Content Warning: Verde’s Doohickey 2.0: Sensational Summer Romp contains content that some readers might find disturbing, triggering, or uncomfortable. This includes sexually explicit activities, dubious consent, strong language, hateful language and slurs, and incestuous activities. Reader discretion is advised.
Verde’s Doohickey 2.0: Sensational Summer Romp
July 15th – Utage Three-Point-Oh!
Part 1: Jade & Caroline Return to Oransen
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Time: 17:24 CDT (Central Daylight Time)
Location: O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL
The expansive hallways of the O’Hare airport were considerably different when coming back from an international trip, with little sunlight and a lot of straight walkways meant to cover long distance at once. From an optimist’s perspective, it was a great way for people to stretch their legs after a long plane ride. For most, it was a mindless mad rush as people and their suitcases ran forward to wait in a line to verify they could enter the country again. Jade and Caroline passed through this final checkpoint together, holding up their passports, before finally being let go and given the opportunity to get some damn privacy.
The pair, dressed in the same clothes they wore at the start of their trip, made a beeline for the first empty bench they could find and plopped themselves down, sharing a deep breath before finally speaking.
Jade: “And here I thought getting back in would be easy…”
Caroline: “It would have been if we didn’t go back to normal during the landing. We must have passed the 10 kilometer radius.”
Jade: “We had to, but… landing and taking off is already not fun, doing it after swapping bodies was miserable. I could’ve sworn I was going to barf.”
Caroline: “Me too Mother, I—”
Jade: “You did it again… Mother.”
Caroline: “I’ve spent over a week unable to call you by your real name, Jade. I guess I just got used to it without that… what was it called again?”
Jade: “Kayfabe Substitution Mode, Sweetie. …Damn it, I’m doing it too!”
As Jade accidentally called her mother by her mother’s pet name for her, Caroline decided to do try some impromptu adjustment exercises, whispering to herself.
Caroline: “Caroline, Caroline, my name is Caroline Steticks, I am a mother. I am Caroline. I am 35-years-old. I am Caroline. I love Reyn. I am Caroline. Jade is my daughter. I am Caroline.”
Jade: “Jade, Jade, my name is Jade Novus, I’m just a teen, just 18-years-old, and I certainly don’t have a daughter. I am Jade I just got out of high school, my girlfriend is Maxxie. Caroline is my mother. I am Jade.”
In synchronicity, the two performed exercises that would make them look crazy if anybody was actually paying attention. Fortunately, everybody had places to be and luggage to lug, so Jade was able to practice her spin on the same exercises, the two persisting for a minute before standing up.
Caroline: “Sorry about that, Jade. I feel like we need a… reverse kayfabe mode.”
Jade: “It’s okay, Mother. I was doing it too, and… it’s weird how easy it was for me to slip into being you…”
Caroline: “If anything, I might have been encouraging you a bit too much. I wanted you to have a good time— I always do. But I also wanted to have one myself, where I could just be a carefree teen and—”
Jade: “Mother, please, we’re not going to have one of these conversations again. What happened in Austria will stay in Austria.”
Fully knowing exactly she was talking about, Caroline nodded.
Caroline: “What happened in Austria stays in Austria.”
The two then stood up from the bench, grabbing the suitcases they carried with them off the plane… only to realize that Jade grabbed Caroline’s suitcase while Caroline grabbed Jade’s. Embarrassed, they promptly swapped them and got back to walking through the expansive halls of the airport, only stopping to use the toilets and make a phone call before existing this massive facility.
The sight of concrete and asphalt painted their eyes as they waited for their ride, Caroline shooing away unlicensed cabbies looking to exploit a mother and daughter. After maybe ten minutes, they saw a familiar car roll up, calling them over with two honks. Jade and Caroline rolled their suitcases across the street, promptly placed them in the car’s truck, before sliding into the back seat together. Babs was in the driver’s seat, as to be expected, and the three shared a look of relief as they saw each other.
Babs: “Hey guys. Long time no see! Did everything go well with your flight?”
Jade: “We sort of swapped back while flying over Oransen. I wouldn’t recommend trying it.”
Babs: “Really? Isn’t body swapping instantaneous?”
Asking her question, Babs finally started making the drive from O’Hare to Oransen. It was neither a long nor hard trip, so it was seamless to chat during their travels.
Caroline: “I think there’s a slight delay, made worse by the travel time and the fact you’re moving at several hundred kilometers per hour.”
Babs: “So, what, did it make you nauseous or something?”
Jade: “That, and I had a bit of a headache. I don’t think Verde necessarily planned this far ahead.”
Babs: “Yeah, but you’d think that Abigale or Urabe would have… Anyway, how was the actual trip? Was Austria everything you hoped it’d be?”
Caroline: “Oh, absolutely. The mountains of Hallstatt are nothing like what we have here in Illinois, and just seeing them in person, how truly massive they were, was something else. Vienna was a gorgeous city, a wonderful mix of old and new that we could have spent a full week exploring. And being able to see these places in Jade’s body, I… as cliché as it sounds, felt like a kid again.”
Babs: “Heh. You were a teenager. That’s WAY better than being some kid.”
Jade and Caroline suddenly remembered how Babs spent a week as Terra and did not have a necessarily glowing review of the experience.
Babs: “What about you, Jade? How was it being in your thirties? Did it make you appreciate your youth?”
Jade: “I, uh, I guess you could say that. I definitely felt older, I suppose, but Caroline takes pretty good care of her body, and we weren’t doing anything too intensive beyond that hike. And walking. Lots of walking. After the week I spent as Maxxie, I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at walking in someone else’s shoes— literally speaking— and after a while, it… it almost became second nature. Even more than the first week of summer. With nothing familiar to ground me in my settings, it sometimes felt like I had started a new life. Especially during that night…”
Caroline shot Jade a knowing look about that night, but said nothing more. What happened in Austria stays in Austria.
Caroline: “B-But we’ll be talking about this all day. Let’s save the details for later. Neither of us have been active on Telegram, so what has everyone else gotten up to?”
Babs: “Well, pretty much everybody had their own adventure this past week. Verde sent Maxxie away on her ‘training arc’ to get her better boy body, and I’m sure you’ve seen it, Jade.”
Caroline: “Uh, I think Maxxie forgot that we were still swapped and sent it to me. We were in such a rush to get everything ready for our flight. I forgot to show it to you, Car— Jade.”
Prompted, Jade pulled out her phone from her backpack and checked it, going through her messages for the first time in over a week, and happening onto a bathroom selfie of a shirtless Maximillion. At first, she did not even recognize this as Maxxie between the bulked up biceps and the six-pack abs she was rocking, but as Jade looked up at her face, seeing Maxxie’s signature black freckles and her hair, a bit spiky, yet messy all the same, she saw the resemblance. She looked at this sight and let the wheels of her mind spin, thinking back to the times she shared with Maxxie when she was in a taller, stronger, and more masculine body, such as Zoe’s or Yukito’s. She could not say that she was not excited about this, but two thoughts muddled this excitement.
One, Jade had enough experience with the VD 2.0 to realize that this selfie would become a topless nude pic when Maxxie switches back to normal. Two, seeing Maxxie achieve this state of conventional attractiveness made her look down at her fairly plain figure with a skewed expression. Having boobs more than twice as large for a week just made hers feel insubstantial.
Jade: “She, uh, she looks great. I almost couldn’t even recognize her at first.”
Babs: “Well, go on and give her a call. I’m sure she’d like to see her little girlfriend ASAP.”
With this suggestion, Jade manually dialed Maxxie’s number and chose to start a video call with her, waiting for her to pick up the phone. Seconds later, she was greeted by Maximillion, dressed in one of Maxxie’s many graphic tees, this one tightly tugging her body and emphasizing the muscles underneath.
Maximillion: “Jade! FINALLY! It’s been two months!”
Jade: “Wh-What? No it hasn’t. It’s been nine days.”
Maximillion: “Yeah, so, about that, I didn’t just get ripped as hell with some über aggro training program. I went on a quest that took me beyond Oransen, beyond the world as we knew it, and engaged in heart-pounding combat, all in order to get BUFF! And I’d sure say that I am, including down there.”
Maximillion then tilted the camera down to show off her crotch, wrapped in tight shorts that showed the outline of an erect penis, about ten inches in length.
Jade: “H-Hold on, so you traveled to other worlds and fought people?”
Maximillion: “Eyup! I went to the future, met alternate versions of myself, beating them until I became Super Saiyan Maximillion and competed against a bunch of weird freaks in the Strongest Under The Heavens Tournament. I fought fighting cyborgs, a giant dog with a sword, some wack-ass space Nazi—”
Jade: “Cutie— it’s weird calling you that when you look like this— What the hell are you talking about?”
Maximillion: “I’m talking about my lived experience. I mean, is any of the stuff I got up to with my buff quest really that unprecedented? For real, Darling, you became an immortal woman who killed a bear with an axe. You escaped a secretive underground facility where they put you in a giant room with knockout gas. You’ve traveled dimensions in your dreams, girl! You got fucked by a singing dildo! The shark was jumped hella long ago! Normalcy is buried! So is it really that weird that I made friends with a talking dinosaur? N to the O that spells NO!”
Jade: “T-Talking dinosaur?”
Maximillion: “A Brrritish talking dinosaur, named Xandy. He was a good sensei!”
Jade: “I, uh, I’ll need a few minutes to adapt to this new layer of crazy.”
Maximillion: “Oh, fo’ sho. See ya at my place for the par-tay~!”
From Maximillion’s intonation and body language, Jade could tell that she was referring to a private definition of party. A sexual one.
Jade: “I was just on a plane. Can I at least take a shower first?”
Maximillion: “Of course, and you won’t even need to bust out a second set of clothes!”
Groaning from how sexual the conversation became, Jade ended the call and returned to Babs and Caroline, who heard everything. Fortunately, both had the courtesy not to tease a girl who just got off of an 8-hour-long plane ride.
Caroline: “So, you said everybody went on an adventure? What did Reyn get up to? He’s barely messaged me this past week…”
Babs: “Reyn? I don’t know, I think he’s just been doing his own thing. Give him a call if you’d like. He’d probably like to see your face.”
Caroline: “If anything, he probably enjoyed the alone time after being cooped up with me for months…”
Calling up Reyn and initiating a video call, Caroline was greeted by the sight of Reyn in his new office at Caroline’s house. Her eyes wandered to the walls of wooden furniture, shelves of books, and a few art pieces tastefully arranged on the walls. She was almost more drawn to the background than her, for lack of a better term, boyfriend, sitting there, dressed comfortably in a simple navy golf tee, his beard just as it was a week ago.
Reyn: “Caroline! I’ve missed you!”
Caroline: “Hey Reyn. Your new office looks nice. I almost forgot that you were moving in while we were away.”
Reyn: “I figured it would just be easier this way. I thought I was minimalistic with what I had, but books have this terrible habit of taking up a lot of space and weighing a ton.”
Caroline: “I hope you had some help moving all of those…”
Reyn: “I did, ‘Zoey’ and ‘Nazz’ lent me a hand, and everything’s set up. Computer, printer, my files, my clothes in that spare dresser in your— our bedroom. I’ve just been focusing on my curriculum for fall. You’d be amazed what you forget after spending seven months in the woods…”
Caroline: “I felt the same way, but I don’t need to remember nearly as much as you do. …It’s going to be pleasant having another face in the house. It was always too big, but at least we’re back to three people. If we need to dedicate another room to something for you, we can—”
Reyn: “Caroline, please. My old place was a studio apartment that faced an alley. Here, I have more space than I would ever need, natural light from a large window, and at any time when reading or grading, I can just look outside and see a tree, leaves wavering in the wind. I’m thrilled to have a place like this, and I’ve already turned in the keys for my old apartment. …Though, in retrospect, I probably should have painted the walls before I moved in. Moving bookshelves is a pain even with these muscles.”
To demonstrate his strength, Reyn flexed for the camera. His muscles were nothing compared to what Maximillion was rocking, but they were definitely the arms of a guy who could move a shelf with relative ease.
Caroline: “Maybe we could have Verde snap her fingers and poof, paint the room for us. She said she’d owe us a favor after what we went through…”
Reyn: “Let’s not ask her to do trivial things like that. Anyway, if you’re off of the plane, I should head over to the Flare household. I’ll see you when I get there. Love you, Caroline.”
Caroline: “Love you, Reyn.”
Ending the call, and with quite a bit of road to go, Caroline turned the conversation back to Babs.
Caroline: “Sorry about that, I completely forgot to ask about your trip. How was Mexico?”
Babs: “Well, it started as a regular-old vacation. A long-ass car ride to get to the border. Then we saw the sights in Monterrey, tried to have a good time in another country, see what we could see, and get a taste of the local culture. …But that was before we encountered a ghost. A ghost that could transform people’s sex, swap their bodies, and possess them.”
Despite being told that nothing was off limit by Maximillion, Jade and Caroline looked at Babs, gobsmacked by the nonsense that came out of her mouth.
Jade & Caroline: “…What?”
Babs: “It really happened. Haruya, Tony, Vid, Gemma, and Yukito— all of us went there expecting to just have a regular vacation with a road trip sandwiching both ends. But no! We found a woman who had been turned into a man and people saying they were each other. We didn’t have a VD 2.0 to put them back to normal, so we had to chase down this ghost— or phantom I guess, same difference— and wound up taking a trip to Cancun to find them. But not the real Cancun, just the rows of hotels that are outside of the real Cancun.”
Caroline: “So, you chased this… phantom to a resort?”
Babs: “Yeah, and when looking for them, the phantom did something that caused everybody to lose their bodies. We all became spirits, and people scrambled into other people’s bodies. It was absolutely crazy. Yukito’s body was stolen, Haruya got shot, and Without Yukito, we would have been completely screwed.”
Jade: “Hold on, when did Yukito join you?”
Babs: “Apparently she snuck inside Haruya’s van or something. She’s a robot, so I don’t really understand it. Anyway, Yukito was able to get everybody back to their rightful bodies and that caused the phantom to be let loose. They would have gotten away, but Haruya threw himself at them, became possessed, and then, well, Yukito killed her.”
Once again, Jade and Caroline shared glances before looking back at Babs, utterly befuddled.
Jade & Caroline: “…What?”
Babs: “Yeah, no, Haruya died, as Yukito said that was the only way to kill the phantom.”
Caroline: “How does that work? If a ghost is possessing someone, and they die, the ghost dies again?”
Babs: “One of our friends was hatched from a damn egg, and you’re confused about that? Point is, Yukito revived Haruya and gave him the body she, he, they, whatever, wanted. It’s why they’re currently going by Haruhiko in Telegram and on your phones.”
Wanting to intake something that made more sense, Jade and Caroline checked Telegram and quickly found photos of Haruhiko trying on various outfits, showing off their handsome and cute androgynous figure. Both looked surprised at this form, especially by the implications of a name like Haru-hiko. However, knowing what they did about Haruki… this all tracked to some degree. They still had questions about what Babs was talking about, but one rose to prominence over all others.
Jade: “Where did this phantom come from?”
Babs: “You think Verde or Urabe would tell us that? Oh, no. She said that all would be revealed at this party though, so… I guess you just need to wait.”
Jade: “Great…”
Looking out the window, Jade saw that they had left O’Hare behind and were traveling through Norwood Park, meaning they still had quite a bit more ground to cover before reaching Oransen. She was about to ask what the other half of the Swap Posse was doing, but Caroline spoke up first.
Caroline: “What about Ken and Elly? I know that they went on a vacation right after they came back from Japan.”
Babs: “Oh, that. I was already gone by then, but after getting up to some serious shit in Japan, they decided to go on a simple family vacation. Nothing fancy, just a trip up to Lake Geneva. They brought Terra along and… do you even need me to say that Verde made them swap bodies? Ken got to be a little girl, Elly got to be her hubby, and Terra got to be her mom.”
Jade: “One of those things is not like the other… and Maxxie wasn’t available for… Elly to be a teenage girl again?”
Babs: “Nah, you already saw what she was up to. From what they told me— and that’s always a curated version of the truth— they decided to mostly stay at their resort, have fun where they could, and go on little three-day romances with strangers.”
Caroline: “Three-day romances?”
Babs: “Oh, don’t be cute, Caroline. You’ve read novels about people going to a resort, on a cruise, looking for love only to let the romance live and die before they go back to their lives. Is it any surprise that Ken and Elly would want to do something like that? They love each other more than anything, but even they want something different sometimes. And… keep it kosher, but they have done this before.”
Jade: “…Does this mean Ken pursued a ‘romance’ while in Terra’s body? …And that Terra did while in her mother’s body?”
Babs: “What do you think? And I don’t there’s anything wrong with that. If you love someone, and they’re okay with it, then why shouldn’t they go on short-lived romances? Romance and affection does not need to be eternal. It can just be a season, a week, or even a night, you go out, have your fun, and then move on. Life’s too short to box yourself into a 60 year commitment, and even if something feels wrong, or like you shouldn’t do it, don’t reject it outright. Ask why it’s wrong and if you’re hurting someone. Because if there’s consent, real consent, then nobody should be hurt. Do you get what I am saying? Hell, I’m sure you had some guys, or girls, hit on you while in each other’s bodies.”
Like deer in headlights, Jade and Caroline looked forward at Babs, both thinking the same thing, how they could build upon the blurb of information about what they got up to. However, they chose to remain silent, not spilling a word. Unfortunately for their sensibilities, Babs was awfully good at telling when someone was hiding something and coyly smiled, her mind filling in the blanks.
Caroline: “S-So, what about Paz and Daisuke? Did they get up to anything special?”
Babs: “Is ‘being forced to switch bodies by Verde for five days’ something special at this point? She just wanted some excuse to stir chaos, and found one, as Flare Industries’ servers got infected by some virus— apparently it happened when Ken and Elly were in Tokyo— and they needed people to fix it.”
Jade: “Uh, I can understand Daisuke and Shiaka helping out, but Paz is not a programmer.”
Babs: “Neither is Zoe, but that didn’t stop Verde from swapping the Xings and Kurokawas and sending them to the office. I don’t know the details, but they solved it, for whatever that’s worth.”
Caroline: “…And that’s it?”
Babs: “What, do you want me to regale you with stories of their sex lives? I know they went to a nightclub to celebrate, but someone has been busy doing a super cleanup at the house and hasn’t been checking Telegram obsessively.”
Caroline: “I guess we can just ask them when we see them in a few minutes. Between my cabin trip and this, I feel like I’ve been away from them for so long. It good to get away, it’s also good to be back home. If I stayed in Austria all summer… I don’t know who I’d be by the end of it.”
Babs: “…You sure that neither of you are withholding any secrets about what happened in Österreich?”
Jade: “We, uh, we’re just a bit loopy from the plane ride. The jet lag’s not terrible, but we weren’t able to sleep on the plane either.”
Babs: “Heh. Whatever you say…”
Having gotten through this gauntlet of a conversation, Babs finally crossed over to the borders of Oransen, meaning it was just a short drive before they finally made it to Maxxie’s place. It was not conventional to head to someone else’s house after going on a trip like this, but when the alternative is getting on Verde’s bad side, the choice is obvious.
Part 2: The Gang’s All Here?
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Time: 17:52 CDT (Central Daylight Time)
Location: The Flare Residence
With backpacks and suitcases in tow, Jade and Caroline walked into the illustrious Flare residence and were immediately beset by the trappings of another party. Music was playing on the living room sound system, the lights were bright, an assortment of snacks were out and ready for the munching, and people were standing around, chatting about whatever came to mind. It was not really a high-key party, but that wasn’t the Swap Posse’s style.
As Jade, Caroline, and Babs made their entrance, they were greeted by the veritable cluster of Maximillion, Terra, Ken, Elly, Zoe, Liang, Shiaka, Daisuke, Paz, Haruhiko, Vidkun, Gemma, Tony, and Reyn. Everybody… barring the exception of Nazz, Verde, Abigale, and Urabe.
Jade and Caroline were swiftly greeted by the crowd, wishing them a warm welcome and asking vague questions about their trip. Before they could get more than a few questions in, they both excused themselves, needing to freshen up and quickly change after their travels. They cranked open their suitcases, pilfering through their washed clothes to grab the most party appropriate attire for the evening. A forest green sleeveless turtleneck and long black skirt for Caroline, a bit warm for July in Oransen, but it would be sufficient for an indoor party like this. While Jade dug through her suitcase, tossing aside the white fox plush that Caroline insisted on buying, to pull out a simple green summer dress, knowing that she would not be wearing it for long.
Taking showers and using the last of their shampoo and conditioner to do their hair, they both emerged from their respective bathrooms after roughly 20 minutes. Clean and revitalized, they found their way to their boyfriends, greeting them while looking their best.
Having already primed each other for their reunion, there was little need for them to catch up, but Jade paused upon seeing Maximillion in person. Six centimeters of extra height made a heck of a difference, allowing her to clearly stand over Jade, and despite her arms looking cold with their muscles, they bore the same endearing warmth that Maxxie’s body always offered.
Maximillion: “You like what you see?”
Jade had learned to love Maxxie for her Maxxie-ness, irrespective of her body, so seeing her like this, so strong, so handsome, while bearing some of the same features she had learned to love… it made her heart skip a beat.
Jade: “Y-Yeah. We’ve tried this before when you were, uh, Maxwell and that—”
Maximillion: “That was amateur hour! I’ve trained hard, learned the ways of the buff man, and now I’m ready to take you for a ride.”
Jade: “Do— Do you really want to do that now? With everybody else downstairs and—”
To answer Jade, Maximillion swept her off her feet, effortlessly wrapping her in her arms. This was not the first time Maximillion had princess carried Jade, but it was the first time her heart swooned quite like this. She did not even think to resist. In fact, with Maximillion’s handsome mug so tantalizingly close, she reached up and gave her a tender peck on the cheeks. That alone was enough to get her going.
Maximillion: “And you know the best part about all this? I have one special surprise in store. Nobody else knows about it. And I know you’re going to like it.”
Jade offered a gulp and a nod, affirming that she wanted whatever this surprise was. Following this non-verbal affirmation, Maximillion ran towards her bedroom of choice, ready to make love with her girlfriend, but they were not the only lovebirds in the house.
After freshening herself up, Caroline joined Reyn in the empty kitchen, the two pouring themselves some sparkling drinks as they set the mood for a reunion. Caroline looked fly and fashionable, Reyn was practical and comfortable, and the sounds of idle chatter in the other room, mingling with the poppy instrumental background music, established the atmosphere. After seven months together in that cabin, there was not much for them to say to one another. Despite this, Caroline still tried, reciting the beautiful sights she enjoyed in Austria, showing off some photos on her phone, including ones of Jade in her body. Reyn listened with rapt attention, musing about possibly going somewhere exotic and full of people with her sometimes, before she dismissed the notion.
Caroline: “Travel is nice, but I want to spend the rest of the summer here, with you, never leaving the state.”
Reyn: “…I’d like that as well. But surely you want to do something special. Any ideas in mind?”
Caroline: “Well, it would be nice to be someone else for a change. From what Babs said, you’ve been Reyn for over a week. What happened about wanting to see the world through someone else’s eyes?”
As she said that, Caroline looked at the cluster of teenagers chatting before them, unconsciously— or perhaps consciously— looking over them like a clothing catalog.
Reyn: “I see being Jade has put you on a body swapping kick. …What? You want us to be a pair of teenagers, hitting the city, acting like we’re half our age?”
Caroline: “It sounds pretty fun, you can’t deny. And like in the woods, we can have four flavors of experiences.”
Reyn: “Hmm… Now you’re making me curious. …Let me finish my lesson plans first. I like to take care of my homework before having fun.”
Hearing that sent a wave of nostalgia throughout Caroline, remembering going to grade school with Raiyne and taking care of their homework lickety-split, before they even thought of watching TV or playing Nintendo.
Caroline: “Your name, face, and sex may change… but you’re still the same person I could always count on, Reyn.”
Finishing their drinks and placing their glasses in the dishwasher, the two headed up to a private room, already knowing what they want the most from this party.
Just like that, the last minute guests had left the living room, leaving only thirteen standing around, chatting with one another. Ken, Elly, Terra, Babs, Zoe, Liang, Shiaka, Haruhiko, Daisuke, Paz, Vidkun, Tony, and Gem. Enough to be a party, but it was clear that too many people were missing. And with the clock already well past 18:30, an air of concern was looming over the group.
Vidkun: “Hmm… Verde told everybody to be here by 18:00, and she’s half an hour late.”
Gem: “I concur, it is most unlike her to be so tardy. She is a positively punctual person as far as I can tell…”
Tony: “Yeah, at least when she remembers to give times, which she did… Did anybody try calling her?”
Haruhiko: “I did. She promised a surprise, and if it’s anything like what she did to my sexy ass, I’m gonna welcome it with open arms.”
Zoe: “I similarly called Urabe, but received no answer, just an answering message. Which is unlike her, as she should be able to reply even if she is in the middle of a conversation.”
Shiaka: “And Abigale is off in Asia, doing ‘top secret’ stuff… I’m starting to get worried.”
As the teens mulled in concern, Babs approached them, looking similarly confused.
Babs: “Sorry for eavesdropping, but I think you might be onto something. Verde’s shoes are at the entrance, so she should be here somewhere. You kids check outside. She might be hiding there, trying to set up some fireworks or something equally nuts. I’ll check out the basement.”
With a wave of nods, the teens, and Haruhiko, set off to grab their shoes and head outside to search for Verde and or Urabe. Babs began stepping toward the basement, only for Liang to call her name.
Liang: “Hey, Babs? If you’re looking for missing people, could you keep an eye out for Nazz?”
Pausing, Babs scanned the room and, true enough, she did not see height nor hair of him. And as a tall blonde man, he didn’t really blend in with the furniture.
Babs: “Right, we’re missing him too… why do I get the feeling this is all some game Verde’s playing? You stay here with the rest of the adults— and Terra— I’ll check out the basement.”
Liang nodded and let Babs depart, going back to refill his drink as he moved to make small talk with Ken. Coincidences were one thing, but this was simply cause for suspicion. It was probably nothing though, and knowing Verde, this was all some surprise she had been baking over the past few days.
Flicking the switch, Babs ventured into the basement, a suitable place for a party of about twelve or so, with couches, a TV, and walls of physical media for the plucking, and it looked largely untouched. Unless Verde was hiding under the sofa, she was not here, but there was still a restroom and laundry room to explore. With a sigh, Babs ventured into the laundry room, flicking on the light, seeing the familiar washer, dryer, drying rack with clothes she washed earlier in the day, and… No.
What?
How is this possible?
Why here?
When did this happen?
Who is responsible and…
Babs: “What the fuck is going on…”
She could not believe what she was seeing.
Her search was a success, but it was…
…She was not expecting to see this.
What Babs saw was Verde Dusk…
Lying on the floor…
Face first…
Blood spreading across the floor.
She did not see her face. She did not touch her body. She did not need to. The facts were presented so plainly before her.
Verde Dusk… was dead.
Part 3: The Party Gets REAL!
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Time: 18:37 CDT (Central Daylight Time)
Location: The Flare Residence
Babs could not believe what she was seeing. Verde Dusk’s corpse. How was this even possible? She was a God. How could a God kill herself? How would Urabe let this happen to her wife? Where was Urabe? What was— No. Now was not the time to act. Now was the time to do. With fear and confusion fueling her body, she leapt up the stairs and shouted to everybody within earshot.
Babs: “EVERYBODY! COME TO THE BASEMENT! NOW!”
The urgency was pungent in her voice, and everybody within earshot gathered to the kitchen and down to the basement. Ken, Elly, Terra, Liang, Daisuke, and Paz all followed suit, bearing a flurry of concerned looks. Babs was not the type of woman to shout like that, much less at a party. She guided them to the laundry room and, with the overhead lights on, they saw Verde’s body, just as it was seconds ago. Unmoving. Sitting in what had to be two liters of blood. Without question: dead.
A chorus of shocked exclamations were followed by obscenities of confusion. This should not be happening. This could not happen. Babs, having been the first person to find the body, turned to face the party of six… before her attention was drawn away. A sudden sound, static, percolated from the main basement, accompanied by flashing lights that she could see through the doorway. At a loss for words, she pointed, and everybody turned to look, seeing the lights and following them into the main room. The TV had been turned on, and it was displaying a garbled dark image, visual noise, as a figure faded in from the darkness.
They saw the head of a fox, one with a snow-white pelt, bright cyan eyes, magenta whiskers, and bright yellow inner ears. It was an unnatural series of colors for any animal, and its presence mystified all who stared at it. Just as some gained the conviction to say something, the fox began to laugh, cackling in a boyish, distinctly feminine, voice that echoed throughout the basement, fully utilizing the surround sound system.
Fox: “Kukukukuku~! It appears that everything has gone according to plan. Years of anticipation, months of planning, and it has all paid off! Your beloved God, Verde Dusk, has been killed, and with her demise, The Game can begin! Kukukukuku~!”
The sound of a door slamming echoed through the basement, the lights turned off, and the sound of screams thrived in the darkness.
Outside, Zoe, Shiaka, Haruhiko, Vidkun, Tony, and Gem were all busy searching every nook and cranny for the missing persons, checking the pool, storage shed, and many bushes, but to no avail. Everything was as it should be, and the sky was still bright, even if the sun was blocked by the trees shielding the Flare residence from the outside world.
Haruhiko: “Guh. This is a bust, guys! Nothing to see here. If Verde doesn’t want to show up, that’s her problem, not ours.”
Tony: “I guess, but something here doesn’t feel right. Verde’s methods can be… unconventional, but this isn’t her style.”
As Tony said that, he did a double-take of one of the bushes surrounding the residence. Thinking he heard something, he took a step forward, his shoes stomping through the grass as he kept his vision focused… only for everything to grow dim.
Looking up, Tony saw darkness. Not the night’s sky, but a pure black, painted overhead. Light still came from the windows of the home, the automatic lights turned on as Shiaka fell under their motion sensors, but the darkness was still oppressive. The six looked towards each other, desperate for some answer as to what the hell was happening.
Then, they felt the ground shake, violently.
All were knocked down as the dirt beneath their feet betrayed them, and before they could even begin to recover, they found their bodies unable to move.
Their shaking stopped, the warmth of a body left them, and soon enough, their eyes became consumed by darkness, ears consumed by silence. They knew what this loss of senses was, they had all felt it what had to be dozens of times at this point. Yet, this felt… different. It felt sinister.
Something went wrong. Something that should be impossible just happened. And with no senses to call their own, there was nothing the Swap Posse could do other than… wait. Wait and hope that they would find salvation. That this abrupt mystery could be solved.
Fortsetzung Folgt In…
Verde’s Doohickey 2.0: Sensational Summer Romp
Act 4: Past Psycho
Coming Summer 2027
Verde’s Doohickey 2.0 Main Page
Act 1: SwitchY Swap
May 16th: Prom Pomf Pomf Preview
May 29th: Enter Verde’s Doohickey 2.0
May 30th: Let’s Get Swappin’
May 31st: Flare Family Fiasco
June 1st: Graduation Day
June 2nd: The Kurokawa ‘Sisters’
June 3rd: My Day As Zoe Xing
June 4th: Love in Seoul
June 5th: Sister Mother and Sister Daughter
June 6th: Back 2.0 Basics
June 7th: Assembling the Posse
June 8th: Anita Neukar in… Vivi Gaimz
June 9th: Mother Daughter Heart-2.0-Heart
June 10th: Daisuke and Paz in… Wacked Up Wednesday
June 11th: VAG Swap
June 12th: Terra’s Tomorrow
June 13th: Haruki’s Birthday Bash
Act 2: CHAOTIC CHANGES
June 14th: Jade and the Kuro Abigale Quinlans
June 15th: Aku_Mako’s E3 2015 Rundown – Day Zero
June 16th: Transform Sex Power
June 17th: Erotic Blitz
June 18th: An Evening At The Local Water Park
June 19th: Date Night Cubed
June 20th: Chicago Diamond Symphonia
June 21st: The Father’s Day Resurrection Special
June 22nd: Nazz and Liang Do Flare Industries
June 23rd: The Kurokawa Family Visits the Museum of Science and Industry
June 24th: Whatever Happened to… Yuccot Kikansky?
June 25th: A World Where The Gamers Won
June 26th: Bond Xing
June 27th: SSS – Sizzling Sexual Summer
June 28th: Lesbians 2.0 Gay Boys
June 29th: Caroline and Raiyne’s Cabin Logs
ACT 3: WORLDLY WONDERS
July 1st: We Lost the Remote in Tokyo!
July 2nd: Maid Café Mishaps
July 3rd: Pier Parties and Peaceful Palavers
July 4th: The Freedom To Get High At Burger Queen!
July 5th: From Nippon With Love
July 6th: Let’s Go Mexico with Haruya ‘n’ Da Boyz! Episode 1
July 7th: Jade & Caroline’s Austrian Adventure Episode 1
July 8th: Max’s Buff Quest Episode 1
July 9th: Let’s Go Mexico with Haruya ‘n’ Da Boyz! Episode 2
July 10th: Jade & Caroline’s Austrian Adventure Episode 2
July 11th: Max’s Buff Quest Episode 2
July 12th: Let’s Go Mexico with Haruya ‘n’ Da Boyz! Episode 3
July 13th: Jade & Caroline’s Austrian Adventure Episode 3
July 14th: Max’s Buff Quest Episode 3
July 15th: Utage Three-Point-Oh!