Musings of a Magical Girlfriend

"I was fully prepared to just be single until college, you know." Isabelle tosses her empty soda can at the nearby waste bin, making a face as it bounces off the rim. "Just bide my time and then, like, explode on the first girl to smile at me after PoliSci 101."

You give a low whistle as your grumbling girlfriend retrieves and disposes of her poorly aimed litter. "Wow. I owe PoliSci girl an apology."

Isabelle rolls her eyes even as she steps forward, draping her arms over your shoulders while you slip yours around her waist. "Anyways. I kinda didn't want my first relationship to be something everyone was looking at, you know?"

"Mm." It's hard feel too bad for her as she leans in to give you a soft kiss, your lips tingling when she finally pulls away. Better give it a shot though. "Sorry Isabelle. We're an It Couple." It really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise: two popular and exceedingly hot individuals becoming a couple was always going to be something of a Thing, especially when it was born out of a night of passionate make-outs during a party filled with all of your schoolmates. Sure, it was the night before you both went to face your probable deaths, and there was no time left to find a more discreet solution, but regardless you're now very much dead center of the Gossip Storm. You even heard the term 'Ashabelle' thrown out more than once before the school day had ended. That shit is pretty dire.

Isabelle huffs in annoyance. "God. We're definitely going get voted into Homecoming Court this year. I so wanted to avoid that."

"I would have been in Homecoming Court last year, you know. But they decided not to count the fifteen votes for 'Ashley's Boobs'. Got fuckin' robbed."

She sighs, unable to make her exasperated expression reach her eyes even a little. "Well I'm just saying. You figuring out that you're into girls was pretty inconveniently timed for me."

"Correction: I've always been into girls. Boys were the newer discovery."

"Really?" Isabelle considers that, slipping her fingers through the your silky black hair. "Then why...?"

"Um,"--Jesus, it's hard to maintain an intelligent thought while she's massaging the back of your head like that. You fight down the shivers and try to keep yourself from drooling long enough to pull an answer together. "Timing mostly? I started noticing boys around when I also started getting more interested in sex. And being with boys was just...I don't know, easier, I guess?"

Isabelle nods slowly. "I absolutely get that." She trails off for a moment, then glances back at you with something curious in her eye. "When did first you, you know..."

"What, have sex?" She nods again. "Like the end of freshman year-ish?"

"Was it someone I know?"

You consider whether or not to tell her, only to realize that you don't fully remember. Well that's annoying. What you used to think of as 'New Ash' memories are almost entirely just 'You' memories by this point, but this is apparently one of the bits that's still fuzzy. You have a vague recollection of...a tent? And it being pretty awkward? Blah, whatever. Just play it off for now. "A lady doesn't bone and tell." Isabelle scoffs at that, only to start turning red as you lift yourself up on your tip toes to plant a kiss on the side of her neck. "Are you jealous?"

"N-no, I just..." Isabelle trails off, letting out a hiss of breath as you nip teasingly at her neck. "I'm just curious! I've got literally no experience, and it's kinda..."

"Intimidating?" You kiss your way up your girlfriend's neck to whisper into her ear. "Hot?" Her face is boiling red as she swallows carefully, then nods. Fuck she's cute. You give her an indulgent pat on her pert bottom. "Don't worry, Isabelle. Before long I'll have you ready to explode all over PoliSci Girl so good."

Isabelle pushes you away with that, laughing with a snort, the two of you sharing almost delirious grins as you reach down to shoulder your book bag. At length she sighs, offering you a regretful look. "It'll have to wait until tomorrow. I've got the Girls tonight."

"Aw, seriously?" Isabelle nods ruefully and you huff, folded arms squishing your boobs as you pout. God, that's what they never warn you about when you create a dozen fully sentient people out of ensorcelled animals: the goddamn hassle. "Can't Sydney hang out with them tonight?"

Isabelle shakes her head. "No, she said she's going to some big concert tonight. And besides, like half the girls are starting to respond to the GED coursework, but whenever Sydney watches them they backslide so hard." You believe it. The bubbly barista you turned into a bubblier coffee-adjacent bimbo is a lot of great things. She's friendly, she's loyal, she's single-handedly keeping anyone in the Tri State area that's ever rattled out a G chord safe from blue balls. But what she definitely is not is a good influence. Isabelle continues on. "She seemed way excited for this show. Something about a reunion? Heart...something?"

You blink. "A reunion? Heart Fukks?"

Isabelle's eyes light up. "Yeah, that was it!" She seems pleased when this revelation visibly intrigues you. "Are they good?"

"Oh man, no way. They fucking suck, and they hate each other. All five members are all suing the band and each other individually. That's thirty law suits. I'm absolutely positively sure they're only getting back together because they hope Sydney is gonna fuck them."

Isabelle purses her lips. "So...why do you look so excited?"

"Because all of their songs are these cheesy power ballads about friendship, and they can never make it through a full set without breaking out into an actual fistfight on stage. It's hilarious." You puff your chest out in pride. "I was at their last show? Won fifty bucks on a bet they couldn't make it through a single song. It was the best."

Isabelle clearly thinks you're crazy, but is apparently just going to let it slide. "Well why don't you go, then, and we'll meet up Saturday?"

You're strongly considering it. This'd be the first show you've gone to as the New You, and you'd be super pissed if you missed an opportunity to see a grown man get hit with a keytar. Those sorts of moments don't come along too often in life. Fuck it, we're doing this! You give a resolute nod, then a thought strikes you. "Do you want the book?"

"Yeah, good idea." You reach into your book bag and retrieve a rather nondescript leather bound book. The three of you have taken turns trying to decipher more of the dense tome that lead you down this strange, magical path, and so far Isabelle has had the most success. From what she's been able to puzzle out, a significant portion of the text isn't just a list of spells. Rather, it's a history of whatever cult it was that came before you. There's got to be some useful info in there, right? But to call the prose 'dense' would be an understatement, and it's super hard to muscle through any amount of it. "I guess I'll just get Sydney to pick me up, okay?"

"Mm, okay!" Isabelle leans in for another quick kiss before tucking the book under her arm and starting away, turning around long enough to call back over her shoulder. "Get me a Heart Fukks shirt!"

Oh God, now you're picturing Isabelle in nothing but a Heart Fukks shirt and it's making you sincerely like the band. That girl is goddamn devilish. Shove that image down real quick and just focus on the night ahead of you. It'll be good to have a night away from Isabelle, right? To just go out and have some stupid fun? Obviously no, you'd be super happy to just hang out with her every night, but space is good in a relationship. You suppose.

Still, a bit of brainless music might be just the thing to clear your mind right now. Because all day you've been catching flashes of something red out of the corner of your eye, and you don't know for a fact it's something Magical? But it is fucking one hundred percent something Magical. What, you've got no idea. Nothing has pinged any of the defenses you put over the school or your homes, and both you and your friends are still warded with protection that was strong enough to block the Mysterious Voice, even if only for a bit. Something is happening, and you have no doubt it will come to a head soon. But you're confident that whatever it is, you'll see it coming.

Just let it slide until tomorrow. Right now, you've got a post-punk slap fight to get ready for.