Monday came with a cheery chill to the Diepner campus, the air as cool and crisp as the sky was bright and blue. In many ways, it felt like a renewal to Seb: not only was this the start of a new week and a new month, but a new mindset as well. Ever since he had discovered the Vox, he had been locked in a constant, anxious scramble, trying to juggle Chelsea, Sophia, and his school life, all while strange, powerful urges kept throwing him off balance.
But as he strode through the Crossing towards his afternoon class, he at last felt like he was getting a handle on things. Over the course of one weekend, he had reconnected with Sophia, subverted Chelsea's attempt to thwart him, and satisfied the Vox with a hot, no-strings-attached double-blow-job. He had grabbed life by the collar, asserted his control, and for once life didn't bite back. Who knew what the rest of October would bring?
Miki and Tobias were waiting for him as he entered Connors Hall, having already secured one of the tables in the expansive, sky-lit common area. The three of them all had classes in or near the building, and so they often met up here to grouse about their morning lectures before the day scattered them across campus again. Despite Seb's glowing smile and the beams of sun streaming down from the ceiling, he was instantly aware of the dark clouds hanging over his friends as he sat.
"Uh, hey guys," he offered, setting his bag down. "Rough morning so far?"
"We had a fight," Miki stated bluntly, shooting an annoyed look at Tobias.
"Some random girl sent me a buncha weird DM's last night." Tobias explained, peeved. "Which Miki saw AFTER she checked my phone behind my back."
"I just wanted to take a selfie 'cause my phone was dying!" Miki exclaimed. "I didn't expect to find your secret whore-chat instead!"
"It wasn't a secret!"
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"What was I supposed to say?"
"Guys!" Seb quickly interjected before things spiraled out of control. "Slow down. What exactly happened last night?"
His friends exchanged another glance and, seeming to realize how fruitless their bickering was, both sat back with a resigned sigh. "You can tell him," Miki relented. "It's your fault anyway."
"It's not my—whatever." Tobias waved Miki's jab away before turning to Seb. "A girl I'd never met before messaged me, apparently thinking I was some guy who ditched her at a party or something."
Seb swallowed, paranoia prickling at his neck. "O-oh really?" he asked. "Why did she think that?"
"Because she's a slut," Miki pouted.
Tobias shrugged. "She said she had met some guy at a party who she couldn't really remember, but she thought his name was Tobias, so she looked online, and apparently I'm one of the only guys named Tobias at this school so..."
Seb cleared his throat to force down his rising terror. "Did she, uh, say what she wanted?"
Miki huffed. "For Tobias to 'rock her world,' apparently."
Tobias laughed awkwardly. "It sounded like she and this other guy had a...uh, pretty intense time together. She said she couldn't remember much but..."
"But it was enough for her to try and seduce my boyfriend." Miki slapped the table.
"I-it sounds like it was just an honest mistake," Seb offered.
"If it was, then why did Tobias hide it from me?" Miki demanded.
"I didn't hide it from you!" her boyfriend protested.
"You didn't tell me about it!"
"That's not the same thing."
As the pair descended back into their argument, Seb resigned himself with aimlessly scrolling on his phone. The fact that (what was her name?) Tiffany had apparently retained some memory of Saturday's party was a cause for slight concern, but it seemed her recollections were still hazy enough that his identity and power were safe. He would have to be more careful about the names he gave out in the future, maybe even do his hair different or wear contacts as well.
Still, there was no need to dwell on it. Things were still proceeding as planned. He was still in control.
Right?
______________________________________
Seb ducked into the crowded auditorium right as the lights were dimming. Even with his newfound confidence, entering this lecture always made him nervous: it was one of the few classes he shared with Chelsea, an astronomy course that was known for being an easy way to fill ones science credit requirement. Fortunately, this meant that the room was often crowded enough for Seb to slip in without Chelsea spotting him, especially if he timed it right before the professor's slideshow began.
This day was no exception: after quickly scanning the seats for any sign of his blonde antagonist, Seb decided on a spot towards the back, right behind a pair of tall students who would shield him from view if Chelsea risked craning her neck to look for him. She normally sat towards the front, so this should be fine: Seb could attend the class undetected, then slip back out the door before she had a chance to look for him.
All was going as planned.
Until a graceful figure slid into the seat next to him, her perfume hitting him like a jasmine gut-punch, her delicately styled hair perfectly framing her bright, wide eyes as they met his.
"Hey, Master," Chelsea whispered.
Seb had to stifle a yelp of surprise. "W-what are you doing?" he sputtered back, maintaining just enough control to keep his voice under the professor's booming lecture.
"What do you mean?" Chelsea mewed, resting her elbows on the desk and giving Seb a full view of her perfect breasts swaying in her sleeveless wrap top. "We share this class don't we?"
"Y-yes but..." Seb grit his teeth as the Vox jolted awake inside of him. "Coming in here and...sitting next to me...dressed like that?"
"Like what?" the blonde beauty asked, putting a finger to her pouty lips.
