"Interesting, sister. Two very different approaches. Aziza picking up spellcasting easily, but fundamentally uninterested in the theoretical basis of magic, thinking quickly and knowing how to use her abilities effectively, but also very cautious when dealing with things she doesn't understand. Regina grasping the theoretical framework, but also rushing into things without working on her abilities first--bold and innovative, but perhaps not quite cautious enough."
"Indeed, brother. I shall set the next challenge."
+++++++++++
Alison was tempted to not go all-out, as she knew it would be good for Logan to win. But she also knew that Logan was an experienced and highly intelligent athlete, who would know right away if Allison was giving less than 100%, and would be insulted if she were. So there was no choice but to go all-out, and hope for the best whoever won.
Both athletes felt good to be moving their bodies again. But as the match progressed, both of them felt something else. Neither had any experience competing against people they were sexually attracted to, and so it took sometime to recognize what they were feeling. Allison recognized it first, and a minute later she saw an unmistakeable look in Logan's eyes.
Logan was ahead 10-9 despite the fact that she wasn't going as hard as he had routinely. It was almost as if she were afraid of hurting Allison, something that had never been a factor in his one-on-ones with Alan. Allison realized this and got even more turned on, although also a little saddened at the thought that she would never have a straight one-on-one with her oldest friend again. She held the ball and said "Let's say you win and go inside and make out."
"God" said Logan "How did I ever get such a smart girlfriend?"
++++++++++
Robbie and Elizabeth both felt enormous relief at the release of the sexual tension that had been building up for days. Their lovemaking extended throughout the house, leaving a trail of discarded clothes as they made their way from living room couch to bedroom. It culminated in a screaming, eyeball-rolling, thank god the kid isn't in the house simultaneous orgasm. They fell asleep in each others's arms.
Robbie woke up first, and looked down on the smiling face of Elizabeth. I wish this solved the problem, she thought, but it doesn't. I can't always be the dominating, horny, slut as much fun as that is. Sometimes I need to be an innocent girl, a fair maiden being taken by an aggressive lover, helpless and trembling in her arms, and I still can't get that here.
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Katherine was on one of her online baseball forums, where a thread titled "Making the game great again" had received 930 posts. The most popular ideas seemed to be shortening the distance between the pitcher's mound and the plate, shortening the base paths, and allowing metal bats. Bringing the fences in might bring the home run back, as there hadn't been a single home run, as opposed to a player making it to home plate on errors, since the Great Change. A few favored juicing the ball, and only a stubborn handful thought the solution was legalizing steroids. (Those were mostly people who hadn't updated their profiles with female names and new pics.) Some looked forward to the return of beloved veterans in their new, young bodies even if those bodies differed greatly from what they had been in their prime. Most agreed that this season was going to go down with an asterisk and that as grave as the crisis seemed for baseball, at least they were better off than the football fans.
+++++
Suddenly, Shelley recognized the people she was seeing in the phenomenon that was associated with changed people and their families generally. "Mom? Dad? Gary? Is that really you?"
"Yes dear, it's really us" answered Shelley's mom. "And we're so happy to see you again."
Shelley hugged her mother fiercely, as if the more tightly she could cling to her, the more real her mother would become.
++++++++
The story Kira had seen on the internet while DWB ineffectually sawed away at her bonds made her sick. Was this what people thought being a dom was? Kidnapping some poor girl and torturing her for ten years? Driving the poor thing into madness? She knew that for her and her subs, the whole thing was about pleasure and satisfaction, not making other people suffer to take joy in their pain. She genuinely liked both Mandy and DWB--Mandy was home doing schoolwork at Kira's command, because she wanted Mandy to be well-educated and have a good life. She knew that DWB's self-esteem was soaring, paradoxically, as she learned to take pride in her role as a submissive and grew used to being around people that actually cared about what she did. That poor girl had been tied to a chair, just as DWB had been tied to a chair, but the motivations were very different. But Kira had only been a dom for a few days, maybe the evil torturer had started the same way. Was power always corrupting?
++++++++++++
"Are you OK, sweetheart?" asked Jean in the past, as she saw the shocked expression on her lover's face.
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"Are you OK, sweetheart?" asked Jean in the present, as she saw the shocked expression on her lover's face.
+++++++++++++
"Are you OK, sweetheart?" asked Juliana, as she saw the tears running down her lover's face. She knew that Millie was trying to contact her estranged parents, and that there was a story there that Millie would tell Juliana when she was ready.
"I'm OK" said Millie, with a trembling in her voice. "But I need to ask you something. When we're married, can I be Millie Quesada?"
"Of course you can, dearest" said Juliana as she took Millie in her arms.