But it's all about the execution.

Penny smiled as her body drifted out of the bedroom. She was distantly aware that she was moving, but she didn't really pay it any mind. Matt had asked for ice cream, after all. The whole conversation they had was already slipping from her consciousness as she just enjoyed being.

Now that she wasn't trying to answer Matt's questions, Penny felt her mind and body slacken. The shouts of a crowd on the street tickled her ears and smiled. She heard the words but didn't bother to comprehend them as her body autopiloted its way through her task. She gently massaged her left nipple, now realizing that the prickly euphoric pulsing was pain.

Pain. What even was pain anymore? Before, she could distinguish pain from other sensations. It didn't feel bad, but she knew it was supposed to. The coolness of the ice cream container on her palm made her giggle. Was that pain? She remembered dimly holding frozen things. It felt ok at first but felt bad after a while, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly how it felt bad. Looking down at the pint, she realized that she'd never understand pain again.

Matt was approaching her, which made her even happier. She threw open her arms to embrace him but he frowned.

"Penny, what the fuck are you doing out here?"

"Getting you ice cream," she replied cheerfully. She held out the pint to him, but he didn't take it. Instead, he threw a coat over her and led her away.

Matt took stock of his feelings and goals. He still loved whatever was left of Penny, but he wasn't done working out his anger. It was immensely frustrating that she couldn't suffer but he got some bitter pleasure in knowing that she would have hated this. She removed a part of her soul without his permission, so he used her vulnerability to take even more. It was an ugly relief to know that he had managed to land a blow on some version of Penny.

Now she was too stupid to even get him ice cream, he thought. It had been several minutes. She was probably zoned out in front of the freezer, enjoying the blast of cool air in her face. He went to check on her and was alarmed to find that she wasn't in the kitchen. A quick search revealed she wasn't in the house at all.

Matt swore and hurriedly threw on some clothes and grabbed a jacket. Images of Penny getting assfucked by some pervert or hit by a car flashed through his mind as he ran outside and looked up and down the street. He saw a few people hanging around outside the convenience store on the corner and went to ask them.

He approached an attractive young woman who was scrolling on her phone. "Excuse me," he asked her and she looked up at him. "I'm looking for my wife. She may be nude-"

"Oh!" she said brightly. "The one with the big tits! Her, right?"

She held up her phone and Matt found himself looking a blurry photo of his nude wife entering the store. He swore again and headed in to find her holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's and looking around with wonder. He ran to her, and she smiled dimly as though she bumped into an old friend.

"Penny, what the fuck are you doing out here?"

"Getting you some ice cream," she responded. She held it out to him and he ignore it, throwing his jacket over her and ushering her out of the store. As they passed the crowd, the woman he had spoken to him earlier approached him again.

"Hi again!" she said with a smile. "Are you boosted?"

Penny stared through her, taking a moment to process the question. Matt rolled his eyes. "There's your answer."

He tried to move on but the woman held out her hand and introduced herself as Tilda. Matt shook her hand and Penny just continued to smile through her. Matt instructed her to introduce herself and she shook her head and blinked, then grasped Tilda's hand. "Penny," she said. "I'm boosted."

"I know!" Tilda chuckled and Penny laughed. How did she know? Before Penny could work it out, Tilda continued. "Can I ask you some questions? I'm thinking about getting boosted, but I'm not sure about it. What's it like?"

"It's really cool," Penny replied. "It's like everything is just... easy. You only have to think when you wanna." An idea struck her. "You should come back to our place! Then I can tell you about being boosted and you can suck my husband's dick. He likes making me watch women pleasure him."

Matt blushed a deep crimson but Tilda looked genuinely honored. "Are you serious? That would be great! I've never sucked a dick before."

"Meaning you're gonna be shitty at it," Matt muttered and both women laughed.