A hop, skip, and a jump through the ether.

It takes a moment for the words to sink in, each of us sharing looks of confusion. Lisa is the first to catch on, and I feel strange tingly sensation as a wave of Life Mafic flows through me as her Life Aura spell activates. “Over there!” We follow her outstretched finger, weapons appearing in our hands and magic crackling at our fingertips, just in time to see a flash of snowy white halfway up a tree as someone ducks around the trunk and out of sight.

A flash catches my eye, and I turn just in time to see Magic dissipating in dark tendrils from Ash’s hand and in a slowly fading cloud of cinders from Em’s, the result of hastily cancelled attack spells. Both women share a look, before Ash turns to me and deadpans, “your stalkers' back.” I open my mouth, ready with an indignant reply, when a cautious head pops around the trunk of the tree before ducking back into cover.

Now sure that she wasn’t being attacked, a familiar harpy pops her head out of cover for a longer look, her shockingly blue eyes roaming over our weapons wearily before sliding over to me. Our eyes meet for a moment, and I see a look of intense curiosity on her face before her eyes flick downwards, staying locked onto something.

‘What’s got her so interested?’ I frown, confused. The leaves of the forest rustle as a breeze flows through the clearing, disturbing the still air whilst, at the same time, reminding me of something important. My dick is still hanging out. 'Oh, that's what.' Blushing furiously, I re-equip both my underwear and my trousers from my inventory. The harpy’s eyes flick back up to mine. She honest to god pouts at me, before pushing off from her tree and winging away into the forest. I watch her go, utterly baffled.

Turning back to my family, I see them watching me with a mix of amused and conflicted expressions. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that?” Ash snorts, but it’s Lisa who speaks up. “You realise she’s been following us, or, more specifically, you, right?” I look from one face to the other, letting my confusion shine through. “I get she’s been following us, but I don’t get why? Why do you think she’s following me specifically?”

Ash snorts, before relying, “I thought you were a fantasy nerd? What does any harpy want when then see a dick that nice?” A little taken aback by the comment, I hesitantly reply, “eeeer, thanks?” She blushes a little, her mind catching up with her mouth. “That, errr… wasn’t the point, but, you’re welcome?”

“What she is trying to say,” Em adds, clearly amused by Ash’s verbal floundering, “is that she probably wants to steal you away and make lots and lots of little harpies.” I open and close my mouth repeatedly, utterly unsure how to respond to that. ‘Aaaaaaand we’re back to awkward silence, juuuuust peachy.’ The girls share looks, before Lisa hesitantly asks, “Well, what if… *POP*”

I recoil slightly as my ears pop, the forest returning to utter silence despite Lisa’s lips still moving. I wait patiently, and sure enough, a notification window opens in front of me.

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Well, aren’t they eager! Wasn’t expecting them to jump right back in like that! Would totally ruin the fun if they spoiled things, riiiiiiiiight? ;)

We’ll leave them to it. I’m interested to see what they pick next!

Oh, and by the way? She’s absolutely right. You do have a very nice cock. ;P

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

I focus on the notification, feeling a wave of mild discomfort at the last comment. ‘I keep forgetting that they’re watching. Were they watching whilst Em and I…?’ I shudder at the thought, frowning slightly. My frown turns into a look of surprise as fresh text hastily replaces the old.

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

I’m sorry, that last comment was too much. I tend to get… carried away sometimes. :/

Please forgive me?

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

The text feels genuinely remorseful. I sigh, then nod. Focusing on words, I smile slightly as the old ‘think at the box to reply’ trick works.

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Adam: I’ll forgive you. I’m not going to lie and say that it, or the thought that you can watch whilst I’m… intimate, doesn’t make me deeply uncomfortable.

???: If it helps, I need to be invited to any… festivities I want to watch. Whilst I know what happened between you and Emily earlier, I saw nothing. The only reason I could watch what happened just now was because I set it up myself.

Adam: That makes me feel a little better, but is there any chance you could answer a few questions and help settle some of my worries? Why can you even watch us in the first place? I thought gods were limited in how they could interact with normal people? Also, why can’t I see your name, or at the very least, a title?

???: I’m sorry Adam, there’re rules I need to follow, and I’m already bending a load of them to speak with you at all. Depending on what you and your family do, and what you learn on your own, I might be able to tell you more later. All I can do for now is… fix some of the worries I know you have. If I told you I could help address some of your… concerns by demonstrating how much I enjoyed watching that forfeit, would you trust me? I promise that the experience will be out of this world... ;)

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Pausing before I answer, I consider the question for a moment. ‘If I can believe what they saying, it’s sounds as if their hands are tied with how much they can tell me. Honestly, I’m inclined to believe that. But trust them?’ I think about it for a time, but keep coming to the same conclusion. I would give them some extra rope and would see what they'd do with it. If they fucked up? That was on them.

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Adam: I’m going to trust you, at least with this. Show me. Please?

???: Fuck yeah! You’re going to love this, Adam. Trust me! Oh, and Adam? If I were you, I would sit down for this. ;)

0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Heeding the mysterious god’s advice, I plonk myself down in a camp chair. One moment, nothing happens, the next, I feel pure, undiluted terror as something latches into my very soul, and pulls. Feeling myself fall backwards, I reach out, grasping. My hand brushes against something cold, metallic.

I grasp the lifeline with all I am worth, then feel a wave of understanding rush into me as I come to a complete stop. With the understanding comes a new emotion, exasperation. ‘Bloody gods and their bloody inability to explain anything! They could have been like “be-tee-dubs, I’m going to tug you soul into the mother-fucking ether so I can bring you to where I’m at. You can return any time you like, just follow your soul chain, which is also totally a thing!” But nooooooo, they have to act all mysterious and shit! Out of this world experience!?!?! REALLY!?!?!’

Pissed off but curious, I look around the space between planes. Honestly? There's not a lot there. Most everything was dark, and rather indistinct. The only exception is in front of me, where a square of light shows an image of what my body is seeing. The girls are still chatting away, oblivious to the fact that I’d almost been ethereally kidnapped. ‘Am I being dramatic? Yes! but for fuck’s sake, I think I’m allowed!’

Attached to the window, and the source of my calm, is a sliver chain, the links of which reach out before attaching to my chest, tethering me to my body. In this state, I know that as long as this chain stays attached, I could always return to my body at a moment’s notice. All it would take is a thought.

A flicker from above catches my attention, and I see a purple tendril snake down towards me. I snort, feeling the waves of remorse and embarrassment radiating from the strand. ‘Well, at least they have the good grace to feel sorry for not warning me!’ secure knowing that I’d be able to return any time I wanted, and that my body would be fine in the meantime, I reach up with my free hand (my left) and grasp it firmly. With a slight tug, the tendril carries me upwards, rushing me towards, then through another window out of the ether.

Everything stutters, and for a moment, I could swear that I have two bodies, before I can truly contemplate the feeling, it shifts. Suddenly, I’m bodyless. Then, with a sensation that can only be described as feeling the way the word ‘shlorp’ sounds, everything returns to normal, my mind piloting only one body. ‘Urrrrrrg, that wasn't nice.’ Eyes shut against the confusing sensations; I take a moment to gather myself. Things feel… different, off somehow. Still, the bed I’m lying in feels incredibly comfortable, the silk sheets warm and smooth against the bare skin of my back, my head propped up on my arms, making up for the lack of pillow.

‘Wait, bed? Silk sheets?’ I try to open my eyes, then feel more than a little alarm as they refuse to obey. The alarm only grows as I feel myself giggle before my eyes peel open, revealing a plain white ceiling. ‘Ceiling?!’ for some reason, the thought causes me to giggle again. More than a little confused, I attempt to sit up, only for my body to completely and utterly ignore me.

Without prompting, or any input from me, my eyes move downwards. Expecting to see what I normally would (hairy chest, okayish figure, etc) my mind practically sputters to a halt when my view below chest height is blocked by two of the biggest tits I’d ever had the fortune of seeing in my young life. My jaw would’ve dropped if I had any control at all. Instead, I feel myself (‘no, her’) giggle again, her tits jiggling pleasantly as she does so.

Realising that she could probably hear my thoughts, I think, ‘Huh, Lust goddess, not lust god. Is it bad that this makes me feel slightly better about you perving on me?’ She doesn’t answer, but I feel a wave of amusement, among other emotions, wash over me. The sensation is weeeeeird, but I fight my immediate urge to use the lifeline and return to my body (an option I still could use any time). Sensing my desire to stay, she turns her head, revealing more of the room to me.

‘… white walls too? Got a theme going on here? It’s very… bright?’ She rolls her eyes, and the wall shimmers, first becoming shiny, then reflective, reaving the smirking face of my host. She was utterly gorgeous, with refined, elegant features, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she stares herself in the eyes, before her gaze starts to roam. Her purple hair is secured in a ponytail, and was easily long enough to reach all the way down her back were she to sit up.

‘Purple hair? Neat.’ She snorts as I take a moment to appreciate her curves. I feel her pride, tinged with more than a little lust, as I admire her smooth, casually spread legs. My attention shifts to her panty-clad mound, the tiny piece of black fabric the only scrap of clothing she wears. ‘Always a bummer to lose your panties at the post office. Still, nice of them to lend you two stamps and a bit of string.’

I feel a flash of incredulity. Then she bursts into laughter, causing her bust to jiggle pleasantly as she shakes in mirth. I, a gentleman, and not an incredibly horny young man piggybacking in the body of one of the most attractive women I’d ever seen, fail to notice such a thing. I especially didn’t run any comparisons, and therefore couldn’t say with decent accuracy that her breasts were slightly bigger than Em’s, but not quite as big as mum’s. She turns her head to the mirror, smiling sweetly, the very picture of elegant beauty. Then she speaks.

“Oh my gawwwwwwd. You’re so funnieeeeee!”

‘Oh sweet Jesus, the lust goddess is a valley girl.’