Episode 29

Content Warning - Language and adult themes

Episode 29

Thea came in as I lay resting in bed, and I couldn't help the annoyance growing, though stifling it was easy enough. I'd just returned after a long and arduous conversation with Granny Phil. Thea walked up and placed a small box on the bed next to me. It was a simple white box and couldn't have been more than five by five inches. On top was a matching white bow that didn't seem functional, and overall, the box looked like the top popped right off. I stared at it for a while, unmoving. Honestly? I was afraid even to touch it. Everything from her was questionable at this point. Still... it was an insult not to accept a gift from the Gods.

Does this even count if it's a trick? Then again, how will I know if it's a trick if I never even open it to find out if it is or isn't? Right? It would just be rude.

She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow at me. I tried not to let our eyes meet. Granny told me that's got a lot to do with her compulsion abilities. The Ancients, some of the firsts, and even some of the Purebloods have it. She also told me that direct eye contact makes it stronger but wears off after a while. I don't know how long a 'while' was measured for her, but I only hoped it'd be soon. Thea and Lark had been gone for a couple of hours, and I was still thinking about her. Her warm breath on my neck. Hopefully, Lark was having more luck resisting it than I was.

The urge to look up was strong as Thea now stood directly in front of me. She stood and waited expectantly with her waist and all that existed below consuming my line of vision.

Ughhhhhh!

Pales were not even my thing! As a kid, it took me a while just to get used to Granny Phil because she was the first Pale I'd ever seen. It was odd and a bit of a shock, to be honest. I remember being afraid of her at first because she looked so different than the rest of us. Nothing against Pale's at all, but they looked so... dull and muted. Like someone had made a beautiful painting that was forgotten. Left in the rain for all the colors to melt together and wash away. Thea? She was a blank, empty canvas, which was even more disconcerting.

This has to be the compulsion affecting me

.

It has to be.

I felt her finger slide under my chin to bring my face up. Everything tingled from her soft touch on my skin. I tried so hard to keep my eyes closed, but I couldn't help it. I opened them to find hers were light gray, this time with hints of blue, making her pupils look like the eye of a bad storm brewing.

I watched as her gaze bounced from eye to eye as she examined me.

Maybe she's reaching into my brain right now.

The thought crossed my mind, but I didn't feel a thing if she was. After a minute, she pulled her finger away and headed toward the washroom. Stopping, she turned back to look at me, "Calm down, Raelyn. It is just a gift. I've been giving you such a tough time and that is not very fair to you now, is it? Just a small little peace offering to help ease your stress." She smiled at me and grabbed some towels off the rack, "You need in here? I'm going to go get cleaned up..."

I shook my head, and she nodded, walked into the restroom, and closed the door. Silently, I sat there as I waited and listened until I heard the shower water running. With a giant sigh, I let my body fall back on the bed behind me. While Lark and Thea were off ditty-bopping, Granny was putting my ass to work. She'd spent nearly the entire time trying to teach me blocking techniques. The goal is to be able to prevent or at least make it hard for Thea to reach into our minds and access whatever she wants. I learned I'm not great at it during our little speed lesson. It's always been difficult to shut down the inner monologue, even with Gran's soothing voice to guide me. I usually have a hard time trying to meditate, and that's practically the first step. You must quiet everything.

Everything

everything. After that, you divert your thoughts into what Gran called decoy memories. Basically, you fabricate them and play them in your head. Purposeful daydreaming is what it sounded like to me, and I was decent at that. Too bad I can't master the emptying part. Philomena said anything that floats into your mind, Thea could probably snatch a quick glance at. Training had felt pointless to me. No matter how much I practiced, it's not like any of us are mind readers, so how would we really know if what we're doing is working? Pointless.

Rolling over with another sigh, I came face to face with Thea's little gift. Everything in my bones was telling me to leave it alone.

Don't touch it. Just leave it there or kick it off the bed!

Still, the urge to look and see was great.

What could it hurt?

It was just a tiny box. What terrible thing could be lurking in a box this small?

A tiny bomb or chemical warfare?

Both seemed highly unlikely. I don't think she would've had the time or that Lark would've approved of any deadly purchases. She is deadly by herself and doesn't need help, but with her compulsion ability, who knows? Still not sure how that works. Maybe she didn't want to get her hands dirty, so she bought something else to do the job for her.

Or it's highly possible I'm just being paranoid...

That's another thing altogether. Lark. It seemed to me that he was also under her compulsion. He was doing a lot for her without much questioning, and that's not Lark. If he is to do anything you ask or tell him, it's not before a thousand and one questions

after

he's checked the legitimacy of your request in his mind. Sure, we're in danger, but he's been too quiet! Maybe not exactly quiet because he's been a mouthy ass to Thea. That could be aging up, but maybe it's the compulsion. Gran told me that for the immensely powerful beings, it's said being in proximity can cause its effect to kick in. Everyone feels it differently, and its effects apparently include but are not limited to stomach issues, profuse sweating, joint weakness, joint tenderness, poor emotional dysregulation, and increased libido, just to name a few. An intense longing for the powerful being is inevitable. It made me think there were levels of intensity, like choosing between a beginner, normal, and nightmare mode in video games. Maybe there were various kinds of compulsion?

I was so lost in my trance that I just now realized the box had somehow made its way into my hands. Retrospectively, I never remembered reaching over and grabbing it. That's how mentally preoccupied I was. 'Just a small little peace offering to help ease your stress' is what she said.

How terrible can it be?

With that reasoning feeling so solid to me at the time, I was instantly sold. Forcing my body to the edge of the bed, I threw my legs over, and my tired torso reluctantly sat up.

My fingers brushed across the white ribbon, causing some glitter to shimmer and fleck off from the bow. I felt my hands start to shake as I pulled the top of the box off. There was a little white card bordered in black with my name elegantly sketched on the front in gold ink. I grabbed it and flipped it over, then frowned. "Ready for use," I whispered aloud as I read it. Each letter so gracefully penned in gold and drawn underneath it was a black heart. A gold arrow was drawn through it.

Ready for use...

Beneath the card was white tissue paper with gold flecks on it. Slowly, as my hands shook, I pulled the tissue out of the box. Whatever was inside, I felt fall into my lap. I picked it up to get a closer inspection, and it was incredibly soft in my hands. It was a deep red color and somewhat circular, but both bottoms were a little flat. Turning it over in my hand, I realized there was an old charging dock on one end and flexible petals shapes on the other. Where the seeds or pollen should be was a hole in its center. It was the strangest flower I think I've ever seen.

What in the hell?

Its bizarre appearance wasn't surprising. Everything on this side of town was dedicated to the vintage twenty-sixth-century experience. It had a little bit of weight too, and looked like it could stand up on its own, reminding me of one of Granny's décor figures. Those thoughts that we may never return home snuck their way right through to the forefront, and I set the gift on the table. Images of driving away from that little old pale-yellow and tan house that I'd learned to call my second home flooded through my mind. I tried to bite back some tears as I fought tirelessly to bury away thoughts of home again. Welcoming a distraction, I snatched up the gift box and let my body fall back on the bed.

As I suspected, the box provided no clue as to what it was.

Figures

. Sifting through, there was nothing in the tissue that I'd accidentally missed, either. I'm not sure how long I sat there with the box in my hands as the flower loomed at me in my peripheral, but I finally picked it up again. Turning it in my hand more slowly this time, I realized now that there was a small circular indent on one of the rounded sides. Upon closer examination, it was a button.

If it's a true relic look-alike, then it's gotta work like one, too.

Working up the courage, I finally pressed the indent. Nothing happened. I pressed it again, and nothing but a faint red light flashed under the button.

Huh

. Pressing it again, I held it in this time, and it instantly sprang to life in my hands. I sat up with a squeak as I reflexively tossed it on the table. From there, it started rolling around with a mind of its own. The clattering noise on the tabletop when the charging base hit it made me panic, and I snatched it up as quickly as possible. While holding it this time, I felt the vibrations emanating from it. Curiosity got the best of me, and I began to turn it over again.

As I rolled it in my hands, my fingers skimmed across its firm but soft surface.

Oh...

My eyes widened as a finger grazed the hole on the top by the pedals. I moved it back to confirm, and yes, it was sucking on my finger. It was a woman's pleasure device. There was absolutely no doubt about it. It didn't take a genius to put that together. The texture. The note. It's general... features. I had never really used one or seen one in person before. Honestly, I hadn't thought about toys like that either up to this point in my life. I wasn't really one for self-pleasure either. I had Lark for my needs as they came. Saliva started to pool in my mouth as it was highly apparent now that Thea had gotten it specifically for me, making my legs feel weak. I bit down on my lip as I slid my fingers across the top again, but much slower this time.

I wonder how safe it is.

Just then, I heard the water faucet shut off. Panic struck, and I shot up from the bed, almost forgetting I was still holding the toy in my hand. My palms were sweating while I fumbled to turn it off. When I finally succeeded, I ran around, grabbing the card, box, and tissue paper. Quickly, I stuffed everything back in and flopped back on the bed, tossing the box over my shoulder. Perfect timing, too, because I heard the door swing open right after. Thea stepped out in just a towel. It opened to show off her thigh and a tiny sliver of her hip. I chose to act like I was extremely invested in my Holo. That didn't last long, though, as her scent began to fill the room. Couldn't stop my eyes from falling shut and breathing it in. The water in my mouth was threatening to dribble out from my lips.

"Ryn!" she sounded surprised, and I turned my head in her direction when she spoke. Instantly, my eyes nearly bulged out of my sockets. I forced my eyes away and back to my phone. "I thought you would've been asleep by now." She was butt ass naked, in nothing but her damn birthday suit, drying her hair with that towel that I now missed.

Fuuuuccckkkk please don't do this to me.

"Especially seeing as I was in there cleaning off for so long." Her voice was light. She giggled, and my eyes urged me to put them back on her. Her laughter always sounded like music.

Reluctantly, I pulled myself up from the bed, "I was just waiting for the shower." My voice was so quiet and small to my ears. It was strange hearing me like this.

Act casual.

I strode past her and into the bathroom. I closed the toilet lid and let myself melt down on top of it. Quickly, I realized that coming in here to hide was a mistake. Her scent surrounded me and invaded my nose. Cinnamon with a hint of musk. It was amazing how, every time, there seemed to be a different combination of smells. I closed my eyes and once again began to breathe her in. A tightness began to build deep in my stomach.

After a bit of reveling in the intoxicating aroma, I got up and turned on the shower. I'm not sure how long I let it run before I decided to get undressed a step into it.

She bought me a freaking sex toy.

Thea was jerking with me all right. There was no way around it. What did she want was the real question. Nothing good, I'm sure. So far, she's just made me hot and bothered, but what comes next? I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Still...

That toy was the prettiest one I've ever seen. I'd only seen a few in one of Lark's spanking books and none from this era. Regardless of my lack of expertise, the somewhat rose design was beautiful. If you were unaware, you would think it was an ornamental piece. I know I did at first inspection. I've never even used a toy before, and the idea of one has always been so frightening. They just seemed dangerous. Most machines today were just that, though. Machines. They looked nothing like this. The red rose seemed extremely harmless in comparison. So soft to the touch...

My thoughts drifted and soon into unwanted territory.

If Thea bought me a sex toy, that means she thought of me while looking at sex toys. I wonder what else she bought there.

It's not too far of a stretch to say that she imagined me using one while she shopped around, but that could be compulsion talking for all I know. She said it was a peace offering and would relieve stress. I'm not sure about that, but maybe that's precisely what it was. A straightforward gift to promote peace. A sorry for being a pain in my ass, maybe. She didn't seem very sorry, though. Both before and now. Still toying with me. Or maybe it was all inside my head. Was I even sorry it was happening? This awkward tension. It could be me making it awkward. Maybe relax and see what happens.

Absentmindedly, my hands drifted across my body. The image of Thea's naked form entered my mind. Soon, I found my hand had made its way in between my legs. Maybe she was right about the stress. All pent-up energy from no release. I had thought I would pop my cherry a day ago, only to be interrupted. A soft moan left my lips. Quickly, I turned the knob all the way to the cold side and froze my ass out. The last thing I needed was the sounds of my orgasm broadcasted, due to the acoustics of the bathroom, for all to hear.

Gingerly, I stepped out onto the cold tile floor. My entire body was freezing as I wrapped the towel around me. It was sad, but the air felt warm on my skin as I got out of the shower. As soon as it touched me though, my hair stood up, and I quickly realized that I hadn't brought any of my clean clothes with me. I rushed away and shut the door so quickly I didn't even think to grab any. Didn't even cross my mind for one second.

Opening the bathroom door, I found that the room was now dark.

Thea must've already gone to sleep

. I tiptoed past her to my bed and opened the duffle bag Lark had packed for me. It really did have everything I could need.

How is he always so prepared?

Looked to be at least five sets of clothes. There was shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, and a toothbrush as well. I wish I had checked the bag before the shower. I used the toiletries supplied. While they aren't exactly terrible, they aren't particularly good either.

I tossed my towel aside and slipped on my oversized t-shirt. The sheets were cold on my legs as I slid myself between them. Forcing my body to sink into the mattress, I finally got comfortable only for my mind to begin racing through the past day. Almost lost my virginity today. That's where this all started. The ruse of supposed true love and fated mates. More like two stupid horny teenagers. True love? What a joke. I just wanted to not go crazy from becoming an adult.

Oh yeah. I'm eighteen now.

I realized that there were many things I would be legally allowed to partake in but, with the current circumstances, wouldn't even want to. Like going to that sex shop with Thea, as Lark undoubtedly did.