Ch 25
This is the story of Stephen who can see peoples emotional state as a colour. In this chapter, Stephen and Tilly meet up with Jen and Tess in Vegas.
All character are over 18 years of age.
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"Excuse me? You just got through telling me you walk around naked at home and engage in incestuous relations with your mom, and your sister and you have one more thing to tell me?" asked a wide-eyed Tilly.
"I have also had sex with my dad, aunt and cousin but that's not my one more thing," I responded, "This one more thing is kind of mind blowing and you probably won't believe me, so firstly, can you keep an open mind, and secondly, by telling you, not only am I taking a huge risk personally, but I am potentially putting my whole family in danger, so no matter what, can you swear to me you will never disclose what I'm about to tell you?"
Tilly rolled her eyes, "are you going to tell me you are a secret agent or something?"
"I'm serious, swear to me you will never tell a living sole what I am about to tell you."
Tilly caught my tone and she at once knew the gravity of situation, "OK", she said, the levity leaving her voice. "I'm starting to think my coming here may have been a mistake, buy OK I swear, what is it?"
I took a deep breath, "Ever since I was a kid I have been different to other people. I am kind of a super empath. You know when you are speaking to someone you can get a sense of their mood, sometimes there is something about them that might not seem right?"
"You mean sensing body language when someone is into you or when they are lying?" Tilly responded.
"Yes, just like that, only I don't just get a vague feeling, I know precisely the mix of feelings a person is experiencing in real time, happy, sad, excited, lying, telling the truth, horny, worried, anxious, enthusiastic, or angry. I can see how a person's emotional changes from happy to angry and back again. I can also influence these states."
"You can make a sad person happy?"
"Yes, however that state would only be temporary unless the root cause is also addressed. This is sort of what I do in my couples counselling. I know if the couple genuinely want to stay together. If they do, I help them be honest with one another and together we work through the root cause."
"What else can you do?" Tilly asked.
"That's it pretty much, I can't fly if that's what you are asking, well not in a sense that you would understand anyway."
"Hold on, you can in some other sense then? In some sense that I won't understand?"
I thought to myself shit, I'd given away too much, I didn't mean to disclose anything that might also expose Tess.
"What he means is that when two flux manipulators come together, their forces can combine and they are able to travel mentally, not in a physical sense, but travel all the same", Tess responded from behind us both.
We turned to find Jen and Tess both now dressed in hotel robes.
"Stephen!" said Jen, "I'm sorry Tilly I'm sure you are very nice and well meaning." Then turning to me continuing, "How could you just blurt out all of that to someone you barely know. You are not the only one you are putting in danger."
Tess put her hand on Jen's arm, "It's OK Jen", she said, flux was moving, Jen calmed a little.
"Don't do that!" she said to Tess catching on to her changing emotional state, "I know what you are doing, and I want to be angry."
Flux shifted again, Tess dispelled the negative energy, leaving Jen frustrated but no longer angry and upset.
"I knew 10 seconds after I met them that Stephen would have to tell Tilly", Tess said addressing Jen. "She is his sole mate after all. He couldn't stop it if he tried."
"His sole mate?" said Jen and Tilly at the same time as if reading from a script.
Tess just laughed and sat down.
Recovering her disposition Tilly asked, "What just happened?"
"What just happened was Jen was very angry because even though he didn't mean to, Stephen's mere mention of flying would inevitably lead to my exposure. Then I rather unsubtly removed her anger, which ironically, made her state of mind even worse. I tried again a little more subtly. That seemed to do the trick", said Tess.
"You have this same 'ability' as Stephen?"
"Yes."
"And you dispelled her anger?"
"Yes."
Tilly turned towards my direction her colours brewing.
Gesturing towards Tilly but addressing me, Tess rolled her eyes and said, "Bingo! She just got it, this one is all yours to handle handsom."
"Have you been manipulating me?" Tilly asked me, alarm then anger issuing from her every pore. Then with wide eyes, "And don't you dare!"
"I wouldn't dream of it", I said.
Jen and Tess smiled at one another obviously enjoying my discomfort.
I frowned at them, "You don't have to like this quite so much you know."
"No, we don't," said Jen. "But who are we to deny ourselves life's simple pleasures."
"I didn't manipulate you during our date, I couldn't help but see what you liked and directed conversation accordingly. I probably wouldn't have tried quite so much if I wasn't so into you."
Tilly softened a little, then with more alarm, "During our date? And after our date at the hotel?"
"Maybe", I said sheepishly, "you did cum like 10 times remember, you didn't seem to mind at the time."