threw her hands up in exasperation. ¡°Brian, obviously. Steph¡¯s mind magic or feels magic or whatever, too. Going by my river metaphor, it feels like a lot of my major hangups or blockages finally got washed away and things are moving again. I feel amazing. I feel better than I¡¯ve felt in a long time, and in like every single way. I can¡¯t even put it into words.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Rebecca sighed. ¡°I am very happy for you. But, things were completely platonic between Brian and I until I got charmed. I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s a good idea for me to be¡­ involved with him, especially if all of you are. I don¡¯t like things to be complicated and messy, Emily.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily tried to choose her words carefully. ¡°Do you want out of the harem? That¡¯s¡­ I mean, I get it. It¡¯s reasonable. Soon as we figure out how, we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want,¡± Rebecca admitted. ¡°But... I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m past the initial squealing in excitement phase of discovering something really magical, and¡­ honestly now I¡¯m a little rattled. When Stephanie and Brian were, um. Making love. The whole dreamscape went up in pink flames and I... couldn¡¯t shut it out at all. The feelings, the¡ªwhat she was experiencing. You know.¡±


    Rebecca studied Emily for a moment, looking unsure of herself.


    ¡°I, um, I was kind of afraid you were going to give me a hard time for even admitting that,¡± Rebecca said.


    Emily instead immediately lunged in to hug Rebecca again.


    ¡°Not about that,¡± Emily said in a soft voice. ¡°You¡¯re being serious, and¡­ Jesus, Rebecca. I¡¯m so sorry. Just the thought of it, of that kind of thing going on but you can¡¯t stop it from happening and don¡¯t want it, Rebecca... doesn¡¯t that pretty much basically kinda make it ra¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to consider it that,¡± Rebecca cut her off. ¡°I know she didn¡¯t have that kind of intention and I don¡¯t think that anyone was at fault. It wasn¡¯t even¡­ bad, completely, it was just, the situation was frustrating and uncomfortable and kind of shows me how much potential for danger is there.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°I am, I¡¯m okay!¡± Rebecca promised. ¡°A little bit more nervous about the harem stuff than I was before. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve minded being exposed to¡­ Stephanie¡¯s experience, if I¡¯d had some warning first. It was interesting and exciting and incredible sharing that¡­ moment, with her. Just... think, Emily. What if it had happened while I was in the middle of assisting one of the residents at work, or while I was driving on the Interstate? Or trying to spend time with my grandparents?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± Emily gave her a sober nod. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good. We¡¯ll figure it out, I promise. And, if we can¡¯t figure it out and make it safe¡ªwe can talk about breaking the charm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a negative Nancy about this,¡± Rebecca gave Emily a squeeze and then gently pushed her away so that she could examine her at arm¡¯s length. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not being negative, you¡¯re being right,¡± Emily said. ¡°Absolutely right. I¡¯m¡ªwell, I¡¯m caught up in everything and I don¡¯t have the clearest head about all this just yet. So, thank you for being the dependable one. We need you. You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Rebecca promised again. ¡°Like I said, it wasn¡¯t bad. It was very¡­ special, being able to share Stephanie¡¯s moment like that. It was very¡­ wow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± Emily ran a hand through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s not even like I had real experience to compare it to, but the charm magic stuff definitely amplifies a lot of what¡¯s going on during, uh. Sex stuff. They kinda drowned me in it last night. Or, maybe that¡¯s just another Stephanie power thing, the emotional aspect taking it to another level? Or something.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is¡­ I¡¯m going to keep my distance from Brian for the rest of this weekend,¡± Rebecca cautioned. ¡°I want you to keep some distance from him too until we¡¯re more certain of what¡¯s going on, but I don¡¯t think I can ask you to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± Emily blushed. ¡°Sorry. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°So. What I¡¯m going to do, is run on ahead and get in line for single-day passes,¡± Rebecca decided. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep an eye on the dreamscape in case there¡¯s an emergency, but I¡¯m going to make every effort to not actually delve into it. If possible. I¡¯ll pick up your pass since I¡¯ll be in line anyways, and I¡¯ll call you. I want you to call me if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°Thank you. I, uh, I¡¯m probably going to keep trying to get into my own charm power thing, so¡ªplease don¡¯t be mad at me for that.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would,¡± Rebecca gave her an exasperated smile. ¡°Please be careful, and please call me right away if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Emily promised. ¡°Thank you again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go on, go!¡± Rebecca rolled her eyes. ¡°Go have fun with Brian.¡±


    When Emily pushed through the door and back out to the courtyard area, everyone was gone.


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Emily heaved both palms up in a flipping the table gesture. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Trotting across the poolside patio looking this way and that and then storming out through the gate with an indignant look on her face, Emily quickly spotted her friends¡ªthey were all the way over on the other side of the Westerlin¡¯s parking lot. She immediately recognized the discolored mark on the trunk of Brian¡¯s car where it had once sported bumper sticker shaped like one of the military emblems from Fantasy Wars. All four doors were open, and everyone¡¯s bags were piled on top of the beat up roof as Brian, Stephanie, Kelly, and Megan shifted belongings around.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Emily called over across the parking lot in her best cute angry voice. ¡°Oi, oi! Don¡¯t just leave me behind!¡±


    ¡°Emily!¡± Kelly yelled. ¡°Get over here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were about to leave without me!¡± Emily put on a playful pout as she crossed over to them.


    ¡°We kept to the code¡ªye who falls behind, gets left behind,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Kidding. We¡¯re just moving stuff around, we¡¯re gonna leave my car parked here ¡®till we¡¯re done for the day. Where¡¯s Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°She, uh, had to go?¡± Emily said. ¡°She¡¯ll meet up with us later.¡±


    ¡°Emily, come here,¡± Kelly called, motioning her over towards one of the bags perched on the roof she was currently digging through. It looked like Brian¡¯s bag, in fact.


    ¡°That was your first time last night, right?¡± Kelly asked, pulling out one of Brian¡¯s shirts and holding it up for examination. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t make the rules, but I do gotta enforce them.¡±


    ¡°After you first have sex, you have to wear one of his shirts,¡± Megan explained, gesturing towards Stephanie. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s a rule!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s actually a rule,¡± Brian said as he took a carry-bag that had a Darkmask helmet peeking out the top and leaned inside the car to carefully stack it on top of the big cardboard box from before. ¡°I think Kelly just wants to play dress-up with her new girlfriends.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kelly quipped with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s a rule, now. Keep to the code, alright?¡±


    As Emily rounded the adjacent car and joined them in the space between vehicles, she discovered Stephanie wearing an oversized button-up dress shirt. It looked enormous on her, hanging down almost past her thigh, and there was something really sexy about the look on her.


    ¡°It¡¯s... from his other cosplay,¡± Stephanie said with an embarrassed smile as she fidgeted with the bottom of the shirt.


    ¡°Emily¡¯s a lot smaller than Steph, though,¡± Kelly made a small noise of aggravation. ¡°She¡¯s gonna be just swimming in any of these other shirts of his.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lot smaller,¡± Emily huffed, blowing a raspberry in Kelly¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯m just a little bit smaller. And, what is this, amateur hour?! I steal Brian¡¯s clothes literally all the time!¡±


    ¡°Aha! So you admit that you stole my missing hoodie!¡± Brian slapped the roof of his car in mock fury.


    ¡°Oh, whatever. I did not!¡±


    ¡°You just said you did!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t specifically say I stole your hoodie!¡±


    ¡°You stole it. I knew it!¡± Brian griped. ¡°Soon as I brought up that it was gone, you started all backpedaling and getting evasive abou¡ªhey!¡±


    He was cut off with a noise of surprise, as Emily couldn¡¯t help but take the opportunity to grab his ass as she pushed past him and made for the driver¡¯s side seat.


    ¡°Uh, no I didn¡¯t,¡± Emily retorted as she jabbed the button to pop the trunk. ¡°¡®Cause, it was never missing, it was just where you weren¡¯t gonna find it right away.¡±


    ¡°You hid it in the trunk?!¡± Brian playfully spanked a hand across her bottom in return as she tried to skedaddle back around the car and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a gleeful yelp. ¡°When?¡± How did you even¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sooo it wasn¡¯t stolen, technically,¡± Emily gloated, digging past the mesh plastic half-crate where Brian kept spare transmission fluid, motor oil, and other assorted car stuff since his apartment didn¡¯t have a garage. Stashed away in the folds of a musty old blanket in the back, Emily grabbed out the hidden hoodie and yanked it free so that she could hold it up proudly for the others.


    ¡°Carry it low, drive it slow¡ªcertified forklift operators for Jesus,¡± Kelly read the bold text emblazoned across the front of the hoodie with a mixture of horror and disgust. ¡°Wow. Who knew that one line could get me this hot and bothered? Please, no. Stop. You can¡¯t. You¡¯re making me wet.¡±


    ¡°Right?!¡± Emily beamed as she started struggling her way up into it. ¡°Mike and Tanya got it for Brian last Christmas, but I helped them pick it out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh, I can tell you did,¡± Kelly tried to keep a straight face as she shoved Brian¡¯s other shirts back into his bag and tossed it in the car. ¡°Listen, both of you¡ªand you too, Stephanie¡ªwe¡¯re going to have to all go out shopping together soon so that I can teach you all how to dress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan today, isn¡¯t it?¡± Brian grinned. ¡°It¡¯s Sunday¡ªtoday¡¯s the day of the con the vendors mark down their prices. So, today we¡¯re shopping.¡±


    ¡°Yesssss!¡± Emily pumped her fist in the air. ¡°Tables have already turned, we¡¯re deckin¡¯ out Kelly in weeaboo wear!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, and you can¡¯t make me,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think, Steph?¡± Brian asked. ¡°I think I saw a T-shirt in the vendor¡¯s room that¡¯d look great on her. It had a big-boobed wolfgirl in a bikini with her tongue lolling out all crazy, and it said ¡®high five if you love furries!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Dead serious though¡ªno way,¡± Kelly warned. ¡°Nuh-uh.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, last year I bought a shirt that says ¡®yaoi holes¡¯ on the front in Japanese,¡± Megan chimed in with an eager expression. ¡°I wear it all the time to class and nobody realizes what it actually says!¡±


    ¡°I think everyone realizes,¡± Stephanie added with a shy smile. ¡°You keep, um, loudly explaining what it means in front of people¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not!¡± Megan exclaimed. ¡°Hardly!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what yow oy holes are, but I¡¯m gonna go out on a limb and say also no, no way, end of story,¡± Kelly decided.


    ¡°Ohhh she doesn¡¯t know what yaoi is yet,¡± Emily¡¯s hands crept upwards to her own cheeks in excitement. ¡°This is going to be so much fun! I mean¡ª Steph, you know what yaoi is, right?!¡±


    Stephanie quickly shook her head no, her fluffy pink locks swaying back and forth as she adamantly attempted to deny the truth.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve already tried to educate her in the ways of yaoi,¡± Megan scoffed. ¡°But, she¡¯s too squeamish for the good stuff.¡±


    ¡°The good stuff?¡± Emily arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Steph, what do you want to do with your bag?¡± Brian asked. ¡°If you want, you can leave it here in my car. Then whenever we¡¯re all conned out for the day and ready to leave, I can swing both of you guys over to wherever you¡¯re parked.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Megan¡¯s car¡¯s at the Sherriott. I¡­ I just, wow I don¡¯t even want this weekend to ever end.¡±


    ¡°Skip a couple weeks of school and come stay with us,¡± Kelly offered. ¡°Brian and I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you steal my Stephie!¡± Megan exclaimed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hardly get to see her all weekend, and we¡¯re best friends! Steph¡ªyou¡¯ve never ever missed a class. You can¡¯t just skip school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it,¡± Stephanie told Brian as she fidgeted with the hem of the oversized shirt she was wearing. ¡°I mean, I really, really want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Emily, kitten...¡± Kelly spoke up, stepping back and gesturing for Emily to come closer. ¡°Talk to you alone for a sec?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Sure,¡± Emily¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I stashed a condom in your shoe,¡± Kelly answered in a low voice, blowing errant red locks out of her face with a flippant puff of her lip. ¡°Your ninja shoe from whatever cosplay thing you were.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ condom?¡± Emily blinked.


    ¡°A full condom,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°Tied off and everything, practically a little water balloon, and it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s full of the secret sauce that has us changing colors and seeding us with whatever magic bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Right. Okay,¡± Emily whispered back, doing her best not to look over in the direction of her bag. ¡°Good call. We need that stuff¡ªyou know, for science.¡±


    ¡°Or emergencies, you never know,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Steph had a bruise on her face last night, but she didn¡¯t this morning. I figured, you¡¯re into geeky shit and you¡¯d want to save some spunk as a healing potion or something.¡±


    Bruises¡­ Emily couldn¡¯t help but bring her fingers up to her face and probe around where Chloe had inadvertently elbowed her the other day. Fuck me, I totally forgot about all of that. Again. There¡¯s too much going on. Yes siree, don¡¯t even feel a twinge. There¡¯s so many things we need to test¡ªBrian¡¯s cum might have regenerative properties or even¡ª


    ¡°Yeah, so you have one shoe outside your bag of clothes, and then one shoe inside, now,¡± Kelly continued in a hushed voice. ¡°Wrapped the rubber in one of your socks, then tucked it down in your shoe, and put that shoe in your bag. So, don¡¯t forget and shove your foot in there or anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay, cool, cool,¡± Emily nodded quickly and tried not to imagine doing just that. ¡°I won¡¯t. Fuck, should I run back and grab some ice from the ice machine again? Do we need to keep it, uh, preserved?¡±


    ¡°No clue,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re the charm stuff expert¡ªor, you will be, in the future. It was still warm last time I touched it, and it probably shouldn¡¯t have been. Magic?¡±


    ¡°Magic!¡± Emily all but squealed in excitement, bouncing on her heels.


    ¡°I mean, I get it, yeah, and I¡¯d have probably kept it myself, but then at the same time I didn¡¯t want it popping accidentally and exploding all over my purse, so,¡± Kelly gave her a wry smile. ¡°Figured you¡¯d definitely want to keep a condom full of magic cum. Oh¡ªhey, promise me you won¡¯t throw it at anyone.¡±


    ¡°Throw it?!¡± Emily shot Kelly an aggrieved look. ¡°No way, I¡¯m not wasting it!¡±


    Even if someone had smuggled me a condom full of Brian¡¯s cum back before I knew about all the actual real magicalness, I wouldn¡¯t have WASTED it! Emily thought with a rigid smile. Might¡¯ve been a creepy perv with it, like made a little BRIAN SHRINE around it. Or kept it to suckle into my mouth while I masturbated like a total degenerate, but I wouldn¡¯t ever WASTE it.


    ¡°Thought for sure you¡¯d want to¡­ I don¡¯t even know. Figure stuff out with it, or something? I dunno, experiment? Test it on stuff?¡± Kelly held up her hands. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be getting more straight from the source like, on the regular, sooo¡ªyeah, I¡¯ll get you more whenever I can?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that just to like, flex on me?¡± Emily narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, habit,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°And also warning you, I guess? That kind of sex is too good for me to not be trying to have it every day. You can¡¯t even blame me.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily sighed. ¡°Okay. Try to get me whatever you can. This one you squirreled away in the shoe is from just then earlier, when you were in there with Brian and Steph? Or from last night?¡±


    ¡°This morning, good and fresh,¡± Kelly confirmed. ¡°I had another weird¡ªwell, I think I might¡¯ve maybe figured out part of my charm power thing.¡±


    ¡°You got another message from the future?!¡± Emily demanded, leaning in close. ¡°What did it¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no¡ªkinda the opposite, I guess?¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°Sent something to the past. Or, to a past. Sort of. To get me the past me to where I am here¡ªI think a future me did the same thing to get me here where I am now, to¡­ this. It¡¯s complicated. Long story, and¡ªlook, I think everyone¡¯s ready to head over to the con.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Return to AnimeCon

    Car doors slammed closed, everyone stepped away from the vehicle, and it indeed seemed like they were finally ready to go. To Emily¡¯s surprise, Stephanie and Kelly seemed to share a meaningful look with each other, and then both of the girls ceded Brian to Emily without a word. Having fully expected to be sidelined, Emily stared at Brian¡¯s hand held in hers in surprise as their group trooped down the sidewalk towards the crosswalk. It was nice, and she was thrilled, but it was hard not to wonder if those two were communicating with magic somehow¡ªor if it was just some sort of social savvy where the girls could sense that Emily needed some time with him.


    Either way, it¡¯s super appreciated, Emily couldn¡¯t help but grin and give Brian a squeeze.


    The long strip of concrete walkway that lined the busy road wasn¡¯t wide enough for them to travel bunched up, so Emily and Brian led the way like they were a couple no, fuck me sideways, we ARE a for-real fucking couple, now, with Kelly trailing behind at a discreet distance and then Stephanie and Megan bringing up the rear. Megan seemed to be absolutely brimming with questions for what her pink-haired friend had been up to over the course of the weekend, and somehow the overweight girl spoke in excited whispers that carried even further than her normal speaking voice.


    ¡°Oh¡ªoh you didn¡¯t,¡± Megan could be overheard remarking after a flustered Stephanie murmured out an answer in a voice too tiny for Emily to discern. ¡°You didn¡¯t. Ohmigod. Was he, like¡­ was it like, you know?¡±


    ¡°Brian... c¡¯mon, what do you think about all of this?¡± Emily asked, sharing a look with him.


    ¡°All of this?¡± Brian gave her a smile.


    She felt like a blatant obvious idiot like this trying to pose it as an innocuous question as possible, but thanks to all of Rebecca¡¯s meddling, now Emily really needed to know what he thought. She missed just connecting with Brian. She¡¯d had such a crush on him in high school¡ªa crush that apparently hadn¡¯t been as one-sided as she¡¯d thought¡ªand after the awkwardness of that botched attempt at kissing him years ago, and then watching in helpless frustration as he fell into the clutches of that psychopath Chloe, Emily felt they were long overdue for conversation.


    About a lot of things.


    ¡°You know. The whole... this weekend thing,¡± Emily supplied, wondering how in the heck she was going to be able to tiptoe around the circumference of this weekend¡¯s craziness with this line of inquiry. ¡°You and me. You and Steph and Kelly¡ªall of us. This weird hair color thing happening with us girls. Chloe snapping and going ballistic like that. That craziness last night¡ªBrian that was like, an orgy. Bruh. What¡¯s even going on anymore?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied after a long moment of consideration. ¡°It¡¯s been unreal, kind of like something out of a dream. But, then at the same time it feels more real. Like the rest of my year, the rest of my life has just been this kind of¡­ I dunno, bleak sort of blah. But then, here and now everything¡¯s bright, and the colors are vivid, and it¡¯s like this is it. I don¡¯t know what the it is in this, exactly, but this is definitely it.¡±


    He let out a helpless laugh, shaking his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making any sense, am I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making tons of sense,¡± Emily promised in a slow voice, inching in closer and tracing her fingers down his side. ¡°Fuckin¡¯... yeah, just tons of sense.¡±


    When she relaxed her thoughts a bit and just focused in on Brian and her feelings for him and the sexy goddamned sound of his voice the blue feeling flowed. It was like she could touch on twinges of her charm magic, whatever it was, tap into a sexy fluid stream of¡­ something. Emily wasn¡¯t sure how to put it into words without simply exhausting all the wet words in her vocabulary, but there was definitely an emotional component to it.


    Maybe just being closer to Brian like this makes it easier to focus on my personal charm magic stuff? Worth experimenting with. Ugghhh does it make me horny though, fuck.


    ¡°Yeah? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m actually making any sense,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt so¡­ out of my depth. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I do know I¡¯m really, really glad you¡¯re here with me for it. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Emily beamed up at him, all but purring. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said. ¡°You¡¯d never believe any of this if you weren¡¯t here and I tried to tell you about it all later. You¡¯d think I was making it all up. Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily agreed with a little laugh of her own, shaking her head at what a wild ride this weekend had shaped up to be. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian gave her hand a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m serious though, I really needed you to be here for this. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yea-you did?¡± Emily blurted out, just barely catching herself from getting baited into saying yeah? again. Normally she caught on to the yeah thing they did more quickly than this, but trying to dip into her senses towards her charm sense or whatever while they were walking and talking had her feeling more than a little dazzled and turned on. ¡°You mean it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian grinned, giving her a look. ¡°You bring out the best in me. Well, okay maybe not the best but you bring out parts of me that don¡¯t really come out otherwise. Yeah?¡±


    It was a bubbly sensation, a unique watery something that was soaked through and through, saturated with the very essence of the idea of bright blue through some sort of synesthesia mindfuckery. But also it was as if the blue was pure distilled Emily, with all the random esoteric Emily bullshit filtered out. Just the real me¡ªI think that¡¯s like some inkling in the right direction. To figuring out my charm thing. I bring out the real Brian, and somehow, somewhere. He brings out the real me right back in return. Whatever that really means.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian tried again.


    Oh my God, I don¡¯t even care. Just never let this feeling stop, Emily bit her lip. I love this so much. Love him. I have him, he¡¯s mine. Well, ours. Close enough. He¡¯s just so¡ªwell, he just SPEAKS to me. And, it just, it CONNECTS.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Emily wasn¡¯t able to stop herself from grinning back at him. She could read it all over his face, she knew that he could tell she could knew, and they¡¯d still effortlessly somehow fallen into the trap of another one of their stupid meaningless yeah jokes that would be impossible to explain to anyone without sounding insane.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got the meme magic,¡± Emily declared. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can pull the worst puns outta you. The raunchy jokes, the innuendo, the stupid, immature Brian that¡¯d¡¯ve made Chloe burst a vein saying the wrong inappropriate thing. Yes siree, that¡¯s me and my Brian. Yeah!¡±


    Emily jerked her arm out and flashing Brian her most rad thumbs-up. Knowing how lame it was simply enhanced the radness of it.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Brian agreed, slipping an arm around her.


    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah,¡± Kelly remarked in amusement, and when Emily turned to look the girl was rolling her eyes.


    For some reason, it didn¡¯t even feel weird that Kelly had overheard them being idiotic and goofy. Kelly didn¡¯t seem to be making fun of how dumb her and Brian could get around each other sometimes, there weren¡¯t any judgemental overtones apparent. The confident and beautiful red-haired girl was just adding in a little bit of her own. It was like she felt compelled to touch bases, to ensure she didn¡¯t come off as too aloof and distant from them. Kelly was giving the two of them space to be stupid together, but then also still wanted them to be within reach of her.


    It was a strangely pleasant dynamic to be around a girl like Kelly and for once not feeling like she needed to keep her guard up. Kind of similar to what it was like going around with Rebecca, feeling secure in the fact that Rebecca was the mature one who had all the right adulting answers. But, in Kelly¡¯s case, she was covering that more social aspect of things. Kelly was like one of the cool popular girls who had antagonized her all throughout high school, but now Emily would get to see what it was like having one of them in her corner, for a change.


    Is that the harem charm greasing the interpersonal wheels there, or what? Emily thought, glancing back behind them from Kelly to Stephanie and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. It¡¯s like Brian and I, we complete each other, but then adding in the other girls completes us even more, out to like way past what I ever would have even imagined. Relationship metaphor-wise, we¡¯re like giant animal robot mechas that combine together into an even bigger, more badass giant robot mecha.


    They reached the street corner at the intersection in front of the broad convention venue, and there was already a small crowd of tired but still-smiling convention attendees there waiting to cross. Emily hadn¡¯t noticed, but there were a fair few people out and about on the streets here this close to noon, and between the midday traffic and all the others around she was forced to start raising her voice to be heard, and to lean in closer to him to hear his responses.


    Not that she minded that at all.


    ¡°So, um. Brian. When you say things are like, bright and more vivid now with the colors, do you mean this at all?¡± Emily teased her bright blue locks out with a flick of her fingertips.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that going on, too,¡± Brian said, looking like he still didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    ¡°What do you think¡¯s going on?¡± Emily prodded. ¡°What are your thoughts on it?¡±


    ¡°A big part of me wants to say it¡¯s a prank,¡± Brian said with an uncertain smile. ¡°Like, somehow you guys met up and¡­ coordinated it sometime yesterday, somehow. For some reason.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a prank?¡± Emily lifted her eyebrows.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Brian ran a hand through his own hair as he struggled to explain. ¡°It¡¯s like, when I¡¯m trying to puzzle out an explanation, that¡¯s the best I can do. Or I should say, if it was happening to someone else, that¡¯s what I would say this was; a prank.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s a prank,¡± Emily summed up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I think about it,¡± Brian tried. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s a prank or some game or something, but my old guess doesn¡¯t fit anymore.¡±


    ¡°What was your old guess?¡±


    ¡°Well, with Stephanie¡ª on Friday, she was wearing these rabbit ears,¡± Brian explained. ¡°Big felt ears, attached to a headband, for her cosplay. They were red and pink, she said she¡¯d just dyed them; so a bit of color seeping or something and appearing in her blonde didn¡¯t seem too out there. At first.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t even picture her blonde,¡± Emily remarked, twisting back to give Stephanie a long look. ¡°Like, a dirty blonde or a real light blonde? Goldenish? Bottle blonde? Platinum?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Brian patted his pockets as if searching for his phone before appearing to remember it was still missing in action. ¡°We did take some pics together yesterday. Yesterday morning. But, I think at that point she was already full pink like this.¡±


    ¡°Annnd, okay how do you think that happened?¡± Emily gestured for him to continue.


    ¡°I did it, I guess,¡± Brian conjectured. ¡°Somehow. I don¡¯t know what I did, but each time there was a bit more color¡ªfor each of you girls¡ªit was from something I did. Kissing, and, ah, other stuff.¡±


    Normally, she would have pressed his other stuff explanation with a salacious teasing remark of some kind, but Brian actually sounded like he was at a loss, that this was making him uncomfortable. Emily swallowed back the impulsive teasing words that were such an ingrained reflex to spurt out and simply nodded, letting him have another minute to figure out what he wanted to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªyeah, I don¡¯t know,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°With Stephanie, it could halfway make sense with the dye, but then when it comes to you and Kelly who have¡ªuh, well had¡ªreal dark hair already, I don¡¯t even know. It seems impossible.¡±


    ¡°Gimme your best guesses,¡± Emily encouraged.


    ¡°You know what it is, don¡¯t you?¡± Brian said, making a face halfway between an unsure smile and a grimace that made Emily intensely uncomfortable. He wasn¡¯t even being serious with her here, but the fact that she was intentionally keeping the truth from him made it cut deep.


    ¡°We girls have¡­ talked about it,¡± Emily said slowly, carefully choosing her words. ¡°We¡¯ve worked out some ideas, but no we don¡¯t know anything for sure. We, uh. We wanted to¡­ um. If it¡¯s okay can we keep our guess to ourselves kinda, until we¡¯re ready to talk about it with you? I mean, keep us girlses¡¯ guess as to why it might to just between us girls. For now. If that¡¯s okay?¡±


    Brian frowned, and Emily did her very best not to shrivel up into a guilty husk beneath his gaze as he studied her, trying to puzzle out what was really going on.


    ¡°You guys will tell me if you feel like it¡¯s my fault, right?¡± Brian finally asked.


    ¡°No no no, it¡¯s not like about fault, or anything,¡± Emily quickly assured him. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You make us all¡ªyou make me so happy, and¡ªI love you. I love you so much. We love you. Okay?¡±


    Emily stopped him in place so that she could turn him towards her, plant a hand on either side of his face, and draw him into an insistent kiss.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian said. ¡°I trust you. And I love you.¡±


    The magic permeating her body swayed and almost rolled into a bow wave as Emily stared up into the gorgeous green of his eyes. Hearing him say it, hearing him mean it had a tangible effect on the blue coursing through her, because it felt like a speedboat had just gone roaring down her little length of calm river and everything was suddenly movement and motion in the wake of its passing. Aggh, and yep. Both nipples went hard like, right there with that smoldery look he¡¯s got. It¡¯s like I¡¯m back in high school all over again.


    ¡°My guesses?¡± Brian cocked his smile into a lopsided grin and gave her a small tug forward, directing her along across the street. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t even noticed the traffic lurch to a halt in front of them or the crosswalk signal change¡ªEmily had been absolutely glamoured. Fuck me, did Stephie and Kell both go through this to get their powers?! How do you, uh, how do you even FOCUS with all of this going on? Fuck the magic shit, I just want to jump his bones and bump uglies for the rest of the day.


    ¡°The one that¡¯s most likely, but goes against my gut feeling, is that you all are in on it together somehow,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°Hair dye, chemical applications. Maybe there¡¯s time-delay hair dye? I¡¯d be looking this stuff up on my phone if I had it.¡±


    ¡°Time-delay hair dye sounds cool,¡± Emily said. ¡°What else¡¯ve you got?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian winced. ¡°Okay yeah this one¡¯s stupid but it was a thought that came up¡ª rabbits can completely change the color of their fur in the span of a few months. Like, winter fur is white, but in spring they¡¯re brown or whatever. Doesn¡¯t fit this situation for a ton of reasons, but it¡¯s all that comes to mind when I think about hair that¡¯s able to change colors naturally.¡±


    ¡°Sunlight can bleach hair,¡± Emily pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not natural¡ªthe sun counts as like, an outside, external effect.¡±


    ¡°The sun¡¯s not natural?¡± Emily teased.


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily said. ¡°That idea¡¯s¡­ something. A little iffy. What else?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Brian suggested. ¡°Like anime magic, where the guy has a harem of girls and each one has different crazy colored hair.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Emily¡¯s heart leapt into her throat and she did her best not to tense up. ¡°Anime magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°I know it sounds like it¡¯s more stupid and unlikely and impossible, but I think it¡¯s actually closer to my gut feeling on this than the other ones.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Emily soldiered on. ¡°Anime magic¡¯s possible. Anything¡¯s possible. What else?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I think this might be my best one,¡± Brian continued. ¡°Body chemistry. I picked up an, I don¡¯t know, a rare enzyme or had some strange reaction, and now my bodily fluids cause a weirdly specific allergic reaction in you guys.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ huh,¡± Emily pursed her lip. ¡°Allergic reaction but only to hair?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± Brian gave her an expressive shrug. ¡°No clue what the crazy colors are all about, but I remember Will telling me once that there¡¯s four different kinds of allergic reactions, and they all do different things. Like I said¡ªI¡¯d probably have more intelligent guesses if I had my phone this morning so I could look some stuff up.¡±


    ¡°Well anime magic¡¯s my favorite so far,¡± Emily admitted as they stepped up onto the curb in front of AnimeCon.


    ¡°Thought it would be,¡± Brian gave her a small smirk. ¡°But prank is still my first place guess, just in case you were planning on having an aha moment on me sometime later.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted.¡±


    They both turned to wait for the rest of their small group gather again amid the other pedestrians and convention-goers. Kelly was right behind them, but Megan and Stephanie had lagged considerably behind as the two girls were caught up in a lively discussion with one another, with Stephanie surprisingly animated and gesturing with both hands while Megan kept interrupting with her reactions.


    No further words between Emily and Brian were exchanged as their group met up and started to meander forward together. Emily let out a small sigh of relief as they crossed the convention plaza and they left the topic of anime magic behind them for now, because there was a time and a place for figuring out magic, and right now it was time to have fun at AnimeCon with the guy she adored. Emily hated mornings¡ªanything before one o¡¯clock PM was morning in Emily¡¯s book¡ªbut today she simply felt like she agreed with the way Brian described the special significance of this weekend. This is it. Whatever ¡®it¡¯ is, this is definitely it.


    She¡¯d spent the entirety of this short trip across the street hanging off of Brian¡¯s arm, and the only time he¡¯d freed it from her grasp had been when he instead slipped it around her to hold her while they walked. In the past she¡¯d always been more than a little touchy about her personal space, but everything had changed. Now it was like she was so completely enamored with this puppy-love affectionate skinship that she simply couldn¡¯t let go at all.


    Every color was more vibrant, every detail more beautiful and perfect. The AnimeCon banner gently undulated in the breeze from where it was affixed high above the entrance to the hall, scattered groupings of attendees in familiar nerdy trappings could be seen here and there, along with the occasional cosplay. The normal convention excitement she felt was amped up to eleven despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t even in cosplay today. Everything was better than she could have ever hoped for.


    Fuuuck I¡¯m turning clingy already, Emily tried to scold herself, but all she felt was a giddy sort of glee. I just¡ªI can¡¯t even help it! We¡¯re together, we¡¯re really, for real actually together. I can¡¯t help but be all over him.


    As absurd as it sounded, being boyfriend and girlfriend was enhanced by the inclusion of several other girlfriends into the mixture. There wasn¡¯t any room to be self-conscious or fret over whether she was good enough or if she was doing everything right here in her first real relationship. Emily was instead rolling up with a girl squad, and there was a surreal sense of security in feeling like they would support her.


    If someone intimidating tried to hassle or antagonize them, she could rely on Kelly¡¯s keen wit and barbed tongue to launch a counter offensive. In an instance where Emily wanted to disclose personal things she was shy talking about, she felt like Stephanie was even more innocent, which made her feel more comfortable and secure. Rebecca was still aloof from the intimacy of their team, but she had a firm handle on making sure everything worked out right for her friends¡ªeven now, she was probably somewhere on ahead acquiring new day passes for the two of them.


    Even Megan¡¯s pretty cool, Emily thought, giving the girl a thoughtful glance as their group passed through AnimeCon¡¯s entrance doors. It¡¯s nice having another SUPER GEEK who¡¯s completely into stuff around. Mike, Will, Tanya and the others¡ª they¡¯re halfway to being total normies at this point and¡ª


    Where the fuck ARE THEY?! Chloe seethed, wringing the handrail in front of her as she looked down across the sporadic groups of AnimeCon attendees arriving through the multiple sets of double-doors.


    She would recognize any of Brian¡¯s costumes at a glance, and recollection of those other girl¡¯s appearances was still so fresh in mind that each remembrance was still tinged with rage. The embarrassing retard hipster girl possessed some sort of Playmate Bunny costume, and Chloe was sure she wouldn¡¯t forget seeing that stupid fucking pink hair of hers again. That whore who¡¯d been slobbering on Brian¡¯s disgusting knob¡ªlike the prostitute she likely for real actually was¡ªwore Burando that didn¡¯t fit right at all, and that made her figure memorable enough that Chloe didn¡¯t think she¡¯d miss it even if the slut wore a different costume today.


    And finally, that rat Emily... Chloe felt the silver glass grind and twist and squeak in her mind. Well, it¡¯s not like she ever shuts the fuck up, so I¡¯m sure to hear that irritating fucking voice of hers before I even see any of them.


    The Magical Doll Himari cosplay was only a hindrance right now, so Chloe had jammed the bag containing her costume into a small recessed area of broken limbs beneath a shrub near one of the parking garages on her way to the convention center. If she was able to recover it again later, that was fine. If not, then she would report Brian and his little band of miscreants had stolen it from her while threatening her with violence, and that was obviously fine, too.


    She was now back in the ruffled beige halter-top and cut-off shorts she¡¯d been wearing yesterday, with only her flats, a pair of sunglasses and her makeup case with her to combat the naked villainy that had all but destroyed several months of her meticulous planning and setup. Chloe couldn¡¯t even wear the sunglasses right now to hide her gaze, either. Part of her early morning preparation had involved squinting an evil look into the restroom mirror at herself so that she could use her cosmetics to define dark circles of exhaustion beneath her eyes and blend them in. She¡¯d then carefully dabbed her concealer brush to the tip of her lipstick nub and applied subtle color to her lids and lashline¡ªnow they looked puffy and red like she¡¯d been crying her eyes out all night long. The rest of her face remained uncharacteristically bare, which grated on her sensibilities but was also a necessary sacrifice for the image she needed to convey.


    I didn¡¯t even WANT to have to do this, Chloe all but snarled in her mind. Her pupils were almost shaking with scarcely-contained ferocity as she clenched and twisted her hands around the safety rail. Mirror shards quivered with manic glee where they seemed to be embedded in the soft tissues of her brain, bringing on another dizzying spasm of pain.


    You¡¯ve all basically forced me to this point. You¡¯ve no one to blame for what happens to you now but yourselves.


    Chloe had chosen the high ground¡ªshe was arranging her ambush from AnimeCon¡¯s overlook on the upper level. The balcony-like veranda was positioned just right for catching Brian and his little coterie of filthy skanks whenever they finally arrived through the entrance. They hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but despite her mounting impatience Chloe was determined to see this through no matter what. Perhaps most importantly¡­


    She wasn¡¯t alone.


    Andrea¡ªpronounced An-dree rather than An-dree-uh for reasons Chloe couldn¡¯t fathom, was overweight and sported a hideous dyed-black bob-cut, but with bangs that were trimmed back almost all the way up to her hairline. The hairstyle emphasized enormous block brows, eyebrows drawn on so thick and rectangular upon her forehead that it was impossible for them to be anything other than a bold and intentional fuck your beauty standards statement. Thick-framed glasses and the septum piercing that dangled from her nostrils completed the uhh YEAH I¡¯m progressive aesthetic, and completely assured Chloe that Andrea¡¯s preferred pronouns, gender identity, and orientation were all completely non-conforming.


    The girl¡¯s most endearing feature of all, of course, was the oversized ANIMECON STAFF tee she wore¡ªAndrea was the perfect pawn for the confrontation Chloe had in mind. That shirt completely redeemed any shortcomings she might have had, it made Andrea a figure of power, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, and that the girl now stood watch beside Chloe at the railing meant her side now held the weight of authority here at the convention. It had been worth it spending almost twenty aggravating minutes after perfecting her own I¡¯m pitiful please-protect me makeup to carefully single out just the right volunteer for her needs this morning.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Andrea asked with a worried glance.


    ¡°I just... want to feel safe again,¡± Chloe tried to sound brave. ¡°If¡­ if I¡¯ll ever feel safe again¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish you coulda found me yesterday,¡± the pudgy staffer lamented. ¡°The kind of harassment you¡¯re describing is beyond problematic¡ªit¡¯s completely not okay. It¡¯s basically assault. If only of us staffers had known¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was, was just scared to say anything,¡± Chloe admitted with a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m so used to no one ever believing me. I just, I just don¡¯t want to have to be terrified all the time anymore¡ª I-I just, I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Although she was better versed than anyone she knew in applying party rhetoric to her own agendas, Chloe still had to remind herself to tread very carefully around these more blatant radfem types, even the dumber-looking ones like Andrea. Via internet correspondence feminists always got along swimmingly with Chloe, but in person the troglodyte clowns always seemed to subconsciously begin to resent her for possessing a traditionally beautiful face and perfect body.


    Hah.


    Chloe despised men more than most, but that by no means meant she was going to sacrifice the incredible leverage she could bring to bear against them and turn her appearance into a walking punchline like some of the other social justice warriors she¡¯d met. After all, Chloe enjoyed having a graceful figure and the irresistible good looks that allowed her to get away with anything and everything. Why the fuck wouldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± The staffer girl asked again, giving Chloe a look.


    ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s just a stress migraine,¡± Chloe carefully swayed on her feet in an unsteady way and brought a hand to her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m used to them.¡±


    She¡¯d already downed four ibuprofens earlier¡ªselling a sob story about some spinal tension disorder to a hapless loser standing around with the smoker crowd lingering just outside the convention center entrance in exchange for them¡ªbut the pills had done nothing to stop the broken shards of silver that sometimes spun and twisted and bit into her brain like the serrated teeth of a saw. That infuriating pink-haired art hoe with the rampant chuunibyou was to blame, Chloe just wasn¡¯t sure how the disgusting thot had managed to actually affect her just yet.


    Probably overthinking it¡ªit was probably that real nasty bitch with the rank B.O. just getting to me there in the hallway last night. But, why is my head STILL like this? Maybe it¡¯s that thing where a person can have rare body chemistry and gut enzymes or whatever that I might just be specifically allergic to? Can I sue for that, maybe?


    After getting only a scant six hours of sleep, Chloe had stiffened her upper lip and stormed out on the betrayer Rebecca and the greasepile fatfuck she¡¯d forced them to shack up with last night. All the appropriate groundwork to salvage whatever she could of this weekend had been laid out last night, but no matter how much pain she had to bravely endure, Chloe still needed to be right here.


    Waiting to catch Brian in the act of slinking back into the convention, playing her part to ensure that things went like they were supposed to. Fixing the right crimes on Brian would stain his reputation, him being removed¡ªpreferrably banned¡ªfrom this stupid fucking convention he looked forward to so much every year would hurt, and hopefully some bystanders would step up to make things messy and heap on the shame, slander, and maybe even violence Brian deserved.


    No one seemed to appreciate the sheer amount of work Chloe had put into reforming Brian into an appropriate boyfriend. The amount of reasoning and argument Chloe had to turn him into an unquestioning provider, the verbal hoops she had to jump through to make him realize he had certain obligations to fulfill simply to reparate the innumerable sins of his gender. The time and patience she¡¯d invested in training to do the most basic of tasks like eat pussy on command just the way she liked it.


    There wasn¡¯t even a problem with my plan! That little goblin shitstain Emily just couldn¡¯t fucking let go of that pathetic little torch she was carrying for him. As if you two would EVER be together¡ªyou basically have the body of a child, Emily. The best you could ever hope for is some pimply-faced manlet who¡¯s on your level. Or some old pedophile guy or something. Not the Brian I was carefully¡ªPAINSTAKINGLY¡ªcultivating into proper human decency for myself.


    It should have worked. IT SHOULD HAVE WORKED. Emily was the hyperactive little chatterbox¡ªalways trying to talk over her shortcomings, desperately scrabble for any bit of social clout she could get from that¡ªbecause she obviously doesn¡¯t have any other options. She SHOULD have been the absolute best avenue to have the news leak out, Chloe fumed. It was difficult to even maintain her pity-me face right now.


    It SHOULD have been an open secret among our friends that Brian got me pregnant, that we were fighting, and that things were tense between us for ambiguous reasons. That SHOULD have put the pressure on him, people should have been approaching him with advice. Telling him that no matter what actually happened, he needs to STEP UP, that he needs to apologize and make things right because there was supposedly a baby at stake here.


    Instead¡ªnothing. Fucking nothing. Nothing at all. Against all fucking odds, Emily chooses the exact wrong moment to keep her filthy shit-trap shut. Brian has no clue. No one knows he¡¯s supposed to be this asshole who got someone pregnant and then shirked the mantle of responsibility for ambiguous reasons. It SHOULD have worked perfectly. Any outrageous emotional response or outburst on my part? Automatically justified. Brian¡¯s reputation as the DEPENDABLE GUY in our circle of friends? Called into doubt and challenged by everyone he knows. Unless he mans up and BEGS me to take him back. Promises me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.


    Just this last little painless bit of attitude correction and you would have been PERFECT for me. You were so close, Brian, Chloe shook her head in dismay. And now I have to ruin you. What a total waste of my time this has been. I¡¯m going to have to make sure Emily gets exactly the comeuppance she deserves for this. Those are two girls are going to pay, too.


    Then, as if summoned by her very thoughts¡ªBrian and the girls appeared.


    As improbable as it was, Chloe felt them arrive a mere moment before they stepped into sight, because it was as if their approaching presence was an atrocity that triggered a hateful storm of dancing sharp slivers within her mind. Chloe blinked away hateful tears as her brain buzzed with silver noise, but she grit her teeth and lifted her hand to immediately point in the direction of the entranceway.


    ¡°That¡¯s them!¡± Chloe hissed out, nudging Andrea with her elbow. ¡°You have your walkie-talkie? Those are the ones. Right there. That guy, and those three girls with him with the colored hair. The fat one, too. All of them.¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 Chloe Confrontation

    ¡°Brian Douglas?¡± A pair of college-aged guys wearing AnimeCon Staff shirts stepped out from the side and cut them off from advancing through to the lobby with the rest of the crowd pushing forward. ¡°Are you Brian Douglas?¡±


    ¡°AnimeCon has a zero tolerance policy for harassment,¡± the first volunteer staffer said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to ask you to leave¡ªto ask you and your whole group here to leave.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡ªwhat?¡± Brian gave the guy an uncertain smile, unsure as to whether he was joking or not. ¡°Our whole group. Are you serious?¡±


    It took Brian a moment to realize that this wasn¡¯t some sort of practical joke and that the overweight staffer with the scraggly orangish-brown tufts of facial hair swaddling his neck was being completely serious. Another guy in a volunteer staff shirt was standing right behind the first one with an equally solemn expression. Everything else¡ªthe rest of convention hall interior was normal, with all the other attendees were merrily going about their business chatting and laughing and heading towards where they wanted to go. Brian for some reason had been specifically singled out.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the staffer said, gesturing across all of them. ¡°Brian Douglas and this whole group. We¡¯re going to have to ask all of you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Me? What? Why?¡± Brian glanced from the girls traveling with him back to the guy in the volunteer staff shirt in disbelief.


    ¡°Oh, Brian has to leave, does he?¡± Kelly grinned. ¡°Oooh wow, our whole group, too? You must have some solid as fuck evidence of whatever the fuck you¡¯re charging us with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not charging you with anything,¡± the guy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°We¡¯re asking you to leave. AnimeCon¡¯s a privately hosted event, and it states right there in the registration terms and conditions that we can ask attendees to leave at any time¡ª¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Megan blurted out. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not security,¡± Emily gave the staffer a skeptical look. ¡°You¡¯re just some volunteer asshole, harassing us. Power trip bullshit, no doubt based on some totally bogus sob story a certain someone cooked up.¡±


    ¡°We definitely haven¡¯t harassed anyone,¡± Brian held his hand up to Emily as he carefully addressed the staffer. ¡°Maybe you have the wrong people?¡±


    ¡°Brian c¡¯mon¡ªyou know this is Chloe trying underhanded shit,¡± Emily snapped. ¡°That forum thread she started this morning¡ªlate last night¡ªwhatever. Uhh, Mr. McStaffer guy, if you go to the third page of that thread where I start making replies, I basically debunk everything she says and lay out what¡¯s really going on.¡±


    ¡°W-we didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Stephanie asserted.


    ¡°Called it. I told you it was her calling in a noise complaint on us that had that cop show up last night,¡± Kelly chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°I totally called it!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going to have to ask for your badges,¡± the staffer insisted, refusing to give them any leeway. ¡°Are you guys going to leave peaceably... or do I have to involve security?¡±


    ¡°Involve security¡ªplease,¡± Emily brightened. ¡°Mr. Gary was a huge help to us yesterday. He¡¯ll know this is fishy as fuck and get to the bottom of everything!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± the staffer grunted out with a rigid expression. ¡°Security it is, then. Your funeral.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s he going?¡± Chloe demanded, watching the volunteer staffer who¡¯d confronted them take a step back while speaking into his radio handset. ¡°What¡¯s he saying¡ªwhy don¡¯t you have a radio on you?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, not all of the staffers get radios,¡± Andrea blinked. ¡°I''ve got a walkie-talkie, it''s two-way. They had to make sure that the ones who needed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why don¡¯t you have a radio?¡± Chloe demanded, trying to sound panicked rather than furious at the sheer fucking ineptitude of her helper here. ¡°They¡¯re still there, what¡¯s he doing? They¡¯re not freaked out or upset or anything at all. They¡¯re just¡ªthey¡¯re just standing there!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not leaving this alone,¡± Andrea began to say. ¡°He¡¯s probably contacting security to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking ask them to contact security, I asked them to get rid of them!¡± Chloe seethed. ¡°You said that attendees could be removed at the discretion of the staff. You said that! That¡¯s what you said to me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay!¡± Andrea held up her hands in an attempt to placate Chloe. ¡°Once the¡ª¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not okay!¡± Chloe snapped, letting herself grow hysterical for a moment so that she could push Andrea in the correct direction. ¡°It¡¯s not okay it¡¯s not okay it¡¯s not okay! Do I look like I¡¯m fucking okay?! DO I LOOK LIKE I¡¯M FUCKING OKAY?!!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright!¡± Andrea tried to promise, trying to guide Chloe back from the railing of the upper level veranda and away from the scene below that was triggering her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a moment and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going down there!¡± Chloe decided, giving Andrea a look. ¡°We¡¯re going down there. Right now.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Andrea quickly tried to placate her. ¡°No no, not a good idea at all, let¡¯s¡ªhey, c¡¯mon! Wait a second¡ª¡±


    ¡°You say we¡¯re being removed for harassment,¡± Brian said. ¡°When and where did we ever harass someone? It should be real easy for us to just prove our innocence so that we can get this cleared up.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need anything cleared up, we asked you to leave!¡± the staffer insisted, growing increasingly incensed. ¡°Me¡ªone of the staff with authority in charge of running this whole convention¡ªI¡¯m asking you, and your group, to please leave¡ª¡±


    A momentary silence fell as Chloe slowly marched into view with yet another staffer in tow¡ªthis one a frumpy looking girl with blocky eyebrows and a rather severe haircut. Chloe¡¯s arms were crossed, and her exquisite face was frozen in a stormy expression that he knew all too well.


    Even despite it all, Chloe was beautiful. The light from the pavilion¡¯s skylights fell upon her face just right, her lovely long legs gave her that graceful stride, and she exuded that rare, natural inborn elegance. Almost any guy would immediately get drawn into her poignant features and that starlet look that made her so memorable¡ªso, why didn¡¯t he feel an ounce of attraction towards her anymore?


    Why did her very presence instead feel like a knife that was steadily inching into him?


    Seeing her again was also like whiplash, in that¡ªsurprise¡ªhe felt completely unprepared right now to deal with her in person. A little over a week ago, she¡¯d disappeared from the apartment they shared with all of her things, with his two attempts at calling going unanswered and the text he¡¯d sent ignored. Then, Emily delivered the news that he was suddenly single and it had still felt unreal. They¡¯d been having serious troubles, but all at once it felt like the relationship he¡¯d seriously committed himself to was yanked out from under him, and he never really did regain his footing.


    His work shifts in the week had come and gone in a hollow sort of daze, and he¡¯d arrived at AnimeCon on Friday without any real expectations. Only to be completely blindsided, by attraction and interest in the form of Stephanie, and then mixed up in what should have been the major complication of Kelly, which then turned into something altogether more convoluted than he knew how to explain. Before he knew it, Emily was even kissing him, Chloe was there, screaming and slamming doors, Kelly was coaxing his dick between her tits and they were all losing themselves in a sexual situation that seemed like something out of a fever dream. Before he could catch his breath and regain his bearings the next morning, Stephanie was overwhelming him with innocent seduction.


    Throughout the whirlwind adventure of improbable but somehow continuously escalating situations, Brian had barely had any time to even think about Chloe. Let alone begin to shift his mentality towards her from being his troubled girlfriend to being his EX-girlfriend, to really put her behind him and make their time together just a difficult part of his past.


    Right now, all at once, he could only see Chloe as an ex-girlfriend, and regarding her once-familiar presence made his stomach tighten up with a bevy of emotions. He discovered he was relieved at the finality of them being over, ashamed and disgusted that he¡¯d given so much of himself to her, and perturbed, at how stifling Chloe¡¯s approach now felt, how her being near seemed to smother out all the excitement and anticipation he¡¯d held this morning for spending a great last day at the convention here with the girls. Worst of all, he hated realizing how much he¡¯d been lying to himself, all for the sake of attempting to preserve a relationship that was never, ever going to work out.


    In fact, for some crazy reason his instincts were screaming at him now that Chloe was dangerous, vindictive, and absolutely hellbent on ruining both his life and the lives of these girls.


    Which is, yeah, that¡¯s crazy, Brian tried to tell himself. Paranoid, overdramatic. Or overreacting, or¡ªor something. Right?


    It didn¡¯t feel rational for Chloe to have such a drastic psychological effect on him, to have this nauseating feeling of dread settling deep into his guts at her arrival.


    Is this how everyone feels when they encounter an ex?


    ¡°Brian,¡± Chloe snapped out in a terse voice.


    Her tone was more accusation than acknowledgement, and she stared him down with intensity in her eyes, sizing him up as if challenging him to even dare to speak.


    Stephanie gripped onto Brian¡¯s arm so tightly that she was sure she was hurting him, but at the same time¡ªshe simply couldn¡¯t let go. All she could do was hang on, glaring at Chloe with watering eyes and feeling her hackles rise as her entire body filled with tension. She¡¯d resolved to glue herself to Brian¡¯s side as each of those sickening feelings coursed through him and into her one after another.


    These were all emotions that she knew intimately.


    An oppressive blanket of anxiety. The weary flavor of resignation, the pain and confusion and sorrow and self-doubt, the sour weight of fear laced with traces of bitterness so raw and fresh that they physically stung.


    Brian, Stephanie grit her teeth. Brian I¡¯m here with you. I¡¯m here. We¡¯re here, we¡¯re all here for you. You¡¯re not alone.


    She had no idea how to make her charm power useful here, how to make it helpful, because whatever magic ability was connecting her to Brian on that deep level did little to allow her to actually help shoulder his burden. Even so, Stephanie was all the more determined to weather through this encounter with Brian, to feel everything he felt right now, to completely and totally empathize with him.


    She loved him.


    In the peripheral of her new senses, Stephanie could feel both Kelly¡¯s amusement and annoyance as well as Emily¡¯s immediate, visceral hated for Chloe¡ªwhich was a new kind of feeling for Stephanie, but one that was quickly growing on her. Emily¡¯s hatred was a deep-seated, completely ingrained total loathing for absolutely everything about Chloe. A well-practiced, trained, and even veteran hate that was rising up, eager to push to the front lines and draw blood. From Chloe herself, Stephanie felt¡­ wrongness, and the aberrant sensation only intensified as Brian¡¯s ex-girlfriend finally stopped in front of them.


    Chloe terrified her.


    There weren¡¯t any feelings or emotions transferring from Chloe. There was just the grating glassy teeth of signal noise that made Stephanie want to recoil back and hide behind Brian. Whatever bond was tying Stephanie to the other girls, it was as if something had gone terribly wrong to the connection with Chloe. It was off, it was a discordant silvery dial-up modem screech, it was the dance of black and white snow and sudden loud bursting static of an old television turned to the wrong channel, and it hurt.


    It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not even feelings COMING from her, exactly, Stephanie determined as she pressed herself against Brian. I¡¯m not connecting TO her. It¡¯s¡­ around her, like a perimeter of dead space in the dreamscape. Rebecca might see it better. There¡¯s a big boundary around her, like a broken area of¡­ whatever that is. Keeping me out.


    ¡°Chloe,¡± Brian responded in a stiff tone.


    Only a small moment had passed between Chloe¡¯s greeting and his reply, but Stephanie was experiencing entire volumes of sensory input from everyone all at once and felt stretched completely beyond her ability to keep up.


    Brian¡¯s mood sinking in slow motion like a landslide, the hill of his normally steadfast city beginning to slough away and some of those beautiful structures on the cusp of being destroyed. The river of blue that was rising with Emily¡¯s temper, flooding over Emily¡¯s senses and eroding the very embankments that defined her. In stark contrast, Kelly was metal and meteorite and absolutely hissing red with glee, simply begging to be flung into direct confrontation with Chloe. Confusion and growing alarm could be felt from the burnished brown of the distant forest.


    And then there¡¯s me, Stephanie¡¯s head swam with color. Then there¡¯s my own feelings¡ªI, I just, I hate her. Oh my God do I hate her. I hate her I hate her I fucking hate EVERYTHING about her, what she¡¯s done, the way she affects Brian¡ªthe way she affects all of us, how WRONG she feels, how willing to hurt everyone she is, this dismissive fucking glance she¡¯s giving me now, the way she JUST HAS TO TRY TO FUCKING RUIN EVERYTHING, I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER!


    ¡°Oh... fiddlesticks!¡± Rebecca gnawed on her lip and twisted in place to again cast a nervous glance in the direction of the lobby area.


    There were only three more people ahead of her in line for registration, dozens of people lining up behind her, and still Rebecca was half-tempted to bail so that she could rush over and see what all the fuss was about. She¡¯d experienced being an unwilling passenger to Stephanie¡¯s emotions earlier that morning, but this time it was as if the entire dreamscape was somehow getting itself into a big wreck over something.


    The foundation of the entire dreamscape¡ªBrian, she assumed¡ªwas in turmoil, so much so that her own reach there felt uprooted by the abrupt rumbling rise of land and the sudden appearance of chasms as other parts began to fall away. Rebecca swayed in place as she tried to retreat far enough into herself to grapple with what was going on, but the forests were unable to gain any purchase as everything shifted and turned.


    ¡°Next in line, please.¡±


    ¡°Next! Over here.¡±


    Two of the people in front of her went to one booth and another person was called to the other booth, leaving Rebecca next in line to buy single-day passes. She frowned, torn with indecision, and shifted her balance from one foot to the other in readiness to abandon the line. She couldn¡¯t make legible sense of what was going on with them through her dreamsight, but something was clearly wrong, because everything was all of the sudden in total disarray.


    Attempting to focus in on the landmarks she thought she knew was only more baffling. Emily seemed to be positively seething, to the point where the waters seemed to be going everywhere but where they should. There was manic red light twinkling from within the caldera formation as it began to break up, and despite the tumultuous earthshake a pink wildfire was rapidly spreading everywhere and had taken on an entirely dangerous hue.


    It... really burns, now. I mean, of course it always burned, it¡¯s flame¡ªbut now it BURNS. It¡ªit HURTS. What the forbidden fey is even going ON with them over there?!


    ¡°Next, please,¡± the staffer manning one of the booths called out to Rebecca. ¡°Single day passes are twenty-five dollars.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Um, thank you,¡± Rebecca hurried forward in a whirl of her tunic skirting and scrambled to open up the leather pouch belted at her waist. ¡°Could I get two single-day passes, please?¡±


    ¡°Brian¡ªI already told them everything,¡± Chloe said with a slight tremble to her words, as if she was putting on the bravest front she could so that her trauma could finally be over. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Brian was at a loss. ¡°When do I get to find out what you said I¡¯ve done? Because I certainly haven¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± Chloe warned. ¡°You know what you did.¡±


    ¡°I know I haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°What have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian, look at me,¡± Chloe cut him off in an emotional voice, pointing towards her own face. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m okay, after going through all of this?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Emily blurted out. ¡°Bullshit. You look sad, so he¡¯s guilty? How the fuck does¡ª¡±


    ¡°YOU don¡¯t get a say in any of this, after everything you¡¯ve¡ª¡± Chloe tried to sound distraught, but the venom in her tone was apparent.


    ¡°Yeah, I was gonna ask about that¡ª¡®cause, you looked totally fine when you left my hotel room this morning,¡± Megan said, crossing thick arms in front of her. ¡°I mean, you were bein¡¯ kinda pissy with everyone, but you weren¡¯t like, crying or anything.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, no, I was crying. All night long,¡± Chloe refuted angrily. ¡°Obviously. Thanks for even noticing.¡±


    ¡°You were crying, all night long? Aww¡ªpoor baby,¡± Kelly teased. ¡°You want us to believe you¡¯ve been all sad and suffering by yourself and bravin¡¯ out the storm all night¡ªbut can¡¯t put in the effort to do more than half-ass the makeup for the look?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chloe tensed and her furious glare turned to Kelly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna use lipstick on your lids¡ªlemme guess, had no rich tones in the eye shadow palette on hand?¡± Kelly regarded her with an amused look, as if she was looking at a total buffoon.


    ¡°Then, honestly, you¡¯ve gotta blend the color with a fingertip and not your concealer brush. The color didn¡¯t distribute correctly, so of course it¡¯s not gonna look like you were really crying. You should¡¯ve done the same along the bottom of your nose too, to actually sell the look. There¡¯s literally dozens of ways to easily irritate your eyes, but yours aren¡¯t red at all¡ªwow, guess that part was too much of a hassle?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about makeup, this isn¡¯t about me¡ªI-I¡¯m not even wearing makeup right now,¡± Chloe retorted with a tremulous hitch in her voice, eyes darting towards Andrea with a look of helpless frustration in search of the sympathy she was owed. ¡°Can you please, please just tell them to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wanna bet one of my makeup wipes magically cures your pity me I¡¯m so sad and helpless look?¡± Kelly challenged, going for her purse. ¡°Here¡ªfeel free.¡±


    ¡°No, get away from me,¡± Chloe cried out as she shrank back a step. Both of the two male staffers seemed to take that as their cue to move forward and stand slightly in front of Chloe. ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re going to do something to me¡ªI don¡¯t trust you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re not talking about makeup right now,¡± Andrea stepped up to mediate after a momentary pause. ¡°All of this is about¡ª¡±


    ¡°About a certain someone being manipulative, to push her false narrative?¡± Emily chimed in with a giddy smile. ¡°And... what, you guys are just eating it all up?¡±


    ¡°She attacked me last night,¡± Chloe accused, stabbing a fingertip through the air between them towards Emily. ¡°She jumped on me, physically assaulted me, and I¡¯m going to press charges for¡ª¡±


    ¡°There has been evidence that she¡¯s been harassed by¡ª¡± Andrea started to say.


    ¡°What? What evidence?!¡± Emily spat.


    ¡°These, do you see these bruises?!¡± Chloe cried out, thrusting her left cheek out. ¡°I could have been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Looks like makeup to me,¡± Kelly commented.


    ¡°Emily¡ªshe, she stepped in to protect me, when Chloe started hitting me!¡± Stephanie exclaimed.


    ¡°I did step in¡ªChloe threw the first punch and started all that,¡± Emily agreed. ¡°Yeah, I stepped in. I didn¡¯t start it, but yeah I¡¯m gonna finish it.¡±


    ¡°And now she¡¯s threatening me?!¡± Chloe protested in a sob of indignation. ¡°Lying, and threatening me! She¡¯s lying. She¡¯s¡ªshe¡¯s¡ªyou can¡¯t believe anything she says. I don¡¯t believe in violence for any reason, that¡¯s not who I am, and I have literally no reason to ever strike anyone. My conscience is clean, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You broke up with Brian, and then turned into a rabid fucking animal the moment other girls express interest in him,¡± Kelly said. ¡°That¡¯s a motive, duh? Jealousy?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, everyone, please¡ª¡± Andrea tried to intervene.


    ¡°First of all, I did not break up with Brian,¡± Chloe hissed, ¡°So, don¡¯t even start trying to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Brian couldn¡¯t help but interject. ¡°What? What? How are we not broken up?¡±


    ¡°I never explicitly said we were over,¡± Chloe argued, glaring daggers at him for daring to speak up. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯d ever even make that fucking assumption. Until I officially say so, we are¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s over,¡± Brian said with a slow shake of his head.


    ¡°Chloe. It¡¯s been over. For a full month all you do is shriek at me, bitch and complain about anything and everything, and then one night when I come home from work, you¡¯ve moved all of your shit out, and don¡¯t answer my calls or messages. Chloe¡ªit¡¯s over, we broke up.¡±


    ¡°Brian, it was a break, not a break-up,¡± Chloe hissed in a low voice, pointedly signalling with her eyes not to make this scene here in front of the others. ¡°Emily was supposed to tell you that, but apparently all she did was make up some bullshit story so that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the whole pregnancy scare bullshit thing you tried to¡ª¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! Shut your fucking mouth. And you. Do you really want to do this, Brian?¡± Chloe demanded, turning to give a disgusted gesture towards the girls standing behind him. ¡°Out here? In front of everyone? Do you really want to just throw away everything we¡¯ve had together, and for them?¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡­¡± Brian trailed off, his eyes hardening. ¡°Explain it to me, please¡ªjust what did we have?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Chloe began to swell with indignation.


    ¡°What did we have?¡± Brian questioned. ¡°We weren¡¯t together, it definitely wasn¡¯t a relationship between two people.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Chloe spat, looking at him as if he was crazy. ¡°Are you even being serious right now?¡±


    ¡°I did have feelings for you, and I did try my best to make you happy,¡± Brian said. ¡°Even when that started to mean making a lot of compromises. It¡¯s just¡ªthere¡¯s a fucking limit to that, alright? At some point I just started thinking, does she even care about me, care about making me happy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Chloe snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. Of course! WAAAHHH. Naturally this has to be all about you, all about you and your crybaby fucking fragile male ego!¡±


    ¡°Not all of it, no,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°But, at least half, right? At least some part of our relationship has to be about me, or it¡¯s not a relationship between us, a relationship between two people¡ªbetween equals.¡±


    ¡°Equals?!¡± Chloe lit up. ¡°Okay, yeah¡ªequals, let¡¯s talk fucking gender equality, here! I have fucking statistics to back up my side¡ªwhat do you have besides WAAAAHH I don¡¯t get everything I want and DURR HURR HURR I¡¯M A MAN, why isn¡¯t everything about ME?!¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up with all that bullshit!¡± Emily tried to interject. ¡°Have you even listened to yourse¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, SHITSTAIN!¡± Chloe shrieked, whirling upon Emily with manic ferocity. ¡°You don¡¯t get a fucking say in anything between me and Brian you little fucking goblin!¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Chloe¡ª¡± Brian began.


    ¡°Can you... all please lower your voices for a¡ª¡± Andrea tried to mediate.


    ¡°Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!¡± Chloe screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think for one fucking second I¡¯m going to let you or any of these fucking whores silence me! I¡¯m done being fucking oppressed with your machismo bullshit! We¡¯re not done just ¡®cause you fucking say so, I¡¯m not a fucking object you can pick up and discard whenever you fucking please! Can you for once take some fucking responsibility? We were living together, so, common law marriage states that¡ª¡±


    Her tirade was interrupted by the overweight male staffer motioning her to stop, because he¡¯d finally spotted the appearance of a barrel-chested man in a security uniform jogging up carefully throughout the interspersed attendees moving across the foyer of the convention hall. He was broad but not fat, with graying hair, a cop mustache, and a no-nonsense expression. They¡¯d all been standing just beside the convention center¡¯s entranceway, and when Mr. Gary arrived, everyone shuffled backwards a step as he planted himself uncomfortably close¡ªwithin arms reach. Hemming in the entire small group, as if ready to immediately subdue any of them against the nearest wall. The scene they¡¯d been making that had been drawing onlookers suddenly felt much more private.


    ¡°Hello there, everyone,¡± Mr. Gary put his hands on his hips, turning an evaluating look across each of them. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡±


    ¡°These... guests were asked to leave, but are refusing to do so,¡± the volunteer staffer explained in a rigid tone, gesturing towards Brian and the four girls with him. ¡°Disruptive attendees may be asked to leave at the discretion of the staff at any time.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Mr. Gary grunted in a no-nonsense voice. ¡°Well. Have you folk been disruptive in any way?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°We have not.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°They have been disruptive, on the AnimeCon Forums,¡± the neckbearded staffer explained. ¡°We¡¯ve already had to lock three different threads, because of all the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, are you serious?!¡± Megan rolled her eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Wee-ooh wee-ooh, somebody call the cyberpolice,¡± Emily mocked.


    ¡°Err, if that¡¯s true, if that¡¯s what this is about, then why was I being singled out and asked to leave?¡± Brian gave the staffer an incredulous look. ¡°I haven¡¯t been on the A-con forums in ages. I¡¯m definitely not involved in any of that.¡±


    ¡°You were specifically named as someone who was making others feel unsafe attending the convention,¡± the overweight staffer shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all the evidence we ne¡ª¡±


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Kelly laughed.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± Emily spat. ¡°How? Why? That¡¯s such an obvious line of bullshit with no¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªthis is something going on, on a web forum?¡± Mr. Gary raised his hand to indicate everyone should settle down. ¡°This young gentleman was accused of something on the web forum, and you¡¯re taking that as grounds for his removal?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± the staffer affirmed with a nod.


    ¡°Listen, here¡¯s what¡¯s really happening; a certain someone we¡¯ve run into at the con here has a vendetta against us and is out to make things difficult for us,¡± Emily elaborated, hiking an unsubtle thumb towards Chloe. ¡°We¡¯re being accused of harassing that someone, without any evidence beyond her word.¡±


    ¡°I, I just wanted to be at the convention without having to fear for my safety!¡± Chloe rebutted with a pleading look.


    ¡°Alright, first things first,¡± Mr. Gary said. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, an accusation is definitely cause for investigation. Not for immediate removal without looking into things. What, exactly, is the accusation?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe being here, when they¡¯re here,¡± Chloe summed up for him. ¡°I¡¯m not safe here.¡±


    ¡°That is not an accusation,¡± Megan argued. ¡°That¡¯s just your feelings. Which no one had any control over, apparently. Least of all you.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou do though, you are¡ªyou make me feel terrified for my own safety, and for the safety of other attendees here,¡± Chloe shot back. ¡°You¡¯re all dangerous and completely out of control. All of you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t exactly look terrified to me,¡± Emily laughed.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Mr. Gary said with a slow sigh. ¡°All of you are registered AnimeCon attendees, with event badges?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Megan said, holding up her badge from where it hung on the lanyard around her neck. ¡°Three-day pass.¡±


    ¡°Three-day pass,¡± Stephanie echoed, presenting her AnimeCon badge.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got mine,¡± Kelly held hers up while turning a malicious grin towards Chloe.


    ¡°Three-days also,¡± Brian joined in.


    ¡°I... had the one-day pass you gave me yesterday,¡± Emily winced. ¡°Thanks again for that. Rebecca¡ªyou remember Rebecca, in the viking getup¡ªshe¡¯s in line buying passes for us for today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Chloe scoffed. ¡°The security guy¡¯s here, and you don¡¯t have a pass. You can¡¯t weasel out of that with excuses¡ªno badge, no rights. You need to leave.¡±


    ¡°And, your pass, Miss¡­?¡± Mr. Gary arched an eyebrow at her for the interruption.


    ¡°They stole mine,¡± Chloe gave him a helpless shrug. ¡°I had a three-day pass, but Brian took it from me. It¡¯s probably one of the ones they have right there.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a better starting point, then,¡± Mr. Gary nodded. ¡°Stolen badge. We can track down a stolen badge. Okay Miss, did you buy your badge here at registration, or did you pre-order it online?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ pre-ordered online,¡± Chloe hesitated, gritted her teeth.


    ¡°You pre-ordered your own pass?¡± Brian asked, arching an eyebrow at her. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Chloe bit out with reluctance, glaring at him. ¡°Brian pre-ordered the passes. But, one of them was mine. They took it from me.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh you mean the pass you decided to return to Brian?¡± Emily chimed in with glee. ¡°When we asked you to either work things out with him and go to the con together, or give it back so you can have a clean break?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I decided¡ªand, we didn¡¯t break up,¡± Chloe protested. ¡°They took the pass from me. That isn¡¯t what I wanted, they¡¯re twisting everything around.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so¡ªdo you have an attendee badge, right now, on your person?¡± Mr. Gary asked for clarification.


    ¡°I do have one, but they took it,¡± Chloe explained. ¡°One of their badges is mine.¡±


    ¡°Is this what happened?¡± Mr. Gary turned to Brian for clarification.


    ¡°The badge previously intended for Chloe was returned to me, well before the convention. Like, a week before-hand, and then on Friday I gave it to Kelly here at the convention,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± Kelly toyed with the lanyard that hung right in front of her cleavage. ¡°Brian gave me a gorgeous dress that was meant for Chloe, too. Oh, wait¡ªyou already saw that yesterday, didn¡¯t you Chloe?¡±


    ¡°She just¡ªshe just admitted it!¡± Chloe¡¯s voice rose in pitch and her face was turning a shade of red. ¡°Are you hearing her? That badge is mine, and now she just admitted to stealing a dress, too! The dress¡ªthat brand dress, it was mine!¡±


    ¡°Ladies, ladies, calm down,¡± Mr. Gary held up his hands to silence them. ¡°This Brian fellow paid for two attendee badges, correct? Then, whatever private issues occurred, and he decided to instead give one of them to this young woman. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Kelly agreed in a sweet voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right!¡± Chloe sobbed, finally breaking into apparent tears. ¡°They took it¡ªthey took everything, they¡¯ve been after me all weekend, taking things, constantly harassing me¡ªshe squirted out mustard all over my cosplay, both of those two physically attacked me in the hallway of my hotel, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, this whole convention center¡¯s like, full of cameras, right?¡± Emily asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we just go through the video to verify the truth?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, except you attacked me at the hotel, not the convention!¡± Chloe cried.


    ¡°Fuck it¡ªyou threw the first punch,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°Get that security footage, too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± Chloe turned to Mr. Gary for sympathy. ¡°Y-you have to believe me, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to believe anything,¡± Stephanie finally spoke up in a cold voice. ¡°He can check the videos.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, though!¡± Chloe sobbed. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt anybody! Th-they just keep coming after me and I don¡¯t know what to do and please I just want to be safe!¡±


    ¡°She was following us yesterday,¡± Stephanie remembered. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know who she was¡ªshe approached me and told me I was supposed to meet Brian outside by the loading docks for something. As if she was relaying a message from him. But, she wasn¡¯t. Then, she stole Brian¡¯s phone¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now they¡¯re accusing ME of STEALING?!¡± Chloe exclaimed in disbelief, turning her pleading eyes towards Mr. Gary for justice. ¡°Can you BELIEVE this?!!¡±


    FortySixtyFour


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!

 The Nuclear Option

    ¡°A stolen phone, now, too?¡± Gary gave their group a hard look as he made another note in his tablet. ¡°Okay, whose phone was stolen?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anyone¡¯s phone!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know that my phone was stolen,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°Not for sure. But, it did go missing yesterday. I set it down for a moment when some people asked for my picture, and then, afterwards it was gone. I reported it, up at the front desk, in case someone found it or turned it in or something.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ªwas it a Ceres Series Six?¡± Megan asked. ¡°¡®Cause¡ªRebecca found a smashed one in the trash can back at the hotel room, after Chloe stayed with us.¡±


    ¡°Ceres Series Six?¡± Brian blinked. ¡°Yeah, it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah right!¡± Chloe blew up again. ¡°They¡¯re all together¡ªthey¡¯re all in this together, so of course she¡¯d say that. Of course everyone¡¯s against me. Of course it¡¯s always¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily?¡± Rebecca called over from across the foyer, her stride faltering as she took in the way the security officer and staffers had the entire group corralled off to the side against the wall. ¡°...What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with them,¡± Chloe raised a hand to point at Rebecca. ¡°She¡¯s part of what they were all doing.¡±


    ¡°Chloe?¡± Rebecca asked with a quizzical look.


    ¡°I remember you from yesterday,¡± Mr. Gary motioned her over with a sigh. ¡°Could you please step over here, Miss?¡±


    Rebecca complied, crossing the rest of the distance and stopping next to Emily.


    ¡°Here, single-day pass,¡± Rebecca lifted up a lanyard to give to her friend as she glanced about the tense situation with a worried expression. ¡°Or, um, am I too late?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s, uh, thank you,¡± Emily accepted the AnimeCon pass from Rebecca. ¡°It¡¯s Chloe, she had some drama she thought she could involve all of us in somehow. How much do I owe you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Rebecca brushed her off. ¡°I take it... this is about the altercation last night?¡±


    ¡°Among other things,¡± Emily growled.


    ¡°An altercation, you say,¡± Mr. Gary prodded. ¡°Were you present as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they had an, um, physical disagreement in the hall just outside the room where Megan was gracious enough to allow us to spend the night,¡± Rebecca explained in a calm voice, indicating each of the relevant girls with a gesture. ¡°I was fortunate to be close by and stop things from going too far.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t stop things, you assaulted me!¡± Chloe protested. ¡°Rebecca you fucking threw me to the ground and then held me down! I¡¯ve never, ever¡ª¡±


    ¡°I had to pin you for a moment, yes,¡± Rebecca nodded. ¡°Things were a little heated, and needed a moment to calm yourself down and think about what you were doing.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything!¡± Chloe argued. ¡°You all were the ones who¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah fucking right!¡± Emily exploded.


    ¡°Chloe was the one who¡ª¡± Stephanie tried to get a word in.


    ¡°She was thrashing and screaming and like, clawing at Rebecca,¡± Megan exclaimed. ¡°She got all scratched up trying to subdue her and get Chloe to even stop.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened,¡± Chloe shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and all of you were present for this?¡± Mr. Gary was still typing out a note on his tablet.


    ¡°Nope, Brian and I were elsewhere and very busy doing other things,¡± Kelly beamed in Chloe¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Chloe threw a total fucking shitfit walking in on Brian and Kelly,¡± Emily elaborated. ¡°That was at the Westerlin, Rebecca had to fucking drag her out of the room. Then when Stephanie was still kind enough to help Chloe find a different place to stay, Chloe throws another spaz tantrum and attacks her, over at the Sherriott.¡±


    Andrea exchanged an awkward glance with the other two staffers present as if unsure what to believe.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened,¡± Chloe shrugged, holding up her hands in disappointment. ¡°Not even. It¡¯s not. At all. If for one single second¡ª¡±


    The radio clipped to the security officer¡¯s belt gave out an insistent chirp, and Mr. Gary made a face.


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve got the gist of the situation,¡± Mr. Gary gave up on typing the situation into his tablet and used it to wave at the girls standing with Brian and then Chloe and the AnimeCon staffers. ¡°This group and this group have whatever issues with each other, to the point where things became violent, at some hotel around here. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve said all along!¡± Chloe quickly agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not safe. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m safe if any of them are anywhere¡ª¡±


    ¡°The simple solution is; the convention center here doesn¡¯t need any of your problems¡ªtake them elsewhere,¡± Mr. Gary decided. ¡°All of you. Cause problems for the event here, be immediately removed. You¡¯d forfeit your badge, and be escorted by me off the premises. If that¡¯s what you all want, please say so now.¡±


    He took the time to hold each of them in his stare before continuing.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like to continue to enjoy the event instead, please, do so,¡± Mr. Gary said. ¡°Keep to yourselves, don¡¯t start any trouble. If you and you or you and you see each other and start getting upset, just turn around and walk in some other direction. AnimeCon¡¯s a big event.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t see any reason for there to be any more problems after this point. You¡¯ve all been warned. You¡¯re all smart kids. If I get another call from the staff here about any one of you causing problems, you will be physically removed from the area by me¡ªyou don¡¯t want that¡ªand held to be handed over to the city police¡ªyou don¡¯t want that, either. You will not have a pleasant night. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Chloe¡¯s face fell. ¡°What am I supposed to do if they¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enjoy the event,¡± Mr. Gary cut her off by pushing a single-day AnimeCon badge without a lanyard into her hands. ¡°You¡¯re the only one here without one of these, if I¡¯m correct? If there¡¯s any problems, contact security right away. I don¡¯t want there to be any problems.¡±


    Chloe turned her expression of disbelief towards each of the uncomfortable-looking staffers standing beside her as Mr. Gary tucked the tablet under an arm and grabbed the radio off of his belt.


    ¡°Security, go ahead,¡± he grunted.


    ¡°There¡¯s a fight in the Atrium,¡± someone on the other end reported. ¡°Two LARP guys¡ª actual fight, not a LARP fight thing.¡±


    Rebecca straightened, and the girl¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously for the first time throughout the entire conversation.


    ¡°On my way,¡± Mr. Gary grunted again, and then he was off, hustling away without giving their group another glance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go!¡± Rebecca told Emily, giving the girl¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. ¡°Stay out of trouble, please. Be good.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah, okay,¡± Emily said.


    Silence descended on that out of the way corner of the foyer as Rebecca trotted off, the volunteer staffers exchanging another uneasy look as Chloe remained planted firm where she stood, glaring furiously at Brian and the others.


    ¡°Umm, okay!¡± Andrea clapped. ¡°That all just happened. Whhhhy don¡¯t all of you go on and head that way, and then Chloe you can head in this direction, and just. Yeah. Don¡¯t cause any problems. I guess?¡±


    ¡°You have to remove them,¡± Chloe insisted, beginning to tear up. ¡°Andrea¡ªAndrea please, you can¡¯t listen to that guy, they¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, nope¡ªnooope,¡± Andrea held her hands up in the air and took a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what all¡¯s really going on or who¡¯s story is what and... yeah. What Mr. Gary said. Stay out of each other¡¯s way, and nobody start anything. Okay? Okay. Great.¡±


    ¡°No. No,¡± Chloe blurted out as her expression went from shock to rage to frantic in quick succession before she managed to attempt to make herself look like the victim being cruelly maligned once again. ¡°This doesn¡¯t¡ªnone of them proved anything. Andrea, everything I told you before is true. You have to remove them from the convention, ban them. You¡¯re convention staff.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian finally spoke up. ¡°All of us are going to head towards the vendor¡¯s room and shop for an hour or two. So, uh, we call dibs on that for now, and if she runs into us in there, it¡¯s only ¡®cause she followed us.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to fucking just walk away from this!¡± Chloe barked, flashing a hand to her forehead and grimacing with a flicker of her eyelids as though beset by sudden headache pangs. ¡°Andrea¡ª all of you, please. Please. You have to listen to me. You have to know¡­ what this is about. What Brian did to me.¡±


    Chloe was livid, and maintaining the charade of how unfairly victimized she needed to look right now was next to impossible.


    Invoking the convention center¡¯s security force just wasn¡¯t necessary, and it almost ruined absolutely fucking everything. AnimeCon staffers had the authority to remove attendees. It was as simple as that. When Brian and his sycophants became stubborn, Andrea and the two male feminist staffers she¡¯d wrangled up somehow revealed themselves to be completely impotent cowards. Unwilling to exercise their own power and instead bucking the problem to someone else to solve. Which made EVERYTHING worse!


    The dumbfuck security guy was exactly the wrong person for this situation. He was a stupid fucking patriarchal old man, completely fucking deadset on reasoning out where blame is due, which adheres to the letter of the law while completely ignoring the spirit of the law¡ªher emotional appeal! The whole point of having systems of rules in place was so that she could always feel safe, and it was mortifying that everyone wanted to pick apart every little thing she said in search of excuses and loophole rationalities.


    I shouldn¡¯t have to ever fucking justify how I feel! Chloe inwardly raged. Haven¡¯t I obviously been through enough? Why is the onus of proving whatever they¡¯ve done on ME? The apparent fucking victim of all this bullshit?


    Tinkling mirror shards ground their way up and down the insides of her head, they stabbed and sliced and ripped and gouged the meat of her very being in the most invasive and overpowering migraine Chloe had ever experienced in her life.


    That Brian hadn¡¯t ever stalked, harassed, or abused her was already long since immaterial¡ªbecause he absolutely deserved to be treated like he actually had. They couldn¡¯t understand that, because they hadn¡¯t been through this horrible stress and frustration that Chloe had. They didn¡¯t have a stake in what was happening right now, and so every single one of these cunts needed to shut the fuck up and listen to what she had to say.


    ¡°I¡­ I never told anyone,¡± Chloe said in a small voice. ¡°About... what Brian did to me. Back then, on that day. I should have, I wanted to¡ªbut, I was too afraid. Of what people would think, of what Brian would DO, of¡ªof everything. I¡¯m so afraid. I¡¯m afraid¡­ of what Brian did to me¡ª¡±


    The most unpleasant, glaring, and sickly shade of radioactive pink was flooding Stephanie¡¯s mind. Despite being forced to retreat a step back from Brian¡¯s side to stand instead beside Kelly¡ªan action that only served to amplify the nausea and rage welling up within her¡ªChloe was too physically close. Whatever field of charm power Chloe was manifesting, it¡¯s proximity was too much to bear and Stephanie couldn¡¯t tolerate it right in her face for more than a moment. It was screaming silver grit, it was metal shavings whirling and grinding against her thoughts, it was a hellish nails-on-chalkboard chorus of screeching that just climbed in volume as each minute here passed.


    ¡ªI hate her¡ªI hate her¡ªI hate her¡ª


    Worse yet, whatever horrifying wrongness that Chloe was putting out seemed to reach right through Stephanie¡¯s empathic sense and trigger a physiological response from her body. It was as if a live chainsaw was in operation mere inches from her face. She couldn¡¯t breathe, her muscles seized up until ever part of her was completely tense, her insides felt like they were being wrung out, and only the overwhelming fear and sheer terrifying madness kept her stunned enough to not hyperventilate on the spot.


    Kelly had now noticed and was gripping her hand, but the growing concern she felt from Kelly was distant and ephemeral and completely out of reach right now. Only Emily¡¯s hatred for Chloe was maintaining Stephanie¡¯s sanity. The Latina¡¯s hate was an off-colored blue of a disgusting consistency that dribbled over into Stephanie¡¯s mind and intermingled with her own bad hue of pink to become a gross purple. It wasn¡¯t good. She knew this wasn¡¯t good at all. But, it was also the only thing that made complete and total sense to her right now.


    ¡ªI hate her¡ªI HATE her¡ªI hate her¡ª


    She wasn¡¯t able to share in Emily¡¯s exact thoughts, but Stephanie felt like she knew them anyways, simply from the melody of emotion they were singing together. It was the same song, and the words just naturally filled themselves in and came to her right away. Chloe was speaking, and Stephanie listened to her spell out the lie with a growing sense of horror. Because Chloe was implicating Brian in the worst, and every syllable that left that hated mouth was a malicious curse upon him, words that couldn¡¯t easily be taken back or brushed off.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ªyou¡¯re lying!¡± Stephanie interrupted.


    ¡°That¡¯s all complete bullshit!¡± Emily shouted at the same time.


    ¡°You know what he did!¡± Chloe drew out the words with vindictive malice. ¡°Well, now all of fucking AnimeCon is gonna know! HEY, EVERYONE! LISTEN UP! YEAH, OVER HERE! RIGHT HERE! DO YOU SEE THIS GUY STANDING RIGHT HERE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS GUY HERE DID? Do you know what he DID to me? He RAPED¡ª¡±


    ¡°He sure as fuck didn¡¯t rape you,¡± Kelly interrupted in a loud, provoking voice.


    She sauntered forward with confidence, blowing her own brilliant red bangs off of her brow with a puff of her lip. If Chloe was going to go for broke with shameless smear tactics like this, how could Kelly not step up to the challenge and fight her every step of the way? If Chloe was going to try to shout, well, Kelly was no stranger to addressing a large audience, and she was completely confident in her ability to project her voice. All they had to do was dilute Chloe¡¯s narrative with dissenting voices at just the right times.


    ¡°If that¡¯s where you were really headed with this line of bullshit. Brian never hit you, he never abused or harrassed or mistreated you¡ªand he certainly never fucking raped you. The worst thing he did to you was not step up and check your headtrip power bullshit. You¡¯ve become an inflamed fucking pustule of your own greasy self-importance just ready to pop.¡±


    ¡°YOU DON¡¯T EVEN KNOW HIM!!!¡± Chloe roared, swinging her arms down. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T EVEN FUCKING¡ª¡±


    To top it off, she¡¯s completely unable to cope when situations that don¡¯t go her way, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the theatrics. She¡¯s fucking terrible at reining in her temper so that she can adapt and switch tacts when something obviously isn¡¯t working. Chloe, the more you flip out and lose it here, the more you sabotage your own credibility. What the hell kind of easy life have you been living up until now?


    ¡°Brian never fucking raped you, you stupid taint infection,¡± Kelly continued with a look of absolute disdain. ¡°Crying rape, that seriously crosses the fucking line. Soon as you don¡¯t get your way, you immediately go for the nuclear option. Why not, right? You¡¯re Chloe, you can just shit out whatever accusations you like, and then it¡¯s someone else¡¯s mess to clean up, not yours. What the actual fuck is wrong with you?¡±


    The convention-goers, anime enthusiasts, and occasional cosplayers streaming in through the multiple sets of double doors were lighter today than they had been on Saturday, but the sheer volume at which the two hostile beauties were rebuking one another with still caught the attention of dozens upon dozens of people. Heads began to turn, traffic through the entrance foyer grew sluggish and congested, and, as always¡ªonlookers loved to see people making a scene.


    Eyeing Chloe up and down again, Kelly had to admit that Chloe did almost have the looks to support the overly inflated self-conceit. She had refined, picturesque facial features beneath the slapdash makeup attempt. Maybe the set of her eyes made her appear slightly too prissy, and perhaps her mouth was slightly too wide, but there was no doubt that any number of guys would willingly coddle her until her ego turned her into this sort of prima donna.


    ¡°I mean, look at you!¡± Kelly laughed. ¡°Fucking look at this. You¡¯re obviously in the middle of this total mental meltdown, and you just come across as this total out-of-touch psychopath. Hollering out RAPE to a crowd of random passerby, like you¡¯re hawking wares at a cattle market? Aren¡¯t you really making light of a serious fucking crime? Reporting a rape isn¡¯t some flippant thing you bring up to a big public audience whenever you¡¯re feeling a little pissy. It¡¯s so stupidly obvious that you¡¯re trying to rile up an idiot mob to act on your behalf, because boo-hoo-hoo, Chloe didn¡¯t get her way! Well, guess what? No one is that fucking stupid. I get that you¡¯re feeling petty and spiteful or whatever over the breakup, but crying rape? On Brian, of all people? Nah. Just, nah. You¡¯re a fucking psychopath.¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE THE FUCKING PSYCHOPATH YOU GODDAMN FUCKING WHORE!!!¡± Chloe screamed, clawing at her hair and almost doubling over with the force of throwing her voice out as loud as possible. ¡°You don¡¯t even get a say in this! You¡¯re a cocksucking whore, an actual, literal whore. You sell your filthy probably diseased body to degenerate fucking creeps like Brian. BRIAN¡ªBRIAN THE FILTHY RAPIST CREEP!!!¡±


    The male staffer with the handset had already been attempting to radio Mr. Gary back to them and was forced to flinch back from Chloe, clamping his hands over his ears at how loud she was being.


    ¡°Please, can we all¡ªstop, stop!¡± A mortified Andrea rushed between the girls in an attempt to intervene before they could collide. As she made the mistake of taking Chloe by one of her arms in an attempt to tug her back away from Kelly, however, the staffer girl instead received a vicious backhand from the hysterical girl as Chloe pivoted to shrug her off. Andrea took most of Chloe¡¯s wrist to her face and stumbled back, completely stunned, tapping fingertips to the inside of her lip and then checking them for blood in disbelief.


    Brian stepped up at almost the same time, taking Kelly by the waist from behind and guiding her backwards and away from the immediate threat of Chloe.


    ¡°Jesus Christ.¡±


    ¡°Awww shit.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Catfight, catfight, catfight!¡±


    The gathering crowd of attendees rubbernecking nearby shifted and twisted into disarray, with a half dozen grimacing in distaste at the ugly scene and hurrying to put it behind them, while even more moved in to gawk at the spectacle of it. At least two people nearby had already raised their cellphones and begun to capture video. None of them knew what was going on, and for the most part¡ªnone of them altogether even cared. None of them except Ryan¡ªhipster mister, who happened to be crossing the lobby with his coffee half-raised to his lips when recognition hit him.


    Ryan had been seriously worried about Chloe after she disappeared on him when they were in line early the day before. She hadn¡¯t seemed like the kind of girl who would randomly ghost on him for no reason, but nor did he expect to encounter her blowing up on some other people like this. He blinked and even rubbed his eyes with his free hand, but yessiree¡ªit was Chloe. She hadn¡¯t vanished or been abducted, at least. Instead¡ªshe¡¯d apparently lost her fucking mind.


    ¡°THAT GUY, RIGHT THERE, HIM AND THOSE WHORES!!¡± Chloe shrieked, advancing several more steps forward and jabbing a finger towards Brian¡¯s face ¡°LOOK AT THEM. EVERYONE, DON¡¯T YOU SEE THEM?! DON¡¯T YOU SEE THESE FUCKING RAPIST PEDOPHILE QUEER FUCKING FAGGOT WHORES¡ª¡±


    ¡°Name-calling? You¡¯re just name-calling, now?¡± Kelly burst into laughter. ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna explain yourself to everyone, then why should we listen to any of this bullshit coming out of your rancid toothy prolapsed fucking throat-hole?¡±


    Chloe had been in the middle of taking a deep breath in preparation for the next onslaught of her tirade when she gagged and lurched forward to retch out a furious coughing sputter. It was one of the most deeply satisfying reactions one of her lines had ever elicited from someone.


    ¡°FUCKING¡ªFUCKING DISGUSTING, YOU PIECE OF SHIT STUPID FUCKING SLUT¡ª! YOU¡¯RE THROUGH. YOU¡¯RE ALL THROUGH!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Emily made a conflicted face as she tugged on Brian¡¯s arm. ¡°I want to beat her fucking face in¡ªbut we should just go. Let¡¯s all go, like, make a break for the vendor¡¯s room. Chloe¡¯s just playing this up, she just wants us all caught up in her big fucking disruption and thrown out. Fuck that, fuck her, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No¡ªno,¡± Stephanie shook her head in a daze, unable to tear her eyes away from Chloe. ¡°She¡¯s serious. She¡¯s completely¡ªI, I hate her.¡±


    ¡°How did y¡¯all even meet this girl?!¡± Megan demanded. ¡°Like, what the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all thanks to you, Chloe!¡± Kelly called out with a villainous smile. ¡°Because of whatever little guilt trip game you were trying to play, I met Brian. We all met Brian. Actually, we kinda fucking like him, and I think we¡¯re gonna keep him. Thanks! Oh, and that dress! Yeah, that was meant for you at first, huh? That thing was fucking gorgeous, and he ordered that just for you. Wow, too bad. Calamity Queen, by Noblesse Oblique, I think. Don¡¯t those go for like, eleven hundred some dollars?¡±


    ¡°YOU THINK I can¡¯t hurt you, you fucking pissant shitstain?!¡± Chloe¡¯s voice finally broke. ¡°You¡ªyou think you¡¯re safe?¡±


    ¡°Chloe¡ªstop,¡± Brian could only give her an incredulous look. ¡°What are you even hoping to accomplish, here? If you¡ª¡±


    A sharp clap sounded out as Chloe crossed the last few feet between them and slapped Brian.


    ¡°Oh, you wanna hit me back, huh!?¡± Chloe goaded in a now hoarse tone, jumping in and putting herself right up in Brian¡¯s face. ¡°Do it then, incel faggot. Do it, I fucking dare you. Hit me. Hit me. You¡¯re such a big, aggressive manly man, huh? Hit me then, see what fucking happens to you. C¡¯MON, FAGGOT! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!¡±


    ¡°Chloe,¡± Brian bit out. ¡°I¡¯m not. Going. To hit you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Yeah, you¡¯re not. Bitch,¡± Chloe slapped her hand against his cheek again, this time hard enough to turn his head. ¡°Little bitch boy, scared of a girl. Little faggot. Don¡¯t even have the fucking balls to¡ª¡±


    Her snarling face was suddenly and inexplicably smashed backward by a fist, the leading outline of knuckle reshaping and completely deforming the flesh of Chloe cheek and then her nose as it powered into a meaty, solid impact.


    The abrupt throw of Stephanie¡¯s punch sent her lunging body toppling Chloe over, Chloe¡¯s head snapping back from the sheer force of the blow and saliva from her now slack jaw flicking up into the air. Stephanie landed on top and immediately attempted to hit her again, but by now the crumpled and sobbing Chloe was thrashing and shrieking in stunned horror horror and attempting to put her hands up to protect her face. She kicked and flailed her feet in a frantic panic as Brian hurried to pull Stephanie off of her, and everyone could see her nose was already gushing blood down her blouse.


    ¡°Oh my God¡ªStephanie,¡± Emily mouthed in surprise.


    FortySixtyFour


    This concludes the massive chapter drop! If you enjoyed having an hour so of reading out of nowhere, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review or even just a star rating! The story will continue, I''m quite a ways through the next sections already.


    Huge thank you to my supporters for making my writing possible! Aihnman, alethiophile, andy may phan, Angel Sworn, Anonguy, Aodean, Bill Johnson, Brian Czisny, Caleb, Chris, Conner Nay, Davin Taddeo, faraday, Garen McGhee, godoffaer, I. Ronical, jb qspam, Jeanie6754, jmundt33a, Joel Robinson, Julius Cheeser, JustAChair, Kibbleguy, KingofClubs8129, Kimu Taka, kognar, Lety Does Stuff, Luke Mofford, Miss Stephanie, Montugar, MountHermon, Mundane, NyarlathotepB, Overlord_Grimm, Paul Wirtz, Phillip Rayne, QuietDistress, Scarnem, Th1Alchemyst, The Epitome of Eccentricity, TiAM325, Tomas Wood, venef, Vowron Prime, William Foster, YellowLotr and especially Foxy!