Time to go

“I’m going to attempt to destroy the barrier. Lend me your blazer first” Karen demanded, and Reader complied, unequipping his blazer and handing it over to her. She struggled into the ill-fitting garment before holding her hammer in front of her and subvocalizing something Reader couldn’t make out. Both youths breathed a sigh of relief as the strange half-world shattered around them, revealing the reassuring streets of their hometown.

Karen dropped her hammer, catching a chain with a small silver cross that she hung around her neck. “You’re a worryingly good liar”, She said to Reader. “If I hadn’t known it was impossible I’d have believed you could actually smuggle her across. Did you believe it at the time?”

Reader took the bottle from his inventory, using Observe:

Slimegirl-in-a-bottle
A bottle containing a slime too **** to argue. She thinks you’re her master because you saved her life. I hope you’re ready to take responsibility.

“Still do,” he said, holding the bottle gently aloft. “I’m not sure she survived, that seemed to take a lot out of her. But she didn’t disappear or anything”

Karen stared at the bottle in disbelief, looking from it to Reader with a worrying level of agitation.

“Put that thing away and don’t bring it up again. Did you bring anything else across the barrier?”

Reader pulled the items he’d gained in the instant dungeon out of his inventory, somewhat relieved to find them still there. “Yup. A couple magic items, some cash, crafting materials…”

“Crafting?! What – oh never mind. I have to report this. Come on, you’re meeting my father” she added, pulling Reader along in a grip that brooked no argument.

“Wait!” Reader shouted as they moved down the quiet street. “I have to at least call my mother so she doesn’t worry”.

“So call her” Karen said, letting go of his wrist put putting her hand on his back. “But if she says you have to be home, you’re either making something up she’s okay with or getting kidnapped on the way”.

“I think she’ll be all right with part of the truth.” Reader said, “But I destroyed my phone to make the electric knuckles. Can I borrow yours?”

Karen handed him a brand he didn’t recognize, scowling at him as he dialled.

The phone rang a few times before his mother picked up. “Numen Residence,” came her cheery, breathless voice.

“Hi Mom, it’s me” Reader said as Karen guided him down the street, one hand firmly on his back. “I had something come up, is it all right if I go to a friend’s house before coming home?”

“Of course!” she said enthusiastically. No surprise there, she was always on him about making more friends locally. “What’s his name?”

“Her name is Karen. Her top got torn and I lent her my blazer, so now she wants me to accompany her home so she can give it back”. It was the truth, of a sort.

“Ooh, what a gentleman my son is being. Are you going to stay the night? Do you have protection?”

“Probably not, but yes” Reader said, glancing at Karen. She was staring at him, red-faced and furious.

Uh-oh. She must have fantastic hearing, her stats being what they are. “Listen, I gotta go – You and dad have a fun reunion if I’m late!”

“You and Karen too! Call if you’re going to spend the night, and remember, if she does anal on the first date, she’s a keeper!” his mother trilled before hanging up.

Karen had come to a stop and was glaring at Reader with a look of repressed rage, expressed indignation, and something else he couldn’t quite read – might be good to put a few more points in Perce-

“Reader Numen!” Karen said loudly, interrupting his train of thought “I have a bit more sympathy for your state of debauchery now, but let me make one thing crystal clear –“ she grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him in so their faces were almost touching. “that is never, ever going to happen, do you understand me? EVER!!”

“All right, geeze” Reader said mildly, putting his hands over hers in a conciliatory gesture. “No one suggested it would…”

“No one but your -“ Karen stifled what she was going to say, struggled for words briefly, then finished with “Excessively familiar mother! Now get on!”

“Um… get on?” Reader repeated.

Karen turned nearly as red as her hair, then dropped Reader’s collar, stalking over to the sleek silver motorcycle they had stopped in front of. She took a helmet and a leather jacket out of one saddlebag, donned both, then tossed a spare helmet at Reader.

“Get on the motorcycle! You’re sitting behind me, and you’re not to touch anything but my waist, is that clear?”

“All right, Geez…” Reader awkwardly climbed behind her, putting his hands loosely around her waist. “Um, where do I put my legs if they can’t…”

“Obviously your thighs can touch mine” she said with a weary tone. “Have you never ridden a bike before?”

“Well… no” Reader said truthfully.

“You’ll want to hold on tighter than that then” Karen said as she started to pull away.

“Father”, she said, voice muffled inside her helmet. “I’m bringing a guest. Unknown human biomancer, claims no affiliations, story’s consistent with being a recent late bloomer who attends the academy.” A pause. “Reader Numen”. Another pause. “Confused and co-operative.” One more pause, then “Thank you”.

With that, Karen gunned the engine and Reader hung on for dear life as the motorcycle shot down the winding back streets.