"Stupid Kanan-san."

That was the hundredth time Hanamaru had heard that overall, but the fiftieth time she'd heard it in one evening. Dia was angrily tapping at her phone, calling Kanan over and over again to no avail. They had been waiting over half an hour for Kanan in Dia's bedroom. "Is it going straight to her inbox, Mistress?"

"You mean her voicemail, Princess. And, no. It's ringing, she's just not picking up," Dia growled. Kanan was usually "fashionably late" to AZALEA meeting, but her not answering calls was a bit out of the ordinary. Hanamaru didn't worry too much about it, though; Kanan was sometimes too laidback for her own good, although responsible when needed. "She's probably out for her night run or something. I wouldn't be surprised if she just totally forgot about today!"

"'Night run'? I thought she only ran during the early morning, zura," Hanamaru said, furrowing her brow. She fondly remembered her and the rest of Aqours chasing after Kanan during one of those jogs, actually...

Dia shook her head. "She gets a run in wherever she can," Dia explained. "Or some kind of exercise, anyway. It's no wonder she maintains such a nice figure." That last comment made Maru cock her head a little bit. Something about the way Dia said it...before Hanamaru could even figure out how it made her feel, Dia continued. "Of course she has a good form naturally, but I must give credit to her good maintenance!" Dia gave a short nod, as if to agree with herself, then started to dial Kanan's number again.

A naturally good form? Her...maintenance? Hanamaru couldn't help but take those words and try to apply them to herself, but it just didn't fit. Somehow, those words stung more than if Dia had actually tried to say something hurtful. Hanamaru knew that Dia didn't mean anything by it, but she still felt some part of her becoming unsettled. At first, Hanamaru having a heavier build was simply a joke to her, no matter how self-deprecating, but she started to wonder if she wasn't enough for Dia. Then, looking down at her thick thighs, she thought, Maybe I'm too much instead.

"Ah, voicemail again," Dia grumbled. She seemed ready to complain about Kanan again, but she stopped in her tracks when she noticed Hanamaru's dismayed face. "Is everything alright, Princess?"

"I...I don't feel like a Princess at all," Hanamaru admitted. "At least, I don't look like one, zura."

That caused Dia to set her phone down with a sense of urgency that made Maru panic. Was Dia angry at her? Had she said something wrong? However, Dia didn't sound at all upset when she said, "You're talking about your weight, right? I thought I told you not to speak like that anymore." No, Dia didn't sound angry. She just sounded disappointed. Somehow, that was worse. "You're more worthy of being called that than anybody else!"

Hanamaru shifted a little on Dia's bed. "You can still call me that, and I like it when you do, but...I still don't feel like it fits, zura." Hanamaru was longing to say what she really thought, but then Dia would just compliment her again, which somehow only served to make her feel worse. Hanamaru swallowed, then said, "Sorry."

Dia jumped a little bit, pulling her lips into an even deeper frown. "'Sorry'...? Don't be sorry, I-I just don't like it when you feel this way...I want you to see what I see." Dia paused again, that time shutting her eyes again. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Dia actually looked troubled. Hanamaru almost apologized again for upsetting her Mistress, but then Dia nodded and opened her eyes, looking at Hanamaru pointedly. "Meet me at the apartment on Saturday at noon. I want to try something."

"M-Mistress, it's not...it's not something you need to-"

"Are you refusing my command?"

The tone in Dia's voice was not one that Hanamaru wanted to argue against. "No, but-"

"Then be there." Before Hanamaru could try and convince Dia again, her phone buzzed on the bed, resulting in a scoff from Dia. "Finally, she decides to call back! She better be at the door."

Hanamaru pointed her eyes to the carpet of Dia's bedroom, tuning out Dia's rampant yelling into the phone. Dia was being awfully vague about why they were meeting that Saturday. She didn't seem angry, but Hanamaru was still worried. Had Dia finally had enough of her...?


After a couple of days of Hanamaru meeting Dia after school, she had pretty much gotten everything down to a science. She learned on the first day that she had to silently pack up before class ended, so that she could be the first one out of the door and beat the rush of the crowd. On the second, she learned to shave off time by keeping her outdoor shoes in a bag so that she didn't have to stop by her locker to change them. Every day after that was spent trying to figure out the fastest way to the bus stop and the fastest way to the apartment from there, even though Dia had taught her the path. On her fourth day, she had even had time to have a snack and do a little of her homework before Dia arrived, and she was still in perfect position.

However, on Saturday, she had no school, so her trip was a little more leisurely, although plagued with anxiety due to not knowing what to expect. She arrived around eleven fifty, perfectly early, in her opinion. She grabbed a mikan from the fridge and ate it quickly before kneeling a couple of feet away from the door. Hanamaru tried to think about fun things, like books she had read, hoping to keep her apprehensions at bay, but it was useless. Maybe Dia did think she was fat, and maybe she was getting tired of her constant self-loathing. Hanamaru wouldn't be surprised by something like that, but it hurt to think about...

Thankfully, she didn't have to think about it too long. She heard Dia's feet slowly coming up the stairs, and the jingling of her keys. The sound of it reminded Hanamaru of how the tag on her collar would sometimes tinkle if sheー

Oh, no. I forgot my collar! Hanamaru didn't have time to think; she stood up and ran to the bedroom, unhooking her necklace on the way, then snatched the collar off of the nightstand and attached it as she zoomed back down the hallway. She plopped to her knees just as the door swung open, heart racing.

"Good afternoon, Prin...cess," Dia trailed off. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Your collar is way too loose. And why are you breathing hard?"

No, no, no! "Oh, my neck is sore today, so I made it a little looser, zura. I can tighten it if you'd like."

"And your breathing?"

"I..." Hanamaru was drawing a total blank. Well, she hated lying to Dia, anyway... "B-because I ran down the hallway, zura."

"You just put on the collar when you heard me."

"Yes, Mistress."

"And you planned on lying to me?"

"N-no, I-"

"But you tried to."

"...Yes. I'm sorry, zura. M-Maru won't do it again."

Dia's expression was harsh, but her face soon softened. "At least you owned up to it." That was a rather complacent response, considering how much Dia hated liars, but Hanamaru wasn't about to complain. Dia was still holding the door open, but Hanamaru wasn't dumb enough to crane her neck and see why. "Stand up. There's a package for you leaning against the door in the hallway. Bring it to the bedroom, then get us both a drink. That should be enough to compensate for your actions."

"Y-yes, Mistress. Sorry again." That seemed like a rather fun command. Hanamaru had always loved serving Dia, and "package" clearly meant "present". Trying to push any negative thoughts out of her head, Hanamaru stood up and walked out into the hallway of the apartment building as Dia took her shoes off and plopped on the couch, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. The "package" was a tall, nearly-flat, nondescript cardboard box. At first, Hanamaru couldn't understand why carrying such a thing would be considered a punishment, but the moment she tried to lift it, she saw why. It was so damn heavy for something that looked so light!

Dia must have heard Hanamaru's grunts of effort, because she called out, "Find a good angle to hold it from and lift with your knees."

"How did you carry this up the stairs, zura?!"

Dia didn't respond, but Hanamaru was hardly paying attention, anyway. Taking Dia's advice, she crouched and picked the box up so that she was balancing it with the underside of her arms, gripping it with her fingers to make sure it didn't slide. Dia didn't even turn around when Hanamaru kicked the door shut behind her, slowly but surely making her way down the hallway. She had to turn to get in the bedroom door, but was finally able to set it down, swiping the sweat off of her brow. Kanan-chan would have been able to do that no problem, Maru thought, perhaps a bit bitterly. Was that a test from Dia to see how fit she was? Was Dia laughing at her because she couldn't even lift a stupid boxー

"Are you done? If so, I'll have an orange juice."

"Oh! Coming right up, zura!"

Hanamaru headed over to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses and pouring orange juice in both of them. She took them over to the couch, where Dia was watching an old kids' show. Hanamaru had never seen it, due to growing up without television, but the bright, flashy animations and the general tone of the show told her that it wasn't for anybody over six. They sat sipping their orange juice and watching the show, but Hanamaru was more focused on deducing why Dia had called her there today and what the present was.

Just as the show ended, Dia finished her glass, and Hanamaru finished hers in a big gulp, wanting to be ready for whatever Dia had for her. "Ah, that was refreshing. Carrying that box up the stairs was a task."

"What is it, Mistress? In the box, I mean."

Dia opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head a little bit. "It'll be a lot easier to explain in the room." She handed Hanamaru her glass, then stood. "Wash the glasses out, then come back to the room." Another task, more waiting. Hanamaru made sure not to let her disappointment show, though; she took the glasses to the sink as Dia strutted off to the bedroom. Once she finished and put them on the drying rack, she went back to the bedroom as well, only to see that Dia was already taking the gift out of its box.

Hanamaru watched eagerly as Dia pulled out a slim full-body mirror, framed by a gold trim. Dia noticed Hanamaru, then jerked her head towards the other end of the box. Hanamaru ran over and held it steady as Dia pulled it out, then helped Dia lean it up against the dresser. Hanamaru stepped back, eyes on her reflection. Dia was standing behind her, her hands on Hanamaru's shoulders. Hanamaru was rarely in front of a full-body mirror. She had seen pictures of her that showed her whole form, but somehow, looking directly into her reflection was...

Repulsive. So repulsive. I hate looking at it. Especially when she was standing near Dia, who was so... "Mistress, what's this for, zura?"

"What do you see?"

Hanamaru furrowed her brow. "I see...well, it's just me, and you. Mistress and Maru."

Dia chuckled softly, trailing her fingers from Hanamaru's right shoulder to her forearm. "What else, though? What do you see in yourself?"

Hanamaru thought to what Dia said before, about getting her to see what she saw. What did Dia see? "I-I'm wearing a sweater," Hanamaru tried, flapping the sleeves a little. "And jeans...and socks..."

"And what are you, beneath all of that?"

"Z-zura?!"

Hanamaru saw Dia's cheeks heat up in the reflection of the mirror. "Th-that's not what I meant! At least, not yet." Hanamaru rarely saw Dia so flustered, and it was quite contagious. Hanamaru started blushing, too, pointing her eyes to the floor. "I-I meant...your body. What do you see there?" So many words were bubbling up to Hanamaru's lips, lingering over her like a stormcloud, but she refused to let them out. Not in front of Dia. However, Dia whispered, "And tell me the truth."

"...Ugly," Maru stated simply, under her breath. She flicked her eyes up and saw Dia's eyes, downcast and sorrowful.

"But that's not what I see," Dia said, meeting Hanamaru's eyes in the mirror. Hanamaru gasped a little when Dia's hands slid up the front of her sweater and shirt, then grasped the hem and pulled it up and over Hanamaru's head. Hanamaru averted her eyes, not wanting to look at her upper half, only covered by her navy blue bra by then. Dia seemed quite intent on staring, though; her hands started to roam up and down Hanamaru's sides slowly, almost tickling her. "I see a beautiful princess."

"O-okay. It's fine if you call me that, I-"

"I want you to believe it, too. Look in the mirror. Please. Tell me more of what you see."

Hanamaru clenched her teeth when Dia unbuttoned her jeans, but let her. Dia slowly revealed Hanamaru's matching dark-blue underwear, and Hanamaru stepped out of the discarded jeans, leaving her with her lingerie and socks. "Not...not good enough?" She didn't know how to put her disgust into words.

Dia sighed, then wrapped her arms around Hanamaru's waist. "Sit with me," she commanded. They both sank to the floor, with Dia leaning against the bed. Hanamaru was sitting in between Dia's legs, splayed in a v-shape. Hanamaru eyed her body in the mirror some more as Dia spoke again. "Not good enough for what?"

"For you, zura," Hanamaru mumbled. Then, she whispered, "Wouldn't you want somebody more like Kanan-chan?"

"K-Kanan-san?! Why would you bring her into this?"

"Because, you...you were talking about how fit she was, and how much you admired her, and...I thought that you would want somebody more like that," Hanamaru said, begging herself not to cry. Even still, fat tears rolled down her face silently. "I don't care if I look like this, but if you hated me for it-"

"I'd never hate you for anything!" Dia seemed astonished, almost offended. "Especially not for the way you look! I love you. I love everything about you, including your body." Dia leaned back, just enough to unhook Hanamaru's bra and let it fall from her shoulders. Maru pushed it off of her and to the floor, unable to meet Dia's eyes even in the mirror. One of Dia's arms wrapped itself securely around Hanamaru's midriff, and the other slowly (and affectionately) fondled her breast. "Do you know why I wouldn't love Kanan-san like I love you? It's because she's not you. She's not my sweet, intelligent, sexy Princess."

"Sexy"? Can I really be called that? Hanamaru struggled to point her eyes at the mirror, but she did, ignoring Dia's gaze and instead choosing to look at her body again. Her skin folded in places that she found so utterly undesirable, but the way Dia touched her was far too affectionate for that to be true, right? "Even if it's not about Kanan-san," Maru mumbled, "wouldn't you like it better if I looked different?"

Dia paused, although her nimble fingers kept moving against Hanamaru's chest. "I'd like it better if you were comfortable with yourself," she said finally. "If that means changing the way you look, then of course I'll support you. But I don't want you to think like that because you hate yourself. You're lovely, Princess. Lift your hips for me." Dia's thumbs hooked into the waistband of Hanamaru's panties, and Hanamaru obediently assisted Dia in removing them. Hanamaru was already getting aroused, even though Dia's touches seemed so innocent. Hanamaru felt her body growing even hotter when Dia's lips pressed against her ear. "Do you mind if we get silly? Just a little?"

"N-no, Mistress..."

Dia nodded, but wasn't her usual straightforward self; instead, she let her hands roam up and down Hanamaru's torso, occasionally fondling her breasts. "Bend your knees, Princess, and spread your legs a little bit more." Hanamaru dragged her feet backwards, raising her knees in arches, then opened them wider. It was a bit odd to see her pink folds like that, for once. It looked different from Dia's, she noticed, but other than that, there wasn't much for her to pay attention to. "You're so soft and beautiful. Keep looking, okay? I want you to see."

Hanamaru wasn't seeing what Dia was seeing at all, but as she kept looking, she felt some of the disgust start to fade, at least a little bit. Every time Dia's fingers touched an inch of her skin, she looked at it, letting her eyes rest on it before moving to the next spot. Maybe it's not so bad to look at, she thought. Dia was so encouraging, and the way she ran her eyes over Maru's body wasn't to be questioned. It felt nice to be so...desired. Dia mumbled in Hanamaru's ear again, asking her what she was thinking. "I like that you want me, zura," she admitted, smiling a little bit at Dia in the mirror.

"Of course I do. And I can guarantee you I'm not the only one, either. I'm so lucky to have you." Dia pressed a kiss to Hanamaru's neck, running her thumb over her nipple affectionately. Her hand descended to the apex of Hanamaru's thick thighs, ghosting over her clit before pawing at her entrance. "You're beautiful here, too."

"Mistress, that-that's kind of embarrassing!"

"But it's true," Dia insisted. "And you know I'd never lie to you." That much was true; if nothing else, Dia was always truthful. "I love every part." Hanamaru whimpered aloud when two of Dia's fingers finally entered her. It was a smooth transition because of wet Hanamaru was, just from a couple of touches. Dia's fingers slowly began to shift in and out of her, precise as always but more gentle than usual. "What else do you see?"

Hanamaru watched Dia's fingers for a little while longer before looking at her own body again. Part of her views hadn't changed, but that time, she said, "R-round..."

"Ugly?"

The word caught Hanamaru off-guard a little, but then she realized that Dia was merely parroting her own words back to her. "No. I-I don't think so."

"No, you know so." Hanamaru didn't argue for two reasons: one, Dia was never to be argued with, because you lost as soon as you started; and two, Dia was easing a third digit inside of Hanamaru, and Hanamaru could do nothing but moan and push back into Dia. Dia's breasts were flush against her back, making her feel even more secure in Dia's grasp. Dia's other arm was still wrapped around Hanamaru, reeling her in even as she squirmed. Dia was watching her every move in the mirror, which only served to embarrass Maru even more. "I love watching your pretty face, too, Princess."

"A-ah, th-thank you," Hanamaru whined, rolling her hips into Dia's nimble fingers.

"Do you think you're beautiful, too, Hanamaru?"

Hanamaru loved being called Dia's Princess, but hearing Dia venture to use her given name was all-too savory. "Y-yes, Mistress..." If she was being honest, she didn't truly believe it, herself; but the way Dia looked at her, the way she declared her love so bravely...it had to mean something. She wanted to describe to Dia how she felt, but when Dia's palm pressed against her clit, she threw her head back and dug her nails into Dia's thigh. Dia dove for Hanamaru's exposed, sensitive neck, sucking hard enough to leave dark red marks all over her skin around the band of her collar. While Dia's face was buried, Hanamaru took the opportunity to watch herself more closely in the mirror; the way her body moved when she bucked into Dia's hands, or the mesmerizing motion of Dia's fingers moving in and out of her plump pussy.

The very sight made her moan. Dia lifted her head again, dragging her lips up to Hanamaru's ear and scissoring her fingers slightly inside of Maru. "Do you like what you see, Princess? Does it...turn you on?"

Dia's voice was breathy but husky, causing Hanamaru to dig her nails deeper into the fabric of Dia's pants. "It-it's weird to see like this, but I think I like it, zura," Hanamaru replied, never tearing her eyes away from the clean glass of the mirror.

"I like it, too. A lot. Better than Kanan, or anybody else," Dia said, digging her heel into Hanamaru's pink, swollen clit. Dia's hands were so soft, but firm in their touch. The feel of her fingers pumping in and out of Hanamaru's womanhood was insistent and desperate; when her hand moved upward back to Hanamaru's breasts, her caress was filled with passion. Dia was definitely trying to make a point, and Hanamaru couldn't say it wasn't getting across. "I love you, so much. I love how you look, I love how you feel, I love making you feel good. You're perfect to me, and I don't want you to think differently."

Hanamaru shut her eyes tight, trying to prolong her pleasure, but Dia could work her up faster than anything else. "Mistress, your-your fingers feel...so good," Hanamaru squeaked, a subtle notification of her coming orgasm.

However, Dia pulled away, pressing her fingers to Hanamaru's lips. Although with a frustrated yelp, Hanamaru opened her eyes and took them into her mouth, licking all of her juices off. The sight of Dia's fingers in her mouth made her body heat up. When Dia pulled them out, Hanamaru frowned at her at the mirror. "I've got a new toy, so let me go fetch it, alright? Touch yourself while I'm gone."

"Y-Yes, Mistress." Dia slipped from behind her and went into the living room, but Hanamaru hardly noticed. She was circling her finger around her clit absently, letting her eyes skim her curvy body in the mirror. To her own surprise, she let out a little moan.

She was about to slide two fingers into herself when Dia came back in, holding a pink dildo with buttons at the very bottom. Hanamaru rubbed herself a little faster as Dia approached, causing her Mistress to laugh as she repositioned herself behind Hanamaru. "You're ready, aren't you, Princess? This isn't as big as the one on the harness, but it should still make a tight fit."

"I-I want it, please," Hanamaru said, pressing her back against Dia's torso. Dia kissed the top of her head, then rubbed the vibrator against her entrance. Dia pressed the button at the bottom, and the vibrator came to life, buzzing against Hanamaru's glistening folds. "Inside, Mistress, please-"

"Be patient." Dia let the toy press against Hanamaru's clit for a brief second before returning to her hole. Finally, Dia slowly pushed the very head in, and Hanamaru's thighs tensed. Dia was moving slow to the point of being cruel, almost. Then, with one swift thrust, the vibrator was inside of Hanamaru to the hilt, stirring up the deepest reaches of her pussy. Hanamaru was trembling in Dia's arms, unable to do anything but pant and whimper. "You're such a good girl. My good, beautiful Princess...how do you want it? Slow?"

"No..."

"Then how?"

"Fast. A-and hard."

"What do you want me to do fast and hard?"

Hanamaru swallowed hard. The vibrations of the faux cock were flowing through her body steadily; she needed release. "I want you to...fuck me...fast and hard, Mistress," Dia said, squeezing her eyes shut. Dia groaned under her breath, and started to thrust the dildo in and out of Hanamaru quickly, wrapping her arm around Maru's stomach and pulling her closer.

"You're so fucking sexy," Dia whispered. It was quite new for Hanamaru to hear Dia speaking so brutishly, but it turned her on beyond everything. "God, Princess, I'm soaked just from looking at you."

Hanamaru loved turning Dia on, no matter how easy it was to do that sometimes. "Mistress, it feels-it f-feels-" Hanamaru interrupted herself with a loud shriek as Dia's hand left her breast to rub and pinch her clit. Dia's hand were relentless, pushing and pulling the dildo out of Hanamaru as fast as it would go while still gliding her fingers over the surface of Maru's clit. Dia was right; it wasn't as big as the strap-on, but it was a tight fit, stretching her walls with every movement.

Dia kept kissing at her neck and cheeks, telling her how beautiful she was and moving the dildo even faster. As a result, the thrusts got a bit softer, but the way the toy was quickly buzzing against her walls was too good to argue against. Hanamaru's legs were shaking and twitching. "It feels great doesn't it? You were already so close before...are you going to come for me, Princess?" Hanamaru only managed a nod, praying that Dia wouldn't delay her orgasm again. However, Dia simply murmured, "Ah...you look so stunning when you're this close."

"I love you, Mistress," Hanamaru croaked, her voice shaking from the feeling that Dia was giving her. She looked at her face in the mirror; it was flushed, and tears were escaping the corners of her eyes and slipping down her cheeks. Dia still looked at her face so lovingly, even when she looked so frazzled in the throes of heated ecstasy. Hanamaru's legs tensed up once more when she felt an almost electric crackling in her loins. She knew her climax was coming, but something felt...different. The kind of different that left her head spinning. "Mistress, it-it-it's coming, but I-"

"I love you, too, Princess. Go ahead and let it all out for me," Dia cooed, pressing her cheek against Hanamaru's temple and smiling warmly. Her hands were still working a mile a minute, and it didn't take much more; Hanamaru was looking at her face in the mirror, her body, watching as she convulsed and cried out as her orgasm ripped through her. Dia kept pounding away at her, causing a few warm spurts of clear liquid to hit the mirror, but Hanamaru hardly noticed, with the way Dia was going at her.

"Mi-Mistress, please, please, break," Hanamaru panted, collapsing into Dia's rigid form. By then, all she could do was beg for mercy and twitch, her orgasm was so strong. Dia finally pulled the toy away, then forcefully turned Hanamaru around to kiss her. Hanamaru responded as much as she could, gripping Dia's shoulders just so she could manage to stay up on her knees. When Dia pulled away, Hanamaru said, "I-I've never done that before, zura..."

Dia smirked. "I guess your reflection really did get you hot and bothered, then."

"M-maybe..." Hanamaru turned around, trying to ignore the wetness that she left on the mirror as she looked at it. Well, maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Try looking in it whenever we come," Dia suggested as Hanamaru turned back around. "Of course, we don't do...this...every time, but at least it'll help you get more comfortable. Don't you agree?"

"Is that a rule, zura?" Hanamaru perked up a little bit at the very idea, although her body felt quite heavy from fatigue.

"Let's make it one." Dia pressed her forehead against Hanamaru's. "I'll make you see how perfect you are if it's the last thing I do. Nobody else makes me feel the way you do, and I'd never leave you over something so...so...mundane."

Hanamaru leaned into Dia, settling in her lap and holding her close. "Thank you, Mistress."

"Noーthank you, Princess. For being with me." That very comment made Hanamaru blush so hard that she had to hide her face in Dia's shoulder. "Now, let's get you all clean in the shower...and maybe you can do me a couple of favors while we're in there."