Salades Americanes Impératrice

Stella had taken Caleb out a ways, or at least it felt like she had. With the shifting of the land masses that made up the island, it was hard to tell exactly how far they were from the hotel, the only metric being the time it took for the boat ride. Frankly, Caleb, clutching at his umbrella, was too busy fighting off his own fight or flight response to accurately gauge how far out they might be. Stella was being oddly tight-lipped as the boat came to a landing and stopped, the faundolier signalling the two it was time to disembark.

Stella lightly popped up to her feet, swerving dramatically before righting herself, “Oops, not used to the extra weight.” She smirked, giving her chest a cursory honk before hopping up onto the dock.

Rolling his eyes in response to her theatrics, Caleb pulled himself up and landed on the dock, taking a brief look around and noticing that, outside of the steps leading to higher ground, the island itself was fairly linear with rows of small two-story buildings lined up against each other. What made them stand out was that each building was brightly coloured: reds, yellows, pinks, oranges, blues, and purples. Each home was covered in the same slatted orange stone roofing, but lined up all together, it was like a rainbow that was reflected on the nearby water.

Caleb blinked, glancing around to take everything in, even as Stella made her way to the steps, “What is this place?”

“I think this is where the fauns live? I’ve peeked into some windows, and they look like dwellings, but no one has ever actually been here when I’ve visited, which makes sense because when we’re up, the fauns are all working. It’s my best guess.” The imp began to walk up the stairs.

“I guess I never really thought about the fact that there had to be somewhere for them, I dunno, I guess I pictured a field or something more…bucolic.” Caleb began to climb up after Stella, who shook her head.

“Even if they look like goats, I think they’re more or less people. Rampant fucking aside. Not that I’m one to complain about rampant fucking.” Stella led Caleb into the street so they were now surrounded by the homes on each side. On some of the homes, kites on strings were attached to the water spouts and drifting aimlessly in the wind; others had hand streamers, and there were also large wooden pots housing colourful flowers, littering the front patios.

Caleb’s eyes were almost overwhelmed with the visual clutter in the alleyway, and he found himself just trying to take it all in before asking, “Why are they coloured like that?”

Stella simply shrugged, “I think it’s based on Burano, which is an island within Venice, the houses are coloured like this, but I couldn't tell you why. Just useless trivia I happen to know.”

“You know a lot of ‘useless trivia’ it seems. How do you know so much?” The Master walked up and leaned against the nearby blue wall.

Stella walked up to one of the nearby flowers, leaning in to give it a smell, “I told you, I read, anything and everything. I don’t retain it all, but I do end up knowing a little bit of everything about anything, which in a room full of dumb people still makes you sound smart.”

Caleb nodded slowly and then trained his eyes on Stella, who was walking gingerly to the next house over, “Why bring me here for our date? I thought that-”

“I’d be doing something outrageous or trying to get you to dick me down?” The imp shot him a sly smile as her tail whipped back and forth.

“-you’d be planning something more bombastic.” Caleb finished

“Uh-huh, like I said.” Seeing Caleb's face screw up, she waved her hand dismissively, “Oh, come on, listen, I know what people think of me. Jeeze, no one takes Stella seriously, not even her own parents or herself. No need to make a big deal out of it.”

Caleb tucked his chin in, defeated, but tried to rally, “Stella, you know we don’t think of you as just that, right? Maybe things started rough, and yeah, maybe I thought you were kind of a selfish brat, but I thought you were acting out because of the situation, not that you were a bad or frivolous person.”

“Hmmm,” Stella regarded the master with a teasing hum that suggested her disbelief, “I mean, sure, you can say that, but when people need help, no one goes to Stella, do they? Listen-” She held out her hands, “-I’m not trying to change your minds about who I am, but like I know what I see. People may like me now, sure, but c’mon, treat me seriously?”

Caleb frowned, “Stella, if you were upfront with how you feel?”

“Ugh,” Stella stomped her foot, “I brought you out here to talk, but not about this. So. Can we cram it? Ok?”

Caleb was tempted to push; he didn’t like how dismissive Stella seemed to be about the prospect that people might care about her. However, he also felt that if he went any harder, the wall he was pushing against might start pushing back. So he exhaled slowly and pushed past it, “If you just wanted to talk on our date, couldn’t we have just done that back at the hotel?”

Wings flapping irritably, Stella sat on a nearby curb, “Pretty much everywhere else on the island had a risk of someone listening in, and also…it’s cool, right?”

Seeing her eyes dart over, Caleb couldn't help but think she was seeking some sort of validation, and so he simply responded, “Yeah, it's pretty cool.”

“Right?” Stella’s voice was energetic again, “Man, if we weren’t trapped here and being magically tortured, it would be a hell of a vacation spot.” She began to idly kick her feet. “So you know how we were talking about all the useless trivia I know?”

Caleb began to make his way to the wall of the orange building behind Stella to be closer to her, “Yeah, not sure we established it was useless, but yeah.”

Stella rolled her eyes, “Well, did you know someone did an analysis of dating reality TV shows that ended with a couple and compared it to post-show coverage to see how many of those couples ended up together?”

Feeling like he could see where this was going, Caleb gave a concerned frown, “What’s the percentage?”

“Around 15 percent.” Stella was looking anywhere but Caleb’s face, “So what are you going to do about it?”

Caleb leaned in, “Come on, Stella, that’s hardly fair. Pretty sure none of those were about harems, let alone magic harems.”

“Right, but if we apply the same rules, that means even if you fall in love with all of us and somehow dupe us into loving you. On average, after we leave, you’ll only end up actually caring about one, but still be stuck with the rest of us. So what will you do with me and the other six?”

Staring aghast at Stella, whose face was unreadable, Caleb tried to start talking several times before finally managing, “Stella, even if that absurdity was the case. One, you don’t know you’d be one of seven people. Two, just because I’m not fucking any of you doesn’t mean I can’t like you or spend time with you!”

“Really?” Stella got up, brushing her skirt, “You’re so noble a person that if you were put in a position of taking care of seven other people, you’d keep supporting them and whatever many kids they end up having? Even if they end up loving someone else? Even if it’s not a mutual breakup? Also, no matter what happens, you’ll have leverage over us, so that’s gonna complicate relationships. Oh, and even if we’re not together, there are people like me and Amy who like fucking, are we gonna be able to do that with anyone else?”

“Where the fuck is all this coming from? I thought you were trying to get the stick out of my ass earlier? Besides, outside of the Mira situation, people are getting along great.” Caleb sputtered out.

“We’re stuck here together, Caleb, so we’re making the best of it! But once we go back, and we no longer have the show uniting us, what then? Also yeah! I wanted the stick out of your ass, and I still wanted to talk about this because if you were just focusing on the one aspect, you wouldn’t see the truth.” Stella’s voice was raised at this point, and she was furiously gesticulating with her hands.

“What truth?” Caleb cocked an eyebrow. To be honest, seeing the redhead this worked up was making the master feel like his whole center of gravity was off.

“The truth is that even if we do our best here and we leave happy, it could all fall apart the moment we get back to reality. That just surviving this show isn’t the end for us who got stuck with you. That we could be stuck suffering for the rest of our lives!”

Before Caleb realized it, he had taken Stella by the wrists and pinned them up against the pink wall behind her, above her head and was staring her down. “I’m not going to let that happen! I don’t care what this show or reality throws at us from now on, I know it’s my responsibility, and I’m not gonna let you down!”

Caleb was staring intensely into Stella’s eyes, which were furrowed in rage before flickering as she smirked, “Oooh, daddy so strong, so responsible. What are you going to do to this bad girl?” Her tail flicked up and tickled Caleb’s nose.

Caleb wrinkled his nose and let Stella go, who batted her eyelashes coquetishly at him as she leaned in. Caleb bit his lip and then let out a low, “You were baiting me. Again.”

“Mmhmm,” Stella let out a satisfied smile, “Just a little. I really am concerned about all that, but yeah, I wanted to see how you’d react, and oh boy, am I pleased.” She leaned back and slid her hands down her torso, pulling up her skirt and revealing she was not wearing any underwear beneath her tights, as a visible trail of moisture leaked from her swollen sex. “Very pleased.”

She let her skirt drop and turned around, looking over her shoulder at Caleb, who was frowning after her, “Oh come on, you’re not mad, are you?”

Letting out an exasperated sigh and shaking his head, Caleb ran a free hand through his hair, “I just don’t get it, I guess. If you wanted to talk, we could talk. If you wanted sex, after this morning, you could have it. What’s the game here?”

Stella smirked and narrowed her eyes before her tail snaked out to boop Caleb on the nose again, “If I just wanted those things, sure. But sometimes there's more fun in teasing things out. I’m the kind of person who eats the strawberry last when I have strawberry shortcake so that it tastes even better at the end of the meal.”

“Are…you comparing me to cake?” Caleb asked incredulously

Stella’s eyes turned down, looking around Caleb, “No, you’re a bit too flat for that. I’m comparing you to a strawberry. But I want to spend time having fun and eating my cake, alright?”

“So…we’re going to keep doing this. You're winding me up and then leaving me confused.” The master frowned.

“Oh, Caleb, didn’t you see? I’m getting us both wound up. All while having delightful and stimulating conversation.”

Stella stuck out her tongue, “Come on, there’s more I want to show you.” She began to skip off, and Caleb begrudgingly went to follow, trying to ignore the ache from his stimulated nether regions.

Across the island, in the dive bar, Noemi, Eliza, and Amy were sitting around a round table chatting away, while in the corner of the room, Maya was losing to Lily at darts.

“This game is ridiculous! The bullseye should be worth the most amount of points! Why is a random segment worth ten more?” Maya fumed while collecting her darts.

Lily shook her head, “Because the triple 17-20 are harder to hit and surrounded by lower values.”

“But it’s the bullseye! When you do something really well, people say ‘Bullseye!’ That should mean it’s the best. Either people are stupid or the game is stupid.” Maya was steaming out of her ears, and Lily reached over to gently touch her shoulder.

“You say that like it’s the bullseye’s fault you’re losing, not the fact that you keep missing the board.”

Maya’s face turned bright red. “Another round! I got this now! You’ll regret the day you underestimated Maya Quinn!”

Lily groaned, “This is our fifth game!”

At the table, Amy looked on and smirked, “I think by the time we leave, Lily is going to be putting a moratorium on darts.”

Noemi frowned, “Oh, I wanted to join back in after this beer.”

Eliza shrugged, “There's plenty of us to play, even if Lily isn’t up to it anymore. People should do what they want. That's the point of today: relaxing and taking it easy.”

“Hear, hear!” Noemi cheered before taking a large swig, followed by an equally large hiccup.

Amy surreptitiously glanced towards Eliza before taking a sip of her own drink, “I’m having a good time, but y’know it’s alright to vent if you need to. You’re among friends.”

“Oh, pish,” Eliza waved her hand, “I’m fine. Really, people need to stop fretting over me.”

“Mhmm,” Amy remembered the diatribe the professor had given back in the master’s suite, “Because it's not a sign of weakness if you need to-”

“Amy-” Eliza cut her off, “I said I’m fine, I get why you’re pushing, but you need to stop. I got this handled.” The professor raised her drink and downed it all in one fell swoop, slamming it on the table.

“If you ever want me to rough Mira up, though, just say the word,” Noemi said with a big grin that earned a withering stare from Amy while Eliza reached over to ruffle Noemi’s hair

“Such a good girl, no, she’s fine living in the hell of her own making for now,” Eliza smirked as she adjusted her glasses.

Pulling up chairs, Lily and Maya joined them, Maya looking despondent as Lily poured her own drink, “Don’t mind her, she just lost again.”

Maya stared at upturned hands, “Why don’t the darts go where I want them to?”

“Maybe because you try to huck them like a baseball.” Lily said through gritted teeth, “I tried to show you how to hold them, and you kept changing back.”

“The way you showed me felt weird,” Maya complained as she nursed her water.

Eliza looked over at Maya sympathetically, “Just means you need practice, you’ll probably enjoy pool more. It’s all angles speaking of which. Wanted to run something by all of you.”

Amy’s ears and danger sense perked up. “Is it about the upcoming challenge?”

“Kind of, but more of a general stance to take in the competition moving forward. I think we should be sabotaging a lot more than we currently are.” As Eliza got the words out, she was met with silence before Maya nodded.

“Yeah, I think so too. I have one I’ve been saving, but I think in general we just all should be using them more often.” The purple-haired woman pulled the silver card from her pocket.

Lily tried to keep her temper under control. “After everything, you were the one who said we should only use them with consent.”

“I do agree that I’m concerned about the general stance.” Amy added, “Can you elaborate more?”

Eliza gave a curt nod, “Every bad thing that’s happened to the group dynamic has been the result of a member of the group acting unilaterally and then all of us scrambling to recover. If we all had sabotages and demonstrated willingness to use them offensively, it would discourage such behaviour.”

“Oh,” Maya responded, “It just sounds more fun to me.”

Lily frowned, “You mean creating an atmosphere of mutually assured destruction essentially. Like with nukes.”

Eliza shrugged nonchalantly.

Amy frowned, “I think the idea has some merit, but you are talking about creating an atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion.

“I’m talking about creating a space where no one has to worry about someone stabbing them in the back because people will know they’ll just be stabbed in the front if they do.” Eliza waved her hand noncommittally, “Listen, I get it’s a more aggressive strategy, but has how we’ve behaved so far yielded positive results? Also, don’t most of us have points as a result of being sabotaged or sabotaging someone at this point?”

Lily balled her hands up into fists in her lap, “I’m not against the idea of having them as a deterrent. But you said you want to use them more?”

“Like I said, just having them does nothing if people won’t believe you’ll pull the trigger. I think the upcoming challenge is a great place to prove we’re all capable of doing so in a circumstance where it won’t be taken personally.” Eliza explained this casually before opening another beer.

Amy paused, “Let me clarify, though, would you still want to use them outside of the challenge?”

“Yes to build awareness.” Eliza gazed at Amy over her beer

Noemi jumped in, “I think it's a great idea! We can reward girls we want to see do well or punish people when they do something against the group.”

Lily kept silent; her gut was telling her this was a bad idea, but so much of her time here had been spent jumping to wrong conclusions; she wasn’t confident in saying anything.

Seeing Lily’s face, Maya leaned in and smiled, “Not all sabotages are bad or sexual, some are just magical and interesting, it might be fun?” Lily tried to return the smile but only managed to turn her lips up somewhat.

Amy tapped her finger. There was only one question she had left. “So if we didn’t agree right now, would you still move forward with this?”

Eliza sighed, “I’m not trying to push people into doing anything. I’m stating what I think would be helpful to the group. Nonaction is also a choice, but I think we need to be playing a more active role in this. For everyone’s benefit.”

The Oni’s drumming on the table ceased, and she dragged her palm across the surface before pulling it into her lap, “Maybe we can take a look at what’s available. I’m not committing to anything yet.”

“Of course,” Eliza said, sipping her beer.

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