The New Timeline

To confirm you have to close your eyes while the character loads. When you open them, something seems different. For one, you're wearing a jacket you've never seen before. It's a jean jacket cut to end where a crop top would and it's covered with pride pins and buttons. You take it off and look at the tag. You recognize it as an old high fashion brand. Suddenly a memory hits you.

"This was a gift from Sage the first time I was old enough to go through her closet. It never fit her enough to button it, so she was glad to give it to me to use as an actual jacket." You thought, cherishing that day. "I thought she'd kill me when Kelly punctured it with a lesbian pride pin but she was so happy I customized it she hugged me for a full minute." Back then you thought you were gonna have a real-life nosebleed being in her chest that long.

You get up and look around your room. On the shelf attached to your desk, squeezed between some large textbooks, you see a bundle of magazines. You'd never admit it but those are old nude mags you found on eBay showcasing a young Sage Palmer. God was she good at her job. Even in a world with free internet porn, those decade-old mags were hot enough to keep coming back to.

You grab your phone. On the lock screen is a photo of your high school graduation. In addition to Sage, there's another woman you don't recognize next to your mom. You pause.

"Why do I not remember graduation but remember the jacket and the magazines?" You brush it off as reality-warping weirdness to explore later and unlock the device. You go to your phone app and check its history. Your recent call from your mom is gone. In fact, your mom appears way less in your call history. "Yes!" You pump your fist in the air. "It worked! She nags me way less with an independent lesbian woman in her ear telling her I'll be fine at college and I don't need a boyfriend." You immediately go to your contacts and make a phone call. There's someone you need to hear from.

"Hey, Star Child, how's it hanging?"

You laugh at the nickname Sage has had for you since seventh grade. Genuine laughter. It's weird. You know she didn't exist a minute ago but you're filled with love for this woman you've known your entire life.

"Nothing I guess, I just needed to hear your voice I guess?"

"Is everything alright honey?" Your knees get weak. You made her voice so naturally sultry sounding she can't fully turn the charm off, so even when she's being concerned your sexual awakening calling you honey is enough to get you going.

"Yeah yeah, I'm just, um, flustered I guess. Something emotional happened a second ago but I already forgot about it it's stupid. Don't worry about it."

"Star Child, your feelings are never stupid, and I'll be the judge of what I worry about." Her voice is somehow a paradox. So soothing but also revving your motor up so much. You wonder if it was a mistake to fulfill your fantasies and your mother's need for good queer role models with a single hot MILF. "Is it anything you can deal with today?"

"No, it's already been solved I guess." You feel weird talking about an argument that never technically happened anymore.

"Even better! That 'fluster' is the emotions of the past leaving your body. Ride the wave and you'll be back to your normal stellar self soon. And if not? Call me and I'll drive all the way there, dates be damned!"

"Wait," You say, snapping back to reality. "You're on a date with someone?"

"Eva, dear, I'm on a date with some*ones*. Diamond here thinks it's cheeky to be making love to my neck with her mouth while I'm on the phone with my grand goddaughter—. Yes, I know Jennifer and Lilith are frenching over there, I'm on the phone. Wait until Alyson comes back from the bathroom if you need to ravish someone or settle for this while I talk to her."

"I guess I should let you go, you seem preoccupied."

"Nonsense darling. You don't agree to a date with three women without knowing how to multitask."

"Three?" You hear her sigh on the other end.

"Diamond, Jennifer, and Alyson are here for me. Lilith and I are here for Jennifer. I'm trying to get everyone to just get with each other so I'm not the belle of the ball everyone fights for when we get into it. It's honestly not that hard."

Damn, you might've made her too open about sex in your attempt to get her to dress and act like a slut in public.

"Honestly Sage, I don't need much more advice. I'm good. Go back to your... dates."

"Are you sure– HEY! Diamond, give that back or so help me, I'm not doing that thing with my tongue you like when we get back!"

"Nice hearing about the legendary Evalynne," a new husky voice said. "Sage loves you, have a good night." And with that, the line went dead.

'Damn, Sage has three women fighting over her while talking their ears off about some brat and interrupting foreplay to pick up phone calls, meanwhile, I can't even get a date,' you think, kicking your carpet. You pull up the character creator to magic up a girlfriend but hesitate.

"Shouldn't I do this organically?" You close the program with a shake of your head. "Like Sage is 100% real, I know that. But making a bimbo doll of a girlfriend who won't leave me no matter how little game I have doesn't make me better." You throw up your hands. "Am I just going to solve my problems by surrounding myself with made-up people who are custom-built whenever I need something? Is that true companionship?"

You're lost in thought when, suddenly, a sound breaks you out of your stupor.