Random futa things

by Jokiba

Just as the title says pure smut

45. Yet More Forced Feminization Adventures

Yet More Forced Feminization Adventures in the World of VALKYRIE! My Harem Arc Backfired and now I'm Stuck in a VR Game?!

Natalia_The_Smut_Writer

Summary:

When offered an invitation from a cute girl to join her (and a shared acquaintance) in the revolutionary new VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) called VALKYRIE, a young man jumps at the opportunity. An entire weekend of playing video games with TWO girls? A more perfect opportunity could scarcely be imagined! But as our hero becomes immersed in the virtual reality of his situation, the actual reality of his situation inevitably sinks in as well. He's in way over his head, and there's far more to VALKYRIE than just the eloquent blurb on the back of the box.

Also, there's PLENTY of forced feminization, girl dick, monster dick, NTR, and almost certainly many other kinks. You've been warned!

Notes:

Inspired by SISSEKAI: The Story of How I Became Trapped In A Virtual Reality Game And Turned Into A Sissy! by FEMINYZE_CAPTIONS

After being inspired by the incredible work of FEMINYZE_CAPTIONS (and having a minor mental breakdown as AO3 readers are wont) I decided to study the lore of the VALKYRIE universe and offer my own addition to the body of work. This entire story is, therefore, an homage to FEMINYZE_CAPTIONS's "SISSEKAI" story, which I strongly encourage all of you to read for yourself both for context and simply because it's a very well-written story.

So why did I write this? Because you need to be the change you desire, and I desire more feminization, dickgirls, NTR, bestiality, and of course, tentacles!

This is story is both my first post to Ao3 and the only long-form creative writing I've ever attempted. As such if you notice anything like strange formatting errors or obvious stylistic mistakes don't hesitate to make a comment! This is also the explanation for why the overall quality of the writing improves over time... at least, in theory.

Chapter 1: Plugged in (and Turned on)

Chapter Text

I was absolutely giddy with excitement at what lay in front of me. A durable cardboard delivery box of bespoke build, every single square inch engineered just as much to emphasise a sleek sci-fi design ethos as to ensure the pressure cargo arrived in pristine condition, was sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor. Able to contain myself for not even a fraction of a moment longer I leapt to work, unfolding the cardboard and then sliding the soft plastic packaging onto the floor. I was likely being gentler than I needed to be - every piece of marketing I'd read or review I'd seen had emphasised the superb build quality - but I couldn't help but approach the package with anything other than reverence bordering on worship.

What was in the box? Only the single most advanced gaming platform the world had ever seen! The Phantasm Vision, a hyper-advanced VR headset that represented the culmination of gaming's technological march up until this point. The Vision had (somehow) managed to do away with all of the accoutrements that bogged down previous iterations of VR gaming devices. The Vision required no goofy spacesuit leotard nor motion detecting sensor nor handheld controller. It would have defied belief, and in fact did until reviewers were able to get their hands on the device and verify that the Vision delivered on everything it promised - and then some. The blurb on the back of the high-tech box promised that the Vision could produce a litany of sensations, all with their own associated scientific jargon that seemed as much to provide validity to their claims as it did to guard themselves against any potential lawsuits.

The Vision itself, the tangible, physical VR headset took the form of a sleek black metal headset with only slightly oversized goggles. This particular model was wired, but even those wires had an almost beyond-futuristic sci-fi simplicity to them. It almost seemed too easy to plug everything in and begin the startup sequence. Surely, surely a device as sophisticated as this would require an equivalent level of expertise?

But as I finally exhaled the breath I'd been holding onto for far too long and slid the headset comfortably into place atop my head I almost couldn't believe how user friendly and intuitive everything was. It felt less like I was micromanaging holographic touch screens and more like my mind was simply thinking about what I wanted to do, and the Vision complied. Login credentials, biometric parameters, user identification, everything flew by so seamlessly that before I knew it I was face to face with the real reason I, or anyone else, would purchase a Phantasm Vision.

VALKYRIE.

Any gaming platform is only as good as its titles, and VALKYRIE single handedly justified the exorbitant price tag on the Vision. If anything, it felt like a steal. Once again according to the rave reviews literally everywhere over the internet for the past month, if the Vision was the culmination of the technological achievements of the past half century then VALKYRIE was the culmination of advancements in game design. The most sophisticated, advanced, realistic, immersive MMORPG ever created - All things read straight from actual reviews of the game - VALKYRIE promised to be the next evolution in gaming as a whole. It was attracting everyone from the most sweaty, hardcore, voracious power gamer crowd right down to the most chill, relaxed and casual crowd, and everything in between, and then some. Whether you could actually get your hands on a copy was another question, as both the Phantasm Vision and VALKYRIE game keys were a markedly limited resource, even more so after the pre-alpha testers had hyped everyone up.

And yet through what must have been a combination of divine providence and sheer dumb luck I was offered a key to play VALKYRIE in these first few crucial weeks of the beta launch. Not by VALKYRIE themselves, I wasn't nearly noteworthy enough for them to have taken notice. But an acquaintance of a friend happened to be a hardcore gamer of... maybe not world renown, but just enough to be noticed and granted a few keys. Three keys, specifically. One which she'd already used to guarantee herself a spot in the beta, one which she graciously donated to the only other gamer she knew and my friend (and 'in' to this entire event), Yukiko, and the third and final key which Yukiko had giddily thrust into my hands less than 48 hours ago. Clearly whichever higher power was watching over us had blessed me, not only to be invited to VALKYRIE's beta but to be invited to party up with my longtime friend and a brand new woman in my life.

My heart raced at the thought. I couldn't decide if I was more excited to be playing the newest and hottest video game for the weekend, or to be spending that weekend in voice chat with two, count it TWO hot(ish) girls. Yukiko was... well, she'd been my friend since before middle school and it was impossible not to develop some feelings growing up with a female friend like that. But Yukiko was also very reserved. Guarded. It had taken years before she'd opened up to me about anything, and even then it was only over online text chat as she seemed to lock up in almost any type of social situation. Outwardly she didn't seem like the kind of girl that would struggle in social situations, being modestly attractive, succeeding at school, and having a stable family life. She seemed like the model Asian daughter... which may have been why we'd been friends but nothing more.

But the OTHER girl, Stephanie! Just thinking about her was enough to make my heart skip a beat and blood rush to my cock. Even with the Vision on I could feel my cock brushing against the fabric of my underwear as I pictured Stephanie in my mind's eye. She was tall, easily tall enough that I'd have to stand on my tiptoes to kiss her, even in my fantasies. She was blessed by both motivation to send her ass to the gym and the genetics to give her an ass to send to the gym in the first place. Pale skin that somehow never seemed to tan or burn no matter how much time she spent in the sun, a smile that could melt a heart and a piercing gaze that seemed to somehow always know so much more than she let on, like she could read anyone and anything like an open book. She practically redefined what it meant to be a straight-A student. Yukiko's grades had even improved just by proximity, and Yuki had invited me in the past to come study with the two, but I'd always chickened out...

Until today. Giddy excitement returning to chase away the lewd thoughts of Stephanie's body still lingering in my mind I finally committed myself to logging in and joining voice chat. With characteristic quickness the Vision booted up the appropriate programs and ushered me toward my destination. I loaded into voice chat at almost exactly the same moment as I was shuttled into the character creation screen of VALKYRIE, and was able to catch the tail end of an energetic conversation between Stephanie and Yukiko. Or at least parts of it, as my internet connection was apparently struggling with the voice chat a little.

"...Hyper--... --ock and..." That was Stephanie's voice, probably sharing esoteric details about the game.

"I-- WO-- EE--". That was Yukiko's voice, but it was cutting out so badly I couldn't tell much other than that her voice was very high pitched, like she'd just been yelling.

"Oh good, you finally came!" Stephanie's voice again, directed at me clearly. There was a lilting quality to it, which my excited mind couldn't quite distinguish between good natured teasing or seductive beckoning. Probably the former.

"We're just making our characters now, champ. Or Yuki is. I finished ages ago," Stephanie continues with an even more exaggerated lilt, the double entendre clearly very intentional this time.

"Th-there are just so many options!" Yuki exclaimed in an uncharacteristically bright and cheerful tone. I didn't realise Stephanie had that effect on Yukiko, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise.

"Normally I'd make a joke about a girl taking ages to get ready," joked Stephanie, "But in this case it's totally worth it. Normally in an MMO like this you'd just, like, put on your first set of armour and then none of these sliders would ever have any influence on you ever again. But in VALKYRIE it's totally worth it. Did I already say that? Anyway! You'll be getting very well acquainted with every single part of your body in this game, so... make sure your nose slider's set right where it needs to be".

I smirked at the notion that a nose slider would matter at all in any game... and then had the sudden realisation that maybe Stephanie was making a sapphic joke that went right over my head in the moment. A moment later I heard a satisfying chime that let me know the game had finished loading. Turning my attention away from the voice chat and toward the game, I was met with the first dialogue box that would begin VALKYRIE's character creator.

"Oh cool, the first box is prefilled. Is that why it collects your biometric data?" I asked conversationally as I clicked the box that said "Boy", progressing into the next screen without a second thought.

"Uuuuhhhh not that I know of? Your biometric data is used for, like, the sensory feedback and stuff. The first box is to select your avatar's sex" Stephanie rattled off those facts like she'd rehearsed the knowledge a thousand times before. Maybe she had given her time in the pre-alpha. Even the way she said 'sex' in that moment felt clinical and deliberate.

Stephanie continued, "VALKYRIE is extremely flexible with the way you express your character's sex and gender. Like, back in pre-alpha our core party was... I mean it was kind of like a fanfic orgy," Steph laughed boisterously at her own joke for multiple seconds, slowly tapering off to a pleased giggle as she relived memories of her past time playing VALKYRIE. "We had a party of ten people total, and honestly like half of them made dickgirl characters. I think Emily was the only one that made a cuntboy, and then it was like, two vanilla dudes, one girl, and then everyone else was a futa". Stephanie's laughter picked back up, laughing herself silly over the memory like she was sharing stories from band camp. Blush crept into my cheeks at the discussion, but at least Stephanie was clearly comfortable enough around me already to be, well, to be a foulmouthed slut. Yukiko was dead silent the whole time, probably about to die of embarrassment. "Remember I showed you some of their avatars, Yuki?".

"No," comes the response from Yukiko, but it was the tiniest and most timid 'no' I'd ever heard.

More laughter came from Stephanie's end. "You can't even BEGIN to lie, little snowflake. I've seen the pic you've got as your phone's home screen!"

In any other context this would have been an extremely juicy conversation to listen to, but between the continued audio issues (I was sure I was still only hearing half of what was said), and the fact that I was trying to wrangle with the character creator it was difficult to pay attention.

"So yeah, you can be basically any combination of anything you want in this game. Male, female, dickgirl, cuntboy... I've never heard of "boy" being a gender but I can believe there are special variations on the basic four. Y'know, if you consider cuntboys and dickgirls basic!" Stephanie then added with a giggle "And obviously some are definitely more popular than others."

I flinched a little at the way she so flippantly listed off possible sexual morphs, but that knowledge just left me more confused. After all, why was your genital configuration relevant at all in a video game?

"You're sure this doesn't autofill for you?" I ventured, clicking at random sliders and gauges and toggle options. None of them responded.

"Whoah the VC's really chewing up your voice. Can you hear us,--" Stephanie's voice cuts out again.

There's another high pitched robotic wail from Yukiko, but other than that silence for multiple seconds. I try to respond but it feels like I'm speaking into an empty void. I can hear Stephanie (and occasionally Yukiko), but it seems like they can't hear a single thing I'm saying. Not even a mechanical crackle.

Until, finally, as I'm clicking back and forth through the character creator to figure out what if there was something obvious I missed about preloaded characters or something I both feel and hear a solid metallic thonk.

My vision is awash in brilliant gold and orange for a fraction of the blink of an eye, so brief I barely even recognised it, before the sounds and sensations of the Vision magnify fivefold. Everything feels like it's in higher resolution (as if that were even possible), sound effects are crisp and clear, and perhaps most importantly I can hear Yukiko and Stephanie chatting to each other crystal clear.

"Guys... Girls?" I falter as I try to decide how to address the two, and get an almost immediate answer back.

"What's up with your voice?" from Stephanie.

"Why's your voice different?" from Yukiko.

"I... is it? I can't tell. Anyway, can you hear me now?" I offer, genuinely having no idea how or if my voice had changed.

"Yep," from Yuki.

"Yeah definitely, you're crystal clear now. So what's up with your character creator? Yuki's basically finished, she just keeps fucking around with the titty slider," Stephanie teases.

I blush as I realise just how much of an incorrigible tease Stephanie actually is. God she's practically a dream girl.

Yuki, for her part, is so silent it's tangible at the accusation. Yukiko always was a little fixated on her own chest, and hearing it called out by Stephanie made it obvious to everyone in the call that it wasn't a secret.

"S-so, uhh, basically," I stammer, and this time I can actually feel my voice crack. Is it higher pitched than usual?

"I can't change anything in the character creator at all. I don't know how to share a screenshot, but it's got a prefilled name and race and class and if I click on any of them I can't change anything. It's totally prefilled. Is this normal?"

"Nnnnnnnope. Never heard of anyone having that issue. It is beta after all, so maybe it's a little bug," Stephanie offers. "Anyway, you can totally go back and make a new character if you're not happy with this one. What does your little guy look like anyway?"

I blush at the implication that the character I'd make would ever be a 'little guy', but... Stephanie isn't wrong.

I read out the information in the little blurb, but Stephanie clarified almost before I'd even finished.

"More than that! There are probably going to be like a billion twinky elf paladins running around Lumberg when we load in, and clicking on every single one of them manually to check names is a huge pain in the butt. Actually tell us what your character looks like!"

I gulped at the way that Stephanie said 'twinky elf', as if somehow she could predict exactly what Cass' body looked like, but I obliged. Yukiko continued to say nothing, which fit her usual behaviour to a T but almost made me wonder if she'd disconnected... until I heard her asking in a small voice if her racial choice was right, to which Stephanie immediately and forcefully assured her it was 'for what she probably wanted'. I chose not to dwell on Stephanie's word choice and began to describe my 'twinky elf paladin' to the two girls.

I coughed to myself to clear my throat, to which Stephanie so helpfully added "Heard that!".

"Cass is an..." I double checked everything on the character creator before I said anything more. I was now staring at an elf boy standing idly on a sea of stars floating in a seemingly infinite off-blue void, trying to decide what would be most useful to describe. Detailing the minutiae of Cass' hyper realistic physical features probably wouldn't help, but the longer I looked the less certain I am that Cass is even a "boy" to begin with.

"Err, Cass is REALLY feminine. Like, maybe actually a girl? I don't know," I offer, unhelpful and unsure even of what I'm seeing myself.

Stephanie responds immediately, almost impatiently, "Yes obviously the elf boys are going to be super twinky by default. Blame Legend of Zelda for that, every girl I know wants to take a bite out of that boybutt."

I shiver at the mental image of Stephanie getting her horny hands all over Cass and ruining what I have to imagine to be his 'innocence'. He looks almost too pure to be sullied like that... and I would have felt a pang of jealousy if it weren't for the fact that I was about to BECOME this elf boy once I finished logging in.

"U-uhh..." I stammered, not realising how much saliva I'd let pool on my tongue while thinking about Stephanie mounting the elf boy of her dreams. I tried to speedrun through mentioning all of the obvious identifying things.

"Brunette. Pale skin. 158 cm. Elf. Paladin. Uuuuuhhh short ears for an elf?"

"Oh wow you're tiny!" Stephanie exclaims, and Yukiko apparently can't stop herself from chiming in.

"Almost as short as IRL," Yuki teases. An obvious exaggeration, even if I was a little on the short side.

"What else, what else..." I ask more to myself than to Yukiko or Stephanie, but Stephanie answers for me regardless.

"What are you wearing?"

I feel my cheeks blush deeply at the phrasing. I mean, obviously Stephanie means what Cass is wearing, but holy shit I felt like I was having old school phone sex for a second.

"I-I'm, uhh, Cass is wearing... god I don't even know what that's called. It's like anime battle armour? She's-- Err, I mean he's got a breastplate on and kind of like leather and plate armour over his shoulders and arms, no gloves, and a...".

"And a what, sweetie?" Stephanie urged, sounding somehow entirely sweet and sincere and equally entirely bored and facetious.

"He's wearing a dress."

Yukiko snickered audibly, but Stephanie apparently wasn't surprised even in the slightest.

"Okay, got it. Tiny brunette twink in plate armour and a dress. See you on the other side!"

I heard two distinct beeps as first Stephanie then Yukiko logged into VALKYRIE proper while I was left staring at my avatar to be on his platform of stars in the deep blue void.

I noted his features again, and once again found myself questioning if he was a "boy" or a girl. Cass had large, doe-like eyes in deep crystalline amber, refracting the starlight of the void within them gorgeously. On a real girl I could have lost myself in those eyes easily, but knowing that they were soon to be my eyes left me feeling an emotion whose name I couldn't even begin to guess. Apprehension? Fear? Arousal, even, at remembering how Stephanie talked about twinks? Cass seemed even more effeminate than a twink. Like I said, he seemed like a girl. Like a "She".

His eyebrows were arched, sculpted. Clearly whoever designed Cass cared deeply about even the most minor details. He had long and full lashes that gave even his motionless eyes a sultry, seductive aspect. His nose was small and turned up every so slightly at the tip. Cute. His lips were full and pouty, the bottom lip ever so slightly larger than the top, and lusciously rosy pink. Cass had a narrow jawline that came to a soft point at her chin, high and pronounced cheekbones that lent her an angular and refined profile that belied the rest of her youthful features. And of course her-- I shook my head as I realised I'd been calling him a her-- his skin was absolutely flawless. Not a single blemish. And last of all... I just had to confirm it for myself. I reached out and clicked the button to switch between overclothes and underclothes, just to double-check, just to be absolutely certain which sex Cass was... and was able to breathe a sigh of relief as his undergarments revealed no bra (which mean the devs thought his nipples counted as male-presenting... probably.) and a subtle but not non-existent bulge in his tight fitting boyshorts. Not even a second later I flipped the switch again, as if I was afraid someone would catch me staring at my own soon-to-be privates.

I heard a single beep from VALKYRIE and knew instinctively that it was one of the girls (almost certainly Stephanie) urging me to get on with it and sign in. Sighing deeply, I resigned myself to my mixed blessing. Of all the preset characters I could have been given, at least Cass was pretty.

Chapter 2: First Impressions

Chapter Text

I materialise in a stereotypical Medieval fantasy courtyard surrounded. For the briefest of seconds I feel almost let down by how typical the location is, until my sensitive elfin ears register the organic sound of my leather soles tapping against cobblestone. I glance down at my feet curiously, tapping my shoes experimentally against various different spots on the floor to test out the sound design. Rather than hearing obviously pre-recorded samples of footsteps on different surfaces I note with delight that the sounds seem to be bespoke. I look a little closer, this time dragging my foot across the smooth stone to see if the sound changes, and sure enough it does. These sounds are being generated by the game itself, accurately modelling the muted slick of leather against smooth stone or the tiny yet tangibly grainy addition of my shoe scraping over a silica rich blade of grass. Recognising the effort put into simulating even that tiny foliage detail I'm reminded that I should look up at all the more obvious and grandiose things on display, and am immediately rewarded with a truly immaculate recreation of trees. Not "a tree in a video game", but something that my mind actually honestly mistakes for a real tree in the fraction of a second before I remind myself that this is all virtual reality. I can see the individual leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, branches rustling against each other. Once again I train my ears to that sound, and realise that it isn't a single pre-recorded track of generic tree sounds. The movements of the leaves in the wind don't appear to follow any sort of animation loop either.

I'd heard that VALKYRIE was hyper realistic, but actually seeing it in person was… well, seeing was believing. And I believe now. I tilted my head back further and saw the cleanest, bluest, prettiest sky I'd ever seen in my entire life. A single cloud drifted overhead, the one blemish in azure perfection, until I realised it wasn't a single cloud. It was a cluster of clouds gradually drifting apart at varying speeds, once again perfectly simulating an actual sky on earth.

It felt so real.

"Ah! Another adventurer on my doorstep!" a feminine voice to my right chimes. This sound oddly did feel artificial, though more like a retail worker repeating the same greeting a thousand times rather than a robotic recording.

I turn leisurely to face the voice, taking my time, taking in the scenery… perhaps taking too much time, as when I find myself looking at (or up) at the source of the voice I note that she seems to have just the hint of a frustrated grimace touching her features. I was looking at a matronly woman, whose plain clothing and ruddy features were utterly disarming. She looked like the kind of woman who could be everyone's auntie. The kind of woman who always had a tray of cookies ready for visits from her nieces and nephews. I dutifully kept my eyes on her face, avoiding glancing at her very pronounced bust, and idly wondered if they'd modelled this character after some sort of hyper sexualised intro NPC from some porn game.

"Welcome to Lumberg, dearie. My name is Madam Humbert, and I'm Lumberg's Head Priestess. That means I tend to our church, hold weekly sermons in the name of our Goddesses, and work healing magic for the townsfolk-- and visiting adventurers like you, of course."

I almost baulked at the voice line. I was actually right, she was a tutorial NPC. That explained the robotic-sounding voice lines. Out of curiosity, I ask if she delivered that same line to every adventurer that came through.

What came next surprised me.

Madam Humbert raised a hand to her lips and gave a good natured chuckle. I couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"You could say that I've practised these lines well, yes." she said with a cheeky smirk.

I glanced around warily, suddenly feeling like I was about to be pranked. Is… is the tutorial NPC self-aware? Madam Humbert for her part never let the gentle smile leave her face, any frustration from earlier having been easily shrugged off.

"What's your name, darling?". Now I genuinely couldn't tell if this line was part of her script or not.

I inhaled a short breath and opened my mouth to answer, but instead of my name all I could offer was a strangled squeak of air. My brows knitted and I tried to say my name again, but still my voice escaped me. This was… bizarre. Up until this point I'd never had an issue with the Vision accepting my inputs. If anything, it felt almost too good at understanding what I wanted it to do. Blessedly, Madam Humbert's smile hadn't budged. Once more she felt like an NPC, dutifully waiting for the player character to finish interacting with their menu.

My brows remain knit together as I tried to figure out how to overcome this admittedly minor obstacle in sharing my name with this NPC. I guess this was another bug related to being the beta launch? Shaking my head, I sighed and offered what I felt was the only other obvious answer.

"Cass." No other embellishment, I spoke my character's name as though I were speaking a password.

And it worked.

"What a lovely name!" Humbert says, smile somehow growing even larger. I blushed in spite of myself at the praise.

"Now then, 'Cass'. You seem like a big, strong warrior-type." One of my eyebrows raised at that. Surely she was joking? Cass' body was a tiny thing, looking far more like a thief or a dancer than any sort of warrior. "You should visit the barracks and ask for Gromgogg to give you an introduction to battle. Would you like me to show you the way?"

I almost had time to voice my concern about the dissonance between 'seeming like a strong warrior' and 'needing an introduction to battle', but before I could so much as open my mouth Madam Humbert had already produced a wand from a pocket somewhere on her person and swished it theatrically.

By the time my mouth had finished opening I'd materialised in an entirely different room. The air in this room felt tangibly different to the courtyard I'd just been standing in. It was dimmer than the courtyard, but warm. Hot, even. I glanced around at the inside of this building. I was expecting something that looked and felt as stereotypical as the courtyard, but the barracks (which I assumed I'd been sent) had clearly had a lot of thought put into them. The place was utilitarian yet cosy. Polished oak flooring covered every inch of floor I could see, but once again it seemed to be actual flooring rather than simply a repeating texture, complete with telltale imperfections in the wood, the grain pointing in various different directions, even scuff marks from innumerable footsteps visibly wearing down the most high traffic places. A large fireplace dominates one wall, throwing comfortable amber light across the interior of the barracks. Couches and tables are arranged around the perimeter, some occupied by battle-weary warriors enjoying a respite between missions. Along the back wall are doors leading to rooms whose contents I can't glean from this angle. The distant sounds of conversation carried on deep masculine voices, just barely too far away to be intelligible, permeated the torchlit room. In spite of it being broad daylight this building seemed to opt to be lit entirely by torchlight and hearth, which likely explained the heat.

Standing just ever so slightly off centre from the middle of the room was an extraordinarily large man with muddy green skin and a monstrously square jawline. An orc, I presumed. He was heavily armoured from the waist down, wearing multiple layers of leather, hide, chain mail and even some plate mail. His belt was almost comically oversized, reminiscent of a championship wrestling belt. It was so large I could almost use the buckle as a shield in my current body. Various sacks, packs, and satchels were attached to his belt, almost giving him the appearance of wearing a backpack around his waist. His upper body by contrast was almost entirely naked, showing off intricate tribal tattoos and corded muscles. I noted with a grimace that his nipples were entirely visible. No details were missed in the search for immersion, I suppose.

I made it obvious that I was looking at him and took a step forward, which seemed to alert him to my presence. His eyes lit up as he saw me and he strode toward me, heavy boots thumping the oak floorboard with each stride.

"Hail, adventurer!" the orc almost shouted. His voice had a booming masculine timbre that was crystal clear and pleasant to listen to, at odds with my expectations of thuggish orc mannerisms. "My name is Gromgogg. I'm here to ensure that our warriors have the basics down pat before heading out into the field. Madam Humbert let me know to expect you. Ready to learn the ropes and become a true warrior?". I squinted a little at the claim that Madam Humbert had told Gromgogg that I was coming since it had really been only a handful of seconds, maybe a minute, since I'd left the courtyard. I also cringed outwardly at how badly Gromgogg's voice lines sounded like a bad mobile game ad. Gromgogg himself seemed to pick up on body language I didn't realise I was sharing and took a different and much more casual tone.

"C'mon, Cass. If you've aspirations to be a paladin you're going to have to learn the basics."

I blinked twice in shock. "Cass". He knew my name. Madam Humbert actually had communicated with him.

"U-uhh, yeah, of course. Show me the tutorial." I offered shakingly, hoping that was what Gromgogg was hoping to hear. I didn't even question how this NPC knew which class I'd selected (or rather, had selected for me).

He looked at me as if I were ever so slightly insane before nodding. "Right. Follow me out back to the training dummies and I'll get you sorted out." Gromgogg stepped past me, taking care not to accidentally bowl me over, and then waved me through to follow him. My body was short and the length of my strides matched that, but I was still nimble enough to keep up with Gromgogg's assured movements. He stepped through and past and around and over every obstacle in his path with practised efficiency, while I had to improvise a path while staying in his shadow until eventually we were before a heavy set oak and iron door. Gromgogg approached the door and grunted. I could see the physical exertion mirror in his corded muscles, a ripple racing up his back at the effort of opening this door by himself.

As the heavy hinges creaked open I reflexively made to shield my eyes from the suddenly blindingly bright sunlight, only to be reminded first that VALKYRIE was so realistic that my body fully bought into the idea that the sun was really going to be blinding, and second, that for some reason my sensitive elven eyes had no issue with the bright sunlight. Gromgogg wasn't so lucky, and had brought a meaty mitt up to shade his eyes while they adjusted to the natural light. After confirming to himself that his newest adventurer hadn't gotten lost in the preceding thirty seconds, Gromgogg paced out to what felt to me like a predetermined spot in the rectangular courtyard. Once again I marvelled at the realistic sound design, noting how different Gromgogg's heavy boots sounded on the paved courtyard compared to my daintier footsteps on the cobblestones of the church courtyard, and how the high walls around the courtyard contributed an echo to the loudest footfalls. Gromgogg turned to face me and began to give a tutorial spiel that once again felt far more like a practised script read by an actual brain rather than a robotic NPC. Much of it felt like bland flavour text, in one ear and out the other, until the orc mentioned something very specifically related to player power.

"All adventurers in Tiresia must pledge themselves to one of the Nine Goddesses. Not that you cannot respect or even worship all Nine, but one must choose one to champion above all others." Gromgogg paused in his speech and locked eyes with me, like he was searching me for something very specific. "Normally, adventurers are able to determine for themselves the path they will walk, but…" I stared back at him, suddenly feeling like a deer in headlights.

He seemed to be choosing his next words very carefully.

"... But I can't imagine you following anyone other than Belladonna Praxis."

I felt an undeniable frustration inside me. First I was denied the ability to make my own character, forced into the body of Cass. Then I was teleported around without permission by Madam Humbert. And now what was obviously an extremely important decision for any VALKYRIE player had once again been made for me, agency snatched out of my hands before I even knew what I was about to lose. I grit my teeth and inhale sharply through my button nose. I screwed my eyes shut. I balled my fists. I… I felt myself preparing to stamp my foot petulantly against the pavement, but caught myself at the last moment.

If I'd actually stomped in anger like a little girl I probably would have died of embarrassment, especially in the presence of the pinnacle of manhood in front of me.

Gromgogg continued, and I unscrewed my eyes to look at him once again. It would have been impossible for him not to notice my body language, but he seemed to tactfully ignore it.

"Belladonna Praxis embodies heroism, courage, justice, and the sun. She's beloved throughout Geldreich as a symbol of morality. Be proud. This is a noble path to walk." Gromgogg continued. It felt like he was trying to cheer me up, which comforted me somewhat. My ears still burned with the frustration of knowing I wasn't able to choose my own way, but it could be worse.

In a small voice, to myself rather than to Gromgogg, I actually said "And to think I was planning on playing an assassin character…". Out of the corner of my eye I saw a smirk jump onto Gromgogg's face for just a fraction of a second, as if I'd just said something secretly hilarious that he was trying not to laugh at.

Gromgogg stepped forward, this leg of his spiel apparently over.

"It is important for any adventurer to know how to defend themselves, doubly so for one sworn to Belladonna." he said, a much more amicable smile now touching his gnarled features. "The strong must protect the weak, and to protect the weak you must become strong!".

I found myself smiling at his words. Blushing, even. He seemed so proud of me. So hopeful. Maybe this wasn't so bad?

Gromgogg reached a huge hand into a sack affixed to his belt and began to rummage around. Moments later a dialogue box appeared in the air in front of me, slightly before his hand returned from the sack.

He turned his hand such that his palm faced skyward, revealing to me a small amber gemstone whose rough edges somehow naturally evoked the silhouette of a sun. A thin chain was threaded through a tiny hole in the gemstone, allowing it to be worn around the neck (or perhaps around the wrist if one was as large as Gromgogg).

"All adventurers that wish to channel the magic of their Goddess must do so via a symbol that is holy to them or their Goddess. Without it they are unable to access magic, outside of extreme circumstances. Pray you never learn of them."

Gromgogg's hands disappeared into one of the satchels tied to his belt, and once again a fraction of a moment before his hands returned to vision multiple dialogue boxes appeared before me.

Pre-empting a question I wasn't actually about to ask, Gromgogg explained "Yes, even martialists learn via skill books." Gromgogg continued in a slightly more robotic tone. "The people of Tiresia can consume skill books to learn spells or active skills. Many powerful spells and skills are obtainable this way, and further books can be crafted by high level scribes, purchased from stores, or even found in the deep recesses of dungeons. Be aware that consuming a book, regardless of its type, will destroy it."

As if on cue, the physical book in my hands vanished into thin air.

"You can also use skill books directly from your inventory. Simply say "Open Inventory" to open your inventory." I did so obligingly, and saw that Cass already came almost fully equipped with basic armour, a buckler, and a mallet.

I didn't have time to consider what all of those question marks in the virtually unreadable tooltip of my armour meant before Gromgogg spoke again.

"Now, let's test out your newly acquired skills.". It was clearly a statement rather than an offer, Gromgogg taking a step back from me now and assuming a ready stance as he unsheathes a shortsword seemingly out of thin air. At least it looks like a shortsword on his massive frame, it would likely take me two hands to swing.

I swallow my nerves and assume my own ready stance, which I find comes surprisingly naturally to me. Maybe that's the influence of the Phantasm Vision? In characteristic too-smooth-to-be-believed fashion, I find that simply assuming said ready stance equips my mallet and buckler directly from my inventory. I'm momentarily relieved at the long-term implication of that, knowing I can draw my weapons at a moment's notice with a mere gesture, before remembering who I'm up against.

Gromgogg begins to circle me like a hungry wolf. He's so clearly in control of the situation, setting the pace of the sparring match simply by deciding where he places his feet. I forget that I'm in a VR simulation and believe, earnestly believe, that I'm fighting a master swordsman as Gromgogg feints toward me, baiting a clumsy block from my buckler and then in the same motion twisting and thrusting into the gap between mallet and buckler, aiming to skewer me on his sword. Or at least, threatening to do so, as he pulls back at the last second.

I feel heat rising in my cheeks at how easily he almost defeated me. But there's more than that. There's a tinge of cold fear in my heart. Genuine, animal fear. I know I'm not in danger in this tutorial area, but I feel like I am. And that knowledge just makes me appreciate the verisimilitude of VALKYRIE even more.

I take a step back and assume my ready stance once again, but this time with greater poise and confidence. Gromgogg roars and charges at me, telegraphing his attacks deliberately to give me a fighting chance. I don't squander the opportunity. I sidestep his charge deftly, keeping my buckler raised as he passes me to deflect a sidewise strike if he attempted it. I respond with a strike of my own mallet as he passes, barely glancing off his muscled back but enough to leave a bruise.

He spins on his heel the moment he feels the damage connected, now confident that this adventurer can put up a fight after all. Gromgogg's footwork is immaculate as he drops the berserk facade and delivers another feint toward my buckler, but I'm wiser this time. I pull my hand back and refuse to take the bait, then block his follow-up. Feeling confident, I leap forward and attempt to use my momentum to impart extra power into my mallet's swing… but misjudge the distance entirely as my small elfin body doesn't have the reach I expect. Gromgogg catches my slim arm in his huge hand and grins at me, an honest, playful grin… and then spins me by the arm around his body, then up and over his shoulder, only to finally dump my entire body in a heap on the floor. Dazed and reeling, it takes precious moments for my brain to remember how to control my eyes enough to look up at Gromgogg standing triumphantly over me. A tooltip appeared in thin air between us, obscuring my vision.

"HUD Up." I wheezed. My health bar appeared floating in the air above me. Glancing at it I could see that it was almost empty, with just a small chunk of dark orange left. I was shocked. Gromgogg had almost defeated me with a single attack, and he hadn't even needed to use his weapon to do so. I was shocked. Humbled. Disappointed. "HUD… down."

Gromgogg on the other hand was still grinning mightily. "A powerful performance, young adventurer. I expected little given your… unusual physique. But you're tenacious, and resourceful! Truly, Belladonna chose well."

I smirk wryly at the compliment, reminded again that my path was chosen for me.

I attempt to stand, placing my palms against the pavement and pushing up only to have my strength fail me, face planting into the concrete. I feel the rough grain of the stone scraping against my chin, my marvel at the extraordinary realism of all of these recreated sensations overriding any embarrassment in the moment.

That is, until Gromgogg leans down and offers me a hand… and I see it.

It.

What was mostly obscured by the numerous trinkets and storage containers hanging from the orc's belt was now very visible as he knelt down. Hanging lazily in his loose fitting trousers was the unmistakable outline of a cock. Gromgogg was hung like a pornstar. Even flaccid I could see he was huge, and given the way everything looked small when contrasted against his huge frame I could only imagine how gargantuan it really was. Even through the fabric of his trousers I could make out details of the penis beneath, especially the crowned mushroom head.

I turned away with a blush, shocked and embarrassed as I realised I'd been staring for multiple seconds, which was multiple seconds too long. In a hurry I scooped myself up, returning to my feet and dismissing my buckler and mallet with a single reflexive thought.

Realising that I'd inadvertently refused the hand Gromgogg had offered me, I immediately tried to assuage any bruised feelings by offering him my thanks. My sincere thanks, I realised, in spite of everything.

"Th-thank you for the lesson, Gromgogg. I really appreciate it! I-I, umm, I…" I realised I was stammering like a schoolgirl, and with the sight of Gromgogg's cock still fresh in my mind blushed at the implication. Swallowing hard, I tried to find the words to express just the right amount of thankfulness… and failed, still frazzled by the experiences since logging in.

"Thanks. Just… thanks."

Gromgogg stepped forward and surprised me utterly by giving me a big, warm, brotherly hug… which I took care to lean my lower body away from lest I accidentally press up against the monster hiding under his belt.

"You did good, kid. You'll be alright out there. May your travels be safe and your battles victorious!". Oof, back to the mobile game ad dialogue.

"Hey Cass!" a familiar voice called out.

I swivelled my head around the courtyard trying to find the origin of the sound, but couldn't see who was calling to me.

"Up here, sweetie!". I blushed. That was definitely Stephanie. I scanned the walls of the courtyard, and found a pair of big happy eyes smothered by fiery scarlet locks just barely peeking over the wall.

"Finally found ya! We've been looking all over!" she continued. "Y'almost done in there?"

I glance at Gromgogg for confirmation, but he's already turned to walk back toward the barracks, waving a farewell over his broad shoulders… and I notice the tiny discoloration from where my mallet left a bruise. Ouch.

"Y-yeah, uhh, how do I get out of the barracks?" I ask sheepishly, somehow expecting that Stephanie has the answer.

And she did.

"Straight back to where you spawned in, then take the doors on the left. Huge doors, stuffed wolf's head hanging over it, y'can't miss it. Exit then take a left, then another left. Or just wait outside the door, I'll come find you!".

And with that Stephanie's face dropped behind the grey brick walls once again.

I sighed dreamily. THIS was what I was here for, after all. And it was so worth all the minor inconveniences.

Chapter 3: An Offer I Can't Refuse

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Stephanie is indeed much faster than I am, knocking on the door to the barracks before I had even entered the main hall. Unlike the heavy door at the back of the barracks that lead to the courtyard, the two enormous doors at the front of the barracks swing open seemingly of their own accord, likely aided by some sort of magic.

The brilliant scarlet hair I'd seen peeking over the courtyard walls is instantly recognizable. Stephanie is waiting there dutifully for me to cross the threshold with outstretched arms, evidently unable to enter the barracks proper for whatever reason. This gives me time to study her avatar from afar as I crossed the main hall, and–

"Wow."

Oh no, I said it out loud.

Stephanie immediately breaks out in amused laughter at my accidental and authentic compliment. My eyes go wide and I feel a red-hot blush start in my cheeks and rapidly creep all the way up my face to the very tips of my ears. For a moment I consider diving behind one of the couches and hiding, or maybe digging a hole and burying myself and hoping the world will forget I ever exist. Instead, all I can do is bury my face in my hands and try to hide my embarrassment (and fail, obviously, because I can't hide my blushing ears).

I begin to lower my hands when I sense I'm within a few strides of Stephanie, and find myself face-to-face with her sweater puppies. Or tunic puppies, really, as Stephanie is wearing little more than a linen tunic that does next to nothing to hide her curvaceous figure, if anything accentuating the size of her assets by hanging off her breasts like a curtain.

With some degree of shock, I realise I'm not even really face to face with her tits, I'm slightly shorter, having to look directly through her cleavage to see her face at this angle.

"Y-you're so tall!" I offer, realising Stephanie had altered herself a little in the character creator… and trying to say literally anything that doesn't involve referencing her boobs. I see the twinkle in her eyes as she smirks before her grin even makes its way onto her face.

"And you're short." Oof. I set myself up for that one.

Stephanie uses the momentary distraction of my self-own to lean down and pick me up into a hug. Literally pick me up into a hug, snaking her hands under my armpits and hefting my entire body off the ground a few inches, enough that even my dangling tippy toes couldn't quite touch the floor. Without missing a beat she moved a hand behind my head and pressed me bodily into her, sandwiching my face between her tits. I was blushing so hotly I was worried I might sear the imprint of my cheek into her boobs. There was a moment of uncertainty in my mind about whether or not this was just a friendly hug that was inadvertently smothering me in unavoidable boobs or if Stephanie was aware of what she was doing, but–

"Don't worry hon, if I was your height I'd be staring at them too".

Of course. Stephanie was way too switched on to miss something as obvious as me trying not to stare, in the real world or this virtual one. I was blushing so hotly that you could probably put a kettle on my forehead and make tea at this point. And then, almost as soon as it had started, Stephanie broke the embrace by lifting me up a couple of inches more. Not quite eye to eye, Stephanie winked at me cheekily, pecked me once on the forehead, and then loosened her grip under my armpits so I drifted slowly back down to earth.

Dazed and light-headed as the blood slowly left my blushing cheeks, it took a moment for me to come back to reality properly. Stephanie was waiting as if she knew I needed a moment to catch my breath before prompting the next leg of our journey.

"C'mon, let's go grab Yuki. We haven't really had a good opportunity to, y'know, eyefuck each other's avatars yet." I almost have a heart attack at the term 'eyefuck', which Stephanie obviously picks up on and waggles her eyebrows at me before grabbing me by the hand and leading me away from Lumberg Barracks and into Lumberg proper.

The sun hangs high above Lumberg's town square, bathing the cobbles and shop fronts in a warm glow. The chatter of merchants and customers alike fills the air with a sense of cheer. If it wasn't for the floating name plates over the human players I'd barely be able to tell who was an NPC and who wasn't since all of the NPCs talk and act and move so believably real. The scent of fresh bread, homely herbs, rosewater and exotic spices is cut through by freshly shawn grass, sweat, and, at the very, very edge of my sense of smell, a hint of manure. The full spectrum of Lumberg's simulated humanity is on display. Noting all the sights and smells and sounds I wonder if I'll ever stop being impressed by how much I believe I'm really here. I glance over at Stephanie to see if she's as enamoured with Lumberg as I am, but… she seems to hardly be paying attention to the hustle and bustle of the crowd. I guess the novelty had long since worn off for her, and she was a bit (a lot?) of a power gamer so I could imagine her being tired of what she might consider to be 'all this fluff'.

Or, as I note her eyes suddenly swivel across the crowd trying to zero in on something somewhere someplace, maybe there was something she wanted to show me sequestered in a quiet corner of the square.

And there was.

Stephanie tapped me on the shoulder with an impossibly featherlight touch that nonetheless enraptured my attention instantly. "There, can you see her?" She points at something in the distance, behind a throng of people, then glances back at me expectantly.

I follow her finger, tracing a line into the distance… but see nothing.

I turn to her and shake my head slowly, confused, before realisation dawns on Stephanie's face. "Ohmygosh you're too short! You can't see over the crowd, here, let me-" Stephanie didn't even let me begin to respond before she was sidling up to me, one hand cupping my ass and the other steadying my chest. I felt nothing erotic or lewd in her actions in the split second I had before she hoisted me bodily up to her shoulder height, lifting me cleanly over the top of the crowd. Momentarily shocked, I scrambled to find something to steady myself on, one hand finding itself gripping her scarlet hair while the other simply pressed atop the hand steadying my chest.

"Do you see her now?" Stephanie asks expectantly.

"See… who, Stephanie? I've got no idea what I'm looking at." I answer quizzically.

"Yukiko! She's a– oh, you don't know what she looks like at all? She's that catgirl, on the far side of the square!" Stephanie nodded her head in a general direction, and I tried to follow.

"On the benches!" Stephanie yells.

"On the benches… on the– oh, I see a catgirl! Black hair, brown dress?" I ask.

"Thaaaat's her! C'mon, let's go grab her!" Stephanie sounds so excited to have us all together in one place, dropping me swiftly by carefully down to my feet again. The next moment she's got my hand safely wrapped by her own, dragging me determinedly through the stream of bodies. The square is so large and the crowd so dense that even with Stephanie carving her way through like an icebreaker it still takes multiple minutes for us to make it to the other side of the square to find Yukiko. When we finally arrive at the black-haired catgirl's location she's in exactly the same spot, having apparently not moved an inch. She's sitting demurely on that sunbathed bench, hands folded neatly in her lap, eyes lazily following the sea of people like a cat watching fish in a bowl. She does look an awful lot like Yukiko, with fair skin that could believably pass as either white or Asian and raven black hair. Her overall body shape was very different though. She looked… well, she looked like a curvy anime babe. For a moment I wonder if maybe we've got the wrong catgirl.

Stephanie steps up and raises a hand, rubbing her thumb and index fingers together and going "Pspspspspspsps" to get the catgirl's attention.

I feel embarrassed on behalf of the mystery catgirl for Stephanie's behaviour, especially as she whips her neck around to face us with a frown – and then her eyes immediately light up and she leaps off the bench faster than I can follow. A picosecond later and the mystery catgirl has her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, her face smooshed into my hair and my face once again trapped by an impromptu cage of boobflesh.

It takes many long seconds before the catgirl finally loosens her grip and leans back so I can look at her face properly. I feel my cheeks prickle with colour as I realise I've had more breasts in my face in the past day than in the past year… and then I recognise that telltale passive silence from the catgirl's lips.

"Yuki?!" I squeak, voice breaking as my excitement takes over. I hadn't even realised how badly I'd missed her until she was right in front of me, and I lean in to continue the hug. Yukiko, however, had evidently already had her fill of public displays of affection, and sheepishly pries herself away.

"God you two are adorable together!" Stephanie giggled at us. I was happy to accept the compliment, and Yukiko was predictably happy to continue not speaking.

"Okay, now that our party's all back together let's start ticking some things off the list. For our very first outing into the world we're basically penniless hobos, but that's fine. I mean, you're penniless hobos. I'm a wrecking ball. Anyway, it doesn't matter that your inventories are empty and you're only using your starting gear. It'll be good enough to get started. We've got a choice to make though; do we want to get started in Lumberg and explore the Silverwood, or should we head on over to Rhodeia immediately?"

Yukiko glances at me as if expecting me to answer for her. I look between Yukiko and Stephanie and begin to suck in a breath of air and give an answer, but Stephanie immediately takes the wind out of my sails.

"Aaaactually, we need some pocket change to pay the embassy for fast travel. Let's uuuuhhhhh, let's go smack some wolves." I sigh as for seemingly the fiftieth time today a decision is made for me. It hurts slightly less because it's Stephanie doing it and I likely would have ended up agreeing in the end anyway, but it still stings a little.

Yukiko rubs my shoulder and smiles at me, as if to say that she understands my pain. I smile wryly back at her, realising that she probably has no idea what's on my mind and likely thinks it's the same nonspecific social anxiety she perpetually suffers from, but I soak up the moral support regardless.

Trying to demonstrate at least some amount of agency in my life, I respond to Stephanie in the affirmative. "Okay, let's run through 'the list' again and figure out what we're doing. What did you have planned, Advisor Stephanie?" I say in an ever-so-slightly mocking tone. It's mostly a joke, but I'm hopeful that maybe she'll catch the implication that it feels like she's trying to play our game for us.

And of course, Stephanie never fails to catch the nuance.

Stephanie smirks and dips into an exaggerated curtsy, grasping the hem of her tunic as she bends her knees deeply. She straightens with a flourish, tossing her head to flick her scarlet locks over one shoulder. "Of course, my king." I blush at the way Stephanie calls me 'king', even if I know it's facetious. She can't stop herself from smirking at me and gives me a seductive wink, which just causes my blush to deepen and her smirk to widen. I glance at Yukiko sheepishly to see if she's seeing what I'm seeing, and –

"Why are you smirking at me too?!"

Yukiko brings both dainty hands to her lips, hiding a silent giggle as her eyes sparkle at me.

Sighing in exasperation, I glance back at Stephanie.

"The list?" I enquire again.

Stephanie tries the title on a second time, but I'm more resilient now. "My king, I propose that we make a sojourn to the local general store to procure what necessary accoutrements all adventurers so thoroughly depend on. The cost of preparedness may be measured now in coin - later, in blood."

I nod impatiently, indicating that Stephanie can drop the act. She decides to double down on feigning obsequiousness instead.

"Oh my dearest comrades, King Cassandra and-" Stephanie glances at Yukiko, "That catgirl." I roll my eyes, but Yukiko actually seems to enjoy the attention for once, her fluffy tail audibly swishing through the air. Stephanie continues with her performance. "My two jewels shining above all else in this beautiful world. I come before you today with a most wondrous proposal, an offer of power and longevity the likes of which mere mortals could only dream!".

I sigh and roll my eyes again. Stephanie's smirk returns to her face, but she claps her hands together as she finally drops the act.

"We're gonna hit the markets to buy some stuff. Mostly the super basic essentials. I've already picked up some stuff that my old crew donated to me so I'm super overtuned and can just barrel through whatever. The next thing on the list is making sure that you two-" Stephanie pointed to the two of us with finger guns, "Are kitted out with the immortality combo."

I glance at Yukiko to see if she knows what Stephanie's talking about, but Yukiko shakes her head subtly to let me know that she's as in the dark as I am.

Stephanie sees the perplexed look on our faces and explains further.

"The immortality combo is something we stumbled upon during the pre-alpha. It uses a kind of alternative death state given by the trait "Resilience", which makes you become immobilised instead of dying at 0 hp. Normally it's a mixed blessing because if you're immobilised someone else has to heal you to get you back up, and there are a lot of legitimately useful strats you can access by dying. Originally people theorycrafted that it was useless because death strats were too strong and even taking Resilience incurred a slight stat penalty because of its unlock requirement, but then we discovered something really neat. Since you aren't actually dead the usual associated death effects don't occur. On-death effects, good or bad, won't proc. But this also means that non-persistent buff and debuff effects don't drop off like they normally would either." Stephanie glances between the two of us expectantly, as if either of us could grasp the implication of this sweaty power gamer min/max jargon.

Realising she needs to dumb it down, Stephanie rephrases.

"If you have Resilience and a heal over time effect ticking, you literally cannot die."

Yukiko and I look at each other and share an "Ooooooh" moment. Now we see.

"Doesn't matter how small. One single HP point is enough to get you back up. You might spazz out a bit if you're taking damage really quickly, jumping between immobilised and alive, but literally who cares?" Stephanie adds.

I ask what I feel is the obvious question.

"So, how do we actually get "Resilience"? And what heal over time spells do we have?".

Stephanie is shaking her head before I've even finished.

"Not a spell. An item. "Feeble Goliath's Blood Potion". Like I said, it doesn't matter how much hp it heals. One single point is enough. And Feeble rank potions, which are typically too weak to be useful, have the niche benefit of lasting for a really, REALLY long time."

Yukiko and I nod at each other. This does sound pretty cool. Who wouldn't want immortality?

"This isn't against the rules or anything is it?" Yukiko's melodic voice inquired. She spoke so rarely that it was easy to forget how beautiful her voice was.

Stephanie shook her head emphatically.

"Not even close. We reported it early on and it was never patched. It was even buffed, actually. Slightly. And made more accessible. And it's got some drawbacks too, but they don't matter to you two."

I furrowed my brow and grimaced at that. It felt like yet another choice was about to be made for me.

"Oh my god you're so cute when you pout!" Stephanie squealed at me. My brow furrowed even further… but my blush returned. Yuki definitely noticed.

"What do you mean drawbacks?" I ask.

"And why don't they matter to us?" Yukiko adds immediately after. It feels like Yuki and I are on the same wavelength.

"Because the tiny stat penalty is worth less to you two than literally being immortal?!" Stephanie tries to play it like a joke, as if our concern is funny, but it feels less like humour and more like a power gamer being frustrated that people aren't following her advice.

But I spot what I think is a hole in her argument.

"Why are you saying the two of us instead of the three of us? Why wouldn't you want to be immortal?"

Stephanie's smile returns. She seems almost thankful that I asked.

"Because of two things. First, the classes we're planning to play. If I pick up Resilience then I can't play the Fellspark DPS build I want. You two, on the other hand, totally can. There's nothing in the Everwatch or Sunsteel tracks that you two are playing that is precluded by Resilience, unless it's been changed big time in the beta launch. Not impossible, but not likely. And second-" Stephanie assumes a stereotypical gym bro pose and flexes her (surprisingly large) biceps. "Wrecking balls don't need safety nets."

Yuki and I both share a glance and then roll our eyes at each other. Stephanie is probably not bluffing, but she's clearly enjoying this a little too much.

I also realise, glumly, that I only recognise about half of the keywords Stephanie spouted off, but I'm sure I'll learn the important ones in time.

"So that's everything on the list?" I attempt to clarify.

"Yep!" comes Stephanie's chipper response. "Adventuring supplies, immortality combo, then smacking some low-level monsters for their pocket change so we can zip on over to Rhodeia. Just those three things."

"What about the…" Yukiko began to speak, but seemed to lose the will to finish her sentence.

"Oh, did you still want to–" Steph pointed somewhere off into the distance past Yukiko and the catgirl nodded. "Okay, four things. We'll do that just before we set up the immortality combo, then we'll jump into the Silverwood."

I feel a kind of quiet desperation at having another thing added to the list. It's such an utterly minor inconvenience - not even an inconvenience, really. It's an opportunity to spend time with Yukiko and Stephanie. So why do I feel…

Somehow Stephanie can read me well enough to tell something's still off. I've barely known her for an hour and she can already read me like a book. She pipes up and says "Actually, y'know what? I know you're the type that could spend an entire day looking at clothes, so why don't you head on over to the shopping district first, Yuki? You're looking for "The Velvet Ward", that's where all the clothes and armour shops are. It's huge, impossible to miss. Signs pointing to it everywhere. On the northeast side there's a shop that looks like a church called 'La Chapparel', we'll meet up there. Cassie and I will hit up the Arcane Quarter and grab the supplies we need." Stephanie pauses and looks at me meaningfully. "Sound like a plan, Cass?" I could tell this time that it was an honest question.

"Yes Stephanie, sounds like a plan."

"You're allowed to call me Steph, bro." Steph says good-naturedly as she steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder. She points a thumb over her shoulder, indicating that the Arcane Quarter is southward.

Stephanie and I materialise into the Arcane Quarter almost simultaneously, stepping out in a street that seems almost deserted compared to the crowd in the town square. A single glance down the thoroughfare that seems to divide this section of Lumberg into two halves reveals numerous different unusual and esoteric storefronts. Individually each store I see seems more interesting by itself than anything I saw in our quick jaunt through the town square, and I say as much to Steph.

"Ahh yeah, most of the people you saw in the square weren't actual players. It's like a mini world event to make the towns seem more lively. There were honestly probably like ten players tops in the town square, us included. Not much to do there now. There are probably more players here than there were there." Stephanie explains.

I look back through the thoroughfare sure enough I see what has to be an actual player stepping out of a storefront; a tall and lanky gentleman whose face is almost entirely obscured between his comically tall pointed hat and gargantuan snow-white Santa Claus beard. Incredibly he notices the two of us, and offers a friendly wave to us both before making an exaggerated flourish and throwing something at his feet. An enormous plume of glittering green and purple smoke envelops him, obscuring him from vision. Less than a second passes before all of that smoke and glitter is vacuumed into a single point approximately where the gentleman's torso was, leaving behind no trace of either the smoke or the man.

I turn to ask Steph the obvious question, and she answers obligingly.

"He's a friend of mine, from the pre-alpha. I met with him just before you two logged in and he passed me this."

"His party doesn't have any Fellspark players, shockingly, so he just chucked it to me. I can't actually use it yet since my Milestone total isn't high enough but that'll only take, like, an hour of grinding tops."

"So you've got friends in high places? Are you going to, like, ask them for favours?". I was genuinely curious.

"I'd like to say no, but knowing all the stuff we had access to in the pre-alpha I almost definitely will at some point! I do actually want to play through VALKYRIE with you guys since I actually know you IRL though. Or, I know Yuki. I'm getting to know you." Steph finishes whimsically.

My heartbeat quickens and I feel an odd weightlessness in my chest at that comment. Stephanie wasn't… she wasn't implying something, was she?

Steph points to a shop on the other end of the thoroughfare and begins walking toward it. I take the hint.

"So, Cass…" Steph begins. For the first time since meeting her, I read a bit of apprehension in her voice. "What's eating you?"

I turn to face her and put on a quizzical expression, shaking my head subtly to imply that I don't know what she's talking about.

"C'mon, you know what I mean. When we met up with Yukiko I could tell something was getting under your skin. What was it?"

I sigh much more deeply than I meant to and look down at my shoes, trying to look at nothing but being reminded yet again of my tiny body.

"I-I, it's just, I mean… like, when we started, I didn't… It's like-" I didn't know where to start. I was fumbling my words horribly.

Steph took pity on me and placed a hand on my shoulder, directing me to turn toward a seating area on the side of the road, a half ring of curved benches facing inward toward a solitary young tree offering imperfect shade. We sat down, Steph on one side of a bench and myself on the other, as far away as I could sit without moving to another bench entirely.

Stephanie spoke first. "Take a deep breath. Think about what you want to say for a bit before you say it, and start from the top. No rush."

I gave her a thankful smile to show my appreciation, and then turned to look at the bark of the tree, tracing the splits and forks in the grainy white bark as I ordered my thoughts.

It only took a few seconds now that I had some peace, blessedly, so I didn't have to keep Steph waiting for long.

I start with what I think is the most logical place.

"You know how I didn't pick this character myself? Cass, I mean."

Steph nodded her understanding. She was there during character creation, but I still felt like I needed to clarify.

"This was meant to be, like…" I trailed off again, looking pointedly away from Stephanie. I felt embarrassed about what I was about to say, but this felt like a moment where I needed to be truthful. I turn back to Stephanie, looking her in the eyes.

"I'm still really looking forward to playing VALKYRIE, but this was meant to be my opportunity to, y'know…" I trail off and look at Stephanie emphatically, hoping she'll understand what I'm trying to leave unstated to save myself the embarrassment.

It takes a few moments for the gears to turn in her head, but eventually, Steph responds with a gentle "Ooooooh, I getchya." I'm thankful yet again for Stephanie's preternatural ability to pick up on subtle hints and read between the lines flawlessly.

"You're trying to get with Yukiko but you're worried Cass isn't what she's into."

Not quite. Oof. Stephanie's first miss.

"You could just log out and try to make a new character? Maybe it was just a one-time login bug?" Steph offers. I nod and bring up my menu in my UI, searching for the log-out button. I find it and notice that it's oddly greyed out as if non-interactable. I'm about to mention that to Steph but she says something that gives me pause.

"Personally, I absolutely adore Cass' design. You've got this super cute androgynous boy charm. Half of me wants to protect your smile, half of me wants to sit on your face."

I feel a familiar blush bloom in my cheeks and rush up to my elfin ears. I dismiss my UI fully and turn to face Stephanie once more. She's smirking at me again, probably because of how easily she's making me blush.

"And you think Yukiko's into guys like me too? Like Cass, I mean." I feel obliged to clarify that Cass and I aren't the same person.

Some unreadable emotion briefly crosses Stephanie's features, too fast for me to guess its name.

"I know she's into you." Steph nods her head at me for emphasis. I can't decide if this is sidestepping the question or if it's exactly what I want to hear. I've never heard something that simultaneously made me feel both more and less confident.

"W-well, Yuki and I have spent quite a few nights talking to each other over Discord until like 4 a.m., and she's said enough that I can piece together the kind of guys she likes." I grimace as I picture Gromgogg in my mind's eye and realise he's exactly the kind of guy Yukiko would probably fantasise about. I say "She likes guys that are confident. Guys that just naturally and effortlessly take charge." I stop myself short of saying 'tall, dark, handsome, and manly'.

Stephanie lets out an exaggerated groan and rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she leans forward. A few stray strands of scarlet hair fall into her face giving her that relaxed and messy look that I adore. It's only now that I notice the subtle scales highlighting Steph's cheekbones.

"Are you really that dense?" Steph asks with a fond smirk. "You've been chatting Yukiko up until after the sun comes up and you're worried she might not be into you?"

I roll my head on my shoulders and break eye contact with Stephanie.

"There's more to it than that."

"More to you and Yukiko, or–, Steph trails off to let me elaborate.

"I mean ever since I started playing this game I feel like someone else has been in control. My appearance was chosen for me, my character class, what we're doing in-game. Even my name! And it isn't just the game doing it! Like, just earlier, you even called me 'Cassandra'!" I couldn't help myself from raising my voice. I felt so emotional. Way more emotional than normal. Conspiratorially I wondered if the Phantasm Vision was doing something to make me more emotional to fit the character.

"Sorry bro, I was just kidding around. 'Cassandra' was just the first thing that popped into my head when I was trying to think of a longer and fancier name than Cass, I didn't mean anything with it." Stephanie said with a genuinely apologetic frown.

"But, I mean, if you're happy to keep playing Cass I might have an idea that could help you?"

That piqued my interest. I was already somewhat sold on continuing to play Cass after Steph expressed how much she personally liked him.

"I'm all ears!" I shot back, trying to wiggle my elfin ears for emphasis and finding them surprisingly mobile and responsive. That put a grin straight back onto Steph's face!

"You're playing a paladin, right?"

I nodded. Stephanie obviously already knew that, but the fact that she was verifying it with me felt like a kind gesture.

"Well, paladins are usually tanks, and tanks are the de facto leaders in most parties. You catch my drift?"

It's time for the gears to turn in my head. I knit my brows together and put two and two together mentally, noting out of the corner of my eye that apparently that expression makes Stephanie melt. "I'm not even pouting?" I venture.

"Literally anything you do with that face is adorable, I can't help myself."

I can actually hear the blood flow into my ears as I blush this time.

I think I understand what Stephanie is proposing, but I ask her to clarify just in case.

"Okay, so, what I'm suggesting is that if you want to feel like you're in control… Just do it. Be our tank. A tank's job is to pick our path, lead us into and out of danger, set the pace of our movement, make callouts, all of that. That's exactly what you want, isn't it?"

I'm nodding slowly the whole time Steph is talking, and emphatically by the end.

"Yeah, yeah exactly. How do I, like, how do I do that? How do I be a tank?"

Steph momentarily looks at me as though I've got two heads.

"What do you mean? You… are a tank. Already. You… oh, tank anxiety. Gotcha. You're a first-timer." I swear I blush so hard I start glowing incandescent at that phrasing, and Steph bursts out laughing so hard she almost slides off the bench. I don't know if she's laughing at me or herself, but as I luxuriate in her dulcet and melodic timbre I realise I don't care what she's laughing at, just that she's laughing. She crawls back up onto the bench and slides herself closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling my face dangerously close to motorboating her for the second time today. She has to know what she's doing.

"There's no reason to have performance anxiety, hon. I'll be there with you every step of the way to offer personal guidance." Okay yeah she knows exactly what she's doing.

"Y'know, if you'd like I can be your wingman too? Help make you look good in front of Yuki?"

I look up at Steph and see her eyes almost sparkling with excitement at the prospect. I do a double take, struggling to believe my own ears.

"My wingman?!" I say with high-pitched shock, voice cracking tragically. I look away from Steph, staring at nothing in particular. There's a fraction of a moment of doubt as I weigh up my hesitation to pursue Yukiko romantically, but I can't possibly look this gift horse in the mouth, not least of all because it's an excuse for me to be closer to Steph. If I let this opportunity pass through my fingers I'd be kicking myself for the rest of my life. I turn my eyes back to Stephanie, hoping I was quick enough that my momentary reluctance wasn't obvious.

Steph either doesn't notice or chooses not to comment as she continues, "It'll be fun, you'll see! Unless… are you scared I'll be too good at my job? Worried you'll be drowning in too much pussy to play VALKYRIE?" The familiar prickle of devastatingly intense blush is back in my cheeks and ears.

I clear my throat and try to lean into it. "Th-there's only one pussycat I want." I cringe at my own horrible wordplay. Thank the Goddess Yukiko didn't hear that.

Blessedly Steph doesn't seem to be cringing with me, if anything her smirk seems to be growing. She gives me another wink and I have to break eye contact before my blush gets so hot I catch fire.

"Well, let's begin with making you feel more like a confident leader. What are our plans for today?"

"U-uhh…" I'm caught slightly off guard, the earnest question snapping me out of my lewd reverie. "We need to… you said-"

Steph interrupts me with a warm smile and an encouraging tone. "No no, forget what I said. What do you think we should do?". I sigh, but happily this time. I appreciate what Steph is doing.

Assuming a sterner tone, I lay out our plans for today. "We're going to pick up some adventuring supplies from the general store. Then, we're going to pick up some something-er-rather giant potions, then we're going to meet up with Yukiko at La Charrel, and then we're going to fight some low-level monsters in the Silverwood. How does that sound to you?"

Steph is trying to hold in a smirk. At first I think it's because she recognises the silliness of having me parrot her schedule back to her, but then-

"You're so fucking adorable with that face. Okay, so, 'Feeble Goliath's Blood Potions' and 'La Chapparel', but otherwise I agree 100%." Steph hops up onto her feet, sending a ripple up through her thighs that sets her breasts to jiggling.

"Lead the way, Cass". Steph gives me a mock salute.

"But I've got no idea where anything is?"

Stephanie nods, anticipating this. "But you can figure it out. You're going to have to get used to rubbing those brain cells together if you're gonna be our tank!"

I stare into the middle distance and scratch my chin at that.

"Could you give me a hint?" I ask, glancing back at Steph. I feel like I almost catch her eyes rolling.

"General store. It's in the name. General store. Very generic."

I nod my head, gears starting to move in my head. "So I should look for something that's maybe a little out of place? Like copy pasted assets?" then, I realise with a moment of (what feels like) brilliance, I continue. "And if this is where everyone picks up their adventuring supplies and everyone's just starting out, then it should be really busy!" I look at Stephanie as if to ask for her approval, and she gives me a kind of shaky "Yes - but" nod that I recognise from some of my University professors. Good enough.

"Okay then, let's go find a store that looks generic, a little out of place, and is very busy."

I step forward with confidence, casting my eyes across storefronts on both sides of the thoroughfare, searching for my mark.

Stephanie watches Cass carefully. She has a pained expression on her face, and wonders to herself if perhaps she's ended up accidentally creating a monster. Feeding a guy's ego is risky… and she may need to keep this little femboy's ego in check, she thinks with a flash of a predatory grin.

Chapter 4: Shopping with Girls

Chapter Text

It takes mere minutes for me to locate the general store. My theory that the general store would look like reused assets was… not entirely right. There were no two storefronts in this section of the Arcane Quarter that seemed alike; each and every one was a unique composite of faerie tale whimsy suited to whatever it was the shop was selling… or at least I assumed it was. Sometimes it was difficult to guess what the store was just from a glance. Some shops were painted in muted colours, others were vibrant shades of rose, mint, and azure. One almost appalling vibrantly emerald storefront had an elaborate garden filled with myriad flowers. Two doors down was another store, covered in peeling paint and climbing ivy. Opposite them was an olive green storefront with an enormous tub out the front of the store. With every store being so unique it was impossible to identify any 'normal' looking store among them.

Thankfully, my second theory held. With player names switched on in my UI I was able to locate an especially popular shop. All I had to do was follow the stream of people. Small groups of players were coming and going from this particular store in irregular spurts, and the vast majority of them seemed to be wearing low-level equipment and had associated small numbers next to their names, typically lower than 10. The store itself, however, completely defied my expectations of generic reused assets. The building was constructed entirely of warm honeyed wood and gave off a homely charm that was only slightly undercut by the golden filigree and scrollwork adorning the sign hanging above the double doors. Large windows ringed the building, and through them, I could see that the inside of the store was both cozy and grand.

However, something else catches my eye. In front of this particular storefront was a large orange object. Curious, I approach it and realise it had a black rectangle inlaid at approximately my head height. I had to squint. Was this what I thought it was?

I turn my head back the way I came, only just now realising I hadn't double-checked that Stephanie was following. Seeing that she was within a few steps of me I asked my question.

"Is this orange thing what I think it is?"

"Maybe! What do you think it is?" Steph responds, turning the question back onto me.

"Well…" I tap the black rectangle intuitively, and sure enough it lights up. It was a touch screen. "It looks like a self-service machine. But look at it! It looks so out of place!"

Stephanie nods in agreement. "Yeah, it does break immersion a bit hey. It's to handle high player counts; if the shopkeeper's already handling ten or twenty people inside their store these little kiosks pop up to handle the load."

I scratch my chin thoughtfully, turning back to the screen. I scroll through the menu experimentally and see… lots of things. So many things. It was called a 'general' store, but even so, I was taken aback by the sheer volume of stuff.

"Basic adventuring supplies, basic adventuring supplies…" I said to myself, flicking back and forth through menus until I finally found the button that split the store's inventory into categories. Sure enough, 'adventuring supplies' was an option. Tapping it, I saw a slightly less intimidating but still long list of items. Rope, candles, candlewax, whetstones, carving knives, machetes, fur coats, more varieties of dried rations than I cared to pay attention to, blank parchment, quills, ink wells, flint and tinderboxes, sleeping rolls, blankets, pillows, torches.

I glance across the prices listed on the right-hand side of the screen, then pull up my inventory to check how much money I have. I grimace as I realise I only have 10 gold, not nearly enough to purchase the supplies.

I stare at the dialogue box sceptically until I realise that 'Summer Storm' must be Steph. I look at her through the partly transparent dialogue box and nod my thanks before clicking the accept button. As soon as the trade offer is accepted Steph clarifies, "That's a loan, not a gift." She's smirking, but I make a mental note to pay her back… sooner rather than later.

I tap the kiosk screen again, returning to the adventuring supplies section. I step to the side to allow Stephanie room to approach the screen, but she doesn't budge.

"What should I buy?" I prompt.

"That's up to you!" Stephanie dodges.

I sigh and realise Stephanie is toying with me. "What would you buy?"

"I've already bought what I need." She chirps back.

"Right, but if you were me, what would you buy?"

"I'm not you, I'm me. And I trust my tank to buy what the party needs!"

I sigh once more, but understand. Stepping back in front of the screen I tap on the things I think are most likely to be useful based on other RPGs I've played in the past. I select some cheap rations and waterskins, some rope, some torches, and a stack of blank parchment, and decide to spring for the magical self-sharpening graphite pencils.

I consider handing the change back to Stephanie but elect to keep hold of it just in case.

"Oh, actually, there is something I should pick up too. Almost forgot. It's really cool tech, I can't wait to show you and Yuki." Steph says as she steps forward and taps on the screen. Unlike my uncertain meandering Steph seems to know exactly what she's searching for, taking mere seconds to–

"WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

I stare in shocked silence as she jabs her finger at the screen furiously, nails making a threatening clicking sound each time they make contact. By the time she's finished manipulating the touch screen, it seems almost like she's going to punch a hole through it.

Stephanie steps away from the kiosk with an expression that says "I'm about to strangle someone". I give Stephanie a quizzical look. I don't understand at all. I open my mouth to ask what happened, but Steph cuts me off.

"They nerfed Threads! God that's such fucking bullshit. They were so core!" Stephanie turns to me with a dangerously intense look in her eyes but seems to realise that I have no idea what she's talking about.

"Ariadne's Thread was an item that allowed a party to instantly return to the last town they visited while inside an instanced dungeon. It was super powerful. It basically eliminated backtracking, massively increased clear speed, made dungeons safer, made inventory management easier, it's… fucking hell. FUCKING HELL." Steph slammed her jaw shut and grit her teeth. Her eyes turned back to the kiosk, fingers stabbing angrily at the touch screen once more. A moment later and Stephanie snarled, physically slamming her fist down against the screen.

"They increased the price from 150 gold to eighty-fucking-thousand."

I was shocked. This was the first time I'd ever heard of Stephanie getting mad. I'd always heard people say that women were hotter when they were mad, but right now looking up at Stephanie as she stares furiously off into the distance I feel frightened more than anything else. I choose to say nothing and hope she wouldn't target me with her ire.

Stephanie turned back to look in my direction. She looked like she was about to erupt. I didn't know if it was because of the height difference but I felt unsafe, like this woman could just reach over and snap my neck if she wanted to. Stephanie's jaw shifted suddenly and I heard her teeth grinding this time. Stephanie's nostrils flare as she takes in a deep breath, staring over my head. I notice movement in the corner of my eye and see Steph's left hand grip her right wrist so tight her arm trembles. She exhales her breath slowly and closes her eyes. She inhales again, slowly, then exhales equally slowly. It takes multiple seconds before Stephanie speaks again in a flat monotone.

"Alchemist's lab. We passed it. Go back. I'll meet you there."

I gulp hard as I realise how well-versed Stephanie is in this anger management ritual. It's not a comforting thought. Steph turns to look me in the eyes, and I can feel the embers smouldering behind her glower. I gulp again.

"Olive shop. Big tub." She pointed an outstretched arm to a shop on the other side of the main street.

Asking no further questions I simply nod and began to move in the direction she pointed - quickly. But Steph grabs my shoulder before I can take more than half a step. I feel her nails digging into my pale skin viciously. I'm momentarily shocked at how real the sensation feels, before reminding myself that that was not what was important right now.

Stephanie exhales a heavy sigh. I can feel the heat of her breath tumbling down over me. "Just in case they increased the price of the potions."

I accept the gold quickly, and the moment Stephanie releases her grip on my shoulder I scamper off to find the alchemy shop.

I retrace my steps in a hurry, passing the stream of low-level players I'd used to find the general store in the first place and then backtracking further still. I pass by familiar brightly coloured buildings. I almost trip over my own feet in my hurry, but one of the benefits of this lithe body is how quick I am on my feet. I keep my eyes on a swivel for an olive-coloured shop with a big tub out the front, and moments later I spot it. I realise there's no orange kiosk here, which means I'll get to engage with the shopkeeper NPCs directly this time. As I approach the door I glance at the tub and see that it's filled with… things. There's a permeating smell of overripe fish coming from the slimy whatever-that-is that fills one half of the tub. The other half is piled high with ingredients pulled straight out of a faerie tale witch's larder. I turn away with a shake of my head, not wanting to look any longer than I need to at its nauseating contents as I push open the door.

The interior of the store is dimly lit in spite of the bright sunlight shining through the windows. Haphazardly stacked alchemical esoterica obfuscate and obscure the dappled sunlight with each successive shelf. Shafts of pale radiance filtering through gaps in the wares leave the shop's floor feeling like the understory of a dense rainforest, exacerbated by the innumerable strings hanging from the high ceiling with bundles of herbs, spices, or other reagents tied to their ends. I wryly realise the benefit of having such a small body in such a cramped store; I don't even need to bend down to avoid running into any of the strings hanging from the ceiling and I can easily weave my way through the stuffed shelves to the counter to find the shopkeeper. There was a gigantic red conical hat that looked like a prop stacked on top of a pile of deep blue rags haphazardly arranged next to a chair, an unusual pile of dust on one side of the counter, and a handful of open bottles, but no sign of a shopkeeper or even a bell I can use to announce myself.

I swallow and take in a breath, preparing myself to call out to see if anyone's present. I've never been much of a public speaker, and with Cass' androgynous voice, I feel even less confident. But it's just a video game, I tell myself. The NPCs can't judge me… right?

"Hello? I-is anyone here?". I stutter. My voice cracks. I close my eyes. Thank the Goddess Stephanie wasn't here to hear that.

I wait patiently for a moment to see if there's any response, but nothing comes. Were the NPCs on break or something? I feel a little indignation at that, which gives me the confidence I need to raise my voice.

"Excuse me! Is anyone–"

"Apologies for the wait my dear, I had to write this down before it zipped out of my train of thought!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as the pile of colourful rags starts speaking. I had to do a double-take before my brain could process what I was actually looking at. They weren't rags at all, they were clothes - and there was someone wearing them. The smallest man I'd ever seen... no, not a man. He must be a gnome. He was buried under the comically large conical red hat and wearing a flowing robe so large it looked like it was about to eat him. Now that I knew what to listen for I could hear the determined scribbling of graphite against parchment, concluding with a flourish as the tiny little man placed his pencil down and turned to face me. He was wearing goggles with many concentric lenses atop the largest nose I'd ever seen, proudly pink and sprouting the nose hairs of a man that had much more important things to do than trim. He turned back to his parchment for a single moment to check his work, nodded his satisfaction to himself, and then turned to me again and stepped toward the counter, apparently using a small step ladder to reach the countertop.

"Professor Lizzlewhizz, M-A-A-D. What can I do for you?"

I was still dumbstruck. I couldn't remember what I was here for.

The Professor tilted his head to look me up and down, his goggles telescoping out slightly with the movement. "Might I hazard a guess that you're an adventurer, here to learn the basics of alchemy?"

I sputter as his prompt brings me back to reality. "U-uh yes sir! Err, wait, no. Maybe another time? I'm just here to pick up some, uuhhh…" I trail off as I realise I've forgotten what I needed to buy. "Potions of… weak troll's blood?"

The sound of the door opening behind me catches my attention. I glance back and see Stephanie striding through confidently. She is tall enough that she should need to duck to avoid the strings hanging from the ceiling, but she steps through the cluttered shelves and hanging reagents without so much as a glance, as though she'd memorised the route. When she arrives at the counter she places a hand on my shoulder and shoots me an easy smile.

"Forgot the name again?"

I nod, looking at my feet in embarrassment - but Steph catches my chin gently and tilts my face to look her in the eyes. They're sparkling, with not a hint of her prior rage left in them. "C'mon, keep your chin up. You've gotta be confident!".

I sigh as I smile warmly at Stephanie. "Thanks, Steph."

She begins leaning down and my heart skips a beat. Is she… going to kiss me? N-no, definitely not… and she leans down past my lips anyway, to my right ear.

"Feeble Goliath's Blood, sweetie." she whispers. My ears tingle as I feel her warm breath on my skin. She stands up straight again, this time with a mirthful smile on her lips.

I turn back to Professor Lizzlewhizz, inhaling to steady myself and (hopefully) avoid another voice crack.

"I need some Feeble Goliath's Blood potions, Professor!"

"Feeble Goliath's Blood? That's an… unusual request. We usually don't keep any Feeble potions on hand - only the best!" Lizzlewhizz proclaims proudly.

"W-we understand, sir, but Feeble potions last a really, really long time, don't they?"

"That they do, dear, but the effect is so small it's basically a placebo. Are you sure you don't want anything a little more potent?"

I shake my head. "No sir, cheap and long-lasting is what we need. Right Steph?". Steph shoots me a thumb's up. My smile's bigger than ever, and Steph is still grinning too.

Professor Lizzlewhizz lifts a container of at least ten vials up from behind the counter, placing it casually between us.

I look at the dialogue box quizzically.

"How much does that cost? That's… a lot of potions."

"Oh, don't worry about the price at all! The truth is this batch was just used for training purposes. Nobody buys these, I would have just ended up pouring them down the sink! I hope you'll find a use for them!" Lizzlewhizz answers with a smile on his face.

"Oh wow, thank you so much!" I stash the potions directly into my inventory and they disappear from sight in an instant.

"Don't be a stranger now! I look forward to teaching you how to brew some real potions in the future!"

Steph's hand on my shoulder begins to shepherd me gently toward the door.

"Sure will Prof, we'll be back." Steph answers as she follows me out.

As soon as I hear the door shut behind me I raise my voice to get Steph's attention. Something isn't adding up. "Why would they just give out these potions for free? Isn't everyone using this combo? What gives?"

Steph turns to me with a shrug. "Most of the players around now probably have no idea how the game works. I know my friends are using this strat. Can't tell you what every random casual is doing." There's a curt edge to her voice as she says that. Her answer seems reasonable enough, but I can't shake my uneasy feeling.

Stephanie stares at me for a handful of seconds.

I stare back at her.

She raises an eyebrow.

I tilt my head to the side.

"Where are we going?" she finally prompts.

"Wh… right, we've got to grab Yukiko."

Stephanie smiles at me and shakes her head.

"We've got to go try on new clothes with Yukiko." She clarifies with a wink… and then a smirk.

"O-okay then, uhh… Velvet Ward." I look at Stephanie expectantly, but she says nothing as the smirk on her face gradually fades to a neutral (but still beautiful) expression.

"Right, right, find it myself..."

"I think you're finally getting it! But, the Velvet Ward is actually the complete other side of Lumberg, so I'll show you the shortcut."

We emerge from a tight alleyway into the main plaza of the Velvet Ward and are immediately greeted by a veritable sea of characters. Given the innumerable nameplates hovering in the air, it's clear to me that virtually every single person milling about the vibrantly coloured plaza is a human player. There are easily hundreds of people here, if not thousands. It's a rainbow menagerie of different races, classes, and styles. A tall elven woman saunters past in silks so diaphanous they leave little to the imagination, dark skin seeming to glow from within as she examines a tray of glittering gemstones in a store window. A trio of dwarves in matching leather armour march by standing shoulder to shoulder, trailed by an enormous and brutish-looking pale woman. A particularly bold gnome saunters by in a fur-trimmed velvet cap and little else, winking roguishly at us as he passes by.

I note more yet more orange kiosks; every single store has at least one, some multiple.

"Why is it so busy? Isn't this just the fashion district?" I ask Steph. She laughs exuberantly, clapping a hand on my shoulder and pulling me in close to her chest.

"Cassie, Cassie, Cassie. The true endgame of any MMO is fashion, and this is a VR MMO! I guarantee you half of the people that are clearing dungeons right now are just doing it for the gold to get their perfect outfit. They're probably spending more time modelling for each other than actually playing! Hell, even I'll basically be living in the fashion district of one of the major cities once we finish levelling. Yuki too, probably. Anyway. We took so long getting here that she's probably already at La Chapparel."

I do actually remember the directions Stephanie gave for La Chapparel, possibly because Yuki was involved, and head off with determination.

Along the way we pass by some of the stores in the Velvet Ward, and I slowly begin to understand why it's so popular. This isn't just one or two clothing stores, it's… everything. There's a florist selling flowers both familiar and exotic. There are stores selling shoes, most for fashion rather than function, handcrafted leather goods, and jewellery boutiques. There's a little bakery profiting from their captive audience. And of course, the clothes. Everything from sturdy adventurer's coats to silk lingerie to animal costumes is displayed in open storefronts, in windows, or on racks that spill out into the streets. And so many more stores beyond that selling things I couldn't even begin to name. And that was just on this side of the thoroughfare, the shops on the opposite side of the road hidden by the throng of players.

As we approached the northern limit of the Velvet Ward and the huge trees ringing Lumberg came into view Steph tapped me on the shoulder, pointing a thumb down an alleyway. We slipped through the well-kept side street and came out on the other side… and found it almost deserted by comparison. There were scant few player nameplates hovering around.

"Where is everyone?"

"Probably unaware of this little gem. See the church over there?" Steph pointed at a quaint little chapel just across the way from us then nodded her head toward it, signalling our destination. "Best store in the game. Near BiS gear – err, 'best in slot' gear – affordable prices, and the NPC shopkeepers are super helpful. Adorable, too!"

I noted the absence of any orange kiosks out the front. I guess that meant we'd have the store to ourselves?

Stephanie and I step through the double doors of the chapel-turned-clothing store. The interior of the store isn't quite as enormous as I was expecting, looking more like the shops I was familiar with in the real world - shelves to the ceilings filled with various different neatly folded cloth, racks with dresses and coats and suits, even an underwear section. There was plenty of unused floor space too, giving patrons enough room to admire themselves in their new clothes or simply to lounge comfortably without feeling claustrophobic.

"I should warn you, the NPCs here are–"

There was a flash of warm colour and soft fur as two very furry catgirls seemed to appear from thin air around us, darting to and fro, looking us over.

"Welcome to La Chapparel!" Said the tortoiseshell.

"Need new robes? A coat? A skirt?" Said the calico.

As the pair produce measuring tapes and begin sizing us up, taking every measurement imaginable (and some unimaginable), I note the sheer amount of fluffy fur on their bodies and the muzzles on their faces. They fall far more on the furry side of the spectrum than Yukiko does.

"Eccentric." Steph finishes. "Neither for now, just looking.!"

The pair nodded in excited asymmetry. "We missed you!!" they said in near unison.

Stephanie giggled, taking both of the fuzzy shopkeepers in an easy hug.

"Anyway! Cass?" Steph turns me to as she speaks. "I'm going to have a look at some endgame stuff, see how much has changed. Go find Yuki, I'll be right with!"

And with that Stephanie steps past me, taking a paw from each of the catgirls daintily and sauntering off into the store, murmuring words back and forth that sound like vaguely magical nonsense like 'emberlustre' or 'frostfell' or somesuch.

Yuki was apparently in earshot of us the entire time, as she calls me over with a wave. I step out of the aisle to see her and–

"Wow."

Oh no, I said it out loud. Again.

I meet Yukiko's gaze and feel my chest tighten. She waves me over with a dainty pale hand, her smile bright and guileless. There's nothing suggestive about it, just a friendly invitation, but it still makes my heart skip a beat. Her snow-blue eyes are even more delicately beautiful than I remember them, framed by her artfully mussed raven black bob cut, strands falling gently over her heart-shaped face and pale as porcelain skin.

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to openly ogle my friend. It's not right. But Goddesses above, she's making it difficult.

Yukiko's hourglass figure is accentuated to perfection by her catgirl maid outfit, cinched tight at the waist and flaring dramatically out over her wide hips and ample rear. The skirt barely falls mid-thigh, showing off her curvy legs in thigh-high white stockings and frilly black garters. Her breasts strain against the lace and ribbons of her bodice, pushed up and together to form deep, tantalizing cleavage.

She does a little twirl on one foot, the skirt fanning out to give me a scandalous peek at the lacy black panties she has on underneath. I bite my lower lip painfully hard, tearing my gaze away before she catches me looking. Thankfully she seems clumsy enough that she sees nothing as she transitions into a mew-mew pose, leaning forward with curled wrists and pawing at the air coyly… and giving me a possibly very intentional downblouse view.

"W… weeb." I accuse, trying to hide my ogling with a friendly jab.

"I'm not a weeb, I'm a catgirl! See?" Yuki counters by tilting her head and flitting her ears and languidly curling her tail over her back to draw attention to her bona fide feline features. She bats at the air a few more times, but can only maintain the cat pose for a few moments before growing self conscious and returning to a neutral pose.

Yuki turns away and taps at something visible only to her, likely her own UI, and with no more fanfare than a subtle magical glow her outfit changes entirely. Gone is the frilly catgirl maid ensemble, replaced by a flowing ocean blue dress shot through with delicate gold thread that seems to shimmer like a starry night. The outfit is regal and risque both, with a neckline plunging into a deep V that displays as much sideboob as it does cleavage. I feel like my eyes could pop out of my head. I'm so used to seeing Yukiko in modest and conservative outfits and drab colours that my brain is struggling to reconcile the beauty in front of me with the timid Asian girl that invited me to this adventure.

Yukiko apparently sees me struggling to hold myself together and taps at her invisible UI again, this time changing her outfit to the plain brown dress that I recognised from earlier. Even with the almost aggressive blandness of the straight skirt and conservative bodice, it was clear to see Yukiko's figure was straight out of a porn magazine.

And of course, I had to say something.

"Couldn't resist giving yourself tits?" I said with a smirk.

Finally, it was time for someone other than me to blush, Yukiko's mouth opening and closing impotently like a fish out of water. Fun as it was to see Yukiko flounder I figured I should ask another question instead of letting Yuki actually get upset. She knew how to hold a grudge, after all.

"So what else did you change? Besides - y'know…" I mimed an hourglass figure in the air.

Still blushing, Yukiko's voice wavered as she tried to answer.

"Oh, that reminds me…" I open up my inventory to fish out the parchment and self-sharpening pencils I'd purchased earlier, handing the lion's share of them to Yukiko. It felt so natural and effortless that I only realised after the fact that I didn't need to open up a trade offer. Apparently, there was more than one way to trade in this game.

Yukiko's brow knits as she looks at me quizzically.

"I know you sometimes have trouble with public speaking, so I got you these so you can write notes instead."

Yuki notes thankfully, swiftly scribbling a note that she hands back to me.

I can't stop myself from smiling at the note. Goddess above Yuki's cute sometimes. But then I prompt her again, and she nods, swiftly scribbling another note. As she scribbles I realise that the handwriting itself is in some unintelligible in-game language. Odd that it gets transcribed from English to whatever this language is and then back again.

Yuki bowed her head as soon as I looked up from the note, flitting her ears pointedly. I wasn't an expert on animal ears but they certainly did seem very large and very fluffy.

"You… honestly you look a lot like you do IRL, but turned up to 11?"

Yuki rolls her eyes at that, then presses her upper arms together to emphasise her boobs with a smirk. Clearly, she was TREMENDOUSLY happy not to be flat for once. She was probably enjoying it even more than I was.

"Y-you, uhh…" Yuki began, but her voice faltered and she scribbled down another note.

I sputter in protest, face flushing in embarrassment and disbelief. "I-I don't look like this!"

"Don't look like what?" came the familiar sultry purr from behind me.

I hear the footfalls of heavy boots on La Chapparel's wooden flooring and turn to see Stephanie's midriff. I have to tilt my head all the way back to look at Steph's face, and when I do I see Stephanie gazing down at me smugly. I swallow, frazzled mind unable to think of the right words in the right order to explain myself to Steph. Steph beats me to it though, reaching a hand down to grip my wrist and gently turning it so that she could read Yukiko's note too. Her eyes seem to light up at the revelation.

"You're a femboy IRL?!" Stephanie's voice comes out as a high-pitched squeal as her excitement overtakes her. I look back and forth between the two girls, utterly torn between defending my manliness and leaning into whatever it is that turns Step on. There's something in Yukiko's eyes that makes the decision for me though.

"N-no, I'm not… you've seen me before Stephanie! I was working at the canteen for your volleyball game like last week!"

Steph brings a finger up to tap at her lips thoughtfully. "Hmm… I DO remember there being a couple of snacks behind the counter".

"W-well, you would have remembered if you saw a femboy elf, right?!" I press, with a tone that sounds halfway between a joke and a desperate plea.

Steph shrugs dismissively, apparently deciding to drop the topic entirely. "So anyway, this is kind of similar to the outfit I made before the pre-alpha ended." Steph places a single finger on my breastplate above my sternum and pushes gently but firmly, forcing me to take a step back so I can admire her in her entirety.

Steph's outfit is, in a word, goth. A strapless leather bodice dyed black with crimson accents, a skirt cut to mid-thigh with slits on both sides revealing peeks of lace stockings and pale flesh. Knee-high black boots with heels sharp enough to draw blood complete the look. The ensemble straddles the border between classy and risque… maybe more of the latter than the former. Just one thing stands out like a sore thumb: her bulky metal armguards, stretching from her wrists all the way up to halfway up her upper arms, articulating at her elbows.

Stephanie notices my gaze. "Yeeaahh, La Chapparel doesn't have anything better for this slot so I'm just using what I've got on already." She waits a moment to read my face before continuing. "Forge gauntlets. They're a Fellspark-specific armour type. You'll see how they work soon."

"By the way Stephanie, what's…" I tapped my cheekbones then gestured at Steph's face.

"Oh! Oh, you don't know? My character's a dragonborn!"

I look at her quizzically. The dragonborn characters I'd seen on promotional art had been… well, they'd basically been lizard people, and I said as much.

"Ooooh yeah, you didn't really get to mess around with the sliders did you? You can turn a lot of the racial traits all the way up or down - they're usually just cosmetic changes! Usually. Call me a basic bitch but I like being an anime dragon babe." As she said this, Stephanie pulled her scarlet hair back over her ears to show off her facial features. Just about the only scaly bits I can see are the scarlet scales highlighting her cheekbones I noted earlier, though now I see they seem to catch the light and sparkle. Somehow I'd never noticed the pointy elf ears until this point, but the pouty lips and amber eyes were familiar.

Stephanie shook her head to free her hair from behind her ears, strands falling carelessly over her features. Goddess above, how was she so effortlessly sexy?

"It doesn't look like it right now but I'm part beastkin too." Steph taps at her UI again, and a moment later a tooltip appears in front of my eyes.

"Half-breeds are good if you're a tryhard and know what you're doing since you get to double dip on racials. On the other hand, Yuki-" Steph turned her eyes to the quiet Asian girl, "-just wanted really big cat ears."

Out of curiosity, I opened up my own attributes tab, and…

"Whatchya lookin' at, Cassie?"

"Your stats are so much bigger than mine!"

Steph shrugs again. "Told you, 'wrecking ball'."

Stephanie taps at something invisible in the air, and with a now familiar magical glow, her own outfit dematerialises into the linen tunic and shorts she was wearing previously.

"Do you want to try on some outfits while we're here Cass?"

"Uhh… I-I guess?" I never had much of a mind for fashion, but I felt obliged.

Steph whistled, and the two catgirl shopkeepers seemed to appear out of thin air on either side of me.

"My friend here is just browsing, what do you think he'd look good in?" Steph enquired for me. The twin felines were already feeling me up and down, tape measures zipping over me, errant whiskers tickling at my skin as they moved.

"What's the occasion?"

"Classy, sophisticated?"

"Loungewear? Ballroom?"

"Heroic? Bombastic?"

I couldn't even keep track of which catgirl was asking which questions.

"U-uhhh… heroic sounds cool?" I offer.

Both catgirls "Hmmm" in unison, followed by Stephanie interjecting with finality. "Adventurer's smart casual. Generic." The catgirls go "Oooohhhh", then scamper away to the aisles, collecting clothes off the shelves as they go.

"These two are… they're a lot. They're great at what they do but you really have to know what you're looking for. They can be overwhelming for newbies, which might be why so few people come here."

Yuki begins to open her mouth to comment but is silenced by the catgirls returning as quickly as they left, thrusting a mountain of clothes into my arms.

I feel four sets of hands on my back as I'm ushered into the changing room, numerous dialogue boxes popping up prompting me to try on each article.

I press the Try On button under the blue linen shirt experimentally and am immediately met with an angry dialogue box.

I stare at the message in confusion. Was my armour locked? I open my inventory and attempt to unequip the armour.

The UI wasn't responding. I sighed, and resigned myself to being unable to change my shirt. Not that I really minded, but I didn't want to disappoint Yuki and Steph… and the two catgirls, I guess. I click the Try On button for the breeches and receive another angry dialogue box.

Ensemble? What the hell?

I step out of the changing room wearing exactly the same outfit I had on.

"It won't let me change! It says I can't try on anything!"

"Huh. That's weird. Did it say why?" asked Steph.

"Yeah, a warning popped up that said I couldn't equip anything while wearing this." I point toward my metal breastplate.

"This?" Yukiko asks, apparently having found her voice again.

Stephanie steps forward.

I accept, of course, and Stephanie mimes in the air, tapping at her UI (or my UI, I guess?) with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Holy shit dude. How did you get that?"

"I… I literally have no idea. It was just already in my inventory when I did the tutorial with Gromgogg."

"What is it?" Yukiko's gentle and melodious voice chimes in.

Stephanie swipes at the air a few more times before she takes a step back, evidently having finished inspecting me. "Literally the best armour in the entire game. I can't even."

"Is that why I can't take it off?"

Steph shrugs at that. "No clue. Our party didn't actually get to finish collecting that series. It's not cursed so you should be able to take it off? Weird."

"Maybe it's the same bug that forced me to pick this character?" I offer.

Another shrug.

I open my inventory and take another look at it.

"The tooltip's corrupted too."

"Oh. No, it's not. Your stats are just too low to read it right now. It's ultra-endgame armour, remember? The rank I armour doesn't have much going on besides a stat block and a line of text saying the armour levels up over time. In the pre-alpha it was mostly Milestone based."

Stephanie claps me on the shoulder, then slides her fingers under the breastplate and hefts it on my shoulders. "The appearance changes over time too. If you like showing off your bling this is pretty much peak endgame."

I look down at my unadorned breastplate and leather sleeves, wondering what secrets this modest adventurer's attire holds.

Yuki takes a half step forward to get my attention, then points back to the changing room.

"Should you return the…" she trails off.

Oh, right, the clothes. I lean into the stall and scoop up the clothes I couldn't wear, then move to pass them off to the catgirls - who are already taking them out of my arms and ferrying them back to their spots on the shelves.

I feel a little guilty for the three of us having basically just window-shopped, but the catgirls are so chipper and friendly that they don't seem to have minded at all.

"W-we'll, uhh… we'll be back some other time?" I offer.

"Stay safe!" chirps the tortoiseshell.

"Good luck!" chirps the calico.

Our trio step out of La Chapparel and into the early afternoon sun. I glance across the way from La Chapparel, to the huge trees ringing Lumberg, and am once again reminded of the extraordinary beauty of this game. Brilliant sunrays shine through the boughs, casting warm and calming light across the town. The distant sounds of commerce and conversation are underscored by the soothing rustle of leaves. I turn to look at my companions, to see what they think of VALKYRIE's world. Yukiko has her eyes gently closed, nose lifted to the wind as she sniffs gently. Her ears are on a swivel, constantly flitting back and forth, training onto sounds beyond my hearing. When her eyes finally do open again they're sparkling, and she gives me a self-conscious smile when she catches me looking. Yuki scribbles a note lightning-fast and hands it to me.

Stephanie, meanwhile, is standing around, looking at the two of us appraisingly.

"One last thing before we go to the Silverwood and actually, y'know, play the video game. You remember what we're doing, right?" she says with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows.

It feels like the question is directed at me, but I have no idea what Steph is hinting at. Yuki and I share a perplexed look.

"Uuhhh… the only thing I remember is… do we still need to unlock the immortal thingo?"

There's a conspiratorial look on Stephanie's face, mirthful and cheeky, but her eyebrows raise as she realises she forgot to give us a crucial piece of information.

"Did I forget to tell you we're going to a brothel?"

Chapter 5: She Forgot to Tell us we were Going to a Brothel.

Chapter Text

Stephanie led Yukiko and me through a maze of narrow alleys. At times we passed close enough to the public thoroughfare that I could almost hear the conversations of NPCs and players on the other side of buildings. Other times the alleyways were virtually silent save for the still uncannily realistic sounds of our footsteps. With each turn we took the colour seemed to be drained from the city, going from friendly and inviting storefronts filled with whimsy and wonder to tame, humble tenements, then to dilapidated and abandoned buildings whose paint had long since peeled.

Stephanie seemed entirely unperturbed. If anything she seems to speed up as we go, taking a hand each from Yukiko and myself to ensure that we don't get lost somewhere in the tangle of alleyways. It was hard for me to keep up with Stephanie's strides, and harder still for Yuki despite her relative height advantage.

Steph makes one last sharp turn, and then abruptly stops in front of an otherwise inconspicuous building.

"Is it everything you dreamed of?" She says sarcastically, gesturing with her eyebrows at the utterly nondescript building. I could believe just as easily that this was simply an abandoned home than it was a brothel. The only thing that came close to setting it apart from the other buildings was that it appeared to be slightly less weather-worn, with fewer cobwebs.

I hear a feather-light sniff behind me. Yukiko has her nose raised, sampling the air again. "It… smells nice. Perfume?"

"I can't smell anything," I say with a shrug.

Steph's conspiratorial smile returns as she approaches the wooden door, knocking rhythmically and intentionally on the door frame rather than the door itself.

Tap, tap-tap-tap, tap.

Tap, tap-tap-tap, tap.

She steps back and folds her arms expectantly. Yuki and I share a glance then look back at Steph and the door, following her gaze.

Moments pass and nothing happens.

Steph grunts and steps forward again, rapping her knuckles against the doorframe.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

"I wish they'd just use a single secret knock so you didn't have to memorise a billion of them."

Half a breath later and the entire building shimmers floor to ceiling, accompanied by the solid and satisfying clunk of a lock disengaging. I watch in awe as Stephanie swings the heavy wooden door open, revealing an interior that seems impossibly large compared to the modest exterior of the building. The spacious foyer alone seems to take up most of what little the outside of the brothel hinted at, lavishly decorated in rich fabrics and gold accents that manage to look effortlessly classy and refined. The foyer and the rooms beyond appear to be lit in warm and seductive lamplight that casts long shadows in its amber wake, giving the interior of the brothel the feeling of permanent twilight even though it's still early afternoon outside. I can see a stairwell leading up toward a hallway with numerous numbered rooms, obviously where patrons of the establishment must retire for privacy alongside their chosen companions for the night.

My gaze is immediately drawn to the ornate front desk, manned by a voluptuous vixen woman in a revealing jet black qipao who seems to ooze mature charm and an extraordinarily handsome young human with olive-toned skin wearing nothing from the waist up apart from a pair of dressy cuffs and a bunny-ear headband. They're both wearing enormous smiles that seem jovial rather than salacious, which they must have been wearing before Steph opened the door as seeing us gawking at them from the other side of the threshold just has them smiling even wider. They seem to greet us verbally but there's no audible sound. A glitch in the game's audio? They then beckon to us to enter, the vixen with a crook of her finger and the shirtless man with both hands, but I stall on the precipice. I look back at Yuki and she looks like she's frozen in place, hands wrapped around her mouth and eyes wide as saucers.

"U-umm, Steph? Can we talk about this?" I say, suddenly feeling very anxious about stepping into a brothel even if it was just in VR.

Stephanie waves at the two workers behind the counter and then shuts the door. The building shimmers again, ceiling to floor, and once again there's a solid thunk of a lock engaging. Steph turns to face us, and apparently, the smile the brothel workers were wearing is infectious because now Steph's wearing it too. "What's up?"

I look between Steph and Yuki and back again, stammering as I try to find a way to put my thoughts into words.

"You actually took us to a brothel?!" Yukiko hisses first.

"Well yeah? What did you think I meant when I said we're going to a brothel?" Steph counters.

"I thought you were joking! Why would you actually bring me to a brothel with…" Yuki hisses again, trailing off with what almost sounds like a feline growl.

"I-I, uhh, I thought you were joking too," I add. "Like I've heard of seedy things in video games before, but I didn't think this would be, like… a real brothel. I thought it was going to be just a building with a sign outside and nothing inside! Why do we even need to be here?"

"Because we need to find a priestess of I-forget-who to unlock the Resilience perk for you two," Steph answers.

Yukiko was glaring daggers at Steph, very clearly uncomfortable with the idea of actually visiting a brothel, even if it was for video game reasons. "Why are we trying to find a priestess in a brothel?!"

"They work out of brothels sometimes. Lore reason, I don't really remember why," answers Steph.

"I-is it, uhh… is it an actual real brothel?" I ask. I feel a blush start to creep into my cheeks.

"No, it isn't a REAL real brothel. You won't see any player health bars floating around. It's just NPCs in there to add flavour to the world. There's no actual sex going on here."

I look back at Yukiko, and she looks at me. I know Yuki's always been very cautious around sexual topics. Only when she let the mask down during our late-night Discord chats would she even entertain the idea of opening up about something like that.

"Does Yuki have to come in with us? Like, actually into the brothel? She's not really comfortable around sex."

Stephanie raises an eyebrow at that.

"Maybe? I mean I guess she could wait in the foyer until the priestess is done with you and then I can just ask her to change Yuki's settings too."

"Excuse me what?" Yuki growls for real.

"It doesn't actually change anything! It's cosmetic! Not even cosmetic, less than that! It's honestly just like flipping a switch, and then bam, you'll be unkillable. Relax, Yuki."

Obviously telling Yuki to relax had the opposite effect.

I swallow hard, anxiety building. "What do you mean "done with me"?"

"Oh, same thing. She flips a switch and you're done. Unkillable, immortal." Stephanie nods with her own words, trying to convince us with her body language that we're already in agreement.

"And there are no side effects?" Yuki asks accusingly. The fur on her ears is actually standing on end now.

"Eeeehhhh something like a 5% stat penalty and some altered dialogue. I mean, like, yeah it's possible things changed between now and the last time I played, but I seriously doubt it."

Yuki and I exchange another sidewise glance.

"Guys! Okay, look, if I wasn't playing the Spellblade build I am I'd be doing this Resilience shit with you too! Do you think I'm pranking you or something? I don't get why you're so worried."

I… well, when I thought about it I wasn't sure I was worried. I couldn't put it into words. If anything I should be giddy with excitement - Stephanie was taking me to a brothel… even if it was just in a video game.

"It's just…" I began.

"Weird." Yuki finished.

"What's weird about it?" Stephanie asks.

"W-well, like… why do you need to knock a secret code just to get in? Why is there a brothel in this game at all? Doesn't that seem weird?" I ask back.

"It's just to make the world seem more believably real, y'know? I guess you weren't here for the pre-alpha so it might seem weird to you. There's a lot of, like, 'sexual flavour text' to this world. References to carnality are just there to make the world more complete. None of it's actually in the game. Remember how I said you could customise your gender, and a bunch of my old group ended up running intersex characters? You couldn't actually do anything with it. Like, imagine it like a titty slider in any other RPG. You could be flat or you could be a titty cow, but nothing changes in the game. It's all cosmetic. If you actually did anything lewd it basically just faded to white noise."

I was convinced… or at least I was willing to believe I was convinced because I didn't like disagreeing with Stephanie, but I couldn't tell what Yukiko was thinking. She'd returned to her doll-like poker face. Stephanie studied both of our faces for a few moments longer before stepping back toward the door and raising her first to knock at the doorframe once more.

"U-uh, Steph? Do you mind if I…?" I trail off as I step forward.

"Oh? Oh! Of course! What a gentleman, opening the door for us!"

I bite my bottom lip and try to ignore the blush that creeps into my cheeks, stepping up to the doorframe and knocking confidently against the shockingly hard wood.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

I wince as I register real pain in my knuckles. Stephanie made it look so easy. I think back to Steph's stat sheet and wonder if our attributes had an effect on these kinds of non-combat actions as once again the building shimmers floor to ceiling and the phantom lock thunks open.

I reach for the doorknob, but just before my fingers make contact the door swings open of its own accord as if aided by magic, leaving my fingers trailing behind in the air impotently. I feel a moment of cold uncertainty as my confidence wavers, but then I feel Stephanie's hand between my shoulder blades, gently coaxing me through. The moment I step over the threshold I feel a sudden static zap and a dull pop in my ears, followed immediately after by an entirely different soundscape. The sounds of the alley are gone, replaced by hushed and distant conversation, the crackling sound of a fireplace, and the serene strums of a harp. The two NPCs from before are still here… although they're looking slightly sweatier than they were a minute ago, and the vixen's hair is noticeably messier. The man's smile apparently hasn't budged, but the vixen has to cover her face demurely and turn away for a moment as she prepares herself to receive guests.

The man speaks first, beads of sweat glistening on his pectoral muscles in the warm half-light. "We're so glad you decided to visit the Florid Rose. We aim to please in every way imaginable, and beyond." He winks at me slyly as I hear Stephanie's footsteps to my side, and I note his gaze lingers on me far longer than it does on Stephanie… and he doesn't even seem to glance in Yukiko's direction. I turn to look at the girls, Steph right next to me, and Yukiko… still waiting on the other side of the open door, hands clasped in front of her chest. I clear my throat to say something to Yuki only to realise she definitely can't hear me even just a few feet away. Steph on the other hand takes the direct approach and grabs one of Yuki's wrists to tug her over the threshold. The effect is immediate and obvious, Yuki's ears flattening against her head at the sudden shift in the soundscape.

Now the man is clearly looking at Yukiko, but the vixen speaks up instead. "I know pleasure dens can be… intimidating, especially for first-timers, but please, make yourself comfortable!" Her voice is deep and rich and she seems to speak with a natural lilt. "There's nothing to be afraid of here, dear. We do everything in our power to make your day, or night, as pleasant as possible. Our most treasured guests, well, they find the Florid Rose to be almost like a home away from home! If there's anything, anything at all we could do for you… please, don't hesitate to ask."

Now it's Stephanie's turn to be addressed, the man's muscles rippling visibly under his skin as he nonchalantly flexes. "Is there anything in particular you had in mind this afternoon? We have specialists for every taste and kink. Just say the word, Miss Connor. Your pleasure is our delight!"

Stephanie giggles coquettishly at the offer in a decidedly un-Stephanie way but shakes her head. "You tempt me, Anthony! But not today. Today I'm after something special for my two friends here."

I swallow hard as my mind races at the implications. They know Stephanie? And what was 'something special'? It must be obvious on my face, as both the vixen and the shirtless man wink at me in unison. The vixen sashays out from behind the counter, adjusting her qipao around her hips as she moves. She gives one particularly strong tug which sends a ripple across her exposed breasts. The man exits the counter from the opposite side, approaching me with an entirely different type of swagger. I look between them, the fox on my left and the lady-killer on my right, and suddenly feel as though I'm the piece of meat on display.

"I'm sure that a young… 'gentleman' such as yourself has discerning tastes," the vixen says with a husky purr. She's close now, closer even than Stephanie, and she leans down just the tiniest amount to emphasise her plush breasts. "We've women of all shapes and sizes to suit your whims, sir."

I look away from the vixen to gather my thoughts and see the man reclining against the desk in the picture of languid confidence. I note a droplet of sweat run down the curve of his neck, gathering speed as it sweeps over his pecs and then slides over to his nipple. The droplet hangs there sparkling in the light for barely a second before it the surface tension breaks and it drips out of sight… and I realise I've been staring at a shirtless guy for WAY too long.

Breaking out of my reverie I see the man smirking back with a look on his face that says he knows exactly what I was thinking about.

The vixen leans in again. "Or men, if that's your fancy". Her words feel like they're dripping with honey, but I shake my head hurriedly.

"N-no! No, uhh, no ma'am. I'm not… I'm not into dudes." I clear my throat before continuing, casting a furtive glance at Yuki and Steph. If it was just Steph here I feel as though I'd be allowed to flirt back, but with Yuki watching it feels completely off-limits.

My breath catches in my throat as the vixen steps closer, almost but not quite making skin-to-skin contact. Thankfully, blessedly, Stephanie takes a half step forward to take their attention off me.

"I know he looks like an easy sale, but for real, we're here to see the uhh… priestess of Sapphikhoria?" Steph finishes with a rising tone that sounds like a question more than a statement.

"Of Cassiopeia. Of course darling, she's present. What's the occasion? Looking to sample that oh-so-special brand of alchemy once more?" the vixen drawls.

"Not yet, no. We're here for, y'know… the other thing she does," Steph responds.

The vixen shares a meaningful smirk with her half-nude companion. "She's quite a busy woman, you know. She'll cost you a premium."

Stephanie chuckles at that. "No, the other other thing. And I have her payment ready."

The two brothel workers share another meaningful smirk before turning their eyes to me.

"It's so lovely to meet a boy in touch with his feminine side," the vixen purrs.

"Variety is the spice of life, and you must like it very spicy," Anthony chuckles.

It's anxiety inducing having people talk about me in front of my face when they know so much that I don't, especially when it's two half-naked sex workers looking at me like somehow I'm the merchandise now.

The vixen takes a step back, turning halfway away from us to look back over her shoulder in a seductive smoulder. "Might you retrieve the priestess for our guests, Anthony? I'm wanted at the Lustrous Heart before nightfall."

"Of course, Madam." Anthony nods in deference. "If you would excuse me, I may be a moment."

The pair slink off in separate directions, the Madam up the stairwell and Anthony toward a door hidden in plain sight at the foot of the stairwell that opens and closes utterly silently. I feel a tap on my shoulder that feels distinctly like Stephanie and turn to face the girls again.

"See? Everyone's an NPC here."

It takes me a half second to process what Stephanie meant before realising she was alluding to the fact that there were no floating health bars to denote other players. Sure enough the only player nameplates that are visible are Steph and Yuki's hovering above their heads, and my own in the top left corner of my vision. I note the "Milestone" numbers on each of our health bars, thirteen, two, and zero respectively.

"S-so, uhh, Yuki? How are you holding up?" I ask.

Yuki purses her lips tight and says nothing, merely shaking her head subtly. I've known her for years and I still don't know what that actually means.

"Do you want to… I don't know, find a place to sit down?"

She nods, equally subtly, and then entirely of her own accord makes a beeline toward the very furthest spot on the very furthest lounge in the vast foyer, almost disappearing from the line of sight of the front desk entirely as she buries herself in the couch cushions.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" I ask Stephanie.

She grins back. "Didn't you see her getting an eyeful of Anthony? She's fine."

I'm shocked by the implication of Steph's comment. I don't even know how to respond, nor do I have time to as the door at the bottom of the stairwell swings open silently, Anthony's now familiar face accompanied by another tall figure.

I feel like I have to double-take as she comes into view.

The young woman accompanying Anthony is celestial beauty incarnate. Her skin is sun-kissed bronze, immaculately smooth and begging to be caressed. My breath catches as she turns the full force of her gaze upon me, twin pools of cobalt flecked with silver and framed by long lashes. They sparkle and twinkle with inner brilliance, endlessly deep. Dark tresses cascade over her shoulders and down her back in lustrous waves, dark blue-black and shot through with strands of sapphire and amethyst. Tiny gems linked together by silver chains are woven throughout, reminiscent of constellations in a starry night sky. Her plump and pouty lips are painted cobalt to match her eyes. She's obviously an elf given her long and pointed ears, but even without that dead giveaway her ageless beauty hints at her lineage. From the neck up she appears to be the picture of pristine youthful innocence, untouched by the sordid reality of the world. From the neck down, however…

Lush curves strain against the confines of a well-worn apron cinched tight around her waist, worn overtop some other lacy silk outfit that barely peeks out around the edges. It's clearly meant to be a practical garment and yet the way it hugs her hourglass figure accentuates the dramatic flare of her generous hips and the swell of her ample bust. Her legs are long and toned, wrapped in sheer stockings of intricate lace. My gaze travels down the curve of her calves to her dainty feet tucked into embroidered slippers, drinking in the sight of her. Lithe yet voluptuous, she moves with supernatural grace - with every step she takes her hips sway hypnotically, affording glimpses of her thighs each time her apron swishes out of the way. She walks with a confident strut - she's so clearly in her element here, the queen of the house.

She arches her eyebrow at me, pillowy lips quirking into a knowing smile before she purses her lips and blows me a kiss. I feel heat suffuse my cheeks and the familiar feeling of cloth brushing against my crotch, wondering momentarily if that's simulated by the Vision or if I was actually sitting in my room with a hard-on back in real life. Her eyes dart downward for the tiniest fraction of a second before meeting mine again with a wink. She must be accustomed to reducing men to slack-jawed lust with just a glance, recognizing the degenerate thoughts racing through my mind. And she revels in it.

Anthony spoke first. "Thank you for your patience. This lovely lady…" Anthony pauses to admire the woman and bow slightly, who responds with a gentle caress to his cheek, "is our resident priestess of Cassiopeia, Lucille."

Lucille curtsies to us with practised elegance. It feels absurd for such a regal beauty to be curtsying to us. If anything, we should be showing her –

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Stephanie curtsy to Lucille, giving me a look that says I should be showing the same respect. Momentarily thunderstruck by my own accidental rudeness, I follow suit, curtsying deeply to Lucille in equal parts respect and apology.

"Men normally bow, but you do look very cute in a curtsy!" Lucille said in a truly shockingly sweet and bubbly voice. I blink as I try to reconcile her sugary voice with her ethereal beauty. She sees the look on my face, obviously, and her lips just curl into an even bigger smile.

"Not the voice you were expecting?~ Don't worry, I get that a lot!" Lucille continues with a good-natured teasing lilt. "Sorry about the apron! I was kinda elbow deep in alchemy when Anthony walked in. It's kinda atypical to get visitors asking for my… y'know, asking for me this early in the day. That is what you're after, right? You want to know what a priestess feels like when she–" Lucille leaves the sentence unfinished, forming a ring with her index finger and thumb which she then threads two fingers of her opposite hand through, miming a 'come hither' motion as she looks me straight in the eyes.

I share an uncertain glance with Steph, but she nods her head approvingly, giving me permission to take the lead.

"U-uh, I'm… uh, we're…" oh Goddess I'm fumbling it.

Lucille pets Anthony affectionately on his chest, wordlessly dismissing him back to the front desk as she puts her hands on her knees and leans down slightly, lowering herself closer to my height. The gesture is probably meant to be reassuring, but it reminds me too much of someone leaning down to address a child. At least she's not as tall as Stephanie, else she'd probably have to kneel for the same effect. She holds her patient smile, waiting for me to find my voice.

"I-I'm, uhh, my name…" I swallow hard to organise my thoughts. I know what I want to say but my tongue feels like it's fighting against me. "I-I'm, I'm…" I think of my own name, my real name, but my tongue refuses to respond. It feels like I've got a mouthful of cotton every time I even think of saying my name.

My brow furrows as I realise I'm not just dealing with nerves. Something weird is going on. Experimentally, I take a deep breath and try to say something else.

"This is Stephanie, my friend. She and I are here for… for…" I trail off, unsure of the words I need to use for this NPC to understand my request. "W-we want the Resilience buff."

Lucille lifts a hand to her lips and giggles daintily. "I think I see. For both of you? A little couples play?"

I feel my cheeks blushing crimson and Lucille giggles again, very pointedly at me.

"I-I'm not, we're not, I mean–"

"It's for him and the chick out the front, actually." Steph cuts in.

Lucille's eyebrows raise again, the question on her mind obvious.

"Stage fright." Steph answers.

"I see, I see. Well… this is unconventional. Usually, I need everyone present to work my magic!" Lucille flourishes her fingers through the air, scattering sparkling dust that fizzles and pops out of existence a moment later. "But perhaps I could be persuaded. Maybe with some particularly…" the priestess trails off as she looks at me. Head to toe, toe to head, appraisingly. Her eyes linger especially long somewhere between my neck and my thighs, but it's hard to tell exactly what she's looking at. She's lost in thought as she studies me, uncomfortable silence stretching on for many long seconds. I keep my eyes locked on hers the entire time, but I swear I see her subtly licking her lips… or maybe it wasn't meant to be subtle at all, as her eyes turn back to mine with a twinkle.

"S-some particularly what?" I ask.

"Huh? Oh, gosh, didn't I finish? I said 'particularly powerful erotic energy'." Lucille answers with an innocent smile on her face, as if she'd done anything other than add even more questions with her answer. I turn to Stephanie to get her opinion and she's nodding approvingly.

"Relax, dude. We're almost done. Just keep playing along."

I take in a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. I look at Lucille and try to think about what keywords I need to use to get the right exposition out of this NPC.

"What do you need this 'powerful erotic energy' for, priestess Lucille?" I ask with the cadence of a pre-recorded dialogue tree option.

Stephanie scoffs above and behind me and I feel the two women smirking at each other over my head.

"You adventurers are awful naive sometimes!" Lucille giggles at me and takes a step forwards. She raises a dainty hand and drags a nail across my breastplate. I can't feel any physical sensation through the layered leather and metal, but the sheer presence is enough to make my heart flutter. She's close enough now that I can pick up her perfume at the very edge of my senses - sweet and floral, but subtle and understated.

"There's so much we need to teach you! But… I'll put it this way. My Goddess, Cassiopeia, governs many things, including love. And that also means, by extension… lust," Lucille's voice drips with excitement as she purrs that last syllable. "The more lust I have available, the more… uhh…" Lucille looks away to my left, staring into the middle distance briefly. "I mean, if I can borrow the lust of a partner, it makes the change much more effective." The priestess' cheeks take on a little colour as she lets out a deep breath, carrying the scent of her perfume over my face.

I turn back to Stephanie, completely frozen in uncertainty. "Wh-what do I do now? Do I… is she–"

"You're way too nervous about this." She rolls her eyes in exasperation. Stephanie addresses Lucille in a loud and direct voice now. "Here's your payment for the ritual, up front." Stephanie gestures in the air and a moment later produces a pair of small idols or talismans on delicate silver chains.

"Partial payment." Lucille corrects with a smile. She extends her dainty fingers toward the idols and they seem to vanish into thin air.

Steph blinks at Lucille, mild shock on her features. "You want… more? Aahh don't tell me they increased the cost of the brothel too."

Lucille's already shaking her head, an affable smile on her features. "Oh no, those Keepsakes cover the cost and then some! But I can tell that this lovely boy is something special. I'm so happy he's chosen this path, but I'd be neglecting my duties if I didn't test to see if he has what it takes to make the most of his new… perspective."

Lucille rests a hand on my shoulder as she looks into my eyes, the silver flecks in her eyes scintillating as she seems to search for something in me. "I wonder what your future might hold for you. Just imagining it - oh, you'll make Cassiopeia proud!"

I swallow the saliva in my mouth and try to ignore the tingling in my cheeks. "I-I don't understand what you're talking about." The words spill out of my mouth honest and naive, to be met with yet more giggling from Lucille.

"Most boys don't!" she purrs as she rubs her thumb over my cheek. I feel my ears twitch. Her touch feels angelic, soft and delicate and warm.

Stephanie chuckles to herself now. "It's a little weird to pay a prostitute with sex, but if it works it works".

I do a double-take at Stephanie. "Wait what?! You said this wasn't real sex!"

Stephanie smirks at me. "Because it isn't real sex. It's… look, it's weird to explain this in front of an NPC, especially one you're about to bone. But you'll know once you do it that it's not satisfying the way real sex is."

I think to myself "I'll just have to believe you," but say nothing.

"Does this mean you want to pull out?" Lucille titters in obvious euphemism. If she's feeling put out by Stephanie's insinuation that her craft is unsatisfying she doesn't show it.

"No, he'll fuck you." Stephanie answers for me.

I wouldn't believe it if it hadn't just happened. Stephanie had just gotten me laid.

"Wonderful!" Lucille chirps, literally jumping in place. Her breasts almost shake free of her apron, sideboob spilling out of the garment as the impact of her landing sends a ripple over every inch of her exposed flesh. She takes my hand and begins tugging me toward the stairwell, up toward the hallway with the numbered doors. It's impossible not to stare at her body as she drags me up the staircase. Her outfit is open-backed, allowing me to take in the toned muscles working languidly under her bronze skin, and her heart-shaped butt barely contained by the diaphanous white silks. Her cheeks bounce and jiggle enticingly with every step she takes, her panties visible under the silken veil clinging to every contour of her ass. Halfway up she pauses and turns back, causing me to very nearly bury my face in her rear.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I will need your name to complete the, uhh… ritual. What's your name, cutie?"

I swallow, hard. Not because I'm blushing but because I feel my tongue sitting fat and heavy in my mouth. Unmoving. I inhale through my nose and feel my chest swell under my clothes, but nothing comes out when I try to speak. The breath just gets bottled up inside, pressure building as I try and try to say my name but nothing comes out. I exhale my breath and look over my shoulder at Steph. Even halfway up the stairs, I'm barely taller than she is.

"Steph, what name do I use?"

"Uhh, I don't think it matters. Most people use their real names unless they're big into roleplaying."

"What if I can't use my…". I can't even say it. The words die in my throat.

Steph raises her eyebrows in bemusement. "They literally already have your real name dude. You used it to sign up for the beta. It's way too late to be worried about your privacy."

"N-no, I mean I can't!" I try to add emphasis to my plea, hoping that somehow Steph will understand.

She just shrugs. "Say you're "Cass", then."

I was worried she'd say that. I felt a cold trepidation in the pit of my stomach, amongst the warm butterflies from holding Lucille's hand. It was just a random name for a random character in a video game, but saying 'I am Cass' felt like crossing some sort of line.

A line that Steph crossed for me.

"He's called Cass. He's just… shy, I guess?"

Lucille giggled, loud and mirthful. She'd give off the impression of a bubbly schoolgirl if it weren't for the pornstar body… and the fact she was working in a brothel.

I guess Stephanie could tell I was freaking out a little as she continues.

"Cass, chill. It's a video game. It's like watching an interactive cutscene, and once it's done you'll get a pop-up saying you have a new trait. That's it. Chill."

I give Steph a thankful smile. Her words do help me relax, actually, as my legs start to work again and I obligingly follow Lucille up the rest of the stairs. Near the top, with just a few steps left, I feel just a tiny bit of regret. I know it's just a video game so I could never really have sex with Lucille (even if it weren't for my nerves), but it still feels so tantalisingly close. So real. The warmth of her hands mingling with my own, her impossibly soft and smooth skin, the infrequent pricks of her nails against my hand.

We reach the top of the stairs and for the second time I almost bump into Lucille's back. Her dark hair brushes against my nose and I get a face full of her perfume. Delivered by contact it feels electrifying, the sweetness like a tangible force tickling my nose. I feel like I'm floating as I follow behind the priestess, again admiring the way her muscles move under the taut skin of her back and enjoying the simple pleasure of smelling her perfume… and occasionally catching a glimpse of her sideboob peeking out from the white lace and the apron.

"Wait a tick." Steph calls out loudly from the bottom of the stairwell.

I pause and turn my head over my shoulder to the way I came. I can just barely see her head over the edge of the stairs, if she wasn't so tall she'd be obscured entirely. "Is something wrong?" I gingerly shout back.

"Yes. No. Maybe." Steph says, with a tone that feels almost accusatory.

I hear Stephanie's heavy footfalls as she approaches the stairs, followed by the sight of a hand equipped with long nails painted red reaching onto the handrail. With an incredible display of frankly disrespectful athleticism given the venue Stephanie launches herself up and over the handrail and onto the upper staircase, taking multiple steps at once in long strides to close the gap between us in moments.

"What… does that mean?"

"It means 'fuck it, I want to know if they changed the sex'. Can I watch? I've got to see this." Steph asks for permission but it feels like a foregone conclusion. I feel my eyes bulge as I realise what's about to happen. I can't possibly refuse. Not that I want to, of course. I almost can't believe it. There's no way this is real. It isn't real, I remind myself.

Or at least the brothel isn't real. Stephanie, Stephanie asking to watch me have sex is real.

Lucille doesn't seem to be insulted by the request. In fact, she actually giggles again, sweet and playful. "I don't mind an audience, but Cass seems a bit shy. I wouldn't want to force anything on him, especially not for his first time!"

I blush and have to try very hard not to stare at the floor. How did she know it was my first time?

I feel Lucille's delicate fingers brushing some hair away from my cheek. She gives me a reassuring smile. How am I so easy to read?

When I look back to meet Stephanie's gaze I see something stern flicker behind her eyes, but it's gone a moment later. Instead, Steph takes a step closer, leaning down low enough that her breasts press against my shoulder. I feel her hot breath against my face, and then in the same breath, her lips plant themselves on my cheek. Goddess above they're so warm, so soft. I feel like I've just been shocked by a lightning bolt, my heart thumping in my chest. Stephanie's fingers slide up the back of my neck into my hair, ever so gently dragging her nails against my scalp as she breaks the kiss.

She uses a different voice now, warm and mellifluous and breathy. "I'll pay you back, 'Cass'."

I feel a shiver run down my spine from my scalp to my tailbone and a familiar movement in my underwear. I nod rapidly, excitedly.

"Yes Stephanie, you can join!" My voice breaks as I pronounce the 'ie', but I barely have time to feel embarrassed before Stephanie places another kiss on my forehead.

"I said 'watch'. It's not a threesome… yet."

Then I feel another pair of breasts spilling out over my shoulder, followed by Lucille gently pressing her fingernail against my cheek to turn my head to face her.

"Riiiight at the back! It's still early so the best room in the house is all ours." Lucille's breath is like angel down brushing over my skin.

I feel a rush of cool air as Stephanie and Lucille both straighten up simultaneously, lifting the hot weight of their breasts off my shoulders. Lucille takes my hand again, but this time stretches her other arm out ahead of us, bidding me to take the lead.

"The room at the very end of the hallway, on the left. The door with the stars on it."

I hesitate only briefly before striding down the dimly lit hallway, keenly aware of the sound of Lucille's muted footsteps and Stephanie's heavier footfalls right behind me. My heart begins to race as I near the end of the hall. I feel light-headed, but finally, I think my excitement is starting to overtake my anxiety.

I stop before the door. It's clearly something special, exotic wood lavishly carved to depict stylized celestial bodies, stars and suns and moons inlaid in gold and silver filigree. I reach out a hand - I didn't even realise I was trembling - and grasp the handle. The door swings open weightlessly and silently, revealing the extravagant room within. The rest of the brothel had been decidedly upper class, but this room was on another level entirely.

The spacious chamber is bathed in an ethereal glow of silver-blue light, shadows dancing across polished wooden floors and up curved stone walls. Intricate magical lamps crafted from faceted gemstones and blown glass engraved with silver filigree line the walls, bathing everything in their cool radiance. Luxurious rugs are placed haphazardly over the floor, as if they'd been kicked out of place recently. They're dyed midnight black and blue, evoking the same kind of starry night imagery as Lucille's own lustrous tresses.

A massive but empty fireplace carved from pale marble takes up nearly an entire wall, framed by yet more astral symbols. Similar celestial iconography is tastefully integrated into almost every aspect of the decor, including the enormous canopy bed that dominates the centre of the room, itself draped in sheer white silk which was remarkably reminiscent of the bits of Lucille's outfit peeking out from under her apron.

It was abundantly clear that this wasn't just the best room in the house. It was Lucille's room.

I feel a gentle pressure between my shoulder blades as Lucille guides me over the threshold. My feet move before my brain does. The light changes perceptibly as the last orange rays of the lamplight outside are ushered out by the closing door, followed by an impossibly delicate click as the door shuts.

As I step into the room I see movement out of the corner of my eye, and realise that there's an almost triple-wide full-length mirror set into the wall. The pale wooden frame is carved into a now familiar lattice of stars and moons, accented here and there with yet more silver filigree to dance in the relaxing light of the lamps. I see three feminine figures reflected in the mirror; Lucille, Stephanie, and… with a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach I'm reminded that this is what I look like. I think to myself that I really could easily be mistaken for a flat-chested girl, especially in the ethereal light of the chamber.

Lucille steps up behind and beside me on my left with a hungry grin and a deep blush. It's obvious that she can hardly wait to get started as she locks eyes with me through the mirror. I see her hand move to her waist, deftly uncinching the bow that holds her apron to her body. She leans forward as the garment flutters and flows, but she presses a hand to her abdomen to stop the apron from falling away just yet. Next, her hands move higher, up between her shoulder blades. My breath catches as I watch her bra suddenly come undone and without the extra support her breasts seem to grow a cup size as they strain even harder against the apron.

Lucille stands up straight, arching her back and stretching for a moment before pulling the apron up over her head, dragging it off her body tantalisingly slowly to reveal what she had on underneath. The silk lace that peaked out around the edges of her apron before are revealed to be harem silks, pure white and almost translucent, barely obscuring even the precious little flesh they draped across. Her stockings are so sheer they're barely visible in the light. Her panties are already showing signs of her arousal, swollen lips pressing against the solid white silk. Her belly is taut and flat, the barest scattering of shadows across her midriff hinting at her toned muscles.

And then, with a degree of finality and a faint giggle, Lucille tosses the apron off her body to crumple into a pile in the corner of the room, revealing…

"Wow."

Lucille's breasts were even bigger than they seemed. Without the bra or the apron to compress and contain them they were free to show off their majesty, full and perky teardrops capped by dusky nipples. I can't believe their size, and on Lucille's slender frame they seem even bigger still. I turn my head away from the mirror to stare at Lucille's chest directly and I still can't believe their size - jutting forward from Lucille's chest absurdly far in a truly gravity-defying spectacle. Lucille knows I'm staring - how could she possibly not - and arches her back once more to press her chest out. I didn't even see her hand snake down to grab my wrist, pulling my hand up and in to cup her breasts.

The tactile sensation is incredible. It feels real. Better than real, even. Maybe. I wasn't sure, I couldn't tell and I didn't care. Her flesh was so soft and supple and warm and delicate and, and, and- I couldn't help but give a squeeze to sate my curiosity. Lucille moaned delicately as her skin dimpled under my fingers. I felt the way it stretched perceptibly under my fingertips.

"Hey, Cass." Steph's voice calls. I turn my head partly, still eyeing Lucille's chest from the side, then all the way to the mirror, my eyes meeting Steph's reflection briefly before they switch back to staring at Lucille's chest. It feels surreal fondling Lucille while I stare in the mirror, oddly disconnected even as I luxuriate in the warm, and soft, and plush, and supple, and–

There's a faint magical glow to my right reflected in the mirror. My eyes flit to follow the movement reflexively.

"Holy shit."

Stephanie's reflection is proud, confident, and completely naked. I'd pictured her naked in my bedroom late at night with my door firmly locked many times in the past, but seeing her in the (simulated) flesh was different. Her hourglass figure wasn't quite the match for Lucille's curves and her breasts were a size more reasonable for her height, but her toned muscles gave Stephanie an understated air of determination and power that was just as attention-grabbing as Lucille's effortlessly serene sex appeal. The dragon scales dusting her shoulders and hips that were hidden under her tunic were now free to scintillate in the silvery light. She closes her eyes and raises her arms high in the air, fingers stretching toward the ceiling out of the frame of the mirror as she stretches. My eyes are drawn to her very obviously erect pink nipples standing out from the round swells of her breasts, and then through sheer curiosity - how could I not, given the chance - my eyes dart down to check out her pussy and I note a crown of scales adorning her pubic mound. I tear my eyes away a split second later, afraid that she might catch me staring… even though she probably wants me to stare.

Steph lets out a subtle sigh as she twists her body and flexes her arms, corded muscle shifting and flexing under her fair skin. She lets the tension leave her muscles as she relaxes out of the flex and meets my eyes in the mirror. I think her cheeks are flushed, but it's hard to tell in the cool light of the gemstone lamps.

"Pervert."

I sputter and choke on saliva I didn't even realise was pooling in my mouth. How did she know?!

Stephanie's rich laughter echoes through the room.

"C'mon Cass, don't leave a woman waiting. Strip."

"S-strip?! I-I, right, uhh…" I mumble and fumble as I run my hands over the Armour of Sunlight. I didn't put it on in the first place and I have no idea how to take it off - I don't know which leather straps do what or which order I'm meant to do what or, or–

"Use the inventory screen."

Oh, right. It's a video game. I bring up the inventory screen in my UI and realise out of the corner of my eye that the dialogue boxes don't have a reflection in the mirror.

It's actually physically painful to look at the tooltip. I have to squint to try to find the unequip button…

"I can't… can't take it off." My voice trembles, anxiety returning. How am I fucking up something this basic?

"Can't find the unequip button, or–" Stephanie asks.

"N-no, I mean it's giving me a warning when I try to take it off, like when I tried to try on clothes at La Chapappel". I silently curse to myself that nothing in this game ever seems to work for me.

"Hmm. Maybe just try thinking about getting naked."

I sputter again, more gently this time, but oblige. I think of myself… or I try to. I can only see Cass' reflection in my mind's eye. Good enough, maybe? I picture him as he was in the character creator, bare except for his underwear…

And nothing happens.

"Nope, not it."

"Okay, hmm…" Steph ponders, crossing a hand over her chest to tap at her chin. I don't know if it's intentional but the movement scoops up her breasts from underneath. I can't believe how many gorgeous pairs of tits I'd seen in the past 24 hours.

"That armour series is a little weird. It's not 'cursed', exactly… more like 'weirdly enchanted'."

"Maybe I could help! I've got a lot of experience with stripping!" Lucille purrs her way back into the conversation, taking me gently by the shoulder and pulling me back into her body to nest my head against her chest. The sweet smell of her perfume welcomes me, so much sweeter now that I'm so close. I can pick out fruity notes in the perfume too, like strawberry. Lots of strawberry. Her breasts dominate the flanks of my vision… and I couldn't be happier with the view. Her other hand finds its way into my brunette hair, scritching idly at my scalp, eliciting shivers that buzz out across my scalp wherever her nails touch. I don't know if it's magic or sheer skill, but I say a silent prayer to whichever Goddess taught Lucille to use her fingers like this.

"I know aaaaall about enchanted equipment too! Like this~" Lucille finishes with a peppy voice, before I suddenly feel her tense up behind me. She grunts and hisses, sounding like she's bearing down with great concentration… and then a tooltip pops up in front of my face.

My mind boggles as I realise the implication of Lucille wearing those robes. The tits I'm currently buried in are apparently very, very powerful.

"Huh. I didn't know NPCs could do that." Steph says, evidently getting the same tooltip.

"I showed you mine, now you show me yours~." Lucille purrs, apparently possessing an infinite well of innuendos.

I oblige, pulling up my UI and tapping on my Armour of Sunlight to show Lucille.

Her hand disappears from my hair and she makes an uncomfortable groaning sound.

"Oooh boy, that'll never stop making me dizzy."

I crane my neck to see Lucille rubbing her temples and shaking her head slowly. When she realises I'm looking up at her she smiles down at me, brushing my hair out of my face.

"It looks like you're wearing… uhh, I don't know how to say it in your language. I knew there was something special about you, though! What your friend said is mostly right. You're just missing something"... Lucille trails off, and then I feel her hand slipping under my skirt, roaming over my thighs until her fingers are cupping me through my pants.

"Desire."

My cock throbs against Lucille's palm. I picture her hand, delicate yet firm, gliding up and down my underwear while her other fondles my–

My breath hitches as I feel a bizarre weightlessness suffuse my body. I feel like my bones are about to float out of my body. Then I feel a warm tingle from within, followed by my armour itself starting to glow with soothing golden light. The glow dissipates as abruptly as it began, but I realise with a start that my pants have vanished, leaving my legs bare beneath my skirt.

"What the–".

"That's a very special outfit you have on, Miss Cass!" Lucille purrs as she gropes my bulge with one hand and massages my inner thighs with the other.

"How did you?..." I trail off, but the question is obvious.

"If your Guard of Sunshine is related to what I think it is, then…" Lucille leaves her thought hanging as she takes her index and middle finger and gently rubs up and down either side of my shaft, up and down, up and down, before languidly pulling her hand up and drawing a slow circle on the underside of my sensitive cocktip. Lucille sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth and I feel her shudder behind me. "Eheh, then, guh~," Lucille's enjoying herself too much to finish her sentence as she takes my cocktip between her finger and thumb and tweaks it back and forth. She pants into my ear and her body shifts behind me. I don't even realise what she's doing before she lowers her lips to my ear and begins to nibble, worrying my sensitive elven flesh between her lips with just the barest nick of her teeth pressing and tugging and teasing. My voice escapes my throat in a strangled warble, I'm so utterly unprepared for the mixed sensations. I didn't even know my ears could make me feel like this, and the way Lucille is stimulating me feels so unfamiliar but leaves me so desperately aroused.

"Ahem." Steph interrupts, loud and clear. "You were saying?"

Lucille lets my ear out of her mouth with a wet pop - apparently she was giving me a hickey - but she answers Stephanie. "R-right, uhh… your… aaaah I don't really know how to translate the name! Your outfit probably changes to reflect the desires of yourself, aaand…" Lucille trails off as she focuses her attention again on my clothed penis. I'm almost painfully hard. I think I can feel a bead of moisture at the tip of my cock, but I genuinely can't tell if it's simulated or if I'm actually precumming in my pants in my room in real life. She presses her other hand into my tummy now, holding me tight to her body as she rolls her hips against my butt, lifting my feet cleanly off the floor as she gropes and massages my cock. At the apex of her hip thrust she presses her palm into the underside of the head of my cock and grinds in a circular motion. I can't stop myself from moaning, worried I'll cum like a quickshot then and there. She only holds me there for a moment before letting me back down, but the message is clear. A thought flits across my mind I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from verbalising it. Is this how girls make you call them Mommy?

"Aaand…?" Stephanie prompts. Lucille half-grunts and half-moans in response as she ushers me toward the bed, gently for about half a second before she slides her hand behind my knees and sweeps me off my feet, picking up my body as if I weigh next to nothing and chucking me into the middle of the bed. I land on my back on the plush mattress, sinking in slightly as Lucille climbs into the bed after me, crawling toward me with a hungry gleam in her silver-speckled cobalt eyes as she takes her place between my haphazardly spread legs. Her gaze is intense, mesmerising. Even with her mouth-watering tits swaying beneath her body, I find it impossible to look at anything other than her eyes as she crawls into place above me.

"Come on Lucille, I want to hear it." Stephanie urges.

"Whuh?" Lucille barely even turns her head to Stephanie. She places her hands on either side of my head now, the added pressure causing me to sink into deeper into the mattress. Her tits are so close to my face now, Goddess I want to stare at them so badly but I'm absolutely transfixed to her eyes.

"You said the outfit changes based on Cass' desires, aaand?"

"Oh! Cass' desires and her partners!" Lucille chirps, turning her face to Steph for just a moment. Her hair flicks into my face as she does so, wafting more perfume into my nose. It just keeps getting more intricate the longer I'm near her, sweet strawberry notes now undercut by warm and tickling earthy tones and… something else I can't put my finger on. It makes my mouth water (even more than it already is) and excites the butterflies in my belly.

"Uhh, his partners." I correct in a small voice.

"Oh. Right. His partners." Lucille concedes with a giggle, her thumb and forefinger finding my cocktip again to tweak and rub in a way that makes me flinch and shiver.

"Good boy~." She purrs as she touches me. I have to bite my lip and close my eyes. Goddess above, don't cum yet.

Don't cum yet.

Lucille leans down over my body, pressing herself against me. Her silks drape over our bodies while her tits spill out over my breastplate. I wish and I beg to be able to feel her skin-to-skin.

"Picture in your mind, my tits– Ooh!~" Lucille's drawling is interrupted by a brief glow suffusing my breastplate. I feel just a hint of weightlessness. A moment later and it's gone, my breastplate reformed into… it's hard to see what it is from my perspective, buried under Lucille's tits, but it's revealing a lot more than it was before. I can feel the priestess' tummy pressing against mine, her plush breasts making skin-to-skin contact. If I knew Lucille's Goddess I'd be praying to her right now.

"That's… that's awesome. What the fuck, I didn't know that armour did that." Steph says from the sidelines. "So it just changes to suit you in the moment?"

"Mmmmmaybe?" Lucille says noncommittally.

"Does it just undress you, or-" Steph continues.

"I don't know specifics, it's just an educated guess!"

"Wait what?". I feel something tug inside of me, warm and gentle but determinedly pulling from inside of my lungs in Lucille's direction. A warm flush races over my skin. A flash so quick I'd have missed it if I blinked and suddenly I can feel a cool weight around my neck.

Lucille gasps on top of me, drawn out and bubbling over with excitement.

"Think about… not wearing a skirt!" Lucille squeals at me, crawling back off me and sitting up tall to inspect my body. I don't even know how to react. How do you not think about something? All I can think about is the wet spot I'm leaving in my boyshorts as I look down my body… and apparently I'm wearing an armour plated tube top now? I feel another tug from inside of my chest and a warm flutter over my skin. My skirt begin to glow, not quite as bright as before. It takes a few seconds, but when the glow stops I'm wearing a mini-skirt. Emphasis on the mini, it barely even covers my underwear when I'm laying down like this.

"Does it transform at any time, or only during sex scenes?" Steph asks.

"Dunno!" Lucille says back.

"Can it transform into anything?"

Lucille takes a moment to answer, smiling down at me as she slides a hand under the mini-skirt to rub up and down the underside of my cock. "Dunno!"

"What happens if it's a non-con scene? Like, if you get raped by wolves?". Stephanie sounds audibly frustrated.

Wait, what the fuck? There are rape scenes in this game? With wolves?

"Dunno!" Lucille isn't even looking at Stephanie as she answers, her other hand roaming over my tummy, then my chest, then finding a nipple to flick and tug. My nipples aren't that sensitive, but the thought of Lucille playing with them is arousing on its own – wait, when did the tube top disappear?

I hear Stephanie sigh deeply, with an undercurrent that sounds almost like she's growling. I feel a cold twinge of anxiety cut through my arousal. Did we upset Stephanie?

I raise my hand to Lucille's upper thigh and squeeze gently to get her attention (as if I need to when she's staring at me). "Uhh, do you wanna… do you want to join, Steph?" I ask in a voice that sounds so much less confident than I hoped it would. I turn to look at Steph and see her left hand pulling away from her right wrist as the tall dragonborn exhales slowly. She looks tense, staring at nothing in the distance, but at soon as she realises I'm looking her smile returns.

"I'll just watch." The declaration feels final. Stephanie's linen tunic and shorts reappear as she leans back against the marble wall. I feel a touch of sadness at that, it was fun being able to see Steph's tits… but the hint of danger in Steph's eyes swats away my lingering gaze immediately.

"Then we'll put on a show~" Lucille's voice is dripping with lust as she tugs my nipple to pull my attention back to her. "Don't look at her, look at me~".

My momentary sadness is banished in an instant as my eyes roam hungrily over Lucille's body again. She arches her back and presses her arms together to draw my attention to her breasts. As if I needed an excuse - I could stare at them forever. I'm so transfixed by her breasts I don't even see her hands reach down to grab my own, guiding them up through the air as she leans down to let me cup and fondle her supple flesh. She exhales a shaky breath as my fingers find her nipples. Even a light caress makes her shudder. I'm pleasantly surprised - knowing I'm repaying pleasure back to Lucille fulfils some other desire in me I didn't know I had. I tug, I tweak, I gently roll her breasts in my palm as her own hands roam my chest. It's so gratifying being able to touch them. Of course, I didn't know if this is what it really felt like to handle a pair of tits, but… I was willing to believe the simulation was authentic. I swallowed the saliva in my mouth and tried to speak.

"Yeah? You like that, you little–". Lucille interrupts me with a bubbly giggle and a sharp tug of my own nipples.

"Anything you do to me, I'll do back to you~" she purrs, her hands mimicking how I'm toying with her tits. I tweak her left nipple, she tweaks mine. I tug her right nipple, she tugs mine. I tug her left nipple… she tugs both, then gropes my chest.

"Hehehe, you're fun~" she giggles, continuing to grope at my nonexistent tits.

"But… you could be… more fun~". Her words are dripping with lust as she leans down further, her tits resting heavily in my palms as she lowers herself inch by inch until her chest is once again smothering mine, trapping my hands between us. She takes her hands off my chest, I assume to place her hands on either side of my ears to prop herself up, but then I feel her hands cradling my cheeks.

"You look adorable when you're blushing."

I try to respond but I can't even make words with my tongue. Lucille just giggles all the harder. I inhale a great big breath, parting my lips slightly - which Lucille was evidently waiting for as she pounces in for a kiss. I close my eyes reflexively, seeing only blackness but feeling warm, wet, nervous sparks. Her lips are impossibly soft and plush and gentle. There's a fraction of a second of worry that I'm smearing her lipstick before she kisses harder, smearing it for me. My heart flutters in my chest. My entire world is refocused onto where my mouth joins with Lucille's. Her mouth opens, tongue teasing along my lower lip, urging me to open up in invitation. I oblige without thinking, a quiet moan slipping from my mouth as her tongue slides past my teeth to play with mine. She deepens the kiss, tongue delving further into my mouth to explore every contour. I've got no idea how to react or respond so I just follow her lead, trying to reciprocate whatever she's doing to me, twining my tongue with hers and trying as best I can to follow her example, in between keeping my eyes from rolling back in my head. One of us is moaning and panting, but I genuinely can't tell who it is.

I realise my hands are still sandwiched between our chests so I wriggle my fingers back to her nipples. I can barely do more than flick with my arrested hands, but Lucille lifts herself up just enough to let me– "Hmmf~" I gasp into her mouth - to let her easily fasten her fingers back onto my nipples. I try to distract her with my hands, but she's in her element. She's totally in control. Trying to tease her breasts is just giving her permission to toy with me, and trying to kiss her back is just letting her lick and suck and toy with whatever part of my mouth she pleases. I press my hand into her breasts to luxuriate in the weight and volume and she responds by pressing a hand firmly into my chest, enough that my attention is brought to my heartbeat. Now that I can hear it it's all I can hear, throbbing loudly through my chest and up into my ears. I feel the blush in my cheeks heat up in time with the beating of my heart, just to get smothered again as Lucille redoubles her kissing, letting me feel her leaving brilliant blue smudges all over my lips, my chin, and even my nose.

Lucille pulls back off my face all at once. I open my eyes and realise I'm panting. She's panting. And she's smiling ear to ear. Her hands find their way to my ass and she lifts me bodily, shuffling her knees apart and spreading my legs so that she can grind her crotch into my ass. It feels weird to be spread eagle like this, especially as it hikes up my mini-skirt to my hips - then I'm startled as I feel something wet pressing against me. I didn't even consider how this was making Lucille feel, but… now I know.

I feel a now-familiar tug from inside my chest, then see one of Lucille's hands gripping the mini-skirt. She balls her hand into a fist and in a near-instantaneous flash of light the mini-skirt dissipates, leaving my boyshorts totally exposed. I make a sound I can't even describe, horny shock and relaxed throat muscles making forming words impossible, as I see the very large wet smudge.

"That's what we like to see~" Lucille purrs, dropping her hand to my bulge. She presses her palm against me firmly and rubs me base-to-tip once, twice, thrice - then pauses and grinds the heel of her palm into my cockhead. My head rolls on my shoulders and I have to screw my eyes shut as I feel an electric shudder race out of my pelvis and up my spine. The wetness at the tip just makes it even more intense.

I push my hips up to meet Lucille's hand and increase the pressure but she pulls away - not enough to lift her hand off me, but enough to stop me from coaxing any more pleasure out of her hand. My panting takes on a frustrated edge as my brow furrows, looking at Lucille in confusion.

I swallow the puddle of saliva in my mouth before speaking. "I-I wanna cum."

My cheeks burn at my own words. That wasn't exactly what I wanted to say, but it loosely got my point across.

Lucille's smile gets even wider if that was even possible. She shakes her head subtly, gracefully, but I'm crestfallen.

"Why- ugh, why not?" the words drool out of me.

"Because this isn't about you cumming. This is about me making sure that you're ready. And I think you are!~" Lucille inhales, breasts heaving, as she grabs my hips again. She lifts my ass off the bed and pulls me toward her, repositioning my butt in her lap as she grinds herself against me again. She brings her lips to mine, but swerves at the last second, holding me closer and closer until I feel her hot breath on my ear. I give her my full attention, expecting her to say something - but she takes my ear in her lips and suckles gently, nibbling my sensitive skin. I hear a gasping yelp - it had to have been mine. I feel a rising tide of… something, inside of me. I can't figure out what it is and I'm way too busy trying not to melt as Lucille pants and nibbles at my ear. I feel that familiar tug in my chest, too, and in the corner of my eye I see a flash and suddenly feel very exposed. I try to look down at myself obscured by Lucille but see nothing. Am I naked? Did she get through all of my armour? Lucille rolls her hips again and my entire body rolls with her. It's shocking in its own way, how my body feels so small and powerless in the wake of her hips. Her tummy presses against my member - and I can tell it's still hidden under my boyshorts, even as it leaves a streak of wetness on her skin.

Lucille pulls away from my ear, leaving the skin buzzing and my scalp tingling from her hot breath, only to take my lips once more. My lips open of their own accord, allowing her in, and she takes me with relish. I submit my tongue to hers obediently, but this isn't the dance it was before. Lucille seems more content to simply be with me, to be in my mouth, as she rolls her hips again. My spine flexes as she rolls our joined hips, squeezing a grunt out of my relaxed lungs. She rocks her hips again, and again, and again, settling into a lazy rhythm that has my back dragging up and down a few inches back and forth in the bed sheets.

"Close your eyes. Just enjoy it."

I do.

I allow myself to drift into a place of warm contentedness. Surrounded by feminine flesh, kissed into submission, bathing in the smell of her perfume. Every now and then I feel her brush against my bulge, but I remind myself not to act on it. Lucille knows what she's doing. I trust her. Her hands find their way under my back and lift, and again I find my butt settling very comfortably into the crux of her lap as she humps into me.

I feel a new sensation. Tingling, in my extremities. Then it turns into warmth. Then, all at once, it turns into heat. Shocking heat. My muscles tense up and I try to move but Lucille hugs me tight, holding me close and still as the heat builds. She presses on my chest and shoves me into the mattress, hard, thrusting her hips against my butt so fiercely it makes my teeth rattle. She holds me there, beneath her, buried in her bed until the moment passes. It takes many heartbeats for the moment to pass. The heat turns into nervous buzzing, then into tingling, and then normalizes.

"You can open your eyes now."

I have to wrangle my eyes from somewhere in the back of my skull. It takes seconds that feel like minutes for me to refocus my eyes again. I realise I'm staring into Lucille's eyes when I come to, and when that brilliant spark in her eyes recognises I'm lucid once more she pecks a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose and makes to sit back up. Her body peels away from mine as she sits on her haunches, leaving an oddly cool sensation as air rushes in, inciting another wave of tingles to race across my skin. I look down at myself and realise I am completely naked apart from my boyshorts… and a pair of greaves peeking out from around Lucille's waist, where my legs had apparently wrapped themselves.

There are a number of tooltips hovering in the air above me. I… I honestly could not give less of a shit what they say right now. There's got to be something in the UI to read them later, right? If they matter I'll read them. I swipe my hand in the air dismissively without even reading them as Lucille's hands glide up my outer thighs to lazily grope my hips. She's so delicate and yet so firm, I could fall in love. Maybe I already have? Lucille lifts my hips in a way that's familiar now, and I even spread my legs a little to make it easier for her to pull me up and into her lap. She pets my thighs, which I take to mean she's giving me permission to wrap my ankles around her hips… and given how her chest shudders and she bites her lower lip, I made the right choice. I feel the muscles in her core tense up, her knees shifting in the sheets, and then she grinds her crotch against my ass in a long and deep drive. My core crumples and folds as she pushes into me, folding my lower body in half. She pushes further and lifts while standing up partly on her knees until I'm well and truly below her. She thrusts again, downwards this time, and instead of sliding up and down in the sheets I'm being pushed deeper into the mattress.

Before it felt like she was grinding her clit against my butt, but now it feels different. It feels good to be handled like this by Lucille, but… a little weird too.

"Wh-ugh… what are you doing?" I have to ask.

Lucille just giggles at me and chews her lip again. There's a look in her eye that seems to taunt "Isn't it obvious?~" as she gives an extra hard thrust, sending a shockwave through my body that I feel in my bones. She stretches her hands across my lower abdomen, still gripping my hips but bringing her thumbs as close together as she can. They're an inch apart when Lucille starts to add a deep massaging motion in concert with her thrusts.

She drags her hips back, her thumbs stroke down.

She pushes her hips into me, her thumbs stroke up toward my navel.

In, and out.

In, and out.

I stare transfixed at the spot between her thumbs. It's mesmerising. Up and down, in and out. I've never experienced sensations anything like it. It's so erotic and gratifying but so unfamiliar. Especially when Lucille drags me back down by the hips into… oh good Goddess. My heart flutters as I realise what's going on. Lucille has me in missionary position, and she's–

"OOF." I grunt as Lucille thrusts home hard, squeezing air out of my lungs. Her fingers are almost up to my belly button now, dimpling my flesh as she drags back. I shiver at the feeling of her pulling away from me, then shudder as she drives home again. Deliberate. Determined. Deep. She let go of my hips entirely now, pressing her thumbs on top of each other to amplify the pressure. She sets a slow pace, but her movements are anything but languid. Every in-thrust she pushes her thumbs a fraction of an inch further, until they're past my navel. She pauses every now and then to let me bathe in what she's doing before pulling back out, thumbs tracing her movement out of me.

"So how does it feel, Cassie?" Steph's familiar voice asks.

I almost jump out of my skin. I forgot Stephanie was even here. She's sitting on a chair at the side of the bed, cheeks flushed and… her fingers are glistening.

I try to find my voice to answer but all I make is a relaxed gurgle, until Lucille thrusts back into me and I feel her thumbs drag over my navel. It takes some heavy panting before I have enough air in my lungs to respond, and by then Lucille has pumped her hips against my ass enough times leave so much of her own arousal against my ass that she makes an audible plap every time she thrusts home.

I give my best answer. "F-feels… fuck."

"That good, huh? Better than the real thing?" Steph pants.

I try to shrug, but all I can do is roll my head on my shoulders. My muscles aren't responding.

Lucille giggles from her spot between my spread thighs. She sounds like an angel. "Watch this, Stephie~".

She places her hands on the bed on either side of my hips, depressing the mattress. I feel her take a wide stance, and then all at once Lucille starts to pound into my ass.

The sensation is vivid yet confusing, like she really is thrusting into me. I swear I can still feel the phantom sensations of her fingers moving up and down my abdomen. I gasp and writhe, fingers grabbing and twisting the bedsheets as Lucille sets a brutal rhythm. Her panting breaths are measured, even, and in control. Mine are ragged and unsure, lust-addled befuddlement and misfired desire.

"Do you feel that, Cassie?" Lucille purrs above me. She changes the angle of her thrusts again, and somehow it feels different to me. I feel flutters in my tummy, like my muscles are trying to clamp down on something that isn't there.

"Y-yes, Goddess yes," I whimper, back arching off the bed. The new angle drives sparks of pleasure up my spine with each pump of Lucille's hips. The sounds of our bodies meeting is wet and obscene, only amplifying the confusing sensations assaulting me.

"Mmm, you take it so well," Lucille's syrupy sweet voice makes my cheeks burn as her hips piston in a rapid-fire burst. The bed creaks in protest beneath us, headboard banging an irregular beat against the wall. My thighs are trembling, hole clenching down on nothing at the praise. Lucille is panting over me, sweat beading on her brow as she drives herself against me. Her rhythm falters, barely perceptibly at first but then all at once as she chases her own pleasure, movements turning erratic and uncontrolled. Her breath comes in sharp pants, muscles in her legs twitching and trembling wherever they press against me.

She says something under her breath, shaking her head and screwing her eyes shut as she finds the power to thrust faster still. My ass feels battered and sore but I take it obediently.

Lucille moans then squeals, hips stuttering and muscles seizing up all over her body. She rolls her hips into me hard, clit dragging and grinding tangibly even across two layers of fabric. Her hands find their way to my hips and clench down hard enough to bruise, holding me in place for leverage as she wrings pleasure out of me. She makes an especially firm grind and pauses for just a fraction of a second, a visible shiver racing up her shoulders, before she bears down even harder. Her eyes lid halfway and muscles all over her body begin twitching and spasming erratically. Her toned abs make an especially hard contraction as she thrusts home again, full-body flinching as she grinds her clit into me, never once stopping as she rides out the convulsions. She's panting hard, breasts heaving with the effort, her skin visibly rippling with the force of her heartbeat, now made obvious as she sits relatively still above me. Her eyes are still glazed when she turns them to me, a sly smile appearing on her lips as she presses her right thumb into the spot under my navel. She makes one, two, three very deliberate strokes and I realise my own thighs are twitching too, a tide of rising warmth washing up and out of my pelvis and into my chest, my shoulders, my head. My eyes flutter and my scalp buzzes as I relax every muscle in my body, going limp on the bed to the sound of our mixed panting.

I lay there on the sweat-soaked bedsheet languidly, luxuriating in the afterglow. Lucille has long since peeled away to freshen herself up in the bathroom, leaving me to catch my breath.

Stephanie brushes my brunette locks out of my eyes, smiling down at me.

"So it was that good, huh?"

I look up at her with dazed eyes. What can I even say?

"I-it was…" I had to swallow the saliva in my mouth before I can respond, which wrings a shuddering breath out of me. "It was incredible."

"When I tried sex in the pre-alpha I felt pins and needles and numbness anywhere I touched. You didn't get that?"

I shook my head emphatically. "If that's how good just touching is, I can't even imagine how good cumming must feel." I grin to myself at the thought.

"You… didn't cum? Are you sure?" Stephanie says with a rising, teasing tone.

I raise my eyebrow at her. "Sh… she didn't jerk me off. I didn't cum." I lift up the waistband of my underwear to prove it, only to be greeted by a quiet wet sound and a pool of pearly fluid spilling over my skin. I drop the waistband in an instant as I realise I just flashed Stephanie.

"S-sorry! I didn't, didn't mean to–"

"It's cool, Cassie. You saw me naked too, remember."

I blush at the memory, but I choose not to say anything.

I gulp hard before asking my next question. "How… how did you know?"

Stephanie chuckles at me, a deep and rich sound, so unlike the sugary sweet giggles I'd been hearing from Lucille since we entered her room. "I got a Milestone from watching."

"Oh, right, I got a bunch of pop ups during that too. How do I…?"

"We'll check them out together once Yuki gets Resilience too."

I prop myself up on my hands and begin rolling myself off the bed. I'm still buzzing all over and my brain feels like it's floating in a bath of hot oil, which just makes me feel dizzy as I try to stand up. I push myself off the side of the bed and–

"Oof."

My knees buckle under me as I collapse into a pile on the floor. Stephanie's threading a hand under my armpits and lifting me up before I have time to object, setting me back on the side of the bed.

"You totally didn't just cum your brains out so hard you forgot how to walk. Definitely."

I pout up a storm at Stephanie. Even the… the insinuation that I came without having my dick touched feels like a slight somehow.

Lucille strides back into the room now, refreshed and brilliant and with her bra and apron back in place. She somehow seems even more radiant than when we started.

I try once more to stand up, this time feeling an urge to give Lucille a hug as thanks, and once again my knees turn to jelly as they fail to support my weight and I collapse against Stephanie's shins. This time, instead of putting me back on the bed, Stephanie takes both of my wrists in one of her hands and heaves my body up hers, sweeping her other hand under me to gather up my legs. Once she's got me firmly in hand she hikes me up to about waist height, securing my butt in one of her hands and my legs in the other in what is basically a bridal carry.

It's only then that I realise I'm basically naked still.

"U-uhh, Lucille? How do I put the armour back on?" My voice trembles, apparently I'm still not through my afterglow.

"I dunno! For real, I'm not an expert on whatever it is you're wearing. I just made some good guesses."

As I'm wondering how I can explain to Yuki that I can't figure out how to put my armour back on Stephanie shifts underneath me.

"OUCH!"

A thunderclap echoes through the chamber as Stephanie spanks my ass viciously, agitating the sore red marks left behind by Lucille's hips. My HP bar loses a shockingly large chunk, colour changing from green to orange.

"What the heck was that for?" I try to growl but it comes out as a whimper.

"I figured maybe if you took damage the armour would reappear." Stephanie smirked back at me. I couldn't tell if she was serious or if she just wanted to spank me.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I feel a now very familiar weightlessness and warmth. It barely lasts a second before my armour materialises over my form, returning to the unadorned breastplate, shin-length skirt and leather pants I had on before entering the brothel.

"Fuck you." I mumble under my breath.

Stephanie spanks me again, not quite so hard, and now that I've got armour between my butt and her palm I take barely enough damage to make my HP bar blink.

Lucille is waiting patiently a few paces away. I look her up and down once more… it's hard to believe I was just in bed with that.

Stephanie apparently reads my mind. "Not what you had in mind when I said I'd be your wingman?"

I can do nothing but blush as I lay there in Stephanie's arms… which Lucille evidently finds hilarious with the way she giggles and grins.

It's only then I remember. The thought strikes me like a lightning bolt.

"We left Yuki outside!"

Our trio makes its way to the foyer with varying degrees of grace. Lucille floats before us, the queen of her domain. Stephanie strides confidently behind her. And then there's me… still being bridal carried in Stephanie's strong arms. It was embarrassing back in Lucille's room and it's infinitely more embarrassing now that we're in public - especially when I spot a player's health bar hovering above their head in the foyer. Anthony is conversing with a short and stocky man with a tremendous beard - a dwarf, like as not. Both men are using polite yet hushed tones.

I finally manage to slink my way out of Stephanie's arms to land on my own feet, enough strength having returned that my knees don't instantly turn to jelly as soon as I put weight on them. Just in time, too, as we step into the loungeroom flanking the foyer where we last saw Yukiko. She doesn't seem to have moved an inch, buried in just as many cushions as when we left her… and yet oddly her Milestone level has increased to three.

"Ahem, Lucille." I clear my throat to get the priestess' attention. "D-do you need to… y'know, with Yukiko as well?"

Lucille beams at me, eyes sparkling. "Nope! Once was enough! Besides, I had to make sure you were making the right choice. Your friend over there… I can just tell!"

Lucille approaches Yuki ahead of us, dragging over a stool to the place on the couch where Yuki is camouflaged.

The cat ears peeking out from the cushions flit, then the head they belong to nods once, twice, shakes once, nods a third time, and then Yuki crawls out from the couch and stands at attention.

Lucille places her hands on either side of Yukiko's head and closes her eyes. Her hair seems to glimmer and sparkle from within, diamond dust appearing and disappearing in the air around the two women. I move to take a seat, but Stephanie stops me, pointing back to the ritual taking place.

Or, rather, to the ritual that had just concluded.

I was shocked.

"It was that easy?!" I croaked. I couldn't believe it.

I didn't believe it.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you… upset that you got a free sample from Lucille? She's usually very pricey."

I sputtered. "N-no, it's just… I don't even know what to say."

Yukiko's shuffled her way back over to us now. Her eyes are downcast, but there seems to be a slight blush to her cheeks. She hands me a note.

Chapter 6: Milestones

Chapter Text

Dappled sunlight filters through the open canopy of the Silverwood, its gentle and relaxing warmth juxtaposed against a cool afternoon breeze. The tall and wiry silver-barked birch trees for which the Silverwood earned its name were loosely packed, their boughs far enough apart that the movement of the breeze through the forest could be tracked as it passed through the open verdant corridors and rustled the leaves of each tree in turn.

Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to take in the simulated "natural" beauty. A large wolf made entirely of wood, imaginatively named a "Timber-Wolf" given the nameplate hovering above its body alongside a conspicuous "Level 2", is staring us down as it circles us menacingly. I raise my buckler and mallet into a ready stance, waiting for the wolf to make the first move, but it too seems to prefer to wait and see what we do. Yukiko, on the other hand, was more than happy to extend her wooden staff toward the wolf as she stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder with me.

"Psylance!" Yuki yells excitedly. I can hear the smile in her voice as a spear of bright blue and purple energy lances out of the tip of the staff and toward the head of the wolf, who flinches backward in obvious pain.

"That's so cool!" Yuki chirps. I can hear her jumping in place, and I can't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm. I turn my head out of habit to share my smile with her, just in time to see the breasts that I forgot her avatar had bouncing in her too-plain dress. Her smile grows even wider as she smiles back. The thrill of video games was one of the few things that could quash Yuki's bashfulness, and being around her when she was this happy was reminding me why I signed up for this.

The timber-wolf didn't share the sentiment. It uses my momentary distraction to lunge straight past me, pouncing onto Yuki and knocking her flat on her back.

"Ps-psylance!" Yuki yelps, the bolt of magic going wide and missing the living wood body of the wolf atop her. I bring my mallet up under the wolf's chin with what I'm expecting to be a solid smack, but the wolf barely even looks at me. It's laser-focused on Yuki, teeth gripping the fabric of her bodice as it begins to tug and rip with a high-pitched snarl that sounded like a butter knife being dragged over a dinner plate. Yuki doesn't even try to wriggle out of the way or block her body with her arms.

"PSYLANCE!!" Yuki screams, the bolt zipping out of the tip of her staff and barely glancing off the wolf's hip. Splinters go flying through the air and I pause momentarily to appreciate the intricacy of VALKYRIE's physics simulation before I take another swing, this time raising the mallet over my head with both hands and bringing it down in a decisive strike on top of the wolf's head. The impact makes a disappointingly feeble knocking sound, but a split second later there's another vicious crunch and the entire body of the wolf disintegrates into a puff of sawdust and wood chips, which subsequently vanishes into thin air.

I offer a hand to Yuki to help her to her feet, glancing at Stephanie as I do so. She winks back at me and a smile pulls at the corners of her lips, her rusty iron gauntlets vanishing into her inventory again.

"Okay, so, based on what I just saw you guys sort of have one half of the combat figured out each. Yuki, you need to actually dodge attacks. This isn't a turn-based RPG, you're allowed to kite around and LoS and, y'know, stand at the back of the party. Being close to the tank is good sometimes because if you're close to the tank it's easier for him to help you, but sometimes it's also better to stand back and just be out of harm's reach. Cassie, do you know how to cast spells?"

I bristle at that name, 'Cassie', but say nothing.

"I… don't know. I don't think the tutorial said anything about spells?"

Stephanie snickers at that. "Yeah, that makes sense. Gromgogg always did give me Might vibes. By default, most spells and skills have to be invoked verbally. You saw Yuki shouting 'Psylance, Psylance!' like a wounded Pokemon, right?"

Yukiko chimes in with a quiet "Fuck you" directed at Steph, which she returns with gusto. I'm a little shocked to hear Yuki swear since I think she's only sworn over text to me, but Stephanie continues with her explanation regardless.

"So yeah, you have to say the skill name you want to use. Some skills and spells have alternative casting methods, but by the time you have spells like that you'll have it figured out."

I quickly open up my inventory UI and find the two tabs labelled Arcana and Martialist, tapping both to check which spells I had. The three I had didn't sound especially useful, but I'd humour Stephanie and try to use them next fight.

The next fight arrived sooner than I expected. We'd only taken perhaps ten or fifteen paces before a pair of timber-wolves stepped out onto the path before us. They both pawed at the ground and snarled territorially, though with distinctly different animation loops.

"I'll let you guys handle this. Let me know if you need help." Stephanie's words are kind but her voice has a stern edge as she takes a position on our flank.

There's a flicker of worry in my gut as I realise just one wolf gave us trouble in the previous fight, but maybe things would be different this time? The nameplate hovering above these wolves said they were both level 1, so maybe they would be easier. Probably.

I decide to play it safe, chanting "Shield Stance!", an unfamiliar but easily recognisable feeling of fortitude rising within me. I raise my buckler and spare a glance to my left to see if Yuki is prepared to dodge this time, but realise she's nowhere near me, instead standing multiple paces behind me. I feel a twinge of disappointment at not being shoulder-to-shoulder with my friend, but it makes sense for the fragile mage to stand behind the tank. That thought on the other hand adds a spark of giddy excitement to chase away the disappointment. I was the tank, the leader! I positioned myself between the wolves and Yukiko, squaring my shoulders and doing my best to appear imposing… but the wolves seemed to be looking straight past me. I raise my mallet, hoping that maybe that'll get their attention, but their eyes don't even budge. They're locked on to Yukiko.

"Psylance!" Yukiko announces with authority from behind me. A dazzling spear dashes under my armpit and straight into the wolves, causing one of the wolves to flinch and the other to leap forward toward Yukiko. I grit my teeth and remember Steph's prompt to use my skills, using the only other skill I have left.

I inhale a big lungful of air and attempt to bellow "Taunt!" and swipe my mallet at the wolf with authority, but the delicate timbre of my voice catches me off guard and my swing doesn't have any near the impetus behind it I'd imagined.

Thankfully, the timber-wolf skidded to a halt and turned to face me, snarling viciously. I felt cold fear grip me as I realised I now had a furious wolf focusing its ire on me, but at least the Taunt worked.

I hear scrabbling claws behind me and realise the other wolf has recovered and is about to lunge for Yuki as well. I raise my buckler toward the wolf currently focusing on me and then wave my mallet toward where I expect the other wolf to come flying past me and chant "Taunt!" with less flare. My mallet scrapes against the wooden flank of the timber-wolf, but just that contact and the incantation is apparently enough to pull the same trick twice as the wolf turns to me as well.

The first wolf lunges and I parry its bite with my buckler. The second wolf isn't far behind it, but Yukiko fires another Psylance, spearing into its rump and causing it to falter. I raise my mallet to smack the wolf again, deciding to just focus on the second wolf until it was defeated, but I feel a stabbing pain in my shoulder and a worrisome tingle.

"Holy shit LMAO Yuki you just shot him!" Stephanie cackles.

"Wait what? I can shoot friends?" Yuki sounds utterly dismayed.

"Yuh-huh. Any skillshots can hit allies. And skillshot heals can heal enemies too!"

"Good to know," I grumble, trying my best to channel masculine notes into my voice.

I bring my buckler up to parry another bite from the first wolf, but I can only block one thing at a time as the other wolf connects, gnashing its teeth against my breastplate. I'm knocked back a step by the blunt force but barely even feel the teeth, which is reflected by my health bar barely budging. Good to know Shield Stance works. I smirk at the wolves, any lingering fear at being the target of their ire banished by my apparent invincibility as I swipe my mallet at the wolves again. At first, it's more of a swish, but as I grow accustomed to the physical exertion of combat I grip the mallet tighter and swing harder. Finally, I land a satisfying blow on one of the wolves, leaving a nasty looking dent in its wooden snout. I raise my mallet to deliver another, but Stephanie calls out from the sidelines.

"Wait! Let Yuki get the last hit."

I glance from the wolf to Stephanie, to the wolf, to Yukiko, to the other wolf, and then back to the first wolf.

"What? Why?" I say as I lower my mallet.

"Milestone! Yuki, zap it!" Steph answers.

Barely a second passes before Yuki shouts "Psylance!" once more, turning the timber-wolf into a shower of sawdust and wood chips.

A few more swings of my mallet and one last Psylance and the remaining wolf shares the same fate.

"So, what actually are Milestones?" I ask Stephanie after we cleared through another pair of timber-wolves, making sure to allow Yuki to snipe both of them with Psylance.

"Milestones are basically VALKYRIE's version of levelling. They're like achievements you get for doing stuff. Like if you kill a bunch of goblins you might Milestone for that, or if you climb a lot of trees you might get a Milestone for that."

"Might?" I prompt. "Is it random?"

"No no no, it's not RNG at all! It's just not literally everything has a Milestone. You have to fulfil the right criteria to unlock or level up the Milestone. Like here, look at this." Stephanie swipes at something invisible in her UI, and then a handful of tooltips pop up in front of me.

"See the text at the bottom, where it says 'obtained'?"

I nod.

"Yeah. So it's not just randomly doing whatever and hoping it gives you a power-up. It's all predetermined. With that said, usually doing whatever's appropriate for your class or role or whatever will just naturally align you with the Milestones anyway. Milestones are a reflection of your playstyle in that way - the way you play changes the Milestones you get, and the Milestones you get reinforce the way you play. Milestones are almost always positive, though some of them have a trade-off like 'Gain five Dexterity, lose one Fortitude'. Every time you gain a Milestone your Milestone Level increases, you can think of that like your player level. You also get a Milestone point that you can spend at a Tree of Caduceus to learn new spells, or a Tree of Akhione to increase your stats. Basically every Milestone also has some kind of cosmetic effect, like…" Stephanie slips a finger into her mouth and closes her jaw, fish hooking her cheek to show off her fearsome canine teeth. I have to do a double take - how have I not realised she had those until now?

Stephanie winks at me and gives me a smirk, then continues. "It's a really deep system, almost every part of your character can be altered in some way by Milestones. Everything from 'swim faster' to 'get bigger muscles' to 'grow wings'. I'm not certain about growing wings, but I wouldn't be surprised."

I nod, focusing on Stephanie's words intently. "So it's like… showcasing what you've done so far on your character? Or what you're good at? So people can tell what your character is built for just by looking at you?"

"Usually! It's a good guide but it's not a one-to-one correlation. If someone looks like they're built like a refrigerator they've probably got lots of Milestones for physical feats. If they've got noodle arms, probably not. There's room to be surprised, though."

I think about what people must think Cass is built for and a grimace creeps over my face. Steph seems to notice, giving me a wink again.

Our journey into the Silverwood took us deep enough into the birch forest that I was beginning to lose my way. Stephanie and Yukiko were totally at ease though, so I choose not to say anything. As we pass an unusually thick stand of trees, Stephanie suddenly stops us.

"Oooh, ooh, look! A Warrior Toad! Rare spawn!" Steph's bubbling over with excitement in a way I don't think I've seen before.

"What's a Warrior Toad?", Yuki enquires softly.

"It's a rare spawn! If you beat it you get rare loot, but only certain classes can challenge this class of rare spawns. These are like a graduation test almost, to see if you know how to play your class. They're a ton of fun! Honestly, it's super lucky we found one!"

Stephanie's rusty iron gauntlets materialise around her hands and she marches forward toward the amphibian with determination… but pauses halfway.

"Actually, you're eligible for this too, Cassie," Steph says as she turns back around.

"Do you want to give this a go? It's above your level but it could be a fun challenge!"

I glance between Stephanie, who seems excited to let me step up, and Yukiko, who maintains her poker face.

"U-uhmm, sure?" I stammer, stepping up to and then past Stephanie toward the toad.

The Warrior Toad itself is perched on a lilypad in a small pond surrounded by a tight grove of Silverwood birch. Its eyes intermittently flit this way and that, and I realise its eyes are pointing in two different directions. Its mottled green and brown skin is covered not just in warts but in battle scars. Parts of its skin seem reinforced with thicker hide in a manner reminiscent of a harness. The skin across its shoulders especially looks more like coarse leather than the delicate skin of an amphibian. It's sitting in the squat crouch of a toad, and yet it seems to hold itself with a quiet dignity, perhaps even bordering on majesty, like a king atop his throne. A throne he's clearly earned, given the scars.

I equip my buckler and mallet and take a ready stance, shuffling closer, waiting for the toad to make a move. I'm thirty feet away… twenty-five… fifteen… when I'm almost close enough to close the distance with a lunge the toad's eyes suddenly pull themselves together and focus directly and intently into my eyes. No, not into my eyes, into me. I feel my ears pop as if from high altitude, as if I'd just reached a mountain top. The world seems to slow down. Sounds outside of the toad and myself drift into the background. Even those sounds begin to fall away, bit by bit, until I hear nothing but deafening silence and my own beating heart. It's subtle at first but with each passing moment my heartbeat rises in tempo, in volume, until it's pounding so viciously it feels like it's going to erupt out of my ribcage. My vision starts to grow dark around the edges. My ears ring.

There's something great and unknowable inside the toad. I'm sure of it. Something immeasurably vast and powerful. The toad squats calmly in the eye of a vast cosmic storm, utterly unphased by the maelstrom focused upon it. Perhaps that's why it sits here. Perhaps this is the only place it can sit. Does it know why it sits? Does it know… me?

I feel a whisper inside my mind. A growl. A shriek.

The toad knows me. It knows who I am.

Why is it laughing at me?

What did I do wrong?

In a distant universe, I feel a mallet and a buckler slip from someone's fingers.

In another universe still I feel a body that could once have been mine collapsing to the floor.

In a faraway place, I hear more voices. Human voices. Familiar voices. My chin scrapes across gravel and grass and I see something before my eyes.

Indistinct noise, chattering and mumbling and giggling eventually meld together into coherent words.

"Holy shit he actually got fucking one-shot by Intimidating Glare." One voice says, dark and rich and gleefully intrigued.

"a̶͈͒ ̵̡̓s̵̷̸̨̺͇͐͌͠é̸ ̷̸̷̴̧͈̙̰̏̅̈̒s̴͖̔?" A different, softer voice.

"I mean he didn't lose anything, and technically he actually gained Milestones for it, but, like… what the fuck. That's incredible. I didn't even know it did damage. I feel like I just saw a unicorn."

The white box in front of my eyes disappears and I see the toad again.

I see Him.

In all his glory, his majesty, his resplendence.

In all his vulgarity, his grotesqueness, his horror.

The ringing in my ears rises and falls like a grand cosmic tide. I feel the sun rise and set, rise and set, over and over and over again. It's accompanied by a ticking clock. Every five ticks the sun rises briefly, only to be overshadowed by the next tick.

And through it all He gazes through me. He sees me. He knows me. He terrifies me.

He is my Everything and my Nothing. He is my Beginning and my End.

The sun rises, and sets.

Again.

And again.

And again.

I feel a hand on my cheek, rolling me over onto my back. Stephanie's standing over me, looking down through her boobs at me. She's smirking at me and gives me a wink when she realises I'm lucid.

"Well, that took a while. Glad to see you're still with us."

"What the fuck just happened?" I croak. I'm nauseous, I feel like I could empty my stomach as I push up from the dirt with my hands into a sitting position.

"What the fuck is right! I've never seen that before! You actually got instagibbed by a toad looking at you funny!"

I bring a hand to my head and rub my forehead. The world still feels like it's spinning. I hiccough and taste something metallic. I press a finger to my tongue to check if it's blood, but my finger comes away clean. When I try to stand up I stumble, but catch myself before I collapse onto my knees. It's only then that I see my HP bar. It's virtually empty, with a virtually invisible sliver of red.

With a rush, I remember I was meant to be challenging the toad. I look around in a hurry, back to the lilypad… and find it silently vacant.

"Sorry dude, you failed. The toad left. You've only got thirty-ish minutes to beat the challenge or the mob despawns."

"What the fuck? I was on the ground for half an hour?"

"You sure were buddy. I was waiting for you to figure out you could close your eyes and as soon as the Goliath's Blood potion ticked you'd be back on your feet, but you kind of just lay there and took it. Which, I mean, if you want to pursue a career as a prostitute that's a solid start." Stephanie finishes with yet another wink and a smirk.

My cheeks burn at that. I glance around to see if Yukiko caught that, but… Yukiko isn't even here.

"Yuki left to go have a wander."

I turn to Stephanie with wide eyes. "Is she safe?!", I yell. I… didn't mean to yell.

Stephanie just bats her eyes at me. "She'll be fine. She isn't the one that got bodied by the Chad Toad."

"Is she… nearby?"

Stephanie raises an eyebrow at me.

"I-it's not for anything weird! Well, it sort of is. I, umm… you said you played a dickgirl character in the pre-alpha. Was that through Milestone transformations? Can Milestones do that?" I try hard to keep my voice level, but it's impossible for me not to blush as I ask Stephanie about 'that one time she had a dick'.

Stephanie raises her other eyebrow. "Not the question I was expecting. But no, I made a dickgirl right from the start. I thought it was funny. Obviously, this time I stuck to what I knew… I mean, you've seen my pussy, so."

My mind goes in two directions. First I remember getting an eyeful of Stephanie's bared sex with its crown of scarlet scales. Then I think back to the character creator and wonder just how many things were hidden from me because of my premade character.

"You can grow a dick from Milestone transformations though." Stephanie continues. Now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow. "It's kind of involved and not exactly easy, but like I said, you can grow and even lose body parts."

I swallow a mouthful of saliva and gaze at nothing in particular in the dirt.

"Why do you ask?" Stephanie purrs with a teasing lilt.

"I-I, it's just, well… I was just curious!" I stammer.

"Curious about growing a bigger diiiick?~" Stephanie's smiling ear to ear as she suggests that. I don't know what to say. I can't even deny anything, Stephanie's seen it. She's seen me.

"There are transformations for learning spells too by the way. I'm like ninety percent sure there's at least one in the Sunsteel tree, that's the one you're on, that gives you a fatter cock."

I just stare at Stephanie. My brain is just short-circuiting. Do I say thank you for the info, or do I call her a perv, or…

She just winks at me again, a devilish glimmer in her eye.

I shake my head, deciding to change the subject. I try to think of what I can change it to, and realise I do actually have a burning question.

"So, why can't I say my real name?" I ask pointedly.

Steph nods sagely and taps her finger against her chin. She pretends to be deep in thought for barely a second before she speaks. "No clue."

"But you and Yuki are using your real names!"

"Yeah, that's normal. You're the black sheep. And I'm being honest, I have no idea why you can't say your name. Can you write it out?" Stephanie points to the ground as she finishes, dragging her boot through the dirt.

I put a dainty foot forward and begin to scrape the first letter of my name, but as soon as my toe touches the ground I seize up. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. Even my lungs seize. It's only after I tell myself to give up trying to carve my name into the dirt that my muscles respond.

"You saw that, right?"

Stephanie nods. "Sure did. Pretty weird."

I sigh deeply, the frustration from earlier in the day returning. But then I have an epiphany.

"Can you say my name? If you can't then maybe, I don't know, maybe it's on a banned words list for some reason?" It's a long shot, but I've heard of stranger profanity filters.

Stephanie chortles. "Yeah, yeah, right."

"... Do you not know my name?"

"Honestly? Probably not. Don't take this the wrong way but most of the boys at our Uni are pretty forgettable." Stephanie has a genuinely apologetic look on her face that makes my heart melt despite the circumstances.

"I-I've been around you a bunch at Uni though! Short guy, brunette hair, small–". I pause. Wh… why was I describing Cass?

"Didn't you say you served me at the canteen?" Steph asks with a sudden mood shift, soundly somewhat exasperated.

"I… yeah, at the volleyball game. You bought a steak sandwich." I responded.

"You were really unsubtle about looking at my boobs then, too," Stephanie noted.

I blinked twice. "So you do know me?"

There's a new look on Stephanie's face now, somewhere between bemusement and disgust. "We're going to drop this conversation before it gets weird and clingy."

I… I know better than to try to push it. I feel stupid now for even trying. I look at my feet, too ashamed to even meet Stephanie's eyes.

"I said we're dropping the conversation, not being mopey about it. C'mon. Just… roleplay as Cassie for a bit. It can't be that hard to be a cute femboy. I get that you're worried Yuki isn't into it, but seriously, she cares more about YOU than she does about this", Stephanie waved her hand up and down my body for emphasis, then steps forward to take my cheeks in her hands.

"Confidence is sexy. Be confident. Plus, women like guys that are fun. Try to have fun with it, you might even learn to enjoy it. Now c'mon, let's go find that catgirl."

"So, like I was saying", Steph was saying, "Wisdom-spec Everwatch supports are really sought after. Obviously, Unspell is good always, but I swear, having a good Chronomancer standing behind you and feeding you buffs and chucking Shudders to maintain your uptime just feels fucking incredible." Stephanie moans as she says that, twisting her body and rubbing her hands over her hips and stomach through her tunic. "We had this one chick, Lyra - I think you've met her Yuki? - she was playing a little gnome girl and she just had the most insane synergy with me. I was playing this total glass cannon Lifespring sorceress build which meant I got to sit backline with her so we were always basically holding hands and she was just always in range to clutch save me or to slide something juicy into my hands which always got me excited to… you bored, Yuki?"

While I was engrossed in Stephanie's sapphically charged monologue, our catgirl had peeled a few steps away from us as she pointedly studied anything but Stephanie.

Yuki turns back wearing her usual resting-poker face. "I want to shoot fireballs."

"Wis-Everwatch can still-"

Yukiko interrupted Stephanie. "I just want to shoot fireballs."

I had to do a double-take. Yukiko, the wallflower, just interrupted Stephanie?

Stephanie sighs heavily, her shoulders slumping. Her brilliant scarlet hair seems to dull.

"You're passing up a bunch of easy power. You can just grab some early game buff spells, farm some Milestones, and then–"

"Psylance!", Yukiko yells as she points her staff toward Stephanie's ass, delivering a zap that I know is painful from experience. Stephanie barely flinches.

"Bitch." Stephanie hisses.

"Slut." comes the retort.

"See what I mean, Cassie? Your girlfriend's a bully!"

I'm trying not to laugh at them just in case they're not playing around, but Goddess above it's impossible to stop the smile from creeping over my face.

I try to deliver a joke, but my voice comes out shaky. "Y-you've got to be kitten me! She's a-acting all catty with you?~"

Stephanie just turns away in exaggerated mock disgust, but Yuki's poker face starts to crumble into a smile. I can't tell if she's smiling with me or at me.

Stephanie nods for us to continue walking as she falls into place behind me.

"So you're dead set on playing INT-Everwatch?"

I hear the clinking of glass behind me, probably Stephanie handing Yuki more mana potions from her apparently bottomless supply. Yuki wasn't much interested in weaving basic attacks to extend her mana pool, and while I was totally unprepared to handle Yuki's mana expenditure Stephanie had apparently seen it coming.

"Shoot fireballs." was Yuki's simple reply.

"And be a big tiddy catgirl while you do it?" Steph teased.

I looked over my shoulder at Yuki to check her reaction but her eyes were already locked on to mine. I take the hint and go back to looking straight ahead.

"Well, keep at it then. You're probably pretty close to the first rank of your Blinded by Power Milestone already."

"U-uuhhm, about Milestones…" Yuki's briefly confident voice was back to its timid quivering.

I pause and turn around to face Yuki respectfully as she tries to speak, bringing our trio to a halt on the side of the well-trodden and shady path.

Yukiko swallows hard. All of her anxiety seems to have returned all at once.

"What… what did… at the brothel…"

I can see that Yukiko feels awkward bringing it up so I step in to help her finish what I think she's trying to ask. "Oh yeah, the Milestones we got at the brothel. What were those?"

"Technically those are traits, not Milestones. They're baked into your character, you can't earn them." Stephanie explains. "Those were gender traits, so if you want to check them out now you tap on the gender icon in your attributes tab."

I followed her instructions immediately, bringing up my attributes tab and tapping the male symbol next to…

That wasn't the male symbol. "What the fuck?"

Now that I'm not distracted by Lucille grinding against my ass I can finally read these things for real.

"Wait, my name is actually Cassie now? What's this weird gender symbol? I thought I was a boy?"

"Yeah, you didn't notice me calling you Cassie?" Stephanie answers nonchalantly.

"A-and the other stuff?!" My voice cracks as I panic.

"Yeah, Lucille swapped you to 'sissy'. That's why we were there, that's how you get Resilience."

My eyes dart left and right, staring at everything and nothing as I try to gather my wits.

"You didn't think you should tell us that beforehand?!" I cry.

Stephanie shrugged. "I didn't think it mattered. I told you everything that was important - you get a tiny stat trade-off for being situationally invincible."

I look at my stats again to see what I actually lost, and–

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I bellow. Actually bellow, the deepest sound my vocal cords have made since starting this game.

Stephanie laughs at me, apparently finding my outrage hilarious.

"Oh come on, it's only like minus five stat points. It's not that bad!"

"Oh," she says after briefly inspecting me.

"Oh?!" I repeat, on the verge of yelling.

"I see why you're upset. If my stats were that low… yeah I guess I can see why minus fives seem like a big deal to you. My bad. Honestly crazy you guys handled those timber-wolves as well as you did, considering."

Stephanie turns to Yukiko and leans down expectantly. No words are exchanged, so I guess that Stephanie is probably inspecting her too.

Stephanie sighs remorsefully.

"You did this on purpose," Yuki states in a monotone, but the hint of a smirk suggests she's not nearly as upset as I am. Maybe she's just letting me be upset for her?

Stephanie raises a casual hand to cradle Yuki's cheek in a manner that seems overtly familiar. "In my defence, your stats were shit even before you got Resilience. It's a good thing we did get you two kitted out or else you'd be getting floored by a stiff breeze."

Stephanie stands up straight and turns to me, then bows her head. "Sorry."

"I… thank you for apologising, but it's not the stats I'm annoyed about. What… what even is a sissy?!"

"It's basically the same as a femboy, except a little girlier. Or a lot girlier." Stephanie pauses to put on a stern voice, as gravelly and masculine as she can muster.

"Depends on the femboy, and the sissy."

If that was meant to be a reference it went straight over my head. I furrow my brow as I stare at Stephanie. "Is that all?"

"Sissies in VALKYRIE use feminine pronouns too."

My eyes go wide, but before I can open my mouth Stephanie steps forward, blocking my line of sight of Yukiko and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"But that doesn't bother you, because you're the kind of guy that can roll with it and isn't afraid of wearing a dress. At the end of the day, you've still got big dick energy and can bone down like a beast. Right?"

I… am not happy about this. I grit my teeth, but as I realise what Stephanie's just done for me as my wingman I let go of some of that frustration.

My eyes dart downward as I catch movement at the edge of my eye; Stephanie inconspicuously hands me a pair of folded notes.

I stare daggers at her, but mouth the words "thank you"... which seems to be good enough, as she responds with yet another wink, and then motions toward the second note with her eyes.

Stephanie's mischievous grin couldn't possibly be more smug. Part of me wants to hate her for enjoying this, but it's impossible to deny that seeing Stephanie smile, the afternoon sun glittering on the scales highlighting her cheeks, leaves my heart fluttering.

"See, Yuki? Cassie's rolling with it. It's not that big a deal." Stephanie turns her grin onto Yukiko before taking a relaxed stance as she strolls forward, leaves crunching under her boots. "C'mon, we've got a couple more Milestones to collect. Let's wrap it up before sunset, we don't want to be outside at night. Yet."

"W-wait. If you get Resilience by being a sissy, then…" I shudder as the word 'sissy' leaves my lips. Yukiko's trying to keep her poker face but there's a hint of blush on her cheeks as she avoids my eyes. Whatever smirk she had is long gone.

"What did Lucille do to you?"

Yuki stares off into the distance, then at the ground, then… I can't tell if she's looking at my feet or my crotch. She's still as a statue for many long seconds before her ears finally fold to her head and she retrieves some parchment from her inventory. She doesn't even look at me as she hands me the hasty scribble.

Chapter 7: The First Night

Chapter Text

The shadows cast by the silver-barked birch trees of the Silverwood are growing longer. We still have the warm orange glow of the late afternoon sun to illuminate our path through the brush, but it's clear that it's temporary. Dusk will arrive soon. Stephanie had been determined to secure at least a few Milestones for Yuki and me before we visited the Tree of Caduceus for the first time, but unfortunately, enemy encounters had been uncommonly scarce since the last pair of timber-wolves.

So it was that we'd left the well-trodden path winding through the Silverwood to cut cross-country. Yukiko was in the lead now, gleefully using her Beastkin senses to guide us toward the timber-wolves she was sure she could smell. Stephanie could probably smell them too since she was a Beastkin as well, but Yukiko's excitement at being able to use her incredible sense of smell in gameplay meant that she'd jumped at the opportunity. Yukiko suddenly paused, craning her nose to the wind as it blew her bob cut back, taking a very un-subtle sniff.

"This way," Yukiko whispered with finality as she altered our course very slightly to the left.

Stephanie and I exchanged a friendly glance and an easy smile at Yukiko's earnest enthusiasm… and of course, Stephanie gave me another wink before we continued on. No other words were exchanged. While Yukiko was loving every moment of tracking down the wolves and Stephanie was cool as a cucumber, I was on tenterhooks. I suppose it was a testament to how realistic VALKYRIE's simulation was that I felt legitimately on edge exploring the deep woods, but that morbid appreciation did little to quell the knot of trepidation in my gut. I was trying hard not to let it show on my face, I didn't want to dampen Yukiko's fun after all… and I especially didn't want Stephanie to think I was afraid of a video game.

My musing is cut short as Yukiko suddenly stops dead in her tracks. She turns back to me and with an excited glimmer in her eyes and beckons me forward. She's peering through a gap in a number of trees growing very close together that form a wall of bark and leaves and has me squeeze up next to her to peek through the gaps.

"I-I can't see anything," I whisper, keenly aware of the need for stealth.

Yukiko squeezes closer to me and takes my chin in her hand, guiding my face toward a gap in the leaves. My eyes go straight to Yuki's as I realise her breasts are flush with my shoulder. My cock can't help but throb at the contact, straining against my underwear in an instant. I never really viewed the old Yukiko this way, but as a busty catgirl pressed up against me…

"Can you see it now?" Yukiko's voice is so quiet it's barely a whisper in the wind, but it's enough to bring me back to reality.

I hiss with a sharp intake of breath as I see what Yukiko has located for us. On the other side of these trees is a roughly circular clearing. The soft green grass is relatively untouched by fallen leaves, looking almost like it's been swept recently. And resting atop that grass, lounging languidly in virtually the dead centre of the clearing, is a pitch-black boulder of a wolf. Not the wooden timber-wolf creatures we'd encountered before, but a flesh and blood wolf. I can tell it's enormous even from this distance - I doubt any real-life wolves grow that large. With its shaggy mane, I could have mistaken it for a black-furred lion if it weren't for the nameplate hovering above its body, clearly declaring it to be a Dire Wolf: Level 25 .

I didn't even realise Stephanie had crept up behind me until I felt her breasts pressing into the back of my head as she cautiously bent a branch out of the way to see into the clearing herself.

"I thought you were tracking a timber-wolf!" I hiss at Yukiko.

"I was just following my nose!" She trills back, her voice quivering with excitement.

"If you guys are serious about fighting this thing, you're going to need to try hard," Stephanie states sombrely. I feel movement all around me as Yuki and Stephanie share a glance over my head.

There's a pregnant pause but Yukiko finally says "Sure."

"I know I said I was going to hold back so I didn't just instakill everything for you, but… this is different. It's more than ten levels above me, I don't think I could solo it if I didn't stock up on health potions."

"We're unkillable though, right?" I offer.

"Not good enough. We're on a timer. If night falls when we're in combat with a dire wolf then we are fucked." Stephanie's words remind me of what she said about being raped by wolves. "Fucked" might be literal. I wouldn't have believed anyone if they'd said a mainstream video game had bestiality, and rape, but I wasn't going to take that chance right now.

"I meant sure as in 'Sure, you can help.'" Yukiko's voice was steady and even, but there was a definite undercurrent of excitement.

"O-oh?! Does that mean I can go hard?" Stephanie's whispers take on an excited edge as I feel her muscles move and shift behind me, as though she's suddenly gotten ready to leap into action.

"Yes. You're allowed to use your full power level now." Yuki issues the absurd-sounding command without even a hint of self-aware embarrassment.

"Let's fucking go!" Stephanie chants under her breath. "Can I teach you two how to-?"

"No," Yuki says firmly.

"Please!" The word is out of my mouth instantly.

Yuki and I stare at each other. I can't tell if she's amused or disappointed or something else entirely… but her ears flit energetically.

Stephanie puts a hand on my shoulder and pulls me back so she can whisper into my ear. Her breath is hot and comes in rapid bursts as she speaks quickly. I can feel the energy in her every time she breathes out, and I have to consciously stop my elfin ear from twitching and tapping her nose every time she finishes a sentence.

"Okay, so; bites hurt like a motherfucker. Don't let it bite you if you can help it. Crit bites bleed, which might counteract your Goliath's Blood pot and keep you on the ground for extra long. It has a fear effect, "Omen of Death", which is like what the Warrior Toad did to you except way more intense and only for a split second. It usually howls before it uses Omen. If you can predict it you can try to look away or raise your shield but it's probably going to go straight through anyway. Claw swipes hurt too but if you have to take a claw swipe to dodge a bite, do it. They're fast - really fucking fast. Wolves are fast but these things, blink and they'll be on your dick. They're smart too." Stephanie turns toward Yukiko and taps her gently on the shoulder to include her in the briefing. "You two didn't really get to see it because the last wolves you fought died so quickly to Yuki's Psylance, but enemies in VALKYRIE are way smarter than you'd expect. Even the random trash mobs. But this dire wolf is an elite mob and has the AI to prove it. It will dodge your attacks. It will try to disable you. It will adapt to what you're doing. And if you two didn't have the immortal combo it would easily kill you in three hits, maybe even two."

The colour drains from my face as Stephanie describes the wolf I'm about to face. The other wolves barely landed a hit on me, but still, I have a sickly feeling in my gut. I turn back to look at the wolf. It hasn't budged, still an unmoving mountain of black fur and hidden fangs.

Stephanie hands some mana potions to us both as she continues with her gamer talk. "Your taunt probably has like a 40% chance to land, maybe lower, so don't be surprised if it whiffs just keep at it until it lands. Focus on blocking. Yuki and I have the damage covered. These mobs are balanced around fighting their whole pack so it might howl - which won't do anything as long as we kill it before night falls. Speaking of." Stephanie looks up at the sky pointedly. The orange of afternoon has almost entirely faded, leaving pink and grey streaks across the few clouds visible through the canopy. "We have about twenty minutes to get back to Lumberg. Are you two sure you want to do this? We can always just get the Milestones once we get to Rhodeia."

"Yes!" Yuki nods excitedly.

"I… I think, maybe…" I can't bring myself to say that I want to go home. I can't remember the last time I was this scared. Stephanie and Yuki are totally unphased and I'm trying my best to play along, but… fuck. Stephanie notices and pets me reassuringly on the shoulder.

A rustling shiver blew through the Silverwood a moment later, as if the forest itself had a point to prove. My skirt rises with the wind, the heat of Stephanie at my back dispersing with the cool gust.

"Uh oh." Stephanie and Yukiko said in chorus.

"Uh oh?" I ask.

"The wind changed direction," Yuki stated flatly.

"So?"

Stephanie looks at me as if I was a fool. "So we're upwind now."

"I.. don't-"

The two women hiss back practically in unison, but Yuki is slightly faster.

"It means he smells us."

"It means it smells us."

I step up to the wall of trees again, to see if the wolf in the clearing really–

The wolf was not in the clearing.

The sickly feeling in my guts turns into an icy cold lead weight.

Stephanie pushes past us and then shoves herself straight through the branches of the trees, leaving a Stephanie-shaped hole behind her.

"Into the clearing, now!" She barks.

"Wh-why?" My voice is trembling.

"Because it's three against one, we want it in the open."

Yuki leaps through the opening instantly, and I dash through a moment after, just as I hear leaves rustling and claws scraping on stones. I turn around to face the sound, drawing my buckler and mallet just in time to see movement through the foliage. A heartbeat later and a massive black furry shadow is halfway past me, barrelling straight into Yukiko. Yuki screams as she's thrown to the ground, her health bar dropping to empty. The wolf wraps its teeth around her shoulder and thrashes viciously, clawing at her back to leave gashes in her dress.

Stephanie roars as she shoulder-checks the wolf to send it rolling off Yukiko's body.

I look toward the wolf to figure out what it's going to do next but it's already pouncing toward us again.

"Dark Weld!" Stephanie incants a spell and brings her arms together to shield her face with her heavy gauntlets as the wolf descends upon her. As soon as the wolf makes contact with her Forge Gauntlets it howls in pain, the air filling with the smell of burning fur and the sound of sizzling flesh. Instead of recoiling in pain like the timber-wolves before it, the great black beast attempts to duck under Stephanie's gauntlets to bite at her ankles. Stephanie's a step ahead, placing a heavy boot directly on top of the wolf's skull and stomping it into the ground with all her body weight. I cringe in sympathetic pain as I hear something crunch under Steph's boot, but the wolf is unphased. It shifts its forelegs under its body, its thick mane flowing as the muscles in its neck tense and flex as it throws its head skyward, flinging Stephanie off its head. Once again Stephanie is prepared, leaping through the air and landing easily a few paces behind.

My momentary awe at Stephanie's prowess is immediately snuffed out as Stephanie barks an order at me.

"Taunt it, dude! Keep it off me!"

I almost drop my mallet in embarrassment, but once I have my wits under control I take a step forward and swing at the wolf. The wolf completely ignores me as all of the force of my swing is dissipated by its shaggy fur and thick skin.

"Taunt it! Use Taunt!" Stephanie growls as she sidesteps a bite, bringing her elbow down on the dire wolf's neck.

Yukiko lifts her head and screams "Psylance!" with fury from her spot on the ground, blasting the wolf's flank. The wolf flinches but ignores her, continuing to chase Stephanie. Yukiko's health bar is basically empty, just a tiny sliver of red visible. There's a black square next to her health bar surrounded by a red border, and on the black square are three fierce-looking red lines.

"Psylance!" Yuki screams again, standing up as she does so. The wolf makes one last feint at Stephanie and then turns on its heel, charging straight toward Yukiko.

I swipe my mallet at it in passing, yelling "Taunt!" as I do, but nothing happens. I'm completely forgotten as the wolf pounces on Yukiko, but this time the catgirl throws herself out of the way, skidding across the grass.

"Wake up, sissy!" Stephanie snarls at me.

My cheeks burn, but the humiliation helps bring me back to the moment.

"Shield Stance!", I yell with conviction, before Stephanie immediately interjects.

"No, Shield Shatter! Shield Shatter! You need damage to hold Focus!"

The wolf is already on top of Yukiko now, gnashing viciously at her insensate body, teeth ripping and tearing at her clothes.

I shout "Shield Shatter!" and instantly feel a surge of both power and vulnerability suffuse me as my buckler dematerialises from my left hand. Stephanie places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I feel buoyed and ready to fight alongside her, especially as she incants "Emberstoke!", and I feel another rush of power, the hand holding my mallet now glowing with flickering orange embers.

"Thanks Ste–"

"FUCKING TAUNT IT!"

I leap at the dire wolf and yell "Taunt!", slamming my mallet against the side of its skull. An explosion of embers issues from the impact site, the wolf's entire body shuddering. It turns toward me with a fearsome glint in its eyes, swatting at my waist. I'm barely fast enough to step backward, but not nearly fast enough to avoid the follow-up swipe that sends me sprawling. A solid chunk is knocked off my health bar, but I'm still in the green.

The wolf pounces at my supine form and I see its fangs preparing to deliver the finishing blow. My heart is pounding in my chest as the blood-red maw ringed with ivory fangs descends toward my throat, but the wolf is knocked away at the last second, both by a lance of blue-purple energy and Stephanie's boot once again landing squarely against the wolf's jaw.

Unlike before however, the wolf keeps its attention focused on me. I scramble back to my feet as Stephanie delivers a fearsome punch to the wolf's chin.

"Now run! Kite in a circle!"

I don't need to be told twice, I immediately–

My muscles lock up. I'm frozen in place as the wolf pounces on me. I feel pain unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life, a thousand scalding hot blades shredding my flesh and scraping against my bones. My entire existence is pulled into the searing pain in my shoulder. It feels like the very fibres that compose my being are being pulled apart. And swiftly. I imagine my heart pumping faster, harder, desperately to replace the blood being lost by the wound where my shoulder was, crimson life splashing against the deep green grass of the clearing. I try to bring my other hand up to my shoulder on reflex to stem the tide, but-

Oh. I wince through the pain, my heart still pounding in my ears.

I'd forgotten this was a video game. I'm not actually hurt.

I try to move my arm again, but my body refuses to respond. The tooltip pops up again.

I stare at my life points, waiting for the moment the potion ticks.

One.

Two.

Now!

As soon as I can move I scramble to my feet, head on a swivel to find the wolf.

The wolf finds me first and pounces on me from behind, sending me careening into the dirt.

My arms and legs refuse to move as I lay there in a crumpled heap, but knowing the pain I'm feeling isn't real keeps me calm. I count the seconds again.

One. Two. Three. Four.

And then I'm up. I'm totally turned around, I can't tell which direction is which, but the wolf is right in front of me. I hear Stephanie's "Emberstoke!" and feel her hand on my shoulder, empowering me to yell "Taunt!" and strike the wolf as it barrels into me again. We both go toppling to the floor once more.

I'm reminded that I need to be patient, to wait for the potion to bring me back above zero, but this time I keep my eyes on the wolf.

And the wolf, oddly, is staring back at me. It tilts its head as if asking a question, its AI apparently struggling to understand why I refuse to die.

I wait until I see my hp tick up, and with smug satisfaction, I bring my mallet straight up under its chin! The wolf grunts but doesn't flinch, simply swatting at me dismissively and extinguishing my single hp point.

The wolf continues to stare at me as it dodges Psylances from Yukiko and keeps out of range of Stephanie's melee strikes, circling my immobilised form. I wonder if it's planning to do something to me while it's down, but after a few moments, something changes. A light flickers behind its eye and all at once it loses interest in me. Its head tilts as it dodges another attack from Stephanie, and then it bounds up and over my body at Yukiko. I hear her wail as it tosses her to the ground again, but then my Goliath's Blood potion ticks and I crawl to my feet. I've barely managed to stand upright before the wolf is swiping at my ankles, making a hit-and-run attack as it scoots between Yukiko's immobilised body and my own. Once I'm down the wolf fixes its jaws around my neck and bites hard. It's excruciatingly painful as I feel simulated tissue tearing and blood vessels rupturing, but I know no lasting damage is actually being dealt. When the jaws peel away from my neck I see that I, too, have the black square icon next to my name. As soon as I can move again I open my UI and tap the icon experimentally, and sure enough a dialogue box pops up.

I faceplant into the dirt as soon as the bleed ticks, my UI closing automatically.

I grimace at the display of ingenuity on behalf of the wolf, using a damage over time bleed to keep me down. I realise morbidly that it's been doing the same thing to Yukiko, which is why her Psylances have been so infrequent.

Stephanie, on the other hand, seems to be completely in her element.

"Dark Weld!" She chants as the wolf closes in on her again. The wolf doesn't make the same mistake it made last time, feinting a bite toward her face to get her to block an attack that wasn't coming, and then making a claw swipe at her knee. The swipe lands, but Stephanie is so quick with a health potion that her HP appears to go up rather than down. The wolf makes another claw swipe, but this time Stephanie catches it with her gauntlet and the wolf recoils in pain. Stephanie follows it up with a shout, "Expose!", and then delivers a two-fisted punch to the wolf's jaw. She winds her fists back and shouts "Deconstruct!" with emphasis, then clocks the wolf with a haymaker hard enough to throw the enormous beast backward multiple feet.

With the few moments of movement I have available to me I crawl toward Stephanie, hoping to catch the wolf with another Taunt and force it to waste its focus on my immortal body. Yukiko's potion ticks just before mine, and we're able to move simultaneously for just a second; Yukiko firing a Psylance that barely misses the wolf's neck as I yell "Taunt!" and smash my mallet into the back of one of the wolf's legs.

The wolf doesn't even bother turning to me. I can't tell if it's because I didn't do enough damage, or the Taunt was resisted, or if enemies in this game become resistant over time, but the wolf doesn't even look in my direction as it kicks with a hind paw lazily, swatting my nose and dropping me until my potion ticks once more.

One.

Two.

Three.

I can move again. I look up to see the wolf standing on the opposite side of the clearing, on the far side of Yukiko. It raises its head to the sky and compresses its chest muscles. It's unmistakably preparing to howl. The haunting sound reverberates through the clearing, proclaiming the majesty and the ferocity of the howling dire wolf. I remember Stephanie's warning about Omen of Death too late, icy fangs gripping my heart. Reality collapses into a tiny dark void, silent and empty save for a tiny naked elf and a gigantic black wolf.

The health bar in the top left corner of my UI isn't empty. I… I should be able to move. But my muscles refuse to budge an inch. I can't flee, but the thought of lifting my mallet to fight the wolf is impossible. Pointless. He's so much stronger than me. I'm hopeless. All I can pray for is a merciful–

"Cassie!" Stephanie calls out to me.

She's tilting a health potion to my lips, and my life points rocket back to full in an instant.

"It's almost dead. We can do this. Pop Shield Stance and just body block for us, don't worry about Taunting." Stephanie pats me on the back as she hefts me to my feet.

The wolf is ignoring both of us, pacing around Yukiko's prone form as it nips and bats its paw against Yukiko's immobilised body. Her life points are still empty, but another icon has appeared beside the bleed icon: a red square with a pink heart. When the wolf sees us both standing up it raises its head with a snarl, taking a wide stance as it prepares to pounce on us again.

"Shield St–"

The spell fizzles. I'm caught totally unaware until I realise, oh right, it's a video game, and check my mana bar. It's empty. I open my inventory and fish out a mana potion, drinking it down as quickly as I can. My mana is fully refreshed before I drink the whole thing so I throw the half-drunk mana potion to the floor and close my inventory just in time to see the wolf charging me. I sidestep, but the wolf is faster. It swivels on its forepaws and carries the momentum into a headbutt aimed at my breastplate, throwing me to the ground yet again. Before the wolf can make another follow-up Stephanie is at my side, sweeping her leg under the wolf's to trip it up. The wolf collapses on top of me, head landing in the dirt and grass and its hips pinning mine. Stephanie drops to her knees and wraps her arms around the wolf's neck in a crushing chokehold. I quickly incant "Shield Stance!", the familiar rush of fortitude accompanied by my buckler returning to my hand. I grip the tiny shield tightly as I mentally prepare myself to intercept the next bite the wolf makes, only to–

I…

My breath catches in my throat.

Spilling out over my midriff from its home between the wolf's hind legs is an enormous furry shaft. I'm not an expert on canine anatomy but I don't need to be to recognise what I'm looking at. Even through the matted fur and my own armour, I can feel the heat emanating from it, soaking into everything it touches. It's hard to figure out what the dimensions are as the edges are blurred by thick fur but if it wasn't attached to the wolf where it was I'd have assumed it was some kind of ceremonial weapon, think and heavy and adorned with the effigy of the wolf. Just the very tip is wine red and shaped like the top of a tube of lipstick, standing out in stark contrast to the black fur.

I swallow a mouthful of saliva. It's huge.

The wolf is scrabbling to its feet before I finish staring at it, ripping its absurd package out of view as it manages to stand up even with Stephanie trying her best to keep it pinned. It's only as it stands up that I notice its testicles, fat and full and hanging heavily behind its furred bulge. I'm struck with feelings I'm not sure how to describe. I'm in awe at the size of this manhood, but something else too. Am I… Curious? Intimidated? Envious? Jealous?

The beast gnashes and snarls, tossing its head back and forth until it finally manages to bite Stephanie's leg just above the ankle. Panic grips me as I realise I was thinking about… that thing, instead of helping Stephanie and Yukiko. I jump to my feet as the wolf flings Stephanie bodily across the grass, but for once I'm able to outrun the wolf, interposing myself between the wolf and its target. I don't even bother trying to swing at the wolf, focusing entirely on raising my buckler in front of its face and forcing it to bite down on inanimate steel instead of the flesh of my allies.

The wolf doesn't fall for it.

It swipes its paw dismissively, pushing the hand holding the buckler out of the way.

The wolf locks eyes with me and I feel the now familiar sensation of icy fangs sinking into my heart, my vision darkening, the world growing small an instant -

And then a glowing red fist crashes like a meteor into the wolf's jaw.

"Finish it, Yuki!"

"PSYLANCE!" Yukiko screams hoarsely, shoving the tip of her staff under the wolf's jaw and firing her Psylance straight up and into the wolf's skull.

The wolf disintegrates soundlessly, fur and muscles and sinew evaporating into faintly glowing fragments of video game-y enemy bits.

The clearing goes silent in an instant.

I feel a tingling warmth deep inside of me. It's difficult to tell exactly what's happening at first, but once the text on the Milestone Achieved text box sinks in, I realise. All three of us are panting and taking a moment to catch our breath, so I use the opportunity to take some cautious steps. I'd have expected wider hips to change the way I walk, but at least for now, I can't tell a difference. Maybe it's just lingering exhaustion from the battle?

The silence dissipates as the sounds of the forest creep back into my senses. Insects chitter in the trees, leaves rustle in the wind, frogs croak in the distance. It's such a sharp juxtaposition I almost expect the wolf to reappear, jumping out of the shadows for round two.

Yukiko is still on the floor, face down. I try to approach her but Stephanie intercepts me. She hands me another note.

I glance from the note to Stephanie, nodding instantly. I'd… I'd give her a hug if I could. She smirks at me, and as if on cue gives me a wink. She hands me another note.

My eyes go wide as saucers. I'm not calling her "Daddy"! Stephanie tilts her head, a puzzled look on her face, before she snatches the note out of my hands. She hastily scribbles on a different piece of parchment, then hands it back.

Stephanie and I both help Yukiko to her feet, Stephanie grabbing Yuki under the armpits and hoisting her up as I gingerly hold out a hand. Yuki is still panting heavily, probably because she has lower fortitude and needs longer to catch her breath. Or something. I'm not actually sure what her stats looked like.

Yuki lets out a shuddering breath and my eyes are, with a small degree of shame, instantly drawn to her chest. Her plain brown dress is torn in multiple places, most obviously straight down the middle, putting all of her cleave on display.

Stephanie taps something in her UI, and a moment later Yukiko taps in a similar spot relative to her height. Her torn outfit shimmers and then reforms into an almost identical ensemble to what Stephanie is wearing; a linen tunic and short shorts.

"Yuki, honey. Are you ready to go back to Lumberg?" Stephanie asks the trembling catgirl.

She looks like she's about to be sick, and I say as much.

"She's… she'll be fine. You don't have Purify yet, do you?"

I shake my head.

"No biggie. We'll just… uhh, shit, we have to improvise."

Stephanie hands a note to Yukiko, who responds in a bored monotone without hesitation.

"Daddy."

"FUCK, wrong one. Here." Stephanie hands a different note to Yukiko. This time, the catgirl spends multiple moments considering the parchment, before scrunching it up and chucking it over her shoulder.

"Nope," she states flatly.

"You're just gonna- oh wait duh, the church. Cass, take Yuki to the church once you get back to Lumberg. It's right near the Tree. You can't miss it."

We make brisk progress through the shadowy forest. Stephanie carries Yukiko in her arms to make sure we get back to Lumberg before night arrives. The path, thankfully, is mostly straight and uncomplicated - Stephanie only needs to communicate a few wrong moves to me over our journey. We pass a familiar pond and vacant lilypad, and the trees start to thin out as we return to a familiar path. Lumberg is visible now, across a sturdy stone bridge. And beyond that bridge is an enormous tree, towering above the stone brick buildings surrounding it. I'm shocked I'd never noticed before. It seems like it'd be the defining characteristic of the city, the tourist attraction if there was such a thing in this world.

As I think back to the various enemies we'd fought… and nothing but wolves, really, since the toad didn't count in my mind, I can't help but ask Stephanie a question.

"So, is the Silverwood just full of wolves? Is there anything else in here?"

"There are a bunch of things, normally. Pixies, goblins, hobgoblins, wolves. If you mean places, as in 'is this just an open world area to train new players', yes, there are twooo dungeons I think? There might be a third one now we're in beta. We were actually right next to one of them." Stephanie helpfully exposits.

"Really?" Yuki asks. Her tone is chipper, but oddly breathy, as if she'd been the one carrying Stephanie and not the other way around.

"Yeah, surprised you couldn't smell it. It smells like… I guess it's hard to explain. Button mushrooms, a tiny hint of rotten strawberries, and, uhh… cold sweat, I guess. There are elite mobs too. Proper elites, lords of the zone, not just tagged elite like the dire wolf we bopped. Four giant wolves, one red, one tawny, one black and one silver. They only show up in the territory they patrol, and only at night-"

"Run!" Stephanie commands. She gives me a firm shove between the shoulder blades and I accelerate to a jog.

I hear her footsteps close in behind me, and she spanks my ass.

"I said run!"

I drop into a full-on sprint, racing through the thinning trees toward the comparative safety represented by the bridge to Lumberg. Now I feel the effect of my widened hips - I feel like I'm waddling as I try to sprint. Stephanie is right behind me, keeping pace with her long strides easily even as she carries Yuki. Sprinting is easy at first even with the waddling, trivial even, but after fifteen seconds or so I start to pant. Familiar howls ring out from the woods around and behind us, and I redouble my effort. Stephanie's closing in behind me, wordlessly urging me to find some way to run faster still.

By the time we're on the threshold between Silverwood and Lumberg, I'm actually panting.

"Okay, chill. We're safe." Stephanie says evenly. She hasn't even started to pant.

Stephanie sets Yuki down on her feet gently, holding her hand and waiting to see if she's steady. Yuki gives a polite smile back before releasing Steph's hand, taking a step toward me.

"Okay, I'm going to split up and do my own thing. I've got chores to do and boxes to tick off. You two - make sure to visit the Tree of Caduceus. It's the-", Stephanie gestures at the huge tree just across the way, "Yeah. That one. Just touch it and… you'll figure it out. Church is right next door. Once Yuki's cleansed, find an inn to stay at. Do not go to the Lustrous Heart."

Stephanie's tone was casual and languid up until that last sentence, delivered with the force of a parent warning their child about playing in traffic.

"Why not?" Yuki chimes in.

"Because… uh. Okay, you know how I said being turned into a sissy was basically just an appearance thing?" Stephanie's tone is apologetic, but I'm staring daggers at her regardless.

"Continue," I state curtly.

Stephanie shoots me a look that tells me I used the wrong tone of voice but continues as requested.

"There are a few NPCs, very rarely, that treat sissies and sluts differently. Usually, it's a good thing - Lucille's extra friendly to you, for example. We didn't have time to really test it exhaustively, but from what we found sometimes NPCs could react negatively to it. Just about the only place it mattered was Brutweiser and her staff, but they were, pardon my Dutch, a bunch of cunts. I don't want to deal with that shit again and neither do you. Stay away from the Lustrous Heart. Go to… I don't know, Drunken Boar."

Yuki screws up her face at the name Drunken Boar, and Stephanie notices.

"Okay fine, shit, uuuuhhhh I don't remember what the others are called. Just ask a guard for directions."

Yuki giggles at Stephanie, leaning over onto my shoulder as she does so. Her skull taps against mine and I realise with some shock that she's purring. Actually purring, like a house cat.

"See you tomorrow!" Stephanie farewells us with a wave, taking a poignant step backwards.

I take the hint, turning on my heel and guiding Yukiko onto the bridge… or at least trying to, as the moment she feels my hand on her hips she goes rigid and separates from me.

Our desynchronised footsteps echo on the cobbled stone bridge, echoing through the quiet night.

I realise I hadn't heard Stephanie's familiar footfalls, and out of curiosity turn around to see her a few steps backwards from where we left her.

She's standing perfectly, immovably still. She's wreathed in shadow almost from head to toe, her amber eyes reflecting the moonlight from two pits in her umbral visage. Even her scales, usually twinkling in even the slightest hint of illumination, are dull and quiet, looking like as much smeared blood.

Her eyes flicker, locking with mine. Even this far up the bridge I'm barely above her eye level. There's movement on her face and all at once her fangs are visible, stretching ear to ear in a hungry smile… and then she's raising a hand above her head to wave a happy goodbye.

I raise my own hand back, a small and restrained movement, but Stephanie's gone before I finish, stepping backwards into the shadows of the Silverwood and vanishing in an instant.

We cross over into the corner of the city that seems dedicated to the Tree of Caduceus. Tall and sturdy, with deep golden-brown bark and a wide base, the Tree reminds me of an oak tree, though the leaves are completely different - almost perfect deep green circles covering most of the upper branches. It stands in the middle of a wide lawn, populated by wild grasses and errant flowers and even some bushes bearing fruit. On the far side of the Tree, opposite the town proper, is a modest and understated church. Its weathered stone bricks and subdued wooden roof give it the appearance of a sect that practised what it preached, austerity and function superseding any sort of flamboyant display of ecclesiastical wealth.

Yuki has me wait outside as she slips into the church. A few minutes later she reappears, the pink heart on a red square now absent from her health bar. She's looking at her feet as she returns to my side, but I know from experience that her quiet poker face is a good thing. I consider giving Yuki a hug, but settle instead for just saying "I'm glad you're okay."

Yukiko shrugs, and a moment later hands me a note.

We cross the lawn to the Tree of Caduceus, taking care not to accidentally trample any flowers. The Tree is silent, and… I realise I have no idea what I'm actually doing here. I look at Yukiko to see if she knows what's going on but she's not looking at me at all - her eyes are off in the distant trees, head tilted back and ears tuned like satellite dishes to something beyond my senses.

Stephanie said to touch the tree, so–

A stylised rendition of the Tree of Caduceus in miniature appears in the air in front of my eyes. Myriad grey boxes filled with unreadable text cover my field of view, each connected via a white branch to a central trunk in a literal skill tree. Very clever. A handful of boxes were illuminated in the familiar white of the other dialogue boxes in this game, and their text was legible. It was easy to intuit the others were inaccessible for some reason.

I read the text on Sunstrike up until I get to the cosmetic change, and then I skip straight to the cosmetic text on the next three.

"U-uhhm?" I ask nobody in particular. I pull my hands away from the Tree to exit the UI, then touch the bark again.

The same four spells appear illuminated, with exactly the same cosmetic changes.

"Uumm, Yuki?" I ask hesitantly.

She turns around with the remnants of a smile that quickly dissolves back into her usual resting poker face.

"Touch the tree. It's giving me some weird options."

I have a hunch I know why.

Yukiko obliges, silently stepping up to the Tree and touching the bark. I see her brow twitch in real time as she reads the tooltips. When she's finished she meets my expectant gaze again.

"Do you have pervy cosmetic changes too?" I ask.

Yuki nods subtly but says nothing.

"What's up with all the pervy stuff in this game? I thought this was… y'know. A normal game? Not an 18 thing. Doesn't this weird you out?"

Yukiko retrieves some parchment from her inventory and writes another note.

I exhale a disappointed breath as I read the note.

"I'm sorry you have to–"

Yukiko's looking at me, the picture of innocence, with… very obviously increased bust size.

"Y-you… you didn't." I stammer.

Yuki just shrugs, and I have to try very hard not to steal a glance at her cleavage as she does so, but she can't stop the corners of her lips from curling up in a smile. She places her hands on the Tree again, newly expanded boobs jiggling through the open sleeves of her tunic as she returns to her spell tree.

I sigh deeply. I… I really don't want to deal with any of these cosmetic changes. I grit my teeth, and not for the first time since starting this game I ask myself what I'm doing here.

I'm… I'm playing a video game. Killing monsters, looting treasure, getting stronger.

I'm playing with two girls.

I'm trying to get with at least one of them.

Stephanie's words echo in my head. "Girls like confident guys. Girls like guys that know how to have fun. Just roleplay as Cassie for now."

I place my hands against the bark of the Tree in resignation, and once the UI is visible I deign to pick the three spells with the least awkward cosmetic changes.

As soon as I make my selection, two new spells branch off from Shield Smite.

I whisper an expletive under my breath as I read the cosmetic changes under these two new abilities. The effects sound useful, sure, but... At least these cosmetic changes aren't so obvious. I thought Cassie already – ugh, I shudder as I say my own name – thought Cassie already looked about as feminine as he could get without actually being a girl, but I didn't know why this game so clearly wanted to prove me wrong. I especially don't know why on earth VALKYRIE has cosmetic transformations for prostates. How does a VR headset even--

I realise I've got two options. I can pick the spells with the most subtle cosmetic changes, or I can pick the spells that are strongest.

On one hand, picking the strong spells would show I'm not afraid of looking 'girly'.

On the other hand, I really don't want to look more like a girl than I already do.

On the other other hand, picking the subtle cosmetic changes would let me see how much of this I can tolerate. But then, if I really can't stand any of these things then I can just log out and make a new character.

So… s-so… Damn it. Why is this so weird?!

I'm just going to take the least obvious ones, and then log out as soon as I can to make a new character. At least Vigilance and Sunward Shield were tank-oriented abilities, so I didn't look like a complete idiot for taking them.

I step away from the Tree of Caduceus and take a deep breath. I remember what happened when I got Goliath Slayer, and mentally prepared myself for that tingling warmth.

A moment later it began, fizzing gently in my gut as if I'd just drunk a bit too much soda. It grew warmer and diffused around my tummy and hips. And then, a moment later, it was gone.

I blinked twice. That was it? I expected way more. That was so much more subtle than the other time. More subtle than when I was with Lucille and she–

"Hwuuack." I feel like I've just been prodded in the gut from the inside out. My knees turn to jelly instantly and I fold in on myself, my ass bouncing on my ankles as I hit the ground before I even realise I'm falling. There's a feeling inside of me, fat and round and engorged and worryingly sensitive. It feels like a spherical bruise in my colon, a buzzing pearl of light, and a firecracker waiting to go off all at once. I set my jaw firmly and groan, making a very feminine hiss instead.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Yukiko yelps, dropping to the ground beside me.

I meet her eyes with a pained expression on my face, even as I try my best to contain it. I couldn't… there was no way I could tell Yuki what just happened.

"I-I'm, oof…" I shook my head and crawled back to my feet using the Tree of Caduceus to support me. The skill tree UI popped up again as if to taunt me.

"I'm fine. Let's just go to the inn."

Yukiko offers me a hand. I stare at it dumbly. I… I don't think she's ever done that before. I hesitate just a second too long and she withdraws it. I reach out to try to take it anyway but the shy catgirl whips her hand away entirely.

We share an awkward smile as we make our way off the lawn.

Yukiko and I had to ask a handful of guards for directions on our way to the inn. Virtually every NPC we met encouraged us to visit the Lustrous Heart, which would have seemed like a solid endorsement if, first, it didn't read as video game characters scripted to direct players toward the next quest objective, and second, if Stephanie hadn't given such a stern warning about staying away. Eventually, we were able to coax out the names of one other inn, the Crowned Stag, which Yukiko found agreeable enough.

The lanterns illuminating the streets were a pleasant touch to Lumberg at night, even if they were insufficient for my elven eyes to properly navigate the dark. More than once I found myself kicking my toe against the pavement or almost tripping over my own feet… though that might have been more due to the recent transformations to my hips than the darkness. At least, thankfully, those changes were hidden by the Armour of Sunlight's skirt, so Yukiko and Stephanie weren't likely to notice.

My cheeks burn as I read the note.

"How… did you know?"

Yuki scribbles another note and hands it to me.

I knit my brow at that. Talking quieter? I… it was possible, but on a hunch, I pulled up my UI and tapped on the very obvious "Milestones" tab.

"Oh… it's a Milestone that makes me talk quieter."

I purse my lips as I consider what other transformations this game has up its sleeve. If it can change how I talk without me even realising and can change… I shiver as I realise I can still feel my altered prostate if I focus on it, being gently and subtly stimulated every time I take an awkward step with my widened hips. It's faint enough that if I'm not paying attention I probably wouldn't notice it, but it's still there, and that thought is enough to leave me deeply disconcerted.

We arrive at the Crowned Stag while I'm still dwelling on my condition. Yuki steps aside and allows me to open the door for her, but it swings open itself as if aided by magic before I can touch it. The first thing I notice is the warm orange glow of flickering torches, which immediately reminds me of the Florid Rose, but as my eyes adjust to the comparative brightness of the Crowned Stag I realise just how different the two establishments are. The Stag's interior is rustic, homely, and inviting. The soft buzz of NPC conversation fills the air, loud enough to be a comforting white noise but not so loud that it becomes disturbing or bothersome. The throng of bodies and the numerous open flames from candles, lamps, and a hearth on one side of the common room lends plenty of warmth to the air. The walls are decorated with paintings and tapestries depicting natural beauty both humble and grandiose, likely all by the same artist (or picked from the same asset pack by the developers).

Long tables surrounded by chairs may once have been arranged neatly on the Crowned Stag's floorspace, but many hours of patrons drinking and talking and possibly even fighting have turned most of the first floor of the inn into a maze of chair legs and tilted tables. On the far end of the common room is an NPC standing diligently unoccupied, as if waiting to receive players. He's a large man, barrel-chested and rosy-cheeked, with a full head of curly orange hair going well past his shoulders. His shirt appears to have the first few buttons undone, his dark chest hair peeking up around his leather apron. He nods to us as we approach, giving us an easy and inviting smile.

"Welcome tae th' Crowned Stag, lasses! Ye two bonnie lasses look like a couple o' adventurers, dae ye no'? Am I richt in assumin' this be yer first nicht in Lumberg?"

I'm almost blown away by the power behind the man's Scottish accent… or whatever its equivalent in VALKYRIE is.

I open my mouth to introduce Yuki and myself, only to realise my mouth is already hanging open.

"U-uhh, yeah, we're adventurers. Umm. How much does a room cost?" My voice is trembling, and the innkeeper's eyes narrow as he tries to understand what I'm saying. At first I think it's an accent thing, but then I remember that Milestone.

I clear my throat, and then ask again.

"We're looking for a room! How much does a room cost at the Crowned Stag?!" I have to almost yell to make sure I'm heard over the sound of the patrons in the background, but the innkeeper smiles and nods.

"Fer ye bonnie lasses? I'll gladly gie ye a room fer five gold coins a nicht! Ye'll hae a cozy chamber tae yerseles, w' comfortable beds an' all. An' dinnae worry, lassies, there be a privy within th' room itself wi' a shower so ye can freshen up after yer travels." The innkeeper speaks a little more slowly now, to alleviate some of the weight of his tremendous accent.

"I'll be needin' yer names for th' bookkeepin', lassies. What might ye be called, may I ask?"

I feel an icy needle in my stomach as he asks that.

"U-uhh, my name-", I pause as I realise I need to speak louder. "My name is–".

My throat tightens up. I feel my cheeks flushing as blood is pushed into my face by the muscles tensing up all over my body.

I'm with Yuki now, not Stephanie. I don't want to be "Cassie". I don't want to tell this man my name is "Cassie". I turn to Yukiko, hoping she'll help, hoping she'll somehow understand and give the innkeeper my name, but she's staring at me with that wild and fearful look in her eye she has every time she has to speak in public.

I pull out a piece of parchment and the self-sharpening pencil, thinking I can write to Yukiko to ask her to say my name, but the lead refuses to bite into the paper. No, the lead isn't the issue. My fingers won't move. My body locks up like a mannequin until I give up and lift the pencil off the parchment.

I share another emphatic look at Yukiko, praying she'll understand me, but she just shakes her head almost imperceptibly.

"Is everythin' alright, lassies?" The innkeeper enquires. His brow is furrowed. I realise how suspicious it looks to refuse to give your name.

I quickly scribble "Please handle it" and shove the note into Yuki's hands, then push her forward to talk to the innkeeper.

Yukiko's body is locked almost rigid. Her poker face chips, cracks, and then shatters entirely as she speaks with a quivering wail, vowel sounds doubling and tripling up as she tries to talk.

"W-weia're, guh, we-we're we we I'm Yukiko! This is, this, we…" Yuki turns to me with terror in her eyes. I just have to shrug back, and hope, pray, that the uses my real name.

"W-w-I'm Yuekiou a-a-and th-c-c- this is j-j-f… Cassiieeee?!" Yukiko almost screams the last syllable. I look around and see some of the other patrons staring at us. Thank the Goddess Yukiko hasn't turned around, or else she'd be so embarrassed she'd melt. Or explode.

The innkeeper, blessedly, seems to have enough patience and composure for all three of us.

"Not a worry, lassies. I'll guid ye tae yer room. Jist follow me, and I'll make sure ye settle in right proper."

The moment we were safely inside our room Yukiko turned on me with fury. She punched me in the arm hard enough to make me lose a chunk of health (though not nearly as much as when Stephanie spanked me) and then shoved me up against a wall. She had a manic, crazed look in her eye, giving me a lethal death stare as she furiously made chicken scratches on parchment to shove in my face one after the next, some of them falling away before I can even read them.

I couldn't figure out a way to respond. Half of the words I tried to use my body refused to let me say, and the other half sounded so absurd and silly in my head that they couldn't possibly calm Yuki down.

I snatch one of the pieces of parchment paper and manage to write down the problem before Yuki punches me again.

I have to be selective with the words I use, but I finish with "Can you try to say my name?"

Yukiko stares at the note I wrote her, studying it carefully before she turns her eyes back to me. She's still grumpy, but her eyes don't have the manic edge they did ten seconds ago.

She looks at me appraisingly, head to toe, and waits a moment.

And another.

And then another.

Finally, she scribbles another note.

It turns out that Yukiko takes very long showers.

I'd long since curled up on one of the paired beds, assuming I'd be asleep before Yuki finally emerged from the shower. I was on the verge of nodding off when I heard the screech of the shower turning off and decided to stay up a little longer to offer another apology.

Yuki emerges from the bathroom into the dimly lit bedroom, her silhouette illuminated by the glow emanating from the bathroom. Her tantalizing, hourglass figure is wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Wrapped tightly around her body, it accentuates all of her curves even as the true size of her breasts is obscured by her arms tightly hugging the towel to her body. Her hair is apparently at least partly fur as it seems to have poofed up to multiple times its original volume, the fluffy bob cut making her ears look somehow even bigger and fluffier still.

I sit up and turn my full attention to her, and I can see some inner turmoil under her steady face. She hasn't quite recovered her full poker face from the disaster in the common room.

"S-so, uhh…" Yuki's voice trembles as she begins to speak. The fire from before is gone; she's a timid kitten once more. "Can you log out?"

The question hits me like a bolt of lightning. Was she… was she asking me to log out and leave her alone? Was she that upset with me?

"I… I can't log out." she continues.

S-so that means… she tried to log out in the shower? She tried to… tried to get away? Does she hate me now?

"I have washing in the machine that I need to take out," she states flatly.

There was a moment of silence for me to realise my heart was racing.

"Uhh, I can't log out either," I answer. "I noticed it earlier in the day too, when I was with Stephanie."

"Do you know why?" Yuki and I both ask each other in unison.

That answers that.

"Maybe… maybe it's just a bug and they're working on fixing it. Maybe we'll be able to log out after we wake up?" I offer. It sounds like wishful thinking even to my ears.

Yuki nods and then turns away from me, retreating back into the bathroom and closing the door with a solid click of a lock engaging.

I roll back onto the bed and pull the covers over me…

And then, just before restful sleep is able to claim me, I have a horrifying realisation.

If we can't log out then I'm stuck like this.

Chapter 8: Rhodeia Bound

Chapter Text

Yukiko's fluffy tail swishes across the bedspread in obvious but thankfully mild irritation. She's staring at nothing in particular, deliberately refusing to look me in the eye. I can never tell if it's because she's grumpy at me or if her anxiety is playing up when she does it, but it makes me feel uneasy either way. It was already mid-morning on our second day in VALKYRIE, and Yukiko was excited to explore parts of Lumberg she didn't get to see yesterday. I, on the other hand, was extremely hesitant to leave the inn until Stephanie came back. Partly because I was worried that Stephanie wouldn't be able to find us if we wandered off on our own, partly because having Stephanie nearby for guidance put some of my own anxiety at ease, and also… partly because I was afraid that Stephanie would be mad at me for not waiting. Mad at me - there was no way Stephanie would get mad at Yuki. I justified to myself that Stephanie wouldn't be mad at me either, she was way too chill and easygoing for that… but I couldn't put that nagging feeling to rest.

Yukiko pulls me out of my rumination as she suddenly goes rigid. Her ears perk up and swivel, locking on to some inaudible sound. She stands up off the bed and skirts around to the other side, pointedly putting me between herself and the door. I glance between the door and Yuki in confusion.

"What's wrong?" I ask, not really expecting an answer.

Yuki predictably doesn't give me one, instead fidgeting awkwardly. She summons her staff from her inventory and takes up a very timid ready stance, one hand gripping my sleeve, the other loosely holding her staff. Long seconds pass, every fibre of her being visibly on high alert… before apparently rethinking things. Yuki's staff disappears back into her inventory as she sits her butt back down on the bed and returns to her lounging just as quickly as she'd left it. I'm reminded of the way housecats sometimes pick a spot on the ceiling to stare at or the way a dog might bark at nothing just to creep their owners out.

A moment later, I hear it.

Creaking stairs. The distant yet familiar sound of boots on wooden floorboards.

Yukiko slides off the bed and stretches languidly, a tiny moan escaping her sealed lips as she pressed her chest forward and rolls her back in a very feline motion. I try to look away as Yuki stretches since I'm not a perv and I'm not about to check out my friend… but even seeing her sideboob in the periphery of my vision is enough to cause my penis to sir.

Once she's finished her brief stretch (adding another unnecessary moan at the end), Yukiko sidles up to the door. I follow her lead and then take a step further, reaching out to twist the doorknob and open the door.

The knob twists before my fingers touch it, the door swinging inward just slowly enough for me to hop out of the way. Standing on the other side of the door is Stephanie. But… not quite the same Stephanie I attempted to wave goodbye to last night.

Stephanie towered over me before, but I knew from having to studiously avoid staring at her boobs yesterday that my eyes were slightly below nipple level. Now even her underboob would almost clear my forehead, making her… what? Two inches taller? Three?

"Enjoying the view?" Stephanie chuckles in a voice that sounds even richer and deeper than I'd remembered.

My cheeks prickle with blush as I realise I was staring so I crane my neck to look respectfully at Stephanie's face instead. The first thing I notice is her smile. Stephanie's wearing a somewhat familiar lazy smile, but as my eyes naturally move higher get the feeling that only half of her face is smiling. The other half seems… tense. High-strung. Part of that comes from the subtle dark circles under her eyes, but even more than that Stephanie's eyes are not what I remembered. They were still that same brilliant reflective amber, piercing and intelligent and cunning, but now they were red throughout as if irritated. And bloodshot. They would have reminded me of the glazed look on a pot smoker's eyes if it wasn't for one last thing.

"A-are your eyes…" I trail off instead of finishing the question, unsure how to phrase it.

"Yeah, sorry, big night," Stephanie rubs her eyes with a chuckle as if that answered anything. Maybe it did?

"N-no, not the… I mean, your eyes are different."

"Ooooh, right. I picked up a Milestone last night that gave me slitted pupils. I'm like a cat, mrrow!" Stephanie says as she claws at the air playfully.

She was still smiling all the while, and her words were playful, but the slitted pupils combined with the bloodshot eyes gave Stephanie a disconcertingly intense look. Like a predator, even. It's only after Stephanie gives me another wink that I realise she's flushed.

"Have you… been drinking?" I ask cautiously.

Stephanie presses her fingers to her lips and giggles like a schoolgirl. "A little! Like I said, it was a big night!"

I exhale the breath I didn't realise I was holding. I guess she DID answer that.

"How did you find us anyway? We never told you where we were-"

Stephanie cuts me off by reaching over and ruffling my hair.

As soon as I ask the question I reason that the answer's obvious; Stephanie knows where every inn in Lumberg is. It was probably just a quick process of elimination for her to–

Stephanie leans in close to my face, halting my train of thought utterly as she whispers to me in a breathy purr, "All I had to do was follow the scent of my cute little cakeboy~".

I feel my eyes bulge out of my head. My mouth drops open - what on earth can I even say to that?

"I-I, I, uhh…", I stammer, totally confused about how to react. The butterflies in my tummy say I'm excited just to be this close to Stephanie. My head says I'm upset at being reminded of my sissy status, but my cock throbs excitedly as soon as Steph's breath tickles my skin.

Before I can think about it any further Yukiko chimes in.

"Uhh, Stephanie? Cass and I were wondering… I mean, last night…" Yukiko trails off and looks at me pleadingly to finish the sentence for her. I have to think a little before what she's trying to ask clicks.

"Oh, r-right! Stephanie, we can't log out!" I glance at Yuki to see if that's what she wanted me to ask and she nods appreciatively. "Do you have any idea what the deal is?"

"Huh? Yeah you can, you just-" Stephanie swishes her hand in the air in front of her, then pauses. "Oh. The log out button is greyed out."

"Yeah, that's what's happening with us too! Do you know why?" I ask optimistically. It's only after the words leave my lips that I realise just how hopeful I am that I can log out of Cassie before things get any weirder for me.

Unfortunately, Stephanie is already shaking her head. "No idea! Probably server congestion from too many people being online at once?"

"But we've been trying to log out all night. Why would the servers still be-"

Stephanie just shrugs again, interrupting me. "It's probably not a big deal, I wouldn't worry!"

I nod in agreement. Not because I'm not worrying, I'm worrying plenty, I'm just loathe to disagree with Stephanie.

"Anyway! I totally forgot to check if you had your class spells before we went wolf hunting yesterday. So here!"

"Go ahead, use them."

I learn the spells I can and make a mental note to return to the other skill books later.

Yukiko's gesturing in the air too, evidently processing her own skill books.

"Summon!" Yukiko shouts boldly. Before the word's even finished echoing a tiny little ball of fluff appears on Yuki's shoulder. One squeal of joy later and Yuki's swiped the fuzzball up into a tight cuddle, sandwiching the weird little creature betwixt her bosom.

Yuki notices where my eyes are looking, and supplies an answer to a question I didn't even know I needed to ask.

"Her name is Marigold. I've only just met her, but I love her."

The fuzzball rotates in her arms until it turns what counts as its face toward me, and only then do I realise it has two great big puppy dog eyes… and I swear it smirks at me smugly before turning back around to nuzzle at Yuki's breasts.

"Are you gonna say 'thanks'?" Stephanie prompts with a smile.

"Tha–" I begin

"THANK YOU STEPHY!" Yuki squeals over me, bounding over to stand on her tippy toes and give Stephanie a hug… which incidentally sandwiched 'Marigold' between twice the number of tits. Stephanie returns the hug firmly, and with a feeble-sounding puff 'Marigold' disappears from between their shared bosom.

"Oh." Yuki sounds disappointed.

"Yyeeaah, they're pretty fragile," Stephanie explains.

"Anyway!" Stephanie claps her hands together for emphasis. "We got enough gold from killing wolves to pay the toll. Are you guys done here? I wanna, y'know." Steph points both thumbs over her shoulders while making a clicking sound with her tongue. "Rhodeia Polis."

After saying our farewells to the innkeeper, Yuki and myself with a self-conscious wave and Stephanie by blowing a kiss, Stephanie directed us back to Lumberg's town square.

"We're taking the portal from the embassy to Rhodeia, but we've gotta get adventurer's badges for clearance first. It's a simple process, only costs a couple gold coins." Stephanie exposits as we stroll along, having positioned herself between Yukiko and me, one hand lazily resting on each of our shoulders. Or at least, that's where it had started.

"The guards at the portal won't let you through unless you've got a badge, and you can't get a badge unless you sign paperwork at the Adventurer's Guild, so we're…" Stephanie trailed off as she stared at something over the top of Yukiko's head.

"Wow, your ears are so fluffy." Stephanie drawls, leaning over to wrap her lips around the fluffiest part of Yukiko's ear. Yuki, for her part, seems more confused than flattered, allowing her taller friend to do… whatever it is she's doing. Once Steph's satisfied her own curiosity that, yes, Yukiko's fur does indeed taste like fur, she straightens back up and shakes her head vigorously.

"So yeah, we have to go to the Guild to get the… have I said this already?"

"Yes." Yuki and I both say in unison.

"Twice," Yuki adds.

"Ooh, shit." Stephanie takes her hands off our shoulders to slap her cheeks as if she were trying to wake herself up. "Fuck."

When Steph's hands find their way back to us, she… well, it's hard to see what the hand on the opposite side of her body is doing, but her right hand roams over my shoulders, then up and down my back, pressing inquisitively. The presence of her hand disappears for a moment as she runs her fingers over the back of my breastplate, then reappears all at once as she toys with my hair from the back. Stephanie hums to herself as her fingers slide up into my scalp, scritching my hair as if I was a puppy. The tiny amount of humiliation I feel is eclipsed by the satisfying buzz of her nails massaging my skin and toying with my hair. It feels intoxicating, and I can't suppress my quiet groan as the tingles in my scalp get the better of me. Before I know what's happening I'm resting against Stephanie's flank, head nestled just under her boobs as her fingers trail away from my scalp to grasp an elfin ear, wrapping a fist around it before stroking and massaging in a way that feels very suggestive, especially when she teases the extreme tip.

Yukiko gasps from the opposite side of Stephanie, and when I look over I see Steph's fingers knuckle deep inside Yuki's fluffy ears, pumping in a come hither motion and tweaking the furry protrusions at the top of her ears.

I clear my throat to try to get Stephanie's attention, feeling like maybe we're being a little too public with this display of affection. Yukiko gets the message instantly and pulls her head back to drag Stephanie's fingers out of her ears. Steph isn't quite so willing, giving my cheek a punitive slap before letting me go.

"Aww c'mon Cassie, don't be like that," Stephanie playfully protests, her voice dripping with affectionate sass. "I'm just letting my two favourite girls know I love 'em!"

My cheeks heat up at being called a 'girl', but I know it's best to keep my mouth shut. Pretend I don't care, right?

"Anyway! We're here." Stephanie announces suddenly.

I was so distracted by… well, Stephanie, that I hadn't even noticed we'd stopped walking.

Before us stood the Adventurer's Guild, as promised.

I was expecting something humble given how Stephanie had talked about the Guild as if it were just a place to do paperwork, but the Guild was easily the largest structure in the square.

The building was obviously very new, with neatly hewn creamy orange brickwork and polished wooden accents lacking the weathering of its seasoned neighbours. In spite of this, it's clear the architects made a conscious effort to ensure that the building harmonized with its surroundings. If only they'd put as much effort into ensuring the building wasn't crooked…

With time the Guild would likely blend seamlessly in with the existing architecture of Lumberg Square… that is, if buildings in VALKYRIE simulate aging in any way.

Looking at the glorious entrance, two double-wide wooden doors bearing carvings of a joint scene of heroism, thrown wide in invitation, I can't help but feel a surge of excitement. The Guild seems to ooze a promise of adventure as if to say "This is where your journey truly begins!", or some equally kitschy tagline.

As we step through the grand entrance of the Adventurer's Guild, I am immediately enveloped by the vibrant energy that fills the air. People move about with a purpose, their conversations and preparations creating a lively ambience. A multitude of fragrances tickle my nose, most of which I couldn't possibly name from memory. At the forefront is the scent of paper and ink.

A sea of names, health bars, and Milestone counts proves that the majority of the people inside the Guild are fellow adventurers, but numerous NPCs still scurry about through the crowd. The sound of eager voices discussing strategies and sharing stories creates a symphony of anticipation. Accompanying and underscoring that is the rustle of clothes and a rhythmic thunk of some heavy object landing repeatedly against the floorboards. That sound in particular sounds oddly close, almost as if it was coming from right next to me.

And it was.

Stephanie was making herself busy by jumping in place.

At first, I thought it might have been to see over the crowd, but Stephanie was one of the tallest characters in the hall. She could easily see over all but the tallest heads. Then I wondered if maybe she was trying to get someone's attention from across the room. But Steph proved that wrong too by returning my gaze with a wide smile.

"What's up buttercup?" She said with a chipper, only slightly breathy tone.

"Uhh… what are you doing?"

"Dunno! Just felt like jumping." Steph breaks the eye contact as soon as she answers, head on a swivel. The jumping continues as Yukiko and I share a confused (and slightly concerned) look. None of the other players seem to be paying Stephanie's energetic overload any heed, which I'm thankful for.

Realising that Stephanie is otherwise occupied, I gesture to Yukiko to follow me over to the reception desk situated on the far side of the guild hall. There's a small maze of rope barriers designed to create an orderly queue for the players in front of the desk, but it's clear that none of the players take the authority of the rope barriers seriously enough to actually line up. An enormous orc sits behind the desk, his imposing figure barely contained within a too-tight suit and tie that seems utterly anachronistic for this setting. The fabric strains against his bulk, looking like the buttons are one ferocious flex away from rocketing off to the other side of the hall. Contrasting the absurdity of his attire his demeanour appears professional, if perhaps a little bored.

Seeing that there's no queue I cut to the front of the line, looking back over my shoulder to double-check that Yuki is still following me. Stephanie, weirdly, seems to have vanished from the spot she was jumping in. Obviously, she'd be fine, so I put her out of my mind… only to realise she's actually standing right next to me as she wraps a lazy arm around my shoulders. The orc inhales audibly before speaking, buttons barely hanging on.

"Welcome, esteemed travellers, to the illustrious Lumberg Adventurer's Guild." The orc's voice is deep and effortlessly booming, but shockingly refined, especially since it's coming from his fiercely tusked visage, should maybe that shouldn't be a surprise since the only other orc I'd encountered in VALKYRIE so far had also been well-spoken. The orc shuffles a stack of paper behind his desk before he continues, leaning forward over the desk to get a better look at us. Or at least at Yuki and myself, who so obviously lack Stephanie's height.

"How might the Guild assist you, fine adventurers, on this most auspicious of days?" The orc's words are enunciated immaculately but carry a hint of sarcasm.

Stephanie squeezes me reassuringly, encouraging me to speak for our trio.

"We're here to, uhh…" I look up at Stephanie for guidance, but she just smiles back warmly. I swallow reflexively, there's something very disconcerting about her slitted pupils staring down at me.

"These two little munchkins have gotta sign up with the Guild!" Stephanie chimes in.

I can't help but grimace.

The orc receptionist nods, fishing out three identical sheets of paper with neatly scribed text and numerous boxes. "Here are your registration forms." He says with calm authority.

The text is completely illegible, but a dialogue box pops up helpfully in the middle of my vision.

I click "Accept" and the paperwork fills instantaneously with yet more illegible text that I can only assume are my details.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild association. Here are your badges, designating you as Guild Adventurers." The orc handed each of us a plain brass badge which shimmered the moment it touched our fingers, etching text onto its face in the process.

"You're welcome to relax in the guild hall at your leisure or to peruse the notice boards. Is there anything else we can help you with?"

Before the orc has even finished speaking Stephanie is guiding Yuki and me away from the desk with a hand between our shoulder blades.

The store Stephanie was directing us to was actually located right next door to the Guild. Unlike the Guild, which was a brand new building purpose-built to host players, this storefront had all the signs of a long life. Bowed wooden struts, depressions worn into the pavement by the steps of uncountable feet over decades, if not centuries, sturdy woody vines that had long since embedded themselves in the mortar of the building forming a living lattice around the weathered bricks. The only thing that appeared outwardly new was the sign across the front of the door with the most uninspired name I could imagine, "Lumberg Keepsake Store", which had taken the place of whichever sign had hung there previously.

The interior of the store seemed to be an odd mix of an inn and jewellery store, most likely the former repurposed to be the latter. What was once the common room has been reorganised with benches forming aisles for customers, with boxes and trays arrayed atop them, filled to varying degrees with knick-knacks and trinkets and baubles, rings and earrings and necklaces, and plenty more things whose names I couldn't guess.

Stephanie explained that these were Keepsakes, VALKYRIE's other variety of equipment. Typically they conferred few raw stats and instead gave numerous weird and wonderful alternative effects.

"Pretty much everything you see in here was gathered by other adventurers and then sold off to the store. Most players have no idea what they're doing with these so you can actually find great bargains. Like, look at this!" Stephanie exclaims as she fishes out a dull, rusted ring that looks like it's been inlaid with barbed wire rather than anything actually precious.

Stephanie rummaged around inside one of the boxes, grabbing another Keepsake seemingly at random.

"Like, fucking, look at this! Look at this! Someone actually sold this!"

I smile and nod, pretending as if this all made complete sense.

Stephanie looked over at me to see if I was comprehending, and I guess she could tell I wasn't on the same level.

"Specific buffs like this are fine. Better than fine, even. You should just have a bunch of Keepsakes in your inventory that you swap in and out depending on the content you're doing. Don't get scared off by hyper-specificity, that's what happened to whoever sold this in the first place. 70% water resistance is just crazy strong, especially off a single Keepsake."

"Oh… kay. How many should we buy then?"

"Who's 'we'? You still owe me 5k gold. You're too poor to buy any of these." Stephanie wears a smirk as she says that, but it doesn't really feel like she's smiling.

Steph then hefts an entire box of Keepsakes off the bench, dragging it over to the mousey-looking woman behind the counter.

Yukiko's window shopping too, but her focus is on the expensive-looking higher-level Keepsakes arranged in trays. I wonder if she's even looking at their effects or if she's only considering them as fashion accessories… and I have my answer as I approach and examine the elaborate gold chain Yuki's got her eyes on.

"Okay, I've got my Exodia of Shittiness now." Stephanie announces.

She raises her hand proudly to showcase three very unimpressive-looking rings. There's one girthy tarnished bronze band covered in blue-green corrosion, one utterly nondescript pewter ring, and the last is a thin silver ring with a vacant mounting suggesting the gemstone that it used to house has been stripped. A simple rawhide band serves as a bracelet, upon which two cloudy marbles are threaded.

"Why would you-" I begin to ask before Stephanie cuts me off.

"Because with these shitty things limiting my power level, I can actually play with you guys properly!" Stephanie declares excitedly. Her smile is enormous, possibly the biggest it's ever been, all at the prospect of being able to play with us.

I'm smiling back as I think of the right thing to say, some subtle and cheeky play on words maybe, when I glance up out of curiosity to check what Stephanie's Milestone count is.

24.

"What the fuck." My voice is so quiet I almost can't hear it.

"What's up sweetie?" Stephanie tilts her head quizzically.

"Y-your Milestone level! Wasn't it like 13 yesterday?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"B-but, how? It took us hours just to get, like, two?!"

Stephanie's smile curls up at the corners as if she finds my reaction very funny.

"Told ya I got busy last night. I was aiming to hit 30 but I got stonewalled by the Prestige rank since it was nighttime, couldn't risk getting gangbanged and losing my progress."

I gulp at the term 'gangbanged', both because it instantly conjures an image of Stephanie on her hands and knees surrounded by cocks and because even with the little of this game I'd seen so far half of me believes 'gangbanged' might be an actual game mechanic.

"Hard to imagine, right? Me, laid out flat on my back, ten different orcs standing over me with their cocks out as they–"

"STEPH!" Yukiko yelps.

"Too far? Sorry Yuki." Steph shoots Yuki the least sincerely apologetic look she can muster.

I swallow the saliva in my mouth, looking away from both Yuki and Stephanie. I kind of want Stephanie to continue, but I can't risk being horny like that in front of Yuki.

Clearing my throat, I try to change the subject back to the Keepsakes we're surrounded by.

"You want me to lend you even more money so you can buy a Keepsake?" Stephanie asks, feining incredulity. "Do I look like a bank to you?!"

"I-I, I mean, no, but… didn't you say you wanted to play the game with us? Isn't this, y'know, playing the game?"

"Please, Stephy?" Yuki tries on her best puppy dog eyes (or kitty cat eyes, technically), holding up the ornate necklace she was looking at before.

Stephanie eyes the necklace sceptically, before giving Yuki a look that says "Surely you jest." It only takes a moment for Steph to sigh in resignation, the circles under her eyes suddenly seeming much darker.

"I'll get you a Keepsake if you promise to pay me back, and if you let me buy you something that doesn't totally suck."

"But I want one that looks nice…" Yuki complains plaintively, fingering the delicate gold chain of the necklace in the tray.

Stephanie just reaches over into a box without even looking at what she's doing and withdraws a slender silver chain with a heart-shaped bezel holding a small red gemstone reminiscent of a ruby.

"Happy?" Steph asks.

"Happy!" Yuki chirps back, necklace already secured around her neck, the tip of the heart-shaped ruby not quite resting between her breasts. A second later Marigold crawls up from between Yuki's cleavage, sliding its fuzzy head under the necklace to wear it like a crown.

"What about me?" I ask, hoping I'll be included in Stephanie's generosity.

"You really want to go even deeper into debt?" Stephanie asks absently. The way she rubs her eyes as she speaks implies she's not really that worried about me being indebted to her. When she's finished her face seems a touch red, like the skin's irritated. She purses her lips as she thinks about it. She lets go of that tension with a wet 'pop' as she opens her lips.

"How about this? Up your debt to me to 20k, and let me pick out the Keepsake so you're not pissing my money away."

My eyes bulge at the figure. Twenty thousand? After killing the wolves yesterday I barely have enough to give Stephanie back the five thousand she'd lent me. It'd take me weeks to repay twenty thousand!

"Or…" Stephanie purrs conspiratorially. "You could agree to owe me a favour."

"A favour?" I repeat. I wonder if Stephanie means, like, a normal IRL favour, or if this is some kind of game mechanic.

"Just a regular, normal favour, for me to cash in whenever I feel like it." Steph seems to pre-empt my question.

I glance at Yuki for guidance but she's busy playing with Marigold, both hands buried deep in the summoned fuzzball's fur.

I swallow as I consider what kind of 'favour' Stephanie could ask for. I know what I hope the favour is, but that's just wishful thinking.

With perhaps more apprehension than it deserves, I agree to Steph's terms. Not even a second later she's dangling a choker made of polished bronze plates in front of my face. It's fairly wide and seems to have some kind of softer fabric lining the inside, implying it'd be quite comfortable to wear. Disconcertingly though, there's a robust loop attached to the front of the choker.

I baulk at the flavour text.

"You can always say no~" Stephanie purrs, her usual confident smirk returning as she feeds me a wink.

I hesitate. Am I… am I really going to wear a choker for Stephanie?

"Not used to wearing a choker? Don't worry, I'll help."

Steph steps forward and places a hand on the back of my head, pushing me straight into her chest so her breasts rest on my head. I can feel my face burning as blood rushes to my cheeks. Her hands work swiftly, pressing the necklace and amulet I'm wearing out of the way as she wraps the collar around my neck, cinching it shut deftly. My first reaction is panic at the tight fit, but once that fleeting moment passes I realise it's actually quite comfortable. Reassuring, even, like a gentle hand wrapped around my neck. Stephanie slips a finger into the choker and tugs me back away from her until I'm standing approximately where I was before being shoved into her chest.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Steph drawls through her smug smirk.

"B-but I didn't-" I protest.

"Didn't say yes? Are you going to say no, then?" Steph raises an eyebrow at me. She already knows what my answer is.

"Good girl."

A warm, tingly feeling immediately takes hold in my chest. Much as I hate to admit it, hearing Stephanie call me a 'good girl' makes me feel aroused more than humiliated, so the pout I give her is a little less potent than it should be.

"Stephanie! Don't call him that..." Yuki's admonishes.

"But he has female pronouns now! It's literally-" Steph looks back at me to see that my pout is much more intense now that Yuki's involved.

"Fine, fine, have it your way. Good boy~." Stephanie draws out the last syllable, emphasizing it by tugging my cheek. The warm tingly feeling intensifies. Stephanie chuckles as she turns to the tiny woman behind the counter, settling payment with a few swipes in the air before we set off to our next destination.

As we walked to the Rhodeian Embassy Stephanie once again took up her spot between Yuki and me. At first, the hand on our shoulders seemed to be to make sure that Yuki and I didn't get lost along the way, but the longer we walked the tighter Steph's grip became. I looked over to check on her and realised she was sweating.

"Steph, is everything okay?" I ask.

"Y-yeah, yeah, everything's fine. I'm feeling great." Stephanie's voice is strained as if the muscles in her gut are tensed.

I turn my gaze higher and realise she's missing a chunk of health. Experimentally I touch a hand to Stephanie's hip and chant "Cure". A chunk of green returns to Stephanie's health bar, almost filling her to full. She smiles at me through obvious discomfort.

"Thanks, dude."

As soon as Stephanie says that, I feel a warm tingle that feels almost familiar already. "You're welcome. Are you sure you're okay though? You look… I mean, you're sweating a lot, and your scales look dull. Do you want to sit down for a bit?"

Stephanie groans at my concern, taking her hand off my shoulder.

"I'm fine. Seriously. I just sweat a lot after I've been drinking, and I was mining in a dry riverbed last night. I haven't washed all the clay off yet. See?" Stephanie spits into her hand and rubs vigorously at the scales on her cheeks. Sure enough, after a little polishing, they've returned to their usual sparkling selves, gleaming in the midday sun.

"It's under my nails too. Look." Stephanie turns her palm over to me and makes a show of digging some rusty red-brown dirt out from under her nails, flicking it casually to the ground as we walk.

"By the way, when we get to the Embassy…" Stephanie runs her hands through her hair, stopping for a moment to full-body stretch. "Aahh, yeah, when we get to the Embassy there's a chance the diviners will pull you aside to give you a magical scan. It's random but happens more often the stronger you look. If they make a big deal of scanning you, take it as a compliment." Steph finishes her stretch with a yawn.

It takes about another ten minutes of walking through Lumberg before we arrive at the Embassy. The building is large and well looked after, but from the outside seems quite tame, especially when compared with the fairy tale whimsy on display across most of the rest of the Arcane Quarter. Constructed of stone brick and wood, if anything the Embassy might be accused of trying too hard to fit in. In spite of this, it has an air of dignified authority that ironically makes it the most attention-grabbing building on this section of the thoroughfare.

Stephanie raps her knuckles against the door confidently, then takes a step back. The sound of footsteps can be heard from the other side of the door as someone scampers to let us in. When the door swings open, I'm surprised to see not a human, or even an orc or a gnome, but a humanoid lizard creature with metallic copper scales covering him head to toe. The lizardman looks at the three of us in turn, studying us a moment before opening the door fully to allow us entry.

"Welcome to the Rhodeian Embassy, noble allogenes." The lizardman seems to hiss, though not with malice as he bows respectfully to the three of us. "What business have you with the Embassy today?" The lizardman walks to his desk backwards, showing us his front and half-bowing to us the entire time. He chooses not to sit down once he's there, remaining at attention likely until we dismiss him.

"Relax, Adrian. We're here to use the portal." Steph answers.

"Of course, of course! Might you require an escort?" The lizardman strikes me as obsequious in his attentiveness, but I offer him a polite smile.

"We're fine. Thanks though." Steph dismisses the lizardman more firmly this time, gesturing at him to stay put.

"As you wish, Mistress Connor. As you wish." Adrian bows his head deeply, only now returning to his desk.

The portal was actually located in the basement of the Embassy, set in a great marble arch against the back wall of the vast and open chamber. The portal itself showed what I first assumed was the mirror image of the basement it was housed in but tinted slightly blue, but after I noticed enough discrepancies I realised it must actually be showing the room on the opposite end of the portal. There was little else in the room beyond a small office on the near side of the room, likely for the NPCs to do whatever stuff the NPCs did, and another series of rope barriers set up to allow players to queue that would in all likelihood be neglected just as much as the ones in the Adventurer's Guild. A handful more lizard people are hard at work around the portal, one engrossed in paperwork standing to one side of the portal, another seemingly deep in concentration with one hand pressed against the portal's marble arch.

"Hail, allogenes!" Yet another lizard person calls out. This one has a feminine voice, and as we approach I realise she has many other feminine features as well, like a narrow waist, wide hips, and, confusingly, breasts. I briefly wonder why a lizard would need breasts before I remember - this is a video game, and they're definitely catering to the furries (or scalies, in this case).

"Yeah, hey. One trip to Rhodeia Polis, please." Stephanie says to the attendant.

The lizard woman looks between the three of us with a slight squint.

"Of course. The toll is fifty Geldish noughts. I trust you have your adventurers badges with you?"

Stephanie's already got hers ready, but Yuki and I have to find rummage around in our inventories to locate our badges. Once we find them, the attendant summons over one of the other lizardfolk, a wiry and serpentine fellow with pale ashen scales.

He approaches Yukiko first, waving his hand up and down her body as he mutters incantations under his breath. In spite of the obviously magical nature of his actions, his expression is one of boredom, as though this is as mundane for him as signing paperwork. He spares a perhaps overlong glance at Yukiko's chest before moving on.

Next, he steps up to me, and I feel a very slight tickling sensation as his magic studies me. I realise this must be the diviner Stephanie mentioned before.

Finally, he steps up to Stephanie, and almost immediately pauses. He shares a look with Stephanie, a hint of a smile curling at his scaly lips.

"Mistress Connor. A pleasure to see you again. Getting into trouble, I assume?"

Stephanie smiles at the lean lizard, though her smile isn't quite as relaxed.

The diviner begins to wave his hand over Stephanie's body but goes rigid almost immediately. His brow knits and his incantations suddenly change. He turns to the attendant, who becomes visibly alarmed. She puts herself between Stephanie and Yukiko and me.

"Excuse me, allogenes. We need to examine Miss Connor more thoroughly. Might you take a seat?"

Yuki and I share a worried glance, but Stephanie speaks over the attendant's shoulder.

"Relax. This is pretty much right on time. Aurelius is a stickler for procedure. I'll be out in like ten, fifteen tops."

Yukiko and I are free to roam the Embassy while we wait. I expect to mill around the place aimlessly, but almost as soon as Stephanie has been pulled away Yuki tugs on my sleeve.

I shake my head. "Smelled fine to me. Maybe a little sweaty, but her sweat smells-". I thought better of finishing that thought to Yukiko's face.

Yukiko scribbles another note, then scrunches it up. She scribbles a second, then a third, scrunching up both of those, before finally settling on a fourth.

I try to give Yuki a reassuring smile but she's not interested, choosing instead to make herself busy inspecting the far corners of the room.

I decide to spend the time asking the NPCs a little about the place. I learn that these lizardfolk are actually the dragonborn featured on the promotional material, the same species that Stephanie herself chose to be (or chose to half-be, at least). I also learn that the Embassy is actually quite busy, with other players appearing at regular intervals to use the public portal, enough that a line actually does end up forming in the basement even as we're waiting. I can tell the NPCs are desperate to exposit lore at me, but thankfully none of them trap me in conversation for more than a handful of minutes.

Less thankfully, quite a few of the players that pass through ogle openly at Yukiko. I say nothing, feeling like I'd just be drawing attention and making it worse, especially since Yukiko either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Probably the former, since she's probably never been ogled like this IRL.

One guy even swaggers over to Yuki, a tall and thin human with shoulder-length shiny black hair that I could best describe as a 'generic anime dude', who was apparently ready to shoot his shot.

"Hey there, ladies." He says with a suggestive tone.

Wait, 'ladies'? Does he mean-

"What are two beautiful creatures like you doing in this dreary place? Care for some company?"

Yuki takes notice now, sharing a look with me. Her lips are pursed, but she says nothing, not that I expect her to.

"Sorry, but we're not… I mean, I'm not-" I try to say two things at once, and the foolish guy misinterprets it as me being flustered.

"Tongue-tied? I know, I have that effect on some people." He gives me what I'm sure he thinks is a roguish grin but to me, it just looks cringeworthy.

"No! You don't, you don't even-" My protests have an embarrassingly high-pitched edge to them, so far from the stern rebuttal I'm trying to summon.

"If you head back to my place I could tie up some other parts of you, too."

I shiver in disgust at that mental image, imagining the greasy fingers of whoever was on the other side of that character coming anywhere near me, but he again misreads the signal, stepping up to me. I inhale a breath to really give him a piece of my mind when suddenly both of his hands wrap around my waist. His (surprisingly large) hands find their way to my buttocks, and he gives me a firm two-handed grope.

I grunt as I feel an unfamiliar but instantly recognizable sensation vaguely behind my butt. Not because of his hands on my ass exactly, but because one of his fingers has found itself right against my rim, and the pressure is being felt inches deeper.

I punch at his chest immediately, but with the awkward angle it's more of an ineffective slap.

"L-let me go! Let me go!" I squeal, but he just digs his fingers in harder. I feel a lurching fullness just behind my penis, and almost immediately I begin to grow hard in spite of how repulsed I am.

I try to reel back an arm to deliver a proper slap to his face to get him to let go when I realise there's a shadow leaning over him.

A familiar, scarlet-tinted shadow.

One large hand tipped with ferocious red nails is placed threateningly close to the man's throat. The other reaches around in front of his face, picking a chunk of red-brown dirt out from under Steph's nails and flinging it pointedly at his nose. Stephanie says in a half-growl, half-whisper, "Find your own fucking femboy."

"H-he's a dude?!" The guy yelps in fright, withdrawing his hands from me instantly.

"I tried to tell you…" I say in a tiny voice, but he's halfway up the stairs before I've finished.

"Y'alright Cassie?" Steph asks, touching a nail gently to my cheek to brush some hair out of my face.

"Y… yeah, I'm okay." I'm not. My ego is bruised in multiple places, I've still got this inexplicable boner, and now that I've been made aware of it it's impossible to go back to ignoring the presence of my altered prostate.

After that unfortunate event, the three of us approach the marble portal once more. Now that we've been cleared by the diviners a prompt appears once we're close enough to touch the blue-tinted surface.

Stephanie pays the toll immediately and steps through, followed by Yuki a moment later.

I chew my lower lip as I look at my gold count, wondering if Stephanie is still expecting me to pay back the five thousand gold pieces I borrowed.

Chapter 9: Empire of Yester-Year

Chapter Text

It only took a single step across a wafer-thin sliver of starry void to cross from Lumberg to Rhodeia Polis. I couldn't even pinpoint the moment I'd left versus the moment I'd arrived. Even the temperature of the two rooms and the ambience were similar. What wasn't similar, as I noted immediately, was the architecture of the room. From the Lumberg side, I assumed the portal was a mirror at first, but now that I'm standing on the Rhodeian side I realise how completely different the rooms actually are. The mind only sees what it wants to see, I think to myself wryly, remembering the player who mistook me for a girl not five minutes ago.

The blue tint of the portal had obfuscated the fact that on this side of the portal the entire room, from floor to wall to ceiling, was polished white marble. Sturdy pillars at regular intervals held up the high ceiling. While I assumed we'd jumped from one basement to another, this room seemed far too extravagant and flamboyant to be a mere basement. The walls were covered in intricate carvings of things that were likely very impressive if I had any idea what the lore of this world was. Every entry and exit to this room was adorned with a decorative archway. And the last thing I noticed, but likely the first thing Yukiko noticed with her eye for fashion, was that all of the NPCs on this side of the room were dressed to the nines. Every NPC I could see was adorned with elegant, flowing robes in a multitude of styles and colours, some one-shoulder gowns that gave the impression of affected effortless grace, others wore embroidered robes, and some few others wore stylish and tailored tunics that somehow made them stand out more for their humility. Posted at the exit of the room were a pair of heavily armoured guards wielding halberds half again as tall as themselves. Outside of the few player characters trickling out of the room, I noticed that every single NPC in this room was some sort of dragonborn. Most of them were decidedly on the scaly end of the spectrum, but a few (primarily female) NPCs were more humanoid, though none of them to the same degree as Stephanie.

There's a coterie of particularly lavishly adorned dragonborn wearing copious amounts of garish gold jewellery that occasionally greet passing players. They seem to notice Stephanie and begin approaching us, but Stephanie has other plans, merely giving them a dismissive wave to acknowledge their existence before grabbing my wrist and pulling Yuki and me swiftly out of the room. I feel as though the guards are leering at us as we rapidly descend the stairs leaving the portal room.

"Had to scoot before they tried to lore dump on us," Stephanie explained as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I mean I just assumed you guys didn't want to stand there while they yapped about their glorious history for the next half hour when I could explain what you need to know in about thirty seconds. Do you want it in a nutshell or do you not really give a shit either way?"

We exited yet another lavishly adorned archway into the open air.

Yep, definitely not a basement.

We're standing on a tall hill overlooking a truly magnificent city. White marble and sandstone dominate the cityscape. I'm no history buff but clearly whoever it was that designed this city was a big fan of ancient Greek or Rome or something, every single building seems to be an homage to that ancient architectural style. The fluted columns of Rhodeia Polis stand out even from this distance, supporting roofs of a hundred different shapes and sizes - some domes, some pediments, and some other humbler dwellings even have familiar tiles. It must have taken hundreds of man-hours to model all of this. Thousands, even. Contrasting with Lumberg's greys and browns and greens, Rhodeia Polis is a city of white, cream, beige, and gold. Also contrasting with Lumberg's abundant and enormous trees is the almost total lack of green cover. Within the city limits it seems there are almost no trees at all, a concrete (or marble?) jungle from edge to edge.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Steph asks.

"Wh-what? Sorry, I was just-" I said, suddenly returning to reality.

"Do you want the lore in a nutshell?" She answers. I could hear the smile on her lips.

Realising how different Rhodeia Polis was from Lumberg, and how much grander, I figure that having a debrief would be a good idea. I give Stephanie a decisive nod.

"Okay. So. Here are the important bits. This is Rhodeia Polis, capital of Rhodeia. It's the dragonborn city-state. In the lore, they used to own about half the continent but now they're a shadow of their former glory and very salty about it. A bunch of the prouder ones are still clinging to the past. They're especially salty about their neighbours, Tincherage and Grungeld, some dragonborn even claim they still own them."

"How come you can remember all of these names but you couldn't remember Lucille's Goddess?" I tease.

Steph glares at me in response. "I wouldn't be talking shit about remembering names if I was you."

That stops me in my tracks.

"I remember the stuff that matters to me and the stuff that gets repeated to me hundreds of times by NPCs. Do you want me to skip the rest of the backstory?" Steph's got a tense smile on her face. I don't even know what I did wrong, how did I end up on thin ice?

"N-no. Sorry Stephanie, please continue."

Steph rubs her temples before continuing, exhaling loudly. I'm worried she'll give me more verbal lashes but she screws her eyes shut instead, slowly shaking her head from side to side.

"Fuck I'm looking forward to bed. Anyway, Rhodeia Polis. It used to be a city filled with canals with a thriving harbour and navy and fisheries and et cetera, but about a thousand years ago they pissed off a Goddess by the name of Cassiopeia Oraia," Stephanie pauses as she says the name, staring me dead in the eye, "who summoned a sea monster to poison their waters and blight their crops and yadda yadda. Shit's been sad times ever since. They drained the canals to stop the poison seawater from killing them, but the damage was done and now almost nothing grows here except a single type of weed. If anything else touches the water they start to slowly petrify. It affects players and NPCs too, the status is called Ebonblight. There's a ninety-nine percent chance an NPC is going to give you a fetch quest to get materials to make a cure at some point while you're here. Probably multiple."

"Is there anything else important to know?" I ask timidly.

"I forget." Stephanie practically spits the words at me.

"Stephanie!" Yukiko's single-word plea is enough to soften Stephanie's demeanour.

Steph rubs her eyes and sighs again. "I… sorry little dude. I don't know why I'm so agitated. I shouldn't have taken it personally."

"Apology acc-" I begin, but Steph cuts me off before I can finish.

"At least my memory's better when I'm pissed off." Once again Stephanie's wearing a smile that doesn't feel like a smile.

"STEPHANIE!" Yuki yells in a tone so uncharacteristically loud and forceful that it seems to startle both Stephanie and me.

I gulp nervously. "S-sorry Steph, I didn't-"

"Apology accepted, sweetie!" Now Steph's smile feels genuine, which somehow makes it even more alarming… but that doesn't stop my heart from fluttering.

"Let's hug and make up," Steph announces.

I don't even have time to question what's happening before Steph's got her hands under my butt cheeks, hefting my small body easily up to her chest height so she can sandwich my face in her breasts again. An unsteady gasp is squished out of my lungs as she lifts me higher still, squeezing my ass with a possessive roughness that makes me squirm. I'm embarrassed at being so thoroughly manhandled, but that embarrassment is eclipsed fourfold by the sheer fact that Stephanie is doing it. I realise I have an opportunity to "reciprocate" the hug, reaching my arms around her back to search blindly for her rump, but as soon as she realises what I'm doing she uses her elbows to knock my hands away. I take the hint and will myself to go limp in her arms, to simply allow her to hug me however she wants… but not all of me cooperates. I just know I'm rock-hard under my skirt from the contact, and it's only a matter of time until-

"See Yuki? He still likes me!" Stephanie announces for us both. My nose scrunches as I smell the alcohol on her breath. How much did she drink last night?!

One of her hands leaves my ass to find the back of my head, pushing my face down and into her breasts. With one fewer hand to support my butt I slip partly, causing Steph's fingers to dig in a little.

And then it happens.

Stephanie's ring and pinky fingers splay out to help catch me and support my weight, causing them to slide part of the way up between my thighs. Her ring finger especially is pressing into the soft flesh of my taint. I feel exactly the same thing I felt just before when that random jerk groped me, but this time there's so much more pressure on it that I can't help but let out a whimper. My vision is totally obscured by Stephanie's boobs but I can just tell Yuki and Steph are both staring at me now. They're probably about to laugh at me for making such an unmanly sound. Steph especially is probably going to…

Steph says nothing.

She actually hoists me up again to get a better grip on me and then turns ever so slightly away from Yukiko. Then, keeping my head firmly buried in her bosom, she gently and firmly strokes in a small circle right under my taint. I grimace as she does it, the feeling is… it's so many things. Shockingly and confusing and embarrassing but arousing and exciting and teasing in a way I don't fully understand. I want her to stop and put me down and I also want her to hold me there forever and keep going, to push harder. I know it's wrong, but I can't stop myself from spreading my legs ever so slightly. I tell myself it's to give her more room, but I know it's a lie. Her fingers are dexterous enough already, she doesn't need my help. She notices the gesture, of course, how could she not? The hand on my head massages my scalp for just a second, wordless encouragement for me to keep my legs open for her. I briefly wonder if somehow Stephanie already knows about the transformations I picked up with how targeted her fingers are. I'm afraid I might… I mean, I definitely won't cum from this, but there's anxiety curling my stomach with Yuki standing just a few feet away.

Stephanie switches up the movement of her fingers so fast it catches me off guard. She sighs and hugs me tighter, covering the way that she's pressing her index and middle finger firmly against my taint and rubbing the area almost touching the back of my sack to almost touching my rim. I bite my lower lip fiercely, flinching as the flesh buckles between my teeth, knowing I can't possibly let out another whimper right now.

But, blessedly and cursedly, it comes to an end after a few more heartbeats. Steph gently lets me go, allowing me to slide down her body to the ground… and the placement of her knee to catch my package as it's dragged down her body definitely isn't a coincidence. I'm harder than I can ever remember being in my entire life, but I have no idea what to do with it other than hope it's hidden under my skirt.

As soon as I think I have my face under control I turn to Yuki, ready to apologise if I need to, but she's not even looking at us. Her ears are on a swivel, and when she catches me looking she just gives me the tiniest smile before returning to her poker face.

After we descended from the hilltop portal room (which Stephanie informs us is called the Geldreich Embassy on this side) Stephanie pointed us toward the central marketplace of Rhodeia Polis. In her words this was the place to be for most players; it held all of the important player-facing facilities like enchanting shops, libraries, inns, armour and weaponsmiths, tailors, alchemists, the Adventurer's Guild branch and associated Keepsake store, and a long list of other shops that Stephanie assured me I'd learn about when it became important. After Stephanie's debriefing on Rhodeia Polis, I began to see the city's architecture through different eyes. Chiefly, what I first took from a distance to be a strange sort of multi-layered domiciles were actually the drained canals. They were everywhere throughout the city, a network of sandstone arteries leaving what once must have been a vibrant coastal city drained of colour. It was ironic that even with the distant scent of the ocean on the breeze the city itself seemed to have no inclination toward a coastal identity, the damming of the canals being representative of the citizens shunning their identity as an ancient harbour city.

I wasn't entirely wrong in assuming the canals were being lived in. Steph pointed out a few choice merchants that would occasionally or even permanently set up shop in the dried canals, splashes of colour from rich rugs and stalls blooming in the muted sandstone corridors. Something that did come as a mild surprise was the prevalence of the weeds growing in the city. I expected a city that exuded wealth and pride like Rhodeia Polis to eradicate any weeds within its borders fastidiously, but the polar opposite seemed to be true; every exposed inch of soil held beds of meticulously tended mono-cultures of the weed Stephanie had mentioned. Different gardens had been grown to different heights, some knee-height and others twice as tall as I was. They had woody stems and leaves that looked like a hybrid of mint and kale. Charmingly, some of the local dragonborn NPCs seemed to be smiling proudly at them, especially when they noticed us passing by.

The buildings lining the broad streets gradually became brighter in both colour and sound, VALKYRIE's familiar simulated mercantile conversation lending life to the cool sandstone bricks of the city. In no time at all we found ourselves in the heart of the marketplace, a grand central square whose floor was covered in vibrantly coloured tiles. Even with the hundreds of feet crossing every which way over the tiles I could see it depicted a stylised sun, each point on the sun's crown aimed at a different main street splitting off from the square.

Yuki's looking at the hundred different shops with a sparkle in her eye, a giddy smile even having crept onto her face. She looks like she's loving the change in scenery. Stephanie, on the other hand, looks haggard. She catches me looking and gives me a casual smile and a wink.

"Find something you like?" Stephanie purrs at me.

"It's all so pretty! Can we-" Yuki responds, turning to see Steph and me both looking at her quizzically. She realises Steph wasn't directing the question to her, but Steph swoops in to change the subject before Yuki gets too embarrassed.

"Actually, yes, you should have a look around for us Yuki."

The sparkle returns to Yuki's eyes as Steph says that, but I'm left kind of confused.

"You want Yuki to go off on her own?"

Steph nods once as if what I'd just asked should have been self-evident. "Yes. Yuki's Everwatch, gathering info is kind of that whole track's schtick. Yuki doesn't have info-gathering stuff unlocked yet, but practice's practice. She can go ask the locals about the dungeon and scrounge up some info books at the library or the Adventurer's Guild, if they exist yet, so we can do a proper dungeon run tomorrow."

Yuki and I exchange a confused glance, which we simultaneously turn toward Stephanie.

"I… I swear I said this yesterday. I wanted to head to Rhodeia to check out the new dungeon they added in the beta."

Yuki and I look at each other to check if the other remembered anything about it, but we both shake our heads.

"Oh. Well. Huh. Anyway, the big reason we're here is because they added a bunch of new dungeons in the beta launch. The lowest level one is called Brinewood Fissure, I think? Taking the portal to Rhodeia Polis and using it as our respawn point just made sense since the dungeon's meant to be on the border of Rhodeia and Grungeld. Just based on the name it's probably an aquatic dungeon which means it drops pearls, which are needed for a lot of builds. There are probably at least some other players here already so we don't have a complete monopoly on the map, but still, low supply and high demand means we can build up a small fortune while clearing the dungeon and levelling up."

I weigh up whether or not I should say anything about Stephanie making these decisions for us. Glumly I realise I'll never really be the leader of the group if Steph keeps calling the shots like this, but it's so hard to do anything when she knows so much more than I do. In the end, I figure it's best to say nothing and maybe just bring it up with Stephanie in private later.

"Uhh, Yuki… are you sure you're okay going off on your own? You'd have to talk to people, you know?" I ask our usually timid little catgirl.

Yuki responds with a silent smile and a confident nod

"Okay, so, Yuki. You want to hit up the library, the Adventurer's Guild, and then talk to some locals. If you can find actual knowledge books that'd be perfect, but if you can't just general intel helps. If some random NPC says "I got stung by a water wasp! I should have brought an antidote!" then that's an obvious hint." Stephanie explains.

Yuki's nodding her head, politely at first but gradually more impatiently. "I've played RPGs before." She says with a smile.

Steph gives me what's probably meant to be a knowing look, but I think I'm more on Yuki's side right now.

"When you're done come find us… there. Big building up the stairs with the red roof and the gold bits. If you get lost and need to ask for directions it's called Taberna Ru… just ask for the red one. The locals will know."

Yuki gives Stephanie a quick mock salute and then turns on her heel, vanishing into the bustling crowd without another word.

I'm caught off guard by Yuki's demeanour.

"What… was that?" I say, dumbfounded.

"What was what?" Steph asks.

"Yuki… last night she, I uhh…", I wonder for a moment if I should share the details of me forcing Yuki to talk to the innkeeper on my behalf, eventually deciding not to. "You know that she has really bad social anxiety, right?"

Steph nods slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Or so I've been told."

"Last night she had a bit of a breakdown when she had to talk to an NPC. It was pretty bad. I… I'm worried she's going to have another episode if I'm not with her."

"Why would she get nervous around NPCs?" Steph asks.

I feel my cheeks bristling with colour at what seems to me like Stephanie challenging how well I know my own friend. "W-well, she got nervous with the innkeeper! He was an NPC!"

"Yeah, and you know who else was there?" Steph counters with a look that feels insultingly smug.

"Whuh… who? What?" I stammer.

Steph gracefully hinges at the hips, bringing herself down to my eye level. I get a spectacular but fleeting downblouse view before her scarlet-framed face comes to a stop inches from mine.

"You."

I don't have time to process and understand what Steph just implied before she leans in even closer, lips brushing teasingly against mine. I feel her hot breath, smelling something enthrallingly sweet and metallic and earthy in the split second before she plants a hot and wet kiss on my cheek.

My heart stops. My mind goes blank.

But the kiss is as ephemeral as it is captivating, and Stephanie's already returned to her casual upright posture before the kiss has even finished passing through my brain.

I gulp hard, followed by a panting breath I didn't realise I was holding. Stephanie gives me another damnably smug wink.

"W… b… what did that mean?" The words stumble out of my mouth. I'm not even sure I know what I'm asking.

"It means that Yuki only turns into a blushy-wushy UwU girl when there are cute guys around."

All the butterflies in my stomach take flight at once.

"A-are you saying that-" I can't finish the sentence. I never thought Yuki was actually into me. And Yuki was always a little… plain. But if she's really into me, if it's that easy… why wouldn't I try? Especially since she's actually kind of hot now.

"Yeah?" Steph prompts me to finish my thought.

And then I have another thought. I make sure to pick my words carefully, to leave it open for interpretation.

"Are you saying I'm cute?" I emphasize that last word, sure that Stephanie will pick up on the subtlety.

Stephanie's grin morphs from smug, to mischievous, to utterly Cheshire.

"I'm saying it's okay that you're dense as shit because you're so cute it doesn't matter."

Ouch. Not the response I was-

"So cute that I want to brush your hair out and dress you up like a doll."

I blink twice. There's that warm tingling again. "What-"

"So cute I want to wrap a bowtie around your little dicklette and watch it bounce."

My eyes go wide. My heart skips two beats at once, then makes up for it by pounding so hard I feel like it's shaking me in my boots. That was really not what I was hoping to hear.

"S-Stephanie wh-"

Steph slides her index and middle finger up my breastplate, hooking them under my new choker to pull me hastily into her in a display of casual dominance. She stands directly above me, looking down at me through her tits. They should be distracting but there's not a single neuron in my brain that could dare to look away from her piercing eyes.

"You'd look adorable with your wrists tied to the headboard. All tied up, vulnerable, defenceless, as some chick straddles your face and rides your little button nose until you get a black eye."

My cheeks feel like they're burning up. Even my ears feel like they're blushing.

Stephanie flexes her fingers under the choker as if testing how much the choker can handle… or how much I'm willing to let her get away with. I can tell how much power is in her hands. Just the tiniest movement of her digits would be enough to make me stagger into her, or drop to my knees. Her grin curls somehow wider still. The muscles in the arm holding my choker flex and tense, giving the impression of barely contained excitement. She lets out a long, laboured breath, which feels intentionally aimed at my face. In any other context I'd be annoyed, even angry if someone did that, but right now If anything I'm almost thankful. Her breath is so warm and it smells so nice and-

Stephanie dismisses me in a heartbeat, retracting her fingers and pushing me away effortlessly.

"But you're Yuki's."

I curse to myself. I… I want to say I'm available. I want to say I'm Stephanie's if she wants me. But if Stephanie thinks I want Yuki then saying so would make it look like I'm discarding Yuki, which would look pretty bad.

Stephanie tilts her head to indicate we've got a new destination and starts walking, knowing I'll fall into line behind her. I take a few steps and realise something dreadfully awkward; first, for the second time today, Stephanie's given me a stiffy. Second, and far more worrying, my newly widened hips have changed my gait enough that every step I take swipes my junk against the front of my skirt. I glance down and note that thankfully no bulge is visible, which means I can suffer the teasing stimulation in silence. I grit my teeth and hurry along, hoping it'll go down by itself quickly.

Unfortunately, that proves to be too much to ask. As Stephanie drags me along from shop to shop, using the orange kiosks wherever they were available and chatting to shopkeepers as little as possible to tick items off her shopping list, it was taking all of my willpower to stop myself from staring at her ass as she leads me around. It was hardly my fault! She'd wound me up so much, and her ass was practically at chest height for me. It was impossible for me not to stare! The issue is, of course, that every time I get another eyeful of her ass straining in her shorts, admiring the way they hug her curves and accentuate her toned bubble butt, another pulse of blood is rerouted to my groin, and my erection stubbornly refuses to subside. And even getting just a little bit harder means it rubs against my clothes in new and distracting ways due to my damned hips. The distraction is so great that I almost trip over an empty wooden mug left strewn on the street. I give up any pretence of trying to keep track of where the hell we were or where we were going, realising I'm totally lost and dependent on Stephanie to show us the way back to wherever the inn was meant to be anyway. While I'm thinking about that, or rather not thinking about that, Stephanie takes us up a street littered with yet more of those wooden mugs. We end up at a building with an open foyer inside of which an especially dense crowd is gathered. Most of the NPCs are clustered near a bar manned by numerous scantily clad dragonborn women, and I intuit that this is probably the Rhodeian equivalent of a tavern. I'm surprised that a place like this is so busy already, surely it's too early to be getting drunk? Then I reason that this is a completely different culture, and maybe it's based on a real-world culture with more relaxed drinking laws.

Steph hails one of the barkeepers and exchanges some quick words, tapping at the air to make her payment before being handed a pair of large wooden mugs that look identical to the ones clogging the gutters. I grimace as I realise it's no coincidence.

"Want one? It's a local specialty." Steph explains as she offers one of the mugs, filled almost to the brim with a frothy dark brown liquid. Even from a distance, I can smell that it's probably beer, and I've never had a taste for beer. I'm about to turn Steph down when I realise that if I say no then she's going to drink both of them, and considering how much she already drank last night… I can't help but wonder if VALKYRIE simulates liver damage, too.

I force myself to smile and say I'd love one of whatever it is she's offering.

Steph passes me one of the mugs with a wink, then reaches into her virtual inventory to retrieve… oh Goddesses. A pair of tablets.

"Want me to spice yours up a bit? Give it a little oomph?"

I stare at Stephanie with wide eyes. Is she offering to get me high?

She sees the look on my face and gives me a disarming giggle.

"Relax dude! I'm just pulling your leg! It's not medieval molly or anything. They're headache tablets. I'm still kind of fucked up from last night."

Stephanie tips her hand toward her drink, dumping both pills into the mug of whatever-it-is. As soon as they touch the foam they begin to hiss, the surface of her mug sizzling ominously as she brings it to her lips and takes a big gulp.

I don't have quite the same gusto, regarding my mug with skepticism and trepidation. I spare one last glance at Stephanie and remind myself I'm doing this for her sake, lifting the froth to my lips to take my first cautious sip. A symphony of flavours graces my tongue in an instant. The drink is luscious and smooth, rich and sweet like liquid caramel, and gently carbonated in a way that makes my lips and tongue tingle. After the initial shock of the drink actually tasting good passes, I realise it isn't just the carbonation making that tingling sensation; the drink is laced with all sorts of different spices. I think I can pick out ginger and nutmeg, but there are many others I can't pick, and possibly spices that don't even exist in the real world. I'm about to share my astonishment with Stephanie when I feel the telltale burning of alcohol on my breath.

"Wow. That's… strong. Is it a good idea to drink this with a headache?"

Stephanie shoots me a cheeky grin and tosses her now empty mug over her shoulder to clatter loudly against its brethren in the gutter. "Bit late for that."

I frown at Stephanie's blatant littering, but she just shrugs it off. "They clean them all up overnight. The locals all do it anyway."

It still doesn't quite sit right with me, but Stephanie shepherds me away from the bar with a gentle hand in between my shoulder blades as I nurse from the mug still in my hands.

Our next stop is close in distance but far in socioeconomic class from the tavern. We're standing before an opulent and extravagant shop seemingly built of nothing but solid marble and crystal clear glass cut in elaborate geometric shapes. The imposing archway adorning the door is carved with a laurel motif whose details only become more incredible the closer we approach. Indeed almost all of the white marble is hiding some secret ornamentation or embellishment, most of which can only be appreciated from less than an arm's length away. In any other city, this level of grandeur would be reserved only for the most sacred religious sites or royal castles, but such is the wealth on display in Rhodeia Polis that this monument to excess is in actuality an armoury, as evidenced by the immaculately articulated suits of armour posed behind the windows… as well as the comparatively humble sign that reads "Luxuriae Armamentarium", which seems to have only recently been added to the storefront. Reminding me yet again that I have no money, Steph tells me to wait outside while she conducts her business. It's irritating to be reminded of that, and somewhat humiliating to be left outside like a dog on a leash, but I reason that Stephanie is probably right and there's no point in me coming in with her just to gawk and things I can't possibly afford.

Instead, I'm left to loiter in relative peace out the front of the store. The prices of this place must be prohibitive because I don't see a single soul, NPC or otherwise, approach the store while I wait. I take cautious sips from the mug from time to time, conscious both of the alcohol content as well as the fact I want the delicious drink to last as long as possible. I still have more than half of it left to drink even without including the froth, but once that's gone it'll become very boring to sit on my butt while Stephanie does whatever it is she's doing. I take another sip as I wander around the storefront, gradually meandering further and further away as I take in my surroundings. I note how different the ambience is here compared to Lumberg; the rustling of leaves in the wind is absent entirely, and there's the distant sound of waves crashing against a shore somewhere far from sight. I'm pretty sure I can hear distant conversation too, and note with some surprise that accents seem to be different. Warmth suffuses my cheeks as I take another sip, marvelling once again at the incredible effort that went into designing this game. I wonder if these ambient noises are on a loop or if they're simulated in real-time like footsteps are as I savour the tingling tide of drink rolling down my throat. I lick my lips, enjoying the sweet aftertaste and the alcoholic burn. I'm proud of myself for rationing the drink so well, taking just one more sip and toying with the froth on my tongue.

A breeze rolls in from… some direction, probably the east, carrying with it the sharp smell of brine. It's pleasantly chilly against the warm buzz in my cheeks, and I find myself smiling easily at the world. If it wasn't for me being caught up in this weird body this weekend would be perfect. Getting to spend time with Stephanie is a huge plus, and it's fun to play with Yukiko too. I wonder what she's doing right now, and if she's handling the NPCs okay. I picture her fluffy ears peeking out from a sea of lizard people, her agile beastkin body probably seems pretty out of place. First I picture her wearing the dress she was wearing when we first met up, but then I remember that she's actually wearing the same tunic and shorts that Stephanie's wearing now. That loose-fitting top that shows off cleavage and sideboob in equal measure, short shorts that hug her bubble butt no matter how she moves… I picture them both in my mind's eye side by side, Yukiko doing that goofy catgirl pose from the clothing store, Stephanie beckoning me in with a curled finger…

I feel something brush the tip of my junk and realise with chagrin that I'm hard. Again. Goddesses damn it. I sigh in frustration and take another sip of delicious whatever-it-is from the mug-

What the hell? I open my inventory and swipe around until I find my status screen, inspecting it for any weird icons. There's a square icon with some stylised bubbles on a tan background, but it appears partially transparent rather than opaque like the other status effects I've seen. I click on it, expecting it to give me answers.

Intoxication?! There's no way I'm drunk already! I haven't even finished my first drink! I lift the mug to my lips to prove as much and suck in the last dregs of drink and the accompanying froth.

Oh.

Well shit, I was enjoying that. But still, how am I already drunk? Like yeah, sure, that drink was a little boozy, but there's no way I would get drunk off one cup in real life! Maybe this body is just a lightweight? I grumble to myself, a high-pitched and effeminate sound that makes me thankful nobody's within earshot, and consider chucking the mug into a nearby gutter or even pitching it into one of the canals. Stephanie did say it was what the locals did, but still… littering just feels wrong to me.

I decide to keep the mug in my hands as I meander my way back to the Lucky Armorma-whatever storefront to finish waiting for Stephanie, trying the whole time not to focus on the way my wide hips make me naturally sashay. My timing is serendipitous, catching Stephanie just as she leaves the store. She has a hand to her mouth, wiping at the corner of her lips with her wrist as her tongue bulges out her cheek. She breaks into a smile as she sees me.

"Just chuck it, dude."

I furrow my brow, not really parsing what she just said. She points at me for emphasis, and for a terrifying moment, I'm afraid there's a tent in my skirt. I look down to double-check and in my distraction kick my own foot, tumbling over myself. Stephanie dashes forward to catch me, but a second later we're both on the ground. My head feels like it's stuck in a laundry machine, my brain tumbling around in my skull. It takes me a moment to realise I'm pinned by Stephanie's body, and one of her hands is dangerously close to my crotch. I hold stock still, waiting for Stephanie to lift herself off me to avoid making this any more awkward, but Steph doesn't move. It takes a couple more seconds for me to realise that Stephanie's taking short, sharp breaths.

"S-Steph?"

Stephanie grunts with effort as she pushes herself off my body, her hand just barely brushing against my bulge. My eyes are instantly drawn to her breasts swaying beneath her as she rights herself, but I pull my eyes away just before she manages to sit up fully.

"Happy to see me?" It sounds like Stephanie's trying to crack a joke, but her voice is strained.

I look up at see her health bar's red. Reaching out to her I chant "Cure!" to restore some health, but I don't even bring her up past orange. She smiles weakly at me as she pushes my hand away, fishing out a bright red potion from her inventory that I assume is a health potion. She's got another tablet in her other hand that she quickly swallows, chasing it with the potion. Her health increases almost to full, but a fraction of a second after her health bar vibrates as a sliver turns to red, then disappears.

"Are you dying?!" I cry, trying to give her a comforting hug, but she keeps me at arm's length with a genuine chuckle.

"We're all dying dude. But nah, this is temporary. It'll be gone tomorrow. Just need some sleep."

Steph finishes standing back up, offering me a hand to help me up, but I notice the way she's steadying herself against the wall. Once I'm on my feed she rests herself back against the wall fully, exhaling a long and laboured breath… before giving me what must be the fiftieth wink in the past two days.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I ask with just a hint of pique.

"What?" She asks, seeming genuinely unsure of what I'm asking.

"Y-you keep winking at me all the time!"

A bewildered expression touches Steph's face as she looks all around at nothing in particular. "Wait wait wait, you're not doing that deliberately?!"

"... Doing what deliberately?"

"You seriously don't know?"

Steph pushes herself up off the wall, approaching me with a confident swagger. She walks around behind me, draping her wrists over my shoulders and leaning down to bring her lips close to my ear.

"It's so cute you don't know," Steph whispers in one ear before pulling away, moving to the other ear.

"It must be a reflex," Steph purrs into my ear, one of her hands pulling back just far enough to knead at my shoulder.

"Wh-what reflex?" My voice comes out high-pitched and unsteady, triggering another chuckle from Steph.

Her lips are now almost touching my ear, her breath tickling teasingly against my skin.

"Every time I wink at you, your cute little ears wiggle. It's fucking adorable!"

I feel like I'm about to die of embarrassment as my ears do in fact wiggle, far enough that they brush against Steph's lips, which just makes her giggle all the more.

"Not to mention it makes you blush. I mean, I think pretty much anything makes your little elf body blush, but this especially!"

I hear something clinking behind me, then a moment later Stephanie's pulled out a hand mirror to show me my reflection. Sure enough, Cassie's normally snow-white skin is tickled pink, wide swathes across her cheeks and little speckles of colour all the way across almost to her ears. Err, my ears.

"And if you blush hard enough it goes aaaaall the way to your ears." Stephanie's voice is practically dripping with excitement as she takes the tip of one of my ears delicately between forefinger and thumb and tweaks it just the tiniest bit.

Her lips are back at my other ear now. "Do you have any idea how cute you look right now? God, I wasn't joking about throwing you to the bed and making you call me Mommy as I ride your face into the fucking mattress. Holy shit just imagine your cute little blushing ears peeking out, mmph."

When Stephanie finally steps back in front of me I realise she's holding an empty mug. My empty mug. I didn't even realise she's pinched it. Steph winks at me before chucking the mug over her shoulder nonchalantly. She looks like the cat that caught the canary, and try as I might to muster up the energy to pout at her I just can't bring myself to do anything but melt in front of her smile. She notices, because of course she does, and pinches my cheek playfully.

It's late afternoon now, and the sandstone bricks of Rhodeia Polis are beginning to take on the warm orange glow of sunset. Steph finishes the last of her shopping as we re-enter Megali Agora's central square, revealing that the entire trip had been routed in a circuit around the district bringing us right in front of Taberna Rubrum. The exterior of the inn is clearly time-worn, with chips visible in the eye-catching maroon paint and parts of the gilded accents flaking away. Rather than detracting from the building's character its age seems to enhance it, adding an air of gravitas and belonging which it sorely needs considering its incongruous colour scheme. We're ushered inside by the smallest dragonborn woman I've seen to date; still taller than me by at least a head, but probably barely taller than Yukiko (minus her ears).

If the exterior of the inn represents the opulence of the past, the interior of the inn is the truest vision of the opulence of the present, appearing to be equal parts an archeologist's loving recreation of antiquity and a modern architect's gratuitous self-indulgence. What I assumed from the outside to be a multi-story building is actually a single floor with a soaring ceiling. Said ceiling positively gleams with breathtaking splendour, adorned with elaborate frescoes depicting what I assumed to be mythical scenes of goddesses, heroes, and monsters in vivid detail, supported by elaborate marble columns that rise majestically from the polished floors. Opulent tapestries adorn the walls, depicting similar mythical scenes as the frescoes. One fresco, in particular, stands out to me. It appears to be a painting of an aerial view of Rhodeia Polis from up on the hill that we first arrived on. But the city depicted is much smaller, perhaps not even half the size of the sprawling sandstone behemoth it is today, and crisscrossing the entire cityscape is a web of vibrant blue canals. I'm momentarily entranced by the history represented by this painting, marvelling at the sheer effort that went into the creation of this game's world and history. Every square inch of the inn (can it even be called an inn? It's virtually a palace) is immaculately clean, not a single speck of dust marring the perfectly polished tiles or the lacquered wooden desks. The room is lined with luxurious seating areas covered in plush velvet upholstery, inviting guests to sink into their comfortable embrace. Gilded chandeliers hang from the adorned ceilings in places, carefully positioned to obscure as little of the frescoes as possible. Richly woven rugs cover some stretches of the floor, adding much-needed warmth to the cool marble tones dominating most of the room.

A truly gargantuan dragonborn man wearing a toga that appears to be woven from solid gold approaches us. While his build may be lean in terms of sheer height he's easily the tallest NPC I've seen in the game so far; he dwarves even Stephanie by at least a foot. My gut instinctively seizes in fear, his draconic visage and sheer height quite intimidating, but that fear is dispelled in an instant as he not just bows but kneels before us, placing the knuckles of one hand on the floor to lower himself almost down to my height.

"Hail, esteemed allogenes," his voice is an eloquent and polite tenor, at odds with his enormous frame. "I bid you the warmest of welcomes to Rhodeia Polis. It is an honour to receive your kind once more."

I'm taken aback by the extraordinary show of humility and hospitality, and even more shockingly for once Stephanie seems to treat this NPC with respect.

"Pleasure to be here, it's like our home away from home."

The dragonman returns to his full height, bowing to us each in turn before… simply walking away, exiting the building entirely.

I turn to Stephanie in obvious but mild confusion, and she just shrugs.

"Rhodeia's state religion says players are the agents of the Goddesses… I think. Something like that. A lot of the more religious lizards might react to you like that. Just play along, they'll like you more if you do."

"So… did you know that guy?"

"Never seen him before in my life."

The reception desk is unmanned when I approach, and deciding I'd rather not go snooping around the place to find the staff I end up taking a seat opposite Stephanie in one of the plush chairs. I marvel at the hyper-realistic feeling of the fabric, and the ability of the Phantasm Vision to transmit these sensations directly into my brain. I figure that since we're just waiting around for staff to show up now's as good a time as any to ask Stephanie about something that's been bugging me since last night.

"S-so, uhh… last night, when we went to the Tree of… the Tree, in Lumberg," I glance at Stephanie uncertainly before continuing. She's got her eyes closed, looking like she's close to falling asleep in the chair, but gives me an encouraging "Mhmm".

"A-are you meant to get, like, cosmetic changes every time you learn a new skill?"

Stephanie chuckles at me. "You're already wondering where the one that gives you a bigger dick is?"

"N-no! No! I, I… why are they so pervy? Are they all pervy?"

Stephanie's eyes open at that, enough to raise an eyebrow at me. "Come again?"

"All of mine were like 'get a bigger butt', 'get wider hips'..." I pause for a moment before sharing the last one. "Or 'grow tits'."

"That's kind of weird, yeah. Cosmetics are gender-based but I just assumed you'd get the usual guy ones."

That triggers a sudden realisation.

"You didn't know?!"

She turns to me languidly, lazy expression at odds with the predatory glint of her slit pupils.

"Didn't have time to test. If they have all new cosmetics for every single gender that's honestly nutty."

I chew my lower lip as that sinks in. So she definitely doesn't know about the changes I've already gone through.

"I noticed you swaying your hips though. Guessing that was more than a Milestone?"

My cheeks buzz with heat, and it's not just the alcohol in my system.

"Y-you noticed?"

Stephanie guffaws at that, sitting all the way up in her chair.

"Holy shit dude you're not serious! Yes, I noticed! I thought you were doing it on purpose to fuck with me! You're telling me, for real, that you can't help it? Your hips just do that automatically?"

I stare intently at the floor, willing myself to turn invisible.

"Holy shit this game is awesome," Stephanie drawls as she smiles up at the ceiling. "Did you get any others yet?"

I clench my butt cheeks experimentally and verify that yes, indeed, I can still feel exactly where my prostate is right now.

"N-no, it was just the hips," I lie.

Steph just smiles smugly at me, holding my eyes for many long seconds… before winking mischievously at me. Now that I know what's going on I can feel my ears wiggling obligingly. Goddess damn it.

Stephanie and I are sitting around for at least another fifteen minutes before we realise that there's been someone staffing the reception desk for some time, namely the petite dragonborn woman who ushered us into Taberna Rubrum in the first place.

"Oi Cass, go grab a room for us." Stephanie slurs at me through half-lidded eyes.

I glance between Stephanie and the receptionist, realising that it'd mean introducing myself to the NPCs in this brand new city with my feminine, emasculating name. I begin to stand up out of the comfy chair and realise my legs aren't working quite right, so I sit back down.

I tap "Accept" without a second thought. The moment I do Stephanie rolls over in her chair to face me, breasts almost spilling out of her loose tunic as they splay over the chair's arm.

"Cassie, honey. Be a darling and take care of organizing a room for us."

I feel a bizarre sensation around my neck, at once ominously chilling and comfortingly warm. It feels like there's a pair of tiny strings attached to my heart, one pulling me toward Stephanie and the other pulling me toward the receptionist. Something in my brain is telling me I want to please Stephanie, even more than I normally do, and it's telling me that the only way I can do that is by… by reserving a room at this inn. I stand up on shaky legs, beset by a sudden bout of dizziness and gnawing at my lip as I try to calm my nerves. I take a half-step toward the desk. Then another. And another.

"Masterful suspense Cassie, but seriously hurry up. I want to go to bed."

The tension on those strings doubles at Stephanie's urging.

I swallow hard before speaking, trying to buy some time to think of something. "U-uhh, h-how many beds?"

"Don't care. Two is fine."

Two? Did she forget about Yuki? Or… is she trying to set us up to share a bed?

I swallow hard again, prompting Steph to ask "What's wrong, hon?"

"N-nothing-"

Stephanie rolls her eyes. "Tell me what's wrong, Cassie."

The connection I feel with Stephanie suddenly tugs firmly, and the words are rushing out of my mouth before I've even finished thinking them.

"I don't want to introduce myself as Cassie and make all of the NPCs in this city think I'm a girl too!"

My eyes are wide as saucers. I don't know why I just said that, I was trying not to let Stephanie know I was upset by being called Cassie. I mentally prepare myself for whatever lashing Stephanie is about to give me. I'm sure she'll say it's stupid because Yuki and Stephanie are already calling me Cassie, or that it's pointless to get worked up over a tiny detail in a game like this, or, or… or something.

Instead, Stephanie just sighs deeply, lifting herself reluctantly out of the chair. She wordlessly strolls to my side, placing a hand casually on my hips and guiding me toward the reception desk. I wonder what we must look like to the lady at the desk; a tall, strong, confident dragonborn and her blushing sweetheart, realising with embarrassment that I really ought to have just taken charge myself when Steph gave me the chance.

If the dragonwoman at the desk senses anything untoward she doesn't show it. She gives us a warm but professional greeting. "Welcome to Taberna Rubrum, allogenes. How may we assist you?"

"We're looking for a room. Standard suite. Party of three, the two of us plus a a black-haired beastkin with feline ears. She'll be arriving later."

The receptionist marks something down, nodding to Stephanie. "Do you have any requirements for the room? How many beds?"

Stephanie turns her gaze to me, squeezing my hips enticingly. "How many beds do we need?"

I blush and stammer at the question. Is she really letting me choose? Oh Goddess, what do I say? If I say three I'll sound boring, if I say one I'll just sound like a pervert. I swallow around the knot in my throat and respond "Two," in a small voice.

The receptionist nods again, showing no sign she recognises my embarrassment as her pencil scratches against parchment.

"Before I complete your reservation, may I kindly request your names? Including the absent beastkin."

I feel anxiety's cruel grip in the pit of my stomach.

"Our catgirl's name is Yukiko. I'm Stephanie, and this-"

Here it comes.

"Is Cassandra-"

I wish I could fall through the floor.

"My pet elf."

WHAT?

I feel my cock give an involuntary twitch.

The receptionist gives me a disarmingly warm smile. "That's a lovely name."

I flinch at her praise. Finally, she notices my discomfort. "Pardon, allogene. Is something amiss?"

Stephanie gives me a knowing smile, making a sound in between a chuckle and a purr in her mellifluous timbre.

"She's just a little bit shy. Still getting used to the way things work around here, you know? But she'll learn," Stephanie answers for me as her hand stealthily slides from my hip to my ass. Steph doesn't grope me so much as she massages, gentle and calming but undeniably possessive, her thumb stroking back and forth across the peak of my buttock. My body reacts all by itself as I feel my cock throbbing to life in my underwear for what must be the tenth time today. I'm sure there'll be a wet stain there next time I take them off.

The receptionist casts an uncertain glance between the two of us but elects not to pursue the issue. She instead retrieves a key ring and makes to stand from the desk.

"Your room is number twenty-eight, ground floor. It's the fourth room on the right after the baths. Would you like me to guide you?"

Stephanie chuckles again, this time much louder and full of mirthful. "So kind of you! But I'm sure we'll manage. Right, Cassandra?"

I force a smile onto my face, trying my best to play along and not to bring any more attention to myself.

Stephanie, on the other hand, has other ideas, delivering a short and sharp spank to my ass. The sound is muffled by my skirt but the force transmits true, making me clench my butt cheeks reflexively. That, of course, reminds me exactly where my prostate is, and by extension makes my erection that much harder. I'm left to ponder that as Stephanie's hand once again slides up my body, this time to my hips, as she ushers me toward our shared room.

My heart is pounding as we enter our room. A cursory glance tells me that the 'standard' suite is anything but, maintaining the same level of opulent grandeur as the foyer minus the lofty ceiling height. But that's not what I'm focused on. The tension between us is palpable, electrifying the air around us. I exhale a sharp breath, leaning against Stephanie and reaching an arm around her waist to try to bring her closer to me. The alcohol coursing through my veins has made me more daring than usual, the liquid courage fueling my desires.

I glance at the two enormous king-sized beds, decadent and luxurious, fine silk bedspreads smothered under a mountain of throw pillows. There's no way this is an accident. Stephanie sent Yuki away so we'd have alone time, she's been fondling me all day. She wants to fuck me. She basically admitted to it earlier.

Stephanie steps away from me, toward the leftmost bed, and I reluctantly relinquish my tender hold on her waist. She drops herself onto the bed in one go, her entire body bouncing on the plush mattress before coming to rest half buried in throw pillows herself. I laugh at the playful display, loving how many different facets there are to Steph's personality.

And that's not the only part of Stephanie I love. Her body in real life was fantastic, but she's on another level beyond that in VALKYRIE. Every inch of her body is equal parts beauty and strength. I drink in the sight of her with unabashed hunger. Her hourglass figure is accentuated rather than diminished by her toned muscles. I want nothing more than to feel her body under my hands. Her bubble butt is pointed enticingly at me, beckoning me to approach, to grab and to knead and to fondle. I can't help but let my gaze linger over every inch of her, from the gentle slope of her calves to the defined contours of her back visible where her loose tunic has pulled away. I feel the blood rush to my groin as I see Steph's side boob peeking out from beneath her body, not quite flashing me with her bright pink nipples. Just being able to stare at her body fills me with an overwhelming mix of lust and admiration. She just hasn't made a move on me yet because she thinks I'm with Yukiko. I bet her whole 'wingman' act was just an attempt to get closer to me. She's probably just waiting for me to be assertive, to let her know I want her. She wants this too, right?

Stephanie's body suddenly shudders. The fact that she's so horny that she's twitching like that can only be a good sign. I smile to myself. Yeah, she's definitely-

Steph snorts loudly, followed by a tell-tale whistle.

"What the fuck…" I say under my breath.

How is she already asleep? Why is she already asleep?! W-we, we were going to… Goddess damn it. I grit my teeth in frustration. Was she just fucking with me all day for fun? I let out a furious sigh, shaking my head. I lift up my skirt and see the bulge in my pants. Normally I'd be a little embarrassed by that, but considering how girly this body is otherwise I'm happy that I'm big enough to make an obvious bulge at least.

I look back at Stephanie in frustration. At least if she's asleep I could probably jerk off in the bathroom.

Wait, am I seriously considering that? Jerking off in a video game? Ugh. But… but I probably won't have another opportunity like this for a while. I never actually got to feel Stephanie's tits when we were with Lucille. I bet she wouldn't really mind if I felt her up a bit now, right? She probably wouldn't even wake up.

I sidle up to her sleeping form, feeling an odd static descending over my body. Excitement, I guess? This is only my second time ever feeling up tits after all. I extend a hand slowly toward her breast, eyes fixated on the swell of her flesh, the tantalising way the compression makes her boobs seem all the larger and rounder. I lick my lips, then exhale slowly to try to get my nerves under control. Again, she probably wants me to do this.

When my finger is an inch away from her breast, less than an inch even, close enough that I can already feel the phantom touch of her stiff nipple on my fingertip-

"Ouch!"

A painful static shock arcs between my finger and Stephanie's nipple. I recoil my hand away on reflex. The shock wakes Steph immediately, who shoves herself up from her prone position. The motion sends her tits swaying enticingly between her arms, jiggling and rippling with the aftershocks, but I only have a split second to admire them.

I understand my mistake far too late.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Stephanie growls at me.

I glance from her scowl to her tits, back to her scowl, back to her-

That was one glance too many. Stephanie swings her legs over the side of the bed to stand over me. Her jaw jerks as she grinds her teeth, fury writ plain on her features. She keeps that vicious glare locked on me, slit pupils growing thinner and thinner as her rage to builds. She raises her left hand high, showing me her knuckles as she prepares to deliver the fiercest backhand of my entire life. The muscles all along her shoulders and arms tense up in my peripheral vision as she prepares to let loose and I shrink back defensively, preparing myself for the strike I know is coming.

"I-I'm sorry Stephanie! I'm sorry, I just-"

Her hand clenches into a fist as she stares at something just above my head, and then her brow furrows.

Stephanie exhales a long, laboured breath, shaking her head as she does so.

"I'm way too fucking tired for this bullshit. Lock yourself in the bathroom. I'll sort this shit out tomorrow."

I scramble to the bathroom as fast as my legs can carry me, desperate to escape Stephanie's wrath. I don't even spare a glance back to see if she's chasing me until I'm inside the bathroom itself, and the last thing I see before I close the door is Stephanie already back in bed, facing pointedly away from me.

I lose track of time as I sit on the bathroom floor with my head in my hands. Every thought in my head is self-loathing or despair. Some of that time is spent crying, some of it is spent trying to cry, but all of it is spent cursing myself. How could I have fucked this up so badly?! Of course Stephanie doesn't want a guy like me! She's so far out of my league!

I clutch my chest, dried tears on my face being replenished with fresh anguish. It's even worse than that, I remind myself. Stephanie's going to tell Yukiko that I'm a creep. She's going to tell Yukiko that I tried to grope her, and Yukiko's never going to want to talk to me again. They're both going to hate me. And I can't escape it. I'm stuck in this game with them, none of us can log out. This weekend was meant to be perfect, how did it turn out so bad? How did I ruin it? Why am I such a total failure?

In the depths of my sorrow, I hear the handle of the bathroom door click. Someone's twisting it. I suck in a big breath and wipe the snot from under my nose, expecting it to be Stephanie telling me to stop crying so loudly so she can sleep. My heart aches with regret and shame as I prepare to offer an apology, but Stephanie isn't there.

Instead, it's an absolutely bewildered-looking catgirl.

We both stare at each other like deer in headlights, eyes wide as saucers. Yukiko's eyes flicker as she looks over my face, wearing a look of utter shock… and maybe I'm imagining it, but I think I see revulsion as well.

It takes long moments before either of us takes any action, but Yuki moves first. She pulls a towel off the rack and leans down to scoop me up, bundling me up in the fluffy thing.

She shakes her head barely perceptibly, only whispering "Sorry," as she shoves me out of the bathroom. As soon as the door is shut behind me I hear the shower being turned on at full blast, masking any other sound in the room.

I curl up in the furthest corner of the room away from Stephanie, wrapped in the towel Yuki gave me. I will myself to be silent and let Stephanie sleep. Maybe I can find my way back to Lumberg after Stephanie and Yukiko inevitably tell me to get lost.

Chapter 10: Yuki's Chapter I: Catgirl in Rhodeia Polis

Chapter Text

Earlier that day.

Yukiko, Cass, and Stephanie had made their way into Megali Agora, the centre of commerce in Rhodeia Polis, and were planning their next moves.

"Okay, so, Yuki. You want to hit up the library, the Adventurer's Guild, and then talk to some locals. If you can find actual knowledge books that'd be perfect, but if you can't just general intel helps. If some random NPC says "I got stung by a water wasp! I should have brought an antidote!" then that's an obvious hint." Stephanie explained.

Yuki nodded her head, politely at first but gradually more impatiently. "I've played RPGs before." She said with a tense smile.

"When you're done come find us… there. Big building up the stairs with the red roof and the gold bits. If you get lost and need to ask for directions it's called Taberna Ru… just ask for the red one. The locals will know." Stephanie said.

Yukiko gave Stephanie a lightning-fast mock salute and then spun on her heel, pushing her way into the bustling crowd without another word to either of her two friends.

While her hyper-sensitive hearing mostly brought her joy (and smug satisfaction at being able to hear things most others couldn't), Yukiko was rapidly learning that it was a double-edged sword when it came to noisy locales like Megali Agora. Much as Yuki may have liked to hang around close enough to Stephanie and Cass to eavesdrop on their conversation (she HAD just heard Cass's high-pitched voice say her name), her sensitive hearing was a little overloaded by so many voices so close to her, so she instead made a beeline to the far side of the square, away from the thickest crowds of NPCs.

Once she was far enough away from the hustle and bustle to hear herself think, Yukiko went over what Stephanie had asked of her again. She'd been given three simple jobs: check the Library, check the Adventurer's Guild, and chat with the locals. Yuki sighed to herself. Steph's heart was in the right place, but Yuki did find the way that Stephanie tended to micromanage people a little frustrating. Yuki was an RPG veteran herself; she easily could have figured out what she needed to do to learn more about the dungeon without Stephanie's input. Yuki reasoned to herself that since she was already in the mercantile capital of the city it made the most sense to chat with the locals first, especially the merchants. They travelled around a bunch and their business was always being impacted, for better or worse, by the events of the game's plot. And that was a fantastic excuse for Yukiko to make a detour! After all, who could blame her for taking a quick stroll down a pretty promenade?

The shopping district that Yukiko had set her heart on lay but a stone's throw away from Megali Agora's main plaza. Hidden from view by a sequence of monolithic marble buildings it seemed like the kind of place that only those in the know might find themselves. A group to which Yukiko, thanks to some sleuthing back in Lumberg, now belonged. A row of luxury boutique stores on a street named Diadromi Modas painted a vibrant and sprawling swath of colour through the muted neutral tones worn proudly by the rest of the city. The storefronts were a kaleidoscope of rich colours and textures that reminded Yukiko somewhat of the whimsy of Lumberg's Velvet Ward. Diadromi Modas, however, was clearly courting far wealthier clientele.

Yukiko's ears swivelled like fluffy radar dishes to survey the soundscape, marvelling at all the little things she could hear now that she was shielded from the noise of the main square by the sound shadow of those marble monoliths. Hushed and refined conversation replaced the gregarious chatter, complimented by the soft sounds of fabrics that sounded expensive and the intermittent clinking of jewellery. The scents were different, too. While Yukiko had learned that most dragonborn folk didn't have particularly strong odours the crush of bodies itself had a kind of gestalt odour that left her feeling apprehensive. But here, in the bougie fashion district? Nothing but clean bodies, crisp air with a touch of sea spray, the smell of fabrics, and distant hints of coffee and pastries. Yuki sighed contentedly to herself, strolling toward a boutique at random.

The storefronts beckoned to her, each showcasing a unique and exquisite array of fashions both local and exotic. Yukiko found herself irresistibly drawn to one meticulously crafted window display after the next, her gaze trailing over the fine details and impeccable tailoring, imagining herself wearing each piece in turn. The blocky orange kiosks were absent from the street, unsurprising considering the dearth of player characters milling about, but it also meant that if Yuki wanted to try the clothes on she'd have to talk to the NPCs in person, which sounded like a lot of time and effort that she didn't have the luxury of spending right now. Yuki sighed longingly, promising herself she'd come back here and buy herself something cute to wear once she had enough gold in her bank account… or maybe she could just ask Steph nicely and she'd open her wallet again. Yuki grinned to herself at the thought. She didn't know how she did it, but it never ceased to amuse Yuki how easily Steph gave in.

Yukiko used the moments in between window shopping as an opportunity to admire the impeccably attired locals. While even the common folk bustling around the main square had seemed well enough off, it was evident that they were the equivalent of the peasantry of Rhodeia Polis when compared to the socialites strolling up and down this promenade. Yuki thought to herself that whoever was doing the outfits for these NPCs was absolutely on the ball as she admired the locals flaunting their extravagant outfits. The dragonborn in their elaborate chitons and togas, knit of precious textiles and dyed in vibrant colours, looked at once perfectly in sync with their surroundings and also, frankly, chic as hell. Their sartorial splendour reminded her of the crowd of NPCs that had greeted Cass, Stephanie, and herself inside the Embassy, who were similarly dressed in their finest clothes to make an impression on the newly arrived "allogenes"... with one major difference. While the NPCs at the Embassy had looked upon her party with excitement and respect, many of their contemporaries throughout Diadromi Modas were giving her very different looks. Yukiko wondered if the NPCs were programmed to treat her differently because of her appearance as a beastkin (or even an elf or a half-breed, if they could just figure that out automatically?). Or maybe, and the thought gave Yukiko a bit of a sadistic thrill, what if the NPCs were actually looking down at her because of the way she was dressed, in the hand-me-down starter tunic Stephanie had lent her? The thought that the NPCs were genuinely programmed to be stuck-up bougie bitches made Yuki almost squeal in glee.

But that wasn't all. As Yuki leaned in to inspect a mannequin wearing a little black dress through a crystal clear window (that would look great on her petite IRL body but probably wouldn't even fit her busty avatar but delicate ruffles were totally her style so Yuki sorta-maybe-definitely wanted to try on anyway???), she caught a glimpse of the reflection in the glass. Her own reflection, obviously, with her newly blossoming cleavage hanging tantalisingly under her chin in her loose-yet-revealing tunic, but something else as well. A pair of dragonborn folk strolling along at a snail's pace behind her, likely a couple, who were trying and failing to be subtle about ogling the busty catgirl. Yuki recognised the look on the guy's instantly, even if most of her experience IRL had been second-hand as a guy unsubtly got an eyeful of one of her friends (frequently Stephanie), but the envy on the girl's face… that was new. Are the NPCs actually programmed to get jealous if they see a player character they think is hot?

But wait a minute.

Yuki's avatar looked pretty much like she did in the real world, minus the curves, and she'd never gotten looks like that before. Do the tits and ass really make that much difference?! Yuki sighed in resignation as she was forced to recognise the depths of pretty privilege, standing up straight (and making sure to stretch in a way that gave the couple as much sideboob as possible). The guy's eyes seemed to bulge out from under his reptilian eye ridges as he made a double-take. His partner, who Yuki was just now realising was almost flat in comparison to the catgirl, just couldn't help herself as she scowled first at Yuki's uncouth display of cleavage before turning her scowl on her boyfriend. Yukiko could tell it wasn't prudishness but raw envy that motivated his girlfriend, and that made Yuki feel a kind of confidence she'd never really experienced before. That confidence prompted another thought to creep into Yuki's mind, one that inspired a self-assured smile to curl her lips. If she triggered a response from a random NPC like that, does that mean the game formally considered her body to be "attractive"? Yuki made sure to catch the eye of the guy in the reflection and gave him her best cheeky wink, then watched with satisfaction as he sheepishly averted his gaze. Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

Yuki stretched languidly one last time, properly stretching rather than just giving passing gawkers a show, and told herself it was time to move on. If she let herself indulge she could easily spend all day here looking at clothes she couldn't afford, but she still had errands to run. Yuki looked back at the lane of boutiques one last time before striding off to her next destination.

… Or not.

Yukiko hadn't really figured out what the rhyme or reason was for the Aspiration pop-up. It seemed to happen at random, and Yuki was bound to the game's whims until she'd satisfied the trait's curiosity. Literally bound; her muscles would progressively lock up and her body would feel like it was glitching out until she started to move in approximately the direction the game wanted her to. It wasn't always obvious what the game was trying to get her to accomplish but from her limited experience so far it seemed almost like the developers trying to make sure that the little easter eggs in their game weren't missed. Which, honestly, Yuki kind of liked. It was nice having an extra type of radar on the lookout for side quests for her, she wished more games did something similar. Plus, the fact that her muscles locked up actually made it easier to figure out what the heck the game wanted from her. All she had to do was stumble around in the four cardinal directions, pick the route with the least resistance, and then start marching. Yukiko noted with some pleasure that the distant smell of sweets and pastries grew stronger with each city block she travelled.

Yukiko relaxed on a bench in the least busy corner of Megali Agora's main square, nibbling the fruits of her Aspiration trait's labour: a serving of some kind of honey-drizzled sweet pastry called aliter dolcia wrapped up in a fancy paper napkin, washed down with a cup of crisp and refreshing sparkling spring water. Sitting variously alongside her, in her lap, crawling under her tunic, or even keeping a lookout between Yuki's big fluffy feline ears was Yuki's equally fluffy companion Marigold. Marigold's appearance was a little different with this summoning; less of a featureless ball of fur and more of a stylised and simplistic rendition of a short-legged quadruped like a hamster or gerbil, but keeping the same lack of definition on its furry front and back ends. Yuki offered a few crumbs of the aliter dolcia to Marigold, but the little fuzzball had little interest in the pastry… though Marigold was deliriously happy about the prospect of licking the honey off Yuki's fingers with its raspy tongue.

As Yukiko indulged in her sweet treat and admired the passersby (paying extra attention to the few fancily dressed dragonborn interspersed with the common folk), her mind wandered to what Cass and Steph were getting up to in her absence. Yuki knew Steph had reservations about Cass and had expressed dismay when Yukiko told her she'd decided to bring Cass along for VALKYRIE's beta launch… which made the fact the two had ended up spending so much time together perplexing. Much as Yuki hated to admit it, and she'd certainly never let this thought leave her lips, she was a little jealous about how quickly Cass and Steph had bonded. Yuki seriously doubted that Steph had simply taken pity on Cass, that wasn't her style. On the other hand, Yuki knew Stephanie did have a taste for femboys, but there was no way that kink had just totally taken over Steph's brain, right?! Then again, Yuki was pretty sure the only reason Cass was so thirsty for Steph was because of her body, so it sort of made sense for the two of them to be mutually ruled by what was between their legs. Yukiko nursed from her sparkling water as she ruminated on that. In the moment, feeling the cool tingle of carbonation roll down her throat, Yuki couldn't decide if she was more envious of Steph's ability to pull guys into her orbit, or more jealous of how much Cass seemed to enjoy being there.

One of the dragonborn peasants in the square spent a little too long looking at Yuki as he walked by, interrupting her train of thought. Yuki swiftly swallowed her mouthful of pastry and blew him a kiss just to see how he'd react, and was pleasantly surprised by the way his lime green scales took on a telltale blush as he broke eye contact.

… Where was she? Oh right, Cass and Steph. Yuki knew Steph was trying to be on her best behaviour, trying to be less of a micro-managing power gamer and letting Cass and herself do their own thing. Or, at least, Steph was definitely trying to let Yuki do her own thing. Yukiko still had no idea what was going on between Steph and Cass. It was both frustrating and impressive how easily Steph seemed to take over. Cass, for his part, seemed perfectly content to let Stephanie make all of his decisions for him, which was pretty on-brand for him and probably at least part of why Steph had warmed up to him so quickly; she loved having someone to mentor and naturally fell into that leadership role. Yuki stroked Marigold as she recalled how she and Steph had first met, how their friendship had grown from that same tendency. But that alone didn't feel like enough to explain all the flirting, especially today when Steph had her hands all over him… though it did sort of track with how drunk she was. It was easy to get over hang-ups and get touchy-feely when you were drunk, Yuki thought with a grimace. She knew that from regrettable firsthand experience.

Even given the alcohol though, Stephanie had been a little more intense than usual… or a lot more. Maybe it was whatever else she smelled of yesterday? Or maybe she was just overtired? Yuki giggled at the thought, taking another small bite of her pastry. Stephanie did push herself awfully hard. Such is the price of being an overachieving straight-A charismatic socialite sex bomb. Yuki exhaled a dreamy sigh, scritching Marigold (and letting her lick some more honey off her fingers), and trying not to let her envy get the better of her. Steph had been a good friend. Cass, too. Yuki knew how hard Cass was trying not to stare at her new body, and while she appreciated the effort and the respect… part of her was enjoying getting those looks.

One of those idle jealous thoughts slips through the cracks, and Yuki wonders if at some point in the day, Stephanie just let loose, all drunk and sloppy, and pulled Cass into a closet somewhere to deepthroat him. It'd be in line with the stories she'd shared, and Cass definitely wouldn't object, the little horndog. If Yuki ever tried that and people found she'd probably be crucified for being that overtly horny. Can hot girls really just get away with anything?

With that thought still in her head Yuki took another bite of the aliter dolcia, smearing some honey on her lip. She prepared to lick it up when she spotted a dragonborn boy who appeared to be the equivalent of twelve or so years old ogling her from his oblivious parent's side. Yuki seized the opportunity, stroking her tongue deliberately and tantalisingly over her lips to collect every errant drop of honey before sucking the sweet payload into her mouth. Yuki maintained eye contact the entire time, finishing with a wet and theatrical pop of her lips. Even from a distance, Yuki could see the obvious little tent in the youth's chiton, and Yuki giggling and pressing her fingers to her lips demurely was apparently enough of a distraction for the boy to trip over his own feet. Yuki made sure to look the way before his parents noticed, the picture of innocence as she took a sip from her sparkling water.

Yuki finishes her snack, wiping her lips with the napkin and leaving the empty cup on the bench (as she'd seen the locals do). She extended a hand to Marigold as she stood up so the little munchkin could clamber up her arm and wrap itself around her shoulders like a shawl. Once her summoned companion was safely in place Yuki closed her eyes and raised her nose in the air to help get her bearings. Interestingly, even more than an hour after the fact and in spite of the wind, Yuki could still smell traces of her friends in the main square. Cass' smell was subtle enough that it was at risk of being blown away by the wind entirely, but also reassuring, inoffensive and comforting in a way that made Yuki smile. Stephanie's smell on the other hand was earthy and visceral and utterly unlike any of the other dragonborn scents around… which sort of made sense since Steph's avatar was part beastkin. Where Cass' scent was ephemeral Steph's scent was vital and vigorous, and Yuki felt sure she'd be able to use Steph's scent trail to track down the pair of them… if she ever got truly lost. In fact, Yuki's sense of smell was so astute that she could still pick up the other lingering scents on Steph's body, including the alcohol… which Yuki found equal parts gratifying and alarming. And Marigold, of course, just smelled like warm fluff and cuddles!

Yuki's first proper stop on her reconnaissance mission was actually inside the drained canals themselves. While the location may not have been glamorous, real estate in such an old city was at a premium and the merchants, especially the poorer ones, had to make do. Initially somewhat reluctant to speak for one reason or another (possibly some kind of reputation gating for player characters, or merchants not wanting to be seen talking to someone in such a drab outfit, or hilariously enough because some of them seemed a little sketchy about Marigold), eventually Yukiko was able to collect some valuable information about the surrounding area, named the Alternum, which contained Alterna Forest, and while the merchants didn't explicitly make reference to a "dungeon" or "Brinewood Fissure", the fact that they mentioned bizarre phenomena close to the Grungeld border and rumours of foul and wonderful aquatic monsters gave Yuki confidence that she was asking the right questions.

One of the merchants, a slender and hobbled old snake covered in gleaming purple-black scales with glimmering speckles that reminded Yuki of the night sky, or of that Lumberg prostitute's unique hairstyle, offered to exchange information for some kind of rare ingredient.

Yukiko's gut instinct was to reject the quest but paused as the merchant elaborated that his beautiful scales were actually a symptom of Ebonblight, the endemic affliction Stephanie had mentioned earlier, and that the quest ingredients were necessary to produce a cure. Yukiko sighed internally, not wanting to get bogged down and sidetracked for eternity by side quests like she usually did in RPGs like this, but reasoned that rejecting a poor old man like this would probably be bad for her reputation (if such a mechanic existed in VALKYRIE… it probably did) and in the worst case scenario she could quietly ditch the quest later on. And who knows, maybe the information the merchant held would turn out to be useful?

After visiting a few more stalls and receiving more or less the same general information (check Alterna forest, bizarre phenomena, it's not safe to travel alone, foul and wonderful aquatic monsters, et cetera, et cetera), Yuki felt she'd exhausted the dialogue options of the merchants. But, again, prior RPG experience told her that being thorough paid off, so she paid a visit to the very final makeshift stall set up in this portion of the canals. Admittedly this stall probably should have been Yuki's first stop, as it stood out for many reasons. The first was its distance from the stairs leading down into the canals, positioned right at the end of the improvised thoroughfare. The second, its unusual appearance; skillfully carved folding wood that suggested its owner was a travelling merchant by choice rather than necessity. And third, the two people manning the booth. And it was easy for Yuki to think of them as "people" rather than "lizards" as they both fell very decidedly on the humanoid end of the dragonborn spectrum, looking far more like Stephanie and far less like a bipedal lizardperson. The woman seated regally behind the counter was the more draconic of the two; the smooth golden scales of her head transitioned seamlessly into the delicate skin of her face, making her appear as though wreathed in a gilded cowl. Her expression was graceful and patient, radiating the kind of confident charm that befits a mature woman. Conversely, her assistant's head bore shoulder-length strawberry blonde whose vibrant colour contrasted appealingly with his flawless pale skin. Twin rows of sturdy cobalt scales dotted their way down his exposed back, disappearing into his trousers. They cast just enough shadow across his back to highlight his musculature; rippling corded muscles that moved languidly as he lifted a bulky crate to waist height, hips hinging in an impromptu pelvic thrust to reset his balance. The action pulled his shoulder blades together, creasing his skin to add yet more definition to his lean strength.

"Has something caught your eye, dear allogene?"

Yukiko nearly jumped out of her skin she was pulled out of her reverie by the merchant's smooth voice. Yuki caught the woman's gaze and was certain she saw teasing recognition in her smile like she knew what Yuki was staring at. The fact that the NPCs were so realistic was unnerving at times… but it's not like they could really judge her for staring at pixels, right?

"U-uhm, yes, I mean no, I mean-"

Yukiko screamed at herself internally. Why was she getting flustered by talking to people who weren't even people?!

The woman maintained her polite smile as her assistant turned around, and-

Oh god, he's even hotter from the front!

He wore a bemused but friendly expression, honest and earnest in that way that made Yuki's heart melt, his face masculine and angular while his hazel eyes were disarmingly innocent. Wearing nothing but an unadorned apron that left little to the imagination, but instead gave an air of humility that dispelled any notion of bravado, making it clear the guy wasn't trying to show off.

"He's not for sale," the merchant drawled teasingly. "But I could loan him out for a night."

Yuki almost choked to death on her own tongue right then and there.

The merchant gave Yuki an understanding smile, breaking eye contact to let the poor catgirl regain her composure. After a few gutwrenching sputters Yuki managed to get control of herself.

"Nnno s- ma'am. I-I'm, uhh.." Yuki cleared her throat, willing herself to look at the merchant and not the exposed body of her assistant. "I'm looking f-for infostor-uhh, information on the the Ala, um, Alaterma-."

Yuki closed her eyes, willing herself to pull her brain back together.

In a stern, confident voice, Yukiko recited her mission. "I'm gathering information on the southern Alternum, Alterna forest, and a dungeon called Brinewood Fissure. What can you tell me about your travels in the region?"

There. Perfect. And Yuki only stole two glances at the man-candy the whole time.

The woman exhaled, nodding a single time.

She relayed much of the same information Yuki had already received, names, locations, and rumours, but with one extra piece of information that felt like a nugget of wisdom handed straight from the developers to the players.

"Beware to carry antidotes when travelling the southern Alternum, allogene. In recent times the deeper parts of the forest have been colonised by otherworldly aberrations. Foul vermin wielding fouler venom that can bring down the greatest champions."

Yuki couldn't help but steal another glance at the merchant's assistant at the phrase 'greatest champions', who had gone back to lifting and sorting things out of large wooden crates in the background.

"The offer still stands, young allogene."

Yuki raised an eyebrow quizzically at the merchant. Had she offered a quest that Yuki missed?

"Caspian's rates are quite reasonable, so long as you return him in one piece."

Yuki's heart skipped a beat. Oh god, it was a serious offer?!

The dragonman turned away from his work and pulled the apron over his head, revealing the subtle shadows playing across the musculature of his abdomen and the array of slantwise scars across his chest. More of those cobalt scutes decorated his front in regular intervals, but one was conspicuously absent in the path of the scar, evidently having been shorn clean off in some accident, or perhaps during combat with one of the monsters the merchants had warned her about. Yuki felt her cheeks sizzling in blush as he clasped his hands in front of his waist and bowed slightly at the hips.

"At your service, allogene," the dragonman said in a youthful yet gravelly voice.

Yuki felt a familiar twitch between her legs as she looked into his sparkling hazel eyes. Swallowing past the knot in her throat Yuki was able to shake her head, which both got her point across and helped her gather her wits.

"N-no! Thank you! No, thank you, I mean! But thank you!"

Yuki was screaming internally. It'd be so much easier if Cass was with her right now to handle the talking!

But Caspian, bless his gentle soul, gave Yuki a calming smile before turning back to his sorting as if he was completely unperturbed by Yuki's lack of composure. Yuki chewed her lip as she got an eyeful of his butt through his trousers, realising he probably had girls acting like this around him all the time and was used to it. Maybe even some guys. Lucky bastard.

Yuki said her farewells and gave her thanks to the merchant, taking one last longing look at Caspian before scooting off to her next destination.

Yuki found her next mark, the Rhodeia Polis Adventurer's Guild, without difficulty. A multi-story establishment tucked away neatly in the terminus of a side street, the Guild was near enough to Megali Agora to be readily accessible by the hordes of players that would inevitably make their way to Rhodeia Polis throughout their playthroughs whilst simultaneously being just hidden enough to feel like an exclusive club. While it was somewhat flattering to have venues specifically designed for players at the implicit exclusion of the NPC riff-raff, it came with an alarming implication for Yukiko.

She would need to talk to actual real-life human players.

Yuki tried to make herself appear as small as possible, slinking in through the double doors thrown permanently open. There were far fewer players here than in the Lumberg Guild, maybe fifteen total that Yuki saw on the first floor of the guild hall. That was good. The fewer people the more likely they were to be close-knit groups, she thought, and therefore less likely to-

"Ohmygosh your summon is ADORBS!" Cried a shrill, feminine voice.

Yuki turned around to find an angry red nameplate hovering above a player character. Level 74, with the truly cringe-worthy in-game name StardustXSeraph69. She looked like a pure elf like Cass, causing Yuki to wonder if all the elves in this game were short. Less Tolkien more Santa's Little Helper? But no, that didn't seem right. With the character's youthful face, budding breasts, and outfit that managed to both look like a nature-themed wreath of leaves and a schoolgirl's outfit, this character was very clearly a loli… and Yuki would bet she was inspired by a gacha game.

"Can I touch it?!"

It took Yuki a moment to process what the other player was asking. Touch… Oh right, Marigold was still sitting on Yuki's head.

"O-oh, yeah! Here you go, her name's-" Yuki picked up Marigold and offered her to StardustXSeraph69 to pet, but the moment the other player's fingers touched her fur, Marigold vanished with a familiar feeble pop, leaving behind nothing but a wisp of white smoke.

"Ohmygosh I'm so sorry!" Seraph exclaimed as she clasped her hands to her mouth.

Yuki tried her best to offer a placating smile but she was so nervous her lips weren't working properly. The poor nervous catgirl had no idea what kind of expression she was giving the other girl, but it seemed to work.

"I-it's okay, Marigold is… poofy."

Yukiko immediately regretted opening her mouth. Why did she say something so stupid? Why didn't she ever have anything worthwhile to say? StardustXSeraph69 probably thinks Yuki's a stupid idiot with nothing between her ears and-

"Are you new here? Do you need someone to show you around?~" Seraph purred, giving an innocent smile to Yukiko.

Oh god. Pity. Yuki wanted to die.

"N-no, I'm fine, really! I-I'm just, I'm here to… books. Want books."

FUCK, Yukiko screamed inside of her head. God, what is she saying? She could just say nothing and it'd be better than this! She could have pretended she didn't speak English, then maybe-

"Oh, no worries! You want the second floor, probably! Knowledge books, right?" The other girl offered with a warm smile.

God damn it, why couldn't Cass be here to do the talking?!

Yuki finally took her own advice and said nothing, gulping nervously and nodding her head.

"I guess I'll see you 'round then! Buh-bye!" Seraph gave Yuki an exaggerated wink, blowing the catgirl a kiss before walking past her into the guild hall.

Yuki just stood there for a moment to let the other girl put some distance between the two of them, praying she wouldn't come back as she caught her breath. Only now in relative peace did Yuki realise her heart was pounding in her chest. Yuki summoned Marigold again, who was now wearing the familiar round fuzzball appearance from yesterday, but this time made sure to smuggle the little munchkin into her tunic to avoid any other adventurers attempting to strike up a conversation. Yuki even considered just turning tail and going to the next location, lying that there were no knowledge books at the Guild… but Steph would see right through it.

Yuki sighed in resignation. She told herself that if she kept her eyes straight forward, refused to make eye contact with anyone, and went straight to her destination on the second floor she wouldn't be bothered again.

Sure enough, none of the other player characters approached Yuki. She did have to talk to one more NPC, but that was easy. Especially since the squat little dwarven grandma staffing the Guild library, the first non-dragonborn NPC Yuki had seen since leaving Lumberg, was programmed by the devs to give short and sweet answers to player queries. In no time at all Yuki located and subsequently purchased the first pair of knowledge books she needed, as well as extra copies for both Cass and Stephanie.

When queried about the other volumes, as Yuki assumed "Vol. 1" wasn't mere flavour text, the dwarven grandma answered in a thick accent that read Nordic-ish to Yuki's untrained ears.

"Oh, my dearie, zat's all we 'ave currently. Yå can check za Grand Library to see if zey 'ave more, but za Brinewood Fissure hasn't been properly explored yet, ya knoow?"

Right. Yuki was already planning to go to the Grand Library next. Glad to see the devs agreed with her.

Descending back to the ground floor of the guild hall, Yuki noted with great relief that the handful of player names hovering around the place had dispersed. She decided to use the opportunity to check out the notice board, to see what kinds of quests were available in Rhodeia. With surprise and dismay, Yuki noted that rather than a weird and wonderful list of extravagant mid-to-late game quest teasers, the lion's share of space on the notice board was instead plastered with a long, long, long list of quests to retrieve cures for Ebonblight. From a cursory glance, it seemed that these requests came from every echelon of Rhodeian society, from peasant farmers to what read like nobility. Yuki even noticed a duplicate listing of the quest she'd already received from the merchant in the canals. No wonder the locals were so polite to players, they were programmed to be desperate for cures and likely dependent on the benevolence of the players.

Yuki steps outside into the later afternoon air. The cool breeze tickled and stimulated Yuki's nose and she closed her eyes and took in the scents and sounds of the city. Yuki would normally have been far too embarrassed to sniff the air like this if she knew she was being watched by other players, but she felt safe enough now to give it a shot. She was certain she could smell the little bakery she bought the aliter dolcia at, still hard at work selling pastries. Steph's scent was still in the air, barely, and Yuki could pick out the scent of numerous other non-dragonborn creatures, likely other adventurers. She had a hunch she knew even which scent belonged to StardustXSeraph69… a thought which made Yuki pray to whichever gods ruled this game she'd never have to explain in person. Like, "Yeah, hi, I was just sniffing some farts and realised they were yours?" Yuki would rather die. There were other scents on the air too, more distant. Brine, something like tree sap, and… something else. Earthy visceral like Stephanie's scent, but musky and spicy in a way that got stuck at the back of Yuki's sinus. As soon as she picked up the scent she couldn't drop it. It became impossible to ignore, an omnipresent undercurrent just as much as the brine or the windchill. The scent was paradoxically comforting and anxiety-inducing, relaxing and intimidating. Yuki slid a hand into her tunic to find Marigold, petting her protectively on instinct.

Yukiko's third and final destination was the Grand Library of Caduceus, located on the opposite side of the city from Megali Agora. As Yuki walked from the south to the north of the city, the sky began to turn a vibrant orange in the west with streaks of pale blue and yellow in the east as the day wound down. The Library was impossible to miss; a monolithic testament to ancient knowledge that could easily be mistaken for a cathedral. Seemingly crafted entirely from gleaming white marble, the Library exuded an aura of magnificence and excellence that was amplified by the fluted columns that typified the grandeur of Rhodeia Polis. There was just one thing that seemed out of place from a distance; a pyramid of flickering copper light that seemed to appear and disappear at random intervals, seated firmly atop the apex of the Library's domed roof. In the courtyard opposite the Library grew a tree that Yukiko knew intuitively was a gigantic Tree of Caduceus, but unlike the Tree in Lumberg which seemed to grow wild and free, this Tree was meticulously tended, surrounded by polished marble tiles that had encroached almost to the very roots of the tree and surrounded by a ring of benches facing toward the Tree's trunk.

Moments before Yukiko closed the distance to the Grand Library's polished doors they swung open themselves, heralding a player nameplate dyed in a now familiar deep red.

Oh no.

StardustXSeraph69 strode out of the Library with a confident spring in her step, and as soon as her eyes landed on Yukiko her face seemed to light up.

"Ohmygosh bestie! Didja find the books you needed?!"

Yuki winced at the saccharine tone of the senior player, forcing what she hoped was her least awkward smile onto her face.

"Y-yuhm, I mean yeah, I did. Volume 1, at least. I'm ch-checking the library f-for the… for more."

Seraph just beamed all the brighter at Yuki's words.

"Brinewood Fissure, riiight?~" The elf chirped.

How could she know?

"Shame! The Library's got nothing! But if you're exploring Brinewood… I guess I really will be seein' ya later, right?"

Yukiko gulped nervously. "Please don't invite me to your party, please don't invite me to your party", Yukiko chanted to herself in her head.

Blessedly, Seraph just gave Yukiko the same wink and blown kiss she gave last time, skipping past Yuki and leaving her alone once more. Yuki breathed a sigh of relief; at least her encounters with Seraph had been brief… so far. And it'd be a lot easier if she had Cass to do the talking for her. God damn it, Yuki missed Cass so much right now. Yuki screamed to herself internally, turning toward the door to let herself inside. But just as her fingers were about to make contact with the handle, a chill ran up Yuki's spine.

She felt like she was being watched.

She turned her head over her shoulder to check to see if Seraph was still looking at her, but there was no sign of the loli anywhere. She seemed to have vanished. Yuki slipped inside the Library hurriedly and shut the door firmly behind her. The feeling of eyes on her back was dispelled in an instant, replaced by an almost miraculous calm. Yuki pressed a hand to her chest and realised once again that her heart was pounding. Marigold was still safely buried in her tunic, crawling her way up to nuzzle at Yuki's hand.

After catching her breath for a few moments, Yuki asked the NPCs staffing the Library if she could borrow the subsequent volumes of Alterna Forest and Brinewood Fissure bestiaries. An austere dragonman with copper scales that had long since lost their lustre gave Yukiko disappointing answers from his station behind a large, richly coloured wooden desk.

"We are dreadfully sorry, allogene, but our records of the Brinewood Fissure are as of yet pending reconstruction. While the Library prides itself on its record-keeping, there are unfortunately a finite number of minds available for a nigh-infinite number of worthwhile endeavours. Perhaps you and yours may be able to assist us by delving into the Brinewood Fissure on your own merit and reporting your findings?"

Yukiko sighed in consternation, anticipating yet another side quest to be dropped in her lap. Instead, the librarian pressed a nail into his desk and drew a large glowing circle into the wooden face. Once the circle was complete it flashed brightly, becoming a gently glowing cyan portal through which the man retrieved a collection of apparently freshly bound books.

"You said you required three copies of each, correct?"

"Oh, wow. Thank you, Mister!"

The elderly lizard returned a genuine smile to Yuki's enthusiasm.

"Further volumes have yet to be authored. Our cartographers especially are in high demand, and as such we have no maps of the Brinewood to speak of, not even of the higher floors. We've lodged requests with a handful of allogene parties, but none so far have returned complete enough data for us to construct viable maps."

Yukiko was already nodding, both to herself and to the librarian. "I… we can probably help with that, yeah?"

The librarian nodded solemnly once, reaching into the portal to retrieve a bundle of something that was distinctly not books.

"The Grand Library looks forward to celebrating the fruits of your labour, allogene. You will be adequately compensated for your time."

Yukiko reached out to scoop the mountain of books and mapping supplies into her inventory, triggering a payment window to pop up.

Yukiko baulked at the price on the screen, but her fingers were settling the transaction before her brain could second guess herself. Yuki watched remorsefully as her gold total plummeted, praying she could convince Stephanie to reimburse her tomorrow.

While Yuki reasoned that there was probably some benefit to exploring the Library further and digging up more juicy tidbits and potential side quests, she decided to end her Library visit sooner rather than later. Cass was probably getting worried, and truthfully Yuki was worn out by all of this talking. Yuki pushed open the Library's doors, waiting on the threshold to see if that same eerie feeling of being watched returned… but when it became apparent that the coast was clear, Yuki exited the Library and stepped into the courtyard to be greeted by the cool ocean breeze switching directions. She noted the scent of brine instantly, and that sap smell which now is more generally botanical… and then all at once that other smell that affixed itself to the back of her sinus came to the forefront. Earthy, meaty, musky, spicy. Powerful. And now that Yuki could tell she was much closer to the source, she picked out something else too. On an intuitive level, Yuki recognised this scent belonged to a large and powerful animal.

What. Yukiko's brain short-circuited as her Aspiration trait popped up. She looked at the dialogue box quizzically, wondering what on earth it could possibly want, before beginning the usual dance of checking each cardinal direction and finding her only path forward was out of the courtyard and down the steps, back toward the centre of Rhodeia Polis.

It didn't take long for Yukiko to put two and two together. Every time she turned down a street corner to find an invisible wall, or spun herself around to feel out which direction she was compelled to walk in, the animalistic scent in the air grew stronger. In short order, Yuki found that she wasn't following the directions of her trait at all, but rather keeping her nose lifted and obediently being led by the musky trail.

Further and further westward she roamed, away from her friends in Megali Agora and toward an unknown section of the city. The polished white marble that denoted the wealthy enclaves gradually gave way to humble sandstone, and then further still to concrete and cement. More smells began to fill the air, the smell of sweat and hay and dust and manure. Yukiko wrinkled her nose as she realised she was being guided inexorably into the working-class neighbourhood of Rhodeia Polis. Her first reaction was disgust, she was clearly meant to be in the fashion district, not the slums. But Yuki quickly realised these weren't slums at all; they were far too clean for that. The dragonborn men around, those that hadn't returned home for the night at least, all seemed to be reasonably clean and respectable. Somehow that gave Yukiko quiet pride, knowing even the poorest parts of this city were clean, and that she wasn't being dragged into some shithole by the game's ludicrous side quest system.

Eventually, Yuki came to a street that was cut through by a canal and tried to turn to continue following the street. An invisible force arrested her movement, refusing to let her continue on. Yuki sighed, running through the now familiar motions.

Left.

Right.

Back…

But forward would throw her straight off the edge of the canal! That was like a twenty-foot drop! There's no way the game actually expected her to walk off a cliff, right?! Yuki tried again, faster this time.

Left, right, back…

God damn it. The only way forward was into the canal. Maybe Yukiko had some kind of hidden passive as a feline character that would mitigate her fall damage? Or maybe fall damage didn't even exist in this game, which is why she was being told to… walk off a cliff. The breeze changed direction once again, sending a powerful gust of that animalistic scent straight into Yukiko's face. Her heartbeat accelerated as it tickled her nostrils, soaking into her sinus, and–

Yukiko's eyes shot wide. She felt the familiar prelude to arousal twitching in her groin.

"What the fuck"? The catgirl whispered under her breath.

Gritting her teeth, Yuki strode over the lip of the canal, plummeting to the dry concrete below with every intention of landing gracefully on her feet.

She fell on her face.

The shock to her system was alarming but admittedly didn't hurt as badly as being mauled by the dire wolf. Plus, technically, it wasn't even lethal as she hadn't been reduced to her Resilience state. Yukiko pushed herself up and brushed herself, only realising after readjusting her tunic that she'd landed on Marigold and almost certainly killed her companion. Yuki summoned Marigold again, who returned wearing her slightly elongated gerbil appearance and swiftly took up residence around Yuki's shoulders. Yuki inhaled deeply, getting another lungful of her target. She felt her sex twitch involuntarily and chastised herself at the implication. She set off once more, mental energy focused on convincing herself that the fact the scent grew stronger with each passing step wasn't turning her on.

Trekking through the dried canals proved to be a blessing in disguise. The network of dusty arteries facilitated swift travel… which was probably why they'd been built in the first place, back when they still flowed. Yuki passed by a staircase hewn into the concrete wall of the canals, only to be met a moment later by a feeling of rapidly increasing gravity and resistance to her movement. Taking the hint she ascended the stairs and emerged at ground level into a cloud of musk that made her stomach flutter and her knees flinch together. She took a moment to steady herself, stroking Marigold's fur as she focused on breathing steadily through her mouth. Even without looking at any of the street signs she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd arrived at her destination. The stables. Yuki could smell at least five different horses here, possibly more, but the catgirl knew she was here for one stallion in particular.

The stables defied the convention of its sandstone and concrete environment. A rustic building that seemed almost as if it had been imported from Lumberg as part of a cultural exchange, all weathered wooden beams and shingled roofing. Large windows revealed a wide walkway flanked on either side by rows of stalls, ten on each side that Yuki could count from the outside, though not all were occupied. The doors at the front of the stable were thrown open but the back was sealed shut.

Rounding the corner to the front of the stables, Yuki took cautious steps into the building. She wondered for a moment if it was best for her to attempt to sneak in unnoticed or if she should announce her presence. She paused, asking herself what Stephanie would do in a situation like this… and after barely a moment of deliberation knew that Stephanie would bare herself brazenly and own the moment. If only Yuki had that same level of self-confidence, she thought wistfully, wishing not for the first time today she was more like her friend and less like herself.

It didn't take long for her to locate the lone stable hand, a handsome young dragonborn man with bright copper scales who, like Caspian, fell on the humanoid end of the spectrum. Yukiko might have ogled him for a moment longer if she didn't have… other things on her mind.

"U-uhm, excuse me?" Yukiko's voice warbled as she spoke, her breathing unsteady with her own unbidden arousal. "I-I'm, uhh… I've got… a side quest?" Her voice lilted upward at the end as if she were asking the stable hand to figure out the rest of Yuki's request himself.

The young NPC looked at Yukiko like he'd seen a ghost.

"A-an allogene? You're an allogene?!" His voice sounded giddy with excitement.

"O-oh, uhh, yeah! I'm an allogene!" Yuki decided to lean into it. "I've got a, uhh, a quest! On behalf of, umm… my magic instructor! I need to inspect an, uhh… a stallion in prime condition!"

Yeah, that sounded believable enough. And thankfully, the stable hand seemed to buy it. It wasn't even that much of a lie, after all. Less thankfully, the stable hand's expression became apprehensive as he considered her words.

"Pardon the ill news allogene, but we're closed for the night."

"O-oh, no, th-that's actually perfect!"

Phew, that was good. The fewer eyes on Yuki, the better. Seeing the confusion on his face, Yuki elaborated.

"I-I've got to spend some, uhh, quiet time with the chosen stallion to, umm, do… the stuff. Like, commune with his soul and stuff." Admittedly Yuki had no idea what her Aspiration trait actually expected her to do. She was probably just meant to pet the horse or something, but it was good to cover her bases.

The stable hand lifted his fist and looked meaningfully at something in the palm of his hand. He seemed to deliberate matters for a moment before speaking.

"It's bad luck to deny your kind, but my dominus demanded my presence tonight. I can't afford to be late. I'm sorry allogene, but I cannot host you tonight."

Yuki's jaw twitched at the refusal. She should have just snuck in after all.

"...But if my dominus learned I'd refused you…" the man's voice trailed off.

"If you give your word, promise me earnestly to lock up once you've finished, I'll see you to our stallions. Do I have your word as allogene?"

Yuki had already started nodding. This had gone better than she dared hope! Privacy, blessed privacy!

"Definitely! I promise!"

There was a moment of hesitation as the stable hand considered Yukiko's face, wondering to himself if he was making a mistake by relenting to this allogene's wishes. The moment passed, and the stable hand extended his fist to Yukiko. Yuki stared at it in bemusement as the gears turned in her head. Was he… offering a fist bump? Like a pinky promise? The confused catgirl gingerly tapped her fist against his in recognition, causing the contagious confusion to spread to his face as well. He gently captured Yukiko's wrist and turned her hand palm up, then opened his fist to deposit a small key polished by decades of use into Yuki's possession.

Yuki's cheeks burned with embarrassment. Thank god no actual players were around to see that.

"When you've finished your communion, simply lock the front doors from the outside. The rear doors are already locked. There's a loose tile on the lefthand side of the entryway, hide the key there when you're done."

Chapter 11: Yuki's Chapter II: Yukiko's Stable Relationships

Chapter Text

The stable hand led Yukiko hastily to the back end of the stables, deftly lighting a magical lamp as he passed that cast stable orange light over the stalls. The mares nickered softly as the two passed, a sound that would have startled Yukiko if she didn't have the calm stable hand to take cues from. Yukiko sniffed the air as she passed them, registering the smell of animalistic sweat and messy hay and how that contrasted with the other smell that had brought her here. Most of the stalls seemed to be vacant, acting as a buffer between the mares and the stallions. Two stallions were housed opposite each other, one on either side of the walkway.

"We've three stallions in our care currently. This is Aias," the stable hand indicated first toward the blonde horse, who returned the attention with an indifferent and lethargic leer, "And opposite him is his brother, Dion." The slim grey stallion seemed a little more lively, whinnying as he heard his name.

"They're the pride of our stables, my dominus' cherished stock. I hope they meet your expectations."

Yukiko made a brief show of regarding them both, but neither one took her interest. Neither of their scents matched the intoxicating aroma she'd been drawn to. In fact, in spite of her proximity to the two large males, their scents seemed dull and dilute, barely cutting above the scents of the mares before them.

"Where's the third one?" Yukiko asked, hoping she'd find the source of the musk and she hadn't just been led on a wild goose (horse?) chase.

The stable hand gulped audibly, dark emotions playing across his face.

"Apollo is… he's seen better days."

The dragonman raised a hand, pointing toward a reinforced stall at the very end of the row, separated from the other two stallions just as they were separated from the mares. His mood was sombre, but Yukiko could barely contain her excitement. She found herself smiling without thinking, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd located the origin of the enthralling, alluring musk that brought her here.

The walls of the stall rattled as the enormous beast pressed itself against his confines, eager to greet his familiar caretaker and this new stranger. Apollo nickered enthusiastically, a deep and rumbling sound that Yukiko could feel travelling through the floor and into her body. She'd never been that much of a horse girl, but between raw strength on display combined with that vibrating sensation in her bones, she couldn't stop her smile from stretching even wider.

Apollo was truly gargantuan. Peering through the gaps in the wooden planks that composed his reinforced stall, Yukiko could see that she didn't even come up to his shoulder. His musculature rippled with every movement, muscles shifting and sliding under his rich chestnut fur. The lamplight cast shadows that emphasised his well-defined contours, accentuated every sinew and curve. Between his sculpted physique and the majestic copper mane cascading over his neck and shoulders, he was an uncommonly handsome stallion.

"Alas, our beloved Apollo has succumbed as so many others before him to Ebonblight."

Yuki's brows knit together as she wondered what the stable hand was talking about, Apollo looked fine to-

Oh.

Dark purple-black scales speckled with shimmering pinpricks of silver erupted from select stretches of Apollo's body like armour forged from fragments of the starry sky itself. They undulated with an otherworldly sheen that, to Yukiko's eye, only enhanced Apollo's majesty. But Yukiko also understood that as beautiful as these scales were, they were the prelude to doom for the stallion. An inexorable, creeping petrification.

"So you see, our other stallions are in better condition for-"

"No! No, he's perfect!" Yukiko almost shouted. She hadn't realised until she'd spoken that she'd been softly panting, huffing musk-laden breaths into her lungs.

"U-uh, I mean, this is a perfect chance to… study… like, y'know?" Yuki tilted her head toward the stable hand but couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off Apollo.

"Do you mind if I…?" Yukiko let the question hang in the air, unsure of what she was actually asking. Did she just want to pet him? Stroke his fur? Maybe even feel the scales?

"As you wish," the stable hand responded solemnly. "I must take my leave. May Belladonna keep you, allogene."

Yukiko kept her eyes trained on Apollo as she listened to the stable hand's hurried footsteps grow distant. If she'd paid attention she could have traced the movement of the NPC as he closed the barn door behind him, footsteps echoing clearly on the sandstone pavement announcing his departure.

But Yukiko's attention wasn't on him.

The moment he'd said his farewell Yukiko gave herself permission to devote all of her attention to Apollo. She held herself still for a moment, studying his body, the logical part of her brain hoping that she'd receive a dialogue box pop-up informing her she'd successfully "expanded her horizons through novel experiences".

When that didn't materialise, Yukiko gingerly reached her hand out to the latch keeping the top half of Apollo's stall shut. She unlatched it, wincing as the hinge squealed in protest and swung open to allow Apollo to lean his head out of his stall. The moment Apollo could point his muzzle at Yukiko he chuffed happily, sending a gust of warm, wet air directly into Yukiko's face. There was a fraction of a moment of resistance as Yukiko winced reflexively. But that passed faster than Yukiko could register it, replaced by an all-consuming olfactory response that left the catgirl lightheaded and woozy. Yuki reached out a hand to steady herself, shaking her head slowly. She almost couldn't believe how potent her reaction was. How realistic it was. The Phantasm Vision's ability to not only recreate but enhance scents in the game, to make her truly believe she was smelling these things with hyper-sensitive beastkin senses, was truly exceptional.

"Worth every penny", Yuki whispered under her breath as she inhaled again. She found herself looking dreamily at the stallion, thanking him for directing her here.

But still, Yukiko had a side quest to complete.

She figured the next thing to do was to try to pet the horse, so she reached out cautiously to Apollo's muzzle, fingers stroking at the air out of fear of being bitten. Apollo, of course, was far too friendly to actually bite anyone! He merely whinnied pleasantly and made charming kissy-lips at Yukiko, a true lady killer… before whipping his head to the side and catching Yuki's forearm with his muscular lips. It wasn't a bite exactly, more like a forceful nuzzle, but it spooked Yukiko so badly she nearly fell on her butt as she wrenched her hand back.

Yukiko grimaced as she read and re-read the text on the tooltip. She couldn't really "handle it" herself right now when she was in the middle of her side quest. She'd just have to grin and bear it until she could find a church to cleanse her again… or find some quiet time to herself. With that thought in her head, Yukiko tried to take a step back to see if she really was meant to be playing with Apollo after all, but the moment she tried she felt her muscles glitch out as if she was rooted to the floor. That confirmed it. Yukiko let out an unsteady breath as she contemplated her next move. Or rather, as she tried to build up the courage for what she knew she had to do.

Yuki reached out with trembling hands to undo the other latch keeping the bottom half of Apollo's stall securely shut. This latch was larger, and required some effort to actually disengage, but once it was free the stall door swung open invitingly. Yukiko's heart suddenly seized as she realised she'd acted before thinking and if Apollo so wished he could simply stride out of his stall, but rather than attempt to escape Apollo stood obediently still. In fact, Apollo even took a polite step backward to give Yukiko plenty of room to step into his stall alongside him. A true gentleman. Yukiko shut the stall door securely behind her with a satisfying click, taking up a position perpendicular to Apollo's flank.

The tantalising scent of his animalistic scent enveloped her senses, fanning the flames of primal desire already smouldering within her. The potency of his musk seemed to have intensified fourfold just by crossing the threshold into his stall. Yukiko had to bite her lip to stop her fingers from finding their way into her shorts, focusing instead on Apollo's body. She placed her hands on his body, exploring his body with eyes and hands together, drinking in his strength and beauty. She marvelled at the sheer power held within his muscles, rippling beneath his luxurious chestnut coat. The true size of Apollo hadn't really sunk in until Yuki's hands were pressed up against him, emphasising just how vast the size difference was. Yuki was right that she wasn't even as tall as his shoulders. Even if Yukiko reached her hands as high as she could she'd barely be able to reach the top of his head.

Apollo seemed to enjoy the attention, nickering as Yuki's nails traced over his flank and back. With her hands connecting the two the vibration could travel directly into Yuki's torso, as if the rumble of Apollo's nickering was coming from inside her chest cavity. Yuki smiled at the ticklish sensation… and tried to ignore the way her sex throbbed in tandem excitement. Yuki's hands roamed further, touching the first stretch of scales that erupted from Apollo's withers and found them oddly warm and wet to the touch. She'd imagined the signs of petrification to be cold, lifeless stone, but these seemed… well, vivacious. Apollo obviously enjoyed having his scales touched, leaning into Yukiko's ministrations and unwittingly sandwiching her against the wall.

Yuki's hands roamed further, across his shoulder, over his rump, whatever her hands could touch, until she found her nails scratching at his undercarriage. She took a step back so that she wasn't simply groping blindly, and-

"Oh. My. God."

Apollo's manhood stood proudly between his legs, a testament to his immense virility and power. Mottled pink and black from flare to sheathe (Yukiko had just enough experience from visiting furry websites to know what the important bits were called), Apollo's cock was just as handsome as the rest of him. His skin seemed supple yet durable, enticing some desire within Yukiko to press her hands against him and to feel him beneath her palms. The few arteries that fed his cock stood proudly, pulsing languidly in time with his titanic heartbeat. The sheer proportions were beyond anything Yukiko had ever imagined on a male, let alone encountered in person – a throbbing embodiment of raw masculinity that stirred her guts with both fear and fascination. His length pulsated with a primal intensity that Yukiko found irresistible. Without even thinking Yukiko crouched down, steadying herself with one hand against Apollo's flank and the other against his knee. Her breath hitched, a mix of astonishment and desire coursing through her veins.

His scent was all-encompassing at this distance, the only thing Yuki could smell was Apollo. His sweat, his fur, his musk… his cock. Yuki's nose twitched as she recognised that she could distinctly and specifically smell his cock, identifying it as the origin of that earthy, meaty, spicy quality to Apollo's musk. Yuki inhaled deeply, quivering as his smell plastered itself to the back of Yuki's sinuses.

…

She was allowed to touch him, right?

This was just a video game. Apollo was just a bunch of pixels conjured up by the Vision headset. There was nothing wrong with Yukiko reaching out and… and…

And feeling the sweltering heat radiating from his cock. Yukiko cradled him lovingly, worshipfully, marvelling at his sheer girth. Even with both hands wrapped around his cock Yukiko couldn't encircle his sheer girth, fingers a fraction of an inch apart even when wrapped around the narrowest stretch of his flesh. Yukiko ran a finger experimentally along the underside of his cock, from the wide and flat head down over the bump halfway down his shaft, all the way to his…

Yukiko gulped as she finally caught sight of the other half of his manhood. A pair of pendulous orbs hung beneath his massive member. His testicles - the source of his virility and the undeniable symbol of his masculinity. Swollen with desire, they were large and heavy… and maybe it was just Yukiko's wild imagination combined with her Arousal, but she was sure they were throbbing. No, they were definitely throbbing, the leathery sac crisscrossed with veins and arteries that pulsed with life-giving blood.

Yukiko gulped again as Apollo flexed, tension running the length of his shaft as it throbbed powerfully and smacked against his undercarriage. He held it there, turgid and stiff, and Yukiko watched with morbid fascination as it grew in size. The head, especially, flared out like a blooming flower, more than doubling in size as it filled with blood. Apollo relaxed his muscles, allowing his cock to droop once again, then immediately tensed again to smack his member against his stomach. Yuki entertained the idea of sliding a hand between his undercarriage and cock, to feel his cock slap against her hand, when she realised there was a tiny sparkling bead gathering at the tip of his cock.

Yukiko shifted slightly to get a better look at his cockhead as it deflated somewhat, the enormous head returning to its previous size more similar to the girth of the rest of the shaft. The sparkling bead remained trapped just at the entrance of his urethra. Yuki wiped her lips as she wondered what he tasted like. Did he taste just like he smelled, warm and powerful and virile? Or was it as the saying went, salty milk and snot?

Yuki shook her head, was she seriously contemplating what a horse's cock tasted like? Well, no, technically she was contemplating what his precum taste like-

Apollo's cock flexed again, once more slapping itself against his stomach. He took a step forward, toward Yukiko's face, and Yuki intuited that he was getting impatient. Did he seriously expect her to-

Apollo took another step forward, as close to the wall as he could get as he presented his cock to Yukiko. The catgirl was paralysed by shock and fear, afraid that Apollo might accidentally trample her when Apollo's hindquarters suddenly bucked, shoving his cock pointedly at Yuki's face. He missed, of course, and lined up another thrust, and another. On his fourth his cock flexed, blood rushing into his member as the tip of his cock flared out once more in a majestic crown. This time his aim was true, pushing firmly and directly into Yukiko's face, smothering her lips with his flavour.

Yuki should have been embarrassed by that, but to her musk-addled mind, the Milestone felt like tacit approval. In this moment there was no shame, no guilt, only lust and admiration for Apollo and his cock. Yukiko wrapped her hands around Apollo's cock once more, dragging her fingers languidly from as close to his base as she could reach up, up his shaft, over his medial ring, applying slowly increasing pressure as her fingers approached his crown. There, she squeezed gently, coaxing that sparkling droplet all the way out of his cock, watching with adoration as its surface tension finally snapped under its own weight and it fell directly into Yuki's cleavage, staining her with his scent.

Yuki found that thought enthralling. Being "stained" with his scent, like he owned her, like she was his mare and–

"FUCK!" Yuki hissed.

What if Cass and Steph found out! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-

Yuki swiped at the droplet with her tunic, trying to clean it up as swiftly as she could, but that just caused it to soak into the tunic, trapping the scent with her. FUCK.

What would Cass and Steph think?! Steph would tease her, she'd never let it go, she'd lord it over her forever. But Cass?! God, he'd think she was a pervert, a degenerate, worse than a slut!

Yukiko growled under her breath. She tried to stand up, but her muscles refused to move. The familiar gravity of her Aspiration trait arresting her movement kept her kneeling under Apollo. Whatever the trait wanted, she hadn't given it.

Yuki sighed. She had a feeling she knew what the trait expected of her.

She settled back down onto her knees, assuming a comfortable position, steadying herself ironically by gripping Apollo's cock. Her lips found their place just underneath the tip of Apollo's crown, lips sucking a wet and sloppy kiss from his warm flesh. Yukiko massaged his cock, trying to imagine what kind of sensation a horse wanted to feel, what sort of stimulation would bring him pleasure, and fell into the idea of wrapping her fingers as firmly as she could manage and dragging them in long, firm strokes from flare to base as if he were mounting and breeding a mare. Yuki blushed at that thought, making this horse think he was breeding with her… but she endured, determined to satisfy this perverted side quest as quickly as she could.

Her fingers barely sink into his flesh at all. The very outer layer of his skin felt soft and delicate, but immediately under it was nothing but unyieldingly turgid flesh. She could feel his heartbeat through the blood vessels in his cock, feel him throbbing with life as she dragged her fingers down his cock, feel him throbbing with desire as she pulled back. Apollo helped her, the generous gentleman that he was, bucking into the ring made by her hands as he stroked himself off using his catgirl helper. He nickered again, a happy sound, but in this context Yukiko felt it was possessive too, especially as Apollo trod one step closer, bringing Yukiko even closer to his stallionhood.

Yuki had to swerve out of the way to avoid his cock thrusting at her face once again, not wanting her skull to be pounded against the side of the stall by the overenthusiatic male "kissing" her. Instead, she layered gentle, teasing kisses against the end of his cock, around his flare and the half of his cock on her side of his medial ring, hoping those gentle suckles and licks would help him… Yuki gulped as she realised what she was hoping for. Hoping to make a horse cum.

At least nobody was here to witness it. Nobody knew what this innocent little Asian wallflower was doing, on her knees in a stall with her lips pressed against a–

Yukiko nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt something slither between her ass cheeks. Pulling her lips off Apollo, she cast her eyes around fearfully, expecting to see a snake or some kind of creepy crawly emerging from the hay. Instead, with great relief, Yuki realised it was merely Marigold, snuggling up to her rump as she serviced Apollo. Yuki breathed a heavy sigh. She had nothing to worry about, she could get back to… to making Apollo cum.

Yuki shuffled closer, burying her face in Apollo's cock now. She'd long since past the point where the only thing she could smell was Apollo, but somehow it still felt like the scent was becoming more intoxicating, more all-encompassing, adding more and more layers to the addicting masculine aroma of him clinging to the inside of Yuki's sinuses. She huffed his cock as she worked, drawing a lungful of warm and musky air into her body, fueling her efforts to grope and stroke and massage until this great, handsome beast emptied everything in those fat, virile nuts for her.

She reached out to touch them, caress them, wanting to know what they felt like, wanting to feel their warmth in her palm. Maybe she could even kiss them, to let Apollo know she admired just how potent she knew he was. Her fingers made contact with this scrotum, at once leathery and soft, resilient and delicate–

Yuki's heart leapt into her throat. Was… was that it?

All she had to do the whole time was touch his balls once?

Yuki's features screwed themselves into a scowl. She'd been giving fellatio to a fucking horse for the past ten minutes and all she need to do was tag his balls once?!

Yuki stood up, swiftly and easily now that the artificial compulsion of Aspiration had vanished. Yuki made to leave, sliding past Apollo with the intention to vacate his stall and finally return to Cass and Steph… and to have a warm shower to wash any trace of this off her body. But as she did so, standing at her full height next to Apollo, she realised something that made her stomach flutter and her pussy clench.

Apollo's cock was at the perfect height for her to grind against.

Yukiko gulped nervously. She had to admit that she sort of did enjoy touching Apollo like this. He was just so big and strong and masculine, it was hard not to let that sexual fascination get to her. Every girl felt a little attraction to horses, right? Every girl had a little bit of size queen in them, right? Yukiko gnawed her lip, half of her brain convincing her that the best and safest thing to do was to scurry back to the inn as quickly as she could and put this entire thing behind her.

But the other half of the brain, backed up by the intoxicating musk of Apollo that had soaked not only every inch of the stall but every inch of Yukiko's face and invaded her sinuses, told her that she was enjoying this. Loving it, even. And it was just a video game. Nobody had to know. The only witness was Marigold, and she was pretty sure Marigold didn't even have a brain.

Yuki was dangerously close to talking herself into it when Apollo nickered again, sending vibrations through Yuki's body which stimulated her clit brushing against her shorts. Yuki thought to herself that there was no way this was a coincidence, one of the developers had to know what they were doing when they programmed this horse encounter.

That hesitation was enough for Apollo to buck again, sliding his cock through the gap between Yuki's thighs, sandwiching himself against Yuki's engorged pussy lips.

"Fuck…" Yuki purred, a shiver running out of her clit and up her spine to diffuse into static sparks across her scalp. She squeezed her knees together, increasing the pressure on her clit and pussy lips, pushing her hips back to meet Apollo. Yuki wrapped her arms around Apollo's flanks as best she could, anchoring herself to roll her pelvis, stroking Apollo between her inner thighs.

"Holy shit," Yuki thought to herself. "In one day I've gone from being a virgin to giving a horse a thighjob." The thought made Yuki blush all the harder, heart fluttering and stomach quivering as she ground her clit against the solid flesh of Apollo's member. She felt Apollo flex, felt liquid heat travel up his shaft as his cock seemed to somehow larger and harder still. She felt his flare pressing against her buttocks, lifting and spreading them as his crown blossomed out like it did just before he started slapping against his belly, or when he "kissed" her. Feeling it, feeling Him dragging across her skin even through the fabric separating her ass from his cock was absolutely enchanting. She could feel liquid heat soaking through her shorts from both sides, her drooling pussy and the innate lubrication his cock seemed to be coated in. It tingled everywhere it touched, leaving Yuki aching for more, pushing and squeezing with determination against his rigid shaft. Yuki desperately, desperately wanted to reach down and rub her clit, or reach back with both hands and really, properly stimulate his crown. She wondered if it was like a human cock at all, where the tip was the most sensitive. Maybe she could kiss him again stroke him off hard and fast, focused right there on his crown, maybe then he'd–

WAIT.

Yukiko dismounted Apollo in a heartbeat, leaping out of his stall and slamming it shut behind her. She fastened the latch and then rolled across the floor, putting as much distance between herself and Apollo as she could as quickly as she could. The sudden dearth of stimulation was painful, especially with Yuki's unresolved Arousal taunting her, but Yuki knew she needed to pull herself back from the brink.

Yukiko had a hunch, a dreadful hunch, that if she made Apollo cum then Aspiration was going to force her to taste it. To gulp it down. To feel it settle in her tummy, hot and heavy and virile, and… and…

And that was one bridge too far.

Yukiko hurried out of the stables carrying the weight of her shameful act. In her haste to vacate the premises her feline grace momentarily abandoned her, an errant flick of her tail placing it in the path of the heavy stable door closing behind her.

"MRREOW!!"

Shocking agony lances through Yuki's brain, but in her Aroused state the sudden rush of sensation feels like one part excitement to two parts pain. Pulling her tail the rest of the way out of the door, Yuki locks the door firmly. She double-checked that the door was locked properly so that there was zero chance of Apollo getting loose. Once she was satisfied that she'd made good on her promise to lock up, she located the loose tile and hid the key.

Yukiko stood up tall and straight, staring off into the dark sky. She hadn't even noticed afternoon turn to dusk while she was on her knees for Apollo. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves (which barely helped as she just inhaled another lungful of Apollo's lingering musk), Yukiko began her walk of shame back into the heart of the city, trying to ignore the slowly drying cock slime that plastered her shorts with the outline of her pussylips.

Yuki wasn't entirely directionless, knowing she needed to be vaguely moving eastward and that once she reached Megali Agora she'd easily be able to follow the streets to the main square. But getting to the eastern half of the city proved to be harder than she expected. Without the sun to clearly delineate east from west Yuki found herself wandering often aimlessly down dead-end streets or into progressively seedier districts. Even Rhodeia Polis had to have its underbelly, apparently.

Yuki was beginning to get worried after she found herself yet again stymied by a dry canal barring her progress. She avoided contact with any of the NPCs, full of shame and fear that they'd be able to smell the scent of horse on her and somehow intuit what she'd done. If any actual real human players knew what she'd done Yuki would probably just slit her wrists right then and there. Apprehension churned Yuki's guts as she remembered Stephanie's uncanny ability to see through her, and worried that somehow, someway, Steph would know. She'd just know.

But that thought led to an epiphany. Stephanie.

Yukiko's nose had gotten her lost, and it could get her un-lost. Yuki leaned out over the canal into the open night air and inhaled a big, full breath of crisp air. For the first time since leaving the stables Yuki felt like she could smell something other than Apollo, and that was exactly her ticket home. Yuki's brain worked in overdrive, picking and sorting through myriad different scents. Apollo was still at the forefront, dominating everything else, but the brine and the sap had returned. More importantly, she noted a steady and familiar signature, akin to Apollo's scent but distinctly not Apollo. Stephanie. Yuki smiled to herself. It was faint, but she'd zeroed in on Stephanie's scent even all these hours after splitting up. The thought filled her with pride. All she had to do now was follow her nose back… and try not to think about how badly she needed to cum.

The twilight of dusk had deepened into the dark of night by the time Yukiko found her way to Taberna Rubrum. The inn was impossible to miss, even in the dark. Yuki grimaced as she regarded the tacky exterior, thinking only some kind of absolute idiot would believe anything about this building lent itself to an air of gravitas. She kept her interaction with the receptionist brief, requesting the room that Steph and Cass reserved. The receptionist clarified that the room had been reserved by "two allogenes by the names Stephanie and Cassandra", but Yuki didn't question it. She just wanted to wash this horse stink off her body and then finally, finally get rid of this Arousal. The receptionist passed a pair of keys to Yuki and she slinked away to the designated room. The last inn they'd stayed at had a private en suite, surely Yuki would be able to run a shower and flick the bean without Cass and Steph noticing… or at least without Cass noticing.

Cass had fallen asleep pretty quickly last night so with some luck he'd already be safely in bed and Yuki would be able to slink past him and into the bathroom. Steph… Yuki had no idea. She just had to pray.

Yukiko crept into Number Twenty-Eight as silently as she could, thanking her feline features for her increased stealthiness. Yuki imagined that even with her own enhanced hearing she'd struggle to hear herself sneaking up like this, so there was virtually no chance of Cass hearing her. Steph, maybe, Yuki didn't really know how sharp the taller woman's senses were in this world.

Stephanie was asleep, thankfully, collapsed atop a mountain of throw pillows on one of the two beds in the room. The other bed was vacant.

That was… confusing. Yuki could definitely smell Cass's delicate fragrance. Why couldn't she see him? Ugh, Yuki could smell the stench of alcohol too. Did Steph really keep drinking? God, how much trouble was she getting into? Her inhibitions were already at rock bottom today. And did she get Cass drunk too? Maybe that's why she couldn't see him - he was probably buried and unconscious under Stephanie.

Yuki made it to the bathroom without incident, and upon finding the door locked fished out the appropriate key from her inventory. She breathed a silent thank you, a prayer to whichever divinities were listening, thanking them for the opportunity to finally masturbate.

The key clicks into place, and the lock disengages. Yuki opens the door slowly, praying it won't creak loudly and give away her presence, and is immediately taken aback by the smell of salty tears and Cass' unique scent. What–

There he was. Cass was sitting curled up on the bathroom floor. Yuki felt like a deer in headlights as she stared at her friend, and he stared back. What the fuck happened to him? She studied his face, the mix of dried and fresh rivulets staining his face, his red eyes, the snot streaming down his chin, and the putrid smell of alcohol on his breath even at this distance.

She'd never seen a guy look so pathetic in her entire life.

Part of her wanted to comfort Cass and wipe away her tears, clean him up in the sink and soothe whatever pain reduced him to this. But part of her, more of her right now, was disgusted. In Cass and herself both. There was no way she could sit down beside him and try to cheer him up when she smelled like horse musk and was this fucking desperate to cum. She just couldn't risk it.

Yuki spied a rack of towels and pulled one free, then scooped Cass up off the floor and swaddled him like a child in soft blankets. She shook her head gently, praying Cass would understand.

"Sorry," was all Yuki could think to say before pushing him out of the bathroom.

A heartbeat later Yuki had the shower on full blast, drowning out any other sounds from outside the bathroom. Yuki unequipped her tunic and shorts, dumping them into her inventory and promising to wash them properly tomorrow as she clambered into the shower to scrub herself clean. She reached for the soap, lathering and rinsing in a frenzy to get every trace of that telltale musk off her skin and out of her mind. As the warm water cascaded over Yukiko's naked form she relished in its rejuvenating embrace. Her mind still reeled from the intoxicating encounter with Apollo, her thoughts being dragged back inexorably to his commanding presence and the lingering scent of his musk.

Her hands glided sensually across her slick skin, exploring every inch of her body. Her palms traced the curves of her breasts, loving the feeling of their added weight, mind briefly turning back to that time today when the NPCs ogled her. The thought inspired her to grope and knead deliberately. She wouldn't have this body forever, so she definitely wanted to enjoy it while she could. Part of her dreaded logging out of this game and returning to being the ironing board she was IRL. One hand stayed on her breasts, teasing and tugging and massaging as the other roamed lower, over her belly, her waist, rinsing and scrubbing the day away.

Yukiko's touch grew more fervent as she journeyed downward, exploring the contours of her hips and ass. Pleasure mingled with anticipation as her fingers ventured even further, delving between her thighs. She was shocked and surprised (and a little aroused) by the fact that even standing under the showerhead the wetness stained into her sex remained. The lube Apollo had lathered into her pussy was still slick, enticing Yuki to step out of the shower spray and sprawl out on the tiled floor. She wanted to preserve the memory of Apollo's sticky gift for as long as possible.

Yuki abandoned any pretence now, determined to finally allow herself to cum. She brushed her clit first, feeling her body awaken and respond instantly to her touch, warm goosebumps tickling her skin from pussy to scalp. She tweaked herself, gently but deliberately, loving the way her pussy responded with a decisive clench. Every stroke and caress carried an echo of Apollo's dominance, a sensual reminder that lingered on both mind and body. His enduring essence assisted Yuki every step of the way, tingling with warmth as she rubbed it deeper and deeper into herself, fingers sliding lovingly through her labia as her thumb drew rapid circles around her clit. Her mind was fixated on Apollo, fixated on the memory of the texture and weight and warmth of his cock. Yuki pictured in her mind what she saw when she looked down between her legs as she gave Apollo his thighjob. That pillar of masculinity sliding between her legs, grinding against her pussy. How utterly different the two were, Yuki's tiny delicate womanhood and Apollo's undeniable, potent, firm…

"Fuck!" Yuki hissed as she worked another finger into herself, imagining herself somehow stretching to accommodate him. She pictured it now, looking down over her tummy just as she was now, her belly slowly distending in the shape of his crown. She curled her fingers to scrape against the roof of her pussy as her imagination ran wild. She imagined him flaring inside her as he approached orgasm, his shape etched into her tummy, so large he couldn't possibly pull out, forced to lay back and take it as those virile sperm-packed balls pulled taut against his stallionhood and pumped a litter of foals directly into-

Yuki ripped open her inventory, pulling her stained tunic back into existence and stuffing it into her face. She gagged herself with the spot where Apollo's musk had soaked in, both to silence her moans in case they could be heard above the roaring shower and to reignite the embers of Apollo's scent. Her brain was instantly awash in thoughts of submission and domination and animalistic rutting, fucking, breeding.

The catgirl's climax built as she wondered if the animals in this game thought of her as "attractive" the same way the NPCs did. She remembered the shaft of the dire wolf, wine-red and potent, hanging between his furry legs as it nipped at her neck. She remembered the other timber wolves, meek little things compared to the power of the dire wolf, but even they seemed enamoured with her. Yuki got some sadistic thrill out of the thought she was denying them, leaving them wanting.

Had she done the same to Apollo? Did… did Apollo really want to fuck her? Did he want to fuck her as badly as she wanted him? God, and she just left him, with no way to cum.

Yuki's hips bucked at that, imagining him pent up with lust, just waiting, hoping, begging for that mysterious busty catgirl stranger to return again. Balls stewing with a cumshot just for her, liquid adoration and worship designed to claim and conquer–

Yuki's knees folded, twisting and rolling as she ended up belly down on the ground, hand sandwiched between her sex and the floor. Her breath came in ragged gasps as orgasm crashed over her, fingers working overtime, trying to get deeper, trying to help Yuki imagine what it must be like to feel Apollo's blunt head mashing against her cervix, kissing it sloppily before disgorging his potent sperm against her barrier. She thrashed against the floor, humped at her own hand in a desperate attempt to eke out more pleasure, more stimulation, fractured mind grasping at whatever half-formed images it could conjure of Apollo.

The Aroused icon finally blinked out of existence, and Yuki felt a haze clear around her mind. She hadn't even consciously realised the effect of those Intellect and Wisdom debuffs, but now that they were gone Yuki was struck with a sudden lucidity. A moment of crystal clear clarity that allowed her to contemplate herself, and her position. A moment of hypersensitivity and awareness of the world around her. An awareness… that Apollo's precum was still soaked into her tunic.

Yukiko stretched out the fabric of the tunic as taut as she could, then took the hand that had been fucking her pussy and pressed it through the tunic, shoving it into her mouth. She suckled at the spot where Apollo's precum had soaked through, desperate to taste him on her tongue. And god, she did. The moment his pre-cum was rehydrated by her saliva it seemed to wick straight out of the tunic and onto her tongue, resonating with every last molecule of his musk laid dormant inside her nose and lungs. She felt woozy and lightheaded as she luxuriated in his scent even this far across the city. She wondered if he was doing the same, sniffing the place where she'd crouched. Yukiko raised her hips as she gave herself to the fantasy, imagining herself on all fours in his stall, propped up on hay bales to lift her ass high enough to be claimed. Her cheek pressed into the cold tiles as she presented herself for her phantom partner, her left hand never leaving her clit as it tweaked and massaged and spun rapid circles around her sensitive bundle of nerves, the fingers on the other hand desperately trying to reach deeper parts of her sex. Yukiko's mind was cast back to the Milestone she'd received earlier. Was that… was she meant to fuck horses now? Is that why she was craving something deeper? Yuki shuddered at the thought, suckling again at her stained tunic as she tried and failed to work a fourth finger into her vagina, chasing a high that was perpetually just out of her reach.

And then, to the exhausted and sweaty catgirl's dread, the Aroused status returned to her status bar.

…

Yukiko's fingers were a blur, pushing herself toward heights of pleasure that were becoming harder and harder to obtain. In the midst of the aftershocks of her fourth orgasm, Yuki's thrashing tore a towel off the rack.

In that moment she was suddenly brought back to the present, to the en suite in the inn room she was sharing with Cassie and Steph. Thoughts of her friends flooded her mind, Cassie and his effeminate little girly-boy body, Stephanie and her animalistic musk. Yukiko pinched and tugged at a nipple as she wondered if Stephanie could help her get a fix of musk. She'd stolen underwear from her brother before, maybe there'd be an opportunity to snatch Steph's? O-or even Cassie, even though his scent was subtle and feminine, maybe-

Oh god, Cassie. She was so sorry.

He was in such a terrible state, but she couldn't… she didn't have a chance to…

Yuki's fingers found their way back to her clit as she rode another shocking orgasm that seemed to come out of the blue. She saw Cassie's face, smeared with tears, looking up at her. Looking up at her.

She wondered what she must have looked like to Apollo, crouched beneath him, devoting herself to bringing him pleasure. Wires crossed themselves in her brain as Yuki's fingers moved faster, accelerating toward yet another climax as her mind's eye oscillated between her pathetic friend and the virile male whose scent still stained her.

…

Marigold sat silently, watching with rapt attention as his catgirl came over her fingers for what must have been the seventh time. She'd since crawled back into the shower, holding the nozzle of the detachable showerhead between her legs as her fingers worked away inside her sex, pleasuring herself long past the point the pink heart in the red square vanished. The skin on her fingers had started to prune and the blush that started in her cheeks had spread out all the way from the top of her forehead down to her chest, speckles of flushed blood vessels even visible on her heaving breasts. Her toes curled and uncurled as she chased another climax, fingers working madly.

Marigold could tell she wasn't going to make it.

Chapter 12: Sensitive Subject

Chapter Text

My sleep is dreamless and fitful. Being forced to sleep in the corner of the bedroom on the hard wooden floor has left me feeling bruised and beaten, even with the cushioning provided by my Armour of Sunlight (that still stubbornly refuses to let me unequip it) and the fluffy towel Yuki gave me. My insides don't feel much better. My head is spinning even as I lie motionless on the floor, my stomach feeling ready to evacuate my body at a moment's notice. I wince and groan at the sounds that lie just outside of my capacity to understand them, buzzing and roaring and seemingly deliberate attempts to piss me off. Limited real-life experience tells me this is probably a simulated hangover, which I find less impressive and more infuriating that whoever programmed this game felt it necessary to include hangovers.

I feel like I've barely closed my eyes for ten minutes before a gentle hand on my shoulder rouses me. My gut reaction is irritation - who would dare to touch me right now?! - before memories of the night flood back into my brain and I feel like my stomach drops straight through the floor. I pray that it's Yuki who's found me like this, or maybe even an NPC housekeeper, but I can tell by the scarlet nails in my peripheral vision that I'm not so lucky.

I rush to sit up straight to give Stephanie the respect she deserves, but in my haste my brain rattles in my skull and my vision swims and blurs, my back sliding across the wall as I almost crumple into a pile. My hands reach toward my face to try to steady my sloshing brain, but my body feels like it's moving in slow motion. Single seconds stretch into yawning chasms as my hands try in vain to find their way to my face. A heartbeat later I realise palms have found my cheeks, but they're not mine. Stephanie is cradling my cheek in her dominant hand, a gesture that's so gentle and caring I can almost forget for a moment how much Stephanie hates me right now. With her support, my vision stabilises and my brain comes to a halt for long enough for me to think again.

"Are you okay, buddy?"

I gulp hard. My heart starts pounding in my chest so hard it sends shockwaves up my spine to rattle my brain anew. She's going to tell me to get lost, I know it. "Are you okay" really means "What's wrong with you", which really meant she was asking why I groped her. Why I was such an idiot. Why I thought I ever even had a chance with-

"Sorry for waking you up, I tried to let you sleep for as long as I could."

Stephanie purses her lips at me. It's obvious she has something important to say but doesn't have the words to say it. I brace myself for the inevitable demand to get out of her sight.

"Yukiko said you were pretty messed up when she got back. Are you homesick? Did something happen last night?"

The concern in Stephanie's voice sounds genuine. I feel an icy knife of guilt in my guts as I try to process what that means… but I'm too groggy and confused and… scared, really, to put two and two together.

I open my mouth to answer in the negative and to possibly, hopefully, ask for more context, but the only sound I can make is a sloppy "Blguh" as my half-asleep tongue struggles against a cage of dried saliva.

Stephanie offers me a half-empty glass of water to wash last night out of my mouth, which I take with gratitude. The flavour is stale and bland, but it accomplishes what it needs to. I shuffle the mouthful of water around my teeth and tongue before swallowing, nodding toward Stephanie in a gesture I hope she understands is gratitude. It's only after she takes the glass out of my hands and sets it on the floor beside her that I notice the faint smear of lipstick on the far side of the glass. My heart flutters as I realise I just drank from the same cup Stephanie did. The implication that I just shared an indirect kiss with Stephanie bubbles up into my mind unbidden, a thought that recruits more and more body parts as it marinates in my mind until I feel a blush tickling my cheeks and cloth shuffling across my burgeoning erection.

That thought jumpstarts my brain enough that I think my cognitive faculties have mostly returned… even if for the wrong reasons. I'm awake enough now to realise that even though Stephanie's been crouched in front of me this whole time my befuddled brain hadn't even registered what she was wearing.

Or rather, what she wasn't.

Stephanie is clad in nothing but a fluffy white bath towel, likely the twin of the towel I'd spent the previous night swaddled in. The soft fabric clings to her curves sensually, wrapped tightly enough that even crouching it accentuates her hourglass and binds her breasts to form deep cleavage. It's looser around her hips where it bunches up, likely due to the scarlet scales that follow the contours of her pelvis from what I remembered the last time I saw her naked.

I rip my eyes away, chastising myself for coming so close to making the same mistake I made last night and staring for too long. Pulling my gaze up to her amber gaze I'm momentarily struck with shock and primal fear as her slit pupils meet mine, but there's no hint of the malice or fury they bore last night. Instead, her eyes are soft, caring, and gentle, but with a hint of some sort of tension. My heartbeat slows tangibly as she holds my gaze, enough for my mind to come back to the present and take in the other details about her.

She's steaming hot. Literally steaming, vapour rising from her exposed milky white skin as if she'd just stepped straight out of a hot shower… which would explain the towel. Her scarlet tresses are slicked back in many places, clinging to her skin just as tightly as the towel is. She looks positively radiant, the dark circles under her eyes banished and her scales shimmering even in the shadows cast by her face. She smells refreshed, too. It took a while for it to sink in but now that I'm a little calmer I have the peace of mind to realise she smells like a bouquet of fresh flowers whose names I couldn't begin to guess, tantalisingly floral and feminine and disarmingly delicate.

Stephanie inhales through her nose and I swear every other sound in the room goes silent. She regards me carefully, eyes searching mine as she seems to be struggling with apprehension for the first time since I've met her.

"Did I do something to you last night?"

I'm utterly dumbstruck.

Did… did I misread what she said last night? N-no, no, that can't possibly be it. She was definitely furious with me. Even now I can see the barely restrained fury in her eyes as she glared down at me. If that wasn't it, then…

I gulped hard, clearing my throat. Another bout of dizziness besets me as I prepare to speak but I don't think it's the hangover - I'm just shaking in my boots.

"Wh-what… what do you mean?" My words come out in a shaky warble, heart accelerating back to full speed in an instant. There's only one explanation I can think of for Stephanie's question, but grasping for that hope feels foolish.

Steph's lips are pursed. She's deep in concentration, wheels obviously turning behind her eyes. I try my best to keep my eyes on hers, not to let my gaze wander to her cleavage, or her shoulders, or even down to her luscious lips.

"Yuki talked with me about how I was acting yesterday. She said I was more, y'know, more than usual. She said that I was-" Stephanie breaks my gaze as she stares off into the middle distance, squinting as she searches for the right way to express herself. My eyes dart to her chest (it's a reflex, I can't help it!) in the half second before her eyes find mine again. "-She said I was kind of a rude drunk. And there are enough holes in my memory I can believe it."

I'm… I'm still dumbstruck. What does this mean? Did she really just forget chunks of yesterday? Was she seriously that drunk?

Stephanie places one hand on the floor and then shoves herself up to her full height, the towel flirting with the idea of coming loose before she contains it with a deft arm movement, preserving her relative modesty. She collects the three-quarter empty glass before extending her other hand to me to help me up out of my pile on the floor.

"C'mon, let's sit on the beds. They're comfier. We need to chat."

Stephanie's touch is firm yet tender as she guides me to sit on the bed opposite her. My eyes are on her the entire time, so much so that I don't even notice the fine porcelain plate sitting on the nightstand until Stephanie sets the glass down next to it. Placed carefully in the centre of the plate was a slice of… I had no idea what, some kind of layered pastry, with an accompanying silver fork.

"Yuki got that for you. It's a Rhodeian cheesecake. It should help with your hangover… and I'm assuming you are hungover since you sorta look like shit and Yuki said she smelled alcohol on you."

I offer a feeble smile to Stephanie and gingerly break the cheesecake up with the fork before lifting a tiny forkful to my lips. Thankfully, my stomach seems to have calmed somewhat, no longer holding itself ransom if I dare to upset it. The cheesecake is not at all what I expect. The odd crunchy-yet-chewy texture takes me by surprise, leaving me uncertain whether or not I want to swallow, but guilt at the notion I'd be rejecting a gift from Yukiko forces me to pause for long enough for my brain to accept that although it wasn't what I expected… it is actually very tasty. Appreciated for what it is the cheesecake is this marvellous mixture of rich creamy texture balanced by crunchy-yet-chewy biscuit. Its flavour is foreign and refined, the sweetness of honey taking centre stage and itself balanced by the tang of cheese, who both are complimented and accentuated by floral notes and grounded by a distinct herbal flavour that I'm sure I've tasted before but lack the culinary chops to place a name.

No idea how eating cheesecake is meant to help with my hangover, but the thought that Yuki went out of her way to get me something nice to eat warms my heart.

"She was pretty worried about you. She wanted to be here with you to sort things out but she got… well, you know how she is sometimes. She's probably hiding in an alleyway somewhere beating herself up for it."

Stephanie offers me a cautious and self-conscious smile as if to say "You know how Yuki is", but she's definitely testing the waters to see if I'll smile back.

I do, of course, in an instant. I'm still counting my blessings that she doesn't seem to hate my guts.

Stephanie deftly swipes at the air in front of her, a practised motion that looks as though it must be at least 80% muscle memory. A trio of pills appear in her hand that look identical to the ones she was scarfing down yesterday, one of which she immediately swallows.

"These are like bootleg cure-all pills. Player-made, but I know the guy who makes them so these are pretty reliable. They should cure the rest of your hangover debuff even if they're not as nice as Yuki's cheesecake."

Steph gives me a self-effacing smile as she retrieves the glass of water and offers it alongside the pair of remaining pills. Accepting pills from strangers is an unusual feeling for me, but Stephanie is surely more than a stranger at this point. Taking the offered glass (and being sure to turn the lipstick mark away from me just in case it feels like I'm sending a signal I don't mean to) I wash down the two pills. The change is immediate, the lingering nausea dispelled in an instant. Whatever taste the pills had is totally masked by Yuki's cheesecake.

"Feeling better?" Steph's smile morphs from modest to tender.

With the taste of cheesecake in my mouth and my hangover entirely dispelled, I finally feel like myself again, giving Stephanie an earnest smile for what feels like the first time in forever. Her smile grows too until we're both positively beaming at each other, me with my cheeks stuffed full of cake and her slowly steaming dry in her towel.

"So, what actually happened? What did I do?"

My smile dies in an instant. I swallow my mouthful of cheesecake, the heavy bulge feeling almost painful as it moves down my gullet. I freeze on the spot, absolutely nothing moving through my brain. How can I possibly say that I was crying because I tried to grope her and got rejected? I can't.

"Normally I'm sort of a horny drunk, I get handsy and start thinking everyone's my best friend. I guess I should apologise for that, you didn't know what you were getting into when Yuki brought you along."

Another bite of cheesecake finds its way into my mouth, a perfect excuse for me to continue not speaking.

Stephanie bites her lower lip and breaks the eye contact as she deliberates her next words. I'm silently thankful that she seems as uncomfortable talking about this as I am.

"I thought I'd have better control over myself. I've gotten drunk in VALKYRIE before, but this time it was a little different. For one, and I'm not certain about this, but it feels like a lot of effects have been tuned up since alpha, namely things that affect your perception of the game. Like, the raw numbers are the same, but you feel drunker, you feel more sleepy. In the alpha exhaustion was almost a non-factor, we would just grind for a week straight and then have one nap and we'd- hic" Stephanie hiccoughs in the middle of her exposition, a cutesy, feminine and high-pitched sound totally at odds with her usual sultry timbre that teases a smile back onto my lips. "We'd have one nap and then be totally fine for another week of straight grinding. I realised about halfway through the night that something was up so I tried to match it with some coffee, and then a lot of coffee, and then finally some alchemy pills that are like VALKYRIE's version of straight caffeine. By that point, I'd already drunk this for a Milestone."

Stephanie retrieves something else from her inventory; a flask made of thick, cloudy white glass or crystal.

The tooltip is physically painful to look at, with letters and numbers swimming before my eyes. I feel compelled to click on it to humour Stephanie as much as anything else, really preferring that it'd just disappear from my view entirely, so when I get another pop-up telling me my stats are too low to read anything more I'm almost thankful, barely even registering the implied insult that I'm too dumb to read.

"You… drank that?"

"I did! And it had a bunch of side effects that I was told I could cancel out by drinking alcohol so I went and got sloshed. Turns out that was false advertising. The alcohol helped with some of the side effects, but not all of them. It gave me like fifteen different random status ailments, after all. Some of them are still running!"

Stephanie points to a spot above her head approximately where her health bar is, apparently gesturing at some status ailments that I can't see. She looks perfectly healthy to me. I guess that explains the hyperactivity, and the disregard for personal space… and probably the irritability too.

"So yeah, by the time we finally got to this room I was crashing hard. I guess I probably snapped at you at some point? Sorry Cass, for whatever happened."

My heart trembles as I contemplate sharing what really happened. Now seems like the right time, if ever, since Stephanie seems genuinely apologetic. On the other hand… maybe I could just pretend the whole thing never happened and take this blessing for what it is.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I cringe as soon as the question leaves my lips, realising how accusatory it sounds. I hope I didn't just ruin the goodwill Stephanie had for me.

Stephanie just blinks at me as if I'd asked an extremely dumb question. "You really want a list of everything I eat or potion I drink in this game? That's a really fucking long list."

Point taken, dumb question. Why would she feel compelled to give either Yuki or me a running commentary on everything she drinks?

Stephanie sighs as she seems to reconsider her words. "Maybe I should have let you know I was experiencing side effects, and that I started drinking, but I thought I could handle it. I should have said something. That's valid."

I realise this might actually be an opportunity for me to redefine my relationship with Stephanie.

"I-I, umm… I didn't actually mind it." My voice is small and feeble, and I wonder how much of that is due to the Milestone versus my own timidity.

"Come again?" Steph perks up in an instant. I might be on to something.

I gulp hard before continuing, trying to ignore my nerves. "I mean, like, when you were getting handsy. It wasn't that bad." I try to make myself small, expecting some kind of rebuke for being a perv… but none comes. Instead, Stephanie's lips curl into a grin. In spite of everything that came before she looks like the cat that caught the mouse.

"Wasn't that bad, huh?" Stephanie's words are a sensual purr. Whatever apprehension she had has vanished. I just need to follow her lead.

"Y-yeah, I actually kind of liked it." Heat rises in my cheeks with my admission, but knowing how much Stephanie likes to see me blush actually makes me feel more confident rather than less.

Steph pushes herself back onto her own bed, assuming a seated position with her legs outstretched before her, the towel barely covering her sex (I swear I can see the outline of her crown of pubic scales gripping the fabric). She crooks a finger at me with one hand and then slaps her inner thighs with the other, sending a ripple through her toned flesh that loosens the towel and threatens to dispel the little modesty she has left. She adjusts the towel a moment later, trying to stretch it to cover her pussy without also tugging it so far down that it exposes her nipples.

"C'mon, hop into my lap. Make yourself at home, sweetie."

My heart tries to leap out of my chest. Is this real? Have I been dreaming this whole time? Is she really inviting me to-

I muster my courage and slip off my bed to approach hers. The difference in our sizes is painfully apparent this close. I almost feel silly doing this, but she literally just told me to shoot my shot. I place my hands on either side of her hips and mount the bed, steadying myself as I crawl between her legs. My eyes are fixated between her legs, on the spot where her towel still gallantly defends her modesty when Stephanie's nail catches my breastplate.

"Down boy."

A tiny string wrapped around my heart tugs sharply, instantly immobilising me.

"Wh-what?"

Stephanie's face screws up in a barely contained chuckle.

"We're not fucking."

Icy claws grip my heart, but I understand immediately. Of course. How could I have been so stupid, again?! I'm crestfallen, and my face must show it.

"I was offering a massage. Offer's still open, by the way."

Steph gives me a warm smile and, again, I count my blessings for the clemency Stephanie's showing me.

"Turn around."

The string around my heart tugs again and I obediently stand on my knees and turn on the spot until I'm facing away from Steph. Her hand wraps around my chest, large compared to my small body, and… I gulp as the twin notions of "possessive" and "dominant" play around my mind. The next moment she's guiding me down to lie back between her thighs, lower back resting against her crotch, my hair just barely brushing against the bottom of her breasts. Her entire body feels unusually hot to the touch… probably because she's still steaming off from the shower.

"Let's remove that Keepsake for now. It's not healthy to have a compulsion effect like that on when we're having a heart-to-heart."

Stephanie's nimble fingers are brushing against my skin before she's even finished speaking, sliding under the choker to manipulate the latch. There's a brief moment of mounting pressure as Stephanie's fingers work, reminding me of its presence. I didn't even notice how quickly I'd acclimated to the choker. A moment later the choker is undone, the string around my heart severed as the polished bronze Keepsake is deposited in a pile on my breastplate for me to drag into my inventory UI.

"There. Better?"

I crane my head back to offer Stephanie an affirmative smile, willing myself to meet her eyes rather than getting lost in her underboob. Honestly, I'd gotten used to the choker, and minor as it was now it was gone I oddly felt a little naked.

"Feeling a little naked?"

What the hell was that?! Did she just read my mind?

The shock on my face must be obvious because Steph starts giggling at me.

"It's incredible how quickly sub-uhh, how quickly people get used to wearing collars. Anyway, you can equip or unequip that Keepsake any time you like. You don't need my permission."

The thought of removing the choker myself genuinely had never crossed my mind. Somehow I just assumed I did need Stephanie's permission.

That thought is still filtering through my brain as Stephanie drags her fingernails gently up my arms, eliciting a tingling chill that races up my shoulders and into my scalp to dissipate in a calming buzz. I can't help but feel relaxed and docile as I lean into that pleasant frisson, wishing it'd stay. And it does, cool static flickering over my skin around every point that Stephanie's nails play across my skin, raising goosebumps that make the peach fuzz covering my arms stand at attention. Her hands trail higher, alternating between teasing my skin with feather-light scratches of her nails and soothing strokes of her fingertips.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

The question catches me off guard, eliciting a nervous gulp as I tense up in Steph's lap. The questions sounds a lot like she's asking… you-know-what, but I know she's not. She just chuckles, making me feel even more embarrassed… but also relaxed, like she's telling me there's no reason to panic.

"In the game, I mean. What do you want to do moving forward, what are you comfortable with? Still feeling embarrassed about this?"

Steph emphasises that last syllable by trailing a nail across my chin, reminding me just how angular and feminine my face is right now.

That thought twists and turns in my mind. I'm really not sure what I should say. I'm not happy being "Cassie", being a "sissy", and I know (I think?) Yukiko would think I was hotter if I was using a taller and more traditionally manly avatar. On the other hand, Stephanie did say that Yuki thought I was a "cute guy" even now, and Stephanie herself definitely has the hots for "Cassie". Plus, Stephanie already tried so hard to make me look like a chill dude who "isn't afraid of wearing a dress". If I switched characters now that'd look like a lie and I'd look like I did care, and that it did bother me, and then I'd look whiny and whingy in front of Yuki and, and–

And none of that matters because I can't even log out. The decision's been made for me. Once again I'm left powerless in this game… but it could be worse.

"I-I'll, uhh, I'm comfortable being Cassie." I regret the lie the moment it leaves my lips. It must sound so obvious and transparent, so pathetic and desperate.

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that because I think you're cute?"

My cheeks burn with blush in an instant. Steph just called me cute, oh my Goddess.

"N-no, it's okay! I like being Cassie!" My cheeks burn brighter still with that lie. I know in my heart what I'm really saying is "I like the attention".

Steph hums to herself at my answer, her hands wandering across my shoulders and around my neck. Her touch is gentle yet firm, languid and confident. I'm a little shocked she feels like she has permission to touch whatever part of my body she likes… because she does. There's no way I'd ask her to stop. Her fingers drape themselves around my throat, where the choker once sat, and I find the warmth and pressure familiar and comforting rather than invasive. I even raise my chin, to give Stephanie as much access to my throat as she wants. She seems to notice, trailing a thumb across my cheek which feels blessedly cool against my flushing cheeks… and then the nail of her index fingers drags its way down the length of my neck. Blood rushes out of my head at her touch, leaving me feeling lightheaded. I realise I must be getting an erection since there's nowhere else for all that blood to go, even if there's nothing happening between my legs. My entire world is focused on my head and shoulders, and on Stephanie's hands around my throat.

"U-uhm, Steph?"

My voice wavers unsteadily, but it's enough to catch Steph's attention. Her fingers freeze obligingly, pulling away from my skin just enough to communicate that she's paused her toying with me.

"What's wrong? Was it too much?" Stephanie's voice is tender and delicate, like she sounds genuinely worried she pushed too far in the past few seconds.

"N-no, but I was thinking, uhh-" I'm interrupted by a rushing tingle born of the same frisson from before, pulling a moaning sigh from my lips before I realise what's happening.

Steph purrs at that, interpreting it as permission to press her fingers back to my flesh, massaging gently.

"You want even more?" The words drip from Stephanie's lips, she's clearly enjoying having her hands on me, a thought that makes my heart flutter.

I bite my lip just in time to stop myself from saying "Yes, please!".

"It's about, umm, being my wingman."

Steph freezes up once again, her fingers suddenly rigid and tense.

"Go on."

"W-well, uhh, I was hoping, maybe, if it isn't too big a deal… could you help teach me a bit?"

"Teach you… what?"

"Like, teach me how to be good at VALKYRIE."

Steph gives an audible sigh of relief, hot breath tumbling over me as her hands return to their massaging ministrations.

"What do you wanna know, little dude?"

My lips curl as Stephanie's personality switches to gamer in an instant. For the first time since we left for Rhodeia, I feel like Steph's comfortable with me again. I lay my head back against her tummy, relaxing into the shoulder massage before continuing.

"I don't know, everything, anything. I want to be a leader but it's impossible since you know everything and I know nothing."

Stephanie's right hand finds its way to my chin, tilting my head back to make sure I'm looking at her. It's exhilarating feeling the gentle power in her palm, pleasantly possessive even as it makes me feel small and vulnerable.

"Are you saying…" Stephanie's lips curl into a mischievous grin, "... that you want me to micro-manage?" Her words come out in a conspiratorial whisper, as if what I'm asking is tantamount to forming a forbidden pact.

"Y-yes?" I gulp nervously at Stephanie's sudden shift in demeanour, the action tugging at her grip on my chin and reminding me that I'm at her mercy.

There's a moment of silence as something clicks behind Stephanie's eyes… then she's chuckling mirthfully, my head bouncing against her abs with every laugh.

"Yuki chews me out all the time about trying to play games for her, you know? Pointing out optimal routes and builds and stuff. You actually want me to do that?"

Steph seems to wait for my approval, which I give a moment later by nodding as far as I can against the hand cradling my chin.

"Oh, Yuki's going to be sour about that!" Stephanie's eyes are sparkling.

"Like in the Silverwood when I slipped you that note, basically? That's what you want?"

I picture those notes in my mind's eye, ignoring the warmth in my cheeks as I nod once again, this time with a little more conviction.

Now it's time for Stephanie to break eye contact, casting her eyes around the room as the gears turn inside her head.

"Yeah, yeah, I can do that." Steph nods to herself, plans and schemes coming together before my very eyes.

"You've got to promise not to tell Yuki about this though."

I'm already nodding. It's not like I want Yuki to find out Stephanie's basically puppeteering me either!

Stephanie pats my cheek affectionately, smiling down at me.

"Good girl."

There's a moment of friction in the air as those words leave her lips. I'm not comfortable being called "girl", but weirdly based on the look on her face Stephanie seems more upset with herself than I am.

"Good… boy?" Steph ventures.

"I-it's okay, you can use either. I don't mind." I do mind, it's an obvious lie, but I feel like it's the right lie to tell anyway.

Steph responds with a well-meaning wink, which instantly melts into a grin as my ears wiggle obediently.

"Good boy."

Of course I let Stephanie inspect me, it's no more personal than anything else she's been doing. Her right hand reaches out into the air above my head, swiping at her UI, while her left hand snakes its way down my arm to find my hand. My eyebrow raises in confusion, I've got no idea what Steph's doing until her fingers twine themselves with mine, pulling me into a languid embrace.

She's… she's holding my hand. She's holding my hand.

Even with everything else she's done, the hugs, the groping, the… fingers sliding between my ass cheeks, this feels like the most intimate thing she's done to me so far. My heart is pounding in my chest so hard it's making my breastplate tremble even as I stay perfectly still in Steph's lap.

But the connection is severed a moment later, Stephanie wrenching her fingers abruptly out of mine.

"Sorry, sorry, force of habit."

I'm glad she's not looking at my eyes to see the disappointment in them.

Instead, her hand finds its way into my hair, scratching gently at my scalp as Stephanie reads through my UI. The tickling sensation is heavenly. I don't know how Stephanie learned how to do this with her fingers but I wish she'd never stop.

"So, you probably want to be the shining heroic beacon at the front of the party, right? Vanguard of justice, centre of attention?"

"U-uhh… I… don't know?"

Stephanie shifts behind me and I intuit that she's looking at me quizzically.

"I mean, like, I didn't even pick my character. I don't have any preconceived notions in mind… but being a knight in shining armour sounds nice." It's only after the words have left my lips that I realise I basically just said "I want to be a white knight", but Steph either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

"Hmm… the usual class fantasy that most Sunsteel players go for is the classic sword-and-board paladin but with your stats it's going to be difficult to pull that off. An experienced player could totally reroll everything and fix their stats but for a new player like you, it makes more sense to play a different setup for now. I haven't played Sunsteel yet buuut… from what I remember…" Stephanie trails off as she manipulates what I assume is her (my?) UI above my head… until I hear the rustling of paper. Glancing up, Stephanie's unfolding an enormous sheet of paper covered in scribbles and diagrams. "Sunsteel has… has… wait a minute couldn't you– that's sick as hell what the fuck."

"What's sick as hell?" I can't help but smile at Stephanie's enthusiasm, it's utterly infectious. And, plus, it's Stephanie.

"Okay, so… okay, open up your Roadmaps tab in your UI. Look through the Milestones that are listed there and count up how much easy MP you can gather, and then let's figure out a build."

"I can't, it says my intellect is too low."

"What? Seriously? Even for your divine track?"

"Yeah, I can't open either of them."

"There's no way your int is-" Stephanie bursts into a laughing fit, her tummy flexing hard enough to bounce my entire body until I start to slide out of her lap. She catches me deftly, hooking her hands under my armpits and hefting me back up against her warm body, nestling the back of my head firmly between her soft breasts. All of this body-to-body sliding has hiked the back of my shirt up and the front of Steph's towel up just barely enough that I can feel the radiant warmth of her pussy pressing into my lower back. And I know it definitely is her pussy because I can feel the teasing pinpricks of the scales of her pubic mound against my exposed skin. She wraps her muscular arms around my chest, hugging me in a way that makes me feel like a stuffed teddy bear. Being this intimately close to her upper body brings the scent of her perfumed body wash to the forefront once again, a subtle caress of clean floral scents.

"Holy shit your int is actually 3 what the fuck!" As Stephanie's boisterous laughter fills the room, a pang of self-consciousness gnaws at me. She knows this isn't my fault, right?

"Okay, okay, let's just ignore that for now. Here, look at this."

Stephanie lifts the sheet of paper in front of us, angling it so that we can both see as much as possible. It's so densely packed with diagrams, annotations and abbreviations that I can't make heads or tails of it.

"This is what Sunsteel's skill tree was like in the alpha. I'm assuming it hasn't changed that much in the beta. Haven't played Sunsteel yet so I'm making some educated guesses here based on what I've been told, but just looking at this tree your build is super flexible. The thing I was just looking at was here," Stephanie points her finger sequentially toward a handful of scribbles in the lower right-hand corner of the sheet, "Amplify Incandescence, Midnight Sun, Sunstorm."

Stephanie reads the words with confidence as if they're meant to have any meaning to me.

"Oh actually, Solar Power and Coronation too. I didn't even know that Sunsteel had an offensive caster build but late game Sunsteel caster looks insane. Damn, I know what I'm doing next."

Stephanie takes a moment before she speaks again, eyes zipping across the skill tree before us.

"I didn't actually realise how flexible Sunsteel was. Depending on the order you take things you've got melee DPS, caster DPS, melee tank, caster tank, utility hybrid tank, utility caster, main healer, and you've even got a debuffer with Sunset's Embrace and Solar Eclipse. Some of those builds end up converging, but some of them are totally mutually exclusive. Thoughts?"

Stephanie's question catches me off guard. I'm so out of my depth that I hadn't even begun to process the information.

"U-uhm… I don't know?"

"Wanna know what I think?"

The words leave Stephanie's lips in a seductive whisper. I can't help but shiver.

"I think… you'd make a perfect little utility tank."

Her words might be bland but Steph's delivery makes it feel like she's sharing the naughtiest secret in the world with me.

"You've got high charisma and fortitude, you'd have lots of ways to make yourself useful even as someone that lacks experience," that last syllable comes out in a breathy hiss, so alluring and exciting that I don't even feel embarrassed about her calling me a noob.

"Doesn't that sound perfect?"

"Y-yes m-uhh, Stephanie."

Stephanie titters at my reaction, pulling a hand away from the sheet of paper to hug me close, her fingers naturally coming to rest near my collarbone, causing my heartbeat to skyrocket as I anticipate her fingers sliding a little higher, taking the place of the choker once more, but she seems content to leave her hand on my chest for now.

"Good boy."

"The spells you want to take are… Shield Smite, Vigilance, Sunward Shield, Zealous Provocation, then Luminous Provocation when you've unlocked it. That's your basic tank repertoire. You already have Heal, Cure, Purify and Antidote, but you can get better healing-slash-support tools if you pick up Reinforce, Radiance, Barricade, Clemency, and then Lay on Hands and Absolution once they're available. And then," Stephanie's breathing gets heavier as if she's actually getting aroused just from talking about this stuff. I curl my spine subtly, just a little, just enough to grind my lower back experimentally against Steph's bare pussy. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it but I think I feel something wet… which means this conversation is literally arousing Stephanie.

"I'm getting carried away thinking about what you're going to turn into for me."

Stephanie reaches up with a thumb to caress my chin and my cock immediately responds, pulsing with life under my boyshorts. Steph exhales a long, warm, flower-scented breath before continuing.

"Then you finish it up with the fun stuff. Fun for me, since you'll be feeding me all your buffs. Me and Yuki, I mean."

Stephanie drags her finger off my cheek to tap at the lower right-hand corner of the sheet again.

"Firesong. Solar Power. Coronation. Bright as the Sun."

A bolt of terror suddenly strikes me. I remembered seeing Firesong when I was selecting spells before, and that jogged my memory enough to remember that every single one of these spells had a cosmetic effect too. If I pick up all of these spells, what kind of transformations am I going to end up blundering my way into?

Steph's hand returns to my chest, cradling me against her body.

"What's up Cass? You're so tense."

"I-it's just… I'm worried about the transformations."

Stephanie sighs at me, a sound coloured by amusement and feigned frustration.

"Bottom left. Sunstrike into Celestial Celerity and Accusation then Comet Strike and Indignation into Zyzygy and Havoc of the Heavens. That's the fastest way to get a big dick. It doesn't suit your stats and clashes with our builds. Happy?"

I remember distinctly the cosmetic change attached to Sunstrike, and it had nothing to do with growing a bigger dick.

"Th-that's not… my transformations are different."

"Ooooh, right, right, you said that last night. Worried you're going to turn into even more of a femboy?"

It sounded like Steph was posturing that as a joke, like an absurd notion, but that's exactly what I was afraid of if in slightly different words.

"If it makes you feel better, just think of it like playing a female character in any other RPG. You know how it goes, making eye candy so you've got a nice ass to look at for the next hundred hours?"

"It's different when I'm the eye candy!" My voice comes out in an indignant squeak that makes my stomach churn.

"Is it really, though?"

Stephanie's question stops me in my tracks. I… I don't know. Is the manly thing to do to fight it, or not to be bothered?

"By the way, a bunch of your spells are proximity-based based so you'll need to get used to being really close to me and Yuki. Maybe even skin-to-skin."

That snaps me out of my reverie.

"You seemed like the kind of guy that might have issues being physical, but after last night I'm not so sure."

Panic starts to rise within me.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure I've got this memory from last night of you waking me up by yanking my nipple."

That's not true! I have to straighten this out.

"That's not what happened at all! I-I was, I didn't even get to touch you! When I got close there was this static pressure in the air, and then it zapped me when I tried to grab your–"

Oh.

Oh no.

I just admitted to trying to grope Stephanie in her sleep.

I place my hands on either side of Stephanie's hips and roll forward to get out of her lap and stand up, but Stephanie's faster, placing a steady hand on my chest and pulling me back against her body to keep me right where I am.

"I see. So that's how it happened."

Stephanie's voice is cold to my ears, measured and calculating and with scarcely concealed venom.

"I-I'm sorry, I–"

"And I probably bit your head off because I was being a grumpy bitch, right?"

Wait, what?

"I see, I see, I see. So that's why you were crying when Yuki found you."

I turn as best as I can to look at Stephanie's face, but rather than finding a cruel visage, I see a warm and mirthful smile.

"I can totally understand you misreading those signals little dude. We were both pretty sloshed. Whoops!"

Stephanie's smile is so disarming and genuine and I… I feel like such an idiot for spending the night panicking.

"We can both agree to put this behind us, you know? You can forgive me for being a prickly, sloppy whore, and I'll forgive you for trying to cop a feel without my permission."

I swear I can feel my own eyes twinkling. I know my ears are wiggling excitedly.

"R-really?"

Stephanie's casting her eyes around the room, pointedly not looking at me.

"Totally. Definitely. For sure. Unless…"

… Until her lips curl into a mischievous grin.

"How much do you like to be teased?"

The question takes me by surprise.

"W-whuh?"

"You've got super bottom energy sometimes." The smirk on Stephanie's face couldn't possibly be more smug.

"No, I don't!" I protest, but I know it's futile against that smirk.

"Mhmm, very believable. How about this? You said you were okay with being felt up earlier, you even liked it, so if you're comfortable with it… why don't I push a little further?"

I narrow my eyes, finding a sliver of courage and grasping it tight.

"How?"

"You said you were comfortable being Cassie, but I can tell you're still hesitant. You've still got some mental baggage. I can help you with that. Let's say… everything before today was Cass being a naughty boy, and everything after today is Cassie being my good girl."

Stephanie's cheeks are starting to colour before she's even finished speaking. Goddess, can I really turn her down if she's this into it?

"It's just if you need more help feeling like a girl to get into the right headspace to roleplay as a sis- as Cassie, I mean. Assuming that is what you really want."

What am I getting myself into… it can't be any worse than getting excised from Stephanie and Yuki's friend group entirely, and even though Stephanie said she forgives me she could still totally blackmail me with this anyway. But why am I even thinking like that, she'd never do that to me! She's way too nice.

"It'll be fuuun~" Stephanie draws out the syllable with a playful lilt.

It really is impossible to say no. I don't have a choice.

"And if that's not enough, there are other ways I can make you feel like a girl."

I was so close to capitulating and saying "Yes", but that gives me pause.

I sit up in Steph's lap to face her properly, finally peeling myself away from her towel-clad body, just in time to catch her making a loop with the thumb and index finger of one hand while threading the first two fingers of her other hand through the loop. She mimes a "come hither" motion while raising an eyebrow at me.

My mouth opens and closes multiple times before I can find my voice, mind scrambling to interpret the signals she's giving properly this time.

"I-I thought you said we weren't fucking!"

Steph giggles girlishly, reminding me more of Lucille than of Steph's usual tomboyish self.

"I meant you weren't fucking me, I didn't say anything about me fucking you."

Steph emphasises that by miming an extra deep, firm, rolling stroke with her fingers, catching at the "rim" of the loop of her fingers as she pulls out.

"You look pretty interested."

Steph's eyes dart downward meaningfully, and following her gaze I realise my bulge is just barely tenting my skirt.

"W-what about Yuki? What if she comes back when we're in the middle of-"

"Yuki's busy shopping. She'd spend the whole day if we let her. There's absolutely zero chance she's going to interrupt us. So, what do you say? Are you going to be a good girl and put your collar back on for me?"

Chapter 13: Good Girl

Chapter Text

We both scramble off the bed together. I open my inventory UI in a heartbeat, hastily re-equipping the choker for Stephanie. Her hands are on me the entire time, massaging my shoulders encouragingly. I feel the anticipation bubbling up from Stephanie, she's barely stopping herself from pouncing on me and the shoulder massage is just her way of burning energy. The moment the choker rematerialises around my throat Stephanie spins me around, her lips finding mine and her fingers threading themselves into my hair.

Stephanie's fingers tighten with unrestrained passion, gripping close to my scalp to keep my head wrenched backwards and my face turned upward. Her other hand toys with my choker, intermittently tugging. I'm already right where she wants me, but she seems to enjoy manipulating the collar. Her lips are interlocked with mine in an amorous kiss that I'm powerless to resist. Her lips are so soft and her skin is so hot. I'm in a walking fever dream just standing here kissing her… more like letting her kiss me. She's forceful and deliberate, her hands setting the mood, her tongue controlling the pace. She's so much more confident and experienced that I'm just trying to keep my breathing steady as I follow her lead. When she chews on my lip, I let her. When she twines her tongue with mine, I follow. When she lets go of my collar to cradle my cheek and press our lips together so her larger tongue can explore my mouth, I submit. Every time she exhales I inhale some of her breath, her intoxicating warmth invading my senses. She still has that feminine body wash smell, flowers and herbs and hygiene, but this close there's another more primal smell. When we're like this, body to body, skin to skin, tongue to tongue, Stephanie smells raw and sexual.

She's so much taller than me that she has to lean down to kiss me. Her body is so far away from me that reciprocating her touch is impossible. It's so different to what kissing Lucille was like. With her, we were both mutually inviting each other to enjoy our bodies as much as we wanted, but with Stephanie, she's totally dictating the pace of the kiss. I'm in her world and she's just letting me enjoy it.

And Goddess above, I am enjoying it. Every single possessive touch makes me feel so safe, so desired. Every time her tongue moves inside my mouth I have this urge to open wider, to allow her to do whatever she wants to do with me. It's intoxicating. Is this why women like kisses so much? Feeling her hands, gentle and firm and confident holding me right where she wants me, I think I get it. I tell myself I should be taking notes for when I finally take the lead when making out with a girl, but it's so hard to elucidate specific thoughts when Stephanie's twirling her tongue around mine or worrying my lips between her teeth, or pulling me into another fervent kiss until our lips are sealed tight and I have to stand on my tiptoes. With each passing second Stephanie's kissing grows more intense, the gentle nibbling becoming hungry gnawing that borders on painful. Her fingers threaded through my hair twist and pull experimentally, aggressively, possessively, until my scalp is prickling one step below outright pain as well. But she keeps me teetering expertly on that precipice, too intense to be comfortable but never far enough that I resist.

Finally, Stephanie pulls away with a wet pop of skin separating from skin. She's calm and confident, her breathing measured and rhythmic while I'm left panting breathlessly.

She smiles down at me, running a finger along the inside of the choker.

"That was such a good purchase. It suits you perfectly. I'm so glad I went with my gut."

I don't have time to question what she means before Steph tilts my chin back up to meet her lips. I obediently hop up on my tiptoes again, but Stephanie does one better as her other hand slides under my butt to help lift my toes clear off the ground. She presses me tight to her body as our lips interlock again, arms wrapped around my back in multiple places, one hand against my scalp and the other caressing my butt. As she hoists me up my legs instinctively spread and wrap around her waist for support, my utterly erect cock grinding against her abs. With no conscious thought on my behalf my legs tense, squeezing closer to Stephanie's body to eke out more contact stimulation.

Stephanie moans happily into my mouth as soon as she realises what I'm doing, but rather than let me have even this tiny measure of agency she slides her hand between my spread legs, splaying her hand out around my taint and digging her nails in, pulling me back just enough that I can't grind against her. I return her moan with a grumble of my own, protesting her handling and trying to roll my hips again, begging for stimulation, but Stephanie has other ideas. I didn't even notice she'd been guiding us toward the bathroom until she roughly hip-checks the door, slamming it open as we stumble toward the basin. Steph untangles my legs from around her waist and drops me a couple of inches onto the counter itself, my legs dangling off the side as she leans down with me, never letting me break the kiss. Any attempt to reach up and fondle Stephanie is met by her arms crossing over mine, boxing me out as she continues working over my body. I take the hint and relax. With her tongue twined with mine and her will guiding me it's just so easy to fall into a receptive, docile, submissive headspace. I give up trying to fondle her at all, enjoying the hot, wet kiss, the heat of my cheeks warming until it matches the heat inside my mouth.

At first, it's familiar strokes and caresses, feeling me up as much as she can through my breastplate, leather armour, and long skirt, but that swiftly gives way to pulling and tugging. She's so strong that every little movement jostles my body this way and that, almost breaking the seal of our lips, but my clothing doesn't budge. I attempt to pull away, to remind Stephanie about what Lucille said about disrobing me, but Stephanie refuses to acquiesce.

"Naughty boy!" She growls before chasing me down, pouncing on me to keep my lips firmly pressed against hers. Her kiss is possessive and predatory, her hand threading through my hair once again to keep me still as she takes my lips. She holds me there for long moments, waiting until all the tension has left my body, until my body language promises her I won't move. Only then does she pull away with a wet smack, a trail of saliva briefly connecting her tongue to my lips before it snaps under its own weight.

"Much better. Good girl."

Stephanie punctuates her praise with a tender kiss on my forehead.

There's a subtle flash out of the corner of my eye, then another, and another, each accompanied by a tiny little tug from a place behind my lungs. Glancing down I see that Stephanie's apparently already mastered the Armour of Sunlight's peculiar magic, leaving my skin bared save for my boyshorts, greaves, and vambraces. I'm barely better than naked, the little armour I have appearing more like decoration than the remnants of an ensemble.

Steph poses with her hands on her hips, clearly very pleased with her handiwork.

"That's so much easier than I thought it would be. I just have to think about you being naked, and–"

Steph is interrupted by her towel finally giving way, sliding off her body to land in a crumpled pile on the tiled bathroom floor. I'm treated to just the barest flash of Stephanie's erect nipples before Stephanie swipes her hand in front of her. Stephanie's so fast, so practised at manipulating her inventory that before the towel even touches the floor she's equipped a pair of panties and a bra. Part of a matching ensemble, scarlet and black lace with a rose motif. Her panties are low-cut to leave her crown of scarlet pubic scales exposed while her strapless bra seems to hold up her impressive bosom through a combination of hope, determination, and enduring video game logic.

"I'd ask if you like what you see, but your little guy's saying everything I need to hear."

I know I've got a stiffy even without looking down, but hearing Steph call me "little" forces me to check… am I really that small? Even in just my boyshorts, even with the tiny wet spot at the tip of my member, my bulge seems so meagre.

But before I can dwell on that for too long Steph's hands are back on my body. I expect her to pull me back into a kiss but instead she steps closer, one hand briefly pressing the back of my head to guide my face into her cleavage before joining her other hand in roaming over my body. Now that my skin is bare the palms of her hand feel so much more alive. No longer hindered by the barrier of my armour her touch elicits goosebumps wherever it roams, pulling moans and sighs unbidden from my lips. Her hands glide over my back first, caressing my bare skin, nails intermittently digging in just barely hard enough to leave a mark before dragging long lines across, using my body like a canvas. I can feel her nails leaving welts, cat scratches all over me, and my heart flutters with excitement and pride at being used like a scratching post.

Moment by moment her hands meander lower, over my lower back, my butt (which Steph can't help but spank as she passes), until her hands find their way to my thighs. I do what I feel she expects me to, spreading my knees wide for her. Stephanie gives a sound of pleased approval… or at least I think she does, until she steps away from me, pulling my face out of her breasts.

"I didn't realise I already had you trained to spread for me!"

My cheeks tingle with embarrassment. I can't believe I'd just done something so slutty on instinct, but Stephanie is unperturbed.

"Don't be shy, Cassie! You're doing exactly what I want you to! Now, up."

Steph pats the sink twice expectantly. I feel the now familiar tug of the compulsion magic of the choker, willing me to follow Stephanie's instruction, but I'm at a loss for what-

"Hop up. On all fours over the basin, doggy-style. Face the mirror."

What did she say? Doggy-style?! I struggle to parse the implication of that. How kinky is Stephanie, really? How did I accidentally sign up for… whatever this is? But my body doesn't have any such hangups, and I'm straddling the basin on all fours obediently before I even realise I'm moving. It's oddly fortuitous that I'm small enough to straddle the bowl comfortably, if I was any bigger it'd be awkward to be up on the counter like this… which I think marks the first time I've been genuinely thankful for Cassie's small size.

"Good girl! You're following instructions so well!"

My chest swells with not just pride, but the magic of the choker. Every time Stephanie praises me I feel warmth bubbling up inside my breast, and a strange desire to… cast a healing spell?

Steph's hands are on me immediately, subtly adjusting me so I'm facing just the way she wants. My eyes are following her movements, looking back over myself to see how and where she puts her hands on my body, shivering when I feel her palm glide over my lower back. I arch my back reflexively, presenting my butt to her, and apparently, that catches her eye as she can't help but hip thrust and bounce herself off my presented rear end.

Steph hooks her nails into my boyshorts, choosing to remove them the old-fashioned way. One hand finds its way under my tummy to lift me up while the other pulls my boyshorts cleanly off, tugging them down my thighs with practised grace. She chucks them unceremoniously at the back of my head, and I take the hint and drag them to safety inside my inventory, leaving my butt completely exposed to Stephanie.

"Look at yourself in the mirror for me, Cassie. See that cute girl looking back?"

I hadn't even bothered to look at the mirror yet, too busy following Steph's hands, but the moment I do I see she's right. My eyes widen as I take in the girl in the mirror. Large, doe-like eyes shimmering with virgin innocence. A tiny, upturned nose. Narrow jawline, high and pronounced cheekbones. And shoulder-length brunette bobs in an utterly androgynous style. She, he, I… Goddess, that's really what I look like. It's a wonder more NPCs hadn't mistaken me for a girl. And strangely I note that the scratches and welts I was sure I felt are nowhere to be found. My skin is pristine and flawless, not a scratch in sight from Steph's nails.

"She looks fucking adorable, Cassie. Just like you. You've probably jerked off to traps before, right? Think you could jerk off to your reflection?"

That thought makes me feel sick to my stomach. Not jerking off to traps, that's… fine, it's just not my thing. But the fact that I'm the trap!

"N-no. I'm, uhh… I prefer girls with chests."

My eyes linger on my chest in the mirror. Maybe I'm imagining things, but my chest doesn't look entirely flat… and I'm not game enough to check. Especially with Stephanie standing behind me, watching me like a hawk. What would she say if I groped myself, if I measured my own cup size in front of her?

I catch Steph's twisted grin in the mirror.

"Is that why you and Yuki never got together?"

Ouch. A dagger plunges straight into my heart. Shame and guilt. Shame, because I never managed to seal the deal and make anything with Yuki official. I never had the guts. Guilt, because… Steph wasn't wrong.

"But Yuki's got big titties now. What's stopping you from getting together?"

I meet my own eyes in the mirror, trembling and uncertain, framed by a peachy blush. Steph said Yuki liked me. She said she really liked me. Is it time to make a move on Yuki again-

"Aaaahh!"

Stephanie pulls a girlish squeal of surprise from my lungs as her fingers slide between my partly spread cheeks. Her ring and middle finger work together to probe the spot between my hole and my sack like she did when we first arrived in Rhodeia and she basically fingered me in public. She… she really knows how to find weak spots. I didn't even know that was a weak spot.

Movement in the periphery of the mirror grabs my attention; Stephanie retrieving a bottle from her inventory, proudly but amateurishly labelled "Lube". It only just now dawns on me what Stephanie actually meant when she said she was going to "fuck me" and "make me feel like a girl". A shiver runs up my limbs, a primordial fight or flight response telling me that maybe now is the time to get out while I can. I don't think I'm ready for this.

"What's wrong Cassie? You tensed up."

Steph presses my taint for emphasis, an alarmingly pleasant sensation that fans the flames of my worry.

"W-why do you have a bottle of lube in your inventory?"

Stephanie scoffs at me, smiling bright and wide as she catches my eyes in the mirror.

"More like why don't you have a bottle of lube in your inventory. Are you having second thoughts?"

"I-I, umm… no? Yes? I don't know!"

"Well, stop that! Leave the thinking to me. Just relax."

Stephanie titters at my discomfort even as she runs a soothing hand over my shoulders and down my back, petting me to keep me calm. And, somewhat humiliatingly… it works. Just her touch is enough to ground me, bring me back to earth and quell my fears.

"If it makes you feel better, letting me do this to you won't make you any less of a man…" Stephanie drawls as she massages my lower back with one hand, slowly coaxing me into an arched position until I look like a pornstar ready to receive her partner, while her other hand continues caressing the spot behind my sack with steady and pleasant pressure.

I'm so focused on the physical sensations I barely notice Steph leaning overtop me, her breasts pressing into my back just hard enough to leave the suggestion of her erect nipples pressing into my shoulder blades. She's using her body to force me to contort myself into just the right stance for her.

"... but it will make you more of a girl."

Feeling her body this close to mine has my heart racing, pumping hard enough to send tiny little ripples across my bare skin. Stephanie slides the hand that was rubbing my taint back just far enough to wedge itself between my cheeks, spreading them wide to expose my hole to the cold air. Just for a moment, a scant second, before she releases and lets my cheeks slap back together.

"Just trust me. Let it happen. I promise you'll love it. They all do."

I don't have time to respond before Stephanie sits back up and upends the bottle of lube. With an audible squirt, a jet of chilly, slimy lube splashes against my crack, clinging to my skin and oozing down into my pucker. I let loose a shivering wail as the icy liquid raises goosebumps all over my lower body. But it only lasts a moment as it rapidly grows warm. Comfortably warm, which is alarming in its own way.

"It feels good, right? Special blend."

I swallow around the saliva in my mouth, making a dumb sound deep in my throat as my brain struggles to figure out what it's trying to say. I try to say something like "I don't have a frame of reference", but it comes out like "Guh-good!", much to Stephanie's delight.

"God your ass is too cute! I just want to lean in and…"

Stephanie's hot breath washes over my buttcheek for a scant moment before her lips meet my skin, sliding hotly and wetly over my bare flesh until her teeth are teasing me. She nibbles gently, experimentally, testing the waters to see if I'll offer any protest… and when I give none she applies suction as if she was giving me a hickey, pulling buttflesh into her mouth to bite down on. Her fangs are sharp and the bite borders on painful, but I'm so drugged up on arousal right now the pain just registers as zaps of jagged pleasure. She chews on me, working my skin between her teeth, rubbing her face into my buttcheek as she takes her pleasure from me. I catch the eyes of the blushing girl in the mirror, thinking about all the nights I spent wishing I could bury my face into a girl's ass… and here she was, making me the "girl" in the equation… all the while Stephanie's fingers continue to work, massaging the lube into not just my hole but all over my groin, from the tip of my tailbone all the way to my taint and even the underside of my sack.

"Good girl, good girl! You're taking this so well!" The words practically drool out of Stephanie's lips, her cheeks just as flushed as mine are by the time she pulls her teeth away from my butt. She returns to her full height behind me, breasts jiggling in her bra with the motion of her hand working between my ass. Her second hand soon joins in, smeared with another dollop of lube. This time it doesn't feel cold at all, just warm and tingling as she works the lube into me with the tips of her fingers. Her nails, long and sharp, seem to barely even touch my sensitive skin save for when Steph wishes it, deliberate little tingles each time her nails dance across my flesh.

"I can tell you're a virgin, sweetie."

A hot flush races across my face at the perceived insult. D-does she really need to bring that up now?

Stephanie notices my reaction, of course she does, laughing at my self-consciousness.

"I meant back here, Cassie. An anal virgin. You've never even had a finger back here, have you?"

Her index finger glides over my pucker, gathering lube to smear over my hole and push past my entrance.

"Such a shame, with an ass like this! You need to treat yourself more often."

Sharp and shallow pain radiates from my asscheek as Stephanie brings a lightning-fast palm down, making me clench in shock. The bathroom rings with the echoing slap as Stephanie's open palm melts into a handsy grope. She seems to appreciate my reaction, the fingers I've accidentally trapped between my clenching cheeks caressing my cleft and working more and more lube into my skin.

"And so sensitive, too! You're twitching and clenching and I'm not even inside you yet!" Stephanie's purring with delight, loving every moment of my body submitting to her. I can see the appeal. If I was in her shoes and I was turning a girl into putty like this…

"You're a natural buttslut, aren't you?"

I chew my lower lip to stop myself from answering, afraid of what I'll say. The warm, tingling feeling inside me I get every time Stephanie praises me makes it very hard for me to say anything other than "Yes!" but actually saying it for real feels like a step too far.

"Oooh, it's okay Cassie. I can say it for you. You're a buttslut! It's in your DNA. I'm just here to help you realise it!~". Stephanie's voice is rich and melodic but light and cheerful. I can't really place what kind of tone she's using. Is she teasing me? Is she encouraging me? I try to find her eyes in the mirror and she's smirking smugly at me, her face every bit as inscrutable as her voice. She catches my eyes too, blowing me a kiss in the mirror so we can both watch my blushing ears wiggle obediently.

"Here, watch."

Stephanie presses the pad of her index finger against the very centre of my hole and begins to push rhythmically. My hole rejects her as she pushes in, but relaxes as she relieves pressure. Clench, then relax. Clench, then relax. Little by little she pulls her finger away less each time, pushing in a little more each time, using my body's own failed attempts at rejecting her finger to inch herself closer. I feel it happening inside me but even I can hardly believe how swiftly and easily she invites herself into me. Her finger feels rigid and firm, at odds with every other part of my flesh down there, but it feels good. So good I just want to… spread my knees a little further, arch my back and beg for more. N-not that I'm actually begging for more, just… begging with body language. That's a little less humiliating.

"What an eager girl!"

My heart flutters as Stephanie's more than happy to humiliate me herself.

She pulls back slightly as she adds another finger. This time, instead of pushing in, she places a finger on either side of my pucker, working with my reflexive contractions to spread my hole just a fraction of a millimetre at a time. Stephanie moves at a glacial pace. I feel like she's barely making progress at all now, until another dollop of lube lands squarely on my spread hole and I relax all at once, allowing her to slide index and middle finger to the first knuckle inside of me in an instant. Her fingers stay there, shallow and slow, rubbing around the rim of my hole rather than racing to get inside as quickly as possible. I'm thankful for the slow pace… until her fingers find part of my rim that sends a shiver of pleasure straight up my spine and into my brain.

"Ooooh, you are sensitive, aren't you?" Stephanie trills as she tries to find that same little spot that made me shiver. She finds it in an instant, balancing her fingers on either side of it and massaging the inside of my hole until the zaps and jolts of pleasure have my back arched as far as it'll go, my chest lowering itself automatically to lift my ass and present myself to her.

"What a natural! I don't think I've ever had a boy this sensitive before."

Steph plants another kiss on my ass, then another, trailing kisses up over my cheeks and over my tailbone as her fingers continue massaging my hole, coaxing me to relax for her as she squirts yet more lube into me.

"Y-you've done this bef-fuck, before?"

"Obviously!"

"With who?"

Stephanie titters at my question, sliding her fingers a little deeper with the help of a healthy dose of lube.

"Boytoys and girls-to-be. Enough that I've learned how to see the signs of a proper buttslut."

Stephanie leans back over me, pressing her tits into my back to force me into a face-down, ass-up position.

"Here, get into position. This should put you in the right frame of mind."

Part of me is worried by that, but far more of me is ecstatic at feeling so much of Stephanie's body smothering mine. The soft fabric of her bra plays across my shoulder blades once again, hard nipples dimpling my skin, and it's just too easy for me to relax and let her fingers slide inside me quarter inches at a time. Stephanie takes one of my ears between her lips delicately, leaving me wondering if she's going to trail kisses along it, too, before suddenly sinking her fangs in hard enough to make me squeak. She hips thrusts as she does so, bringing her crotch tight against my butt to hold me still beneath her as her fingers explore inside me. My hearing is taken up by Stephanie's excited panting, huffing around her fangs gripping me. In the brief moments in between breaths, the air is filled with the wet, gooey sounds of her fingers plumbing my depths.

I'm not sure if it's just because of my transformations or if this is what it's meant to feel like, but there's a telltale knocking sensation every time Stephanie's fingertips reach just a little deeper inside of me, resonating from someplace behind my balls all the way up to my stomach. It feels… I don't know if it feels good or bad, more like confusing, like my sexual arousal is trying to find its footing on a slippery slope. I'm not certain if this is due to my prostate since it's so new and alien, but given the sensations in my lower body changed after picking up those spells I've got a big hunch. I'm starting to second guess if all of this weirdness is worth it for sex with Stephanie.

"Okay, now take a deep breath and push with your pelvic muscles."

Anxiety seizes me. I recognise what that instruction means, but the magic of the collar compels me to follow Steph's orders. I don't even feel myself bearing down, I only feel Stephanie's fingers sliding deeper with almost no resistance until I feel her knuckles bumping against the outside of my hole, her fingers evidently as deep as they can reach. My first instinct is to breathe a sigh of relief, that this is as intense as it gets, but Stephanie proves me wrong in a heartbeat as her fingers stroke inside me. My hole is so relaxed that it doesn't even try to clench or force her out. There's nothing stopping her from exploring whatever part of me she wants, massaging lube into the deepest parts of my body, leaving my walls slick and slippery for her fingers to glide over. It feels oddly numb at first, disconnected, but the more her fingers stroke inside of me, the more lube she smothers over my walls, the more dormant nerve endings awaken inside of me.

"Wow." Stephanie sounds impressed.

"W-wow?"

"I mean wow, you took me to the hilt. You didn't even flinch. Are you sure you weren't a buttslut in a past life?"

I open my mouth to protest by a warbling moan escapes instead, Stephanie trailing her fingers over sensitive nerve endings in smooth, searching strokes that leave me quivering. I hate to admit it, but this is starting to feel really good.

"Okay, I want to show you something."

My mind is groggy yet hyper-aware, split in so many directions. When Stephanie's arm slides under my chest my first instinct is to make good on that fight or flight response and flee, but my body refuses to obey. I'm lifted limply onto my knees, pressed tight against Stephanie's body as she stands us both up.

"Look in the mirror."

I see her arm wrapped protectively, possessively around me, under the soft swell of my chest, my skin dimpling wherever the strength of her arm presses against it.

"Look at your little guy!"

My cheeks bristle with the implied insult but I don't trust my voice enough to protest. Instead I silently and obediently follow Steph's eyes in the mirror, down to my "little guy".

Stephanie's fingers rotate inside me until her palm is facing down and her fingertips are pressing on the front side of my body. I can't pinpoint exactly where the pressure is, somewhere behind my cock… a thought that leaves me a little uneasy, even as the gentle strokes of her fingers inside me coax pleasure out of virginal nerve endings. Suddenly Stephanie pushes her knuckles in a little deeper, making a swooping motion that pushes against a stiffer nugget of flesh that I know for a fact is my enhanced prostate. And, to my surprise, my cock throbs all on its own.

"Now that you've accepted the fact you're being penetrated like a girl…"

Stephanie punctuates the word "girl" by rolling the tips of her fingers over that extra sensitive stretch of my inner wall, enticing my cock to throb again of its own accord. I feel like that confusing, alien sensation from before is being connected directly to my prostate, the neurons in my brain finally drawing the connection between sensation and body part.

"I can make your little cock jump for me just by touching your p-spot!"

Steph brushes over my prostate again, scrubbing it gently, and my cock jumps for her like a well-trained pet. The sensation feels completely new to me. It's gentle pressure and distant numbness combined with desperately close fizzing starbursts that are always just on the edge of my ability to perceive them. An electric buzz that stays just out of reach, until Stephanie's fingers reignite the spark where they touch. And when Stephanie pushes again, a little more firmly this time, my arousal literally dances to her whim.

Steph gradually increments the speed and intensity of her fingering. She alternates between deep plunges that glide over my prostate and make my cock throb, and rapid but shallow in-and-out thrusts focused exclusively on the sensitive ring of nerves around my ring. Every time she goes deep it feels like she claims just a little more depth, pushes her knuckles a little more firmly into my cheeks as my flesh yields to her. At some point, I'm sure I'd be able to look down and see her tapping the skin of my taut tummy just beneath my belly button. Then she's drawing back, slowly at first to stop me from clenching down until the very last few inches where she seems to want me to clench for her. She wrenches back quickly to trick my hole into gripping her finger tightly so she has something to push against as she strokes the inside of my ring. Once she's satisfied that I'm relaxed enough for her, which is around the time my hole stops closing completely when she tugs at my ring, she begins adding intricate movements to her fingering. Rotating her fingers as she pushes in, exploring every nook inside me to find the spots that make my toes curl and my cock throb. She thrusts her fingers in as far as they'll go then presses them firmly atop my prostate, rubbing swiftly side to side until I feel something bubbling up out of my shaft. Then, she makes rapid shallow thrusts, but pushes in a little deeper each time, rolling her knuckles against my rim with a wet pop each time she drives inward.

She pulls out for a bare moment, leaving my pucker relaxed and open to the cool air as she grabs the lube. This time she presses the nozzle directly into my hole, squeezing a huge gush of liquid. Rather than the icy squirt I'm expecting it comes inside me in a warm, wet, tingling deluge… which my horny mind pictures as a cumshot. My stomach curls at that thought, but my cock has other plans, a bead of crystal clear precum appearing at the tip of my cock as I throb for Stephanie's pretend cumshot on instinct. Stephanie's fingers are back inside a moment later, this time adding a third finger. She can't reach quite as deep but the added girth makes my toes curl, more of my nerves alight than ever before sending zaps of electric pleasure racing up my spine. This is totally different to an orgasm, reminding me more of the kind of tingling ecstasy I felt when Stephanie raked her fingers across my scalp, but if this keeps building I'm… I'm not sure what's going to happen.

I'm starting to find it difficult to keep myself propped up, more and more of my weight being supported by Stephanie's arm across my chest until I start to sag in her grip. Stephanie kisses my cheek to let me know it's okay, leaning forward and carrying me back into a more stable position with all four limbs spread around the basin.

"Good girl. Give in to the pleasure. Melt for me."

Stephanie peppers my shoulders with kisses and I drop down into that familiar doggy-style position. The warmth inside my chest seems confused like it doesn't know what it's meant to do to make Stephanie happy other than to boil over into a soothing sensation of docile submission. Steph's fingers have swapped to a deep, consistent "come hither" motion, brushing against my inner walls and squelching lube out of my hole with every movement. Stephanie even helps me prop myself up, lifting my hips up so I can recentre my knees under my body.

"Good girl. Good girl. Good girl."

Stephanie's mantra is matched by the sloppy sounds of fingerfucking echoing across the tiles. I stare at my own eyes in the mirror, framed by a blistering blush. Goddess, is this what being a girl is like? I kind of like it, and I hate that I like it.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of Cassie. This is just a-" Stephanie punctuates each of her words with a determined, deep thrust of her fingers that has her knuckles banging against my taint. "Little. Fun. Between. Friends." That last word, "friends", is dripping with something, Steph working her fingers in rapid little circles inside me until I can tell my cock is jumping for her without even looking.

"Just relax, enjoy the pleasure. Let me do what I need to do to make you feel incredible. And if you feel girly at the same time? If getting fingerfucked like a slut on prom night helps you feel like a sissy for me? That's just a cute little bonus. Don't think about it too hard."

I want to believe her, it'd be so easy to believe what she's saying is true, but the soaking wet pops of her fingers thrusting in and out of my hole, the way I'm tingling with confusing new pleasure all over… it feels like she's attacking my manhood in the sweetest way possible every time her fingers move inside me.

"We both want this, Cassie. You want more, and I want to give you more. All you need to do is keep being my good little girl and keep those cheeks spread for me. You're doing great."

Stephanie's hand presses into the small of my back, forcing me into a position of pure submission. My face presses against the cold countertop as my ass raises higher into the air, presenting myself for Stephanie. From this angle I have a perfect view of my butt in the mirror - round, pert, and inviting her to take as she pleases.

"See, sweetie? Getting your ass fingered is good for you. You even got a Milestone out of it!"

I attempt to lift my head up to offer Stephanie a response, a correction, that the Milestone wasn't for letting her fingerfuck me, but Stephanie presses firmly between my shoulder blades to keep me where I belong. A surge of humiliation mingles with my arousal. I can't believe how wantonly I'm offering myself to her… but I love it. Stephanie's fingers continue their sensual assault, pumping steadily in and out of my hole as I squirm under her touch. With my body and face out of the way, able to see my sloppy upturned hole as Stephanie works me over, I can finally get another glimpse of Stephanie beyond her bra-clad breasts. Her toned muscles are glistening with a thin sheen of sweat from the exertion, a tiny jewel-like bead shimmering as it slides down her abs. Her scales lend her an exotic, almost predatory edge as she holds her prey down. My eyes roam lower, to her pussy, where even hidden behind her panties the shape of her aroused lips is imprinted on the black lace where it's stuck to her drooling sex. Seeing her lust, the proof of how much she's enjoying this, my female partner is loving this, gives me the assurance I need that there's nothing wrong with getting fingered like a girl. This is still basically straight sex with Stephanie, right? It's just… she's the one fucking me.

Stephanie notices the change in my demeanour immediately.

"Finally ready to give in? Good slut, I knew you had it in you!"

The sensations intensify as she quickens her pace, as if she knows that pleasant buzz has been out of my reach ever since she first brushed over my prostate and she's determined to help me claim it. The bright, electric impulses from stimulating my ring are pleasurable, addicting even, but that's not what I'm desperate for. There's something, something inside me, an itch Stephanie is so close to scratching for me. Try to clench around her fingers, to pull her closer to my prostate, but the moment I do Stephanie halts.

"Uh-uh. Naughty boy. No clenching."

She stays still inside of me until I unclench. Even then she waits a few more agonizingly long seconds until I've proven I'm obedient.

"I'm going to make this sloppy hole gape for me, which means you've got to relax and stay relaxed."

Her other hand trails up my spine, her nail barely brushing along my skin like an angel's whisper. It's hard not to clench, every muscle in my body flinching under her touch. It takes enormous willpower just to stay still and open and relaxed. But my patience is rewarded as Stephanie's fingers return to a leisurely pace, fucking my hole with wet skin-on-skin slaps.

"Good girl! Stay relaxed for me. You do want to cum, don't you?"

Stephanie's question strikes me with a mix of terror and anticipation. Somehow I hadn't even considered that I'd be cumming, but now the thought's in my head the prospect of being unable to cum, of Stephanie pulling out before I reach my peak… that's terrifying.

"Oooh, I felt that."

Stephanie's voice is rich velvet satisfaction, punctuated by slick squelches as her fingers gather speed.

"You're a very, very sensitive little girl. I'm confident I can make you cum."

Stephanie demonstrates her confidence by brushing over every last sensitive little bundle of nerves she's found, one after the other, until I'm shivering and quaking for her. Part of me wants to spill the secret that I'm only this sensitive because of the damned perverted transformations this game forced on me, but Stephanie's praise is so sweet. Maybe it's best if I keep it a secret-

"I-it's just because the guh~-game gave me a sensitive prostate!"

FUCK.

"Oooh, I see, I see. That explains why you let out those cute little squeaks when I touch it, huh?"

My cheeks burn in embarrassment. Have I really been squeaking every time she–

As if to prove her point Stephanie dragged her fingers over my prostate, pulling the girliest sound I'd ever heard straight out of my lips. I clench up again in shock and shame, and Stephanie's fingers stop cold again.

It's so embarrassing, but it's so good! My eyes in the mirror are manic and desperate, but Stephanie won't budge.

"P-please!"

"Please what?"

I swallow my shame before answering, trying to figure out what Stephanie wants me to say.

"P-please… fuck me?"

Stephanie's fingers start moving again, slowly and firmly, squelching lube in and out of my hole as she goes. I relax on instinct, shivering as her fingers brush over the sensitive nerves ringing my hole.

"You can do better than that, Cassie. Please what?"

A shuddering breath escapes my lips as Stephanie's fingers find my prostate seemingly by accident, bouncing off with the sickeningly alluring feeling of tapping a fresh bruise.

I pant in arousal and confusion, lost in my own brain as Stephanie squeezes more pleasure into me, until Stephanie leans over and slides a handwritten note onto the mirror in front of my eyes.

"D-daddy?"

Stephanie rewards me with a burst of rapid-fire thrusts until I'm squirming beneath her.

"Good girl. Again!"

"Daddy!"

My voice is a high-pitched squeal but I don't care, anything for Stephanie's fingers. The room echoes with the gooey sound of Stephanie fingerfucking me, my ears ringing with the sound of her dominating me.

Without prompting, I moan "Daddy", and Stephanie answers by picking up even more speed, rhythmically fucking me at a fever pace. Something inside me feels like it's about to give way. It's so warm and delicate and alluring that I don't care, I want it to break… until my brain recognises that sensation. I look down between my legs in fear. A-am I… am I about to pee?

My cock is flopping between my legs, fat and engorged but not quite fully erect. A tiny strand of transparent goo is oozing from the very tip, crystal clear and watery. A second later a droplet of Stephanie's lube oozes out of my hole behind it, spattering onto the countertop with a wet smack audible above the sound of her fingers pumping my hole. The lube is gooey and pearly white, looking so much more like a cumshot than whatever's oozing out of me.

"S-Steph! I-I think I'm gonna, I'm gonna-"

"Cum?"

"No! I'm gonna-"

Stephanie shoves the fingers of her free hand into my mouth, grabbing my tongue.

"Don't panic. That's just what it feels like the first time. Relax. Relax."

Stephanie locks eyes with mine as her fingers continue pushing me to that terrifying limit. She's so calm and confident, she knows exactly what she's doing. And I… I just need to relax for her. I just need to make it easy for her.

Steph holds me like that, fingers stroking my tongue as she fucks me, keeping me docile and pliable as the numb sparks and flashes of electric pleasure build inside me. She drags her fingers out of my mouth slowly, caressing my cheek lovingly once she's confident I've submitted to her.

"Look between your legs for me, Cassie. Keep your eye on your little stiffy. Watch what happens."

Stephanie's voice is warm honey to my ears, full of lust and desire. It's so easy to do what she says. I focus on my cock bouncing with her thrusts, jiggling up and down. Her fingers go deep, rubbing my prostate determinedly, causing a fatter droplet of that crystal clear liquid to ooze out of my cock, following the strand down into the basin. It's only then I realise there are many, many little wet spots between my legs. She's been milking them out of me this whole time and I didn't even feel them leaving my dick?!

Stephanie's fingers slow down just a little, settling into a comfortable rolling motion.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Y-yes!"

Stephanie purrs in approval for my enthusiastic abandon.

"And you want more?"

I can feel her enthusiasm through her fingers as she fucks me, but she maintains that comfortable pace.

"P-please!"

"But you know what happens if you cum from this, right?"

I find Steph's eyes in the mirror and shake my head. Her fingers immediately accelerate, second by second returning to their feverish pace, filling the air with the sound of her pumping my sloppy hole. My eyes threaten to roll into the back of my head as those numb sparks radiate out of my hole, overtaking inch after inch of my skin until I'm quivering with pleasure.

"If you cum from your ass like a girl, there's no going back."

Stephanie starts rapidly thrusting into me, pounding me with fierce determination until my entire body is swaying with the force of her hand. Fear wells up inside me, panic even, but when I try to open my mouth to get her to stop she squeezes a moan out of me instead.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She accelerates by another notch, adding complicated swirls to her rapid-fire ramming. I can't possibly respond when she's fucking me like this, and she knows it.

"G-guh! P-please, no!"

Somehow I manage to find the strength to respond, but Stephanie's having none of it. She goes even faster, pummelling my hole until the ecstatic lightning bolts of stimulated nerves go numb and I'm left with a rising feeling of sparkling warmth suffusing more and more and more of my lower body.

"Please no, don't stop?"

Stephanie's teasing words are breathless and hot, the exertion finally making its way into her voice. Her hand finds its to the back of my head, grabbing my hair and forcing my gaze back between my legs, to stare squarely at my dribbling, flopping cock.

"Watch it happen Cassie, watch it-"

Torrid static overcomes my nerves, washing over me in a rising tide over my skin and inside my bones. I'm powerless to resist as that intoxicating desire, that alluring promise just out of my reach flows through my entire body. I don't feel like I'm cumming, I feel like my entire body is begging to cum. It's an entirely new sensation, and the longer it lingers the more it gnaws at me, soaks into me, until I'm terrified that what Steph said was true. This was an addiction being formed. And if I did cum, there'd be no going back.

Stephanie starts to rattle off her own desires, breathless and lustful. "I'll make this little boyhole gape for me, train you until you can cum hands-free with one finger, teach you how to take a real cock and thank me for it-"

"I-I can't!"

"You will."

"No, I mean I can't, I can't…" a dreadful groan falls out of my lips, guttural frustration as the static across my entire body refuses to let me go. I can't cum, but I can't not cum. I'm stuck right in the middle, torn apart by fear and lust and anxiety and raw, physical desire.

"You can. You can, and I'll show you how."

Stephanie's voice is still breathless, but now it's caring, motherly, like a guardian angel. Her sweet and tender voice cuts through everything else, a lifeline in a maelstrom.

"P-please, I need to cum!"

I buck my hips, trying to direct Stephanie to the right spot. Terror grips me as I expect her to stop as punishment for trying to move, but she rides the motion out with me, using my rolling hips to guide her fingers right where they need to be. But it's still not enough, it still feels like I'm just sinking into this buzzing warmth, no closer to my climax. There's something blocking me, something holding me back from crossing over the edge and reaching orgasm.

Stephanie wordlessly reaches under my body with her free hand, slick with lube. She flicks the tip of my cock with her pointed nail a few times, biting lightning racing up my shaft and into my body, but I'm so awash with arousal that even that painful stimulation reads as sharp spikes of pleasure. While my cock is still buzzing with that stimulation, the first it's received since she slid my boyshorts off, Steph makes a ring with her thumb and index finger and wraps it tight around the very base of my cock. She begins a downward stroke, glacially slow, holding my cock steady as her fingers ceaselessly pump away inside me, refusing to let me down from my peak. The long, slow, laborious stroke continues until she gets to the sensitive tip which she wrings tightly, a mixture of my own aroused drippings and the lube slathered over her hand making the crushing sensation blindingly intense and pleasurable.

"Just enough to get the waterworks flowing. With practice, I'll get you to drip for me absolutely hands-free."

Stephanie's panting with lust as she purrs her words, sounding more like she's talking to herself than to me.

I'm way too sexdrunk to really process what she's saying right now, eyes still fixated on the very tip of my cock. Her fingers are still working, squeezing me, pushing pleasure into me from both sides until finally I can feel that tide rising higher, high enough to bring me over the edge.

My vision starts to black out, static shivers overrunning my brain. Stephanie pulls her hand away from my cock, giving me an unobstructed view of my cum trickling out of me. My climax begins in my scalp and radiates downward, muscles clenching and unclenching madly as the erratic energy that had been building inside of them finally releases. I drop utterly onto the countertop, supported by Stephanie's fingers buried inside my ass. Parts of my body wink in and out of existence, my brain too burdened to keep track of all of me at once. The only persistent thing rooting my consciousness to my body is the raw, slimy, achingly fulfilling sensation Stephanie pummels into my hole. My back arches, legs splayed, begging for her to somehow reach deeper, push harder, and drag me to another level beyond.

The blackness recedes and my eyes refocus, still gazing between my legs as I see a single long, solid, goopy strand of my cum oozing out of my cock in a steady, unending rope. It feels like it's falling straight out of my cock, like a faucet switched on rather than the pulsing orgasms I usually have. I try to clench, try to squirt like I normally would, but my muscles don't respond. I'm totally numb to another but the warm shivers rolling up and down my spine, radiating out from the spot behind my cock that Stephanie's been so focused on all this time.

"Good girl. Let all of your boy cum out."

Stephanie's words rouse the few specks of conscious thought I have left, directing them to the puddle I'm making in the sink. Second by second it grows as my cum dribbles out of my cock, the strand still unbroken as intermittent pearly white globs drip through the translucent liquid.

"That's it, good girl! Empty those little balls until there's nothing left!"

I can't tell if I'm still cumming or not. I still feel so drunk and disorientated, pleasure still suffusing my body, but I'm oddly lucid. Stephanie's fingers haven't left my ass for a second as she helps me ride out every moment of… whatever this is. It's so unlike the nervous electricity of my usual orgasms. It's more like what happened with Lucille, but still different. This was so much more internal, and once it got started it was debilitating, like Stephanie was pressing a button inside me that forced me to submit and become docile.

I can't move.

I don't want to move.

I just want to stay here forever, watching my cum lazily oozing out of my cock into the sink.

Is this really what it's like for girls? It's… kind of nice.

My reverie is sliced through as Stephanie presses the hard nozzle of the bottle of lube back into my hole. She's not finished. My heartbeat jumps in excitement, grateful that Stephanie still has more to give. The liquid gushes into me, scalding hot and tingling like a concentrated burst of my own orgasm, setting every nerve it touches alight. This isn't the first time she's squirted lube into me, and my cumdrunk brain has refused to let go of the idea that this is Stephanie "cumming" inside of me. The extra heat and wetness surrounding Stephanie's digits as she glides inside of me builds me toward what I think is another climax. They're all melding together, one turning into afterglow turning into another. They're impossible to track. At some point Stephanie managed to fit a fourth finger into me, using her whole hand to squeeze cum out of my drooling cock straight into the big, wet puddle circling the drain. She's attacking my prostate directly, I know it. No matter how much I cum I never really hit that point of relief. No many how many ropes of pearly white cum she milks out of my abused hole I never reach the point where my brain says "enough". Another fat glob of jizz drools from the tip of my cock as an orgasmic jolt races up my spine, the closest thing to a familiar orgasm I've felt yet. Stephanie still doesn't let up, purring exuberant encouragement as she somehow finds even more cum to milk from my balls.

My legs finally give out, my entire body dropping first to the countertop and then melting bonelessly over the edge. Stephanie's fingers are finally wrenched from my ass, leaving my gaping hole open to the cold air and streaking a line of lube between my cheeks and up my back. I end up in a pile on the icy tiles resting against Steph's shins. One last little dribbling spurt of translucent cum, not a trace of pearly white left, oozes out of my soft cock.

My mind is barely there as Stephanie hoists my body up into her arms. I'm just lucid enough to register her bridal carrying me out of the bathroom toward the bed, laying me to rest while I catch my breath. She sets me down gently on the king-sized mattress, dragging a pillow under my head and kissing my shoulder chastely before returning to the bathroom.

…

Stephanie sauntered into the bathroom after Cassie had finished cumming his little brains out, hips swaying with a predator's grace. She regarded Cassie's wasted sperm with sadistic, malicious relish before turning on the faucet and watching with cruel glee as her little boy-toy's watery mess was washed away, straight down the sink. Where it belonged. In moments every trace of Cassie's feeble cumshot was gone. After Stephanie wiped down Cassie's little accident on the floor even the scent was gone, even to her hybrid beastkin senses.

Smug satisfaction suffused Stephanie's being as she slid into bed behind Cassie, pulling him into position to be her little spoon and wrapping him in her embrace. This close to her body he was forced to breathe deep of her aroma - all spice and sin mingled with the heady musk of sex. She didn't really know how sensitive elven olfaction was, if he was even perceptive enough to pick up her pheromones, but primal instincts compelled her to smother him in her scent and mark him as hers until he associated it inextricably with the afterglow of his submission.

Chapter 14: Roads of Rhodeia

Chapter Text

Stephanie left me sprawled across the bed to freshen up in the bathroom, still bathed in the borrowed and lingering warmth of her skin. I am utterly and bewilderingly exhausted. Somehow just holding myself steady as Stephanie fingered me left me completely drained, yet Stephanie hadn't missed a beat. She was peppy and raring to go despite the rigorous upper-body workout, even more so than usual, as if fingerfucking me was just what she needed to get energised for the day.

And that is what she did, wasn't it?

She fingered me. To completion. Like a girl.

Free from the distraction of Stephanie's perfect body pressing against mine, this fleeting calm and solitude affords me just enough mental distance to begin to process what Stephanie and I had just done together.

Did that count? Did we fuck? It was me and Steph, totally naked - err, well, Steph was still wearing underwear. And I was…

I swallow around my dry tongue, fingers reaching up to touch the metallic warmth of my choker. I was way more naked than she was. But it was still sex, right? Even if it wasn't technically me penetrating her, one of us still got penetrated right? That still counts! Warmth flushes my face as I try to convince myself, but it feels wrong. Am I embarrassed because it feels like I'm lying to myself, or because of the fact that I can still feel how relaxed and good my butt still feels? Like I could just reach back and slide a pair of fingers in and…

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, forehead dragging across the impossibly soft sheets. There was no way, there was no way I was about to do that. It felt good when Stephanie did it, sure, but a girl doing it to me is completely different to doing it to myself.

That was a thread I could latch onto.

The reason I let Stephanie do it to me, half the reason I'm playing this game at all is to have a chance to get with Stephanie (and Yuki, too, since that's an option now according to Steph?), so it just makes sense to do lewd stuff with Stephanie, no matter what she likes. That's the whole point of this… method acting, I guess is what it is. Pretending to be girly. And it worked, in a sense.

But on the other hand, getting fingered in the butt isn't the manliest thing. It's decidedly un-manly, actually. And no matter what this game seems to think with its weird forced transformations and gender settings, I'm still a guy. Which means this whole anal thing was one time only, and I resolve to myself that I'm not going to let it happen again!

Now that that's settled I can get back to relaxing on the bed, enjoying Stephanie's residual body heat carried by the hyper-realistic tactile sensations of VALKYRIE. I can't help but sigh in languid pleasure at it all. This game really is incredible when you sit back and admire it. I could relax like this for hours in this simulated inn room, especially if Stephanie ever crawls back into bed to spoon with me…

It's only after Stephanie reminds me that we have to meet up with Yukiko (and threatens to bridal carry me again if I don't get moving) that I snap out of my daze and crawl off the bed. I have a brief moment of panic wondering how to put my armour back on and wondering how I'll be able to explain to Yukiko why I'm naked before Stephanie reminds me that I technically still am wearing my armour. A swift spank that claims a sliver of my life points later and the Armour of Sunlight returns to its regular humble self, minus my underwear which I hastily re-equip. Stephanie seemed to enjoy flaunting her underwear in front of me, her expression chiding me for catching an eyeful yet she makes no hurry to change into her regular clothes.

When she finally does deign to put some clothes on, the switch takes less than a heartbeat, her new outfit appearing on her body with little fanfare beyond the telltale barely-there magical glow. Stephanie has ditched the linen tunic she's worn the past few days that screams "default clothing" in favour of fairly anachronistic casual wear. A loose-fitted white t-shirt tied in a small knot on her right side to expose her toned midriff, form-flattering black athletic shorts, and the same boots she's been wearing since the first day. Her outfit is finished with sleek yet bulky polished metal sleeves covering her arms from just below the shoulder to just below the wrist, the one fantastical element of her ensemble somehow feeling the most grounded. With a few well-timed peeks in the mirror, I confirm she's still wearing the lacy lingerie (or at least the bra), and the memory of her aroused sex indenting the dark fabric encourages fresh blood to throb through my groin.

Departing the inn Stephanie allows me to navigate us to the row of boutiques that she expects Yukiko to be perusing, but once we arrive she takes over actually locating our mutual friend. I assume that Stephanie has some kind of sixth sense that's guiding her exactly where she needs to be in this video game, but after noticing her nostrils flaring I realise she's tracking Yuki by scent. Stephanie has so few beastkin features it's easy to forget she's technically a… hybrid? Half-breed? Whatever dual race characters are called.

My thoughts wander to whatever special traits elf characters might have. Does longevity even matter in a video game? Or natural beauty, when anything and everything about your appearance can be edited? As we pass by a boutique with tall and wide glass windows reflecting the glare of the morning sun I'm reminded that my elven eyes have no issue with intense light that would have been painful to my human eyes in real life… or was that just because this is virtual reality? How do elven eyes compare to other races? Glumly I realise it doesn't matter. It's not like I can change my race after the fact, or at all until we can log out again.

I'm brought back to the present as Stephanie swerves sharply to the right, apparently resolving that exactly this moment is the right time to cross the thoroughfare. I have to almost jog to keep up with Stephanie's leisurely strides, meticulously placed window displays zipping past me. All of this high-society fashion culture is just visual noise to me. As we pass by a pair of locals that are almost as tall as Steph dressed up in elaborately embroidered togas that I can only assume is the pinnacle of fashion here it hits me that as out of my element as I am this really must be right up Yuki's alley.

Sure enough, we find our catgirl glued to a crystal window pane. She's wearing an evidently brand new white and blue colour block chiffon dress that's uncharacteristically conservative compared to what she usually dresses her video game characters in, seemingly intentionally falling across her body to conceal rather than accentuate. Her eyes are locked on a little black dress that would suit Yuki great in real life but definitely wouldn't contain her in-game assets. The mental image of my friend's tits overflowing a tight black dress leaves me momentarily light-headed, blood rushing elsewhere in my body. Yuki's so totally focused on the display that she doesn't even notice Stephanie and me approaching her. No wonder Stephanie didn't think she'd interrupt us…

"Yuki!" we both call out, Stephanie's voice dominating mine.

The hair - or is it fur? - on Yuki's ears and tail stands on end all at once, puffing up to multiple times its normal fluffiness. She lets out the most darling squeal of fright, big snow-blue eyes growing wide with shock. Her tail sticks straight as an arrow as she recoils, bouncing a good foot off the pavement in an impressive display of feline agility. The look of terror in her eyes swiftly turns to embarrassment, then to a familiar quasi-poker face. Her puffed-up fur doesn't follow suit, giving her a soft and fuzzy border right to the tip of her great big ears. She opens her mouth to respond but only a garbled mix of syllables follows, sounding like a combination of Stephanie's name and my names. Both of them.

She stares at us for a moment, stock still and tongue-tied. The look of discomfort in her eyes doesn't leave.

"See, Yuki? He's fine."

Yukiko's upper lip quivers ever so slightly, but not a single other muscle budges… except for her tail, which she apparently can't keep from swishing back and forth in agitation. Tension builds in the air as Yukiko continues staring at me. She doesn't know what to do with herself and it shows.

My mind wanders under the pressure, trying to imagine what thoughts are going through her head. Was she really that worried about me? I wasn't even crying that much. I can't have looked that bad! Does she care about me that much? Is… is she just nervous around me, like Steph said? Am I making her anxious because she likes me? Does she-

"Just hug him."

Yukiko flinches like she's about to dodge a slap to the face. Her arms are stiff at her sides, barely budging, as if her body was resisting her own instructions.

"Today, ideally."

Yukiko gulps audibly before pouncing on me in the next heartbeat, arms wrapping tight around my neck and pressing me into her breasts. Momentary shock turns into budding arousal as I think about that, focusing on the warm, soft bosom of my friend. She's just a little bit taller than me, which means I'm just a few inches away from getting a real faceful of Yuki's… wait. There's a soft rumbling sound coming from inside of Yuki. Is she…?

"You're purring?!" Steph and I say in incredulous unison.

Yukiko ejects herself from my embrace as if she'd just been zapped, ending the hug just as abruptly as it started. Her cheeks are burning bright pink, eyes locking onto the pavement in renewed embarrassment as she shuffles awkwardly.

"I-I was just… worried you… it doesn't matter. Forget it."

Oh my Goddess. Stephanie was right. Yukiko likes me. Likes me, likes me.

"So, what did you find Yuki?" Steph enquires, tactfully changing the subject.

Yuki blanches, silent dread roiling behind her eyes as they meet Stephanie's. She looks like she's about to shatter. I feel my heart lurch for her. Should I say something to comfort her?

"Got any books?" Steph says.

I try not to let my disappointment at an opportunity lost show on my face as Steph beats me to the punch.

The abrupt redirection leaves Yukiko's embarrassed blush to linger on her face as the rest of her features settle into sudden calm. She begins swiftly swiping at her inventory, followed a moment later by a now familiar UI window popping up.

"Oh sweet! Good work Yuki!" Stephanie's tone is encouraging and reassuring almost to the point of being patronising, as if she were taking great care to coach Yuki through her social awkwardness. Yuki's so difficult to read I can't tell if her reaction is positive or negative. She barely even seems to react at all.

A moment passes before Yukiko adds additional context in a timid voice. "They said this was all they had. The librarian NPC gave me a, uhh…" Yukiko fishes around in her inventory for a moment before producing a leather-wrapped bundle of tools and parchment.

"He said they didn't have any maps yet so we could make one and they'd pay us."

Stephanie inhales sharply in surprise. "Ah! Magnifique!"

Yuki and I both turn to Steph, waiting for her to elaborate. And, of course, Stephanie is practically bursting at the seams to wax lyrical about the intricacies of the game.

"If you submit a completed map of a dungeon or new zone or anything that isn't on record yet and register it with the right NPCs then you get paid royalties every time another player purchases a map for that place. We might be able to get in there first!" She finishes in a single breath.

"How much do you actually get?" I ask hopefully.

"For a low-level side dungeon like this? Probably only a couple gold per. But that doesn't matter, it's guaranteed income forever. It adds up!"

I smile my enthusiastic approval to Steph and Yuki, but only Steph seems to be smiling back.

"I don't… know how to draw a map. I can't draw," Yuki sighs, despair creeping into the corners of her face.

"Yukiko, honey, sweetie. I've seen your notebook. You're amazing. Beyond stellar. You're a true savant, when your pencil touches the page the angels weep. You're a modern Michelangelo," Stephanie collects Yuki's hands to hold them delicately at chest height, squeezing encouragingly. Steph lets her words hang in the air for just a second before adding swiftly-

"Also it draws the map for you automatically."

Stephanie raises her eyebrows as she offers a cheeky smile at her own utterly empty compliment. Yukiko glares back and yanks her hands out of Stephanie's grasp, but even she can't stop the spectre of a smile from briefly fracturing her pout.

"Did you learn any other tidbits?" Steph probes.

"Uhm… generic NPC stuff about dangerous roads and monsters. Oh, and a couple NPCs said we should bring antidotes."

Stephanie flashes me a winning grin at the mention of "antidotes" and it takes me a second to take the hint.

"Oh, uh, I can cast Antidote!" I pipe up, cringing as I realise how overeager I sound. Like a teacher's pet.

Stephanie gives a swift and exaggerated thumbs up to match or even out-do my enthusiastic energy so I don't feel quite so out of place. Yukiko's poker face remains unflinching.

We give Yukiko a few more moments to finish up her window shopping before we leave. While she's distracted, Stephanie takes the opportunity to pull me inconspicuously aside.

I baulk at the volume of stuff Stephanie is trying to offload onto me. I shoot her a quizzical look before accepting, opening my mouth to question her, but she pre-empts me. Pressing a firm fingertip to my lips to shush me, she slips me a piece of familiar parchment.

I study the note carefully. I guess this is Stephanie setting me up to look good in front of Yuki, but… something doesn't fit right. I hand her back two notes, the first asking about the thermal underclothes and the second pointing out that there's no way Yuki would buy the idea that a tryhard like Stephanie could just forget to purchase her own supplies and would need a handout from me.

Stephanie scans the notes in a heartbeat, evidently a swift reader, before fixing her gaze on me. Her face flinches and contorts strangely, as if five different emotions are scrambling to be seen, or not seen, on her visage. It's hard to describe what wins out in the end. Austerity? Perplexion, maybe? Combined with her height and the scarlet scales framing her face her expression is more than a little unnerving… especially when her slitted pupils narrow. Something primal in me shrinks away from her predatory aura, instincts telling me to hide and cower. Another emotion flickers behind her eyes and her countenance softens once more into a relaxed and vaguely mischievous grin. She scribbles another note to me by way of answer, accompanied by a now familiar wink that my ears can't resist obediently wiggling for.

I attempt to trade the excess supplies back to Stephanie but she closes the trade offer immediately, shaking her head.

"Keep it. I'm fine," Stephanie whispers, her voice gentle yet stern.

"What about the clothes?"

Stephanie's smile widens as she huffs gently through her nose.

The air is peaceful and quiet as we exit Rhodeia Polis' gates. The city limits are enclosed by sheer limestone walls engraved with muted runic inscriptions, creating a near-total boundary between the echoing sounds of habitation inside the city and the barely audible whispers of wind outside the city. The lone guard at the gate seems content not to disturb the silence, merely offering a cordial wave as we pass him by on the opposite side of the paved road. I guess I didn't internalise what Steph meant when she said Rhodeia got cold, but I now understand looking out over the land surrounding Rhodeia Polis. Rather than the sunny Mediterranean climate I was subconsciously associating with the city's classical architecture, Rhodeia's countryside is composed of lowland meadows and rolling hills in one direction and rocky beaches in the other. The earth for miles around, whether sand or dirt or soil, is populated by a now familiar monoculture of… whatever that weed is called. On the coastal side, dark clouds throw ominous shadows over frothing waves. Beyond the meadows curtains of fog hang over the hills, obscuring the roots of stark snowcapped mountains. Autumn rains have turned the meadows muddy, splotches of rich brown peeking through the monotonously hunter-green nettles. Individual trees and grasses sprout on the more distant hills, though they seem to be weathering autumn less successfully than the vivacious weeds. The combined colours of fall are beautiful in their own right, their otherwise muted shades seeming positively vibrant compared to the beige-on-beige of Rhodeia Polis… at least as long as I don't look back toward the grim and grey bay.

The road leading from the gates forks early, one path following the contour of the hills toward the hinterland and one slightly wider path loosely parallel to the sea. Astonishingly, even through the degradation of autumn, every visible square foot is immaculately maintained. At least from this distance not a single errant leaf or muddy puddle seems to mar the perfectly kept road. Street lamps at regular intervals break up the monotony of the white pavement, which even now in broad daylight are dully illuminated, suggesting some ulterior function. They, too, are timelessly pristine, as if immune to the accumulation of dust or rust.

"So, Yoogs," Stephanie's velvet voice effortlessly commands our attention.

"What did you just call me?" Yuki's eyes narrow accusingly, but the faint dimple at the corners of her lips betrays her.

"Yuki," Steph answers with a smug smirk as if she knew exactly what she was doing by poking the hornet's nest. "Where are we going?"

Uh-oh. I'm silently thankful Steph asked Yuki because I wasn't paying any attention to where we were going. Stephanie locks eyes with me and I instantly know that she knows what I'm thinking, but blessedly she doesn't draw any attention to it.

"Don't you already know?" Yuki's voice is measured, but in context it feels almost like she's taunting Stephanie.

"I do not! Vaguely south since I'm pretty sure the dungeon's in Alterna Forest, but that's a big place to be wandering around aimlessly."

"Southwest."

"Okay, southwest. But where is southwest from here?"

Yuki's accusatory glare intensifies at Stephanie, tension building briefly until it snaps, Yuki's face instantly switching to surprise and confusion.

"Wait, where's the minimap?" Yuki asks, fingering the air to cycle through invisible menus.

"You didn't notice there was no minimap yet?" Steph asks bemusedly, taking a step in my direction.

I hadn't actually noticed the lack of a minimap either until Stephanie pointed it out. The game was so immersive that it never occurred to me how weird it was for a modern game not to have a minimap.

"Umm… how do we know where southwest is then?" I ask the obvious question.

Stephanie has a look of quiet disappointment on her face, and only then do I realise the folded parchment extended toward me, which Stephanie had evidently been trying to inconspicuously pass me for some time.

"O-oh, uhh, is there a compass in the cartography kit?"

Stephanie's expression is pained as she offers me the barest hint of a smile, before forcibly assuming a Yuki-esque poker face. Yuki's still flitting through her UI so I doubt she notices.

"Umm… maybe? No. Wait, yes. Here."

Yuki pulls a small metal puck out of thin air, handing me what looks at first blush to be indistinguishable from a modern compass. I turn on the spot experimentally, holding the compass rigidly in my arms as I watch the needle move slowly toward what I assume to be north. Steph snatches the compass out of my hands and demonstrates through wordless example that instead of spinning my entire body I can just rotate the compass. She passes it back a fraction of a second later and turns away before Yuki sees anything.

"Also we can, um, we can use the sun to tell direction. Right?" I direct the statement toward Steph with the hope that she'll back me up, but her back is still turned, looking across the lowlands or maybe the distant mountains beyond them.

Yuki assumes I was asking her and responds in kind. "Oh yeah, the sun rises in the east. That's true. This is so cool actually! I wish more games did this where you have to figure out where to find things on your own."

I nod my agreement as I make a show of orientating myself to north with the compass and then pointing out southwest from there. The paved road doesn't run directly southwest, but one of the meandering paths south seems to curl in the right direction, across a bridge so far in the distance it approaches the horizon. However, before I can take my first step the wind abruptly changes directions, the sea of weeds in the meadow swaying and rippling to herald the oncoming breeze. The air is crisp and refreshing but with an unmistakable wintry chill that reminds me of the underclothes Stephanie traded me just before we left.

"Umm, Yuki," I prompt, "I bought some supplies for the uhh…" I trail off as I realise I don't even know what the right terminology is for whatever it is we're about to do. Exploration? Dungeon run? Grinding? Yuki's already perked up though, fluffy ears at attention as she approaches me to pre-emptively accept my trade offer. I divide up the consumable items and give Yukiko slightly more than half, then pause as I notice the thermal underclothes.

The identical thermal underclothes.

Yukiko and I stand there awkwardly for a few long moments as I try to figure out whose is whose. They both say feminine clothing. Did Stephanie buy the wrong thing by mistake? Or did she deliberately buy me women's underwear? They look exactly the same though! There's no way it'd fit Yukiko's figure if it were shaped for me. Momentarily I wonder if Stephanie pranked me, but after what happened this morning "prank" probably isn't the right word. I glance past the floating white boxes to see if Stephanie's laughing at me, but she's still looking off toward the mountains, apparently uninterested in Yuki and me for the time being.

Yukiko begins to open her mouth to say something, but snaps shut before any sound escapes. She shuffles in place, looking at her feet as I try to regain my own composure. Remembering that this is meant to be a gift I try to play it smooth.

"I, umm, I bought you these. J-just in case you got cold!" Fuck, I fumbled that badly.

I hastily add one of the underclothes to the trade offer and click accept, hoping to get it over with quickly. The floating white box vanishes immediately, revealing Yukiko in all her unbound anxiety. Her cheeks are blushing furiously as she refuses to meet my eyes.

"Th-thanks," she mumbles, hands frozen at her sides even as her tail swishes energetically behind her. I glance at Stephanie again, hoping for some kind of cue about what to do next, but she's not even looking at us. Trying to give us privacy, maybe? I consider going in for another hug but after a moment's deliberation think better of it. I've never really done this before but I feel like If I pushed my luck right now there's a good chance Yukiko would combust from embarrassment. At least Stephanie was right, our catgirl liked the gifts… sort of.

Yukiko calms down once we start walking. After only a few minutes we settle into an amicable silence. I keep my eyes glued to the compass, constantly checking and re-checking that north hasn't moved in the past thirty seconds. Yukiko indulges herself in the scenery, nose perpetually to the wind, whilst a newly summoned Marigold nuzzles against Yuki's chin. Stephanie is, meanwhile, variously burying her nose in a sheaf of familiar oversized parchment, making scribbles in a small private notebook, or leaning over Yuki's shoulder at the smaller girl's prompting to share a friendly whisper or to sniff at something noteworthy on the breeze.

At some point, I realise that the hills and meadows seem to be passing us by unusually swiftly. A thicket of weeds on the side of the road zips past us at tremendous speed, here one second and gone the next. Then another patch of weeds, and another, followed by a rapidly approaching lamp post. I stop in my tracks just before it reaches me, but Yuki and Stephanie carry on past me. They only take a handful of steps but through unexplained momentum end up many, many paces ahead of me before stopping themselves.

"What's up, Cassie?" Steph calls out, placing a hand on Yuki's shoulder to shepherd her toward me. It takes far longer for them to close the distance now, walking at a regular pace back to me.

"Are we moving faster than normal?"

Yuki and Stephanie share an expression of mutual confusion.

"Yeah C… Cass," Yuki answers, brows raised. "It took you this long to notice?" As soon as the words leave her mouth, she falters in apology at the accidental slight. "I-It's probably, like, a bonus to walking on the road or something."

I guess that maybe it makes intuitive sense to Yuki since she's played more RPGs than me.

"Pretty much. It's one of the reasons I wanted to start levelling with you guys in Rhodeia; they've got roads all over the region that give a ramping movement speed buff the longer you walk in a direction. Until you get to a higher level and unlock better modes of transport it's a huge quality of life improvement," Stephanie adds. "Plus, the lamps have a Keepflame effect so as long as you're near a lamp you won't get jumped by monsters. Very useful if you've got to walk back to town at night."

I think back to the night before last, when Stephanie seemed anxious to get us safely back to Lumberg before nightfall.

"Is every road like this?" I ask.

"In Rhodeia? More or less. In this game in general? No. Think of it like a regional specialty."

My question answered, we continue our journey southward. Now that I'm aware of our magically assisted travel, when and if I actively pay attention to it I can tell there's an odd desynchronisation between steps taken and feet travelled. Rather than physically walking faster, it seems that every footstep is stretched, each stride counting for many as my heels effortlessly slide across the pavement. The oddest thing about it is how natural it feels, how easy it is to forget that we're striding at double, triple, quadruple speed, or perhaps even faster still. What might have taken multiple hours to travel on foot in real life only seems to take fifteen minutes. We follow the road along the coast another handful of minutes before the road forks again, one path continuing along the coast and another curling inland. I don't even have time to slow down and consult the compass as Stephanie and Yuki both confidently take the inland path.

The bridge that was once close to the horizon is approaching rapidly, and the river it spans is now also clearly in view. I can see it long before I can hear it, a vast and pristinely sparkling river flanked by gently sloping banks making barely a splash. Even the faraway sound of the ocean (which I semi-confidently deduce to be east of us) is louder, distant waves crashing across rocky beaches carrying inland across the low-lying plains. On the far side of the bridge in… some direction which may or may not be southwest are taller and denser trees in various stages of shedding, everything from proud greens to warm orange to vivid crimson to naked white bark. I check the compass again for bearing and am dubiously confident that what I'm looking at is indeed southwest of us, which means that's probably where we're heading once we cross the bridge.

A few minutes later the impressive scale of the bridge, and by extension the river below, becomes fully apparent. From outside the gates of Rhodeia Polis the bridge seemed like merely an extension of the paved road, a short skip over a tiny silver-blue line on the horizon. This near the structure that notion is proven utterly and completely false. The bridge is a monolith, wrought of ancient stone and supported by sturdy pillars. I could easily imagine an army marching over this bridge in times past. Dwelling on that thought I realise that given the extensive history of this game, exactly the scene I'm picturing in my head has almost certainly played out. Only the top of the bridge is paved in the familiar pale limestone of the road, the rest is raw grey granite that must have weathered a thousand years or more. There are indistinct shapes carved into the bridge at regular intervals, but due to the steep angle we're approaching the bridge and the state of erosion it's impossible for me to recognise what they're meant to be. Maybe they'd make more sense if I actually knew anything about the lore of this game?

We slow down as we reach the bridge, the enchantment allowing us fast travel apparently drawing a distinction here between what does and doesn't count as a road. The sound of our footsteps immediately takes me by surprise. I hadn't even noticed that the roads were dampening the sound of our footsteps until just now, but without the weightlessness of the enchantment our three pairs of distinct and asymmetrical footsteps are crisp and sharp as they resound off the stone bridge. Yukiko makes an excited beeline for the blocky balustrade, leaning over to take in the view. I can't help but smile at the way her fluffy black tail curls behind her as she takes in the view. Watching her be herself like this, far enough away from the sources of her anxiety that she can just relax and let her guard down fills me with happiness. I guess this is why she likes video games so much? Yuki leans a little further, balancing herself on her tummy as she stretches out over the railing just in time for the breeze to pick up and ruffle her hair. Her tail raises further, her dress hiking up just a tiny bit, stretching taut across her ass. My heart thumps in my chest at the sight. Since when did Yuki have an ass like that?

"Hey, Steph. Come look!" Yuki calls out, looking over her shoulder at our other friend and pointing at something far off in the distance. I avert my gaze on reflex to hide the fact that I was just gawking at Yuki's catgirl booty and expecting Yuki to call my name next… but nothing comes. Stephanie lazily meanders her way over to Yuki's side, leaning over her shoulder and pointing off into the distance to match whatever our excited catgirl's pointing at. I can't help but feel left out, burned as Yuki seems more interested in Steph's attention than mine. Steph has a familiar relaxed and confident smile on her face that makes her look so in control, and the way her cheek scales scatter the midday light across her face in a dazzling–

No, I'm not doing this. If Yuki and Steph are going to make me the third wheel then I'll just… just…

Sighing deeply, I realise that there's nothing else I really can do until Yuki's had her fill and we can move on. I decide to walk a few paces along the enormous bridge to put some space between the girls and myself so I can sulk a little more freely. The bridge is only very slightly arched, but because of its sheer length even a subtle arch makes the middle multiple feet higher than the abutments. Leaning out over the balustrade with some difficulty due to the height (I assume these were made with dragonborn measurements in mind rather than elf measurements) I try to find whatever it is that Yuki and Steph were pointing at.

The furthest things I can see in the direction they were pointing are the remote mountains. Their ice-wreathed peaks and curtains of thick fog seem unchanged since the last time I looked in their direction. It's a little odd that the fog is persisting this late into the day, but that's not really that noteworthy is it? The obscuring fog stubbornly refuses to reveal anything that lies at their steppes. At least, it's obscured to me. I wonder idly if Yuki and Stephanie are actually seeing something I can't. Their ability to hear and smell does seem to be superhuman, maybe their eyesight is too. Stealing a glance at them I see they're both still totally absorbed in the vista… or rather Yukiko is. Stephanie seems to be battling boredom, doing her best to feign attentiveness. That irks me. If Yuki asked me to come look at whatever-it-is I'd at least be paying attention! Ugh. Whatever Yuki's looking at it's still out there, so I follow the line of her eyes to continue searching.

She was looking a little further down than the mountains, so maybe it was in the river itself? The river is even broader upstream. It's impossible to see where it begins since it stretches past the horizon. The water seems to be crystal clear. Surprising, considering the muddy farmland flanking it. Many different leaves from different plants float on its calm surface, indicating that there's more diversity upstream. That feels significant to me, like this river might be important to the overall storyline of this quest area. Maybe that's why this overworld zone has so much detail. The low banks are smeared with sediment which probably means the river's water level varies over time? Maybe it's… tidal, I think is the right word? I'm not a river scientist. Out of curiosity, I lean a little further over the balustrade to see if there's a high water mark on the pillars underneath the bridge and – wow that's a long drop. Between the gargantuan scale of the bridge and the river I didn't even realise how high up we were. Gripping the railing a little tighter to make sure I don't go tumbling off the side into the possibly poisonous water below, I check the pillars again and see many different discoloured rings up and down their length. The lowest rings are clearly delineated by dark bands but many progressively more faded marks suggest that at some point this river swelled almost high enough to swamp the bridge.

That thought leaves me feeling oddly uneasy. Like the bridge is only masquerading under a facade of stability, and if the river wanted it could rise up and wash away any trace of this ancient thing. That uneasiness evolves into goosebumps. What if we're on the bridge when that happens? Would we get swept out to sea? Separated by the currents? Would… would we just die? N-no, there's no way… this is just a video game.

This is just a video game.

I try to repeat that idea in my head, that there's nothing truly dangerous here and I'm safe at home in my pyjamas with the Phantasm Vision on my face.

But we're so small. So tiny and irrelevant and vulnerable.

I peer deeper into the dark depths of the water, hoping that being able to see the bottom might somehow quell my nerves, but no matter how clear the river seems to be there's no way light could reach that deep. I see nothing but midnight blackness, an infinite abyss that not even the midday sun can hope to contest.

"Hey, Cassie."

My heart wants to pound in my chest, but it feels like there's a clammy hand reaching up through my ribcage to hold it still and stymie its attempts to pump blood. That horrific feeling just makes it beat harder, which in turn makes the grip tighter and colder until the grip morphs into a cage of icy fangs. The immovable focal point of cold pressure inside my chest expands outward until every muscle in my body is frozen with the same terror.

And then it hits me. I've experienced this before. Twice. First with the big toad and then later with the elite wolf enemy. This must be how VALKYRIE portrays fear. There's an icon of a crying face surrounded by wispy tendrils next to my nameplate confirming as much.

But this is so much stronger than the toad's glare and infinitely longer than the wolf's howl. My heart is pounding so hard in my chest that I feel like it could explode. Actually explode.

But why?

That question hooks itself viciously into my brain as the icy fangs inside my chest cavity gnaw with cruel menace. I'm still staring straight into the inky blackness at the bottom of the river searching for answers when my brain is finally able to notice an enormous opalescent ring in the water. Its thin boundary shimmers, brilliant colours scintillating under the surface of the water before the inner edge of the halo begins to contract. Slowly at first and from all directions, every passing second stretched long as the gravity weighing down my body intensifies until I'm struggling to stand.

"Cassie?"

It isn't the water that's black at all.

The darkness inside the halo strengthens as it pulls light into itself until the black void seems ready to rip a hole through the fabric of the world. The shimmering opalescence of the halo warps and stretches the void as it collapses inwards, pulling and reshaping the once circular abyss into a constricted oval. A dread shape that I recognise on a primordial, instinctual level.

An eye.

I've been staring directly into it. And it has been staring directly into me.

Prickling pain creeps into my fingertips, searing hot and freezing cold, climbing up my nerve endings as a glacial rising tide. My health is burning away to the tune of feeble chimes, but what can I do? My muscles are leaden, frozen, unresponsive. Even if I could run it wouldn't accomplish anything. How could I possibly escape this horror?

"Is he scared of heights or something?"

That's what this is. Horror. I'm hyperventilating, lungs crying out for oxygen, but nothing can stop the darkness from creeping into my vision. My world narrows until I see nothing but the abyssal scar of the great eye's pupil. Things swarm and writhe under the surface, invisible fangs and claws silently screeching as they prepare to vomit forth into the world. Gravity drags me in, pulls me toward the eye, and then I'm being wrenched-

Backwards.

Feelings of warmth and strength and safety chase away the shadows in the blink of an eye. The grip of icy fangs is broken, and the impossible gravity restricting my muscles is vanquished. The world is bright and beautiful and colourful again, and… and I hadn't even noticed the silence until I was graced with the sound of distant birdsong and waves lapping against the shore. The rest of the details of reality fill back in swiftly. The sun on my skin, the rustle of the wind, the firm pressure of a pair of arms interlocked around my chest accompanied by the immediately identifiable soft and pillowy plushness of a pair of breasts against the back of my head. Are my feet not touching the ground?

Looking down to check I confirm that I am indeed dangling multiple feet above the ground, and furthermore a familiar pair of boots. Stephanie's boots. My heart flutters again, but this time in exhilaration. It's so wholesome and comforting compared to what I'd just been through that I almost forget to blush about the fact that I'm being held like a teddy bear.

"What the fuck was that about Cassie?!" Stephanie's frustrated voice vibrates through my chest. I try to shrink into myself on reflex but there's precious little I can do when Stephanie's holding me like this. "There are other ways to get attention dude, just ask instead of being dramatic. Threatening to jump isn't a good look."

"Wh-what are you talking about? I wasn't-"

With a dreadful start I remember the enormous eye in the water. I try to wriggle out of Stephanie's grip but she's far too strong, squeezing me tight until I give up.

"Th-the water! There's an eye! In the water!"

I point out over the side of the bridge manically. Stephanie hesitates for a moment before stepping toward the railing, keeping me pressed to her chest as she leans us both over. The water is sparkling pristinely, silver-blue and crystal clear. There's no sign of the horrifying eye, and while the depths of the river appear dark they're nowhere near the pitch blackness they'd been a moment earlier.

"What is it?" Yukiko asks in a tiny voice. Oh thank the Goddess, she's still here.

Yukiko reaches out a hand to grab my shoulder, more a symbolic gesture than anything else with how tightly Stephanie's arms are wrapped around me right now. Did they seriously think I was about to jump?

"There was an, uuhh," my mind is suddenly empty as I try to put together the right words to explain myself. There's clearly nothing there, and Stephanie and Yukiko were looking out over the bridge just like I was. Their senses are so much sharper than mine, there's no way they could have missed a giant underwater monster staring at us.

"Didn't you see it?" The terror was so tangible and all-consuming mere moments ago, but now I feel like an idiot even bringing it up.

"See what?" Yukiko's voice is calming and sympathetic. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have her as a friend.

I clear my throat before trying to explain it.

"There was like a giant eye in the water. Massive. Like, half as wide as the river. And it was looking at me. And–"

Wait, my life points started ticking down when the thing was looking at me. I suck in a breath and prepare to say as much when a glance toward my health bar reveals that my health is full. I didn't actually take any damage. I open my mouth again to try to say something to explain myself and to justify whatever just happened, but nothing comes out. Yuki looks over my head to share a meaningful look with Stephanie. Finally, Stephanie leans over and sets me down on my own two feet, allowing me to brace myself against the stone railing until my knees stop feeling like jelly.

Stephanie steps away for a moment, concerned with something in her inventory, while Yukiko keeps watch over me until I feel like myself again. She refuses to let go of my shoulder the entire time, which is as comforting as it is embarrassing, as though Yukiko feels like she needs to watch out for me instead of the other way around… which is even more embarrassing when I think about the roles we're meant to be playing in our party. When I finally feel like I'm ready to start walking again Stephanie trots back over. I give her my best encouraging smile, but Steph dodges it entirely.

"Where's the compass?"

My brow furrows. It's in my right hand, obviously. I turn over my palm to prove as much and-

Uh oh.

Chapter 15: A Small Fish Casting a Large Shadow

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The water's surface is eerily placid. Any scarce ripples are silent and dissipate swiftly as if there were a film across the surface that resisted disturbance. I know that isn't true, but the memory of that great eye still gnaws at me incessantly. Even now I can't help but picture the lens of that eye replacing the surface, fusing with and overtaking the molecules of the water, consuming everything inside the river…

Including Stephanie.

She had been adamant about diving after the compass by herself, and backed it up with airtight reasoning. The compass was vital, attuned to the cartography kit, which meant the kit was nonfunctional without the compass and incapable of constructing its map. As for why Stephanie had to be the one to retrieve it, well, she was on the college swim team so she knew how to swim and her higher stats meant she was the strongest swimmer among us in the virtual world as well. I offered to jump in with her too, at that stage more out of guilt since it was my fault for dropping the compass in the first place, but Stephanie hastily refused my assistance. First, she argued, because VALKYRIE realistically modelled wet clothing which meant the thermal underclothes that Yuki and I were now wearing would become waterlogged. Second, because Stephanie only had one magic detector in her inventory so even if I dived after her I'd be fumbling in the dark.

All Yuki and I can do is linger on the riverbank and wait for Stephanie to resurface. It was easy to see her at first, both her avatar and nameplate visible even many yards deep, but movement in the water quickly stirred up enough silt to obscure Steph as well as any other nameplates that used to be visible. I catch occasional glimpses of her nameplate under the water so I know she's still swimming around down there. She hasn't been gulped up by a giant fish or gotten trapped under a submerged log or anything, but the fact that we can only wait and watch makes every second drag painfully. Humiliatingly, even, since this is all my fault. I must look like such an idiot to Yuki right now. I glance sheepishly at Yuki just in time to catch her sitting down gingerly beside me on the dark, loamy shore, taking care not to drag her tail through the mud. She holds onto my shoulder for support, the extra weight making me sink just slightly into the muddy riverbank. The gesture could have felt rude in another context, but right now I'm just quietly thankful that I'm being useful to someone even in this tiny, inconsequential way. Marigold takes the opportunity to skitter across Yuki's shoulders and onto mine, nuzzling my cheek for just a moment before slithering back under Yuki's dress.

"H-hey, uhh…" Yuki tries to speak, but in classic Yuki fashion fumbles immediately. I can't help but smile at her, my friend's familiar idiosyncrasy helping to snap me out of my brooding.

"C-C-Ca-uhm…"

"Cum?" I complete Yuki's stuttering for her with a playful smile. She bats at my shoulder in frustration but shuffles herself a little closer anyway. It's another tiny gesture, but this has to mean she likes me. Likes me, likes me. Steph really was right. I mean, obviously Steph was right, but still…

Yuki tries to speak again, but the garbled sound doesn't even leave her pursed lips. Yuki makes a sound in between humming and growling, eventually finding her voice again.

"H-hey, umm, dude."

I raise an eyebrow playfully. Since when has Yuki called me 'dude'? She notices and bats my shoulder again before continuing.

"Are you… are you…"

She's trying. She's really trying. It's kind of cute, like watching a too-small kitten trying to climb a staircase… even if Yuki is technically the taller of the two of us in this game. That still irks me. Maybe I can find some transformations in this game that will make me a little taller. It's so wrong on a fundamental level that Yuki, my tiny little catgirl friend, is taller than-

"Are you okay?"

Oh. That's what she was trying to ask. I shift uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. I was hoping Yuki would somehow not notice or not ask and we could just forget about me freaking out over nothing. Or was she asking generally about how I was feeling since we started playing, if I was still upset about being turned into a… sissy.

"Y-yeah, I'm… fine." I lie.

Yuki and I share a tense and mirthless smile, mutually understanding the other's desire not to continue this line of conversation.

"Uhh, is Stephanie okay?" I ask, to change the subject. "She hasn't come up for air in a while. Doesn't she need to-"

As if on cue Stephanie erupts from the water upstream of us in a shower of sparkling droplets. Her water-darkened and slicked-down scarlet tresses are brushed away with a graceful flourish as she turns to us. Somehow even in the shadow of the bridge, her scales manage to glitter with refracted sunlight. Her nameplate bobs up and down as she treads water, displaying a handful of debuffs, including a pink heart on a red square, a pink heart on a purple square, a multi-coloured and layered shield, and multiple icons that look like a stream of bubbles in various colours. Both her health and stamina bars are still virtually full.

"I FUCKING FOUND IT!"

Stephanie's hand rockets out in front of her proudly, displaying a brass puck. It's the compass. She found it without coming up for air once?! Before either of us can respond Stephanie takes in a huge gulp of air and then dives back under the water, disappearing without a trace.

"She's just showing off," Yukiko answers cooly as she strokes Marigold. She takes that as her cue to stand up, shoving my shoulder pointedly harder than necessary to push herself to her feet. I follow a moment later, assuming that now that Stephanie's found the compass we can depart the river for… wherever we were meant to be going.

But as I come to my feet and flick the mud from my armour, Stephanie's nowhere to be found. There's no nameplate swimming toward shore, no ripples in the water suggesting subaquatic movement. The water's surface is as ominously still as it was before we sat down. I swallow around the anxious knot in my throat, telling myself again and again that this is just a video game. Stephanie's not actually in any real trouble. And even if she were, what's the worst that could happen? She'll just… uhh, I don't actually know what happens when a player character dies in this game. But she's Stephanie, she knows what she's doing. She'll be fine. She'll be fine.

An uncomfortably long time passes with us staring at the river, waiting for any sign of Stephanie. Realistically it's only been perhaps a handful of minutes, but that's dangerously long for anyone to hold their breath.

"What's she doing in there?" I ask Yuki, more to vent my worry than anything else.

"Showing off," Yuki repeats with the same dispassionate tone as before.

I don't know if it's comforting that Yuki has so much faith in Stephanie or discomforting that she seems so disinterested in her well-being. Luckily, I don't have time to dwell on that as multiple nameplates suddenly appear from the depths about twenty yards away, all moving downstream.

Boreal Crocodile: Level 58 immediately grabs my attention for the fleeting moment the nameplate is visible. It's gone before I have the chance to see what it actually looks like… but I can imagine. And it's more than double Stephanie's level! Stephanie's nameplate catches my eye next, moving erratically and even vanishing entirely as it rapidly ascends and descends. A pang of fear takes me as I imagine Stephanie being dragged along the riverbed by that monster, but a moment later I realise that her nameplate is desynchronised and moving faster than the others. MUCH faster. Is she outswimming a fish?! Stephanie's nameplate reaches its apex as she briefly breaches the surface a moment before pouncing on top of Estuarine Pincered Pincher: Level 12 , eviscerating its health bar, only to sink into the depths once more in a shroud of bubbles.

This time, blessedly, Steph doesn't keep me wondering about her condition for long. Only a handful of seconds later a piercing whistle from a stone's throw downstream draws our attention and makes Yuki cover her ears. She almost drops Marigold into the mud in the process. Stephanie is submerged up to her ribcage and wading to shore.

"Girls… C'mon, over here!" Stephanie shouts. She's panting, voice strained by exertion. Her health bar is somewhat depleted and her stamina bar is critically low as it flashes red and white. Most of the status icons from before are still present, joined by an icon of a stylised flame and another of stylised armour. As Yuki and I close the distance it's impossible not to notice the way Stephanie's soaked white t-shirt has become virtually transparent as it clings to her body. The pink of her nipples isn't quite visible through the t-shirt, but the peaks they make in the fabric are unmissable.

"Petite coquine, my eyes are up here," Steph teases breathlessly. The way she says it more than anything else has me blushing, but I oblige and avert my eyes. First to her face, then to the polished metal haft she has precariously balanced under her right armpit, and finally to her arms. Her muscles are tense. She's struggling with something below the water at approximately waist height.

Steph frees her right hand, moving it just slightly ahead of her in the water and rapidly chanting "Tar Shot! Tar Shot! Tar Shot! Tar Shot! Tar Shot!", taking visibly cautious steps forward through the murk.

"What… is that?" I ask in confusion. Is she trying to tell us something? What's a Tarshot?

Stephanie continues her chanting with absolute focus written across her visage. "Fan the Forge! Dark Weld! Fan the Forge! Forge Weld!"

Oh, duh, she's casting spells! That feels so obvious in hindsight. Maybe the fact she was losing mana should have tipped me off. I silently kick myself for not realising immediately.

Every time Stephanie says "Fan the Forge" her health bar loses a chunk, prompting her to pull a red vial out of thin air to replenish her health before resuming where she left off.

"Fan the Forge! Reforge! Reforge!"

I figure this is my cue and prepare to cast Cure to help Stephanie keep her HP up while she struggles with whatever she's got in her hands.

"Cu-"

"Don't heal me!"

The effect of her command is instantaneous. My collar forces me to obey, the attempted spell dying on my tongue. Stephanie locks her wrathful gaze with me as she downs a silvery vial that replenishes her mana to finish her spell casting.

"Fan the Forge! Anvil Blade! Culling Blade!" Stephanie's panting by the end of it, her skin steaming slightly in the cold water.

Steph takes gentle steps forward, slowly wading toward shore until the water is up to hip height. Her spare hand goes back between her legs, a gesture I should find vaguely arousing but which instead fills me with an odd sense of trepidation. A moment later a nameplate appears out of the murky silt-stirred water, triggering a cold shiver to radiate out from my gut. Stephanie's wrangling a North Sea Trout: Level 9 that's currently sandwiched between her thighs, her left hand buried to the wrist inside its mouth and the other clamped awkwardly over its eyes like a blindfold. Or rather one of its eyes, Stephanie diligently handling the fish so that the other eye remains submerged.

"Cassie, we've gotta do this quick. Look at this fish for me."

The effect of the collar tugs at my heart, not that I'm resisting this time. The fish looks… weird. The longer I look at it the weirder it gets. At first it kind of just looks like a regular trout, which admittedly are already kind of on the weirder end of common fish, but this one has inky purple-black scales dotted with glittering pinpricks stretching out from its head over about half of its body. They seem to be overtaking its natural scales almost like an infection, and the scales are especially thick over the head where they appear to be growing on top of each other like tumours. The fish's fins move awkwardly, undulating unnaturally as if they were tentacles… because fucking Goddess above they are tentacles! Spilling out around the trout's lips are small bundles of tendrils, with a much girthier tentacle erupting out of the side of its body almost where its pectoral fin would have been. I barely have enough time to utter "What the fuck…" as Stephanie's impromptu blindfold slides away, revealing the trout's eye.

Its grand, impossibly beautiful opalescent eye. An immaculate halo of shimmering colours ringing a pool of timeless blackness from which untold horrors scream to be released. Colossal tentacles burst from the water around Stephanie and out of the muck and the mud around Yuki and me as if called to the surface by a great unknowable power, their enormous pillars of dark flesh stretch taller and wider than trees, seeking to blot out the sun and-

Stephanie replaces her hand over the trout's eye. We're back on the riverside in broad daylight. Nobody has moved. Stephanie's wrathful gaze still holds mine, but now there's an undercurrent of cunning.

"Tell me what you saw."

The collar once again compels me to speak. The words are out before my brain has a chance to process them, resulting in a jumbled mess.

"T-tentacles! Blocking out the sun! Th-they came out of the ground and-"

Stephanie's wrist twists, exposing the trout's eye.

Infinite malignity, the putrescent ichor of the stars howling against creation-

And then Steph's hand is back over its eyes. I fix a frown on Steph to match her burgeoning grin, just in time for her to pull her hand away again.

But I'm wiser this time. I turn my back to the trout, shielding my eyes as well for a second layer of protection. I glance at Yuki, wordlessly asking if the coast is clear before I turn back around. Both she and Marigold nod in joint affirmation.

"Tell me what you saw," Stephanie repeats, her voice tinted now by curiosity.

"I-I don't… I don't know how to describe it. Like… a night sky, but hungry."

"Huh. Interesting. Catch!"

Stephanie plucks the air and retrieves a vial filled with matte navy-blue liquid which she then chucks squarely at my chest. I'm too slow to catch it mid-flight and it bounces off my breastplate and into the mud. Thankfully it's stoppered so it doesn't leak out.

"Drink that." Stephanie's tone brooks no protest, even if I didn't have the compulsion to obey her orders. The liquid feels peculiarly heavy as it slides over my tongue, but its muted flavour and subtle tingling are strangely soothing.

"Look at the fish's eye again."

"No, I-" I try to protest but it's utterly futile with this collar on. My eyes are wide open, ready for Stephanie, ready for me to see-

Vistas stretch before me, melding into and out of each other. Sun-scorched badlands. Rocky beaches brutalized by thunderstorms. Howling windswept crags. Parched plains crawling with horrid un-life. Caves filled with fang-like stalactites and sentient gloom.

Stephanie exposes me to the trout only for a fraction of a second before blindfolding the fish again.

"Tell me what you saw."

"I saw… places. Like, scary places. I… I'm already forgetting. Caves and stuff. It wasn't as bad that time though."

"Scary places like they'd be the backdrops to metal album covers? Stormy seas, icy mountains, volcanoes?"

"Y… maybe? Yes? How did you-"

"Okay. Good enough."

Stephanie pulls her left hand out of its mouth to grab its tail, sliding her right cruelly into its gills to hoist it out of the water. A single brutal jerk is all it takes for her to decapitate the fish. Its dead eye regards me impotently as purple-tinted gore streams out of its ruined gills and severed stump of a head for the fraction of a second it takes for the monster's body to melt into video-gamey liquid dust, evaporating before it even touches the water.

Steph adjusts her grip on the haft of her weapon, jostling it out of her armpit and securely into her hand. She makes no move to wade any closer to shore. The small smile that briefly touched her lips has vanished, replaced by focus and restrained rage. I know better than to attempt to say anything, and evidently so does Yuki. The silence stretches uncomfortably as Stephanie remains in her ready stance, waiting for… something. Stephanie opens her mouth as if to say something, then snaps shut again so quickly that her teeth clatter. She swiftly downs a trio of potions, her health, mana and stamina bars now fully replenished.

"Fan the Forge! Emberstoke!"

Steph raises the head of her weapon out of the water to reveal a sturdy, conical spearhead. A swarm of vicious crimson embers wreathe the tip, steaming away the final few stubborn droplets of moisture.

More seconds pass.

Nothing happens.

Frustration joins the fury on Stephanie's face.

"Fan the Forge!"

Stephanie's health drops to half, on the crux of turning from yellow to orange.

"Fan the Forge! Fan the Forge!"

Stephanie's health drops again, angry orange-red. Her eyes are fixated on her left gauntlet, which I've only just now realised has a peculiar shape. Was it always like this? Broad, flat, and polished to a mirror shine, I can see my distorted reflection in the part that's facing me.

"Eruption!"

Stephanie's roared spellcast makes both Yuki and me flinch, but still nothing seems to happen. Stephanie tightens her grip.

A powerful shockwave rocks the riverbank accompanied by the muffled sound of earth shattering. Faster than I can comprehend, Boreal Crocodile: Level 58 is thrown clean out of the water, its health bar missing a solid chunk of green. The enormous crocodile's underbelly is so thoroughly coated in thick globs of tar that it appears like pitch-black scales. Before the beast has even finished its ascent Stephanie pivots cleanly on the spot, putting the force of her entire body behind a devastating thrust that sends her speartip biting deep into the vulnerable underbelly of the beast. The tar detonates on contact with the glowing speartip in a deafening explosion that sends waves roiling across the water and propels the crocodile backwards through the air. Or rather, what's left of the crocodile. The monster's health bar drops from green to nil instantly. Charred chunks of flesh and hide and scale melt into ephemeral motes and dematerialise on the wind. Seconds later the only evidence a battle had even occurred are the silent ripples emanating outward from the place the crocodile had once lain submerged, hidden by the silt kicked up perhaps intentionally by Stephanie. Well, that and a neat and tidy little cutting of crocodile scutes that sinks back into the water indicating the monster had dropped some loot, which Stephanie quickly snaps up.

"Call me Ultor because I am a fucking GOD OF WAR!"

As she finally drags herself out of the water, Steph beams. I've never seen her smile quite this way before, earnest and giddy and proud.

"Y-yeah, that was… I don't know what you did, but that was really cool!"

"C'est parce que tu ne reconnaîtrais pas le génie avant qu'elle te gifle." Stephanie croons something in a foreign language as she gently cradles my face, tapping my cheek affectionately. She's so strong it jostles my skull, making it feel weirdly like a slap. "You see what I mean about the stuff you can pull off in this game now, right Yuki? That Eruption was basically blind by the way."

Yuki returns Steph's attention thirst with a bored stare, slowly petting Marigold's fringe. She says nothing at first, but her poker face cracks faster than she'd like, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Okay, fine, yeah. That was pretty cool. Are you happy?"

"Deliriously." Stephanie walks straight past me to wrap Yukiko up in a hug… to her immediate revulsion and dismay. Yuki squeals and squirms as Stephanie splatters the tiny catgirl with excess mud. Once she's finished leaving her mark on Yuki she turns back to me.

"Hands out, palms up."

I obey instantly, before my collar even has time to prompt me. Stephanie dumps the pristinely clean compass into my outstretched palm.

"Good girl."

My cheeks come to full colour instantly and humiliatingly. I have to accept the teasing slight. How could I possibly protest in this situation? Swallowing my pride, I answer the way I predict Stephanie expects me to.

"Thank you."

"Tu apprends vite, mais seulement lorsqu'il s'agit de baiser mes bottes? Pourquoi ne suis-je pas surprise…"

"... What did you say?" Does she realise I have no idea what she's saying?

"Just a compliment, darling. You've earned it."

My cheeks burn that much brighter as Stephanie inserts herself between Yuki and me, placing a gentle but firm hand on our shoulders to wordlessly communicate that she's finished her business here and it's time for us to move on.

But I still have some questions.

"What was up with that fish? Why did you… y'know?"

"Rip its head off? I thought it'd be funny."

"N-no, not that! I mean, like, why did you make me look at it? Why did it look so messed up? And why…" I wasn't sure how to phrase the last question. How do I even ask "Why did a fish terrify me"?

"Curiosity, mostly."

"About?"

"About why a trout giving you stink-eye made you look like you were about to commit off the edge of a bridge. Literally."

"Did… did you figure it out?" I ask sheepishly.

"No. The inner machinations of your mind remain an enigma."

Stephanie drags her nails through my scalp as she says 'mind', sending blood flowing away from my head and toward… other places.

"Why was it so tentacle-y?"

"Umm," Yuki's voice chimes in, delicate and self-conscious. Steph and I both shut ourselves up quickly so Yuki can have the stage. "I think that was Ebonblight. I saw it on a few NPCs in the city, and on a… uhh," Yuki pauses before she finishes, her breathing suddenly accelerating. "O-on a horse. Like, one of the NPCs was riding a horse, and I, and it, and, and, and-"

"Ebonblight can affect animals, but this isn't Ebonblight. Or wasn't, since it's dead now," Stephanie answers with authority.

"You seem confident," I say, which prompts Steph to continue, but not before trailing a finger sensually under my chin to tap at my collar.

"Ebonblight doesn't make you sprout tentacles, sweetie. Also, those scales were warm and wet. Ebonblight's petrification feels cold and lifeless, because that's exactly what it is. Also a second time, I've slain enough corrupted mobs to be pretty good at identifying if something's corrupted and, y'know. Horrific mutations? Dead giveaway. Usually."

"Do you, uhmm," Yuki's fragile voice again, "Does this mean you have Ebonblight now too since you jumped in the water? Is that why you're a-angry?"

Wait, Stephanie's angry?

Steph turns to Yuki, making it impossible for me to even try to read her face.

"No, I didn't catch Ebonblight. It doesn't reach this far up the Nemesis usually unless there's some kind of insane tidal surge, and considering how low the water level is right now that's definitely not the case. Also a third time, look over there," Stephanie points to a tree with long curtains of leaves that drape down to its roots, "See that willow? Yeah, exactly. Perfectly healthy."

I don't really get what Steph is saying, but Yuki perks up immediately. "Wait, actually?! It works like that?! That's… that's insane attention to detail!"

Stephanie's already nodding, proud Yukiko's picking it up so quickly. "Mhmm. And it's not-"

"Is it just willow trees or anything with roots that-"

"Any tree, any plant even, but the bigger and older-"

"That's SO COOL! So it's like a contextual-"

"Exactly."

The girl-to-girl communication occurring in front of me is lightning-fast, but I get the gist of it. Even with my limited knowledge of plants, the stark delineation between the flora in the direction of the coast versus the hinterland is obvious, and apparently, it isn't just cosmetic. You can tell what is and isn't safe by the plants growing around you.

Stephanie again applies gentle pressure to encourage us to start walking toward the road. It doesn't take us long to scale the gentle slope of the riverbank even with the risk of slipping in the mud, and in no time at all we're accelerating along the paved roads of Rhodeia Major. A chill breeze greets us as we travel in a direction I think is south, and not for the first time I'm thankful for the thermal underwear Steph gave us. Which reminds me… Stephanie's wearing a soaked white t-shirt. It's been a couple of minutes, but is it still-

I can't help myself. I glance over (up, really) at Stephanie's breasts, t-shirt still clinging tightly to her skin. I don't know if it's the wind chill or the debuffs still on her nameplate or something else, but her nipples are poking out harder than I've ever seen them.

Playing this game is so, so, so worth it!

Notes:

Retroactively adding translations for Stephanie's Ilverais lines! If you're not opposed to spoilers, click to see the translations.

Petite coquine

C'est parce que tu ne reconnaîtrais pas le génie avant qu'elle te gifle

Tu apprends vite, mais seulement lorsqu'il s'agit de baiser mes bottes? Pourquoi ne suis-je pas surprise…

Chapter 16: Autumn's Many Hues

Chapter Text

This far from Rhodeia Polis I was anticipating untouched wilderness, especially after the world notice said we were entering the "Wilds". Instead, the westernmost part of Alterna Forest had been carefully cultivated into an enormous orchard. The trees are organized in a clear man-made (or dragonborn-made, I guess?) geometric pattern, arranged in successive rows at regular intervals and further subdivided into blocks of specific species. The air is filled with the crisp yet sickly sweet aroma of fermented fruit and the earthen scent of damp leaves.

Our time on the paved limestone reaches its terminus as the path veers away to the west just before the orchard. On the upside, this affords us plenty of time to stroll through the trees and soak in the simulated sights and smells. If we'd arrived earlier in VALKYRIE's seasonal cycle maybe I'd be able to actually tell what these trees are, but this far into autumn I can't figure out much more than that they produced some varieties of fruit which made them attractive to farm. Maybe apple trees or peach trees? The enchantment that keeps the roads swept clear of fallen leaves must not apply here as the ground is littered with shed foliage. During harvest season maybe they'd be maintained the old-fashioned way, but with nothing left to harvest the orchard seems almost abandoned. There were no NPCs around, not even idle quest-givers or vendors as you'd expect in an MMORPG.

Yuki seems to be thinking the same thing as she speaks up. "Where are all the NPCs?" Her tone is remarkably even for once.

"Dunno," Steph answers. "It's a little unusual for them all to be gone."

"Suspicious?"

"Nah, not really. Not yet at least. If we see bloodstains then it'll be suspicious, but it's more likely the groundskeeper just got lazy and went home early."

I watch Yukiko to gauge her response to that slightly ominous answer, but she's unperturbed. Marigold, on the other hand, shivers with fear as she cowers beneath Yuki's neckline.

Yuki then turns the question on me.

"Don't you think it's weird, dude?"

"I-I, I, uhh, I…" I have thoughts in my head, but none are willing to turn into words. I'm too shocked by the fact that Yuki just addressed me so normally, and that she called me "dude" again. "Y-y… maybe? No?"

Yuki gives me an understanding smile before turning back to the path forward. She knows better than anyone when to let someone escape a conversation.

Vast as the orchard is widthwise it's relatively short lengthwise. In seemingly no time at all we're exiting a humble gate separating the orchard from the true wilderness of the greater Alterna Forest.

… Perhaps "true wilderness" is an exaggeration. Alterna Forest is wild, sure, with limited visibility past the broad trunks of oak, maple, and ash. Doubly so with the dappled sunlight that filters through the golden-orange canopy to shroud the forest in tinted shade. But while the terrain is more rugged than the meadows and orchards we'd passed through, that was admittedly a low bar to pass. Even in the depths of the ostensibly untamed forest, there's a broad dirt path that has been maintained as much by fastidious trail stewards as by the passage of boots, hooves, and wheels. Not that I was complaining. We'd been travelling for at least a few hours I was sure. Positive, actually, given that the shadows cast by the trees are now starting to lean slightly. If we had to hike cross-country then this journey would be exhausting… especially if we have to do it multiple times.

Oh. I should probably ask that.

"Uhh… Stephanie?"

"Mhmm? What's up?"

"How long does it take to… uhh, to do whatever we're doing here?"

"To clear a dungeon? Hard to say. If you've got a dungeon on farm maybe… I don't know. Fifteen minutes? If you're exploring one for the first time with a bunch of beginners, maybe…" Stephanie looks me up and down as she ponders. "I dunno. Couple days?"

"A couple of days?!"

"Not all at once! Unless you plan to camp inside the dungeon, which you can do I guess. But yeah, this will probably take a few attempts. Brinewood Fissure should be small since it's a beginner dungeon, so I wouldn't worry."

Yuki chooses this moment to approach, walking around Stephanie's back and tapping my shoulder to take my attention.

"Do you have the compass?"

A flicker of panic takes me as I wonder if I'd somehow dropped it again… but no, the compass is safely in my inventory. I'd gotten into the habit of putting it back every time I used it to avoid another bridge incident. I present it to Yuki, who takes it from me to check our direction.

"Need a hint, Yuki?" Stephanie says.

"Hush." Yuki dismisses Steph and her smug aura. "The dungeon is meant to be on the border with… the country whose name I forget that starts with 'G', which is kind of… almost south from Rhodeia Polis. S-so we, we umm…" Yuki starts fumbling her words again as she hands me back the compass, manoeuvring it in my hands to find our bearing. "We go east. Right?" Yuki asks the question not to Stephanie but to me, catching me off guard.

Does she actually think I know where we're going?

"Yeah, that's… that sounds right?" I have no idea if it sounds right. Weren't we meant to be going west?

"Okay, we need to… go in that direction," Yuki points straight off the trail, through a gap in the trees. There's a far less used trail that can barely be seen from the road… if it even is a trail.

Well shit. We're hiking cross-country after all. Shouldn't have jinxed it.

"Psylance! Psylance! Psylance!"

Three consecutive zaps of purple-blue energy go wide, barely missing the insufferable little Autumn Sprite: Level 13 . Yuki had been a great shot so far. She'd been landing direct hits on almost all of the enemies we'd fought until now, but these sprites are something else. The only spell they cast inflicted a status effect that dealt meagre damage over time and a slow, but their refusal to leave us alone until we defeated them was truly grating. Why the developers of this game felt the need to include such a frustrating enemy type was beyond me. Yukiko especially is losing her cool as she empties yet another full mana bar into thin air trying to score a hit. Stephanie eventually flanks the sprite, distracting it with a flurry of rapid spear thrusts so that Yukiko can get into a better position and finally blast it from behind. At least the dodgy little prick has the courtesy to drop some loot.

"Fine, fine, fuck it! Stephy, you're allowed to tryhard again. Take off the rings. Just focus on the sprites first," Yuki fumes.

"Hate to break it to you Yoogs, but none of these things debuff my Dex. Plus I've already Reforged weight out of both my spear and my gauntlets." Stephanie hefts her hyper-streamlined equipment for emphasis. The bulk of the metal now serves as armour that clings to Stephanie's shoulder blades, closer to her centre of mass. "I'm already playing at max speed."

Yuki makes a sound between raw fury and utter exhaustion as she picks up the loot.

"How are you meant to kill them if you're solo?" Yuki asks, clearly at her wit's end.

"AoE, usually. Clone mechanics maybe."

"So just don't be solo and don't be low level? Okay." For the first time ever Yuki seems genuinely irritated by Marigold attempting to crawl down from her shoulder and back under her dress.

"You could be a gamer with a capital G and use Second Sight to outplay their dodges," Stephanie offers. The look on her face says she knows Yukiko won't like that suggestion… which makes it all the more surprising when Yuki responds with "Fine. I'll use Second Sight. Let me kill the next one."

Luckily, or unluckily, it isn't long before we're jumped by the next group of enemies (what Stephanie refers to as a "mash"), two dodos and two wolves. I'm not sure what the rhyme or reason is behind which enemies are paired with which. You'd think the dodos and the wolves would be natural enemies, but it seems like they're willing to put their differences aside to kill some adventurers. We'd already beaten some of these dodos and wolves on their own before, but not in a combined group like this.

And not with another one of those maddening Autumn Sprite: Level 11 floating around behind them.

Stephanie takes up position shoulder to shoulder with me, Reforging her spear into a menacing halberd. "On your mark, Yoogi-bear."

"Shutthefuckup! Second Sight!"

Yukiko immediately starts flinging Psylances at the sprite, but she's even less accurate than she was before. That's our cue, obviously, so I advance and take a swing at the nearest Alternan Dodo: Level 14 , doing my best to keep as many of the monsters focused on me as possible with Taunt. I guess I must be getting the hang of the combat system because this whole day I've been doing a way better job at tanking. Most of the enemies spend the whole fight locked on to me, even when Taunt misses. It feels good to be in control! The other day it felt like all of the enemies, particularly the mammal-coded ones like the wolves, just made a beeline for Yuki, or Steph if she hit them first. I cast Sunward Shield as one of the dodos approaches but reflexively dodge out of the way of its attack instead of blocking. Preferring not to waste the mana spent on Sunward Shield I experimentally smack my buckler into its beak and am rewarded with a bright burst of pure damage. It works! I try the same trick again, casting Sunward Shield and then effectively punching the dodo in the beak to trigger the damaging effect instantly. Steph was right, this combat system is awesome! Stephanie follows up on my attack by leaning overtop me and thrusting her spear through my arms, penetrating the dodo's ribcage to delete the remaining seventy percent of its hp.

I do a double-take at the Milestone pop-up, re-reading the tooltip in disbelief. Why are so many of the Milestones in this game so perverted?! And "arouse" opponents? Thoughts of the big black dire wolf we fought on our first day with its faithfully modelled anatomy resurface. That wasn't just for immersion, these monsters can actually get aroused? That's a game mechanic?! I check between the legs of each Russet Wolf: Level 13 standing ready behind the defeated dodo in morbid incredulity. Mistake. Both of the wolves, both of them, have thick, throbbing, dripping red cocks drooling halfway out of furry sheathes. They droop slightly under their own weight, their inertia obvious as the wolves dodge jerkily to avoid Stephanie's thrusts. I hate the fact that I'm aware of that now… because I just know I'm going to be checking the crotches of every enemy now. The seed of curiosity has already been planted. Not that I want to look at them, obviously, it's just… hard not to. It's like checking out other guys in the locker room. It's not gay if you look at a wolf's cock, is it? Why do I even need to justify this to myself, it's not like anyone's going to ask why I'm-

"See something you like?" Stephanie's eyes twinkle with mischief as she looks down at me.

How did she… Damn it, I'm blushing. Is she trying to humiliate me or something?! At least Yukiko's still busy trying and failing to snipe the sprite so she probably hasn't noticed me gawking.

"Sh-shut up." My protest is feeble, whispered, desperately hoping not to draw Yuki's attention.

"It's okay sweetie. Sometimes girls just get curious. Usually they keep it within the same species, but-"

"FUCKING FUCK! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Yukiko's practically frothing at the mouth as she hurls Psylances at the sprite. One of them hits a different target entirely, slicing straight through the second dodo's health bar. The initial damage of Psylance does almost two-thirds of the monster's health instantly, and then a small follow-up explosion finishes the remaining third. Has Yuki always done this much damage? She downs a mana potion to continue her rampage, which the sprite uses as an opportunity to invoke a spell using its peculiar sing-song language. I raise my shield pre-emptively, expecting it to aim at me, but it aims for… neither of us. It targets the two wolves, both of which begin subtly glowing as an icon of a stylised laurel crown appears on their nameplates.

I'm ready to lunge forward and strike either one of them with a Taunt if they try to rush past Stephanie and me to take out Yukiko, but… neither of them is looking at Yukiko. They're not even looking at Stephanie. They're both laser-focused on me. That's meant to be a good thing, I'm meant to be in control of their aggro, but knowing that their cocks are throbbing excitedly as they stare me down makes me feel less like I'm in control and more like I'm about to be assaulted. But wait, if they're just horny male monsters why are they getting aroused by me and not Yuki or Stephanie?! They're actual literal girls, and they're right next to me! Do I really look like more of a girl to them than either of the real girls here?! I don't have time to think of a proper explanation as the wolves pounce. Stephanie throws one wolf backwards with her halberd, but the other slides straight under my limp mallet swing to bite the inside of my armpit. The realistic recreation of teeth gnawing against the padding leather under armour is as shockingly believable as it is painful. I drop the mallet in shock, trying impotently to slap the wolf away with my other hand as it drags me to the ground. The blade of Stephanie's halberd cleaves into the wolf's shoulder, chunking its health and forcing it to release its grip. Stephanie pulls me back to my feet as Yukiko strafes around to keep Stephanie and me between her and the two wolves. If she'd done that five minutes ago I would have been flattered that she trusted me to keep her safe. I still am, a little. But that's tempered by the emasculating knowledge that these random male monsters want to fuck me! I activate Shield Stance and Sunward Shield again, preparing for another round of attacks, but it seems like Yukiko's finally figured out her Second Sight. She sends a Psylance behind the sprite, predicting its dodge flawlessly and defeating it instantly. Next, she turns her sights on the wolves as she chugs yet another mana potion. Two more Psylances, two more kills. I'm left standing around, feeling utterly useless next to Steph and Yuki. Maybe I'll be able to properly contribute after I unlock some more spells… but I shudder as I recall the transformations that entails.

Yukiko cools off after the battle ends but doesn't retract back into her shell completely. She's talkative, a rare occurrence, and openly smiling as she banters with Stephanie and enjoys the scenery. Marigold seems to be absent for once… until I see the bulge slithering up Yuki's back to pop out of her collar and affix herself to Yuki's hair. I consider trying to talk to her too but fail to think of anything funny or interesting to say and figure I'm better off not risking anything and scaring away Yuki's smile. Instead, I focus on the trail ahead, or lack thereof, carefully weaving my way around slippery moss-covered rocks and the potential trip hazards of exposed roots. It's fun in its own way, kind of like a simulated hiking game. I was never one for hiking in the real world, but I think I can see the appeal now. The scenery changes over time, too. The trunks are growing broader, the trees taller, and, bizarrely, the leaves greener. Even the trees that should be well and truly shedding their golden foliage have persistent green leaves. Sometimes it's just a couple of leaves on a tree, sometimes it's branches standing out in stark contrast to their autumnal neighbours, and sometimes it's an entire tree refusing to turn. At first, I thought I was mistaking them for evergreens like pines, but no, that one is definitely a maple tree and it's like ninety percent green.

"Hey, guys?" Yuki's voice, clear and calm, grabs my attention.

"What's wrong Yoogs?"

Yuki smacks Stephanie's shoulder without even turning to look at her.

"Nothing's wrong. But uuhh, I, umm…" Yuki's confident streak had to run out eventually, I guess. I offer my most patient smile, which has the complete opposite effect as Yuki starts to implode even more rapidly.

"C-c-can we, uhh… over there?"

"What?" I ask reflexively.

Yuki clarifies by pointing at a sunny spot between two trees, a small clearing of exposed rock rather than grass or dirt. An ideal spot to sit down without getting swarmed by ants. Or rather, what I thought was a small clearing. As we approach it becomes clear that the reason this spot is so sunny is that it's actually a rocky outcropping, a ledge overlooking much of the area to the… north, I think, according to the compass that I still might be reading wrong. I hadn't even realised we'd climbed so high. The path up to this point barely felt like it had an incline at all. The fact that it's so bright takes me by surprise as well. The forest is so shady that I'd forgotten it was still close to the middle of the day, maybe one or two o'clock.

Yukiko steps up to the edge of the outcropping excitedly, dismissing Marigold with an audible pop. I expect her to be taking in the view, but with the way she raises her nose, it's obvious what she's really here for. She wants to smell the scenery. There's something cute about that, this quiet little girl just being so excited to have the chance to give the air a good sniff… and Yuki was accidentally showing off her body while she did it. Arching her back slightly to make her butt pop despite her conservative dress, swishing her tail playfully, even raising her arms above her head to stretch and mewl contentedly which naturally drew my eyes straight to her breasts. Yuki did an amazing job making her avatar. I'm so used to the image of flat-chested Yukiko in my mind that I often forget that fact.

And there was a chance, a real, tangible chance that I could get with her. In that body.

"Psst. Cassie."

I almost jump out of my skin as Stephanie whispers in my ear. Was she watching me ogle Yuki?

"Peach tarts."

I give Steph a puzzled look. Peach tarts…? Oh!

"I gave two of them to Yuki already," I whisper back.

"You gave Yuki the surprise picnic food? Really?" Stephanie's voice is barely audible. She shakes her head at me, which makes me feel like I've messed up, but she's wearing a gentle smile so I can't have messed up that badly.

"Just… ask her if she wants to have a picnic."

I approach Yukiko and clear my throat audibly to get her attention. The busty catgirl doesn't budge, barely even acknowledging my presence through lidded eyes, breasts rising and falling with her gentle breathing. She's so attractive now it's distracting.

"Umm, Yuki? Do you wanna have a picnic?"

Yuki nods. "I heard," she says in the same whispered tone as Stephanie. Goddess above, how good is Yuki's hearing? She produces two tarts, offhandedly passing one to Stephanie who proceeds to sit cross-legged on Yuki's left, patiently waiting for the beastkin to take her fill. Yuki remains standing, eyes still closed as she continues delighting in the sweet forest air. And it is sweet. Even with my limited human (elven?) senses I can detect something distinctly floral in the wind. It smells more like pollen than fermenting fruit, which is a little weird. Why would any plant be releasing pollen at this time of year?

I retrieve my own tart from my inventory and find my spot on the warm stone. After a few more appreciative sniffs Yukiko satisfies her olfactory curiosity and takes her place between Steph and me. The three of us dig into our tarts with distinctly different levels of gusto. Stephanie wolfs hers down in only a handful of bites, emptying her hands in record time before speaking up.

"Sorry cuties, but I've got this weird feeling like we're about to get bent over and reamed from behind. Call it intuition. I'm going to go play scout for a bit, you two enjoy yourselves."

And with that, Stephanie excuses herself. It's a little odd for Stephanie to wait for us all to sit down before deciding to vanish, but her methods remain beyond my comprehension.

Yuki takes far more conservative nibbles at her dessert, watching me cautiously the entire time. Is she… is she worried I'll judge her if she's messy? I take a hearty bite of my tart and immediately shower myself with fine crumbs and powdered sugar that scatters in the slight breeze… maybe that's why Yuki was taking it slow. The tart is sweet but unexpectedly spicy as well. Cinnamon, pepper, something salty and some other complex herbal flavour I can't place. It reminds me as much of salted caramel as it does peaches. All the food in this game so far has been familiar yet foreign. The sheer effort it must have taken to research and plan all of these little systems… VALKYRIE really is in a league of its own.

I slide a little closer to Yuki, both to shield her from her own breeze-crumbs and to get a better view over the cliff's edge. The colours of the trees are breathtaking. Orange, gold, brown, crimson, grey, white, and so many different shades of green still. Some of the trees, especially in the left of our field of view, have finished shedding, their skeletonised branches clawing at the sky. But the further to the right you look the fewer naked branches stand out and the more stubborn greens break up the orange-golden blanket of autumn. If the pattern continues there'll be even more vibrant greens past our sightline… which is weird. A glitch in the simulation? Did half the forest forget what season it was?

"Hey Yuki, what do you think of all the green leaves still?"

"... That's a pine tree."

"Y-yeah, right, but the other ones. Like, look at that maple."

Yuki's fluffy ear brushes my scalp as she rests her head on my shoulder. She's… she's the softest thing I've ever felt! Her ear flicks against mine, fluff caressing my sensitive skin. She's so fluffy!! Is this why Steph left? Because Yuki wanted to be alone with me? Goddess above I'm such a fool, I should have realised sooner. She adjusts the angle of her head so her chin's balanced on my shoulder now, so pointy if it wasn't for my armour's padding it might even be painful… and she must know it, with the way she cheekily wobbles her jawbone to make it vibrate.

"It's so beautiful." Yuki probably didn't intend to but she whispered that directly into my ear. Her warm breath caresses sensitive skin, coaxing blood to my crotch immediately and making my dick stand at attention.

"Y-yeah, uhh, it's pretty…"

"Do you think they modelled this after an actual forest? It looks so realistic, but it's also got that 'more real than real life' look, like how photographers take their photos and turn the contrast way up."

"I… don't know?" I never really thought about it, and I'm too distracted by the sudden realisation that Yuki's talking in full sentences. "I-it's not a still image though! You can tell by the…" I gesture at the random nameplates that peek out through the gaps in the trees… and notice for the first time that not every living creature has a health bar and a name floating above their head. I wonder what the deal is?

"I know it's not a photo! That's not what I mean! I mean, like, y'know… it's…" I can practically hear Yuki biting her lower lip.

"Maybe we're not looking at the same view," I suggest.

"What?" Yuki's voice is confused, sounding almost offended.

"Like, you've got superhuman hearing and smell and sight, right?"

"Oh! Umm… I think it's just hearing and smell. Things still basically look like they did before I started this game."

"Oh…" I trail off. I don't have any other lines of thought saved up after that. Not that Yuki seems to mind. She seems perfectly content to stay leaned against my shoulder, breathing steadily. One breath rushes past my ear and my heart lurches. More purring?... No, just my imagination.

"Pardon my intrusion, lovebirds."

Yuki jumps straight off me with a frightened shove, as if she were embarrassed about Stephanie seeing us together. How on earth did Steph sneak up on us without Yuki detecting her?

"Really wanted to give you two more time to, y'know, enjoy yourselves," Steph winks at me pointedly, and even through grit teeth I can't stop my treacherous ears from wiggling for her, "but it turns out my gut feeling was right and there's a nasty Prestige Two mob patrolling around. If it catches us it's going to be a major pain. We just don't have the tools to handle it right now so let's get out of its territory ASAP. Speaking of tools," Stephanie nods at me, "you should probably switch to the new gear you bought."

What is she talking about? I didn't buy…

Ooooh. The stuff she bought for me. Right.

True to its description the practice mace is effortless to wield but retains satisfying heft. The non-lethal tag is a little discouraging, but I still feel much stronger having this new weapon in my hands. The kite shield on the other hand is almost too heavy for me to wield. I'd need both hands to carry it comfortably, which means I wouldn't even be able to use the new mace in the first place. Humiliation gnaws at me as I realise that maybe that's the point. A weapon that can't kill anything and a shield that takes two hands, maybe my character isn't meant to deal any damage. I'm just meant to be the cheerleader while Stephanie and Yukiko fuck all the enemies.

Stephanie and Yukiko suddenly tense up, eyes locked onto something in the underbrush back the way we came.

"Fucksake, it already found us. Up the trees!"

Stephanie and Yukiko scramble up a grand and sturdy oak. Stephanie is faster, but once she's safely up the trunk she hooks her legs around a branch and reaches out to hoist Yukiko up after her.

I, unfortunately, aren't as quick on my feet as the two beastkin players, having barely started to move before a towering alabaster beast lumbers out of the shade. I mistake it first for some kind of elephant or mammoth with its wrinkly hide and gigantic forward-facing tusks, but the mohawk of coarse bristles and the unmistakable flat snout identifies the monster as some kind of pig.

Lesser? They get bigger than this?!

The wind changes direction abruptly, buffeting my face with the pig's foul stench. The odour burns and tingles inside my nose, making my eyes water and my skin prickle with heat. No wonder Yuki didn't smell it coming, we've been upwind this whole time.

Lesser Speartusk: Level 50 regards me with beady, black, hate-filled eyes. Time slows down as the monster pig stomps the ground in agitation, lowering its tusks and preparing to charge.

Chapter 17: Resilience

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Yukiko makes herself scarce, nameplate vanishing into the canopy. Stephanie stays on the lower branches, arm still outstretched to encourage me to climb the tree.

As if that's an option.

The Lesser Speartusk: Level 50 is demonically fast, faster than anything its size has any right to be. I'm able to sidestep its first charge, barely, but that leaves me on the opposite side of the clearing from Stephanie and the safety of the grand oak.

"Come on! Sprint for it!"

I consider the logistics of it. If it charges me again and I manage to dodge, I might have enough time to make it to Stephanie. Maybe. If I fail… then I find out what it feels like to be gored to death in a video game. Considering how painful getting bitten by a low-level wolf was, I do not want to find out.

Oh no, not this again!

"I can't!"

"What?! Yes you can! It doesn't turn around that fast, just run!"

"The game won't let me, I can't-"

The speartusk lowers its head once again and rushes at me. I try to pull the same trick a second time, dodging at the last second like a matador evading a charging bull, but the speartusk's AI adapts. The beast swipes its head to catch me with its long tusks, giving me barely enough time to raise my shield to block the brunt of the attack. The sickening sound of metal deforming accompanies the jarring impact that sends me rolling across the hard stone. The haptic feedback of the game allows me to feel realistically bruised, which maybe I'd be in awe of if I wasn't currently wincing in pain. Even with the shield protecting me I lose almost half of my health points to a single strike.

"Don't let it knock you off the edge!" Stephanie shouts, making my choker tingle.

The speartusk had been consuming all of my focus, obviously, so I didn't even consider the possibility of it pushing me off the cliff. A glance over my shoulder confirms that I'm not in imminent danger yet, but I need to watch my footing or I'll find out what dying to fall damage feels like too.

"Cassie, don't cast any spells on me or Yuki! We haven't generated any Focus yet and we're out of its reach so the mob will leave us alone!"

That's just as comforting as it is worrying! Comforting because I'm the only one in danger, worrying because I'm on my own. The choker continues tingling as if it's uncertain how to make me follow instructions. Scrambling to stand again reveals my wobbling knees and trembling hands. My heart's pounding in my ears. With the mammoth boar taking up my thoughts I hadn't noticed how badly my body was handling the fear, so badly that it takes both hands for me to properly hoist the kite shield.

"Just let it kill you! It'll only play with your corpse a little before getting bored!"

That idea makes me blanch. It'd been a while since I last "died" in this game. I forgot that I don't actually die, I just get "immobilised", which means I'd get to feel it goring me over and over until it's had its fun. That's even worse than dying!

The speartusk raises its hoofed feet as if it's going to scrape the stone again and prepare another attack, but before the foot even touches the ground it charges with a horrifying porcine squeal. It tried to fake me out?! I don't have time to roll out of the way, but I do have just barely enough time to raise my dented kite shield.

"Sunward Shield!" I yell with such conviction that it even takes me by surprise. My shield glows a soothing orange-yellow just before the speartusk collides with me. Bones rattle with the strike, boots slide across the rocks as I'm shoved backwards, but, I note with pride, I'm still standing. It's knocked a chunk off my health bar, but far less than the previous attack. I might just be able to hang on for long enough to figure something out.

"Cassie, what are you doing?!"

I don't answer. I can't. The speartusk is already charging again, faster this time.

"Sunward Shield!"

Fearsome tusks crash into my shield, but this time I notice the burst of light accompanying my block. It's not much, just enough to indicate that I'd dealt damage, but it's not nothing. Confidence surges within. This is possible, I can win this!… I think for less than half a second as the speartusk again adapts its strategy, swiping its head to strike behind my shield with its tusks and devastating my health bar.

I'm on the ground before I realise what's happened.

My head spins. My muscles ache. It takes a few seconds for the pain to sink in, but once it hits I swear my bones are shattered. The knowledge that this is just a game eases the pain a little, but the bone-deep soreness doesn't truly relent. I look at my breastplate, expecting to see a crumpled perforation where the speartusk struck me, but my armour looks untouched, unlike the newly equipped kite shield which has already been dented in two places and folded over slightly on the rim. I would have been immobilised, but the Goliath's Blood potion heals me a scant second after I'm downed, allowing me to clamber back onto my hands and knees and then stagger to my feet.

"Just stay down!"

I shake my head almost imperceptibly. Just giving up and rolling over would be too humiliating, even after everything that's happened over the past three days. Not in front of Stephanie and Yukiko. Especially Yukiko.

"Cure!" I press my hand over my breast as I heal myself, the aches in my body abating as the soothing magic flows through me. Almost two-thirds of my health is replenished instantly. That's a little surprising. I didn't realise my healing was that good.

"Cure!" I repeat, fully replenishing myself. Gauging my mana bar I'm pretty sure I have enough mana for one more Sunward Shield, after which I'll have to drink a mana potion to-

"Don't you dare waste mana potions on this!"

The collar feels heavy around my throat. Suddenly the very idea of drinking a mana potion in this fight becomes anathema. Confusion and irritation dance on the edge of my thoughts, but I'm too preoccupied with the speartusk to heed them. At least Steph's still letting me drink-

"Or health potions!"

Damn it!

The speartusk is on me again, tusks so low to the ground they're almost scraping the rock as it charges.

"Sunward Shield!"

Impact. I'm thrown backwards, away from the cliff's edge and back into the shady forest, but my health bar is hardly damaged. I vaguely remember a Milestone that buffed me at higher HP, so maybe that's why-

No time to think about it. I'm totally out of mana, which means I have to block this next attack raw. The colossal pig slams into me a moment later. This time instead of striking once and backing off it stays on top of me, bringing its massive skull down on top of the shield repeatedly. Just its head is larger than my entire torso. Every strike buries me deeper into the leaf litter and rips chunks of green out of my health bar. The pressure is immense. Muscles feel like they're about to be torn from bone, bones pulverised, organs pulped. My heartbeat's slowing as it struggles to pump through what feels like a crushed chest cavity. The beast pushes down harder, squeezing the life out of me until my life points hit zero.

The resistance falls out of my body all at once as Resilience takes effect. I'm nothing but a ragdoll, but the pig doesn't seem to care. If anything, my sudden capitulation entices it to try harder, shaking its head from side to side as if it were trying to coax my innards to gush out of my ears. I swear I can feel every single blood vessel in my body rupturing. A feeble wheeze rushes from my lips as the air is forced from my lungs. I can't tell if the blood-curdling sounds I'm hearing are from the kite shield buckling under the weight of the monster or my ribs breaking one by one. I fear I'll pass out from the pain soon.

My heart jumps back to life, beating wildly as the pig continues amusing itself with my limp body. The very worst of the pain eases off. Energy rushes back into my arms and legs, and despite being immobilised an odd sensation of levity takes hold of me. Adrenaline? I don't feel any stronger. My limbs are still completely unresponsive as the repeated damage from both the speartusk's crushing pin and the bleed deals damage to me faster than the Goliath's Blood potion heals. The feeling of levity stretches lower until there's a telltale throbbing between my legs, accompanied by the feeling of flesh sliding against fabric. Am I…why am I getting an erection?! Why now?!

I'm jostled about until my head finally rolls into a position that lets me read the green and white Milestone pop-up.

My mana's regenerating? It's only a trickle, but every time the speartusk flips me around or increases the pressure - it really does feel like it's trying to make my guts explode out of my body - another few slivers of mana are recovered. I tell myself that if I can just last a little longer and regenerate some more mana I'll be back on my feet. Any fears of losing consciousness from the trauma are banished with this strange new lucidity from the Milestone.

The speartusk, however, seems to want to deny me the satisfaction of a heroic last stand. After only a minute or so it snuffles with some finality, an oddly cute sound from such a behemoth monster especially given its otherwise hateful demeanour, and its fickle mind loses interest in toying with my lifeless body. It turns its huge head back toward the cliff, possibly toward Stephanie and Yuki, snuffling again. Its beady black eyes remain as inscrutable as ever, but it's clearly thinking… or at least it's been programmed to look like it's capable of thought. The moment passes and the speartusk turns its attention elsewhere, lazily and uncaringly trundling over my body…

Giving me an unfortunately perfect worm's eye view of the fat sheathe indicating that this is a male speartusk, followed shortly by a pair of shockingly gigantic testicles. They radiate wet heat as they pass overhead, that foul stench from earlier billowing off the speartusk's anatomy, again making my eyes water and my skin prickle. Knowing that smell's coming from a bestial pair of cock and balls just makes it all the worse. At least it's finally over...

Oh no, no, no! It's not over yet! With his groin positioned almost exactly atop my face, his pendulous sac consuming the entirety of my field of view, the cruel pig stomps with both feet directly atop my chest. I fold into a crumpled mess, wheezingly piteously as the speartusk stomps again. He lacks the grace and coordination with his hind legs that a horse might have, but his brute strength more than makes up for it. Leaf litter and dirt rise around my body as the speartusk buries me in a crater. And what's worse, worse than the pain of having tons of boar stomping me to death, worse than the ear-splitting feral squee of joy the speartusk lets loose as he delights in my pain, is the raw humiliation of his penis sliding loose of its sheathe and smacking me across the nose. I don't think this is what a normal pig's dick is meant to look like. It's a girthy, fleshy tube with a network of veins of varying sizes in a mottled brown and pink. Beyond huge, bigger than my arm, and heavy, so every time it slaps my forehead feels as visceral as being punched. As if that isn't bad enough the whole thing stinks with the speartusk's spicy, sinus-prickling musk and is covered in some kind of sweat or grease that it flecks and splatters over me with every movement.

The Milestone tooltip doesn't say the speartusk is "aroused" at least, which means this isn't some kind of mating ritual. He's just abusing me for sadistic pleasure! The pig very deliberately jabs his hips forward to drag his cock over my face, smearing a thick trail of greasy sweat up my chin, over my lips, nose, forehead, and into my hair as if to scent mark it. It's intentional and instinctive, like a dominant male marking a defeated adversary in the most humiliating way possible.

With a final act of brutality, the speartusk rears his hindquarters up before slamming down with both hooves at once. The sound of steel groaning in protest fills the air as the shield takes the brunt of the impact. The gut punch that filters through to me is still brutal, but thanks to that Milestone effect it's less excruciating than it otherwise could be. The shield may have snapped in half at this point but I can't glance down to check. Even if I wasn't immobilised thanks to Resilience it's impossible to see past the boar genitals obscuring my field of view. Blessedly, the speartusk does appear to have satiated his lust for torture and lumbers off my body, dragging his enormous testicles over my face one last time as he wanders off back into the forest.

Even minutes after the speartusk has vacated the clearing I'm still unable to move. As painful and humiliating as this whole ordeal has been, at least I'm still technically alive thanks to the pseudo-immortality of Resilience. Both the Goliath's Blood potion's buff and the Bleeding debuff are still ticking away, the latter preventing the former from bringing me back to life just yet. It'd be nice to know how much longer the bleed has left but oddly there are no timers provided for debuffs in this game. Similarly, I'd love to be able to say that this has been a lovely opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of the simulated forest, the rustling leaves in the cool wind, the physics of the leaf litter, the granularity of the dirt beneath my fingernails, but between the aching of literally my entire body, the humiliating sheen of feral monster cock grease, and my persistent confused erection, it's impossible to see that silver lining. The whatever-it-is that the speartusk slimed me with is somehow viscid enough to glue my hair together but not to keep itself from sliding inexorably downward, leaving an array of snail trails across my cheeks. And the smell. Raw musk and sweaty gym socks turned up to a thousand. Thank the Goddesses I don't have Yukiko's sense of smell or I'd probably pass out. My entire face is tingling from the inside out, like I need to simultaneously sneeze to itch the inside of my sinuses and dunk my head in a bucket of cold water… or a scalding hot shower to scrub this gunk off my skin. That leads to a sickening thought. What if this has actually stained me? Am I going to stink like pig balls? Oh Goddess above, please don't let this stuff stain.

Finally, finally, the bleed runs its course and my Resilience-induced immobilisation wears off. The world is still spinning as I sit up and peel myself out of my crater. The shift in gravity causes the rivulets of slime to elongate as they slide down my cheeks. The odd levity from before is still present, which ironically is making the lightheadedness worse instead of better. My heart's still pounding, too. It takes me a moment to catch my bearings because my body is telling me that my bones are shattered and my innards have been turned to mush, but my brain is telling me it's just a video game and the lingering pain isn't real. My eyes agree. As I check myself over I'm pleasantly surprised, if a little confused, by how little damage my armour has sustained. There's some stray dirt and leaves from rolling across the ground, but I was expecting it to be virtually demolished. The kite shield isn't so lucky. Repeated direct maulings have left it so thoroughly brutalised as to be almost turned inside out. The once basically flat shield is now concave and riddled with indentations, including a conspicuous pair of cloven hoofprints. The surface tension of the droplets gathering on my chin finally breaks, dripping one by one to spatter in an obscene smear over the already dented metal.

A pair of dialogue boxes pop into existence to demand my attention.

That didn't last long. I unequip the kite shield with mixed feelings, switching back to my dinky buckler. As brief as my time with the larger shield was, my little buckler wouldn't have protected me half as well.

… What?

I check myself over to see if I can figure out what happened. Has my armour's appearance changed? It's subtle, and if it hadn't been for the pop-up I might not have even noticed it myself. At a glance, all of the same pieces from before the rank up are present: unrefined metal breastplate, sleek leather gambeson, vambraces, greaves, boots, yet still any kind of head or hand covering is conspicuously absent. Scratch that, the change is definitely noticeable. The previously leather pants are now a softer fabric (cotton, maybe?) with leather pads only as reinforcement making them more comfortable to wear. Much more comfortable, even. Tailored as if by magic to suit my exact dimensions there's not a single inch that feels too loose or too tight… even in spite of the erection straining at my boyshorts. Maybe I'm imagining it but I think the boyshorts might be softer too? The other obvious alteration is to the armoured battle skirt, which is now… well, it was always a skirt but now it's short enough that it looks like a skirt skirt, with all the effeminate baggage that entails.

I can't help but sigh at that. Maybe with more rank-ups it'll get rid of the skirt entirely and make me look like a real knight in shining armour, but since everything else in this game seems to want to turn me into some kind of sissy I don't think that's likely. At least I'm wearing multiple layers so it won't get draughty…

Leaves rustle as something heavy thunks into the tree nearest me. Is the pig back again?! I ready my buckler, heart sinking as I realise how impotent that gesture is… and how unnecessary. Stephanie's boots make a dry sliding sound as she deftly skids down the tree trunk, landing in front of me with casual grace. If Steph's here then I guess that means the coast is clear? She crouches at the edge of the crater, leaving me just barely not enough room to finish crawling out, and reaches out a hand to my shoulder. My heart flutters as I imagine her gentle touch and anticipate some soothing words.

"Why didn't you play dead?" Stephanie's voice is a tense whisper.

Not what I was expecting to be asked, but the question rekindles the pride I felt when I successfully stood my ground against the speartusk. I can't help myself as a giddy grin begins to etch itself onto my face. As a hardcore gamer, Stephanie's probably pretty impressed that I-

"Why did you disobey me?"

I gulp. My heart sinks a second time, lurching so acutely it's painful.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't, I couldn't-"

Stephanie leans in closer, looming over me. She looks ready to strike. I recall how she almost slapped me last night, and the way she punched the kiosk back in Lumberg. What can I even say to her? "I didn't want to look like a wimp in front of the two girls I'm trying to impress"? My mouth opens and closes, but no coherent thoughts pass through my brain. At least, nothing I'm willing to say right now. Agonisingly long seconds pass with Stephanie staring at me, slit pupils holding mine, interrogating me.

Eventually, mercifully, Stephanie breaks the gaze to look over my head and survey the forest. She sighs, a strained and vicious sound, then pushes off her knees to stand at her full and towering height. She offers me a hand which I gratefully accept, but before I'm even fully on my feet Stephanie spins my arm around, sending me twirling into the tree she just slid down, facing her. Her slit pupils expand and contract briefly as she pulls a piece of cloth from her inventory and licks it-

And an excited throb between my legs reminds me that I've still got a raging erection tenting my skirt. Before I could almost get away with them because the longer skirt meant the tent was inconspicuous, but now it's impossible to hide. Maybe she didn't see it when I was sitting in the crater but there's no way she could miss it now.

"Slut."

Stephanie closes in and begins to roughly scrub at my forehead with the cloth. It's a little abrasive even with her saliva, and Stephanie's so strong it's impossible for me to keep my head still as she works me over. Her other hand comes to hold my cheek, nails poking and prodding my skin as she tries to keep me steady. She lifts the cloth to her lips to lick it again, but immediately thinks better of it, pulling a waterskin out of her inventory to wet the cloth instead. The now very-damp cloth is a little less abrasive, but the excess water spilling out as she scrubs mingles with and reinvigorates the partially dried cock grease. It should be a distasteful experience, revolting even, but with Stephanie fussing over me like this the chemical tingling from the slime feels almost pleasant. Stephanie's eyes have remained steely throughout, which is why I'm caught so unprepared when she suddenly winks and my ears obligingly wiggle. I pray I'm not blushing too hard as Stephanie scrubs over my nose and cheeks. The scouring cloth just exacerbates the burn. Stephanie's nails continue digging into my cheeks as she turns me this way and that. There's no pretence of gentle handling. She wets the cloth again, a little less so this time, and wipes firmly under my chin to erase the remaining snail trails. She even cleans the errant droplets that managed to land on my breastplate.

Her eyes remain intense as she looks me over, evaluating her handiwork.

"Th-thank you," I say, a little more breathily than I intended. I'm still a little lightheaded from the effects of the Milestone, not to mention Stephanie handling me. The words sort of just say themselves. They seem to catch Stephanie off-guard though, who momentarily and uncharacteristically freezes, eyes dilating ominously. I worry I might have somehow upset her and prepare to apologise, but Steph breaks eye contact, cloth rag and waterskin vanishing back into her inventory as she summons forth a coral-pink vial carved in an ornate floral motif.

"Petite friponne, tu essaye de faire fondre mon coeur avec tes gros yeux ronds après avoir été si désobéissante," Stephanie murmurs. Sweet as her words sound I can't tell if they're directed at me or not, especially since the tone she uses for that language sounds just like her bedroom voice.

She pulls the cap free with a satisfying pop and a familiar sweet smell that I vaguely place as hailing from an upmarket woman's bathroom wafts toward me.

"W-what's that?" I ask, hoping to get an explanation about either whatever Stephanie just said or the strange vial, preferably the former.

Her eyes narrow.

"What do you think?"

Without giving me time to question her further Stephanie moves the vial swiftly over my face, neck, and shoulders, each action accompanied by a hissing spray. She pays special attention to where my hair was slicked down by the pig's slime, spraying it multiple times. The smell spreads wherever it touches to banish the lingering stench of boar grime. Whatever's in the vial seems to counteract bad smells, and this is a video game, so I put two and two together and voice my assumption.

"Is it some kind of purifying potion? Like, to get rid of the-"

"It's perfume, connasse." Stephanie cradles my face as she finishes spritzing me.

My blush quadruples in intensity. I-is she really?

"A-are you spraying me with your perfume? Like-"

"Yes petite coquine, I am, and don't be weird about it. This is for your sake so you don't have to smell like boar cock for Yukiko," Stephanie huffs out of her nostrils, full lips pulling into a tight line. Her other hand finds my face and smooshes my cheeks together until my lips pucker. "And quit giving me those puppy-dog eyes Cassie or I…" Stephanie tilts her head, gnawing at her lips, "Je te jure, si tu continue à m'aguicher comme ça je vais te baiser le cul si fort que tu marchera comme une salope."

Stephanie repaired my broken kite shield and had me heal myself before leaving me to collect Yukiko. Watching her herd Yukiko back down the sturdy oak was like watching someone rescue an actual cat stuck up a tree. My aches and pains diminished in proportion to my healed life points, so once the three of us were back together the only evidence that anything had even happened was the crater and my armour's slightly altered appearance. With neither reason nor desire to loiter, we continued our southeastward trek.

I found myself yearning for the relaxed, jovial conversation the three of us (mostly Stephanie and Yukiko, really) were enjoying before the speartusk attack. Now that the "excitement" from that Milestone has worn off there's nothing to mediate the tension. The fact that Yukiko and Stephanie aren't talking either means that it isn't just me feeling the shameful aftermath of the encounter. Even in spite of Stephanie freshening me up I still feel filthy, haunted by the spectre of the boar's enormous hyper-realistic genitals. Something else still gnaws at me as well. How did Stephanie know immediately what it was that was staining my face? Did she just know intuitively what boar cock smelled like? Or… I shudder at the thought, did she actually see it happen? Did Yukiko see it happen? N-no, they couldn't have, the boar definitely flung me out of their line of sight! Yukiko seems reluctant to look me in the eye when I glance in her direction, but she's also Yukiko and that's not that out of character. Stephanie's avoiding eye contact too, which is out of character for her.

I shake my head, willing the dark thoughts away. They're probably just feeling sorry for me after getting beat up, nothing more. Even if I am still feeling miserable I can't let it keep the mood down. I start wishing for a distraction, for something to just jump out of the bushes and pull us out of our funk so we can move past it.

With timing so perfect it can only be divine intervention, a pair of rough-shelled bugs drop out of the canopy. While they're both quite large, similar in size to the dodos we've been fighting, one is much larger than the other. Inspired by the little blurb in the monster entry I see my chance to lighten the mood.

"H-hey, look, it's the lesser of two weevils," I say, pointing at the smaller of the two.

The pun moves neither of the girls. They both return eerily similar blank stares. Yukiko's stare seems almost disappointed, and Stephanie's slit pupils… wait, Stephanie's lips are twitching. She's trying not to smile! Joke successful, then, even if Yukiko remains unmoved.

Stephanie steps forward and sweeps her spear at the larger of the two Rhythmite: Level 11 , intercepting an attack that must have been aimed at me.

"You're such a fucking dork," Stephanie says as she jabs at the bug with her spear to encourage it to back off.

I open my inventory to re-equip the repaired kite shield, Stephanie standing in front of me to protect me as I do so, but the fight's over before I've finished wrangling with the UI. Despite their sturdy appearance Yukiko is able to dispatch the rhythmites in a mere three Psylances, two on the big bug and one on the small. That's an almost scary amount of firepower, especially considering that the Milestone level hovering above her nameplate isn't even that much higher than mine, 7 versus 8. Maybe her Milestones are more combat-oriented? All of the ones I've picked up recently have been, well… I just realised how lucky I am that Yukiko never asked how I got these Milestones.

A few more random encounters pop up, including some russet wolves that seem surprised to see us and another pair of rhythmites busily boring into a gnarled oak. Steph and Yuki cleave through them all with ease. Even if I may not be accomplishing much in these fights just having Stephanie and Yukiko next to me is the perfect remedy for my spirit. It's impossible not to feel uplifted by their presence… for obvious reasons. Stephanie's always in my peripheral vision during combat and half the time she takes centre stage as she weaves in and out of danger. Her side-tied t-shirt leaves plenty on display. Every time she raises her arms I get a view of her distractingly perfect sideboob, and when she delivers a fierce thrust it sends a ripple across the deep valley of her breasts. Her butt's equally distracting in her curve-hugging athletic shorts. Doubly so because the combat stances Steph takes seem purposefully picked to show off her toned midriff when she's facing toward me or her sculpted butt when she faces away.

Yukiko stands further back since she's a spell caster so she doesn't occupy quite as much of my field of view, but whenever I do glimpse her it takes a great deal of willpower not to just stare. I was trying to avoid it when we first started playing but now that I know Yuki's into me it's fine to stare a little, right? Yukiko might not have the same hot girl energy that Steph does, but her dainty innocence makes her so much more approachable. Plus, even if that modest white and blue dress doesn't show it off she's given her avatar ample cleavage. Yukiko's in-game body has had an hourglass figure right from day one, but after she took that spell that first night at the Tree of Caduceus it's been, well, accentuated. Typical that an ironing board like Yukiko gave herself such huge tits! Marigold is so lucky, getting to spend so much time sandwiched between her kitty titties.

And on that note, what other transformations will Yukiko pick up? I've been spending so much time lamenting the way the game keeps trying to push pervy changes onto my body that I forgot it was doing the same to Yuki. Is her chest going to get even bigger? What about her ass? Maybe she'll end up with a beyond-waspish waist like a real anime chick and-

Stephanie steps forward with an annoyed grunt to obstruct the path of a trio of wolves, only one of which has decided to target me. I was so deep in my daydreaming I hadn't even noticed them engaging us, and at this point I'd just come to expect that the enemies would focus on me as a matter of course. Predictably, the wolf that was looking at me was the one with a visible and excited red rocket. Stephanie fends her two wolves off handily. A flurry of rapid but controlled thrusts leaves all three of the wolves on low life points, and Yukiko finishes them with one Psylance a piece. She's probably leaving us the kills so we can level up Milestones to catch up to her level. 24 is still a long way away for us, maybe an in-game week at this rate. And actually, Stephanie reached level 24 before she regrouped with us on the second day. That's a little weird considering her meteoric rise. Maybe-

A treacherous root combined with a patch of loose leaf litter conspires to rob me of my footing. Stephanie's firm hand grabs me by the back of my collar just in time to stop me from careening face-first into the damp dirt.

"Watch your feet, Cassie."

"Th-thanks, Steph…"

I need to spend less time inside my own head. Lesson learned.

As we delve deeper into the forest, our surroundings become increasingly lush, loud, and humid. Where the unusually persistent greens were previously an odd exception they've now become the norm, and the once tranquil autumnal forest is now alive with the sounds of chirping insects and distant frog song. The types of trees are changing, too. I'm no botanist but even to my untrained and inexperienced eye the shift in flora is obvious. The familiar star-shaped leaves of oaks and maples and the rough bark of ashes are becoming less common by the minute. In their place are myriad exotic species, some with wide, glossy leaves that seem to glow with uncanny light as they reflect the sun, others with smooth bark that appears almost polished, yet more with twisted limbs that hog space greedily from their neighbours. The trees that I thought were birches at first glance due to their mottled shaggy white bark are revealed instead to be some other type of tree entirely with slender and elongated leaves that reach out to brush against us as we pass. There's diversity in the creeping vines, too. I can spot at least three different types; a thin and wiry vine that seems equally happy to blanket the forest floor as it does the trees, a leafy vine that prefers to hang from branches as if intentionally obscuring our vision, and a third type that's especially broad-bodied with no visible leaves. That last type of vine is virtually malicious with the way it latches onto its neighbours, carving into healthy trees wherever it touches. We soon come across entire trees that have been consumed by it, strangled alive until their rotten husks are replaced by nothing but a hollow cast of selfish vines. But even where death and decay are present life is blooming, from insects in the leaf litter to forest critters seeking refuge in tree hollows and vine lattices to gregarious fungi patches sprouting from fallen logs. If anything there seems to be almost too much life as plants compete with each other for real estate, some shading out their neighbours while other enterprising plants simply affix themselves to whatever exposed bit of root or trunk they can get.

The forest floor is just as overgrown. It's difficult to find a place to put your feet the underbrush is so thick. What isn't covered by twenty different types of ferns and grasses is instead blanketed by colourful lichens or vivacious mosses which make a high-pitched squeak every time my leather boots slip on their slick surfaces. Yukiko, meanwhile, threads her way through the undergrowth with feline grace, and Stephanie has no compunction against treading ferns flat to a chorus of muted crunches. Maybe it'd be better to have her in the front so she can blaze a trail for us? It'd certainly make this cross-country march a little easier. Between the increasing humidity and ambient temperature and the physical exertion of (simulated) hiking I'm starting to build up a sweat. The thermal underclothes Stephanie so thoughtfully gifted us were comfortably toasty when we first entered the forest but now that extra layer of insulation is working against us. Tugging at my collar, under my armpits and at my crotch offers little relief with how restrictive my form-fitting armour is. If anything it just makes it worse as it gives the sweat places to pool until there's enough aggregated liquid to make an unhygienic sounding squelch. Stephanie's half-naked as it is so she's fine, but Yukiko's likely suffering just as much as I am. A glance over my shoulder confirms that – wait, she's barely sweating at all! Marigold's snuggled securely in Yuki's neckline, stretching the fabric to expose just enough skin to reveal that Yukiko's not even wearing a second layer!

Halting in my tracks, I open my inventory to see if there's a way to unequip the offending garment.

"How do you remove…" Fumbling with the UI allows Stephanie and Yukiko to stride next to and past me.

"Leave the onesie on, dude," Stephanie advises, grabbing my wrist to stop me from clicking anything else in my UI.

"But it's too hot! I'm just going to overheat!"

"You're just going to take off a layer of protection. Because that's a smart thing to do as a tank. Yep."

That gives me pause.

"Underwear gives armour?"

"Yes. And cushioning. Think about how much painful getting bitten would be without that layer."

Surprisingly, Yukiko doesn't take issue with Stephanie's micromanaging - rather the opposite. Yukiko is looking out into the dense forest, pointedly pretending not to care… but she can't hide the way that her fluffy left ear swivels backwards to listen in.

I stand there, sweat soaking into my clothes, weighing up whether I'd be less comfortable getting sweaty and soggy and stinky or taking another wolf bite (or worse, another goring session from a speartusk) with one less layer. Ultimately it doesn't take me long to decide. Sweaty it is.

If only the game wasn't so determined to make me regret my decision. With every step we take the forest grows still warmer and more humid until it feels like walking face-first into an unending wall of muggy air. We've long since lost sight of any proper trail, navigating through one part compass direction and four parts gut instinct. The trees are oppressively dense now, arresting all but the stiffest breeze to hold the air stale. A damp vegetal odour rises from the undergrowth that borders on stench. Even when a draught eventually does pick up it lacks any of the refreshing wind chill that could take the edge off the quagmire soaking into my clothes. Instead, the sweltering wind that greets us is so laden with moisture that it feels like the forest itself is panting directly into our faces.

It's with some surprise then that the hot breath of the wilderness carries not the smell of moist decay but rather a bouquet of subtle fragrances, some floral, some spicy, and the distinct smell of salt. Yukiko responds as she always does, closing her eyes and raising her nose to the breeze. However, instead of the usual blissful appreciation of the game's environment, this time our catgirl tenses up. Her ears fall flat against her scalp, her tail swishes in agitation. Yukiko turns her head to make it clear she's addressing us, but before she can make a single sound Stephanie interjects.

"Don't say it. I know," Stephanie's voice is terse. Serious.

"What's going on?"

Yukiko opens her mouth to answer, but again Stephanie cuts her off, this time in a tone bordering on playful.

"Oh, y'know… Just a little thing."

Anxiety worms its way into my gut. Yukiko having a moment is one thing, but Stephanie following it up with such an evasive answer has me on edge.

If Steph notices my discomfort she doesn't show it, strolling over to Yukiko with an exaggerated sashay in a manner that seems almost performatively at ease. She twirls her finger at Yukiko and the catgirl acquiesces immediately, presenting her back to Stephanie and evidently volunteering to be a makeshift desk as Steph pulls a pencil and some paper out of thin air and starts writing. Like everything else Stephanie does her pencil strokes are swift and decisive. The granular sound of shedding graphite cuts through the ambient rustling of leaves and chorus of insects as Steph takes mere seconds to write multiple lines. Once she's done she shows the note to Yukiko, who takes significantly longer to read the note than Steph took to write it. Yukiko's features immediately fall back into a neutral expression, but this isn't quite Yukiko's usual poker face. She's tense. Her brow twitches nervously but briefly as she reins herself in with practised efficiency. She's statue-still for long moments as she stares through the paper. Only after Stephanie pulls the note out of her fingers does Yukiko return to reality, her eyes catching mine and revealing silent desperation.

Next, it's my turn. Stephanie takes me by the hand and pulls me close to her body, holding the note in front of me at what feels like a deliberately discreet angle. A completely different type of anxiety flares up in me as Stephanie's perfume wafts into my nose and her breasts come dangerously close to resting on my scalp. But after a meaningful nudge from Stephanie's knee to refocus my attention, I read the note that so alarmed Yukiko.

No wonder Yukiko is terrified. It's her greatest weakness: people.

"I know, right? Benefits of having friends in high places. A Prestige Five would usually be soloing this but he's letting us come with. He's pretty patient so we're not in a huge rush but he'll be miffed if we don't show up at all." Stephanie has an easy smile on her face as she clearly enunciates her words, while her voice is on the upper bound of what would be appropriate for normal conversation. We're not the target audience of her overt exposition. Given how genuine Stephanie's smile is I'd say she's almost enjoying this subterfuge. At least one of us is in their element…

The note vanishes into thin air with a flick of Stephanie's wrist. She nods in the direction we were heading in, encouraging me to start walking again with a cheeky slap to my butt that manages to echo against the densely packed trees. I guess there's nothing else to it, just keep walking and pretend we're oblivious.

Notes:

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I was initially digging my heels in and refusing to upload the next chapter until the trio were inside the next dungeon, but as I wrote this chapter I realised splitting it in two made more sense for pacing and overall feel. It'll be another couple weeks before I upload the next chapter as things are pretty busy for me (end of Uni trimester!), but after that I will be trying once again to upload weekly-to-fortnightly!

At a commenter's request I've added translations for Stephanie's Ilverais lines. Click on the spoilers to reveal the translation.

Petite friponne, tu essaye de faire fondre mon coeur avec tes gros yeux ronds après avoir été si désobéissante

Conasse

Petite coquine

Je te jure, si tu continue à m'aguicher comme ça je vais te baiser le cul si fort que tu marchera comme une salope.

Chapter 18: How the Tables Turn

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

After that initial alarming interaction, there are no further signs of the enemy players trailing us… not that I'm able to tell either way. I just have to go off the cues the girls give me, and the fact that they're not giving any cues is its own answer. Stephanie remains as gracefully unbothered as ever, and while Yukiko is maybe a little quieter and more withdrawn than usual, it isn't that far a deviation from her usual demeanour.

Our next obstacle, if it can be called one, is a pleasantly babbling creek cutting its way across our path. The water is clean, clear, and shallow, and with sandy substrate in lieu of mossy stones, there'd be no risk of slipping if we had to wade through, which we don't. A conveniently felled log functions as a bridge so we don't even get our feet wet as we cross. If anything, the cool air surrounding the little stream is a reprieve from the humidity of the rest of the forest.

Waiting for us on the far bank is an almost-familiar monster. A bundle of flickering lights and uncertain shapes with the suggestion of diaphanous wings, hovering weightlessly at approximately six feet off the ground.

The autumn sprites were various shades of yellow, orange, and brown, but this Spring Sprite: Level 9 instead wears a pastel pink and green colour scheme which, combined with its indistinct border, makes me think of a bouquet of pink roses seen through a frosted glass pane.

Yukiko raises her staff at the sprite menacingly. After all the irritation the autumn sprites caused her I wouldn't be surprised if she'd developed a personal vendetta against floating things in general, no matter how harmless they may be. The sprite, however, seems unfazed. It flutters over to the unadorned wooden tip of Yukiko's staff and imitates landing as a butterfly would, though it's dubious if the sprite even has a physical body with which to land. This close to Yukiko's weapon it would be impossible for the sprite to dodge. Yukiko could snuff its light with a single word if she chose to.

But that gesture of faith is enough to convince Yukiko to relax her grip on her staff, prompting the sprite to shimmer joyously in appreciation of the catgirl's unspoken mercy. The sprite makes a series of serene musical sounds reminiscent of a wind chime in a stiff breeze and is answered by Marigold who at some point wriggled her way back onto Yuki's shoulder. The ball of fluff hums and squeaks and chirps like a guinea pig at the sprite, and the sprite replies with another cascade of musical notes. They take turns squeaking and chiming at each other, apparently deep in conversation, as Yukiko's rigid poker face slowly starts to mellow. First a tiny smile tugs at the corners of her lips, gradually growing into a big, silly grin, and her face just gets brighter and brighter until her eyes are twinkling, literally twinkling with the shimmering light of the sprite reflected in her big snow-blue eyes. I feel lighter watching her smile, like the weight of the world doesn't weigh so much any more, and a gentle warmth settles in my heart. Once Marigold and the sprite finish their conversation the sprite imitates a deep bow to Yukiko and Marigold, then floats away lazily on the breeze until it fades out of view, perhaps to find someone else to share its happiness with.

We soon find the reason that the charming critter was a "spring" sprite and not another "autumn" sprite. The trees lining the creek look the same as all the others we've passed in the last five minutes, but stepping through them is like crossing a threshold into an entirely different season.

Flowers.

Thousands of flowers. Blooming from every available surface.

The shady forest corridor is wider here, not quite a clearing but enough that resplendent beams of sunlight stream through the gap in the otherwise closed canopy. A bed of delicate white petals dotted with lemon-yellow centres sit placidly in the still air, soaking up the direct sunshine. Ringing them are taller stalks with alternating vibrant crimson blades gilded in gold and bundles of forest green leaves girding sky-blue flowers with long, wispy petals. Creeping up the trunks of the trees are swathes of many different varieties of flowers, minuscule pinpricks in a purple so deep it seems impossible, coral pink spirals in tidy bunches, and olive green starbursts hanging from higher branches. With this many flowers close together the combined fragrance fills the entire corridor, mingling together into a clean sweetness that's at once enthralling and tranquil. It's a vision of paradise, tucked away in an otherwise irrelevant corner of the woods. I'm suddenly very aware of where I'm putting my feet. Accidentally trampling something so beautiful feels like a crime.

The muted sound of nimble feet paired with a sharp gasp signals Yukiko's arrival. She's wearing an expression of delighted awe. She returns my gaze with a giddy smile, too immersed in the splendour of the game to be bothered by the attention.

I open my mouth and try to say something, but staring at Yukiko like this my brain short-circuits. Think of something to say, think of something to say…!

"They're almost as pretty as you." Smooth.

Yuki's smile curdles a little, but she's still so in awe of the flowers that she lets it slide. Marigold on the other hand seems to find my flirting hilarious, chittering to herself from inside Yuki's dress.

I take a shameful step backwards, wishing I'd just said nothing and let Yuki enjoy the flowers. But when I glance backwards at Stephanie who seems almost unmoved by the natural beauty of the forest, a thought finally does coalesce in my empty head.

"You've probably been smelling these flowers for ages, right?" I say, addressing the two half-beastkin together.

Stephanie gives a reserved nod, whilst Yukiko takes a great big lungful of air before nodding enthusiastically.

"It's so much more intense up close!"

Yuki's tail swishes with excitement as she tiptoes through the flowerbed toward one of the twisted trees whose smooth bark is host to a mountain of pink petals. She plucks a bunch without reservation, holding them to her nose in appreciation before they vanish into her inventory.

"I can't get over the smell design in this game! Is that what it's called? Smell design? It's so-," Yukiko takes a deep sniff of a flower with swirling gold petals mid-sentence, "-so satisfying! I love it!" She says as she moves on to the next patch, pressing her nose into each new flower in turn before they, too, vanish into her inventory.

My curiosity piqued, I reach out and pluck a few flowers for myself.

I wonder how many of these names are real versus made up for the game. Orchids are definitely real, but I've never heard of "Dipladenia" before.

"Psst."

I almost jump out of my skin. When did Stephanie get so close?

"This one's for you."

She extends her hand toward me, offering me a single large rose with pink-white petals and vivid fuchsia accents. As soon as it leaves her fingers a tooltip pops up in my UI.

My cheeks instantly heat up with a familiar blush, which just makes me blush even harder at the implication. "Blushing Virgin", really?! I try to give Stephanie a stern look but she shoots back the smuggest smirk imaginable and, even worse, a knowing wink. I consider hitting back that, after what happened this morning before we left, I'm not a virgin, but immediately think better of it. First, I technically still am a virgin. Second, I'd rather not think about how I ended up getting fingered out in a bathroom in a VR game like a slut on prom night.

Cursedly, in the time it takes for me to resolve that thought, Stephanie reveals once again that she can read minds.

Stephanie's still got that infinitely smug grin, and the way the pink heart icon on her nameplate is blinking at me feels like even the game itself wants to rub it in. She winks again, slowly, and wiggles her ears teasingly. It's impossible to stop my own ears from following her lead, wiggling obediently for her as the blush from my cheeks creeps upward second by second until the entirety of my ears are suffused in an embarrassing buzzing heat.

And it isn't just my ears responding to Steph's teasing. The tell-tale flutter of my heart gives me a half-second warning before soft fabric brushes over the sensitive flesh on the tip of my cock. Heartbeat by heartbeat the fabric shifts and tightens. I don't even need to glance down to know there's an obvious bulge, especially with the skimpier skirt. The thinner leggings definitely aren't enough to conceal it either! I snap my legs shut, crossing my knees and shuffling to try to trap my bulge between my thighs and hide it away. Why does Steph have to do this now?! It's like she's intentionally picking the worst timing possible!

I turn away from Stephanie and toward Yuki, rubbing my cheeks and willing my blush to fade. She's still totally engrossed in the flowers, thankfully, so I've got at least a few moments to recompose. When the heat finally leaves my cheeks I figure it's safe to start talking again and risk Yuki seeing my face.

"Weird that there are so many flowers here, right?"

It's hard to tell if Yukiko is listening as she picks flowers. She might have nodded her head?

"And, like, warm weather flowers too. What's up with that? Like, did they forget what season it is?"

"You're standing in an enchanted forest in a VR fantasy game next to a magical catgirl and a dragon and the weirdest thing going on is out-of-season flowers? That's where you draw the line?"

Stephanie's tone implies that she's joking, but I still feel like a fool. Again, I should have just kept my mouth shut. Stephanie's retort is enough to snap Yukiko out of her botanical trance though, pivoting on her toes to chastise Steph.

"Stephanie!"

"What?! I didn't even say anything."

"You don't have to be so prickly! And he's got a point too! He's just… umm, are you okay, dude?"

"Y-yeah, I'm…" I begin to say as I follow the line of her eyes down to my lower body, where my legs are still tightly crossed to withhold my erection. Oh no.

"Why are you-" Yukiko's voice vanishes in a timid warble mid-sentence. The catgirl shuts down the conversation instantly, turning away from us both and returning to her flower picking as if we'd never even been talking in the first place. For a brief moment, I hope that maybe Yukiko's too innocent to realise why my legs are crossed but with the agitated way her tail's flicking and her fluffy ears are twitching, there's zero chance of that.

I sigh with frustration, staring at my "new" outfit, and in particular the shorter skirt. I don't even know how the game managed to make something look simultaneously more and less feminine, but the only real advantage of the old skirt was that it made hiding boners trivial. With this new skirt, I don't even have the option to tug it down to hide them! Now I actually need to watch out for random stiffies, which is a genuine hazard with Stephanie and Yukiko together in the same party. All I can do is ignore it and hope it goes away quickly, which is easier said than done with Stephanie waggling her eyebrows at me.

Long, uncomfortable seconds pass. I gnaw at my lip, trying to force myself to think of anything but the unfortunately named flower sitting in my inventory, or Stephanie's skimpy outfit, or the memory of Yukiko's cleavage that night by the Tree of Caduceus. Free to focus on how frustratingly disobedient my dick is being while every little movement of the fabric sliding over my crotch feels amplified and insistent. The now-familiar throb of my package against soft boyshorts has never been more infuriating. WHY is this game so detailed?!

In the end it's Yukiko who breaks the silence, turning toward Stephanie and avoiding eye contact with me.

"C-... He's right, though," Yukiko says, her voice warbling slightly. It's hard to tell with the angle but for a second I think Yuki's looking at my crotch to check if I'm still hard.

"Right about…?" Steph prompts with a rising tone.

"The flowers. And the trees and…" Yuki trails off, gesturing around the sunlit trail for emphasis.

"Oh, that." Stephanie visibly deflates as she realises it's time for another lore dump. She folds her arms under her breasts and inhales, causing her cleavage to almost spill out of her t-shirt as she lazily picks at a nail.

"This is a brand new dungeon we're going to so its overworld quest chain won't have been completed yet. Until that's ticked off and the dungeon is sealed properly it'll leach corruption into the surrounding region. The way the corruption is manifesting right now is pretty generic so it's hard to pinpoint what's actually going on. It could be a temporal thing with Tesel locking this part of the overworld to springtime, it could be some kind of wild growth magic from Nerea or Sophia, or the dungeon could literally just be radiating heat so it's tricking the plants into thinking winter's already over."

"That's… pretty wholesome for 'corruption'. Especially compared to what happened to that fish earlier," I remark.

Steph shrugs, sending a ripple across her breasts that reminds me that I'm trying not to have a boner right now.

"Corruption is a catch-all term for other planes of existence influencing Tiresia. It isn't inherently malicious. Corruption can manifest as anything from the weather being sunnier than usual to full-on mind-warping geometric spacetime aberrations."

"Sh-should, uhh, should we be picking these flowers?" Yukiko asks, regarding the flowerbed with sudden caution.

"I don't see why not!" Steph answers with a smile, reaching out to pluck a few blossoms, including a bowl-shaped flower with multi-layered petals in red, yellow and white, and a mottled yellow and green trumpet-shaped flower with stamen coated with nectar, both of which she hands to me as she strolls over to Yuki.

The trees once again close in, restricting us to a barely-there path weaving around broad trunks and through curtains of leafy vines. Stephanie takes the lead, silently and bravely electing to be the one to walk face-first into any insect swarms or spider webs. The sweet smell of pollen and nectar is omnipresent now. The humidity, too, is inescapable. I'm starting to appreciate the shorter skirt length, if for no other reason than it being slightly cooler. Stephanie uses her spear-turned-halberd to chop through a lattice of woody vines that stubbornly block our path, then politely steps aside to allow us entry into another clearing. The first sign that something is amiss is Yukiko tensing up just before she passes through the viny threshold, the fur along her ears bristling like a spooked alley cat.

The ground is sunken here, forming a basin through which runs a shallow stream. Bright early afternoon sunlight reflects glaringly off the bed of flowers, amplifying their already vibrant colours. Boulders are strewn haphazardly across the basin, and partially hidden beneath the flowerbeds geometric shapes have been gouged out of the earth leaving deep wounds. The basin is pitted with barren patches of exposed soil where flowers refuse to grow, many of which bear scorch marks that indicate recent combat. The clearing is ringed by myriad types of tall trees, some smooth and straight, others gnarled and twisted, and many with speckled rainbow-coloured bark that looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. The sheer wall of trees encircling the basin lends it an ominous air… almost like an arena.

But that's not where my eyes are focused. On the far side of the clearing hover a group of four blood-red nameplates. Enemy players. From this distance, it's difficult to make out much information other than their prominently displayed Milestone levels.

All of them are level 74.

Yukiko places herself as close as she can between Steph and me, fur still standing on edge. An aura of nervous energy surrounds her, as if she's one loud noise away from scampering up a tree. Stephanie, the polar opposite of the terrified kitten, couldn't be less alarmed.

"Relax, Yoogi-bear. It's just some PvP! You've done this a hundred times before."

That's news to me. I didn't know Yuki played PvP games.

Steph pats Yuki's shoulder, shoots the both of us an encouraging smile, and then descends the gentle slope into the basin. Steph moves with undisguised swagger, swaying her hips to a silent rhythm as she wends her way around the boulders. I follow a short distance behind, keeping my eyes off Steph's butt as a precaution. It's not that I'm horny right now exactly, but if I popped a stiffy in front of a bunch of enemy players I think I'd pull a Yukiko and die of embarrassment. Yuki follows immediately behind me, so close that our ankles nearly entangle more than once with the way she's shadowing my footsteps. I don't blame her. Even with Stephanie leading the way, approaching the enemy players feels like walking into the lion's den. I try to put on a strong front for Yukiko and tell myself that this is just a game and there are no consequences, but with real people on the other side that feels less and less true with every step.

The enemy players are standing around (or sitting, in the case of the one perched on a boulder) in a loose semi-circle, chatting amicably amongst themselves, even laughing. Behind them is a copse of extremely tall trees in almost the exact middle of the basin, whose canopies have fused and whose trunks and branches are twisted together like they're magnetically attracted. They notice us approaching, obviously, but their body language says they're not bothered. Why would they be? Just one of them is a higher level than the three of us combined, and they outnumber us anyway. If they choose to attack us I'm sure we'd be dead - or immobilised - in an instant. My instincts are telling me that getting any closer is suicidal, like sticking my head into the open mouth of a crocodile, but there's no chance to turn tail and run. Especially not with Stephanie and her unflinching swagger leading the way.

Once we get within twenty or so feet of the group of PvPers, close enough that we'd be able to have a conversation without raising our voices, the tall elf whose nameplate reads JOONSEOK_MARRY_ME, Level 74 hops off the boulder with understated elegance to the tune of squeaking leather. He tilts his head in our direction to signal to the rest of his party that it's time to acknowledge our presence. A pair of humans respond with a silent nod like they're members of a secret service receiving clandestine orders, an aesthetic that's completely undermined by their absurd appearances. Faces so aggressively mundane they must be statements of protest made in the character creator, hideous hodge-podge outfits in typical mid-level MMO fashion, and names that look like they should have been caught by the profanity filter. Banishing any hope that maybe these players are peaceful despite their ominous blood-red nameplates, WifeBeaterWalrus, Level 74 and CUNT PUNCHER SUPREME, Level 74 unsheathe their weapons: an elaborately decorated dull silver sword that looks more like a ceremonial piece than an actual weapon in the hands of Walrus, and a pair of weathered daggers that look like a tetanus hazard for Supreme. The elf follows suit, shrugging a bow off his shoulder. Only the final member of their quartet is content not to draw a weapon. A much shorter elf, about my height in stark juxtaposition to her beanpole elven party member, wearing an outfit that looks like the middle point between a nature-themed wreath of leaves and a schoolgirl's outfit. With budding breasts, pale skin, and a miniskirt, StardustXSeraph69, Level 74 just screams lolicon pandering.

"Hiiii! Told you I'd see you 'round!" Seraph's tone is saccharine as she greets us - or Yukiko, since she's got her eyes fixed on the catgirl - but her grin is sadistic. Yukiko's fur somehow manages to stand up even straighter. Do they know each other? As much as my heart aches for Yukiko to be singled out like this, it's better than them just killing us instantly. Maybe they're willing to talk?

"U-uhh, d-do you guys-" I stammer, only remembering after trying to speak that my voice is unnaturally quiet now, and high-pitched enough that I must sound like a girl. Gulping nervously, I start over.

"We're here to do the dungeon, Brightwood… thing. Whatever it's called. We're still trying to find it. D-do you know where it is?"

Being forced to speak like this sets off my nerves. It was bad enough walking straight up to them, but trying to talk too? My heart's thumping, my hands are trembling, I can hardly speak… and the enemy players seem to think it's funny, sharing cruel smirks with each other.

"Ready to kill them?" Asks a gravelly voice from behind us.

A pair of enemy players approached from behind while we were distracted and cut off our escape route, a grey-toned leonine beastkin wearing rugged leathers and furs named Lysander Rex, Level 74 and a scrawny human in jet black stealth gear named Agent_69, Level 74 . Four enemies just turned into six, as if it wasn't already hopeless enough!

"Took you long enough! We've been waiting for you," Supreme says with snark, "They've been gawping at us for like twenty minutes and-"

"No, they haven't! We followed them here for you guys," Lysander growls back. His fists flex and for a moment it seems like they'd rather be killing each other than us.

"Heeey! No fighting! Friends don't fight!" Seraph chides, voice as sickly sweet and cutesy as ever. Her words have the opposite effect, with everyone but the other elf wincing. "We've got three free kills already lined up!" Seraph giggles and claps like an excited child, looking at the three of us like treasure waiting to be looted. First Yuki, then me, and finally Stephanie and her unflagging confidence.

"Hey Eugene."

Stephanie's words hit like a thunderclap. The tension in the atmosphere inverts in an instant. All eyes are on her. Nobody makes a sound, not even the wind. Even the omnipresent drone of distant insects dims. Seraph especially is dumbstruck, wide-eyed, bordering on terrified.

"Wh-what did you say?" Seraph trembles. Her, or rather hisvoice isn't so cutesy now.

"Eugene. Forgot me already? We spent hours together."

Seraph searches Stephanie's face, either rifling through her memories or trying to see through a potential bluff.

"You bought a Library carry from us."

The centre of attention switches in a single second, from Stephanie to Seraph. Seraph's properly terrified now, shrinking back from Steph as if she'd just been slapped. The other party members seem to have a moment of epiphany, which swiftly turns into accusatory glares.

"We were going to clear Tessellarium together!" Walrus sounds more offended than angry.

"Ch-chill, chill! Guys, it's not like he-" Marry Me interjects, the only one of the enemy players that isn't staring daggers at Seraph. His previous suave mien is gone, replaced with a panicked conciliatory tone that borders on grovelling as he tries to keep his party together.

Stephanie doesn't give him the chance.

"It was so much fun! Eugene spent the whole first floor telling us how bad and unskilled the party he was stuck with was! Just a bunch of noobs that couldn't figure out the puzzle floors."

I can practically feel the blood boiling in Seraph's party members as they stare at her in disbelief. Some of their jaws hang open, others clench tight in unspoken outrage.

"You…" Lysander begins with a rumble, but Steph has more to give.

"Sh-shut up! You're lying! I never said that!" Seraph finally draws her weapon, a slender white cane with a knobbed tip, which she thrusts toward Steph like she's preparing to blast her with a spell. Lysander steps forward before she can cast anything, placing himself between Stephanie and Seraph.

"Let her speak, I want to hear this." Lysander's tone brooks no argument. He stands there like a bulwark protecting us until, with great reluctance, Seraph lowers her cane.

"Thanks, hon. Like I was saying, Eugene clearly had a lot on his mind. There was a LOT of pent-up frustration! It's everyone's fault but his, of course. And yet, the moment we hit our first puzzle floor, literally just an alphabet gate, this absolute brainchild runs into a Delta gate with an Alpha charge and-" Stephanie's mannerisms switch back to 'tomboy' as she turns to the beastkin, "Fuckin' mid-sentence, middle of shit-talking, BOOM!" Stephanie's pupils are constricted into tiny vertical slits, her eyes so intense that when she returns her gaze to the shorter elf Seraph visibly flinches.

"It is quite, hmm…" Stephanie makes a show of appraising Seraph head to toe, "cute and funny that you're still 74. You should have easily finished your Prestige Three promotion after Library with all the loot you picked up. Then again, you did say your party was holding you back! God, I'd be embarrassed if I was them! Especially after you said you'd ditch them if they couldn't clear the quest in the next week!"

Walrus and Supreme look like they're ready to hang Seraph. Lysander and Agent 69 are just disgusted and disappointed.

"G-guys, guys! Eugene isn't like that! She's lying to you! You know Eugene, he wouldn't-" Marry Me is still on damage control, one step away from pleading with his own party to forgive Seraph for what sounds like the RPG equivalent of cheating on them.

"I sure hope you said 'thanks' to whoever let you borrow her credit card."

Seraph, Eugene, looks like her entire world is crumbling around her.

"H-how did you-"

"Because it shows up on the invoice sweetie, and I know your name isn't Grace Yoon."

"YOU USED MY CARD?!" Marry Me, (or Grace, I guess?) screams at the top of her lungs.

"Yeah, and it wasn't cheap either! He paid for a full multi-run loot funnel. Surprised you didn't notice four hundred bucks randomly disappearing."

"YOU SAID THAT WAS FOR GROCERIES!"

"S-sis, I can explain! I was going to pay you b- ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Eugene's pitiful attempt to defend himself is cut off by Grace grabbing him by the ear and yanking him off behind the big boulder. Their nameplates disappear as we lose line of sight, but the barrier does little to hide Grace's apoplectic tirade, or Eugene's begging, and even less to hide the echoing slaps of, presumably, Grace's open palms meeting Eugene's cheeks.

Did Stephanie just ruin Eugene's friendships and home life to avoid dying in a video game? I gulp nervously, thankful she's on our side. She can be scary when she wants to be.

Now that Stephanie's handled two of the six enemy players, she turns to Agent 69 and Lysander.

"Breaching confidentiality like that is unprofessional, but I do hope you'll forgive me. It sounds like there's been trouble brewing in paradise for a while?"

Lysander nods gruffly. "You probably just did us a favour."

"I'm so glad!" Stephanie's tone is so smooth and soothing, without even a hint of irony. How does she do it?! "Y'know, we offer marriage counselling too."

Agent 69 and Lysander snort at Steph's joke, but Supreme and Walrus aren't having it. Finally deciding they've had enough standing around and want their easy kills, they each brandish their weapons and step forward aggressively, but Stephanie halts them with a single outstretched palm.

"Ah-ah-ah. Killing lowbies is a serious faux pas. If you want to sit at the big kids' table someday I'd advise not making a name for yourself for slaughtering people sixty levels under you. Reputations have a habit of following you in this game. Especially with names like that, Mr. and Mrs. Domestic Violence."

Supreme and Walrus don't sheathe their weapons immediately. They share a look, a hateful, vicious look, first with Stephanie and then with each other, before finally sense prevails and they begrudgingly stow their blades.

"I'm glad you made the right choice."

Supreme chews his lip like he's barely containing himself from telling Stephanie to go fuck herself.

Marigold squeaking behind me alerts me to Yukiko pressing a sheet of paper to my back to scribble something down. She's a slower writer than Stephanie, and with the lingering tension of our narrowly avoided fight to the death, the couple of seconds she takes feels like awful minutes.

Yuki holds tight to my shoulder as she points behind us at Lysander and Agent 69. They do seem nice, at least relative to Supreme and Walrus.

"U-umm, excuse me?" I ask to get their attention. I'm not sure if it's just the height difference but it feels like they're looking down their noses at me.

"We've been having an issue for the past few days, ever since logging in actually. We can't log out. Like, the button is completely greyed out! Can you guys-"

Lysander cuts me off. "No. Nobody can log out. Nobody that I've heard of, anyway. It's a well-known issue. We think it's a bug related to the beta."

"Huh. That's interesting," Stephanie says. "I'll ask around tomorrow and see if I can find any info."

Yukiko scribbles another note on my back-turned-desk.

"Umm, Yuki wants to know why you haven't asked already since we told you about this yesterday morning?"

Stephanie shrugs dismissively. "Didn't think it was a big deal."

"You don't think this is a big deal?!" Yukiko suddenly hisses, gesturing at me wildly.

Stephanie laughs back, pure honeyed mirth. "I didn't think not logging out for three days was a big deal! I've pulled week-long binges more than once. Just enjoy the game while it lasts, we'll be out before you know it. Anyway, mind if we…" Stephanie addresses Lysander again, pointing a thumb toward the unnaturally tall trees behind Walrus and Supreme.

"Go for it," Lysander answers.

"For what it's worth, we got stuck on the third floor, so this dungeon's probably too difficult for you three," Agent 69 says.

"Nah fuck them, let them kill themselves if they want." Walrus has finally had enough, flipping Stephanie the middle finger as he and Supreme start to walk away.

"This whole thing is fucking gay. We're going back to the city," Supreme adds, flipping us the middle finger as well.

The other players file out of the basin shortly after, first Lysander and Agent 69 and then, once the screaming and sobbing and slapping abated, Eugene and Grace.

"S-so, umm. How close are we to the dungeon?" I ask, wishing my voice wasn't so delicate. Trying to stand up to those players with such a meek voice was embarrassing, and it makes every stammer or stutter sound that much more pathetic.

"I think… I think that's the dungeon?" Surprisingly it's Yukiko who answers. She points to the enormous group of partially fused trees stretching toward the sky. Now that we're a few paces away the reason for their appearance becomes apparent: they don't just seem fused, they are fused.

Stretching from trunk to trunk, branch to branch, is an inky black gel or membrane that looks like it's glueing the trees together into a single giant specimen. And it is definitely multiple trees. Most of them are the odd rainbow-barked giants that ring the basin, but other more normal-looking trees have been caught too. At the foot of the arboreal behemoth is an archway formed of the gnarled roots of many neighbouring trees knit together. The membrane covers the arch edge-to-edge, but unlike the featureless blackness elsewhere on the fused tree, the goo covering the yawning archway has infinitely tiny specks of colour and light swirling within, like distant galaxies in the night sky. Excised from context it may have been beautiful, but between the deformed tree cradling it and the membrane's uncanny resemblance to the scales of the mutated fish from earlier, just looking at it is making my stomach turn.

"Are you okay dude?" Yukiko asks, standing closer than she needs to. The flowers she picked earlier must have shed some pollen onto her because she smells like the most stunning floral perfume I've ever experienced.

"Uhh, yeah. I'm… I'm fine!" With Yukiko smelling this good and standing this close more than anything else I'm worried about getting another untimely erection. I try to step away but trip over an exposed root, straight into Stephanie's abs. Steph catches me with an arm around my shoulder, and I'm reminded once again how powerful she is - it's completely effortless for her to hold me one-handed like this. I feel so safe, like a fair damsel in the arms of her brave knight… which is emphatically not how I should be thinking right now when I'm about to tank my first dungeon for Yuki and Steph!

"All good? Ready to zone in?" Stephanie asks, reaching out with the arm currently wrapped around my shoulders to offer her hand to Yukiko while a single finger on her other hand poises itself to poke the membrane. When I try to stand on my own two feet, Steph's free hand, the one that was about to poke the goo, pushes me back into the crook of her arm.

"Nuh-uh, stay there. To zone into the same instance everyone's gotta be in the same party and physically touching. We good?"

Yukiko giggles at Stephanie, and without even thinking I giggle with her, earning me a strange look from both of the girls. Does my voice really sound that weird?

Taking that as confirmation, Stephanie pokes her nail through the gel, and in the blink of an eye we're transported into a starry void.

We exit the gateway just as swiftly as we entered. The starry void peels back nigh-instantaneously to reveal surroundings very different to where we left, or where I expected us to end up. Maybe it was naive of me to assume that taking a portal on the outside of a tree would put us inside the tree? Instead, the first floor of Brinewood Fissure is literally the last thing I'd think of when I picture a "dungeon".

It's a beach. A tropical beach, the physical - err, the virtual manifestation of the kind of idyllic picture of paradise you'd find on a postcard. Impossibly soft white sand, palm trees swaying in a gentle breeze that kisses my skin, and colourful tropical flowers everywhere. The dungeon seems to have its own bespoke sun that beams down on us. The direct sunshine is even warmer than the muggy rainforest outside, but combined with the breeze and the seaspray it's delightful. The only thing that stands out as being massively different to a usual beach is that I can see the other side of the body of water. In fact, I can see every side of the… lake (I guess?) that dominates the centre of the dungeon's first floor. I was anticipating a maze of some kind, claustrophobic corridors buried under ancient stone, so this inviting openness takes me entirely off guard. Do we just walk around the lake until another portal shows up? My gut roils with sudden anxiety. I'm the tank, I'm meant to be leading the party and to know where we're going, but with so little direction and so many options I just feel listless. At least it's easy to see enemy monsters approaching with so little cover.

And then I hear snickering, like someone barely containing their laughter. Stephanie. Is she laughing at me? I turn to check and she's slumped against a palm tree, one hand loosely covering her mouth as she silently cackles at something. My cheeks start to burn.

"What's so funny?!" I ask, almost yell, unable to stop a little indignation from slipping through.

Stephanie shakes her head and grins at me, still struggling to contain her laughter. Eventually, she gives up trying to hold it in and just starts laughing uproariously, laughing until her eyes water and she can barely stand.

"Their fucking faces!" Stephanie wheezes, "The two jerkwads, when they, when she-", laughter overtakes Stephanie again until she's clutching her stomach, nearly on her knees. I'm trying my best not to stare but at this angle there's no way not to ogle at her chest, rippling with her spasmodic laughter.

"Oh holy fuck, you can't make that up. Holy shit. Holy shit. Fuck. I've been holding this in the whole time, god it was so hard not to laugh in their fucking faces!"

Yukiko's smiling wide, too. I can't tell if she's laughing at the same thing Steph is laughing at or if she's just smiling because Steph's having a good time, but the infectious mood gets to me too and wipes away my worry.

"That fucking nod they did, holy shit! They thought they were so slick!" Stephanie just keeps cackling. She has to rub her eyes to clear the tears of laughter.

I'm suddenly reminded of how narrowly we escaped death, or the VALKYRIE equivalent of it.

"Did you, umm, did you have that all planned out ahead of time?" I ask cautiously.

"All of it? Fuck no! That was sheer dumb luck that Eugene was there," Steph says, her laughter finally petering out. She straightens back up, wiping her lips and rubbing her cheeks to collect herself.

"It's like, you know how predators like lions and wolves and stuff only start to chase if their prey runs first? By the time I realised we were being hunted it was too late to run, so I had to improvise with some predator-approach. You two did a good job playing along, I know it was tough." Another chuckle escapes Steph's throat as she shares a look with Yuki, who's smiling a little less now.

"Was that your whole plan?" Yuki asks.

"Not all of it. I was going to try to psych them out by showing off that you two were unkillable and then sort of wing it from there, at least until I saw Eugene." Stephanie's fangs show as she mentions Eugene, and for a brief second her grin feels almost sadistic.

"D-did you, um… is doxing people allowed in this game?" I gulp anxiously as soon as I ask, realising that maybe that's a question better left unasked and unanswered.

"I didn't dox him. I only namedropped. If I wanted to dox him I would have recited his address."

"Th-that's…" I trail off before I finish my thought. Stephanie's response isn't exactly reassuring, but saying more and getting on her bad side at this point would be one step above social suicide. I still feel like I'm on thin ice from yesterday.

Steph just shrugs, the movement drawing my attention back to her deep cleavage. She's very distracting, but my thoughts are still on Eugene and the potential fallout with his sister.

"Cassie, honey, he'll be fine. It's only a few hundred dollars, it's not like he pawned off her car. Look at it this way, the lesson I taught him is worth more than the money he spent. He had it coming."

"So you're not going to be reported for it?"

"You're looking out for me? Aww, that's so sweet! I'm sure if I ever do have to pay for my sins alerting Grace to credit card fraud will be at the top of the list."

Stephanie lets out a strained sigh as she straightens back up and stretches, rolling her shoulders and once again hijacking my attention. She then folds her arms across her chest, hugging herself tight and squeezing her breasts together until the knot tied into her t-shirt threatens to unspool. Blood rushes away from my upper body so fast it leaves me queasy, prompting me to press my knees together just in case.

"Anyway, we're lucky those noobs fell for that bit about ganking lowbies being a bad look."

"W-wait, what? They were noobs?" I'm not sure what I'm more surprised at, that level 74 still counts as 'noob' to Stephanie, the implication that killing low-level players is normal, or that she lied so easily.

Stephanie clears her throat before answering. "74 might look like a high level to you, but that's not the same as actually knowing how the game works. Like, even before we met them I was pretty sure those limp-dicks were scrubs because they're loitering around a low-level dungeon and yet there's no official map. Obviously, those bumblefucks have no idea what they're doing. In fact, thinking about it now they've probably guaranteed that we get the royalties for completing the map because they've sort of acted like gatekeepers."

"... And it's normal for high-level players to kill low-level players in this game?"

"Oh yeah, obviously. There's a capstone Milestone in the Conqueror sub-track called 'Warlord of Avaria', which requires you to kill ten thousand unique player characters in open-world PvP."

My eyes almost bulge out of my head. Ten thousand?!

"One of my old party members, Bruce, I think he's like halfway done."

What the fuck? One of Stephanie's friends has killed over five thousand players?!

Once Stephanie has finished wiping the tears of laughter from her face, Yukiko retrieves her cartography kit from her inventory (and I return the compass), allowing us to finally begin our first dungeon run.