A.N. - This chapter's got some resemblances to what's in my snippets thread, but it's pretty close to its own thing. The next chapter might have some bits and pieces from the last time around, but that's 'cause it's drawing from the same material more than anything else. And from there it's clear sailing in new content.

Edit: To be entirely clear, this first bit is meant to be a bit confusing. It's a dream-memory.

In any other corporate structure, it'd probably be a bad sign to think 'Twin Threesome Fantasy!' when you see your boss.

Especially when the prospective 'twin' is technically her daughter.

"Oh, good to see you~"

–Silk and fur-

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I look forward to working together."

"Come, come, join us, we'll go over introductions, finalizing your build, the company offices, and your next steps."

–Darkness endless-

The halls were comfortable, intense, vibrant, technicolor, techniscent, technitaste, a blast to the senses like the first dawns light after the darkest nights blasting into the senses, anything and everything all of the time.

My trainer's beautifully fluffy pink tail would brush against me every now and then, every hair singing its own song of temptation as we toured the offices of the corporation.

"Jacob."

I'd looked to my boss, the best I could do to distinguish between the two physically identical looking forms of Koyanskaya, though my boss wore an elegant modernized layered kimono while my trainer wore the secretaries outfit, modified to allow for her foxlike tail and ears to fit comfortably.

"I need to meet another prospective couple of contractors over lunch, so why don't you two enjoy yours in a private booth and… get to know one another better before continuing your tour?"

-Warm silence as a dark star burns–

It was an absolutely beautiful charcuterie board, an array of finger foods, dips and creams and sauces and spreads, fruits, cheeses, breads, crackers, light alcohol-

Her fingers would linger, on my knuckles when she would pass things to try, on her lips when she fed herself, on the motion to spread things on crackers when my eyes caught it.

"What are your plans after paying off your onboarding debt?"

She was recently 'born', this was not a particularly strange or uncomfortable thing for her but it made her existence distinct from humanity. She was not the Koyanskaya from Fate: Grand Order, but she'd been modeled after such.

"Mm, definitely get the stuff to heal my dad. He got hurt by the tornado."

-Crystal teeth and tongues of petals –

"No need to be coy. Who are you going to purchase?"

"Gosh, I'm going to have to play it by ear? I'm not worried about the first realm, but depending on where I'm sent for my first actual sales mission I might need more firepower or such, or someone to help me manage things or such."

I felt warm, buzzed, lightning dancing under my skin. Even the thought of the ladies I could get now, a heady ridiculous power, to just be able to own and have those gorgeous women, it was enough to cause stirrings.

"I've got a list of ladies I'd actually want at some point, but first? I don't know yet."

Restraint, caring about their emotional wellbeing, treating them well, all important things. But none of those mattered in this half formed fantasy. Plowing Francis Drake as she sailed her ship- Ryuko in her ridiculous outfit as she rode me- making Samus Aran my fuckpet- pinning down Caenis and knocking her up-

"I-..." Warm. I felt warm. Skin tingling and buzzed and warm- "Well, ah, there's some that are pretty high on the list, uh."

Had Koyanskaya switched outfits? Kama orgasming an flushed as she's kissed- Serranna stuffing me into her mouth sloppily- Sheba bouncing atop me- Erza in a slave outfit and chained- Ahsoka's teeth grazing my skin-

"And what about me, mm? What were your plans with me once you'd finished paying it off?"

Pink tail flashing about as she stood, eyes bright in the dim private booth. Koya's lips- Koya's soft ears- grabbing Koya's tail and fucking her- pinning her down and sliding between her breasts-

"W-Wait-" I shook my head through the fog, the cotton dragging back and forth across my mind like silken caress- so much thoughts, visuals, fantasies, phantom sensations. I was so hard my pants hurt, coordination gone-

Eyes like the sun breaking through a doorway burned into me, encompassing me, locking me in place- "Oh, you thought I wouldn't know? That I was to be your pet? That you wanted to fuck me into a puddle? Aren't you cute?"

Teeth, sharp and ferocious, stars of sadism burning into me, "Well, instead, I'm going to make you mine. My pet. You're going to be so enamored, so addicted, so in need of me that it won't matter that I'm technically your slave."

Hands on my cheeks and they burned, the sensation burrowing into my soul as I stared into those honeyed stars, her smile softening into delight and mockery, "You thought just because you were in the Company offices you were safe? That there's no ways to play around the rules?"

Her touch burned but was the salve, it emptied and filled, the words slipped in and I could nearly lose them but I-

"Such an adorable fool. You'd dropped your guard entirely, I'm not bound to you by anything other than corporate structure now. And I can easily load you up on aphrodisiacs and mindbreak you into putty~"

I could hear her still, I was still me, I needed- what could I-? I needed-

"But I won't break you, not entirely, oh no. That'd be a waste. My mother would be quite unhappy with me. No, I'll just keep you nice and docile to me even as you go out and make us all the money~"

I needed.

My hands grabbed her wrists, I was standing, half staggering forward.

"Aww, still trying~? Without even begging first? That's a-"

–A sea of tails-

Incomprehension flashed on her face. Eyes went wide. She could not pull away. She could not squeeze hard enough to hurt me. She could not push me away as I stood.

"-what?"

–Her tail her tales her tells-

"No-! Mmno-!" I'd kissed her, her lips soft, eyes wide, "How-?! What's even-?"

Tails of pink and crimson and sand and space spread out behind her enveloping us both as we fell back-

"Oh that's easy." The whisper was her voice but it was not, it was more, so infinitely more.

I was pressed against her, everything burned, clinging to her as a lifeline, her form, her skin, her touch was the only salve but I could still hear- could still restrain myself if for just a moment-

"A simple copy can't hold the weight of an Exaltation. We needed one capable of bending your nature until it threatened to break to hold it."

I wanted to devour her, to kiss her and feel her and taste her and fuck her into a puddle-

"Why did you think I picked you?" The Goddess Koyanskaya of the 13 Tails asked, and something was plucked and the sound was desolate sands burned on a pyre of thoughts, consumed by endless petals-

-Her story my story–

"Mmph-?!" I'd kissed her again, "No-! Mmmno–! Mother-! I could've-!"

There was a thrum of laughter, of cackling and war and purring and yipping and stars flaring. The Koya in my arms groaned as I grabbed her hair close to the scalp, fingernails dragging across the base of her ear and whatever control I'd had was gone–

I was grabbing her anywhere, everywhere, her hair, her ears, her sides, her thighs, her ass, her breasts–

"Bastard-! I–!" Her continuation devoured as I kissed her once more. And through the haze I tried, I tried to speak, to convey to her-

I was not sorry to purchase her, I was not sorry to see her gambit broken, I was not sorry to have the opportunity to enjoy her.

I was sorry that her victory had to be snatched from her in such a way by her own mother.

Her own hands were on me, my cheeks, my hair, my ass, my back, claws and tails and anger-

But I was still going to do my best to fuck her into a puddle.

-Together and melting–

Clothes torn, she cried out, I was inside her and she was warm and hot and constricting-

Hands roaming and grabbing, trying to find the spots that made her moan, made her whine, the angles that made her sing.

"Bastard." She murmured between the devouring kisses.

"You'll meet mom later." Was my counterpoint to that, the first words I could drag out of my own throat.

Laughter dragged from both of us as tension released and we came.

–13 tails 7 nails 2 souls-

Hand on the back of her head, I shoved her against the warm, silken cocoon that enveloped us both, unable to see, only able to feel as her hips bucked back against me-

My other arm was wrapped around her tails, holding them to my chest while the hand scratched just above its base, hips slamming into her ass again and again and again-

Thumb slipping between the full bouncing cheeks to dip into the puckered hole of her ass and she grunted as she came again, biting at the chrysalis-

Her fat ass was jiggling and bouncing as I filled her deepest regions, nearly going limp as I continued-

–Crafted and moulded and shaped-

Groaning, her mouth was weakly sucking at me as my balls slapped against her face, knocking the thoughts out of her head, fat lips smooshed against the base again and again and again-

My hands were on her breasts, teasing and pulling and nearly mauling the fat things much to our enjoyment-

Hands gripping my forearms, pulling, clinging-

Burying in her throat, moaning, I pumped more of my self into her, coating, saturating her insides-

-By tails of firmament–

Lips latched onto nipples, teeth dragging against skin-

Milk, sweet and impossible and sadistic across the tongue-

Her, I was tasting her, even as I filled her- I gave to her just as I took-

Her soft form, impossibly soft, yielding to my grasp, to my thrusts, to my pleasure-

Mewling, groaning, moaning, grunting-

-Cradled and compressed and blasted open–

I plunged into her again and again, tongues entangled, drinking deep of her-

Her hand pushed against into my chest sinking and falling and melding-

Everything that was her was clear to me through and through and through-

Sadism, servility, sex. Evil, endurance, ecstasy. Lusting, manipulating, needing, organization, passion.

Fingers brushed my heart- I grabbed her body- her breast- her heart-

The swirling sands of our souls settled as the burning flame became crystal with a crack.

She didn't want to be bound. I didn't intend it like this. She wanted to see me struggle and grow and stuffer. I wanted to make her happy.

And we accepted.

–Pressure to be pressure to change-

A sightless void filled with sensation, lit up with the beat of a heartsfire-

I pulled her close and she melted into my embrace melted into me melted into my heart-

My burning heart- it tried to burn her the sands to scour the petals to consume the winds to flay-

But I would not allow it.

I brought her close, as deep inside my heart as I'd delved into her, and I shielded her with my self, cradled her in my soul, and placed her in the palace that was my mind.

The darkness still burned, still ate at me, still scoured-

Cracks appearing in the envelopment of fur and tails.

I took my Second Breath, opened my eyes to my Second Sight, stumbled my Second Step.

-The Chrysalis Grotesque-

Light.

My eyes snapped open, mentally lurching out of the dream-

My boss smiled, "It looks like you had a good lunch~ Did you enjoy your meal~?"

–the memory as sunlight glanced across my skin, breathing in deep as the movement of skin on skin made me groan at the pleasant sensation. Warmth dancing across and through me as the world coalesced, the royal chambers not the office, the heat of the desert instead of the chill of the workspace, the dark-skinned and dark-haired queen rather than the pale skin and pink hair of the goddess.

"Mmm…" Eyes nearly crimson in the dawn's light, Opala smiled up at me, "Good morning."

I chuckled, giving the woman a gentle squeeze, "It most certainly is, your highness."

She giggled right back, taking a moment to nuzzle my chest before pushing herself up, "Please, do call me Opala from now on."

"Of course." I said, smiling like an idiot myself as I followed her into verticality.

There was zero shame in my enjoyment of watching the smaller woman slip out of the bed and move to her dressers, it was a very nice view.

Still, I had to get up as well. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I stood, stretching out and cracking my knuckles above my head with a little grunt as I stood in the beam of light seeping through the window, savoring the warmth. Even with the dry heat and lack of air conditioning, the rays felt like warm light on a cold day warming my skin.

Glass windows by the by. In ancient egypt contemporary with greece. So anachronistic.

Good morning sir~

Morning Koya. With a little inarticulate sound I leaned one way, then the other before breathing in deep and loose before bringing my hands together and pushing down as I focused and tensed, the imago of tight elastic chords of circuitry wrapping and tightening around my limbs and locked in place with the power of my soul settled into place. And with that, the effortless movements since my job acceptance was replaced with the resistance of my spell fighting my every motion. Was your night pleasant?

You didn't drag me into the nightmares this time sir~ With a soft sigh, I did the half cartwheel onto my hands, finding my balance before shifting to one hand, lifting myself carefully to my fingertips and slowly starting my vertical pushups. I'd probably only get a single set of 20 for everything this morning, but I didn't want to fall out of the habit of even minimal calisthenics every morning.

Good to hear. I responded, squashing the exasperation at her tone. You'd be sardonic and sassy too if your landlord kept subjecting you to nightly rock concerts or horror shows. We'd work on it over time to improve her living conditions from both ends.

Now, I have your itinerary for the day. She said as I switched hands, and I could hear the shuffling of Opala behind me. You'll want to feed your cats this morning. Finding Opala's mother as well as any valuable targets is a priority today. You should call your mother after she'd be done at work. And you want to get a picture of Opala today, one that doesn't have your seed splattered all over her bare back.

That rather starkly reminded me of my current nudity and I forced myself to instead focus on finishing my count and then finishing the cartwheel back onto my feet. Now at the foot of the bed doing one leg squats. Thank you Koya.

Even with as much power and focus as I could stuff into the imago without snapping it under the strain, this still wasn't enough repetitions or enough resistance to get a meaningful exercise burn. But in this case, it was less the actual muscle strain or cardio and more maintaining the habit than anything else. Wake up, exercise, then the rest of the day.

It's okay to admit it to yourself sir. It's just you preening and prancing as your mating dance. My coadjutor noted as the nearly horse-sized panther padded around towards me.

Ah. True. Thank you for the summation Koya. I agreed in good humor, looking over at the sizeable murder-floof, "Mm?"

"Mrrrrpf." Was the big cat's articulate response before he butted his head against my side, having more enough mass and inertia to nearly knock me over.

"Okay okay," I chuckled, standing. I could work with this. "Come on." Scratching under his chin I led him forward until I could get both arms under his belly, and with a practiced motion flipped the cat over as I picked him up.

This was the reason for super strength. Not punching bad guys in the face, not moving mountains, not cracking the planet.

To pick up oversized cats and cuddle them like furry baby.

Especially because it meant the nearly horse-sized panther was adorably confused that picking him up was even an option.

Opala gasped, and then giggled at the utterly dumfounded look on the feline's face. His paws began to wave and I pulled him to my chest, leaning him towards me so that toe beans nearly the size of my face could plant themselves on my head for stability, one hand scratching at his lower back, "Hey, hey, you're okay. Promise."

In spite of his size, or maybe because of it, the void was very delicate with his claws, only the slightest hint of them against my skin even as he calmed. Big yellow eyes slowly closing as his long tail began to slowly swish from side to side. It was only then that I began to actually use him as a barbell. And aside from a little start, Sebastillion was actually much happier being a free-weight than either of my cats usually were.

The high pitched little sound Opala made was delightfully adorable.

Eventually though I turned the big cat back over and set him back down on the floor, and Opala cleared her throat. "Jacob."

"Mm?" I half turned to the queen, finding that she'd draped voluminous, white cloth over her shoulders and another wrapped around her hips to protect her modesty.

Her eyes bluntly roved my form in a way that made my cheeks warm before she smiled at me, pressing a hand to her chest in a way that sent the fabric taut around her bossom, "Would you care to… join me for a bath?"

I'm proud of myself, I didn't actually say the words 'Oh fuck yes', though from the way her smile widened I'm pretty sure they showed on my face. I cleared my throat, "Ah, yes, I would rather enjoy that."

We were moving significantly faster than the similarly named protagonist would have, he went through a gifting phase, and then her promising to do something later, then a sex scene, and then the bath, probably taking a few days to gather the money for the gifts.

But you know what? Fuck it. If anything, that meant I was early for Osira's canonical visit, and there was plenty of time to either try and meet her then or wait for her response via Valencio. I didn't have to be there right when Osira met Opala, just sometime close. I was more than fast enough to catch up with Osira if I missed the encounter by any reasonable amount, even this early on in my development, between the tools I had available I had little doubt I could catch up. I just needed a non-confrontational meeting with Osira to make my offer, give her a chance to be a client on more even footing and thus woo her rather than just capture and rail her.

"Mmm, wonderful." The extant queen purred before a teasing smile crossed her face, and she held up another piece of cloth, "Normally, this is meant to be a shawl, but you're a bit too… big to use any of the skirts I have in my room."

Your pets, sir. Koya said as I took the cloth from the queen, Since you seem determined not to just turn her into one of them.

Shit. Right. Thanks. "Thank you, though there's something I need to do real quick."

Bring her with you.

"Awww." Opala pouted up at me even as I interrogated my coadjutor.

It'll impress her. She explained quickly as I wrapped the shawl around my waist. And you'll have an easier time using it around her without dancing around it. Your pocket realm, Mr. Mighty Florida Wizard.

"You can join me, if you like." I still think there's something else you're not telling me, but point. "I just have my own cats to feed."

Her face brightened before she gave me a puzzled look, "How so? Did you leave them at the inn?"

A flick of my wrist had my smartphone snapping into it from wherever it'd been, "It might be easier to just show you."

Brandishing it at an empty section of the walls of the royal chamber, I used my thumb to go through the menus to the hotkeyed option, causing a shimmer of light and spatial twisting as a simple framed doorway appeared in the wall.

"Portal magic as well…?" Opala asked with a surprise.

"Quite. Though this is more from my masters than my own skill." For lack of place to put my phone, I dismissed it and opened the door, "I'm not quite capable of this scale of magic myself yet. If you're joining me, your highness?"

The look on her face told me that she knew I was teasing, but she stepped forward and gasped quietly at the wash of cooler air before steeling herself and walking through the portal, "Come along Sebastillion."

Following them into the entryway, I made sure to slip past them even as I heard the very soft 'mew' from my cat, "Booboo. C'mon-"

It was immediately followed by the much louder and longer 'MRAAAOOOOOW'.

"Hi Ron." I responded even as Opala giggled, moving through the living area towards the kitchen as the animals came from the other rooms. The space was small, the most basic bitch of the options when it came to having one's own extradimensional apartment with modern+ amenities that you could access from anywhere with sufficient flat space to put the portal, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living area, a kitchenette, and closet space.

It was still my own extradimensional apartment with modern+ amenities that I could access from anywhere with sufficient flat space to put the portal.

The smaller of the two cats ran up, slowing at the sight of Opala and Sebastillion before hurrying over to me pulling the opened can of wet food from the fridge.

Ron, however, started to enter the living area before sighting our guests and disappearing back into the bedroom. I sighed, "Ronald Weasley, stop being a scaredy cat."

Blue however didn't care, stretching out and giving another plaintive little meow, insisting that he get his morning noms.

With a soft sigh, I set down the can, "One moment."

"Is this your home?" Opala asked, eyes roaming the apartment's living area with its couch and loveseat, fireplace, TV and similar basics.

"Mhm." I smiled as I dipped into my bedroom. As expected, I didn't immediately see the cat, and I had to retrieve him from under the bed. A firm but gentle grip on the cat's scruff to pull him out and pick him up, carrying the orange tabby back to the kitchenette.

Opala had been running a hand along the couch in intrigue before looking up and letting out a little high pitched whine, beaming, "Oh my gosh-! He's so fat! And fluffy!"

"Yes, this stupid little scaredy cat." I agreed with the sentiment. Sebastillion started to approach and I shot the panther a look, "No."

The panther froze as I carried the 22lb ball of fuzz and lard that was Ron to the kitchen. "Can I assist?"

No lie, I was slightly surprised that the queen would offer. She was kind but she was a queen, but I wasn't about to turn it down. I smiled, indicating with my head while using both hands to wrangle the garfield scale cat who wanted nothing more than to hide under the bed. "Yes, if you're offering. The spoons are in that drawer, it's just one spoonful of the wet food from the can each into their dishes."

The smaller woman managed to be graceful even as she practically bounced in place in excitement. And there was either some additional form of excitement there or I needed to adjust the thermostat, 'cause you could poke an eye out on those things. Might want to adjust the thermostat up some since she's going to be here frequently later on.

The more normal sized cat that was Blue circled and weaved around Opala's feet as she spooned the food into the dishes, a brief widening of her eyes as she touched the can from the fridge, "Cold?"

"It's an icebox." I nodded at the fridge even as I crouched and set Ron down beside his own dish, "For preserving food. Thank you by the way."

"It's no problem," she said, beaming as the long haired ragamuffin-like Blue began gobbling up his food with a fury; but Ron just looked up at the 'new person' with a plaintive little meow. "Sebastillion certainly made it harder by scaring your cat." She extended her hand out delicate towards the garfield-alike, unbothered as the cat flinched just a bit before extending to sniff her knuckles.

"Yes, but I still appreciate it." I said, smiling as I gently took the can and spoon back, leaving the royal to beam at my cats as I put it up, and there was the tomahawk steak…

The panth-

Was just thinking it. I agreed with Koya immediately, grabbing the hunk of meat. "Careful, Blue will-"

"Noooo." Opala denied behind me, "That's his!"

"Yup." I didn't even need to turn to know that she'd just had to push the smaller cat back to keep him from stealing Ron's food. "That."

"No." She denied with authority.

"Mew."

Even as I handed over the unwrapped tomahawk steak to a very excited Sebastillion, I glanced over and found Opala had picked up Blue, the cat having gone limp and perfectly happy with this turn of events. The midnight blue animal was held to Opala's barely covered bosom and being pouted at and getting belly rubs, even as Ron finally properly got to eating his own food.

Her makeup still smeared and ruined, and both of us still quite dirty from last night, but seeing her there holding one of my cats and pouting she was fucking radiant.

No fair.

"Kinda surprised." I admitted as Sebastillion started eagerly mlemming his way through the steak, "He's usually way less comfortable with people."

"He seems quite happy now." Opala denied, giving the dark cat in her arms a little heft.

"Oh, not him, he's a pet-slut. He just wants attention. I'm actually a little surprised Ron's already eating."

"But he's so fat-!" Opala said with a giggle.

"Mostly dry food, honestly."

It was at that point that Ron, finished gobbling up his own serving, decided to flop down onto Opala's feet and purr like a motorboat.

Interesting. I didn't think humans could make simultaneous mating calls like that.

You hush, it's adorable. I denied Koya in favor of clearing my throat to stop squeeing, "But yes, that's what I needed to do. Though now I've also got cat hair that I need to clean off."

Rich brown eyes flicked up to me as the scrunched up squeeing smile smoothed into something far warmer, "Mm, very true."

-oOo-

With her eyes closed and lips pursed, Opala tilted her head upwards.

Delicately, the two women on either side of her painted on the shades of blue to her lips and eyelids, reapplying her makeup as I finished washing myself, having politely denied their assistance.

Her handmaidens were quite professional, in a way that actually surprised me.

They weren't mentioned in the game, nor shown, but it only made sense that the queen would have attendants. But given the extremely perverted nature of the source material, I'd been expecting them to be giggly and lascivious.

Instead, for all that they were nude and quite beautiful, they were also very serene and serious in their bathing of the queen and, now that her face and hair were clean, assisted in the application of her makeup as they washed the rest of her.

Humming quietly, Opala's eyes opened as they finished their work on her face, looking to me as they continued to brush her hair, "You said you were planning to stick around for a while, no?"

Emptying the jug of water over my head from what was honestly a small swimming pool masquerading as a bath, I finally responded, "Yes. It's my first time in Thebes and stumbling upon that plot rather… interrupted my visit."

Opala licked her blue-painted lips with a languid appreciation, leaning back as her attendants began to rub scented oils into her bronzed skin, "Lovely, we simply must share 'body heat' again…"

While, earlier, Opala had very enthusiastically… 'assisted' with the entirely expected effects that bathing with these erotic ladies had on my physiology, I entertained exactly zero doubt she meant more than 'just' enjoying another round of riding me to completion.

"That does sound quite nice." I severely understated, as I felt myself throb under the cool water at the thought of a repeat of last night. Down boy, I literally got some not even twenty minutes ago. With some effort, I focused on the pool. While much of the water would come up to Opala's chest, it was just over my waist, the fountains cycling the clear water constantly.

Ask her what she wants to do. Koya prompted. My questioning of the reasoning didn't really have words, but it did get my coadjutor to continue rather primly, If you are insistent on not capturing her immediately and instead getting a love confession from her, then all I can do as your hypercompetent sexy soul secretary is speed along that capture.

The secretary was correct. I had my suspicions that she was running a long con on me of some kind–

Hey-!

But that's a future us problem. I smiled, looking over at the striking figure of Opala, reclining with her handmaidens, "Whatever were you looking forward to?"

"Mmm, you were a wonderful lover, I wouldn't even be sure where to start!" Her chuckle was breathy as she pushed out her generous chest, "Ah, I think I'm looking forward to suckling on that huge manhood until you fill my mouth with your thick, gooey cum… you tasted so good…"

"Your highness." The handmaiden brushing her short hair interrupted softly.

"Ah, yes, my royal duties." She cleared her throat delicately, "As much as I'm looking forward to later today, I must remember to be the ruler of the Egyptian people."

She'd already done some of that before we'd gotten to the bath, speaking with several royal guards to make sure that the things she'd promised, the room in the guardhouse, my own appearance being noted so I could be recognized and allowed in, the security checks, and the new guard rotations would be carried out. More things the games hadn't bothered showing, understandably though given they were nearly solo projects.

"Duty first, sadly." I agreed with a nod. "What do you expect for today?"

"Nothing too out of the ordinary. I'll be seeing some people, taking a walk around the palace to check on everyone and such. Speaking with some soldiers about guard duties, but other than that, I'm afraid I can't tell." She nodded at me, "Yourself?"

"I'm going to try to get a better sense of the palace and city." I said, stretching out my arms and checking to be sure I hadn't missed anything. It was actually a fascinating experience to have the senses I had now, I was still adjusting to the new mystic senses and superhuman fidelity of my more mundane senses. The closest example I could think of being taking off glasses you hadn't realized you were wearing, glasses of the entirely wrong prescription, and being able to run your fingertips delicately across everything around you at once. And it was subtle, but by paying attention, I could see the improving resolution of my vision the longer I was in sunlight.

My hand clenched into a fist, tight enough that I felt my bones creak, "Going to see if I can't find further leads on the actual Striker or this Khan or Osira."

A bit of a lie by implication, but nothing significant. I was going to try and find her mother, get into her good graces, and wait for Valencio to get back to me while I searched for any other potential capture targets that I wouldn't feel bad just catching. Like the mercenaries available… ooh, maybe that one bounty-hunter chick. I'd have to double check the game files to see who she was again.

Stepping out of the bath, I accepted the drying cloth from the handmaiden with a small thanks, and did my best to stay focused on her face and not her beautiful form, which would have easily been a 9/10 back home.

The barely contained smirk told me I was only mostly successful.

A little giggle drew my attention back to where the queen was reclining beside the bath, bare legs stretched out to make it easier for her attendants to finish their work on her nails.

"Mm?"

Opala grinned at my inquisitive grunt, "You're quite modest, aren't you, my brave hero?"

I shrugged as I dried myself off. I mean… that's normally what I aimed for but I still had every intention of capturing, enslaving, and borderline mindbreaking her and her mother and then lavishing them with affection. "I do my best, your highness." Her eyebrows went up and I caught myself, "Opala. Sorry. Force of habit."

"Oh, are you ravishing other royalty that I'm not aware of, Jacob?" She teased with a grin as she stood, raising her arms to allow her handmaidens to slip on her jewelery and wrap her criminally short dress around her.

A bark of laughter escaped me, "Not at this time, no."

Mm, decent save. Not perfect, but decent.

"Mm." Opala stepped into high wedge heel 'sandals', settling into them as her gaze roved my form like a predator with a hunk of meat before her, "I must say, while I very much enjoy the scrumptious view, walking around in the nude may make things difficult in the city."

Now that was an opening I couldn't turn down. Chuckling even as she nodded to her handmaidens, I handed over the drying cloth to one of them, "Don't worry. I didn't come to the city in the nude."

"Will you be recovering clothes from your home?" Opala asked, tucking and checking her dress.

Reaching out with a grin, I pulled my Shroud out of thin air with a flourish, draping cloth so dark green it was nearly black over my shoulders even as I created an outfit for myself. Something resembling a recolored and slightly less bejeweled version of Ozymandiases outfit. I'd left my chest entirely bare for solar energy absorption reasons, but kept detached sleeves for style points. I just made sure to keep my outfit mostly in the blacks and dark greens to compliment my dark brown hair, the pink highlights alongside my pale skin did enough on their own to act as contrasts. No gold though, silver worked better with my skin tone.

The little gasps that got were quite pleasant, and I preened with little shame, slicking my hair back and unnecessarily straightening my outfit.

"Mmm. Why Jacob, you make me wonder if your masters would be willing to sell your services on a more… extended basis."

The way she purred the words, sashaying closer, my face warmed, "Then I am doing something right."

You could always sell yourself to her~ Koyanskaya 'noted' in my ear. She might even be willing to pay the requisite cost for you as you are~

The words brought my thought process, such as it was, to a screeching halt, undercutting them entirely.

I was also a product.

I was also a product.

Oh I did not like that squirmy, empty feeling as my stomach tried to drop through to the core. Thanks Koya. Fuck you.

You already did~ was her cheery response.

"... Jacob…?"

Drawn back to reality from my own inner world by her voice, I looked at the smaller woman, smiling embarrassedly, "Sorry, just…" I struggled for an explanation, I didn't want to outright say that was possible and couldn't think of a good easy deflection of things that could've suddenly concerned me, and lying bluntly off the cuff was not a skill of mine.

Opala stepped closer, her small hand reaching out to brush against my stomach, brown eyes looking up at me in a wordless question.

Petals flashed in my mind, the warm scent of orange blossoms and insidious inspiration flashed, "I'd just realized, your statement made me think of, well, about Osira. If she were to succeed, such a pleasant situation wouldn't be feasible." A truth, for Osira's plans involved Opala and Farah being turned into sexual rewards for her minions.

Something flitted across her face, auburn gaze considering for several long moments before a small smile graced her lips, "Then I won't keep you from your efforts any longer, my handsome hero." My cheeks warmed once more, I've got to get used to getting compliments like that. But Opala didn't make it any easier as her tone dipped into a growl, finger being pressed against the center of my chest against the sensitive scar, "And unless I see you sooner, I'll see you in my private quarters later."

"As her highness wishes." I couldn't help but say, even as Koyanskaya cackled in my soul, aware of my plans.

A.N. 2 Electric Boogaloo - I didn't quite get to the harder divergences I'd wanted to, but this is where the chapter naturally ends so that's where it ends. I considered doing the bath-sex-scene, but didn't find a good emotional revelation for it, just ended up being "Opala surprises him by being consistently eager". I am pretty proud of the exalting scene though.

There's no current time-frame for the next chapter, since it's a lot of original stuff and it's a bit of a connective tissue chapter between scenes I'm really eager to write so I've got to feel it out some. But I'm working on that now.

Regardless, comments and criticism are appreciated, as always!