《AnimeCon Harem & After AnimeCon》


 AnimeCon Harem - Mayday, Mayday

    ¡°...Uh-oh,¡± Brian abruptly said. He awkwardly held his skull helmet in the crook of his arm, switched his prop Komari-mart bag to his other hand, and tugged one of his bulky costume gloves off with his teeth so that he could unlock his phone.


    ¡°Uh-oh?¡± Kelly echoed, and with a graceful swish of gothic lolita skirts, she stepped over to take a peek over his shoulder.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stephanie asked in a timid voice.


    Together, they had eventually been able to squeeze into one of the convention center¡¯s hallways, and were currently meandering along within the sluggish procession of attendees. While the previous day at AnimeCon¡¯s venue had been busy, today it was a madhouse. Everywhere the trio went was gridlocked with anime fans and cosplayers. Even simply moving down one of these halls wasn¡¯t much like walking¡ªit was more like shuffling and stopping and then shuffling forward again in a slow-moving line.


    Brian¡¯s companions seemed to have formed some unspoken agreement¡ªwherever he went, the two girls always fell into step on either side of him, sandwiching him in the middle. On his left, the pink-haired Stephanie was timidly clinging to his arm, adorably cute in her brightly-colored cosplay sundress, tall boots, long gloves and a pair of rabbit ears. She managed to appear chipper and jumpy, excited and nervous all at once, all too often sneaking glances back up towards him. On Brian¡¯s right, the ever-seductive Kelly had gracefully linked her arm with his, in her impression of a proper lady¡¯s behavior. Her demeanor¡ªaloof disinterest with just a hint of mischievousness, perfectly suited the dark beauty of her gothic dress, an intricate and voluminous affair supported by the many folds and layers of her petticoat.


    ¡°Trouble, I think,¡± Brian managed around the glove¡¯s finger he was holding between his teeth. He held his phone up so they could clearly read the message he¡¯d received.


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    <td>Zero-the-Hero: MAYDAY! MAYDAY! ANYBODY HERE AT ANIMECON HIT ME UP ASAP!!!!</td>


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    ¡°Friend of yours?¡± Kelly inquired, arching a lovely eyebrow. She presented another one of those amused, distant smiles of hers to him, one of those that seemed to complement her Calamity Queen outfit all too well.


    The air of indifference she was affecting had a subtle possessive quality to it, a slight shift in her attitude that happened every time she caught herself staring at him, captivated. Though yesterday she¡¯d been making fun of each and every one of these weeaboo convention-goers for being hopeless geeks, now she considered him in on the joke, somehow. She couldn¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t look down on a lot of these AnimeCon losers, but she didn¡¯t consider Brian one of them, anymore.


    ¡°Yeah, my buddy Mark. Him and I go way back, known each other since high school. He¡¯s always gone to AnimeCon every year, but not really with our group. He¡¯s always off doing his card thing here.¡±


    ¡°Card¡­ thing?¡±


    ¡°Mana: the Mastery. It¡¯s a really popular¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± Kelly cut him off, jerking her chin back towards his phone. ¡°There¡¯s more people talking, now.¡±


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    <td>Mick95: whaddup?</td>


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    Zero-the-Hero: thank god


    Zero-the-Hero: u at the con mike??


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    <td>Mick95: nope lol</td>


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    Zero-the-Hero: .....?!


    Zero-the-Hero: where the fuck is everyone


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    <td>Mick95: think everyone but emily bailed this year</td>


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    <td>Zero-the-Hero: wtf guys</td>


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    Dropping his glove down into his upturned helmet, Brian quickly thumbed a response into the group chat, while a beautiful face peered with eager interest over his either shoulder.


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    <td>Oberon: Im here at the con, what you need?</td>


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    Mick95: no way brian


    Mick95: thought u werent goin this year???


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    <td>Oberon: Said who?</td>


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    <td>Zero-the-Hero: oh thank god</td>


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    coffee-vein: wtf Brian.


    coffee-vein: ...


    coffee-vein: (¨s¡ã§¥¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß


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    Zero-the-Hero: can u or chloe meet me


    Zero-the-Hero: im in game room 4


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    <td>coffee-vein: didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going to the con?</td>


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    <td>Mick95: lol</td>


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    ¡°You go by Oberon?¡± Kelly observed, the dry tone of her voice suggesting she should have expected as much. ¡°¡®Oh, Brian?¡¯ ...Do I even want to ask?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Stephanie gushed, blinking quickly. She flashed one of those bright, infectious smiles that seemed to light up her entire face, and Kelly found the way she brushed fluffy pink locks of hair away from her glasses incredibly distracting.


    ¡°Uh, yeah? ¡®Oh Brian¡¯ is¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, ah, Oberon,¡± Stephanie grinned excitedly towards Kelly as she continued, ¡°he was often depicted as the king of faeries in stories, from the middle ages all the way through the renaissance period. He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a li¡¯l guy flipping a table,¡± Kelly interrupted quickly, rolling her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡±


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    coffee-vein: wtf dude where have you even been?


    coffee-vein: not cool.


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    <td>Oberon: Not with Chloe, I can head over though</td>


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    Becca-chan?(???)?: Wat


    Becca-chan?(???)?: Nah wai!


    Becca-chan?(???)?: Nah wai!


    Becca-chan?(???)?: Brian.


    Becca-chan?(???)?: Brian.


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    <td>coffee-vein: lol mark</td>


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    <td>Mick95: uh not up on current events huh buddy</td>


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    Becca-chan?(???)?: BRIAN.


    Becca-chan?(???)?: You¡¯re at the convention???


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    <td>Zero-the-Hero: cool thanks man. game room 4. hurry</td>


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    Becca-chan?(???)?: Nah wai!


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    <td>coffee-vein: fuck off, becky.</td>


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    <td>Mick95: fuck off</td>


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    Becca-chan?(???)?: Nah wai!


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    <td>Zero-the-Hero: fuck off, becky</td>


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    ¡°These are your friends?¡± Stephanie asked, incredibly interested and even a little delighted. ¡°They¡¯re all very¡­um.¡±


    ¡°...Dorky?¡± Kelly supplied helpfully. ¡°What¡¯s with the weird names?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, they¡¯re¡­ something,¡± Brian chuckled, unbuttoning one of the utility belt pouches at his waist. He swapped his phone for the folded AnimeCon schedule booklet¡ªa map of the convention was printed out on the back. ¡°The goofy names are from forever ago, I guess I just got used to them as the years went by. Game room four, game room four...¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    In all honesty, they didn¡¯t need the map on the back of the booklet to find it; all of the game rooms were along one of the hallways he¡¯d toured hand-in-hand together with Stephanie just the day before, and Kelly had wandered through that area exploring after hours. However, if Mark really needed him, Brian proposed they should try to head there through the mess of people as directly as possible.


    As the three squeezed their way through the masses together, Kelly took the AnimeCon schedule booklet from Brian¡¯s hand. As discreetly as she could, she made eye contact with Stephanie, raised her eyebrows, and tilted her head meaningfully in Brian¡¯s direction. Say something.


    ¡°Uh, um,¡± Stephanie blustered. ¡°Brian, your, uh, that is, I was wondering, the thing your one friend kept saying, what did it mean? Nah¡­ nah-why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Becky?¡± Brian chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Her new little catchphrase is ¡®nah wai.¡¯ Apparently, this airheaded girl says it a lot, in one of the animes Becky was all into. It¡¯s actually the Japanese character suddenly exclaiming using the english words¡ª¡®no way,¡¯ as a thing that¡¯s trendy over there in Japan. I guess, just with the way they sound when they say it, it comes out as ¡®nah wai.¡¯¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s face broke out into a grin, and she quickly glanced down at her feet in embarrassment.


    ¡°Go ahead, try it,¡± Brian prompted, laughing.


    ¡°...Nah wai,¡± Stephanie tried in a small voice, barely audible over the murmur of the surrounding crowds.


    Kelly glanced up from the booklet she was pretending to read and looked across Brian towards Stephanie to smirk.


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s weird,¡± Brian remarked, smiling at Stephanie.


    ¡°Wh-what is?¡± She asked, blinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying when Becky keeps doing it, ¡®cause she¡¯s like, so insistent with it. Overusing it, always kinda tryin¡¯ to force it down your throat with repetition,¡± Brian explained. ¡°But when you say it, for some reason... it¡¯s really cute.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really.¡±


    ¡°Ah, uh, w-well, thank you,¡± Stephanie managed, and the girl''s cheeks reddened. She shyly searched Brian¡¯s face, as if she was half-sure he wasn¡¯t being serious with her.


    ¡°Wait¡ªnot fair, I didn¡¯t hear it properly,¡± Kelly protested, swatting Brian¡¯s shoulder with the borrowed booklet since she couldn¡¯t reach Stephanie.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to overdo it,¡± Stephanie refused, blushing.


    ¡°Excuse me, girl in the gothic lolita! Can I get your picture?¡± A girl sporting a Shinobi Souls scarf called, worming her way through the opposite flow of the slowly-moving crowd towards Kelly.


    ¡°...Delighted to be of service to you, Miss,¡± Kelly answered in a slow, chilling voice, stopping where she stood. Rather than answering with a reflexive sure, or of course, Kelly had decided today to have fun playing around at being in-character whenever the mood struck. The attendees walking behind them lurched to a halt to awkwardly give her berth as she struck her pose.


    Instead of a casual smile or even a practiced pout, when that scarf-wearing girl directed her camera towards her, Kelly¡¯s expression transformed into a look of questioning wonder. She straightened her back, her eyes went wide, her lips parted wordlessly, and she raised a finger to her chin. Her breath-taking look was actually more reflexive than planned, experience tempered through years of vanity and thousands of selfie shots. The effect was outstanding¡ªit was an engaging look, a look that seemed to draw you in with its subtle poise and elegance, further magnified to new heights by the somber allure of her Calamity Queen outfit.


    Despite the pressure of holding up everyone in the hallway, the girl in the scarf couldn¡¯t help but pause to take one picture after another, and several of the others nearby raised their phones to snap shots as well.


    ¡°Thank you so much! I love your outfit, you look amazing!¡± The girl wearing the scarf managed, lowering the camera to show her beaming smile. The small bubble of space between them the crowd had given them quickly began to collapse.


    ¡°I¡¯m undeserving of your praise,¡± Kelly answered expressionlessly, curtseying perfectly before turning to rejoin Brian and Stephanie.


    ¡°No, really¡ªyou¡¯re amazing! That¡¯s brand, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Noblesse Oblique,¡± Brian chimed in quickly, noticing Kelly¡¯s hesitation. The resuming traffic was already pushing forward and separating them from the photographer girl, but Kelly caught a last glimpse of her stunned expression before she disappeared behind an advancing group of fans.


    ¡°Nice! You¡¯re even more popular than we are,¡± Brian congratulated Kelly, flashing a thumbs-up.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Kelly said, flashing him a quizzical look of disbelief that slowly morphed into her trademark stunning smile. How much did he really spend on this gothic getup? ¡°All of you here are geeks, and I¡¯m¡ªwell, I¡¯m me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re undeserving of your praise,¡± Brian grinned, nudging her playfully with his shoulder, and Stephanie giggled.


    On route to game room four, Kelly was stopped twice more for pictures, and Stephanie was asked for hers once as well. Of course, it wasn¡¯t until Stephanie¡¯s picture that Kelly caught Brian discreetly slipping his helmet back on and flashing a subtle victory sign in the background of her shot. Have you been photo-bombing us?! You dickwad!


    After giving Brian an exaggerated but well-deserved slap on Stephanie¡¯s behalf¡ªa slap that comically spun the loose skull helmet halfway around his head¡ªKelly realized that actually¡­ she was honestly enjoying herself. She wasn¡¯t just having a bit of fun, she¡­ loved this. Being here, with these two dweebs. No, MY two dweebs. Maybe anime conventions really are my kinda thing, after all?


    With a thoughtful quirk of her lip, Kelly turned her attention to the AnimeCon schedule, reading it for real this time. On one of the page spreads, the many events and panels were organized into a table based on the room they would be in and the time of day, and so at a simple glance she could see everything that was going on right now.


    Game room four¡­ hey, nothing¡¯s going on in game room four. The little box is grayed out. Oh wait, there it is. In another half-hour, it¡¯ll be a... ¡®Mana: the Mastery regional tournament?¡¯ Sounds like bad news. And then it goes on for the next three hours?! Kelly sincerely hoped that whatever his friend needed him for was just some quick errand before the tournament started. Let¡¯s see, what else¡­ AMV room? The hell is that? Aye-em-vee? Am-vuh? Amvee? Whatever. Voice-acting basics. Mechanics of mecha anime. Shinobi souls trivia face-off. Battle school anime for beginners? Hmm, Japanese sweets sounds like it might be good. Wonder if they have free samples? Oh, wait! Look at this one!


    ¡°Brian, check this out, look what panel¡¯s just starting right now?¡± Kelly insisted, leaning towards him and tapping a finger in place at the listing she¡¯d discovered.


    ¡°...Fetish 101?¡± He read aloud, and then shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Weird. Normally they keep all the random kink panels as late night, after-hours kinda content.¡±


    ¡°Well, can we?¡± Kelly asked impatiently, looking at him with eager eyes.


    ¡°No way,¡± he laughed. ¡°Emily and Becky went one year, and I heard it was bad. Like, they just do a rope demo and talk about safety, but all the weirdo creeper guys show up there to stare down any girls naive enough to attend. Desperate eyes and watering mouths, and all that.¡±


    Rope demo? Kelly wondered, frowning. When I think of fetish, I picture the normal stuff¡ªblack leather and latex, dudes jacking off while they lick the boots of their dominatrix, that sort of stuff. Rope demo like, hanging from a noose, that erotic asphyxiation stuff? What if one of those pervs ends up necking himself at the convention?


    ¡°They said it wasn¡¯t worth my time,¡± Brian said, noticing Kelly¡¯s frown. ¡°Besides, I definitely don¡¯t want to expose Steph to that¡ªI don¡¯t want to make her uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, alright,¡± Kelly agreed reluctantly, glancing past Brian to Stephanie. I think that¡¯s a great idea, though.


    As they neared the game room, the hallway¡¯s traffic slowed to a crawl, and they saw game room four¡¯s door was flanked on either side by staff members standing on their chairs, calling out for everyone to show their badges. After waiting several long minutes in the deadlock of packed people, the trio finally made it through the doors¡­ much to their dismay.


    ¡°What. Is. That,¡± Kelly grimaced, dropping the elegant lolita facade and covering her nose with the back of her hand. The game room was enormous, but so overstuffed with people that it seemed downright claustrophobic inside. With so many fans packed in that it was standing-room only, and they could barely see the long tables for card players. Unlike the hallways outside, the entire room positively reeked of unwashed bodies, and Stephanie almost backed right back out of the room upon entering.


    ¡°Whew, yeah, wow. Shoulda just kept my helmet on,¡± Brian joked, standing upon his tiptoes in attempt to catch a glimpse of Mark amidst the sea of attendees.


    ¡°Steph, is that friend you were ¡®bout to room with here?¡± Kelly asked, keeping her nose covered. ¡°Did she play cards?¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stephanie protested, looking queasy. ¡°But, um, Brian, I can¡¯t. I r-really can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me either,¡± Kelly agreed, squeezing an arm past Brian to take Stephanie¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯ll wait outside somewhere, or¡­ something. This is bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ alright, damn. Here, quick,¡± Brian said, settling his helmet over his head so that he had both hands free to dig through the pouches of his utility belt. He passed Kelly her phone, her crumpled twenty-dollar-bill, and the spare keycard to their hotel room. ¡°In case we really get separated. I¡¯m gonna find out what Mark needs me for, then I¡¯ll text you guys soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°This servant eagerly awaits your command,¡± Kelly bowed her head gracefully, slipping back into character. Before she withdrew, she sighed and gave Stephanie a slight, expectant shove towards Brian.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-I, uh, it¡¯s just, I really can¡¯t¡ª¡± She apologized timidly, letting him take her hands.


    ¡°Totally fine, it really is bad in here,¡± Brian said through his helmet. ¡°Try to stick with Kelly, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Stephanie affirmed, nodding with a bob of her costume¡¯s rabbit ears. ¡°An-and, um¡­ here.¡± She hopped up to give him a peck on the plastic cheekbone of his skull helmet before blushing furiously and turning away to follow Kelly¡¯s dark dress out of the room.


    ¡°Hey, wait. Girls!¡± Brian yelled, lifting his helmet. She turned and caught his eye just as she was squeezing her way out the door. ¡°...Promise me you two won¡¯t set foot inside that weird Fet panel.¡±


    Kelly smiled at him, a wide, magnificent and gorgeous smile that positively radiated evil, and he felt himself regretting even reminding her.


    ¡°As my lord wishes,¡± She called back obediently, bowing. ¡°I give you my solemn vow. We won¡¯t disgrace our feet with even one step upon the foul floors of that place.¡± Her eloquent, dramatic manner of speech earned some laughter from the people still pushing past her into the room for the tournament, and Brian gave the girls a lopsided grin and a parting wave as they disappeared from sight.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Stephanie managed, as soon as her and Kelly had broken free of the mob trying to get into the Mana: the Mastery tournament and found some breathing room. ¡°I just, I c-couldn¡¯t, with that smell, and-and I know I¡¯m probably ruining your plan¡ª¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Kelly said in a comforting voice, raising her hand to gently caress her fingertips across Stephanie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head. It¡¯s not like I could stand that awful stink, either.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what are we going to do, though?¡± Stephanie asked, apprehensive.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Kelly tilted her head at the girl, like the answer was already obvious. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Fetish 101.¡±

 AnimeCon Harem - Panel Crashing

    ¡°Is this really okay¡­?¡± Stephanie asked timidly, hesitating outside the panel room for Fetish 101. In stark contrast to the hallway connecting the gaming rooms, the hall here was sparsely populated.


    ¡°Okay? S¡¯way better than okay,¡± Kelly retorted. ¡°It¡¯s educational. You want¡ªno, you need to know more about sexy stuff, right?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Stephanie fidgeted. ¡°I mean, you promised Brian that we wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what I promised,¡± Kelly declared, flashing her wicked smile again. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s see how it looks.¡± She tugged the pink-haired girl closer towards the entrance of the panel room, where a politely smiling brunette girl wearing an AnimeCon staff T-shirt was seated, very considerately pretending not to have overheard their every word.


    ¡°Hi,¡± the brunette staffer greeted cheerfully, nodding towards them and gesturing to indicate she¡¯d already seen the badges they were wearing. ¡°You can go on in, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kelly smiled sweetly. ¡°Is it okay if we take just a peek, though? My friend here, it¡¯s her first time, and, well... she¡¯s a little nervous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t we all, our first time?¡± The staffer laughed. ¡°Go ahead, take a look.¡±


    Leaning out around the door frame, Kelly and Stephanie saw that the room was very dimly lit¡ªmany rows of chairs, mostly filled with people, were divided neatly by a central aisle directly in from the doors. The only active bank of lights was at the far side of the room all the seats faced, illuminating a long table where the panel¡¯s lone host, a rather full-figured goth girl sporting dozens of tattoos, was speaking excitedly into a microphone.


    ¡°...To make sure they have experience and know what they¡¯re doing, because a lot of the things people see and want to try out right away are so dangerous for beginners,¡± a young woman¡¯s voice explained, presumably the host of the panel. ¡°Paddling and spanking, for instance! It can be very fun, for both partners, but it¡¯s sooo dangerous if done incorrectly! You¡¯re have to focus your swings only on the buttocks and upper thighs, and never, ever strike as high as the lower back or kidneys! And of course, hitting harder doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re hitting better!


    ¡°Oh gawd, you guys, I could go on about just the topic spanking alone for hours,¡± the host let out a wistful sigh. ¡°I love getting a good spanking. But, again, it¡¯s another one of those things that can be dangerous for beginners! For one, I¡¯m going to say that if you¡¯re just starting out, you absolutely need to use your hands! And not a paddle or a flog. Yeah, that¡¯s right ladies and gentleman, I¡¯m sayin¡¯ you¡¯ve gotta be hands-on.¡± There was only a slight murmur of response from the crowd.


    ¡°When you¡¯re using your hands you¡¯re always going to have more control on where and how hard your strikes are landing! Another thing to consider, is that your hand is going to be more delicate and sensitive than that meaty tissue of your partner¡¯s buttocks and upper thighs¡ªthat¡¯s gonna be your feedback, and that¡¯s sooo important! Your hand is going to start seriously hurting well before they will, which¡¯ll best limit both how hard you¡¯re spanking, and how long you¡¯re spanking for!¡±


    The silhouette of a hand rose in the audience.


    ¡°Yes, you, sweet thing there in the cute hoodie, did you have a question?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand the spanking thing, at all,¡± A girl¡¯s voice admitted, barely audible across the room. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Oh, gawd, like I said, I could go on forever about why I love it, and there¡¯s so many factors! Yes, it can hurt, but it¡¯s so much more than that!¡± The host explained gleefully. ¡°It does hurt, yeah. Sorta. It does and it doesn¡¯t? It can hurt, but in a really good way."


    Seems like just the kind of lessons Stephanie really needs, Kelly decided with a smirk, and she stepped out from her peeking position to stand clearly visible in the open doorway.


    ¡°Oh, hi!¡± the host called towards them eagerly, her bassy voice booming through the room¡¯s speakers. ¡°Come on in, don¡¯t be shy! I love your dress!¡± It seemed like most of the audience turned to look at them standing in the doorway, although their faces and expressions couldn¡¯t be made out.


    ¡°We would love to join you,¡± Kelly called, raising her tone in a skilled public speaking voice that she could tell surprised Stephanie. Kelly was able to project her voice so that everyone in the large room could easily hear her, while it still sounded almost the same as her normal manner of speech. ¡°But... we made a promise¡ªwhat were my words again, Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Ah, uh¡­!¡± Startled at suddenly being put on the spot, Stephanie froze up, paling even further, and stared fearfully at the entire room full of people now looking expectantly at them.


    ¡°Yes, that was it; I so solemnly vowed that we wouldn¡¯t set even one foot on the floor within this room,¡± Kelly declared.


    ¡°Aw, why would you do that?¡± the hostess pouted playfully. ¡°We don¡¯t bite¡ªmuch.¡± A handful of obligatory chuckles sounded throughout the room.


    ¡°This is the panel room for fetish, though, right?¡± Kelly asked, a mischievous undercurrent building in her tone. ¡°Steph¡­ my shoes, please.¡± After an astonished second, Stephanie obediently dropped down to a knee and began unbuckling Kelly¡¯s glossy black mary janes for her.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. This is Fetish 101,¡± the tattooed girl across the room responded proudly into her microphone. It seemed like she was having more fun being able to exchange banter with an unexpected guest. Maybe her audience hasn¡¯t been very enthusiastic?


    ¡°Might there be any... foot fetishists in attendance today?¡± With Stephanie¡¯s help, Kelly stepped out of her shoe and extended her foot in the air, wiggling and curling the toes within her lace stocking theatrically. There was a murmur in the seated crowd, and she was able to distinctly make out at least one oh, hell yeah, followed by scattered laughter.


    ¡°Ooh, there we go! Foot fetishists? Anyone?¡± The host cooed encouragingly, pointing out raised hands in the audience as she saw them. ¡°There we have one, two, three¡­ show of hands, people, do we have anyone who appreciates some sexy feet with us here? Four, five... c¡¯mon now, don¡¯t be shy!¡±


    ¡°You see,¡± Kelly continued on in her raised voice, effortlessly sensual and charismatic, ¡°we only promised that we wouldn¡¯t dirty our feet on the floor, here¡­ I wonder if any of you would be willing to... help us inside?¡± The occupants of the Fetish 101 panel reacted more loudly to this, and she immediately saw several of them standing up and shimmying past those still seated to make their way towards the center aisle.


    The first to approach, a college-aged guy with a shaved head, stubbled face and a leery grin, dashed right up to them with his open hands held outstretched, palms up. Though he was likely just offering to carry one of them inside to a seat, Stephanie ducked slightly behind Kelly with a frightened squeak. Oh no, friend. Not THAT kind of help¡­


    Kelly froze him in place with a mere gesture, simply by pointing her finger, and then the stunned guy watched as she jerked her fingertip down to point to the ground at her feet, as though she were training a dog. There was a flash of surprise on his grinning face and a moment¡¯s hesitation¡ªand the man fell to the floor as though he¡¯d been forcibly struck down.


    Then Kelly entered the room, her stocking-clad foot stepping up squarely onto the guy¡¯s back¡­ not once touching the carpeted floor inside.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± they heard the stunned panel¡¯s hostess exclaim throughout the speakers.


    ¡°Well?¡± Kelly turned to face Stephanie and the bewildered staffer beside her at the door. With a pout, she twisted her foot on the guy¡¯s back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming inside as well, little one?¡±


    ¡°Hnnnng,¡± the man beneath her foot let out a noise, but it was difficult to discern whether it was from pleasure or pain.


    In a scramble, two of the others who¡¯d stood and made their way to the aisle clambered onto the ground as well, forming a human path, and the Fetish 101 room filled with lively hollers of laughter and encouragement. Others were already rising out of their seats.


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    ¡°Come along now, Steph,¡± Kelly instructed, taking another graceful step, this time first caressing the guy¡¯s cheek with the edge of her foot before pressing it down near his shoulder, mercilessly pinning him. ¡°Do be kind enough to take off your boots, though. You have to remember... these things were people once.¡±


    Stephanie watched on with a mixture of fascination and horror as her friend continued deeper into the room, transferring her weight slowly from one all-too-willing victim to the next so that she wouldn¡¯t wobble. With trembling hands, Stephanie fumbled across the hem of her dress to the zipper of her thigh-high boot.


    ¡°Th-this¡­ this can¡¯t be happening¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, here,¡± the brunette staffer posted at the door offered with a grin, and the girl crouched beside Stephanie to help her out of her boots.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, th-th-thank you,¡± Stephanie stammered out, casting another frightened look after Kelly, who¡¯d already made her way several steps further¡­ without technically breaking her promise to Brian.


    Taking a deep breath, Stephanie felt the cool air on her legs, now bare the whole way up to the short hem of her pink and red gijinka dress¡­ and gingerly took her first step following after Kelly. Stepping onto another human being. For Stephanie, this was a first.


    ¡°Oh-God-yessss!¡± The guy hissed gleefully, and with a yelp Stephanie hopped past him, landing with both feet on the next fellow and knocking the wind out of him.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Stephanie cried, planting her small feet, which were adorned with only a cute pair of ankle socks, on each following person as quickly as she could manage. ¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± To her dismay, several of them down the line were laying face-up, and she didn¡¯t have the layers of petticoat and bloomers Kelly did to obstruct their view.


    Weebs sure are susceptible to mob mentality, Kelly decided as she surveyed the growing walkway of ready volunteers. The first several bodies had been strewn about haphazardly like a path of carnage, but beyond that the aisle of panel-goers laying down to become her living carpet had a queer semblance of order to it. Several dozen men and at least one young woman had laid themselves down in a neat row extending all the way past the chairs and towards the hostess¡¯s table.


    I¡¯d thought I¡¯d have a little fun, maybe make a little scene, and get me and Steph to a couple of the chairs... but if they want to take us right up to center stage, well, who am I to stop them? Kelly took care to take small, even steps to ensure she gave everyone equal attention, and squeezed her toes, kneaded with the ball of her foot, or gently rubbed the body beneath her with her every stride. The volume and excitement within the room was rising, most of the attendees had risen out of their seats to get a better look, and the lights from different cell-phones and cameras were shining across the now irregular aisle floor as the panel¡¯s hostess chattered excitedly over it all.


    ¡°Okay¡­ wow. Just wow. This is how you make an entrance, hah ha ha¡ªaaa! This is Fetish 101, everyone! Whoooo! Can somebody get her a microphone? Kevin? Get that gal a microphone,¡± View of their hostess became clearer as Kelly crossed the room¡ªshe was a plus-sized woman in her late twenties, showing off intricate sleeve tattoos, as well as skeletal hands tattooed upon the swell of exposed cleavage above her corset. She had teased-out black hair and, in Kelly¡¯s opinion, wore a little bit too much makeup.


    As the girls finished picking their way across the room, a steampunk cosplayer shook off his stovepipe hat and clambered down onto his hands and knees, forming human stairs up to the panel¡¯s booth. A mustached nerd on one side of Kelly acted out the part of a gentleman and steadied her hands, while a mousy-looking girl in a cat-eared hat kept pace with them, training her phone steadily on the spectacle.


    Grandly ascending to stand atop the panel¡¯s table, a scrawny guy wearing a staff T-shirt passed a microphone up to Kelly. Simply listening through the cacophony of noises in the room and swiping her fingernail across the grille of the mic told her that it was already live¡ªonly amateurs did tap-checks, and Kelly had dated a musician.


    The table within the panel room was wide and sturdy, with more than enough room for both of them to stand on one side without obstructing the host. In the middle of the table was an assortment of rope, leashes, handcuffs, restraints, and other not-so-innocent toys on display.


    ¡°Hello, yes!¡± the host seated right there was speaking again, the chubby girl using a bombastic, energetic voice, as though emulating a radio host. ¡°I¡¯m Chrissy-Cat, and this is Fetish 101! And who might you be?¡±


    Before replying, Kelly carefully lowered the microphone and leaned down to help Stephanie up onto the table, cupping her hand near the pink-haired girl¡¯s ear so that she could privately confer with her for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re book-smart, right, Steph?¡± Kelly asked in a whisper, holding her face close beside Stephanie¡¯s to ensure she could still be heard. ¡°I¡¯m gonna pass you the mic in a bit, think up some... famous quote or something, somethin¡¯ bout walking proud or standing above others, that can relate to our situation coming in here, okay? Don¡¯t get nervous or panic, or anything, because I¡¯m right here. All you need is a good quote to use. ¡®Kay?¡±


    Stephanie nodded her head in a quick jerk, looking shell-shocked.


    ¡°Hello, Chrissy,¡± Kelly finally purred into the microphone, and she heard cries of approval from the audience. Her voice was soft and husky, spoken at a languidly-measured pace that made one hang on every word.


    ¡°Please, allow me to introduce myself. I¡¯m Kelly. Kelly Killy,¡± she breathed in her slow, sexy voice. Who¡¯d¡¯ve thought I¡¯d ever have another chance to use my stage name? ¡°Someone very dear to me had us swear not to set a foot in here¡ªI have many of you to thank¡ªthose who¡¯ve laid down their very bodies to protect my promise. Can we have a small round of applause for their... sacrifice?¡± The resulting cheers and applause roared throughout the panel room once again¡ªshe was no stranger to hyping up a crowd¡ªalthough this time the Ravaged Cassettes weren¡¯t about to perform.


    ¡°And this is my pet¡ªMiss Stephanie. A few words, lover?¡± Kelly held out the microphone carefully, letting the head hover just inches before the pink-haired girls lips.


    ¡°B-being a poor people, and, having only your dreams,¡± Stephanie called into the offered mic, her voice ringing out clear and rather adorable, ¡°you¡¯ve spread your dreams out beneath our feet! And so, we do tread carefully, because¡­ we¡¯re treading on your dreams!¡± Her only stutter hadn¡¯t been very noticeable, surprisingly, and Kelly was impressed as well with her choice of words. The seated audience broke out into cheers and clapping.


    ¡°Exactly so¡ªwell spoken, my darling,¡± Kelly agreed, rewarding Stephanie with a loving pat on the head. Where¡¯d she pull the quote from? That was pretty decent.


    ¡°Well, thank you both so much for stopping by!¡± Chrissy said, looking genuinely pleased. ¡°You¡¯ve come to the right place. I kept trying to get my friends up here to help host the panel with me, because panels work sooo much better as a cross-talk, but they all wimped out on me at the last minute! Yeah, even you, Kevin!¡± The staffer who¡¯d passed Kelly a microphone was already slinking away back to the front row of seats, waving her off embarrassedly.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re very pleased to be here, thank you.¡± Seizing the opportunity, Kelly turned upon the tabletop with a graceful sweep of her Calamity Queen dress to regard the crowd of convention attendees, who were still settling back into their seats. She maintained the frigid gravitas of an untouchable being, with her hauntingly beautiful face and a smile colder than the dark reaches of space. By contrast, the endearingly cute Stephanie clinging to her side was frozen stiff with fright. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, though¡­ well, I heard there would be rope?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Chrissy jumped back in, gesturing with a legal pad of scribbled planning, ¡°We were just getting through the safety talk, and our questions, and then Amanda and Bill here agreed to do our shibari demonstration.¡±


    ¡°Shibari...¡± Kelly echoed thoughtfully, sounding the word out. ¡°Sounds delicious.¡± She¡¯d meant to imply she¡¯d mistaken the word for a kind of Japanese food, but from the audience¡¯s enthusiastic response, the joke worked just as well as euphemism.


    ¡°Amanda? Bill?¡± Chrissy prompted.


    At that, a young couple from the first row stood up. The thin college-aged guy¡ªpresumably Bill, wore glasses and had a mop of dirty blond hair and short beard of the same color, while Amanda was a giddy-looking dark-haired girl in her twenties. Her large, round brown eyes were adorned with exaggerated winged eyeliner drawn on in a too-large feline flick. There was a hearty round of applause and some jeers at the sight of them. Still, not bad, for a geek couple, I suppose.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of Bills, myself,¡± Kelly commented thoughtlessly into her microphone. ¡°Always struggling to pay them off, and yet they just keep coming! How about you, Amanda, how do you like... being Billed?¡±


    Amanda hid her face into Bill¡¯s shoulder in laughter and embarrassment, and the Fetish 101 crowd went wild again. It really wasn¡¯t THAT funny, Kelly thought to herself as she arched an eyebrow at the panel¡¯s audience. It¡¯s just some weak wordplay, that I¡¯m sure everyone named Bill has suffered through dozens of times before already. You guys are all just a little too eager to be pleased?


    ¡°Alright everyone,¡± Chrissy announced, ¡°Bill¡¯s going to start the demo in a sec¡ªwe couldn¡¯t get the projector this year, the damned cosmetics panel is using it¡ªbut if anyone wants the step-by-step on what he¡¯s doing, there¡¯s a website I have printed out on my pamphlets here!¡± Setting down her microphone with a thump that echoed throughout the speakers, Chrissy helped pass a large plastic bag of hemp rope from beside them on the table to Bill.


    The geek couple took position below them, in front of the table, and Amanda helpfully held her arms out while Bill began measuring out lengths of the corded rope to use.


    ¡°It looks like our friends here may take a few moments,¡± Kelly pointed out, ¡°and, by chance, just before we intruded, Miss Stephanie and I may have overheard you articulating the finer points of¡­ spanking.¡± A chilling, sinister smile spread softly across her features, and she drew back a step on the table, letting her hands slip down Stephanie¡¯s sides.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose, while they¡¯re preparing, that any of you would be interested in a live demonstration of that... would you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an awesome idea!¡± Chrissy crowed. She stood from her chair behind the panel-room¡¯s table and bounced over to the side where Kelly and Stephanie stood. For a full minute, she had Kelly and Stephanie lean down towards her in a huddle of whispers, while their audience became an indistinct hush of murmurs and talk themselves.

 AnimeCon Harem - Spanking Stephanie

    I remember what you said to Brian, Kelly... Stephanie thought in dismay, a weak smile plastered across her features, but, isn¡¯t this in so many ways so much worse?!


    ¡°Okay! We have now securely bound our lovely little victim¡¯s wrists to each other,¡± Chrissy-Cat announced into the microphone, while Kelly took a dramatic step away from Stephanie, flourishing her hands towards their furiously blushing volunteer with a theatrical sweep.


    ¡°Using the most basic kind of restraint in bondage, the quintessential method and using common material available to everyone!¡± Chrissy continued. ¡°Would anyone within the audience care to guess what it is that we¡¯ve used?¡±


    ¡°Handcuffs?¡± A shout sounded from the back.


    ¡°Raise your hands up a little higher so they can all see, Miss Stephanie,¡± Kelly instructed.


    ¡°A hair tie?¡± A girl¡¯s voice sounded on one side of the room.


    ¡°A hair-tie!¡± Another voice called in agreement.


    ¡°Nothing? Air?¡±


    ¡°Rubber bands?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, so close,¡± Chrissy-Cat sighed into the mic, shaking her head. ¡°What we¡¯ve used to restrain our lovely pet here is¡­ a promise.¡±


    A few groans were audible from the crowd, and those visible in the nearby front rows didn¡¯t look impressed.


    ¡°So¡ªimaginary invisible handcuffs,¡± one of the voices who¡¯d called out earlier sounded again.


    ¡°Not true, not true!¡± Kelly drawled in her slow, irresistible voice. ¡°Look, watch this.¡± For a moment she tucked the microphone under her arm and took hold of Stephanie¡¯s arms, trying to pull them apart. Remembering what she¡¯d been told, Stephanie didn¡¯t let them budge apart at all, even after Kelly exerted a little bit of force.


    ¡°You see? The promise isn¡¯t invisible, or imaginary, you can clearly see it, can¡¯t you? She promised not to separate her hands; so her hands are bound, and cannot move,¡± Chrissy explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s just pretending, though,¡± a guy in the front row scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s not like, real bondage.¡±


    ¡°Au contraire, mister skeptic,¡± Chrissy-Cat disagreed, shaking her head. ¡°A promise is not pretend; it¡¯s a pledge, an oath, an understanding between partners! A threat, an offering, an agreement and an exchange all in one, all of the basic tenets of communication from one thinking being to another.¡±


    ¡°Is a wedding ring like a shackle that physically prevents spouses from, you know, cheating and philandering? Hah¡ªwell obviously, not at all! A wedding band is a promise, it symbolizes a vow between partners. It¡¯s the promise that¡¯s important, the ring is just a band of metal! Likewise, in bondage play between lovers, each bond can be a visible, mmm, tangible representation of a promise that they share. If one were to engage in restraining their lover without any deeper understanding of why, without looking into the meaning of what they¡¯re doing¡­ well then it¡¯s not real bondage at all, it¡¯s just dangerous and stupid! Questions?¡±


    ¡°Okay, what does their promise mean here?¡±


    ¡°Well naturally, that¡¯s not for me to say,¡± Chrissy covered her lips with her hand coquettishly. ¡°A promise between them is between them, it¡¯s like, you know¡ªa personal thing. Miss Kelly, do you want to field a question?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you, the charming young lady with the headband,¡± Kelly pointed out another of the raised hands.


    ¡°Uh, okay, you said that in bondage the restraints actually represented some form of a promise, so why didn¡¯t you actually use something to bind her hands? Something to symbolize the promise?¡±


    ¡°An excellent question, young Miss,¡± Kelly nodded in approval and raised Stephanie¡¯s hands up for everyone to see again. ¡°For us¡­ right now, a promise alone is enough. But in fact, it was important for me to show all of you an invisible bond, because it brings us to our next point.¡±


    ¡°Our next point?¡± Chrissy glanced up to her in surprise, but didn¡¯t stop her from continuing. Another evil smile began to spread across Kelly¡¯s gorgeous face.


    ¡°Chrissy, you¡¯re as bad as Brian, trying to push your psychobabble ideas that all of this is some complicated mind-game bullshit,¡± Stephanie heard Kelly mutter under her breath at the volume of a whisper. She winked at Stephanie. ¡°You geeks think you know mind-games? Well then, allow me to show you my PHD in improvised bullshitting...¡±


    ¡°Tell me, everyone¡ªwhat do you see here?¡± Kelly lowered Stephanie¡¯s hands and tenderly brushed aside tufts of pink hair to expose the lovely lines of friend¡¯s pale throat.


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    ¡°The girl of my dreams?¡± Some scattered laughter followed that one.


    ¡°Invisible promises?¡± Another guessed.


    ¡°An invisible collar!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, a collar,¡± Kelly answered in her unhurried, almost hypnotic voice. ¡°In fact many collars, my thing¡¯s poor little neck is buried beneath collars and chains. Leather pet collars, pulled all too tight¡ªchoker belts, digging deep into her skin¡ªheavy iron slave collars, with their thick locks weighing down upon her.¡±


    Kelly indicated each imaginary one with her fingers, and the audience grew quiet in anticipation.


    ¡°...I did not put these here,¡± Kelly gave a cute pout for her captive audience. ¡°These are her fears, her self-doubt, and her worries, invisible until one learns to look closely enough. Why, when I met this little beauty, she was struggling to even speak around the mouthpiece of a gag bit¡ªa gag some might recognize as anxiety.¡±


    Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but turn and blink her blue eyes in surprise at Kelly.


    ¡°You see, I wanted to show you all that bondage play isn¡¯t just a shallow game of simple leather straps¡­¡± Kelly¡¯s purring voice, her carefully enunciated every word drew the crowd within the panel room into another hushed silence as she drew closer to Stephanie¡¯s exposed neck. ¡°Bondage really is a connection between lovers, one that explores deeper than spoken words can ever reach. Each bond I place on her is a kind of promise we¡¯ll share... and all of these other, useless ones around her neck? Well, I learn how to take them off. One. By. One.¡±


    Kelly lowered the microphone and planted a slow and savory trail of kisses up Stephanie¡¯s neck, her lips gently smacking and her tongue flashing out as though determined to pick each and every imagined lock.


    Stephanie shivered, giving them a tremulous undulation that arched her back in surprise. The girl¡¯s slender hands, still squeezed together at the wrists by nothing but a promise, stretched outwards and her fingertips danced.


    What¡¯s happening to me, Stephanie wondered in a daze, afraid she was going to fall off the table. Simply being on an impromptu stage in front of all of these people had, in her mind, surpassed notions like scary and exhilarating. If not for Kelly¡¯s brazenly public affection for her, she would have been able to clam up and gone numb to a lot of this. As it was, Stephanie felt like her little heart was beating faster than she¡¯d ever felt it before. Will people think that I¡¯m, well¡­ that kind of girl? That Kelly and I are¡­ lovers?


    ...Are we?


    ¡°Shall we move on? Chair, please,¡± Kelly beckoned carelessly towards the first row, and within seconds a guy hopped up and passed her up the very seat he¡¯d been sitting in. Setting the folding chair carefully in the center of the table they were standing on, Kelly arranged her skirts and sat down with the graceful poise of a dark princess .


    ¡°Perfect, thank you. Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡± Stephanie stammered out, unsure of exactly what was happening but painfully aware that every set of eyes in the room was upon her. There¡¯s no way this is happening. This is impossible. Completely impossible. She can¡¯t just¡ª


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you ever spanked as a child?¡± Kelly asked, smirking up at her from the chair. ¡°C¡¯mon now, over my knee.¡±


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    She... can¡¯t be serious, Stephanie thought with a nervous smile. Any second now she¡¯s going to say she was just joking. Any second now. She¡¯s just kidding around for the audience. It¡¯s a joke. I should just¡ª


    ¡°Stephanie, now,¡± Kelly commanded, a stern note of disapproval sounding in her voice, as she tapped her knee impatiently.


    Before she even realized what she was doing, Stephanie¡¯s mind went blank and she was clambering obediently over the other girl¡¯s lap. The attendees filling the panel room roared, whooping, hollering, and cheering, and Stephanie felt her cheeks burning red in absolute humiliation. Every one of them was making that ruckus for her.


    What am I thinking?! Stephanie felt cool air on her bottom as the hem of her pink-and-red dress rode up, but her hand fumbling to fix it was neatly slapped away by Kelly. A moment later, the skirt of her sundress was flipped up, exposing her shapely behind to the room full of people. Her panties clung to every perfect curve like a second skin.


    I don¡¯t like this. I don¡¯t like this I don¡¯t like this, Stephanie found herself repeating in her head, and though she opened her mouth to say it, the words were stuck in her throat, paralyzed with terror. The frantic, frightened energy that had been nervously nibbling at her earlier swallowed her up, and she made a small noise.


    ¡°Steph?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°...Steph?¡±


    ¡°I-c-can¡¯t,¡± Stephanie quailed out in a harsh whisper, slapping both hands over her face. ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t do this. I c-can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Steph, you¡¯re already doing this, and you¡¯re doing great!¡± Kelly whispered back softly, fingers patiently combing through Stephanie¡¯s bright pink tresses of hair. ¡°You¡¯re doing such a good job, that¡¯s my girl. You hear all of those people? They¡¯re that noisy because you¡¯re so lovely, and the idea that they¡¯ll get to see you spanked is that exciting.¡±


    No, no no no I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I can¡¯t.


    ¡°Hey, d¡¯you remember last night, when you asked Brian if you were pretty? Do you remember what he said to you?¡±


    I asked him if I was pretty. What did he say then? Stephanie¡¯s mind went blank, and she couldn¡¯t recall his words. She stared down at the tabletop, the upper half of her body leaning down off of Kelly¡¯s lap, trying to focus, trying to gather her thoughts¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t. The cacophony of voices sounding throughout the panel room, the bizarre and uncomfortable position she was in, this mortifying scene seemed to be whirling around in her mind, completely out of her control. This isn¡¯t happening. This isn¡¯t happening. This isn¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°Do you remember? Your hair was all pink, and you asked him if you were pretty now, and he said... he said¡ª¡®Steph, you¡¯re beautiful.¡¯¡±


    The sense of being overwhelmed by everything all at once fell out of focus and drifted away at Kelly¡¯s words, dispelled like smoke in a refreshing breeze. Steph, you¡¯re beautiful. Of course, that was it. He did say that. He put his face right into my private parts, and licked me some thousand times, and made me go crazy. When he was done, he wasn¡¯t even disgusted or annoyed or impatient at all. And then he smiled, and told me I¡¯m beautiful. He thinks I¡¯m beautiful.


    ¡°Steph?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Steph breathed out slowly. ¡°I remember. I¡¯m okay now. Thank you. Sorry.¡± She looked up at the audience of Fetish 101 laughing and cheering for the first time and gave them all a meek, helpless smile. That was¡­ I was having a panic attack? And, it¡¯s over already?


    The situation was still awfully embarrassing¡ªhumiliating, even, but... that was it. I can do this?


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin,¡± Kelly decided, once again speaking into the microphone, and there was raucous applause. ¡°For your convenience, my little lovely here will be counting out each strike as I grace her blushing behind with attention¡­ everyone please listen closely.¡±


    The first smack stunned Stephanie, that clap of Kelly¡¯s palm sounding out across the smooth curve of her bottom instantly sparking an explosion of chaotic cheers and victory cries from within the panel room. She flinched up in surprise at the sheer tumult of the audience rather than the strike itself, and it wasn¡¯t until several unsteady breaths later that she remembered what she¡¯d been instructed to do.


    ¡°O-one?¡± Hearing her own meek voice reverberating clearly through the room¡¯s speakers, Stephanie blinked her eyes open to discover Kelly¡¯s microphone poised right in front of her face, patiently waiting for her count. Staring blankly now at the mic, she could feel next spank coming, could sense it in the subtle shifting of Kelly¡¯s knee which she found herself draped over, in the hush that fell over the jubilant noise of the crowd. They¡¯re all watching me.


    ¡°Me, I get really excited when I¡¯m about to be spanked,¡± Chrissy began speaking into her microphone to add her commentary. ¡°That¡¯s the best part of it for me, the anticipation right before each hit. When you¡¯re sittin¡¯ there with your bottom exposed, just waiting in anticipation, knowing that it¡¯s going to land¡ªbut not knowing exactly when.


    Then the second spank sang out, much more loudly than it actually felt because of the way Kelly had cupped her hand. Able to focus on the sensation now, Stephanie was surprised at how little it hurt¡ªbarely at all, it was rather a strange but not entirely unpleasant sting; a feeling of being touched in an intimate place unused to contact, coupled with a fleshy jiggle of movement.


    ¡°Two,¡± Stephanie counted out in her sweet voice.


    ¡°Your muscles tense up in anticipation for the blow, and then, it happens!¡± Stephanie heard Chrissy exclaim in an excited voice. ¡°There¡¯s that quick little delicious sharp feeling to the slap that really gets you going, gets your blood flowing, you know? You can get aroused so fast when you¡¯re getting spanked. Your eyes go wide, your mouth opens in surprise, you can feel the flesh of your butt move with the impact and all of that tension you built up relaxes all at once¡­ only to start all over again as you start to get ready for the next blow¡­¡±


    When the next spank followed, Stephanie began to feel warmth blooming across her buttocks, and she felt her glasses slip partway down her face. Stephanie was smiling now, a strained but giddy smile of mixed exasperation and good humor at the sheer absurdity of the situation she was finding herself in. This... really isn¡¯t so bad. I just can¡¯t believe it¡¯s happening! And to me!


    ¡°Three¡ªahh!¡± Stephanie gave out a startled yelp as Kelly followed up her third with another immediate open-handed slap across her left cheek, and then another across her right.


    ¡°Four, five,¡± she continued in a breathy voice, and then quickly adding ¡°...s-six,¡± as the clap resounded out through the panel room again. At some point the convention-goers had begun counting along with her, and she dared a peek over towards the seats. Dozens, what felt like hundreds of faces were all turned her way, all of them caught up in the thrill of watching this adorable pink-haired girl bent over the dark beauty¡¯s lap in an erotic display of punishment and pleasure.


    ¡°And we¡¯re not even touching on all the psychological aspects!¡± the panel¡¯s hostess laughed. ¡°The stuff you can¡¯t see just by watching! Reading into all that can just go on forever. For some people, it¡¯s just that naughty feeling, that they¡¯re doing something, as grown adults, that is outside the ¡®norm¡¯. You¡¯re also enacting roles between yourself and your partner¡ªone person is in full control of the activity, while the other is surrendering their control¡ªso you could say that spanking is the very essence of BDSM!


    ¡°The aspects of restraining and disciplining a partner, the exploration of the dominant and submissive relationship, and the method of communicating with your lover by the means of physically imposing and expressing both pain and humiliation¡­ all of the BDSM fundamentals are right there at your fingertips, so to speak!¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Kelly raised her own microphone back up, effortlessly drawing them all back in with her magnetic voice. ¡°I won¡¯t show any of you, because it would be terribly improper, but her cute little bottom is turning the most lovely shade of red¡ªand even more importantly, my palm is starting to sting!¡±


    Laughter and cheers sounded back out at Kelly¡¯s cute pout, along with rising applause, but Kelly wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°...So, we¡¯ll just have one last spank, we¡¯ll get a really good one, and then we¡¯ll be finished.¡±


    The response was even more enthusiastic, and with a quiver of anticipation Stephanie listened as the raucous noise of their captive audience hurriedly dwindled down to a hushed silence. She found the sudden drop in volume just like the swash of saltwater after a crested wave on the beach, that roil of foam that quickly recedes into sudden backwash just before the next¡ª


    The final spank slapped down hard, hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to rock her entire body forward, even, but already Stephanie would agree with Chrissy¡¯s statement that she¡¯d overheard earlier¡ªit was somehow more satisfying than painful. Blushing fiercely, she quickly discovered that Kelly¡¯s hand lingered after the strike, gently stroking back and forth across her supple buttocks to help alleviate the sting. That feels¡ªthat feels¡ª


    ¡°Se¡ªven,¡± she managed.


    It felt amazing. Better than she could have imagined, and it was all she could do to keep from whimpering as the hand withdrew and she felt the fabric of her skirt being flipped back down to cover her tender tush. Everyone was still cheering and applauding, she distantly realized, and there were some whistling or crying for an encore as well.


    All of that for us, Stephanie realized as Kelly carefully took her hand and guided her back up onto her shaky feet. The table upon which they stood didn¡¯t seem nearly as sturdy as it had before. Our stage. For once in my life, I was the one up here, I felt like more than the wallflower in the background.


    Of course, she was also so embarrassed that she could die¡ªshe wanted to hide her face, but her hands in their long gloves were firmly clamped behind her. Why do I feel so raw? She only spanked... seven times, Stephanie wondered, before realizing she had no way to gauge how many spankings might be considered typical.


    ¡°Goodness, look at you,¡± Kelly chided playfully in her gothic lolita persona voice, helping fix her glasses that had come askew. Someone from the front row of seats had come up to pass them her rabbit-eared headband¡ªWhen did that come off? and Stephanie squeaked out a thank-you as she fidgeted and smoothed her dress against her thighs awkwardly.


    ¡°Wow! That was just awesome,¡± The panel host, Chrissy-Cat boomed into her microphone with a beaming smile. ¡°I know you guys haven¡¯t even stopped yet but can we have one more round of applause for Kelly and Stephanie?! WHOOOO!¡±


    Everyone eagerly obliged, filling the room with an uncomfortably loud racket, and Stephanie didn¡¯t dare to look up at them, her weak smile frozen in place as she struggled simply to not faint and fall off the table.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you. We¡¯re undeserving of your praise. However, it looks like our fair Amanda is ready to be billed, and so it¡¯s time we take our leave.,¡± Kelly answered out graciously, gesturing towards the couple waiting below their impromptu stage, each holding sections of rope.


    ¡°Besides, if our Master finds out where we¡¯ve been, then both of our bottoms will wind up red, won¡¯t they?¡± Kelly finished, flashing Stephanie a grin as she passed her microphone down to Bill.


    ¡°N-nah wai,¡± Stephanie blustered with a meek smile.

 AnimeCon Harem - Mary: the Mastery

    Well. At least Steph and Kelly aren¡¯t stuck in here with me, Brian thought, hiding a bleak expression beneath his Darkmask helmet. He was jostling his way through narrow gaps between clusters of people in the overcrowded gaming room, looking for his friend Mark. This is what I imagine Hell must be like.


    The Mana: the Mastery regional tournament took up two entire convention center conference rooms, a partition wall that would have normally divided them having been dismantled to make room for the event. While at the one far end of the rectangular expanse there were registration kiosks and some satellite vendors¡¯ booths hawking Mana cards and franchise-branded commodities, the rest of the room was filled lengthwise by the stretches of nine long rows of folding tables.


    Every seat at those tables had long since been filled. Twenty minutes before the event was to kick off, the aisles between the tables were completely congested as well, hundreds of Mana geeks, each seemingly caught up in the nearest card game, conversation, or argument. Everyone was packed in tight, even claustrophobically close, the room was uncomfortably warm, and it stank.


    The smell of sweat was predominant, acrid and somehow sour, but interspersed throughout was a bevy of different body-spray fragrances, individually failing to combat the overall funk on their own, but serving, at least, as a heady distraction. It brought to Brian¡¯s mind the old joke, that weebs used those body-sprays as a ¡®shower in a can¡¯¡ªthat is, in lieu of actually bathing at all. Every year he worried that there might be a disturbing amount of truth to that.


    The card players and fans throughout the tournament area were overwhelmingly male, while a tiny fraction of females drew the attention of everyone around them like beacons. Some of the attendees were scrawny kids still fighting their way through pubescence, others were haggard looking college students with stubbled faces. There were hipster geeks dressed in stylish, self-aware fashion, as well as unkempt shut-ins struggling to adapt in the overpopulated environment.


    In a single glance, Brian saw unkempt dudes casually wearing fandom hoodies, a fedora-wearing guy in a suit with a nerdy neck-tie, and excitedly bantering teens decked out in vintage eighties shades, a collection of geeky buttons visible on the straps of their backpacks. Besides himself, Brian only spotted only one other cosplayer amid the bustling gathering¡ªa black guy dressed as one of the Killer-Corps soldiers from Shinobi Souls standing several aisles over. Of course, everywhere there were Mana: the Mastery cards. Slotted into binders or slipped into individual plastic protector sleeves, shuffled through hands and spread across the tables. There were even a few strays underfoot.


    After parting ways with Stephanie and Kelly, Brian had immediately began searching, straining his eyes for the familiar face of his friend. He was starting to worry. If he couldn¡¯t find Mark in this next twenty minutes, he¡¯d be flushed out with the rest of the non-participants when the tournament actually began.


    Mana: the Mastery players aren¡¯t the worst bunch of geeks, Brian told himself, pushing and shoving as politely as possible to move along the outer pathway at the edge of the room. But man, are some of them really, really bad.


    All it took was the poor hygiene or nervous sweating of a few people to foul the whole room for everyone, but beyond that, there were also obvious instances of socially awkward guys who talked more and more loudly the more excited they became, as well as those who got too flustered to properly speak when they were arguing over even petty, inconsequential details. Brian had never been at ease with the Mana crowd¡ªthey¡¯d mostly always seemed wound too tight, too competitive and caught up in themselves for his tastes. He was the laid-back sort of geek at heart, and always would be.


    C¡¯mon, there¡¯s hardly even any Asians in here¡­ he grumbled as he methodically scanned through the aisles in passing. Hey, wait. Isn¡¯t that¡­?


    There was a Chinese face he spotted¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t Mark. It was a cute, dark-eyed girl in her late teens standing some distance away. She wore a button-up light-blue sleeveless blouse, had her long black hair pulled into a bun atop her head, and had her arms crossed in obvious irritation.


    Isn¡¯t that Mark¡¯s¡­ little sister? He leaned and craned over to see over the people sitting near her, and sure enough, he spotted a familiar dragon egg hat, that goofy beanie sewn to resemble an egg with cracks in it that Mark always wore at conventions. I¡¯d forgotten all about his dumb hat.


    It was a good deal harder to actually get over to where Mark and his sister were, he had to exhale deeply and compress his chest to squeeze sideways through a press of people, and then nudge and push his way through the knots of geeks one group at a time. Mark¡¯s sister noticed him first, turning her frown toward him and staring wordlessly as he approached.


    Ah, right, the helmet. Lifting off the stylized skull helm, he stepped closer only to realize, to his amusement... that she still didn¡¯t recognize him in the slightest. Ah, well. It has been a few years, I guess?


    ¡°Mark, hey!¡± Brian waved, raising his voice over the dozens upon dozens of different discussions in the tournament area. He glanced up to see Mark¡¯s sister still staring at him, her expression unchanged. ¡°Hey, Mary.¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you,¡± Mary spat, scowling.


    Wow, just like old times.


    ¡°Brian!¡± Mark yelled, slapping his hands on the table and rising up out of his seat. ¡°About damn time! Jesus, man, where¡¯ve you been? Good to fuckin¡¯ see you!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, you too, man,¡± Brian agreed, leaning in so he didn¡¯t have to shout. ¡°What¡¯s the big emergency?¡±


    ¡°This bitch, as always!¡± Mark swore, jerking his thumb towards his sister. ¡°Parents made me take her with me to the con, because¡ªwell, fuck if I even really know, that¡¯s why. She won¡¯t stop her bitching, and she won¡¯t go fuck off on her own, and she can¡¯t stay here with me, ¡®cause the first division matches are starting like, any minute now!


    ¡°Can you and Chloe take her out and around the con or something for me? Oh, fuck. Man, hope you didn¡¯t bring Chloe in here with you.¡± Mark gestured around to encompass the noise and business of the closely-packed confines within the tournament room.


    ¡°No, uh, I didn¡¯t,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°¡®Cause she dumped me. Like, last week. Moved out and everything.¡±


    ¡°No shit!¡± Mark exclaimed, leaning over and clapping Brian heartily on the shoulder. ¡°Congratulations, man! Fuckin¡¯ finally!¡±


    ¡°Attention everyone, uh, can I have your attention please¡ª¡± A man¡¯s dreary voice, sounding strained as it reverberated through the sound system, ¡°¡ªpreliminaries are beginning in fifteen minutes, that¡¯s fifteen minutes until matches begin, and we¡¯ll need everyone who hasn¡¯t registered for the tournament to make your way out through the exits at this time. Again, if you have not registered¡ª¡±


    ¡°See? I told you,¡± Mark tried to jab his sister, but she elbowed his hand down while her arms remained crossed in front of her.


    ¡°They don¡¯t let you stay in here during the tournament if you¡¯re not playing, idiot, like I fuckin¡¯ said,¡± Mark yelled. ¡°Brian made it here just in time, go with him out and around the rest of the con and leave me be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with him,¡± Mary refused, indignant. ¡°Why does he even know my name? Have you been telling your stupid little friends about me?¡±


    ¡°Uh, actually, we¡¯ve met before,¡± Brian pointed out with a weak smile. ¡°Like, a dozen or so times. I went to High school with Mark? We live in the same city. My apartment¡¯s even, like, a six-minute drive from your house.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you,¡± Mary insisted, not budging an inch.


    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t last time, either,¡± Brian shrugged, looking back to Mark in exasperation.


    ¡°Mary. Go. With. Brian.¡± Mark demanded impatiently. ¡°He¡¯s single again now, so that means he¡¯ll have loads of cash to spare. He¡¯s gonna buy your lunch and pay for your souvenirs and shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will, will I?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow and letting his lopsided grin surface.


    ¡°I am hungry,¡± Mary admitted bluntly, before making a face of disgust as she wavered over whether or not she would really go. ¡°Do you have to be dressed like a fuckin¡¯ weirdo, though? I don¡¯t want to be seen walking around with you you.¡±


    ¡°Brian, I¡¯m beggin¡¯ you, here,¡± Mark pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s just gonna be like, I dunno, two hours, tops, while I win this championship. You¡¯re single now, right? Well, look how cute she is! She wasn¡¯t even legal last time you saw her, was she? Now she¡¯s nineteen! You can check her out, flirt and whatever with her as much as you want. Just get her out of here.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Mary growled.


    ¡°Ugh, Mark...¡± Brian sighed. ¡°She can follow me around, but I¡¯m with other people, so it¡¯s not like I can watch her every second.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s perfect! Thanks, man. I¡¯ll owe you one.¡±


    Well, this is gonna be awkward. Brian ultimately deciding to don his costume helmet again. It felt a little impolite, but Mary¡¯s arms remained crossed, and her frosty, unreadable expression indicated she had no intention to warm up to him. Leaving the helm on would give her the space she probably needed. The skinny Chinese teenage girl did finally follow him out, however, trudging some distance behind him as the crowds made their way through the aisle between tables and out into the hall.


    It won¡¯t be THAT bad, though. After all, I¡¯m used to having Chloe around, Brian consoled himself as he stepped off over to the side, just outside the hall, waiting for her to catch up to him.


    ¡°...If you try anything funny, I¡¯m going to scream,¡± Mary warned, and she stopped several paces away from him.


    If I try anything funny? For a long moment Brian stood still and regarded her, and then he slowly leaned in towards her in a provoking manner¡­ and daringly slapped the side of his own skull helm, spinning the helmet around his head in a comical fashion. It continued to revolve for another few seconds, and when it finally slowed to a stop, he slapped at it again so that continued to spin, now in the other direction.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°...That wasn¡¯t funny,¡± Mary decided as Brian finally righted his Darkmask helm.


    ¡°Well, I thought it was hilarious,¡± a voice to their side remarked, catching both of them by surprise. A guy in his mid-twenties wearing a knee-length black leather trenchcoat was leaning against the nearby wall.


    While trenchcoats weren¡¯t uncommon among the geeks attending AnimeCon, most of them weren¡¯t particularly flattering. With a scrawny physique and oversized coat, you looked like an edgy kid or a wannabe-tough-guy¡ªeven with an average build, the first impression a black trenchcoat usually made was ¡®hey, is that guy shoplifting?¡¯ This was, however, the rare guy who managed to naturally pull off the look, appearing casual and comfortable rather than out-of-place.


    He was handsome, and in a relatively clean-cut way, but there was so much charming confidence in his smile that he went full-circle to seeming shady again¡ªalmost as if a drug dealer had finally realized that selling cards to Mana: the Mastery junkies outside the tournament hall was easier and more profitable than peddling heroin. ¡°You guys just came out of the Mana: the Mastery rooms¡ªI guess you have some interest in the game?¡±


    Oh, no. He really IS hustling cards, isn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Ew, no,¡± Mary answered, while Brian simply shrugged and shook his head.


    ¡°Hmm, you probably wouldn¡¯t have heard of me, then,¡± the guy said. ¡°I go by the name... ¡®Foxy.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Foxy of fucking Loxly?¡± Mary guessed, looking at the guy without a trace of emotion on her face.


    Mary recognizes him? When she refuses to remember me even after all these years? Brian blinked in surprise. He wasn¡¯t particularly feeling inclined to speak up, though¡ªhis full-body cosplay rendered him comfortably anonymous, and he was already trying to peer through the bunches of passerby in each direction of the hall for any glimpse of Stephanie or Kelly. Guess I¡¯m gonna have to text them, after all. Wonder where they decided to go?


    ¡°Ah, so you have heard of me,¡± Foxy grinned. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me¡ªI¡¯m Foxy of Loxly.¡±


    ¡°Foxy of fucking Loxly,¡± Mary corrected. ¡°Everyone was very specific about the way they phrased it. Foxy of fucking Loxly.¡±


    ¡°Hah, figures,¡± Foxy¡¯s grin transformed into a derisive smirk. ¡°What¡¯d they say about me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t care,¡± Mary answered in a deadpan manner. ¡°Everyone mentioned you, though¡­ something to do with cards, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you could say that,¡± Foxy chuckled. ¡°Well. Didn¡¯t really mean to intrude all the sudden here like this, but¡­ are you alright? You just told Joe Skellington here that if he tried anything, you were gonna scream¡ªI was about to step in.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m alright,¡± Mary admitted with reluctance, glancing warily from Foxy to Brian and back again. ¡°He¡¯s okay. He promised to buy me lunch and pay for things.¡±


    ¡°...Those both sound suspiciously like things I never said,¡± Brian pointed out, finally entering into the conversation. ¡°I offered to help out your brother, but what exactly that entailed¡­ well, that was a little fuzzy. I can walk you to wherever you want to go, though, if that¡¯ll make you feel safe. Somehow, I doubt you actually want to spend the day going around the con with me and my friends.¡±


    ¡°Her¡­ brother?¡± Foxy turned to regard Mary more closely. ¡°And as you¡¯re of the Asian persuasion, that¡¯d mean your brother is... Mark? Mark Ouyang? Plays graveyard control decks?¡±


    ¡°I guess? He plays Mana: the Mastery,¡± Mary retorted dismissively. ¡°That card game. Like all the other losers in that armpit of a room back there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they certainly are losers,¡± Foxy agreed, his eyes tightening for a moment, while that careless friendly smile he wore remained unchanged. ¡°But, seeing as you¡¯re Mark¡¯s li¡¯l sister, and you happen to be pretty cute, how bout I buy you lunch, instead of this clown?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ Mary¡¯s not real trusting around strangers,¡± Brian tried, as diplomatically as possible. ¡°So, don¡¯t take it personally, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I trust whoever¡¯s buying food and paying for everything,¡± Mary cut him off with a frown. ¡°And, would you take off that stupid costume?¡±


    ¡°Great! Anything in particular you¡¯re hungry for?¡± Foxy asked cheerfully. ¡°My treat; sky¡¯s the limit.¡±


    Not great. Yeah, sorry Mark. Soon as I led your sister out of the room, some random guy in a trenchcoat offered to take her off my hands¡ªwho could say no to that? With a sigh, Brian removed his helmet, and Foxy seemed to size him up differently at seeing his face, as though he¡¯d expected the guy beneath the Darkmask costume to be much dorkier-looking.


    ¡°There¡¯s a little cafe inside the convention center just a few halls down, or there¡¯s the concession stands they have set up in the main lobby,¡± Brian proposed. ¡°We can all go, I¡¯ll just text my friends and ask them to meet us there.¡±


    ¡°Cafe, not concession stands,¡± Mary decided.


    ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Foxy added, ¡°but just so you know¡ªI offered to pay for Mary here, not you. I¡¯m not in the habit of giving handouts to every random dude.¡±


    YOU¡¯RE the random dude, Brian thought in vexation, wishing he¡¯d left his helmet on so he wouldn¡¯t have to disguise his annoyance. ¡°Mary, you¡¯re okay with this guy coming along?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Foxy of fucking Loxly,¡± Mary smiled. ¡°Mark¡¯ll flip his shit for sure once he finds out I¡¯ve been hanging with him. Serves him right.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ sorry, she¡¯s not real subtle yet,¡± Brian rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, ¡°but scientists say that when she¡¯s matured a bit more, she¡¯ll be able to pick up on normal behavior and blend in with humans better.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny, either,¡± Mary scowled. ¡°You¡¯re not funny.¡±


    ¡°Well, he tried,¡± Foxy shrugged. ¡°Honestly, seems like he doesn¡¯t want to be around you anyways¡ªhe can go run off with his friends, if he wants. I know how to treat a lady to a good time.¡± He was wearing a grin of challenge, now.


    ¡°Uh-huh. But just in case, I better tag along anyways,¡± Brian rebuked, removing a glove so that he could send a text to Stephanie. ¡°You know, just in case you turn out to be one of those scummy Mana: the Mastery players that Mary hates so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing like those guys,¡± Foxy laughed, shaking his head. ¡°They¡¯re all sitting in a big sweat-box of a room flipping cards at each other, while I¡¯m off on a charming date with this lovely little thing. Oh, and uh, you¡¯re here too for some reason¡­ I guess?¡±


    Yeah¡­ great.


    The trek towards the little cafe turned out to be an agonizing one, with Foxy openly flirting with Mary, and occasionally sending thinly veiled barbs Brian¡¯s way. The cute Chinese girl had remained stoic at first, but it seemed like she was becoming more and more responsive with each of Foxy¡¯s subtle stabs at Brian¡ªafter all, she despised her brother¡¯s friends.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a shame your boyfriend couldn¡¯t be guiding you around today,¡± Foxy casually probed, sending another smile Mary¡¯s way.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mary smiled back. ¡°I don¡¯t keep a boyfriend.¡±


    You don¡¯t keep a boyfriend? Brian grimaced. As in, you can¡¯t hold onto one, or is it that they¡¯re like pets, like property?


    ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Foxy nodded. ¡°What about you, Brian¡ªyou have a girlfriend you should be off somewhere with?¡±


    She¡¯s not my girlfriend, but there¡¯s absolutely someone I¡¯d rather be with right now, Brian glowered. His mood had taken a dive at seeing, or rather, not seeing Stephanie and Kelly waiting outside the Mana: the Mastery rooms. He was dismayed at realizing how disappointed he was, and found himself glancing back to see if Steph had responded to his text over and over again. Guess they went off to do their own things. I mean, we did just meet, I shouldn¡¯t have ever assumed we¡¯d spend the whole day at the con together or anything.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have one, anymore,¡± Mary laughed, scoffing back at Brian as she walked ahead, side-by-side with Foxy. ¡°I heard she just dumped him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually, er, kind of between relationships,¡± Brian elaborated. ¡°Things are¡­ complicated right now.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Yeah, okay,¡± Foxy laughed. ¡°Heard that before. Mary, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pathetic when guys phrase it that way? Oh, I¡¯m not single¡ªI¡¯m just between girls right now. Kind of makes them sound desperate and lonely?¡±


    Brian was just opening his mouth to retort when he felt several somethings brushing through the people walking just behind him and bumping into him. No, not bumping...


    ¡°But, he really is between girls... so to speak?¡± A sultry, feminine voice joined in out of the blue, and both Foxy and Mary looked back in surprise. In their eyes, Brian had been trailing listlessly behind them all this time, humbled and alone¡ªnow he was being embraced¡ªstraddled, really, on either side by an astonishing pair of attractive young women.


    On the right was a raven-haired beauty, resplendent in the saturnine swathes of a magnificent gothic dress. Showing Foxy and Mary both a cunning, bewitching smile, Kelly slipped one hand around Brian¡¯s waist while the other splayed out in a possessive, intimate way across his chest.


    On the left, a pink-haired girl wearing a bright-red sleeveless sundress and long red gloves had wrapped herself around Brian¡¯s arm. Stephanie was gazing up at him in a fawning manner with her blindingly pure smile, not even taking notice of the others. Her dress ended briefly in a micro-skirt, showing succulent thigh and slender leg all the way down to her ankle socks¡ªthe pair of tall red vinyl boots had been taken off, draped now over the crook of her arm.


    ¡°There you both are,¡± Brian exhaled slowly in relief. ¡°I was getting worried. Where¡¯d you girls run off to?¡±


    Mary¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise, but she quickly closed it, determined to resume her frosty facade. Isn¡¯t Brian just one of Mark¡¯s worthless lackey friends? Aren¡¯t these girls way too hot to be convention weirdos like him?


    ¡°We¡ª¡± Stephanie hesitated, looking guiltily across Brian¡¯s chest towards Kelly.


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s a secret of the heart,¡± Kelly intoned with a cryptic smile. ¡°We can¡¯t tell you, but... maybe later we¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°You sure make that sound ominous,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Did you at least stay out of trouble?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kelly grinned proudly.


    ¡°...N-no,¡± Stephanie agreed, turning her face down bashfully.


    ¡°Er, these are¡­?¡± Foxy inquired, looking at a loss in this sudden turn of events.


    ¡°These are my friends we were gonna meet up with,¡± Brian introduced, ¡°Stephanie, and Kelly.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh¡­ really?¡± Foxy blinked in disbelief. ¡°Your friends.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not his friends,¡± Mary shook her head doubtfully. ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Ha, you caught us. We¡¯re not his friends,¡± Kelly purred, lightly squeezing the hand she¡¯d placed across Brian¡¯s and wetting her lips. ¡°We¡¯re his disobedient slaves. We erred, and knew we must be punished, so we eagerly rushed back, hoping to receive our just deserts.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, rushed back from where, exactly?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow at Kelly, but her wicked smile told him nothing. He turned towards Stephanie, instead. ¡°Steph, you took your boots off?¡±


    ¡°N-no, you see, when we¡ª¡± Stephanie began, but stopped herself as she noticed Kelly insistently shaking her head at her. ¡°Uh¡­ well, yes? I did?¡±


    ¡°They were hurting her feet since yesterday, of course she couldn¡¯t run here in them,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°The poor thing was positively pining for you¡ªyou should¡¯ve heard the pitter patter of her cute little feet as soon as we found out you were out of that disgusting Mana: the Mastery room.¡±


    Brian couldn¡¯t have been happier to see them again, and he allowed himself to put his arms around them. He still didn¡¯t think of them as belonging to him, or deserving of them or anything¡ªbut he was very glad to see them.


    ¡°Well, this is Mary; Mark¡¯s little sister. He wanted me to look after her while he¡¯s holed up in the Mana tournament. And, this is... her new friend, Foxy.¡±


    ¡°¡ªOf fucking Loxly,¡± Mary added, still staring warily at these two new girls.


    ¡°A little sister?¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°She¡¯s cute¡ªand so adorably crass. Just look at her, she¡¯s like a sullen little cat. I can see why you like her.¡±


    Mary blinked, unsure of how to respond to that.


    ¡°H-hello,¡± Stephanie said in a meek voice.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Mary greeted in a flat tone.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you both,¡± Foxy nodded towards them politely.


    ¡°Oh, is it?¡± Kelly glanced back at the guy with renewed interest. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just saying something about our Brian being desperate, and lonely?¡±


    ¡°Er, that was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly,¡± Brian gestured for her to drop the matter. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course. Just pointless posturing, then,¡± Kelly smiled indifferently, but there was a chilling lack of emotion in her eyes, as unforgiving and inhospitable as the emptiness of deep space.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Foxy coughed uneasily, looking away as a sudden chill went down his spine.


    ¡°...Can we go?¡± Mary interrupted with a scowl. ¡°I still haven¡¯t eaten anything today.¡±

 AnimeCon Harem - A Call and a Cafe

    ¡°Is this ¡®bout the color of my skin?¡± The elderly black man growled, shaking his head and glaring up from his wheelchair. ¡°¡®Cause if this Jim fella¡¯s some kinda racist, you just go on and put me in a room with him and I¡¯ll sort his sorry behind out my own self.¡±


    ¡°Charles, no,¡± Rebecca protested weakly, looking distressed. She wore a simple set of navy blue scrubs patterned with light blue pawprints, and her disorderly auburn hair had been tied up into a braid for her shift. ¡°Jim has¡­ well he¡¯s a little racist, but that¡¯s not why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Only my momma call me Charles, an¡¯ she been up in heaven forty years now,¡± the man interrupted. ¡°You call me Charlie jus¡¯ like everybody else, and you don¡¯t be ¡®fraid to set me up in a room with some racist Jim, Charlie can handle hisself just fine, li¡¯l miss.¡± The old man¡¯s dark skin was deeply furrowed by a lifetime of wrinkles, but Rebecca found his stubborn, provoking smile quite charming.


    She was leisurely pushing his wheelchair along one of the bright, sterile-looking walkways of Shady Oaks Assisted Living Center. Being a nurse¡¯s aide wasn¡¯t particularly rewarding work, but taking care of people had always been intuitive for Rebecca. She was a dependable worker, and oddly cheerful, in her own quiet and reserved little way.


    ¡°Uh, well, I¡¯m sure you can, Charles! Buuut, we can¡¯t assign you a room if there¡¯s going to be any, ah, issues that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hah! You call me Charlie now, ya hear?¡±


    ¡°Rebecca?¡± Another aide, Trisha, trotted towards her down the community hallway at a brisk pace. ¡°Rebecca, there was a call for you, some kind of emergency? You¡¯re supposed to call an Emily Rivera back, as soon as you can.¡±


    An emergency, huh? Rebecca feigned a cute frown, as if considering what could have possibly happened. There was, of course, nothing Emily would consider such an emergency that she would call her at work for. ¡°Thanks, Trish. I¡¯ll stop by the office in a sec, okay?¡±


    Something must have happened with Brian, She deduced. Maybe Chloe finally called him and really chewed him out? While Rebecca liked to seem only half-aware of her surroundings and generally oblivious, what was going on between Emily and Brian was obvious to her. Emily never openly admitted to it, and would likely fervently deny it, but Rebecca could tell. She could always tell.


    ¡°Everythin¡¯ gon be all right, li¡¯l miss?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s fine,¡± Rebecca answered calmly. ¡°But, I may have to leave you shortly.¡±


    ¡°Oh you go on then, I¡¯ll be jus¡¯ fine wit Jim,¡± he laughed. ¡°Knock his ass out if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Charles. You seem really nice, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Charlie,¡± the old man corrected.


    ¡°¡ªYou seem really nice, and this is your first day here, so I¡¯m going to warn you.¡± Rebecca stepped around and crouched in front of his wheelchair, placing her hands firmly atop his own dark, weathered hands. ¡°Do you see what Linda¡¯s doing, how she¡¯s greeting the residents?¡±


    Opposite the hall from them, another attendant in scrubs was doing her rounds checking on the rooms, and they could hear her jovial voice calling out to the occupants inside.


    ¡°We call on each and every one of our residents by their first names,¡± Rebecca explained. ¡°Because you¡¯re not just¡­ patients, or wards, here at Shady Oaks, you¡¯re part of our community. Our family.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± he grunted, not buying into her sales pitch at all.


    ¡°It is. Now the man you¡¯d be rooming with, Jim, he is a racist, kinda, but not at all in the way you¡¯d think, not towards people of your¡­ color.¡± Her voice drifting further away from the soft-spoken, somewhat sleepy tone she was used to using at work, and a bit of Mara¡¯s no-nonsense tone beginning to creep in. ¡°Jim only has problems with Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Say what now?¡±


    ¡°I want you to know that the problem isn¡¯t with the color of your skin¡ªit¡¯s the name Charlie that would be a problem. There¡¯s demons that Jim has to deal with, demons named Victor Charlie. After what happened in Vietnam, Jim had some¡­ recurring episodes, and his family felt it was better for him to stay someplace quiet, where he could feel safe all the time.¡±


    ¡°Victor Charlie,¡± Charlie repeated back to her in disbelief. ¡°Victor Charlie as in, Viet Cong?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone here in assisted living is here just because they¡¯re a miserable old cuss,¡± Rebecca chuckled, dropping completely out of her normal sweet and serene, sing-song voice entirely. The Mara audible now in her manner of speech was blunt and direct. ¡°Now, imagine you¡¯re sharing Jim¡¯s room and one of the girls has to come in and check on you, for any reason. What trigger words are going to jolt him awake? How is Charlie this morning? Is Charlie awake and alert? There¡¯s going to be hamloaf in the dining hall today, but you¡¯ll have to skidaddle, because Victor Charlie is moving in, and you won¡¯t have any support?¡±


    The balding old black man in the wheelchair paused for a long moment as he considered the implications. ¡°Bull¡ªshit. You think some l¡¯il thing like someone sayin¡¯ Charlie gon¡¯ set him off?¡±


    ¡°¡­Little things setting him off is the reason he¡¯s with us in assisted living, yes,¡± Rebecca nodded. ¡°He has good days¡­ and he has bad days. Now, I¡¯m not saying a flip will switch and he¡¯ll turn into some crazed maniac¡ª¡±


    ¡°A switch will flip,¡± Charles corrected absentmindedly.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said? He won¡¯t turn into some crazed maniac, and it isn¡¯t dangerous for you, but it¡¯s very distressing for him. It takes a toll on him, he¡¯ll shake, have fits. You can see him shut everything and everyone out, he¡¯s off far away somewhere in the past, I suppose.


    ¡°He¡¯s vulnerable to these¡­ certain kinds of stimuli, certain reminders we try to help him avoid. Otherwise, he¡¯d be enjoying a normal life with his niece and her children. So, if you¡¯re comfortable with it, before I leave for the weekend, I¡¯d like to make sure they assign you a different room¡­ Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Well, hell¡­¡± he mused with a dry, earnest chuckle. ¡°Call me Charles. You¡¯ve gone and said all that, now I¡¯ve gotta meet him my own self. C¡¯mon, now.¡±


    As it turned out, Jim was napping when they arrived, but Charlie¡ªor rather, Charles insisted not to wake him and promised with a rasping laugh to be on his best behavior when his roommate awoke. Rebecca helped him get settled and situated, quietly explained the room¡¯s amenities, and then took her leave, promising that someone would whisk him away to their lavish dining hall later on.


    ¡°Glenda, I need to take the rest of the day off, if that¡¯s possible,¡± Rebecca said, stepping over to the administrative office. ¡°Am I able to use one of my personal days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s fine,¡± Glenda mumbled. ¡°How many do you have left for the year?¡±


    ¡°All of them? I¡¯ve never used one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Glenda frowned, swiveling in her chair to dig through the folder of leave slips. It was packed full¡ªthe staff was notorious for call-offs and sudden absences. The grouchy older woman was genuinely surprised to find Rebecca was telling the truth about her impeccable attendance. ¡°Looks like this is a first for you, I guess. Everything all right?¡±


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Carla, one of the middle-aged busybodies among the staff, chimed in, leaning over the office counter. ¡°Trish said there was an emergency. Is your grandpa alright, Rebecca?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rebecca replied in her sleepy, subdued voice with a helpless shrug. ¡°I only heard that someone called¡ªand that there was an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Glenda sighed. ¡°Let me see the schedule.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca spends all day here taking care of folk, then she gets home and takes care of her grandparents, too. Her grandpa just had hip surgery, I sure hope nothin¡¯ happened,¡± Carla sighed. ¡°You tell your grandpa to send me a line sometime, okay, honey?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± Rebecca nodded obediently.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Glenda grumbled, reluctantly passing Rebecca a paper. ¡°Fill yourself out a slip, and make sure you tell Trish wherever you left off on your checklist.¡±


    A few minutes later, Rebecca¡¯d retrieved her phone from her locker and was dialing Emily.


    ¡°Emily¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Rebecca asked immediately. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, um¡ª¡± Emily choked back her own words. ¡°Uh, well, is there any chance at all that you can get out of your shift early? Something big¡¯s about to happen. Unless we can stop it. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Is Brian not answering his phone?¡± Rebecca wondered out loud.


    ¡°Brian? How¡¯d you¡ªum. That¡¯s not, um, well, that¡¯s a little complicated,¡± Emily managed. ¡°Is there any way you can call off? I can explain everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already off,¡± Rebecca assured her quickly, before a slight pause. ¡°Is there an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Emily swallowed nervously. ¡°Yes. Kinda. It¡¯s not like a¡­ well, uh, it is a bit of a crisis. So, yes?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rebecca simply said. ¡°I need to change, and then I¡¯ll be on my way over. Forty-five minutes? You¡¯ll be ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes. Thank you so much, Rebecca. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°See you soon, then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again! Muah!¡± Emily made a kissing noise just before the call ended.


    Crisis, huh? Rebecca shook her head with a wry smile.


    Unlike Emily, Rebecca¡¯d never had much of an interest in video games or anime series, and never bothered keeping up with modern geek culture. Rebecca wasn¡¯t cute, and she didn¡¯t have Emily¡¯s sharp wit. They were unusual friends, with very little in common, yet never seemed awkward or uncomfortable around each other. But, there were times like now, where Emily completely lost herself in her friends¡¯ problems, a fiercely loyal side to her little friend that Rebecca always found moving.


    After all, this isn¡¯t the first time Emily¡¯s gotten herself involved in a BRIAN crisis¡­


    <hr>


    The small, tastefully-appointed cafe was just as Brian remembered it from yesterday, although rather than empty, today a small group of overly-excited young girls cross-dressing as noble princes from Blood Butler had appropriated the far side of the eatery for a posh photo-shoot. Foxy led the way, followed closely by Mary, and then Brian entered while still trapped between Stephanie and Kelly.


    ¡°Shall we? If you¡¯d like, I can buy you two lovely ladies¡¯ meals as well. It¡¯d be my pleasure,¡± Foxy offered, waving casually at the exorbitant prices brazenly displayed across the cafe¡¯s menu board. ¡°Can¡¯t speak for Brian, but these numbers mean nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Stephanie politely declined.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Kelly agreed. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Foxy leaned forward to send a frown towards Brian. ¡°You girls don¡¯t have to be polite¡ªeven if this guy won¡¯t buy your lunch, it¡¯s really no problem for me.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Kelly repeated, snorting.


    ¡°W-we really just ate not too long ago,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°Brian woke up early and went out to buy us breakfast, an-and brought it all back to the room for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh... I see,¡± Foxy said, disappointed.


    ¡°I think I even ate too much, I still feel full,¡± Kelly yawned, and she stretched out luxuriously with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s because you stole my pancakes,¡± Stephanie griped, grinning from where she still clung to Brian¡¯s arm.


    ¡°True¡ªbut you¡¯re not exactly innocent, either. At some point before we left, didn¡¯t I happen to see my syrup on your fingertips?¡± Kelly asked, grinning wickedly and winking.


    ¡°Y-your¡­? N-no, I didn¡¯t, I mean, I-I¡¯d, I n-never¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wow, look at how smart and thrifty you folk are,¡± Mary said with sarcasm. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re too cheap to eat here¡ªyou didn¡¯t have to go and make excuses. It¡¯s actually kind of embarrassing then, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, totally. Definitely not like Steph and I ate here together just yesterday, or anything,¡± Brian mentioned, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°You ate here without me?¡± Kelly pouted playfully. ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That was right before we first bumped into you, actually,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°I-I only had one of their salads,¡± Stephanie chimed in a chipper voice, so caught up in the memory of that intimate meeting in the cafe yesterday that she was oblivious to Mary¡¯s verbal jab. That kiss! ¡°It was pretty great, though, I think. Th-the salad, I mean.¡±


    True to his word, Foxy bought a lavish meal for Mary and an expensive coffee for himself, and the group sat together at a large corner booth.


    ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do ¡®bout your boots? Are they too uncomfortable to wear?¡± Brian asked, stealing another glance up Stephanie¡¯s lovely legs while struggling to keep his thoughts from spiraling into sin. Those legs, last night... were wrapped around my head.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine¡ªwe were just in a rush to get here. A half-hour goes by without you and already she¡¯s missing you,¡± Kelly answered in her charming voice. ¡°Although, you know, maybe one of your magic massages would have her feet feeling all better?¡±


    ¡°O-of course not,¡± Stephanie blushed, but made no motion to put her thigh-high boots back on yet. ¡°I mean, um, unless you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ew, gross. Please, not while I¡¯m eating,¡± Mary scolded with a disgusted look.


    ¡°Ah, I was¡ªI was actually wondering,¡± Stephanie spoke up, taking a nervous glance at Brian. ¡°Would it be alright if you¡­ added me into your chat group? The one you showed us before? I know we can text each other, but I, um, I thought that it would be a cool thing to be a part of. If-if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an invite now.¡±


    Foxy frowned. Despite now being in the presence of three gorgeous girls rather than only one, he wasn¡¯t feeling like he¡¯d really gained anything. Stephanie and Kelly were clearly long-time companions of Brian¡¯s¡ªmaybe they¡¯d even known each other for years¡ªand there was no easy way to wrest firm control of the conversations from them.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Stephanie said after a few short moments. ¡°Got it. Oh, b-but¡ªwhat should I use for my display name?¡± She turned her phone towards him, where the cursor was blinking beside her default name.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Stephanie Brandt</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Your last name¡¯s Brandt?¡± Brian asked, curious.


    ¡°Ah, uh, yes,¡± Stephanie felt her cheeks warming as she realized she¡¯d just met Brian almost exactly a day ago¡ªof course he never would have known her full name all this time.


    ¡°Cool. Mine¡¯s Douglas,¡± Brian revealed. ¡°Can I try setting a name for you?¡±


    ¡°Of¡ªof course!¡± Stephanie breathed. Brian Douglas? I¡­ really like that. It¡¯s so much more¡­ complete.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Kelly Killy,¡± Kelly joined in with a smirk, watching Stephanie surrender her cell phone to Brian.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Fawkes, Fawkes Loxly,¡± Foxy revealed, setting his coffee down in a hesitant manner. They¡¯re telling each other their last names? Maybe they aren¡¯t as close as I thought. Maybe they just see each other every year at the convention?


    ¡°Fawkes? Cool name,¡± Brian nodded.


    ¡°Fwwu¡ª¡± Mary attempted around a mouthful of food. ¡°Fwucking.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Foxy laughed. ¡°Fawkes of fucking Loxly, then. But you can call me Foxy.¡±


    ¡°And the young creature still learning how to chew would be Mary, Mary, quite contrary,¡± Brian chuckled, tapping a sequence across the screen of Stephanie¡¯s phone and then sliding it back to her. ¡°Here, how ¡®bout this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nineteen,¡± Mary growled, as if that point made a difference to anyone.


    ¡°Perfect-in-Pink?¡± Stephanie read aloud, blushing fiercely. ¡°I-I can¡¯t use that. I¡¯m not the least bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think she should go with ¡®Fanny,¡¯¡± Kelly suggested. ¡°Fanny as in, short for Stephanie, and also, you know¡ªbecause of this amazing ass she¡¯s got going on. Fanny. It works.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m not going by the name ¡¯Fanny,¡¯¡± Stephanie blustered out a denial, shaking her head quickly.


    ¡°Here, let me try one,¡± Foxy offered, gesturing for the phone. After a moment¡¯s pause, Stephanie passed it towards their uncertain new friend across the table.


    ¡°Nineteen. That¡¯s not little,¡± Mary insisted again, increasingly annoyed that no one was paying due attention to her anymore¡ªnot even Foxy.


    ¡°Righteous-Pink?¡± Stephanie read the name Foxy had inputted with a dubious expression.


    ¡°Never heard of her? She¡¯s from Sentai Senkai, Foxy explained. ¡°It¡¯s what they called the pink Iro-ranger. Great show, you¡¯ve gotta check it out sometime.¡±


    ¡°Alright, my turn,¡± Kelly snatched the phone from them and began altering the inputted name once again. ¡°You accepted the invite? I¡¯m gonna go ahead and say hello to everyone for you in Brian¡¯s chat.¡±


    ¡°...Please tell me you didn¡¯t change my name to Fanny, first,¡± Stephanie pleaded.


    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t, Stephanie,¡± Kelly blinked innocently as she submitted the message. ¡°I¡¯m hurt. Joking aside, do you really think I¡¯d have you going by the moniker Fanny in front of Brian¡¯s friends?¡±


    Quickly pulling up the chat window on his own phone, Brian immediately saw the newcomer who¡¯d entered their message queue.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Right-in-the-Pink: sup everyone</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not, wh-why would you¡ªI can¡¯t believe that you just did that,¡± Stephanie cried out, looking completely mortified. She stared balefully down at the screen as she seized the phone back from Kelly, looking absolutely betrayed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t nice at all!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kelly, that was kinda¡­¡± Brian shook his head in disapproval, though a faint smile was stubbornly tugging at the corner of his lip.


    ¡°What?¡± Kelly huffed. ¡°It¡¯s referring to her hair color... obviously. Isn¡¯t that the cool little personal connection you two¡¯ve got going on? Perfect handle for her! Even better than Fanny.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Hair color, definitely what comes to mind,¡± Foxy smirked, raised his eyebrows and hoisting his coffee up in the air as if announcing a toast. ¡°Right in the pink!¡±


    ¡°Right in the pink!¡± Kelly agreed, pumping her fist.


    ¡°Right in the what?¡± Mary looked around at each of them and made a disgusted face. ¡°You guys are all nasty.¡±


    ¡°Can I still change it? It¡¯s-it¡¯s not set like that for good now, is it?¡± Stephanie fretted, flipping back through her message settings.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Mick95: who dat?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Oberon: Friend I met at convention.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    coffee-vein: ah


    coffee-vein: lol


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Mick95: asl?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Tanya_Mykha: @Mick95 dont fucking asl ppl</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> coffee-vein: oh shit</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mick95: @Tanya_Mykha lol god damn


    Mick95: @Tanya_Mykha was just asking


    Mick95: @Tanya_Mykha chill


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Tanya_Mykha: @Mick95 dont fucking asl ppl</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Stephanie_Brandt: I¡¯m so sorry about that. I received the invite to the chat, but then a friend had my phone. I¡¯m so sorry.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Stephanie exhaled a slow sigh of relief at seeing she¡¯d successfully reverted her username to its default, then furrowed her cute brow in concentration as she caught up on that message log.


    ¡°Um, A-S-L?¡±


    ¡°Age, sex, location,¡± Foxy reported. He couldn¡¯t see the chat¡¯s messages anymore from where he sat, but was familiar enough with internet slang to understand her confusion. ¡°Asking for basic information people can associate with your name, so they have some perspective on your identity. Not that you should ever trust anyone¡¯s ASLs on the internet, mind you.¡±


    ¡°That was Mike asking that,¡± Brian laughed, watching as a mess unfolded in the group chat on his phone. ¡°And then his girlfriend Tanya jumping down his throat, ¡®cause she doesn¡¯t want him flirting with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Mike¡¯s an asshole,¡± Mary commented, balling up her napkin and discarding it onto the tray she¡¯d just finished clearing.


    ¡°Oh, so you remember Mike?¡± Brian asked, shaking his head.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Mary challenged, making a face at him as she rose up out of her seat. ¡°I want to go shopping now.¡±


    ¡°Cool, want me to show you around?¡± Foxy immediately offered, rising out of his seat as well. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of awesome stuff in the vendors room this year... if you know where to look.¡±


    He¡¯d originally planned to get to know the attractive young Chinese girl better over the course of the brief meal¡ªor at the very least stimulate her interest in some subtle way, but instead he¡¯d been forced to discreetly re-establish himself within the group hierarchy. Contrasting himself only with this guy Mary already seemed to dislike had honestly seemed too easy, but Brian¡¯s ¡®friends¡¯ unexpectedly consisting of these jaw-dropping babes was another social paradigm altogether.


    Nothing to worry about, though, Foxy smirked, crushing his empty coffee cup into a crumpled ball in his fist, and then casually tossing it over his shoulder. He heard the wadded-up cup clipping the edge of the waste receptacle¡¯s stainless-steel funnel on the opposite side of the cafe, followed by the distinctive swish of it dropping down into the trash.


    Mary noticed, catching his eye and breaking out into a smile. Good.


    The others didn¡¯t notice at all¡ªthe Kelly girl was bantering playfully with Brian as they all collected themselves and rose out of the corner booth, while Stephanie seemed completely unable to tear her eyes away from Brian, period.


    Good, Foxy thought again, returning Mary¡¯s smile, but saying nothing. Our little secret.


    Besides practice, the only real secret to his little trick was squashing the cup into a ball first¡ªhe¡¯d always score a shot at anything that was at a certain angles directly behind him. He didn¡¯t have to try to capitalize on every single little gimmick he knew, though¡ªhe was wealthy in more ways than one, and there was still more than enough time to win Mary over. And perhaps one of the other two, as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you hang around with this guy,¡± Mary stated, snorting at the scene across from her. Brian was kneeling down beside Stephanie at the edge of the booth¡¯s bench and fussing with her boots, carefully pulling them back up her smooth legs, which she extended out one at a time. Look at her, blushing like an idiot. And for what? Him putting on this cringe-worthy chivalrous-guy act? I¡¯d have kicked him right in the face.


    ¡°I was just pondering on why I stick around them myself, early this morning,¡± Kelly confided to her in a low voice, ¡°counting off the reasons with my fingers, in a way. Don¡¯t know how far I got in the end, but it sure was a lot of fun.¡±


    This dark-haired girl, or rather, mostly dark-haired girl¡ªshe now noticed there were a few errant streaks of brilliant red¡ªwas watching for her reaction with a satisfied smile. It was as though Kelly was daring Mary to call her out on her double entendre, to turn unspoken tension into outright confrontation.


    ¡°Really.¡± Mary composed her face into an expressionless mask once again. ¡°Somehow¡­ I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would,¡± Kelly¡¯s dazzling eyes flashed, and she stepped over to Stephanie. ¡°Steph, can I see your phone? I want to show Mary that picture you took last night.¡±


    Snapping out of her dazed reverie, Stephanie this time actually looked hesitant to lend the girl in the gothic dress her phone again. But after a brief moment and a nervous smile, she relented and passed it into the waiting hand.


    Kelly then swiped through menus on the phone with practiced flicks of her fingertip for a few seconds, and turned the screen to face Mary.


    It was a picture taken in dim lighting, of a man seated upon an ordinary hotel bed. He was half-naked, wearing nothing but a pair of pants and some straps that may have been suspenders¡ªit was difficult to tell. His figure lit only by the nearby table lamp, and the curving contour of every muscle in his chest was beautifully defined in warm, fleshy tones. His shoulders were broad, and although not buff, per se, Mary would absolutely define him as a rather scrumptious specimen. With one knee up upon the bedspread and the other leg draping down out of sight, a hand partially upraised as if to ask are you seriously taking my picture, he looked as perfect and iconic as that famous chapel ceiling painting in France. Or was it Italy?


    ¡°Very nice,¡± Mary said approvingly, before twisting her face in a smirk. ¡°But, well¡ªit looks pretty fake to me.¡± Can¡¯t believe they actually took the time to shop Brian¡¯s face onto the picture of some male model, and expected me to fall for it. Do I look that fucking stupid? What do they get out of pretending for this guy like this?


    Curiosity having gotten the better of him, Foxy took a peek and had to agree¡ªthe guy in that picture definitely wasn¡¯t Brian. When a dude works out to get a body like that, he then shows it off with the right kind of cosplay. He wouldn¡¯t hide it under some goofy-looking skeleton minion getup. I don¡¯t need to squint for mismatched pixels to tell this is a fake. It just takes common sense.


    Hah. Mary glanced indifferently over to Brian, who was gingerly fastening up Stephanie¡¯s boot, afraid to pinch the soft swell of her thigh between the teeth of the zipper. As if there¡¯s even a comparison to be made in the first place. I bet under that dorky costume Brian¡¯s just as pale, flabby, and gross as my brother. Fucking disgusting.


    ¡°Pffft! Fake, huh?¡± Kelly sputtered with laughter in the face of Mary¡¯s apparent skepticism, stepping back over towards her friends just as Brian rose from his crouch and helped pull Stephanie up onto her feet.


    ¡°Aw, Brian¡ªyou can¡¯t squat down like that, it gets your belt all twisted out of place on your outfit,¡± Kelly pointed out. ¡°See? It¡¯s all messed up.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±


    Before he had the chance to catch her blatant lie, she¡¯d untucked the top of his costume bodysuit from his belt, peeling back the black fabric with the cartoony skeleton bones stencilled on.


    Jesus, fuck, Mary¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight. Splendidly sculptured muscle was revealed, the neat lines of a six-pack drawing her gaze down into the most delicious abdominal V she¡¯d ever had the pleasure of witnessing in person. Okay, maybe he isn¡¯t the guy in that picture... and maybe he is. Seriously, though¡­ what the fuck? Since when does my brother have any fit friends?


    Foxy, of course, didn¡¯t stare hungrily like Mary did, but the glimpse he¡¯d caught startled him. At least that explains why I haven¡¯t been making any real headway¡ªI haven¡¯t been taking this guy seriously. Guess he¡¯s like me, the kinda guy who hides his fangs until he¡¯s ready to bite. Interesting. Been a while since I¡¯ve even seen anyone who¡¯s any kind of threat to me.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay¡ªI¡¯ve got it,¡± Brian said, trying to brush Kelly¡¯s hands away, but instead she lingered, as if slowly savoring each tug and pull as she finished righting his fabric to its proper position.


    ¡°There. All set,¡± Kelly announced, pulling away from him with a final friendly pat that landed square on the bulge of his cup-piece. ¡°Are we all ready to go? I want to take a closer look around the vendor¡¯s room, too. Wouldn¡¯t want to miss anything, would we?¡±

 AnimeCon Harem - The Vendors Room

    ¡°Were you looking for anything in particular?¡± Foxy asked as their group of five all strode through the double-doors of the vendor¡¯s room together, holding their convention badges up for the staffers at the door.


    ¡°Something expensive,¡± Mary decided, narrowing her eyes at the rows of booths filling the enormous room. Though it seemed impossible, this area was swarming with even more mobs of people than the other areas of the convention, often blocking up the walkways and intersections between the vendor¡¯s booths completely.


    There was an incredible amount of variety to the displays, from small, single-table simple booths, to corner vendors spanning a half-dozen tables. Some had simple stacks of anime DVDs and opened long-boxes of manga volumes, others had erected wire frameworks to hang merchandise from, be it stuffed plushies, poster prints, T-shirts, or boxed figurines.


    ¡°Expensive? Well, you¡¯ve come to the right place,¡± Brian said. ¡°Prices¡¯re always marked way up on Fridays and Saturdays. I only ever shop on the final day of the con¡ªthat¡¯s when the vendors cut all their asking prices way down.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stephanie adjusted her glasses, looked surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s cheaper for them to sell at close to cost at that point, rather than continuing to ship whatever merchandise that doesn¡¯t sell back and forth between all the conventions.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just trying to make an honest living,¡± Foxy shrugged, giving Brian a dubious look. ¡°Tell you what, Mary, you see anything you really like, just let me know. Beautiful girl like you deserves to enjoy something nice every once and a while, and a convention¡¯s a special occasion.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Mary gave him an appreciative smile and walked closer beside him before shyly turning to send a devious glance back at Brian. ¡°But... my brother did promise me that his friend there would buy me whatever I want.¡±


    ¡°True¡ªbut thankfully, you don¡¯t even remember my name, so you¡¯re gonna have a hard time holding him to that,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Besides¡­ you don¡¯t even like anime, do you?¡±


    ¡°I do remember you,¡± Mary admitted reluctantly, ¡°...Brian.¡±


    ¡°Well, she tried, at least,¡± Kelly smirked, tugging at Brian¡¯s arm. ¡°C¡¯mon, Steve. Let¡¯s take a look down this way.¡±


    Stephanie snickered at that, returning to her place in formation at Brian¡¯s side, and the three forged on ahead down one of the rows.


    ¡°Hur, hur, very funny,¡± Mary pouted, disinterestedly poking through the wares arranged on the tables as her and Foxy followed along behind them. How is there even this much junk to sell? Doesn¡¯t anime literally just mean Japanese cartoons? How many different series could there even be?


    ¡°Hey, you know those surgical-looking face masks I was telling you about last night, that they wear over in Japan?¡± Kelly pointed over the stream of convention attendees filling the aisle. ¡°The booth on that side has a big rack of them¡ªbut with cute little anime mouths printed on them. Let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    As they rounded that corner booth, each shuffling along through the crowd and slowly browsing the wares, an unexpected voice called out towards them.


    ¡°¡ªKelly!¡±


    Kelly looked over, surprised and perplexed.


    ¡°And Miss Stephanie, too! We found you guys!¡± A brown-haired young woman of approximately college-age exclaimed excitedly. She was wearing an oversized double-breasted pea coat that hung down all the way to her mid-thigh, and her eyeliner was fashioned in an exaggerated feline flick.


    ¡°Amanda,¡± Kelly recalled, surprised. Having only met her once, and just some forty-five minutes ago at that¡ªKelly almost hadn¡¯t remembered her. This girl was that volunteer from Fetish 101¡¯s shibari demonstration, she¡¯d been getting fastened into her fetters just as Kelly and Stephanie were hurriedly exiting the panel to come meet up with Brian.


    ¡°...I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d still be all tied up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Uh, I am,¡± Amanda grinned, tugging her coat open for a second to reveal that beneath it, she was now sporting a rather shocking get-up of bondage rope, finished to the last intricate detail.


    So, that¡¯s shibari, Kelly thought to herself, highly intrigued. She¡¯d only been offered a barest glimpse before the giggling Amanda quickly pulled her pea coat closed again, but that tantalizing sight was more than enough to pique her interest for more.


    Though Amanda was still wearing casual clothes beneath that ropework, the placement and lacing of those braided cords twining about left very little of her figure to the imagination. Woven rope had been pulled taut to separate and frame the girl¡¯s sizeable breasts, then criss-crossed down her body in a pattern of sexy webwork, finally culminating in a series of knots that ended in a T-thong of rope which rode high above her hip and then slipped down into a single ligature that split across her private parts. This was no slapdash jumble of tangles Amanda was wearing, but a masterpiece of lascivious latticework. Simply saying she was bound tight would hardly do it justice, either¡ªeach straining stretch of rope wrapped about her had been visibly biting into her body, like butchers twine trussing a choice slab of meat.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ extremely impressive,¡± Kelly admired, meaning every word. Brian¡¯s friends thought the rope demo was lame? This is the good stuff, this is some overtly sexual bondage-play. ¡°Brian! Come take a peek at this.¡±


    As the others¡ªBrian, Stephanie, Foxy and even Mary, took interest and stepped over, Amanda obligingly held open her pea coat for another few seconds so that they could all catch a brief look, turning her head away and blushing with a strange smile. She¡¯s getting off on this, huh? I mean, how couldn¡¯t you?


    ¡°Are you a pervert?¡± Mary asked rudely, arching an eyebrow and making a face of disgust.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Amanda laughed, shrugging her coat closed again. ¡°I guess. I mean, what, are you not?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Mary shook her head, glancing around to everyone else in search of agreement.


    Your loss, Kelly sniffed indifferently.


    ¡°Kelly¡¯s right, that¡¯s impressive as hell,¡± Brian told Amanda, nodding in appreciation. ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ yeah, wow.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Stephanie agreed, face going red as well. ¡°That¡¯s, um, y-you¡¯re very brave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m brave?¡± Amanda shook her head with a broad smile. ¡°You¡¯re definitely just as brave as I am, Miss Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Nice knots,¡± Foxy whistled in approval. ¡°I had one of those memorized, used to do it all the time with a special someone. Was a chest-and-arms one, looked kinda like a pentagram.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ooh!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We used to do that one! Bill! What was that one called?¡±


    ¡°Bill?¡± The girl turned a quick circle before realizing that Bill was nowhere to be found, and gave them an embarrassed smile. ¡°I swear he was right here behind me a second ago. Bill!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± A lean guy wearing glasses with shaggy, dirty-blond hair and a matching beard called, leaning out from behind a booth¡¯s display past some people further on down the aisle. ¡°Hey, I found Kelly. She¡¯s right there behind you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Amanda rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s that kinbaku we used to do, that, uh, that one that looked like a pentagram in the front?¡±


    ¡°Star harness. Just called a star harness. Someone need me to show them the ropes?¡± Bill joked, trotting over to them as he dug through the small plastic shopping bag of his purchases.


    ¡°You were ¡®sposed to be right behind me,¡± Amanda accused playfully.


    ¡°Yeah, but Pocki,¡± Bill justified, handing an already opened small red box¡ªwhich resembled an unusually tall and thin carton of crayons, over to her.


    ¡°...Touch¨¦,¡± she relented with a reluctant grin, snatching the box up with one hand while the other held her coat closed.


    ¡°Hey, nice!¡± Bill waved a finger towards Brian. ¡°From Hero Hero Haruki, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one of the Darkmasks,¡± Brian confirmed, lifting up the helmet he¡¯d been carrying at his side.


    ¡°Oh wow, freakin¡¯ sweet! May I?¡± Bill asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Brian passed him the helmet.


    ¡°This is awesome. You make it yourself?¡± Bill lauded, turning the stylized skull helm over in his hands and examining it from all angles. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting something like this for when we do demos in the future. Think it¡¯d be perfect, at like, setting the mood, or at least way better than just me out there with my goofy mug.¡±


    ¡°Hah, well I was going to try making one out of foam¡­¡± Brian admitted with a chuckle, ¡°but, then I found this guy online who was vacuum-forming the plastic pieces and selling them as a kit, so I just had to order one.¡±


    ¡°No shit?¡± Bill responded, returning the Darkmask helmet. ¡°You gotta link?¡±


    Meanwhile, Amanda had pulled the others aside into a separate conversation.


    ¡°So, we were supposed to keep an eye out for you two,¡± Amanda said with a giddy smile. ¡°Chrissy wanted to find you guys¡ªshe has her own vendor¡¯s table over on the other side of the room here, Chrissy-Cat Creations. You two like, saved the panel when you came in, for real.¡±


    ¡°Panel?¡± Foxy prompted, starting to find their talks increasingly difficult to edge into.


    ¡°The fet panel,¡± Amanda laughed, her eyes flashing with excitement. ¡°These girls just marched on in and stole the show. You guys¡¯re like, panel crashers!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that,¡± Stephanie apologized in a meek voice, still holding onto Brian¡¯s arm as he and Bill chatted and compared different images of masks on their phones. ¡°We really shouldn¡¯t ha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh no no no, I don¡¯t mean that in like, a bad way! Amanda cut her off quickly. ¡°You totally saved us!¡±


    ¡°Fet as in, like, fetish panel?¡± Foxy asked, and Mary rolled her eyes dramatically in annoyance.


    Why are we standing around talking in an intersection instead of shopping?


    ¡°Hey. Buy me some of that,¡± Mary demanded, tugging on the sleeve of Foxy¡¯s trenchcoat. Amanda was snacking on thin chocolate sticks she drew out of the little red carton. ¡°Like the stuff she has.¡±


    ¡°Pocki? Yeah¡­ no problem,¡± Foxy agreed.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t save anything,¡± Kelly rebuked modestly. ¡°This rope stuff you¡¯re wearing here¡¯s incredible¡ªStephanie and I were just... an exciting little interlude.¡±


    ¡°No way, you don¡¯t understand,¡± Amanda insisted, slightly opening her coat again to allow a partial view of her intricate bindings. ¡°Like, yeah, it looks amazing when it¡¯s done, but it takes like, some half-hour now to get it all laced and knotted right, even for Bill.


    ¡°Last year, it was this awful forty-five minutes of pure, awkward silence¡ªand Chrissy trying to stretch out her jokes¡ªwhile he tied me up. Our audience was getting super bored and restless. This year, we got more than halfway finished while you guys had all of their attention, and you got them all so amped up that they were great for us the whole rest of the panel. You really saved us.¡±


    ¡°We were just delighted to be of service, weren¡¯t we, Miss Stephanie?¡± Kelly purred.


    ¡°I wanted to crawl into a hole and die,¡± Stephanie chuckled in a sober voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never been that embarrassed in my, uh, well¡ªever.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kelly¡¯s wolfish smile spread wickedly across her face. ¡°Not even last night, when you¡ª¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh! Uh, wh-where did Mary go?¡± Stephanie quickly blurted out, changing the subject as fast as she could. ¡°Did we lose her, or¡ªuh, did she walk off away somewhere with¡­ Fox?¡±


    Crap. She¡¯s right, that little Chinese hussy gave us the slip, Kelly frowned, turning and scanning across the crowds casually shopping throughout the aisles. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was Fox, I think it was Foxy.¡±


    ¡°¡ªOf fucking Loxly,¡± Mary insisted, ripping open a box of Pocki as she stepped back over from a nearby booth with Foxy in tow.


    ¡°Whoa¡ªwherever I go, people seem to be talking about me,¡± Foxy chuckled. ¡°Here, they were cheap.¡± With a charming smile, he passed a little red box each to Stephanie and Kelly, who looked at them curiously, and then handed another to Amanda, who squealed in excitement.


    ¡°Aw, thank you! You¡¯re the bestest!¡± Amanda proclaimed, hugging her Pocki boxes close and then giving the other pair girls an incredulous look. ¡°Have you not had Pocki before? This stuff¡¯s like, weeaboo crack, I¡¯m not even kidding.¡±


    Her endorsement had opposing effects on them; Stephanie regarded the boxed snack with interest, while Kelly stifled a scowl, lowering the small carton down to her side.


    ¡°You both go to AnimeCon and you¡¯ve never had Pocki?¡± Foxy scoffed, deciding that the two girls were messing with him. ¡°If AnimeCon was a prison, these¡¯d be the cigarettes used as currency.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± Foxy said, popping open a box for himself and unsealing the tiny pouch inside. The Pocki he slid out were so thin they somewhat resembled sticks of incense, slender cookie-like wafers dipped in chocolate. ¡°...There¡¯s even a little game that people play with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gawd. No, not the Pocki game,¡± Amanda let out a laugh before quickly covering her mouth in mock horror. ¡°Don¡¯t bring that up.¡±


    ¡°Pocki game?!¡± Bill exclaimed, butting back into the other group¡¯s conversation after overhearing Amanda¡¯s outburst. ¡°Oh, hell yeah! I¡¯ve been waiting all year to play.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Kelly sighed. ¡°...How do you play the Pocki game?¡± What are they gonna do, have a little sword-fight with them?


    ¡°You start off by¡ª¡±


    ¡°First, you take¡ª¡±


    Brian and Foxy had started answering at the same time, and both stopped to look at each other in surprise.


    ¡°You can tell them,¡± Foxy waved magnanimously.


    ¡°No, go ahead,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Foxy said. ¡°First, you take a single stick of Pocki, and you have it between two players¡ªeach of them takes and holds an end with their lips. Then, the players nibble their way through the stick towards each other. The first one to pull away, loses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb,¡± Mary snorted. ¡°What if neither of them pull back?¡±


    ¡°Then, everyone wins,¡± Foxy replied with a cocky grin, taking a step closer towards her. He placed the end of one of the Pocki sticks in his mouth... daring her to play.


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Mary scoffed, blinking her large eyes around one-by-one at the other figures in the group. ¡°Geeks wouldn¡¯t do that. What¡¯s the real Pocki game?¡±


    ¡°That is the real Pocki game,¡± Bill retorted, withdrawing another thin box from his shopping bag and popping it open. ¡°Amanda, demonstration time.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m all demonstrated out today, thanks,¡± Amanda said with a dry chuckle, grabbing that box from him as well. ¡°Making out with you is one thing, but sharing my Pocki... is something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°But, that one was my Pocki,¡± Bill protested.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really how you play, right?¡± Mary asked. She made no motion to join in playing that sort of game with Foxy. After a few moments seeing that she wasn¡¯t getting a different answer, she made a face and turned away, nonchalantly browsing down the nearby table of anime merchandise.


    ¡°So, anyways, Brian,¡± Foxy changed the subject as smoothly as he could, casually chewing the stick of Pocki into his mouth. ¡°You surprised me back there¡ª you¡¯re actually in pretty decent shape. What kinda workout do you do? Cross-fitness? Tai-bo exercises? Some sort of military regimen?¡±


    ¡°Nah, nothin¡¯ the least bit complicated,¡± Brian said. ¡°I¡¯m a runner, I go out running in the early mornings.¡±


    ¡°A runner?¡± Foxy repeated in disbelief. ¡°Hah, you got in shape by running?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian confirmed, arching an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so strange?¡±


    ¡°Not strange, no, just kinda... useless in real life,¡± Foxy said. ¡°Like, me for example, I train in mixed martial arts. So, if I¡¯m out on the streets one night and some bozo pulls a knife on me¡ªor if some creep threatens my girl, well, he¡¯s in for a world of hurt. But, you? What¡¯ll you do? Run away like you¡¯ve practiced?¡±


    Mary snorted at that, proving that she was still listening in.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Foxy laughed, clapping Brian on the shoulder. ¡°Not calling you a coward or anything, o¡¯course. I¡¯m just sayin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brian looked thoughtful. ¡°I think I started running for some weird psychological thing¡ªI was stuck in a bad situation for a large period of my life, one that I couldn¡¯t do anything about. For a long time afterwards, just simply being still for too long would make me feel¡­ I dunno, trapped. Like I wasn¡¯t exercising my options.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like I was running away from anything back then, but I wouldn¡¯t really say I was moving forward, either. It was just this compulsion I¡¯d have, that I needed to move, with all of my might, to feel alive when remaining still felt like I was already dead.¡±


    ¡°Aw, Brian¡­¡± Stephanie said softly, looking touched.


    ¡°Almost all of that¡¯s way behind me, though,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Nowadays I just run ¡®cause it¡¯s satisfying, and it gives me time to myself to sort out my head. It¡¯s a good outlet for things, a good release.¡±


    ¡°Running¡¯s cool,¡± Amanda added in, nodding her head in approval.


    ¡°I like that a lot, Brian,¡± Kelly said, tracing a hand across his chest. ¡°I have my own little method of, well, getting a good release. Remind me to show you how it goes later on, okay?¡± As her fingertips slid down the skeleton-bone pattern, feeling the delectable profile of the muscles just beneath his outfit, no one was left with any doubts as to what she was implying.


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Mary sneered, deciding she wasn¡¯t going to fall for it. ¡°What¡¯s so great about Brian to you, anyways? What''re you buttering him up for? Even if he¡¯s like, in okay shape from a bit of running, he¡¯s still just another dumb dweeb.¡±


    ¡°A dumb¡­ dweeb?¡± Stephanie echoed, stunned by Mary¡¯s assessment. ¡°He isn¡¯t at all, though! Wh-why would, how could you think that?¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause he¡¯s a loser who cares more about stupid little cards than he does about getting a real life?¡± Mary muttered. ¡°There¡¯s no sense in flirting with him.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that, despite being friends with Mark, I don¡¯t actually play Mana: the Mastery, right?¡± Brian laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t own any Mana cards or plan decks or anything.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Mary scowled. ¡°It¡¯s all the same thing. Cards, anime. Games. Losers obsessing over geeky shit because they can¡¯t handle real life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just out of high school¡ªyou¡¯re, what, eighteen? Nineteen?¡± Brian wondered. ¡°Still a kid. How are you even defining ¡®real life?¡¯ Most of us so-called geeks are in relationships, we all have jobs¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What jobs do you guys have?¡± Mary challenged. ¡°Flipping burgers?¡±


    ¡°I drive forklifts at a distribution center right now,¡± Brian said, pointing to himself. ¡°Used to work repairing roofs, and before that, yeah, I was a shift manager working in fast food.¡± As their little group was all standing in an uneven circle now, he gestured to pass the topic on towards Bill.


    ¡°Certified electrician,¡± Bill chuckled. ¡°But what I actually do right now is drive around installing internet for people.¡±


    ¡°Physical therapist,¡± Amanda volunteered. ¡°In an undergraduate program. I get paid to explain obvious ways to not hurt yourself, to people who somehow do anyways.¡±


    ¡°I sell drugs,¡± Foxy said with a deadpan expression, before breaking out into a cocky grin. ¡°...Legally, as a pharmacy technician. Very good money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, well, I¡¯m still just a student,¡± Stephanie admitted embarrassedly. ¡°I part-time in the campus library, but calling it a job would be, um, an exaggeration. I sort the books to be put back, and then I¡¯m free to work on my own assignments.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kelly waved them off after realizing that their small circle had turned expectant looks towards her now. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not actually a geek. Working as a hostess now, but... I¡¯ll be doing some modelling in the near future.¡±


    Glaring spitefully at Kelly¡¯s too-perfect features, Mary wasn¡¯t able to refute what would have normally seemed like an idle boast.


    ¡°Okay then, what do you do, Mary?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I... work in the bakery department of a grocery store,¡± Mary grudgingly replied. ¡°But, I¡¯m nineteen, and they¡¯re making me go to community college. So, I¡¯m normal for my age. You all are not normal.¡±


    ¡°Steph¡¯s working part-time ¡®cause she¡¯s in school, just like you,¡± Brian argued. ¡°Same exact situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, except¡­ I wear normal clothes when I go out somewhere in public, ¡®cause I¡¯m not a freak. This isn¡¯t a Halloween party,¡± Mary said, looking around in consternation at the three of them wearing costumes, with an additional lingering glance of dismay at Stephanie¡¯s cosplay. ¡°Like, why¡¯s she dressed up like a Playmate bunny?¡±


    In her eyes, it was fitting that Brian wore a stupid costume, because she already knew he was a worthless nerd. She was going to gloss over Kelly wearing the elegant gothic lolita dress right now, because... the dark-haired girl actually looked really incredible. Definitely not ¡®cause she¡¯s intimidating, or anything like that. Just seems like more trouble than it¡¯s worth.


    Stephanie in the silly red and pink rabbit get-up, however, appeared to be the weak link. The easy opportunity to find flaws in, and then call her out on them in front of everybody. Probably just wore it ¡®cause she¡¯s secretly kinda slutty. Bet she just loves all the attention.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m, I¡¯m not,¡± Stephanie denied in a meek voice, terribly embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s, um, this isn¡¯t a Playmate bunny¡ªI made this dress, it¡¯s based on, um, Flamituff. It¡¯s a, well, from Monster Battlers. Th-the video game. And, uh, it has an anime, too¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Mary blinked in surprise. ¡°Monster Battlers? How old are you? I didn¡¯t think it was possible for me to actually think any less of you¡­ but you somehow managed it.¡± She pursed her lips in a reproving way, shaking her head in apparent disappointment.


    ¡°Mary¡¯s so adorable when she puts on that cute little pout,¡± Kelly observed with a slow, indulgent laugh. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make her mouth look just like a butthole?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes went wide, a couple of the attendees passing by their little group in the aisle overheard and turned their heads, and Bill erupted into laughter.


    ¡°Hey¡ªdon¡¯t talk to her like that,¡± Foxy said, as shocked as the rest of them by Kelly¡¯s comparison.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Kelly shrugged indifferently. ¡°I said she had a cute pout.¡±


    ¡°No, you just said it looks like a butthole,¡± Mary said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°What, buttholes can¡¯t be cute? Look at the pretty little mouth on you¡ªso pink and puckered, it makes me wanna wiggle a finger inside,¡± Kelly stepped closer, and her cheery, doting voice dropped down to a decidedly chilly tone. ¡°...But if you¡¯re just going to use it to spout crap about any of us, you¡¯re not gonna like what happens.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten her, either,¡± Foxy warned, stepping forward to place himself between Kelly and Mary.


    ¡°That was the friendly caution, coffee is hot print on this cup of attitude she¡¯s apparently having today,¡± Kelly rebuked with a laugh. ¡°She can wise up and learn to be careful, or she can take a spill and burn the fuck outta herself. I don¡¯t need to threaten people.¡±


    ¡°Okay, easy, easy,¡± Brian intervened, pulling Kelly back towards him.


    ¡°Kelly, it¡ªit¡¯s fine,¡± Stephanie flustered, uncomfortable at seeing the exchange grow heated. ¡°It¡¯s only my first, um, my first try making a cosplay, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You look great, Stephanie,¡± Brian reassured her. ¡°Mary just gets insecure about anything that doesn¡¯t, you know, fit in her little preconceptions ¡®bout how things are supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Mary rolled her eyes dramatically and shared a look with Foxy. ¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night.¡±


    ¡°Yikes, you guys. Yeah, chill,¡± Bill chuckled, fully entertained by the heated exchange between these near-strangers.


    ¡°Brian,¡± Kelly held up the box of Pocki she¡¯d been given. ¡°Will this fit in one of your belt pockets? S¡¯not real convenient to carry around.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know...¡± Brian said, fumbling with his gloved hands across his utility pouches. Gauging the size by using the easy-to-access one in front, he pulled the harem charm out and then tried fitting the Pocki carton into that pocket.


    Unbeknownst to Brian with his unfeeling gloved fingertips, the harem charm almost immediately dropped from between them to the ground. It landing on its edge, and then tumbled another few feet towards the steady procession of AnimeCon attendees moving through the aisle beside where they stood.


    What was¡­? Mary caught a glimpse of the small wooden token, its ends neatly bound in decorative red string, as it fell. Looked almost like a Chinese word printed on there.


    She didn¡¯t particularly care whether some passerby¡¯s careless footstep scuffed the flimsy little charm into splintery broken chips of wood¡ªBrian¡¯s fault for dropping it, his problem. Still, curiosity got the better of her, and the slight Asian girl with the endearing features had just deigned to bend down and pick up the thing¡ª


    When a red vinyl boot snapped out to neatly pin the tumbling charm to the floor, in the same manner one uses to stop a dropped coin from stubbornly rolling away.


    ¡°I was gonna get it,¡± Mary scowled up at Stephanie in indignation. Wasn¡¯t she on the other side of Brian?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie said, a strangely alert, even wary look playing across her innocent features. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, then,¡± Mary pulled back, crossing her arms. ¡°Geez.¡± She watched as the Stephanie ever-so-carefully crouched down¡ªas if unwilling to shift the foot atop the little charm, for fear that it would scurry away¡ªand retrieved it. Mary had initially thought this girl was just shy, but something about this brief encounter had her mentally recategorizing the girl as socially awkward, instead.


    Phew, Stephanie let out a sigh of relief, carefully dusting the harem charm off. Not a scratch. The strange little thing falling onto the ground yesterday had been the impetus that led her to actually meet Brian in the first place. Seeing it happen again, she¡¯d felt a strange spike of¡ªwhat? Envy? Irritation? Jealousy?¡ª at the sight of seeing Mary stoop down to retrieve their charm. It wasn¡¯t meant for her. There was that same out-of-place-ness, that wrong feeling that had kept her from handing the charm to her friend Megan back then.


    Standing back up before a passing cosplayer could knock into her, she held it out in front of her as she rejoined Brian, an eager, beaming smile playing across her face. As if to say, praise me, praise me.


    ¡°I mean, it kinda fits,¡± Brian was telling Kelly, struggling to remove the Pocki box he¡¯d crammed into a pouch. ¡°Won¡¯t be able to close the pocket that way, though.¡±


    ¡°Here, just tuck it behind your belt like this, then,¡± Kelly suggested, finally taking the box and pushing it partway down into the waistband of Brian¡¯s bodysuit. ¡°Oh... wow. What else¡¯ve you got crammed down in here?¡±


    ¡°He... can''t carry stuff in that bag he has?¡± Foxy asked, pointing towards the Komari-mart bag Brian was holding.


    ¡°That''s a prop he made. It''s for his costume, not for shoving our stuff in,¡± Kelly rebutted.


    ¡°Aren''t his belt pouches the same...?¡± Foxy wondered out loud.


    ¡°Brian, your¡ªum, again it went on the¡­ your charm, that is, i-it fell again,¡± Stephanie stammered out. But rather than a nervous stutter, it was an excited one; trying to voice all of her thoughts at once, and she didn¡¯t seem to mind that they came out in an unintelligible jumble.


    ¡°Hey, thanks,¡± Brian accepted the offered charm from her. ¡°Or I should say, thanks again? Seem to keep losing this li¡¯l guy¡ªmaybe I should just have you wear it, instead?¡±


    ¡°Brian,¡± Kelly interjected, straightening his belt again. ¡°If you¡¯re going to give her something to wear... I think there¡¯s someplace that¡¯ll have just what we¡¯re looking for? Hey, Amanda? Can you show us the way to Chrissy¡¯s booth?¡±

 AnimeCon Harem - Chrissy-Cat Creations

    ¡°Kelly! Miss Stephanie!¡± The plus-sized goth girl seated behind one of the booths ahead stood up in surprise. ¡°Amanda, you found them! Oh my God, thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Bill and I ran into them back¡­ uh¡­¡± Amanda pirouetted in a slow spin, clutching her coat closed and Pocki boxes against herself, to find that Bill had disappeared again. ¡°Dammit, Bill. Well, I found them, at least.¡±


    ¡°Chrissy, this is our¡­ close friend, Brian,¡± Kelly purred, tugging Brian forward, closer towards the Chrissy-Cat Creations booth. Foxy and Mary following behind them apparently didn¡¯t warrant an introduction, and Chrissy simply glanced across them and smiled.


    ¡°Brian? Hi! Nice to meet you!¡± Chrissy greeted energetically, waving at him despite being just a tables-length away from him. ¡°I love your costume!¡±


    Her vendor¡¯s table was a neat arrangement of small and medium-sized white boxes in small piles, without any logo or product information upon them. Instead, on top of each stack a piece of fetish-wear was displayed. The majority seemed to be simple leather collars and cuffs, some with spiked studs, some without, while there was also pieces that would sheath a person¡¯s entire forearms together in restraint, as well as a number of gags.


    ¡°Thanks, er¡­¡± Brian began, a little overwhelmed by the content of her booth. ¡°Some pretty interesting toys you have here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Chrissy exclaimed, launching immediately into her sales spiel. ¡°I make them all myself! Well¡ªI order the studs and buckles¡ªbut I cut and process the leather myself, and assemble them by my own unique designs. All the silicone parts like on the gags are easily removed with these snaps, and everything but the leather is dishwasher safe!¡±


    ¡°Brian, I think you should buy one of these for Steph to wear,¡± Kelly proposed, looking over to see that her shy friend in the sleeveless gijinka dress wasn¡¯t paying attention to them; Stephanie was listening to Amanda as the eccentric girl excitedly related some story involving a leather collar like the ones displayed for sale.


    ¡°A fetish gag?¡± Brian noticed where Kelly was pointing. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Some of the gags were simple silicone balls, others were shaped like baby pacifiers, an open pair of lips, or had phallic shapes that would rest within the mouth, but each of them had a fixture of black leather sporting a simple buckle that would loop around the back of the head to hold the gag firmly in place.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious,¡± Kelly snapped back with a smile. ¡°One of these could help her out a lot.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve noticed her stutter,¡± Kelly explained, picking up one display gag after the other and examining them closely. ¡°Her social anxiety. Do you think she¡¯s happy having her mouth refuse to cooperate with her? Do you think she¡¯s comfortable tripping over her own words all the time, especially around you? Slip one of these on her, and all of those... particular worries, they disappear.¡±


    ¡°I, uhm, well I don¡¯t, it-it¡¯s not that bad¡ª¡± Stephanie blustered, having overheard some of what Kelly said. The cute girl with the fluffy pink hair quickly trailed off in defeat, however when she realized her stammer seemed to patently prove Kelly¡¯s point.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that silence her completely? That seems way worse,¡± Brian shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ other ways for her to communicate with you, at that point,¡± Kelly argued. ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s really a shame that she¡¯s so disadvantaged in speaking with you normally. Something like¡­ this would level the playing field, be a little more fair to her, don¡¯t you think?¡± She held up a black ball-gag, the mouth-piece resembling a flexible wiffle-ball, riddled with evenly-spaced holes for easier breathing. Stephanie looked bewildered, having missed too much of their conversation to follow what they were talking about now.


    ¡°Wait-wait-wait! No, not that one!¡± Chrissy stopped them, waving her hands in a fluster as she bent down behind the table to pick through even more plain white boxes. ¡°If it¡¯s for Miss Stephanie, here, how ¡®bout this one, instead?¡±


    The ball-gag she withdrew after pulling open one of those boxes was nearly identical to the one in Kelly¡¯s hands¡ªbut the silicone ball on this one was a vivid shade of pink.


    ¡°Oh, perfect!¡± Kelly laughed in approval, taking the gag and holding it up in front of Stephanie. ¡°It matches her... magic color? How about it, Brian?¡±


    ¡°If Steph wants it, I¡¯ll buy it for her,¡± Brian relented with a roll of his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t be pushing this kind of stuff on her all of the sudden.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie?¡± Kelly asked, eyes twinkling with anticipation.


    ¡°Um, w-well, thank you, but I don¡¯t have a dog,¡± Stephanie replied in confusion. ¡°My dorm, it, uh, at my dorm they don¡¯t allow any pets.¡±


    Foxy openly snickered and Mary rolled her eyes, still silently glowering, while Chrissy quickly clamped a hand over her own mouth to contain her laughter, and Amanda broke out into a fit of giggles.


    ¡°Stephanie¡­ these, uh, these aren¡¯t for pets,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not technically true,¡± Amanda tittered.


    ¡°Stephanie, this would be for you to wear,¡± Kelly elaborated in a soothing, patient voice. ¡°The ball fits into your mouth, and then these straps fit across your lovely little cheeks and buckle behind your head.¡±


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Stephanie blushed. ¡°That¡¯s, that is, um. Wh-why would I wear that?¡±


    ¡°So that you don¡¯t speak,¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes flared with excitement. ¡°So that you can¡¯t speak. All that pressure of figuring out what to say, all the difficulty of stumbling over your words, grasping desperately for the right meaning¡­ gone.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t I, just, um, not speak?¡± Stephanie asked timidly. ¡°I don¡¯t see the need for¡ª¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s this big difference between choosing not to speak and being unable to speak,¡± Chrissy chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re subject to the will and whims of your partner. And then, hah, of course, there¡¯s the drool¡­¡±


    ¡°Drool?!¡± Stephanie sputtered.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Chrissy grinned. ¡°The gag holds open your mouth, so of course you¡¯re going to have your saliva just flowing out, uncontrollably. I love seeing girls first try these on¡ªwatching them as they realize their own slobber is dribbling down their chin! Watching them fight it, fight to hold onto their dignity as a human being! But slowly, surely, inevitably, they realize they¡¯ve been reduced to nothing but an animal, a plaything, something to be toyed with. Someone¡¯s pet!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± Mary commented in a quiet voice, looking around at everyone as though she was ready to leave.


    ¡°W-would it be like¡ªum, like that?¡± Stephanie blinked over towards Brian. ¡°Or, uh, do you think it¡¯s¡­ disgusting? I don¡¯t want to gross you out, or-or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t gross me out, but nobody¡¯s going to make you wear one of those, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Brian assured her.


    ¡°They¡¯re normally twenty dollars each,¡± Chrissy jumped in sensing her window of opportunity closing, ¡°but, since it¡¯s Kelly and Miss Stephanie, I can do¡­ two for fifteen? Yeah, let¡¯s say, two of them for fifteen dollars?¡±


    ¡°Two for fifteen?¡± Kelly chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s indeed very generous of you, but... after all, we only have the one Stephanie to play with.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chrissy arched one of her carefully drawn eyebrows. ¡°I thought you¡¯d want one for yourself?¡±


    Kelly was just opening her mouth to retort when someone else beat her to the punch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear one,¡± Stephanie spoke up, grinning mischievously. ¡°If Kelly does.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that how it is?¡± Kelly looked at Stephanie with renewed interest. ¡°Why do you want me wearing one?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°B-because you¡¯re too good,¡± Stephanie fussed. ¡°With your words. Making things the way you want them. L-like I heard you say earlier, it¡¯s not, um, this really isn¡¯t, isn¡¯t a level playing field, at all. But if we both had one¡­ then, maybe we could have a fair fight?¡±


    ¡°...You really think you can take me on?¡± Kelly laughed in surprise, and she leaned in uncomfortably close to the other girl, letting a saucy smile spread across her lips. ¡°...I¡¯ve got more than just my words, Miss Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± Amanda crooned. ¡°Looks like the gloves have come off! Well, um, I¡¯m gonna head back and see if I can find wherever Bill disappeared to, you guys. Hope to run into you again, though! It was nice meeting you, Brian! And, uh¡­ other peoples! See you at the rave tonight, Chrissy!¡±


    ¡°Later!¡± Chrissy called.


    ¡°Well, alright then,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll take the pink one, and then a normal one in black, then. You said fifteen dollars?¡±


    ¡°W-wait,¡± Stephanie paused, looking thoughtful. ¡°Do you¡­ do you have red ones?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course! You want to go with red instead of pink?¡± Chrissy asked, beginning to dig through the boxes behind her table again.


    ¡°Uh, no, um, pink for me still, but red for, for Kelly? If that¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie explained meekly.


    ¡°Red, huh?¡± Kelly said, idly playing a hand through her hair. No one but Stephanie had noticed yet, and she¡¯d almost forgotten about it. ¡°You think it¡¯s gonna come to that, huh?¡±


    ¡°I, I mean, it might?¡±


    ¡°Pink and red, then?¡± Chrissy passed a pair of boxes over the merchandise piled on her booth to Brian, accepting a twenty from him and giving him a five back. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°You interested in any of this?¡± Foxy offered, glancing at Mary.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied with a snort. ¡°Not any of the creepy stuff. I¡¯ll take a pair of the leather cuffs, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so first of all, wow,¡± Chrissy gushed. ¡°Those stunts you pulled back at the panel? Amazing. Getting people to help me put even like, a simple presentation together is like pulling teeth, and then you guys waltz in outta the blue and¡ª¡±


    Chrissy trailed off in momentary confusion as she saw Kelly raise a finger to her lips, tilting her head to indicate Brian.


    ¡°...Panel?¡± Brian asked, tucking the pair of white boxes under an arm.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Chrissy realized. ¡°Oh. Uh, yeah, we¡­ there was¡­¡±


    ¡°Amanda mentioned you were looking for us?¡± Kelly supplied helpfully.


    ¡°Yes! That. There¡¯s this other thing, this other¡­ panel, that I host! A late-night one, where we have a little more leeway with what we can do because it¡¯s in the ¡®after-hours¡¯ scheduling block. It¡¯s in the same room, but late tonight, starts an hour before the big anime rave. If you guys feel like it...¡±


    ¡°We have a lot planned for tonight,¡± Kelly smiled. ¡°But who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll be able to stop by before the dance.¡±


    ¡°Skullfie!¡± An eagerly grinning young girl wearing a cat-eared hat exclaimed as she approached, pointing at Brian in an exaggerated manner. ¡°OH-EM-GEE!! Can I get a picture with you?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Brian agreed, spinning the skull helm between his fingertips and slipping it back onto his head in one smooth motion.


    ¡°Sooo cool! Aaaah! Thank you, Skullfie!¡± The excited girl squealed, pouncing upon him in the over-enthusiastic hug conventions fans knew as a glomp. A freckled teenage guy following behind the girl snapped their picture together with his phone, and then the two left just as abruptly as they¡¯d appeared, squeezing right back into the crowd.


    ¡°...Was that a hit and run?¡± Kelly remarked with a chuckle, turning to watch as the overeager young girl and the teenager tailing her pressed on down the row towards her next victim, a girl with an enormous wig dressed as Magical Doll Yui.


    ¡°Skullfie?¡± Stephanie wondered.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what they decided to call the Darkmask soldiers in the English adaptation of Hero Hero Haruki,¡± Brian revealed, making a face. ¡°Nowhere near as cool.¡±


    ¡°Anime is so fucking stupid,¡± Mary grumbled, listlessly leafing through anime DVDs at one of the nearby booths. ¡°Why does it all have to be these dumb cartoons? They could be selling something halfway decent here¡ªlike some Korean dramas, or something.¡±


    ¡°Ah, um¡­ they are,¡± Stephanie spoke up.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not,¡± Mary retorted, looking annoyed.


    ¡°Well, no, uh, not at this booth,¡± Stephanie elaborated, giving the girl a timid smile. ¡°Megan, m-my friend Megan, that is, she¡¯s really into some K-pop bands, so when I saw a booth that was selling¡ª¡±


    ¡°K-pop?¡± Mary interrupted. ¡°At an anime convention? Yeah, right. Show me where, then. You¡¯d better not be lying.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Stephanie agreed, gesturing. ¡°It was in that direction, towards that side of the hall, I-I think. Brian?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can we, um,¡± Stephanie timidly pointed across the other side of the vendor¡¯s room, away from the direction they¡¯d been aimlessly meandering in. ¡°Th-that way? Mary¡¯s looking for, um, trying to find Korean dramas.¡±


    ¡°Sure, lead on,¡± Brian waved.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask for permission,¡± Mary muttered under her breath. ¡°He¡¯s not our fucking keeper. Retard.¡±


    ¡°Mary, what the hell¡¯s your¡ª¡± Brian began, but Kelly beat him to the punch, quickly stepping over to cut Mary off.


    ¡°Say that again,¡± Kelly dared her, leaning in close and putting herself right in Mary¡¯s face. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ say that again.¡±


    Mary recoiled in surprise, her petulant expression giving way to an ugly one as she regarded Kelly without saying a word. The attention of all the nearby attendees turned towards them at that bit of altercation, tension filling the air. There¡¯d been an edge to Kelly¡¯s tone, a twinkling flash of crazy in her eyes that promised immediate violence, violence without any consideration for whatever consequences or repercussions might follow.


    ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon,¡± Brian placed his hands on Kelly¡¯s shoulders and eased her back away from Mary. ¡°Mary, what¡¯s your problem all the sudden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it¡ªback off,¡± Foxy interjected, stepping forward to face Mary, putting his back to the others.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kelly murmured indignantly to Brian, blowing out a steady breath. ¡°But I¡¯m not gonna let her make fun of Steph anymore... alright?¡± Standing close by their side, Stephanie watched both her friends with wide eyes, completely speechless.


    Kelly was pretty surprised herself by her own sudden flare up. She knew herself, knew she always kept her head about her, had the upper hand and maintained composure whenever she had a spat with someone. Because I¡¯m cool about it, cool and distant like fuckin¡¯ outer space, Kelly huffed to herself. But I was about to go supernova on that bitch and slap her stupid little face into stir fry lo mein. Just ¡®cause she called Steph a retard? That¡¯s not like me, right?


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not in fucking charge of us,¡± Mary spat at Foxy. ¡°We can go wherever we want. Brian¡¯s just one of my brother¡¯s stupid fucking dweeb friends. He¡¯s a nobody.¡±


    Kelly seethed at overhearing that, and she¡¯d just started to turn on her heel back towards Mary when Brian pulled the livid young woman in the gothic lolita dress directly into his arms.


    ¡°Hey, s¡¯alright. S¡¯alright,¡± Brian soothed, speaking softly for her. ¡°She¡¯s just being a brat. Play nice.¡±


    Kelly blinked in surprise at him hugging her against his body. There¡¯d been no real intimate contact since kissing last night, and she hadn¡¯t really expected him to initiate anything. Still, she was tense, she was pissed, and she was determined to at the very least give that uppity Chinese girl a healthy shove or two. So, Kelly kept on her stiff face and shrugged Brian off¡ªor at least, she tried to.


    Fuck me. Her brief attempt at struggling free of him had immediately turned into useless floundering, because he¡¯d been ready for it, and¡ªhe was quite a bit stronger than her. She was forcibly reminded of how easily he¡¯d pulled her up off the floor last night, back when he¡¯d first invited the girls to stay with him. Yeah, fuck me. Please.


    She tried to wriggle away again, though really less intent now on escaping his embrace and more interested in testing his hold on her. Satisfied with her situation stuck where she was, she stopped resisting, putting a cute pout up over the faint smile she¡¯d felt forming. Her body remained rigid, but an undercurrent of excitement was rapidly changing the context of her tension. Pretty fuckin¡¯ hot when Brian gets a little physical.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go,¡± Foxy suggested to Mary in a low voice, quirking a charming smile towards her. ¡°You¡¯re right; you¡¯re nineteen. They can¡¯t dictate where you go¡ªor who you go with.¡±


    Mary regarded him with surprise for a moment, as if she¡¯d expected him to disagree with her. She looked with trepidation from him to where Brian was holding Kelly, and then to Stephanie.


    Decisions, decisions¡­ Mary hated how exasperated and condescending had Brian acted around her¡ªhow he, of all people, treated her like she was just this dumb kid, and her malice had risen to a new heights at seeing these two girls treating this loser like he was actually a somebody. He¡¯s just a joke. All of Mark¡¯s nerdy little friends are. Why can¡¯t they see that? However, she also had an uneasy feeling at the idea of going off alone with Foxy. He was as good-looking as Brian... but he was still an unknown element, practically a stranger, no matter how familiar he was trying to be.


    Having Foxy with her had seemed to put Brian¡¯s attitude in check, but the presence of these two girls had then restrained Foxy from being more forward with his advances¡ªwhich was equally useful to Mary. She didn¡¯t want to be looked down on, by some geek of all things, but she also didn¡¯t want to bother dealing with an unbridled Foxy. Flirting just enough to get everything she wanted, while also fending him off enough that he received nothing substantial in return? That would be much more of a hassle all by herself.


    ¡°Fine. Show us where the K-pop and dramas are, then,¡± Mary edged herself closer to Foxy, but looked past him, without any expression, to address Stephanie. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Th-they¡¯re, they, um, this way,¡± Stephanie managed out. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of everything that had just transpired. Mary¡¯s sudden outburst and Kelly¡¯s reaction both seemed to have come out of the blue, before Stephanie even had a chance to apologize for whatever it was she¡¯d done wrong. Kelly had been at the girl¡¯s throat. Stephanie still wasn¡¯t even sure why, though.


    The flustered girl with the fluffy pink hair looked uneasily over towards Kelly, now wearing a contented look from her position in Brian¡¯s arms, and then led their small group down the aisle, weaving slowly through the crowds and across several junctions.


    ¡°There... really is a booth,¡± Mary remarked in surprise. ¡°You weren¡¯t lying.¡±

 AnimeCon Harem - The K-Pop Fan

    Visible from a good distance away, the K-pop booth was big, two tables forming an L shape. A towering wire rack behind the table had dozens upon dozens of posters clipped to it¡ªKorean pretty boys posing together in some, and stylishly-dressed heart-throb bad boys looking out from other posters. The outer portion, the tables facing the aisle, had an LCD monitor playing music videos amid the open boxes upon boxes of CDs, while stepping around the L shape of the tables and into the booth there were dozens of shelves of DVD cases.


    However¡ªno more shoppers could squeeze into the booth area, as it was completely full of excited young women excitedly trying to push past each other for a look at the merchandise. The vendor was a tall, handsomely-dressed Korean man with striking cheekbones and carefully styled hair, leaning down to ring up each of the fans¡¯ purchases with a pleased expression.


    Mary immediately pushed her way into the fray, pulling Foxy along with her, while Brian and the other girls hung back a distance away.


    ¡°I need a box set, the one for Choejong Kiseu¡ªFinal Kiss,¡± Mary instructed Foxy with an extremely serious face. ¡°I need it no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well yeah, sure,¡± Foxy said, squinting over the heads of the group in front of them for DVD titles but finding nothing but unfamiliar squiggle characters. ¡°But... I don¡¯t read Korean.¡±


    ¡°It should have a big lipstick print in red beside the name,¡± Mary added frantically, tottering on her tip-toes to see above the other girls swarming throughout the booth. ¡°They have to have it. They have to, I need it. Oh my god. Oh my God, they a 4NE1 poster! 4NE1!¡±


    ¡°So... she¡¯s actually a geek after all,¡± Brian remarked in a dry voice from where they waited on the other side of the aisle. ¡°Kinda funny, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What a fucking hypocrite,¡± Kelly muttered under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t even see the appeal. All the pansies in those posters look completely metrosexual.¡±


    ¡°Metro..sexual?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Guys that put a lot of time into their appearance,¡± Brian offered helpfully. ¡°Looking, you know, well-groomed, clean, and stylish or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Only teenies and tweenies fall for guys with the prissy boy image,¡± Kelly scoffed. ¡°When you¡¯ve become a woman, you¡¯re naturally gonna be more attracted to a guy with some actual fuckin¡¯ manliness.¡±


    ¡°B-but, Brian¡¯s pretty, though,¡± Stephanie blustered out.


    ¡°Pretty? How the fuck is Brian pretty?¡± Kelly countered, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m only pretty when I keep my helmet on,¡± Brian laughed, waggling the stylized skull helm for emphasis.


    ¡°He¡¯s, um. It¡¯s this kind of¡­ bishounen guy, uh, s-sort of thing,¡± Stephanie mumbled, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. ¡°He¡¯s just, um. Nice. To look at.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I think?¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re pretty nice to look at, yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡± Stephanie managed to look shocked.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re very easy on the eyes,¡± he nodded. ¡°We should spend a whole bunch of time, just looking at each other.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Stephanie agreed breathlessly. ¡°Lets.¡±


    ¡°But, then who¡¯s gonna look at me?!¡± Kelly interjected, equally amused and horrified at how corny they were being.


    ¡°Well, not everyone¡¯s made to be looked at,¡± Brian teased.


    ¡°What the hell does¡ª¡±


    ¡°Some people are made to be touched, instead,¡± he interrupted with a grin.


    ¡°Fuck, well, you got me there,¡± Kelly laughed, tracing her hands down between her breasts and then down her navel. ¡°But... hey, since when¡ª¡±


    ¡°He bought it for me!¡± Mary had returned, now carefully holding a large white box set with gilded Korean lettering and a bright red lipstick imprint emblazoned upon it. She looked at each of them in shocked disbelief. ¡°He bought it for me.¡±


    ¡°Nice, how much?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°A hundred and ninety-seven dollars,¡± Mary declared proudly. ¡°Plus tax.¡±


    ¡°...Wow,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°For that?¡± Kelly smirked at the DVD set, skepticism apparent on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re, um. Bad. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t in any rush to tell my friend Megan about the booth,¡± Stephanie admitted.


    ¡°Bad?¡± Mary frowned. ¡°What do you mean, bad? It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Imported stuff gets crazy expensive sometimes,¡± Brian grimaced. ¡°For a lot of things, even if sellers over there have their stuff online, they¡¯re still not willing to ship it overseas because of the tariffs and taxes and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kelly said, narrowing her eyes and looking back over at Brian. ¡°Isn¡¯t this dress imported?¡±


    ¡°No one cares. Your dress is shit,¡± Mary insisted, making a face. ¡°The Choejong Kiseu Collection right here was a hundred and ninety-seven dollars¡ªplus tax!¡±


    ¡°Listen, you botched little cunt flap,¡± Kelly laughed, ¡°I¡¯m in a great mood right now. Watching you cream yourself for overpriced Korean garbage with that goofy fuckin¡¯ look on your face already makes for a good laugh. Why¡¯re you going out of your way tryin¡¯ to get yourself a bloody nose and some missing teeth, too? S¡¯not gonna be any easy teasin¡¯ free shit outta suckers if you get any uglier, now is it, you shitty little piss wrinkle?¡±


    Mary gasped and involuntarily took a step backwards, abruptly colliding with another attendee who¡¯d been crossing the aisle. Kelly¡¯s expression was beautiful and bright¡ªbut the dark, cruel look in her eyes completely eclipsed the sweet smile she wore. It wasn¡¯t a glare, exactly¡ªit was a look of certainty, an overwhelming confidence born of Kelly¡¯s natural disposition, amplified even further by her beautiful gothic dress. An angelic, but somehow also sinister appearance. She¡¯s like a fucking demon. She¡¯d¡­ she¡¯ll actually hurt me!


    ¡°Wh-what did you say to me?!¡± Mary finally sputtered out as she attempted to collect herself. Where¡¯s Foxy when I need him?!


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Brian began, but the throb of vibration from his phone curtailed his intervention. Checking the display, he found that Mark was finally finished with the Mana: the Mastery tournament, so their time as chaperones was coming to a close.


    ¡°Wow. Wow. You¡¯re actually fucking jealous,¡± Mary sneered. ¡°Foxy bought me this, for a hundred and ninety-seven dollars, plus tax. Brian hasn¡¯t gotten you jack-shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just my convention badge, the hotel room, my food, what¡¯ll either be a gag gift or a for-real gag, and¡ªoh my, the very dress I¡¯m wearing,¡± Kelly shrugged indifferently. ¡°What he gave Steph last night, though¡­ that was something really special¡ªsomethin¡¯ money can¡¯t really even buy.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Mary fumed, glaring daggers at Kelly and then Stephanie. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯d I miss?¡± Foxy asked, trotting back over from the K-pop booth with a poster rolled into a long tube. ¡°They were sold out of that 4NE1 poster, but for a little extra I convinced him to give me his display one. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You got it?!¡± Mary shrieked, clutching her box set protectively with one arm while she hugged him fiercely with the other. ¡°You¡¯re perfect. You¡¯re amazing. A hundred and ninety-seven dollars, plus tax, plus the sold out poster that¡¯s not even for sale anymore! Hah!¡±


    She beamed triumphantly at Kelly, certain that she¡¯d won.


    ¡°Not a big deal,¡± Foxy shrugged, giving them all a cocky smile. ¡°Oh¡ªbut they don¡¯t charge tax in here. Flat dollar amounts.¡±


    ¡°...Oh,¡± Mary said, looking visibly deflated at the news.


    ¡°Mark says the Mana: the Mastery tournament¡¯s over already,¡± Brian reported. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us in the lobby.¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah, right,¡± Foxy laughed. ¡°The tournament¡¯s over for him, maybe. Must¡¯ve been eliminated in like, the first couple rounds. That¡¯s hilarious.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably just a lot of great players this year,¡± Brian shrugged.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go back right away,¡± Mary protested, making an ugly face. ¡°I¡¯m not just gonna come and go at his beck and call. I¡¯m not his property.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liability, that¡¯s what you are,¡± Kelly smirked. ¡°Fucking child. It¡¯s embarrassing I was gonna even put in effort¡ªshe¡¯s just outta her training bra and already she thinks she¡¯s hot shit.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, take it easy,¡± Foxy warned, looking from Kelly to Mary and back again and wondering what¡¯d happened in the minute he was gone.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly laughed, shaking her head. ¡°I just did. C¡¯mon, Steph. C¡¯mon, Steve. Time to return little Betsy bed-wetter here to her brother.¡±


    Gnashing her teeth, Mary positively trembled with rage. If Kelly¡¯s earlier words had been infuriating, then that gothic lolita girl now acting dismissive of her, as though she wasn¡¯t even worth acknowledging¡ªThat just crossed my bottom fucking line.


    Kelly was already pulling Stephanie and Brian along.


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie leaned over to Brian to whisper, ¡°What¡­ were they, er¡ªwhy are they both getting so upset? I, uh, I don¡¯t understand it at all.¡±


    ¡°Upset?¡± Brian put on a stunned look. ¡°Here I was thinking that was just their way of flirting with each other, it was getting hard to watch. Hey¡ªow!¡± He turned the other way to see Kelly cluck her tongue in annoyance, and she pinched him again.


    ¡°Listen, Mary. I like you,¡± Foxy said as he escorted Mary back out of the vendor¡¯s room, travelling in the wake of Brian and his two companions. It seemed like he was running out of time. What the fucking hell, Mark. Couldn¡¯t you have lasted a few more tournament rounds?


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Mary shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not nice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in nice,¡± Foxy said with a dismissive gesture. ¡°I like that you know you¡¯re better than everyone else here, because I feel the same way. I like that you¡¯re honest with yourself about it¡ªyou¡¯re not putting up that false pretense, this nice attitude for people who¡¯re beneath you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m better than everyone,¡± Mary denied, frowning in disgust. ¡°Kelly¡¯s prettier than me, isn¡¯t she?¡± Though she was fairly confident in her looks, Kelly was undeniably superior in several ways, a stinging fact that rankled even more each time they interacted. Although Stephanie was threateningly cute, the weird little pink-haired girl didn¡¯t seem to have much real presence to back that up.


    ¡°Kelly¡¯s probably been preparing that specific look she¡¯s wearing now for months and months. Maybe even years. That¡¯s what chicks into all that gothic lolita fashion stuff are like,¡± Foxy shrugged. ¡°I bet every other day of the year she¡¯s just this plain jane wallflower nobody even notices.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? So, you think I¡¯m pretty?¡± Mary turned towards him with an unreadable expression.


    ¡°Obviously, or I wouldn¡¯t be here hanging out with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda shallow,¡± Mary said in a disapproving tone, but he could read a faint smile beginning to emerge.


    ¡°Is it? I appreciate a girl who very obviously takes good care of herself, who takes some pride in her appearance, because those things are important to me. Would you still be talking to me if I was some sweaty turbo-lard guy from the tournament hall?¡±


    ¡°Hah ha, ew,¡± Mary laughed, making a face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone and put myself out there a bit, now... I think you¡¯re worth my time,¡± Foxy said. ¡°So, you¡¯ve gotten to know me a bit. What do you think about me?¡±


    She stared at him with those unreadable dark brown eyes of hers, wearing an amused smile, before giving him a noncommittal shrug and glancing away as their group stepped through the small row of open double-doors and back into AnimeCon¡¯s lobby.


    A familiar impatient face was waiting for them, a casually-dressed Chinese guy wearing a somewhat ridiculous dragon-egg hat.


    ¡°Mark!¡± Brian grinned. ¡°This is Stephanie and Kelly. Stephanie and Kelly, this is Mark¡ªMary¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°H-hi.¡±


    ¡°I can see the resemblance.¡±


    Mark blinked in confusion, turning from the Brian to the girls and back again.


    ¡°...Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Mark¡­ I literally just introduced them to you,¡± Brian said, gesturing to each of the girls once again. ¡°This is Stephanie, and this is Kelly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I mean but who are they?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re his obedient slaves,¡± Kelly offered, slipping her hand through Stephanie¡¯s and fluttering her eyelashes innocently.


    Mark¡¯s mouth fell open to gape in disbelief, and he turned doubtfully back to Brian.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you find them? Where¡¯s Emily and Becca and everyone?¡±


    ¡°Becca couldn¡¯t make it, she¡¯s with her new boyfriend,¡± Brian explained. ¡°Emily and Rebecca aren¡¯t getting here ¡®till later today. Everyone else made other plans, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca? The viking chick? Heard of her¡ªhaven¡¯t met her, yet.¡± Mark muttered, still eyeing Stephanie and Kelly with a questioning expression. ¡°...And you guys are Brian¡¯s slaves?¡±


    Kelly simply smiled, while Stephanie shot an amused glance to Brian, bit her lip, and then nodded with a blush.


    ¡°No shit? Hey, make them do something,¡± Mark tried goading Brian for a moment before realizing with a start who was standing next to his sister. ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t Foxy of fucking Loxly.¡±


    ¡°Mark,¡± Foxy nodded politely. ¡°Out of the tournament already? Must¡¯ve not done so well this year.¡±


    ¡°Christ, was it shitty this time,¡± Mark made a sorrowful expression, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°Lost to Little Tucker, he¡¯s playing a denial deck. But I wreck all of his creatures in the first few turns, pull them from his graveyard into my hand. So by the time he shuts me out from re-deploying anything, he has nothing to hit me with but Rite Rats.


    ¡°Rite Rats! They wouldn¡¯t have even been able to damage me if they hadn¡¯t counted as consecrated, and in the end it still took him like, twelve turns to whittle me down. Twelve fucking turns where I didn¡¯t draw a single ancient stone or leyline so that I could deploy anything. Fucking disgrace all around. Fucking Rite Rats, can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°You lost to Little Tucker?¡± Foxy frowned. ¡°That should be embarrassing, but it¡¯s really just sad. There¡¯s nothing satisfying about him beating anyone. I should¡¯ve been there.¡±


    ¡°...So you really were a Mana player this whole time?¡± Mary accused Foxy, looking disappointed.


    ¡°Hah, he wishes,¡± Mark spat. ¡°Couple years back, he was the regional champ here. Played an Elder Gods deck, if I remember right¡ªback when those were still viable. But then, last year, he¡¯s going up against this whiny fat guy, really pulverizing him, I guess, and fatass loses it and flips the table¡ªlike, really, he actually flips the table over. All of their cards, all over the fuckin¡¯ place. So guess how Foxy responded to that? He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Knocked him the fuck out,¡± Foxy said through his teeth, shaking his head at the memory.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mary asked, her eyes sparkling. ¡°You knocked him out?¡±


    ¡°One hit K.-O.¡± Mark laughed. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember? I was trying to show you the video of it last year?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary said, frowning. ¡°I want to see it.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that amazing,¡± Foxy said. ¡°Like tipping over a sweaty mattress somebody¡¯d propped up there. Wasn¡¯t a big deal, and they didn¡¯t have to ban me from the regionals for it.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t a big deal? Wasn¡¯t a big deal?¡± Mark¡¯s voice escalated into a crescendo. ¡°Aside from a few of us serious players, nobody knew who you were, even after you took a championship. Now, everyone won¡¯t shut up about you. Don¡¯t know how many times today I heard a player tell his opponent, ¡®Man, I¡¯m ¡®bout to Fox you right in the fucking Loxly.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, great. Just what I always wanted, to become a meme for mouth-breather Mana players,¡± Foxy scowled. ¡°Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, why¡¯d ya throw the punch, then?¡±


    ¡°That fatass was way outta line,¡± Foxy argued. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna regret teaching him a lesson, it just¡­ well, it pisses me off that I had to be the one to do it, and that I have to bear the consequences. You know, pisses me off that there¡¯s guys like that just coasting through life, still throwing tantrums like little children, ¡®cause no one¡¯s ever gonna call them out on it.


    ¡°Well, I will,¡± Foxy decided, his expression darkening. ¡°Reality check, motherfucker.¡±


    ¡°Reality check, motherfucker,¡± Mary repeated with a bright laugh, slipping her hand around Foxy¡¯s. ¡°Mark¡­ I¡¯m going to spend the rest of the day with Foxy. Don¡¯t try to stop me, or I¡¯ll have him hurt ya, okay? Reality check, motherfucker.¡±


    ¡°Hah, try to stop you?¡± Mark guffawed in her face, slapping at the nearby Brian¡¯s shoulder in amusement. ¡°You ever gonna realize I¡¯ve been trying to pawn you off on everyone else around me, since always and forever?


    ¡°Well, fuck, Foxy, fair warning; despite her own best efforts, she¡¯s still a virgin, and our parents are very serious Catholics. Let¡¯s just say, you break it, you bought it, if you catch my drift?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking talk about me, that¡¯s disgusting,¡± Mary hissed in anger. ¡°You¡¯re the fucking virgin, you stupid little shit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is that supposed to be an insult?¡± Mark laughed. ¡°Like, because I¡¯m smart enough to never get my dick caught in a money-grubbing beartrap, there¡¯s something wrong with me? No offense, I guess, Brian.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be crass, Mark,¡± Foxy said in a disapproving tone, and he pulled Mary away from the group to head down the east wing with her. She wore a bright smile, not resisting in the slightest.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian said, keeping a straight face. ¡°Are you trying to say I¡¯m not a virgin? I¡¯ll have you know; I¡¯ve never even kissed a girl.¡± Mark didn¡¯t miss Stephanie and Kelly exchanging amused glances at that, guiding Brian away from Mark in the opposite direction from Mary and Foxy, towards the escalators leading to AnimeCon¡¯s upper level.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Mark shrugged. ¡°I warned you. Hey, wait¡ªI thought you guys were gonna come back with me? I was gonna wait for them to reopen the tournament hall with everyone, so we can all hang out. Where¡¯re you guys going? Guys? Guys?!¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°...Could you beat Brian in a fight?¡± Mary asked, walking along alone now with Foxy while hugging the precious Korean drama box set against her chest.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Foxy answered without hesitation, twirling the tube of her rolled-up 4NE1 poster in his fingers absent-mindedly. ¡°If I¡¯ve got a reason to. Do I? He seemed like an alright guy, mostly. He say something to make you think otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Kelly did,¡± Mary admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t fucking stand her. She needs a big fat reality check. Like, you know¡ªreality check, motherfucker.¡±


    Foxy blanched. It wasn¡¯t a question of whether he could give Kelly a reality check¡ªit was a question of whether he would ever fight her in the first place. Even with some serious provocation, it would rarely be acceptable for him to smack around a girl, let alone that one. He¡¯d then surely be up against Brian as well, in addition to any number of nearby guys who decided to play white knight, as well as convention security and then inevitably the police. That unspoken fact hung in the air between them, Mary obviously having already arrived at the same conclusion; to take on Brian instead.


    ¡°Then, yeah, like I said, I could take Brian on, should we run into them again,¡± Foxy said. ¡°Piece of cake¡­ but I¡¯d need a reason to. You¡¯re the one with reasons¡ªgive me a reason. Give me a stake in this.¡±


    They walked along the hallway together in silence for a minute while Mary considered his words with a deep frown.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat all of this Pocki,¡± Mary said abruptly, holding up the half-empty box of Pocki he¡¯d bought her and rattling it for emphasis.


    She can¡¯t finish¡­ a box of Pocki? Foxy thought, suppressing a wince. An entire box was about as satiating as eating a single cookie¡ªthese tiny little sticks weren¡¯t filling at all. What¡¯s with that all of the sudden, did she not like them? Is she just making an excuse to throw them away, or¡ª


    ¡°Sooo, you can help me eat them,¡± Mary reasoned, sliding out one of the remaining thin sticks and holding it up to him.


    Surprised, he¡¯d just been moving to take it when she yanked it back from him. Foxy didn¡¯t appreciate being taunted, and his eyes flashed, darting from the withdrawn Pocki to her smiling face in annoyance. But there was something different about the way she was looking at him now¡ªshe wore a teasing expression, but not a mocking one.


    She looks almost... nervous?


    Foxy watched with growing fascination as she slowly took that stick of Pocki she was holding, placed one end between the soft cleft of her lips, and leaned back towards him.


    He dropped a hand down to rest upon her waist, steadying her, pulling her a little closer, and deftly caught the opposite end of that Pocki stick pointed towards him with his mouth. There were both still for a moment, a tacit understanding exchanged within their gaze, the couple connected by more than just the confection propped between their lips¡ªand then, they began to close the distance with small nibbles.


    Brian... you seemed like an okay guy. You¡¯d better just hope we don¡¯t run into each other again for the rest of the convention.

 After AnimeCon - Brian Returns

    One Week Later


    With a sudden jerk of motion, Brian sat up in bed, displacing bed covers that had been drawn up part way over his chest. He opened up his eyes wide, blinked rapidly, then squinted as the fog of an unnaturally long sleep cleared. This was his room¡ªthis was his bed, back at his apartment, and he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa,¡± Emily held up her hands. ¡°Easy, easy, take it easy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily?¡± Brian paused, too stunned by the figure beside her to think about what Emily was doing here. ¡°Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Hi Brian¡­¡± Kelly greeted in a weak voice.


    He yanked back the covers and hopped out of bed to discover he was wearing a pair of boxers that he didn¡¯t remember putting on. A pair he wouldn¡¯t have put on. This was that random green pair of boxers that was always shoved to the back of the drawer with the other old ones from that set, he never wore them because they had that weird uncomfortable habit of riding up whenever he extended his stride for a longer step or twisted certain ways. Someone else had dressed him.


    Shit. What time is it¡ªam I late for work? Brian saw light coming in through the window and started to feel a sense of panic rising up. Fuck me, I¡¯m ABSOLUTELY late for work, I¡¯m scheduled every fucking day after the con. What DAY is it?!


    ¡°Brian, Brian stop stop stop, slow down¡ª¡± Emily tried to stall his panic.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Brian paused, working his mouth. His mouth felt weird. ¡°¡ªthe fuck?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, we can explain everything!¡± Emily insisted, taking him by the arm. ¡°Sit down. Brian.¡±


    Ignoring her futile attempt to push him back onto the bed, Brian ducked down to slip an arm beneath the back of her legs, and easily scooped Emily up into the air. Her unruly mess of hair that was once a slightly overgrown pixie-cut was dark again, with only an inch of the vivid bright blue still there along the outside edges. It gave her hair a mottled look with sharp contrasts when her hair was tousled like this. Turning his attention from the squirming girl in his arms to Kelly, he discovered the buxom girl likewise had long hair that had returned to black, with only brilliant red tips remaining.


    ¡°Hey¡ªhey!¡± Emily protested with a laugh. ¡°Brian.¡±


    ¡°Christ, thought I was gonna wake up and all of that was gonna have been like, a dream or something,¡± Brian smothered Emily¡¯s forehead and cheek with kisses. ¡°Like¡ªholy shit am I glad to see you guys. Both of you. Is Stephanie¡­?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s finishing out her semester, still,¡± Kelly explained¡ªshe had a nervous, wary look about her that filled Brian with the need to put her at ease. ¡°So, uh¡­ how much do you remember? What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°Rebecca turned into a bunch of trees and was like, trying to soothe me?¡± Brian planted an extra sloppy kiss between Emily¡¯s brows and then tossed her haphazardly on the bed. ¡°Or uhh, no that was probably a dream, huh? Fuck. What time is it? I uh¡ªshitfuck, my phone¡¯s still gone. How late for work am I?¡±


    ¡°Over a month,¡± Emily exclaimed, fighting the tangle of covers to get back up to her feet. ¡°Brian, you¡¯ve been out for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not kidding,¡± Kelly said with a small wince. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for a month. Month and some change.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian froze, unable to process that for a moment. ¡°A whole month. Did¡ª¡±


    The two girls waited as that unfinished sentence of his hung in the air, but his crashing thoughts had already displaced whatever he had intended to say, and he stood in the middle of his room with a confused frown. What was the last thing he remembered? He recalled the surreal events of the convention weekend¡ªwhich was a LOT to take back in all at once¡ªhe remembered the terrifying and somewhat thrilling sex he¡¯d had with Kelly right there in a booth of the crowded vendor¡¯s room, and then¡ª


    ¡°Is¡­ Chloe okay?¡± Brian asked. ¡°That was Chloe getting like, assaulted out there, right? In the alleyway?¡±


    ¡°Chloe is¡­¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°Well. You did save her, back there. She didn¡¯t get attacked.¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop, stop,¡± Brian stepped forward. ¡°Time out, here. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I uh,¡± Kelly almost flinched back. ¡°S¡¯my fault. In the first place. I got you hurt. Fucked everything up, like I warned everyone I would. Brian¡­ if I hadn¡¯t sent you out there¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThen Chloe would have gotten attacked,¡± Brian finished for her with a slight scowl. ¡°I mean¡ªfuck, sure as hell not thrilled with Chloe, but no one deserves to be attacked. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Emily agreed, jumping off the bed and latching her entire body onto Brian¡¯s back. ¡°And¡ªyou did save her sorry ass!¡±


    ¡°Still my fault,¡± Kelly insisted. ¡°You got hurt because of me.¡±


    ¡°True, true,¡± Brian nodded, hunkering slightly to shift Emily up enough that he could get a hand beneath her butt to support her weight before righting himself. ¡°So¡ªyeah. You owe me, big time. Let¡¯s say two¡ªno, three kisses. They¡¯ve gotta be good ones, too.¡±


    ¡°And some head,¡± Emily chimed in. ¡°Ask for¡ªbro! Ask for some head, too. C¡¯mon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you blame me for what happened,¡± Kelly told him in a serious voice. ¡°I mean it. If¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and kiss me,¡± Brian stepped forward with Emily still on his back and kissed Kelly.


    Stealing Kelly¡¯s lips felt good, they were deceptively soft and once again those tingly pop rock sparkles of power appeared in the back of his mind as he fully embraced her. He felt her body relaxing into his arms, felt her tension wick away as those red beams of starlight reconnected them on a deep, primal level. It felt good to be back, felt great to be back here, sandwiched in between Kelly and Emily, and he held the kiss a moment or three longer than necessary before finally allowing the girl to breathe again.


    ¡°Hoooly fuck,¡± Kelly swore, blinking rapidly as a flush or relief seemed to color her features. ¡°Forgot what it was uh, what it was like having that work the other way again.¡±


    Her long hair was completely red again, and Kelly looked more herself again. That Kelly confidence he remembered had been steeped with unfamiliar tension that he had needed to dispel, seeing her smile again seemed to make the entire world light up, and¡ª


    ¡°Fuuuck, do me! Do me!¡± Emily slapped the top of his head. ¡°Bro¡ªc¡¯mon. My turn, big guy. Do me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, hold on,¡± Brian griped with a smirk. ¡°Just¡ªone second. You said it¡¯s been a whole fucking month?¡±


    ¡°Brian kiss me,¡± Emily demanded. ¡°Kiss me¡ªno wait. You can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily, hold up, Christ,¡± Brian protested, letting her drop back down behind him. ¡°Take it back down a notch. So, uh¡ªlevel with me. On a scale of one to ten, how fired am I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re uh¡ªyou¡¯re on leave of absence?¡± Emily was already ripping her clothes off. ¡°There was this¡ªyou see, when I called them about the whole thing, they¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shitfuck,¡± Brian swore, running his hands through his hair. ¡°If it¡¯s been a whole damn month, they sure as hell hired on another forklift driver. I need to get over there¡ªuhhh meet me in the shower?¡±


    He took the still dreamily-smiling Kelly by the shoulders and moved her to the side, because he needed to get into the bathroom, and there wasn¡¯t a ton of space in his apartment here. Stepping past her and into the little bathroom enclosure, he flicked the lights on to reveal unfamiliar toothbrushes and toothpaste things on the sink. Likewise, shampoo and bodywash bottles he didn¡¯t recognize were arrayed on the little shower shelf across from him now, and a white loofah was hanging from the opposite side of the towel rack. He wasn¡¯t a stranger to women¡¯s products being in here; Chloe had possessed a dark purple loofah and a bunch of expensive products. None of these were Chloe¡¯s. With all of these details present, it was really only now hitting him that these girls had been living here in his apartment. For a while. Maybe a month really had passed.


    ¡°Brian, wait¡ª¡± Emily finished shimmying out of her shirt and threw it on the carpet in a huff. ¡°Hold onnn!¡±


    ¡°Emmie¡ªEmily, alright just wait a sec,¡± Brian chuckled at seeing her enormous grin. ¡°Just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to contact them at the packing plant, soon as you were able to again,¡± Kelly said, holding Emily back by the shoulders. ¡°Do you want to drive out there? We have all your paperwork stuff from the hospital, it¡¯s on your desk.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Brian froze again. ¡°Hospital? Did¡ªwas I¡ªfuck, hold on, Emily. Let me brush my fuckin¡¯ teeth, goddamn. I feel all weird.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t swear at me, stupid!¡± Emily tried and failed to sound cross as she shrugged off Kelly¡¯s hands.


    The Latina immediately dropped down onto her knees in front of Brian, and grabbed for his boxers.


    ¡°Your teeth are fine, chill. You never even smelled bad, all the magic bullshit took care of that! You don¡¯t need to shower.¡±


    ¡°Emily, cut it out,¡± Brian smacked her hands away and pulled his boxers back up. It was hard not to stare at Emily was now baring for him, but Brian refused to allow himself to be distracted right now. ¡°Just¡ªjust give me a second. Time out. Hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± Emily snorted, fidgeting with energy as she tried to resist the urge to pounce. ¡°Broken ribs, uhh, busted orbital, mega-concussion, and your one wrist was like, fuckin¡¯ smashed. It¡¯s whatever; you¡¯re all fine now. See? If¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡± Brian asked, turning back to the source he could somewhat trust.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ telling the truth,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°Basically.¡±


    ¡°Bro¡ªyou don¡¯t gotta check with her!¡± Emily protested, flailing her hands out. ¡°As if I¡¯m just like, makin¡¯ all this stuff up. I mean¡ªwhat the fuck. Bruh. Bruh!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I just¡ªthis is a lot to fucking catch up on, I guess,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Can you uh, can you gimme a minute? I apparently haven¡¯t pissed in like, a month.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emily deflated. ¡°Wellll, you can¡ªnope. Better not even say it. Too soon, huh?¡±


    ¡°Get outta here,¡± Brian swatted her out of the bathroom and closed the door.


    <hr>


    Much to Emily¡¯s apparent disappointment, Brian spent a full ten minutes in there by himself, just taking a searing-hot shower and trying to run everything he remembered back through his mind. He was in a relationship with several incredible girls now, which was fucking amazing. Being knocked out for an entire month felt like it was pretty implausible, though. His distracted from Emily teasing him, but then also¡­ she probably wasn¡¯t even playing around with him. She would have just started blowing him if he hadn¡¯t stopped her. It was very strange to think about, and although he wanted to be enthusiastic, it all felt unreal enough that he just needed a bit of time to adjust.


    Kelly¡¯s here, living with me, too, Brian thought as he massaged shampoo suds throughout his hair. Goddamn this is distracting. What the fuck all HAPPENED?


    Aside from the trippy stuff with a Rebecca made out of trees talking to him, the last thing he remembered was that shoving match back and forth with those assholes in the alleyway, the ones who¡¯d been assaulting Chloe. It hadn¡¯t been going well, and he was pretty confident one of them had kicked him in the face. After that¡­ he didn¡¯t remember much of anything after that. Which was ominous. But¡ªhe felt fine. Better than fine, he felt great right now. Full of energy, like he was in tip-top shape.


    Definitely not like he¡¯d been some bed-ridden invalid for an entire month.


    He sputtered for a moment as he let the shower spray run over his face, rubbed thumbs down his brows and cleared the water from his eyes before opening them, then turned to let the current rinse the foam from his hair, running fingertips along his scalp. There was too much to consider all at once right now, and he needed answers. The water was shut off, Brian yanked open the shower curtain, and¡ªa once-again dressed Emily was revealed waiting for him in the open bathroom door.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emily bit her lip and failed to suppress a grin as her lascivious look raked up and down his naked figure. ¡°I, uh. I just¡ªI really missed you. I¡¯ve missed you. A lot. Lots.¡±


    ¡°Emily. Give him space,¡± Kelly admonished from somewhere in the living room. ¡°Jesus.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ll¡­¡± Emily trailed off, staring at his erection and seemingly unable to look away. ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ right over there. When you need me. For anything. Anything.¡±


    ¡°Help me dry off?¡± Brian suggested with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emily leapt forward. ¡°Dude¡ªI¡¯m on it. I¡¯m all over it.¡±


    ¡°Towel?¡± Brian reminded her. ¡°With a towel.¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah I was thinkin¡¯ that too,¡± Emily was nodding her head in a steady bob as she groped blindly for the towel. ¡°S¡¯what I use to dry too, when I dry off. When I dry off my body. Towels. Man, you have a nice dick, you know? Look at it. But uhh, yep yep, yeppers. Towel-dry, that¡¯ll do it. That¡¯ll, uh, that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Emily squeaked out, finally managing to pull the towel from the bar. ¡°I love you. Love you love you love you. Sorry I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m super hyped up, I¡ªyou were knocked out for way too fuckin¡¯ long, and I uh, I-I missed you. I missed you so fucking much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back now,¡± Brian assured her, accepting the towel and quickly ruffling it through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    To his surprise, Emily didn¡¯t lunge in or take advantage of his nude body, and after a few more seconds he dropped the towel to see she had tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Emily, s¡¯okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± he assured her, stepping up to give her an awkward half-hug that didn¡¯t get her clothes too wet. ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be okay. Alright?¡±


    Indifferent to the moisture cladding him, at his invitation Emily latched onto him with both arms and hid her face against his wet chest. Brian let the towel hang from the edge of the sink and held her for a long minute, stroking a hand through her blue-and-black hair as the swirls of steam from the shower dissipated out into the rest of the apartment.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emily rubbed her face as she finally disengaged with a nervous laugh. ¡°I love you. Kelly¡¯s uh, Kelly has Stephie on the line, ¡®cause she promised her we¡¯d call soon as you were up again. They¡¯re probably waiting?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Brian said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. ¡°I see both you and Kelly started to lose your color?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh yeah, from us when we, we put the magic into your healing thing,¡± Emily explained, taking the towel and actually helping dry Brian off.


    ¡°You had a healing spell frame thing, we got it all lit up¡ªit only took for fucking ever. Magic spells and shit, kept you from waking up ¡®til uhh, ¡®til your bones all unfucked themselves. You were a mess, my guy. Face was all bashed up an¡¯ everything. So ah, so we put magic into your thing by kissing you. Five times a day.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian said, trying to imagine it. ¡°So, I was just¡ªlaying there, all this time?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emily confirmed, peeking up at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be hooked up to anything or take in sustenance besides magic, I guess. Somehow. How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Pretty great,¡± Brian admitted, taking hold of her wrists to stop her rubbing the towel up and down him. ¡°Should I¡­ you know? Kiss you? See if the blue comes back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily answered honestly, staring back up at him with wide eyes. ¡°You should. Please?¡±


    Unlike the stiff surprise and then tension giving way he had just experienced in kissing Kelly, making out with Emily was wet. The kiss began open mouthed, and she was suckling on his lower lip and trying to french him almost right away¡ªjoy bubbled up through them in shimmering blue surges of raw affection. His tongue slid against hers and she moaned into his mouth, swaying against him, and the taste of Emily was saturated with blue in a way he couldn¡¯t explain. Their kiss was needy, sloppy, and Emily grabbed his forearms tight and hummed with satisfaction as if some inner pressure wheel had finally been turned and water pressure was restored.


    When they broke apart, Emily¡¯s lips were glistening with saliva, her messy shock of hair was once again that brilliant shade of blue, and she looked up at him with dazed eyes.


    ¡°Hhhfuckme I, uh, I needed that,¡± Emily admitted, trying to regain her balance. ¡°Like, a lot. Uh. Yeah. Wow. Wowie-wowzers. Socks knocked off bro, damn. Socks status; knocked. Off. Sorry, I¡¯m babbling aren¡¯t I? Yeah¡ªI¡¯m babbling. Damn. Cool, cool. Cool. So uh, if you wanna, do you think we can¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Stephanie demands her Brian,¡± Kelly reminded them from the other room.


    <hr>


    ¡°So¡ªuhhh, yeah. That¡¯s everything that happened,¡± Emily finished.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian could only give a slow nod as he tried to grapple with everything that had apparently gone down in his absence. ¡°Uh. Kelly¡ªhow much of that really happened?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily gave him a playful smack and her mightiest pout. ¡°All of it happened. For real.¡±


    ¡°She left out most of the other timeline stuff, but yeah,¡± Kelly said. ¡°That catches you up on what happened here with us.¡±


    A whiteboard was propped up in front of the TV across the room from them now, covered in a dense sprawl of Emily¡¯s illegible handwriting that no one but her could decipher. Towards the bottom, she had doodled giant-eyed chibi versions of each of the girls in their ¡®harem,¡¯ even having taken the time to switch between the different colors of dry erase markers to accurately represent their hair. As much time and thought as Emily had put into it, the super deformed depictions done up in Emily¡¯s less-than-stellar drawing style had done nothing but lowered the credibility of the entire insane magic harem thing Brian was trying to come to terms with.


    ¡°Chriiist,¡± Brian blew out a long breath, running his hands through his hair. ¡°I can¡¯t even¡ªjust, fuck. What the hell.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?!¡± Emily tried to snuggle in closer to him on the sofa.


    ¡°Steph, are you still there?¡± Brian asked, turning his attention to the coffee table where Emily¡¯s phone sat.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice came through the speaker, with a rustling noise as something on the other end shifted. ¡°Sorry, I ah, I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡±


    ¡°You should cut class,¡± Kelly suggested. ¡°Just for a few days. Or maybe take, like, a week off. Spend time with us, for however long you want.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca, too,¡± Emily said. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But, okay wait¡ªthis¡­ then what happened with the Rebecca thing?¡± Brian asked, wiping his eyes. ¡°Did she wind up kissing me, while I was unconscious? Did that work? Or, uh, did that unlock her stuff again? I don¡¯t really understand it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily made a face. ¡°Stupid Rebecca. I tried and tried, I told her and told her, but she was just all ehhh and wussed out and got cold feet. When we got her right there standing over you. She was so freakin¡¯ close. If she¡¯d just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rebecca wanted to kiss you,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°But, in the end she wasn¡¯t comfortable doing it like that, in those circumstances. She wanted to be able to talk about all of it with you first.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow at Kelly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± Kelly narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in a glare¡­ that Brian thought was much more cute than she had probably intended it to be.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªI dunno,¡± Brian gave the beautiful redhead a searching look. ¡°You sound like you agree with Rebecca on that, and yeah, I do too. I appreciate she wants to put thought into this, talk things through with me first. Just, that seems contrary to¡­ I don¡¯t know. Contrary to what I¡¯d normally expect you to go with. You¡¯re always against all the uh, the hesitation, the stopping to work everything out. Talking about everything. I thought you¡¯d be more in wanting her to just say fuck it, and she should just kiss me. To see what happens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I say,¡± Emily purred. ¡°S¡¯not like she can go wrong with Brian¡ªBrian¡¯s the best. Obviously. Duh.¡±


    ¡°Emily wasn¡¯t this annoying when you were in that deep sleep,¡± Kelly remarked with a scowl. ¡°But. Yes. Yeah. You got me. I don¡¯t know what else I can say. This all with you guys isn¡¯t something I can afford to¡­ approach as casually as I would have before. Because I went and caught feels. So¡ªso now¡­ I don¡¯t know what you want me to say. Stephanie was right, all of it¡¯s more than worth it. But, Rebecca joining the harem or whatever you want to call it is a big decision, and it will affect all of us, and¡ªyeah. She was right wanting to wait for you to be able to have your say.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice from the phone sounded worried.


    ¡°Okay, sorry,¡± Brian sat forward. ¡°Really. I don¡¯t mean to be judgmental, I wasn¡¯t going for some kind of¡­ I told you so, or anything. Just, all of this seems super abrupt to me, because¡­ I guess I was knocked out for all this time while you guys have been adjusting to this whole¡­ thing. To me, it¡¯s like a couple hours ago you were about ready to bail on us completely, and then I managed to get you distracted talking about garlic bread? And then we fucked, right in the middle of the vendor¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Wait what,¡± Emily¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°You what?!¡±


    ¡°Or, maybe we didn¡¯t?¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Hard to say how much of that was a dream. Especially if, from what you¡¯ve said, Rebecca really does turn into talking trees? So, that part wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡ªthat¡¯s just in the dreamscape that she¡¯s trees,¡± Emily sat up. ¡°The dreamscape isn¡¯t real. Well, it¡¯s real, but it¡¯s not¡ªit¡¯s not real, real, it¡¯s a mental thing. Like, Rebecca is trees, I¡¯m a river. It¡¯s super deep and symbolic, actually. If you think about it.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Brian tried not to sound as skeptical as he felt. ¡°Is it, though?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ Emily¡¯s last name is Rivera?¡± Stephanie guessed.


    ¡°No, not just that¡ªthe water element for me and everything,¡± Emily argued with a fit of exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s super spot on. There¡¯s colors and shit for everyone, too. It¡¯s one hundred percent anime magic bullshit. Steph can fucking read minds, sorta. Mostly, anyways. Kell gets magic transmissions from her future self.¡±


    ¡°And then, you¡¯re a river and Rebecca is¡­ trees?¡± Brian gave her a lopsided smile. ¡°How does that fit into the theme? Mind powers, future sight, river, trees?¡±


    ¡°No! No, I¡¯m¡ªokay, I¡¯m not super set on my superpower yet, but like, Kelly is comets or stars, and her motif is red. See? Red hair, red stars and stuff. Steph¡¯s pink, and then in the dreamscape her thing is fire. But, she¡¯s actually an empath. When you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know all of that seems fitting and symbolic,¡± Brian said. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it also sort of like astrology? To where you can look at whatever zodiac sign is supposed to match up with you and say, yeah, sure, these super vague traits apply to me. If I look for them in myself. When really, they¡¯re made generic enough to apply to anyone and anything?¡±


    ¡°Here we go again with Brian being a typical Taurus,¡± Emily shook her head in apparent dismay. ¡°Stubborn and intractable, as always. You know, if¡ª¡±


    ¡°The problem right now is Chloe,¡± Kelly interrupted. ¡°Guys. We have to do something about her. Soon. We can¡¯t have Rebecca basically imprisoning her indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t let her go,¡± Emily muttered under her breath. ¡°I know it sounds shitty, but¡­ if you think about it, there¡¯s really only one option we even have. We can¡¯t risk letting her live.¡±


    ¡°Emily, we¡¯re not murdering Chloe,¡± Brian groaned, resting his forehead on his hand. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯not murder, it¡¯s self defense!¡± Emily insisted. ¡°If we let her go, she¡¯ll go to the Masters to try to fuck us over. She said she would. Sorry, but that¡¯s the final nail in the coffin, far as I¡¯m concerned. I don¡¯t even understand how we¡¯re still discussing this. You let her free, she will immediately bend every fiber of her being towards fucking us over. To the greatest degree possible. You know she will.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not our only option,¡± Kelly said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Emily¡¯s voice rose. ¡°I know it sounds shitty, but it is our only option. At every fucking turn crazy fucking Chloe just comes back even fucking crazier and tries to fuck us over. At what point do we still just¡ªkeep letting that happen? Sorry, I¡¯m done turning the other cheek, and I¡¯m all outta patience with her. What¡¯s it going to take for you to realize putting the bitch out of her misery is what we need to do? Something happening to me? The Masters coming for Steph? If we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily, shut the fuck up,¡± Kelly¡¯s voice was calm, but her eyes were anything but. ¡°I had to see that happen, in one of the sends. That is not a fucking joke.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not a joke,¡± Emily threw out her hands. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ saying! Tolerating more punishment from Chloe just needs to stop, and there¡¯s only one way it¡¯s fucking going to stop, and everyone knows it.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we just¡ªkill her?¡± Brian gave her an uneasy laugh. ¡°Emily¡­ are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emily huffed and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m just saying out loud what we¡¯re all thinking. We can¡¯t let her go free. She will fuck us over.¡±


    ¡°Not if we can help her!¡± Stephanie chimed in.


    ¡°Not if we get her back to being Christine,¡± Kelly argued. ¡°She was fine as Christine. She protected Brian from the Masters as Christine.¡±


    ¡°Her issues as Chloe are like a mental imbalance,¡± Stephanie added. ¡°She was a broken mirror before, and then when she was put on a magic path, the mirror was whole and intact, and she didn¡¯t have all the hate and rage controlling her.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ ¡®Christine¡¯ is this alter-ego of Chloe¡¯s, supposedly,¡± Brian looked from Kelly to Emily and back again. ¡°Who I¡¯ve never met. Who also happens to be a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Not technically a vampire,¡± Kelly scowled. ¡°She was just starting in that direction. Blood magic, instead of love magic. But; yes. Christine was like having Chloe, but without the crazy. She was¡­ okay.¡±


    ¡°None of that redeems her from anything she¡¯s done!¡± Emily insisted. ¡°Even guarding Brian, back then¡ªthat¡¯s like, self-interest on her part. Since he¡¯s the source of her powers, and she won¡¯t want cut off, if he can do that. Who knows if he can or can¡¯t? She doesn¡¯t know for sure. Also, if Brian did go with the Masters and learn The Laws or whatever they have, probably the first thing he¡¯d do as Evil Brian would be to go after Chloe. Nip that issue in the bud. Permanently.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing you¡¯re suggesting we do now, though,¡± Brian pointed out, incredulous. ¡°Thing is¡ªI¡¯m not Evil Brian. Okay? So, just. Fuck, can we just say killing her is off the table? We¡¯re not killing her. That¡¯s final.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Emily glowered. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stephanie¡¯s sigh of relief could be heard through the speaker.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t even a serious conversation I ever thought we¡¯d be having,¡± Brian leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. ¡°Just¡ªfuck me, you know? This all escalated really quickly. One minute it¡¯s all flirting and fun and talking about garlic bread, the next it¡¯s all Masters and mind control and planning actual murder?¡±


    ¡°Now I want garlic bread,¡± Stephanie said in a small voice. ¡°Shoot.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the future timelines,¡± Kelly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah, not to mention those,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Just¡­ fuck. We¡¯re not just gonna kill her. I guess for now¡­ we need to drive out there and see what we can do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee kissing her will fix her,¡± Emily grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve already established that she was charm-zapped before, and still okay with going completely psycho on us.¡±


    ¡°She was Focus activated, but not initiated,¡± Kelly gave Emily a superior smirk.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that!¡± Emily protested, jabbing an accusing finger across the room. ¡°I gather up all the rules and terms we know, I write them on the whiteboard, and you, you just turn your nose up at all of that, because it¡¯s oh, it¡¯s stupid silly Emily stuff! You don¡¯t get to diss on my whiteboard and then also borrow the terms whenever you think you can use them against me. Okay? Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Emily! Kelly!¡± Stephanie warned them both. ¡°Be nice to each other. Please?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kelly actually managed to look chastised. ¡°I just¡ªmost of the time I don¡¯t have patience for the magic bullshit. Except for the great kisses and mindblowing amazing sex, all of it just seems stupid and unnecessary to me. I do¡­ appreciate that Emily is willing to deal with it, so that I don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emily thrust a middle finger of exasperation at Kelly, but didn¡¯t seem upset anymore. ¡°Just don¡¯t come crawling back to me when I unlock teleportation, or flight, or something super badass like magic spells. Normie.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªyou take that back!¡± Stephanie scolded from the phone on the coffee table. ¡°Don¡¯t call her a normie!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even tell which one of you is making fun of me anymore?¡± Kelly remarked. ¡°I am a normie; I am completely normal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, so ¡®Focus active¡¯¡ªthat means Chloe touched the charm, right?¡± Brian gently took Emily¡¯s raised arm and middle finger and lowered it back down. ¡°Primed into magic, or something. Initiated means, what? That we had to have kissed?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emily grunted, crossing her arms again. ¡°Rebecca proved that the Focus activation thing is temporary. From there, kissing seems to initiate one onto the charm magic path, blood obviously puts you instead on the road to being a vampire. But, thing is¡ªwe don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just kissing, because it might be a lot more than that. My hypothesis is that it requires a certain degree of compatibility, or uh, or interest. You know, attraction. Something. This is all like, feels magic, I think the feelings for one another play a huge part and that it¡¯s not just the actual act of kissing.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Brian considered that. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying it¡¯s probable that Chloe was only ever going to be compatible with the blood magic path in the first place. Because of the whole uh, deeply and intensely hating my guts thing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emily looked up into his eyes. ¡°So, I think just kissing her and hoping the crazy stops is, well, dumb. It doesn¡¯t guarantee¡ªwell, anything. We don¡¯t know what could happen. She could just randomly go full vampire again, because that¡¯s a path that¡¯s already a part of her now. She could pretend to be cured of the crazy for just long enough for us to relax our guard, and then¡ªbam, she runs off the Masters with our names and addresses and all the details to use against us. We can¡¯t fucking risk it. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°She has made it pretty damned hard to trust her,¡± Brian admitted, blowing out a slow breath of vexation. ¡°Fucking hell.¡±


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°I think¡­ we¡¯d better at least drive out there and try to talk to her,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°We have the directions, right? It¡¯s a ways out there, though, so¡­ I guess I can get into storage and find wherever the hell my sleeping bag went.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca has loads of spares,¡± Emily mentioned. ¡°She has at least one at her grandparent¡¯s place, in their garage. I think there¡¯s a second one at Aunt Mattie¡¯s place, Mike and them were borrowing it. Oh shit, you should probably go see them real quick. So they know you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I can sleep in the car, or whatever. Don¡¯t have another shift until Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Can you make it?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± Stephanie paused for a long moment. ¡°I¡­ can. I do want to be there for, um, for whatever happens. If it¡¯s okay, I can ask Megan to drive me over and drop me off at your apartment? Tonight, after her last class ends. Then, we can all go out together tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yesss,¡± Kelly hissed in excitement, leaning forward. ¡°You can be here tonight?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be late, but yes, I think so,¡± Stephanie confirmed. ¡°Maybe¡­ ten or eleven o¡¯clock?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan, then,¡± Brian said. ¡°It¡¯ll be¡ªhonestly, it¡¯ll be great just to see you again. I know I was completely out of it for however long, but¡­ Steph, I really, really miss you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± Stephanie admitted, and her bright smile was so loud they could almost hear it. ¡°I love you!¡±

 After AnimeCon - Catching Up with Kelly

    ¡°But, I can barely boil noodles!¡± Emily protested, throwing her hands out. ¡°What do¡ªwhat do you expect me to do?!¡±


    ¡°Well, we need you to boil noodles for us,¡± Brian explained. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be back from the store with everything else we need by the time you¡¯re done.¡±


    He put his hand on Emily¡¯s waist to steady her as he maneuvered around her in the somewhat close quarters of his apartment¡¯s kitchen¡ªshe seemed downright eager to be moved around by him, and his longtime friend shot him another one of those oh my God just FUCK ME looks. Biting her lower lip, honeyed eyes open wide at him and eyebrows raised. Emily corrected the position of his hand from her side to plant it firmly on her little butt with a smack, and Brian gave her a grin as he went through the cabinet with his other hand to grab the box of noodles from the back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never made lasagna,¡± Emily said in her most sultry voice. ¡°Lasagna¡¯s all layers and stuff, and then don¡¯t you have to bake it forever? We could do something easier¡­ just for tonight?¡±


    ¡°We could,¡± Brian said, checking the box of uncooked pasta to make sure they had enough. ¡°But, I want lasagna and garlic bread.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Kelly said, taking her purse from the counter and slipping it over one shoulder. ¡°Emily¡ªhave higher standards. This is gonna be our big reunion dinner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two and always broke,¡± Emily threw her hands up in the air. ¡°How am I supposed to have standards about what¡¯s for dinner? And, what¡¯s wrong with ordering pizza?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s literally why you¡¯re always broke,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Down there, lower cabinet. Grab a pot. What I mean, is¡ªfor the same cost as ordering breadsticks and a two-liter, we can make an entire big meal for four here.¡±


    ¡°But, then we have to actually make it ourselves, like some kinda animals,¡± Emily dropped down and started scrounging through the bottom cupboard. ¡°This one? Big one, or biggish one? The pot with the long handle, or the one with little handles on both sides?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ªI dunno, just grab whichever one has a lid that fits,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°How do you not know how to cook?¡±


    ¡°I can cook just fine!¡±


    ¡°She lived with her mom, that¡¯s how,¡± Kelly remarked.


    ¡°Yeah, what happened to ¡®I can barely even cook noodles?¡¯¡± Brian recalled. ¡°Seem to remember just a few seconds ago you said¡ª¡±


    ¡°So?!¡± Emily blew a raspberry at them, rising back up with a pot and a lid. ¡°I¡¯ve cooked for myself before, it¡¯s just mostly a waste to. I¡¯m little. I have little tummy. I¡¯m not tryin¡¯ to cook up a whole giant-ass serving of somethin¡¯ special for just me.¡±


    ¡°Yep, yep,¡± Brian shook his head as he took the pot from her. ¡°She¡¯s all like I¡¯m starving, I need an entire pizza, and then after two slices she¡¯s like OMG, I¡¯m literally dying right now. My stomach is gonna burst. I want my mommy!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?! So?! So what?!¡± Emily laughed, spanking a hand across his butt. ¡°You would too, if you had a tiny tummy. Not everyone is just this, this big giant stupid ogre with a super huge cavernous stomach.¡±


    ¡°You have the oven preheating?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Do now,¡± Brian remarked, leaning past Emily to turn the knob. ¡°Oven is a go.¡±


    ¡°Oven is a go,¡± Emily parroted. ¡°I still wanna come with you guys to the store. You just finally fuckin¡¯ woke up, I wanna be with you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Brian kissed the top of her head. ¡°But, we¡¯ll be gone twenty minutes, tops, and I want to have just a little bit of time alone with Kelly so we can talk.¡±


    ¡°Without me being all excited and annoying,¡± Emily huffed. ¡°Fine. Fine, I get it. Sorry. I¡¯m just¡ªI¡¯m just so hyped.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t burn down the apartment,¡± Kelly deadpanned.


    ¡°And I love that you¡¯re so hyped,¡± Brian promised Emily. ¡°Give me a bit, so Kelly and I can do serious talk¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSerious, grown-up talk¡ª¡± Kelly added.


    ¡°¡ªAnd I can get Kelly to be all excited and annoying and hyped up, too,¡± Brian said. ¡°Instead of sulking or guilt-tripping or anything like that. Then, we¡¯ll all be on the same page. And have lasagna.¡±


    ¡°And garlic bread,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly guilt-tripping, though. I just think we should¡­ talk about some of what happened.¡±


    ¡°Which is already super out of character,¡± Brian teased. ¡°Okay¡ªhey, hey, kidding.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°But¡ªno banging. No running off and fuckin¡¯, you save all that mojo for when you get back. Okay?¡±


    ¡°No promises!¡± Kelly muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Emily, we¡¯re not a couple of horny teenagers. We¡¯ll save all that ¡®til after Steph¡¯s here, after we can all have a big dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Before dinner, before,¡± Emily corrected. ¡°In this household we fuck before dinner. Better way to work up an appetite. Fucking after? Bad for digestion, to be honest. Pool rules, you always wait to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Once we start fucking, we¡¯re not gonna stop for hours and hours. Obviously. Probably the rest of the night, if it¡¯s anything like last time. We¡¯ll forget to eat, or the lasagna¡¯ll get cold, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Necessary sacrifices,¡± Emily nodded gravely as she watched Brian set up the stovetop with water and the pot of lasagna noodles. ¡°Again, this is why we should just cook something easy. It¡¯s like I¡¯m the only one who thinks this shit through!¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Brian appeased her, giving her a hug from behind. ¡°Love you, Emmie. Stir that every once in a while so it¡¯s not all stuck to the bottom, turn the heat down to simmer once you¡¯ve got it to a boil.¡±


    ¡°I know how to cook, stupid,¡± Emily squirmed in his arms until she was facing him. ¡°Mostly I¡¯ve probably cooked way more noodles than you ever have.¡±


    ¡°Not counting microwave?¡± Brian arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Microwave counts¡ªcooking is cooking,¡± Emily gave him a kiss. ¡°You¡¯re both kidding yourselves, the second Steph gets here, everyone¡¯s gonna forget we were ever about to have lasagna.¡±


    ¡°No way, we¡¯ve gotta win her over,¡± Brian gave her butt a squeeze with both hands. ¡°Quickest way to a woman¡¯s heart is through her stomach.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, enough grab-assing,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Brian, let¡¯s go.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°You okay?¡± Brian asked as he opened the car door for her.


    Kelly paused and gave him a look for a moment before getting in. It had seemed like she was going to comment on what may have been the gentleman act bullshit action of getting a door for her, but in the end she held back whatever she was going to say. He felt a little sheepish about it already, because he¡¯d simply done it without thinking¡ªwalking out of the apartment, her door was closer, while he was going to have to walk around the front of the car to get in the driver¡¯s side anyways.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Kelly confirmed as he got in. ¡°Really. I was less okay before, but you¡¯re awake now, and Steph¡¯s on her way, so. So, things are pretty okay, now.¡±


    ¡°I guess I mean¡­¡± Brian started up the car. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I mean. This is all weird to navigate, and I don¡¯t know how things are working. Like, don¡¯t mean to be super blunt, but¡ªuhh, is there like, jealousy, when we¡¯re all there inside and I¡¯m practically fondling Emily? Or she¡¯s all over me like she¡¯s been? No criticism there if there is, it¡¯d be completely understandable and all. Just want to figure out how this is gonna work, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡ªnot jealous, exactly,¡± Kelly answered as Brian pulled out of the parking spot and started to take them down the row of apartments.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like relationship jealousy? It¡¯s like¡­ I don¡¯t know how to put it into words. I¡¯m not jealous, I¡¯m just a little nervous. I think I will be, at times like this. When you and Emily are headed in this cute playful couple direction, and then I¡¯m over here feeling¡­ whatever it is I¡¯m feeling, instead.¡±


    ¡°Was worried she was getting on your nerves,¡± Brian admitted.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t, not really,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°I love her, too. I guess if I¡¯m feeling jealous, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t just¡­ be a goof. Like she can. I mean, I absolutely can, but I mean¡­ she can do it without getting hammered. Ashley and I would get several times that stupid back in the day when we were having a blast and getting wasted, to where we were just laughing and speaking gibberish at each other like it was just hysterical. I should say I envy Emily¡¯s ability to just be the way she is, to act like that, when she¡¯s stone cold sober?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°That makes sense, yeah.¡±


    ¡°How do you think I should act?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°I felt like I could¡¯ve started teasing her about how she was being, but¡ªI don¡¯t know. I think she can be delicate in some of those ways. In like, normal situations I¡¯d be kinda mean to her, dissing her or putting her down, intimidating her away from you. But then also now¡ªI love her. The dynamic¡¯s all¡­ weird. It¡¯s not a me versus her, I won¡¯t ever impress you by one-upping her anyways, I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been a team player, now I¡¯m on a real team, and my not being a team person makes me feel like I¡¯m the odd girl out.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like, how do you exercise all your Kelly in these kind of circumstances?¡± Brian said as they turned out of the neighborhood and onto the street. ¡°That kinda thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s easier to figure out when Steph¡¯s there. Secretly monitoring temperatures of what everyone¡¯s actually feeling, making sure everyone¡¯s in the right mindset with each other. Nudging us back on balance if we¡¯re skewing going off. I don¡¯t know. Even if she¡¯s actually barely doing any of that¡ªin my subconscious she is, and she¡¯ll always just¡­ she make sure everything turns out okay.¡±


    ¡°Steph¡¯ll be here tonight,¡± Brian pointed out.


    ¡°I know,¡± Kelly said. ¡°And you¡ªyou don¡¯t get jealous if Steph and I are intimate?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Brian answered. ¡°Might just be a psychological guy thing. I am like, zero okay with even thinking about any of you with other guys. However unfair that might be, that¡¯s just how it is. With girls, though? Doesn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Kelly chuckled. ¡°What all do we need from the grocery besides ricotta cheese?¡±


    ¡°An onion, maybe tomato paste,¡± Brian said. ¡°Stuff for garlic bread, obviously; french bread, garlic butter. Gonna grab another thing of parmesan, what we have left in the fridge is like, a quarter of what I want to use. Probably grab some quick stuff to eat on the trip, if we¡¯ll be out camping overnight.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Kelly nodded. ¡°We need tomato paste? You don¡¯t use tomato sauce for lasagna? Because, we do still have a jar.¡±


    ¡°Eh, we can, I was thinking of having it a bit thicker, so it¡¯s all held together a little better.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kelly said. ¡°That works.¡±


    ¡°You make lasagna before?¡± Brian glanced over.


    ¡°Only like once or twice, years ago,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°Actually, wait maybe not. I think those were always rigatoni or like, a ziti bake? Not technically lasagna.¡±


    ¡°Same principles, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well¡­ kinda.¡±


    They sat in silence for a minute as Brian made another turn towards the nearby grocery. Kelly watched the other cars on the road with an impassive expression. He didn¡¯t check her out, but there was some level of looking about any time you drive as you check mirrors and watch your sides¡ªBrian felt very aware that this brooding redhead with the bombshell body was there in his passenger seat. They were together, in a relationship, but maybe needed to spend a bit more time with one another before they really felt like a couple.


    ¡°So glad you¡¯re back,¡± Kelly finally admitted.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly said, turning to watch him. ¡°So much random shit going on, and I¡¯m over here being my own usual mess, and¡ªyou and Stephanie fix me. All the head stuff I know I¡¯ve got wired all wrong, it just all works right, when I¡¯m with you guys. Or, it starts to.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d say you were broken, or anything like that,¡± Brian said. ¡°You were just kinda¡­ goin¡¯ off in your own direction?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I was super fucking broken,¡± Kelly slipped into a half-smirk. ¡°You were, too. Stephanie was broken. Emily? For sure. We all were, and then just¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it, without sounding super sappy? Falling in love just really fucking snuck up on me. Like, there was the attraction, and I wanted to call it love. Then, the uh, the infatuation, and I thought that was love. Then, you got hurt and you were there, but you couldn¡¯t wake up, and¡ªand¡ªfeeling all that. Having you hurt, you being there but not there, that¡­ fear, that grief, the way I felt, that was love.


    ¡°Hah, just¡ªI¡¯m sitting here, wanting to even talk about it all,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°When all the bullshit circling around the L word before just about made me physically recoil. I¡ªBrian, I want to be with you. I just want to be with you. To have sex, to hang out. Cuddle, spend time with the other girls, I just want to be with you forever. With Emily, while we were in waiting, like, I love Emily, but living like that felt fake. With you back it¡¯s getting real again, and I just¡­ I just wanted to tell you that.¡±


    ¡°I think I feel exactly the same way,¡± Brian said, taking one hand off the wheel to offer her a hand. ¡°Even¡ªwell, I guess the biggest fear I had was that you weren¡¯t gonna be able to open up to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly took his hand. ¡°Yeah, because¡ªthat¡¯s what should have happened. For all of us. With just me being a fucking mess. With you being closed off and burnt out from the whole Chloe thing you went through. But then, I guess you just add in a whole bunch of Stephanie to glue us together and then a dash of Emily for spice, and it¡ªit works? When it probably shouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian let out a dry laugh. ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s the magic stuff to weigh into that, too?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, for sure,¡± Kelly nodded. ¡°I just hate exploring that side of the argument, ¡®cause Emily always just sticks in there on that side of things and stays there whenever we get to talking. When it¡¯s not even all about magic, not to me. It¡¯s about¡­ us. I dunno.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Brian said. ¡°I do think magic for sure helped facilitate things, a lot. Like, you remember how Steph used to stutter? On that first day. We kept pulling her way, way out of her comfort zone, and I feel like normally a person doesn¡¯t have that much kind of¡­ elasticity? Of where they feel comfortable with things? Without kind of shutting down. And, it was the same with me.


    ¡°I should not have been in the right mind to be open to things or even get turned on,¡± Brian explained. ¡°My head was not there at all when I first walked into AnimeCon, early Friday. Didn''t want to even look at other girls, because I was¡­ yeah, I was just completely burnt raw by the whole Chloe thing still. Anguish and agony, was emotionally reeling. Throughout most of that first day, the Chloe thing was still just kind of lingering there, at the forefront of every thought. That whole¡­ trauma aspect should not have healed over as fast as it did.¡±


    ¡°It was the same with me,¡± Kelly agreed. ¡°The selfish thoughts, the fuck the world and everyone in it attitude¡­ well, I think I started changing a bit later than you guys. But, right there towards Saturday night? I was already almost a different person.¡±


    ¡°So, question is,¡± Brian paused as he turned off into the parking lot of the grocery store. ¡°Is this mind control? Brainwashing? The charm stuff for sure had these big effects on us. Did it change our personalities? Wire us up differently? Influence us to have stronger compatibility with one another? Then, there¡¯s the whole powers thing¡­¡±


    ¡°And, the answer is¡ªI just don¡¯t care,¡± Kelly decided. ¡°For once in my life, I feel like I¡¯m right where I want to be. Like things are right. I didn¡¯t think it was possible for me to love, back before. So¡ªso, I can¡¯t let go of this.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way, and that¡¯s scary,¡± Brian said. ¡°I feel like we could almost just handwave the hows and whys and just go with it, if not for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Chloe, yeah,¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°Because¡ªwould it be a good thing, or a bad thing, if the charm magic ¡®fixed her?¡¯¡±


    ¡°I think it would become one to chalk into the ¡®yep, definitely mind control¡¯ category, then,¡± Brian grumbled. ¡°Which¡ªyeah. What does that say about the rest of it, with us?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s free will here, I choose to be with you and Stephanie and Emily,¡± Kelly said. ¡°And, if not¡ªthen I love you all anyways, and it doesn¡¯t matter?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯d have to,¡± Brian said with a dark look. ¡°But, does that mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°What I meant to say, was that¡­¡± Kelly cut him off. ¡°That for me, this magic, these feelings, they¡¯re not chains and shackles. They¡¯re a lifeline that got thrown out to me. So, in my case, at least¡­ Brian if I do ever let go of this lifeline, please just don¡¯t even let me. Don¡¯t let me go back to the way I was, who I was. Please. Don¡¯t let me go.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡ª¡± Brian pulled into the nearest parking spot he could find and quickly parked. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay for you to even ask me that. Not if this magic stuff is, is somehow influencing your uh, your consent to all of this in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kelly locked eyes with him. ¡°And, I¡¯m asking you anyway. Because, I know what a total fuckup I was, and I realize where my life was going.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m going to break the charm,¡± Brian realized. ¡°The Focus or whatever that got us into all of this.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve thought about it,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°I want you to know that I want to just stay charmed.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Brian sighed, rubbing his hands down his face. ¡°What you think now might not count, if it¡¯s super influenced by the charm bullshit. Right?¡±


    ¡°If the alternative is going back to normal, influenced instead by my own self-destructive tendencies?¡± Kelly said. ¡°Then, yeah. I still prefer the charm bullshit that magically fixes everything and lets us be happy together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Brian frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the right here, but you make it damned hard to argue the point?¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kelly leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, then pulled the tab to open her door. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab everything, before Emily starts to think we¡¯re held up in a mating press or something.¡±


    Brian opened the car door, heaved himself out of the driver¡¯s seat, and stretched. He felt good. Well-rested. It was amusing to think on what a strange feeling that was¡ªfeeling great wasn¡¯t normal for him. Typically he would be tired from work, teetering between the apathy that comes with exhaustion and total burn out. Living with Chloe, especially towards the waning months of their relationship, simply stressed him out. He¡¯d been blind to that, or too close to see it at the time. Rather than having time at home to unwind and decompress from a rough work shift, Brian had been attempting to use his shitty tiring work hours as a respite from dealing with Chloe.


    Crazy to think about how things ended up, Brian thought to himself as Kelly came around the rear of his car and took his hand. How things got so bad, and then at the time I was still trying to think of ways to win Chloe back. Was I insane? Was I just too invested to realize it was way past time to just write all of it off as a loss, the whole damn relationship?


    ¡°You good?¡± Kelly gave him a look.


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡ªyeah,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°Just got caught up in everything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly asked as they started down the parking lot towards the supermarket entrance.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s honestly just the comparisons,¡± Brian said. ¡°How tiny little things you do sort of make me stop and realize how bad things were, back when I thought Chloe and I were together. We used to come here to shop.¡±


    ¡°Take it she didn¡¯t hold your hand?¡± Kelly glanced down at their clasped hands and wiggled her fingertips to tickle against his. ¡°What, was that some sort of sexist thing she didn¡¯t want to be seen doing? ¡®Cause she was a strong, independent woman who didn¡¯t need no man?¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°It was¡ªI dunno. Hard to describe. Holding hands wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d have even thought of? She¡¯d have been deep into her phone, or uh, or making a point to have her arms crossed so I knew she wasn¡¯t happy with me. Something like that. Her attention either wasn¡¯t on me at all, or she was trying to¡­ illustrate her displeasure? If that makes sense? With her body language and eyes and everything.¡±


    ¡°What a clown,¡± Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Surprised she wasn¡¯t more jealous or possessive, honestly. You¡¯re a good-looking guy, I feel like you had fair odds on some girl noticing the way Chloe was treating you and making a move.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that good-looking,¡± Brian laughed.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Kelly scoffed. ¡°Wait¡ªno.¡±


    Kelly tugged him to a stop just before the automatic doors of the grocery, turning him to face her and looking up into his eyes. She wasn¡¯t much shorter than him, and when she demanded his attention, really locked onto him like this she was completely captivating. Brian couldn¡¯t look away from her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kelly took his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss. ¡°I thought¡ªI thought you were saying that in like a normal, fishing for a compliment kinda way. But, I¡¯m realizing you weren¡¯t. You¡¯re saying that in a¡­ I never get compliments, so when I do, they¡¯re suspect sorta way. Brian, you¡¯re good-looking. You¡¯re sexy as fuck. Even just looking at you too long starts to get me worked up, gives me those distracting little tingles. You know? Chloe never really complimented you, did she?¡±


    ¡°Uhh,¡± Brian didn¡¯t know what to say to that.


    ¡°But, she expected them or demanded them from you,¡± Kelly guessed. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, that sounds about right. How close am I?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Brian¡¯s arms had been raised and unsure of what to do, but he finally rested them on the small of her back. ¡°I was gonna say ¡®uncomfortably close,¡¯ but instead I think maybe¡­ you¡¯re very, very comfortably close, just right where you are. Right here. It might sound cheesy for me to say, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± Kelly blinked up at him with a serious expression.


    ¡°But, just¡ªman,¡± Brian blew out a breath of relief he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s like I get so caught up in how much I want you, that it gets hard to even see how much I need you. Kelly¡ªI love you.¡±


    There was something incredibly satisfying about seeing those words stun Kelly, and then it was deeply gratifying watching a slow smile spread across her beautiful features and even a bit of a blush come in as blood rushed to her face.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Kelly kissed him again, then swatted his chest. ¡°Dork. S¡¯not fuckin¡¯ fair.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not fair?¡± Brian asked, taking her hand again and leading her inside the grocery store.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kelly griped with a lopsided smile. ¡°That you can just¡­ do that. Do that to me, with such a straight face like that. I mean¡ªwhat the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± Brian said. ¡°You started it, though.¡±


    ¡°We should make out, right here,¡± Kelly proposed. ¡°Bet Chloe wasn¡¯t big on displays of affection, either. This is like¡ªthis is like cheat mode, it¡¯s like I get free points with you just for not being Chloe and treating you like scum all the time. Just the normal, everyday, couple things I obviously want to do anyways have like, this big effect on you. Doesn¡¯t even seem fair.¡±


    ¡°I feel like last time we started making out in public, this switch got flipped and you immediately wanted to escalate to banging in public.¡±


    ¡°No¡ªno¡ªthat was totally different!¡± Kelly¡¯s face was definitely red, now. ¡°Wasn¡¯t gonna let things go that far, here. It¡¯s a grocery store, geez. We can be civilized and wait ¡®til we get back out into the car. Right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re blushing, Kell,¡± Brian observed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not blushing,¡± Kelly denied. ¡°Just¡ªthis is all going both ways, you know? Whatever effect I have on you, you have that effect on me, too, alright? People saying the L-word used to make me gag, because dropping L-bombs at each other was this super cringey puppy-love infatuation thing to me. But then, now when you say it, knowing that you mean it, that we¡ªthat, you know. I can¡¯t just brush it off as a joke, anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly gave his hand a squeeze. ¡°And like¡ªyou can¡¯t just bring up banging in public as a joke anymore, either. We¡¯ve done that, Brian. It¡¯s not a joke anymore, it¡¯s like this persistent reality that could come to pass any moment we both let our guards down. You realize that, right?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I actually don¡¯t have any condoms on me,¡± Brian admitted with a sheepish look as Kelly took a shopping basket with her free arm and they started down the produce aisle.


    ¡°Great, just great,¡± Kelly teased. ¡°That means it¡¯s not even just the threat of spontaneous sex¡ªnow we have you rawdogging me down with a messy creampie just¡­ hanging over our heads. As something that just might happen, if we¡¯re not real careful. I mean, I¡¯m on the pill, but Brian¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Brian shushed her. ¡°Cut it out, I don¡¯t need to be walkin¡¯ around everywhere here with a boner.¡±


    ¡°Always did wonder how that worked,¡± Kelly remarked. ¡°You realize that when you wear gray sweatpants like that, women can totally make out your junk already? You can¡¯t exactly tuck your dick up into your waistband when you start getting hard¡ªnot without him peeking out the top. Right?¡±


    ¡°Onion,¡± Brian pointed her attention towards the open-air display heaped with onions.


    ¡°Christ, two-seventeen for one onion?¡± Kelly made a face. ¡°Seneca¡¯s a nice town and all, but all the prices here are stupidly high. One onion should be like, right around a buck, buck seventeen.¡±


    ¡°Bunch of rich people neighborhoods throughout the area,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°Gated communities, million-dollar homes. Price gouges just come with the territory.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Kelly shrugged, grabbing an onion off the top and squeezing it. ¡°Though, on the other hand¡ªthis is all actual nice produce, here. Normally back home, er, back where I used to live, you¡¯d have to hunt through them for a bit for an onion that wasn¡¯t already soft or gross. Squishy.¡±


    ¡°Half of the store here even is like, specialty foods,¡± Brian gestured across the supermarket. ¡°Whole foods, gluten-free stuff, ¡®healthier¡¯ versions of all the normal stuff you¡¯d need that¡¯s less processed or has less preservatives or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Was Chloe into all of that?¡± Kelly asked, depositing the chosen onion in their basket.


    ¡°A little, yeah,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°I made good money at my job and all, but sometimes those grocery costs¡¯d start to really sting.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not too picky,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°I think I used to be, but. Yeah. Living with Chelsea and them, actually working shit minimum wage jobs¡ªthey really teach you to appreciate being smarter with how you spend your money. Oh, I don¡¯t know if we even told you, yet¡ªI transferred. I¡¯m part time at the Seneca Dollarydoos, now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Brian found himself surprised. ¡°Fuck, I keep kinda forgetting that a month just went by. Zipped on by before I even noticed, and you all were still going through every day and dealing with life and everything.¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Kelly shrugged again. ¡°Working did help some. Less time to mope around and just be sitting there waiting for you to wake up. And, your Seneca Dollarydoos isn¡¯t bad at all. Just boring, they don¡¯t get crazy busy like the old one I worked at used to.¡±


    ¡°Are we still going to try to get you together with Emily¡¯s mom?¡± Brian asked. ¡°As her protege, that whole idea? I really do think you could get somewhere with, you know, acting or modeling or something.¡±


    ¡°I uh¡ªwe¡ªwell,¡± Kelly grew uncharacteristically flustered. ¡°The thing is. While you were out of it, I, yes I have spoken to Anne Garcia. Once. And uh, about that¡ªEmily doesn¡¯t even know yet, that I¡¯ve talked with her mom. It¡¯s complicated. Long story. I don¡¯t think I wanna talk about it, yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Brian blinked. ¡°Okay. Didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    ¡°She knows,¡± Kelly said in a whisper. ¡°About everything. The charm, the group. Everything. And, Emily¡¯s mom doesn¡¯t just know, she knows. That¡¯s, that¡¯s all I¡¯m gonna say. And¡ªuh, you didn¡¯t hear it from me. Alright? Oh, look¡ªdairy. Ricotta and then more parmesan, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Brian said, taking a moment to process the bombshells that had just been dropped on him. ¡°Yeah. Just. Wait a sec, should I talk with her? About all this?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nope,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°Leave it be, stay out of that whole¡­ everything. We aren¡¯t touching that until, and I guess if, Emily ever wises up and starts poking around that stuff. Not even sure if that¡¯s what¡¯s really best for her. Christ. Just¡ªlook, not gonna talk about it, if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah,¡± Brian frowned, nodding along. ¡°So, I guess then the real question is¡ªdo we need sixteen ounces of ricotta cheese, or should we go with the twenty-four ounce one?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get the¡ª¡± Kelly did a double-take at examining the containers, leaning in with narrowed eyes. ¡°Fuck, why are these so expensive?!¡±

 After AnimeCon - Harem Reunited

    The dish of lasagna was almost done baking, and the sheer savory scent of it filling the apartment was driving Emily crazy with hunger pangs. She wanted to make room for a big serving and then also some garlic bread, so she¡¯d skipped lunch and was now paying for it. The manic energy of excitement at Brian¡¯s return was now suppressed to a giddy lightheaded feeling of contentment, and she chose a comfy spot on the couch, pulled her knees up to her chin, and watched on as her two lovers worried over nothing.


    ¡°Emily, Brian,¡± Kelly stepped out of the bedroom wearing a different top. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I like that one,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Emily?¡± Kelly asked.


    This one was a white halter top with a plunging neckline that seemed to attempt to cover as little of Kelly¡¯s magnificent breasts as possible. It looked nice, but so had the super cute long-sleeved gray crop top Kelly had asked for their opinion on just minutes ago, and the racerback tank top the redhead had worn to the grocery store looked amazing on her in the first place.


    ¡°Vetoing this one,¡± Emily grinned. ¡°Kelly¡ªwe¡¯re ¡®bout to have pasta, you don¡¯t wear white.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a messy eater, so it¡¯s never been a problem,¡± Kelly shot back, turning around so she could see the back. ¡°Yes? No?¡±


    ¡°Too sexy and too fancy,¡± Emily decided. ¡°The gray one from before was more¡­ comfy-looking and cute. Huggable. I think it¡¯d like, put Steph at ease more.¡±


    ¡°Brian?¡± Kelly pursed her lips, as if wanting to argue Emily¡¯s point yet having no choice but to seriously consider them. ¡°This one, or the gray one from before?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brian paused to consider. ¡°Save the white one for us going out together sometime, wear the gray one tonight. That one definitely looked more cute and comfy.¡±


    ¡°I want to look sexy too, though,¡± Kelly said. ¡°The gray one only shows off my middle, really.¡±


    ¡°You do look sexy in the gray one,¡± Brian assured her. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°It bein¡¯ all loose up top like, draws your eye to the exposed midriff, just makes you think about putting hands on your tummy and sliding them up to take your top off.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kelly disappeared back into the bedroom. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°And you,¡± Emily laughed, picking up the couch¡¯s throw pillow and tossing it at Brian. ¡°Brian, you don¡¯t need to try an¡¯ tidy anything up. Steph won¡¯t care. She¡¯s been here before, even. She hardly noticed anything here at all besides you, and that¡¯s not gonna change this time, either.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± Brian said, continuing to straighten up the desk by the window and the bookshelves. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Kinda gettin¡¯ my bearings again, here. I wasn¡¯t just out of it for a month, like the week leading up to AnimeCon I was¡­ in a weird funk. With the breakup.¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve just come over every day,¡± Emily sighed. ¡°Been here for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, not like that woulda worked, either,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Since I was working full time anyways. Just¡ªI dunno. The breakup, you two basically moving in. Really gives me the urge to¡­ redecorate? Rearrange the furniture? Express some uhh, tangible difference here with the way things are set up.¡±


    ¡°Whatever happened to the entertainment center?¡± Emily asked. ¡°The stand that the TV was on.¡±


    ¡°Damn, was meaning to ask you about that,¡± Brian said. ¡°Feels weird just having the TV on the floor. S¡¯below eye level from sitting on the couch, and all. Chloe brought it from her old place, it wound up being one of the things that just disappeared that night of the breakup when I came home. So, it¡¯s gotta be at one of our mutual friends¡¯ places, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily tapped her lip, trying to remember. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Rebecca has it. Probably Monique and Tom? They were like, more Chloe friends than part of our group of friends. Not really in touch with them. Could ask Becky an¡¯ see if she knows?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°Not like Chloe¡¯s gonna want to give it back, anyways.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t do her any good if she¡¯s pushin¡¯ up daisies out in the woods somewhere,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°Ow¡ªhey!¡±


    Emily fumbled, failing to catch the throw pillow as it bounced off her head.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going there,¡± Brian said. ¡°Murder is just¡­ yeah, off the table.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ever suggest murder, I was sayin¡¯ like self defense,¡± Emily huffed. ¡°Basically.¡±


    ¡°This looks okay?¡± Kelly returned, back in the gray top again.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a cute look,¡± Brian appraised her again. ¡°You should maybe put your hair up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°Like, in just an updo? Ponytail? Why up?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Brian admitted. ¡°You look great both ways, but has Steph seen you with your hair up? The way it shows off your neck? It¡¯s sexy without being super overt about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kelly said, gathering up her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Emily?¡±


    ¡°Updo,¡± Emily voted. ¡°Keep it simple.¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna be wearing,¡± Kelly asked, walking over to stand behind the couch.


    ¡°Clothes during dinner, I think,¡± Emily decided. ¡°Then, probably no clothes afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Okay, so¡ªBrian, how are we dressing Emily for this?¡± Kelly leaned over to push Emily¡¯s legs back down to the floor so they could see her better.


    ¡°Har har,¡± Emily wiggled in her seat, reaching up so she could grab at the hanging tiddies through Kelly¡¯s gray top. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I look great in whatever I wear!¡±


    Emily happened to just be wearing comfortable clothes¡ªa white tee shirt that featured the anime character Cedric Edifice in a cool pose and the Full Iron Mysticist logo, and then she also wore a black pair of gym shorts with a pair of white stripes. The shorts weren¡¯t short, they didn¡¯t hug her ass or look sexy or anything. This pair in particular had been chosen by virtue of them being at the top of her small pile of clean laundry this morning.


    ¡°Sooo¡­ what were you going for, with this look?¡± Kelly asked, catching Emily¡¯s wrists before the smaller girl could cop a feel. ¡°If you want to do sporty tomboy, grab something sleeveless. If you want to do cute weeaboo, go for shorter shorts and then a bigger shirt, like borrow one of Brian¡¯s tees. What you¡¯re wearing now just says lazy.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ uhhh,¡± Emily squirmed. ¡°S¡¯not like I¡¯m gonna impress anyone anyways, no matter what I do. So¡ª¡±


    ¡°That little black tank top you used to wear, the one with the words ¡®Come on, Toshi,¡¯ on it,¡± Brian suggested. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s see. Yeah, shorter shorts for sure, I know you had that teeny pair of athletic shorts, gray ones that had the pink stripe? That kinda had that little upwards triangle cut, so it shows just another bit of thigh? And then, you had that choker you used to wear, the one with the little studs? Whew, man. That thing like, did things to me.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Emily felt herself blushing furiously. ¡°I uh, well I guess I could change. Shit, all except the choker, that¡¯s back home with all my other necklaces and accessories and stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lacy black one you can borrow for tonight,¡± Kelly proposed. ¡°Go change. It¡¯s just like¡­ baffling to me that you know you have all that stuff that makes Brian want to pin you down and fuck you, and you¡¯re not already wearing it. Like¡ªEmily, what the actual fuck?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know he liked it that much!¡± Emily protested, thrashing her way free of Kelly¡¯s grip. ¡°Geez. I always just figured that, uhh¡ª¡±


    ¡°And especially the shorter shorts!¡± Kelly continued to rant. ¡°You know shorter shorts make your legs look longer, and therefore make you appear taller. Emmie¡ªwe get free magic full body brazilian waxes and skincare, your first thought shoulda been showing that off.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s to even show off?!¡± Emily let out a nervous laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve barely got boobs, I don¡¯t have long legs, my ass isn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Kelly swatted her. ¡°We are not doing that all again, it took all damned night last time we went through all that. You are sexy, so go dress to show it off, you dumbfuck little tugboat.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not a little tugboat!¡± Emily said in a fluster, looking from Brian to Kelly and back again. ¡°Awwww, fuck, I am a little tugboat! Shit!¡±


    Humiliated, thrilled, and way more turned on than she wanted to be, Emily stomped off to the bedroom in search of the garments that had stood out so much in Brian¡¯s memories. It was a little shocking that he¡¯d remembered such specific ones, and realizing the fact had urgent surges of blue bubbling up within her. She thought she¡¯d be the odd one out and able to poke fun at Brian and Kelly for how self-conscious they were about reuniting with Stephie, but it turns out they were really just steps ahead of her. Because now Emily was super nervous and worried about how she looked, now they¡¯d simply revealed she was in the same boat as them all along.


    A tugboat, Emily giggled to herself. We really do need to tell Brian about that one.


    ¡°Push-up bra for tonight?¡± Emily called out as she shucked off her anime tee and dug through her hamper. ¡°Or, sexy bra?¡±


    ¡°Sexy bra,¡± Kelly answered back.


    ¡°No¡ªno bra,¡± Brian yelled.


    ¡°No bra?¡± Kelly questioned it.


    ¡°Yeah, no bra, for sure,¡± Brian was firm. ¡°Not with that specific tank top. She did that a few times before, and just¡ªwhew, man. Seemed like every other look I took it was either pokies, or near-nip slip.¡±


    ¡°Brian!¡± Emily flushed all over as saturating blue seeped even further across her mind.


    ¡°No bra, then,¡± Kelly confirmed their decision.


    ¡°It¡¯ll look like I have no practically no tits!¡± Emily griped.


    ¡°Small tiddies are cute as fuck,¡± Brian argued. ¡°I like yours just the way they are.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ fine,¡± Emily huffed. ¡°Be that way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will!¡± Brian shot back.


    ¡°You¡¯re both dorks,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I¡¯m checking on the lasagna¡ªwhere the fuck are your oven mitts?¡±


    ¡°Use the little towel on the counter there,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°That cunt Chloe took the mitts!¡± Emily yelled as held out her tiny pair of athletic shorts and climbed into them, one leg at a time. ¡°The night she left, apparently. She horked Brian¡¯s umbrella, too¡ªlot of stuff was like, things he wouldn¡¯t notice right away maybe, but stuff that¡¯d force him to be reminded of her every time he needed them for whatever.¡±


    ¡°I am a little pissed about the umbrella,¡± Brian grumbled. ¡°It was just a cheapo one, sure, but still¡ªmy grandma gave me that.¡±


    Emily was still wriggling on the teeny tank top when she rounded the corner again to rejoin them in the main apartment area. Kelly was bent over as she peeked in the oven, her luscious ass was on full display as it stretched every contour of the yoga pants she was pairing with the gray top, and the aroma of their lasagna bake whirled through the apartment as Emily and Brian both openly ogled Kelly¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Damn, that smells fuckin¡¯ amazing,¡± Emily remarked.


    ¡°Looks amazing, too,¡± Brian shared a grin with her.


    ¡°S¡¯almost done,¡± Kelly informed them, giving them both a knowing wiggle of her butt before closing the oven door and righting herself again. ¡°Just wanna give it a bit more.¡±


    ¡°How much longer ¡®til Steph¡¯s here?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see,¡± Emily crossed back over to the couch where she could tap into her phone on the coffee table. ¡°Steph. Where. You. At. Question mark. Annnd then another question mark. Two question marks is always better than just one.¡±


    ¡°We eating around the counter, or over at the l¡¯il coffee table?¡± Kelly asked. ¡°What¡¯re we all drinking? We¡¯ve got different stuff, but like, nothing alcoholic. Which is super weird for a get-together. Coffee? Soda? Energy drinks?¡±


    ¡°Water for me,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Water,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re all gonna bang and then try to pass out early, right? ¡®Cause we¡¯re leaving early tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have to all bang tonight,¡± Brian looked at the girls with an uncertain smile.


    ¡°Pffftt¡ª¡± Emily burst into laughter.


    ¡°Yeah uh, good luck with that,¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well. ¡°We are fucking tonight. We don¡¯t all even need to get a ton of rest¡ªone of us needs to be good to drive, the rest of us can snooze through the trip, right?¡±


    ¡°One-two-three-not it!¡± Emily blurted out.


    ¡°Not it!¡± Brian joined in.


    Kelly gave each of them a mighty pout, but didn¡¯t seem able to refute them.


    ¡°Well¡­ fuck,¡± Kelly finally grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make Steph drive, so¡­ fine. That does mean I get first ride tonight, then. I go first, and then I sleep. So, you better fuck me senseless.¡±


    ¡°Steph says they¡¯re almost here,¡± Emily reported, getting down on her knees beside the coffee table. ¡°We gonna invite Megan in for dinner, too?¡±


    ¡°Is Steph asking that, or are you asking that?¡± Kelly paused.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ no, probably not,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°Right? She¡¯s cool and all, but also¡­ tonight¡¯s gonna be all of us together again. S¡¯gonna get real intimate. And I don¡¯t just mean the sex.¡±


    ¡°She can if she wants,¡± Brian said. ¡°She did drive Steph all the way out here. I¡¯d feel bad just yanking Steph and then bein¡¯ like, okay we have what we wanted, buzz off.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Kelly said in a neutral tone. ¡°Everything else is ready? Emily, you look hot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily said, grinning up at them and toying with the shoulder straps of her tank top. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready, I think we¡¯re good to go. Spare sheets are ready so we don¡¯t have to sleep in a big sex mess. Got condoms, we¡¯ve got lube. Have ourselves sample containers for magic cum, if we remember to scoop it up before it all gets slurped. Lasagna¡¯s almost ready.¡±


    ¡°Garlic bread¡¯s ready,¡± Brian chimed in with a chuckle. ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking great. Apartment¡¯s cleaned up. Emily, your phone¡¯s all charged?¡±


    ¡°Uhh. Eighty-eight percent?¡± Emily reported.


    ¡°Definitely want to get us a big group picture,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°With the four of us. ¡®Til Kelly and I replace our phones, it¡¯s on you and Steph.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Emily flashed out her signature thumbs up, jerking her elbow out in the air. ¡°I gotchu, fam.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Sooo¡ªthis is it,¡± Kelly beamed at them with excitement. ¡°You guys just wanna make out ¡®til she gets here?¡±


    <hr>


    Pink flames licked up the core of Stephanie¡¯s being as she stretched out her senses in search of the others. Her eyes were closed in concentration and she was leaning forward against her seatbelt in the passenger¡¯s seat of Megan¡¯s car, hands gripping onto her knees. The presence of her lovers was closer now, maybe, but casting out her empathic ability just didn¡¯t seem like something she¡¯d ever be able to do with finesse. The fire within her was less of a skill she could train and more of a hunger.


    Or perhaps a desire, Stephanie mused to herself as her eyelashes fluttered open. A CRAVING.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Megan asked. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, so hopefully you¡¯re pickin¡¯ up something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s maybe something,¡± Stephanie let out a weak laugh. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe?¡±


    It¡¯s ultimately useless at this kind of range, Stephanie decided. But, closer? I think when I¡¯m closer, when I¡¯m in the same room with them, I would be able to point to everyone and determine who is who when blindfolded. Just from being able to FEEL them. Which, um, which isn¡¯t USEFUL, exactly, but it does help me suss out how things work.


    ¡°Well, and hey,¡± Megan remarked. ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    ¡°I barely did anything!¡± Stephanie beamed.


    ¡°Barely did¡ªSteph,¡± Megan exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m driving a brand new frikkin¡¯ car. Look at this. This is super nice.¡±


    The mountains of trash had been bagged and removed, the food cartons, wrappers, empty cups growing mold, crumbs and residue were all gone, courtesy of Stephanie putting on cleaning gloves, tying up her hair beneath a bandanna, and clearing out the interior of Megan¡¯s vehicle this past weekend. She hadn¡¯t known she would need to ask Megan for a ride today all of the sudden, but when she did Megan was more than happy to make a big trip for her.


    ¡°I¡­ I barely did anything,¡± Stephanie said, trying not to wince at the lie.


    It had been bad.


    She¡¯d had to ask Megan park at the super gas station nearby their university, where she could put quarters into the machine to use the outside vacuum hose. The molded plastic of the console and then the inside of the doors had been scrubbed of soda splatter and grime with a washrag, Stephanie had liberally shampooed the cushions and carpets free of their stains, and now air fresheners hung from both the rear view mirror and from the handles of each of the front doors.


    ¡°Turn left onto Third Avenue in one quarter mile,¡± the automated voice from Megan¡¯s phone spoke up.


    ¡°Almost there!¡± Megan teased. ¡°Almost there! Are you excited?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited,¡± Stephanie admitted with a big smile. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ yeah. Yeah!¡±


    She had her bag with her toiletries and a change of clothes just in case, but what she was wearing now was the outfit for heading out into the woods to where Chloe was. A tan pair of boots that was seldom worn, blue jeans, and a long-sleeved athletic-wear top in gray and blue that would keep insects from eating up her arms. Mostly-pink hair was gathered up this time into a pair of little pigtails that Megan has assured her over and over was cute¡ªStephanie hoped she didn¡¯t look silly or childish. Throughout the convention she¡¯d kept her shoulder-length hair down and loose, and it gave her a very different look.


    What if right away they¡¯re like, ¡®Steph change it back,¡¯ Stephanie fretted. It DOES maybe look cute, but maybe it¡¯s not really¡­ me? Maybe it¡¯s too different of a look? I don¡¯t know. Should I put my hair back to how it was before?! We¡¯re almost there, so I need to decide fast!


    ¡°Steph, you look fine,¡± Megan laughed.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re a mind reader!¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°You keep reaching up to touch your twintails,¡± Megan pointed out. ¡°Yes, Steph; they¡¯re still there. They haven¡¯t gone anywhere since the last time you checked.¡±


    ¡°Should I keep them?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Or let them down. They don¡¯t look¡­ silly?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely keeping them, you look adorable,¡± Megan insisted. ¡°Everyone has to see.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Stephanie flipped down the sun visor to see them in the mirror there again. ¡°They¡¯re not really long enough to even be called tails. I look silly!¡±


    ¡°Steph, you look like an anime princess!¡± Megan praised. ¡°You¡¯re cute as a button, you¡¯ve got twintails, and you¡¯ve got the whole pink-and-blonde thing going on there that just looks phenomenal. Like, you¡¯re sitting there in class with everyone, and everyone else is peeking over and thinking¡ªyep, she¡¯s one of the main girls. A classic anime protagonist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not a protagonist,¡± Stephanie protested with a sheepish look.


    ¡°You have magic anime powers, you ARE a protagonist,¡± Megan was unable to relent. ¡°When do I get some studly prince charming to fall out of the sky and into my lap?! When¡¯s it my turn?!¡±


    ¡°I-I can ask them if, um, if they¡¯d be okay with¡ª¡± Stephanie began.


    ¡°Nope! Nope, nuh-uh,¡± Megan cut her off. ¡°That with the harem is your happy ending, not mine. I, uh, I mean no offense Steph, I¡¯m super happy for you and I get like, thrilled even thinking about how things worked out for you, but that¡¯s just not for me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be okay with sharing my guy. No offense!¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Stephanie quirked a smile at her friend. ¡°I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m forced to share, exactly! It¡¯s more like¡­ like I have a boyfriend. And a few girlfriends.¡±


    ¡°But, then¡ªso do they,¡± Megan said. ¡°Since they¡¯re with each other, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s amazing,¡± Stephanie agreed with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Right turn at Altamonte Apartments, your destination is in four hundred feet,¡± Megan¡¯s phone reported.


    ¡°Althouuugh,¡± Megan chuckled. ¡°Did I tell you about the time Rebecca felt me up in the shower?!¡±


    ¡°Several times!¡± Stephanie said, exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m still not quite sure I¡¯ll hear the same story, once I hear her side of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe she¡¯s shy,¡± Megan joked. ¡°But listen¡ªI know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Stephanie mumbled.


    She was distracted, now, because she recognized several of the buildings passing by on their right¡ªthis was Brian¡¯s apartment complex! Just a little bit further and the sign and entrance to the neighborhood would be in sight, and then, and then¡ªStephanie¡¯s eyes lit up as she felt them in the distance, the weight of Brian¡¯s earth and the red gravity of Kelly¡¯s fallen star, could feel the rushing torrent of blue.


    ¡°This is it up here, right?¡± Megan asked. ¡°Altamonte?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°I can feel them!¡±


    ¡°Turn right at Altamonte Apartments,¡± Megan¡¯s phone agreed.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you rode all the way out here last time,¡± Megan grumbled. ¡°This is like, hours away from us.¡±


    ¡°It took me five and a half hours,¡± Stephanie revealed with a bitter laugh. ¡°Since I couldn¡¯t use the actual highway¡­ and then I took a wrong turn somewhere and stop and recheck where I was and then backtrack a bit. Was faster getting back home! Little under five hours.¡±


    ¡°Well, none o¡¯ that this time, so you can relax with them lots and have a good time,¡± Megan said, pride in her voice. ¡°Now, I¡¯m just gonna drop you off so that I don¡¯t get in the way of all that romance stuff and feel like a lonely forgotten fifth wheel. Do you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Stephanie felt a pang of guilt. ¡°Megan, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh shh shh,¡± Megan cut her off. ¡°You have your change of clothes? Extra undies? Toothbrush?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Stephanie chirped. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You have your phone charger?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Pigtails still attached?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Whole lotta lube and condoms?!¡±


    ¡°Megan!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, just want you to play safe,¡± Megan chortled. ¡°Annnnd, here we are! That¡¯s Brian¡¯s car, right?¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± Stephanie was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. ¡°They¡¯re right there¡ªI can feel them! Really feel them!¡±


    It felt like home. Not the austere lines of the apartment complex, the fount of familiarity and sheer love that was here with her boyfriend and girlfriends. There was no place on earth where Stephanie belonged quite as much as she did here with them, and the pink inferno within her burned with blinding heat at the very proximity to her harem. The ferrous fallen metal of Kelly¡¯s star burned in response, steamy mist rose off of Emily¡¯s river at her presence, and Brian¡ªBrian seemed to reach out and embrace her.


    It¡¯s like¡ªit¡¯s like finally having my feet on solid ground again, Stephanie identified the relief coursing through her as the car coasted to a stop in front of Brian¡¯s place.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you so much Megan for driving me!¡± Stephanie was all at once scrambling for her bag, opening her door, and reaching over to give her friend a half-hug. ¡°Thank you!!¡±


    Just as Stephanie managed to stumble her way out of the car in a fluster, the door to Brian¡¯s apartment opened.


    ¡°Brian!¡± Stephanie called, dropping her bag on the pavement and rushing towards him.


    He was okay. Healed from his injuries. More than okay, he was handsome, perfect, a gorgeous masculine specimen ingrained into every edifice of Stephanie¡¯s heart. His big smile at seeing her, the way he lit up too out of sheer happiness to be reunited with her made Stephanie¡¯s internal temperatures spike to dangerous levels of pink. Whatever she could even call these feelings coursing through her, they became a fuel for the magic that was almost too potent, downright combustive, and¡ª


    Stephanie threw herself into Brian¡¯s arms at a running start, but rather than tackling him to the ground, he caught her, bearing the weight of her charge without effort¡ªhe spun with her like she was a fairytale princess. Her feet didn¡¯t gently touch back down upon the ground until he lowered her, but either way she still felt like she was floating; she loved him. She was so in love with him it felt like she was losing her mind, nuclear shades of pink colored everything around her, burning with such terrible force that all fears and worries were incinerated, the petty trivial anxieties of life evaporated.


    They kissed, and the insatiable furnace of Stephanie¡¯s desire devoured every other thought except for how much she wanted to kiss him. The fires stoked within her as her lips and tongue fought against his were not something that could cool, but as seconds melted into minutes heat did finally begin to transfer across across her bonds and into her companions. At some point while she had explored violent new levels of pink, Kelly and Emily had crushed into her and Brian from either side in a crushing embrace, and the hot-pink bled into them until Stephanie¡¯s mind returned to safe levels of coherence.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Emily swore, and Stephanie could feel her petite friend trembling. ¡°Was that all like¡­ magic? Transferring? What the actual fuck, Steph?¡±


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Brian worked his lips as they finally disengaged from her. ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°Like¡ªwhat would¡¯ve happened if Kell and I weren¡¯t here?!¡± Emily sputtered. ¡°Would she have exploded?!¡±


    ¡°We should, uhh, we should get inside,¡± Kelly suggested, sounding dazed. ¡°Fuck. I think I just came a little?!¡±


    ¡°Uhhh what we all mean to say is¡ªwe missed you,¡± Brian said, giving Stephanie a squeeze. ¡°A lot.¡±


    The pure love and acceptance and happiness in his eyes struck Stephanie speechless, tickled dancing sparks of fire in her tummy, and had her knees go weak¡ªif all of them hadn¡¯t been here holding her up, she would have slid to the ground. She opened her mouth, attempting to speak, but all that came out were more and more kisses, frantic, desperate fluttering kisses that landed wet across his mouth, his cheek, his chin, his neck¡ª


    ¡°Shit, now you really have me considering it!¡± Megan called, startling them all with two honks of her horn. ¡°Get a room, you horndogs! Steph¡ªhave lots of fun and remember your rubbers! Great seeing you all again!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we uh, hi?¡± Emily yelled back. ¡°Megan, you too. Uhh¡ªlasagna?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hi,¡± Megan laughed. ¡°Nice to meatball you again. A very spaghetti stromboli day to you, too! Hahaha! Catch you guys later! Pasta la vista! Call me!¡±


    ¡°No, we¡ª¡± Kelly tried, but Stephanie could already hear the rumble of Megan¡¯s car pulling away and heading back down the row of apartments towards the exit. ¡°Emily, geez. Complete sentences, you goof.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s¡ª¡± Brian attempted to speak.


    Stephanie couldn¡¯t let him, though, and she rose all the way up onto her tiptoes and to kiss him again, and again, and again, and only then did she achieve some tiny modicum of the satisfaction she needed. Her little pigtails bobbed with the movements, but she still didn¡¯t have time to be self-conscious of them¡ªher cheeks almost hurt from how brilliant her beaming smile was, and she flexed her hands, realizing they were around Brian and clutching at his broad back.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Stephanie said in a very small voice.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Brian said back, planting a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, squeezing him tight and kicking her legs, which were barely even touching the ground. ¡°I love you all! So much. I missed you. I love you. It¡ªit¡¯s so good to see you all again.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Kelly said in a low voice, putting her lips to Stephanie¡¯s cheek for a rather chaste kiss.


    ¡°But for real, what was that?!¡± Emily demanded. ¡°You coulda like, leveled a city block with that much horny. I feel like, like¡ªlike my blue is all pink-tinged still, even. Holy fuck, Steph.¡±


    ¡°Why are¡ª¡± Stephanie paused to give each of them a quizzical look. ¡°Why are you all so turned on?! I-it all, all of it just hit all at once when I got here. Like I was walking right into a wall of, of¡ªand it was, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s just so overwhelming!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been real excited to see you again,¡± Brian said. ¡°We¡¯ve pretty much just been working ourselves up over it like all day long. Ever since you said you could make it out here today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stephanie felt like she was swooning into their arms all over again. ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emily said. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside. We cleaned! Well, Brian did. You didn¡¯t eat, right? I texted you and said not to eat lunch.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet,¡± Stephanie nodded, still feeling giddy. ¡°Were we¡ª¡±


    ¡°We have lasagna ready!¡± Kelly proclaimed, sounding genuinely excited. ¡°Garlic bread, too. You¡¯re hungry, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Stephanie tried to put her feet back on the ground so she could stand, but instead Brian scooped her the rest of the way up into his arms in a bridal carry. ¡°B-Brian!? I¡¯m not too heavy?¡±


    ¡°Muah,¡± Brian answered her simply by kissing the tip of her nose. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got you,¡± Kelly corrected, putting a possessive hand on Stephanie¡¯s leg. ¡°Hey, Emily¡ªquit grabbin¡¯ at my girlfriend and get Steph¡¯s bag, you little tugboat.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend too, you know,¡± Emily stuck her tongue out at her. ¡°Big tiddy bimbo liner.¡±


    ¡°Be nice!¡± Stephanie cautioned them as Brian carried her through the door and into the apartment. ¡°Kelly¡ªyou¡¯re supposed to call Emily kitten, and Emily, Kelly is baby.¡±


    ¡°Fiiine,¡± Kelly sighed, following them inside. ¡°I¡ªyou know what? I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m so fucking glad you¡¯re here. It felt like, there was still this little knot that just couldn¡¯t really relax, and then when you¡¯re here it just¡­ untangles itself and everything¡¯s okay again.¡±


    ¡°This coming from Kelly, who used to make fun of how sappy and lovey-dovey we were being,¡± Brian laughed. ¡°Emily¡ªcan you get the door? My hands¡¯re full.¡±


    ¡°Get the door, Emily!¡± Emily let out a playful huff. ¡°Boil the noodles, Emily! Set the table, Emily! All I do around here is work, work work.¡±


    ¡°All you did was laze around and watch us cook!¡± Kelly complained. ¡°Fuckboat.¡±


    ¡°Kelly!¡± Stephanie giggled. ¡°Kiss Emily and tell her you¡¯re sorry and that you didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Kelly put on a playful pout. ¡°Sorry, kitten.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, the lasagna smells amazing!¡± Stephanie realized.


    ¡°I¡ªhey wait wait wait I¡¯m not ready!¡± Emily put up a futile protest that was quickly drowned out as Kelly swooped in and stole her lips.


    ¡°I really missed this,¡± Brian remarked, gently setting Stephanie down on the apartment¡¯s sofa. ¡°Having everyone here together.¡±


    The ¡®table¡¯ was set¡ªthe low coffee table had napkins, forks, and plates, and Brian joined Stephanie on the sofa cushions while Kelly dumped a gasping-for-breath Emily into the armchair that faced the coffee table¡¯s side. The apartment was a little tidier than she remembered from her last visit, where the clutter of Kelly¡¯s belongings hadn¡¯t quite integrated into life here yet¡­ but Stephanie barely had more than a glance or two to spare for her surroundings.


    Brian looked good. Better than ever, maybe¡ªsome subconscious part of her mind had assumed he would be weakened or put out by spending so long in that strange sleep, but the naked facts here spoke otherwise. He looked healthy, hale, hearty¡ªhe projected a certain strong presence that seemed to fill the room and anchor her attention on him. He was wearing a collared shirt with two buttons, and each of the buttons was undone, showing off more of those delicious lines along his neck and his chest. It was a nice shirt, and he looked good wearing it, but at the same time she despised it, because she wanted it off of him so she could see him bare, she wanted¡ª


    Ohmigod I¡¯m so wet right now, Stephanie felt herself blushing furiously as Brian regarded her with a small smile. I want¡ªI want¡ªI want to¡ª


    ¡°Your hair looks super cute that way,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°It does?!¡± Stephanie stammered out. ¡°I, uh, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I was just telling Kelly before you got here that she should put her hair up,¡± Brian said. ¡°Show off her neck a bit more, her throat. There¡¯s just something that¡¯s like, unguarded and sexy about it.¡±


    ¡°Th-there is?¡± Stephanie stumbled over her words for a moment, twisting to see Kelly behind them in the kitchen area. ¡°There is! I, um, I did notice that¡ªKelly, you look fantastic!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kelly sounded incredibly pleased. ¡°Your pigtails, though¡­ ugh. Steph, that¡¯s just super fuckin¡¯ cute. Criminal. It¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Too fuckin¡¯ cute,¡± Emily agreed.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Stephanie awkwardly shifted her legs as the pink within her flared up again.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kelly finally returned, bearing a glass tray of lasagna from the edges with a pair of hand-towels. ¡°But, hey¡ªEmily¡¯s all faint with hunger, so we should eat. Drinks, everybody?¡±


    ¡°I can grab ¡®em,¡± Brian started to get up, but Kelly stopped him, nudging him back with a swing of her hips.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got them,¡± Kelly said, giving them a smile. ¡°We finally have Steph here¡ªmakes me want to be all submissive and domestic and shit. Like I should¡¯ve just worn an apron.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re home!¡± Emily teased. ¡°Do you want dinner, or a bath, or maybe¡­ ME?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Kelly nodded.


    ¡°I was worried that everyone would be feeling down,¡± Stephanie scooched closer to Brian and slipped her arm through his. ¡°That¡ªthat, I don¡¯t know. That the big issue with Chloe would be on everyone¡¯s minds.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Brian slapped his thigh. ¡°I knew we were forgetting something.¡±


    ¡°Briiian,¡± Stephanie grinned up at him.


    ¡°Chloe?¡± Emily sniffed, sliding out of the chair and instead sitting on the floor so she wouldn¡¯t have to hunch over to reach her plate. ¡°Who¡¯d want to waste time worrying about her?¡±


    ¡°We have our priorities right,¡± Kelly insisted, setting glasses on the kitchen counter and beginning to pour water into them from a purifier pitcher from the fridge. ¡°Steph¡¯s here, the gang¡¯s all back together again, we¡¯re having dinner together¡ªand then, we fuck.¡±


    ¡°Tonight?!¡± Stephanie blurted out. ¡°I um, I thought¡ªwell, I assumed since, since we were planning on driving out to meet Rebecca and Chloe early tomorrow morning, that, um¡ª¡±


    ¡°That what?¡± Emily laughed. ¡°That it was gonna stop the magic from happening?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cause¡ªI¡¯m feeling the magic,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I um¡­ I think I kinda am, yes,¡± Stephanie admitted, nestling in even closer to Brian. ¡°That¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Brian promised, withdrawing his arm from her grasp so that he could instead slip it around her. ¡°I mean¡­ if you want to, and all.¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Stephanie felt giddy with pink again. ¡°I do, I do¡ªI love you. All of you.¡±

 After AnimeCon - Lasagna

    Kelly delivered the lasagna to the coffee table with the borrowed hand towel, and Brian was ready with a metal spatula to divvy up portions and plate them for everyone. Stephanie and Kelly received equal-sized shares, Brian cut himself an enormous one so that Emily had a much smaller serving.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily protested with a laugh, comparing the two plates with a pout. ¡°What the heck, man.¡±


    ¡°If you can finish that, I¡¯ll share some of my slice,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°It smells so good!¡± Stephanie took up her silverware.


    ¡°Garlic bread too, guys,¡± Kelly reminded them.


    ¡°Mmmm, garlic bread,¡± Emily all but drooled at the prospect. ¡°Now that¡¯s my jam.¡±


    ¡°And Brian actually has a bread-knife, here,¡± Kelly remarked as she sawed off sections of the loaf and passed them out. ¡°Chelsea just had steak-knives she used for cutting everything.¡±


    ¡°For shame,¡± Emily shook her head in apparent dismay. ¡°Oooh, thanks, Babe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brian took his.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Stephanie beamed. ¡°Um. Do you guys say Grace?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Emily grunted, immediately chomping into the garlic bread. ¡°Mwufufu-hwafufu.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Emily, manners,¡± Brian smacked her arm.


    ¡°Hwaf?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit religious, but mostly just ¡®round Christmastime,¡± Kelly revealed with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I spend all year living deep in sin, and then still really want to go to Christmas mass at that time of year¡ªso I guess some tiny bit of Catholic wound up sticking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, uh, non-practicing but open-minded,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Appeals to higher powers seem a whole lot more real with all the supernatural stuff, lately though, I guess. I¡¯ll have to start thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to church since I started college,¡± Stephanie revealed, being the first to section off a bit of lasagna and try it. ¡°Mmmh¡ªthis is good!¡±


    ¡°Feel like I¡¯m the same, more or less,¡± Brian tried a bit of lasagna himself. ¡°It was some obligation thing I did with the family, fell outta practice once I moved out on my own. Chloe was adamantly anti-Christian, but I dunno if she actually believed in anything. Emily¡¯s some sorta fedora-tipping have a euphoric day atheist, I think?¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡± Emily pouted. ¡°Mom used to take us to church. Just, we fell out of the habit. I¡¯ve been to Rebecca¡¯s church twice, it was okay. She¡¯s a regular there all the time.¡±


    ¡°What denomination is she?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°Seneca Valley First¡­. somethin¡¯ or other. I¡¯ll havta ask, I don¡¯t remember. Wasn¡¯t a super huge megachurch, or anything. Little one. Buncha old folk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then,¡± Kelly said between mouthfuls of lasagna. ¡°The whole religion thing, I mean. Didn¡¯t want that to be weird for us.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, though?¡± Emily wondered out loud. ¡°Not like most any of them are cool with like, polygamy or same-sex relationships or all that.¡±


    The lasagna was good but not great, in Brian¡¯s opinion. It was fresh from the oven and pretty nice, but somehow the flavor just wasn¡¯t really hitting like he thought it should. For some reason he imagined he was tasting noodles more than he was tasting the sauce and cheese¡ªsomething about the way they¡¯d made it this time had the taste falling a bit flat. The garlic bread, thankfully, was gold-standard. He might have overdid it slathering up the garlic butter, but damn was the end result just absolutely amazing.


    S¡¯okay though, the lasagna isn¡¯t BAD, it¡¯s just not incredible, Brian told himself. Leaves room for improvement next time. I think it¡¯s gotta be the brand of ricotta cheese we grabbed, I can barely taste it. Weak-sauce stuff, considering it was six bucks. You expect a great lasagna to have more of a kinda rich flavor.


    ¡°Well,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°Relationship-wise¡­ maybe not something I think we should really even be advertising in the first place? To anyone? Not with our whole situation. I mean, yeah it¡¯s current year and polycules are a thing, sure, but we don¡¯t need to be raising flags or tipping anyone off. Not if it¡¯s something creepy Masters-types might look around for when they¡¯re scouting for ¡®talent.¡¯¡±


    Mention of the Masters gave Brian pause as he raised the fork to his mouth, but he tried to cover it up by quickly eating. The idea that there were real-life Illuminati-types with some secret society was a lot to try to grapple with. Especially if they seemed to be built up around abuse of the same sort of powers or gifts Brian and the girls here had just sort of stumbled into. There was just too much danger, there, and Brian had no clue what to do with any of the information Emily had jotted out across their whiteboard.


    What the fuck does ANYONE do dealing with all of¡­ THAT? How common are ¡®Masters¡¯? How many of them are there, are they everywhere? Just the threat of them potentially crossing paths with us in the future is fucking terrifying.


    ¡°I, um, I did tell my mom that I maybe got a boyfriend,¡± Stephanie admitted with a blush. ¡°Over the phone. But¡ªI, I didn¡¯t know how to bring up¡­ all of the rest. About Kelly and Emily. Not that I¡¯m ashamed or want to, to hide it or anything, just¡ª¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Completely cool, Steph,¡± Kelly nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°My mom barely even cared,¡± Emily let out a snort. ¡°I was like, so¡ªI have a girlfriend, now. She was like, oh, that¡¯s great news! Thrilled. As if she¡¯d never even expected I¡¯d have a relationship ever anyways. Like she was just happy something was finally going on with me in that regard. Haaah.¡±


    ¡°You talked with her?¡± Brian asked, exchanging a discreet glance with Kelly over Emily¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yeah, for a bit,¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°I was over there grabbing stuff the one day, and I¡¯m s¡¯posed to call and check in every once in a while, so I do. I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m still on her family phone plan thing, so if I just disappear on her, she said she¡¯ll cut my service. Dunno if she was kidding or not. Can¡¯t risk it, man.¡±


    ¡°She say anything about the whole¡­ Brian situation?¡± Kelly probed. ¡°Since you told her you have a girlfriend, but then you¡¯re all of the sudden just living over here with us?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Emily pursed her lip. ¡°I think she maybe knows? But, prolly doesn¡¯t want to say anything, in case it¡¯s not like that for real. She always seemed to know I had the hots for Brian, so. Yeah. I dunno. I¡¯ve maybe been a bit touchy about the whole subject with her, in the past. Should we like, clear things up? Or make things official?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want to do,¡± Brian said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make things weird for you with your family.¡±


    ¡°Eh, they¡¯ll be cool with whatever,¡± Emily seemed indifferent. ¡°Well, mom will be, she¡¯s laid back about that stuff. Katie¡¯ll maybe groan or scoff or roll her eyes or somethin¡¯. Little cunt.¡±


    ¡°Sisters,¡± Kelly muttered.


    ¡°Ah, right¡ªhave you kept in touch with your sis?¡± Emily asked. ¡°I almost forgot about her. Sarah whatever.¡±


    ¡°Sarah Star,¡± Brian supplied.


    ¡°Yeah, her,¡± Emily said.


    ¡°No,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°I said my goodbyes, and that was it. I don¡¯t think she wants anything to do with me or my life. I¡¯m gonna stay out of her business, and just¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°This whole thing is¡ª¡± Brian chuckled, clinking his fork against the plate as he scooped up more lasagna. ¡°Where do we even start going about explaining our weird relationship paradigm to people?¡±


    ¡°We just call it a harem,¡± Emily suggested. ¡°It is what it is, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even really a harem, it¡¯s more of a polycule,¡± Kelly corrected her. ¡°And people get weird about it, and some of us¡ªwell, Steph¡ªhave parents and whatnot, so we can¡¯t be throwing her under the bus or outing her with all of this. I do not want her to have to deal with people getting judgemental.¡±


    ¡°I do want to tell them everything,¡± Stephanie gave them a sheepish look as she fidgeted with her slice of garlic bread. ¡°I just¡ªwhere do I even begin?!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to meet your parents?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Stephanie affirmed with a smile. ¡°I, I want them to meet all of you! To see. To see how all of you complete me, how much love we have. Just, I think my mom will be¡­ surprised. I¡¯m not sure my dad will know what to think.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Kelly¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Two-parent household? Both still together? That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ is?¡± Stephanie looked like she couldn¡¯t tell if Kelly was joking or not. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kinda,¡± Emily agreed. ¡°Mine were separated, then my dad passed away. For family it¡¯s just me, my mom, my sister. Oh, and then my cousin Samantha, I guess. But, she¡¯s cool.¡±


    Everyone paused as Kelly choked on her lasagna, and Brian reached over to pat her on the back a few times.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Geez, Kell.¡±


    ¡°You good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­ yeah,¡± Kelly cleared her throat. ¡°Sorry. My um, my parents never even married, my dad split when I was little. Buncha losers went through pretending they could step-dad us just so they could pork my mom, but none of them even proposed or anything, things never got too serious.¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡± Stephanie looked horrified.


    ¡°Brian¡¯s parents are divorced,¡± Emily said. ¡°His step-parents were super shitty, too. God, am I glad we got you away from them. Just even thinking about them makes me furious. Psychopaths.¡±


    ¡°Was actually my real dad and then a stepmom, there,¡± Brian said with indifference. ¡°But, yeah, each of them, and then also my real mom¡ªall racked up like two divorces each. I think my real mom¡¯s on three, now. So, just got bounced around a lot for a bit, passed back and forth living with different people who didn¡¯t give a damn about me.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s awful!¡± Stephanie dropped her fork back onto her plate, aghast.


    ¡°Eh,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°You get used to it fast.¡±


    ¡°What about Rebecca?¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Oh, her parents are together, but they¡¯re weirdos,¡± Emily said. ¡°Like, van-life¡­ gypsy¡­ ren-faire folk, I guess? Absentee parents, for sure. They¡¯re only even here three weeks out of the year, and just for the big state renaissance fair thing up the road. Rebecca¡¯s grandparents are super traditional normal parent-types, though. I could see her grandpa not approving of the whole¡­ this we have going on.¡±


    ¡°But, I mean, there¡¯s ¡®family,¡¯ and then there¡¯s family,¡± Brian said. ¡°Like, my actual parents and step-parents are basically out of the picture, but I have Emily¡¯s mom. I have Michael¡¯s aunt; aunt Mattie. I have all of my friends, I have Emily, I have you guys. People who care about me. So, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have family¡ªjust, they¡¯re not technically family related to me by blood.¡±


    ¡°¡®Found family,¡¯ yeah,¡± Emily pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s a whole damn genre, now. Super wholesome stuff.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Mattie¡¯s the one you lived with after high school?¡± Kelly asked, tearing off a chunk of her garlic toast and popping it into her mouth. ¡°I know in at least one of our future timelines, we moved to her place and lived with them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, everyone¡¯s always welcome there,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°She¡¯s super cool. We were¡ªwell, Steph and I¡ªwe were talking about maybe having the harem live together there at her place, when the lease here is up.¡±


    ¡°Whew, yeah,¡± Brian rocked back in his chair. ¡°Wasn¡¯t even thinking about that yet, really. But, there¡¯s already three of us living here, and still only just the one twin-mattress. Not a lot of space for everyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with us all being cozy!¡± Emily batted her eyelashes at him.


    ¡°We can always kick Emily out, too,¡± Kelly snarked. ¡°She has her own damn bedroom at her mom¡¯s place, just some ten minutes away.¡±


    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Emily protested, putting on her pleading puppy-dog face. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I swear. An-and I¡¯m tiny! I fit anywhere and you¡¯ll barely even notice! I take up like, zero space! You can just put me up in the cupboard beneath the stairs!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have stairs, though,¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°...Or we totally would.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stephanie tensed. ¡°Do we know what it¡¯s like with, uh, Chloe¡¯s parents?¡±


    The coffee table fell silent at that.


    ¡°Does she have anyone that will be wondering where she is, or, ah, why they haven¡¯t heard from her?¡±

 After AnimeCon - Dinner Discussion

    ¡°Chloe had¡­ a weird relationship with her parents,¡± Brian finally remarked, rearranging the messy lasagna on his plate with his fork in a listless manner. ¡°Her dad¡¯s some bigshot corporate executive type, don¡¯t remember what kind of business. He was, uh, well. Basically if you picture some stereotypical chauvinistic male, that¡¯s him, I guess. Rich, handsome older dude, would hit on anything that moves, hired hot secretaries and usually wound up fucking them.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Livin¡¯ the dream,¡± Emily laughed and rolled her eyes. ¡°I heard a bunch of that from her, too. Who knows how much of it was total BS.¡±


    ¡°Well, Chloe¡¯s mother was at one point one of those secretaries of his, so¡­ I dunno, definitely some grains of truth in there,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°Now, when I say her thing with her parents is weird and complicated, it¡¯s because while I think her dad was this asshole chauvinist guy, and her mother wound up being this bitter man-hating feminist¡­ But. Growing up, Chloe loved her dad to pieces and couldn¡¯t stand her mother, ¡®cause her dad spoiled her rotten and bought her stuff, while her mom was the super strict harpy who never let her do anything.¡±


    ¡°My mom was like that, too,¡± Kelly nodded. ¡°Maybe I¡¯d have turned out like Chloe if my dad had still been in the picture?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but with Chloe it¡¯s like¡­¡± Emily brought her hands up as if to try to illustrate them, but wound up clenching and unclenching them in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s like when she turned eighteen she had this big fucking epiphany where she realizes her dad was the bad guy all along, her mom was in the right about everything. About men. And she would shittalk about him to no end. ¡®Til she needed something, then with zero self-awareness he was daddy money again, to sweet talk on the phone like she was his innocent little baby girl.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was kinda¡­ yeah,¡± Brian grimaced. ¡°My dad¡¯s wealthy, too, but the idea of trying to even have a civil conversation with him now, after the way he treated me for years? There¡¯s just¡­ no, no fuckin¡¯ way. I think that was one of the sore spot uhh¡­ I guess kind of first relationship hiccups Chloe and I had. Where¡¯s she¡¯s all like, ¡®what¡¯s the big deal, just ask your dad for help.¡¯ Don¡¯t even remember what it was about.


    ¡°But, I was like¡ªno, not only no, but hell no, and she looked at me and the way I was acting and seemed to think I was just being childish by not setting aside all of¡­ that that had happened and just going to him whenever I needed something. And then, well yeah I kept it to myself, but then I would look at what she was doing, and it just seemed¡­ I dunno. Shameless and infantile, to talk about her dad like he was this sexist abusive monster, but then have zero qualms about just¡­ setting that aside whenever convenient, putting on her pouty face and calling him up to ask for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Brian¡ªit¡¯s okay,¡± Stephanie quickly assured him, rising up from her seat. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡ª¡±


    ¡°Damn, uh, yeah,¡± Brian made a face. ¡°Sorry. Don¡¯t usually get into all that or talk about it. It pisses me off.


    ¡°I uh, I dunno if we even told you yet,¡± Emily winced. ¡°But, before we all split up, Chloe squealed on herself, said she had both you and her dad paying all the bills. Not like, not like some half-and-half thing. You were paying everything for her, and then she told her dad you weren¡¯t paying anything, ¡®cause you were out of a job or something, so her dad was sending her money to cover everything. For both of you. All of the fucking bills you would¡¯ve had for two people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Brian tried to let out a laugh, but one didn¡¯t come out and he was forced to take a deep breath instead. ¡°That¡¯s. She really¡­?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Emily reached across the table to take his hand.


    ¡°So, Chloe was living this fiction,¡± Kelly shoved her plate aside with her fingertips to indicate her appetite was gone. ¡°Where, her dad was the bad guy, because secretly, all men are the bad guy. It got to be this story she told herself but didn¡¯t really believe, not deep down, and so naturally whenever you might¡¯ve mentioned your dad actually being some abusive asshole for real, on the surface she¡¯s one hundred percent with you on that. But, actually¡ªin her mind, to her it¡¯s just like her fictional bullshit she spun up. Where you¡¯re both just pretending to be victims, so of course then if you don¡¯t man up and still ask for your dad¡¯s help whenever you need it, you¡¯re just being a big baby.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s, c-can we just talk about something else?¡± Stephanie pleaded, hunching up her shoulders as the feelings around her started to rise. ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about all of this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Brian shook his head.


    ¡°No¡ªno, it¡¯s not okay,¡± Stephanie insisted. ¡°You, you¡¯re not, you¡¯re not okay, and it¡ªit bothers me so much that you¡¯ve had to deal with, with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Steph and I were talking ¡®bout all this back at the convention,¡± Emily said. ¡°About you, about your parents, about Chloe. Your shitty parents had like, no love or trust for you, and, that sort of gave you this blind spot, and what happened was Chloe discovered that blind spot and crawled herself in there like a spider and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Emily¡ª¡± Stephanie frowned.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Brian sighed. ¡°We get it. It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s whatever. She deserves plenty of blame, but I was in the wrong for letting it all happen, letting it go on for so long, to where things could even¡­ play out like that.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in the wrong, though,¡± Emily argued. ¡°At all. It was completely, totally all her fault. Literally. All¡ª¡±


    ¡°C-can we just¡ª¡± Stephanie tried to interrupt.


    ¡°¡ªThere wasn¡¯t a¡ª¡± Brian said.


    ¡°¡ªAll of it was Chloe¡¯s fault! Think about what¡ª¡± Emily spoke over her.


    ¡°¡ªI was on the fence about all of it,¡± Kelly cut in. ¡°Like, when I first met Brian, that first night he did seem like he¡¯d just let himself become this total doormat and only had himself to blame. But. Knowing all that I know now? Jesus fucking Christ.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Emily fumed. ¡°She¡ª¡±


    ¡°She had the bitter feminist rhetoric on the outside,¡± Kelly began ticking off fingers. ¡°Then, beneath that, feeding into that¡ªgaslighting and projection. Anything wrong that happens was your fault, any wrong she does is righteous and justified. Beneath that, just, like¡ªovert manipulation. Isolating you from your friends, deleting messages to cut you off from people, controlling what you do. Setting up that big narrative where you¡¯ve gotten her pregnant but don¡¯t want to take responsibility, trying to make you out to be abusive or a rapist. All of those layers, wrapped around the core fact of Chloe just actually being a psychopath.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Emily huffed, rocking her butt back onto her heels. ¡°Fucking exactly.¡±


    ¡°So, Brian, it¡¯s all way the fuck beyond you being in the wrong for not catching on sooner,¡± Kelly summed up. ¡°You¡¯re guilty of assuming she was a human being with basic decency. Imagining there were common ground sort of bottom lines that, as a person, she would not cross. But, the reality is, she¡¯s a psychopath who doesn¡¯t actually feel things like guilt, or remorse, or empathy. She at best just pretended those things because it helped her blend in, helped her take advantage of people.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, yeah, maybe? I just¡ªI guess towards the end she¡¯d lost her patience for even pretending, but. I really believed at first, that she was this, this different person. And. I thought me and this person had a future together, so I was¡­ when she started changing, I kept thinking that maybe¡­ that. I don¡¯t know. I want to believe she wasn¡¯t always like that, but if she¡­ no, I don¡¯t know. Fuck, this all got so fucked.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, we need to just put Chloe out of her misery,¡± Emily crossed her arms. ¡°No more of this naive ¡®oh, I can fix her¡¯ bullshit. I¡¯m just so done with her. Done with her hurting Brian, done with her constantly trying to fuck us over. Yeah, I get it, murder is wrong, we can¡¯t just kill her. But, it¡¯s not even murder. It¡¯s self defense. She claimed she would try to sell us out to the masters¡ªthat¡¯s it. That¡¯s it.


    ¡°She¡¯s done, right there,¡± Emily continued, looking around the coffee table at each of them. ¡°That¡¯s not a risk we can ever tolerate. Period. Even if harem bullshit magic makes her less of a psychopath, sure, yeah, maybe it does¡ªI don¡¯t fucking care. I don¡¯t want her in the harem with us, I don¡¯t want to share Brian with her, she doesn¡¯t fucking deserve that. We¡¯ll never, ever be able to trust her, and honestly? Anyone who ever does try to trust her is fucking stupid.¡±


    Stiff silence filled the apartment after that. Their food wasn¡¯t finished but it was forgotten, and pensive tension pushed each of them into their own thoughts as they sat together around the plates of lasagna and scraps of garlic bread. Brian hated to think that Chloe could ruin their reunion like this even without being present, because it made him feel like in some way or another, she would just always continue to exert an influence over his life. That dating her had damaged him in intangible ways, that he was going to carry either trauma or guilt about the situation for the rest of his life, and now it was just a matter of picking which.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to fuck tonight,¡± Kelly murmured under her breath. ¡°Way to ruin the mood, tugboat.¡±


    ¡°Well excuuuuse me, princess,¡± Emily retorted. ¡°I¡¯m just sayin.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡­ really just don¡¯t want to kill anybody,¡± Brian said with a sigh.


    ¡°We can¡ªdoes it count as ¡®killing¡¯ Chloe, if we just, just remove her from Christine?¡± Stephanie asked, looking around at each of them. ¡°Christine was, she was different. She wasn¡¯t¡­ broken.¡±


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t like that you think she can just rebrand,¡± Emily snorted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change all the bullshit she did. I don¡¯t care what the fuck she calls herself, Chloe, Christine, Cristinith¡ªI fucking hate her, and I¡¯m not going to forgive her or forget what she did. Ever.¡±


    ¡°One of the future sends, the Kelly told me I should go easy on Christine,¡± Kelly said. ¡°This was¡­ way back late Saturday night of the con, I think. Didn¡¯t realize at the time that Christine meant Chloe.¡±


    ¡°So, you think we need to go easy on her?¡± Emily shot a venomous look at Kelly. ¡°Fuck that! That was probably just one of the shitty futures. High on copium or whatever to try an¡¯ convince themselves they knew what the fuck they were doing. Fuck that.¡±


    ¡°I trust the future Kellys even less than you guys do,¡± Kelly gave them a helpless shrug, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sure, she maybe had more perspective on a post-Chloe Christine, but also¡ªnone of those Christines were exactly like the one we¡¯ve got. All of those Christines had a uh, a real bad end, courtesy of those fucks in the alleyway, and then we just sorta eventually pieced her back together. Or tried to. Our Christine didn¡¯t actually get raped, right?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ close,¡± Brian said, gritting his teeth. ¡°Very, uncomfortably close. I think¡­ I think I don¡¯t know. I think Emily¡¯s right, in that there¡¯s no way to forgive some of the things she¡¯s done. At least for me. But, then also¡ªSteph has a point in that maybe her being either bi-polar or a psychopath or both might be one of those broken things that charm magic can solve. At which point¡­ whether or not I can personally forgive her, or we as a group can, how much blame does she deserve? It¡¯s not none, but it might also not be all of it.¡±


    ¡°I say it¡¯s all of it,¡± Emily said. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Brian stared down at his plate. ¡°And I uh, I hate to just wipe out all of our options, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable being intimate with her. After¡­ yeah, after everything. Which might mean the whole put her on the love magic track to fix her thing is untenable. Which might not be fair, but¡­ uh. Yeah. I don¡¯t know. Emily does have a point, in that whether or not we should trust her, I may just personally not be able to trust her, or ah, or form that intimate sort of bond with her that might be needed for the charm magic route. If that makes sense?¡±


    ¡°It totally does,¡± Emily affirmed. ¡°Good call. Seriously, man. Like¡ªyeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m not happy with Chloe, either,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°You all know that. If you were to ask me if I hate Chloe¡­ then, I think yes. I did, I do. But¡­ Christine isn¡¯t really Chloe, I don¡¯t think. She did stay with Brian that night and protected him from the Masters.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, out of self-interest, more like,¡± Emily scoffed. ¡°If she even really did much of anything¡ªlike, if you think about it, all we have to go on is her word. Maybe the Masters didn¡¯t really show up, maybe they did but she barely did anything. Maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Actr¡ª¡± Kelly paused, working her mouth as if to take back a misspoken word, ¡°Actually, the uh, the person I can¡¯t talk about, the healer people who delivered Brian, they corroborated at least part of Christine¡¯s story. She said they ¡®took care of¡¯ what was left of a Master who got left behind there when the Masters there at the hospital withdrew. And, I know it¡¯s not something we can confirm, but in the other timelines where one of us winds up in the hospital, the Masters always show up.¡±


    ¡°Did we¡­ ever find out why that is?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Magic bullshit they have set up,¡± Kelly explained. ¡°Hospitals and police stations both, I think. Some sort of enchantment¡­ ward¡­ fuckery, that sends off a ping or a notice or something whenever stuff is afoot, trips some alarm. Then, the Masters send out people to clean up whatever it is. Or uh, whoever it is.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Emily nodded. ¡°Wonder what they do about like, news, and social media and all that?¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care, let¡¯s all just¡­ be real fucking careful,¡± Kelly crossed her arms. ¡°We have¡ªus here, I feel like we¡¯re good together, we have a good thing. We don¡¯t need to be flying around or turning into dragons or throwing fireballs. Can¡¯t we just¡ªfucking be together and be happy? You know? Live our normal lives?¡±


    ¡°Do we turn into dragons in the future?¡± Emily¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. ¡°Do we have weird animalistic dragon sex?!¡±


    ¡°No, Emily,¡± Kelly shot a glare her way. ¡°And¡ªmagic, it¡¯s not all fucking fun and games, alright? I don¡¯t like it. Period. The girl I spoke to that dropped off Brian, the healer peoples, she kind of offhand mentioned them having to pull half of some dude out of a fire and try to put him back together. Alright? That could be one of us. If we keep fucking around with this stupid magic bullshit we don¡¯t understand. What happened to Brian, all the stuff that almost happened to Steph, the shit that did happen to her in the timeline just before ours¡ªdo you want shit like that to happen again? Do you?¡±


    ¡°No, I just¡ª¡± Emily gave her a sheepish look. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just, c¡¯mon, magic. It¡¯s exciting. Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and I get that,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°Just, it¡¯s also dangerous, and I never want you to ever fucking forget that. Mindbendingly great sex and like, being able to form better personal connections or intimacy or whatever? Is already good enough for me. More than good enough. Don¡¯t want the future send powers, even, I¡¯d trade them in if I could. Don¡¯t think we should get any more involved in the magic bullshit than we already are.¡±


    ¡°You know from the future stuff what my power actually is, already,¡± Emily narrowed her eyes at Kelly. ¡°Is it something I like? Or is it something I don¡¯t want, like with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Kelly grit her teeth. ¡°Fucking love your power. Probably more than any of us.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily tried and failed to stifle a smile of anticipation. ¡°Okay. Awesome. I uh, I think that if we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do I get powers?¡± Brian interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, does he?¡± Emily joined in. ¡°I¡¯d been like, wondering about that a lot. ¡®Cause that could bring a ton of cool options for stuff to the table.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to spoil whether or not you get magic BS, or¡­ do you want to figure it all out on your own?¡± Kelly countered, sticking out her tongue at him. ¡°Have it be your self-discovery personal journey thing, instead of something someone else just kinda drops on you.¡±


    ¡°Kinda both?¡± Brian let out a chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know. All still feels unreal to me. Even just having a harem is already¡ªcrazy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say we need to, in every instance, get more involved in magic,¡± Emily insisted. ¡°Other groups out there have it¡ªthe Masters, the healer peoples. We need to be aware of what¡¯s really going on to be able to defend ourselves from, I don¡¯t know. Anything weird, whatever stuff that might crop up in the future. Right? Better to be forewarned and forearmed, and all that.¡±


    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve seen makes me think we should just steer fucking clear,¡± Kelly said. ¡°So, I¡¯m against.¡±


    ¡°Is, um, is using my power bad?¡± Stephanie asked, reentering the conversation. ¡°I mean¡­ if I feel your feelings, if we connect our feelings like we¡¯ve done before¡ªis that setting off¡­ signals? That others could detect? Or sense? Because, I, I¡ªI don¡¯t know how to turn it off or stop, really.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emily spread out her hands. ¡°We need to know more, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll find out,¡± Kelly promised, looking uncomfortable. ¡°Somehow. I think it¡¯s probably okay, in that you¡¯re only connected to us, so I think it should be mostly under everyone¡¯s radar. But¡­ I will find out. Either get a hold of healer peoples again, or¡­ I know somebody that I should be able to ask, that will be able to check on that for us. Okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the things I was going to ask,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Like¡ªwhen we have sex. How is that not a giant beacon of¡­ well, magical energy or what have you. Because, from what we¡¯ve experienced, we must be setting off massive invisible sky beams, or something. Right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out,¡± Kelly pursed her lips.


    ¡°Hold up, hold up,¡± Emily dropped her palms onto the surface of the coffee table. ¡°We¡¯ll find out. Because, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna go abstinent anytime soon, right? We¡¯re all banging tonight.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just bang normally?¡± Kelly griped. ¡°Without having to have it be this super big magical event?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, can we?¡± Emily glanced towards Brian and then Stephanie. ¡°Is that even fucking possible?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m new here. I just woke up from the month-long coma, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°I um, like I said, I can¡¯t turn my charm power off,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I even can. It¡¯s a, like you said, it¡¯s a passive ability. I can¡¯t turn it off. Th-the only thing that worked to do that was¡­ Chloe. Christine. Her power.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Emily looked like she was at a loss. ¡°Fuck it, give us spoilers; Kelly, is the charm ability stuff each of us have, is that magic that can be learned? Like spell frame stuff? Can we learn how to do Christine¡¯s mirror thing that blocks magic, or have someone teach us how to do it? Seems like that¡¯d be super handy.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ no,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°No. The charm ability stuff we have is all pretty unique to each person. As far as I know, none of us can even learn the healing spell frame stuff, either. We don¡¯t have the¡­ I guess you¡¯d say compatibility?¡±


    ¡°So, we can¡¯t learn magic beyond whatever we get for our charm powers?¡± Emily pressed.


    ¡°We¡­ can, sort of,¡± Kelly hedged. ¡°But, it¡¯s not the same, wouldn¡¯t be on the same level. In at least some of the futures¡­ some of us learned a bit of magic stuff.¡±


    ¡°Some of us,¡± Emily repeated. ¡°Like, who? Specifically.¡±


    ¡°Rebecca managed a bunch, Brian and Stephanie learned some,¡± Kelly admitted. ¡°You specifically had trouble learning, and were even worse at practicing it. Discipline and exercising it, and all that. It¡¯s not even a big deal anyways, it¡¯s all¡­ stupid little unimportant parlor trick stuff, especially compared to our individual powers.¡±


    ¡°Fuuuuck,¡± Emily swore, sagging back against the base of the chair behind her. ¡°So fucking unfair. Does it¡ªdo I have trouble picking it up because of like, because of magic compatibility, or¡­ or is it just because I¡¯m me?¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­ do you really want me to answer that?¡± Kelly asked, averting her eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily pouted. ¡°Fuck. Wait, what about you? Are you just against learning magic on principle, or are you not good at it either?¡±


    Kelly¡¯s features scrunched up as she made a face at Emily, for a long moment she wore a scowl, and then she stared up at the ceiling and blew out a slow breath. To everyone¡¯s surprise, she then lifted one arm out over the table, palm up and fingers outstretched as though she was grasping at the air. Her limb trembled, Kelly bared her teeth, they watched as her entire body shivered from exertion, and then they all felt something happen.


    A tiny red mote of light appeared in the air, and then immediately blinked out.


    ¡°Hax. Hax,¡± Emily accused, jumping to her feet. ¡°Ohmigod you already fucking know magic. You already know. You already¡ªof course you fucking do. You can teach us how to do magic! You can¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡ª¡± Kelly shook out her arm and cupped her other hand to her forehead as she tried to recover. ¡°Was the start of the start of the beginner''s first basic magic spell thing. Cool! Great! Wow! I can create a speck of light that only people with magic can see. Why? Because it doesn¡¯t generate actual real light, so it can¡¯t actually illuminate things! Which makes it super fuckin¡¯ pointless.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Emily tried to cut in, but Kelly wasn¡¯t done ranting.


    ¡°With a couple months more practice, I¡¯d be able to hold a sustained speck of magic in the air. Amazing! Incredible! Then with like, seven more months and a lot more work, I¡¯ll get it to where it puts off a tiny bit of actual real light. Or, you know what else I could fuckin¡¯ do? Buy a fucking lighter. A flashlight. Have a fuckin¡¯ phone that shines actual bright light. Every single basic magic thing you can learn with a ton of fucking effort, months or years of practice is bullshit you can accomplish in other ways, easily, without magic.¡±


    ¡°You can still¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even fucking free!¡± Kelly went on. ¡°Guess what, part of regular practice is getting an instant fucking migraine from using up all your personal magic or whatever. A migraine that doesn¡¯t go away with pain relievers! Also kinda sore already, and fucking super tired for no reason. So, there you go, Emmie. Have at. Learn fucking magic. With the time spent practicing enough to where you can levitate a, a bit of down fluff with magic, you could have become a decent guitar player. Or learned piano. Started picking up French, or Spanish, or¡ªyou get the idea.¡±


    ¡°Wait, can, can¡¯t¡ªcan¡¯t we like, restore magic by just kissing Brian?¡± Emily refused to be dissuaded. ¡°Whenever we run out of magic points?¡±


    ¡°...Somewhat, you¡¯d basically have to, to get anywhere,¡± Kelly admitted with reluctance. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. But, there¡¯s a limit to drawing on him like that, too, and no matter what, you¡¯re going to wind up with a headache and pretty much jack shit to show for it. And, honestly? Not worth wasting your time on.¡±


    ¡°Still want to learn,¡± Emily refused to budge. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fucking magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ also want to try?¡± Stephanie gave them a sheepish smile. ¡°Are you alright? Your head? Can we, can we kiss it better for now, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s magic?¡± Kelly countered. ¡°It¡¯s one of those things¡ªlike normal magic tricks, card tricks. Magic tricks are cool, right? You can learn to hide a card back behind your fingers in this certain way, to where you just gesture, flick out your fingers and¡ªvoila! The card seems to appear. Or, you make a coin disappear, whatever. Yet, despite it being such a cool trick, how many people actually put in the time and effort to learn how to do it well? Almost no one. Steph, that¡¯s what this is like.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but then¡ªhow are these ¡®Masters¡¯ so capable, then?¡± Brian frowned. ¡°If learning how to do all this stuff is that much work for so little reward?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just straight up different for them,¡± Kelly shrugged. ¡°And, not in a good way. Different rules. Has to do with the way it works, like we have our innate charm powers that, well, they bring our group together, and center around that. Empathy, foresight and so on. Masters likewise have an innate sort of¡­ thing, that makes them the way that they are.


    ¡°Outside of our charm stuff, us learning magic is like learning to woo a woman. It¡¯s a courtship process, a¡­ a mastery, requires hard work, and a drive to improve yourself, to communicate and learn and understand, really understand, and, yeah¡ªinvolves a fair bit of pain and suffering. Future Rebecca¡¯s words, not mine. Them learning magic, the way of the Masters, isn¡¯t a courtship, it¡¯s holding a gun to the girl¡¯s head and telling her to start stripping or they¡¯ll blow her fucking brains out. Except the girl in these metaphors is, uh, reality, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ oof,¡± Brian closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ugh.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, their innate power is the gun?!¡± Emily protested. ¡°Basically? I mean like the gun in the metaphor? That¡¯s so fucking unfair!¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It¡¯s probably more like whatever innate power they would have had, with the way they do things they traded it away for a gun pointed at the world.¡±


    ¡°What about the healer peoples?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Are they like Masters?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t even talk about them, sorry,¡± Kelly pressed her lips shut. ¡°They did us a solid favor when they didn¡¯t have to, and all they asked me for was privacy. Not gonna talk about them, please don¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fair,¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Fair.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not Masters, though, right?¡± Emily demanded. ¡°Or, I guess like, are they white-hat Masters?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not Masters,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°Masters have their credo with the laws or rules or whatever. So, likewise we are not Masters. Brian is definitely not. If you¡¯re not pledged into their charter contract bullshit with whatever vows or oaths, you¡¯re not a Master.¡±


    ¡°But, Brian could have joined them,¡± Emily said. ¡°Like, they were gonna try to recruit him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that, either,¡± Kelly clutched her head with both hands, now. ¡°You know Brian¡¯s not like them.¡±


    ¡°So, um¡­ what are we?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°How are we¡­ classified? Is there a name for what we are?¡±


    ¡°Harem,¡± Emily suggested. ¡°Anime harem.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Kelly shook her head. ¡°Classifications and all that imply¡­ a hell of a lot more coordination and agreement then I think you would ever find from everyone on ¡®that side¡¯ of things. It¡¯s a bunch of big fish in tiny ponds, occasionally crossing paths and eating one another. There¡¯s no overarching organization or hierarchy that I know of. Maybe to the Masters, everyone attuned to a focus counts as a proto-Master, to them. It¡¯s obvious the Masters police magic stuff from the normal people somewhat to keep all that secret, but rather than counting them as a real authority, I¡¯d say they¡¯re just¡­ guarding their own interests and advantages?¡±


    ¡°But there are lots of other groups besides the Masters?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°I think so, but I can¡¯t give you anything concrete about them,¡± Kelly said. ¡°If any of that crept into one of the Sends I got, it didn¡¯t process or parse beyond just me vaguely being aware there¡¯s other groups out there. Because, again¡ªit was a daisy-chain cram study session. I ¡®know¡¯ a bunch of the obvious important stuff they were trying to convey, a lot of the rest is either¡­ digesting very slowly, or is just completely forgotten by now.¡±


    ¡°Digesting slowly¡ªso you are still getting information?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Yes. No. Sort of,¡± Kelly made a face. ¡°With the ones from that being a lot of Sends within Sends a lot of it becomes nonsense data. Like, uhhh¡ªto make up an example of what it¡¯s like; does Stephanie flip a coin and have it land on heads tomorrow? Yes, some futures agree. Also; no, some futures say it lands on tails tomorrow. As well as no; Stephanie does not flip a coin tomorrow at all, with a lot of futures playing out like that.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Emily narrowed her eyes. ¡°What the fucking¡­how does that even help anyone?¡±


    ¡°I thought I explained this before, but the Sends aren¡¯t from our exact future, per se,¡± Kelly grumbled. ¡°They¡¯re mostly from parallel, very-similar futures. The ones that have the potential to be the same-ish timeline take less¡­ oomph, or broadcasting bandwidth, or magical amperage to reach, so we count those as being in the same ¡®branch¡¯ of timeline, and thicker branches are better for¡­ some stupid stability reason we figured out in the future that I doubt I understand correctly right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so¡­¡± Brian laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll just say take Sends with a grain of salt?¡±


    ¡°Ehh,¡± Kelly frowned. ¡°Yes? I think what I was driving at was, uh¡­ more like a precision versus quantity thing. Single sends can have pretty precise information, nested Sends and batch Sends contain a lot of information but the accuracy drops off? Or starts filling up with false positives and straight up contradictory shit. Lot of that stuff just gets shunted over anyways because it might be important. Like, uh¡ª¡®don¡¯t let Emily drive on this certain day, she gets into a car wreck.¡¯ You¡¯d want to proliferate that Send out in batch to as many nearby timelines with the potentiality of Emily driving that day as possible, and if you overshoot¡ªoh fucking well, better to wrongly warn more timelines than to undershoot. Because, then we might have Emily turned into hamburger in a bunch of timelines that maybe didn¡¯t get the message.¡±


    ¡°Hah, whoa, uhh, hey that was just a hypothetical, right?¡± Emily winced.


    ¡°No, that does really happen somewhere in the future timelines,¡± Kelly said. ¡°There¡¯ll come a certain specific day¡ªI forget which one¡ªwhere almost all the timelines in our branch get that warning, even though in theory only this small part of the branch even has the actual risk of it happening.


    ¡°Wh-what the fuck do you mean you forget the day?!¡± Emily blustered. ¡°How can you forget the day?! Kelly¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Emily¡ªthis is like, vague future knowledge of what future sends get,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It¡¯s not even time for us to get that warning send yet, and when we do I¡¯ll write down the date. Or, if we do.¡±


    ¡°But, is it like¡ª¡± Emily made a face as she tried to process all of that. ¡°Can I just not drive at all, until you¡¯ve cleared me?¡±


    ¡°Here, it¡¯s like this,¡± Kelly grabbed one of the paper towels and held it up. ¡°This is our timeline, right? Now I take this¡ª¡±


    Holding up her fork for them to see, Kelly then folded the paper towel over and with a bit of finagling, pushed the fork to punch through both layers.


    ¡°¡ªAnd then the fork¡¯s pushed through like this,¡± Kelly turned to show each of them. ¡°So, the fork pushing through represents how fed up I am with trying to explain timeline bullshit that I barely understand.¡±


    ¡°Pffft¡ª¡± Emily snorted out a laugh at that, and Brian smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Brian shoved his plate back a bit. ¡°Kell¡ªyou said your head was hurting from putin¡¯ on that little lightshow for us. Can I kiss it better for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kelly sat up straight, closed her eyes in a very self-satisfied cutesy expression, and planted her hands in her lap in such a way that her arms squeezed her breasts together for him. ¡°Yes, please.¡±

 After AnimeCon - Lost in the Sauce

    The atmosphere turned strange in an instant and it was hard for Brian not to feel self-conscious at all the expectation in the air. Chloe had rarely allowed displays of affection in front of others¡ªlooking back, the few times she did were calculated to send a message. Inspire jealousy in Becky, maybe, or, knowing what he knew now perhaps just to rip all of Emily¡¯s guts out and completely demoralize her. Now, as he rose up onto his knees in the space between coffee table and sofa to kiss Kelly, the other two girls here seemed to be watching with stars in their eyes¡ªalmost as if they were watching a romance movie.


    I think I¡¯ll just have to get used to having an audience? Brian thought, navigating through his own butterflies of excitement. If we¡¯re all TOGETHER, and inevitably at some point we¡¯ll be living with one another¡­? I don¡¯t know. Is this the new normal?


    It was hard to think. All three of these girls weren¡¯t just interested in him, they were with him, and with each other. The together aspect of it was something he knew conceptually, but was still struggling to grasp here in the moment of things. He felt like his mind was still locked into that more guarded I have a girlfriend dynamic, where when sitting with others he deliberately processed everything through that lens. Others flirting or teasing or expressing interest with him¡ªjoking or not¡ªwere to be handled with immediate distance or boundaries, so as not to upset his girlfriend. Except; these others here, this whole entire group currently in his living room, everyone was his girlfriend.


    Maybe it makes less and less sense the more I understand it.


    For now, he silenced his concerns by turning away from them and simply focused on Kelly. She was gorgeous, he was attracted to her, incredibly attracted to her, and she was waiting there with her small smile for him to kiss her. He did want to kiss her, and so long as he focused on that and took things one step at a time, there was less to be anxious about. Having multiple girlfriends should have been a tricky mess full of headaches, but each time he seemed to mentally brace himself for disaster, or for the girls to tear into each other or be devastated that he was giving his love to someone else¡ªnothing.


    There was an insanity to that which kept getting to him, especially after Chloe. Brian did not want to hurt anyone here, but every time he tried to carefully mind his proverbial footing and watch his step through what should have been treacherous landscape¡ªnothing but level ground. It was really¡ª


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind!¡± Stephanie let out an exasperated giggle. ¡°Brian¡ªkiss her!¡±


    ¡°Kiss her, come onnn!¡± Emily groaned.


    Kelly¡¯s beautiful honey-brown eyes fluttered open at their words and she stole a quick, bemused glance back and forth between Brian and their peanut gallery of spectators, and then Brian kissed her. It was nice. Her lips were soft, so soft, but there was so much more to it beneath that¡ªshe wanted him, and little notes of need were buried within that want that she seemed shy to express.


    His own eyes closed now, his hands found her shoulders and the mere touch jolted her slightly, made her rise up a few inches out of her sitting position in sheer eagerness for him. She wanted him, so badly. But, even the want was a skin-deep disguise she wore over her need, which rather than little notes as it first seemed was a haunting melody of longing and fear and a love that terrified Kelly. Brian understood that more than he wanted to, and from one wounded soul to another he needed to embrace her. Needed to connect himself to her on every deepest level, to let her know her secret song was heard, that he loved it¡ªthat he loved her.


    As their kiss grew less chaste and slowly but surely tongues began to intertwine, Brian pulled her the rest of the way up and unsteadily off her knees and against his body. Red was happening, now, slivers of either awareness or awakening were apparent, and that synesthesia with Kelly he¡¯d experienced in their time back in the vendor¡¯s hall of the convention had returned. He didn¡¯t understand it¡ªit defied understanding¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t imagined. He could feel her, he knew her, knew her to be more than what she appeared to be or how she presented herself or even what he thought her to be.


    The core of her being was magnificent luminous red but it wasn¡¯t just color and light, there was a heaviness to Kelly¡¯s inner self, and more even than simple weight of presence a magnetism that resonated between him and her, a mutual pull they had upon one another that was more than¡ªBrian didn¡¯t know how to describe the sensation of it besides that it was more. Maybe more than he was capable of ever completely comprehending.


    ¡°Brian¡­¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes were filled with wonder as they looked up at him in mutual understanding.


    He wasn¡¯t even sure he registered when they¡¯d stopped kissing, and without a thought he moved back in to join their lips again.


    <hr>


    ¡°That¡¯s, this is the thing, right, this is¡ªyou know¡ªa for-real magic kiss?¡± Emily asked in a low whisper. ¡°Can you¡ªuh¡ªis it like¡ªon your, um, your magic spectrometer?!¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± Stephanie made a small noise in response, but she wasn¡¯t even sure herself what her answer was.


    Emily¡¯s shoulder bumped up against hers, but Stephanie was too distracted trying to perceive everything that was happening across the short table from them. There was no such thing as simple feelings, she was realizing, and when she watched Brian kiss Kelly, the emotions she thought she understood seemed to transform from two dimensions to three, a depth to what was going on was revealed. Intimacy and adoration interlinked with one another right before the fervid, feverish gaze of a sixth sense Stephanie could not control, and maybe looking deeper into that brilliant red would blind her.


    They¡¯d talked a lot before about their innate representations within the context of the charm having themes, and Stephanie knew that Kelly was a falling star. Or, a fallen star, now? It was difficult to wrap her mind around, and observing the relationships between concepts made her feel like she was missing quite a bit. There was power appearing there between Kelly and Brian when they connected like this, but it maybe wasn¡¯t exactly something Stephanie could ever understand.


    It¡¯s love¡ªit¡¯s as, as if I KNOW it¡¯s love, but it¡¯s not MY understanding of LOVE, Stephanie thought as she concentrated upon the intensity with complete fascination. As if my personal interpretation of love is through heat, and hers is through¡ªI¡¯m not sure¡ªgravity? It¡¯s just¡ªit¡¯s WOW, it¡¯s, there¡¯s, there¡¯s so much POWER there, the unseen forces that I can only partially feel here, the different principle behind it, it¡¯s¡ªamazing. Amazing.


    ¡°I love them both so much,¡± Stephanie murmured to Emily with a sigh, tugging at her arm.


    She was so glad to be back with them where she belonged, but Stephanie also knew that having had time away from them to explore her own feelings had been invaluable. It was so easy to get swept up in everyone else¡¯s sensations! Understanding herself, sorting out and defining her own Stephanie reasons and motivations and assigning them into goals had been incredibly fulfilling.


    Despite wanting more than anything to be completely involved in the conversation before as talk led from one thing to another, Stephanie had found herself more often than not lapsing into silence and watching as the others spoke. She loved being back with them, but here in the moment it was just as easy for her to sink into the subtle quagmire of different frustrations Brian, Kelly, and Emily each felt. Beneath the more lighthearted banter, there were topics too difficult for them to meaningfully tangle with¡ªproblems without real solutions, disagreements and fears and the simple incomprehensible expanse of the unknown that they weren¡¯t able to engage with right now.


    Worse yet, Stephanie had her own huge troubling issue to grapple with.


    Magic, Masters, all the different timeline stuff. Chloe, and what to do about her, Stephanie thought to herself with a weak smile. And here I am, I can¡¯t even get my mind past everyone¡¯s parent situation! Hah¡­


    Kelly¡¯s parents were separated. Emily¡¯s parents had been separated. Chloe¡¯s parents were separated. Brian¡¯s parents apparently separated multiple times each. Rebecca¡¯s parents were together¡­ but separated from Rebecca! It was difficult for Stephanie to come to terms with everyone but her in this relationship seeming to have parents who were either separated or divorced.


    Because¡ª Stephanie¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but wander again in aimless vexation. Now, I don¡¯t really know for sure. Now, I can¡¯t guess what they think. Does Brian plan to get married, or, uh, DID he, previously? Kelly, I think would be against it on principle. The more I consider them and their circumstances, maybe it isn¡¯t something they think about much at all? N-not that that is BAD, it¡¯s, it¡¯s, because of how things are for them I can almost understand it, but¡ªjust¡ª


    Stephanie wanted to get married.


    Stephanie really wanted to get married, and in the past few weeks the concept had crept deep into her fantasies and began to occupy much of her thoughts.


    I, I want to ask Brian to marry me, Stephanie nibbled on her lip and snuck another glance across at the profile of his handsome features. I want to, to go down on one knee, and propose to him, in just the right place and at just the right moment. To ask him to be my husband. I¡¯ve LOOKED AT RINGS, and I doubt that¡¯s something he even ever worries about!


    Now very aware that everyone but her had come from difficult or single parent households, Stephanie wasn¡¯t sure how to bring it up with anyone. Would they think she was being silly? Or impetuous? She just felt so very sure that she loved Brian and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, so to her, marriage was the obvious and straightforward progression of her thoughts. Realizing the others might not see it that way was¡­ a little dismaying.


    I don¡¯t think I could expect Brian to propose to me in the first place, that wouldn¡¯t make sense, Stephanie¡¯s lingering gaze drew from Brian to Kelly and then finally Emily. Because, who would he choose? HOW could he even choose? He can¡¯t pick one of us, and not the others. It¡¯s not legal to take multiple wives in the United States, not even in Mormon communities, anymore. I¡¯ve CHECKED.


    S-so, so no matter what, we all can¡¯t be, um. ¡®Official.¡¯ And, he wouldn¡¯t want to propose to me because there¡¯s no way he can leave Kelly and Emily out. I get that. And, ugh, yeah, he won¡¯t even feel ready yet to begin with, because to him it¡¯s like the entire last month or so didn¡¯t even happen¡ªhe was unconscious for all of it!


    On the one hand, she was sure obsessing over marriage probably didn¡¯t make sense for her to be doing. But, then on the other hand¡­


    I really, really, REALLY just want to ask him to marry me, Stephanie heart constricted again as she admired Brian. So much. I, I want rings, I want to make vows, I want to wear white and have a wedding with all of our friends and everyone we love, I¡ªI want to be his wife, I want to have his babies¡ª!


    Whoops! She again struggled to clamp down on the manic swell of desire that seemed to course through her like mesmerizing inferno flame. They were still so young, after all! Probably too young to have babies. Not ready. Maybe. Although, if babies happened on accident¡­ that would also be okay. Very okay. Perfectly okay.


    I think it¡¯s making me a little crazy! Stephanie admitted her fixation to herself as she wet her lips. And¡ªI don¡¯t know what to do about it. About, um, about them not understanding this craziness I feel, or, or me not understanding how to really convey it to them! I know we¡¯ve made love, and even though it happened so fast, there¡¯s not a single thing about it I regret. Just, for me it¡¯s like¡ªlike making love is just a little taste, and I want more. MORE. So much more. I want to get married. I want to get married. I want to get married.


    Only being able to marry one person was a problem, though, and her idle fantasies seemed to dwell more on what she wanted and less on how in the world they were going to actually figure it all out.


    Would Kelly feel slighted if Stephanie asked Brian for his hand in marriage first? Because¡ªStephanie also wanted to marry Kelly. She was sure she would feel the same for Emily, once she got to know her better. But, then again, if as she suspected Kelly wasn¡¯t all that interested in marriage, maybe it would be okay if Stephanie just married Brian first, and Stephanie¡¯s marriage to Kelly was unofficial?


    H-how do I even bring that up?!


    Stephanie feared she might be getting ahead of herself. The engagement rings Stephanie had her eyes on were very thin bands, because Stephanie was of the mind they might need to stack multiple rings on a finger.


    ¡°Why did you get Brian such a thin engagement ring?¡± Imaginary Emily would ask in Stephanie¡¯s idle daydreams.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I wanted to make sure he still has lots of room for more rings,¡± Stephanie fantasized replying, feeling her heart swell up until it could just burst. ¡°One from each of you¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think I wanted to get married,¡± Kelly might concede, biting her lip as she stared at the ring. ¡°But, fuck, when I see you propose like that¡­¡±


    Except¡ªStephanie wasn¡¯t an idiot, and she knew all of this marriage nonsense was probably in her head alone, and not even something the others had on their minds. Would they think she was¡­ fetishizing commitment? Aggrandizing or romanticizing the concept of marriage and matrimony and the idea of being Brian¡¯s wife? She thought that maybe she was.


    But! I just can¡¯t help it! Stephanie broke into an embarrassed smile as she regarded her lovers with motes of pink in her eyes. I¡¯m in love¡ªand I want us to get married! SO MUCH!


    <hr>


    Emily could not have been any more oblivious to what might be going on in Stephanie¡¯s head, because she was likewise lost deep in her own thoughts.


    Kelly can do magic, Emily couldn¡¯t get the image out of her head. She just performed magic, RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. Like, a spell almost. A cantrip? Made a little speck of light. And then, like¡ªmore importantly¡ªher specific words. She said ONLY PEOPLE WITH MAGIC can see it. SO. Grand Magus Emily! Me having magic; STATUS FUCKING CONFIRMED. Let¡¯s goooo!!!


    Throughout the past month, she¡¯d grown a little concerned. Stephanie had seemed to fall into her powers right away, and Kelly already had her Send stuff which was amazeballs. Rebecca could just about spirit walk or whatever in the dreamscape from the get go, which was incredibly intimidating. Because, Emily had¡­ nothing. Despite trying everything. She¡¯d focused inward and soul-searched, and then meditated, and then made a slapdash attempt at a do-it-yourself saltwater sensory deprivation chamber using Brian¡¯s bathtub, she¡¯d pushed out her senses and strained herself, Emily had felt for hidden meridians or chakras to circulate qi through, and even tried forcing things to happen, but still had no fucking clue what her innate powers might be, or if she even actually had any.


    Everyone else is getting magic superpowers. WELL, I WANT POWERS TOO!


    Because, what if the others were special, and she just¡­ wasn¡¯t? What if the charm stuff had to do with fate or destiny or whatever, and Emily just didn¡¯t have any? She knew she loved Brian more than anything, so it was supremely vexing that the innate power stuff she was frantic to understand had to do with feelings for him somehow, and she was still somehow coming up short. How was that fair?


    The big zilch for progress was just driving her insane. It was just so fucking frustrating. She wanted them way more than anyone else, so, naturally¡ªall the cool supernatural shit continued to elude her. Wasn¡¯t that just typical? The idea that she might somehow wind up randomly being a dud, or a mundle-born inert to magic mundane person, like they said in popular fiction terms¡ªthat idea filled her with dread.


    But, now I for-sure have magic. I saw the little speck of light she made. ¡®Yer a wizard, Emily! I¡¯m gonna learn how to do magic, don¡¯t care how hard it is, or how long it takes. Gonna be completely, totally, balls-to-the-wall HAX with weaving spells and shit, I don¡¯t care what she says about me struggling at it. I¡¯m gonna learn fireball.


    I¡¯M GONNA LEARN FIREBALL. I¡¯m gonna make GIANT-ASS EXPLOSIONS and stuff, and learn how to fly. Gonna be that super OP end-game badass magic chica, rewrite reality and all that. Wait. WAIT. We could start up like, a magic academy, right? That¡¯d be baller. What would we name it? We could call it, like¡ªummm¡ª


    Attention to this train of thought was jarred by startling sprays of water, because while distracted thinking about magic potential, Emily had also been watching Brian and Kelly make out. Growing puddles of blue had begun to creep upwards to flood her mind. The two across from her had been frenching for upwards of a whole damn minute now already while Stephanie and Emily watched in a daze, but now Brian was reaching to put a hand on Kelly¡¯s exposed midsection. Seeing his fingers make contact, observing in fascination as his thumb traced a gentle line across her bare stomach had Emily¡¯s brain squirting out horny hormones all of the sudden, and she had to self-consciously adjust the way she was sitting.


    Fuckin¡¯ A, Emily thought to herself in exasperation. Definitely was a good call on havin¡¯ her go with the crop top thing. Kelly, she¡¯s in no way fat, but that perfect little bit of tummy she DOES have, that you can kinda see? Really activates my almonds. And like, watching her go from sassy tough girl to uhh, to slutty submissive when he puts moves on her? When he moves in for that sorta mind-melting makeout thing? Sooo fucking hot¡ªgod damn, Brian.


    Emily just really enjoyed watching Brian make out with Kelly, and she wasn¡¯t even sure why. On paper, it didn¡¯t make sense¡ªharem or not, the girls were still competing for Brian¡¯s limited time and attention. Weren¡¯t they? She should feel jealous, or threatened, or heartbroken seeing the object of her affection being so intimate with someone else.


    But, I just¡­ DON¡¯T, Emily thought as she hid her hands deep in her lap, all but covering the skimpy shorts she was wearing. Magic compulsion? That¡¯s so¡­ I dunno, interesting? It doesn¡¯t FEEL like a magic compulsion. It¡¯s kinda like there¡¯s just no real disassociation between some of the individual relationships between us, where normally there would be. SOMETHING or other just automagically makes the first impression I have towards all of this think of it as a team effort sort of thing. As in, like¡ªwhy would I be jealous of Kelly? We HAVE Kelly, she¡¯s ours, she¡¯s in our group. Those sweet tiddies are working for us, instead of against us. US. So¡ªis the charm just mentally rewiring my psychology to default to an US sorta mindset, instead of a ME ME ME sorta thing?


    That should have been a scary prospect, but all Emily was able to muster up was relief. Each of them was kind of individually a mess, and magically associating her relationship as a team effort meant that between them, just about all of their shortcomings were well covered for. The fact of the matter was that Emily knew she had a lot of personal shortcomings, and she was terrible at dealing with them.


    She couldn¡¯t help but take a big deep breath, filling her chest with as much air as she could hold, and then slowly blow it all back out in an enormous sigh. To her it was mostly a sigh of contentment, because, all things considered¡ªshe felt pretty good. Happy with everything. Their tomorrow troubles were still a little ways off, future prospects seemed pretty good for them, dinner had hit the spot, and yeah¡ªshe was more than a little turned on.


    ¡°Steph,¡± Emily whispered in a low voice as something occurred to her. ¡°Hey¡ªcan you breathe on me?¡±


    ¡°¡ªWh-what?¡± Stephanie blinked at her. ¡°Breathe?¡±


    ¡°Like, phheeuwhhh. Breathe on me,¡± Emily asked. ¡°Just real quick? You had garlic bread, right?¡±


    Rather than complying, Stephanie blushed, clamping a hand over her own mouth and leaning back away from Emily.


    ¡°No, no, I mean that¡¯s the thing,¡± Emily insisted in a whisper. ¡°You should have garlic breath. Right? We should. But, we don¡¯t.¡±


    Her mouth felt clean and refreshed, as if she¡¯d just brushed her teeth. Just like the stubble on her legs never reappeared, even after a month of not shaving. She still showered and brushed and probably would continue to, simply because those rituals were so deeply ingrained, and yeah okay showers themselves were also just deeply relaxing, but the question now was¡ªdid they still NEED to do these things? It wasn¡¯t even just hygiene, either. Emily had more energy, her mind had been clear and alert and it was easier than ever to focus.


    There¡¯s absolutely some tangible physical effects going on, Emily watched as Stephanie carefully cupped her hand in an attempt to check her own breath. But, we don¡¯t know how much, or to what extent, and it¡¯s already getting late to try to establish a baseline.


    Would they still gain weight if they weren¡¯t careful with their diet? Emily wasn¡¯t sure¡ªbecause when she discreetly checked herself out in the mirror this past month, all that came to mind was that this was the best she¡¯d ever looked. As if she was active¡ªhah, as if she was maybe magically pulling moderate exercise or physical activity from the space between dimensions somehow. Was there less flab? It was hard to tell, because she couldn¡¯t find any. She wasn¡¯t exactly toned or anything, she just thought she looked¡­ good. Attractive. Cute and sexy. It made her feel more confident than she ever remembered being.


    Anyways¡­


    ¡°AHEM, a-hrmm-hrmm-hrrmh,¡± Emily loudly pretended to clear her throat so that she could snap the two lovers out of it for a second. ¡°Guys¡ªc¡¯mon.¡±


    Her panties already felt too warm, the two had been kissing like forever, and as fun as it was to watch, Emily found herself real close to just breaking decorum and starting to finger herself or something as she watched. She was getting way too horny for all this pussyfooting around! Emily felt flushed all over, brimming with intense blue energy but also weak-kneed, like just the right touch would relax her all over.


    ¡°Damn, uh, sorry,¡± Brian broke off the kiss with one last rather wet-sounding smack of his lips upon Kelly¡¯s. ¡°How long were we¡­?¡±


    Stephanie let out a nervous giggle, because when he drew back from Kelly and they could see her again, she looked¡ªstupid. Insensate from whatever lurid pull of starry pleasure the long exchange of tongue and saliva had done to her. Her gorgeous eyes were half-open but didn¡¯t seem to register her surroundings, merely taking in the room in dreamy daze. This was big tiddy bimbo-liner again, this was the oh we¡¯re so fucked Kelly that Emily remembered. The redhead was sprawled back against the sofa behind her in a boneless manner, her knees drawn up and apart in a way that splayed herself open in lewd invitation, and Emily could smell wet pussy even though she was the whole way across the coffee table.


    ¡°Kelly? Kell?¡± Brian seemed to only now realize what he¡¯d done to her. ¡°Kell?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine!¡± Emily huffed, clapping both palms against her knees as she rose to her feet. ¡°Get her up, both of you get the whole way up onto the sofa. Steph, can you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I, I can grab the dish and the plates!¡± Stephanie hurried to offer, sounding embarrassed.


    ¡°No, no, weirdo,¡± Emily slapped Stephanie¡¯s reaching hand away. ¡°We¡¯re not¡ªwe¡¯re not worrying about all that.¡±


    Instead, Emily hunched down to grab beneath the lip of the coffee table itself, and then shuffled backwards, dragging the whole damn thing back and away from where Brian was helping Kelly up onto the sofa. The free space created by rearranging furniture slightly would give more than enough room for both Stephanie and Emily to crouch there on the floor at Brian¡¯s knees while he sat.


    ¡°Sit. You sit,¡± Emily insisted, putting her hands on Brian to push him back onto the cushions in a seated position.


    Her scattered thoughts beaded and then joined into a growing flood of total fucking arousal, and the liquid blue seemed poised to drown out everything else if she didn¡¯t act fast. She didn¡¯t even have to shove Brian back against the sofa, and maybe the gesture was kind of rude¡ªbut just the simple act of doing it, expressing an urgency felt like a rather delicious outlet for yet another trickle of color that was streaming through her being.


    ¡°Are¡ªum, are we¡ª?!¡± Stephanie stuttered from somewhere behind her.


    ¡°Steph, come onnn,¡± Emily called, already dropping down onto her knees in front of Brian and pushing his legs apart so she could press in as close as possible.


    His stupid pants were so freaking dumb! Because they were in the way, and grabbing across his lap she discovered a super distracting hardon just beneath the fabric that she was now desperate to free. Which turned out to be real difficult to do, because once she found that beautiful bulge there, she didn¡¯t want to let go of it even for a second, simply clutching at the warm cloth outline of Brian¡¯s prominent erection. What a damned weapon! One of Brian¡¯s free hands combed through her pixie-cut hair and Emily all but preened, closing her eyes and pressing her head up against his grasp like the naughty kitten she was.


    Her back arched, and she stuck her butt out and wiggled it back and forth in a little happy dance no one would probably even see. Emily groped across for the annoying button of his pants, and then fought the stubborn teeth of his zipper, managing to yank it open tug by frustrated tug. Loose enough now that Emily could pull his pants down further, her frantic fingers reached to his sides to find the hem, and she yanked the offending garment down just as she felt Stephanie dropping into place beside her.


    Then blue bled across her sight and with a cute inaudible plewp Emily felt as if her thinky brain was a tiny pebble cast carelessly into a deep, deep pool of lust water¡ªand that little stone was sinking down real fucking fast. Brian¡¯s dick was just so massive to her, and the naked schlong springing free right into her face seemed like it rose up and up and up to unfathomable proportions.


    H-how many inches is this? Emily wanted to measure it against something for comparison, but it was too difficult with the way she was nuzzling her nose and cheek against it. Is this uh, is this regulation? This, it has to exceed¡­ uh¡­ there¡¯s no way this is regulation dick. This is so much!


    Conscious thought was quickly receding, but something like the phrase what the actual fuck lingered on within her. Had this enormous pillar of dickmeat taken her virginity, back then? Taking it into her hand, it was just so incredibly thick, planting a sordid kiss right at its root felt so right, and blue washed over Emily in bewildering crashes as she fumbled with her free hand in an attempt to wrestle his stupid fucking pants down further so that she had more room here.


    Brian was saying something, but parsing out all the words and sentences and that¡­ uhhh¡­ speechy talk stuff? All that was distant, indistinct sound from way up above the surface, and Emily was way too far under water to bother making out what was being said. His hand was moving through her hair again, that felt good, and Emily tried to peer upwards at him past the prow of sheer cock that was obscuring her vision. Opening her lips wide, she was able to slurp about half of the base of his dick in, and with a noise of need that hummed deep from her throat she worked her mouth against him.


    When she turned her head and pulled his penis to the side a bit she could lick and lap at where the base met his balls below, and that whole area was just incredibly interesting to her¡ªshe¡¯d always wondered what it would be like playing with his balls, because they were something she¡¯d never seen in everyday life. Discovery at this level of intimate attention was just amazing, and within seconds she¡¯d slathered him down there with spit.


    It was messy and her face was smeared with her own saliva, her butt wriggled again this time of its own accord, and her hand fondling its way up the big shaft towards the delectable shape of the head, she discovered it slippery with precum. Entranced, she tickled her fingertips across the slick and felt Brian thrust up out of his seat, and the humping motion was so fucking hot that Emily couldn¡¯t help but attack his dick and nutsack with another sloppy onslaught of kisses, slurps, and nibbles.


    Playing with the tip of his dick was incredible, it elicited immediate physical reactions from him, and the action of sussing out the shape with her hand, cradling it, tweaking it, and rolling her thumb across the very top was shooting streams of brilliant blue through her head like pressurized jets. His stupid oversized dick was probably too large to properly take the whole way into her mouth, but suckling across its length, exploring his balls, and showering him with attention was already so much fun that she was afraid she¡¯d never ever want to stop.


    Oh fuck oh fuck what the fuck have I started?! Emily mouthed an eager noise directly into the heat of Brian¡¯s skin. I¡¯m¡ªI¡ªit¡¯s over¡ªI¡¯m over, I¡¯m totally pervin¡¯ out here, I¡¯m completely fucking perving out here, there¡¯s¡ªthere¡¯s no going back to normal ever again! It¡¯s over for me!