Tomoko Date: Part 1

Levi Summers

Levi gazed at Tomoko's kimono in awe, both of its classy design and of how it transformed Tomoko's presence entirely. In contrast, he felt embarrassed in his simple jeans and t-shirt.

Dressed up for Master: +2 VP

Mod: Playing up Asian Fetish: +1 VP

"I'm sorry," Levi finally said, gesturing to his clothes. "I fell asleep. I can change."

"No worries, bro! You're nailing the bachelor look," Tomoko winked as she entered the room. Upon clearing the threshold, she whistled as she looked around the immense living room.

"Holly crap! This place is awesome. It's way better than our rooms."

Levi nodded apologetically. "Yeah, I saw how small they were."

Tomoko shot him a mischievous grin. "You've been sneaking into our beds?"

"What? No!" Levi assured her in alarm. However, his panic died as he saw her laughing.

"Relax, dude. I was kidding." Her smile then immediately fell. "By the way, I wanted to apologize for thinking you were a deadbeat dad. I feel so dumb."

Levi shook his head. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know, but it musta been a lot of work putting up with me," Tomoko sighed, her fingers absently scratching her head and causing her delicate kimono sleeve to slip down her arm.

"I like your Kimono," Levi said automatically.

"Thanks. My aunt got it in Japan," Tomoko beamed.

"Do you go there often?"

"I've never been," she admitted, shaking her head." My parents planned to take me when I turned eighteen, but they weren't around anymore."

Levi looked to the floor. "Oh god, I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Tomoko asked in confusion before realizing what Levi was assuming. "Oh, they're still alive, just assholes."

'Seems like a common theme,' Levi thought, thinking of Olivia and his own father.

Tomoko sauntered to one of the many lounge chairs and flopped into it as if she owned the space. "You got anything to drink?" she asked.

"Yeah, I have a wine cellar we can raid," he replied.

Tomoko whistled again. "I am so freaking jealous of your place."

---

Lauren Peterson

The group’s mission to find the secret shop was not progressing well. After ten hours of exploring, the castle, which had once felt spacious, now seemed much smaller after being thoroughly examined.

Sophia, Elena, and Nora huddled together in the dimly lit aisles of the castles' library, their enthusiasm for the search slowly waning. Only Lauren showed no sign of slowing down, frantically pulling out each book, hoping to trigger a secret passage.

Elena sighed, "Maybe we should stop for dinner, you guys. Come back fresh tomorrow?"

"We can't stop now!" Lauren barked without even turning to face her. "We've barely looked!"

"We've already tried pulling out books," Elena reminded her. "There's obviously something we're missing."

"Well, what is that 'something' then?" Lauren snapped back. "Do any of you know?"

"No, but we're obviously stuck," Mrs. Wolf offered diplomatically. "When this happens, I find it helps to take a break and return with a fresh perspective."

Lauren scoffed and returned to her work. "I don't have time to sit around uselessly. She needs me."

"I understand the feeling," Sophia said. "But I promise you're not useless. Besides, we can use this time to strategize the next steps."

Lauren was silent for a long moment. "Fine, I guess you're right," she finally admitted, much to Sophia and Elena's surprise. "Planning what comes after this would be a good idea."

She turned to face the other three women. "I was actually wondering, how much is this cure going to cost?"

"Huh?" Sophia asked, confused.

"The cost in BP," Lauren clarified. "Mrs. Wolf has forty; is that enough, or do we need to find more?"

Sophia paused, not having considered this. "I'm not sure," she confessed.

Lauren's eyes widened. "You don't know how much the cure is?"

"Well, we don't know if there's a cure,” Sophia clarified.

Lauren stared in disbelief at the girl, a chill creeping through her veins. “What? You don’t know?” she repeated.

"Well... uh..." Sophia stammered, averting her gaze, suddenly feeling unsafe.

Lauren's eyes bolted between Elena and Sophia. "But you... you said this shop would save her," Lauren said slowly.

"I mean, I'm hoping it can," Sophia mumbled meekly.

"HOPE?!" Lauren screamed, a bolt of venom exploding out of her mouth. "You don't even know?!"

Sophia took a nervous step back. "Well, I haven't actually seen what they sell. But..."

"Do you have any proof?" Lauren asked desperately. "Any at all that this shop will help?"

"I admit it's a long shot. But I... figured it.... wouldn't... hurt…” Sophia trailed off.

Lauren felt an icy numbness wash over her as her reality shattered like glass. The last flicker of hope she had desperately clung to—the final support pillar in her mind, crumbled. A new sensation settled in her chest, unlike anything she had ever experienced. It transcended mere anger, manifesting as a serene yet powerful fury. This was a primal hatred for the catgirl before her, a strange mix of calmness and intensity.

She spoke slowly and quietly, her gaze unblinkingly focused on Sophia.

"You're a pathetic, ugly, insufferable, gold-digging little freak. The only reason everyone keeps saving you is because they feel sorry for whatever's wrong with your brain. I bet you were overjoyed to become Levi's **** since you're already too spineless to make your own decisions. I mean, it makes sense that the only way you could ever lose your virginity was at gunpoint, and even then, you had to resort to someone as pathetic as Levi. Not that you care, I bet you were overjoyed to hop on the first dick that gave you the time of day."

"Holy shit Lauren! Back off!" Elena exclaimed, placing a hand on Sophia's shoulder. The catgirl, meanwhile, merely stood frozen, mouth hanging open.

"Screw off, Mendez, you bitch," Lauren sneered. "I know why you love your ugly ogre body so much: Being surrounded by people weaker than you must make you feel so smug. No wonder you whored up with a weakling like Levi."

"Levi's my friend!" Elena yelled back.

"Yeah, real friend you are," Lauren laughed coldly. "Too bad you weren't there for him when it actually counted, you two-faced freak!"

"That's quite enough, Ms Peterson!" Nora asserted, her voice steady and firm as she positioned herself between the two teens.

"Shut the hell up, Wolf!" Lauren snapped. "You were a horrible teacher, and you’re probably only a widow because your husband couldn't stand living around you.

Nora froze in utter disbelief and fury. "How dare you!" she began, but Lauren entirely ignored her, settling her focus back onto Sophia.

"Fuck you, Sophia! Fuck you! I bet you planned this goose chase to waste our time and keep your lead!"

"I wouldn't," she replied in a horse whisper, her eyes locked to the ground.

"Of course you would! The only thing your broken brain is good at is scheming on how to stab us in the back, just like you did to my sister. You were jealous of her and saw her as a threat! That's why you eliminated her. It's all your fault!"

Elena acted on instinct. She lunged at Lauren and tackled her to the ground with a heavy thud. In a flash, they were locked in a fierce struggle. They exchanged punches, grappled for control, and gripped each other’s clothes and hair.

"Girls! Stop this instant!" Mrs. Wolf shouted, trying to get close enough to break them up. However, she could not do so and narrowly avoided being kicked by the two as they flailed about on the stone floor.

Lauren Peterson: Catfight: +3 VP

Elena Mendez: Catfight: +3 VP

Elena wrapped her arms around Lauren's head, pulling her into a firm headlock. "Take it back! You need to take back what you said to her!" In response, Lauren bit Elena's arm, forcing her to release her neck. The goth then tried to scratch at Elena's eyes, but the latter pinned her hands behind her head.

"Stop!" Sophia screamed.

Elena looked up at her. "But... but Sophia."

"Please... just... stop..." Sophia begged, eyes watering.

Reluctantly, Elena released her grip on Lauren, watching as the goth pushed herself off the ground. As Lauren stood, she cast a piercing glare of pure loathing down at her. No further insults spilled from her lips. However, her stare said more than words ever could.

She looked up at the other two, daring them to say something, but all were silent. With a final scoff, she spun on her heels and marched out of the library. Nobody moved until they heard her slam the exit door behind her.

Elena rose to her feet, her heart still racing from the fight. She smoothed down her dress and then looked apologetically up at Sophia, hoping to say something reassuring, but the catgirl beat her to it.

"Let's keep searching," Sophia whispered.

"Are you sure you don't want..." Mrs. Wolf began.

"Let's keep searching," Sophia repeated.

---

Tomoko Nakaya

Tomoko blew a long whistle as she pulled a bottle from Levi's well-stocked wine rack. "Holly crap, Richebourg Grand Cru," she exclaimed, reading the label. "This is like three thousand bucks." She gestured the bottle at Levi and shook it. "Ya want some?"

Levi shrugged, already at the table with two glasses and a bottle opener prepared. "Sure, I mean, I'm not twenty-one, but screw it."

Tomoko sat opposite Levi and grabbed the opener. "You're not? Wait, how old are ya again?"

"Eighteen," he reminded her.

"Oh wow. So you were like six years younger when I babysat ya," Tomoko mused as she pressed the corkscrew into the top. "Sorry, all the kids kinda blur together. Apparently, I traumatized you?"

Levi looked away. "You're fine. Azure exaggerates everything you guys did to me. I don't even remember it."

This last part was only half true. Tomoko had been his first crush and also the first to reject him in disgust, shredding the paper card he'd made for her in front of his face.

More significantly, however, he still had painful memories of banging on the closet door she had trapped him in, begging to be let out on numerous occasions. However, he had also not thought about those days since his parent's divorce, the pain having far overshadowed it.

In fact, if it hadn't been for Azure reminding him, he never would have remembered it.

"Sorry, I was such a bitch back then," Tomoko admitted, bringing Levi to reality. "I was a brat."

"It's ancient history," Levi muttered. "I'm sure I was annoying, so I don't blame you for the times you locked me in the closet."

"Wait, times? Plural? How many times did I even do that?"

"Uh, four?"

"Four!" Tomoko exclaimed, pulling the cork too hard and causing the wine to erupt from the bottle onto the floor. "Shit!" she swore, covering the opening with her mouth until it stopped spilling.

Wiping her mouth and placing the bottle on the table, she repeated, "Damn. Four. Your parents should've fired me."

"I never told them," Levi confessed, his memories growing clearer the longer he discussed them.

Tomoko tilted her head. "Why not?"

Levi thought momentarily, though he had no recollection of even considering telling on her. "I don't know. Maybe I was afraid what you'd do." He looked away, blushing slightly. "Or maybe I still wanted you to come back."

Tomoko shuffled awkwardly in her seat, unsure how to respond. "Do ya... do ya even remember what I looked like back then?"

Levi was surprised to find that he didn't. While he vividly recalled an attractive, taller girl screaming at him, her actual face was a black smear. He shook his head.

"Hold on, I can help."

Tomoko reached behind her kimono and retrieved a thin sketchbook that she had tucked into her obi. She placed it in front of her and began flipping through the pages. She eventually stopped on a page that showcased two similar girls—one wearing a dress shirt and pigtails, and the other, shorter one in a sweater with long hair.

"Did you draw these?" Levi asked, to which Tomoko nodded. "That's incredible!"

"You're the second person to say that. Why's everyone surprised?" Tomoko giggled before pointing to a girl on the left. "Do you remember if I was Pigtail-Tomoko then?" She moved her finger to the other girl. "Or Long-Hair-Tomoko?"

Levi looked closer. The faceless Tomoko in his memories gave way to its true form. "It's definitely the pigtails one," he answered.

Tomoko nodded sadly. "Yeah, I figured. I was really messed up then. My boyfriend was an asshole, and I was super closeted. Plus, things weren't going great with my folks."

She stopped and shook her head, before putting it in her hands. "Nah, that's no excuse. I never should have taken it out on a kid like you. I wish I coulda slap myself. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Levi said automatically. He then let the words settle for a moment before repeating them, actually meaning it. "It's really fine. We were both just kids."

"You were a kid," Tomoko countered. "I was fourteen. Your parents were trustin' me, and I locked you up to invite my friends over. What if you had gotten injured there, and I had no idea? You could have been cryin’ from a broken arm and I would have ignored ya," Her hands shook with a sudden anger. "If a babysitter did that to my kid, I'd never forgive her!"

Levi hesitated a moment before placing a reassuring hand on Tomoko's. "Please don't feel guilty anymore. I can see that you're sorry, and I forgive you."

As he said it, he felt a piece of resentment that had existed in the back of his mind, forgotten until now, finally faded, and he knew it was true.

Achieved Forgiveness: +5 VP x Level of Harm = 10 VP

Note: Tomoko's level of harm was 2.

"Thanks, dude," Tomoko smiled in appreciation.

Levi looked back down to the drawing. "By the way, I forgot you used to wear glasses," he acknowledged.

"Yeah, I switched to contacts a while ago," Tomoko laughed. "I was on the fence about it 'til I learned you could get 'em in purple."

"I like purple," Levi confessed.

"Hey, me too," Tomoko beamed in excitement as she turned the page of her sketchbook to the drawing of a boy. "Oh! Here's my son."

"Oh, cute."

"Um, excuse me?" Tomoko asked in mock offense. "My son's not cute. He's fuckin' adorable!"

Levi laughed as Tomoko looked down at the child affectionately. "He's shy, though, especially when he goes to new places, so he may be quiet when we move in."

Levi stopped laughing. "Move in?" he repeated.

Tomoko scratched her cheek, confused. "Oh, are we not? I just assumed, especially now that you own a mansion." She began to stroke her chin, thinking. "So, would I have to come over when it's time to bone ya? I've never been part of a harem, so I don't know the rules."

Levi couldn't help but look slack jawed at Tomoko's lack of concern as she discussed this. "You're so casual. Doesn't this bother you?"

Tomoko shrugged. "Sure, but it's not like I can do anything about it. I might as well make lemonade, you know?" She leaned back in her chair. "Besides, having to fuck ya aint so bad. You got that boon that makes you good at sex, right? Won't have to worry about ya leavin' me unsatisfied like half the other men I met."

Levi continued to stare, his disbelief growing. Eventually, he broke the silence. "You talk about sex like it's nothing special."

"It isn't," she replied. "I get why ya think it would be. Ya only had it once, so it's still a big deal. But do it enough, and ya realize it's just somethin' fun you do with people—like gettin' ice cream."

He shook his head. "That's an awful comparison. I mean, there's nothing taboo about ice cream."

A smirk formed on Tomoko's lips. "Who says sex is taboo?"

"I mean... society?" Levi answered, furrowing his brow.

Irritation flashed across Tomoko's eyes. "Humans are meant to have sex if they want to! It's how we even exist, and it feels incredible! Why does everyone have to pretend it's a bad thing?!"

Levi scooted back in his chair, realizing he had somehow hit a nerve. "I didn't mean..."

Tomoko interrupted him, clearly getting worked up. "Hell, half of the baby boomers who talk about being clean and pure were way freakier than us in the sixties. Like, you guys are the last people to tell us not to do **** or fuck."

With an expression of fury, Tomoko snatched the bottle off the table, her fingers gripping it tightly as she lifted it to her lips. "Fuckin' hypocrites. I'm not hurtin' no one. Stop treatin’ me like a criminal ‘cause I like to feel good!" She swung her head back and took several large gulps from it with determination.

"Are you okay? You seem... wow..." Levi began before trailing off in amazement as he watched Tomoko continue chugging the expensive wine like Gatorade.

Finally, she let out a satisfied sigh and swiftly slammed the nearly empty bottle onto the table. Cheeks flushed. She seemed to radiate contentment, and no trace of her sudden flash of anger remained.

"Is that safe?" Levi asked in amazement, looking at the half-empty bottle.

Tomoko ran her fingers through her hair. "It's fine. Wine doesn't do crap for me no more. By the way, before I forget, I can't fuck ya tonight."

It took Levi a half-second to process what Tomoko had said, the pivot coming entirely out of left field.

Tomoko raised her hands reassuringly. "I just mean I can't do penetration stuff tonight. I'm good for everything else." She rubbed her arm awkwardly. "I just promised someone I wouldn't let you up the butt or pussy tonight." She leaned forward, "Blowjobs, thigh jobs, any of the jobs. Those are fine."

Told Master He Can't Fuck Her: -4 VP

Mod: Offered Other Sex Acts: +1 VP

"Who'd you make that promise to?" Levi asked, curious. "Olivia?" he guessed.

"Oh, uh, I dunno!" Tomoko bluffed, showing off her complete lack of a poker face as she darted her eyes around the room before settling them on the ceiling.

"Maybe we should... get some dinner," Levi offered, hoping for an excuse to change the subject.

---

Nora Wolf

Sophia and Nora sat in the hall outside the changing room, the two half-humans motionless in awkward silence. It was nearly sunset, and Elena had requested to change before she "hulked out.”

She looked over at Sophia, who had not spoken a word since Lauren's verbal ****. Her expression was blank, but Mrs Wof could see the lack of life behind the catgirls eyes.

"Listen, Lauren was out of line," Nora said in a nurturing tone.

Sophia shifted her face away. With great caution, Nora pushed further. "If you want to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."

"I'm not a kid and not your student," Sophia replied, without looking.

Nora nodded. "I know, but I don't have to be your teacher to..."

"Can you stop?" Sophia requested an uncharacteristic bitterness in her voice. "I don't have the bandwidth for this right now. So unless you have an idea to find the shop, I really don't care."

Nora looked away. "I... I'm sorry."

Sophia rolled her eyes, unconcerned about being rude. "This is hopeless, isn't it?" she finally admitted, saying so more to herself than to Mrs Wolf.

Nora was quiet for a long time. Finally, she spoke. "There... there is one thing we haven't tried,"

Sophia looked over. "What?"

Nora took a deep breath. "I could try... inventing something."

---

Bonus Image