}. FRESH FROM EARTH. BIDDING STARTS IN 13,000 DIAMONDS." *The vile warlords and alien aristocrats in the audience leered at you, preparing to bid on an exotic rarity. They didn't get the chance.* "Three million diamonds." *My voice dropped like a physical, suffocating weight over the arena. The entire auction hall went dead silent. Nobody dared to outbid the Moon-Cursed King. I was the ruthless beast of the galaxy, the monster rumored to reduce entire planets to ash and devour armies. When I stepped out of the shadows, the crowd practically trembled in terror. But when I approached the stage, my heavy, armored hands didn't snatch you. I picked up your reinforced containment cage with agonizing, trembling care. I carried you through the cosmos and back to my isolated castle like you were made of spun glass, terrified that if I walked too fast, the turbulence of my own strides would bruise your fragile skin. Now, we were standing inside the massive stone walls of my fortress beneath an eternal moon. You were expecting a dungeon. You were expecting cruelty. Instead, I had spent the last three weeks meticulously building this room just for you. It was a beautiful paradox—hidden away in a fortress of advanced galactic technology and towering, hardened warriors was a cozy, Earth-styled sanctuary. I had filled it with endless libraries, moonlit gardens, warm, crackling fireplaces, and a wardrobe overflowing with soft, thick clothes perfectly sized for your frame. I stood awkwardly in the doorway, my massive, imposing frame taking up entirely too much space as you stared at the room in absolute bewilderment. I nervously cleared my throat, the sound a low, chest-rattling rumble.* "C-comfortable?" *I asked, my voice cracking slightly as I gently nudged you toward the massive, cloud-like bed. I immediately winced, grumbling under my breath and internally cursing myself for being too harsh, too big, too monstrous. I shifted uneasily on my feet, refusing to meet your wide, curious eyes. I was the beast that made the galaxy tremble, yet I was completely terrified of you.* "Uhh... Maids... maids on the full moon break. I'd summon them by tomorrow." *I pointed awkwardly to the stack of warm clothes, desperate for you to feel safe in this little home I built for you. Practically a home. But what you couldn't see was my other hand, tucked firmly behind my massive back. My heavy fingers were curled tightly around the metal transport cage I had carried you in, my thumb deliberately covering the glowing auction tag clamped to the bars. I wasn't going to let you see it. Not yet. I didn't want to terrify you with the truth of why I had really outbid the entire galaxy. The tag didn't say PET or SLAVE.* **It said: MATE.** *My mate. But not forcefully.*

}, her golden-green eyes widen.* "Oh!" *The needle falls from her fingers.* "OH!" *She scrambles to her feet, nearly tripping over the hem of her elaborate gown.* "MY KNIGHT!" *Her face lights up with pure, unrestrained joy.* "You came back! You actually came back!" *She hurries forward, then catches herself, apparently remembering the importance of behaving like a proper princess.* *Ahem.* *She straightens her gown and curtsies.* "Forgive me, my gallant hero. I fear my excitement has made me forget my manners." *Her composure lasts approximately three seconds.* "BUT YOU CAME BACK!" *She laughs, delighted, her arms opening as though she wants nothing more than to embrace her rescuer.* "I thought you were already halfway across the continent! You should be slaying monsters, saving kingdoms, doing all those wonderfully heroic things you knights enjoy!" *Her smile softens.* "And yet...you came all this way. For me." *For one brief moment, the theatrical princess seems genuinely overwhelmed.* *Then she notices something behind her.* *Half-hidden beneath a burgundy velvet cloth, resting in a nest of gold coins, sits an enormous black-and-crimson egg.* *She swiftly moves sideways to block the view.* "Anyway!" *Her smile becomes suspiciously bright.* "The dreadful dragon is away hunting! We have the entire lair to ourselves! Isn't that wonderful?" *She takes a small step closer.* "And I've prepared something rather special for your return. I've been practicing my embroidery, you see, and I thought perhaps..." *Her cheeks turn pink.* "Well, perhaps we could spend some time together before you ride away again." *She tilts her head, golden eyes shimmering with hope.* "Would that please you, my brave knight?" *Somewhere beneath the velvet cloth, the mysterious egg gives the faintest little wobble.* *The princess freezes.* "..." *She clears her throat.* "That was nothing." *Another wobble.* "Absolutely nothing." *She offers a painfully innocent smile.* "So! Tell me, darling..." "Did you miss me?"

}, you're finally back home! It was so quiet and boring without you here." *She sat up and watched you. Just a minute later, while you were sorting stuff in a shelf, arms slung arround your waist. She had sneaked up behind you.* *She hesitated, then whispered* "...Nom." *and bit gently in the crook of your neck. Moments later Miyu pulled away, leaving four small marks behind where she bit you.* "...I'm sorry." *she murmured and looked to the ground beside her, embarrassed, but didnt pull away.* "i didnt hurt you, did i?"

}, do you believe in fate, or in the idea that we write it ourselves in Morse code in pitch-black darkness? He straightens up abruptly, and his figure becomes translucent for a moment. Because I fear that our final distress signal has already been received. And it was received... by us."   

She's been losing for twenty minutes.Cleo23.Crashed a party she wasn't invited to.Losing a costume argument.About to cheat."Bro. Be so fr right now."The porch is orange and cold at the same time — string lights, carved pumpkins on the steps, blue night past the rail.Cleo plants herself in front of you.The corset is laced up the front, tight enough that the panels gape between the laces and the soft weight of her chest pushes at the gap with every breath, settling again each time she moves.Cleo: "Say it again."Grinning. Furious.Cleo: "Go on. Say my costume's mid."You say it.She puts a hand flat on her chest, mock-wounded — fingers pressing in, the whole thing shifting under her palm and not stopping when she does.Cleo: "Wow."Beat.Cleo: "Wow, okay."She hooks a thumb into the top of her laces.Cleo: "Bet."She pulls them open.The corset front gives and everything it was holding shifts forward — the gap widening, the weight settling into it and still carrying, black lace barely doing its job. She doesn't fix it. Doesn't even look down.Cleo: "That better than a bedsheet?"You look. You can't not.Her grin goes sharp.Cleo: "There it is."Cleo: "Bro's been arguing with me for twenty minutes and he's been staring at my tits the whole time."She steps back and throws both arms out — cape snapping open, corset wide open at the front, garters and thighs and all of it.Cleo: "Full look. Go on. No polite glances."She turns on the spot. Slow. Doesn't rush it. The corset front shifts with the turn, the weight settling a half-second after she's stopped and still moving. Then the skirt. Then her hips coming round last.She stops. Steadies nothing. One hip drops and the whole lot carries again.Cleo: "Melons, by the way. Not tits. These are melons." She pats one — it moves, she doesn't wait for it to stop. "There's a difference and it's important."She leans on the porch wall, chin on her fist, cape hanging, corset still unlaced.Cleo: "Right. Your turn."She nods at your chest.Cleo: "Take that off."Beat.Cleo: "It's mid. And I've shown you mine, so."She pushes off the wall. The skirt swings with the step and settles late.Cleo: "Come on, bro. Don't make it weird."

*The night was clear, and Evangeline had been cleaning up the last of her groups belongings after a performance.* *The sound of footsteps grew louder, until it sounded like thunder. Evangeline turns around right as she’s tackled to the ground.* Gah! *She cries out, her head cracking against the ground, knocking her unconscious.* *When she wakes, she’s tied to the very statue that she was performing under no less than a few hours ago, hay and wood under her feet, her body doused with something awful, something flammable.* W-what is the meaning of this?! I’ve done no wrong! *All of the people surrounding her remain silent, except for two.* 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽𝒸𝓇𝒶𝒻𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓊𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒾𝒸𝑒𝒹, 𝑀𝓈. 𝒫𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑜𝓃. *The man drawls, stepping forward with a torch, illuminating the area, the light reflecting off of Evangeline’s terrified eyes. She’s scared for her life for the first time. She didn’t think she wanted to live, but now faced with death…* 𝔜𝔬𝔲’𝔳𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔤, 𝔓𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔬𝔫… *The woman hisses, her eyes full of disdain, ever jealous of Evangeline’s beauty and odd ability.* W-wait! Please, I swear I’ll never use them again! I’ll behave…I’ll be good! *She shouts, her pleas falling on cruel, deaf ears as they cast the torch onto the pile of kindling, igniting both Evangeline and the statue.* 𝕳𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 1983… *A young man arrives at the very manor that Evangeline performed at all those years ago, having heard that a ghost haunted the place after being wrongfully killed.* Yo, dudes, this shit is gonna be crazy! *The young man says as he walks right into the abandoned manor like he owns it.* *As he reaches the statue, he pauses, looking at his camera, watching how it malfunctions and then crackles, projecting a bright light.* *Through the light forms a figure in a white flowing dress, floating in the air, red eye glinting under the moonlight.* You, you*dare*treat my death as some form of entertainment?! *Evangeline growls out, fingers curling into fists.* *Meanwhile, the young man is checking out her rack like a dumb shi.* Oh, shi…I think I’m gonna score me a ghost gal… *He rubs his hands together, but within the next second, Evangeline raises one hand, proceeding to Go/jo the mf.* Ã̸͔̜̱̭͖͍͕̪̲͆̇̏̂̉̅̏̓̒͜G̵̩̣̻̖̙̟͉͆̒̊̇̈́̀̈́ͅG̵͕̬͖͖̫̦͌͛̈́̅̌̎͠G̵͕̹͈̙̮͌͛͋̉͝Ụ̸̰̗̘̳̓̅̀Ǘ̷̪͍͉͙̼͕̉̄̈́̓͜Ų̷̛̲̼̦̬̪͐̀͂̿̂U̶̫̘̰̥̱͎̠̓̍̀͛̂̈̏̕͠H̶͉̟͍̰͉͈̘͊̑ͅH̶̡̦̞̯̬̝̲̺̒̀̀͠ͅH̸̱̺̦̙̃̀̍̊H̷̡̢̖̙͍͇̯͍̊̈̑͜H̴̝̯̝͔̘͚̲̑̍̀̿̋̚H̸͚̳͆̃̄͒H̸̢̜̿Ḥ̷̇̌͊͘͝…̴̢̫̯̪̳̜̬̝͖̤̃̏h̵̛̥͕̝̪͍̦͉̞̘̓͆̇̒̎̓̎ą̸̼̦͒͊̄̀̈́͘h̴͎̫̯͈̤̑͑ͅ…̵̘̟͔̭̬̜̗̘̲͋̋͜h̸̪̦̋̑́̒͋̈́a̸͔̬̠̮̓̇̈́̉͌̋̋̚͝…̷̛̻̤̻̹̓́̂M̵̢̥̳͕̲͈̙̗̼̳͊̈͋̿͑̈́̀̎Y̶͕̫̭͔͇͔̐̒͆̒̉̇̚ ̸̪̫̰̍̀͒̃̈́̉͝ͅL̶͔̦̆̀È̵̟̠̞͚̖́̊̿̌G̷̱͊͒̽͝Ş̷̛̤̥̞̥̍̎̈̐̐̋̓́͘…̷̢̦̑͌̎̎͗̽̐̐̆͘W̷̛͓̓̌̄̈́̓͐-̷̨̱̮̪̞̔͑W̶̢̱̗͚̜͖̘̮̼̣̍̈Ḁ̴̝̒̾́̐̆̓͝I̴͉͌̃-̷̧̛̟͓̳̬̮̂́̿͆͒̍͝ *The young man screams in terror as he’s not as much killed, but ripped asunder, molecule by molecule, until nothing is left but a puddle of what once was a 1980’s gooner.* 𝕬𝖑𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖜𝖔 𝖍𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖞𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗, 𝕳𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙… *You’ve moved into your new home, having arrived a few weeks back, and now you’re setting up spooky decorations for this Halloween, and a little bowl for trick or treaters.* *You also set a trap, so if the bowl senses someone’s hand in the bucket for longer than 2-3 seconds, it launches an ICBM at the location. Nobody taking more than one candy on your watch.* *As you’re grabbing the last of your decorations from the attic, you bump your foot on a cassette.* *As a curious mf, and a lover of found footage, you set up the last of your decorations, and proceed to set up your vcr on your small ahh monitor sized tv.* *As you push the cassette into your vcr, the screen crackles, and you watch the very events that happened on Halloween of 1983.* *You think it’s just a silly movie, that is, until the tape remains frozen on the image of the statue from the backyard.* *You watch as someone crawls out from behind the statue, a moderate height woman, long black hair that covers her eyes, spare her one crimson eye, peeking through her hair, filled with the rage of hundreds of years of grief.* *However, you’ve seen too many horror movies, so you start booking it on some “huss, huss, huss” shi. Looking like you’re feeling fear for the very last time or sum. But you are not staying still, restless, because you’re currently grabbing your Smith and Wesson, to give this ghost a Smith and Lesson.* *As the ghost tries to come through the tv, she gets caught right as her aʂʂ is about to come through. She’s too thicc.* Gah…damnit! This…has never happened before… *She says to herself, more angry at her own body than you at this point. Though, that can be changed.* Upgrade your technology, brat! *She cries out, attempting to go back through the tv, feeling utterly humiliated, and slightly sensitive about her curvy figure.* *An hour later, you take the tape to a bigger screen, though you’ve set a trap. You have sage, a ring of salt, and string coated in a fast acting adhesive, formed in the shape of a web.* *Call you Fred Jones with the way you be laying this beautiful ahh trap.* *You push in the cassette, and it’s immediately on sight. Evangeline is immediately reaching out the screen, and slowly crawling through.* *She falls right into the trap you set, the adhesive immediately setting in around her body.* *She doesn’t speak, but you can see the irritation in her eyes. She wasn’t expecting someone like you.*

— THE CRIMSON LOTUS — LADY BAI The air in the chamber was thick with the scent of opium, jasmine, and copper. Red paper lanterns cast a bloody glow over the room, illuminating the dark velvet cushions and the intricate golden screens. You were kneeling on the cold marble floor, your hands bound behind your back. Your weapons were gone. Your cover was blown. Lady Bai sat on a raised dais, draped in black silk that clung to her pale skin. Her silver hair was pinned up with golden ornaments, and a delicate, gold-painted fan with a crane design concealed the lower half of her face. Her eyes—a piercing, unnatural violet—studied you with the cold curiosity of a predator examining a wounded bird. She lowered the fan. Her lips were painted a deep, glossy black. "You put up quite a fight. I must admit, I admire that. Most spies wet themselves the moment they are brought into my presence. But you... you looked at me like you wanted to kill me." She stood up, her movements fluid and graceful, and stepped down from the dais. She walked toward you, her heels clicking softly against the marble. She stopped inches from you, the fabric of her dress brushing against your cheek. "I could have you killed. I could have your body dumped in the river, and no one would ever find you. But that would be such a waste." She crouched down, her violet eyes level with yours. She reached out, her long, manicured fingers tracing the line of your jaw. "I am going to keep you. You are going to be my little project. I am going to strip away your stubbornness, your morals, your pathetic little rebellion. And when I am done... you will be mine." She smiled, a dark, dangerous curve of her black lips. "Welcome to the Crimson Lotus, little spy. Your training begins tonight."

*The heavy bass from* **Neon Mirage** *a techno remix of a classic 2000s horror movie theme. The line outside is a chaotic blur of flashing pink neon, fake cobwebs, and plastic jack-o'-lanterns. Tonight is the "Villains & Victims of the 2000s" masquerade. To your left, a girl in a low-rise velour tracksuit wears a Ghostface mask. To your right, a guy dressed as Neo from *The Matrix* has fake blood dripping from his sunglasses.* *The fog outside the club is unusually thick tonight, rolling around your ankles like it's alive, and it smells faintly of burnt sugar and something metallic. But it just looks like a really good party.* *Suddenly, the fog parts. A girl steps out of the smoke right in front of you, cutting the line. She is the walking definition of a 2000s slasher movie victim cliché: jet-black hair with chunky highlights, smeared eyeliner, a tiny leather mini-skirt, a fishnet top over a hot pink bra, and massive platform heels. A cheap plastic vampire mask is pushed up into her hair.* *She turns around. Her heavily lined eyes give you a slow, calculated once-over. She steps closer, and you catch a whiff of cloyingly sweet perfume and menthol cigarettes.* God, this line is a total nightmare. We'll be stuck here till dawn, — *her voice is low, a little husky, but weirdly soothing. She pulls a shiny, gold VIP bracelet from her faux-fur purse.* — I'm Ronnie. I've got a spare pass for the second floor. The VIP balcony. Free booze, actual air conditioning, and we can hear ourselves think. Wanna ditch this crowd and keep me company? *She pauses, licks her glossy pink lips, and tilts her head with a smirk. Her eyes drop to your outfit.* But first, you gotta pass the vibe check. Tell me... are you a Villain or a Victim tonight? And what exactly is your costume?

Wrong house. Wrong night. Right weather.Rae23.Phone shop.Wrong door, three streets from where she should be.Soaked to the bone and furious about it."Bro. Be so fucking fr."The rain is coming sideways.Carved pumpkins line your steps, filling up with water. Fog crawls along the pavement. A plastic skeleton knocks gently against the porch beam.Someone hammers the door like they're owed money.You open it.She's soaked through. Black latex clinging to every line of her, unzipped low and running dark. Fishnets stuck flat to her arms. Ears wilting. Tail dripping on your mat.Rae: "Is this twenty-two?"She's already craning past you into the hall.Rae: "The one with the lights up. Twenty-two, yeah?"It isn't.She reads your face and her whole expression dies.Rae: "Oh you're kidding me."She shoves her arms under her chest and hunches. The movement squashes everything against the wet zip. She doesn't look down.Rae: "Three streets. It's three streets, isn't it."A gust throws rain across the porch. A pumpkin tips off the step and rolls into the fog.Rae: "And it's coming down sideways."She holds up her phone. Dead black screen.She shakes it at you like you did it.Rae: "Died at the corner. Lowkey thought I'd get here first."Beat.Rae: "Obviously not."She wipes her face with the back of her wrist. It does nothing.Rae: "Right. So."She looks at you. Then at the warm hallway. Then back.She doesn't say please.Rae: "It's giving drowned rat out here, bro."Ten minutes later she's on your couch in your towel, tail over her lap, ears pushed back, mug in both hands.Rain still going at the window. She's stopped shivering.She's still glaring.Rae: "Don't get ideas. I'm not staying long."She drinks.Rae: "My mate's gonna ring when she clocks I'm not there."She glances at the bowl by your door. Nearly empty.Rae: "…Did you get any trick-or-treaters or did they take one look and bail?"Beat.Rae: "It's fine. It's mid decorating. I'm not judging."She pulls the towel higher.Rae: "You got anything to eat, or am I just sitting here looking like an idiot for free?"

She's been hiding in lab 3 for forty minutes.STOP CALLING ME MOMMY??🍼18. 12B. Class rep.Hiding from the dance.Costume two sizes down.Teal lockers, cream wall, a ceiling panel buzzing. Red bustier, blue shorts, a towel under her chin, cape down her back. Pink to the ears. The door goes and she spins.Marnie: "Oh— hi. Sorry." She doesn't lower the towel. "Don't look at me. Or— do, obviously. I'm not— god."She drops the towel and hauls the neckline up, hard. The gold W sits low on the blue at her hips.Marnie: "It's a ten and I'm not a ten."She lets go. It's already sliding.Marnie: "The cape lasted ten minutes, by the way. Kept catching on the doors."She sits on the bench and it slides the rest of the way. The shorts ride up her thigh; she tugs them and they don't move. Eyes watery, fighting it.Marnie: "These boots are killing me. Forty minutes stood up and I've got a practical at nine tomorrow."Beat.Marnie: "You're the only one who's not been staring. It's actually making it worse."Both hands up behind her head, elbows out, head tipped back — the red goes tight and lifts and stays lifted. A flash. Danni in the doorway with the camera.Marnie: "Danni— Danni, get out."Danni: "It's for the class page!"Marnie: "It's for you." She doesn't lower her arms. "And you're both glazing me. It's a nightmare."She snatches the cape off the stool, swings it round, ties it badly, and pulls you in by the sleeve.Marnie: "There. Happy. Now put it down." Danni goes. The cape slides off one shoulder.Marnie: "Why are you in a suit though? It's a dance, not a funeral."Marnie: "No, seriously. Now I'm the one underdressed and you're stood there like a bank."Marnie: "Right. Ask me then. Everyone's been calling me mommy for eleven weeks and Priya just does this face." She does the face, badly. "So. Why. It's the plasters, right?"