AN: A big massive warning for today's chapter! Well, this is actually the first time I'm doing something like this since, so far, I avoided every possible chance of doing something horny. What you're about to see may disturb some viewers, lmao. But seriously, much like Chapter 8 of 'MeAndTheBoys:ATeamDarkStory', this chapter highlights slight sexual harassment and consent. It's not graphic as this story is rated T, but horniness is highlighted in this chapter.

Recommended Background Songs

[1] Evan's Cover of Bed Intruder Song

[2] Ode an die Freude/Ode to Joy 1 - Ludwig van Beethoven

[2.1] 0:00 - 2:37

[2.2] 2:37 - 3:40

Chapter 20

The mansion was too packed to find the perfect hiding spot. The lights weren't flashing, but it was growing louder. It made me feel a little disoriented as I struggled to find a small space for me to recollect my thoughts. At least somewhere that wouldn't give me any more thoughts. But fortunately, I asked someone where I could find private spaces.

Though, I nearly had second thoughts when I entered the upper level where the 'private rooms' would be at.

I should have noticed the first warning sign when I saw two people unconscious on the staircase, one on top of the other. But they weren't in pain, but in bliss. I ignored it, not wanting to dwell on them for longer.

And then, when I arrived on the floor, there was a room opened…with someone playing the piano there. [1]

A man with a falsetto and a full tuxedo, wearing a romantic look as he played a ballad. When I paid attention, he sang about someone 'climbing into a window and snatching people'. Immediately, I blocked that music out of my eyes, not wanting to listen to it further. I was already feeling crazy, so I quickly entered one of the many bedrooms of the hallway…

…and came to a display of what appeared to be a pair of hedgehogs kissing each other passionately. The female had her back facing me, but it was clear she wasn't wearing a…my face went red hot before I burst out of the room. It suddenly felt disrespectful to come in despite neither of the two paying attention. [1s]

The next bedroom, thankfully, had no one. It was a little too sophisticated since it was a castle-themed bedroom, but it had to do. And it was soundproof once I closed the door, it was finally silent.

The lack of noise allowed me to unwind myself. I thought I would scream out loud, but a dog-like whine escaped my lips. I trudged over to the bed, falling over to rest on it. I didn't bother how I was positioned; I just wanted to lie there and sink into the mattress. At least to escape whatever craziness I suddenly went through or at least to remove a crazy factor from this party.

I thought back to my previous episode with falling for Diva Nova. Molly did notice this, right? Was she…really happy about what I seemed to fall into? It looked like she could tell. Would she be mad at me? I was already becoming scared of what I might like since that could mess things up already. It wasn't really reassuring what I…seem to like.

"It's not normal," I muttered, my voice muffled by the mattress. "It shouldn't be…"

The ruby hummed, sending a small wave of relief. My anxiety was beginning to decrease despite me not thinking of trying to calm myself down. It felt comfortable. Even though I was in a bad mood, I let it do what it could. When my heartbeat decreased, it sent me a message that there should be no shame in how I felt.

"I know, I know," I hissed without thinking. "Maybe it's just something that it's in my head."

The ruby responded, sounding annoyed. I immediately felt guilty as I might sound like I was blaming it. I shook my head, rubbing my ruby.

"I'm not saying you made me hallucinate. It's…how do you know this is alright?" I crossed my arms, huffing. "You didn't even learn about the whole city before I came here!"

The ruby stayed silent for a while before it told me I had a fair point. I had to wonder why it was trying to comfort me. It didn't come to mind that much. But why did it feel like it wouldn't be bad to be alright with these new feelings that I have?

I opened my eyes to see the barrel of a toy cannon gun pointing at me.

It looked like a burger inside it.

The wielder of the weapon appeared to be…a skinny cyan nutria?

Casually, I reached into it and pulled the burger ammo out. Without paying attention to the nutria's dumbfounded look, I bit into it. I was already starving at this point since I didn't eat that much.

However, it tasted like what you get when coming around vultures.

PFFFFTTT!

"Is that rat patooties?!" I shrieked, tossing the burger aside.

"…no," lied the nutria simply, slowly putting down his cannon weapon.

Before I could react, he jumped in, sending the two of us rolling across the bed. I felt a ring suddenly connecting to my ankle and the ruby becoming silent. Bumping into the wall, I quickly saw that the nutria attached a Blocker Ring to my ankle, much like the ones Willy Walrus used.

The nutria himself quickly got himself up and I immediately recognized him as the leader of the Lightning Bolt Society. Dave the Intern, as G.U.N called him, based on what they told me. Surprisingly, underneath his robe, he was wearing a tuxedo himself that matched the colors of his robe. He didn't even hide it, adjusting his tie as he jumped off the bed.

I didn't know why, but this didn't look like he had an invitation himself.

"You little narc," I snarled, rolling myself off the bed. "What does your 'society' want with me?"

"Just came here for a little chat," said Dave, lifting up his hands in defense. "That's all!"

"Either you scream loudly or you talk to the claws," I threatened, lifting up a fist.

Dave wasn't intimidated at all. If anything, he appeared annoyed and worn out. He didn't look intimidating to me. More looked like…some edgy teenager. However, I didn't underestimate him when he pulled out a device with a red button.

"I'm not here to fight," he grumbled. "Now you can listen to me or I'll be much happy to suck the life out of your ruby! I swear, I'll make this hurt enough for you not to catch me."

My first instinct was to jump at him and put handcuffs around his wrists. However, he possessed that stupid device. I didn't really get to see how it would work with electrocuting me to death, but I doubt that this guy was stupid enough not to have a full escape plan.

My mind was already a mess, so I gave in.

"Fine," I grunted, sitting down on the bed. "What do you want?"

Dave sighed, keeping the device. "Well, it came to my attention that you're not liking this party."

"What? I do like it."

Dave huffed, cracking a smirk. "No man ever ditched a woman like this unless he's cheating."

I tried my best not to cover the blush forming on my muzzle. Did he see the entire thing with me with…Fiyero? And Diva Nova? And the rest of the last chapter?

"…I need time to think first," I quickly answered.

"OK. So you're the gentleman type. Not bad for a savage mercenary." Dave rolled his shoulders, putting on a relaxed smile. "But I'm guessing that you're growing a little soft. Admit it, you overreacted a couple of times there."

That wasn't something I didn't want to remember. Without thinking, I dug my claw into the mattress and gritted my teeth, letting out an animalistic growl.

And yet, I thought I was afraid of being called out for my reactions.

"What are you getting at?" I snarled.

"Don't get all so growly," teased Dave, unfazed. "I'm only trying to be nice. You got the idea of the spec from Willy Walrus?"

I rolled my eyes. "No."

"Well, it seems to be so. He told me once certain specs make a good lad like you look 'sexier'. Willy's a casanova." The nutria mocked a laugh. "Now that you two are all cozy, you'll be at the bottom and he'll be on your back."

I wiped my mouth on the feeling I was beginning to foam. "I'm not 'cozy'."

"Really? Everyone thinks that he's your new best friend after your fiasco at Pilot Diamond's." Dave waved his hand dismissively. "But no worries, just don't let him…turn you into another of his 'projects'. We're all horrible villains after all, yet divided, it's an all-out war."

I spat, crossing my arms again. That couldn't be possible if Willy tried to separate himself from his friends by choice.

"We're NOT part of this war," I remarked. "You're the one who's started it."

"Well, maybe the reason why you are so upset is that I keep bumming into the American Dream life," spat Dave, suddenly sounding emotionless. "But I don't want to keep wasting my time ruining yours further. How about you join the Lightning Bolt Society? We are still on oath-"

"I'm not joining your little club."

To my surprise, I leaned back when Dave was in my face.

"IT'S A SOCIETY!" he yelled.

And then, he calmed down quickly. For a moment, I was starting to smile again. Taking him seriously was already hard when he could be snapped like a twig.

"Well, anyway, what you say about getting back together with Zero?"

What?

The silence continued, telling my confusion.

"Not going to say anything?"

I only found this bizarre. It couldn't really be possible for the Lightning Bolt Society to keep in touch with ANY of the Jackal Squad. Mr. Ghost confirmed that no one in the criminal world knew very well about them.

Dave groaned, hanging his head. "OK, fine. We already figured it out and after getting through the NECESSARY paperwork, Eggman gave us a fair deal. We finish off our main project and then we'll be his main branch of the Eggman Empire!"

I raised my eyes, suddenly interested. They weren't really a big threat since they were just randomly stealing parts, but to say that Eggman took an interest in them based on their 'project'? I thought of asking, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask if I didn't want anything to do with them.

"But we propose in our deal that if we are successful, we do NOT use the Phantom Rubies made. Now, that sounds rather stupid, but your former boss won't try using them in the sense that the Phantom Ruby could cause severe schizophrenia." Dave sat on the bed next to me, looking dead serious. "This is the only way for Zero to try to redeem himself. And with you joining us two leagues uniting, you'll be back together with him. You can give back the normal life you enjoyed with the Jackal Squad! You don't need all of THIS since it's not making you feel better, is it?"

That question actually got me thinking. It suddenly hit home too close. It…couldn't be possible for me to be back together with Zero. I left him behind. He wasn't one to let go of grudges easily. And it sounded like he already went ahead with testing on utilizing the prototypes. I wasn't really sure how influential Dave was, but his group was deadly after all.

The fact that they planned to convince Eggman to drop the Phantom Rubies was surprising. They…seemed to know more about them and by the sound of 'schizophrenia', they might have known what damage it could cause…just like how the thought of the ruby damaged me and Zero.

"There is no 'us'. Not without you helping us."

"You're just saying that to make yourself better."

I wanted to call Dave's bluff, but knowing how badly I cut ties with Zero, he seemed to be alright with trying to get me back together with my boss. There was no sign of deceit or malice. His dead eyes were flat, but they contained…pity. It reminded me a lot of the friendliness Willy held onto and how he opened up to me during the heist.

The Lightning Bolt Society was a regular club of kids in the first place, so they might have a better conscience than those in the desert.

I swallowed and there was barely a dry lump. A part of me wished to see Zero again before it would be too late. Maybe the Lightning Bolt Society have a way. However, there was no telling that this would be successful. They were flawed as well and already, I didn't want to be hurt anymore with all of this false hope.

The ruby on my chest didn't feel like a problem, so going along with Dave's idea felt like I was being ungrateful.

Seeing how different Dave was with how he could fit in, especially the bracelets that some of the partygoers have, indicates that I don't fit in with him.

I shook my head, looking the other way. "Sorry. S-Sounds like it makes sense, but…I know when someone's trying to manipulate me."

Dave narrowed his eyes, standing up to face me. "You sound nervous. You're still afraid of the rest of this house?"

"No, no, no," I lied, standing up. "Just…so confused with how everyone seems to know how to deal with this kind of crappy feeling, am I right?"

I laughed nervously. I wanted to get out of this house. Standing up on shaky feet, I slowly trudged to the door.

"I'm being a freak at the moment, so no worries-"

My eyes widened when my tail made a small crack. I slowly looked behind to see the clearly unhappy Dave with his foot on my tail. He pulled me back by my tail, getting me up close, face-to-face.

He was grinning, but the corners of his grin were twitching in restrained anger.

"Better to stay distant from those actual freaks, don't you think?" he whispered quietly. "Since I'll have to kill every single person in this mansion in the future."

I smacked him by the hand, taking a step back. Immediately, Dave dropped the creepy grin.

"I'm just saying that…this world has a hard time accepting people for who they are," he explained flatly. "So your paranoia is accurate. Trust me on this one; always rely on your instincts or soon, you'll be stuck with bad luck for your whole life. I know that."

He was already making me feel worried about him, but my growing fear paused when I saw the look in his eyes. They appeared blank with no bright emotion. No anger. He looked…tired. He was angry before, but it seemed like he gave it all up.

Willy's face flashed in front of me and I was close to tearing up. What exactly happened to them?

Before I could offer some sort of comfort, Dave spun me around. Once I stopped, he was gone. And so was the Blocker Ring. I could feel the ruby's energy kicking back in. The first thing it did was send a loud message, asking what happened.

I squeezed my ears, feeling a bunch of different screeches in my head.

And that was when I saw Dave's head peeking upside-down from an open ceiling tile.

"If you reconsider, then the passcode to the Lightning Bolt Society's lair is one of the words I'm going to say in the next three sentences," he said casually. "Oh, G.U.N is still a corporation of babies in their diapers by the way. Tell Willy this to put sense in the two of you that the sooner you do something unacceptable, they'll move on just fine. At least when I was labelled a villain, I copped to it instead of begging on my knees."

That was a confusing way of telling me this 'passcode'. I was more focused on what he said about what G.U.N would do. But they did help me at the start, right?

"OK, see you soon," said Dave.

And so, he hid back into the safety of the dark hollow roof and close the ceiling tile. I tried using my Phantom Ruby prototype to scan his presence. However, I could feel that he was already gone. Like…he disappeared.

The Lightning Bolt Society really rose to the top until they got Eggman's attention for sure.

I took a deep breath in and out. I was finally alone. That only left me with my worries.

Maybe it should be best I get out of here.

As if I didn't have enough visitors, a new man entered the room. A male wolf, to be specific. He appeared to be quite muscular, even in his thicker arms. Not too buff, but just enough to get my eyes drawn to his body. To my surprise, he was only wearing a pair of black trousers, exposing his messy fur and his muscles.

I sniffed and even from far away, his breath stank like hell!

He looked like someone who could wrestle with a bull.

His golden eyes flickered upwards, looking lazy. Once he recognized me standing in the same room, a hungry grin crossed his muzzle.

"Oooh! Now this is new!" he said, licking his lips. "Well, at least this man is enough." [2.1]

I was startled by his behavior. Not even a minute of getting to know him well and this guy was already looking REALLY hungry.

"What's enough?" I asked.

The wolf huffed before leaning close to me. "Well, a little handsome wolf like you sitting here like a duck. Guess that you can…ravish a little?"

My mind went blank when he stroked a finger against my chest. Much like Fiyero, he seemed mindful of his claw touching the material.

However, it was enough to tell me something…was really going on. The blood rushed to my face and I found myself baffled. Never thought a guy with such good looks would immediately hit me.

I pointed to myself, asking if I was the one to 'ravish'.

"Oh, so you're the silent type, I see," said the wolf, shifting his hips from side to side. "Guess that you do business right away, don't you?"

When he said that, his tail began wagging. To my embarrassment, my tail was wagging. I didn't know why, but it must be due to how complex this guy appeared…

"But I…usually do business at a normal rate," I said, trying to think of the appropriate response. "I'm a hard worker. I'm good at my job, though…cleaning is a bit slow. I'm talking about mopping the floor."

The wolf blinked, bemused. "Ah, so you're like a janitor?"

"What? No. I'm doing community service for my crimes. I'm a former mercenary."

The wolf was surprised, taking a step back. "Oh my word! Now that's actually cool!" To my surprise, he blushed shyly and anxiously. "But…should I be afraid?"

I couldn't help but act a little sassy, my patience wearing thin.

"Well, how afraid do you want to be?" I questioned, crossing my arms.

The wolf laughed, stepping forwards to get closer. "Wow. You're really bold, you know. You seem…tense yourself?"

My ruby was beginning to beat inside my shirt. This was already too close in my personal bubble. The door was right behind him, but he could lift me up before I could get there.

I grinned sheepishly, shuffling around him. "I'm just going to help myself when I leave this place."

But to my dismay, the wolf closed the door. And it wasn't even a violent slam of the door. It was gentle. And his manner was gentle as well, but his face carried a smug look. At first, I didn't identify this as a danger.

I was alone with a sexy beast.

This muscular, smug, complex and hot beast.

"You know you don't have to do this alone," he said, sounding…sultry? Was that the word?

"Um, no, thank you," I said. "I'm starting to feel really hot here and I don't want to…"

The wolf's eyes were half-liddened, rubbing my shoulder. "Well, maybe we can get a little warmer?"

My face felt like it was close to a furnace. "No, thank you. I'm…already warm enough."

"Oh, but we haven't got started to the fun bit," whispered the wolf, putting his other hand on my other shoulder.

The two of us were nearly close to each other that our noses were touching. This was really too close for my liking. My mind was beginning to race as I tried to understand the situation. It didn't help I could feel his smooth hands rubbing my shoulders like a message.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" said the wolf, slowly pushing me to the bed.

"I don't know?"

"Maybe at least we can just…do whatever we want." [2.1s]

And he pushed me right on the mattress. I thought he would pounce, but instead, he crawled over me. Mindful of not squishing me, he towered above me. Guess that must be how it felt like whenever in the hands of a murderer. But this was different. This was quite a sight to see. But that changed when he stroked his hand on my leg.

A tingle rushed up my spine. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, but it also increased my anxiety. I realized that this guy could crush me under this weight. Right here while I'm vulnerable. I wanted to ask him to stop whatever he was doing, but I didn't know how to without looking pathetic like I didn't know anything.

"You…don't…have to do this," I could only choke out. "Is this necessary?"

"Aww, don't worry," said the wolf, slowly unbuckling my belt. "I make sure to keep things a little safe. I can show you some smooth ropes if your business is rough."

Smooth ropes? Business?! Was this a normal thing?

Two things were already making me break into a sweat. The guy's mouth was close to mine with the stench of previous sweat and wine filling my nose. It was making my head spin, yet too curious to know. And the fact that he was taking off my belt…before his hand slowly tried grabbing onto the waistline of it.

I felt like my heart could burst into blood droplets at this point. My ruby was beating loudly, but it barely gave me a signal of what to do. My tail was wagging rapidly, matching the wolf's wagging tail. I nearly thought I would drink into this, but it felt too much. It didn't feel right to be examining bodies like this. I wanted this to stop.

The wolf barely seemed to notice my discomfort, stroking my cheek fur. "Oh, what's your name?"

I was already shivering in the hands of this wolf. His hand travelled from my cheek to my neck and then stroked my chest. I couldn't exactly move. My body refused to move on fearing that he might hurt me.

"O-Obsidi-i-an," I sputtered out.

The wolf smacked his lips, closing his eyes in excitement. "Oooh, guess that you are the water and the lava combined together."

His hand grabbed onto something on my pants.

"I wonder how that will taste-" [2.2]

And then, my mind screamed at me to make a break from it. Without thinking, I leapt upwards and bit the wolf onto his neck hard. I expected him to scream loudly since I might be drawing blood, but to my surprise, his response only made me feel more uncomfortable.

"OOOOOH!" he moaned loudly.

He collapsed back into bed, already in a panting, sweaty mess. His muscular chest was rising up and down, equivalent to a domestic dog panting, but it didn't seem like he was in a panic. If anything, he wasn't scared at all. In fact, he seemed to be…pleased!

"OH! OH…OH MY…[BLEEP]!" he yelled enthusiastically. "WOW! You're so SO POWERFUL!"

Weirded out, I made this my move to try standing up, but the wolf wasn't done. He sat up, his eyes already spinning like he spotted his next meal.

"Obsidian~!"

Already out of my mind, I tackled him back into bed, pinning him by the throat.

"No, no, no," I warned. "Stay down."

The wolf chuckled sheepishly, licking his own dripping sweat.

My body was already beginning to glitch. "I said stay. DOWN."

I would have been caught off-guard by my robotic, menacing tone, but the wolf seemed aroused by it.

"Oh, so you like taking control then?" he asked teasingly. "I thought it might be the case in your first few words. How about we play this fair and square?"

Unaware of the green glitches all over my body, he grabbed me by the shoulders and rolled me around in bed like a burrito. I found myself unharmed by the strange glitches, but I was squeezed against the sweaty mattress and the tongue of a predator. Now, he was towering over me again, one hand already pulling on my shirt button.

"No, no, no!" I yelled, pushing him to the side. "Don't take off my shirt!"

"Oh, you like to keep it fair?" said the wolf, grinning stupidly.

I was gradually growing flustered and frustrated by the wolf's increasingly horny attitude. Searching for the nearest object to defend myself, my eyes were drawn to the bed curtains. I crawled my way there and began ripping long pieces of it off. And then, I could feel my tail brushing against the wolf's butt as he began bouncing up and down on his chest like a puppy.

"Oh dear!" he moaned in satisfaction. "You are so ticklish! I wonder how it'll feel like to have your full slimy [BLEEP] inside of my [BLEEP] and [BLEEEEEEEEEEP] my [BLEEP]."

I cringed hard as the wolf began swearing a new set of words I hadn't heard before! What really happened to this wolf when he was a kid?!

However, it only made me get pissed at how I ended up being in this situation.

All because I started liking men and letting myself be a victim to whatever game he wanted me to be in.

I roared loudly, ripping the entire curtain off. The wolf didn't seem to hear it properly, instead awed by my…

"Oh! What a lovely howl!" he exclaimed. "Maybe next level! Like place a [CENSORED] on [BLEEP] my hair and take out your [A BODY PART I DON'T KNOW] and FILL IT WITH MORE TEETH UNTIL [SOMETHING THAT COULD BAN ME ON TWITTER] AND PUTTING IT UP MY [UNKNOWN] [DON'T BOTHER] [BEST NOT TO TELL]!"

"No! No!" I screamed, slapping the wolf across the face. "Ew! Just stop!" [2.2s]

The wolf turned around with a blissful smirk. "Yes, if that's what you want."

I grunted in disgust before proceeding to wrap one ripped curtain piece around his head to shut his mouth. [2.2]

However, this only made him moan in excitement, opening his limbs out. I didn't know what he wanted, but I proceeded to tie his ankles and wrists to the poles of the bed. He was already biting down on the material wrapped around his mouth.

What the hell was going on?! Was this a normal thing people do here?!

"Oh, harder, daddy!" moaned the wolf, his voice muffled.

I was utterly bewildered. "But aren't we the same age?!"

The wolf raised an eye quizzically.

I growled, pointing a claw at his eyes. "Listen here, freak. Don't touch me like this ever again or I'll tear you to pieces and dump them in a hole!"

Once again, the wolf wasn't fazed at all. "Mmm, kinky! So I'm guessing you like staying top while I stay at the bottom, show-off?"

I hissed, recoiling back. "Not like that! Pervert!"

The ruby was trying to tell me something, but my mind was growing foggy that I couldn't think straight. At that moment, I wanted this wolf to stay down AND remain down all the time. I tried finding the nearest weapon, but the only thing nearby was a glass cup. I decided to grab the handle, smash it and point its sharp remains at the wolf. [2.2s]

The wolf's eyes shrank, apparently getting the message straight.

"Guess you're not so cocky now, are you?!" I barked.

The wolf blinked owlishly. "Wait, am I in danger now? Or is this one of your ways when dealing in bed during business?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

The wolf's tail wagged furiously, starkly contrasting with his dissonantly calm look. "OK, you're being serious. Kind of sad you're not catching up on it, little pup."

I didn't notice saliva foaming in my mouth until the first droplet fell and splat onto the wolf's already-wet fur. It was then I realized I was already wasting my time falling for things I took an interest in at the start. I really got to get out of this party since there was no way I could go along with it like this.

Shaking my head, I threw the cup handle aside and jumped off the bed. My hand brushed my nose and it was already wet. My eyes felt like they were burning, making me curious about if they were watering. It didn't come to my attention how angry I was slowly becoming. The green glitches surrounding my body weren't even my concern despite my stomach being in pain.

"I-I…I can't take it," I growled. "I'm out of here."

"Don't leave me so lonely, Obsidian~!" teased the wolf, still carefree.

I hung my head. "Jeez, go [THIS WORD WOULD BAN ME FROM THIS SITE] yourself."

And emphasizing that, I slammed the door. The ruby was going haywire for some reason, making my body glitch out of control. It wasn't painful, but it was starting to annoy me. I hated it. Letting out a loud roar, I punched the wall. Barely a hole in it. It only made me feel angrier, wanting to just tear this house apart for being submissive like… [1]

And then, I heard the guy playing the piano ago. Like the switch of a light, I whipped around to see the same piano guy singing the same song again. Continuing from I left up, seemingly singing about hiding…kids and…wives?

He hammily slammed a few keys before turning to me with a lazy, goofy expression. He proceeded to continue singing, mentioning hiding…husbands?

Before I could ask, he answered.

"Cause they're [CENSORED]-ing everyone out there!" he sang.

On cue, the door slammed open to reveal a female chipmunk wearing a skimpy top, pants and a sultry look. [1s]

"Hey, I'm a 15-year-old girl," the 30-something chipmunk slurred, her breath smelling like vinegar. "Wanna cyber?"

Never before could I scream at a very girly high pitch nor never my feet could burn like they were on fire. I couldn't take this any longer, bolting in the opposite direction. This hallway was REALLY cursed! All I wanted was to break out of here immediately. When coming near the corner, I dug my claws into the wall quickly and swung around.

Only to be met face-to-face with a screaming butler carrying a tray with a cake wrapped in a banner saying 'HAVE A NICE DAY!'

SPLAT!

"Is he even alive?"

"Well, he crashed his head into an extra chewy fudge brownie cake, so apparently not."

"Oh great. I might as well call the police and let you take care of the funeral fees."

"Nuh-uh-uh! No need to do that! I have a better idea."

"And what's that?"

…

"Um…what are you doing?"

The previous black world turned back to bright when I could feel the icy water soaking me and my suit. I gasped, sitting upwards. I looked around, hoping that I was out of the mansion. Instead, I seemed to be inside a greenhouse that had a diverse range of flowers in colors of pink, yellow, cyan, blue and purple. The windows were hard to see through due to the massive amount of color they have.

I found myself sitting on a soft wooden bench right in front of Fiyero and Molly.

The aforementioned tiger was carrying a dripping bucket with at least three ice cubes inside. He rolled it aside and looked to see a couple of people watching from the door.

"What are you staring at for?" he hissed. "Scram!"

"Oh my goodness, Obsidian!" exclaimed Molly, holding the top of her fedora.

The purple cat was worried. Outright worried. It really told me that she wasn't annoyed at this moment. Just worried about what happened to me when I tried to book it. Did she have thoughts on why I ran out on her after watching Diva Nova's performance?

I looked down at my tuxedo. It was ruined and coated in brown spots. Thanks to Fiyero, I was already wet. I look like a pig right now. My ears drooped and I pulled my legs close to my chest. I want to disappear.

"Man, don't know what really happened," said Fiyero, his previous friendliness replaced by firmness. "I mean, I found this idiot tied to the bed saying his 'Obsidian' left him lonely. Were you doing something in private or-?"

The blush was still there, but my face wasn't burning that badly. "S-Sorry, I…I didn't mean, it's just that there was a hot-a beast. A dominating beast trying to-to, uh…he tried to hurt me, so I-I tied him up and…"

Fiyero held up his hand to take over. "Wait, so…you tied that guy up not because you wanted to have him your way?"

A low growl escaped my lips, already fed up with hearing this nonsense. "What are you talking about?! What is up with these innuendos?! He was…touching me on my pants and my chest and…I tied him up so that he won't get close to me! "

Thankfully, Fiyero understood. And it was clear it didn't look normal. I shouldn't be surprised when he let out a disgruntled sigh and shook his head, but it was a clash with his earlier behvior.

"And yet," he muttered to himself. "I thought I made it really clear in the invitation that we do not allow r-"

"Did you clearly state that?" asked Molly, her eyes widening in the horrified realization of what I was saying.

"I'm gonna have to talk to that dog," said Fiyero with a clenched fist. "I don't know the full details, but it sounds like he tried having you his way. No man or woman is entitled to be touched like this without consent. Unsafe sex is not fine. However, you gave the wrong impression by tying him up that way."

I nodded meekly. At least he understood because there was no way I would go back there to be groped. That was a highly stressful experience for me. My attention switched back to Molly, still staring at me in concern. But it hurt seeing her like this since I had been getting her worried for nearly hours already.

All because I truly showed how much of a mess I was.

My eyes were beginning to water, but I held them in. Not the time now to cry like this. I tried finding my voice, but it was already cracking.

"I'm so sorry, Molly," I said softly. "I-I didn't mean to like men as well. I didn't mean to be stupid when watching that drag queen and then getting caught by that wolf and…"

I closed my eyes, thinking that the tears dared to come in. They refrained, thankfully. I looked back at the purple cat. She was still in shock. My chest ached to see her like this and the only thing I should do would be to try to find some way to resolve everything for my mistakes.

"I let you down, did I?" I asked.

Molly blinked a couple of times at my words. She blushed, scratching the back of her head. After a while, she took a deep breath and her eyes softened.

"You're still hung up on the fact that we came here as a date?" she asked.

Fiyero's eyes widened, intrigued. "Oooh, so he likes you?"

Surprisingly, Molly didn't retaliate. It was a huge contrast to how she usually dealt with things that annoyed her. This went the same for when she first asked me out and her reactions to what Willy Walrus tried writing.

I sniffed, wanting to look away. "I thought you liked me, so I…I didn't want to be a mess to ruin the fun. I know that you did say you…dated that Brianna girl before, but for some reason, I don't know if I heard right…"

"Obsidian, you heard right," said Molly calmly. "But…I'm not too into people. I'm not too into you. I-I mean, not in a mean way. It's just that it's like I like someone for the next 48 hours and then I see them as a friend. I just realize I haven't told this; I'm aromantic."

I didn't know why, but her answer threw a weight off my shoulders. However, I barely know the term by heart or knowledge. When I couldn't respond, Molly immediately psychoanalyzed me.

"You don't know what it means?" she asked.

I shook my head. It was hasty, but sincere.

Fiyero immediately caught on. "Aromantic describes people with little to no romantic attraction to anyone."

"And occasionally, I have these spikes in gaining some romantic attractions," added Molly, wiping her forehead in slight discomfort. "Though, it varies from time to time. Maybe I'm arospike? Look, I haven't understood fully how it really works and if it applies to me, but what happened between us before, I don't think it'll last. I…I see you more as a friend, even if I fell for you briefly. Sorry for not making it clear and dragging you into this. I just thought you would be like…ready to be at a party."

I looked down on my own feet. That confirmed that Molly only saw me as a friend which would have served as relief. It felt strange as well since it was nearly like my feelings for her would end up being invalidated. But I didn't really want a fully committed relationship with her just yet. At the moment, the previous incidents made me hesitate to come to terms.

"I'm just saying that…this world has a hard time accepting people for who they are, so your paranoia is accurate. Trust me on this one; always rely on your instincts or soon, you'll be stuck with bad luck for your whole life. I know that."

Paranoid, I squeaked out, "Am I…really a…freak for liking men regardless?"

Molly held a look of sympathy. "Obsidian…"

The energy forming inside my chest felt like it could explode. I felt like a bomb, turning away to look away.

"J-Just forget it," I said, my voice strained. "It's stupid."

I did my best not to make eye contact, but I spotted Molly's reaction from the corner of my eyes. She was right in the middle of holding out her hand on my shoulder until I immediately refused. This time, the feared betrayal flashed over her eyes and she took a step back.

I knew it. It would end up happening in some way.

However, Fiyero had other ideas, coming closer to us.

"Wait," he said, scratching his chin. "How much do you exactly know about relationships? You seem squeamish."

I let out a low sigh. I didn't think about that despite remembering at the start what it was nearly like being interested in some people back in the Jackal Squad. Molly didn't back away, but stood in her spot.

"I never really put the time into being in a relationship," I explained shyly, not bothering to look at anyone. "Well, before, I did have some interest for some women, but I…was more focused on my tasks with my squad. I have little experience with this kind of thing since it didn't look important before. I don't…usually a-ask someone out for a date, even if I call for a hang-out. And then, I came here to relax and I suddenly had a spike in liking male…bodies…and…you?"

Molly let out a wolf whistle out of nowhere and that earned a reaction from Fiyero. The tiger rolled his eyes, smiling bashfully. But when he turned to me, it turned into genuine sympathy when he thought through what I said.

"You're scared, aren't you?" he summarized. "Of all of this?"

Like Molly, he kept his tone level. He wasn't sounding flirty but trying to find common ground.

"Yes. And…the worst part is that I seem to enjoy it, but…I don't know if it makes sense. It's all new to me. It feels addictive with the looks here and there and then the thought of if it's possible to have a 'happy family life' if I just date someone not the same gender as I am…" I wiped my eyes, getting rid of the tears already pouring out. "I'm just scared that saying out loud that I seem to like both men and women would shun me out." I cleared my throat, uneased. "That's why I freaked out, Molly. I don't want to disappoint you."

Molly remained quiet for a while. I thought she might walk away, but she didn't. She didn't make a move either. However, she slowly rose over the shock to tell her side of the story.

"I had no idea you didn't know about this kind of stuff," she said. "I assumed that you learnt about it during your time here. It's not a problem if you like men and women. I just wish you had told me before."

"Is it…really?" I asked, uncertain. "It's not…sinful?"

Fiyero shook his head. "It's not sinful. If you're talking about this in a religious way, then I have to break it to you; the truth may and is still out there, but it's not here now. No one is completely right nor wrong on why it is bad to like someone who is not the opposite sex. However, all I can say is that being in denial of how you feel just…gonna leave you in that closet, if you know what I mean."

Molly cleared her throat, sitting next to me. "You know I was there to see Diva Nova. And she flirted with me as well, so it's not unusual. You saw how she flaunted on stage with no shame."

I gave her a look, telling that I didn't get it yet.

"OK, behind the scenes, it's a guy, but she was unstoppable without hiding it on stage. It's her way with what she wants to be and no one tries to interrupt it."

"Her aim is tasty," said Fiyero, cracking a grin. "She wants people to be proud of who they are. What you're feeling now is understandable. People do get scared of how they feel, but in the end, they are still amazing people. A good side still supports those who appear 'different'."

I blinked sheepishly, really wanting to believe that would be true. Remembering back on Diva Nova's performance, everyone was cheering for her with no boos or insults. They caught up quickly with her witty jokes and some of her views. Those who came over to see her admired her and I did as well. It even got me to remember how I came to Mitchel's aid because I connected to him on feeling like an outsider.

However, what kept me scared was the messy thoughts whenever I was head over heels.

"What about back then?" I questioned. "The dirty thoughts. The clingy encounters. I nearly let that wolf have his way with me. What does that make me?"

Fiyero narrowed his eyes. "Don't associate that with sexualities. That's not the case and unfortunately, too many think lust is the only and leading factor of being attracted to the same sex."

I turned to Molly, trying to read her expression for answers. She appeared to be on the same page with the tiger.

"And…maybe that guy used being gay as an excuse for satisfaction," she suggested.

"I don't know exactly how bad your 'dirty thoughts' are, but you seem aware of them, so that's one thing." Fiyero twirled his hand around, briefly looking upwards. "It's much bigger than you think, however, so yes, it'll be confusing at first."

It only made me wish that it wouldn't be too confusing and easier for me to understand when I had these feelings. Fiyero held onto my hand, stroking a thumb gently. It was subtle, but some of his previous flirtiness slowly returned. Fortunately, he kept it under wraps, only rubbing my hand in what appeared to be trying to calm me down.

"Look, whatever you're thinking right now, it's not for others to tell you how it should be," he said straightly. "Yes, it doesn't look like it makes sense now, but it's still true. I mean, it took a while with me coming out as pansexual, but thanks to my family, I had the courage to come out finally…" He gestured to the colorful windows. The sunlight was coming in, shining pink, yellow and cyan lights on his white tuxedo. "...they care about me and not about what my sexuality is. You already got some good friends as far as I can tell. Molly understood."

I glanced at the purple cat and she smiled.

"So what?" I mumbled. "You're all just going to ignore what happened previously? You…don't really have any idea of how perverted my thoughts were. Here, we only have small pieces of what makes sense."

"You got a point," said Molly. "Sounds like you're tempted to lust, but you have a grip on it. You're aware, so that's a good thing to note."

Fiyero shook my hand a little so that I could look at him. "You really got a lot to learn, man. It's more than just one stereotype. You don't have to be ashamed of yourself since out there, there's something good about what you like, even more than lust. Worrying about it won't help; it takes some baby steps and helping hands, understood, mate?"

For all of his talk and seemingly book dumbness, Fiyero was surprisingly insightful on a personal level. Allowing me to turn to see him clearly, I could see that he meant it. His golden eyes were glowing with a smile, wanting me to believe his words. All of a sudden, I found myself drinking into this. Not just for how handsome he appeared but…because he was really kind enough to tell me this.

My face heated up again and I slowly retracted my hand back shyly. Fiyero didn't seem to care, but he did blush a little and his tail curled in a circle. Nearly for once, a dirty thought didn't appear in my mind.

No white mannequins.

No Pilot Diamond.

Not even the wolf who nearly had his way with me.

It felt safe. The bright colors around us made me feel more open than before. I wondered if I would hold back, but at the moment…it was a good time not to try to hide.

The tiger cleared his throat, scanning my suit. "Uh, I'll get a tower for you. I honestly thought spiking the ice water would get you high and awake."

Molly gave him a glare. "Really?"

"No, no, I'm just kidding!" The tiger's sheepish grin returned to appearing confident when he turned to me. "I'll be right back, hotspot."

He winked once again before making his exit from the greenhouse. The flowers grew vibrant, matching the glow on my cheeks. There were some worries, but then, my ruby reassured me that everything would be alright. There was still time to understand all of this. It whispered to me that if I was in a relationship with him, maybe it might be healthy without the troubles.

I chose to listen to it this time. A feeling of euphoria flooded me, allowing me to smile a little. It was chilling yet it felt right. My heart was beating, but I was able to handle it.

Molly patted my shoulder and I broke my hesitation to look at her. She was still calm with no prejudice.

"You're sure that you…don't hate me on this one?" I asked, wanting to be sure.

"No, not at all," she said, nodding. "You're still a good man, Obsidian. At least not a full-blown pervert. Take it as a compliment."

And she said it without trying to cover it or fumbling up. I still held some feelings for her and wanted not to make it unfair for her, but now, she appeared alright. She accepted what I liked without question. It matched the joyful look she had when watching Diva Nova and it didn't look fake at all.

To prove it, she tenderly held onto one of my hands.

"Look, whoever you're interested in, I don't mind," she reassured. "We can try out a 'real' date, but note that I'm still slow to be committed to the romance thing. Fiyero seems to have a better job in doing so."

This point choked me up since she was giving me a chance to decide what I wanted and how I wanted to settle things. There was no longer the tension I feared. My eyes were watering again, but I wiped them away. No tears shouldn't be dropped since I was told that I shouldn't feel wrong about myself.

It was only when I realized she mentioned Fiyero I found my voice.

"You're saying that…?" I started.

Molly hummed nonchalantly. "You seem to like him. He likes you too."

"Does…he like other people?"

"Well, I heard he had four exes. But he claimed himself not to be a home wrecker or a cheater." She lifted up her hands to gesture to stay calm. "My advice is to take it steady when going on a date with that tiger. You may never know when you feel like you want to rush in. He's still a bit of a ditz, so don't tempt him."

Really reassuring and my chances are difficult. Flustered, I stroke my hair and looked away.

"Molly…" I whined.

Molly chuckled, blushing. "Just ring the bell if there's anything you want to address to me next time."

I nodded, finally relieved. "So…sorry again for freaking out."

"Don't need to keep saying that."

"I know…god, I'm so nervous." An awkward silence until I decided to be curious and not hold back. "So…with me liking men and women, does that make me…gay as well?"

"I kind of thought that you were bisexual," said Molly. "It means finding both men and women attractive. Physically, sexually or emotionally. Or all three."

That…actually made sense. Guessed that was why I fell for Fiyero a few seconds ago. "Well, glad that there's a term."

We remained sitting there in silence. Molly shuffled her hands away, wanting to be respectful. The noises of the party were fading back in, returning to my reality. It seemed to have moved inside since there was already a sunset and not that much chatter outside. As my senses were coming back to normal, I realized I forgot to tell Molly about…Dave.

"...crap," I uttered.

"What?" asked Molly.

"I remember now. Dave came in to talk to me earlier. He tried getting me to join. He told me that…the Lightning Bolt Society is in a deal with the Eggman Empire."

Molly stared at me for a long while before the old serious her came back in. "Wait, what? So…would that mean from there, they'll know the full context of the Phantom Ruby prototypes?"

AN: And thus, this concludes the party part of this small arc. Before, I planned to add a scene where Obsidian is overwhelmed and disoriented by the loud music of the party, but I took it out since this chapter was already long enough, so that will be for later. The next chapter will be about meeting Molly's family and how Obsidian takes this all in. Maybe for now, I might take a little break off the story and try to catch up on my other current stories, but don't worry as I have my eyes on the last chapter for this small arc.

There's something interesting in how I decided to tackle sexual themes and consent. Usually, I avoid them the best I can since I don't like to write intercourse scenes. Once again, this is the closest I'm willing to do, but it still feels like a sin to me. It's a huge risk and new unfamiliar world I'm addressing.

The entire scene of Obsidian nearly being dominated by the drunk wolf takes inspiration from 'MeAndTheBoys:ATeamDarkStory'. However, I even took inspiration from 'Helluva Boss' (specifically, whenever Stolas gets horny) and the 'Hazbin Hotel' pilot to make it nearly over-the-top and bizarre to the literal-minded Obsidian. This is my meta-commentary on sex scenes forced in shows just for the sake of views and even a parody of satirical depictions of sex scenes. However, let me know what you think what the intention looks like.

And of course, I had to add in the 'Bed Intruder' song. First heard it on SMG4 (whenever Foxy plays on the piano, lmao) and thought it would be both funny and terrifying to explain the rather blase attitude towards someone having their own way of another person. Lots of black comedy sprinkled all over the place!

Speaking of which, the reason I added sexual themes to the chapter is due to the problem of lust being seen as a leading factor in LGBTQ+ relationships and that is shared within a couple of religions. Whether it's based on 'facts' or stereotypes or certain scenes of shows, it's still a heavy debate in this world. I don't want to offend specific religious groups and I know this chapter will be controversial. What Fiyero said about the 'truth' is still out there, it just feels mysterious on the moral standing of this topic. So I thought to add this in to highlight that different relationships may and already have multiple layers more just romance and making love.

Now, this leads to confirming the sexualities of some of the characters. Molly here is aromantic; while it can be seen as an ass pull, I thought through how to develop the story and it would feel stereotypical to have her being in a cliche relationship with Obsidian eventually. So, I decided to change things a little here to make her more flexible. Her possibly being arospike is something I took account when discussing with my friends. In this chapter, I can confirm that Obsidian is bisexual and given his admiration towards Fiyero may lead to him trying things out with the tiger.

Before I forget, I want to explain a little regarding Dave's confrontation with Obsidian at the start of the chapter. It took inspiration from 'Murder Drones' and the 2002 'Carrie' movie. I wanted to create the image that Dave might appear like your burnt-out teenager, but he is still a crafty, angry threat willing to hurt. The reason why Obsidian wasn't quick enough to arrest Dave in the end was because Obsidian was already in an emotionally vulnerable spot. Dave took advantage of that to sway him to make his escape. And with the spy still out, he would have learnt Obsidian's visible vulnerabilities anyway.

I hope that you like and connect with what I try to present. If it doesn't look that way, I'm sorry if it doesn't turn out how I intend it to be. But my message is to never be ashamed of who you are. There are still people out there who still care for you and what you may be feeling might be more than just biases. It requires learning and reflection before you can choose what's ultimately comfortable for you as an individual. Maybe this has already been told in a better way for Pride Month, but I hope I am able to spread this message correctly.

Before I end this chapter, I want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to one of my best friends, MasterClass60, for teaching me the concept of coming out, especially during this Pride Month. It's not truly an easy concept to write and get over with, but you helped me understand the care it needs to create a good representation of LGBTQ+. Your points of what I should highlight helped me a lot on how to come to terms with one's own sexuality and gender. Your TrollsTopia stories helped a lot too, since they provide inspirations I noted down. And above all, even if my portrayal might not be perfect, I took what you taught me to be on the right track. So, yeah, thank you very much for teaching me, mate.

Thank you for reading this chapter! Let me know what you think of the past few chapters' highlights on LGBTQ+ representations and if this is a good 'coming out' story relatable to you. Feedback or constructive criticism will definitely help in shaping a better representation of this story. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite to get updates.

Once again, keep on rocking and happy Pride Month!