Chatting with Mom and Theresa

Classes and assignments are a blur to you after lunchtime, far too low on the mental priority totem pole for you to pay them any mind. Who cares about any of that when you have a date with Penny? You profusely thank whatever cosmic **** bequeathed this amazing power to you, because you're certain you'd never even have a decent conversation with her without it. The amount of mental control you have over yourself, paired with the potential control you could have over someone else, should be rather daunting and scary, but... this is just too damn cool! The benefits definitely outweigh the risks if it means being the guy you always wanted to be. In just the course of a day, you went from someone nobody would remember to someone, you hope, Izzy and Penny could never forget, for very different reasons.

This is the beginning of great things, you think. It's only going to get better from here.

You race back home after school, driven by the electric ecstasy coursing through you. What is normally a moderate walk home becomes a brisk jog, your fluttering heart nearly lifting you off the ground with every step. Theresa was right; there's nothing you can't do with your new ability!

Oh, Theresa! She'd probably like to hear the news, you bet. You're already digging your phone out of your pocket as you get to the front door of home, nearly crashing into it without thinking to unlock it first. Still grinning like an idiot, you stride into your living room, greeted by your mother. She had been reading something on her and Dad's tablet, but quickly set it down once you entered the house.

"Hey, Sweetie! Boy, you look hap—oh!" Your mother squeals and giggles, barely having time to stand as you scoop her up into a hug, using an unexpected burst of strength to spin around with her. Mom's eyelids flutter as she regains her bearings, looking up at you with a charming tinge of pink in her cheeks.

"Mom..." you start, breathlessly, "I got a date!" You take her by the shoulders, giving her a delighted kiss on the cheek. "Penny agreed to go on a date with me!"

Your glee is contagious, Mom's face lights up with a smile mirroring yours, hopping up and down with excitement. What a bounce she has. "Babyyy! That's wonderful news! I knew you could do it, you little charmer, you!" It's Mom's turn to kiss you back, but not on the cheek. Hands on the sides of your face, she gives you a big, loud smooch on the lips, ending with an almost comical Mmmwah! at the end. The gesture makes you blush, but you certainly don't mind. Boy, Mom's lips are soft...

Running your thumb over your own lips, you catch a bit of color. Mom's lipstick. You smirk as Mom makes an adorable 'Oops!' face, and you both share a hearty giggle. Wiping it away, you sit down on the couch with Mom and tell her all about the conversation you had at lunch. You don't exclude details about Faith either, still rather impressed by her brazen charisma. Maybe if you get in good with Penny, the two of you could become friends as well? Wouldn't that be nice.

Mom listens intently, on the edge of her seat to hear you speak of anything with such energy. "Ooo, the aquarium, huh? How cute." Her tone is low, accompanied by a playful bounce of her eyebrows. "Somewhere colorful and dimly lit, and with a subject she has an invested interest in? It sounds like you hit a bullseye, baby. Didn't I say you had nothing to worry about? Your very first talk with the girl and she's already ready to go out!"

"It's just one date, Mom, we're not going out yet."

She chuckles lowly, bumping her shoulder into yours. "You said 'yet,' sweetie. Just stay confident and I'm sure you'll do fine. A girl would be lucky to have your attention."

"What makes you say that?" It isn't so much that you doubt her (though you do), but it isn't something you expected her to say.

"Because I'm your mother, silly! No one knows you better than I do." She lightly bats you with a hand, wiggling a little in place. "Remember what you told me this morning? Your hypothetical bar moment?" Oh wow, was that today? That conversation feels a million years away in your mind. "You're comfortable around me. You're honest and sweet and always find a nice thing to say to me. Once you get comfortable around this Penny girl, I'm sure she'll see more and more of that sweet boy in you.

"Besides..." She bites her lip, making playful eyes at you. "You're a lot like your father, when he was your age. I bet some pretty girls would be looking right back at you, across this imaginary bar of yours."

While it's a relief to see that she's gotten past the embarrassment of the weekend, you're not sure if "comfortable" is the most accurate word you'd use for your disposition around your mother. Sure, you're happy for her company, but lately... all you can think about is that moment you caught her with Dad. It's impossible to look at her as just your mother anymore. She'll always be Mom, and you'll always love her unconditionally, but there's more to it now. Even now, you struggle to keep eye contact with her, masking your flicking glances at her pillowy breasts as moments of shyness. She just looked so amazing in that moment, lost in the pleasure of a passionate moment with her husband. Jealousy tickles your mind again, still vaguely wishing you were the man underneath her instead.

You know she doesn't mean anything by it. You know she isn't actually flirting with you, giving you these shameful, incestuous thoughts, but her beautiful face and sweet voice giving you such undivided attention makes your heart and loins clench in tandem. It doesn't help that, as you've answered her with silence, her big, sparkling blue eyes lock onto you, lips parted with a silent breath. God, you would love little more than to close the gap between those lips again; to let your surging lust take control and smother your own mother with passionate affection. The heat between the two of your rises, and you almost feel a gravity pulling you closer.

Instead, you spring up from the couch, remembering the cold phone still in your hand. Mom blinks, as if she'd lost a few seconds somewhere and needed to refocus. You glance back at her and **** a grin onto your face. "I'm gonna go lie down and chill for a bit before dinner, okay Mom? I wanna tell Tess about my good day, too."

"Oh..." Mom's expression becomes complex, brow furrowing with a confused pout. "Alright, sweetie. I'll call you down when dinner's ready if you're not down by then. Love you, baby." She stands as well, walking over to the nearby thermostat. You reply with love in kind, and can hear her mumble something about the AC not working right as you jaunt up the stairs toward your bedroom. Awkward boner sighting dodged!

Almost forgetting to head toward the master bedroom, you correct yourself and promptly flop onto the huge bed you have all to yourself. You stare up at your phone and begin typing away.

'HEY SIS YOU SUCK, GUESS WHY.'

A pause. She starts typing quickly, which you hope means she isn't busy. She'd better not be driving!

'You wound me, Bubby. Whatever did I do to you?' Full sentences and painfully obvious sarcasm. She's fine and not behind the wheel.

'You were right, what else is new? :p Promise fulfilled, I talked to Penny. We're going on a date next Saturday.'

Theresa's response is an explosion of rapid-fire texts, sending your phone into a near constant buzz.

'AAAAAAAAAA'

'I TOLD YOU SO'

'BIG SIS KNOWS ALL'

'TELL ME EVERYTHIIIIING. O.O'

You have to laugh, taken aback by Theresa's energetic enthusiasm. Who knew your big sister could be so bubbly and sweet? ...Sadly, everyone but you, until recently.

You recount your day to Theresa, going in reverse order, starting with Penny and Faith. Once sis is as caught up on things as Mom is, you start getting into the more dubious part.

'Say sis, do you know an Isabelle Arlington?'

'Nope. Arlington's a pretty big name around here, though. Is she the family's youngest?'

'No idea. Anyway, she's a total bitch as has been my personal bully for pretty much my entire high school experience.'

'Whaaat? You have a bully?!'

'Besides you, you mean?'

_'Bubby...' _She adds a gif of a sad, crying teddy bear to her reply.

'You know I'm better than that, now. I'll keep saying sorry as long as it takes.'

'Yeah, but don't think I'll let you get away easy for it. :p Anyway, I decided enough was enough, and I did something that's going to change her tune'

'Did you claim her?!'

'No! Worse. I claimed her senior English folio.'

'WHAT? Wait, how is that worse?'

'Because she's had excellent grades the whole time, and no folio means she's going to fail English.'

'Ooooh! Bubby, that's so evil! I love it. Are you really gonna make her fail, though?'

'Entirely depends on if she's willing to bargain for it.'

'Hahaha, that's so awful! I bet she deserves it though, and then some. Are you gonna do more?'

'One step at a time, I guess. Not sure yet.'

~

For a time, the two of you catch up and enjoy batting ideas back and forth on what other cruel but deserving things you could do to put Izzy in her place. As expected, the conversation shifts over time to focus more on your power itself, which you two are still testing to discover all its little quirks and nuances.

'I claimed a burger once on your behalf an ate it. :c Not gonna do that again.'

'Why not?'

'I felt like I was stealing it from you and felt super guilty. Like, I knew you wouldn't care, so I was able to go through with it, but it felt wrong without your express permission. If I weren't also claimed by you, I bet it might have been impossible for me to do.'

'Are you so hard up for money that you're trying to claim food?'

'No I'm good, but your concern makes me happy, Bubby. <3 It was just a test.'

You sigh in relief. It wouldn't do to let Theresa suffer, but it's a little strange to think of her claiming things for you when you're not around. You're not gonna balk at a burger, though.

'By the way, Bubby, did you find your present yet? OwO'

'Ugh, NO. Wherever you hid it, it's beyond me. I feel like I've turned this house upside-down!'

'Oh, I didn't hide it. It's something you see every day. ;3'

Okay, that hint makes no sense at all. If you see it every day, wouldn't you have found it by now?

'Sis... did you GET me a present, or did you CLAIM something for me?'

'Hehehehe >:3 I was wondering when you'd figure that out. Yup, it's something claimed! You find your name on it, and you'll know for sure! That's all the hints I'm giving you for now, though! Maybe I'll tell you more when I see you on the weekend.'

Well, the weekend isn't too far away. Tomorrow, even, if you count Friday evening. You can handle waiting a little bit longer if it means finally figuring out this present of hers. Heck, you might take one more look around the house for any of your signatures in Theresa's handwriting, now that you know to look for it. For now, you have one more thing to bring up before dinnertime.

'Speaking of claiming stuff... I tried something weird last night.'

Accompanying your text, you snap a photo of your bicep with your name on it and send it to her.

'Isn't that your arm, Bubby? Did you... claim yourself? How the fuck does that work?'

'Just like you, I'm still testing things. Yes, I claimed myself, which means I have to follow my own orders. I ordered myself to be more brave and confident for today, and... well, you've heard what all I did.'

'OMG, BUBBY, THAT'S SO COOL. I didn't know you had that much mental control over people you own! You're like that bald guy from X-Men!'

'Professor X, and not really? I can't read minds or anything, but it seems orders are orders, even mental ones. I was confident on the outside, but freaking out on the inside. I think mental commands are only superficial? Let's do some more tests when you're home, k?'

'As you command, master! XP But srs Bubby, sounds like a plan.'

You can't help feeling a pulse of... satisfaction? Being called 'master' tickled something in you, even if it was in jest. Theresa knows how to push some weird buttons.

From there, your conversation slowly winds to a close. You wish your sister well and can't wait to see her this weekend. Dinner ought to be ready soon, and you've got one last round of present-seeking to do!