RanCubed15 Realities Cubed By Jim Robert Bader (Inspired by Rumiko Takahashi, Buronsan, Tsutomu Isomata, Hiroki Hayashi, Ryde Tsukimono With ideas and characters supplied by Trella and Others) WARNING, FULL LEMON ALERT! CONTAINS SCENES OF A GRAPHIC AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT NATURE INVOLVING CARTOON-BASED CHARACTERS DESCRIBED TO BE ENGAGED IN SUGGESTIVE AND LURID SITUATIONS Chapter Fifteen. Intimate Relations Time Patrol HQ Nexus of Time "Confirm on that, Sir," Ryonami reported, "The Phenomenon is definitely a Class Twelve localized phenomenon composed of a Deuterium-rich Anti-proton outer shell surrounding a hollow Dwarf Matter sphere that contains a Proto-Dark Star verging on the brink of being a full blown Black Hole. We are looking on the equivalent of a Chronological bomb capable of wiping out a good chunk of reality as we know it, possibly triggering a chain reaction that could collapse the entire continuum..." "And that's where we just transferred Saotome and Saotome," Supervisor Windsor fatalistically noted, "Terrific. We should have just sent agents Kei and Yuri and made it official." "I'm sure Ranma and Nabiki will have everything in hand, Sir," Ryonami assured him, "Those two tend to work miracles when they're together, and that's even before they got married." "They also tend to blow the hell out of everything they go up against," Windsor complained, "And in this case that is DEFINITELY NOT a good option!" "You have to send me there, Sir," Ryoga volunteered, "I may be able to help them out..." "Not possible at the present...in a manner of speaking," Ryonami reported, "The insertion point we used before has closed...I am unable to make calculations of when the next one will manifest. For the time being we are effectively cut off from communications with our Agents in the field, so it looks like the Boss-lady and her husband are going to have to fend for themselves for a bit, which is kind of the way they like it..." "Somehow I don't feel reassured at all," Windsor remarked, "Without a leash to yank Saotome back we could be facing the biggest mother of all calamities that ever existed. Hell, Existence itself may not be an issue for very much longer..." "Sir," another monitor reported at her station, "We've just been contacted by the High Council of Galifrey. The Time Lords are expressing extreme interest in these unfolding events and wanted to notify us that they are sending one of their agents to personally investigate." "Who?" Windsor asked. "Exactly." "That's just terrific," Windsor rolled his eyes, "As if we don't have enough problems, now we're going to be engaged in a turf war with the Galifreyans!" "I should have gone with them," Ryoga fretted, "Ranma and Nabiki may need me!" "Well, not to make too fine a point of it," another Monitor Technician remarked in a too-casual manner, "But those multiple temporal signatures that we've been reading for the past hour seem to all be converging on the same point, so it's likely that there will be another opening in a little bit, and if we time things just right we may be able to send Agent Hibiki in to back up his partners." "Make it so," Windsor sighed, giving said agent a wry look, "I don't see how it could hurt at this point, and you may even be the only guy who could reign in Saotome if he reverts to his usual Kamikaze patterns." "I'll do what I can, Sir," Ryoga reassured, "You know I'll always be there for Ranma." "Just don't get lost in the timestream this time," Windsor turned and addressed the second Monitor again, "Have you been able to reach Derek yet?" "No sir," the technician replied, "I've only been able to reach his voice mail address...he appears not to be in at his stronghold." "Really?" Windsor frowned, "That is curious...I wonder..." "Sir," Ryoma spoke up again, "I'm getting a temporal spike on Continuum # 74968231...we may have movement at any second." "Better get to the transfer tube and be ready," Windsor advised Ryoga, "This could be a split-second thing, so be ready to shave it close." "Understood, Sir," Ryoga replied as he was already moving to the transfer tubes in question, "I'm always ready." "I know," Windsor murmured to himself, "And for some reason that's got me worried..." * * * Continuum # 74968231 Roll Call: Ryoma Saotome --Son of Ukyo and Ranma, Musubetsu Kakuto Ryu Carmine Hitomabori --Daughter of Inaho and Mosquiton the Vampire, 1/8th Vampyr Tarot Kenzan --Daughter of Shampoo and Konatsu, Mage/Wicca in training Tachi Kuno --Son of Nabiki and Tatewaki, Nampo Kendo Ryu Efreet Mizuhara --Adopted daughter of Ifurita and Makoto, Demon-Goddess Minos Tarot --Son of Kasumi and Pantsaru, Shotokan Ryu Wanda Kenshiro --Daughter of Ranma and Aila, Fist of the North Star Touga Kuno --Son of (?) and Tatewaki, Daimyo, Kendo Master Ryonosuke Senzenen --Son of (?) and Makoto Senzenen, Family Retainer Xandar Kurunei --Son of Kaori and Sasuke, House Ninja Yoriko Kuonji --Daughter of Ukyo and (?), House Ninja Minx Tendo --Daughter of Akane and a Wood Sprite, Changeling Ninja Ryoma was in his own personal Hell of the moment, a Hell that most men beside himself would envy. It was not that he found his companionship unpleasant, it was simply the way the two girls perched at either of his arms were laying a claim to his person that was making him more than a little nervous. Carmine sat to his right and fumed at Tarot, who smiled back in a languid manner from where she was nestled in close to Ryoma's left arm, her head upon his shoulder as both hands were ominously caressing him under the water. It being a warm bath he was naturally in Male aspect, so now he had the most uncomfortable position of being the bone of contention between two very-much interested wildcats, one sultry and suggestive, the other territorial and predatory. "Can't we all just get alone here?" he found himself asking aloud as if he feared the outbreak of hostilities would strike at any moment. "Why, whatever do you mean, Ryo-chan?" Tarot cooed pleasantly as she traced the outline of his fanny with one finger, "We're all just being friendly here...no reason for us to quarrel...eh, Carmine-san?" "Yeah, right," Carmine snorted back as she kept a firm grip on Ryoma's manly chest, alert and on the defensive in case the Witch tried anything in her presence. Ryoma looked pleadingly across the length of the large bath to his lifelong friend, Tachi who also was bathing naked with a nude Efreet all but glued to his own chest, resting her silky-dark head of hair on his manly shoulder. Tachi silently gave a "What do you expect me to do about it?" look of sympathy back Ryoma's way, which was as tacit a statement that they were both in the same boat as could be made without the use of flash cards. "This is so nice," Efreet purred contentedly, "Usually it's just Carmine and me giving each other back-rubs, but having you here is just swell, Master." "Ah..." Tachi had a dubious expression on his face, as if wondering just when the Android had decided that he was indeed her Master. "That's right, 'Master,'" Tarot grinned, "Bathing together communally is a wonderful way to get to know one another...wouldn't you agree?" "Ah...well..." Tachi glanced down at the beautiful girl in his arm and wondered at the strange feelings she awoke within him, feelings at total contradiction to what she had herself admitted regarding her artificial nature. "Better not fight it, guy," Ryoma advised, "I think it's bigger between you two than the both of us put together." "Er...well..." Tachi remarked, "We are trying to keep a low-key presence here...at least for a while before we wind up somewhere else..." "In other words you still have doubts about yourself and your companion," Tarot mused, "I think you are not giving yourself enough credit...and your lovely lady-friend even less than she is deserving." "I...that isn't fair," Tachi protested. "I see," Efreet blinked, "You mean you still have doubts about me?" "I...I didn't say that..." Tachi sputtered, wondering how he had let himself be maneuvered into this situation. "Hmm..." Efreet looked thoughtful, then smiled and took Tachi's hand into her own under the water, "Here...let me show you something that ought to convince you." "Huh?" Tachi blinked and then found his hand being guided by his lovely companion to a place that felt, warm, soft and entirely pleasant to the caress, "Oh my..." "You see?" Efreet smirked, "Feels just like a real woman's, doesn't it? You can even put your finger in here...I don't mind it, really." "Ah...honey?" Carmine started to worry. "Hey, it feels nice down there," Efreet smiled, "You've got good fingers." "Er...thank you...I think," Tachi swallowed, his eyes full of wonder. "No need to thank me, Master," Efreet replied, "I'll do whatever you want of me...you can play with me all you like. I think my designers planned for me to be used this way, and it sure feels nice." "But..." Tachi swallowed, "I'm not really your Master..." "Heh, well..." Ryoma decided he couldn't resist twisting the knife on his childhood friend, "You are technically supposed to be her Master here, and since the rest of us are also supposed to be in some kind a Harem arrangement..." "That isn't funny," Tachi growled softly, "And--no offense, 'Cousin,'---you're not exactly my type the way you are, know what I mean?" "I'm hurt," Ryoma mock-pouted, "Throwing me over already? Men are so fickle..." "Oh, I don't know about that," Tarot grinned, and with her other hand reached out to caress the sex-swapping boy under the water, deliberately cupping her hand over his qualifications towards manhood. "Urk!" Ryoma got very round-eyed as he felt that part of his body stiffen at the silky-soft touch of the Amazon's strong fingers. "Huh?" Carmine felt Ryoma's reaction and tried to fathom what the Witch had just done to get a rise out of him, then her eyes drifted down and she saw something poking its head like a snake out of the water, "HEY!!!" "No need to shout, Carmine-chan," Tarot cooed, "If you want it so bad, then I'd be willing to share with you. After all...you've never done it with a guy before...have you?" "Huh?" Carmine blinked, then in a voice a bit higher than before she said, "What's that got to do with it? And hands off him right now!" "But Ryo-chan doesn't want me to let him go," Tarot pouted, "Do you, Ryo-chan?" "Ah-Ah-Ah---" was all Ryoma could manage as Tarot skillfully gave him a hand-job that made him sink back a little in the water, the pressure within him making his rod as hard as iron. "You see?" Tarot grinned, "He's like putty in my hands...but since you so obviously want to claim him for yourself, perhaps we might...negotiate for the privilege?" "Negotiate?" Carmine snorted, "Get real! Now let him go or else...!" "Wow, that looks like fun!" Efreet said cheerfully, "Let me try it!" "Huh-what...?" Tachi began stammering when he felt Efreet's hand awkwardly reaching for his own male organ and all at once laying hold to it as though she were preparing to yank on a rip chord. "Not so hard," Tarot urged the Demon Goddess, "Men are very soft of fragile there...you have to be gentle." "Oh...sorry," Efreet apologized, then noticed the oddly puckered expression on her male companion, "Are you okay, Master?" "Ah...well..." Tachi felt relief at having her grip relax on his manhood. "Here," Tarot let go of Ryoma (much to the latter's relief and embarrassment) and floated over to Efreet, taking the Android's hand and showing her how to curl it around Tachi's own manhood, "Hold him like this...and let your tactile sensors inform you of the pressure of your grip. Now...ease your hand over the shaft back and forth like this..." "Oh..." Efreet exclaimed as she did as she was told and saw at once the shift in Tachi's expression, "This is easy...thanks!" "We're only just starting out, dear," Tarot winked at the synthetic girl and said, "Now...let me show you something that will really blow his socks off. Follow me and watch exactly what I do, and then you can copy my moves and really bring pleasure to your master." "Wait a minute...!" Tachi expressed in some alarm as he saw the blue haired girl take a deep breath then submerge her head beneath the level of the water, followed an instant later by Efreet, who wanted to watch things from under the surface. Tachi had no further time to protest as he found something warm and soft cup around the head of his male organ, and then he leaned back with a heartfelt groan and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, his expression registering anything but a painful reaction. "Oboy," Ryoma murmured with rounded eyes, staring at the dark mass of floating blue hair that signified to him what Tarot was doing, and immediately he felt sympathy for his alleged "Cousin." "What the heck is she doing?" Carmine asked in confusion. "You don't want to know," Ryoma replied, "Take my word on that." Tarot and Efreet resurfaced a moment later, the former smiling at the latter and asking, "Think you've got it now?" "Yeah," Efreet replied with enthusiasm, "It looks like a lot of fun, thanks!" "Just remember to go easy on him," Tarot cautioned, "Avoid using your teeth and let your tongue ease the shaft in and out...and take him in gently between strokes, don't try to go all the way or be in any great hurry." "Okay," Efreet replied and instantly vanished back down under the water. "Wait a minute!" Tachi started to protest, "You don't have to-OOOoooHHHH!" Tarot smiled and floated back to the side of Ryoma, "It does my heart proud to show a newcomer the ropes..." "You mean to corrupt the morals of an innocent robot?" Ryoma asked suspiciously. "Oh pooh," Tarot smiled back at Ryoma and touched him on the nose with the tip of one finger, "Are you jealous, Ryo-chan? Don't be...I was only helping Tachi- chan out, there's no need for you to feel neglected." "I'm not jealous," Ryoma growled, though his expression went from irritated to amazed as he saw Tachi lean all the way backwards with arms braced to the side- rim of the bath, his face registering the most surprising range of emotions. "What the hell did you do to my friend?" Carmine growled, "You've turned her into some kind of raging sex-fiend!" "I hardly needed to do anything but guide her where she wanted to go," Tarot countered, "And you don't need to pretend to be so shocked and offended. I know perfectly well that you want to do the same thing with Ryo-chan here." "I do not!" Carmine immediately protested. "Hmmm?" Tarot gave the Vampyr a suggestive leer that as much as called her a liar. "You...you're disgusting," Carmine grumbled as she turned away and pouted. "Oh?" Tarot mused, "Then you don't mind if I screw Ryo-chan while you watch?" "Do whatever you-HEY!!!" Carmine reacted in dismay. "Ah...can I say something here?" Ryoma timidly asked. "NO!" came the emphatic answer. "Terrific," Ryoma grumbled, "I've become my own father..." All at once a cry that sounded like a wounded moose giving vent to a sudden urge to imitate a coyote sounded out from the other end of the chamber that they were sharing, causing all heads to turn and look in that direction, including Efreet, whose head rose up from the water. "What the heck was that?" asked the Demon Goddess. "Off hand I would say that Minos-chan just got lucky," Tarot replied, "I rather thought that he and our mutual friend, Wanda, were looking a bit eager when they exited the bath." "Well...about bloody time," Ryoma noted, "I was beginning to think he was never gonna make it with a woman." "Let's hope this time nobody makes the mistake of interrupting them," Carmine shuddered slightly, recalling rather vividly what had happened the last time Wanda went on the rampage. "An eminently prudent suggestion," Tarot replied, "So let's not interrupt them, shall we? Why don't we find something much more enjoyable to do with our free time, shall we?" "Okay," Efreet turned back to Tachi and said, "Are you ready now? You seem hard enough to mount me." "HUH?" Tachi exclaimed, "But...you don't have to..." "Oh, it's no problem for me," Efreet smiled as she bobbed in the water, coming up to him and pressing her chest against his own, "I want you to feel the same way about me as if I were a real woman, Master." "But...you don't need to do any---Oh my!" Tachi exclaimed as he found his face within inches of the Demon Goddess, and then he found his manhood being guided by one of her hands to something that offered only mild resistance, and with rounded eyes he found he was entering into the crescent garden of the all-to- willing Android. Ryoma blinked, then under his breath murmured, "She works fast..." "A fast learner," Tarot smiled, "I'm proud of that girl...she really is a sweet thing, Carmine-san. I can see why you like her." "What?" Carmine blinked, not immediately catching on to the subtle meaning of that statement until she saw the shrewd way that the blue haired girl was looking in her direction, "Hey...wait! You're not saying...ah...well..." "You have done it with her, haven't you?" Tarot persisted as Carmine began to blush solidly crimson, "Hardly surprising since she technically has regarded you all along as her true Mistress." "But that's not..." Carmine protested. "Oh, you don't need to explain yourself to us," Tarot smiled as she resumed her place at Ryoma's side, "Ryo-chan and I have also exchanged pleasures...and so has Ivory...though I'd hardly think that counts since she used drugs to have her way with you, right Ryo-chan?" "Ah...well..." Ryoma hesitated. "What, and you used magic to get him?" Carmine fumed. "I should hardly have to resort to tricks to get a rise out of my Ryo-chan," the Sorceress replied, "After all, I'm not a certifiable loon like certain other parties we could both name, eh, Ryo-chan?" "Well..." Ryoma reluctantly conceded. "Hmph," Carmine glared at him, "And here I thought you weren't just another pervert..." "HEY!" that comment sparked a flash of real outrage in the sex-crossed boy, "I ain't a pervert! I don't do stuff that's weird or shameful or anything like that! Okay...so I've done it as both a guy and a girl, but that's not bad or unnatural or nothing like that! Don't go calling me names, it ain't like I'm on your case for you being a Blood Drinker..." he paused, then said, "Ah...I...I didn't mean that like it sounded..." "And what makes you think I care?" Carmine reacted as she started to get up with the clear intent of leaving the bath. "Don't go," Tarot urged, "You know that you don't want to." "AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CARE WHAT I DO???" Carmine whirled on her, "You've been on my case for as long as I've known you!" "Which is approximately three hours and forty-four minutes, nine seconds so far, at least in linear time measurement," Tarot replied matter-of-factly, "Hardly long enough to form a permanent impression." "Let me ask you something," Carmine glared at her rival, "What the Hell kind of girl are you? You call yourself a Witch and you throw your muscle around like those spells of yours were nothing..." "Actually," Tarot explained, "I am a trained Amazon Mage, but I prefer to call myself a Witch for...specialized reasons. I am into nature worship and spiritualism as well as the direction of Higher Magics. I am attuned to my immediate surroundings and seek to work with the forces that are near to hand to achieve a result on both a spiritual and physical level, and of necessity I am honest with my emotions. I don't lie and prevaricate or hide from my feelings...I act on my emotions, and I don't waste time and energy in denial as you have been doing all morning. Now...sit down, Carmine-chan, and let us deal with the issue between us in a calm and reasonable manner. You want Ryo-chan as much as I do...that much is certain, and storming off like some little girl loudly denouncing him will not bring us any closer to a resolution." To her own surprise, as much as to any other, Carmine did sit down, though why she was not certain. Her eyes reluctantly drifted towards Efreet and Tachi, who all this time had been involved in what looked to be a slow and building grappling session. "And what makes you such an expert on everything?" Carmine growled. "I'm not," Tarot replied, "I just pay more attention." "Ah...well..." Ryoma shrugged nervously, "If you guys would just settle down and take it easy so we can talk like regular people..." "You mean like a Witch, a Vampire and a sex-changing martial artist?" Tachi gasped from where he was barely visible beneath the bouncing figure of Efreet. "Ah...like that...obviously," Ryoma said uncomfortably, his eyes drawn back to the sight of the dark haired girl bobbing up and down in the water with increasing speed and friction. "How are you doing over there, Tachi-san?" Tarot smirked, "Is everything to your satisfaction?" "Oh-yeah..." Tachi gasped, "No pain---no gain...!" and then he shuddered in a particularly telling manner. "Ohhhhoooohhhhh---that feel so nice!" Efreet cried out as she rocked back and forth atop him. "Oboy..." Tachi gasped, and then he threw his head back again and made a sound that was midway between a gasp, a whimper and a yell, even as Efreet began to shake atop him, and then made a noise of her own that sounded like a cry of joy more than any other tangible emotion. The only difference was when she came the whole room began to shake, if not the castle itself, forces radiating from her body that seemed to cause the very air to quiver and vibrate! It took a long while for both teenagers to come down from the heights of their mutual arousal, but at long last things started to return to normal and then Efreet looked down with a grin at Tachi, who stared up at her with wonder in his own expression. In a pleasantly chirpy voice she said, "That was fun, thank you, Master!" "Ah...don't mention it..." Tachi said between heavy pants, "It was my pleasure...really..." "That was almost as much fun as doing it with Carmine," Efreet turned to glance over her shoulder, "He's really good, and I could definitely get to like this...uh...Carmine? Guys? You guys all right?" Blank looks greeted her inquiry, even Tarot seeming momentarily stunned by the effect created when the Demon Goddess climaxed. Efreet blinked her eyes and wondered why everybody was acting this way but was not so distracted as to miss hearing the boy beneath her say, "Almost as good as with Carmine...?" "Oh...I didn't mean it that way, Master," Efreet hastily amended, "I mean...it's different from when I did it with Carmine...and it's really good! I want to do it again if you really don't mind it too very much?" "Mind?" Tachi blinked, almost dismayed as he added, "Again...?" "Okay," Efreet smiled, "I'll take that as a yes, Master." "Oh my," Tarot mused, "I think I may well have created a Monster...' "No kidding," Ryoma remarked, "Poor Tachi." "She wasn't like this before we ran into you guys," Carmine murmured faintly. "Oh right, blame it all on us," Ryoma huffed, "Like anybody would choose to have these sorts of adventures." "Uh..." Carmine faltered, "I didn't mean it like that..." "Oh, I don't know," Tarot mused, "I suppose from your way of looking at things that we must come across as a group of errant troublemakers..." "We?" Ryoma arched eyebrows. "Well..." Tarot amended, "Perhaps for my part I have been a bit...excessive in my zeal...but I think I am starting to understand you better, Carmine-san." "Understand?" Carmine asked suspiciously, "Understand what?" "The sort of person you really are," Tarot replied, "In a few hours time we have seen the best and worst that is within you, and I've come to a rather interesting conclusion." "Which is?" Carmine hesitated. "That deep down you really are a great big softie," Tarot smiled in an enchanting manner, "And for all that you have a darkness within you, you genuinely care about people." "Ah..." Carmine was taken off guard by that sort-of compliment, and even more so when Tarot seemed to suddenly appear in the space directly before her with the blue haired girl's face only inches from Carmine's. "You care about Efreet, even though she's not really human," Tarot remarked, "You feel a strong attraction to Ryoma---which is only natural, by the way, since even a Vampyr must have a pulse---and you obviously feel an attraction towards me..." "YOU???" Carmine reacted, "Lady, you are seriously brain damaged!" "Hey, even hatred and indifference can only be felt towards some object or person who incites in you an emotional reaction," Tarot replied, "At first I had my doubts about you, but you've put a great deal of that to rest. I now stand corrected for having doubted the sincerity of your intentions, so I'm willing to reward your patience in putting up with my teasing by letting you have what you have been wanting from the beginning...Ryoma." "Huh?" both Carmine and Ryoma reacted in concert. "It's quite simple," Tarot smiled as she slid around behind Carmine, who was amazed at the ease with which the Sorceress seemed to flow sideways through the water, "You want him as much as I do, and Ryoma has accepted you in spite of your having the blood of a Vampire. Since can control your urges, after a fashion, it would seem safe enough for the two of you to be together.' She gave a push and Carmine found herself being propelled into Ryoma's arms, her knees folding as she landed in the space between his parted legs and falling onto his chest as Ryoma reflexively moved his hands to catch her. Carmine had only a moment to gasp as her eyes locked place with the boy who sat before her, and then Carmine felt the press of Tarot's body against her back and found herself trapped in the middle of a "sandwich." "So," Tarot cooed into the Vampyr's ear, "What do you say to that, you two? Would you rather by-pass all the heart-ache and angst of a protracted soap opera, or would you rather get it on and save on all the bother?" "Get it on?" Ryoma gasped. "The...three of us?" Carmine repeated. "Well, if you think three is a crowd," Tarot purred, "But don't expect me to bow out of the mixture." "Oboy," Tachi remarked as he spared a portion of his conscious attention to see what progress his friend was making...the rest of him quite thoroughly engaged hanging on for dear life as his own romantic interest was busy bobbing up and down on his again-erect manhood. Not that he had anything to complain about, but he wondered why he was suddenly receiving a portion of Ryoma's usual easy fortune with the opposite gender (which gender that happened to be at the moment being an entire side-issue unto itself). "Now listen here," Carmine growled, "Do you expect me to cooperate in a-AHHH! What are you doing???" "Circumventing your argument, of course," Tarot cooed into her ear, "You were about to protest that you would not be going along with this merely because I suggested it...so I thought I'd give you something to think about before you leap to any hasty decisions." "But what..." Ryoma gasped and looked down as he felt something caressing his chest below the surface of the water, and to his amazement he found that Tarot was cupping Carmine's bosoms and rubbing her nipples against his chest. "Now doesn't that feel nice?" Tarot murmured, "I know the both of you are enjoying this...almost as much as I am." "But...this..." Carmine started to say when she found herself losing her train of thought as new sensations were transmitted through her nipples to her body...and with a start she felt something poking up in the space between her thighs, something round and smooth but strangely unyielding. "I know I must seem pushy and ill-mannered, trying to get you two together," Tarot continued as she slid her hands down to grip Carmine's hips and partially lift her out of the water, "But I really do think that I'm being an awfully good sport about this, considering that I'm only making it easier on you both, and I'm not making you do anything that you wouldn't choose to do of your own volition." "Huh...wha...OOHHH!" Carmine exclaimed as she suddenly felt something push up against her groin area, something round and bulbous that a second pair of hands guided to her opening, even as skillful fingers plied about her clitoris. As Carmine only just began to register this she found herself being lowered down upon his shaft, which pushed into her loins like an oversized finger. "Now..." Tarot mused, "Doesn't that also feel nice? I have to admit that there are few pleasures to compare with having Ryo-chan within me...though I am certainly willing to try a few new ones just to be certain." "Wh-wh-what do you...?" Carmine gasped as she found herself being lifted a few inches, then lowered again so that Ryoma's organ slid partially out then all the way into her vulva. Impossibly she also felt Tarot's hands playing with her nipples, and then two sets of lips cupping each of her bosoms, as though not one person but three were taking possession of her body. Ryoma was staring up at her with a look of wonder, but also glancing at one Tarot whose face was nuzzling the Vampyr's neck while another Tarot stood to each side giving her breasts an affectionate licking. And Tachi, who had been watching all of this take place with only a small portion of his awareness, had to blink his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing cross-eyed (the girl currently riding him being a sure cause of such a momentary dislocation of his optic centers) because it now looked as though there were not one but three Tarots all making out with the Vampire girl currently riding up and down on Ryoma. Even for Kenzan this was surely pushing the limits... Meanwhile, as all of this was transpiring at the other end of the room, Wanda relented in her own efforts with the boy-turned-man who was her current object of obsession, giving an exhausted Minos a much needed break in which to recover his breath (among other euphemisms.). "Oh my," Minos gasped, "Lady...you really are something..." "I know," Wanda replied with a certain savor, "You're not so bad yourself either." "Heh...well...I do my best," Minos chuckled softly, "I can't say I've had a lot of practice doing this...but...you're pretty inspirational." "I do my best," Wanda replied in an affectionate mimicry of his own awkward statement, "I hope that I haven't seemed too demanding and forward to you...I was raised to believe that you should never hesitate to take what you want, that you never know for how long you may possess it." "So...is that what I am to you?" Minos smirked, "A possession?" "More like the spoils of a conquest," Wanda teased, resting easily on one arm as she stared down with great fondness upon the naked boy whose strength had done so much to bring her body peace, "But seriously, I do not know how long we will be allowed the time to do this together. We are from different worlds and may be parted at any time..." "I know," Minos replied, turning his head to gaze up at the incredible naked beauty laying to his right side on the futon, "And I hope it doesn't come soon. It's been an incredible experience just meeting you...I never knew that there was anyone like you...in this world or any other." "Well, now we both know," Wanda replied, "And I, for one, feel greatly enriched by the knowledge that there is one man who can satisfy and please me greatly. Perhaps on my world a man such as you still exists, but I have searched long and hard and have yet to find such a person..." "I can't believe that there's no guy who'd be lucky enough to have a girlfriend like you," Minos said with dull wonder in his voice, "I can't believe that I'm the guy who's been lucky enough to have you for the first time." "Then believe me when I say that the pleasure was all mine," Wanda assured him, sitting upright as she reached for the nearby teakettle to pour herself and her man a drink, then started to turn around to present the one cup to Minos's hands...and found a presence nestled rather unexpectedly in her lap, making herself comfortable as though resting her fluffy head against a pillow. "Ah, this good life," purred the rainbow haired Minx, "High muky-mucks live good, share with guests, not like Minx have." "Excuse me?" Wanda asked, one eyebrow twitching rather significantly. "Uh oh," Minos sat upright, "What are you doing here?" "Minx come tell that Kuno Lord want for dinner," the fuzzy-haired girl replied, "You come for dinner, or maybe come already with boy toy?" "And what," Wanda rumbled dangerous, "Is it any business of yours?" "Minx just ask," the fuzzy-headed girl sat upright and turned around to confront Wanda with a cunning smirk, "Big white furry-purry no be mad if Minx say she cute? Minx like you smell, is nice scent, could follow you through hailstorm." Wanda considered her options, recalled that she was still gripping porcelain in both hands, and weighed that against the sudden urge to strike out against this fast-talking interloper who dared call her CUTE, even if the little runt was as fleet as quicksilver and as difficult to nail as a wisp of smoke in the breeze. She still had not forgotten the humiliation that she had suffered before at the clawed hands of this shimmer-haired Kitsune. "Ah..." Minos knew that he had to act quickly before the situation before him turned explosive (in a very literal sense, and with him at ground zero!), and so he said, "Look...if you wanted to inform us that his Lordship wants us to come see him, you could have knocked." "Minx know this," the sylvan girl replied with an elfin grin, "Just like say hi to Big Stuff, like these knockers whole lot," and with that she reached out and pinched both of Wanda's exposed nipples, tugging on the enormous breasts in a playful way, then tweaked them before letting them go in a snap. Wanda's reaction was almost comical as for a moment her body reacted to this unexpected treatment of her still-highly-aroused mammary glands, but once she got over her shock, her expression went livid and the porcelain cups in her hands were shattered to powder, the hot tea being splashed in all directions. "Why you---!" Wanda reached out for tiny, lithe figure, but Minx darted out of her grasp with a happy-go-lucky giggle, then paused to bow before saying, "Lord Mucky-Muck want you see him shortly, Minx see you there, bye now!" And to their mutual astonishment the girl seemed to float right through the floorboards like a ghost, leaving Wanda in a towering rage, her fists clenched in fury as she panted like a hound that had just lost an elusive rabbit down a hole. Her eyes were almost glowing with emotion, and for a few instants even Minos found that face more than a little scary. "Ah..." he ventured after the passage of several nerve-cracking heartbeats, "Guess that means that fun time is over?" She turned to him, her expression inhuman with an almost demonic regard that promised VERY BAD THINGS to whomever wound up on her bad side. But then the moment passed and her lovely face regained its more sullen composure. Wanda took the better part of a full minute to calm down, but at last she said, "You are right...this achieves us nothing. As much as I am loathe to say, we must gird ourselves for a battle of a very different nature from that to which we are normally accustomed." "If you mean we've got to dress up in fancy duds and hob-nob with his Noble Prick-ness, you're right," Minos nodded, "But that's the price we gotta pay for being heroes." Wanda actually smiled at that, then regarded him fondly, "Thank you for staying by me...I know I can be a most...unpleasant sort when the rage is upon me." "Naw," Minos shrugged, "You ain't that bad. Now my Aunt Akane...when she gets going she can be downright terrifying. Even my Old Man wouldn't want to go up against her when she's on one of her snit fests." "It would be nice to meet your family," Wanda mused, "Having none of my own to claim, I suppose I would value them more than many another." "Well...I think Dad would be impressed, and I know Mom would like you," Minos replied, "But why don't we save the flowery talk for when we're in his Lordship's presence? I've gotta feeling we shouldn't keep this guy waiting for too long, you never know what hidden surprises he might have up his sleeves." "Agreed," Wanda rumbled, "Then...perhaps you may assist me? I have never dressed myself for anything like an official occasion." "I...think I can help you out there," Minos smiled, "And I gotta admit, beautiful, I'm really eager to see what you look like in a kimono." "I thought you liked me better the way I am," she teased. "Ain't even a contest," Minos leered as he allowed himself to drink in the sight of her magnificent body. But then he blinked his eyes and turned his head to take in the sounds of a set of cries, shouts and mingled groans and protests coming from the partitioned end of the room that was contained the hot bath that he and Wanda had enjoyed less than an hour beforehand, and it did not take much in the way of imagination to figure out that Ryoma had once again succumbed to the cunning arts of an amorous Tarot. "My," Wanda mused, "They certainly do seem to be enjoying themselves over there. It would be a shame to disturb them." "Maybe," Minos allowed himself a wry smile, eyeing a nearby bucket as a plan formed in his head for some vicarious revenge against a certain Saotome, "On the other hand...this could be a real pleasure." A moment later a bucket of ice cold water was poured over Ryoma's head, triggering his/her transformation and a yelp that caused a certain unseen observer to back away from his headphones. "Oh my," Lord Kuno Touga remarked with a wince, "A pretty strong set of lungs on that one girl. I might have known a Saotome would be a key player among them." "My Lord," Xander spoke from where he knelt on bended knee, "Forgive our clan sister for her hasty and imprudent actions..." "Oh, think nothing of it," Touga waved the point away dismissively, "It was most amusing to see her getting a rise out of that giant. We have learned much about our visitors...it seems that they are even more interesting than I had previously estimated." "How so, My Lord?" Ryonosuke asked from where he was standing beside his Lord, safely ensconced behind a silk painting that was actually a thick, one-way looking glass, cleverly disguised to avoid even close attention. "That one boy is indeed a Kuno," Touga remarked, "I'd stake my life on it, but curious that he is traveling in the company of a member of the clan Saotome. My mother, were she here to witness this, would find this all so very confusing, but I find myself most amused by their antics." "They certainly put on quite an intriguing show," Ryonosuke nodded, having enjoyed watching the activities in the bath almost as much as the incredible gymnastics of the rather large youth and the silver haired giantess. "That they do," Kuno said as he set down his headphones, a marvelous invention recently discovered in Europe for the transmission of sounds through hidden speakers connected by wires laced all through the guest chamber, and given to Lord Kuno as a gift from one of his Foreign allies. It was the best thing to happen in the way of Espionage since the invention of the poison quill, and having survived more than his share of encounters with his deranged Aunt Kodachi, Touga knew which sort of intelligence gathering device he would choose to employ with guests who promised this level of intrigue. "My lord," Ryonosuke ventured, "We know that these people are dangerous and formidable, do we dare to trust sitting down with them for a meal like honored guests?" "You presume too much, old friend," Touga replied, "I will not have my hospitality be questioned. They shall be honored as befits such a colorful band of travelers, and then...I will choose my moment to spring the question that foremost in mind regarding my alleged 'cousin,' and this Jusenkyo-cursed Saotome. The others would rally to assist them should we choose a confrontational approach, so...we will observe the forms and do this in a properly civilized manner..." he turned his gaze towards Xandar and Yoriko, "I trust you understand the full implications?" "We do, Lord Kuno," Xandar bowed in recognition. "All shall be as you intend it, Lord Kuno," Yoriko acknowledged, then paused before adding, "And I will try to get Minx to cooperate this time. She seems to have formed a peculiar attachment to the Giant." "So noted," Touga replied, using his fan to indicate his acceptance of the fact that this was a difficult assignment, "I ask no more of you than that you try and restrain her...foibles. Very well, then, we shall leave these charming people to their preparations. Have everything ready in the Great Hall, and no one acts without first receiving my signal." "Hai, my Lord," came three simultaneous bows from his closest and most reliable of retainers. Touga paused as he watched the two Ninja slip away into the shadows of the hidden corridor that connected to the booth, then spared a last glance to admire the glistening bodies that were even then emerging from the bath before their lovely qualities could be obscured by robes and towels, then chuckled softly to himself, "It's good to be the Daimyo..." And---as it so happened---at that moment, Tarot happened to glance in the direction of a peculiar wall hanging that had been attracting her notice and wondered if her instincts were attempting to alert her to a hidden danger. She considered the point then shrugged her slender shoulders, deciding that the matter could wait as she had more interesting fish to fry...or console, as it were, as Carmine and Ryoma still seemed shaken and dazed by what had happened in the bath. Ryoma was back to being female, of course, while the Vampyr was still recovering from the strange experience of being embraced by a man at one second, then by a girl in the other, and that sudden withdrawal of a male member that she had been enjoying no doubt left the poor thing confused on more than one level. Time to shift gears and ratchet back in her efforts at turning these two around in her favor. She had gotten their attention and that would be enough for now, and how they choose to react when they started to think clearly again would tell a greater story if Tarot was indeed embarking on the right course of action. If not...well then...she would try something else in her efforts towards securing a place within the heart of HER Ryoma. Carmine was still trying to take stock of what had just happened, and---more to the point---why in the hell she had just blithely gone along and allowed Tarot to screw her. Er-well, actually it was Ryoma who did the screwing, but the point was still the same since the Witch had been taking most of the initiative in setting things up then taking full advantage of the situation. In plainest terms she confused the hell out of Carmine with her rapid shifts of mood and direction, one minute so hostile and antagonistic towards Carmine, the next so wry and cunning as she literally pushed Carmine and Ryoma together. By rights she should have hated the Witch for her not-so-subtle manipulations, but instead Carmine found herself remembering the feeling of Tarot's hands on her breasts and those lips suckling her nipples. There had been no haste or aggression in the way the Witch had handled her...and instead there had been tenderness and what seemed almost like genuine affection. Certainly nothing there to which Carmine could relate... Well... maybe. That pretty much described the way she often felt towards Efreet, who could be naïve and vulnerable in ways that seemed totally at odds with the enormous power that was at her disposal. The Demon Goddess was her closest friend (and sometimes more than this) yet tended to see the world in rather uncomplicated terms. Just glancing to one side to witness the glow of happiness that seemed to radiate out of the Android made Carmine feel faintly envious, if only that she wished that she could be so light hearted in her enjoyments. Unfortunately too much of her life had been devoted to learning to master the darker instincts that came from having the blood of a Vampire in her veins. If only she could similarly figure out Ryoma...the boy-turned-girl whom she had so recently ridden was as yet still a mystery, and not least of which was due to the odd way she had let herself be manhandled and manipulated by Tarot. How could anyone be so dynamic and forceful one minute and turn into such a...jellyfish when pressured by a woman? Well...Jellyfish might not be the right term...one part of him had certainly been VERY firm, and that was the part that had staked Carmine repeatedly and pierced her to the marrow, though far more pleasantly than when her Mothers had to resort to drastic means to tame the periodic rages of her father... Ryoma was wondering pretty much the same thing herself at the moment (about being a Jellyfish around Tarot, not the stuff that was peculiar to Carmine). ["Oh man,"] she silently berated herself, ["I let her do it to me AGAIN!!! When am I ever going to learn to put my foot down around Tarot-chan? I know she means well, but putting Carmine through all that...ah...putting me into Carmine...well...that just wasn't the right way to do stuff!"] At times such as these she felt like a total idiot. Of course she cared about Tarot, but the Amazon girl had a way of pushing herself into things that could be downright aggravating. Ryoma knew that a more forceful type would take the Witch in hand and bend her over her knee to teach her to curb her Hentai impulses, but the thought of doing anything hurtful to the Azure-haired Sorceress just wasn't in Ryoma's nature. Tarot had been rude to Carmine almost from the start, first treating her as yet another rival, then seeing her as a means to an end and an excuse for screwing Ryoma by proxy. That wasn't the way people ought to behave with those they professed to care about...but how to make Tarot see that? The girl could be so insufferably smug and superior at times, confident that she was clever enough to outthink almost anyone, and one of these days that attitude was bound to land her in a heap of trouble! Tachi eyed his best friend with clear sympathy for Ryoma's plight. At times the heir to the Saotome Ryu could be so utterly clueless when it came to women...an odd thing to say considering that he WAS part woman, at least half of the time on an average day. It was a downright shame and a pity, and yet even Tachi was at a loss of how to advice his friend on how to extricate himself from this situation. He did, however, have a good idea of who needed the talking-to-most, so--- begging Efreet to indulge his company for a moment while she and Carmine helped to dress in Kimonos, he sought out Tarot and took the Witch by the arm very firmly, leading her off to a far corner so that they could talk in relative privacy beyond the earshot of the others. "What is the meaning of this?" Tarot began, surprised at the handsome boy's behavior. "Shut up for a minute," Tachi said with deliberate rudeness, "I want you to listen, and I don't want to be interrupted." The Amazon lifted an eyebrow and remarked, "You're feeling your oats today if you feel like risking a change in species." "First hear me out and then you can decide if you want to Zap me," Tachi squared himself to look the crimson-eyed girl in the eyes, "You've been acting out of sorts all morning, and even you've got to admit that your behavior has been a little extreme of late. You're pushing it way too hard, and if you don't watch out you're going to get your head handed to you on the proverbial platter." "And what would you know about it?" Tarot challenged. "More than you seem to think," Tachi retorted, "I know better than to rub people the wrong way and try to make them agree with you by applying pressure where they'd most resent it. You're not quite as clever as you seem to think you are, and you're not so much smarter than everyone around you that you can afford to be making these kinds of mistakes. You know perfectly well that people want to at least have the illusion of free choice, and you're walking all over their egos isn't a healthy way of getting their attention." "So what are you suggesting I should do?" Tarot glared at him in an almost neutral manner, "Sit back and let another girl steal Ryo-chan out from under me?" "I think you should take a step back, give yourself some breathing space and have a hard look at the way in which you're trying to get their attention," Tachi urged, "You know that sex alone doesn't confirm a relationship, but maybe you have managed to get your point across. You should at least give Carmine the chance to decide if she likes you for yourself or not, or whether she honestly thinks Ryoma is worth all the hassle." "You think she doesn't feel that way already?" Tarot frowned. "She doesn't know him as well as we do," Tachi replied, "She hasn't a clue about what all she's getting involved with, but you do, and you should be the one on her side who helps her out around the rough edges. She's only known him a few hours and you've got them jumping into the sack together, and how long did it take you to get that far, or Ivory for that matter? Heck, what do you think she's going do to when she finally does meet Ivory and she's no longer this invisible bogey-girl we've all been making her out to be? She's going to need a friend...a real friend who isn't just out to screw her in a literal and physical sense, and you could be that friend if you just eased back a bit and stopped trying to rub her nose in the dirt that you've had a prior relationship with a boy she's just met. I mean...what was the deal with you getting her to bite you, then showing how you could turn that against her?" "Maybe I don't like to be taken for granted either," Tarot replied, "Ever think about that?" Tachi shook his head and sighed, "I can't imagine anyone...even Ryoma, taking you for granted, Kenzan-san. You know how to wrap him around your little finger without even casting a single spell, and he goes out of his way to avoid getting on your bad side, which has nothing to do with your powers. He knows you'd never try to seriously hurt him, so if he's afraid of you at all it's because he doesn't know how to behave himself in your presence. He was raised with a certain set of values, and you tend to think that rules are something that apply to someone else. You quoted Amazon law a while ago when for years you've rebelled against the whole concept of basing a marriage on one's ability to fight. You're both a fighter and a lover, but you need to start treating the man you profess to love like you thought he genuinely was your equal!" "Are you done?" Tarot asked, her eyes dark and sullen with unvoiced emotions. "Not quite," Tachi answered, "It could be the way that you were raised, but I know you as well as if you were my own sister, and I think you're mature enough to come to your own conclusions, but sometimes you need to hear it from a friend before you start to think like a reasonable person. I know how much you want to make your own mark in the world, but forcing Ryoma to marry you isn't something either one of you truly wants deep down. This has to come from both sides of the marriage couch if it's going to work out between you or even a third person in the mixture. Think about it and don't let your pride make you behave like a jackass. The Kami know what a blockhead Ryo-san can be when it comes to his suitors, but you've got to give him at least a chance at making a decision that he's going to have to live with, one way or another." "And what if he doesn't come to his senses?" Tarot spoke in a low, dull voice, not looking up at Tachi, "He's never looked at me the way he did when he looked at Carmine. You think I enjoy standing there being ignored while he makes goo- goo eyes with someone who isn't even fully human?" "Excuse me for being dense," Tachi replied, "But I never thought you cared all that much what a person's blood is made from. You didn't have any qualms about showing Efreet how to screw me." "I didn't think you needed much help getting her interest," Carmine replied, "It was what she could do to you fumbling around learning the hard way that most concerned me. We need you to continue to be able to walk upright if we're to pull off this deception with Lord Kuno." "Don't think the effort wasn't appreciated," Tachi allowed him a half-smile, "But I think I can take it from here. You sort out your own problems...and lay in the bed that you've made for yourself. Deal?" "Perhaps," Tarot replied, "We will see." "All I ask is that you put that clever brain of yours to work and stop doing your thinking with another set of organs," Tachi nodded, then turned and retraced his steps back to the side of Efreet, who had been watching them the whole time and silently listening in with her greater-than-human auditory senses. "What the heck was that all about?" Ryoma asked as her lifelong friend passed by her. "Oh, nothing much," Tachi replied, sparing Ryoma a glance as the sex-changing boy was already dressed up in a formal looking kimono, "Not bad, 'Cousin,' you look good enough to..." "Finish that sentence and you'll be swallowing your teeth," Ryoma glared at him before adding a sarcastic, "Cousin." "Are you guys really cousins?" Efreet asked, then turned around to show off her own change in formal attire, "How do I look?" Tachi blinked his eyes, amazed at how a little change in clothing could transform the already attractive Android into a virtual GODDESS, her hair having been combed and piled up within an amazingly short span of time as though she had applied a bit of magic to transform herself into a fantasy princess. "Ah..." Tachi forgot momentarily to blink his eyes, but then his brain hit the "RESET" button and he started to breathe again, swallowing before saying, "You...look very nice indeed..." "Carmine helped me with my hair," Efreet smiled enchantingly, "And the color even goes with my key staff." "I prefer to wear Chinese clothing myself," Carmine replied glancing down at herself and adding, "But I think I can manage to get by in this red silk thing." "You do look very nice in that," Tarot remarked as she almost magically seemed to appear right beside the Vampyr in a blue-green Kimono, "But I think the color green would set off your hair even better. What do you think about that, Ryo- chan?" "Huh?" Carmine blinked, surprised at finding the Sorceress beside her. "Ah...well..." Ryoma swallowed, looking from redhead to blue-haired girl and wondering just how Tarot had gotten herself dressed up in such a hurry. Both women looked stunning, and the color of their dresses oddly meshed well when contrasted one on the other. "She doesn't give up, does she?" Efreet murmured to Tachi. "Well, I tried," Tachi rolled his eyes, then turned a glance towards where the remaining members of their party were situated, "How are you two getting on over there?" "Ah...I could use a little help here," Minos admitted, standing before a frustrated Wanda, who was having trouble fitting a light blue Kimono over her broad shoulders. "Let me do that for you," Tarot offered as she left Carmine and sauntered over to the snow-haired giantess, "I'm not surprised that the Daimyo has nothing in your size, but I'm sure I can work with this to help bring strength to your womanly figure." "Thank you," Wanda replied as Tarot reached up to spread the two halves of the kimono even about her shoulders, and-wonder of wonders-the material seemed to stretch out and broaden to accommodate her dimensions. "Think nothing of it, my friend," Tarot replied as she played her hands over the waist and then the sleeves of the kimono, causing it to expand until it properly fit her dimensions, "You are one of our happy little group now, and how you present yourself reflects upon the rest of us. When I get done here there will not be a man living who will not regard you with admiration and envy Minos-chan. Now...be careful how you duck down under the rafters, it wouldn't do for you to bend too low and have an accident. Now...what can we do with all that platinum lovely hair..." "On the other hand," Tachi mused, "She does have her moments." "So, are we done here?" Ryoma asked as she slung her spatula across her back. "Ah..." Tachi thought about telling his "cousin" to leave her trademark weapon back with the rest of their things, then thought better of it as without a bakers peel, Ryoma would look...well...practically naked (something he DEFINITELY did not need to dwell upon while escorting his own lady). "We are done," Tarot announced, stepping away from both Wanda and Minos, who both stood in regalia worthy of a Prince and a Princess. "Good," Tachi said, convinced that his nerves would not be able to withstand much more exposure to so much attractive feminine pulchritude if he did not get them moving into a more socially restrictive situation, "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm starving, so...let us be on our way to greet my brother, the Daimyo." "By all means," Efreet grinned as she took his arm in a passable imitation of his speech pattern, "Lets." Carmine eyed the Demon Goddess with a look of worry, then found her own arm being guided into Ryoma's as Tarot took her place on the opposite side and wondered once again just how the Witch was managing to be in so many places at once. Even Carmine needed a breather when she accelerated to speeds that were superhuman. The group fell into step as they exited the chamber, and not a one took notice of a figure who stood back in the shadows, unseen even from the observation booth as the figure chuckled softly to himself and said, "I love my work. These kids never cease to be entertaining." And when he stepped back into the shadows the room this time was truly empty... Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Coke Breaks for Hardened Caffeine Addicts: shadowmane@ridgenet.net Who is that mysterious man within the shadows (boy, is that a cliché or what?) and what does this portend for the immediate future of the Gang from Nerima? What is the secret of the killer planetoid and why would anybody in their right mind create such a thing, let alone build their house atop it? For these and other mysteries yet to be solved (Scooby Gang, where are you?) stay tuned for the next exciting installment: "A Switch in Time," or "A Ghoul and Her Mummy are soon Departed!" Be there!