Disclaimer: This novel contains adult materials including sexually explicit activities, childhood trauma, domestic violence, strong language, and incest. Reader discretion is advised.
Verde’s Doohickey
Session 03: Maximum Flare
So, after I caught Maxxie fondling her original body, my body at the moment, red-handed, she immediately tried to change the subject.
“So, um, I didn’t really plan much for today…”
As Maxxie muttered, she placed her hands on her lap, probably to conceal a boner.
“Really? Did you forget what came out yesterday?” I asked while glaring at her..
“Maybe… I know I got a box in the mail, but I really wanted to finish this drawing. Coloring was a bit annoying, the editing program for the video I made for it crashed, and there was something I wanted to keep tabs on. So no, I totes forgot. Let’s make amends right now and boot that shit up!”
“…Super Smash Bros. for Wii U just came out, Maxxie,” I said in a monotone.
“Oh SNAP! Pop that sucker in and let’s do the wholesome kind of smashing!”
With that, I began preparing my Wii U game console, which looked a bit ridiculous with the GameCube controller attachment awkwardly sticking out of it. It was hooked up to a… What, Verde?
Verde: I just think you could explain this better if you step back and describe your room.
Really, at this point in the story? …Fine, you do have a point.
My room was pretty big for a bedroom, about 250 square feet. In it, I had a standard twin-sized bed, a gaming PC that I managed to squeeze into a slick, monolithic white mid-tower case, a large desk dressed with an assortment of school supplies. There was also a 24-inch television right across from the bed, with an assortment of game consoles and so forth plugged into it. I also had a couple of shelves filled with games, DVDs, Blu-Rays, books, comics, and a few figures. I probably invested way too much money into the contents of those shelves, but I tried to keep it fairly nice looking.
Verde: Any posters?
No, not anymore, I was convinced by The Comedy Button, a podcast I really enjoy, to put them all down, and hang up a couple of frames that I switch out every couple of months. I realized that making a collage of things you liked was not the best way to design a room. I used to have a lot more stuff, mostly toys and trading cards from my childhood. But I realized I didn’t really want any of them, so I hid them around the local elementary school and a park a couple of blocks away from my house. Maybe some kids found them, I don’t know. All I know is that they are gone and my room has more open space.
Anyhow, playing Smash Bros. while stuffing our faces with healthy snacks was probably not the best idea when you recently swapped bodies with somebody. Because there was a lot to take in as we both stuffed our faces and tried to actually play the game. There were subtle differences with how our hands moved, the proportions of our fingers, and even the intensity we made inputs with. We spent the first hour trying to relearn our skills, almost getting creamed by the two new computer-controlled challengers who showed up. But we eventually got mostly used to it. Not to the point where I felt I was as good as I was when playing Melee or Brawl back in the day, but we were getting back into the groove despite our swapped bodies.
However, playing the game I noticed another change, namely in my behavior. Maxxie was the same as ever, hollering and hooting as she more or less fumbled through the game, not fully understanding the intricacies of the mechanics, and getting most of her KOs from built-up damage or through items. I found myself doing something similar, getting into the game as I felt a level of excitement that I was honestly a bit taken aback by.
I felt so happy and energized as we went on for… four hours or so, constantly laughing, cracking dumb jokes, and just enjoying each other’s company. Taking myself out of the situation, it was almost like there were two Maxxies playing the game, and I honestly felt right in acting that way.
Verde: So, you began questioning your nature after, oh, how many years of knowing this girl?
Well, no, it’s more like— in the moment, in her original body, feeling the warmth and energy, hearing a voice that I always identified as hers— I was just doing what came naturally. It was fun, I don’t regret anything about it, but it does strike me as a little odd in retrospect. I’d be inclined to chop that up to the sheer excitement that had built up over this game, and how I had not even begun playing it, as I really wanted to go through it with Maxxie.
I did begin acting more like…. myself, I guess, when my mother came up to inform us that dinner was ready at a little before 18:00. It was a simple announcement, but it startled us to the point where we nearly fell off my bed, which we typically sat on while playing games.
After we finished our current match and exited the game, turned off my Wii U, and so forth, Maxxie felt the need to make a comment about my body.
“Man, this thing just loves going upright, doesn’t it? Hasn’t been flaccid for a full thirty minutes over the past few hours.” Maxxie commented while adjusting her pants to better show me her erection.
“Well, erm, maybe it’s a reaction to putting a pansexual mind into an asexual person’s body?” I mused as I rolled up my GameCube controller cables.
“So, if you were in the pansexual club like myself, would you get a boner whenever you think about the dirty and naughty things like I am?”
“Well, no, then my body and mind would be more in sync with that sort of thing, and right now there is a discrepancy between yours. My body, I guess I should say my original body, is not accustomed to the level of sexual desires that you regularly experience. Because the body is not accustomed to dealing with all of these impulses, its sexual organs are becoming erect. At least that’s my half-baked theory on the matter.”
“Ah, so the body becomes erotic because of the mind! In that case, I should be able to fap to the same stuff that always got my ‘Flare on.’ …Would you mind if I do that tonight?”
“Oh, right, staying as each other for the night… Sure, you can masturbate in my body. I mean, you are in my body and will see me naked when you shower anyway. Just try to be discreet about it. I really don’t want my mother to walk in and see her son orgasming… or smell the scent of cum wafting through the air.”
“And will you make your sixth or-ga-zam be a lady or-ga-zam?” Maxxie asked me as she placed her head on my shoulder.
“I… what?” I muttered, taken aback.
“C’mon, there is nothing to be afraid of, you walked in on me twice and it’s not a big deal if Babs walks in and sees Maxxie Flare’s fingers in her neko-neko fun zone. You’re not gonna get in triple trouble, and I’m sure the sensation will rock your socks off..
“We’ve had this conversation before, Maxxie. Hell, we have probably had over 24 hours worth of conversations about this. I think there is absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about masturbation, let alone sexual activity. I’m a bit weirded out as… you’re basically— not a sister, more like a really close cousin. And while I already saw you naked… at least seven times by now… do you really want me to fap as you?”
“Jad, I’m not gonna force you to do anything, and if you don’t wanna, I’m cool with that. But you’re my favorite person in the world, and I think it’d be super-fuck-amazing if we can use this VD to achieve a superior level of intimacy with one another… Wait, I think I meant a different word. Yeah, intimacy normally means intercourse, and sex with you would be… Point is, I think it would be nice if we knew how each other’s bodies felt when orgasming.”
“…I’ll see how the night goes, but first, I think we should head downstairs,” I said as I felt a rumble in my stomach.
“Oh, right, I forgot to eat lunch. Eh, that bastard of a meal never really fits into my schedule unless I can eat it one-handed. Somebody really needs to make some proper meal bars that you can eat all day and not become a fatty Patty,” Maxxie muttered as she left my bedroom.
I followed behind her, trying to destroy the mental imagery of Maxxie and I having sex.
Verde: You should properly explain why you find that idea to be disgusting.
One, I have known Maxxie since we were seven, so she is like a really close cousin… which I just said a minute ago. And rule one about cousins of the opposite sex is to not have sex with them, even if you think they are sexy. Two, I am asexual… as I also said shortly ago. In my case, that means that there is nothing that really arouses me, and I have no desire to have sex with any person. I only ever ejaculated five times, one was accidental, the other was curiosity, and the other three times were part of requests Maxxie gave me. It offered some relief, but the only time I ever would plan on doing such an act again would be to save some of my sperm for… the things you save sperm for.
Moving along, before dinner, we both made our way to one of my home’s three bathrooms, I went to the upstairs one, and Maxxie went into the downstairs one. But, um, I forgot about the whole genital situation until I pulled down my leather pants and was pleased by how smoothly it went down my brown legs.
Verde: Did you try to pee standing up?
What? No! What kind of dummy would do that? I don’t even pee standing up normally. I just sat down and waited for a stream of liquid to stream out as I looked at the ceiling. I was weirded out by the sensation of peeing from a different orifice than I’m used to, by how wide the… pee spray was, so I tried to get it over with as quickly as possible. Well, as quickly as possible while doing things right, so I made sure to grab a square of toilet paper to… clean up. If only because I didn’t want to get pee all over my panty and how— What’s that look for?
Verde: Your panty?
Okay, have you ever heard somebody use the term ‘pant’ in reference to a single pair of pants? It’s pretty much the same thought process.
Verde: Then why did you call your leather pant ‘pants’?
…It’s a double standard that Maxxie and I agreed on back in Middle school when she had chosen the topic of panty shots for a paper. It’s a long story that ended up with her getting in trouble for bringing in ‘used panties’ for everybody in class… She got called into the principal’s office a lot over the years.
Once I pulled the pants back up and washed my hands, I looked in the mirror. It was strange seeing another person’s reflection mirroring my every move, even after spending hours in her body. And seeing Maxxie’s expressive face shift as I saw fit was… novel. I could make the girl in the mirror smile, laugh, look at me with disgust, and flex a full range of emotions. I spent a minute taking delight in the novelty of it all, all before I heard a knock on the door.
“Hey, no fapping before din-din, ya hear?”
I quickly jolted out of the room, inspiring Maxxie to make a playful comment about ‘faster-bating,’ which I sighed at before we headed down to eat dinner. I initially made a beeline straight for the dining room chair I’d been using for about as long as I could recall. Fortunately, Maxxie quickly scooted on in as I nearly ruined the illusion of impersonation with a single action.
As we took our seats, my mother walked into the room, carrying two large bowls in hand. I offered her a warm grin, but Maxxie immediately pinched me, clearly dissatisfied with my performance. A moment later, I fumbled out a response.
“So, what’re we having tonight, C?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could manage
“Oh, it’s a little bit of everything I made today. Some chicken meatloaf, beans, potatoes, quinoa, ground-up broccoli and cauliflower, mixed with some salsa,” she said as she placed the bowls before us.
Yes, it’s not really the sort of luxury meal you would expect based on my house, which was big, nice, and at the edge of a wealthy neighborhood. Everything was just thrown together, but it was what I liked, and fairly easy to make. …According to her.
I quickly grabbed my spoon and began to dig in… but as I saw my darker toned hand, I remembered that I had to keep up my appearance. So, I shouted “Itadakimasu” and began digging in. For the record, Maxxie is only a little Japanese, a sixteenth or so, but being a self-declared weeaboo, she took advantage of it whenever she felt like it.
As I took my first bite of the dish, I realized something that I ignored when chomping down veggies in between rounds of Smash Bros. The fact that Maxxie’s original body’s taste buds were… way better than what I was used to. The barrage of flavors and their intensity was amazing to me, and I started savoring every spoonful. At least until Maxxie grabbed my attention with a grumble.
“Hm, this tastes pretty average,” Maxxie whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
“Really? It tastes wonderful to me… Could it have to do with my taste buds?”
“Maybe, but…” Maxxie said as she sniffed the food. “Huh, I can’t really smell it either. I mean, I can, but it’s… Jad, I think your senses are just kinda rubbish.”
“Really? I guess I never reacted to smells that much, and I am…”
“Well, I could just be an oddball in an odd world whose taste levels are at the ultra maximum. I really don’t know. Maybe we could try some other foods when we’re done?” Maxxie pondered as she took another bite.
“I think you’ll be pretty full after this, but there’s some… let’s see, paella, nasi goreng, schnitzel, yukgaejang, borscht, and tom kha gai in the fridge if you want something later tonight.” I reiterated.
“For real, you’ve got all that stuff? Then why are we eating this mess?”
“The stuff in the fridge is a few days old, so I guess she didn’t want to serve… me, the ‘guest,’ leftovers, and what we’re eating was made today.. You can ask for something else if you want to.”
“Nah, I’m fine… But she seriously still makes all that stuff?” Maxxie asked before taking another bite.
“You know she likes cooking,”
“I guess, but she doesn’t need to do anything really fancy or elaborate anymore now that Bryce is out of the picture.”
As Maxxie said that, she immediately regretted her words, as she knew that I didn’t like to think about him. I tried to continue, but I spoke without a speck of joy in my voice..
“It’s kind of like how you love drawing, okay. It’s a hobby and she loves seeing what she can do when not constrained to… ten dishes she needs to make week in and week out.”
Maxxie played back the last few seconds of the conversation in her head before looking at me with a remorseful expression on her borrowed face.
“Shit, I really did not mean to—”
“No, no, I should get over it,” I said, bitterness still lingering in my voice. “It’s been nearly two years now, and I should get over it.”
You don’t need to say anything, Verde, I’ll explain.
Verde: Kay.
Bryce is my father. He is also… an awful person. He hurt many, many people over the years, but none more than my mother and I, routinely showering us with resentment, anger, and a bunch of stuff I’d rather not talk about. My mother divorced him on her 33rd birthday, January 11, 2013, and I have talked to him… twice since then. I have no idea where he is, or what he is doing. He is no longer part of my life as far as I am concerned, and view him as an example of how not to behave more than anything.
From that sour note, we were able to quickly change topics, to that of more Smash Bros. talk, and eventually some tips and tricks about acting as each other. This conversation, and dinner, lasted about an hour before I looked at a wall clock and saw that it was already 19:20, indicating that I should get going soon.
It was an odd sensation, leaving my own home, at night, alone, saying goodbye to my mother, and the body that had been mine for the past 18 years. Yet, I made a promise, and I intended to stick to it. After getting all bundled up in Maxxie’s winter gear, I walked out of the Steticks household, waving, and telling ‘Jad’ that I’d catch him later.
Maxxie’s house was about four blocks away from mine, and during this familiar route, I wound up zoning out as I went along the familiar trail, and enjoying the late autumn night. The sound of leaves rustling in the cool breeze. The colors of autumn that popped off trees and gathered around the streets and sidewalks. And the sight of the familiar homes that looked ever so slightly bigger than they did yesterday. However, my focus was soon directed internally. As I walked, I took comfort in the clothes I was wearing, the warmth they provided, and the way the song I was humming as it resonated throughout my skull
It was there where I felt my general movement and manner of walking begin to change. Where I began focusing more on the motion of my hips, adopting a more feminine manner of walk than I was used to. In retrospect, it was probably muscle memory rearing its head, urging me to ‘walk like Maxxie.’ Regardless, I simply went with it and enjoyed my short walk to a home that I had spent a couple of dozen nights at over the years.
The Flare household had always possessed a sense of grandeur that was above most other houses in this neighborhood. It was a tall and regal looking home, enough for one to dub it a mansion, but it technically wasn’t according to some detail that I can only foggily remember.
Anyway, I approached the home and almost rang the doorbell, before I remembered the backpack across my shoulders, and the keys it held. After some mild fumbling, I pulled out a ring of color-coded keys and used the lime green one to enter what was, to the world outside of Maxxie and I, my home.
I inhaled deeply as I took in the large brightly lit foyer of the Flare residence, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable interactions I would face. I took off my coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and boots, put on my best grin, and seconds later, Babs greeted me.
Babs Pequot is the maid, housekeeper, caretaker, and even a bit of a nanny for the Flare household… on top of doing some secretarial stuff for Maxxie’s parents. She’s an incredible woman who I’ve known for half my life and is… basically Maxxie’s aunt. She is a person who I’m pretty close to by extension… but I couldn’t help but feel she would spot something wrong with ‘Maxxie’ the instant I spoke.
For visual reference, she is a Hispanic woman with curly shoulder-length charcoal hair, is the same age as my mother, 34, and is 1.75 meters tall. Meaning that I was looking up at her yet again on account of my current body. All of her 66 kilograms went to the ‘right’ places, as Maxxie liked to say. And despite working almost every day for half her life, she looked young enough that I’m sure people would hesitate to guess her age was anything above 30. At the time she was wearing simple house clothes, as she only dressed up when deemed necessary..
“You know, just because you’re an ‘adult’ now doesn’t mean that I don’t have a problem with you strolling in, at night, after being gone for six hours. At least send me a text, girl.” Babs said with a smirk.
“Eh, sorry Babs, it’s just that I got a bit tied up in a couple of things, and that idea just, poof, vanished from my noggin!” I said with a chuckle.
“Guess that I should have expected as much. Did you at least have dinner at Jad’s?” Babs sighed as she rustled my hair.
“Yeah, so I should be good to go for the rest of the night.”
“Uh-huh, just be sure that you actually go to bed before midnight, alright dear?”
“No worries Babs, I’ll be a good girl who keeps her demons in all kinds of checks.”
I then scurried up the stairs to the second floor, and made my way to the door with the name “Maxxisaurus Omega Flare” crudely etched into the wood, along with another etching that only vaguely resembled a dinosaur… She did that long before I met her, and her parents never got her another door as some kind of punishment… I think. It could be that Maxxie just liked having a partially busted up door.
In any case, I opened it up and was greeted by the reason why I had not been invited to her house this past week because she clearly procrastinated cleaning her room. Her room was big, bigger than my bedroom, but she was not a very organized person. Supposedly, the room has a sense of ‘organized chaos’ to it, but that was probably just a lie. Anybody who could discern a system from this assortment of figures, comics, art books, art supplies, games, dolls, clothes, knick-knacks, keepsakes, and… stuff, was a far wiser person than I.
shook my head and briefly wondered whether she deliberately chose to have me spend the night in her body just so I would clean her room… But I doubted that she would have planned that far ahead.
Verde: Before we get into how you cleaned her room, I do believe that a break is in order.
Oh, okay… In that case, could you tell me what’s the rule on interruptions?
Verde: I simply make interruptions when I believe you would miss a detail, if I feel you should draw attention to certain things, or if I feel you could explain certain things that might not be the most obvious.
Fair enough, but you are aware that this will take a couple of hours to get—
Verde: ‘You’ are aware that we exist in a place without time, right? We could stay here for a million years and you would not age a second, nor would Earth move on without you.
Really? Now that is interesting… Say, is there an entire universe beyond this room, or…
Verde: I only created this room and the surrounding details, the rest of the dimension is a void of infinite nothingness.
Oh, I guess that makes sense… But why did you decide to make it look like a therapist’s office?
Verde: I felt that this would prove to be a calming environment. I can change it if you feel you would be more comfortable in, say, your own home.
Erm, no, no, this is perfectly fine… Actually, could you change the wall color? I’m not much of a fan of maroon. Maybe make it a nice… lavender or something.
Verde: Sure thing, Jad.
Verde’s Doohickey Main Page
Session 01: Re;Birth.exe
Session 02: Osananajimi;Myself
Session 03: Maximum Flare
Session 04: The World of Girl Love
Session 05: It’s Slippery When Wet
Session 06: T-Girl Trouble
Session 07: All The Warriors
Session 08: A School-Style Swap
Session 09: School Daze
Session 10: Starred Social Links
Session 11: Finer Foreshadowing
Session 12: Dark Dreams Develop Despair
Session 13: Back 2 Best Girl
Session 14: Can’t Even Shine In A Prism
Session 15: Maxxie Mit Melancholy
Session 16: The Long Walk Home
Session 17: Obtuse Origins – Omega Overdrive
Afterword: Natalie Rambles About Verde’s Doohickey
Session Extra.1: Adoration
Session Extra.2: Inheritance
Session Extra.3: Resonance
Session Extra.4: Confessions