In a sense.

Mason was almost going to answer, maybe even agree, when he was cut off. The shrill blare of the school bell managed to pierce the thick concrete walls. The final lunch period was over.

“Um, I need to head to class,” Mason muttered, suddenly feeling awkward again. This would be his second abrupt parting of the day. But he was at a loss of what else to say.

“You still need to eat,” Ms. Rosso shot down his feeble goodbye. “I told you I’d write you a note.”

“I don’t have anything to eat.” Mason wasn’t sure why he was protesting. Well, maybe it was because it was true. But true or not it wasn’t like he really wanted to go to Latin. It would be nice to see Yumi and Vina, but it would really just be the three of them sitting quietly while Mr. Prescott slowly rotted their brains.

“I’ve got some extra food in my office,” She said, not even looking at him. She picked up the sticky shirt, balled it up by rolling her fingers, and stuffed it in her (his) hoodie’s pocket. Then she scooped up the prosthetic, slinging it over her shoulders. Ms. Rosso’s eyes flicked over him from feet to head. “Your fly.”

After a quick scramble to rezip, Mason picked up his backpack. Then, realizing his vice-principal’s hand was full, he grabbed the clipboard as well. That got him another quick nod. Opening the door for them got a quiet thanks. She got the next one though, hip-checking the push bar to let them into the hallway. Thankfully it looked like most people were already in class. In fact, before they even made their first turn the bell rang again.

The administration offices in William Tweed were part of a small suite. One that was basically empty. It seemed this was lunchtime for the staff. The assistant’s desk was empty and the half-dozen office doors were firmly shut. Save the one with the plack that read: Barbara Rosso - Vice-Principal.

Her office was appropriately spartan. There was no art on the walls, just a diploma. And no pictures on her desk, just the default background on her computer. Everything was perfectly squared, and the in and out paper trays were perfectly perpendicular. As were their contents. The filing cabinets looked like they had been laid out with a set square. Even the blinds were exactly half open. That let the afternoon sun shine onto her black mini fridge.

Ms. Rosso ushered him through the door first. She pointed at the flimsy chair in front of her desk, silently telling him to sit. Mason tried to do so gently, but the chair still groaned in protest. He tried to ignore it.

The veteran set the robotic arm on top of the filing cabinets. Then she took a knee in front of the fridge. Between her Amazonian build and his baggy hoodie, Mason didn’t get a good look inside. But he got a good look when she stood back up. Cradled in her hand were a few sandwich bags of different meats and cheeses, as well as two cans of flavored fizzy water.

“Do you have a flavor preference?” Ms. Rosso asked, setting things out on her desk, before setting herself in her swivel chair.

“No, I…” Mason started. But his voice trailed off when he saw Ms. Rosso’s Stoney stairs. Apparently, she was not in the mood for polite bullshit. “Um, the strawberry-kiwi sounds good. Thanks.”

She slid the can over to him before opening the banana-blueberry for herself. But before she took a sip, the ex-soldier opened a drawer of her desk. With a box of crackers added to the pile, their mini charcuterie lunch was ready. Some parmesan and havarti paired with some salami and chorizo. All presliced for their convenience.

It took a moment for Mason to work up the courage to grab a bite. It seemed neither of them wanted to take the first bite. But some silent insistence from the older woman eventually got him to load up a cracker.

The first bite reminded him that he was actually starving. Even if his lunch companion wasn't taciturn, the two of them were too busy eating to really have a conversation. Which was fine by him. He couldn't think of how things wouldn't be awkward.

"I'll have to tell my friend about what happened. They need to know. To figure out what happened." Ms. Rosso didn't break eye contact as she spoke. Even as her voice tried to be gentle.

It took Mason a moment to realize what she was talking about, but he figured it out. From Barbara's perspective, her hand had inexplicably malfunctioned and molested her student. That was certainly something most (none demonic) people would consider a design flaw. But it made Mason's stomach drop. This was going to raise some eyebrows. He wasn't really sure how he could keep people from being suspicious.

"I'll leave your name out of it," Ms. Rosso said. Apparently, she had spotted his growing apprehension. Her voice was sturdy and sure. And that made him realize how gutsy her statement really was. She could protect him, but not herself. The only way she could do that was to keep her mouth shut entirely. But that wasn't in the cards.

"I won't tell anyone," Mason said. He felt it was only right to return the favor. That earned him another half-smile. One that lasted even after Ms. Rosso took another sip of her drink.

"I appreciate that. But talk to someone if you need to. That wasn't a good first time," Ms. Rosso assured her student with utter honesty.

"It wasn't my-" Mason stopped himself, his face heating up again.

"Say no more," Ms. Rosso said with a serious but shockingly gentle tone. He decided to listen to her. (He could just imagine Viv calling him a goody-two-shoes and saying that was normal.) But he was mostly grateful to drop the subject.

The awkward silence wasn't great though. Mason couldn't even meet her stony gaze. And he wasn't sure what he should say. Or maybe he should just take his leave. He wasn't sure how long he had been in there.

But to his surprise, Ms. Rosso broke the silence again.

"Has your sister given you any more trouble?" Ms. Rosso asked him.

"No," Mason lied. Mostly because he didn't want to let the details slip. "Uh, thanks again for that."

Another nod from the ex-soldier.

"Good." There was a bit of a pause before she spoke again. "And your mothers?"

"Oh, they're fine," Mason only barely avoided stumbling over his words. His brain was having a hard time switching gears. "How about yours?"

He then instantly tried to yank his foot out of his mouth.

"S-Sorry. You don't need to tell me stuff like that," He hastily assured her with raised hands.

"I know," She said in an obsidian voice. But then she shifted a little awkwardly. Ms. Rosso offered him a contemplative, searching look. Then she swallowed heavily and kept talking. "They're alright. A little older, but that's just how it is. My sister still lives in Atlantic City, so at least they've got help nearby."

"Wait. You're from New Jersey? But…" Mason trailed off. He had pointed up to his mouth, only to freeze up. After all, he was now pointing at where one of the veteran's scars was. But the ice in his veins melted almost immediately. Barbara was giving him an honest-to-goodness smile. With teeth and everything.

"This is from when I crashed my bike when I was nine," She explained, tapping the scar on her lower lip. "And I lost my accent overseas. It was never that strong."

"What was it like? Growing up in Atlantic City, I mean?" What could he say, he was curious. Mason didn't know a lot about Atlantic City, but he knew the stereotypes. Vegas but with a beach.

"Less exciting than it sounds. It was normal. Just me, brother, sister, Mom, Pops. Just a happy little batch of Pizza Bagels." Ms. Rosso said nonchalantly. But that gave Mason another question.

"Pizza Bagels?"

"My father's Jewish, my mother's Italian." The two shared a look. Ms. Rosso smiled at him, giving him permission to laugh at the family joke. And he did. It wasn't exactly a guffaw, but it was an honest-to-God chuckle.

The two had a quiet moment. Ms. Rosso looked across the desk at him. Her brown eyes were pleasantly warm with slight crinkles in the corners. She had been smiling for a while now. But it plummeted off her face. And staring at Mason was the familiar neutrality he had seen so many times before. Once again it sent a shiver up his spine. Only this time it seemed warranted. Something about her seemed cold and distant. He had the sudden sensation of being looked at through a scope.

"Let me write your note," She suddenly said. Ms. Rosso pulled open a drawer, fetching one of the pink slips the faculty used to excuse tardiness.

"Sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Mason asked.

"No." She didn't look up as she finished filling out the form. Then she slid it across to him. "Have a good day, Mason."

"You too, Ms. Rosso." Mason trusted his instincts. It was time to go. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and made a quick exit.

The hall was empty and he wasn't exactly beaten up about that. Mason looked down at the note. It had a time written on it. Letting the teacher know when he was supposed to arrive. Ms. Rosso gave him five minutes. More than enough time for a pit stop.

Sure Mason needed to pee, but once his business was concluded he also needed to check his phone. There were some things Luxuria needed to explain.

You did some work with Barbara Rosso! Oh, and she gave your booty a quick grope! You earned 10 silver for Barbara Rosso!

Barbara Rosso caught you when you fell, and got a handful of your hams! What a lucky lady! You earned 75 silver for Barbara Rosso!

Barbara Rosso got both an eyeful and a handful of your junk! You earned 150 silver for Barbara Rosso!

You took off your pants in front of Ms. Rosso! And then she took off your boxers! Can you say stand at attention? You earned 150 silver for Barbara Rosso!

Barbara Rosso gave you a robo-handy! And you returned the favor by nutting all over her chest! You earned 750 silver for Barbara Rosso and 375 silver for yourself!

You had a nice lunch with Barbara Rosso! You earned 15 silver for Barbara Rosso!

His timeline gave him the basics, but it wasn't until he closed it that he got a pop-up. And Lilith finally took the opportunity to explain herself.

Way to go, my dude! You completed the challenge for Barbara! Since I'm a demon of my word, here's your thousand silver back! And of course, her new trait is now available to be fiddled with! Hopefully, that'll help you fiddle with some other stuff! Check ya later, cutie!

Libido ex Machina: Max Rank! Barbara seems like she has a hard time expressing herself. So to help her out her prosthetic will now act on her sexual desires! So if she thinks it'll try to do it!

That was a lot for Mason to process. Doubly so when he checked the awarenesses. Lilith had decided to let Ms. Rosso notice what was going on, even if everyone else was still in the dark. But that didn't stop him from turning it off.

It also didn't distract him from the fact that he needed to get to class ASAP. When he did Mr. Prescott was pretty livid. But there wasn't much he could do unless he was willing to pick a fight with his boss. And he honestly probably didn't give enough a shit to do that.

When Mason walked back to his desk both of his girlfriends (and that was still an odd thing to think about) they offered him a pair of quizzical looks. Not that they were identical. Yumi looked genuinely worried, while Vina gave him a happy wave. He tried to smile in a way that said "I'm fine. I just got a little held up. I'll explain later." Which was a lot for a smile, so he had no idea if it actually translated.

As he sat there, doing his best to pay even a small amount of attention to his class, three things hit him all at once. Firstly, he realized Ms. Rosso still had his jacket. Secondly, some part of his vice-principal apparently wanted to jerk him off. And thirdly, it was history class next.