Personal Information - Pt. 03

CW; transformation; mind alteration; body modification; pheromones

9

Kaz's requests were simple enough - smarter, clear skin and sensitivity.

But she'd also said I could make changes I thought she might like, and to be honest I wasn't sure where to start with that. Or, I hadn't been sure, to begin with. However, diving into all of this stuff, deeper in that the simple 'preset' that had been used on me, Lover. Now, hovering around a 3D rendering of Kaz on the screen, there were all of these attribute trees and behaviour trees that I could go into, with different ways of shifting how they manifested. It seemed like the attributes all reacted to whatever they were referring to, so something like mental processing was a sliding scale, which I had brought up to 150%. However, I discovered that I could drill into that, and opened up a tree that sat behind it, all of which I had pulled up to 150% - things like recollection, language comprehension, pattern recognition to name a few.

I figured that she would appreciate the mental boost, and decided to start looking into what else there was for me to help her with her requests.

Which is where I had begun to discover the possibilities of this system.

Kaz asked for clear skin so I went into the very broad Skin section, which was a bubble next to her abdomen. Unlike Mental Processing, this didn't have a slider at the top level, which made sense, but when I opened it up I saw that there were plenty of subsections that showed areas that, if this wasn't Kaz and was instead some fictional Sim-like character creation screen in a video game, I might have been tempted to play with. The first one that caught my eye was Melanin Level - which also had its own drop-down subsection. That broke down into Heritage Influence on Endoform, Hue, things like that. I quickly closed it, seeing as it wasn't something I wanted to get into, but it was interesting to see just how detailed and specific Ardy had gotten with his work.

Back in the Skin section, I found what I was looking for. There were some subsections such as Acne Likelihood, Birthmarks, Whiteheads, Blackheads, Skin Tags. I opened Birthmarks, and found that instead of the sliding scale that was in Mental Processing, this instead zoomed in on the 3D model of Kaz, naked on screen, and changed her from a sort of translucent blue version of herself into a photo-realistic rendering; at the side was a 'painting' section, similar to what I might see on like photoshop or something, and I realised that it was so I could paint birthmarks onto her.

'Goddamn,' I muttered to myself as I sat back in the chair, running a hand through my hair. 'This is... insane.'

I couldn't believe that Kaz had done this to herself willingly. Sure, she'd hit me with a preset, but it was an accident, and wasn't really her choice - though, from all of the orgasms we'd shared this weekend, I was hesitant to say she hadn't enjoyed herself since. It was still an incredible show of trust, though.

I noticed, right at the top left of the screen, there was a 'Revert' button. I hovered over it, and a small text box appeared. Return the subject to information collected at-scan. It was reassuring that, if I thought I'd gone too far, or if I changed my mind, I could just switch her back. There was also an 'Undo' button, so I could just go back one change. All in all, it was a pretty well put-together user interface, and I found myself appreciating the fact that Ardy had done all of this down here, away from prying eyes and based off of technology he and Hallie had put together decades ago.

However, I had a job to do, and I wanted to get to it.

I spent some time getting Kaz's skin clear and blemish-free, while also taking note of other areas and attributes I could change.

For starters, her breasts. Because of course they caught my attention. They were, for the record, amazing breasts, but Kaz had off-handedly mentioned the fact that she felt they were a little on the smaller side. I wasn't going to make her jump up a few cup sizes or anything, but instead I just spent some time making them a little... fuller. A small amount larger, with a perkiness she already had - but I made the perkiness permanent. I knew it was a thing with women as they aged that breasts could sag, or lose some of that youthful exuberance - call it porn-brain if you want - so I just... removed the problem.

Looking at the 3D model, they barely looked any different, she was still Kaz, but she was Kaz who didn't need to wear a bra anymore, and who I hoped would appreciate the slight enhancement I'd given her.

While I was there, I also noted Kaz' other request - to be made more 'sensitive'. So, I made her nipples more receptive to sexual stimuli, which was an actual sliding scale that seemed to be everywhere.

Ardy, you hory bastard, you.

I laughed to myself, and dragged her sensitivity of her breasts up in general, not by a huge amount but enough to be noticeable.

After that, I was off to the races. I started with her thighs and stomach, making them more sensitive to touch and to sexual stimuli, turning some of her erogenous zone - which I'd had the weekend to learn - up a few notches. Her neck, her lips, her sternum, her coccyx, her buttcheeks (which I turned up in enjoying spanking as sexual stimuli, to0), even her scalp as I knew she loved it when I gave her scritches and head-massages. All of it I figured would be something of a gift, turning-up her sensitivity so that the thighs she enjoyed, she would enjoy them even more.

Eventually, however, I found the inevitable end-zone of this sensitivity-tangent.

I clicked on the area that read Sex Organs. I broke down into different options, fanning out like an anatomy textbook - vulva, vagina, labia majora, clitoris, cervix, uterus. The 3D model zoomed in, and I could see all of her. She was open to me in a way that was impossible in reality, and I was able to see parts of her no one should see. I could see the lining of her sex, the same ripples and bumps I'd felt each time we fucked; I could see the folds of her sex I'd spent hours licking and kissing and worshipping; I could see her sweet clit, her pubic hair, all of her.

I selected her clit, and went to Sensitivity, making it more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and dragged it from 100% to 125% - not wanting to completely rewrite her. Then, remembering her note, pulled it up to 150%.

Then, I did the same to her internal nerves, pulling up their sensitivity, followed by the same to her labia minora and majora - basically just making all of her sex organs far more sensitive than they had been. I even took a moment to do her anus as well - which felt like it might be a bit presumptuous, seeing as we hadn't done anything anal, but I figured that there was no harm in doing a little enhancement there. I brought it up by only a few percent of sensitivity to sexual stimuli, and decided to leave it there.

Once I'd done that, and had officially completed her requests (plus her breast enhancement), I had a bit of an exploration for other things I thought she would appreciate. There were sections that weren't attached to a specific body part, and one of them caught my eye - Pheromones. I realised that this must have been what had changed in me, when I'd gotten the Lover preset, and for a moment I wondered what would happen if I did something similar to Kaz.

I had a look inside, and there were a bunch of ones that were at very low levels, but none of them seemed to give off signals I thought would be good to change - in particular, the 'Sexual attractiveness to' slider. Even I knew that changing that on a young woman could be... problematic. Even dangerous for Kaz.

Instead, I scrolled, and spotted one that said 'Willingness to submit to'.

And, I decided to pull it up - just from 0.3% to 5%. I figured it was enough of a bump that it would be fun for Kaz to get her way, without it becoming full-on mind control. I hoped, though, that this would mean if she was ever in a shitty position, her saying 'No' would have a bit more punch to it - which was a terrible thought anyway, but it seemed like a good pay-off for her trusting me to do this to her.

I spent some time after that doing some small touches, such as ensuring her butt would stay that plump and perky, like her breasts, regardless of her age, and I even moved a slider so that her metabolism would work quicker, and she would be able to burn off calories faster than most.

As I was finishing up, however, I realised that there really wasn't much I would change about her. She'd brought up the skin thing, but I hadn't noticed at all. The changes to her chest and butt were more an act of reservation than improvement, and her metabolism was just a gift given to her that I wish I had for myself. The brains and sensitivity wouldn't have crossed my mind if she hadn't asked for them - she was plenty smart and plenty sensitive.

But who was I to deny a woman her wishes?

I hovered the mouse over the 'Complete' button, and turned to look at the strange flickering mass of data that was in the room where Kaz had once been, and wondered if it looked any different.

I wondered if she would be any different.

I reviewed my choices, the alterations I'd made to Kaz, and wondered if this was something I shouldn't do. She had asked for stuff, obviously, and explicitly tested me to make some judgement calls, but still... what had happened to me had been an accident, and had been so recent that, aside from completely turning my sex life upside down and making me irresistible to my dream girl, we didn't really know how it was going to affect my life. What if it had negative health impacts, or something? Should I let Kaz go through with it without knowing?

Or, was it my right to stop her? She'd come down here and done this to herself on purpose, with all of the information that I had about this person-editor. She'd acted of her own avail, and wanted to get something out of it. We knew this was single-use - what if I cancelled it now, and because she'd gone into the system, it was single-use and wouldn't let it happen again, despite no changes being made? What if there were negative health impacts, and she got those as well? What if we were past the point of being able to stop the negative?

In which case, the only sensible thing to do was to make sure that she got to experience the positives.

A brainwave hit me, and I made one final alteration before going back to the main page. I sucked in a breath, and clicked 'Complete'.

10

'H-holy shit,' Kaz said as the constant humming sound of static cut out suddenly.

I spun away from the screen, and stared at Kaz in front of me. She looked... normal.

Like herself.

She looked at me, and then down at herself. Her hands went to her tits, and I saw a reaction flicker across her face. Then she felt her face, her thick, red hair, looking down at herself. She was still dressed for work, like it was any other day.

'Kaz?' I asked. 'How do you feel?'

She looked at me again, and I saw the grin appear on her face. 'You did it, didn't you.'

I gave a tentative nod, and she raced towards me, grabbing me and kissing me with a passion that made me melt a little into her.

'Mmmmm,' she hummed against my lips. She pulled back a little. 'Did you make that feel better?'

I smiled, our foreheads together. 'I may have given your lips a little more... sensitivity. Amongst some other places.'

She kissed me again and a shiver went through her. 'I'm really happy I called in sick,' she smiled. 'I need you to show me some of these... changes.'

'Alright.'

'Now.' Her hands slid to my head as she kissed me again, intensely. My hand slid under her shirt, stroking her stomach and side, and I heard her whimper. 'Is that you, or just because I am really fucking turned on?'

I shrugged. 'Who knows.'

'Oh - you're not gonna tell me? Not gonna tell me how much you've shaped me into your perfect girl?'

'You were already perfect,' I smiled, sliding my hand into her trousers, under her underwear, gripping her pert, perfect arse. 'I just made you able to feel it a little more intensely.'

'Fuck,' she whimpered. 'Take me - here.'

I looked at her, and a moment of hesitation passed before we started kissing again with a renewed intensity, stripping each other and ourselves as we went.

I pulled her shirt off, kissing her neck and throat - which made her gasp in surprise. 'Oh, that's nice. I love it - whatever you've done to me, I fucking love it.'

'Just you wait,' I told her, spinning her round so she was facing the workbench and pushing her over. She bent at the waist as I crouched behind her, pulling down her very smart trousers to reveal her all-too-sexy underwear underneath. She moaned as I pulled the trousers down, and Kaz stepped out of them as I kissed my way up her leg, licking her thigh and then her buttocks before kissing her perfect rump.

'Holy shit,' she moaned, gripping the workbench in a white-knuckle grip. 'You're gonna make me cum from just that... fuck, you really did change me, didn't you?'

I pulled my lips off her buttcheek and saw how wet she was, her juices already soaking her lovely panties. 'Are you okay with it?'

'I love it,' she panted. 'I love knowing that I'm yours - that being near you makes me wet, and that when you had all this power over me, all you did was make me able to feel pleasure stronger... fuck, I love it, Will. Kiss me more, taste me - I need it!'

'Spread your cheeks,' I told her, and I watched as Kaz, bent over the worktop, reached back and pulled apart her pert buttcheeks, inviting me in. 'Good girl,' I said, which pulled a whimper from Kaz before I kissed my way into her depths. The moment my lips made contact with her wetness, she moaned into bench.

'Fuck, that is intense...'

'I barely touched you,' I said, grinning.

'I genuinely can't think straight,' she moaned. 'I need to cum, baby - I need you to let me cum like this. Just... get me there?'

I could feel my urge to obey her, to shut up and do as she said. It was... interesting. But it wasn't like I was going to argue anyway.

So, I leaned in, opened my mouth, and licked her.

From swollen clit to twitching puckered arsehole.

'FFUUUUUCK!' Kaz screamed, her hands letting go of herself so she could grab the bench with one hand, the other grabbing the back of my head as I ate her from behind, quickly following up my lick with another, and another, worshipping her sweet holes in indulgent, lavish loves. Her orgasm left her shuddering and swearing, but she didn't let me go - she held me there until my tongue was aching and I was struggling to breathe. Once she was tired enough to relent, I pulled back, gasping, face sodden and staring at her slick holes, twitching and clenching as she whimpered.

'So... the sensitivity thing worked, then?' I asked.

'Uuuuurghhhhh...' Kaz moaned, knees buckling under her as she clung to the worktop. I kissed her coccyx, and she whimpered. I kissed my way up her back, listening to the noises she made until I was at the base of her neck. 'That...' she said eventually, getting her voice back. 'That was so good...'

Kaz turned to look at me over her shoulder as I kissed her neck, my hands sliding up and down her back and hips. She mewled and wriggled under me, pressing her backside into my hardness and groaning.

'Well, I think you're done - no more for you today,' I smiled, kissing her neck.

'Ahh - don't you dare, Will- unhh...' I felt her hand reach around, and she opened herself to me again as she ground her hips into me, that perfect butt pressing into my pelvis as she lay under me. 'I need you - now.'

I shifted my hips and let my length press into her, and Kaz's hand reached round to my head, pulling me into a kiss. She moaned into that, too, as I sawed my length against her really wet sex. Hips moved against hips, rocking and bucking, until eventually I angled myself in just the right way; Kaz's sex was wet enough, ready enough, that the moment my head found the divet of her hole, it took only small twitches from both of us for me to slide inside.

In one motion, I pushed my entire cock into her, bottoming out inside her perfect body, as Kaz arrived at orgasm at the same time.

'Just from that,' she panted. 'Fuck, you've ruined me...'

I wrapped one arm around her chest, threading my wrist between her perfect tits as she pulled up, and gripping her throat lightly in one hand. With the other, I held her hip as I began to draw back, before pushing back into her.

'Fuck, Kaz,' I moaned. 'You're so wet-'

'Fuck me,' she panted. 'I... I can feel how smart you made me, and yet I still can't think, Will - I need you, I need to cum again and again, please? Please fuck me? Please baby will you-?!'

I shut her up by spanking that perfect arse of hers, before locking in behind her and holding her in place as I began to thrust. Fucking her from behind was a dream come true - I'd fantasized about that apple-butt of hers for so long, and even though we'd had sex through the entire weekend, I knew that it was never going to stop being perfect.

Especially so now.

Each impact filled the workshop with a wet slap as my body hit hers, followed by a moan or a wail or a swear from Kaz's lips, and a grunt form mine.

Spl-spl-spl-spl-spl-

Together we got faster, more desperate, more animalistic. I felt her cum on me more than once, her body clenching around mine as her voice went tight and high, and her legs shook under me. I didn't stop, didn't pause for a second, pounding into her over and over and over. Together we grunted and clawed at each other, moaning each other's names as our bodies, hot and sweaty, found the edge of climax again and again. For her, it was easy to fall into orgasm at my hand - hell, it was hard for her not to. For me, I was a little more hesitant to crash over the edge, but after some time it was impossible to deny.

'Kaz, I'm close,' I panted into her ear.

'In me,' she moaned. Fucking fill me, Will-'

'Fuck, gonna cum-'

'Fill me up - fuck, I'm close too - breed me, Will - fucking bREED ME!'

She screamed those two words as we both crashed over the edge; I hammered myself into her, deep inside her poor, pummelled sex, and held her chest and throat and hips as I came. It flowed from me, thick and hot and heavy, filling her hungry insides as Kaz came on me, body shuddering, hands gripping my arm as her eyes rolled back, mouth open.

We stayed there for a while, my cock refusing to go soft as I stayed there, impaling her channel as she dripped with my cum. We panted in place, bodies throbbing and slick with sweat.

'W... what time is it?' she asked, her voice a little scratchy.

I looked at the screen, which was back to its typical blank desktop visage. 'Just past eleven.'

'Fuck,' she said.

'What?'

'You definitely made me smarter - my brain just did a whole thing, working out how long that had taken, and then working out how many more times we could do that in a day.'

I stroked her back, and she mewled under me. Her hips shifted, and I tried not to moan at the sensation. 'Is it a lot?'

'It's so much...' she purred, rolling her hips now.

'Before you lose that brain of yours again,' I teased, leaning in. 'Why don't you tell me the changes in how you've felt? I'm curious.'

'You want to know what you've done to me,' she said, with a bit of a nod. 'Okay - then let's debrief. And, maybe relocate to bed? Work isn't expecting me, and I think I might need a bit more data on my new condition.'

'Understood,' I said, pulling back. We both groaned as my still-hard cock slid out of her, followed by a trail of cum that splattered on the workroom floor.

Kaz shivered. 'Fuck.' Then, she collected herself. 'Take me upstairs, baby.'

I smiled, and using my body's new-and-improved stature, lifted her easily in my arms. She nuzzled into my neck and looped an arm around me as I carried her up through the house, both of us naked but far enough from prying eyes that there was no need to be prudish. I carried her like a wife over the threshold, all the way up to my bedroom, and laid her carefully on the sheets which were still a mess from our night together.

'Tell me what you feel,' I said, as I crawled into bed with her.

'I feel... active,' she said. 'It's like when you upgrade from an old laptop, and even the simple things that you should expect to work, but had fallen off, when they come back to life it's a revelation. I can feel parts of my brain shaking off dust.'

'How is it?' I asked, worried that it wouldn't be good. After all, it was permanent.

'I like it,' she said. 'I know we're having another day of rutting-each-other-until-we-pass-out, but when we go back to work, I am going to get that fucking raise, and that bitch Genevieve is gonna suck a dick.'

I looked down at her as she lay there, so beautiful it almost made my chest hurt.

'So - you like the changes?'

She looked down at herself. 'Did you make my bobs bigger?'

I scoffed. 'Only a tiny bit - I mainly made them perky - forever. No sagging for Kaz.'

She nodded. 'Shit. Cool. Anything else I should know about?'

'I did the same to your butt,' I said, and she rolled enough to look at her rump, before smiling up at me.

'Anything else?'

I reached out and, with my thumb, brushed her left nipple. Kaz groaned immediately, eyes rolling.

'Oh wowwww,' she moaned. 'That's... that's like my clit - fuck, we could have fun with that.'

I smiled. 'There's one last thing - probably the most dramatic change I made to you, physically speaking.'

'Oh?' she asked. 'Is this something just for you, by any chance?'

There was no hiding the blush on my face, nor the smile on my face. 'Maybe. I'm sure that big brain will find some uses for it, though.'

Her eyebrow cocked. 'Oh?'

'Open your mouth,' I told her. She obeyed. 'Stick your tongue out.' She obeyed again, and almost immediately she realised what I was getting at.

Her tongue stretched out of her lips, well past her chin. She held it up and it stuck out at least three, maybe four inches from her face, straight up. Then, she brought it back in. 'Wow,' she said. 'That's... really hot.'

I gave a short sigh of relief. 'You think so?'

She nodded, looking up at me. 'And it matches yours - so I know it can feel good. You wanna give it a test-run? I'm smart now, so, you know, experimentation and all that.'

Without waiting for an answer, she rolled onto me, basically tackling me down and diving in on my still-hard cock. I watched her as she gripped it at the base, and still had to remind myself of how we'd gotten to this point.

Here I was, with the girl I'd crushed on for so long preparing to try out her oral skills on my enhanced seven-inch-something cock that looked like it would give most pornstars a run for their money. She stroked me twice before looking me dead in the eye and letting her tongue roll out of her lips, wrapping it around my shaft hungrily as she took me into her mouth.

'Oh, fuck,' I groaned as she started what was easily the best blowjob of my life.

11

The sound of Kaz's phone ringing woke us both with a start. She rolled away from me, our bodies warm and naked in the strewn sheets of my bed, and picked it up. I watched her as she turned to me and mouthed 'sorry', before standing up and slinking across the room, slipping on a robe as she went.

'Summer, calm down,' I heard her say, her tone soft. 'Walk me through it.'

Kaz left the room for privacy, and I sat up in the bed, resting against the headboard. Outside, rain was pattering against the glass, and I could see the shifting greens and browns of the Lake District. It was beautiful, and the bed was warm, and Kaz was so beautiful. Everything, for the first time in a long time, felt right.

Then, my heart panged in guilt.

Ardy was still gone. The one man who had genuinely taken care of me, and here I was, in his house, thinking about how amazing my life was.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to fight the darker thoughts, the ones that told me I was a waste of space and that I could have done more, or that I was pathetic for relying on the Peredi to get Kaz attached to me, and that the 'real' me didn't deserve any of this.

I could hear Kaz, in the corridor or perhaps another room, trying to talk to her friend - Summer. I didn't really know Summer, but I'd met her in passing once and had seen her online enough to know who she was; a skinny brunette who'd been in a relationship with the same guy since they was seventeen, she had a habit of popping up in Kaz's comments throwing compliments at her. She seemed sweet, but that was about as far as my understanding went.

It was mid-afternoon by now, after we'd spent a few hours in bed exploring Kaz's new enhancements, we'd both fallen into a blissful snooze. Now, though, I was filled with a restlessness that demanded food. We'd skipped both breakfast and dinner, and I was starting to feel it, now.

So, I pulled myself up and out of bed and found some underwear and pulled on a t-shirt, and poked my head out of the room. Kaz was sitting on the top step of the staircase, her robe wrapped up around her, brow furrowed. She heard me and turned, giving me an exasperated look.

'Everything okay?' I whispered.

She shook her head, and kept talking to Summer. 'Sum, look - I'm at Wills, come over and we'll sort you out. But no, you're not crazy - what he's doing is not okay, and you should be able to be upset about it.' She paused, mouthing another apology.

'It's fine,' I said quietly. 'Is she okay?'

Kaz shook her head. 'No - I'll come pick you up. I have the day off anyway, and Will isn't busy - we'll take care of you. No, he's great, and he'll be able to give you a male perspective.'

Their conversation went on a little longer, before Kaz told her friend to wait and she'd hop in the car and go pick her up. When she hung up, she gave out a long sigh and faced me.

'That wasn't completely out of line was it? Inviting her here?'

'No! She's your friend - if you want to help her out, console her, whatever, I'm happy to play host.'

She gave me a look. 'How much did you hear?'

'Not much - but it didn't sound good. Her boyfriend fuck up?'

'Fiance,' Kaz said as she walked to the bedroom. 'Can I borrow some of your clothes? Like, an oversized-top-as-a-dress type scenario? I need to bring some stuff from my place if I'm going to be staying here.'

That put a pause on things. 'A-are you staying here?'

She stopped, and turned to me. 'Sorry - I didn't mean to assume-'

'No, I would love you to!' I laughed. 'Kaz, please. It doesn't have to be a proper move-in if you don't want to, but... I think we're both in this for the long haul, no? Makes sense you not having to go home every time you want to get changed.'

She softened for a moment and came over to me, kissing me. 'I'd love to. But, for now, big top?'

I smiled and opened my wardrobe, finding some massive XXL-sized tee that I'd had forever. Kaz pulled it on over her, not wearing a bra but slipping on a pair of my boxers, and sprayed herself down with deodorant. She looked amazing in a just-had-sex kind of way, with that glow and looseness about her, and I found her utterly gorgeous. Especially seeing as, with each movement, her slightly-enhanced chest made itself very recognisably 'free' under my tee, teasing me with each step.

As she dressed, I pulled on some jeans and socks to make it clear I was actually out of bed.

'You should go,' I told her. 'Before I pin you to that bed again.'

'Understood,' she said, kissing my cheek. 'She's about forty minutes away, so gimme an hour and a half?'

'I'll make some dinner,' I told her. 'And if Summer wants privacy with you, just let me know. I can make myself scarce.'

'You're the best,' she said. 'Seriously - outside of everything that's gone on this weekend? You're a really good guy, Will. This gets you good-boy points, feel free to cash them in later.'

I laughed, and waved her off as she left, wearing her boots, panties, my t-shirt, and nothing else. Fuck, she was a dream come true.

When the door shut behind her, I let out an exhale. I leant against the door for a moment, and let out another one.

'Fuck,' I laughed.

How the hell did I get this lucky?

I had an hour and a half to make it up to her - to show Kaz that she was right, I was a decent guy outside of all of... this. To show that being attached to me in the way she'd described wasn't going to be a bad thing.

I put on some music, injecting the rainy day with some life now that it was just me here, and started to look through all of the food that had been left to me by friends and family. I had a freezer full of things that just looked like tupperware full of solid colours - brown and orange, mostly. I couldn't make out what was what, so instead I shut that and went to the cupboards that me and Kaz had filled. I found enough in there to make up a broccoli and bacon pasta dish that would suit us all.

So, I pulled up a recipe on my phone and made sure I had it in prime place while I started to retrieve ingredients when text came through. Standing in the kitchen, rain pattering on the window panes still, I saw Hallie's name pop up.

Would you be free for a visit? I'm in the village - let me know what time might work.

I paused, looking down at it. I hadn't seen her since she'd dropped off the video that had truly changed my life. Hallie had given me Ardy's message, meant for her, without watching it. She had helped him make this thing, but wanted nothing to do with it. She had been a saint by my side, helping me through the funeral and all of the legal stuff, ensuring that I was in the best position I could be. Hell, she even was the one who gave me the right numbers to call so that I could get access to Ardy's investment portfolio, helping me through the whole process. I'd only really met her in the fallout of Ardy's death, but she felt like a good friend.

So why was I so nervous to see her?

The thought crossed my mind that seeing her, in person, might cause my effects to impact her in some way - though, I reckoned, it would be like the people in the supermarket. Enough to make her like me in that way perhaps, but it's not mind-altering in the sense that anything would happen.

Maybe, though, it was more to do with that video. Was she checking to see if I'd watched it? Did she want to know if I had discovered her secret? She'd said that her knowing anything would bring 'heat' onto her, and Ardy had made it very clear that this work wasn't exactly government-sanctioned.

If I knew what I knew, was I a risk to her safety?

I had to play dumb. Had to.

And playing dumb meant playing nice.

Of course! I shot back. I have some friends coming over this evening so I need to make dinner - do you need a lot of time?

She replied quickly. Not lots, no.

I'll be round in ten minutes?

Sounds good! I sent back, before quickly heading down into the basement. It still smelled of sex from mine and Kaz's encounter a few hours ago, so I found some air freshener and gave the place a spray and quickly righted any moved equipment or computer pieces, so it looked as untouched as possible. Then, locking the basement behind me and slipping that key card into my pocket, I started to prep food for dinner. Like nothing was wrong.

Even so, when I heard Hallie's knock at the door, I jumped.

She was in a waterproof poncho, and had the biggest smile on her face when she saw me. 'Will!' Her face was warm, and had a couple smile lines there in the corners, but the wrinkles and spots of grey in her hair faded away as her joy shone through.

I hated to admit it, but she really was an attractive woman for her mid-fifties.

I welcomed her in, and she took off the poncho; underneath she was wearing a thick, white jumper that looked like the most comfortable thing in the world, and some jeans.

'Looks like dinner will be tasty,' she noted as we passed the mess of half-cut vegetables and all of the ingredients out and ready to be put together. 'But, no, I won't be imposing. I just wanted to... reach out.'

I walked her to the living room, and we sat across from each other. 'Is that all?' I asked.

She pulled a face, and I could see her working up the courage to ask something. 'Okay - Will. I have to ask. Did you watch it? The video?'

'The one Ardy left for you?' I asked. Then, I decided to lie. Play dumb. 'No, I haven't. I almost did, but... it didn't feel right. It was for you, not me.'

Hallie seemed to relax a little. 'Okay. I appreciate that.'

Something was wrong, however. 'Why? Should I?'

She tilted her head a little, and I realised that I was seeing a side of her I hadn't seen before. The almost maternal side of Hallie was gone, all of that helping and fawning over me. Now she seemed... sharp. She was smart, of course, but the type of intelligence that could contribute to the Peredi was flashing behind her eyes, and I saw it, even if just for a second.

'I don't think so,' she said. 'In fact, I think it would be good if... Look, I haven't watched it, I don't know what he said on that video. But I think I was hasty in turning it over to you.'

'You want the file back?'

Hallie nodded. 'I just think that, you know, it was his final wish - at least regarding me. He wanted me to know. I was scared of it, and of what it might be about.'

'You told me it wasn't all pretty,' I said.

'And it wasn't.'

'That it might bring you 'heat'.'

She scoffed. 'And it might.'

I paused, and we considered each other. I was paying dumb, though, and there was no way for this to go that wasn't going to involve handing it to her. The only chance I had was to try and convince her that it wasn't a good idea.

'So, what do you want to do?'

She frowned. 'Did Ardy work here? In the house? Or, maybe he had a workshop somewhere?'

'I'm not - Hallie, I feel like you're grilling me a little bit.' I tried to laugh it off, and she smiled.

'Sorry, Will. I'm just trying to make sure that he didn't have anything... that he didn't keep working. In fact, I'm almost certain he did - I don't think that tape was just an apology for time lost.'

'You think he kept working on the thing that was gonna bring heat?'

She smiled. 'He definitely did. I'm just not sure if 'working on' meant having a few notebooks full of notes, or something more... substantial.'

'Gotcha,' I nodded. 'Well, look - you didn't want to watch that tape for a good reason. Do you really want to watch it now?'

'Or,' she said. 'I could just believe you when you say there's nothing to worry about. Is that what you're getting at, Will? Because I want to. I want to walk away, and trust you. But I just... don't. I think you're lying to me. I think you watched the tape, and now you're lying to me about what Ardy did.'

I was a little shocked, and for a moment wasn't sure how to respond. 'Hallie, I-'

'Thirty years,' she said with a scoff. 'Thirty years he stowed himself away, tucked out of sight. Of course he kept going. He would have been subtle. Bought a house in the middle of nowhere, where he could work. He wouldn't keep it small, either, would he. Just doing calculations. Will, I know there's something in this house.'

'Why do you want it?' I asked, getting a little worried. 'Whatever he built, why would you want it, if it could risk everything?'

'I don't!' Hallie laughed. 'I want to destroy it. For you, Will. It would ruin your life. The people who would come for you - you realise they wouldn't knock on your door and be polite, right? If they were worried enough, they'd just get rid of you. A bullet through the woods, followed by a house fire? Child's play.'

'Jesus,' I said, a knot in my stomach now.

'Will,' Hallie said, standing with me as I began to pace the room. 'Be honest with me - it's okay. If there's research, a device, anything, you need to get rid of it.' She came close, her hand taking my arm. 'For your own sake. I can't watch you get hurt over something he did. You're a good man. Look at you - making dinner for friends, trying to start a life. Don't let him take it from you, Will.'

Then, she pulled me into a hug, all that anxiety flowing out of me. Hallie sighed against me, and I felt her arms around me, her fingers gripping my shirt a little as she held me.

'You don't have to tell me,' she said. 'But just... destroy it. The technology, research notes - everything. Do you promise me?'

She pulled away, and looked me in the eye. She was a little shorter than me, and her stern gaze fell away into something kinder again.

Though, not maternal. Something else. Something new.

'I... I promise,' I said, not sure if it was a lie.

'Good boy,' she whispered, that intelligence behind her eyes flashing again. Her mind was working. Her hands lingered just a little too long on my back, before she seemed to realise and pull away. 'Okay. I'll go, and I'll trust that you get rid of anything you find, okay?'

I nodded. 'Okay.'

She gave a smile, and picked up her waterproof poncho again as she made to leave. 'I'll be checking in Will. See you soon.'

For some reason, that sounded more like a threat than reassurance.

I waved her off, and watched her car leave, before I was able to relax. I exhaled, and it was the complete opposite feeling to when Kaz had left - instead of an anxiety about when he was back, all I could feel was a looming sense of dread at the knowledge she would return. I needed to destroy the Peredi, that much was clear.

Or, at least do enough to satisfy Hallie.

I thought about that book of notes, tucked away in the back living room, where Ardy had spent so much time. It had been filled with notes and ideas that made no sense to me, but they probably made sense to Hallie. If I destroyed that, maybe in front of her, would that get her off my back?

Was that a good idea in and of itself?

Maybe the book was, in its own way, essential. Maybe it held the secrets to the Peredi, to this technology, that would make it non-functional otherwise. Maybe this technology would be world-revolutionising, and destroying it would be like destroying the internet before it was fully unleashed on the world.

Maybe that was the kind of thinking that led Ardy to finishing the damn thing.

I decided that I wouldn't do anything until I'd talked to Kaz. She was a genius, now, after all - and she had a stake in the game. Looping her in only seemed right. So, I distracted myself.

A bit of music on my phone to fill the room while I cooked - Fleetwood Mac, full blast. I focused on the food, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach, and by the time everything was actually cooking and bubbling away. I took my time, letting the act of cooking, the focus and the sensory information letting me escape the anxiety that Hallie had brought.

The only thing that brought me back to reality was, half way through a live-recorded version of Never Going Back Again, the sound of the front door clicking open, followed by the muffled sound of a conversation.

'Hey!' Kaz called through, I turned, wearing my apron as I washed dishes in the sink, and saw her come through with who I could only assume was Summer. She was in a black hoodie with the hood down, her mane of brown hair a little bit of a mess.

'Hi,' she said, a quietness or nervousness to her. She was cute. 'I'm Summer.'

'Will,' I answered, giving a soapy wave. 'Dinner's ready - hope you're hungry.'

'Fucking famished,' Kaz said. 'Come on, Sum - we'll get dishes and stuff ready.' Together, they prepped the table quickly as I served up, putting some garlic bread on the side and sitting down to eat.

'So,' Summer said as she looked down at the dish before her. 'This looks amazing - thank you, Will.'

'Don't mention it,' I smiled. 'I love to cook. I'm happy to. I mean, I'm aware that the circumstances aren't happy, but... any excuse to make a good meal.'

Summer gave a bit of a smile, and sighed. 'Sorry - I've totally crashed your evening, haven't I.'

'Don't be stupid,' Kaz said, nudging her. 'Look, we'll eat Will's fantastic food, and then we can put on a film and get drunk. How does that sound?'

'Fucking amazing,' Summer said. 'Fuck, I don't... I think the only reason I'm not crying right now is because I'm all cried-out.' Her eyes flitted up to me for a moment. 'Me and Zach broke up,' she said, clearly for my benefit.

'And good riddance,' Kaz said with a smile, pouring some wine for Summer. 'The man was fucking useless.'

'I mean, I guess you're right,' Summer said, taking the first drink of the night.

12

Over the next few hours, the flow of conversation and wine was steady and warm and informational.

I learned, from Summer and from Kaz, that Zach had been 'perfect' at the beginning of their relationship - when they were teenagers. I learned that Zach was the only man Summer had been with, and that she lost her virginity to him. I also learned, after the first bottle had been drained and dinner was over - despite the fact we still sat at the dinner table together - that Summer had never enjoyed sex with him. That, I learned from Kaz, as Summer blushed furiously while avoiding eye contact. I was told that Zach, however, was not equally committed, and after they both went to University in the same city and started growing their social groups, Zach was much more of a going-out person than Summer.

I learned that she loved him enough to tell him to go out and enjoy himself while she stayed in, played games with her friends and made terrible student films with them. I learned that when Zach heard 'enjoy yourself', he took it to be permission to go and fuck a variety of first-year girls in nightclub bathrooms, or going back to their student digs for some adulterous fun. Zach was getting his jollies with these other girls, so sex dried up with Summer while she didn't know what he was up to.

That was years ago.

The reason this had blown up, however, was because Zach didn't just fuck these other women - Summer by now was energised enough to take over from Kaz. She told me that they often filmed it, and Zach kept a copy of every single picture or video he'd taken with these other girls on his Google Drive. Two days ago, he left his laptop open while logged in after masturbating to it, and stumbled across it. Yesterday, she confronted him about it, and today they were over.

I also learned that Kaz had fucking hated this guy for years, and had been telling Summer that she could do better, which was the current topic of conversation.

'I don't even know how to think about other people,' Summer said, a hand in her dark hair. 'It doesn't feel right to, like, acknowledge, you know?'

Kaz nodded, giving Summer a stroke on the shoulder. 'Sum, Zach is a fucking deadbeat. You deserve so much better.'

'But it would feel like cheating!' Summer said.

'But it isn't! You're free now! Besides, like that ever stopped him.'

'Oh, God, I'm pathetic aren't I?' Summer asked.

'Shut up,' Kaz joked, and a ghost of a smile grew on Summer's lips. Then, Kaz looked at me, a glint in her eye. 'Will - you're a man. Summer wouldn't have any trouble getting a guy, would she?'

Summer turned to me, too, and for a moment I felt a little put-on-the-spot. Then, I figured I would just be honest.

'No trouble at all, are you kidding me?' I saw a small smile appear. 'Look, I am... not the best at advice. But, speaking as a guy, with eyes, you're not going to have any trouble. What I would say, though, is that, you've just been with one guy - don't get hung up on the second guy, or third, being special.'

Her brow furrowed a little at that. 'W-what do you mean?'

Kaz's head tilted a little, and I could see that intelligence turning over in her head. Observing me.

'I just mean... you've been in an intense relationship, and I think it's important to know that not every relationship is like that, or should be like that. You're allowed to have fun. Sorry if this is too personal, just let me know-'

'No, it's fine,' she said, a little too quickly.

'Okay. I just mean, like, casual sex and things like that might be a good step, before, you know, dating. You've been with one guy who, it sounds like, didn't have a clue what he was doing - especially if he fumbled you.'

Summer scoffed, and looked at Kaz. 'Did you put him up to that?'

'I did not,' Kaz said. 'But he's right. You need some good dick, Sum.'

Summer's scoffing stopped now, and she looked a little sheepish again. 'Well, it's not like I'm going to go clubbing or anything, and those apps terrify me. Maybe I'll just be a spinster, lonely, doomed to only ever cum from masturbation-' She stopped when she realised what she'd said. 'Oh, god, I think I'm tipsy.'

'I think things are just getting fun,' Kaz laughed. 'But seriously - Summer! I'm not going to let you become some poor thing who only gets to cum from her own hand-'

'-Oh, god-'

'-You need some good sex. With a man who knows what he's doing - not some jerkoff who's disappointing a variety of nightclub girls.'

'Never knew the guy,' I said. 'But he's a tool. And if you want sex, good sex, there's nothing better than going off recommendation. Kaz - who do you know?'

I had swung the spotlight to Kaz now, off Summer, and Summer seemed to appreciate it. Kaz realised what I was doing, and immediately brought up her phone, going through a laundry-list of guys she'd had a fling with, a couple guys she'd had one-night-stands with, and even a few guys her friends had fucked and she'd gotten good recommendations from. As they went through the guys, Summer seemed to relax a little, and it was clear that this was a game - not something she needed to do tonight. It was fun, and flirty, and we were all merry with the wine by this point.

Lights were low, and as we moved from the dinner table to the living room - promises of a movie long forgotten - Summer asked the question that really set things off.

Because, throughout the night, I had noticed the odd look; the occasional ogle from Summer when she thought I wasn't looking. My new body was doing to her what it had done to Kaz, and the people in the supermarket, and even Hallie. Not to toot my own horn, but I was aware by this point the effect I was having on her - which is why the conversation had been so easy to turn the way it was going. Kaz was horny, and Summer was, knowingly or not, seeing me as a viable sexual alternative to her shitty ex.

'Who was the best you've had?' Summer asked Kaz as they sat together on the sofa.

I was on the other one, turning on the television for some background noise, and Kaz leaned in to give her answer.

'Really?' Summer asked, and I saw Kaz's nod. 'Are you... really?'

'Easily,' Kaz said with a shrug. 'Now - I need the toilet - can I leave you two alone? Is she safe with you, Will?'

'Define 'safe'' I shot back, and she scowled before bouncing up and leaving the room - but not before shooting me a wink.

There was a moment of quiet between us as I felt Summer looking for the words to say what she wanted. Then - she found them.

'Can I have sex with you?' she asked.

I looked at her, wide-eyed and surprised. 'I- what?'

She looked me dead in the eye, holding a sort of confidence that surprised me - and then I saw her clenched fists, and her bouncing knee. This wasn't confidence. It was bravery.

'I... Kaz told me that you and her were... open. And that you're really good at it. And, I mean, you heard about my past.'

'That Zach was shit?'

She nodded, holding back a laugh. 'Sorry. I think I've had a bit too much to drink; I know without a bit of dutch courage I wouldn't be able to say any of this. Plus, Kaz makes me feel safe, and she talked about how great you were, and you do seem great, and I'm rambling but I know if I don't say it now, I never will. Fuck. Fuck, I'm sorry.'

I paused for a moment, thinking things over. 'How drunk are you? Really?'

'Not that bad,' she said, and I believed her. At the very least, she seemed able to hold her own, and we'd only had about a bottle and a half of wine between three of us. She was no less sober than I was. 'Enough to do something that I might normally think was stupid.'

We just kind of looked at each other for a moment, and I realised what had happened.

Me and Kaz had talked - briefly - about other women being involved. She'd noted she was interested in it, and that she liked other girls wanting me, but that was very different from us actually doing this sort of thing. Match that with the conversation she'd clearly had with Summer, pushing her towards me as a sexual alternative to her shitty experience with Zach, and I wondered if this was okay, or if it was some sort of trap.

Part of me knew that Kaz would never want to trap me, nor that she would set up this sort of situation if she wasn't into it. She was - certainly - smarter than that. Also, she'd made a point of going to the toilet, but it had been far too long for that to be where she'd really gone, so she'd left me and Summer alone.

I smiled at the brunette before me. 'Let me go and chat to Kaz first,' I said. 'Communication is key, after all.'

Summer nodded, with that slightly spacey affectation only cute women who were slightly tipsy seemed capable of, as I stood up and headed out.

13

I was about to scale the stairs up to the bathroom, when I realised it was dark upstairs - and the door to the basement was ajar. I'd left it shut when Hallie was here, so it wasn't hard to figure out that Kaz had slipped downstairs.

Heading down, the screen of the computer was illuminating the workshop, and Kaz was standing before it, LEDs glowing on her beautiful features, her eyes flitting over what looked like a wall of code, only flitting to me for a second.

'Hey,' I said.

'Hi, baby,' she responded, barely looking away. 'You caught me.'

'You wanted me to,' I said, and she smiled. 'What're you doing down here?'

'Killing time,' she said. 'I figured I had a good hour or so while you showed Summer what good sex is like.'

I faltered. 'Is... is that what you want?'

She turned to me, her attention fully on me now, and I saw her recognise my hesitation. She pulled away from the screen, and closed the gap between us - still just wearing my t-shirt and nothing else.

'Will,' she said, her voice a whisper of lust that sent a shiver down my spine. 'I want you to go upstairs and fuck the shit out of Summer. She's a friend, and she needs a good, proper taste of what sex can be outside of her piece of shit ex. Give her something that'll stop her from ever going back to him.' Then, she put her hands on my face, and held my gaze. 'Of course - you don't need to sleep with anyone you don't want to. But... this new you, you're going to be attracting a lot of people. Sooner rather than later, we should get used to you sleeping with other women, and I think this is a perfect trial run for us. Besides.' She kissed me, and we both let out a soft sigh. 'I'll be claiming you back soon enough, don't you worry.' That got my motor running a little. 'Do you think she's attractive? Be honest.'

I swallowed. 'I do.'

'Do you want to know what it'll be like, showing her what good sex is?'

'I do...'

'Are you interested to see how hard she'll cum on your cock? How her voice will sound when it cracks moaning your name?'

'Fuck, Kaz-'

'Go,' she said. 'Find out. Take her to bed, and I'll join you, when I'm done.'

'What are you doing down here?'

She smirked. 'I'll tell you tomorrow. Now - go. You'll make her nervous, and she doesn't deserve that. Poor girl just went through a breakup.'

She turned me on the spot and spanked my butt to push me back to the stairs. I climbed them, and gave her one last look before I left the basement, and went back towards the living room.

Summer was waiting for me, and I had to admit it - she was attractive. Skinnier than Kaz, and missing some of those curves I loved, but there was an elegance in her, like she was some undiscovered model. I approached her with intention, with passion, and she stood up from the sofa to meet me.

I didn't say anything - I just dove in, one hand on her hip, another on her face as I kissed her, and I felt her squeak of surprise before she melted into me. Her hands stroked my arms, her body small against mine, and her tongue finding mine as we made out, there in the living room.

'Here?' I asked. 'Or, in bed?'

'Here,' she gasped. 'Fuck - yes, here, please?'

I smiled. This was going to be fun.

A huge thank-you to:

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